Beneficial Effects of Daily Consumption of Garlic and Onion Extract Concentrate on Infectious Respiratory Diseases in Elderly Resident Volunteers.

Aging is a biological process with high susceptibility to several infections. This risk increases in older patients in residential care facilities (RCF). Thus, there is a clear demand for developing preventive interventions with new therapeutic compounds that combine efficacy and safety. This could be the case of compounds derived from plants of the genus Allium spp. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a combination of a garlic and onion extract concentrate standardized in organosulfur compounds derived from propiin on the incidence of respiratory tract infections in elderly patients of RCF. Sixty-five volunteers were selected at random to receive a placebo or a single daily dose of the extract for thirty-six weeks. Different clinical visits were performed to evaluate the main respiratory diseases with an infectious origin, as well as the associated symptoms and their duration. The extract showed a clinical safety profile and significantly reduced the incidence of respiratory infections. Moreover, the treatment decreased the number and duration of the associated symptoms compared with the placebo group. For the first time, we demonstrated the protective effect of Alliaceae extract in respiratory infectious diseases in elderly healthy volunteers, which could be used prophylactically against the most common infectious respiratory diseases.

Exploring the core competencies of clinical nurses in chinese tertiary hospitals: a qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the changes in social and medical environments and people's health needs, the nursing core competency should be updated and developed promptly. This study aimed to explore the core competencies of nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals under the new health development strategy. METHODS: Descriptive qualitative research was conducted using qualitative content analysis. 20 clinical nurses and nursing managers from 11 different provinces and cities were interviewed via purposive sampling. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed 27 competencies, which were grouped into three major categories according to the onion model. These categories were motivation and traits (responsibility, enterprise, etc.), professional philosophy and values (professionalism, career perception, etc.), and knowledge and skills (clinical nursing competency, leadership and management competency, etc.). CONCLUSION: Based on the onion model, core competencies for nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals were established, revealing three layers of core competencies and giving a theoretical reference for nursing managers to conduct competency training courses based on the competency levels.

Indian Traditional Medicine for COVID-19

Background: A novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak causing infectious respiratory disorders. COVID-19 disease has no specific treatment. In traditional medicinal system, different formulations are available for infectious diseases. Objective(s): This review discusses the significance and utilization of Siddha and Ayurvedic herbal formulations for COVID-19 treatment and provides scientific information regarding the phytochem-istry and pharmacological profiles of Indian medicinal plants used in the formulation. Method(s): The information on medicine and medicinal plants was collected from research papers, review papers, and books available in several electronic databases, including Google Scholar, SpringerLink, and PubMed was explored as information sources. Result(s): Traditional medicinal plants are potentially used in formulations due to their inevitable therapeutic properties. Phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of medicinal plants used in the formulations served as scientific proof for traditional medicine. Conclusion(s): The present study explored the great importance of Siddha and Ayurvedic formulations for COVID-19 treatment. Further scientific investigations are required to explore these formulations as widely acceptable.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Time Series: Predicting Nigerian Food Prices using ARIMA Model and R-Programming

The majority of food commodities in Nigeria have seen persistent price instability. this is brought by elements like insecurity/insurgency, poor storage facilities, seasonal price changes, inconsistent government policies, COVID-19 containment measures, poor access to credit, technical inputs, lack of modern farm tools and implements. This study focused on comparing the prices of four different food items - beans, onion, tomato, and yam using the ARIMA model to forecast future prices. Two out of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria were used for the study;the North-Central and North-West. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) provided the raw data between 2017 and 2018, and the items were weighed in kilograms (Kg). The data was extrapolated into a time series data by executing in R Studio. The stationarity of the series data was obtained by a Unit root Test using the KPSS test (If p<0.05 means the time series is stationary). Results from the forecasted values indicated that food commodities' prices increase with time, making ARIMA a good model for forecasting prices. It was recommended that necessary measures should be put in place to ameliorate the high cost of food prices being experienced in the country of Nigeria. © 2022 IEEE.

