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Leoš Janáček (1854–1928) was one of those composers whose work was in many respects closely connected with current social events and yet it carried a deep and timeless ethical message. Janáček’s activity as an artist, teacher and organiser reflected changes in the political and cultural paradigm disseminated in the European countries in the course of more than six decades. He himself went through an interesting inner development resulting from his studies, artistic and life experience, as well as his empathy related not only to his narrow individual but also a wider collective space. His relative isolation from the official artistic establishment of Prague gave him an opportunity to formulate his original views on the European, national, and regional identity. In addition to various literary forms, music composition remained his fundamental means of expression. In this context, this paper will attempt to define the basic directions in Janáček´s dynamic evolution and the areas in which his key values and priorities remained constant.

Dental implants are often made of titanium alloys. Implant therapy currently promises a good long-term result without impacting health; however, its success depends on many factors. In this article, the authors focus on the most common risk factors associated with metallic surgical implants. Titanium-induced hypersensitivity can lead to symptoms of implant rejection. Corrosion and biofilm formation are additional situations in which these symptoms may occur. For medical purposes, it is important to define and discuss the characteristics of metals used in implantable devices and to ensure their biocompatibility. To avoid hypersensitivity reactions to metallic dental implants, precautionary principles for primary prevention should be established.

Ovo istraživanje dokumentira kontakte Franje Ksavera Kuhača s češkim glazbenim krugovima u Moravskoj te njegovo zanimanje za tradicijsku kulturu lokalne hrvatske dijaspore. Ključnu je ulogu pritom odigralo njegovo prijateljstvo s pravnikom Sigismundom Vašátkom (1831-1886) koji je uspostavio kontakte s ličnostima okupljenim u češkom glazbenom društvu Beseda brnénská.Tako se u Kuhačevu opusu našla kantata Na grobu Sv. Metoda, uglazbljujući tekst pjesnika iz Brna Vladimíra Št’astnýja (1841-1910) u prijevodu Ivana Trnskog. Njihovo je poznanstvo također dokumentirano Kuhačevim objavljivanjem triju narodnih pjesama moravskih Hrvata koje je upoznao u zbirci Františeka Sušila (1804-1868), kao i, na primjer, iz torza Sbírka písní slovansky’ch (Brno 1851), sačuvanog u Kuhačevoj ostavštini u Zagrebu. I obratno, Vašátkova jedinstvena knjižnica sadrži reprezentativnu zbirku južnoslavenske literature, a nakon njegove smrti pohranjena je u klubu Muzejní spolek, gdje je stajala na raspolaganju širokom krugu intelektualaca u Brnu, uključujući Leoša Janáčeka (1854-1928). U Vašátkovim pismima adresiranim na njegova hrvatskog prijatelja nalaze se, osim bilježaka o razmjeni knjiga, i poziv Kuhaču na koncert u Brnu (31. kolovoza 1879) i preporuka svećeniku Josefu Nehudeku (1826-1905), koji je omogućio hrvatskom etnografu da kasnije primi pisani izvještaj o životu moravskih Hrvata u selu Frélichov (Frjelištorf)., The study documents the contacts of Franjo Ksaver Kuhač with Czech musical circles in Moravia and also his interest in the traditional culture of the local Croatian diaspora. The key role belongs to his friendship with the lawyer Sigismund Vašátko (1831-1886), who arranged the contacts with the personalities gathered in the Czech musical association Beseda brnénská. Thus the work of Kuhač includes a cantata Na grobu Sv. Metoda, setting a text by the Brno poet Vladimír Št’astný (1841-1910) as translated by Ivan Trnski. The mutual knowledge is also documented by Kuhač publishing three folk songs of Moravian Croats, which he knew from the collection by František Sušil (1804-1868), as well as, for example, by the torso Sbírka písní slovanských (Brno 1851) preserved in Kuhač’s legacy in Zagreb. And vice versa, Vašátko’s unique library contained a representative collection of South Slavic literature and after his death it was kept in the Muzejní spolek (Museum Club), where it was available to a wide circle of Brno intellectuals, including Leoš Janáček (1954-1928). In Vašátko’s letters addressed to his Croatian friend, there are, besides notes on a book exchange, an invitation for Kuhač to a concert in Brno (31 August 1879) and a recommendation to the priest Josef Nehudek (1826-1905), which enabled the Croatian ethnographer to receive later a written report on the life of Moravian Croats in the village of Frélichov (Frjelištorf).

Environmental factors can play an important role in the development of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) and other autoimmune diseases. This article reviews the role of heavy metals and infectious agents in AT. Currently, the genes responsible for a metal-induced pathology are known in experimental animals but similar knowledge is lacking in man. Metals such as nickel or mercury induce delayed type T cell hypersensitivity (allergy) which is relatively common, especially in women. T-cell allergy can be studied with the lymphocyte transformation test, LTT-MELISA. It has been found that patients with AT and other autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus and atopic eczema, show increased lymphocyte reactivity in vitro to inorganic mercury, nickel and other metals compared to healthy controls. The important source of mercury is dental amalgam. Replacement of amalgam in mercury-allergic subjects resulted in improvement of health in about 70% of patients. Several laboratory parameters such as mercury-specific lymphocyte responses in vitro and anti-thyroid autoantibodies were normalized as well. In contrast, no changes in health and laboratory results were observed in mercury-allergic patients who did not have their amalgams replaced. The same was true for non-allergic patients who underwent amalgam replacement. Infectious agents such as Helicobacter pylori (Hp) may cause chronic inflammation and autoimmune reactivity in susceptible subjects. The results of in vitro experiments performed with lymphocytes from Hp infected patients indicate that Hp can cause immunosuppression which might be eliminated by successful eradication therapy. In conclusion, heavy metals and Hp infection may play an important role in AT. Laboratory tests, such as LTT-MELISA, can help to determine the specific etiological agents causing inflammation in individual patients. The treatment of AT and other autoimmune diseases might be improved if such agents are eliminated and any future exposure restricted.

