Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

MPBSE 2020: Check the 12th Board Time Table And Other Details – Republic World – Republic World

Madhya Pradesh Board class 12th time table has been declaredon its official website. Check the official announcement from this link - http://mpbse.nic.in/The new dates for Madhya Pradesh Board class 12thexams havebeen declared from June 8 toJune 16, 2020.MP Board Class 12th exams have a revised examination pattern and passing marks now.Theboard exam was postponed due to COVID-19, but now after four phases of lockdown, India is slowly getting used to the new normal and is slowly restarting life as before.

image courtesy: MPBSE official website

ALSO READ|Karnataka SSLC Exam Time Table And Other Schedule Details That You Need To Know

image courtesy: MPBSE official website

image courtesy: MPBSE official website

For those who can't view the image properly, check out the table belowfor the morning shift.

June 9, 2020 - Higher Mathematics

June 10, 2020- Book Keeping and Accountancy

June 11, 2020 - Biology

June 12, 2020 - Business Economics

June 13, 2020 - Political Science

June 15, 2020 - Chemistry

ALSO READ|AP SSC Exam 2020 Time Table Out, 10th Board Exams Starting From July 10 | See Details

For the evening shift-

June 9, 2020 - Geography

June 10, 2020- Crop Production and Horticulture / First Paper for Vocational Course

June 11, 2020 -Economics

June 12, 2020 -Animal Husbandry, Milk Trade, Poultry and Fisheries

June 13, 2020 - Anatomy, Physiology and Health, Still Life and Design, Second Paper for Vocational Course

June 15, 2020 - Science Elements, History of Indian Art, Third Paper for Vocational Course

ALSO READ|Kerala SSLC Exam Time Table 2020: SSLC And Plus Two Exams To Be Held From May 26, 2020

ALSO READ|Bihar Board 10th Result: Here's Everything You Need To Know

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MPBSE 2020: Check the 12th Board Time Table And Other Details - Republic World - Republic World

Physiology

University of Oregon Department of Human Physiology Approved for Funding from ARCS Foundation – Yahoo Finance

LaGrange, GA, May 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARCS Foundation is pleased to announce the addition ofUniversity of OregonsDepartment of Human Physiologyto its approved departments for funding.

During ARCS January 2020 National Board Meeting in Tempe, Arizona, the National University Relations Committee approved adding this cutting-edge graduate program to the departments already approved by ARCS. This department marks the 614th program of study endorsed for ARCS Scholar Award funding across 49 top-ranking US universities for science, technology, engineering, and medical research.

The Department of Human Physiology provides graduate students with training in human physiology and anatomy that will prepare them for careers in medicine, allied health professions, and biomedical research. According to Hal Sadofsky, Divisional Dean of Natural Sciences at University of Oregon, the departments graduate students are on the frontlines of important microbiological and physiological breakthroughs.

The work these students are doing ranges from research that will help understand how cardiovascular systems change when people age, to the neuroscience of breath control, Parkinsons and other movement disorders, to heart function and the role of exercise in human health and musculoskeletal function. In the lab, students use both physiological and engineering methods to evaluate human subjects, as well as animal models related to human physiology.

Some of the programs current research focuses on human adaptations to environmental extremes such as high altitude and hot or cold temperatures; effect of age-associated changes in blood vessels on the risk of atherosclerosis; and use of environmental stressors such as heat to induce therapeutic benefits in patients.

The departments endorsement by ARCS Foundation is both a boost to the individual students who will receive ARCS Scholar Awards and a vote of confidence in a department were committed to advancing, Sadofsky says. University of Oregon is honored by the attention of ARCS Foundation.

To read the full list of ARCS university partners, follow thislink.

#

About ARCS Foundation: ARCS Foundation is a national nonprofit volunteer womens organization that promotes US competitiveness by providing financial awards to academically outstanding US citizens studying to complete degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and health disciplines at 49 of the nations leading research universities. The organization has awarded more than $115 million to more than 10,500 scholars since 1958. ARCS Foundation Scholars have produced thousands of research publications and patents, secured billions in grant funding, started science-related companies, and played a significant role in teaching and mentoring young people in the STEM pipeline. More information is available at arcsfoundation.org.

Rebekah LeeARCS Foundation Inc.706-407-2266rlee@asginfo.net

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University of Oregon Department of Human Physiology Approved for Funding from ARCS Foundation - Yahoo Finance

Physiology

Don’t miss: The science of taking a stroll – New Scientist News

New Scientist's weekly round-up of the best books, films, TV series, games and more that you shouldn't miss

Kiliii Yuyan/The British Museum

Arctic: culture and climate is an exhibition at the British Museum covering everything from 28,000-year-old mammoth ivory jewellery to modern snow mobiles. Though it has been postponed, you can now view it online.

