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There is a need to broaden the knowledge of oncology nurses about exercise prescription and recommendations for the improvement of quality of life and physical and mental health of patients with cancer and survivors. In addition, oncology nurses need to have comprehensive knowledge regarding the physiological mechanisms underlying these improvements. Through this mini review, we aimed to describe the level of expertise of nurses in the field of exercise oncology and identify appropriate solutions to improve this knowledge. Articles concerning exercise and oncology nursing practices published between January 1996 and September 2020 were searched in the PubMed electronic database; relevant articles were selected, full-text articles were assessed, and important information was extracted. A standard exercise oncology curriculum needs to be developed and implemented for oncology nursing practitioners and those training in oncology nursing. Oncology nurses should be trained in exercise oncology, rehabilitation, and exercise prescription and follow-up. This could boost the rate of adherence to self-managed/home-based exercise routine among cancer survivors.

Precision medicine intends to tailor medical practice with a focus on the individual, built on the utilization of genetic tests, the identification of biomarkers, and the development of targeted medicines, and this can be achieved by having a complex knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-linked neurodegenerative disease that affects majorly individuals above 65; there is a growing indication that epigenetic disruption and dysregulation in the expression of micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) arise in PD. Genome-wide association studies discovered a straightforward consequence of the methylation status of α-synuclein in the pathogenesis of PD. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of neurodegenerative disease, epitomized by memory loss. The dysregulation of non-coding RNAs and epigenetic aberrations have been identified in AD. This narrative review aimed to elaborate on the potential epigenomic treatments for PD and AD. About 199 scientific articles written in English, which reported on novel epigenomic-based treatment for PD and AD, were selected for this review from the PubMed database. Full articles and relevant data were extracted. Treatments targeting DNA methylation or miRNAs appear to show promising outcomes for PD and AD. Moreover, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and associated protein 9 is a potential genome editing tool for deciphering and manipulating the epigenome for the treatment of PD and AD.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is an effective method for the assessment of cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular reaction to physical stress. It offers an independent assessment of cardiopulmonary fitness and functional capacity in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. The 6-min walk test (6MWT) can be used for the assessment of functional capacity when CPET is unavailable. Through this review, we aim to emphasize the importance of utilizing both CPET and 6MWT in the assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness/functional capacity in patients with lung cancer undergoing major thoracic oncological resections. We searched the PubMed electronic database using the MeSH system for articles reporting the use of CPET and 6MWT in cardiopulmonary fitness/functional capacity evaluation during cancer treatment. The full-text articles were assessed, and significant evidence was extracted. Only the articles written in the English language were selected. Using a combination of CPET and 6MWT for the assessment of cardiopulmonary fitness/functional capacity in patients with lung cancer undergoing complex oncological resections, could give a definite prediction of the possibility of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in these patients.

Physical activity (PA) is associated with a clear decrease in blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular mortality in both men and women. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of PA as an adjunct therapy in support of the prevention and pharmacological treatment of hypertension. Studies that reported on the correlation of PA and exercise on BP control among hypertensive patients from 1994 to 2019 were evaluated. PubMed electronic database was utilized. The MeSH system was used to extract relevant research studies from PubMed using the following keywords: “Exercise,” “training,” “hypertension,” “blood pressure,” “systematic review,” and “meta-analysis,” All selected articles were published in English. Sedentariness negatively affects cardiometabolic health, body composition, and BP among hypertensive patients, whereas PA significantly improves cardiometabolic parameters and body composition and leads to an overall improvement in cardiac parasympathetic system by increasing vagal tone, causing a reduction in resting heart rate, and systolic BP in hypertensive adults. Exercise should be tailored according to patient's clinical and functional status to avoid imposing variable internal training load on the patients. Moderate intensity aerobic, isometric and dynamic resistance exercise training alone, or a combination was equally effective in lowering BP among hypertensive adults.

The human body is a permissible medium, and radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) waves pass through this medium. The effects exerted by RF-EMF devices such as mobile phones on brain tissues are categorised into thermal and non-thermal effects. The aim of this review was to analyse the interactions and interface between RF-EMF exposure and the nervous system, to ascertain any negative impact on the nervous system at both cellular, molecular and systems level. Original studies that reported on the effects of RF-EMF exposure on the brain function and nervous system from inception to 20 August 2019 were searched online. The PubMed database was utilised. The MeSH system was used to excerpt relevant research studies from PubMed using the following keywords: electromagnetic field, radiofrequency, mobile phone, brain, central nervous system, radiation and neurophysiology. All selected articles were published in the English. Full articles were assessed, and relevant information was extracted. RF-EMF exposure significantly altered several neurophysiological mechanisms based on electroencephalogram studies and molecular and biochemical analysis. However, there was no substantial evidence linking RF-EMF exposure to the pathogenesis of brain tumour.

