The Family Doctor in the "COVID-19 Era".

The SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, the most severe pandemic in recent human history, found healthcare systems around the world more or less unprepared. Adjusting to this challenge involved changes in the daily routines of healthcare systems, as well as the patients, once again highlighting the importance of primary care (family physician or general practitioner). In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the family doctor in Romania played a crucial role in patient management, rapidly adapting to the changes and challenges imposed by the state of emergency.

Isotopic and trace element record of changing metal source contributions to tropical freshwater Lake Naivasha (Kenya).

Lake Naivasha, Kenya's second-largest freshwater body is a wetland of international ecological importance and currently subjected to unprecedented anthropogenic influence. The study aims to chronologically reconstruct the main human activities and background weathering reactions that govern metal mobilizations into the lake and their potentially adverse effects on its ecological status. We combine extensive geochemical analyses (major, trace elements, Zn-Pb isotope ratios) in a dated lake sediment record and catchment rocks with remote sensing techniques.

Assessment of atmospheric pollution by potentially toxic elements in the urban areas of the Riotinto mining district.

Ore mineralizations in bedrock and their exploitation may have a negative impact on air quality of surrounding urban areas and, subsequently, on human health. This study uses lichens as bioindicators of atmospheric pollution to evaluate the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the towns close to the massive sulfide deposits of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in SW Spain. Altogether 89 native lichen samples of Xanthoria parietina were collected from the mining towns, control towns out of the reach of the mining activity, as well as from distal sampling sites.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy for Dry Eye Disease: Analyzing Temporal Changes in Tear Film Stability and Ocular Surface between IPL Sessions.

Background: Dry eye disease (DED), a prevalent condition with a multifactorial etiology, significantly impacts global health by causing discomfort and visual disturbance. This historical cohort study evaluates the efficacy of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy on meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related evaporative DED.

Methods: The study involved 110 patients (220 eyes) who underwent IPL therapy.

NASH/NAFLD-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Added Burden.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently found primary malignancy of the liver, showing an accelerated upward trend over the past few years and exhibiting an increasing relationship with metabolic syndrome, obesity, dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The connection between these risk factors and the occurrence of HCC is represented by the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which later, based on genetic predisposition and various triggers (including the presence of chronic inflammation and changes in the intestinal microbiome), may evolve into HCC. HCC in many cases is diagnosed at an advanced stage and can be an incidental finding.

Macular dynamics and visual acuity prognosis in retinal vein occlusions - ways to connect.

This study aimed to establish possible connections between macular dynamics, various macular features, and visual acuity prognosis among patients with retinal vein occlusions. This study included 85 patients with central retinal vein occlusions (CRVO) and 26 with branch retinal vein occlusions (BRVO). We assessed macular features such as central macular thickness (CMT), foveal intraretinal hemorrhage (IRH), the presence and distribution of hyperreflective foci (HF), ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption, inner retinal layer disorganization (DRIL), and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), as well as their dynamics over one year of observation and their impact on final visual acuity prognosis, depending on the type of occlusion.

Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: What Went Wrong?

Purpose: This study aimed to explore inflammatory biomarkers, stool's functional bacterial groups and their possible link to portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC).

Materials And Methods: An observational study of 300 participants: 200 inhospital cirrhotic patients, who met inclusion criteria, equally assigned into two groups, based on the presence or absence of PVT and 100 healthy controls was carried out.

Results: The PVT group displayed significant differences related to older age, cigarettes smoking history, emergency admission, higher Child-Pugh score, metabolic related disorders and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as non-obstructive aspects, with chronic thrombi.

Rhythm Disturbances in Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome in Young Men without Pre-Existing Known Cardiovascular Disease-A Case Series.

Current data indicate the existence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome frequently expressing as cardiovascular and respiratory health issues. The long-term evolution of these complications is not yet fully known or predictable. Among the most common clinical manifestations of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome are dyspnea, palpitations, and fatigue, in most cases being transient and without underlying any morphological or functional changes.

Erratum: [Corrigendum] Corneal endothelial changes induced by pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for retinal detachment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.

Fecal calprotectin - a valuable predictor of microscopic colitis.

Objective: Microscopic colitis (MC) has been of major concern worldwide due to its relapsing and remitting nature of chronic diarrhea. Quality of life of patients suffering from this disease is quite debilitating.

Patients And Methods: In order to understand the role and importance of fecal calprotectin (FC) we performed a statistical analysis on the patients suffering from chronic diarrhea and admitted to our hospital from 2014 to 2020, and who were prescribed Loperamide (Imodium) or Budesonide or a combination of both and had undergone FC detection test.

Does motor noise contaminate estimates of the precision of visual working memory?

The continuous-report task, in which subjects report the color of visual working memory representation by clicking on a color wheel, has become the gold standard for measuring the precision and number of representations stored in visual working memory. This task requires fine motor control, typically with a mouse, but the precision of responses have been interpreted as being entirely due to the precision of the memory representations, without regard to the contribution of noise from the response effectors (i.e.

A Review of the Role of Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiography, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cardioembolic Stroke.

Stroke is a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for the second largest cause of mortality and the third greatest cause of disability. Stroke is frequently preceded by a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The etiologies of 20-30% of ischemic strokes are unknown, and thus are termed "cryptogenic strokes".

COVID-19 and the Human Eye: Conjunctivitis, a Lone COVID-19 Finding - A Case-Control Study.

Objectives: COVID-19 has varied clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic to severe cases, and conjunctivitis is one of them, but sometimes a lone initial symptom is found to be present. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of conjunctivitis as the first symptom in COVID-19 patients in a primary healthcare unit.

Methodology: A retrospective study was conducted, analyzing the presenting complains/symptoms and results of COVID-19-confirmatory tests.

Identification of Heavy Tobacco Smoking Predictors-Influence of Marijuana Consuming Peers and Truancy among College Students.

Background: Poorly informed college students tend to adopt the habit of cigarette smoking. This habit often continues into their adulthoods, adversely affecting the population's health and increasing the burden on healthcare systems.

Aim: We aimed at exploring the predictors of the avoidable habit of smoking.

Benefits of prescribing low-dose digoxin in atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: The role of digoxin (cardiac glycoside) in controlling the heart rate (HR) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients has not been explored in depth.

Methods: To contribute to the limited data, our team conducted retrospective analysis of the clinical records of 1444 AF patients. We divided the AF patients into two groups, wherein group 1 patients were treated with beta-blockers (BB), low-dose digoxin, and an anticoagulant (vitamin K antagonist/factor-IIa inhibitor/factor-Xa inhibitor), and group 2 patients were treated with just BB and an anticoagulant.

Corneal endothelial changes induced by pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for retinal detachment.

Silicone oils are effective intraocular tamponade agents in the treatment of severe retinal detachments, because they maintain the adhesion between neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium, thanks to their ability to remove aqueous humor from the surface of the retina. To understand their effectiveness, it is important to know the characteristics of silicone oils. Patients should be closely monitored due to many complications associated with intraocular silicon oil, such as inflammatory reaction, raised intraocular pressure, refraction disorders, cataract, and emulsification.

Plasma hsa-mir-19b is a potential LevoDopa therapy marker.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder among the elderly, the diagnostic and prognostic of which is based mostly on clinical signs. LevoDopa replacement is the gold standard therapy for PD, as it ameliorates the motor symptoms. However, it does not affect the progression of the disease and its long-term use triggers severe complications.

Selecting the right anticoagulant for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.

Objective: The embolization of thrombi formed within the atria can occur in any form of atrial fibrillation (AF), i.e., paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent.