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The aim of this research is to understand more about the attendance of professional practice by students in companies and contribute in policy design for work based learning. That would lead to improvement in students' professional practice in companies, development of competencies and training programme that suits with their need, for responsible persons for the cooperation between schools and businesses like Business Liaison Officers ate school level or In-Company trainers and Work Place Instructors at company level, including their Continuous Professional Development. The following aspects were analysed: attendance of students' professional practice in the VET system in Kosova, types of professional practice, students' assessment, roles and responsibilities of all parties involved, and satisfaction of schools and businesses in this regard. Based on this research a key and general Competence for Business Liaison Officer and training programme have been developed and key policy aspects for legislation framework is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Toanalyze the effect of PCI treatment on blood WBC (White blood cell), CD40 L and cTnI (Cardiac Troponin I) levels and prognosis in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction combined with arrhythmia at different time windows. Methods 87 patients with arrhythmia who were treated from January 2017 to January 2019 were seleted as the research objects. They were divided into≤3 h group, 3 to 6 h group, and 6 to 12 h group according to the PCI treatment time window. Patients were treated by PCI in all groups. The recanalization and reperfusion arrhythmia of patients after vascular occlusion were investigated. The WBC, cTnI, and CD40 L levels in patients' serum were measured at the time of enrollment and 24 hours after the end of treatment. Result The vascular recanalization rate was significantly different in the three groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05). The vascular recanalization rate was the highest in the≤3 h group and the lowest in the 6-12 h group. There was a significant difference in the incidence of reperfusion arrhythmia among the three groups (P <0.05), of which the incidence rate was the highest in the ≤3 h group, and the time of the occurrence of reperfusion arrhythmia in the three groups was significantly different, and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05). The time of the occurrence of reperfusion arrhythmia was highest in the 6-12 h group, there was no significant difference in time between the ≤3 h group and the 3-6 h group (P> 0.05. There were significant differences in WBC, CD40L and cTnI levels in the three groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P <0.05). The serum WBC, CD40L and cTnI levels were highest in ≤ 3 h group, but there was no significant difference in WBC, CD40L and cTnI levels in the 3-6 h group and 6-12 group. Conclusion The best time window of PCI treatment is 3 ~ 6h in patients with arrhythmia, which can significantly improve the levels of serum WBC, CD40L and cTnI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer has become one of the cancer types with high incidence rate all over the world. Various efforts have been carried out to find a way to decrease the risk of cancer. Chemotherapy using 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the common cancer treatments that is expected to drive the white blood cell (WBC) level into the normal level. This research investigates the factors inuencing the change of WBC level in cancer patients treated with 5-FU combined with physical treatment in the form of footsteps. By focusing on the change of WBC level, i.e. decreasing or increasing the WBC level as the response, probit regression was applied to the data measured from 28 cancer patients who have undergone 14 days of treatment. The probit regression found that age of the patient, average number of daily footsteps and the dose of 5-FU signficantly inuence the change of WBC. The regression is able to classify the case with a satisfactory results, i.e. 85.71% classification accuracy. This finding can be a guideline to better treat the colorectal cancer patient to reach a normal WBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hedonic wellbeing is longitudinally associated with lower WBC count. • Eudemonic wellbeing is longitudinally associated with lower WBC, fibrinogen & CRP. • Associations are independent of depression and other aspects of mental ill-health. • Constant factors e.g. sex, medical history, SES & genetics cannot explain results. • Associations are partly explained by time-varying health-related factors. There is a large literature linking inflammation with mental ill health, but a much smaller literature focusing on mental wellbeing. Specifically, it remains unclear whether mental wellbeing is longitudinally and independently associated with inflammation or only via associated changes in mental ill health. This study used data from 8780 adults aged 50+ in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Hedonic wellbeing (both positive affect and life satisfaction) and eudemonic wellbeing (self-realisation and control-autonomy) were measured at data collection waves 2 (2004/05), 4 (2008/09) and 6 (20012/13), along with measures of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and white blood cells (WBC). Fixed effects modelling was performed to identify the longitudinal relationship between wellbeing and inflammation, adjusting