Barriers and facilitators to antiretroviral adherence and retention in HIV care among people living with HIV in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama.

Introduction: Panama's HIV epidemic is far from under control. One of the populations with the fastest-growing epidemic among the Indigenous peoples of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé (CNB). The CNB is an administratively autonomous Indigenous region in Western Panama that is home to over 200,000 individuals of Ngäbe and Buglé ethnicities.

Evaluation of the effect of the interleukin-25 serum concentration on the intensity of the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and epidermal barrier.

Introduction: Interleukin 25 (IL-25) is a cytokine with proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, and its biological function of reciprocal epidermal hyperplasia and of inhibiting the filaggrin synthesis points to an essential role connecting the inflammatory process with damage to the epidermal barrier in the course of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Aim: To assess the IL-25 in serum concentration in AD patients and to analyse its possible correlation with the disease intensity and selected epidermal barrier parameters such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

Material And Methods: The study involved 43 patients with AD and 22 healthy volunteers.

Assessment of serum concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 1, matrix metalloproteinase 2 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1 in atopic dermatitis in correlation with disease severity and epidermal barrier parameters.

Introduction: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of proteolytic enzymes, conditioning the integrity of skin cells, however, their role in the inflammatory process of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the direct effect on the epidermal barrier parameters remain unexplained.

Aim: To assess MMP-1, MMP-2, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 concentrations in blood serum in the context of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and stratum corneum hydration in AD. Moreover, serum levels of MMPs and TIMP-1 were analysed in relation to the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI).

Serum amino acid profiles in patients with mild cognitive impairment and in patients with mild dementia or moderate dementia.

Neurodegenerative disorders are one of the greatest global challenges for social and health care in the twenty-first century. Nowadays, determination of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for early diagnosis is served by a complex sample preparation procedure with limited diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, neuroimaging methods are expensive, time-consuming and are not readily available for use as a complimentary and common screening method.

Amino Acid Levels as Potential Biomarker of Elderly Patients with Dementia.

Dementia is a clinical syndrome characterized by cognitive impairment, in which there is disturbance of multiple higher cortical functions. The primary risk factor of dementia is old age, and due to significant changes in the worldwide demographic structure, the prevalence of cognitive impairment is increasing dramatically with aging populations in most countries. Alzheimer's disease is the predominant and leading cause of dementia.

Leptin, adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor α, and irisin concentrations as factors linking obesity with the risk of atrial fibrillation among inpatients with cardiovascular diseases.

Background: The endocrine function of adipose tissue and skeletal muscles mediates the risk of cardiovascular complications of obesity.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the associations of leptin, adiponectin (ADA), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‑α), and irisin levels with the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) on admission to the hospital as well as parameters of transthoracic echocardiography among inpatients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Methods: The study included 80 consecutive patients hospitalized due to paroxysmal or persistent AF and a control group of 165 age- and sex‑matched individuals admitted due to exacerbation of chronic CVD.

Amino acid profiling as a method of discovering biomarkers for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

The trend of growing population of 60+ years old people is visible in most of the highly developed European countries. Recently researchers have shown an increased interest in aging-associated diseases including neurological disorders. Neurodegenerative diseases are a very important clinical problem for several reasons.

The role of tannic acid and sodium citrate in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

We describe herein the significance of a sodium citrate and tannic acid mixture in the synthesis of spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Monodisperse AgNPs were synthesized via reduction of silver nitrate using a mixture of two chemical agents: sodium citrate and tannic acid. The shape, size and size distribution of silver particles were determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM).

Electrodes Modified with Composite Layers Based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) as Sensors for Paracetamol.

Two sensors for paracetamol were obtained on the basis of a GC electrode modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). The first sensor was a GC electrode modified with a conductive composite layer of PEDOT doped with poly(4-lithium styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSLi), and the second one was a GC electrode modified by a composite of PEDOT doped with PSSLi and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). A conductive PEDOT polymer film was used as an electron mediator with a rich electron cloud.

Analysis of feline and canine allergen components in patients sensitized to pets.

Background: Component resolved allergen diagnosis allows for a precise evaluation of the sensitization profiles of patients sensitized to felines and canines. An accurate interpretation of these results allows better insight into the evolution of a given patients sensitizations, and allows for a more precise evaluation of their prognoses.

