Things You Should Know About Poison Ivy

 
Poison ivy is a North American shrub or climbing plant, Toxicodendron radicans, that causes a rash on contact with the skin. It is a member of the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, in the order Sapindales, class Magnoliopsida. Poison ivy spreads over stone walls and climbs on trees with its aerial roots. Its leaves are composed of three variously toothed leaflets -the central one usually symmetrical, the lateral ones lopsided. The flowers are greenish white, and the fruits are creamy white and clustered. In autumn the foliage generally turns a beautiful red.


An oil, urushiol, found in many parts of the plant, is the cause of skin irritation. People are not sensitive to poison ivy the first time they touch it, but after this initial sensitization, most people become susceptible to urushiol in some degree.

The signs of exposure in a sensitized individual may appear from a few hours to several days after contact. Some persons may have only a mild irritation, while others may experience a reddening of the skin and a severe itchy rash that develops into blisters that exude serum before they dry up.

In severe cases there may be tissue swelling, fever, and general malaise. If skin irritation appears, mild cases may be treated with soothing lotions, such as calamine, but more serious ones should be attended to by a physician.

If exposure to poison ivy is suspected, possibly contaminated clothing should be removed and the affected skin areas cleaned with rubbing alcohol and then with water (but no soap). Afterwards, the individual should take a shower with soap and warm water. The exposed person should wait a day before returning to an area where poison ivy grows, since rubbing alcohol temporarily leaves the skin vulnerable to even faster penetration by urushiol. Clothing also can be cleaned with rubbing alcohol and water, although gloves should be worn while doing so.

Exposure to the closely related plants poison oak (T. pubescens and T. diversilobum) and poison sumac (T. vernix) can be treated in the same way.

What Are Antibody and Antigen?

 
The human body is quick to recognize foreign organisms that enter it. "Foes" must be attacked or otherwise got rid of. The most common of these foes are viruses, bacteria, and other microscopic organisms. The body recognizes these foes by the chemicals within them called antigens. To counteract these foreign invaders, the body produces its own chemicals, protein molecules called antibodies. Each kind of antigen causes the production of a specific kind of antibody. Antibodies appear in the body fluids such as blood and lymph and in the body's cells.


Doctors learned to make use of the antibody system for defense against invaders long before they had any idea that antibodies existed. As early as 1796, Edward Jenner, an English country doctor, discovered that if he gave people a case of the mild disease cowpox, he prevented them from getting the serious disease smallpox. What Jenner did not know is that the diseases are caused by closely related viruses. They are so closely related that the cowpox antibody will counteract the smallpox antigen.

Injecting an antigen to start the production of antibodies is now called vaccination. (It is one kind of immunization -making a person immune.) The antigen injected is a vaccine. These terms are based on vacca, the Latin word for "cow," because Jenner's vaccine was made from the cowpox virus.

Today doctors know of several ways that people become immune to diseases. Some people inherit a natural resistance to certain diseases. Over the years they build up an immunity that keeps them from ever getting certain diseases. But most antibodies are acquired only after the body has been exposed to a known antigen. The antigen may be carried by some organism that enters the body on its own, or the antigen may be artificially injected with a needle.

When a specially prepared antigen is injected into a person, it is called active immunization. The person actively produces the antibodies that fight off the foreign matter. The antibody defense system then remains on the alert, ready to deal with any later invasion. This procedure can be used to protect people against a number of diseases, including measles, mumps, tetanus, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, chicken pox, whooping cough, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B.

Antibodies may also be produced in animals by injecting them with antigens. The antibodies are then transferred directly to a person. These antibodies are immediately ready for action. This is called passive immunization because the person plays no part in the production of antibodies. Passive immunization disappears within a few weeks. Active immunization gives much more lasting protection.

The substance taken from the immunized animal or person for passive immunization is called antiserum. If used early enough, it can prevent such diseases as measles and tetanus. Sometimes an antiserum can be used after the antigen has entered a person's body, as in measles, tetanus, and diphtheria. Antiserums against bee and snake venom have also been developed.

Both antigens and antibodies are large molecules. Scientists believe that the antibody molecule combines with a particular antigen molecule, the two fitting like a key and a lock. In the chemical reaction that takes place, the antigen loses its power to cause the disease

Former Barca Player Admits Neymar Left Because of Messi

 
Neymar departed from Barcelona because he wanted to escape from the shadow of Lionel Messi. At least that's the former Los Cules’ defender, Jeremy Mathieu, said.


Neymar became the center of attention in the transfer market last summer after Paris Saint-Germain dared to redeem his contract in Barca worth 222 million euros. Neymar's departure was then raised a lot of questions because traditionally PSG is far below Barca.

PSG has a lot of money to build a tough team and Neymar has strengthened one of the best teams in the world today, Barca. Even so, there is a major factor that eventually make Neymar leave: Messi.

