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Cureus Aug 2023The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in early 2020, has been a great source of stress for almost every person all around the world. However, this is particularly true... (Review)
Review
The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in early 2020, has been a great source of stress for almost every person all around the world. However, this is particularly true for children. It is necessary to fully address the stress-related psychosocial issues connected with the pandemic, solely in children. Play is important for children's development, as it is a natural activity for every child. Through play and play-based interventions, children can communicate non-verbally, symbolically, and in an action-oriented manner. Therefore, play-based interventions may have the potential to be one of the coping strategies used by children who experience stress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this narrative review was to show how play-based activities could help children deal with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the non-clinical population. A systematic search of the literature in various databases was performed. The initial search provided 5,004 potentially eligible studies in various databases, and 42,201 records identified from Google Scholar. After excluding studies not meeting the inclusive criteria, nine papers were selected for this narrative review. This narrative review showed findings that play-based activities can have a positive effect during the COVID-19 pandemic on different stress levels in the children population. Additionally, the findings of this review highlight the importance of further research and implementation of play into many aspects of children's life.
PubMed: 37719538
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43550 -
Cureus Jan 2024Finger stiffness may arise from injuries, surgeries, or hand-related medical conditions, impacting hand function and overall well-being in daily life. Rehabilitation and...
Finger stiffness may arise from injuries, surgeries, or hand-related medical conditions, impacting hand function and overall well-being in daily life. Rehabilitation and hand therapy play a crucial role in restoring optimal range of motion, strength, and functionality. This article introduces the Self-Assisted Finger Stiffness Splint (SFSS), a dynamic splint designed for active finger movement applicable in post-trauma or postoperative rehabilitation. SFSS empowers patients to perform self-administered stretching exercises, expediting recovery and improving compliance. Its versatility extends to postoperative rehabilitation, covering cases like tenolysis of extensor tendons or rehabilitation after fracture healing. While particularly effective for proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) and metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) stiffness, SFSS remains valuable for managing isolated finger stiffness and proves beneficial in addressing multiple-digit stiffness.
PubMed: 38333468
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51921 -
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology Jul 2024Currently, there is heightened interest surrounding endothelial cell therapy for the treatment of corneal edema. The purpose of this review article is to describe and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Currently, there is heightened interest surrounding endothelial cell therapy for the treatment of corneal edema. The purpose of this review article is to describe and summarize the background information as well as the research surrounding the emerging treatment modalities for endothelial cell therapy.
RECENT FINDINGS
Marked advancements have been made in the translational research in this area, and increasing refinements have been demonstrated in the treatment protocols for cell therapy. Human clinical trials in this field are ongoing, specifically, in the area of injected human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs), with early results showing favorable safety and efficacy profiles.
SUMMARY
Efficient and effective delivery of HCECs to patients with corneal edema and dysfunction now appears feasible, and the results from ongoing human clinical trials are much anticipated. Adjunct therapeutics-in the form of pharmacological agents and/or surgical techniques, such as descemetorhexis-will likely continue to play an important role in defining the future of endothelial cell therapy.
Topics: Humans; Endothelium, Corneal; Corneal Edema; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; Endothelial Cells
PubMed: 38602486
DOI: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000001050 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases May 2024Lymphedema is a prevalent complication affecting patients with breast cancer, greatly impacting their quality of life. This editorial describes diagnostic methods and...
Lymphedema is a prevalent complication affecting patients with breast cancer, greatly impacting their quality of life. This editorial describes diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions for managing lymphedema in patients with breast cancer. Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and objective measures, including arm circumference and volumetric assessments, along with lymphoscintigraphy and ultrasonic measurements. Treatment primarily involves complex decongestive physical therapy, comprising manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, exercise, and meticulous skin care. These interventions aim to reduce swelling, alleviate discomfort, and prevent further complications. Additionally, lifestyle modifications such as avoiding extreme temperatures and maintaining proper hygiene are essential. Flavonoids can be used for drug therapy. Despite its prevalence, lymphedema often receives inadequate attention in clinical practice, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and enhancing medical services for affected individuals. Clinicians play a pivotal role in educating patients about preventive measures and ensuring timely intervention. Overall, a comprehensive approach encompassing early diagnosis, multidisciplinary management, and patient education is essential to mitigate the burden of lymphedema in patients with breast cancer and improve their overall well-being.
