Lower perturbational complexity index after transcranial magnetic stimulation in schizophrenia patients.

Background: Informational integration and differentiation of the cortex can be tested by methods such as the perturbational complexity index (PCI) combined with TMS-induced activity perturbation. The PCI is obtained by stimulating the cortex with TMS and measuring the resulting spatiotemporal cortical responses with high-density EEG.

Methods: We have compared PCI between 26 patients with schizophrenia (15 males), 15 of them First Episode (FE) (7 males), and 22 healthy controls (12 males).

Ethics and trustworthiness of artificial intelligence in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary surgery: a snapshot of insights from the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA) survey.

Background: Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) surgery is a complex specialty and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications have the potential to improve pre- intra- and postoperative outcomes of HPB surgery. While ethics guidelines have been developed for the use of AI in clinical surgery, the ethical implications and reliability of AI in HPB surgery remain specifically unexplored.

Methods: An online survey was developed by the Innovation Committee of the E-AHPBA to investigate the current perspectives on the ethical principles and trustworthiness of AI in HPB Surgery among E-AHPBA membership.

B-doped nano-hydroxyapatite facilitates proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.

Purpose: We aimed to explore the mechanism by which Boron-doped nano-hydroxyapatite (B-nHAp) facilitates the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts through controlled release of B.

Methods: B-nHAp characterization was accomplished by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were subjected to flow cytometry, alizarin red S staining, and cell counting kit-8 assay for proliferation and differentiation determination.

A Novel Approach to the Isolation of Disease Markers: Quantitative Analysis of Amino Acids in Exhaled Breath Condensates from Sleep Apnea Patients with Enhanced Sampling and LC-ESI-MS.

Interest in obstructive sleep apnea is rising due to its neurocognitive and cardiovascular impacts, including systemic hypertension, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular events. Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis can be suggested through symptoms like snoring, daytime sleepiness, and physical signs like increased neck circumference; however, overnight polysomnography is recommended to confirm. Exhaled breath condensate has emerged as a novel, noninvasive technique for biomarker sample collection.

Impact of environmental exposures on exhaled breath and lung function: NELA Birth Cohort.

Introduction: Exposure to environmental factors ( air pollution and second-hand tobacco smoke) have been associated with impaired lung function. However, the impact of environmental factors on lung health is usually evaluated separately and not with an exposomic framework. In this regard, breath analysis could be a noninvasive tool for biomonitoring of global human environmental exposure.

Independent effect of body fat content on inflammatory biomarkers in children and adolescents: The GENOBOX study.

Background And Aims: To assess the relationship between body composition indicators and inflammatory biomarkers in children and adolescents of the GENOBOX study.

Methods And Results: Anthropometry data from 264 subjects from the subsample of Zaragoza (Spain) included: weight, height, waist circumference, body mass index and triponderal index. Body composition was determined by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), obtaining visceral adipose tissue, fat mass index and lean mass index.

Absence of MCJ/DnaJC15 promotes brown adipose tissue thermogenesis.

Obesity poses a global health challenge, demanding a deeper understanding of adipose tissue (AT) and its mitochondria. This study describes the role of the mitochondrial protein Methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ/DnaJC15) in orchestrating brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. Here we show how MCJ expression decreases during obesity, as evident in human and mouse adipose tissue samples.

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound as a Method of Splenic Injury Assessment.

Splenic injuries are common in abdominal trauma, as the spleen is one of the most often harmed organs. The treatment of splenic injuries underwent major changes during the past decades, shifting from a surgical approach to nonoperative management. This change of the proceedings results from a constantly growing awareness of the spleen's crucial hematological and immunological function and was possible owing to the advances in radiological techniques.

Acute aortic dissection on CT: is D-dimer determination useful for a timely and correct diagnosis? A case report.

Background: Chest pain is a common reason patients are admitted to the hospital. The most clinically significant cases are those in which the pain is due to an immediate life-threatening condition, such as acute aortic dissection (AAD). A prompt and correct diagnosis is crucial to patient survival.

Influence of ABCB1 polymorphisms on aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole plasma concentrations.

Aripiprazole (ARI) is an atypical antipsychotic which is a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a transmembrane glycoprotein that plays a crucial role in eliminating potentially harmful compounds from the organism. ARI once-monthly (AOM) is a long-acting injectable form which improves treatment compliance. Genetic polymorphisms in ABCB1 may lead to changes in P-gp function, leading to individual differences in drug disposition.

Clinical and Diagnostic Value of ABCDE Stress Echocardiography With Exercise in Patients With Myocardial Infarction.

Aim: Evaluation of the clinical and diagnostic role of stepwise stress echocardiography (Stress Echo) with exercise using the ABCDE protocol in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

Material And Methods: This single-site study included 75 patients (mean age 61.6±9.

Potentially actionable molecular alterations in particular related to poor oncologic outcomes in salivary gland carcinomas.

