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Radon equilibrium factor Feq is an important factor in radon progeny dose assessment. A review of published measurements of Feq shows a range of values from 0.1 to 1.0 reported in studies from more than 26 countries measured in 173 underground mines, and 136 show caves, tourist mines, and thermal spas. The average values of Feq are 0.38 in underground mines and 0.39 for show caves, tourist mines, and thermal spas. The wide range of Feq in those special workplaces suggests that location-, environment-, and operation-specific values are more appropriate than a recommended average value in the calculation of lung bronchial dose. This is especially important in mines or other typically high radon exposure locations because Feq can be used for recording an individual's occupational radon exposure or dose.

This paper was designed to report the results of comparative clinical and functional studies involving 89 patients who presented with moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and were given the combined treatment with yellow turpentine bathtubs and bronchodilators inhalations with the use of a nebulizer. The patients comprising group 1 (n=29) were treated with yellow turpentine bathtubs and bronchodilators inhalations, those making up group 2 (n=30) received monotherapy with yellow turpentine bathtubs alone, and the patients included in group 3 (n=3) served as controls treated with the use of therapeutic physical exercises and symptomatic medications analogous to those given to the patients of the two former groups. The results of the study give evidence of the advantages of the rehabilitative complex including yellow turpentine bathtubs and atrovent inhalations over two alternative therapeutic modalities attributable to its pronounced anti-inflammatory and immune-corrective activity that resulted in the generalized improvement of bronchial patency, reduction of lung hypertension, and enhancement of physical tolerance; taken together, these effects ensured the best clinical results.

Aim: This article aims to analyze the scientific understanding of the role of balneotherapy in the treatment of numerous urological conditions based on the latest research and clinical findings. Materials and Methods: A review of literature from PubMed and Google Scholar databases published between 2000 and 2023 on the use of balneotherapy for urological conditions was performed. The literature data was analyzed to identify the most common urological conditions such as chronic pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, urolithiasis, rehabilitation after prostatectomy and overactive bladder syndrome in which this field of physical medicine is applicable. Publications containing the following keywords were selected for analysis: balneology, urology, cpp, OAB, urolithiasis, post-prostatectomy treatment. Out of 90 papers, 26 sources containing key information related to the topic of the paper were selected. Conclusions: While the potential of balneotherapy in urology appears promising, it is crucial to approach these findings with cautious optimism. Many studies are in their early stages, and larger, multicenter, randomized, controlled trials are essential for a solid understanding of the role of balneotherapy in urology. In addition, it is essential to establish standard protocols to ensure patient safety and treatment efficacy. As our knowledge deepens, balneotherapy, with its rich history, may become a cornerstone of modern urologic care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to assess both the economic and social value of balneotherapy and spa tourism, being the first paper in carrying out this analysis. The study has been conducted in Maresme, a region of Catalonia, Spain. On the one hand, an Input-Output (IO) model with a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) has been carried out to assess the economic value. On the other hand, a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) has been used to monetise the social value in this region, taking into account, among other concepts, direct and indirect health profits, given that balneotherapy helps to alleviate various diseases. The results show that whereas the economic multiplier is 1.529 considering the direct and indirect effects and 1.712 taking into account also the induced effects, which are similar to health and medical tourism multipliers, social value generates additional positive value, given that the cost-benefit ratio is 1.858. The theoretical implications of the paper as well as the findings' implications for policy so as to encourage investments in spa tourism are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To review the evidence regarding the clinical effect of spa therapy for rheumatic diseases, with particular attention given to association protocols between balneotherapy and rehabilitation interventions, and to support the literature research and studies' selection with lexical analysis. Methods: A lexical analysis was performed considering a list of words representing diseases and outcome measures linked to the theme studied in our review. Then, two independent researchers conducted a literature search on PubMed using the string employed for lexical analysis, including Randomized Controlled Trials regarding spa therapy's clinical effects on patients affected by rheumatic diseases published in the last 30 years. After the exclusion of works that did not meet the eligibility criteria, 14 studies were included in the final scoping review. Results: Spa therapy has shown a favourable effect on pain, function and quality of life in patients with Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Different treatment modalities and types of water have demonstrated beneficial long-term clinical improvement. Furthermore, the association between thermal therapy and rehabilitation treatments has shown better clinical outcomes, probably due to the synergistic effect between the peculiar properties of the thermal waters and the therapeutic exercise program, if conducted in the same context. Conclusions: The combination of balneotherapy and rehabilitative interventions seems to be effective in ameliorating several outcomes in patients with rheumatic diseases. However, due to the wide variety of methodologies and interventions employed, these findings need to be further investigated. The lexical analysis should represent an auxiliary support for an extensive evaluation of scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this