1. Overview of the efficacy of using probiotics for neurosurgical and potential neurosurgical patientsSabina Fijan, Tomaž Šmigoc, 2024, review article Abstract: This review delves into the emerging field of the gut microbiota-brain axis, emphasizing its bidirectional communication and implications for neurological health, particularly in trauma and neurosurgery. While disruptions in this axis can lead to dysbiosis and hinder neurological recovery, recent studies have highlighted the therapeutic potential of interventions like probiotics in targeting this axis. This review aims to focus on the efficacy of probiotic supplementation to support the gut microbiota-brain axis in trauma, neurosurgery, or pain based on the current clinical trials to assess the complex interplays among probiotics, the gut microbiota, and the central nervous system (CNS). This comprehensive literature review identified 10 relevant publications on probiotic interventions for various neurosurgical conditions across multiple countries. These studies demonstrated diverse outcomes, with significant improvements observed in gastrointestinal mobility, inflammatory responses, and infection rates, particularly in post-traumatic brain injury and spinal surgery. Probiotics also showed promise in mitigating antibiotic-associated diarrhea and modulating inflammatory cytokines. Despite the promising findings, the complex interplays among probiotics, the gut microbiota, and the central nervous system (CNS) call for cautious interpretation. Conflicting outcomes emphasize the need for better-designed trials to understand strain-specific and disease-specific effects accurately. In conclusion, probiotics offer a promising adjuvant therapy for neurosurgical patients, traumatic brain injuries, and post-spinal surgery. However, further well-designed randomized controlled trials are essential to elucidate the intricate relationship between microbiome-modulating interventions and the CNS via the gut microbiota-brain axis.
Keywords: neurologic injury, neurosurgery, probiotics, synbiotics, microbiota, brain injury
Published in DKUM: 21.11.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 2
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2. Isolation of live cells from different mice tissues up to nine days after deathMetka Voga, Ana Pleterski, Gregor Majdič, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Some limited reports suggest that cells can survive in the cadavers for much longer than it was previously thought. In our study we explored how time after death, tissue type (muscle, brain and adipose tissue), storage temperature of cadavers (4 °C or at room temperature) and form of tissue storage (stored as cadavers or tissue pieces in phosphate buffered saline) affect the success of harvesting live cells from mice after death. Cells were isolated from dead tissues and grown in standard conditions. Some cells were used for RNA extraction and RT² Profiler™ PCR Array for cell lineage identification was performed to establish which lineages the cells obtained from post mortem tissues belong to. Results of our study showed that viable cells can be regularly isolated from muscle and brain tissue 3 days post mortem and with difficulty up to 6 days post mortem. Viable cells from brain tissue can be isolated up to 9 days post mortem. No cells were isolated from adipose tissue except immediately after death. In all instances viable cells were isolated only when tissues were stored at 4 °C. Tissue storage did not affect cell isolation. Isolated cells were progenitors from different germ layers. Our results show that live cells could be obtained from mouse cadavers several days after death.
Keywords: mouse, cadaver, stem cells, brain, muscle, adipose tissue
Published in DKUM: 21.10.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 2
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3. Statistically significant features improve binary and multiple motor imagery task predictions from EEGsMurside Degirmenci, Yilmaz Kemal Yuce, Matjaž Perc, Yalcin Isler, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: In recent studies, in the field of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), researchers have
focused on Motor Imagery tasks. Motor Imagery-based electroencephalogram
(EEG) signals provide the interaction and communication between the paralyzed
patients and the outside world for moving and controlling external devices
such as wheelchair and moving cursors. However, current approaches in the
Motor Imagery-BCI system design require.
