Study Links Sleep Deprivation To Accelerated Aging In New Mothers

According to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers, when new mothers complain that all those sleepless nights caring for their newborns are taking years off their life, they just might be right.

UCLA research published this study in the journal Sleep Health.

Scientists studied 33 mothers during their pregnancies and the first year of their babies' lives, analyzing the women's DNA from blood samples to determine their "biological age," which can differ from chronological age. They found that a year after giving birth, the biological age of mothers who slept less than seven hours a night at the six-month mark was three to seven years older than those who logged seven hours or more.

Mothers who slept less than seven hours also had shorter telomeres in their white blood cells. These small pieces of DNA at the ends of chromosomes act as protective caps, like the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces. Shortened telomeres have been linked to a higher risk of cancers, cardiovascular and other diseases, and earlier death.

"The early months of postpartum sleep deprivation could have a lasting effect on physical health," said the study's first author, Judith Carroll, UCLA's George F. Solomon Professor of Psychobiology. "We know from a large body of research that sleeping less than seven hours a night is detrimental to health and increases the risk of age-related diseases."

While participants' nightly sleep ranged from five to nine hours, more than half were getting less than seven hours, both six months and one year after giving birth, the researchers report.

"We found that with every hour of additional sleep, the mother's biological age was younger," said Carroll, a member of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA's Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. "I, and many other sleep scientists, consider sleep health to be just as vital to overall health as diet and exercise."

Carroll urged new mothers to take advantage of opportunities to get a little extra sleep, like taking naps during the day when their baby is asleep, accepting offers of assistance from family and friends, and, when possible, asking their partner to help with the baby during the night or early morning. "Taking care of your sleep needs will help you and your baby in the long run," she said.

Co-author Christine Dunkel Schetter, a distinguished professor of psychology and psychiatry at UCLA, said the study results "and other findings on maternal postpartum mental health provide the impetus for better-supporting mothers of young infants so that they can get sufficient sleep -- possibly through parental leave so that both parents can bear some of the burdens of care, and through programs for families and fathers."

Dunkel Schetter added that while accelerated biological ageing linked to sleep loss may increase women's health risks, it doesn't automatically cause harm to their bodies. "We don't want the message to be that mothers are permanently damaged by infant care and loss of sleep," she emphasized. "We don't know if these effects are long-lasting."

The study used the latest scientific methods of analyzing changes in DNA to assess biological ageing -- also known as epigenetic ageing, Dunkel Schetter said. DNA provides the code for making proteins, which carry out many functions in the cells of our body, and epigenetics focuses on whether regions of this code are "open" or "closed."

"You can think of DNA as a grocery store," Carroll said, "with lots of basic ingredients to build a meal. If there is a spill in one aisle, it may be closed, and you can't get an item from that aisle, which might prevent you from making a recipe. When access to DNA code is 'closed,' then those genes that code for specific proteins cannot be expressed and are therefore turned off."

Because specific sites within DNA are turned on or off with ageing, the process acts as a sort of clock, Carroll said, allowing scientists to estimate individuals' biological age. Greater an individual's biological, or epigenetic, age, the greater their risk of disease and earlier death.

The study's cohort -- which included women who ranged in age from 23 to 45 six months after giving birth -- is not a large representative sample of women, the authors said, and more studies are needed to better understand the long-term impact of sleep loss on new mothers, what other factors might contribute to sleep loss and whether the biological ageing effects are permanent or reversible.

Carroll and Dunkel Schetter reported last year that a mother's stress prior to giving birth may accelerate her child's biological ageing, which is a form of "intergenerational transfer of health risk," Dunkel Schetter said.

Co-authors of the new study included researchers from the department of psychology, the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, and the department of human genetics and biostatistics at UCLA and from the psychology department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Funding sources for the study included the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Aging, both part of the National Institutes of Health. (ANI)

  

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Best And Worst Foods For Stomach Ulcers

    What Causes Ulcers?

Doctors used to think that certain foods could give you ulcers. But now we know other things cause them, like taking pain-relieving drugs for a long time or infection with bacteria called H. pylori.Although food doesn’t cause or treat ulcers, some can make your pain worse, while others may help you heal faster.

Best: Foods With Probiotics

Foods like yogurt, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and tempeh are rich in “good” bacteria called probiotics. They may help ulcers by fighting an H. pylori infection or by helping treatments work better.

