Bile acids and incretins as modulators of obesity-associated atherosclerosis.

Obesity is one of the major global health concerns of the 21st century, associated with many comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and early and aggressive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Bile acids (BAs) and incretins are gut hormones involved in digestion and absorption of fatty acids, and insulin secretion, respectively. In recent years BAs and incretins are increasingly recognized as key signaling molecules, which target multiple tissues and organs, beyond the gastro-intestinal system.

Control of Crystallization Pathways in the BiFeO-BiFeO System.

Bismuth ferrites, specifically perovskite-type BiFeO and mullite-type BiFeO, hold significant technological promise as catalysts, photovoltaics, and room-temperature multiferroics. However, challenges arise due to their frequent cocrystallization, particularly in the nanoregime, hindering the production of phase-pure materials. This study unveils a controlled sol-gel crystallization approach, elucidating the phase formation complexities in the bismuth ferrite oxide system by coupling thermochemical analysis and total scattering with pair distribution function analysis.

Long-term characteristics and outcomes of septic critically ill patients with and without COVID-19.

Background: In-hospital mortality of septic critically ill patients with COVID-19 is significantly higher than in those without COVID-19. The knowledge on long-term outcomes remains scarce. In this retrospective analysis, we compare clinical characteristics, long-term functional outcomes, and survival in septic critically ill patients with and without COVID-19.

Synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization of defect-rich forsterite as a representative phase of Martian regolith.

Regolith draws intensive research attention because of its importance as the basis for fabricating materials for future human space exploration. Martian regolith is predicted to consist of defect-rich crystal structures due to long-term space weathering. The present report focuses on the structural differences between defect-rich and defect-poor forsterite (MgSiO) - one of the major phases in Martian regolith.

Unique Variants of Megacalycosis on Magnetic Resonance Urography.

Objective: To present a unique set of patients diagnosed with megacalycosis by magnetic resonance urography (MRU) to re-evaluate the definition of megacalycosis and provide a new perspective on diagnosis and treatment.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with megacalycosis as diagnosed by MRU was conducted. MRU was performed to determine the presence of obstruction, further visualize renal anatomy, and clarify the presence of megacalycosis.

Nucleated red blood cells as a prognostic marker for mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2-induced ARDS: an observational study.

Background: The presence of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) in the peripheral blood of critically ill patients is associated with poor outcome. Evidence regarding the predictive value of NRBCs in patients with SARS-CoV-2-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains elusive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive validity of NRBCs in these patients.

The Extended Utilization of Bulking Agents in Pediatric Urology.

Purpose Of Review: Traditional surgical management for urinary incontinence and vesicoureteral reflux often requires complex reconstructive surgery and extended hospitalizations. Since the introduction of endoscopic bulking agents in 1973, there has been increasing interest in the use of endoscopic injection (EI) and bulking for the treatment of a variety of pediatric urologic disorders. The purpose of this review is to summarize the most recent literature addressing the use of bulking agents in pediatric urology.

Differences in drug removal between standard high-flux and medium cut-off dialyzers in a case of severe vancomycin toxicity.

Vancomycin is a widely used glycopeptide antibiotic with the need for therapeutic drug monitoring to avoid renal toxicity. We report a case of severe vancomycin-associated anuric acute kidney injury managed with successful drug-removal by hemodialysis (HD) using different types of dialyzers. Medium cut-off (MCO) and high-flux dialyzers were effective in drug removal.

MLstructureMining: a machine learning tool for structure identification from X-ray pair distribution functions.

Synchrotron X-ray techniques are essential for studies of the intrinsic relationship between synthesis, structure, and properties of materials. Modern synchrotrons can produce up to 1 petabyte of data per day. Such amounts of data can speed up materials development, but also comes with a staggering growth in workload, as the data generated must be stored and analyzed.

The Contribution of Psychological Symptoms to Cognitive Difficulties in Youth With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Chronic Pain.

Introduction: Subjectively experienced cognitive difficulties are common in youth with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The pathophysiological and psychological contributions of these cognitive impairments remain unclear.

Method: Participants were 96 adolescents and young adults diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and admitted to an intensive pain treatment program.

Describing the Cellular Impact of IQOS™ Smoke Extract and Vibration on Human Vocal Fold Fibroblasts.

Objectives: The isolated or combined effects of vibration and smoke extract (SE) from the IQOS™ "heat-not-burn" technology on human vocal fold fibroblasts (hVFF) were evaluated in an in vitro setting in order to elucidate their influence on vocal fold (patho-) physiology.

Study Design: Experimental pilot study using intervention with IQOS™-SE in vitro.

Methods: Immortalized hVFF were exposed to IQOS™-SE or control medium under static or vibrational conditions.

The coupling between healthspan and lifespan in depends on complex interactions between compound intervention and genetic background.

Aging is characterized by declining health that results in decreased cellular resilience and neuromuscular function. The relationship between lifespan and health, and the influence of genetic background on that relationship, has important implications in the development of pharmacological anti-aging interventions. Here we assessed swimming performance as well as survival under thermal and oxidative stress across a nematode genetic diversity test panel to evaluate health effects for three compounds previously studied in the Intervention Testing Program and thought to promote longevity in different ways - NP1 (nitrophenyl piperazine-containing compound 1), propyl gallate, and resveratrol.

Use of ChatGPT in Urology and its Relevance in Clinical Practice: Is it useful?

Purpouse: One of the many artificial intelligence based tools that has gained popularity is the Chat-Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT). Due to its popularity, incorrect information provided by ChatGPT will have an impact on patient misinformation. Furthermore, it may cause misconduct as ChatGPT can mislead physicians on the decision-making pathway.

Vocal fold fibroblasts and exposure to vibration in vitro: Does sex matter?

Studies have shown that certain vocal fold pathologies are more common in one sex than the other. This is often explained by differences in the composition of the lamina propria and anatomical differences between female and male vocal folds, resulting in e.g.