A year-long field study of buried plastics reveals underestimation of plastic pollution on Hawaiian beaches.

Global models estimate that two-thirds of floating ocean plastic has accumulated in coastal areas since the 1950s, with Hawai'i's windward shores particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to the North Pacific Garbage Patch. Our quarterly surveys revealed that 91 % of recovered plastic particles were buried below the surface (deeper than 2 cm), with most particles being small fragments (93 %) with an average mean max length of 6.7 ± 4.

Computed Tomography Doses Calculation: Do We Really Need a New Dose Assessment Tool?

The increasing use of computed tomography (CT) scans significantly contributes to population exposure to ionizing radiation. Traditional dose metrics, such as dose-length product (DLP) and effective dose (ED), lack precision in reflecting individual radiation exposure. This study introduces a novel parameters such as size-specific effective dose (EDss) and the size-specific dose-length product (DLPss), to improve patient-specific dose estimation.

The link between sleep bruxism and oxidative stress based on a polysomnographic study.

Oxidative stress is proven to increase cardiovascular risk and to diminish healthy life expectancy. Sleep bruxism (SB) is a prevalent masticatory muscle activity during sleep characterized by heterogeneous etiology and inadequately recognized pathophysiology. Recent theories have proposed a potential association between SB and oxidative stress.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Ultrafine Particles on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Air pollution contributes to up to 60% of premature mortality worldwide by worsening cardiovascular conditions. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) may negatively affect cardiovascular outcomes, and epidemiological studies have linked them to short- and long-term blood pressure (BP) imbalance. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the short- and long-term effects of UFP exposure on systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure.

Cardiac Computed Tomography as a Method of Diagnosing the Type of Cardiac Tumor-Example of Interatrial Septal Lipoma Filling the Right Atrium.

Cardiac tumors present substantial diagnostic challenges due to their diverse manifestations and similarity to other cardiac pathologies. Cardiac lipomas are rare tumors that originate from adipose cells and can develop in any location within the heart. Cardiac lipomas account for 2.

Diagnostic Methods of Atherosclerotic Plaque and the Assessment of Its Prognostic Significance-A Narrative Review.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of death. The most notable cause of CVD is an atherosclerotic plaque. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of different diagnostic methods for atherosclerotic plaque relevant to the assessment of cardiovascular risk.

Kugel's Artery in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in a Patient with Left Main Subtotal Stenosis.

The artery of Kugel is defined as a rare anatomical variant of the coronary arteries. It consists of an anastomotic connection between the branches of the right coronary artery (RCA) and the left circumflex artery (LCx). In patients with coronary artery occlusion, the presence of this connection bypassing the area of the occluded vessel may be a factor that prevents significant necrosis of a specific area of the myocardium.

Extracellular Volume and Fibrosis Volume of Left Ventricular Myocardium Assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Patients with a History of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) enables the assessment of tissue characteristics of the myocardium. Changes in the extracellular volume (ECV) and fibrosis volume (FV) of the myocardium are sensitive and early pathogenetic markers and have prognostic significance. The aim of the study was to assess ECV and FV of left ventricular myocardium in T1 mapping sequence in patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, considering vaccination status against COVID-19.

The Prevalence of Arrhythmias, Including Premature Supraventricular and Ventricular Beats and Other Electrocardiographic Patterns, in 24-Hour Holter Monitoring in Patients with Overweight and Obesity.

Objectives: this study aims to evaluate the prevalence of various arrhythmias and other electrocardiographic patterns within the group of individuals with overweight and obesity.

Methods: One hundred eighty-one adults (90 females and 91 males) were qualified for inclusion in the experimental group. All participants had a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 25 kg/m (98 patients with obesity and 83 with overweight).

The Importance of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in the Assessment Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients with Arterial Hypertension.

: Arterial hypertension (AH) is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. An association between untreated AH and arrhythmia is observed. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assesses myocardial fibrosis by detecting foci of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).

Discrepancies between Coronary Artery Calcium Score and Coronary Artery Disease Severity in Computed Tomography Angiography Studies.

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the difference in usefulness of the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and the full assessment of the severity of coronary artery disease in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) studies. The difference between the population risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed by the CACS and the severity of CAD was demonstrated in images from two CCTA studies. The first image is from a patient with a CACS of 0 and significant coronary artery stenosis.

Moving beyond bruxism episode index: Discarding misuse of the number of sleep bruxism episodes as masticatory muscle pain biomarker.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the clinical utility of bruxism episode index in predicting the level of masticatory muscle pain intensity. The study involved adults (n = 220) recruited from the Outpatient Clinic of Temporomandibular Disorders at the Department of Experimental Dentistry, Wroclaw Medical University, during the period 2017-2022. Participants underwent medical interview and dental examination, focusing on signs and symptoms of sleep bruxism.

