All posts by medical

Neuroscience

Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market 2020- Impact of COVID-19, Future Growth Analysis and Challenges | NIH, UCL Institute of Neurology,…

In the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment statistical surveying study, 2019 is considered as the base year, and 2020-2027 is considered as the estimate time frame to anticipate the market size. Significant districts stressed in the report incorporate North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Pacific region Middle East & Africa

The report on the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market gives a foot perspective on the present continuing inside the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market. Further, the report likewise considers the effect of the novel COVID-19 pandemic on the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market and offers an away from of the anticipated market variances during the estimate time frame.

The global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market report covers major market players such as

NIHUCL Institute of NeurologyNational Neuroscience InstituteThe University of MelbourneThe University of SheffieldOZBiosciencesThe University of QueenslandMND Australia

Get Free Sample PDF (including full TOC, Tables and Figures) of Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market @ https://www.apexmarketreports.com/Life-Science/global-motor-neuron-diseases-treatment-market-by-product-598839#sample

In 2027, the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market is spectated to outperform ~US$ xx Mn/Bn with a CAGR of xx% over the estimate time frame. The Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market clicked an estimation of ~US$ xx Mn/Bn in 2019. Region is required to represent a critical piece of the overall industry, where the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market size is anticipated to blow up with a CAGR of xx% during the estimate time frame.

The report inspects each Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market player as per its piece of the pie, creation impression, and development rate. SWOT examination of the players (qualities, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) has been covered in this report. Further, the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market study portrays the ongoing dispatches, understandings, R&D undertakings, and business systems of the market players including.

High Points of the Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Report:

The research report includes specific segments by Type and by Application. This study provides information about the sales and revenue during the historic and forecasted period of 2015 to 2027.

Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market Segmentation By Type:

RiluzoleNusinersenPhysical TherapyRespiratory TherapyOthers

Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market Segmentation By Applications:

Multidisciplinary ClinicsHospitalsSocial Work FacilitiesOthers

Place Inquiry for Buying or Customization of Report: https://www.apexmarketreports.com/Life-Science/global-motor-neuron-diseases-treatment-market-by-product-598839#inquiry

Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market: Regional Analysis

The Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market is examined and showcase size data is given by region. The report incorporates nation astute and region-wise market size for the period 2015-2027. It additionally incorporates showcase size and conjecture by Type and by Application fragment as far as deals and income for the period 2015-2027.

The key regions covered in the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market report are:

The examination report on the global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment market offers a treasury of economic situations and strategies wherein the market has been acting in various circumstances. Additionally, SWOT investigation and Porters Five Forces examination are utilized to speak to the positive and negative factors that are affecting the market development. Additionally, this report covers the inside and out factual examination and the market elements and requests which give an entire situation of the business.

Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market: Competitive Analysis

This area of the report recognizes different key makers of the market. It enables the reader to comprehend the systems and coordinated efforts that players are concentrating on battle rivalry in the market. The extensive report gives a critical infinitesimal gander at the market. The reader can distinguish the impressions of the producers by thinking about the worldwide income of makers, the worldwide cost of manufacturer, and deals by makers during the conjecture time of 2015 to 2027.

Continue reading here:
Global Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market 2020- Impact of COVID-19, Future Growth Analysis and Challenges | NIH, UCL Institute of Neurology,...

Neuroscience

Scientists Use Physics to Understand the Mystery of Consciousness – SciTechDaily

The study is potentially applicable to humans and reflects a growing interest in new theories of consciousness that are experimentally testable.

An international study involving Monash physicists has confirmed a new approach to measure consciousness, potentially changing our understanding complex neurological problems.

The study published yesterday in Physical Review Research describes how tools from physics and complexity theory were used to determine the level of consciousness in fruit flies.

This is a major problem in neuroscience, where it is crucial to differentiate between unresponsive vegetative patients and those suffering from a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally because of complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body, said study author Dr. Kavan Modi, from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy.

The research team, which includes Dr. Modi, PhD candidate Roberto Muoz also from the School of Physics and Astronomy, and Monash University Psychology Associate Professor Nao Tsuchiya, has found a way to measure the level of conscious arousal in fruit flies using the complex signals produced by the brain.

Our technique allows us to distinguish between flies that have been anesthetized and those that have not, by calculating the time-complexity of the signals, said Dr. Modi.

The study is significant because it highlights an objective way to measure conscious arousal, based on well-established ideas from complexity theory, he said.

It is potentially applicable to humans and it reflects a growing interest in new theories of consciousness that are experimentally testable.

The research team studied the brain signals produced by 13 fruit flies both when they were awake and when they were anesthetized. They then analyzed the signals to see how complex they were.

We found the statistical complexity to be larger when a fly is awake than when the same fly is anesthetized, Dr. Modi said.

This is important because it suggests a reliable way to determine the level of conscious arousal by tapping into a small region of the brain, rather than many parts of the brain.

