Errare Humanum Est (To Err Is Human): A Mentalizing Breakdown in the Therapeutic Work With an Adolescent

The therapeutic stance in therapies conceptualized by the two-person psychology (Wachtel, 2010) binds the therapist to genuine self-scrutiny. The concepts of transference and countertransference are viewed as jointly constructed endeavors between therapist and client, wherein the therapist needs to be aware of her contribution to difficulties arising in the therapeutic dyad. Different conceptualizations of this therapeutic technique have been eloquently described elsewhere throughout the years in terms of intersubjectivity (Stern, 2005; Aron, 2006), mentalizing (Fonagy and Bateman, 2006), mindfulness-in-action (Safran et al., 2001), rupture and repair (Newhill et al., 2003), and epistemic trust (Fonagy and Allison, 2014). These concepts will be presented interchangeably with a clinical vignette delineating a rupture in the therapeutic work with an adolescent. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of identifying non-mentalizing modes (Allen et al., 2008) within the therapist to get back on track and restore epistemic trust (Fonagy et al., 2014) in the therapeutic relationship.

EFFECT OF MEDITATION ON MENTAL HEALTH- A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Meditation is increasingly being practiced as a therapeutic technique. It is a practice where an individual uses mindfulness, focusing on a particular object or thing, feeling or thought to train themselves and increase the self-awareness to achieve calm and a clear mind to attain a stable state. Effects of meditation have generally been positiveits estimated that 200–500 million people meditate worldwide. Over 14% of Americans have meditated at least once. Meditation also increased lately and the number of people practising has increased rapidly. There have been several articles, researches and books which have been released. Meditation will help the individual change attitude towards life, and provide peace of mind and happiness. It helps to achieve a better understanding of themselves as well as others. This review focuses on studying and understanding the negative and positive effects of meditation on mental health and how meditation helps in reducing anxiety. It focuses on pros and cons of meditation as well. Meditation depends on individuals and each one of them has a different experience. People have experienced both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

Stimuli-Responsive Nanoplatform-Assisted Photodynamic Therapy Against Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections are common diseases causing tremendous deaths in clinical settings. It has been a big challenge to human beings because of the antibiotics abuse and the newly emerging microbes. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a reactive oxygen species-based therapeutic technique through light-activated photosensitizer (PS). Recent studies have highlighted the potential of PDT as an alternative method of antibacterial treatment for its broad applicability and high efficiency. However, there are some shortcomings due to the low selectivity and specificity of PS. Growing evidence has shown that drug delivery nanoplatforms have unique advantages in enhancing therapeutic efficacy of drugs. Particularly, stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms, as a promising delivery system, provide great opportunities for the effective delivery of PS. In the present mini-review, we briefly introduced the unique microenvironment in bacterial infection tissues and the application of PDT on bacterial infections. Then we review the stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms (including pH-, enzymes-, redox-, magnetic-, and electric-) used in PDT against bacterial infections. Lastly, some perspectives have also been proposed to further promote the future developments of antibacterial PDT.

Is motor imagery effective for gait rehabilitation after stroke? A cochrane review summary with commentary

BACKGROUND: Motor imagery (MI) is a promising therapeutic technique for stroke rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of MI on gait rehabilitation after stroke. METHODS: To summarize the “Cochrane Review” by Silva et al. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies with 762 participants were included in the Cochrane review. Very low level of certainty evidence pointed to some beneficial effects of MI alone or combined with action observation or physical practice on walking speed compared to other therapies. There is uncertainty about the effect of MI compared to other therapies in terms of motor function or functional mobility. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality adequately powered studies investigating the effects of MI in individuals with stroke should be encouraged.

Dose Calculation Algorithms for External Radiation Therapy: An Overview for Practitioners

Radiation therapy (RT) is a constantly evolving therapeutic technique; improvements are continuously being introduced for both methodological and practical aspects. Among the features that have undergone a huge evolution in recent decades, dose calculation algorithms are still rapidly changing. This process is propelled by the awareness that the agreement between the delivered and calculated doses is of paramount relevance in RT, since it could largely affect clinical outcomes. The aim of this work is to provide an overall picture of the main dose calculation algorithms currently used in RT, summarizing their underlying physical models and mathematical bases, and highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, referring to the most recent studies on algorithm comparisons. This handy guide is meant to provide a clear and concise overview of the topic, which will prove useful in helping clinical medical physicists to perform their responsibilities more effectively and efficiently, increasing patient benefits and improving the overall quality of the management of radiation treatment.

