CD44 Immunohistochemical Expression in Central and Peripheral Parts of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma: An Institutional Study.

: Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the male population and the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide in men as of 2022. One of the potential biomarkers that can predict the progression of the disease is the transmembrane adhesion molecule CD44s. The aims of this study were to determine the expression of CD44s in prostate cancer in the central tumor mass and in the tumor periphery of the disease and to compare it with the clinicopathological parameters (PSA, Gleason score, surgical margins, and biochemical recurrence of the disease) in patients treated with radical prostatectomy.

Gene Polymorphisms and DNA Methylation in Idiopathic Spontaneous Preterm Birth.

: Preterm birth (PTB) is a complex condition with various contributing factors, including genetic and epigenetic influences such as DNA methylation. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) plays a critical role in DNA methylation and the remethylation of homocysteine. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms, LINE-1 DNA methylation levels, and the risk of idiopathic spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) in Caucasian women from Croatia and Slovenia.

The Association between the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes Ratio and Body Mass among European Population with the Highest Proportion of Adults with Obesity: An Observational Follow-Up Study from Croatia.

: The phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are the main constituents of the gut microbiota. An imbalance in the gut microbiota is a sign of dysbiosis, and the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio has been proposed to be a marker of it, especially in the context of obesity. Since Croatia is the country with one of the highest obesity rates in Europe, a pilot observational study was conducted.

Characterization of myocardial perfusion imaging systems - an extension of quality metrics.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) systems in detecting perfusion defects (PDs). The defect perfusion index (DPI) was introduced to extend and further advance the current MPI quality metrics.

Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom simulating normal and pathological myocardial perfusion conditions was imaged by various NaI-crystal detector systems with and without corrections for scatter (SC) and attenuation (AC) (Symbia, Symbia + SC, Symbia IQ + SCAC, Symbia IQ), and cadmium-zinc-telluride detector systems without corrections (DSPECT, D530c).

Case report: Challenging kidney transplantation in an adolescent patient with tetralogy of Fallot.

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. This severe disorder of cardiac physiology can impair renal function and lead to the development of cardiorenal syndrome and eventually to end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplantation may be the best option for renal replacement treatment in patients with tetralogy of Fallot, but only after correcting cardiac abnormalities and optimizing cardiac functions, all of which require a multidisciplinary approach.

Risk for cardiovascular disease development in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have significant cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.

Objective: To investigate the effects of chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis on cardiovascular morbidity association with cardiovascular risk factors risk factors. Mortality report is secondary just to show trends without sufficient statistical power as it is accidental endpoint.

The Flexion Relaxation Phenomenon in Patients with Radiculopathy and Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Although the measurements of the lumbar spine and pelvic flexion have shown that subjects with radiculopathy exhibited greater decreases of motion when compared with subjects with low back pain, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the changes in flexion relaxation ratio in patients with radiculopathy. The aims of this study were to investigate the flexion relaxation ratio and flexion of the lumbar spine and pelvis in subjects with low back pain (LBP) and LBP with radiculopathy (LBPR) in comparison with healthy subjects (CG-control group). A total of 146 participants were divided in three groups: LBP patients (54 males; 21 females); LBPR patients (26 males; 11 females); and CG subjects (16 males; 18 females).

Invasive fungal infections in patients with multiple myeloma: a possible growing problem in hematology and infectious diseases.

Multiple myeloma is among the most common hematological malignancies and is characterized by a strong susceptibility to infections primarily bacterial and viral and, to a much lesser extent, fungal. There appears to be a slightly increasing frequency of invasive fungal infections. This is attributed to the use of different combinations of newer drugs and patients' exposure to increasing therapeutic lines, and thus to risk factors for invasive fungal infections, especially severe and long-term neutropenia.

The European Trauma Course: Transforming systems through training.

The European Trauma Course (ETC) exemplifies an innovative approach to multispecialty trauma education. This initiative was started as a collaborative effort among the European Society for Emergency Medicine, the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery, and the European Society of Anaesthesiology under the auspices of the European Resuscitation Council. With the robust support of these societies, the project has evolved into the independent European Trauma Course Organisation.

Validation of Diagnostic Accuracy and Disease Severity Correlation of Chest Computed Tomography Severity Scores in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia.

