Timely-automatic procedure for estimating the endocardial limits of the left ventricle assessed echocardiographically in clinical practice

In this paper, we propose an analytical rapid method to estimate the endocardial borders of the left ventricular walls on echocardiographic images for prospective clinical integration. The procedure was created as a diagnostic support tool for the clinician and it is based on the use of the anisotropic generalized Hough transform. Its application is guided by a Gabor-like filtering for the approximate delimitation of the region of interest without the need for computing further anatomical characteristics. The algorithm is applying directly a deformable template on the predetermined filtered region and therefore it is responsive and straightforward implementable. For accuracy considerations, we have employed a support vector machine classifier to determine the confidence level of the automated marking. The clinical tests were performed at the Cardiology Clinic of the County Emergency Hospital Timisoara and they improved the physicians perception in more than 50% of the cases. The report is concluded with medical discussions.European Union (UE)Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO). Españ

A characterization of four B16 murine melanoma cell sublines molecular fingerprint and proliferation behavior

Background: One of the most popular and versatile model of murine melanoma is by inoculating B16 cells in the syngeneic C57BL6J mouse strain. A characterization of different B16 modified cell sub-lines will be of real practical interest. For this aim, modern analytical tools like surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy/scattering (SERS) and MTT were employed to characterize both chemical composition and proliferation behavior of the selected cells. Methods: High quality SERS signal was recorded from each of the four types of B16 cell sub-lines: B164A5, B16GMCSF, B16FLT3, B16F10, in order to observe the differences between a parent cell line (B164A5) and other derived B16 cell sub-lines. Cells were incubated with silver nanoparticles of 50–100 nm diameter and the nanoparticles uptake inside the cells cytoplasm was proved by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. In order to characterize proliferation, growth curves of the four B16 cell lines, using different cell numbers and FCS concentration were obtained employing the MTT proliferation assay. For correlations doubling time were calculated. Results: SERS bands allowed the identification inside the cells of the main bio-molecular components such as: proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. An "on and off" SERS effect was constantly present, which may be explained in terms of the employed laser power, as well as the possible different orientations of the adsorbed species in the cells in respect to the Ag nanoparticles. MTT results showed that among the four tested cell sub-lines B16 F10 is the most proliferative and B164A5 has the lower growth capacity. Regarding B16FLT3 cells and B16GMCSF cells, they present proliferation ability in between with slight slower potency for B16GMCSF cells. Conclusion: Molecular fingerprint and proliferation behavior of four B16 melanoma cell sub-lines were elucidated by associating SERS investigations with MTT proliferation assay

ISO 37001 - A Global Anti Bribery Standard

ISO certification is a recognition of the fact that an organization meets international standards in its field of activity. The anti-bribery management system, recommended by the ISO 37001/2016 standard, is designed to help organizations in the fight against corruption, and to build a culture of integrity and transparency aimed at reducing the incidence of bribery in organizations. Starting from the premise that a company's commitment to exemplary ethical principles in business is a critical element of any successful organization with an appreciated image, the present paper has purpose of highlighting the role played by the implementation of the anti-bribery standard in the company's strategy, as well as the benefits that are generated by its application. Ethical practices in business through the ISO 37001 certification also involve going through some stages that will be detailed and taking also into account the action of influential factors in gaining the trust of business partners, authorities and clients

Markers of increased risk of death in polytrauma patients with associated chest trauma

Introduction. Polytrauma patients represent one of the most difficult pathology. Therefore, developing methods of assessing the risk of death in these patients is a continuous challenge for physicians. The aim of the study was to evaluate the levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) and troponin, as markers of increased risk of death in the first 24 hours after admission, in polytrauma patients with associated chest trauma. Material and methods. The study included 33 polytrauma patients treated in the Emergency Department of the County Clinical Emergency Hospital Constanta, Romania, between 2014-2017. In all these patients, clinical evaluation and paraclinical investigations have been performed, including measurements of CK-MB levels. The results of the study suggest that CK-MB does not offer additional information for the risk of death in these patients, while in the case of troponin, higher values were observed in patients that didn’t survive after 24 hours. Conclusions. The results of our study suggest that troponin values may be useful in identifying the increased risk of death in polytrauma patients

Regulation of cellular sterol homeostasis by the oxygen responsive noncoding RNA lincNORS

We hereby provide the initial portrait of lincNORS, a spliced lincRNA generated by the MIR193BHG locus, entirely distinct from the previously described miR-193b-365a tandem. While inducible by low O2 in a variety of cells and associated with hypoxia in vivo, our studies show that lincNORS is subject to multiple regulatory inputs, including estrogen signals. Biochemically, this lincRNA fine-tunes cellular sterol/steroid biosynthesis by repressing the expression of multiple pathway components. Mechanistically, the function of lincNORS requires the presence of RALY, an RNA-binding protein recently found to be implicated in cholesterol homeostasis. We also noticed the proximity between this locus and naturally occurring genetic variations highly significant for sterol/steroid-related phenotypes, in particular the age of sexual maturation. An integrative analysis of these variants provided a more formal link between these phenotypes and lincNORS, further strengthening the case for its biological relevance

