BACKGROUND Many Ayurvedic preparations are claimed to have immune-boosting properties,as suggested in various published randomized clinical trials(RCTs)AIM To compile evidence on the nature and mechanism of immune sys...BACKGROUND Many Ayurvedic preparations are claimed to have immune-boosting properties,as suggested in various published randomized clinical trials(RCTs)AIM To compile evidence on the nature and mechanism of immune system enhancement by Ayurvedic preparations in healthy and sick individuals.METHODS After prospectively registering study protocol with PROSPERO,we searched PubMed,DOAJ,Google Scholar,three dedicated Ayurveda research portals,two specialty Ayurveda journals,and reference lists for relevant records published until February 6,2021 using appropriate search strategies.Baseline features and data pertaining to the nature and mechanism of immune system function were extracted from all eligible records.Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane RoB-2 tool.RESULTS Of 12554 articles screened,19 studies reporting 20 RCTs(17 parallel group design,three crossover design)with 1661 unique patients were included;11/19 studies had Indian first authors.Healthy population was included in nine studies,of which one study included pregnant women and two included pediatric population;remaining studies included patients with different health conditions,including one study with coronavirus disease 2019 patients.A total of 21 Ayurvedic interventions were studied,out of which five were composite mixtures.The predominant route of administration was oral;dose and frequency of administration of the intervention varied across the studies.The results reported with five RCTs exploring five Ayurvedic interventions were incomplete,ambiguous,or confusing.Of the remaining 16 interventions,indirect evidence of immune enhancement was reported with four interventions,while lack of the same was reported with two interventions.Enhancement of T helper cells and natural killer cells was reported with three and four interventions,respectively,while the pooled results did not clearly point toward enhancement of other components of the immune system,including cytotoxic T cells,B lymphocytes,immunoglobulins,cytokines,complement components,leucocyte counts,and other components.Nine of the 20 RCTs had a high risk of bias,and the remaining 11 RCTs had some concerns according to RoB-2.CONCLUSION Various Ayurvedic preparations appear to enhance the immune system,particularly via enhancements in natural killer cells and T helper cells.展开更多
Data processing and climate characterisation to study its impact is becoming difficult due to insufficient and unavailable data,especially in developing countries.Understanding climate’s impact on burnt areas in Ghan...Data processing and climate characterisation to study its impact is becoming difficult due to insufficient and unavailable data,especially in developing countries.Understanding climate’s impact on burnt areas in Ghana(Guinea-savannah(GSZ)and Forest-savannah Mosaic zones(FSZ))leads us to opt for machine learning.Through Google Earth Engine(GEE),rainfall(PR),maximum temperature(Tmax),minimum temperature(Tmin),average temperature(Tmean),Palmer Drought Severity Index(PDSI),relative humidity(RH),wind speed(WS),soil moisture(SM),actual evapotranspiration(ETA)and reference evapotranspiration(ETR)have been acquired through CHIRPS(Climate Hazards group Infrared Precipitation with Stations),FLDAS dataset(Famine Early Warning Systems Network(FEWS NET)Land Data Assimilation System)and TerraClimate platform from 1991 to 2021.The objective is to analyse the link and the contribution of climatic and environmental parameters on wildfire spread in GSZ and FSZ in Ghana.Variables were analysed(area burnt and the number of activefires)through Spearman correlation and the cross-correlation function(CCF)(2001 to 2021).The tests(Mann-Kendall and Sens’s slope trend test,Pettitt test and the Lee and Heghinian test)showed the overall decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature respectively(-0.1 mm;+0.8℃)in GSZ and(-0.9 mm;+0.3℃)in FSZ.In terms of impact,PR,ETR,FDI,Tmean,Tmax,Tmin,RH,ETA and SM contribute tofire spread.Through the codes developed,researchers and decision-makers could update them at different times easily to monitor climate variability and its impact onfires.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Many Ayurvedic preparations are claimed to have immune-boosting properties,as suggested in various published randomized clinical trials(RCTs)AIM To compile evidence on the nature and mechanism of immune system enhancement by Ayurvedic preparations in healthy and sick individuals.METHODS After prospectively registering study protocol with PROSPERO,we searched PubMed,DOAJ,Google Scholar,three dedicated Ayurveda research portals,two specialty Ayurveda journals,and reference lists for relevant records published until February 6,2021 using appropriate search strategies.Baseline features and data pertaining to the nature and mechanism of immune system function were extracted from all eligible records.Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane RoB-2 tool.RESULTS Of 12554 articles screened,19 studies reporting 20 RCTs(17 parallel group design,three crossover design)with 1661 unique patients were included;11/19 studies had Indian first authors.Healthy population was included in nine studies,of which one study included pregnant women and two included pediatric population;remaining studies included patients with different health conditions,including one study with coronavirus disease 2019 patients.A total of 21 Ayurvedic interventions were studied,out of which five were composite mixtures.The predominant route of administration was oral;dose and frequency of administration of the intervention varied across the studies.The results reported with five RCTs exploring five Ayurvedic interventions were incomplete,ambiguous,or confusing.Of the remaining 16 interventions,indirect evidence of immune enhancement was reported with four interventions,while lack of the same was reported with two interventions.Enhancement of T helper cells and natural killer cells was reported with three and four interventions,respectively,while the pooled results did not clearly point toward enhancement of other components of the immune system,including cytotoxic T cells,B lymphocytes,immunoglobulins,cytokines,complement components,leucocyte counts,and other components.Nine of the 20 RCTs had a high risk of bias,and the remaining 11 RCTs had some concerns according to RoB-2.CONCLUSION Various Ayurvedic preparations appear to enhance the immune system,particularly via enhancements in natural killer cells and T helper cells.
文摘Data processing and climate characterisation to study its impact is becoming difficult due to insufficient and unavailable data,especially in developing countries.Understanding climate’s impact on burnt areas in Ghana(Guinea-savannah(GSZ)and Forest-savannah Mosaic zones(FSZ))leads us to opt for machine learning.Through Google Earth Engine(GEE),rainfall(PR),maximum temperature(Tmax),minimum temperature(Tmin),average temperature(Tmean),Palmer Drought Severity Index(PDSI),relative humidity(RH),wind speed(WS),soil moisture(SM),actual evapotranspiration(ETA)and reference evapotranspiration(ETR)have been acquired through CHIRPS(Climate Hazards group Infrared Precipitation with Stations),FLDAS dataset(Famine Early Warning Systems Network(FEWS NET)Land Data Assimilation System)and TerraClimate platform from 1991 to 2021.The objective is to analyse the link and the contribution of climatic and environmental parameters on wildfire spread in GSZ and FSZ in Ghana.Variables were analysed(area burnt and the number of activefires)through Spearman correlation and the cross-correlation function(CCF)(2001 to 2021).The tests(Mann-Kendall and Sens’s slope trend test,Pettitt test and the Lee and Heghinian test)showed the overall decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature respectively(-0.1 mm;+0.8℃)in GSZ and(-0.9 mm;+0.3℃)in FSZ.In terms of impact,PR,ETR,FDI,Tmean,Tmax,Tmin,RH,ETA and SM contribute tofire spread.Through the codes developed,researchers and decision-makers could update them at different times easily to monitor climate variability and its impact onfires.
