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A Review of side effects of Kombucha
No full textKombucha is a mushroom fermented in sweetened black or green tea, originally found in Asia, being used as a remedy for many ailments in this region. Kombucha is not a usual mushroom because it represents the symbiosis between yeast and a variety of bacteria aggregated through a permeable membrane. Among the benefits of Kombucha tea are the potential antioxidant effect against free radicals, and the clinical effects on diabetes for its hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, and immune stimulation. But secondary to the lack of evidence to support these benefits, several publications emerged to mention the side effects of Kombucha consumption. The present article is trying to collect the data reported in the literature regarding the side effects of Kombucha. </p
Ruxolitinib as a therapy choice for refractory pruritus in a patient with essential thrombocythemia with CALR mutation
No full textRefractory pruritus associated with Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) is rare. Herein, we present the first report of resistant pruritus responsive to ruxolitinib in an ET patient with a calreticulin mutation.</p
Increase in the number of consultations for early telarche and the subsequent diagnosis of early or early puberty in pediatric endocrinology in Alava, after the confinement suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic
Full text linkIntroduction: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and home confinement measures, many of our routines and daily habits have been both affected and modified. Have these factors conditioned a real increase in precocious (PP) and accelerated puberty (AP)?Objectives: This is an observational and retrospective study in which the incidence of medical consultations due to premature thelarche is compared between March to December 2019 and 2020. The medical consultations occurred in the Pediatric Endocrinology (PE) consultation of our hospital.Patients and methods: The analysis involved 75 cases of young girls consulted with premature thelarche in 2019 and 97 girls which were consulted in 2020. From each patient, different variables were analyzed, such as somatometry, hormones, eco, and treatment.Results: In 2019, 75 first visits of PE were due to premature thelarche in young girls (accounting for 2.46% of the total number of first visits carried out in Pediatrics Outpatient Clinics (POC) and 16.77% of PE first visits). However, in 2020, 97 first visits were due to PE (3.52% of the total first-time visits of OC and 23.3% in PE). It was found that in 2020 the number of first-time visits due to premature thelarche increased by 28% compared to 2019 (p: 0.0001 mean comparison).In 2019, out of the 75 consultations due to premature thelarche, 40% were diagnosed with an earlier physiological puberty. Conversely in 2020, out of the 97 consultations, 61.77% had normal physiological puberty. These figures represent an OR of 1.54 (p: 0.02 t Student for independent samples). It was evaluated whether the patients had experienced > 3kg weight gain above 6 months prior to the medical visit. In 2020, 31.57% of patients experienced weight gain, whereas 68.42% did not. In 2019 patients who experienced weight gain accounted for 12.16% and 87.83% did not experience significant weight gain (p: 0.01 t Student for independent samples).Conclusion: Our data demonstrates there has been an increase in the incidence of referrals from Primary Attention to Pediatric Endocrinology to examine advanced thelarche during the period of lockdown measures (2020), in addition to an increase in the number of diagnostics of PP and AP in young girls in our hospital when compared to figures for 2019.Furthermore, in 2020 there was a greater number of patients who experienced a weight gain increase 6 months prior to the medical consultations.We hypothesize that the lockdown inflicted sedentary lifestyles together with changes in dietary habits, promoting weight gain in patients. This effect could have caused a body fat mass increase in girls, suggesting a “trigger effect” in the activation of the gonadal axis, causing a rise in the number of early puberty cases.IRB: CIEC 01/2017.</p
Quō Vādis theoretical physics and cosmology? from Newton’s Metaphysics to Einstein’s Theology
Full text linkThe crisis in modern theoretical physics and cosmology has its root in its use, along with theology as a ruling-class tool, since medieval Europe. The Copernican revolution overthrowing the geocentric cosmology of theology led to unprecedented social and scientific developments in history. But Isaac Newton’s mathematical idealism-based and on-sided theory of universal gravitational attraction, in essence, restored the idealist geocentric cosmology; undermining the Copernican revolution. Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity proposed since the turn of the 20th century reinforced Newtonian mathematical idealism in modern theoretical physics and cosmology, exacerbating the crisis and hampering further progress. Moreover, the recognition of the quantum world - a fundamentally unintuitive new realm of objective reality, which is in conflict with the prevailing causality-based epistemology, requires a rethink of the philosophical foundation of theoretical physics and cosmology in particular and of natural science in general. </p
Temperature effects on grain growth phenomena and magnetic properties of silicon steels used in marine applications
No full textThe present paper investigates the stages of the microstructure and texture evolution in non-oriented electrical silicon steels by means of magnetic measurements and metallographic analysis. The goal of this work was to study temperature effects and their influence on grain growth processes in non-oriented electrical steels while being subjected to different annealing conditions and to clarify the mechanism of grain boundary motion during annealing. It is important to study the development of texture and grain size in electrical steel samples along the entire production line chain (hot rolling, cold rolling, and final annealing), as both are affected by each processing stage. The lack of magnetic data dependent on the operating temperature of non-oriented electrical steels makes it impossible to accurately design high-power motors (e.g., propulsion systems in ships) or generators that are to operate at high temperatures. The correlation of magnetic properties with the microstructure of electrical steels can yield important information about their suitability for various substrates and marine applications. In addition, it can potentially non-destructively define both the annealing stage and the preferred crystallographic growth pattern in single-phase ferritic steels, which affect the performance and longevity of the electromagnetic devices in which these are used. </p
