The aim of this study was to evaluate the mobility of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) and their impact on the properties of bentonites and unfrozen water content. Limited research in this area necessitates further analysis to prevent the negative effects of metal interactions on bentonite effectiveness. Tests involved American (SWy-3, Stx-1b) and Slovak (BSvk) bentonite samples with Zn or Cu ion exchange.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMachine learning methods for the identification of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) have been previously studied, however, they have serious limitations. Firstly, the training sets used to train the appropriate machine learning algorithms were not previously annotated by a forensic expert in anthropology. Secondly, previously presented solutions have rarely used models trained using real pornographic content involving children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFive major psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, show a shared genetic background and probably share common pathobiological mechanisms. S100B is a calcium-binding protein widely studied in psychiatric disorders as a potential biomarker. Our systematic review aimed to compare studies on peripheral S100B levels in five major psychiatric disorders with shared genetic backgrounds to reveal whether S100B alterations are disease-specific.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this article is to assess the potential impact of inorganic salt hydrates used as PCM material in solar installations on the environment and human health and to assess the society's approach to this technology. The properties of salt are discussed in two ways: first, by analyzing the environmental and health problems caused by chemical hazards on the basis of the available material safety data sheets. Secondly, by analyzing the potential disadvantages of salt hydrates in terms of environmental hazards based on the results of experimental studies available in the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
October 2022
The aim of the study was to assess the total antioxidant/oxidant status in the plasma and urine of patients with adrenal tumors. The study group consisted of 60 patients (31 women and 29 men) with adrenal masses, classified into three subgroups: non-functional incidentaloma, pheochromocytoma and Cushing's/Conn's adenoma. The number of patients was set based on our previous experiment (α = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics of conveyor belts used in horizontal transport without the need to take the belt off the conveyor and test it in laboratory conditions is an important aspect in mining plants (Jurdziak et al., Adv Intell Syst Comput, 835:645-654, 2019). Current testing, and thus obtaining knowledge about the current thickness of the conveyor belt covers, allows for control accelerated changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF<b>Introduction:</b> Surgery using robotic systems is taking over an increasingly wider field of open surgery and laparoscopy. Recently, this is particularly visible in colorectal surgery, where the advantages include better insight into the hard-to-reach area of the surgical field. Limited access to this method and relatively high costs remain a problem.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the technological advances and improved surgical skills, the incidence of anastomotic leakage following colorectal cancer surgery still ranges from 4% to 19%. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of indocyanine green (ICG) use in colorectal cancer surgery. An online search of the Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases (from inception to 10 November 2021) was performed, in addition to manual screening.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Adrenal masses are the most common of all human tumors. The role of nitrosative stress and inflammation in cancer development has already been demonstrated. However, it is not known whether they are involved in the pathogenesis of adrenal tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study is the first to assess redox balance, glutathione metabolism, and oxidative damage to RNA/DNA, proteins, and lipids in the plasma/serum and urine of patients with adrenal masses. The study included 70 patients with adrenal tumors divided into three subgroups: incidentaloma ( = 30), pheochromocytoma ( = 20), and Cushing's/Conn's adenoma ( = 20), as well as 60 healthy controls. Blood and urine samples were collected before elective endoscopic adrenalectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been regulating human islets for allotransplantation as a biologic drug in the US. Consequently, the requirement of a biological license application (BLA) approval before clinical use of islet transplantation as a standard of care procedure has stalled the development of the field for the last 20 years. Herein, we provide our commentary to the multiple FDA's position papers and guidance for industry arguing that BLA requirement has been inappropriately applied to allogeneic islets, which was delivered to the FDA Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee on 15 April 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBelt conveyors are used for transporting bulk materials over distances. The core of the belt, by transferring the longitudinal stresses and ensuring proper frictional coupling of the belt, enables belt movement and transportation of materials on its surface. As the belt cover and edges are used, the belt becomes abraded, and the core is subject to fatigue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Living donor transplantation of kidneys accounts for one quarter of transplants performed in the United States. Careful screening of psychiatric history is a standard part of the donor evaluation. Little is known about the impact of psychiatric history on post-donation course and pain experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe data presented in the article consist of petrographic types and grain shape parameters of beach gravels collected along the Pogorzelica-Dziwnów coast section (363.0 to 391.4 km of the coastline), southern Baltic Sea, Poland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIslet allotransplantation in the United States (US) is facing an imminent demise. Despite nearly three decades of progress in the field, an archaic regulatory framework has stymied US clinical practice. Current regulations do not reflect the state-of-the-art in clinical or technical practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to determine the influence of potentially toxic metals, such as Cu and Zn ions, on the microstructural parameters of bentonites and their hydraulic conductivity (), calculated based on the empirical formulas for clays according to Hazen-Tkaczukowa (formula 1 based on granulometric parameters) and Kozłowski et al., (2011) (formula 2 based on microstructural parameters). Metal ions influence the microstructure changes of bentonites, which can lead to changes in the geotechnical parameters that are used in empirical formulas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe crystalline lens of the vertebrate eye grows throughout life. This growth may be enormous in fish, while the lens must be functional from larva to adult. During growth, the fiber cells of the lens must increase the concentration of specific proteins (crystallins) in the cytoplasm to increase refractive index.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the gold standard management of benign adrenal masses and isolated metastases to adrenal glands. Two techniques of endoscopic adrenalectomy: lateral transperitoneal approach (LTA) and posterior retroperitoneal approach (PRA) seem to be equally safe and effective. Recent studies suggest advantages of PRA over LTA in terms of lower intensity of postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and lower early morbidity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the gold standard of surgical treatment for benign adrenal masses. Two alternative surgical approaches are currently advocated: the lateral transperitoneal approach (LTA) and the posterior retroperitoneal approach (PRA). Several randomized trials have compared LTA to PRA, but most of them included small numbers of patients or had stringent inclusion criteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe crystalline lens of a vertebrate eye is a gradient-index lens and grows throughout life by addition of new lens fiber cells in the periphery. In fish, the growing ball-shaped lens maintains sophisticated optical properties throughout life by maintaining the distribution of refractive index relative to the increasing radius of the lens. During this process, the central fibers must increase refractive index by increasing the cytosolic concentration of crystallin proteins.
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