It also suggests that there is a clear marker of conscious arousal that does not depend on specific external stimuli.

The researchers concluded that applying a similar analysis to other datasets, in particular, human EEG data could lead to new discoveries regarding the relationship between consciousness and complexity.

Reference: General anesthesia reduces complexity and temporal asymmetry of the informational structures derived from neural recordings in Drosophila by Roberto N. Muoz, Angus Leung, Aidan Zecevik, Felix A. Pollock, Dror Cohen, Bruno van Swinderen, Naotsugu Tsuchiya and Kavan Modiay, 22 May 2020, Physical Review Research.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.023219

Originally posted here:
Scientists Use Physics to Understand the Mystery of Consciousness - SciTechDaily

Neuroscience

How to make good decisions when you’re paralyzed by the stress of protests and the pandemic – WPBF West Palm Beach

Do you find it tough to make decisions these days? What used to be no-brainers, stopping at the grocery for bread and milk, making a pit stop at the gas station or meeting friends for dinner and drinks are now fraught with dangers.Are people wearing masks at the grocery and keeping their carts at a proper distance of 6 feet? Did you bring gloves or hand sanitizer for the gas pump? Will the restaurant have outdoor socially distant seating and just how does one eat with a mask?And now we're fighting back tears and struggling with rage over the killing of George Floyd, the unarmed and handcuffed black man in Minneapolis who died after gasping "I can't breathe" as a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck."It's crazy times, with protests and a pandemic and things at every level appearing untrustworthy," said biochemist Bita Moghaddam, who chairs the behavioral neuroscience department in the school of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University.Moghaddam, who studies how anxiety affects the brain, said it's no wonder our stressed, overworked brains can't spit out a decision. We have become victims of "analysis paralysis.""We don't know exactly what's going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month," Daphna Shohamy, who is a professor of psychology at Columbia University, told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a recent podcast.And we're all forced to make decisions in that state of uncertainty and to just rely on what we do know, which is not good enough," said Shohamy, who studies the cognitive neuroscience of learning, memory and decision-making."I notice it myself all the time," Gupta said in the podcast. "As simple as choosing a tie in the morning, what I'm going to have for lunch, whether I'm going to go for a run or a bike ride."Those were decisions that usually took me just a few seconds, and now sometimes I just find myself struggling," he said.How the brain makes decisionsThe headquarters for our decision-making capabilities is the prefrontal cortex, which controls our higher-level executive functions. Those include focusing our attention, creating and organizing thoughts, setting goals, planning actions and putting a stop to impulsive thoughts and behaviors.Under normal or mild stress conditions, the brain uses "working memory" to regulate our mood and actions from the top down. Working memory marries recent events with memories from long-term storage about what we learned from any experience, and it uses this to make decisions about how we should act, think and feel based on our experiences. And, of course, it helps us anticipate and predict possible consequences from our actions."The brain is constantly estimating risk," Moghaddam said."I'm hungry. I'm going to get up and drive to a pizzeria to grab some pizza. But driving involves risk because you could get into an accident," she said. "If you're suffering from anxiety disorders, you may say, 'No, I'm not going to even risk getting in the car because I couldn't relax.' If you're drunk, then the risk is even higher. And it becomes a computation game."It takes the first quarter of life for the decision-making area of the brain to fully mature in humans. Car rental companies recognize that fact and won't rent to anyone under 25.Other key milestones, such as a driver's license at age 16, voting at 18 and drinking at 21 occur when the brain's ability to make good decisions isn't fully baked.The prefrontal cortex is also the area of the brain that is most sensitive to stress. Even mild stress can cause "rapid and dramatic loss of prefrontal cognitive abilities," while prolonged stress can actually change the brain, according to Amy Arnsten, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Yale School of Medicine.When we are stressed all the time, certain neurotransmitters go awry, flooding the brain with chemicals that change the structure and functioning of the prefrontal cortex and the fight-or-flight emotion and memory centers of the brain. Working memory suffers, and our ability to make quick or well-thought-out decisions declines."In general, decision-making slows down," Moghaddam said. "You could argue it's better for our survival. You learned driving when it's icy is dangerous, you shouldn't be drinking and driving, and you've learned that this virus could kill you."The combo of stress with increased risk is making it much harder to make decisions during the pandemic."If you think about going to the grocery store right now, there's a fair amount of planning consciously or subconsciously what times will be less crowded, do I really need to go, and should I go," Moghaddam said. "Most of us didn't think of going to a grocery store as a dangerous thing before, yet now it has become an anxiety-provoking process."What to do next?Give your brain a break from its constant risk calculations.Try to take 10 to 15 minutes to close your eyes and meditate, pushing all of your worries and decisions to the side during that time.You can see physical changes in the brain in a short time, said psychology and psychiatry professor Richard Davidson, founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.Davidson did a randomized controlled trial of people who've never meditated before. Using direct measures of brain function and structure, he found it only took 30 minutes a day of meditation practice over the course of two weeks to produce a measurable change in the brain.There are other anxiety-busting activities that can help. Practice good sleep hygiene to improve your sleep quality, one of the best things you can do to ease stress and boost your mood.Studies show exercising at a moderate but not high intensity for 15 to 30 minutes at least three times a week does wonders for stress. Try rhythmic exercises, such as running, swimming, cycling and walking, to get your blood pumping in major muscle groups.Something as simple as taking deep, slow breaths can do amazing things to our brain and therefore our stress and anxiety, said Dr. Cynthia Ackrill, an editor for Contentment magazine, produced by the American Institute of Stress."When you physiologically calm yourself, you actually change your brainwaves," Ackrill said.Yoga, tai chi and qi gong are spiritual disciplines, designed to meld body and mind. A yoga lifestyle incorporates physical postures, breath regulation and mindfulness through the practice of meditation. Brain scans of people using tai chi and qi gong find increased alpha, beta and theta brain wave activity, suggesting increased relaxation and attentiveness.And finally, stop criticizing your brain for its indecisiveness."Why are we so worried about being paralyzed?" Moghaddam asked. "It's normal for a brain to take its time to make a decision. The brain is actually doing its job."

