Search

Delphi, one of the most spectacular sites in Europe and an immensely important oracular site of Ancient Greece is the theme of an edited volume originating in a conference organized in 2017. Unlike most conference proceedings, this volume is truly thorough in terms of breadth of coverage, and it is also beautifully produced and equipped with very useful indices which greatly facilitate orientation. There are twenty-three chapters in German and English, divided into six sections: archaeology, the functioning of the oracle, the role of Delphi in Greek history, the representation of the oracle in archaic and classical literature, its role in the theological and philosophical debates of the Roman period, and a brief section on its modern reception. Anyone interested in Delphi will find something useful in this volume.

Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is an autosomal dominant multisystemic disorder. Previous studies conducted on small cohorts of DM2 patients indicated presence of a cognitive dysfunction. We aimed to assess cognitive functions in a larger cohort of Serbian DM2 patients using an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests. The study included 76 patients with a genetically confirmed DM2, 68 of whom had all tests for different cognitive domains performed. Patients underwent clinical and neuropsychological testing, including cognitive screening and assessment of general intellectual level, attention, executive and visuospatial abilities, memory, and language functions. Only 6% of patients achieved a below-average score on the general intellectual level test. Cognitive screening tests indicated presence of cognitive deficits in 5.5% of patients according to the Mini Mental State Examination test and 25.8% according to the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised test. Twenty-four (35.3%) patients had a cognitive impairment (being two standard deviations out of norm in at least two cognitive domains). Around one quarter of DM2 patients had a significant cognitive impairment that interfered with their everyday functioning. Patients with significant cognitive impairment were older at testing and at disease onset, less educated, and had more severe muscle weakness.

Supplementary Fig 1 � PDF file 42K, General design of the xenografting program

Supplementary Fig 2 � PDF file 783K, Histology of unmatched xenograft lines

Supplementary Table 3 � XLXS file 39K, Patient/xenograft biomarker comparison

Supplementary Fig 4 � PDF file 123K, Treatment response concordance with the tumor of origin

Supplementary Table 2 � XLXS file 18K, STR Results

Supplementary Table 1 � XLXS file 41K, Patient characteristics by transplant generation

Legends to Supplementary Figures - PDF file 65K, Legends to supplementary figures

Link for Supplementary Tables 4-7 � PDF file 39K, Table 4 - Patient Clinical Treatment Response; Table 5 - Frequency of Lung Metastasis in Xenograft Lines; Table 6 - Sequenom Analysis of SNPS in Xenografts; Table 7 - Xenograft Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profile

Supplementary Fig 3 � PDF file 31K, Demonstration of histological stability

Supplementary Table 8 � XLXS file 12K, Sequenom assays used

Background The optimal treatment strategy for patients with severe carotid artery disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting is still problematic. The important question is whether it is necessary to treat significant carotid disease in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting. This study analyzed short- and midterm results after same-day carotid artery stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods From 2013 to 2020, a total of 69 patients were enrolled in the study. Same-day carotid artery stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting were performed in all patients. The study's primary end points were the evaluation rate of stroke, myocardial infarction, and death within short- and midterm periods after the procedures. Results The 30-day mortality was 0%. The occurrences of perioperative adverse events, namely stroke, myocardial infarction, and transient ischemic attack, were 1 (1.4%), 1 (1.4%), and 4 (5.8%), respectively. Mean (IQR) follow-up time was 28 (IQR, 17–43) months. Six (8.8%) patients died during this period. Fatal stroke was registered in 2 cases, and 1 patient experienced a disabling stroke with a fatal outcome. The other 3 patients died because of chronic renal disease, a traffic accident, and for an unknown reason, respectively. Midterm survival in the group was 91.2%. Conclusion The study showed that same-day carotid artery stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting for concomitant carotid and coronary disease treatment could be a promising and feasible therapeutic strategy.

