Articles

Breast cancer associated with type-1 neurofibromatosis is a rare clinical entity. These patients have a higher risk of developing various types of cancers, especially tumors derived from the embryogenic neural crest, such as pheochromocytoma. This publication aims to add to the literature a rare association between Type-1 Neurofibromatosis, breast cancer, and pheochromocytoma.We present a rare case of a 51-year-old Tunisian woman with neurofibromatosis who was diagnosed with breast cancer and pheochromocytoma. The breast tumor was classified as T4b N1M0, and the discovery of the pheochromocytoma was incidental to thoracic-abdominal-pelvic CT. She underwent surgery to remove the adrenal gland and was referred to medical oncologists to receive chemotherapy for her breast cancer. Type-1 Neurofibromatosis disorder is a benign disease but can expose patients to numerous neoplasms. The challenging diagnosis at an early stage can worsen the prognosis and make medical care more difficult.

According to statistical data in Poland, sexual acts of minors account for about 3% of all criminal acts committed by minors and nearly 20% of all acts from the catalogue of crimes against sexual freedom and morality. The main objective of the study was to attempt to develop and present characteristics of minors who commit rape with particular cruelty. Taking into account the way the perpetrators act, the motivational background, and the circumstances of the crime. In particular, attention was paid to specific individual and family characteristics. Because it is not clear whether juvenile sex offenders are different from non-sex offenders. The aim of this article is an attempt to capture individual, family, and environmental differences. The study was also intended to provide information about who the victims are. The study was conducted on the basis of empirical material from court cases in which the basis of liability was Article 197§4 of the Penal Code, and the perpetrators or accomplices of the acts were minors who at the time of the act were over 15 years of age but under 17 years of age. The research material consisted of court case files that had been finally completed, including forensic psychological opinions prepared by court experts. Cases from 2015-2020 were analysed. The obtained results allowed us to capture some specific features of families in which minors were brought up and the characteristics of juvenile sex offenders themselves. This article raises the difficult issue of juvenile responsibility for sexual crimes and indicates areas in which it is necessary to regulate interactions and areas of possible preventive impacts.

The adjusted Hardy-Rogers result generalization for the fixed point is demonstrated in this study, validating our results utilizing an application.

In this review, latex from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree is presented as a material originating from nature, used to produce natural rubber, raw material for countless products for industry, as well as the manufacture of preservatives, and gloves, among others. Nowadays, its potential is expanding into various technological areas, one of which is biomedical, as described in this article. Latex has the possibility of being preserved using ammonium, which is a chemical of high health risk, but nowadays it is being substituted by acid systems excluding traditional chemicals. With these new preservation processes, the prospective use of latex for the design of biosensor scaffolds for drug release, and as membranes that can replace synthetic latex in patches for bioremediation in soft and bone tissues, synthetic muscles, membranes for biological micro laboratories, among others, is being studied to optimize its possibilities.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health problem, and extrapulmonary TB can present with no specific clinical or radiographic findings. Genito-urinary TB is often associated with elevated tumor markers and can be misdiagnosed as ovarian/fallopian tube carcinomas, especially in elderly female patients, as genitourinary TB commonly affects women of reproductive age.Objective: We present a rare case of genito-urinary TB in an elderly female patient who was initially misdiagnosed with ovarian cancer with metastasis.Case presentation: An 83-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes and hypertension presented with complaints of abdominal distension. Diagnostic imaging revealed lesions in the ovaries and omentum and tumor markers were elevated, leading to a suspicion of ovarian cancer with metastases to the omentum. The patient underwent a diagnostic laparotomy and surgical removal of ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the lesion of the greater omentum. However, no malignancy was found during the morphological evaluation. Further histopathological examination confirmed the final diagnosis of genito-urinary tuberculosis, and the patient received anti-TB drugs. The postoperative period was uneventful, and tumor marker levels decreased.Conclusion: As the clinical presentation of genito-urinary TB can mimic ovarian cancer, a histopathological examination should be performed for differential diagnosis, thereby reducing the possibility of inaccurate treatment. This case report highlights the importance of considering genito-urinary TB as a differential diagnosis in elderly female patients presenting with elevated tumor markers, abdominal distension, and suspected genital malignancy. It is crucial to carefully evaluate these cases and explore the possibility of genital TB as an alternative diagnosis, given the overlapping clinical presentation. This highlights the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic approach that includes considering TB in addition to malignancy, even in the context of elderly female patients.

Background: Changes in lung structures persist in stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), but their correlation with the clinical picture remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the stable COPD picture via the relationship between exhaled breath condensate (EBC) particle concentration and the Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and six-minute walking test (6 MWT). Methods: 12 stable COPD and 12 healthy subjects participated in the study. The EBC was collected with Rtube and analyzed using the Accusizer FxNano. Particle concentration was measured and correlated with the findings of the tools used to assess the health status and functional profile of COPD. The results’ analysis was performed with the Spearman’s test and the Mann-Whitney U - test.Results: The COPD group presented a worse picture of health status and functional profile compared to the healthy group. Correlations were observed between components of the SGRQ and CAT. The two groups presented similar levels of EBC particle concentrations, but the number of small particles was higher in COPD subjects. A correlation of the EBC particle concentration with the activity and total score of the SGRQ was only observed in the healthy group. Conclusion: The total particle number was similar in the COPD and healthy groups. A few correlations between the EBC particles and tools used were also observed. The use of EBC particle concentration to monitor COPD status cannot be claimed with confidence because of the small sample size. Further research is necessary, particularly in large-scale groups.

