TRESS CAN SPEAK TOO

The Topic ‘Plant’s communication’ is relatively a new Science and a few decades old. The fact that trees communicate with each other seems amazing. This communication can be seen above the ground through some hormones, and below the ground through the regulation of fungus on their roots.

More than 90% of land plants have symbiotic relationship with fungi. Fungal networks enhance host plants' immune systems. It increases the synthesis of defense-related chemicals and makes immune system’s responses faster and efficient called as "priming". Big and old trees are hubs for fungal mycorrhizal network, plays a key role in communicating with other tress, especially their kin. They send signals through the mycorrhizal networks. When a seedling on the forest floor, near to one of these mother trees, links into that network and gets accesses network resource. So, Fungi are called as 'Earth's natural internet’.

This mode of communication was first identified by the scientist using the radioisotopes to trace carbon, nitrogen and water moving between two trees. When one tree is shaded, carbon-based sugars would flow into it from the other tree. These two trees used fungal networks to share resources.

Abovethe ground communication is carried by release of volatile chemicals. Some chemicals attract predators that eat pests, and this type of chemical communication can also be observed below ground. Some plants release these chemicals to alert other plants to activate the immune system. However Interplant communication by chemicals works well only in the lab, and it’s not convincing in the field.

Even though the subject looks small and simple, there is much to be explored in the point of identifying new communication systems, which may be used for betterment of mankind and environment.

Beware of it on the eve of World Asthma Day

At a time when the entire world observes the Asthma day on every first Tuesday in the month of May, it would be appropriate to hint the simple tips that would avoid chronic health disorders like Asthma, as 3 million affected patients across the globe are affected by it.

insights in allergy asthma bronchitis

As many as 300 reasons, including dusting, food (chocolates & monosodium glutamate), smoke, pollen, and emotions (laughing / crying) may act as allergens to trigger intensified Asthma. Several reasons related to our lifestyles including staying prolonged hours in AS rooms and DNA damages may also trigger Asthma.

While the patients that feel allergic to external forces labeled as Extrinsic Asthma (EA, those that are disturbed due to emotions are categorized as Intrinsic Asthma (IA).

Simple measures make great difference to Asthma affected. Eat nutritious food rich with Apple, Avocado, kiwi, spinach, and add turmeric, pepper, mint tea and ginger as part of your diet. Exercise, particularly the breathing exercises, including yoga and maintain personal hygiene. Spotting the exact cause that cause allergy is very important as people diversified reasons that may vary from person must be identified to handle it better.

Early detection provides great relief with simple measures as Asthma is equally lethal.

Bless your Child with a Disease Free World

Are there kids less than 12 years of old at home? It is a must read for you!

More than one million parents with children less than 12 years old created history by registering in the world’s largest immunization programme alert on the eve of ‘WHO Immunization Week’ to close the immunization gap in the country.

With the help of an SMS message, parents should send their child’s name and date of birth to ‘national short code 566778’ so that they receive SMS alerts until the child attains 12 years. This vaccination registration programme is meant to eradicate certain dreadful diseases that can be preventable with victimization, including pneumonia, diarrhea, diphtheria, pertussis, tuberculosis, measles and tetanus. The SMS registration is at no cost incurring to the user.

Malaria Free World with Awareness

World Malaria Day is observed on 25^th April with a theme “End Malaria for Good” and the World Health Assembly has set a Global Technical strategy to eliminate Malaria totally from this planet by 2030, reducing the number of cases by 90% with a special emphasis ending Malaria deaths.

End Malaria for Good

Despite  the WHO report of World Malaria Report 2015 notifies a drastic reduction in Malaria cases across the globe, 3-2 million people are still in the risk of getting affected by it and Sub-Saharan Africa is worst affected in this case. 22% of the Indian population lives transmission area and only 11% of the Indian population free from Malaria.

Malaria can be preventable and creating awareness on what causes Malaria and the measures that need to be taken goes a long way in reducing the incidents. This threatening disease is caused by parasites and mosquitoes, particularly female mosquitoes are the carriers of Malaria parasites. So keep your surroundings clean and take measures to stop the mosquito breeding. Governments must strengthen local governments with enough funds for sanitation and the government primary healthcare centers must be equipped with the basic diagnostic and medical facilities to stop it early. 

Zika Demands more money - NIH

Funding from US Health department helped to start Zika vaccine research by Fauci, Further he extended a new Zika support. Stating that it’s enough to begun not enough to get a finished product. 

The NIH invests nearly $32.3 billion annually in medical research for their citizen. Out of $32.30  billion, 589 $ million or more than 80% of the NIH's funding has been granted to 0.3 million researchers of more than 2500 universities all over the globe. 10% of the NIH budget supports its own lab.

