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Slovak scientists link enzyme to the risk of death from COVID-19

pr@uniba.sk — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 09:34:00 +0200

One worry during the pandemic was the uncertain prognosis of a Coronavirus infection. No sure-fire indicator was found that could predict whether the disease would have a severe course or even result in death, and doctors could not alert patients who might benefit from extra attention. Worldwide, researchers have been trying to discover risk factors correlated with a severe course of COVID-19. One of them turned out to be the plasma activity of butyrylcholinesterase. "It is an enzyme whose physiological role has not yet been described, and even healthy individuals sometimes exhibit no activity of this enzyme. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that these individuals were more susceptible to a SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a high mortality rate was encountered in the community of people in whom this enzyme is inactive,” explains lead researcher Anna Paul Hrabovská from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Comenius University. A Slovak study, conducted between October 2021 and May 2022 on 148 hospitalized patients showed that a decrease in plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity was associated with a negative prognosis of COVID-19, even when the patient's condition improved temporarily. On the other hand, an increase in its activity can predict an improvement of the patient's health. Enzyme activity provides this valuable information regardless of the patient's age, gender or body mass. However, the enzyme studied by the Slovak team could likely reveal much more. Butyrylcholinesterase activity is being studied intensively because it may be a valuable prognostic indicator for other diseases than COVID-19. In a study which recently appeared in the journal eBioMedicine, published by Lancet, butyrylcholinesterase activity was identified as a possible biomarker for sudden infant death syndrome. The activity of this enzyme has also been found to decrease in the elderly and during various fatal diseases. "I assume that butyrylcholinesterase activity reflects the overall clinical state of the organism and its prognosis, independently of the actual pathology," explains researcher Anna Paul Hrabovská. Therefore, she is designing a study which will focus on patients affected by other serious pathologies. She and her research team work on projects that might help to improve the identification of patients who require more intensive medical care, leading to a possible rapid improvement of their condition.

Opening of a new academic year

pr@uniba.sk — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:46:00 +0200

On Monday, 18 September 2023, the 105th academic year will officially be opened at Comenius University Bratislava. The ceremonial assembly of the academic community will include an opening address of the vice-rector of Comenius University for Education and Social Affairs Eva Viglašová, Rector Marek Števček will give a ceremonial speech, and the agenda will also include a musical performance. You are hereby cordially invited.

Central European Nursing Conference

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 08:22:00 +0200

Scientific Research and Education in Nursing on 7th – 8th September 2023.

One Year Scholarships Free State of Bavaria 2024/2025 - Jahresstipendien des Freistaats Bayern 2024/25

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:11:00 +0200

The Free State of Bavaria invites applications for its one-year scholarship program for students from Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe for the academic year 2024/25 via BAYHOST / BTHA. Graduates from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine are eligible to apply.

The scholarships are meant to finance postgraduate studies (i.e. master’s programs) and PhDs at Bavarian higher education institutions. Annual scholarships can be extended twice for up to 3 years; the scholarship amounts to 934,-€ per month. One-year study sojourns in Bavaria as part of a PhD in the home country can also be funded.

Enclosed is our flyer and further information can be found on our BAYHOST-website (or the BTHA-website for applicants from the Czech Republic).

All documents must be submitted online; the application deadline for first time applications is the 1st December 2023.

CLASS SCHEDULE REGISTRATION FOR THE WINTER SEMESTRER OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:36:00 +0200

Class schedule registration for the winter semester will be open to the students from September 9,...

