The Risk of Atrial Fibrillation and Previous Ischemic Stroke in Cognitive Decline.

: Our study investigated the inverse relationship between cognitive decline (CD) and the presence of documented atrial fibrillation (AFib), ischemic stroke, heart failure, lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and diabetes mellitus. : We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study between December 2016 and November 2019. A total of 469 patients were enrolled who underwent cognitive evaluation with three cognitive tests (Montreal Cognitive Assessment-MOCA, Mini-Mental State Examination-MMSE, and General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition-GPCOG).

Associations between Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Other Risk Factors in Women with a History of Urinary Tract Infections.

(1) Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among otherwise healthy women represent a problem that requires additional understanding and approaches. Evidencing the link between dysbiosis and UTIs and the associated potential risk factors could lead to therapeutic approaches with increased efficiency under the conditions of reducing the risks associated with antibiotic treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate dysbiosis and other potential risk factors in women with a history of urinary tract infections; (2) Methods: Fecal dysbiosis tests were performed comparatively in two groups of women.

The Role of Imaging Investigations in Evaluation of Cochlear Dimensions in Candidates for Cochlear Implantation-Our Experience.

: The Cochlear implant is the first approved cranial nerve stimulator that works by directly stimulating the cochlear nerve. Various attempts have been made to evaluate the dimensions of the cochlea related to cochlear implantation. The preoperative computed tomographic examination is essential not only in assessing the anatomical aspect of the cochlea, but also in determining its dimensions to choose an appropriate electrode and obtain the best possible audiological performance.

Pathways of Coagulopathy and Inflammatory Response in SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Chronic inflammation and endothelium dysfunction are present in diabetic patients. COVID-19 has a high mortality rate in association with diabetes, partially due to the development of thromboembolic events in the context of coronavirus infection. The purpose of this review is to present the most important underlying pathomechanisms in the development of COVID-19-related coagulopathy in diabetic patients.

Reply to Nyman, U.; Aspelin, P. Regarding Iodixanol for Pediatric CTA. Comment on "Pop, M. Cardiothoracic CTA in Infants Referred for Aortic Arch Evaluation-Retrospective Comparison of Iomeprol 350, Ioversol 350, Iopromide 370 and Iodixanol 320. 2021, , 949".

We greatly appreciate the letter by Nyman et al. [..

Cardiothoracic CTA in Infants Referred for Aortic Arch Evaluation-Retrospective Comparison of Iomeprol 350, Ioversol 350, Iopromide 370 and Iodixanol 320.

Background: Computed tomography angiography (CTA) in infants is considered one of the most challenging radiological examinations due to difficulties in balancing start delay, contrast agent (CA) volume and flow in order to achieve optimal opacification of the large vessels. This study aimed to compare the contrast enhancement achieved by four CAs when taking into consideration CA injection parameters and patient characteristics.

Methods: We performed a retrospective assessment of forty-eight consecutive cardiothoracic CTAs performed for aortic arch evaluation on children aged 0-1 year.

The Effect of Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status on Anthropometric Development and Systemic Inflammation: An Observational Study.

(1) Background: Daily caloric intake should aim to reduce the risk of obesity or poor anthropometric development. Our study objective was to analyze the association between food consumption, inflammatory status and anthropometric development; (2) Methods: We performed a prospective observational analytical research during September 2020 and April 2021 on a group of 160 healthy subjects, aged between 6 and 12 years old, by analyzing food ingestion, the basal metabolic rate, anthropometric development and the inflammatory status; (3) Results: IL-6 was significantly correlated to the sum of skinfolds, along with both serum proteins and triglycerides. The skin folds were significantly correlated with the caloric intake and with total fat intake, next to saturated and trans fats.

Quality-by-design in pharmaceutical development: From current perspectives to practical applications.

Current pharmaceutical research directions tend to follow a systematic approach in the field of applied research and development. The concept of quality-by-design (QbD) has been the focus of the current progress of pharmaceutical sciences. It is based on, but not limited, to risk assessment, design of experiments and other computational methods and process analytical technology.