Blood type and coronavirus

Blood type and coronavirus

Blood type plays a role in determining the risk of exposure to corona infection, and the possibility of developing complications.

Blood group

Which blood group is associated with the lower risk of infection with the emerging coronavirus, which causes Covid-19 disease, and which blood groups are associated with a lower risk of complications, and which blood groups are associated with more serious complications.

We start with blood groups and corona infection because a new study has shown that the blood group (O) is associated with a lower risk of infection with the Coronavirus. The study was published in the journal Blood Advances.

The study included 473,654 people in Denmark who were tested for the coronavirus between February 27, 2020, and July 30, 2020.

The type of blood group depends on the presence or absence of certain proteins on red blood cells, and these proteins are called antigens (antigen), and the blood group is determined by inheritance from parents.

There are 4 blood groups, which are types "O", "A", "B" and "AB".

Scientists found that the relative risk of infection with the emerging coronavirus was 0.87 for people with blood group"O", 1.09 for blood group "A", 1.06 for group blood "B", and 1.15 for the blood group "AB".

This means, statistically, that carriers of the “O” blood group are less likely to be infected with the emerging coronavirus.

And just because you have an "O" blood type does not mean that you are immune to the Coronavirus, and this study is for reference only, and the only way to protect yourself from Corona is to follow guidelines. social distancing standards, wearing a mask, following personal hygiene guidelines, and following instructions from health organizations in your country.

Blood types and dangerous complications of Corona.

We move on to another new study, which found that patients with Covid-19 blood group A or AB are at increased risk of requiring mechanical ventilation, compared to those with blood groups. "O" or "B".

The researchers collected data on intensive care unit patients who were admitted to 6 hospitals in Vancouver (Canada) between February 21 and April 28. The study was published in the journal Blood Advances.

The researchers said that it appears that "Covid-19" patients with blood type "A" or "AB"  show greater disease severity than patients who have blood type "O" or "B".

Medicinal plants

 Medicinal plants

Medicinal plants thrive wherever there is rich biodiversity.

plant benefits

Medicinal plants and herbs have been an important resource in the fight against diseases and infections since prehistoric times. One of the biggest challenges in the development of natural medicines is to find new herbs with protective effects on health.

In a new study, German researchers have developed an effective way to research medicinal plants by linking their presence in a specific area to its rich biodiversity.

According to the study conducted by researchers at the German Center for Integrated Biodiversity Research and published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" on May 11/2020, experts can now predict the existence of susceptible plant groups, to contain a large number of types of medicinal compounds.

This is done by using the analysis of various data on the genetic relationships of known medicinal plants, their spatial distribution, and the organic compounds they contain. This method, they say, helps narrow the search by locating these groups of plants.

Fortunes unknown.

The proportion of antibiotics used today that were originally obtained from natural compounds found in plants, fungi, bacteria, and marine organisms are estimated to be over 70%.

Additionally, researchers are struggling to identify previously discovered plants because plants that have been identified as sources of active compounds are not consistently documented. Plants and their metabolites are often given different names from one region to another.

In the present study, experts have taken an important first step in collecting and consolidating current knowledge about medicinal plants and their uses. They gathered information on known secondary metabolites, phylogenetic relationships, and plant distribution on the Indonesian island of Java.

They have recorded material in these databases for about 7,500 species of seed plants, containing more than 16,500 metabolites. Based on the recorded data, approximately 2,900 of these metabolites have been identified as infection resistance materials.

Specific plant families.

The researchers concluded that the production of these active compounds was carried out by 1,600 of the 7,500 plant species examined in the study. This means, according to the researchers, that different types of plants do not produce the active compounds in the same way.

The focus is on species that produce active compounds in specific plant families, as these species are usually closely related, says Professor Alexandra Mollner Riel, co-author of the study. This means that the more biodiversity there is, the higher the likelihood of finding plants that produce therapeutic compounds.

To identify clusters of plants rich in active compounds, scientists gathered genetic data and metabolic information. This allowed them to identify the types of plants known to produce the most anti-infective agents.

“This information allows us to identify specific groups of plants that have not yet been examined, but which are very likely to contain disease-fighting substances,” said co-author Dr. Jan Scentzler. The researchers say this method can also be used to identify promising areas rich in bioactive compounds.

For example, the study expects the mountainous regions of Java, which contain the greatest diversity of plant species, to have a higher density of plants containing anti-infective compounds.

