Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Necrotizing Fasciitis Of The Neck: Case Presentation, Emil Marginean, Ciprian Venter, Maria Domuta, Oana Valenas, Ildiko Sorban, Alina Pantis, Bogdan Popescu, Razvan V. Scăunașu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Necrotizing fasciitis represents a severe and rare infectious disease, which is accompanied by extended necrosis of subcutaneous tissues and fascia layers, having as a result gangrene of the teguments. To reduce mortality associated with this disease, a rapid diagnosis is necessary as well as aggressive surgical treatment, accompanied by adequate, aggressive antibiotic therapy. As a rule, etiology is teeth related, with the condition more common in immunology-depressed patients. This article presents the experience of the authors regarding a case presentation of necrotizing fasciitis with typical clinical expression and management of the disease in an immunological-depressed patient. Further data on diagnosis, …

Zenker’S Diverticulum And Squamous Esophageal Cancer: A Case Report, Ion Dina, Octav Ginghina, Corina D. Toderescu, Cristian Bălălău, Bianca Galateanu, Carolina Negrei, Claudia Iacobescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Zenker’s diverticulum represents a rare esophageal lesion developed especially in the elderly population due to herniation of esophageal mucosa above the cricopharyngeus muscle. The condition leads to food retention, regurgitation, aspiration, and dysphagia in affected patients. Progressive dysphagia also characterizes malignant diseases of the esophagus like squamous esophageal carcinoma that typically appears in male patients in the seventh decade of life, with a history of cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse. We report a case of a male patient who presented with dysphagia for both solids and liquids along with significant weight loss, and who was diagnosed with medium esophageal cancer …

Therapeutic Challenges In A Case Of Psoriasis With Nail Onset, Mădălina I. Mitran, Cristina I. Mitran, Maria I. Sârbu, Vasile Benea, Mircea Tampa, Simona R. Georgescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Nail psoriasis affects a large number of patients with psoriasis and has a major psychosocial impact. Furthermore, it may be regarded as a predictor of more severe forms of psoriasis and early sign of psoriatic arthritis. The clinical presentations vary depending on the structure affected (nail matrix or nail bed), the nail lesions may range from minor to severe, but they are not specific. Treatment is a challenge, in most cases the lesions being resistant to therapy. We present a rare case of psoriasis with nail onset in a 59-year-old woman. The nail involvement confined to the fingernails was severe, …

Development And Validation Of Triticum Phytobiological Method As An Alternative Procedure For Investigating In Vivo Acute Toxicity On Mice, Emil Ştefănescu, Aurelia N. Cristea, Cornel Chiriță, Octavian Olaru, Adriana Anghel, Mihaela Dinu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The goal of this study was to validate an alternative method for determining in vivo acute toxicity using vegetal material instead of laboratory animals, starting from the phytobiological method known also as the Triticum technique. We set out to demonstrate that vegetal cells have similar sensitivity to some toxic agents as animal cells, in which case a statistical correlation could be established. A series of new compounds synthesized by the Romanian National Institute for Chemical Pharmaceutical Research and Development as potential β3 adrenergic receptors agonists were tested for their acute toxicity using classic animal exposure models, before investigating possible anti-diabetic …

The Psychological Influence Of The Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer On Therapeutic Options Selection, Razvan V. Scaunasu, Stefan Voiculescu, Bogdan Popescu, Cristina Cozma, Radu Jecan, Cristian Balalau

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The therapeutic management decision-making process for breast cancer is complex, and is influenced by multiple factors including patient age, comorbidities, ethnicity, education, and availability of immediate or delayed reconstruction options. Our study analysed 276 patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the “Colțea” Clinical Hospital between 2014 and 2015. Mean patients age was 61.24, median 62, with a range of 31 to 89 years. Younger age was associated with a less advanced local disease and younger patients were more likely to choose and benefit from conservative surgery. Most patients (61.76%) came from rural areas. Place of origin had a significant influence …

Protective Role Of S-Adenosylmethionine Against Fructose-Induced Oxidative Damage In Obesity, Kameliya Zh Bratoeva, Mariya A. Radanova, Albena V. Merdzhanova, Ivan S. Donev

