by Chetna Deep Lamba  , Praveen Oberai  , Bharti Wadhwa  , Suraia Parveen  , Arti Soren  , Rajachandrasekar Bhuvaneswari  , Prasanta Kumar Pradhan  , Vaishali Shinde  and Jaya Gupta

Received: 17 October 2022;  Published: 16 May 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2302021

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in the reduction or resolution of breast fibroadenoma (FA) through ultrasound (US) assessment in intervention and control groups. The secondary objective was to compare the efficacy of the homeopathic intervention in single and multiple fibroadenomas. A single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study was conducted from January 2014 to June 2018 at 4 research centers with 6 months of follow-up. Females in the age group [...]

by Kristen W. Carlson  , Jay L. Shils  , Sahil Patel  , Longzhi Mei  and Jeffrey E. Arle

Received: 23 November 2020;  Published: 14 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2102095

We review the use of numerical and computational models to explore deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease (DBS PD). It is a review for the modeler and those interested in PD DBS modelling methods and their value. The main model categories of active fiber, mean field, driving force, and volume of tissue activated are described as well as many modelling techniques. We give the basic requirements for a DBS PD model and current theories of DBS mechanism of action, PD etiology, and movement selection. The emphas [...]

by Ciro Comparetto  and Franco Borruto

Received: 29 June 2021;  Published: 19 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2103132

Medical genetics plays an important role in the screening and prevention of numerous diseases. Thus, it is important to develop effective screening and prevention programs and improve the assessment of the susceptibility of diseases. The development of screening and prevention programs depends on the identification of early biomarkers (including functional and behavioral) for the risk and onset of the disease, and such programs need to be designed according to internationally accepted criteria. Cervical cancer repr [...]

by Melissa M Howard  , Justin Phillips  , Stefan Henley  , Sarah E. Green  and Emily R. Rosario

Received: 01 November 2020;  Published: 07 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2103175

Anterior cervical osteophytes are common in the geriatric population. Dysphagia can occur in individuals suffering from these spinal abnormalities. Surgical intervention is an uncommon course of treatment for these patients, but is often utilized as a last resort with the hope of swallow recovery. The purpose of this article is to highlight a unique case study documenting the required treatment course for dysphagia associated with osteophytes and subsequent osteophytectomy. We review current literature of both cons [...]

by Amrin Ahmed  , Alixe Ménard  , Alison C Novak  , Nancy Edwards  and Sarah Fraser

Received: 27 May 2024;  Published: 28 August 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2403286

Older adults are disproportionately susceptible to hospitalizations and fatalities due to stair-related falls. While many intrinsic risk factors, such as mobility and vision, may increase the likelihood of falls on stairs, features of the stairs that increase the risk of falls are understudied. This study aimed to capture older adults’ perspectives of stair falls, as well as introduce the Safer Steps app and explore its feasibility in this population. This m-health technology was designed to gather data on st [...]

by Elio Rossi  , Marco Picchi  , Marialessandra Panozzo  and Linda Nurra

Received: 01 November 2018;  Published: 20 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1902038

Aim: To study the effect of homeopathic treatment on adult patients with atopic diseases visited at the Homeopathic Clinic of Lucca (Italy) and long-term evolution of the disease over approximately an 8-year period. Materials and Methods: Data derive from an observational longitudinal study carried out on 563 atopic adult patients who were consecutively visited from 1998 to 2017; 202 (35.9%) suffered from atopic dermatitis, 204 (36.2%) from allergic rhinitis, and 157 (27.9%) from asthma. Moreover, a long-term study [...]

by Osaretin Albert T. Ebuehi  , Lasekan Oyindamola Ayobami  and Olufemi Mulkah Ajagun-Ogunleye

Received: 12 June 2022;  Published: 02 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2301004

Plant-based products have been utilized for nutritional and medicinal purposes for decades. Although the reported benefits of Carica papaya (Pawpaw) leave extract, its role in hematology, brain histology, and the possible side effect are still areas of research deliberation. Thirty (30) male Sprague Dawley rats, divided into three groups, were fed on rat chow and normal saline, Carica papaya leaves extract and Ruzu bitters, respectively. Blood chemistry, hematology, and brain histology were assayed to ascertain the [...]

by Liana Spytska

Received: 04 December 2024;  Published: 14 March 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2501275

The relevance of studying the cognitive and behavioral dynamics of psychopathy lies in its importance for improving diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, and reducing crime, thereby contributing to public safety. This study aimed to investigate how cognitive and behavioral mechanisms influence psychopathy. A combination of methods was employed, including the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, semi-structured interviews, and the analysis of non-verbal reactions. The sample consisted of eight participants (four [...]

by Paolo Bellavite  , Fabio Arruda-Silva  and Marta Marzotto

Received: 20 April 2021;  Published: 11 August 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103023