Dysfunkcja śródbłonka u chorych z niedoczynnością przytarczyc

Background: It is well known that hypothyroidism promotes the premature onset of subclinical atherosclerosis. This condition is defined by endothelial dysfunction (ED) and increased arterial stiffness (AS) and leads to augmentation of peripheral vascular resistance. Aim: To assess the presence and severity of ED and to follow its evolution under therapy in three groups of hypothyroid patients, we used three different noninvasive methods: carotidian intima–media thickness (IMT), flow mediated vasodilatation (FMD), and AS. Methods: The study group consisted of 56 young, hypothyroid women without associated cardiovascular pathology or risk factors for atherosclerosis. We selected our patients in order to have normal IMT (< 0.9 mm) and assessed the basal diameter of the brachial artery and the alterations of FMD and of AS parameters: pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx). Results: We found, in all patients, a reduced basal diameter of brachial artery, pathological patterns of FMD, and increased values of PWV and AIx, compared to controls, in relation with the severity of thyroid dysfunction. We documented an improvement of ED after therapy with L-thyroxin. Conclusions: ED, documented in hypothyroid patients by means of three noninvasively methods, was strongly related to the severity of thyroid disease. We detected, in all three subgroups, significant alterations of FMD and AS, even in the absence of structural changes, documented by a normal IMT. ED improved consistently after restoring the euthyroid state.  Wstęp: Powszechnie wiadomo, że niedoczynność tarczycy przyczynia się do przedwczesnego rozwoju bezobjawowej miażdżycy. To zaburzenie, definiowane jako dysfunkcja śródbłonka (ED) i zwiększenie sztywności tętnic (AS), prowadzi do wzrostu obwodowego oporu naczyniowego. Cel: Badanie przeprowadzono w celu oceny obecności i nasilenia ED oraz obserwowania jego ewolucji w trakcie leczenia w trzech grupach chorych z niedoczynnością tarczycy. Zastosowano trzy różne nieinwazyjne metody: pomiary grubości kompleksu błony środkowej i wewnętrznej tętnicy szyjnej (IMT), zależnego od przepływu rozszerzenia naczyń (FMD) oraz AS. Metody: Badana grupa obejmowała 56 młodych kobiet z niedoczynnością tarczycy, u których nie występowały powiązane choroby sercowo-naczyniowe ani czynniki ryzyka miażdżycy. Wybrano pacjentki z prawidłowymi wartościami IMT (< 0,9 mm) i oceniono wyjściową średnicę tętnicy ramiennej, zmiany FMD i parametry AS: szybkość fali tętna (PWV) oraz wskaźnik wzmocnienia (AIx). Wyniki: U wszystkich chorych stwierdzono obniżoną średnicę wyjściową tętnicy ramiennej, patologiczne FMD i zwiększone wartości PWV oraz AIx w porównaniu z osobami z grupy kontrolnej. Te zmiany wiązały się z nasileniem dysfunkcji tarczycy. Wykazano poprawę w zakresie czynności śródbłonka po leczeniu L-tyroksyną. Wnioski: Dysfunkcja śródbłonka, potwierdzona u chorych z niedoczynnością tarczycy za pomocą trzech nieinwazyjnych metod badania, była silnie związana ze stopniem ciężkości choroby tarczycy. We wszystkich trzech podgrupach stwierdzono istotne zmiany FMD i AS, nawet w przypadku niewystępowania zmian strukturalnych (prawidłowy wynik pomiaru IMT). Po przywróceniu stanu eutyreozy następowała wyraźna poprawa czynności śródbłonka.

Increased Susceptibility for Thromboembolic Events versus High Bleeding Risk Associated with COVID-19

The infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is associated with numerous systemic involvements. Besides the severe respiratory injuries and cardiovascular complications, it became obvious early on that this disease carries an increased risk of thromboembolic events, but a higher propensity for bleedings as well. We researched the medical literature over significant PubMed published articles debating on the prevalence, category of patients, the moment of occurrence, and evolution of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but also of venous and arterial “in situ” thrombosis (AT), and hemorrhagic events as well. Most researchers agree on an increased prevalence of thromboembolic events, ranging between 25 and 31% for VTE, depending on the analyzed population. For AT and hemorrhagic complications lower rates were reported, namely, about 2–3%, respectively, between 4.8 and 8%, occurring mostly in older patients, suffering from moderate/severe forms of COVID-19, with associated comorbidities. It is important to mention that patients suffering from hemorrhages frequently received thromboprophylaxis with anticoagulant drugs. As a consequence of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications which are both important negative prognostic factors, the evolution of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is aggravated, determining an augmented morbidity and mortality of this population