According to the study's authors, the new method of researching medicinal compounds can easily be transferred to other geographic regions of the world.

Reference:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Spider silk-inspired nanomaterials

Spider silk-inspired nanomaterials

Microbes are spread over most of the surfaces we touch every day. Oftentimes these microbes congregate to become stacked on these surfaces in a way that is difficult to remove. These pathogenic microbes also abound on the surfaces of medical equipment and devices.

spider silk

Spider silk.

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth in Germany have developed new biomaterials that can prevent infection and aid in recovery and recovery.

A recent study published in "Materials Today" on August 17/ 2020, was able to take advantage of the properties of these materials - closely related to biomedicine - to prevent microbes from settling and spreading on the surfaces of medical devices.

These advanced nanostructured materials are based on spider silk proteins. In addition to its ability to prevent bacteria and fungi colonies from forming, it also helps to proactively regenerate human tissue, making it an ideal model that we can use in medical implants, wound dressings, prosthetics, and contact lenses.

Pathogenic microbial aggregates.

Infection is universally underestimated. For example, many microbes are spread on the surfaces of instruments used in medical treatment, as well as on the surfaces around us in general.

Over time, these microorganisms form complex, thick, and often invisible agglomerations known as biofilms or biofilms.

Even if we use cleaning agents, these vital chips cannot be easily removed. These microbes are often resistant to antibiotics and antifungals.

Then these bacteria and fungi migrate to the vital tissues next to them, affecting the healing process or causing a fatal infection.

By adopting a new research approach, the University of Bayreuth scientists have found a solution to this problem by using biologically produced spider silk proteins, from which scientists have developed a substance that prevents pathogenic microbes from attaching to surfaces.

When testing the substance developed on Streptococci - known to be resistant to many antibacterials - the scientists noticed the inability of these bacteria to cling to the surface of this substance.

Consequently, this may limit the formation of microbial chips on the surfaces of medical instruments, sports equipment, contact lenses, prosthetics, and other surfaces that we frequently touch in our daily life.

Promising applications.

Not only that, but this material has been designed in a way that helps anchor and spread the cells of human tissue on its surface. It can therefore be used as wound dressings, as skin replacements, as well as in medical implants.

In contrast to other materials used for tissue regeneration, this improved material eliminates the risk of infection substantially.

Hence, it can be used as a proactive tool to regenerate damaged tissues, opening up promising prospects for use as anti-bacterial coatings in many medical technologies and devices in the near future.

Commenting on the results of this study, Thomas Scheibel - head of the biomaterials department at the University of Bayreuth and the leader of the study team - stated in the press release published on the university’s website, saying, “The effect of this developed substance is not based on causing toxicity or any destructive effects on human cells.”

"Instead, their nanoscale structure made them repellant surfaces for microbes. So it is difficult for pathogens to stick to these nanoscale surfaces," he added.

Dr. Gregor Lange, a Senior Research Associate, adds that "Nature continues to inspire the design of highly sophisticated materials. The natural spider silk is considered to be resistant to microbial outbreaks. So reproducing these properties is a scientific precedent."

Reference:

Materials Today

Sleep that mystery.

Sleep that mystery.

Feeling comfortable and sleeping better is what millions of people around the world dream of.

Sleeping better

With such an introduction, the French newspaper "Le Figaro" prepared an interview edited by the authors Nicolas Angemouth and Emmanuel Hecht, in which Professor Pierre Philippe, Head of the University Sleep Medicine Department at University de Bordeaux Hospital, explained some of his findings in a book Wonderful shattering many ideas related to sleep.

Why are we tired?

Judging by the question: why are we tired? Pierre Philippe said that fatigue is one of the most common causes of counseling and that it is of two types, physical exhaustion which makes a person “unable to do more”, and mental exhaustion expressed in terms such as “I don't want to do certain things anymore.”

Fatigue, according to the professor, is often associated with unhealthy sleep and disturbed sleep, as excessive use of screens and modern means of communication and an unstable lifestyle, in addition to lack of physical activity and insomnia, are things that keep a person from spending a comfortable night.

Philip cautioned that the fundamental difference between fatigue and sleep deprivation should be understood. Because the treatments that are adapted to deal with both are different, although their symptoms are similar.

Fatigue is an increasing difficulty in performing physical or mental tasks, forcing the individual to restrict his activities, even when they are enjoyable, and to treat this fatigue effectively, there is only one solution is rest.

