Saturday, July 4, 2020

WHAT CAN A BULLET ANT DO TO YOUR BODY?


Found in rainforests of Nicaragua and Paraguay, the Bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is the largest of all ants in the world. They are named after their painful sting which would make the victim feel like being shot. The sting of a bullet ant is 30 times more painful than of a wasp or a honey bee. This fascinating creature has been named as the '24-hour ant' by locals because the pain from the sting is said to last 24 hours. It can grow up to an inch in length and is typically either red or brown in color. 

Although nonaggressive, bullet ants will sting when incited. On being attacked by a bullet ant, it releases chemicals that signal other ants nearby to sting over and over again. The bullet ant has the most excruciating sting of any insect, as indicated by the Schmidt Pain Index.

bullet ant sting, bullet ant glove, bullet ant stinger, bullet ant

HOW DOES THE BULLET ANT STING AFFECT HUMAN BODY?

The primary poison released in by bullet ant sting is poneratoxin. Poneratoxin is a little neurotoxic peptide that inactivates voltage-gated sodium channels located in skeletal muscle thereby, blocking the synapse transmission in the central nervous system. In addition to excruciating pain, the venom produces temporary paralysis and uncontrollable shaking. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, and cardiac arrhythmia. Allergic reactions to the venom are rare. While the venom is not lethal to humans, it paralyzes or kills other insects.

bullet ant sting, bullet ant glove, bullet ant stinger, bullet ant queen

THE MOST PECULIAR TRADITION ASSOCIATED WITH BULLET ANTS:

A few tribes in the Amazon have a fascinating custom for the adolescent males of their society where their transition to adulthood is marked by the age-old tradition of getting forcefully stung by the bullet ants to demonstrate their masculinity. A boy must stick his hands into 'bullet ant gloves' that contain a few hundred bullet ants for at least ten minutes.

bullet ant sting, bullet ant glove, bullet ant stinger, bullet ant queen

During the brief custom, a boy feels sharp pricking from the bullet ants in the bullet ant glove, yet nothing excessively excruciating. Be that as it may, the delayed consequences of the stings are far more awful. The venom shoots rapidly through the blood of the body and into the muscles. The muscles become frail, the whole body starts shivering, the lips swell and the eyelids start to droop. The young man sweats and drools uncontrollably and may even lose the sense of his surroundings due to confusion. These impacts can keep going up to 3 hours. 

bullet ant sting, bullet ant glove, bullet ant stinger, bullet ant queen

After the worst effect of the bullet ant sting is over, the pain still does not subside. The young man's hands swell a few times their ordinary measure and stay swollen for at least an additional 12 hours. The sharp agonies proceed to go back and forth. The impacts of the bullet ants won't completely disseminate until 24 hours in the wake of being stung. On the off chance that a youngster can deal with physical agony prompted by bullet ants, it is felt he will surely be fit for taking care of anything. A few tribes even expect men to take part in this custom multiple times before turning into a tribe warrior.

NOTE TO READERS:

I hope you found your daily dose of knowledge through this blog! Do you have any other topics/diseases/ in mind that you would want me to write about? Let me know in the comment section. :)

I would like to thank Shubhranshu Shekhar for suggesting this amazing topic!


Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!
CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY

Monday, June 29, 2020

BREAKING NEWS: NEW TREATMENT FOR COVID-19? Part-II


As coronavirus in India is took a new turn, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals launched the antiviral medication Favipiravir, under the brand name FabiFlu, for the mild to moderate COVID-19 cases, while Cipla and Hetero have gotten endorsements from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to dispatch Remdesivir under the brand names Cipremi and Covifor individually. 

I hope my last blog (click to read) gave you an in-depth understanding of Favipiravir. 

Here's the second part of the last blog which focuses on the drug Remdesivir.


coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms


Amidst the coronavirus outbreak, Cipla Ltd on June 22, Sunday reported the launch of Cipremi.

The medication Remdesivir has been under the spotlight as a potential treatment for basic cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Globally, it is being examined in the solidarity preliminaries under the World Health Organization (WHO). Ongoing examinations have asserted they have discovered promising outcomes.

Remdesivir is a drug with antiviral properties that was made by a US-based biotechnology organization in 2014, to treat Ebola cases. Remdesivir works against all strains of Ebola. It was likewise used for the treatment of patients of MERS and SARS, both brought about by members of the coronavirus family, however, specialists said it did now show promising outcomes in those days.

coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Coronaviruses have a single strand RNA as their hereditary material. At the point when the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 enters a human cell, a chemical called RdRP enables the virus to reproduce. Remdesivir works by repressing the action of RdRP.

The medication will be accessible in 100 mg vials (injectable) which must be injected intravenously in a clinic setting under the supervision of a healthcare professional. With respect to coronavirus patients, Remdesivir can be injected quickly but must be given once daily for 10 days.

Hetero Group of Companies MD Vamsi Krishna Bandi disclosed to PTI that the drug will be valued in the range of Rs 5,000-6,000 for each dose.


coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms


Given the conditions of coronavirus in US, Remdesivir is approved for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) just for the treatment of patients with suspected or with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 contamination and extreme COVID-19. 

Remdesivir has shown in vitro and in vivo activity in animal models against the viral pathogens that cause MERS and SARS.

Serious side effects appear to be few. Some patients receiving treatment have experienced headaches, fever, and rapid heartbeats.

NOTE TO READERS:

I hope you found your daily dose of knowledge through this blog! Do you have any other topics/diseases/ in mind that you would want me to write about? Let me know in the comment section. :)


Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!
CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY

Friday, June 26, 2020

BREAKING NEWS: NEW TREATMENT FOR COVID-19? Part-I

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE KAB AYEGA YAAR!!! ~ The whole world

While the whole world is anxious about the coronavirus outbreak and the failure of developing coronavirus vaccine, 3 new compounds decided to shine some light on us. 

3 drugs namely Fabiflu, Cipremi, and Coviflor were launched in India by the pharmaceutical giants: Glenmark, Cipla, and  Hetero. These drugs claim to be potential drugs for treatment against Coronavirus. 

Every drug has an original name and a market name.

Fabiflu is originally known as Favipiravir. Cipremi and Coviflor are also known as Remdesivir. Both Favipiravir and Remdesivir are anti-viral drugs.

In this blog, we'll focus on Favipiravir (miracle coronavirus medicine). Scroll down to find link for part-II of this blog.

coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms


The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has affirmed the use of favipiravir for COVID-19 treatment and emergency clinical use starting on 19 June, in India.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, the medication's producer, was given the authorization to make and market favipiravir (200 mg) in a tablet form. According to an announcement by Glenmark, the medication will be propelled industrially by next week, to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. The price of this medicine is evaluated to be Rs 103 for each tablet!

Favipiravir is an antiviral prescription that was created in Japan. The drug is originally known for treating people affected by the influenza virus. The drug shows anti-viral activity against all subtypes of influenza virus strains. Not only does it inhibit replication of influenza A and B, but the drug has also shown effective treatment of avian influenza.

coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms

"Favipiravir can be used for patients with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease and mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms" a Glenmark articulation distributed on Saturday, read.
This is what makes Flavipiravir better than Hydroxychloroquine since Hydroxychloroquine has several side effects as mentioned in my previous blog.

Favipiravir offers a quick decrease in viral burden within 4 days and gives quicker suggestive and radiological improvement. Of most significance, favipiravir has shown clinical improvement of up to 88 percent in mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.

coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms


HOW DOES FAVIPIRAVIR WORK?

One of the key factors that aid the recognition of a virus is the sort of hereditary material it is made of – viruses are either DNA-based or RNA-based viruses. Favipiravir works solely on RNA based viruses. 

It has a fairly unique mechanism of action as contrasted with other known influenza antivirals, which essentially prevents a virus from either entering or leaving a living cell. Favipiravir keeps the virus from making duplicates of itself once it gets inside a host cell. It does this by targetting a key protein compound that the virus uses to duplicate its hereditary material (RNA) inside the host, called RNA polymerase. This unique mode of action has made favipiravir a possibly encouraging medication to treat especially untreatable RNA viral infections, where every other mediation seems to have fizzled. 

coronavirus uk, coronavirus poster, coronavirus symptoms


An examination of 80 subjects using favipiravir demonstrated that 91 percent of the participants had better CT scans after treatment. Even though the results were encouraging, the study was limited by design – it wasn't the randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial format that is originally required to make a strong argument for the drug's effectiveness. 

Favipiravir has been accounted for as unsafe in pregnancy. It is referred to in certain examinations as a "teratogen" which can cause anomalies in a fetus after it is exposed during pregnancy. Hence, the drug is potentially toxic to a growing embryo

Glenmark is likewise directing clinical studies to assess the adequacy of two antivirals Favipiravir and Umifenovir as a blend treatment to treat moderate COVID-19 cases in adults in India.

NOTE TO READERS:

Will favipiravir mellow down coronavirus in India? Will this drug be the 'coronavirus cure' we all were waiting for? What do you guys think? 

Read PART-II of this blog about Remdesivir here!!

I hope you found your daily dose of knowledge through this blog! Do you have any other topics/diseases/ in mind that you would want me to write about? Let me know in the comment section. :)



Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!
CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY

Saturday, June 20, 2020

RABIES: WHY FEAR OF WATER?


Ever wondered why rabies causes the well-known fear of water? Read till the end if you want to find out!
(Or you could directly skip to the last paragraph but you'll end up missing a few good facts  :P)

virus

Rabies is brought about by lyssaviruses. It is spread when an infected animal bites or scratches humans or other animals. Salivation from a tainted creature can likewise transmit rabies if the saliva comes into contact with the eyes, mouth, nose, or even if a contaminated animal were to lick an open cut on your skin. 

Dogs are the most well-known creatures associated with rabies. Rodents are once in a while contaminated with rabies. The disease can be detected only after the beginning of the symptoms.

Rabies has been known to humans since 2000 B.C. Despite the knowledge of this disease, around 59,000 people die due to rabies in a year. The virus that causes Rabies is present around the world (with the exception of Antarctica) and all mammals are susceptible to infection.

When an individual starts showing symptoms and effects of rabies, the illness most certainly causes demise. Consequently, any individual who may have a danger of contracting rabies ought to get a rabies vaccination immediately for protection. Prevention is better than cure, right?

virus, dogs, fear of water, vaccination

The period between infection and the main symptoms is normally 1–3 months in people. This period might be as short as four days, depending upon the area and seriousness of the injury and the amount of virus infected in the body. In the beginning, the side effects of rabies are regularly vague, for example, fever and headache. 

As rabies advances, it causes aggravation of the cerebrum and meninges, side effects can incorporate partial paralysis, nervousness, sleeping disorder, disarray/confusion, disturbance, anomalous conduct, paranoia, fear, and hallucinations. The individual may likewise have a fear of water. 
virus, dogs, fear of water, vaccination

The manifestations in the end progress to insanity, and trance-like state. Demise usually happens 2 to 10 days after the first side effects.

How does the virus infect?


Like each different infection, rabies utilizes different cells as factories. The virus attacks cells and utilizes the cell hardware to recreate. The new viruses break free, tearing the cell open and spreading outwards, tainting more cells. At this point, the infection has figured out how to arrive at the spinal cord and the cerebrum, so, all things considered, it starts to unleash havoc on the brain. 

virus, dogs, fear of water, vaccination, brain

The cerebrum gets inflamed and the virus infects synapses, modifying the manner in which they work. This influences different brain regions, causing the trademark aggression and rage related to rabies. Researchers claim that the rabies infection seizes certain serotonergic pathways that influence animosity or animal-like behavior, however, the subtleties of this are unclear. The infection additionally influences certain synapse receptors called nicotinoid receptors in the mind and muscles, which prompts muscle loss of motion.


"Why the fear of water?"


Regardless of being associated with hydrophobia, rabies doesn't really cause a genuine dread of water. The hydrophobia is welcomed by the extraordinary agony that the infected person faced on gulping any fluids. In this manner, rabies doesn't make an unreasonable fear of water, as it is normal to fear something you realize will cause you torment/ extreme pain. 
virus, dogs, fear of water, vaccination

From the perspective of the virus, swallowing is unreasonable since the virus will get flushed down to the gut. The infection rich saliva can't contaminate another host if the virus is inside the host's gut. Keeping the mouth overflowed with saliva gives the virus the best hostile odds of being passed along. Combined with forceful and hyperactive symptoms, the infection will before long end up in another host thus, facilitating its spread and further growth.

NOTE TO READERS:

I'm eternally grateful to everyone who follows me regularly. You make me want to write more. Keep supporting me! Do let me know about improvements to help make this space better. All suggestions are welcome. <3


I hope you found your daily dose of knowledge through this blog! Do you have any other topics/diseases/ in mind that you would want me to write about? Let me know in the comment section. :)


Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!
CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY


Wednesday, June 17, 2020

HOW DID THE WORD 'OK' COME INTO EXISTENCE?


I'm OK!~ everybody

OK is the one word that is understood by people of different languages. How this word came into existence is an absurd thing to write about. I don't even know why I thought about this question out of everything else that's going on in my head. Probably because I use this word the most while communicating. Yeah yeah!! I know I am Booooooringg! But this blog is not. :P 

okay

"OK" is the all-purpose American expression that was soon caught on by the English community and it ultimately became an all-purpose expression in dozens of other languages.

