Author: gurbaaz singh

Application of DNA Recombinant Technology in cloning

a. Background:
From the inception and evolution of mankind we have been able to make groundbreaking progress in the field of medicine but still some inborn genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and familial hypercholesterolemia had no proper cure till a few decades ago. The field of Recombinant DNA technology opened a new world of possibilities.


b. Rationale of the study; Why is this study important?
Genes are a section of DNA which determine almost everything about our body. They determine things from our appearance , survival , health and behavior . Any malfunctioning or bad genes inherited or mutated can cause life hampering illness Using Recombinant DNA technology most recent and powerful tool CRISPR which has revolutionized and making gene editing possible and most importantly affordable and carried out in a simpler way treatment of these diseases by altering the disease causing gene sequence has been made possible.

c. Results & Conclusion of the research
Gene therapy is the referred to the process of introducing genes into existing target cells to prevent or cure a variety of diseases .For achieving the goal of delivering these genes effectively is accomplished by 2 methods:

i. Gene Delivery Vectors: For purpose of gene cloning at scale nothing is better than
viruses since they have machinery to replicate exponentially and deliver to cells .
Retroviral vectors are made by converting RNA genome to DNA in infected cell so they
are able to integrate host genome . By manipulating the viral genome viral


ii. CRISPR: In 1987 while investigating a particular gene in e coli scientists noticed a pattern in DNA surrounding it 5 identical sequences each composed of 29 bases separated from each other by 32 base block of DNA called spacers with unique sequence These repeating patterns were found in many different microbes and was coined the term Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR).


iii. They were found next to enzyme producing genes known as CRISPR Associated Genes (Cas Genes) which can cut DNA .
iv. Later found that these were a technique used by Bacteria to protect against viral invasions by saving part
of viral DNA in CRISPR sequence and spacers contains history of all infection. Upon attack of
virus again CRISPR sequence is transcribed in crRNA molecules which binds with
matching viral DNA which is then cut out by CAS9 enzyme.


v. Later it figured that CRISPR /CAS9 system is programable and can be used for gene
editing by synthesizing guide RNA molecule which match the sequence of the gene
which needs to be edited then the CAS9 enzyme cuts the matching DNA sequence on
both ends .


vi. In 2015 it was used to cut HIV virus out of living cells in lab and later on rats infected
with HIV were successfully treated .


vii. In 2019 a patient named Victoria Gray suffering from sickle cell disease caused due to
sickle shaped deformed hemoglobin was the first patient cured using CRISPR editing

Using CRISPR is a new breakthrough achievement which can provide a better life to
many others like Victoria Gray who suffer from these life threatening diseases as in US alone there
are 100,000 people who suffer from this disease as it can be inherited.

Japan’s Independent Kids

“Send the beloved child on a journey” -A Japanese Proverb.

By Western standards, Japanese culture emphasizes independence from a very young age. One of Japan’s most loved and longest-running TV shows is called “My First Errand.” The program is filmed secretly when young children are given a nearby job to complete all independently. It is fascinating because all Japanese had experienced this independence, which reminds them of their time when they were given a chore to achieve alone.

The world feels that this odd culture of letting kids experience things themselves is revolutionary because if they fall or get lost, they know they are by themselves and will have to reach home by figuring it out themselves. Many kids in Tokyo Metro are commuting alone, changing trains, walking boldly on the streets without anyone’s help. This adds to their social growth. Children learn how to differentiate between good and bad things; they know a lot from their surroundings, they start managing their finances soon, which boosts their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Most children by the age of 10 in japan start commuting on their own. This is predominant because they see many children of their age doing so, making them feel confident. They learn how to plan, how to use the map and the trains by themselves. They also know how to be careful, as they cannot always use their parents to excuse everything. When they get used to doing things by themselves, they become conscious of their responsibility.
Furthermore, this is what Japanese children master at a very young age. They learn not only independence but also civic-mindedness and being a part of a community. Even parents feel less burdened. They get relieved from the daily chore of dropping and picking their kids from schools or markets.

While in the western world, children are very much dependent on their parents for almost everything. Parents tend to drop off and pick up their kids from schools which for parents get highly hectic. A school trip or a similar outing; they do not let their kids travel alone, which gets them scared and anxious. Now there are several reasons behind this. Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. So, parents feel safe sending their kids alone. However, when we compare child’s safety in the US, UK, Australia, Japan is six times, twelve times and four times safer than the respective countries. (Source- Nation Master)

Is Chocolate Good For Our Health?

