Randomised, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Echinacea Supplementation in Air Travellers

Objective. To identify whether a standardised Echinacea formulation is effective in the prevention of respiratory and other symptoms associated with long-haul flights. Methods. 175 adults participated in a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial travelling back from Australia to America, Europe, or Africa for a period of 1–5 weeks on commercial flights via economy class. Participants took Echinacea (root extract, standardised to 4.4 mg alkylamides) or placebo tablets. Participants were surveyed before, immediately after travel, and at 4 weeks after travel regarding upper respiratory symptoms and travel-related quality of life. Results. Respiratory symptoms for both groups increased significantly during travel (P < 0.0005). However, the Echinacea group had borderline significantly lower respiratory symptom scores compared to placebo (P = 0.05) during travel. Conclusions. Supplementation with standardised Echinacea tablets, if taken before and during travel, may have preventive effects against the development of respiratory symptoms during travel involving long-haul flights

Circulating EGFL7 distinguishes between IUGR and PE: an observational case–control study

Isolated intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preeclampsia (PE) share common placental pathogenesis. Differently from IUGR, PE is a systemic disorder which may also affect liver and brain. Early diagnosis of these conditions may optimize maternal and fetal management. Aim of this study was to assess whether Epidermal Growth Factor-Like domain 7 (EGFL7) dosage in maternal blood discriminates between isolated IUGR and PE. A total of 116 women were enrolled in this case-control study: 12 non-pregnant women, 34 healthy pregnant women, 34 women presenting with isolated IUGR and 36 presenting with PE. Levels of circulating EGFL7 and other known pro- and anti-angiogenic factors were measured by ELISA at different gestational ages (GA). Between 22-25&nbsp;weeks of gestation, EGFL7 levels in early-onset PE (e-PE) plasma samples were significantly higher than those measured in controls or isolated IUGR samples (69.86 ± 6.17 vs. 19.8 ± 2.5 or 18.8 ± 2.8&nbsp;µg/ml, respectively). Between 26-34&nbsp;weeks, EGFL7 levels remained significantly higher in e-PE compared to IUGR. At term, circulating and placental EGFL7 levels were comparable between IUGR and late-onset PE (l-PE). In contrast, circulating levels of PlGF were decreased in both IUGR- and PE- complicated pregnancies, while levels of both sFLT-1 and sENDOGLIN were increased in both conditions. In conclusion, EGFL7 significantly discriminates between isolated IUGR and PE

Efficacy of Percutaneous Transarterial Embolization in Patients with Spontaneous Abdominal Wall Hematoma and Comparison between Blind and Targeted Embolization Approaches

Background: Endovascular treatment of abdominal wall hematomas (AWHs) has been increasingly used when conservative treatments were not sufficiently effective, and it is often preferred to surgical interventions. The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and technical and clinical success of percutaneous transarterial treatment of AWH and to evaluate the efficacy of blind embolization compared to targeted embolization. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 43 patients (23 men and 20 females) with spontaneous AWH who underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and embolization, focusing on the presence of signs of bleeding at pre-procedural CT-Angiography (CTA) and at DSA. Furthermore, we divided patients into two groups depending on blind or targeted embolization approaches. Results: The mean age of the study population was 71 \ub1 12 years. CTA revealed signs of active bleeding in 31 patients (72%). DSA showed signs of active bleeding in 34 patients (79%). In nine patients (21%), blind embolization was performed. The overall technical success rate was 100%. Clinical success was achieved in 33 patients (77%), while 10 patients (23%) rebled within 96 h, and all of them were re-treated. No major peri-procedural complication was reported. The comparison between blind and targeted embolization showed no statistically significant differences for characteristics of groups and for clinical success rates (78% and 77%, respectively, 12p = 0.71). The technical success was 100% in both groups. Conclusions: Our study confirms that transarterial embolization is a safe and effective option for the treatment of spontaneous AWHs, and it suggests that the efficacy and safety of blind embolization is comparable to non-blind

Allergy to polyethilenglicole of anti-sars cov2 vaccine recipient: A case report of young adult recipient and the management of future exposure to sars-cov2