PubMed: 38817238
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i15.2482 -
Discover Oncology Jul 2023Radiation therapy is an important tool for malignant tumors, and its tolerance needs to be addressed. In recent years, several studies have shown that regulators of... (Review)
Review
Radiation therapy is an important tool for malignant tumors, and its tolerance needs to be addressed. In recent years, several studies have shown that regulators of aberrant m6A methylation play an important role in the formation, development and invasion and metastasis of tumors. A large number of studies have confirmed aberrant m6A methylation as a new target for tumour therapy, but research on whether it can play a role in tumor sensitivity to radiotherapy has not been extensive and thorough enough. Recent studies have shown that all three major enzymes of m6A methylation have significant roles in radioresistance, and that the enzymes that play a role differ in different tumor types and by different mechanisms, including regulating tumor cell stemness, affecting DNA damage and repair, and controlling the cell cycle. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms of m6A methylation in the radiotherapy of malignant tumors is essential to counteract radioresistance, improve the efficacy of radiotherapy, and even propose targeted treatment plans for specific tumors. The latest research progress on m6A methylation and radioresistance is reviewed in this article.
PubMed: 37522921
DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00759-3 -
BMC Medical Education Sep 2023Physiotherapists show a positive attitude towards playing games in order to be a role model for pediatric patients and to increase the success of therapy. The aim of the...
BACKGROUND
Physiotherapists show a positive attitude towards playing games in order to be a role model for pediatric patients and to increase the success of therapy. The aim of the present study is to investigate the physical playfulness of physiotherapy students and the relationship of physical playfulness and individual and environmental factors.
METHODS
The sociodemographic data, regular physical activity habits of the students were examined as well as their computer game playing status and duration. "Attitudes of 18-22 Age Adults for Playing Games That Contain Physical Activity" scale was used for assessing playfulness.
RESULTS
A total of 268 students participated in the study. Among the game proneness scale subsections, the highest score was obtained in the Social Adjustment while the lowest scores were obtained in the "Desire to Play Game" and "To take pleasure from playing game" subsections. Male students scored higher in "Risk Taking and "To take pleasure from playing game" in comparison with the female students. There was a statistically significant difference between physical activity habits and "Game Compassion", "Risk Taking", "Social Adjustment" and "To take pleasure from playing game scores".
CONCLUSION
Physiotherapy students were found to be more playful, particularly in terms of social adaptation. Men take more risks in the plays and also play the games more enjoyable. Students with regular physical activity habits were more playful overall. The present study suggests that monitoring physical activity levels, computer games types might be beneficial for evaluating the playfulness.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Male; Child; Physical Therapy Modalities; Medicine; Exercise; Physical Therapists; Students
PubMed: 37684677
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04618-1 -
JMIR Serious Games Oct 2023Innovative technologies such as game consoles and smart toys used with games or playful approaches have proven to be successful and attractive in providing effective and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Innovative technologies such as game consoles and smart toys used with games or playful approaches have proven to be successful and attractive in providing effective and motivating hand therapy for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Thus, there is an increased interest in designing and implementing interventions that can improve the well-being of these children. However, to understand how and why these interventions are motivating children, we need a better understanding of the playful elements of technology-supported hand therapy.
OBJECTIVE
This scoping review aims to identify the playful elements and the innovative technologies currently used in hand therapy for children with CP.
METHODS
We included studies that design or evaluate interventions for children with CP that use innovative technologies with game or play strategies. Data were extracted and analyzed based on the type of technology, description of the system, and playful elements according to the Lenses of Play, a play design toolkit. A total of 31 studies were included in the analysis.
RESULTS
Overall, 54 papers were included in the analysis. The results showed high use of consumer technologies in hand therapy for children with CP. Although several studies have used a combination of consumer technologies with therapeutic-specific technologies, only a few studies focused on the exclusive use of therapeutic-specific technologies. To analyze the playfulness of these interventions that make use of innovative technologies, we focused our review on 3 lenses of play: Open-ended Play, where it was found that the characteristics of ludus, such as a structured form of play and defined goals and rules, were the most common, whereas strategies that relate to paidia were less common. The most commonly used Forms of Play were physical or active form and games with rules. Finally, the most popular Playful experiences were control, challenge, and competition.
CONCLUSIONS
The inventory and analysis of innovative technology and playful elements provided in this study can be a starting point for new developments of fun and engaging tools to assist hand therapy for children with CP.