section, Nikki Welyczko presents a brief synopsis of a range of recently published articles that may be of interest to nurses working in the renal setting. The aim of this roundup is to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary and critique, of the research papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of spa therapy is growing worldwide, with care practitioners paying more attention to how this intervention can alleviate various health issues. Multiple studies have been performed and reported on the efficiency of balneotherapy, creating a need to understand the quality of the information in the existing studies and how they can inform practitioners in promoting evidence-based practice. The SPAC assessment tool describes and assesses the quality of reports of interventional trials in balneotherapy. The present study had two goals. The first goal was the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SPAC assessment tool in Greek language following an internationally accepted methodology. The second goal was to assess the reliability of the tool employing test-retest and interrater reliability studies in a sample of 15 relative RCT papers and to assess the criterion validity of the Greek version by comparing its results with the original English version when assessing the same 15 papers. The results revealed that the SPAC checklist was translated and adapted in Greek without difficulties between the translators. Reliability of the SPAC was found excellent in both test-retest (ICC = .98) and interrater (ICC = .95) indexes. The criterion validity assessment for Greek version of SPAC checklist was also almost perfect (ICC = .98). In the present study, the Greek version of the SPAC checklist was found to be a comprehensible, reliable, and valid tool to assess the quality of interventional trial reports on the efficacy of spa therapy for cure and health enhancement., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to International Society of Biometeorology.)

Copyright of Radovi Zavoda za znanstveni rad Varazdin is the property of Institute for Scientific Work in Varazdin, Croatian Academy of Sciences & Arts 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.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Inhalations with thermal waters are an old therapeutic method used in the therapy of respiratory diseases as a treatment of choice showing a long-lasting outcome with no side effects. Paradoxically, there is little well-established research on their mechanisms of action., Aim of the Study: The aim of this paper is therefore to summarize the influence of inhalatory treatment with thermal waters on the main symptoms and features of respiratory disorders including allergy-like symptoms, inflammation, oxidant-anti-oxidant balance, cellular influx, disturbed mucus secretions, recurrent infections, pulmonary and nasal function and quality of life. A short history of inhalations is also presented., Materials and Methods: The present paper is a sum-up of research articles on the use of inhalations with thermal waters in respiratory disorders., Results: According to the herein presented literature, the use of thermal water inhalations is beneficial for almost all manifestations of respiratory diseases. The mode of their action remains still unclear; however, it seems that the most important one relies on the restoration of proper defense mechanisms of the organism., Conclusions: Inhalations with thermal waters alleviate symptoms of respiratory diseases. They also improve the quality of life of the patients and seem to be a good add-on therapy in the treatment of disorders of the respiratory system., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

OP.0053 INvestigational Study Into Transplantation of the Uterus (INSITU); Deceased donor uterine ret... Benjamin Jones 1,2; Saaliha Vali 1,2; Srdjan Saso 1,2; Timothy Bracewell-Milnes 3,2; Jame... 1 Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College NHS Trust, London, UK; 2 Imperial College London, Lo... B Objective: b Uterine transplantation (UTx) is now undisputedly a viable fertility restoring therapeutic intervention for women with absolute uterine factor infertility. PP.0020 A concept Paper: Micro-Minituarised Operating Bots (MMOB) in benign gynaecological surgery Eugene Leong Weng Kong Taylors University School of Medicine, Klinik Pakar Wanita Imperial NewLife-Precious Obstetri... B Objective: b To introduce the concept of Micro-Minituarised Operating BOTS (MMOB) in benign gynaecological surgery. In collaboration with the abdominal national organ retrieval team, whilst the organs are still perfused with blood, dissection to mobilise the vessels and ureters in the pelvic side walls is undertaken. [Extracted from the article]

Spa therapy is a heterogeneous collection of treatments and methods based on natural resources. It is often considered as an option in the common therapeutic approach to many musculoskeletal disorders, as well as respiratory, vascular, and dermatological disorders. The objective of this paper is to highlight possible interactions between rehabilitation and spa medicine in the field of musculoskeletal disorders, through an analysis of the scientific literature, in order to give the practitioner the ability to integrate good clinical practice in the field of rehabilitation through practical application involving spa therapies. The literature search was conducted using Medline, PEDro, Cochrane Database, and Google Scholar. Only studies published in English and works concerning the implementation of spa thermal treatment in neuro-musculoskeletal diseases were included. Specifically, the publications analyzed dealt with the treatment of diseases such as arthritis, rheumatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and low back pain through the use of thermal spa therapies. In conjunction with its widespread use in clinical practice, many studies in the literature suggest the effectiveness of crenobalneotherapy for a number of musculoskeletal disorders, generally those which are chronic and debilitating, finding significant clinical improvement both in terms of pain and functional limitations. Some of the guidelines formulated by national and international bodies on the treatment of specific diseases, such as the Italian Rheumatology Society (SIR) and the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) guidelines, recognize the value of thermal medicine as a complement, but not a replacement, for conventional therapy (pharmacological or not).

