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Background/Aim. To date, most of the scientific attention has been aimed at the morphometric analysis of the nephrogenic zone (NZ) of the fetal renal cortex, while the quantification and analysis of the maturation zone (MZ) and other indicators of renal maturity were missing. The aim of the study was to examine the characteristics of fetal kidney cortex maturation, as well as to propose the development of a new cortical maturity index (CMI). Methods. The study included 42 paraffin molds of the fetal kidney, divided into three groups according to gestational age (GA). After hematoxylin and eosin staining, tissue sections were analyzed through the following parameters: the thickness of the NZ and MZ, the renal corpuscles area (RCa) and the glomerular capillary tuft area (GCTa), and the maturation stages of the glomeruli. In addition, a new parameter, CMI, was formed as a ratio of NZ and MZ thickness. The collected data were statistically processed. Results. Changes in NZ and MZ thickness were statistically significant, and they correlated with GA. A value of CMI higher than 0.2 was recorded in the kidney samples of fetuses younger than the 20th gestational week (GW), while a value lower than 0.1 was recorded in the samples older than the 30th GW. With an increase in GA in all zones of the renal cortex, RCa and GCTa decreased. A statistically significant reduction of GCTa was observed in the oldest group in the juxtamedullary and intermediate zones of the cortex (p < 0.01). Glomeruli located in the deeper parts of the cortex were more mature than the superficial ones. Conclusion. The measured parameters can serve as a starting point for future studies that would analyze the histomorphological characteristics of the fetal kidney cortex. In the absence of clinical data, a newly formed parameter CMI can represent assistance with the determination of GA, as it significantly correlates with GA (p < 0.01).

Background: Despite the increased use of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in recent years, there remains a lack of research on in-hospital mortality rates following the procedure, the primary factors influencing these rates, and the potential for predicting them. This study aimed to utilize interpretable machine learning (ML) to help clarify these uncertainties. Methods: This retrospective study involved patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO)-related ischemic stroke who underwent MT. The patient division was made into two groups: (I) the in-hospital death group, referred to as miserable outcome, and (II) the in-hospital survival group, or favorable outcome. Python 3.10.9 was utilized to develop the machine learning models, which consisted of two types based on input features: (I) the Pre-MT model, incorporating baseline features, and (II) the Post-MT model, which included both baseline and MT-related features. After a feature selection process, the models were trained, internally evaluated, and tested, after which interpretation frameworks were employed to clarify the decision-making processes. Results: This study included 602 patients with a median age of 76 years (interquartile range (IQR) 65–83), out of which 54% (n = 328) were female, and 22% (n = 133) had miserable outcomes. Selected baseline features were age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) value, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), international normalized ratio (INR), the type of the affected vessel ('Vessel type'), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), baseline glycemia, and premorbid modified Rankin scale (pre-mRS). The highest odds ratio of 4.504 was observed with the presence of peripheral arterial disease (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.120–9.569). The Pre-MT model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) value of around 79% utilizing these features, and the interpretable framework discovered the baseline NIHSS value as the most influential factor. In the second data set, selected features were the same, excluding pre-mRS and including puncture-to-procedure-end time (PET) and onset-to-puncture time (OPT). The AUC value of the Post-MT model was around 84% with age being the highest-ranked feature. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the moderate to strong effectiveness of interpretable machine learning models in predicting in-hospital mortality following mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke, with AUCs of 0.792 for the Pre-MT model and 0.837 for the Post-MT model. Key predictors included patient age, baseline NIHSS, NLR, INR, occluded vessel type, PAD, baseline glycemia, pre-mRS, PET, and OPT. These findings provide valuable insights into risk factors and could improve post-procedural patient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: as a relatively high number of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients develop major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), our aim was to determine the significance, and possible predictive value of QRS complex width and ST-segment elevation. Methods: our patient sample included 200 PCI-treated STEMI patients, which were divided into two groups based on the following duration of symptoms: (I) less than 6 h, and (II) 6 to 12 h. For every patient, an ECG was performed at six different time points, patients were followed for up to six years for the occurrence of MACE. Results: the mean age was 60.6 ± 11.39 years, and 142 (71%) were male. The 6–12 h group had significantly wider QRS complex, higher ST-segment elevation, lower prevalence of ST-segment resolution as well as MACE prevalence (p < 0.05). ECG parameters, QRS width, and magnitude of ST-segment elevation were proved to be independent significant predictors of MACE in all measured time points (p < 