CONTENT: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of home environmental interventions for preventing respiratory tract infections. Ten electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials published from inception to July 31, 2020. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to assess the study outcomes. Our search identified 14 eligible studies across 12 countries, which comprised 87,428 households in total. The type of interventions on home environment included kitchen appliance and design, water supply and sanitation, house insulation, and home heating. Meta-analysis indicated a potential benefit of home environmental interventions in preventing overall respiratory tract infections (Absolute RR=0.89, 95% CI=0.78-1.01, p=0.07; Pooled adjusted RR=0.72, 95% CI=0.63-0.84, p<0.0001). Subgroup analyses depicted that home environmental interventions had no significant impact on lower respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, and severe pneumonia. A protective effect against respiratory infections was observed in high income country setting (RR=0.82, 95% CI=0.78-0.87, p<0.00001).
SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK: Home environmental interventions have the potential to reduce morbidity of respiratory tract infections. The lack of significant impact from stand-alone housing interventions suggests that multicomponent interventions should be implemented in tandem with high-quality health systems.
METHOD: This paper uses conceptual and normative analysis to address responsibility in the context of the pandemic. The paper also refers to reports published by the German Ethics Council, the Malaysian Bioethics Community and the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics.
RESULTS: The primary responsibility of governments is to create a balance between individual values and rights, one hand, and the health of the population, on the other. There are good reasons to conceive of individual responsibility as a virtue, having to do with the development of crucial character traits and habits. The responsibility of governments is connected to individual responsibility through the values of trust and solidarity.
CONCLUSIONS: Governments need to communicate clearly (a) how they balance conflicts between collective health and individual rights and values and (b) what the chosen strategy entails in terms of collective and individual responsibility. Success requires attention to ethical values from all involved. Individuals will need to develop new character traits to help manage this pandemic and to prevent new ones. Governments must facilitate the development of such character traits by building trust and solidarity with and among citizens.
METHODS: Using purified compounds, assays were performed to determine their effects against cancer cell lines using growth inhibition assays, cytotoxicity assays, and cell survival assays against HeLa, PC3 and MCF7 cells.
RESULTS: The results showed that the selected small molecules L-Methionine, Rofecoxib, and Artocarpin suppressed the growth of more than 90% PC3 cells at 40µM. Similarly, Valdecoxib alone and in combination with other molecules exhibited potent growth inhibition and cytotoxicity against cancer cells tested. Peptide from the serum of M. reticulatus, demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells without inhibiting the growth of normal cells.
CONCLUSION: These findings are significant and provide a basis for the rational development of therapeutic anticancer agents, however intensive research is needed to determine in vivo effects of the identified molecules together with their mode of action to realize these expectations.
.