Children's Internet use and physical and psychosocial development.

Introduction: Internet use (IU) commonly refers to sedentary lifestyle and may be addictive, especially among children. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between IU and some aspects of child physical and psychosocial development. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional survey by using a screen-time based sedentary behavior questionnaire and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)-among 836 primary school children in the Branicevo District. The children's medical records were analysed for vision problems and spinal deformities. Their body weight (BW) and height (BH) were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as BW in kilograms divided by BH in meters squared (kg/m2). Results: The average age of respondents was 13.4 (SD 1.2) years. The mean duration of daily Internet use and sedentary behavior was 236 (SD 156) and 422 (SD 184) minutes, respectively. There was no significant correlation between daily IU and vision problems (near sightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus), and spinal deformities. However, daily Internet use is significantly associated with obesity (p < 0.001) and sedentary behavior (p = 0.01). There was significant correlation between emotional symptoms with total Internet usage time, and total sedentary score (p < 0.001 for both, r = 0.141 and r = 0.132, respectively). There was a positive correlation between the total sedentary score of children and hyperactivity/inattention (r = 0.167, p < 0.001), emotional symptoms (r = 0.132, p < 0.001), and conduct problems (r = 0.084, p < 0.01). Conclusion: In our study, children's Internet use was associated with obesity, psychological disturbances and social maladjustment.

Influence of stathmin 1 (STMN1) expression on neoangiogenesis in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Stathmin1 is a microtubular regulatory protein. The expression disorders of this protein result in significant changes in cell migration, invasion, adhesion and colony formation in many malignant tumors. The aim of our research was to investigate the effects of Stathmin1 expression on neoangiogenesis in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Biopsy material that was obtained by the resection of colorectal carcinoma was used. The experimental group consisted of operative biopsies of colorectal cancer (n = 72), and the control group (n = 72) consisted of biopsies of adjacent non-tumor colon tissue. The biopsy material was taken from an operative preparation submitted to the Department of Pathology. After histopathological treatment, classical Hematoxylin- Eosin and immunohistochemical ABC methods with anti-Stathmin1, anti-VEGF and anti CD105 antibodies were applied on 4 µm thick sections. High expression of Stathmin1 is associated with severe (91.9%) and moderate (8.1%) expression of VEGF in a significantly high number of cases. This relation is defined by a highly significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.768; p = 0.000). High expression of Stathmin1 is associated with a high microvascular density index (mvdIDX) in a significant number of cases (73.0%) while low expression of Stathmin1 is in relation with low mvdIDX in a significant 73.7% of cases. This relationship is also defined by a highly significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.566; p = 0.000). ROC analysis showed that the sensitivity for Stathmin1 was 97.4% and the specificity was 91.4%. Based on Stathmin1 expression, it is possible to differentiate patients with increased risk for metastatic disease. The highly significant association of Stathmin1 expression with VEGF expression and microvascular density (MVD) suggests that Stathmin1 may be a serious candidate for therapeutic target.

Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Serbia: Market Audit and Consumers' Perception.

Background: Precautionary allergen labels (PAL) should be used to indicate the possibility of allergen presence in the food. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of precautionary labeling statements on different pre-packaged food products in retail stores in Belgrade, Serbia, as well as to assess consumers' attitudes and behavior towards PAL statements. Methods: This was a descriptive study. The following characteristics of 1404 pre-packaged foods were analyzed: prevalence of PAL, listed food allergens on PAL, and the types of the advisory terminology. In the group of 275 participants (94 with food allergies, and 181 persons who purchasing food for a household member with food allergy) reading practice of PAL, purchasing practice based on PAL, and the opinion about PAL statements credibility were evaluated. Results: Overall, 33.9% of products had precautionary statements for one or more allergens. "Tree nuts" were the most common allergens listed in the PAL. The most common type of PAL was "May contain traces of x [allergen]" (52.7%). The PAL was always read by half of the participants. Less than half (43.3%) of the participants incorrectly believed that PAL is regulated by national law. A quarter of participants thought that the PAL statements are trustworthy. Conclusion: PAL statements frequently are not user-friendly and are not providing sufficient protection for food allergic patients. To gain buyers' confidence, protect health and provide security, the necessity for the strategies that would regulate PAL by the law exists.

The proposed criteria for high perceived misophonia in young healthy adults and the association between Misophonia symptoms and noise sensitivity.

