Smoking and its effects on heart rate variability

Due to smoking's widespread prevalence, it is necessary to explore cost-effective and practical prognostic markers indicating its health effects. Heart rate variability (HRV) may be used to foresee the long-term repercussions of smoking as a simple and affordable approach of forecasting cardiovascular health complications. Smoking has been proven to have a detrimental effect on HRV, which may have a detrimental effect on cardiovascular health. Additionally, we present an overview of the different HRV measurements and their diagnostic utility in the context of heart failure. There is a very detailed look at all the available data on how smoking affects HRV, as well as how different HRV indices show changes in the activity of the body's autonomic nervous system when people smoke. Smoking has been shown to change the autonomic nervous system's normal function, including an increase in sympathetic drive, a decrease in HRV, and a decrease in parasympathetic control. The possible reasons for this decrease in HRV and how it might affect patients are thoroughly discussed

COVID-19 and the effect of its infodemic on people’s wellbeing

In this research, it was used to look at social media behaviour during the pandemic and how it might have affected well-being. The WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) score was used to do this. COVID-19-related material was sought for and disseminated through social media by those who participated in the study. This research shows how social media might affect people's well-being during this epidemic and other crisis in the future. 73 percent of the 993 participants were women, 91 percent were university graduates, and 50 percent worked in diverse occupations, with 20 percent working in health care. Participants said they got COVID-19-related news mostly via social media and messaging apps, with WhatsApp being the most popular. After authentication, the majority of participants said they shared information. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, this research offers insight into the usage of Social Media and its influence on well-being. During catastrophes and disasters, social media behaviours may have an influence on public safety. There is also a need for global and local health authorities to better prepare for future challenges by developing policies and actions that address these difficulties. Social media activities may directly affect one's mental health, but more research is required before conclusions can be drawn

Sex-Specific Effects of a Wartime-Like Radiation Exposure on Cognitive Function.

Evaluating the risk for central nervous system (CNS) effects after whole-body or partial-body irradiation presents challenges due in part to the varied exposure scenarios in the context of occupational, accidental or wartime releases. Risk estimations are further complicated by the fact that robust changes in brain function are unlikely to manifest until significantly late post exposure times. Collectively, the current data regarding CNS radiation risk are conflicting in humans and a survey of the animal model data shows that it is similarly inconsistent. Due to the sparseness of such data, the current study was conducted using male and female mice to evaluate the brain for the delayed effects of a 2 Gy whole-body exposure to c rays starting six months postirradiation. Behavioral testing indicated sex-specific differences in the induction of anxiety-like behaviors and in the ability to abolish fear memories. Molecular analyses showed alterations in post-synaptic protein levels that might affect synaptic plasticity and increased levels of global DNA methylation, suggesting a potential epigenetic mechanism that might contribute to radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction. These data add to the understanding of the CNS response to whole-body irradiation and may lead to improved risk assessment and provide guidance in the development of effective radiation countermeasures to protect military personnel and civilians alike

Potential Lifespan Increase of Membranes used for Wastewater Treatment by Electrocoagulation

Electrocoagulation technology can treat pollutants without the need for coagulants. Coagulation takes place when current is applied and is capable of eliminating small particles. Additionally, electrocoagulation may reduce waste residue accumulation. In this project, treatment of domestic wastewater (DWW) by electrocoagulation (EC) was investigated. The samples were supplied from the HAYA domestic wastewater pretreatment plant. Experimental studies were conducted to determine the optimum operating conditions, that achieved the maximum removal, such as electrode type, treatment time, turbidity. This study focusses on having electrocoagulation process treatment within the process of membrane using iron Fe electrode. Water treatment using electrocoagulation will be conducted before going to membrane to improve the efficiency of the membrane and facilitate the process of the treatment. The nitrate and phosphate removal reached 59% and 45% respectively at 60 min in a continuous process. The highest removal of iron was in continuous process around 90% at 5 min. And for Mg removal, it reached 20% at 60 min with digestion with a currant of 220 mA and 1 cm electrode distance. The % Removal of metals increase with the increase in the voltage. The removal of Fe, Mg, phosphate reached to 41%,89% and 98% respectively

New Concerns for Neurocognitive Function during Deep Space Exposures to Chronic, Low Dose-Rate, Neutron Radiation.

