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All we need is Empathy during the pandemic days

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March 27, 2020

All we need is Empathy during the pandemic days

In these days of trouble, one thing that we have to understand and make a strong effort toward solving is knowledge accessibility. There’s no second opinion on the inefficacy of our education system, which has led to an immense social and economic disparity. It requires intervention on the scale of infrastructure, governance, and execution, but most importantly, it requires empathy.

Ever since the spread of SARS- CoV-2 (COVID-19) started making rounds on news and social media, public health organizations and government institutes started to undertake interventions that could contain the spread of the virus, treat infected people and protect the ones who could be at risk.

Prevention, at many times, serves as the best tool to fight against such outbreaks. This is why everyone started rallying around “Flattening The Curve,” i.e., undertaking measures that will slow down the spread of the diseases, thus buying the first-responders a critical resource called time. Drastic measures have been taken to flatten this curve; countries have locked down, citizens put in quarantine, public gatherings have been banned.

Another essential campaign that started as an individual measure to help flatten the curve was washing hands with soap!

For us, knowing that we have a non-existent healthcare research ecosystem, which is translatory, individual and community-based measures such as physical distancing, washing hands, avoiding unnecessary contact with potentially harmful surfaces, covering face while coughing and sneezing, are the only options to spread the virus. Our present healthcare system can diagnose a limited amount of patients, but what next? Do we have enough ventilators? No. Is our spending on Science & Technology coupled with a policy framework at a position where a therapeutic could develop, tested, and deployed? No!

While there have been several guidelines distributed by WHO to ensure that the public takes necessary precautionary measures for protection against COVID-19, these guidelines are in English, and in Pakistan, at best, these are in Urdu. These circumstances make a significant portion of the population that cannot understand English, increasingly vulnerable.

Our team at Genes & Machines decided to undertake a community effort to increase the accessibility of precautionary guidelines for local communities within Pakistan, along with general awareness to prevent infections and the spread of viral diseases. We translated precautionary guidelines from English to Urdu, Sindhi, Balochi, and Pushto. We were supported by several local organizations and initiatives in Pakistan such as Pukhtoogle, Thar Education Alliance, Scientia, Campaignistan, The Writers Lounge, OASIS, along with others in their capacities.

These partners helped in ensuring two things,

The guidelines were accurately translated
They reached the people they were initially intended to.

And we were glad that it happened, but this isn’t enough. There are A vast majority of people who still are unaware of what to do at this point? There is a massive percentage of the population that does not have digital access.

These translations are open and free to use. In this challenging time, we want to help in whichever capacity we can to help spread the message to help spread the awareness. If you’re a content creator, a digital media agency, someone from the government, if you’re at home worried about what to tell your family and friends, if you want to announce it to your neighborhood through your local mosque, use these!

The guidelines are available at this link.

Also, this is a time where many people will go unnoticed, and these will be expected to affect the most by physical distancing and lockdowns, and also those who will not be able to afford the resources necessary to move to online education, help them out with the resources you have. We are all united, and together we can make a significant difference.

We are hopeful of keeping up these efforts to help create more guidelines and translate important research work if you want to partner, email at qasimhassnain@gmail.com.

Also, read The Technocrat strategies of Pakistani media in pandemic days

Coronavirus; Global Economic & Social recession

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Kaleem Ullah

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March 26, 2020

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Coronavirus; Global Economic & Social recession

The coronavirus pandemic is posing an exceptionally global threat – it has respected no border. It emerged from one particular location-Wuhan, but now more than 180 countries are suffering worldwide. According to Reuters news agency, globally confirmed cases have crossed the 390000 figure. This viral explosion is influencing nearly all domains: economy, society, politics – all are affected at a notable scale. Economic fall is near to cross its threshold: WTO warned that the virus outbreak can cause a more severe economic recession than 2008. As per Bloomberg’s latest report, the global economy could suffer $2.7tr which is equal UK total GDP. Social norms are also reversing drastically: people do avoid handshake, informal talks, and casual sports activities. Both socially and economically, this outbreak is becoming a massive challenge.

Economic Impacts

A strong economy is considered a hallmark of a nation’s progress. Growing economies ensure power and wealth, but when they get dwindled, everything suffers. Coronavirus is hitting the world’s economy in general and developing countries in particular. It is disrupting the supply of goods on a global scale; resultantly firms are in great trouble in meeting their targeted goals. The forecasters are predicting a looming recession which would be more disastrous than that of 2008.

In 2003, China’s economy was around 4 percent of the world’s GDP, and right before the Corona outbreak, it was marking 16.3 percent of the world’s total. As expected, pandemic gave a severe hit to China: it alone faced a dramatic loss of about $103bn or 0.8pc of its GDP – estimated by the Asian development bank. China and the US are the world’s largest economies. Any shock to these countries may shake the world’s market. Recently, the Wall Street stock exchange dropped over 13pc in a day due to virus fear. The UK Stock Exchange saw the most critical suffrage since 2008. Hot perils are knocking at the door as the IMF and WB are issuing new warnings to the economy. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World economy could grow at its slowest since 2009.

As expected, pandemic gave a severe hit to China. Image Source: Getty Images — As expected, the pandemic gave a severe hit to China. Image Source: Getty Images

Bloomberg forecasting that the global economy slides to 1.2pc which is far behind than that of the past year. The report further says that it may grow even slower than 1.0pc if the outbreak will keep on intensifying. Factories are facing complete suspension as workers prefer to stay at home to avoid the attack of COVID-19.

Tourism is also affected by the coronavirus outbreak. It’s been an income source for many countries but now has been drastically affected. Italy has blocked all of the tourist sites for an indefinite time. China, South Korea, and Japan have also issued warnings at tourists’ resorts. Tourism Industry is at the risk of confronting pronounced blows in the coming days.