Background The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitudes and control practices among the staff and students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, regarding venomous arthropods. Methods The knowledge, attitudes and control practices regarding venomous arthropods were assessed in 350 participants. Results The respondents were aware of the presence of venomous arthropods at NAU and they had seen them on campus, with spiders (40.44%) being the most common and electric ants (1.39%) being the least common. The control practices applied to limit the activities of these arthropods included keeping the environment clean (40.80%), the use of insecticides (37.33%), the use of repellents (8.68%), spraying houses with kerosene (7.81%), spraying of fuel on the arthropods (3.47%), screening of houses (1.39%) and the use of bed nets (0.52%). Conclusions An assessment and determination of knowledge, attitudes and control practices regarding venomous arthropods among the staff and students of NAU is necessary in order to improve the preventive measures to reduce injuries caused by venomous arthropod encounters, which are some of the most underestimated health hazards in tropical regions, including southeastern Nigeria, affecting primarily rural communities. According to the findings of our study, students and staff at NAU are rarely involved in life-threatening incidents as a result of their encounters with venomous arthropods and most apply several globally accepted standard practices for the control of venomous arthropods.

Exercise oncology is a growing field in cancer care that deals with the use of various types of exercise (eg, aerobic exercise, resistance training and mind body exercise) in the management of patients with cancer.1 The progress of research in the field of exercise oncology has resulted to a broad and substantial evidence on the role of physical activity (PA) in cancer prevention and management. The growing field of exercise oncology is divided into three major areas (1) cellular and molecular exercise oncology, (2) clinical exercise oncology and (3) behavioural exercise oncology.1 Advancements and discoveries in cellular and molecular exercise oncology assist in the design and personalisation of exercise prescriptions for certain cancers in diverse populations, which have been successfully incorporated into clinical practice. Evidence showed that certain amount of aerobic exercise, resistance training and combined aerobic and resistance exercise can mitigate cancer-related health burdens (eg, anxiety, depressive symptoms and fatigue) and adverse effects associated with cancer treatment (such as cardiovascular toxicity and cognitive impairment).2 However, there is a need to improve the knowledge of medical oncologists on exercise prescription and tailoring exercise regimen according to patient’s health status and functional capacity. Currently, the 11th edition of the American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (ACSM) is the most recommended handbook for developing expertise in exercise testing, safety, prescription and monitoring, which can be applied in clinical exercise oncology. The handbook covers technically established standards on clinical exercise testing and prescription, interpretation of clinical exercise test results and reviews of recommended methods for exercise testing and exercise prescription in healthy and diseased patients. Moreover, the handbook also contains important evidence on …

A glioma is a kind of tumor that initiates in the glial cells of the brain or the spinal cord. High rates of complications and mortality are leading features of gliomas, a glioma can be treated through a surgical procedure, radiation, and chemotherapy. This short communication aimed to analyze the crucial role of epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of gliomas and the possible treatment of gliomas by manipulating epigenetic mechanisms. The pathogenesis of glioma is associated with key epigenetic mechanisms, which are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation, abnormal microribonucleic acid (RNA), chromatin remodeling, and histone modifications. Alterations and mutations in genes are often seen in gliomas. Alterations and mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) are commonly found in gliomas; mutant IDH1 facilitates the maintenance of genomic stability in tumors by increasing the DNA damage reaction. Moreover, therapeutic modification of epigenetic alterations connected with the development of gliomas is of utmost clinical significance; comprehensive knowledge of epigenetic aberrations that lead to the formation of glioma will help in the design and development of epigenetic drugs for the treatment of gliomas. Some medications that target epigenetic alterations such as inhibitors of mutant IDH, bromodomain and extraterminal motif inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitor, DNA methylation inhibitors, and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitors are presently used to tackle glioma.

Gambling disorder (GD) is characterized by a pattern of continual or persistent gambling behavior, which may be online or offline, demonstrated by impaired control over gambling (e.g., inception, rate, passion, duration, cessation, and perspective). GD entails growing precedence given to gambling activities to the point that gambling takes priority over other daily activities and continuation and intensification of gambling despite the rate of negative consequences. The pattern of gambling behavior may be constant or episodic and recurrent. With regard to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, gambling behavior and associated characteristics are usually apparent over at least 12 months for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required period may be reduced if all the diagnostic criteria are met and the symptoms are severe.