What Patients with Bipolar Disorder Need to Know about Lithium.

Lithium is the superior first-line treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). Yet the percentage of patients receiving lithium is abysmally low, especially in the US. Since psychiatrists have failed to place lithium in its appropriate role, we make the case that patients with BD themselves need to be better educated about the unique characteristics and pre-eminence of the drug so that it can be used more often and appropriately.

Addressing the Ethnicity Gap in Catechol O-Methyl Transferase Inhibitor Trials in Parkinson's Disease: A Review of Available Global Data.

Catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors (COMT-Is) have significantly improved the quality of life and symptom management for those at advanced stages of Parkinson's Disease (PD). Given that PD is one of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative diseases worldwide, there is a need to establish a clear framework for the systematic distribution of COMT-Is, considering inter-individual and intra-individual variations in patient response. One major barrier to this is the underrepresentation of ethnic minority participants in clinical trials investigating COMT-Is.

Vestibular Neurostimulation for Parkinson's Disease: A Novel Device-Aided Non-Invasive Therapeutic Option.

Dopaminergic replacement therapy remains the mainstay of symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), but many unmet needs and gaps remain. Device-based treatments or device-aided non-oral therapies are typically used in the advanced stages of PD, ranging from stereotactic deep brain stimulation to levodopa or apomorphine infusion therapies. But there are concerns associated with these late-stage therapies due to a number of procedural, hardware, or long-term treatment-related side effects of these treatments, and their limited nonmotor benefit in PD.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Anxiety, Stress, Mood Disorders, and Sleep Disturbances in Poland after the Outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian War 2022.

Background: The conflict of the Russian-Ukrainian War that began on 24 February 2022 has profoundly changed Europe. The primary objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety, stress, depression, and insomnia among a group of surveyed Poles in the first months after the outbreak of war in 2022. The secondary goal was to analyze potential risk factors for these mental disorders.

Use of Computer Digital Techniques and Modern Materials in Dental Technology in Restoration: A Caries-Damaged Smile in a Teenage Patient.

Prosthodontic treatment of developmental age patients presents a significant challenge to the dentist. The growth and development of the stomatognathic system must be considered in treatment planning. Temporary prosthetic restorations must be regularly inspected and recemented, and final prosthetic restoration should not be delivered until the growth of the body is complete.

The Prevalence of Cancer Predisposition Syndromes (CPSs) in Children with a Neoplasm: A Cohort Study in a Central and Eastern European Population.

Importance: The etiology of pediatric cancers is often unclear; however, advancements in genetics have identified significant roles for genetic disorders in their development. Over time, the number of cancer predisposition syndromes (CPSs) and awareness of them have increased, providing the possibility of cancer prevention and early detection.

Purpose: In this study, we present data concerning the number and type of oncological cases and their correlation with CPS occurrence in a cohort of Central and Eastern European pediatric patients.

Mechanisms of Chimeric Cell Therapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Despite scientific efforts, there is no cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a lethal, progressive, X-linked genetic disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. DMD leads to cardiac and skeletal muscle weakness, resulting in premature death due to cardio-pulmonary complications. We have developed Dystrophin Expressing Chimeric (DEC) cell therapy, DT-DEC01, by fusing human myoblasts from healthy donors and from DMD patients.

Coronary Artery Aneurysm or Ectasia as a Form of Coronary Artery Remodeling: Etiology, Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, Complications, and Treatment.

Coronary artery aneurysm or ectasia (CAAE) is a term that includes both coronary artery ectasia (CAE) and coronary artery aneurysm (CAA), despite distinct phenotypes and definitions. This anomaly can be found in 0.15-5.

Serum Uric Acid as an Indicator of Right Ventricular Dysfunction in LVAD Patients: A Preliminary Study.

(1) Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) represent mechanical support in end-stage congestive heart failure and are characterized by satisfactory long-term results. Uric acid (UA) represents one of the early heart failure markers whose usefulness was postulated in clinical practice. (2) Methods: Twenty-nine male patients with a median age of 58 (51-62) years were referred for LVAD implantation due to end-stage congestive heart failure in the mean (SD) New York Heart Association (NYHA) status class 3.

