The Effect of a Secondary Stressor on the Morphology and Membrane Structure of an Already Challenged Maternal and Foetal Red Blood Cell Population.

The red blood cell (RBC) membrane is unique and crucial for maintaining structural-functional relationships. Maternal smoking induces significant changes in the morphological, rheological, and functional parameters of both maternal and foetal RBCs, mainly due to the continuous generation of the free radicals. The major aim of this study was to follow the consequences of a secondary stressor, like fungal infection, on the already compromised RBC populations.

Direct Vascular Effects of Angiotensin II (A Systematic Short Review).

The octapeptide angiotensin II (Ang II) is a circulating hormone as well as a locally formed agonist synthesized by the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) of endothelial cells. It forms a powerful mechanism to control the amount and pressure of body fluids. All main effects are directed to save body salt and water and ensure blood pressure under basic conditions and in emergencies.

Newly Initiated Statin Treatment Is Associated with Decreased Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Level After Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays a crucial role in facilitating electron transport during oxidative phosphorylation, thus contributing to cellular energy production. Statin treatment causes a decrease in CoQ10 levels in muscle tissue as well as in serum, which may contribute to the musculoskeletal side effects. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effect of newly initiated statin treatment on serum CoQ10 levels after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and the correlation of CoQ10 levels with key biomarkers of subclinical or clinically overt myopathy.

Novel and Variants and the Observed Clinical Outcomes in a Hungarian Melanoma Cohort.

Accumulating evidence suggests that inherited melanoma is not rare and approx. one in seven individuals with melanoma has clinically relevant hereditable cancer-predisposing and/or -susceptibility variant(s). Concerning its germline genetic background, genetic screening aims to identify either variants of predisposing genes with high penetrance or variants of susceptibility genes with medium or low penetrance.

Application of Biofire Filmarray Joint Infection Panel for Rapid Identification of Aetiology in a Necrotizing Fasciitis Case.

: Monomicrobial necrotizing fasciitis is associated with exceedingly high mortality rates. Although effective antimicrobial therapy is an important part of treatment, the traditional microbiological diagnostic methods are not fast enough to meaningfully influence early therapeutic decisions. : Here, we report the application of the BioMérieux Biofire Filmarray Joint Infection Panel (BFJIP) for the rapid detection of the causative agent and susceptibility prediction in such a case.

Comparative Evaluation of Different Mint Species Based on Their In Vitro Antioxidant and Antibacterial Effect.

In our research six different mint species (peppermint, spearmint (five different chemotypes), Horse mint, mojito mint, apple mint (two different chemotypes), bergamot mint) have been evaluated by referring to their chemical (essential oil (EO) content and composition) and in vitro biological (antibacterial, antioxidant effect) characteristics. The EO amount of the analyzed mint populations varied between 1.99 and 3.

Synergistic Effect of Sugarcane Bagasse and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Eco-Remediation of Cadmium-Contaminated Saline Soils in Wheat Cultivation.

Soil contamination with cadmium (Cd) and salinity poses a significant challenge, affecting crop health and productivity. This study explores the combined application of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to mitigate the toxic effects of Cd and salinity in wheat plants. Field experiments conducted in Cd-contaminated saline soils revealed that the application of SCB (0, 5, and 10 t ha) and ZnO NPs (0, 12.

Near-Complete Avipoxvirus Genome Assembled from Skin Lesions of Dead Eurasian Crane ().

Avian pox is a globally spread viral disease affecting a wide spectrum of wild and domesticated bird species. The disease is caused by a diverse group of large DNA viruses, namely, avipoxviruses (genus , family ). In this study, gross pathological examination and histopathological examination of skin lesions and several organs suggested acute poxvirus infection of a Eurasian crane (, Linnaeus, 1758).

Different Breeding Values Under Uniform Environmental Condition for Milk Production Yield Traits in Holstein-Friesian Cows.

In this study, 1,616,549 Holstein-Friesian females were genotyped for genomic evaluation of genetic merit (BV). Genotyping was performed using the EuroGenomics MD v3.0 chipset on the Illumina microarray scanner platform operated by an accredited Illumina laboratory.

Predicting mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement using AI-based fully automated left atrioventricular coupling index.

Background: This study aimed to determine whether artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated assessment of left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) can provide incremental value above other traditional risk factors for predicting mortality among patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing coronary CT angiography (CCTA) before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated patients with severe AS who underwent CCTA examination before TAVR between September 2014 and December 2020. An AI-prototype software fully automatically calculated left atrial and left ventricular end-diastolic volumes and LACI was defined by the ratio between them.

Primary intrarenal hemangioma - A series of 39 cases.

