All about Scientist in Micro World: Microbiology

Vegetarian diet cuts toxic phosphorus levels

2011-01-06T09:58:00.001+01:00

Eating a vegetarian diet lowers kidney disease patients' levels of potentially toxic phosphorus in the blood and urine.Kidney disease patients have to limit their intake of phosphorous - which is found in dietary proteins and is a common food additive - because their bodies have difficulty ridding themselves of the mineral. In these patients, high levels of phosphorus can lead to heart disease and death.

Researchers examined the effects of vegetarian and meat-based diets on phosphorous levels in nine patients in America with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Each patient ate a vegetarian or meat-based diet for one week and then waited two to four weeks before eating the other diet for a week. They conducted blood and urine tests at the end of each week on both diets. Even though the two diets had equivalent protein and phosphorus concentrations, it was found that patients had lower blood and urine phosphorus levels after they ate the vegetarian diet.

The investigators didn't examine the reasons for this difference, but they noted that a grain-based diet has a lower phosphate-to-protein ratio and much of the phosphate is in the form of phytate, which is not absorbed in humans.

The findings show that the source of protein in a diet has a major effect on phosphorous levels in chronic kidney disease patients. Therefore, dietary counseling of patients with CKD must include information on not only the amount of phosphate but also the source of protein from which the phosphate derives.

The above results, if confirmed in larger studies, provide rationale for recommending a predominance of grain-based vegetarian sources of protein to patients with CKD. This diet would allow increased protein intake without adversely affecting phosphorus levels.

Source:NDTV

Why Vaccines May Be Ineffective for Some People?

2010-12-03T15:38:00.001+01:00

A new discovery may explain why a tuberculosis vaccine is not as effective for some people as anticipated, and potentially explains why other vaccines do not work as well for some as they do for others. In a research report presented in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists from Singapore show that Mycobacterium chelonae, a common environmental bacterium found in soil and water, can decrease the effectiveness of the bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis, especially in countries outside of the United States.

"Uncovering the reasons why BCG is failing will help researchers in designing new, more effective vaccines against TB," said Geok Teng Seah, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Microbiology at the National University of Singapore. "This will give us more tools to fight this globally significant infectious disease."

To make this discovery, scientists studied mice with and without prior exposure to M. chelonae. When subsequently given BCG vaccine, the mice with prior exposure to M. chelonae produced higher amounts of suppressive chemical signals; these chemical signals are believed to reduce the level of immunity induced by BCG vaccine in the host mice. Then the researchers extracted certain white blood cells with known suppressive functions from both exposed and unexposed mice. After transferring these cells into separate groups of unexposed mice, they found that recipients of suppressor cells from M. chelonae exposed mice did not respond as strongly to BCG vaccine as recipients of suppressor cells from unexposed donor mice. This indicates that the suppressor cells from M. chelonae exposed mice are functionally different from those of unexposed mice. Ultimately, the data suggest that these suppressor cells, induced in the host when exposed to M. chelonae, dampen the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine.

"This study sheds important light on why many immunological therapies and vaccines look great in the lab, but fall short in the real world," said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. "Humans are exposed to many more non-disease causing bacteria and viruses compared to relatively clean laboratory animals, and as this study shows with a TB vaccine, environmental exposure to one kind of bacteria can influence the efficacy of immunity to different, more dangerous bugs."

Source: Sciencedaily

New species of microbe consuming Gulf oilplume

2010-11-24T13:10:00.001+01:00

A new species of microbe may be consuming oil spilled in the Gulf. Depending on how fast microbes consume oil, the results could be useful in help scientists to determine what happened to the oil and how the oil could affect marine life.

In addition, the results also suggest that most of the microbes in the undersea cloud of oil are a new species that do not significantly deplete oxygen in the water as they consume the oil.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, The microbiology analysis is “very, very good”, said David Valentine from University of California at Santa Barbara.

This latest research follows another look at the same plume of highly diluted oil droplets. Both groups are at the same depth, and they recorded similar, very low concentrations of key hydrocarbons.They also both detected only a light dip in oxygen levels compared with water outside the plume. The team’s results suggest that oil degradation could occur faster than many researchers have anticipated.

Valentine cautions however that the team may have gone too far in inferring the high pace of degradation. For instance, he says, in the lab the team “fed lots of oil to the newly discovered organism, supercharged them, then asked the question: How fast are they consuming oil. It’s not surprising you can get them to do that quickly when you supercharge them.”

The question of the pace of biodegradation may be one of the toughest questions to answer, Valentine added. And methods for estimating the pace at which biodegrading takes place vary from one team’s cruise to another’s cruise.

Source: Sci-Tech.

RSS-developed cancer drug gets US patent

2010-06-18T09:53:00.001+02:00

An anti-cancer drug extracted from cow urine and developed by an affiliate of the RSS has got a US patent for the third time for its anti-genotoxicity properties, a senior official has said. The drug developed by RSS-backed Go Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra had earlier got the US patent as a bio-enhancer with antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.

The research for the drug brand named 'Kamdhenu Ark' was carried out jointly by the Anusandhan Kendra and National Environmental Engineer Research Institute (NEERI), Acting Director of NEERI Tapan Chakraborty said.

The research found that Re-distilled Cow Urine Distillate (RCUD) was useful for protecting and repairing DNA from oxidative damage, Chakraborty and Sunil Mansinghka of Kendra told reporters yesterday.

Oxidative DNA damage is a leading cause of ageing, cancer and other diseases.

RCUD works against genotoxicity, a harmful action on a cell's genetic material, they said, adding research has strengthened the efficacy of 'Kamdhenu Ark' as an anti-cancer drug.
The research was carried out on three patients, two of them having throat and uterus cancer, Mansinghka said.

Source:TOI

WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY

2010-06-16T10:42:00.000+02:00

Bombay ‘Oh’: Man found to have rare blood group. Only 180 People Have This Blood Group In Country. One of the rarest blood groups has surfaced in the city — a father who was donating blood to his son was found to be Bombay ‘Oh’ Phenotype. And BGS Global Hospital, which along with many other hospitals is observing World Blood Donor Day on Monday, added a new donor to its Rare Blood Group Registry.

Called the Bombay Phenotype Group — because the first such case was found in Bombay — its incidence is 0.0004% of the global population.Incidentally, motivating youngsters to donate blood is the theme of this year: ‘New blood for the world’. Blood donation camps will be organized on Monday at e4e Business solutions India on Hosur road around 12 noon and at Microsoft India GTSC in association with Lions Blood Bank.

RARE GROUP

Annappa Hanumanthappa, 42, who hails from Davanagere, was identified to have Bombay Phenotype Group when he came forward to donate blood for his son Darshan, 7, who is undergoing treatment for a cardiac problem at the hospital. According to BGS Global Hospital head of department of transfusion medicine, Annapurna Ramesh, “There are a total of 179 people known to have Bombay Phenotype Blood group in India, and this identification makes Annappa the 180th person with this blood group.’’

This blood group may be commonly mistaken as ‘O’ and many a time, not identified at all if proper blood grouping or testing practices are not followed. During routine grouping conducted at the hospital’s blood bank, Annappa’s blood group showed up as O, with no reaction to Anti-A and Anti-B antibodies.

When reverse grouping was performed, it showed agglutination with O cells, proving he had the rare Bombay ‘Oh’ Phenotype blood. Repeated testing was done as it is important to perform reverse grouping or serum grouping to detect the Bombay Blood group. People of this group can donate and receive blood only among those with the same blood group. If a Bombay Blood Group recipient is not given blood from a Bombay Blood Group person, it can lead to a haemolytic transfusion reaction, which can be fatal. BGS Hospitals vice chairman Dr N K Venkataramana said: “At times when this rare blood group is required for surgeries, blood from blood banks in other cities has to be brought, or donors from other locations have to travel to the hospital where blood is required.” BGS Global Hospital’s Rare Blood Group Registry, instituted two years ago with the aim to help those in need of rare blood types, has around 100 voluntary donors, including three donors of Bombay Phenotype. Annappa has also happily agreed to be a voluntary donor.

CAUSE: GENETIC MUTATION

Bombay Phenotype is one of the rarest blood groups: one in every 17,600 people in India or one in every 25,000 people in the world has this group. “If one is O group, make sure it is not Bombay Blood group. A person with Bombay Phenotype should always be cautious not to receive any other blood type. He should always carry an identity card prominently displaying his blood group. In developed countries, one may opt to preserve a few units of blood by cryopreservation for about 10 years, to be used during an emergency. However, with facilities in India, blood can be preserved only for 45 days,” said Annapurna. BGS Global Hospital’s Rare Blood Group Registry helpline is 2625 5654.

CRITERIA FOR DONATION

Must be above 18 years of age.
Donor should not be underweight — more than 45-50 kg is fine Should not be suffering from infections such as a cold or flu or chronic diseases (diabetes/cancer etc).
Should not have taken any intoxicating drugs, orally or otherwise.
Should not have blood pressure or low blood pressure.
Pregnant or menstruating women not eligible to donate.
It takes around 24 hours for your body to replenish the volume of blood, which is usually 350-400 ml (1 unit), and haemoglobin level is usually replenished within 7-10 days.

Source: TOI

Beauty Secrets from Around the World

2010-06-11T11:22:00.001+02:00

When it comes to beauty routines, the grass is always greener. Japanese women have it made with their long, glossy hair and Greek women’s olive-toned complexions are always luminous. But how do they do it? Put down your passport—you won’t need to go anywhere to find out. We got insider beauty information from experts on how women across the globe stay gorgeous. Read on to find out their secrets, and learn how you can recreate them at home.

Australia

Australian makeup artist Napoleon Perdis says yarrow extract is used by Australian Aboriginal women to prevent stretch marks, thanks to its moisturizing and hydrating properties. “Yarrow root is also an anti-inflammatory, which soothes the skin.” Calm your complexion with his Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer , which contains the extract as a key ingredient.

Chile

Chilean women credit the antioxidant powers of red grapes for their luminous skin. They create a paste by mashing up a handful of the fruit and adding 2 tablespoons of white flour. They then apply the mask to their face and leave it on for 10 minutes before washing it off. “It wakes up the appearance of tired and fatigued skin to give you an amazing glow,” says Shalini Vadhera, author of Passport to Beauty

Dominican Republic

“If you ever meet a Dominican woman, look at her nails––chances are they’re super-strong,” says Vadhera. What’s their secret? Women in the Dominican Republic swear by garlic to keep their nails tough as…well, nails. They chop up fresh garlic, add it to a bottle of clear nail polish and let it stew for 7 to 10 days. “There will be an initial smell, so if you want to ward off vampires this is a great way to do it,” jokes Vadhera. “But the scent goes away. Garlic has so many strengthening properties and is naturally antibacterial as well.”

Egypt

According to Vadhera, Cleopatra’s beauty secret was taking milk baths to soften her skin and remove dead cells. To try the treatment at home, Vadhera recommends adding 2 cups of powdered milk to your bath. “It will make your skin look absolutely gorgeous and feel so smooth, silky and soft.”

France

“The French woman sticks to a scrupulous and preventive skin and body care routine,” says Shannon Gallogly, lead aesthetician for French beauty brands Decleor and Carita. “This means she has weekly facials, regular massages and religiously takes her makeup off each night.” Gallogly’s recipe for an at-home facial without the price tag of a spa version: Mash up cherries and pomegranate seeds and apply as a mask to the skin for about 6 minutes. “This mask will help brighten skin with natural enzymes while firming at the same time.” Remove the mixture with a warm towel to help boost circulation.

Greece

“Greek women are blessed with Mediterranean skin, which is light in color but has enough melanin to shield and absorb harmful UV rays,” says New York City dermatologist Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, who is half Greek. But even if you aren’t genetically blessed, you can still take a cue from the women of Greece. “There are other factors that contribute to their glowing complexion: They eat a Mediterranean diet high in fish, which provides skin-rejuvenating omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants and vitamins. They also believe their intake of olive oil contributes to their great skin." So, start reaching for the olive oil instead of butter for better skin.

Israel

Cygalle Dias, owner of New York City’s Cygalle Healing Spa, was born in Israel and believes in the healing powers of sea salt. “When you swim in the Dead Sea, all of the salt helps your body rid itself of toxins, and it has also been known to help cure skin diseases.” To get the detoxifying benefits of sea salt at home, Dias shares her spa’s Lavender Sea Salt Scrub recipe: Mix together ¼ cup sea salt, 1 pinch seaweed powder, ½ cup massage oil and 10 to 15 drops lavender oil. Apply to skin to gently exfoliate.

Italy

How do Italian women maintain their glossy locks? According to Fabio Scalia, Italian hairstylist and owner of Fabio Scalia salon in Brooklyn, New York, the answer is right in your kitchen. Italian women keep their hair shiny by combining yogurt and olive oil and using the mixture as a conditioner. “The protein in the yogurt gently nourishes and conditions.” To whip up the rich treatment at home, Scalia recommends mixing 1 cup of plain whole-milk yogurt with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Then apply the mixture to washed hair, let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse with cool water.

Japan

Titi Branch, the half-Japanese cofounder of Miss Jessie’s hair care line, credits seaweed for Japanese women’s long, silky hair. Nori is a rich source of the trace mineral iodine, which is essential for healthy hair growth. (According to Branch, the iodine added to table salt isn’t the right kind to nourish your hair because your body doesn’t easily absorb it.) Seaweed is also a rich source of other mane-strengthening minerals—including iron, zinc, selenium and copper. “Japanese women either eat nori seaweed or boil it and apply it to dry hair as a nourishing paste.” Head to your local Asian grocer or health food store to pick up sheets of nori. “It’s traditionally used to wrap sushi, but you can use it like a tortilla to wrap up veggies with a dash of soy sauce, or crumble the sheets and sprinkle them on a salad, rice or stir-fry,” advises Branch.

Spain

Spanish women bring out natural, subtle highlights in their hair by rinsing it with cranberry juice, says Vadhera. Try mixing ¼ cup pure juice (not cocktail blends) with ¼ cup water and doing a final rinse with it in the shower. “If you’re going to be in the sun, the cranberry juice brings out the rich hues in your hair,” she says. “It works amazingly on brunettes, but if you’re blonde you’ll want to use lemon juice instead to avoid ending up with pink hair.”

Sweden

Swedish women attribute their glowing, healthy skin to their diet of antioxidant-packed fresh berries and grilled fish, says Petra Strand, Swedish makeup artist and creator of makeup line Pixi, now available at Target. Give yourself a hit of antioxidants by trying Strand’s at-home treatment: Boil mineral water with a green tea or white tea bag, let the tea infuse the water and then freeze it into ice cubes to use instead of a toner. “Saunas are also a big part of Swedish culture,” says Strand. “The dry, clean heat rids your body of toxins.” To get the effect of a sauna at home, Strand says to take a handful of rock salt and add a dash of olive oil and about 10 drops of pure eucalyptus oil. Rub it all over your body and rinse with a blast of cold water.

Source: Yahoo

Pomegranate Extract

2010-05-21T12:54:00.000+02:00

Oral ingestion of pomegranate extract reduces the production of chemicals that cause inflammation.The group from the Department of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio, led by Tariq Haqqi, showed that blood samples collected from rabbits fed pomegranate extract inhibited inflammation.

Pomegranate extract (Ellagic acid) is already used as a treatment in alternative medicine for inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. Although pomegranate extract has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions in experiments on isolated tissues, it is not known whether ingestion of it can produce the same anti-inflammatory effects in living systems, either because the active compounds are not absorbed from the gut or because the levels of these compounds in the blood are not high enough.

Pomegranate extract, the equivalent of 175mls of pomegranate juice, was given to rabbits orally. The levels of antioxidants were measured in blood samples obtained after drinking the pomegranate extract and compared to blood samples collected before ingestion of pomegranate extract.

Plasma collected from rabbits following ingestion of pomegranate extract contained significantly higher levels of antioxidants than samples collected before ingestion of pomegranate extract; the extract also significantly reduced the activity of proteins that cause inflammation, specifically cyclooxygenase-2. It also reduced the production of pro-inflammatory compounds produced by cells isolated from cartilage.

The results of this study indicate the beneficial effects of pomegranate extract when ingested. According to Haqqi "the use of dietary nutrients or drugs based on them as an adjunct in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions may benefit patients". He adds that, "Current treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs can have serious side effects following long-term use. Further research is needed, however, especially on the absorption of orally ingested substances into the blood.

Source: TOI

Coconut Oil Extract May Be A Weapon Against Food Bacteria

2010-05-18T13:09:00.000+02:00

Monolaurin, an extract from coconut oil could be used as a microbial agent in food. Monolaurin has been recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is known for its antimicrobial properties. If used in combination with other antimicrobial agents, monolaurin can present an effective barrier to microorganisms.

Researchers from Zhejiang University in China studied the use of monolaurin as a nontraditional preservative in food products by combining it with commonly used antimicrobials in various concentrations and testing it on bacterial strains including Esherichia coli and on food components such as soy protein and water-soluble starch. Researchers made the following findings:

Monolaurin combined with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)，a binding agent, was effective against Esherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis but not Staphylococcus aureus.
When combined with the antimicrobial nisin, monolaurin was synergistically effective against all three bacteria.
Researchers studied monolaurin’s interaction with food components and found that its antibacterial effectiveness was reduced by fat or starch but was not affected by protein.

“These results contribute to a better understanding on the use of monolaurin as a nontraditional preservative for antimicrobial purpose in food products. The antimicrobial effects of monolaurin can be increased if used together or in combination with other preservative systems,”.

Source: Sciencedaily

VIRAL HEPATITIS

2010-05-16T14:59:00.000+02:00

It is liver inflammation due to viral infection. It may be present in acute, fulminant or chronic forms.

WHAT CAUSES IT?
The five unrelated hepatotropic viruses — hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.

COMMON TYPES
Infectious jaundice is caused by hepatitis A virus. Infection with hepatitis A virus can happen through consumption of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A is generally spread among family members and friends/relatives through the passage of oral secretions or stool (unclean hands). People with hepatitis A are advised to rest, stay hydrated and avoid alcohol. A vaccine is available that will prevent HAV infection for up to 10 years.

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that can cause both acute, fulminate and chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis B is blood-borne infection transmitted through blood transfusion, tattoos, sexual intercourse or contact with body fluids. Blood contact can transmit the virus. Sharing syringes or shaving accessories can be the reason. Patients can recover from the infection completely. A small proportion becomes the carrier of this virus and may develop after about 15 to 20 years and end up in liver disease. Vaccine can prevent infection from hepatitis B.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) usually spreads by shared needles among drug abusers, blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and needle sticks. Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection are at risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer after a silent phase of 15 to 20 years.

SYMPTOMS
Many patients infected with hepatitis A, B and C have few or no symptoms of illness. For those who do develop symptoms of viral hepatitis, the most common are flu-like symptoms, which include:
    Loss of appetite
    Nausea
    Vomiting
    Fever
    Weakness
    Tiredness
    Abdomen ache
    Rare common symptoms
     Dark-coloured urine
    Light-coloured stools
    Fever
    Jaundice (yellow appearance to the skin and white portion of the eyes)

DIAGNOSIS
When a patient reports symptoms of fever, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, darkening of urine, and then develops jaundice, the diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis is likely and can be confirmed by blood tests.
On the other hand, patients with chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C often have no symptoms or only mild non-specific symptoms. Typically, these patients do not have jaundice until the liver damage is advanced. Therefore, these patients can remain undiagnosed for years to decades. Quite a few times chronic hepatitis is diagnosed when blood tests are done for other reasons.

TREATMENT
Treatment of acute viral hepatitis involves relieving symptoms and maintaining adequate intake of fluids. Supportive care is the main modality for acute hepatitis. Fulminant hepatitis is life threatening which carries a high mortality if liver transplant is not available immediately. Fortunately, the rate of cases is really low. Treatment of chronic viral hepatitis involves medications to destroy the virus and taking measures to prevent further liver damage. Patients who develop progressive liver damage/ cancer or significant complications from liver dysfunction, transplant is the best option.

Patients with chronic hepatitis B or C have predisposition to develop liver cancer and should be monitored. Liver resection to remove cancer is the best way. If it is not possible, other options such as radiofrequency ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, radioactive embolization are available.

Source: ToI

Natural Flavor

2010-05-12T13:00:00.001+02:00

You will see this term or terms like "Natural Strawberry Flavor" or "Natural Vanilla Flavor" on many food and juice labels, even products that are called "nutritional". If the product actually had "strawberry", the label would simply say "strawberry", not "natural strawberry FLAVOR". The word "natural" means nothing. Everything is "natural" since everything has to come from something that was originally "natural. A good example is MSG (monosodium-glutamate) is a brain neurotoxin. It is a slow poison. Most people understand that MSG is not healthy, so manufacturers have changed the name to "Natural Flavors.

The other issue is that manufacturers can say to you "There is no MSG in this product" as long as the MSG is a "constituent of an ingredient", ie. "natural flavors". This is very deceptive. Many ask this question, " What is the difference between the glutamic acid found in protein and the potentially harmful manufactured glutamic acid we refer to as MSG?"

Glutamic acid is an amino acid found in abundance in both plant and animal protein. In humans it is a non-essential amino acid, i.e. the body is capable of producing its own glutamic acid, and is not dependent upon getting glutamic acid from ingested food.

What is MSG?
Outside of the body, glutamic acid is produced commercially in food manufacturing and chemical plants. Its use in food began in the early 1900s as a component of a flavor enhancer called "monosodium glutamate." Unfortunately, any glutamic acid that is produced as an individual amino acid outside of the body for use in food, drugs, dietary supplements, cosmetics, personal care products, fertilizers, or other, can cause or exacerbate brain lesions, neuroendocrine disorders, learning disabilities, adverse reactions, neurodegenerative disease and more in humans. Glutamic acid that is produced commercially in food manufacturing and chemical plants is known as "MSG.

Since the creation of man, he has eaten food in the form of protein. We understand a fair amount about human protein digestion and subsequent metabolism at the present time. As part of protein digestion, protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids, one of them being glutamic acid. In the human body, the ingested protein is broken down (hydrolyzed) in the stomach and lower intestines through the action of hydrochloric acid and enzymes--both of which are found naturally in the human body. In a healthy human, the body controls the amount of glutamic acid converted from protein in this way, and disposes of the "waste." Humans do not store excess glutamic acid as such.

The glutamate industry continues to deny that exposure to free glutamic acid found in processed food (MSG) causes adverse reactions including hives, asthma, seizures, and migraine headache; causes brain damage, learning disorders, and endocrine disturbances; and is relevant to diverse diseases of the central nervous system such as addiction, stroke, epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and degenerative disorders such as ALS, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Ingredients, food and beverages that might contain MSG or that were processed with MSG

Enzyme-modified food
Fermented foods and beverages
Beer
Bourbon/Scotch/Whiskey/Brandy/Wine
Natural beef, chicken, pork, smoke flavoring
Barley malt, Malt extract, Malt flavoring
Maltodextrin
Pectin
Protein-fortified foods
Textured protein
Seasonings
Soy extract, Protein, sauce, isolate, concentrate
Ultra pasteurized foods
Whey protein, concentrate, isolate.

Conclusion:

After reading all the info, I have come to the conclusion that MSG in our food can cause problems and if the only benefit of MSG is to want us to eat more, why is it in the food. Even the FDA site says there are side effects to MSG. Also with the obesity problem, do we really need to eat more? Think about this for a minute...if you have to doctor something up to make it tasty to the pallet, is it really good for you?

Apples, oranges, grapes...good healthy food doesn't need any added ingredients. What processed food do they add natural favors to? You got it...they are mostly the foods that need something to enhance the taste to cover up the bad and cheap unhealthy ingredients. So, in conclusion, does it not seem feasible for us to consider eating more whole food...the way they were created by nature?

Source: yahoo

Benefits of cucumber

2010-04-26T11:57:00.000+02:00

Cucumber is high in potassium, making it useful for people suffering from high and low blood pressure.
It is a natural diuretic that improves urine flow.
Studies say that the high silicon and sulphur content in cucumber helps hair growth.
Mix cucumber juice with carrot juice and have it daily. This is very beneficial for people with rheumatic conditions.
Suffer from weak or brittle nails? Cucumber juice is known to prevent splitting of nails because of the high mineral content found in it.
The juice of this vegetable is very beneficial in combating conditions like heartburn, acidity, gastritis, eczema, arthritis, gout ulcers.

Source: TOI

Insomnia

2010-04-22T10:29:00.000+02:00

Insomnia is a symptomwhich can accompany several sleep, medical and psychiatric disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or difficulty staying asleep. Insomnia is typically followed by functional impairment while awake.

People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:

Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
Waking up too early in the morning
Feeling tired upon waking

Types of Insomnia

There are two types of insomnia: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia.

Primary insomnia: Primary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem.
Secondary insomnia: Secondary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication they are taking; or a substance they are using (like alcohol.

Causes of Insomnia

Significant life stress (job loss or change, death of a loved one, divorce, moving).
Illness.
Emotional or physical discomfort.
Environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep.
Some medications (for example those used to treat colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma) may interfere with sleep.
Interferences in normal sleep schedule (jet lag or switching from a day to night shift, for example).

Treatment

If you've been lying in bed but are beginning to fear you're not going to drop off, try some of these techniques: Count sheep or count backwards from 100 (one of my favorites) to stop yourself from thinking about the problems of yesterday or tomorrow; breathe deeply for awhile; or visualize some peaceful place.
If you can't get to sleep after lying in bed for 30 minutes or more, get up for awhile. What to do? Try reading something incredibly boring.
Develop a bedtime routine and Keep regular bedtime hours.
Before bedtime, avoid tobacco and caffeinated beverages (not just coffee, but other drinks like tea, cola) and Alcohol.

Exercise every day, but not shortly before bedtime since exercise gets the adrenaline going.
If you use an illuminated clock for a wakeup alarm, place it where you can't keep looking at it to check the time.
Buy a firm mattress and keep your bedroom well ventilated (a cool temperature works best for me).
And you might also try some of these: a warm bath, warm milk, light bedtime snack, massage, or quiet music (which turns itself off automatically).
Use earplugs for extreme quiet.
If you have a painful joint or a headache, take a pain pill before bedtime (but be sure it doesn't contain caffeine).
Avoid stimulating reading or television shows late at night.

If the insomnia stubbornly persists, check with your doctor to make sure some underlying health problem (such as depression, anxiety, hyperthyroidism, heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) isn't keeping you awake.

Source:Yahoo

Plant virus jumps to humans

2010-04-19T11:58:00.001+02:00

Pepper Virus Infecting People

It has always been assumed that plant viruses cannot infect animals, and vice versa. But French scientists have now found what they claim is the first evidence of a plant virus infecting humans — they say pepper virus is making people sick.

A team at the University of the Mediterranean in Marseilles, France, led by Didier Raoult, have found RNA from the pepper mild mottle virus in the faeces of 7% of the 304 adults they tested; those with the virus were more likely to report fever, itching and abdominal pain, the ‘New Scientist’ reported on Wednesday.

Not everyone is convinced, however. Because Raoult looked at many possible symptoms, he would be expected to find a few that randomly appear more common in virus positive people, according to Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Moreover, in order to enter a cell and replicate, a virus must bind to a receptor on its surface, and a plant virus would be highly unlikely to recognize a receptor on a human cell, Garry said.

One possibility, Raoult said, is that the virus does not infect human cells directly. Instead, the naked viral RNA may alter the function of the cells via a mechanism similar to RNA interference, in which presence of certain RNA sequences can turn genes on and off.

The study identified a local source of Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), a plant virus, and linked the presence of PMMoV RNA in stool with a specific immune response and clinical symptoms. Although clinical symptoms may be imputable to another cofactor, including spicy food, their data suggest the possibility of a direct or indirect pathogenic role of plant viruses in humans. PMMoV RNA sequences were recovered from twelve (57%) of the twenty-one pepper or spice-containing food products picked for the research. Of all Tabasco sauce contained the highest viral load.

The virus does not infect human cells directly. Instead, the naked viral RNA may alter cell function via a mechanism similar to RNA interference, in which presence of certain RNA sequences can turn genes on and off. Pepper virus RNA sequences found from 12 (57%) of the 21 pepper or spice-containing food products picked for the study. Of all Tabasco sauce had the highest viral load.

Source:TOI

Lipstick or poison on your lips?

2010-04-16T10:50:00.001+02:00

46 Varieties, Also Leading Brands, Contain Lead Toxins: CERS Study

Next time you pick up that innocuous-looking colour stick from your dressing table, think twice! The latest study conducted by Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, revealed that many popular lipstick brands have a high lead content. Some interesting findings were that the luscious reds were less poisonous than the sober browns and the lesser priced lipsticks had less lead than the premium brands.

CERS tested 46 varieties of lipsticks in the laboratory which included 43 shades of 19 widely used brands, and three lip glosses, all of which had lead toxins. The lipsticks costing Rs 10 had lead content ranging from 2 particles per million (ppm) to 17 ppm. The lipsticks priced over Rs 100 had 11 ppm to 23 ppm of lead. Of the varieties tested, Ivovi 10 (brown) revealed 25 parts per million (ppm) and Lakme D414 (red) 23 ppm which are higher than the permissible limit of 20 ppm by Bureau of Indian Standard. Maybelline 09 Water Shine Liquid Diamond lipgloss had the highest among lipglosses at 12 ppm.

“There is no safe lead exposure for humans. Lead is a neurotoxin causing learning, language and behavioral problems. Exposure to lead also develops infertility and miscarriage. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure,’’ the report says.

The higher the cost of the lipstick, the lower it scores on the safety, reveal tests. The Rs 10 worth Personi 140 Matte (magenta) contained only 2 ppm, whereas L'Oreal 903 Color Riche (brown), priced at Rs 490, contained 17 ppm of Lead. The results of the laboratory tests were published in the consumer magazine brought out by CERS.

Besides, manufacturers were also found to have violated mandatory labeling requirement. The batch number was missing in 23 lipsticks and 1 lip gloss, 10 lipsticks and 2 lip glosses had no license number. There were 33 varieties of lipsticks without date of manufacture or expiry. The CERS have approached the BIS to lower limit of permissible lead content in colours from 20 ppm to 0 ppm in cosmetics. They have also asked BIS to make it mandatory for manufacturers to display list of ingredients, maximum retail price, date of manufacture and expiry on products below pack size of 10gm or 10 ml.

Source:TOI

Rosacea

2010-04-08T10:17:00.001+02:00

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects approximately 14 million adults in the United States. It primarily affects the face. If it progresses untreated, it can cause itching, pain and thickening of the skin.

Rosacea can affect anyone, but individuals with fair skin who tend to flush or blush easily are believed to be at greatest risk. There is no cure for rosacea and no known cause, but medication can control or reverse the symptoms. You should see a dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment if you experience chronic redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead; small visible blood vessels on the face; bumps and pimples on the face; or water or irritated eyes. Left untreated, there may be burning or stinging sensations; rough, dry central facial skin; raised red patches known as plaques; and facial swelling (edema).

HOW IT WORKS:

Research has shown that certain antibiotics can be chemically modified to remove their antibiotic effects while retaining those properties that make them effective in treating inflammatory diseases. CollaGenex scientists modified the antibiotic doxycycline, typically prescribed to control inflammation from rosacea. They separated the antibiotic and anti-inflammatory active ingredients to produce a version of doxycycline that can be used for longer periods, with no stomach problems or side effects, because it is no longer an antibiotic. Patients can benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties without taking antibiotics they don't really need.

WHAT TO DO:

Treatment varies from patient to patient depending on the severity of the condition, including oral and topical medications to treat the bumps, pimples and redness. Good skin care can help control symptoms: use mild cleaners and blot your face dry, and be sure to use non-irritating skin-care products. In extreme cases, laser treatment or surgery may be necessary to remove visible blood vessels or reduce wetness. Some people find certain things aggravate their rosacea: hot baths, strenuous exercise, menopause, hot or spicy foods, alcohol, and motional stress. Identifying potential triggers and avoiding those things can also reduce outbreaks.

CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals has introduced a new drug for the treatment of rosacea, a skin condition that affects fair-skinned people of European descent. In two controlled clinical trials, those patients who received Oracea showed a 61 percent and 46 percent reduction, respectively, in inflammatory lesions, compared to 29 percent and 20 percent reduction in patients who received a placebo.

The first FDA-approved pill to treat rosacea, called Oracea, may help heal rosacea in just a matter of weeks. Oracea contains a low dose of the antibiotic doxycycline, which reduces the chance of a patient developing antibiotic resistance. As a result, one capsule a day stops the release of chemicals that cause inflammation bumps and pimples in the skin.

Source: TOI

Toxic toys on sale, no brand safe: NGO study

2010-04-06T11:15:00.000+02:00

Even branded plastic toys sold in India markets cause asthma, lung problems and reproductive problems in children due to high toxic levels, says a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). In its latest study released on Friday, CSE's pollution monitoring laboratory found high levels of phthalates, a chemical used to soften plastic, in all samples of toys it tested. Over 45 percent of the samples exceeded the internationally accepted safety limits for phthalates.

"We randomly purchased 24 toys from different parts of Delhi, especially those toys that children are more likely to chew and suck. Out of 24 toys, 15 were soft and nine were hard. These toys were manufactured in China (14), India (7), Taiwan (2) and Thailand (1)," said CSE Associate Director Chandra Bhushan.

"The sample included major brands like Funskool and Mattel. In our test we detected one or more phthalates in all toys. Taiwanese and Chinese toys were the most contaminated. Taiwan toys exceeded the safe limits by 100 percent. While eight out of 14 toys manufactured in China exceeded the limits," he said.According to Bhushan, only one Indian toy manufacturer exceeded the safety limits.

"Pip Squeaks, a toy manufactured by Funskool Ltd, for 3-18 months old had highest levels of phthalates. It exceeded the standards by 162 times. Worse, the label on the toy says - non-toxic, suitable for ages 3-18 months," Bhushan said. "In totality 60 percent of soft toys and 20 percent of hard toys exceeded the safe limits," he said.

Phthalates are organic chemicals commonly used as plasticisers to make plastic supple. It helps in making plastic products cheap and easy--and toxic.

The chemical can damage the male reproductive system, impair the lungs and affect the duration of pregnancy. Laboratory tests on mammals have indicated that it can also trigger asthma, allergies, poor semen quality, genital defects, premature breast development and skeletal defects.

"Children under three years are more likely to be exposed to phthalates because they tend to chew and suck on plastic toys and since their metabolic, endocrine and reproductive systems are immature, they are more vulnerable as well," said CSE director Sunita Narain.

Narain said India has no regulations to control the use of phthalates in toys. "It only has voluntary standards covering safety aspects of toys. On January 23, the government ban on import of toys not meeting these standards will end. In the unregulated free-for-all that threatens to follow, the health of children will be compromised, putting them at a huge risk." Bhushan said as the regulation on imports expires on January 23, the government has two options.

"Either regulate all toys, both domestic production and imports. Second, and the easier option, let the order expire and leave the entire market unregulated, endangering the health and safety of children. As things stand now, the government does not want to make the effort to make standards mandatory for all," he said.

CSE is a non-governmental organization working on environment and research.

Source: ToI

How Plants and Bacteria 'Talk' to Thwart Disease

2010-01-19T16:17:00.001+01:00

When it comes to plants' innate immunity, like many of the dances of life, it takes two to tango. A receptor molecule in the plant pairs up with a specific molecule on the invading bacteria and, presto, the immune system swings into action to defend against the invasion of the disease-causing microbe.

Unwrapping some of the mystery from how plants and bacteria communicate in this dance of immunity, scientists at the University of California, Davis, have identified the bacterial signaling molecule that matches up with a specific receptor in rice plants to ward off a devastating disease known as bacterial blight of rice. The researchers, led by UC Davis plant pathologist Pamela Ronald, will publish their findings in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science.

"The new discovery of this bacterial signaling molecule helps us better understand how the innate immune system operates," Ronald said."Because similar pairs of receptors and bacterial signaling molecules are known to exist not only in rice but also in other plants, as well as animals and humans, we are hopeful that this work will lead to new strategies for controlling diseases in plants and people," she said.

Disease resistance background

In 1995, Ronald's laboratory identified the XA21 gene, which produces a receptor protein that recognizes Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae, also known as Xoo, which causes bacterial blight disease. Xoo and other species of Xanthomonas infect virtually every crop species in the world.

Subsequent discoveries revealed that receptors with striking structural similarities to the XA21 receptor protein exist in other plants, flies, mice and even humans. These receptors were later named pattern recognition receptors or PRRs because they have the ability to recognize molecules that occur across species in a large class of disease-causing microbes. These receptors then can launch a protective immune defense on behalf of the plant or animal.

Together, the receptors (PRRs) and the microbial molecules they recognize comprise a previously unknown system of immunity called innate immunity. As the name suggests, this form of immunity is built into the genetic makeup of the plant, rather than developing over time with repeated exposure to disease-causing microbes. Unlike animals, plants do not produce antibodies.

The New Findings

In their newly published study, Ronald and her colleagues identified a peptide -- a compound that they call ax21 -- as the molecule that binds with the XA21 receptor protein. The binding triggers a defense response against the bacterial disease.

The researchers note that ax21 is also found in many other species of Xanthomonas as well as in Xylella fastidiosa, a microbe that causes the devastating Pierce's disease in grapes. Furthermore, ax21 is even found in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections in humans.

"These studies have led to a convergence in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern how disease-causing microbes interact with the plants and animals they infect," Ronald said.

"We are hopeful that these discoveries will benefit agriculture and medicine in the United States and around the world by leading to development of treatments that will disrupt bacterial infection," she said.

Source: Sciencdaily

How To Kill Bacteria on Your Tooth Brush

2010-01-14T11:15:00.000+01:00

Your toothbrush can be a breeding ground for bacteria. If you leave your toothbrush near someone else, you could be spreading colds much more easily than you think. Follow these easy steps to naturally keep your toothbrush clean and bacteria free.

Fill bottom of cup with 1 tsp Hydrogen Peroxide in 1 cup (240ml) of Water. Place your toothbrush in solution and shake it well. Hydrogen Peroxide solution is natural disinfectant and will kill bacteria on toothbrush.
Before applying toothpaste rinse your toothbrush with water and rinse it with Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide will also acts as Whitening agent thereby giving you sparkling white teeth.

Source: MSN

The New Allergy Zones

2010-01-13T10:46:00.000+01:00

The spring allergy season has sprung—and wrought plenty of discomfort for the approximately 35 million Americans with seasonal allergies. Pollen may not be all that's making your eyes water and nose run, though. Surprising allergens lurk in unexpected places in your home and make you feel even worse. In fact, the list of sneeze-inducing culprits is long: animal dander, mold, dust, and dust mites (tiny insects that thrive on organic matter, primarily flakes of skin), as well as pollen carried into the house from outside. But these irritants are manageable—and getting a handle on them will help reduce your symptoms. We went to four top experts for the unexpected sources of your sneezes and some room-by-room tips for eliminating them.

Living room: Surprise allergy source: Pet-owning visitors

Friends with pets usually have animal dander on their clothes. When they visit, they can deposit this irritant on upholstered furniture—even if they don't bring Fido or Felix with them.

Solution: Vacuum your couches and padded chairs after pet-owning pals sit on them. Prevent the allergens from spewing right back out of the machine by using one with a HEPA filter (which traps tiny particles so they can't escape the dust bag).

Surprise allergy source: Couch pillows, throws, and stuffed toys

These items come into contact with skin, and that means tiny flakes that slough off and encourage dust mites. If your pet sits on, fetches, or plays with any of these, they're also covered with animal dander.

Solution: Tumble the items in the dryer on high for 10 to 15 minutes each week. (If this will damage the material, clean instead according to the manufacturer's instructions.)

Bedroom Surprise allergy source: Shelves

It's not just your novel's plot twists that are causing your eyes to tear up and your nose to run. You can also blame the dust that collects on books and other shelf-dwellers, including framed photographs and mementos. Books can also contribute to indoor mold problems, especially in humid conditions.

Solution: Keep shelves of all kinds, including bookshelves, away from the bed, or banish them from the bedroom entirely. Place trinkets behind glass doors so they don't collect dust. Clean surfaces and vacuum bedroom floors at least once a week.

Surprise allergy source: Bed pillows

The warmth and humidity of your body encourage dust mites to grow in bed pillows, no matter what type of stuffing they have.

Solution: Either trade old pillows for new ones annually, or encase pillows in allergy-proof covers that you wash once or twice a month in hot water (follow the manufacturer's instructions). The most allergy-resistant, comfortable cases are made of tightly woven fabric that's impermeable to dust mites—and feels good to the touch.

Bathroom Surprise allergy source: The floor mat

Trapped moisture in the bath mat causes dust mites and mold to thrive.

Solution: Choose a washable mat and clean it weekly. After a shower or steamy bath, hang it up and open a window or run the fan.

Kitchen Surprise allergy source: The refrigerator door seal

As you transfer food in and out of the refrigerator, moisture, crumbs, and spills can build up in the crevices of the door seal and encourage mold to flourish there.

Solution: Wipe the seal with a mixture of mold-zapping bleach and water weekly; use a cotton swab to get into the grooves and clean them thoroughly.

Surprise allergy source: Cooking steam

Steam wafts from pots and pans as you cook and settles in places you may not clean daily, causing mold to build up. Spots where dampness may land include walls, ceilings, cupboard doors, upper shelves, and areas hidden behind large appliances.

