Fingertip Necrosis due to Chemical Burn from Glacial Acetic Acid: A Case Report

Glacial acetic acid is a high-purity acetic acid that is mainly used as a solvent in chemical production and for various purposes in the food and pharmaceutical industries. It is safe enough to be used for chemical peeling when diluted, and has been used in folk remedies for warts, athlete’s foot, and eczema. Indeed, such conditions are the most common reason for exposure to glacial acetic acid. In the present report, we describe the case of a 10-year-old girl who presented with pain and necrosis of the distal phalanx of her left index finger. Two days prior, her fingers had been wrapped overnight with a paste of flour mixed with glacial acetic acid to treat warts. We irrigated the affected area with normal saline, applied a mupirocin ointment, and administered prostaglandin E1. However, the necrosis progressed rapidly. After 10 days, the girl’s fingertip was amputated, and a hypothenar free flap was performed. The case represents a severe chemical burn resulting from the misuse of glacial acetic acid, requiring surgical treatment.

Network Pharmacology-Based Study to Uncover Potential Pharmacological Mechanisms of Korean Thistle (Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (Maxim.) Matsum.) Flower against Cancer

Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (Maxim.) Matsum. or Korean thistle flower is a herbal plant used to treat tumors in Korean folk remedies, but its essential bioactives and pharmacological mechanisms against cancer have remained unexplored. This study identified the main compounds(s) and mechanism(s) of the C. maackii flower against cancer via network pharmacology. The bioactives from the C. maackii flower were revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS), and SwissADME evaluated their physicochemical properties. Next, target(s) associated with the obtained bioactives or cancer-related targets were retrieved by public databases, and the Venn diagram selected the overlapping targets. The networks between overlapping targets and bioactives were visualized, constructed, and analyzed by RPackage. Finally, we implemented a molecular docking test (MDT) to explore key target(s) and compound(s) on AutoDockVina and LigPlot+. GC-MS detected a total of 34 bioactives and all were accepted by Lipinski’s rules and therefore classified as drug-like compounds (DLCs). A total of 597 bioactive-related targets and 4245 cancer-related targets were identified from public databases. The final 51 overlapping targets were selected between the bioactive targets network and cancer-related targets. With Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, a total of 20 signaling pathways were manifested, and a hub signaling pathway (PI3K-Akt signaling pathway), a key target (Akt1), and a key compound (Urs-12-en-24-oic acid, 3-oxo, methyl ester) were selected among the 20 signaling pathways via MDT. Overall, Urs-12-en-24-oic acid, 3-oxo, methyl ester from the C. maackii flower has potent anti-cancer efficacy by inactivating Akt1 on the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Multi-functions of Protaetia brevitarsis surensis (PBS, Larvae for Food) Reported in South Korea

Nowadays most people in advanced countries endangered under adult diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory disease, human oxidation, and liver-related diseases. In South Korea also very serious situation for the adults and children by the changing from vegetable food to animal food and changed labor pattern from physical labor to mental labor. We aim to review Protaetia brevitarsis surensis (PBS)’s beneficial multi-functions on human with research reports and verification of well-known common sense in South Korea, which was commonly known as medicinally very effective in liver related diseases. PBS larvae known as cold body characteristics, so, it more effective to Yang-in(Oriental physical constitution classification method: Warm body which Jinseng, Panax ginseng, not available people) than Um-in(Cool body- Jinseng available people). The functional effects mostly known effective on liver related diseases mainly by oriental clinic and as folk remedies. However, nowadays PBS larvae’s folk remedies and other multi-functions scientifically researched and that results verified by many papers such as whitening of skin therapeutic effects, prevention of breast cancer, inflammatory disease, human oxidation, and liver-related diseases. For the increasing of medicinal effects, advanced fermentation and ethanol extraction methods will be very useful compared to non-fermentation of PBS larvae and water extraction. So, we concluded that PBS could diminish or decreasing the adult diseases and it will be very useful food and medicinal materials simultaneously for the human food and medicine by the advanced extraction methods.

Dos livros para a vida real: Quais terapias para a saúde mental dos cavalos da série Heartland de Lauren Brooke são usadas na prática?