One of my favourite undergraduate classes to teach is Greek mythology. At American universities, Greek myth is a popular choice for satisfying humanities credit requirements, and professors are faced with a double dilemma. On the one hand, students have very different levels of knowledge, ranging from, say, a science major with virtually no idea about the ancient world to a know-it-all myth-whiz Classics major at the other end of the scale. The second problem is the choice and organization of material. Tough decisions have to be made, especially if a professor insists on students reading ancient Greek and Latin texts in translation, instead of relying on a modern retelling of myth. Which tragedies to choose? Which sections of Ovid's Metamorphoses? The whole of Homer or just select books? The challenges are real, but the rewards are great. After the initial struggle with Hesiod's Theogony (despite collective grumbling, Hesiod is non-negotiable for me), witnessing the magic of Greek myth at work never ceases to amaze me. In a blink of an eye, the class is passionately defending or attacking Phaedra, or debating fate and the gods; and, of course, everyone is united in hating Jason. It was my early fascination with Greek myth that attracted me to study Classics (the main culprit was the generously illustrated Serbian translation of Gustav Schwab's Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece) and the crushing sense of responsibility for sparking that first interest in my students is only matched by joy upon seeing it work. I take mythology books very seriously because they are often the gateway to the Classics. Several books on myth landed on my desk this year and I'll start with three general introductions. None of these could serve as introductions to myth for children or young adults, but each could be an excellent first step for those wishing to know more about various scholarly approaches to Greek myths and cults.

SummaryThe two non-visual arrestin isoforms, arrestin2 and arrestin3 recognize and bind hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with different phosphorylation patterns leading to distinct functional outcomes. The impact of phosphorylation on arrestin interactions has been well studied only for very few GPCRs. Here we have characterized the interactions between the phosphorylated CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and arrestin2. We detected several new CCR5 phosphorylation sites, which are necessary for stable complex formation with arrestin2. Crystal structures of arrestin2 in apo form and in complexes with CCR5 C-terminal phosphopeptides together with NMR spectroscopy, biochemical and functional assays revealed three phosphoresidues in a pXpp motif that are essential for the arrestin2 interactions and activation. The same phosphoresidue cluster is present in other receptors, which form stable complexes with arrestin2. We propose that the identified pXpp motif is responsible for robust arrestin2 recruitment in many GPCRs. An analysis of available sequences, structural and functional information on other GPCR•arrestin interactions suggests that a particular arrangement of phosphoresidues within the GPCR intracellular loop 3 and C-terminal tail determines arrestin2 and 3 isoform specificity. Taken together, our findings demonstrate how multi-site phosphorylation controls GPCR•arrestin interactions and provide a framework to probe the intricate details of arrestin activation and signaling.One-sentence summaryA structural and functional analysis of arrestin2 in apo form and complexes with several CCR5 phosphopeptides reveals key phosphorylation sites responsible for stable GPCR•arrestin interactions and their contributions to CCR5-arrestin2 function.

Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a rare, multisystemic, autosomal dominant disease with highly variable clinical presentation. DM2 is considered to be highly underdiagnosed.The aim of this study was to determine which symptoms, signs, and diagnostic findings in patients referred to neurological outpatient units are the most indicative to arouse suspicion of DM2. We tried to make a useful and easy-to-administer clinical scoring system for early diagnosis of DM2-DM2 early diagnosis score (DM2-EDS).Two hundred ninety-one patients with a clinical suspicion of DM2 were included: 69 were genetically confirmed to have DM2, and 222 patients were DM2 negative. Relevant history, neurological, and paraclinical data were obtained from the electronic medical records.The following parameters appeared as significant predictors of DM2 diagnosis: cataracts (beta = 0.410, p 0.001), myotonia on needle EMG (beta = 0.298, p 0.001), hand tremor (beta = 0.211, p = 0.001), positive family history (beta = 0.171, p = 0.012), and calf hypertrophy (beta = 0.120, p = 0.043). In the final DM2-EDS, based on the beta values, symptoms were associated with the following values: cataracts (present 3.4, absent 0), myotonia (present 2.5, absent 0), tremor (present 1.7, absent 0), family history (positive 1.4, negative 0), and calf hypertrophy (present 1.0, absent 0). A cut-off value on DM2-EDS of 3.25 of maximum 10 points had a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 81% to diagnose DM2.Significant predictors of DM2 diagnosis in the neurology outpatient unit were identified. We made an easy-to-administer DM2-EDS score for early diagnosis of DM2.

