Improving macromolecular structure refinement with metal-coordination restraints.

Metals are essential components for the structure and function of many proteins. However, accurate modelling of their coordination environments remains a challenge due to the complexity and diversity of metal-coordination geometries. To address this, a method is presented for extracting and analysing coordination information, including bond lengths and angles, from the Crystallography Open Database.

Neuroendocrine tumors in the stomach: An epidemiological analysis of Belgian Cancer Registry data 2010-2019.

The prevalence of gastric NEN is estimated worldwide at 8.9% of all gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN) and only 0.3%-1% of all gastric neoplasms, but is rising in the last decades.

Adaptive Synthesis, Supramolecular Behavior, and Biological Properties of Amphiphilic Carbosilane-Phosphonium Dendrons with Tunable Structure.

Here, we present a modular synthesis as well as physicochemical and biological evaluation of a new series of amphiphilic dendrons carrying triphenylphosphonium groups at their periphery. Within the series, the size and mutual balance of lipophilic and hydrophilic domains are systematically varied, changing the dendron shape from cylindrical to conical. In physiological solution, the dendrons exhibit very low critical micelle concentrations (2.

Isolated intestinal manifestation of an invasive varicella zoster virus reactivation in an immunocompromised patient: a case report.

Invasive varicella zoster infection is a rare but severe infectious disease, potentially affecting almost every organ system and presenting with a variety of symptoms. It is usually seen in immunocompromised patients, but also occurs in immunocompetent patients. Isolated intestinal manifestations without skin lesions are even more scarce.

Cancer of unknown primary and BRAF V600E meeting the BEACON combination: A case report.

The diagnostic work-up of cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a challenging task; in addition, only a little data on BRAF targeting in CUP are currently available. Traditionally, the identification of favourable and unfavourable CUP subsets directs the choice of treatment. The present article reports the case of a 50-year-old male patient presenting with a BRAF-mutated CUP, a rare and generally unfavourable subset.

Demographic, epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Ukrainian war refugees with HIV infection in the Slovak Republic.

Background: The Slovak Republic, an Eastern European country, borders Ukraine, which has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Europe. This study aims to inform readers about the demographic characteristics of Ukrainian war refugees with HIV/AIDS seeking temporary protection status in Slovakia due to the Russian invasion of February 24, 2022. It focuses on their epidemiology, immunological profiles, co-infections, and treatment.

Monitoring the Effect of Vaccination on Mumps Cases Complications in the Czech Republic - Surveillance Data 2013-2022.

Introduction: Mumps data were analysed to assess the effect of vaccination on mumps complications and hospitalisation.

Methods: The mumps cases reported to the Czech nationwide surveillance system from 2013 to 2022 were analysed using logistic regression with an odds ratio (aOR) adjusted for age, sex, year of onset and administrative region to measure the association between vaccination and complications or hospitalisation. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness (aVE) was calculated: aVE=(1-aOR)x100.

Control of phosphodiesterase activity in the regulator of biofilm dispersal RbdA from .

The switch between planktonic and biofilm lifestyle correlates with intracellular concentration of the second messenger bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP). While bacteria possess cyclase and phosphodiesterase enzymes to catalyse formation or hydrolysis of c-di-GMP, both enzymatic domains often occur in a single protein. It is tacitly assumed that one of the two enzymatic activities is dominant, and that additional domains and protein interactions enable responses to environmental conditions and control activity.

Estimated number of lives directly saved by COVID-19 vaccination programmes in the WHO European Region from December, 2020, to March, 2023: a retrospective surveillance study.

Background: By March, 2023, 54 countries, areas, and territories (hereafter CAT) in the WHO European Region had reported more than 2·2 million COVID-19-related deaths to the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Here, we estimated how many lives were directly saved by vaccinating adults in the WHO European Region from December, 2020, to March, 2023.

Methods: In this retrospective surveillance study, we estimated the number of lives directly saved by age group, vaccine dose, and circulating variant-of-concern (VOC) period, regionally and nationally, using weekly data on COVID-19 mortality and infection, COVID-19 vaccination uptake, and SARS-CoV-2 virus characterisations by lineage downloaded from The European Surveillance System on June 11, 2023, as well as vaccine effectiveness data from the literature.

Students' Knowledge about HIV and their attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS in the Czech Republic: analysis of the school environment and recommendations for prevention.

Objectives: The main objective of the questionnaire survey conducted by the National Institute of Public Health in Prague was to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes and to identify changes since the previous survey in 2015. A secondary objective was to gather more detailed information on how HIV/AIDS topics are taught in schools, as reported by school prevention coordinators.

