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Memory impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome; what is the evidence?
Get PDFObjectives. Although COVID-19 mainly affects the respiratory system, it can also cause neurological complications like memory impairment, which may be part of post-COVID-19 Syndrome. Identifying these impairments is challenging due to the lack of approaches and limited follow-up. This systematic review aimed to identify the effects of COVID-19 on memory. Methods. Analyzing articles from PubMed, SciELO, and VHL databases, focusing on the relationship between COVID-19 infection and memory impairment. Results. COVID-19 infection was linked to significant declines in memory function. The severity of infection correlated with the intensity of neurological sequelae, particularly memory impairment, with cognitive and executive functions most affected. Recovery in these functions paralleled symptom improvement. Conclusions. Patients often continued to exhibit executive function impairments and cognitive deficits after recovering, complicating the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology
Tolkien and Laʒamon
Get PDFIn this essay I argue that the Arthurian poem that had the greatest influence on The Lord of the Rings was Laʒamon’s Brut. In a Letter to editor Milton Waldman from 1951 Tolkien expressed his regret that England lacked a mythology and stories of its own that were “bound up with its tongue and soil, ” explaining that the Arthurian world was “associated with the soil of Britain but not with English,” and that “its ‘faerie’ is too lavish, and fantastical, incoherent and repetitive.” Perhaps to rectify these deficiencies in the Matter of Britain, Tolkien began writing his own version of the Arthurian legend in Old English alliterative meter, The Fall of Arthur, but never completed it. He did complete The Lord of the Rings, however, in which key events of Aragorn’s narrative recall similar episodes in the Arthurian section of Laʒamon’s Brut. Tolkien, a self- described West-midlander, was drawn for linguistic reasons to the Brut, which was composed in a West-midland dialect of Middle English laced with deliberate archaisms; Tolkien also used archaistic language in several passages in The Lord of the Rings. Finally, the Brut’s ‘faerie’ is fully integrated into the main narrative, thus meeting Tolkien’s standards for a coherent secondary world. I conclude that both Tolkien and Laʒamon created mythologies “bound up with the tongue and soil” of Britain, evoking a lost past in which their readers or listeners could become fully immersed
Rimmo nín Bruinen dan in Ulaer!: Waters of Wisdom and Wonder in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
No full textTolkien\u27s profound and enigmatic incorporation of water elements has captivated not only Tolkien enthusiasts but also scholars from various academic fields, positioning this elemental motif as a significant focus in contemporary literary studies. Although environmental themes in Tolkien\u27s works have been widely researched, the specific role of water in Elven realms—and its possible Celtic cultural connotations—remains largely overlooked. This paper examines J.R.R. Tolkien\u27s engagement with Celtic influences in The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), focusing on the motif of water in elven realms. Despite critiquing Milton Waldman’s idea of “Celtic Things,” Tolkien paradoxically integrates Celtic mythology, creating complex aquatic landscapes that invite deeper mythological interpretations.
The study employs a comparative analytical framework, juxtaposing Tolkien’s textual representation of water with its cinematic adaptation in Peter Jackson\u27s 2001 film. This methodological approach enables a nuanced exploration of the thematic significance attributed to water, revealing its dual role as a symbol of both wisdom and wonder within the narrative architecture of Middle-earth.
This paper utilizes primary sources, including The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) and its film adaptation, alongside secondary literature starting with Norbert Schurer\u27s analysis of water symbolism and extending to other notable Tolkienists scholars in Celtic culture and mythology. This synthesis aims to elucidate the mystical and intentional significance of water in relation to elven wisdom in Tolkien\u27s narrative
Hepatotoxicity induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors
Get PDFImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an effective immunotherapeutic approach for cancers affecting the lung, skin, kidney, mammary gland, or certain hematologic malignancies. Regarding the prognosis of these oncological conditions, treatments with ICIs open new therapeutic perspectives with benefits for both patients and healthcare providers. A drawback of immune checkpoint inhibition is the occurrence of immune-related adverse events that can involve a wide range of organs, such as the liver. Given widespread usage of immunotherapy, the number of patients who suffer from this unwanted condition has increased. Hepatopathy induced by ICIs can be severe and can even lead to death. Detecting liver toxicity in ICIs regiments requires a close monitorization of patients during and after the treatment. Such hepatopathies often involve discontinuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors and administration of corticosteroids. In conclusion, hepatopathies induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors require a comprehensive understanding for effective management, both to protect the patient\u27s life during therapy and to ensure longer survival after cessation of treatment
Obesity in children: systematic review over a 6-year period, including the Covid-19 pandemic
