Non-Invasive Ultrasound Therapy for Severe Aortic Stenosis: Early Effects on the Valve, Ventricle, and Cardiac Biomarkers (A Case Series).

: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was developed for inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis. However, despite TAVR advancements, some patients remain untreated due to complex comorbidities, necessitating less-invasive approaches. Non-invasive ultrasound therapy (NIUT), a new treatment modality, has the potential to address this treatment gap, delivering short ultrasound pulses that create cavitation bubble clouds, aimed at softening embedded calcification in stiffened valve tissue.

Contemporary Speculations and Insightful Thoughts on Buckwheat-A Functional Pseudocereal as a Smart Biologically Active Supplement.

Today, food scientists are interested in more rational use of crops that possess desirable nutritional properties, and buckwheat is one of the functional pseudocereals that represents a rich source of bioactive compounds (BACs) and nutrients, phytochemicals, antimicrobial (AM) agents and antioxidants (AOs), which can be effectively applied in the prevention of malnutrition and celiac disease and treatment of various important health problems. There is ample evidence of the high potential of buckwheat consumption in various forms (food, dietary supplements, home remedies or alone, or in synergy with pharmaceutical drugs) with concrete benefits for human health. Contamination as well as other side-effects of all the aforementioned forms for application in different ways in humans must be seriously considered.

The Neuroprotective Effect of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 in the Hippocampus of Aged Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia, causing the loss of cognitive function. Our previous study has shown, using a doubly mutated mouse model of AD (APP/PS1), that the neural adhesion molecule L1 directly binds amyloid peptides and decreases plaque load and gliosis when injected as an adeno-associated virus construct (AAV-L1) into APP/PS1 mice. In this study, we microinjected AAV-L1, using a Hamilton syringe, directly into the 3-month-old APP/PS1 mouse hippocampus and waited for a year until significant neurodegeneration developed.

Estimating Dietary Protein and Sodium Intake with Sodium Removal in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

An increase in dietary protein intake (DPI) carries a risk with respect to increased sodium intake, which further leads to the development of cardiovascular morbidity in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Dialytic (DSR) and urinary sodium removal (USR) are potential indicators of sodium intake. In this single-center cross-sectional study with 60 prevalent PD patients, we analyze the correlation of DPI with sodium intake and the association between residual renal function (RRF) and comorbidity grade, expressed as the Davies score with sodium removal and protein metabolism indices such as normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) and lean body mass (LBM).

Understanding Kinesiophobia: Predictors and Influence on Early Functional Outcomes in Patients with Total Knee Arthroplasty.

This observational study aimed to identify predictors of kinesiophobia and examine its correlation with early functional outcomes in TKA recipients. On the first and fifth postoperative days (POD1 and POD5), we evaluated pain using the International Pain Outcomes Questionnaire (IPO-Q) and created multidimensional pain composite scores (PCSs). The Total Pain Composite Score (PCStotal) assesses the overall impact of pain, taking into account outcomes of pain intensity, pain-related interference with function, and emotions and side effects.

Retroperitoneal Duodenal Diverticulum Microperforation: The Role of Computed Tomography.

Duodenal diverticula are relatively common, but perforations are rare and therapy has not yet been standardized. The most common location of diverticula is the descending duodenum, usually on the lateral side next to the pancreas, so perforations present with an atypical clinical course. We present a case of a 73-year-old female patient with epigastric pain and nausea.

Vitamin D3 application and factors of its activity in the adrenal cortex of andropausal rats: A functionally-histological study.

Introduction And Aim: Vitamin D supplementation in aging subjects manifests a positive effect on various health-related parameters. We performed a functionally-histological analysis of the adrenal cortex regarding the factors of vitamin D activity and corticosterone output after vitamin D3 application in a rat model of the andropause.

Material And Methods: Middle-aged Wistar rats were divided into sham operated (SO; n=8), orchidectomized (Orx; n=8) and vitamin D3-treated orchidectomized (Orx+vit.

Redefining the exact roles and importance of carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque thickness in predicting cardiovascular events.

Objective: The survey aimed to evaluate the precise roles and importance of carotid plaque thickness and carotid intima-media thickness measured in plaque-free areas (PF CC-IMTmean) in future cardiovascular risk prediction.

Material And Methods: 188 respondents between the age of 46 and 87 divided into two groups (I group - 94 respondents without plaques with CIMT measurement and II Group 94 respondents with carotid plaques; 118 men and 70 women; mean age ± SD, 61.80 ± 5.

