Most Viewed Articles

Objectives: Hospitalization following a head injury is associated with high rates of disability that have a strong correlation with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Well-being is related to life satisfaction, quality of life, happiness, personal growth and flourishing, competence, self-acceptance, positive relationships, and autonomy. The well-being of patients and their primary caregivers is important when a patient is left with impaired mobility after neurosurgery. The aim of this study is to examine whether the well-being of patients and their primary caregivers will differ before and after neurosurgery, and whether well-being differs between patients with motor disability (WMD group) and those without, compared to those who are not - NMD group (non-motor disability).Methodology: 123 patients and their main caregivers were recruited. Of these, 62 were in the before neurosurgical group, 31 Patients and 31 caregivers. 61 in the after neurosurgical group, 30 Patients and 31 caregivers, of which there are 16 from WMD group and 15 from NMD. Main outcome measures: Two analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were conducted: for WMD and NMD separately. The results reveal a significant decrease in wellbeing for both, patient and main caregivers, but a stronger decline in well-being was observed among WMD, as indicated by a larger effect size (η² = 0.74) compared to the NMD (η² = 0.38). In addition, no significant effect between group and time of measurement was found, indicating that the decrease in wellbeing was not different among patients compared to their main caregivers. Conclusion: The findings highlight the multifaceted impact of neurosurgery on well-being, particularly for patients who remain with motor disabilities and their primary caregivers.The decline in well-being after neurosurgery highlights the need for improved social support and the importance of developing treatment programs that can help ease the process of coping with these phenomena and provide appropriate support for both patients and their primary caregivers.

Introduction: Flow analysis in the apical view of transthoracic echocardiography is validated to assess fluid responsiveness at the bedside. Still, it is not always reachable, especially in mechanically ventilated patients and during surgery. We compared it to supra-sternal and sub-xiphoid views to evaluate their validity in assessing fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients.Method: A cross-sectional prospective monocentric pilot study of three months duration has been led in the critical care unit for surgical emergencies of Ibn Sina University Hospital of Rabat (Morocco). We used the time-velocity index (VTI) and peak velocity variation (∆Vpeak) values correlation between the three acoustic windows as the main judgment criteria. Measurement of data was made in the Left Ventricle Outflow Tract (LVOT) in the 5-chamber apical view, Descending Thoracic Aorta (DTA) in the supra-sternal view, and Right Ventricle Outflow Tract (RVOT) in the sub-xiphoid view.Results: There were 14 adult patients involved in the study, and the data presented are preliminary results. There was no significant difference in VTI and ∆Vpeak values between the three acoustic windows at each time of the study protocol, with a very high correlation for initial VTI value between 5-chamber apical view and supra-sternal view (r = 0.96, p < 0.001), and sub-xiphoid view (r = 0.86, p < 0.001). A very high correlation of initial ∆Vpeak value was also observed between the 5-chamber apical view and supra-sternal view (rho = 0.89, p < 0.001) and sub-xiphoid view (rho = 0.79, p < 0.001).Discussion: Supra-sternal and sub-xiphoid views showed high potential to predict fluid responsiveness, but further data are needed to validate their use for this purpose in ICU and in operating room.

Cannabis sativum has long been used globally for hallucination. However, detrimental effects on female reproduction have never been studied. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate cannabinoid-induced oxidative stress and reproductive containment in female mice. Fifteen adult female Parkes strain mice were randomly chosen from institutional animal houses (n = 5/group) with ad libitum access to water and food. Animals were grouped into control (vehicle-treated), treated with 6mg of cannabis/100 g of body weight, and 12 mg of cannabis/100 g of body weight. After 15 days all animals were sacrificed and tissues were collected for histology, immunohistochemistry, and estimations of different parameters. Histology and immunohistochemistry (of Cannabinoid Receptor 1; CB1) were performed following standardized protocols. All parameters were estimated either by standard biochemical protocols or by kit following the manufacturer’s protocol. Stress parameters (Super Oxide Dismutase; SOD, Catalase, CAT; Malonaldehyde, MDA and Glutathione Peroxidase; GPx), apoptotic parameters of thecal cells (by Caspase-3 assay), serum level of Estrogen (E2), steroidogenic parameters (3β Hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase; 3β HSD and 17β Hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase; 17β HSD) and expression of CB1 were noted in ovary. Data were analyzed by One-way Analysis of Variance (One-way ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range post hoc Test. We found a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in steroidogenic parameters and a significant increase (p < 0.05)in free radical and apoptotic parameters and CB1 receptor expressions upon dose-dependent cannabis treatment. We may conclude that chronic treatment of cannabis causes reproductive containment in females which has never been addressed previously.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbursts began at the end of 2019, which imposed a serious crisis on public health and the economy all over the world. To date, there is no antiviral drug available for SARS-CoV-2, and hence vaccination is the most preferred method to prevent people from getting attacked by this virus, especially for those who are at high risk. To counter coronavirus-2, there are various types of vaccines, which are being used, such as live attenuated vaccines, killed or inactivated vaccines, recombinant vaccines, mRNA vaccines, recombinant vector vaccines, and DNA vaccines. Novavax data shows that the vaccine is effective against severe diseases caused by B.1.351. The Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines show evidence of some protection against P.1. Due to the immune response, the Human body can recognize and protect itself against harmful foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms. The immune system protects our body from these harmful substances by identifying them as antigens. Virus-infected cells release many chemicals such as chemokines and cytokines for the initiation of immune response. To control the pandemic situation, herd immunity is required by the immunization of a critical mass of the world population at once. In this review article, we have made an analysis of the immune response of the human body to SARS-CoV-2 infection, different types, and modes of action of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines along with the current status of vaccines.