Literature books can be a means of studying animals, the area is called zooliterature. The Heartland book series, by Lauren Brooke, shows a rehabilitation center for horses with emotional problems where therapies are used to find a cure for horses. Do the therapies used in fiction are real options for the equestrian sector? To answer this, a literature review was carried out to verify if there are scientific studies of medicinal plants, folk remedies, Bach flower remedies, aromatherapy and T-Touch® mentioned in the series. They can motivate research and practices for the mental health of animals, considering a critical and a scientific perspective.

Junipers of Various Origins as Potential Sources of the Anticancer Drug Precursor Podophyllotoxin

Juniper representatives are natural sources of plenty of bioactive metabolites and have been used since ancient times as folk remedies against tapeworms, warts, cancer, etc. The antiproliferative activities of junipers are attributed to podophyllotoxin (PPT), which is a precursor for the synthesis of efficient anticancer drugs. However, the natural sources of PPT, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) T. S. Ying and Podophyllum peltatum L., are already endangered species because of their intensive industrial exploitation. Therefore, identification of other sources of PPT is necessary. This study is a broad comparative investigation of junipers, for which original sources have been accessed from different continents of the world. The present research is aimed at the identification of species, producing PPT and other lignans at concentrations that are sufficient for the high antiproliferative activity of the corresponding extracts. Cytotoxic juniper leaf extracts demonstrated a broad spectrum of activity on a panel of cancer cell lines. The antiproliferative properties of junipers were attributed to the combined activity of great diversity of lignans (podophyllotoxin, deoxypodophyllotoxin, β-peltatin, yatein, matairesinol, anhydropodorhizol, etc.), detected by UHPLC-HRMS and LC-ESI-MS/MS in the corresponding extracts. Several species of the genus Juniperus L. were outlined as perspective sources of drug precursors with potential pharmaceutical applications.

Dialect Dictionary as a Source of Texts of Ethnic Knowledge

The article examines the specifics of the preparation of dialect dictionaries – the goal and purpose, the principles of material selection and presentation. The research carried out shows that a comprehensive dialect dictionary must present the totality of words used in a dialect and reflect the most important distinguishing features of the dialect – phonetic, accentual, morphological, syntactic, semantic and stylistic fields of data. Therefore, when collecting material for a future dictionary, it is necessary to take into account three important things: 1) method of data collection, 2) themes of oral and written texts, 3) principles of compiling a database.Properly selected illustrative sentences of a comprehensive dialectal dictionary are meant to reveal the so-called microstructure of a dictionary entry, and show a broader structure of the concepts researched than demonstrated in the lexicographic definition of words.A dialect dictionary is a cultural and historical phenomenon that records the level and peculiarities of the knowledge of the world of an ethnic group at a certain period of time. Texts reveals people’s ethnic values, their attitudes towards social and religious relationships, everyday phenomena, etc. Therefore, a comprehensive dialect dictionary is to be considered as a multi-layered text of ethnic knowledge, revealing the heritage of material and spiritual culture passed down from generation to generation by a particular ethnic group. A dictionary like this regulates the most important areas of man’s life: establishes the rules of behaviour and etiquette, describes customs, provides knowledge about folk remedies and economic activities, explains world phenomena, provides fragments of mythical worldviews and so forth.

7. Amphibians and humans

‘Amphibians and humans’ looks at the relationship between amphibians and humans. As well as creating myths and folklore about amphibians, humans have always made use of them, as they have so many other organisms with which they share their world. Between three and four billion frogs a year are eaten worldwide. Amphibians also contribute a good number of folk remedies for treatment of disease and injury. In addition, amphibians are harvested from the wild for the pet trade. Humans have also used amphibians in biology teaching and research.

Chemical constituents and their alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Solanum procumbens

Solanum procumbens called ``Cà gai leo'' in Vietnam, belonged to the family of Solanaceae, which is a prickly diffuse, bright green perennial shrub, woody at the base. This plant has been sought for plenty of Vietnamese folk remedies for diseases such as rheumatism, back pain, detoxification, cough, pain relief, hemostasis, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Chemical reports revealed the presence of lots of secondary metabolites such as steroids, triterpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds that have good biological activities such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial... By column chromatography method together with thin layer normal-phase chromatography on the ethyl acetate extract of its entire plant, we isolated four compounds including dioscin (1), b -sitosterol (2), daucosterol (3) and 6'-O-acetyl-b -daucosterol (4). The result of theira-glucosidase inhibitory activity showed that compounds 2 and 4 had strong inhibition with IC50 values of 35.2 and 209.5 mM, comparing to the positive control, acarbose with an IC50 value of 214.5 mM. The results of this study have contributed to the scientific data of chemical compositions of Vietnamese medicinal plants, among them S. procumbens would potentially be developed as a plant-based drug to decrease the blood glucose level.