The main contraindication to the anti-SARS CoV2 vaccine is an anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine component. The need to vaccinate allergic people who are at higher risk can be of public health interest and this report shows a case of an allergic reaction to PEG of a HCW who had received the first dose of anti-SARS CoV2 vaccine. For 5 h after the administration of the vaccine, she had the appearance of erythematous spots on the face and neck, and a feeling of a slurred mouth and hoarseness. In order to treat the event, she was administered 8 mg intravenous dexamethasone, 1 vial intravenous chlorphenamine maleate, 250 mL intravenous 0.9% NaCl, and conventional oxygen therapy (2 L/min) with complete resolution of the suspected adverse drug reaction. According to the contraindication to the cutaneous test for this patient, BAT was used for further investigations. The patient who suffered the adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine and other five allergic patients who did not report any adverse reaction after the vaccination were tested. There was a significant activation of the vaccine-reactive patient’s basophils with 14.79 CD203chigh% at the concentration of 0.2 mg/mL, while other patients were negative. People who have a confirmed reaction to a vaccine component should undergo further investigation to discover other possible cross-reactions and select the right vaccine to immunize them

Perceptions, use and attitudes of pharmacy customers on complementary medicines and pharmacy practice

BACKGROUND: Complementary medicines (CMs) are popular amongst Australians and community pharmacy is a major supplier of these products. This study explores pharmacy customer use, attitudes and perceptions of complementary medicines, and their expectations of pharmacists as they relate to these products. METHODS: Pharmacy customers randomly selected from sixty large and small, metropolitan and rural pharmacies in three Australian states completed an anonymous, self administered questionnaire that had been pre-tested and validated. RESULTS: 1,121 customers participated (response rate 62%). 72% had used CMs within the previous 12 months, 61% used prescription medicines daily and 43% had used both concomitantly. Multivitamins, fish oils, vitamin C, glucosamine and probiotics were the five most popular CMs. 72% of people using CMs rated their products as 'very effective' or 'effective enough'. CMs were as frequently used by customers aged 60 years or older as younger customers (69% vs. 72%) although the pattern of use shifted with older age. Most customers (92%) thought pharmacists should provide safety information about CMs, 90% thought they should routinely check for interactions, 87% thought they should recommend effective CMs, 78% thought CMs should be recorded in customer's medication profile and 58% thought pharmacies stocking CMs should also employ a complementary medicine practitioner. Of those using CMs, 93% thought it important for pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CMs and 48% felt their pharmacist provides useful information about CMs. CONCLUSIONS: CMs are widely used by pharmacy customers of all ages who want pharmacists to be more involved in providing advice about these products

Genes involved in TGFβ1-driven epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal epithelial cells are topologically related in the human interactome map

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding how mesenchymal cells arise from epithelial cells could have a strong impact in unveiling mechanisms of epithelial cell plasticity underlying kidney regeneration and repair.</p> <p>In primary human tubular epithelial cells (HUTEC) under different TGFβ1 concentrations we had observed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) but not epithelial-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. We hypothesized that the process triggered by TGFβ1 could be a dedifferentiation event. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively delineate genetic programs associated with TGFβ1-driven EMT in our in vitro model using gene expression profile on large-scale oligonucleotide microarrays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In HUTEC under TGFβ1 stimulus, 977 genes were found differentially expressed. Thirty genes were identified whose expression depended directly on TGFβ1 concentration. By mapping the differentially expressed genes in the Human Interactome Map using Cytoscape software, we identified a single scale-free network consisting of 2630 interacting proteins and containing 449 differentially expressed proteins. We identified 27 hub proteins in the interactome with more than 29 edges incident on them and encoded by differentially expressed genes. The Gene Ontology analysis showed an excess of up-regulated proteins involved in biological processes, such as "morphogenesis", "cell fate determination" and "regulation of development", and the most up-regulated genes belonged to these categories. In addition, 267 genes were mapped to the KEGG pathways and 14 pathways with more than nine differentially expressed genes were identified. In our model, Smad signaling was not the TGFβ1 action effector; instead, the engagement of RAS/MAPK signaling pathway seems mainly to regulate genes involved in the cell cycle and proliferation/apoptosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our present findings support the hypothesis that context-dependent EMT generated in our model by TGFβ1 might be the outcome of a dedifferentiation. In fact: 1) the principal biological categories involved in the process concern morphogenesis and development; 2) the most up-regulated genes belong to these categories; and, finally, 3) some intracellular pathways are involved, whose engagement during kidney development and nephrogenesis is well known. These long-term effects of TGFβ1 in HUTEC involve genes that are highly interconnected, thereby generating a scale-free network that we named the "TGFβ1 interactome", whose hubs represent proteins that may have a crucial role for HUTEC in response to TGFβ1.</p

