Technology of genomic balancing of chromatin of autologous hematopoietic stem cells for gene therapy of fatal immune-mediated diseases of civilization, extended life expectancy and sudden human death prevention.

A biotechnology for personalized ex vivo gene therapy based on molecular genomic balancing of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) chromatin with nucleosome monomers of human genomic DNA (hDNAnmr) has been developed and implemented in the clinic to change (to "correct") mutant chromosome loci genomes of dominant HSC clones that form mono- and oligoclonal hematopoiesis during aging and major (oncological, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and autoimmune) fatal immune-mediated diseases of civilization. A fundamentally new biotechnological approach has been applied to the delivery of genetic material into eukaryotic stem and progenitor cells by establishing an artificial "recombinogenic situation" in them to induce homologous recombination (equivalent replacement) of mutant DNA regions with healthy hDNAnmr. In experimental preclinical trials, the effectiveness of genomic balancing technology has been proven to reduce the risk of sudden death in old animals and to increase the lifespan of outbred mice by 30% and Wistar rats by 57%. The improvement in their quality of life, compared with the control, is explained by an increase in the telomeric regions of the HSCs and HPCs chromosomes by 1.5-2 times. The potential of the technology to slow down the hereditary neurodegenerative diseases on the model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is shown. The effectiveness of this technology in clinical practice is presented on the example of a terminal patient with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer. This technology used in the treatment of a number of oncological, neurodegenerative, autoimmune and hereditary diseases with clonal hematopoiesis is able to arrest the progression of the disease, prevent its recurrence, prolong the active life of a person, increase the average life expectancy and prevent sudden death.

Trephinations, Trephines, and Craniectomies: Contrast Between Global Ancient Civilizations and Pre-Hispanic Mexican Cultures.

Mesoamerica is culturally rich in diverse aspects, such as nature, sociology, and archeology. Several neurosurgical techniques were described during the Pre-Hispanic era. In Mexico, various cultures, such as the Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, Mayan, Tlatilcan, and Tarahumara, developed surgical procedures using different tools to perform cranial and probably brain interventions. Trepanations, trephines, and craniectomies are different concepts utilized to describe skull operations, which were conducted to treat traumatic, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric diseases, and as a prominent form of ritual practice. More than 40 skulls have been rescued and studied in this region. In addition to written medical sources, archeological vestiges allow a more profound comprehension of Pre-Columbian brain surgery. The purpose of this study is to present the existing evidence of cranial surgery in Pre-Hispanic Mexican civilizations and their worldwide counterparts, procedures that have contributed to the global neurosurgical armamentarium, and have significantly impacted the medical practice's evolution.

Multivariate Pharma Technology Transfer Analysis: Civilization Diseases and COVID-19 Perspective.

The importance of studying civilization diseases manifests itself in the impact of changing lifestyles, on the number of deaths and causes of death. Technology transfer plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Through this, it is possible to transfer new treatments and diagnostics to clinics and hospitals more quickly and effectively, which leads to better healthcare for patients. Technology transfer can also aid in the development of new drugs and therapies that can be effective in the treatment of civilization diseases. The paper aims to evaluate the technology transfer process in the field of civilization diseases, using COVID-19 as an example of a pandemic that requires quick development and transfer of technology. To achieve the assumed goal, we propose a multivariate synthetic ratio in the field of civilization diseases (SMTT-Synthetic Measure of Technology Transfer) to analyze data from the Global Data database. We used sub-measures like SMTT_value (Synthetic Measure of Technology Transfer_value) and SMTT_quantity (Synthetic Measure of Technology Transfer_quantity) to measure technology transfer and put the data into a graph. Our analysis focuses on 14 diseases over a period of 10 years (2012-2021) and includes nine forms of technology transfer, allowing us to create a tool for analysing the process in multiple dimensions. Our results show that COVID-19 is similar in terms of technology transfer to diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and breast cancer, even though data for COVID-19 is available for only 2 years.

Grammars of Progress and Pathology: A Recursive History of Africa, Cancer, and "Diseases of Civilization".

