m. haghani

Neanderthal genes possibly gave modern human protection against viruses. However, a recent study revealed that that a long sequence of DNA that is inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors can be linked to severe COVID-19 infection and hospitalization. Substantial evidence now indicates that our genetic background may be involved in the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid progress of COVID-19 in some infected individuals. Although both morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 strongly depends on key factors such as age and co-existing health conditions, potential classes of human genomic variants possibly affect the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its progress. Despite Iran and Mongolia seem to share the same SARS-CoV-2 mutation cluster, the COVID-19 mortality rates in these two countries are drastically different. While the population in Iran is 25.8 times higher than that of Mongolia, the number of confirmed cases is 1170 times higher. Moreover, the death rate shows a drastic difference. Since Neanderthals interbred with modern humans in Middle East between 47,000 and 65,000 years ago before going extinct 40,000 years ago, some Iranians have much more Neanderthal DNA than other people. Although neither genetic background nor environmental factors alone can determine our risk of developing severe COVID-19, our genes clearly affect both the development and progression of infectious diseases including COVID-19. Given these considerations, we believe that these great differences, at least to some extent, can be due to the proportion of Neanderthal genes among the people of these two countries.

Prenatal adverse effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure on nervous system are an issue of major concern.

Thus, in this study we evaluated the membrane current flow properties of Purkinje neurons after maternal exposure to 900 MHz pulsed RF-EMF.

In this experimental study, during all days of pregnancy, rats in the EMF-exposed group were exposed to 900 MHz pulsed-EMF radiation for 6 h per day. The effects of RF-EMF exposure on the electrophysiological properties of the Purkinje cerebellum neurons from male pups were evaluated by whole-cell patch clamp recordings in current and voltage clamp modes. In voltage-clamp experiments, the holding potential was -60 mV, and a depolarizing voltage step (1000 ms duration) was applied from -60 to +50 mV in 10 mV increments at 2s intervals.

The exposure group demonstrated reduced spontaneous firing associated with upward and rightward shift in I/V curve compared to the control rats. Moreover, the peak amplitude of the current for the exposure pups also revealed a significant decrement. The reversal potential was +40 mV and +20 mV for the control and RF-EMF groups, respectively and showed significant differences between the two groups.

The decrease in ion’s conductance could be attributed to the observed decrease in the voltage onset of the inward current, peak amplitude and voltage shift.

Global health authorities are trying to work out the current status of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and explore methods to reduce the rate of its transmission to healthy individuals. In this viewpoint we provide insights concerning how health care professionals can unintentionally shift the novel coronavirus type to more drug-resistant forms. It is worth noting that viruses usually have different sensitivities to physical and chemical damaging agents such antiviral drugs, UV and heat ranging from extremely sensitive (ES) to extremely resistant (ER) based on a bell-shaped curve. Given this consideration, the widespread infection of people with such ER viruses would be a real disaster. Here, we introduce a modified treatment method for COVID-19-associated pneumonia. In this proposed method, COVID-19 patients will receive a single dose of 100, 180 or 250 mSv X-ray radiation that is less than the maximum annual radiation dose of the residents of high background radiation areas of Ramsar that is up to 260 mSv. In contrast with antiviral drugs, a single dose of either 100, 180 or 250 mSv of low LET X-rays cannot exert a significant selective pressure on the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and hence does not lead to directed accelerated evolution of these viruses. Moreover, Low Dose Radiation (LDR) has the capacity of modulating excessive inflammatory responses, regulating lymphocyte counts, and controling bacterial co-infections in patients with COVID-19.

Population fluctuations, and parasitoids complex of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton were studied in two citrus orchards from June 2010 to September 2011 in Shiraz. To determine the density of P. citrella 10 trees were selected randomly every week and 40 leaves were collected from each tree. Weekly sampling in 2 orchards showed that the citrus leaf miner was emerged from the early May and increased its population gradually and reached to its maximum when the temperature was between 23.5–33.5 ◦C and the relative humidity was between 31.5–39% in June and July 2010. Insect population decreased during the summer month to the end of the August. Then the insect population increased. In early September and reached to its maximum when the temperature was between 21–27◦C and the relative humidity was between 34.5–44.5% in November. Because of the cold weather, the population density decreased from the end of January and reached to the minimum to the end of April. Four species of hymenopterous parasitoids were found and identified namely, Pediobius pyrgo (Walker), Pediobius saulius (Walker), Pnigalio soemius (Walker) and Closterocerus formosus (Westwood) (Eulophidae). The most common parasitoid during 2 years sampling was determined P .saulius