Non-nutritional “paramedical” usage of human milk — knowledge and opinion of breastfeeding mothers in Poland

Objectives: The objective of this study is to understand knowledge, attitudes and practices of non-nutritional breast milkuse among lactating women in respect of skin diseases and other frequent ailments.Material and methods: The study, in the form of a questionnaire, spread on social media, was targeted at breastfeedingwomen. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the knowledge of non-nutritional usage of human milk, its usein practice, subjective opinion on the observed results and inclination towards future use. Chi-square tests and c-Pearsoncoefficients were used for statistical calculations.Results: A total of 1187 responses were acted upon. In the study group, 879 women claimed to have knowledge ofnon-nutritional use of human milk in respect of skin and most common ailments, whilst 688 of them claimed to use at leastone usage. The most frequently, breast milk was used for: care of cracked nipples, care of healthy skin, treatment of diaperdermatitis and treatment of neonatal acne. A correlation between duration of breastfeeding (p < 0.05) and gestational age(p < 0.05) and practical use of non-nutritional human milk was found.Conclusions: The study showed a great enthusiasm of mothers in respect of using breast milk for non-nutritional purposes,including the treatment of skin diseases and other common ailments. However, given the scant studies determining possibleconcerns surrounding these methods, there is a requirement for parental education with emphasis on the need forprompt medical examination and pertinent treatment

The Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 among the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the mental health and well-being of individuals. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19 among older adults in Poland and identify subpopulations with the highest risk of potential mental health disorders. The study was conducted in November–December 2020 on 500 people aged ≥60 years (mean M = 67.9, standard deviation SD = 4.2). In order to collect information on participants’ characteristics and COVID-19-related information, they were asked to complete a questionnaire based on recorded telephone calls. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using our generated and validated seven-item tool: “Scale of fear of COVID-19 infection”, which ranged from 7 to 35. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with the perceived fear of COVID-19. Our results showed that the highest level of fear of COVID-19 infection was observed among women (p = 0.025) and patients taking anticoagulants (p = 0.004). Moreover, older adults with higher anxiety levels were more likely to be fearful of COVID-19 (according to the GAS-10 scale; p < 0.001). These findings may help policy makers and healthcare workers to adapt and implement better mental health strategies to help the elderly fight fear and anxiety during the prevailing pandemic

The Impact of the COVID-19 Emergency on Life Activities and Delivery of Healthcare Services in the Elderly Population

Due to the prevailing pandemic of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, we are experiencing emotional and social isolation, which negatively affects mental and physical health, particularly among the elderly population. In this study, we performed a cross-sectional analysis based on computer-assisted telephone interviews of 500 Polish adults aged 60 years or older in order to determine the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the older population’s behavior, life activity, and delivery of healthcare services. According to our study, COVID-19 infection entailed a substantial change in older people’s behavior. Over 50%, nearly 80%, and more than 25% of the surveyed participants reduced their social, recreational, and professional activities, respectively. The most significant change in senior’s behavior due to the fear of COVID-19 infection was observed in patients (1) with cardiac and pulmonary problems, (2) being on multi-drug therapy, (3) vaccinated against influenza, and (4) with several mental difficulties including loneliness, social isolation, and depression. Furthermore, we demonstrated that 10% of participants canceled planned hospitalization due to the fear of COVID-19 infection. This was observed primarily in patients suffering from chronic heart and lung diseases, vaccinated against influenza, exhibiting the reluctance to carry out more complex daily activities, and with a higher level of anxiety, social loneliness, and malnutrition. Thus, these groups of seniors require more attention; hence, we propose telemedicine as a strategy directed to them that provides clinical healthcare and information regarding measurements, control, and protection against SARS-CoV-2 during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. We believe this strategy may improve treatment outcomes, reduce comorbidities-related complications and unnecessary hospitalizations

The importance of early immunotherapy in patients with faciobrachial dystonic seizures.

Faciobrachial dystonic seizures and limbic encephalitis closely associate with antibodies to leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1). Here, we describe 103 consecutive patients with faciobrachial dystonic seizures and LGI1 antibodies to understand clinical, therapeutic and serological differences between those with and without cognitive impairment, and to determine whether cessation of faciobrachial dystonic seizures can prevent cognitive impairment. The 22/103 patients without cognitive impairment typically had normal brain MRI, EEGs and serum sodium levels (P &lt; 0.0001). Overall, cessation of faciobrachial dystonic seizures with antiepileptic drugs alone occurred in only 9/89 (10%) patients. By contrast, 51% showed cessation of faciobrachial dystonic seizures 30 days after addition of immunotherapy (P &lt; 0.0001), with earlier cessation in cognitively normal patients (P = 0.038). Indeed, expedited immunotherapy (P = 0.031) and normal cognition (P = 0.0014) also predicted reduced disability at 24 months. Furthermore, of 80 patients with faciobrachial dystonic seizures as their initial feature, 56% developed cognitive impairment after 90 days of active faciobrachial dystonic seizures. Whereas only one patient developed cognitive impairment after cessation of faciobrachial dystonic seizures (P &lt; 0.0001). All patients had IgG4-LGI1 antibodies, but those with cognitive impairment had higher proportions of complement-fixing IgG1 antibodies (P = 0.03). Both subclasses caused LGI1-ADAM22 complex internalization, a potential non-inflammatory epileptogenic mechanism. In summary, faciobrachial dystonic seizures show striking time-sensitive responses to immunotherapy, and their cessation can prevent the development of cognitive impairment.awx323media15681705685001

