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Topic Review
Pathophysiology of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is one of the most prevalent disorders that affects the muscles and is characterized by pain, stiffness, and soreness in the muscles, tendons, and joints. Fibromyalgia is in a family of disorders termed the affective spectrum disorders (ASD). ASDs frequently co-occur in both individuals and families and share physiologic abnormalities along with genetic risk factors that may be central to their etiology. The most prevalent ASDs are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder [MDD], generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, social phobia, and medical disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], migraine, and cataplexy. FMS commonly manifests in young or middle-aged females as chronic widespread pain, stiffness, fatigue, disrupted unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive difficulties. FMS often coexists with a number of other unexplained symptoms, anxiety and/or depression, and functional impairment of daily living activities. Fibromyalgia typically causes broad pain that affects both sides of the body with numerous “tender points”. Despite having incapacitating physical pain, FMS is not accompanied by tissue inflammation, tissue damage, or deformity.
  • 1.1K
  • 26 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D and Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia (PE) is a set of clinical symptoms that appears after the 20th week of pregnancy. It is a multi-organ disease characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, and in the absence of proteinuria—an impairment of the functions of the internal organs. With regard to the multiple mechanisms of action of Vit D, its deficiency seems to be one of the possible factors conducive to PE development. It has been suggested that the consequence of low Vit D levels may be the appearance of an early, severe form of PE, and its supplementation may be a protective factor against its recurrence in subsequent pregnancies [232]. The relationship between Vit D and PE development may explain its impact on implantation, angiogenesis, and endothelial status, regulation of the immune response, effect on RAAS, and calcium metabolism. 
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Door-to-Door Transportation Services
A central issue in modern cities is providing inclusive transportation services for people with reduced mobility. In particular, Barcelona is offering a public door-to-door pickup transportation service complementary to the adapted regular public transport.
  • 1.1K
  • 18 May 2022
Topic Review
Radial Artery Occlusion
The thrombotic occlusion of the radial artery has emerged as the most common complication of transradial coronary access, impeding its use in future interventions, and in the creation of arteriovenous fistulae for hemodialysis patients, or as a graft for coronary artery bypass grafting. In this entry, the researchers delve into the anatomy of the radial artery, the pathophysiology, and diagnosis of radial artery occlusion, the identification of potential risk factors, and finally prevention and treatment strategies. It is acknowledged that distal transradial access provides an effective alternative for coronary angiography and catheterization, with a reduced incidence of radial artery occlusion.
  • 1.1K
  • 14 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Sarcopenic Dysphagia
Sarcopenia, defined as a decline in muscle mass and function related to aging, affects both limb and swallowing-related muscles. Sarcopenic dysphagia is characterized by decreased swallowing function; therefore, early detection of subclinical dysphagia and subsequent intervention appear to be crucial in the elderly. 
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Prone Positioning and COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress
The prone position is a non-invasive technique resulting from the mobilization of the patient, where the person is lying horizontally face down. This technique has been used since the 1970s, but it has gained great relevance in the last year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic with the use of invasive mechanical ventilation.
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Use of Digital Mental Health Platforms and Interventions
The increasing use of digital mental health (DMH) platforms and digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) is hindered by uncertainty over effectiveness, quality and usability. There is a need to identify the types of available evidence in this domain. There was a small amount of significant evidence (1 in each 11), notably the (cost-)effectiveness of a DMHI with significant long-term impact on anxiety and depression in adults. Empirical research has demonstrated the feasibility of DMH platforms and DMHIs. 
  • 1.1K
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Organoselenium Compounds
Organoselenium compounds have anti-oxidative effects, several natural and synthetic organoselenium compounds and metabolites act as histone deacetylase inhibitors, which influence the acetylation status of histones and non-histone proteins, altering gene transcription.