Solution: Run the stove's exhaust fan to vent cooking moisture—not just smells—out of the house. If mold does appear, eliminate it with a solution of bleach and water.

Laundry room Surprise allergy source: Damp clothes

Mold and bacteria can develop on damp, unwashed clothing that sits around for days before it's laundered, as well as on clean items left in the washer tub for more than a few hours.

Solution: Don't let moist, dirty laundry build up, and dry freshly washed items ASAP. Here's a bonus idea: Use liquid detergent instead of powder, which can produce irritating dust, worsening your allergy symptoms.

All around the house Surprise allergy source: Your hair and clothes

When you arrive home after spending time outdoors, you carry in dust and pollen on your shoes and clothes and in your hair (long hair and loose hairstyles tend to trap more irritants than short or tightly bound strands).

Solution: When outside, cover your hair with a hat or scarf. When you get home, remove your head covering and shoes inside the door, change into clothes that you wear only indoors, and shampoo and dry your hair. Wash your comb and brush weekly to keep them free of any irritants they've picked up.

Surprise allergy source: Plants

Damp soil can support the development of mold, and if you spill occasionally as you water, you can encourage growths in any carpet or curtains you happen to hit.

Solution: Give away or toss out plants if mold and dust cause you to have severe symptoms. If you choose to keep the plants instead, place the pots on tile and well away from curtains. Bonus tip: A layer of pebbles or small stones placed on top of the soil will prevent the release of mold spores that may be growing in the soil.

Surprise allergy source: The fish tank

Mold grows on parts of the tank or bowl that are out of the water but nevertheless remain damp. Carelessly strewn fish food also helps mold develop and can nourish a dust mite colony.

Solution: Use a rag to dry off above-water tank parts daily. When you feed the fish, make sure the food lands in the water, not on the tabletop or floor.

Source:Msn

The Art of Celebrating Life

2009-11-10T09:39:00.001+01:00

I read this article about researchers being able to store ‘E=mc2 1905' in a bacterial DNA. Genetic material is becoming the biological hard disk. Bacteria will be the future thumb drives, USB drives and what not.

You don't need to take backups any more as bacteria replicate themselves in no time you will end up with multiple copies of the same data. No need to burn DVDs or backup on tape drives any more!!! Bacteria on an average need 20 mins to divide. So the bottom line is once in every 20 mins you can double the number of your backups!!

My thoughts then went even further!!

Bacterial backup are biodegradable, no need to worry about disposing unwanted data!!

What’s more striking is the thought about storing one’s private information. No need to store your private info in any external device anymore. Because there is always a risk that somebody might steal the device, say your mobile memory or your hard disk or a DVD.. So I thought why not instead store the info in bacteria and then store the bacteria within us.

Humans have a great variety of oral bacteria in our mouth. They are harmless and always stay there, except that if you don't brush properly they will increase in n folds and will cause a bad breath!

So cant we store all our personal info in these oral bacteria!! This storage seems to me a lot more safer option than storing our personal info like credit card details, passwords, bank account numbers, social security data etc in some external device.

But you are at a risk even while you brush, somebody might be waiting down the sewage line hunting for your oral bacteria! Spitting becomes a risky business.. A better way out would be to encrypt the data in the bacteria so that only you can decrypt it..

Store the decrypting key, where else, in your brain!!

Source: ToI

Autism

2009-08-24T09:04:00.000+02:00

Autism, also called infantile autism or autistic disorder, is a lifelong disorder that causes abnormal neurological development. Autism is usually diagnosed by the age of 3.

Autism causes impaired social interaction, communication difficulties, and restricted or repetitive activities and interests. People with autism often exhibit abnormal responses to sensory stimulation (e.g., touch, sound, light), usually have moderate mental retardation, and have a higher risk for developing epilepsy. Some autistic patients exhibit aggression and self-injurious behavior (e.g., head banging, biting themselves).

About one-third of patients with autism have normal or nearly normal intelligence quotients (IQs). Many are able to display emotion and affection and respond to their environment. Terms used to describe patients with the disorder include autistic-like, autistic tendencies, autism spectrum, and high-functioning or low-functioning autism.

High-functioning patients may have minor delays in language and development and difficulty with social interactions. They may have problems initiating and maintaining conversation and efforts may be described as "talking at others" (e.g., may talk incessantly about a favorite subject despite attempts by others to speak).

Incidence and Prevalence:

Autism affects 1 to 2 out of every 1000 people and as many as 1.5 million adults and children in the United States have some form of the disorder. The overall incidence increases by about 10–17% each year. The disorder occurs about 4 times more often in boys.

Causes:

The cause of autism is unknown. The disorder results from abnormalities in brain structure or function and the underlying cause usually cannot be identified. Patients with autism often have abnormalities in several areas of the brain. This may indicate that a disruption in fetal brain development contributes to the disorder.

Brain abnormalities may result from genetic (hereditary) or environmental (e.g., exposure to toxins) factors, metabolic disorders (e.g., serotonin deficiency), viral infections (e.g., German measles), or complications during pregnancy and delivery.

A single gene for autism has not been identified, but a group of unstable genes may trigger the disorder in some patients. According to a recent study, approximately 11% of autism cases may have a genetic component.

The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) may contribute to autism in some cases; however, this potential link is controversial. More research is necessary to evaluate this possible link.

Medical conditions associated with an increased risk for autism include the following:

Fragile X syndrome (more common in males; may cause mental retardation)
Tuberous sclerosis (syndrome that causes seizures, mental disorders, and tumors)
Congenital rubella syndrome (results from transmission of the rubella virus [causes German measles] in utero)
Untreated phenylketonuria (PKU; hereditary disease caused by a defective enzyme.

Symptoms:

Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development — social interaction, language and behavior. But because the symptoms of autism vary greatly, two children with the same diagnosis may act quite differently and have strikingly different skills. In most cases, though, the most severe autism is marked by a complete inability to communicate or interact with other people.

Many children show signs of autism in early infancy. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life but then suddenly become withdrawn, aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired. Though each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior, these characteristics are common signs of the disorder:

Social skills

Fails to respond to his or her name
Has poor eye contact
Appears not to hear you at times
Resists cuddling and holding
Appears unaware of others' feelings
Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her "own world"

Language

Starts talking later than other children
Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
Does not make eye contact when making requests
Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
Can't start a conversation or keep one going
May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them

Behavior

Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
Develops specific routines or rituals
Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
Moves constantly
May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain

Young children with autism also have a hard time sharing experiences with others. When read to, for example, they're unlikely to point at pictures in the book. This early-developing social skill is crucial to later language and social development.

As they mature, some children with autism become more engaged with others and show less marked disturbances in behavior. Some, usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal or near-normal lives. Others, however, continue to have great difficulty with language or social skills, and the adolescent years can mean a worsening of behavior problems.

The majority of children with autism are slow to acquire new knowledge or skills and some have signs of lower than normal intelligence. Other children with autism have normal to high intelligence. These children learn quickly yet have trouble communicating, applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting in social situations. An extremely small number of children with autism are "autistic savants" and have exceptional skills in a specific area, such as art, math or music.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of autism is usually made by the age of 3. Early diagnosis and treatment often helps to improve outcome for patients. Diagnosis includes the following:

Physical examination (may include neurological examination)
Medical history (includes family history, birth history, and early development)
Medical tests (to rule out other conditions)

Physicians use various screening tools to evaluate development, communication and language skills, and interaction with others. They usually question caregivers about the child's development (e.g., Did the child babble, point, wave, and grasp objects by 12 months of age?) and observe the child closely during office visits.

Treatment:

No cure exists for autism, and there is no "one-size-fits-all" treatment. In fact, the range of home-based and school-based treatments and interventions for autism can be overwhelming.

Your doctor can help identify resources in your area that may work for your child. Treatment options may include:

Behavior and communication therapies: Many programs have been developed to address the range of social, language and behavioral difficulties associated with autism. Some programs focus on reducing problem behaviors and teaching new skills. Other programs focus on teaching children how to act in social situations or how to communicate better with other people. Though children don't outgrow autism, they may learn to function well with the disorder.
Educational therapies: Children with autism often respond well to highly structured education programs. Successful programs often include a team of specialists and a variety of activities to improve social skills, communication and behavior. Preschool children who receive intensive, individualized behavioral interventions show good progress.
Drug therapies: No medication can improve the core signs of autism, but certain medications can help control symptoms. Antidepressants may be prescribed for anxiety, for example, and antipsychotic drugs are sometimes used to treat severe behavioral problems.

Because autism is a devastating and so far incurable disease, many parents seek out alternative therapies. Though some families have reported good results with special diets and other complementary approaches, studies have not been able to confirm or deny the usefulness of these treatments. Some of the most common alternative therapies include:

Creative therapies. Some parents choose to supplement educational and medical intervention with art therapy, music therapy or sensory integration, which focuses on reducing a child's sensitivity to touch or sound.

Special diets. Several diet strategies have been suggested as possible treatments for autism, including restriction of food allergens; probiotics; a yeast-free diet; a gluten-free, casein-free diet; and dietary supplements such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium, folic acid, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. The diet that has been tried most extensively — and with the greatest anecdotal success — eliminates gluten — a protein found in most grains, including wheat — and casein (a milk protein). To learn more, talk to a registered dietitian with special expertise in autism.
Chelation therapy. This treatment, which is recommended by some doctors and parents, is said to remove mercury from the body. But no studies have shown a link between mercury and autism, and chelation has not been shown to be a safe or effective treatment.

Coping and support

Raising a child with autism can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining. These ideas may help:

Find a team of trusted professionals. You'll need to make important decisions about your child's education and treatment. Find a team of teachers and therapists who can help evaluate the options in your area and explain the federal regulations regarding children with disabilities. Make certain this team includes a case manager or service coordinator, who can help access financial services and government programs.
Take time for yourself and other family members. Caring for a child with autism can be a round-the-clock job that puts stress on your marriage and your whole family. To avoid burnout, take time out to relax, exercise or enjoy your favorite activities. Try to schedule one-on-one time with your other children and plan date nights with your spouse — even if it's just watching a movie together after the children go to bed.
Seek out other families of autistic children. Other families struggling with the challenges of autism can be a source of useful advice. Many communities have support groups for parents and siblings of children with autism.
Learn about the disorder. There are many myths and misconceptions about autism. Learning the truth can help you better understand your child and his or her attempts to communicate. With time, you'll likely be rewarded by seeing your child grow and learn and even show affection — in his or her own way.

Source: Tv, Internet

Bee venom can destroy cancer tumours

2009-08-12T09:38:00.000+02:00

Washington University researchers have harnessed the toxin in bee venom to kill tumour cells.
The researchers have revealed that they did so by attaching the major component of bee venom to nano-sized spheres they call nanobees.

Experimenting on mice, the researchers found that nanobees delivered the bee toxin melittin to tumours, while protecting other tissues from the toxin’s destructive power. The researchers said that tumours in the treated mice either stopped growing or shrank.

“The nanobees fly in, land on the surface of cells and deposit their cargo of melittin which rapidly merges with the target cells. We’ve shown that the bee toxin gets taken into the cells where it pokes holes in their internal structures,” says co-author Samuel Wickline, who heads the Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence at Washington University.

Melittin is a small protein, or peptide, that is strongly attracted to cell membranes, where it can form pores that break up cells and kill them. The researchers have revealed that they tested nanobees in two kinds of mice with cancerous tumours: one mouse breed was implanted with human breast cancer cells, and the other with melanoma tumours.

They said that after four to five injections of the melittin-carrying nanoparticles over several days, growth of the mice’s breast cancer tumours slowed by nearly 25%, and the size of the mice’s melanoma tumours decreased by 88% compared to untreated tumours.

Source:TOI

New Hope In Fighting Arthritis

2009-07-28T15:41:00.001+02:00

Arthritis is a painful condition that causes the joints to become inflamed and in several cases when they become painful, swollen and contorted develop into severe disability.

While no drug has been found to cure arthritis, many drugs reduce pain and inflammation, and some have shown promise in slowing the progression of the disease.

NEW HOPE IN ARTHRITIS TREATMENT

But there is still hope. For the solution might be found in New Zealand`s Green Lipped Mussel(GLM), a shellfish found off the coast of New Zealand seems to contain the therapeutic agents needed to treat one of the most debilitating diseases of our time.

Since its discovery in 1974, Green Lipped Mussel Extract(GLME) has now been subjected to more than thirty years of quality scientific research and proven in laboratory and clinical trails, to be effective in treating both rheumatoid and osteo forms of arthritis.

The reason for the benefit is that GLME contains anti-inflammatory agents, immune modulators and many essential building block proteins, minerals, glycosaminoglycans and marine long chain fatty acids- all naturally occurring substantial therapeutic agents known to maintain joint mobility & well being and needed to rebuild collagen, proteoglycans and synovial fluid found in the joints, ligaments and tendons.

GLME manufactured by Healtheries of New Zealand is now available in India through their Authorised repesentatives Perma Healthcare. The cost for this therapy of 1000mg per day comes to Rs 50/day for first three months which can be later reduced to 500mg/day , i.e. Rs. 25/per day.

Contact Details: Perma Healthcare Helpline 080- 41732020 or log on to www.permahealthcare.com

Source: TOI

A Breath Mint Made From ... Coffee?

2009-06-29T13:35:00.001+02:00

We all know why Starbucks puts boxes of breath mints close to the cash register. Your morning latte can create a startling aroma in your mouth, strong enough to startle your co-workers too.

But intriguing new research from Tel Aviv University by breath specialist Prof. Mel Rosenberg of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine finds that a coffee extract can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath. New laboratory tests have shown that the extract prevents malodorous bacteria from making their presence felt — or smelt.

"Everybody thinks that coffee causes bad breath," says Prof. Rosenberg, "and it's often true, because coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, becomes potent when mixed with milk, and can ferment into smelly substances."

But not always. "Contrary to our expectations, we found some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath," explains Prof. Rosenberg. The findings were presented last month to members of the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany by Yael Gov, a researcher in Prof. Rosenberg's laboratory.

A "taster's choice" for stopping bad bacteria

In the laboratory, the team monitored the bacterial odor production of coffee in saliva. In the study, three different brands of coffee were tested: the Israeli brand Elite coffee, Landwer Turkish coffee, and Taster's Choice. Prof. Rosenberg expected to demonstrate the malodor-causing effect of coffee in an in vitro saliva assay developed by Dr. Sarit Levitan in his laboratory. To his surprise, the extracts had the opposite effect.

"The lesson we learned here is one of humility," says Prof. Rosenberg. "We expected coffee would cause bad breath, but there is something inside this magic brew that has the opposite effect."

Prof. Rosenberg would love to isolate the bacterial-inhibiting molecule in order to reap the biggest anti-bacterial benefits from coffee. "It's not the raw extract we will use, he says, "but an active material within it." His latest discovery could be the foundation for an entirely new class of mouthwash, breath mints and gum. Purified coffee extract can be added to a breath mint to stop bacteria from forming, stopping bad breath at its source, instead of masking the smell with a mint flavor.

Source: Sciencedaily

Cord Blood

2009-06-12T17:50:00.001+02:00

The blood that remains in your baby's umbilical cord after it has been cut is called cord blood, which is rich in stem cells. These valuable cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and family, can only be collected in the minutes after your baby's birth.

Cord blood stem cells are the body's "master cells" and can regenerate into the cells that form all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body. They are showing promise in the treatment of brain injury and juvenile diabetes and have already been used to treat nearly 70 serious diseases, saving many lives.

Most families bank their baby's cord blood stem cells for peace of mind, knowing that these stem cells can be lifesaving to their baby and other family members. By saving your baby's cord blood you secure an invaluable medical resource that can help you protect your baby:

Your baby's cord blood stem cells may benefit your family as they have been used to treat nearly 70 serious diseases. And stem cells have been used for decades in lifesaving treatments for diseases including leukemia, other cancers, and blood disorders.
Cord blood is showing significant potential to treat conditions that have no cure today like juvenile diabetes and brain injury. This new field, called regenerative medicine, focuses on using stem cells to help repair damaged tissue and regenerate healthy cells.
You have helped to secure the best treatment options for your family. Using your own family's cord blood has been shown to significantly improve medical outcomes compared to using cord blood from someone outside your family.¹

Take advantage of your one chance to save your baby's cord blood—immediately after birth.

Diseases treated by Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cells are being used in promising treatments for brain injury, and there are many other areas of therapy in development, including:

Heart disease
Cerebral palsy
Muscular dystrophy
Parkinson's

Brain injury/stroke
Juvenile diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Liver disease

Spinal cord injury
Orthopedic injury
Rheumatoid arthritis
ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)

Source: Cord Blood Registry

The New Allergy Zones

2009-06-10T17:17:00.000+02:00

Living room: Surprise allergy source: Pet-owning visitors

Friends with pets usually have animal dander on their clothes. When they visit, they can deposit this irritant on upholstered furniture—even if they don't bring Fido or Felix with them.

Surprise allergy source: Couch pillows, throws, and stuffed toys

Solution: Tumble the items in the dryer on high for 10 to 15 minutes each week. (If this will damage the material, clean instead according to the manufacturer's instructions.)

Bedroom Surprise allergy source: Shelves

Surprise allergy source: Bed pillows

The warmth and humidity of your body encourage dust mites to grow in bed pillows, no matter what type of stuffing they have.

Bathroom Surprise allergy source: The floor mat

Trapped moisture in the bath mat causes dust mites and mold to thrive.

Solution: Choose a washable mat and clean it weekly. After a shower or steamy bath, hang it up and open a window or run the fan.

Kitchen Surprise allergy source: The refrigerator door seal

As you transfer food in and out of the refrigerator, moisture, crumbs, and spills can build up in the crevices of the door seal and encourage mold to flourish there.

Solution: Wipe the seal with a mixture of mold-zapping bleach and water weekly; use a cotton swab to get into the grooves and clean them thoroughly.

Surprise allergy source: Cooking steam

Solution: Run the stove's exhaust fan to vent cooking moisture—not just smells—out of the house. If mold does appear, eliminate it with a solution of bleach and water.

Laundry room Surprise allergy source: Damp clothes

Mold and bacteria can develop on damp, unwashed clothing that sits around for days before it's laundered, as well as on clean items left in the washer tub for more than a few hours.

All around the house Surprise allergy source: Your hair and clothes

Surprise allergy source: Plants

Damp soil can support the development of mold, and if you spill occasionally as you water, you can encourage growths in any carpet or curtains you happen to hit.

Surprise allergy source: The fish tank

Mold grows on parts of the tank or bowl that are out of the water but nevertheless remain damp. Carelessly strewn fish food also helps mold develop and can nourish a dust mite colony.

Solution: Use a rag to dry off above-water tank parts daily. When you feed the fish, make sure the food lands in the water, not on the tabletop or floor.

Source:Msn

Tufted Bacteria Cause Infection In Premature Babies

2009-05-27T15:07:00.001+02:00

Bacteria that normally reside on the skin of healthy people can cause serious infections in premature babies. A group of researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now found an explanation for why a certain kind of staphylococcus can attach itself to the skin and quickly develop dynamic ecosystems: the bacteria are like tufted, self adhesive hairballs.

Staphylococcus establishes itself on the child's skin and mucous membranes directly after birth. In healthy adults and children, these bacteria normally live in harmony with the host organism. However, in sick adults or premature babies, they can cause blood poisoning.

The scientists believe that the hair-like protrusions on the surface of the bacteria that have now been identified serve to adhere the bacteria to the host's cells, whereupon they cause infection. They also found that the antimicrobial substance LL37, which is found on the skin (amongst other places) can inhibit the growth of the bacteria, and probably plays an important part in keeping the bacteria flora stable and inhibiting their uncontrolled proliferation.

"We wanted to conduct this research not only to learn more about the pathogenic potential of the bacteria, but also to understand how the child can protect itself from attack by, for instance, enhancing the body's own defences," says Giovanna Marchini, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet and senior physician at the Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital neonatal section.

Dr Marchini stresses that humans have evolved effective forms of co-existence with certain microbes; for example, the most common intestinal bacteria produces Vitamin K, which we need every day and which is important for the blood's coagulative properties. Bacteria are also necessary for the development of an effective immune defence system. In recent years, these 'beneficial' bacteria have been the object of increasingly intensive study, and are behind the development of the 'hygiene theory'.

"It's thought that the past decades' hunt for disease-causing bacteria means that we now live too cleanly, which has contributed to the sharp rise in allergies and other ‘luxury diseases'," continues Dr Marchini. "Other than wanting to prevent infection in babies, we also think it's an exciting challenge to understand the conceivable health aspects of these tiny, round and tufted skin dwellers.

