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Bacterial microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract is known to prevent the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms and regulate intestinal permeability, digestion, metabolism, and immune response. It affects function, homeostasis, and disease outcomes in the gastrointestinal tract and extra-intestinal sites such as the lungs. This review summarizes the currently available knowledge regarding the gut-lung axis. The association of bacterial composition and/or dysbiosis in the gut with asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, cystic fibrosis, recurrent respiratory tract infections, and lung cancer in humans is highlighted, as well as data obtained from animal models of pulmonary inflammation, which indicated that modulation of immune system activity lies at the base of this interaction. Additionally, the potential use of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics in the treatment of lung inflammation is presented.

Gram-negative bacteria include more than 20 genera. The most commonly isolated genera are: Bacteriodes spp., Porphiromonas spp., Fusobacterium spp. and Prevotella spp. The following genera were isolated somewhat less frequently: Tanerella spp., Leptotricha spp., Veilonella spp.,Wollinela spp., Selenomonas spp. and Treponema spp. Anaerobic bacteria have an anaerobic type of metabolism and therefore their incubation is significantly longer and more demanding than aerobic bacteria. The genera Prevotella spp., Porphyromonas spp. and Fusobacterium spp. are part of the resident flora of the oral cavity and in unfavorable conditions cause periodontal diseases, and sometimes dentogenic infections and systemic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases. The three most important steps for the successful diagnosis of anaerobic bacteria are: proper sampling with avoiding sample contamination, rapid transport of samples to the microbiological laboratory and proper handling of samples. A combination of beta-lactam with the addition of beta-lactamase inhibitors, metronidazole, clindamycin and moxifloxacin is used for treatment for infections caused by anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria. It is important to note that antibiotics should be used only with a clear indication and to choose the right antibiotic in the optimal dose. The aim of this review is to point out the role of Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria in periodontal diseases, and its isolation, identification and antibiotic susceptibility.

Introduction/Objective. Somatosensory evoked potentials are a neurophysiological tool for testing the effects of drugs in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to estimate the way that bromazepam and ibuprofen had on tooth pulp-evoked potentials (TPEPs) after non-painful stimuli, as well as to detect possible differences in this activity. Methods. Sixty young healthy subjects were included in the study. They were arranged into three groups: ibuprofen, bromazepam, and placebo. To record TPEPs response, dental pulp were electrically stimulated through intact enamel with non-painful stimuli. For stimulation and registration we used Xltek Protektor 32 system, software EPWorks, version 5.0 (Natus Medical Incorporated, Oakville, ON, Canada). The experiment consisted of two testing sessions. Five recordings were performed in each session. The first test session was before, and the second was 45 minutes after administration of a single dose of the ibuprofen (400 mg), bromazepam (1.5 mg) or placebo. Results. The results of the present study exhibit that both ibuprofen and bromazepam significantly increased all the latencies; ibuprofen decreased amplitudes of all the waves except the first one (p < 0.05), and bromazepam decreased amplitudes of all the waves except the first one (p < 0.05); placebo did not modified TPEPs waves (p > 0.05). Additionally, there were no significant differences in influence on TPEPs between bromazepam and ibuprofen (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Our study showed that both bromazepam and ibuprofen had the same influence on TPEPs after non-painful stimuli. That indicates that anxiolytic dose of bromazepam affects neurotransmission in the same manner as non-opioid analgesics ibuprofen.

Introduction: Morbid obesity is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Bariatric surgery is the most effective weight loss method for morbidly obese patients. Aim: To examine the effect of surgical treatment of morbid obesity on functional capacity and risk factors for CVD. Material and Methods: In a group of 56 morbidly obese patients Body Mass Index (BMI), functional capacity and risk factors for CVD were compared before and after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. BMI was derived from the patients' weight and height. Functional capacity parameters (peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope) and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure were obtained during ergospirometry testing. Data on risk factors was acquired from medical histories and laboratory analyses. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in peak VO2 (p

Abstract Background In the years to come, artificial intelligence will become an indispensable tool in medical practice. The digital transformation will undoubtedly affect today’s medical students. This study focuses on trust from the perspective of three groups of medical students - students from Croatia, students from Slovakia, and international students studying in Slovakia. Methods A paper-pen survey was conducted using a non-probabilistic convenience sample. In the second half of 2022, 1715 students were surveyed at five faculties in Croatia and three in Slovakia. Results Specifically, 38.2% of students indicated familiarity with the concept of AI, while 44.8% believed they would use AI in the future. Patient readiness for the implementation of technologies was mostly assessed as being low. More than half of the students, 59.1%, believe that the implementation of digital technology (AI) will negatively impact the patient-physician relationship and 51,3% of students believe that patients will trust physicians less. The least agreement with the statement was observed among international students, while a higher agreement was expressed by Slovak and Croatian students 40.9% of Croatian students believe that users do not trust the healthcare system, 56.9% of Slovak students agree with this view, while only 17.3% of international students share this opinion. The ability to explain to patients how AI works if they were asked was statistically significantly different for the different student groups, international students expressed the lowest agreement, while the Slovak and Croatian students showed a higher agreement. Conclusion This study provides insight into medical students’ attitudes from Croatia, Slovakia, and international students regarding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future healthcare system, with a particular emphasis on the concept of trust. A notable difference was observed between the three groups of students, with international students differing from their Croatian and Slovak colleagues. This study also highlights the importance of integrating AI topics into the medical curriculum, taking into account national social & cultural specificities that could negatively impact AI implementation if not carefully addressed.

