Evaluating the need for standardised disease manifestation categories in patients infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus: A Delphi panel.

Categorization systems for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection lack consistency in classifying disease severity. To evaluate the need for a standard, consensus-based categorisation system for TBEV infection across subtypes, we gathered an expert panel of clinicians and scientists with diverse expertise in TBEV infection. Consensus was sought using the Delphi technique, which consisted of 2 web-based survey questionnaires and a final, virtual, consensus-building exercise.

FACTORS AFFECTING COVID-19 OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES.

Background: Patients with hematological malignancies (HM) are considered to have a high risk of developing severe and life-threatening infections including COVID-19 because of immune deficiency and immunosuppressive treatments. Although the COVID pandemic spread worldwide, morbidity and mortality data varied from country to country. A more accurate identification of risk factors would allow the improvement of the clinical management of HM patients.

Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Brain Damage in Methanol Poisoning: A Case of Rapid Deterioration.

BACKGROUND Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is often ingested accidentally or intentionally. Its metabolites can induce severe visual disturbances, metabolic acidosis, and neurological dysfunction, which can frequently become life-threatening. CASE REPORT A 44-year-old woman with a history of depression and alcohol use was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit after cardiopulmonary reanimation.

Immersive Virtual Reality Versus Mannequin-based Simulation Training for Trauma Resuscitation: A Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial.

Introduction: Despite its high potential, the effect of immersive virtual reality simulation (VRS) in trauma resuscitation training has not been studied. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that VRS is non-inferior to mannequin-based simulation (MBS) in trauma resuscitation training.

Methods: In a single-center, randomized controlled noninferiority trial, we compared individual training with an immersive virtual reality Trauma Simulator to live MBS training in a facilitated group.

Circulation and Codetections of Influenza Virus, SARS-CoV-2, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, Bocavirus, and Other Respiratory Viruses During 2022-2023 Season in Latvia.

This retrospective study analysed the routine data obtained by multiplex real-time RT-qPCR methods for respiratory virus detection. A total of 4814 respiratory specimens collected during 1 September 2022-31 August 2023 were included in the study. A total of 38% of the specimens were positive for at least one target, with the incidence maximum (82%) for the small children (age group 0-4 years).

Interconnected Pathways: Exploring Inflammation, Pain, and Cognitive Decline in Osteoarthritis.

The relationship among inflammation, pain, and cognitive decline in osteoarthritis (OA) patients is complex and has not been sufficiently explored; therefore, we undertook this research to evaluate how OA-related inflammation and pain affect cognitive functions, as well as to examine the potential of urinary markers as indicators of these conditions. This study examined fifty OA patients through clinical and cognitive assessments, morphological analyses, urinary biomarkers, and bioinformatics. Morphologically, 24% of patients had moderate to high synovial inflammation, which was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, pain intensity, and self-reported anxiety.

Utility of Raman Spectroscopy in Pulmonary Medicine.

The Raman effect, or as per its original description, "modified scattering", is an observation that the number of scattered light waves shifts after photons make nonelastic contact with a molecule. This effect allows Raman spectroscopy to be very useful in various fields. Although it is well known that Raman spectroscopy could be very beneficial in medicine as a diagnostic tool, there are not many applications of Raman spectroscopy in pulmonary medicine.

Access to diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy technologies for patients with cancer in the Baltic countries, eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Caucasus: a comprehensive analysis.

Background: Only 10-40% of patients with cancer in low-income and middle-income countries were able to access curative or palliative radiotherapy in 2015. We aimed to assess the current status of diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy services in the Baltic countries, eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Caucasus by collecting and analysing local data.

Methods: This Access to Radiotherapy (ART) comprehensive analysis used data from 12 countries: the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), two countries in eastern Europe (Moldova and Ukraine), four countries in central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), and three countries in the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), referred to here as the ART countries.

Personalized PDAC chip with functional endothelial barrier for tumour biomarker detection: A platform for precision medicine applications.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer characterised by poor survival rates and an increasing global incidence. Advances in the staging and categorization of pancreatic tumours, along with the discovery of functional mutations, have made precision treatments possible, which may lead to better clinical results. To further improve customized treatment approaches, in vitro models that can be used for functional drug sensitivity testing and precisely mimic the disease at the organ level are required.

