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Background/Aim. Traffic accident injuries are a major public health problem worldwide, with millions of people dying every year. Although the improvement of traffic safety is based on preventive action, it is necessary to conduct an analysis of victims in traffic in order to prevent future traffic accidents with the help of such findings. The aim of the study was to determine the manner of occurrence of abdominal injuries (AIs), gender differences, and the sitting position in the vehicle that affects the severity of AIs, as well as which AIs lead more often to fatalities in traffic accidents. Methods. Materials for the present study were collected from the medico-legal autopsies, showing AIs that occurred in road traffic accidents. The total number of people who died from sustained injuries or complications of the injuries after road traffic accidents was 525. Results. In the study sample, 38.3% of subjects sustained abdominal trauma. Men were more likely to have AIs, and passengers in the front seat and motorcycle drivers were identified as the most vulnerable category of these types of injuries. The liver was the most commonly injured abdominal organ. Liver destructions, liver lacerations, spleen lacerations, intestinal injuries, the simultaneous occurrence of head, chest, and AIs, or the simultaneous occurrence of head and AIs in a higher percentage led to death at the scene. Conclusion. The results of this study represent the basis for creating educational content for all traffic participants as well as the legislation in the field of traffic safety.

Background and Objectives: Caries development is associated with poor oral hygiene, inadequate dietary habits, quantitative and qualitative food content, and a high level of bacterial plaque. Physical and chemical changes in saliva composition and particularly changes in its buffering capability play a significant role in caries development. This study aimed to determine the predictors of poor oral health among a sample of second-year dental students. Materials and Methods: The oral health of students was estimated with clinical examination and the DMFT index. The interview included questions about demographics status (gender, age), a dietary habits questionnaire, questions about oral hygiene, and a demonstration of tooth brushing technique. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected to measure buffering capacity and pH. Results: Almost half of the students have a low level of caries experience (46.7%), followed by a slightly smaller number having a medium level (41.3%), while one in eight students (12.0%) demonstrates a high level of caries experience. Male students have a statistically higher DMFT index 5.7 ± 1.2 than female participants 4.5 ± 0.5 (p = 0.036). Significant predictors for the DMFT index score in students were milk [β-coefficient = −0.338, p = 0.011] and yoghurt [β-coefficient = 0.284, p = 0.040] consumption. All students brushed their teeth two or more times during the day, usually after waking up before breakfast and before bedtime. Most students (85.3%) apply the proper tooth brushing technique, with female students applying it more frequently (p = 0.038). The mean salivary pH was 6.9, while the mean buffer capacity was 5.8. Female respondents have a statistically lower buffer capacity (5.8 ± 0.5) than male respondents (6.1 ± 0.4) (p = 0.047). Conclusions: Dentistry students are introduced to good oral hygiene habits, especially female students, while dietary habits should be improved. However, one in eight dental students is at high caries risk. By assessing the level of caries experience, targeted strategies can be developed to promote, maintain, and enhance oral health among dental students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. In road traffic accidents, chest injuries are a critical factor since death usually occurs as a result of injuries to the heart and lungs, flail chest, pneumothorax, exsanguination, etc. The aim of this study was to analyze the most vulnerable subjects in road accidents, as well as the most frequent and most significant types of chest injuries sustained by different categories of subjects, and to examine the relevance of certain injuries or factors to outliving the injuries. Methods. The autopsy, the retrospective, and the cross-sectional study were performed at the Clinical Centre of Kragujevac, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. The study included all participants in road traffic accidents on the territory of Kragujevac and the surrounding area who died from the injuries sustained from the accidents or due to complications of the injuries during the period from 2001 to 2016. The subjects were divided into the following groups: pedestrians, motor vehicle drivers, front-seat passengers, back-seat passengers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and tractor drivers. The occurrence of injuries in three regions of the body (chest, head, and abdomen) was analyzed in all the subjects. Results. The study included 525 subjects who died due to the injuries sustained in traffic accidents, which makes up to 38.4% of the total number of 1,366 autopsy cases covered by the study period. The average age of the subjects was 52 ± 19 years. The study sample consisted of 391 (74.5%) men and 134 (25.5%) women. The most vulnerable subjects were pedestrians (220, i.e. 41.9%), followed by motor vehicle drivers ( 98, i .e. 1 8.7%), front-seat passengers (79, i.e. 15%), motorcyclists (39, i.e. 7.4%), bicyclists (38, i.e. 7.2%), back-seat passengers (29, i.e. 5.5%) and tractor drivers (22, i.e. 4.2%). Chest injuries were identified in 408 subjects (77.7%), while the most frequent type of in-jury was rib fracture, observed in two-thirds of the sample. Out of the total number, 291 (55.4%) subjects died at the scene of the accident or on their way to the hospital, while 234 (44.6%) of them outlived injuries for a certain period of time. Drivers exhibited the highest risk of dying at the scene, while bicyclists outlived their injuries more frequently. Conclusion. Chest injuries are very common in subjects who died at the scene of the road traffic accident.

