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On Monday, Delhi reported 378 new COVID-19 cases and two fatalities

by Medically Speaking July 19, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

On Monday, Delhi reported 378 new COVID-19 cases and two fatalities in the previous day

The city of Delhi has 1886 active cases, and the daily positive rate is 6.06 percent, according to the Delhi government health bulletin. According to the news, 464 patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of people who have recovered from the illness since the epidemic began to 19,16,213.

According to the warning, 3,9324423 coronavirus tests have already been performed.

In the past 24 hours, 15, 470 doses of the COVID vaccination were given out, of which 888 beneficiaries received their first dose and 2332 others their second.

July 19, 2022 0 comment

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Study found that youngsters who participate in theatre had better body image

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

According to a new study published in Body Image, young children who engage in theatre shows have a more positive body image.

The new study, led by Professor Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), assessed the reactions of children ages 5-9 before and after seeing presentations of ‘Cinderella: the AWESOME Truth’ at a London play. Previous study indicates that by the age of five, children begin to comprehend cultural norms of beauty, and body dissatisfaction develops in both girls and boys by the age of six.

Professor Swami, a body image specialist, was contacted throughout the production of ‘Cinderella: the AWESOME Truth,’ with the goal of creating a performance that may assist youngsters develop good body image and self-image.

Workshops with over 200 youngsters resulted in the creation of a modern updated rendition of the traditional narrative. Body shaming and its impacts, managing beauty expectations and worries, the impact of social media on body image, and the role of friendships in encouraging healthy body attitudes and greater self-esteem are all covered in the episode. Children learn that what makes them “great” are their abilities and not their appearance.

The researchers recruited 54 girls and 45 guys and tested their body appreciation before and after viewing the play, which was performed at Wimbledon’s Polka Theatre. In addition, the participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their own originality and magnificence. The study discovered that after witnessing the show, both boys and girls’ body appreciation ratings improved.

Following attendance, the number of replies on what made them “special” or “great” grew for both boys and girls.

Importantly, these enhancements were made while retaining near-universal pleasure of the presentation and providing essential learning goals, as measured by the children’s qualitative reactions and going to theatre regularly helps.

Appearance of Body

“We know that body and appearance dissatisfaction is associated with detrimental health and psychological outcomes, including symptoms of depression, low self-esteem, disordered eating, and decreased physical activity, and this can begin in children as young as six,” said Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

“As a result of social media, children are becoming more aware of unrealistic and harmful elements of body image at an increasingly young age.” As a result, it is critical to identify innovative strategies to combat these hazards by sending good signals to early children. We’ve discovered that using theatre to educate to young children about looks and positive body image may be effective.

“Given production expenses and attendance restrictions, such as ticket pricing, it may not be possible to reach all children via theatre. However, we have demonstrated the value of employing theatrical performances to promote healthy body image messaging, as well as possibly incorporating body image-focused drama and theatre in school-based curriculum.”

Sarah Punshon, co-author of the research and director of Cinderella: the AWESOME Truth for One-Tenth Human, stated: “Children’s theatre has tremendous potential for promoting healthy body image. Storylines that are engaging, people that are sympathetic, and the utilisation of’magic’ and music are all important.

Also Read: Eye health: Barely half of parents understand impact of screen usage on their children

“We were able to tap into contemporary issues and wants by developing the programme through in-depth investigation with youngsters, resulting in a tale that emphasises that what truly makes a person wonderful is what they and their bodies can achieve, not what they look like. We’re very pleased that the improvement was achieved for both boys and girls; past research has showed that body image therapies for males may be less successful “She said.

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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Is synthesis of artificial heart possible?

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

The heart, unlike other organs, cannot mend itself after damage. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is particularly lethal. As a result, tissue engineering will be critical for the advancement of cardiac medicine, eventually leading to the mass manufacture of a full human heart for transplant.

The study’s findings were reported in Science. Researchers must mimic the specific structures that make up the heart in order to develop a human heart from the ground up.