  • 1.1K
  • 14 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Deep Learning Approach for Lung Cancer Diagnosis
Deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool for medical image analysis and diagnosis, demonstrating high performance on tasks such as cancer detection. As deep learning techniques continue to revolutionize the field of medical imaging, researchers have increasingly turned to large-scale databases to train and validate their algorithms. Many studies have been done to diagnose lung cancer using different datasets, both public and private. Each dataset has its own unique characteristics and challenges.
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Feb 2024
Topic Review
COVID-19 Limitations on Doodling in Measuring Burnout
Burnout is a negative, job-related psychological state exhibited through physical fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and loss of motivation. Pre-COVID-19, doodling was identified as a measure of burnout in researchers attending a weekly, in-person health narratives research group manifesting team mindfulness. Doodling was not retained as a possible measure of burnout during COVID-19 once the weekly health narratives research group moved online and aware attention to present perceptions—one aspect of team mindfulness—was no longer evident.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Congenital Afibrinogenemia and Hypofibrinogenemia
Congenital fibrinogen disorders are rare pathologies of the hemostasis, comprising quantitative and qualitative disorders. The clinical phenotype is highly heterogeneous, being associated with bleeding, thrombosis, or absence of symptoms. Afibrinogenemia and hypofibrinogenemia are the consequence of mutations in the homozygous, heterozygous, or compound heterozygous state in one of three genes encoding the fibrinogen chains, which can affect the synthesis, assembly, intracellular processing, stability, or secretion of fibrinogen. In addition to standard coagulation tests depending on the formation of fibrin, diagnostics also includes global coagulation assays, which are effective in monitoring the management of replacement therapy. Genetic testing is a key point for confirming the clinical diagnosis. The identification of the precise genetic mutations of congenital fibrinogen disorders is of value to permit early testing of other at risk persons and better understand the correlation between clinical phenotype and genotype.
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Motor Fitness and Flexibility Tests in Older Adults
Strong evidence indicated that (i) slower gait speed predicts falls and institutionalization/hospitalization in adults over 60 years old, cognitive decline/impairment over 55 years old, mobility disability over 50 years old, disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) over 54 years old, cardiovascular disease risk over 45 years old, and all-cause mortality over 35 years old; (ii) impaired balance predicts falls and disability in IADL/mobility disability in adults over 40 years old and all-cause mortality over 53 years old; (iii) worse timed up&go test (TUG) predicts falls and fear of falling over 40 years old. Evidence supports that slower gait speed, impaired balance, and worse TUG performance are significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes in adults. 
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Update on Domestic Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is the leading cause of all deaths for Americans less than 44 years old, is defined as “an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force that may result in cognitive impairment". Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a type of domestic violence that is defined as “behaviors that are intended to exert power and control over another individual, including physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and financial abuse, and/or stalking".
  • 1.1K
  • 21 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Endometrial Receptivity Array
Successful outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) rely on both the formation of a chromosomally normal embryo and its implantation in a receptive endometrium. Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) has been widely accepted as a tool to assess the viability of an embryo. In 2011, the endometrial receptivity array (ERA) was first published as a tool to determine when the endometrium is most receptive to an embryo, commonly referred to as the “window of implantation” (WOI). The ERA uses molecular arrays to assess proliferation and differentiation in the endometrium and screens for inflammatory markers. Unlike PGT-A, there has been dissent within the field concerning the efficacy of the ERA. 