ABC/Matthias Clamer

Advertisement

Marvels Agents of SHIELD sees the always affable Clark Gregg return as agent Phil Coulson for one last ride. The final, time-tripping series of Marvels most successful foray into television will be available on ABC and Netflix from 27 May.

The Science of Walking is all about how there is more to taking a stroll than meets the eye. Physiology, neurology, anthropology and psychiatry all feature in Andreas Mayers fascinating account of an everyday activity.

More on these topics:

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Don't miss: The science of taking a stroll - New Scientist News

Physiology

Global warming now pushing heat into territory humans cannot tolerate – The Conversation UK

The explosive growth and success of human society over the past 10,000 years has been underpinned by a distinct range of climate conditions. But the range of weather humans can encounter on Earth the climate envelope is shifting as the planet warms, and conditions entirely new to civilisation could emerge in the coming decades. Even with modern technology, this should not be taken lightly.

Being able to regulate our temperature has played a key role in enabling humans to dominate the planet. Walking on two legs, without fur, and with a sweat-based cooling system, were well designed to beat the heat. But hot weather already limits our ability to work and stay healthy. In fact, our physiology places bounds on the level of heat and humidity we can cope with.

The normal temperature you see reported on weather forecasts is called the drybulb temperature. Once that rises above about 35C, the body must rely on evaporating water (mainly through sweating) to dissipate heat. The wetbulb temperature is a measure that includes the chilling effect from evaporation on a thermometer, so it is normally much lower than the drybulb temperature. It indicates how efficiently our sweat-based cooling system can work.

Once the wetbulb temperature crosses about 35C, the air is so hot and humid that not even sweating can lower your body temperature to a safe level. With continued exposure above this threshold, death by overheating can follow.

A 35C limit may sound modest, but it isnt. When the UK sweltered with a record drybulb temperature of 38.7C in July 2019, the wetbulb temperature in Cambridge was no more than 24C. Even in Karachis killer heatwave of 2015, the wetbulb temperature stayed below 30C. In fact, outside a steam room, few people have encountered anything close to 35C. It has mostly been beyond Earths climate envelope as human society has developed.

But our recent research shows that the 35C limit is drawing closer, leaving an ever-shrinking safety margin for the hottest and most humid places on Earth.

Read more: Will three billion people really live in temperatures as hot as the Sahara by 2070?

Modelling studies had already indicated that wetbulb temperatures could regularly cross 35C if the world sails past the 2C warming limit set out in the Paris climate agreement in 2015, with The Persian Gulf, South Asia and North China Plain on the frontline of deadly humid heat.

Our analysis of wetbulb temperatures from 1979-2017 did not disagree with these warnings about what may be to come. But whereas past studies had looked at relatively large regions (on the scale of major metropolitan areas), we also examined thousands of weather station records worldwide and saw that, at this more local scale, many sites were closing in much more rapidly on the 35C limit. The frequency of punishing wetbulb temperatures (above 31C, for example) has more than doubled worldwide since 1979, and in some of the hottest and most humid places on Earth, like the coastal United Arab Emirates, wetbulb temperatures have already flickered past 35C. The climate envelope is pushing into territory where our physiology cannot follow.

The consequences of crossing 35C, however brief, have perhaps been mainly symbolic so far, as residents of the hottest places are used to riding out extreme heat by sheltering in air-conditioned spaces. But relying on artificial cooling to cope with the growing heat would supercharge energy demand and leave many people dangerously exposed to power failures. It would also abandon the most vulnerable members of society and doesnt help those who have to venture outside.

The only way to avoid being carried further and more frequently into uncharted heat territory is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. The economic slowdown during the coronavirus pandemic is expected to slash emissions by 4-7% in 2020, bringing them close to where global emissions were in 2010. But concentrations of greenhouse gases are still rising rapidly in the atmosphere. We must also adapt where possible, by encouraging simple behavioural changes (like avoiding outdoor daytime activity) and by ramping up emergency response plans when heat extremes are imminent. Such steps will help to buy time against the inexorable forward march of the Earths climate envelope.

We hope that our research illuminates some of the challenges that may await us as global temperatures rise. The emergence of unprecedented heat and humidity beyond what our physiology can tolerate is just a portion of what could be in store. An even warmer and wetter world risks generating climate extremes beyond any human experience, including the potential for a whole host of unknown unknowns.

