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10/13/2014 Mrunal TheHindu Sci-Tech compilation: OPV vaccines, 3-Person IVF

http://mrunal.org/2013/09/science-tech-thehindu-june-july-aug-part-1-of-3-medical-research-healthcare-disease-opv-ipv-cloning-three-person-ivf-… 1/20

- Mrunal - http://mrunal.org -

[Science-Tech] TheHindu June-July-Aug: (Part 1 of 3)Medical research, Healthcare, Disease, OPV-IPV,Cloning, Three-Person IVF, Monocrotophos, Mid Daymeal deaths, Pioglitazone

1. Prologue2. Diseases Related

1. #1: Vaccine Derived Polio + Need for IPV2. #2: Malaria3. #3: Fluorosis4. #5: Iodised Salt5. #4: Migraine6. #5: Aspergillosis

3. Research Related1. HeLa Cell-line2. Flu Related

1. #1: H7N9 Bird flu: potential bioweapon?2. #2: MERC Coronavirus

3. Lab grown organs1. #1: Lab-Grown: Meat2. #2: Lab-Grown: Tiny Brain3. #3: Lab-Grown: Liver

4. Cloning John Lenon5. Three-person IVF / Mitochondria Transfer6. Cancer Immune Naked Mole Rats7. Silver Antibiotic8. Neuro-science

1. #1: Human neurons and Carbon Dating2. #2: Neuroplasticity

4. Banning Drugs and Chemicals1. Mid Day Meal Deaths And Monocrotophos2. Open Sale of TB Drugs3. Pioglitazone: Banned & unbanned4. Analgin: Banned5. Dextropropoxyphene: Banned

5. Food related1. #1: Honey2. Food additives are Poisonous

6. Animal related1. #1: Resilin, the rubber like protein2. #2: Animals do self-medication

7. Misc.



1. Active Travel2. Apoptosis3. Pain Management Techniques4. Elastic Energy and Human Shoulder

Prologue

Until now, I’ve compiled Hindu Sci-Tech upto May 2013. You can access theentire archive on Mrunal.org/snt now moving to next three months: June, July, andAugust 2013. This compilation runs in total three parts:

1. Medical / Healthcare related (given in present article)2. Agriculture,Environment & Biodiversity (EnB), Natural disasters, clean

energy related3. Space, IT, Electronics, Nano-tech, allied topics of physics/chemistry.

Although CSAT-2013 prelims paper didn’t contain much current affairs, but HinduScience tech continues to remain important because it provides ScienceTheory/principles that can be asked in MCQs (in four statement true/false typequestions) for example :Q. Consider following statements

1. Honey has Acidic PH, and infant’s body cannot tolerate food with Acidic PH.2. Infant’s body doesn’t have well developed immune system to fight the

bacterial spores that are found in Honey.3. Honey has a low glycemic index, therefore infant body cannot digest it

properly.

For which of the above reason(s), do the doctors advice against feeding honey toinfants?

Answer choices

1. only 1 and 22. only 2 and 33. only 24. All three.

Answer= (read this article, you’ll get it.)Besides for CAPF and CDS, UPSC hasn’t stopped asking Sci-Tech current affairsMCQ, yet.For the New syllabus of Mains:

Topics under NewMains Syllabus Topics covered from Hindu Sci-Tech under this article

1. Government didn’t ban a dangerous pesticidedespite warning from FAO and WHO.Ultimately led to the Mid-day Meal deaths inChapra, Bihar.



(GS-II) Issues relating todevelopment andmanagement of SocialSector/Services relatingto Health

2. The mismanagement over drug-regulation. Ananti-diabetic drug was banned in haste and thenban was revoked. Many drugs are banned justnow, while they’ve been banned in developedcountries for years.