Context: The association between noise sensitivity and misophonia has not been explored in any population, according to the available literature. Aims: To assess the proportion of misophonia symptoms among young healthy adults, to propose the criteria for high perceived misophonia, and to explore the association between misophonia with noise sensitivity with adjustment for sex, age, perceived anxiety, and depression. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study on 1132 medical students, aged 21.4 ± 2.1 years. Methods and Material: Misophonia symptoms were self-reported using the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale. Nine criteria for high perceived misophonia are proposed. Noise sensitivity was measured with Weinstein scale. Perceived anxiety and depression were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, respectively. Statistical Analysis Used: Multiple logistic regression. Results: Almost half of the students reported the feeling of irritation against people making provoking sounds. Only one in 10 claimed the feeling of loss of self-control when exposed to provoking sounds. High noise sensitivity and high depression were associated with higher odds of meeting the criteria for high perceived misophonia. Conclusion: Noise-sensitive students are at higher risk of reporting misophonia symptoms and of being classified with high perceived misophonia. The combination of at least four or more symptoms, which classifies every 10th student with high perceived misophonia, is proposed as a self-assessment tool for epidemiological studies among young healthy adults.

Clinical and pathological significance of proliferation index and p53 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our work was to investigate the association between proliferative index [proIDX] and expression index p53 (p53IDX) with the clinical and pathological characteristics of gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The biopsy material of 90 patients operated on for gastric cancer was routinely processed in paraffin and archived. After the histopathological report was made, two study groups were formed, the first group (n=45) comprised biopsies with intestinal carcinoma and the second (n=45) biopsies of diffuse gastric cancer. In both cases, the control group consisted of biopsies of surrounding non-tumor tissue The routine Hematoxylin-Eosin and immunohistochemical ABC method with anti-Ki67 and anti-p53 antibodies was applied at sections 3-5 µm thick. The expression of Ki67 and p53 was quantified stereometrically. For statistical analysis SPSS (19.0) was used. RESULTS: Significantly higher Ki67 expression was found in both types of adenocarcinoma compared to the control group, as well as significant association of proIDX with most of testing parameters. Expression of p53 was significantly higher in the intestinal type compared to the diffuse type and the control group and was significantly associated with age and histological grade. Diffuse type particulary showed, significant association of p53IDX with most of the histological parameters tested. CONCLUSION: Our results point a highly significant correlation of the Ki67 and p53 expression with indicators of gastric adenocarcinoma progression, which may help to identify patients with an aggressive gastric adenocarcinoma phenotype.

The Relationship between Individual and Family Characteristics and Cyberbullying Exposure in a Nationally Representative Sample of School-Aged Children Living in Serbia.

The study provides evidence on the individual and family factors as potential predictors (odds ratio-OR and 95% CI) of cyber-violence among school-aged children (11-17 years old) from 64 schools participating in the 2017 Serbian Study on health behavior in school-age children (HBSC). The standardized international HBSC research protocol was used. The study population was the nationally representative sample of 3267 students of V and VII grades of primary and I grade of secondary schools in Serbia. Potential predictors for the probability of occurrence vs. non-occurrence of cyberbullying exposure at least once and multiple times were identified among 24 explanatory variables, including the individual characteristics and family context. The cyberbullying exposure was more prevalent among girls than among boys of school-age, i.e., over one in seven girls and one in ten boys were exposed to cyberbullying. Over one in seven students at age 13 years and almost every seventh student at grade I of the gymnasium were exposed to cyberbullying. There were more students exposed to at least one cyberbullying than to multiple cyberbullying. Potential predictors of exposure to cyberbullying are gender, opinion of the family's affluence status, fathers' employment, communication with father, and family support. The study compensates for the evidence of cyberbullying in Serbia, which could help raise awareness, inform national and international stakeholders in the region and enable their efforts and strengthen cooperation in ending cyberbullying. This study's findings could inform the development of an intervention program aimed at families and various professionals involved in protecting and improving school-age children's health and well-being.

Decreased ERß expression and high cyclin D1 expression may predict early CRC recurrence in high-risk Duke's B and Duke's C stage.

