The efficacy of individualised homeopathic treatment on constipation

Abstract:Background: Constipation is the term describing either infrequent bowel movements, difficult evacuation of stool, hard stool or a sensation of incomplete defecation (Longmore, 2012). The effects of constipation compound from impacting on the person’s physical health to effecting their moods and influencing their social life (Marks, 2012). Most conventional treatments strive to treat only local symptoms and do not address concomitant symptoms of constipation. Alternative treatment options such as homeopathy offer a more holistic approach and can be adopted; however, further research is needed to establish its effectiveness in treating constipation. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of individualised homeopathic treatment on chronic constipation in adults. Methodology: This was a case study research design conducted at the University of Johannesburg Homeopathy Health Training Centre. Thirteen adults between the ages of 18 to 50 years who met the Rome II criteria for constipation were selected for participation and ten participants completed the study. The study consisted of four consultations per participant over a six week period. At the initial meeting a comprehensive case history was taken and analysed according to the principles of classical homeopathic prescribing and the best suited homeopathic remedy was administered. Data collection was in the form of case studies, which were analysed and described. The Bowel Function Diary and Bristol Stool Form Scale were used to assess changes in defecation quality and frequency and the results of these were then represented in the form of graphs. Results: The results of the case studies were positive and holistic. They indicated an improvement in stool frequency for all ten participants, and an improvement in stool form and ease of evacuation for the majority of the participants. The participants also reported that they experienced a better state of general and emotional wellbeing during the course of the research study. These results support previous findings which suggest that when an individualised homeopathic approach is correctly applied in a clinical setting, it is an effective approach for the management of chronic constipation in adults

An unusual panniculitis-appearing in the winter with good response to tetracycline

Cold panniculitis is a form of physical panniculitis due to exposure of skin to severe cold. It usually appears on the cheeks of infants and children. It has also been reported on the thighs and buttocks of young females. Its clinical manifestations include red, cold, indurated plaques or nodules which appear one to three days after exposure to low temperatures and resolve spontaneously within several weeks without scarring. The histopathological picture shows a perivascular infiltrate of lymphoid and histiocytic cells at the dermal-subcutaneous junction in the early phase of the reaction (1). After 48 to 72 hours, a well developed panniculitis appears. We report an unusual case of an adult female patient with recurrent panniculitis on her legs appearing in the winter but without any preceding repeated or prolonged exposure to cold. She responded dramatically to oral tetracycline. This drug was successful as a prophylactic agent as well

Advances in understanding the mitogenic, metabolic, and cell death signaling in teleost development: the case of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili, Risso 1810)

Cell growth and differentiation signals of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a key regulator in embryonic and postnatal development, are mediated through the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), which activates several downstream pathways. The present study aims to address crucial organogenesis and development pathways including Akt, MAPKs, heat shock response, apoptotic and autophagic machinery, and energy metabolism in relation to IGF-1R activation during five developmental stages of reared Seriola dumerili: 1 day prior to hatching fertilized eggs (D-1), hatching day (D0), 3 days post-hatching larvae (D3), 33 (D33) and 46 (D46) days post-hatching juveniles. During both the fertilized eggs stage and larval-to-juvenile transition, IGF-1R/Akt pathway activation may mediate the hypertrophic signaling, while p44/42 MAPK phosphorylation was apparent at S. dumerili post-hatching processes and juvenile organs completion. On the contrary, apoptosis was induced during embryogenesis and autophagy at hatching day indicating a potential involvement in morphogenetic rearrangements and yolk-sac reserves depletion. Larvae morphogenesis was accompanied by a metabolic turnover with increased substantial energy consumption. The findings of the present study demonstrate the developmental stages-specific shift in critical signaling pathways during the ontogeny of reared S. dumerili. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V

The news agenda of the black African press in the United Kingdom

The proliferation of ethnic press in the United Kingdom has enabled the ethnic communities to represent themselves in the public sphere, to contest negative stereotypes, and to receive information with Blacks as central subjects. However, the perception of Black people as one Black group has skewed our understanding of how different groups within the Black communities project their linguistic and visual distinctiveness through their media. Subsequently, we have little understanding of the press for and by Black African diasporas in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the article explores the dynamic relationship between the Black African community and its press through a case study of African Voice, interview with the editor, and audience survey. Furthermore, it explores the news agenda of the African Voice from the theoretical paradigms of alternative and tabloid popular press. It concludes that the African Voice is neither an alternative press nor tabloid popular press but leans towards semiserious pres