Methods: 70 patients (42 women and 28 men, aged 18-65, with the average of 35.

Examination of the chemical changes in cured phenol-formaldehyde resins during storage.

Chemical changes occurring within cured phenol-formaldehyde resins (resite and novolak type) during their storage were investigated by FT-NIR, py-GCMS and inverse gas chromatography. It was shown that a mixture of resite with novolak was less stable than resite or novolak itself as regards bulk properties. This aging phenomenon is mainly due to reaction of ammonia (product of hexa decomposition) with CH2OH groups present in resite.

Expression of IL-17A concentration and effector functions of peripheral blood neutrophils in food allergy hypersensitivity patients.

Lymphocytes Th17 and other types of immune system cells produce IL17. By induction of cytokines and chemokines, the IL17 cytokine is involved in mechanisms of allergic reaction with participation of neutrophil granulocytes. It affects activation, recruitment, and migration of neutrophils to the tissues, regulating inflammatory reaction intensity.

Paraoxonase activity as a marker of exposure to xenobiotics in tobacco smoke.

The paraoxonase (PON) family is composed of 3 proteins (PON1, PON2, and PON3), each of which plays a crucial role in the body, displaying antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiatherosclerotic properties. The activities and properties of PON proteins can be modulated by a number of environmental factors, including cigarette smoke. In the present article, a review of existing literature is employed to analyze both the direct and the indirect impact of cigarette smoking on the activity of members of the PON family.

Review: The role of paraoxonase in cardiovascular diseases.

Paraoxonase (PON) is a group of proteins present in three forms (PON1, PON2, PON3) encoded by genes PON1, PON2, and PON3. PON1 and PON3 are plasma enzymes, structurally and functionally related to HDL, while PON2 is characterized by an intracellular location. Many polymorphisms of PON have been observed.

Immobilization of glucose oxidase on modified electrodes with composite layers based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

Two modified electrodes with immobilized glucose oxidase were developed. Modification with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) doped with poly(4-lithium styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSLi) in a newly elaborated procedure was used in the first electrode. The second one presents innovative solution and consists of two sublayers; one of them was PEDOT doped with PSSLi and the other was composed of PEDOT and anthranilic acid (AA) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSH).

Substance use and attitudes on professional conduct among medical students: a single-institution study.

Objective: This study sought to examine how specific substance-use behavior, including nonmedical prescription stimulant (NPS) use, among U.S. medical students correlates with their attitudes and beliefs toward professionalism.

B vitamin supplementation reduces excretion of urinary dicarboxylic acids in autistic children.

Urinary dicarboxylic acids are an important source of information about metabolism and potential problems especially connected with energy production, intestinal dysbiosis, and nutritional individuality in autistic children. A diet rich in vitamins and macroelements is a new idea of intervention in autism. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and magnesium supplementation is effective in reducing the level of dicarboxylic acids in the urine of autistic children.

Effect of polyacid aqueous solutions on photocuring of polymerizable components of resin-modified glass ionomer cements.

Objectives: Resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGI) are hybrid materials prepared by incorporation of polymerizable components (typically 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with possible addition of multifunctional methacrylates) into a conventional acid-base mixture (a polymeric acid with powdered calcium fluoro-aluminosilicate glasses). During setting, the photopolymerization process and the acid-base reaction affect each other. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of a 45% aqueous solution of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and the liquid component of a commercial glass ionomer cement on HEMA and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) photopolymerization.

A novel EEG artifact in the intensive care unit.

The authors describe a novel EEG artifact in two patients whose records were otherwise suppressed. The saw-toothed waveform, containing 5.5- and 11-Hz rhythms, was induced as a movement artifact by a hemoperfusion machine connected to the patient.

Deterioration of venous function in normal lower extremities during daily activity.

The change in venous function during the course of the day was studied noninvasively in 50 normal lower extremities of 25 physically active normal subjects. Venous refilling time, measured by photoplethysmography, was significantly shorter (p less than 0.0001), and venous capacitance, measured by impedance plethysmography, was significantly reduced (p less than 0.