Model organisms for investigating the functional involvement of NRF2 in non-communicable diseases.

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are most commonly characterized by age-related loss of homeostasis and/or by cumulative exposures to environmental factors, which lead to low-grade sustained generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), chronic inflammation and metabolic imbalance. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NRF2) is a basic leucine-zipper transcription factor that regulates the cellular redox homeostasis. NRF2 controls the expression of more than 250 human genes that share in their regulatory regions a cis-acting enhancer termed the antioxidant response element (ARE).

Attrition in Everyday Dental Clinical Practice.

Introduction: Attrition, its prevention and therapy is a complex problem, with a multifactorial etiology. The aim of this paper is to examine the treatment of attrition in everyday dental clinical practice with the help of soft inserts.

Material And Method: In this study, 30 patients were included, divided into two groups of 15 patients, the study and the control group.

The Role of Sulfhydryl (Thiols) Groups in Oral and Periodontal Diseases.

Aim: The sulfhydryl (thiols) group of glutathione plays an important role in the neutralization of foreign organic compounds and the reduction in peroxides. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the concentration of sulfhydryl groups in the gingival tissue of healthy individuals and those with gingivitis or periodontitis, and to examine the differences between these groups.

Material And Methods: To assess the concentration of sulfhydryl groups (thiols) in the gingival tissue of healthy individuals and those with gingivitis or periodontitis, we used spectrophotometric analysis using dithionitrobenzoate (DTNB) as a reagent to measure the accessible sulfhydryl groups present in gingival tissue proteins.

Transforming Diabetes Care: The Molecular Pathways through Which GLP1-RAs Impact the Kidneys in Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a substantial complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D), presenting challenges in chronic kidney disease (CKD) management. In addition to traditional and recent therapies, including angiotensin, converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, the evolution of antihyperglycemic treatments has introduced a promising agent, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) for the management of DKD. GLP-1RAs enhance insulin release and reduce glucagon release, offering a novel approach to DKD management.

Dermatological patients with itch report more stress, stigmatization experience, anxiety and depression compared to patients without itch: Results from a European multi-centre study.

Background: Itch as the most common symptom in dermatology has been shown to be related to psychological factors such as stress, anxiety and depression. Moreover, associations were found between perceived stigmatization and itch. However, studies investigating the differences between patients with dermatoses with and without itch regarding perceived stress, stigmatization, anxiety and depression are missing.

Proteomics Profiling of Bladder Cancer Tissues from Early to Advanced Stages Reveals NNMT and GALK1 as Biomarkers for Early Detection and Prognosis of BCa.

The high recurrence rate and invasive diagnostic and monitoring methods in bladder cancer (BCa) clinical management require the development of new non-invasive molecular tools for early detection, particularly for low-grade and low-stage BCa as well as for risk stratification. By using an in-solution digestion method and label-free data-independent LC-MS/MS coupled with ion mobility, we profiled the BCa tissues from initiation to advanced stages and confidently identified and quantified 1619 proteins (≥2 peptides). A statistically significant difference in abundance (Anova ≤ 0.

The Role of Protein Restriction in the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Even though nephrology has made much progress, reducing the progression of the chronic kidney disease remains, in fact, one of the biggest challenges. Long before the renal replacement therapy (RRT), it was known that limiting the protein could help almost all uremia symptoms. Although it was proposed as early as the 1960s, it only became widely used in the 1980s.

Transient Neonatal Myasthenia Gravis: A Case Report.

Transient neonatal myasthenia gravis (TNMG) is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs in infants born from mothers with myasthenia gravis (MG) due to transplacental transfer of antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor. TNMG is a rare form occurring in 10-15% of infants born from mothers with MG. We present a case of a newborn with TNMG with generalized hypotonia and respiratory distress.

Perceived Stigmatization among Dermatological Outpatients Compared with Controls: An Observational Multicentre Study in 17 European Countries.

Perceived stigmatization places a large psychosocial burden on patients with some skin conditions. Little is known about the experience of stigmatization across a wide range of skin diseases. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to quantify perceived stigmatization and identify its predictors among patients with a broad spectrum of skin diseases across 17 European countries.

