Introduction: Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a central role in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. Immunoregulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in important homeostatic mechanism for maintaining tolerance and preventing autoimmunity, and autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the role of Tregs cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and determine the range value for Treg cells (CD4+ CD25+) in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis compared to the severity of disease. Material and methods: The study included 51 patients diagnosed with psoriasis and 25 healthy individuals. Phenotype profile of peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined by flow cytometry, and assessment of severity of disease was determined on the basis of PASI score (e.g. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index). Results: Proportion of CD4+CD25+T cells in the control group was significantly higher than in the patients with psoriasis [6,4% ±(5,4-7,6) vs. 4,1% (3,1 -5,8)–Mann–Whitney U test, p <0.001]. In the present study we did not find a statistically significant correlation between the levels of CD4+CD25+cells, in patients with psoriasis, compared to the severity of disease–PASI. (i.e. Pearson correlation, r = 0.197, p = 0.194). Conclusion: The stratification of patients, according to the severity of the clinical course was not possible on the basis of Treg cells’ level. ROC curve analysis of the optimal cutoff (PASI=10) and the CD4+CD25+, which distinguishes between patients and healthy individuals was 5% of CD4+CD25+ of the total number of CD4+ lymphocytes with specificity of 69% and sensitivity of 84%.

Recently at a meeting of the European Association of Science Editors Council, held in Split on June 13, 2014 I said that the editorial job in journals is serious, responsible, hard, and lately it also becomes dangerous. That job, really, requires, besides rich knowledge and experience, also “wasting” a lot of time, nerves and renunciation of all kinds in order that journals that we edit, in their final form are rich with content, contains articles of superior/high scientific quality, results of research that can interest potential readers and users of scientific published content, but also linguistically, aestheticly and technically acceptable to attract and meet the needs and taste of potential readers. All above mentioned is sometimes very easily unsuccessful or the efforts of the publishers, which have the teams of qualified and capable associates involved in at least six of technological stages–from submission, editing, linguistic and technical preparations, printing, converting in the XLM format for on-line databases and painstaking process of communication with authors and co-authors that sometimes become unsuccessful and very frustrating. Unfortunately, this last mentioned can make life difficult for the editor and shake or diminish his/hers sense of love and pleasures for this beautiful and above all socially useful, but hard work in all scientific and academic community centers in any country and at any level of its development.

Introduction: Pathogenesis of kidney stones includes many factors, whereas uroliths, as a generic term for kidney stones, are of a different composition. In pathogenesis of calcium urolithiasis hypercalcemia/hypercalciuria takes a significant place. Hypercalcemia exists when the serum calcium is of increased values, along with measurement and calculation of physiologically active calcium, when there are differences in the Ph of the blood or albumin. Goal: the goal of this research is to determine the correlation of values of the serum (CaS) and ionized calcium (Ca++) in patients with the calcium nephrolithiasis, whom have been established not to have hyperparathyroidism and malign diseases. Material and methods: the research was prospective and implemented at the Clinical Center in Banja Luka, at the Urology Clinic, in the period between 1st April 2012 – 1st January 2013 and it included 120 patients with the calcium lithiasis of the upper part of the urinary tract, divided into three age categories. Diagnosis of the calcium lithiasis of the upper part of the urinary tract was established on the basis of the ultrasonography of the urinary tract as well as native urinary tract/intravenous urography and chemical analysis of the stone in patients with spontaneous stone emission or after some of the methods for active removal of the stone. Chemical laboratory analysis of the serum and ionized calcium was done for all the patients, with 3ml of blood being taken for establishing the aforementioned parameters (1-2 ml of the serum) in vacuumed test tubes or glass tubes of capillary blood. Increased parathormone values (PHT) and history of malignity were excluding factors. Results: out of the 120 patients observed, Cs(S) had the value in the reference interval with most of them, that is, in 110 patients (91.7%). Those, whose value was out of the interval, are of an older age (all above 40). Average value of this parameter amounted to 2.3017, with an average difference (the standard deviation) of 0.11391. Observing the value of Ca++, the value within the reference interval was found in 106 patients (88.3%). Out of the remaining 14 patients, only two simultaneously had the value of Ca(S) out of the permitted interval. The majority of this group consisted of older patients (a half of those whose values were outside the interval was over 60). Average value of Ca++ amounted to 1.22 mmol/L with an average difference of 0.06454. In the 2 aforementioned patients, who simultaneously had increased values of CaS and Ca++, the blood Ph was within the referential value limits, which suggests that, in line with the hyporcalcemia definition, only 2 patients with nephrolithiasis, in the total sample of 120 patients of our research sample, could have had a true hypercalcemia. Conclusion: the biggest number of patients with the calcium urolithiasis, who do not have hyperparathyroidism and history of malign diseases, do not have a real hypercalcemia.

BackgroundThelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae), also known as “oriental eyeworm”, is a small nematode parasite that lives in the conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, rabbits and even humans, causing mild (e.g., conjunctivitis, epiphora, and ocular discharge) to severe (e.g., keratitis, and corneal ulcers) ocular disease. This study reports, for the first time, the occurrence of T. callipaeda infection in the Balkan regions (i.e., Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia), it provides genetic evidence on the origin of the infection in that area and discusses potential expansion pathways in the near future.MethodsThis survey was conducted in two Western Balkan countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. At necropsy, from January 2011 to April 2014, a total of 184 carcasses of red foxes were examined throughout the study area and worms were collected from the conjunctival sac. In the same period, worms were also collected during clinical examination from the conjunctival sac of four dogs and a cat from Bosnia and Herzegovina and two dogs from Croatia. All nematodes collected were morphologically identified and molecularly characterized by sequencing of partial cox 1 gene.ResultsT. callipaeda was observed in 51 (27.71%) foxes and the highest prevalence (50.0%) was in the region of East Bosnia. Beside the 4 cases of hyperemia (7.84%), most of the infected animals had no signs of ocular infection (n = 47, 92.15%). A total of 417 adult nematodes collected (364 from foxes, 51 from dogs, 2 from cat) were morphologically and molecularly identified as T. callipaeda haplotype 1.ConclusionThis is the first report of autochthonous cases of T. callipaeda infection in red foxes, dogs and cat in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and data presented here suggest that reports of thelaziosis in other Balkan areas are, as yet, not diagnosed most likely due to the lack of awareness of practitioners. In addition, data regarding the spread of the infection in Europe over the last ten years suggests that an increasing pattern in the distribution of this disease in domestic and wild animals should be expected in the future.

Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae), also known as “oriental eyeworm”, is a small nematode parasite that lives in the conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, rabbits and even humans, causing mild (e.g., conjunctivitis, epiphora, and ocular discharge) to severe (e.g., keratitis, and corneal ulcers) ocular disease. This study reports, for the first time, the occurrence of T. callipaeda infection in the Balkan regions (i.e., Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia), it provides genetic evidence on the origin of the infection in that area and discusses potential expansion pathways in the near future. This survey was conducted in two Western Balkan countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. At necropsy, from January 2011 to April 2014, a total of 184 carcasses of red foxes were examined throughout the study area and worms were collected from the conjunctival sac. In the same period, worms were also collected during clinical examination from the conjunctival sac of four dogs and a cat from Bosnia and Herzegovina and two dogs from Croatia. All nematodes collected were morphologically identified and molecularly characterized by sequencing of partial cox 1 gene. T. callipaeda was observed in 51 (27.71%) foxes and the highest prevalence (50.0%) was in the region of East Bosnia. Beside the 4 cases of hyperemia (7.84%), most of the infected animals had no signs of ocular infection (n = 47, 92.15%). A total of 417 adult nematodes collected (364 from foxes, 51 from dogs, 2 from cat) were morphologically and molecularly identified as T. callipaeda haplotype 1. This is the first report of autochthonous cases of T. callipaeda infection in red foxes, dogs and cat in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and data presented here suggest that reports of thelaziosis in other Balkan areas are, as yet, not diagnosed most likely due to the lack of awareness of practitioners. In addition, data regarding the spread of the infection in Europe over the last ten years suggests that an increasing pattern in the distribution of this disease in domestic and wild animals should be expected in the future.

Distributed generation (DG) has the potential to bring respectable benefits to electricity customers, distribution utilities and community in general. Among the customer benefits, the most important are the electricity bill reduction, reliability improvement, use of recovered heat, and qualifying for financial incentives. In this paper, an integrated cost-benefit methodology for assessment of customer-driven DG is presented. Target customers are the industrial and commercial end-users that are critically dependent on electricity supply, due to high consumption, high power peak demand or high electricity supply reliability requirements. Stochastic inputs are represented by the appropriate probability models and then the Monte Carlo simulation is employed for each investment alternative. The obtained probability distributions for the prospective profit are used to assess the risk, compare the alternatives and make decisions.

The invention proceeds from a Rumpfbughaube (2) for a missile (56) having an outer surface (4), an outer surface (4) forming the shroud wall (6) and a motor element (8). An easy-sealable Rumpfbughaube (2) can be produced cost-effectively when the shroud wall (6) has a predetermined breaking geometry (12) and the force element (8) to a destructive fragmentation of the shroud wall (6) according to the predetermined breaking geometry (12) is prepared.