Calm in the Time of Coronavirus
Caution and concern rule the day in the time of Coronavirus, as well it should. But as we work together to prevent the spread of the virus and protect ourselves and our families form infection, there are ways we can both manage our stress and boost our self-care.
“The way I think of it is, if you’re going to be Purell-ing your hands all the time – or as you are washing your hands throughout the day – you can actually practice meditation,” says BHI Medical Director Darshan Mehta, MD. “Hand washing or use of hand sanitizer is a perfect cue to do a mini relaxation. While you are moving your hands together, you are counting and breathing deeply, so this gives you both the benefits of fighting off the virus and the internal benefit of knowing that you are taking care of yourself.”
Não usar máscara durante a pandemia é um erro, alertam cientistas chineses
No Ocidente, o uso de máscaras está sendo indicado apenas para pacientes sintomáticos. Mas, como a transmissão pode ser assintomática, a estratégia pode não ser a melhor.
Desde que a pandemia de Covid-19 começou a se espalhar pelo mundo, uma pergunta não para de aparecer: eu devo usar máscaras? Mas a resposta não é tão simples assim. Embora seja uma visão comumente relacionada com pandemias, o uso de máscara não é recomendado pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), nem pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil nem pelo Centro de Controle e Prevenção de Doenças dos Estados Unidos (CDC). Mas especialistas em saúde pública da China discordam.
Em entrevista à revista Science, George Gao, diretor-geral do Centro de Controle e Prevenção de Doenças da China, diz que o maior erro do Ocidente na batalha contra a Covid-19 é não incentivar o uso de máscaras de proteção em massa. O posicionamento é defendido por outros cientistas consultados pela revista, tanto na Ásia como em outros lugares do mundo.
Researchers Find Evidence That Human Evolution Is Still Actively Happening
Scientists discover that humans are still evolving, with natural selection weeding out certain diseases.
A large new study says humans are still evolving. Scientists found that natural selection is weeding out harmful genetic mutations from our gene pool.
While we tend to think of evolution as laborious process that takes a long period of time, there also changes that can take place over one or two generations. Researchers from Columbia University analyzed DNA from 210,000 people in the United States and Britain and found that certain genetic variants, particularly those linked to Alzheimer’s disease and heavy smoking appear less frequently in people who live longer. This suggests that such genes are being less favored and may be on the way out of the human genome.
Let this cute chameleon be your colourful reminder to wash your hands!
Both hands Zeke! Let this cute chameleon be your colourful reminder to wash your hands! 🦎🧼👏
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Nerve finding unravels mystery about communication between the gut and brain
Scientists at Flinders University have, for the first time, identified a specific type of sensory nerve ending in the gut and how these may ‘talk’ to the spinal cord, communicating pain or discomfort to the brain.
This discovery is set to inform the development of new medications to treat problems associated with gut-to-brain communication, paving the way for targeted treatments to mitigate related dysfunction.
While our understanding of the gut’s neurosensory abilities has grown rapidly in recent years, two of the great mysteries have been where and how the different types of sensory nerve endings in the gut lie, and how they are activated.
An important step in answering these questions has been made possible through the development of new techniques by Professor Nick Spencer’s Visceral Neurophysiology laboratory at Flinders University in South Australia.
Acetylcholine Supplements: Benefits, Side Effects, and Types
In recent years, nootropics, also called smart drugs, have gained popularity among people looking to improve their mental performance.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, that plays a role in many key aspects of brain function, such as memory, thinking, and learning.
While acetylcholine supplements don’t exist, supplements that may indirectly raise acetylcholine levels have become popular among people interested in nootropics as a way to enhance mental performance.
This article explores the benefits and side effects of acetylcholine supplements, and outlines the best types.
