According to WHO, reducing salt intake to less than 5 g/day means less death, disability, and suffering from heart disease and stroke, with around 1.89 million lives saved every year. In this scoping review, we have reviewed the salt consumption pattern of South Asia. For this purpose, we searched online databases and websites and consulted key informants to address relevant unpublished reports. The inclusion criteria are English-language publications between January 2011 and October 2021, as well as research that evaluated salt intake in the South Asian region and reported salt/sodium 24-hr urine or spot urine samples involving at least 100 participants. A total of 2043 studies were screened, out of which 12 studies fulfilled all the criteria. Our review revealed that reported salt intake in the South Asian region ranges from 6.7-13.3 g/day, which was higher than the WHO-recommended maximum level of 5 g/day in all countries. Men consumed more salt than women. This review demonstrates the critical importance of implementing a salt reduction program in South Asian countries.

Urinary tract infections are among the most frequent infectious diseases and require screening of a great amount of urine samples from patients. However, a high percentage of samples results as negative after urine culture plate test (CPT), demanding a simple and fast preliminary technique to screen out the negative samples. We propose a digital holographic microscopy (DHM) method to inspect fresh urine samples flowing in a glass capillary for 3 minutes, recording holograms at 2 frames per second. After digital reconstruction, bacteria, white and red blood cells, epithelial cells and crystals were identified and counted and the samples were classified as negative or positive according to clinical cutoff values. Taking CPT as reference, we processed 180 urine samples and compared the results with those of urine flow cytometry (UFC). Using standard evaluation metrics for our screening test, we found similar performance for DHM and UFC, indicating DHM as a suitable and fast screening technique retaining several advantages. As a benefit of DHM, the technique is label-free and does not require sample preparation. Moreover, the phase and amplitude images of the cells and other particles present in urine are digitally recorded and can serve for further investigation afterwards.

Urinary tract infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Mozambique. They are sometimes treated empirically with nitrofurantoin. However, little is known about this antibiotic’s performance and bacterial resistance in the country. This study analyzed the results of nitrofurantoin sensitivity tests requested in the Central Hospital of Maputo during 2012 and 2013. As result, 181 samples were tested and most cases (66.9%) showed absolute sensitivity but there were considerable cases of resistance (29.8%). Morganella morganii was the only bacteria presenting no absolute or intermediate resistance. The sensitivity was also high in the case of Escherichia coli (90%) and Gram-negative bacteria (66.7%). Serratia marcescens was mostly resistant (64.3%). The remaining bacteria showed inconclusive results. Thus they shall be subjected to a sensitivity test before prescription. Factors such as seasonality, patients’ sex and urine transparency did not seem to be reliable indicators of microbial resistance in the urine. Yet, a longer time span (over 5 years) might be sufficient for the sensitivity profile to change.

The human phospholipase B-II precursor (HPLBII-P) was originally purified from white blood cells but is also found in other cellular structures such as kidney glomeruli and tubuli. The objective of this report was to investigate the relationship of HPLBII-P in urine to acute kidney injury in patients with COVID-19 Methods Urine was collected at admission from 132 COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICU) because of respiratory failure. HPLBII-P was measured by a sensitive ELISA. For comparison, HNL was measured in urine, by the ELISA configured with mabs 763/8F, as a sign of tubular affection in addition to routine biomarkers of kidney disease Results Overall, the concentrations of urinary HPLBII-P were almost 3-fold higher in COVID-19 patients as compared to healthy controls (p

Humans are exposed to the environmental pollutants 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) and 2, 5-dichlorophenol (2, 5-DCP) through air, use of water and consuming products. In this study, we evaluated the urinary concentrations of these compounds in Korean people from the age of 18 to 69 years by making use of the data from the Korean National Human Biomonitoring Survey that was completed in 2009. Of 1,865 representative Koreans, 63.4% and 97.9% were found to have concentrations of 2, 4-DCP and 2, 5-DCP > 0.05 μg/L (limit of detection) in their urine. The geometric mean urinary concentrations were 0.14 μg/L (confidence interval of 95% = 0.13–0.16) and 0.44 μg/L (confidence interval = 0.41–0.48), respectively. It was fond that the adjusted proportional changes in 2, 4-DCP concentrations were significantly associated with body mass index, whereas those of 2, 5-DCP concentrations were influenced by place of residence. From these findings, it is evident that most adults in Korea have levels of 2, 4-DCP and 2, 5-DCP that are detectable in their urine and burden of these compounds on their bodies varies depending on numerous demographic factors.

Background/Objective: In-vivo diabetes detection of glucose were sought using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SW), with bismuth-immobilized carbon nanotube paste electrode (BCE). Methods: The optimum analytical results indicated sensitive peak signals on the BCE. The raw voltammogram was approached within the 1 mgL^-1-14 mgL^-1 and 10 ugL^-1-140 ugL^-1, detection limits with preconcentration times of 100 and 200 sec. Results: The relative standard deviation was 0.02 % (n = 15) of 10.0 mgL^-1 under optimum conditions. The analytical detection limit (S/N) was attained at 8 ugL^-1. The handmade microsensor was directly used in vivo on the living fish brain and human urine.Conclusion: The method was applied at real time in vivo, without requiring any pretreatment and other ionic electrolyte solutions. It can be used for medicinal and other materials requiring biological-fluid detection in real time. This study was designed to be suitable for real-time unmanned remote diagnosis and therapeutic drug injection into the body, micro-needle long-term administration, wearable artificial skin tattoo sensor, and real-time control. In addition, the glasses monitor was designed to be suitable for multitasking and multi-user control.

Coconut water, the clear liquid extracted from coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.), is a refreshing tropical drink with a booming market. However, despite its success, its moisturising properties remain controversial. The aim of this research is to inform consumers about the hydrating power of coconut water sold on the streets of Abidjan. To achieve this objective, a survey of coconut water consumption was carried out followed by in-vitro experiments using biochemical, physicochemical and functional analyses. The survey revealed that coconut water was well known to consumers (100%) for its fortifying (33.33%), digestive (29.33%) and refreshing (28.34%) properties. Coconut water contained carbohydrates (4.5±0.0%), dry matter (5.2±0.0070%), energy (19.92±0.0%) and ash (0.44±0.0%). Coconut water also contained minerals, notably sodium (220.45±0.4949 mg), potassium (1591.02±6.10 mg) and phosphorus (276.1±10.18 mg). In other hand, the volume of urine after consumption of coconut water was lower than that after consumption of mineral water, with values falling from 138.5 mL (T1) to 66.67 mL (T4) and then from 41.67 mL (T1) to 36.33 mL (T4) for coconut water. Coconut water is diuretic and therefore cleanses the bladder. Coconut water seems to have greater hydrating power than mineral water.

