Abstract

Most of the widely used vaginal lubricants in the U.S. and Europe are strongly hyperosmolal, formulated with high concentrations of glycerol, propylene glycol, polyquaternary compounds or other ingredients that make these lubricants 4 to 30 times the osmolality of healthy vaginal fluid. Hyperosmolal formulations have been shown to cause marked toxicity to human colorectal epithelia in vivo, and significantly increase vaginal transmission of genital herpes infections in the mouse/HSV model. They also cause toxicity to explants of vaginal epithelia, to cultured vaginal epithelial cells, and increase susceptibility to HIV in target cells in cell cultures. Here, we report that the osmolality of healthy vaginal fluid is 370 ± 40 mOsm/Kg in women with Nugent scores 0–3, and that a well-characterized three-dimensional human vaginal epithelium tissue model demonstrated that vaginal lubricants with osmolality greater than 4 times that of vaginal fluid (>1500 mOsm/Kg) markedly reduce epithelial barrier properties and showed damage in tissue structure. Four out of four such lubricants caused disruption in the parabasal and basal layers of cells as observed by histological analysis and reduced barrier integrity as measured by trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER). No epithelial damage to these layers was observed for hypo- and iso-osmolal lubricants with osmolality of <400 mOsm/Kg. The results confirm extensive reports of safety concerns of hyperosmolal lubricants and suggest the usefulness of reconstructed in vitro vaginal tissue models for assessing safety of lubricants in the absence of direct clinical tests in humans.

Thank you!! Much appreciated!

Is there an Alt we can use?

Really? Why?

“Who would have known that the mighty people of Yemen would challenge the empires of the world,” he added, referring to the Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea that have led to two nights of retaliatory strikes by the US and UK.

This does not sound like somebody interested in promoting peace.

This comment, above, does not provide any context to the news linked.

Hmmm…

I think I can see where that took you.

On this subject, the shallowness of your thoughts is only matched by the authoritative way in which you express them.

Can I suggest you to allow yourself to be left your thoughts to think it over.

Like the ex-husband of J K Rawling?

#RussianFreedom

PeerTube looks quite promising with its decentralised model. Surely it will never be perfect. But decentralisation is essencial. Also because the types of videos I like to see in YouTube either are monetised by themselfs in some way. Or are not monetised at all. YouTube does not seem necessary for those creators.

Cheeto Benito

Please,

discussing a complex geopolitical situation

Is not

telling their users to be nice to others and not break the rules of other instances

You are not being consistent.

Also, an admin detailing how to think about a complex geopolitical situation is not discussing.

Thanks for offering your perspective. Maybe I’m too cynical. Or maybe I’m reading to much into the Russia-Ukraine-Nato thing.

In any case, at current information, I can both accept the defederation, or just teaching people that they can choose and block specific users and communities.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding all the Russia-Ukraine-NATO section.

Thanks for the answer but I can only understand your first sentence. After that I have no clue about what you mean .

From reading that thread it is not just a socialist instance.

They are instructing their members on how to relate to others, how to react to outsiders comments in their communities, and how to protect themselves from outsiders opinions. To me that sounds like cult level brainwashing techniques.

Another word that comes to mind is brigading.

The Hexbear thread on federation: https://www.hexbear.net/post/280770 – read it yourself.

To me it reads like a plan to increase their reach with preventive instructions on how to avoid being ‘influenced’ by outsiders’ opinions.

My guesstimation is that it is a disinformation machine based on useful idiots.

I had also been using Reddit for over a decade. I’m only now realising how early I got on Reddit’s boat. Was mostly just a lurker but, apart from WhatsApp, the only social media, and main news source (tad cringe, yea). Your comment hist made me think where is the /c/atheism around here. PS: I keep coming here almost everyday. If you ever feel you need to reach out to a stranger, likely across the world, drop me a DM.

Putting aside all the important stuff… where can get that music?

Don’t you get paid per views on Substack?