Background. The medical relevance of therapeutic gases can range from use in burns and stroke victims to hypoxia therapy in children. However, medical gases such as oxygen, hydrogen, helium and xenon have recently come under increased exploration for their potential therapeutic use on various brain disease states, including traumatic brain injuries, hypoxia-ischemia and, cerebral hemorrhages. Objective. This synthetic review aims to rigorously select related articles and identify within their content the main possible uses of therapeutic gases and physiological mechanisms. The objective of this article is to present the various therapeutic mechanisms that have been proposed in the current literature and the medical relevance of various therapeutic gases used in balneotherapy or medical rehabilitation. Methods. To elaborate our synthesis review, we have searched for relevant open access articles in 6 international databases: Cochrane1, Elsevier1, NCBI/PubMed1, NCBI/PMC1, PEDro1, and ISI Web of Knowledge/Science1, published from January 2011 until December 2020. The contextually quested keywords combinations/syntaxes used are specified on this page. The eligible articles were analyzed in detail regarding pathologies addressed by therapeutic gases. All articles with any design (reviews, randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies), if eligible according to the above-mentioned selection methodology, containing in the title or abstract the above-mentioned combinations, were included in the analysis. Articles were excluded in the second phase if they did not reach the relevance criterion. Results. Our search identified, first, 225 articles. After eliminating the duplicates, remained 180 articles. In the second phase, we applied a relevance criterion. Although our team - including the authors of this paper - have quite long and consistent expertise in achieving systematic literature reviews, the marked heterogeneity of both the item composing the subject we have approached and inherently the wase of presentations in the respective quite vast and diverse domain of medical gases, prevented us to fulfil, at least regarding this initial work, a systematic literature review. Instead, we succeeded to make a hopefully interesting and valuable narrative synthetic-related literature review. At the end of the second phase, 63 articles passed the relevance criterion and were included in this synthetic review. Conclusions. Therapeutic gases are not fully understood and used adequately for sanogenic or medical purposes. More research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and importance of therapeutic gases. The link between balneotherapy and medical rehabilitation regarding the usage of therapeutical gases emphasises the unity for this medical speciality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2006; 16: 35-44. 10.2188/jea.16.35 19 Király M, K"ovári E, Hodosi K, Bálint PV, Bender T. The effects of Tiszasüly and Kolop mud pack therapy on knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomised, non-inferiority controlled study. 10.1007/s00484-020-01919-8 12 Gay C, Guiguet-Auclair C, Coste N, Boisseau N, Gerbaud L, Pereira B, Coudeyre E. Limited effect of a self-management exercise program added to spa therapy for increasing physical activity in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a quasi-randomized controlled trial. Dear Editor, We have read with interest the paper by Noriega et al. ([30]) entitled "Balneotherapy with a psychoeducation program for the promotion of balanced care in family caregivers of older adults" and we would like to make two comments: first, the medical spa is proven to be an ideal place to promote health education and second, to consider a treatment such as Balneotherapy, a series of requirements must be met: the use of medicinal-mineral water in a specific medical spa, the use of specialized techniques, and of course, these must take place over an appropriate number of sessions and days (Gutenbrunner et al. [15]). 10.1007/s00484-019-01800-3 36 Rat AC, Loeuille D, Vallata A, Bernard L, Spitz E, Desvignes A, Boulange M, Paysant J, Guillemin F, Chary-Valckenaere I. Spa therapy with physical rehabilitation is an alternative to usual spa therapy protocol in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Mineral Resources Management / Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences 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 study presented in this paper assessed the multidisciplinary approach of geothermal potential in the area of the most southeastern part of the Pannonian basin, focused on resources utilization. This study aims to present a method for the cascade use of geothermal energy as a source of thermal energy for space heating and cooling and as a resource for balneological purposes. Two particular sites were selected—one in a natural environment; the other within a small settlement. Geothermal resources come from different types of reservoirs having different temperatures and chemical compositions. At the first site, a geothermal spring with a temperature of 20.5 °C is considered for heat pump utilization, while at the second site, a geothermal well with a temperature of 54 °C is suitable for direct use. The calculated thermal power, which can be obtained from geothermal energy is in the range of 300 to 950 kW. The development concept was proposed with an architectural design to enable sustainable energy efficient development of wellness and spa/medical facilities that can be supported by local authorities. The resulting energy heating needs for different scenarios were 16–105 kW, which can be met in full by the use of geothermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health Resort Medicine, Balneology, Medical Hydrology and