<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Frailty syndrome is defined as a progressive state of reducing the body’s physiological reserves with age and is characterized by an increased susceptibility to sudden, disproportionate deterioration in functioning, after which it is impossible to return to previous fitness and independence. The typical clinical symptoms of this syndrome include generalized weakness, decreased strength and muscle mass, deterioration of exertion tolerance, slowing of movement, loss of balance, deterioration of cognitive functions, weight loss or malnutrition. Frailty syndrome worsens the prognosis for seniors, increases the risk of reduced physical and/or mental performance, dependence on others, may cause hospitalization, lead to postoperative complications, social withdrawal, and ultimately premature death. Among the most important interventions in the prevention and treatment of frailty syndrome is regular and thoughtfully planned physical activity. The incidence of frailty syndrome increases with age – it affects from 2%–5% of respondents aged 18–34, and in people over 65, it ranges from 4%–59%. Based on research conducted in Poland, it is estimated that frailty syndrome affects 6.7% of the elderly, including 30% of people aged 75–80 and 50% of people over 80 years of age. Most often, frailty is diagnosed based on an interview and physical examination. An important issue in its identification is the lack of unambiguous diagnostic criteria for evaluating the syndrome. The most common tool for evaluating the frailty syndrome in the context of physical limitations are the criteria developed by Linda Fried, introduced and described based on the analysis of the Cardiovascular Health Study clinical trials.</p>
</abstract>

Criteria for Diagnosis and Evaluation of Frailty Syndrome

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>Colorectal cancer is one of the most important problems that medicine has to face nowadays. Despite the development of new diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies in oncology, it still takes the leading position regarding cancer related deaths, which proves the presence of undiscovered part of its biology. Therefore, is justified to search for new biomarkers to determine better colorectal cancer biology. Sexdetermining region Y-related (SRY) high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) is currently highly investigated protein which expression was identified in many pathological processes, including malignancies with the highest mortality rates and which seems to be a promising marker related to cancer progression.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Objectives</h3>
<p>The aim of the study was to evaluate SOX4 expression level in colorectal cancer cells and search for its potential relation to the established prognostic parameters for more individual approach in cancer disease.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Material and methods</h3>
<p>Immunohistochemical evaluation of the SOX4 protein expression in colorectal cancer cells supported by statistical analysis of the relation to tumour stage, grade, and presence of lymph node metastases, as well as chosen histoclinical features.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>Obtain results showed for the first time complex expression of SOX4 in colorectal cancer. There were revealed differences of SOX4 immunoexpression regarding tumour grade, lymph node status, and tumour ulceration, as well as potential relation between SOX4 expression and patients’ age and sex and grade 1 histological malignancy of the tumour.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>Obtained results support the role of the SOX4 in colorectal cancer biology and for the first time indicate the relation with the established prognostic factors: tumour grade and lymph node status. The findings revealed in presented studies alight SOX4 expression as a promising parameter for colorectal cancer more individual approach with prospective clinical impact.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Sex-determining Region Y-related (SRY) High-mobility Group Box 4 (SOX4) Immunoexpression in Colorectal Cancer as an Unappreciated Parameter for More Individual Approach in Cancer Disease – A Preliminary Study

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>Ever since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) stuck health care systems in many countries have been seriously burdened. Simultaneously, thousands of medical students across Europe have volunteered to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Objectives</h3>
<p>The paper aims to analyse the motivations for the volunteering among future healthcare professionals in times of a coronavirus outbreak.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Material and methods</h3>
<p>The study was conducted among 311 students of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland, who answered questions regarding the reasons they became involved in voluntary service during the pandemic. Answers were used to categorize respondents’ motivations for their voluntary service in different functions.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>While four functions served by volunteering during the coronavirus pandemic have been identified: values, enhancement, career and social, students were mainly motivated by altruistic reasons: the ideal of doing good, helping others and giving something back to the community. Moreover, many believed that as future health professionals it was their duty to engage, whatever the risk. Gender and religiosity were the key factors conditioning students’ motivations.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>While volunteering has served many purposes during the coronavirus pandemic, value-based motivations were the primary force behind students’ engagement. At the same time, students’ religiosity seems the key factor that determined their motivations.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Motivations for Volunteering among Future Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Case Study from Poland