for time-varying mental ill health and other identified confounders. Both measured aspects of hedonic wellbeing were associated with lower WBC count, independent of mental ill health. For life satisfaction, this relationship was explained by confounders, whilst for positive affect it persisted. Both measured aspects of eudemonic wellbeing were associated with lower CRP, fibrinogen and WBC, independent of mental ill health. For control-autonomy, this relationship was explained by confounders, whilst for self-realisation it persisted. Results were present in both men and women, although more strongly in men, and were robust to a range of sensitivity analyses. This study builds on the strong literature showing a relationship between mental ill health and inflammation by showing that there is also an apparently independent relationship between mental wellbeing, in particular eudemonic wellbeing, and inflammation that is unexplained by socio-economic or other time-constant factors and in some instances persists independent of time-varying confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to evaluate the haematological parameters of Schizothorax richardsonii to an experimental infection. This study was designed to determine the hematological and histological changes in the fish infected with Aeromonas hydrophila + Phosphate Buffer Solution (Bact. + PBS) and PBS compared with control group. The hematological parameters such as Total Erythrocyte Count (TEC), Total Leukocyte Count (TLC), Hemoglobin (Hb), Hematocrit (Hct), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were compared with the healthy fish. The results clearly indicates that the blood parameters such as Hb, Hct and RBC showed significant difference (p<0.05) and the fish infected with Aeromonas hydrophila + PBS showed highly significant difference in WBC counts then the control group. Significant increased was observed in the values of MCV and MCH in the infected fish. The value of MCHC was at higher side in Aeromonas hydrophila + PBS infected fish with no significant difference. The hematopoietic tissue in spleen and kidney was the most infected organ in the study. The evaluation of blood parameters provide baseline data and as a tool in fish health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Portulaca oleracea (P. oleracea; PO) on total and differential WBC count, and oxidant/antioxidant biomarkers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as well as on lung pathology in asthmatic rats were examined. Rats were randomly divided into; control group (C), asthma group, asthma groups treated with either P. oleracea (rats that received PO 1, 2 and 4 mg/mL) or dexamethasone 1.25 µg/mL (D), (n = 8 in each group). Total and differential white blood cells (WBC) count, nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and thiol levels in rats BALF were evaluated and lung pathological features were studied. Total WBC count, eosinophil, neutrophil and monocyte percentages, levels of NO2, NO3, MDA in the BALF and most pathological scores in the lung were increased but lymphocyte percentage, SOD, CAT and thiol levels were decreased in the BALF of asthmatic animals (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Treatment with P. oleracea significantly reduced total WBC, neutrophil, eosinophil, monocyte, NO2, and NO3, MDA, interstitial fibrosis, emphysema, interstitial inflammation and epithelial damage, but increased lymphocyte, SOD, CAT and thiol levels compared to asthma group (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Dexamethasone-treated rats also showed significant improvements in most parameters compared to asthma group (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Our results demonstrated the ameliorative effects of P. oleracea on total and differential WBC count and oxidant-antioxidant biomarkers levels in BALF as well as lung pathological features in asthmatic rats, which propose the usage of this extract as a preventive anti-inflammatory treatment against asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent cases of prion transmission in humans following transfusions using blood donated by patients with asymptomatic variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) implicate the presence of prion infectivity in peripheral blood. In this study, we examined the levels of the normal, cellular prion protein (PrPC), and the disease-causing isoform (PrPSc) in subpopulations of circulating white blood cells (WBCs) from patients with sporadic (s) CJD, age-matched neurological controls and healthy donors. Though widely distributed, the highest levels of PrPC were found in a subpopulation of T lymphocytes: approximately 12,000 PrPC molecules were found per CD4+CD45RA-CD62L- effector memory T helper cell. Although platelets expressed low levels of PrPC on their surface, their high abundance in circulation resulted in the majority of PrPC being platelet associated. Using quantitative fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, we found that neither WBC composition nor the amount of cell-surface PrPC molecules was altered in patients with sCJD. Eight different WBC fraction types from the peripheral blood of patients with sCJD were assessed for PrPSc. We were unable to find any evidence for PrPSc in purified granulocytes, monocytes, B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, natural killer cells, nonclassical gamma delta T cells, or platelets. If human WBCs harbor prion infectivity in patients with sCJD, then the levels are likely to be low.