Trade enterprise is also declining due to COVID-19. Due to lockdown, more than 1.7 billion people have to stay at home, says Reuter. By observing this all, one can envision the extent of disruption in trade activities. China’s global supply chain is experiencing history’s worse difficulties because China has put a shut over its trade corridors. Pakistan is among the top 20 countries that are being affected by China’s trade halt. Pakistan’s economy, says the Asian development bank(ADE), can suffer 1.7pc GDP loss due to the Coronavirus flare-up. Unfortunately, due to some policies lapses, 956 cases with COVID-19 have been confirmed. If the government failed to handle the situation timely, Pakistan could go into complete lockdown. However, tables can be turned with intellect and wisdom.

In short, the global economy is under pathetic assault. World leaders and scientists are struggling hard to control the circumstances. The need of the hour is to put a pause on the outbreak flow; otherwise, losses would be irreversible.

Tourism Industry is at the risk of confronting pronounced blows in the coming days. Image Source: EPA

Social Consequences of Coronavirus Outbreak

History reveals that pandemics keep on reversing the norms. Social distancing is becoming an individual obligation. China, being an epicenter, is feeling segregated from the rest of the world. Every person views it as a criminal. Italy prohibited its citizens from all the non-physical and sexual activities. The hysteria of the virus spurt is affecting people’s social activism. Social distancing, self-isolation, and fear have truly effected free socialization and the beauty of society.

Institutions, around the globe, are closed to prevent the spread. Academic activities are at a long hiatus. However, online classes may compensate, but only to those who are equipped with facilities and privileges. The academic break is extending for an indefinite period. Where the course of time will direct us, no one can predict with significant confidence.

COVID-19 has drastically impacted humanity. Chinese are at the center point of the world’s aversion. One Chinese citizen was severely whipped by US citizens with the slogan ‘go to China with Corona ‘. Countries abandoned their relations with Italy and China. Consequently, hate and discrimination are gaining ground. Our repulsive attitude will lead us nowhere.

Solidarity is the need of the hour. If nations exercise unification, peace and harmony will be maintained among them; otherwise, as the corona game will be over, a cold weapon pandemic may come into play.

“This world is a Union Town, and its time to show that”-Bob Rose

Also Read: Viruses are a critical driver of human evolution

The technocrat strategies of Pakistani media in pandemic days

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Fawwad Raza

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March 24, 2020

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The technocrat strategies of Pakistani media in pandemic days

Around 30 years ago, a great intellect Noam Chomsky came across some manipulating strategies the media often used, and these days, when we are having things like internet, Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms, media can influence our lives more than ever, and this influence does not necessarily always positive. Newsmaker has many ways to manipulate our consciousness. It seems that many media outlets in Pakistan have been trying to push their own agenda that often results in the truth being bent. Let’s check out the ways media misinterpret the fact in recent COVID19 outbreak.

#COVID19 –a novel virus from the coronavirus family has become a global pandemic in early March, more than 10 thousand people have died, and still there no break seems. Pakistan is also battling hard to counter the spread, and several preventive measures have been taken, including the closure of educational institutes, closing intercity and inter-provincial transport service, and a partial lockdown by closing wholesale and retail markets. Meanwhile, quarantine centers have been established to isolate patients or suspects of this novel-coronavirus, to cease its rapid spread.

After the World Health Organization had declared COVID19 a pandemic, the economists are outlining it as a state of emergency just like in a war. In this scenario, Media have a grave responsibility for educating masses about the crisis, precautions, preventions, and medication processes?

While International Media have specific scientific research desks that deal with daily scientific News, and in case of some epidemic outbreak in any part of the world, the science desk staff takes the lead to cover the stories. Editorial is bound to consult with the science desk editor, so only trustworthy News can be published or broadcast.

Unfortunately, in Pakistan, there have been fewer science communication activities, and none of our local universities is providing courses or education of science journalism. This identifies the need for the science desk in media outlets an extra expense. Most of the news channels are working without the existence of a science desk. A few leading media outlets have science journalists, but they are also not well trained or well connected with the global science and health organizations.

There are some misinterpretations in Pakistan’s media related to #COVID19 stories.

Lockdown or Quarantine

Corona outbreak in China and the authorities decided to quarantine Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic. Following the term of “lockdown” western media used for the situation either intentionally or due to lack of knowledge, Pakistan’s media adopted the same word as it is used by the west despite continuous opposition by some famous science journalists. Later the phrase lockdown becomes so much familiar, and when the virus spreads in Europe and various US states – The global media used the same for them as well. Although it’s still not a technical term to tackle any epidemic, lockdown is generally a technical term that refers to a specific situation in wars like Germany, and other countries had witnessed during world wars.

An empty market in Karachi during restrictions. Image Credit: AP

Coronavirus dies at a higher temperature.

Well, I am not aware of the person who initiated this theory, but it went viral, and the entire Pakistani media industry reported it without a fact check or having significant evidence from scientific data or research. The media made a perception that coronavirus will die on 30-degree centigrade or above temperature. Eventually, the virus never dies, they are de-activated or destroyed. The understanding brought Pakistanis in a relaxed mood, and they started enjoying the partial lockdown by the government. Even our PM Imran Khan quotes this in a presser.

Patients or suspects

Initially, media reporters and desk’s bigwigs got confused between suspects and patients of coronavirus. Anyone – who was tested by the authorities declared as patients. Later they realized that putting someone in isolation doesn’t mean he/she is patient. But it was too late when they realized their mistake, now the entire nation falsely believes that one – who is quarantined is a patient.