Best: Fiber-Rich Foods

Apples, pears, oatmeal, and other foods that are high in fiber are good for ulcers in two ways. Fiber can lower the amount of acid in your stomach while easing bloating and pain. Research has also shown that a diet rich in fiber may help prevent ulcers.

Best: Sweet Potato

It’s high in vitamin A, and there’s evidence that this nutrient can help shrink stomach ulcers and may also play a role in preventing them. Other foods with a good dose of vitamin A include spinach, carrots, cantaloupe, and beef liver.

Best: Red Bell Pepper

It’s rich in vitamin C, which can help protect you from ulcers in a number of ways. For one, vitamin C plays an important role in wound healing. People who don’t get enough are also more likely to get ulcers. Get this nutrient in citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwis, and broccoli, too.

Worst: Milk

Doctors used to tell people to drink milk to treat their ulcers. That was before better remedies, like acid-blocking drugs, came along. Today we know milk can’t help prevent or relieve an ulcer. In fact, it might actually make things worse by prompting your stomach to make more acid.

Worst: Alcohol

If you’re prone to ulcers or have one now, it’s best to limit alcohol or avoid it altogether. Research has shown that booze irritates and can even damage your digestive tract. It can make ulcers worse.

Worst: Fatty Foods

They take longer to digest, which can lead to belly pain and bloating -- bad news if you have an ulcer. If they make your stomach feel worse, take a break from them.

Spicy Foods: It Depends

For a long time, doctors thought spicy food was a major cause of ulcers. We now know this isn’t true. Still, some people find that it makes their symptoms worse. Avoid it if it causes you pain.

Citrus Fruits: It Depends

At first, it would seem to make sense that acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes would aggravate ulcers. But there’s no strong evidence that they have any effect on them. Still, we all have unique reactions to foods, so if acidic ones make your ulcer feel worse, skip them.

Chocolate: It Depends

Chocolate has lots of potential health benefits. But it often causes discomfort for some people who have ulcers. If eating chocolate makes you feel worse, wait to indulge until your ulcer has healed.

Caffeine: Ask Your Doctor

The research is mixed on whether caffeine -- coffee in particular -- makes ulcers feel worse. Yet it’s still common advice to cut it out if you have one. Ask your doctor, but you may not have to give up coffee as long as your symptoms don’t get worse.

Source: WebMD

  

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Fruit Compounds Can Prevent Parkinson's Disease - New Study

Researchers in the United States have shown that a compound found in fruit - farnesol - has the potential to play a protective role to dopamine-producing brain cells.

Research results published in the journal of Science Translational Medicine uncover important insights to how a naturally occurring compound could pave the way for potential treatments to slow or stop Parkinson’s. 

Protecting brain cells

In Parkinson’s, vital brain cells are lost over time but it isn’t completely clear what’s causing this. One clue is that damaging agents build up within cells over time to cause problems. 

Previous research has shown that in the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s, there is a buildup of a protein called PARIS, which reduces the protection of cells from damaging agents. 

What do the latest results show?

In this study, researchers tested a large number of drugs and natural compounds to see if any stopped the build up of this protein. Farnesol was selected and further investigated to see if stopping PARIS had a protective effect on brain cells. 

Researchers used a mouse model of Parkinson’s to understand the impact of a diet enriched with farnesol. The results showed that the animals receiving the farnesol diet compared to the normal diet had less damage to their dopamine producing brain cells. The mice showed improvement in strength and coordination tasks, too. 

Professor David Dexter, Associate Director of Research at Parkinson's UK said: 

"Parkinson's is what happens when dopamine producing cells in the brain die, so this study is important as it highlights a new pathway that could target and protect these brain cells in a person with Parkinson's. 

"145,000 people are currently living with Parkinson's in the UK and it is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, so the need for a new treatment which could slow or stop Parkinson's in its tracks has never been more urgent. Designing more potent drugs which replicate the action of the natural compound - farnesol - would be the next steps for researchers to progress this into clinical trials and potentially hold the key for a groundbreaking new treatment."
 

  

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COVID-19 Won't Be The Last Pandemic, WHO Warns

The World Health Organisation has said the COVID-19 pandemic might not be the last the world would witness, even as it called for sustained fight against

the virus.

Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, disclosed this at the ninth General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Epidemiological Society

of Nigeria held in Port Harcourt.

Mulombo said the pandemic has provided Nigeria and the global community opportunity to strengthen immunisation, build capacity of health workers and strengthen

disease surveillance.

He noted: “COVID-19 pandemic has taught us a great lesson on preparedness. It is not yet over. It may not likely be the last pandemic. Therefore, we must

sustain the tempo.”

