My Revolution-PARTs

CAMBRIDGE: New research shows that children who learn to play well with others at a young age have better mental health as adults. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Child Psychiatry and Human Development'. Researchers at the University of Cambridge analysed data from almost 1,700 children, collected when they were aged three and seven. Those with better peer play ability at age three consistently showed fewer signs of poor mental health four years later. They tended to have lower hyperactivity, parents and teachers reported fewer emotional problems, and they were less likely to get into fights or disagreements with other children. Importantly, this connection generally held true even when the researchers focused on subgroups of children who were particularly at risk of mental health problems. It also applied when they considered other risk factors for mental health - such as poverty levels, or cases in which the mother had experienced serious psych...

ब्लैक होल (Black holes) के बारे में माना जाता है कि ये हमारी आकाशगंगा समेत ज्‍यादातर आकाशगंगाओं के केंद्र में मौजूद रहते हैं और उनके कामकाज में भूमिका निभाते हैं। अब रिसर्चर्स के एक ग्रुप ने बौनी (dwarf) आकाशगंगाओं में बड़े पैमाने पर ब्लैक होल छुपे होने का पता लगाया है। आमतौर पर ब्लैक होल का पता तब चलता है, जब वो अपने चारों ओर मौजूद गैस को खाकर बहुत तेजी से बढ़ते हैं और चमकने लगते हैं। रिसर्चर्स का मानना ​​है कि ये ब्लैक होल, आकाशगंगा के केंद्र में मौजूद विशालकाय ब्लैक होल के बारे में अहम जानकारी दे सकते हैं।  यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ नॉर्थ कैरोलिना (UNC)-चैपल हिल डिपार्टमेंट ऑफ फिजिक्स एंड एस्ट्रोनॉमी के खगोलविदों द्वारा की गई रिसर्च से हमारी आकाशगंगा के ब्लैक होल पर जानकारी मिलने की उम्‍मीद है।  माना जाता है कि हमारी ‘मिल्‍की वे' का निर्माण कई छोटी बौनी आकाशगंगाओं के विलय से हुआ है। लेकिन क्या सभी बौनी आकाशगंगाओं में एक बड़ा ब्लैक होल होता है, इसके बारे में अभी तक ज्‍यादा जानकारी नहीं थी, इसीलिए कई वैज्ञानिक यह जानने में जुटे हैं कि ब्‍लैक होल और आकाशगंगा एकसाथ कैसे डेवलप होते हैं।  ए...

दक्षिण प्रशांत महासागर में स्थित देश टोंगा (Tonga) में इस साल की शुरुआत में एक ज्‍वालामुखी (volcano) फट गया था। यह ज्‍वालामुखी समुद्र के नीचे फटा था, जिसने बड़े स्‍तर पर दबाव वाली लहरें या शॉक वेव्‍स पैदा कीं, जिनमें से कुछ पृथ्वी के वायुमंडल से होकर गुजरीं। इन शॉक वेव्‍स की वजह से 10 हजार किलोमीटर दूर अमेरिका के राज्य अलास्का में भी लोगों ने पानी में शोर और उछाल आने की जानकारी दी। अब दो नई स्‍टडीज से पता चला है कि यह पिछले 140 साल में सबसे बड़ा विस्फोट है। टोंगा की घटना की तुलना 1883 में इंडोनेशिया में हुए क्राकाटाऊ विस्फोट से की गई है। उस उस भयावह घटना में 30 हजार से ज्‍यादा लोग मारे गए थे। बताया जाता है कि सीमाउंट में कई हफ्तों की एक्टिविटीज के बाद यह विस्‍फोट हुआ। न्‍यूक्‍लियर टेस्‍ट बैन ट्रीटी (CTBT) का पालन करने के लिए लगाए गए डिटेक्‍टरों ने इस विस्‍फोट से हुए सिग्‍नलों को नोट‍िस किया। बताया जाता है कि इससे जो ऊर्जा निकली थी, वह 100 हिरोशिमा बमों के स्केल के बराबर थी।   टोंगा में जब पानी के नीचे ज्वालामुखी फटा, तो उसने हमारे वायुमंडल की तीसरी लेयर मेसोस्फीयर से टकराने के लिए...