The phrase "disease of civilization" and concomitant lexicons, such as "pathologies of modernization," frequently surface across public and global health discourses. This is particularly the case within the framework of cancer research in Africa. In this article, the authors trace the emergence of these grammars of progress at the beginning of the twentieth century as a biomedical lens through which to analyze and frame cancer in Africa. Arguing with Ann Stoler for a recursive understanding of colonial and postcolonial history, the authors follow in detail the lexical shifts and recursions across the twentieth century, as these grammars move from diseases of civilization to development and modernization. In tracing these lexical shifts, they place them within the broader understandings of Africa and the African body as an other against which Euro-America frames itself.

(In)tolerância como política: os discursos de direita e de esquerda no facebook / (In)tolerance as policy: the rightist and leftist discourses on facebook / (In)tolerancia como política: los discursos de la derecha y la izquierda en facebook

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar traços da mentalidade potencialmente autoritária a partir do discurso de usuários do Facebook vinculados a páginas de cunho político autodeclarado de direita e de esquerda no Brasil. A Netnografia é utilizada como aporte metodológico para imersão on-line nas páginas "Eu era Direita e não sabia" e "Jovens de Esquerda", selecionadas por meio do Facebook Audience Insights, ferramenta disponibilizada pelo Facebook. Delas, foram extraídas oito postagens com maior engajamento (número de comentários, curtidas e compartilhamentos), identificadas pelo Netvizz. Foram coletados 3.489 comentários, os quais foram organizados em um corpus textual submetido ao software IRAMUTEQ e analisados sob a perspectiva da análise crítica imanente da teoria crítica. Como resultado, apresenta-se a forma como o pensamento autoritário se manifesta na racionalização da sociedade contemporânea e nas práticas discursivas em redes sociais on-line, enraizada no âmbito sociopolítico brasileiro, ameaçando o processo democrático e a construção de uma sociedade plural e liberta.(AU)

This study aims to analyze traits of the potentially authoritarian mentality from the speech of Facebook users linked to political pages self-declared as rightist and leftist in Brazil. Netnography is used as a methodological contribution for online immersion in the pages "Eu era Direita e não sabia" and "Jovens de Esquerda" selected via Facebook Audience Insights, a tool provided by Facebook. From these, eight posts with greater engagement (number of comments, likes and shares), identified by Netvizz, were extracted. We collected 3,489 comments, which were organized in a textual corpus submitted to IRAMUTEQ software and analyzed from the perspective of immanent critical analysis of Critical Theory. As a result, we present the way in which authoritarian thinking manifests itself in the rationalization of contemporary society and in discursive practices in online social networks, rooted in the Brazilian socio-political sphere, threatening the democratic process and the construction of a plural and free society.(AU)

Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar las huellas de la mentalidad potencialmente autoritaria a partir de los discursos de usuarios en Facebook vinculados a páginas políticas autodeclaradas de derecha y de izquierda en Brasil. La netnografía se utiliza como marco metodológico para la inmersión en línea en las páginas "Eu era Direita e não sabia" y "Jovens de Esquerda", seleccionadas por Facebook Audience Insights, herramienta proporcionada por Facebook. Se extrajeron las ocho publicaciones con mayor compromiso (número de comentarios, gustos y compartidas), identificadas por Netvizz. Se recogieron 3.489 comentarios, los cuales fueron organizados en un corpus textual sometido al software IRAMUTEQ y analizado bajo la perspectiva del análisis crítico inmanente de la teoría crítica. Los resultados presentan la forma en que el pensamiento autoritario se manifiesta en la racionalización de la sociedad contemporánea y en prácticas discursivas en redes sociales en línea, arraigada en el ámbito sociopolítico brasileño, que amenazan el proceso democrático y la construcción de una sociedad plural y liberada.(AU)

Moisés, o egípcio: problematizações sobre a identidade, a identificação e a decolonialidade / Moses, the Egyptian: problematics of identity, identification, and decoloniality

Resumo: A intenção deste ensaio é a de problematizar a inscrição do discurso psicanalítico, com Freud, no campo do mundo do pós-colonialismo, pela sustentação da categoria de identificação e a crítica correlata da categoria de identidade, assim como pela ênfase na reversibilidade dialética da oposição entre os registros da civilização e da barbárie.

Abstract: The purpose of this essay is to problematize the inscription of psychoanalytic discourse, with Freud, in the field of the post-colonial world by supporting the category of identification and the related criticism of the identity category. It also emphasizes the dialectical reversibility of the opposition between the registers of civilization and barbarism.

Nutraceutical Properties of Syringic Acid in Civilization Diseases-Review.