A complete blood count is one of the significant clinical tests that evaluates overall human health and provides relevant information for disease diagnosis. The conventional strategies of blood cell counting include manual counting as well as counting using the hemocytometer and are tedious and time-consuming tasks. This research-based paper proposes an automatic software-based alternative method to count blood cells accurately using the RetinaNet deep learning network, which is used to recognize and classify objects in microscopic images. After training, the network automatically recognizes and counts red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. We tested a model trained on smear images and found that the trained model has generalized capabilities. We assessed the quality of detection and cell counting using performance measures, such as accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and F1-score. Moreover, we studied the dependence of the confidence thresholds and the number of learning epochs on the obtained results of recognition and counting. We compared the performance of the proposed approach with those obtained by other authors who dealt with the subject of cell counting and show that object detection and labeling can be an additional advantage in the task of counting objects.

Treatment with antidepressants is often insufficiently effective, especially in treatment-resistant depression. In such a situation, it is possible to change the drug, add a second antidepressant, or use pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of augmenting the effect of pharmacotherapy. New methods that may fall into the scope of multi-module depression treatment as an augmentation of depression treatment are whole body cryotherapy (WBC) and hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). 545 records were selected and analyzed for these two treatments and finally three clinical trials were selected for analysis. The review also includes data on the possibility of using WBC and HBOT in somatic indications and in organic mental syndromes. Despite the small number of studies on the effectiveness of WBC or HBOT in depression, the current data show that both methods may be effective in the treatment of depression. WBC may be effective in the augmentation of antidepressants, and additionally, it is a method in which a quick antidepressant effect is obtained. HBOT may be effective in endogenous depression, just as it is effective in the treatment of somatic depression symptoms. The results are very preliminary, but if confirmed in subsequent studies, both WBC and HBOT may become new treatment options in treating depression. The authors point to the need and directions for further research into these treatment methods as an augmentation strategy for pharmacological treatment of depression.

Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was extracted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by EDTA and the effect of the lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied on the immune response of mice treated with LPS compared with untreated mice (control) . Total and defferential WBC count of peripheral blood and innate immune response represented by the phagocytic index were the criteria taken in to consideration . Result showed a significant increase in the total white blood cell count in the blood of mice treated with LPS with an increase in lymphocyte and Monocyte , and a decrease in neutophile and variation in Eosinophile was noticed in Blood films of Lps of treated mice, basophile was observed only in the Blood films of mice treated with concentration of 10 Mg/20g of body weight , An increase in the Non specific immune response was noticed through the increase of the phagocytic index .

CRP and WBC are the most widely used markers of inflammation in veterinary clinical diagnosis. Also, PCT is a specific APP marker of bacterial diseases in humans. This study evaluated the levels of PCT, CRP and WBC during postoperative monitoring of bitches undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Thirteen adult clinically healthy female crossbreed dogs aged between 7-24 months were used in the study. Ovariohysterectomy was performed via medial laparotomy using routine procedures. Blood samples were collected from the cephalic vein at 1, 4 and 7 days after surgery (post-op period). Mean serum concentration of PCT, CRP and WBC levels were increased after the surgery. CRP concentrations and WBC counts were increased significantly (p

Objective(s): The effects of Curcuma longa (C. longa) and curcumin on total and differential WBC count and oxidant, antioxidant biomarkers, in rat model of asthma were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Total and differential WBC count in the blood, NO2, NO3, MDA, SOD, CAT and thiol levels in serum were examined in control, asthma, Asthmatic rats treated with C. longa (0.75, 1.50, and 3.00 mg/ml), curcumin (0.15, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/ml), and dexamethasone (1.25 μg/ml) rats. Results: Total and most differential WBC count, NO2, NO3 and MDA were increased but lymphocytes, SOD, CAT and thiol were decreased in asthmatic animals compared to controls (P

Rectal cancer is a pathology that still has a high incidence, mortality and morbidity all around the world. As with other types of neoplasm, researchers all around the world are attempting to find statistically significant linkages between easy and inexpensive hematological parameters and the progression of this disease which is affecting approximately 1.8 million individuals. The present study aims to investigate whether biological parameters measured in rectal cancer patients change significantly with tumor growth. The results show a significant change in WBC (white blood cell counts) (p = 0.002).

