Correction: Dolina et al. Trigger Point Therapy Techniques as an Effective Unconventional Method of Treating Tension Headaches: A Systematic Review. 2024, , 1868.

In the original publication [...

Immunological Strategies in Gastric Cancer: How Toll-like Receptors 2, -3, -4, and -9 on Monocytes and Dendritic Cells Depend on Patient Factors?

(1) Introduction: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key in immune response by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). In gastric cancer (GC), TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9 are crucial for modulating immune response and tumor progression. (2) Objective: This study aimed to assess the percentage of dendritic cells and monocytes expressing TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9, along with the concentration of their soluble forms in the serum of GC patients compared to healthy volunteers.

Loss to follow-up of patients after antiviral treatment as an additional barrier to HCV elimination.

Background: Eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is a goal set by the World Health Organization. This has become possible with the introduction of highly effective and safe direct-acting antivirals (DAA) but limitations remain due to undiagnosed HCV infections and loss of patients from the cascade of care at various stages, including those lost to follow-up (LTFU) before the assessment of the effectiveness of the therapy. The aim of our study was to determine the extent of this loss and to establish the characteristics of patients experiencing it.

Preliminary proteomic analysis of mouse lung tissue treated with cyclophosphamide and Venetin-1.

Cyclophosphamide (CPAm) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent that exhibits potent anti-cancer properties but is often associated with debilitating side effects. Despite its efficacy, the management of CPAm-induced toxicities remains a significant clinical challenge. There has been growing interest in exploring complementary and alternative therapies to mitigate these adverse effects in recent years, and this may be a chance for the earthworm-derived preparation, Venetin-1.

Comparative study of the photosynthetic efficiency and leaf structure of four Cotoneaster species.

Plants belonging to the genus Cotoneaster can be valuable sources of phytochemicals with potential therapeutic properties. The natural habitats of most of these species are situated in Asia, Africa and southern Europe. Introducing them into other climatic conditions could expose them to abiotic and biotic stresses, affecting their bioactive properties.

Determination of platinum-resistance of women with ovarian cancer by FTIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analyses and machine learning methods.

Patients with high-grade ovarian cancer have a poor prognosis, thus effective treatment remains an unmet medical issue of high importance. Moreover, finding the reason for resistance to cisplatin is a crucial task for the improvement of anti-cancer drugs. In this study, we showed for the first time a chemical difference in a serum collected from platinum-resistance and platinum-sensitive women suffering from ovarian cancer using Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy followed by a data analysis by Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Component Analysis (HCA) and 4 different machine learning algorithms.

Association of endometrial cancer risk with hypertension- an updated meta-analysis of observational studies.

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common gynaecological cancers in the developed countries. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of hypertension on endometrial cancer risk. Databases: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched from January 2000 to June 2024.

Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities With Worse Outcomes After Surgical Treatment of Cancer.

Background: Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face unique challenges resulting in disparities in their health care. We sought to define the effect that IDD had on achievement of a "textbook outcome" (TO) following a cancer operation among a nationally representative cohort of patients.

Methods: Data on patients who underwent surgery for a malignant indication, including lung, breast, liver, biliary tract, pancreas, and colorectal, between 2014 and 2020 were extracted from the 100% Medicare Standard Analytical Files database.

The optimization of sample preparation on zebrafish larvae in vibrational spectroscopy imaging.

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae are widely used in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and ecotoxicological studies. Their transparency and translational potential make them particularly valuable for fluorescence imaging. In addition to fluorescence imaging, microspectroscopy, which combines vibrational spectroscopy: Raman or Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) with microscopy, allows the collection of spatially resolved, label-free information.

Intrafamilial Disease Heterogeneity in Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1.

Introduction: Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is known for its variable clinical course, even within families. However, the extent of this heterogeneity has not been well-studied. We aimed to analyze intrafamilial clinical heterogeneity and disease course among siblings in a large cohort of familial PH1 cases.

