Predictors of survival and functioning of arteriovenous fistula in patients on hemodialysis during a one-year follow-up.

Introduction: The mortality rate of hemodialysis patients is extremely high and it is significantly affected by vascular access dysfunction. Our research aimed to determine predictive parameters of arteriovenous fistula functioning and survival in a one-year follow-up period.

Methods: The research was organized as a prospective, one-year study, which included 120 dialysis patients who were followed for one year.

Enhancing transcription-replication conflict targets ecDNA-positive cancers.

Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) presents a major challenge for cancer patients. ecDNA renders tumours treatment resistant by facilitating massive oncogene transcription and rapid genome evolution, contributing to poor patient survival. At present, there are no ecDNA-specific treatments.

Pembrolizumab-Associated Cardiotoxicity: A Retrospective Analysis of the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been successfully used in the previous decade for the treatment of a variety of malignancies. Adverse events (AEs) can cause many symptoms, most notably cardiac. We analyzed the frequency of these adverse events, comparing pembrolizumab and other ICIs.

Psychometric Properties of the Serbian Version of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Disability Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Criterion Validity, Construct Validity, and Internal Consistency.

: The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire is a widely employed self-report tool for assessing upper extremity function. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Serbian version of the DASH by determining its criterion and construct validity, as well as internal consistency. : This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with hand and wrist disabilities at the Institute for Orthopedics "Banjica", Serbia.

Evaluating Performance of ChatGPT on MKSAP Cardiology Board Review Questions.

Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) is a natural language processing tool created by OpenAI. Much of the discussion regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine is the ability of the language to enhance medical practice, improve efficiency and decrease errors. The objective of this study was to analyze the ability of ChatGPT to answer board-style cardiovascular medicine questions by using the Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP).

Complete percutaneous coronary revascularization: An elegant solution to left ventricular dysfunction caused by severe coronary artery disease.

With increased complexity in both medical comorbidities and coronary anatomy, the proportion of surgically turndown patients and high-risk PCI will continue to rise. Impella-assisted complex PCI can be performed with high technical success and can improve quality of life, angina score, and potentially left ventricular ejection fraction.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a spontaneous intimal tear of the coronary artery wall. A factor rarely associated with SCAD is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Using the PRISMA guidelines, we identified 10 unique cases of SCAD in ADPKD patients reported between 1998 and 2021.

CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 is active in PARP inhibitor resistant and amplified ovarian cancer.

High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs) with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) are initially responsive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), but resistance ultimately emerges. HGSOC with amplification ( ) are associated with resistance to PARPi and platinum treatments. High replication stress in HRD and HGSOC leads to increased reliance on checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1), a key regulator of cell cycle progression and the replication stress response.

Cardiomyopathy in Celiac Disease: A Systematic Review.

(1) : Cardiomyopathy in celiac disease or celiac cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease that can occur in both adults and children. However, data supporting the causal relationship between celiac disease (CD) and cardiomyopathy (CMP) are still inconsistent. The aim of this study was to review and synthesize data from the literature on this topic and potentially reveal a more evidence-based causal relationship.

Circumflex to Left Atrial Appendage Fistula Associated With Watchman FLX Closure Device.

An 82-year-old man who had undergone Watchman FLX (Boston Scientific) device implantation presented with dyspnea. Multimodality evaluation demonstrated a small fistula from the proximal circumflex artery to the left atrial appendage. Anatomically, the left circumflex artery is close to the atrial appendage; therefore, it is plausible that fistula formation could be a late complication of implantation of the device.

The planetary commons: A new paradigm for safeguarding Earth-regulating systems in the Anthropocene.

The Anthropocene signifies the start of a no-analogue trajectory of the Earth system that is fundamentally different from the Holocene. This new trajectory is characterized by rising risks of triggering irreversible and unmanageable shifts in Earth system functioning. We urgently need a new global approach to safeguard critical Earth system regulating functions more effectively and comprehensively.

A review of the risk and precipitating factors for spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Introduction: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) accounts for 1%-4% of cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). SCAD is caused by separation occurring within or between any of the three tunics of the coronary artery wall. This leads to intramural hematoma and/or formation of false lumen in the artery, which leads to ischemic changes or infarction of the myocardium.

A Call to Action: Hypertensive Crises, Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI), and Heart Failure in the Early Twenties.

A 21-year-old obese male with multiple hypertensive crises was diagnosed with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), leading to heart failure due to uncontrolled hypertension and medication noncompliance. The patient's morbid obesity likely contributed to undiagnosed chronic hypertension, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Morbid obesity leads to increased interleukin-6 levels, promoting plaque accumulation and rupture.