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Introduction. It has been shown that S-adenosylmethionine (S-AMe) stimulates glutathione synthesis and increases cell resistance to the cytotoxic action of free radicals and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of S-adenosylmethionine on the oxidative stress in adipose tissue in a model of fructose-induced obesity. Methods. The study was performed on male Wistar rats divided into 3 groups: control, fructose fed (HFD) (35%, 16 weeks), and HFD + S-AMe (20 mg/kg). We examined the changes in the ratio of retroperitoneal adipose tissue weight / body weight; levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in …

Cesarean Scar Defects And Placental Abnormalities – A 3 Year Survey Study, Denisa Oana Bălălău, Nicolae Bacalbașa, Anca D. Stănescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The placenta is an essential organ for embryonic and fetal development, ensuring nutrient uptake, gas exchange (via the mother's blood supply), waste elimination, thermo-regulation, immunological and hormonal factors, etc. The most common placental abnormalities are represented by placenta previa, and a morbidly adherent placenta (in the form of accreta, increta, and percreta placenta). This study was performed on a sample of 99 patients diagnosed with abnormalities of placentation who underwent cesarian delivery during a period of 3 years in Bucur Maternity Hospital. Seven patients were diagnosed with morbidly adherent placenta (5 accreta and 2 percreta subtypes), the others having placenta …

Experimental Pharmacological Research Regarding Some Newly Synthesized Benzamides On Central Nervous System Functions, Cornel Chiriță, Emil Ștefănescu, Cristina D. Marineci, Simona Negreș, Diana C. Nuță

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Three newly synthesized benzamides by the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the Faculty of pharmacy from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Carol Davila” Bucharest were tested in order to determine whether these new molecules have similar effects on the central nervous system as those already in therapeutic use belonging to the same chemical group, such as tiapride (neuroleptic) or lidocaine (local anaesthetic). Tests were carried out on NMRI mice which were given new compounds, conventionally named I5C, I14C, and II5C in a dose of 1/20 of the lethal dose 50% (LD50), as previously determined. They received this treatment daily …

Emergency Surgery And Limitation Of Therapeutic Effort In Relation To Neurologic Deterioration In Elderly Patients – A Survey Of European Surgeons, Mihai Paduraru, Luca Ponchietti, Isidro M. Casas, Jorge Pereira, Aitor Landaluce-Olavarria, Diego Mariani

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background. In emergency surgery, a very heterogeneous approach is required in the decision making process, especially when considering the patient’s postoperative quality of life as well as medical, ethical, and legal factors. In some cases, the presence of an Advance Directive (AD) form may potentially help resolve the surgeon’s dilemma. Objectives. The primary objective of this survey was to investigate the opinions of surgeons across a representative cross-section of European countries regarding the decision making process using a specific case scenario so as to identify similarities and differences in practice. A secondary objective was to identify the possibility of establishing …

Is There A Utility For Qrs Dispersion In Clinical Practice?, Ionuț Donoiu, Georgică Costinel Târtea, Elibet Chávez-González

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Prognostic markers derived from standard ECG have always been seductive. Increased dispersion of durations of the P wave, of the QRS complex, or of the QT interval has been associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, as well as with a general negative prognosis in various settings. However, these markers have intrinsic and methodological issues that question their utility. This paper presents data supporting the utility of QRS dispersion in clinical practice. Our investigation shows that QRS dispersion is a simple electrocardiographic marker with potential value in the assessment of patients in a variety of …

Finasteride As A Model For Personalized Medicine, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland, Ioana Păunică, Octavian C. Tănăsescu, Petrişor Banu, Stana Păunică

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The side effects of Finasteride are currently a subject of controversy. Some studies report minor or acceptable adverse effects, which decrease after a variable period of time so that they do not necessitate terminating Finasteride administration. However, several clinical and neuro-endocrine studies show that some adverse effects persist indefinitely in the form of post-Finasteride syndrome, even after the drug cessation. This paper presents a possible explanation for these inconsistent findings. First, the study design of either informing or not informing patients prior therapy about possible adverse effects can influence the incidence and magnitude of reported adverse effects. Second, structural and …

Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy – Brief Review, Oana Mirea, Mihaela Berceanu, Anca Constantin, Mirela Mănescu, Georgică Costinel Târtea, Ionuț Donoiu, Constantin Militaru, Octavian Istrătoaie

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy is a genetic disorder characterized by the presence of two myocardial layers with numerous prominent trabeculations and deep inter-trabecular recesses that communicate with the ventricular cavity. The diagnosis is often challenging because excessive trabeculations may also be a normal finding in performance athletes and black people. Echocardiography is the gold standard for diagnosis of this condition, but other useful diagnostic techniques may include cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and contrast ventriculography. Moreover, newer echocardiographic methods such as three-dimensional imaging and speckle tracking analysis promise to improve the diagnosis of left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy. The purpose …

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring And Methods Of Quantitation For Carbamazepine, Cristian Tuchila, Daniela Luiza Baconi, Cristina Dinu Pirvu, Denisa O. Balalau, Ana Maria Vlasceanu, Miriana Stan, Cristian Balalau

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Carbamazepine is an early anticonvulsant still used today in the treatment of several forms of epilepsy. An active metabolite in the human body contributes to its pharmacological effect. Carbamazepine metabolism has high inter-individual variability, such that it is relatively difficult to establish a direct link between dose and concentration, or between concentration and pharmacological effect. Carbamazepine is thus a good candidate for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Good UV specific absorbance and high plasmatic concentrations allow for the use of UV detection, which is often more accessible than other methods of detection. This paper presents several methods used for the detection …

End-Stage Head And Neck Cancer: Coping Mechanism, Bogdan Popescu, Oana Paun, Razvan V. Scăunaşu, Serban V.G. Berteşteanu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Coping mechanisms are patients’ means of adapting to stressful situations and involve psychological and physical changes in behavior. Patients adapt to head and neck cancer in a variety of ways. Head and neck cancers are extremely debilitating, especially in advanced stages of the disease or in end-of-life situations. While an oncology team needs to address the needs of all oncology patients, the advanced terminal patients require special attention. Most of these patients do not cope well with their situation and have a tendency to cease social interactions. Pain is the most frequentlyexperienced medical disability in patients having an end-stage illness …

Psycho-Physiologic Emergentism; Four Minds In A Body, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The mind-body problem represents one of the most debated topics in the neurosciences. From a psychological standpoint, abstract/non-material data are an intrinsic part of the mind, intervening to a large extent in reasoning and decision making processes. Imaging studies also show a strong correlation between higher cognitive functions (such as working memory) and specific cerebral brain regions (a fronto-parietal network of interacting left and right brain areas). In contrast, the physical/material brain would be unable to interact with abstract-immaterial data, such that the psychological processing of abstract data (processes such as thinking, reasoning, and judgment) is attributed to the mind, …

Tolkien’S Sub-Creation And Secondary Worlds: Implications For A Robust Moral Psychology, Nathan S. Lefler

Journal of Tolkien Research

In his work, “On Fairy Stories,” J. R. R. Tolkien offers a detailed account of what he calls Sub-creation, along with the corresponding notions of Primary and Secondary Worlds. In this paper, I suggest that Tolkien’s concept of Sub-creation can be creatively appropriated in the realm of moral psychology and there applied to the fundamental relationship between self and other – or in Judeo-Christian terms, “I” and my neighbor. Through appeal to Tolkien’s thought and to the wider Christian theological tradition, and in constructive tension with the contemporary psychoanalytic attention to “intersubjectivity,” I attempt to elucidate the power and appropriate …

Appendicular Mass – A Rare Form Of Tuberculosis, Petrisor Banu, Vlad D. Constantin, Florian Popa, Mircea Bratucu, Teodora Vladescu, Cristian Balalau

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Tuberculosis is in the top 10 causes of death worldwide, being one of the most deadly infectious diseases. It is estimated that one of three people from the entire earth population has a latent infection with M tuberculosis. This aerobic bacterium possesses the ability to persist in host tissues for years and to begin replication once immunity declines.

