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Researchers develop protein to prevent females from brain injury

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New York: In a latest research a protein has been developed that that prevent females from brain injury.

It has been known for some time that male infants are more vulnerable to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) – a type of brain injury – than females, but why this gender difference exists has remained a mystery.

This type of brain injury that can lead to long-term neurological issues such as learning disabilities, cerebral palsy or even death occurs due to complications during pregnancy or birth that deprive their brains of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood and result in brain injury.

“People often think that biological sex differences start to arise only after puberty, but they actually start in the womb and persist until the tomb,” said lead researcher Pelin Cengiz, associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.

“So, treatment approaches that may work for newborn boys may not work for girls, and vice versa. We need to get it right to develop effective therapies,” Cengiz noted.

In this study published in the journal eNeuro, the researchers showed that a protein called estrogen receptor ?, or ER? for short, found in the brains of both male and female mice is present at higher levels in females, which offers them stronger protection against HIE.

When the researchers studied the brains of male and female mice that could make the ER? protein, they learned that levels of this protective protein were significantly higher in female compared to male brains following oxygen deprivation and reduced blood flow.

“Under normal circumstances the brains of male and female mice have similar amounts of ER?,” Cengiz pointed out.

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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