Preconceptional and Periconceptional Folic Acid Supplementation in the Visegrad Group Countries for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are malformations of the central nervous system that represent the second most common cause of congenital morbidity and mortality, following cardiovascular abnormalities. Maternal nutrition, particularly folic acid, a B vitamin, is crucial in the etiology of NTDs. FA plays a key role in DNA methylation, synthesis, and repair, acting as a cofactor in one-carbon transfer reactions essential for neural tube development.

White-Seeded Culinary Poppy ( L.) Se Biofortification: Oil Quality, Fatty Acid Profile, and Seed Yield.

The culinary poppy ( L.) has been used for centuries in everyday diets, especially for food, but also as a non-food source of health-promoting ingredients. In the present study, a field trial was set with white-seeded poppy varieties collected from farmers in Croatia.

Mental health in the Tupinambá community of Serra do Padeiro, southern Bahia, Brazil: community and struggle as sources of health.

This work presents concepts and practices linked to mental health in the Tupinambá Indigenous community of Serra do Padeiro in southern Bahia, Brazil. This qualitative cartographic research mapped existing processes and relationships in the Tupinambá territory. Data production techniques were participant observation, semi-structured interviews, field diary, and bibliographic studies.

Morphology of the Human Pineal Gland Studied by Freeze-Fracturing in Scanning Electron Microscopy.

The human pineal gland is the largest producer of the hormone melatonin. Pineal acervuli (brain sand), calcified concretions in the pineal gland, have long been studied because of their association with ageing, melatonin production, and neurological disorders. The solid inorganic matter of the hydroxyapatite crystals often renders sample sectioning impossible, to the extent that the sections lose value.

The role of histology in tissue engineering: Significance of complex morphological characterization of decellularized foreskin scaffolds.

Decellularization is a technique of cell removal that prepares vacant extracellular matrices (ECMs), which can be reseeded with patient-specific cells and used in regenerative medicine. Histological methods are vital for protocol standardization and efficacy assessment, which are necessary for preparing such bioscaffolds. Foreskins from male subjects (n=20) aged three to fifteen years were harvested and decellularized using detergent-based and enzyme-based protocols.

Exploring the black box of human reproduction: endometrial organoids and assembloids - generation, implantation modeling, and future clinical perspectives.

One of the critical processes in human reproduction that is still poorly understood is implantation. The implantation of an early human embryo is considered a significant limitation of successful pregnancy. Therefore, researchers are trying to develop an ideal model of endometrium that can mimic the endometrial micro-environment as much as possible.

The psychosocial background of dental care avoidance: A qualitative study.

Introduction: Dental care avoidance affects individuals' oral health status. There is limited literature examining the context of dental avoidance behavior.

Aim: The aim of the study is to examine attitudes toward dental care services among adults.

A Novel Approach for the Synthesis of Responsive Core-Shell Nanogels with a Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Core and a Controlled Polyamine Shell.

Microgel particles can play a key role, e.g., in drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, advanced (bio)sensors or (bio)catalysis.

Anatomical Study of the Inferior Oblique Muscle and Its Innervation: Morphometric Characteristics, Anatomical Variations, and Histological Evaluation of the Nerve to the Inferior Oblique Muscle.

Background: This report aims to supplement the existing knowledge on the inferior oblique muscle. In particular, this study presents detailed anatomical and histological data concerning the muscle's entry point (or entry zone) of the nerve to the inferior oblique muscle. Particular attention was paid to the topographical relationships of the nerve to the inferior oblique muscle (NTIO), including the location of its entry point to the muscle's belly and its anatomical variations.

Enigmatic thymus: Variations in anatomical localisation of thymic tissue as an easily misdiagnosed congenital anomaly in surgical practice.

We point out the issue of differential diagnosis regarding the finding of ectopically localised thymic tissue (a thymic cyst) in the neck. Thymic tissue can be found anywhere along its developmental tract of descent, from the angle of the mandible to the upper mediastinum. Disruption of the thymic descent can result in ectopically/abnormally localised islets of accessory thymic tissue, which may undergo cystic changes, as described in a case report by Sun .

Examination of the Complex Molecular Landscape in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.

The escalating prevalence of metabolic disorders, notably type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, presents a critical global health challenge, necessitating deeper insights into their molecular underpinnings. Our study integrates proteomics and metabolomics analyses to delineate the complex molecular landscapes associated with T2D and obesity. Leveraging data from 130 subjects, including individuals with T2D and obesity as well as healthy controls, we elucidate distinct molecular signatures and identify novel biomarkers indicative of disease progression.

Correction: Statistical segmentation model for accurate electrode positioning in Parkinson's deep brain stimulation based on clinical low-resolution image data and electrophysiology.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Terminological discrepancies and novelties in the histological description of the female genital system: proposed amendments for clinical-translational anatomy.

Histological terminology of the female genital organs is currently a part of the internationally accepted nomenclature Terminologia Histologica (TH), the latest edition of which dates back to 2008. Many new discoveries have been documented within 16 years since then, and many discrepancies have been found. This paper aims to revise the terminology from clinical and educational perspectives comprehensively.

Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Milk and Dairy Products in Croatia: A Health Risk Assessment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate contamination levels and the frequency of detection of organochlorine (OCPs) and organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), pyrethroids, carbamates and polychlorinated biphenyls (seven PCB congeners) in a total of 534 samples of cow's, sheep's and goat's milk and dairy products from Croatia. Concentrations above the limit of quantification (LOQ) were measured for fourteen OCPs, nine OPPs, six pyrethroids, one carbamate and PCBs with a total of 172 results, and no concentrations exceeded the maximal residue levels defined by the European Union. The mean concentrations of pesticides and the sum of seven PCBs were determined in the ranges 0.

