Interactions between Human Gut Microbiome Dynamics and Sub-Optimal Health Symptoms during Seafaring Expeditions

Systemic and chronic diseases are important health problems today and have been proven to be strongly associated with dysbiotic gut microbiome. Studying the association between the gut microbiome and sub-optimal health status of humans in extreme environments (such as ocean voyages) will give us a better understanding of the interactions between observable health signs and a stable versus dysbiotic gut microbiome states.

Wonderful Natural Drugs with Surprising Nutritional Values, Rheum Species, Gifts of the Nature

Nutrition therapy on the basis of traditional medicinal plants and herbs is common in many Asian countries, especially Iran and China. Rheum species, especially rhubarbs, belong to plant medicines recognized in 2500 BC. An online search of the literature was carried out at Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, and Google scholar, covering all years until April 2021. The following key terms were used, usually in combinations: Rheum species, rhubarb, natural products, pharmaceutical benefits, anthraquinones and anthranone. After performing the literature search, the bibliographies of all articles were checked for cross-references that were not found in the search databases. Articles were selected if they reported any biological effects, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical compounds and botanical description of Rheum species. The most important components of rhubarb are anthraquinones, anthranone, stilbenes, tannins and butyrophenones. Anthraquinones consist of rhein, emodin, aloe-emodin and chrysophanl, and anthranone includes sennosides and rheinosides. The most important health benefits of rhubarb are antioxidant and anticancer activities, antimicrobial activity, wound healing action, hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic effects, and nephroprotective effect, as well as anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibacterial activities. Integration of both traditional pharmaceutical science and modern medicines may promote sustainability, lead to organic life and promote the cultivation of medicinal plants.

An Evaluation of the Pathogenic Potential, and the Antimicrobial Resistance, of Salmonella Strains Isolated from Mussels

Salmonella spp. and antimicrobial resistant microorganisms are two of the most important health issues worldwide. In the present study, strains naturally isolated from mussels harvested in Galicia (one of the main production areas in the world), were genetically characterized attending to the presence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. Additionally, the antimicrobial profile was also determined phenotypically. Strains presenting several virulence genes were isolated but lacked all the antimicrobial resistance genes analyzed. The fact that some of these strains presented multidrug resistance, highlighted the possibility of bearing different genes than those analyzed, or resistance based on completely different mechanisms. The current study highlights the importance of constant surveillance in order to improve the safety of foods.

The relationship between telework from home and employee health: a systematic review

Background Globalization and technological progress have made telework arrangements such as telework from home (TWFH) well-established in modern economies. TWFH was rapidly and widely implemented to reduce virus spread during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and will probably be widespread also post-pandemic. How such work arrangements affect employee health is largely unknown. Main objective of this review was to assess the evidence on the relationship between TWFH and employee health. Methods We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Amed, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus for peer-reviewed, original research with quantitative design published from January 2010 to February 2021. Our aim was to assess the evidence for associations between TWFH and health-related outcomes in employed office workers. Risk of bias in each study was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the collected body of evidence was evaluated using the the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results We included 14 relevant studies (22,919 participants) reporting on 28 outcomes, which were sorted into six outcome categories (general health, pain, well-being, stress, exhaustion & burnout, and satisfaction with overall life & leisure). Few studies, with many having suboptimal designs and/or other methodological issues, investigating a limited number of outcomes, resulted in the body of evidence for the detected outcome categories being GRADED either as low or very low. Conclusions The consisting evidence on the relationship between TWFH and employee health is scarce. The non-existence of studies on many relevant and important health outcomes indicates a vast knowledge gap that is crucial to fill when determining how to implement TWFH in the future working life. Systematic review registration number PROSPERO registration ID # CRD42021233796.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Prebiotics: Innovation or Confirmation?

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), in its last consensus statement about prebiotics, defined polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as “candidate prebiotics” due to a lack of complete scientific evidence. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of microbiota to metabolize PUFAs, although the role of the resulting metabolites in the host is less known. Recent partial evidence shows that these metabolites can have important health effects in the host, reinforcing the concept of the prebiotic action of PUFAs, despite the data being mostly related to omega-6 linoleic acid and to lactobacilli taxon. However, considering that the symbionts in our gut benefit from the nutritional molecules that we include in our diet, and that bacteria, like all living organisms, cannot benefit from a single nutritional molecule, the concept of the “correct prebiotic diet” should be the new frontier in the field of gut microbiota research.

An Updated Review of Tetrodotoxin and Its Peculiarities

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a crystalline, weakly basic, colorless organic substance and is one of the most potent marine toxins known. Although TTX was first isolated from pufferfish, it has been found in numerous other marine organisms and a few terrestrial species. Moreover, tetrodotoxication is still an important health problem today, as TTX has no known antidote. TTX poisonings were most commonly reported from Japan, Thailand, and China, but today the risk of TTX poisoning is spreading around the world. Recent studies have shown that TTX-containing fish are being found in other regions of the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. This review aims to summarize pertinent information available to date on the structure, origin, distribution, mechanism of action of TTX and analytical methods used for the detection of TTX, as well as on TTX-containing organisms, symptoms of TTX poisoning, and incidence worldwide.