3. Government banning open sale of TB drugs toprevent drug-resistance.

4. Government is not switching toward IPVvaccine for Polio, thus leading to case of vaccinederived polio virus.

5. National Programme for Prevention and Controlof Fluorosis (NPPCF)

(GS3) Awareness in thefields of bio-technology

1. Mitochontrial transfer, cloning2. Lab grown meat, liver and brain3. Resilin

Disclaimer

1. Just because I’m providing compilation for June, July, August, doesn’t mean“the end” of topics happened in that time-frame. You should ‘follow-up’ onyour own, reading / researching the topics from other sources. Becausenothing prevents UPSC from asking anything that is not covered/explainedhere.

2. I’ve covered only Thursday edition. However newspapers also have Sciencetech and allied news topics even in the Non-Thursday editions. And again,nothing prevents UPSC from asking anything from there. So one should keephabit of maintaining daily notes from the newspaper on his own.

3. In short, Mrunal.org is just a supplement and catalyst for the preparation- nota substitute of TheHindu, Indianexpress, Yojana, Kurukshetra and otherstandard reference sources. And same applies for any other website andcoaching. UPSC Success requires lot of self-study on your own.

Diseases Related

#1: Vaccine Derived Polio + Need for IPV

How does Oral Polio Vaccine work?

Oral polio vaccine contains a live, attenuated (weakened) vaccine-virus.When a child is vaccinated, the weakened vaccine-virus replicates in theintestine and enters into the bloodstream,This triggers an immune response in the child, thus Child becomes immune to(wild) polio in future.

What is Vaccine-derived polio?



In rare cases, the live-weakened virus from Oral polio vaccine itself becomesmutated. Then child gets polio from the virus inside vaccine itself. This is known asVaccine Derived Polio.

Why in News?

In July 2013, an infant from Beed District Maharashtra was infected with^this Vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPVs) type 2 and got paralyzed.Our Heath ministry’s approach was “thik-hai this is just an isolated case”. ButWHO is worried and rushed a team to the Maharashtra.

What do Experts say?

That baby was not given sufficient number of polio doses (undervaccinated)so it seems baby infected by a vaccine-derived poliovirus from anotherperson.Not every child who gets infected with VDPV will become paralysed but thisbaby was already undernourished, hence paralyzed.

Will this remove India’s polio free status?

As per the WHO definition, only wild polio considered for deciding thepolio-free status of a country.Therefore, this Maharashtra case will not alter India’s polio status. Because itwas from Vaccine derived poliovirus and not from wild variety of polio virus.Although such technical juggling of definition will not bring that baby’s legsback, nor it will reduce the danger of polio among other India kids.

Then what should be done?

The root cause of the problem is the use of live, weakened polio virus in theoral polio vaccine (OPV)But this virus are still alive and quite often undergoes genetic changes=>causes polio.Thus, the very vaccine that is supposed to protect children against poliocauses the disease.Endgame / ultimate solution= introduce IPV (injectable polio-vaccine)instead of using oral polio vaccine. In just two injections of IPV, childbecomes 100% immune to polio.

Challenges in introducing IPV?

1. we don’t have enough trained doctors/nurses to give injections to all kids inrural areas. + the recent case in Uttar Pradesh, where a rickshaw puller gaveinjection to baby and the baby died.

2. IPV is more expensive to produce than OPV.

#2: Malaria

Mosquito Bites



Mosquitoesare ___

meaning ___

crepuscular They’re most active during dawn and dusk. However, they areall not active at night.

ectothermicthey seek warmthbut are quite vulnerable to hot, dry conditions, hence hatedirect sunlight.

Male vs Female Mosquitos

Malemosquito

Usually feed on nectar, juice and decaying matter, which serve asthe energy source

femalemosquito

need to ingest the blood meal that serves as the protein source fordeveloping the eggs.

We experience more mosquito bites at night. Why?

1. Mosquitoes are known to be attracted UV light. They use UV light to finddamp water sources.

2. But during daytime, Infra red light is more intense during day time is knownto curtail mosquito activity.

3. During evening and night, Mosquitoes’ thermal and odour receptors becomemore efficient at detecting blood source.

4. A Mosquito can detect victim more quickly if the person is big or, pregnant,exhaling more CO and has sweetish smell or had a pint of beer.

