PURPOSE: TACE induces variable systemic effects by producing factors that promote inflammation, oncogenesis, and angiogenesis. Here we compare concentrations of microRNAs (miR-21, miR-210 and miR-34a) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing TACE with degradable (DSM) and nondegradable (DEB) particles and potential use of these biomarker changes for prediction of patient outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 52 patients with HCC treated with DSM TACE (24 patients) and DEB TACE (28 patients) were included in this prospective study. Concentrations of studied biomarkers were measured from blood plasma preprocedurally, immediately (< 90 min) postprocedurally, and 24-h after TACE. Levels were compared between DSM and DEB TACE and correlated with treatment response six and 12 months after the first TACE. RESULTS: Both DSM and DEB TACE elevated plasma levels of miR-21, miR-34a, and miR-210 at 24 h post-procedure compared to baseline levels (FC 1.25-4.0). MiR-34a elevation immediately after TACE was significantly associated with nonprogressive disease compared to those with progressive disease at both six months (FCa: p = 0.014) and 12 months (FCa: p = 0.029) post-TACE. No significant biomarker changes were found between the embolization particle groups. However, VEGF levels showed a decrease only in the DSM TACE group (FC24: p = < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Embolization particle type did not significantly impact miRNA or VEGF changes post-TACE. However, miR-34a elevation immediately after the procedure predicts better patient outcome and may prove useful as a biomarkers for the monitoring of clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3 Prospective cohort study.

• MeSH
• biologické markery krev   MeSH
• chemoembolizace * metody   MeSH
• hepatocelulární karcinom * terapie   krev   genetika   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikro RNA * krev   MeSH
• nádorové biomarkery * krev   MeSH
• nádory jater * terapie   genetika   krev   MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• vaskulární endoteliální růstový faktor A * krev   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: To predict worsening heart failure hospitalizations (WHFHs), the HeartInsight multiparametric algorithm calculates a heart failure (HF) Score based on temporal trends of physiologic parameters obtained through automatic daily remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). OBJECTIVE: We studied the association of the baseline HF Score, determined at algorithm activation, with long-term patient outcomes. METHODS: Data from 9 clinical trials were pooled, including 1841 ICD patients with a preimplantation ejection fraction ≤35%, New York Heart Association class II/III, and no long-standing atrial fibrillation. The primary end point was a composite of death or WHFH. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 631 days (interquartile range, 385-865 days), there were 243 WHFHs in 173 patients (9.4%) and 122 deaths (6.6%), 52 of which (42.6%) were cardiovascular. The primary end point occurred in 265 patients (14.4%). A multivariable time-to-first-event analysis showed that a high baseline HF Score (>23, as determined by a time-dependent receiver operating characteristics curve analysis) was significantly associated with the occurrence of the primary end point (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-2.71; P < .0001), all-cause death (HR, 2.37; CI, 1.56-3.58; P < .0001), cardiovascular death (HR, 2.19; CI, 1.14-4.22; P = .019), and WHFH (HR, 1.91; CI, 1.35-2.71; P = .0003). In a hierarchical event analysis of all-cause death as the outcome with highest priority and WHFHs as repeated event outcomes, the win ratio was 2.47 (CI, 1.89-3.24; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Based on a retrospective analysis of clinical trial data with adjudicated events, baseline HF Score derived from device-monitored variables was able to stratify patients at higher long-term risk of death or WHFH.

• MeSH
• algoritmy MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• defibrilátory implantabilní * MeSH
• klinické zkoušky jako téma MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• následné studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• srdeční selhání * terapie   patofyziologie   mortalita   MeSH
• technologie dálkového snímání metody   MeSH
• tepový objem fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Úvod: Záměrem studie bylo zhodnotit vliv tetrapolární aplikace středofrekvenčních proudů (izoplanárního vektorového pole) v oblasti hrudní páteře na kardiální autonomní nervový systém pomocí vybraných spektrálních a časových ukazatelů variability srdeční frekvence (VSF) u zdravých probandů. Metody: Ve studii byla využita metoda spektrální analýzy variability srdeční frekvence v krátkodobých záznamech. Jednalo se o komparativní studii. Výzkumný soubor se skládal z 11 zdravých jedinců – 6 mužů a 5 žen ve věku 22 až 26 let (průměrný věk byl 24,1 let; SD ±0,7). Kontrolní skupinu tvořilo 12 zdravých jedinců – 3 muži a 9 žen ve věku 22 až 26 let (průměrný věk byl 23,5 let; SD ±0,9). Výsledky: Při porovnání jednotlivých parametrů variability srdeční frekvence v pozici leh 2 (druhý leh před aplikací izoplanárního vektorového pole) a leh 4 (druhý leh po aplikaci izoplanárního vektorového) pole došlo k signifikantnímu vzestupu hodnoty parametru MSSD (p = 0,04). U kontrolní skupiny došlo k signifikantnímu vzestupu hodnoty parametru R-R intervaly (p = 0,003). Závěr: Výsledky studie prokázaly pouze velmi malý vliv středofrekvenčních proudů na kardiální autonomní nervový systém (ANS).

