Rajesh Varma
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Antidepressants and memory effects of ketamine under the neuromolecular view: A literature review
No full textObjective: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has as diagnostics characteristics chronic deep sadness, anhedonia, sleeping disorder, lower energy, and cognition impairment like memory deficits. Among the pharmacological treatments that have been used until the moment, most of them act by monoaminergic pathways. Overall, the antidepressant effects promoted by this kind of medication usually delay starting, resulting in treatment resistance by the patients; moreover, in some cases, this kind of treatment has shown to be inefficient in depression remission. With this, new treatments have been studied for resistant cases and an immediate antidepressant effect, for example, ketamine – whose action occurs in glutamatergic pathways. This study aimed to analyze, from a literature review, the molecular mechanisms involved in the action of ketamine - focusing on the neuroplastic hypothesis of depression. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases using the following terms as descriptors: "ketamine AND depression AND neuroplasticity," with criterion PICO, resulting in 60 bibliographic texts. Results/discussion: The studies analyzed demonstrated that ketamine could exert its antidepressant effects through the inhibition of GABAergic interneurons, activation of TRK-B/AKT/mTORC pathways involved with cell survival/growth through the neurotrophine BDNF and increased activation of AMPAr by glutamate. Furthermore, it is evident that the pharmacodynamics of ketamine involves different molecular cascades present in the impaired neural plasticity pathways in individuals with MDD. Conclusion: Thus, more research on the effectiveness of ketamine is needed to consolidate its use in MDD and to evolve with glutamatergic pharmacological therapy for other mental disorders, such as bipolar and neurodegenerative affective disorders, an example of Alzheimer's disease.</p
Current understanding of the cardiotoxicity-related treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors in breast cancer
No full textImmune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) as the most important and widely used currently, have changed the traditional approach to cancer treatment and significantly improved the prognosis of most patients with advanced malignancies. Breast cancer is the most dangerous threatening tumor to women’s health and life globally, ICIs have shed light on the treatment for refractory breast cancer subtypes, including Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and trastuzumab resistance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positives (HER2+). However, immune-related adverse events (irAE) associated with ICIs bring many extra considerations. Among these, potential cardiotoxicity is rarely seen but with the highest fatality rate. In the present review, we introduced the ICIs approved for the treatment of breast cancer and brief guideline for clinical application. Then we briefly summarized ICIs-related cardiotoxicity in breast cancer and mechanism based on immunology and basic medical research. Furthermore, we make a brief summary of the diagnosis methods.</p
Flawed foundation is the root cause of failure of medicine and precludes cures for chronic diseases
No full textModern (science-based) medicine adopted four presumptions when it evolved from ancient experienced-based mind-body medicine. To understand its failure in finding cures for chronic diseases, we examined four presumptions and found that statistical population of health properties does not exist for most research purposes, mathematical models are misused to model intensive properties, synthetic drugs are inherently more dangerous than nature-made medicines under their respective application conditions, and reductionist treatments are inferior and inherently dangerous. We found that clinical trials are valid only for research where the treatment effect is much stronger than the total effects of all interfering or co-causal factors or errors introduced by misused mathematical models can be tolerated. In all other situations, clinical trials introduce excessive errors and fail to detect treatment effects or produce biased, incorrect, or wrong results. We further found that chronic diseases are the manifestation of small departures in multiple processes attributes in distinctive personal biological pathways networks, that modern medicine lacks the required accuracy for accurately characterizing chronic diseases, and that reductionist treatments are good at controlling symptoms and safe for short-term uses. For all stated reasons, as long as modern medicine continues relying on flawed presumptions, it can never find predictable cures for chronic diseases. By implication, predictable cures to chronic diseases are adjustments to lifestyle, dietary, emotional, and environmental factors to slowly correct departures in process attributes responsible for chronic diseases.</p
Effect of different storage methods on germination and seedling emergence of six pawpaw (Carica Papaya L.) varieties planted in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Nigeria
