Thyroid adenomas (TA) are benign tumors, but there is a 20% possibility of malignant transformation. The distinguishing between the TA and thyroid cancer (TC) is tricky, therefore new TA biomarkers are needed. Furthermore, the role of trace elements (TE) in etiology and pathogenesis of TA is unclear. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the content of ten trace elements (TE): silver (Ag), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), rubidium (Rb), antimony (Sb), scandium (Sc), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) in the normal and adenomatous thyroid. Thyroid tissue levels of TE were prospectively evaluated in 46 patients with TA and 105 healthy inhabitants. Measurements were performed using non-destructive instrumental neutron activation analysis with high resolution spectrometry of long-lived radionuclides. Tissue samples were divided into two portions. One was used for morphological study while the other was intended for TE analysis. It was found that in adenomatous thyroid content of Ag, Cr, Hg, and Zn were significantly higher than in normal gland tissues. Thus, it is possible to suppose that the considerable changes in TE contents in the adenomatous transformed tissue of thyroid can be used as TA biomarkers.

Background: Tracheal stenosis is a narrowing condition of the trachea that can lead to life threatening breathing complications depending on the extent of reduction in the airway diameter. This condition affects not just the lung’s performance to draw air during inspiration but also the flow behavior in the bronchi generations. Methods: Computational simulations were performed in idealistic healthy and stenosed tracheobronchial models of adult and infant airways consisting of the trachea and mainstem bronchi alone. Effect of 70% reduction in trachea diameter was investigated for both models using Ansys Fluent. Results: We realized that while airflow developed along the center in the healthy model, flow in the stenosed tracheae moved in a jet-like manner, forcing its way across the airway tract with velocity 5 m/s greater than that in the healthy airways. This high jet-like flow at the center in the stenosed tracheae led to high flow impact at the bronchi bifurcation. Consequently, wall shear stress at the bifurcation was high in both stenosis cases. Conclusion: This study shows that tracheal stenosis potentially leads to high flow impact and wall shear stress at the bifurcation of mainstem bronchi, and this effect will have severe consequences in infants than adults.

Toxoplasmosis acquired in an immunocompetent individual will usually be asymptomatic. However, the problem arises in the case of a primary infection in a pregnant woman, which may cause congenital infection of the fetus. Through maternal-fetal contamination, this infection poses two main risks to the fetus and the child, one neurological (hydrocephalus and intracranial calcifications) and the other ophthalmic (chorioretinitis that can affect the visual prognosis), which makes preventive actions necessary, through compulsory monthly serological surveillance of women who are not immune to toxoplasmosis. The biologist is often confronted with difficulties in interpreting the results, particularly during the monitoring of pregnant women. However, this is an essential step in the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis because the results of the serological analysis are the basis for subsequent prenatal and postnatal treatment serodiagnosis is based on the detection of specific IgG and IgM. Although serological techniques have improved in recent years, problems of interpretation of serology persist, particularly in the presence of IgM antibodies. Results should be interpreted with caution. The mistake not to be made is to conclude immediately that the patient is primitively infected on the basis of the presence of IgM or IgG antibodies associated with IgM antibodies alone. The knowledge of the evolution of antibodies during the infection and the practice of complementary tests in particular the measurement of the avidity of antitoxoplasmic IgG allow in the majority of the cases a correct interpretation of the results and a dating of the infection.