Presentation, care, coronary intervention and outcomes of patients with NSTEMI according to age: insights from the international prospective ACVC-EAPCI EORP NSTEMI registry.

Background: Older people less frequently receive invasive coronary angiography (ICA) for NSTEMI than younger patients. We describe care, ICA data, and in-hospital and 30-day outcomes of NSTEMI by age in a contemporary and geographically diverse cohort.

Methods: Prospective cohort study including 2947 patients with NSTEMI from 287 centres in 59 countries, stratified by age (≥75 years, n = 761).

Long-term obstetric, perinatal, and surgical complications in singleton pregnancies following previous cesarean myomectomy: a retrospective multicentric study.

Objectives: The safety of cesarean myomectomy has been proven by previous studies. Our study aimed to reveal the long-term perinatal, obstetric, and surgical outcomes of cesarean myomectomy (CM) by comparing different CM techniques.

Material And Methods: This retrospective multicentric case-control study involved 7 hospitals and included 226 singleton pregnancies that underwent repeated cesarean section (CS) between 2015 and 2020.

variants cause a phenotypic spectrum from early-onset Parkinson's disease to perinatal lethality by disrupting mitochondrial pathways.

Dissecting biological pathways highlighted by Mendelian gene discovery has provided critical insights into the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and neurodegeneration. This approach ultimately catalyzes the identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Here, we identify as a new gene implicated in PD and childhood neurodegeneration.

Unique presentation of T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B cell lymphoma complicated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Case report and review of the literature.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, lifethreatening hyperinflammatory disorder characterized by dysfunction of NK cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes. We present a rare case of a patient diagnosed with HLH who presented with persistent fever during treatment for refractory T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (TCHRLBCL), highlighting the challenges of managing HLH in the context of refractory lymphoma. According to our review of the literature, this is the first case of HLH that developed several months into treatment for refractory TCHRLBCL and not in close temporal relation to lymphoma diagnosis.

Hemorrhage in acute promyelocytic leukemia-fibrinolysis in focus.

Coagulopathy continues to be a major challenge in the management of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Novel differentiating agents have led to improved survival in these patients, but perturbations in coagulation continue to have an impact on their prognosis. The most worrisome of coagulation disturbances is bleeding, which is not an uncommon cause of early death in APL.

Systemic Inflammatory Index in Polycythemia Vera and Its Prognostic Implications.

: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and prognostic associations of the systemic inflammatory index (SII) in polycythemia vera (PV) patients. SII integrates information on absolute neutrophil (ANC), lymphocyte (ALC), and platelet counts into one index (calculated as ANCxALC/platelet count) and was previously shown to predict thrombotic and mortality risks in the general population. : A total of 279 PV patients treated in several hematologic centers in Croatia and Serbia was retrospectively evaluated.

Impact of serum chitotriosidase activity on tuberculosis treatment response: single center study from Serbia.

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate serum chitotriosidase level in tuberculosis patients, its relationship with microbiological and clinical parameters, and response to treatment.

Materials And Methods: This longitudinal panel study included 149 patients with confirmed TB disease. Serum chitotriosidase activity was measured at the beginning and the end of treatment.

Medical treatment of acromegaly - When the tumor size matters: A narrative review.

Medical treatment of acromegaly is generally positioned as a second line of treatment after pituitary adenoma surgery. With the rising availability and variety of medications for acromegaly increases our understanding of their effectiveness and safety. Volume of the published data on the impact of medical therapy on biochemical control of acromegaly, contrasts a relative lack of publications which comprehensively address pituitary tumor alterations under different drug modalities.

QT Prolongation Preceding Ventricular Fibrillation After Amiodarone Administration: A Case Report.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common long-term arrhythmia in adults. Rhythm control in patients with AF involves efforts to restore and maintain sinus rhythm and is accomplished by medication, catheter ablation, or electrical cardioversion. Amiodarone represents one of the most commonly used antiarrhythmic medications.

Oxidative stress and galectin-3 levels during skin grafting after hand injury: gender differences.

The study included 40 patients of both genders who underwent skin transplantation after a hand injury. The study aims to evaluate the oxidative stress parameters in patients' blood and serum levels of galectin-3 in order to investigate gender differences pre- and post- skin transplantation. The results of the study suggest a significant increase in superoxide anion radical levels, catalase activity, and reduced glutathione levels in females before skin transplantation.