This involves reproducing helical geometries, which cause the heart to twist as it beats. It’s long been assumed that this twisting action is essential for pumping blood at big volumes, but demonstrating it has been tough, thanks in part to the difficulty of manufacturing hearts with diverse geometries and alignments.

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) bioengineers have created the first biohybrid model of human ventricles with helically aligned beating cardiac cells, demonstrating that muscle alignment does, in fact, dramatically increase the amount of blood the ventricle can pump with each contraction.

This innovation was made feasible by Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS), a novel technology of additive textile manufacturing that permitted the high-throughput manufacture of helically aligned fibres with diameters ranging from several micrometres to hundreds of nanometers.

FRJS fibres, which were developed at SEAS by Kit Parker’s Disease Biophysics Group, direct cell alignment, permitting the production of controlled tissue engineered structures.

“This study is a significant step forward for organ biofabrication, bringing us closer to our ultimate objective of constructing a human heart for transplant,” said Parker, the Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at SEAS and the paper’s senior author.

This piece is based on a centuries-old mystery. In his important book Tractatus de Corde, English surgeon Richard Lower, who listed John Locke among his colleagues and King Charles II among his patients, first recognised the spiral-like arrangement of cardiac muscles in 1669.

Over the following three centuries, physicians and scientists gained a more complete grasp of the heart’s anatomy, but the function of those spinning muscles remained frustratingly difficult to investigate.
Edward Sallin, former chair of the Department of Biomathematics at the University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School, stated in 1969 that the helical alignment of the heart is crucial to generating high ejection fractions (the proportion of blood the ventricle pumps with each contraction).
“Our objective was to develop a model where we could verify Sallin’s hypothesis and explore the relative relevance of the heart’s helical shape,” said co-first author and SEAS postdoctoral scholar John Zimmerman.

To put Sallin’s idea to the test, the SEAS researchers employed the FRJS system to manipulate the alignment of spun fibres on which cardiac cells might be grown.

The initial stage of FRJS operates like a cotton candy machine: a liquid polymer solution is poured into a reservoir and centrifugal force pushes it out through a small aperture as the device rotates. The solvent evaporates as the solution exits the reservoir, and the polymers solidify to form fibres. The orientation of the fibre is then controlled by a concentrated airstream when it is deposited on a collector. The researchers discovered that by angling and rotating the collector, the fibres in the stream aligned and twisted around it as it spun, resembling the helical pattern of heart muscles.

The fibre alignment may be adjusted by adjusting the collector angle.

“The human heart really contains numerous layers of helically aligned muscles with varied angles of alignment,” explained Huibin Chang, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS and the paper’s co-first author. “With FRJS, we can precisely duplicate those complicated structures, generating single and even four chambered ventricle structures.”

Unlike 3D printing, which slows down as features become smaller, FRJS can rapidly spin fibres at the single micron scale – almost fifty times thinner than a single human hair. This is critical for constructing a heart from the ground up.

Consider collagen, an extracellular matrix protein found in the heart that is also a single micron in diameter. At this resolution, 3D printing every piece of collagen in the human heart would take more than 100 years. FRJS can do the task in a single day.

The ventricles were seeded with rat cardiomyocyte or human stem cell derived cardiomyocyte cells after spinning. Within a week, multiple thin layers of beating tissue had covered the scaffold, with the cells aligning with the fibres beneath.

The pounding ventricles resembled the twisting or wringing action of human hearts.

The researchers evaluated the deformation of the ventricle, the speed of electrical signalling, and the ejection % of ventricles composed of helical oriented fibres versus those built of circumferentially aligned fibres. They discovered that helically oriented tissue outperformed circumferentially aligned tissue on all fronts.

“Our group has been working since 2003 to understand the structure-function linkages of the heart and how illness pathologically impairs these interactions,” Parker explained. “In this case, we returned to address an untested finding concerning the helical structure of the heart’s laminar architecture. Professor Sallin, fortunately, wrote a theoretical forecast more than a half-century ago, and we were able to design a new manufacturing platform that allowed us to verify his idea and answer this centuries-old riddle.”