Epidemic study

As I mentioned earlier – Media outlets in Pakistan lack science desks, so we were unable to go through a study or research article related to coronavirus outbreak. We are having a severe deficiency of statistics that how much resources we need during a major city lockdown? Even the media doesn’t have the actual figure that how many ventilators are available to patients in hospitals around the country.

Rating gamble and click Bait News items/blogs

Our Media usually works on rating mechanism, and after the advent of digital media, the situation gets worsened, we witnessed leading News outlets of Pakistan working on creating every single information as a breaking News, their digital media wings adopt the same strategies like the click-bait news item in recent pandemic days, which shows a severe lack of professionalism in our media industry. Although Clickbait is considered a crime in the global digital media outlets, it seems that we are far above for these considerations might because our media outlets are running by DONS and wealthiest businessmen.

Choice of a wrong panel

In prime time talk shows, we more than often spectacle politicians, clerics, TV stars, and even sports stars discussing the epidemic. Still, hardly we watch any medical scientist/expert or biochemist in such talk shows, and it merely happens, our TV anchors humiliate or create an unpleasant situation for the scientists due to severe lack of knowledge and scientific wisdom.

Non-ethical Approach

Last but not least – when the first case of coronavirus reported in Karachi, we observe that several media outlets not only revealed the identity of the patient but also published the hospital record with the patient’s name, his family identity, address, and other contact detail. This ridiculous act put the patients and their families in threat, and the administration had to provide them security.

A bit of this recent history in the pandemic shows an entire lack of professionalism, ethics, and non-scientific attitude adopted by major media outlets in Pakistan. We can cope with this nuanced situation only by educating our editors, journalists, and reporters about scientific wisdom, ethics, and essential roles of science reporting. The institutions like CEJ, IBA, Karachi University, NUST, LUMS, and COMSATS, should kick-start science communication courses, and these courses should mandatory for web editors of major media outlets of Pakistan.

Also, read; Six modern-day hacks for science writers

Viruses are a critical driver of human evolution

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Saadeqa Khan

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March 24, 2020

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Viruses are a critical driver of human evolution

From Athens flue pandemic to the black-death and AIDS, these vast volumes set to offer a sociocultural, historical, and medical look at infectious diseases and their place in human history, from Neolithic times to the present. Nearly 300 centuries cover specific diseases like AIDS, Influenza, Malaria, Ebola, SARS, Corona, and now COVID19.

In the realm of infectious disease, a pandemic is a worst-case scenario when an epidemic spreads beyond a countries borders and causes an overwhelming threat or death toll worldwide or some major parts around the globe. Though contagious diseases enlisted during pre-historic nomadic groups, nearly 10,000 years ago, when men started building communities, it resulted in a slight rise in epidemic outbreaks like Malaria, Plague, Leprosy, Influenza, smallpox and other fatal diseases. Over time, the more civilized humans become, building extensive infrastructure and forging trade routes to connect with the cities in different regions of the world, the more likely the pandemics become.

The primeval recorded pandemic occurred during 431- 450 BC when two power states in ancient Greece, Athens, and Sparta assaulted each other. After the disease passed through Libya, Ethiopia, and Egypt, and Athens, nearly two-thirds of the Athens’ population, died due to this epidemic outbreak.

A painting that depicts the horrors of plague in Italy in the 17th century

Scientists and researchers have agreed on that the widespread occurrence of disease over what might typically be expected in a geophysical region. Throughout the history, the plague has been a significant threat to humanity, caused havoc and the most substantial death toll from 165 A.D. to 541 A.D. It not only changed the course of emperor’s plans of massive economic struggle but at the same time, it credited with creating an apocalyptic atmosphere that spurred the rapid spread of Christianity and resulted in substantial social, moral and geographical changes.

Decades later, in the 11th century, leprosy overgrew into a pandemic in Europe. Though leprosy is slow-developing disease results in sores and deformities, now known as ‘Hanson’s disease,’ it still grips millions of people each year and could be fatal if not treated at the initial stage with antibiotics.

Bubonic plague or Black Death is another pandemic that was responsible for the death of one-third of the global population in the late 12th and 13th centuries. It kick-started in Asia and through caravans spread through Sicily and entered in Europe. Meanwhile, England and France were so incapacitated by the plague that these countries called the cessation of hostilities. Still, the pandemic caused massive economic and demographical changes and resulted in the collapse of the British feudal system. The re-occurrence of the bubonic plague in the next two centuries killed 50 million people, around 26% of the total global populace.

In 2019, research revealed that the death of some 56 million native Americans during the 16th and 17th centuries, mainly through pandemics and many had altered earth’s climate and vegetation growth on previous tilled lands, drew more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and caused a severe cooling effect. Correspondingly, 18th, and 19th centuries have widely been recognized for cholera, plague, measles, HIV/AIDS, and different types of harmful flu. Only Asian flu spread in 1957 in China and U.S. caused an estimated death toll of about 1.1 million, while AIDS killed 35 million people around the globe so far until it first appeared in 1920, and a cure is yet to be found.

So, with this rough bit of pandemic history, what does this recent Coronavirus outbreak holds on? While we are benefiting with the hype of biotechnology and artificial intelligence, a pandemic seems a little bit strange and disgusting. The recent COVID19 outbreak shows that men still need to learn the safest battle against pandemics/viruses.

The constant battle between pandemic and humanity has long been recognized as a critical driver of social, moral, economic, and geographical changes that lead to human evolution. In the past, scientists have not had the tools to look at the patterns of these pathogens and their hosts, but now they are applying big data analysis to unveil the extent of viruses’ impact on the evolution of living beings specifically on humans and mammals.