The diagnostic significance of C4d deposits, as an immunohistochemical proof of complement activation, in kidney glomerular pathologies and kidney transplantation.

C4d, a split product of C4 activation in classical and lectin pathways of the complement system activation, has been regarded as a footprint of tissue damage in antibody-mediated rejection in transplantology. The introduction of C4d staining into daily clinical practice aroused an ever-increasing interest in the role of antibody-mediated mechanisms in kidney allograft rejection. However, this marker of complement activation is also important in other various kidney glomerular pathologies such as immunoglobulin A nephropathy, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, and others.

Antioxidative Response and Phenolic Content of Young Industrial Hemp Leaves at Different Light and Mycorrhiza.

Due to the increasing presence of industrial hemp ( L.) and its multiple possibilities of use, the influence of different light and several biopreparations based on beneficial fungi and bacteria on hemp's morphological and physiological properties were examined. Different biopreparations and their combinations were inoculated on hemp seed and/or substrate and grown under blue and white light.

Morphology of the immune cells in the wall of the human uterine tube and their possible impact on reproduction-uterine tube as a possible immune privileged organ.

The uterine tube, as well as other parts of the upper female reproductive system, is immunologically unique in its requirements for tolerance to allogenic sperm and semi-allogenic embryos, yet responds to an array of sexually transmitted pathogens. To understand this dichotomy, there is a need to understand the functional morphology of immune cells in the wall of the uterine tube. Thus, we reviewed scientific literature regarding immune cells and the human uterine tube by using the scientific databases.

Statistical segmentation model for accurate electrode positioning in Parkinson's deep brain stimulation based on clinical low-resolution image data and electrophysiology.

Background: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), applying chronic electrical stimulation of subcortical structures, is a clinical intervention applied in major neurologic disorders. In order to achieve a good clinical effect, accurate electrode placement is necessary. The primary localisation is typically based on presurgical MRI imaging, often followed by intra-operative electrophysiology recording to increase the accuracy and to compensate for brain shift, especially in cases where the surgical target is small, and there is low contrast: e.

Racism and food insecurity: misfortunes of a Quilombola community in the Brazilian Legal Amazon.

This study examined food insecurity in the Quilombola community of Imbiral Cabeça-Branca, in Maranhão, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the last quarter of 2021 with 25 household heads from the community. Most participants were women (52.

Distribution of Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Food of Animal Origin in Croatia.

Pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental pollutants. When entering the food chain, they can represent a public health problem due to their negative effects on health. In this study, concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), pyrethroids, carbamates, and PCBs-a total 73 compounds-were determined in a total of 2268 samples of fat tissues (beef, pork, sheep, goat, poultry, game, horse, rabbit) and processed fat, meat, and processed meat products collected in Croatia during an 8-year period.

Semi-Automated MicroCT Analysis of Bone Anatomy and Mineralization in Mouse Models.

The skeletal system mirrors several processes in the vertebrate body that impact developmental malfunctions, hormonal disbalance, malfunction of calcium metabolism and turn over, and inflammation processes such as arthrosis. X-ray micro computed tomography is a useful tool for 3D in situ evaluation of the skeletal system in a time-related manner, but results depend highly on resolution. Here, we provide the methodological background for a graduated evaluation from whole-body analysis of skeletal morphology and mineralization to high-resolution analysis of femoral and vertebral microstructure.

The Evolution of Robin Sequence Treatment Based on the Biomimetic Interdisciplinary Approach: A Historical Review.

The Robin sequence is a congenital anomaly characterized by a triad of features: micrognathia, glossoptosis, and airway obstruction. This comprehensive historical review maps the evolution of approaches and appliances for its treatment from the past to the current modern possibilities of an interdisciplinary combination of modern engineering, medicine, materials, and computer science combined approach with emphasis on designing appliances inspired by nature and individual human anatomy. Current biomimetic designs are clinically applied, resulting in appliances that are more efficient, comfortable, sustainable, and safer than legacy traditional designs.

The Diagnostic Significance of C3d Antigen in Kidney and Skin Histopathology - The Current State-Of-The-Art and Practical Examples.

The aim of this narrative review is to summarize recent knowledge about the diagnostic significance of immunobiological detection of C3d with a focus on renal and skin tissue biopsies. We completed the present narrative review with our own experiences with preparation and practical use of monoclonal C3d antibodies at a small national level.

Effects of Charge Density on Spread Hyperbranched Polyelectrolyte/Surfactant Films at the Air/Water Interface.

The interfacial structure and morphology of films spread from hyperbranched polyethylene imine/sodium dodecyl sulfate (PEI/SDS) aggregates at the air/water interface have been resolved for the first time with respect to polyelectrolyte charged density. A recently developed method to form efficient films from the dissociation of aggregates using a minimal quantity of materials is exploited as a step forward in enhancing understanding of the film properties with a view to their future use in technological applications. Interfacial techniques that resolve different time and length scales, namely, ellipsometry, Brewster angle microscopy, and neutron reflectometry, are used.

Preparation of Amino-Functionalized Poly(-isopropylacrylamide)-Based Microgel Particles.

Responsive cationic microgels are a promising building block in several diagnostic and therapeutic applications, like transfection and RNA or enzyme packaging. Although the direct synthesis of cationic poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) microgel particles has a long history, these procedures typically resulted in low yield, low incorporation of the cationic comonomer, increased polydispersity, and pure size control. In this study, we investigated the possibility of the post-polymerization modification of P(NIPAm-co-acrylic acid) microgels to prepare primary amine functionalized microgels.