Get PDFAlthough obesity is a frequently formulated diagnosis at all ages, due to the long-term projection of the consequences of this condition in children it is a real public health problem. The etiology of obesity is multiple and its complexity requires a multidisciplinary medical approach from which the psychological component cannot be omitted. Thus, diseases such as diabetes, dyslipidemias, cardiovascular diseases, sleep apnea syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver or neoplasia are encountered with a higher incidence in this category of individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the isolation and, consequently, the reduction of access to ways of performing physical exercise increased the balance between caloric intake and caloric consumption resulting in the accumulation of surplus calories in the form of adipose tissue. The purpose of the present work is to emphasize the interest manifested by the medical scientific world regarding obesity in the pediatric population, in the pre-pandemic period, during the pandemic period and one year after its’ end (2018-2023). We performed systematic review of clinical studies on obesity in the pediatric population, including 98 articles published in the PubMed database. The number of studies published during the pandemic period (53) vs the number of studies published ex-pandemic (45), corresponds to a ratio of 1.17:1 in favor of the first. Obesity remains a research topic of major interest in early life, regardless of the coexistence of COVID-19
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical manifestations and therapeutic outcomes in acute endophthalmitis
Get PDFEndophthalmitis incidence and clinical characteristics was reported to change during Covid-19 pandemic, due to multiple influencing factors, such as prolonged lockdown periods, persistent immune suppression following Sars-Cov-2 infection, and mask wearing. We conducted a retrospective eight-year study, during January 2016 and December 2023, that aims to investigates the differences in terms of etiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes in cases with acute endophthalmitis, admitted before (2016-2019) and during Covid-19 pandemic (2020-2023). The two study subgroups were homogenous in term of age, gender distribution, associated comorbidities, and addressability. During Covid-19 pandemic there were significant delays in presentation (p=0.02), more cases of endogenous endophthalmitis (p=0.025), and patients presented a more intense systemic inflammatory reaction (
Socio-economic disparities in prenatal prognosis and intervention accessibility
Get PDFObjectives. This study aimed to assess the impact of socio-economic factors on prenatal care accessibility and outcomes and to evaluate the effectiveness of specialized integrative prenatal care in mitigating these disparities. Materials and Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted between 2020 and 2023 in Bucharest, Romania, involving 100 pregnant women. Participants were equally divided into two groups that received standard and specialized prenatal care. Data were collected through structured interviews, medical record reviews, and standardized questionnaires at multiple time points during pregnancy and postpartum. Results. Women receiving integrative care had longer gestation periods (37.8 vs. 37.6 weeks), higher average birth weights (3.3 kg vs. 3.14 kg), and fewer complications during labor (10% vs. 12.5%) compared to the standard care group. Socio-economic status significantly influenced outcomes, with lower income and education levels associated with shorter gestation periods and lower birth weights. Stronger support systems correlated with better mental health and improved pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions. Integrative prenatal care, which addresses both medical and psychosocial needs, significantly improves pregnancy outcomes, particularly for women of lower socio-economic status. Targeted interventions are essential to ensure equitable maternal and neonatal health outcomes
Paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome in a patient with advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; case report and literature review
Get PDFParaneoplastic acral vascular syndrome (PAVS) is a captivating enigma in the landscape of oncological pathology, characterized by vascular disturbances of the extremities. PAVS is linked to rapidly progressing trajectory and understanding the intricate interplay between cancer and this vascular dysfunction is imperative for timely diagnosis. We describe the case of a 45-year-old cachectic male who presented at the ICU with bilateral tumefied, cyanotic digits, accompanied by acute pain and numbness in both hands. A Digital Angiography described complete obstruction of the digital arteries. Imaging showed a laterocervical tumor mass with pulmonary metastases. This form of digital ischemia likely stems from endothelial dysfunction and prothrombotic effects induced by the tumor through a paraneoplastic mechanism. This case underscores the importance of recognizing acral vascular syndrome, prompting thorough investigation for an underlying malignancy. Ultimately, collective efforts aimed at enhancing our understanding of PAVS and optimizing its management hold promise for improving outcomes and alleviating the burden of this condition on affected patients
The Land of Fairies of J. R. R. Tolkien: Faërie as the “middle earth” between the world of senses and the world of Ideas
No full textThis article delves into J. R. R. Tolkien\u27s essay On Fairy-Stories with the aim of outlining a giving hermeneutics for the metaphor of Faërie, the Elfland, in dialogue with the philosophical tradition of Ancient Greece – specially with Plato\u27s Republic and Aristotle\u27s De Anima and Poetics , and also the medieval reference of Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica”. The historical context of early 20th-century England and J. R. R. Tolkien\u27s biography assure that he belonged to a Catholic religious and philosophical tradition that claimed the so-called realistic philosophy as the foundation for understanding the world. From this theoretical-methodological approach, one finds a dual significance for Faërie: firstly, in a more Platonic inspiration, as the intermediary reality between the sensible dimension perceived by human senses and the intelligible dimension consisting of the ideas that inform material things. In a second interpretation, with a more Aristotelian and Thomistic hue, the metaphor of the Elfland can also be understood as the matrix of combinatory possibilities through the language of forms originating from the perception of reality by the human mind, Faërie being constituted by imagination or fantasy, the capacity of humans to form images from memory, which serves as the basis for the abstraction of universal forms
