The Eurasia Proceedings of Health, Environment and Life Sciences

Examination Stress and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Kazakh and Indian Medical Students

Anastasia Kononets, Gulmira Zharmakhanova, Victoria Kononets — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Stress is an important component of modern life and has become a serious problem for the health of the population as a whole. Studying at a medical university is accompanied by significant psycho-emotional stress among students. Medical students experience acute stress during exams. One of the markers of stress is cortisol. Objectives: to evaluate the level of cortisol in Indian medical students and Kazakhstan medical students during the examination stress. Methods: The study involved 134 medical students aged from 18 to 23 years, of which 81 were men, 53 women, studying in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years of the West Kazakhstan Medical University named after Marat Ospanov. Among them are 67 students from India (46 men and 21 women) and 67 students from Kazakhstan (35 men and 32 women). Groups for the study were formed by random sampling. Free cortisol concentrations in saliva were measured in a diagnostic laboratory using the standard kit "Cortisol Saliva ELISA" of the company "DBC". Results: No significant differences were found in the level of saliva cortisol under conditions outside exam stress (Cortisol 1) and saliva cortisol under exam stress conditions (Cortisol 2) between a group of Indian and Kazakhstan students without regard to year of study. The level of free saliva cortisol under conditions outside exam stress is significantly higher in the general group of women compared to the general group of men. Increased salivary cortisol levels under examination stress were observed in all groups and examined. Conclusion: Identification of a contingent of students with high levels of cortisol (i.e., more susceptible to stress) will allow us to develop and recommend a set of measures that will help reduce cortisol levels and neutralize its pathogenic effect on the functioning of the main systems of the body.

Epidemiological, Clinical and Therapeutic Profile of Rectal Adenocarcinomas Treated in the Radiotherapy Department of EHSO Emir Abdelkader

Bouhadiba Afaf — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Rectal cancer is classified among the most common cancers in the world, the second most common digestive cancer in Algeria; however its incidence in our country remains lower than that of western countries. The interest of this article is the retrospective analysis of the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of malignant tumors of the rectum managed in the department of the EHS oncology Emir Abdelkader in Oran, Algeria. Concomitant preoperative radio chemotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinomas; however it can be carried out postoperatively if the initial stage of the disease is underestimated. We conducted a retrospective epidemiological, clinical, anatomopathological, therapeutic and prognosis study at the radiotherapy department of the EHS oncology Emir Abdelkader in Oran over a period of 6 years from January 2017 to December 2019 involving 70 patients taken in charge during this period. This hypo fractionated irradiation regimen at a dose of 39 Gray could be a therapeutic alternative in the preoperative situation for locally advanced rectal tumors with promising results in terms of effectiveness and an acceptable toxicity profile.

Janus Nanoparticles Loaded 3D Bio Printed Scaffold as a Dual Drug Delivery System

Mahinour Elmowafy, Samir El - Mashtoly, Ahmed Khalil, Amr Nassrallah — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Herein, a new type of controlled-release system is fabricated using polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles for the creation preparation study. They include doxorubicin (DOX), a standard chemical for chemotherapy, and curcumin, part of the plant turmeric. The material is produced as a dual-loaded nanoparticle system, where the widely used chemotherapeutic drug Doxorubicin (DOX) and the commonly known anti-inflammatory/antioxidant Curcumin are encapsulated in their respective phases, PCL and PLGA. Next, the Janus NPs were loaded into a 3D bioprinted support matrix composed solely of Carbopol. The design of this scaffold was engineered to provide a biocompatible and supportive environment for the controlled release of medication over an extended period. The biocompatibility, kinetics of drug release, and biomechanical properties were also analyzed in the 3D-printed scaffold. The structural integrity of the scaffold was strengthened, and DOX as well as curcumin can be continuously released for long periods by using Janus nanoparticles. Moreover, dual drug-loaded nanoparticles provided a sustained release plan that could be an innovative technique for improved anticancer activity in synergy therapy; the scaffold supported particle stability as indicated by favorable results of preliminary research. This system might offer a more potent and target-oriented strategy in cancer therapy through the sustained release of curcumin and DOX, effectively reducing cancer cell viability compared to conventional drug delivery approaches.

