American palm ethnomedicine: A meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many recent papers have documented the phytochemical and pharmacological bases for the use of palms (<it>Arecaceae</it>) in ethnomedicine. Early publications were based almost entirely on interviews that solicited local knowledge. More recently, ethnobotanically guided searches for new medicinal plants have proven more successful than random sampling for identifying plants that contain biodynamic ingredients. However, limited laboratory time and the high cost of clinical trials make it difficult to test all potential medicinal plants in the search for new drug candidates. The purpose of this study was to summarize and analyze previous studies on the medicinal uses of American palms in order to narrow down the search for new palm-derived medicines.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Relevant literature was surveyed and data was extracted and organized into medicinal use categories. We focused on more recent literature than that considered in a review published 25 years ago. We included phytochemical and pharmacological research that explored the importance of American palms in ethnomedicine.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 730 species of American palms, we found evidence that 106 species had known medicinal uses, ranging from treatments for diabetes and leishmaniasis to prostatic hyperplasia. Thus, the number of American palm species with known uses had increased from 48 to 106 over the last quarter of a century. Furthermore, the pharmacological bases for many of the effects are now understood.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Palms are important in American ethnomedicine. Some, like <it>Serenoa repens </it>and <it>Roystonea regia</it>, are the sources of drugs that have been approved for medicinal uses. In contrast, recent ethnopharmacological studies suggested that many of the reported uses of several other palms do not appear to have a strong physiological basis. This study has provided a useful assessment of the ethnobotanical and pharmacological data available on palms.</p

Disfunção da trompa de Eustáquio em pacientes com apneia do sono e melhora proporcionada pela terapia com pressão positiva contínua nas vias aéreas

Introduction: Upper airway resistance may accompany eustachian dysfunction and alter middle ear pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Objective: To investigate effects of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and continuous positive airway pressure treatment on eustachian tube functions. Methods: Forty-two mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients, 45 moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients, 47 severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients with continuous positive airway pressure therapy, 32 severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients without continuous positive airway pressure therapy, and 88 individuals without sleep apnea (controls) were included. Tympanometric parameters of groups were compared. Results: Right middle ear pressures in mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome groups did not differ significantly from that of control group (p = 0.93 and p = 0.55), as was also true of the left middle ear pressures (p = 0.94 and p = 0.86). Right middle ear pressure was significantly higher in severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome groups than in the control group, as was the left middle ear pressure (p < 0.001). Middle ear pressure (negative) was significantly lower in severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients with continuous positive airway pressure therapy compared to those without (p < 0.001). Right ear type B and C tympanogram frequencies were significantly higher in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome without continuous positive airway pressure therapy (12.4%) than in the controls (0%) (p = 0.02). Left ear type B or C tympanogram frequencies were significantly higher in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome without continuous positive airway pressure therapy (21.9%) than in the controls (0%) (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome did not affect middle ear pressure but severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may increase the (negative) middle ear pressure. In severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients, long-term continuous positive airway pressure therapy may normalize middle ear pressure. © 2020 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facia

Quantitative three-dimensional computed tomography analysis of sinus tympani volume in temporal bones with petrous apex pneumatization

Objective: To investigate the association between sinus tympani volume and petrous apex pneumatization in this retrospective-archival temporal bone computed tomography study. Methods: We included 46 temporal bones with pneumatized petrous apex from 26 patients and 52 temporal bones without petrous apex pneumatization from 26 other patients. Using OsiriX software for MacOS (version 3.8.1, Pixmeo), we measured the volumes from three-dimensional sinus tympani models and compared the sinus tympani volumes and depths between the temporal bones with and without pneumatized petrous apex. Results: Among 150 patients totally reviewed, 26 (17.3%) had petrous apex pneumatization. The median sinus tympani volume was 16.05 (5.6–59.7) mm3 in temporal bones with pneumatized petrous apex and 8.7 (1.76–59.7) mm3in temporal bones without. The sinus tympani volume was significantly greater in temporal bones with pneumatized petrous apex compared to those without (p &lt; 0.001). Additionally, temporal bones with pneumatized petrous apex had a significantly deeper sinus tympani [median depth = 2.17 (0–3.04) mm] compared to the temporal bones without [median depth = 1.69 (0–3.73) mm] (p = 0.045). We found that petrous apex pneumatization was associated with deeper and larger sinus tympani. Conclusion: Patients with pneumatized petrous apex had a greater sinus tympani volume associated with the increased risk of residual cholesteatoma. © 202