Source: Sciencedaily

Acne antibiotic may be treatment for brain fever

2009-05-18T18:36:00.001+02:00

Minocycline reduces death in JE-infected mice and could do the same in humans, say researchers.If Indian scientists can transfer their laboratory success to human trials, a common acne-treating antibiotic could well turn out to be a life saver for patients of Japanese encephalitis (JE), commonly known as brain fever.

Researchers at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) in Manesar, Haryana, have shown that the common antibiotic minocycline reduces death in JE-infected mice and believe it could do the same in humans.

“Even if we replicate a fraction of the success in animals reported by NBRC team, we can save several lives and prevent many others from being maimed every year,” says N.C. Borah, managing director of the Guwahati Neurological Research Centre (GNRC).

He plans to undertake clinical trials in May at GNRC and two other hospitals in Guwahati and Dibrugarh as each of these centres receive 300-400 seriously ill JE patients every season that typically begins with the monsoon.

A viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain, JE kills about one-third of its patients and half the remaining end up with serious disabilities including cognitive and behavioural impairment. The infection is endemic in India, where 135 districts in 15 states routinely report cases, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

“No effective treatment exists today, what we have is only supportive,” says Anirban Basu, the lead researcher from NBRC, who thinks clinical success could lead to immediate therapy, as minocycline is an inexpensive and freely available drug currently used for treating bacterial infections of the skin, teeth and urinary tract.

Basu’s early work showed that minocycline not only reduced the inflammation in the brain, but also stemmed loss of healthy neuronal cells and decreased the viral load (a measure of the severity of a viral infection). However, questions like how effective the drug will be, if there’s a time lag between the infection and the treatment, or whether it will reduce the disabilities in survivors can be answered only after the human trials, says Basu.

Scientists believe it’s a fairly safe bet, as it’s the efficacy rather than the safety that needs to be ascertained, because the drug is already in use. “It’s a straightforward case, but we are hitting a stone wall,” says NBRC director Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath, since there’s no government agency to do translational research or even coordinate it. Translational research helps convert laboratory findings into therapeutics—or from bench to bedside. “In the absence of intellectual property, there’s no money to be made here or else we could have gone to a commercial agency for trials.”

The cost of the trial is not a trivial issue either. But the department of biotechnology, of which NBRC is an autonomous institute, has promised to extend support. Trials in children are difficult and expensive, as each centre needs to have sufficient number of ventilators, which can cost up to Rs 20,000 per day for every child. “I am pushing it; we hope to get started by this season,” says Ravindranath. NBRC has identified a contract research organization and is chalking out the trial design, things which research institutions in the country typically don’t do.

Borah thinks the sample of 250 patients can be recruited in just one season in the north-east, which has the highest incidence of JE. “We will run the study for four weeks and it can be completed by November,” he adds.

The successful and timely completion of this trial is important for more than one reason. Minocycline has shown promising results in other neurogenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, a nervous system disorder. Moreover, its success in JE could be an encouragement for further initiatives in “repurposing” of existing or discarded drugs. “This is a good strategy for developing countries,” says Basu.

Source:TOI

9 Foods That Reduce Stress Levels

2009-05-15T10:34:00.000+02:00

Eat these foods, reduce your stress.

Reach for these items next time you're feeling under pressure, under the weather, or just too close to that breaking point. Munching on these stress-free foods will help pull you back into the game.

Oranges

A German study in Psychopharmacology found that vitamin C helps reduce stress and return blood pressure and cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation. Vitamin C is also well-known for boosting your immune system.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be particularly stress-reducing because they can satisfy the urge you get for carbohydrates and sweets when you are under a great deal of stress. They are packed full of beta-carotene and other vitamins, and the fiber helps your body to process the carbohydrates in a slow and steady manner.

Dried Apricots

Apricots are rich in magnesium, which is a stress-buster and a natural muscle relaxant as well. Almonds, Pistachios & Walnuts. Almonds are packed with B and E vitamins, which help boost your immune system, and walnuts and pistachios help lower blood pressure.

Turkey

Turkey contains an amino acid called L-tryptophan. This amino acid triggers the release of serotonin, which is a feel-good brain chemical. This is the reason why many people who eat turkey feel relaxed, or even tired, after eating it. L-Tryptophan has a documented calming effect.

Spinach

A deficiency in magnesium can cause migraine headaches and a feeling of fatigue. One cup of spinach provides 40 percent of your daily needs for magnesium.

Salmon

Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease. A study from Diabetes & Metabolism found that omega-3s keep the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from peaking.

Avocados

The monounsaturated fats and potassium in avocados help lower blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that one of the best ways to lower blood pressure is to consume enough potassium (avocados have more than bananas).

Green Vegetables

Broccoli, kale, and other dark green vegetables are powerhouses of vitamins that help replenish our bodies in times of stress.

More stress-busting tips:

Exercise reguarly
Drink an energy shake for breakfast
Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).

Source:Msn

Bacteria Play Role In Preventing Spread Of Malaria

2009-05-13T17:42:00.001+02:00

Bacteria in the gut of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito inhibit infection of the insect with Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Scientists found that removing these bacteria, or microbial flora, with antibiotics made the mosquitoes more susceptible to Plasmodium infection because of a lack of immune stimulation. As part of the malaria transmission cycle, a mosquito acquires the malaria-causing parasite when it feeds on blood from an infected person. The parasite develops within the mosquito and can then be transmitted to another human when the mosquito feeds again.

“Our study suggests that the microbial flora of mosquitoes is stimulating immune activity that protects the mosquito from Plasmodium infection. The same immune factors that are needed to control the mosquito’s infection from the microbes are also defending against the malaria parasite Plasmodium,” said George Dimopoulos, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor with Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.

“The interplay between bacteria and the mosquito’s immune system may have significant implications for the transmission of malaria in the field where mosquitoes may be exposed to different types of bacteria in different regions. Theoretically, these bacteria could be introduced to the mosquitoes to boost their immunity to the malaria parasite and make them resistant and incapable of spreading the disease. Our current research aims at identifying those bacteria that trigger the strongest mosquito immune defense against the malaria parasite.”

As part of the study, the Johns Hopkins researcher treated mosquitoes with antibiotics to kill the gut bacteria. Treated mosquitoes were more susceptible to infection by Plasmodium when feeding on infected blood compared to mosquitoes that were not treated with antibiotics. To further verify the results, bacteria-free mosquitoes were infected with bacteria to determine if they were less susceptible to Plasmodium infection.

In addition, the researchers determined that mosquitoes infected with bacteria died earlier than mosquitoes without bacteria when infected with Plasmodium; 60 percent of the mosquitoes with gut-bacteria died compared to 40 percent of those free of bacteria—even with Plasmodium levels five times higher than those with bacteria.

“The malaria parasite must live in the mosquito for about two weeks in order to complete its life cycle and be transmitted to a person. The fact that these bacteria shorten the mosquito’s life span is additional good news,” said Dimopoulos.

Malaria kills over one million people worldwide each year; the majority of deaths are among children living in Africa.

Source:Sciencedaily

Thalassemias

2009-05-08T15:24:00.000+02:00

On 8th May Thalassemias Day is celebrated to make people aware about silent inherited disease which affecting younger population. There are around 30 crore carriers in India and every year 10,000 children with thalassemia major are born in India , which constitutes 10% of the total number in the world. It is common in Sindhis, Punjabis, Gujaratis, Lohana etc.

Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders. "Inherited" means they're passed on from parents to children through genes. Thalassemias cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin than normal.

Hemoglobin contains a large amount of iron. When red blood cells are broken down, most of the iron from the hemoglobin is used again to make new hemoglobin. In the case of thalassemia the hemoglobin is fragile and breaks down sooner than normal, thus leaving the person with not enough hemoglobin in their body. This lack of hemoglobin causes anemia.

Different Types of Thalassemia

Alpha (a) Thalassemia: Alpha thalassemia results in an excess of beta globins, which leads to the formation of beta globin aggregates called hemoglobin H. These aggregates are more stable and soluble, but under special circumstances can lead to hemolysis, generally shortening the life span of the red cell.
Beta (b) Thalassemia: Beta thalassemia is a thalassemia in which there is a decreased production of beta globin chains. The excess alpha chains aggregate and the degree to which these chains aggregate determines their severity.

Causes :

Thalassemia is an inherited disease, which means it is passed on from parents to their child through their genes. It is an autosomal recessive trait, it is not linked by sex chromosomes. It is not infectious and cannot be “Caught” like a cold. It will not develop later in life, nor can a child outgrow it. Both parents must have thalassemia trait in order to pass the disease on to their child, but it only takes one parent to pass trait on to his/her child. Thalassemia trait will never develop into disease. Thalassemia trait can be passed on for many generations without being detected before a child is born with disease.

Symptoms:

People with thalassemia major may experience the following:

Paleness
Headaches
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Jaundice
Spleen enlargement

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of thalassemia trait and thalassemia major is made from microscopic examination of the blood, which shows many small, pale red blood cells, and from other blood tests that show reduced levels of adult hemoglobin in the blood. Diagnosis is confirmed by doing Hemoglobin electrophoresis on a sample of blood. The deficient synthesis of the hemoglobin are demonstrated by this test. In addition if the patient has hemolysis or breakdown of red blood cells there will be increased levels of bilirubin and fragmented cells on the peripheral blood smear for hemolysis.

Treatment:

Normally, there are no treatments recommended. However, the doctor may suggest taking iron medication if they feel it is necessary.

The primary treatment is regular blood transfusions, usually every four weeks. In addition to the blood transfusions, doctors recommend injections of Deferral to help the body flush out the extra iron created by the new blood. The injections are given under the skin from a small pump 5 to 7 nights a week.

Additionally, splenectomy (removal of the spleen), bone marrow transplants and chelation therapy are being researched as possible treatments for thalassemia.

Microscopic Images

2009-05-07T18:20:00.001+02:00

Get up close and personal with your innards with these 15 amazing 3D-body shots. Almost all of the following images were captured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a type of electron microscope that uses a beam of high-energy electrons to scan surfaces of images. The electron beam of the SEM interacts with atoms near or at the surface of the sample to be viewed, resulting in a very high-resolution, 3D-image. Magnification levels range from x 25 (about the same as a hand lens) to about x 250,000. Incredible details of 1 to 5 nm in size can be detected.

Max Knoll was the first person to create an SEM image of silicone steel in 1935; over the next 30 years, a number of scientists worked to further develop the instrument, and in 1965 the first SEM was delivered to DuPont by the Cambridge Instrument Company as the “Stereoscan.

1. Red blood cells

They look like little cinnamon candies here, but they’re actually the most common type of blood cell in the human body - red blood cells (RBCs). These biconcave-shaped cells have the tall task of carrying oxygen to our entire body; in women there are about 4 to 5 million RBCs per microliter (cubic millimeter) of blood and about 5 to 6 million in men. People who live at higher altitudes have even more RBCs because of the low oxygen levels in their environment.

2. Split end of human hair

Regular trimmings to your hair and good conditioner should help to prevent this unsightly picture of a split end of a human hair.

3. Purkinje neurons

Of the 100 billion neurons in your brain, Purkinje neurons are some of the largest. Among other things, these cells are the masters of motor coordination in the cerebellar cortex. Toxic exposure such as alcohol and lithium, autoimmune diseases, genetic mutations including autism and neurodegenerative diseases can negatively affect human Purkinje cells.

4. Hair cell in the ear

Here’s what it looks like to see a close-up of human hair cell stereocilia inside the ear. These detect mechanical movement in response to sound vibrations.

5. Blood vessels emerging from the optic nerve

In this image, stained retinal blood vessels are shown to emerge from the black-colored optic disc. The optic disc is a blind spot because no light receptor cells are present in this area of the retina where the optic nerve and retinal blood vessels leave the back of the eye.

6. Tongue with taste bud

This color-enhanced image depicts a taste bud on the tongue. The human tongue has about 10,000 taste buds that are involved with detecting salty, sour, bitter, sweet and savoury taste perceptions.

7. Alveoli in the lung

This is what a colour-enhanced image of the inner surface of your lung looks like. The hollow cavities are alveoli; this is where gas exchange occurs with the blood.

8. Lung cancer cells

This image of warped lung cancer cells is in stark contrast to the healthy lung in the previous picture.

9. Villi of small intestine

Villi in the small intestine increase the surface area of the gut, which helps in the absorption of food. Look closely and you’ll see some food stuck in one of the crevices.

Source: Wellcome Images

Swine Flu

2009-04-28T21:58:00.001+02:00

Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs.

But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.

Those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, and that means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu or some other condition.

Transmission:

The new swine flu virus apparently spreads just like regular flu. You could pick up germs directly from an infected person, or by touching an object they recently touched, and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose, delivering their germs for your own infection.

That's why you should make washing your hands a habit, even when you're not ill. Infected people can start spreading flu germs up to a day before symptoms start, and for up to seven days after getting sick.

The swine flu virus can become airborne if you cough or sneeze without covering your nose and mouth, sending germs into the air.

The U.S. residents infected with swine flu virus had no direct contact with pigs. The CDC says it's likely that the infections represent widely separated cycles of human-to-human infections.

Treatment:

The new swine flu virus is sensitive to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. The CDC recommends those drugs to prevent or treat swine flu; the drugs are most effective when taken within 48 hours of the start of flu symptoms.

Prevention:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Avoid close contact with sick people.
Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes
You can't get swine flu by eating pork, bacon, or other foods that come from pigs.

The U.S. government has declared swine flu to be a public health emergency.

It remains to be seen how severe swine flu will be in the U.S. and elsewhere, but countries worldwide are monitoring the situation closely and preparing for the possibility of a pandemic.

The World Health Organization has not declared swine flu to be a pandemic. The WHO wants to learn more about the virus first and see how severe it is and how deeply it takes root.

But it takes more than a new virus spreading among humans to make a pandemic. The virus has to be able to spread efficiently from one person to another, and transmission has to be sustained over time. In addition, the virus has to spread geographically.

Source: TOI

Drink Water, Stay healthy and Active

2009-04-22T16:40:00.001+02:00

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven a its value.

For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD:

As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes
After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

Treatment:

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

2. Gastric - 10 days

3. Diabetes - 30 days

4. Constipation - 10 days

5. Cancer - 180 days

6. TB - 90 days

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times. It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.

The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain. For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Source: TOI

For all who love eating Maggi or Noodles

2009-04-20T18:37:00.001+02:00

The correct way to cook instant noodles without harming our bodies and health. `Normally, how we cook the instant noodles is to put the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the powder and let it cook for around 3 minutes and then it's ready to eat.

This is the WRONG method of cooking the instant noodles. By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients in the powder, normally with MSG (Monosodium glutamate), it will change the molecular structures of the MSG causing it to be toxic. The other thing that you may or may not realize is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body
to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodles.

CORRECT METHOD :

1. Boil the noodles in a pot with water.

2. Once the noodles is cooked, take out the noodles, and throw away the water which contains wax.

3. Boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and then shut the fire.

4. Only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is very hot, put the ingredient with the powder into the water, to make noodle soup.

5. However, if you need dry noodles, take out the noodles and add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.

Dietician's Note:

If you buy plain hakka noodles which you make initially need to boil in water and discard the water. This will soften the noodles but to prevent it from sticking we need to add a tbsp of oil and also the noodles are deep fried partially to make it crunchy and then dusted with flour to prevent it from sticking while boiling.

Hence when you buy the noodles they are already made unhealthy and this is the type we use to make stir fry noodles and the regular maggi too is made the same way plus they add MSG/ ajinomoto and other chemical preservatives.

A large number of patient with the ages ranging from 18-24 years are ending up with pancreatitis either as a swelling or infection of the pancreas due to regular consumption of instant noodles. If the frequency is more than 3 times a week, then it is very hazardous.

Please share this info and help save a life.

Source: TOI

Coffee May Be Linked To Rheumatoid Arthritis

2009-04-14T13:09:00.001+02:00

Coffee drinkers seem to be at increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, suggests research in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The association between coffee drinking and the presence of a hallmark indicator for the development of rheumatoid arthritis "rheumatoid factor" was studied in a cross sectional survey of almost 7,000 people, and in almost 19,000 people who were monitored for around 15 years. None of the study participants had any evidence of arthritis when first tested.

The number of cups of coffee drunk daily was strongly associated with rheumatoid factor in the survey study. In the second larger study, those people who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were twice as likely to test positive for arthritis than those who drank less. The results held true even after adjusting for other risk factors, such as age, gender, smoking, and weight. Those who drank 11 or more cups a day were almost 15 times as likely to have rheumatoid factor as non-coffee drinkers.

The authors conclude that some as yet unidentified ingredient in coffee, particularly in coffee that is not filtered, may trigger the production of rheumatoid factor, which can precede the development of arthritis by years, and consequently lead to an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Source: TOI.

Can Food Change Your Genes?

2009-04-12T18:03:00.001+02:00

New research shows how nutrition can help prevent certain diseases.

In the future, a drop of your blood placed on a special DNA chip will predict the diseases that lie dormant in your genes. Your doctor will then suggest a personalized set of lifestyle and dietary changes, as well as pharmaceutical recommendations. These changes will “turn off” the genetic trigger in your cells that begins the process of disease. Medicine will be able to deal with disease at the roots, rather than at the branches.

That future is not far away. Already, research in genetics is proving that it is possible to prevent as well as reverse chronic conditions that lead to disease and disability.

All of us are susceptible to certain illnesses because of our family histories—that is, our genes. But the field of nutrigenomics is demonstrating that, if we alter our diets and lifestyles early enough, our genes do not have to be our destiny.

Insulin resistance: ‘the obesity disease.’

A diet of refined sugars and carbohydrates—such as bread, white rice and flour products—leads to a rapid rise in blood sugar and a spike in insulin (a hormone that controls the metabolism of carbs).

Over time, you can become resistant to insulin’s good effects and thus need more to do the same job. Insulin resistance is a major cause of weight gain, heart disease, cancer and dementia, and it often leads to diabetes. It also causes hidden inflammation throughout the body, which, like a smoldering fire, damages our cells and organs and accelerates most of the diseases of aging.

You may have insulin resistance if you have a family history of abdominal obesity, diabetes, gestational diabetes, early heart disease, high triglycerides or low HDL cholesterol. If you do, discuss with your doctor whether you should take a glucose-tolerance test, which measures both glucose and insulin levels.

What you can do: Reacquaint yourself with the diet to which our bodies are best adapted biologically. We can prevent or reverse insulin resistance by eating unprocessed food—fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Include in your diet wild fish such as small salmon, sardines and herring. Avoid foods with added salt. Stay away from highly processed foods, particularly those containing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats. This diet will “turn off” the genes that promote insulin resistance, obesity and inflammation and turn on the genes that restore weight and metabolism to normal for most people.

Folic acid deficiency: not just a problem for pregnant women.

The gene that increases the need for folate (or folic acid) affects up to half of Americans. Inadequate levels of folate can lead to dementia, many cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, birth defects, autism and depression.

You may have folate deficiency if you have a family history of heart disease, dementia, breast, colon or cervical cancer, spina bifida, Down syndrome or depression. Discuss with your doctor whether to take a blood test that measures homocysteine levels, which can identify folate deficiency. (When folate is low, levels of homocysteine rise.)

What you can do: Eat a diet rich in folic acid. Good sources include dark-green leafy vegetables—such as spinach, collards, kale and arugula—whole grains, asparagus and beans. Coffee, alcohol and smoking deplete folate and raise homocysteine levels.

About 800 mcg (micrograms) a day of folic acid is sufficient for most people. Vitamins B6 and B12 also are recommended to keep homocysteine at an ideal balance.

Low vitamin D: a result of lives spent indoors.

It’s well known that vitamin D is important for bone health, but that’s just the beginning. Recent research has linked vitamin D deficiency to conditions as diverse as colon, prostate and breast cancers, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, Graves’ disease, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and osteoporosis.

Increased vigilance against overexposure to the sun’s UV rays —which stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D—also has made it more difficult to get enough of this important nutrient. Sun block prevents its production by the skin.

You may have vitamin D deficiency if you are dark-skinned. Your melanin may prevent absorption of ultraviolet radiation, which helps the body manufacture this vitamin. There is a blood test for vitamin D deficiency.

What you can do: Dr. Michael Holick, professor of medicine and physiology at the Boston University School of Medicine and a pioneer in the study of vitamin D, recommends taking up to 2000 IU a day. Dietary sources include oily fish such as wild salmon, mackerel and sardines, but supplements are essential.

Gluten sensitivity: the great masquerader.

Most of us eat large quantities of gluten, which is the protein found in such grains as wheat, barley, rye, spelt and oats. But 30% of Americans may develop some form of sensitivity to gluten. That’s because they carry the genetic marker for celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder related to the consumption of gluten. (About 1% of our population has active celiac disease.)

