This review examines the possible clinical uses of extracts from mushrooms with medicinal properties, particularly their role as gastroprotective agents. After conducting a thorough examination of ...the literature, we identified and chose publications that presented six distinct types of mushroom extracts. These extracts have been experimentally demonstrated to have gastroprotective effects in animal models. Animals like rats or mice were used as subjects in experimental models to generate stomach ulcers through various approaches, such as chemical induction or inducing stress. Studies have shown that mushroom extracts are efficacious in facilitating the healing process of stomach ulcers. Several fundamental modes of action include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, along with enhanced preservation of stomach mucus. No clinical trials pertaining to this topic have been uncovered. However, the initial positive outcomes gained serve as a basis for additional investigation on this subject.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common liver malignancy and is among the top five most common cancers. Despite the progress of surgery and chemotherapy, the results are often disappointing, in ...part due to chemoresistance. This type of tumor has special characteristics that allow the improvement of diagnostic and treatment techniques used in clinical practice, by combining nanotechnology. This article presents a brief review of the literature focused on nano-conditioned diagnostic methods, targeted therapy, and therapeutic implications for the pathology of hepatocellular carcinoma. Within each subdomain, several modern technologies with significant impact were highlighted: serological, imaging, or histopathological diagnosis; intraoperative detection; carrier-type nano-conditioned therapy, thermal ablation, and gene therapy. The prospects offered by nanomedicine will strengthen the hope of more efficient diagnoses and therapies in the future.
Colitis-associated colo-rectal cancer remains the leading cause of mortality in inflammatory bowel diseases, with inflammation remaining one of the bridging points between the two pathologies. The ...NLRP3 inflammasome complex plays an important role in innate immunity; however, its misregulation can be responsible for the apparition of various pathologies such as ulcerative colitis. Our review focuses on the potential pathways of upregulation or downregulation of the NLRP3 complex, in addition to evaluating its role in the current clinical setting. Eighteen studies highlighted the potential pathways of NLRP3 complex regulation as well as its role in the metastatic process in colo-rectal cancer, with promising results. Further research is, however, needed in order to validate the results in a clinical setting.
Aloe, the largest genus in the Asphodelaceae family, comprises 548 species, with A. vera, A. arborescens and A. ferox being among the most widely studied species. Aloe species originated in arid ...climates and cover various habitats, from sea level up to 2700 m, and from desert to closed-canopy forests. For human health, Aloe species are the richest natural sources. The biological activity of Aloe sp. constituents covers a wide spectrum. Most of the indications come from traditional, folkloric use and several have been verified by in vitro or in vivo studies. Emodin, the main phenolic component, has showed anti-neoplastic, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and toxicological potential for use in pharmacology. Polysaccharides, with acemannan being the most important, are present in high abundance in Aloe gels. Acemannan has been reported to have applications in oral, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, oncology, dentistry and wound healing. The effectiveness of Aloe sp. constituents on colon, liver, duodenum, skin, pancreas, intestine, lungs and kidneys cancers was highly studied with remarkable findings. Regarding the metabolic syndrome, Aloe sp. can be used as an antidiabetic and reduces cholesterol and total body fat. Constituents of Aloe sp. are nontoxic in experimental acute oral studies and are widely used in cosmetology and as bitter agents or consistence modifiers in food and beverages. Traditional Aloe remedies cover most human diseases; however, in order to gain legitimacy, the Aloe-derived drugs must have a well-established composition, with thoroughly investigated adverse effects and conventional drug interactions.
The family caregiver (FCG) is with the patient from diagnosis till the end of life. The accumulated burden has a negative impact on the caregiver's quality of life and on his physical and emotional ...well-being.
To quantify the burden of care for a patient with palliative needs, and to compare the burden experienced by caregivers for nononcological patients with those for cancer patients.
Prospective longitudinal study.
One hundred forty patient-primary caregiver pairs participated in the study, which were separated into two groups: those who cared for patients with nononcological diseases (
= 63) and those who cared for patients with cancer (
= 77).
The burden measurement was assessed with Burden Scale for FCGs.
The average score of the FCG's burden was significantly higher in the nononcological group (45 ± 14.45 vs. 36.52 ± 15.05;
= 0.001). In the case of caregivers for cancer patients it is noticed that the caregivers' burden decreases after the intervention of the specialized team (45.58 ± 14.11 at T1 vs. 36.65 ± 16.10 at T2;
= 0.001). The burden values for caring for patients with nononcological diseases remained in the plateau, indicating incremental caregiver adaptation, although the rising trend is still present toward the end of the term (47.43 ± 13.32 vs. 56.69 ± 15.44;
< 0.001).
The burden dynamics are different depending on the patient's disease, duration of care, degree of dependence, number of comorbidities, and on the intervention of the palliative care team that ensures the support of the caregiver for the palliative patient.
