The two traditional methods for the assessment of iodine deficiency in a given area are the estimation of urinary excretion of iodine, and the prevalence of goiter. In field studies, the estimation of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) in random urine specimens provides an adequate assessment of a population's iodine nutrition. The recommended method is the classic one, based on Sandell-Kolthoff reaction (Method A). Recently, a new semi-quantitative method has been introduced (rapid urinary iodide test [RUIT]). We performed a field study in a developing country (Azerbaijan) in order to compare the classic Method A to RUIT. The study included 942 schoolchildren, to whom UIE was estimated by RUIT. Comparing the two methods, (n = 260), the sensitivity of RUIT using as gold standard Method A, was 96% and the specificity was 61%. The correlation between median values UIE estimated by RUIT and by Method A was excellent (r = 0.98, p < 0.001). An agreement in iodine deficiency classification according to the World Health Organization-United Nations Children's Fund-International Council for the Control of Iodine-Deficiency Disorders (WHO-UNICEF-ICCIDD) between the two methods was observed in eight of nine areas. In conclusion, RUIT is a suitable method for UIE estimation in field studies of suspected iodine deficiency. The test is relatively inexpensive, easy to perform, and does not require sophisticated instruments.

Introduction: Phosphodiesrase type 5 inhibitors have been recently reported to induce a relaxing effect on ureteral smooth muscle. We conducted an in vitro study to elucidate the relaxing effect of various doses of vardenafil on the porcine ureter. Moreover, we propose a porcine ureter model for the evaluation of the effect of different substances on the ureter. Materials and Methods: A total number of 24 ureters were obtained by domestic pigs. The obtained ureteral specimens were immediately placed in Krebs solution. All specimens were cut into 4- to 5-mm-long tubular segments, which were mounted in 10 mL vertical chambers of an organ bath system. The same specific conditions were set to the organ bath device for all specimens. The tubular segments were connected to a force/pressure transducer device. After automatic ureteral contractions with stable frequency were achieved, different doses of vardenafil (0.1, 1, and 10 μM) were added to the bath chambers. Isometric responses of the tissues throughout the experiment were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results: The administration of vardenafil resulted in reduction of both rate and tension of the ureteral contraction regardless of the dose of vardenafil. Nevertheless, statistical analysis revealed significantly reduced ureteral contraction rate and tension when vardenafil 1 or 10 μM was administered in comparison to the initial steady state. Conclusion: Vardenafil concentrations of 1 and 10 μM should be considered as appropriate for ureteral relaxation. The porcine model replicates human ureteral response in vitro at least in the case of phosphodiesrase type 5 inhibitors and probably would be useful for the evaluation of other pharmaceutical agents.

High throughput sequencing RNA-sequencing technologies and modern in silico techniques have expanded our knowledge on short non-coding RNAs. These sequences were initially split into various categories based on their cellular functionality and their sequential, thermodynamic and structural properties believing that their sequence can be used as an identifier to distinguish them. However, recent evidence has indicated that the same sequences can act and function as more than one type of non-coding RNAs with a striking example of mature microRNA sequences which can also be transfer RNA fragments. Most of the existing computational methods for the prediction of non-coding RNA sequences have emphasized on the prediction of only one type of noncoding RNAs and even the ones designed for multiclassification do not support multiple labeling and are thus not able to assign a sequence to more than one non-coding RNA type. In the present paper, we introduce a new multilabel- multiclass method based on the combination of multiobjective evolutionary algorithms and multi-label implementations of Random Forests to optimize the feature selection process and assign short RNA sequences to one or more non-coding RNA types. The overall methodology clearly outperformed other machine learning techniques which were used for the same purpose and it is applicable to data coming from RNA-sequencing experiments.

Background/Objectives: The optimal surgical approach for Percutaneous KyphoPlasty (PKP) in patients with recent single-level Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures (OVCFs) remains controversial. Most available previous meta-analyses included studies with variable heterogeneity, often mixing unilateral and bilateral MIS approaches, differing surgical techniques, and various fracture patterns, which limited the reliability of their conclusions. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of unilateral versus bilateral PKP exclusively in patients with recent single-level OVCFs only. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect were searched for comparative studies published between 2000 and 2025. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), prospective, and retrospective comparative studies comparing unilateral and bilateral PKP for recent single-level OVCFs were included. Clinical and radiological outcomes as well as perioperative complications and safety outcomes were analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis. Predefined subgroup analyses according to study design and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Eleven studies involving 1374 patients (705 unilateral and 669 bilateral PKP) met the inclusion criteria. No significant differences were observed between the two surgical approaches regarding short- or long-term pain relief, cement leakage, number of adjacent vertebral fractures, or overall clinical outcomes. Bilateral PKP demonstrated statistically significant, but clinically negligible, advantages in anterior vertebral body height restoration and kyphosis correction. Unilateral PKP required an insignificantly lower cement volume. For operative time, the overall pooled estimate favored unilateral PKP by approximately 10 min but showed extreme heterogeneity (I² = 98.5%). Importantly, the two RCTs showed no statistically significant between-group difference (MD = +1.2 min, 95% CI −4.5 to +6.8), indicating that the apparent overall effect was largely driven by observational evidence. Similar discrepancies between randomized and retrospective studies were observed for several other outcomes, underscoring the importance of considering study design when interpreting the results. Conclusions: Current evidence does not demonstrate clinically meaningful superiority of either unilateral or bilateral PKP for the treatment of recent single-level OVCFs. Bilateral PKP may provide small advantages in selected radiographic outcomes, whereas unilateral PKP uses modestly less bone cement; however, the relevance of these differences remains clinically uncertain. Surgical approach selection may therefore be individualized according to vertebral morphology, pedicle anatomy, fracture characteristics, surgeon experience, and technical feasibility rather than expectations of superior clinical outcomes. Further adequately powered randomized trials with standardized outcome reporting and long-term follow-up are warranted.