Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Hemodynamic findings during treatment of protein-calorie malnutrition

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Blood volume changes during treatment of protein calorie malnutrition

Intravascular volumes were sequentially determined in 13 African children recovering from protein-caloric malnutrition. The red cell volume was measured by a radiochromium technique; the total blood volume and the plasma volume were calculated. The absolute volumes were related to body size and were compared with control values. Before treatment, the total blood volume was low per unit of body size, the red cell volume was more reduced than the plasma volume. On the 20th realimentation day, the absolute red cell volume had increased less than the absolute plasma volume, and the total blood volume was almost normal per unit of body size. On the 60th realimentation day, near recovery, the absolute red cell volume had again increased, but again less than the absolute plasma volume, and the venous hematocrit was lower than on admission; the total blood volume was normalized per unit of body size, the red cell volume was low with a supranormal plasma volume. The rehabilitation period was characterized by an aggravation of the hemodilution already present before treatment. The significance of the changes in volemia per unit of body size was unclear because of the changing body composition.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Hemodynamic findings in severe protein calorie malnutrition

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LE RHUMATISME ARTICULAIRE AIGU

Acute articular rheumatism, artificially simplified by the use of the criteria of Jones, remains an interesting medical enigma. Study of the available data brings more questions than answers and opens up the field to numerous hypotheses which go far beyond the category of the affection itself and raise doubt about its nosological identity. The modifications of symptomatology of the disease in the course of time in a given environment constitutes one of its fascinating aspects and brings up the problem of the influence of the environment on the behaviour of the mechanisms of defence or of aggression and of their deviations.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

De Jean Meckert à Jean Amila (1910-1995) (survivances du roman prolétarien dans le roman policier contemporain)

Jean Meckert a commencé sa carrière littéraire en écrivant des romans de type populiste comme Les Coups. Cette littérature, importante dans les années trente, n'est guère plus d'actualité après la guerre et ses romans n'ont connu qu'un succès d'estime. M. Duhamel, le directeur de la collection policière des éditions Gallimard, la Série noire, lui propose d'écrire des romans policiers inspirés des romans noirs américains. En 1950, sous le pseudonyme de J. Amila, il fait paraître Y'a pas de bon Dieu !, et devient une valeur sûre de la littérature policière en France, et ce jusqu'en 1985 avec son dernier roman, Au balcon d'Hiroshima. En trente-cinq ans, il a publié dans la Série noire 21 titres qui s'inspirent des thèmes de la littérature prolétarienne qu'il a transposés au roman policier. Contemporain de L. Malet et de G. Simenon, il annonce le néo-polar qui arrive au début des années soixante-dix avec H.-P. Manchette, A.D.G., J. Vautrin ou P. Siniac. Dans la décennie quatre-vingt, des auteurs comme F. H. Fajardie, T. Jonquet ou J.-B. Pouy, suivront la voie ouverte par J. Amila. Parmi eux, D. Daeninck revendique son héritage et contribue à la faire découvrir ; ainsi il retrouve sa place dans la littérature contemporaine auprès d'écrivains qui observent la société française en crise comme lui explorait les milieux ouvriers autrefois. Auteur polymorphe, J. Amila a également écrit plusieurs romans d'espionnage assez iconoclastes ainsi qu'un ouvrage de science-fiction et une enquête sur l'affaire Dominici. Il a aussi œuvré pour le théâtre et a collaboré au scénario et aux dialogues d'une dizaine de films. Il a encore novélisé deux films d'A. Cayatte et de C. SpaakJean Meckert began his literary career by writing novels of a populist kind, such as Les Coups. This literature was quite important in the thirties but became out of fashion after the war and his novels had a very limited success. M. Duhamel, then at the head of the detective series at the Gallimard Editions, La Série Noire, suggested him to write detective stories inspired by the American hardboiled novels. In 1950, under the pen name of J. Amila, he published Y'a pas de bon Dieu ! and became a true reference in the detective literature in France. He remained as such till 1985 with his last novel, Au balcon d'Hiroshima. Within thirty-five years he published twenty-one titles in La Série Noire collection. These books got their inspiration from the working-class literature that Meckert brought to the detective novel kind. As a contemporary of L. Malet and G. Simenon, he heralded the neo-whodunnit of the early seventies, which came to life with J.-P. Manchette, ADG, J. Vautrin or P. Siniac. In the eighties, writers as F. H. Fajardie, T. Jonquet or J.-B. Pouy followed the way opened up by J. Amila. Among them, D. Daeninckx claims his belonging to the trail and thus leads readers to rediscover Amila. Consequently, Amila finds a place again in present-day literature among writers who watch the French society in a crisis as he used to investigate the working class backgroubnd. A writer with many faces, J. Amila also wrote several iconoclastic spy novels, a science-fiction book and an enquiry about the Dominici affair. He worked for the theatre too and took part in the scripts and dialogues of ten films or so. He also novelized two films by A. Cayatte and C. SpaakLILLE3-BU (590092101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Pronostic des cardiopathies congénitales opérées

Congenital cardiac anomalies cannot be merely classified as "less", "more", and "very" complex. However, postoperative prognosis is also determined by :the wide variability in severity of certain anomalies ;their frequent association with other cardiac or non-cardiac malformations ;age at the time of surgery ;the era, mode and quality of initial and subsequent treatment Chosen examples will illustrate how recent progress has altered prognosis. The role of early, specific and multidisciplinary care in an appropriate center is emphasized.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Incidence and prognosis of rheumatic carditis in a Belgian hospital. A 10 year review (1965-1974)

106 cases of first attack of acute rheumatic fever were recorded during a decade (ending in 1974) in a Brussels pediatric clinic. 56 patients were Belgian and 50 were children of immigrants. The incidence of acute carditis was 23% among the former, 46% among the latter (P ≤ 0.01), and 34% among the whole group. The frequency of residual heart disease after a 3-yr antistreptococcal prophylaxis fell to 20% among the whole group. The difference in morbidity observed between Belgian children and children of immigrants calls for a prospective epidemiological study.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe