Migration of phthalate plasticisers in heritage objects made of poly(vinyl chloride): Mechanical and environmental aspects.

To clean or not to clean? The solution to this dilemma is related to understanding the plasticiser migration which has a few practical implications for the state of museum artefacts made of plasticised poly(vinyl chloride) - PVC and objects stored in their vicinity. The consequences of this process encompass aesthetic changes due to the presence of exudates and dust deposition, an increase in air pollution and the development of mechanical stresses. Therefore, this paper discusses the plasticiser migration in PVC to provide evidence and support the development of recommendations and guidelines for conservators, collection managers and heritage scientists.

Realistic total-body J-PET geometry optimization: Monte Carlo study.

Background: Total-body (TB) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is one of the most promising medical diagnostics modalities, opening new perspectives for personalized medicine, low-dose imaging, multi-organ dynamic imaging or kinetic modeling. The high sensitivity provided by total-body technology can be advantageous for novel tomography methods like positronium imaging, demanding the registration of triple coincidences. Currently, state-of-the-art PET scanners use inorganic scintillators.

Gated myocardial perfusion SPECT for evaluating left ventricular dyssynchrony in cardiac resynchronization therapy candidates: a systematic review.

Objectives: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an intervention for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction who exhibit specific electrocardiographic indicators of electrical dyssynchrony. However, electrical dyssynchrony does not universally correspond to left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD). Gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion allows for the assessment of LVMD, yet its role in the CRT selection process remains debated.

Impact of the initiation of isCGM soon after type 1 diabetes mellitus diagnosis in adults on glycemic indices and fear of hypoglycemia: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) improves glycemic control and quality of life. Data on glycemic indices and fear of hypoglycemia (FoH) in newly diagnosed T1DM patients are limited.

Aim: To assess the impact of initiating intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM) within 1-6 months of diagnosis on glycemic control and FoH in adults with T1DM.

Prognostic significance of peripheral blood biomarkers in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab-a polish multicenter, observational study.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with the combination of nivolumab (NIVO) and ipilimumab (IPI) showing promising results. However, not all patients benefit from these therapies, emphasizing the need for reliable, easily assessable biomarkers. This multicenter study involved 116 advanced RCC patients treated with NIVO + IPI across nine oncology centers in Poland.

Incidence and Outcomes of Secondary Bladder Cancer Following Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Objective: There is an established association between secondary bladder cancers (SBCs) and radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer (PC), which remains a significant concern. Our aim was to update the evidence on SBC incidence across different RT modalities and to compare oncological outcomes for patients diagnosed with SBC to those diagnosed with primary bladder cancer (PBC).

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies on SBC following PC.

Melting Temperature Hidden Behind Liquid-Liquid Phase Transition in Glycerol.

Liquid-liquid phase transitions play a pivotal role in various scientific disciplines and technological applications, ranging from biology to materials science and geophysics. Understanding the behavior of materials undergoing these transitions provides valuable insights into complex systems and their dynamic properties. This review explores the implications of liquid-liquid phase transitions, particularly focusing on the transition between low-density liquid (LDL) and high-density liquid (HDL) phases.

The extracts from Centaurea species abolished the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin on breast cancer cell line - MCF-7 and bortezomib on prostate cancer cell line- PC3.

The use of plant extracts by cancer patients during chemotherapy poses potential risks, as they may reduce the effectiveness of treatment or interact negatively with chemotherapeutic drugs. There is a lack of comprehensive studies evaluating the effects of various Centaurea spp. plant extracts on chemotherapy outcomes, highlighting the need for caution and medical supervision.

Multiscale Three-Dimensional Evaluation and Analysis of Murine Lung Vasculature From Macro- to Micro-Structural Level.

The pulmonary vasculature plays a pivotal role in the development and progress of chronic lung diseases. Due to limitations of conventional two-dimensional histological methods, the complexity and the detailed anatomy of the lung blood circulation might be overlooked. In this study, we demonstrate the practical use of optical serial block face imaging (SBFI), ex vivo microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), and nondestructive optical tomography for visualization and quantification of the pulmonary circulation's 3D architecture from macro- to micro-structural levels in murine lung samples.

Normative and limit values of speed, endurance and power tests results of young football players.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the development of speed, endurance and power in young football players and to create percentile charts and tables for standardized assessment.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 495 male players aged 12-16 years at RKS Raków Częstochowa Academy in 2018-2022. Players participated in a systematic training in which running time 5 m, 10 m, 30 m, lower limb power (standing long jump), and Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) were measured using the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test.

A Y-shaped sphenoidal sinus septum: a case report.

The sphenoidal sinus septum is one of the most important landmarks during endonasal endoscopic transsphe-noidal operations. During routine coronal sectioning of the face, we found a variant Y-shaped septum in the sphenoidal sinus of a female cadaver. This unusual septum was found between two sections (anterior and posterior sections) and located inferior to the pituitary gland.

Pharmacy students' opinion on mandatory summer internships carried out in community and hospital pharmacies.