The novel indicators of moderate to severe sleep apnea: fibrinogen to albumin ratio vs. CRP to albumin ratio

Purpose: This study aimed at investigating the association of severity of obstructive sleep apnea with the markers of inflammation as fibrinogen to albumin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio. Methods: We included 126 patients admitted to sleep disorders outpatient clinic. We constituted four groups by reference to the apnea–hypopnea index (mild-moderate-severe sleep apnea and control group). We investigated the difference of white blood cell, fibrinogen to albumin ratio, C-reactive protein to albumin ratio, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, and hemoglobin among the groups. Results: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, and hemoglobin did not significantly differ among four groups (p = 0.39, p = 0.06, and p = 0.31, respectively). A significant difference of fibrinogen to albumin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio was evident among four groups (p < 0.001). Fibrinogen to albumin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio did not significantly differ between the mild sleep apnea and control groups (p = 0.65, and p = 0.85, respectively), but were significantly greater in moderate sleep apnea group compared with the control group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Also, fibrinogen to albumin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio were significantly greater in the severe sleep apnea group compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Fibrinogen to albumin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio did not significantly differ between the severe sleep apnea and moderate sleep apnea groups (p = 0.49, and p = 0.58, respectively). Conclusion: Higher fibrinogen to albumin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio may be predictive of inflammation in patients with moderate-to-severe sleep apnea. © 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Licensee OA Publishing London 2013. Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC-BY) Frontotemporal dementia patient with bipolar disorder: a case report

Abstract Introduction A diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia may be delayed or missed because early symptoms may develop gradually and can mimic symptoms of a variety of disorders or conditions. We aimed to write a report on a patient with frontotemporal dementia with bipolar disorder. Case report This is the case of a 63-year-old man with frontotemporal dementia whose presentation was consistent with bipolar affective disorder. With brain imaging and neurocognitive testing, frontotemporal dementia was diagnosed. Conclusion A differential diagnosis between bipolar disorder and frontotemporal dementia is difficult to establish. Frontotemporal dementia is a heterogeneous disease with a large variety of cognitive dysfunctions

Subepicardial adipose tissue thickness and its relation with anthropometric and clinical parameters in pubertal obese children

Aim: To determine the relation of echocardiographic subepicardial adipose tissue (SAT) thickness with anthropometric and clinical parameters in pubertal obese children. Subjects and methods: A total of 52 obese pubertal subjects (13.1 +/- 1.56 yr, 27 male patients) and 39 age- and gender-matched lean pubertal subjects (13.0 +/- 1.28 yr, 16 male patients) were included in the study. Serum glucose, lipid profile, and insulin levels were measured during the fasting state. Each subject underwent a transthoracic echocardiography and the SAT thickness was measured during end-diastole from the parasternal long-axis views. Results: The obese pubertal subjects had significantly higher SAT, triceps skin fold (TSF) thickness (mm), waist (WC) and mid-arm circumference (MAC) values (cm) compared with lean pubertal subjects group (p0.05). As an optimal cut-off point, a SAT thickness of 5.25 mm determined IR with 92% sensitivity and 62.1% specificity. Conclusions: Our study showed that SAT thickness in obese pubertal children shows a good correlation with age, SDS-BMI, BMI, WC, MAC, TSF, and HOMA-IR. In addition, our results suggest that SAT thickness might be used as a supportive data for risk stratification of metabolic syndrome in obese children. (J. Endocrinol. Invest. 33: 715-719, 2010) (C) 2010, Editrice Kurti

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda with progressive arthropathy

PubMed ID: 10870664Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda with progressive arthropathy, described by Wynne-Davies et al., is a rare autosomal recessive disorder. It is characterized by generalized platyspondyly and epiphyseal involvement, with enlargement of both ends of the short tubular bones of the hands. Clinical features include onset in childhood, a disproportionately short stature and premature osteoarthritis. We describe the clinical and radiographic findings of a young woman suffering from spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda with progressive arthropathy