Malaria Vaccine: Haem Synthesis

Haemoglobin inside human blood=helps in oxygen transport.When Malaria parasite consumes this Hemoglobin=> generates “haem”.Malaria Parasite needs Haem for its own energy production.So, if we can destroy parasite’s genes responsible for haem synthesis=> thenwe can make a genetically attenuated parasite that might serve as a vaccinecandidate for malaria.IISc, Bangalore working on this logic.

#3: Fluorosis

Cause: drinking water with excess fluoride content.water with moderate level=> dental enamel becomes defective.water with high level floride=>bones in skeletal system get affected. stiffnessand pain in the joints.Fluorosis is a crippling disorder. Its effects are permanent and irreversible innature. Meaning there is no cure / treatmentpermissible fluoride limit, as per BIS is 1 ppm in drinking water. But At least19 States have been identified with fluoride in water level above the safelimit.



Concerned at increasing cases of fluorosis, the Union government has askedthe States to provide alternative source of drinking water to the people inareas with high concentration of fluorosis in groundwater.

National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis (NPPCF)

WHO? Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (AND NOT Ministry ofDrinking water)

WHEN? 11th FYPWHERE 100 districts in 17 affected states

WHAT? support provided for: 1 district lab with staff, carry out water andurine samples, + awareness.

#5: Iodised Salt

Iodised salt=essential to prevent mental retardation and goiter.National Policy of Universal Salt Iodisation (1986)= recommends Iodineshould be mixed in salt for 15 parts per million.but In Chhattisgarh alone 70 per cent public doesn’t get access to iodised salt.

Success in Madhya Pradesh

Anjha Chulha (community kitchen), a state-wide joint feeding programmeIt converges two existing national programmes, 1) Supplementary NutritionProgramme of the Integrated Child Development Services and 2) MiddayMeal SchemeMeals served at anganwadi centres and schools are prepared in a commonkitchen, by trained staff, and iodised salt is used.

#4: Migraine

Two Types Of Headaches

Primary headache secondary headachemore common among patients lessThey occur for no obviousreason. Example migraine,tension-type headache.

occur because of serious underlying conditionse.g. brain tumor, inflammatory diseases,abnormalities of the spinal fluid.

There are no tests for theseheadaches, only tests to ruleout other causes.

can be detected through tests.

Migraine

1. Migraine is the commonest cause of all primary headaches2. Migraine is a chronic disease, meaning you’ve to deal with for years.3. Migraines are genetically inherited.4. Migraine attacks are often linked to a trigger (unavoidable external conditions

such as heat, sunlight or sweat)



#5: Aspergillosis

Aspergillus= one type of FungusAspergillosis=disease caused by above FungusAustralian researchers found it to be deadly in cats, dogs and men. +Common antifungal drugs failed to kill this fungus, hence more dangerous.

Research Related

HeLa Cell-line

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died at an American hospital due to cervical cancer.In that era, USA didn’t have any regulations for genetic research. So, thedoctors used her biopsy sample to create HeLa celline, without herknowledge or consent.Since then, these cells have been extensively used for a wide variety ofbiomedical research.They even played a part in several Nobel-Prize-winning scientificdiscoveries.Her family didn’t learn of the cells until 20 years after Lacks’s death, whenscientists began using her children in research without their knowledge. Latereven their medical records were released to the press and published withoutconsent.But now researchers have made an agreement with her family for controlledaccess to the HeLa genome sequence.

Flu Related

#1: H7N9 Bird flu: potential bioweapon?

This year, H7N9 bird flu virus killed many people in China.Chinese authorities order the closure of poultry markets => outbreak undercontrol.But Scientists fear infections may rise again in the winter. There is always achance that virus will undergo mutation and become more dangerous.Hence they want to carry lab-experiment on H7N9 virus, increase itsvirulence in lab, and study its ability to spread between people.

Pro arguments

1. The proposed experiments should give scientists early warning of the kinds ofvirus-mutations that could spark a pandemic.