The present study aimed to evaluation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hemoglobin (Hb.) levels, white blood cell count (WBCs) in active and latent tuberculosis patients in Thi-Qar province,Iraq. This study included 210 samples (70 patients, 70 household contacts and 70 control ) with age's ?10 to ?70 years who were referred to ALNasiriya Center of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases from the period September 2012

Background: Inflammation is a sequela of cardiovascular critical illness and a risk factor for mortality., Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association between white blood cell count (WBC) and mortality in a broad population of patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU)., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients admitted to the Mayo Clinic CICU between 2007 and 2018. We analyzed WBC as a continuous variable and then categorized WBC as low (<4.0 × 10 3 /mL), normal (≥4.0 to <11.0 × 10 3 /mL), high (≥11.0 to <22.0 × 10 3 /mL), or very high (≥22.0 × 10 3 /mL). The association between WBC and in-hospital mortality was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression and random forest models., Results: We included 11,699 patients with a median age of 69.3 years (37.6% females). Median WBC was 9.6 (IQR: 7.4-12.7). Mortality was higher in the low (10.5%), high (12.0%), and very high (33.3%) WBC groups relative to the normal WBC group (5.3%). A rising WBC was incrementally associated with higher in-hospital mortality after adjustment (AICc adjusted OR: 1.03 [95% CI: 1.02-1.04] per 1 × 10 3 increase in WBC). After adjustment, only the high (AICc adjusted OR: 1.37 [95% CI: 1.15-1.64]) and very high (AICc adjusted OR: 1.99 [1.47-2.71]) WBC groups remained associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality., Conclusions: Leukocytosis is associated with an increased mortality risk in a diverse cohort of CICU patients. This readily available marker of systemic inflammation may be useful for risk stratification within the increasingly complex CICU patient population., Competing Interests: The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Fifty white male one week old Iraqi Pekin ducks were used to investigate their hematological biochemical values. The birds used were purchased from the commercial breed of poultry farming halls of Animal Production Department in Kufa Technical Institute; bred for 8 weeks, then, 5 ml of blood per bird was collected via brachial vein and send to lab to be analyzed. Some of important results were measured as (mean ± standard deviation) as follows: red blood cell (RBC) 4.650±0.761 x 106/cubic millimeter (c mm), hemoglobin (HB) 13.293±1.6467 g/dl, packed cell volume (PCV) 39.103±2.6397%, white blood cell (WBC) 8.243 ± 2.3372 x 10³/cmm, Lymphocyte 19.433±5.6466 x 10³/cmm, Cholesterol 144.447 ± 28.3941 mg/dl, Glucose 261.007±66.7837 g/dl, total serum protein 4.405±1.6086 g/l, sodium 155.543±12.0153 m mol/l potassium 3.740 ± 1.7138 g/l and calcium 9.610±2.5395 mg/dl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ketogenic diets (KDs) have long been used to treat epilepsy and are being explored in a variety of diseases. Preclinical data suggest KDs affect inflammation and cytokine release. It is unknown whether KDs affect white blood cell (WBC) counts over time. This is particularly important in clinical populations who may be immune-suppressed at baseline, such as those with cancer or autoimmune disorders. Methods: A retrospective review of 125 consecutive adults seen at the Adult Epilepsy Diet Center (AEDC) was conducted. Clinical data regarding compliance, laboratory data, weights, and diet records were collected. A control cohort consisted of patients evaluated at the AEDC who elected not to complete a prescribed KD. Results: In 52 adults on KDs, there was a small but statistically significant decrease in WBC and absolute neutrophil counts at 6 and 12 months into KD therapy. There was no effect on lymphocyte counts. This pattern was also seen in a small population of patients with gliomas (n = 10) on KDs, most (n = 8) of whom had also received chemotherapy and radiation, putting them at risk for bone marrow suppression. Across both glioma and non-glioma groups, patients with pre-existing lymphopenia did not have further worsening of their counts on the KD. Conclusions: In this retrospective case-control study, a small but significant decrease in total WBC and neutrophil counts was observed in patients with epilepsy treated with the KDs. These patterns are similar in patients with and without gliomas suggesting baseline immunosuppression does not worsen with KD. These findings provide data for prospective confirmatory studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the commonest emergencies in surgical practice (pediatric and general surgery) is acute appendicitis which is associated with acute phase reaction. Diagnosis of acute appendicitis is still a challenging issue for surgeons because lifetime risk of acute appendicitis is high (in some series reach 8%), rate of negative exploration is also high (in some series reach 35%) and complications of acute appendicitis (mainly perforation of appendix) are still high, especially in developing countries (in some series reach 62%). Several modalities have been used for diagnosis of acute appendicitis which include scoring systems (e.g. Alvarado scoring system), imaging techniques (ultrasound and computerized tomography), and laboratory investigations (white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein and some other serological markers) in order to improve diagnosis, reduce negative exploration