Background/Aim. Dental anxiety leads to avoidance of dental treatment and could lead to impaired oral health. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of the Serbian version of Children’s Fear Survey Schedule Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and the relations between dental anxiety and oral health status in a sample of Serbian schoolchildren. Methods. The CFSS-DS scale was translated into Serbian and administered to 231 (12-year old) patients of the Pediatric Dental Department, Public Health Center Čukarica, Belgrade. The number of healthy, decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT score) in children was determined by a clinical exam. Results. The average CFSS-DS score was 26.47 ± 10.33. The girls reported higher anxiety than the boys (p < 0.05). Most common fears were drilling, choking, going to the hospital and anesthesia. Lower CFSS-DS scores were recorded in children with all healthy teeth (p < 0.05). Children with higher CFSS-DS scores mostly visit the dentist due to pain or parental insistence, and those with lower anxiety scores more often visited dentist due to regular check-ups or non-invasive treatments (p < 0.01). A high value of the Cronbach's coefficient of internal consistency (α = 0.88) was found in the entire scale. Conclusion. The Serbian version of CFSS-DS questionnaire is reliable and valid psychometric instrument for evaluation of dental fear in Serbian children. Dental anxiety negatively affects dental attendance and oral health of the examined schoolchildren.

In this paper, a parametric method for proving inequalities is described. The method is based on associating a considered inequality with the corresponding stratified family of functions. Many inequalities from the theory of analytic inequalities can be interpreted using families of functions that are stratified with respect to some parameter. By discussing the sign of the functions from the family by the parameter according to which the family is stratified, inequalities are obtained that contain the best possible constants, if they exist. The application of this method is demonstrated for four inequalities: the Cusa–Huygens inequality, the Wilker-type inequality and the two Mitrinović–Adamović-type inequalities. Significantly simpler proofs and improvements of all these inequalities are provided.

The skin is a direct target of the air pollutant benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). While its carcinogenic qualities are well-studied, the immunotoxicity of BaP after dermal exposure is less understood. This study examines the immunomodulatory effects of a 10-day epicutaneous BaP application, in environmentally/occupationally relevant doses, by analyzing ex vivo skin immune response (skin explant, epidermal cells and draining lymph node/DLN cell activity), alongside the skin’s reaction to sensitization with experimental hapten dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). The results show that BaP application disrupts the structure of the epidermal layer and promotes immune cell infiltration in the dermis. BaP exposure led to oxidative stress in epidermal cells, characterized by decreased reduced glutathione and increased AHR and Cyp1A1 expression. Production and gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-1β) by epidermal cells decreased, while IL-10 response increased. Decreased spontaneous production of IFN-γ and IL-17, along with unchanged IL-10, was observed in DLC cells, whereas ConA-stimulated production of these cytokines was elevated. Local immunosuppression caused by BaP application seems to reduce the skin’s response to an additional stimulus, evidenced by decreased effector activity of DLN cells three days after sensitization with DNCB. These findings provide new insight into the immunomodulatory effects and health risks associated with skin exposure to BaP.

Leptin is a protein hormone secreted by adipocytes. Its role in malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome (MICS) in hemodialysis (HD) patients has not been fully resolved yet. We aimed to assess the predictive role of serum leptin in MICS in maintenance HD patients. This prospective study included 93 HD patients who were distributed in three groups according to serum leptin levels (low-normal- high). Nutritional and inflammatory parameters of MICS, as well as malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS), were determined at baseline and after 12 months. In all subjects, the median serum leptin levels were above the relevant reference range at both the baseline (10 ng/mL; interquartile range (IQR) 4.2-29.9 ng/ mL) and at the 12-month follow-up (13 ng/mL; IQR 3.5-39.5 ng/mL). Patients with decreased serum leptin levels had elements of MICS present. Leptin exhibited good sensitivity (0.89), while its specificity was similar to that of other nutritional and inflammatory parameters (0.45 for leptin vs. 0.65 for body mass index, 0.46 for MIS, 0.63 for C-reactive protein, 0.44 for albumins, 0.47 for ferritin and 0.50 for transferrin). The ROC curve analysis identified leptin levels of ≤3.4 ng/mL in men and ≤11.4 ng/mL in women to have the best predictive value for MICS. In conclusion, leptin appears to be a reliable marker of MICS.