Keywords: brain-computer interfaces, electroencephalogram, feature selection, machine learning, task classification
Published in DKUM: 10.09.2024; Views: 31; Downloads: 8
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4. Professional qualifications recognition of doctors in the EU : a perspective of EU citizens and third-country nationalsŽiva Šuta, Karmen Pišek Šuta, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: This article explores the applicable rules in the context of professional qualifications recognition of doctors in the EU. In the pursuit of this examination, it focuses on two groups of individuals, namely EU citizens and third-country nationals, and differentiates between qualifications obtained in the EU and qualifications obtained outside EU. While EU citizens are generally free to pursue their medical profession in any EU Member State, third-country nationals experience difficulties in the recognition of their professional qualifications as they fall outside the scope of specific rules on professional qualifications recognition and do not enjoy free movement rights. The assessment of the applicable rules is followed by a conclusion that the EU citizens are protected under the EU legal framework for the recognition of professional qualifications, however, the legal framework for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications is still absent and depends largely upon general rules applicable to third-country nationals willing to settle and work in the EU.
Keywords: professional qualifications, mutual recognition, freedom of establishment, brain waste, doctors
Published in DKUM: 19.04.2024; Views: 258; Downloads: 19
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5. Autolysis affects the iron cargo of ferritins in neurons and glial cells at different rates in the human brainSowmya Sunkara, Snježana Radulović, Saška Lipovšek Delakorda, Christoph Birkl, Stefan Eggenreich, Anna Maria Birkl-Toeglhofer, Maximilian Schinagl, Daniel Funk, Michael Stöger-Pollach, Johannes Haybaeck, Walter Gössler, Stefan Ropele, Gerd Leitinger, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Iron is known to accumulate in neurological disorders, so a careful balance of the iron concentration is essential for healthy brain functioning. An imbalance in iron homeostasis could arise due to the dysfunction of proteins involved in iron homeostasis. Here, we focus on ferritin—the primary iron storage protein of the brain. In this study, we aimed to improve a method to measure ferritin-bound iron in the human post-mortem brain, and to discern its distribution in particular cell types and brain regions. Though it is known that glial cells and neurons differ in their ferritin concentration, the change in the number and distribution of iron-filled ferritin cores between different cell types during autolysis has not been revealed yet. Here, we show the cellular and region-wide distribution of ferritin in the human brain using state-of-the-art analytical electron microscopy. We validated the concentration of iron-filled ferritin cores to the absolute iron concentration measured by quantitative MRI and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We show that ferritins lose iron from their cores with the progression of autolysis whereas the overall iron concentrations were unaffected. Although the highest concentration of ferritin was found in glial cells, as the total ferritin concentration increased in a patient, ferritin accumulated more in neurons than in glial cells. Summed up, our findings point out the unique behaviour of neurons in storing iron during autolysis and explain the differences between the absolute iron concentrations and iron-filled ferritin in a cell-type-dependent manner in the human brain.
Keywords: ferritin, human brain, energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, autolysis
Published in DKUM: 20.03.2024; Views: 228; Downloads: 23
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7. Vloga in pomen individualnih profilov dominacije ter programa brain gym pri delu z otroki s posebnimi potrebami : magistrsko deloNina Mager, 2022, master's thesis Abstract: Magistrsko delo predstavlja individualne profile dominacije in program Brain Gyma kot strategijo dela z otroki s posebnimi potrebami. Namen dela je predstaviti, kako lahko z določanjem individualnih profilov dominacije in s strategijo dela, kot je Brain Gym pripomoremo h kakovostnejšemu učenju in življenju učencev s posebnimi potrebami ter si z individualnimi profili dominacije pomagamo pri tem, katere metode in strategije dela so za določen profil dominacije primerne in kako lahko v procesu učenja pomagajo tako učencu, učitelju kot strokovnemu delavcu v stiku z učenci s posebnimi potrebami.
V prvem, teoretičnem delu, je predstavljena osnovna terminologija, ki zajema otroke s posebnimi potrebami, in sicer učence z učnimi težavami, učence z motnjo pozornosti in učence z avtističnimi motnjami, pri čemer smo se osredotočili na Aspergerjev sindrom. Za glavno temo magistrskega dela smo se tako osredotočili na individualne profile dominacije, na njihovo določanje in na različne vrste profilov dominacije. Predelali smo tudi to, kako se individualni profili dominacije obnesejo v medčloveških odnosih in kako v procesu samega izobraževanja.
