1. The coastal ichthyofauna of the Mediterranean coral reef : the case of Mljet National Park (Croatia, southern Adriatic Sea)Lovrenc Lipej, Danijel Ivajnšič, Valentina Pitacco, Borut Mavrič, Domen Trkov, Petar Kružić, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: The authors studied the structure of the coastal fish assemblage in a temperate coral reef within a marine protected area in order to provide a baseline information on the occurrence and temporal distribution of fish and to highlight the importance of the coral reef to ichthyofauna. The coastal fish assemblage was investigated at two sites in Veliko jezero (Mljet National Park) in the southern Adriatic Sea with a non-destructive SCUBA visual technique in the period from 2013 to 2021. Altogether, 38 fish taxa were recorded on the right bank (coral reef) and 36 species on the left bank. The presence of the coral reef at a depth range between 9 m to 12 m is the main factor differentiating the fish fauna in these two areas, which are otherwise governed by the same environmental factors. At the coral reef a decrease in fish diversity was discovered with a steady regression from 2013 to 2021. Keywords: fish fauna, spatial heterogeneity, Mediterranean coral reef, Cladocora caespitosa, marine protected area, Veliko jezero Published in DiRROS: 10.05.2024; Views: 68; Downloads: 120 Link to file This document has many files! More... |
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3. The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced (stage IIIC) epithelial ovarian cancerErik Škof, Sebastjan Merlo, Gašper Pilko, Borut Kobal, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: Primary treatment of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer consists of chemotherapy either before (neoadjuvant chemotherapy, NACT) or after primary surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy). The goal of primary treatment is no residual disease after surgery (R0 resection) what is associated with an improvement in survival of patients. There is, however, no evidence of survival benefits in patients with R0 resections after prior NACT. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who were treated with diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer at Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in the years 2005%2007. The differences in the rates of R0 resections, progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and in five-year and eight-year survival rates between patients treated with NACT and patients who had primary surgery were compared. Results. Overall 160 patients had stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer. Eighty patients had NACT and eighty patients had primary surgery. Patients in NACT group had higher rates of R0 resection (42% vs. 20%; p = 0.011) than patients after primary surgery. PFS was 14.1 months in NACT group and 17.7 months after primary surgery (p = 0.213). OS was 24.8 months in NACT group and 31.6 months after primary surgery (p = 0.012). In patients with R0 resections five-year and eight-year survival rates were 20.6% and 17.6% in NACT group compared to 62.5% and 62.5% after primary surgery (p < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusions. Despite higher rates of R0 resections achieved by NACT, survival of patients treated with NACT was inferior to survival of patients who underwent primary surgery. NACT should only be offered to patients with advanced epithelial cancer who are not candidates for primary surgery. Keywords: ovarian cancer, advanced ovarian cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, primary surgery Published in DiRROS: 30.04.2024; Views: 107; Downloads: 28 Full text (597,52 KB) |
4. Obstructive urination problems after high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost treatment for prostate cancer are avoidableBorut Kragelj, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: Aiming at improving treatment individualization in patients with prostate cancer treated with combination of external beam radiotherapy and high-dose-rate brachytherapy to boost the dose to prostate (HDRB-B), the objective was to evaluate factors that have potential impact on obstructive urination problems (OUP) after HDRB-B. Patients and methods. In the follow-up study 88 patients consecutively treated with HDRB-B at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in the period 2006-2011 were included. The observed outcome was deterioration of OUP (DOUP) during the follow-up period longer than 1 year. Univariate and multivariate relationship analysis between DOUP and potential risk factors (treatment factors, patients% characteristics) was carried out by using binary logistic regression. ROC curve was constructed on predicted values and the area under the curve (AUC) calculated to assess the performance of the multivariate model. Results. Analysis was carried out on 71 patients who completed 3 years of follow-up. DOUP was noted in 13/71 (18.3%) of them. The results of multivariate analysis showed statistically significant relationship between DOUP and anticoagulation treatment (OR 4.86, 95% C.I. limits: 1.21-19.61, p = 0.026). Also minimal dose received by 90% of the urethra volume was close to statistical significance (OR = 1.23; 95% C.I. limits: 0.98-1.07, p = 0.099). The value of AUC was 0.755. Conclusions. The study emphasized the relationship between DOUP and anticoagulation treatment, and suggested the multivariate model with fair predictive performance. This model potentially enables a reduction of DOUP after HDRB-B. It supports the belief that further research should be focused on urethral sphincter as a critical structure for OUP. Keywords: prostate cancer, high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost, urinary stricture, obstructive urination problems Published in DiRROS: 30.04.2024; Views: 75; Downloads: 49 Full text (537,29 KB) This document has many files! More... |