You'd actually be surprised to see how many theories run behind the existence of this word. The stories/ theories about the origin of "OK" is more than there are uses for it.


It is believed that this word may have come from the usage of "Aux Cayes" by people of the Haitian port, "au Quai" from Louisiana French, rum labeled "Aux Quais" from Puerto Rica, "okeh" from Chocktaw, "och aye" from the Scots, "waw kay" from Wolof, "olla kalla" from Greece, "omnes korrecta" from Rome.
okay


Okay, let's not make this boring and move on to a few stories that revolve around the origin of this word:

1) Language expert Allen Walker Read wrote on the usage of the word OK in reports distributed in the 1960s. He said the word started being utilized in the 1830s. It was a short method of composing an alternate spelling of the words "all correct". Some people wrote "all correct" as "o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t," and utilized the letters O.K.

2) A railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly designed the word sometime in the past. He put the principal letters of his names - O and K - on each item people gave to him to send on the train.

3) Keokuk was an Indian chief (after whom Keokuk, in Iowa, is named). His admirers alluded to him as "Old Keokuk, he's all right", and the initials OK, stemmed from the common use of this phrase and it came to mean something very similar like "It's alright"


okay

4) The last theory is one that I had believed for a very long time but I realized later that this is not the real reason for the existence of the word OK, however, it might be the reason why the usage of this word has become very common. It goes like this:

During world war I, at the end of the day, reports had to be sent to the headquarter about the number of soldiers killed. Say, for example, if 5 soldiers were killed, the report would say "5 K".
On a good day, when no one was killed the report would say "ZERO K" it soon got shortened to "0 K" and then the word "O.K." caught on giving the meaning "every this is alright"!

There are more theories but let's just stick to these 4 since they are the most interesting ones!

Ok probably is the shortest word that conveys a plethora of meanings. More meaning and context is being associated with it as the word is being carried through generations. Do you have any word in mind alike OK? Let me know in the comment section. :)



Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!
CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY



Friday, June 12, 2020

WHY DO HYENAS LAUGH?


Dear readers, you and I have something in common. We both HATE these hyenas from the lion king!!

laugh

But why though? :/ 

We all have this mental picture in our mind where we perceive hyenas as smelly, good for nothing scavengers. Maybe due to their wild jaws, shrewd chasing strategies, or nocturnal nature, spotted hyenas have evil notorieties. 

Certain clans in eastern Africa accepted hyenas are possessed and ridden by witches. Any youngster with an inclination for Disney motion pictures winced in dread when the threatening pack circumnavigated our darling Simba. Like a wolf's cry, a hyena's giggle puncturing the air could send a shudder up our spine.

laugh


One would believe that the world could be better off without them but this is not even close to the actual truth! Hyenas are highly intelligent species and they are surprisingly friendly.

But wait...Did you know that there were actually 4 species of hyenas? 
That's right! We have the spotted hyena, the brown hyena, the striped hyena, and the aardwolf 
Now note this: Not every hyena laughs! Among the four species of hyenas, only the spotted hyenas ‘laugh.’ So, let's limit this blog to spotted hyenas, shall we?

Over time, these amazing creatures have developed a board range of vocalization that aids their extraordinary social behavior.

For instance, from the moment they are born, hyena cubs use a noise called 'squitter' to communicate with the mother.

The most famous sound produced by hyenas is the 'giggle' which is where they get the name "Laughing hyenas". But hyenas do not make this sound very often and there is absolutely nothing funny about their giggle. The hyenas often laugh or giggle when they are highly stressed or sense some sort of danger for e.g. when they are close to their arch enemies like the lion. 

laugh

While feeding, hyenas may paw and nip at one another with the goal of getting a significant piece of meat. That forceful conduct instigates the laughter like upheavals that we associate with the spotted hyena. So, the giggle basically represents their anxiousness over the competition, fear of getting beaten up, or not getting access to food. 

Did you know that hyenas use sounds to recognize each member of their clan and to distinguish their members from intruders? Apart from their giggle, they have a more significant sound the 'whoop'. Every hyena has an individual whoop with a unique sound pattern! To put it in simpler words, the whoop of each hyena is the equivalent to names we humans use. The whoop is used by hyenas to keep track of their members and coordinate movements during hunting. 

laugh

Hyenas are highly territorial animals. If hyenas from a different territory approach them, they can recognize the intruders by listening to their whoop. Amazing right? I can't even remember birthdays as well as they can remember the sound of each other's whoops!