No full textPawpaw is known as a fruit that contains nutrients and vitamins ranging from green ripe to over-ripe and unripe fruits of various varieties. The poor and delayed germination, rapid loss of viability in seeds due to the presence of sarcotesta, and condition of storage of seeds could be addressed through the storage in various containers. This paper focused on the investigation of the best storage methods that aid germination, seedling emergence and seedling performance of six pawpaw varieties. The experiment was set up in the Crop and Soil Science Laboratory Department and Nursery Site of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (Oyo-State). It was a 6 x 5 factorial experiment that consisted of 6 varieties of pawpaw; Pink Solo, Green Solo, Ghana Solo, Sunrise Solo, Ajawa Local, and Berry likewise the 5 storage methods are desiccator, refrigerator, plastic container, aluminum foil paper, and earthen pot. Data were collected by counting the number of germinated seeds manually from 4 – 16 days after sowing inside Petri dishes, emergence rate was also counted after seeds have been sown inside polythene bags and nursed for 12 weeks and the number of seeds germinated and seedling emergence was transformed into percentages. Seedling emergence rates were also counted manually and analysed by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), means were compared using the least significant difference at a 5% probability level. Significant differences were observed among storage methods and pawpaw varieties in germination rate, seedling emergence, and performance. The highest plant height was observed in green solo at 12WAS in the nursery (25.63 cm), the highest stem girth was recorded in Ajawa local 3.86 cm while the highest number of leaves was recorded in sunrise 9.9. The total emergence percentage was recorded in Green Solo at 93.8%. The highest germination percentage was observed in Ghana Solo 59.4%. The highest germination, seedling emergence, plant height, and number of leaves were recorded in the desiccator as 44.96%, 84.4%, 23.32 cm, and 9.38. Ajawa Local and Green Solo are recommended to be kept inside a desiccator or plastic container.</p
Abundance and diversity of waterbirds around the Begnas Lake of Pokhara Valley, Nepal
No full textWe studied the seasonal abundance and diversity of waterbirds around the Begnas lake of Pokhara Valley. The status of waterbirds in Begnas wetland is not documented so; we monitored the waterbirds using the point count method in 12 different plots around the lake and compared the seasonal abundance and diversity during the 2019 Summer and 2020 winter with 24 hours of observation in each plot. A total of 585 individuals of 25 waterbird species from 10 families were recorded during the study period. Among the recorded species two species were globally threatened and the remaining were the least concerned categories. The greater abundance of waterbirds was recorded during winter (t = -5.98, p < 0.001). The abundance of all feeding guilds was found higher during winter. Cattle egret was recorded with the greatest abundance (N = 85) and Relative abundance (RA = 14.52), it was followed by great cormorant (N = 57, RA = 9.74) and common pochard was the least abundant (N = 2, RA = 0.34). There was no seasonal variation in the Shannon Wiener index (H’) and species evenness however, the species richness was higher during winter (W = 16.5, p < 0.01). Distance to the forest, road, and settlement did not affect the abundance and diversity of waterbirds however, the abundance of insectivore birds was increased with the decrease of distance to croplands (t = -3.13, p < 0.05). The Begnas wetland was found with a lower abundance and diversity of waterbirds in comparison to the Phewa and other wetlands of the Terai region of Nepal. The lake water pollution, infrastructural development, anthropogenic activities, recreational activities, and infestation of invasive plants like water hyacinth were the main threats to the waterbirds around Begnas lake. An awareness program about the conservation of waterbirds and regular monitoring of waterbirds in Begnas was recommended.</p
A census and inventory of wild animals
No full textThe destruction of habitats in ecosystems, the rapid growth of the human population, and climate change have led to a decline in wildlife populations worldwide. It is therefore important to carry out a census and inventory of wild animal species, to determine their size, distribution, and status, especially in the context of accounting for forestry resources. Highlights are also given to the differences between a census and an inventory and how they are carried out. Such as censuses and inventories, how they help in monitoring and understanding animal populations, habitat changes, and developing conservation strategies, and how these approaches can be used to calculate the economic value of forests. This article concludes by discussing the impact of censuses and inventories on sustainable forest management and improving forest accounting by providing more accurate data. However, in carrying out the census and inventory of wild animals there are still obstacles such as limited funds, human resources, and adequate technology. So it is suggested that the need for support from the government, organizations and the community to increase the availability of resources needed to carry out censuses and inventories of wild animals.</p
Oxygen needs to be met in chad: Resilience, lessons learned, challenges and perspectives