Earlier, Chairman, Local Organising Committee of EPISON’s ninth AGM, Dr Omosivie Maduka, said the event was imperative to evaluate the epidemic and intelligence

tools used in the control of the pandemic.

“At the end of the conference, we will issue a communiqué that will state our key observations concerning our successes and challenges with the COVID-19

response in various aspects and we will be proffering our expert opinion on what needs to be done, to be able to take us from where we are to where we

need to be, which is a complete and total control of the pandemic,” he said.

Nigeria, meanwhile, received 4 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States, yesterday, as the country steps up efforts to battle

a third wave of infections.

The doses, which came on two planes, were received by officials from the UN children agency, UNICEF, on behalf of Nigeria at the airport in Abuja.

It was the second batch of vaccines to arrive in Africa’s most populous nation after 4 million doses were delivered in March under the COVAX scheme.

This came as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the United States (US) Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that the Delta coronavirus

variant appears to cause more severe illness and spreads as easily as chickenpox.

They said vaccination is not enough by itself to stop the spread of variants and recommended combination with non-pharmacological interventions such as

isolation and quarantine, physical distancing, use of facemasks and hand hygiene.

President, NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah, told The media , yesterday: “We need to be more careful because the Delta variant of is spreading so fast and can

be very deadly. The government and the citizens have their parts to play. While the government provides vaccines and other materials, the people should

wear their facemasks. We need to appropriately use facemasks and wash our hands. We have failed in social distancing. Vaccination alone cannot prevent

the spread of COVID-19.”

He said further: “Nigerian doctors will continue to show commitment. We will continue to treat patients. The essence is to interrupt transmission chain

if we are able to follow Non Pharmacological Procedures (NPP). We are very lucky that many more Nigerians are surviving the pandemic. We should not over

stretch our luck. We have had several seminars to discuss what is happening and how to support government.”

A CDC internal document outlined unpublished data that showed fully vaccinated people might spread the Delta variant at the same rate as unvaccinated people.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky confirmed the authenticity of the document, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

“I think people need to understand that we’re not crying wolf here. This is serious,” she told CNN. “It’s one of the most transmissible viruses we know

about. Measles, chickenpox, this — they’re all up there.”

The CDC is scheduled to publish data that will back Walensky’s controversial decision to change guidance for fully vaccinated people. She said the CDC

was recommending that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors in places where transmission of the virus is sustained or high.

She said everyone in schools: students, staff and visitors should wear masks at all times. “The measures we need to get this under control are extreme,”

Walensky said.

She said the data in the report did not surprise her. “It was the synthesis of the data all in one place that was sobering,” she said.

The CDC presentation said the Delta variant is about as transmissible as chickenpox, with each infected person, on average, infecting eight or nine others.

The original lineage was about as transmissible as the common cold, with each infected person passing the virus to about two other people on average. That

infectivity is known as R0.

“When you think about diseases that have an R0 of eight or nine, there aren’t that many,” Walensky said. And if vaccinated people get infected anyway,

they have as much virus in their bodies as unvaccinated people. That means they’re as likely to infect someone else as unvaccinated people who get infected.

“The bottom line was that, in contrast to the other variants, vaccinated people, even if they didn’t get sick, got infected and shed virus at similar levels

as unvaccinated people who got infected,” Dr. Walter Orenstein, who heads the Emory Vaccine Center and who viewed the documents, told CNN.

But vaccinated people are safer, the document indicates.

“Vaccines prevent more than 90 per cent of severe disease, but may be less effective at preventing infection or transmission,” it read.

It said vaccines reduce the risk of severe disease or death 10-fold and reduce the risk of infection three-fold. The presentation also cites three reports

that indicate the Delta variant, originally known as B.1.617.2, might cause more severe disease.

Also, researchers have warned that vaccination alone won’t stop the rise of new variants and in fact could push the evolution of strains that evade their

protection.

They said people needed to wear masks and take other steps to prevent spread until almost everyone in a population has been vaccinated.

Their findings, published in Nature Scientific Reports, support an unpopular decision by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to advise even

fully vaccinated people to start wearing masks again in areas of sustained or high transmission.

“We found that a fast rate of vaccination decreases the probability of emergence of a resistant strain,” the team wrote. 

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Smoking Weed During Pregnancy: Is It Harmful?

Weed (or hemp) is a drug derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. It’s used for recreational and medicinal purposes.

What a mom-to-be puts on her skin, eats, and smokes affects her baby. Weed is one substance that can potentially impact a developing baby’s health.