We all love eating chocolate but our parents always scolded for eating them. But is it really good for our health or it just brings obesity.

Although eating too much chocolate is not good but in adequate amount it serves various benefits. Researchers have found that an ingredient in chocolate – cocoa beans contains antioxidants (a substance that inhibits oxidation, especially one used to counteract the deterioration of stored food products.) which reduces the damage to our cells which otherwise may lead to cancer development. Some report that eating chocolate may lower the risk of certain cancers, while others show no benefit.

 Flavanols ( naturally occurring compounds found in cocoa) have been shown to lower blood pressure and make heart, veins, and arteries work better. Chocolates contains maximum amount of cocoa are considered best in terms for our heart.  Chocolate is also said to fight against bad cholesterol and so consuming a bit of chocolate once in a while will keep the bad stuff away for a long time.

 Dark chocolate is loaded with soluble fiber and many essential minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium and copper. Since it contains sugar it is thus a great source of energy. It is also found that dark chocolate contains certain chemicals that signals brain to release a happy hormone- dopamine which is a stress relieving hormone.

Apart from these benefits – “Excess of everything is bad”. Since it contains high amounts of sugar therefore it should be taken in less amount and is not recommended to obese people. Moreover eating high level of chocolates is also not good for our teeth and we should always brush our teeth after having them. Furthermore only those chocolates should be taken which contains high amount of cocoa atleast 70% of cocoa and less amount of cocain. It might give your heart some benefit, and it generally has less sugar and saturated fat than milk chocolate or other kinds of chocolate. 

What Are Paralympics?

The Paralympics started in a small scale in 1948 and now it is one of the most anticipated events of all times. It is a periodic series of international events comprising of multiple events involving athletes with a range of disabilities, including impaired muscle power (e.g. paraplegia and quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, spina bifida), impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency (e.g. amputation or dysmelia), leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment.

It comprises of summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics. It is held immediately after the Olympics. The Paralympics has grown from 400 athletes with a disability from 23 countries in 1960 to thousands of competitors from over 100 countries at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Paralympians strive for equal treatment with non-disabled Olympic athletes, but there is a large funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Since the athletes participating in the games can have varied disabilities therefore to make the games equal for all, the permissible disabilities has been divided into 10 parts.  The categories are impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. These categories are further broken down into classifications, which vary from sport to sport.

The first Winter Paralympic Games were held in 1976 in Sweden. This was the first Paralympics in which multiple categories of athletes with disabilities could compete. The Winter Games were celebrated every four years on the same year as their summer counterpart, just as the Olympics were. The International Paralympic Committee is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It comprises 176 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) and four disability-specific international sports federations. The IPC’s international headquarters are in Bonn, Germany.

The Paralympic Games emphasize the participants’ athletic achievements and not their disability. Recent games have emphasized that these games are about ability and not disability. The movement has grown dramatically since its early days – for example, the number of athletes participating in the Summer Paralympic games has increased from 400 athletes in Rome in 1960 to 4,342 athletes from 159 countries in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Both the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games are recognized on the world stage.

Taliban Captures Kabul

On 15th August Taliban fighters entered the outskirts of Kabul, promised to not use any force but it all lead to panic among the residents. In a nationwide offensive that has taken just over a week, the Taliban has defeated, co-opted or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from the country, even though they had some air support from the U.S. military.

On Sunday, they reached Kabul. Three Afghan officials told The Associated Press that the Taliban were in the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman in the capital. Later, Afghan forces at Bagram air base, home to a prison housing 5,000 inmates, surrendered to the Taliban, according to Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi. The prison housed both Taliban and Islamic State group fighters.

Kabul was gripped by panic. Helicopters raced overhead throughout the day to evacuate personnel from the US Embassy. Smoke rose near the compound as staff destroyed important documents, and the American flag was lowered. Several other Western missions also prepared to pull their people out.

The residents fear that Taliban might impose some brutal rules, eliminate women rights. Therefore they are leaving for the airport which lead to a great chaos there. Though the Taliban had promised a peaceful transition, the US Embassy suspended operations and warned Americans late in the day to shelter in place and not try to get to the airport. Commercial flights were suspended after sporadic gunfire erupted at the Kabul airport, according to two senior US military officials. Evacuations continued on military flights, but the halt to commercial traffic closed off one of the last routes available for fleeing Afghans.