A VERY LONG TIME AGO THE TURIEC REGION WAS A LAKE WHICH DISAPPEARED WHEN THE MALÁ FATRA MOUNTAINS LIFTED UP

pr@uniba.sk — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 09:39:00 +0200

The lake that filled the Turiec valley in the Tertiary was land-locked and far from the ancient Pannonian Basin System. It had no significant rivers flowing out of it and its banks included wetlands, humid forests and low hills. The past existence of a lake in the valley is evidenced by sediments which include fossils of molluscs and water plants that have intrigued geologists for decades. So far, however, traditional methods were unable to prove the existence of a lake in the Turiec basin. "We applied a novel dating method using cosmogenic beryllium from the atmosphere, which ends up in rivers and seas as a result of rain and is deposited on the surface of grains in sediments. Knowing its radioactive half-life, we can calculate the age of the deposits. The method has great potential, because it can be used to analyse silt mud, the most common sediment on Earth," says Michal Šujan from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University, where the relatively new dating method is being developed. The authors of the research paper estimate that Lake Turiec existed between 10.7 and 6.7 million years ago. It disappeared about 6.7 million years ago when the Malá Fatra mountains lifted up. Sand and gravel washed from the mountains filled the lake and led to the creation of the Váh river catchment as we know it. The study of sediments in the valley also allowed a glimpse into the development of the Western Carpathians. "The sediments deposited in the paleo-lake document the landscape character of the Western Carpathians and their gradual uplift. Between 10.7 and 6.7 million years ago, when the Turiec Lake was in existence, the Tatry mountains and Nízke Tatry mountains did not yet exist as significantly elevated mountain ranges. If that was the case, sediments from them would fill up the lake earlier, hastening its disappearance," adds Michal Šujan. The research was carried out by an international team of researchers from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Slovak National Museum, France and Croatia. It is unique because the subject is not studied by any other research labs in the world. The research was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency through grants APVV-16-0121 and APVV-20-0120 and the Research Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (VEGA) under grant 1/ 0346/20.

WEBINAR: Residence and employment of foreign university students in Slovakia

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:15:00 +0200

Coming to study in Slovakia but unsure about what type of residence/visa to apply for? Already a...

Lucy: The First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids – Dr. Joel Parker (11.9.2023)

Juraj.Orszagh@fmph.uniba.sk — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 22:44:00 +0200

Dr. Joel Parker (Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA):
Lucy: The First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids Abstract:
The Lucy mission launched on October 16, 2021 to begin a 12-year journey to explore the Jupiter Trojans, the last major reservoir of Solar System small bodies not yet explored by spacecraft. The Trojans are a key dynamical class that likely have remained stable in their distant orbits for billions of years, containing a sample of bodies from different parts of the Solar System captured after migration of the outer planets. As such, they can be considered as well-preserved "fossils" of the early epoch of planetary formation. I will present an overview of the Lucy mission and spacecraft, the science motivations and what we currently know about the Trojans, and what has happened so far in the first two years of the mission.

Unique Kidney Biopsy Performed at University Hospital Martin

milos.hrabovsky@uniba.sk — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:07:00 +0200

The Transplant Center at the University Hospital Martin is not only focused on transplantations but also on clinical nephrology for non-transplanted patients. In cases where there is suspicion of a disease in a patient’s own kidneys, often glomerulonephritis, a biopsy is the only way to confirm the diagnosis and tailor appropriate treatment. "Biopsy is an invasive procedure that has its risks, including bleeding, and in rare cases, it can even lead to the patient losing a kidney," explained Head of Department Prof. MUDr. Ivana Dedinská, PhD. Because of these risks, biopsies are usually not recommended for patients with a single kidney. However, an alternative is a transjugular biopsy, performed via a large neck vein. "The risk of bleeding is lower with this method, but there is a high probability that the sample taken will not be representative and the pathologist will not be able to evaluate it," noted Nephrologist Ivana Dedinská. Despite the challenges, the medical team at the University Hospital Martin managed to successfully obtain a representative sample from a patient with a solitary kidney. "The patient had a congenital condition – born with only one kidney. He developed health complications, and there was suspicion of rapidly progressing autoimmune disease, where the body's own cells were attacking the kidney, which could lead to complete failure," shared MUDr. Karol Graňák, PhD., Nephrologist from the Transplant Center, who is responsible for clinical nephrology at the center. Taking a sample via the transjugular route proved to be much more challenging than the standard biopsy method. "In a transjugular biopsy, the challenge is to get through the venous system to the kidney's venous system. Even more complicated is that the sample is taken almost 'blindly.' When inserting the biopsy tool, it is not visible under the X-ray where the biopsy needle is heading, unlike with the standard method," explained MUDr. Karol Graňák. Working in collaboration with MUDr. Martin Vorčák, PhD. from the Radiology Clinic at the University Hospital Martin, the team successfully obtained the sample. "The procedure is performed under sonographic and skiaskopic control by introducing an introducer into the neck vein, followed by instrumentation through the heart, through the inferior vena cava to the kidney veins," detailed Radiologist Martin Vorčák. "The transjugular kidney biopsy is usually performed from the right kidney. The peculiarity of this case was the condition of the patient with a single independent left kidney, where the procedure is technically more demanding due to the different venous anatomy. The procedure went without complications, with successful collection of a representative sample," he added. The pathology examination confirmed a severe type of kidney involvement, allowing doctors to quickly administer the correct treatment and get the disease under control. According to Prof. Ivana Dedinská, there are many patients with a solitary kidney, due to congenital developmental anomalies or loss of a kidney due to a tumor or other disease. "We are always trying to move forward and bring various new diagnostic and treatment options. Patients with one kidney are generally not consulted in centers regarding biopsies; their treatment is practically set blindly and they are not always treated correctly. Now they have a chance to get the right treatment," concluded Professor Ivana Dedinská. In the Transplant Center at the University Hospital Martin, patients with non-transplanted kidneys make up to 70 percent of annual hospitalizations. Since its establishment, the medical staff has performed more than 90 biopsies of native kidneys using the standard method.

Use of a private electrical appliances

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:57:00 +0200

Due to popular demand, students will be able to apply for a permit to use electrical appliances in their rooms/units from this September. Such use has been prohibited by dormitory rules up until now - even though strict compliance with this ban was not enforced. More people want to use electrical appliances in their rooms and that puts an increasing load on the dormitory electrical wiring, which was not designed for the current demand. This leads to overloads and power outages. Too many electrical appliances connected to a system not designed to take such load can also be a security risk. On the other hand, the dormitory administration is aware that for many students a kettle or a microwave have become a necessity. For this reason the dormitory will now allow electrical appliances like these in rooms/units - but their number will be limited to prevent overloading. Students who want to use electrical appliances in their room will need to file an application. We ask our guests to share their electrical appliances as much as possible to ensure their efficient use.

Devices such as common consumer electronics (mobile phone, laptop, desktop computer, smartwatch, headphones, chargers, table lamps) or personal care appliances (hair-dryer, hair curler, electric toothbrush) are not subject to these restrictions and no application needs to be filed.
Applications need to be submitted particularly for electrical appliances like kettles, microwaves, coffee makers or toasters (these are the devices most frequently encountered during inspections). They can overload the electrical network if too many of them are switched on at the same time, causing a risk of blackouts or even fires. Consequently, the dorm administration feels the need to regulate their numbers.
Students who need appliances due to medical reasons (e.g. a rice cooker for a special diet, an air purifier for asthma, an insulin fridge) should apply for a permit. They need to provide a proof of their medical condition, signed by a doctor of medicine.

The Commission for university dormitories and accommodation of CU’s Academic Senate negotiated with the university management and the following three points were added to the original proposal:

In this academic year, use of personal electrical appliances will be regulated without fees. After this trial period we will work with student representatives to evaluate the results and propose modifications as needed. You can send your suggestions to as.ubytovacia@rec.uniba.sk.
During the winter semester, the dormitory administration will enforce dormitory rules using a non-punitive approach and will initially issue warnings of violations. Sanctions will be imposed only in case of repeated violations.
CU management, dormitory administration and the CU AS Commission for university dormitories and accommodation will work to equip dormitory kitchens with the electrical appliances needed by students.