Do you find it tough to make decisions these days? What used to be no-brainers, stopping at the grocery for bread and milk, making a pit stop at the gas station or meeting friends for dinner and drinks are now fraught with dangers.

Are people wearing masks at the grocery and keeping their carts at a proper distance of 6 feet? Did you bring gloves or hand sanitizer for the gas pump? Will the restaurant have outdoor socially distant seating and just how does one eat with a mask?

And now we're fighting back tears and struggling with rage over the killing of George Floyd, the unarmed and handcuffed black man in Minneapolis who died after gasping "I can't breathe" as a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck.

"It's crazy times, with protests and a pandemic and things at every level appearing untrustworthy," said biochemist Bita Moghaddam, who chairs the behavioral neuroscience department in the school of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University.

Moghaddam, who studies how anxiety affects the brain, said it's no wonder our stressed, overworked brains can't spit out a decision. We have become victims of "analysis paralysis."

"We don't know exactly what's going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month," Daphna Shohamy, who is a professor of psychology at Columbia University, told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a recent podcast.

And we're all forced to make decisions in that state of uncertainty and to just rely on what we do know, which is not good enough," said Shohamy, who studies the cognitive neuroscience of learning, memory and decision-making.

"I notice it myself all the time," Gupta said in the podcast. "As simple as choosing a tie in the morning, what I'm going to have for lunch, whether I'm going to go for a run or a bike ride.

"Those were decisions that usually took me just a few seconds, and now sometimes I just find myself struggling," he said.

The headquarters for our decision-making capabilities is the prefrontal cortex, which controls our higher-level executive functions. Those include focusing our attention, creating and organizing thoughts, setting goals, planning actions and putting a stop to impulsive thoughts and behaviors.

Under normal or mild stress conditions, the brain uses "working memory" to regulate our mood and actions from the top down. Working memory marries recent events with memories from long-term storage about what we learned from any experience, and it uses this to make decisions about how we should act, think and feel based on our experiences. And, of course, it helps us anticipate and predict possible consequences from our actions.

"The brain is constantly estimating risk," Moghaddam said.

"I'm hungry. I'm going to get up and drive to a pizzeria to grab some pizza. But driving involves risk because you could get into an accident," she said. "If you're suffering from anxiety disorders, you may say, 'No, I'm not going to even risk getting in the car because I couldn't relax.' If you're drunk, then the risk is even higher. And it becomes a computation game."

It takes the first quarter of life for the decision-making area of the brain to fully mature in humans. Car rental companies recognize that fact and won't rent to anyone under 25.

Other key milestones, such as a driver's license at age 16, voting at 18 and drinking at 21 occur when the brain's ability to make good decisions isn't fully baked.

The prefrontal cortex is also the area of the brain that is most sensitive to stress. Even mild stress can cause "rapid and dramatic loss of prefrontal cognitive abilities," while prolonged stress can actually change the brain, according to Amy Arnsten, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Yale School of Medicine.

When we are stressed all the time, certain neurotransmitters go awry, flooding the brain with chemicals that change the structure and functioning of the prefrontal cortex and the fight-or-flight emotion and memory centers of the brain. Working memory suffers, and our ability to make quick or well-thought-out decisions declines.

"In general, decision-making slows down," Moghaddam said. "You could argue it's better for our survival. You learned driving when it's icy is dangerous, you shouldn't be drinking and driving, and you've learned that this virus could kill you."

The combo of stress with increased risk is making it much harder to make decisions during the pandemic.

"If you think about going to the grocery store right now, there's a fair amount of planning consciously or subconsciously what times will be less crowded, do I really need to go, and should I go," Moghaddam said. "Most of us didn't think of going to a grocery store as a dangerous thing before, yet now it has become an anxiety-provoking process."