The Combination Neuroprotective Abilities of Resveratrol and Naringenin in Attenuation of Sleep Deprivation Complications in Rats

Background: Sleep loss is one of the most important health problems in the world, and about 30 to 40 percent of ordinary people suffer from it. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the combination of resveratrol and naringenin in attenuation of sleep deprivation (SD) complications in rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 72 Wistar male rats were randomly divided into three main groups, including control, sham, and 7-days SD group. Each of its main groups consisted of three subgroups, including without drug, vehicle, and combination therapy groups (naringenin [100 mg/kg], resveratrol [100 mg/kg]). The day after the latest injection, the fear conditioning memory tests, locomotor activity test, hot plate, and forced swimming tests (FST) were carried out on all rats, and then sham and SD groups were induced 48 hours of non-REM SD (device off and on, respectively) and these behavioral tests were repeated for all rats again. Finally, the brains of all rats were removed and histopathologically examined, and stained with nissl and TUNNEL. Results: To assess fear condition memory, the rate of latency to first freezing in the visual and auditory phase increased in sham and SD rats that received vehicle or no drug (P<0.001), which indicates memory corruption. Injection of the combination of naringenin and resveratrol reduced the latency to first freezing (P<0.001), which means improved memory. In the FST test, injection of naringenin and resveratrol reduced the rate of immobility (P<0.001), which means improved depressive behavior. The naringenin and resveratrol reduced the pain perception threshold. Also, the naringenin and resveratrol reduced apoptosis compared to the control and vehicle groups (P<0.001). Conclusions: The combination of naringenin and resveratrol compared to other groups could improve memory and mood as well as reduce apoptosis, depression, and pain perception threshold. [GMJ.2021;10:e2315]

Maggots on BBC Casualty: Evaluating the impact of a Television storyline on awareness and public perceptions of Maggot Therapy

Maggot Therapy is an established, effective treatment for chronic infected wounds. Despite its worldwide success, it suffers from poor public regard and acceptance. In 2019, the primetime BBC Medical Drama, Casualty, decided to run a Maggot Therapy storyline over four episodes of its recent series (series 33). Our study focusses on an evaluation of the impact of this storyline on changes in public awareness and acceptability of Maggot Therapy. The evaluation comprised an online questionnaire (administered through an independent private research company). Our results showed that exposure to the BBC Casualty maggot storyline was associated with a significant increased awareness of Maggot Therapy. Additionally, this resulted in a more positive perception and general acceptability of the treatment, and a decrease in negative responses towards it. Post-wave participants were also more likely to find Maggot Therapy acceptable for their own wound. Our findings suggest that television storylines and narratives are a useful route to raise awareness, inform and educate viewers about important health-related issues. Our study supports the notion that for effective treatments like Maggot Therapy, which often evoke feelings of disgust and reluctance, the persuasive effects of entertainment education could help to transform perception and acceptability.

Mineral water mining: quality for human consumption and health promotion

This study demonstrates the aspects of research and mining in groundwater mining. It was intended to demonstrate the guidelines of the Mining Code and Water Code as legal beacons under the management of the National Mining Agency – ANM, federal regulator of mineral water exploration; to analyze the importance of water quality control for human consumption, from the compliance with Anvisa Resolutions – RDC-274/275/2005, which standardize the vase and microbiological characteristics. The process to make groundwater available as a mineral good to be industrialized, goes through research stages, till the final test with laboratory analyses for water classification. In this context, its main question is: what is the importance of mineral water quality for human consumption in health promotion? And it aims to analyze the quality control of mineral water, its importance for human consumption and health promotion, as well as the benefits of it. For this, a bibliographic research was carried out, consultation with the relevant legislations, books and websites of public agencies. The results showed that mineral water mining is an activity present in the daily life of society and its regular consumption contributes to the quality and promotion of healthy living, through control of the exploitation of mineral water mines, under the management of the National Mining Agency – ANM. It was evidenced that mineral water brings important health benefits: in body thermoregulation, heat absorption, nutrient transport, oxygen, hormones, composition of blood plasma, digestive juice, saliva formation, tears and urine. Being composed of different levels of micronutrients, which help alleviating health problems, such as: weakening of bones and muscles, reduction of collagen, dryness of the skin, low revitalization of cells and mucosa, aggravated by low consumption of water with drug properties and product of secular use that affect health. It was concluded that the prevalence of each type of mineral water and its composition, from ferruginous, sulfurous, radioactive, magnesian and iodized, can help in therapeutic treatments.

Digital visual communication for public health: a design proposal for a vaccinated emoji (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED In the 21st century, the internet and particularly social media have become essential platforms for the spread of health information (and disinformation). One of the distinguishing features of communication on these platforms is the widespread use of emojis. Though seemingly trivial, emojis are now used by many if not most public health figures and organizations alongside important health updates. Much of that information has had to do with vaccination. Vaccines are a critical public health tool but one surrounded by falsehoods and phobias, especially in the time of COVID-19. Part of that has to do with their lack of positive representation on social media: the syringe emoji is a plain needle which for many people is an uncomfortable image. We thus argue that vaccination deserves an entirely new emoji, and discuss a design proposal for a vaccinated emoji that has gained traction in the global public health community.