Neymar is recognized as the best player of Brazil at the moment and one of the greatest player in the world. But as long as he is under the shadow of Messi, he will not be equal to the Argentine player or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Therefore, PSG was appointed by Neymar to become a club that can lead him to the highest place, match or even surpass Messi and Ronaldo.

"At that moment no one thought he would leave Barca, but that's football, that's it... it's his decision," Mathieu told EFE as quoted by FourFourTwo.

"I think he's gone because he does not want to be under Leo anymore I think he wants to win the Ballon d'Or and he is happy now in Paris because he scored a lot of goals," said Mathieu, who now plays for Sporting CP.

Reduce the Risk of Early Death with 30 Min Exercise Every Day

 
Cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart disease are the most common causes of early death before someone reaching the age of 40. A recent study from Canada stated that the risk of early death caused by cardiovascular disease can be avoided by exercising at least 30 minutes per day.


Scott Lear of St. Paul's Hospital, Canada, conducted a large-scale study involving 130,000 participants from 17 countries. They monitored their health status and were asked to report daily exercise routines.

The results, published in the The Lancet journal, say that the more often person exercises, the lower their risk to die young. Obesity, blockage of blood vessels, and heart rhythm disturbances are common risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

"Walking 30 minutes a day may have a noticeable effect on your health, the higher the physical activity, the lower the risk for dying from cardiovascular disease before the age of 40," Lear said.

Exercising regularly and eating lots of fruits and vegetables are additional efforts to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, people in poor countries may not be able to do so.

"Because walking is a solution, walking is free and can be done by anyone, but the health benefits are huge and should not be underestimated," he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says cardiovascular disease kills 9.48 million people worldwide in 2016. People in their productive age are recommended to exercise 150 minutes per week.

7 Important and Proven Rituals to Help You Lose Weight

 
Many people who are overweight are willing to do super strict diet. In fact, these seven important rituals can help you lose weight quickly and healthily.


1. Do not skip breakfast with high-fat non-fat foods such as red meat and cheese

2. Do not eat while watching television or using gadgets. A study says that such a habit may reduce the quality of eating and interfere your concentration. As a result, you will eat with excessive portions.

3. Do something you love in the morning to lower the level of cortisol (stress hormone). According to an endocrinology and obesity expert, Michael Jensen, MD, stress can slow down the metabolism that can cause difficulty in losing weight.

4. Sport is one of the best ways to lose weight, but try not to do the same exercise every day. You can try HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) program. This is a cardio exercise that uses a combination of high intensity exercise with moderate or low intensity over a period of time.

5. Support from the closest people can make it easier for you to lose weight. It is important for you to participate in a diet community. Bartolome Burguera, MD, of Cleveland Clinic, explained that the success of losing weight is not determined by the advice or support from doctors, but simply by the support provided by a group.

6. Set the time and menu of your lunch well ahead of time, about 60 minutes before meal time. According to a study in the Journal of Marketing Research, people who order lunch before meal time tend to order food that contain few calories.

7. Do not force yourself to do super strict diet. "The first mistake people make when they start trying to lose a lot of weight is thinking, 'I have this huge amount of weight to lose, so I have to push myself to the limits to do it,'" said Lee Jordan, a personal trainer and health coach of the American Council on Exercise.

Corn Snake, the Most Beautiful Snakes in North America

 
The corn snake (Elaphe guttata) is one of the most beautiful snakes in North America. This serpent is long and slender. And it is named for the black checkered markings on its belly. They resemble kernels of Indian corn.

 

Basic Facts:


Class: reptiles

Order: scaled reptiles

Family: colubrids, typical snakes

Length: 2 to 6 feet

Diet: mainly mice, rats, birds, and bats

Method of Reproduction: egg layer

Home: eastern and central United States and northeastern Mexico

A corn snake also has a marking on its flat head. The marking is shaped like an arrowhead. Down the center of its back is a row of large reddish blotches edged in black. Two rows of matching smaller blotches are along each side. Overall the snake is light orange, brownish yellow, or dark gray.

Corn snakes are most active at night. But they often hunt in the early evening. They are agile climbers. They shinny up tree trunks looking for nestlings and sleeping birds. Corn snakes also climb into the windows and attics of empty barns and houses. There they find other food, such as bats and rodents. These snakes are not venomous. They squeeze their prey to death. They then swallow the suffocated creature whole.

In the wild, corn snakes are found in lightly planted woods, rocky hillsides, and meadows. They don't need a lot of water. They prefer to live near streams and springs. Corn snakes also live in suburban fields and near empty buildings. Adults mate from March through early May. The females lay their eggs from May to July. The hatchlings emerge in late summer. They are 10 to 15 inches long at birth.