Social Media Campaigns: A Game Changer for the Prevention of Breast Cancer in Romania.

Social media can be used to raise awareness about health issues, especially concerning the importance of periodical screening. The present study aims to identify the role of social media awareness campaigns in the early detection of breast cancer, with a focus on Romania, a country with a high female mortality due to this disease. The research is performed using a survey, based on an online questionnaire, which was self-administered by the respondents included in two samples selected from a Facebook community of Romanian women. Sample A was composed of 1945 women who were not exposed to periodic campaigns regarding the importance of screening for the prevention and early detection of this type of disease, and Sample B was composed of 289 women who were exposed to such annual campaigns within the last 5 years. The results outline several differences among respondents from the two samples regarding their awareness of prevention necessity, as well as the frequency and chosen methods for breast cancer screening. The findings hold important implications for public authorities, which must intensify their efforts in raising women's awareness regarding the importance of screening for the early detection and prevention of breast cancer.

Impact of Clinical and Socio-Demographic Factors on the Quality of Life in Romanian People with Epilepsy.

This study investigates the impact of different clinical and demographic factors on the quality of life in people with epilepsy hospitalized at a health institution of Brasov County, Romania, using a QOLIE-31-P questionnaire and to reflect on the opportunities and limitations of incorporating such an instrument into the clinical practice. Methods: Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy evaluated by video-electroencephalography in the Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry and Neurology in Brasov, Romania, were recruited. After the confirmation of the diagnosis based on clinical, electrophysiological and imagistic examination, and of their compliance with the hospitalization criteria, the patients filled in the QOLIE-31-P questionnaire. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. Results: The seizure frequency was negatively correlated with almost all QOLIE-31-P domains (p < 0.05). Age, employment status, level of education and uncontrolled disease were significant factors associated with a low quality of life. The mean (SD) QOLIE-31-P scores were 64.89 (14.72), the mean age was 43.04 (14.92) years, with the average age of the first seizure onset 30.66 (17.45) years. Conclusion: The use of measuring instruments to assess the quality of life of patients with epilepsy despite the challenges should become a routine practice, the information collected in this way can improve the outcomes in the care of these patients. In addition to the goal of reducing the frequency of seizures, physicians must also take into account other parts of the experiences of people with epilepsy.

An Overview on the Conservative Management of Endometriosis from a Naturopathic Perspective: Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating disease, which affects millions of young women worldwide. Although medicine has incontestably evolved in the last years, there is no common ground regarding the early and accurate diagnosis of this condition, its pathogenic mechanisms, and curative treatment. Even though the spontaneous resolution of endometriosis is sometimes possible, recent reports suggested that it can be a progressive condition. It can associate chronic pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, infertility, or malignant degenerescence. Conventional treatments could produce many side effects, and despite treatment, the symptoms may reappear. In recent years, experimental evidence suggested that plant-based medicine could exert beneficial effects on endometriosis and endometriosis-related symptoms. This study aims to highlight the pharmaceutical activity of phytochemicals and medicinal plants against endometriosis and to provide a source of information regarding the alternative treatment of this condition. METHODS: For this review, we performed a research using PubMed, GoogleScholar, and CrossRef databases. We selected the articles published between January 2000 and July 2020, written in English. RESULTS: We found 17 medicinal plants and 13 phytochemicals, which have demonstrated their beneficial effects against endometriosis. Several of their biological activities consist of antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory effects, and oxidative-stress reduction. CONCLUSION: Medicinal herbs and their bioactive compounds exhibit antiangiogenic, antioxidant, sedative and pain-alleviating properties and the effects recorded until now encourage their use for the conservative management of endometriosis.

Challenges in the Prevention of Cervical Cancer in Romania.

Approximately every two hours, a Romanian woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer as the country ranks first in the EU in terms of its mortality rate. This paper aims to identify the main reasons that have led to this situation. First, a study based on secondary data was conducted in order to identify measures taken by the Romanian Ministry of Health for the prevention of this type of cancer. Second, a quantitative study was conducted to evaluate the impact that exposure to information and awareness campaigns has on women's behavior regarding cervical cancer prevention through screening. The results of the research show an increased percentage of the women understanding the importance of screening and the benefits of early diagnosis, but also shows that a high percentage of women postpone the routine checks due to lack of time and financial resources. The research results also indicate that the only free screening program implemented in Romania during 2012-2017 was a failure due to poor procedures, low number of women tested, underfunding and the lack of promotion. Our conclusion is that the Romanian Ministry of Health has to take immediate action by conducting major awareness campaigns and also by implementing functional screening programs.