What is weed?

Weed (also known as marijuana, pot, or bud) is the dried portion of the Cannabis sativa plant. People smoke or eat weed for its effects on the body. It can cause euphoria, relaxation, and enhanced sensory perception. In most states, recreational use is illegal.

Weed’s active compound is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This compound can cross a mother’s placenta to get to her baby during pregnancy.

But weed’s effects during pregnancy can be difficult to determine. This is because many women who smoke or eat weed also use substances like alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. As a result, it’s tough to say which is causing a problem.

What’s the prevalence of weed use in pregnancy?

Weed is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy. Studies have tried to estimate the exact number of pregnant women who use weed, but results vary.

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 2 to 5 percent of women use weed during pregnancy. This number goes up for certain groups of women. For example, young, urban, and socioeconomically disadvantaged women report higher rates of use that reach up to 28 percent.

What are the potential effects of using weed while pregnant?

Doctors have linked weed use during pregnancy with increased risk for complications. These may include:

• low birth weight
• premature birth
• small head circumference
• small length
• stillbirth

What are the potential effects of using weed after a baby is born?

Researchers mostly study the effects of weed use during pregnancy on animals. Experts say exposure to THC can affect a baby’s brain developmentTrusted Source.

Babies born to mothers who smoke weed during pregnancy don’t have serious signs of withdrawal. However, other changes may be noted.

Research is ongoing, but a baby whose mother used weed during pregnancy may have problems as they get older. The research isn’t clear: Some older research reports no long-term developmental differences, but newer research is showing some problems for these children.

THC is considered a developmental neurotoxin by some. A child whose mother used weed during pregnancy may have trouble with memory, attention, controlling impulses, and school performance. More research is needed.

Misconceptions about weed use and pregnancy

The growing popularity of vape pens has led weed users to switch from smoking the drug to “vaping.” Vape pens use water vapor instead of smoke.

Many pregnant women mistakenly think vaping or eating weed doesn’t harm their baby. But these preparations still have THC, the active ingredient. As a result, they can harm a baby. We just don’t know if it’s safe, and therefore is not worth the risk.

What about medical marijuana?

Several countries have legalized weed for medical use. It’s often referred to as medical marijuana. Expectant moms or women wishing to become pregnant may wish to use weed for medical purposes, like relieving nausea.

But medical marijuana is difficult to regulate during pregnancy.

According to the ACOG, there are no:

• standard dosages
• standard formulations
• standard delivery systems
• Food and Drug Administration-approved recommendations regarding use in pregnancy

For these reasons, women hoping to become pregnant or who are pregnant are advised against using weed.

Women can work with their doctors to find alternative treatments.

Takeaway

Doctors recommend against using weed during pregnancy. Because types of weed can vary and chemicals can be added to the drug, it’s even harder to say what’s safe. Plus, weed use has been associated with increased risk for problems during pregnancy, in the newborn, and later on in a baby’s life.

If you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, be honest with your doctor. Tell them about your use of weed and any other drugs, including tobacco and alcohol.

  

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479 Killed As Cholera Spreads To 18 States In Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday, said a total of 479 people have been killed in the current outbreak of Cholera in the country.

The health agency made the disclosure in it latest situation report.

According to the report, a total of 19,305 suspected cases have been recorded since January 2021.

NCDC also noted in the report that the disease has spread to 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Abuja.

The states were listed as Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Benue and Kaduna.

Others include, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara and the FCT.

“As at July 11, 2021, a total of 19,305 suspected cases including 479 deaths (CFR 2.5%) have been reported from 18 states and FCT since the beginning of 2021.”

“Of the reported cases since the beginning of the year, 11.0% are aged 5 – 14 years. Of all suspected cases, 52% are males and 48% are females,” the report read.

  

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COVID-19 May Trigger New Diabetes - Experts Warn

Emerging evidence suggests that COVID-19 may actually trigger the onset of diabetes in healthy people and also cause severe complications of pre-existing diabetes.

A letter earlier published in the New England Journal of Medicine and signed by an international group of 17 leading diabetes experts involved in the CoviDiab Registry project, a collaborative international research initiative, revealed the establishment of a Global Registry of new cases of diabetes in patients with COVID-19.

The Registry aims to understand the extent and the characteristics of the manifestations of diabetes in patients with COVID-19, and the best strategies for the treatment and monitoring of affected patients, during and after the pandemic.