History tells us that whenever a pandemic occurred at some point in evolution, the population that was targeted by an epidemic either adapted or went extinct. The protein performs a vast array of functions that keep our cells ticking, a few small tweaks in protein shape and composition had helped humans to compete with the viruses when they hijacked an organism’s body to replicate and spread.

A recent study shows that by learning which part of the cell has been used to fight against viruses in the past without detrimental effects on the organism, we can find insight on the pressure point that will lead to investigating more sophisticated and effective therapies.

Also, read the Editorial; The child abuse and mental health

FOOD FOR THOUGHT (LITERALLY!)

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Aniqa Mazhar

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March 20, 2020

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Have you ever noticed a link between what you eat and how it affects your mood and thoughts? I’m pretty sure a refreshing fruit drink or a nice plate of delicious food boosts your mood and does wonders. On the other hand, if you eat CRAP for several days continuously, you’ll definitely feel cranky, have negative thoughts littering your head and severe mood swings.

The term of Nutritional Psychiatry was recently coined in 2015 and focuses on the development of detailed and strong evidence linking diet and mental health. In recent studies, there is growing evidence that a nutritious and balanced diet may help to cure mental disorders like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, dementia, and ADHD. Recently, the link between a good diet and physical health was quite well-established, but now the link between a healthy diet and good mental health is also on its way to being a strong one.

Protective factors for Mental Health

Let’s discuss what we mean by a healthy diet.

A healthy diet is one that contains a balanced amount of all the nutrients that we require for the proper structure and function of our body. It must contain a proper portion of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water.

According to researchers, the Mediterranean diet is best for fighting depression and overall physical and mental health. This kind of diet is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, methyl folate and s-adenosylmethionine, all of which help to lower depression. These good fellas can be found in several healthy foods like fruits, vegetables especially potatoes, whole grains, cereals, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, olive oil, meat, eggs, and dairy products.

A low-calorie diet is also helpful for the maintenance of a healthy mind. Researchers noted in a study that healthy people who reduced their calorie intake by 25% for 6 months also had reduced depressive symptoms. Similar studies show that intermittent fasting helps in relaxing one’s mind and ridding it of depression, anxiety and mood disturbances.

Dietary Recommendations:

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day

• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates; choosing wholegrain versions where possible

• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks); choosing lower fat and lower sugar options

• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts

• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of fluid a day. If consuming foods and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar have these less often and in small amounts

NUTRIENT	EFFECT OF DEFICIENCY	FOOD SOURCES
Vitamin B1	Poor concentration and attention	Whole grains, vegetables
Vitamin B3	Depression	Whole grains, vegetables
Vitamin B5	Poor memory, stress	Whole grains, vegetables
Vitamin B6	Irritability, poor memory, depression, stress	Whole grains, bananas
Vitamin B12	Confusion, poor memory, psychosis	Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs
Vitamin C	Depression	Vegetables, fresh fruit
Folic acid Magnesium Selenium Zinc	Anxiety, depression, psychosis Irritability, insomnia, depression Irritability, depression Confusion, blank mind, depression, loss of appetite, lack of motivation	Green leafy vegetables Green veggies, nuts, seeds Wheat germ, Brewer’s yeast, liver, fish, garlic, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, whole grains Oysters, nuts, seeds, fish

Emerging New Fields

Nutritional Psychiatry: a growing discipline that focuses on the use of food and supplements to provide these essential nutrients as part of an integrated or alternative treatment for mental health disorders. But nutritional approaches for these debilitating conditions are not widely accepted by mainstream medicine.

Nutritional Psychology: the science of how nutrients affect mood and behavior. This field examines the relationship between food and our internal experience, illuminating the biophysiological mechanisms, influenced by our nutrient intakes that underlie mood and behavior.

Nutritional neuroscience: the scientific discipline that studies the effects various components of the diet such as minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, fats, dietary supplements, synthetic hormones, and food additives have on neurochemistry, neurobiology, behavior, and cognition.

The role of diet in relation to specific mental health disorders

Depression Diet has emerged as a therapeutic approach seen directly in the work of Adult Mental Health Dietitians, who work with people who experience mental health problems to improve knowledge and awareness of nutrition. A recent study exploring the correlation between low intakes of fish by country and high levels of depression among its citizens found that those with low intakes of folate, or folic acid, were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those with higher intakes. Similar conclusions have been drawn from studies looking at the association of depression with low levels of zinc and vitamins B1, B2 and C, as well as studies looking at how standard treatments have been supplemented with micronutrients resulting in a greater reduction in symptoms in people with a diagnosis of depression and bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia The Dutch Famine Study and 1960s Chinese famine found that severe famine exposure in early pregnancy leads to a two-fold increase in the diagnosis of schizophrenia requiring hospitalization in both male and female children. Studies have found that people with schizophrenia have lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in their bodies than the general population and that antioxidant enzymes are also lower in their brains.

Dementia Many studies have shown a positive association between a low intake of fats, and high intake of vitamins and minerals in the prevention of certain forms of dementia. One study looking at the total fat intake of 11 countries found a correlation between higher levels of fat consumption and higher levels of dementia in the over 65s age group. A long-term population-based study found that high levels of vitamin C and E were linked to a lower risk of dementia, particularly among smokers, with similar findings in other studies focused on different population groups.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Clinical research has reported the benefits of essential fatty acids and minerals such as iron. Deficiencies in iron, magnesium, and zinc have been found in children with symptoms of ADHD, and studies have consistently shown significant improvements with supplementation when compared with placebo, either alongside normal medication or as stand-alone treatments.

How much role does food play in Mental Health?