Civilization diseases account for a worldwide health issue. They result from daily behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. One of the most significant opportunities to prevent and alleviate the occurrence of these diseases is a diet rich in antioxidants like polyphenols. This review paper is concentrated on syringic acid (SA), one of the representative compounds of phenolic acids subgroups. There are many in vitro and in vivo studies on SA that assess its pivotal effects on oxidative stress and inflammation parameters. It is effective on metabolic risk factors as well, including hyperglycemia, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. SA is one of the prominent polyphenolic compounds that may help address health issues related to civilization diseases.

Cytoprotective activities of representative nutrients from the Mediterranean diet and of Mediterranean oils against 7-ketocholesterol- and 7ß-hydroxycholesterol-induced cytotoxicity: Application to age-related diseases and civilization diseases.

7-ketocholesterol and 7ß-hydroxycholesterol are two oxysterols mainly formed by the autoxidation of cholesterol. These two molecules are interconvertible via specific enzymes. These two oxysterols are often observed at increased amounts in biological fluids as well as tissues and organs affected during age-related diseases and in diseases of civilization such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and ocular diseases as well as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Noteworthy, 7-ketocholesterol and 7ß-hydroxycholesterol induce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are frequently observed in patients with age-related and civilization diseases. For this reason, the involvement of these two oxysterols in the pathophysiology of these diseases is widely suspected. In addition, the toxicity of these oxysterols can lead to death by oxiapoptophagy characterized by oxidative stress, apoptosis induction and autophagy criteria. To prevent, or even treat, certain age-related or civilization diseases associated with increased levels of 7-ketocholesterol and 7ß-hydroxycholesterol, the identification of molecules or mixtures of molecules attenuating or inhibiting the toxic effects of these oxysterols allows to consider new treatments. In this context, many nutrients present in significant amounts in the Mediterranean diet, especially tocopherols, fatty acids, and polyphenols, have shown cytoprotective activities as well as several Mediterranean oils (argan and olive oils, milk thistle seed oil, and pistacia lentiscus seed oil). Consequently, a nutraceutical approach, rich in nutrients present in the Mediterranean diet, could thus make it possible to counteract certain age-related and civilization diseases associated with increased levels of 7-ketocholesterol and 7ß-hydroxycholesterol.

A Historical Perspective on the Management of Facial Paralysis: From Ancient Civilizations to the Modern Era.

ABSTRACT: Documented evidence of facial nerve paralysis (FNP) and its treatment have been discovered in many early civilizations dating back centuries. Early records are present in art and scripts across ancient civilizations and have laid the groundwork for the implementation of many managements used in modern practice. Although the current management of FNP is still evolving, it includes a complex and multimodal spectrum of options ranging from pharmacologic therapy to facial physical therapy and neuromuscular training, and surgical facial reanimation interventions via static and dynamic procedures. The aim of this review is not to provide an up-to-date glossary of modern management options but rather to discuss the historical evidence of FNP and treatments leading up to current techniques and practices.

Remarkable signals of the ancient Chinese civilization since the Early Bronze Age in the marine environment.

The signals of fire activity induced from climate and ancient human activities could be recorded in sedimentary strata. We examined a 6000-year black­carbon (BC) record-including char and soot-of a sediment core from the South Yellow Sea. The climate change had a threshold effect on the fire regime, and dominated the char emissions. The soot/BC signals depicted that the anthropogenic emissions related to the evolution of the Chinese civilization since the Early Bronze Age (~4 ka) have overwhelmed natural soot emissions. The soot variation in the record closely matched periods when there was large-scale use of coal or charcoal after the Han Dynasty and when indigenous coking technology was promoted after the Tang Dynasty; low soot-abundance in the record coincided with periods of social unrest. This work illustrates how soot signals can be a robust tracer of civilization evolution.

Active microbial ecosystem in Iron-Age tombs of the Etruscan civilization.