As for the lack of sleep, which leads to staying awake, it results in poor concentration, exhaustion, and difficulty performing simple tasks, and to treat it, we must get a comfortable sleep of high quality, and insufficient quantities to restore our energy and comfort.

7 hours 7 days?

Suffering from lack of sleep — according to the professor — makes us endure tremendous fatigue that seriously threatens our balance, and we are convinced that sleep directly affects our bodies, and works on all our organs from the heart to the lungs to the brain and the immune system.

It is understood that sleep health affects the general balance of the body just like diet or physical activity, and there is a set of behaviors and rhythms that we must adopt, which is what Pierre Flip means by “sleep hygiene”.

Therefore, the professor must learn the rule “7 × 7 = 49 hours of sleep per week”, meaning that sleeping in 7 nights at a rate of 7 hours is the minimum per week.

Although sleep needs differ from one person to another and change with age, scientists agree that those between the ages of 20 and 65 usually need at least 7 hours of sleep, 7 days a week.

Since the dawn of time, sleep has had great physiological significance for the brain and body, just like breathing or heart function, and therefore it is linked to genetics, and therefore the genetic heritage plays an undeniable role in sleep.

Since many do not know that exposure to natural light affects the rate of sleep, the professor cautions that light fluctuations are necessary for the circadian rhythm of humans. Because it sends strong signals to the body such as sleepiness before bed.

Sleep debts?

The professor said that sleep debts are cumulative, unlike sleep itself, and that sleep debt is very present in modern western societies due to complete ignorance of the cleanliness of sleep, and he cautioned that sleep debt means that the body is no longer able to synthesize what has been learned, especially since sleep is an active state like wakefulness.

When asked about the ideal dinner to ensure a good night's sleep, Philip said that eating fewer calories at dinner is important, and he called for avoiding red meat and eating a salad to reduce inflammation in the brain and help sleep better, noting the importance of hastening food long before bedtime.

The professor said that the work of our bodies controls the hours that control the periods of organ activity, as the body temperature decreases at the beginning of the night, the heart rate decreases, and the production of so-called “excitement” substances such as catecholamines decreases.

American scientist Thomas Weir has proven that a sufficiently low temperature allows deep, slow sleep, as is often the case at the beginning of the night, which is why it is important to sleep in a cool enough bedroom to get a good, deep sleep.

Insomnia and age?

According to Professor Philip, complaints of insomnia increase with age, and periods of deep, slow sleep decrease, indicating that fear that can occur at any age is the driving force behind the emergence of chronic insomnia.

Flip commented that the question is, is anxiety that prevents sleep, or is insomnia what causes anxiety? It's like asking the chicken and the egg whichever comes first.

Man's relationship with fatigue has not stopped developing for centuries, just as the language expressing it has evolved from fatigue to exhaustion to stress to depression ... etc., as mentioned by the historian of the body and emotions George Figarilo.

Contaminated seafood

Contaminated seafood

Plastic was not made for people to consume it in their food, yet they are required to consume it. Small remnants of these synthetic polymers have now leaked into the air, food, and water, and avoiding them has become an almost impossible battle.

Ocean and Microplastics.

A recent study: All Food The navy is contaminated with Microplastics.

A study of five popular seafood bought from a market in Australia revealed how ubiquitous these micro-pollutants are.
The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology in July 2020 and featured in a statement on the University of Exeter's website. (University of Exeter) on August 12.

All species are polluted.

The study started with the purchase of 5 blue crabs, 10 farmed tiger prawns, 10 wild squid, 10 farmed oysters, and 10 wild sardines. The researchers found plastic traces in all samples without exception.

"Looking at an average meal, a seafood eater could be exposed to approximately 0.7 milligrams of plastic when eating an average serving of oysters or squid," explains Francesca Ribeiro, who studies dietary exposure to plastic at the University of Queensland, Australia.
When eating sardines, up to 30 mg of plastic is eaten. For comparison, 30 milligrams is the average weight of a grain of rice. We still don't know what this does to our bodies, but we need to know.
The ocean is the ultimate aquarium for plastics in the world, and understanding how contaminated the marine food web is with these contaminants is part of the challenge.

Variations by species.

The risks to land mammals from plastic are unknown, and although we probably don't swallow as much plastic as these whales, we need to know how much we consume to find out if we are at risk.