This condition is dramatically underdiagnosed because it masquerades as many other diseases, including nearly all inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive disorders, anemia, osteoporosis, cancers, neurologic disease, depression, migraines, infertility, liver disease and more.

You may have gluten sensitivity if you have a family history of celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune diseases or thyroid diseases. If you have any of the above, ask your doctor for a blood test for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

What you can do: If you test positive for gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, a gluten-free diet usually will completely relieve the symptoms. Many gluten-free products can be found in health-food and specialty stores.

Conclusion:

More important than the genes you inherit from your parents are the habits of theirs that you repeat. What you eat, how you live and how you handle stress all have an impact on your risk of disease, because these lifestyle habits influence how your genes function. Follow the basic laws of biology and nature by nourishing your body, mind and spirit with the right ingredients (food, vitamins, minerals, water, air, light, love, sleep and exercise), and you will thrive.

Note: The dosages recommended are higher than the current recommended daily allowances (RDA), which are based on the minimal amount needed to prevent deficiency diseases. However, research in nutrigenomics indicates that our needs may be much higher to prevent and reverse the diseases and to promote optimal health. Discuss with your doctor any questions you have about these conditions.

Source: Parade Magazine.

MRSA

2009-04-09T17:31:00.001+02:00

MRSA infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — often called "staph." MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a strain of staph that's resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. MRSA can be fatal.

Most MRSA infections occur in hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. It's known as health care-associated MRSA, or HA-MRSA. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at most risk of HA-MRSA.

Symptoms:

cellulitis (infection of the skin or the fat and tissues that lie immediately beneath the skin)
boils (pus-filled infections of hair follicles),
abscesses (collections of pus in under the skin),
sty (infection of eyelid gland),
carbuncles (infections larger than an abscess, usually with several openings to the skin), and
impetigo (a skin infection with pus-filled blisters).

One major problem with MRSA is that occasionally the skin infection can spread to almost any other organ in the body. When this happens, more severe symptoms develop. MRSA that spreads to internal organs can become life-threatening. Fever, chills, low blood pressure, joint pains, severe headaches, shortness of breath, and "rash over most of the body" are symptoms that need immediate medical attention, especially when associated with skin infections.

Causes:

There are two major ways people become infected with MRSA. The first is physical contact with someone who is either infected or is a carrier (people who are not infected but are colonized with the bacteria on their body) of MRSA. The second way is for people to physically contact MRSA on any objects such as door handles, floors, sinks, or towels that have been touched by an MRSA-infected person or carrier.

Normal skin tissue in people usually does not allow MRSA infection to develop; however, if there are cuts, abrasions, or other skin flaws such as psoriasis (chronic skin disease with dry patches, redness, and scaly skin), MRSA may proliferate. Many otherwise healthy individuals, especially children and young adults, do not notice small skin imperfections or scrapes and may be lax in taking precautions about skin contacts. This is the likely reason MRSA outbreaks occur in diverse types of people such as school team players (like football players or wrestlers), dormitory residents, and armed-services personnel in constant close contact.

People with higher risk of MRSA infection are those with obvious skin breaks (surgical patients, hospital patients with intravenous lines, burns, or skin ulcers) and patients with depressed immune systems (infants, elderly, or HIV-infected individuals) or chronic diseases (diabetes or cancer). Patients with pneumonia (lung infection) due to MRSA can transmit MRSA by airborne droplets. Health-care workers as a group are repeatedly exposed to MRSA-positive patients and can have a high rate of infection if precautions are not taken. Health-care workers and patient visitors should use disposable masks, gowns, and gloves when they enter the MRSA-infected patient's room.

Diagnosis:

A skin sample, pus on the skin, or blood, urine, or biopsy material (tissue sample) is sent to a microbiology lab and cultured for S. aureus. If S. aureus is isolated (grown on a Petri plate), the bacteria are then exposed to different antibiotics including methicillin. S. aureus that grows well when methicillin is in the culture are termed MRSA, and the patient is diagnosed as MRSA-infected. The same procedure is done to determine if someone is an MRSA carrier (screening for a carrier), but sample skin or mucous membrane sites are only swabbed, not biopsied.

Treatment:

Both hospital- and community-associated strains of MRSA still respond to certain medications. In hospitals and care facilities, doctors often rely on the antibiotic vancomycin to treat resistant germs. CA-MRSA may be treated with vancomycin or other antibiotics that have proved effective against particular strains. Although vancomycin saves lives, it may become less effective as well. Some hospitals are already seeing strains of MRSA that are less easily killed by vancomycin.

Prevention:

Personnel in contact with patients should wash hands before and after patient care.
Use an antiseptic soap, such as chlorhexidine, because bacteria have been cultured from workers' hands after they've washed with milder soap. One study showed that without proper hand washing, MRSA could survive on health care workers' hands for up to 3 hours.
Contact isolation precautions should be used when in contact with the patient. A private room should be used, as well as dedicated equipment and disinfection of the environment.
Change gloves when contaminated or when moving from a "dirty" area of the body to a clean one.
Instruct family and friends to wear protective clothing when they visit the patient and show them how to dispose of it.
Provide teaching and emotional support to the patient and family members.
Consider grouping infected patients together and having the same nursing staff care for them.
Equipment used on the patient should not be laid on the bed or bed stand and should be wiped with appropriate disinfectant before leaving the room.
Ensure careful use of antibiotics. Encourage doctors to limit antibiotic use.
Instruct the patient to take antibiotics for the full prescription period, even if he begins to feel better.
Good hand washing is the most effective way to prevent MRSA from spreading. This includes hand washing between tasks and procedures on the same patient to prevent cross-contamination of different body parts.

Source: Msn

Herbs that sweeten your breath

2009-04-08T19:23:00.001+02:00

Pick up a pinch of any of these — parsley, basil, or coriander

Can’t stand the stinging sensation caused by a mouthwash, but want sweeter breath? Pick up a pinch of one of these herbs instead: parsley, basil, or coriander.

Parsley Basil Coriander

All these herbs contain the green plant pigment chlorophyll, which is a powerful breath freshener.

Some more fresheners for your mouth: Apart from parsley, basil, and coriander, here are some more breath fresheners:

Dill: It’s also rich in chlorophyll. Chew the seeds, or make dill tea by adding the leaves or mashed seeds to boiling water.

Cardamom: It contains cineole, a potent antiseptic that kills bad-breath bacteria. You can chew the seeds and then spit them out.

Anise: The seeds of this licorice-flavored herb have been used for a very long time to freshen breath. You can boil the seeds in a cup of water. Strain, and then drink or use as a mouthwash.

Peppermint tea: This strong antiseptic helps fight halitosis.

Source: TOI.

New Test For Deadly Fungal Infection In Patients With Damaged Immune Systems

2009-04-06T16:26:00.000+02:00

A quicker, cheaper and more accurate test for deadly Aspergillus fumigatus fungal infections in patients with damaged or suppressed immune systems.

Fungal infections are a significant cause of death in patients whose immune systems are suppressed, for example those undergoing bone marrow transplantation or chemotherapy. Infection by breathing in the spores of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus can cause Invasive Aspergillosis (IA) that can have a fatality rate approaching 90%. IA is very difficult to detect; doctors need to take tissue samples to see if the fungus is growing in the body.

As this is often not possible in very sick patients, tests that detect signature molecules of the fungus in patient's serum are used. These existing tests are costly, and require expertise and sophisticated laboratory facilities to run. They also cannot distinguish between molecules from the Aspergillus fungus and similar molecules from antibiotics and foodstuffs, and even certain bacteria.

Dr Thornton and colleagues have developed a test for IA using technology similar to that used in home pregnancy tests. The test uses a monoclonal antibody that binds to a glycoprotein antigen secreted specifically by Aspergillus species. It does not give a reaction with any other clinically important fungi. It only takes 15 minutes to perform, making it quicker and less costly than conventional laboratory-based tests.

"Because our test is user-friendly it can be used to diagnose IA at the 'point-of-care' for patients, said Dr Thornton, "it can be used to provide routine monitoring of patients at high-risk for the disease, such as bone marrow transplant recipients and leukaemia patients. We are currently working with a multinational clinical diagnostics company to develop a commercial version of the device."

Source:Sciencedaily

Things You Didn't Know About You

2009-03-31T12:09:00.001+02:00

The human body is a great, sweaty, fluid-filled machine, moving and mixing chemicals with precision and coordination, making everything from memories to mucus. Here we explore some of the complex, beautiful or just plain gross mysteries of how you function.

Your stomach secretes corrosive acid

There's one dangerous liquid no airport security can confiscate from you: It's in your gut. Your stomach cells secrete hydrochloric acid, a corrosive compound used to treat metals in the industrial world. It can pickle steel, but mucous lining the stomach wall keeps this poisonous liquid safely in the digestive system, breaking down lunch.

Body position affects your memory

Can't remember your anniversary, hubby? Try getting down on one knee. Memories are highly embodied in our senses. A scent or sound may evoke a distant episode from one's childhood. The connections can be obvious (a bicycle bell makes you remember your old paper route) or inscrutable. A scientific study helps decipher some of this embodiment. An article in the January 2007 issue of Cognition reports that episodes from your past are remembered faster and better while in a body position similar to the pose struck during the event.

Bones break (down) to balance minerals

In addition to supporting the bag of organs and muscles that is our body, bones help regulate our calcium levels. Bones contain both phosphorus and calcium, the latter of which is needed by muscles and nerves. If the element is in short supply, certain hormones will cause bones to break down, upping calcium levels in the body until the appropriate extracellular concentration is reached.

Much of a meal is food for thought

Though it makes up only 2 percent of our total body weight, the brain demands 20 percent of the body's oxygen and calories. To keep our noggin well-stocked with resources, three major cerebral arteries are constantly pumping in oxygen. A blockage or break in any of them starves brain cells of the energy they require to function, impairing the functions controlled by the affected region. This is a stroke.

Puberty reshapes brain structure, makes for missed curfews

We know that hormone-fueled changes in the body are necessary to encourage growth and ready the body for reproduction. But why is adolescence so emotionally unpleasant? Hormones like testosterone actually influence the development of neurons in the brain, and the changes made to brain structure have many behavioral consequences. Expect emotional awkwardness, apathy and poor decision-making skills as regions in the frontal cortex mature.

Cell hairs move mucus

Most cells in our bodies sport hair-like organelles called cilia that help out with a variety of functions, from digestion to hearing. In the nose, cilia help to drain mucus from the nasal cavity down to the throat. Cold weather slows down the draining process, causing a mucus backup that can leave you with snotty sleeves. Swollen nasal membranes or condensation can also cause a stuffed schnozzle.

Big brains cause cramped mouths

Evolution isn't perfect. If it were, we might have wings instead of wisdom teeth. Sometimes useless features stick around in a species simply because they're not doing much harm. But wisdom teeth weren't always a cash crop for oral surgeons. Long ago, they served as a useful third set of meat-mashing molars. But as our brains grew, our jawbone structure changed, leaving us with expensively overcrowded mouths.

The world laughs with you

Just as watching someone yawn can induce the behavior in yourself, recent evidence suggests that laughter is a social cue for mimicry. Hearing a laugh actually stimulates the brain region associated with facial movements. Mimicry plays an important role in social interaction. Cues like sneezing, laughing, crying and yawning may be ways of creating strong social bonds within a group.

Your skin has four colors

All skin, without coloring, would appear creamy white. Blood vessels near the surface add a blush of red. A yellow pigment also tints the canvas. Lastly, sepia-toned melanin, created in response to ultraviolet rays, appears black in large amounts. These four hues mix in different proportions to create the skin colors of all the peoples of Earth.

Source:Msn

Top 10 Mysterious Diseases

2009-03-27T16:12:00.001+01:00

There are many sicknesses doctors can cure with the swish of a pen across a prescription pad. But for all we understand now about some illnesses, there are even more that still stump the pros, confound the public and rage on uncontested.

Morgellons disease

This mysterious illness, which has cropped up again recently, displays almost sci-fi symptoms. Sufferers complain of intensely creepy-crawly skin and odd fibrous strands which protrude from open wounds. Some in the medical community blame the "disease" on psychotic delusion, but others say the symptoms are very real.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue is a classic MUPS (medically unexplained physical symptoms) disease, with a diagnosis based only on the ruling out of other possibilities. More than just feeling a little tired, CFS patients are often bed-ridden for days at a time.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

One version of this rare brain disorder is better known "mad cow" and can be contracted by eating contaminated beef. "Regular" CJD is also always fatal, quick acting and is the most common form, but develops in most patients for reasons doctors have yet to figure out and can not prevent.

Schizophrenia

Experts consider this the most puzzling of mental disorders, one which robs the sufferer of the ability to logically distinguish between reality and fantasy. Symptoms range wildly between patients and include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and lack of motivation or emotion, but the disease has no defining medical tests.

Autoimmune disorders

A catch-all term for a host of afflictions including lupus and MS, autoimmune disorders treat the body's organs and normal functions as enemy invaders. They're usually chronic, always debilitating, and doctors can do little except ease their symptoms.

Pica

People diagnosed with Pica have an insatiable urge to eat non-food substances like dirt, paper, glue and clay. Though it is believed to be linked with mineral deficiency, health experts have found no real cause and no cure for the peculiar disorder.

Avian flu

Humans have no immunity to this powerful flu virus carried by birds, which health officials fear could mutate into a strain that can be transmitted between humans. Death rates for infected humans are around 50 percent, but, so far, humans have been infected mostly by direct handling of infected birds. A recent cluster of cases, however, appeared to involve its spread between people.

The common cold

Even with an estimated 1 billion cases in the United States every year, doctors still know very little about the nose-running, cough-inducing cold, whose root causes number in the hundreds. Time and chicken soup, not antibiotics, is often the only prescription that helps.

Alzheimer's disease

Not to be confused with the forgetfulness that affects most everyone in their later years, Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disorder that manifests differently in each of its sufferers. The exact cause isn't understood and it can't yet be effectively treated.

AIDS

Twenty-five years since it was first identified, there is still no cure for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS remains among the world's most potent killers, especially in developing countries. The disease likely started with the virus jumping from a chimp to a human, recent research confirmed.

Source: Msn

Superfoods: The Next Frontier

2009-03-25T15:22:00.001+01:00

No longer, thanks to research that's shifting the spotlight to a new generation of health-boosting foods—many of which do double or triple duty to help prevent illness. Here are six on the brink of superstar status.

1. Pomegranate

If you're going to have a martini, at least make it a pomegranate one. This fall fruit has higher antioxidant activity than red wine and green tea, which may be why a number of studies show it may prevent skin cancer and kill breast and prostate cancer cells. It also helps to:

Fight Alzheimer's disease
Researchers at Loma Linda University found that mice who drank pomegranate juice experienced 50 percent less brain degeneration than animals that consumed only sugar water. The pomegranate drinkers also did better in mazes and tests as they aged.

Guard your arteries
A group of diabetics who drank about 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for three months kept their bodies from absorbing bad cholesterol into their immune system cells (a major contributing factor to hardened arteries), discovered Israeli researchers.

2. Kiwifruit

Don't judge this fruit by its cover: Under that bristly brown peel you'll find a bright green star bursting with antioxidants and full of fiber. Kiwifruit works to:

Protect against free radical damage

A study from Rutgers University compared the 27 most popular fruits and determined that kiwifruit was the most nutritionally dense. Plus, it makes the short list of fruits with substantial amounts of vitamin E, and contains more vision-saving lutein than any other fruit or vegetable, except for corn.

Lower blood-clot risk

In a 2004 study from the University of Oslo in Norway, participants who ate two or three kiwis for 28 days significantly reduced their potential to form a clot. They also got a bonus benefit: Their triglycerides, a blood fat linked to heart attack, dropped by 15 percent.

3. Barley

When some whole grains, such as wheat and oats, are processed, they lose their fiber content. Not so with barley, which is full of soluble beta-glucan fiber in its whole kernel or refined flour form. Studies show this particular fiber may:

Knock down bad cholesterol by as much as 17.4 percent, according to USDA research

A 2004 study found that adults with moderately high cholesterol levels who went on a low-fat American Heart Association diet began to see an improvement only when barley was added to the menu.

Decrease blood sugar and insulin levels
That makes barley a better choice for people with type 2 diabetes, says a 2005 Agricultural Research Services study.

4. Cranberries

This born-and-bred American berry is among the top 10 antioxidant-rich foods, making it a potent cancer protector. You know it helps prevent urinary tract infection, and perhaps you heard it prevents gum disease, too, but did you know that these beneficial berries may:

Eradicate E. coli

Compounds in the juice can actually alter antibiotic-resistant strains, making it impossible for the harmful bacteria to trigger an infection. A small pilot study from Harvard Medical School and Rutgers University found that eating about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries yielded the same effect.

Help prevent strokes

Research on pigs with a genetic predisposition to atherosclerosis—narrow, hardened arteries that may lead to heart attack and stroke—found that those fed dried cranberries or juice every day had healthier, more flexible blood vessels

5. Broccoli sprouts

Yes, we've been through this: broccoli, good. The news: Broccoli sprouts are even better. At a mere 3 days old, they contain at least 20 times as much of disease-fighting sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) as their elders. SGS has been shown to:

Kill tumors

The chemical triggers enzymes in the body that either kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Just 1 ounce of sprouts has as much SGS as 1 1/4 pounds of broccoli. That'll save you lots of chewing.

Protect your heart

A Japanese pilot study found people who ate about a half cup a day of sprouts lowered their total cholesterol by an average of 15 points. And women in the study raised their good cholesterol by 8 points—in just 1 week.

Save your sight

Exposure to UV sunlight over time may lead to an eye condition called macular degeneration, which is the number-one cause of blindness in U.S. seniors. Researchers at Johns Hopkins determined that broccoli sprouts can protect retinal cells from ultraviolet light damage.

6. Kefir

This cultured milk drink stacks up in calcium—one 8-ounce serving contains 30 percent of the recommended daily intake. It also contains more beneficial bacteria than yogurt. It may also:

Reduce food allergies

Baby mice fed kefir had a threefold reduction in the amount of an antibody linked to food allergies, say researchers at an agricultural university.

Battle breast cancer

Women age 50 and older who consumed fermented milk products had a lower risk than those who ate little or none.

Avoid triggering lactose intolerance

Kefir contains lactase, the enzyme that people with lactose intolerance are missing, say researchers at Ohio State University. And the taste? Like plain yogurt, just a little thinner.

Source:Msn

Green Tea

2009-03-23T13:39:00.001+01:00

Archeological evidence suggests that people consumed tea leaves steeped in boiling water as many as 500,000 years ago. There are three main varieties of tea green, black, and oolong. The difference between the teas is in their processing. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Polyphenols contained in teas are classified as catechins. Green tea contains six primary catechin compounds: catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and apigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG). EGCG is the most studied polyphenol component in green tea and the most active.

Green tea also contains alkaloids including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. These alkaloids provide green tea's stimulant effects. L-theanine, an amino acid compound found in green tea, has been studied for its calming effects on the nervous system.

Green tea has been consumed throughout the ages in India, China, Japan, and Thailand. In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, practitioners used green tea as a stimulant, diuretic (to promote the excretion of urine), astringent (to control bleeding and help heal wounds), and to improve heart health. Other traditional uses of green tea include treating flatulence (gas), regulating body temperature and blood sugar, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes.

Benefits:

1. Atherosclerosis: Population-based clinical studies indicate that the antioxidant properties of green tea may help prevent atherosclerosis, particularly coronary artery disease.

2. Cholesterol: Green tea lowers total cholesterol and raises HDL ("good") cholesterol in both animals and people. men who drink green tea are more likely to have lower total cholesterol than those who do not drink green tea. Results from one animal study suggest that polyphenols in green tea may block the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and promote its excretion from the body.

3. Cancer: Green tea protects against Bladder, Breast, Ovarian, Colorectal, Esophageal, Lung, Pancreatic, Prostate, cancer.

4. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Green tea may help reduce inflammation associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two types of IBD. If green tea proves to be helpful for preventing colon cancer, this would be an added benefit for those with IBD because they are at risk for colon cancer.

5. Diabetes: Green tea has been used traditionally to control blood sugar in the body. Animal studies suggest that green tea may help prevent the development of type 1 diabetes and slow the progression once it has developed. People with type 1 diabetes produce little or no insulin, a hormone that converts glucose (sugar), starches, and other foods into energy needed for daily life. Green tea may help regulate glucose in the body.

6. Liver disease: Green tea also seems to protect the liver from the damaging effects of toxic substances such as alcohol. Animal studies have shown that green tea helps protect against the development of liver tumors in mice. Results from several animal and human studies suggest that one of the polyphenols present in green tea, known as catechin, may help treat viral hepatitis (inflammation of the liver from a virus). In these studies, catechin was isolated from green tea and used in very high concentrations. It is not clear whether green tea (which contains a lower concentration of catechins) confers these same benefits to people with hepatitis.

