Dental evaluation is helpful in the differentiation of functional heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a high incidence and fatality rate worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most important risk factors for its occurrence and development. Early detection of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) can improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Biomarkers are extremely helpful, not only for early diagnosis, but also for the development of therapeutics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subset of non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length, have increasingly attracted scientists’ attention due to their potential utility as biomarkers for cancer detection and therapy. HBV profoundly impacts the expression of miRNAs potentially involved in the development of hepatocarcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current progress on the role of miRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-HCC. From a molecular standpoint, we discuss the mechanism by which HBV regulates miRNAs and investigate the exact effect of miRNAs on the promotion of HCC. In the near future, miRNA-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications will make their way into the clinical routine

Changes in illicit, licit and stimulant designer drug use patterns in South-East Hungary between 2008 and 2015

The aim of this work is to present the changes in classical illicit and licit drug, as well as stimulant designer drug (SDD) consumption of suspected drug users in South-East Hungary between 2008 and 2015. Urine and/or blood samples of 2976 subjects were analyzed for these groups of substances of which 1777 (59.7%) were tested positive. THC was the most frequent (32.2%) substance, followed by classical stimulants (amphetamine, metamphetamine, MDMA, cocain) (21.4%), SDDs (17.0%), benzodiazepines (15.5%), medical opiates (codeine without morphine, methadone, tramadol) (4.03%), and morphine with or without 6-acethyl-morphine (1.98%). The annual rate of cannabis consumption continuously decreased after 2010. The use of classical stimulants was constant, except for a significant increase in 2015. Benzodiazepine incidence increased and remained steady after 2011. Medical opiate and morphine frequency was variable. SDDs were found in the highest number in 2012-13, exceeding the frequency of classical stimulants. The most prevalent SDDs were as follows: 2010 mephedrone, 2011 - 4-MEC, methylone, MDPV, 4-FMC, and 4-FA, and 2012-2015 - pentedrone. Beside pentedrone, 3-MMC, alpha PVP, alpha PHP, and 4-CMC were detected with a notable number in this period. Multi-drug use was found in 30-43% of suspects tested positive between 2008 and 2014, which elevated to 52% in 2015. The frequency of substances in the biological samples corresponded to their seizure rate. When SDDs were included on the NPS list, their frequency in biological samples and in seized materials slightly decreased or did not change. However, a marked decrease was observed following classification as illicit drugs