1. Doctors warned that they could lose their license for contradicting CDC info on COVID treatments and vaccines

2. ‘Not Realistic’: Denmark, Iceland Say Vaccination Has Not Led to Herd Immunity

3. Physician Speaks Out Against ‘Vaccine Mandates for All’ — Especially Children and Those With Natural Immunity

4. Pseudo-Omniscience Versus Freedom

5. The “COVID Pandemic” Is a Money-making Hoax and Perhaps Serves Darker Agendas

6. Blinded by the Light: Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Age of Normalized Violence

7. Licensed drug could reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection by up to 70 per cent, reveals study

8. Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine linked to rare cases of eye inflammation – study

9. Treatment of rare cases of blood clotting in brain following COVID-19 vaccination

   Today’s Videos

1. 1. Jordan Peterson – People Who Overanalyse

2.  IT’S TIME TO TRUST THE SCIENCE PEOPLE… 6 MINUTES OF TRUTH FROM THE WHITE COAT SUMMIT…

3. If This Does Not Wake You Up Nothing Wil

4. FUNCTIONAL FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN GIVES LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD A SCIENCE LESSON ON VIRUSES

5. A MESSAGE TO THE EDINBURG CISD SCHOOL BOARD

3. Study: Vitamin C and zinc supplementation can increase the effectiveness of antimalarial agents
4. Keele University (UK) and University of Nigeria, August 4, 2021
5. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that’s caused by parasites from the genus Plasmodium. Five species are known to cause malaria infections in humans, namely, P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. knowlesi. Of these parasites, P. falciparum is said to cause the most life-threatening form of malaria. Patients with falciparum malaria suffer from convulsions, develop liver and kidney failure and often end up in a coma. According to the U.K. National Health Service (NHS), P. falciparum is the most common type of malaria parasite and is responsible for most malaria deaths worldwide.
6. But apart from the type of malaria pathogen, two other factors appear to contribute to malaria morbidity. Studies show that iron and zinc deficiencies are also common in areas where malaria is widespread. Hence, researchers believe that nutrient supplementation may be of great help to malaria patients.
7. However, studies show that iron supplementation has no significant effect on malaria outcomes. In fact, a study published in The Lancet even suggested that routine iron supplementation increases the risk of severe illness and death in populations with high malaria rates. These reports have led researchers to hypothesize that instead of iron, vitamin C supplementation together with zinc may be of substantial benefit for malaria treatment. Apart from boosting immune function, vitamin C is known to enhance iron absorption from food.
8. To test this hypothesis, researchers from Nigeria and the U.K. conducted an experiment using mice infected with P. berghei. This parasite is known to cause malaria in certain rodents. The researchers evaluated the effects of different combinations of vitamin C and zinc on hematological parameters and the mortality of plasmodium-infected mice. They reported their findings in an article published in the journal Food Science and Human Wellness.
9. Vitamin C and zinc supplementation as complementary treatments for malaria
10. According to an article published in Nutrition Journal, the combination of vitamins and zinc can help reduce malaria morbidity and mortality in children. Specifically, the researchers found that supplementation with vitamin A and zinc, two nutrients known to boost immunity, reduced the incidence of malaria by 27 percent in children aged six to 24 months. These children belonged to 12 randomly selected communities in Ghana, which is among the 15 countries with the highest burden of malaria in the world.
11. Based on this finding, the British-Nigerian team hypothesized that vitamin C and zinc could enhance the effects of antimalarial medications and stimulate faster recovery from malaria-induced anemia. Severe malarial anemia is associated with P. falciparum infection and is responsible for a third of malaria-related deaths. (Related: Researchers confirm the antiplasmodial effects of bellyache bush on malaria-infected mice.)
12. To confirm their hypothesis, the researchers conducted a three-week trial to assess hematological changes and the survival of P. berghei-infected mice after a three-day treatment with the antimalarial drug, artemether, combined with vitamin C and zincsupplementation. They grouped the mice based on different ratios of vitamin C and zinc (i.e., 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50).
13. The researchers conducted weekly assays to assess body weight, packed cell volume, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration and mortality. At the end of the trial, they found that malaria mortality was lower in the group that received artemether in combination with vitamin C and zinc. However, supplementation did not reduce parasitemia in the infected mice.
14. Supplementation with vitamin C and zinc (30:70) also increased survival in the infected mice and produced better results compared to other ratios. In particular, this ratio of vitamin C and zinc helped improve packed cell volume and hemoglobin concentration. Packed cell volume is a measurement of the proportion of blood that is made up of cells. Decreased packed cell volume indicates loss of red blood cells, a condition known as anemia.