No full textLack of medical oxygen has contributed to a large number of avoidable fatalities globally, which have escalated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, one of the major challenges that almost all countries faced was access to oxygen to treat their patients, who were often doomed to certain death in the absence of this product. Chad had a total of two oxygen production plants, all installed in Ndjamena, with low production capacity to meet high demand. Oxygen concentrators, which are an appropriate and attractive means of administering oxygen in healthcare facilities where there is a shortage of cylinders or a distribution network, were also not sufficient, and most of them were out of use due to the lack of proper preventive maintenance. To overcome this situation, Chad is improving its capacity for medical oxygen through the installation of new Oxygen plants, maintenance and repair of broken Oxygen concentrators as well as the training of maintenance technicians. This paper shares the experience of Chad in its efforts to improve the availability of oxygen for the management of respiratory diseases, as well as the benefits and challenges to consider when planning for increased access to medical oxygen in similar settings.</p
Unique factorization theorem for pure quantum states
No full textIn this paper we establish a unique factorization theorem for pure quantum states expressed in computational basis. We show that there always exists unique factorization for any given N-qubit pure quantum state in terms of the tensor product of non-factorable or ``prime'' pure quantum states. This result is based on a simple criterion: Given N-qubit pure quantum state in computational basis can be factorized as the tensor product of an m-qubit pure quantum state and an n-qubit pure quantum state, where (m + n) = N, if and only if the rank of the certain associated matrix is equal to one. This simple criterion leads to a factorization algorithm which when applied to an N-qubit pure quantum state factorizes that state into the tensor product of non-factorable or ``prime'' pure quantum states. This paper shows that for any given N-qubit pure quantum state the said factorization always ``exists'' and is ``unique''. We demonstrated our work here on a computational basis.PACS Number: 03.67.Mn, 03.65.Ca, 03.65.Ud</p
Characteristics of environmental degradation in mining areas (A case study of the Southern Trans-Urals)
No full textThe areas affected by mining operations are characterized by extremely complex environmental changes that affect all components of the natural complexes. In several cases, radical negative changes (transformations) take place, which cause the formation of the habitat, characterized by changes in characteristics of all components of the natural environment, including geological structure, soil cover, surface and groundwater and atmospheric air, respectively, flora and fauna. This generally leads to a sharp deterioration of ecological conditions, including living conditions of living organisms and human habitation, causing stressful situations, inconveniences, as well as characteristic diseases due to the influence of factors of excessive pollution of components of the natural environment. As one of the objects of the study, the impact zone of mining enterprises within the town of Sibai and its surroundings in the Republic of Bashkortostan was chosen. It is typical for the assessment of occurring changes and other industrial centers and districts located within the vast strip of the Southern Urals. It has been revealed that the greatest damage is inflicted on ecosystems of small rivers, which is caused by both direct and indirect entry of pollutants into them as a result of dissolution, leaching and entry from rock dumps, emissions into the atmosphere, and settling on the surface of soil and snow cover; direct discharge of wastewater into them, etc. It is shown that with the lingering impact of the regional response to global climate change, environmental problems are exacerbated. This calls for urgent measures to restore favorable environmental conditions and address a wide range of economic and social problems. </p
Investigation of the relationship of the use of the cellular and/or smartphone appliance with osteomioarticular lesions of the cervical spine and hand
No full textIntroduction: Considering that the cell phone and/or smartphones had become part of the human being and thus brought problems to people’s health. Objective: To investigate the existing relationship between the use of mobile telephone devices and the health problems of the user, focusing on musculoskeletal injuries of the cervical spine and hand and as hypotheses had the existence or not of this relationship. Methodology: A field study, cross-sectional, with a quantitative approach, of the descriptive type, was carried out in March and April 2019 with academics from the Physiotherapy course at Centro Universitário de João Pessoa- Unipê. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire that explored questions related to socio-demographic data, the reasons why the devices are used, the quantification of hours of use per day and the postures adopted, among others. Discussions: The data were analyzed and described through tabulation in Microsoft Excel version 2016 through simple descriptive statistics and in that same program, graphs and tables were constructed for a better display of the results that were confronted with the scientific literature. The sample was mostly female, single, brown, with income between one and five minimum wages and right-handed. Conclusion: There are reasons for this relationship to exist and that the problems arising from this interaction continue to grow since users, despite feeling pain, heaviness, numbness and tingling, among others, do not abandon their devices and because it is a theme that involves the world, it needs to be special attention from the scientific community.</p