We hope that the sense of vulnerability to surprises left by COVID-19 invigorates global commitments to reaching carbon neutrality recognising the value in preserving conditions that are somewhat familiar, rather than risking what may be waiting in a very novel climate ahead.

Click here to subscribe to our climate action newsletter. Climate change is inevitable. Our response to it isnt.

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Global warming now pushing heat into territory humans cannot tolerate - The Conversation UK

Physiology

Study: Yoga may ease symptoms of depression – WXII The Triad

Weekly sessions of yoga may ease depressive symptoms in people with other mental health issues, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research."This is a great result to now encourage people who might be thinking about trying yoga that there's some scientific evidence that it can be effective for helping reduce depressive symptoms," said exercise physiologist and study author Jacinta Brinsley, a doctoral candidate at the University of South Australia.Depression is often associated with other mental health conditions. For example, 20 to 40% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and 72% of people diagnosed with lifetime anxiety also suffer from depression."Exercise has always been a great strategy for people struggling with these feelings as it boosts both mood and health. But as gyms and exercise classes of all kinds are now closed," Brinsley said, "people are looking for alternatives, and this is where yoga can help."More yoga sessions helpedThe new analysis, published Monday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, reviewed 19 randomized controlled clinical trials, considered one of the higher-quality methods of research, conducted in the United States, India, Japan, China, Germany and Sweden.People in the studies had a formal diagnosis of alcohol dependence, depressive and bipolar disorders, a psychosis such as schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress syndrome, called PTSD.Participants did an average of one to two weekly yoga sessions between 20 and 90 minutes long, in which at least half the session was physical movement."This is any kind of yoga where asana postures and movement are the main focus," Brinsley said. "Most yoga classes that are delivered in gyms or studios today in Western society would fit this criteria. The most common styles would be: Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Power Yoga."Yoga sessions were continued for an average of 2.5 months in the studies.The results showed that yoga moderately eased depressive symptoms compared with no or self-help treatment across the mental health spectrum, with some conditions benefiting more than others.The study found a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms for people diagnosed with depressive disorders and a significant reduction for those with schizophrenia. There was a small effect on alcohol use disorders but no impact on depression associated with PTSD.For those that it helped, the more yoga sessions a person did each week, the less depressed they became, according to the analysis."The study's findings suggest that the more yoga you do, the better the effect. Although we don't know the exact 'dose' you need, those who did more yoga sessions per week had greater reductions in depressive symptoms," said Laurie Hyland Robertson, the editor in chief of Yoga Therapy Today, a journal published by the International Association of Yoga Therapists.Because yoga was more effective as part of some diagnoses like schizophrenia and anxiety than others, such as PTSD, the results underscore "the importance of working with a professional who can tailor yoga practices to the individual, adapting the care plan as needed," said Robertson, who was not involved with the study.Why yoga?Yoga, of course, is a form of physical exercise, and exercise is widely recommended to help ease depression and other mental health conditions. Scientists believe exercise increases blood circulation to the brain, especially areas like the amygdala and hippocampus which both have roles in controlling motivation, mood and response to stress."We know that exercise is effective for improving mental health through a number of mechanisms, one of which is endorphins," the body's feel-good hormone, Brinsely said.Other possible mechanisms, she said, are regulation of the body's central stress response system, called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as yoga's impact on improving sleep quality and the increase in social interaction that yoga classes can bring.But yoga is also a spiritual discipline, designed to meld body and mind. A yoga lifestyle incorporates physical postures, breath regulation and mindfulness through the practice of meditation."Yogic philosophy teaches that the body, mind and spirit are all interconnected what you do in one area, for example, a physical exercise to strengthen your leg muscles, will have an effect in all of the other areas of your system," said Robertson, who coauthored the book "Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-Being.""So we can expect that leg exercise, especially when you approach it in a mindful, purposeful way, to affect not only your quadriceps but also your emotional state, your body's physiology and even your mental outlook," she said.Mixed study resultsPsychophysiological benefits of yoga have been studied since the early 1900s, finding the practice can reduce stress, regulate emotion, boost mood and instill a sense of well-being.Stress reduction and mood regulation are obviously key to improving all sorts of mental health problems, so therapists began incorporating yoga into their treatment plans.Much of the early research on yoga as therapy occurred in India, but today research has occurred around the world. Studies have explored the benefits of yoga therapy for anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder.A 2018 review of more than eight studies of 300 people, for example, found yoga may reduce high anxiety levels, but only short-term. An earlier 2013 study found more benefit for anxiety when interventions included at least 10 yoga sessions.And a 2019 review concluded adding yoga to existing therapy can help with treatment of anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder.The National Institutes for Health, however, said that many of the studies that have been done on yoga included "only small numbers of people and haven't been of high quality. Therefore, in most instances, we can only say that yoga has shown promise for particular health uses, not that it's been proven to help."Brinsley said the new analysis however, differs from previous reviews as it includes a range of mental disorder diagnoses and thus provides a more comprehensive assessment of the potential benefits for depressive symptoms."A study like this one is definitely exciting for those of us in the professional yoga world," Robertson said."We know that many people with depression don't get better, or don't get completely better, with medications or other traditional therapy or they don't want to use these treatments for a variety of reasons so effective options to complement existing methods are urgently needed to help people suffering with depression."

Weekly sessions of yoga may ease depressive symptoms in people with other mental health issues, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research.

"This is a great result to now encourage people who might be thinking about trying yoga that there's some scientific evidence that it can be effective for helping reduce depressive symptoms," said exercise physiologist and study author Jacinta Brinsley, a doctoral candidate at the University of South Australia.

Depression is often associated with other mental health conditions. For example, 20 to 40% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and 72% of people diagnosed with lifetime anxiety also suffer from depression.

"Exercise has always been a great strategy for people struggling with these feelings as it boosts both mood and health. But as gyms and exercise classes of all kinds are now closed," Brinsley said, "people are looking for alternatives, and this is where yoga can help."

The new analysis, published Monday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, reviewed 19 randomized controlled clinical trials, considered one of the higher-quality methods of research, conducted in the United States, India, Japan, China, Germany and Sweden.

People in the studies had a formal diagnosis of alcohol dependence, depressive and bipolar disorders, a psychosis such as schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress syndrome, called PTSD.

Participants did an average of one to two weekly yoga sessions between 20 and 90 minutes long, in which at least half the session was physical movement.

"This is any kind of yoga where asana postures and movement are the main focus," Brinsley said. "Most yoga classes that are delivered in gyms or studios today in Western society would fit this criteria. The most common styles would be: Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Power Yoga."

Yoga sessions were continued for an average of 2.5 months in the studies.

The results showed that yoga moderately eased depressive symptoms compared with no or self-help treatment across the mental health spectrum, with some conditions benefiting more than others.

The study found a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms for people diagnosed with depressive disorders and a significant reduction for those with schizophrenia. There was a small effect on alcohol use disorders but no impact on depression associated with PTSD.

For those that it helped, the more yoga sessions a person did each week, the less depressed they became, according to the analysis.

"The study's findings suggest that the more yoga you do, the better the effect. Although we don't know the exact 'dose' you need, those who did more yoga sessions per week had greater reductions in depressive symptoms," said Laurie Hyland Robertson, the editor in chief of Yoga Therapy Today, a journal published by the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Because yoga was more effective as part of some diagnoses like schizophrenia and anxiety than others, such as PTSD, the results underscore "the importance of working with a professional who can tailor yoga practices to the individual, adapting the care plan as needed," said Robertson, who was not involved with the study.

Yoga, of course, is a form of physical exercise, and exercise is widely recommended to help ease depression and other mental health conditions. Scientists believe exercise increases blood circulation to the brain, especially areas like the amygdala and hippocampus which both have roles in controlling motivation, mood and response to stress.

"We know that exercise is effective for improving mental health through a number of mechanisms, one of which is endorphins," the body's feel-good hormone, Brinsely said.

Other possible mechanisms, she said, are regulation of the body's central stress response system, called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as yoga's impact on improving sleep quality and the increase in social interaction that yoga classes can bring.

But yoga is also a spiritual discipline, designed to meld body and mind. A yoga lifestyle incorporates physical postures, breath regulation and mindfulness through the practice of meditation.

"Yogic philosophy teaches that the body, mind and spirit are all interconnected what you do in one area, for example, a physical exercise to strengthen your leg muscles, will have an effect in all of the other areas of your system," said Robertson, who coauthored the book "Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-Being."

"So we can expect that leg exercise, especially when you approach it in a mindful, purposeful way, to affect not only your quadriceps but also your emotional state, your body's physiology and even your mental outlook," she said.

Psychophysiological benefits of yoga have been studied since the early 1900s, finding the practice can reduce stress, regulate emotion, boost mood and instill a sense of well-being.

