Measuring cardiorespiratory parameters in sleep, using non-contact sensors and the Ballistocardiography technique has received much attention due to the low-cost, unobtrusive, and non-invasive method. Designing a user-friendly, simple-to-use, and easy-to-deployment preserving less error-prone remains open and challenging due to the complex morphology of the signal. In this work, using four forcesensitive resistor sensors, we conducted a study by designing four distributions of sensors, in order to simplify the complexity of the system by identifying the region of interest for heartbeat and respiration measurement. The sensors are deployed under the mattress and attached to the bed frame without any interference with the subjects. The four distributions are combined in two linear horizontal, one linear vertical, and one square, covering the influencing region in cardiorespiratory activities. We recruited 4 subjects and acquired data in four regular sleeping positions, each for a duration of 80 seconds. The signal processing was performed using discrete wavelet transform bior 3.9 and smooth level of 4 as well as bandpass filtering. The results indicate that we have achieved the mean absolute error of 2.35 and 4.34 for respiration and heartbeat, respectively. The results recommend the efficiency of a triangleshaped structure of three sensors for measuring heartbeat and respiration parameters in all four regular sleeping positions.

This study evaluates the effects of non-invasive home telemonitoring methods of managing congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with particular focus on complexity of intervention, patient characteristics, patient severity, and key enabling technologies (KETs) adopted. Our goal was to capture all possible aspects of previously documented outcomes and provide updated and clearer evidence on mixed effects on common themes. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2012 and 6 June 2019, focusing on home telemonitoring of patients with only CHF or CHF coexisting with other chronic disease(s), were retrieved from online resources (PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE(R), Your journals@Ovid, Elsevier, and ClinicalTrials.gov). The snowball sampling method and forward citation tracking on Google Scholar were also adopted to identify additional relevant studies. Retrieved studies were in a language known by the authors (i.e., English, Spanish or Italian). Quality assessment of individual studies for shortcomings in design, management, evaluation, and reporting was done using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool. Variables of interest were synthesized as differences in relative risk (RR), or as weighted mean differences (WMD). Outcomes were assigned as primary or secondary based on a principal judgement of clinical importance, and secondarily on highest recurrent counts in included studies. In all, 28 RCTs involving 10,258 patients were included in the qualitative synthesis, out of which 24 were used for the quantitative synthesis. These studies focused on non-invasive telemonitoring practices for home monitoring of CHF patients, through the deployment of different kinds of electronic/mobile devices, with most having wireless communication capabilities. Moreover, studies focusing on implantable monitoring devices in terms of inputs, data and patient performance were also included. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) ((WMD = -27.75; 95% CI (-53.36, -2.14); p-value = 0.034), rehospitalization/hospitalization for heart failure (RR = 0.88; 95% CI (0.79, 0.98); p-value = 0.015), cardiovascular death/heart failure hospitalization (RR = 0.70; 95% CI (0.51, 0.97); p-value = 0.03), and six minute walk test (6MWT) (WMD = 25.61; 95% CI (9.22, 41.99); p-value = 0.002) significantly improved in the telemonitoring group, while the number of visits to a nurse (WMD = 1.42; 95% CI (0.33, 2.52); p-value = 0.011) increased considerably compared to usual care. Although there were limitations to the evidence provided in this review such as wide variations in certain variables (e.g., sample populations, RoB assessment, telemonitoring tools, follow-up periods), issues with allocation concealment and blinding of participants and personnel, and paucity of data for synthesizing particular outcomes of interest, overall, telemonitoring seems to offer much better results in the treatment of CHF patients compared to usual care. This systematic review and meta-analysis has been retrospectively registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) repository with https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/NDXCP. All data related to this study, including the electronic supplementary data, can be found at this link: osf.io/57q3h.

Introduction: The paper aims to research how the Covid-19 infection affects BPH patients, whether their PSA, prostate volume, residual urine, and quality of life have changed. Additionally, to examine whether any of these variables are a predictive factor for acute urinary retention (AUR). Methodology: The study comprised 80 patients with clinical manifestations of LUTS, an aggravation of previously diagnosed BPH, and who recovered from COVID-19. IPSS, QoL, PSA, prostate volume, and postmicturition residual urine were studied before and after COVID-19. Results: The IPSS score, PSA, prostate volume, and residual urine were signicantly higher after recovering from COVID-19. Additionally, greater IPSS-QoL scores were discovered. Nine patients (mostly older than 60) suffered acute retention during or after the COVID-19 infection. Residual urine was found to be a signicant predictor of AUR. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection is caused by aggravating LUTS symptoms associated with BPH. Consequently, the increase postmicturition residual urine can be considered a predictive factor for the occurrence of AUR

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of resveratrol in combination with cisplatin on the inhibition of tumour angiogenesis, growth, and macrophage polarization in mice bearing the solid form of an Ehrlich ascites tumour (EAT) that were exposed to whole-body hyperthermia treatment. In addition, we investigated whether a multimodal approach with hyperthermia and resveratrol could abolish cisplatin resistance in tumour cells through the modulation of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and levels of heat shock proteins (HSP70/HSP90) and contribute to the direct toxicity of cisplatin on tumour cells. The tumour was induced by injecting 1 × 106 EAT cells subcutaneously (sc) into the thighs of Balb/c mice. The mice were treated with resveratrol per os for five consecutive days beginning on day 2 after tumour injection and/or by injecting cisplatin intraperitoneally (ip) at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg on days 10 and 12 and at a dose of 5 mg/kg on day 15. Immediately thereafter, the mice were exposed to systemic hyperthermia for 15 min at a temperature of 41 °C. The obtained results showed that the administration of resveratrol did not significantly contribute to the antitumour effect of cisplatin and hyperthermia, but it partially contributed to the immunomodulatory effect and to the reduction of cisplatin toxicity and to a slight increase in animal survival. This treatment schedule did not affect microvessel density, but it inhibited tumour growth and modulated macrophage polarization to the M1 phenotype. Furthermore, it abolished the resistance of tumour cells to cisplatin by modulating HDAC activity and the concentration of HSP70 and HSP90 chaperones, contributing to the increased lifespan of mice. However, the precise mechanism of the interaction between resveratrol, cisplatin, and hyperthermia needs to be investigated further.