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of tetrapolar application of medium frequency currents (isoplanar vector field) in the thoracic spine area on the cardiac autonomic nervous system evaluated using the selected spectral and temporal indicators of heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy probands. Methods: The study used the method of spectral analysis of heart rate variability in short-term recordings. The experimental group consisted of 11 healthy individuals, 6 males and 5 females, aged 22 to 26 years (mean age 24.1 years; SD ±0.7). The control group consisted of 12 healthy individuals, 3 males and 9 females, aged 22 to 26 years (mean age 23.5 years; SD ±0.9). Results: When comparing the individual parameters of heart rate variability in the position of supine 2 (the second supine before the application of the isoplanar vector field) and supine 4 (the second supine after the application of the isoplanar vector field), there was a significant increase in the value of the MSSD parameter (P = 0.04). In the control group, there was a significant increase in the value of the R-R interval parameter (P = 0.003). Conclusion: The results of the study showed only a very small effect of tetrapolar application of medium frequency currents on the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS).

• Klíčová slova
• variabilita srdeční frekvence, středofrekvenční proudy,
• MeSH
• autonomní nervový systém * MeSH
• elektrostimulační terapie * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• spektrální analýza MeSH
• srdeční frekvence * MeSH
• výzkum MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH

BACKGROUND: Understanding the temporal variability of the microbiome is critical for translating associations of the microbiome with health and disease into clinical practice. The aim of this study is to assess the extent of temporal variability of the human urinary microbiota. A pair of urine samples were collected from study participants at 3-40-month interval. DNA was extracted and the bacterial V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The alpha diversity of paired samples was analyzed using Chao1 and Shannon indices and PERMANOVA was used to test the factors influencing beta diversity. RESULTS: A total of 63 participants (43 men and 20 women with a mean age of 63.0 and 57.1 years, respectively) were included in the final analysis. An average of 152 ± 128 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in each urine sample from the entire cohort. There was an average of 41 ± 32 overlapping OTUs in each sample pair, accounting for 66.3 ± 29.4% of the relative abundance. There was a clear correlation between the number of overlapping OTUs and the relative abundance covered. The difference in Chao1 index between paired samples was statistically significant; the difference in Shannon index was not. Beta diversity did not differ significantly within the paired samples. Neither age nor sex of the participants influenced the variation in community composition. With a longer interval between the collections, the relative abundance covered by the overlapping OTUs changed significantly but not the number of OTUs. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that, while the relative abundance of dominant bacteria varied, repeated collections generally shared more than 60% of the bacterial community. Furthermore, we observed little variation in the alpha and beta diversity of the microbial community in human urine. These results help to understand the dynamics of human urinary microbiota and enable interpretation of future studies.

• MeSH
• Bacteria * klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• DNA bakterií genetika   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikrobiota * genetika   MeSH
• moč * mikrobiologie   MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 16S genetika   MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• pozorovací studie MeSH

The selection of proper reference genes and materials is critical in the design of PCR experiments, especially for differential expression studies. In this study, we propose a method to identify robust endogenous control miRNAs in the visceral adipose tissue of C57BL/6J mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease induced by alternating Western and control diets. This study outlines a comprehensive methodology for the analysis of microRNA endogenous controls using microfluidic cards in conjunction with miRNA profiling through small RNA sequencing and subsequent validation by quantitative PCR and the RefFinder algorithm. Criteria included were fold change, p-value, reads per million, and gene stability assessment. A set of six putative endogenous microRNAs was identified (miR-331-3p, let-7a-5p, miR-1839-5p, miR-151a-5p, let-7d-5p, and let-7c-5p). Subsequent validation and analysis using the RefFinder algorithm assessed the stability of the selected genes, and a combination of the three most stable endogenous miRNA controls (miR-331-3p, let-7a- 5p, and miR-1839-5p) exhibiting consistent expression patterns with minimal variability was set. Given the absence of universal endogenous controls, individual evaluation of normalizers for each experiment is imperative for accurate miRNA expression measurements. This approach, which combines multiple techniques and assessments, provides a reliable strategy for identifying and validating endogenous controls in miRNA studies.

