Dr Nazar MD,Ph.D

19/02/2025

This new test can find cancer in just 45 minutes — even in its earliest stages.

The development could save many lives, making early detection and treatment finally possible.

Notably, this form of cancer is notoriously hard to detect.

The groundbreaking blood test, called PAC-MANN, was developed by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University. It analyzes changes in protease activity in a small blood sample, and can identify pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with 85% accuracy in early-stage cases.

Unlike existing tests like CA 19-9, which are more effective for prognosis than early detection, PAC-MANN offers a non-invasive and highly sensitive alternative. By requiring only a tiny blood sample and delivering results in just 45 minutes at an extremely low cost, it has the potential to revolutionize cancer screening, especially in underserved areas.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, highlights how PAC-MANN not only aids in early detection but may also help monitor treatment effectiveness by tracking changes in protease activity. This means doctors could use the test to assess a patient’s response to therapy in real time, improving treatment decisions and patient outcomes.

With further clinical trials planned, researchers hope PAC-MANN could become a widely accessible tool for catching pancreatic cancer sooner, ultimately increasing survival rates for one of the deadliest cancers.

Learn more: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1073507

27/12/2024

Human vision functions with a 15-second delay, which means what you see now has happened in the past.

Everything we see is a combination of the last 15 seconds of visual information, as our brain helps us perceive a stable world by living "in the past." This mechanism, resembling an app consolidating visual input, smoothes our visual experience over time.

Instead of analyzing every single visual snapshot, our brain creates an average impression based on the past 15 seconds, tricking us into perceiving a stable environment.

This ability explains why we often fail to notice subtle changes that occur over time, preventing the world from feeling chaotic with constant real-time updates. Thanks to this delay, our vision doesn’t make us dizzy or nauseated. Our eyes continuously receive an enormous amount of visual information, comprising shapes, colors, and ever-changing motion.

The brain faces the challenging task of handling these continuous changes due to factors such as light, viewpoint, blinking, and the motion of our eyes, head, and body.

Dealing with the shaking and visual noise it receives, the brain experiences a jittery, messy result similar to a video recorded while walking on a smartphone, representing our visual experience in each moment.

27/12/2024

A Tomato Has 12,000 More Genes Than a Human

It might sound shocking, but a humble tomato contains more genes than a human being.

According to research, a tomato has around 32,000 genes, while the average human has approximately 20,000. This means that tomatoes, the fruit we casually toss into salads or slice for sandwiches, carry significantly more genetic material than we do.

How can this be?

It turns out that gene count doesn't directly correlate with complexity. Many plants, like tomatoes, have evolved with an abundance of genes that help them adapt to different environments, resist diseases, and produce fruits.

In contrast, humans rely on fewer genes, but they’re organized in ways that make us far more complex than our genetic count suggests. It’s a fascinating reminder that, in the world of genetics, numbers alone don’t tell the whole story.

23/12/2024

23/12/2024

Every Day, Your Blood Travels 19,000 km (12,000 miles);

Blood circulates through the body approximately three times every minute, covering an impressive distance. Over the course of a day, blood travels a total of 19,000 kilometers (12,000 miles).

That's just about twice the Earth's diameter.

This is also roughly four times the distance across the United States from coast to coast.

This continuous circulation is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and removing waste products, showcasing the remarkable efficiency of the human circulatory system

12/12/2024

You only sleep with half your brain at a time when you're in a new place:

Ever notice that you sleep poorly your first night in an unfamiliar environment? You aren't imagining things.

This is due to a phenomenon known as the "first night effect," where one hemisphere of your brain stays more alert, acting as a "night watch" to monitor your surroundings.

Similar to how some animals, like sharks and certain birds, sleep with half their brain active, this adaptation helps humans remain responsive to potential threats in new environments.

Sleep studies reveal that during this first night, the left hemisphere often exhibits lighter, more vigilant sleep, while the right hemisphere achieves deeper rest.

Although humans don’t fully engage in "unihemispheric sleep" like aquatic mammals, where one hemisphere remains awake, the first night effect shows a similar mechanism.

This evolutionary behavior highlights our brain's ability to prioritize safety over rest when in potentially unfamiliar or risky settings.

The work was conducted by scientists at Brown University.

Learn more: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/21/struggle-to-sleep-in-a-strange-bed-scientists-have-uncovered-why

12/12/2024

This parasitic plant doesn’t photosynthesize — and it smells like a rotting co**se:

These bizarre, fleshy flowers might look like they belong on a nightmarish alien world, but they belong to a parasitic plant in Africa called Hydnora africana, or Jackal food.

Found in southern Africa, these flowers emerge from underground only after rainfall, releasing a rotting stench to attract insects for pollination.

Unlike most plants, Jackal food doesn’t photosynthesize. Instead, it survives by stealing nutrients from the roots of nearby host plants. Hidden beneath the soil, it also produces potato-like fruits, which are a tasty treat for animals like jackals and porcupines.

With its quirky appearance and unusual life cycle, Hydnora africana showcases the incredible diversity and creativity of nature—even if it gives us a chuckle (or a shudder) along the way.

Image: Ebony Black, Public Domain Mark 1.0/Flickr

12/12/2024

Scientists say Alzheimer’s might not be a brain disease after all:

The common theory that Alzheimer's disease is caused by the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain is now being challenged by a new theory. Scientists say Alzheimer's may be an autoimmune disease.

This theory is based on 30 years of research. It suggests that beta-amyloid, rather than being an abnormal protein, is actually a component of the brain's immune system.

Its role is to protect the brain from injury and infection, but due to the similarity between the fat molecules in bacterial membranes and brain cell membranes, beta-amyloid mistakenly attacks the brain cells it's meant to defend. This leads to a chronic, progressive loss of brain function, ultimately resulting in dementia.

This autoimmune misfire redefines Alzheimer’s as a disorder of the immune system. The autoimmune theory opens up new avenues for treatment by focusing on immune-regulating pathways in the brain, rather than solely targeting beta-amyloid. It offers a promising new direction for research and treatment, potentially leading to more effective therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

Autoimmune diseases occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks your body's own tissues, leading to inflammation and damage. There are over 80 recognized types, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Common symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and fever. While the exact causes are unclear, factors like genetics, infections, and environmental exposures may contribute.

12/12/2024

New research shows gut bacteria literally control your brain:

The food you eat induces gut bacteria to control some cells in your brain through complex biochemical processes, shaping everything from mood to cognitive function.

Essentially, what you eat sets off a chain reaction in your gut that can alter how your brain cells behave.

This discovery is part of a growing body of research into the gut-brain axis, a communication network linking your digestive system and your brain. Scientists are exploring how different diets and gut bacteria profiles could potentially influence mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. Understanding this connection might open the door to new treatments that target gut bacteria to improve brain function.

Read More: http://bit.ly/1UP6qQ2
Research Paper: http://bit.ly/1NqTIFG