2. The work will be done in high-security laboratories to minimise the risk ofthe modified viruses escaping and causing any damage.

3. This will help in advance research into drugs and vaccines before pandemicbreakout of H7N9.

anti-argument



1. This could help terrorists create lethal viruses as bioweapons.2. If virus escapes the lab because of some natural disaster (e.g. earthquake,

tornado, tsunami) =massive damage to population.

#2: MERC Coronavirus

2002 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), appeared in China and nextyear exploded worldwide.

2012Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness firstreported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus calledMERS-CoV

Merc-COV:

1. It is a corona virus just like SARS.2. Like SARS, it causes severe respiratory disease.3. Like the SARS virus, it appears to have originated in bats.4. MERS virus has crossed from bats into an animal that humans frequently

come into contact with. But which animal exactly ? was it bird/pig/goat…thatis yet to be found.

5. MERS-CoV can spread through close contact with a sick person, and suchtransmission has occurred in families as well as in hospitals.

6. The SARS virus mutated over time and gained the ability to pass more easilyfrom one human to another. The big worry is that the MER-CoV might dosomething similar.

Lab grown organs

#1: Lab-Grown: Meat

Scientists have succeeded in growing meat “in vitro” (=outside body, in alab/petri-dish)using stem cellsBut Cost of such meat burger- 2,50,000 euros.

Then why bother with artificially grown lab meat? why not just eat normal meatfrom animals?

1. it help save more than 42 million cattle from being butchered every year inthe U.S. alone

As per FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) report, when cattle is raisedfor meat alone, it leads to

18% share in greenhouse gas emissions30% land use for just grazing and growing animal food/feed.

Such cattle is injected with variety of antibiotics => led to rise in drug-resistant bacteria=> they jump from animals to humans and cause variety ofdiseases.



#2: Lab-Grown: Tiny Brain

Austrian scientists have grown tiny brain (called Cerebral organoid) in theirlabusing stem cells.This tiny brain has many key features of the brain in a nine-week-old humanembryo.

Limitations?

does not yet display all the brain regions organised in the fashion that wouldbe found in a developing embryo.Since there are no blood vessels to bring oxygen and nutrients to cells deepinside=> tiny brain will not develop beyond about four millimetres in size.

Benefits?

1. Microcephaly= is a genetic disorder, leads to greatly reduced brain size andassociated mental disabilities.

2. Earlier scientists tried to experiment on mice-brain to understand this diseasebut did not succeed.

3. but now with tiny brain, they can do more research on Microcephaly disorder.4. Ultimately they’ll be able to research on more common disorders like

schizophrenia or autism

#3: Lab-Grown: Liver

Japanese scientists has used ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ (iPS cells) cellsto produce a rudimentary human liver that could function in mice.iPS cells=created from normal cells, you don’t need stem cells. (recall earlierarticle about Yamanaka’s stem cell research).

OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES

Will help patients with life-threatening liver damage.

These lab-grown liver buds are toosmall in size, must be produced invast numbers

same principle can be used tomake pancreas, kidneys andlungs in the lab.

It’ll take yet another 10 years beforesuch a method is ready for clinicaltrials in humans.

Cloning John Lenon

Some Canadian dentist has a tooth of late British Pop legend John Lennon- hewants to clone it.

What is Clone?


http://mrunal.org/2013/09/science-tech-thehindu-june-july-aug-part-1-of-3-medical-research-healthcare-disease-opv-ipv-cloning-three-person-ivf… 10/20

A clone is a cell or an organism that is produced asexually from an ancestor.(=without sperm meeting egg)A Clone cell genetically identical to its ancestor.Thus the clone of Lennon, produced today, will be genetically the same JohnLennon of the 70s.

Dolly Sheep cloning

Scientists chose three sheep: Molly, Polly and Polly

Polly(Blackface)

they removed genetic material from her egg-cell.Thus her eggremained only an empty reaction vessel.

Molly(Whiteface)

they took cells from her udder, extracted genetic material out of it,and planted in Dolly’s empty egg cell. Thus an embrayo created.

Holly they planted above embryo in Holly’s womb. Thus holly served as asurrogate mother.

Result: Dolly sheep was born. White faced, inherited the genes from Molly only.The only male DNA of Dolly came from Molly’s father’s DNA contained in hersomatic cells.



WhetherCloning of Humans should be allowed or not? => It’s a GroupDiscussion/Interview topic.But whether Cloned John Lennon will be equally good singer-musician likeoriginal John Lennon=> Answer is No.Because a Man does not live by body alone. What goes into the brain isinteraction with the external world. Culture is not coded in our DNA.Experience, education, environment — all these matter.

Three-person IVF / Mitochondria Transfer

Why Mitochondria important?

Mitochondria crucial to the energy supply of cells.Defective Mitochondria= disrupted energy supply to muscles, heart, liver andbrain.Mitochondrial diseases are incurable.In Britain alone, around one in 6,500 children is born annually with a severemitochondrial disease like muscular dystrophy.



Current methods can only reduce but not eliminate the risk; no treatment isavailable either.

Solution: mitochondrial transfer/ 3-Parent IVF

mom gives egg but her DNA material has defective genes for Mitochondria.So that part related to Mitochondria is removed.

dad spermdonor(female) gives DNA that has right ‘codes’ for healthy Mitochondria.

Thus, with help of genetic material from ^three people, an IVF baby is created.Embryo transferd to mother and baby is born without any disease related tomitochondria.

Why news/controversy/Anti-arguments:

1. UK government is planning to allow doctors to use ^this technique. But someMPs are against this method citing this is also stem-cell research, You are‘playing God’ and interfering with his creation and hence against the(Christianity) religion.

2. This research will lead to “Designer babies” for example, pick DNA ofSachin for Stamina, DNA of Bacchan for Height, Hrithik Roshan for whiteskin and thus assemble an embryo like assembling a mobile phone orcomputer.

3. Designer babies are bad because then society will be divided into two parts:those with superior looks-body thanks to genetically engineering vs. thosenormally born. Hitler was also trying similar thing: remove all the Jews,handicapped and gypsies and create the strong Aryan race with pure genes.

Pro Arguments for Mitochondria-Transfer:

1. Mitochondria from a healthy woman donor doesn’t affect the appearance ofthe baby. It merely prevents baby from getting defective mitochondria relateddiseases. Thus the donor-lady is not ‘third’ parent.

2. Mitochondria are the power producers of a cell and do not in any waycontribute to the traits that make us humans. Hence, any fear that the latestdevelopment is a slippery slope that would lead to producing ‘designerbabies’ is unfounded.

3. The inheritance of donated mitochondria, will stop with the succeedinggeneration if the baby is male.

Cancer Immune Naked Mole Rats

Naked mole rats live undergroundthey can live for more than 30 years, almost seven times longer than normalrats.They are also the only mammals that do not regulate their body temperature.Unlike normal house rats, they’re immune to cancer.



Why in News?

Scientists use rats to do cancer study and testvarious anti-cancer drugs.To induce cancer in a rat, the scientistsexporse them to gamma radiation,transplanting tumours or injecting cancer-causing agents.But when scientists tried these cancer-tools on

naked mole rat=#epicfail, nothing happened. It didn’t develop cancer.

Reason?

Hyaluronan= a chemical found in all animals, helps to hold cells together,and controls when cells grow in number.Cancer= unregulated growth of cells. So hyaluronan was thought to beinvolved in the progression of malignant tumours.In Naked Mole rat, scientists found an unusually thick layer of ^thischemical.Thick hyaluronan might have helped increase the elasticity of the rat’s skin,allowing it to live in small tunnels underground. This trait might be helping inpreventing cancer cell growth as well.

Why beneficial? This mechanism may help us find cure for cancer.