7. Weight loss: Clinical studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat. One study confirmed that the combination of green tea and caffeine improved weight loss and maintenance in overweight and moderately obese individuals. Some researchers speculate that substances in green tea known as polyphenols, specifically the catechins, are responsible for the herb's fat-burning effect.

8. Other uses: Drinking green tea has been found effective in a small clinical study for dental caries, or tooth decay. More studies need to be performed. Green tea may also be useful in inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis. Research indicates that green tea may benefit arthritis by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. Chemicals found in green tea may also be effective in treating genital warts and preventing symptoms of colds and influenza.

Precautions:

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. However, herbs contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, people should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a practitioner knowledgeable in the field of botanical medicine.

People with heart problems, kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders (particularly anxiety) should not take green tea. Pregnant and breast feeding women should also avoid green tea.

People who drink excessive amounts of caffeine (including caffeine from green tea) for prolonged periods of time may experience irritability, insomnia, heart palpitation, and dizziness. Caffeine overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and loss of appetite. If you are drinking a lot of tea and start to vomit or have abdominal spasms, you may have caffeine poisoning. Lower your caffeine intake and see your health care provider if your symptoms are severe

Source: MSN

Sinusitis

2009-03-16T12:35:00.001+01:00

Have you ever experienced having a runny nose and cough that refuses to go away? When anything you eat seems tasteless and your sense of smell doesn’t seem to work? When you cannot do anything due to severe headache? If so, it is possible that you are suffering from sinusitis.

Sinuses are paired air cavities/spaces (pockets) found in the cranial (head) bones. Sinuses are also referred to as "paranasal sinuses". They are connected to the nose on the facial part of the skull where air passes and mucus drains. We have four paired sinus cavities. Each sinus cavity has an opening (ostium), which opens into the nasal passages for free exchange of air and mucus. The mucus linings have ciliated epithelium (cells with fines hairs) that moves dirty mucus from the sinus cavities which drains into the nasal passages.

Sinuses are often confused with sinusitis. Sinusitis is a condition that occurs when your sinuses become inflamed and infected. Ninety percent of all cases of sinusitis are caused by bacteria? When you have a common cold, your nasal passages become tender and inflamed. The passage of mucus is blocked, trapping mucus in the sinus cavity. The mucus accumulates in the sinuses, making it an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

Causes:

Bacteria that normally cause acute sinusitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. These microorganisms, along with Staphylococcus aureus and some anaerobes (bacteria that live without oxygen), are involved in chronic sinusitis.

There are also a number of other factors that can make the sinuses more open to infection. These factors include smoking, allergic rhinitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, a weak immune system, infected tooth.

Symptoms:

• Nasal congestion, with green or yellow discharge

• Persistent cough

• Fever and fatigue

• Pain in the teeth, especially when bending over

• Severe headache and facial pain

• In some cases, temporary vision loss or having double/blurred vision

• Sneezing, sore throat and muscle ache

Prevention:

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are several ways to prevent sinus infection. Here are some tips that you can include in your daily routine:

1. Clean your nose properly to prevent infection.

2. Cut down on your smoking, or better yet stop the nasty habit.

3. Eat healthy, drink lots of fluids and avoid taking in too much caffeine or alcohol.

4. Apply hot compress to your face to loosen mucus in the nasal passages.

5. Use of humidifier is also advisable to keep the air moist.

6. Wash your hands frequently to prevent spread of bacteria or germs.

7. If you are prone to allergy, take medication as soon as the allergy occurs.

8. When struck with a cold, treat it promptly to prevent infection.

9. Blow your nose gently and frequently to avoid mucus build-up.

10. Steam treatment and nasal irrigation are also recommended.

Treatment:

1. Use decongestants in cases with common colds to minimize congestion of the

nose.

2. Take antibiotics like amoxicillin, and a variety of cephalosporins to control

bacterial infection.

3. Use pain killers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, for pain and headache relief.

Oral steroids can also be prescribed to cure bacterial sinus infection.

4. Surgery is an option if you want to take care of the problem completely.

Never ignore bacterial sinus infection. If you suspect that you have the condition, seek medical help at the first sign of the symptoms to avoid complications.

10 superfoods that help fight cancer

2009-03-09T16:20:00.001+01:00

Blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries

The rich, dark colors of blueberries, raspberries and cranberries come from photochemical that protect against numerous types of cancer.

Most recently, researchers at the University of Florida found that the active ingredient in açai berries destroyed cancer cells when tested in cell cultures. And blueberries and muscadine grapes contain compounds that recent research shows cause cancer cells in the liver to self-destruct. In studies particularly important to women, cranberries have recently been discovered to be an important weapon in the fight against deadly ovarian cancer.

The anti-cancer properties of all these berries are so strong that researchers have developing concentrated supplements and other products such as purees and concentrates.

Green tea

One of the first plant-based chemicals to be studied for its anti-cancer properties, catechins-the chemicals in green tea-have been known for some time to prevent and reduce recurrence of breast and other cancers. With this particular chemical, experts even know why: a chemical known as EGCG inhibits breast tumor growth, a University of Mississippi study shows. Just two cups a day is enough to do the trick.

Garlic

The strongest evidence so far has focused on digestive cancers, but garlic appears to protect against all types of cancer, including breast and prostate.

According to the National Cancer Institute, an analysis of seven different large-scale population studies showed that the more raw and cooked garlic a person consumed, the lower the risk of stomach and colorectal cancer.

Scientists have isolated two active ingredients in garlic, allicin and allyl sulfur, and demonstrated that they prevent and fight cancer in both animals and humans; you can take garlic in supplement form but the capsules must be enteric-coated to protect these active ingredients. Add crushed, fresh garlic to your meals whenever possible; some experts also recommend waiting 15 minutes between peeling and chopping the garlic to get the full effects of the active compounds.

Broccoli and cabbage

Men with early signs of developing prostate cancer prevented tumor growth by eating broccoli four times a week. Other studies have shown anti-cancer benefits from eating cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables.

Onions and leeks

According to the National Institutes of Health, studies of people from southern Europe who eat a diet high in garlic and onions show a direct relationship between high consumption of "allium" vegetables (all types of garlic, onions, and leeks) and reduced risk of many common cancers

Tomatoes

Lycopene, the active chemical in tomatoes, lowered the risk of many different cancers, particularly prostate, breast, lung and colon cancer.

Subsequently, the FDA conducted a review of its own and disagreed, refusing food companies' request to label tomato products with an anti-cancer health promotion message. However, many experts believe the FDA's process was flawed and that tomatoes will be vindicated by further studies. The good news: cooking tomatoes seems to enhance the effects of lycopene, qualifying tomato-based spaghetti sauce as a nutritional powerhouse. Bring on the pasta.

Resveratrol

The hype about red wine centers on an antioxidant called resveratrol that's present in grapes and grape juice, but is most concentrated in red wine. Numerous studies show that resveratrol possesses powerful anti-cancer activity. Breast cancer is fueled by estrogen, and resveratrol acts to block the action of the estrogen, preventing it from feeding tumor growth.

Soy

The active ingredient in soy is genistein, which is a phytoestrogen that protects against hormone-dependent cancers. It's also a powerful inhibitor of several proteins that are implicated in the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. To get the anti-cancer benefits of soy, you need to consume about 50 grams per day of the whole food, such as raw fresh soybeans, known as edamame, dry roasted soybeans, or tofu. The research to date shows that supplements containing isoflavones don't work with the same action as soybeans themselves and in fact can be bad for you rather than good.

Turmeric

The orange-yellow spice turmeric, best known for its role in Indian curries and other Asian dishes, fights cancer because of an active ingredient, curcumin, that's a powerful antioxidant. The great news about turmeric is how easy it is to work into the diet, because you don't need very much. Add a teaspoon of the spice to soups, salad dressings, meat and pasta dishes and you'll reap the preventative effects.

Watercress and spinach

Eating watercress everyday can prevent the DNA damage that leads to cancer. People are more comfortable eating watercress—found that antioxidants in the nutrient-rich greens prevented free radicals from damaging healthy cells. Spinach, which we're all more familiar with, is also a cancer fighter; research conducted by the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas showed spinach to protect against bladder cancer. The chemical that gives spinach its dark green color, chlorophyll in, proved to reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Source:MSN

Hot Chili Peppers

2009-03-04T14:25:00.001+01:00

Hot Chili Peppers Help Unravel The Mechanism Of Pain

Capsaicin, the active ingredient in spicy hot chili peppers such as the jalapeno, is most often experienced as an irritant, but it may also be used to reduce pain. A new work published by Drs. Feng Qin and Jing Yao in this week's PLoS Biology uses capsaicin to uncover novel insight into how pain-receptor systems can adapt to painful stimuli.

Sensory systems are well known to adapt to prevailing stimuli. For example, adaptation happens when your eyes adjust from a dark movie theater during a matinee to the bright sunlight outside. Whether pain receptors truly adapt or rescale their responses (versus simply desensitizing) has been an open question.

Capsaicin acts by binding to a receptor in the cell wall of nerve endings and triggering an influx of calcium ions into the neuron. Eventually, the nervous system interprets this cascade of events as pain or heat, depending on which nerves are stimulated. Scientists had previously linked the pain-relieving effects of capsaicin to a lipid called PIP2, found in cell membranes. When capsaicin is applied to the skin it induces a strong depletion of PIP2 in the cell membrane.

"The receptor acts like a gate to the neurons," said Qin. "When stimulated it opens, letting outside calcium enter the cells until the receptor shuts down, a process called desensitization. The analgesic action of capsaicin is believed to involve this desensitization process. However, how the entry of calcium leads to the loss of sensitivity of the neurons was not clear."

Capsaicin creams are commonly sold over the counter as effective treatment for a variety of pain syndromes, from minor muscle or joint aches to those that are very difficult to treat, such as arthritis and neuropathic pain.

By combining electrical and optical measurements, the authors now have been able to link directly the depletion of PIP2 and the desensitization of the receptor. The authors also showed that the receptor is fully functional after desensitization – i.e. although you stop feeling pain – are desensitized – if another event occurs that would normally trigger a 'pain' response – such as an increased concentration of capsaicin - the desensitization does not affect that feeling.

"What changed was the responsiveness threshold," said Qin. "In other words, the receptor had not desensitized, but its responsiveness range was shifted. This property, called adaptation, would allow the receptor to continuously respond to varying stimuli over a large capsaicin concentration range."

The findings have implications for pain sensation mechanisms as well as clinical applications. With an adaptive response, the receptors are essentially auto regulated without a fixed threshold, thus the intensity of the pain you experience is dependent on the recent history of pain.

Source:Totalhealth

Cholera

2009-03-02T14:52:00.000+01:00

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, crescent-shaped, motile rod. In severe cases it produces violent diarrhoea within only a few days. The dangerous aspect of cholera is the vast loss of fluid that can occur in a short space of time.

Causes:

Cholera is caused by a specific bacterium, Vibrio cholerae. When an adequate quantity of the bacteria has passed into the stomach in food they accumulate and begin to produce poisonous substances (toxins). It is the toxin that causes the symptoms of the disease.
The cholera toxin has the unpleasant ability to affect the cells of the gastrointestinal tract so that the affected person doesn't just get ordinary diarrhea, but also starts to lose very large quantities of fluid. It is this fluid loss that can be very serious.

Symptoms:

Sudden onset of watery diarrhea
- Stool looks like water with flecks of rice
- Diarrhea has a "fishy" odor
Rapid dehydration
Rapid pulse (heart rate)
Dry skin
Dry mucous membranes or dry mouth
Excessive thirst
Glassy eyes or sunken eyes
Lack of tears
Lethargy
Unusual sleepiness or tiredness
Low urine output
Sunken "soft spots" (fontanelles) in infants
Abdominal cramps
Nausea
Vomiting

Transmitted:

Bacteria are excreted in faeces and if this comes into contact with drinking water, the bacteria can infect people. Bacteria can also spread to food if people don't wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet.

The disease can be spread through fish and shellfish from contaminated water. Shellfish filter large quantities of water and concentrate the bacteria.

Direct infection by contact with another person via their faeces or vomit may occur, but is unusual. A certain amount of bacteria is needed before people with normal quantities of stomach acid become ill (stomach acid is able to kill small quantities of bacteria). So the bacteria need an opportunity to multiply in water or food before it actually constitutes a risk.

Diagnosis:

Many diseases cause diarrhoea, but if it is violent with watery stools, the doctor will treat you immediately. To make a definite diagnosis, the stools have to be examined to detect the cholera bacteria.

Treatment:

Severe cases of the disease must be treated in hospital. The first and most vital measure is to replace the fluid lost. If speed is important, fluid may be administered directly into the bloodstream by a drip.

The course of the disease can be shortened and the excretion of bacteria stopped quicker by giving antibiotics, such as doxycycline (eg Vibramycin).

Home remedy:

The most important thing you can do yourself in any case of violent diarrhoea is to consume large quantities of fluid with salt and sugar (alternatives include flat cola drinks), even if you are vomiting in between. There are powders with salt, bicarbonate and sugar in the correct ratio mixture that can be dissolved in water and taken, such as Dioralyte, WHO Rehydration satchets or Rehidrat.
You can also produce this fluid yourself from the following ingredients. The liquid should be about as salty as tears.

1 litre of boiled water.
8 level or 4 heaped teaspoons of sugar (white, brown or honey).
1/2 teaspoon of salt.
The juice of a lemon or orange.

Prevention:

Only drink boiled water or water that has been sterilised or treated in another way. Hot coffee and tea, fizzy water and other uncontaminated bottled drinks are usually safe enough to drink.
Boil unpasteurised milk before you drink it.
Avoid ice cubes in drinks, unless you can be sure they were made from 'safe water'! Ice cream from doubtful sources may also be contaminated.
Food must be properly prepared and still hot when it is served. If it is allowed to stand at room temperature for several hours other bacteria such as Escherichia coli may develop.
Avoid raw fish and shellfish. Avoid raw fruit and vegetables, unless you peel it yourself.
Be careful eating food from street stalls. If you have to eat this type of food, think carefully about its preparation. Make sure it doesn't contain anything that hasn't been properly prepared.

This advice will protect you, not just against cholera, but also against a whole range of bacteria that can cause unpleasant diarrhoea. Some bacteria, however, produce toxins that are not destroyed by boiling. This is why correct food storage is also important.

Vaccination against cholera is now possible with the oral vaccine Dukoral. However, this vaccine does not provide 100 per cent protection against the disease and people who have had the vaccine will still need to follow the measures outlined above to avoid illness. This vaccine is most likely to be suitable for backpackers and those travelling to situations where the risk of cholera is greatest (eg, refugee camps).

Source: TOI

Vibrio Bacteria Found In Norwegian Seafood And Seawater

2009-03-01T15:56:00.001+01:00

Are you crazy about Seafood? Be Careful and Cautious!!!

In cold place like Norway presence of bacteria vibrio cholerae has drawn its attention in Seafood resulting in spread of disease called Cholera. Bacteria is significantly seen in Oysters, Mussels and Seafish.

While working on her doctorate, Anette Bauer Ellingsen discovered potentially disease-causing vibrios (Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus) in Norwegian seafood and inshore seawater.

Anette Bauer Ellingsen studied the occurrence of potentially pathogenic vibrios in Norway. These species include the cholera bacterium (V. cholerae) and the lesser-known species V.parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. All of these species may cause disease in people who eat raw or lightly-cooked seafood, and they can also cause extremely serious wound infection.

In Japan, V.parahaemolyticus is one of the most common causes of food poisoning, due to the Japanese predilection for sushi. In the USA, food poisoning caused by this bacterium is primarily associated with eating oysters.

Mixed culture of Vibrio species from a mussel sample Seafood like Oysters and Mussels

Vibrio vulnificus is also associated with oyster eating, and this bacterium causes the greatest number of deaths from seafood poisoning in the USA.

That these bacteria also occur in Norway was previously unknown, and this is the first time that V.cholerae and V. vulnificus have been isolated from the Norwegian environment. All of the three vibrios were demonstrated in Norwegian mussels (at fewer than 100 bacteria /gram) and in Norwegian seawater (up to 30,000/litre) during the course of the study. They were first and foremost demonstrable when the water temperature rose above 20°C.

"Dangerous" and "not so dangerous" forms

It's important to emphasise that there can be big differences in pathogenicity within a species. Both V.cholerae and V.parahaemolyticus have their "dangerous" and "benign" variants, based on the toxins they produce. All V.vulnificus are assumed to be more or less equally dangerous, primarily in people with predisposing illnesses such as diabetes or hepatitis, and for people with weakened immunity.

Part of Anette Bauer Ellingsen's work was to investigate whether the "dangerous" variants of V.cholerae and V.parahaemolyticus occur in Norway. None of the cholera toxin-producing variants of V.cholerae were found among the Norwegian samples. However, it was discovered that some of the V.parahaemolyticus bacteria produce a toxin liable to cause diarrhoea.

The study showed that the danger of food poisoning posed by vibrios in Norwegian food products is extremely small. Nonetheless, toxin-producing V.parahaemolyticus was demonstrated, so one should be careful when eating raw or lightly-cooked seafood, for example, oysters.

Recreational activities and sore infection

In fact, the greatest risk of infection from vibrios is not food. There is possibly a greater chance of being infected in connection with recreational activities such as swimming or handling marine fish and shellfish in periods with high water temperature. All of the bacteria that were discovered during this study are liable to produce serious wound infection, especially in people with reduced immunity.

Source:Veths

Sesame Seed Extract And Konjac Gum May Help Ward Off Salmonella And E. Coli

2009-02-26T10:46:00.001+01:00

A new study in SCI’s Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that konjac gum and sesame seed extract may offer protection against different strains of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria.

(Sesame Seed) (Konjac Gum)

The study by Dr Petra Becker et al from Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands, shows that these foodstuffs act as binders for E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. The bacteria attach themselves to the fibrous foods instead of the gut cells of the host.

Dr Becker says that eating a diet full of these foodstuffs may offer protection from gastro-intestinal infections or reduce the severity of symptoms caused by E. coli or Salmonella.

Other foods that were shown to have a beneficial effect included yeast, tomato, and pumpkin.

In the lab study which also included negative controls, the scientists looked at 18 food-related products including coffee beans, carrot, mango, fermented soya, and food stabilizers such as locust bean gum and konjac gum. All were subjected to in vitro exposure to various bacteria which were allowed to attach themselves to the test products. The levels of bound bacteria were determined in a microplate-based method specifically developed for this purpose.

The results showed that sesame seed extract and konjac gum had the greatest number of adhered bacteria, leading to the conclusion that they may have a part to play in preventing certain E. coli and Salmonella from latching onto the host.

Dr Becker said: ‘The importance of fibre, particularly from certain foodstuffs, in maintaining a healthy gut and digestion cannot be underestimated. The study shows that these foods bind certain bacteria and may be a means of stopping bacteria from entering host cells thereby preventing disease.’

Source: Sciencedaily

Wilson Disease

2009-02-24T14:37:00.000+01:00

Copper is is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Copper is an essential trace nutrient to all high plant and animal life. In animals, including humans, it is found primarily in the bloodstream, as a co-factor in various enzymes and in copper-based pigments. However, in sufficient amounts, copper can be poisonous and even fatal to organisms which leads to Wilson Disease.

Wilson disease is a genetic disorder that prevents the body from getting rid of extra copper. A small amount of copper obtained from food is needed to stay healthy, but too much copper is poisonous. In Wilson disease, copper builds up in the liver, brain, eyes, and other organs. Over time, high copper levels can cause life-threatening organ damage.

People who get Wilson disease inherit two abnormal copies of the ATP7B gene, one from each parent. Wilson disease carriers, who have only one copy of the abnormal gene, do not have symptoms. Most people with Wilson disease have no known family history of the disease. A person’s chances of having Wilson disease increase if one or both parents have it.

Causes:

Wilson disease is caused by a buildup of copper in the body. Normally, copper from the diet is filtered out by the liver and released into bile, which flows out of the body through the gastrointestinal tract. People who have Wilson disease cannot release copper from the liver at a normal rate, due to a mutation of the ATP7B gene. When the copper storage capacity of the liver is exceeded, copper is released into the bloodstream and travels to other organs—including the brain, kidneys, and eyes.

Symptoms:

Wilson disease first attacks the liver, the central nervous system, or both.