Dietary intervention in enhancing immunity of cancer patients
No full textThe compromised function and environment of the immune system in individuals with cancer create a scenario in which the immune system fails to effectively identify and eliminate cancer cells. As a result, tumors can thrive and avoid detection by the immune system, leading to the progression of the disease. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of these immune-related challenges is essential for the development of effective cancer treatments, including immunotherapies, which aim to enhance the immune response against cancer. In addition to conventional treatments, dietary interventions have shown potential in supporting cancer patients by improving their immune function through nutritional support, influencing the gut microbiome, boosting the immune system, and other means. It is crucial to note that these dietary interventions should be tailored to each individual cancer patient, considering their specific requirements, preferences, and tolerances. This review seeks to underscore the significance of implementing well-adapted and appropriate dietary approaches to enhance the anticancer immunity of cancer patients.</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
Comparison of two questionnaires (PDQ-39 and SEIQoL) for assessment of the quality of life in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease
No full textParkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that begins insidiously and progresses over time with a loss of nerve cells in certain brain regions.People with chronic diseases often experience a change in their quality of life. For patients, relatives, and the whole community, a reduced quality of life can pose a significant burden. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce socioeconomic costs to preserve high health quality in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson’s disease can cause people to have difficulty performing daily activities such as working or shopping. It is not uncommon for social interaction to be impaired, as patients sometimes struggle to participate in social life due to their symptomatology. The quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patients can be measured in different ways. A distinction can be made between Health-related Quality of Life and Individualised Quality of Life. Several questionnaires and screening tools are investigating the Quality of Life in patients with Parkinson’s disease. However, their validity and practicability are often not extensively analyzed.In this paper, we will investigate whether the two questionnaires, “The Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39)” and “Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life (SEIQoL)”, measure the same quality of life in PD patients. The two questionnaires do not reach the same results, although they both measure the construct “Quality of Life” and should be used complementary to gain deeper insight into patients’ real-life problems.</p
Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity of the active pharmaceutical ingredient nevirapine and a nevirapine-based drug on the plant species Allium cepa
No full textThe toxicity of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and nevirapine-based drug at analytical concentrations was evaluated under laboratory conditions, using Allium cepa seeds as a model. The germination index of the negative control was 86.8 ± 2.1. The concentrations of 6.42 and 9.54 mg/L of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and 11.20 mg/L of the nevirapine-based drug showed a statistically higher germination index than the negative control. We found that the root growth of the negative control was 1.7 ± 0.6 mm and that the root growth was statistically lower than the negative control at concentrations of 9.54 and 17.73 mg/L of active pharmaceutical ingredient and 5.48, 11.20, and 17.68 mg/L of the drug. The mitotic index of negative control and methyl methanesulfonate were 7.4 ± 2.7 and 12.8 ± 4.5, respectively. At a concentration of 17.68 mg/L of the nevirapine-based drug, the mitotic index of 12.7 ± 2.7 was statistically higher than the negative control and like the methyl methanesulfonate, which indicated that nevirapine was cytotoxic at this concentration. At all concentrations tested the chromosome abnormality indices were statistically higher than negative control, suggesting that nevirapine was genotoxic. The mutagenicity index of the negative control was 0.2 ± 0.3. At concentrations of 6.42, 9.54, and 17.73 mg/L of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and 17.68 mg/L of the nevirapine-based drug, the mutagenicity index was statistically higher than the negative control, indicating that nevirapine was mutagenic for A. cespa at these concentrations. The chromosomal adhesion was the most frequent chromosomal aberration in the groups exposed to nevirapine, suggesting that it has an aneugenic effect on the A. cepa species.</p
Asymmetry as an indicator of stress: From population statistics to clinical life-saving applications
No full textMost symmetrical objects can be efficiently described in terms of their deviation from a specific symmetry group, whether it be a mirror, radial, or translatory symmetry, among other groups. Fundamentally, asymmetry is an individual trait, but the asymmetry distribution of a given population may provide valuable information about the well-being of that population. Quantification of these deviations from perfect symmetry evolved from counts and linear measures of distances to landmarks conducive to structures with consistent topology, and then to Continuous Symmetry Measures (CSM) conducive to structures with no consistent topology. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach on quantification of leaf veins that mirror bifurcating structures. Deviations from a given symmetry group can be described in terms of (i) Fluctuating Asymmetries (FA) or (ii) broken asymmetries. Fluctuating Asymmetry (FA) is a controversial indicator of stress, and therefore tackling the problem needs a large number of species and populations in habitats with well-known stressors. We found such a site at “Evolution Canyon”, Israel, and we examine and discuss a study of twenty-four species that live in the canyon’s opposing slopes. We conclude with examples from asymmetry as a neurophysiological bioindicator by presenting several studies on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. We show how machine-learning methods, applied on asymmetry indicators (in addition to the traditional signal processing features), can improve the sensitivity of the system and provide reliable diagnostic results.</p