Also Read: Study found that youngsters who participate in theatre had better body image

The researchers also proved that the method can be expanded up to the size of a human heart and even larger, to the size of a Minke whale heart (the larger models were not seeded with cells since it would require billions of cardiomyocyte cells).

Aside from biofabrication, the team is looking at additional uses for their FRJS technology, such as food packaging.

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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Eye health: Barely half of parents understand impact of screen usage on their children

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

According to a survey conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan Health, just half of parents know that screen time has a significant influence on their child’s eye health.

“Many parents may be unaware of both the short and long-term health risks associated with excessive screen usage, especially its effect on children’s eyes,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of the Mott Poll. “Our findings imply that some parents may have erroneous ideas of activities that influence their child’s eye health and vision, as well as how to reduce risks.” The nationally representative report was based on replies from 2,002 polled parents with children aged 3 to 18.

Research to maintain eye health

According to some experts, the combination of increased screen time and decreased outdoor time may put youngsters at a higher risk of developing myopia, or nearsightedness, which can lead to significant eye issues in the future. Nearsightedness in youngsters has risen considerably in the last 30 years.

Although research is ongoing, studies indicate that spending time outside may help prevent myopia.

“Parents should promote at least one to two hours of outdoor activity every day since natural light helps eye development,” Clark explained.

“Parents should enforce family norms to ensure their children have enough non-screen time during the day. This is especially crucial over the summer, when youngsters are not in school and may have less organised free time.”

Some study has also shown links between working up close – such as reading or using a tablet – and an increased risk of myopia.

“It’s critical to consider myopia concerns for children since children with this problem frequently get more nearsighted over time,” said Olivia Killeen, M.D., an ophthalmologist at U-M Health Kellogg Eye Center who consulted on the paper. “The age at which myopia develops is the most important predictor of severe myopia later in life.”

Using eyeglasses to reduce hazards to children’s vision

Another ignored aspect of eye health is safeguarding children’s eyes from direct sunlight.

Wearing sunglasses when outside has a minor influence on children’s eyesight and eye health, according to less than a third of parents asked, with just two in five having their child wear eyewear when outdoors.

In fact, while youngsters go outside, they should wear sunglasses or wide-brimmed hats to reduce the dangers of UV radiation damage, which can contribute to eye issues later in life, according to Clark.

“While parents frequently ensure that their children’s skin is protected with sunscreen, they may not consider protecting their children’s eyes from the sun as well,” Clark added.

Many of the parents questioned also omit procedures that assist limit eye injuries during activities that include the danger of items striking the kid’s eye at high speed or force, with fewer than a third of parents reporting that their child wears protective glasses or goggles during contact sports.

Clark advises parents to seek assistance from their child’s health professional when it comes to safe and comfortable eyewear for activities such as lacrosse, tennis, baseball and softball, and basketball.

However, the majority of parents asked claim their children and teenagers use protective glasses or goggles while engaging in activities that offer a risk of eye injury, such as working with tools and playing shooting games like Nerf guns or paintball.

Following screen time, the most prevalent factors identified by parents as influencing children’s eyesight and eye health are reading in low light, how close children sit to the TV/screen, food, and blue light from displays.

“Some parents may still follow recommendations from previous generations about safeguarding their children’s eyes,” Clark added. “While reading in low light or sitting near to the TV might induce eye strain or weariness, they will not cause lasting damage or long-term eye difficulties.”

Only about a third of parents report their children wear blue-light-blocking eyewear. While blue light does not harm the eyes, it can disrupt circadian cycles and make it difficult for youngsters to sleep.

Experts recommend that youngsters cease using blue light screens at least one hour before going to bed.

Regular eye examinations to spot issues early

Four out of every five parents say their child got a vision test during a visit to the paediatrician or family doctor, and more than a fourth say their child was checked at school or daycare.

