Antioxidant activity of lidocaine, bupivacaine, and ropivacaine in aqueous and lipophilic environments: an experimental and computational study.

Local anesthetics are widely recognized pharmaceutical compounds with various clinical effects. Recent research indicates that they positively impact the antioxidant system and they may function as free radical scavengers. We hypothesize that their scavenging activity is influenced by the lipophilicity of the environment.

Patent Foramen Ovale-associated Stroke and COVID-19 Vaccination.

COVID-19 infection has been associated with paradoxical thromboembolism through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and ischaemic stroke. Such events have not been reported after COVID-19 vaccination. The aim of the present study was to investigate PFO-associated stroke during the mass COVID-19 vaccination in Slovenia.

Zero fluoroscopy catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently performed cardiac ablation procedure worldwide. The majority of ablations can now be performed safely with minimal radiation exposure or even without the use of fluoroscopy, thanks to advances in 3-dimensional electroanatomical mapping systems and/or intracardiac echocardiography. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of zero fluoroscopy (ZF) versus non-zero fluoroscopy (NZF) strategies for AF ablation procedures.

Diabetes care practices and outcomes in 40.000 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes from the SWEET registry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims: This study aimed to provide a global insight into initiatives in type 1 diabetes care driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and associations with glycemic outcomes.

Methods: An online questionnaire regarding diabetes care before and during the pandemic was sent to all centers (n = 97, 66,985 youth with type 1 diabetes) active in the SWEET registry. Eighty-two responded, and 70 (42,798 youth with type 1 diabetes) had available data (from individuals with type 1 diabetes duration >3 months, aged ≤21 years) for all 4 years from 2018 to 2021.

One-minute sit-to-stand test in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease: A single-center prospective study.

Background: Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD) have reduced exercise capacity. Recently, the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1MSTST), which measures the number of repetitions from sitting to standing position in 1 minute, has been proposed as an alternative test to the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). The aim of our study was to assess the safety and results of the 1MSTST in comparison to the 6MWT in patients with PAH-CHD.

No Major Nerve Regeneration Seems to Occur during Recovery of Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow.

There are three main potential mechanisms of recovery after nerve lesion: (1) resolution of conduction block, (2) collateral reinnervation, and (3) nerve regeneration. Their relative contributions in recovery after focal neuropathies are not well established. In a group of previously reported prospective cohort of patients with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE), I performed a post-hoc analysis of their clinical and electrodiagnostic findings.

Glyceryl trinitrate-induced blood pressure variability decrease during head-up tilt test predicts vasovagal response.

Purpose: Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) provoked cardioinhibitory syncope during the head-up tilt test is preceded by a period of disrupted blood pressure variability (BPV). Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) attenuates BPV independently of blood pressure (BP). We hypothesized that exogenous NO donor GTN might decrease BPV during the presyncope period.

ICU- and ventilator-free days with isoflurane or propofol as a primary sedative - A post- hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To compare ICU-free (ICU-FD) and ventilator-free days (VFD) in the 30 days after randomization in patients that received isoflurane or propofol without receiving the other sedative.

Materials And Methods: A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared inhaled isoflurane via the Sedaconda® anaesthetic conserving device (ACD) with intravenous propofol for up to 54 h (Meiser et al. 2021).

Gender differences in juvenile systemic sclerosis patients: Results from the international juvenile scleroderma inception cohort.

Objective: To compare organ involvement and disease severity between male and female patients with juvenile onset systemic sclerosis.

Methods: Demographics, organ involvement, laboratory evaluation, patient-reported outcomes and physician assessment variables were compared between male and female juvenile onset systemic sclerosis patients enrolled in the prospective international juvenile systemic sclerosis cohort at their baseline visit and after 12 months.

Results: One hundred and seventy-five juvenile onset systemic sclerosis patients were evaluated, 142 females and 33 males.

Telemedicine for diabetes management during COVID-19: what we have learnt, what and how to implement.

The past two decades have witnessed telemedicine becoming a crucial part of health care as a method to facilitate doctor-patient interaction. Due to technological developments and the incremental acquisition of experience in its use, telemedicine's advantages and cost-effectiveness has led to it being recognised as specifically relevant to diabetology. However, the pandemic created new challenges for healthcare systems and the rate of development of digital services started to grow exponentially.