This study describes the development of an optical-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) aptasensor for the detection of cocaine. The aptasensor was prepared by first attaching gold nanoparticles to a clean SPR chip surface, followed by the addition of an aptamer to create a modified surface. This surface was characterized using Contact Angle and Atomic Force Microscopy, revealing surface roughness values of 0.28 nm and 28.12 nm for the blank and modified surfaces, respectively. The detection of cocaine was carried out in the concentration range of 1 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL, with a detection time of approximately 8 minutes and a cocaine limit of detection (LOD) of 0.43 ng/mL. Repeatability studies were conducted, and the stability of the signal response was examined at a concentration of 200 ng/mL. Adsorption isotherm models, including Scatchard, Langmuir, and Freundlich, were calculated to assess the surface homogeneity of the SPR aptasensor chip, with the results indicating compatibility with the Langmuir isotherm model.

Background/Objectives: Survival prospects following SARS-CoV-2 infection may extend beyond the acute phase, influenced by various factors including age, health conditions, and infection se-verity. However, this topic has not been studied in detail. We therefore investigated mortality risk post-acute COVID-19 in the CRIT-COV-U cohort. Methods: We could retrieve survival data from 651 patients and also assess the association between urinary peptides and future death. Data spanning until December 2023 were collected from six countries, comparing mortality trends with age- and sex-matched non-infected controls. A death prediction classifier was developed and validated using pre-existing urinary peptidomics datasets. Results: Notably, 13.98% of post-COVID-19 patients succumbed during the follow-up, with mortality rates significantly higher than non-infected controls, particularly evident in younger individuals (<65 years). These data for the first time demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection highly significantly increases the risk of mortality not only during the acute phase of the disease, but also beyond, for a period of about one year. In our study we were further able to identify 201 Urinary peptides linked to mortality, and integrated these into a predictive classifier (DP201). Higher DP201 scores, alongside age and BMI, significantly predicted death. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the utility of urinary peptides in prognosticating post-acute COVID-19 mortality, offering insights for targeted interventions. Our data also suggest that mortality should be considered as one possible symptom or conse-quence of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a fact that is currently overlooked.

Lung cancer remains the main cause of global cancer-related deaths. Currently low-dose computed tomography (LD-CT) shows a 20% reduction of mortality. However, its clinical suitability is hindered by cost, radiation, and some false positives. Thus, the discovery non-invasive and less-expensive biomarker is urgent needed. In this scenario, proteins released in biological fluids could be considered interesting biomarkers for their role in cancer development. We conducted a pioneering case-control pilot study aimed at assessing the usefulness of Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP) and its phosphorylated form (pRKIP) as potential early-stage lung cancer biomarkers. Urine and Blood samples of two consecutive and independent cohorts of lung cancer patients and healthy controls were screened by means of a novel experimental ELISA assay designed to evaluate both forms of the biomarker. Although urinary levels of RKIP were not statistically different between the lung cancer group and high-risk healthy group, serum ones instead increased significantly in early stage LC patients and permitted to discriminate LC patients from both low-risk (HS) and high-risk healthy subjects (HR-HS) with an overall 93% accuracy (AUC 0.93) when LC was compared to HS and 74% (AUC 0.73) when it was compared to high-risk group. Of note, the analysis of RKIP/pRKIP ratio also showed a high accuracy (90% - AUC 0.95) in discriminating LC patients from HS and more importantly, it allowed to identify LC patients compared to HR-HS, with a higher accuracy (79% - AUC 0.79) than RKIP alone. We hypothesize that serum RKIP levels may be correlated to the activation of the immune systems against the tumor during the first phases of its development. Our study identified a preliminary, non-invasive, RKIP and pRKIP profile able to discriminate with high specificity and sensitivity the early-stage lung cancer patients from high-risk Healthy Subjects. These results, although preliminary, suggest the utility of measuring RKIP/pRKIP as potential new screening test for lung cancer and provide the basis for future validation studies.

Mycotoxins are fungal secondary metabolites, which can cause acute and chronic toxic effects in animals and humans. The present study aimed to determine multi-mycotoxin levels in Algerian workers using urine as target. A method based on a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) extraction procedure followed by LC-MS/MS (liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) was optimized and validated for determination of 11 mycotoxins in 96 urine samples. Different sorbents were tested to be used in the dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) cleanup step of QuEChERS. The final method was fit-for-purpose and showed good analytical performance in terms of specificity, linearity and precision. All samples contained at least 2 mycotoxins, being toxin-2 (T-2) the most common, which was found in 92.7% of the samples, followed by zearalenone (ZEN) with 90.6% of positive samples, and ochratoxin A (OTA) with 86.4%. T-2 levels ranged from 0.3 μg/L to 36.3 μg/L, while OTA ranged from 0.3 μg/L to 3.5 μg/L and ZEN ranged from 7.6 μg/L to 126.8 μg/L. This was the first mycotoxin biomonitoring study carried out in the Algerian population. The findings highlight the need of accurate data for better risk assessment and the development of better regulation to manage mycotoxin contamination in this country.

Background: Biomarker development, improvement, and clinical implementation in the context of kidney disease has been a central focus of biomedical research for decades. To this point, only serum creatinine and urinary albumin excretion are well accepted biomarkers in kidney disease. With their known blind spot in early stages of kidney impairment and diagnostic limitations there is a need for better and more specific biomarkers. With the rise of large-scale analysis of thousands of peptides in serum or urine samples using mass spectrometry techniques hopes for biomarker development were high. Advances in proteomic research have led to the discovery of an increasing amount of potential proteomic biomarkers and identification of candidate biomarkers for clinical implementation in the context of kidney disease management. In this review we focus on urinary peptide and especially peptidomic biomarkers emerging from recent research and underline the role of those with the highest potential for clinical implementation. Methods: The Web of Science database (all databases) was searched on October 17th, 2020, using the search terms “marker*” OR biomarker* AND “renal disease” OR “kidney disease” AND “proteome*” OR “peptid*” AND “urin*”. English, full-text original articles on humans published within the last 5 years were included which were cited at least 5 times per year. Studies based on animal models, renal transplant studies, metabolite studies, studies on miRNA and studies on exosomal vesicles were excluded focusing on urinary peptide biomarkers. Results: The described search led to the identification of 3668 articles and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as abstract and consecutive full-text analysis of 3 independent authors to a final number of 62 studies for this manuscript. The 62 manuscripts encompassed 8 established single peptide biomarkers and several proteomic classifiers including CKD273 and IgAN237. Discussion: This review provides a summary of recent evidence on single peptide urinary biomarkers in CKD while emphasizing the increasing role of proteomic biomarker research with new research on established and new proteomic biomarkers. Lessons learned from the last 5 years in this review might encourage future studies hopefully resulting in routine clinical applicability of new biomarkers.

The natural hosts regarding Orthohantaviruses are rodents, soricomorphs and bats, and it is well known they may cause serious or even fatal diseases among humans worldwide. The virus is persistent among animals and it is shed via urine, saliva and feces, throughout the entirety of their lives. We aim to identify the effectiveness regarding hantavirus detection from rodent tissue samples and urine originating from naturally infected rodents. Initially, animals were trapped at five distinct locations throughout the Transdanubian region in Hungary. Lung, liver, kidney and urine samples were obtained from 163 perished animals. All organs and urine were tested using nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR). Furthermore, sera were examined for IgG antibodies against DOBV and PUUV viruses by Western Blot assay. IgG antibodies against hantaviruses and/or nucleic acid were detected in 25 (15.3%) cases. Among Apodemus, Myodes, and Microtus rodent species, DOBV, PUUV, TULV were all clearly identified. The virus nucleic acid was detected most effectively from the kidney (100%), while only 55% of screened lung tissues were positive. Interestingly, only 3 out of 20 rodent urine samples were positive regarding nRT-PCR. Moreover, five rodents were seropositive without detectable virus nucleic acid from any of the tested organs.

