Pengaruh Budaya, Persepsi, dan Kepercayaan terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Obat Herbal

Along with the high cost of obtaining medical drugs, people find the option touse herbal (non-medical) drugs. However, community acceptance of bothtypes of treatment does not seem to be the same. This research wasconducted to determine the influence of culture, perceptions, and confidencein the purchase decision of herbal medicines.In this study associative design was used by developing three variables(culture, perception, and trust) that were related to the decision to buy herbalmedicines. The sample was determined to be 208 people taken by clustersampling. The data used is primary data with questionnaire data collectionmethod. The data is then analyzed with multiple linear regressiontechniques.The results of the study prove that there are significant effects bothsimultaneously and partially, culture, perception, and trust in the decision topurchase herbal medicines

Long-term subjective cognitive functioning following adjuvant systemic treatment:7-9 years follow-up of a nationwide cohort of women treated for primary breast cancer

BACKGROUND: There is growing concern among breast cancer (BC) patients and survivors about cognitive impairment following systemic treatments. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effects of standard systemic adjuvant therapies on subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in a large nationwide cohort of BC survivors 7–9 years after primary surgery. METHODS: Participants were recruited from the nationwide Psychosocial Factors and Breast Cancer inception cohort of Danish women treated for primary BC. SCI was assessed with the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire and women allocated to systemic treatment according to nationwide standard protocols were compared with women who had not received any systemic treatments. RESULTS: A total of 1889 recurrence-free survivors were eligible for analysis. No difference in SCI was found between survivors across standardized systemic treatment protocols when analyses were stratified by menopausal status and adjusted for possible sociodemographic and treatment-related confounders. The frequency of significant SCI in a subgroup of survivors in the age range 65–74 years was ∼7%. CONCLUSIONS: No differences in long-term SCI at 7–9 years post surgery were found between women who had received systemic therapies and those who had not. Furthermore, the observed proportion of survivors with significant SCI was comparable to normative data. These results are important to communicate to patients, survivors, and clinicians alike, especially in the light of increasing concern about cognitive impairment following systemic therapies

Computerized cognitive training in prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy: a pilot study

© 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Purpose: Prostate cancer patients who have undergone androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may experience cognitive impairment, yet there is an unmet need for nonpharmacological interventions to address cognitive impairment in this population. This study examines the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a home-based computerized cognitive training (CCT) program to treat cancer-related cognitive impairment. Methods: Sixty men who had received ≥ 3 months of ADT were screened for at least mild cognitive or neurobehavioral impairment and randomized to 8 weeks of CCT or usual care. Follow-up assessments occurred immediately post-intervention or equivalent (T2) and 8 weeks later (T3). The acceptability of CCT was also assessed. Results: Feasibility:A priori feasibility thresholds were partially met (i.e., randomization rate \u3e 50%, retention rate \u3e 70% excluding CCT drop-outs, but \u3c 70% for intent-to-treat). Acceptability: Participants were mostly satisfied with CCT and found it somewhat enjoyable, though barriers to uptake existed. Preliminary efficacy: Linear mixed models indicated significant time by group effects favorable to CCT in reaction time (p =.01), but unfavorable to CCT in verbal and visual memory (ps \u3c .05). Memory was temporarily suppressed in the CCT group at T2, but normalized by T3. There was no effect of CCT on self-reported cognitive functioning, neurobehavioral functioning, nor quality of life. Conclusions: This study provides tentative support for the feasibility and acceptability of CCT to treat mild cognitive impairment in ADT patients. CCT had a beneficial effect on reaction time, but temporarily suppressed memory. CCT’s benefits may be limited to a narrow area of functioning. Larger-scale studies are needed

Self-Assembling Peptide Epitopes as Novel Platform for Anticancer Vaccination

Tumorimmunolog

Supplementation of freezing and thawing media with brain-derived neurotrophic factor protects human sperm from freeze-thaw-induced damage

Objective To investigate the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) supplementation to freezing and thawing media on frozen-thawed human sperm parameters. Design Laboratory study. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) Semen samples from 21 healthy fertile men. Intervention(s) We measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) by flow cytometry using the probes dichlorofluorescin diacetate for intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and dihydroethidium for intracellular superoxide anion (O2��), sperm plasma membrane integrity by flow cytometry, caspase-3 activity using ELISA, and AKT phosphorylation status using Western blot in sperm that was cryopreserved and thawed in media either supplemented with BDNF or without BDNF supplementation (control). Main Outcome Measure(s) Sperm motility, viability, ROS levels, caspase-3 activity and AKT phosphorylation. Result(s) The percentage of motile and viable sperm cells was significantly higher in BDNF-supplemented groups as compared with the nonsupplemented (control) group. There was a significant difference in AKT phosphorylation status between BDNF-supplemented groups and the control group. Moreover, the levels of intracellular H2O2 and caspase-3 activity were significantly lower in the sperm cells that were frozen and thawed in media supplemented with BDNF compared with in the control group. Conclusion(s) BDNF supplementation to sperm freezing or thawing media has protective effects against oxidative stress and apoptosis in frozen-thawed human spermatozoa and could improve sperm function, probably through the activation of AKT. © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicin

Validity and reliability of the Iranian preterm birth experiences and satisfaction scale: A methodological and cross-sectional study

Background: Women's experience and satisfaction with childbirth care are increasingly being addressed by health care providers, managers, and policymakers. Due to need for a validated special scale for assessing satisfaction of women with preterm birth, we aimed to translate and adapt the first specific tool, Preterm Birth Experiences and Satisfaction Scale (P-BESS), into Persian language and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: A methodological and cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary levels of maternal hospitals in Tabriz. The Iranian version of the scale was developed from the original English version using forward-backward translation. After confirmation of its face and content validity, the scale was completed by 201 women who had given birth prematurely. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors (staff professionalism and empathy, confidence in Staff, information and explanations) with eigenvalues greater than 1, explaining a total variance of 55.4%. Confirmatory factory analysis showed that the 17-item, three factor model fitted the data well: the root mean square error of approximation 0.060. There were moderate correlations between the total and sub-scales of Iranian P-BESS and overall satisfaction (r = 0.45 to 0.66), as well as need for improvement (r = -0.46 to -0.61), which confirm convergent validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the scale and its sub-scales were satisfactory (α = 0.852 to 0.922, intraclass correlation coefficient; 0.83 to 0.92). Conclusion: The Iranian version of P-BESS is a valid and reliable scale which can be used by policy makers, managers, health care providers and researchers