Kot najpomembnejšo strategijo, ki je del programa individualnih profilov dominacije, smo tako kot sredstvo pomoči predstavili strategijo dela Brain Gym. V drugem, raziskovalnem delu, je tako predstavljena študija dveh primerov, iz katerih smo ugotovili, kako določanje individualnih profilov dominacije obeh študij vplivajo na učni proces in življenje ter kakšen je rezultat uporabe strategij in metod kot je Brain Gym na delovanje obeh študij primerov. V prvem delu empiričnega dela sta tako predstavljeni študiji primera, priprava in izvedba individualiziranega programa, opazovanje učencev v njunem okolju in njuno delovanje, načrtovanje in izvajanje dela individualiziranega programa ter evalvacija individualiziranega programa. V drugem delu empiričnega dela so predstavljeni rezultati polstrukturiranega intervjuja posebej s specialno pedagoginjo in primerjava odgovorov z učiteljico učenca a in z učiteljico učenca b. V interpretaciji rezultatov je predstavljeno, da poznavanje in uporaba individualnih profilov dominacije vsekakor pripomoreta k boljšemu napredku učenca in njegovih šibkih področij pri individualiziranem programu ter na področju razredne skupnosti, to poznavanje individualnih profilov dominacije pa pripomore k določanju strategij, ki učencu omogočijo kakovostnejše učenje tako individualno kot v skupini.
Del magistrskega dela je namenjen tudi vsem gradivom, ki so bila izdelana posebej na podlagi že narejenih individualnih programov za vsakega učenca posebej s cilji in priporočili za izvajanje individualiziranega programa, sem spadajo doma narejeni pripomočki za izvajanje vaj, ki imajo podlago na metodah in strategijah predpisanih v individualnih profilih vsakega učenca posebej ter ocenjevalni listi za opazovanje učenca v njegovem okolju v razredu in izven njega.
Keywords: učenci s posebnimi potrebami, individualni profili dominacije, Brain Gym, motnje avtističnega spektra, učenci z učnimi težavami, učenci z motnjo pozornosti
Published in DKUM: 23.12.2022; Views: 848; Downloads: 121
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8. The role of brain oscillations in working memoryAnja Pahor, 2017, doctoral dissertation Abstract: Working memory is important for a number of higher cognitive functions such as problem solving, reasoning, reading and language comprehension. Moreover, working memory measures are significantly correlated with measures of intellectual abilities. Investigating the neural basis of working memory provides the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of individual differences in general cognitive ability. This thesis aimed to elucidate the roles of brain oscillations in working memory, with a particular focus on theta and gamma frequency bands. Two techniques were employed that are best suited for the non-invasive study of brain oscillations: scalp recorded EEG and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). In the first step, correlational studies were conducted followed by neuromodulatory studies in the next step. The results showed that individuals with high working memory capacity, contrasted against individuals with low working memory capacity, display stronger alpha and gamma band desynchronisation and increased coherence in the theta frequency band between fronto- parietal areas during maintenance and between frontal brain areas during retrieval. The results further demonstrated that interactions between theta and gamma frequency bands are related to individual differences in working memory capacity. The neuromodulatory studies showed that theta tACS applied over parietal brain areas can be used to enhance performance on working memory tasks, thereby providing support for the causal role of theta band oscillations in working memory.
Keywords: working memory, brain oscillations, capacity, electroencephalograpy, tACS, theta, gamma
Published in DKUM: 28.07.2017; Views: 2099; Downloads: 208
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9. Combination of lung ultrasound (a comet-tail sign) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in differentiating acute heart failure from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma as cause of acute dyspnea in prehospital emergency settingGregor Prosen, Petra Klemen, Matej Strnad, Štefek Grmec, 2011, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction: We studied the diagnostic accuracy of bedside lung ultrasound (the presence of a comet tail sign), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and clinical assessment (modified Boston criteria) in differentiating heart failure (HF)- related acute dyspnea from pulmonary (COPD/asthma) related acute dyspnea in the prehospital setting.
