SUMMARY – The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction in Slovenia. We aimed to explore the prevalence itself, comparison among demographic groups and potential correlations. Data were collected based on the validated standardized Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) (N=605). Most participants had sexual intercourse with one partner (n=523), and the majority of sexual relationships were heterosexual (n=584). University educated subjects had the highest claims of arousal, followed by those with master/doctoral degrees and college educated ones. The lowest level was expressed by subjects with elementary school. The youngest subjects (18-23 years) expressed the highest levels of desire and arousal, followed by the 24-29 age group. The 42-47 age group reported higher levels of lubrication and orgasm. The claim of satisfaction was highest in the 24-29 age group, while the pain was highest in the 42-47 age group. Strong correlation was found between the claims of desire and arousal (r=0.585), arousal and lubrication (r=0.879), lubrication and pain (r=0.856), orgasm and lubrication (r=0.856), satisfaction and orgasm (r=0.782), and pain and arousal (r=0.776) (p<0.001). We identified a 31% prevalence of female sexual dysfunction in Slovenia.

Introduction: Diabetes is progressive condition which requires various ways of treatment. Adequate therapy prescribed in the right time helps patient to postpone development of complications. Adherence to complicated therapy is challenge for both patients and HCPs and is subject of research in many disciplines. Improvement in communication between HCP and patients is very important in patient’s adherence to therapy. Aim: Aim of this research was to explore validity and reliability of modified SERVQUAL instrument in attempt to explore ways of motivating diabetic patient to accept prescribed insulin therapy. Material and Methods: We used modified SERVQUAL questionnaire as instrument in the research. It was necessary to check validity and reliability of the new modified instrument. Results: Results show that modified Servqual instrument has excellent reliability (α=0.908), so we could say that it measures precisely Expectations, Perceptions and Motivation at patients. Factor analysis (EFA method) with Varimax rotation extracted 4 factors which together explain 52.902% variance of the results on this subscale. Bifactorial solution could be seen on Scree-plot diagram (break at second factor). Conclusion: Results in this research show that modified Servqual instrument which is created in order to measure expectations and perceptions of the patients is valid and reliable. Reliability and validity are proven indeed in additional dimension which was created originally for this research - motivation to accept insulin therapy.

The aim was to evaluate volume, diffusion, and perfusion metrics for better presurgical differentiation between high-grade gliomas (HGG), low-grade gliomas (LGG), and metastases (MET). For this retrospective study, 43 patients with histologically verified intracranial HGG (n = 18), LGG (n = 10), and MET (n = 15) were chosen. Preoperative magnetic resonance data included pre- and post-gadolinium contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recover, cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), fractional anisotropy, and apparent diffusion coefficient maps used for quantification of magnetic resonance biometrics by manual delineation of regions of interest. A binary logistic regression model was applied for multiparametric analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Statistically significant differences were found for normalized-ADC-tumor (nADC-T), normalized-CBF-tumor (nCBF-T), normalized-CBV-tumor (nCBV-T), and normalized-CBF-edema (nCBF-E) between LGG and HGG, and when these metrics were combined, HGG could be distinguished from LGG with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. The only metric to distinguish HGG from MET was the normalized-ADC-E with a sensitivity of 68.8% and a specificity of 80%. LGG can be distinguished from MET by combining edema volume (Vol-E), Vol-E/tumor volume (Vol-T), nADC-T, nCBF-T, nCBV-T, and nADC-E with a sensitivity of 93.3% and a specificity of 100%. The present study confirms the usability of a multibiometric approach including volume, perfusion, and diffusion metrics in differentially diagnosing brain tumors in preoperative patients and adds to the growing body of evidence in the clinical field in need of validation and standardization.

Abstract Poor dietary habits have become one of the most important concerns among public health policy makers in recent years, due to the impact they have on both economic and health systems of a country. The transitional period toward young adulthood, marked with high school graduation and the beginning of college years, has been identified as critical in terms of its influence on young people’s bad eating habits. The aim of this study was to assess whether the results obtained through Food Frequency Questionnaire significantly correlate with standard body parameters. Participants included 210 students from the University of Banja Luka, with the mean age of 21.94 ± 2.73 years. Factorization of Food Frequency Questionnaire Instrument extracted seven factors which were subjected to multiple regression analysis as independent variables, and correlated to dependent variables - anthropological measurements. This study shows that the factors labeled as consumption of bread, consumption of healthy food, and intake of carbohydrates, are significantly related to Body Fat Percentage, whereas factors labeled as intake of food of animal origin, and intake of fruits and vegetables, are statistically significant in terms of their relation to Waist-to-Hip Ratio. Only one factor, labeled as intake of unhealthy food, is significantly related to Body Mass Index; this is to suggest that Body Mass Index has again showed many limitations with regard to its research relevance. This research has also found that students of the University of Banja Luka typically consume white bread, known to have a direct link with overweight and obesity.

Objective To detect changes in finger photoplethysmography after administration of epidural anaesthesia as a surrogate method for evaluating autonomic nervous system activity. Methods We included a total of 46 patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures under lumbar epidural anaesthesia. A Biopac SS4LA pulse plethysmograph transducer was used for photoplethysmography recording, and the device was placed on the first toe of the right leg. The first standard lead of the electrocardiogram was simultaneously measured with the finger photoplethysmography. First measurement was done before the administration of epidural anaesthesia, and second measurement was done 25 minutes post administration of epidural anaesthesia. Results The area under the curve of the finger photoplethysmography statistically significantly increased 25 minutes after administration of epidural anaesthesia compared with the first measurement (p=0.0001). The amplitude of the finger photoplethysmography as well as the pulse transit time also statistically significantly increased after administration of epidural anaesthesia. Conclusion The area under the curve reflects the changes in sympathetic activity after epidural anaesthesia below the block level. It can be used for the detection of the degree of sympathetic block and, respectively, for epidural block success. Future prospects include detection of sympathetic block cessation as an indicator for discharge from the awakening room and beginning of patient verticalisation.

Introduction: Exercise-associated muscle cramp (EAMC) is one of the most common conditions that occur during or immediately after the exercise, with questionable etiology. Aim: Aim of article was to present doubts about the cause of EAMC, whether it is primarily a neurological condition or it is water and salt imbalance. Results: Strongest evidence supports the neuromuscular aetiology with the focus on the muscle fatigue. Muscle overload and fatigue affects the balance between the excitatory drive from muscle spindles and the inhibitory drive from the Golgi tendon organs (GTO). This results in a localized muscle cramp. Since the dehydration and electrolyte depletion are systemic abnormalities, it is not clear how these changes would result in local symptoms such as cramping of the working muscle groups. Conclusion: “Triad” of causes might be behind the etiology of EAMC, although the “altered neuromuscular control” theory with the “dehydration” theory is the most cogent descriptive model that explains the origin of EAMC. Treatment and prevention strategies for EAMC include: electrical cramp induction, kinesio taping and compression garments, massage therapy, electrolyte supplementation and hydration, corrective exercise, stretching, quinine, pickle juice, hyperventilation strategies.