• MeSH
• algoritmy MeSH
• mikro RNA * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech * MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nealkoholová steatóza jater * genetika   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• nitrobřišní tuk * metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese metody   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Data on the presentation of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) in children have been based on small/regional cohorts and practices regarding both asymptomatic screening in minors and genetic testing differ greatly between countries. To provide a global perspective, we analyzed over 2100 children and adolescents with ADPKD from 32 countries in six World Health Organization regions: 1060 children from the multi-national ADPedKD registry were compared to 269 pediatric patients from the United Kingdom (RaDaR) and 825 from the European Rare Kidney Disease Registry (ERKReg). Asymptomatic family screening was a common mode of presentation (48% in ADPedKD, 62% in ERKReg) with broad international variability (19%-75%), but fairly stable temporal trends in both registries with no correlation to genetic testing. The national rates of genetic testing varied and correlated significantly with healthcare expenditure (odds ratio 1.030 per 100 United States Dollars/capita/year, in the ERKReg cohort), with little variation over time. Diagnosis due to prenatal abnormalities was more common than anticipated at 14% increasing steadily from 2000 onward in both registries. Realistically, a high proportion of children were diagnosed with ADPKD by active screening, underlining that families affected by ADPKD have a high need for counselling on the complex issues around presymptomatic diagnosis. Regional variations in rate of genetic testing appeared to be driven by economic factors. However, large differences in rate of active screening were not correlated to healthcare spending and probably reflect the influence of different of cultural, legal and ethical frameworks on families and clinicians in different healthcare systems.

• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• genetické testování statistika a číselné údaje   ekonomika   MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• polycystické ledviny autozomálně dominantní * diagnóza   epidemiologie   genetika   ekonomika   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• prenatální diagnóza MeSH
• registrace MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH
• Spojené království MeSH

The human mind, trying to perceive events coherently, creates the illusion of continuous time passage. Empirical evidence suggests distortions in subjectively perceived time flow associated with well-studied neural responses to sensory stimuli. This study aimed to investigate whether visually uncomfortable patterns, causing exceptionally strong brain activation, affect short time estimates and whether these estimates vary based on the overall reported sensory sensitivity and cortical excitability of individuals. Two experiments in virtual reality testing our assumptions at different levels of complexity of timed stimuli provided initial insight into the studied processes in highly controlled and realistic conditions. Data analysis results did not support our hypotheses, but showed that subjectively most visually uncomfortable simple patterns, i.e., achromatic gratings, cause more variable temporal judgments. Supposedly, this inaccuracy depends on the currently perceived visual comfort and thus the current visual system sensitivity, which cannot be satisfactorily derived from trait-based measures. The exploration of the effect of complex stimuli, i.e., virtual exteriors, suggested that their visual comfort does not affect time perception at all. Biological sex was an important variable across experiments, as males experienced temporal compression of stimuli compared to females. Neuroimaging research is needed for a deeper investigation of the origin of these results.Protocol registration: The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this Registered Report was in-principle accepted on 4 March 2024 prior to data collection for hypothesis testing. The accepted version of the manuscript can be found in the publicly available OSF repository at https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/K3YZE .