A buildup of copper in the liver may cause ongoing liver disease. Rarely, acute liver failure occurs; most patients develop signs and symptoms that accompany chronic liver disease, including

swelling of the liver or spleen
jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
fluid buildup in the legs or abdomen
a tendency to bruise easily
fatigue

A buildup of copper in the central nervous system may result in neurologic symptoms, including

problems with speech, swallowing, or physical coordination
tremors or uncontrolled movements
muscle stiffness
behavioral changes

Other signs and symptoms of Wilson disease include

anemia
low platelet or white blood cell count
slower blood clotting, measured by a blood test
high levels of amino acids, protein, uric acid, and carbohydrates in urine
premature osteoporosis and arthritis

Kayser-Fleischer rings result from a buildup of copper in the eyes and are the most unique sign of Wilson disease. They appear in each eye as a rusty-brown ring around the edge of the iris and in the rim of the cornea. The iris is the colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil. The cornea is the transparent outer membrane that covers the eye.

Diagnosis:

Wilson disease is diagnosed through a physical examination and laboratory tests.

During the physical examination, a doctor will look for visible signs of Wilson disease. A special light called a slit lamp is used to look for Kayser-Fleischer rings in the eyes. Kayser-Fleischer rings are present in almost all people with Wilson disease who show signs of neurologic damage but are present in only 50 percent of those with signs of liver damage alone.

Laboratory tests measure the amount of copper in the blood, urine, and liver tissue. Most people with Wilson disease will have a lower than normal level of copper in the blood and a lower level of corresponding ceruloplasmin, a protein that carries copper in the bloodstream. In cases of acute liver failure caused by Wilson disease, the level of blood copper is often higher than normal. A 24-hour urine collection will show increased copper in the urine in most patients who display symptoms. A liver biopsy—a procedure that removes a small piece of liver tissue—can show if the liver is retaining too much copper. The analysis of biopsied liver tissue with a microscope detects liver damage, which often shows a pattern unique to Wilson disease.

Genetic testing may help diagnose Wilson disease in some people, particularly those with a family history of the disease.

Wilson disease can be misdiagnosed because it is rare and its symptoms are similar to those of other conditions

Treatment:

Wilson disease requires lifelong treatment to reduce and control the amount of copper in the body.

Initial therapy includes the removal of excess copper, a reduction of copper intake, and the treatment of any liver or central nervous system damage.

The drugs d-penicillamine (Cuprimine) and trientine hydrochloride (Syprine) release copper from organs into the bloodstream. Most of the copper is then filtered out by the kidneys and excreted in urine. A potential major side effect of both drugs is that neurologic symptoms can become worse—a possible result of the newly released copper becoming reabsorbed by the central nervous system. About 20 to 30 percent of patients using d-penicillamine will also initially experience other reactions to the medication, including fever, rash, and other drug-related effects on the kidneys and bone marrow. The risk of drug reaction and neurologic worsening appears to be lower with trientine hydrochloride, which should be the first choice for the treatment of all symptomatic patients.

Pregnant women should take a lower dose of d-penicillamine or trientine hydrochloride during pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects. A lower dose will also help reduce the risk of slower wound healing if surgical procedures are performed during childbirth.

Zinc, administered as zinc salts such as zinc acetate (Galzin), blocks the digestive tract’s absorption of copper from food. Zinc removes copper too slowly to be used alone as an initial therapy for people who already have symptoms, but it is often used in combination with d-penicillamine or trientine hydrochloride. Zinc is safe to use at full dosage during pregnancy.

Maintenance therapy begins when symptoms improve and tests show that copper has been reduced to a safe level. Maintenance therapy typically includes taking zinc and low doses of either d-penicillamine or trientine hydrochloride. Blood and urine should be monitored by a health care provider to ensure treatment is keeping copper at a safe level.

People with Wilson disease should reduce their dietary copper intake. They should not eat shellfish or liver, as these foods may contain high levels of copper. Other foods high in copper—including mushrooms, nuts, and chocolate—should be avoided during initial therapy but, in most cases, may be eaten in moderation during maintenance therapy. People with Wilson disease should have their drinking water checked for copper content and should not take multivitamins that contain copper.

If the disorder is detected early and treated effectively, people with Wilson disease can enjoy good health.

Nose-spray Vaccine Against Botulism Effective In First Tests

2009-02-23T13:59:00.001+01:00

A preclinical study found a new nasal spray vaccine to provide complete protection against a major botulism toxin, according to Nature journal Gene.

Botulism is caused by a bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, which produces toxins that cause paralysis and often death, as the muscles that control breathing fail.

Researchers are working to design a botulism vaccine that adds a second layer of immune protection against exposure to BoNTs. When complete, it would prime the disease-fighting cells in mucous membranes lining the nose, those most likely to be exposed first, along with those in the blood. Standard vaccines, given by injection, prepare only the blood-based immune system to fight a given disease. Secondly, the hope is that a new, well-defined subunit vaccine will enable authorities to provide an effective vaccine without having to mass-produce the actual toxin, the hazardous first step in the manufacture of the current, stockpiled vaccine.

"In this study, we found that our vaccine could provide complete protection in one dose against one of the seven BoNTs, which strongly suggests that the same platform could be applied to build a multi-component vaccine against the remaining six," said Mingtao Zeng, Ph.D., assistant professor within Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, principal investigator and corresponding author of the study. "With these findings, we believe the design of a safe and inexpensive subunit vaccine can now proceed rapidly."

The study was in mice, but much of the evidence behind the current experimental vaccine was collected in animals as well. In a challenge common to many lines of vaccine research, it is "obviously unethical to test botulism vaccines in humans using the real pathogen."

Dangerous To Make

Without causing an actual infection, vaccines introduce weakened or detoxified versions of disease-related proteins to the immune system, which remembers to destroy them upon their next encounter.

Once researchers confirm the kind of immune response needed to achieve protection, they can choose for inclusion in a multi-component vaccine the key antigenic proteins that trigger the strongest immune response. The immune system reacts, not to the presence of a whole bacterium, but instead to specific proteins residing on its surface, or secreted by it, and which reveal its nature as an invader.

There is currently no licensed vaccine for protection against botulism. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the manufacture of an experimental, injectable vaccine consisting of detoxified versions of five types of BoNTs (serotype A, B, C, D, and E). The first step in its manufacture is to produce massive amounts of active toxins that are extremely dangerous to handle, adding greatly to cost and slowing the process.

Subunit vaccines like the one in the current study include nontoxic proteins that resemble those created by the bacteria, making them much safer to work with. A specific end-piece protein called heavy chain 50-kDa fragment (Hc50) has been identified as part of the mechanism that enables BoNT/C to enter the bloodstream. Once there, the toxin locks onto nerve endings in the brain and extremities, inhibiting their ability to release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and causing paralysis. In an important 1995 discovery, John Middlebrook, Ph.D., of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), found that Hc50 fragment of BoNTs, unlike the whole toxin used in the current vaccine, are not toxic when detached from the rest of the toxin, but still bring about the desired immune response.

To insert Hc50 and prime the immune system against it, researchers took a page from gene therapy, which uses disabled viruses as delivery vehicles into cells. Viruses are precision-designed by nature to invade cells and deliver therapeutic genes, and can do so safely once the viruses' own reproductive genes have been removed. Past studies have shown that adenoviruses expressing protein antigens can be delivered by the mucosal route.

In addition, adenoviruses can be quickly and inexpensively mass produced, making them an attractive platform for researchers currently developing vaccines against HIV, bird flu, tuberculosis and anthrax, as well as against BoNTs. Zeng and colleagues are currently testing a nasal anthrax vaccine as well.

In the current study, the team used the virus to deliver BoNT/C Hc50 as a mucosal vaccine against botulism in a mouse model. A single dose of intranasal inoculation (nose spray) of the adenovirus vector brought about a high level of HC50-specific immune response as early as two weeks after vaccination. The response consisted of the activation of antibodies, immune cells in both mice and humans that attach to bacterial proteins like BoNTs to shut down their toxic effect. Antibodies classes start with the "Ig" prefix standing for immunoglobulin, another name for antibody, and the specific response to vaccine in the current study consisted of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a activation in the blood and IgA activation in mucous membranes.

In mice injected with lethal doses of BoNT/C toxin, all mice (8/8, or 100 percent) that received larger dose (2 × 107 pfu) of the BoNT/C-HC50 vaccine had survived by seven weeks after toxin challenge with no botulism symptoms, whereas none of the mice that received vector control without Hc50 survived. The protective immunity in mice could last for seven months after vaccination, researchers said.

We have demonstrated for the first time that a single, intranasal vaccination of an adenovirus-based vector encoding a humanized HC 50 of BoNT/C can provide full protection in vaccinated mice against botulinum neurotoxin type C," Zeng said. "We look forward to finalizing a vaccine, the most likely candidates for which would be active military and emergency responding personnel in forward areas."

Source:Sciencedaily

Celiac Disease, Gluten

2009-02-19T15:00:00.001+01:00

Pizza, Ice-Cream, Pasta, Cookies Wow !!!! But halt. This may contain 'Gluten' which may be used during the process to taste and look better. Yes, Gluten is harmful and leads to a disease called 'Celiac', which results damage of small intestine.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.

When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food one eats.

Celiac disease is both a disease of malabsorption—meaning nutrients are not absorbed properly—and an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Celiac disease is also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Celiac disease is genetic, meaning it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

Symptoms:

Classic symptoms of disease include diarrhea, weight loss (or stunted growth in children), and fatigue.

unexplained iron-deficiency anemia
fatigue
bone or joint pain
arthritis
bone loss or osteoporosis
depression or anxiety
tingling numbness in the hands and feet
seizures
missed menstrual periods
infertility or recurrent miscarriage
canker sores inside the mouth
an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis

People with celiac disease may have no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Long-term complications include malnutrition—which can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, and miscarriage, among other problems—liver diseases, and cancers of the intestine.

Causes:

Celiac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein. Upon exposure to gliadin, the enzyme tissue transglutaminase modifies the protein, and the immune system cross-reacts with the bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. That leads to flattening of the lining of the small intestine (called villous atrophy). This interferes with the absorption of nutrients because the intestinal villi are responsible for absorption.

Diagnosis:

Blood Tests

People with celiac disease have higher than normal levels of certain autoantibodies—proteins that react against the body’s own cells or tissues—in their blood. To diagnose celiac disease, doctors will test blood for high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA) or anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA). If test results are negative but celiac disease is still suspected, additional blood tests may be needed.

Before being tested, one should continue to eat a diet that includes foods with gluten, such as breads and pastas. If a person stops eating foods with gluten before being tested, the results may be negative for celiac disease even if the disease is present.

Intestinal Biopsy

If blood tests and symptoms suggest celiac disease, a biopsy of the small intestine is performed to confirm the diagnosis. During the biopsy, the doctor removes tiny pieces of tissue from the small intestine to check for damage to the villi. To obtain the tissue sample, the doctor eases a long, thin tube called an endoscope through the patient’s mouth and stomach into the small intestine. The doctor then takes the samples using instruments passed through the endoscope.

Treatment:

The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. A gluten-free diet means not eating foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley. People with celiac disease can eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods. They can use potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, or bean flour instead of wheat flour. They can buy gluten-free bread, pasta, and other products from stores that carry organic foods. Plain” meat, fish, rice, fruits, and vegetables do not contain gluten.

The gluten-free diet requires a completely new approach to eating. Newly diagnosed people and their families may find support groups helpful as they learn to adjust to a new way of life. People with celiac disease must be cautious about what they buy for lunch at school or work, what they purchase at the grocery store, what they eat at restaurants or parties, and what they grab for a snack. Eating out can be a challenge. When in doubt about a menu item, a person with celiac disease should ask the waiter or chef about ingredients and preparation or if a gluten-free menu is available.

Gluten is also used in some medications. People with celiac disease should ask a pharmacist if prescribed medications contain wheat. Because gluten is sometimes used as an additive in unexpected products—such as lipstick and play dough reading product labels is important. If the ingredients are not listed on the label, the manufacturer should provide a list upon request. With practice, screening for gluten becomes second nature.

Micro-motor runs on bacteria power

2009-02-18T09:44:00.001+01:00

System could power tiny robots or electronic systems

Scientists have yoked bacteria to power rotary motors, the first microscopic mechanical devices to successfully incorporate living microbes together with inorganic parts.

"In far future plans, we would like to make micro-robots driven by biological motors," researcher Yuichi Hiratsuka, a nanobiotechnologist now at the University of Tokyo, told LiveScience.

While at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology near Tokyo, Hiratsuka and his colleagues experimented with one of the most rapid crawling bacteria, Mycoplasma mobile.

This pear-shaped microbe, a millionth of a meter long, can glide over surfaces at up to seven-tenths of an inch an hour. Translated to a 6-foot-tall (180-centimeter-tall) runner, this roughly equates to 20 mph (32 kilometers per hour).

The researchers built circular pathways coated with sugary proteins, which the microbe needs to stick to in order to glide over surfaces. They then docked a rotor onto the track and coated the bacteria with vitamin B7, which acted like glue to yoke the germs to the cog. They also genetically modified the microbes so they stuck to their tracks more stably.

The scientists created roughly 20,000 rotors on a silicon chip. Each cog is etched from silica, which sand is made of, and is 20 microns wide, or roughly a fifth the diameter of a human hair.

The rotors spun at roughly 1.5 to 2.6 revolutions per minute. Each individual cell in these motors generates roughly 10,000 times less torque than conventional microscopic electronic motors can.

However, Hiratsuka noted they could improve the torque their systems generate by increasing the number of bacteria circling the tracks, which can hold up to 100 microbes. Moreover, he added that their systems could repair themselves, require only the sugar glucose as fuel, do not need wires and can work in wet environments, unlike the electronic motors.

In the future, instead of live bacteria, the researchers suggest using dead ones to avoid the potential biohazards living microbes pose. These dead "ghosts," as the scientists dub them, can still glide if their motors are given the right organic compounds.

In addition to helping drive micro-robots, Hiratsuka suggested that bacteria-powered motors could help propel micropumps in lab-on-a-chip devices. "Alternatively, we may be able to construct electronic generator systems, which generate electric energy from an abundant chemical source — glucose in the body," he said.

Source:Msnbc

Cheese — it's grosser than you thought

2009-02-04T10:42:00.000+01:00

Behind the taste lie bacteria, stomach lining, pesticides and pure fat

Cheese makes some foodies jump up and down like little kids, but behind that heavenly taste and texture lies bacteria, mammal stomach lining and pure fat.

To ripen cheese and add flavor, bacterial strains are freely injected and smeared into the substance. But not all have been accounted for, a new study finds.

Researchers at Newcastle University in England have now identified eight previously undiscovered microbes on the French, brie-like cheese called Reblochon. The potential benefits of these new microbes are still unknown.

Flourishing microbes are consumed with every bite of cheese (though the cooling temperatures in refrigerators do slow down bacterial growth, they do not kill them in cheese or in any other food). Bacteria (either naturally swimming around the milk or manually injected) and enzymes derived from the inner stomach linings of any slaughtered milk-producing mammal (called rennet) are added to coagulate the milk into curds.

Two proteins arise from curdled milk and manufacturers capitalize on them: The first is whey, which is essentially leftover liquid from curdled milk (and is increasingly being used as an ingredient in producing other foods). The second is casein, which makes up the bulk of the solid part of cheese, along with fat.

Fat is what gives cheese its taste, and 70 to 80 percent of the calories in cheese come from pure fat.

Factories are adding more bacterial groups into cheese to achieve enhanced flavors.

Cheese might be a hot commodity, but like other dairy products, it can have some unhealthy aspects. Other ways to get your calcium fix include eating the following foods: fortified grains, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, kelp, seaweed, watercress, chickpeas, broccoli, red beans, soybeans, tofu, seeds and raw nuts. With all that variety, there's hope for any cheese addict. Only it won't taste, or smell, the same.

Source:Msnbc.

Red yeast rice, fish oil fight high cholesterol

2009-01-30T15:03:00.000+01:00

A regimen of supplements and lifestyle coaching is just as effective as statin medication for reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, and more effective in helping people lose weight, new research shows.

People with high cholesterol who took red yeast rice and fish oil daily and received counseling on diet, exercise and relaxation techniques showed the same 40 percent drop in LDL cholesterol seen among people taking 40 milligrams of simvastatin daily, Dr. David J. Becker of the University of Pennsylvania Health System's Chestnut Hill Hospital and colleagues found. And they pared off an average of 10 pounds over 12 weeks, compared to less than a pound for patients taking the statin.

Becker has run a lifestyle program for people at risk of heart disease for 13 years. "People had a uniform desire to get off statins, and when they did their cholesterol was only going down maybe 5 percent at most," he told Reuters Health. The cardiologist decided to launch the current study after seeing many patients have success in lowering their cholesterol with red yeast rice and fish oil.

With a grant from the state of Pennsylvania, Becker and his team randomly assigned 74 patients to receive 40 milligrams of simvastatin (Zocor) daily along with printed information on lifestyle changes, or to three capsules of fish oil twice daily and 600 milligrams of red yeast rice daily along with the 12-week lifestyle program.

LDL cholesterol levels fell by 42.4 percent in the red yeast rice group and by 39.6 percent in the simvastatin group, not a statistically significant difference. Triglyceride levels didn't change in the statin group, but fell 29 percent in the red yeast rice group, probably because they were taking fish oil, according to Becker and his team.

People in the red yeast rice group lost an average of 4.7 kilograms (just over 10 pounds), compared to 0.3 kilograms (less than a pound) in the statin group.

Red yeast rice comes from fermenting red yeast with rice. Known as hong ku, the substance has been used as a medicine and food garnish in parts of Asia for centuries, Becker said. It contains a substance called monacolin-K that is nearly identical to the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin (Mevacor), as well as several other monacolins that may also have cholesterol-lowering properties.

People in the red yeast rice arm of the study were taking the equivalent of 10 to 15 mg of lovastatin, Becker said. "This lovastatin dosage is quite small, yet the effects we saw with the red yeast rice were akin to those one would generally see with a much higher dose of lovastatin."

"However, it is not risk-free, and it must be used carefully and in conjunction with your physician."

If more studies bear out the current findings, he added, the supplement/lifestyle intervention he and his colleagues tested could offer an alternative to people with high cholesterol who don't want to take statins, or who can't tolerate the drugs. However, he added, people who actually have heart disease should stick with statins, because they have been shown to reduce mortality.

Becker noted that a recent analysis by Consumer Lab found red yeast rice products varied sharply in their potency, and some were contaminated with a toxic byproduct called citrinin. "This paper is a call for better regulation of this supplement as well so that we know consistently what's in it," he said.

Source:Msnbc

Newfound fungus makes better biofuel

2009-01-29T10:16:00.001+01:00

A new found fungus living in rainforest trees makes biofuel more efficiently than any other known method, researchers say.

In fact, it's so good at turning plant matter into fuel that researchers say their discovery calls into question the whole theory of how crude oil was made by nature in the first place.

While many crops and microbes can be combined to make biofuels — including the fungi that became infamous as jungle rot during WWII — the newfound fungus could greatly simplify the process, its discoverers claim. Researchers have suggested that billions of acres of fallow farmland could be used to grow the raw material of biofuels. But turning corn stalks or switchgrass into fuel is a painstaking process and the end product is expensive and not entirely friendly to the environment.

The fungus, which has been named Gliocladium roseum, stands out in the crowd.

"This is the only organism that has ever been shown to produce such an important combination of fuel substances," said researcher Gary Strobel from Montana State University. "The fungus can even make these diesel compounds from cellulose, which would make it a better source of biofuel than anything we use at the moment."

The fungus grows inside the Ulmo tree in the Patagonian rainforest in South America. "When we examined the gas composition of G.roseum, we were totally surprised to learn that it was making a plethora of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives," the stuff of diesel, Strobel said. The fuel it produces has been dubbed "myco-diesel."

Cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose make up the cell walls in plants. They makes the stalks, sawdust and woodchip and cannot be digested by most living things. Some 400 million tons of this plant waste is produced ever year just from farmland, Strobel and his colleagues say. In current biofuel production, this waste is treated with enzymes called cellulases that turn the cellulose into sugar. Microbes then ferment this sugar into ethanol that can be used as a fuel.

If G.roseum can be used commercially to make fuel, a step could be skipped.

"We were very excited to discover that G.roseum can digest cellulose. Although the fungus makes less myco-diesel when it feeds on cellulose compared to sugars, new developments in fermentation technology and genetic manipulation could help improve the yield," Strobel explained. "In fact, the genes of the fungus are just as useful as the fungus itself in the development of new biofuels."

The discovery also questions assumptions about how fossil fuels are made.

"The accepted theory is that crude oil, which is used to make diesel, is formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that have been exposed to heat and pressure for millions of years," Strobel said. "If fungi like this are producing myco-diesel all over the rainforest, they may have contributed to the formation of fossil fuels.

Source:Msnbc

New Bacteria Discovered In Raw Milk

2009-01-20T10:43:00.000+01:00

Raw milk is illegal in many countries as it can be contaminated with potentially harmful microbes. Contamination can also spoil the milk, making it taste bitter and turn thick and sticky. Now scientists have discovered new species of bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, spoiling raw milk even when it is refrigerated.