Echinacea Supplementation in Air Travellers

Objective. To identify whether a standardised Echinacea formulation is effective in the prevention of respiratory and other symptoms associated with long-haul flights. Methods. 175 adults participated in a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial travelling back from Australia to America, Europe, or Africa for a period of 1-5 weeks on commercial flights via economy class. Participants took Echinacea (root extract, standardised to 4.4 mg alkylamides) or placebo tablets. Participants were surveyed before, immediately after travel, and at 4 weeks after travel regarding upper respiratory symptoms and travel-related quality of life. Results. Respiratory symptoms for both groups increased significantly during travel (P &lt; 0.0005). However, the Echinacea group had borderline significantly lower respiratory symptom scores compared to placebo (P = 0.05) during travel. Conclusions. Supplementation with standardised Echinacea tablets, if taken before and during travel, may have preventive effects against the development of respiratory symptoms during travel involving long-haul flights

Protect the natives to combat the aliens: Could octopus vulgaris cuvier, 1797 be a natural agent for the control of the lionfish invasion in the mediterranean sea?

[No abstract available

Acute Colonic Diverticulitis: CT Findings, Classifications, and a Proposal of a Structured Reporting Template

Acute colonic diverticulitis (ACD) is the most common complication of diverticular disease and represents an abdominal emergency. It includes a variety of conditions, extending from localized diverticular inflammation to fecal peritonitis, hence the importance of an accurate diagnosis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis due to its high sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and interobserver agreement. In fact, CE-CT allows alternative diagnoses to be excluded, the inflamed diverticulum to be localized, and complications to be identified. Imaging findings have been reviewed, dividing them into bowel and extra-intestinal wall findings. Moreover, CE-CT allows staging of the disease; the most used classifications of ACD severity are Hinchey’s modified and WSES classifications. Differential diagnoses include colon carcinoma, epiploic appendagitis, ischemic colitis, appendicitis, infectious enterocolitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. We propose a structured reporting template to standardize the terminology and improve communication between specialists involved in patient care

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma treated with transarterial embolization: a systematic review and metanalysis

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety, technical, and clinical effectiveness of percutaneous Transarterial Embolization (TAE) in treating spontaneous retroperitoneal hematomas as well as assess treatment outcomes in patients who underwent target or empirical embolization. Materials and methods: Through the PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases, an extensive search was performed in the fields of spontaneous retroperitoneal hematomas treated with transcatheter arterial embolization. We collected pooled data on 141 patients from 6 separate articles selected according to the inclusion and&nbsp;exclusion criteria. Results: Technical success rate was 100% in all six studies, for both targeted and empirical embolization. The clinical success rate varied from 56.3 to 89.5%. The total number of complications related to the embolization procedure was 10 events out of 116 procedures analyzed. Empirical or empirical embolization was performed in three studies, where the source of active bleeding was not evident during DSA. A meta-analysis compared the rebleeding rates between targeted and empirical embolization groups. The odds ratio from pooled data from the three assessed studies (72 patients) showed no significant difference in rebleeding rates after empirical TAE compared with targeted TAE. Conclusions: TAE is a safe, effective, and potentially life-saving procedure for the treatment of life-threatening spontaneous retroperitoneal hematomas. Empirical and targeted TAE procedures demonstrate a relatively low risk of complications, compared to the high technical and relatively high clinical success rates