  • 1.1K
  • 05 May 2023
Topic Review
Homocysteine Solution-Induced Response in OECTs Devices
Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-protein, sulfur-containing amino acid, which is recognized as a possible risk factor for coronary artery and other pathologies when its levels in the blood exceed the normal range of between 5 and 12 μmol/L (hyperhomocysteinemia). At present, standard procedures in laboratory medicine, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), are commonly employed for the quantitation of total Hcy (tHcy), i.e., the sum of the protein-bound (oxidized) and free (homocystine plus reduced Hcy) forms, in biological fluids (particularly, serum or plasma). Here, the response of Aerosol Jet-printed organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), in the presence of either reduced (free) and oxidized Hcy-based solutions, was analyzed. Two different experimental protocols were followed to this end: the former consisting of gold (Au) electrodes’ biothiol-induced thiolation, while the latter simply used bare platinum (Pt) electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis was performed both to validate the gold thiolation protocol and to gain insights into the reduced Hcy sensing mechanism by the Au-gated OECTs, which provided a final limit of detection (LoD) of 80 nM. For the OECT response based on Platinum gate electrodes, on the other hand, a LoD of 180 nM was found in the presence of albumin-bound Hcy, with this being the most abundant oxidized Hcy-form (i.e., the protein-bound form) in physiological fluids. Despite the lack of any biochemical functionalization supporting the response selectivity, the findings discussed in this work highlight the potential role of OECT in the development of low-cost point-of-care (POC) electronic platforms that are suitable for the evaluation, in humans, of Hcy levels within the physiological range and in cases of hyperhomocysteinemia.
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Framework for Training Parkinson Nurses
Delivering healthcare to people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be challenging in face of changing care needs during a PD journey and a growing complexity. In this regard, integrative and personalized care models may foster flexible solutions to patients’ care needs whereas Parkinson Nurses (PN) may be pivotal facilitators. However, existing training frameworks do not include aspects of personalized care for PD although there is a great deal of literature on patient needs and the resulting care requirements. The conceptualization of a need-based training framework may thus be achieved by synthesizing theoretical concepts on care priorities from existing literature. Following, a novel framework for training PN is presented, which is based on a line of reasoning. In this approach, different hypotheses are formulated which then are integrated into a proposed model.
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Clinical Reasoning and Clinical Decision-Making Systems
Due to COVID period many people have become recreational runners. Recreational running is a regular way to keep active and healthy at any age. Additionally, running is a popular physical exercise that offers numerous health advantages. However, recreational runners report a high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries due to running. The proposed intelligent system uses data mining algorithms for the rehabilitation guidance of recreational runners with musculoskeletal discomfort. The system classifies recreational runners based on a questionnaire that has been built according to the severity, irritability, nature, stage, and stability model and advise them on the appropriate treatment plan/exercises to follow. 
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Nov 2023
Topic Review
An Easier Time Gaining Than Losing Weight
Three powerful innate physiological defenses interfere with the maintenance of weight loss, whether it is achieved from the obese or healthy weight level. The first one, called adaptive thermogenesis, consists of persistent reduction in resting metabolic rate (RMR), the second one is increased hunger, and the third one is enhanced efficiency of energy storage. Adaptive thermogenesis was studied in individuals who lost substantial amounts of body weight and body fat in attempts to win “The biggest loser” televised competition.
  • 1.1K
  • 11 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Long-Term Effects of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination
The preventive effect of Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines against anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers has been proven in both clinical trials and real-world data. The longest period of preventive effect for the bivalent, 4-valent, and 9-valent vaccine were 11 years in the Costa Rica trial, 14 years in the FUTURE II, and 8 years in the LTFU extension study of V503-002 and the Scandinavian study, respectively. The sustained clinical effect during the observation period was longest for the 4-valent vaccine. In real-world data, the longest observation period of the vaccine effectiveness was 12 years in an Australian study for the 4-valent vaccine. For the bivalent vaccine, additional long-term follow-up studies may not have been planned due to the launch of the 4-valent and 9-valent vaccines. In some studies of the 9-valent vaccine, the results have not yet been published because of the short observation period. The additional results are expected in the future. In a national immunization program, most girls and boys are inoculated with HPV vaccine by the time puberty begins; thus, it is important to monitor the vaccine effect at least until the sexually active period in their 20s and 30s.
  • 1.1K
  • 25 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Chitin and Chitinase Induction in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Increased levels of Chitinases, in particular Chitotriosidase (CHIT-1) and chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), have been found increased in several neurodegenerative disorders. Although having important biological roles in inflammation, to date, the molecular mechanisms of Chitinase involvement in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders is not well-elucidated.
  • 1.1K
  • 13 Apr 2023
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