Aortic Valve Calcium Score: Applications in Clinical Practice and Scientific Research-A Narrative Review.

In this narrative review, we investigate the essential role played by the computed tomography Aortic Valve Calcium Score (AVCS) in the cardiovascular diagnostic landscape, with a special focus on its implications for clinical practice and scientific research. Calcific aortic valve stenosis is the most prevalent type of aortic stenosis (AS) in industrialized countries, and due to the aging population, its prevalence is increasing. While transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) remains the gold standard, AVCS stands out as an essential complementary tool in evaluating patients with AS.

Tpeak-Tend ECG Marker in Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Comprehensive Review.

Globally, cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death. Numerous methods are used to diagnose cardiovascular pathologies; there is still a place for straightforward and noninvasive techniques, such as electrocardiogram (ECG). Depolarization and repolarization parameters, including QT interval and its derivatives, are well studied.

The Effect of Obesity on Repolarization and Other ECG Parameters.

: Overweight and obesity are important risk factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases. New repolarization markers, such as the Tpeak-Tend interval and JTpeak intervals, have not yet been profoundly studied in obese patients. The study aims to analyze whether, in patients with obesity and overweight, repolarization markers, including the Tpeak-Tend interval, are prolonged and simultaneously check the frequency of other ECG pathologies in a 12-lead ECG in this group of patients.

Importance of T1-Mapping Sequence in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy without Foci of Non-Ischemic Myocardial Injury in Late Gadolinium Enhancement Sequence.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the importance of T1-mapping sequences in the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in patients without foci of non-ischemic myocardial injury in classic cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sequences.

Methods: Two groups were compared: 28 patients with HCM, without any foci of myocardial injury in the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequence (HCM group), and 28 patients without cardiomyopathy (CON group). Classic CMR sequences and T1-mapping sequences were performed.

Ultrasound Carotid Plaque Score and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease Assessed by Computed Tomography Angiography in Patients with Arterial Hypertension.

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the presence of atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid arteries detected by ultrasound and the occurrence of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries determined by computed tomography (CT) in patients with arterial hypertension (HTA). A total of 83 patients with HTA were qualified for the study (age: 71.3 ± 8.

Performance evaluation of portable respiratory polygraphy for assessing sleep bruxism in adults.

Background: Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for sleep bruxism (SB) assessment, it is expensive, not widely accessible, and time-consuming.

Objective: Given the increasing prevalence of SB, there is a growing need for an alternative, readily available, reliable and cost-effective diagnostic method. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic validity of portable respiratory polygraphy (PRPG) compared with PSG for SB diagnosis.

Relation Between Exposure to Tobacco Smoke Assessed by Serum Cotinine Concentration and Questionnaire Method, and Serum Renalase Concentration-the Importance of the Coexistence of Arterial Hypertension and Other Cardiovascular Diseases.

Exposure to tobacco smoke (ETS) is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Renalase is a protein that may play a role in the pathogenesis of CVD. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between ETS and serum renalase concentration.

Redefining Radiation Metrics: Evaluating Actual Doses in Computed Tomography Scans.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) contributes significantly to the collective dose from medical sources, raising concerns about potential health risks. However, existing radiation dose estimation tools, such as volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP), effective dose (ED), and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE), have limitations in accurately reflecting patient exposure. This study introduces a new parameter, size-specific dose-length product (DLPss), aiming to enhance the precision of radiation dose estimation in real-life scenarios.

Inflammatory Markers and Sleep Architecture in Sleep Bruxism-A Case-Control Study.

Sleep bruxism (SB) is a common sleep-related movement behavior with a multifaceted etiology and a deficiently understood pathophysiology. A recent hypothesis suggests a link between SB and systemic inflammation. The scope of the study was to determine whether bruxers have altered sleep structure and different levels of inflammatory parameters compared to nonbruxers.

Stiffness and Elasticity of Aorta Assessed Using Computed Tomography Angiography as a Marker of Cardiovascular Health-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Cardiovascular (CV) health can be measured using the American Health Association's Life's Simple 7 scale (ALS7). Aortic stiffness (AoS) and elasticity (AoE) can be assessed using various methods, e.g.

The Relationship between Body Composition and Physical Activity Level in Students of Medical Faculties.

Maintaining an active lifestyle is crucial for good health. Markers of health risk include tissue components. This study aimed to indicate which body composition elements create the strongest correlations with physical activity performed in young students of medical faculties.

Environmental factors of obesity before and after COVID-19 pandemic: a review.

In past decades the prevalence of overweight and obesity had grown rapidly. There are numerous factors contributing to this unfavorable change in people's health. This review article investigates the environmental factors which may play a role in the prevalence of overweight and obesity and additionally the novel factors which appeared after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the increase in BMI during the lockdown period.