Climatology are not fully recognised as independent medical specialties at a global international level. Analysing the reasons, we can identify both external (from outside the field) and internal (from inside the field) factors. External arguments include, e.g. the lack of scientific evidence, the fact that Balneotherapy and Climatotherapy is not used in all countries, and the fact that Health Resort Medicine, Balneology, Medical Hydrology and Climatology focus only on single methods and do not have a comprehensive concept. Implicit barriers are the lack of international accepted terms in the field, the restriction of being allowed to practice the activities only in specific settings, and the trend to use Balneotherapy mainly for wellness concepts. Especially the implicit barriers should be subject to intense discussions among scientists and specialists. This paper suggests one option to tackle the problem of implicit barriers by making a proposal for a structure and description of the medical field, and to provide some commonly acceptable descriptions of content and terminology. The medical area can be defined as “medicine in health resorts” (or “health resort medicine”). Health resort medicine includes “all medical activities originated and derived in health resorts based on scientific evidence aiming at health promotion, prevention, therapy and rehabilitation”. Core elements of health resort interventions in health resorts are balneotherapy, hydrotherapy, and climatotherapy. Health resort medicine can be used for health promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. The use of natural mineral waters, gases and peloids in many countries is called balneotherapy, but other (equivalent) terms exist. Substances used for balneotherapy are medical mineral waters, medical peloids, and natural gases (bathing, drinking, inhalation, etc.). The use of plain water (tap water) for therapy is called hydrotherapy, and the use of climatic factors for therapy is called climatotherapy. Reflecting the effects of health resort medicine, it is important to take other environmental factors into account. These can be classified within the framework of the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health). Examples include receiving health care by specialised doctors, being well educated (ICF-domain: e355), having an environment supporting social contacts (family, peer groups) (cf. ICF-domains: d740, d760), facilities for recreation, cultural activities, leisure and sports (cf. ICF-domain: d920), access to a health-promoting atmosphere and an environment close to nature (cf. ICF-domain: e210). The scientific field dealing with health resort medicine is called health resort sciences. It includes the medical sciences, psychology, social sciences, technical sciences, chemistry, physics, geography, jurisprudence, etc. Finally, this paper proposes a systematic international discussion of descriptions in the field of Health Resort Medicine, Balneology, Medical Hydrology and Climatology, and discusses short descriptive terms with the goal of achieving internationally accepted distinct terms. This task should be done via a structured consensus process and is of major importance for the publication of scientific results as well as for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest on low‐temperature geothermal resources is progressively increasing since their renewability and widespread availability. Despite their frequency, these resources and their development have been only partially investigated. This paper unravels the major physical processes driving a low‐temperature geothermal resource in NE Italy (Euganean Geothermal System) through conceptual and numerical modeling. Dense fracturing associated to regional fault zones and a relay ramp enhances regional to local flow of thermal waters. Their rapid upwelling in the Euganean Geothermal Field is favored by open extensional fractures deforming the relay ramp. The water (65–86 °C) is intensively exploited for balneotherapy, rendering it a profitable resource. Three‐dimensional coupled flow and heat transport numerical simulations based on this conceptual model are performed. Despite the presence of a uniform basal heat flow, a thermal anomaly corresponding to field observations develops in the modeling domain reproducing the relay ramp. Intensive fracturing extending across a wide area and a slightly anomalous heat flow favors a local increase in convection that drives the upwelling of deep‐seated hot waters. The simulations corroborate and refine the conceptual model, revealing that water of up to 115 °C is likely to be found in the unexplored part of the thermal field. This study furthers knowledge on fault‐controlled low‐temperature geothermal resources where the geological setting could enhance local convection without anomalous heat flows, creating temperatures favorable for energy production. Conceptual and numerical modeling based on solid geological and hydrogeological reconstructions can offer a support tool for further detailed explorations of these prominent resources. Key Points: Fracturing related to local extension by fault interaction in a convergent regional setting controls fluid flow in a geothermal systemNumerical simulations corroborate the impact of structural process driving a local increase in convection and the rising of thermal watersConvection enhanced by fracturing can result in temperature values profitable for energy production in low‐temperature geothermal resources [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.)