Public Health Archives - Page 47 of 52 - Dr Amin Azhari

Many Animal Species May Be Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2

The Western lowland gorilla shows a very high risk of being infected by SARS-CoV-2 through its ACE2 receptors according to a new genomic study from UC Davis.

Humans are not the only species facing a potential threat from SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

An international team of scientists used genomic analysis to compare the main cellular receptor for the virus in humans — angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2 — in 410 different species of vertebrates, including birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

Release date: 21 August 2020

Source: University of California – Davis

Mechanisms identified to restore myelin sheaths after injury or in multiple sclerosis

Researchers reveal a potential method for treating multiple sclerosis / Theophylline activates histone deacetylase, enabling the reconstruction of myelin sheaths.

A research team led by neurobiologist Professor Claire Jacob has identified an important mechanism that can be used to control the restoration of myelin sheaths following traumatic injury and in degenerative diseases. With the insights gained, the researchers were able to regenerate damaged myelin sheaths in mice by treating them with the active substance theophylline, thereby restoring their nerve cell function. The groundbreaking findings are the result of research carried out at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

Release date: 24 August 2020

Source: Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz

Public Health, Sport Medicine

Yoga Shown to Improve Anxiety

Yoga improves symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, a condition with chronic nervousness and worry, suggesting the popular practice may be helpful in treating anxiety in some people.

According to researchers, generalized anxiety disorder is a common, impairing, and undertreated condition, currently affecting an estimated 6.8 million Americans. While most people feel anxious from time to time, it is considered a disorder when worrying becomes excessive and interferes with day-to-day life. CBT is considered the gold standard first-line treatment. Medications, including antidepressants and sometimes benzodiazepines, may also be used. Yet, not everyone is willing to take medication, which can have adverse side effects, and there are challenges with accessing CBT for many, including lack of access to trained therapists and long waitlists.

The results were published online August 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Release date: 12 August 2020

Source: NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine

Covid-19, Public Health

Mouthwashes could reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission

Results from cell culture experiments show that commercially available preparations have an effect on Sars-Cov-2 viruses.

Sars-Cov-2 viruses can be inactivated using certain commercially available mouthwashes. This was demonstrated in cell culture experiments by virologists from Ruhr-Universität Bochum together with colleagues from Jena, Ulm, Duisburg-Essen, Nuremberg and Bremen. High viral loads can be detected in the oral cavity and throat of some Covid-19 patients. The use of mouthwashes that are effective against Sars-Cov-2 could thus help to reduce the viral load and possibly the risk of coronavirus transmission over the short term. This could be useful, for example, prior to dental treatments. However, mouth rinses are not suitable for treating Covid-19 infections or protecting yourself against catching the virus.

The results of the study are described by the team headed by Toni Meister, Professor Stephanie Pfänder and Professor Eike Steinmann from the Bochum-based Molecular and Medical Virology research group in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, published online on 29 July 2020. A review of laboratory results in clinical trials is pending.

Release date: 29 July 2020

Source: Ruhr-University Bochum

Neurologic disorders, Public Health

Vitamin D Twice a Day May Keep Vertigo Away

Taking vitamin D and calcium twice a day may reduce your chances of getting vertigo again, according to a study published in the August 5, 2020, online issue of Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Our study suggests that for people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, taking a supplement of vitamin D and calcium is a simple, low-risk way to prevent vertigo from recurring,” said Ji-Soo Kim, M.D., Ph.D., of Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea. “It is especially effective if you have low vitamin D levels to begin with.” Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo happens when a change in head position gives you a sudden spinning sensation. It’s one of the most common types of vertigo. Treatment includes a doctor performing a series of head movements that shift particles in the ears that cause the vertigo, but the condition tends to recur frequently. About 86% of people with this form of vertigo find that it interrupts their daily life or causes them to miss days at work.

Release date: 5 August 2020

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Geriatrics, Musculoskeletal diseases, Public Health

New Approach to Treating Osteoarthritis Advances

Injections of a natural “energy” molecule prompted regrowth of almost half of the cartilage lost with aging in knees, a new study in rodents shows.

