In this paper, we analyse the attitudes and sentiments of Romanian smallholders towards mole infestations, as expressed in online contexts. A corpus of texts on the topic of ground moles and how to get rid of them was collected from social media and blog thread discussions. The texts were analysed using topic modelling, clustering, and sentiment analysis, revealing both negative and positive sentiments and attitudes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Intra/postpartum hemorrhage stands as a significant obstetric emergency, ranking among the top five leading causes of maternal mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive performance of four machine learning algorithms for the prediction of postpartum and intrapartum hemorrhage. : A prospective multicenter study was conducted, involving 203 patients with or without intra/postpartum hemorrhage within the initial 24 h postpartum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe reactivity of an electroencephalogram (EEG) to external stimuli is impaired in comatose patients showing burst-suppression (BS) patterns following hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI). We explored the reactivity of BS induced by isoflurane in rat models of HIBI and controls using intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) delivered to one eye. The relative time spent in suppression referred to as the suppression ratio (SR) was measured on the contralateral fronto-occipital cortical EEG channel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Premature birth remains a public health problem worldwide, involving a broader context and a multidisciplinary team aimed at combating this phenomenon as much as possible. The consumption of addictive substances by women who are pregnant can occur in different social contexts and at different stages of their lives, which modulate its extent. Obstetricians and anesthetists should consider the anesthetic maternal risks that may arise due to these addictive behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe reversal potential refers to the membrane potential at which the net current flow through a channel reverses direction. The reversal potential is determined by transmembrane ion gradients and, in turn, determines how the channel's activity will affect the membrane potential. Traditional investigation into the reversal potential of inhibitory ligand-gated ion channels (E) has relied upon the activation of endogenous receptors, such as the GABA-A receptor (GABAR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGingival enlargement is a side effect of different drug classes, with calcium channel blockers being among the most often cited examples. Most often accompanied by a disruption in the oral biofilm, this form of gingival overgrowth, with histological signs of hyperplasia and hypertrophy, becomes a chronic inflammatory condition with the oral biofilm a primary cause. This periodontal disease is now classified as 'dental biofilm-induced gingivitis', and its preferred name is drug-influenced gingival expansion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Assessment of right ventricular (RV) function in aortic stenosis (AS) may improve risk stratification. However, whether the prognostic value of RV free-wall longitudinal strain (RVfwLS) is better than that of other right heart or pulmonary circulation parameters remains uncertain. This study assessed and compared the prognostic value of RVfwLS with traditional parameters in the AS population using a systematic review and meta-analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCompr Psychoneuroendocrinol
November 2023
Background: Different lines of evidence imply that metformin could alter steroid hormone homeostasis and thereby improve social impairment. Here, we tried to correlate the impact of metformin treatment on alterations in steroid hormones and autism spectrum traits before versus after treatment with metformin.
Material & Methods: Urine steroid hormones were measured using gas chromatography mass spectrometry in 12 male subjects (54.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by the placenta and its roles have been studied for over a century, being the first known pregnancy-related protein. Although its main role is to stimulate the production of progesterone by corpus luteal cells, hCG does not represent just one biologically active molecule, but a group of at least five variants, produced by different cells and each with different functions. The hyperglycosylated variant of hCG (H-hCG) plays a key role in trophoblast invasion, placental development and fetal growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: We recently reported that metformin administration has substantial effects on steroid hormone concentrations. In this study, we specifically explored which enzymatic activities were affected before a first treatment versus after a time of metformin treatment. Twelve male subjects (54.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracellular chloride and pH play fundamental roles in determining a neuron's synaptic inhibition and excitability. Yet it has been difficult to measure changes in these ions during periods of heightened network activity, such as occur in epilepsy. Here we develop a version of the fluorescent reporter, ClopHensorN, to enable simultaneous quantification of chloride and pH in genetically defined neurons during epileptiform activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
January 2023
The human body is mostly made up of water. The largest proportion of the human body is water, hence the growing interest of specialists in defining the importance of water in the body and the risks of dehydration. This study determined the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of the drinking water distributed in the public network in the area of operation of Water Distribution Operator in Mureș County and samples of bottled water existing on the market in Mureş County (mineral, spring or table).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe movement of ions in and out of neurons can exert significant effects on neighboring cells. Here we report several experimentally important consequences of activation of the optogenetic chloride pump, halorhodopsin. We recorded extracellular K concentration ([K]) in neocortical brain slices prepared from young adult mice (both sexes) which express halorhodopsin in pyramidal cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Metformin is an effective treatment option for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it is, to this day, the most prescribed oral antiglycaemic drug. Besides its effects mainly on mitochondrial activity, an off-label use came up as a pharmaceutical for subjects with a diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) along with altered steroid hormone homeostasis. Besides these effects, even an influence on mood and social behavior was described, leading to the aim of this case report to elucidate the effects before versus after treatment with metformin on steroid hormones and social behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: In breast cancer (BC) patients, the involvement of four or more lymph nodes (LN) is an indication of regional irradiation. The optimal treatment strategy remains unclear when fewer nodes are involved and lymphadenectomy is not performed. We designed a clinical trial to show the non-inferiority of Incidental (INC) compared to intentional (INT) irradiation of axillary nodes in patients with early-stage BC and low burden LN involvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreventing mother-to-child HIV transmission is a strategy to eliminate new infections to move toward a world free of HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the perinatal infection prevention program in a single center from southeast Romania. Newborns of HIV-positive mothers from 2005 to 2020 were followed-up until the age of two in a retrospective study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have an increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to the general population, and left atrium (LA) remodeling is strongly correlated with the risk of AF. This prospective, monocentric study aimed to assess the role of LA electrocardiographic and echocardiographic (structural and functional) parameters in predicting the risk for incident AF in patients with HCM.
Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 126 HCM patients in sinus rhythm (52.
More than a Harmless Cold We report on a 54-year-old patient who presented to the general practitioner several times due to a cold with a runny nose and a headache. Despite various therapies the symptoms didn't subside. Further examination showed a nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma stage IV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInhibitory synaptic mechanisms oppose epileptic network activity in the brain. The breakdown in this inhibitory restraint and propagation of seizure activity has been linked to the overwhelming of feedforward inhibition, which is provided in large part by parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons in the cortex. The underlying cellular processes therefore represent potential targets for understanding and preventing the propagation of seizure activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe green innovations, environmental policies, and carbon taxes are the tools to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the mitigation process. This study is intended to examine the impact of innovation, carbon pricing (CTAX), environmental policies (EP), and energy consumption (ECON) on PM and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission for Central-Eastern European countries. The panel effect during 2000-2018 is tested using a dynamic panel data model while the Granger causality approach obtains country-related outcomes.
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