Legionnaires' disease is an atypical pneumonia caused by inhaling small droplets of water containing the bacterium Legionella spp. In newborns, it is a rare event, usually associated with water births and the use of air conditioning systems or air humidifiers. A nosocomial outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the maternity ward of a secondary-care hospital in Arandjelovac, Serbia is described.Two male newborns were found to be infected with

The numerous chemokines and their cognate G protein-coupled chemokine receptors on the surface of leukocytes form a complex signaling network, which regulates the immune response and also other key physiological processes. Currently only a very limited number of structures of chemokine•chemokine receptor complexes have been solved. More structures are needed for the understanding of their mechanism of action and the rational design of drugs against these highly relevant therapeutic targets. Recently, we have determined the cryo-EM structure of the human wild-type CCR5 chemokine receptor, which is also the HIV-1 coreceptor, in its active conformation bound to the chemokine super-agonist [6P4]CCL5 and the heterotrimeric G

The aim of the current study was to validate the Serbian adaptation of the Job Crafting Scale (JCS), applying both qualitative and quantitative approaches, within three studies totalling 832 employees from different industries. Job crafting is work behaviour aimed at modifying job tasks in order to enhance and maintain work motivation. In Study 1, we have tested the understanding of all items and their possible cultural embeddedness. In Study 2, we have tested the JCS factor structure, factors? reliability and validity. In Study 3, we have tested the invariance of the proposed models (Study 2 and Study 3 models) and criterion validity by analysing the correlation between the JCS and work engagement. Qualitative analysis has revealed that the majority of items transferred the intended meaning. Special care should be taken in interpreting the decreasing hindering job demands dimension scores, since these items might point toward behaviours that were not perceived as positive. With its overall reliability, second-order four-factor model invariance and criterion validity, originally composed 21-item JCS could be considered to be a valid instrument for assessing job crafting in Serbia. The present study has also shown that the 12-item JCS-Serbian short version has satisfactory psychometric properties and that it could be considered as a valid local job crafting scale.

The aim of our study was to compare maximal force, force steadiness, and discharge characteristics of motor units in tibialis anterior during contractions with the dorsiflexors of the dominant and nondominant legs at low-to-moderate target forces and three ankle angles.Twenty young adults performed maximal and submaximal isometric contractions (5%, 10%, 20%, 40%, and 60% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)) with the dorsiflexors of the dominant and nondominant legs at three ankle angles (75°, short length; 90°, intermediate length; 105°, long length). High-density EMG signals from the tibialis anterior muscle of each leg were recorded.Maximal force (average dominant, 182.9 ± 64.5 N; nondominant, 179.0 ± 58.8 N) and the fluctuations in force, quantified as absolute (SD) and normalized amplitudes (coefficient of variation (CoV)), were similar between the two legs across the three ankle angles (average CoV for dominant, 1.5% ± 1.0%; nondominant, 1.7% ± 1.3%). The CoV for force for both legs decreased from 5% to 20% MVC force, and then it plateaued at 40% and 60% MVC force. EMG amplitude, mean discharge rate of motor units, discharge variability (interspike interval), and the variability in neural drive (filtered cumulative spike train) were similar between the two legs across the submaximal contractions.MVC force and force steadiness were similar across ankle angles and target forces between the dominant and nondominant legs. The attributes that underlie the self-reported identification of a dominant leg were not associated with the force capacity or the control of force for the dorsiflexor muscles, at least during isometric contractions.

