The elusive bipartite scaphoid: a rare congenital variant or misdiagnosed pseudoarthrosis? A proposal for novel radiological criteria.

Variations in the development of carpal bones are uncommon, with the scaphoid bone typically forming from the fusion of the os centrale carpi and the radial chondrification center during embryogenesis. A bipartite scaphoid is a rare congenital disorder that occurs when these ossification centers fail to fuse, with a prevalence ranging from 0.1% to 0.

Biosecurity measures reducing spp. and hepatitis E virus prevalence in pig farms-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

spp. and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are significant foodborne zoonotic pathogens that impact the health of livestock, farmers, and the general public. This study aimed to identify biosecurity measures (BSMs) against these pathogens on swine farms in Europe, the United States, and Canada.

Endovascular treatment of postoperative aortic coarctation aneurysms-a single center experience.

Background: Formation of local type aortic aneurysm years after surgical repair of coarctation (CoA) occurs in 10% of patients independent of the surgical technique and is a potentially life-threatening condition if left untreated with a high risk of aortic rupture. Redo open surgery is associated with 14% in-hospital mortality and a high risk of complications. Endovascular treatment appears to be a feasible alternative with a high success rate and low morbidity and mortality, but data concerning long-term results is still mandatory.

Renal failure due to rectal neoplastic polyp: McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome-a case report.

Background: McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome is an uncommon and severe disorder caused by large hypersecretory tumors located in the distal colorectal area. Excessive secretion from adenomas is an unusual clinical manifestation that leads to severe electrolyte and fluid depletion, subsequently resulting in kidney injury. Successful treatment relies on quick and cooperative decision-making for timely intervention.

Achievements, priorities and strategies in pediatric nephrology in Europe: need for unifying approaches or acceptance of differences?

Background: There is a lack of information on the current healthcare systems for children with kidney diseases across Europe. The aim of this study was to explore the different national approaches to the organization and delivery of pediatric nephrology services within Europe.

Methods: In 2020, the European society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) conducted a cross-sectional survey to identify the existing pediatric nephrology healthcare systems in 48 European countries covering a population of more than 200 million children.

Early life acute infections and risk for cow's milk protein allergy or atopic dermatitis at 6 months of age in high risk for allergy infants.

Background: Early life infections (ELIs), encompassing both viral and bacterial types, occur within the first six months of life. Influenced by genetic host factors and environmental conditions, the relationship between ELIs and subsequent allergic manifestations, particularly cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) and atopic dermatitis (AD), is complex and not fully understood.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine the potential interplay between nutrition, infections, and allergic manifestations in the first six months of life in infants with a family history of allergies, who were either exclusively breastfed (EBF) or fed a combination of breast milk and standard (SF) or partially hydrolyzed infant formula (pHF).

Optimization and assessment of a hybrid geothermal heat pump and wind turbine system in Izmir, Turkey: A 4E analysis approach.

This study explores the optimization and performance of a hybrid energy system combining a geothermal heat pump (GHP) with a wind turbine in Izmir, Turkey. Utilizing a 4E (Energy, Exergy, Economic, and Exergoenvironmental) analysis approach, the system aims to enhance winter heating efficiency. Geothermal heat pumps leverage the Earth's consistent temperatures for heating and cooling, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources.

Two cases of giant mucinous cystadenomas in postmenopausal women.

Mucinous ovarian cystadenomas are rare epithelial benign tumors that can reach significant sizes. They are often asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally during an ultrasound examination. We present two clinical cases of mucinous ovarian cystadenomas with abdominal distention.

Probing the impact of commercial cryoprotectants and freezing technique on the motility of human spermatozoa cryopreserved onto extremely water-repellent soot-coated surfaces.

The cryopreservation of human spermatozoa is an integral part of cryobiology, aiming to support the in-vitro fertilization. The latter relies on the availability of as much as possible reproductively active spermatozoa, whose number after thawing decreases due to the accompanied freezing injury and the cytotoxicity of cryoprotectants. An innovative option to circumvent these obstacles is to make the freezing interface non-wettable, by coating it with rapeseed oil soot possessing intrinsic cryoprotective properties, delaying the ice formation and possibly providing identical rates of intracellular dehydration and extracellular crystallization.

Fractional modelling of COVID-19 transmission incorporating asymptomatic and super-spreader individuals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges worldwide, necessitating effective modelling approaches to understand and control its transmission dynamics. In this study, we propose a novel approach that integrates asymptomatic and super-spreader individuals in a single compartmental model. We highlight the advantages of utilizing incommensurate fractional order derivatives in ordinary differential equations, including increased flexibility in capturing disease dynamics and refined memory effects in the transmission process.

HLA-DQB1*05:03 is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 progression in the Bulgarian population.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak represents a global health problem. The different infection rates are heavily influenced by host genetic factors, such as variability in the HLA region. The aim of our study was to investigate whether certain HLA alleles in the Bulgarian population contribute to COVID-19 progression and their role in anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity.

Exploring SERPINA3 as a neuroinflammatory modulator in Alzheimer's disease with sex and regional brain variations.

