The influence of different crosslinking agents onto the physical properties, integration behavior and immune response of collagen-based barrier membranes.

This study investigates the mechanical properties as well as and cyto- and biocompatibility of collagen membranes cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GA), proanthocyanidins (PC), hexamethylendiisocyanate (HMDI) and 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EC/NHS). A non-crosslinked membrane was used as reference control (RF). The initial cytotoxic analyses revealed that the PC, EC, and HMDI crosslinked membranes were cytocompatible, while the GA crosslinked membrane was cytotoxic and thus selected as positive control in the further study.

Compressed SENSE acceleration factor influence on magnetic resonance image quality in patients with endometrial cancer.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of compressed sensing - sensitivity encoding (CS-SENSE) acceleration factor on the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within standard female pelvis protocol in patients with endometrial cancer.

Methods: T2-weighted turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence from standard female pelvic MRI protocol was chosen due to its long acquisition time and essential role in the evaluation of morphological characteristics of the female pelvic anatomical structures. Fully sampled reference scans and multiple prospectively 2x to 5x under-sampled CS-SENSE scans were acquired.

Associations between number of steps and health outcomes in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Today's public health discourse prioritizes the health and well-being of children and adolescents. As step counts include both light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activities, and monitoring steps has become a popular method for assessing daily physical activity, it is critical to gain a better understanding of how measuring daily steps may contribute to overall health in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to thoroughly review the studies that investigated the associations between daily number of steps (DNoS) and health outcomes (HO) in children and adolescents.

The effects of resistance training on health-related physical fitness of people with down syndrome - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: This overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of resistance training (RT) on physical fitness of people with Down syndrom (DS).

Material And Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus, up until January 30th, 2024. The search included key terms like resistance training, strength training, weight training, intellectual disability, and Down syndrome.

Relationship between Physical Activity Levels and Academic Performance in Adolescents from Serbia.

Background/objectives: Today's high school students often engage in sedentary behavior by choosing passive activities during leisure time. Increasing research shows that regular physical activity (PA) provides benefits beyond physical health, especially important during childhood and adolescence. Our study investigated the association between physical activity levels and academic performance (AP) in Serbian adolescents.

Biphasic bone substitutes coated with PLGA incorporating therapeutic ions Sr and Mg: cytotoxicity cascade and response of immune and bone regeneration.

The incorporation of bioactive ions into biomaterials has gained significant attention as a strategy to enhance bone tissue regeneration on the molecular level. However, little knowledge exists about the effects of the addition of these ions on the immune response and especially on the most important cellular regulators, the macrophages. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the cytocompatibility and regulation of bone remodeling and material-related immune responses of a biphasic bone substitute (BBS) coated with metal ions (Sr/Mg) and PLGA, using the pure BBS as control group.

Deep learning assisted XRF spectra classification.

EDXRF spectrometry is a well-established and often-used analytical technique in examining materials from which cultural heritage objects are made. The analytical results are traditionally subjected to additional multivariate analysis for archaeometry studies to reduce the initial data's dimensionality based on informative features. Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are used more for this purpose.

The role of melatonin in preventing amiodarone-induced rat liver damage.

Long-term exposure to amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic drug, can induce different organ damage, including liver. Cell damage included by amiodarone is a consequence of mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species production, and cell energy depletion leading to programmed cell death. In the present study, hepatoprotective potential of neurohormone melatonin (50 mg/kg/day) was evaluated in a chronic experimental model of liver damage induced by a 4-week application of amiodarone (70 mg/kg/day).

The influence of the tooth preparation finish line position on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and the presence of periodontopathogens in the gingival crevicular fluid.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the concentration of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and changes in the presence of periodontopathogens in the gingival crevicular fluid before and after tooth preparation with the subgingival and equigingival finish line position.

Patients And Methods: The clinical prospective study included 20 subjects with an indication for upper canine preparation, with the subgingival (group 1) and equigingival finish line (group 2). Samples were taken in four observation intervals: 5 minutes before (control samples), as well as 15 minutes, 24 and 72 hours after tooth preparation (experimental samples).

The human channel gating-modifying A749G CACNA1D (Cav1.3) variant induces a neurodevelopmental syndrome-like phenotype in mice.

Germline de novo missense variants of the CACNA1D gene, encoding the pore-forming α1 subunit of Cav1.3 L-type Ca2+ channels (LTCCs), have been found in patients with neurodevelopmental and endocrine dysfunction, but their disease-causing potential is unproven. These variants alter channel gating, enabling enhanced Cav1.

Optimization of solid-state fermentation for enhanced production of pectinolytic complex by Aspergillus tubingensis FAT43 and its application in fruit juice processing.