Homeopathy is often attacked with claims of not being evidence-based or for the implausible nature of its major principles of dilution/potentization and/or the similars (“similia similibus curentur”). However, these statements have already been falsified on the experimental ground, besides being incorrect on an epistemological level. Here we provide an updated appraisal of the scientific approach to the principle of Similars and homeopathy, focusing on laboratory models. After a brief historical introdu [...]

by Scott A. Campbell  , Matthew Hubert  , Janyne Johnson  , Nicole Salamon  and Peter E. Light

Received: 12 March 2019;  Published: 26 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1902069

Background: One of the goals of clinical islet transplantation is to achieve a single-donor transplant that is dependent on obtaining enough quality β cell mass from one donor pancreas. Human islets are routinely cultured prior to transplantation, and pro-survival factors such as GLP-1 analogues have been reported to maintain β cell mass and survival. Interestingly, human islets may secrete GLP-1 and they also express the enzyme DPP4 that proteolytically cleaves GLP-1 into an inactive form. The aim of [...]

by Yossi Ehrenreich

Received: 17 May 2022;  Published: 06 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2301012

This paper aims to introduce a relatively novel approach for Hypnosis to treat Depersonalization-derealization Disorder (DPRD). Depersonalization is conceptualized as a disrupted interoceptive process disorder. Based on this conceptualization, Hypnotic intervention is tailored to counter the flawed process. It is exemplified by a case of a young man suffering from depersonalization disorder who couldn't bear looking at himself in the mirror. The hypnotic intervention used in this case is then explained by predictiv [...]

by Shangkun Deng  , Yini Lei  , Yiyu Deng  , Yilan Lai  and Xingyuan Gao

Received: 29 January 2022;  Published: 26 April 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2202012

The use of the dry reforming of methane (DRM) to convert the two principal greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide, to syngas (a mixture of H2 and CO) has attracted increasing attention in recent years. However, the DRM reaction suffers from the twin disadvantages of carbon deposition and sintering, so a highly efficient and robust catalyst with superior anti-deactivation properties is required. One way to meet this need is to incorporate active metals into crystalline oxides, such as perovskite. In this paper [...]

by Harald P. Hoensch  and Benno Weigmann

Received: 23 March 2022;  Published: 21 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2203017

Flavonoids are phytochemicals (polyphenols) of plant origin. They can trap free oxygen radicals generated by mitochondria and other electronic transport chains, thereby inhibiting inflammatory and carcinogenic changes in vivo and in vitro. Why the body requires these compounds for the well-being of the organism and the maintenance of human health remains unclear. However, a deficit of flavonoids could lead to molecular malfunctions in cells, organelles, and macromolecules. This manuscript describes the occurrence a [...]

by Wolfgang Rennert  , Katie Cormier  and Samantha Sprott

Received: 22 November 2021;  Published: 24 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2104156

Bone marrow transplants remain an import source of hematopoietic stem cells for patients suffering from specific diseases like aplastic anemia, for pediatric patients with malignant and non-malignant blood cell disorders, and for situations in which graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a concern. Identifying the optimal donor to achieve a 3-5 x 108/kg of recipient weight TNC yield may be challenging. In an analysis of 687 consecutive donors, donor and procedure characteristics were related to TNC/kg of recipient wei [...]

by Vincenzo Prisco  , Bernadette Donnarumma  and Lorenzo Prisco

Received: 02 December 2022;  Published: 22 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2301228

This paper discusses the history and the concept of somatization from masked depression to somatic symptoms and related disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Evaluating the evolution of these terms and concepts along the time course is very interesting. DSM 5 revision was intended to increase the relevance of these concepts in the primary care setting. “Masked depression” is a form of depression in which somatic symptoms or behavioral disturbances dominate the clinical pictur [...]

by Renly Dutton  , Frank Abdi  , Levon Minnetyan  and James L. Sherley

Received: 22 April 2020;  Published: 28 August 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2003117

Although tissue stem cells are essential for the maintenance, renewal, and repair of vertebrate organs and tissues, previously, the simple act of counting them has not been possible. For more than a half-century, progress in tissue stem cell research and medicine has been undermined by the lack of a means to determine tissue stem cell number. In particular, a major unmet need for stem cell transplantation medicine has been a way to quantify the specific dosage of tissue stem cell treatments. The counting problem pe [...]

by Margaret E. Newman  , Kenneth Pursell  and David Pitrak

Received: 05 November 2018;  Published: 20 January 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901040

Infection with parvovirus B19 is common, with up to 55% of adults showing seropositive evidence of prior infection. Clinical disease can occur due to acute infection, chronic persistent viremia, rarely secondary infection, or possibly viral reactivation of latent virus. The clinical presentation of primary infection depends on age, the presence of a hematologic condition, and immune status. We report a renal transplant recipient who developed transfusion dependent anemia refractory to erythropoietin that responded [...]