The occurrence of galvanism with its heterogeneous symptomatology is often the source of considerable problems. Abrasion and corrosion not only damage dental alloys but also burden the organism by release of metallic particles. The objective of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis that measurement of galvanic currents could be a useful diagnostic method. PATIENT GROUPS AND METHODOLOGY: Three hundred fifty-seven persons with dental metal restorations were divided into groups according to abnormal values of galvanic currents and by oral discomfort. In all persons a detailed examination of the oral cavity was performed, and galvanic currents were measured. In one hundred fifty-nine patients abnormal galvanic currents were found. Measurement of metallic elements in saliva was performed in these patients and in a group of 21 healthy volunteers without any metals in the oral cavity. Thirty-three patients agreed to treatment which involved removal of the causative alloys and their replacement by non-metallic restorations.No correlation was found between the values of measured currents and the number of teeth treated by metal restorations. However, patients with metal restorations had significantly higher contents not only of mercury, but also of tin, silver, copper, and gold in the saliva than patients without metallic restorations. After removal of the electro-active restorations, both the contents of metals in saliva and galvanic currents decreased in comparison with the levels before the treatment.Galvanic effects as well as metal particles may induce a series of local or systemic pathological phenomena in sensitive individuals. The occurrence of pathologically acting galvanic effects is influenced not only by the composition and combination of different dental alloys, but to a significant degree also by the quality of used materials and processing.

Corrosion products of different metallic alloys used in prosthetic dentistry often cause the development of a bluish-grey pigmentation of gingiva and oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to determine the content of metals in metallic pigmentations and evaluate the immune response to metals found in the oral cavity.The local tissue reactions were investigated clinically by electron microscopy and by energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis. An extensive anamnesis of the patients was recorded as well as earlier contacts with health care institutions. The immunological response to metallic components of dental alloys was evaluated in 34 patients by MELISA, a modified test for lymphocyte proliferation. In addition, cytokines in culture media were determined in 10 persons by the Human Inflammation Antibody Array.Dense particles containing metals were found in the matrix among collagen fibrils and in close proximity of the lamina basalis of the gingival epithelium. Particles were also localized intracellularly in fibroblasts, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Metallic depositions consisted predominantly of silver accompanied by selenium and sulphur. Twenty five out of 34 patients revealed high lymphocyte reactivity (positive MELISA test) to one or more metal components of dental restorations. A correlation between the positivity in MELISA test and number of dental alloys in the oral cavity was also found. Twenty MELISA positive patients suffered from serious health problems (various allergies, autoimmune diseases, Parkinson's syndrome etc.). Nickel and inorganic mercury were the most common sensitizers in vitro. The cytokine assay revealed that mercury chloride activated predominantly TH2 lymphocytes, while nickel chloride activated mainly TH1 lymphocytes.Metallic pigmentations in the oral cavity demonstrate a corrosion process and may pose a risk in immunologically susceptible patients.

Experimental and clinical data published recently show that dental amalgam can give rise to undesirable immunological responses in susceptible individuals. In genetically susceptible strains of experimental animals, mercury and silver can induce autoimmune responses. Sera of patients sensitive to mercury were found to have a higher incidence of autoantibodies relative to controls.The aim of this study was to determine possible presence of antinuclear SSB/La autoantibodies after the in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes with HgCl2.Lymphocytes were obtained from patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and increased response to mercury in vitro. Mononuclear cells were cultivated for 6 days with 100 microl HgCl2 solution or with pure medium and the levels of antinuclear autoantibodies SSB/La were assayed by a commercial SSB/La ELISA kit.Increased production of SSB/La autoantibodies in the media following stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes with HgCl2 was found in all cases. Using the Student's paired test, the results were significant on the p=0.05 significance level.Results imply that, in some patients with thyroiditis, mercury from dental amalgam can stimulate the production of antinuclear antibodies. Dental amalgam may be a risk factor in some patients with autoimmune disease.

The presence of more than one dental alloy in the oral cavity often causes pathological galvanic currents and voltage. Due to various and multi-faceted symptomathology, they tend to be a source of significant problems not only for the patient but also for the attending dentist. Very discreet and uncharacteristically objective diagnosis during a regular examination frequently causes this state to be ascribed to a completely different illness.

This study examined the presence of hypersensitivity to dental and environmental metals in patients with clinical disorders complicated with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three groups of patients were examined through medical history, dental examination, and by using a modified test of blast transformation for metals-MELISA(R). The three groups consisted of the following: 22 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis with or without polyglandular autoimmune activation; 28 fatigued patients free from endocrinopathy; and 22 fatigued professionals without evidence of autoimmunity. As controls, a population sample or 13 healthy subjects without any evidence of metal sensitivity was included. Healthy controls did not complain of marked fatigue and their laboratory tests did not show signs of autoimmunity and endocrinopathy. We have found that fatigue, regardless of the underlying disease, is primarily associated with hypersensitivity to inorganic mercury and nickel. The lymphocyte stimulation by other metals was similar in fatigued and control groups. To evaluate clinical relevance of positive in vitro findings, the replacement of amalgam with metal-free restorations was performed in some of the patients. At a six-month follow-up, patients reported considerably alleviated fatigue and disappearance of many symptoms previously encountered; in parallel, lymphocyte responses to metals decreased as well. We suggest that metal-driven inflammation may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) and indirectly trigger psychosomatic multisymptoms characterizing chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other diseases of unknown etiology.