Silver Antibiotic

Scientists are now interested in silver because Bacteria can’t developresistance against silver.silver – unlike most antibiotics – works in more than one way to kill bacteria.Now, silver is combined with conventional antibiotics to make a killercombo. First silver will weaken the bacterial cell membrane, thenconventional antibiotics will attack the bacteria.Bacteria are broadly classified into two groups called Gram-negative andGram-positive.Gram-negatives have an extra cell membrane that protects the bacteria;this means that it is much more difficult for some antibiotics, such asgentamicin and vancomycin, to penetrate the cell.But with added silver, even weak antibiotics can fight with such strong “gramnegative” bacteria.

Neuro-science

#1: Human neurons and Carbon Dating

It is generally believed that brain cells stop growing in adults=>As your ageincreases, your memory capacity decreases.But Sweden researchers measured the rate at which new neurons are added inthe adult human brain, using Carbon dating method.



How does Carbon Dating work?

Carbon dating makes use of an isotope, carbon-14.Carbon-14 is generated in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays strikenitrogen atoms. It then finds its way into different substances.When scientists measure the amount of the isotope in them, they can calculatehow much of it there was originally based on how quickly it is radioactivelydecaying.This number can reveal the age of the substance, too.

#2: Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity = ability of the nervous system (brain) to modify itsorganisation in response to conditions imposed on it.Experiment on animals showed that increase physical exercise=increases greymatter in the brain, promotes the formation of new nerve cells, blood vesselsand connections (synapses) between neuronsThus exercise helps improve your brain, apart from keeping obesity, type 2diabetes, stroke and hypertension away from your body.

Banning Drugs and Chemicals

Mid Day Meal Deaths And Monocrotophos

In Chapra (Bihar) >20 kids died after eating Mid day meal, contaminatedwith pesticide known as Monocrotophos.Monocrotophos is an organophosphorus pesticide.Considered highly hazardous by FAO and World Health Organisation(WHO).Already banned in Australia, China, the European Union and the UnitedStates, and in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.2004: WHO says this pesticide must be banned. But our (bogus) governmentrefused saying Monocrotophos pesticide = cheaper than its competitors andmore effective in controlling pests.FAO+WHO+World Bank agree that Monocrotohpos and similar highlyhazardous products should not sold in Developing countries because:

1. Marketing-Distribution channels are not properly developed=> anyonecan buy such chemicals from anywhere and create havoc (sameproblem leading to Acid-throwing on girls.)

2. Small scale farmers lack knowledge, proper sprayers, and protectivegear and storage facilities. They do not dispose the empty pesticidecontainers safely=>environmental problems.

International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management

Adopted by FAO member- countries,It establishes voluntary standards of conduct for all public and private entitiesinvolved in pesticide management.Code states that a hazardous pesticide should be banned if risk-assessment



says that given pesticide cannot be handled without unacceptable risk tohumans and the environment.For monocrotophos, many governments have concluded that prohibition isthe only effective option to prevent harm to people and environment.But India hasn’t done it so far.

Open Sale of TB Drugs

Total more than 8 million TB patients in the world, among them more than 2million just living in India alone.

TB treatment

through Government funded DOTs program 65% patients coveredThrough private clinics remaining 35%

What is the problem?

Patients receiving treatment through private clinics= they take drugs irregularly. Asa result, disease resurfaces and TB bacteria becomes more resistant to the drugs.

What is the solution?

Govt mulling ban on sale of TB drugs in open marketUnder the new initiative, patients going to private practitioners for treatmentwill get medicines free of cost from chemists but only after the doctorinforms them through a dedicated call centre to be set up by the government.

Allied topic: DOTS therapy and MDR-TB. click me

Pioglitazone: Banned & unbanned

Oral Antibiotic drug. Works as “insulin sensitizer”.major players, such as Ranbaxy, Cipla and Sun Pharma, manufacture thedrug. Market >700 crores.used by over 35 lakh diabetes patients across the country

2011

France bans this drug because it is believed to cause bladder cancer,anemia and even heart failure.but drug continues to be used in the US, the UK and other countries,albeit with a warning label.

