How To Eliminate Mosquitoes Without Using Pesticides

According to a recent study, controlling the mosquitoes at the larval stage may be the best strategy to reduce their population.
In  the study published in the journal ‘PLOS ONE,’ introducing hungry minnows — small freshwater fish — into bodies of water where mosquitoes breed, can dramatically decrease the number of adult mosquitoes, especially those capable of carrying the West Nile disease, the virus of which is spread by infected mosquitoes.

Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by a Plasmodium parasite.It is transmitted to humans through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito.

Once an infected mosquito bites a human, the parasites multiply in the host’s liver before infecting and destroying red blood cells.
Nigeria suffers the world’s greatest malaria burden, with approximately 51 million cases and 207,000 deaths reported annually (approximately 30 per cent of the total malaria burden in Africa), while 97 per cent of the total population is at risk of malaria infection.

Although, the use of insecticides remain one of the most effective ways to get rid of mosquitoes as well as other flying and crawling insects, researchers have found a cheap and pesticide-free way to combat mosquito populations. However, previous studies show that pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more than just the ‘pests’ at which they are targeted. They are toxic, and exposure to pesticides can not only cause a number of health effects, but is linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases in humans, from respiratory problems to cancer.

The research team introduced minnow fish into ten treatment reservoirs and also monitored an additional six non-treated reservoirs, ‘The HealthSite’ reported.

 The findings showed that treatment ponds suppressed levels of mosquito larva over each season compared to controls with a model-predicted 114 per cent decrease in larva density within treatment ponds.

Read More

Sickle Cell In Nigeria : What You Need To Know

In Nigeria, over 150,000 children are born annually with symptomatic sickle cell anaemia, 1-in-4 people are healthy carriers of the disease.
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited disease in which the red blood cells in your body are shaped in sickles with jagged edges as opposed to smooth ovals or discs.
People with SCD have red blood cells that contain mostly haemoglobin S, an abnormal type of haemoglobin. The most common form of SCD is sickle cell anaemia.
Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Now if you suffer from sickle cell, your red blood cells are deformed and weak. So not only do they deliver less oxygen to the body’s tissues, but they also can get stuck and break off into little pieces in your vessels.
Symptoms
Symptoms begin to emanate around four to six months. This may result in a number of health problems with the baby such as attacks of pain (otherwise known as “sickle-cell crisis”), anaemia, swelling in the hands and feet, bacterial infections, and stroke. It can also cause lung issues, bone deterioration, asthma, hypertension, gallstones, stroke and even death. In general, symptoms can be mild for some and severe for others.
Myths
As with any disease, myths and misperceptions are inevitable and these often make it more difficult for those affected to obtain the care and support they need.
Patients Usually Die In Childhood
In the past, babies that were born with SCD had very little chances of making it to their teenage years, talk more of adulthood, but this doesn’t hold water anymore as medical advancements have brought blood therapies to the fore, which has helped to increase life expectancy of sufferers by decades. In fact, Alhaja Laguda, a sickle cell disease survivor will be 93 by November 1st, 2018.
Sickle cell disorders affect patient’s intelligence
Myth! Children with sickle cell disorders can always attend school and participate fully in normal activities. Only that the class teachers should know of the diagnosis and understand the limitations sickle can impose on a child.

Sickle cell disease is infectious
Myth! Sickle Cell disease is a genetically inherited condition (passed down from parent to child). For a child to inherit SCD, both parents must carry the sickle cell trait (or have the disease), and each must pass the sickle cell gene to the child.
No Cure
This was true in the past but not anymore SCD patients can go for a transplant. According to a report in 2012, around 25 people woman in Chicago, have received a blood marrow transplant in hopes of being cured of SCD. And so far around 85 percent of those people have been successful in ridding themselves of the disease.
Sickle Cell and Genetics / Prevention
To have sickle cell, both of your parents must have the gene. If they do, with each pregnancy there is a 25 percent chance of having a baby with SCD. There is also a 25 percent chance of their child not having sickle cell and not being a carrier. But there is a 50 percent chance of having a baby who is a carrier with sickle cell trait but doesn’t have SCD.
If you carry the sickle cell trait, seeing a genetic counsellor before trying to conceive can help you understand your risk of having a child with sickle cell anaemia. He or she can also explain possible treatments, preventive measures and reproductive options.

Read More

Two Months Of Stress Could Damage A Man's Fertility

Just two months of stress may damage a man’s sperm and slash his chances of having children, a new study suggests. Israeli scientists found men are 47 per cent more likely to have swimmers with weak motility if they are under intense pressure.
Weak motility – known to be affected by lifestyle choices – makes it less likely that the sperm will successfully fertilise an egg.

The findings were derived from 11,000 sperm samples, including those of adults exposed to ‘regular rocket warning sirens’ in the Gaza Strip.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva led the study.
They analysed 10,535 sperm samples donated by men during periods in Israel deemed ‘unstressful’ between 2009 and 2017.
These were then compared to 659 samples from men take up to two months after fierce military battles between Israel and Gaza.
The men had an average age of 32, which, according to figures, is the average age for first time fathers in the United Kingdom (UK).
Even though the findings related to just those living in conflict zones, the researchers argued they could apply to any mental stress.
Study author, Dr Eliahu Levitas, said: “This study shows that prolonged stress can have an effect on sperm quality.
“Mental stress is known to have an adverse effect on fertility, but there is little research on the impact of stress on sperm quality.”
The findings were presented at the International Summit on Assisted Reproduction and Genetics in Tel Aviv.

Read More

How Too Much Excercise Damages Gut Functions

A New research has suggested that excessive strenuous exercise may lead to gut damage.
“The stress response of prolonged vigorous exercise shuts down gut function,” said lead author Ricardo Costa, a senior researcher with the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University in Australia.

“The redistribution of blood flow away from the gut and towards working muscles creates gut cell injury that may lead to cell death, leaky gut, and systemic immune responses due to intestinal bacteria entering general circulation,” Costa added.

Researchers observed that the risk of gut injury and impaired function seems to increase along with the intensity and duration of exercise.
The problem is dubbed “exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome.” The researchers reviewed eight previously done studies that looked at this issue.

Two hours appears to be the threshold, the researchers said. After two hours of continuous endurance exercise when 60 per cent of an individual’s maximum intensity level is reached, gut damage may occur. Costa said that examples of such exercise are running and cycling.

He said heat stress appears to be an exacerbating factor. People with a predisposition to gut diseases or disorders may be more susceptible to such exercise-related health problems, he added.

Dr. Elena Ivanina is a senior gastroenterology fellow at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She wasn’t involved with this research but reviewed the study. She said that normal blood flow to the gut keeps cells oxygenated and healthy to ensure appropriate metabolism and function.—

Read More

Plantain : Natures Pack Of Energy

 Plantains, also known as plátanos, are closely related cultivars of fruit or dessert banana. In general, they are treated as vegetables in the kitchen much like fellow tropical produces such as potatoes, taro, breadfruit, yam, sweet potatoes, etc. Indeed, plátano are one of the staple sources of carbohydrates for larger populations. Plantain is so rich that it is consumed in almost every part of the world.
 Plantain is quite different from dessert banana, being taller and larger and more drought tolerant. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from the underground rhizome. Like bananas, it too flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid low-lying farmlands. At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to flower (inflorescence) that is carried up along its smooth, elongated, un-branched stem, piercing through the center of pseudo-stem, finally emerging out at the top in between its leafy clusters.

