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The well-documented therapeutic potential of group singing for patients living with Alzheimer’s disease (PLAD) has been hindered by COVID-19 restrictions, exacerbating loneliness and cognitive decline among seniors in residential and long-term care centers (CHSLDs). Addressing this challenge, the multidisciplinary study aims to develop a patient-oriented virtual reality (XR) interaction system facilitating group singing for mental health support during confinement and enhancing the understanding of the links between Alzheimer’s disease, social interaction, and singing. The researchers also propose to establish an early AD detection system using voice, facial, and non-invasive biometric measurements and validate the efficacy of selected intervention practices. The methodology involves co-designing an intelligent environment with caregivers to support PLAD mental health through online group singing, addressing existing constraints in CHSLDs. The researchers will engage volunteers in remote singing interactions and validate the impact of voice stimulation for PLADs using a control group. The primary expected outcome is the development of an “Intelligent Learning Health Environment,” fostering interactions while adapting to individual PLAD situations and incrementally accumulating knowledge on AD signs. This environment will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technologies to promote non-verbal interactions via singing, enabling intervention at the first symptoms. Additionally, the research will contribute to transforming CHSLDs’ living environments, informed by neuroscience insights, and potentially extend the “collaborative self-care” approach to support seniors in aging safely and healthily at home.

Trying to understand the causes of climate change can be confusing. On the one hand, methane (CH4) emissions from cattle, and methane emissions from food wastes in landfills, are said to contribute to greenhouse gases (GHGs) that drive climate change.  People are working on feed additives for dairy cows to reduce their methane emissions. But, at the same time, cattle manure and food wastes can be fed into anaerobic digesters to convert these organic wastes to biogas; the resulting “renewable methane” or “renewable natural gas” (RNG), can be used in place of fossil natural gas and avoid extra GHG emissions and stop global warming. Can we have it both ways?  Burning gasoline in our cars and trucks generates carbon dioxide (CO2), which is said to contribute to climate change. But more than 8 billion people on planet Earth, breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide every minute of the day. And so do all the other animals who live on this planet, breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Is our breathing also contributing to climate change, just as the emissions from our automobile tailpipes?It is time to step back from all the hype, evaluate the various sources of CO2 and CH4 being generated and review the “mass balance” of these gases in our atmosphere. Some of these are part of the natural biogenic carbon cycle and some are simply adding to the overall mass balance. What is driving climate change - excess GHGs from the biogenic carbon cycle, excess emissions from other sources, or both? Let’s take a fresh look at the available data.  (Of course, water vapor also plays a part in the climate change story, as a “positive feedback” effect. As non-condensable GHGs rise in concentration and slightly warm the planet, slightly warming oceans add a bit more water vapor to the story and push the warming up a bit more).  During the past few decades, a great deal of pertinent data has been carefully observed and recorded, by world-class scientists and engineers. This data is available in the public domain and is now easily available on the internet. These data sources come from reputable organizations, such as NASA (National Atmospheric and Space Administration), NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), USGS (United States Geological Survey) and international organizations such as the “Global Carbon Project” and “Our-World-in-Data”.  How much of the growing concentration of CO2 (and CH4) in our atmosphere can be attributed to out-of-control emissions of biogenic carbon? How much of the CO2 rise can be attributed to fossil fuel emissions: 10%, 50%, 90%, or more?  The available data appear to show that the emissions from burning fossil fuels, more than account for all of the rise of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere during the past 60 years, or longer.  In comparison, the biogenic carbon cycle data seem to be very consistent, year after year, decade after decade and have little or no impact on climate change. But, let’s have a closer look at the available data, and let the data speak for itself.

Background: Leiomyoma itself is not a rare disease, but it is rarely found intravascularly. Case presentation: A 54-year old female sought medical help after noticing her leg being swelling. A diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was made and antithrombotic treatment was given after her initial imaging exam. Several days later, a contrast CT and sequential pathology revealed the real diagnosis was intravascular leiomyoma. The patient was discharged after a successful surgery. Conclusion: Intravascular leiomyoma should not be confused with DVT.

Over the past many decades, scientific research and practical efforts in the field of acute nonspecific inflammation of the lung tissue have been aimed at early detection of the pathogen and its suppression.

Mowat-Wilson Syndrome (MWS) is an autosomal dominant genetic syndrome caused by mutations in the ZEB2 gene. It is characterized by distinctive facial appearance, intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), and other congenital anomalies. The psychiatric symptoms, associated with MWS have rarely been reported. The following report highlights a case of schizoaffective disorder in a 24-year-old male with MWS and the challenges he encountered over his treatment course.After considering numerous diagnoses including bipolar disorder and psychosis secondary to a general medical condition, the patient was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Various trials consisting of atypical antipsychotics and mood stabilizers were unsuccessful in managing his symptoms. Eventually, the patient stabilized on a medication regimen consisting of clozapine 300 mg once daily, topiramate 75 mg twice per day, and lithium 1800 mg once daily. This case report documents co-occurrence of MWS and Schizoaffective disorder.

The outbreak of new coronavirus acute respiratory disease (SARS-CoV-2) has been a major global challenge for the scientific community to save humanity. While, the unviability of the vaccine keeps most classes of society, especially African countries, suffer from the healthcare problem. Conventional medicine plants become the alternative method for the therapeutic because it contains valuable bioactive compounds. This brief review devoted the importance of medicinal plants such as Citrus, olive, garlic, ginger, green tea, woad, broad-leaf privet, Japanese torreya, and saffron crocus, by their antiviral effects (anti-SARS coronavirus, anti-HSV, and anti-HIV diseases) and their promising uses as probable boosters of the immune and anti-inflammatory response from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Based on scientific reports, bioactive compounds could inhibit 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease and human protein ACE2, where these facts can be attractive to develop effective drugs. 

