Page 77 - Health Medical Pharma
Researchers build new system that decodes brain signals into speech
Researchers have built a new system that is capable of decoding brain signals into speech, a new breakthrough that could provide a ray of hope to patients dealing with disorders.The researchers used a flexible pad of electrodes called an electrocorticography array, or ECoG, that rests on the brain's surface to tap on the signals, MIT Technology Review reports.The researchers then fed the signals to a computer model of the human vocal system, to generate synthesized speech. The system was able to generate speech with 50-70 per cent of comprehensible words. When further accuracy is achieved, it could potentially allow people to send texts straight from their brain.
Don't exceed screen time beyond 1 hour for children under 5: WHO
Technology has made parenting a tad easier. If the kid is becoming restless, hand over whatever gadget is nearby and a few hours will pass by like a breeze. However, the World Health Organisation says it is crucial that children sit less and play more for overall health.The new WHO guidelines indicate that children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens or restrained in prams, get better sleep and have a more active play if they are to grow up healthy.For infants, less than one year, screen time is not recommended at all. One-year-olds should not be permitted sedentary screen time such as watching TV or playing computer games. For those aged 2-4 years of age, children should be engaged in physical activities and sedentary screen time should not exceed one hour.
Step up efforts to eliminate measles: WHO
Amidst increasing cases and outbreaks of measles globally, the WHO Thursday called upon countries in its South-East Asia Region to accelerate efforts to ensure that everyone, everywhere receives the lifesaving benefits of immunisation. "Governments, communities and health workers must focus on optimising the benefits of immunisation at all ages to prevent life threatening and debilitating diseases. Vaccines work and save lives, we must ensure that everyone, everywhere is benefitted," said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, during the ongoing World Immunization Week. Preliminary measles surveillance data released recently indicates an almost 300 per cent increase in measles cases globally in the first three months of this year as compared to the same period in 2018. In WHO South-East Asia Region, the increase in measles cases in the same period is estimated to be around 40 per cent. An estimated 169 million children missed out on the first dose of the ...
Secrets of Chinese medicinal mint unlocked
A recent study claims to have unlocked chemistry of a plant named 'Chinese Skullcap' used in traditional Chinese medicine for 2000 years. The finding will help in rapid access to a wide array of therapeutic drugs.The findings are believed to be helpful in rapid access to a wide array of therapeutic drugs.Pharmacology has started examining the healing properties of plants listed in the traditional texts, written between 200 and 250 AD.Such preparations have recently been reported as effective against a variety of complaints including complementary cancer treatments.Despite the commercial interest and increasing demand, improvements through breeding have been limited by a lack of information.The development means that researchers are now able to identify the genes that produce a wealth of valuable compounds, and then turn them into drug candidates using metabolic engineering techniques in the lab."The sequence is so good that it can improve the understanding of all the other genome ...
Ease of access to drugs causing spike in overdose among adolescents, young adults: Study
A recent study has claimed that death rates from drug overdose have sharply increased due to easy access to prescription drugs like opioids.These drugs are being misused to relieve pain, relax or get high, subsequently leading to death by overdose, said the study which was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs.The death rate from drug poisoning from any type of legal or illicit drug rose from both prescription opioids and illicit opioids such as heroin."The surge in drug poisoning deaths . . . among adolescents and young adults reflects the ease of access to pharmaceutical drugs, especially prescription opioids . . . and later transition to more potent opioids. Many young people are introduced to opioids through prescription drugs, such as Vicodin or OxyContin. They often misuse these drugs with motivations to relieve pain, relax, feel good, or get high," the authors mentioned."When people addicted to prescription opioids face difficulty accessing these drugs ...
Researchers discover AI-powered solution to assess impact of chemotherapy
A recent study claims to have discovered a more personalised "smart" diagnostic-imaging machine using AI technology which will help identify whether or not a patient will respond well to chemotherapy.The details of the study were published in the Journal of JAMA Network Open"And it is further evidence that information gleaned by computational interrogation of the region outside the tumors on MRI (magnetic resonance images) and CAT (computed tomography) scans is extremely valuable and can predict response and benefit of chemotherapy in lung and breast cancer patients," said Madabhushi, a Professor involved in the study.The research focuses on markers on tissue outside a breast tumour that can indicate whether a patient will respond to targeted chemotherapy.The researchers have been able to classify patients with breast cancer into molecular subtypes, corresponding to those who are likely to respond to targeted chemotherapy and those who won't, simply by analysing an initial tissue ...
Video game data may help diagnose Alzheimer's disease
Scientists have developed a video game that may help diagnose Alzheimer's disease at an early stage, even before clinical signs appear. The game, called Sea Hero Quest, is a spatial navigation video game that can be played on cell phones, tablets and virtual reality applications. It has been played by 4 million people since its development, according to the researchers from the University College London in the Uk and National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France. Strategies deployed to succeed at the game's different quests represent the equivalent of 10,000 years of data collected in labs using traditional experimentation methods, researchers said. Researchers compared navigational performance on male and female volunteers of all ages, in both the real and virtual world, in Paris and London. Their results, published on PLOS ONE, validate the theory that virtual navigation performance is strongly on par with that of the real world. Once the value of assessing navigational ..