Give your brain a break from its constant risk calculations.

Try to take 10 to 15 minutes to close your eyes and meditate, pushing all of your worries and decisions to the side during that time.

You can see physical changes in the brain in a short time, said psychology and psychiatry professor Richard Davidson, founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Davidson did a randomized controlled trial of people who've never meditated before. Using direct measures of brain function and structure, he found it only took 30 minutes a day of meditation practice over the course of two weeks to produce a measurable change in the brain.

There are other anxiety-busting activities that can help. Practice good sleep hygiene to improve your sleep quality, one of the best things you can do to ease stress and boost your mood.

Studies show exercising at a moderate but not high intensity for 15 to 30 minutes at least three times a week does wonders for stress. Try rhythmic exercises, such as running, swimming, cycling and walking, to get your blood pumping in major muscle groups.

Something as simple as taking deep, slow breaths can do amazing things to our brain and therefore our stress and anxiety, said Dr. Cynthia Ackrill, an editor for Contentment magazine, produced by the American Institute of Stress.

"When you physiologically calm yourself, you actually change your brainwaves," Ackrill said.

Yoga, tai chi and qi gong are spiritual disciplines, designed to meld body and mind. A yoga lifestyle incorporates physical postures, breath regulation and mindfulness through the practice of meditation. Brain scans of people using tai chi and qi gong find increased alpha, beta and theta brain wave activity, suggesting increased relaxation and attentiveness.

And finally, stop criticizing your brain for its indecisiveness.

"Why are we so worried about being paralyzed?" Moghaddam asked. "It's normal for a brain to take its time to make a decision. The brain is actually doing its job."

Read the original here:
How to make good decisions when you're paralyzed by the stress of protests and the pandemic - WPBF West Palm Beach

Neuroscience

Big Bang Theory Referenced Amy Farrah Fowler’s Actress In Season 1 – Screen Rant

Before Amy Farrah Fowler made her The Big Bang Theory debut in the season 3 finale, the show already previously mentioned actress Mayim Bialik.

The Big Bang Theory's Amy Farrah Fowler actress Mayim Bialik was referenced in the show long before her character debuted.Initially featuring with only five main characters - Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Howard (Simon Helberg), and Raj (Kunal Nayyar)- the cast of The Big Bang Theory expanded by season 4 with the addition of Amy and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). Despite joining late, Bialikbecame an integral part of the show, especially in Sheldon's personaarc asthey ended up getting married.

In its first three years, the CBS sitcom only hadPenny as its female lead, and followed herburgeoning love affair with Leonard. Things changed when The Big Bang Theory decided to give the other boys their own love interests to diversify the show's story.Introduced as a potential love interest for Sheldon in the season 3 finale, Amy was positioned as the female version of the socially-inept genius. The pair met via a blind date set up by Howard and Raj. Surprisingly, theyhit it off right away as they bonded over their shared quirks. Their friendship turned into romance, resulting in an oddly romantic engagement, an emotional wedding, and a Nobel Prize in Physics.

Related:Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Made A Mario Mistake In Season 2

That being said, Amy's introduction to The Big Bang Theory wasn't Bialik's first contact with the show. Almost twoseasons before she was cast to play Amy Farrah Fowler, the actress was already referenced in the sitcom. In season 1, episode 13, "The Bat Jar Conjecture," the boys form a group for the annual Physics Bowl. Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj even tap the help of Penny to prepare for the academic event. Unfortunately, due to Sheldon's obnoxious controlling of the team, the others decide to kick him out. While brainstorming who should they recruit to be the fourth member of their team, Raj suggests that "the actress who played TV's Blossom" should take the spot since she's smart with "aPh.D. in neuroscience or something" -referring to Bialik, whoplayed the titular role in the NBC sitcom Blossom from 1991 to 1995.Before Raj gets wrapped up in the idea, Leonard says that there's no chance that they can get said actress for their Physics Bowl.In the end, the three tap Leslie Winkle (Sara Gilbert) to join them.

As fans know, Bialik, like her The Big Bang Theory character, is a neuroscientist - making her the only member of the show's cast to have a scientific background. The one-time child actress earned her Bachelors's degree in neuroscience in 2000, with minors in Hebrew and Jewish studies from UCLA. Following her brief acting come back in 2005, she pursued her doctorate in neuroscience, earning her Ph.D. degree in neuroscience in 2007 which is the same year The Big Bang Theory debuted.

Considering the timeline of events, it's understandable that the writers of the sitcom wanted to incorporatetimely conversations among the show's characters, hence the reference to Bialik's academic achievements. What makes the aforementioned scene more interesting is that Galecki was once a guest in Blossom. He played Jason - a random guy at a party whom Blossom makes out with in season 1, episode 6 titled "Sex, Lies and Teenagers."

