Computed tomography imaging characteristics of neck paragangliomas: A retrospective analysis

Background/Aim: Paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours arising from paraganglia of the autonomic nervous system. Computed to-mography (CT) imaging plays a crucial role in the evaluation and character-isation of neck paragangliomas. This retrospective study aimed to analyse the CT imaging features of neck paragangliomas to enhance diagnostic accuracy and delineate the radiological characteristics associated with these tumours. Methods: A retrospective review of CT imaging studies of patients diagnosed with neck paragangliomas from March 2021 to October 2023 was conducted. Imaging characteristics including tumour location, size, enhancement pattern, vascularity, calcifications, adjacent tissue involvement and relationship with surrounding structures were analysed. Results: A total of 87 patients with histologically confirmed neck paragangliomas were included in the study. CT imaging revealed typical findings of neck paragangliomas ie well-defined hyper-vascular masses with avid contrast enhancement, commonly located at the carotid bifurcation or along the carotid sheath. In addition, characteristic flow voids and the presence of feeding vessels were observed on CT angiography in a significant number of cases. The imaging analysis also identified calcifications and encasement of adjacent structures as frequent features of advanced stage paragangliomas. Conclusions: CT imaging of neck paragangliomas demonstrated consistent radiological features, including hypervascularity, contrast enhancement and distinct anatomic locations. Knowledge of these imaging characteristics is essential for accurate diagnosis and preoperative planning. Recognition of these features on CT imaging can aid in differentiating paragangliomas from other neck masses and facilitate appropriate management strategies

EFFECTS OF SMOKING FOR HEALTH

Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie „Nicolae Testemiţanu”, Chişinău, Republica MoldovaIntroducere. Fumul de țigară este foarte nociv atât pentru sănătatea fumătorilor activi, cât și a fumătorilor pasivi. Rata mortalității pentru fumători este de trei ori mai mare decât a celor care nu au fumat niciodată. Fiind unul din cele mai vechi obiceiuri de pe glob, fumatul a devenit în prezent o problemă majoră de sănătate publică în întreaga lume. Scopul lucrării. Scopul propus este de a familiariza studenții mediciniști cu efectele nocive ale fumatului și de a oferi sfaturi în vederea reducerii ratei consumului produselor de tutun și expunerii la fumul de țigară. Materiale și metode. Studiul se bazează pe metoda statistică ce presupune analiza și sinteza datelor din literatura de specialitate. Aceste informații au permis observarea fenomenului supus cercetării, informațiile au fost prelucrate și supuse analizei și interpretării. Rezultate. În urma analizei datelor din literatura de specialitate și a datelor statistice oferite de către Organizația Mondială a Sănătății am identificat principalele riscuri și consecințe provocate de fumul de țigară. De asemenea, venim cu un șir de sfaturi și recomandări pentru a convinge persoanele fumătoare să renunțe la fumat. Concluzii. Analizând datele statistice și chestionarele realizate în rândul studenților mediciniști s-au obținut rezultate îmbucurătoare. Studenții mediciniști sunt conștienți de faptul că fumatul cauzează daune majore sănătății și promovează un mod sănătos de viață fără tutun.Introduction. Cigarette smoke is very harmful to the health of both active and passive smokers. The mortality rate for smokers is three times higher than for never smokers. As one of the oldest habits in the world, smoking has now become a major public health problem worldwide. Objective of the study. The proposed aim is to familiarize medical students with the harmful effects of smoking and to provide advice to reduce the rate of tobacco product consumption and exposure to cigarette smoke. Materials and methods. The study is based on the statistical method involving analysis and synthesis of data from the literature. This information allowed the observation of the phenomenon under investigation; the information was processed and subjected to analysis and interpretation. Results. Following the analysis of data from the literature and statistical data provided by the World Health Organization we identified the main risks and consequences caused by cigarette smoke. We also come up with a number of tips and recommendations to convince smokers to quit smoking. Conclusions. Analyzing statistical data and questionnaires among medical students produced encouraging results. Medical students are aware that smoking causes major health damage and promote a healthy tobacco-free lifestyle