15. Therapeutic effects of naringenin on bronchial pneumonia in children

    Zibo Central Hospital (China), August 8, 2021
    

     

    According to news reporting out of Shandong, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Bronchial pneumonia in children is a common infectious disease in toddlers and infants, which may cause hyperpyrexia, pulmonary moist rales, and even respiratory failure. Traditional drugs for bronchial pneumonia in children often lead to drug resistance and side effects.”

    Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Zibo Central Hospital, “Recently, naringenin — a flavonoid found in tomatoes and citrus fruits such as grapefruit and oranges,  has been reported to be a potential treatment for several airway inflammatory diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. The current clinical study aimed to evaluate the safety and therapeutic effect of naringenin in treating bronchial pneumonia in children. A total of 180 eligible patients were randomly assigned into naringenin (NAR) group and azithromycin (AZI) group. All participants were required to follow a 5-day oral administration, and their serum cytokine levels were measured during the clinical intervention. After the treatment, the disappearance time of clinical symptoms, and the incidences of complications and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Naringenin was able to inhibit inflammation, shorten the disappearance time of clinical symptoms, reduce the incidences of bronchial pneumonia complications and related adverse reactions, and improve the health conditions of the patients.”

    According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Our results suggested that naringenin was safe and beneficial to children with bronchial pneumonia, providing new insights into the clinical application of naringenin.”

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18. Fasting may help ward off infections, study in mice suggests

    University of British Columbia, August 9, 2021

    Fasting before and during exposure to Salmonella enterica bacteria protects mice from developing a full-blown infection, in part due to changes in the animals’ gut microbiomes, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens by Bruce Vallance and colleagues at University of British Columbia, Canada.

    When people or animals develop an infection, they often lose their appetite. However it remains controversial whether fasting protects a host from infection, or increases their susceptibility. In the new study, mice were fasted for 48 hours before and during oral infection with the bacteria Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, a common cause of foodborne illness in people.

    Fasting decreased the signs of bacterial infection compared to fed mice, including nearly eliminating all intestinal tissue damage and inflammation. When fasted animals were re-fed for a day after their fast, there was a dramatic increase in Salmonella numbers and invasion into the intestinal walls, although the associated inflammation was still attenuated compared to normal. The results did not hold true when mice were exposed to Salmonella intravenously instead of orally, and analyses of the microbiomes of mice showed significant changes associated with fasting and protection against infection. Moreover, fasting did not fully protect germ-free mice—bred to lack a normal microbiome—from Salmonella, suggesting that some of the protection was due to fasting’s effect on the microbiome. Experiments using the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni confirmed that the effect of fasting was not limited to Salmonella, with similar results seen.

    “These data suggest that therapeutic fasting or calorie restriction has the potential to beneficially modulate infectious and potentially non-infectious gastrointestinal diseases,” the researchers conclude.

    The researchers add, “Our research highlights the important role that food plays in regulating interactions between the host, enteric pathogens and the gut microbiome. When food is limited, the microbiome appears to sequester the nutrients that remain, preventing pathogens from acquiring the energy they need to infect the host. While more research is needed, fasting or otherwise adjusting food intake could be exploited therapeutically to modulate infectious diseases in the future.”

    Antioxidants in fruit boosts immunity and protects thymus gland 

    Scripps Research Institute, August 8, 2021

    Eating fruit and vegetables or taking antioxidant supplements may combat one of the most harmful aspects of ageing by protecting a vital immune system organ, research suggests.

    Scientists demonstrated how ageing sabotaged the thymus gland, weakening the immune system and putting the elderly at greater risk of infection.

    But the irreversible damage could be reduced by the action of antioxidants such as vitamin C. Experiments showed that antioxidants – which are abundant in many fruits and vegetables – cut down the destruction wrought by a highly reactive by-product of normal metabolism.

    In studies on mice, animals given vitamin C and another antioxidant used in human medicine experienced significantly less age-related deterioration of the thymus.

