Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging features of fetal urogenital anomalies: A pictorial essay.

This pictorial essay focuses on ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of fetal urogenital anomalies. Fetal urogenital malformations account for 30%-50% of all anomalies discovered during pregnancy or at birth. They are usually detected by fetal ultrasound exams. However, when ultrasound data on their characteristics is insufficient, MRI is the best option for detecting other associated anomalies. The prognosis highly depends on their type and whether they are associated with other fetal abnormalities.

Myocardial perfusion imaging in the era of COVID-19: a systematic review.

Purpose: As COVID-19 was uncovered, it became evident that specific individuals could experience multi-organ complications for quite a while after infection. Among them, there were several cardiovascular complications. Myocardial perfusion imaging single photon emission computed tomography (MPI SPECT) can be utilized to detect and evaluate cardiac problems regardless of whether COVID caused them. By examining all publications relevant to the impacts of the pandemic on SPECT MPI imaging, we aimed to understand how the COVID pandemic affected different aspects of the MPI, how intense these effects were, and what the consequences were. Method: On the 6th of June, 2022, a four-domain search strategy was developed and implemented by searching the following databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The retrieved records have been put through two levels of screening. The search for forward and backward citations provided more results. Results: This study contained 32 papers, divided into the following three categories: 1. Case reports and series; 2. A comparison of the number of MPIs conducted before and after the pandemic; and 3. SPECT MPI findings. Conclusion: We observed through the article review that CT scans performed in combination with MPI are crucial and should be interpreted within the context of COVID, especially during outbreaks. Moreover, we discovered that in the initial months of the pandemic, the number of SPECT MPIs performed globally decreased, with the fall being more significant in some countries, primarily in low- to middle-income regions. Lastly, we found that individuals with a history of COVID-19 may be more prone to having MPIs that demonstrate abnormalities, such as ischemia.

Learning and sleep-dependent consolidation of spatial and procedural memories are unaltered in young men under a fixed short sleep schedule.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if a fixed short sleep schedule impairs one of the main functions of sleep, which is to consolidate newly learned memories. METHODS: Sixteen young men participated in two experimental conditions, each of which lasted for 3 consecutive days and nights in our laboratory: a short sleep schedule (4.25-h sleep opportunity per night) versus a normal sleep schedule (8.5h per night). In the evening after two experimental nights, participants learned locations of 15 card pairs (spatial memory task) and a procedural finger tapping sequence task. Post-sleep retrieval of both memory tasks was tested the next morning. RESULTS: The short sleep schedule, compared with the normal sleep schedule, considerably altered sleep characteristics, e.g. the proportion of time in slow-wave sleep increased across the three experimental nights. In contrast, neither learning in the evening of day 2, nor subsequent overnight memory consolidation (i.e. concerning the change in memory performance between pre-sleep learning on day 2 and post-sleep retrieval on day 3) differed between the normal and short sleep schedule conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that learning in the evening and subsequent sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural and spatial memories are unaltered in young men living under a fixed short sleep schedule. Future studies are warranted to validate our findings in other groups (e.g. adolescents and older subjects) and after more prolonged chronic sleep loss paradigms.

A single night of partial sleep loss impairs fasting insulin sensitivity but does not affect cephalic phase insulin release in young men.

The present study sought to investigate whether a single night of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) would alter fasting insulin sensitivity and cephalic phase insulin release (CPIR) in humans. A rise in circulating insulin in response to food-related sensory stimulation may prepare tissues to break down ingested glucose, e.g. by stimulating rate-limiting glycolytic enzymes. In addition, given insulin's anorexigenic properties once it reaches the brain, the CPIR may serve as an early peripheral satiety signal. Against this background, in the present study 16 men participated in two separate sessions: one night of PSD (4.25 h sleep) versus one night of full sleep (8.5 h sleep). In the morning following each sleep condition, subjects' oral cavities were rinsed with a 1-molar sucrose solution for 45 s, preceded and followed by blood sampling for repeated determination of plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations (-3, +3, +5, +7, +10 and +20 min). Our main result was that PSD, compared with full sleep, was associated with significantly higher peripheral insulin resistance, as indicated by a higher fasting homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (+16%, P = 0.025). In contrast, no CPIR was observed in any of the two sleep conditions. Our findings indicate that a single night of PSD is already sufficient to impair fasting insulin sensitivity in healthy men. In contrast, brief oral cavity rinsing with sucrose solution did not change serum insulin concentrations, suggesting that a blunted CPIR is an unlikely mechanism through which acute sleep loss causes metabolic perturbations during morning hours in humans.

The chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the leaf oil of Cupressus lusitanica from Monteverde, Costa Rica.

The essential oils from the leaves of three different individuals of Cupressus lusitanica were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. A total of 49 compounds were identified in the leaf oils. The major components of C. lusitanica leaf oil were α-pinene (40%-82%), limonene (4%-18%), isobornyl acetate (up to 10%) and cis-muurola-4(14),5-diene (up to 7%). The essential oil was screened for antimicrobial activity, and it showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus and antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger.