My Science School

 

Bleeding, also called hemorrhage, is the name used to describe blood loss. It can refer to blood loss inside the body, called internal bleeding, or to blood loss outside of the body, called external bleeding.

Blood loss can occur in almost any area of the body. Internal bleeding occurs when blood leaks out through a damaged blood vessel or organ. External bleeding happens when blood exits through a break in the skin

When blood from trauma irritates brain tissues, it causes swelling. This is known as cerebral edema. The pooled blood collects into a mass called a hematoma. These conditions increase pressure on nearby brain tissue, and that reduces vital blood flow and kills brain cells.

Bleeding can occur inside the brain, between the brain and the membranes that cover it, between the layers of the brain's covering or between the skull and the covering of the brain.

 

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Lifestyle factors that increase your risk of stroke include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, heavy drinking, high salt and high fat diet and lack of exercise. Someone who has already experienced a stroke is at increased risk of having another.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is the most significant risk factor for stroke. Blood pressure refers to the pressure inside the arteries. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80, while high-normal blood pressure is 120/80 to 140/90. High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is consistently over 140/90. This is called ‘hypertension’.



Hypertension means that the blood is exerting more pressure than is normal or healthy. Over time, this weakens and damages blood vessel walls, which can lead to stroke, particularly cerebral haemorrhage.



Hypertension may also cause thickening of the artery walls, resulting in narrowing and eventual blockage of the vessel (ischaemic stroke). In atherosclerosis, the pressure of your pumping blood could ‘hose off’ debris from damaged artery walls. The circulating debris (called emboli) can cause a stroke by lodging in and blocking a blood vessel in the brain.

 

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A stroke, or "brain attack," occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails. Brain cells can die from decreased blood flow and the resulting lack of oxygen. There are two broad categories of stroke: those caused by a blockage of blood flow and those caused by bleeding into the brain. A blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or neck, called an ischemic stroke, is the most frequent cause of stroke and is responsible for about 80 percent of strokes. These blockages stem from three conditions: the formation of a clot within a blood vessel of the brain or neck, called thrombosis; the movement of a clot from another part of the body such as the heart to the brain, called embolism; or a severe narrowing of an artery in or leading to the brain, called stenosis. Bleeding into the brain or the spaces surrounding the brain causes the second type of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke.

The most common symptoms of a stroke are:

• Weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body


• Loss of vision or dimming (like a curtain falling) in one or both eyes


• Loss of speech, difficulty talking, or understanding what others are saying


• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause


• Loss of balance or unstable walking, usually combined with another symptom

 

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Pitcher plants usually conjure up visuals of unsuspecting insects falling into a watery grave. But did you know these insectivorous plants also offer a fascinating story on a mutually beneficial relationship in the wild?

A place for roosting

One variety of pitcher plant that grows on trees in Brunie’s Borneo gladly welcomes a type of woolly bat to safely roost in its pitchers. And how is this mutually beneficial? Because, the bat droppings provide the pitcher plant much-needed nutrients. Since this plant dwells on trees, its chances of trapping insects are said to be lower than those of its cousins that grow on the ground. A study indicated that as the bats roost in the safety of the pitchers, the plants get about a third of their nutrients in the form of nitrogen from bat droppings. Of course, it certainly helps that this variety of plant has large pitchers, less digestive liquid, and more importantly, some sort of a “girdle” mid-way that prevents the bat from slipping and falling into the fluid. Interestingly, these bats use only this specific variety of plants for roosting. A subsequent study revealed that the back wall of the pitcher “strongly reflects incoming ultrasound in the direction it come from, and over a large area”, helping the bat locate these plants from far.

Not just bats

There are a few other pitcher plant species too that welcome such small mammals. For instance, one variety of plant tempts tree shrews with nutritious nectar on the pitcher’s lid. But there’s a catch. The shrews will be able to lick the nectar only when “they position their backsides over the mouth of the pitcher”. The pitcher plant offers nectar and, in return, expects nutrient-rich shrew dropping! Occasionally though, a shrew falls to its death in the pitcher fluid.

 

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Trophy hunting is the shooting of certain animals - most often rhinoceros, elephant, lion, cheetah, bear, deer, and moose - for recreation. The trophy is the animal or part of it-its head, skin, horns, tusks, antlers, - that the hunter keeps as a souvenir. Its different from poaching because its legal in many countries, although there are some restrictions.

Trophy hunting takes place in most countries of Europe, Africa Asia South America and the US, Canada. Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Trophy hunting is allowed with varying degrees of transparency and control. The yearly quota is expected to be set based on the conservation status of a species. Highly vulnerable populations are often excluded.

In general a portion of the hunting fee is paid directly to local community members and towards conservation projects to protect the area's wildlife. In most cases, while trophies such as skin or tusk go to the hunters, the meat would all go to the local population. Hunters pay $65.000 to $140.000 to hunt lions in Zimbabwe, for instance.

Can trophy hunting benefit wildlife?

Supporters say that legal well-regulated trophy hunting programmes can deliver benefits for wildlife conservation. Trophy hunting can generate revenue for wildlife management and conservation including anti-poaching activities, for government, private and community landholders. They point out that loss of habitat and prey, and poaching pose a greater threat to these animals and there is an urgent need to boost conservation efforts.

The ground reality

The ground reality, however, is different Cases of poorly conducted and poorly regulated hunting continue in a number of countries aS a result of weak governance, corruption. lack of transparency and excessive quotas. A report in 2015 says government corruption, especially in Zimbabwe, prevents elephant hunting fees from going towards any conservation efforts. A 2011 study found that trophy hunting was the leading factor in the population decline of lions in Tanzania.

Impact on survival of species

Many people object to the killing of individual animals on ethical grounds, regardless of its conservation benefit Hundreds of thousands of wild mammals, including endangered species, are slain by trophy hunters each year. The U.S. legally imports 126,000 animal trophies every year, and the EU imports 11,000-12,000 animals representing 140 species.

Opponents also cite that the genetic health and social behaviours of species are adversely affected because hunters often target the largest or most significant male of a species. They argue that trophy hunting of should stop as it cannot contribute to the survival of a species.

 

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The Indian Council of Medical Research has so far conducted two nationwide sero sunny Around 7% of India's adult population showed evidence of oposure to the novel coronavirus before the end of August according to the ICMR second nationwide sero survey for antibodies against SARS CO2, the vines that causes COMD-19 disease This is 10 times more than what the first sero survey, held across 70 districts in 21 States in May on a sample size of 28.000, revealed- 73% What are sero surveys and what do the indicate? Lets see.

Random sampling

A sero or serological suvey is conducted to assess the prevalence of the disease in a population. It is done to identify specific antibodies called IgG (Immunoglobulin G) that are produced against the SARS-COV-2 vines. Conducted on random sets of people, the suney helps estimate what proportion of the population has developed immunity to the disease, and helps track trends.

Sero sienes insolve testing blood serum (the fluid part of blood) of people for the IgG antibodies. Usually, antibodies (proteins produced by the immune system in response to an infection) are detected in the blood within two weeks of an infection. But how long they can confer protection against fresh infections by the same vines is not yet known.

The results of a ser survey provide an assessment of the level of infection in a population and are only for surveillance purposes and not for diagnosis of patients. As with all surveys, otrapolating the results from a rutom sampling pool to an entire country has its glitches.

What do numbers convey?

Coming back to the sero- survey numbers. 7% of the adult population works out to about 60 million people. The suney revealed that for every confined COMID-19 case, there were 26-32 infections that went undetected by August. down from 81-131 infections per reported case in the first round in May. It further suggested that a large proportion of the country's population has not yet been exposed to the virus meaning we are far from herd immunity (a form of indirect protection which is said to have been achieved when a significant proportion of the population becomes immune to the vines so as to check its spread). So, until a vaccine is developed it would be test for us to continue following the COVID-19 etiquette such as wearing a mask maintaining hand hygiene and social distancing.

 

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The body needs water to stay alive. Every cell, tissue, and organ relies on a regular water supply to function properly. Water makes up more than half of the body. It is found inside cells, as well as in blood and other fluids, such as lymph, tears, saliva, sweat, and urine. The brain constantly monitors water level inside the body so it can make sure it maintains the correct balance.

Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation. Water helps your kidneys remove waste from your blood and keep the blood vessels that run to your kidneys open and filter them out, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Water is also important for helping prevent constipation, points out the University of Rochester Medical Center. However, as research notes, there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid intake will cure constipation.

Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons, it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore your body's natural hydration level. Your doctor may also recommend that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like bladder infections and urinary tract stones. If you're pregnant or nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual, especially if you're breastfeeding.

 

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