Methods: The questionnaire was distributed to 48 randomly selected educational institutions and the humanitarian organization MRIYA UA z.

Effectiveness of Vaccination Against Tick-Borne Encephalitis in the Czech Republic, 2018-2022.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). TBEV infection can cause symptoms of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation and result in severe consequences including death. TBE is an increasing health threat in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe.

Interactions of cumulative load with biomarkers of cartilage turnover predict knee cartilage change over 2 years: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

The purpose was to investigate relationships of cumulative load and cartilage turnover biomarkers with 2-year changes in cartilage in knee osteoarthritis. From participants with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grades of 1 to 3, cartilage thickness and transverse relaxation time (T2) were computed from 24-month (baseline) and 48-month magnetic resonance images. Cumulative load was the interaction term of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and body mass index (BMI).

Echocardiography predictors of sustained sinus rhythm after cardioversion of supraventricular arrhythmia in patients with septic shock.

Purpose: The echocardiography parameters may predict the maintenance of sinus rhythm after cardioversion of a supraventricular arrhythmia (SVA).

Materials And Methods: Patients in septic shock with onset of an SVA, normal to moderately reduced LV systolic function (EF_LV˃̳35%) and on a continuous noradrenaline of <1.0 μg/kg.

Plasma lipidome differences in patients with and without significant carotid plaque.

Background: Atherosclerosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke, and early detection of advanced atherosclerosis in the carotid artery is important for reducing morbidity and mortality. What is even more important is not only detection of atherosclerosis but early determination whether the patients are at high risk of an event with adverse effects as the size of the plaque does not necessarily reflect its potential to trigger such events.

Aim: We studied whether plasma lipidomics profile can be used as a diagnostic tool for stratification of stable or unstable plaques without the need of removing the carotid plaque.

Exploring the Role of GDF-15 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case-Controlled Study Comparing Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis with Non-Inflammatory Controls.

Inflammatory bowel disease, encompassing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a persistent immune-mediated inflammatory gastrointestinal disease. This study investigates the role of growth differentiation factor 15 in severe IBD cases, aiming to identify a reliable parameter to assess disease severity and monitor activity. We analyzed plasma samples from 100 patients undergoing biologic therapy for severe IBD and 50 control subjects.

Measles in Czech population with varying vaccination rates in 2018-2019: clinical and laboratory differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and their relevance to clinical practice.

Background And Objectives: In a highly vaccinated population, an increasing number of previously vaccinated measles cases can be expected. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vaccination on the clinical course and immune response in relation to the current measles case definition.

Methods: The presence of fever, catarrhal symptoms, exanthema and complications, and specific IgM and IgG positivity were assessed in all 230 patients and compared in 193 patients with known vaccination status, divided into measles-containing vaccine (MCV) groups: MCV0 (85 patients), MCV1 (25 patients) and MCV2 (83 patients).

Region partitioning of articular cartilage with streaming-potential-based parameters and indentation maps.

Articular cartilage exhibits site-specific tissue inhomogeneity, for which the tissue properties may continuously vary across the articular surface. To facilitate practical applications such as studying site-specific cartilage degeneration, the inhomogeneity may be approximated with several distinct region-wise variations, with one set of tissue properties for one region. A clustering method was previously developed to partition such regions using cartilage indentation-relaxation and thickness mapping instead of simply using surface geometry.

A redox switch allows binding of Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions in the cyanobacterial iron-binding protein FutA from .

The marine cyanobacterium is a main contributor to global photosynthesis, whilst being limited by iron availability. Cyanobacterial genomes generally encode two different types of FutA iron-binding proteins: periplasmic FutA2 ABC transporter subunits bind Fe(III), while cytosolic FutA1 binds Fe(II). Owing to their small size and their economized genome ecotypes typically possess a single gene.

Nebulization and Upper Airway Deposition of Liposomal Carrier Systems.

Liposomal carrier systems have emerged as a promising technology for pulmonary drug delivery. This study focuses on two selected liposomal systems, namely, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine stabilized by phosphatidic acid and cholesterol (DPPC-PA-Chol) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine stabilized by polyethylene glycol and cholesterol (DPPC-PEG-Chol). First, the research investigates the stability of these liposomal systems during the atomization process using different kinds of nebulizers (air-jet, vibrating mesh, and ultrasonic).

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Thrombolysis Resistance: New Insights for Targeting Therapies.

Background: Thrombosis is linked to neutrophil release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are proposed as a mechanism of resistance to thrombolysis. This study intends to analyze the composition of thrombi retrieved after mechanical thrombectomy, estimate the age and organization of thrombi, and evaluate associations with the use of thrombolysis, antiplatelets, and heparin.