The main goal of the paper is to examine comprehension of basic emotion and facial expression of children with hearing impairment. The research encompasses a sample of 66 respondents out of which 33 have non-damaged hearing and the remaining 33 respondents have hearing impairment. The age of respondents ranges, in chronological order, from 7 to 15 years. Recognition of emotions and facial expressions is being examined through 4 sets of tasks. The Emotion Recognition Test (ERT) is being used for evaluation, it has been adapted for the purpose of this paper and thereby adjusted for electronic usage via computer and internet. Through statistical processing of given data, following components have been calculated: minimal and maximum values, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, Mann-Whitney U test, curvature test and flattening of distribution curve, t-test. Research results concluded that hearing impairment in children affects, with statistical significance, recognition and comprehension of facial expressions and emotions compared to their peers with no hearing impairment. The results were expected given the hearing condition and the consequences which hearing impairment creates. Children with hearing impairment possess poor vocabulary which affects comprehension of emotions. Statistically significant difference occurs among children with hearing impairments and recognition and comprehension of facial expression and emotions within situational context and isolated facial expressions.Key words: deaf children, comprehension of emotions, emotions of the deaf, facial expressions, hearing impairments.

The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of a multidimensional approach to the contextual assessment of learning abilities in students with cerebral palsy. The paper presents a case study of a nine-year-old student with multiple developmental disabilities (cerebral palsy and additional influencing difficulties) attending a regular primary school with an individual educational program (IEP). In order to determine the measures for individualizing the educational process for the student, the assessment of internal conditions and learning abilities was conducted individually within a daily rehabilitation center, while the environmental conditions were observed within the school setting. The evaluation of the assessment results emphasized the significance of conducting assessments in all relevant contexts, as it was the only way to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the student's level of functioning and the necessary measures for improving her learning and participation.Key words: multidimensional assessment, learning abilities, cerebral palsy

Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don., immortelle, is a plant species used in ethnomedicine and the food industry as a spice added to food, beverages, and bakery products. It has been shown to possess various biological activities, such as antioxidant and antibacterial activity, making it useful as a natural preservative. We investigated the phytochemical profile and biological activity of H. italicum essential oils from wild-grown plant material collected from natural habitats in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a visual investigation of plant organs (stem, leaf, and flower) was performed, confirming the presence of essential oil reservoirs on the surface of all examined plant organs. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation in the Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition of the essential oils was determined using the GC-MS analytical technique. Cytotoxic activity tests were performed in vitro on three cell lines: skin (fibroblast), lung, and breast cancer. Using statistical tools, the synergistic and selective effects of H. italicum essential oil on healthy and tumor cells were correlated to chemical composition and cytotoxic activity. The synergistic and antagonistic effects of H. italicum essential oil’s individual components were simulated by testing pure compounds and their mixture of cytotoxic activity on fibroblasts and breast cancer cells. The results confirm that essential oil’s biological activity is much greater than the sum of the effects of its components. The present data are novel contributions to the body of knowledge on the biological activity of this species used in the food industry.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by rapid proliferation, early dissemination, acquired therapy resistance, and poor prognosis. Early diagnosis of SCLC is crucial since most patients present with advanced/metastatic disease, limiting the potential for curative treatment. While SCLC exhibits initial responsiveness to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, treatment resistance commonly emerges, leading to a five-year overall survival rate of up to 10%. New effective biomarkers, early detection, and advancements in therapeutic strategies are crucial for improving survival rates and reducing the impact of this devastating disease. This review aims to comprehensively summarize current knowledge on diagnostic options, well-known and emerging biomarkers, and SCLC treatment strategies and discuss future perspectives on this aggressive malignancy.

OP-145 and SAAP-148, two 24-mer antimicrobial peptides derived from human cathelicidin LL-37, exhibit killing efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at comparable peptide concentrations. However, when it comes to the killing activity against Escherichia coli, the extent of membrane permeabilization does not align with the observed bactericidal activity. This is the case in living bacteria as well as in model membranes mimicking the E. coli cytoplasmic membrane (CM). In order to understand the killing activity of both peptides on a molecular basis, here we studied their mode of action, employing a combination of microbiological and biophysical techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), zeta potential measurements, and spectroscopic analyses. Various membrane dyes were utilized to monitor the impact of the peptides on bacterial and model membranes. Our findings unveiled distinct binding patterns of the peptides to the bacterial surface and differential permeabilization of the E. coli CM, depending on the smooth or rough/deep-rough lipopolysaccharide (LPS) phenotypes of E. coli strains. Interestingly, the antimicrobial activity and membrane depolarization were not significantly different in the different LPS phenotypes investigated, suggesting a general mechanism that is independent of LPS. Although the peptides exhibited limited permeabilization of E. coli membranes, DSC studies conducted on a mixture of synthetic phosphatidylglycerol/phosphatidylethanolamine/cardiolipin, which mimics the CM of Gram-negative bacteria, clearly demonstrated disruption of lipid chain packing. From these experiments, we conclude that depolarization of the CM and alterations in lipid packing plays a crucial role in the peptides’ bactericidal activity.