FTIR monitoring of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for lung cancer patients: Changes in amides vibrations correlated with biochemical assays.

Lung cancer is one of the most lethal cancers. Unfortunately, respiratory tract infections are very common in lung cancer patients, delaying appropriate anticancer therapy. To increase therapy efficiency, in this study we examined the effect of 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on the immune response in lung cancer patients, which indirectly affects the success of anticancer therapy.

Enhancing anti-adhesion properties by designing microstructure - the microscopy and spectroscopy study of the intercellular bacterial response.

This study is the first one that investigates in detail the bacterial intercellular response to the high density of crystallographic defects including vacancies created in Cu by high pressure torsion. To this aim, samples were deformed by high pressure torsion and afterward, their antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus were analyzed in adhesion tests. As a reference an annealed sample was applied.

Predictive, integrative, and regulatory aspects of AI-driven computational toxicology - Highlights of the German Pharm-Tox Summit (GPTS) 2024.

The 9th German Pharm-Tox Summit (GPTS) and the 90th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (DGPT) took place in Munich from March 13-15, 2024. The event brought together over 700 participants from around the world to discuss cutting-edge developments in the fields of pharmacology and toxicology as well as scientific innovations and novel insights. A key focus of the conference was on the rapidly increasing role of computational toxicology, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) into the field, marking a shift away from traditional methods and allowing the reduction of animal testing as primary tool for toxicological risk assessment.

Challenges and opportunities of micro-credentials as a new form of certification in health science education-a discussion paper.

Micro-credentials are an element of the European Skills Agenda 2020. This five-year plan aims to develop improved applied and broader work skills in response to system demands from employers, industry and communities. Within the labour market, employees increasingly want to obtain new skills-based qualifications in a relatively short period of time.

Metformin in the treatment of colorectal cancer and neuroendocrine tumours.

Colorectal cancer is being detected in increasingly younger age groups, and its incidence has been on the rise in recent years. Neuroendocrine tumors have also shown an increase in occurrence despite their rarity. Neuroendocrine tumors most commonly occur in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs.

Chemical composition alterations in rat brain hypothalamus induced by irisin administration using spectroscopic and machine learning techniques.

This study employed Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to determine the chemical composition of brain tissues and the changes induced by irisin at doses of 50 mg and 100 mg. Brain tissues were collected from control rats and those administered with irisin, and key vibrational peaks were analyzed. In the 50 mg irisin group, all described vibrations decreased compared to control tissues, while the 100 mg group showed a decrease only in lipid vibrations.

A phase 1b/2 study evaluating efficacy and safety of MP0250, a designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) simultaneously targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

MP0250 is a designed ankyrin repeat protein that specifically inhibits both vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), aiming at potentiating cancer therapy by disrupting the tumour microenvironment. Encouraging results from a phase 1 trial of MP0250 in patients with solid tumours prompted further investigation in multiple myeloma (MM) as both MP0250 targets are reported to be drivers of MM pathogenesis. In this open-label, single-arm phase 1b/2 study (NCT03136653) in patients with proteasome inhibitor- and/or immunomodulatory drug-relapsed or refractory MM, MP0250 was administered every 3 weeks with standard bortezomib/dexamethasone regimen.

Close, yet so far away: a phenomenology of the praecox feeling in the diagnosis of schizophrenia as intercorporeal alienness.

Debates concerning the reliability and validity of operationalized criteria and diagnostic tools have surrounded the issue of schizophrenia diagnosis and clinical decision-making related to the disorder. The notion of the praecox feeling (PF) has played a prominent role in the discussions as an example of the possibility of a rapid and potentially valid diagnosis based solely on "intuition" or a peculiar emotional experience or impression arising in a physician during an interaction with a patient with schizophrenia. In this paper, we argue that PF is enabled by the (phenomenologically understood) intercorporeal dimension of the clinical encounter.