Publications by authors named "Martin Masek"

Background: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a serious, vaccine-preventable infectious disease that can be life-threatening. Teaching adolescents about the early detection and prevention of IMD can be challenging in a school environment, with educators reporting they lack confidence or expertise to cover this in the classroom environment. Professional guest educators are an alternative to cover specialist topics such as IMD; however, time and resourcing constraints can mean that these educators are not always available.

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Background: The aim was to evaluate the performance of the Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) using imaging (ultrasound, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (WB-DWI/MRI) in assessing peritoneal carcinomatosis and predicting non-resectability in tubo-ovarian carcinoma patients.

Methods: This was a prospective multicenter observational study. We considered all patients with suspected primary ovarian/tubal/peritoneal cancer who underwent preoperative ultrasound, CT, and WB-DWI/MRI (if available).

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The ribosome, owing to its exceptional conservation, harbours a remarkable molecular fossil known as the protoribosome. It surrounds the peptidyl transferase center (PTC), responsible for peptide bond formation. While previous studies have demonstrated the PTC activity in RNA alone, our investigation reveals the intricate roles of the ribosomal protein fragments (rPeptides) within the ribosomal core.

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Background: A laparoscopy-based scoring system was developed by Fagotti et al (Fagotti or Predictive Index value (PIV)score) based on the intraoperative presence or absence of carcinomatosis on predefined sites. Later, the authors updated the PIV score calculated only in the absence of one or both absolute criteria of nonresectability (mesenteric retraction and miliary carcinomatosis of the small bowel) (updated PIV model).

Objective: The aim was to demonstrate the noninferiority of ultrasound to other imaging methods (contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) and whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (WB-DWI)/MRI) in predicting nonresectable tumor (defined as residual disease >1 cm) using the updated PIV model in patients with tubo-ovarian cancer.

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Background: In addition to the diagnostic accuracy of imaging methods, patient-reported satisfaction with imaging methods is important.

Objective: To report a secondary outcome of the prospective international multicenter Imaging Study in Advanced ovArian Cancer (ISAAC Study), detailing patients' experience with abdomino-pelvic ultrasound, whole-body contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (WB-DWI/MRI) for pre-operative ovarian cancer work-up.

Methods: In total, 144 patients with suspected ovarian cancer at four institutions in two countries (Italy, Czech Republic) underwent ultrasound, CT, and WB-DWI/MRI for pre-operative work-up between January 2020 and November 2022.

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Introduction: In diaphyseal reconstructions for bone tumor resection, massive bone allografts (MBA) are historically regarded as the gold standard. However, these are not without complications, and they present an elevated risk of infection, nonunion and structural failure that increases over time as the graft remains largely avascular. To counteract this disadvantage, a combination of allograft with a vascularized fibula has been proposed.

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In this review, we describe the application of Boltzmann kinetic equations for modelling warm dense matter and plasma formed after irradiation of solid materials with intense femtosecond X-ray pulses. Classical Boltzmann kinetic equations are derived from the reduced N-particle Liouville equations. They include only single-particle densities of ions and free electrons present in the sample.

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Aims: Fabry disease (FD) is a multisystemic lysosomal storage disorder caused by a defect in the alpha-galactosidase A gene that manifests as a phenocopy of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We assessed the echocardiographic 3D left ventricular (LV) strain of patients with FD in relation to heart failure severity using natriuretic peptides, the presence of a cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) late gadolinium enhancement scar, and long-term prognosis.

Methods And Results: 3D echocardiography was feasible in 75/99 patients with FD [aged 47 ± 14 years, 44% males, LV ejection fraction (EF) 65 ± 6% and 51% with hypertrophy or concentric remodelling of the LV].

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Background: Obesity-driven nutrition education in schools does not appear to result in healthier adolescent food choices. This study explored food systems as an alternative pedagogical approach to engage students in nutrition education.

Methods: After playing a food systems computer game, 250 13- to 16-year-old students in 5 Western Australian secondary schools, participated in group discussions to distinguish learning and interests in food systems.

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Digital gaming has broad appeal globally, with a reported 2.7 billion gamers worldwide. There is significant interest in using games to enhance learning, with 'serious games' being included in classrooms to engage adolescents' learning across a range of domains.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sarcoidosis is a disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body, and it can affect the heart even if people don't have heart symptoms.
  • This study looked at 55 patients who were recently diagnosed with sarcoidosis but showed no heart issues, using a special heart scan called CMR to check for heart involvement.
  • The results showed that only a small number of those patients (6%) had signs of heart issues, suggesting that heart problems are rare in these cases, but the CMR scan can be helpful to find them.
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Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism caused by pathogenic variants within the alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) gene, often leading to neurological manifestations including stroke. Multiple screening programs seeking GLA variants among stroke survivors lacked detailed phenotype description, making the interpretation of the detected variant's pathogenicity difficult. Here, we describe detailed clinical characteristics of GLA variant carriers identified by a nationwide stroke screening program in the Czech Republic.

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Background: In this study, we examined nutrition-related topics among adolescent students attending schools with different Indices of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).

Method: Participating students (N = 206) from 5 schools in Western Australia completed a paper-based questionnaire on nutrition-related topics. Frequencies and independent chi-square tests were used to identify differences between sexes and school ICSEA.

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Unlabelled: Bacground: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents the gold standard in noninvasive evaluation of myocardial tissue. However, some patients are unable to undergo cardiac MRI due to a variety of reasons.

Aims: We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of routinely performed contrast‑enhanced computed tomography (CECT) compared with cardiac MRI in the evaluation of myocardial tissue.

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Ventricular outpouchings include acquired abnormalities (aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms) and congenital ventricular diverticula (CVD). CVD represent rare cardiac pathologies. Although CVD is often associated with other cardiac and extracardiac congenital anomalies, it can also be incidentally observed in otherwise healthy subjects.

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Magnetic resonance is becoming an increasingly used examination in cardiology, since it greatly improves the accuracy of diagnosing of many heart diseases. At present magnetic resonance is the gold standard in assessing the volumes of the heart chambers and the systolic function of both ventricles. The possibility of detecting tissue characteristics to refine the diagnostics of different types of myocardial pathology is of essential importance.

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Article Synopsis
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used in cardiology for more accurately diagnosing heart diseases, particularly assessing heart chamber volumes and ventricular function.
  • The article provides an overview of how MRI helps diagnose various myocardial conditions, such as cardiomyopathy and myocarditis, by detecting tissue characteristics.
  • It specifically details the advantages of MRI in different types of cardiomyopathies, including dilated, hypertrophic, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
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Objectives: Our goal is to demonstrate the variability of imaging findings, primarily in the MRI, in 46 patients who survived acute methanol poisoning. This cohort of patients is the largest such sample group examined by MRI.

Methods: Patients were examined by means of imaging methods (42 patients by MRI and 4 by CT).

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Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) represents a rare form of myocardial inflammation with very heterogeneous aetiology. In developed countries, the most prevalent causes of EM are hypersensitivity or allergic reactions, as well as hematological diseases leading to eosinophilia. The disease may have a variable clinical presentation, ranging from asymptomatic forms to life-threatening conditions.

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Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum (LHIS) is characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue within some segments of the interatrial septum. Only one published case so far describes fever as a presenting feature of LHIS. On the other hand, systemic symptoms including anemia and fever are well-known clinical presentations of cardiac myxomas.

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