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Background: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) remains a major global health challenge, with significant morbidity and mortality associated with chronic infections. Methods: This study examines the epidemiology, screening, and risk factors associated with HBV in Romania, focusing on a comprehensive national screening program, LIVE(RO)2, involving 320,000 individuals (majority of them considered vulnerable population). A questionnaire was used to collect information on the potential risk factors for HBV transmission. Results: The overall prevalence rate of HBV chronic infection among all the participants tested was 1.67% (confidence interval: 1.63–1.72%), with significant differences (p = 0.0001) between participants from the main geographical regions of residence (North-East 1.89%, South 1.38%, South-East 2.06%, and South-West 1.54%). Male persons aged 30–49 or 60–69 years old, from the rural and Eastern parts of Romania and non-Romanian ethnia, with a low level of education, unvaccinated, not married, unemployed, with family members with hepatitis, with personal histories of blood or blood product transfusion, surgical interventions, tattooing, hospitalizations, imprisonment, haemodialysis, unsafe sexual contacts, or with sexual transmitted infectious diseases were risk factors associated with HBsAg seropositivity. Conclusions: Our findings highlight significant demographic and epidemiological patterns of reduced HBV prevalence even in vulnerable persons, as well as modified risk factors and the impact of socio-economic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a tool designed to measure disability in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Measuring disability is becoming increasingly important due to its high prevalence, which continues to rise. Rehabilitation interventions can reduce disability and enhance functioning. (2) Objective: The present study aims to assess the impact of rehabilitation interventions on reducing disability, as measured by the WHODAS 2.0 questionnaire. It also seeks to identify which specific rehabilitation interventions are more effective and to explore other disability assessment questionnaires. (3) Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, we conducted a systematic review, with the protocol registered with the identifier CRD42023495309, focused on "WHODAS" and "rehabilitation" using PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases. (4) Results: We identified 18 articles from various regions encompassing patients with various health conditions, related to stroke, the cardiovascular system (cardiovascular disease, chronic heart failure), the pulmonary system (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the neurologic system (Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, neurodegenerative disease), the musculoskeletal system (orthopaedic surgery), cancer, and chronic pain, and among frail elderly. These patients have received a wide range of rehabilitation interventions: from conventional therapy to virtual reality, robot-assisted arm training, exergaming, and telerehabilitation. (5) Discussion and Conclusions: A wide range of rehabilitation techniques can effectively improve disability with various comorbidities, offering numerous benefits. The WHODAS 2.0 questionnaire proves to be an efficient and reliable tool for measuring disability, and scores have a tendency to decrease after rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sarcopenia is a syndrome characteristic in elderly patients and is also associated with a significant proportion of chronic disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this case, it can lead to a worse prognosis of the disease and a decreased quality of life. Study Aim: This study aims to identify the best ways to diagnose sarcopenia in patients with IBD, establish its impact on the course of the disease, and find preventive methods to counteract the effects of sarcopenia in the outcome of patients with IBD and, therefore, minimize disabilities and increase the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Material and Methods: A systematic review with the Prospero registration number CRD42023398886 was performed in PubMed and Web of Science databases, evaluating all original articles published in the last 10 years (clinical trials and randomized control trials) that describe sarcopenia and IBD in the human adult population. Results: From the 16 articles that were included, 5 articles defined sarcopenia by the skeletal muscle index (SMI) and reported data regarding its correlation with body composition: BMI; visceral fat (VF); subcutaneous fat (SC); and VF/SC index. Other articles evaluated the link between sarcopenia and the total psoas muscle area, thigh circumference, calf circumference, subjective global assessment, hand grip strength, and appendicular SMI, alongside inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and C-reactive protein, level of disability, malnutrition, frailty, resistance training alone and in combination with whey protein, and infliximab treatment. Discussions and Conclusions: There is a great heterogeneity regarding the assessment criteria and methods used to diagnose sarcopenia due to the variability of population characteristics, both anthropometric and socio-cultural, alongside the high variability in the cut-offs. Therefore, any method which identifies sarcopenia in IBD patients, thus enabling intervention, may provide good results for patient quality of life and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative consequences of microgravity for the human body are central aspects of space travel that raise health problems. Altered functions of the same systems and treatment options are common points of spaceflight physiology, age-related diseases, and oral medicine. This work emphasizes the convergence of knowledge between pathophysiological changes brought on by aging, physiological reactions to microgravity exposure, and non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment methods that can be used in spaceflight. Sarcopenia, peripheral nerves alterations, neuromotor plaque in the masticatory muscles, lingual, labial, and buccal weakness, nociplastic pain in oral mucosal diseases, and microgravity, as well as soft tissue changes and pathologies related to chewing and swallowing, corticomotor neuroplasticity of tongue, and swallowing biomechanics, are of particular interest to us. Neurologic disease and other pathologies such as recovery from post-stroke dysphagia, nociplastic pain in glossodynia, sleep bruxism, and obstructive sleep apnea have been studied and, in some cases, successfully treated with non-invasive direct and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) methods in recent decades. An interdisciplinary team from medical specialties, engineering, and biophysics propose an exploratory study based on the parallelism of ageing and space physiology, along with experiment scenarios considering TMS and non-invasive direct methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We evaluated the safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) for their use with other glucose-lowering drugs and drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), in a standard-of-care regimen with maximum tolerated doses, and, respectively, when compared with metformin. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study on 405 patients that were seen in the outpatient clinic of the N Paulescu National Institute for Diabetes Mellitus, Bucharest, Romania, in 2019. Their demographics, metabolic parameters, and medication safety were evaluated at three follow-up visits, from baseline, six months, and twelve months. Results: Both SGLT-2is and GLP-1 RAs are safe regarding creatinine, eGFR, urea, GOT, and GPT upon the comparison of the data from the six- and twelve-month visits with the initial visit, and also the twelve-month visit with the six-month visit. Moreover, when comparing SGLT-2is and GLP-1 RAs with metformin, there are safety data only for urea. Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis, both SGLT-2is and GLP-1 RAs, when used in conjunction with other glucose-lowering, blood-pressure-lowering, and lipid-lowering medications, appeared to be safe for the management of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by an association of cardiovascular and diabetes mellitus type 2 risk factors. Although the definition of MetS slightly differs depending on the society that described it, its central diagnostic criteria include impaired fasting glucose, low HDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides levels and high blood pressure. Insulin resistance (IR) is believed to be the main cause of MetS and is connected to the level of visceral or intra-abdominal adipose tissue, which could be assessed either by calculating body mass index or by measuring waist circumference. Most recent studies revealed that IR may also be present in non-obese patients, and considered visceral adiposity to be the main effector of MetS' pathology. Visceral adiposity is strongly linked with hepatic fatty infiltration also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), therefore, the level of fatty acids in the hepatic parenchyma is indirectly linked with MetS, being both a cause and a consequence of this syndrome. Taking into consideration the present pandemic of obesity and its tendency to drift towards a progressively earlier onset due to the Western lifestyle, it leads to an increased NAFLD incidence. Novel therapeutic resources are lifestyle intervention with physical activity, Mediterranean diet, or therapeutic surgical respective metabolic and bariatric surgery or drugs such as SGLT-2i, GLP-1 Ra or vitamin E. NAFLD early diagnosis is important due to its easily available diagnostic tools such as non-invasive tools: clinical and laboratory variables (serum biomarkers): AST to platelet ratio index, fibrosis-4, NAFLD Fibrosis Score, BARD Score, fibro test, enhanced liver fibrosis; imaging-based biomarkers: Controlled attenuation parameter, magnetic resonance imaging proton-density fat fraction, transient elastography (TE) or vibration controlled TE, acoustic radiation force impulse imaging, shear wave elastography, magnetic resonance elastography; and the possibility to prevent its complications, respectively, fibrosis, hepato-cellular carcinoma or liver cirrhosis which can develop into end-stage liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Film-forming substances, such as natural polysaccharides (NP) and pea proteins (PP), act as a protective barrier for treating various gastrointestinal conditions. We assessed the efficacy and safety of a novel therapeutic of natural origin (NTN) containing NP and PP for symptomatic treatment of lactose intolerance. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study, patients with lactose intolerance received NTN (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 7 days, then the alternate treatment for 7 days. Patients rated their gastrointestinal symptoms using a 7-point Likert scale. The lactose hydrogen breath test was used to assess exhaled hydrogen. Results: NTN as primary or crossover treatment significantly improved patient-reported symptoms of bloating, distension, and abdominal pain. Abdominal pain also improved under primary treatment with placebo. Primary treatment with NTN, but not placebo, normalized mean exhaled hydrogen levels. In the group allocated initially to placebo, crossover to NTN attenuated the increase in hydrogen production. No treatment-related adverse effects were reported in either group. Conclusions: Subjective improvements in bloating, distension, and abdominal pain with NTN were supported by objective evidence of hydrogen production normalization. NTN appears to be a useful alternative to lactose avoidance or enzyme replacement in patients with lactose intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous variability of SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid waning of specific antibodies threatens the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. We aimed to evaluate antibody kinetics one year after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with an mRNA vaccine in healthcare workers (HCW), with or without a booster. A marked decline in anti-Spike(S)/Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) antibody levels was registered during the first eight months post-vaccination, followed by a transitory increase after the booster. At three months post-booster an increased antibody level was maintained only in HCW vaccinated after a prior infection, who also developed a higher and long-lasting level of anti-S IgA antibodies. Still, IgG anti-nucleocapsid (NCP) fades five months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite the decline in antibodies one-year post-vaccination, 68.2% of HCW preserved the neutralization capacity against the ancestral variant, with a decrease of only 17.08% in the neutralizing capacity against the Omicron variant. Nevertheless, breakthrough infections were present in 6.65% of all participants, without any correlation with the previous level of anti-S/RBD IgG. Protection against the ancestral and Omicron variants is maintained at least three months after a booster in HCW, possibly reflecting a continuous antigenic stimulation in the professional setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After almost 50 years of data analysis, screening for colorectal cancer has proven to be an effective tool in reducing colorectal cancer mortality. However, implementing the optimal strategy represents a challenge for many healthcare facilities around the world. There is much discussion regarding how screening should be done, the optimal tools that should be used, and the proper timing for screening procedures. Another essential step is to maintain the adherence of patients to screening programs. Also, the recommendation for lowering the age to initiate screening is in progress, as there is an increase in colorectal incidence in people born after 1970. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: The objective of the paper is to present the outcomes of the HepHIV 2019 conference, held in Bucharest under the Romanian EU Presidency and focusing on challenges of timely and integrated testing and care. Methods: The conference programme was put together by the organizing committee. It consisted of invited talks and peer‐reviewed abstracts. Results: In all, 65 abstracts from 20 countries were presented during the conference, which had nearly 250 delegates, including high‐profile political representation. The conference highlighted the need to shift towards further disease integration because of the epidemiological characteristics of the hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics in the WHO European region. Integration should be a priority in the response to the epidemics to better reach key populations and to ensure better testing coverage. This relates to both the integration of services in shared care models and the integration of different settings and stakeholders in national strategies. Conclusions: The conference demonstrated the need for greater political support for the policy changes required to implement integration. Testing normalization efforts are key to maximizing the impact of integration efforts. The conference call to action can help to guide developments in testing and linkage‐to‐care interventions across the European region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic affliction that requires careful regular monitoring and focused treatment, defined by remissions and flares, with frequent hospital admissions, surgical procedures in complicated cases and progression towards dysplasia in longstanding disease. The patient's quality of life is considerably affected by the disease per se but also by the frequent follow-ups and invasive procedures used for disease activity monitoring. The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease rests on symptoms, clinical signs, laboratory and imaging tests and is confirmed by bioptic endoscopy with subsequent pathology examination. Endoscopy is an important tool not just for disease diagnosis but also for disease progression monitoring, early dysplastic lesions diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Endoscopy offers a fast and straightforward evaluation of the colonic mucosa, enabling the description of the extent and severity of the intestinal lesions leading to the prediction of the disease's aggressive nature and the introduction of appropriate treatment. The ultimate goal when dealing with IBDs is to reach mucosal healing, thus ensuring a significant improvement of the quality of life and prognosis and a drop in hospitalization expenses and in the need for surgical measures. This paper aims to review the latest Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Society standards of practice guidelines so as to offer a useful algorithm for the use of endoscopy in patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of our paper is to highlight the main therapeutic principles and the management options in the case of a diabetic patient who has had a sudden hearing loss. Mainly, the aim is to underline the sudden hearing loss treatment adjustment of the diabetic patient compared to the non-diabetic patient. By understanding the mechanism of sudden hearing loss in a diabetic patient, namely the impact of glycemic variations and their implication on the microvascular structures of the inner ear, we try to underline the treatment principles and management options of the previously mentioned combined pathologies. Thus, it is necessary to adapt the classes of drugs used in the case of sudden sensorineural hearing loss of the diabetic patient in comparison with the non-diabetic patient, in order not to aggravate or complicate the patient's functional status. Therefore, the treatment will need to be adapted both by classes of medication and by the type of administration used. Adequate control of the progression, treatment and complications of diabetes mellitus ensures optimal treatment management in case of a sudden hearing loss and therefore interferes with the favorable functional hearing outcomes. The role of this paper is not only to state the therapeutic principles in the case of sudden hearing loss in a diabetic patient, but also to analyze the impact on the management of potential local and systemic risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous bioethical recommendations are now available in the complex process of communication with cancer patients. In this review, we have focused on the complex process of managing patients with different types of oncologic digestive diseases, immediately after the diagnosis is made. We have analyzed the literature data on the topic. MEDSCAPE and PubMed databases have been studied. Issues such as telling the truth to patients with digestive cancer, the physician's responsibility in the psychological management of patients and their relatives, the nurses' duties, the consented death, the practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as well as the clinical research have been the main targets of our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b related cirrhosis treated with Ledipasvir + Sofosbuvir ± Ribavirin. Topics include the direct antiviral agents therapy for HCV has been revolutionary with a sustained virologic response rate with favorable effects on improving liver function complications, and the impact of treatment on de novo or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma development is still debated.