PURPOSE: Despite many known risk factors for the colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence, significant differences in disease-free survival (DFS) impose the need to look for new explanations. This study aimed to determine the degree of expression of ERα, ERß, PR, Cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 and their association with early CRC relapse. METHODS: This retrospective study included 101 radically operated CRC patients in high-risk Duke's B and Duke's C stage. Tissue samples were retrieved from paraffin blocks and clinical and diagnostic data from medical records obtained during further clinical treatment and follow up. Patients were divided into DFS≤24 months group and DFS≥48 months group. Immunostaining of ERα, ERß, PR, Cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 was performed and analyzed. RESULTS: ERα was not expressed in all patients. ERß moderate expression was present in 25% of all patients, more often in the DFS≥48 group (p=0.001). PR and Bcl-2 showed only moderate expression in 1/5 and 1/3 of the patients, respectively, without significant difference between groups (p=0.145;p=0.566). Cyclin D1 was expressed in the whole sample of patients with strong expression statistically more often in DFS≤24 group (p=0.011) and had 5.2 higher odds of having DFS˂24 months. Moderate expression of ERß was joined with 79.2% smaller odds for shorter DFS. Advanced T stage had 11.3 times higher odds of having DFS˂24 months. CONCLUSION: Early recurrence of CRC in high-risk Duke's B and Duke's C stage relates with reduced ERß expression and the high cyclin D1 expression, so they could be considered independent prognostic factors, especially in patients in advanced T stage.

Clinical - pathological significance of leptin receptor (LEPR) expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

Adipokine leptin functions through its transmembrane receptors (LEPR). In many malignant tumors it stimulates the growth, migration and invasion of malignant cells. The aim of our work is to examine the effect of LEPR expression on the clinical-morphological properties of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (cSCC). The biopsy material obtained by excision of squamous cell skin cancer was used. The test group consisted of excision biopsies of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (n = 62), and the control group (n = 62) consisted of excision biopsies of non-tumor tissue of the skin (from the tumor environment) from an operative preparation delivered to the Pathohistology Department. After routine processing and paraffin molding, histochemical Hematoxylin-Eosin and immunohistochemical ABC method with anti LEPR and Ki67 antibodies were applied at 4 µm sections. The statistical software package SPSS for Windows (26.0) was used to analyze obtained results. Intracytoplasmic and intramembranous LEPR expression was found in 100 % of examined cSCCs. LEPR expression was statistically significantly associated with proliferation index and histologic grade of tumors. Pronounced LEPR expression was associated with a high proliferation index in 66.7 % of cases and with poorly differentiated cSCC in 94.4 %. Multivariate regression analysis showed that cSCCs with pronounced LEPR expression were seven times more often poorly differentiated than tumors with moderate or LEPR expression in trace. Our results indicate that LEPR expression is a predictor of the malignant potential of cSCC, so that based on LEPR expression, it is possible to identify an aggressive cSCC phenotype, which provides the possibility of individualizing anti-tumor treatment using LEPR antagonists.

Cloning and expression profiling of muscle regulator ANKRD2 in domestic chicken Gallus gallus.

Striated muscle signaling protein and transcriptional regulator ANKRD2 participates in myogenesis, myogenic differentiation, muscle adaptation and stress response. It is preferentially expressed in slow, oxidative fibers of mammalian skeletal muscle. In this study, we report on characterization of chicken ANKRD2. The chicken ANKRD2 coding region contains 1002 bp and encodes a 334-amino acid protein which shares approximately 58% identity with human and mouse orthologs, mostly in the conserved region of ankyrin repeats. Comprehensive analysis of the ANKRD2 gene and protein expression in adult chicken demonstrated its predominant expression in red muscles of thigh and drumstick, compared to white muscle. It was not detected in heart and white pectoral muscle. Uneven expression of ANKRD2 in chicken skeletal muscles, observed by immunohistochemistry, was attributed to its selective expression in slow, oxidative, type I and fast, oxidative-glycolytic, type IIA myofibers. Association of chicken ANKRD2 with phenotypic differences between red and white muscles points to its potential role in the process of myofiber-type specification. In addition to expression in slow oxidative myofibers, as demonstrated for mammalian protein, chicken ANKRD2 was also detected in fast fibers with mixed oxidative and glycolytic metabolism. This finding suggests that ANKRD2 is responsive to metabolic differences between types of avian myofibers and orientates future studies towards investigation of its role in molecular mechanisms of myofiber-type-specific gene expression.

Marked epithelial to mesenchymal transition in surgical margins of oral cancer-an in vitro study.