L. Extract Alleviates Neuropathic Pain and Modulates CB1 and CB2 Receptor Expression in Rat.

Introduction: L. (CSL) extract has pain-relieving potential due to its cannabinoid content, so the effects of two CSL extracts on alleviating neuropathic pain were investigated in vivo. Methods and groups: Male Wistar rats (n = 130) were divided into groups and received vincristine (0.

Parvovirus B19 Infection in Pregnancy-Course of the Disease, Fetal Complications and Management Tools: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Parvovirus B19 is a virus that causes a common and usually harmless infection in both children and adults. If the virus is transmitted transplacentally during pregnancy, it can have serious consequences for both the pregnant woman and the fetus. Potential complications include severe fetal anemia, which can lead to intrauterine fetal death.

Relationship of SOD-1 Activity in Metabolic Syndrome and/or Frailty in Elderly Individuals.

Introduction: Although aging is a natural phenomenon, in recent years it has accelerated. One key factor implicated in the aging process is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress also plays a role in frailty (frail) and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Selenium, Zinc, and Plasma Total Antioxidant Status and the Risk of Colorectal Adenoma and Cancer.

Selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) are known to be involved in carcinogenesis and participate in the defence against reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of serum Se, Zn, and Cu concentrations and plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal adenoma (CRA) in a population of low Se and borderline Zn status. Based on clinical examination and colonoscopy/histopathology, the patients (n = 79) were divided into three groups: colorectal cancer (n = 30), colorectal adenoma (n = 19), and controls (CONTROL, n = 30).

Role of Systematic Biopsy in the Era of Targeted Biopsy: A Review.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major public health issue, as the second most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Many PCa cases are indolent and pose minimal risk, making active surveillance a suitable management approach. However, clinically significant prostate carcinoma (csPCa) can lead to serious health issues, including progression, metastasis, and death.

Small Extracellular Vesicles and Oral Mucosa: The Power Couple in Regenerative Therapies?

Although ongoing debates persist over the scope of phenomena classified as regenerative processes, the most up-to-date definition of regeneration is the replacement or restoration of damaged or missing cells, tissues, organs, or body parts to full functionality. Despite extensive research on this topic, new methods in regenerative medicine are continually sought, and existing ones are being improved. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have gained attention for their regenerative potential, as evidenced by existing studies conducted by independent research groups.

Microneedle-based arrays - Breakthrough strategy for the treatment of bacterial and fungal skin infections.

Currently, fungal and bacterial skin infections rank among the most challenging public health problems due to the increasing prevalence of microorganisms and the development of resistance to available drugs. A major issue in treating these infections with conventional topical medications is the poor penetration through the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin. The concept of microneedles seems to be a future-proof approach for delivering drugs directly into deeper tissues.

Methods of Processing Dental Chromium-Cobalt Alloys for Production of Metal Frameworks Faced with Ceramics to Obtain the Best Mechanical Properties.

BACKGROUND Modern prosthetic technologies make it possible to fabricate prosthetic restorations without material loss and to make prosthetic restorations with complex geometric shapes in a relatively simple way. One such technology is selective laser melting (SLM), or additive manufacturing of metal materials, better known as 3D printing from metal or selective laser melting, but currently the most commonly used method is casting. The present study investigated use of dental chromium-cobalt alloys for prosthetic bridges and compared methods of processing dental chromium-cobalt alloys to obtain the best mechanical properties.

LocoMMotion: a study of real-life current standards of care in triple-class exposed patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma - 2-year follow-up (final analysis).

Treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) is challenging as patients exhaust all available therapies and the disease becomes refractory to standard drug classes. Here we report the final results of LocoMMotion, the first prospective study of real-world clinical practice (RWCP) in triple-class exposed (TCE) patients with RRMM, with a median follow-up of 26.4 months (range, 0.