Biomed Pvt Ltd writes to health min saying it can supply vaccines for Haj pilgrims
A pharmaceutical company, which was the only firm to manufacture meningitis vaccines before being banned from production, has written to the Health Ministry, saying it can supply the doses needed for Haj pilgrims before they embark on their journey. The ministry is concerned about the arrangement of 1.9 lakh vaccines for the pilgrims as the firm, Biomed Pvt Ltd, was asked to stop production of all human vaccines in September last year after type-2 polio virus contamination was detected in oral polio vaccines. The Ghaziabad-based company was the only firm which manufactured the vaccines and provided it to the government. According to sources in the Health Ministry, the company has stated that it can deliver the vaccines by end of June. "The Biomed Pvt Ltd has written to the Health Ministry saying they have a bulk of the vaccine in stock and can manufacture more doses for this year's Haj pilgrims," the source said. During inspections in March, a team of officers from CDSCO and state ...
2.9 million children in India miss first dose of measles vaccine: UNICEF
India has 2.9 million children who have missed out on the first dose of measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 despite over 80 per cent of immunisation coverage, the UNICEF said on Thursday. India, with its large annual birth cohort of 25 million, is followed by Pakistan and Indonesia - 1.2 million each, and Ethiopia 1.1 million, it said, adding that the situation is "critical" in low and middle-income countries. In 2017, for example, Nigeria had the highest number of children under one year of age who missed out on the first dose of vaccine, at nearly 4 million, the United Nations child health body said. The United States topped the list of high-income countries with most children not receiving the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 at more than 2.5 million. It is followed by France and the United Kingdom, with over 600,000 and 500,000 unvaccinated infants, respectively, during the same period. An estimated 169 million children missed out on the first dose of the .
Tea Board to reactivate Tea Council to ensure quality
The Tea Board will reactivate the advisory body -- Tea Council of India -- to ensure strict enforcement of quality in accordance with FSSAI standards, Chairman Arun Ray said on Thursday. The council would be asked to undertake random sampling of tea produced by companies, which would entail an investment of Rs 50 lakh, Ray told reporters on the sidelines of the 'Tea Entrepreneurs Meet' here. He said if the samples failed to meet the FSSAI standards, the board would take penal action against the company concerned. "We have to ensure that the quality of tea supplied in the market conforms to FSSAI standards," the Tea Board official said. Ray said the board had appointed two consultants, one for computerisation of processes, and the other for identifying the processes that were not required. He laid stress on promotion of Indian tea abroad, for which the board will ask companies to send separate samples to foreign missions. Ray also urged the tea-producing companies to ...
Nationwide campaign launched for angina awareness
SERDIA Pharmaceuticals (INDIA) Pvt Ltd, a leader in cardiology, conducted a nation-wide campaign to raise awareness on angina. The campaign urged people to not ignore symptoms of angina-like clutching pain, heaviness or tightness in chest, pain in neck/shoulder, fatigue, backache and breathlessness and to consult a doctor at an early stage. The field force also reached out to thousands of doctors through their in-clinics awareness drive.Angina is often the initial manifestation of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most frequent cause of death worldwide today, and has been shown to double the risk of major cardiovascular diseases. Approximately one-third of the outpatients with chronic CAD suffer from angina, while 30 per cent of patients continue to experience angina symptoms as early as one month after revascularization.A recent study revealed that angina was under-recognized in 43.3 per cent patients with CAD who had reported angina the previous month. Among patients with frequent .
Chinese regulator approves Dr Reddy's cardiac drug
Dr Reddys Laboratories Thursday said itgot approval for selling generic Clopidogrel in China. According to a clarification given to stock exchanges, the city-based drug maker said sales of this drug would not be materialised in the current financial year. "Please note that the Company has received approval for the product Clopidogrel in China. The Company believes that the sales from this product will not be material in the current financial year i.e. FY2020," DR Reddys said. Clopidogrel is used to prevent heart attacks and strokes in persons with cardiovascular diseases. Dr Reddy's shares closed at Rs 2930 apiece on BSE up 2061 per cent over previous close.
Smartphone game can help detect Alzheimer's risk
A specially designed smartphone game can detect people at the risk of developing Alzheimer's, say researchers.
US measles cases highest since 2000 as global anti-vax movement surges
The US recorded 695 cases of measles in 2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared eliminated at the turn of the century, officials said Wednesday, ahead of a campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe. The surge comes amid a growing global movement against inoculation, with an estimated 169 million children missing out on the vital first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, according to a UNICEF report. The UN Children's Fund found the United States topping the list of high-income countries where children had not received their first round of immunization, at over 2.5 million. It was followed by France and Britain, with over 600,000 and 500,000 unvaccinated infants respectively over the same period. The new tally of American cases confirmed by US authorities surpassed the previous high of 667 reached in 2014. Resurgence of the once-eradicated, highly-contagious disease is linked to the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations, which ..
ICMR launches pilot project to offer motorbike-borne medical assistance in case of heart attack
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday launched 'Mission DELHI', an emergency medical service, as part of which a motorbike-borne assistance unit can be quickly summoned for a person suffering heart attack or chest pain. The pilot project has been launched in a radius of three kilometres around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Under Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative), a pair of motorcycle-borne trained paramedic nurses would be the first responders for treating heart attack patients. On getting a call, the pair would rush to the spot, gather basic information on the patient's medical history, conduct a quick medical examination, take the ECG, and establish a virtual connect with the cardiologists at AIIMS and deliver expert medical advice and treatment, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said. While the emergency treatment is being provided, a CATS ambulance will arrive and take the patient for further treatment. Even as ...
Dr Reddy's gets approval for anti-platelet drug in China
Drug firm Dr Reddy's Laboratories Thursday said it has received approval for anti-platelet drug Clopidogrel in China. "The company believes that the sales from this product will not be material in the current financial year, that is 2019-20," Dr Reddy's Laboratories said in a regulatory filing. Clopidogrel is an anti-platelet drug that blocks platelets from sticking together and prevents them from forming harmful clots. Shares of Dr Reddy's Laboratories Thursday closed at Rs 2,930 per scrip on the BSE, up 2.61 per cent from its previous close.
Flourescent nanodots may help detect cancer: IIT scientists
Scientists from IIT Mandi have found light-emiting carbon nanodots can help detect cancer cells in the body, paving the way for easier diagnoses of the deadly disease. The research, published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C, shows that fluorescent nanodots can reveal how water is distributed inside biological cells. The team from Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi showed that water distribution inside cancer cells differ from the normal ones. The human body is composed of trillions of cells, with their own specialised functions. Cells have multiple constituents, of which water amounts to 80 per cent. Water molecules close to one another, are weakly attached to each other through feeble bonding forces called hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds are dynamic and change according to the interactions of water with the surroundings. The subtle changes in intracellular water, governing the cellular functionality, may initiate a series of biomacromolecular dysfunction that can lead to
Zydus Cadila gets final USFDA nod to market generic rheumatoid arthritis tablets
Drug firm Zydus Cadila Thursday said it has received final nod from the US health regulator to market generic Leflunomide tablets, used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The company has received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Leflunomide tablets in the strengths of 10 mg and 20 mg, Zydus Cadila said in a statement. The tablets will be manufactured at the group's formulations manufacturing facility at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, it added. The tablets are generic version of Arava tablets, Zydus Cadila said. The drug is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, a condition affecting multiple small and large joints of the body, it added. The group now has 263 approvals and has so far filed over 350 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) since the commencement of its filing process, it said. Shares of Cadila Healthcare, the listed entity of the group, were trading at Rs 325.90 per scrip on the BSE, down 1.17 per cent from its previous .
Europe's biggest cord blood bank FamiCord Group signs letter of intent with Indian CelluGen Group
FamiCord Group (Europe) and CelluGen Biotech (India) have signed a letter of intent regarding the future business cooperation in the field of family cord blood banking of stem cells and the use of stem cells in experimental and standard therapies. The companies also declare the start of cooperation and business partnership in the field of joint development of advanced medical therapies (ATMP) and drug development, as stated in the announcement."We have decided to start cooperation with CelluGen because it can generate beneficial synergies for both companies in the field of family-based stem cell banking and the development of new stem cell-based drugs. Cooperation with CelluGen may also be a potential opportunity for the FamiCord Group to enter a new market outside Europe depending on the development of our cooperation; we do not rule out that in the future the next step may be capital involvement", said Jakub Baran, Co-founder and Shareholder of FamiCord Group.The Polish Stem Cell ...
Drugs promise to prevent stroke and dementia
The drugs - called cilostazol and isosorbide mononitrate - already used to treat conditions such as heart disease and angina, have shown promise to prevent stroke and dementia, a study has revealed.According to the study published in EClinicalMedicine, it is the first time the drugs have been tested in the United Kingdom for the treatment of stroke or vascular dementia.Lead researcher Professor Joanna Wardlaw said, "We are delighted that the results of this trial show promise for treating a common cause of stroke and the commonest cause of vascular dementia since currently there are no effective treatments. Further trials are underway."Dr. James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Society, added, "There hasn't been a new drug for dementia for 15 years, so finding evidence that these cheap existing drugs could prevent dementia after a stroke would be a huge breakthrough. It's promising to see that these two drugs are safe to use and we'll be excited to see the results of the next .