AB0267 HOW EFFECTIVE IS PAIN MANAGEMENT IN THE PATIENTS’ OPINION? DATA FROM THE COMPAS STUDY

Objectives:to evaluate the effectiveness and satisfaction of pain management in patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) according to a survey in the COMPAS (Quality of Pain Management according to Patients with Arthritis and Back pain) study.Methods:the survey involved 1040 patients with RD (rheumatoid arthritis-40.6%, osteoarthritis -32.1%, spondyloarthritis-10.6%, connective tissue diseases-8.6% of patients). 76.8% were women, the mean age was 55.8±14.0 years. 35.7% of patients continued to work in their specialty, 31.6% had various degrees of disability. The effectiveness of pain therapy was evaluated by the patient in the last month preceding the survey on a 5-point scale, where 1 - no effect and 5-excellent effect. Patients ‘ satisfaction with treatment, possible reasons for the lack of effectiveness of pain therapy and the use of additional treatment tools were also evaluated.Results:as therapy for the underlying disease, 40% of patients received conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, 33.1% - glucocorticoids, 7.2% - biological agents and 15.2% - symptomatic slow-acting drugs in osteoarthritis. At the same time, 68% of patients needed additional analgesic therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Slightly less than half of the surveyed patients (46.9%) noted a moderate effect of analgesic therapy, 22.7% - a low effect and 5% - no effect, 23.7% rated the effectiveness of therapy as good and only 1.7% - as excellent. At the same time, only 15.6% of patients were completely satisfied with the result of NSAIDs, 64% were partially satisfied with the treatment and 20.4% were completely dissatisfied. As the reason of insufficient effectiveness of NSAIDs, most often (34.3%) patients named fear of adverse events associated with taking drugs, 19.4% - weak drugs, 15.3% - insufficient attention of doctors to complaints, 6.6% - poor diagnosis of the causes of pain. Others found it difficult to answer or were completely satisfied with the treatment. 40% of patients used additional methods, most often chiropractic (12.3%), acupuncture (4.8%), physiotherapy (12.7%) and folk remedies (7.4%).Conclusion:A significant proportion of patients with RD don’t have adequate pain control. Only 25.4% of patients rate the result of treatment as good and excellent, and even fewer patients (15.6%) are completely satisfied with the results of therapy. Thus, a personalized approach to analgesic therapy is necessary, taking into account the expectations of patients regarding the results of treatment.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

A Frog Under the Tongue

Jews have been active participants in shaping the healing practices of the communities of eastern Europe. Their approach largely combined the ideas of traditional Ashkenazi culture with the heritage of medieval and early modern medicine. Holy rabbis and faith healers, as well as Jewish barbers, innkeepers, and pedlars, all dispensed cures, purveyed folk remedies for different ailments, and gave hope to the sick and their families based on kabbalah, numerology, prayer, and magical Hebrew formulas. Nevertheless, as new sources of knowledge penetrated the traditional world, modern medical ideas gained widespread support. Jews became court physicians to the nobility, and when the universities were opened up to them many also qualified as doctors. At every stage, medicine proved an important field for cross-cultural contacts. Jewish historians and scholars of folk medicine alike will discover here fascinating sources never previously explored — manuscripts, printed publications, and memoirs in Yiddish and Hebrew but also in Polish, English, German, Russian, and Ukrainian. The author's careful study of these documents has teased out therapeutic advice, recipes, magical incantations, kabbalistic methods, and practical techniques, together with the ethical considerations that such approaches entailed. The research fills a gap in the study of folk medicine in eastern Europe, shedding light on little-known aspects of Ashkenazi culture, and on how the need to treat sickness brought Jews and their neighbours together.