Earth's microbial biosphere extends down through the crust and much of the subsurface, including those microbial ecosystems located within cave systems. Here, we elucidate the microbial ecosystems within anthropogenic 'caves'; the Iron-Age, subterranean tombs of central Italy. The interior walls of the rock (calcium-rich macco) were painted ~2500 years ago and are covered with CaCO3 needles (known as moonmilk). The aims of the current study were to: identify biological/geochemical/biophysical determinants of and characterize bacterial communities involved in CaCO3 precipitation; challenge the maxim that biogenic activity necessarily degrades surfaces; locate the bacterial cells that are the source of the CaCO3 precipitate; and gain insight into the kinetics of moonmilk formation. We reveal that this environment hosts communities that consist primarily of bacteria that are mesophilic for temperature and xerotolerance (including Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria); is populated by photosynthetic Cyanobacteria exhibiting heterotrophic nutrition (Calothrix and Chroococcidiopsis); and has CaCO3 precipitating on the rock surfaces (confirmation that this process is biogenic) that acts to preserve rather than damage the painted surface. We also identified that some community members are psychrotolerant (Polaromonas), acidotolerant or acidophilic (members of the Acidobacteria), or resistant to ionizing radiation (Brevundimonas and Truepera); elucidate the ways in which microbiology impacts mineralogy and vice versa; and reveal that biogenic formation of moonmilk can occur rapidly, that is, over a period of 10 to 56 years. We discuss the paradox that these ecosystems, that are for the most part in the dark and lack primary production, are apparently highly active, biodiverse and biomass-rich.

Oral Cancer: A Historical Review.

Aim: This historical medical literature review aims at understanding the evolution of the medical existence of oral cancer over times, particularly better comprehending if the apparent lower prevalence of this type of cancer in antiquity is a real value due to the absence of modern environmental and lifestyle factors or it is linked to a misinterpretation of ancient foreign terms found in ancient medical texts regarding oral neoplasms. Methods: The databases MedLne, PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier's EMBASE.com, Cochrane Review, National Library of Greece (Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Athens) and the Library of the School of Health Sciences of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) were extensively searched for relevant studies published during the past century on the history of oral cancer and its treatment from antiquity to modern times, in addition to the WHO website to analyse the latest epidemiological data. In addition, we included historical books on the topic of interest and original sources. Results: Historical references reveal that the cradle of the oral oncology was in ancient Egypt, the Asian continent and Greece and cancer management was confined to an approximate surgical practice, in order to remove abnormal masses and avoid bleeding with cauterization. In the Medieval Age, little progress occurred in medicine in general, oral cancers management included. It is only from the Renaissance to modern times that knowledge about its pathophysiological mechanisms and histopathology and its surgical and pharmacological treatment approaches became increasingly deep all over the world, evolving to the actual integrated treatment. Despite the abundant literature exploring oncology in past civilizations, the real prevalence of oral cancer in antiquity is much less known; but a literature analysis cannot exclude a consistent prevalence of this cancer in past populations, probably with a likely lower incidence than today, because many descriptions of its aggressiveness were found in ancient medical texts, but it is still difficult to be sure that each single description of oral masses could be associated to cancer, particularly for what concerns the period before the Middle Ages. Conclusions: Modern oncologists and oral surgeons must learn a lot from their historic counterparts in order to avoid past unsuccessful efforts to treatment oral malignancies. Several descriptions of oral cancers in the antiquity that we found let us think that this disease might be linked to mechanisms not strictly dependent on environmental risk factors, and this might guide future research on oral cavity treatments towards strategical cellular and molecular techniques.

De la crisis de los fundamentos, a los fundamentos de una crisis civilizatoria más allá de la Modernidad. COVID 19 como catalizador en Chile / From the crisis of the foundations, to the foundations of a civilizing crisis beyond Modernity. COVID 19 as a catalyst in Chile

Con este trabajo intentamos una aproximación crítica a las tensiones que caracterizan este hoy que sobrevivimos, precipitado por la pandemia del Covid 19 como catalizador inesperado de la crisis civilizatoria que parece atravesamos como Humanidad. Para ello contrastamos la crisis de los fundamentos, con algunos fundamentos de la crisis, quede manera esencialmente recursiva se hacen posibles. La racionalidad y fines del modelo civilizatorio en crisis, en una posible transición acelerada por la pandemia, permiten hacer visibles algunas condiciones de posibilidad para la construcción de contratos sociales, lógicas y racionalidades que apuntan a la Humanidad como fin y razón de ser; frente al individualismo liquidador del sujeto y la individualidad; y a la Armonía, frente a la metáfora del Desarrollo sin límites y la racionalidad instrumental que la sostiene en la Modernidad Occidental.