Intrarenal hemangiomas lack concise clinicopathologic information, due to the predominance of single case reports and inclusion of other vascular neoplasms and hemangiomas of perirenal, hilar, and renal vein origin. Herein, in this multi-institutional study we evaluate clinicopathologic features of 39 intrarenal hemangiomas. The median age was 62 years (range = 27-94 years; 2:1 male to female ratio), with left-sided predominance (left = 21, right = 13; one case was bilateral).

Revealing Stachybotrys-like fungal growth in buildings - Possible exposure highlighted through three case studies.

Genus Stachybotrys (Stachybotryaceae, Hypocreales) requires high humidity to grow and represents one of the most notorious fungi associated with suspected illness in moist buildings. If Stachybotrys conidia are found in settled indoor dusts, their presence may indicate water intrusion and mold infestation revealed after dismantling the building structures. This study describes detection of Stachybotrys growth hidden inside the structures of three buildings in Finland.

Editor's Highlights-February 2025.

Understanding the pathophysiology of inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (AD), and prurigo nodularis (PN), has led to the development of innovative treatments. In the February issue of the Journal, we provide insight into the global epidemiology and psychosocial impact of psoriasis. We also discuss the role of tissue-resident memory T cells in disease recurrence and evaluate the effectiveness of tildrakizumab in treating difficult areas in psoriasis.

Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in .

Parasitoid elimination in involves special hemocytes, called lamellocytes, which encapsulate the eggs or larvae of the parasitoid wasps. The capsules are melanized, and metabolites of the melanization reaction may play a potential role in parasitoid killing. We have observed a variation in the melanization capacity of different, commonly used strains, such as Canton-S, Oregon-R, and BL5905, BL6326.

Effects of Manual Therapy on Fascial Distortion Model in Adolescent Ankle Sprain: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the feasibility of investigating the effects of manual therapy on ankle functional muscle strength, static balance, and disability in adolescent patients with an ankle sprain.

Methods: The study was a nonrandomized prepost clinical feasibility trial. From September 2021 to February 2022, 31 patients with ankle sprain received manual therapy.

Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography-derived deformation analysis of the morphologic left ventricle in adults with corrected dextro-transposition of the great arteries-insights from the CSONGRAD Registry and MAGYAR-Path Study.

Background: Dextro-transposition of the great arteries (dTGA) stands out as a prevalent cyanotic congenital heart defect (CHD), characterized by an intricate reversal in the arrangement of the major arteries. In the past, several surgical procedures have been used to treat dTGA, including the atrial switch. Although the method is no longer used, survivors of the procedure still living among us.

More than just a happy talk? Evidence for functional pitch and utterance length modifications in infant-, spouse-, and dog-directed communication.

By comparing infant-directed speech to spouse- and dog-directed talk, we aimed to investigate how pitch and utterance length are modulated by speakers considering the speech context and the partner's expected needs and capabilities. We found that mean pitch was modulated in line with the partner's attentional needs, while pitch range and utterance length were modulated according to the partner's expected linguistic competence. In a situation with a nursery rhyme, speakers used the highest pitch and widest pitch range with all partners suggesting that infant-directed context greatly influences these acoustic features.

Mind the gap in kidney care: Translating what we know into what we do.

Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do.

Limited Evidence of Functional Benefit After Upper Limb Botulinum Toxin Treatment in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials aimed to summarize the reported functional effects of upper limb botulinum toxin treatment in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Design: Six databases were searched in October 2022. Two independent authors screened and extracted data on upper limb function, body function, life quality, muscle tone, spasticity, goals, pain, adverse events, and client satisfaction.

Real-world evidence of remdesivir in formerly hospitalized COVID-19 patients: patient-reported and functional outcomes.

Background: Post-COVID condition (PCC) is characterized by persisting symptoms after the resolution of acute COVID-19. Remdesivir (RDV), a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, has been widely used in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy. We aimed to evaluate the effects of RDV on PCC by assessing patient-reported and functional outcomes.

Prospective validation of ORACLE, a clonal expression biomarker associated with survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Human tumors are diverse in their natural history and response to treatment, which in part results from genetic and transcriptomic heterogeneity. In clinical practice, single-site needle biopsies are used to sample this diversity, but cancer biomarkers may be confounded by spatiogenomic heterogeneity within individual tumors. Here we investigate clonally expressed genes as a solution to the sampling bias problem by analyzing multiregion whole-exome and RNA sequencing data for 450 tumor regions from 184 patients with lung adenocarcinoma in the TRACERx study.

Assessment of the predictive power the radiation-induced lymphocyte apoptosis method in prostate cancer patients.

Due to the better survival of patients with tumorous diseases, it is increasingly important to predict the side effects of radiotherapy, for which the Radiation-Induced Lymphocyte Apoptosis (RILA) method is proving to be effective in multicentric studies. Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men worldwide, which is usually treated with radiotherapy. We recruited 49 patients with localized prostate cancer and performed RILA measurements before radiotherapy.