Digital image analysis of vertebral body L4 and its ossification center in the human fetus.

Using a Siemens-Biograph 128 mCT camera the morphometric analysis of the L4 vertebral body and its ossification center were done in 55human fetuses aged 17 to 30weeks. No sex differences were found. The mean height, transverse and sagittal diameters of L4 vertebral body followed the logarithmic functions: y = -11.

CT-Based Evaluation of Volumetric Posterior Pelvic Bone Density with Implications for the Percutaneous Screw Fixation of the Sacroiliac Joint.

Operative treatment of fragility fractures of the pelvis has become a gold standard. Preoperative planning, including the assessment of the pathway for iliosacral screws, is crucial. The anchorage of the screw depends on the bone quality.

Treatment of Allergies to Fur Animals.

Allergy to fur animals is becoming an increasingly common clinical problem in everyday medical practice. Depending on the route of exposure to the allergen, patients present with many, often non-specific symptoms. The most common illnesses among people with allergies to the above-mentioned allergens are as follows: allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic bronchial asthma, food allergy, allergic contact dermatitis, and sometimes anaphylactic shock.

Diagnostics of Allergy to Furry Animals-Possibilities in 2024.

Diagnosing allergies is not always easy. Sometimes the symptoms reported by the patient do not match the results of diagnostic tests. Diagnostics of IgE-dependent allergy, including allergy to furry animals, can be based on two basic strategies, "BOTTOM-UP" and "TOP-DOWN", and almost all available allergy tests can be used ranging from skin tests, through specific IgE, to molecular panels and challenge tests.

Interleukin levels and depressive symptoms in psoriatic arthritis patients: insights from a case-control study on socio-demographic factors and disease perception.

In the course of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), depression occurs much more often than in the general population. Depression can be considered a poor prognostic factor. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between the occurrence of depression and the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with PsA.

The impact of the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on vascular surgery practice in the leading regional center: a comparative, retrospective study.

Background: We conducted an analysis of the vascular surgery regional center reorganization in response to the first and the second wave of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to see what lessons we learned from the first wave.

Methods: The study included a total of 632 patients admitted to the vascular surgery department in three periods: March-May 2020, October-December 2020, and October-December 2019 as a control period.

Results: In the pandemic periods the number of admitted patients decreased in relation to the control period.

Unprecedentedly High Level of Intracellular Vitamin C and DNA Epigenetic Marks in Prostate: Relevant for Male Fertility?

Background/aims: Seminal plasma composition is affected by the physiological state of the prostate, the major male reproductive gland. Semen components, like vitamin C, can modulate sperm function. Vitamin C is an effective scavenger of free radicals and is an essential component of enzymes such as TET proteins involved in the DNA demethylation process.

Satisfactory In Vitro Activity of Ceftolozane-Tazobactam against Carbapenem-Resistant But Not against Isolates.

: Gram-negative rods are one of the most commonly isolated bacteria within human infections. These microorganisms are typically opportunistic pathogens that pose a serious threat to public health due to the possibility of transmission in the human population. Resistance to carbapenems is one of the most important antimicrobial resistance mechanisms amongst them.

Safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations in patients with allergic diseases.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the degree of safety and possible risk of acute allergic reactions following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination among a group of patients predisposed to allergic diseases.

Study Design: The study survey took place between May 2021 and February 2022. Each participant completed an initial pre-vaccination questionnaire during patient eligibility assessment for vaccination, and two subsequent questionnaires were completed approximately 21 days after the first and second doses of vaccination.

Reduced sodium absorption in the colon under serotonin is a potential factor aggravating secretory diarrhea.

Background: Serotonin is a substance with a propulsive effect on the gastrointestinal tract. It stimulates the intestinal secretion of water and electrolytes, and plays an important role in the pathophysiology of secretory diarrhea. However, the influence of serotonin on intestinal absorption is very poorly understood.

An Application of Real-Time PCR and CDC Protocol May Significantly Reduce the Incidence of Infections among Neonates.

is an important human opportunistic pathogen, especially infectious for pregnant women and neonates. This pathogen belongs to beta hemolytic spp. representatives and accounts for a significant part of early infections in newborns, including serious life-threatening infections.

Eculizumab treatment in pregnant women with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: A Polish experience.

Background: Eculizumab is an antibody targeting the C5 complement protein. Clinical trials suggest that eculizumab significantly reduces transfusion requirements and prevents disease complications in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

Objectives: To analyze the outcome of pregnancies among Polish women with PNH treated with eculizumab as a part of the Polish National Health Fund program.

Quality of Life of Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Prostatectomy and Affective Temperament.

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignancies in men. The population of PC survivors is growing, and understanding the roles of different factors that affect quality of life (QoL) is important. We investigated the effects of affective temperament on the QoL of PC patients.

Prostate-Specific Antigen and Testosterone Levels as Biochemical Indicators of Cognitive Function in Prostate Cancer Survivors and the Role of Diabetes.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignancies in men. The increase in the number of PC survivors is associated with many problems including cognitive impairment. Early detection of such problems facilitates timely protective intervention.

A 39-Year-Old Woman with Cervicofacial and Mediastinal Emphysema 10 Hours After an Elective Lower Molar Dental Extraction.

BACKGROUND Mediastinal emphysema, also called pneumomediastinum, is a very infrequent condition in patients reporting to an Emergency Department. Mediastinal emphysema is the pathologic presence of free air enclosing the mediastinal structures. In the case of chest pain in a young healthy adult, pneumomediastinum as a differential diagnosis will undoubtedly be omitted.

Randomized-Controlled Trial Examining the Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Men after a Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy Pilot Study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of pelvic floor muscle training (PMFT) in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in men after they received radical prostatectomy (RP).

Methods: From November 2018 to September 2019, patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were assessed for eligibility. A total of 37 men were then randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG).

Biochemical Parameters in Cognitive Functions.

Cognitive impairment is a common disease. Many studies attempt to explain the mechanisms of these dysfunctions formation, including correlations between cognitive functions and biochemical parameters. Scientists search for substances that would be indicators of cognitive functions and which could be determined in the cerebrospinal fluid or blood of the subjects.

ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine) and angiogenic potential in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine is an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and marker of endothelial dysfunction, but the question remains as to whether asymmetric dimethylarginine is a marker of cardiovascular episodes or their independent risk factor. ADMA/DDAH (dimethylaminohydrolase) pathway regulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated angiogenesis due to its impact on the NO formation. The aim of the study was to assess the concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine and the angiogenic potential in the blood of subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM,  = 33) and patients with prediabetes ( = 32)-impaired fasting glycemia and/or impaired glucose tolerance (WHO criteria).

The changing role of ultrasonography examination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in light of recent studies.

For many years, ultrasonography (US) has been a widely accepted modality used for joint assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Given the efficacy of present day therapies, there is scepticism whether it is required in the first place. The most recent clinical Targeting synovitis in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (TaSER) and Clinical Tight Control Therapy (ARCTIC) trials' results appear to contradict it, yet this does not necessarily mean ultrasound has no place in modern rheumatology.