Helminthiasis is also known as worm infection, is any macroparastic disease of humans and other animals in which a part of the body is infected with parasitic worms known as helminths. Anthelmintic agents are medicines that used for treatment and inhibition of parasitic infections caused by helminths; which involve both flat worms, such as, flukes and tapeworms and round worms, such as, nematodes. Anthelmintics are categorized into groups depending on the basis of their identical chemical structure and mode of action. Thiabendazole, mebendazole, and albendazole belong to benzimidazoles group of antihelmenthic medicines. From benzimidazoles group of antihelmenthic, thiabendazole was first discovered in 1961 and already a mentioned number of more benzamidazoles were interpolated as wide spectrum anthelmintics. Praziquantel has a particular effect on the enveloping layer of trematodes and increases permeability of calcium ion influx leading to uncontrolled muscle contraction and paralysis. Praziquantel has a particular toxic effect on schistosome parasites, where its mode of action has been resulted more extensively than in cestodes. Coadministration of mebendazole with CYP450 inhibitors medications such as cimetidine, ketoconazole and etc may be increases plasma levels of mebendazole, by extending the half-life and decreasing plasma clearance.

In Ghana, there is evidence of the direct influence of climate change on the environment, such as rising temperatures, variable rainfall, and precipitation. These manifestations affect various facets of Ghana socio-economic structure especially with its high reliance on sectors that are particularly sensitive to climate change like agriculture. In the settlements of Bonsua and Amoawi in the Offinso South District, the study concentrated on the influence of climate change variables on food crop production and how farmers are adapting to the various climate change measures. Out of the total of 650 staple food crop farmers in the dorminated selected communities namely, Amoawi and Bonsua, 160 farmers were chosen for the study using systematic random sampling. The study included both primary and secondary data. Descriptive cross sectional survey was employed for the study. The data collection instrument employed was Structured and semi-structured interviews. SPSS was used to analyse the data. The data collected for the study were analysed using both descriptive and inferential analytical tools. Findings from the study indicate that climate change is a challenge to food crop production since agriculture activity in the two communities are mostly rain feed (97.5%). The majority of the crops grown in the two areas are climate change vulnerable. Another study finding reveals that most respondents have modified their coping mechanisms such as such as growing different crop varieties, early and late planting, irrigation and soil conservation to deal with how climate change is affecting agriculture. Therefore, the study suggests that both government and non-governmental organizations should support farmers in building irrigation systems to continuously irrigate their food crops during the dry season, increasing their farm productivity.

In the 19th Century in much of Western Europe and North America the number and size of asylums increased hugely. In London, there was a wave of new asylums built in response to the 1808 County Asylums Act and the 1845 Lunacy Act, which required publicly funded care for those deemed mentally unwell. One such asylum was the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum which was built on the grounds which now house Springfield University Hospital in South West London.This paper describes the admission records from Surrey County Lunatic Asylum, between 1863-1867, from information stored in the London Metropolitan Archives. Although the terminology is different from that of today’s, the picture the records paint is of an institution aiming at recovery rather than long-term incarceration which can be how asylums are now remembered. This more nuanced view is starting to be discussed more in public conversations about the topic. The optimism this may imbue is tempered by the shocking number of patients who died within the institution.

Introduction: Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a necessary tool to diagnose many kidney diseases. However, major complications were reported in adults, including bleeding in the kidney or around it, creation of arteriovenous fistula, wound infection, damage to adjacent organs, or even loss of the kidney. Such complications can rapidly develop serious consequences. Exploring risk factors might help in preventing them.Objective: The current study aims to evaluate and explore the complications that happened after percutaneous kidney biopsy in children and associated risk factors.Methodology: A retrospective record-based study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of children with post-ultrasound-guided percutaneous kidney biopsy complications at King Saud Medical City, a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period from May 2014 to June 2021. Data were extracted using pre-structured data collection sheet. Data collected included children’s age, gender, primary disease, laboratory findings, and kidney complications with needed management. Results: The study identified 76 children who had undergone 86 ultrasound-guided percutaneous kidney biopsies in the study period and fulfil the inclusion criteria. Children’s ages ranged from 1 years to 15 years with a mean age of 7.3 ± 4.0 years old. Most of the study children had nephrotic syndrome (61.6%; 53), followed by glomerulonephritis (25.6%; 22). Thirty-five (40.7%) children developed at least one of the complications. The most-reported complication was microscopic haematuria (32.6%; 28), followed by gross haematuria (3.5%; 3), Flank pain was reported among 3 (3.5%) children also and hematoma (1 child), only 2 children (3.9%) among those who had no complications recorded Haemoglobin drop > 2 g/dl compared to 3 of those who had complications with no statistical significance (p = .365). Prothrombin time was significantly higher among children who had renal complications than others who had not (11.7 ± 1.8 vs. 10.8 ± 1.2 seconds; p = .022).Conclusion: Suggestive by the low need to intervene in complications, ultrasound-guided percutaneous kidney biopsy is a relatively safe procedure in children. Even in the most commonly observed complication, i.e. hemorrhagic ones, blood transfusion is rarely needed.