A study of dispersion of gunshot residue from a frequently used Serbian ammunition cal. 7.65 mm to support selected aspects of casework in North Macedonia.

The subject of this research was the inorganic gunshot residue component collected from shooting patterns obtained on woven cotton cloth using a Pietro Beretta model 70 pistol, cal. 7.65 mm and Serbian ammunition for the following muzzle-to-target distances: 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 cm.

Proteomic Approaches and Potential Applications in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease and Fabry Disease.

Although rare, hereditary diseases, such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and Fabry disease (FD) may significantly progress towards severe nephropathy. It is crucial to characterize it accurately, predict the course of the illness and estimate treatment effectiveness. A huge effort has been undertaken to find reliable biomarkers that might be useful for an early prevention of the disease progression and/or any invasive diagnostic procedures.

FGF23 in Chronic Kidney Disease: Bridging the Heart and Anemia.

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a phosphaturic hormone produced mainly in osteocytes. In chronic kidney disease (CKD) FGF23 levels increase due to higher production, but also as the result of impaired cleavage and reduced excretion from the body. FGF23 has a significant role in disturbed bone and mineral metabolism in CKD, which leads to a higher cardiovascular risk and mortality in these patients.

Hypericum perforatum L. extract exerts insulinotropic effects and inhibits gluconeogenesis in diabetic rats by regulating AMPK expression and PKCε concentration.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hypericum perforatum L., commonly known as St. John's Wort (SJW), represents one of the best-known and most thoroughly researched medicinal plant species.

The Rhyacophila fasciata Group in Europe: Rhyacophila macedonica Karaouzas, Valladolid amp; Ibrahimi (n. sp.) from Greece, Kosovo, Republic of North Macedonia and Serbia (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae).

The morphology of all postembryonic stages (larva, pupa, male, and female) of Rhyacophila macedonica Karaouzas, Valladolid, Ibrahimi n. sp. from Greece, Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia was examined.

ESPRAS Survey on Continuing Education in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery in Europe.

Background: Specialty training in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery is a prerequisite for safe and effective provision of care. The aim of this study was to assess and portray similarities and differences in the continuing education and specialization in plastic surgery in Europe.

Material And Methods: A detailed questionnaire was designed and distributed utilizing an online survey administration software.

Comparative proteomics analysis of human FFPE testicular tissues reveals new candidate biomarkers for distinction among azoospermia types and subtypes.

Understanding molecular mechanisms that underpin azoospermia and discovery of biomarkers that could enable reliable, non-invasive diagnosis are highly needed. Using label-free data-independent LC-MS/MS acquisition coupled with ion mobility, we compared the FFPE testicular proteome of patients with obstructive (OA) and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) subtypes hypospermatogenesis (Hyp) and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO). Out of 2044 proteins identified based on ≥2 peptides, 61 proteins had the power to quantitatively discriminate OA from NOA and 30 to quantitatively discriminate SCO from Hyp and OA.

Phosphate in the Context of Cognitive Impairment and Other Neurological Disorders Occurrence in Chronic Kidney Disease.

The nervous system and the kidneys are linked under physiological states to maintain normal body homeostasis. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), damaged kidneys can impair the central nervous system, including cerebrovascular disease and cognitive impairment (CI). Recently, kidney disease has been proposed as a new modifiable risk factor for dementia.

(Dis)trust in doctors and public and private healthcare institutions in the Western Balkans.

Introduction: Considering the geopolitical changes in the six Western Balkan countries-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia-over the last three decades, particularly as it concerns the progress and changes in the healthcare systems, we argue that there is a need for a detailed analysis of people's trust in those healthcare systems and healthcare providers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, intercountry study, we examine the trust trends of Western Balkans citizens in medical doctors and public and private healthcare institutions from 25 July 2021 to 30 October 2021, with 3789 participants using a self-reported questionnaire, and Google Forms. Snowball sampling is used to collect data from six Western Balkans countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

WALANT as an Optimal Approach in Hand Surgery during Pandemics.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic imposed fundamental changes in the field of surgery. Reorganization was made in order to adequately treat the patients during the pandemic. WALANT (Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet) approach was found to be a very convenient method in facilitating continuity in hand surgery with limited staff.