The majority of parents claim that their child’s health insurance covers the entire or partial cost of trips to an eye doctor, while 9% say they are not covered and 7% are unclear. Parents who claim no coverage for eye doctor visits are less likely to indicate their child has seen an eye doctor in the recent two years than parents who report full or partial coverage.

Also Read: People with exceptionally low BMI are not more active they are simply less hungry

One in every seven parents reports that their child has not had a vision test or visited an eye doctor in the last two years.

“Children should get vision exams every two years to ensure their eyes are growing appropriately,” Clark added. “It is critical to recognise and treat vision problems as early as possible since misdiagnosed abnormalities can progress to significant eye illnesses, including irreversible vision loss, in the future.”

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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People with exceptionally low BMI are not more active they are simply less hungry

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

Chinese researchers revealed that persons with extraordinarily low BMIs had a distinct approach. Contrary to popular opinion, these individuals are much less active than those with a BMI in the normal range, while having a metabolism that normally causes them to be more active. Furthermore, they consume less food than persons with a normal BMI. The study’s findings were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

They utilised pre-existing questionnaires to screen out persons with eating disorders, those who stated they purposefully restricted their food, and those who were HIV-positive. They also eliminated anyone who had lost weight in the previous six months due to sickness or were taking any form of medication. They did not exclude individuals who stated that they “exercised in a driven manner,” yet just 4 of 150 stated that they did.

For two weeks, the subjects were observed. The doubly-labeled water approach, which estimates energy expenditure based on the difference in the turnover rates of hydrogen and oxygen in body water as a function of carbon dioxide generation, was used to quantify their food consumption.

An accelerometry-based motion detector was used to monitor their physical activity.

The researchers discovered that when compared to a control group with normal BMIs, the healthy underweight individuals consumed 13% less food. They were also significantly less active, by 23%. At the same time, these people exhibited greater resting metabolic rates, as well as increased resting energy expenditure and thyroid activity.

“Despite their modest levels of exercise, these extremely slender persons had really good measures of heart health, including cholesterol and blood pressure,” explains first author Sumei Hu, who is presently a student at Beijing Technology and Business University. “This shows that when it comes to long-term repercussions, low body fat may outweigh physical exercise.”

Also Read: Know how people curb negative thinking

The researchers admit certain limitations with this study, such as the fact that, while they measured food intake, they did not examine what the subjects really ate or their sensations of satiation or satisfaction.

The team is now broadening their research to include trials including these metrics. They also intend to investigate genetic variations between normal weight and healthy underweight people. Preliminary study indicates that single nucleotide polymorphisms in certain genes may play an impact. When these genetic modifications were duplicated in mice, the animals exhibited some of the behaviour found in humans.

“The next stage is to understand more about the phenotypic itself and the mechanisms that create it,” Speakman adds.

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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Know how people curb negative thinking

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

People try to avoid bad ideas by rejecting and replacing them regularly, according to the findings of a research published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology. However, avoiding an association proactively becomes more effective in averting the continual loop of negative ideas.

The findings were reported by Isaac Fradkin and Eran Eldar of Israel’s Hebrew University. Most individuals have had the experience of trying to avoid thinking unpleasant repeating thoughts. A trigger can frequently elicit undesirable thoughts or recollections.

People must not only reject bad connections from their minds, but they must also ensure that these unwanted memories do not return in an unending cycle and get stronger and stronger over time.

The new study looked at how 80 English-speaking people made new connections with popular terms. All participants were shown terms on a screen and were required to type a corresponding word. People in one group were warned ahead of time that if they repeated associations, they would not earn monetary incentives, so they set out to suppress thoughts of prior phrases they had entered.

The researchers employed computational tools to analyse how people avoided recurring connections based on reaction times and how good participants were at forming fresh associations. They discovered that most people adopt reactive control, rejecting undesired connections after they have already occurred to them. “This form of reactive control can be especially troublesome,” the authors write, “since, as our data demonstrate, ideas are self-reinforcing: thinking a thought strengthens its memory and increases the likelihood that it will recur.” In other words, every time we react negatively to an unfavourable connection, it has the potential to get stronger. However, we discovered that people may somewhat anticipate this process if they wish to guarantee that this thinking occurs as infrequently as possible.”