With this work we try a critical approach to the tensions that characterize this today that we survive, precipitated by the Covid 19 pandemic as an unexpected catalyst of the civilizing crisis that seems to be going through as Humanity. To do this, we contrast the fundamentals crisis with some fundamentals of the crisis, which in an essentially recursive way are made possible. The rationality and ends of the civilizing model in crisis, in a possible transition accelerated by the pandemic, make it possible to make visible some conditions of possibility for the construction of social contracts, logics and rationales that point Humanity as an end and a reason for being; against the liquidating individualism of the subject and individuality; and Harmony, against the metaphor of Development without limits and the instrumental rationality that sustains it in Western Modernity.

Violência civilizacional e colonial no olhar de Frantz Fanon e Sigmund Freud / Civilizatory and colonial violence from the standpoint of Frantz Fanon and Sigmund Freud / Violencia civilizatoria y colonial bajo la mirada de Frantz Fanon y Sigmund Freud

Resumo O presente estudo visa discutir a violência na sua relação com o nascimento da civilização e projeto colonial no pensamento de Freud e Fanon. Na obra freudiana, a violência foi abordada a partir das obras: Futuro de uma Ilusão, O Mal-Estar na Civilização, Por Que a Guerra? e Reflexões para os Tempos de Guerra e Morte. E no pensamento fanoniano a partir de Os Condenados da Terra, mais concretamente no capítulo dedicado à violência. A discussão da obra dos autores foi dividida em três momentos. Primeiramente foi discutido o modo como a construção da civilização europeia e a cultura ocidental têm sido marcadas pela violência aos grupos étnicos externos ao Ocidente. No segundo momento, discorre sobre a violência colonial, articulada com a raça, em que a obra de Fanon teve o seu foco principal. Discute-se ainda, por fim, a "contraviolência" e a violência como meio de se subjetivar diante da subjetividade rechaçada.

Abstract This study discusses violence as pertaining to the birth of civilization and colonial project in Freud and Fanon. In Freud's work, violence was approached in the papers: Future of an Illusion and Civilization and its Discontents; Why War? and Refletion on War and Death. Whereas Fanon thoughts are exposed in the book The Condemned of the Earth, most notably in the chapter dedicated to violence. The discussion of the authors' work was divided into three sections, namely: how the construction of European civilization and/or Western culture has been marked by violence to ethnic groups outside the West; colonial violence articulated with race, focus of Fanon's work; and "contraviolence" and violence as a means of self-subjectifying in the face of rejected subjectivity.

Resumen El presente estudio tiene como objetivo discutir la violencia en su relación con el nacimiento de la civilización y el proyecto colonial en Freud y Fanon. En el trabajo de Freud, se abordaba la violencia desde las obras: El Porvenir de una Ilusión, El Malestar en la Cultura; ¿Por Qué la Guerra? y De Guerra y Muerte: Temas de Actualidad. Y en el pensamiento fanoniano la obra Los Condenados de la Tierra, pero concretamente en el capítulo dedicado a la violencia. La discusión del trabajo de los autores se dividió en tres momentos. En primer lugar, se ha discutido la forma en la cual la construcción de la civilización europea y/o la cultura occidental ha estado marcada por la violencia a los grupos étnicos fuera de Occidente. En segundo trata la violencia colonial, articulada con la raza, en la cual el trabajo de Fanon tenía su enfoque principal. Por último, la "contraviolencia" y la violencia se discuten como un medio de subjetivarse frente a la subjetividad rechazada.

O pai: um estudo sobre a barbárie contemporânea / The father: a study about contemporary barbarism

A proposta desse ensaio é refletir e pensar a barbárie no interior do atual estágio da civilização, tendo como pano de fundo a crise contemporânea de refugiados. Escolhemos como norte da pesquisa os desdobramentos da questão do Pai na teoria psicanalítica e a produção teórica de alguns pensadores de outros campos do conhecimento, com as quais é possível estabelecer diálogos interdisciplinares acerca da violência, crueldade e destruição dos laços sociais.

The purpose of this essay is to reflect and think about barbarism within the current stage of civilization, against the backdrop of the contemporary refugee crisis. We chose as the north of the research the developments of the question of the Father in psychoanalytic theory and the theoretical production of some thinkers from other fields of knowledge, with which it is possible to establish interdisciplinary dialogues about violence, cruelty and the destruction of social ties.