5. Kartiranje habitatnih tipov in popis morske biodiverzitete na območju koprske občine : končno poročiloLovrenc Lipej, Ana Fortič, Leon Lojze Zamuda, Tihomir Makovec, Borut Mavrič, Valentina Pitacco, Milijan Šiško, Domen Trkov, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Danijel Ivajnšič, 2022, final research report Keywords: morska biologija, biološke lastnosti, skupine vrst, habitatni tipi, morski ekosistemi, morska biodiverziteta, morska biološka raznovrstnost, Občina Koper, poročila Published in DiRROS: 24.04.2024; Views: 88; Downloads: 0 |
6. The influence of cytokine gene polymorphisms on the risk of developing gastric cancer in patients with Helicobacter pylori infectionDavid Štubljar, Samo Jeverica, Tomislav Jukić, Miha Skvarč, Tadeja Pintar, Bojan Tepeš, Rajko Kavalar, Borut Štabuc, Alojz Ihan, 2015, original scientific article Keywords: cytokine gene, gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori infection Published in DiRROS: 16.04.2024; Views: 117; Downloads: 26 Full text (587,90 KB) |
7. Circulating serum sVCAM-1 concentration inadvanced ovarian cancer patients : correlation with concentration in ascitesMarina Jakimovska, Katarina Černe, Ivan Verdenik, Borut Kobal, 2014, original scientific article Abstract: Background. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is associated with ovarian cancer progression but theorigin of its soluble form (sVCAM-1) in serum is not well investigated. The purpose of this study was to elucidate whetherthe concentration of sVCAM-1 in serum correlates with the concentration in ascites, that represents local tumour environment,and with systemic inflammation, various clinicopathological characteristics, and patient outcome.Patients and methods. Thirty-six patients with advanced ovarian cancer were included in the study. Serum forsVCAM-1 analysis was obtained prior to surgery. Ascites samples were collected at the beginning of the operation.Clinical data were collected from patients medical records. sVCAM-1 in samples was analysed by flow cytometricbead-based assay. The mean follow-up period was 11 months (range 0-23) from the time of surgery.Results. Serum sVCAM-1 concentrations are positively correlated to ascites sVCAM-1 concentrations. There was aweakly positive correlation of serum sVCAM-1 with tumour size and no correlation with inflammatory tumour markers,FIGO stage or grade. Higher concentrations of sVCAM-1 were associated with poor disease outcome (death fromovarian cancer) in almost all cases before chemotherapy was started.Conclusion. This is the first study demonstrating that serum concentrations of sVCAM-1 in advanced ovarian cancerpatients correlate with sVCAM-1 concentrations in ascites, thus expressing the biologic potential of malignant diseaseto metastasis, rather than systemic inflammation. Higher serum and ascites sVCAM-1 concentrations might have predictivepotential for different biologic behaviour. Published in DiRROS: 16.04.2024; Views: 283; Downloads: 213 Full text (491,78 KB) |
8. Microsatellite instability in colorectal cancerMatej Horvat, Borut Štabuc, 2011, review article Abstract: Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world. In 75% CRC develops sporadically, in 25% hereditary or as a consequenceof inflammatory bowel disease. CRC carcinogenesis develops over many years. The cause of CRC in 85% is chromosomal instability (CIN) and in 15% microsatellite instability (MSI-H), where hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) represents 10-20%. Microsatellite sequences (MS) arerepeated sequences of short stretches of DNA all over the genome. Microsatellite stability (MSS) means MS are the same in each cell of an individual, whereas microsatellite instability (MSI-H) means MS differ in normal and cancer cells of an individual. The cause of MSI-H is a damaged mismatch repair mechanism (MMR), with the most important MMR proteins being MSH2, MLH1 and MSH6. Conclusions. MSI-H seems to be an important prognostic factor in CRC and an important predictive factor of CRC chemotherapeutic treatment efficacy. Clinical trials conducted until now have shown contradictory findings in different chemotherapeutic settings, adjuvant and palliative; therefore MSI-H is going to be the object of the future research. The future of cancer treatment is in the individualized therapy based on molecular characteristics of the tumour, such as MSI-H in CRC. Published in DiRROS: 19.03.2024; Views: 166; Downloads: 67 Full text (489,56 KB) This document has many files! More... |
9. Increased late urinary toxicity with whole pelvic radiotherapy after prostatectomyBorut Kragelj, 2009, original scientific article Abstract: Background. Radiotherapy aimed at prostatic bed (PBRT) can prevent recurrence or reestablish remission in prostate cancer patients primarily treated with prostatectomy. In selected patients results may be improved with the additional irradiation of pelvic nodes (WPRT). Patients and methods. The objective of the study was to evaluate late toxicity of postoperative radiotherapy in 43 patients - 21/43 treated with WPRT. Dysuria, haematuria, nocturia, continence and obstructive urination problems as well as urgency, continence, frequency, pain and bleeding of defecations were prospectively registered and converted to a modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)- late effects normal tissue (LENT) scoring system. Median tumour dose (TD) for PBRT was 64.8 (59.4-70.0) Gy and for WPRT 50.4 (48.0-56.0) Gy. Results. More important than the deterioration of intestinal function (worsening for 1 grade in 54% and >= 2 grades in 5% of patients) was the deterioration of urinary function (worsening for 1 grade in 33% and >= 2 grades in 26% of patients). This appeared to be more frequent in patients withWPRT than PBRT (67% vs. 50% of patients) especially in conjunction with WPRT TD > 52 Gy (deterioration in 71% of patients). Conclusions. Although several factors may influence increased urinary toxicity after WPRT, it seems reasonable to lower the urinary bladder dose as it possible with novel radiation techniques. Published in DiRROS: 08.03.2024; Views: 156; Downloads: 31 Full text (83,78 KB) |
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