Author: News Desk

London, Oct 31 (IANS) Researchers have for the first time found that phenanthrene — one of the most common byproducts of the burning of fossil fuels — causes heart arrhythmias in mice, proving that it is toxic to mammals.Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that is present in crude oil and is emitted into the air when fossil fuels are burnt.Previous studies have established phenanthrene’s toxicity to the hearts of fish and crustaceans. But now researchers from the University of Manchester in the UK have discovered the change also occurs in healthy mouse hearts when directly exposed to phenanthrene,…

Chennai, Oct 31 (IANS) Indian pharmaceutical major Zydus Lifesciences Ltd on Tuesday said it has signed an agreement to acquire the UK-headquartered LiqMeds Group of companies for a cash consideration of 68 million pounds. In a regulatory filing, Zydus Lifesciences said the acquisition will be by its UK subsidiary Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. According to Zydus Lifesciences, the acquisition of LiqMeds group consists of five companies having specialisation in development, manufacturing, and supply of oral liquid products. The group’s subsidiary LM Manufacturing Ltd (LMML), has an oral liquids manufacturing site at Weedon, Northampton, UK, which supplies products to the US…

New York, Oct 31(IANS) Researchers have identified multiple species of bacteria that, when present in the gut, are linked to an increased risk of developing severe malaria in humans and mice. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, showed that mice harbouring particular species of Bacteroides were notably associated with an elevated risk of severe malaria. A similar correlation was also observed in the intestinal tracts of children afflicted with severe malaria. Bacteroides species were found to interact with other members of the gut microbiota to cause susceptibility to severe malaria. This could lead to the development of new…

Kolkata, Oct 31 (IANS) Dengue spread in West Bengal seems to be heading for an alarming proportion as the total number of affected people in the state have crossed 76,000 mark. State health department said that, till October 24, the total number of dengue affected people in the state stands at 76,475. Last, year the total affected people stood at 67,271.The maximum spike in the number of affected people had been in the 10-day period from October 14 and October 24, when around 9,000 newly affected people had been detected.State health department said that besides Kolkata, the adjacent districts of…

New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Breast cancer incidents are increasing significantly among young women between 20-40 years old, doctors said here on Tuesday.Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2020 more than 20 lakh women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 6 lakh lives were lost.“Breast cancer tops the health charts as the most common kind of cancer found in women and in recent times its occurrences have only gone up. Recognising the early warning signs of breast cancer is crucial for timely diagnosis and…

Sydney, Oct 31 (IANS) High rates of antibiotic resistance have rendered the drugs used to treat common infections in children and babies, ineffective, according to an alarming study published in Lancet South East Asia on Tuesday.The University of Sydney led study found many antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) had less than 50 per cent effectiveness in treating childhood infections such as pneumonia, sepsis (bloodstream infections) and meningitis.The most seriously affected regions are in South-East Asia and the Pacific, including neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines, where thousands of unnecessary deaths in children resulting from antibiotic resistance occur each…

New York, Oct 31 (IANS) Are planning pregnancy and worried about taking Covid-19 vaccines for fear of complications? Take heart, a new study shows no increased risk of early or late miscarriage as a result of male or female partners getting a Covid vaccine prior to conceiving.Multiple studies have shown that the Covid-19 vaccines do not lead to infertility or pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, but many people are still wary of adverse effects from the vaccine on pregnancy.The new study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, is the first to evaluate the risk of early miscarriage (less than eight…

New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) People living in regions with median levels of air pollution have a 56 per cent greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those living in regions with the lowest level of air pollution, finds a study.The study, published online in the journal Neurology, was conducted to identify national, geographic patterns of Parkinson’s disease and test for nationwide and region-specific associations with fine particulate matter.The population-based geographic study identified nearly 90,000 people with Parkinson’s disease from a Medicare dataset of nearly 22-million.”Previous studies have shown fine particulate matter to cause inflammation in the brain, a…

Lucknow, Oct 31 (IANS) The Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) advanced diabetic centre will become functional soon as a one stop centre for all complications related to the disease under one roof.Likely to be inaugurated on the institute’s foundation day in December, the 40-bed centre will start functioning by January 2024.Officials concerned said that a proposal to purchase modern equipment worth Rs 24 crore has been sent to the Uttar Pradesh government, while the work on the recruitment of faculty and nursing staff is also underway.Patients suffering from diabetes are also at the risk of developing complications…

That will not only be because the Men in Blue will be playing at the venue where they won the 2011 World Cup, it is also because the ICC and UNICEF, in partnership with both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket are set to celebrate a new initiative, “One Day 4 Children”, with a message of hope and support for every child to survive and thrive.The initiative is part of the #BeAChampion campaign, harnessing the reach of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to build a better world for every child, and create…