 Plantain relatively has more calories weight for weight than that in the table bananas. 100 g plantain holds about 122 calories, while dessert banana has only 89 calories. Indeed, they are very reliable sources of starch and energy; ensuring food security for millions of inhabitants worldwide. It contains 2.3 g of dietary fiber per 100 g (6% of DRA per 100 g). Adequate amount of dietary-fiber in the food helps normal bowel movements, thereby reducing constipation problems.
Fresh plátanos have more vitamin C than bananas. 100 g provide 18.4 mg or 31% of daily required levels of this vitamin. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. However, boiling and cooking destroys much of this vitamin in plantains. Plantains carry more vitamin A than bananas. 100 g fresh ripe plantains contain 1127 IU or 37.5% of daily required levels of this vitamin.
As in bananas, they too are rich sources of B-complex vitamins, particularly high in vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine). Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role in the treatment of neuritis, anemia, and to decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors for coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels in the body. In addition, the fruit contains moderate levels of folates, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin.
 They also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well. Fresh plantains have more potassium than bananas. 100 g fruit provides 499 mg of potassium (358 mg per 100 g for bananas). Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering negative effects of sodium.

At maturity, plantains are generally harvested unripe and right away carried to the market for sale. Look for firm, mature, deep green, well-formed plantains that feel heavy in hand. Do not buy overripe, damaged, split fruits, as they stay poor. Once at home, store them open at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Once ripen, plantains too, like bananas, are very fragile and show signs of decay in short time span.
 Plantains are inedible raw and should be eaten only after cooked. To prepare, just wash the raw fruit in cold water and mop dry using paper cloth. Using a paring knife, trim either ends. Then, cut the fruit into short lengths, split the skin superficially along the ridge and peel the skin gently away from the flesh to get firm flesh inside. Oftentimes, the whole fruit may be barbequed with its skin. Otherwise, its peeled flesh may be cut into thin slices, grated, chunks treated much like potatoes in many traditional African and West-Indian cuisine.
 Plantains make delicious savory recipes, used in place of potatoes in grills, mashed, bake, or fries. In South-Indian Kerala state, plantain chips (vaazhakka upperi) seasoned with salt and pepper, is a popular snack. Tostones (plátano, fried twice), prepared in a similar way are again a popular snacks in the Caribbean and Latin Americas. Its flower head (inflorescence) and interior icicle-white, tender stem (vazhai thandu in Malayalam) too are eaten in various kinds of recipes in South-Asian regions.

Sopa de plátano is a popular Caribbean soup preparation that used green platanos, garlic, cilantro, and cheese. Mashed plantain served with fried onions is a national breakfast dish of Dominican Republic. Mashed platanos are served with rice, eggs, beans, poultry, fish, etc., in these regions. In some African communities, plantain is pounded into a form in which it is eaten with stews or soups such as egusi soup or okro soup.

Read More

Erectile Dysfunction Could Lead To Heart Attack

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is linked to greater cardiovascular risk, regardless of other risk factors like cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure, according to new research published last Monday in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.
The study followed more than 1,900 men aged 60 to 78 over four years, and found that those who reported ED were twice as likely to experience heart attacks, cardiac arrests, sudden cardiac death and fatal or non-fatal strokes. “Our findings suggest that clinicians should perform further targeted screening in men with erectile dysfunction, regardless of other cardiac risk factors,” said the study’s senior investigator Michael Blaha, associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. ED, defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse, affects nearly 20 percent of men over age 20, according to research. Cardiovascular disease and ED share common risk factors, including obesity, hypertension, smoking, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by a cluster of features such as elevated blood sugar, hypertension and excess abdominal fat, according to the research.
 During the four-year follow-up in the study, there were a total of 115 fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, fatal and non-fatal strokes, cardiac arrests and sudden cardiac deaths. A greater proportion of men who reported ED (6.3 per cent) suffered heart attacks, cardiac arrests or strokes than men who did not report ED (2.6 per cent). When the investigators adjusted their analysis to eliminate the potential influence of other risk factors, that risk was somewhat lessened but still markedly higher: Men with ED were nearly twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular events than men without ED.

Read More