ARIA digital anamorphosis : Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice

Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease. The MASK strategy is based on validated digital tools. Using the MASK digital tool and the CARAT online enhanced clinical framework, solutions for practical steps of digital enhancement of care are proposed.Peer reviewe

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

ARIA digital anamorphosis: Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice

Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease. The MASK strategy is based on validated digital tools. Using the MASK digital tool and the CARAT online enhanced clinical framework, solutions for practical steps of digital enhancement of care are proposed

Barbarians at the British Museum: Anglo-Saxon Art, Race and Religion

A critical historiographical overview of art historical approaches to early medieval material culture, with a focus on the British Museum collections and their connections to religion

Ahnentafeln der letzten regierenden Markgrafen von Baden-Baden und Baden-Durlach

bearb. von Otto Konrad RollerErschienen: Text- und Tafelbd

Otto H. Roller, florist.

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Groundwater responses to recharge in the Gacka Area, Croatia, as revealed by stable isotopes, tritium, CFCs and noble gases

Han L-F, Roller-Lutz Z, Hunjak T, Lutz HO, Matsumoto T, Aggarwal P. Groundwater responses to recharge in the Gacka Area, Croatia, as revealed by stable isotopes, tritium, CFCs and noble gases. GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL. 2017;51(5):391-407.Due to their extreme anisotropy and heterogeneity, the hydrogeological characterization of karst terrains is notoriously difficult. Approximately 50% of Croatia consist of karst aquifers, in particular the touristically important region along the Adriatic coast. Being an important water reservoir for this area, we have chosen the Gacka area of Croatia as a typical example. We studied the mixing of groundwater and the responses to recharge in several karst springs by using environmental tracers, including stable isotopes in water (O-18, H-2), tritium (H-3), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and noble gases (He-3, He-4, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe). The variation of the stable isotopic signal (delta O-18 and delta H-2) in the spring discharges provides qualitative information on the mixing of waters with different transit time. Assuming piston flow in the system, the CFC and H-3 data indicate that the waters contain mainly post-1980 recharge. The CFC concentrations in the spring waters were found to be significantly different between wet and dry weather periods. The higher CFC values during the wet weather period indicate that the waters contained some water components that have relatively short mean residence times. An important finding of the study was that the sole application of tritium-helium methods does not permit an accurate age determination. This is due to mass exchange between liquid and gaseous phases occurring in karst aquifer systems particularly in dry weather periods. During such a dry weather period, more space in the karst groundwater system is not filled with water compared with a wet weather period. It is shown in this study, however, that the combined use of stable isotopes (O-18, H-2), tritium, CFCs and noble gases is able to account for groundwater mixing and responses to recharge in this specific scenario. Compared to single-tracer studies, multi-tracer techniques will allow a much better understanding and characterization of these systems. This information is vital for the assessment of resources and potential contamination of the groundwater in this special environment