Efectele fumatului asupra sănătății

Introduction. Cigarette smoke is very harmful to the health of both active and passive smokers. The mortality rate for smokers is three times higher than for never smokers. As one of the oldest habits in the world, smoking has now become a major public health problem worldwide. Objective of the study. The proposed aim is to familiarize medical students with the harmful effects of smoking and to provide advice to reduce the rate of tobacco product consumption and exposure to cigarette smoke. Materials and methods. The study is based on the statistical method involving analysis and synthesis of data from the literature. This information allowed the observation of the phenomenon under investigation; the information was processed and subjected to analysis and interpretation. Results. Following the analysis of data from the literature and statistical data provided by the World Health Organization we identified the main risks and consequences caused by cigarette smoke. We also come up with a number of tips and recommendations to convince smokers to quit smoking. Conclusions. Analyzing statistical data and questionnaires among medical students produced encouraging results. Medical students are aware that smoking causes major health damage and promote a healthy tobacco- free lifestyle.Introducere. Fumul de țigară este foarte nociv atât pentru sănătatea fumătorilor activi, cât și a fumătorilor pasivi. Rata mortalității pentru fumători este de trei ori mai mare decât a celor care nu au fumat niciodată. Fiind unul din cele mai vechi obiceiuri de pe glob, fumatul a devenit în prezent o problemă majoră de sănătate publică în întreaga lume. Scopul lucrării. Scopul propus este de a familiariza studenții mediciniști cu efectele nocive ale fumatului și de a oferi sfaturi în vederea reducerii ratei consumului produselor de tutun și expunerii la fumul de țigară. Materiale și metode. Studiul se bazează pe metoda statistică ce presupune analiza și sinteza datelor din literatura de specialitate. Aceste informații au permis observarea fenomenului supus cercetării, informațiile au fost prelucrate și supuse analizei și interpretării. Rezultate. În urma analizei datelor din literatura de specialitate și a datelor statistice oferite de către Organizația Mondială a Sănătății am identificat principalele riscuri și consecințe provocate de fumul de țigară. De asemenea, venim cu un șir de sfaturi și recomandări pentru a convinge persoanele fumătoare să renunțe la fumat. Concluzii. Analizând datele statistice și chestionarele realizate în rândul studenților mediciniști s-au obținut rezultate îmbucurătoare. Studenții mediciniști sunt conștienți de faptul că fumatul cauzează daune majore sănătății și promovează un mod sănătos de viață fără tutun

Lipid-Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of Docetaxel Prodrug for Exploiting Full Potential of Gold Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Current chemoradiation therapy suffers from normal tissue toxicity. Thus, we are proposing incorporating gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and docetaxel (DTX), as they have shown very promising synergetic radiosensitization effects. Here, we explored the effect of a DTX prodrug encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPDTX-P) on GNP uptake in pancreatic cancer models in vitro and in vivo. For the in vitro experiment, a pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2, was cultured and dosed with 1 nM GNPs and 45 nM free DTX or an equivalent dose of LNPDTX-P. For the in vivo experiment, MIA PaCa-2 cells were implanted subcutaneously in NRG mice, and the mice were dosed with 2 mg/kg of GNPs and 6 mg/kg of DTX or an equivalent dose of LNPDTX-P. The results show that LNPDTX-P-treated tumour samples had double the amount GNPs compared to control samples, both in vitro and in vivo. The results are very promising, as LNPDTX-P have superior targeting of tumour tissues compared to free DTX due to their nanosize and their ability to be functionalized. Because of their minimal toxicity to normal tissues, both GNPs and LNPDTX-P could be ideal radiosensitization candidates in radiotherapy and would produce very promising synergistic therapeutic outcomes

Dual Enhancement in the Radiosensitivity of Prostate Cancer Through Nanoparticles and Chemotherapeutics