The lungs are most frequent site of infection as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis is carried by aerosol droplets and is commonly transmitted by respiratory route. The second way of transmission is by contaminated food.

Intestinal contamination coexists with pulmonary tuberculosis and only 10% …

Diagnostic Challenges And Treatment Difficulties In A Patient With Excoriated Acne Conglobata, Simona R. Georgescu, Maria I. Sârbu, Cristina I. Mitran, Mădălina I. Mitran, Vasile Benea, Mircea Tampa

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Acne conglobata is a rare and severe form of acne vulgaris, characterized by the presence of comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and sometimes hematic or meliceric crusts. Acne excoriée is a form of self-inflicted skin condition in which the patient picks on imaginary or real acne lesions.

We report the case of a 16 year old Caucasian female patient from the urban area who addressed our dermatology department for erythematous, edematous plaques covered by pustules and crusts, located on the face. The anamnesis revealed that during the last weeks she had had a depressive mood after ending a relationship with her …

The Prevalence Of High Dysplastic Colonic Adenomatous Polyps In A 3 Year Endoscopic Retrospective Study From A Single Clinical Center, Alexandru C. Septimiu, Cosmin A. Moldovan, Florin D. Ungureanu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Introduction: Many colon neoplastic tumors come from the malignancy of adenomatous polyps (70%-90%) that were not timely diagnosed in order to be resected. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study regarding the incidence of adenomatous polyps during 1.000 consecutive colonoscopies performed in our Upper and Lower Digestive Endoscopy Laboratory during a three-year period. Results: During these colonoscopies, some targeted polyps were biopsied or completely removed and the samples had been sent to a complete anatomopathological examination. Taking into consideration the results, the polyps were classified after the histological type and the form of dysplasia, in order …

Melatonin Modulates Inflammatory Response And Suppresses Burn-Induced Apoptotic Injury, Ganka Bekyarova, Milena Atanasova, Maria Tzaneva, Anelia Dimitrova

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Introduction: Melatonin, the principal secretory product of the pineal gland, has antioxidant functions as a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Objectives of the present study were to investigate the effect of melatonin against inflammatory response, burn-induced oxidative damage and apoptotic changes of rat liver. Methods: Melatonin (10 mg /kg, i.p.) was applied immediately after 30% of total body surface area (TBSA) burns on male Wistar rats. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of an oxidative stress was quantified by thiobarbituric method. Hepatic TNFα and IL-10 as inflammatory markers were assayed by ELISA. Using light immunоchistochemistry …

An Evidence Based Guide To A Safe Intraoperative Approach Of Avoiding Iatrogenic Lesions During Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies, Cosmin Alec Moldovan, Roxana M. Duncea, Florin Dan Ungureanu, Vladimir Belis

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Introduction: Although there are many sources for iatrogenic lesions during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, only a few stand out as being one of the most difficult to predict due to their nature of being very hard to diagnose before surgery. Materials and Methods: a short guide of cases with an evidence-based approach to avoid laparoscopic iatrogenic lesions. Results: these cases have been classified and presented into 3 main groups: cases with abnormal arterial layout, cases with heavy alteration of the normal anatomy, and cases with anomalies of the main biliary pathway. Conclusions: while not a complete guide covering …

Depression, Loneliness, And Pet Attachment In Homebound Older Adult Cat And Dog Owners, Sandy M. Branson, Lisa Boss, Stanley Cron, Dennis C. Turner

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background: Companion animals may reduce depression and loneliness in socially isolated homebound older adults. However, whether owning a cat or dog is more beneficial in this population remains unknown.

Materials and Methods: Pet attachment and the levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness were examined in 39 homebound older adults who exclusively owned a cat(s) or a dog(s). Cat owners (n = 12) and dog owners (n=27) were assessed for depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form), loneliness (R-UCLA Loneliness Scale), and attachment to pets (Likert scale).