Methods: Prospective study was performed at the Center for Emergency Medicine Maribor, Slovenia, between July 2007 and April 2010. Two groups of patients were compared: HF-related acute dyspnea group (n = 129) vs pulmonary-related (asthma/COPD) acute dyspnea group (n = 89). All patients underwent lung ultrasound examination, along with basic laboratory, rapid NT-proBNP testing and chest X-ray.
Results: Ultrasound comet tail sign has 100% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 100% negative predictive value (NPV) and 96% positive predictive value (PPV) for the diagnosis of HF. NT-proBNP (cut-off point 1000 pg/ml) has 92% sensitivity, 89% specificity, 86% NPV and 90% PPV. Boston modified criteria have 85% sensitivity, 86% specificity, 80% NPV and 90% PPV. Comparing the three methods, we found significant differences between ultrasound sign vs NT-proBNP (P<0.05) and Boston modified criteria (P<0.05). Combination of ultrasound sign and NT-proBNP has 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% NPV and 100% PPV. With ultrasound we can exclude HF in patients with pulmonary related dyspnea who have positive NT-proBNP (> 1000 pg/ml) and previous history of HF.
Conclusions: Ultrasound comet tail sign alone or in combination with NT-proBNP has a high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between acute HF and COPD/asthma causes of acute dyspnea in prehospital emergency setting.
Keywords: lungs, ultrasound, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, acute heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, acute dyspnea
Published in DKUM: 29.06.2017; Views: 2008; Downloads: 402
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10. Brain metastases in lung adenocarcinoma : impact of EGFR mutation status on incidence and survivalKarmen Stanič, Matjaž Zwitter, Nina Turnšek Hitij, Izidor Kern, Aleksander Sadikov, Tanja Čufer, 2014, original scientific article Abstract: The brain represents a frequent progression site in lung adenocarcinoma. This study was designed to analyse the association between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and the frequency of brain metastases (BM) and survival in routine clinical practice. Patients and methods. We retrospectively analysed the medical records of 629 patients with adenocarcinoma in Slovenia who were tested for EGFR mutations in order to analyse the cumulative incidence of BM, the time from the diagnosis to the development of BM (TDBM), the time from BM to death (TTD) and the median survival. Results. Out of 629 patients, 168 (27%) had BM, 90 patients already at the time of diagnosis. Additional 78 patients developed BM after a median interval of 14.3 months; 25.8 months in EGFR positive and 11.8 months in EGFR negative patients, respectively (p = 0.002). EGFR mutations were present in 47 (28%) patients with BM. The curves for cumulative incidence of BM in EGFR positive and negative patients demonstrate a trend for a higher incidence of BM in EGFR mutant patients at diagnosis (19% vs. 13%, p = 0.078), but no difference later during the course of the disease. The patients with BM at diagnosis had a statistically longer TTD (7.3 months) than patients who developed BM later (3.1 months). The TTD in EGFR positive patients with BM at diagnosis was longer than in EGFR negative patients (12.6 vs. 6.8, p = 0.005), while there was no impact of EGFR status on the TTD of patients who developed BM later. Conclusions. Except for a non-significant increase of frequency of BM at diagnosis in EGFR positive patients, EGFR status had no influence upon the cumulative incidence of BM. EGFR positive patients had a longer time to CNS progression. While EGFR positive patients with BM at diagnosis had a longer survival, EGFR status had no influence on TTD in patients who developed BM later during the course of disease.
Keywords: brain metastases, lung adenocarcinoma, EGFR mutations
Published in DKUM: 05.04.2017; Views: 1202; Downloads: 157
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