This cross-sectional study evaluated the validity of three alternative methods compared to the gold standard 24-h urine collection for estimating dietary sodium intake, a modifiable risk factor for hypertension, among middle-aged and older adults with elevated blood pressure. These included spot urine collection (using Kawasaki, Tanaka, and INTERSALT equations), 24-h dietary recall, and food frequency questionnaire responses, compared against 24-h urine collection in a subset of 65 participants (aged 50–75 years, 58.5 % women, 61.6 % hypertensive) from the DePEC-Nutrition trial. The validity of the methods was assessed using bias, Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman analysis. Among the alternative methods, spot urine collection using the Kawasaki equation showed the strongest correlation (SCC 0.238; ICC 0.119, 95 % CI -0.079 to 0.323) but it exhibited a significant bias (1414 mg/day, p-value < 0.001) relative to 24-h urine collection. Conversely, dietary surveys had a smaller bias but wider limits of agreement. These findings underscore the complexities of accurately estimating dietary sodium intake using spot urine collection or dietary surveys in this specific population, suggesting that a combination or refinement of existing methodologies might improve accuracy. Further research with larger samples is necessary to develop more reliable methods for assessing sodium intake in this high-risk group.

Background: Nowadays vital signs in clinics are electronically monitored excepted for urine output which still requires, manual recording, which is subject to human errors. We, in-vitro, assessed in this study the ability a novel electronic device to measure by a combination of two different methods, the real time flow-output, like urine output. Methods: Flow or urine output was measured by a combination technique of gravimetry using a dynamometer and capacitive sensing to improve precision. Data were obtained in 3 different situations, low, medium, and high flow. Results: Three different situations were tested: full or empty dead space and Pasteur’s chamber. The differences between the injected and measured volume varies from 0 to 5 ml representing a maximal error of 3 % regardless of the volume injected and the flow in ml/hour. The capacitive sensors behave as expected with a parallel curve of the expected and measured flow. Conclusion: We have shown in this in-vitro study that the combination of gravimetry and capacitive sensors analysis allow accurate measurement of volume and flow-output. Clinical trials should be conducted to confirm its usefulness in urine output measurement in the real life.

Prediction of survival in very preterm infants is very important in terms of clinical medicine and parent counseling. In this prospective study involving 96 very preterm infants, we evaluated whether metabolomic analysis of gastric fluid and urine samples obtained soon after birth could predict survival on days of life (DOL) 3 and 15 as well as overall survival up to hospital discharge. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling was used. Uni- and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate significant metabolites and their prognostic value. Differences in several metabolites were identified between survivors and non-survivors at the time-points of the study. Binary logistic regression showed that certain metabolites in the gastric fluid including arabitol as well as succinic, erythronic and threonic acids was associated with DOL 15 and overall survival. Gastric glyceric acid was also associated with DOL 15 survival. Urine glyceric acid could predict survival on DOL 3 and overall survival. In conclusion, non-surviving preterm infants showed a different metabolic profile compared survivors showing a significant discrimination with the use of GC-MS-based gastric fluid and urine analysis. Results of this study support the usefulness of metabolomics in developing survival biomarkers in very preterm infants.

Objective: To study the changes in urine metabolism in female water polo players before and after high-intensity training by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and to explore the biometabolic characteristics of urine after training and competition. Methods: Twelve young female water polo players (except goalkeepers) from Shanxi Province were selected. A 4-week formal training was started after one week of acclimatization according to experimental requirements. Urine samples (5 ml) were collected before formal training, early morning after 4 weeks of training, and immediately after 4 weeks of training matches, and labeled as T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The samples were tested by LC-MS after pre-treatment. XCMS, SIMCA-P 14.1, and SPSS16.0 were used to process the data and identify differential metabolites. Results: On comparing the immediate post-competition period with the pre-training period (T3 vs T1), 24 differential metabolites involved in 16 metabolic pathways were identified, among which niacin and niacinamide metabolism and purine metabolism were potential post-competition urinary metabolic pathways in the untrained state of the athletes. On comparing the immediate post-competition period with the post-training period (T3 vs T2), 10 metabolites involved in 3 metabolic pathways were identified, among which niacin and niacinamide metabolism was a potential target urinary metabolic pathway for the athletes after training. Niacinamide, 1-methylnicotinamide, 2-pyridone, L-Gln, AMP, and Hx were involved in two metabolic pathways before and after the training. Conclusion: Differential changes in urine after water polo games are due changes in the metabolic pathways of niacin and niacinamide.

To assess if SARS-CoV-2 infection induces changes in the urinary volatilomic fingerprint able to be used in the non-invasive COVID-19 diagnosis and management, urine samples of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (62), recovered COVID-19 patients (30), and non-infected individuals (41) were analysed using solid-phase microextraction technique in headspace mode, combined with gas chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). In total, 101 volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) from 13 chemical families were identified, being terpenes, phenolic compounds, norisoprenoids, and ketones the most represented groups. Overall, a decrease in the levels of terpenes and phenolic compounds was observed in the control group, whereas norisoprenoids and ketones showed a significant increase. In turn, a remarkable increase was noticed in norisoprenoids and ketones and a milder increase in alcohols, furanic, and sulfur compounds in the recovery group than in the COVID-19 group. Multivariate statistical analysis identified sets of VOMs with the potential to constitute volatile signatures for COVID-19 development and progression. These signatures are composed of D-carvone, 3-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)aniline (MTA), 1,1,6-trimethyl-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), 2-heptanone, and 2,5,5,8a-tetramethyl-1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8-octahydro-1-naphthalenyl ester acetate (TONEA) for COVID-19 infection and nonanoic acid, α-terpinene, β-damascenone, α-isophorone, and trans-furan linalool for patients recovering from the disease. This study provides evidence that changes in the urinary volatilomic profile triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection constitute a promising and valuable screening and/or diagnostic and management tool for COVID-19 in clinical environment.