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation of synovial joints with pain, often leading to joint destruction and disability, and despite intensive research, the cause of RA remains unknown. Balneotherapy-also called mineral baths or spa therapy-uses different types of mineral water compositions like sulphur, radon, carbon dioxin, etc. The role of balneotherapy is on debate; Sukenik wrote that the sulphur mineral water has special proprieties to rheumatologic diseases, including in the course of active inflammatory phases in RA. The aim of this review is to summarize the available evidence on the effects of balneotherapy on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We have made a systematic search of the articles published from 1980 to 2014 on this topic in PubMed, Scopus, CRD, PEDro, Web of Science and Embase databases. We have followed the method set by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). These that have compared balneotherapy with other therapeutic modalities or with no intervention were considered. The inclusion criteria of these papers were randomized control trial (RCT); languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese; evaluation of efficacy (analysis of outcomes); use of natural mineral water baths; and participants with RA. A total of eight articles documenting RCTs were found and included for full review and critical appraisal involving a total of 496 patients. The studies selected highlighted an important improvement and statistically significant in several clinical parameters, in spite of their heterogeneity between the various studies. One study emphasized an important improvement on functional capacity up to 6 months of follow-up (FU). Some of the studies (std.) reveal an improvement on morning stiffness (5 std.), number of active joints (3 std.), Ritchie index (2 std.) and activities of daily living (2 std.) up to 3 months of FU. Three studies reveal the improvement on handgrip strength up to 1 month of FU. About pain (VAS), the three studies which evaluated this parameter were inconclusive about real significant improvement. Our tables summarize the published papers about this topic. Different authors emphasize the same problems: methodologies differing from study to study, treatment modalities, outcomes and their analysis. On the one hand, it is particularly difficult to have homogeneity on this population in all the parameters (patient's clinical heterogeneity, diverse clinical course of the disease, variety of the drugs), and on the other hand, natural mineral water composition is always unique with potential specific biological effects. This comprehensive review has revealed that there are very few published studies about the use of natural mineral water in RA. International multicentre studies, using the same methodologies, could be achieved by carrying the scientific arguments to support our clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The physical performance and functional status of individuals with long COVID may be altered. Health resort treatment comprises balneology, exercises, physical medicine modalities, and climate therapy. Complex treatment in a sanatorium may have a positive effect on long COVID patients. This study assessed functional status, physical performance, and fatigue in people with long COVID that qualified for the health resort treatment and its efficacy in this group of patients. Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of 116 patients (66 women and 50 men) undergoing health resort treatment for long COVID in 2021 at the Rehabilitation Hospital and Sanatorium "Gwarek" in Goczałkowice-Zdrój (Poland) was conducted. Data were collected between March and May 2024. Their functional status, physical performance, and level of fatigue were assessed twice: before and after the treatment. Results: After the health resort treatment, their physical performance (10.41 points ± 1.84 points vs. 11.57 points ± 0.94 points; p < 0.00001) and functional status (2.13 points ± 0.88 points vs. 1.23 points ± 0.62 points; p < 0.00001) improved. Their fatigue (4.83 points ± 2.38 points vs. 2.15 points ± 1.31 points; p < 0.00001) level was diminished after the treatment. Conclusions: Fatigue was of moderate intensity in the long COVID patients that qualified for the health resort treatment. Most of the long COVID patients reported mild functional limitations, whereas their physical performance was undisturbed. Health resort treatment improved functioning in patients with persistent COVID-19 symptoms by reducing fatigue, improving their functional capacity and physical performance. It should be recommended as a supplement to the standard treatment because of its complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balneotherapy experiences a sharp increase in popularity during recent years. The present paper gives a perspective on the therapeutic use of mineral baths in the town of Solec-Zdroj in southeastern Poland, an old time spa endowed with rich natural sulfurous water resources. Historical aspects of the formation and development of the spa are presented, along with the contemporary insights into the plausible mechanisms and benefits of sulfide treatment, not only in otherwise hardly treatable chronic skin disorders but also in a variety of disease processes in organ systems. Sulfurous balneotherapy is not without potential risks, particularly for the skin, a tissue it is considered the most viable treatment for. The healing effect of sulfide waters does not increase in proportion to the sulfur content. As in every stimulus-based treatment, the stimulant strength should not go beyond the favorable hormetic boundaries of safety. Although the exact bioproperties of a high content of hydrogen sulfide in natural mineral springs are yet to be fully unraveled and understood in the context of healing capability, sulfide bath treatment is capable of growing and developing. It remains a cost-effective alternative to pharmaceutical products in a variety of disorders.

