Journal of Biology and Medicine: Open Access

The article presents the results of a study of the microwave parameters of the thermal state of moxa for moxibustion. The theoretical and physical basis of such research is described. Information is presented on research objects - moxa-rolls of different compositions and manufacturers. The characteristics and description of the unique radiometric equipment and research methodology are given. As a result of experimental measurements, it became clear that smoldering cigars (moxa-rolls) generate not only infrared, but also microwave radiation. At the same time, the level of microwave radiation is almost 100 times higher than the level of human radiation, which creates an additional therapeutic effect. It was established that cigars of different brands and with different additional fillings have the same level of radiation. The conducted studies allow us to assert the possible complex effect on the patient of both the thermal and microwave components of the output signal of the wormwood cigar (moxy). The mechanism of action of the entire spectrum of moxa radiation requires a deeper study, from the point of view of evidence-based medicine for use in the medical practice.

As a disease defined by the level of hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus (DM) causes micro- and macrovascular damage. The present study evaluated the effect of methanol fraction of ethanol extract of Dialium guineense (MEDG) stem bark on cardiovascular disease risk factors in diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 25, mean weight = 215 ± 15 g) were used. The rats were divided into five groups (5 rats per group): normal control, diabetic control, metformin, MEDG (200 mg/kg body weight, bwt) and MEDG (300 mg/kg bwt) groups. Diabetes mellitus was induced via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg bwt). The diabetic rats were then treated for 21 days with metformin (50 mg/kg bwt) or MEDG (200 and 300 mg/kg bwt, respectively). The results showed that STZ-induced DM significantly increased plasma concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), atherogenic coefficient (AC) and cardiac risk ratio (CRR), but it significantly reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p < 0.05). However, treatment of diabetic rats with MEDG stem bark led to significant reductions in circulating levels of lipid profile (except HDL-C, which increased) as well as AIP, AC and CRR (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the medicinal plant extract has the capacity to protect against cardiovascular events in diabetic rats induced by STZ.

Food compositions and trophic levels of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacépède) and Lates niloticus (Linné) in Ikere gorge reservoir (reported to be underutilized) were studied in order to provide biological information for the effective management of the fisheries of these dominant and highly valued food fish. Samples of C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus were collected monthly between April and September, 2018 and stomach contents were examined. In addition, trophic indices including trophic levels were estimated and the overlap index. The dominant food items in the gut of C. nigrodigitatus were algae, insect and insect parts. In contrast L. niloticus showed more preference for animal components including insects and fish. The food spectrum of female individuals was more diverse in C. nigrodigitatus, while males had greater diversity in L. niloticus. In small size groups of C. nigrodigitatus, plant-based food items were encountered more frequently and large size individuals preferred animal derivatives. Insects were dominant in diet of small size L. niloticus while fish dominated in the large size individuals. The mean trophic level of C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus was 2.856 ± 0.675 and 3.217 ± 0.720, respectively. The mean diet overlap between C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus was 0.2, indicating a low overlap of resources between the species.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAi), histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) have demonstrated anticancer properties and the ability to target cancer stem cells. To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no existing in vivo or clinical literature investigating the exclusive combination of these three agents as a therapeutic approach for solid tumors. In this case series, we administered a combination of Acetazolamide, Tegretol, and Multi targeted epigenetic therapy (MTET protocol) consisting of quercetin, sodium phenyl butyrate, and Ibrutinib to end-stage patients with cancers of ovarian, colon, glioma, and sarcoma. Following treatment, a substantial reduction in tumor burden was consistently observed in all cases, as evidenced by labs –consisting of tumor markers and liquid biopsies (circulating tumor cells, and circulating DNA)– and imaging (whole body PET/CT). These findings collectively indicate that the combined use of HDACi, CAi, and BTKi as targeted epigenetic modifiers holds significant promise and clinical potential for improving the prognosis of patients with advanced-stage solid tumors across various cancer types.

Milk borne zoonoses are a significant cause of morbidity as well as mortality both in the developing and developed nations of the world. A cross-sectional study has been conducted in Holeta town of Oromia region of central Ethiopia to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the community on milk-borne zoonotic diseases. A total of 120 study participants from the different sociodemographic backgrounds were randomly selected and voluntarily filled out the semi structured questionnaire, which was distributed to gather the required information from the respondents. The results showed that 64.17% of the respondents knew that milk born zoonotic diseases could be acquired through the consumption of raw milk whereas 31.67% of the respondents prefer to consume unpasteurized milk. Of the total respondents, 81.67 % did not check the quality milk prior to use for consumption. The study revealed that 85% of respondents in this study did not receive formal training on milk-borne zoonotic diseases. About 6.67% of the respondents shared the same house with the animals. The overall knowledge, attitude, and practice of milk-borne zoonotic diseases in the study area were not adequate. Thus, community education and awareness-raising programs are required to further improve the community’s knowledge, attitude, and practice on milk-borne zoonotic diseases that cause serious illness in humans worldwide.

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted on randomly selected individuals to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of rabies among communities in Meta Robi district Oromia, Central Ethiopia. A semi- structured questionnaire was administered to 100 respondents comprised of 51 from rural, 31 urbans, and 18 from town areas. Interestingly, all (100%) of the study participants had heard about rabies from different sources. About 64% of respondents knew the causative agent of rabies while 11% of the participants responded that they do not know the causative agent, and 25% were found to have misperception about causative agent, which was spiritual, starvation, and thirst. This study revealed the respondents have good action towards bitten humans with 36% of them go hospital/clinics, and 30% follow post exposure vaccination while 32% responded follow traditional medicine and 2% replied wash with soup and water. Ninety three percent of the respondents were not experienced for vaccinating their dog while only 7% vaccinated. However, knowledge deficiency was observed regarding cause and mode of transmission of rabies. The degree of rabies awareness and openness to rabies prevention techniques varies generally. Increasing awareness of the community about the disease should be considered for controlling the disease using social medias and formal training by governmental and non-governmental stake holders