Issue 4 (August)

The basic mechanisms that support the nervous system's operation in both invertebrates and vertebrates are impulse transmission and the body's reaction to stimuli. These mechanisms let organisms' sense changes in their internal and external surroundings, analyze the information, and start the proper behavioral or physiological reactions. For homeostasis, survival, and adaptation, impulse transmission and response to stimuli must be accurate and efficient. When a stimulus is strong enough to surpass the excitation threshold, a brief, transient change in membrane potential known as an action potential is generated, signaling the beginning of neuronal impulse transmission. This electrochemical process is initiated by the passage of ions, namely sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺) ions, across the neuronal membrane via voltage-gated ion channels. Synaptic transmission is a crucial step in impulse propagation after this. An action potential that reaches the axon terminal releases neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. The kind of neurotransmitter and receptor involved determines whether these chemical messengers cause excitatory or inhibitory responses when they attach themselves to certain postsynaptic membrane receptors. Complex neural networks are formed by the communication that is made possible by this synaptic activity between neurons and threshold; the start of neuronal impulse transmission is indicated by the generation of an action potential, a short, fleeting shift in membrane potential. This communication tried to talk in more details about this topic.

Abstracts of the First Conference of Pharm D Clinical Pharmacy Students Faculty of Pharmacy Beni-suef University

Background

The purpose of the study was to appraise and compare the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with the nursing application of chemotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine.

Method

Based on the inspection of the meta-analysis data, the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived by dichotomous random or fixed effect models. 26 papers with a total of 2290 subjects who were available between 2005 and 2021 were included in this meta-analysis.

Results

Traditional Chinese medicine had significantly higher quality of life (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.87-4.16, p<0.001) and clinical efficacy (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 2.24-3.47, p<0.001), and Karnofsky Performance Status score (OR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.45-6.34, p=0.003), and lower leukopenia (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.12-0.36, p<0.001), thrombocytopenia (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.13-0.29, p<0.001), myelosuppression (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.10-0.58, p=0.001), hemoglobin decrease (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12-0.93, p=0.04), nausea and vomiting (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.11-0.22, p<0.001), diarrhea (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.13-0.36, p<0.001), liver damage (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.10-0.28, p<0.001), and kidney damage (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.90, p=0.03) compared to control in subjects with non-small cell lung cancer.

Conclusions

The data that was looked at showed that using traditional Chinese medicine had significantly higher quality of life and clinical efficacy, and Karnofsky Performance Status score, and lower adverse effects, and hematological toxicity compared to control in subjects with non-small cell lung cancer. However, given that most of the studies comprised a small number as sample size, attention ought to be given to their values.

Background:

A meta-analysis study was completed to measure how to forecast the effect of the decompression only compared to decompression with fusion on lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Methods:

Until October 2024, an inclusive literature study was accomplished, and 1865 related studies were reviewed. The 31 nominated studies encompassed 31678 participants with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis at the beginning of the study. The odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to look at the outcome of the decompression only compared to decompression with fusion on lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis dichotomous, or continuous methods with either a fixed or random model.

Results:

In individuals with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis, decompression had significantly lower visual analog scale back score (MD, -0.57; 95% CI,-0.91- -0.23, p=0.001), visual analog scale leg score (MD, -0.26; 95% CI, -.49- -0.03, p=0.03), Oswestry Disability Index score (MD, -2.42; 95% CI, -4.75- -0.08, p=0.04), operation time (MD, -82.60; 95% CI, -130.06- -35.14, p<0.001) intraoperative blood loss (MD, -261.93; 95% CI, -360.49- -163.36, p<0.001), and length of hospital stay (MD, -20.09; 95% CI, -29.55- -10.64, p<0.001) compared to decompression with fusion treatment. However, no significant difference was found between decompression and decompression with fusion treatment in European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions score (MD, -0.01; 95% CI, -0.04-0.01, p=0.28) Short-Form 36 physical component summary (MD, -0.73; 95% CI, -2.70-1.24, p=0.47), Short-Form 36 mental component summary score (MD, 0.08; 95% CI, -2.94-3.10, p=0.96), patient satisfaction (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.25-1.09, p=0.08), overall complication rate (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.68-1.26, p=0.61), and overall reoperation rate (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.85-2.13, p=0.21) in individuals with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Conclusions:

In individuals with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis, decompression had significantly lower visual analog scale back score, visual analog scale leg score, Oswestry Disability Index score, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and length of hospital stay, however, no significant difference was in European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions score Short-Form 36 physical component summary, Short-Form 36 mental component summary score, patient satisfaction overall complication rate and overall reoperation compared to decompression with fusion treatment. To validate this finding more studies are required, and care is essential to be implemented when interconnecting with its values, since many comparisons had law number of selected studies. 

Background: Children asthma control complex due to the chronic nature of asthma and its interference with children’s quality of life, patient counseling about asthma nature and inhaler use are considered the cornerstone in asthma control. We evaluated various patient counseling techniques for optimizing the use of pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) to enhance asthma medication delivery and asthmatic state.

Methods: A random cohort of nonsmoking children with asthma aged 11-19 years was collected from an outpatient clinic; all diagnosed using Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) diagnosis guidelines. The patient's asthma status and pMDI use were assessed during the initial structured interview, and three groups were randomly divided for different counseling techniques, as the following, traditional verbal counseling only was applied to Group 1, while Group 2 received advanced counseling just via two smartphone applications without verbal corrections for inhaler use errors and Group 3 received the advanced counseling using two smartphone applications alongside with verbal correction of the inhaler use mistakes. We monitored the three groups for two consecutive months using the forced expiratory volume in the one second to the forced vital capacity of the lungs ratio (FEV1/FVC) ratio, Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and GINA control assessment Questionnaire.

Results: A total of 102 children with asthma n=102 were divided in to three counseling groups, each group is consisted of 34 patients, n=34. We found that, in term of FEV1/FVC 2^nd month interview, the advanced verbal counseling group was superior to the advanced alone counseling group p=0.016. In term of ACT 2^nd month interview, the advanced verbal counseling group was superior to the verbal only counseling group p=0.023. In term of ACQ 8^th week interview the advanced alone counseling group was superior to the verbal alone counseling group p=0.018. From the 2-month follow-up course using FEV1/FVC ratio, ACT, ACQ, and GINA control assessment questionnaires, the three counseling techniques significantly improved asthma control for all groups p<0.001.

Conclusion: The combination of smartphone applications based advanced counseling alongside with the verbal correction of the inhaler use errors resulted in a better children asthma control than using a single counseling approach.