Taste and smell disorders during and post-acute Covid-19 in the population of Agadir

Introduction: The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 affects the whole world and the entire population, it is mainly manifested by fever, cough and asthenia but also other various symptoms. Thus, the aim of this study, to describe taste and smell disorders during and post-acute covid-19 Material(s) and Method(s): In January 2022, we conducted a comprehensive descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study carried out on 90 patients from Agadir who contracted covid 19 with taste and / or smell disorders, by administering a questionnaire on the google forms platform, data analysis was performed by IBM SPSS Statistics v26 Results: The mean age was 30.1 +/- 8.4 years, predominantly female (84.4%), 33.3% were vaccinated against covid 19 with 2 doses, and 43.3% were not vaccinated, the main manifestations of acute covid 19 disease were anosmia (90%) ageusia (66.7%) asthenia (64.4%), other taste and smell disorders observed were dysgeusia (25.6%) parosmia (20%) and phantosmia (7.8%), and 94.4% did not require hospitalization, the treatment received was vitamin C (76.2%), Zinc (68.3%), azithromycin (61.6%) The mean duration of anosmia initially was 51.4 +/- 77.6 days, with partial recovery in 45.6%, and total recovery in 35.6%, 60% presented a secondary odor disorder after recovery, made up of parosmia (69.5%) and anosmia (20.3%), the parosmia concerned onions (70.8%) perfume (66.2) coffee (63.1%) and meat (55.4%) The mean duration of ageusia initially was 38.9 +/- 60.8 days, with partial recovery in 30%, total recovery in 42.2%, 50% presented a secondary taste disorder after recovery Conclusion(s): Taste and smell disorders are common in covid-19 patients, and many continue to suffer from this condition even months after recovery from covid-19.

MALIGNANT HYPERTENSION AFTER COVD-19 VACCINE INJECTION

Case;40 y/o male. Clinical course;The patient was transferred to our university hospital because of DOE and severe headache. He had been well and had no history of hypertension or obesity. He had experienced the COVID-19 vaccine injection two week before this visit. After the injection he had been experienced high fever and general fatigue as well as 7 kg of weight loss. On examnation, it was found that he had severe hypertension (190/110 mmHg) and hypertensive optic fundi. On chest X-ray, cardiomegaly and bilateral lung infiltrations was evident and biochemical data indicated renal dysfunction (serum creatinine 2.35 mg/dl), high levels of plasma renin activity (39.1 ng/ml/hour normal;0.6-3.9) and aldosterone concentration (176 pg/ml normal;4.0-82.1), and inflammatory changes (CRP = 23 mg/dl). We also found that increased levels of LDH and decreased levels of hemoglobin which indicated hemolytic anemia and thrombotic microangiopathy. After the control of high blood pressure by intravenous administration of Calcium channel blockades, We performed renal biopsy, which had a finding of diffuse findings of onion skin lesion and global glomerular sclerosis compatible with the diagnosis of malignant hypertension. Any secondary etiologies including renal artery disease or collagen disease had not been identified. Seven days after the admission, we started hemodialysis for this patient because of the renal failure was not resolved. We also had startred ACE inhibitors. We stopped the diuretics and minimized the ultrafiltration. Twenty-five days after the admission the patients was withdrawn from dialysis with the urine volume around 2000 ml/day and the serum creatinine concentration 5.29 mg/dl. He was discharged without any aid of dialysis and with small number of anti-hypertensives. Four months after the discharge, his serum creatinine concentration was 3.36 mg/dl and his blood pressure was 139/85 mmHg with the ACE inhibitor and calcium channel blockades. Conclusions;The case suggested that the malignant hypertension might be triggered by COVID-19 vaccine injection, which is of clinical importance.

Fast one-pot microwave-assisted green synthesis of highly fluorescent plant-inspired S,N-self-doped carbon quantum dots as a sensitive probe for the antiviral drug nitazoxanide and hemoglobin

In this study, we report a one-pot, green, cost-efficient, and fast synthesis of plant-based sulfur and nitrogen self-co-doped carbon quantum dots (S,N-CQDs). By 4-min microwave treatment of onion and cabbage juices as renewable, cheap, and green carbon sources and self-passivation agents, blue emissive S,N-CQDs have been synthesized (λex/λem of 340/418 nm) with a fluorescence quantum yield of 15.2%. A full characterization of the natural biomass-derived quantum dots proved the self-doping with nitrogen and sulfur. The S,N-CQDs showed high efficiency as a fluorescence probe for sensitive determination of nitazoxanide (NTZ), that recently found wide applicability as a repurposed drug for COVID-19, over the concentration range of 0.25–50.0 μM with LOD of 0.07 μM. The nanoprobe has been successfully applied for NTZ determination in pharmaceutical samples with excellent % recovery of 98.14 ± 0.42. Furthermore, the S,N-CQDs proved excellent performance as a sensitive fluorescence nanoprobe for determination of hemoglobin (Hb) over the concentration range of 36.3–907.5 nM with a minimum detectability of 10.30 nM. The probe has been applied for the determination of Hb in blood samples showing excellent agreement with the results documented by a medical laboratory. The greenness of the developed probe has been positively investigated by different greenness metrics and software. The green character of the proposed analytical methods originates from the synthesis of S,N-CQDs from sustainable, widely available, and cheap plants via low energy/low cost microwave-assisted technique. Omission of organic solvents and harsh chemicals beside dependence on mix-and-read analytical approach corroborate the method greenness. The obtained results demonstrated the substantial potential of the synthesized green, safe, cheap, and sustainable S,N-CQDs for pharmaceutical and biological applications. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