Also Read: India reports 16,935 new COVID-19 cases, with 51 deaths

“While people cannot avoid unwelcome ideas, they can guarantee that contemplating an unwanted thought does not enhance the likelihood of it occurring again,” Fradkin says. “Whereas the current study concentrated on neutral connections, future research should investigate if our findings generalise to negative and personally relevant undesirable ideas.”

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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India reports 16,935 new COVID-19 cases, with 51 deaths

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

The number of COVID-19 cases in India fell somewhat on Monday, with 16,935 new infections detected, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India registered 20,528 Coronavirus infections on Sunday. The overall number of cases has increased to 4,37,67,534 with the addition of the additional COVID-19 cases, including 1,44,264 active cases. Active cases account for 0.33 percent of all cases.

According to government figures, 51 deaths have brought India’s COVID-19 death toll to 5,25,760.

The recovery rate is presently at 98.47 percent, with 16,069 new recoveries registered in the previous 24 hours, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 4,30,97,510.

Also Read: Nadda applauds PM Modi’s imaginative leadership in administering 200 million vaccinations in India

The ministry reported that 2,61,470 COVID-19 tests were performed in the past 24 hours, with a daily positive rate of 6.48 percent.

In the last 24 hours, 4,46,671 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered. Furthermore, nearly 200 million total vaccine doses (92.61 million second doses and 5.67 million precaution doses) have been provided as part of the countrywide immunisation campaign.

India has “made history again,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, referring to the country’s achievement of giving two billion vaccination shots in just 18 months.

PM Modi congratulated all Indians on reaching the “unique milestone,” saying he is “proud of everyone who helped to making India’s immunisation effort unprecedented in scope and speed.”

He went on to say that it has “strengthened the global struggle against COVID-19.”

“India makes history once more! Congratulations to all Indians on reaching the milestone of 200 crore vaccination doses. Proud of all who helped make India’s immunisation effort unprecedented in volume and speed. This has bolstered the international battle against COVID-19 “PM Modi stated on Twitter.

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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Nadda applauds PM Modi’s imaginative leadership in administering 200 million vaccinations in India

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

JP Nadda, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership and foresight on Sunday, and congratulated Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front Line Workers (FLWs), and party cadres on making India’s COVID vaccination programme the largest and fastest in the world.

“Today is a special day for all of us. Today, India accomplished the accomplishment of giving 2 billion COVID vaccination doses. It is a source of enormous joy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been fighting the war since the beginning. Today, we should all rejoice and appreciate our Prime Minister. Today, 130 million of his compatriots are combating COVID under his leadership.”

On Sunday, India completed the milestone of 2 billion COVID vaccination shots, a trip that took 18 months to complete. It’s time to look back at the dates that led to this accomplishment.

“Previously, it would take 20-30 years for a vaccine to reach the country, but now, under the leadership of PM Modi and with his support, Indian scientists have developed not one, but two vaccines in the space of nine months, making it the world’s largest and fastest vaccination drive,” the BJP president added.

“During the pandemic, the BJP health workers joined the vaccination effort and made it a success,” he remarked, congratulating the party workers.

Also Read: India surpasses milestone of 2 billion COVID vaccination doses

On Sunday, India completed the milestone of 2 billion COVID vaccination shots, a trip that took 18 months to complete. It’s time to look back at the dates that led to this accomplishment.

“During the pandemic, the BJP health workers joined the vaccination effort and made it a success,” he remarked, congratulating the party workers.

The BJP Chief stated that 11 lakh employees have been tasked with providing free booster doses to as many people (over the age of 15) as possible across the nation, by going door-to-door and ensuring that no one is left out, within 75 days to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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India surpasses milestone of 2 billion COVID vaccination doses

by Medically Speaking July 18, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

As India celebrated the attainment of 2 billion COVID vaccination shots on Sunday, a trip that took 18 months to complete, it’s time to look back at the timeframes that led to this accomplishment.