The aim of our study was to establish and compare the diagnostic accuracy and clinical applicability of published chest CT severity scoring systems used for COVID-19 pneumonia assessment and to propose the most efficient CT scoring system with the highest diagnostic performance and the most accurate prediction of disease severity. This retrospective study included 218 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and chest CT. Two radiologists blindly evaluated CT scans and calculated nine different CT severity scores (CT SSs).

On dosimetric characteristics of detectors for relative dosimetry in small fields: a multicenter experimental study.

. In this multicentric collaborative study, we aimed to verify whether the selected radiation detectors satisfy the requirements of TRS-483 Code of Practice for relative small field dosimetry in megavoltage photon beams used in radiotherapy, by investigating four dosimetric characteristics. Furthermore, we intended to analyze and complement the recommendations given in TRS-483.

The Influence of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis on the Occurrence of Arterial Hypertension: An 8-Year Prospective Clinical Observational Cohort Study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, including a 50-60% increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Arterial hypertension (HT) is considered the major contributing risk factor for CVD development in RA patients. In this investigation, we compared the incidence and prevalence of HT between RA and osteoarthritis (OA) and the influence of HT on CVD development in CVD-naive patients in both groups.

Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Development of Atherosclerosis: A Review.

Uncontrolled chronic inflammation results in cardiovascular disease and early death. In this review, we studied the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on the cardiovascular system, including the early and accelerated development of atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations, focusing on the inflammatory mechanisms leading to arterial wall damage, rapid atherosclerotic plaque formation, and thrombosis. Furthermore, the effect of medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis on the cardiovascular system was studied.

Reduction of SPECT acquisition time using deep learning: A phantom study.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) procedures are characterized by long acquisition time to acquire diagnostically acceptable image data. The goal of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) to reduce the acquisition time. The DCNN was implemented using the PyTorch and trained using image data from standard SPECT quality phantoms.

An analysis of existing national action plans for antimicrobial resistance-gaps and opportunities in strategies optimising antibiotic use in human populations.

At the 2015 World Health Assembly, UN member states adopted a resolution that committed to the development of national action plans (NAPs) for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The political determination to commit to NAPs and the availability of robust governance structures to assure sustainable translation of the identified NAP objectives from policy to practice remain major barriers to progress. Inter-country variability in economic and political resilience and resource constraints could be fundamental barriers to progressing AMR NAPs.

Arterial blood gases' analysis in elite breath-hold divers at extreme depths.

Purpose: To showcase results of arterial blood gases' analysis in elite breath-hold divers sampled at depths where their total lung capacities are below their residual lung volume on surface.

Methods: Three male elite breath-hold divers performed body plethysmographies to determine their lung volumes. Two dives were performed, one on normal inhalation to 60 m of depth and the second on complete exhalation to 10 m of depth.

Trends in the hospital-sector consumption of the WHO AWaRe Reserve group antibiotics in EU/EEA countries and the United Kingdom, 2010 to 2018.

BackgroundIn 2019, the World Health Organization published the 21st Model list of Essential Medicines and updated the Access, Watch Reserve (AWaRe) antibiotics classification to improve metrics and indicators for antibiotic stewardship activities. Reserve antibiotics are regarded as last-resort treatment options.AimWe investigated hospital-sector consumption quantities and trends of Reserve group antibiotics in European Union/European Economic Area countries and the United Kingdom (EU/EEA/UK).

A CT-based pelvic calcification score in kidney transplant patients is a possible predictor of graft and overall survival.

Objectives: Computerized tomography (CT) is the most accurate method for evaluating pelvic calcifications, which are of utmost importance for planning kidney transplantation (KT). The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence and distribution of iliac artery calcifications and correlate the novel pelvic calcification score (PCS) with cardiovascular risk factors and graft and overall survival in KT patients.

Methods: We retrospectively included 118 KT patients operated at our institution with pretransplant pelvic CT.

Role of Iron and Iron Overload in the Pathogenesis of Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients with Hematological Malignancies.

Iron is an essential trace metal necessary for the reproduction and survival of fungal pathogens. The latter have developed various mechanisms to acquire iron from their mammalian hosts, with whom they participate in a continuous struggle for dominance over iron. Invasive fungal infections are an important problem in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies, and they are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.