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a feature of several types of human cancer, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study, tumor and margin cell cultures obtained from patients with OSCC were used to determine the expression patterns of certain EMT-associated markers, including vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, SLUG and SNAIL. In addition, other EMT-associated features, including clonal, proliferative and migratory potential were compared between the two cell types. Cell cultures were generated from tumor and margin tissue samples from 6 patients and cultured up to the fifth passage. EMT marker expression was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell proliferation, colony formation and scratch wound healing assays were conducted to characterize the two cell types in terms of proliferation rates, clonality and motility. All of the studied markers were expressed in tumor and margin cells. Although no significant differences were noted with regard to the aforementioned markers, their expression tended to be higher in margin cultures than in tumor cultures. The expressions of the EMT markers were also higher in the fifth passage compared with those noted at the first with a few exceptions. The rates of proliferation and cell migration were decreased during passages, while the number of colonies was increased in both types of cell culture. Tumor and margin cells indicated certain similarities with regard to EMT transition characteristics.

Phenotypic and genetic spectrum of patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A from Serbia.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) type 2A (calpainopathy) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutation in the CAPN3 gene. The aim of this study was to examine genetic and phenotypic features of Serbian patients with calpainopathy. The study comprised 19 patients with genetically confirmed calpainopathy diagnosed at the Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia and the Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth in Belgrade, Serbia during a ten-year period. Eighteen patients in this cohort had c.550delA mutation, with nine of them being homozygous. In majority of the patients, disease started in childhood or early adulthood. The disease affected shoulder girdle - upper arm and pelvic girdle - thigh muscles with similar frequency, with muscles of lower extremities being more severely impaired. Facial and bulbar muscles were spared. All patients in this cohort, except two, remained ambulant. None of the patients had cardiomyopathy, while 21% showed mild conduction defects. Respiratory function was mildly impaired in 21% of patients. Standard muscle histopathology showed myopathic and dystrophic pattern. In conclusion, the majority of Serbian LGMD2A patients have the same mutation and similar phenotype.

Clinical significance of neoangiogenesis and index of proliferation in the signet ring type of gastric adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine whether microvascular density and the level of proliferation in gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) are important factors in the locoregional control of the disease. METHODS: Over a period of eight years, gastric resection specimens from 37 patients were examined. The proliferative index (labelled by Ki67) and microvascular density (MVD) index (mvdIDX) (labelled by CD105) were determined for each case of SRCC. RESULTS: Gastric SRCC was diagnosed more often in female than in male patients (21 females, 16 males ; p≤0.05) . The average age of female patients was 63 years, while the male patients were 62 years old on average (p=0.702). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the median numbers of Ki67 positive cells and CD105 positive blood vessels were higher in tumors compared to surrounding non-tumor tissue. Higher proliferative index and higher mvdIDX were also established relative to tumor stage. Correlation analysis showed a high positive correlation between proliferation index and microvascular density (MVD) index (mvdIDX) (correlation coefficient=0.784). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis showed progression of both indices examined. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that, although both proliferative and mvdIDXs are reliable, the former had better performance in identifying of disease progression (AUC=0.970).

Polymorphic expression of glutathione transferases A1, M1, P1 and T1 in epithelial ovarian cancer: a Serbian case-control study.

PURPOSE: Since several studies have proposed that epithelial ovarian cancer should not be considered as a single disease entity and that it results from an accumulation of genetic changes, we aimed to assess the polymorphic expression of major cytosolic glutathione S-transferases (GSTM1, T1, A1 and P1) with respect to ovarian cancer susceptibility and aggressiveness. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 93 newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer patients and 178 healthy matched controls. The multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect homozygous deletions of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes. Analysis of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) GSTA1 C69T was performed using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), while for SNP GSTP1 Ile105Val real-time PCR was used. RESULTS: No significant association to ovarian cancer risk was found for individual GSTM1, GSTA1 and GSTP1 genotypes (p>0.05). However, the carriers of GSTT1-active genotype were at 2-fold higher risk of ovarian cancer development (95%CI: 1.00-4.01, p=0.049), which was even more elevated in the subgroup of patients with positive family history of cancer. Moreover, the frequency of all three GST genotypes that might be associated to ovarian cancer risk (GSTT1-active, GSTA1-active and GSTP1-referent) was significantly higher in patients than in the control group (p=0.042). Even more, patients who were carriers of combination of these three genotypes represented over 64% of the total number of patients within any of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages of ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides supportive evidence that GSTs might affect both susceptibility and progression of ovarian cancer.

A novel recessive TTN founder variant is a common cause of distal myopathy in the Serbian population.

