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Global movements for the exchange of knowledge and skills such as makerspaces have led to the establishment of networks of local initiatives for learning communities. This paper aims to examine attitudes to the maker movement in the context of higher education during the Covid-19 crisis, as its informal structure, as well as the values that underpin it, can provide a faster and specific response to unpredictable situations. The paper reviews scholarly papers and news items about makerspaces at universities dealing with the higher education response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The results suggest that the study of learning communities' response to the crisis is significant from the perspective of learning how to overcome future crises. Experimenting with approaches using local resources as well as global knowledge and experience, which must be open and accessible, contributes to global initiatives and movements for the exchange, but also the creation of knowledge in communities, promoting community development through educational innovations.

Background: Gram-positive opportunistic bacteria of the Nocardia species are responsible for a large spectrum of infections, such as pneumonia, skin infections, and more widespread conditions, including brain abscesses., Case Description: A 67-year-old male patient suffered from headache, gait disorder, and vertigo for a week before admission to our department. An enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a mediosagittal hyperintense infratentorial lesion with concomitant compression of the fourth ventricle. The patient underwent surgical treatment with general anesthesia. The frozen section did not reveal any tumoral tissue but rather a purulent content. He was comatose on the 1 st postoperative day, and he underwent a follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan, which revealed triventricular hydrocephalus. The external ventricular drain was performed, and a follow-up CT scan revealed significant improvement of hydrocephalus. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight did not reveal any causative agent from the intraoperative content, but the 16s ribosomal DNA method confirmed Nocardia cyriacigeorgica . The patient was intravenously treated with ceftriaxone and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and died on the 5 th postoperative day., Conclusion: Nocardiosis presents a rare Gram-positive bacterial infection that typically affects immunocompromised hosts. Nocardia -caused brain abscesses present a significant challenge in its treatment for its atypical presentation and slow culture growth., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Surgical Neurology International.)

Introduction : Schwannomas (Schs) are benign tumor masses that rarely occur intra-abdominally and rarely reach larger diameters. When present, they occur as rare solitary nerve sheath tumors of peri-neural Schwann cells. Schwannoma mostly affects the nerves of the extremities, trunk, or the head and neck region. They are more common in female patients, mostly among patients between the third and fifth decade. They occur spontaneously but could also be found in association with a group of genetic autosomal dominant disorders called type 2. When present intra-abdominally, schwannomas grow slowly without significant clinical signs and symptoms. Clinical importance is presented in cases of occupying intra-abdominal space and impingement of surrounding structures, which causes intermittent pain. Only 0.5-5% of all retroperitoneal tumors are schwannomas and their malignant transformation is very rare. Case report : The authors present a case of a large intra-abdominal schwannoma in a 70-year-old female patient. She underwent CT scanning due to refractory left-sided subcostal pain, which revealed a large tumor mass in the left-sided hemiabdomen. Preoperative cytologic biopsy confirmed Sch. The patient underwent an MRI scan upon admission to our department, which revealed the origin of the tumor at the left-sided L3 level and intra-abdominal tumor spreading with the largest diameter of 25 cm. The patient underwent multidisciplinary surgical excision, confirmed by MRI scan in a period of five months postoperatively. Conclusions : Its rare presentation leads to the necessity to adequately evaluate such patients, especially to avoid any hidden diagnosis which might lead to further complications. The goal of a multidisciplinary approach should be emphasized as maintaining a good postsurgical condition without neurological deficits.