The link between T cell activation and development of functionally useful tumour-associated high endothelial venules.

High endothelial venules (HEVs) are specialized postcapillary venules that specifically serve to recruit circulating lymphocytes to secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) where cognate antigens can be encountered, and immune responses can be initiated. The presence of HEV-like vessels in primary human solid tumours and their association with lymphocyte infiltration and favourable clinical outcomes and response to immunotherapy have provided a rationale for therapeutically inducing these vessels in tumours for immunotherapeutic benefit. Here we specifically discuss evidence for a link between T-cell activation and development of useful tumour-associated HEV (TA-HEV).

The Cross-Sectional Study of attitudes towards risk factors of viral infections transmitted by blood-borne pathogens.

Objective: The objective of this paper was threefold: To assess risk factors of blood-borne pathogen exposure and viral infection for employees at their workplace, to spot the differences between groups of respondents without exposure and those exposed to blood-borne infections, and to identify main risk predictors.

Method: The Cross-Sectional Study was conducted, surveying 203 employees, at the Institute for Emergency Medical Services in Serbia, which were eligible to enter the study and surveyed by Previously Developed Questionnaire.

Results: A total of 97.

Three-dimensional Imaging Reveals Immune-driven Tumor-associated High Endothelial Venules as a Key Correlate of Tumor Rejection Following Depletion of Regulatory T Cells.

High endothelial venules (HEV) are specialized post capillary venules that recruit naïve T cells and B cells into secondary lymphoid organs (SLO) such as lymph nodes (LN). Expansion of HEV networks in SLOs occurs following immune activation to support development of an effective immune response. In this study, we used a carcinogen-induced model of fibrosarcoma to examine HEV remodeling after depletion of regulatory T cells (Treg).

The hepatoprotective effect of aminoguanidine in acute liver injury caused by CCl in rats.

In this study, the hepatoprotective effect of aminoguanidine in acute liver damage caused by carbon tetrachloride-CCl at a dose of 1 mL/kg, i.p. was investigated in experimental rats.

Sex and age determination of human mandible using anthropological parameters and TCI and Kvaal methods: study of a Serbian medieval sample.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to test the efficacy, reliability, and applicability of the Kvaal and Tooth Coronal Index (TCI) age determination techniques, and then to compare them with each other, as well as with the conventional anthropological age and sex determination techniques.

Methods: The analyzed material originates from the medieval necropolis of the Vinča-Belo brdo site. During the research, 60 periapical (PA) and 30 orthopantomographic (OPT) images were analyzed.

Treg-driven tumour control by PI3Kδ inhibition limits myeloid-derived suppressor cell expansion.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that blocking the PI3Kδ signalling enzyme (by administering a small molecule inhibitor, PI-3065) can potently improve the anti-tumour T-cell response through direct inhibition of Tregs. This treatment also has a negative impact on MDSC numbers but the primary mechanism driving this effect has remained unclear.

Methods: The 4T1 breast cancer mouse model was used in combination with PI-3065 to gain insights into the effect of PI3Kδ inhibition on MDSCs.

Association Between Metabolic Syndrome, Its Components, and Knee Osteoarthritis in Premenopausal and Menopausal Women: A Pilot Study.

Objective: This pilot study aimed to determine the correlation of metabolic syndrome (MetS), its components, and increased LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and total cholesterol levels with osteoarthritis (OA). In addition, our goal was to establish the association between MetS and the degree of handicap measured by the Lequesne index of functionality and severity of knee osteoarthritis.

Materials And Methods: The pilot study included 25 subjects with knee OA and 19 subjects without knee OA.

Using methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcomas to study tumor immunology.

Mouse models of cancer are essential in furthering our understanding both of the mechanisms that drive tumor development and the immune response that develops in parallel, and also in providing a platform for testing novel anti-cancer therapies. The majority of solid tumor models available rely on the injection of existing cancer cell lines into naïve hosts which, while providing quick and reproducible model systems, typically lack the development of a tumor microenvironment that recapitulates those seen in human cancers. Administration of the carcinogen 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA), allows tumors to develop in situ, forming a tumor microenvironment with an established stroma and vasculature.

The Dual Role of High Endothelial Venules in Cancer Progression versus Immunity.

Secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) are important initiators and regulators of immunity. To carry out this function, the blood vasculature must deliver oxygen and nutrients and recruit circulating lymphocytes into the SLO parenchyma, where they encounter cognate antigen. High endothelial venules (HEVs) are specialised postcapillary venules that specifically serve this function and are found in all SLOs except spleen.