The quality of accommodation at university dormitories depends on sufficient funding from the largest client of the university - the Slovak government. Unfortunately, higher education infrastructure is underfunded at the time and this will likely lead to various future restrictions of operation and accessibility of dormitory accommodation.

How to apply for an electrical appliance permit

Which electrical appliances need a permit?

Guests are requested to apply for a permit to use mainly the following: electric kettles, microwaves, coffee makers, and toasters. Other electrical appliances (apart from ordinary consumer electronics or personal care devices listed above) will be subject to the accommodation office consideration.

HOW MANY PRIVATE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES CAN I APPLY FOR?

Guests of a single room/unit can file a single application with the Mlyny accommodation office and request up to two additional electrical appliances for the room/unit depending on the dormitory block in which they are located.

Couples Dorm (Manželské internáty) - two appliances per unit
High-Rise B (Štúrak) - one device per unit (shared by two rooms, e.g. one microwave) and one device per room
Atrium houses - two appliances per room

HOW TO FILE AN APPLICATION?

You can apply via this FORM. The applicant should print two copies of the form, fill them in, have them signed by all occupants of the room/unit, and submit them to the Mlyny accommodation office. Accommodation office staff will approve or deny the application.

WHEN CAN I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?

An application is only valid once it has been signed by all occupants of a room/unit. Applications that do not meet this condition will be rejected. Please note that beverage vending machines and the Eat & Meet cafeteria are still available to guests of CU Mlyny.

WHAT TO DO WITH AN APPROVED APPLICATION?

Applicants who receive a permit must display the approved application in their unit/room visibly, next to the inventory list. The electrical appliances listed on the application are only considered permitted when the Mlyny accommodation office staff approve the application.

WHEN DOES THE PERMIT EXPIRE?

The application must be returned to the staff carrying out the check-out inspection whenever the applicant moves out or changes rooms. The application expires on the date when the applicant moves or checks out.

INSPECTIONS AND SANCTIONS

Article 7(3) of the Dormitory Rules specifies that the Dormitory is permitted to carry out inspections of compliance with fire safety regulations and proper usage of dorm premises with or without the presence of the guests. If unauthorized electrical appliances are encountered in the room/unit the guest may be fined 100€ for each electrical appliance in accordance with Article 11 of the Dormitory Rules.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions related to these instructions for the use of electrical appliances in dorms. Whether your application is approved or denied depends on the specifics of the electrical wiring in your room, which is slightly different for each Mlyny dormitory building. 1.What if I have an electrical appliance in my room that I don't use, and just store it there? The ban applies to electrical appliances regardless of whether they are used. To avoid a fine in specific cases (e.g. you need to store a wrapped gift for a few days) inform us by sending an email to mlyny.ubytovanie@uniba.sk. 2.Can I apply for an electrical appliance and then place it in the kitchenette so everyone on the floor can use it? (VB, AD) Only permitted or registered electrical appliances may be connected to the electrical system in the dormitory. However, the permit and registration only applies to individual rooms/units. Appliances may only be placed in common areas by the dormitory administration. As mentioned above, CU management, dormitory administration and the CU AS Commission for university dormitories and accommodation will work to equip dormitory kitchens with any additional electrical appliances needed by students. 3.Will printers, televisions, clothes irons, fans, heaters, game consoles, and other similar appliances which are not on the list, be approved? If an appliance is not listed, submit an application and the accommodation office will review it. We recommend to only bring the electrical appliance after you have obtained a permit for its use. 4. How are high-wattage appliances defined? Inventory inspections revealed that most high-wattage electrical appliances include devices for heating food and water. Based on this data and the capacity of electrical wiring in the buildings, the dormitory administration proposed a solution that is as simple as possible in terms of registration as well as subsequent inspections. If you are not sure how to classify your electrical appliance, submit an application and ask for an individual assessment.