Introduction Various authors from the three Romanian historical provinces, with particularities related to the different historical evolution of these provinces, have preceded and prepared through their studies, the emergence of balneology education in Romania. Materials and Methods: Literature survey. Results The first papers from our country in the field of balneology described the mineral waters of Transylvania (I Matyus, M Neustadter, S Koleseri, L Wagner, S Hatvany, J von Greissig, A Kurz, L Kovary, F Nyulas, I Meyr), Moldova (L Steege, B. Hacquet, D Cantemir, D Apostolescu, V Butiureanu) or Wallachia (M Wertheimer). Vasile Popp contributed to the development of Romanian medical terminology, being the author of the first medical paper in the field of balneology ("About mineral waters from Arpătac, Bodoc and Covasna") (1821). The first balneology study in Wallachia, ("The Metallic Waters of Great Romania, researched, described, and accompanied by a dietetic and macrovietic") was written by Ştefan Episcopescu (1857). Other remarkable authors are: Anastasie Fãtu (1874, "The description and use of communal water and mineral water in Romania, Moldavia and Muntenia") and Alexandru Șaabner-Tuturi (1900, "Mineral Waters and Climatic Resorts in Romania"). The first manual of hydrotherapy in Romanian was published by Gheorghe Baiulescu (1904). Doctor Ion Hozan, head of the hydrotherapy department of Grafenberg spa resort, played a special role in decisively influencing Marius Sturza's career. The latter became tenured lecturer of the first Department of Balneology and Physiotherapy at the Faculty of Medicine in Cluj (1931). At about the same time, Gheorghe Baltaceanu became the head of the Balneophysiotherapy Department at the Faculty of Medicine in Bucharest (1935). Conclusions In parallel with European studies in the field of balneology, studies that paved the way to the emergence of balneology and physiotherapy education in our country were published in Transylvania and in the Romanian Principalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are intimately connected to nature, and our physical and mental health is influenced strongly by our environment. The "elements," classically described in humoral theory as Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, all may impact our mental health. In a contemporary sense, these elements reflect a range of modifiable factors: UV light or heat therapy (Fire); sauna, hydrotherapy, and balneotherapy (Water); nature-based exposure therapy and horticulture (Earth); oxygen-rich/clean air exposure; and breathing techniques (Air). This theoretical scoping review paper details the emerging evidence for a range of these elements, covering epidemiological and interventional data, and provides information on how we can engage in "biophilic" activities to harness their potential benefits. Interventional examples with emerging evidentiary support include "forest-bathing," heat therapy, sauna, light therapy, "greenspace" and "bluespace" exercise, horticulture, clay art therapy activities, and pranayamic yoga breathing exercises. Further robust research is however required to firmly validate many of these interventions, and to establish their therapeutic applications for the benefit of specific mental health disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is an activity practiced in our times at a large scale, with more and more people wanting to be part of this phenomenon, aware of its benefits: cultural, emotional and even health benefits. Spa tourism has a long tradition in Europe: the curative properties of water were highly valued by the Greeks and Romans, who turned the habit of bathing into a social occasion. This form of tourism is no stranger to Romania, being practiced here since 2000 years ago, the most important evidences being the Roman built resorts such as Băile Herculane. Spa tourism is of significant importance for employee recovery after occupational stress, helps with recovering from injuries, provides a life extension and improves specific ailments associated with ageing. This paper attempts to foray into health tourism over time - from the earliest records of the use of curative thermal waters in Europe until present, suggesting ways that we believe are beneficial for future research. The second part of the paper focuses on Băile Herculane, with an analysis of the resort tourism indicators, its present condition and possible improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors were interested in the lectures' themes, organisation, the course, and the accompanied activities at the balneology congress in Opatija in 1904. The congress was organised by the principle of the health resort at the time Professor Dr Julius Glax, and consisted of two separate parts. The first part was held in Opatija from October 13 until 15, 1904. There were lectures, auto-papers, summaries, reports, discussions, and the afternoon expert trip to Crikvenica by boat. In Opatija the participants were shown the spa park, the rehabilitation paths for patients with heart difficulties, marine baths Angiolona and Slatina, the covered spa Erzherzog Ludwig Viktor Bad, and of the health institution Zander Institute. At the accompanying exhibition the Austrian and German companies represented their products, among them still recognised Bayer, C. Reichert in Karl Zeiß. Additionally, the owner of the Zanderinstitut in Opatija Dr Isor Stein presented his own therapeutic aid exerciteur there. The first part of the congress concluded on October 15, 1904 with the great banquet in the hotel Stephanie.The second part of the congress was held from October 16 until 20, 1904. The expert trip was organised to the Austrian Riviera on the Pannonia ship. The participants visited attractions and health institutions in Mali Lošinj, Pula, Brijuni, Rovinj, Grado, Aquileia and Trieste, where they also had expert lectures. The closing ceremony of the second part of the congress was in Trieste, from where the participants returned to Vienna by the special train.