Background: Pharmacy internships are an important part of pharmacy education in Poland; they are an integral part of professional studies. The first two internships are held after the third and fourth year of study during the summer break and last for four weeks. The study aims to analyze the didactic process of the pharmacy students taking place during the summer internship in community and hospital pharmacies in Poland.

Gaming time and impulsivity as independent yet complementary predictors of gaming disorder risk.

Prolonged gaming time, along with increased impulsivity-a key element of poor self-regulation-has been identified as linked to gaming disorder. Despite existing studies in this field, the relationship between impulsivity and gaming time remains poorly understood. The present study explored the connections between impulsivity, measured both by self-report and behavioral assessments, gaming time and gaming disorder within a cohort of 82 participants.

Unraveling the Role of Alkali on Cobalt Catalyst Performance in Ethanol Steam Reforming by Operando DRIFT Studies and DFT Modeling.

Hydrogen, a sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel, can be obtained through the ethanol steam reforming (ESR) process. The most promising catalysts for this process are those based on non-noble metals such as cobalt. The activity, selectivity, and stability of these catalysts strongly depend on the presence of alkali dopants.

Ventricular-Arterial Coupling: Changes with aging and implications across cardiovascular conditions.

Purpose: Ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC) is a crucial concept in cardiovascular physiology, representing the dynamic interaction between the left ventricle and the arterial system. This comprehensive literature review explores the changes in VAC with aging and various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Materials And Methods: This literature review covers studies on changes in VAC with age and common CVDs such as arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction and aortic stenosis.

Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology.

Importance: Depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive decline in older individuals. Uncertainty about underlying mechanisms hampers diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. This large-scale study aimed to elucidate the association between depressive symptoms and amyloid pathology.

Sleep disorders in rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Sleep disorders are relatively common among patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and have a substantial impact on their quality of life. Although patients frequently recognize poor sleep as an important component of their disease, dyssomnias remain often underdiagnosed and untreated in routine clinical practice. This narrative review examines the prevalence, mechanism, risk factors and management of dyssomnias in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

NETs persisting in vasculature undergo self-renewal with consequences for subsequent infection: a mouse model study.

While key for pathogen immobilization, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) often cause severe bystander cell/tissue damage. This was hypothesized to depend on their prolonged presence in the vasculature, leading to cytotoxicity. Imaging of NETs (histones, neutrophil elastase, extracellular DNA) with intravital microscopy in blood vessels of mouse livers in a pathogen-replicative-free environment (endotoxemia) led to detection of NET proteins attached to the endothelium for months despite the early disappearance of extracellular DNA.

Current status and perspectives of hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Background: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare complement-driven acquired hemolytic anemia with specific presentations of hemoglobinuria, abdominal pain, fatigue, and thrombosis.

Objective: To review the current therapeutic strategies for PNH, including anti-complement therapy and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), focusing on the tailoring of the approach to the disease subtype.

Results: The outcome of alloHCT varies depending on disease severity, thrombotic history, and response to prior therapies.

Conscientious Objection in Healthcare: The Requirement of Justification, The Moral Threshold, and Military Refusals.

A dogma accepted in many ethical, religious, and legal frameworks is that the reasons behind conscientious objection (CO) in healthcare cannot be evaluated or judged by any institution because conscience is individual and autonomous. This paper shows that this background view is mistaken: the requirement to reveal and explain the reasons for conscientious objection in healthcare is ethically justified and legally desirable. Referring to real healthcare cases and legal regulations, this paper argues that these reasons should be evaluated either ex ante or ex post and defends novel conceptual claims that have not been analyzed in the debates on CO.

New insights into structural, optical, electrical and thermoelectric behavior of NaBiTiO single crystals.

The single crystals of lead-free NaBiTiO were grown using the Czochralski method. The energy gaps determined from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and optical measurements were approximately 2.92 eV.

Creating codes of ethics for public health professionals and institutions.

Background: The World Health Organization and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region called for the professionalization of the public health workforce, including the creation of codes of ethics. In this article, the Public Health Ethics and Law Network provides guidance on creating such codes, based on values and principles commonly identified for public health.

Methods: Our interest was in codes addressing public health broadly rather than disciplines within public health.

A novel, dominant disease mechanism of distal renal tubular acidosis with specific variants in ATP6V1B1.

Background And Hypothesis: ATP6V1B1 encodes a subunit of the vacuolar H+-ATPase and pathogenic variants are associated with autosomal recessive distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) with deafness. Heterozygous variants predicted to affect a specific amino acid, Arg394, have been recurrently reported in dRTA but their significance has been unclear. We hypothesised that these variants are associated with a dominant disease mechanism.

Standardized measurement of the piriformis muscle and the proximal portion of the sacral nerve roots using transvaginal ultrasound.

Objective: To identify the sonomorphological appearance and to measure the thickness of the piriformis muscle (PM) and the proximal portion of the sacral nerve roots S1-S3 in healthy premenopausal women.

Materials And Methods: This prospective multicentric observational study included a consecutive series of women undergoing transvaginal sonography (TVS) at two tertiary gynecological referral centers. Standardized assessment of the pelvic organs was performed followed by an attempt to visualize the right and left PM and sacral nerve roots S1-S3 at their origin in proximity to the sacral neuroforamen.