Over the past 15 years, investigators have reported on the utility and safety of cardiac glycosides for numerous health benefits including those as treatments for malignant disease, stroke-mediated ischemic injury and certain neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to those, there is a growing body of evidence for novel antiviral effects of selected cardiac glycoside molecules. One unique cardiac glycoside, oleandrin derived from Nerium oleander, has been reported to have antiviral activity specifically against 'enveloped' viruses including HIV and HTLV-1. Importantly, a recent publication has presented in vitro evidence for oleandrin's ability to inhibit production of infectious virus particles when used for treatment prior to, as well as after infection by SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. This review will highlight the known in vitro antiviral effects of oleandrin as well as present previously unpublished effects of this novel cardiac glycoside against Ebola virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex viruses.
The panoply of symbology and narratives that surround the grape, right from ancestral times, include dichotomous contours of both the sacred and profane, and distinguishes the final product, wine, from any other agricultural product. It can therefore be said that grape and wine production carry a multiplicity of historical meanings which convey the very characteristics and richness of the land and the soils of its origin. In this context, following an initial historical review of grape and wine from its ancient origins in Anatolia until modern Turkey, this paper focuses on Ankara’s heritage of vineyard landscapes, grapes, and wine production while providing a critical assessment of its overall legacy. The aim is therefore to not only link together the vine plant and the soil, but also the people and their territory. Unfortunately, the heritage of wine production is fading away. While the Turkish word for the vineyard is bağ, which also means “connection,” the connection between the city and its legacy is weakening. This research constructs a socio-cultural history of wine production which combine, with an emphasis on Anatolia, sociological/ ethnographic and urbanist approaches to demonstrate the importance of grape and wine for civilizations. By referring to the geography of Anatolia and its suitability for grape production, the research also investigates the spatial features of that history, with a particular focus on Ankara. The viticulture of the city seventy years ago, when it was surrounded by vineyards, is now no more, although the living landscapes (vineyards and houses), wine production and education facilities (Atatürk Forest Farm, Faculty of Agriculture and wineries) and the towns (Kalecik, Akyurt) still remain. The main objective of this study is to contribute to the history of Ankara, which has never been specifically studied through the approach described above, thus simultaneously shedding light on the socio-cultural and spatial history of the region itself. To summarize the results obtained from the research, it can be seen that a nexus of actors, networks and policies exist between the periods of enrichment, and the destruction, of the legacy of grape in Ankara. A city that was once called Engürü (the Persian word for grape) is no longer worthy of that name, and the city is symbolic of the current decline of grape and wine production in Turkey, as well as the degrading perception of the industry in the country.
BackgroundPneumonia is a major cause of mortality and morbidity, but the development of new antimicrobials is lacking. Radiological assessment of pneumonia severity may serve as an effective intermediate endpoint to reduce barriers to successful completion of antimicrobial trials. We sought to determine whether the Radiologic Severity Index (RSI) correlated with mortality and healthcare resource utilisation in patients with acute leukaemia undergoing induction chemotherapy.MethodsWe measured RSI (range 0–72) on all chest radiographs performed within 33 days of induction chemotherapy in 165 haematological malignancy patients with pneumonia. Peak RSI was defined as the highest RSI score within 33 days of induction. We used extended Cox proportional hazards models to measure the association of time-varying RSI with all-cause mortality within the first 33 days after induction chemotherapy, and logistic regression or generalised models to measure the association of RSI with total daily cost and healthcare resource utilisation.ResultsAfter adjustment for clinical variables, each one-point increase in RSI was associated with a 7% increase in all-cause 33-day mortality (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.09, p<0.0001). Peak RSI values of 37.5 or higher were associated with 86% higher daily direct costs (p<0.0001), more days in intensive care unit (9.9 vs 4.8 days, p=0.001) and higher odds for mechanical ventilation (OR 12.1, p<0.0001).ConclusionsGreater radiological severity as measured by RSI was associated with increased mortality and morbidity in acute leukaemia patients with pneumonia. RSI is a promising intermediate marker of pneumonia severity and is well suited for use in antimicrobial trials.