Structures of Epic Poetry is a monumental, four-volume compendium which aims to classify, analyse, and compare epic structures across Greek and Latin epic poems (and beyond) in a systematic and overarching way. While the individual Bauformen (‘structural elements’) have been the focus of the study of epic for decades, a comprehensive analysis providing a systematic overview of all structural elements in the totality of ancient epic is obviously not a one-person job. The editors, Christiane Reitz and Simone Finkmann, gathered an international group of experts for this herculean task. The compendium provides a set of broad cross-sectional papers on the individual epic structural elements, using a consistent terminology. It has to be said that the editors’ understanding of what constitutes an epic structural element is very broad: it includes the ‘type-scenes’, but also the narrative patterns such as catalogue and ecphrasis, and stylistic hallmarks such as similes; in fact, structural elements as understood by the editors come closest to genre markers.

Background/Aim. The treshold that defines a low, moderate or high-risk patients is not uniformly determined for the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE II) by literature at present. The aim of this study was to suggest risk groups categorization within EuroSCORE II risk statification model. Methods. A 7,641 consecutive patients were scored preoperatively using EuroSCORE II. The end point for the study was in-hospital mortality accross the risk group categories. Patients with EuroSCORE II values of ? 2.50, > 2.50?6.50%, and > 6.50% were defined to be at low, moderate, and high perioperative risk, respectively. Discriminative power of the model was tested by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The calibration of the model was assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics, and with observed/expected (O/E) mortality ratio. Results. Inhospital mortality observed in our sample was 3.85% (295 out of 7,641 patients). The EuroSCORE II discriminative power was acceptable (AUCs > 0.70) for the low and high risk groups, while it failed to confirm good discrimination in the moderate risk group. Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics confirmed good calibration across risk group categories. The O/E mortality ratio failed to confirm good calibration in the low and high risk group (slight, but significant underprediction ratio of 1.24; 95% confidence interval 1.05?1.43), but confirmed good calibration in all three subcategories of the high risk group. Conclusion. The results of this study showed an acceptable overall performance of the Euro- SCORE II in terms of discrimination and accuracy of model predictions for perioperative mortality across risk group categories. Validation of EuroSCORE II performances across risk group categories needs to be further studied for a continuous improvement of patients' risk stratification before planned cardiac surgery.

Background/Aim. Craniosynostosis is a condition that occurs intrauterine or develops in the infant period, and represents premature fusion of cranial sutures. This fusion of sutures limits the normal cranium development and leads to disorder in the phase of rapid growth and development of the brain. Creation of craniosynostoses is associated with an increased incidence of developmental delay during the breastfeeding period. Craniosynostoses are treated by surgery. The role of a physiatrist is to postoperatively assess psychomotor development and implement habilitation treatment. The aim of this study was to determine distribution of the type of craniosynostoses according to the age and gender of patients, effectiveness of habilitation treatment and to estimate the somatosensory evoked potential in the preoperative and postoperative period in children who underwent craniosynostosis surgery in the first year of life. Methods. The study was designed as a retrospective research. The data were collected from medical records of 51 children with craniosynostoses and delay in psychomotor development who underwent surgical intervention. The children included in this study, during follow-up, were involved in the habilitation treatment. Results. An early diagnosis and surgical intervention had a favorable effect on the development of motor function in children with craniosynostoses. The importance of stimulation treatment in the postoperative period was also proved for achievement of an adequate degree of motor development in children in relation to age. The results of our study confirmed the results obtained in previously published studies that the children who did not undergo surgery and start with the habilitation treatment immediately after it, had delay in psychomotor development of moderate degree. Conclusion. Habilitation treatment significantly reduced the deviations in psychomotor development of children with craniosynostoses if it started immediately after the surgical procedure.

The numerous chemokines and their cognate G protein-coupled chemokine receptors on the surface of leukocytes form a complex signaling network, which regulates the immune response and also other key physiological processes. Currently only a very limited number of structures of chemokine-chemokine receptor complexes have been solved. More structures are needed for the understanding of their mechanism of action and the rational design of drugs against these highly relevant therapeutic targets. Recently, we have determined the cryo-EM structure of the human wild-type CCR5 chemokine receptor, which is also the HIV-1 coreceptor, in its active conformation bound to the chemokine super-agonist [6P4]CCL5 and the heterotrimeric Gi protein. The structure provides the rationale for the sequence-activity relation of agonist and antagonist CCR5 chemokine ligands. In this chapter, we present a detailed protocol for the preparation of the active agonist chemokine-CCR5-Gi complex for cryo-EM studies including quality controls and caveats. As such the protocol may serve as starting point for structural and biophysical studies of other chemokine-chemokine receptor complexes.

