Genetic and Epigenomic Modifiers of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy (DN), the most common chronic and progressive complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), strongly affects patients’ quality of life. DN could be present as peripheral, autonomous or, clinically also relevant, uremic neuropathy. The etiopathogenesis of DN is multifactorial, and genetic components play a role both in its occurrence and clinical course. A number of gene polymorphisms in candidate genes have been assessed as susceptibility factors for DN, and most of them are linked to mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species production, neurovascular impairments and modified protein glycosylation, as well as immunomodulation and inflammation. Different epigenomic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA action have been studied in DN, which also underline the importance of “metabolic memory” in DN appearance and progression. In this review, we summarize most of the relevant data in the field of genetics and epigenomics of DN, hoping they will become significant for diagnosis, therapy and prevention of DN.     

A propositional probabilistic logic with discrete linear time for reasoning about evidence

The aim of the paper is to present a sound, strongly complete and decidable probabilistic temporal logic that can model reasoning about evidence. The formal system developed here is actually a solution of a problem proposed by Halpern and Pucella (J Artif Intell Res 26:1–34, 2006).     

Small‐signal and noise modeling of class of HEMTs using knowledge‐based artificial neural networks

In this article, the neural network approach is exploited for development of bias‐dependent small‐signal and noise models of a class of microwave field effect transistor (FETs) made in the same technology but differing in the gate width. The prior knowledge neural approach is applied. Introducing gate width at the input of proposed neural networks, as well as the S/noise parameters of a device that belongs to the same class as the modeled device representing the prior knowledge, leads to very accurate scattering and noise parameters' modeling, as exemplified by modeling of class of pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) devices. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2013.     

Prevention of thromboembolic disease in gynecologic surgery

We presented two groups of patients gynecologically operated and examined in a five year period; the first group of 11536 patients was under thromboembolic protection, whereas the second group of 8532 patients was without thromboembolic protection. Protective measures concerning thromboembolic disease were carried out by applying elastic stockings 24 hours before operation and by early post-operative getting up from bed. Low-molecular dextran was applied before operation as well as during the operation in the amount of 500-1000 ml. In risky patients with varicosities, recidive thrombophlebitis and cardiovascular diseases, we applied small doses of heparin subcutaneously two hours before the operation and after the operation every eight hours five days long. With such prevention of thromboembolic disease in gynecologic surgery, we achieved very favorable effects in reducing mortality to 0.05% concerning the operated, while it amounts to 0.3% in those who were without this kind of protection.     

Differences in cytocompatibility,dynamics of the oxide layers’ formation,and nickel release between superelastic and thermo-activated nickel–titanium archwires

Superelastic (SE) and thermo-activated (TA) nickel–titanium (NiTi) archwires are used in everyday orthodontic practice, based on their acceptable biocompatibility and well-defined shape memory properties. However, the differences in their surface microstructure and cytotoxicity have not been clearly defined, and the standard cytotoxicity tests are too robust to detect small differences in the cytotoxicity of these alloys, all of which can lead to unexpected adverse reactions in some patients. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the differences in manufacture and microstructure of commercially available SE and TA archwires may influence their biocompatibility. The archwires were studied as-received and after conditioning for 24 h or 35 days in a cell culture medium under static conditions. All of the tested archwires, including their conditioned medium (CM), were non-cytotoxic for L929 cells, but Rematitan SE (both as received and conditioned) induced the apoptosis of rat thymocytes in a direct contact. In contrast, TruFlex SE and Equire TA increased the proliferation of thymocytes. The cytotoxic effect of Rematitan SE correlated with the higher release of Ni ions in CM, higher concentration of surface Ni and an increased oxygen layer thickness after the conditioning. In conclusion, the apoptosis assay on rat thymocytes, in contrast to the less sensitive standard assay on L929 cells, revealed that Rematitan SE was less cytocompatible compared to other archwires and the effect was most probably associated with a higher exposition of the cells to Ni on the surface of the archwire, due to the formation of unstable oxide layer.     