The World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 epidemic, which started in China’s Wuhan in 2019, a pandemic on March 11, 2020. On March 12, 2020, India announced the first fatality in Kalburgi, Karnataka. On April 19, 2020, the Central Government established a high-level task force for COVID vaccine and Covid diagnostic development, as well as a national expert group on COVID immunisation in August 2020.

On November 29, 2020, the government announced a Rs 900 crore stimulus package for the ‘Program COVID Suraksha,’ the Indian COVID vaccine development mission.

Covishield and Covaxin were authorised for limited usage in emergencies on January 1 and 2, respectively, shortly after the announcement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the COVID-19 immunisation push for healthcare professionals on January 16, 2021, and for frontline workers on February 2.

On March 1, there was a vaccination push for older adults (over 60) and those with co-morbidities (45-59 years).

The immunisation push for people aged 45 and up began on April 1.

Persons aged 18 and up (Private Sector/State Prioritization) began their immunisation on May 1.

On June 21, 2021, all people aged 18 and up received free vaccinations.

On January 3, 2022, adolescents (aged 15-18) began receiving vaccinations.

India began providing preventative dosages to healthcare staff, frontline workers, older folks, and individuals with comorbidities on January 10, 2022.

Vaccination for youngsters aged 12 to 14 years old began on March 16, 2022. In addition, on March 16, this year, all people aged 60 and up received a prophylactic immunisation.

The free precautionary dosage for adults aged 60 and up began on April 10, while the paid precautionary dose for people aged 18 and up began on the same day.

On July 15, 2022, all people aged 18 and above received a free prophylactic dosage at government health centres.

The immunisation campaign was carried out in seven stages.

Vaccination for breastfeeding moms was authorised on May 19, 2021, and vaccination for pregnant women was approved on July 2, 2021.

In the nine months and five days since its inception, India’s COVID immunisation effort has reached the one billion dosage mark in October 2021.

The achievement of India in creating not one, but numerous vaccines for the COVID-19 virus may be attributed to several systemic initiatives implemented at the top level.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aggressive and imaginative leadership, India funded COVID19 vaccine research, development, and manufacture under the “Make-in-India” and “Make-for-World” Strategies.

The government began using cutting-edge technologies such as CoWIN to evaluate geographical coverage, track AEFI for vaccines, promote inclusivity, and provide a single reference point for citizens to follow their vaccination schedule, as well as prioritise vaccine administration based on scientific evidence and global best practises.

Several systematic initiatives were also used to ensure capacity building for this countrywide activity.

The existing supply chain for COVID-19 vaccine storage and transport was leveraged and reinforced, and effective monitoring of vaccine distribution and availability of vaccines and syringes was ensured at all times.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, state governments, and vaccine manufacturers worked together to guarantee that COVID-19 vaccinations were delivered to 60 consignee locations around the country within three days.

The free and voluntary countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in India was conducted in a citizen-friendly manner, with initiatives such as Har Ghar Dastak, Workplace CVC, school-based vaccination, immunisation of those without identity documents, Near-to-Home CVC, and Mobile Vaccination Teams.

India’s National COVID19 Vaccination Programme also achieved geographical and gender parity, with 71% of CVCs located in rural regions and more than 51% of vaccine doses provided to women.

For the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation programme, 213.51 crore syringes were deployed.

India has delivered 1,99,98,36,832 vaccination shots in total, with 1,63,168 more injections needed to reach the 2 billion doses mark.”

“Watch history being made!” India, led by Prime Minister @NarendraModi Ji, is on track to reach the 200-million COVID-19 immunisation mark! “The countdown has begun,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted on Saturday.

Mandaviya began the ‘Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsav’ at the Covid Vaccination Camp in Nirman Bhawan here on Friday, urging people to acquire the free dosage to protect themselves against COVID-19.”