    US lead scientist Dr Howard Petrie, from the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California, said: “The thymus ages more rapidly than any other tissue in the body, diminishing the ability of older individuals to respond to new immunologic challenges, including evolving pathogens and vaccines.

    “We provide, for the first time, a mechanistic link between antioxidants and normal immune function, opening new avenues for potential treatments that could improve immune defences in the ageing population.”

    The thymus is a small gland that lies behind the breastbone between the lungs. Its function is to manufacture T-cells, essential immune system cells in the front-line of the body’s defences against harmful foreign invaders and cancer.

    From about the time of puberty onwards, the thymus rapidly shrinks and its T-cell generating ability diminishes.

    The new research highlights the unique damaging effect hydrogen peroxide – best known as a bleaching agent but also a natural by-product of metabolism – has on the thymus.

    Hydrogen peroxide is produced by all cells as a result of the process that converts food into energy using oxygen, but is highly destructive and can tear apart cell membranes and scramble DNA.

    Antioxidants, some of which are produced naturally in the body, help to block the devastating effects of chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide.

    The Scripps scientists found that one natural antioxidant, an enzyme called catalase, is especially important in the thymus.

    As the organ aged, it became deficient in catalase, allowing the damage caused by hydrogen peroxide to go unchecked.

    In genetically engineered mice with raised levels of the enzyme, the thymus was preserved as they aged. And the addition of two other antioxidants – vitamin C and the chemical n-acetylcysteine – to drinking water of normal mice also protected the thymus.

    The scientists concluded: “We propose that irreversible thymic atrophy represents a conventional ageing process that is accelerated by catalase deficiency.”

    The findings suggest that oxidation rather than hormones is chiefly to blame for age-related thymus damage.

    Study: Light therapy helps burn injuries heal faster by triggering growth protein

    Therapy may improve future treatment for burns, which affect more than 6 million people worldwide each year

    University of Buffalo, August 9, 2021

    Light therapy may accelerate the healing of burns, according to a University at Buffalo-led study. 

    The research, published in Scientific Reports, found that photobiomodulation therapy – a form of low-dose light therapy capable of relieving pain and promoting healing and tissue regeneration – sped up recovery from burns and reduced inflammation in mice by activating endogenous TGF‐beta 1, a protein that controls cell growth and division. 

    The findings may impact therapeutic treatments for burn injuries, which affect more than 6 million people worldwide each year, says lead investigator Praveen Arany, DDS, PhD, assistant professor of oral biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine.

    “Photobiomodulation therapy has been effectively used in supportive cancer care, age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Arany. “A common feature among these ailments is the central role of inflammation. This work provides evidence for the ability of photobiomodulation-activated TGF-beta 1 in mitigating the inflammation, while promoting tissue regeneration utilizing an elegant, transgenic burn wound model.” 

    The study measured the effect of photobiomodulation on the closure of third-degree burns over a period of nine days.

    The treatment triggered TGF‐beta 1, which stimulated various cell types involved in healing, including fibroblasts (the main connective tissue cells of the body that play an important role in tissue repair) and macrophages (immune cells that lower inflammation, clean cell debris and fight infection).

    The researchers also developed a precise burn healing protocol for photobiomodulation treatments to ensure additional thermal injuries are not inadvertently generated by laser use. 

    The effectiveness of photobiomodulation in treating pain and stimulating healing has been documented in hundreds of clinical trials and thousands of academic papers. The therapy was recently recommended as a standard treatment for pain relief from cancer-associated oral mucositis (inflammation and lesions in the mouth) by the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer.

    Niacin protects against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity via Sirt1/nrf2 antioxidative pathway

    Chongqing Medical University (China), August 2, 2021

    According to news reporting originating from Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) overdose causes hepatotoxicity, even liver failure, and oxidative stress plays pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Nicotinic acid (NA) is one form of vitamin B3, which has been used to treat a series of diseases in clinic for decades.”

    Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Chongqing Medical University, “To date, several studies have evidenced that NA has anti-oxidative property. Therefore, NA may have the hepatoprotective potential against APAP-induced toxicity. Here, our aim was to investigate the beneficial effect of NA against hepatotoxicity induced by APAP and its mechanism in vivo. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with NA (100 mg/kg) 3 times at 24, 12 and 1 h before APAP (600 mg/kg or 400 mg/kg) challenge. The results showed that pretreatment of NA markedly improved the survival rate, alleviated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and mitigated the histopathological injuries compared to APAP-exposed mice. Furthermore, NA significantly elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) content, while reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Finally, the signaling pathway was probed. The western blot revealed that NA up-regulated Sirtuin 1 (Sit1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase-1 (NQO-1) expression and down-regulated Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) level in liver followed APAP exposure, implying Sirt1/Nrf2 axis exerted an essential role in the protective mechanism of NA on APAP toxicity.”