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is an essential component in the treatment regimens for many cancer patients. However, the dose escalation required to improve curative results is hindered due to the normal tissue toxicity that is induced. The introduction of radiosensitizers to RT treatment is an avenue that is currently being explored to overcome this issue. By introducing radiosensitizers into tumor sites, it is possible to preferentially enhance the local dose deposited. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are a potential candidate that have shown great promise in increasing the radiosensitivity of cancer cells through an enhancement in DNA damage. Furthermore, docetaxel (DTX) is a chemotherapeutic agent that arrests cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, the phase most sensitive to radiation damage. We hypothesized that by incorporating DTX to GNP-enhanced radiotherapy treatment, we could further improve the radiosensitization experienced by cancer cells. To assess this strategy, we analyzed the radiotherapeutic effects on monolayer cell cultures in vitro, as well as on a mice prostate xenograft model in vivo while using clinically feasible concentrations for both GNPs and DTX. RESULTS: The introduction of DTX to GNP-enhanced radiotherapy further increased the radiotherapeutic effects experienced by cancer cells. A 38% increase in DNA double-strand breaks was observed with the combination of GNP/DTX vs GNP alone after a dose of 2 Gy was administered. In vivo results displayed significant reduction in tumor growth over a 30-day observation period with the treatment of GNP/DTX/RT when compared to GNP/RT after a single 5 Gy dose was given to mice. The treatment strategy also resulted in 100% mice survival, which was not observed for other treatment conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating DTX to work in unison with GNPs and RT can increase the efficacy of RT treatment. Our study suggests that the treatment strategy could improve tumor control through local dose enhancement. As the concentrations used in this study are clinically feasible, there is potential for this strategy to be translated into clinical settings

Evaluation of a community-based intervention for health and economic empowerment of marginalized women in India

Abstract Background Empowered women have improved decision-making capacity and can demand equal access to health services. Community-based interventions (CBI) based on building women’s groups for awareness generation on maternal and child health (MCH) are the best and cost-effective approaches in improving their access to health services. The present endeavour evaluates a community-based intervention aimed at improving marginalized women’s awareness and utilization of maternal, and child health services, and access to livelihood and savings using the peer-led approach from two districts of India. Methods We used peer educators as mediators of knowledge transfer among women and for creating a supportive environment at the household and community levels. The intervention was implemented in two marginalized districts of Uttar Pradesh, namely Banda and Kaushambi. Two development blocks in each of the two districts were selected randomly, and twenty-four villages in each of the four blocks were selected based on the high percentage of a marginalized population. The evaluation of the intervention involved a non-experimental, pre- and post-research design, using a mixed-method approach. Data were collected at three points in time, including a rapid assessment (quantitative and qualitative interviews) at baseline, qualitative interviews at the end line and tracking data of the intervention population (n=37,324) through an online management information system. Results Most of the women in Banda (90%) and Kaushambi (85%) attended at least 60% of the education sessions. Around 39% of women in Banda and 35% of women in Kaushambi registered for the livelihood scheme, and 94% and 80% of them had worked in these two places, respectively under the scheme. Women during group discussions informed that their awareness about MCH increased post-intervention. The money earned after getting work under the livelihood scheme or from daily savings was deposited in the bank account by the women. These savings helped the women investing money at times of need, such as starting their work, in emergencies for the medical treatment of their family members, education of their children, etc. Conclusion Peer-led model of intervention can be explored to improve the combined health and economic outcomes of marginalized women.</jats:p

Evaluation of a community-based intervention for health and economic empowerment of marginalized women in India