पृथ्‍वी से बाहर जीवन की संभावना की बात आती है, तो इसका सबसे बड़ा दावेदार नजर आता है मंगल (Mars) ग्रह। वर्षों से वैज्ञानिक यह जानने में जुटे हैं कि क्‍या कभी मंगल ग्रह पर जीवन था। क्‍या भविष्‍य में ऐसी कोई उम्‍मीद है? तमाम अध्‍ययन संकेत तो देते हैं, लेकिन अभी बहुत शोध बाकी है। अब पेरिस यूनिवर्सिटी की एक स्‍टडी में पता चला है कि 2 अरब साल पहले मंगल ग्रह पर तरल महासागर हो सकते थे। वैज्ञानिकों का कहना है कि तरल महासागर संभव हो सकता है अगर तापमान जमाव बिंदु यानी 4.5 डिग्री सेल्सियस से ज्‍यादा होता है। मंगल ग्रह पर ऐसी स्थितियां आज से करीब 3 अरब साल पहले मुमकिन थीं।  हालांकि साल 2016 के एक रिव्‍यू कहा गया था कि लो सोलर रेडिएशन के कारण मंगल ग्रह की प्राचीन जलवायु बेहद ठंडी थी और एक महासागर को बरकरार नहीं रख सकती थी। वहीं, साल 2021 के एक अन्य अध्ययन में कहा गया है कि ग्रह का अपना वॉर्मिंग मैकेनिज्‍म है, जो झीलों और नदियों को पनपने दे सकता है।  मौजूदा अध्ययन में रिसर्चर्स ने पृथ्वी के जलवायु मॉडल पर बेस्‍ड त्रि-आयामी मॉडल का इस्‍तेमाल करके मंगल की प्राचीन जलवायु को दोबारा से तैयार किया। इस...

SINGAPORE: The overall risk of myopericarditis -- a condition that causes inflammation of the heart muscles -- following Covid-19 vaccination is very low, affecting 18 people per million vaccine doses, according to a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal. The research confirms that the risk of myopericarditis is comparable to or lower following Covid-19 vaccination than other non-Covid-19 vaccines. The team analysed international databases, looking at over 400 million vaccination doses, to compare the risk of myopericarditis following vaccination against Covid-19 and other diseases such as influenza and smallpox. They found no statistically significant difference between the incidence of myopericarditis following Covid-19 vaccination -- 18 cases per million doses -- and other vaccinations, which was 56 cases per million doses. "Our research suggests that the overall risk of myopericarditis appears to be no different for this newly approved group of vaccine...

WASHINGTON: The current drugs to treat Covid-19 remain very effective against the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to a laboratory study. However, available antibody therapies -- typically given intravenously in hospitals -- are substantially less effective against Omicron compared to earlier variants of the virus, the researchers said. The lab tests also showed that some antibodies have entirely lost their ability to neutralise Omicron at realistic dosages, they said. "The bottom line is we have countermeasures to treat Omicron. That's good news," said study lead author Yoshihiro Kawaoka, from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the US. "However, this is all in laboratory studies. Whether this translates into humans, we don't know yet," Kawaoka said. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, corroborate other studies that show most available antibody treatments are less effective against Omicron. T...

WASHINGTON: A recent study has quashed rumours that Covid-19 vaccination leads to infertility. The study published in the 'American Journal of Epidemiology' asserts that Covid-19 vaccination does not appear to affect fertility. The prospective study of couples trying to conceive found no association between Covid-19 vaccination and fecundability -- the probability of conception per menstrual cycle -- in female or male partners who received the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In contrast, the findings indicated that Covid-19 infection among males may temporarily reduce fertility -- an outcome that could be avoidable through vaccination. "Many reproductive-aged individuals have cited concerns about fertility as a reason for remaining unvaccinated," said study lead author Dr Amelia Wesselink, research assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH. "Our study shows for the first time that Covid-19 vaccination in either partner is unrel...