It remained unclear when that transfer would take place and who among the Taliban was negotiating. The negotiators on the government side included former president Hamid Karzai, leader of Hizb-e-Islami political and paramilitary group Gulbudin Hekmatyar, and Abdullah, who has been a vocal critic of Ghani.

Music Of India

India is rich in various types of music played in different traditions, cultures, being played since ages. There are mainly 3 types of music: Classical music, Folk music and Modern music.

Classical Music

It includes Carnatic music and Hindustani music. The basic concepts of this music includes Shruti (microtones), Swaras (notes), Alankar (ornamentations), Raga (melodies improvised from basic grammars), and Tala (rhythmic patterns used in percussion). Thereare seven svaras are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni respectively.

Folk Music

It consists the music according to the state and regions. Some of them are:

Dandiya and Garba

Dandiya or Raas is a form of Gujarati cultural dance that is performed with sticks. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance. There is also another type of dance and music associated with Dandiya/Raas called Garba.

Haryanavi music

The folk Music of Haryana spread because of the Bhats, Saangis, and Jogis. It is sung and played in the state of Haryana, parts of western UP and neighboring districts of Rajasthan and Punjab.

Himachali

Himachal’s folk music varies according to the event or the festival. One of the most popular style of music is Nati Music, where nati being the traditional dance that is done on the song. Nati Music is usually celebratory, and done in fairs or other occasions such as marriages.

Qwallis

It is the traditional form of Islamic songs practiced Northern India. It is also linked to the Sufi tradition and performed with one or two lead singers with several musical instruments like harmonium, tabla, dholak, etc.

Rajasthani music

It is one of the most popular forms of music in India. The essence of Rajasthani music originates from the creative symphony of string instruments, percussion instruments, and wind instruments accompanied by melodious renditions of folk singers.

Gazals

t is a type of music with a short poem with a series of couplets. Each couplet is an independent poem.

Dance Forms Of India

India is the land various cultures, traditions. It is a cluster of various people who follow different lifestyles. With each different lifestyle there comes different dance tradition which goes back to their ancestors. Following are various dance forms of different states of the country.

Bharatanatyam

Earlier known as Sadir or Dasi Attam it is a dance form of Tamil Nadu widely popular in southern India. It has grown out of the art of dancers dedicated to temples. Bharatanatyam rests on principles of performance and an aesthetics set down in classics such as Bharata’s Natyashastra. It has a rich repertoire of songs in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit.

Kathak

It is the principal dance of northern India, and is widely practised in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and even parts of western and eastern India today. It is believed to be connected with the narrative art of Kathakaras or story-tellers who have expounded the scriptures, the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, and puranic literature to the lay masses since ancient times.

Odissi

This dance form originated in Orissa, performed as part of temple service by ‘maharis’ or female temple servants.The traditional dance was remoulded as a theatre art towards the middle of the twentieth century with reference not only to the existing dance art, but representation of dance in Orissa’s medieval sculpture, painting, and literature. In its remodelled form, Odissi dance has spread quickly across the country.

Kathakali

It is the dance form of Kerela, originated in the seventeenth century  under the patronage of the prince of Karnataka, who wrote plays for performance drawn from the epic Ramayana in Malayalam, the language of the region. Stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata provide the content of most Kathakali plays, which have come down to us in a steady stream over three centuries.

Manipuri

Manipuri dance, evolved in Manipur in north-eastern India, is anchored in the Vaishnava faith of the Meiteis, or people of the Manipur valley. The temples of Manipur are still among the principal staging venues of the dance

Ghoomer

The Ghoomar dance is primarily performed by the female folk of Jaisalmer on special festive occasions.

Bhangra

It is a traditional dance form of Punjab with the accompaniment of short songs called boliyan and, most significantly, to the beat of a dhol(double-headed drum).

Indian hockey team wins a medal after 41 years.

See the source image

It was over 40 years ago in 1980 that Indian hockey team won a medal in Olympics. Today after defeating Germany, India’s men hockey won 12th medal at the Olympics, which makes it the sole best-performing nation in history. After loosing against Belgium in the semi finals on August 3 with the margin of 5-2, India fought against Germany for the bronze medal.