Fast one-pot microwave-assisted green synthesis of highly fluorescent plant-inspired S,N-self-doped carbon quantum dots as a sensitive probe for the antiviral drug nitazoxanide and hemoglobin

In this study, we report a one-pot, green, cost-efficient, and fast synthesis of plant-based sulfur and nitrogen self-co-doped carbon quantum dots (S,N-CQDs). By four-minutes microwave treatment of onion and cabbage juices as renewable, cheap, and green carbon sources and self-passivation agents, blue emissive S,N-CQDs have been synthesized (λex/λem of 340/418 nm) with a fluorescence quantum yield of 15.2%. A full characterization of the natural biomass-derived quantum dots proved the self-doping with nitrogen and sulfur. The S,N-CQDs showed high efficiency as a fluorescence probe for sensitive determination of nitazoxanide (NTZ), that recently found wide applicability as repurposed drug for COVID-19, over the concentration range of 0.25–50.0 μM with LOD of 0.07 μM. The nanoprobe has been successfully applied for NTZ determination in pharmaceutical samples with excellent % recovery of 98.14 ± 0.42. Furthermore, the S,N-CQDs proved excellent performance as a sensitive fluorescence nanoprobe for determination of hemoglobin (Hb) over the concentration range of 36.3–907.5 nM with a minimum detectability of 10.3 nM. The probe has been applied for the determination of Hb in blood samples showing excellent agreement with the results documented by a medical laboratory. The greenness of the developed probe has been positively investigated by different greenness metrics and software. The green character of the proposed analytical methods originates from the synthesis of S,N-CQDs from sustainable, widely available, and cheap plants via low energy/low cost microwave-assisted technique. Omission of organic solvents and harsh chemicals beside dependence on mix-and-read analytical approach corroborate the method greenness. The obtained results demonstrated the substantial potential of the synthesized green, safe, cheap, and sustainable S,N-CQDs for pharmaceutical and biological applications.

Utility of the Pediatric Smell Wheel in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Measuring pediatric odor detection in a COVID-19-impacted context is important. Our goal was to determine whether the Pediatric Smell Wheel (PSW) can be used effectively in this clinical setting. Method(s): Consecutive patients at a pediatric otolaryngology clinic who were aged 5-17 years were recruited. Demographics including gender, race, use of nasal topical medications, previous nasal surgery, and previous COVID-19 infection were collected. Each child performed a test of their sense of smell using the PSW (Sensonics International) under direct supervision, and scores were compared. Result(s): Forty-three children were included;mean age was 9.1 years (95% CI, 8.0-10.1);19 (44.2%) were female and 24 (55.8%) male. Thirteen (30.2%) used nasal sprays, 10 (23.2%) had undergone adenoidectomy, and 4 (9.3%) had other nasal surgery. Twenty (46.5%) had a previous COVID-19 infection. Mean and median PSW score out of 11 was 7 (95% CI, 6.4-7.7), ranging from 2 to 10. There was no significant difference in scores based on age, gender, race, use of nasal topicals, previous nasal surgery, or previous COVID-19 infection. Children were able to perform the task as directed. Percentage correct for each odorant on the PSW ranged from 86% for identifying the onion scent to 27.9% for identifying the popcorn scent. Cronbach alpha was 0.54, and deleting any individual item did not improve it above 0.57, indicating low internal consistency of the PSW. Conclusion(s): During the COVID-19 pandemic, children performed more poorly identifying odors on the PSW than previously reported. The reliability of the PSW may not be adequate in today's context.

