An exploratory domain analysis of deployment risks and protective features and their association to mental health, cognitive functioning and job performance in military personnel.

BACKGROUND: Meta-analyses of military deployment involve the exploration of focused associations between predictors and peri and post-deployment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to provide a large-scale and high-level perspective of deployment-related predictors across eight peri and post-deployment outcomes. DESIGN: Articles reporting effect sizes for associations between deployment-related features and indices of peri and post-deployment outcomes were selected. Three-hundred and fourteen studies (N = 2,045,067) and 1,893 relevant effects were retained. Deployment features were categorized into themes, mapped across outcomes, and integrated into a big-data visualization. METHODS: Studies of military personnel with deployment experience were included. Extracted studies investigated eight possible outcomes reflecting functioning (e.g., post-traumatic stress, burnout). To allow comparability, effects were transformed into a Fisher's Z. Moderation analyses investigating methodological features were performed. RESULTS: The strongest correlates across outcomes were emotional (e.g., guilt/shame: Z = 0.59 to 1.21) and cognitive processes (e.g., negative appraisals: Z = -0.54 to 0.26), adequate sleep on deployment (Z = -0.28 to - 0.61), motivation (Z = -0.33 to - 0.71), and use of various coping strategies/recovery strategies (Z = -0.25 to - 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: Findings pointed to interventions that target coping and recovery strategies, and the monitoring of emotional states and cognitive processes post-deployment that may indicate early risk.

Saberes e práticas populares de cuidado em saúde com o uso de plantas medicinais / Knowledge and popular health practices with the use of medicinal plants

Conclui-se, que o resgate desta prática traz consigo alternativas saudáveis, implantando o uso correto das plantas medicinais a fim de, fornecer subsídios e orientações para que a comunidade que busca a Assistência Básica de Saúde venha a usufruir dessa prática milenar que acompanha nossa história.

Saberes e práticas populares de cuidado em saúde com o uso de plantas medicinais

Conclui-se, que o resgate desta prática traz consigo alternativas saudáveis, implantando o uso correto das plantas medicinais a fim de, fornecer subsídios e orientações para que a comunidade que busca a Assistência Básica de Saúde venha a usufruir dessa prática milenar que acompanha nossa história.

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in music students-associated musculoskeletal signs.

BACKGROUND: Pain and overuse are common problems for musicians. Up to 80% of professional musicians suffer from playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD). The prevalence rate in music students is very high as well. Sufficient data on the underlying musculoskeletal dysfunctions however is scarce. Additionally, the self-assessment of health in musicians seems to differ compared to non-musicians, which might influence their attitudes concerning preventive strategies. AIM: Evaluation of frequency of PRMD in music students, investigation of signs and symptoms in music students compared to non-music controls, comparison of self-reported health and well-being between the two groups. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional, case control, non-randomized. SETTING: Other (University volunteers). POPULATION: Music students in comparison to a non-music control group. METHOD: Musculoskeletal examination and questionnaire of 36 volunteers of a music university and 19 volunteer students of an university of education were analyzed. The total number of musculoskeletal dysfunctions and differences between the student groups were examined. The personal pain and health self-rating were compared between music and non-music students. RESULTS: Eighty one percent of musicians experienced PRMD. Musicians experienced 6.19 pain regions on average compared to 4.31 of non-musicians. Musicians experiencing PRMD reported significantly (P<0.05) more pain locations than musicians without. Music students presented with nearly the double amount (8.39 versus 4.37) of musculoskeletal dysfunctions per person compared to the non-music control group. Nevertheless, musicians significantly (P<0.05) rated their health more positively than the controls. CONCLUSION: Musicians presented with more pain regions and a higher amount of musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Further studies evaluating the clinical relevance and their role in the development of PRMD are warranted. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Screening of musicians for musculoskeletal dysfunction may identify those musicians at increased risk. Early treatment may prevent PRMD in musicians. Additional research is needed to confirm our hypothesis.

[Evaluation of several parameters of coagulation in liver cirrhosis: disseminated intravascular coagulation or pseudo-disseminated intravascular coagulation?]. / Valutazione di alcuni parametri di coagulazione in corso di cirrosi epatica: CID o pseudo-CID?

Reports in the literature on the difficulty of differential diagnosis between Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) Pseudo-DIC and Primary Fibrinolysis (PF) in patients with liver disease, stimulated a study of various coagulation parameters (PT, PTT, Platelets, Fibrinogen, FDP) in 28 cirrhotic patients. The study confirmed reports in the literature on the high incidence of circulating FDP among liver disease patients. The vital role these play in maintaining alterations in haemostasis means that cirrhosis cases must be approached with extreme caution, avoiding any therapeutic or instrumental procedure liable to worsen the already disturbed coagulation pattern in such patients.

[Thrombopenia and cirrhosis. Study of 56 cases]. / Piastrinopenia e cirrosi. Studio di 56 casi.

Blood platelets were assayed in 56 cirrhosis patients divided into two groups: alcoholic cirrhosis (20 cases) and non-alcoholic cirrhosis (36 cases). Each group was also divided into two sub-groups: with and without clinical signs of portal hypertension. Low platelet counts were found in both groups (greater than 70%), the incidence being high in the sub-group with clinical signs of portal hypertension. Alcohol appeared to have no influence on the development of platelet insufficiency which was rather correlated with the severity of the hepatopathy, the presence of splenomegaly (splenic sequestration), immunological factors, (presence of circulating antiplatelet antibodies) and "consumption" phenomena (significant incidence of circulating FDP, and indicator of chronic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation).

[Hepatic cirrhosis caused by alcohol: normalization of the functional parameters after prolonged abstinence]. / Cirrosi epatica da alcool: normalizzazione dei parametri di funzionalità dopo prolungata astensione.

It has often been noted that total abstention from alcohol will lead to the normalisation of modest liver lesions. For this reason the possibility of regression of more severe lesions was studied. To this end five patients with clinically diagnosed cirrhosis of the liver (bioptically confirmed in 2 cases) were followed up for a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 years, demonstrating the total reversibility of clinical and laboratory signs after total abstention for an average 15 months.