Cybersecurity in Healthcare. Polish Case Against the World Trends

Przedmiotem niniejszego artykułu jest próba usystematyzowania wiedzy o data breach występujących w ochronie zdrowia i fluktuacjach, jakim podlega ono w czasie. Omówione zostały standardy administrowania danymi medycznymi oraz najczęstsze przyczyny ich wycieku. Analizie poddana została literatura traktująca o cyberbezpieczeństwie sektora ochrony zdrowia. Cyberataki są obecnie bardziej wyrafinowane i lepiej finansowane, rośnie również ich liczba. Jedną z przyczyn jest wzrastającą wartość danych medycznych na czarnym rynku, natomiast w warunkach polskich jest to przede wszystkim niska świadomość zagrożeń, skutkująca lekceważącym podejściem do raportowania incydentów, niewystarczające kwalifikacje personelu medycznego w obrębie cyberhigieny oraz nieprzejrzystość polityki informacyjnej służb. W obliczu aktualnie występującej pandemii COVID-19 i coraz szybciej postępującej cyfryzacji branży medycznej, problem tenmoże dodatkowo narastać. Niezbędne jest nawiązanie dialogu między ekspertami od spraw cyberbezpieczeństwa a specjalistami związanymi z branżą medyczną.The subject of this article is an attempt to systematize the knowledge about the data breach phenomenon and its fluctuations in time. Medical data administration standards and the most common causes of their leakage were discussed. The literature on cybersecurity in the healthcare sector was analyzed. Cyberattacks are now more sophisticated and better financed, and their number is growing. One of the reasons is the increasing value of medical data on the black market. At the same time, in Poland, the awareness of threats is primarily low, resulting in a disrespectful approach to reporting incidents, insufficient qualifications of medical personnel in the field of cyber hygiene, and the non-transparency of the information policy of the services. In the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the increasingly faster digitisation of the medical industry, this problem may increase further. It is necessary to establish a dialogue between cybersecurity experts and specialists related to the medical industry.

Characterization of laser-borided Nimonic 80A-alloy

Nimonic 80A-alloy belongs to Nickel-based superalloys. Many of them are used in variety branches of industry due to high strength and resistance in aggressive conditions. Moreover, its mechanical properties are kept in high temperature. However, these materials should be coated by appropriate wear protection, under conditions of considerable mechanical wear. Unfortunately, the production of thick borided layer in diffusion boriding required high temperature and long duration of this processes. Therefore, in this study instead conventional diffusion process laser boriding was applied in order to produce boride layer on Nimonic 80A-alloy substrate. Laser alloying is the high-tech process which allows to modify the chemical composition of the surface. Laser boriding was arranged as a single tracks, therefore it was possible to evaluate the influence of laser treatment parameters on thickness and hardness of produced layers. The laser beam power P, laser scanning speed vl and laser beam diameter dl were the variable parameters used during laser alloying

Characterization of laser-borided Nimonic 80A-alloy

Nimonic 80A-alloy belongs to Nickel-based superalloys. Many of them are used in variety branches of industry due to high strength and resistance in aggressive conditions. Moreover, its mechanical properties are kept in high temperature. However, these materials should be coated by appropriate wear protection, under conditions of considerable mechanical wear. Unfortunately, the production of thick borided layer in diffusion boriding required high temperature and long duration of this processes. Therefore, in this study instead conventional diffusion process laser boriding was applied in order to produce boride layer on Nimonic 80A-alloy substrate. Laser alloying is the high-tech process which allows to modify the chemical composition of the surface. Laser boriding was arranged as a single tracks, therefore it was possible to evaluate the influence of laser treatment parameters on thickness and hardness of produced layers. The laser beam power P, laser scanning speed vl and laser beam diameter dl were the variable parameters used during laser alloying

Correction: Agrawal et al. The Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 among the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 5537

In the original publication [...

An Update on Photodynamic Therapy of Psoriasis&mdash;Current Strategies and Nanotechnology as a Future Perspective

Psoriasis (PS) is an immune-mediated skin disease with substantial negative effects on patient quality of life. Despite significant progress in the development of novel treatment options over the past few decades, a high percentage of patients with psoriasis remain undertreated and require new medications with superior long-term efficacy and safety. One of the most promising treatment options against psoriatic lesions is a form of phototherapy known as photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves either the systemic or local application of a cell-targeting photosensitizing compound, followed by selective illumination of the lesion with visible light. However, the effectiveness of clinically incorporated photosensitizers in psoriasis treatment is limited, and adverse effects such as pain or burning sensations are frequently reported. In this study, we performed a literature review and attempted to provide a pooled estimate of the efficacy and short-term safety of targeted PDT in the treatment of psoriasis. Despite some encouraging results, PDT remains clinically underutilized. This highlights the need for further studies that will aim to evaluate the efficacy of a wider spectrum of photosensitizers and the potential of nanotechnology in psoriasis treatment