The Influence of Locality on Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Bud Extracts

Gemmotherapy represents the most recent therapeutic technique that uses the properties of extracts from fresh meristematic plant tissues, mainly buds and sprouts, by macerating them in ethanol and glycerol. The harvesting time and the location can significantly affect the chemical composition of the buds. Therefore, this work aimed to point out the possible variability in the phenolic content and the antioxidant potential of extracts prepared from commonly grown trees in the Czech Republic. Extracts from buds collected during autumn and spring in three different localities were analysed using UHPLC-MS (ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography) for the phenols profile. Five tests assays were used for the evaluation of the extract antioxidant potential. The sampling time positively affected the content of total phenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The increased levels of total phenols and flavonoids in localities with high and medium pollution may be the result of the higher levels of NO and SO2, the main air pollutants. However, surprisingly, the content of phenolic acid showed the highest values in the area with the lowest pollution. The results of antioxidant tests did not completely correlate with the levels of phenolic metabolites, which may be due to the involvement of other active molecules (e.g., ascorbate, tocopherol, or proline) in the antioxidant machinery.

Harnessing the potential of long non-coding RNAs to manage metabolic diseases

: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are functionally versatile molecules that regulate gene expression at all levels of biological organization. RNA modulation, at the moment, has emerged as a powerful therapeutic technique to treat human diseases. Lately, lncRNAs have been acknowledged as key players in human metabolism and, indeed, implicated in the etiology of many common diseases other than cancers, where they can perhaps serve as reliable markers to determine disease status or assess outcomes of an intervention. Here, in this review, we cite examples of such lncRNAs, discuss their mechanistic role in human diseases and their genetic association, quote potential biomarkers found in human blood, summarize the methods for therapeutic targeting lncRNAs and examine the progress of lncRNA based drugs in clinical trials. Thus, we propose that lncRNAs serve as both a biomarker and an effective therapeutic target with promising clinical utility to manage human metabolic diseases.

Efficiency evaluation of cornea crosslinking in septic ulcers in small pets

The article presents the morphological substantiation of the feasibility of using corneal collagen crosslinking, as well as comparative characteristics of standard therapeutic animal treatment with septic cornea ulcers and modified crosslinking. Methods of ophthalmological examination of small pets after modified crosslinking revealed the most favorable (in 91.2% of cases) recovery in comparison with the standard therapeutic technique, which is confirmed by keratomalacia inhibition, acceleration of corneal epithelization rate and reduction (by 40%) of rehabilitation period of the animal.

Immediate Postextractional Implant Insertion in Posterior Maxilla. Therapeutic Attitude

The immediate postextractional implant insertion is a specific way of surgical approach to implanto-prosthetic treatment. This article addresses the indications, advantages, and surgical techniques of immediate postextraction insertion, illustrated with a clinical case. Objectives: presentation of the indications, advantages and surgical procedure of immediate postextractional implant insertion. Materials and methods: The present study considered the presentation of a case in which we opted for the insertion of implants immediately postextractionally as a therapeutic attitude. Results and discussions: The advantages and disadvantages of this therapeutic technique were represented as follows. The advantage of this technique is given by the shortening of the time necessary to complete the treatment until the prosthetic phase, the disadvantage being represented by the insertion of the implant in positions sometimes less advantageous to the prosthesis. Also, the fact that we could not preserve the alveolar ridge, keeping the bone volume necessary to insert the implant in the best position of the prosthesis by complying with the biomechanical principles, made over time, a series of complications that occurred due to vicious insertion of the implant and non-compliance with those biomechanical principles. Conclusions: The analysis of the case as a whole, represents the main premise from which any dental treatment must be started, so that the functionality of the prosthetic and aesthetic reconstruction will have to be taken into account when we choose the best treatment option.

Becoming a transcultural psychotherapist: Qualitative study of the experience of professionals in training in a transcultural psychotherapy group

Transcultural psychotherapy is an original therapeutic technique designed to respond to difficulties encountered in psychiatric treatment for migrants. Today, this psychotherapy is formalized and it is in use at numerous sites in France and internationally. An increasing number of professionals are seeking training in this method. We sought to explore the experiences of these trainees, at their entry in the group and during their training. This qualitative study used focus groups to interview trainees participating in a transcultural psychotherapy training group. The thematic analysis generated two domains of experience: the emotional and personal experience within the transcultural group, including the private feelings of the trainee-participants, their initial difficulties, and the changes in these feelings; and their perception of this specific type of care, that is, their perspectives on transcultural psychotherapy and its most original aspects. Based on the narratives of trainees in this program, we conclude that becoming a transcultural psychotherapist involves a process not only of cultural decentering but also of professional decentering. This decentering cannot be learned theoretically: it must be experienced, for a long enough time to become imbued with it and to allow oneself to modify one’s practices. After sufficient time in the group, the trainees succeed in extricating themselves, little by little, from their ethnocentric vision of psychotherapy, and come to tolerate and then integrate new ways of doing and thinking.