Most of us tend to encounter Greek myths in childhood as exciting stories brimming with heroes, monsters, and moody divinities. The story of Odysseus’ homecoming and the story about the Little Mermaid feature different characters, but their relationship to reality is understood to be the same: they are fantasy, and not real. If, like me, you were lucky enough to escape the Disneyfication of fairy tales in your childhood, perhaps you will remember the brutality and harshness of folktales, which puts them on a par with many Greek myths. My first encounters with ancient Greek stories about the gods and heroes were very similar to Sarah Iles Johnston's: we were both captivated by Greek myth as children, and the passion, once kindled, only grew stronger when we became mature enough to read the ‘real thing’. In my case, learning about ancient Greek culture and becoming a scholar of Greek religion required a thorough rethink, as I needed to readjust my stance towards Greek myths in order to understand the role that they played in ancient Greek society as formative narratives about the communities’ identities, early history, and human relationships with the gods. My process essentially required an emotional detachment from the beloved heroes of my childhood and a significant amount of distancing.

Background The goal of this study is to report functional and esthetic outcomes, after fibula free flap (FFF) reconstruction of the mandible for oral cancer, assessed by physicians, nonclinicians, and patients. Methods Twenty-five long-term survivors from oral cancer after FFF reconstruction were recalled for head and neck examination by surgeons, for photographs and patient-reported outcomes, using EORTC, QLQ-C30, H&N35, and FACE-Q questionnaires. Results Physicians reported 64% restoration of functionality compared to normal. Patients reported high scores on QLQ-C30 but lower scores on H&N35. Esthetic scores were reported higher by clinicians than nonclinicians. The decline in function and appearance was attributed to loss of lower dentition, trismus, malocclusion, xerostomia, and tissue atrophy. Conclusion To minimize the decline in function and appearance, immediate dental implants in FFF, better reconstruction of the temporomandibular joint, newer methods of radiotherapy to minimize xerostomia and oral exercises to prevent trismus should be considered.

Background/Aim. The EuroSCORE II has recently been developed with an idea to provide better accuracy in prediction of perioperative mortality in the patients who underwent open heart surgery. The aim of this study was to validate clinical performances of the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II risk stratification model in the Serbian adult cardiac surgical population undergoing open heart surgery. Methods. The Euro- SCORE II values on 10,048 consecutive patients undergoing major adult cardiac surgery from 1st January 2012 to 31st March 2017, were prospectively calculated and entered the institutional database. The discriminative power of the model was tested by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The calibration of the model was assessed by the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) statistics and the observed to expected (O/E) mortality ratio. The patients with the EuroSCORE II values of 0.5?2.50%, > 2.50?6.50%), and > 6.50% were defined to be at low, moderate, and high perioperative risk, respectively. Results. The observed in-hospital mortality was 3.86% (388 of 10,048) and the mean predicted mortality by the Euro- SCORE II was 3.61%. The discriminatory power was very good for the entire cohort as well as for all subgroups [coronary, valve(s), combined (coronary plus valve), aortic and other] of performed cardiac procedures (all AUCs > 0.75). The H-L test confirmed good calibration only for category other cardiac procedures. The O/E mortality ratio confirmed good calibration for the whole sample [O/E ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96?1.18] and for all subgroups of performed cardiac procedures, excluding significant underprediction of mortality for aortic surgery (O/E ratio 1.64; 95% CI 1.31?1.97). The EuroSCORE II overestimated perioperative risk in a low and underestimated perioperative risk in a high risk group, with acceptable discrimination (both AUCs = 0.72). On the contrary, the O/E mortality ratio confirmed good calibration for all three subcategories of high risk group. Conclusion. The results of our study confirmed acceptable overall performances of the EuroSCORE II risk stratification model in terms of discrimination and the accuracy of model when applied to the contemporary Serbian cardiac surgical cohort undergoing open heart surgery at our Institute.