Stop and smell the onions: Case report of delayed cardiotoxicity post ingestion of veratrum viride

Background: Vertatrum viride (false hellebore) is a perennial commonly found in eastern North America. The most common cause of exposure is misidentification when foraging for wild onion, or skunk cabbage. One regional poison center saw an increase in foraging-related poisonings during initial COVID-19 restrictions. The case report highlights severe delayed cardiac effects after ingestion of Veratrum viride in an otherwise healthy, young, female athlete. Case report: A 24-year-old female presented to an emergency room alongside family with complaints of nausea and vomiting that started 30 min after a meal consisting of foraged wild onion (Allium triccocum). Five others ate the same meal and noted similar symptoms. Vitals upon arrival (3 h post ingestion) are as described: HR 51, BP 88/52, Temp 36.7, RR 18 and O2 sat 100% on room air. The patient had no previous cardiac history and was athletic. Management included D5LR with K replacement, and dopamine infusion at 10mcg/kg/min. Dopamine was tapered slowly, down to 6 mcg/kg/min at 16.5 h. Vitals continued to be stable at 17.5 h post ingestion and dopamine was discontinued. The patient developed severe bradydysrhythmia 15 min later, consisting of complete heart block leading to prolonged sinus pause. She responded to 10 s of CPR with return of spontaneous circulation with a junctional escape rhythm which reverted back to sinus bradycardia. A repeat EKG was unremarkable. The dopamine infusion was reinstituted at 4 mcg/kg/min and continued until 26.5 h post ingestion. She was monitored an additional 9.5 h, and remained in sinus rhythm with mild complaints of dizziness that resolved before discharge. Discussion(s): Veratrum spp. toxicity is due to alkaloids found throughout the plant which cause sodium channel opening when bound to type 2 sodium channels. By increasing sodium ion influx during the resting potential and delaying inactivation to create a late sodium current, these alkaloids increase automaticity in conductive cells. This mechanism, paired with the Bezold-Jarisch reflex, is likely responsible for increased vagal tone leading to bradycardia, hypotension, sinus arrhythmia, and junctional escape rhythm. It is noteworthy that even 18 h post ingestion in a relatively stable patient with no significant cardiac history, cardiac arrest occurred just after treatment tapering. Clinicians should consider prolonged observation time in the setting of discontinuation of vasopressors. Conclusion(s): Both clinicians and amateur foragers should be aware of the risks associated with ingestion of Veratrum viride, especially during early spring when it more closely resembles wild onion. While uncommon, significant delayed cardiac effects are possible. Mistaking the plant for edible wild onions can be the difference between a delectable dinner, and a night in the ICU.

The Changed Content of Self-Reflection during Online Teaching - The Perspective of Religion Teachers

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic took its toll on all areas of life, and we can safely say that it has fundamentally altered education, too, throughout the globe. Teachers around the world exhibited a wide array of responses to the changed situation, some of them having no real problem with the transition to online teaching, while the majority of them having suffered a considerable loss of faith concerning their effectiveness as teachers when coming up against the changed environment and the new challenges. Most teachers of religion were experiencing a sense of lack due to the enforced suspension of the day-to-day interpersonal relationships, considering that personal encounters have a particular relevance to religion as a subject on account of its pastoral care and spiritual aspects. Teachers did not only have to struggle with the new challenges emerging in their working environment, with problems around ensuring an appropriate technological background, or with the transformation of the existent teaching material for online use, but the adoption of a successful coping in a situation never dealt with before could be affected by certain (psychological) factors running much deeper such as their faith/beliefs, while the reasons for coming to a deadlock can often be traced back to the issues of professional identity, (sense of) mission, or religious spirituality. The present study points out that (self-)reflection increases teachers' efficiency and productiveness, and it is the author's belief that conscious reflection can seriously add to teachers' professional fulfilment during the crisis situation created by the virus, when online teaching methods have to be adopted, since reflection can put intrinsic motivation to work, as a result of which teachers can set a course to their own development. Further, we will present a reflection model that provides a content framework for reflection and wherein there is a possibility for a deeperlevel reflection as well, thus going beyond the aspects of environment, behaviour, and views and reaching the levels of professional identity, mission, and religious spirituality. © 2022 Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Theologia Reformata Transylvanica, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures in residents of Virú during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: COVID-19 has caused concern in the Peruvian population due to the health impact it generates and given the slow progress of vaccination, people opt for pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures to prevent the disease. Objective: Analyze the association of pharmacological and non-pharmacological preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic with the characteristics of the inhabitants of Virú, Peru. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational design was applied. A questionnaire of questions was used based on the characteristics of the inhabitants (age, sex and type of work) and food consumption, use of solutions and medicines for the prevention of COVID-19. The presence of COVID-19 was evaluated with the rapid test called Standard™ COVID 19 IgM/IgG;the sample was of 191 residents who went to Guadalupito Health Center in Virú. Results: The non-pharmacological measures most frequently applied by villagers during the COVID-19 pandemic were the consumption of citrus fruits (79%), garlic, onions (42%) and kion (26%). The pharmacological ones were ivermectin (14%) and paracetamol (12%). None of the measures were associated with the presence of COVID-19. Conclusions: Health professionals should emphasize through the different media that the measures analyzed in this study cannot prevent COVID-19. This constitutes valuable information for those people who do not take into account the usefulness of vaccines and challenge the disease by limiting their lives, with the exclusive use of certain foods, herbs and medicines.