Biostimulation is an animal management practice that helps improve reproductive parameters by modulating animal sensory systems. Chemical signals, mostly known as pheromones, have a great potential in this regard. This study was conducted to determine the influence of short-term female rabbit exposure to different conditions, mainly pheromone-mediated, on reproductive parameters of inseminated does. Groups of 60 females/each were exposed to 1) female urine, 2) male urine, 3) seminal plasma and 4) female-female interaction, just before artificial insemination, and compared to isolated females controls (female-female separated). The following reproductive parameters were analyzed for each group: receptivity (vulvar color), fertility (calving rate), prolificacy and number of born alive and dead kits ⁄ litter. Our results showed that the biostimulation methods employed in this experiment did not significantly improve any of the analyzed parameters. However, female doe exposure to urine, especially to male urine, slightly increased fertility levels when compared to the rest of the experimental conditions. Female-female interaction before artificial insemination, which is a common practice in rabbit farms, did not have any effect, which suggests its removal to avoid unnecessary animal management and time cost. On the other hand, fertility ranges were lower for animals with pale vulvar color whereas no differences were noticed among the other three colours which measure receptivity (pink, red, purple), thus suggesting that these three colours could be grouped together. Additionally, equine chorionic gonadotropin injection could be replaced with various biostimulation methods, therefore reducing or replacing current hormonal treatments, and contributing to animal welfare and to a natural image of animal production.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can often bind target molecules with high selectivity and specificity. When used as MIPs, conductive polymers may have unique binding capabilities; they often contain aromatic rings, which have a great tendency to undergo covalent and hydrogen bonding interactions with similarly structured target (or template) molecules. In this work, an electrochemical method was used to optimize the synthetic self-assembly of poly(aniline-co-metanilic acid) and testosterone, forming testosterone-imprinted polymers (TIPs) on sensing electrodes. The linear sensing range for testosterone ranged from 0.1 to 100 pg/mL, and the limit of detection was as low as ~pM. Random urine samples were collected and diluted 1000 fold to measure testosterone concentration using the above TIP sensors in comparison with a commercial ARCHITECT ci 8200 system. The testosterone concentrations in the tested samples were in the range of 0.33± 0.09 to 9.13±1.33 ng/mL. The mean accuracy of the TIP-coated sensors was 90.3 ±7.0 %.

Urination on carpet and subflooring can develop into persistent and challenging to mitigate odor. Very little or no information is published on how these VOCs change over time when urine is deposited on the carpet covering a plywood-type subflooring. This research has investigated the VOCs emitted from carpet+subflooring (control), carpet+subflooring sprayed with water (control with moisture), and cat urine-contaminated carpet+subflooring (treatment) over time (day 0 and 15). In addition, the effect of popular cleaning products on VOCs emitted and evaluated their efficacy in eliminating those indoor odors over time (day 0 and 15). Carpet-subflooring with all treatments were also contaminated with Micrococcus luteus, nonmotile obligate aerobe commonly found in household dust, to observe the impact of the aerobe on carpet-subflooring VOCs emission. VOCs emitted from carpet+subflooring receiving different treatments were collected from headspace using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The VOCs were analyzed using a multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer attached to an olfactometry (GC-MS-O). Many common VOCs were released from the carpet on day one and day fifteen, specifically from urine contamination. Cleaning products were effective in masking several potent odors of cat urine contaminated carpet VOCs on day one but unable to remove the odor appeared on day 15 in most cases.

Background/Objectives: Urinary tract infections represent a global problem with implications on mortality and morbidity. Published data present different bacterial incidence and different antibiotics resistances. With this study, we aimed to evaluate bacteria distribution and antibiotic resistance in a tertiary care hospital from the Western part of Romania. Methods: we evaluated all the positive urine culture from the year 2021 from the Emergency County Hospital “Pius Brinzeu” from Timisoara, Romania. We evaluated 1264 urine cultures and identified the following bacteria: Escherichia Coli, Klebsiella spp, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas auruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enteroccocus spp., Enterobacter spp., Acinetobacter baumanii, Providencia spp., Corynebacterium spp. Results: Median age was 67 with 65.6% females. Diabetes mellitus incidence was 12%. Most common bacteria was E. coli – 44.1%, followed by Enterococcus spp. – 17.1%, Klebsiella spp. -15.7% and Proteus spp. – 5.4% E. coli presented the highest resistance rate to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (50%), Enterococcus spp. to ciprofloxacin (71.3%), Klebsiella spp. to piperacillin-tazobactam (43.3%) and Proteus spp. to trimetroprime-sulfometoxazole (33%). The highest incidence of MDR bacteria was among Acinetobacter baumanii (40%), followed by MRSA (31.8%) and Klebsiella spp. (25.3%). Conclusions: Bacteria distribution is similar in all the Romanian regions among the positive urine cultures. Antibiotics resistance differ among regions and the MDR bacteria incidence is rising.

Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Croatia, are linked to the high prevalence of hypertension. Both are associated with high salt intake which was determined almost two decades ago when Croatian Action on Salt and Health (CRASH) was launched. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate salt, potassium, and iodine intake using 24-hour urine samples in a random sample of adult Croatian population, and to analyse trends in salt consumption after the CRASH has intensively started. Methods: In this national population-based EH-UH 2 study performed in 2018-2021 (participation rate 72 %) in which we analysed a single 24-hour urine sample, 1067 adult participants (mean age 57.12 (SD 13.9), men 35%) were included. Results: Mean salt and potassium intakes were 8.6 g/day (IQR 6.2-11.2) and 2.8 g/day (IQR 2.1-3.5), respectively, with sodium-to-potassium ratio of 2.6 (IQR 1.8-3.3). We detected a decrease of 17.6% (2 g/day less) in salt consumption compared to our previous salt-mapping study. However, only 13.7%, and 8.9 % met the WHO salt and potassium recommended target of 5 g/day, and 3.5 g/day, respectively. Salt intake was higher, and potassium ingestion was lower in rural vs. urban regions, and in continental vs. Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Moderate to severe iodine insufficiency was determined in only 3% adult participants. Conclusion: In the last fifteen years, salt consumption has been significantly reduced in Croatian adult population because of intensive and broad CRASH program led by the Croatian Society of Hypertension and the Croatian Hypertension League. However, salt intake is still too high, and potassium ingestion is too low. With expected more active engagement and help of the government, obtained results could be significantly improved. Salt reduction programs are most cost-effective methods of cardiovascular disease prevention and should be considered more seriously by the government and health policy makers.

Current treatments in patients with pancreatic cancer offer limited benefits. In this report, we applied “alkalization therapy”, which was efficacious for other solid tumors at our clinic, to stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients, and investigated its effect on disease prognosis. Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who were treated at Karasuma Wada Clinic in Kyoto, Japan, between 2011 and 2022 were included in the study. All patients received alkalization therapy (combination of an alkaline diet, bicarbonate, and citric acid administration), alongside standard chemotherapy. Urine samples were collected to assess urine pH as a marker for whole-body alkalization. In the 98 patients analyzed, the median overall survival (OS) from the time of diagnosis was 13.2 months. Patients with a mean urine pH of 7.5 or greater had a median OS of 29.9 months, compared with 15.2 months for those with a mean urine pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and 8.0 months for those with a mean urine pH of less than 6.5, which suggests a trend of a longer OS in patients with a higher urine pH. Conclusions: Alkalization therapy may offer a viable approach to enhance the survival of stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients, who typically have an unfavorable prognosis.

Synthetic cannabinoids are a series of synthetic substances that mimic the effects of natural cannabinoids and produce a much stronger toxicity than natural cannabinoids, which have become the most abused family of new psychoactive substances. A solid-phase extractive-liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry method was developed to determine 11 synthetic cannabinoids in rat urine. The factors affecting recovery were optimized, and Oasis HLB was selected to extract synthetic cannabinoids simultaneously. The results showed that the linear correlation coefficients of the synthetic cannabinoids ranged from 0.993 to 0.999, and the limit of quantitation ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 ng/mL, and the spiked recoveries ranged from 69.90% to 118.39%. This method has the advantages of good purification ability, simple operation, and good reproducibility, and can be used for the high sensitivity analysis of various synthetic cannabinoids in urine.