Since it demands more money for the Zika research officials have shifted $47 million of funds from the Ebola research, they used $238 million up to date. 

Researcher of NIH Donovan said fund shift is need of the hour and helps to acute activities such as vector control, Zika diagnosis and vaccines. Supporting Zika ill baby’s and mothers, mapping the epidemiology for the preventive measures.

US Health officials are insisting congress to approve approximately $2 billion emergency Zika funding for the outbreak and to compensate Ebola funds as well.

Back to Traditional Culinary to Foster Public Health

gastroenterology

Westerns nations glorify their achievements on terms of technology and economy by showcasing the advancements in the fields of industry, technology, law, politics, economies and lifestyles, clothing, language etc. Media of mass communication are playing great role in influencing people of non- western origin in adopting western hair color, skin texture, straightens hair and shape. However, it is evident that introduction of western features in the traditional non-Western cultures. Interestingly, the current public health issues related to dietary is driving people increasingly towards Synbiotics. At this juncture, here is an emerging concept that is encouraging public to revisit their indigenous traditional culinary tastes and habits.

Probiotics are defined as viable mass of microorganisms, which reaches intestine to employ positive health effects. Probiotics is defined as fermented ingredient which facilitates specific changes, both in the composition and the activities of the intestinal flora that confers benefits upon host wellbeing and health. Combined synergistic positive health effect of pro- and prebiotics, called as synbiotics. These organisms are called autochthonous members of ecosystem.

digestive diseases

Up to date bifidogenic, non-digestible oligosaccharides (particularly inulin, its hydrolysis product like oligofructose, and (trans) galactooligosaccharides), fulfill all the criteria for prebiotic classification. It is possible to find solutions to the emerging health care problems using synergetic prebiotic diet.

Prebiotic fibers are often natural constituents of a variety of foods, especially whole grains, fruits, root and other vegetables, and legumes. Major part of western diet is lacking prebiotic fibers; consumption of these contributes very low to the colon health.

Well accepted and established synbiotics effects are enlisted: a. lactose intolerance b. antibiotic associated diarrhea c. reducing carcinogenic metabolites in the colon d. inhibiting Helicobacter pylori infection or bacterial overgrowth e. Prevention of respiratory tract infections like common cold, influenza and urogenital infections f. positive effects on lipid metabolism g. stimulation of mineral adsorption and immunomodulatory properties.

Booster to Hepatitis Vaccination is must to Get the Desired Outcome

The task of taking the new born baby to the pediatricians start right at the time of the birth as the infant needs to be immunized immediately after the birth to cope with the environs. The parents of the new born baby get the recommended set of vaccinations to be administered at various intervals from the day one till the child complete 18 years. Apprehensions and doubts regarding the role of boosters or the repetition of a particular vaccine among the parents need to be addressed and this is particularly so regarding Hepatitis-B vaccines.     

A recombinant vaccine Hepatitis B was discovered based on major S protein, which was purified from yeast. As per the WHO recommendation all the infants should receive the HB vaccine soon after the birth, preferably within 24hrs. Universal vaccination is continuously increased to 183 countries till 2013. This could reduce the prevalence of HBs to < 1% in the United States from 9.8% in the year 1984 to 0.7% in 1999. Recent studies have revealed that the response to the vaccination is sometimes decreased in adult over 40 years of age and some individuals do not retain anti-HBs antibodies after complete vaccination.

G145R mutation in the “α determinant” of HBV makes it resistant to the neutralizing effect of anti-HBs, and threaten the effectiveness of HB vaccines, further it is inevitablefor the booster doses.

Vaccination is an easy and cost-effective measure to prevent disease and infection. As per WHO report (2009) 378 million people are chronically affected by HBV and over a 2 billion people worldwide have been exposed. Yet, it is not clear how long the protective effect persist soon after birth vaccination. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, a booster is not necessary because memorized immunity will be activated following HBV exposure.Studies from various countries say that most of memorized immunity disappeared after 20 years post vaccination and booster vaccination is necessary to maintain anti-HBs seropositive.

The term “booster” refers to a vaccination given in a series of doses in order to provide rapid protective immunity against major infections.Boosters may be used to enhance immune memory and provide support of protective immunity against HBV infection.

The question that remains to be unanswered for long time is how long immune memory will last. Yoshihiko Yano from the Center for Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan was of the view that regular and long-term follow-up studies are needed to confirm the duration and persistence of immune memory. So far, there is no randomized trial and it is still difficult to conclude this issue. Hence there is a need of coherent study. This opinion was published in the Journal of Hepatitis.