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Signs, including pictograms, present in public space are intended to enforce a specific behavior. Due to their simplicity and unambiguity of the message, they can be an effective tool of public healthcare. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge referred to the meaning of the sign prohibiting alcohol consumption during pregnancy among first-year medical students who do not have vast knowledge at present level in this field. The study was conducted among academic youth in Poland, and assumed a 5% risk of error, hence, for p <0.05 the differences were considered statistically significant. Out of the total number, there were 1,123 questionnaire forms correctly completed and these were further selected for the final analysis, which comprised of 751 by women and 372 by men. Among the respondents, over 92% properly recognized the sign warning against the use of alcohol during pregnancy. Moreover, more than 45% declared previous contact with this sign and above 53% claimed that they already had knowledge of the sing’s meaning. The graphic form of the sign allows for its correct interpretation, thus products which may become harmful especially to pregnant women and fetus can be clearly and legibly marked.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to summarize the results of previous studies, standardize the data, and present new statistical results in order to provide physicians with clinically significant outcomes regarding the association between serum TSH concentration and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods: To perform this umbrella review, a systematic search was conducted in which major online medical databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, were searched for meta-analyses and systematic reviews regarding the effect of TSH on BMD. Furthermore, all primary studies were screened for statistical analysis. Results: The statistical outcomes of the present study were based on the data of 75,898 patients. The pooled risk ratio of any kind of fracture in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism was estimated to be 1.36 (95% CI: 1.18—1.56; p&lt; 0.001). The SMD for BMD in the distal radius in male patients receiving L-thyroxine suppression therapy was estimated to be -0.61 (95% CI: -1.10—(-0.11); p= 0.02). Furthermore, the pooled risk ratio of any fracture in patients receiving L-thyroxine suppression therapy was estimated to be 1.98 (95% CI: 0.98 – 3.98; p= 0.06). In these patients, the BMD may significantly differ from that in non-treated patients. However, the difference depends on the type of bone. Conclusions: Our data confirmed that subclinical hyperthyroidism has a detrimental effect on bones, causing decreased BMD. Based on the obtained results, the authors suggest that a reduced TSH serum level itself may be an individual factor associated with decreased BMD and, thus, with a greater risk of bone fracture. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the effects of TSH suppression therapy differ between areas of interest for assessing BMD. Furthermore, the results have shown that this issue may, in specific areas, concern not only postmenopausal women but also male patients. These conclusions should contribute to a careful consideration of the application of TSH suppressive therapy in all patients. Particular attention should be given to patients after DTC, while all the advantages and disadvantages of implementing L-thyroxine therapy should be individually considered.

The autonomic innervation of the uterus is involved in multiple pathophysiological processes in both humans and animals. Pathological conditions such as adenomyosis or inflammatory pelvic disease are usually accompanied by significant alterations in uterine innervation. In the current study, we focused on autonomic innervation of uterine fibroids, the identification of recently described interstitial cells, telocytes, and the possible interplay between these structures. In this work, uterine telocytes were identified by immunopositivity for c-kit, CD34, and PDGFRα. Nerves were revealed by immunolabeling for neuronal markers: protein gene product PGP 9.5, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The gross organization of myometrial tissue has been analyzed by routine histology. The results demonstrated that the density of iNOS and ChAT-immunopositive neurons in the uterine fibroids was higher than that in the control samples. The density of telocytes in the fibrosis foci was lower than that in the normal myometrium. Our results suggest that autonomic innervation and telocytes are involved in the microenvironment imbalance characteristic of uterine leiomyoma. Since NOS-positive nerves play an important role in oxidative stress modulation, they might lead to a decrease in the number of telocytes, which are crucial components in the pathogenesis of leiomyoma formation.

During the time of organ harvest, it is crucial for the kidney procurement team to consider significant vascular anatomical variations. Multiple renal arteries are not uncommon, and unintentional injury can result in an irreversibly damaged kidney graft that needs to be discarded. We present a kidney graft with 5 renal arteries and a single vein that was successfully procured and implanted with good graft function at discharge and at 4-yr follow-up. According to the literature, additional renal arteries can be found in about 33% of kidneys. This is the first study on a kidney with 5 arteries in the published literature, especially in the context of transplantation.

It has been reported that intake of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. It also influences bile composition, decreasing biliary cholesterol saturation in the bile of patients with gallstones. In addition to bile composition disturbances, gallbladder hypomotility must be a cofactor in the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis, as it leads to the prolonged nucleation phase. Our current knowledge about gallbladder motility has been enhanced by the study of a population of newly described interstitial (stromal) cells—telocytes (TCs). The purpose of this study was to determine whether TC loss, reported by our team recently, might be related to bile lithogenicity, expressed as cholesterol saturation index or the difference in biliary PUFA profiles in patients who suffer from cholecystolithiasis and those not affected by this disease. We determined biliary lipid composition including the fatty acid composition of the phospholipid species in bile. Thus, we investigated whether differences in biliary fatty acid profiles (ω-3 PUFA and ω-6 PUFA) in gallbladder bile may influence its lithogenicity and the quantity of TCs within the gallbladder wall. We conclude that the altered PUFA concentrations in the gallbladder bile, with elevation of ω-6 PUFA, constitute important factors influencing TC density in the gallbladder wall, being one of the possible pathophysiological components for the gallstone disease development. This study established that altered bile composition in patients with cholelithiasis may influence TC quantity within the gallbladder muscle, and we concluded that reduction in TC number may be a consequence of the supersaturated bile toxicity, while some other bile components (ω-3 PUFA, glycocholic, and taurocholic acids) may exert protective effects on TC and thus possibly influence the mechanisms regulating gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct motility. Thus, ω-3 PUFA may represent a possible option to prevent formation of cholesterol gallstones.

Several studies have attempted to investigate whether variations in the Circle of Willis (COW) are more common in migraine patients and whether the subsequent changes in perfusion may contribute to the pathomechanism of migraine. However, studies are not in agreement as to whether or not there is an increased prevalence of COW variations in migraineurs.

The superior cerebral artery is a clinically significant vessel, but little is known about its radiological anatomy. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical variations of the proximal segment of the superior cerebellar artery using Computed Tomography Angiography.

The injection method was used to study the origin and variability of the blood vessels forming the extraorganic vascular system of the adrenal glands. Studies were carried out on 40 human fetuses of a crown-rump length between 113 and 280 mm (14 to 28 weeks of fetal age). It was proved that the arterial blood supply during the fetal period is extremely variable in both the origin and the number of adrenal arteries, as well as in the asymmetry of the blood supply between the left and right adrenal glands. The three main origins of the suprarenal arteries are from the inferior phrenic artery, the abdominal aorta and the renal artery. The inferior phrenic artery is the main one supplying the suprarenal glands during the fetal period. A characteristic feature of the extraorganic venous system in fetal adrenal glands is the constant presence of the adrenal vein, including number, orifice and the main tributaries.