Copyright of Internal Medicine / Medicină Internă is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) represents a rare pathology, which can be easily misdiagnosed because of unspecific symptoms of the digestive tract. Histologically, PGL can vary from indolent marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) to aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). During the years, clinical trials revealed the important role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the pathogenesis of gastric MALT lymphoma. Infection with Helicobacter pylori is an influential promoter of gastric lymphomagenesis initiation. Long-term studies revealed that eradication therapy could regress gastric lymphomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Direct antiviral agents (DAA) showed very good results in terms of efficacy and safety in clinical trials, but real‐life data are still needed in order to confirm this profile. Material and methods: In Romania, through a nationwide government‐funded programme in 2015‐2016, approx.5800 patients with virus C cirrhosis received fully reimbursed DAA therapy with OBV/PTV/r+DSV+RBV for 12 weeks. We analysed a national prospective cohort enrolling the first 2070 patients, all with genotype 1b. The only key inclusion criteria was advanced fibrosis (Metavir stage F4) confirmed by Fibromax testing (or liver biopsy/Fibroscan). Efficacy was assessed by the percentage of patients achieving SVR 12 weeks post‐treatment (SVR12). Results: Forty patients stopped the treatment because of hepatic decompensation (1.9%), 21 stopped because of other adverse events and one was lost to follow‐up. This cohort was 51% females, mean age 60 years (25÷82), 67% pretreated, 70% associated NASH, 67% with severe necro‐inflammation (severity score 3‐Fibromax), 37% with comorbidities, 10.4% with Child Pugh A6, 0.5% B7. The median MELD score was 8.09 (6 ÷ 22). SVR by intention‐to‐treat was reported in 1999/2070(96.6%), 55/2070 failed to respond. Liver decompensation was statistically associated in multivariate analysis with platelets< 105/mm3(P = .03), increased total bilirubin (P < .001), prolonged INR (P = .02), and albumin<3.5 g/dL (P = .03). Conclusions: OBV/PTV/r+DSV+RBV proved to be highly efficient in our population of cirrhotics with a 96.6% SVR. Serious adverse events related to therapy were reported in 61/2070(2.9%), most of them liver decompensation (1.9%), related to hepatic dysfunction, and lower platelet count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), first described in 1985 as BOOP bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, is an acute inflammatory disease characterized histopathologically by intracellular granulomas formed by connective tissue and miofibroblasts (Masson bodies). Case presentation. 62-year-old female patient, known with type 2 DZ, ICC, CIND (paroxysmal FiA) and HTAE, under treatment with Amiodarone, is hospitalized with acute respiratory symptomatology. Laboratory tests show bilateral basaltic crepitation risers, biological inflammatory syndrome, and radiologically multiple opacities with ½ inferior condensation appearance for which empiric antibiotic treatment was initiated. Evolution of the patient was unfavourable, despite antibiotic treatment. Therefore, it is decided to do a fibrobronchoscopic examination (bronchial aspiration for cytology and BK), thoracic CT followed by thoracoscopy and pulmonary biopsy. The diagnosis of COP was based on the typical radiological appearance of bronchopneumonia but that is not responding to antibiotic treatment. The bronchoalveolar lavage revealed nonspecific inflammatory infiltration with lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells, the histopathological examination revealed the presence of Masson bodies, alveolar fibroblast polyps and bronchiolar polyps. As amiodarone is known to have pulmonary adverse effects, among which COP was very rarely quoted, treatment with amiodarone was discontinued and cortisone treatment with prednisone 70 mg/day was initiated, with rapid progressive improvement of symptomatology and slow improvement of imaging. In treatment month 3, after the decrease in prednisone to 30 mg/day, the general condition of the patient worsens in parallel with the biological and imaging parameters secondary to the reintroduction of the amiodarone treatment, an event treated as a recurrence of drug-induced obliterans pneumonia. The evolution of the patient was favourable, with the remission of clinical symptoms and radiological appearance, in the absence of relapses one and a half years after the end of the treatment. Conclusions. This paper presents a complete case of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia in a patient undergoing amiodarone treatment, which has a complete response to cortisone treatment only after the trigger factor has been removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Liver diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality that have been increasing in the last years. The clinical course is marked by severe complications, unrelated with the cause of the hepatic disease. In recent years, there have been two conditions described, that differ in their physiological mechanism and treatment: hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension. The incidence of the hepatopulmonary syndrome is approximately 30% of patients with liver diseases included on the transplant list. Most of the information on the cause were obtained experimentally on lab animals. Most patients are asymptomatic and a diagnosis requires taking an arterial blood gas sample measuring the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (≥15 mmHg or ≥20 mmHg in patients aged >64 years). Diagnosis is confirmed through contrast echocardiography or ventilation/perfusion scan of the lungs that reveal an intrapulmonary shunt. Liver transplant is the only effective surgical treatment, reversing hepatopulmonary syndrome in 80% of cases. The present paper aims to discuss both old and current aspects of hepatopulmonary syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today alcohol consumption among women represents a global health problem by the social, medical and economic effects involved. Gender differences as to alcohol consumption refer both to number of people affected and different sociomedical pathology. An epidemiological study was initiated to evaluate the prevalence and types of alcohol-related medical affections developed by excessive and heavy-drinkers women hospitalised in an internal medicine service. The study was an epidemiological unicentric prospective qualitative and quantitative one. All adult women hospitalised at the Internal Medicine Department during one year were registered. Of the patients who admitted that they drank alcohol, 97 women were included in the study group; they declared they used to drink two or more drinks per day, viz. 8 or more drinks per week. The study group comprised women considered as excessive alcohol consumers. 69.1% were 41-69 years old, 58.8% had higher and secondary education and 72% lived in urban areas. 