"Our findings show that the amount of plastic present varies greatly between species, and varies between individuals of the same species," said Ribeiro.

Using a new mass spectrometry technology that simultaneously scans five different types of a common plastic, the researchers found that squid on the Australian market had the least traces of microplastics, while sardines preserved the most.

Polyethylene, the plastic used in films, was found in the highest concentration, while polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC, was the most prevalent in each sample.
This does not contradict what other recent studies have found. As seafood is not the only one that contains microplastics (sugars, salts, alcohol, and water also contain them). Research has shown that this category of foods accounts for most of our plastic consumption.
In places where the seafood is consumed in abundance, studies indicate that some people ingest at least 11,000 particles of microplastics annually.

The standard method of study.

The problem is that many of these studies use different methodologies, and report results in different ways. Also, many do not identify individual types of plastics and rely on visual observations alone.
Hence, having a global method for carefully testing tissue samples for different types of plastics would allow scientists to compare results from around the world more easily. This new technology appears to be a promising avenue, allowing scientists to focus on smaller amounts of plastic with more precision than before.

"We don't fully understand the risks to humans from eating plastic," says marine scientist Tamara Galloway of the University of Exeter, "but this new method will make it easier for us to figure it out."

The expected vaccine

The expected vaccine

The World Health Organization says that there is a race to produce a very fast vaccine against the emerging coronavirus, which first appeared in China late last year and soon swept various countries.

Scientific laboratory

So far, more than 100 scientific projects have been announced to produce a vaccine in a short period.
Some of these projects are promising and are awaited by the Medical community, and the following are the most prominent vaccines that are on top:

"Oxford University" Vaccine and "AstraZeneca"
It is considered the most promising vaccine in the world and developed by the University of Oxford and produced in partnership with the British "AstraZeneca", it has shown a "strong immune response" on more than a thousand patients.

Chinese "Cansino Biologic" vaccine
It is being developed with the support of the Chinese "Cansino Biology", and has achieved good results in the production of antibodies in 500 patients in a separate trial.

The German-American Biontec-Pfizer vaccine and the French Valneva vaccine
Earlier, the British government announced an agreement to produce 90 million doses of other vaccines under development, manufactured by the German-American "Biontec-Pfizer" coalition and the French "Valneva" laboratories.

These two vaccines are at the forefront among potential vaccines. The agreement of the concerned parties provides for the production of 30 million doses for the German-American consortium and 60 million for the French group.

"American Moderna Vaccine"
American Moderna announced, in turn, that clinical trials of its vaccine have entered the final stages, making it the first company to reach this advanced stage. This announcement places Moderna at the forefront of the global race to achieve a vaccine.

"Russian Ministry of Defense vaccine"
It is the first Russian vaccine that was jointly invented and produced by military specialists and scientists from the "Gamali" Research Center, and it is also ready, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

According to the World Health Organization, 23 anti-corona virus vaccines are being tested around the world.
“To be practical, we expect that by mid-2021 there will be a vaccine that can be widely deployed,” said chief scientist of the World Health Organization, Somaya Swaminathan.

Summer and health

Summer and health

In the northern hemisphere of our planet, the four seasons are manifested by specifics appearances.

Spring by its greenery and beauty, Winter by cold and snow, Autumn by these mosaic colors, Summer by its holidays and its heat.

Summer is generally viewed as the season with the highest temperatures, as well as the time of year when solar energy is at its highest.

Sun and health

The benefits of Summer:

The therapeutic virtues of heat began a long time ago. Today it is more commonly known as "thermotherapy". Used in several forms such as with sunbaths, this therapy aims to relax and relax painful areas or regain certain well-being.

The heat effect on the body will relax the muscles and dilate the blood vessels. It is effective against contractures, back pain, or cramps. It also has restorative properties and helps the tissues to heal faster.

The heat allows the body to secrete the sweat, this one is a biological liquid secreted by glands during the phenomenon of perspiration which plays an important role in the control of the temperature of the body and the evacuation of the harmful elements like the toxins.

There is a lot of good that comes from sunshine. Of course, this is not constant sun exposure.

The major way that the sun can help your skin is by giving your body much-needed vitamin D.
Vitamin D is found in food and is manifested by the action of the sun's rays, it could have a beneficial effect on several diseases.

These advantages can be gained with moderate sun exposure, not overexposure because too much sun does create bad effects on the skin that you have heard so much about.