Aim: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been in the past associated with adverse effects on human health among which belong also respiratory diseases. Our study is focused on the evaluation of PAH exposure by measuring the concentrations of their monohydroxylated metabolites (OH-PAHs) in urine and comparing their concentrations with the incidence of respiratory diseases in 2-year-old children from two locations of the Czech Republic – a control locality Ceske Budejovice and a previously highly contaminated mining district Most. Methods: The total number of 248 participants were sampled for urine samples that were analysed for the presence of 11 OH-PAHs using liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and clean-up employing dispersive solid phase extraction with a sorbent Z-Sep. Separation, identification and quantification of the target compounds was achieved by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The incidence of respiratory diseases was evaluated according to the questionnaires provided by the paediatricians. Results and discussion: The concentrations of measured OH-PAHs were higher in the urine samples collected from 2-year-old children living in Most compared to 2-year-old children from Ceske Budejovice. The same trend was observed also when the urine samples were analysed when these children were studied as newborns in our previous study. From all of the monitored respiratory diseases, only influenza due to unidentified influenza virus showed a difference between tested locations where the 2-year-old children living in Most were more frequently diagnosed with this disease. Conclusion: Even though the air pollution and lifestyle in both cities is very similar, we have observed higher incidence of respiratory diseases as well as higher concentration of OH-PAHs in urine of the 2-year-old children from Most. Therefore, we hypothesize that the population living in this previously highly contaminated location (in 1970s and 1980s) can carry some long-term health burden.

The impact of nutrients on the environment, particularly on water bodies, has led to extensive studies for nutrient control. Within this context, studies have been focused on source separation of human urine from domestic wastewater to recover nutrients. Potassium is one of the most important components of human urine. However, data on potassium removal or recovery are quite limited except for some indirect information through use of zeolites for mostly ammonia removal. Potassium struvite or K-struvite (MgKPO₄·6H₂O) is a sparingly soluble salt belonging to struvite and has the potential of being used as a means of potassium and phosphate recovery from segregated human urine. This study aimed to assess the potential of K-struvite precipitation for control and recovery of nutrients. Within this context, K-struvite precipitation experiments were performed on both synthetically prepared samples and synthetic human urine solution to determine effect of operation parameters i.e. pH, stoichiometry, and temperature on potassium recovery performance. Results indicated that process performance as well as type of solid phases co-precipitated with K-struvite were closely related to initial potassium concentration, pH and reaction stoichiometry. At pH 10, the potassium recovery efficiency was maximized up to 87% by application of 100% excess dose of Mg and P for both synthetic samples and synthetic human urine solution. On the other hand, application of excess dose of K did not provide any improvement in K recovery efficiency. The effect of temperature on solubility of K-struvite was insignificant at the temperature of 24-90°C. Solid phase analyses confirmed that K-struvite was co-precipitated with either Mg₃(PO₄)₂, MgNaPO₄·7H₂O, or MgHPO₄·7H₂O depending on pH and stoichiometry instead of a pure compound.

The standard of care measures for kidney function, proteinuria, and serum creatinine (SCr) are poor predictors of early stage kidney disease. Measures that can detect chronic kidney disease in its earlier stages are needed to enable therapeutic intervention and reduce adverse outcomes of chronic kidney disease. We have developed the Kidney Injury Test (KIT) and a novel KIT Score based on the composite measurement and validation of multiple biomarkers across a unique set of 397 urine samples. The test is performed on urine samples that require no processing at the site of collection and without target sequencing or amplification. We sought to verify that the pre-defined KIT test, KIT Score, and clinical thresholds correlate with established chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may provide predictive information of early kidney injury status above and beyond proteinuria and renal function measurements alone. Statistical analyses across six DNA, protein, and metabolite markers were performed on a subset of residual spot urine samples with CKD that met assay performance quality controls from patients attending the clinical labs at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as part of an ongoing IRB approved prospective study. Inclusion criteria included selection of patients with confirmed CKD and normal healthy controls; exclusion criteria included incomplete or missing information for sample classification, logistical delays in transport/processing of urine samples or low sample volume, and acute kidney injury. Multivariate logistic regression of kidney injury status and likelihood ratio statistics were used to assess the contribution of the KIT Score for prediction of kidney injury status and stage of CKD as well as assess the potential contribution of the KIT Score for detection of early stage CKD above and beyond traditional measures of renal function. Urine samples were processed by a proprietary immunoprobe for measuring cfDNA, methylated cfDNA, clusterin, CXCL10, total protein, and creatinine. The KIT Score and stratified KIT Score Risk Group (High versus Low) had a sensitivity and specificity for detection of kidney injury status (healthy or CKD) of 97.3% (95% CI: 94.6%–99.3%) and 94.1% (95% CI: 82.3%–100%). In addition, in patients with normal renal function [eGFR ≥ 90], the KIT Score clearly identifies those with predisposing risk factors for CKD, which could not be picked up by eGFR or proteinuria (p < 0.001). The KIT Score uncovers a burden of kidney injury that may yet be incompletely recognized, opening the door for earlier detection, intervention and preservation of renal function.

Preterm infants are at significant risk to develop reduced bone mineralization based on inadequate supply of calcium and phosphorus (Ca-P). Biochemical parameters can be used to evaluate the nutritional intake. The direct effect of nutritional intake on changes in biochemical parameters has not been studied. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of Ca-P supplementation on biochemical markers as serum (s)/urinary (u) Ca and P; alkaline phosphatase (ALP); tubular reabsorption of P (TrP) and urinary ratios for Ca/creatinin and P/creatinin in Very-Low-Birth-Weight infants on postnatal day 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14. This observational study compared two groups with High (n = 30) and Low (n = 40) intake of Ca-P. Birth weight: median (IRQ) 948 (772-1225) vs. 939 (776-1163) grams; Gestational age: 28.2 (26.5-29.6) vs. 27.8 (26.1-29.4) weeks. Daily median concentrations of biochemical parameter were not different between the groups but linear regression mixed model analyses showed that Ca intake increased the uCa and TrP (p = 0.04) and decreased ALP (p = 0.00). Phosphorus intake increased sP, uP and uP/creat ratio and ALP (p ≤ 0.02) and caused decrease in TrP (p = 0.00). Protein intake decreased sP (p = 0.000), while low gestational age and male gender increased renal excretion of P (p < 0.03). Standardized repeated measurements showed that biochemical parameters were affected by nutritional intake, gestational age and gender.