Stress reduction and mood regulation are obviously key to improving all sorts of mental health problems, so therapists began incorporating yoga into their treatment plans.

Much of the early research on yoga as therapy occurred in India, but today research has occurred around the world. Studies have explored the benefits of yoga therapy for anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A 2018 review of more than eight studies of 300 people, for example, found yoga may reduce high anxiety levels, but only short-term. An earlier 2013 study found more benefit for anxiety when interventions included at least 10 yoga sessions.

And a 2019 review concluded adding yoga to existing therapy can help with treatment of anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder.

The National Institutes for Health, however, said that many of the studies that have been done on yoga included "only small numbers of people and haven't been of high quality. Therefore, in most instances, we can only say that yoga has shown promise for particular health uses, not that it's been proven to help."

Brinsley said the new analysis however, differs from previous reviews as it includes a range of mental disorder diagnoses and thus provides a more comprehensive assessment of the potential benefits for depressive symptoms.

"A study like this one is definitely exciting for those of us in the professional yoga world," Robertson said.

"We know that many people with depression don't get better, or don't get completely better, with medications or other traditional therapy or they don't want to use these treatments for a variety of reasons so effective options to complement existing methods are urgently needed to help people suffering with depression."

More:
Study: Yoga may ease symptoms of depression - WXII The Triad

Physiology

‘We have to try it’: Tuberculosis expert explores coronavirus vaccine research – Source

Q: The Mycobacteria Research Laboratories at CSU are known around the world for work on tuberculosis, leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases. How are you tapping into that expertise?

Jackson: Twenty-one faculty work in the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories and the combined expertise in genetics, physiology and immunology as it relates to mycobacterial infections is tremendous. Were now exploiting all of this knowledge from the MRL team.

My labs expertise is in mycobacterial genetics and physiology, which places us in a good position to generate the BCG vaccine candidates. Another researcher, Angelo Izzo, specializes in the testing of new vaccine candidates for TB and their comparison to BCG. He knows a lot about BCG and is a great resource. Dr. Mary Ann De Groote, an infectious disease clinician and mycobacterial infections specialist, currently treats COVID-19 patients in several locations across the Front Range. Finally, other MRL researchers like Marcela Henao-Tamayo, Brendan Podell, Randy Basaraba, Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero and Diane Ordway have longstanding experience studying the immune responses to mycobacteria, including the BCG vaccine.

The scientific environment at CSU couldnt be more optimal to undertake this vaccine project.

Link:
'We have to try it': Tuberculosis expert explores coronavirus vaccine research - Source

Physiology

Knowledge and recognition: new wave biometrics – Biometric Update

This is a guest post by Ajay Bhalla, President, Cyber & Intelligence at Mastercard.

How do we know someone is who they say they are? It used to be simple. People were identified by sight, name, voice or, if needed, a trusted third party could vouch for them. We relied on a combination of known attributes and recognition to verify the identity of an individual. Only later came documents like passports, ID cards and drivers licences.

Today the question is more challenging: How do I identify someone I dont know, cant see and isnt physically present? We can exchange knowledge in the form of passwords, PINs, memorable data or personal details. But these verification methods come at a price not least the loss of privacy, inconvenience, insecurity and identity fraud.

The first wave of biometrics physical has provided a solution. Matching physical features to known attributes, whether fingerprint, face, voice or a range of emerging factors. But the new wave of biometrics behavioural provides even greater possibilities when combined with physical.

In 2023 alone, its anticipated that 37.2 billion transactions, at a value of $2 trillion, will be authenticated by biometrics. And most of those transactions are remote the individual is not present. The biometrics revolution is clearly upon us. And thats because this pivotal technology addresses a fundamental challenge of transacting in the expanding digital world it allows us to more accurately confirm we are who we say we are. Its a return to knowledge and recognition but this time the science of familiarity is powered by AI.

Enhancing physical biometrics

Physical biometrics continue to diversify, making existing solutions (e.g. fingerprint, face and voice) more secure and intelligent, and exploring new physiological credentials (e.g. palm and eye) to verify an individuals identity. Here are just a few of the developments taking hold:

Touchless fingerprint scanners These readers acquire fingerprint images using advanced 3D imaging technology without the need to touch the device. This overcomes challenges associated with sensor-based scanners, such as wet and dry fingers, ghost images left on the scanner and hygiene concerns.

Fingerprint on debit and credit cards These cards combine embedded fingerprint sensors with chip technology for dual authentication to make transactions more secure. The digital fingerprint is encrypted on the card, avoiding honey pots of sensitive information and increasing data security.

