Prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial about efficacy of homeopathic treatment in children with obstructive adenoid

AIM: the efficacy and security of homeopathic treatment was investigated on children with obstructive adenoid justifying an operation. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical prospective. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial included 40 children between the ages of 3 to 7 years old, 20 children were treated with homeopathic medication, based in the principle of similarity (Simillimum), and 20 children with placebo. All the children of the homeopathic group/ adenoid, were treated daily with Agraphis nutans 6 CH, Thuya 6 CH and Adenoid 21CH, and the patients of the placebo group received daily placebo medication. The duration of the study of each children was 4 months. The evaluation of the results was clinical, and it was made by questionnaire standard, clinical examination and direct flexible fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy, in the first and last day of treatment. The criterion of selection was the adenoid that occuped more than 70% of the coanal space. RESULTS: From the group of 20 children treated with homeopathic treatment, 13 did not show any change on the size of adenoid after nasopharyngoscopy, and 7 children had their adenoid decreased; from another group of 20 children that have treated with placebo for 4 months, 11 did not show any change on the size of their adenoid, 4 had their adenoid decreased and 5 had their adenoid increased. The statistical analysis showed a not significant difference (P= 0,069). The clinical evaluation of the patients showed that from the group of 20 patients treated with homeopathy, 17 kept unchanging, with oral breathing and snoring, one patient got better, eliminating the snoring and two were cured, which mean that their oral breathing turned to nasal breathing without snoring. From the group of 20 patients treated with placebo, 17 kept unchanging, one eliminated the snoring and two were cured; and these differences were not statistically significant (P> 0,999). CONCLUSIONS: the homeopathic treatment was not efficient in the patients with obstructive adenoid, remaining it surgical indication in 85% of the children. The homeopathic remedies did not provoke adverse events in the children.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia e segurança do tratamento homeopático em crianças com adenóide obstrutiva, com indicação cirúrgica. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Clínico prospectivo. Material e método: Estudo prospectivo, duplo-cego, randomizado, em que foram incluídas 40 crianças com idade variando de 3 a 7 anos, 20 crianças foram tratadas com medicação homeopática individualizada (Simillimum), baseada no princípio da similitude e 20 crianças receberam placebo. Todas as crianças do grupo medicação homeopática foram medicadas diariamente com Agraphis nutans 6 CH, Thuya 6 CH e Adenóide 21CH; e as do grupo placebo receberam diariamente medicamentos sem o princípio ativo. A duração do estudo de cada paciente foi de 4 meses. A avaliação dos resultados foi clínica, por meio de questionário padrão, de exame otorrinolaringológico e nasofaringoscopia direta com fibroscópio flexível, no primeiro e no último dia de tratamento. Utilizou-se como critério de inclusão a adenóide que ocupou mais do que 70% da luz coanal. RESULTADOS: Das 20 crianças tratadas com medicamento homeopático, 13 não apresentaram alteração no tamanho da adenóide nos exames nasofaringoscópicos e 7 tiveram diminuição da adenóide; das 20 crianças que receberam placebo por 4 meses, 11 não apresentaram alterações no tamanho da adenóide, 4 tiveram diminuição da adenóide e 5 crianças tiveram aumento. Não houve diferença estatística significante entre os grupos (P= 0,069). Na avaliação clínica da evolução dos pacientes, dos 20 pacientes tratados com medicamento homeopático, 17 se mantiveram inalterados, com respiração oral e ronco, um paciente melhorou, ficando sem ronco e dois foram curados, isto é, a respiração alterou-se de oral para nasal e sem ronco. Dos 20 pacientes tratados com placebo, 17 pacientes se mantiveram inalterados, um paciente melhorou do ronco e dois foram curados, não tendo havido diferença estatística significante entre os grupos (P>0,999). CONCLUSÕES: O tratamento homeopático não foi eficaz nas crianças com adenóide obstrutiva, mantendo-se a indicação cirúrgica em 85% dos pacientes. O medicamento homeopático não provocou eventos adversos nas crianças.Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos Homeopáticos Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde de São PauloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Non-BPS Brane Dynamics And Dual Tensor Gauge Theory