This study investigated metabolic changes associated with Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) infection in dairy cows, focusing on pre-parturition alterations. Of 145 cows examined, 42 (28.9%) were BLV-seropositive. 38% of infected cows showed high somatic cell counts indicative of subclinical mastitis, with 15 experiencing additional health issues such as ketosis, milk fever, and lameness. Despite these conditions, no significant differences in milk yield or composition were observed between infected and control groups. Metabolomic analysis conducted at -8 and -4 weeks prepartum revealed significant metabolic differences between BLV-infected and healthy cows. At -8 weeks, 30 serum metabolites were altered, including sphingomyelins, lysophosphatidylcholines, amino acids, and acylcarnitines, suggesting disruptions in membrane integrity, energy metabolism, and immune function indicative of early neoplastic transformations. By -4 weeks, the number of altered metabolites reduced to 17, continuing to reflect metabolic disruptions in cows with leukemia. Multivariate analysis highlighted distinct metabolic profiles between infected and control cows, identifying key discriminating metabolites such as choline, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and arginine. Urine metabolomics revealed significant prepartum shifts in metabolites related to glucose, asymmetric dimethylarginine, and pyruvic acid, among others. The research confirmed metabolomics' efficacy in defining a BLV infection metabolic profile, elucidating leukosis-associated metabolic disruptions. This approach facilitates identification of BLV-infected cows and enhances understanding of infection pathophysiology, providing a foundation for advanced management and intervention strategies in dairy herds. The study underscores the profound impact of leukosis on metabolic processes and highlights urine metabolomics' utility in non-invasively detecting BLV infection, offering potential for improved herd health management.

The literature lacks consensus on the minimum microbial density required for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs). This study categorized the microbial densities of urine specimens from symptomatic presumptive UTI patients and correlated them with detected levels of immune response biomarkers NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β. The objective was to identify changes in immune response at different microbial densities and determine an optimal threshold for diagnosing symptomatic UTIs. Midstream clean-catch urine samples were analyzed for microbial identification and quantification using SUC and M-PCR, while NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β levels were measured with ELISA. NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β levels were all significantly higher in symptomatic subjects with microbial densities ≥ 10,000 cells/mL by M-PCR (p < 0.0069) or equivalent CFUs/mL by SUC (p < 0.0104) compared to samples with no detectable microbes. With both PCR and SUC, a consensus of two or more elevated biomarkers correlated well with microbial densities > 10,000 cells/mL or CFU/mL, respectively. The association between ≥ 10,000 cells and CFU per mL with elevated biomarkers in symptomatic patients suggests that this lower threshold may be more suitable for diagnosing UTIs. These findings challenge the widely used threshold of 100,000 CFU per mL, which may overlook many active UTI cases.

Clinical microbiology studies and systematic reviews have largely concluded that SARS-CoV-2 RNA is rarely present in the urine of COVID-19 patients. Thus, wastewater surveillance has largely focused on human stool and defecation as the relevant matrix and behavior. But, the over-performance of wastewater testing during near-source surveillance, especially in settings where on-site defecation is presumed to be de minimis such as aircraft and non-residential schools, suggests the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 RNA input from a non-fecal source. To revisit the possibility of urine as an explanation, data was compiled from 45 studies reporting on SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the urine of 1,924 COVID-19 patients. In general, the reporting quality was low with most studies (86.7%) failing to report even basic details such as the volume of urine collected. Only 11 reported quantitative data and of these only a single study reported its experiments to the standards established for publication of quantitative PCR data. Taking the data at its face value, the pooled prevalence of urinary SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding was 11.3% (95%CI: 8.4 - 14.3), which roughly agrees with previous analyses. However, the percentage of variability in the estimate attributable to heterogeneity between studies (I² = 93.66%) warrants careful consideration. Notably, for the 8 studies reporting sufficient workflow information, the observed urinary RNA shedding prevalence was normally distributed (r² = 1.00) as a function of the volume of urine being assayed in a single PCR reaction (i.e., the equivalent sample volume, ESV). The study achieving the highest ESV (83.3 µL of urine) detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urine sediments of 95.5% of COVID-19 patients. Conversely, during two studies achieving ESVs of only 2 µL and 11.7 µL of urine, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in the urine of 72 and 132 patients, respectively. For wastewater surveillance of COVID-19, these observations suggest the rarity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urine may be a methodological artifact. Further, the data on which rarity is presumed are of low quality. Beyond COVID-19, the findings demonstrate that clinical studies, by virtue of their design to answer clinically relevant questions, could produce datasets subject to large biases that make them less useful when assessing the feasibility of wastewater surveillance of infectious agents. Wastewater surveillance practitioners must carefully consider the appropriateness and limitations of clinical data considering the important differences between the methods and aims of the two disciplines. Given the great potential of wastewater testing, clinical and environmental microbiologist should collaborate to produce robust quantitative datasets for reliable feasibility assessments for both community and near-source public health surveillance.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) was associated with bladder inflammation and tissue hypoxia with oxidative stress. This study investigated the profiles of urine inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in females with LUTD and to develop a urine biomarker-based decision tree model for the prediction. Urine samples were collected from 31 female patients with detrusor overactivity (DO), 45 with dysfunctional voiding (DV), and 114 with interstitial cystitis/ bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). The targeted analytes included 15 inflammatory cytokines and 3 oxidative stress biomarkers (8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosin, 8-isoprostane, and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]). Different female LUTD groups had distinct urine biomarker profiles, including IL-1β, IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, eotaxin, CXCL10, MIP-1β, RANTES, TNFα, VEGF, NGF, BDNF, 8-isoprostane, and TAC. The urine biomarker-based decision tree, using IL-8, IL-10, CXCL10, TNFα, NGF, and BDNF as nodes, demonstrated an overall accuracy rate of 85.3%. DO, DV, and IC/BPS accuracy rates were 74.2%, 73.3%, and 93.0%, respectively. Internal validation revealed similar overall accuracy rate. Random forest models supported the significance and importance of all selected nodes in this decision tree model. Urine inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarker profiles of different female LUTDs were different. This internally validated urine biomarker-based decision tree model predicted different female LUTDs with high accuracy.

Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEV) hold non-invasive RNA biomarkers for genitourinary tract diseases. However, missing knowledge about reference genes and effects of pre-analytical choices hinder biomarker studies. We aimed to assess how pre-analytical variables (urine storage temperature, isolation workflow) affect diabetic kidney disease (DKD) -linked miRNAs or kidney -linked miRNAs and mRNAs (kidney-RNAs) in uEV isolates and to discover stable reference mRNAs across diverse uEV datasets. We studied nine raw and normalized sequencing datasets including healthy controls and individuals with prostate cancer or type 1 diabetes with or without albuminuria. We focused on kidney-RNAs reviewing literature for DKD-linked miRNAs from kidney tissue, cell culture and uEV/urine experiments. RNAs were analyzed by expression heatmaps, hierarchical clustering and selecting stable mRNAs with normalized counts (>200) and minimal coefficient of variation. Kidney-RNAs were decreased after urine storage at -20°C vs -80°C. Isolation workflows captured kidney-RNAs with different efficiencies. Ultracentrifugation captured DKD -linked miRNAs that separated healthy and diabetic macroalbuminuria groups. Eleven mRNAs were stably expressed across the datasets. Hence, preanalytical choices had variable effects on kidney-RNAs – analyzing kidney-RNAs complemented global correlation, which could fade differences in some relevant RNAs. Replicating prior DKD-marker results and discovery of candidate reference mRNAs encourages further uEV biomarker studies.