“All Health Ministry personnel began administering the free dosages.” “I call to all citizens above the age of 18 to take advantage of the free dose to secure your protection against COVID19,” Mandaviya stated.

“On ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ all eligible populations (18+) will receive a free prophylactic dosage for the following 75 days, beginning today,” he said.

The free vaccination campaign was initiated with the goal of increasing the uptake of the COVID vaccine’s preventive dosage among the eligible adult population.

Also Read: Novel approach of inducing immune responses is discovered

This particular vaccination push is part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ festival and seeks to deliver free prophylactic doses to all adults (18 years and over) eligible population at Government COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs).

From July 15 to September 30, 2022, the Centre has announced a special programme called ‘COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava’ that would distribute free prophylactic doses at all Government Covid Vaccination Centres for everyone aged 18 and up for 75 days.

All people above the age of 18 who have completed 6 months (or 26 weeks) since the administration of the second dosage are eligible for the precaution dose.

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July 18, 2022 0 comment

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Novel approach of inducing immune responses is discovered

by Medically Speaking July 17, 2022

written by Medically Speaking

According to a new study, small proteins called chemokines that drive immune cells toward areas of infection can also generate DNA-bound nanoparticles that can trigger persistent, dysfunctional immune responses.

The unexpected finding of this novel action for this well-studied family of immune signalling molecules may shed light on some immunological diseases. The research, which was published on May 31 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, offers an altogether new way for chemokine-DNA nanoparticles to activate the immune system. Preclinical model results imply that this process is important in autoimmune disorders like scleroderma and lupus.

The research was part of the scientists’ continuous attempts to learn more about scleroderma, an inflammatory disorder that involves skin inflammation and stiffening. “A few years ago, we and others showed that patients with this condition have an elevated level of the chemokine CXCL4 in their blood,” said senior author Dr. Franck Barrat, professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Michael Bloomberg Chair and senior scientist at HSS. “However, the relevance of this chemokine in illness is unknown, and we did not expect the chemokine to elicit this specific immune response.”

Dr. Barrat’s team, which included first author Dr. Yong Du, a postdoctoral associate in microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine and a member of the HSS Research Institute, discovered that CXCL4 and several other chemokines could induce plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to produce interferon-alpha. Surprisingly, the induction appeared to be independent of recognised chemokine receptors, indicating that these chemicals were activating immune cells via an undiscovered method.

Subsequent research found that chemokines may attach fragments of DNA to produce nanoparticles, which then circumvent the chemokine receptors in cells to directly activate interferon production.

Experiments in skin inflammation animal models show that this process might explain the persistent immune activation that underpins scleroderma and other autoimmune disorders. The findings also show that distinct DNA-chemokine nanoparticles may be at the root of various disorders. While CXCL4 appears to be crucial in scleroderma, another chemokine, CXCL10, may play a similar role in lupus.

Dr. Barrat believes that DNA-chemokine nanoparticles are an important component of the body’s wound healing system. “Following a skin injury, such as a cut, dendritic cells penetrate the skin and generate an inflammatory milieu that allows the lesion to heal properly.

Also Read: Study found that eating lower salt version of traditional Chinese food reduced blood pressure

Our findings imply that these cells do not require the presence of a pathogen, such as a virus or bacteria, and may detect self-DNA directly “He stated. “And that inflammation is aiding in the recruitment of other immune system cells.” In autoimmune illness, the process goes wrong, resulting in a persistent inflammatory state that eventually destroys tissue rather than mending it.

The researchers also worked on a related study, which was published in Nature Communications on June 14th, and found that CXCL4 may cause a comparable inflammatory response in monocytes, another essential kind of immune cell. Taken together, the data suggest potential techniques for suppressing autoimmunity without interfering with normal immune responses.

“It informs you what kind of reaction you need to inhibit, not only at the DNA-chemokine level, but perhaps farther downstream in the cells themselves,” Dr. Barrat explained.

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July 17, 2022 0 comment

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