Dr Rajiv Desai
An Educational Blog
MUCORMYCOSIS
Mucormycosis: (Previously called zygomycosis: misnomer black fungus) _ _____ Section-1 Prologue: Fungi are important to everyday human life. Fungi are important decomposers in most ecosystems. Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for the growth of most plants. Fungi, as food, play a role in human nutrition in the form of mushrooms, and also as agents of fermentation in the production of bread, cheeses, alcoholic beverages, and numerous other food preparations. Secondary metabolites of fungi are used as medicines, such as antibiotics and anticoagulants. Fungi are model organisms for the study of eukaryotic genetics and metabolism. Fungi are relatively uncommon causes of disease in healthy and immunocompetent human hosts, even though hosts are constantly exposed to infectious propagules. However fungal diseases have occurred originating from opportunistic and pathogenic fungi. Opportunistic fungi have a preferred habitat independent from the living host and cause infection after accidentally penetration of intact skin barriers, or when […]
Plane Crash
Plane Crash: “Flying is not inherently dangerous, but to an even greater extent than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving ….” —Captain A. G. Lumplugh, British Aviation Insurance Group ________ Section-1 Prologue: Flight is, and always will be a marvel of human achievement. The opportunity to “spread your wings” and fly is an unbelievable privilege and experience. Airways have undergone a drastic evolution in the past decade, with airplanes becoming the most widely used means of transport across the globe. This is primarily because of the higher reliability, least travel time and a better cost effectiveness of the airways over other modes of transport. In addition to that, airports are traditionally considered as the country’s signature monuments. It showcases to an outsider, the first and the last impression of the country. Commercial aviation transports more than four billion passengers annually on airliners. Aviation is a critical part of national economy, […]
Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drugs
Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drugs: _ The term OTC does not mean that the drugs are literally sold over a counter. Oftentimes, they can simply be taken off a shelf, and paid for with your other shopping. _ Section-1 Prologue: The Italian adventurer Casanova (1725–1798) is often quoted as saying: “In wise hands, poison is medicine. In foolish hands, medicine is a poison.” Such is the case with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs—those medicines found on shelves in drugstores, convenience stores, and supermarkets. Buying of OTC medicines is the self-medication practice. From the very ancient period, people used different types of herbs for the treatment of their health problems. Once a common practice across centuries of human history, self-diagnosis and self-treatment are making a comeback. OTC medicines are the most common choice for self-treatment, with almost everyone having some experience in using or purchasing such medicines. Patients often approach pharmacy or grocery store […]
Electric Vehicle, EV (electric car)
Electric Vehicle, EV (electric car): _ The engine of a conventional internal combustion engine car is replaced by an Electric Motor and the fuel tank is replaced by the Battery Pack. Of all the components only the Battery Pack and Electric Motor alone contributes to about more than 50% of the total EV’s weight and the price. __ Section-1 Prologue: A car can be a wonderful thing. It can take you where you want, when you want — even when those places aren’t served by public transportation. In fact, much of modern life would be impossible without cars. They help us get to our jobs, schools, grocery stores or even just to the local shopping mall. Unfortunately, as wonderful as cars are, they also have some serious drawbacks. Two of these drawbacks are that they often cost a lot of money to maintain and they pollute the […]
PRIVACY
Privacy: _____ _____ Section-1 Prologue: Many people consciously respect other people’s property yet sometimes fail to respect something even more important to a person which is his/her privacy. Every individual value his/her privacy. A private time with no one around gives you room to reflect on the most important issues in your life while private time with another helps to build close personal relationship with the one whom we choose to draw close to. To intrude in this is like stealing from someone or trespassing on the person’s domain. The right to privacy could refer to your right to be left alone or to your right not to share every detail with someone. The most common retort against privacy advocates — by those in favour of ID checks, cameras, databases, data mining and other wholesale surveillance measures — is this line: “If you aren’t doing anything wrong, […]