Urinary cytology is a useful, essential diagnostic method in routine urological clinical practice. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) for urothelial carcinoma screening is commonly used in the routine clinical cytodiagnosis because of its high cell collection rate. Since conventional screening processes by cytoscreeners and cytopathologists using microscopes is limited in terms of human resources, it is important to integrate new deep learning methods that can automatically and rapidly diagnose a large amount of specimens without delay. The goal of this study was to investigate the use of deep learning models for the classification of urine LBC whole-slide images (WSIs) into neoplastic and non-neoplastic (negative). We trained deep learning models using 786 WSIs by transfer learning, fully supervised, and weakly supervised learning approaches. We evaluated the trained models on two test sets (equal and clinical balance) with a combined total of 750 WSIs, achieving ROC-AUCs for WSI diagnosis in the range of 0.984-0.990 by the best model, demonstrating the promising potential use of our model for aiding urine cytodiagnostic processes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many knowledge gaps with implications toward the speed and nature of our response to contain, assess and mitigate risk. The routine discharge of treated and untreated wastewater into rivers and coastal waters has placed SARS-CoV-2 viability in wastewater at the centre of an emerging hazard and potential risk to water industry workers and the public who come into contact with sewage-impacted water. Here we provide a review of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus primary literature that presents the evidence base pertaining to the key questions of whether the SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 is shed in stool and urine, is recoverable, and infectious in wastewater. We discuss the challenges posed by the current literature base and the extent to which the current evidence is fit for the purpose of informing robust human and environmental risk assessments.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in children is a critical medical condition characterized by a sudden decline in kidney function. This article provides a comprehensive overview of AKI in pediatric populations, exploring its pathophysiology, the role of various drugs, and the long-term implications for kidney health. Key topics include oliguria, anuria, urine output, hypervolemia and interactions among them as well as role of diuretic nephrotoxicity and glomerular filtration rate. Concepts of electrolytes, acid-base balance and renal perfusion assessment are presented. Basic principles of intensive care unit (ICU) management, renal replacement therapy, and the association with multiorgan failure are described. Additionally, the article discusses the potential long-term outcomes of AKI, including the risk of chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and proteinuria.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the use of immunoassay urine drug testing of cancer patients in palliative care clinics. OBJECTIVES: We examined the frequency of immunoassay urine drug test (UDT) abnormalities and the factors associated with aberrancy at a safety-net hospital palliative medicine clinic. METHODS: A retrospective review of the electronic medical records of consecutive eligible patients seen at the outpatient palliative medicine clinic in a resource-limited safety net hospital system was conducted between September 1, 2015 and December 31, 2020. We collected longitudinal data on patient demographics, UDT findings, and potential predictors of aberrant results. RESULTS: Of the 913 patients in the study, 500 (55%) underwent UDT testing, with 455 (50%) having the testing within the first three visits. Among those tested within the first three visits, 125 (27%) had aberrant UDT results; 44 (35%) of these 125 patients were positive for cocaine. In a multivariable regression model analysis of predictors for aberrant UDT within the first 3 visits, non-Hispanic White race (odds ratio [OR]=2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-4.38; p=0.04), history of illicit drug use (OR=3.57; CI: 1.78-7.13; p< 0.001), and history of marijuana use (OR=7.05; CI: 3.85-12.91; p< 0.001) were independent predictors of an aberrant UDT finding. CONCLUSION: Despite limitations of immunoassay UDT, it was able to detect aberrant drug taking behaviors in a significant number of patients seen at a safety net hospital palliative care clinic, including cocaine use. These findings support universal UDT monitoring and utility of immunoassay-based UDT in resource limited settings.

Titin is a giant protein that functions as a molecular spring in sarcomeres. Titin interplays the contraction of actin-containing thin filaments and myosin-containing thick filaments. The breakdown product of titin has been measurable in urine as urinary titin N-fragments. Urinary titin N-fragment was originally reported to be a useful biomarker in the diagnosis of muscle dystrophy. Recently, the urinary titin N-fragment has been increasingly gaining attention as a novel biomarker of muscle atrophy and intensive care unit-acquired weakness in critically ill patients, in whom titin loss is a possible pathophysiology. Furthermore, several studies reported that the urinary titin N-fragment also reflected muscle atrophy and weakness in patients with chronic illnesses. It may be used to predict the risk of post-intensive care syndrome or to monitor patients’ condition after hospital discharge for better nutritional and rehabilitation management. We provide several tips on the use of this promising biomarker in post-intensive care syndrome.

We performed urine cytology analysis of a pharmacologically induced diuresis for diagnostics of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. To evaluate the diagnostic value of cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis, a first cohort of 77 consecutive patients with primary upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with radical surgery was enrolled. To evaluate pharmacologically forced diuresis cytology as follow-up procedure, a second cohort of 1250 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer was selected. In the first cohort, sensitivity of cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis in patients with invasive, high-grade, low-grade, and concomitant carcinoma in situ was 8%, 9%, 0% and 14%, respectively. In the second cohort, cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis was positive in 30/689 (4.3%) of patients, in whom upper urinary tract recurrence was present in 21/30 (70%) and urethral recurrence in 8/30 (26%) of cases. As a follow-up tool, cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis showed a sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of 60%, 99%, 70% and 98%, respectively. Summarized, as diagnostic tool, sensitivity of cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis is slightly better in patients with invasive upper tract urothelial carcinoma and concomitant carcinoma in situ. As follow-up method, positive cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis is strongly related to cancer recurrence and can reveal urethral recurrence. cytology of pharmacologically forced diuresis might be useful in patients with contraindications for imaging or with difficult endoscopic access to the upper urinary tract.

A planar microwave sensor devoted to the detection of humidity in underwear and clothes in general is proposed. The ultimate goal of the sensor is to detect the presence of liquids in fabrics, of interest to aid patients that suffer from certain pathologies, such as hyperhidrosis and enuresis. The main target in the design of the sensor, considering the envisaged application, is simplicity. Thus, the sensor operates at a single frequency, and the working principle is the variation in the mag-nitude of the transmission coefficient of a matched line loaded with an open-ended quar-ter-wavelength sensing stub resonator. The stub, which must be in contact with the so-called fabric under test (FUT), generates a notch in the transmission coefficient with a resonance frequency that depends on the humidity level of the fabric. By designing the stub with a moderately high quality factor, the variation in the resonance frequency causes a significant change in the magnitude level at the operating frequency, the resonance frequency when the sensing stub is loaded with the dry fabric, and the presence of liquid can be detected by means of an amplitude detector. A prototype device is proposed and experimentally validated.

