Echinococcosis of the liver in Poland - review of the literature and our own clinical material.

Echinococcosis is considered one of the world's most dangerous zoonoses, and the tapeworm that causes it is one of the two most dangerous parasites to humans globally. Untreated cases may be associated with as high as 90% mortality. The incidence of this pathology is increasing.

Update on diagnosis and treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) - recommendations of Section of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology of Polish Neurological Society.

Introduction: An expert panel of the Section of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology of the Polish Neurological Society has developed principles for the management of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). These principles are based on expert opinion and data from the literature published up to May 2023. Recommendations were developed based on the results of the most recent clinical trials, guidelines of foreign and international scientific societies, and the authors' clinical experience.

The role of a distal forearm perforating vein and deep vein system in supporting patency of a snuffbox fistula - A case report.

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the clinical course of a 66-year-old patient with chronic kidney disease due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in whom an access arteriovenous fistula was created in the anatomical snuffbox. At discharge, the fistula thrill was normal. Two months later, a duplex examination revealed previously unrecognized obstruction of the mid-forearm segment of the cephalic vein; flow was maintained by a perforator into the deep venous system, which returned blood to the upper arm cephalic vein above the occlusion.

A tomato a day keeps the beetle away - the impact of Solanaceae glycoalkaloids on energy management in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor.

Solanine (SOL), chaconine (CHA), and tomatine (TOM) are plant secondary metabolites produced mainly by the species of Solanaceae family, such as tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. These glycoalkaloids (GAs) have a wide range of biological activity, also in insects. However, their mechanisms of action are not precisely understood.

Epitaxial Growth of Large-Scale α-Phase Antimonene.

Two-dimensional materials composed of elements from the 15th group of the periodic table remain largely unexplored. The primary challenge in advancing this research is the lack of large-scale layers that would facilitate extensive studies using laterally averaging techniques and enable functionalization for the fabrication of novel electronic, optoelectronic, and spintronic devices. In this report, we present a method for synthesizing large-scale antimonene layers, on the order of cm.

Plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide concentrations may help to identify patients with very low-risk acute pulmonary embolism: A preliminary study.

Background: Patients with an acute pulmonary embolism (APE) are a heterogeneous group, and some of them may benefit from early discharge and an ambulatory care referral. We aimed to evaluate the use of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) plasma level assessment in patients with low-risk APE based on clinical findings (0 points on the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI)).

Material And Methods: Preliminary analysis of an ongoing prospective study including 1,151 normotensive patients with at least a segmental APE.

Quasi-1D Moiré superlattices in self-twisted two-allotropic antimonene heterostructures.

Two-dimensional heterostructures, characterized by a twist angle between individual sublayers, offer unique and tunable properties distinct from standalone layers. These structures typically introduce a realm of exotic quantum phenomena due to the appearance of new, long range periodicities associated with Moiré superlattices. Using molecular beam epitaxy, we demonstrate the growth of bi-allotropic 2D-Sb heterostructures on a W(110) substrate composed of twisted α (α-Sb) and β (β-Sb) phases of antimonene.

Refined balloon pulmonary angioplasty in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension - reference center experience.

Introduction: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), characterized by thromboembolic changes affecting the pulmonary bed, leads to ventricular function deterioration and premature death. The introduction of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has significantly improved the prognosis of CTEPH patients.

Aim: The authors of this article decided to summarize the experience of the BPA program, conducted between 2014 and 2022, at the reference center.

Glycoalkaloids Disturb Lipid Metabolism in the Beetle.

Glycoalkaloids (GAs) are produced naturally by plants and affect insect survivability and fertility. These compounds can be considered potential bioinsecticides; however, the mechanisms and effects of their action remain undiscovered. As lipids are essential molecules for the proper functioning of an insect organism, this research aimed to determine the effects of GAs on the lipid metabolism of the beetle.

Spinal Involvement in Patients with Chronic Non-Bacterial Osteomyelitis (CNO): An Analysis of Distinctive Imaging Features.

Spinal involvement by chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) has been increasingly reported in recent years, often being presented as a diagnostic dilemma requiring differential diagnosis with bacterial spondylodiscitis and/or neoplasia. This study was aimed at identifying the imaging features of CNO facilitating its differentiation from other spinal diseases. Two radiologists assessed the imaging studies of 45 patients (16 male and 29 female, aged from 6 to 75 years, 15 children) with CNO collected from 5 referential centers.

Point-of-Care Testing to Differentiate Various Acid-Base Disorders in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Normal-anion-gap metabolic acidosis (AGMA) and high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA) are two forms of metabolic acidosis, which is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of various acid-base disorders in patients with advanced CKD using point-of-care testing (POCT) and to determine the relationship between POCT parameters.

Methods: In a group of 116 patients with CKD in stages G4 and G5, with a mean age of 62.

Radial Artery Deviation and Reimplantation (RADAR) to Accelerate the Maturation of Radial-Cephalic Fistulas for Hemodialysis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease.

Background: The most common form of vascular access for hemodialysis is a native arteriovenous fistula, which connects the site of the artery to the end of the vein. The maturation process of the fistula plays a crucial role in the establishment of a functional vascular access. Radial artery stenosis is among the potential causes of maturation failure.

Peculiar Structural Phase of a Single-Atom-Thick Layer of Antimony.

Using molecular beam epitaxy, a new structural phase of a single atom thick antimony layer has been synthesized on the W(110) surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements reveal an atomically resolved structure with a perfectly flat surface and unusually large unit cell. The structure forms a well-ordered continuous film with a lateral size in the range of several millimeters, as revealed by low energy electron microscopy and diffraction experiments.

Differences in diffusion tensor imaging parameters of brain white matter tracts between patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 and type 2 - a retrospective single-centre study.