FLORIDA: A new study has found patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy -- and some targeted therapies may mount an inadequate immune response to Covid-19 vaccination. The research has been published in the 'Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovation, Quality & Outcomes Journal'. "It is important for patients with cancer who are receiving chemotherapy to receive a Covid-19 vaccine," said Saranya Chumsri, M.D., a Mayo Clinic hematologist and oncologist, and author of the paper. Dr Chumsri said this advice also applied to patients with cancer who are taking a CDK 4/6 inhibitors. These inhibitors are a newer class of medicines used to treat hormone-receptor-positive and HER2-negative breast cancers. Dr Chumsri said that while CDK 4/6 inhibitors are not conventionally considered to be as immunosuppressive as chemotherapy, her research on patients with breast cancer who take these drugs found that they exhibited less optimal neutralizing antibody activity. Dr Chumsri...

BRASILIA: The rhythms of activity in all biological organisms, both plants and animals, are closely linked to the gravitational tides created by the orbital mechanics of the Sun-Earth-Moon system. This truth has been somewhat neglected by scientific research but is foregrounded in a study by an international team of researchers. The findings by Cristiano de Mello Gallep at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Daniel Robert at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom are published in the Journal of Experimental Botany. "All matter on Earth, both live and inert, experiences the effects of the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon expressed in the form of tides. The periodic oscillations exhibit two daily cycles and are modulated monthly and annually by the motions of these two celestial bodies. All organisms on the planet have evolved in this context. What we sought to show in the article is that gravitational tides are a percepti...

WASHINGTON: An RNA molecule that stimulates the body's early antiviral defence system may provide protection against a range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta, according to a study conducted in mice. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a single stranded molecule essential in various biological roles and expression of genes. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine in the US noted that the molecule could lead to new treatments for Covid-19 in immunocompromised patients. The research, published recently in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), could also provide an inexpensive therapeutic option for many developing countries that currently lack access to vaccines. The study was conducted before Omicron was identified and did not test for the variant which is behind the current spike in Covid-19 cases in many countries. The researchers noted that the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death. However, vaccine availability is extremely ...

WASHINGTON: Two years into the pandemic, there is evidence that pregnant women are more vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. However, little is known about the possible consequences for an unborn child if the mother is infected during pregnancy. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Covid-19 of mild to moderate severity in pregnant women appears to have no effect on the brain of the developing fetus, according to a recent study. The likelihood and impact of vertical transmission, meaning the passage of the virus from the mother to the fetus, remains unclear. "Women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy are concerned that the virus may affect the development of their unborn child, as is the case with some other viral infections," said study senior author Sophia Stocklein, M.D., from the Department of Radiology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, in Germany. "So far, although th...

CALIFRONIA: A research has found that severe lung injuries can trigger lung stem cells to undergo abnormal differentiation. The study has been published in the 'Nature Cell Biology Journal'. UCSF researchers Jaymin Kathiriya, PhD, Chaoqun Wang, PhD, Drs. Kathiriya and Wang, supervised by Hal Chapman, MD, and Tien Peng, MD, respectively, utilized stem cell organoid models to uncover a novel stem cell pathway that is seen in severely injured lungs from Covid-19 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. This study offered a roadmap to understand how severely injured lungs can remodel and scar and provided a potential pathway to reverse the remodelling by targeting the abnormal stem cells differentiation. It has been previously accepted that the regenerative capacity of resident stem cells of the alveolus (AEC2s), operated similarly in mice and humans. The researchers unexpectedly found that human AEC2s (hAEC2s), unlike mouse AEC2s, robustly transdifferentiate into functional...

CONNECTICUT: In a new study by Yale's Akiko Iwasaki, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology, it was found that intranasal vaccination provided broad-based protection against heterologous respiratory viruses in mice. The research has been published in the 'Science Immunology Journal'. "The best immune defence happens at the gate, guarding against viruses trying to enter," said Iwasaki, senior author of the study. Mucous membranes contain their own immune defence system that combat air- or foodborne pathogens. When challenged, these barrier tissues produce B cells which in turn secrete immunoglobin A (IgA) antibodies. Unlike vaccines which elicit a system-wide immune response, IgA antibodies work locally on mucosal surfaces found in the nose, stomach, and lungs. While the protective role of IgA-producing cells had been well established in combating intestinal pathogens, Iwasaki's lab wondered if triggering IgA response might also produce a loca...