Perhapspart of the reason The Big Bang Theory creatives wanted Bialik for the role of Amy was because of her real-life Ph.D. The actress has been vocal about not knowing what the show was when she first landed the gig, assuming it was a game show given its name - in fact, Bialik,apparently, still hasn't seen a full episode of the sitcom despite it wrapping up last year. In hindsight, everything turned outfor the better as her chemistry with Parsons is one of the main reasons why Sheldon and Amy's romance worked.

More:The Big Bang Theory's Romances Ended Up Killing The Show

Avatar: Every Last Airbender Character That Returned In The Legend of Korra

Accidental geek who is perpetually curious, Ana rekindled her love for writing several years back and married it with everything pop culture. The result is a passionate young writer who could ramble (and of course, pen) about films and series multiple hours a day. She has a soft spot for The Lion King, old songs, and home design; is currently obsessed with old sitcoms (The Golden Girls!); and won't dare watch any horror films although shes (ironically) dying to see one. Though a bit late to the party and was an actual Force non-believer, she now finds the Star Wars franchise quite fascinating (fun fact: it was a crazy Jar Jar Binks/Sith theory that drew her in).

See the original post here:
Big Bang Theory Referenced Amy Farrah Fowler's Actress In Season 1 - Screen Rant

Neuroscience

Opinion | The role that compassion could play in Indias economic revival – Livemint

In a recently published study of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, a group of Italian scholars found that government institutions and national health care services largely proved ineffective in facing the crisis, while civil society experienced a serious breakdown due to the climate of generalised suspicion. Potentially useful interventions, especially regarding social distancing, were negatively affected by mistakes in communication". The measures used to control the outbreak led to social division instead of greater unity and solidarity. (These) mistakes and failures in managing the Spanish flu had long-lasting negative economic consequences." Arnstein Aassve, Guido Alfani, Francesco Gandolfi, Marco Le Moglie conclude that experiencing the Spanish flu and the associated condition of social disruption and generalised mistrust had permanent consequences on individual behaviour in terms of lower social trust. This loss in social trust constrained economic growth for many decades to follow."

Contemporary economic policy discourse in India has largely missed this point. Even as governments, industry associations and think tanks have come out with recovery plans and stimulus recommendations, the all-too-important social dimension has been ignored. Let me offer a mea culpa: the economic reconstruction plan that I co-authored with my Takshashila colleagues declares three policy objectives: humanitarian relief, economic revival and long-term reconstructions. We called for monetary, fiscal and regulatory changes, but completely missed out the urgent need to halt the dangerous destruction of social capital and the conscious effort that public policy must make to rebuild it. For, if we allow social disruption and generalized mistrust to perpetuate, not only will an economic recovery prove elusive, but there will be worse to follow.

The challenge of bringing the pandemic under control requires us to set aside all other differences and focus on the public health crisis and its consequences. Had the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill and National Register of Citizens continued despite the pandemic and in defiance of the lockdown, Indias present situation would have been a whole lot worse.

Compare this to the United States, where over a thousand epidemiologists and public health experts supported the Black Lives Matter mass protests during an extant pandemic. Harvard epidemiologist Maia Majumder tweeted that police brutality is a public health problem; anything that causes mortality at such a scale is a public health problem." Politics has prevailed over science in such arguments. As The Atlantic magazines Conor Friedersdorf writes, The reinforcement of progressive social-justice narratives should not get in the way of simple truth-telling." Yet, they have, and thousands of people are on the streets risking their own health and those of others for a cause. Reasons Robby Soave rejects the view that the righteousness of the cause is somehow a mitigating factor for spreading the disease", but yet another chapter is now being written in the tragic tale of how the US has botched up its response to the covid-19 pandemic.

We should avoid getting there. The Indian government would do well to reconsider socially controversial aspects of its pre-pandemic political agenda. Locking up university students and street protesters in New Delhi at a time when courts are not fully functioning and police forces are overstretched should not be a priority at this time. Should the relationship between police forces and citizens takes an adversarial turn again, India will suffer a lot more damage than it already has, and that we can ill afford.

To rebuild the economy, we must focus on rebuilding social capital. To rebuild social capital, we need greater compassion across society. So many of the humanitarian tragedies that unfolded over the past few months could have been avoided or mitigated had we shown more compassion: in making migrants feel safe, making food available, in saving small businesses and giving money directly to those who are in most need. This is not merely an indictment of our Union and state governments. It is an indictment of our society as a whole.

It is easy to dismiss compassion as being a social issue or personal matter and absolve public policy of any role in it. That would be wrong, given its importance to national prosperity and well-being. Indeed, it is perhaps inattention to the need for a compassionate society that lies at the root of our social and economic problems. Across parties and ideologies, whether in the name of social justice, inclusion or nationalism, our politics tends to promote policies of us versus them" that creates resentment and undermines compassion.