Aim: The study was designed to evaluate molecular alterations, relevant to the prognosis and personalized therapy of salivary gland cancers (SGCs).

Materials And Methods: DNA was extracted from archival tissue of 40 patients with various SGCs subtypes. A targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel was used for the identification of small-scale mutations, focal and chromosomal arm-level copy number changes.

Sperm recovery from urine in men with retrograde ejaculation.

Introduction: Retrograde ejaculation (RE) consists of the reflux backwards, towards the bladder, of the ejaculate, during the emission phase of ejaculation, causing a total or partial absence of sperm emission, with the consequent diversion of semen into the bladder during the emission phase of ejaculation. Evaluating the ejaculate may not be sufficient for identifying RE in some patients. Hence, the management of infertility may involve the use of invasive methods such as epididymal fluid retrieval or testicular biopsy.

Progression of serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate in neonatal critical care patients during the first seven days of life.

Background: Serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are key indicators of kidney function.

Methods: This descriptive, retrospective study included neonatal patients admitted to a tertiary hospital's neonatal intensive care unit from January 2013 to December 2016. Data on kidney function were collected from birth to 7 days of life.

Primary care utilisation in different patients' profiles with cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: This study aimed to identify profiles of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, based on their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and to analyse how their complexity is related to their frequency of visits in Primary Care.

Methods: Observational longitudinal study conducted in the Spanish CArdiovascular Risk factors for HEalth Services research (CARhES) cohort. Individuals older than 15 with hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or dyslipidaemia in 2017 were selected and followed until 2021.

Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Olaparib and Regorafenib in an Animal Model.

Background: Olaparib (OLA) and regorafenib (REG) are metabolized by the CYP3A4 isoenzyme of cytochrome P450. Both drugs are also substrates and inhibitors of the membrane transporters P-glycoprotein and BCRP. Therefore, the potential concomitant use of OLA and REG may result in clinically relevant drug-drug interactions.

Thyroid Function and Morphology in Gaucher Disease: Exploring the Endocrine Implications.

Gaucher disease (GD), the most common ultra-rare metabolic disorder, results from lipid accumulation. Systemic inflammation, cellular stress, and metabolic dysfunction may influence endocrine function, including the thyroid. This study evaluated thyroid function and morphology in 60 GD patients, alongside carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

The Influence of Anti-ETAR and Anti-CXCR3 Antibody Levels on the Course of Specific Glomerulonephritis Types.

Anti-ETAR (endothelin A receptor) antibodies and anti-CXCR3 (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3) antibodies are types of non-HLA (human leukocyte antigens) antibodies that could have some influence on the course of glomerulonephritis. The authors aimed to study the influence of these antibodies' levels on the course of specific glomerulonephritis types. We evaluated the anti-ETAR and anti-CXCR3 antibody levels in the serum of patients with membranous nephropathy (n = 18), focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (n = 25), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 17), IgA nephropathy (n = 14), mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis (n = 6), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (c-ANCA) vasculitis (n = 40), and perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) vasculitis (n = 16), and we compared their levels with the control group (n = 22).

Left Atrial Functional and Structural Characteristics in Patients After Total and Bicaval Orthotopic Heart Transplantation.

: Currently, the most popular techniques for orthotopic heart transplantation (OHTx) are bicaval and total OHTx. Although bicaval OHTx has shown advantages over the biatrial approach, comparisons between bicaval and total OHTx reain limited. To compare the functional and morphological characteristics of the left atrium (LA) in patients after bicaval and total OHTx.

Life-Threatening Respiratory Complications in Two Young Children with Extreme Obesity.

Background/objectives: Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by pathological accumulation of adipose tissue. The exponentially increasing number of children with severe obesity draws attention to the tragic consequences of the lack of, or inadequate treatment of, obesity in this age group. This article aims to present ways of preventing obesity and ways of treating its complications in order to reduce the risk of the life-threatening problems caused by it.

Machine Learning Model Discriminate Ischemic Heart Disease Using Breathome Analysis.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) impacts the quality of life and is the most frequently reported cause of morbidity and mortality globally. To assess the changes in the exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in patients with vs. without ischemic heart disease (IHD) confirmed by stress computed tomography myocardial perfusion (CTP) imaging.

Sex-Related Differences in Heart Failure Development in Patients After First Myocardial Infarction: The Role of Galectin-3.

Galectin-3 (gal-3) is upregulated in remodeling, and failing myocardium and gal-3 levels are increased in hypertrophy, fibrosis and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of sex-related differences in the following: risk factors, left ventricular (LV) structural and functional changes, coronary angiography, expression of the gal-3 encoding gene and plasma gal-3 levels in heart failure (HF). : This prospective study included 137 men and 44 women with first MI who underwent Doppler echocardiography within 2-4 days of MI and after 6 months.