The utility of Leventhal's model in the analysis of the psycho-behavioral implications of familial cancer - a literature review.

Introduction: We aim to highlight the utility of this model in the analysis of the psycho-behavioral implications of family cancer, presenting the scientific literature that used Leventhal's model as the theoretical framework of approach.

Material And Methods: A systematic search was performed in six databases (EBSCO, ScienceDirect, PubMed Central, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science) with empirical studies published between 2006 and 2015 in English with regard to the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSMR) and familial/hereditary cancer. The key words used were: illness representations, common sense model, self regulatory model, familial/hereditary/genetic cancer, genetic cancer counseling.

New insights into the organophosphate-induced intermediate syndrome.

Acute organophosphate (OP) poisoning can be deadlier than any other type of chemical poisoning. So far, only a few cases have been described that include extensive neurological complications. We present an outstanding case of severe oral OP poisoning with intermediate syndrome developed on the fourth day after hospital admission.

Perception and use of Pap smear screening among rural and urban women in Romania.

Background: In 2012 the National Screening Program for all women between 25 and 64 years of age was launched in Romania. Public awareness is an important factor in the success of a screening program. For this reason, we intended to assess the perception and the level of awareness of Romanian women regarding the Pap test in the prevention of cervical cancer.

Increased nuchal translucency in fetuses with a normal karyotype-diagnosis and management: An observational study.

The use of nuchal translucency (NT) in 1992 by Nicolaides et al was a major breakthrough in screening for chromosomal aneuploidies at the end of the first trimester. However, pathological conditions other than chromosomal aneuploidies are also associated with increased NT, which can also be detected in normal fetuses. This study sought to evaluate the causes of this ultrasound sign in a group of patients from Iasi, Romania.

Associations of smoking with cardiometabolic profile and renal function in a Romanian population-based sample from the PREDATORR cross-sectional study.

Background: The impact of smoking on morbidity is well known, but in Romania, limited data are available regarding the smoking prevalence and relationship with cardiometabolic profile and kidney function.

Objectives: To assess the association of smoking with cardiometabolic traits and kidney function, in a Romanian population-based sample from the PREDATORR study.

Methods: PREDATORR was an epidemiological cross-sectional study.

Pregnancy during Adolescence and Associated Risks: An 8-Year Hospital-Based Cohort Study (2007-2014) in Romania, the Country with the Highest Rate of Teenage Pregnancy in Europe.

. To determine pregnancy and delivery outcomes among teenagers. .

Infected hydronephrosis: can we reduce patient suffering and costs?

Objective: To investigate the correlation among clinical parameters, risk factors, outcomes and costs in the context of patients with infected hydronephrosis.

Methods: This retrospective, multi-centric study was conducted in three Romanian academic urology departments, and comprised data of patients with infected hydronephrosis treated between July 2013 and July 2014. Based on per-patient hospitalisation costs, the participants were divided into three groups: group A: cost less than 500 euros), group B: between 500 and 1,000 euros, and group C: over 1,000 euros).

Determination of Degradation Products of Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride, Lidocaine and Piroxicam in a Semi-Topical Formulation: MS-MS Confirmation of Unknown Impurities.

Association of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride, piroxicam and lidocaine in a topical formulation is one of the newest innovations in the pharmaceutical formulary field. In this study, a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method was developed for the establishment of the impurities of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride, lidocaine and piroxicam in the semisolid topical formulation. In this study, we not only determined 2,6-dimethylaniline, 2-pyrydilamine but also specified impurities of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride (dibenzosuberenone, amitriptyline, carbinole, cyclobenzaprine N-oxide and anthrachinone).

The effect of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion long-term therapy on motor complications in advanced Parkinson's disease: a multicenter Romanian experience.

Chronic treatment with oral levodopa is associated with an increased frequency of motor complications in the late stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). Continuous administration of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG-Duodopa(®), Abbott Laboratories), which has been available in Romania since 2009, represents an option for treating patients with advanced PD. Our primary objective was to report changes in motor complications after initiation of LCIG therapy.

Variation of safety indices during in the learning curve for color Doppler assessment of the fetal heart at 11+0 to 13+6 weeks' gestation.

Aims: The aim of our study was to analyze the variation of acoustic output, as expressed by the thermal (TI) and mechanical index (MI), during the learning curve for a fetal heart scan at 11-13 gestational weeks, with the introduction of a new ultrasound system.

Material And Methods: This was a prospective, observational study on 303 normal fetuses. The fetal heart was examined transabdominally using B-Mode and high definition (HD) color Doppler to obtain standard parameters: four-chamber, outflow tracts and three-vessel-trachea views.

A Meta-Analysis for the Efficacy of Hypnotherapy in Alleviating PTSD Symptoms.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of hypnotherapy in the treatment of PTSD used literature searches to obtain 47 articles. However, only 6 were experiments testing the efficacy of hypnosis-based treatments. A fixed-effects meta-analysis was applied to postintervention assessment results and 4-week follow-ups.

Eosinophilia--A rare possible adverse reaction during anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy for psoriasis.