Variants in the TTN gene have been associated with distal myopathies and other distinctive phenotypes involving skeletal and cardiac muscle. Through whole-exome sequencing we identified a novel stop-gain variant (c.107635C>T, p.(Gln35879Ter)) in the TTN gene, coding a part of the M-line of titin, in 14 patients with autosomal recessive distal myopathy and Serbian ancestry. All patients share a common 1 Mb core haplotype associated with c.107635C>T, suggesting a founder variant. In compound heterozygotes, nine other TTN variants were identified: four stop-gain, three frameshift, one missense and one splice donor variant. Patients homozygous for the common variant did not show significant clinical differences to the compound heterozygous patients. The clinical presentation of all patients was an adult onset distal myopathy with predominant lower limb involvement. In addition, most patients had normal to mildly elevated serum creatine kinase levels, myopathic electromyograms, normal cardiologic and respiratory tests and muscle pathology consistent with a dystrophic process. In this study, we describe a distinct phenotype for patients with distal myopathy associated with novel recessive TTN variants including a Serbian founder variant. Our results expand the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of titinopathies and will facilitate the diagnosis of this condition in patients of Serbian origin.

The MMP-2 and MMP-9 promoter polymorphisms and susceptibility to salivary gland cancer.

PURPOSE: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of endopeptidases that may play an important role in the development of salivary gland cancer (SGC). MMP-2 and MMP-9, members of the gelatinase protein family, are capable of degrading type IV collagen of basement membranes, and their overexpression is often associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to establish the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes as putative susceptibility factors for the development of SGC. METHODS: The MMP-2 -1306 C>T, MMP-2 -1575 G>A and MMP-9 -1562 C>T polymorphisms were analyzed in 93 SGC cases and 100 controls using PCR-RFLP. RESULTS: The T allele for the MMP-2-1306 C>T polymorphism exhibited its effect in heterozygous carriers, increasing the risk for SGC (odds ratio/OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.07-3.65, p=0.03). According to the dominant model, CT+TT genotypes had a 2-fold increased risk of developing SGCs (p=0.02).When the dominant model was applied for the MMP2 -1575 G>A, individuals with GA+AA genotypes exhibited a 1.77-fold increase in cancer risk, but with borderline significance (p=0.049). Heterozygous carriers of the variant T allele for the MMP-9 -1562 C>T polymorphism had roughly a 2-fold increase in susceptibility for SGC compared to wild type homozygotes (CC) (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest MMP-2-1306 C>T and MMP-9-1562 C>T polymorphisms genotypes seem to influence the development of SGCs, whereas MMP-2 -1575 G>A seems to be of a minor importance.

High-risk human papilloma virus genotypes in cervical carcinoma of Serbian women: Distribution and association with pathohistological findings.

A significant role of high-risk Human papilloma viruses (HR HPV) in the development of cervical carcinoma is well known. HR HPV 16 and 18 account for approximately 70% of all cases of cervical cancer worldwide. The incidence of cervical cancer in Serbia, is one of the highest in Europe. The aim of our study was to investigate the distribution of HR HPV types in cervical carcinoma of Serbian women, as well as association between the HPV types and pathohistological findings. The study included 80 archival cervical cancer tissues from the same number of patients. The presence of HPV DNA was determined using MY09/MY11 primers for L1 gene and GP1/GP2 primers for E1 gene. HPV was detected in 78.75% tissues. HR HPV genotypes found in the decreasing order of frequency were: HPV16 (80.39%), HPV33 (7.84%), HPV58 (5.88%), HPV18 (1.96%), HPV45 (1.96%) and HPV53 (1.96%). The examined tissues were 91.25% squamous cell carcinomas and 8.75% adenocarcinoma. The high frequency of HPV 16 was observed in both types of carcinoma (80.8% and 75%, respectively) while the prevalence of HPV18 was low. These results may contribute to the implementation of cervical carcinoma prevention program in Serbia, including the selection of the most appropriate vaccine and immunization program.