Results: Cat owners reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms than dog …

Natural Killer (Nk) Cells And Their Involvement In Different Types Of Cancer. Current Status Of Clinical Research, Isadora Zaharescu, Adina D. Moldovan, Cristiana Tanase

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Natural killer cells are the main agents of innate immunity. Since 1970, various studies have repeatedly confirmed their involvement in decreasing local tumor growth and also decreasing the risk of metastasis, due to their cytotoxic effects and also through the release of immunostimulatory cytokines such as IFN-gamma. In the 1990s, several studies demonstrated the existence of certain inhibiting and stimulating receptors of these cells, leading to the concept of “induced self”, thus explaining why tumors with MHC-1 are destroyed and autologous cells without it are saved out. Recognition and destruction of tumor cells by the NK cells are the result …

High-Grade Cervical Dysplasia In Pregnancy – Psychological And Medical Challenges, Denisa O. Balalau, Romina M. Sima, Nicolae Bacalbasa, Petrisor Banu, Cristian Bălălău, Liana Ples, Anca D. Stanescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Despite being rare, the incidence of pregnancy-related cancer is expected to rise as women continue to delay childbearing and give birth later in their reproductive years. In this broad category, tumors like breast cancer, dermatological neoplasia and cervical cancer are most common and tend to arise in women of childbearing age. All pregnant women with clinical and cytologic suspicion of cervical cancer, except for squamous atypia or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, should undergo colposcopy, with or without biopsy, the latter being avoided if possible due to possible complications which, although rare, may involve preterm labor initiation.

Some studies have attempted …

Informational Dichotomy Of The Mind; The Role Of Sexual Neuromodulators, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Many basic physiological mechanisms of sexuality were initially studied on animal subjects and conclusions regarding human subjects extrapolated afterward. These ancestral reflexes are assumed to have ascended during human evolution to the cerebral level, where cognition would intermediate (being an environmental operator) both sexual and mental processes. Accordingly, the study of human sexuality suggests an additional/ particular documentation regarding mental existence and its implication, phenomena that are not characteristic of animals.

In a previously published paper we presented ideas regarding the structural dichotomy of the mind and its subsequent implications to sexuality. In this paper we present a general perspective …

Forensic And Clinical Diagnosis In "Shaken Baby Syndrome", Between Child Abuse And Iatrogenic Abuse, Roxana M. Duncea, Irina Apostol, Relu G. Calota, Vladimir Belis

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

“Shaken baby syndrome” in child abuse cases is a challenge for pediatrician and forensic experts, often a diagnosis of exclusion, with overwhelming moral and legal implications. Diagnosis is based on: subdural bleeding, rupture of retinal vessels, traumatic diffuse axonal injury with diffuse brain encephalopathy in the absence of external traumatic injuries and anamnesis data of an accidentally head injury.

Microscopic findings in diffuse axonal injuries were initially considered as a specific traumatic effect due to unrestricted movement and accelerated rotation of the head. Immunohistochemistry of beta amyloid protein precursor is gold standard method for identifying pathological diffuse axonal lesions, which …

Adverse Reactions Of Biological Therapies In Patients With Psoriasis, Maria I. Sârbu, Mircea Tampa, Mădălina I. Mitran, Cristina I. Mitran, Alexandra M. Limbău, Simona R. Georgescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder characterized by well demarcated, erythematous plaques covered by thick, silvery-white scales, most often located on the knees, elbows, sacral area and scalp. It has a significant impact on the patient's quality of life.

Biological therapies revolutionized the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris but there has been concern regarding the use of those agents due to severe adverse reactions reported in patients receiving TNF-α inhibitors for various inflammatory diseases.

The aim of this paper is to review the most important adverse reactions reported in patients receiving biological treatments. The most common and severe side effects associated …

Journal Of Mind And Medical Sciences: Translational And Integrative Mission, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Initiated four years ago, Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences (J Mind Med Sci.) established the mission to publish papers on mental and medical topics in distinct but closely interrelated domains. The editorial policy especially encourages interdisciplinary and integrative perspectives, being equally focused on basic research and clinical investigations and short reports.

The journal adheres to the philosophy that high quality, original ideas and information should be readily accessible and freely shared within and amongst the scientific community. Accordingly, J Mind Med Sci. is an online, open access, non-for-profit journal which, because of individual/ private support, has levied no charges …