Introduction: Fixation with formalin, a widely used procedure to preserve tissue samples, leads to damage of DNA through crosslinking activity. The factors that could influence the fixation and integrity of DNA may be numerous: incubation time, tissue type, concentration of formalin, temperature, pH and viscosity. Aim: The aim of this investigation was to examine the influence of incubation time and temperature of formalin fixation on the yield, purity and integrity of DNA isolated from healthy human heart myocardial tissue taken during medico-legal autopsy. Material and methods: Heart tissue samples were fixed in phosphate-buffered formalin at +4°C in the dark, as well as at room temperature in the presence of light. The DNA was isolated after one day, then successively every day during the first week, and then on the tenth day, and after two and four-week periods using phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol extraction method. The absorbances were measured at 260 nm and 280 nm, which allows calculation of yield and purity of nucleic acid in the samples. The PCR amplification of two genes, GPDH (150 bp) and ß-actin (262 bp), were performed to evaluate the degree of DNA molecule fragmentation. Results: The highest yield, purity and preserved integrity of DNA were obtained from the samples fixed in formalin at +4°C in the darkness. In these samples, GPDH and ß-actin genes were amplified up to 14 days, unlike the samples that were fixed at the room temperature in which the ß-actin gene was amplified up to 5 days, while the GPDH gene fragment was successfully amplified up to 10 days of fixation. Conclusion: The temperature, presence of light and the incubation time of formalin fixation all have important influences on yield, purity and integrity of DNA during the fixation process.

Introduction/Objective. Dry eye development after phacoemulsification is a very common complication of cataract surgery. Combined with other risk factors, such as pseudoexfoliation (PEX), this complication becomes more frequent. The aim of this study was to expose the influence of phacoemulsification associated with PEX on the development of dry eye in patients who underwent cataract surgery. Methods. The study included 160 eyes (160 patients) who underwent phacoemulsification. The patients were divided into four groups (n = 40 patients). Groups I and II involved patients without PEX. The patients from Group II were prescribed artificial tears (AT) postoperatively. The patients from Groups III and IV had a presentation of PEX. The patients from Group IV got AT postoperatively. Ocular Surface Disease Index, the tear breakup time (TBUT) test, fluorescein staining, and Schirmer’s test served as “dry eye” tests in this study. The χ2 test and paired t-test were used for data analysis. Results. Measurements were taken for every patient preoperatively, on the first and the seventh day after the surgery, one month and three months, and one year after the surgery. The tests showed postoperatively developed dry eye in all the groups, with the recovery of the tear film within three months, except for Group III. The highest statistical significance (p < 0.001) was recorded between Groups II and III, three and 12 months after the surgery. Values of TBUT (6.09 ± 1.29 seconds) and Schirmer’s test (8.91 ± 2.14 mm) in Group III strongly indicated that dry eye was still present one year after phacoemulsification. The greatest recovery of the tear film was recorded in Group II in all the measurements. Conclusion. The study showed how strongly PEX and the use of AT affect the tear film during the first postoperative year. Based on our experience, we highly recommend the use of AT after performing phacoemulsification.

Background/Aim. Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a disease of the eye where the flow of blood through the central retinal artery is blocked. It causes sudden, painless, unilateral and usually severe vision loss. The aim of our study was to examine significance of cilioretinal artery on collateral and neovasculatization development after occlusion of the central retinal artery. Methods. This study retrospectively reviewed all fluorescein angiography (FA) cases with confirmed CRAO and presenting, one or more, cilioretinal arteries on initial examination. The study included patients referred to the Clinic of Ophthalmology, Clinical Center Kragujevac for the examination in the period from January 2010 to January 2015. Ten eyes of 10 patients with confirmed CRAO and existing cilioretinal artery on initial examination were found and analyzed in this study. Results. This study included 10 (6 males and 4 females) patients from 50 to 76 years old (mean 66.3 ± 10.078 years). Visual acuity on initial examination presented on the decimal scale was from 0.01 to 0.2 (mean 0.087 ± 0.066). Intraocular pressure measured by applanation tonometry was in the range from 14 to 20 mmHg (mean 16.7 ± 2.540 mmHg). Cilioretinal artery was revealed on the first FA examination of all eyes. On control FA, in three eyes de novo collaterals were discovered. In the first eye, collaterals were discovered after two months, in the second eye after four months, and in the third eye after seven months of the performing the initial angiogram. Visual acuity was checked after one year. It was from light perception to 0.03 (mean 0.016 ± 0.009). Conclusion. The presence of cilioretinal arteries with preexisting or de novo developed collaterals was not enough to preserve visual acuity and prevent neovascularisation over a longer period after CRAO