If you’re showing concern about what’s on your plate and expect that it is sufficient to support your mental health and cure your mental disorders, you are again wrong. It is just a supporting factor for a healthy mind along with others. A good diet has the added benefit of counteracting the adverse physical health effects associated with many mental health problems and some treatments. Along with a substantially healthy diet, you need to exercise, relax, manage time and stress, etc. we believe that the role of a nutritionist is only to tackle obesity, but we underestimated the potential that food has to cure moods and mental ailments. There is an urgent need for policy-makers, practitioners, industry, people who experience mental health problems and the wider public to recognize and act on the role that nutrition plays in mental health.

To achieve parity between mental and physical health, it is vital that the public is informed about the type of diet that will promote their mental health in the same way food is promoted for physical health reasons. Of equal importance will be understanding the mediating role that mental health plays in our lifestyle choices, including our diet. However, the wider impact can be achieved by national and local policy, well beyond individual actions.

Main source: Wikipedia, mentalhealth.org.uk, health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327335

Cancer Antioxidants

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Aniqa Mazhar

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March 19, 2020

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Cancer is a group of diseases that guide millions of people to their graves every year worldwide. An astonishing number of 9.6 million deaths were recorded annually throughout the globe for 2018.

Fortunately, with every challenge, there is a way to counteract it, as well. Antioxidants, if part of one’s diet, can help to prevent cancer to an extent. As they say, prevention is better than cure.

Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, which is a chemical reaction that produces free radicals. Also known as reactive oxygen species, free radicals act as villains, attacking DNA in cells and meddling around with its nitrogenous bases. Mutations, if continuously gathered, may alter the process of normal cell division and the tumor may develop into a cancer

Sources of antioxidants

Antioxidants are naturally overflowing in fruits and vegetables, as well as some other foods. To be specific, here are some examples of these little heroes and where they come from;

Allium Sulphur compounds in leeks, onions, and garlic.
Anthocyanins in eggplant, grapes, and berries.
Beta-carotene in pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, carrots, spinach, and parsley.
Catechins in red wine and tea.
Copper in seafood, lean meat, milk, and nuts.
Cryptoxanthins in red capsicum, pumpkin, and mangoes.
Flavonoids in tea, green tea, citrus fruits, red wine, onions, and apples.
Indoles in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.
Isoflavonoids in soybeans, tofu, lentils, peas, and milk.
Lignans in sesame seeds, bran, whole grains, and vegetables.
Lutein in green, leafy veggies and corn.
Lycopene in tomatoes, pink grapefruit, and watermelon.
Manganese in seafood, lean meat, milk, and eggs.
Polyphenols in thyme and oregano.
Selenium in seafood, offal, lean meat, and whole grains.
Vitamin A in the liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, and egg yolks.
Vitamin C in oranges, blackcurrants, kiwifruit, mangoes, broccoli, spinach, capsicum, and strawberries.
Vitamin E in vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Zinc in seafood, lean meat, milk, and nuts.
Zoochemical in red meat, offal and fish, and derived from the plants that animals eat.

Antioxidant supplements

Antioxidants are oozing in surplus in our diet already, so is it worth taking additional supplements? It has been found that if people are not deficient in antioxidants and still take other supplements, they are just throwing their money down the drain. Since supplements contain a concentrated dose, approximately 70 to 1660 percent of the daily value of nutrients, they can prove to be rather harmful. The latest scientific research suggests that large doses may prevent cancer cells from free radicals as well, therefore encouraging their growth and spread.

“There now exists a sizeable quantity of data suggesting that antioxidants can help cancer cells much like they help normal cells,” says Zachary Schafer, a biologist at the University of Notre Dame.

An explanation for this could be that when the body is given extra antioxidants, its tumor cells get to keep more of the extra antioxidants that they already make themselves. The batteries can store the surplus, improving their ability to survive damage.

Ideas about cancer and antioxidants

Let’s look at what nutritionists have to say about antioxidants in general and their link with cancer.

A diet that could ward off disease really doesn’t look that different from the healthy foods you should be eating anyway,” says Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., associate director for Cancer Prevention and Control at the University of Alabama’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. “That means plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and lean meat or fish.”
A variety of chemicals from plants known as phytochemicals can protect cells from harmful compounds in food and in the environment, as well as prevent cell damage and mutations”, says Jed W. Fahey, ScD, MS, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and its School of Medicine who studies how cruciferous vegetables help protect against disease.
A plant-based diet is more likely to produce good health and to reduce the risk of heart problems, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, gallstones, and kidney disease sharply.” Says T. Collin Campbell, an American biochemist specializing in the effects of nutrition on long-term health and is a professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University.
Three of the most beneficial, longevity-promoting anti-cancer foods are green vegetables, beans, and onions.” Says Joel Fuhrman, an American celebrity doctor who graduated from Perelman School of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Lung cancer cells use antioxidants, endogenous or dietary, to spread in the body by activating a protein BACH1 and increasing the uptake and usage of sugar, Swedish and American researchers at Karolinska Institute report in two individual studies, one published in the famous journal Cell.

To conclude, I would like to highlight that an excess of everything is harmful, so care must be taken to remain within limits. Antioxidants play an important role in scavenging free radicals, which can cause cancer, but if taken excessively, they can also be used by tumor cells to strengthen and spread in the body.

Also Read: New studies show that plant-based meals are more healthy

CRISPR: A Short History

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Khola Abid

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March 17, 2020

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Imagine a world where a genome is in your hand, and you are turning its genes on and off just like your fan switch. Envision a land of fantasy where you would be able to change the color of your hair within a blink of a second. Just think for a moment that you are sitting on the ground and trying to rewrite your whole genome. Who would not jump at the chance to do so?

Lo and behold!

CRISPR is here to revolutionize your world. This far-reaching technology can alter your genetic makeup just within thirty dollars. While the invention remains preliminary at this point, one has to understand the long history behind its inception.

Japanese scientists discovered CRISPR even before 1987, but the repeated sequences of DNA (CRISPR) were so enigmatic that they could not understand what they had discovered. A team of scientists was sequencing the IAP gene (better known as the gene of E. Coli bacterium). For a better understanding of the IAP gene, a team sequenced its nearby DNA, and all got stuck when they observed these repeated sequences. In essence, five identical segments of DNA were separated by thirty-two unique spacers. This seemed like more than a puzzle; one of them wrote: “The biological significance of these sequences is not known.”

Microbiologists of that era were also confounded by these repeated and identical sets of sequences. They were not clear if these sequences confined to the only type of bacterium. However, with the advent of technology, it was revealed by meta-genomics that these identical sequences exist in other types of a bacterium as well.

Scientists felt a dire need to give a name to these sequences so that they could communicate about them. Rudd Jansen came up to meet the need and coined the term CRISPR. Jansen’s team noticed that CRISPR carries a specific gene in its neighborhood; they called it the CRISPR associated gene (“Cas” for short). A Cas gene encodes a Cas enzyme that acts as a molecular scissor and snips the DNA into its fragments.

Japanese scientists discovered CRISPR even before 1987, but the repeated sequences of DNA (CRISPR) were so enigmatic that they could not understand what they had discovered. (Image Credit: istock.com/Panuwach) — Japanese scientists discovered *CRISPR* even before 1987, but the repeated sequences of DNA (*CRISPR*) were so enigmatic that they could not understand what they had discovered. (Image Credit: istock.com/Panuwach)

Before knowing that Cas behaves as a molecular scissor, scientists were puzzled about it. Their efforts got a fruit when three teams of scientists found spacer sequences, and these sequences were the exact copies of viral genomes. To quote Eugene Koonin, it was then that “the whole thing clicked.”

Koonin was baffling about CRISPR/Cas9 for years by then. As he learned that these repeated sequences are nothing but a viral genome, he hypothesized that the presence of CRISPR/Cas9 in a prokaryote is full-blown evidence of past viral attacks.

Naturally, when a bacterium survives the viral attack, it opens up its genome and incorporates the broken fragments of viral DNA into its nucleic acid as spacers; this preserves the genetic ID of an attacker in its DNA. Unlike humans, bacteria can pass this acquired genetic code to its subsequent generations. This acquired genetic code is altogether CRISPR.

Koonin argued that CRISPR meets the requirements of Lamarckian inheritance.

In those days, Blake Wiedenheft joined Doudna’s lab to explore the structure of the Cas enzyme. They explored that the CRISPR/Cas9 can be used as a human genome editor. Results published.

But the Bio-hackers’ community brutally misused this discovery. Josiah Zayner went as far as to hack himself in public by injecting DNA bearing CRISPR. He proclaimed:

“It is the first time in the history of (the) earth that humans are no longer slaves to the genetics they are born with.”

There is no doubt that the routine use of CRISPR can end the era of genetic abnormalities. Aging can be delayed, but would it be worth it? Mysteries are yet waiting to be resolved.

Also Read: Einstein and Hawking: Great Minds of Two Eras

Movies that brilliantly portray Mental Disorders

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Maham Maqsood

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March 12, 2020

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Movies that brilliantly portray Mental Disorders

Hollywood has made its fair share of psychological pieces over the years. It is to be admitted that the genre is tough to tackle and the theme is highly sensitive. Sometimes movies can perfectly capture the delicacy of the human conditions, and other times, they just simply miss the point. Here are some of the movies that managed to do the former and showed us the different and unconventional side of what mental disorders really are.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

This list can’t begin without the mention of the 1975 masterpiece One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which is adapted from the novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. A stellar cast featuring some of the best performances of legendry actors like Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, this movie has not just made an impact on the movie industry but has also thrown light on the bitter reality of the lives of those who suffer from mental illnesses. The psychological drama mixes different themes, with a focus on the handling and treatment of patients in mental institutions. Mac (Nicholson) is a criminal in defiance of the system and with his fellows, some of whom don’t seem to belong there, try to fight back and break free.

It was hailed as an impactful and significant piece by the United States Library of Congress and was even preserved by the National Film Registry. The strong and eye-opening movie also won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted is an extraordinary story that is also based on the novel of the same name by Susanna Kaysen. It has some of the best female performances of all time, and Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder bring to screen what it means to be a crazy person. All are suffering from mental disorders, though with contrasting traits from each other. This 1999 classic depicts how the ‘crazy’ people are born through suffering and loss, and their worlds need to be addressed in a manner different than normal.

Ryder plays Susana, suffering from the borderline personality disorder, who begins to contemplate her life and her choices when she is admitted into a mental institution where she meets many women, each with a problem of her own. She is upstaged by the loopy Lisa, played by Jolie, who is a fearless free soul and has tried to break free and escape the institution several times. All the patients comfortably engage with each other, as if trying to sort out others’ problems or to keep them happy in the gloomy environment, but in fact, everyone is broken at the core. The nurses are not always successful in taming them, and the constant mischief here and there irritates them a lot. The pacing of the movie feels just about right and gives a different look at the lives of the mentally troubled.

Black Swan

This 2010 psychological thriller shows a different side of mental illness, where one strives to achieve perfection or precision in a task and work but suffers from losing one’s self in the process. Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a ballerina who gets the role of a lifetime but suffers from hallucinations and an eating disorder, which significantly impedes her professional and personal life. It is not really clear whether her experiences are real or imaginary, and the film does a great job of mixing different genres.