Streptococcal pharyngitis in a Child, Complicated with a Necrotizing Myositis: Diagnosis, Management and Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND Group A streptococcus is a common cause of pharyngitis and can also cause a wide variety of invasive infections, including necrotizing soft-tissue infections. The presented case is one of the rare occurrences of necrotizing soft-tissue infection as a consequence of hematogenous spread and is the first described pediatric case of streptococcal myositis that was clearly preceded by pharyngitis. CASE REPORT A 2.

Dendritic cell activation and cytokine response in vaccine breakthrough TBE patients after stimulation with TBEV.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection of the human central nervous system caused by the TBE virus (TBEV). The most effective protective measure against TBE is vaccination. Despite the highly immunogenic vaccine, cases of vaccine breakthroughs (VBTs) occur.

Ethical Dilemmas in Neonatal Care at the Limit of Viability.

Advances in neonatal care have pushed the limit of viability to incrementally lower gestations over the last decades. However, surviving extremely premature neonates are prone to long-term neurodevelopmental handicaps. This makes ethics a crucial dimension of periviable birth management.

Regulation of CD19 CAR-T cell activation based on an engineered downstream transcription factor.

CAR-T cells present a highly effective therapeutic option for several malignant diseases, based on their ability to recognize the selected tumor surface marker in an MHC-independent manner. This triggers cell activation and cytokine production, resulting in the killing of the cancerous cell presenting markers recognized by the chimeric antigen receptor. CAR-T cells are highly potent serial killers that may cause serious side effects, so their activity needs to be carefully controlled.

Effectiveness and Safety of iGlarLixi in People with Type 2 Diabetes in Adriatic Region Countries: ENSURE-ADR, a Real-World Study.

Introduction: The efficacy of iGlarLixi, a fixed-ratio combination of basal insulin glargine 100 units/mL (iGlar) and the short-acting GLP-1 RA lixisenatide (Lixi), was established in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who were advancing therapy from oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) and basal insulin (BI). This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of iGlarLixi using real-world data from people with T2D in the Adriatic region countries.

Methods: This was a non-interventional, retrospective, multicenter, cohort study with the collection of pre-existing data at iGlarLixi initiation and after 6 months of treatment in real-world clinical and ambulatory settings.

Longitudinal changes in metabolic network activity in early Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: The progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been linked to two metabolic networks, the AD-related pattern (ADRP) and the default mode network (DMN).

Methods: Converting and clinically stable cognitively normal subjects (n = 47) and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (n = 96) underwent 2-[ F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) three or more times over 6 years (n  = 705). Expression levels for ADRP and DMN were measured in each subject and time point, and the resulting changes were correlated with cognitive performance.

Ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction of intussusception: comparison of success rates between subspecialized pediatric radiologists and non-pediatric radiologists or radiology residents.

Ileocolic intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in children under two years of age. Treatment in most cases is radiologically guided reduction. In Slovenia, ultrasound (US)-guided hydrostatic reduction is currently the standard of care.

Urinary proteomics combined with home blood pressure telemonitoring for health care reform trial-First progress report.

High blood pressure (BP) and type-2 diabetes (T2DM) are forerunners of chronic kidney disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Home BP telemonitoring (HTM) and urinary peptidomic profiling (UPP) are technologies enabling risk stratification and personalized prevention. UPRIGHT-HTM (NCT04299529) is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, open-label, randomized trial with blinded endpoint evaluation designed to assess the efficacy of HTM plus UPP (experimental group) over HTM alone (control group) in guiding treatment in asymptomatic patients, aged 55-75 years, with ≥5 cardiovascular risk factors.

Andexanet Alfa to Reverse the Effect of Factor Xa Inhibitors in Intracranial Hemorrhage.

Andexanet alfa (AA) is a recombinant factor Xa competing for binding with factor Xa inhibitors, thereby reversing their anticoagulation effects. Since 2019, it has been approved for individuals under apixaban or rivaroxaban therapy suffering from life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding. Apart from the pivotal trial, real-world data on the use of AA in daily clinics are scarce.

Determination of modified nucleosides in the urine of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Metabolic disorders and nutritional deficiencies in ASD children may be identified by the determination of urinary-modified compounds. In this study, levels of selected seven modified compounds: O-methylguanosine, 7-methylguanosine, 1-methyladenosine, 1-methylguanine, 7-methylguanine, 3-methyladenine, and 8-hydroxy-2`-deoxyguanosine in the group of 143 ASD children and 68 neurotypical controls were analyzed. An ancillary aim was to verify if the reported levels differed depending on the pathogenetic scoring of ASD (mild deficit, moderate deficit, severe deficit).