কলেরা থেকে করোনা: জার্মান বিজ্ঞানীদের অবদান [৩১ ডিসেম্বর ২০২০]

ঊনবিংশ শতাব্দীতে জার্মানির জীবাণুবিজ্ঞানীরা পৃথিবীর নানা মহামারির জীবাণু ও প্রতিষেধক আবিষ্কার করেছেন। বিংশ শতাব্দীর ভয়াবহ মহামারি করোনার প্রথম প্রতিষেধক আবিষ্কারেও তাঁরা আশার আলো দেখাচ্ছেন।

সেই ১৮৮৩ সালে অবিভক্ত বাংলা যখন ভয়াবহ কলেরা মহামারিতে পর্যুদস্ত, তখন সুদূর জার্মানি থেকে একজন জীবাণুবিজ্ঞানী হেনরিখ হারম্যান রবার্ট কখ কলকাতায় এসেছিলেন। তাঁর উদ্দেশ্য ছিল কলেরা রোগ নিয়ে গবেষণা করা। অবাক করার মতো ঘটনা। ১৩৭ বছর আগে তিনি জীবনের মায়া ত্যাগ করে সহমর্মিতার হাত বাড়িয়ে দিয়েছিলেন। পরে তিনিই কলেরার প্রতিষেধক উদ্ভাবন করেন।

১৮৮২ সালে রবার্ট কখ টিউবারকিউলাস ব্যাসিলাস নিয়ে যক্ষ্মার জীবাণু খুঁজে বের করেন। তাঁর অসীম ধৈর্য ও গবেষণা কলেরা, যক্ষ্মা ও অ্যানথ্র্যাক্সের মতো রোগের জীবাণু শনাক্তকরণ ও সংক্রামক ব্যাধির প্রতিষেধকের পথ বাতলেছিল।

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IAEA named Partner of the Month for UN’s South-South Galaxy Platform (20 December,2020)

The IAEA was named the Partner of the Month for December 2020 on the South-South Galaxy (SSG) platform of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).  The page showcases some of the examples of South-South and triangular cooperation facilitated through the IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme.

UNOSSC, established in 1974, promotes, coordinates and supports South-South and triangular cooperation globally and within the United Nations system. In March 2019, the IAEA collaborated with UNOSSC on a special edition of their publication, South-South in Action, which focused on the IAEA’s role in promoting sustainable development through the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

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Covid-19 vaccine could lead to cancer, heart disease breakthroughs [14 December, 2020]

THE first vaccines against Covid-19 aren’t just a landmark in the fight against the pandemic. They’re also the stepping stone for an unconventional technology that could one day defeat other ailments that have eluded doctors, from cancer to heart disease.

The shots from Moderna and a partnership of Pfizer and BioNTech use genetic material called messenger RNA to effectively transform the body’s own cells into vaccine factories. The approach had never been used outside of clinical experiments, and just how well it worked against the coronavirus stunned even some of its most enthusiastic backers.

Now, with one vaccine having gained US clearance and the other close behind, the pandemic validation could wrench open a whole new field of medicine.

“We are now entering the age of mRNA therapeutics,” said Derrick Rossi, a former Harvard University stem-cell biologist who helped found Moderna in 2010.

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Covid-19 vaccines raise hope for cancer, throw open new field of medicine [13 December, 2020]

The first vaccines against Covid-19 aren’t just a landmark in the fight against the pandemic. They’re also the stepping stone for an unconventional technology that could one day defeat other ailments that have eluded doctors, from cancer to heart disease.

The shots from Moderna Inc. and a partnership of Inc. and BioNTech SE use genetic material called messenger RNA to effectively transform the body’s own cells into vaccine factories. The approach had never been used outside of clinical experiments, and just how well it worked against the coronavirus stunned even some of its most enthusiastic backers.

Now, with one vaccine having gained U.S. clearance and the other close behind, the pandemic validation could wrench open a whole new field of medicine.

“We are now entering the age of mRNA therapeutics,” said Derrick Rossi, a former Harvard University stem-cell biologist who helped found Moderna in 2010. “The whole world has seen this. There is going to be increased investment and increased resources.”

In some ways, the global pandemic was the perfect proving ground for the new technology as deep-pocketed backers — including — became more willing to take a risk. But the effort was only possible because BioNTech and Moderna Inc. had worked on messenger RNA for years.

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PTW is Supporting Medical Physics in Bangladesh [12 December, 2020]

Since the 1990s, various German organizations, including PTW, have been promoting medical physics education in Bangladesh ꟷ through training, donations and dosimetry equipment. With much success: In 2021, the “Asia-Oceania Congress on Medical Physics” will be taking place in this South Asian country for the first time.

While talking about the upcoming Congress of Medical Physics, you can hear the pride in Professor Golam Abu Zakaria’s voice. Subconsciously, he begins to speak a little faster – for a good reason: In December 2021, the “21st Asia-Oceania Congress on Medical Physics” will be taking place in his native country for the very first time. Zakaria has lived in Germany since 1972 and teaches at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. Up to his retirement in 2019, he worked as a medical physicist in Oberberg Hospital. Almost from the beginning he has initiated projects to help improve medical care in his native country, particularly in the fields of medical physics and dosimetry. “The Asia-Oceania Congress on Medical Physics is a fantastic success for Bangladesh,” he adds with enthusiasm and explains how it came about: “In the last decades, we’ve managed with very little money and plenty of idealism to make Bangladesh a location for medical physics – with very positive effects on the whole region.”

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Heart disease, cancer and diabetes among biggest killers of 2019, says WHO [11 December, 2020]

Noncommunicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes are now the leading causes of death in the world, in a dramatic change from two decades ago.

They now make up seven of the top 10 causes of death, an increase from four out of 10 in 2000, with heart disease the biggest killer – accounting for 16% of all deaths.

According to estimates published today by the World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death, while deaths from diabetes increased 70% globally between 2000 and 2019.

The new figures show the need for intensified focus on preventing and treating cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, said the WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “These new estimates are another reminder that we need to rapidly step up prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases,” he said.

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5 Cancer Causing Foods You Should Avoid Consuming On Regular Basis

According to the World Health Organisation, around 9.6 million people died because of Cancer in 2018. The painful disease is the second leading cause of death in the world. And experts are of the opinion that the major cause of a sudden spike in cancer cases is because of our lifestyle and food habits. Consuming packaged food, adulterated food when combined disbalances the body which is not a healthy sign and can lead to major health-related problems.

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Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Found 94.5% Effective [09 December, 2020]

Produced by the US company Moderna and in collaboration with the US government’s Operation Warp Speed, a novel vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 has shown 94.5% efficacy according to preliminary results.

The vaccine reportedly has a shelf life of up to 30 days in a commercial refrigerator and can stand being at room temperature for up to 12 hours. And at -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) it remains viable for up to six months.

These findings suggest that it’s significantly easier to store and transport this vaccine around when compared to the recent Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine—which was announced about a week ago and has 90% efficacy.

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100 Female Students Awarded Scholarships in Nuclear {10th December, 2020}

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has awarded fellowships to a first group of 100 female students from around the world under a new initiative to help close the gender gap in nuclear science and technology.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme, named after the pioneering physicist, was launched by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in March to support women pursuing nuclear-related careers.

The fellowship offers up to €10 000 per year to each student to cover tuition for a Master’s degree programme plus up to a further €10 000 annually for living costs for a maximum study period of two years. Fellows will also have an opportunity to undertake an internship, facilitated by the IAEA, in activities related to their field of study. The next MSCFP application cycle is anticipated to be announced in the first quarter of 2021