Fact-finding Investigation for the Activation of the Legal-forensic Nursing Consultancy Desk at the Order of Nursing Professions of the Province of Avellino

Pancreatic duct stones (PDS) are a common complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP). PDS can lead to duct obstruction and cause chronic abdominal pain. Ductal stone clearance, as well as short and long-term pain relief, is the cornerstone of endoscopic or surgical treatment. A step-up approach seems reasonable in pancreatic duct stone clearance. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) combined with standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is as effective as a surgical approach for treating painful CP with less morbidity and medical costs. Therefore, endotherapy is considered a first-line therapy in selected patients. In case of insufficient pancreatic ductal clearance or strictures, advanced endoscopic techniques, per-oral pancreatoscopy (POP) with intraductal lithotripsy and/or endoscopic ultrasound-guided ductal drainage (EUS-PDD), will expand the role of the endoscopic approach. Because these new techniques are challenging, technically complex, and with high adverse events (AEs), they should be reserved for advanced tertiary care centers. Although there is increasing data that early surgical intervention may lead to better pain control and pancreatic duct stone clearance, surgery is reserved for patients failing endotherapy or patients with suspected malignancy.

Vochysia haenkeana extract (Vh-E) was assessed against the neuromuscular blockade induced by Bothrops jararaca venom on chick biventer cervicis (BC) preparation. Pre- and post-venom incubation treatments (Pre-vit and Post-vit) were analysed here. Contractures ACh (110 µM) and KCl (20 mM) were evoked before and after addition of venom without stimulation. Vh-E (600 µg/mL) under Pre-vit was more efficient to neutralize the neuromuscular blockade by venom (40 µg/mL) [72.5±4.6% (venom) vs. 45.2±14% (Vh-E) of blockade, p<0.05, n=4]. Vh-E (600 µg/mL) did not cause significant changes under Post-vit [72.5±4.6% (venom) vs. 63.4±8.2% (Vh-E) of blockade, n=4]. The Pre-vit inhibited the blockade of the contracture to ACh (106±17% of response; n=4) while the Post-vit was able to attenuate the effect of the venom on this contracture (55±5% of response; n=4); related to those contractures to KCl both of treatments with Vh-E attenuated the blocker effect of the venom (62.5±7.7% and 55±5% of response for Pre-vit and Post-vit, respectively; n=4). In conclusion, Vh-E neutralizes partially the neuromuscular blockade in Pre-vit, an effect that can be related to preserved function of “extrinsic” post-synaptic receptors, by measured contractures in response to ACh. The myotoxicity of the venom was significantly reduced by Vh-E in both, Pre-vit and Post-vit, by measured contractures in response to KCl.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the world’s major infectious diseases with 350 million people who are chronic carriers of HBV [1]. Significant minorities go on to develop liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma and over 1 million die annually from HBV-diseased liver. Janahi E. at faculty of science, Bahrain University, Bahrain has submitted the following information [2], on HBV-genome organization as part of his Ph.D. degree (2007) in Imperial College, England. HBV genomic organization has 4 Open Reading Frames (ORFs) i.e. Pre-S/S Gene, Pre-C/C ORF, P ORF and X ORF. Regulatory Elements has 4 promoters (pre S2, pre S1, C promoters and X promoters), Pregenomic RNA, Enhancers (Enh 1 and Enh 2) where they are involved in cccDNA formation, Glococorticoid-Responsive Element which is located in X ORF and P ORF overlapping, Polyadenylation Signal (Direct Repeat 1 (DR1) and Direct Repeat 2 (DR2)), Epsilon-Stem Loop and Post-Transcriptional Regulatory Element. HBV genotype D is prevalent in our Middle East area. The HBV genome is a partially relaxed-circular dsDNA molecule consisting of a full length strand (minus strand) with a single unique nick and a complementary (positive strand) of variable length. HBV is considered as a para-retrovirus because its replication involves the reverse transcription of an intermediate-RNA function, of pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA). Replication of HBV genome starts with the encapsidation of the pgRNA and encodes HBV polymerase into an immature nucleocapsid formed by the viral core antigen.

Polyamines are aliphatic amines found in all living cells, and they are necessary for several fundamental cell processes. Their protective role against various abiotic stress factors has been reported in different plant species, while the mechanism by which polyamines act during plant-microbe interaction is still poorly understood. The several types of the interactions between the plants and the microbes outline a divers and complex picture of the action mechanisms. The present review focuses on this aspect of the mode of action of polyamines and polyamine metabolism during biotroph and necrotroph interactions between plants and pathogens. It seems that apoplastic metabolism of polyamines of the host and the accumulation of H2O2 as a result of polyamine catabolism play important signalling role in plant-pathogen interactions. The manipulation of the members of the polyamine-induced signalling pathways could increase the host plant resistance to biotic stresses.

Stroke is a clinically defined syndrome of acute focal neurological deficit attributed to vascular injury (infarction, hemorrhage) of the central nervous system. Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Stroke is not a single disease but can be caused by a wide range of risk factors, disease processes and mechanisms. Approximately 15% of strokes worldwide are the result of intracerebral hemorrhage, which can be deep (basal ganglia, brainstem), cerebellar or lobar. A minority (about 20%) of intracerebral hemorrhages are caused by macrovascular lesions (vascular malformations, aneurysms, cavernomas), venous sinus thrombosis or rarer causes.