2013A doctor files petition to drug controller general of India (DGCI) to banPioglitazone after 8 cases related urinary bladder cancer were reported inthe Chennai.

June2013

Ministry bans the drugs, on advice of the Central Drugs StandardControl Organisation (CDSCO).But Ministry didn’t consult Drug Technical Advisory Board



(DTAB).

July2013

Indian doctors protest against the ban. Government refers the matterto Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB).DTAB recommends lifting the ban with some conditions

Finally, ban is lifted, with following conditions

1. Drug will now be sold with a box warning (that the drug carries a significantrisk of serious or even life-threatening adverse effects)

2. Doctors will also be told that pioglitazone should not be prescribed as the firstline of treatment.

Analgin: Banned

Painkiller drug.Sold under the brand name NovalginAdverse effect: decreases WBC (white blood cell count)=>fatal.Analgin is banned in many countries including US, France, Nepal but themedicine continued to be sold in India as an over-the-counter drug for years.Anyways finally government woke up and banned It (along with diabeticdrug Pioglitazon)

Dextropropoxyphene: Banned

Use?= mild pain killer and local anaesthetic effects

Whobanned? directorate of food and drugs administration

Howbanned? under Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940.

Whybanned?

because already banned in USA, the UK, the European Union,Australia, Canada, and Japan.This drug has potentially life-threatening effects convulsions,hypotension etc.

Food related

#1: Honey

Is it safe to give Honey for babies?

Honey contains spores from a certain bacteria, which find their way intohoney comb from dust and soil.These bacterial spores have no effect on adults.but for children, honey can cause death/paralysis, since the immune system of



infants has not matured.Therefore, Paediatricians around the world strictly advise against feedinghoney to infants.But if your child is above one year, honey is perfectly safe and can even offerlasting relief from chronic cough.

Diabetes?

What? Glycemic index?Honey 55sugar 68

Food with Higher glycemic index= bad because

Foods with a higher glycemic index lead to a higher rise in blood sugarlevels= problem for diabetic patients.Even in normal person, such food causes the body to keep releasing insulinfrom the pancreas to process all that sugar. High insulin levels in the blood=>lead to obesity.

Honey and Healing property?

before the discovery of antibiotics, honey was widely used in healingHoney has Acidic PH=>prevents the growth of many bacteriaHoney has hydrogen peroxide=>gives antiseptic valueHoney has phytonutrients=> prevent colon and other cancers.

Honey and Weightloss?

It is a myth that honey does not add fat to your body.Honey has just as much carbohydrates as sugar so it is best to restrict its use,especially if you’re trying to lose weight or are diabetic.

Raw vs Processed Honey?

Raw honey (that which has been directly collected from the honey comb andhas not been processed and packaged) => more effective anti-bacterial agentthan the processed honey.when raw honey is subjected to excessive heat and preservatives during food-processing, many nutrients/compounds are lost.

Honey Energy?

honey is a mixture of glucose and fructose, both forms of simple sugar. Andmuch like ordinary sugar, it is absorbed fairly quickly into your blood streamand has almost the same effect on your body.

Food additives are Poisonous

Not much relevent from exam point of view, but before you eat junk food, wafers



next time, do check the labels to protect your own health:

Coloring Agents

Children like bright colored food. Therefore most baked goods (cupcakes, frosting)and fast foods (like pastas, cereals and some ready-to-mix sauces) come in eye-catching colours. Problem:

food coloring agent causesblue#1 cancer

Red#40ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) inchildren (which affects their ability to concentrate andfocus).

Red#3 used as artificial colour to cherries. Causes thyroidtumors

Carmine/Conchinealextract

Derived from insect. Gives pinking blush to candies, fruitjuices etc.While these are generally safe to consume, itcan cause adverse reactions in some people.

Sweetners

aspartame

used as a sugar substitute in “diet” soda, ice-creams etc. butit isneurotoxin (affects the brain)carcinogen (has the potential to cause cancer).