To be clear, the call for compassion as a goal of public policy is not a call for redistribution of wealth. Higher taxes and mandatory corporate social responsibility do not create compassion. Then how do we go about it? The Buddhist philosophical traditions answer is to start with an internal transformation, brought about by reflection, meditation and the experience of benevolent living. Meanwhile, neuroscience is confirming the view that brain functions can be changed and compassion cultivated. The public policy challenge is to make this inner quest a social outcome. How do we create incentives for compassionate behaviour? We have to, well, reflect on this.

What is clear, though, is that political leaders and policymakers should avoid deepening social disruption and the generalized mistrust in society, especially at this time, tempting as the opportunities might be. A pandemic is not the time for taking political prisoners. Nor indeed for us to be imprisoned in our own politics.

Nitin Pai is co-founder and director of The Takshashila Institution, an independent centre for research and education in public policy

Subscribe to newsletters

* Enter a valid email

* Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Originally posted here:
Opinion | The role that compassion could play in Indias economic revival - Livemint

Physiology

How ‘microgravity’ changes the bodies of astronauts – The Next Web

Being an astronaut looks like an exciting and glamorous career. But have you ever thought about the dangers that these people face by being exposed to extreme conditions, such as radiation and microgravity?

Living and working in microgravity can impact your whole body in different ways. On the other hand, the human body is capable of adapting its physiology to survive in diverse conditions.

[S]paceflight poses unique medical problems due to prolonged exposure to a combination of stressful stimuli, such as acceleration forces, radiation, and weightlessness. In particular, the latter condition is a critical feature of [spaceflight] and has effects on human physiology which were quite unexpected at the beginning of space exploration, TheNational Institutes of Healthdescribes.

Microgravity is the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless.

You may have heard that there is no gravity in space. This is not quite true. In fact, a small amount of gravity can be found everywhere in space.

Gravity becomes weaker with distance. The International Space Station orbits our planet at an altitude between 320 and 400 kilometers (200 and 250 miles) above the Earth. At that altitude, Earths gravity is about 90 percent of what it is on the planets surface.

The real reason people and objects float in orbit is because that they are in free fall. On Earth, objects with more air resistance fall more slowly than objects able to slip through air more easily. In a vacuum, gravity makes objects fall at the same rate.

Sometimes,astronauts have to spend months in microgravity, so NASA and other space agencies carefully study the effects of microgravity in order to keep astronauts safe and healthy.

Astronauts who live on the space station spend months in microgravity. Astronauts who travel to Mars also would spend months in microgravity traveling to and from the Red Planet,NASA reports.

Under gravity, standing upright, fluid distribution creates higher arterial pressure in the feet (200 mmHg) than in the head (70 mmHg) relative to the heart (100 mmHg).

On Earth, with its normal gravity, all changes in posture such as when lying down, sitting, or standing as well as changes in activity levels such as through exercising require the heart and vascular system to regulate blood pressure and distribution by adjusting the heart rate (beats per minute), amount of blood ejected by the heart (or stroke volume), and constriction or dilation of the distributing arteries. These adjustments assure continued consciousness by providing oxygen to the brain or continued ability to work, with oxygen going to the working muscles,NASA describes.

Inspace, blood redistribution toward the head causes altered responses of the nervous and endocrine systems.

Besides that, the increased fluid within the skull increases brain pressure, causing hearing loss, brain edema, and deformation of the eye known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).

Acute exposure to microgravity can also cause symptoms of anorexia, vomiting, nausea, and headache, also known as space motion sickness. Fortunately,astronauts bodies can adaptto this in 4872 hours.

Because of microgravity, astronauts muscles are not required to support their body weight. Due to reduced use, they may suffer from muscle atrophy. This can make them unable to do physically demanding tasks while on a mission.

Its the same sensation you feel after spending the whole day laying down, and then try to take a walk right after. It feels like your muscles cant perform their job correctly.

In order to preventing thesehealth problems, astronauts exercise regularly, providing much-needed exercise in the microgravity environment.

Fluid distribution caused by microgravity affects the blood supply to the eye with an impact on its vascularization. Thats why someastronautsmay suffer from blurred vision, requiring them to wear glasses during the mission.

Gravity is the fundamental reference that tells us which way is down. To accomplish that function, we have receptors in our inner ears that act as our guidance system, helping to track the orientation of our bodies.

Microgravity makesastronautslose this reference, so they can feel disoriented and have difficulty coordinating their movements.

In space there is no gravitational force telling the inner ear which way is up and down. So while our eyes can certainly see a ceiling and floor in the spacecraft, our brains cannot register this. This causes nausea and dizziness. Some astronauts experience headaches and vertigo, theBBC reports.

Astronauts nervous systems usually adapt very quickly. By the third day of the flight, most of them cant feel the discomfort they felt when they first arrived in space.

Once they return to the Earth, they will have to face another process of adapting their physiological systems to gravity again.