Along with highlighting psychological stress and its effects, Black Swan also addresses the issue of eating disorders, which are a common problem in the world of dance and fashion. One in particular called Anorexia nervosa is among the deadliest mental disorders and many succumb to it every year. Director Darren Afronsky masterfully uses inspiration from other classic pieces like The Double and incorporates them into the story sometimes subtlety and sometimes very clearly. For her spectacular performance in the movie, Natalie Portman also earned an Academy Award.

A Beautiful Mind

The biopic of John Nash, A Beautiful Mind, tells the story of the trials and tribulations and success of the acclaimed Nobel Prize-winning mathematician. It stays apt to the title and shows us the real life of a genius who unfortunately suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Unlike other movies, where mental disorders can sometimes be glorified, the development and effects, shown in this piece, is relatable and genuine. Russell Crowe plays the lead and absolutely nails the role.

The movie itself is quite inspiring and motivating and teaches us to consider our behavior towards such individuals. Many people around the world suffer from schizophrenia but, unfortunately, are not able to have proper care and are misunderstood by others. By addressing adequately to their needs and helping and hearing them out can make a significant impact in their lives and can help them showcase their talent and skills as well.

Memento

Director Christopher Nolan is widely known for his work like the Batman Trilogy, Interstellar, etc. but one of his most underrated pieces is the 2000 psychological thriller Memento. It has a groundbreaking way of storytelling and a challenging timeline that invites the audience to think. Its story revolves around the character who has anterograde amnesia named Leonard, which is played by Guy Pearce. This disorder hinders the creation of new memories after one suffers from a severe psychological or physical attack.

The movie brilliantly creates a web of events that are connected, but the audience is unable to find the exact link until the very end. It rightly portrays the condition which is very brutal as the patients don’t usually recover and have to live miserably for the rest of their lives.

Also Read: What do you turn on the TV for?

March’s supermoon dazzles in the sky

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Scientia

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March 11, 2020

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March 2020 has some great astronomical events according to the yearly calendar. The most recent one was the bright supermoon that appeared across different regions of the world on the 9th day of this month. As usual, astrophotographers did not disappoint and we were blessed with some beautiful images. See for yourself below!

The big moon in New Jersey. Credit: Patrick Lopes — The big moon in New Jersey. Credit: *Patrick Lopes*

New Yorkers were treated on 9th March with a supermoon, seen here above the Empire State Building. Credit: *Patrick Lopes*

Bright Supermoon in Kazakhstan. Credit: Dmitry Dotsenko — Bright supermoon behind buildings in Kazakhstan. Credit: *Dmitry Dotsenko*

A fantastic shot taken in Curitiba, Brazil by *Guilherme Pupo*

The lunar surface is clearly visible in this image by Roshan Bukhari.

Behind the clouds. This image was taken by *Rylan Dressendorfer* in Arizona

Supermoon in an urban area — The Moon can be seen here in an urban area

The beautiful supermoon was also visible in the skies of Rawalpindi, Pakistan

There are several other astronomical events coming up. On June 21, an Annular Eclipse is expected. This occurs when the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun.

On July 11, skywatchers and stargazers will have a special treat as there will be a planet parade. Several planets like Venus, Jupiter, etc. will be in conjunction appearing to perform a parade in the skies, hence the name. On October 13, Mars will be at the closest opposition to Earth and will be well lit. On December 14, a total solar eclipse is expected. This phenomenon occurs when the moon blocks out the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Many more are yet to come. Stay tuned!

Also Read: A rare Sun Dog baffles residents in China

WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT: THREATS TO A PEACEFUL MIND

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Saher Shahid

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March 9, 2020

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WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT: THREATS TO A PEACEFUL MIND

It has been estimated worldwide that 264 million people suffer from depression and anxiety symptoms, which lead to incapacity. A recent WHO-led study estimates that the global economy lost its productivity up to US$ 1 trillion per annum at the cost of depression and anxiety disorders in individuals. Workplace environment plays a crucial role in in-person performance in an organization. Not only does it determine the mental and physical wellbeing of the employee but overall productivity and performance of the organization. Rapid economic change is one of the most critical dimensions of today’s world. Backstage of this world economic globalization professional environment is requiring increasing workload, job insecurity, increasing stress, and other mental disorders. An abusive working environment may lead to physical and psychological health problems.

If the rhythm of change exceeds the production capacity of the workers to cope, adverse stress reactions can occur, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Also, the professional consequences like job dissatisfaction, decreased organizational commitment, reduced job performance, and absenteeism. Adverse stress reactions are not limited to the individual worker, but also may affect the worker’s family, and social circle. More attention is required to the psychosocial impact of both the psychosocial work and the physical work environment. Workplaces that promote psychological wellbeing and help their employers are more likely to reduce absenteeism, give rise in productivity, and benefit from associated economic gains.

Work-related risk factors

Several risk factors for mental health that may be present in the working environment are lack of communication with co-workers, physical capability and daily functioning, work-related disturbances, individual skills, and abilities, along with overall governance and environment of the organization. For example, if a person is highly competent and active but the organization is offering a lack of resources those are essential for his work so it draws on as a non-supportive organizational attitude.

Some risks may also be related to job types, such as inappropriate tasks for the person’s competencies and irrelevant workload. A few jobs may carry a higher personal risk than others which can have a negative influence on mental health and may cause a sort of mental disorder. Such threats could be outnumbered in cases like lack of teamwork or social support. One of the most common work-related stress that serves as risks to the health of workers recently reported is bullying and psychological harassment (also known as “mobbing”), and relate to both mental and physical issues. These problems could result in reduced productivity and slight staff turnover, and consequently have a negative impact on their family life and social interactions.