Cytomegalovirus induces Interleukin-6 mediated inflammatory response in salivary gland cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) is present in different histological types of salivary gland cancer (SGC) by detecting CMV immediate-early (IE) and early gene products, and to determine the presence of its association with the overexpression of interleukin (IL)-6. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis of 92 cases of different histological types of SGC was performed to determine the presence of IL-6 and CMV antigen and its intensity in tumor tissue. Twenty samples of normal salivary gland tissue obtained during autopsy served as healthy controls. RESULTS: CMV antigens were not found in healthy acinar tissue of salivary glands, but were expressed in epithelium of salivary gland ducts. Negative expression of CMV antigens was also found in salivary gland tissue surrounding tumors. On the other hand, CMV was detected in 65/92 SGC cases (70.6%). Higher expression of IL-6 was found in SGC (70.7%) than in normal tissue (20%). There was a high association of CMV antigen presence with the presence of IL-6, and with the IL-6 expression intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Positive expression of CMV antigens in a high percentage of SGC cells suggests that it might play an important role in carcinogenesis by increasing IL-6 production and leading to inhibition of apoptosis and tumor development.

Laterality in living beings, hand dominance, and cerebral lateralization.

To date, lateralization in living beings is a phenomenon almost mythologically unexplored. Scientists have proved that lateralization is not exclusively a human feature. Investigations in molecular biology, protein structure, mobility of bacteria, and intracellular lateralization in ciliates, shows important and universal nature of lateralization in living systems. Dominant lateralization implies the appearance of a dominant extremity, or a dominant sense during the performance of complex psychomotor activities. Hand dominance is usually defined as a tendency to use one hand rather than another to perform most activities and this is considered to be the most obvious example of cerebral lateralization and exclusive characteristic of humans. However, there are some exceptions in other species. The dominant hand is able to perform more complex and subtle manual tasks than the non-dominant hand, and this behavioral superiority is the absolute result of additional cerebral support. The asymmetry of brain organization was confirmed in rats, chimpanzees, dogs and birds, some fishes and lizards. The relationships between hand dominance with brain structure and function remain far from clear. For a long time, lateralization was considered unique to humans, but recently it has become clear that lateralization is a fundamental characteristic of the organization of brain and behavior in all vertebrates. It has been questioned to what extent lateralization in humans and other vertebrates may be comparable.

Interplay between expression of leptin receptors and mucin histochemical aberrations in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: There is no information on the effects of leptin receptors expression on mucin-histochemical alterations in human colorectal adenocarcinoma. AIM: Testing the correlation of leptin receptors expression with histochemical dysregulation of mucins in colorectal adenocarcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 75 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection. Following a routine histopathological tissue analysis, 3-4 µm thick cuts were made onto resected tumors, which underwent a routine Hematoxylin-Eosin, histochemical Alcian Blue-Periodic Acid Schiff, pH 2.5, and High Iron Diamine-Alcian Blue, pH 2.5, methods for mucin differentiation and immunohistochemical Avidin-Biotin peroxidase complex method with anti-Ki67 and anti-leptin receptor antibodies. Following the quantification of results for the statistical analysis, the statistical software package SPSS for Windows (13.0) was used, and the tests for analyzing the significance of differences and correlation analysis - Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, were conducted. RESULTS: Increased expression of leptin receptors is with highly significant correlation coefficient associated with hypersecretion of sialomucins. Significant positive correlation coefficient exists between the leptin receptors expression against neutral-fucomucins secretion. With weak and negative, but a significant correlation coefficient, leptin receptors expression is associated to the sulfomucins generation. CONCLUSIONS: Increased expression of leptin receptors in colorectal adenocarcinoma is associated with mucin-histochemical abnormalities that are manifested by sialomucins hypersecretion and reduction, ultimately resulting in the absence of sulfomucins secretion.

Spontaneous true aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery presenting as an asymptomatic forehead mass.

Superficial temporal artery aneurysms are rare; when they do occur, they are usually associated with head trauma. Spontaneous true aneurysms of the superficial temporal artery are extremely rare. They are classified as true aneurysms when all three layers of the vessel are found to be involved on histologic examination. Therapeutic options include conservative management, image-guided embolization, and surgical excision. We report a case of an extracranial spontaneous aneurysm of the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery. A 20-year-old man presented with an asymptomatic, pulsatile, 1-cm forehead mass that had gradually increased in size. The aneurysm was evaluated by clinical examination and three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography. Complete resection was performed with local anesthesia. Histologic examination revealed that the aneurysm involved all three layers of the blood vessel: the tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica adventitia. No atherosclerotic changes or inflammatory cells were found. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the third reported case of a histologically verified spontaneous aneurysm of the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery. Awareness of this rare pathology in the differential diagnosis of a forehead mass may facilitate diagnosis and prevent complications.