On return to Earth, gravity once again pulls the blood and fluids into the abdomen and legs. The loss of blood volume, combined with atrophy of the heart and blood vessels that can occur in space, reduces the ability to regulate a drop in blood pressure that happens when we stand on Earth. Some astronauts experience orthostatic intolerance difficulty or inability to stand as a result of light headedness and/or fainting after return to Earth,NASA describes.

The human body is an incredible machine that can do amazing things. Of course, it requires a lot of training and dedication, and this is something at which astronauts excel.

This article was originally published on The Cosmic Companion byDr. Ana Luiza Dias.You can read this original piece here.

Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion is also available as a weekly podcast, carried on all major podcast providers. Tune in every Tuesday for updates on the latest astronomy news, and interviews with astronomers and other researchers working to uncover the nature of the Universe.

Read more from the original source:
How 'microgravity' changes the bodies of astronauts - The Next Web

Physiology

Letter to the editor: How to learn more about evolution – The Hutchinson News

SundayJun7,2020at12:00PM

I am writing in response the John Wojakowskis editoral questioning evolution. It is easy to ask questions about and misquote articles on evolution, but it is not as easy to explain the complex science supporting it. It cant be done in an editorial, but I would like to refer your readers to several online articles that refute his propositions.

The first is Four Famous Transitional Fossils That Support Evolution by Shaena Montanari on http://www.forbes.com. Wojakowskis claim of circular reasoning is both bad science and bad logic.

The second article is The Fossil Fallacy by Michael Shermer at www. scientificamerican.com. Shermer states that we know evolution happened because of a convergence of evidence from such diverse fields as geology, paleontology, biogeography, comparative anatomy and physiology and many more. Fossils are but one line of inquiry.

The third article is Did 90% of Animal Species Appear about the Same Time as Human Beings published at the website Biologos. The conclusion Wojakowski stated is nowhere given in the article quoted by him. This article asks if the title claim is true and concludes The answer is no.

Wojakowskis report on the University of Michigans results reveal as lack of insight regarding the time frame of evolution. Evolution occurred over hundreds of millions of years, so 1.5 million is the blink of an evolutionary eye.

Science is too complex to be discussed in the editorial page, but I hope this rebuttal will be printed.

Janet Stotts, Topeka

Visit link:
Letter to the editor: How to learn more about evolution - The Hutchinson News

Physiology

Big Bang Theory: What is the Nobel Prize? What did Sheldon and Amy win a Nobel Prize for? – Express

He established the five prizes to be awarded for those working in Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine in 1895.

The executors of the will, Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist formed the Nobel Foundation and the first award ceremony took place in 1901.

Each winner is known as a laureate and as part of their award, they receive a gold medal, a diploma, and a sum of money that has been decided by the Nobel Foundation.

The Nobel Prize may not be shared by more than three individuals.

The Nobel Foundation website states as of 220, each prize is worth 9,000,000 SEK, which is approximately $935,366 and 716,224.

Originally posted here:
Big Bang Theory: What is the Nobel Prize? What did Sheldon and Amy win a Nobel Prize for? - Express

Physiology

Fighting racism calls for action, not empty words – The Guardian

The statement from the college heads of Oxford University is a weak voice wafting over the perfectly trimmed college hedges answering the angry calls of protesters outside (Letters, 4 June). It is not good enough. Many colleges were built on the systematic abuse of black lives and livelihoods. The statement is passive and allows racism to breathe when black men and women cannot.

While recognising the role that education can play in building racial equality and fair inclusion of black voices, the heads fail to acknowledge that education perpetuates inequality and the silencing of black voices. If the Black Lives Matter movement is going to succeed, then we must recognise our past and present failures.

They write to reassert our belief in the need to promote, protect and advance equal dignity and respect, but to reassert statements only acknowledges that previous statements, like this one, have been ineffective. No marks are awarded for repetition in Oxford exams and I am not going to give them any for repeating hopes, wishes and acknowledgements, with no resultant action.

This statement comes from the high echelons of academia, yet I can only conclude that the authors are either out of touch or unable to admit their part in the problem. Despite the influence these heads wield, they have offered no suggestions or ideas to create effective and meaningful change. This statement means nothing other than we made a statement so weve done something, please stop shouting at us. This is a failure to support the ignored and unheard.