Background: Cranioplasty is a routine neurosurgery treatment used to correct cranial vault abnormalities. Utilization of 3D printing technology in the field of cranioplasty involving the reconstruction of cranial defects emerged as an advanced possibility of anatomical reshaping. The transformative impact of patient-specific 3D printed implants, focuses on their remarkable accuracy, customization capabilities, and enhanced biocompatibility., Methods: The precise adaptation of implants to patient-specific anatomies, even in complex cases we presented, result in improved aesthetic outcomes and reduced surgical complications. The ability to create highly customized implants addresses the functional aspects of cranial defects and considers the psychological impact on patients., Results: By combining technological innovation with personalized patient care, 3D printed cranioplasty emerges as a transformative avenue in cranial reconstruction, ultimately redefining the standards of success in neurosurgery., Conclusion: 3D printing allows an excellent cranioplasty cosmesis achieved at a reasonable price without sacrificing patient outcomes. Wider implementation of this strategy can lead to significant healthcare cost savings., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Surgical Neurology International.)

Background and objective : The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on medical practice worldwide. In this study, we aimed to investigate the trends of elective spine surgery in our department before and during the pandemic. Materials and methods : Total number of spine procedures due to disc herniation (DH) or spinal stenosis (SS) was collected during 2019-2021 in the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Center Osijek, Croatia. In order to elucidate potential risk factors in the post-pandemic period, demographic data were collected for patients who underwent surgery during 2021. Results : In 2020, there was a 22.1% decrease in the number of surgeries compared to 2019 (205 vs. 263), but during 2021 we observed an increase of 36.1% compared to 2020 (279 vs. 205). The mean age of patients in 2021 was 53.14 years (53.14 ± 13.05) with body mass index of 28.31 kg/m 2 (28.31 ± 4.89). There were 179 overweight patients (74%) and 103 smokers (42.6%). Although male and female patients were equally represented (121 each), there was a significant interaction of weight class and sex ( p = 0.013). Patients younger than 65 were more likely to undergo surgery due to DH ( p < 0.001), whereas older patients were more likely to suffer from SS ( p < 0.001). Conclusions : The volume of elective spine surgeries decreased in the first year of the pandemic and increased the following year. Our results suggest that public health policies in the early pandemic period reduced elective surgical procedures, which was followed by a compensatory increase in the following period.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive glial tumor of the central nervous system. Despite intense scientific efforts, patients diagnosed with GBM and treated with the current standard of care have a median survival of only 15 months. Patients are initially treated by a neurosurgeon with the goal of maximal safe resection of the tumor. Obtaining tissue samples during surgery is indispensable for the diagnosis of GBM. Technological improvements, such as navigation systems and intraoperative monitoring, significantly advanced the possibility of safe gross tumor resection. Usually within six weeks after the surgery, concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide are initiated. However, current radiotherapy regimens are based on population-level studies and could also be improved. Implementing artificial intelligence in radiotherapy planning might be used to individualize treatment plans. Furthermore, detailed genetic and molecular markers of the tumor could provide patient-tailored immunochemotherapy. In this article, we review current standard of care and possibilities of personalizing these treatments. Additionally, we discuss novel individualized therapeutic options with encouraging results. Due to inherent heterogeneity of GBM, applying patient-tailored treatment could significantly prolong survival of these patients.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignancy of the brain with a relatively short median survival and high mortality. Advanced age, high socioeconomic status, exposure to ionizing radiation, and other factors have been correlated with an increased incidence of GBM, while female sex hormones, history of allergies, and frequent use of specific drugs might exert protective effects against this disease. However, none of these explain the pathogenesis of GBM. The most recent WHO classification of CNS tumors classifies neoplasms based on their histopathological and molecular characteristics. Modern laboratory techniques, such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry, enable the comprehensive metabolic analysis of the tissue sample. MALDI imaging is able to characterize the spatial distribution of a wide array of biomolecules in a sample, in combination with histological features, without sacrificing the tissue integrity. In this review, we first provide an overview of GBM epidemiology, risk, and protective factors, as well as the recent WHO classification of CNS tumors. We then provide an overview of mass spectrometry workflow, with a focus on MALDI imaging, and recent advances in cancer research. Finally, we conclude the review with studies of GBM that utilized MALDI imaging and offer our perspective on future research.