Royal Jelly-A Traditional and Natural Remedy for Postmenopausal Symptoms and Aging-Related Pathologies.

Women's life stages are based on their reproductive cycle. This cycle begins with menstruation and ends with menopause. Aging is a natural phenomenon that affects all humans, and it is associated with a decrease in the overall function of the organism. In women, aging is related with and starts with menopause. Also, during menopause and postmenopausal period, the risk of various age-related diseases and complaints is higher. For this reason, researchers were pushed to find effective remedies that could promote healthy aging and extended lifespan. Apitherapy is a type of alternative medicine that uses natural products from honeybees, such as honey, propolis, royal jelly, etc. Royal jelly is a natural yellowish-white substance, secreted by both hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse bees, usually used to feed the queen bees and young worker larvae. Over the centuries, this natural product was considered a gold mine for traditional and natural medicine, due to its miraculous effects. Royal jelly has been used for a long time in commercial medical products. It has been demonstrated to possess a wide range of functional properties, such as: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, vasodilatative, hypotensive, anticancer, estrogen-like, antihypercholesterolemic, and antioxidant activities. This product is usually used to supplement various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, sexual dysfunctions, diabetes or cancer. The main objective of this study is to highlight the effectiveness of royal jelly supplementation in relieving menopause symptoms and aging-related diseases. We also aimed to review the most recent research advances regarding the composition of royal jelly for a better understanding of the effects on human health promotion.

Biomarkers for the Noninvasive Diagnosis of Endometriosis: State of the Art and Future Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Early and accurate diagnosis of endometriosis is crucial for the management of this benign, yet debilitating pathology. Despite the advances of modern medicine, there is no common ground regarding the pathophysiology of this disease as it continues to affect the quality of life of millions of women of reproductive age. The lack of specific symptoms often determines a belated diagnosis. The gold standard remains invasive, surgery followed by a histopathological exam. A biomarker or a panel of biomarkers is easy to measure, usually noninvasive, and could benefit the clinician in both diagnosing and monitoring the treatment response. Several studies have advanced the idea of biomarkers for endometriosis, thereby circumventing unnecessary invasive techniques. Our paper aims at harmonizing the results of these studies in the search of promising perspectives on early diagnosis. METHODS: We selected the papers from Google Academic, PubMed, and CrossRef and reviewed recent articles from the literature, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of various putative serum and urinary biomarkers for endometriosis. RESULTS: The majority of studies focused on a panel of biomarkers, rather than a single biomarker and were unable to identify a single biomolecule or a panel of biomarkers with sufficient specificity and sensitivity in endometriosis. CONCLUSION: Noninvasive biomarkers, proteomics, genomics, and miRNA microarray may aid the diagnosis, but further research on larger datasets along with a better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms are needed.

The Potential Involvement of an ATP-Dependent Potassium Channel-Opening Mechanism in the Smooth Muscle Relaxant Properties of Tamarix dioica Roxb.

Background: Tamarix dioica is traditionally used to manage various disorders related to smooth muscle in the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems. This study was planned to establish a pharmacological basis for the uses of Tamarix dioica in certain medical conditions related to the digestive, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: A phytochemical study was performed by preliminary methods, followed by HPLC-DAD and spectrometric methods. In vivo evaluation of a crude hydromethanolic extract of T.dioica (TdCr) was done with a castor-oil-provoked diarrheal model in rats to determine its antidiarrheal effect. Ex vivo experiments were done by using isolated tissues to determine the effects on smooth and cardiac muscles and explore the possible mechanisms. Results: TdCr tested positive for flavonoids, saponins, phenols, and tannins as methanolic solvable constituents in a preliminary study. The maximum quantity of gallic acid equivalent (GAE), phenolic, and quercetin equivalent (QE) flavonoid content found was 146 ± 0.001 µg GAE/mg extract and 36.17 ± 2.35 µg QE/mg extract. Quantification based on HPLC-DAD (reverse phase) exposed the presence of rutin at the highest concentration, followed by catechin, gallic acid, myricetin, kaempferol, and apigenin in TdCr. In vivo experiments showed the significant antidiarrheal effect of TdCr (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) in the diarrheal (castor-oil-provoked) model. Ex vivo experiments revealed spasmolytic, bronchodilatory, and vasorelaxant activities as well as partial cardiac depressant activity, which may be potentiated by a potassium channel opener mechanism, similar to that of cromakalim. The potassium channel (KATP channel)-opening activity was further confirmed by repeating the experiments in glibenclamide-pretreated tissues. Conclusions: In vivo and ex vivo studies of T.dioica provided evidence of the antidiarrheal, spasmolytic, bronchodilator, vasorelaxant, and partial cardiodepressant properties facilitated through the opening of the KATP channel.