68 patients presented clinical symptoms of the alcoholic liver disease, 8.2% were diagnosed with alcoholic cardiomyopathy, 41.2% with at least one psychiatric affection. The general mortality from all causes in the study group was 17.5% and the complications of the liver disease represented the cause for death in 41% of total. The study covers a broad pathology, from gastroenterological to neuropsychiatric aspects, aiming an exhaustive presentation of alcohol-related medical problems with excessive and heavy-drinkers women. Further investigations should focus on the connections between consumption and certain diseases and determine significant independent risk factors with prognosis value and also on a more detailed research of the implications on public policies (social and educational). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Lymphomas represents neoplasms of the lymph reticular system (including Peyer's patches) and the gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly involved extranodal site. Lymphoma's incidence rised in past four decades so in this moment all extranodal lymphomas represent 30-40% from all Non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The stomach is the common site of GIT lymphomas (>85%) represented by mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), a indolent disease and diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma (DCBCL), a type of aggressive malignancy. Follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), T-cell lymphoma (TCL) and plasmacytoma are very rare in the stomach. Lyphomas are localized on small intestine because it contains a lot of mucosal lymphoid tissue represented both by B- and T-cells such that immunocompromised patients can have reactive lymphohistiocytic infiltrates secondary to infections that can occur or mimic Hodgkin lymphoma. Burkitt lymphomas are often found on children and DLBC lymphomas are the commonest on adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in robotics outside traditional industrial applications increasingly focus on robots operating in an unstructured environment and human vs. robot interactions. Among the most recent application fields for robots used in unstructured environments are personal and service robotics, space and underwater robotics, medical and rehabilitation robotics, construction robotics, agriculture robotics. However robots that are designed to perform specific library tasks are relatively rare. In this case a mobile robot arm is used to manipulate the books on a shelf. In this context, this paper describes the most relevant performances of prototypes designed for robotic manipulation of book material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Despite being largely preventable, cervical cancer mortality still remains an important public health problem globally, in Europe, and in Romania. The European Union member states are urged to implement systematic, population-based screenings for cervical cancer, but the programs developed by the countries remain very heterogeneous. This study aimed to investigate the differences in cervix cancer mortality between Romania and EU and within Romania over the last two decades and to reveal the major sources of inequalities and the policy implications. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the number of deaths and the mortality rates by cervical cancer, standardized using the direct method, over two decades (2001–2016 for the EU, and 2001–2019 for the national and sub-national analyses). Trends, mortality reduction over the years, and mortality differences at the beginning and end of the time interval have been calculated for the EU and Romania, at national and sub-national levels (rural–urban and regions). Results: Our results revealed differences in cervical cancer mortality between Romania and EU and within Romania (among regions and rural–urban areas). These differences used to be very high in the past and are still persisting. Conclusions: The country should revisit its national cervical cancer screening program, which has been implemented for many years, but with a very limited participation rate. Due to the similar problems existing in Central-Eastern Europe, targeted support from the EU for the members from this geographical area could contribute to the minimization of differences in cervical cancer mortality among the EU members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) including antibodies targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 and programmed cell death 1 have been shown to be effective in the treatment of certain types of cancer. The benefit of these therapies is to prolong life expectancy in the case of metastatic malignancies. Rheumatic adverse events are not very common. In the present study, 9 patients were monitored between November 2018 and January 2020. The oncologist, who identified the occurrence of rheumatic toxicities after the treatment with ICIs, evaluated the patients. Only oncological patients with rheumatic manifestations after the start of immunotherapy were included. Toxicity grading was performed by both the oncologist and the rheumatologist, on a scale from 1 to 5 (1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, severe; 4, life-threatening; 5, death related to toxicity). The results showed that rheumatoid factor, which was sampled in each patient, was negative in all cases. Patients were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or prednisone depending on the severity of the adverse events. The results varied with the severity of the adverse events. In conclusion, as the number of patients treated with ICIs increases, so will the number of patients presenting with immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The collaboration between oncologists and rheumatologists should be intimate to provide optimal treatment to patients. Musculoskeletal manifestations secondary to ICIs are slightly different from other rheumatologically conditions making diagnosis, treatment and monitoring difficult. Thus, irAEs are new and challenging for oncologists, thus understanding of the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics must be improved for better treatment guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruits and vegetables processing industry is one of the most relevant food by-products, displaying limited commercial exploitation entailing economic and environmental problems. However, these by-products present a considerable amount of dietary fiber and prebiotics with important biological activities, such as gut microbiota modulation, lowering the glycemic load and replacing some unhealthy ingredients with an impact on food texture. Therefore, the international scientific community has considered incorporating their extracts or powders to preserve or fortify food products an area of interest, mainly because