    According to the news editors, the research concluded: “In brief, pretreatment of NA effectively protects liver against hepatotoxicity due to overdose of APAP through an antioxidant dependent manner modulated by Sirt1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.”

    This research has been peer-reviewed

    17-year study of children associates poverty with smaller, slower-growing subcortical regions

    Washington University in St. Louis, August 9, 2021

    Children in poverty are more likely to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties than their better-off peers. Plenty of past research has looked into the physical effects of childhood poverty, or documented mental health disparities between socioeconomic classes. But Deanna Barch, chair and professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and her colleague Joan Luby, MD, the Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Child Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, wanted to look at a suite of outcomes to determine whether poverty continues to affect people as they enter adulthood.

    And if so, how?

    To answer these questions, Luby and Barch, who is also a professor of radiology and the Gregory B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, and colleagues collected data for 17 years from families who agreed to participate, including 216 preschoolers who were followed through early adulthood. During the course of the study, the young participants underwent brain imaging to help tease out the relationships among their socioeconomic status in preschool, and provided information on a host of outcomes—including cognitive, social and psychiatric—in early adulthood.

    The results were published July 14 in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

    “First and foremost: yes,” Barch said, “Early poverty sadly continues to predict worse outcomes in all of these domains.” That holds true even if a child’s socioeconomic status changes before adulthood.

    The risks for these outcomes, the research showed, are mediated through brain development.

    “We think poverty and all of the things associated with it”—such as stress, inadequate nutrition, less access to health care—”impact brain development.” she said. “If we can prevent poverty, we can help circumvent some of these negative outcomes.”

    For the study, the researchers recruited primary caregivers and their three- to five-year-old children. They used a specific recruiting questionnaire that would ensure there were more children with elevated symptoms of depression. This would later allow researchers to separate the effects of poverty from existing psychological disorders.

    The children were interviewed annually, and once they were at least 16, researchers tested them for cognitive function, psychiatric disorders, high-risk behaviors, educational function and social function. During the 17 years, the participants also received five brain scans that measured the volumes of local and global brain matter, giving the researchers a unique insight into whether brain development was a mediating factor—are changes to the brain the way that poverty “gets into” someone?

    After controlling for variables including preschool psychopathology and any significant life events throughout the years, the researchers were able to show socioeconomic status in preschool was associated with cognitive function, high-risk behaviors, social function and educational function 13+ years after the then-children joined the study.

    Brain-scan results showed the physical marks of poverty.

    The children who were living below the poverty level as preschoolers had smaller volumes of certain subcortical brain regions, including the hippocampus, caudate, putamen, and thalamus. “But also they had less growth in these regions over time,” Barch said. “So they’re starting out smaller and not growing as much.”

    Subcortical regions aren’t a prime research target because they are not necessarily responsible for a specific cognitive or emotional function. Instead, information must travel through them in order to reach regions of the brain associated with higher-order functioning.

    “The thalamus, for example, doesn’t always get a lot of love in the literature,” Barch said, “but it’s a very important relay structure that helps coordinate the transfer of information from the brainstem to higher-order cortical areas.

    “These brain regions are like important waypoints on the highway of the brain,” Barch said. And they are particularly sensitive to environmental factors such as pollutants or poor nutrition, factors more likely to affect those living in poverty.

    To be clear, this data does not paint a deterministic picture. “Plenty of kids have wonderful outcomes despite growing up in poverty,” Barch said. That is often because they have had additional support and additional resources. She’s putting this theory to the test in upcoming research where she and her colleagues will be tracking the effects of the child tax credit on children’s development.

    “Growing up in poverty makes things harder for people, but it is preventable,” Barch said. “That’s the good news: We can do something about this.”

    In a way, the children—now adults—themselves have helped to find answers simply by participating, year after year. They showed up through adolescence, their teenage years, and even once some of them became young parents of their own. “It’s pretty amazing,” Barch said. “They have made a huge contribution to science.”