The current use of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors in rheumatological, dermatological and gastroenterological diseases has increased considerably in recent years. Different reports have been communicated regarding specific risks and side effects during treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors. Eosinophilia has been linked to TNF-alpha inhibitors by several recent reports, although it is not listed as a possible adverse reaction in the product information of the drug.

Zinc involvement in opioid addiction and analgesia--should zinc supplementation be recommended for opioid-treated persons?

Introduction: Zinc chelators were shown to facilitate some opioid-withdrawal signs in animals. Zinc deficiency, which affects more than 15% the world's population, is also common among opioid consumers and opioid-treated animals exhibit misbalances of zinc distribution.

Aim: The present study focuses on how zinc ions interfere with opioid dependence/addiction and analgesia, trying to preliminary discuss if zinc supplementation in opioid-users should be recommended in order to reduce the risk of addiction.

The role of baseline inflammatory-based scores and serum tumor markers to risk stratify pseudomyxoma peritonei patients treated with cytoreduction (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Aims: Inflammation-based scores such as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and Onodera nutritional index (ONI) have been identified as new prognosticators in several tumors. We conducted a prognostic analysis of these markers and performed a risk stratification of PMP patients submitted to cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Methods: 226 patients from two peritoneal surface malignancies centers participated in this study.

The non glycanated endocan polypeptide slows tumor growth by inducing stromal inflammatory reaction.

Endocan expression is increasingly studied in various human cancers. Experimental evidence showed that human endocan, through its glycan chain, is implicated in various processes of tumor growth. We functionally characterize mouse endocan which is also a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan but much less glycanated than human endocan.

Efficacy of budesonide in collagenous colitis Evaluation of: Miehlke S, Madisch A, Kupcinskas L, et al. Budesonide is more effective than mesalamine or placebo in short-term treatment of collagenous colitis. Gastroenterology 2014;146(5):1222-1230 e1222.

Introduction: Collagenous colitis (CC) is a less common colonic disease with variable prevalence and undulating course. Among the available therapies, budesonide was demonstrated to induce a rapid and sustained remission in many cases, but little is known about the comparative efficacy of other treatments, such as mesalamine.

Areas Covered: Evaluation of a randomized study assessing the efficacy and safety of budesonide over mesalamine in patients with CC.

Involvement of TSP1 and MMP9/NGAL in angiogenesis during orthodontic periodontal remodeling.

In the present study the aim was to measure the levels of Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) and Lipocalin-2/matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9/NGAL) complex in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) at different time points of orthodontic treatment, to determine the relationship between these values and those of total-matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and theirs implication in angiogenesis balance, in the situation of a good control of the bacterial plaque, emphasizing the role of TSP1 and MMP9/NGAL complex. GCF samples were collected from 16 young orthodontic patients requiring upper canine distalization (test tooth) with first premolar extraction. The contralateral canine (control tooth) was free from orthodontic force.

In arterial occlusive disease autoantibodies against ETAR and AT(1)R correlate with each other but are not associated with classical cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: Autoantibodies (Abs) against angiotensin-II type 1 (AT(1)R) and endothelin-1 type A receptors (ETAR) are investigated in the present study as B-cell originated humoral factors that may activate the respective receptors on endothelial cells. The prevalence of the Abs was determined in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD).

Patients And Methods: In a prospective observational study 200 patients undergoing angiography and proven advanced PAD were enrolled.

In vitro study on the antioxidant activity of a polyphenol-rich extract from Pinus brutia bark and its fractions.

A crude hydromethanolic extract from Pinus brutia bark and its fractions (diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions) were studied with regard to their phenolic content and antioxidant activities. The total phenolics and proanthocyanidins in each extract were quantified by spectrophotometric methods; the polyphenolic profile was analyzed by RP-HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. All extracts were tested with regard to their ability to scavenge free radicals (ABTS radical cation, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals), reduce ferric ions, and inhibit 15-lipoxygenase.

Identification of the specified impurities of silver sulfadiazine using a screening of degradation products in different stress physico-chemical media.

Determination of silver sulfadiazine degradation products in several stress media was carried out by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) and hybrid mass spectrometer triple quadrupole-linear trap. The optimal chromatographic method used a Hypercarb column with a stationary phase 100% carbon, a mobile phase composed by a mixture 45:55 formic acid 1% solution and acetonitrile and detection at 275 nm. Structure elucidation was carried out on the mass spectrometry system using same chromatographic conditions and based on MS/MS techniques.

Biliary Hamartoma.

Biliary hamartoma or von Mayenburg complex (VMCs) is a rare benign congenital malformation of the biliary duct. Patients are usually asymptomatic. Hepatic lesions are incidentally discovered on ultrasonography (US) and subsequent radiological methods are necessary for confirmation.

Preoperative warm-up using a virtual reality simulator.

Background And Objectives: All modern surgical procedures require a high level of cognitive and psychomotor skills achieved using different training methods, but could be influenced by fatigue and other psychological factors. We evaluated the effect of warm-up exercises on operative laparoscopic performances.

Methods: The surgical team operated on a consecutive series of 20 patients with gallstones.