rate and reduce complications rate. The aim of study is to evaluate efficacy of (CRP, WBC count and neutrophil percentage) in diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Patients and methods: The study was conducted at the beginning of January to the end of August 2018. Thirty male patients, whose age between 10-40 years and admitted to emergency department of Kirkuk general hospital and diagnosed clinically as acute appendicitis by same surgeon, were studied. In emergency department, white blood cell count (WBC) and neutrophil percentage (NP) are estimated by same automated analyzer in same laboratory (as part of complete blood count estimation). C- reactive protein (CRP) was estimated qualitatively by latex agglutination technique in same laboratory. Appendicectomy was done by same surgeon and decision was done regarding whether appendix was inflamed or not macroscopically (by same surgeon) and microscopically (by histopathological examination by same histopathologist). Chai-squared test was used to compare between means of variables. Results: There were significant relations between onset of symptoms and results of CRP results, onset of symptoms and end diagnosis, and WBC count and end diagnosis. All other relations were non-significant. Conclusions: Diagnosis of acute appendicitis remains a challenging issue in clinical practice. Frequent clinical examination remains the best method for accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Laboratory investigations can be used as an adjuvant in diagnosis of acute appendicitis.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Transfusion Medicine is the property of VM Medica-VM Group (Via Medica) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: To assess the correlation between laboratory markers (C Reactive Protein, White Blood Cells) and treatment failure with Oral Amoxicillin in Bacterial Pneumonia in children aged 2-59 months old at Pediatrics Emergency Department LUMHS Hyderabad. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Department of Pediatric Emergency LUMHS, Civil Hospital Hyderabad. Period: November 2015 to May 2016. Methodology: A total of 80 children aged 2-59 months old were treated with Oral Amoxicillin 90mg/kg/day for 5 days and response to treatment was assessed on 3rd day of admission. Blood was drawn from the veins over the dorsum of either hand at initial visit for C Reactive Protein and WBC Count. Children who do not improve on 3rd day of admission were declared treatment failure and switched to 2nd line treatment that is Injection Ceftriaxone. Results: In this study overall 78.7% children improved with Oral Amoxicillin 90mg/kg/day BD for 5 days, while 16.3% children had treatment failure on Oral Amoxicillin. 5% children were defaulted due to parents concerns. Conclusion: C Reactive Protein is a valuable marker that can predict the response of Oral Antibiotics in bacterial Pneumonia in children. Cost effectiveness can be determined by further studies, hence to justify that which children with Bacterial Pneumonia should be treated with 2nd line Injectable antibiotics from very beginning of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To correlate the clinical course and biochemical analysis in odontogenic space infections. Methods: A randomized prospective study was undertaken in 50 patients presenting with infections of odontogenic origin. The data were subjected to statistical analysis to co-relate the values of CRP, WBC count and ESR with the clinical course of odontogenic infections. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS Version 17.0 clinical parameters included pain, swelling, mouth opening, dyspnea, dysphagia, hoarseness, body temperature, active discharge, length of hospital stay and number of fascial spaces involved. Results: There was a significant correlation between all the clinical parameters and biochemical markers preoperatively as well as on various postoperative days. Conclusion: According to the percentage rate of fall, CRP was considered as the best indicator of clinical course/recovery of the patient, followed by WBC count and ESR, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rectal cancer is a pathology that still has a high incidence, mortality and morbidity all around the world. As with other types of neoplasm, researchers all around the world are attempting to find statistically significant linkages between easy and inexpensive hematological parameters and the progression of this disease which is affecting approximately 1.8 million individuals. The present study aims to investigate whether biological parameters measured in rectal cancer patients change significantly with tumor growth. The results show a significant change in WBC (white blood cell counts) (p = 0.002). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between white blood cell (WBC) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been studied before, but whether different WBC subtypes were related to NAFLD was not detailed. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between WBC subtypes and NAFLD cross-sectionally and prospectively. The detailed research design has been described previously. At baseline, there were 9930 participants who had complete information, in the end a total of 8079 participants (2588 men and 5491 women) were eventually included in this study. Hepatic ultrasound examination was performed on each participant at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Alcohol abuse and hepatitis were excluded. WBC subtypes and other serum indices were measured at baseline. We found that the total WBC, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were independently associated with the prevalence and incidence of NAFLD. After multiple adjustments for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), insulin, HOMA-IR, TG, TC, LDL, and HDL, increased odds ratios (ORs) for new onset NAFLD were observed from the 1st to the 4th quartiles of WBC, neutrophil, and lymphocyte (all P < 0.001 for trend). In conclusion, total WBC counts, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were all independent risk factors for NAFLD in the rural Chinese population. The association was independent of insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation procedure (ECMO) has been established in the therapy of respiratory insufficient infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In congenital diaphragmatic hernia newborns, a delay in transfer to an ECMO centre is associated with a sharp increase in mortality. Predictive factors for ECMO support are urgently needed. We evaluated the routine parameters of the first blood withdrawal after birth in congenital diaphragmatic hernia infants, hypothesizing that early signs in bone marrow affecting haematology parameters for early regulation of potentially post birth hypoxia are predictive factors for ECMO support.Materials and Methods: In 44 patients born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, differential blood cell count from the first blood withdrawal after birth was examined. Descriptive statistics included median, 95% confidence intervals, minimum and maximum differentiating ECMO/early mortality vs. no ECMO. Odds ratios with CI were calculated by binary logistic regression analysis. Best predictive markers were further checked in combination with the liver-up situation in two factorial regression models.Results: In our cohort, the survival rate was 77.3% (34/44). While 18 neonates received ECMO support, 26 experienced no ECMO during hospital stay. Odds ratio calculations showed that risk for ECMO support increases with augmenting leukocytes, erythrocytes, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean cell volume and absolute immature granulocytes. Further, the risk advanced in line with the severity of congenital diaphragmatic hernia assessed by prenatal ultrasound.Conclusions: We conclude that these parameters are associated with disease severity in congenital diaphragmatic hernia newborns and may be considered potentially predictive biomarkers for the necessity of ECMO support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number (CN) and damage in circulating white blood cells have been proposed as effect biomarkers for pollutant exposures. Studies have shown that mercury accumulates in mitochondria and affects mitochondrial function and integrity; however, these data are derived largely from experiments in model systems, rather than human population studies that evaluate the potential utility of mitochondrial exposure biomarkers. We measured mtDNA CN and damage in white blood cells (WBCs) from 83 residents of nine communities in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon that vary in proximity to artisanal and small‐scale gold mining. Prior research from this region reported high levels of mercury in fish and a significant association between food consumption and human total hair mercury level of residents. We observed that mtDNA CN and damage were both associated with consumption of fruit and vegetables, higher diversity of fruit consumed, residential location, and health characteristics, suggesting common environmental drivers. Surprisingly, we observed negative associations of mtDNA damage with both obesity and age. We did not observe any association between total hair mercury or, in contrast to previous results, age, with either mtDNA damage or CN. The results of this exploratory study highlight the importance of combining epidemiological and laboratory research in studying the effects of stressors on mitochondria, suggesting that future work should incorporate nutritional and social characteristics, and caution should be taken when applying conclusions from epidemiological studies conducted in the developed world to other regions, as results may not be easily translated. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60: 197–210, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • WBCs counts, and CEA levels were higher in the treatment-resistant group than adequate responders, and healthy controls. • WBCs counts, and CEA levels were associated with the severity of the disease in all manic patients. • There were no significant differences between HsCRP levels of the study groups. • Different parts of the inflammatory system may be associated with different clinical findings in the treatment-resistant patients. Abstract Mania is accompanied with immune activation as indicated by increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, acute phase proteins; and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is known to accompany signs of immune-inflammatory responses in bipolar disorder (BD) and medical disorders. In this study, it was aimed to compare high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), CEA levels and white blood cells (WBCs) counts in the treatment-resistant BD (Group 3), the treatment-responsive BD patients (Group 2), and the healthy control group (Group 1). The sociodemographic data form, the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the Clinical Global Impression Severity of Illness (CGI-S) Scale were applied to the patients. In Group 3, the WBCs counts, and CEA levels were significantly higher than the other two groups. There was a positive correlation between WBCs counts and YMRS and CGI-S