The authors determined mass concentrations of 12 elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Tl, V, Zn) in blood and urine taken from 100 rural children living in unremarkable condition in the West Ural region of the Russian Federation. We applied inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in conformity with Methodical Guidelines 4.1. 3230-14 (FR.1.31.2014.17064) designed by us and detailed in the paper. The article contains setting parameters for Agilent 7500cx quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer . The authors present grounds for an optimal scheme of samples preparation which helps to eliminate "matrix" effect and explain why it is advisable to use reaction/collision functioning mode as it enables interference overlaps suppression.To prepare whole blood samples for analysis, we used acid dissolution in concentrated nitric acid followed by centrifugation. The arithmetic mean (AM) of element content in blood amounted to 0.34 µg/l (As); 0.39 µg/l (Cd); 6.41 µg/l (Cr); 866.11 µg/l (Сu); 13.73 µg/l (Mn); 5.86 µg/l (Ni); 23.65 µg/l (Pb); 87.43 µg/l (Se); 33.54 µg/l (Sr); 0.04 µg/l (Tl); 0.16 µg/l (V); 4713.48 µg/l (Zn). The validity of the results was confirmed by means of SERONORM ^TM Whole Blood L2 standard samples (Norway). Urine samples were directly analyzed after 1/10 (V/V) dilution with 1% nitric acid solution. The arithmetic mean of element content of urine corresponded to 18.99 µg/l (As); 0.12 µg/l (Cd); 1.91 µg/l (Cr); 13.28 µg/l (Сu); 0.96 µg/l (Mn); 1.84 µg/l (Ni); 0.83 µg/l (Pb); 22.55 µg/l (Se); 239.09 µg/l (Sr); 0.16 µg/l (Tl); 0.68 µg/l (V); 270.56 µg/l (Zn). The validity of the results was confirmed by analyzing the SERONORM ^TM standard urine samples (Norway). Regional differences from levels found in other countries included higher concentrations of Cr, Mn and Ni in blood and lower levels of Se and Zn levels in West Ural children. Urine concentrations of West Ural children showed higher levels of As and Sr.

We aimed to determine if infection-associated urine biomarkers can differentiate true urinary tract infection (UTI) from non-UTI controls. Midstream clean-catch urine samples were collected from asymptomatic volunteers and symptomatic subjects > 60 years old diagnosed with presumptive UTI in a specialty setting. Microbial identification and density were assessed using multiplex PCR/pooled antibiotic susceptibility test (M-PCR/P-AST) and standard urine culture (SUC). Three biomarkers (NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β) were measured in the same urine specimens. Definitive UTI cases were symptomatic and had positive microorganism detection by SUC and M-PCR, while definitive non-UTI cases were asymptomatic volunteers regardless of microbial detection. We observed a strong positive correlation (R2 ≈ 1) between microbial density and the biomarkers NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β. Biomarker consensus criteria of two or more positive biomarkers had sensitivity 90.2%, specificity 91.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) 91.7%, negative predictive value (NPV) 89.7%, accuracy 90.7%, positive likelihood ratio of 10.28, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.11 in differentiating definitive UTI from non-UTI cases, regardless of microbial density. NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β showed a significant elevation in symptomatic cases with positive microbe identification compared to asymptomatic cases with or without microbe identification. Biomarker consensus exhibited high accuracy in distinguishing UTI from non-UTI cases.

Risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), common in childhood cancer survivors (CCSs), may be affected by diet. We assessed sodium (Na) and potassium (K) intake, estimated from food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and morning urine spots, and its associations with cardiovascular risk in CCSs. We stratified CCS into three risk profiles based on A) personal history (CVD, CVD risk factors, or CVD risk free), B) body mass index (obese, overweight, or normal/underweight), and C) cardiotoxic treatment (anthracyclines and/or chest irradiation, or neither). We obtained a FFQ from 802, and sent a spot urine sample collection kit to 212, of which 111 (52%) returned. We estimated Na intake 2.9 g/day based on spot urine and 2.8 g/day based on FFQ; estimated K intake was 1.6 g/day (spot urine) and 2.7 g/day (FFQ). CCSs with CVD risk factors had a slightly higher Na intake (3.3 g/day), than CCSs risk free (2.9 g/day) or with CVD (2.7 g/day, p = 0.017), and obese participants had higher Na intake (4.2 g/day) than normal/underweight CCSs (2.7 g/day, p<0.001). Daily Na intake was above, and daily K intake below national recommended levels. Adult survivors of childhood cancer need dietary assistance to reduce Na and increase K intake.

This hypothesis demonstrates that the efficiency of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) for nucleic acid detection can be positively influenced by preconcentration of microbial cells onto hydrophobic paper surfaces. The mechanism of this model is based on the high attraction of microbes towards hydrophobic surfaces. Extensive studies have demonstrated that hydrophobic surfaces exhibit enhanced bacterial and fungal adhesion. The preconcentration approach by exploiting this inherent affinity of hydrophobic paper substrates enables the adherence of a greater number of target cells, resulting in a higher concentration of target templates for amplification directly from urine samples. In contrast to conventional methods, which often involve complex procedures, this approach offers a simpler, cost-effective, and user-friendly alternative. Moreover, the integration of cell adhesion, LAMP amplification, and signal readout within paper origami-based devices can provide a portable, robust, and highly efficient platform for rapid nucleic acid detection. This innovative hypothesis holds significant potential for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and field surveillance applications. Further research and development in this field will advance the implementation of this technology, contributing to improved healthcare systems and public health outcomes.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents around 3% of all cancers, within which clear cell RCC (ccRCC) are the most common type (70–75%). The RCC disease regularly progresses asymptomatically and upon presentation is recurrently metastatic, so an early method of detection is necessary. The identification of one or more spe-cific biomarkers measurable in biofluids (i.e urine) by combined approaches could surely be appropriate for this kind of cancer, especially due to easy obtainability by non invasive method. OLR1 is a metabolic gene that encodes for the Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein re-ceptor-1 (LOX-1), implicated in inflammation, atherosclerosis, ROS and metabolic disor-der-associated carcinogenesis. Specifically, LOX-1 is clearly involved in tumor insurgence and progression of different human cancers. This work reports for the first time the presence of LOX-1 protein in ccRCC urine and its peculiar distribution in tumoral tissues. In parallel, urine samples headspace has been analyzed for the presence of the volatile compounds (VOCs) by SPME-GC/MS and gas sensor array. In particular, it was found by GC/MS analysis that 2-Cyclohexen-1-one,3-methyl-6-(1-methylethyl)- correlates with LOX-1 concentration in urine. Thus, the combined approach of VOCs analysis and protein quantification could led to promis-ing results in terms of diagnostic and prognostic potential for ccRCC tumor.

Celiac disease (CD) is a genetically conditioned autoimmune process that appears in susceptible people. It can affect people of any age, and slightly predominates in females. It has a fairly homogenous global distribution, with an average prevalence of 1-2%, the frequency having increased in recent decades. The only effective treatment is a strict and permanent gluten-free diet (GFD), although the level of compliance with it is poor, at about 50% of cases. To monitor the effectiveness of the GFD, several procedures involving various approaches are employed: a) periodic interviews by nutritionists; b) clinical follow-up; c) serological controls of specific antibodies; d) endoscopies with collection of duodenal biopsies; e) structured questionnaires; f) determination of gluten peptides derived from gluten in feces and/or urine. All of these procedures are useful when applied, alone or in combination, depending on the cases. Some patients will only need to consult to their doctors, while others will require a multidisciplinary approach to assess their compliance with the GFD. In children, normalization of duodenal mucosa was achieved in 95% of cases within 2 years, while it is more delayed in adults, whose mucosa take longer to heal completely.