Palmprint and palm vein Quite simply, the palm is larger than the finger, meaning more distinctive features can be captured. As the contactless scanning technology improves, palmprints could become more widespread. Palm vein scanning where infrared light is used to scan unique and complex vein structures could represent a further evolution here. As an internal biometric, its harder to fake. And its based on blood flow, so has an inbuilt test of life.

Recognising behaviour

In the real world, we rely on more than just physical appearance to identify an individual. Similarly, in the digital world, we need to go beyond physical biometrics and factor in advanced technologies like AI and machine learning (ML) that recognise behavioural traits.

Consider a hypothetical example: your neighbour, Lyn, knocks on your door to borrow your lawnmower. You feel confident in lending it to her because, first, you recognise Lyn (physiology). Second, its not unexpected for you to see your neighbour at your front door (context). Third, Lyn has borrowed the mower before (history), and as a result you assess (intelligence) the risk of lending her the lawnmower as low. All of these factors combine to create a high level of confidence in that particular interaction.

In the same way, AI and ML are capable of learning to recognise behaviours relevant to the task at hand and making split-second decisions. In mobile commerce, behavioural analytics can assess the passive biometrics of how an individual interacts with their phone: how they type, swipe and navigate websites and apps. From those individual data points, a user profile can be created which is difficult for fraudsters to spoof. AI and ML solutions are also effective because they learn. The more samples they have, the smarter the identification will be. They can also be a dynamic presence. Known as continuous verification, multiple behavioural biometrics can be combined in the background to constantly verify the individual, without this additional layer of security causing any disruption at all.

Crucially, these authentication techniques dont require extensive personal information. You dont need to know Lyns date or place of birth, her criminal record, bank balance or maiden name in order to lend her the lawnmower. You just need to know enough to recognise Lyn and to be confident she can be trusted in this interaction.

Biometrics beyond transactions

It isnt just consumer transactions that are being transformed. Patient safety and privacy have long been important issues in healthcare. And with a rise in demand for contactless and virtual services, biometrics have a huge role to play, ensuring that everyone has safe access to the vital support that they need. Voice authentication for example, can be used as a far more secure and convenient login to telemedicine portals, allowing physicians to quickly and securely access patients medical records.

This forms part of a wider need for better identification in the industry. In 2007, it was revealed that over a single year, thousands of patients in the UK received the wrong treatment because of identification errors. To combat this, healthcare providers and hospitals are increasingly deploying palm vein scanning for patients and fingerprinting new-born babies and their mothers.

The high levels of security and number of checkpoints demanded in the travel sector also make it a prime focus for the application of biometrics. With the need for social distancing and hygiene of paramount importance, facial recognition and phone-based fingerprint biometrics are really coming into their own.

As employees begin to return to places of work around the world, biometric solutions will become a mainstay of working lives to enter the building, log into devices and access documents. Continuous verification will work in the background to improve employee experience, security and prevent repeat logins.

One thing is clear: we are going to see the importance of and dependence on biometrics play an exponential role in how we transact and interact moving forward. The current crisis has led to an uptick in cyber-attacks and the importance of strong authentication has come to the fore.

Effective biometrics melt into the broader experience of consumer-centric services. The advent of biometric solutions has prompted a shift from knowledge-based methods of verification to those that employ intelligent recognition replacing the password with the person. But the continued adoption of such technology is dependent on users faith in its safety. As our identity becomes increasingly digital, those of us designing the technology need to make sure were also advancing trust in it. That means employing security-by-design, an approach that places the protection of identity data at the heart of biometrics. Knowledge, recognition and security.

To learn more about biometrics, read From Password to Person: Evolution of Biometrics produced by Mastercard, in association with the International Center for Biometric Research and The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) at Purdue University.

About the author

Ajay Bhalla is president of cyber and intelligence solutions for Mastercard. He leads the team that develops products or solutions that enhance safety, security and experience for consumers, merchants, partners and governments around the world. Ajay is a member of the companys management committee.

DISCLAIMER: Biometric Updates Industry Insights are submitted content. The views expressed in this post are that of the author, and dont necessarily reflect the views of Biometric Update.

authentication | behavioral biometrics | biometric identification | biometrics | contactless | digital identity | identity verification | Mastercard | secure transactions

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Knowledge and recognition: new wave biometrics - Biometric Update

Physiology

Fish might have to trade brains for brawn – Pet Business World News

Climate change could leave freshwater fish with bigger brains but a reduced ability to effectively explore their surroundings, scientists have found.