Acesulfame-K used in gums and gelatin (used in jellies) .causes cancer

Preservative

Monosodiumglutamate(MSG)

Ingredient in many a restaurant-style Chinese meal.also foundin most packaged foods, from potato chips to soups and cannedmeatsIncreases obesity , causes liver inflammation.

SodiumNitrate/SodiumNitrite (E 250)

used in canned pickles. causes cancer.

Breads

Potassium Bromide Used in banking breads. It gives a creamy white colour,and elasticity to bread. But potassium bromate is a known carcinogen, but inthe US and in India, it is still legal.therefore, it is better to use brown bread and ensure that you purchase a loafthat is freshly baked.

Animal related

#1: Resilin, the rubber like protein



Resilin is a rubber-like proteinIt helps dragonflies, grasshoppers and other insects to flap their wings, jumpand chirpResilin can stretch to three times its original length, then spring back to itsinitial shape without losing its elasticity.Scientists looking for its application in nanosprings, biorubbers, biosensorsetc.Scientists have modified resilin with gold nanoparticles for possible use inmedical diagnostics.

#2: Animals do self-medication

Sparrows pick up used cigarette butts and place them in their nests to reducethe parasite infection affecting the eggs and baby birds in the nests!

Mongooes feeds on chota-chand plant, before fighting cobras. Thus Nepalisfound out that Chota Chand is an antidote for snake bite.

Goat From observing the goats eating the coffee plant, Men found thatcoffee was a stimulant.

Caterpillars chew on some medicinal plants to survive longer and producehealthier eggs.

Fruit Flies lay their eggs on food with high ethanol, to ward off infection byparasites

Chimanzees swallow whole leaves of some plants and defecate them in order to“flush” out intestinal parasites

It would thus appear that the practice of natural medicine, including Ayurveda, hasits origin from the plant and animal kingdom.

Misc.

Active Travel

‘Active travel’ means walking, cycling or use of public transportWorld Health Organisation (WHO) recommends active travel address thegrowing burden of non-communicable diseases.

Apoptosis

It is the biological process clearing dead cells.apoptotic cells= Cells that are aging, damaged or infected and about to die,immune cells (phagocytes) engulf and destroy the apoptotic cells.If a dying cell is not cleared it will go into a post-apoptotic stage callednecrosis=> leads to inflammatory diseases like lupus in humans.

Pain Management Techniques

Steroideffective for patients suffering from arthritissteroid injectionsgreatly reduce inflammation (especially at the site of a nerve



Injections compression) and can offer great relief from tortuous kneepaibut have side effects

Nerve HeatingThe heat is transmitted to the tip of a needle => applied directlyto the paint transmitting nerves=>relieves pain and doesn’thamper with any other body processes

ProlotherapyProcedure involves injecting an combo of anaesthetic +irritant, into the site of pain.it also stimulates natural healing processes.

Antidepressent

when your pain is an obvious outcome of psychologicalissues, anti-depressants are prescribedThese pills will restore the chemical seratonin in yourbrain, a lack of which can lead to chronic pain.But they should be taken as a long-term course in order tobe effective.

Elastic Energy and Human Shoulder

Humans do not have any of the characteristics so essential for hunting —speed, strength, agility, claws or sharp canines to hunt down and kill a prey.Hence the ability to throw a spear or stone at high speed and great precisionto kill/injure an animal =part of evolution.We can throw balls/stones/spears accurately because of the anatomicalfeatures that allow the storage of elastic energy at the shoulder.The human shoulder acts much like a slingshot during a throw. It stores andreleases large amounts of elastic energy is stored in the stretched ligamentsand tendons.Chimpanzees, on the other hand, do not have much mobility at the waisthence cannot throw objects at great speed.

For more on Sci-Tech Current affairs, visit Mrunal.org/snt

Published on 10/09/2013 @ 5:07 pm under Category: Science

URL to article: http://mrunal.org/2013/09/science-tech-thehindu-june-july-aug-part-1-of-3-medical-research-healthcare-disease-opv-ipv-cloning-three-person-ivf-monocrotophos-mid-day-meal-deaths-pioglitazone.html

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