nowadays consumers demand the production of safer and health-promoting foods. In the present review, literature, mainly from the last 5 years, is critically analyzed and presented. A particular focus is given to utilizing the extracted dietary fibers in different food products and their impact on their characteristics. Safety issues regarding fruits and vegetables wastes utilization and anti-nutritional compounds impact were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer remains the most common cause of morbidity and mortality by cancer in females worldwide, even though it is largely preventable through population screening. Despite notable progress in the last years in the EU, breast cancer screening programs still maintain wide variations among countries and socio-economic groups. This statistical review aimed to investigate the breast cancer-related health gaps in Romanian women compared to the average EU female population after 10 years of accession (2007-2016). We evaluated breast cancer-related deaths, age-standardized mortality rates and contribution of breast cancer to life expectancy. Trends and percentage changes were compared between Romania and EU-27 for breast cancer, all cancer and all causes of mortality. We found a higher increase of breast cancer deaths in Romania, an increasing trend of mortality (opposite to EU) and a contribution to life expectancy at birth that increased gradually from 0.45 to 0 48 years. All these health gaps compared to EU are aggravated by the fact that no population screening for breast cancer is organized in the country. The opportunities for organizing such a program are consistent, but they should be increased in the future, in order to control the health gap between Romania and EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study is presented on the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections in the Roma population in Romania, highlighting higher infection rates in this group compared to the general population and the importance of screening. However, itraises concerns about the limited sample size and lack of a clear methodology in the study, questioning its representativeness for the broader Roma population.

Background. The treatment of stage II colon cancer has been a subject of debate for a long time. In the last years, a few risk factors have been proposed in order to guide any treatment decision more accurately. One of these risk factors is the number of resected lymph nodes, and according to the latest guidelines, it is recommended that at least 12 lymph nodes should be resected for optimal staging. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of lymph node resection, in stage II colon cancer and the implication of suboptimal lymph node resection on disease free survival and overall survival. Patients and methods. This was a prospective study that included 130 patients with stage II colon cancer who were monitored between October 2014 and October 2016. The relation between patients' tumour characteristics that include number of lymph node resection and the use of adjuvant chemotherapy using Chi test and multiple logistic regression was analyzed. The disease-free survival and overall survival were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Results. 130 patients with stage II colon cancer were recruited. 56 patients were treated with surgery alone and 74 patients received fluorouracil- based chemotherapy after surgery. Patients' age varied from 37 years to 81 years. According to the number of resected lymph nodes, patients were divided into two groups - with less than 12 lymph nodes resected and at least 12 lymph nodes resected. The number of resected lymph nodes varied from 2 to 32 lymph nodes. Median follow up was 36 months. Suboptimal resections of lymph nodes confirmed to be a negative prognostic factor for survival without disease recurrence. Conclusion. Data results confirmed the importance of lymph node resection as a prognostic factor for stage II colon cancer and the role of chemotherapy for patients with suboptimal lymph node resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims. For the 8-week OPrD regimen, real world data are insufficient. This study aims to compare the efficacy of the two types of regimens (12-week versus 8-week) in a real world cohort of patients with genotype 1b. Material and methods. We analysed a multicentric retrospective cohort enrolling 1436 patients who started HCV therapy in 2018-2019. Liver fibrosis was staged in all subjects by Fibromax. Efficacy was assessed by the percentage of patients achieving SVR 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). Results. Out of the 1436 analysed patients, 112 received 8 weeks therapy and 1324 received 12 weeks. In this cohort the proportion of male patients was 25.2%, the median age 61 years, 28.2% were interferon pre-treated, and the rate of co-morbidities was 47%. 42% of the subjects had F2 fibrosis, 29% F1 fibrosis, 16% F3 and 12% F4. The SVR rate was comparable in both groups of patients (97% in those treated with OPrD 12 weeks vs 96.4% in those that received OPrD 8 weeks) (by intention-to-treat). In the 12 weeks arm, the drop-out rate was 0.8% and the rate of severe adverse events was 1%, while in the arm of 8 weeks therapy there were no severe adverse events reported and no drop-out (p = 0.25). The only predictive factor for non-response in both treatment arms was the male sex. Conclusions. OPrD 8 weeks proved to be highly efficient in our patients with a 96.4% SVR. No serious adverse events and no drop out were reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is an important cause of mortality. Access to liver transplantation (LT) has significantly improved the prognosis of LC. A rigorous pre-transplant cardiac evaluation is mandatory, since cardiac dysfunction is considered the main cause of mortality after LT. Notwithstanding, the most updated pre-LT evaluation guidelines provide only an algorithm for the evaluation of major cardiovascular diseases, with no specific recommendations concerning cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM), which is linked to various complications in LC, especially the development of heart failure after invasive procedures and surgical interventions, including LT. CCM is characterized by a cardiac dysfunction that includes systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction and/or electrophysiological abnormalities, in the absence of other known cardiac diseases. The role of the novel methods, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking echocardiography, might be essential in the early detection of cardiac dysfunction, with prognosis implications in LC. All these new methods were only recently included in the