PubMed: 37843886
DOI: 10.2196/44904 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Nov 2023Multimodal treatment is an important tool to overcome tumor drug resistance. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by photodynamic therapy (PDT) can directly play...
Multimodal treatment is an important tool to overcome tumor drug resistance. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by photodynamic therapy (PDT) can directly play a killing role on tumor cells, which has the advantages of repeatable treatment and no drug resistance. However, its therapeutic oxygen consumption and destruction of tumor microvessels lead to hypoxia in tumor tissues, and hypoxia leads to overexpression of the receptor tyrosine kinase (c-MET) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Overexpression of these two receptors leads to increased tumor invasiveness and metastasis. The molecularly targeted drug cabozantinib (CAB) has multiple targets, including anti-c-MET and VEGFR, to inhibit the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, our team designed a pH-sensitive nanoparticle CAB/Ce6@ZIF-8@PEG-FA (CCZP) loaded with CAB and Ce6, which exerted a multimodal therapeutic effect of PDT and molecularly targeted therapy by laser irradiation, and the PDT-induced overexpression of MET and VEGFR could also be inhibited by the target of CAB, thus reducing the invasive tumor cells metastasis. In summary, CCZP gives full play to the advantages of both drugs, exerting multimodal treatment while reducing HCC invasion and metastasis, providing a safe, potential approach to clinical treatment.
Topics: Humans; Photochemotherapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Liver Neoplasms; Combined Modality Therapy; Nanoparticles; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hypoxia; Cell Line, Tumor; Photosensitizing Agents
PubMed: 37871135
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11909 -
ACS Omega Apr 2024Tumors are one of the main diseases threatening human life and health. The emergence of nanotechnology in recent years has introduced a novel therapeutic avenue for... (Review)
Review
Tumors are one of the main diseases threatening human life and health. The emergence of nanotechnology in recent years has introduced a novel therapeutic avenue for addressing tumors. Through the amalgamation of nanotechnology's inherent attributes with those of natural enzymes, nanozymes have demonstrated the ability to initiate catalytic reactions, modulate the biological microenvironment, and facilitate the adoption of multifaceted therapeutic approaches, thereby exhibiting considerable promise in the realm of cancer treatment. In this Review, the application of nanozymes in chemodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and starvation therapy are summarized. Moreover, a detailed discussion regarding the mechanism of conferring physiotherapeutic functionality upon catalytic nanosystems is provided. It is posited that this innovative catalytic treatment holds significant potential to play a crucial role within the domain of nanomedicine.
PubMed: 38617672
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00258 -
Current Drug Targets 2024Physiologically, cytokines play an extremely important role in maintaining cellular and subcellular homeostasis, as they interact almost with every cell in the organism.... (Review)
Review
Physiologically, cytokines play an extremely important role in maintaining cellular and subcellular homeostasis, as they interact almost with every cell in the organism. Therefore, cytokines play a significantly critical role in the field of pathogenic pharmacological therapy of different types of pathologies. Cytokine is a large family containing many subfamilies and can be evaluated into groups according to their action on epithelial cell proliferation; stimulatory include transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), Interlukine-22 (IL-22), IL-13, IL-6, IL-1RA and IL-17 and inhibitory include IL-1α, interferon type I (IFN type I), and TGF-β. The balance between stimulatory and inhibitory cytokines is essential for maintaining normal epithelial cell turnover and tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of cytokine production can contribute to various pathological conditions, including inflammatory disorders, tissue damage, and cancer. Several cytokines have shown the ability to affect programmed cell death (apoptosis) and the capability to suppress non-purpose cell proliferation. Clinically, understanding the role of cytokines' role in epithelial tissue is crucial for evaluating a novel therapeutic target that can be of use as a new tactic in the management of carcinomas and tissue healing capacity. The review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of current knowledge regarding the multifaceted effects of cytokines on epithelial cell proliferation, with a particular emphasis on the intestinal epithelium. Also, the paper will highlight the diverse signaling pathways activated by cytokines and their downstream consequences on epithelial cell division. It will also explore the potential therapeutic implications of targeting cytokine- epithelial cell interactions in the context of various diseases.
Topics: Humans; Cytokines; Epithelial Cells; Animals; Cell Proliferation; Cell Division; Signal Transduction; Apoptosis; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38213162
DOI: 10.2174/0113894501279979240101051345