[Shift work as a factor increasing the risk of civilization diseases - what's new in the old issue?] / Praca zmianowa jako czynnik zwiekszajacy ryzyko chorób cywilizacyjnych ­ co nowego w starej kwestii?

People are more and more often taking up shift work, which in the long run may have harmful health effects. Whether a person working in a shift system gets sick is influenced by many external factors (rotation and type of changes and work performed, socio-psychological factors) and endogenous (sex, age, health and physiological status, individual, internal biological clock - chronotype, physiological tolerance work at night). Many authors in their work prove that work in a rotational rotation system affects the occurrence of various types of cancer, hormone production, occurrence of metabolic disorders and civilization diseases (type II diabetes, insulin resistance, overweight and obesity, hypertension and coronary heart disease), microflora differentiation intestinal and contributes to increased stress of the body. In addition, the time in which a person works has a direct impact on the consumption and quality of meals. Shift workers often do not have time to eat regular, properly balanced meals that would satisfy their energy and nutritional needs. For this reason, most often reach for ready-to-eat foods that are characterized by low nutritional value at a relatively high energy value. Shift work also carries a risk of circadian rhythm disturbances and sleep disorders. Many studies indicate that there is an increased risk of some types of cancer and civilization diseases, but there is no clear evidence as to whether this is only the fault of rotary night work.

Modernity and the regulation of bodies: Elias meets Foucault

This article seeks to reflect on the possibility of a meeting ground where Michel Foucault and Norbert Elias' thought comes together around the issue of the regulation of drives and bodily practices within modernity. Such drives - among which we highlight the use of force and violence, as well as the acceptable regulation of their release and applications - have been the object of particular procedures within the modern era, whether seen in relation to individuals or from to the social body.(AU)

El malestar en el trabajo y la cultura contemporánea / Workplace dissatisfaction and contemporary culture

¿Qué podemos extraer del Psicoanálisis freudiano y lacaniano que nos ayuden a comprender el malestar en el trabajo en la cultura contemporánea? Nuestra intención es abordar la noción de malestar en parte de la obra de Freud, Lacan, así como de algunos de sus lectores actuales, para destacar algunas construcciones conceptuales que nos ayuden en la comprensión del malestar, del sufrimiento y del síntoma con el trabajo en nuestro tiempo. En un primer momento trascurrimos en el clásico texto freudiano "El malestar en la cultura" sus referencias al trabajo buscando comprender su relación con el malestar. Enseguida buscamos en Lacan las características del malestar contemporáneo. Concluimos intentando pensar los síntomas mentales producidos con el trabajo hoy en día a la luz de las nociones trabajadas en Freud y Lacan. (AU)

What can we learn from Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis to help us understand work dissatisfaction in contemporary civilization? We reviewed this concept in the works of Freud, Lacan, and some of your current readers, to highlight some conceptual constructs that help us understand the discomfort, suffering and symptoms associated with work in our time. First we review the classic Freudian text "Malaise in civilization" and its references in order to better understand their relationship to malaise. Next,we review Lacan's work to identify the characteristics of contemporary malaise. We conclude by reflecting on mental symptoms produced today by work today in the light of the concepts developed by Freud and Lacan(AU)

Preventing diseases of civilization.

This letter comments on the recent lecture by Dr. Stephen W. Bickler. He reported that many serious diseases that haunt our society are rare or unknown in the underdeveloped world. These include appendicitis, IBD, diverticulosis, colorectal cancer, GERD and others. For example, the rate of appendicitis in Gambian children is one-thirtieth the rate of Caucasian children living in the USA. Colon cancer is nearly 15 times as common in black Americans as in Africans. There is a wealth of evidence linking these disparities to a lifestyle factor that was not mentioned by Dr. Bickler: the unnatural method of defecation used in our society. Like all primates, humans were designed to squat for bodily functions. The sitting position sabotages the natural biomechanics of defecation and forces one to use the Valsalva maneuver. How does this increase the risk of appendicitis? The cecum, instead of being squeezed empty by the right thigh when squatting, is actually inflated by the Valsalva maneuver. The increased pressure can push fecal matter into the appendiceal orifice. The back-pressure can also overwhelm the ileocecal valve, contaminating the small intestine. Crohn's Disease develops in the terminal ileum - the area soiled by this toxic backwash.