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Asbestos exposure has been proposed as a risk factor for shorter telomere length. The aim of our study was to investigate whether telomere length in leukocytes and hTERT genetic polymorphisms may serve as potential biomarkers for the risk of developing asbestos-related diseases and as biomarkers of progression and chemotherapy response rate in malignant mesothelioma (MM).

Asbestos exposure is associated with different asbestos-related diseases, including malignant mesothelioma (MM). MM diagnosis is confirmed with immunohistochemical analysis of several markers, including calretinin. Increased circulating calretinin was also observed in MM. The aim of the study was to determine if CALB2 polymorphisms or polymorphisms in genes that can regulate calretinin expression are associated with serum calretinin levels or MM susceptibility.

The study investigated the influence of GCLC, GCLM, GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms, as well as the influence of interactions between polymorphism and interactions between polymorphisms and asbestos exposure, on the risk of developing pleural plaques, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma (MM).

Asbestos exposure is associated with the development of pleural plaques as well as malignant mesothelioma (MM). Asbestos fibres activate macrophages, leading to the release of inflammatory mediators including interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β). The expression of IL-1β may be influenced by genetic variability of IL1B gene or regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs). This study investigated the effect of polymorphisms in IL1B and MIR146A genes on the risk of developing pleural plaques and MM.

Asbestos exposure is associated with increased risk of several diseases, including malignant mesothelioma (MM). Cell surface glycoprotein mesothelin is overexpressed in MM and serum soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) were already proposed as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker in MM. However, interindividual variability in serum SMRP levels limits the clinical usefulness. Our primary objective was to investigate the influence of MSLN rs1057147 on serum SMRP levels in asbestos-exposed subjects and patients with asbestos-related diseases as well as on survival in MM.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between NLRP3 rs35829419 and CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphisms and the risk of developing pleural plaques, asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma (MM), and to study the influence of the interactions between polymorphisms and asbestos exposure on the risk of developing these diseases. Methods: The case-control study included 416 subjects with pleural plaques, 160 patients with asbestosis, 154 subjects with MM and 149 subjects with no asbestos disease. The NLRP3 rs35829419 and CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphisms were determined using real-time PCR-based methods. In the statistical analysis, standard descriptive statistics was followed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression modelling. Results: Asbestos exposure (medium and high vs low) was associated with the risk for each studied asbestos-related disease. An increased risk of pleural plaques was found for CARD8 rs2043211 at + TT genotypes (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.01-2.16, p = 0.042). When the analysis was performed for MM patients as cases, and pleural plaques patients as controls, a decreased MM risk was observed for carriers of CARD8 rs2043211 TT genotype (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.27-1.00, p = 0.049). The interactions between NLRP3 rs35829419 and CARD8 rs2043211 genotypes did not influence the risk of any asbestos-related disease. However, when testing interactions with asbestos exposure, a decreased risk of asbestosis was found for NLRP3 CA+AA genotypes (OR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.60, p = 0.014). Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that NLRP3 and CARD8 polymorphisms could affect the risk of asbestos-related diseases.

Accurate local staging is critical for treatment planning and prognosis in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). The primary aim is to differentiate between organ-confined and locally advanced disease with the latter carrying a worse clinical prognosis. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is the imaging modality of choice for the local staging of PCa and has an incremental value in assessing pelvic nodal disease and bone involvement. It has shown superior performance compared to traditional staging based on clinical nomograms, and provides additional information on the site and extent of disease. MRI has a high specificity for diagnosing extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) and lymph node (LN) metastases, however, sensitivity remains poor. As a result, extended pelvic LN dissection remains the gold standard for assessing pelvic nodal involvement, and there has been recent progress in developing advanced imaging techniques for more distal staging.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare aggressive tumour of mesothelium caused by asbestos exposure. It has been suggested that the genetic variability of proteins involved in DNA repair mechanisms affects the risk of MM. This study investigated the influence of functional polymorphisms in ERCC1 and XRCC1 genes, the interactions between these polymorphisms as well as the interactions between these polymorphisms and asbestos exposure on MM risk.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an asbestos related aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate if aquaporin 1 (AQP1) genetic polymorphisms influence the risk of MM and the response to cisplatin based MM treatment.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare disease, linked to asbestos exposure in more than 80% of the cases. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been identified as modulators of the tumour microenvironment and carcinogenesis. Polymorphisms of selected MMPs have been studied as potential biomarkers of time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in MM. The aim of our study was to investigate selected MMP polymorphisms as baseline risk predictors in MM development in combination with other well known risk factors, such as asbestos exposure.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer with poor outcome, associated with asbestos exposure. Reactive oxygen species may play an important role in the mechanism of carcinogenesis; therefore, genetic variability in antioxidative defence may modify an individual’s susceptibility to this cancer. This study investigated the influence of functional polymorphisms of NQO1, CAT, SOD2 and hOGG1 genes, gene-gene interactions and gene-environment interactions on malignant mesothelioma risk.

In spite of significant improvement after multi-modality treatment, prognosis of most patients with glioblastoma remains poor. Standard clinical prognostic factors (age, gender, extent of surgery and performance status) do not clearly predict long-term survival. The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate immuno-histochemical and genetic characteristics of the tumour as additional prognostic factors in glioblastoma.

There is limited research concerning the background variables and motivational processes of private candidates (i.e., persons taking exams without being enrolled as students in Norwegian upper-secondary school). The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to map background variables of the candidates, and (ii) to study their intention to succeed on their exams in light of an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The results indicate that privately registered candidates represent a complex group where the majority (52%) takes exams in order to improve their grades on exams they have already passed. The extended TPB model explained 50% of the variance in intentions with past behavior, future orientation and perceived behavioral control as the strongest predictors. Limitations and implications of the present study are also discussed.

The viewpoint of architect Đorđe Petrović on drawing as a research process, driven by his work at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade within the field of architectural drawing, is to be taken as a starting point for the analysis of the process of visual representation of architectural space in this paper. The analysis is primarily focused on the relevant period from the beginning of the seventies, when the concept of the New School was formed, and Petrović introduced the concepts of visual research and visual communications to the curriculum, in his reassessment of the role of architectural drawings as a purely technical and information resource. The basic methodological question concerns the interpretation of the concept of visual research, conducted within the reformed curriculum, as well as its position in the then socio-cultural context and in relation to the actual practice of the time and the period that preceded it. Looking at the drawing as a powerful means of representations of space, the paper discusses architectural discourse determined by architectural drawing as the product of social and theoretical practice, similar to the hypothesis of Henri Lefebvre, presented in his work The Production of Space.

Background. Ultrasound elastography is an imaging procedure that can assess the biomechanical characteristics of different tissues. The aim of this study was to define the diagnostic value of the endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) elastography strain ratio of mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with a suspicion of lung cancer. The diagnostic values of the strain ratios were compared with the EBUS brightness mode (B-mode) features of selected mediastinal lymph nodes and with their cytological diagnoses.

Background. Fibulin-3 is a new potential biomarker for malignant mesothelioma (MM). This study evaluated the potential applicability of fibulin-3 plasma levels as a biomarker of response to treatment and its prognostic value for progressive disease within 18 months. The potential applicability of fibulin-3 in comparison with or in addition to soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) was also assessed.

Background. Chemotherapy with platinum agent and etoposide for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is supposed to be associated with intermediate risk (10-20%) of febrile neutropenia. Primary prophylaxis with granulocyte colonystimulating factors (G-CSFs) is not routinely recommended by the treatment guidelines. However, in clinical practice febrile neutropenia is often observed with standard etoposide/platinum regimen. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the frequency of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia in advanced SCLC patients in the first cycle of standard chemotherapy. Furthermore, we explored the association between severe neutropenia and etoposide peak plasma levels in the same patients.

