The intestinal microbiota consists of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that achieve a perfect symbiosis with the host. They perform immunological, metabolic, and endocrine functions in the body. The microbiota is formed intrauterine. Dysbiosis is a microbiome disorder characterized by an imbalance in the composition of the microbiota, as well as changes in their functional and metabolic activities. The causes of dysbiosis include improper nutrition in pregnant women, hormone therapy, the use of drugs, especially antibiotics, and a lack of exposure to the mother’s vaginal microbiota during natural birth. Changes in the intestinal microbiota are increasingly being identified in various diseases, starting in the early neonatal period into the adult period. Conclusions: In recent years, it has become more and more obvious that the components of the intestinal microbiota are crucial for the proper development of the immune system, and its disruption leads to disease.

Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) play a pivotal role in pregnancy. Both a deficiency and an excess of Cu, Zn, and Se have deleterious consequences for the outcome of pregnancy. Accordingly, maintaining optimal levels of circulating Cu, Zn, and Se is critical for proper fetal growth and development. However, to our knowledge, this is the first narrative global review that not only summarizes Cu, Zn, and Se levels in maternal and cord blood but also examines their associations with multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes. Thus, this up-to-date review seeks to address these key questions. To achieve these goals, literature was collected from the past several decades from three relevant databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library), and rigorous exclusion and inclusion criteria were set for peer-reviewed studies that met the requirements for a final inclusion in the review analysis. In this study, data is presented on the levels of Cu, Zn, and Se in maternal and cord blood across the globe (herein used to suggest optimal maternal levels for Cu, Zn, and Se during a normal, healthy pregnancy), elemental differences between maternal and cord blood, and the fluctuations of their blood levels depending on the trimester of pregnancy. In addition, the review presents findings on the effects of Cu, Zn, and Se on birth weight and anthropometric parameters of newborns, as well as on preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, neural tube defects, and congenital heart defects.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome. Infections, mainly sexually transmitted, usually resolve spontaneously. However, if the infection persists over time, lesions of the skin and mucous membranes tend to appear, notably mucosal lesions in the cervix or the appearance of warts. Some of those slowly progress to cancers such as cervical, oral, anus, esophagus, and larynx carcinoma. Diagnosis of an HPV infection is made by Papanicolaou test (Pap test) or molecular screening such as the HPV DNA Test. Treatment with natural products is based on essential oils. The main point of this work is to identify natural molecules from vegetal derivation capable of inhibiting the proliferation of HPV-16 with the same and/or superior affinity as regular drugs used in pharmacological treatment. Once we have identified the main components in these plants, we have applied molecular docking software 1-Click Docking, for virtual testing of those, on main antigenic determinants of HPV-16 as oncoproteins E6 and E7 as well as major capsid protein L1. The major active component to bind oncoprotein E6, apigenin, has shown an affinity bigger than other molecules. For major capsid protein L1, apigenin has shown one level of affinity similar to conventional drugs. These results have shown how it is possible, with natural products present in our daily lives, to inhibit the proliferation of HPV.

Introduction: The subjective feeling of fatigue is one of the most common post-COVID-19 manifestations. It is characterized by intolerance to physical and cognitive effort that the individual previously tolerated well, accompanied by weakness and other symptoms. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of the subjective feeling of fatigue, three months after recovery from the infection, amongst patients who had been infected with COVID-19, as well as to analyze correlated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 110 patients who had previously contracted COVID-19, and who came for a regular follow-up examination at the Health Center Kosovska Mitrovica, 3 months after recovery from acute infection. A specially designed questionnaire was used, which consisted of the segment with sociodemographic data, the segment with the data on the patient's health status and the course of their COVID-19 infection, as well as the segment of the questionnaire related to self-assessment of the patient's health status after the COVID-19 infection. Results: In our sample, out of 110 respondents, as many as 52 felt fatigue. Factors that were statistically significantly associated with the subjective feeling of fatigue, three months after treatment, were the age of the subject and the presence of chronic disease (p < 0.05). The presence of fever and pneumonia during infection were statistically significantly associated with the presence of the subjective feeling of fatigue, three months after treatment (p < 0.05). Hospitalized patients and those who were hospitalized for a longer period of time were also more likely to feel fatigue three months after recovering from the infection (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The subjective feeling of fatigue, as one of post-COVID manifestations, as well as the consequent inability of the patient to resume work-related and personal tasks and responsibilities, can be a serious individual and public health problem, which is why it is necessary to appropriately recognize and treat it.

Vernix caseosa peritonitis (VCP) is a rare postpartum complication rarely recognized by clinicians despite an increased incidence of cesarean sections. A 23-year-old patient, who had not had any prior medical examination during pregnancy and with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), gave birth by cesarean section. On the 4th day after the cesarean section, the patient developed fever and abdominal pain. Laboratory parameters showing inflammation were increased. Two bacteria were found in the swab of the lochia: Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. After relaparotomy was performed inside the abdominal cavity, hemorrhagic-purulent contents and multiple cheesy fibrin deposits on the intestines were visible. After peritoneal lavage and triple antibiotic therapy prescribed in duration of seven days, the patient completely recovered. Histopathological analysis showed a mixture of inflammatory cells concentrated around non-nuclear cells with wrinkled edges, which primarily corresponded to the inflammatory-altered vernix. Early recognition of vernix caseosa peritonitis is very important because it can prevent the resection of the abdominal organs that are altered with inflammation.

Background/Objectives: The signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be similar to those of various other illnesses and conditions. To facilitate the detection and categorization of PMS symptoms, specific questionnaires have been developed. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) for the Serbian-speaking population and assess its validity and reliability. Material and Methods: Our convenience sample included 350 Serbian-speaking female health sciences students from one of the Serbian universities who had PMS symptoms at least once during the past 12 months. They completed a general socio-epidemiologic questionnaire, the PSST, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The PSST was translated according to the recommended methodology, and its psychometric characteristics (internal consistency, construct, discriminant validity and convergent validity) were tested. Results: There were no major changes in the items during the process of translation or validation. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the whole scale was 0.927, whereas if an item was deleted, it was >0.8 for all the items. The McDonald’s omega coefficient was 0.896, indicating good internal consistency. The CI–TC coefficients were greater than 0.40 for all the items, indicating that all items were significant elements of the PSST. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed adequate values for all model fit estimators. The PSST significantly correlated with the DASS-21, which confirmed its adequate convergent validity. Conclusions: The Serbian version of the PSST showed good validity and therefore can be used as a screening tool for PMS in Serbian-speaking young women.