Educated daughters vs strong daughters: The difference

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Indian government, Indian law, and pro-female organizations in that land talk about increasing education of girls and women. I get very amused at this ineffective and useless propoganda that does nothing great to help the girl child and women. This is because most women even if educated are unable to continue work, career or do entrepreneurship because their parents or in-laws or community will not allow them. So it means educate them for namesake and then make them stagnant to do caring and cooking jobs at home. In short, educate them and again throw them in the same gutter or furnace as before. Education gives them no financial independence, no autonomy, no freedom to decide for self or children. Then what is the role of education for them? Nothing. I pity the parents who think that educating a daughter makes them finish their duty towards her. They continue to rear her as a cow or sheep. The net result is an educated women with no respect or autonomy and no space of her own. This ca...
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A novel drug against coronavirus is under study at Washington University School of Medicine in the USA

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 Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in the US have developed a new antiviral compound that blocks covid virus from entering human cells. They have named this compound MM3122. They state that if given early in the disease course they could reduce severity of the dreaded illness. 

Mechanism of action of MM3122

The compound acts on the key human protein called transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). Covid-19, other coronaviruses and influenza virus uses this protein to enter and infect human cells. James W Janetka, senior author of this study states:

“Great vaccines are now available for SARS-CoV-2, but we still need effective antiviral medications to help curb the severity of this pandemic,” 

“The compound we are developing prevents the virus from entering cells,”


They want to develop an oral form of this inhibitor that could help in covid infection and minimize its severity. The authors add that the compound also blocks another related protein called matriptase. Matriptase and TMPRSS2 are found on surface of lung cells as well as other cells. Their inhibition prevents spike protein activation and membrane fusion. James explained:

“The SARS-CoV-2 virus hijacks our own lung cells’ machinery to activate its spike protein, which enables it to bind to and invade lung cells,”

“In blocking TMPRSS2, the drug prevents the virus from entering other cells within the body or from invading the lung cells in the first place if, in theory, it could be taken as a preventive,”

Stage of the study

The study is still preclinical. The new compound is being tested on mice. Once it undergoes the efficacy and safety studies, it could be used as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Remdesivir is already approved for use in covid. The new compound, the authors state is better than remdesivir too. The compound is also proven to be effective against the original Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The study co-author Sean Whelan adds:

“The majority of inhibitors of viral infection work by blocking steps of replication once the virus is inside the cell,”

“Dr Janetka has identified and refined a molecule that stops the virus from entering the cell in the first place. As the target of MM3122 is a host protein, this may also pose a larger barrier to the emergence of viruses that are resistant to the inhibitor,” 

The compound offers a ray of hope against the 21st century bad viruses that evade treatment until now. 

Henna hair dye: use, limitations, and safety




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