Background: DNA repair mechanisms are essential for maintaining genome stability, and genetic variability in DNA repair genes may contribute to cancer susceptibility. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms in the homologous recombination repair genes XRCC3, RAD51, and NBN on the risk for osteosarcoma. Methods: In total, 79 osteosarcoma cases and 373 controls were genotyped for eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in XRCC3, RAD51, and NBN. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of these SNPs with risk for osteosarcoma. Results: None of the investigated SNPs was associated with risk for osteosarcoma in the whole cohort of patients, however, in patients diagnosed before the age of thirty years XRCC3 rs861539 C > T and NBN rs1805794 G > C were associated with significantly decreased risk for osteosarcoma (P = 0.047, OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30-0.99 and P = 0.036, OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.19-0.94, respectively). Moreover, in the carriers of a combination of polymorphic alleles in both SNPs risk for osteosarcoma was decreased even more significantly (Ptrend = 0.007). The risk for developing osteosarcoma was the lowest in patients with no wild-type alleles for both SNPs (P = 0.039, OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.10-0.94). Conclusions: Our results suggest that polymorphisms in homologous recombination repair genes might contribute to risk for osteosarcoma in patients diagnosed below the age of thirty years.

Background. Pharmaco-dynamic separation of cytotoxic and targeted drugs might avoid their mutual antagonistic effect in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Background. The optimal combination of chemotherapy with radiation therapy for treatment locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains an open issue. This randomized phase II study compared gemcitabine in two different schedules and cisplatin - as induction chemotherapy, followed by radiation therapy concurrent with cisplatin and etoposid.

The evidence of compounds that increase the nutritive value of red wines has been presented in a number of papers. These compounds include catechins and proanthocyanidins among others. Their protective effect on the cardiovascular system and anticarcinogenic properties has been proved. The effect of maceration conditions and increased solid grape parts content, seed in the first place, on the content of phenolic compounds of wine was investigated. Several micro-trials were performed with Cabernet sauvignon sort; in some variants time and temperature of maceration were varied, while the ratio of residual stem and content of seed was increased several times, resulting in a significant change of phenolic compounds content in the obtained wine samples. The presence of ripe stem yielded good results, but only during six days of maceration, while in the case of longer maceration, the change of colour quality was negative. Supplementary quantities of seeds during maceration resulted in an increase of total phenols and catechins. A significant influence on colour of wines was also observed, especially in wines obtained applying shorter maceration.

One of the most successful invasive fish species with negative impacts is round goby Neogobius melanostomus that has spread from its original Ponto-Caspian area to west and central Europe and even to North America. Previous studies focused on invasive fishes have revealed that these species have the capability to generate forms with life-history traits that differ between native and non-native populations. As a contribution to explain their invasion success, the theory of alternative ontogenies and invasive potential has been developed. The main aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis derived from this theory, which predicts that females of the non-native population of N. melanostomus (from Slovakia) will have significantly smaller oocytes, higher fecundity and smaller body size at maturity than those of the native population (from Bulgaria). All the three quantitative parameters of life-history traits examined in this study were found to be consistent with the predictions tested. Variations in reproductive parameters observed in non-native N. melanostomus demonstrate the species’ phenotypic plasticity, which appears to be an important attribute that helps potential invaders to establish new populations in unknown environments. However, further experimental studies are necessary to verify this theory by testing hypotheses derived from it.

Bighead goby (Neogobius kessleri) and round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) have been invading new non-native areas about two decades successfully. In this study, diet spectrum, seasonal variation, feeding strategy and diet overlap between these two invasive species were assessed. Materials were collected from the Danube at Bratislava by fishing rods and/or electrofishing. The diet spectrum of both species was diverse: a total of 46 food types in bighead goby and 51food types in round goby were observed. Dikerogammarus sp., chironomid larvae and Corophium sp. were the most predominant food types in bighead goby, whereas in round goby, chironomid larvae, Corophium sp., bryozoans and Cladocera predominated. The diet varied over seasons. In the Slovak part of the Danube, bighead goby and round goby have adapted to local food resources, consuming diverse food from small to large items, both with soft and/or hard body. This enhances the capability of these invasive species to spread successfully. It appears that even if both exploit similar food resources, their proportional content differs. Further differences between these gobies were also found in their food behaviour and feeding strategy. Both species tend to be specialists where possible, but round goby demonstrates higher flexibility towards general feeding strategy.