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Objectives</h3>
<p>One of the main objectives of the paper is to present and describe some unfair and unethical business practices in the health sector during the ongoing pandemic.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Research design &amp; methods</h3>
<p>The Authors conducted a comparative research study using public reports, administrative proceedings and national legislations.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Findings</h3>
<p>The study revealed that the described malpractices and misconducts occurred on examined markets intensified during the pandemic. Some of them happened for the first time on this occasion.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Implications/Recommendations</h3>
<p>The public governances and other competent organs should continue their supervisory activities and public information and education campaigns in order to highlight the frauds and unethical conducts that occur and will occur on the market.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Contribution/Value added</h3>
<p>The Authors decided to conduct their research on this specific topic not only because it constitutes a particularly relevant issue in this critical time, but also because there is a lack of such comprehensive and comparative presentation of the unethical and deceitful practices that took place in the public health sector due to the spread of COVID-19.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Selected Unfair Business Practices in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>The prevalence of latex allergy in the population of healthcare workers is higher than in the general population. In the last decade, the use of powder gloves has been reduced or banned due to the risk of developing adverse effects and diseases to individuals exposed to them. Latex gloves are used on a daily basis in Croatian hospitals. Powdered latex gloves are still in everyday use in Croatia.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Objectives</h3>
<p>The aim of this cross-sectional study was to do screening among healthcare professionals for hand diseases after wearing gloves, and to test a positive correlation between symptoms on the hands and work in the hospital.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Subjects and methods</h3>
<p>The data were collected by the self-assessment questionnaire The Latex Allergy Screening Questionnaire. The participants were healthcare workers who regularly use latex gloves in hospitals.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>The study included 455 healthcare workers: 361 nurses, 71 physicians, and 23 other healthcare workers. The most often symptoms of dermatitis occur in workers who use gloves for more than three hours a day, with the highest frequency in the group wearing gloves between 3 and 5 hours a day. Contact dermatitis develops more significantly in the participants who wear gloves more than 5 hours a day (P=0.001). Of all participants, after latex glove use, 45.05% had various symptoms on the skin of the hand related to gloves use and 18% reported contact urticaria after contact with latex gloves. Most of them (89.8%) who suffered from various symptoms related to gloves, did not have any symptoms when they were on holiday or sick leave.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Nearly half of the participants have some problems with the skin after wearing latex gloves. Most participants have had those symptoms withdrawn when they took a sick leave or a vacation. The ban on powdered gloves should be considered as a preventive measure.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

The Use of Latex Powdered Gloves in Health Care and Skin Problems on the Hands: A Pilot Study in Croatian Hospitals

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Nowadays, back pain is a very common problem, especially in the area of lower back. Classic massage is one of the methods of reducing back pain and is included in the therapeutic procedure.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Purpose</h3>
<p>The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of classic massage and massage with the trigger points therapy elements in patients with painful ailments by cutting the lumbosacral spine.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Material and method of the study</h3>
<p>The study involved 84 patients with pain in the lumbosacral spine. The subjects were divided into two groups. Group I included 42 people (50.0%) who received classic massage, and group II included another 42 people (50.0%) who received classic massage with the trigger points therapy elements. A proprietary questionnaire was used for the analysis, which allowed for the assessment of the effectiveness of the applied treatment, supplemented with the VAS scale and the Thomayer test.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>The results of the study show a statistically significant difference between the intensity of perceived pain measured before and after the procedures in both group I (p&lt;0.001) and group II (p&lt;0.001). The average improvement achieved by the patients from group I was 2.88 points, and by the patients from group II to 4.48 points. On the other hand, the average improvement in the Thomayer test obtained by the patients from group I was 2.12 cm, and by the patients from group II was 3.68 cm. The difference in the treatment effect in the two groups was statistically significant (p&lt;0.001).</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>Classic massage with the trigger points therapy elements has a better effect on improving spine mobility in the patients with pain in the lumbosacral spine and reduces pain to a greater extent compared to classic massage.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Classic Massage with the Use of Trigger Points Therapy Elements in Patients Suffering from Pain in the Lumbosacral Spine

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 2024 (2024): Issue 1 (January 2024)

Volume 2023 (2023): Issue 1 (January 2023)

Volume 2022 (2022): Issue 4 (December 2022)

Volume 2022 (2022): Issue 3 (September 2022)

Volume 2022 (2022): Issue 2 (June 2022)

Volume 2022 (2022): Issue 1 (March 2022)

Volume 2021 (2021): Issue 4 (December 2021)

Volume 2021 (2021): Issue 3 (September 2021)

Volume 2021 (2021): Issue 2 (June 2021)

Volume 2021 (2021): Issue 1 (March 2021)

Journal of Health Study and Medicine

The Journal of Health Study and Medicine (JHSM) is dedicated to publish original scientific articles about all aspects of medicine, covering significant developments in the field of medical sciences, as well as a wide range of issues concerning health study and related research areas. By extending the primary scope, it is an interdisciplinary journal that bridges computer science and medicine. This allows to present the latest scientific achievements together with engineering innovations that drive the progress of medicine, such as healthcare robots, smart wearable devices, intelligent diagnostic systems, telemedicine, and medical applications focusing on artificial intelligence (AI). The AI applications may concern medical image recognition, diagnostics, individually adapted therapies, health risk assessment, virtual nursing assistants, healthcare administration, healthcare analytics, and much more. In addition, the journal covers full spectrum of medical sciences and applied AI methods such as expert systems, artificial neural networks, including deep learning, fuzzy and neuro-fuzzy systems, hybrid intelligent systems, and others. Other relevant fields such as bioinformatics, biocybernetics, and biomedical engineering, are also relevant to the scope of this journal.  Moreover, the journal is open to presenting issues at the intersection of medicine and social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and management. In particular, we expect articles that will show the current situation of health care in individual countries (such topics as patient satisfaction with the quality of medical services and the work of medical staff, training of professional managers specialising in health care) or selected public health problems (e.g., quality of life with selected diseases, knowledge in the areas of prevention of selected diseases, etc.).   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 