Background: Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the most important grain legume crops in Egypt and many other countries of the world because the seeds offer a low-cost source of protein, lysine, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Chocolate spot disease is a stress-related fungal disease produced by Botrytis fabae that causes plant damage, limits photosynthetic activity, and reduces yield. Results: Trichoderma atroviride greatly reduced mycelial growth by 90.00% in vitro, followed by T. harzianum (86.67%) and T. album (83.89%) on average. In vivo, all studied antagonists dramatically reduced Botrytis fabae disease incidence and severity in both seasons 2021/22 and 2022/23. T. atroviride showed the highest efficacy bioagent (73.55 and 85.15%), followed by T. harzianum (72.55 and 81.22%), in controlling B. fabae of faba bean plants in both seasons. In addition, the results also showed that all tested biological treatments had an impact on yield components and increased levels of chlorophyll, protein%, phenols, flavonoids, Peroxidase (PO), polyphenol Oxidase (PPO), chitinase, and -1, 3-glucanase activities compared to control treatment in both seasons. In this regard, spraying T. atroviride showed the highest efficacy as a bioagent, followed by T. harzianum. Contrary, T. hamatum showed the lowest efficacy compared to other treatments in both seasons. Conclusion: This investigation was carried out to determine the effectiveness of several different antagonists, i.e., T. album, T. atrovirde, T. hamatum, and T. harzianum (30 x 106 spore/ml), Blight Stop, and Bio Zeid, for controlling Botrytis fabae on bean plants and evaluating their effect on yield parameters, components, and quality.

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults often engage in oral sex. However, the factors affecting the development of agreeing with oral sex are not clear enough.Objective: We aimed to assess the degree of agreement with oral sex among high school students and to search for background factors affecting this.Material and method: We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study among 157 females and 38 male high school students over the age of eighteen by using an anonymous, paper-based, multiple-choice, self-administered questionnaire. For statistical analysis, we used descriptive statistics, two-sample t-tests, and Spearman rank correlation. Results: Of the respondents 67.9% were sexually active and 31.6% of them had more than one sexual partner. Of males 97.1% and of females 84.9% agreed with accepting oral sex. Degree of agreement with oral sex was higher in those who had had partnered sexual experience, and in those females who more frequently met close friends outside of school. Most participants were not in a current relationship with a partner, and for those who were, its duration did not affect the degree of accepting oral sex. The degree of agreement with the proficiency in male sexuality, and the degree of agreement with those dimensions of sexuality that most expressed the sexual drive and the desire to gratify it with the partner showed the strongest positive correlation with the degree of agreement with oral sex. In addition, the degree of agreement with the items of expressing sexual openness showed correlations with the degree of accepting oral sex. Conclusion: The degree of agreement with oral sex is high among high school students. Among the factors influencing this, the intensity of meeting friends seems to be important. We therefore recommend that the schools improve sex education in groups, highlighting the risks of oral sex, to reach the target individuals and their friends as well as their potential partners.

Naturalistic enclosures have become a popular exhibition technique for zoos, and reptiles and amphibians are regularly housed in these exhibits. While a considerable sum of research indicates that visitors prefer naturalistic exhibits, there are fewer studies documenting the behaviour and welfare of animals housed under these conditions. This study investigated the impact of a naturalistic enclosure on the behaviour of the turquoise dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi), and the welfare perceptions of visitors. When kept under naturalistic enclosures, dwarf geckos were seen to bask (p = 0.022), and engage in inactive behaviours (p = 0.001) significantly less frequently. A non-significant decrease was also seen in locomotion | (p = 0.074). While time spent hidden remains a confounding factor for behavioural analysis, the study indicates that when provided with hiding opportunities, L. williamsi may spend a considerable amount of time hidden from the public. Questionnaire analysis revealed that 84.6% of individuals believed that naturalistic enclosures demonstrated better welfare. Additionally, individuals who had previously owned a reptile were more likely to identify that areas to hide, enrich, and mimic the natural environment were important aspects of enclosure design. While the actual benefits of naturalistic enclosure design cannot be fully addressed by this study, this work suggests that visitors tend to inherently believe that naturalistic enclosures facilitate better welfare, even if they are not aware of the natural environment of the species being housed. This requires keepers to consider both aspects of functionality and enclosure relevance when designing exhibits for herptiles.

Aim: Kidney stone disease, which can affect people of all ages and whose incidence increases day by day, is becoming a public health problem due to treatment costs. This study aims to determine how factors related to kidney stones affect the diagnosis of the disease when taken together, rather than determining their relationship with the disease one by one.Materials and methods: An open-access dataset containing kidney stone status and associated factors was used in the study. Mann Whitney U test and independent sample t-test were used in data analysis. Logistic regression was performed with the backward variable selection method to determine the factors associated with kidney stones. ROC analysis was used to determine the power of the variables that were significant as a result of logistic regression analysis, individually and together, in discriminating kidney stones.Results: According to the results of logistic regression analysis, gravity, cond, and urea calc variables were found to be associated with kidney stones. With ROC analysis, it can be said that urea, calc, and gravity variables with AUC values above 0.60 can distinguish kidney stones. When the combinations of these variables are examined, the AUC values of the binary combinations are between 0.734 and 0.759, while the AUC value obtained for the triple combination is 0.831.Conclusion: According to the results obtained from the article, it can be said that while the factors associated with the disease and used in the diagnosis have little effect on the diagnosis of the disease alone based on the AUC values obtained from the ROC analysis, it can be said that considering them together increases the accuracy in diagnosis. Therefore, considering the factors thought to be associated with the disease together may be more appropriate in diagnosis and may give more accurate results.