0.05). Even after controlling for biomarkers of myocardial injury, these ECG parameters remained statistically significant predictors of MACE (p < 0.05). Conclusion: our study highlights that wider QRS complex and a more pronounced ST-segment elevation are associated with longer total ischemic time and higher risk of long-term MACE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. To date, most of the scientific attention has been aimed at the morphometric analysis of the nephrogenic zone (NZ) of the fetal renal cortex, while the quantification and analysis of the maturation zone (MZ) and other indicators of renal maturity were missing. The aim of the study was to examine the characteristics of fetal kidney cortex maturation, as well as to propose the development of a new cortical maturity index (CMI). Methods. The study included 42 paraffin molds of the fetal kidney, divided into three groups according to gestational age (GA). After hematoxylin and eosin staining, tissue sections were analyzed through the following parameters: the thickness of the NZ and MZ, the renal corpuscles area (RCa) and the glomerular capillary tuft area (GCTa), and the maturation stages of the glomeruli. In addition, a new parameter, CMI, was formed as a ratio of NZ and MZ thickness. The collected data were statistically processed. Results. Changes in NZ and MZ thickness were statistically significant, and they correlated with GA. A value of CMI higher than 0.2 was recorded in the kidney samples of fetuses younger than the 20th gestational week (GW), while a value lower than 0.1 was recorded in the samples older than the 30th GW. With an increase in GA in all zones of the renal cortex, RCa and GCTa decreased. A statistically significant reduction of GCTa was observed in the oldest group in the juxtamedullary and intermediate zones of the cortex (p < 0.01). Glomeruli located in the deeper parts of the cortex were more mature than the superficial ones. Conclusion. The measured parameters can serve as a starting point for future studies that would analyze the histomorphological characteristics of the fetal kidney cortex. In the absence of clinical data, a newly formed parameter CMI can represent assistance with the determination of GA, as it significantly correlates with GA (p < 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our Science Club was founded to gather students in order to involve them in scientific research work. This lecture aims to present our experience in students’ scientific research works. We would like to present our solutions when it comes to the popularization of science among students and the way we organize activities both at our faculty and at the national level. We will get closer to the work, the structure of the organizing committee, and the way of establishing communication with the teaching council. As multidisciplinarityis the golden standard of any recognized research, we will try to present the cooperation we have achieved with other organizations within the entire University. To spread scientific thought among colleagues, we try to regularly organize an educational program that goes beyond the standard curriculum and program framework, therefore we invite experts with experience in writing and presenting scientific papers to bring students closer to the process of research. Since research has no value until it sees the light of day, this year we are organizing invited lectures by some of the most cited medical workers, with publications in the most prestigious journals. A majority of our work involves the organization of the Congress of students of the Faculty of Medicine as well as the National ongress of students of biomedical sciences with international participation, and through this lecture, we will share our experiences when it comes to the management of such large and demanding events. As learning through examples is an effective form of learning, through the example of one of the awarded papers from last year’s National Congress, we will present the results of research on the topic of Morphological and functional characteristics of the left atrium in women in the generative period with arterial hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic heart disease most commonly occurs as a result of atherosclerotic changes in the coronary vessels. An acute form of coronary artery disease is ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The duration of QRS complex is one of the ECG parameters whose change in dynamics can indicate the success of PCI as well as the size of the infarct zone. Aim: Evaluation of the width of QRS complex as a predictor of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in 6 years long follow up. Material and Methods: This study included 200 patients with STEMI. Based on the duration of discomfort two groups were formed (N=100). The duration of the QRS complex was correlated with the duration of discomfort and occurrence of MACE. Results: The survey included 71% of men and 29% of women with an average age of 60.6 ± 11.39. All-cause mortality was 12% (8% cardiovascular, 4% other). MACE occurred in 24.6% of patients. QRS complex width one hour after PCI affects MACE (p<0.025; OR=1.027). The average number of days until cardiovascular death is lower in group B (2187 vs. 2469; p<0.012). ROC analysis showed that the width of QRS complex one hour after PCI is a predictor of MACE (p=0.014; AUC=0.612; cut-off=99.0 msec). The sensitivity is 53.4%, and the specificity is 61.9%. Same parameter has a predictive value for cardiovascular death (p=0.041; AUC= 0.665; cut-off= 99.0 msec), with a sensitivity of 64.3% and specificity of 60.1%. Conclusion: The width of the QRS complex is an independent predictor of MACE. Broadering of QRS complex by one millisecond, one hour after PCI, increases the risk of MACE by 3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]