Introduction. Epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (E??) is an extremely rare form and unusual type of trophoblastic tumor. In 1998 ??? became an independent entity because it possesses specific histological and immunohistochemical features which make it different from placental site tumor and choriocarcinoma. ??? origins from intermediate trophoblast and it can overlap with the squamous cell carcinoma as per differential diagnosis. The relevant literature data suggest that surgical treatment is a treatment of choice for ETT considering that its response to chemotherapy is considerably poor. Case report. A 35-years-old patient G3 P2 came to an examination due to the low pelvic pain and absence of menstrual cycle. She reported that menstrual cycles were irregular during the past year. During the bimanual pelvic examination, a painful tumefaction being approximately 8 cm was palpated in the pouch of Douglas. The patient was operated on as being suspected for ectopic pregnancy when it was noticed that the aforementioned tumefaction was located retroperitoneally immediately against rectosigmoid part of the colon. After the histopathological analysis of the sample, in order to make the final diagnosis, the immunohistochemical test was performed and it found that this E??. Due to an inadequate response to administered chemotherapy, both resection of rectosigmoid colon with appurtenant tumor and left hepatectomy with salpingectomy on both sides were performed considering a possibility of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) after ectopic pregnancy. Because of dehiscence of colorectal anastomosis, relaparotomy with colostomy bag fitting was performed. The patient died on the day 40 after surgical treatment due to hepatic insufficiency. Conclusion. In order to make as much adequate treatment method of ETT as possible, it is necessary to organize a team work with multidisciplinary approach. Surgical resection of the tumor is a primary method for treating ETT.

The microtubule-associated protein, tau, is the major subunit of neurofibrillary tangles, forming insoluble, amyloid-type aggregates associated with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Tau aggregation, however, can be prevented in the cell by a class of proteins known as molecular chaperones, which play important roles in maintaining protein homeostasis. While numerous chaperones are known to interact with tau, though, little is known about the detailed mechanisms by which these prevent tau aggregation. Here, we describe the effects of the ATP-independent Hsp40 chaperones, DNAJA2 and DNAJB1, on tau amyloid fiber formation and compare these to the well-studied small heat shock protein HSPB1. We find that each chaperone prevents tau aggregation differently, by interacting with distinct sets of tau species along the aggregation pathway and thereby affecting their incorporation into fibers. Whereas HSPB1 only binds tau monomers, DNAJB1 and DNAJA2 recognize aggregation-prone tau conformers and even mature fibers, thus efficiently preventing formation of tau amyloids. In addition, we find that both Hsp40s bind tau seeds and fibers via their C-terminal domain II (CTDII), with DNAJA2 being further capable of recognizing tau monomers by a second, different site in CTDI. These results provide important insight into the molecular mechanism by which the different members of the Hsp40 chaperone family counteract the formation, propagation, and toxicity of tau aggregates. Furthermore, our findings highlight the fact that chaperones from different families and different classes play distinct, but complementary roles in preventing pathological protein aggregation.

This article reviews the context and evidence of recent myocardial revascularization trials on PCI versus CABG with particular emphasis on patient selection and treatment of surgical patients. Moreover, one of our intended purposes is to identify the values underpinning the integrated care model, which incorporates decision to proceed with surgical myocardial revascularization in conjunction with established pillars of the use of optimal surgical techniques, and aggressive risk-factor modification through guideline-directed pharmacological therapies and lifestyle modifications.

Clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection range from mild to critically severe. The aim of the study was to highlight the immunological events associated with the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with an emphasis on cells of innate immunity. Thirty COVID-19 patients with mild/moderate symptoms and 27 patients with severe/critically severe symptoms were recruited from the Clinical Center of Kragujevac during April 2020. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to reveal phenotypic and functional alterations of peripheral blood cells and to correlate them with the severity of the disease. In severe cases, the number of T and B lymphocytes, dendritic cells, NK cells, and HLA-DR-expressing cells was drastically decreased. In the monocyte population proportion between certain subsets was disturbed and cells coexpressing markers of M1 and M2 monocytes were found in intermediate and non-classical subsets. In mild cases decline in lymphocyte number was less pronounced and innate immunity was preserved as indicated by an increased number of myeloid and activated dendritic cells, NK cells that expressed activation marker at the same level as in control and by low expression of M2 marker in monocyte population. In patients with severe disease, both innate and adoptive immunity are devastated, while in patients with mild symptoms decline in lymphocyte number is lesser, and the innate immunity is preserved.

BACKGROUND Maxillofacial reconstruction with vascularized bone restores facial contour and provides structural support and a foundation for dental rehabilitation. Routine implant placement in such cases, however, remains uncommon. This study aims to determine dental implant survival in patients undergoing vascularized maxillary or mandibular reconstruction through a systematic review of the literature. METHODS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, the literature was queried for implant placement in reconstructed jaws using Medical Subject Headings terms on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane platforms. Weighted implant survivals were calculated for the entire cohort and subcohorts stratified by radiotherapy. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate effect of radiation on implant osseointegration. RESULTS Of 3965 publications identified, 42 were reviewed, including 1084 patients with 3636 dental implants. Weighted implant survival was 92.2 percent at a median follow-up of 36 months. Survival was 97.0 percent in 269 implants placed immediately in 60 patients versus 89.9 percent in 1897 delayed implants placed in 597 patients, with follow-up of 14 and 40 months, respectively. Dental implants without radiotherapy exposure had better survival than those exposed to radiation (95.3 versus 84.6 percent; p < 0.01) at a median follow-up of 36 months. Meta-analyses showed that radiation significantly increased the risk of implant failure (risk ratio, 4.74; p < 0.01) and suggested that implants placed before radiotherapy trended toward better survival (88.9 percent versus 83.4 percent, p = 0.07; risk ratio, 0.52; p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS Overall implant survival was 92.2 percent; however, radiotherapy adversely impacted outcomes. Implants placed before radiotherapy may demonstrate superior survival than implants placed after.

Importance. Observational studies have suggested that the use of radial artery grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting may improve clinical outcomes compared with the use of saphenous vein grafts, but this has not been confirmed in randomized trials.Objective. To compare clinical outcomes between patients receiving radial artery or saphenous vein grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting at long-term follow-up.Design, Setting, and Participants. Patient-level pooled analysis comparing radial artery and saphenous vein grafts in adult patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting from five countries (Australia, Italy, Serbia, South Korea, and United Kingdom; enrollment years: 1997 to 2009, follow-up completed in 2019).Intervention. Patients were randomized to receive either radial artery or saphenous vein grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting.Main outcomes and measures. The primary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction or repeat revascularization, and the secondary outcome was a composite of death or myocardial infarction.Results. 1036 patients (534 radial artery group) were randomized (mean age 66.6 vs 67.1 years, males 70.4% vs 69.9% in the radial artery and the saphenous vein groups, respectively); 942 (90.9%) of the originally randomized patients completed 10 years of follow-up (510 radial artery group). At a median follow-up of 10 years (interquartile range 10-11), the use of the radial artery was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of the composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction or repeat revascularization (220 vs 237 events; 41 vs 47 events per 1000 patient-years; hazard ratio[HR] 0.73, 95%confidence interval[CI] 0.61-0.88, pConclusions and relevance. In this individual participant data meta-analysis with a median follow up of 10 years, among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, the use of the radial artery compared with saphenous vein grafts was associated with a lower risk of a composite of cardiovascular outcomes.