In the first quarter Germany took the lead with the score 1-0 against India. Timm Herzbruch sent the ball to Florian Fuchs, who in turn set up Timur Oruz. There were a couple of defenders around him, but Oruz still scored. After 10 minutes  German midfielder Mats Grambusch received a long pass up front and entered the circle. He got past Hardik Singh and released a shot, which was blocked by Indian keeper PR Sreejesh.

After 17 minutes just after the start of second round Nilakanta Sharma received the ball, evaded a couple of tackles and sent a delightful pass towards Simranjeet Singh, who found the back of the net and scored the goal and the score was now 1-1. After 24 minutes Eventually, Christopher Ruhr slipped a pass to Niklas Wellen, who made it 2-1 for the Germans and just after a minute Germans scored another goal making it to 3-1. The hopes had just started declining until Hardik Singh scored a goal for India and it was 3-2 now and just after 2 minutes Harmanpreet Singh scored his sixth goal of the Tokyo Olympics with an excellent drag-flick. The second round ended with the score 3-3. It was the most thrilling round of all.

Just after the start of the third round India received a penalty stroke and Rupinder Pal Singh made no mistake and gave India a lead with the score 3-4. At 34 minutes India scored another goal setting the score to 3-5. After the start of the fourth quarter Germany scored a goal and now score was 4-5. In the end Germans were able to penetrate twice but the Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh saved the goal beautifully twice and thus leading the country to the victory.

Stock Market

A stock market is a cluster of buyers and sellers of the stocks representing the ownership claims on businesses which may include securities listed on a public stock exchange, as well as stock that is only traded privately, such as shares of private companies which are sold to investors through equity crowdfunding platforms. Investment is done through  stockbrokerages and electronic trading platforms which is a computer software program that can be used to place orders for financial products over a network with a financial intermediary. Investment is usually made with an investment strategy in mind. A stockbroker is a person who is a registered trading representative.

The total market capitalization of equity backed securities worldwide rose from US$2.5 trillion in 1980 to US$68.65 trillion at the end of 2018. As of December 31, 2019, the total market capitalization of all stocks worldwide was approximately US$70.75 trillion. The largest stock exchange markets are US stock exchange, Japan stock exchange and UK stock exchange.

Many large companies have their stocks listed on a stock exchange. This makes the stock more liquid and thus more attractive to many investors. Large companies, mainly the multi national companies have there stocks listed in various stock exchange markets. Trade in stock markets means the transfer (in exchange for money) of a stock or security from a seller to a buyer. This requires these two parties to agree on a price. Equities (stocks or shares) confer an ownership interest in a particular company. Equity is ownership of assets that may have debts or other liabilities attached to them. Equity is measured for accounting purposes by subtracting liabilities from the value of the assets.

A potential buyer bids a specific price for a stock, and a potential seller asks a specific price for the same stock. Buying or selling at the Market means you will accept any ask price or bid price for the stock. When the bid and ask prices match, a sale takes place, on a first-come, first-served basis if there are multiple bidders at a given price. The stock exchange provides a safe marketplace facilitating the exchange of securities between buyers and sellers.

PV Sindhu loose to Tai in semi-final

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, commonly known as PV Sindhu (born 5 July 1995) is an Indian professional badminton player. She is the first Indian to become the Badminton World Champion and the first Indian woman to earn an Olympic silver medal in 2016. She rose to a career-high world ranking of no. 2 in April 2017.India’s hopes for a badminton Gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics came to an end on Saturday evening as the ace PV Sindhu was knocked out in the semi-final of the Women’s singles event by the World number 1 Tai Tzu Zing. The intensely fought contest lasted 40 minutes as Tai won 21-18, 21-12.

However she outlasted world No. 5 Japanese shuttler Akane Yamaguchi 16-21, 21-16, 21-19 in the All England Open Badminton Championships quarter-finals to enter the top four of the women’s singles event. Sindhu however remains in contention for the Bronze medal, for which she will take the court on Sunday at 5pm IST. She will face China’s He Bingjiao for the Bronze.

It was Tai who started off with a quick 2-0 lead before Sindhu rattled of four points, leaving the opponent on the floor with a fantastic cross court smash. The two players, well acquainted with each other’s game, kept chipping away, finding the angles and using the depth of the court well to pick points off. Sindhu led 11-8 at mid-game in the first game.

After the break, Tai upped the ante and as did Sindhu. However, Tai, who was showing off her full repertoire of shots, quickly cut down the lead, bringing things to level pegging even as the Indian kept up, for most of the first game. Quite simply, none were giving away an inch but Tai, who played catch-up for most of the first game won it at 21-18 in 21 minutes.

Cancer

Cancer is one of the most haunting diseases, squandering lives since ages. It occurs due to abnormal cell growth due to genetic mutations from environmental and lifestyle factors. Major of these factors are smoking, obesity, infections. There are also some certain chemicals known as carcinogens. Tobacco smoke causes almost 90% of the lung cancer. Physical inactivity and obesity also causes about 30-35% of cancer deaths.Not only cancer physical inactivity also hampers endocrine and immune system.

There are various types of cancer:

LEAUKEMIA : Commonly known as blood cancer,leukaemia affects the tissues of the bone marrow which is responsible for blood production. It is caused by abnormal production of white blood cells.

Myeloma: It targets plasma cells of our immune system. These cells divide in the bone marrow causing multiple tumours in the bones 

LYMPHOMA: It affects the lymphocytes in the lymph nodes, which are a part of the immune system.

CNS CANCER: CNS (Central Nervous System) cancers originate from the brain and the spinal cord. Gliomas, vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas, primary CNS lymphomas, pituitary adenomas are few CNS cancers.

Melanoma: It is a form of skin cancer that targets melanin – the pigment responsible for skin colour. In this form of cancer, the melanocytes are affected resulting in the abnormal formation of melanin. It may also affect other tissues that are pigmented, such as the eyes.

Symptoms

There are various symptoms through which cancer can be detected such as irregular loss weight, fatigue, continuous pain, fever or any irregular changes in skin.

Causes

Cancer can be caused by innumerous factors such as genetical factors, tobacco, alcohol, obesity, unhealthy environment, exposure to unnatural radiations etc.

Treatment

With the advancement of science many cures have been found for the treatment of cancer. The process of treatment depends on the type and stages of cancer. Some of the common treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Where To Invest Money?

Image result for where to invest money

Investing money has become very popular and more common nowadays since it sustains our future. There are innumerous ways through which we can invest money

Image result for where to invest money

Stock Market

Stock market is one of the most blooming field for investing money nowadays. You buy a number of shares of a company at a particular price at that time and if the company profits, the price of the shares rise and you can sell them and earn profit. There are risks involved in it since the company might go in loss. Therefore it becomes risky especially when you invest hefty amount.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies are one of the newest forms of investing money. They are digital currencies that allow people to send and receive funds without using a third party. Although there are more than 2,000 different cryptocurrencies in existence, Bitcoin is the most well-known, and carries the largest value. Their values can change in a similar way the stock market works.

Gold

It is an older form of an investment which purely depends on the supply demand. Therefore if the demand is more, its price will go up whereas if there is less demand the prices fall. Therefore it is wise to invest in gold only when the prices steeps down.

Real Estate

This type of investment requires hefty amount of money which involves buying properties at lesser rates and when the housing market shoots up, sell at higher rates. It is one of the most safest long term investment.

Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is a type of investment vehicle consisting of a portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities. Liquidity is high and tenor is open ended. You invest an amount into the mutual fund, and the fund will buy and sell stocks on your behalf. You’ll pay an annual fee for this.

Fixed Deposit

It is a traditional and safest form of investment that provides a relatively higher rate of interest as compared to savings account. It is very beneficial during long term investments.

What is IPO and all about Zomato IPO

IPO stands for Initial Public Offering. It refers to when a company make its shares available for the public in a new stock issuance. It helps the company to raise capital from public investors to raise its business operations. Through this process a private company turns into a pubic company. It enables easy trading of existing holdings or future capital raising by becoming publicly traded. Companies must meet requirements by exchanges and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to hold an initial public offering (IPO). After the IPO, shares are traded freely in the open market at what is known as the free float. Companies hire investment banks to market, gauge demand, set the IPO price and date, and more.

In order to apply for IPO, a company should have a net worth o $1 billion or a unicorn status. IPO gives company a lower cost of capital for debt and equity. It also increases company’s image, prestige which ultimately leads to raise in sales and profit. Companies hire investment banks to market, gauge demand, set the IPO price and date, and more. If adequate research is carried out investment in IPO can turn out very successful.

Zomato

Zomato is one such unicorn company which is among the leading Food Service Delivery platforms. It has a strong network of 131,233 restaurants and 161,637 delivery partners. Zomato IPO is a main-board IPO of equity shares of the face value of ₹1 aggregating up to ₹9,375.00 Crores. The issue is priced at ₹72 to ₹76 per equity share. It was opened on July 14 and closed on July 16. A minimum of 1 lot consisting of about 195 shares and costing around 15000 rupees and a maximum of 13 lots consisting of 2535 shares and 192,660 worth of price can be taken.

You can apply in Zomato IPO online using either UPI or ASBA as payment method. The finalization of Basis of Allotment for Zomato IPO will be done on Jul 22, 2021, and the allotted shares will be credited to your demat account by Jul 26, 2021. The tentative date of Zomato IPO listing is Jul 27, 2021.

Hormones That Makes Us Happy

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Our body constitutes innumerous chemicals performing functions that makes us feel happy, sad, nervous. Most of them are released by the Hypothalamus and Pituitary glands. There are 4 major chemicals secreted by our body that makes us feel happy:

Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps in the transmission of signals in the brain and other areas. It is released by Hypothalamus and acts on receptors that are specific for it. It acts on sympathetic nervous system leading to increase heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore it is used in medication. It is is associated with pleasurable sensations, along with learning, memory, motor system function, and more.

Endorphin

Endorphins  are endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones which are produced and stored in the pituitary gland. It consists of α-endorphin, β-endorphin, and γ-endorphin. Its main function is to compress pain signals. It can act in both the central nervous system  and the peripheral nervous system. It also produces a euphoric state in cases such as sex, listening to music, and eating chocolate. According to a research meditation triggers endorphin secretion.

Serotonin

Serotonin is a complex monoamine neurotransmitter. Approximately 90% of our body’s total serotonin is located in the enterochromaffin cells in the GI tract, where it regulates intestinal movements. About 8% is found in platelets and 1–2% in the CNS. It modulates mood, reward, learning, memory, and various physiological processes such as vomiting and vasoconstriction. Serotonin levels spike when we reflect on past achievements, practice gratitude, and celebrate victories.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin  is a peptide hormone and neuropeptide which is produced in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary. It functions during social bonding, reproduction, childbirth, and the period after childbirth which includes bonding with the baby and milk production. It can also be considered as an antidiuretic since it lowers the urine secretion. We need oxytocin to form strong bonds in our personal and professional relationships. 

Although these hormones are essential for our body but there are drugs such as heroine, nicotine etc. which alleviates the levels of these chemicals in excess and it may result in harmful repercussions.

Zika Virus

Electron micrograph of "Zika virus". Virus particles (colored purple) are 40 nm in diameter, with an outer envelope and a dense inner core.
Micrograph of Zika Virus

Viruses have been the talk of the town since its high intake in the previous year. For instance Covid that has booked its seat for a long stay in the country along with its innumerous variants has caused a lot of problems. Zika Virus is one such deadly virus which is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae and spreads from Aedes mosquitoes. It existence has been marked since ages detected first in monkeys in 1947 and then in humans in 1952 in Uganda.

The first recorded outbreak of Zika virus disease was reported from the Island of Yap in 2007.Its symptomatic time period is from 3 to 14 days. Its symptoms are almost equal to dengue fever which includes fever, rash, muscle and joint pain, conjunctivitis, malaise, and headache, and usually last for 2–7 days. Its infection is deadly during pregnancy and leads to microcephaly which leads to small head size since it disrupts brain growth by hijacking a pathway which regulates growth of new neurons and other congenital abnormalities in the developing fetus and newborn. It can also lead to fetal loss, and preterm birth.

"Zika virus" capsid model, colored by chains, PDB entry 5ire
Zika Virus Capsid Model

It can also transfer from men and women to their sexual partners and during blood transfusion. Although no clinically proven vaccine has been developed so far but clinical trials are in progress. Therefore no proper treatment is available and the only treatment that is done is by using the medicines to lower a particular symptom. For example in case of fever paracetamol comes handy. If symptoms worsen, they should seek medical care and advice.

In such case prevention is the best remedy. Water should not be stagnant, sanitary conditions should be maintained, pregnant women should sleep under mosquito nets and should avoid going to unhygienic places. Windows and doors should be kept closed. Mosquito repellant creams should be applied.