Now, Clinical observations so far show a bi-directional relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes. On the one hand, diabetes is associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity and mortality. Between 20 and 30% of patients who died with COVID-19 have been reported to have diabetes. On the other hand, new-onset diabetes and atypical metabolic complications of pre-existing diabetes, including life-threatening ones, have been observed in people with COVID-19.

It is still unclear how SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, impacts diabetes. Previous research has shown that ACE-2, the protein that binds to SARS-Cov-2 allowing the virus to enter human cells, is not only located in the lungs but also in organs and tissues involved in glucose metabolism such as the pancreas, the small intestine, the fat tissue, the liver and the kidney. Researchers hypothesise that by entering these tissues, the virus may cause multiple and complex dysfunctions of glucose metabolism. It has also been known for many years that virus infections can precipitate type 1 diabetes.

Francesco Rubino, Professor of Metabolic Surgery at King's College London and co-lead investigator of the CoviDiab Registry project, said: "Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases and we are now realizing the consequences of the inevitable clash between two pandemics. Given the short period of human contact with this new coronavirus, the exact mechanism by which the virus influences glucose metabolism is still unclear and we don't know whether the acute manifestation of diabetes in these patients represent classic type 1, type 2 or possibly a new form of diabetes."

Paul Zimmet, Professor of Diabetes at Monash University in Melbourne, Honorary President of the International Diabetes Federation and co-lead investigator in the CoviDiab Registry project said: "We don't yet know the magnitude of the new onset diabetes in COVID-19 and if it will persist or resolve after the infection; and if so, whether or not or COVID-19 increases risk of future diabetes. By establishing this Global Registry, we are calling on the international medical community to rapidly share relevant clinical observations that can help answer these questions."

Stephanie Amiel, Professor of Diabetes Research at King's College London and a co-investigator of the CoviDiab Registry project said: "The registry focuses on routinely collected clinical data that will help us examine insulin secretory capacity, insulin resistance and autoimmune antibody status to understand how COVID-19 related diabetes develops, its natural history and best management. Studying COVID-19-related diabetes may uncover novel mechanisms of disease."

  

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Study Links Vitamin D To Lower Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

A study by an international group of researchers from organizations including the American Cancer Society finds that higher levels of vitamin D in the blood is associated with a lower risk for getting colorectal cancer. Previous studies have suggested a link but were inconclusive. The new study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The researchers combined data from 17 prospective studies, which is a type of study that follows people over time to try to determine why some of them get a certain disease, in this case colorectal cancer. The analysis is the largest to date, using data from about 12,800 people. All participants were tested for vitamin D levels in their blood before diagnosis. Often, this measure was taken when they initially joined the study. They became part of the new analysis because they developed colorectal cancer. Another group was matched to the study group by age, race and date of blood draw. These “matched” controls were people who did not have colorectal cancer. All the blood was tested or re-tested using the same method at the same medical laboratory for consistency.

The importance of vitamin D

Vitamin D has long been known to be needed for bone health. Participants in the study were considered to have enough levels of vitamin D in their blood if they met the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) suggested levels of circulating vitamin D based on evidence for maintaining healthy bones.

The study found that people with deficient serum vitamin D levels according to the NAM definition had a 31% higher risk of colorectal cancer during the length of time they were followed, which was an average of 5 ½ years (the full range was 1-25 years). The lowest colorectal cancer risk was found in people who had circulating vitamin D levels even higher than the NAM recommendation for sufficient concentrations. However, the risk did not continue to decrease for the very highest levels of vitamin D concentrations the study looked at.

According to Marji McCullough, ScD, RD, American Cancer Society epidemiologist and co-first author of the study, the findings indicate there may be a target range of circulating vitamin D levels that may be associated with lowest risk for colorectal cancer. She said, “What’s optimal for colorectal cancer may be different for what’s optimal for bone health.” In the US, laboratories often use different methods when measuring vitamin D status than were used in this study, and may have different definitions from NAM of how much is needed to be healthy.

However, these findings do not change current public health policy. “This large study can contribute to the evidence that is reviewed by scientific committees that determine nutrient recommendations,” said McCullough.