The main goal of this study was to examine the efficiency of a newly isolated fungus from quince, Aspergillus tubingensis FAT43, to produce the pectinolytic complex using agricultural and industrial waste as the substrate for solid state fermentation. Sugar beet pulp was the most effective substrate inducer of pectinolytic complex synthesis out of all the waste residues examined. For endo-pectinolytic and total pectinolytic activity, respectively, statistical optimization using Placked-Burman Design and Optimal (Custom) Design increased production by 2.

Novel D-modified heterocyclic androstane derivatives as potential anticancer agents: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in silico studies.

Cancer remains a major health concern worldwide. The most frequently diagnosed types of cancer are caused by abnormal production or action of steroid hormones. In the present study, the synthesis and structural characterization of new heterocyclic androstane derivatives with D-homo lactone, 17α-(pyridine-2''-ylmethyl) or 17(E)-(pyridine-2''-ylmethylidene) moiety are presented.

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous solution using TiO/clinoptilolite hybrid photocatalyst.

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) was investigated using commercial TiO P25 nanoparticles supported on natural zeolite clinoptilolite (Cli). Employing ultrasound assisted solid-state dispersion method hybrid photocatalyst containing 20 wt% of TiO, marked TCli-20, was prepared. The structural, morphological and surface properties, and particle size distribution of TCli-20 were studied by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Brunner-Emmet-Teller method and laser diffraction.

Analyses of the Cellular Interactions between the Ossification of Collagen-Based Barrier Membranes and the Underlying Bone Defects.

Barrier membranes are an essential tool in guided bone Regeneration (GBR), which have been widely presumed to have a bioactive effect that is beyond their occluding and space maintenance functionalities. A standardized calvaria implantation model was applied for 2, 8, and 16 weeks on Wistar rats to test the interactions between the barrier membrane and the underlying bone defects which were filled with bovine bone substitute materials (BSM). In an effort to understand the barrier membrane's bioactivity, deeper histochemical analyses, as well as the immunohistochemical detection of macrophage subtypes (M1/M2) and vascular endothelial cells, were conducted and combined with histomorphometric and statistical approaches.

Trait profiles in difficult-to-treat asthma: Clinical impact and response to systematic assessment.

Background: Multidisciplinary systematic assessment improves outcomes in difficult-to-treat asthma, but without clear response predictors. Using a treatable-traits framework, we stratified patients by trait profile, examining clinical impact and treatment responsiveness to systematic assessment.

Methods: We performed latent class analysis using 12 traits on difficult-to-treat asthma patients undergoing systematic assessment at our institution.

The Use of Collagen-Based Materials in Bone Tissue Engineering.

Synthetic bone substitute materials (BSMs) are becoming the general trend, replacing autologous grafting for bone tissue engineering (BTE) in orthopedic research and clinical practice. As the main component of bone matrix, collagen type I has played a critical role in the construction of ideal synthetic BSMs for decades. Significant strides have been made in the field of collagen research, including the exploration of various collagen types, structures, and sources, the optimization of preparation techniques, modification technologies, and the manufacture of various collagen-based materials.

Selection of Non-Mycotoxigenic Inulinase Producers in the Group of Black Aspergilli for Use in Food Processing.

Research Background: Inulinases are used for fructooligosaccharide production and they are of interest for both scientific community and industry. Black aspergilli represent a diverse group of species that has use for enzyme production, in particular some species are known as potent inulinase producers. Finding new potential producers from the environment is as important as improving the production with known strains.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Level in Synovial Fluid-Association with Joint Destruction in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background and objective: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the key enzymes in the pathogenesis of cartilage and joint damage and potentially a new biomarker of the early erosive form of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Firstly, the study aimed to compare the level of MMP-9 in plasma (PL) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA). Secondly, the goal was to examine the association of MMP-9 level in PL and SF with early erosive changes in RA, and finally, to determine the association of MMP-9 level with serological parameters of the disease (rheumatoid factor-RF and anti-citrulline protein antibodies-ACPA).

Redox-metabolic reprogramming of skin in mice lacking functional Nrf2 under basal conditions and cold acclimation.

Adaptive responses to environmental and physiological challenges, including exposure to low environmental temperature, require extensive structural, redox, and metabolic reprogramming. Detailed molecular mechanisms of such processes in the skin are lacking, especially the role of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and other closely related redox-sensitive transcription factors Nrf1, Nrf3, and nuclear respiratory factor (NRF1). To investigate the role of Nrf2, we examined redox and metabolic responses in the skin of wild-type (WT) mice and mice lacking functional Nrf2 (Nrf2 KO) at room (RT, 24 ± 1°C) and cold (4 ± 1°C) temperature.