Abstract Background Empowered women have improved decision-making capacity and can demand equal access to health services. Community-based interventions based on building women’s groups for awareness generation on maternal and child health (MCH) are the best and cost-effective approaches in improving their access to health services. The present study evaluated a community-based intervention aimed at improving marginalized women’s awareness and utilization of MCH services, and access to livelihood and savings using the peer-led approach from two districts of India. Methods We used peer educators as mediators of knowledge transfer among women and for creating a supportive environment at the household and community levels. The intervention was implemented in two marginalized districts of Uttar Pradesh, namely Banda and Kaushambi. Two development blocks in each of the two districts were selected randomly, and 24 villages in each of the four blocks were selected based on the high percentage of a marginalized population. The evaluation of the intervention involved a non-experimental, ‘post-test analysis of the project group’ research design, in a mixed-method approach. Data were collected at two points in time, including qualitative interviews at the end line and tracking data of the intervention population (n = 37,324) through an online management information system. Results Most of the women in Banda (90%) and Kaushambi (85%) attended at least 60% of the education sessions. Around 39% of women in Banda and 35% of women in Kaushambi registered for the livelihood scheme, and 94 and 80% of them had worked under the scheme in these two places, respectively. Women’s awareness about MCH seemed to have increased post-intervention. The money earned after getting work under the livelihood scheme or from daily savings was deposited in the bank account by the women. These savings helped the women investing money at times of need, such as starting their work, in emergencies for the medical treatment of their family members, education of their children, etc. Conclusion Peer-led model of intervention can be explored to improve the combined health and economic outcomes of marginalized women. </jats:sec

Menstrual hygiene preparedness among schools in india : A systematic review and meta-analysis of system-and policy-level actions

With increasing girl’s enrolment in schools, school preparedness to ensure a menstrual friendly environment is crucial. The study aimed to conduct a systematic review regarding the existing evidence on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) across schools in India. It further aimed to highlight the actions that have been taken by the government to improve the MHM situation in India. We conducted the systematic literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for searching the peer-reviewed articles and Google Scholar for anecdotal reports published from inception until 30 October 2019. Of 1125 publications retrieved through the search, 183 papers were included in this review, using a priori created data-extraction form. Meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence (PP) of MHM practices in schools. Less than half of the girls were aware of menstruation before menarche (PP 0.45, 0.39 to 0.51, I2 = 100.0%, n = 122). Teachers were a less common source of information about menstruation to girls (PP 0.07, 0.05 to 0.08, I2 = 100.0%, n = 86). Separate toilets for girls were present in around half of the schools (PP 0.56, 0.42 to 0.75, I2 100.0%, n = 11). MHM in schools should be strengthened with convergence between various departments for explicit implementation of guidelines

Menstrual Hygiene Preparedness Among Schools in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of System-and Policy-Level Actions

With increasing girls’ enrolment in schools, school preparedness to ensure a menstrual friendly environment is crucial. The study aimed to conduct a systematic review regarding the existing evidence on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) across schools in India. It further aimed to highlight the actions that have been taken by the government to improve the MHM situation in India. We conducted the systematic literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for searching the peer-reviewed articles and Google Scholar for anecdotal reports published from inception until 30 October 2019. Of 1125 publications retrieved through the search, 183 papers were included in this review, using a priori created data-extraction form. Meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence (PP) of MHM practices in schools. Less than half of the girls were aware of menstruation before menarche (PP 0.45, 0.39 to 0.51, I2 = 100.0%, n = 122). Teachers were a less common source of information about menstruation to girls (PP 0.07, 0.05 to 0.08, I2 = 100.0%, n = 86). Separate toilets for girls were present in around half of the schools (PP 0.56, 0.42 to 0.75, I2 100.0%, n = 11). MHM in schools should be strengthened with convergence between various departments for explicit implementation of guidelines.</jats:p

Obesity among Asian American people in the United States: A review

Standard measures of obesity, i.e., body weight and BMI, suggest that Asian American people have a lower obesity prevalence than other racial groups in the United States. However, Asian American people face a unique challenge in their pattern of adiposity with central obesity, which raises the risk for multiple comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease, at a lower BMI compared with other populations. Several organizations recommend lower BMI cutoffs for obesity in Asian people (BMI ≥25.0 or ≥27.5 kg/m2 ) instead of the standard ≥30.0 kg/m2 threshold. The risks of obesity and related comorbidities in this population are further influenced by diet, physical activity, perceptions of health, and access to information and therapies. Asian-specific parameters for assessing obesity should become a standard part of clinical practice. Asian American people should equally be offered subgroup-specific tailored interventions owing to heterogeneity of this population. Access to medications and surgery should be improved, in part by updating US indications for therapies to reflect race-specific obesity thresholds and through inclusion of Asian American people of all subtypes with lower BMI values in clinical trials