Analysis of medications change in Parkinson’s disease progression data

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects people worldwide. Careful management of patient’s condition is crucial to ensure the patient’s independence and quality of life. This is achieved by personalized treatment based on individual patient’s symptoms and medical history. The aim of this study is to determine patient groups with similar disease progression patterns coupled with patterns of medications change that lead to the improvement or decline of patients’ quality of life symptoms. To this end, this paper proposes a new methodology for clustering of short time series of patients’ symptoms and prescribed medications data, and time sequence data analysis using skip-grams to monitor disease progression. The results demonstrate that motor and autonomic symptoms are the most informative for evaluating the quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patients. We show that Parkinson’s disease patients can be divided into clusters ordered in accordance with the severity of their symptoms. By following the evolution of symptoms for each patient separately, we were able to determine patterns of medications change which can lead to the improvement or worsening of the patients’ quality of life.     

Harvesting of river flow energy for wireless sensor network technology

River courses play a vital role in preserving unpolluted ecosystems. On the other hand, networks of sensor nodes can be used to measure characteristic parameters in the environment such as temperature, pressure, humidity or the concentration of pollutants. In the framework of the EU FP7 project “GOLDFISH”, technical competences of a consortium of 11 institutions are hence employed in designing, manufacturing, validating and operating wireless sensors nodes for tracking pollution in remote rivers. The sensor network is composed of sensor clusters located underwater and gateways on the riverbank with long-distance communication links to the central management and monitoring station. Each sensor node is composed of active electronic devices that have to be constantly powered. Batteries can generally be used for this purpose, but problems may occur when they are to be recharged or replaced, especially in the case of large networks placed in scarcely accessible locations. State-of-the-art energy harvesting technologies can hence constitute a viable powering solution. The possibility to use different small-scale river flow energy harvesting principles is thoroughly studied in this work by the University of Rijeka GOLDFISH team: a miniaturized hydro-generator, a ‘piezoelectric eel’ and a hybrid solution of a rotating shaft plucking a piezoelectric beam. The first two concepts are validated experimentally in a flow channel and in real river conditions. The miniaturized hydro-generator with suitable power management electronics is finally embedded into the wireless sensor node deployed into the river, allowing the GSM transmission of collected data to be successfully performed.     

Determination of 200 °C Isothermal Section of Al-Ag-Ga Phase Diagram by Microanalysis,X-ray Diffraction,Hardness and Electrical Conductivity Measurements

Ternary Al-Ag-Ga system at 200 °C was experimentally and thermodynamically assessed. Isothermal section was extrapolated using optimized thermodynamic parameters for constitutive binary systems. Microstructure and phase composition of the selected alloy samples were analyzed using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectrometry and x-ray powder diffraction technique. The obtained experimental results were found to be in a close agreement with the predicted phase equilibria. Hardness and electrical conductivity of the alloy samples from four vertical sections Al-Ag₈₀Ga₂₀, Al-Ag₆₀Ga₄₀, Ag-Al₈₀Ga₂₀ and Ag-Al₆₀Ga₄₀ of the ternary Al-Ag-Ga system at 200 °C were experimentally determined using Brinell method and eddy current measurements. Additionally, hardness of the individual phases present in the microstructure of the studied alloy samples was determined using Vickers microhardness test. Based on experimentally obtained results, isolines of Brinell hardness and electrical conductivity were calculated for the alloys from isothermal section of the ternary Al-Ag-Ga system at 200 °C.     

Galectins in Early Pregnancy and Pregnancy-Associated Pathologies

Galectins are a family of conserved soluble proteins defined by an affinity for β-galactoside structures present on various glycoconjugates. Over the past few decades, galectins have been recognized as important factors for successful implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated their involvement in trophoblast cell function and placental development. In addition, several lines of evidence suggest their important roles in feto-maternal immune tolerance regulation and angiogenesis. Changed or dysregulated galectin expression is also described in pregnancy-related disorders. Although the data regarding galectins’ clinical relevance are still at an early stage, evidence suggests that some galectin family members are promising candidates for better understanding pregnancy-related pathologies, as well as predicting biomarkers. In this review, we aim to summarize current knowledge of galectins in early pregnancy as well as in pregnancy-related pathologies.