Ancient Greek religion was a polytheistic religion without a book, church, creed, or a professional priestly class. Due to the extraordinarily rich regional varieties in cult, fragmentary evidence and conjectural interpretations of it, conflicting mythological accounts, and the span of time treated, not a single absolute statement can be made about any aspect of Greek religion and exceptions exist for every general rule stated here. Since Ancient Greeks perceived all aspects of nature as either divine or divinely controlled, and all aspects of individual and social life were thought to be subject to supernatural influence, paying proper respect to the gods and heroes was understood to be a fundamental necessity of life. Since no aspect of individual or social life was separate from “religion,” scholars refer to Ancient Greek religion as “embedded.”1 The closest Ancient Greek comes to the English word “religion” are the noun thrēskeia (“acts of religious worship, ritual, service of gods”) and the verb thrēskeuō (“to perform religious observances”). Basic components of religious worship were the construction and upkeep of divine precincts, statues, altars, and temples, the observance of festivals, performance of sacrifices, bloodless offerings and libations, prayer, hymning, and observance of ritual abstinences and purifications. The closest Greek equivalents to “belief” were eusebeia (“reverent piety,” “respect”) and pistis (“trust in others” or “faith”).2 Both words could qualify a relationship between humans, as well as a relationship between humans and a supernatural entity. Since the Ancient Greeks did not have authoritative or divinely sent books of revelation, there was no script telling them what or whom to believe in and outlining the reasons why. The Greeks did not have professional priests who preserved, interpreted, and disseminated religious norms.3 However, Greek literature is brimming with gods, and the stories about the gods, which they (and we) call “myths,” were not only in all their texts, but everywhere around them: depicted on their pottery, painted on their walls, chiseled on the stones of their buildings.4 In the public space, there were countless divine statues, and the temples, altars, sacred groves, and divine precincts were everywhere around them. Ancient Greeks learned about the gods by hearing, watching, and doing: by seeing their parents perform a sacrifice, by observing them as they prayed, swore an oath, or performed libations, by participating in processions, singing and dancing in the chorus, eating the sacrificial meat in the sanctuaries, and by drinking wine, the gift of Dionysus. Ancient Greeks had no immediate need for theodicy, for the gods could be either benevolent, or angry, and their benevolence was perceived as a sign that the worship the community offered was appropriate, whereas natural catastrophes, crippling defeats in wars, or epidemics were interpreted as manifestations of divine anger, provoked by some human error or misstep.5 Ancestral gods and heroes and the traditional way of worshipping them formed the cornerstone of Greek religiosity.

I was very excited to get my hands on what was promising to be a magnificent and extremely helpfulHandbook of Rhetorical Studies, and my expectations were matched – and exceeded! This handbook contains no less than sixty contributions written by eminent experts and is divided into six parts. Each section opens with a brief orientation essay, tracing the development of rhetoric in a specific period, and is followed by individual chapters which are organized thematically. Part I contains eleven chapters on ‘Greek Rhetoric’, and the areas covered are law, politics, historiography, pedagogy, poetics, tragedy, Old Comedy, Plato, Aristotle, and closing with the Sophists. Part II contains thirteen chapters on ‘Ancient Roman Rhetoric’, which similarly covers law, politics, historiography, pedagogy, and the Second Sophistic, and adds Stoic philosophy, epic, lyric address, declamation, fiction, music and the arts, and Augustine to the list of topics. Part III, on ‘Medieval Rhetoric’, covers politics, literary criticism, poetics, and comedy; Part IV, on the Renaissance contains chapters on politics, law, pedagogy, science, poetics, theatre, and the visual arts. Part V consists of seven essays on the early modern and Enlightenment periods and is decidedly Britano-centric: politics, gender in British literature, architecture, origins of British Enlightenment rhetoric, philosophy (mostly British, too), science, and the elocutionary movement in Britain. With Chapter 45 we arrive at the modern age section (Part VI), with two chapters on feminism, one on race, and three on the standard topics (law, political theory, science), grouped together with those on presidential politics, New Testament studies, argumentation, semiotics, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, social epistemology, and environment, and closing with digital media. The volume also contains a glossary of Greek and Latin rhetorical terms. As the editor states in his Introduction, the aim of the volume is not only to provide a comprehensive history of rhetoric, but also to enable those interested in the role of rhetoric in specific disciplines or genres, such as law or theatre and performance, to easily find those sections in respective parts of the book and thus explore the intersection of rhetoric with one specific field in a chronological sequence.