As NASA prepares for a mission to Mars, concerns regarding the health risks associated with deep space radiation exposure have emerged. Until now, the impacts of such exposures have only been studied in animals after acute exposures, using dose rates ∼1.5×105 higher than those actually encountered in space. Using a new, low dose-rate neutron irradiation facility, we have uncovered that realistic, low dose-rate exposures produce serious neurocognitive complications associated with impaired neurotransmission. Chronic (6 month) low-dose (18 cGy) and dose rate (1 mGy/d) exposures of mice to a mixed field of neutrons and photons result in diminished hippocampal neuronal excitability and disrupted hippocampal and cortical long-term potentiation. Furthermore, mice displayed severe impairments in learning and memory, and the emergence of distress behaviors. Behavioral analyses showed an alarming increase in risk associated with these realistic simulations, revealing for the first time, some unexpected potential problems associated with deep space travel on all levels of neurological function

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Prevalence of Dietary Supplements Use among Gymnasium Users

Background. Several studies showed that regular gymnasium users use various dietary supplements without comprehension of their potential risks. Objective. To determine the prevalence and dietary supplement intake and assess the awareness of supplement use among regular gymnasium users in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among regular gymnasium users in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between April 2015 and June 2015. A validated structured questionnaire was used. Results. The study included 299 participants. Of these 113 (37.8%) were dietary supplements users and this was more common among males than females (44.7% versus 16.4%). Gender based analysis showed that males were exercising more frequently than females and the type of cardiovascular exercise was more among them. The most commonly used supplements were whey protein (22.1%), amino acids (16.8%), multivitamins (16.8%), creatine (11.5%), and omega 3 (11.5%). The reasons for taking dietary supplements were to improve body shape (47.7%), increase health (44.2%), and improve performance (41.5%). Conclusion. Most of the information about supplements was obtained from unreliable sources. More studies are needed to better understand supplements use and their impact on health in Saudi Arabia

Prevalence of Dietary Supplements Use among Gymnasium Users

Background. Several studies showed that regular gymnasium users use various dietary supplements without comprehension of their potential risks. Objective. To determine the prevalence and dietary supplement intake and assess the awareness of supplement use among regular gymnasium users in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among regular gymnasium users in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between April 2015 and June 2015. A validated structured questionnaire was used. Results. The study included 299 participants. Of these 113 (37.8%) were dietary supplements users and this was more common among males than females (44.7% versus 16.4%). Gender based analysis showed that males were exercising more frequently than females and the type of cardiovascular exercise was more among them. The most commonly used supplements were whey protein (22.1%), amino acids (16.8%), multivitamins (16.8%), creatine (11.5%), and omega 3 (11.5%). The reasons for taking dietary supplements were to improve body shape (47.7%), increase health (44.2%), and improve performance (41.5%). Conclusion. Most of the information about supplements was obtained from unreliable sources. More studies are needed to better understand supplements use and their impact on health in Saudi Arabia

Sex-Specific Effects of a Wartime-Like Radiation Exposure on Cognitive Function.

Evaluating the risk for central nervous system (CNS) effects after whole-body or partial-body irradiation presents challenges due in part to the varied exposure scenarios in the context of occupational, accidental or wartime releases. Risk estimations are further complicated by the fact that robust changes in brain function are unlikely to manifest until significantly late post exposure times. Collectively, the current data regarding CNS radiation risk are conflicting in humans and a survey of the animal model data shows that it is similarly inconsistent. Due to the sparseness of such data, the current study was conducted using male and female mice to evaluate the brain for the delayed effects of a 2 Gy whole-body exposure to c rays starting six months postirradiation. Behavioral testing indicated sex-specific differences in the induction of anxiety-like behaviors and in the ability to abolish fear memories. Molecular analyses showed alterations in post-synaptic protein levels that might affect synaptic plasticity and increased levels of global DNA methylation, suggesting a potential epigenetic mechanism that might contribute to radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction. These data add to the understanding of the CNS response to whole-body irradiation and may lead to improved risk assessment and provide guidance in the development of effective radiation countermeasures to protect military personnel and civilians alike