The action for the long wavelength oscillations of a non-BPS p=3 brane embedded in N=1, D=5 superspace is determined by means of the coset method. The D=4 world volume Nambu-Goldstone boson of broken translation invariance and the two D=4 world volume Weyl spinor Goldstinos of the completely broken supersymmetry describe the excitations of the brane into the broken space and superspace directions. The resulting action is an invariant synthesis of the Akulov-Volkov and Nambu-Goto actions. The D=4 antisymmetric tensor gauge theory action dual to the p=3 brane action is determined.Comment: 15 pages, no figure

Why people attend science festivals : interests, motivations and self-reported benefits of public engagement with research

As a form of public engagement, science festivals have rapidly expanded in size and number over recent years. However, as with other domains of informal public engagement that are not linked to policy outcomes, existing research does not fully address science festivals’ impacts and popularity.This study adduces evidence from surveys and focus groups to elucidate the perspectives of visitors at a large UK science festival. Results show that visitors value the opportunities science festivals afford to interact with scientific researchers and to encounter different types of science engagement aimed at adults, children and families. The most significant self-reported impact of attending a science festival was the development of increased interest and curiosity about new areas of scientific knowledge within a socially stimulating and enjoyable setting

Fivebranes and 4-manifolds

We describe rules for building 2d theories labeled by 4-manifolds. Using the proposed dictionary between building blocks of 4-manifolds and 2d N=(0,2) theories, we obtain a number of results, which include new 3d N=2 theories T[M_3] associated with rational homology spheres and new results for Vafa-Witten partition functions on 4-manifolds. In particular, we point out that the gluing measure for the latter is precisely the superconformal index of 2d (0,2) vector multiplet and relate the basic building blocks with coset branching functions. We also offer a new look at the fusion of defect lines / walls, and a physical interpretation of the 4d and 3d Kirby calculus as dualities of 2d N=(0,2) theories and 3d N=2 theories, respectivelyComment: 81 pages, 18 figures. v2: misprints corrected, clarifications and references added. v3: additions and corrections about lens space theory, 4-manifold gluing, smooth structure

Method for separating molecules

The present invention provides various novel covalently modified sapphyrin derivatives and conjugates; polymers including sapphyrin or derivatives thereof; and chromatographic supports including sapphyrins and other expanded porphyrins and derivatives thereof. Disclosed are water soluble sapphyrins, including polyhydroxysapphyrins and sapphyrin-sugar derivatives; sapphyrin-metal chelating conjugates; sapphyrin nucleobase conjugates; oligosapphyrins and polysapphyrins, including sapphyrin dimers, trimers, oligomers and higher polymers; and polymer supported expanded porphyrin compositions, including advantageous rubyrin- and sapphyrin-based chromatography columns and electrophoretic supports. Sapphyrin oligomers and polymers and polymer supported expanded porphyrins, such as, e.g., glass and silica expanded porphyrin constructs, are disclosed which include both repeating units of sapphyrin derivatives alone and which include other units, for example, nucleobases, sapphyrin-nucleobase conjugates and long chain alkyl groups.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Method of cleaving DNA

The present invention provides various novel covalently modified sapphyrin derivatives and conjugates; polymers including sapphyrin or derivatives thereof; and chromatographic supports including sapphyrins and other expanded porphyrins and derivatives thereof. Disclosed are water soluble sapphyrins, including polyhydroxysapphyrins and sapphyrin-sugar derivatives; sapphyrin-metal chelating conjugates; sapphyrin nucleobase conjugates; oligosapphyrins and polysapphyrins, including sapphyrin dimers, trimers, oligomers and higher polymers; and polymer supported expanded porphyrin compositions, including advantageous rubyrin- and sapphyrin-based chromatography columns and electrophoretic supports. Sapphyrin oligomers and polymers and polymer supported expanded porphyrins, such as, e.g., glass and silica expanded porphyrin constructs, are disclosed which include both repeating units of sapphyrin derivatives alone and which include other units, for example, nucleobases, sapphyrin-nucleobase conjugates and long chain alkyl groups.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Lax pair and Darboux transformation of noncommutative U(N) principal chiral model

We present a noncommutative generalization of Lax formalism of U(N) principal chiral model in terms of a one-parameter family of flat connections. The Lax formalism is further used to derive a set of parametric noncommutative B\"{a}cklund transformation and an infinite set of conserved quantities. From the Lax pair, we derive a noncommutative version of the Darboux transformation of the model.Comment: 1+20 page