CCM diagnosis algorithm. This review summarizes the old and novel techniques used for the diagnosis of CCM, with their diagnosis and prognostic role. It also highlights the strengths and the weaknesses of the new provided CCM diagnostic consensus, and proposes a step-by-step novel diagnostic algorithm, in order to better detect cardiac dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Elimination of hepatitis C worldwide is more feasible if micro-elimination screening strategies are adopted. We aimed to screen hepatitis C virus (HCV) in specific high-risk populations in certain sub-regions of Romania and link them to antiviral treatment. Methods: A multicenter prospective study was conducted among the hospitalized or ambulatory adult patients from March 2019 to March 2020 in more than 20 medical institutions from 4 Romanian cities (Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca). A rapid diagnostic test for HCV diagnosis was performed to all admitted patients and the positive ones were sent to gastroenterology departments for confirming the active infection, staging and treatment prescription. Results: In total, 25,141 subjects signed the informed consent and were consequently enrolled into the study. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 1.39% (95%CI: 1.25-1.54) and increased with the number of risk factors presented by one subject. There was a positive association between the presence of anti-HCV antibodies and female gender (p<0.001), rural area of residence (p<0.001), advanced age (p<0.001), as well as a negative association with the education level (p<0.001). Conclusions: In a hospital-based screening micro-elimination program in Romania, HCV prevalence was lower than previously reported. This is a first step towards a cost-effective screening in a well-defined group of persons at risk and provides sufficient capacity to deliver access to HCV treatment and linkage to care in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) with or without Ribavirin (RBV) has shown good results in terms of efficacy and safety in clinical trials in advanced liver cirrhosis, but real-life data are still needed in order to confirm this profile. We investigated the efficacy and safety of LDV/SOF in a large Romanian population with liver cirrhosis and genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods: We analyzed a multicentric retrospective cohort enrolling 349 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis due to HCV who received LDV/SOF±RBV 12/24 weeks (301/48). Patients were included between 2017-2018, all with genotype 1b. Main inclusion criteria were liver cirrhosis and detectable HCV RNA. The cases were followed-up monthly during therapy and 12 weeks after the end of therapy. Results: The cohort included 60% females with a median age of 61, 16% interferon (IFN) pre-treated, 53% with comorbidities, 40/53/7% with Child Pugh A/B/C, 4% with virus B co-infection and 8% with previously treated hepatocellular carcinoma. Mean initial MELD score was 11.92 (6.82÷ 24.5). Six patients were lost during follow-up. Sustained virologic response (SVR) in intention-to-treat was reported in 85.1%. Predictive factors of SVR in decompensated cirrhosis were female gender (p=0.01), advanced age (p<0.001), lower bilirubin levels (p=0.002) and lower CTP score (p=0.02). In patients with CTP score B or C low bilirubin levels (p=0.003), low INR (p<0.001), increased platelet count (p=0.04), low CTP score (p<0.001), lack of encephalopathy (p=0.02), serum albumin >3.5g/dl (p=0.002) predicted improvement of liver function. Serious adverse events were reported in 16/349 (4.6%), most of them due to severe liver decompensation (9/16). Conclusions: LDV/SOF±RBV proved to be highly efficient in our difficult to treat population with 85.1% SVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: To combat hepatitis C virus (HCV) and achieve its elimination by 2030, the emphasis should be on public health policies. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of epidemiology of HCV in Romanian risk groups that are characterized by higher occurrence densities with the aid of The Let's End HepC (LEHC) project. Methods: The LEHC project addressed the modelling of HCV epidemiology, being applied in several countries, one of which is Romania. The model comprised an integrated solution of public health policies focused on the disease, using Adaptive Conjoint Analysis and Markov chains systems. This tool allowed the quantitative evaluation of public health policies' impact, for every year until 2030, in five population groups: people who inject drugs (PWID), prisoners, individuals who have received blood products, children at risk for vertical transmission, and the remnant population. Results: It appears that Romania was already making great efforts in the context of public policies, allowing the achievement of HCV elimination by 2028 if current policies were maintained. Through additional work and greater efforts in further implementing public policies, the LEHC model estimated the possibility of anticipating this outcome to 2026. Conclusion: The LEHC model estimated an anticipation of the HCV elimination year in Romania to be 2026 if the twenty-four health policies in the study are fully implemented and consistently maintained over the years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Biological therapy has reduced the number of cases requiring surgical interventions, but at least half of the patients are operated during their lifetime. Choosing the optimal surgical moment is based on a series of factors related to the patient, preoperative medication, long term complications of the disease. Aim. Stratification of risk factors for postoperative morbidity, based on clinical guidelines for surgical therapy in Crohn's disease. Methods. The analysis of our own series of cases, superimposed on the statistical data from the ECCO surgical treatment guide, highlighted a series of risk factors, which were stratified according to the possibilities of preoperative correction. Results. The most frequent postoperative complications were identified as: anastomotic and enterocutaneous fistulas, intraperitoneal abscesses, wound dehiscences, general complications (pneumonia, urinary infections). The following factors were taken into account: Preoperative nutritional status, especially in patients with long periods of disease evolution, preoperative corticosteroid medication, control of sepsis sources (including clostridium difficile infection), cessation or not of immunological therapy. The nutritional status of patients with malabsorption syndrome or long-standing stenoses can be improved preoperatively by parenteral nutrition, minimally invasive treatment of the sources of intraperitoneal sepsis, correction of stenosis (percutaneous drainage of abscesses, balloon dilatations for short stenoses), antibiotic therapy and discontinuation of cortisone medication, can reduce the risk of postoperative complications. Conclusion. The surgical moment is not clearly coded and it is difficult to choose. The decision must be multidisciplinary and take into account the patients' quality of life and the operative risk. Delaying the intervention can lead to nutritional degradation and increased postoperative morbidity as a result of prolonged corticotherapy or the installation of malabsorption syndrome. There are often situations in which surgery represents a new beginning for the gastroenterologist in re-initiating drug therapy, such as situations in which the timing of the intervention until the non-invasive therapeutic resources are exhausted can lead to the failure of a surgical solution that, applied early, would have been beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Lynch syndrome (LS former known as HNPCC) is a subject of interest for gastroenterologists and other specialties. The design of a multidisciplinary center for Lynch syndrome requires not only equipment but also the existence of a complex team of specialists who are trained to possess expertise in this field. Aim. In order to design the project, we started a colorectal cancer prevalence study among patients who present themselves in a university emergency hospital. The purpose of the study was to characterize epidemiologically and clinically the cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed and treated in our hospital and to highlight among them the potential cases of LS. This study represents only one part of the prevalence study of digestive or gynecological tumors that may present the defining elements of LS. Methods. We performed an observational, retrospective study in a single tertiary center were the complete diagnosis and treatment is recommended by the tumor board team. The board's goal is to determine the best possible cancer treatment and care plan for an individual patient. The complete medical files of the patients discharged with CCR diagnosis confirmed by biopsies were collected and analyzed, on a period of one year before (2019), during (2020-2021) and a year after (2022) pandemic time. From the total number of patients discharged with CCR, we chose those younger than 50 years old, for whom we searched the medical records if they fulfill the Amsterdam criteria. All patients underwent pathological examination and IHC. Those who presented microsatellite instability MSI, were registered to undergo genetic tests to identify the possible presence of LS. Results. from 1850 CCRs discharged patients who performed histological examination and IHC (2019-2022), 165 (8.91%) were under 50 year old at diagnosis and 24 of them (14,4%) had MSI high on IHC. Of these, only 3 patients fulfill the family history for LS. For all 24 patients we recommend genetic testing in order to confirm the specific mutations. From 165 patients, we lost for follow-up 18 (10.9%) Conclusions. The design of a multidisciplinary center for LS is feasible, under the premise that the data collection methodology is homogenous and the patients go through the diagnostic and follow-up protocol under the coordination of a team of specialists in genetic syndromes. The high percentage of patients with MSI on IHC offers the opportunity to diagnose those with genetic LS by complete family history anamnesis and genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no clear recommendations regarding cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CC) evaluation in patients with pre-transplant liver cirrhosis. The roles of new methods, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in the diagnosis and prognosis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy remain controversial. We investigated the utility of TDI/STE parameters in cirrhotic cardiomyopathy diagnosis and also in predicting mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis. Left/right ventricular function was studied using conventional TDI (velocities) and STE (strain/strain rate). We assessed left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, graded into four new classes (I/Ia/II/III). Serum NTproBNP (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide), troponin I, β-crosslaps, QTc interval, arterial compliance and endothelial function were measured. Liver-specific scores (Child-Pugh, MELD, MELDNa) were computed. There was a 1-y follow-up visit to determine mortality. We observed resting biventricular diastolic myocardial dysfunction, not presently included in the definition of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. We provided an improved characterization of cardiac dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis. This might change the current definition. However, the utility of STE/TDI parameters in predicting long-term mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis remains controversial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Literature data suggest that HCV genotype-1b is present in 93-99% of the Romanian patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We present the genotyping tests recently performed on patients with HCV and advanced fibrosis eligible for the Direct-Acting Antiviral (DAA) therapy, as well as the prevalence of these cases across Romania. Methods: The genotyping method was performed on 7,421 HCV patients with advanced fibrosis. The detection method was automatic real time PCR platform M2000 (Abbott). Every subject was introduced into a database including age, sex, county and address. Results: Genotype 1b was almost exclusively present: 7,392/7,421 (99.6%). Genotype 1b patients were 19.6% from Bucharest, 49% were males, with a median age of 60 years. Genotype non-1b was encountered in 29/7,421 subjects (0.4%), 62% were males, 69% from Bucharest and the median age was 52 years. Most of the subjects (75%) were in the 6th and 7th age decade. The prevalence of these cases varied significantly across Romanian counties: the highest was in Bucharest (61.3/105), Bihor (47/105), Iasi (46/105) and Constanţa (43/105), and the lowest in Ilfov (2.8/105), Harghita (3.7/105), Covasna (5.4/105) and Maramureş, Romania (8.8/105) (p<0.001). Conclusions: Genotype 1b is encountered in 99.6% of patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced fibrosis from Romania. The presence of genotypes non-1b is more common in Bucharest, in males and at a younger age. There are significant differences regarding the distribution of these cases across Romania: the highest rates are in Bucharest, Bihor, Iasi and Constanta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]