It is time to see statements of performative justice not just as ineffective, but offensive. And all this anger from a privileged white girl. Imagine the anger and pain of those who feel the effects of this prejudice constantly.Ginny GoughCambridge

Concerning the letter by the heads of Oxford colleges, may we make three points. First, while education, open discussion, etc, are useful tools to tackle racism, they are never enough. As many reports have pointed out, economic inequality also plays a crucial role, and all attempts should be made to reduce its blatant forms. Second, racism does not begin at the age of 18. It starts much earlier and we need to mobilise pre-university institutions as well. Third, we hope the authors are not using the term black just to mean black members of our community but in the modern political sense of non-whites. While recent events in the US continue to reveal the egregious treatment of members of the black community, one should not forget the Chinese, the Indians, the Pakistanis and the Jews, among others, who too have been frequent victims of systemic racism.Anant Parekh Department of Physiology, University of Oxford, Bhikhu Parekh Labour, House of Lords

In the surreal times we are living through, the simple act of breathing has taken on a disturbing dual symbolism. On the one hand, we have seen the tireless efforts of NHS staff to help Covid-19 patients breathe, while on the other, we witness the horrific events in the United States where police officers have killed a black man by denying him the ability to breathe (Trump and Biden offer starkly different visions with nation at a crossroads, 2 June).

Covid-19 has disproportionately affected minority communities in both the UK and the US. The persistence of racial inequality in both countries should be yet another wake-up call to put adequate measures in place to deal with structural racism. The question is will either government really be committed to addressing this issue?Dr Edie FriedmanExecutive director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality

Join the debate email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

Read more Guardian letters click here to visit gu.com/letters

See the original post:
Fighting racism calls for action, not empty words - The Guardian

Physiology

5 tips to get you off the sofa because sitting more during COVID-19 is hurting your health – The Conversation CA

With the Canadian government continuing to recommend physical distancing measures, many people are finding themselves confined to their homes more than ever before. While some are citing the benefits of being able to work from home and having time for self-care, the closures of recreational facilities and commercial gyms make physical distancing a barrier to physical activity for many.

In response, several health organizations and groups are emphasizing the importance of meeting physical activity guidelines. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology recommends 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week, which is roughly 30 minutes of exercise a day, five days a week. Assuming people are spending half an hour a day exercising, and then factoring in the 7.5 to eight hours of sleep the average adult gets, that leaves 15.5 waking hours unaccounted for.

So, what are people doing in the other 97 per cent of the day they spend awake? If youre like the average Canadian, then 9.5 hours of your day is spent sitting.

Sitting, a form of sedentary behaviour (along with lying down and reclining), is one of the most prevalent, habitual and invisible behaviours we perform. We sit in nearly every aspect of our lives from eating to commuting and working to screen time and more.

This is especially true of home-based sitting given the current stay-at-home recommendations. Netflix and other streaming services announced significant increases in traffic and new subscribers recently, while app downloads and weekly time spent on apps have also skyrocketed in the past months.

But why is sitting this much so bad? It may sound harmless, but chronic excessive levels of sitting have been associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and even some cancers. Even among young people, for whom chronic disease risk isnt as immediately concerning, excessive sitting poses a potential harm through an increased risk of depression and anxiety.

Perhaps most concerning is that these increased risks are independent of physical activity levels meaning even if you exercise regularly, youre still placing yourself at risk for all of these diseases if you spend too much time sitting.

So, what can be done to combat all the sitting we do? Put simply just standing up. Merely standing up or walking for about five minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and even death.

Unfortunately, its not as easy as it sounds. As a health behaviour researcher at Western University, I help people to develop action plans to reduce their sitting. Because we are so used to sitting everywhere, all the time, we typically dont mention sitting when describing activities we are doing. For example, we think of watching TV, not sitting down and watching TV.

Its difficult enough to change a habit or behaviour when you know its happening. Things get harder when you also consider that nearly every environment is designed for sitting: couches, chairs, cars, offices, etc. However, there are things we can do to make sitting less easier. Here are some practical strategies that Ive found to be useful for my participants to leave you in good standing:

Shape your environment: Just like being physically active is easier with the right equipment, modifying your space for standing and moving will make it easier to do so. This can be done by stacking some books for a standing desk or creating a route to pace in the house while on chatting on your phone.

Remind yourself youre sitting: Because sitting is so habitual for most of us, we often need a reminder to break it up. Setting an alarm for every 30 minutes before sitting down, or simply putting a sticky note on your computer screen or desk of when you sat down can be a useful prompt to get up more often.

Pair it up: A break from sitting isnt necessarily a break from what youre doing, such as working or watching TV. But if standing/moving distracts you from your task, then pair it with another healthy behaviour like drinking more water. Getting up to drink water will break up your sitting time, as will going to the washroom more often as a result. Plus, youll get all the benefits of drinking more water too.

Go the distance: When it comes to breaking up sitting time, the more frequent the breaks, the better. Incidental movement the moving we do while going about our day such as doing laundry or the steps we take while walking around our home is an easy way to break up sitting time. Try tracking your steps, and setting a step goal (aim for 2,000 more this week!) to help you monitor your progress.

Tell a friend: Keeping accountable with a housemate or friend can help keep you motivated. Most smartphones have a built-in activity tracker that can track your steps, with apps available to share this data with your social network. Competing for steps with a friend can put the health in healthy competition!

More here:
5 tips to get you off the sofa because sitting more during COVID-19 is hurting your health - The Conversation CA