FUN FACT: When hyenas capture prey, the males are normally the last to eat and the most bullied around the carcass. When males arrive at sexual development at around 2 years of age, they get away from their clan looking for another one.

Source: Smithsonian channel

Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!
CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY



Wednesday, June 10, 2020

HOW DID NEW ZEALAND GO CORONA FREE?


"Go hard and go early" ~ Jacinda Ardern (Prime Minister, New Zealand)


New Zealand has officially declared itself corona free and the entire world is going gaga over Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's amazing administration and management policies. "Go hard and Go Early" was Ardern's policy throughout the pandemic. Clearly, the entire nation stuck to it.

Needless to say, Jacinda Ardern is the epitome of vigilance. She made sure to implement strict lockdown in the very beginning, on 25 March 2020 to be precise, when there were only 205 Covid-19 cases reported.

"We have the opportunity to do something no other country has achieved: elimination of the virus," Ardern told reporters way back in April.


On Monday (8 June 2020), Ardern reported that there were no active cases in New Zealand. They have had no new cases in the hospital for 14 days now. The virus has claimed only 22 lives in New Zealand. 

But how was New Zealand able to achieve such a great feat?

Well, New Zealand has been lucky in having the benefit of time since it is a remote island nation with fewer flight transits which is why the first positive case was reported on 28 February 2020 (way after the virus had spread throughout the other countries of the world).

Apart from having the opportunity to closely observe the mistakes of other nations, Jacinda Ardern displayed an impeccable management strategy that included strict lockdown, intensive testing of the residents, and effective communication to the citizens. 

STRICT LOCKDOWN:

The nation underwent a solid lockdown regime which began with the closure of all borders and entry ports to the non-residents at 11: 59 pm on 19 March 2020. All citizens returning from different parts of the world were required to undergo institutional quarantine. 



On 21 March 2020, the nation planned a four-level alert system to manage the havoc during the outbreak. Each level was based on the seriousness of the outbreak (Level 1 being the least serious and level 4 being the most serious):

Level 1 (Prepare): COVID-19 is uncontrolled abroad. The illness is contained in New Zealand, however, confined family transmissions could occur. 

Level 2 (Reduce): The illness is contained, however, there is a danger of community transmission. Transmission within families could be happening, and there might be single or secluded group flare-ups.

Level 3 (Restrict): It is likely the illness isn't contained. Community transmissions might be happening, and there may also be flare-ups among new groups. 

Level 4 (Eliminate): The disease is not contained and is at its peak. Community transmissions and widespread outbreaks are occurring throughout the nation. Individuals are expected to remain at home.

Initially, the nation was on level 2 but was the level was eventually increased to level 3 on 23rd March 2020 followed by implementation of a level 4 nationwide lockdown on 25 March 2020. 

Travelling was fringed as a measure to limit the danger of bringing in COVID-19 cases. 

INTENSIVE TESTING:



New Zealand increased its rate of testing which proved to be the best way of keeping track of probable sources of the transmission in the nation. New Zealand has done 247,295 tests up until now (at the rate of 8,000 tests per day on an average). For correlation, the United Kingdom - a nation with a population roughly 12 times that of New Zealand carried out only 719,910 tests. 

(FUN FACT: India performs approximately 1 lakh tests per day!).

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:


Before the lockdown being executed, messages were sent to inhabitants with clear instructions of what the level 4 lockdown would involve.

“This message is for all of New Zealand. We are depending on you,” the message read. “Where you stay tonight is where you must stay from now on … it is likely that level 4 measures will stay in place for a number of weeks.” ~ quoted by CNBC. Like any other nation, New Zealand had violators as well. The defaulters were subjected to suitable punishment.

Now the real deal lies in the question: 'Can India learn something from New Zealand?'

This question cannot have a pinpointed answer mostly because India and New Zealand are different in a lot of ways! For instance, Geography has played a major role in New Zealand’s success. The island nation has more control over who can come in than a country like India with large, porous land borders.
Also, Come on guys... Compare the population!... New Zealand has a population of 48.2 lakhs and India has a population of 135.26 CRORES!!!!! 

Unlock 1.0 in India may not have been a wise decision. But don't lose hope just yet! Stay safe. Stay home. 

Click on that FOLLOW button (to the panel on your right) and put in your mail ID to get a notification every time I publish a new blog! 

CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGS FROM THIS AUTHOR. THANKYOU!!!


CHECK OUT BLOGS FROM URBANTRENSY

WHAT CAN A BULLET ANT DO TO YOUR BODY? Found in rainforests of Nicaragua and Paraguay , the Bullet ant ( Paraponera clavata ) is the ...