SERPINA3, a serine protease inhibitor, is strongly associated with neuroinflammation, a typical condition of AD. Its expression is linked to microglial and astrocytic markers, suggesting it plays a significant role in modulating neuroinflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the SERPINA3 expression levels, along with CHI3L1, in various brain regions of AD patients and non-demented healthy controls (NDHC).

Validity and normative scores of finger flexor strength and endurance tests estimated from a large sample of female and male climbers.

Recent reviews have highlighted conflicting findings regarding the validity of finger flexor strength and endurance tests in sport climbers, often due to small sample sizes and low ecological validity of the tests used. To address these gaps, 185 male and 122 female climbers underwent maximal finger flexor strength, intermittent and continuous finger flexor endurance, and the finger hang tests in a sport-specific setting to determine the predictive and concurrent validity of these tests. The finger hang test showed the strongest relationship to climbing ability for both sexes ( ≈ 0.

Human Footprint and Forest Disturbance Reduce Space Use of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) Across Europe.

Three-quarters of the planet's land surface has been altered by humans, with consequences for animal ecology, movements and related ecosystem functioning. Species often occupy wide geographical ranges with contrasting human disturbance and environmental conditions, yet, limited data availability across species' ranges has constrained our understanding of how human pressure and resource availability jointly shape intraspecific variation of animal space use. Leveraging a unique dataset of 758 annual GPS movement trajectories from 375 brown bears (Ursus arctos) across the species' range in Europe, we investigated the effects of human pressure (i.

Targeting the Progression of Lupus-Like Disease in Humanized Mouse Model by Specific Dietary Components.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with a number of immunological aberrations in the mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune responses. Spontaneous and induced mouse models of the disease have contributed significantly to the advancement in lupus treatments. The involvement of humanized models, engrafted with lupus patients' immune cells, represented the possibility to study the development of SLE.

The influence of active metabolites from the decomposition of camelina and barley straw on the development of phytoplankton from eutrophic freshwater ecosystem.

As a result of human activities, surface waters worldwide are experiencing increasing levels of eutrophication, leading to more frequent occurrences of microalgae, including harmful algal blooms. We aimed to investigate the impact of decomposing camelina straw on mixed phytoplankton communities from eutrophic water bodies, comparing it to the effects of barley straw. The research was carried out in 15 aquaria (five of each type - containing no straw, camelina straw, and barley straw).

After abandonment.

When farmers leave their land, what version of nature takes over?

Preparation of novel lithiated high-entropy spinel-type oxyhalides and their electrochemical performance in Li-ion batteries.

Compositionally complex doping of spinel oxides toward high-entropy oxides is expected to enhance their electrochemical performance substantially. We successfully prepared high-entropy compounds, the oxide (ZnMgCoCu)FeO (HEOFe), lithiated oxyfluoride Li(ZnMgCoCu)FeOF (LiHEOFeF), and lithiated oxychloride Li(ZnMgCoCu)FeOCl (LiHEOFeCl) with a spinel-based cubic structure by ball milling and subsequent heat treatment. The products exhibit particles with sizes from 50 to 200 nm with a homogeneous atomic distribution.

Seasonality in mortality and its impact on life expectancy levels and trends across Europe.

Background: Seasonal fluctuations in mortality affect annual life expectancy at birth (e). Nevertheless, evidence on the impact of seasonal mortality on longevity is very limited and mainly restricted to assessing season-specific mortality levels due to shocks (e.g.

Hit Selection of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors Bearing Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine Scaffold.

The thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine fragment is in the structure of many drug-like candidate derivatives with a wide range of biological activities. However, very few dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors with this building block are currently known. Here, the selection of a novel DPP-4 inhibitor based on the thienopyrimidine scaffold is reported.

Generalizability, robustness, and correction bias of segmentations of thoracic organs at risk in CT images.

Objective: This study aims to assess and compare two state-of-the-art deep learning approaches for segmenting four thoracic organs at risk (OAR)-the esophagus, trachea, heart, and aorta-in CT images in the context of radiotherapy planning.

Materials And Methods: We compare a multi-organ segmentation approach and the fusion of multiple single-organ models, each dedicated to one OAR. All were trained using nnU-Net with the default parameters and the full-resolution configuration.

From Traditional to Cutting-Edge: Transforming Pulmonary Valve Assessment With Advanced Echocardiography Techniques.

The pulmonary valve (PV), although often less emphasized than other heart valves, is crucial for cardiac function and hemodynamics. Historically, the PV has been underrepresented in echocardiographic assessments due to its rare involvement in pathological conditions, particularly in adults. Additionally, the anatomical position of the PV makes it one of the most challenging valves to visualize using conventional echocardiography.

First-episode mild depression in young adults is a pre-proatherogenic condition even in the absence of subclinical metabolic syndrome: lowered lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase as a key factor.

Background: Major depression is classified into distinct subtypes: simple (SDMD) and major dysmood disorder (MDMD). MDMD patients exhibit elevated atherogenicity and decreased reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). However, comprehensive data regarding lipid metabolism is absent in first episode (FE)-SDMD.

Occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates in farrow-to-finish pig farms in Bulgaria.

Salmonella spp. is an important zoonotic and foodborne pathogen. It is spread worldwide and represents a public health risk.