Von Willebrand Factor Antigen, Biomarkers of Inflammation, and Microvascular Flap Thrombosis in Reconstructive Surgery.

: Microvascular flap surgery has become a routine option for defect correction. The role of von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) in the pathophysiology of flap complications is not fully understood. We aim to investigate the predictive value of VWF:Ag for microvascular flap complications and explore the relationship between chronic inflammation and VWF:Ag.

Darolutamide in Combination With Androgen-Deprivation Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer From the Phase III ARANOTE Trial.

Purpose: For patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), delaying progression to castration-resistant disease is important not only for overall survival (OS) but also for patients' quality of life. Darolutamide plus androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) with docetaxel improved OS versus ADT and docetaxel in patients with mHSPC. The ARANOTE trial evaluated darolutamide and ADT without chemotherapy in patients with mHSPC.

Where are we with gastric cancer screening in Europe in 2024?

The absolute number of annual cases of gastric cancer in Europe is rising. The Council of the European Union has recommended implementation of gastric cancer screening for countries or regions with a high gastric cancer incidence and death rates. However, as of 2024 no organised gastric cancer screening programme has been launched in Europe.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Sleep, Daytime Sleepiness, and Depression-Longitudinal Cohort Study.

: COVID-19 disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has presented significant challenges to global health, with acute and chronic implications for various aspects of well-being, including sleep and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life in hospitalised and home-treated patients after three and six months. : A longitudinal cohort study was conducted, enrolling hospitalised patients from a single clinical university hospital and home-treated participants through a survey spread through social networks.

The Clinical and Genetic Landscape of Hereditary Cancer: Experience from a Single Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory.

Background/aim: The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the genetic investigation of hereditary cancer is important for clinical surveillance, therapeutic approach, and reducing the risk of developing new malignancies. The aim of the study was to explore genetic predisposition in individuals referred for hereditary cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 8,261 individuals were referred for multigene genetic testing, during the period 2020-2023, in the laboratory, and underwent multigene genetic testing using NGS.

Development and validation of a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the differentiation of tick-borne encephalitis infections caused by different virus subtypes.

Objectives: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infection caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) that can lead to symptoms of central nervous system inflammation. There are five subtypes of TBEV, three of which - European, Siberian and Far Eastern - occur in Europe. As it is thought that different subtype infections exhibit varying clinical courses and outcomes, serological differentiation of the virus subtypes is clearly important.

Discordance Between Phenotypic and WGS-Based Drug Susceptibility Testing Results for Some Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs: A Snapshot Study of Paired Isolates with Small Genetic Distance.

Background: Current tuberculosis treatment regimens primarily rely on phenotypic drug susceptibility testing and rapid molecular assays. Although whole-genome sequencing (WGS) offers a promising alternative, disagreements between phenotypic and molecular testing methods remain. In this retrospective study, we compared the phenotypic and WGS-predicted drug resistance profiles of paired isolates with small genetic distances (≤10 single nucleotide variants) obtained from patients with longitudinal single-episode or recurrent tuberculosis.

Therapy-resistant autoimmune nodopathy with anti-neurofascin 155 antibodies: a case report.

This study reports the case of a previously healthy man in his late 20s who began experiencing symptoms 3 months before admission to our hospital, including arm and leg weakness and distal hypesthesia. Initially, the patient responded to corticosteroid therapy. However, as his symptoms progressed, he underwent plasmapheresis and received intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, neither of which led to any discernible improvement.

Erratum: Accuracy of Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and multiparametric MRI for the detection of local tumor and lymph node metastases in early biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer.

[This corrects the article on p. 106 in vol. 10, PMID: 32419979.

Real-life use of delamanid: results from the European post-authorisation safety study.

Background: A post-authorisation safety study (PASS) on delamanid (DLM) was conducted as part of a post-approval commitment to the European Medicines Agency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of DLM in a real-life setting, its safety, and treatment outcomes in patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Methods: This was a prospective, multicentric, non-interventional study conducted in the European Union.

Right uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lung-sparing sleeve resection of the bronchus intermedius.

Complete surgical resection has been the main treatment modality for pulmonary neoplasms without locoregional or distant spread of the disease. Sleeve resections were developed to minimize unnecessary loss of pulmonary parenchyma mainly in the case of centrally located tumours. Experience with sleeve resections and recent technological advancements made minimally invasive resection possible for selected patients.