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) is widely spread around the world and it is used in the food and cosmetic industry and traditional medicine due to its high content in bioactive compounds. Thus, ...this article investigated the phenolic compounds of Romanian Aloe vera gel and its antioxidant capacity. The gel was extracted using 4 different solvents: methanol, ethanol, water, and acetone. Total phenolics were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, total flavonoids by aluminium chloride reaction, and the antioxidant capacity by DPPH radical-scavenging activity. The profile of the phenolic compound was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection–Electro-Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. The methanolic extract had a significantly higher antioxidant activity, followed by ethanolic, water, and acetone extracts. The methanolic extract had also the highest total polyphenol content, while ethanolic extract had the highest total flavonoid content. The extracts contained 14 compounds identified as 7 chromones (Aloesin, Neoaloesin, Aloinoside A, Aloinoside E, Aloe-emodin-glucoside, Isoaloeresin D, Methoxycoumaroyl-aloresin) 2 flavones (Luteolin-glucoside, Apigenin-glucoside), one hydroxycinnamic acid (Caffeic acid) and 4 to anthrones (Aloin A, Aloin B, Emodin, Aloe-emodin). The LC-MS results showed important quantities of Aloesin, Neoaloesin, Aloeresin E, and Aloe-emodin-glucoside while FTIR analysis showed the presence of polysaccharides, pectins, anthraquinones, and saponins.
Due to low adherence to HPV vaccination programs, the European region struggles with vaccination rates lower than 30% among the targeted population. The present report investigated various ...socio-demographic and psychological factors influencing European parents' hesitancy towards vaccinating their children.
As of September 2023, four databases were searched. After applying inclusion criteria, all articles comparing psychological and socio-demographic factors in parents who vaccinate or do not vaccinate their children were included.
Twenty-five primary publications met the criteria, totaling 385,460 responders, of which 311,803 want to or have already vaccinated their child, and 73,555 do not wish to do so. Immigrant and employment status, religion, age of parents and the child's gender seemed to influence their decision to vaccinate their child. Previous experience with vaccines, perceived safety and efficacy and the mother's previous abnormal CCS results also impacted their decision. The caregivers' education, gender, civil status, number of children, family history of neoplasia or mother's CCS attendance did not influence their hesitancy to vaccine.
Multiple demographic, social, economic and psychological barriers involved in the parents' hesitancy to vaccinate their children against the HPV virus were highlighted. Specific at-risk categories that need to be targeted with information, education and vaccination campaigns were identified.
The risk to physicians who worked with patients without confirmed COVID-19 testing during the pandemic has been little studied. However, they were at high risk.
In the summer of 2020, 1285 Romanian ...physicians participated in a single-center study. Participants (mean age = 48.21 years; 302 males and 982 females, all specialties) completed a series of single-item measures adapted from previous studies on work ethics and responsibility. This study used Mann-Whitney comparisons between physicians who reported that they knowingly had direct contact with COVID patients and those who did not regarding their willingness to work.
Compared with their colleagues, physicians who reported not knowingly having direct contact with COVID patients reported less access to protective equipment, less overall willingness to respond when asked to work with infected patients, more likely to work out of fear of losing their jobs, and fear of legal repercussions. They received less training in the use of protective equipment.
Physicians who worked with patients not yet diagnosed with COVID-19 were significantly less willing to work. The perception of invisible risk may explain the observed differences.
Little research has been done on professionals' perceptions of institutions and governments during epidemics. We aim to create a profile of physicians who feel they can raise public health issues ...with relevant institutions during a pandemic. A total of 1285 Romanian physicians completed an online survey as part of a larger study. We used binary logistic regression to profile physicians who felt they were able to raise public health issues with relevant institutions. Five predictors could differentiate between respondents who tended to agree with the trust statement and those who tended to disagree: feeling safe at work during the pandemic, considering the financial incentive worth the risk, receiving training on the use of protective equipment, having the same values as colleagues, and enjoying work as much as before the pandemic. Physicians who trusted the system to raise public health issues with the appropriate institutions were more likely to feel that they shared the same values as their colleagues, to say they were trained to use protective equipment during the pandemic, to feel that they were safe at work during the pandemic, to enjoy their work as much as before the pandemic, and to feel that the financial bonus justified the risk.
The bacterium Escherichia coli, one of the most studied bacteria in the world, with the greatest epidemiological impact, includes both commensal and pathogenic strains, with a genome that can be ...extremely varied both in size and genetic content, and it also can produce numerous diseases with specific symptoms. The vast majority of these strains can cause severe gastrointestinal diseases, hemolytic uremic syndrome, hemorrhagic colitis, renal failure and even death. Hemolytic uremic syndrome can be a consequence of the presence of Escherichia coli infection in gastrointestinal diseases. In this study, uremia in patients with and without the declared renal comorbidity, was negatively correlated with the response to antibiotic treatment. The increase of uremia above 92 mg/dl increases the risk of death. The highest risk categories include people with kidney disease like comorbidities starting with admission in surgical and intensive care wards in IRGH Cluj-Napoca, having as main diagnosis of hospitalization surgical digestive diseases. The occurrence of Coli pathogen infection was associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates in patients included in the study. In these patients, it was noticed the need to introduce therapy with increasingly complex antibiotic formulas, which lead to an increase in the duration and cost of hospitalization. In the studied group, due to E coli infection at admission, uremia had an average value of 23.99mg/dl +/-8.987(SD) in the case of patients without kidney disease, the number of patients with normal uremia values was lower than that of those with increased values of uremia. In the case of patients with confirmed kidney disease, uremia had mean values of 65.76 mg/dl +/-52.41(SD). At discharge, both in the case of patients with renal disease and in the case of those without confirmed renal disease, the number of patients with normal values of uremia was higher than those with pathological values, this proportion being reversed in the case of deceased patients where the number of patients with values pathological urea levels were significantly higher than those with normal values, proving kidney damage.
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