Introduction: Glioblastoma represents the most aggressive tumor of the brain with an estimated survival rate of twelve to fifteen months after the primary diagnosis. The role of neurotropic viruses in pathogenesis of the tumor has remained unclear to date. During the last two decades, many studies were conducted with the aim of confirming viral influence in the development of glioblastoma., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in a time period of five years using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of glioblastoma. Immunohistochemistry was performed for three viruses: CMV, EBV and HSV-1, using an automated staining system., Results: Mean age of patients in our group was 66.7±8.5 years. A slight male dominance was noted. Negative immunohistochemistry results were obtained for CMV and EBV, which were excluded from further investigation. Based on IRS score, we confirmed six HSV-1 samples which were rated as IRS score 2. Five more samples of HSV-1 were rated as IRS score 1 and were excluded from the study., Conclusion: According to our retrospective study and its results, we found no impact of neurotropic viruses in the survival rate of glioblastoma. Further studies should be conducted including a wider range of viral detection methods., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests: None.

Telemedicine is a rapid tool that reduces the time until treatment for patients, which is especially useful for neurosurgical trauma. The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of telemedicine in neurosurgery during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic era. We assessed the utilization of telemedicine at the Department of Neurosurgery at University Hospital Center Osijek in Croatia over a timespan of one year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the first year of the pandemic, starting with the date of first lockdown in Croatia. For each time period, the total number of consults and specific clinical inquiries were recorded and adequately grouped as well as comprehensive patient characteristics. There were 336 consults in the pre-pandemic period and 504 in the pandemic period. The number of trauma-related consults during COVID-19 measures was significantly higher than the pre-pandemic era (288 and 138, respectively, p < 0.0001). Neurosurgical trauma patients requiring consults in the pandemic period were significantly older than before the pandemic (64.9 ± 18.5 and 60.6 ± 19.1, respectively, p = 0.03). Significantly, the number of admissions to our center and urgent surgeries did not significantly differ between these periods. Telemedicine is a cost-effective tool in the neurosurgical evaluation of patients, especially for trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telemedicine implementation and improved neurosurgical trauma treatments.

Treatment of glioblastoma is challenging due to its aggressive and highly invasive nature, and no significant advances in survival have been achieved recently. The aim of our retrospective study was identification of predictive factors and consequent survival outcome in patients who underwent surgical and oncologic treatment of glioblastoma. The study was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery, Osijek University Hospital Centre. The authors designed a retrospective cohort study in 63 patients who underwent surgical and oncologic treatment between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017. Data were collected by reviewing medical records of the patients with histologically proven glioblastoma. Statistical analysis of study results revealed a significant impact of postoperative radiotherapy (p=0.002) and chemotherapy (p=0.016) on progression-free survival and overall survival (p=0.001 and p=0.009, respectively). Postoperative Karnofsky performance scale (p=0.027) was found to be significant in progression-free survival, and so was the interval between surgery and commencement of oncologic therapy (p=0.049). In conclusion, overall survival and prognosis in the treatment of glioblastoma remain poor, although prompt approach in postoperative adjuvant treatments improved progression-free survival.

Acute pain in neurosurgical patients is an important issue. Opioids are the most used for pain treatment in the neurosurgical ICU. Potential side effects of opioid use such as oversedation, respiratory depression, hypercapnia, worsening intracranial pressure, nausea, and vomiting may be problems and could interfere with neurologic assessment. Consequently, reducing opioids and use of non-opioid analgesics and adjuvants (N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists, α2 -adrenergic agonists, anticonvulsants, corticosteroids), as well as non-pharmacological therapies were introduced as a part of a multimodal regimen. Local and regional anesthesia is effective in opioid reduction during the early postoperative period. Among non-opioid agents, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used frequently. Adverse events associated with opioid use in neurosurgical patients are discussed. Larger controlled studies are needed to find optimal pain management tailored to neurologically impaired neurosurgical patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Kvolik, Koruga and Skiljic.)