The study results revolve around the long-established idea that machines within animal and human cells turn the sugars, fats, and proteins we eat into energy used by the body’s millions of cells. The molecule most used to store that energy is called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Along with this central role in metabolism, adenosine also helps signal other cells and serves as a building block of genetic material, and so is central to the growth of human tissue.

Previous research had shown that maintaining supplies of adenosine, known to nourish the chondrocyte cells that make cartilage, also prevented osteoarthritis in similar animal models of the disease.

Published online in the journal Scientific Reports on August 10, the study rodents received 8 weekly injections of adenosine, which prompted regrowth rates of cartilage tissue between 50 percent and 35 percent as measured by standard laboratory scores.

Release date: 10 August 2020

Source: NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine

Covid-19, Public Health

COVID-19 study confirms low transmission in educational settings

Transmission of COVID-19 in schools is less than other respiratory viruses

New research finds COVID-19 transmission rates in NSW schools and early childcare education and care settings were minimal, particularly between children and from children to adults.

The rate of COVID-19 transmission in New South Wales (NSW) educational settings was extremely limited during the first wave of COVID-19, research findings published today in The Lancet Journal of Child and Adolescent Health have shown.

Researchers from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) and the University of Sydney released their preliminary findings from this work from January to April 2020.

Release date: 4 August 2020

Source: University of Sydney

Public Health

Long-term exposure to traffic noise may impact weight gain in the UK population

Transport noise is a major problem in Europe, with over 100 million people living in areas where road traffic noise exceeds levels greater than 55dB, the health-based threshold set by the EU. A new study by the University of Oxford and the University of Leicester has found a connection between traffic noise and obesity. Long-term exposure to road traffic noise, such as living near a motorway or on a busy road, was associated with an increase in body mass index and waist circumference, which are key markers of obesity. The study was published today in the journal Environmental Research.

‘While modest, the data revealed an association between those living in high traffic-noise areas and obesity, at around a 2% increase in obesity prevalence for every 10dB of added noise,’ says lead author Dr Samuel Yutong Cai, a senior epidemiologist at the University of Oxford. ‘The association persisted even when we accounted for a wide range of lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and diet, as well as when taking into account socio-economic status of both individuals and the overall area. Air pollution was also accounted for, especially those related to traffic.’

Release date: 17 August 2020

Source: University of Oxford

Covid-19, Public Health

Is COVID-19 Transmitted Through Breast Milk? Study Suggests Not Likely

Is COVID-19 Transmitted Through Breast Milk - احتمال انتقال ویروس کرونا از طریق شیر مادر بسیار ناچیز است

The infectious virus was not detected in 64 samples of breast milk tested.

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the world, so do the concerns of breastfeeding mothers. Although there have been no documented cases to date of an infant contracting COVID-19 as a result of consuming infected breast milk, the critical question of whether there is potential for this form of transmission remains. In a recent study, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of California Los Angeles collaborated to find the answer.

The study, published August 19, 2020 in the online edition of JAMA , examined 64 samples of breast milk collected by the Mommy’s Milk Human Milk Research Biorepository from 18 women across the United States infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although one sample tested positive for viral RNA, subsequent tests found that the virus was unable to replicate, and thus unable to cause infection in the breastfed infant.

Release date: 19 August 2020

Source: University of California – San Diego

Covid-19, Public Health

USC scientists identify the order of COVID-19’s symptoms

Knowing which symptoms appear first will help doctors identify COVID-19 patients sooner and make better treatment decisions.

USC researchers have found what appears to be the likely order in which COVID-19 symptoms first appear: fever, cough and muscle pain, then nausea and/or vomiting, then diarrhea.

Knowing the order of COVID-19’s symptoms may help patients seek care promptly or decide promptly to self-isolate, the scientists say. It also could help doctors rule out other illnesses or plan how to treat patients, according to the study led by doctoral candidate Joseph Larsen and his colleagues with faculty advisers Peter Kuhn and James Hicks at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience’s Convergent Science Institute in Cancer.

The scientific findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Release date: 13 August 2020

Source: University of Southern California