Family from Ghaziabad falls ill after celebratory cake at Nainital resort

There is an increase in cases of swine flu observed in Delhi, with instances also being recorded in other regions of the country. Although the incidence of this disease is high during the rainy period year-round, there is a question regarding the link between rain and swine flu, as well as the degree of danger of this virus compared to the common flu.

According to doctors, during the monsoon season, the humidity level in the air reaches 80–90%. Under such conditions, H1N1 virus particles can remain viable in the air and on surfaces for a long time, increasing the risk of infection. Furthermore, the temperature drops during this period, which facilitates faster virus transmission. Since people try to avoid the rain, they spend time together in enclosed spaces such as homes, metros, and offices. Poor ventilation allows one sick person to infect an entire room through coughing or sneezing.

Dr. Rajindra Kumar Singh, Head of Internal Medicine at BLK Max Hospital, commented on the differences between these illnesses. He noted that with the common flu, body temperature rises slightly, whereas with swine flu, a sudden and severe fever occurs. With the common flu, mild body aches are felt, but with swine flu, severe pain and spasms occur in muscles and joints. Characteristic symptoms of swine flu include severe weakness, fatigue, and a persistent dry cough, which in some cases may be accompanied by difficulty breathing. If a person experiences such symptoms, it is crucial to consult a doctor and receive inpatient treatment.

Most people recover from this illness within five to seven days. However, children under five years old and the elderly over 65 years old pose an increased risk. Those who suffer from diabetes or have any respiratory diseases also face a high risk. During the rainy season, these groups of the population need to pay special attention to their health.

The Royan Institute has demonstrated its commitment to integrating reproductive health into modern oncological practice, achieving significant progress in the field of pediatric oncofertility. This success was noted after three years of treatment for two young girls diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma.

Through the application of an advanced surgical procedure, the Royan Institute successfully preserved ovarian function and future fertility potential in both patients. As reported by Royan.org in a press release dated August 3rd, both girls have undergone normal sexual development and continue to show healthy ovarian function.

According to the report, specialists at the Institute performed laparoscopic ovarian transposition (LOT) before pelvic radiation therapy on the two girls. This operation was undertaken to protect the ovaries from radiation exposure prior to cancer treatment. Three years after the intervention, the results have been very encouraging: both patients maintain normal ovarian function and their future reproductive potential.

Firouze Ghaffari, a gynecologist, obstetrician-gynecologist, and infertility specialist trained at the Royan Institute, explained that when the cancer diagnosis was made, both patients were pre-pubertal and were scheduled to undergo pelvic radiation therapy. Since pelvic irradiation can cause serious and irreversible damage to the ovaries, leading to premature ovarian insufficiency and permanent infertility, the ovaries were laparoscopically moved outside the radiation zone before treatment began.

Ghaffari noted: 'Now, three years after the surgery, both girls have spontaneously entered puberty, have regular menstrual cycles, and clinical assessments confirm the successful preservation of ovarian function.' She added that 'if this procedure had not been performed, the probability of irreversible ovarian failure and loss of their future fertile potential would have been extremely high.'

Emphasizing the importance of quality of life after cancer survival, Ghaffari pointed out that advancements in oncology have significantly improved long-term survival rates. She stated: 'As survival outcomes improve, preserving fertility, especially in children and adolescents, has become an integral part of modern cancer treatment. Today, our responsibility extends beyond treating the disease; we must also protect the future quality of life of patients, including their ability to have biological children.'

Furthermore, she highlighted that this successful experience demonstrates the importance of early multidisciplinary planning and close collaboration between teams of oncologists, surgeons, and reproductive medicine specialists. Such coordinated care allows not only for effective treatment of the malignancy but also for preserving patients' chances of parenthood in the future.

This achievement serves as an example of the Royan Institute's best practices in oncofertility and fertility preservation for cancer patients. It also marks a significant step forward in strengthening comprehensive supportive care for children and adolescents with malignant diseases, confirming the Institute's commitment to integrating reproductive health into modern oncology.

The Royan Institute was founded in 1991 by the late Dr. Said Kazemi Ashtiani and a group of researchers and physicians from the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR) of the Iranian University of Medical Sciences as an outpatient surgical center to provide medical services to infertile couples, as well as to conduct research and training in reproductive sciences.

Reproductive biomedicine and stem cell biology have established themselves as one of the most successful scientific projects in Iran and West Asia since 2000. In 2002, the research areas at the Royan Institute also expanded to include stem cell studies. Subsequent scientific findings were adapted for use in regenerative medicine and cellular therapy approaches. Over three decades, the Royan Institute has focused its efforts on increasing the success rate of infertility treatment, as well as public health standards through clinical applications of cell therapy and embryo health.

After six years of being unable to move his neck downwards, Dong Hui was able to pick up a pen and write his own name again. This result was made possible by the use of a brain implant called NEO.

This case, published in The Conversation, demonstrates how brain-computer interfaces are beginning to move out of research centers and into medicine to assist people with nervous system damage.

Dong Hui suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 33, which disrupted the connection between his brain and the rest of his body. Although commands for arm movement continued to be sent, they could not reach the muscles.

After surgery to install NEO and eleven months of rehabilitation, he was able to perform a simple but symbolic task again—writing. First, he wrote his name, and then added the word 'Thank you.'

According to Kemal A. Gotme, a pediatric neurosurgeon and professor of translational neuroscience at the University of La Sabana in Colombia, 'what was unusual was not only that he started writing again, but also how he managed to do it.'

The implant, developed by the Chinese company Neuracle Technology in collaboration with researchers from Tsinghua University in Beijing, records motor cortex activity. Artificial intelligence analyzes these signals and learns to interpret the user's intentions for movement.

Brain-computer interfaces serve as an alternative to bypass communication failures between the brain and the body. The system directly captures brain signals and converts them into commands for external equipment.

In Dong Hui's case, these commands helped control a robotic glove during rehabilitation. However, the researchers' idea goes beyond this: they aim to combine brain signals with sensory stimuli to stimulate the nervous system's ability to reorganize.

Among the main advantages of NEO:

• The main achievement of NEO is that the invasive brain-computer interface has ceased to be just a scientific experiment and has been recognized as a medical commercial device.
• We are witnessing one of the deepest conceptual shifts in modern medicine.

Kemal A. Gotme, pediatric neurosurgeon and professor of translational neuroscience at the University of La Sabana, in The Conversation.

Despite the progress, the technology raises new questions: who will control the brain data? How will this information be protected? And how will access to such treatment be ensured for those in need?

Dong Hui's story shows that the impact of such solutions extends beyond laboratories. For a person who has lost basic movements, regaining the ability to write a word can mean a huge shift in their outlook on the world.