How to get vitamin D

People can get vitamin D from their diet, from supplements, and from the sun. However, staying out in the sun without protection exposes people to harmful UV rays, which is a strong risk factor for skin cancer. And getting too much vitamin D, for example, from taking very high doses of supplements, can be harmful. McCullough offers these tips:

• Include naturally vitamin-D-rich foods in your diet. These include fatty fish such as salmon, trout, sword fish, and tuna. Eggs and mushrooms also contain small amounts of vitamin D.
• Milk, including soy and almond milk, is fortified with Vitamin D. Some other dairy products, orange juice, and cereal also can have vitamin D added. Read labels to be sure.
• People ages 1 to 70 should get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 600 IU. Children younger than age 1 should get 400 IU and adults older than age 70 should get 800 IU.
• If you take a calcium supplement, you may already be getting added vitamin D. Many calcium supplements contain vitamin D. 

 

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Natural Health Experts Raise Concerns Over Dubai's Artificial Rain

Health experts are raising concern over the artificial rainfall being generated in Dubai. Officials in Dubai are using drones to artificially increase rainfall as the city grapples with oppressive heat, video this week shows.

The rainmaking technology, known as “cloud seeding,” was put into use as summer temperatures have surged past 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the United Arab Emirates city, the Independent reported.

Scientists have said the technology aims to make rain form more efficiently inside clouds and in doing so, make more water come down.

Drones are used to shoot electrical charges into clouds, causing them to clump together and trigger more rainfall.

Footage shared on Sunday by the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology showed the intense showers flooding roads in addition to flashes of lightning.

Rainmaking has become common in dry countries such as the United Arab Emirates, which typically only records four inches of rain a year, the Independent reported.

“The global water shortage is worsening in many parts of the world, so the demand for fresh water is increasing,” said Linda Zou, a professor at the UAE’s Khalifa University of Science and Technology. "Rainmaking has become common in dry countries such as the United Arab Emirates. Cloud seeding could be one of the methods that can contribute to alleviating the water problem.”

But natural health experts say, laudable as artificial rainfall may be, it comes with negative health implications. One of these is the uncertainty of targeting - Once you release these "seed", it is then up to nature to do the rest. There is a risk seeds will get carried by the wind and go off target. Then these seeds may produce rain in the place you don't need it, And the place you wanted it to rain remained dry.

 

Even more worrisome,  there is not enough time for test to effects of 'seeds’ - Most cloud seeding operations will use a chemical called silver iodide as the main ingredient for these 'seeds'. There are still many questions about how safe it is for long term exposure or consumption of this chemical for plants, animals, and humans. Health problems and environmental impact ranges from toxicities of excess silver iodide. Silver iodide causes respiratory and skin disorders too. It also causes renal and pulmonary lesions and also Argyria. Argyria is a situation where the discoloration of skin takes place.

However, the toxicity of silver and silver compounds (from silver iodide) was shown to be of low order in some studies. These findings likely result from the minute amounts of silver generated by cloud seeding, which are 100 times less than industry emissions into the atmosphere in many parts of the world, or individual exposure from tooth fillings.

There are  also the ecological side-effects. With the artificial production of rain, the lives of several animals will definitely be at stake. It’s not only the fauna but also the flora which has an equal risk too. Thus, all the living organisms are supposedly threatened too even though it is done for a common benefit.

 

  

 

 

  

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Monkeypox Hits Four Nigerian States

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 59 suspected and 15 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the country.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the NCDC, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) in Texas, United States, had on July 16 reported a case of monkeypox in a resident who recently returned from Nigeria.

According to the DCHHS, the individual, whose name was withheld, is a resident of Dallas, Texas who travelled from Nigeria, and arrived at Love Field airport on July 9.

Speaking with NAN on the development, Ihekweazu said an outbreak would be declared when there is a large cluster of monkeypox cases.

He said: “The federal government was notified of the situation in Texas, through the International Health Regulations (IHR), who reported a case of monkeypox disease diagnosed in a patient who had recently visited Nigeria.

“Since the re-emergence of monkeypox in the country in September 2017, the agency has continued to receive reports and responses to sporadic cases of the disease from states across the country.

 “We have been working closely with state health ministries to strengthen monkeypox disease surveillance and response in the country.

“We work with enhanced monkeypox surveillance project where we have been training health workers across states to rapidly detect and manage cases.

“Our initial focus is on the states with the highest number of cases – Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Lagos.

“We will continue working with all states to strengthen monkeypox prevention, detection and control in Nigeria.”

Ihekweazu advised Nigerians that “if you feel ill or have a sudden rash, please visit a hospital for diagnosis and management”.

Monkeypox is caused by a virus closely related to that which causes smallpox and cowpox, although not as deadly as smallpox.

It is spread via large respiratory droplets from someone showing symptoms of the disease, and can also be transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids or lesion material. People who are asymptomatic cannot spread the virus.

  

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