scores in all manic patients. There was a positive correlation between CEA levels and YMRS, HDRS and CGI-S in manic patients. This study shows that there is an activation of the immune-inflammatory response system in treatment resistant manic patients; and, WBCs counts and CEA levels are associated with severity of disease in manic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective This study explored the association between low-grade inflammation measured using multiple common inflammatory markers and general psychological distress symptoms. Method A total of 68,463 Korean adults were included. White blood cell counts with differential count, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and rheumatoid factor were measured. General psychological distress symptoms were assessed using 18 questions of psychosocial well-being index short form (PWI-SF). Results Among the eight inflammatory markers measured, WBC count, segmented neutrophil count, monocyte and CRP level were significantly and independently associated with broad psychological symptoms. In contrast, fibrinogen and ferritin showed a weak association with limited number of items. No significant association was detected with lymphocyte and RF. Conclusion General psychological distress symptoms were associated with multiple inflammatory markers in Korean adults. The association patterns differed by the types of inflammatory markers. Additional investigation into the relationship between general inflammatory markers and diverse psychological distress symptoms is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The red blood cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR) has been reported to be an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or chronic hepatitis C (HCV). However, no research has explored the RPR in all patients with hepatic fibrosis. There is a recognized need to establish whether the RPR could assess hepatic fibrosis and reflect the severity of fibrosis, regardless of the patient's etiology. Methods: Quantitative data from 1282 patients who underwent liver biopsy between January 2010 and December 2014 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were included. The etiologies included HBV or HCV infection, NAFLD, schistosomiasis, granulomatous liver disease, and vascular abnormalities. Five noninvasive models were calculated for all patients based on laboratory parameters. The degrees of fibrosis severity were evaluated based on the Metavir scoring scale. Results: The RPR demonstrated the best accuracy of predicting hepatic fibrosis among the selected five models (0.75, p < .001) regardless of etiology. In addition, the RPR values increased with advanced hepatic fibrosis progression. Furthermore, combining the RPR with the white blood cell (WBC) count improved the accuracy of grading hepatic fibrosis as reflected by the likelihood ratio (LR + 9.03, LR − 0.49). Conclusion: The RPR is a useful indicator for hepatic fibrosis, regardless of etiology, and can reflect the severity of fibrosis. This study supports further clinical development of the RPR both in a stepwise manner or in combination with inflammatory parameters to improve the accuracy of scoring hepatic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Anbar Journal of Veterinary Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Al-Anbar Journal of Veterinary Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Wassit for Science & Medicine is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose Western Balkans countries (WBCs) have a great potential for growth and among the main focuses of entrepreneurial activity is small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector. Moreover, SMEs are believed to contribute in the economy by stimulating employment, increasing production, transferring new technologies and so forth. Due to this crucial importance the purpose of this paper is to analyze the barriers that hinder labor productivity (LP) of SMEs in WBCs.Design/methodology/approach The research method employed to discover solution to this research problem is quantitative analysis by using survey data of World Bank. Research methodology applied in this paper found it correctly to use cross-sectional data and conducts a factor analysis and ordinary least square (OLS) regression as the best procedure for this type of data.Findings The results show variability for different countries access to finance, tax rates, tax administration, corruption, inadequately educated labor force, competition in informal sector and political instability appear to be some of the main obstacles that are negatively affecting LP of SMEs in WBC.Research limitations/implications Although this study is the first to analyze all the possible obstacles for the six WBCs using factor analysis better results could be obtained with larger samples and panel data.Practical implications The policy implications of this study suggest that in order to boost productivity of these firms there must be a reduction of the barriers and improvement of business environment. Although, this study is the first to analyze all the possible obstacles for the six WBCs using factor analysis and contributes as insight to policy makers, better results could be obtained with larger samples using panel data.Originality/value Differently from previous studies this work uses explanatory factor analysis and method OLS to estimate regressions for all barriers in each country of Western Balkan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium is known to be a neuroprotective agent in respect to a number of neuronal diseases and pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the