CALIFORNIA: Researchers have found rare naturally occurring T cells that are capable of targeting a protein found in SARS-CoV-2 and a range of other coronaviruses. The study has been published in the 'Cell Reports Journal'. The findings suggested that a component of this protein, called viral polymerase, could potentially be added to Covid-19 vaccines to create a longer-lasting immune response and increase protection against new variants of the virus. Most Covid-19 vaccines use a part of the spike protein found on the surface of the virus to prompt the immune system to produce antibodies. However, newer variants -- such as delta and omicron -- carry mutations to the spike protein, which can make them less recognizable to the immune cells and antibodies stimulated by vaccination. Researchers said that a new generation of vaccines will likely be needed to create a more robust and wide-ranging immune response capable of beating back current variants and those that may arise in...

LOS ANGELES: Two doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants, but protection against Delta infection decreases over time, according to a study conducted in the US. At the time of the study, the omicron variant had not yet been detected in the Southern California region, the researchers said. The research, published in The British Medical Journal on Wednesday, showed the vaccine was effective against Covid-19 hospitalisation associated with the Delta variant. However, vaccine effectiveness against the variant moderately declined with increasing time after vaccination. "This study confirmed effectiveness against all variants during the study period, although we did find a drop in effectiveness over time against Delta infection, from 94 per cent effectiveness in the first 2 months after vaccination to 80 per cent effectiveness after 6 months," said Katia Bruxvoort, from Kaiser Permanente, US. "Protection against hospitalisation due...

ARLINGTON: A new study has provided guidance for increasing the effectiveness of face masks to reduce the spread of respiratory infectious pathogens including SARS-CoV-2. The research has been published in the 'American Journal of Infection Control'. Face masks are used to reduce the spread of infectious viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 that are transmitted by respiratory aerosols and droplets produced during activities such as talking, breathing and coughing. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a mask that is multi-layered, covers the nose and mouth and forms a tight seal against the face. "The performance of face masks as devices that control infection spread depends upon both the ability of the mask material to filter aerosols and on how well the mask fits the wearer," said Francoise M. Blachere, MSc., Research Biologist, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the paper's lead author. Blachere and...

WASHINGTON: People who are infected after getting vaccinated develop a greatly enhanced immune response to variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, according to a lab study. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), shows that a breakthrough infection generates a robust immune response against the Delta variant. The findings suggest that the immune response in such people is likely to be highly effective against other variants as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate. "You can't get a better immune response than this. These vaccines are very effective against severe disease," said study senior author Fikadu Tafesse, an assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the US. "Our study suggests that individuals who are vaccinated and then exposed to a breakthrough infection have super immunity," Tafesse said. The study found that antibodies measured in blood samples of breakthro...

पृथ्‍वी के अलावा बाकी ग्रहों पर जीवन की संभावना ने लंबे समय से वैज्ञानिकों का ध्‍यान अपनी ओर खींचा है। हालांकि ज्‍यादातर कोशिशों के बाद भी वैज्ञानिक कह कहने में असमर्थ हैं कि पृथ्‍वी के बाहर भी जीवन है। रहस्‍यों को सामने लाने के लिए वैज्ञानिकों ने चंद्रमा से लेकर मंगल ग्रह तक कई मिशन शुरू किए हैं। हमारे सौर मंडल के सबसे मुश्किल ग्रहों में से एक शुक्र ने भी वैज्ञानिकों को अपनी ओर आकर्षित किया है। शुक्र का वातावरण कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड से भरा हुआ है। इसकी सतह इतनी गर्म है कि सीसा lead भी पिघल जाएगा। यह साबित करता है कि इस ग्रह पर जिंदगी का बच पाना नामुमकिन है।  हालांकि वेल्स स्थि‍त कार्डिफ यूनिवर्सिटी Cardiff University के रिसर्चर्स ने पिछले साल शुक्र के वातावरण में फॉस्फीन phosphine के स्रोतों की खोज करके हलचल मचा दी थी। उन्होंने दावा किया था कि पृथ्वी पर कार्बनिक पदार्थों के टूटने से स्वाभाविक रूप से पैदा होने वाली इस गैस का शुक्र पर मिलना वहां जीवन का संकेत हो सकता है। लेकिन इस पर बाकी लोगों ने सवाल उठाया है। उनका कहना है कि शुक्र ग्रह के बादल सल्फ्यूरिक एसिड की बूंदों में उसे ढक रहे...