The end of the Cold War brought to the world the rule of one ideology, one socio-economic system, and the maximum liberalization of international economic developments. But, the beginning of the 21st century will already see the move into the phase of a multipolar world with four dominant economic and political powers: the United States, China, European Union, and Russia. Each of these dominant participants in the global processes has its own specificities, advantages and problems. Global relations are rapidly changing. This paper analyzes possible development of economic, political and military relations between the dominant participants in global processes.

Background/Aim. Drug abuse remains a significant social problem in many countries. The aim of the study was to estimate association between pulmonary histopathological changes and results of toxicological analyses in forensic autopsies of illicit drug users. Methods. This investigation was performed in the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Belgrade, and in the Clinical Center, Department of Forensic Medicine, Kragujevac, from 2000 to 2004, and included 63 medicolegal autopsies of heroin or other drug consumers who suddenly died. Autopsies, postmortem toxicological examination of drugs and serological analyses of anti- HIV/HBV/HCV antibodies were performed. Results. The deceased persons were mostly male, 46/63 (73.01%), ranged in age from 19 to 49 years (mean 31 years) and all were whites. Postmortem toxicological examination was performed on all of the deceased persons and drugs in the fatal range were identified in only eight of them (12.7%), in the toxic range in ten (15.87%), and in minimal concentrations in 35 (55.56%) of the deceased persons. Drugs identified in the fatal, toxic or minimal range included heroin-morphine (38/53), cocaine (4/53), tramadol (3/53), and lorazepam (1/53). In the 7 remaining subjects, ethanol in combination with heroin was found in 4 cases, and diazepam in combination with heroin in 3 cases. Dominant pathomorphological changes were findings in the lung tissue. Most common histological changes observed in drug users were pulmonary edema - 55/63 (87.3%), acute alveolar hemorrhages - 49/63 (77.78%), hemosiderin-laden macrophages (siderophages) - 52/63 (82,54%), and emphysematous changes - 51/63 (80,95%). Conclusion. Pulmonary edema is the frequent non-specific autopsy finding which is associated with virtually all routes of drug administration. The histopatological study is necessary to determinate a cause of death when a deceased person has the history of dependence or abouse of psychoactive drugs with negative toxicological results.

The aim of the study was to investigate the adhesion and viability of Streptococcus oralis and Candida albicans under in vitro conditions on CAD/CAM framework materials for implant‐supported hybrid prostheses. Twenty‐nine specimens were prepared from each of three different materials: ZR (zirconia), PEEK (polyether ether ketone) and CoCr4 (CoCr4 alloy). The experimental part included surface roughness (SR) and contact angle of water (CAW) measurements, followed by colony forming unit (CFU), cell viability assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses of Strep. oralis and C. albicans biofilms on the materials' surfaces. Kruskal‐Wallis and one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used for differences between materials, and the correlation between measurements was estimated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. PEEK specimens revealed higher SR, CAW and CFU mean values, than ZR and CoCr4 specimens. Strong positive correlation was found between SR and CFU and between CAW and CFU for both microbial species. Cell viability assay revealed similar values for both species across materials. Higher numbers of Strep. oralis and C. albicans on PEEK specimens confirm the impact of the higher surface roughness and contact angle values on the microbial adhesion and describes PEEK as less desirable than ZR and CoCr4 from microbiological aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the intensity of the influence of foreign direct investments, exports of goods and services, and research and development expenditure on GDP growth of developed and developing countries. Panel regression analysis determined that the exports of goods and services make the largest contribution to growth on middle levels of income. In fact, the contribution the export of goods and services makes to growth on middle levels of income is two times larger than in countries with a high GDP. The most essential impact on countries with a high GDP level was made by research and development expenditure, which is 3.5 times larger than its impact on the developing Balkan countries. The phenomenon of the Middle-Income Trap can be explained by insufficient research and development expenditure. Foreign direct investments are not statistically significant for the GDP growth of observed countries, but they achieve far better results on low development levels. The empirical data, presented in figures, confirms the conclusions of the econometric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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