oral administration of selenium nanoparticles in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Forty adult female rats were randomly assigned to two equal groups as experimental and control. Under general inhalation anesthesia, in both groups, SCI was created, at the T9-10 level of the column. On the third day after the operation, a supplement of selenium nanoparticle was administered to the experimental group at 0.2 mg/kg per day. The histology of the site of injury, IGF-1 serum concentrations, and changes in the white blood cells were examined in both groups at different pre-surgical and post-surgical times. The results of the current study showed a significant decrease in the total white blood cells, including lymphocyte, neutrophil, and monocyte in the experimental group compared to the control group. Histological evaluation showed that the inflammatory responses reduced significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. In conclusion, we speculate that the decrease in the number of inflammatory cells after oral administration of the selenium nanoparticles is due to the neuroprotective effects of this nanoparticle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change in global temperature has become an important factor affecting reproduction both in humans and livestock. This study investigated the mitigative effect of Saccharomycescerevisiae on testicular histo-architecture and function in male albino rats subjected to increased localized thermal temperature. Twenty mature male albino rats were divided into four groups of five rats each and treated once daily per os for a period of five weeks. The control (group A) and positive control (group B) maintained an ambient temperature (24-30°C), with group B treated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Groups C & D were exposed to a temperature of 43°C for 15 mins thrice at 2 days intervals. Supplementation with Saccharomycescerevisiae was done in group D. Exposure to heat increased (P<0.05) the total cholesterol and MDA, but decreased (P<0.05) testicular weight and sperm concentrations. Supplementation with Saccharromyces cerevisiae in positive control group significantly decreased (P<0.05) the total and differential (monocytes, neutrophil, lymphocytes, eosinophil) white blood cells count compared with the control. However, supplementation with Saccharromyces cerevisiae in the group exposed to heat significantly increased (P<0.05) the total and differential white blood cells count. The photomicrograph of the testes showed regeneration of cells of the seminiferous tubules in the supplemented group. In conclusion, Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed immunomodulatory effect and tendency to reverse testicular alterations related to heat stressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a total of 60 juvenile Acipenser persicus (mean weight 410±267.6, mean length 39.6±19.6 cm and 1 - 2 year old) were captured by trawling method at depths of 20 to 100 meters in the Mazandran province via 7 times surveys during 2009 – 2012, and studied immunologically. Results showed that the mean of red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) were 585000 ± 151000 and 30300 ± 3200 per mm3 of blood, respectively. Mean percentage of lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophile and eozynophile were 83.1 ± 12, 2.9 ± 2, 8.3 ± 6.6 and 5.6 ± 3.2 %, respectively. Mean concentration of Immunoglobin M (IgM) in blood serum was 25.6 ± 8.7 mg/dl. Samples showed no significant difference in length (P>0/05). These results showed that the fish by less than the length classes were more sensitive to environmental changes. For this reason, their immune indices improved. Therefore, any change in fish blood immunological factors can lead to the secondary response.

Introduction: Early leakage detection following bariatric procedures is crucial, but a standardized evaluation method is lacking. The aim was to validate the potential benefits of postoperative day 1 (POD1) C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and white blood cell (WBC) counts in distinguishing at-risk patients following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) while considering the impact of obesity-related chronic inflammation., Methods: Retrospective analysis of 261 consecutive patients aged 18-65 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 32.5-50 kg/m 2 who underwent primary RYGB between 2017 and 2022. Sequential changes in CRP levels and WBC counts measured 48 h preoperatively and on POD1 morning were collected and compared between patients with/without complications and in patients without complications stratified by preoperative CRP levels., Results: Female patients and those with a higher BMI tended to have higher baseline CRP levels, which were positively related to postoperative CRP. Patients experiencing complications had higher WBC counts and a higher prevalence of WBC counts >14,000/μl (77.8% vs. 25.4%; p<0.001) than those without complications. Baseline CRP ≥ 0.3 mg/dl, a longer operative time, and blood loss >10 ml were significantly more common with WBC counts above 14,000/μl; a reasonable range of change in WBC count (∆WBC) derived from its positive correlation to postoperative WBC count (r=0.6695) may serve as a useful complementary indicator., Conclusion: An individualized CRP threshold setting and integrated interpretation of the WBC count can be more appropriate than using static criteria for differentiating at-risk patients after RYGB. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and determine their generalizability., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)