'Taking the (southern) waters' argues that, in the pre-Civil War period, the space of Virginia's mineral water resorts and the philosophy of southern hydropathic medicine enabled - indeed, fostered - white southerners' constructions of a 'nationalist,' proslavery ideology. In the first half of the paper, the author explains how white southern health-seekers came to view the springs region as a medicinal resource peculiarly designed for the healing of southern diseases and for the restoration of white southern constitutions; in the second half, she shows how physical and social aspects of the resorts, such as architectural choices and political events, supported and encouraged proslavery ideologies. Taken together, these medical-social analyses reveal how elite white southerners in the antebellum period came to associate the health of their peculiarly 'southern' bodies with the future health of an independent southern nation, one that elided black bodily presence at the same time that its social structures and scientific apparatuses relied upon enslaved black labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a comparative ethnography of the therapeutic practices at two different spa locations: Caldas da Imperatriz, SC, Brazil, and Termas da Sulfurea in Cabeco de Vide, Portugal. The comparison reveals the existence of contrasting 'explanatory models' held by the spa-goers as well as by the official medical systems. In the Portuguese context this model is highly medicalized; in the Brazilian case, spa treatments are viewed as 'alternative' or 'complementary' therapy and are also related to religious philosophies. Each model corresponds to a different idiom expressing certain experiences and world views, one focusing on 'pains' (dores) and the other on 'energy' (energia), the former leading to the rationale of 'curing', the latter to the notion of 'energizing'. In this paper the author intends to analyze and contrast the categories found in these models, which originate from different conceptions of health, illness and healing for Brazilian and Portuguese spa-goers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide application of geothermal energy for direct utilization is reviewed. This paper is based on the world update for direct-use presented at the World Geothermal Congress 2010 in Bali, Indonesia (WGC2010) [1] which also includes material presented at three world geothermal congresses in Italy, Japan and Turkey (WGC95, WGC2000 and WGC2005). This report is based on country update papers prepared for WGC2010 and data from other sources. Final update papers were received from 70 countries of which 66 reported some direct utilization of geothermal energy for WGC2010. Twelve additional countries were added to the list based on other sources of information. The 78 countries having direct utilization of geothermal energy, is a significant increase from the 72 reported in 2005, the 58 reported in 2000, and the 28 reported in 1995. An estimate of the installed thermal power for direct utilization at the end of 2009, reported from WGC2010 is 48,493 MWt, almost a 72 % increased over the 2005 data, growing at a compound rate of 11.4% annually with a capacity factor of 0.28. The thermal energy used is 423,830 TJ/year (117,740 GWh/yr), about a 55% increase over 2005, growing at a compound rate of 9.2% annually. The distribution of thermal energy used by category is approximately 47.2% for ground-source heat pumps, 25.8% for bathing and swimming (including balneology), 14.9% for space heating (of which 85% is for district heating), 5.5% for greenhouses and open ground heating, 2.8% for industrial process heating, 2.7% for aquaculture pond and raceway heating, 0.4% for agricultural drying, 0.5% for snow melting and cooling, and 0.2% for other uses. Energy savings amounted to 250 million barrels (38 million tonnes) of equivalent oil annually, preventing 33 million tonnes of carbon and 107 million tonnes of CO2 being release to the atmosphere which includes savings in geothermal heat pump cooling (compared to using fuel oil to generate electricity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simple message of this paper is that it is the high time to reevaluate the strategies and optimize the efforts for investigation of thermal (spa) waters. Several articles trying to clear mode of action of medicinal waters have been published up to now. Almost all studies apply the unproven hypothesis, namely the inorganic ingredients are in close connection with healing effects of bathing. Change of paradigm would be highly necessary in this field taking into consideration the presence of several biologically active organic substances in these waters. A successful design for experimental mechanistic studies is approved.

