Spirituality, Religiosity, and Health: a Comparison of Physicians' Attitudes in Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: One of the biggest challenges in the spirituality, religiosity, and health field is to understand how patients and physicians from different cultures deal with spiritual and religious issues in clinical practice. PURPOSE: The present study aims to compare physicians' perspectives on the influence of spirituality and religion (S/R) on health between Brazil, India, and Indonesia. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, cross-cultural, multi-center study carried out from 2010 to 2012, examining physicians' attitudes from two continents. Participants completed a self-rated questionnaire that collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, S/R involvement, and perspectives concerning religion, spirituality, and health. Differences between physicians' responses in each country were examined using chi-squared, ANOVA, and MANCOVA. RESULTS: A total of 611 physicians (194 from Brazil, 295 from India, and 122 from Indonesia) completed the survey. Indonesian physicians were more religious and more likely to address S/R when caring for patients. Brazilian physicians were more likely to believe that S/R influenced patients' health. Brazilian and Indonesians were as likely as to believe that it is appropriate to talk and discuss S/R with patients, and more likely than Indians. No differences were found concerning attitudes toward spiritual issues. CONCLUSION: Physicians from these different three countries had very different attitudes on spirituality, religiosity, and health. Ethnicity and culture can have an important influence on how spirituality is approached in medical practice. S/R curricula that train physicians how to address spirituality in clinical practice must take these differences into account.

Other medicinal plants and botanical products from the first edition of the Brazilian Official Pharmacopoeia / Outras plantas medicinais e produtos botânicos da 1ª Edição da Farmacopéia Brasileira

In a previous work, we described the list of medicinal plants and botanical products present in the four editions of the Brazilian Official Pharmacopoeia (FBRAS). The work also discussed the replacement of native Brazilian plants by imported products and synthetics over the last decades. In this paper, we present new data concerning medicinal plants and botanical products present in the first Edition of the FBRAS an in its two supplements.

Em trabalho anterior foi descrita a relação das plantas medicinais e produtos botânicos presentes nas quatro edições da Farmacopéia Brasileira (FBRAS). O trabalho discutiu também sobre a substituição das plantas nativas do Brasil por outros produtos importados e sintéticos ao longo das últimas décadas. Neste artigo, são apresentados novos dados sobre plantas medicinais e produtos botânicos presentes na 1ª Edição da FBRAS e em seus dois suplementos.

DNA damage and cellular death in oral mucosa cells of children who have undergone panoramic dental radiography.

BACKGROUND: Despite wide use as a diagnostic tool in medical and dental practice, radiography can induce cytotoxic effects and genetic damage. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate DNA damage (micronucleus) and cellular death (pyknosis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis) in exfoliated buccal mucosa cells taken from healthy children following exposure to radiation during dental radiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 17 children who had undergone panoramic dental radiography were included. RESULTS: We found no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) between micronucleated oral mucosa cells in children before and after exposure to radiation. On the other hand, radiation did cause other nuclear alterations closely related to cytotoxicity including karyorrhexis, pyknosis and karyolysis. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results indicate that panoramic dental radiography might not induce chromosomal damage, but may be cytotoxic. Overall, the results reinforce the importance of evaluating the health side effects of radiography and contribute to the micronucleus database, which will improve our understanding and practice of this methodology in children.

Alterations in the central vasopressin and oxytocin axis after lesion of a brain osmotic sensory region.

The anteroventral region of the third ventricle (AV3V) is critical in mediating osmotic sensitivity. AV3V lesions increase plasma osmolality and block osmotic-induced vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) secretion. The aim was to evaluate the effects of AV3V lesions on neurosecretion under control/water replete conditions and after 48 h dehydration. The focus was on central peptidergic changes with measurement of OT and VP content in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (OT) regions and the posterior pituitary. AV3V-lesioned rats exhibited an elevated plasma osmolality and higher OT content in SON and PVN. There was an increase in VP content in PVN, but no change in SON. As predicted, the plasma peptide response to dehydration was absent in lesioned animals. However, dehydration produced depletion in posterior pituitary VP in lesioned animals with no change in OT. No changes in nuclear VP and OT levels were seen after dehydration. These results demonstrate that AV3V lesions alter the VP and OT neurosecretory system, seen as a blockade of osmotic-induced release and an increase in basal nuclear peptide content. The data indicate that interruption of the osmotic sensory system affects the central neurosecretory axis, resulting in a backup in content and likely changes in synthesis and processing.