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mozek fyziologie   diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• světelná stimulace metody   MeSH
• virtuální realita MeSH
• vnímání času * fyziologie   MeSH
• zraková percepce * fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Children in agricultural areas are exposed to organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid (PYR) insecticides. This explorative study investigated child exposure to OPs and PYRs, comparing temporal and spatial exposure variability within and among urine, wristbands, and dust samples. METHODS: During spraying season 2018, 38 South African children in two agricultural areas (Grabouw/Hex River Valley) and settings (farm/village) participated in a seven-day study. Child urine and household dust samples were collected on days 1 and 7. Children and their guardians were wearing silicone wristbands for seven days. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) evaluated temporal agreements between repeated urine and dust samples, Spearman rank correlations (Rs) evaluated the correlations among matrices, and linear mixed-effect models investigated spatial exposure predictors. A risk assessment was performed using reverse dosimetry. RESULTS: Eighteen OPs/PYRs were targeted in urine, wristbands, and dust. Levels of chlorpyrifos in dust (ICC = 0.92) and diethylphosphate biomarker in urine (ICC = 0.42) showed strong and moderate temporal agreement between day 1 and day 7, respectively. Weak agreements were observed for all others. There was mostly a weak correlation among the three matrices (Rs = -0.12 to 0.35), except for chlorpyrifos in dust and its biomarker 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol in urine (Rs = 0.44). No differences in exposure levels between living locations were observed. However, 21% of the urine biomarker levels exceeded the health-risk threshold for OP exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Observed high short-term variability in exposure levels during spraying season highlights the need for repeated sampling. The weak correlation between the exposure matrices points to different environmental and behavioral exposure pathways. Exceeding risk thresholds for OP should be further investigated.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Mobile Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is increasingly used to gather intensive, longitudinal data on behavioral nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behavior and their underlying determinants. However, a relevant concern is the risk of non-random non-compliance with mobile EMA protocols, especially in older adults. This study aimed to examine older adults' compliance with mobile EMA in health behavior studies according to participant characteristics, and prompt timing, and to provide recommendations for future EMA research. METHODS: Data of four intensive longitudinal observational studies employing mobile EMA to understand health behavior, involving 271 community-dwelling older adults (M = 71.8 years, SD = 6.8; 52% female) in Flanders, were pooled. EMA questionnaires were prompted by a smartphone application during specific time slots or events. Data on compliance (i.e. information whether a participant answered at least one item following the prompt), time slot (morning, afternoon or evening) and day (week or weekend day) of each prompt were extracted from the EMA applications. Participant characteristics, including demographics, body mass index, and smartphone ownership, were collected via self-report. Descriptive statistics of compliance were computed, and logistic mixed models were run to examine inter- and intrapersonal variability in compliance. RESULTS: EMA compliance averaged 77.5%, varying from 70.0 to 86.1% across studies. Compliance differed among subgroups and throughout the day. Age was associated with lower compliance (OR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.93-0.99), while marital/cohabiting status and smartphone ownership were associated with higher compliance (OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.21-2.77, and OR = 4.43, 95%CI = 2.22-8.83, respectively). Compliance was lower in the evening than in the morning (OR = 0.82, 95%CI = 0.69-0.97), indicating non-random patterns that could impact study validity. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study shed light on the complexities surrounding compliance with mobile EMA protocols among older adults in health behavior studies. Our analysis revealed that non-compliance within our pooled dataset was not completely random. This non-randomness could introduce bias into study findings, potentially compromising the validity of research findings. To address these challenges, we recommend adopting tailored approaches that take into account individual characteristics and temporal dynamics. Additionally, the utilization of Directed Acyclic Graphs, and advanced statistical techniques can help mitigate the impact of non-compliance on study validity.

• MeSH
• adherence pacienta * MeSH
• chytrý telefon MeSH
• cvičení * MeSH
• index tělesné hmotnosti MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• longitudinální studie MeSH
• mobilní aplikace MeSH
• okamžité posouzení v přirozeném prostředí * MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• sedavý životní styl MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• zdravé chování * MeSH
• zpráva o sobě MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Aim: Today, there is a lack of research studies concerning human acute exposure to nanoparticles (NPs). Our investigation aimed to simulate real-world acute inhalation exposure to NPs released during work with dental nanocomposites in a dental office or technician laboratory. Methods: Blood samples from female volunteers were processed before and after inhalation exposure. Transcriptomic mRNA and miRNA expression changes were analyzed. Results: We detected large interindividual variability, 90 significantly deregulated mRNAs, and 4 miRNAs when samples of participants before and after dental nanocomposite grinding were compared. Conclusion: The results suggest that inhaled dental NPs may present an occupational hazard to human health, as indicated by the changes in the processes related to oxidative stress, synthesis of eicosanoids, and cell division.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• inhalační expozice * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• messenger RNA genetika   MeSH
• mikro RNA * genetika   MeSH
• nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• nanokompozity * chemie   MeSH
• oxidační stres účinky léků   MeSH
• pracovní expozice škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• transkriptom * účinky léků   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH