Commercial herbal medicines used as African traditional medicines: Ngoma Herbal Tonic Immune Booster interferes with a rapid urine drug screening test

Background. The prevalent use of African traditional medicine by the general public has been reported. With commercialisation and marketing, some of the herbal medicines (HMs) used are readily available over the counter, most of them promoted as immune boosters. These commercial HMs have not been taken through clinical trials and other tests that would validate their composition and safety, and other properties such as their effect on laboratory diagnostic tests.Objective. To investigate the cross-reactivity of selected HMs with commonly tested drugs of abuse (DoA) using a qualitative rapid urinalysis assay.Methods. The six HMs selected were bought from local pharmacies. A rapid urinalysis screening test was performed with the Instant View Multi-Drug of Abuse Test kit from Labstix Diagnostics. Drug-free urine (DFU) was pooled from samples donated by healthy volunteers. Urine samples that had tested positive for DoA were obtained from a pharmacology laboratory. Aliquots of the urine samples were spiked with the HMs in neat and diluted form, and tested at various time intervals.Results. The results for the DFU samples spiked with the HMs remained negative. There were no significant changes in pH or specific gravity of the samples. The results of samples that had tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were not altered by five of the HMs when spiked at 40% v/v. The HM Ngoma Herbal Tonic Immune Booster caused false-negative results for the THC test.Conclusion. An important finding is that the herbal mixture Ngoma Herbal Tonic Immune Booster caused false-negative results for the cannabinoid screening test. It adds to the list of substances that may be potential adulterants of urine for screening tests

Size Doesn't Matter: Towards a More Inclusive Philosophy of Biology

notes: As the primary author, O’Malley drafted the paper, and gathered and analysed data (scientific papers and talks). Conceptual analysis was conducted by both authors.publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticlePhilosophers of biology, along with everyone else, generally perceive life to fall into two broad categories, the microbes and macrobes, and then pay most of their attention to the latter. ‘Macrobe’ is the word we propose for larger life forms, and we use it as part of an argument for microbial equality. We suggest that taking more notice of microbes – the dominant life form on the planet, both now and throughout evolutionary history – will transform some of the philosophy of biology’s standard ideas on ontology, evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity. We set out a number of recent developments in microbiology – including biofilm formation, chemotaxis, quorum sensing and gene transfer – that highlight microbial capacities for cooperation and communication and break down conventional thinking that microbes are solely or primarily single-celled organisms. These insights also bring new perspectives to the levels of selection debate, as well as to discussions of the evolution and nature of multicellularity, and to neo-Darwinian understandings of evolutionary mechanisms. We show how these revisions lead to further complications for microbial classification and the philosophies of systematics and biodiversity. Incorporating microbial insights into the philosophy of biology will challenge many of its assumptions, but also give greater scope and depth to its investigations

Effects of 59Fe, 65Zn and of three soil types on dry matter yield, chemical composition and nitrogen fixation in Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. carioca

The aim of this work was to study in greenhouse conditions the effects of two levels of iron and zinc on yield and chemical composition of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and on atmospheric nitrogen fixation, in three soils, classified as Terra Roxa Estruturada (TRE), Latossol Vermelho Escuro (LVE), and Podzolico Vermelho Amarelo (PVA). The coefficient of utilization of these micronutrients by this crop and its distribution in above-ground parts and roots were also assessed. The rates for iron were 1.5 and 3.0 ppm, and for zinc, 2.5 and 5.0 ppm. It was applied 7.5 µCi of 59Fe/kg of soil with the lower rate of the stable iron, and 5.0 and 10.0 µCi of Zn/kg of soil in the pots corresponding to the lower and higher rate of the stable zinc, respectively. The plants were harveste at the age of 60 days and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc contents were determined. Immediately after harvest, symbiotic nitrogen fixation was assessed, using the acetylene reduction method. The detection of 59Fe and 65zn radioactivity were carried out on nitric percloric extract, by gamma ray spectrometry. The behavior of common bean presented high variation among the three soils, for all the variables. There was no influence of treatments of iron and zinc on dry matter of above ground part and root and also on the weight and number of nodules. The rate of 3.0 ppm of iron decreased the capacity of nodules to fix atmospheric nitrogen in relation to rate of 1.5 ppm, while the rate of 5.0 ppm of zinc increased this capacity, in relation to the rate of 2.5 ppm. There was significative effect of treatments on nitrogen, potassium and zinc contents in above ground part and on nitrogen and zinc contents in the root. The absorption of zinc from the fertilizer and the percentagem of zinc in the plant derived from fertilizer were diretly influenced by rate of zinc The higher coefficient of utilization of zinc from the fertilizer was 4.0%.No presente trabalho, conduzido em casa de vegetação, procuramos estudar os efeitos dos micronutrientes ferro e zinco na produção de materia seca, composição química do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) e na fixação do nitrogênio atmosférico, em três solos, classificados como Terra Roxa Estruturada (TRE), Latossol Vermelho Escuro (LVE) e Podzólico Vermelho Amarelo (PVA). Procuramos também determinar os índices de aproveitamento destes micronutrientes pelo feijoeiro e sua distribuição na parte aérea e na raiz. O delineamento experimental foi um fatorial 3x7, sendo três solos e sete tratamentos por solo, com três repetições. Nos tratamentos, foram utilizados duas doses de ferro e duas doses de zinco em separado ou combinando as doses menores e maiores destes micronutrientes (Fe1Zn1, Fe2Zn2). As doses de ferro foram 1,5 e 3,0 ppm e as de zinco foram 2,5 e 5,0 ppm. Foram aplicados 7,5 µCi de 59Fe/kg de solo nos vasos correspondentes à dose menor de ferro e 5,0 e 10,0 µCi de 65Zn/kg de solo nos vasos correspondentes respectivamente à dose menor e maior de zinco. Todos os tratamentos receberam uma adubação básica. O comportamento do feijoeiro apresentou grande variação entre os três tipos de solos, para todas as variáveis. Não houve influência dos tratamentos de ferro e zinco na produção de parte aérea e raiz e nem no peso e numero dos nodulos. A dose de 3,0 ppm de ferro diminuiu a capacidade dos nódulos de fixarem nitrogênio atmosférico em relação à dose de 1,5 ppm enquanto que a dose de 5,0 ppm de zinco aumentou esta capacidade, em relação à dose de 2,5 ppm. Houve um efeito significativo dos tratamentos na concentração de nitrogênio, potássio, ferro e zinco na parte aérea e na concentração de nitrogênio, e zinco na raiz. A absorção de zinco dos fertilizantes e a percentagem do zinco na planta proveniente do adubo foram influenciadas diretamente pelas doses de zinco. O maior coeficiente de aproveitamento do zinco do adubo foi de 4,0%

Nutritional status, quality of life and CD4 cell count of adults living with HIV/AIDS in the Ga-Rankuwa area (South Africa)

Objective: To determine if there was a relationship between CD4 cell count, nutritional status and self-reported quality of life (QoL) in HIV-infected adults. Design: Descriptive study in the quantitative research domain. Setting: The out-patient antiretroviral (ARV) clinic at Dr George Mukhari Hospital (Ga-Rankuwa) (institutional). Subjects: The study group (n = 90) consisted of male (n = 34) and female patients (18-50 years) diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Convenience sampling was used. Outcome measures: Anthropometry (weight, height, BMI, MUAC, TSF), dietary intake (habitual food intake recall) and QoL (WHOQoL-HIV questionnaire) were assessed. Data collection was done from January-April 2007. Results: Significant, but poor, positive correlation was found for the following anthropometrical parameters and the CD4 cell count: weight (r = 0.37; ρ = 0.00), BMI (r=0.39; ρ = 0.00), and MUAC (r = 0.36; ρ = 0.00). The study group had a poor dietary quality. Significant correlation with the CD4 cell count was found for the following domains of the QoL: physical activity (r = 0.27; ρ = 0.01), psychological (r = 0.27; ρ = 0.01), level of independence (r = 0.36; ρ = 0.00), and environmental (r = 0.27; ρ = 0.01). The overall QoL assessment was average, according to the WHOQoL-HIV questionnaire score. Conclusion: Significant positive relationships existed between specific anthropometry and the CD4 cell count, and also between certain QoL domains and the CD4 cell count. Strategies for increasing dietary diversity and QoL ought to be identified and implemented in communities. Recommendation: A longitudinal study would give better understanding of the relationship between nutritional status, the CD4 cell count and QoL.Articl

Eosinophilic esophagitis is characterized by a non-IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease characterized clinically by symptoms of esophageal dysfunction and histologically by eosinophil-predominant inflammation. EoE is frequently associated with concomitant atopic diseases and immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization to food allergens in children as well as to aeroallergens and cross-reactive plant allergen components in adults. Patients with EoE respond well to elemental and empirical food elimination diets. Recent research has, however, indicated that the pathogenesis of EoE is distinct from IgE-mediated food allergy. In this review, we discuss the individual roles of epithelial barrier defects, dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses, and of microbiota in the pathogenesis of EoE. Although food has been recognized as a trigger factor of EoE, the mechanism by which it initiates or facilitates eosinophilic inflammation appears to be largely independent of IgE and needs to be further investigated. Understanding the pathogenic role of food in EoE is a prerequisite for the development of specific diagnostic tools and targeted therapeutic procedures

Functional Analysis of Genetic Variation in the SECIS Element of Thyroid Hormone Activating Type 2 Deiodinase

Contains fulltext : 215622.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)CONTEXT: Thyroid hormone is important for normal brain development. The type 2 deiodinase (D2) controls thyroid hormone action in the brain by activating T4 to T3. The enzymatic activity of D2 depends on the incorporation of selenocysteine for which the selenocysteine-insertion sequence (SECIS) element located in the 3' untranslated region is indispensable. We hypothesized that mutations in the SECIS element could affect D2 function, resulting in a neurocognitive phenotype. OBJECTIVE: To identify mutations in the SECIS element of DIO2 in patients with intellectual disability and to test their functional consequences. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: The SECIS element of DIO2 was sequenced in 387 patients with unexplained intellectual disability using a predefined pattern of thyroid function tests. SECIS element read-through in wild-type or mutant D2 was quantified by a luciferase reporter system in transfected cells. Functional consequences were assessed by quantifying D2 activity in cell lysate or intact cell metabolism studies. RESULTS: Sequence analysis revealed 2 heterozygous mutations: c.5703C>T and c.5730A>T, which were also present in the unaffected family members. The functional evaluation showed that both mutations did not affect D2 enzyme activity in cell lysates or intact cells, although the 5730A>T mutation decreased SECIS element read-through by 75%. In the patient harboring the c.5730A>T variant, whole genome sequencing revealed a pathogenic deletion of the STXBP1 gene. CONCLUSIONS: We report on two families with mutations in the SECIS element of D2. Although functional analysis showed that nucleotide 5730 is important for normal SECIS element read-through, the two variants did not segregate with a distinct phenotype