Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

The synthesis and metabolism of sex hormones are influenced by various factors including genetics, dietary intake, physical activity, and environment. While some studies have suggested that the consumption of flaxseed may regulate sex hormone levels due to its phytoestrogen content such as lignans, existing data is limited and inconsistent. To examine the effect of flaxseed intake on sex hormone profile, researchers in Iran carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that were searched up to March 2023. Specifically, the sex hormones included in this meta-analysis are follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), total testosterone (TT), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS). Results showed that flaxseed supplementation did not significantly decrease FSH, although studies with an intervention duration of 12 or more weeks reflected a more significant reduction in FSH levels. In addi...

Virtually every day, pediatricians hear questions from parents worried their children aren't sleeping well. Concerns vary, since the sleep issues a toddler presents are very different from what we see in a busy high schooler. But by far, the parents who seem the most distraught are caring for babies under 1 year old. After asking a few questions, pediatricians are almost always able to reassure these sleep-deprived folks that they're doing a great job. Hearing more about the developmental reasons for their baby's wakefulness, along with some new approaches to try, can be very validating. In working with parents over the years, I've often shared stories of other families who found themselves in the same boat. This helps to remind parents that almost all lov...

Social Security is a program that provides money for retirement, but it offers a variety of ways to access that funding. It can be difficult to answer even the easy questions such as when is the best time to claim your benefits. Plus, Social Security representatives are not able to tell you the best filing decision for your circumstances. For these reasons and others, consulting a financial advisor is a good option if you're looking to make the smartest decision on Social Security. Here are five ways that a financial advisor can help you make smart choices when it comes to Social Security. 1. Find the best Social Security filing status for your situation If you apply for Social Security benefits, the program is going to tell you whether you're eligible and then start paying. What representatives won't tell you is the filing status that works best for you and your family. And that's where a financial advisor can really help you get extra money. If you're sing...

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10/25/2023 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email IDSA's Journal Club, which informs readers about important new infectious diseases research, is now available on Science Speaks. According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis was the 16th leading cause of death worldwide in 2021 and the second leading cause of deaths by infectious etiology after COVID-19. In India, there were approximately 3 million new cases of TB and 494,000 deaths in 2021, accounting for 27% of global TB cases and 35% of global TB deaths. In addition, undernutrition has been found to have an association with TB incidence and mortality.  A recent study in The Lancet looked at whether it was possible to reverse this association. Between 2019 and 2021, 2,800 adult patients with TB in Jharkhand, India, received food rations for 6 months. The patients...

Abstract Obtaining Plasmodium vivax sporozoites is essential for in vitro culture of liver stage parasites, not only to understand fundamental aspects of parasite biology, but also for drug and vaccine development. A major impediment to establish high-throughput in vitro P. vivax liver stage assays for drug development is obtaining sufficient numbers of sporozoites. To do so, female anopheline mosquitoes have to be fed on blood from P. vivax -infected patients through an artificial membrane-feeding system, which in turns requires a well-established Anopheles colony. In this study we established conditions to provide a robust supply of P. vivax sporozoites. Adding a combination of serum replacement and antibiotics to the membrane-feeding protocol was found to best improve sporozoite production. A simple centrifugation method appears to be a possible tool for rapidly obtaining purified sporozoites with a minimal loss of yield. However, this method needs to be better defined since sp...

Enlarge this image Mikki Smith lets out a cry as she adjusts to the frigid water. It was her first time with the Puget Sound Plungers in Seattle, Washington. Mike Kane for NPR Mike Kane for NPR Your body's first reaction to a plunge in chilly water is the "cold shock" response. Your heart rate jumps. Stress hormones spike. You gasp suddenly, and may hyperventilate. Your reward if you stay in long enough to endure these initial excruciating moments? You start to shiver. To the uninitiated, it may not be obvious why the practice of cold plunging has attracted a huge following in recent ye...