This article considers how chemical analyses were employed not only to study and describe mineral waters, but also to promote new spas, and to reinforce the scientific authority of experts. Scientists, jointly with bath owners, visitors and local authorities, created a significant spa market by transforming rural spaces into social and economic sites. The paper analyses the role developed by the chemist Antonio Casares in the commodification of mineral water in mid-19(th) century Spain. His scientific publications and water analyses put a new economic value on some Spanish mineral waters and rural springs. First the paper explores the relationship between geographic factors, regulation, and spa development in 19(th) century Spain, and considers how scientific work improved the economy of some rural areas. Then the transformation of numerous country springs into spas, and the commodification of baths as places between science and leisure is examined. Finally the location of spas across the borders of medicine and chemistry is shown, together with the complex field operations required to study mineral waters. This paper reveals an intense circulation of knowledge between the field, laboratories and scientific publications, as well as the essential role developed by experts like Casares, who not only contributed to the study of rural springs but also to their economic transformation.

More and more children suffer from birth defects and chronic diseases. A very effective form of the treatment is a stay in a health-resort. The aim of the study is to emphasize the importance of the children's health-resorts treatment in Poland. The aim of the study is to emphasize the importance of the functioning of children's health-resort treatment in Poland. This work is based on the study of literature and the contemporary state of knowledge about health-resort treatment of children and adolescents in Poland. The literature studied by the author covers topics such as: legislation related to health-resort treatment, forms of the patient's stay in the health resort, profiles and treatment methods, including extremely important climate therapy. The health-resorts carry out the treatment of the sick, rehabilitation, and prophylaxis. There are many possibilities for a child to stay in the health-resort. It depends on the sources of financing, the age of the patient, the presence of a caregiver or the object in which the patient will stay. A child's trip to a direct health-resort is also conditioned by the therapeutic profile, like treatment of the upper respiratory tract diseases, the nervous system diseases or obesity. In the health-resort treatment of children natural resources like climatotherapy are primarily used. The paper describes additionally the recommended children's health-resort treatment changes developed at the request of the Minister of Health by a specially appointed team in the field of balneoclimatology or paediatrics. It is important to adapt the health-resorts and the National Health Fund to the recommendations of the Team for the development of the concept of changes in the health-resort treatment system to be able to meet the individual needs of the young patient and his family. The mentioned recommendations will bring many significant changes in the children's health-resort treatment, leading to maintaining therapy conditions better and will make separation from home easier to cope with for a small patient. Repeating this kind of treatment at a young age allows to achieve a long-lasting improvement in the patient's health and reduces the cost of further treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. An active molecule in sulfurous mineral - therapeutic waters and also in sapropelic mud is H2S, a hormetic gaseous molecule that can actively penetrate the skin. While high levels of H2S are extremely toxic, low levels are tolerated and have potential cytoprotective effects, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant applications. Objective. This systematic review aims to rigorously select related articles and identify within their content the main possible uses of hydrogen sulfide from balneary sources and to explain its physiological mechanisms and therapeutic properties. Methods. To elaborate our systematic review, we have searched for relevant open access articles in 6 international databases: Cochrane¹, Elsevier¹, NCBI/PubMed¹, NCBI/PMC¹, PEDro¹, and ISI Web of Knowledge/Science¹, published from January 2016 until July 2021. The contextually quested keywords combinations/ syntaxes used are specified on this page. The eligible articles were analyzed in detail regarding pathologies addressed by hydrogen sulfide. All articles with any design (reviews, randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies), if eligible according to the above-mentioned selection methodology, containing in the title the selected combinations, were included in the analysis. Articles were excluded in the second phase if they did not reach the relevance criterion. Results. Our search identified, first, 291 articles. After eliminating the duplicates and non-ISI articles, remained 121 papers. In the second phase, we applied a PEDro selection filter, resulting in 108 articles that passed the relevance criterion and were included in this systematic review. Conclusions. H2S biology and medical relevance are not fully understood and used adequately for sanogenic or medical purposes. More research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and importance of this therapeutic gase. The link between balneotherapy and medical rehabilitation regarding the usage of hydrogen sulfide emphasises the unity for this medical speciality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]