Homeopathy: a preventive approach to medicine?

By applying the principle of therapeutic similarity, homeopathy seeks to stimulate the organism to react against its own disturbs. For homeopathic medicines to awaken effective homeostasis responses they must be individualized, this means that they must be chosen according to their similarity to the set of characteristic symptoms in patients. In this way, by aiming at decreasing individual susceptibility predisposing to disease, homeopathic medicines have healing and preventive effects in many human illnesses. On the other hand, homeopathic medicines may have specific indications in the treatment and prevention of epidemic diseases provided they are also chosen according to the particular set of symptoms peculiar to a given epidemic, viz. the so-called “epidemic genius”, as historical examples show. This update paper discusses the epistemological foundations of Hahnemann’s homeopathy as a preventive medical approach, the scientific evidences supporting its clinical application and the minimum requirements to employ it both therapeutically and preventively in epidemics.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The objective of this study, stated as Previous Notation, is to demonstrate that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Pathology presents a differentiated condition in carriers where a significant percentage, close to 60%, present a higher level of zinc elimination by kidneys. In this study, a direct relation of Zinc Mettalicum pathogenetic symptoms, this disturbance and the elimination of this element which participates in neurotransmission process were identified, and the relation with elements from regular diet, which can act as zinc chelating agents would be involved in the evolution of this disturbance, justifying the issue of individual susceptibility, essential in homeopathic investigation

Some Aspects of Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of Pain Syndrome in Chronic Pancreatitis

Abdominal pain syndrome is widespread in the population. Pain can be both organic and functional in nature. Pain cider in chronic pancreatitis is characterized by a variety of manifestations, it depends not only on the severity of inflammation, the presence and absence of complications, but as well on individual susceptibility. Due to the fact that abdominal pain in chronic pancreatitis is multicomponent, its treatment requires the careful and deliberate approach using a variety of techniques

The Microbiome–Gut–Brain Axis, a Potential Therapeutic Target for Substance-Related Disorders

Substance addiction is a complex worldwide public health problem. It endangers both personal life and social stability, causing great loss on economy. Substance-related disorder is considered to be a complicated chronic brain disorder. It resulted from interactions among pharmacological properties of addictive substances, individual susceptibility, and social–environmental factors. Unfortunately, there is still no ideal treatment for this disorder. Recent lines of evidence suggest that gut microbiome may play an important role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance-related disorders. This review summarizes the research on the relationship between gut microbiome and substance-related disorders, including different types of substance, different individual susceptibility, and the occurrence and development of substance-induced mental disorders. We also discuss the potentiation of gut microbiome in the treatment of substance-related disorders, especially in the treatment of substance-induced mental disorders and manipulation on individuals’ responsiveness to addictive substances.

Genetic Predisposition to Persistent Human Papillomavirus-Infection and Virus-Induced Cancers

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the most common sexually transmitted pathogens worldwide and among the more than 200 identified HPV types, approximately 15 high risk (HR-HPV) types are oncogenic, being strongly associated with the development of cervical cancer, anogenital cancers and an increasing fraction of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). HPV-associated cervix cancer accounts for 83% of HPV-attributable cancers, and more than two-thirds of those cases occur in developing countries. Despite the high frequency of HPV infections, in most cases, the virus is cleared by the host immune response and only a small proportion of infected individuals develop persistent infections that can result in malignant transformation, indicating that other elements, including biological, genetic and environmental factors may influence the individual susceptibility to HPV-associated cancers. Previous studies have quantified that heritability, in the form of genetic variants, common in the general population, is implicated in nearly 30% of cervical cancers and a large number of studies conducted across various populations have identified genetic variants that appear to be associated with genes that predispose or protect the host to HPV infections thereby affecting individual susceptibility to HPV-associated cancers. In this article, we provide an overview of gene association studies on HPV-associated cancers with emphasis on genome-wide association study (GWAS) that have identified novel genetic factors linked to HPV infection or HPV-associated cancers.

Relationship between Perception of Individual Susceptibility and Barriers to Treatment Action in Scabies Patients

Background: Scabies is found in crowded residential areas such as orphanages, dormitories, prisons, and Islamic boarding schools. In 2017, it was reported that scabies was among the 15 most common types of skin infections in Sumenep District, which reported 12,229 cases of scabies. Purpose: This study aims to analyze the relationship between the perception of individual susceptibility and barriers to treatment action in scabies patients at the Nasy’atul Muta’alimin Islamic Boarding School, Sumenep District, East Java. Methods: This research was an observational analytic study using a case-control design. The study population was patients with scabies in Nasy’atul Mutaalimin Islamic Boarding School, Sumenep District, East Java. The sample size was 70 people, consisting of 35 scabies patients who did not seek treatment as a case group and 35 scabies patients who did seek treatment as a control group. The sampling method used was simple random sampling. The two independent variables studied were the perception of individual susceptibility and barriers to treatment, while the dependent variable was treatment measures. The data analysis techniques employed were univariate and bivariate analysis. Results: This study shows that there are variables that have a relationship (p < 0.05) with the perception of individual susceptibility (OR = 99.00 95% CI 17.85 < OR < 548.86) and perceived barriers (OR = 29.00 95%, CI 7.968 < OR < 105.55). Conclusion: There is a relationship between the perception of individual susceptibility and barriers to treatment action in scabies patients.

The Impact of Fear and Rational Appeal Scam Techniques on Individual Susceptibility

Scams remain among top cybercrime incidents happening around the world. Individuals with high susceptibility to persuasion are considered as risk-takers and prone to be scam victims. Unfortunately, limited number of research is done to investigate the relationship between appeal techniques and individuals' personality thus hindering a proper and effective campaigns that could help to raise awareness against scam. In this study, the impact of fear and rational appeal were examined as well as to identify suitable approach for individuals with high susceptibility to persuasion. To evaluate the approach, pretest and posttest surveys with 3 separate controlled laboratory experiments were conducted. This study found that rational appeal treatment has a significantly stronger impact than the fear appeal. This result is a starting point in suggesting that rational appeal is a promising means in persuading individuals with high susceptibility to persuasion.