Introduction: The main aim of our study was to compare diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in patients with myotonic dystrophy types 1 and 2 (DM1 and DM2).

Clinical Rationale For The Study: To ascertain whether DTI could be used to assess the integrity of white matter tracts in the brain and identify any abnormalities or disruptions in connectivity between different brain regions in patients with DM. By providing a more detailed understanding of the structural changes in the brain associated with DM, could DTI potentially be used to develop more effective treatments for the cognitive and neurological symptoms of the disorder?

Material And Methods: We retrospectively compared MRI scans of 19 patients with DM1 to those of 23 healthy, matched controls, and of 16 patients with DM2 to those of 20 healthy, matched controls, and finally compared the DM1 and DM2 samples.

Assessment of the corpus callosum size in male individuals with high intelligence quotient (members of Mensa International).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the size of the corpus callosum in members of Mensa International, which is the world's largest and oldest high-intelligence quotient (IQ) society.

Methods: We performed T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (Repetition Time, TR = 3200 ms, Time of Echo, TE = 409 ms) to examine the brain of members of Mensa International (Polish national group) in order to assess the size of the corpus callosum. Results from 113 male MENSA members and 96 controls in the age range of 21-40 years were analyzed.

Labellum Features and Chemical Composition of Floral Scent in Garay, Hamer & Siegrist (Section Schltr., Bulbophyllinae Schltr., Orchidaceae Juss.).

The vast majority of fly-pollinated species use a combination of visual and olfactory clues to mimic food sources and brood/oviposition sites of pollinators. The aims of the present work were to characterize the floral secretory tissue and the floral scent and compare them with those previously described in . Based on the histochemical results, the labellar secretion in is the protein-rich mucilage.

Relationship between Selected Cephalometric Parameters, Nasolabial Angle and Its Components in Adolescent Females.

Nasolabial angle is commonly used to assess the soft tissue profile of the subnasal region. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the relationship between the nasolabial angle, the inclination of the lower border of the nose and upper lip, upper incisor inclination and upper lip thickness. A sample of 142 female adolescents aged 13-18 years was chosen.

Role of catheter-directed therapies in the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. Expert opinion of the Polish PERT Initiative, Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation, Association of Cardiovascular Interventions, and Association of Intensive Cardiac Care of the Polish Cardiac Society.

Thanks to advances in interventional cardiology technologies, catheter-directed treatment has become recently a viable therapeutic option in the treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism at high risk of early mortality. Current transcatheter techniques allow for local fibrinolysis or embolectomy with minimal risk of complications. Therefore, these procedures can be considered in high-risk patients as an alternative to surgical pulmonary embolectomy when systemic thrombolysis is contraindicated or ineffective.

Plasma Troponins Identify Patients with Very Low-Risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Introduction: Although in the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) era majority of low-risk acute pulmonary embolism (APE) patients can be treated at home, identifying those at very low risk of clinical deterioration may be challenging. We aimed to propose the risk stratification algorithm in sPESI 0 point APE patients, allowing them to select candidates for safe outpatient treatment.

Materials And Methods: Post hoc analysis of a prospective study of 1151 normotensive patients with at least segmental APE.

A comprehensive analysis of chemical and biological pollutants (natural and anthropogenic origin) of soil and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) samples.

A range of analytical methods (GC-MS, LC-MS, voltammetry, microbiological and microscopic techniques, PCR) was used to assay a range of potential chemical and biological contaminants in soil and dandelion samples. The results provide the first comprehensive safety analysis of dandelion as a herbal product. Samples were collected from three different sites in Poland where the local population collects dandelion plants for their own consumption: Rudenka (a mountain meadow in the European Ecological Network of Natura 2000 protection area, free of agrotechnical treatments for over 30 years), Warszawa 1 (dense single-family housing with heavy traffic), and Warszawa 2 (recreation area with heavy traffic near a coal-fired heat and power plant).

Active Compounds with Medicinal Potential Found in Maxillariinae Benth. (Orchidaceae Juss.) Representatives-A Review.

Orchids are widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a whole range of different health conditions, and representatives of the Neotropical subtribe Maxillariinae are not an exception. They are utilized, for instance, for their spasmolytic and anti-inflammatory activities. In this work, we analyze the literature concerning the chemical composition of the plant extracts and secretions of this subtribe's representatives published between 1991 and 2022.

Floral attractants in the black orchid Brasiliorchis schunkeana (Orchidaceae, Maxillariinae): clues for presumed sapromyophily and potential antimicrobial activity.

Background: Orchids have evolved various strategies that aim to ensure their reproduction success. These may include the production of rewards for pollinators, or on the contrary, deception. Specific sets of features such as flower morphology, color, nectar, and odor presence (or lack thereof) are considered to determine suitability for pollination by different groups of animals.

Role of DTI-MRI parameters in diagnosis of ALS: useful biomarkers for daily practice? Tertiary centre experience and literature review.

Introduction: Despite the rapid development of neuroimaging techniques, the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains a significant challenge. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is important for ruling out ALS mimickers, while Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a useful tool for the identification of cortical tract damage. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal set of DTI parameters to support the diagnosis of ALS that could be applied to everyday MRI and be used as a disease biomarker in daily practice.

Insect cuticular compounds affect Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomopthorales) sporulation and the activity of enzymes involved in fungal infection.

Mycoses are a global problem that affects humans and animals. In the present study, the entomopathogenic soil fungus Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomophthorales), infecting in tropics also humans, sheep and horses, was cultivated with the addition of insect cuticular compounds (CCs) previously detected in the cuticle of C. coronatus-resistant fly species (C10-C30 fatty alcohols, butyl oleate, butyl stearate, glycerol oleate, squalene, tocopherol acetate).