All these situations led to anxiety and depression, resulting in a person’s ability to complete physical job tasks, about 20% of the time, and reduces cognitive performance about 35% of the time. Only 57% of employees who report moderate depression and 40% of those who say severe depression receive treatment to control depression symptoms. According to reports, common mental sickness like anxiety and depression are affecting more than 350 million people around the globe. Although their symptoms consider as a part of the predictable range of emotional experience, clinicians recognize them as ailments when the symptoms intensify and persist over time.

In fact, when symptoms like mood swings, loss of pleasure or interest in life, poor concentration, agitation, disrupted sleep or insomnia and disturbed appetite lasts for more than two weeks, a worker commonly diagnoses as major depression. Although, At its worst, major depression is disabling and give rise in the risk of suicide, mild and moderate depressions are also contribute to personal suffering as well as lousy performance. Even without a diagnosis of severe emotional distress are all symptoms that lead to worse work outcomes for men and women, with fatigue severely and explicitly affecting women. Anxiety disorders which are discrete from depression encompass severe and persistent symptoms of anxiety that cause distress and interfere with daily activities. As a whole, these are the most common mental disorders and involve conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia. An organization’s policy aimed at enabling people suffering from mental illnesses to remain in the workplace and providing more opportunities for sustained health care services and jobs.

Benefits of a mentally healthy work environment

Organizations with positive work environments actively support the mental health of employees, leading to higher productivity, creativity, and satisfaction. This is the responsibility of every organization to provide a healthy, respectful, and sound environment to their employees with mental issues either when they are at work or return to a job after getting proper treatment. Mental stability and satisfaction not only improve the individual capacity to perform in a better way but also ultimately provide economic benefits to the organization. Research indicates that unemployment, particularly long term unemployment, lousy attitude from supervisors, and stress of work, can have a detrimental impact on mental health. A key element of achieving a healthy workplace is the formation of governmental legislations or rules, strategies. It’s policies, as mentioned by the European Union Compass work regarding mental health issues. A healthy working environment is one where all the workers working in any domain actively and effectively promote the working environment and protecting the health, security, and wellbeing of all employees.

Article 27 of The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) offers an officially binding global framework to promote and secure the rights of people with disabilities, notably including psychosocial disabilities. It develops that individuals with any form of psychosocial disability have the right to work, without any discrimination against should be treated equally and justly. They need to be provided with support in the workplace.

WHO response to mental health

On an international level, WHO’s Global Plan of Action on Worker’s Health (2008-2017) and Mental Health Action Plan (2013-2030) sketch out essential principles, goals, and objectives to promote good mental health at the workplace. It also highlights the implementation strategies for an individual to support their mental health issues in their working domain. These strategies include: Listing down the social determinants of mental health, such as living standards, working conditions, activities for prevention, and promotion of psychosocial health. It also includes the development of health care services by improving access to evidence-based health care and reducing stigmatization and discrimination among individuals at the workplace. These all involve cost and benefits research on strategies to improve mental health points towards the net benefits of the organization. For example, a recent WHO based study estimated that for every US$ 1 invested in the treatment of common mental health disorders, it resulted in the return of US$ 4 in improved health and productivity.

Occupational wellbeing

Occupational health or wellbeing is a specialist branch of medicine that primarily focuses on the physical and mental health of employees in the workplace.

Its aim is to prevent work-related illness and injury by:

Heartening safe working practices.
Working on ergonomics (studying how you work and how you could work better).
Observing the health of the workforce.
Aiding the management of sickness absence.
To ensure health and safety compliance work with your employer to implement policies.
For evaluation of mental health, conduct pre-employment health assessments of the individual.
Conduct health care promotion and education programs at the workplace.
Offer advice and counseling to employees around non-health-related problems.
Anticipate your employer with suggestions, ideas, and guidance around making sensible, settling in the working environment.

A road towards occupational wellbeing

Occupational wellbeing provision depends on the size of the organization. It can be conveniently provided by a nurse with professional health training. However, a range of specialists are most suitable and professionals for this purpose, including physiotherapists, hygienists, psychologists, ergonomic experts, occupational therapists, and specialist doctors. Occupational health is systematically provided at an employee’s workplace. Still, if the employer does not have a dedicated or regular job, they may need to travel to attend appointments with external providers.

A guide from the World Economic Forum highlights a few steps for organizational support in employers wellbeing

Knowledge and awareness regarding workplace environment and how it can be customized to promote better mental health for different employees.
Understanding and considering the opportunities and needs of individual employees will help in developing better policies for workplace mental health.
Awareness and excess of sources of support and where employers can find help.
Application and enforcement of health and safety policies and practices, including identification of distress or disturbances, determining harmful use of psychoactive substances, diseases, and providing resources and guidance to manage them.
Notifying personnel that the aid is available.
Building the confidence of the employees by involving them in decision-making, giving them a feeling of control and participation, and organizational practices that encourage healthy work-life balance.
Designed for the career development of employees.
Acknowledging and rewarding the contribution of employees at every step.

Mental health is a fundamental domain not only for an individual, organization but for the society. It is, therefore, significant to highlight mental health issues at all levels, since people nowadays spend their maximum time at their workplace. Mental health issues measures should be delivered as part of integrated health care and wellbeing strategy that includes early identification, prevention, treatment, support, and rehabilitation. Professional health-care services or professionals should support organizations in implementing these interventions by all possible means in every working environment. Even when these health-care services are not available several changes in the working environment can make to promote and support mental wellbeing. The key to success is involving stakeholders and staff at all levels when providing protection, promotion, and support mediations and when monitoring their effectiveness.

SCIENTIA