by Edmundo S. Valerio Neto  , Caio V.S. Almeida  , Giancarlo R. Salazar-Banda  and Katlin I.B. Eguiluz

Received: 24 November 2023;  Published: 11 March 2024;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2401003

In this study, we synthesized Pt-Rh nanowires (NWs) through chemical reduction of metallic precursors using formic acid at room temperature, excluding the use of surfactants, templates, or stabilizing agents. These NWs were supported on two substrates: carbon (Vulcan XC-72R) and carbon modified with tin oxide (SnO2) via the sol-gel method (10 wt.% SnO2). We explored the electroactivity of Pt/SnO2/C, Pt-Rh/C, Pt-Rh/SnO2(commercial)/C (commercial SnO2), and Pt-Rh/SnO2/C NWs toward electrochemical oxidation of ethanol [...]

by Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse  , Anne-Sophie Nyssen  and Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville

Received: 14 February 2020;  Published: 09 May 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2002028

Hypnosis is a modified state of consciousness widely used to decrease pain perception in research protocols and clinical practice. In recent decades, hypnosis has been increasingly proposed to patients to re-engage their resources and capacities to modulate pain and emotional distress and to improve their treatment and recovery of well-being. Neuroimaging research helps clinicians to understand better how hypnosis works in terms of brain modulation. Hypnotic suggestions dramatically influence the self and environme [...]

by Pietro Gareri  , Antonino Maria Cotroneo  , Giuseppe Orsitto  , Nicola Veronese  and Salvatore Putignano

Received: 12 September 2021;  Published: 08 March 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2201193

Certain previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of the addition of citicoline, a cholinergic precursor, to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AchEIs) or memantine in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study showed the effectiveness of oral citicoline plus AchEIs plus memantine in outpatients with AD. This was a retrospective case-control study involving 169 patients aged 65 years old or older having AD (mean age: 78.7 ±4.9 years). In addition, 84 patients were treated with AchEIs plus [...]

by Satoshi Migita  and Tomoya Yamaguchi

Received: 18 September 2019;  Published: 14 January 2020;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2001003

The surface roughness of titanium could regulate various cellular functions such as survival and growth. In the context of cell adhesion to materials, cell spreading and cell shape are also closely linked to various cellular functions. Previously, we found that Ti substrate with a 100-nm scale surface roughness reduced cell survival. However, effects of surface roughness on cell shape were not investigated. Herein, we quantified the initial adhesion behavior of osteoblasts on a Ti substrate with ~100 nm scale surfa [...]

by Niccolò Castellani Nicolini  , Jacopo Belfiore  and Giandomenico Biancofiore

Received: 14 May 2023;  Published: 13 October 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2304198

Liver transplantation (LT) is a life-saving treatment representing the only viable option for patients suffering from end-stage liver disease (ESLD) or acute liver failure. Patients who undergo LT require a multidisciplinary approach to postoperative pain management. However, pain management in this context is often inadequately explored. Limited options exist for proper pain control in patients with hepatic failure, mainly due to the increased risk of kidney and multi-organ failure. In LT candidates, specific anal [...]

by Terence Seedsman  and Nilufer Korkmaz-Yaylagul

Received: 17 July 2018;  Published: 28 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804022

With rapidly aging populations worldwide there will be an increasing need to focus attention on the expected increase in disability with advancing age. Drawing upon established literature this paper aims to highlight the contribution of anthropology including selected research findings and contemporary understandings surrounding ageism, abuse and exploitation of older disabled persons. Health care providers within the context of the aged care sector are challenged to unburden themselves with negative images and pra [...]

by Gerald P. Morris

Received: 22 February 2019;  Published: 11 April 2017;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1701002

(1) Background: Lung transplantation is an increasingly utilized treatment for end-stage lung disease. Scarcity of organ donors limiting transplantation underscores the importance of optimal histocompatibility testing approaches to facilitate organ allocation and avoid immunologic rejection. Significant data has emerged over the past decade to define the role of alloantibodies against HLA in the pathogenesis of post-lung transplant complications. (2) Methods: Medical literature from 1996–2016 related to search term [...]

by Gemechu Fanta Garuma

Received: 29 March 2022;  Published: 06 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2202022

An increase in global temperature will likely result in more intense and frequent heatwaves that would last longer. Simultaneously, the growth of urban population requires more areas of land incorporated into urbanization, because most people are expected to live in cities, which will increase the intensity and duration of urban heat islands. However, the extent of the link between global warming induced heatwaves and urbanization caused heat islands is barely understood. Understanding the link would give a new inf [...]