Circulating miRNAs as Biomarkers for Endometriosis and Endometriosis-Related Ovarian Cancer-An Overview.

Early detection and accurate diagnosis are pivotal in the management of endometriosis and endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms (ERONs), yet there is no clear common ground regarding their pathogenesis. Endometriosis is a debilitating pathology that profoundly impairs the quality of life. Although the spontaneous resolution of endometriosis is possible, studies suggest that it can be a progressive condition, and ERONs can develop. The gold standard for diagnosis remains as the invasive method of laparoscopy followed by histological confirmation. In recent years, novel biomarkers have been discovered. MicroRNAs (miRNA) represent important epigenetic modulators of gene expression and are very attractive as biomarkers due to their lower complexity, tissue specificity, and stability in bodily fluids. Several studies have advanced the possibility of miRNAs becoming potential biomarkers in endometriosis and ERONs. Our aim is to bring these studies together in order to have a better understanding of whether, how, and when miRNAs might be used as biomarkers for these pathologies. METHODS: We selected the reviewed papers from Google Academic, PubMed, and CrossRef. A total of eight studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: MiR-200 family, miR-143, 145, miR-20a, and miR199a were the most commonly dysregulated miRNAs in endometriosis, and miR-200 family was found to be dysregulated in both ERONs and endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: No single miRNA was considered as a sole biomarker for this pathology. However, since the prognostic value of biomarkers is generally enhanced if more are assessed at the same time, a panel of miRNAs could be a better indicator of the disease.

Therapeutic Approaches of Resveratrol on Endometriosis via Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Angiogenic Pathways.

Endometriosis represents a severe gynecological pathology, defined by implantation of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. This pathology affects almost 15% of women during reproductive age and has a wide range of consequences. In affected women, infertility has a 30% rate of prevalence and endometriosis implants increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Despite long periods of studies and investigations, the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease still remain not fully understood. Initially, endometriosis was related to retrograde menstruation, but new theories have been launched, suggesting that chronic inflammation can influence the development of endometriosis because inflammatory mediators have been identified elevated in patients with endometriosis, specifically in the peritoneal fluid. The importance of dietary phytochemicals and their effect on different inflammatory diseases have been highlighted, and nowadays more and more studies are focused on the analysis of nutraceuticals. Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen, a natural polyphenolic compound with antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory actions, found in many dietary sources such as grapes, wine, peanuts, soy, berries, and stilbenes. Resveratrol possesses a significant anti-inflammatory effect via inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and it has been proved that resveratrol can exhibit apoptosis-inducing activities. From the studies reviewed in this paper, it is clear that the anti-inflammatory effect of this natural compound can contribute to the prevention of endometriosis, this phenolic compound now being considered a new innovative drug in the prevention and treatment of this disease.

An Overview on the Anticancer Activity of Azadirachta indica (Neem) in Gynecological Cancers.

In recent years, a wide range of studies have pointed out the importance of nutraceuticals as reservoirs of therapeutic compounds for several diseases, including cancer. This study is centered on the role of some nutraceuticals as anticancer agents and on their efficiency in the oncological gynecological field. Gynecological cancers include cervical, ovarian, and breast neoplasia and these are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the female population. Cervical neoplasia affects sexually active women aged between 30 and 40 years and is considered the second leading cause of death for women worldwide. Epidemiological studies have shown a strong association of this cancer with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, independent of any others risk factors. Ovarian cancer represents about 4% of all women's cancers and breast neoplasia registers 52.8 new cases per 100,000 women annually. Since ancient times, herbal therapies have shown a wide range of beneficial effects and a high potential for safeguarding human health. Azadirachta indica (Neem) is a medicinal plant of Indian origin, a tree with more of 140 isolated compounds and at least 35 biologically active principles that have shown an important influence as tumor suppressors by interfering with the carcinogenesis process. Used for centuries in Asia as a natural remedy for cancer, neem compounds present in bark, leaves, flowers, and seed oil have been shown to possess properties such as chemopreventive capacity, apoptotic activities, immunomodulatory effects, and induction of p53-independent apoptosis. The current study is a systematic literature review based on the anticarcinogenic potential of neem compounds in gynecological cancers.