In order to survive, the worlds aquatic life will need to adapt to the warmer waters that global warming will produce in the coming decades.

New research by University of Glasgow biologists suggests that the physiological changes fish will undergo in warmer rivers might require them to trade brains for brawn, with potentially challenging consequences.

In order to test how living in warmer waters might affect cold-blooded freshwater fish, researchers from the Universitys Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine fished minnows from the river Kelvin, close to the university, and split them into two groups.

One group of minnows was raised in tanks filled with water kept at the rivers usual temperature of 14C. The other spent their time in tanks heated to 20C, at the higher end of the temperature range climate scientists expect the river could reach by the end of the 21st century.

BEHAVIOUR

Over the course of eight months, the researchers paid close attention to each minnows physiology and behaviour, and watched how they interacted with their environment.

Measuring the minnows oxygen consumption at rest and during exercise showed that the fish in the warmer tanks used more energy in both states, suggesting their metabolisms had ratcheted up as they adapted to the heat.

The researchers also observed that the minnows from the 20C tanks developed bigger brains than their cooler counterparts. However, despite their bigger brains, they performed significantly worse in a test designed to measure their ability to navigate and find food.

They struggled to navigate a maze to reach a mealworm and, even though they had four attempts to learn the layout of the puzzle, their performance did not improve with repetition.

Dr Libor Zavorka, the papers lead author, said: While the minnows we studied were able to adapt to live in the warmer water, their reduced ability to find their way around in order to catch food does raise some questions. Although we found their brains were larger, they seemed less able to accomplish the simple tasks that minnows carry out every day.

BRAIN

Its likely that the expansion of brain tissue isnt accompanied by an expansion of neural density, so their brains dont provide any additional benefits for being larger. Brain tissue requires a lot of energy to maintain, so its likely that the minnows bigger brains act solely as a drain on their resources.

As their metabolisms increase to cope with the larger brains and the increased temperature of the water, they will need to eat more to fuel their bodies but if they are less able to find food efficiently, they will need to spend more energy looking for it.

Professor Shaun Killen, head of the research group which produced the study, said: We chose minnows for this study because theyre a useful model species, found in many places across the northern hemisphere across a broad range of temperatures.

Surprisingly, this research is the first real study of how fish physiology, brain structure and behaviours might be affected by the warming of their habitats.

Our findings suggest that disrupting the delicate balance between the minnows physiology and their environment causes some unexpected side-effects. Were keen to extend our research further to explore the potential outcomes for freshwater fish in the increasingly challenging environments they will face in the future.

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Fish might have to trade brains for brawn - Pet Business World News

Physiology

Nobel Prize for Medicine: Recipients awarded for discoveries of vaccines and treatments – Newsum

While the world is still looking for a vaccine to combat the coronavirus, there have been many eminent scientists in the past that have advanced the life expectancy of the human race because of their pioneering work into treatments for diseases and medical conditions.

Several such scientists and researchers have received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their groundbreaking work on vaccines and treatments for several diseases. In this article, we discuss the life and works of a few such scientists.

Emil Adolf von Behring 1901

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901 was awarded to Emil Adolf von Behring for his work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria, by which he has opened a new road in the domain of medical science and thereby placed in the hands of the physician a victorious weapon against illness and deaths.

Born in 15th March 1854 in current day Poland, Emil von Behring was a physiologist and was the first ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He demonstrated by his experiments that antibodies could be transferred from one person or animal to another by means of blood plasma or serum. This process caused the recipient also to become immune to a particular disease.

To cure diptheria a bacterial infection, Behring introduced serum from horses into humans and he was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Medicine for this innovative discovery.

Ronald Ross 1902

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1902 was awarded to Ronald Ross for his work on malaria, by which he has shown how it enters the organism and thereby has laid the foundation for successful research on this disease and methods of combating it.

Born on 13th May, 1857 in India, Ronald Ross was instrumental in bringing about an understanding of insect-borne diseases. He also proved the role of the Anopheles mosquito in the transmission of the malaria parasite in human beings. This knowledge laid the foundation for developing an effective method of combating the disease. Throughout his life, he worked on the ways to prevent the occurrence of malaria across the world.

He also held the position of Director in Chief of the Ross Institute and Hospital of Tropical Diseases and Hygiene, an organization established to honour his works, till his death.

However, Ross was also a polymath, who wrote poems, composed songs, and published novels. Apart from this, he was also a painter and a mathematician.

Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Howard Walter Florey 1945

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945 was awarded jointly to Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Howard Walter Florey for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases.

Born on 6th August 1881 in Scotland, Sir Alexander Fleming was instrumental in the discovery of penicillin, an antibiotic that is a mainstay in treating bacterial infections. The discovery process of penicillin is also worth reading! Fleming would often leave bowls with bacteria cultures around his worktable. Once, he noticed that apart from bacteria, a fungus mold also began growing, which hampered the growth of the bacteria. This discovery helped him infer that the mold contained a substance that could effective stop bacterial growth. And he called this substance penicillin.

After Sir Fleming discovered penicillin, the next step was to use it effectively in the pharmaceutical industry. However, creating penicillin in its pure form was not an easy task because of its instability.

Researchers Ernst Chain and Howard Florey successfully produced penicillin in its pure form, which subsequently led to the production of this antibiotic in large quantities for use in the pharmaceutical industry.

Max Theiler 1951

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1951 was awarded to Max Theiler for his discoveries concerning yellow fever and how to combat it.

Born on 30th January 1899 in South Africa, Theiler was awarded the Nobel Prize for developing a vaccine for yellow fever, which was known to be a deadly disease in the tropics. Yellow fever is caused by a virus and Theiler was successful in transmitting the virus to mice. When this virus was successfully transmitted between mice, Theiler discovered a weakened form of the virus that could make apes immune. Subsequently, a much weaker form of the virus called 17D was discovered, which could be used as a human vaccine.

Selman Abraham Waksman 1952

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1952 was awarded to Selman Abraham Waksman for his discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis.

Born on 22nd July 1888, Selman Waksman was an inventor, biochemist, and microbiologist. His path breaking research into the decomposition of organisms that live in soil was instrumental in the discovery of streptomycin, an antibiotic used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections. He was also successful in isolating numerous new antibiotics that include actinomycin (1940), clavacin, streptothricin (1942), streptomycin (1943), grisein (1946), neomycin (1948), fradicin, candicidin, candidin, and others.

Isnt it inspiring to read about these legends in the field of science and medicine? Do let us know your views on this piece in the comments section below.

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Nobel Prize for Medicine: Recipients awarded for discoveries of vaccines and treatments - Newsum

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SWAYAM: Admission Open For Courses Offered By IITs, IGNOU, Others – NDTV

Currently 14,630,319 students are enrolled in SWAYAM.

Admission is open for various new courses offered by IITs, IGNOU, IIM Bangalore, NCERT, and others on SWAYAM platform. Courses like Analytical Chemistry, Animal physiology, learning interactive mathematics software GeoGebra, etc. is available for students. SWAYAM or the Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds is an integrated platform for online courses for students from classes 9-12 to post graduate level. The courses are easily accessible to the students, are interactive and are available free of cost to students.

Candidates who enroll for the courses now will appear for the exams in September-October- November 2020. The duration of the courses ranges from minimum 4 weeks to maximum 24 weeks.

It's an opportunity to make the most of your time as #NPTEL courses are open for enrollment. Choose from a host of different and interesting subjects. Click the link for more information: https://t.co/rBncpEWbw2#StayHomeKeepLearning #SWAYAM #SwayamLearning #OnlineEducation pic.twitter.com/l1tjoipKM7

Currently 14,630,319 students are enrolled in SWAYAM and till date a total of 3,140 courses have been offered through this platform by 203 partnering institutes.

SWAYAM offers courses free of cost to students.

Courses delivered through SWAYAM are available free of cost to the students, however those who want a SWAYAM certificate should register for the final proctored exams paying exam fees and take the exam.

The courses offered are regulated by nine national coordinators: AICTE for self-paced and international courses. NPTEL for engineering, UGC for non technical post-graduation education, CEC for under-graduate education, NCERT & NIOS for school education, IGNOU for out of the school students, IIMB for management studies and NITTTR for Teacher Training programme.

As per the Class Central, a free online course aggregator from top universities like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, etc., six courses offered by government's SWAYAM platform have been placed among the top 30 online courses of 2019.

The courses are Academic Writing course offered by H.N.B Garhwal University (A Central University) Srinagar Garhwal; Digital Marketing course offered by Panjab University, Chandigarh; Animation course offered by Banaras hindu University, Mathematical Economics course offered by Doon University, Dehradun; IIT Madras' Python for Data Science course and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) course offered by Avianshilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

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SWAYAM: Admission Open For Courses Offered By IITs, IGNOU, Others - NDTV