Fabrication of a 2D-Surfactant Exfoliated Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoparticles as Efficient pH-Sensitive Drug Delivery System for Lung Cancer Therapy

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and it is also the primary cause of cancer-related mortality globally. However, due to variations in tobacco use patterns, exposure to environmental risk factors, and genetics, lung cancer incidence and mortality rates vary significantly worldwide. Since smoking is the primary risk factor for lung cancer, developing more effective therapeutic strategies and innovative drug delivery systems may help to raise the disease's survival rates. In this study, a novel pH-sensitive nanocarrier based on a composite of a two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (2D-hBN) with unique properties was synthesized to deliver Doxorubicin (DOX). Firstly, bulk hBN powder was exfoliated with a sodium cholate salt, sonicated, and centrifuged to obtain the as-prepared 2D-hBN nanocarriers, and finally, DOX was entrapped for targeted drug delivery and tumor therapy. High DOX loading and entrapment efficiency (LE% and EE%, respectively) were obtained. The EE% and LE% for sodium cholate exfoliated 2D-hBN obtained were 84.50% and 25.48%, respectively. In vitro drug release experiments demonstrated a pH-sensitive non-Fickian release profile with a release percentage of 73.5%. Preliminary in-vitro cytotoxicity was done via MTT assay, using the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549), and the 2D-hBN@DOX nanocomposites were shown to drastically reduce the viability of the cancer cells compared to 2D-hBN, indicating the great efficacy of the former nanocomposites in hindering the proliferation of cancer cells.

Workplace Safety in Hospital Laboratories: Occupational Accidents and Work-Related Diseases

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Workplace safety in hospital laboratories is crucial for the health and well-being of employees. Due
to the potentially hazardous nature of the chemicals handled, workers are exposed to a variety of risks, ranging
from occupational accidents to work-related diseases. The main objective of our study was to identify workrelated accidents and occupational diseases associated with exposure to occupational hazards in medical analysis
laboratories and to determine preventive measures. Materials and method : The sample for our cross-sectional
descriptive study consisted of 113 individuals working in the hemobiology, biochemistry, and anatomical
pathology laboratories. A questionnaire was designed to collect data, providing a precise assessment of
occupational accidents and the risks faced by the employees. Results :18.87% of participants reported having
suffered a work-related accident, with no significant correlation with gender (p = 0.955) or age (p = 0.133).
Among these accidents, 66.7% were of a mechanical nature, including 36.1% involving skin injuries and 21%
involving eye injuries. Investigations into the causes revealed that 32.05% of the accidents resulted from a lack
of protective measures, 50.76% were attributable to negligence, and 17.23 % were related to emergency
situations. Furthermore, employees working in a fixed daily position are at an increased risk of accidents (p =
0.003). Additionally, occupational diseases have also been reported, with 32.29% of participants affected by
occupational allergies and 33.22% by skin sensitizations. Moreover, approximately 14.81% of participants
suffered from respiratory diseases, while 13.15% had eye injuries. Finally, about 6.48 % of participants were
diagnosed with occupational cancer. Conclusion : Our study highlighted that occupational accidents have significant consequences on the health of employees, particularly concerning conditions related to exposure to chemical reagents. This underscores the urgent need to improve safety and prevention measures to ensure the protection of workers.

Study of the Effect of Massage Therapy on Serum Cortisol Concentration in a Patient with Chronic Stress

Vildan Ahmed, Denka Marinova — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Stress is a condition that occurs when external or internal influences (stressors) are damaging or unusual in strength, which disrupt the homeostasis of the human organism. Cortisol is the glucocorticoid, which under the influence of stress factors increases its secretion more than 10 times. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of massage therapy on serum cortisol concentration in patients with chronic stress. Material and methods: the study refers to a 3-month follow-up of a 32-year-old male patient with high serum cortisol levels. PSS – 10 (Perceived Stress scale) was used, serum cortisol was measured immunometrically with chemiluminescent labeling. Two courses of ten procedures were conducted with massage (classical or Chinese) therapy in the cervical-thoracic area. Results: Reduction of serum cortisol levels, reduction of pain symptoms, subjective and objective management of stressors. Conclusion: Massage therapy appears to be an effective method of managing stress and the pain symptoms associated with it.