Determination of natural radioactivity material concentrations consumed widely during Corona pandemic in Thi Qar province.

The present study was carried out to assess the potential radiation hazards to the public, especially the persons who consumed onion and garlic plants widely during coronavirus disease in Thi Qar province South of Iraq. Nine samples collected from the market (5 samples onion and 4 sample Garlic), which classified according to their origin. Using 3″x3″ NaI (Tl) gamma ray spectroscopy system, the radioactivity concentrations of the natural radionuclides radium-226, thorium-232 and potassium-40 were determined. The results obtained showed that the average concentration of radioactivity of radium-226, thorium-232 and potassium-40 is 3.398 Bqkg-1, 4.667 Bqkg-1 and 216.738 Bqkg-1, respectively, for onion and 2.808 Bqkg-1, 3.524 Bqkg-1, and 172.064 Bqkg-1 for garlic. The results also showed that the average annual total effective dose of the three nuclides is 122.955 µ S v . y - 1 for onion and 97.231 µ S v . y - 1 for garlic. Other relevant risk parameters were also calculated, such as equivalent activity concentrations, absorbed dose, excess lifetime cancer risks, and other health risk parameters. One of the most important conclusions reached by this study is that the natural radioactive elements in onions and garlic do not pose a great danger to their consumers, especially those infected with the COVID-19. Because the concentrations of these radioactive elements do not exceed the permissible limits recommended by recognized scientific organizations and agencies such as International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), and World Health Organization (WHO).

Mesoporous onion-like carbon nanostructures from natural oil for high-performance supercapacitor and electrochemical sensing applications: Insights into the post-synthesis sonochemical treatment on the electrochemical performance.

Although onion-like carbon nanostructures (OLCs) are attractive materials for energy storage, their commercialization is hampered by the absence of a simple, cost-effective, large-scale synthesis route and binder-free electrode processing. The present study employs a scalable and straightforward technique to fabricate sonochemically tailored OLCs-based high-performance supercapacitor electrode material. An enhanced supercapacitive performance was demonstrated by the OLCs when sonicated in DMF at 60 °C for 15 min, with a specific capacitance of 647 F/g, capacitance retention of 97% for 5000 cycles, and a charge transfer resistance of 3 Ω. Furthermore, the OLCs were employed in the electrochemical quantification of methylene blue, a potential COVID-19 drug. The sensor demonstrated excellent analytical characteristics, including a linear range of 100 pM to 1000 pM, an ultralow sensitivity of 64.23 pM, and a high selectivity. When used to identify and quantify methylene blue in its pharmaceutical formulation, the sensor demonstrated excellent reproducibility, high stability, and satisfactory recovery.

Development of a Rapid UHPLC-PDA Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Flavonol Contents in Onions (Allium cepa L.).

Onion, one of the most consumed vegetables in the world, is also known to contain high levels of antioxidant compounds, with protective effects against different degenerative pathologies. Specifically, onion is rich in flavonols, mainly quercetin derivatives, which are compounds with high antioxidant and free radical scavenging power. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance to count on optimal analytical methods that allow for the determination and quantification of these compounds of interest. A rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-photo-diode array (PDA) method for the separation of the major flavonols in onions was developed using a Box-Behnken design in conjunction with multiresponse optimization on the basis of the desirability function. The conditions that provided a successful separation were 9.9% and 53.2% of phase B at the beginning and at the end of the gradient, respectively; 55 °C column working temperature; and 0.6 mL min-1 flow rate. The complete separation was achieved in less than 2.7 min with excellent chromatographic characteristics. The method was validated, and its high precision, low detection and quantification limits, good linearity, and robustness were confirmed. The correct applicability of the method improves the analysis of the raw material, increasing the quality of onions and its subproducts in terms of bioactive compounds and functional characteristics for consumers.