According to research, the microbial population of raw milk is much more complex than previously thought.

"When we looked at the bacteria living in raw milk, we found that many of them had not been identified before," said Dr Malka Halpern from the University of Haifa, Israel. "We have now identified and described one of these bacteria, Chryseobacterium oranimense, which can grow at cold temperatures and secretes enzymes that have the potential to spoil milk."

New technologies are being developed to reduce the initial bacterial counts of pasteurized milk to very low levels. Most enzymes will be denatured at the high temperatures used during pasteurisation, which means they will stop working. However, the heat-stable enzymes made by cold-tolerant bacteria will still affect the flavour quality of fluid milk and its products. Because of this, research into cold-tolerant bacteria and the spoilage enzymes they produce is vital.

"Milk can be contaminated with many different bacteria from the teat of the cow, the udder, milking equipment and the milking environment," said Dr Halpern. "Milk is refrigerated after collection to limit the growth of microbes. During refrigeration, cold-tolerant, or psychrotolerant, bacteria that can grow at 7°C dominate the milk flora and play a leading role in milk spoilage. Although we have not yet determined the impact on milk quality of C. oranimense and two other novel species (C. haifense and C. bovis) that were also identified from raw milk samples, the discovery will contribute to our understanding the physiology of these organisms and of the complex environmental processes in which they are involved. There is still a lot to learn about the psychrotolerant bacterial flora of raw milk."

There is an ongoing debate about the benefits and risks of drinking unpasteurised milk. Some people believe the health benefits resulting from the extra nutrient content of raw milk outweigh the risk of ingesting potentially dangerous microbes, such as Mycobacterium bovis, which can cause tuberculosis, and Salmonella species. Because of these risks, many countries have made the sale of unpasteurised milk illegal. Pasteurisation involves heating milk to around 72°C for 15-20 seconds in order to reduce the number of microbes in the liquid so they are unlikely to cause disease. Some bacteria produce extracellular enzymes that are remarkably heat tolerant and can resist pasteurisation. Lipase enzymes cause flavour defects and proteases can lead to bitterness and reduced yields of soft cheese.

Raw milk is consumed in rural areas of Europe and is also available in large cities. Distribution of unpasteurised milk is legal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but illegal in Scotland. There are around 275 establishments in England that are approved by the Food Standards Agency to sell raw milk. However, the green-top bottles must display a warning that indicates the content has not been heat-treated and may contain harmful organisms. Furthermore, farmers are not allowed to sell unpasteurised dairy products if their herd is suspected to be infected with bovine tuberculosis.

"In Israel, dairy companies estimate that cold-tolerant bacteria can cause a 10% loss of milk fats and proteins. When researchers looked at these bacterial communities, they found that 20% of the bacteria isolated were found to be novel species and 5% of these were members of the genus Chryseobacterium," said Dr Halpern. "Because of their effect on milk quality, it is important that we develop sensitive and efficient tools to monitor the presence of these cold-tolerant bacteria."

Source:TIO

Cleaning Infected Blood

2009-01-15T10:28:00.001+01:00

Biologists Develop Machine To Remove Viruses From Blood

Infectious disease experts designed a machine called the hemopurifier. It works much like a dialysis machine, using thin fibers to capture and remove viruses from the blood it filters. The machine requires the drawing of blood through an artery, which is sent through a tube into the machine, then back into the body. It can treat a number of illnesses.

Every day, 14,000 people are infected with HIV, the virus that leads to AIDs. There's no cure, but now a breakthrough -- a machine that could clean blood, keeping more and more people alive longer.

"I remember lying in bed thinking, 'I am going to die. I'm going to die. I feel so sick.' And I remember thinking laying in that bed, 'And I know exactly what it is,'" HIV patient John Paul Womble, told Ivanhoe. HIV could kill Womble. He watched his father die from the virus and now he is living the rest of his life with it. "I've got to live as healthy as I can, but this virus is not going to control me," he says. Now, a machine could help clean Womble's infected blood and keep him healthier, longer.

"It's designed to mimic the natural immune response of clearing viruses and toxins before cells and organs can be infected," Jim Joyce chairman and CEO of Aethlon Medical in San Diego, told Ivanhoe. Developed by infectious disease and biodefense experts, the hemopurifier works like a dialysis machine. Antibodies on these spaghetti-like fibers capture and remove viruses as blood filters through it.

"Your entire circulation flows through the cartridge about once every eight minutes," Joyce explains. The entire process takes less than a few hours. It could help patients infected with HIV, hepatitis C, as well as people with the measles, mumps and the flu. "The cartridge is able to selectively capture viruses."

A larger version of the machine would be used in a hospital, but a smaller one could be taken to emergencies. It could be a life-safer against the avian flu or bio-weapons like Ebola and small pox, giving people a chance to survive a deadly attack, whether it's from a terrorist or a virus.

"I don't have to be afraid," Womble says. "I have a virus. I've got to do something about that virus. I've got to treat that virus. I've got to live as healthy as I can." The hemopurifier is also a leading treatment candidate to protect United States civilian and military populations from bioterror threats and emerging pandemic threats like the bird flu and dengue fever that are untreatable with drugs and vaccines.

REMOVING VIRUSES FROM BLOOD:

The hemopurifier uses antibodies to remove viruses as blood filters through it. It is designed to filter out viruses and toxins before they attack organs. The method is very similar to dialysis, and can be used to help patients with HIV, Hepatitis C, the measles, mumps, the flu, and more. It can also begin working before doctors identify the cause of the illness.

WHAT IS DIALYSIS?

Hemodialysis is often used as a treatment for end stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, in which blood is removed from the body, filtered through an artificial kidney and then the cleaned blood is returned to the body. In the US, hemodialysis is the most common treatment for people who have kidney failure. However, dialysis is also a painful, expensive procedure, and while it cleans the blood well enough to maintain existence, it does little to improve a patient's overall quality of life. Also, data shows that if patients get a transplant before they get to the point of dialysis, they do better in the longer term.

Source: Google

Influenza Virus “Flu”

2009-01-13T13:07:00.001+01:00

Influenza, commonly known as "the flu," is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae.

The flu virus found that it is more likely to spread at colder temperatures, when we cough or sneeze, microscopic droplets of water and the virus enter the air. Dry, cold conditions dry out the droplets, helping the virus linger in the air. The dry air also dries out nasal passages, which helps the virus stick. Cold dry air going over your nasal mucosa gets cracks in our airways and that allows virus to get in more easily. the flu weakens the immune system, making the body vulnerable to more serious infections, such as pneumonia.

Signs and Symptoms:
The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms are usually more severe than the typical sneezing and stuffiness of a cold. Symptoms of the flu may include:fever,chills,headache,muscle aches, dizziness, loss of appetite, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, weakness, ear pain, diarrhea.

Duration:
After 5 days, fever and other symptoms have usually disappeared, but a cough and weakness may continue. All symptoms are usually gone within a week or two. However, it's important to treat the flu seriously because it can lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening complications, particularly in infants, senior citizens, and people with long-term health problems.

Contagiousness:
Spread by virus-infected droplets that are coughed or sneezed into the air, the flu is contagious. People infected with the flu are contagious from a day before they feel sick until their symptoms have resolved (usually about 1 week for adults, but can be up to 2 weeks for young kids). The flu usually occurs in small outbreaks, but epidemics tend to occur every several years. Epidemics (when the illness spreads rapidly and affects many people in an area at the same time) peak within 2 or 3 weeks after the first cases occur.

About the Flu Vaccine:
The flu vaccine usually is offered between September and mid-November, although it may be given at other times of the year. It reduces the average person's chances of catching the flu by up to 80% during flu season. Because the vaccine prevents infection with only a few of the viruses that can cause flu-like symptoms, it isn't a guarantee against getting sick. But even if someone who's gotten the shot gets the flu, symptoms usually will be fewer and milder.

Flu vaccines are available as a shot or nasal mist. Given as an injection, the flu shot contains killed flu viruses that will not cause the flu, but will prepare the body to fight off infection by the live flu virus. Getting a shot of the killed virus means a person is protected against that particular type of live flu virus if he or she comes into contact with it. Because the nasal mist contains weakened live flu viruses, it is not for people with weakened immune systems or certain health conditions. It is only for healthy, non-pregnant people between the ages of 2 and 49 years.

People who got the vaccine last year aren't protected from getting the flu this year because the protection wears off and flu viruses constantly change. That's why the vaccine is updated each year to include the most current strains of the virus. It can take about 2 weeks after the shot for the body to build up protection to the flu. Getting the shot before the flu season is in full force gives the body a chance to build up immunity to, or protection from, the virus. Although you can get a flu shot well into flu season, it's best to try to get it earlier rather than later.

Preventing the Flu From Spreading:
Here are some practical ways to help prevent the spread of the flu

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
2. Never pick up used tissues.
3. Never share cups and eating utensils.
4. Stay home from work or school when you're sick with the flu.
5. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

Treatment:
Cases of the flu rarely require specific medical treatment. These at-home tips can help most otherwise healthy kids cope with the flu. Have them:

Drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration, get plenty of sleep and take it easy.
Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve fever and aches (wear layers, since the flu often makes them cold one minute and hot the next (wearing layers — like a T-shirt, sweatshirt, and robe — makes it easy to add or subtract clothes as needed

Curry Leaves

2009-01-12T10:50:00.000+01:00

Curry leaves are mainly used as an aromatic and flavoring for most curries in Asian foods. Not many people know beneficial effects of leaves so i take opportunity to highlight certain facts about leaves which are merely not only flavoring agent.

Curry leaves are derived from a beautiful, aromatic and more or less deciduous shrub growing up to 0.9 meter, or a small downy tree, up to 6 meters in height and 15 to 40 cms in diameter. The leaves are slightly bitter and aromatic. The curry tree is a native of India and Sri Lanka . It grows in all tropical zones and more so in rich soils. It is cultivated extensively for its aromatic leaves and ornamental value throughout India.

An analysis of curry leaves shows them to consist of moisture 66.3 per cent, protein 6.1 per cent, fat (ether extract) 1.0 per cent, carbohydrates 16.0 per cent, fiber 6.4 per cent and mineral matter 4.2 per cent per 100 grams. Their mineral and vitamin contents are calcium, phosphorus, iron, nicotinic acid and vitamin C.

Fresh leaves on steam distillation under pressure yield a volatile oil. Besides the oil, the leaves contain a residual glucoside named as koenigi

Healing Power and Curative Properties of Curry Leaves

Curry leaves possess the qualities of a herbal tonic. They strengthen the functions of stomach and promote its action. They are also used as a mild laxative[1]. The leaves may be taken mixed with other mild tasting herbs. The juice extracted from 15 grams of leaves may be taken with buttermilk.

Digestive Disorders

Fresh juice of curry leaves, with lime juice and sugar, is an effective medicine in the treatment of morning sickness, nausea and vomiting due to indigestion and excessive use of fats. One or two teaspoons of juice of these leaves mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice may be taken in these conditions. The curry leaves, ground to a fine paste and mixed with buttermilk, can also be taken on an empty stomach with beneficial results in case of stomach upsets.

Tender curry leaves are useful in diarrhea, dysentery and piles. They should be taken, mixed with honey. The bark of the tree is also useful in bilious vomiting. A teaspoon of the powder or the decoction of the dry bark should be given with cold water in this condition.

Kidney Disorders

The root of the curry plant also has medicinal properties. The juice of the root can be taken to relieve pain associated with the kidneys.

Premature Greying of Hair

Liberal intake of curry leaves is considered beneficial in preventing premature greying of hair. These leaves have the property to nourish the hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier with normal pigment. The leaves can be used in the form of chutney or the juice may be squeezed and taken in buttermilk or lassi.

Burns and Bruises

Curry leaves can be effectively used to treat burns, bruises and skin eruptions. They should be applied as a poultice over the affected areas.

Eye Disorders

Fresh juice of curry leaves suffused in the eyes. makes them look bright. It also prevents the early development of cataract.

Insect Bites

Fruits of the tree, which are berries, are edible. They are green when raw, but purple when ripe. Juice of these berries, mixed with equal proportion of lime-juice, is an effective fluid for external application in insect stings and bites of poisonous creatures.

Nanotechnology May Be Used For Food Safety

2009-01-07T17:28:00.000+01:00

A microscopic biological sensor that detects Salmonella bacteria in lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and university colleagues. The sensor could be adapted to detect other foodborne pathogens as well.

The sensor is part of an evolving science known as nanotechnology—the study and manipulation of materials on a molecular or even atomic level, measured in billionths of a meter, which is about 10 to100 times thinner than a human hair.

A microscopic biological sensor that can detect Salmonella bacteria--shown here in a petri dish--in lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service scientist and university colleagues.

There are examples of biosensors in nature. Insects detect tiny amounts of sex pheromones in the environment and use them as a beacon to find mates. And fish use natural biosensors to detect barely perceptible vibrations in the surrounding water.

ARS engineer Bosoon Park at the Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit in Athens, Ga., and cooperators at the University of Georgia used nanotechnology to develop the biosensor. The detection method may have great potential for food safety and security, according to Park.

The biosensors that Park and his university colleagues developed include fluorescent organic dye particles attached to Salmonella antibodies. The antibodies hook onto Salmonella bacteria and the dye lights up like a beacon, making the bacteria easier to see.

People who eat Salmonella-infected food products can get salmonellosis, a disease characterized by nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and sometimes death.

Source: Sciencedaily

How Superbug Staph aureus Resists Our Natural Defenses

2008-12-19T09:39:00.001+01:00

Researchers at the University of Washington have uncovered how the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including the notorious MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) "superbug" strains, resists our body's natural defenses against infection. The work, which was featured on the cover of the March 21 issue of Science, could lead to new ways to fight the bacteria.

Dr. Ferric Fang, UW professor of laboratory medicine and microbiology, and his UW colleagues Dr. Anthony Richardson and Dr. Stephen Libby set out to determine what makes Staph aureus a better pathogen than other bacteria. They focused on a chemical compound called nitric oxide (NO), a natural antibiotic that our cells excrete to protect us from pathogens. For most bacteria, NO creates an environment that keeps invading microbes from undergoing respiration or fermentation, vital chemical processes that allow bacteria to grow.

The researchers found that Staph aureus has a mechanism that allows it to produce lactic acid in the presence of NO, which allows it to maintain its chemical balance and keep growing and thriving in the harsh host environment. When Staph aureus is exposed to NO, it produces the novel enzyme responsible for lactic acid production, along with another enzyme that converts NO to non-toxic products. NO is commonly found in the nose and nasal passages, and is meant to protect people against disease-causing microbes. But Staph aureus is commonly found in the nose despite the presence of NO, the researchers explained.

When the researchers modified Staph aureus to take away its ability to make lactic acid, the bacteria could no longer tolerate NO. The modified bacteria also lost their ability to survive in host immune cells and cause lethal disease in mice.

"MRSA has become an enormous public health problem, by causing both hospital- and community-acquired infections," explained Fang. "Staph aureus has already colonized about one-third of the world's population, so traditional antibiotics will probably not be the complete answer to the MRSA problem."

However, the researchers added, trying to make Staph aureus more susceptible to our natural defenses might lead to new strategies to de-colonize the population and prevent staphylococcal infections.

Source:ScienceDaily

Fungi Can Tell Us About The Origin Of Sex Chromosomes

2008-12-17T15:36:00.000+01:00

Fungi do not have sexes, just so-called mating types. A new study shows that there are great similarities between the parts of DNA that determine the sex of plants and animals and the parts of DNA that determine mating types in certain fungi. This makes fungi interesting as new model organisms in studies of the evolutionary development of sex chromosomes.

In the plant and animal kingdoms there are individuals of different sexes, that is, bearers of either many tiny sex cells (males) or a few large ones (females). In the third eukaryote kingdom (organisms with DNA gathered in the cell nucleus), the fungi kingdom, there are no sexes but rather a simpler and more primitive system of different so-called mating types. These are distinguished by different variants of a few specific genes.

There are many ways to determine sex. In humans it is done by sex chromosomes. It is thought that this sex difference arose in the plant and animal kingdom from the simpler system of mating types and that this happened several times independently of each other throughout evolution. The change is believed to have happened with the inhibition of a step in the copying process in DNA, which led to two separate chromosomes. These then developed further over a long period of time.

"In humans, sex chromosomes are believed to have developed over the last 300 million years from a common 'proto-sex chromosome,'" says Hanna Johannesson, who directed the study.

The new study shows for the first time that even though fungi do not have sexes, there are many similarities between the parts of the genome that determine sex in plants and animals and the parts of the genome that control mating types in certain fungi. The research group specifically studied a spore sac fungus (Neurospora tetrasperma) and can show that the similarities are great, regarding both present-day structure and the way in which it arose.

"It's hard to study the evolution of sex chromosomes, partly because so many different and important sex-specific characters are tied to them. But much of this can be avoided if we use simpler systems, like fungi, as models."

Source:ScienceDaily

Advance Offers Revolution In Food Safety Testing

2008-10-23T11:01:00.001+02:00

Microbiologists at Oregon State University have developed a new technology to detect illness-causing bacteria – an advance that could revolutionize the food industry, improving the actual protection to consumers while avoiding the costly waste and massive recalls of products that are suspected of bacterial contamination but are perfectly safe.

The new approach - made possible by fundamental research on the color changes in pigment-bearing cells from Siamese fighting fish - should be easier to use, faster and more directly related to toxicity assessment than conventional approaches now used to test food for bacterial contamination and safety.

"Rapid methods are not readily available to directly assess the toxicity of bacterial contamination in a user-friendly fashion," said Janine Trempy, professor of microbiology and associate dean of the OSU College of Science. "When this new technology is commercially available, we should be able to provide a higher level of assurance to the consumer while avoiding the waste of millions of dollars worth of food that is suspected of bacterial contamination, but actually is safe."

Bacterial illnesses associated with food and water can produce symptoms ranging from mild stomach upset to severe illnesses and even death, and they are common. It's been estimated there are about 76 million illnesses of this type every year that cost the U.S. more than $10 billion.

Part of the problem is that conventional food safety testing done with DNA-based tests or antibody-based methods only indicate the presence of specific bacteria, which does not necessarily describe toxicity and the potential to cause harm. Sometimes bacteria only exhibit the behavior that can cause illness under specific environmental conditions, and it's that toxic behavior that we need to detect, Trempy said.

"Bacteria are common on exposed surfaces, including the food products we consume," Trempy said. "Simply knowing they are there doesn't completely tell you, in a direct measurement, about their potential to make you sick or whether the food is safe to eat."

Existing tests only work to detect bacteria that have already been characterized, based on a specific sequence of DNA or type of protein they produce. Such tests can't tell whether the contaminating bacteria are alive or dead, they can't directly assess their toxic potential and sometimes don't detect newly emerging or genetically rearranged strains as bacteria mutate.

The new approach, by contrast, is built on the unusual characteristics of certain "chromatophore" or pigment bearing cells, called erythrophores, from Siamese fighting fish, whose response to specific toxic chemicals have been studied in detail by Trempy's collaborator, OSU biochemist Phil McFadden.

Siamese fighting fish (betta slendens). When Siamese fighting fish encounter certain stressful or threatening environmental conditions, such as exposure to toxic chemicals like mercury, the erythrophores change appearance, and the pigment moves in a characteristic pattern to an internal part of the cell. The change in pigment location in response to a toxic chemical is rapid, obvious and can be numerically described.

This research found that when Siamese fighting fish encounter certain stressful or threatening environmental conditions, such as exposure to toxic chemicals like mercury, the erythrophores change appearance, and the pigment moves in a characteristic pattern to an internal part of the cell. The change in pigment location in response to a toxic chemical is rapid, obvious and can be numerically described.

Another kind of stressful or threatening situation which also causes the location of pigment to change is the toxic threat posed by illness-causing bacteria. Some of these bacteria are associated with food.

"We discovered that the pigment bearing cells, erythrophores, respond immediately to certain food associated, toxin producing bacteria responsible for making humans sick," Trempy said. "There is potential to directly assess the toxic behavior of the contaminating bacteria, not just the simple presence of the DNA or protein of these bacteria. And this response can be easily seen under a low-power microscope and quickly quantified, numerically, to describe the intensity of the situation."

This technology can detect such important food-associated bacteria as Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens, responsible for diarrheal illnesses; Bacillus cereus, responsible for gastrointestinal illness characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, and often referred to as stomach flu, and Clostridium botulinum, which causes toxin-induced botulism, characterized by paralysis.

Further studies are needed to define the pigment bearing cell response to other important bacteria of concern, such as E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria, Trempy said. Research is also needed to immortalize a pigment bearing cell line for mass production and commercial use. These advances should be possible and progress is being made on both issues in continuing research, she said.

It's possible, Trempy said, that portable kits could be developed that would not require specialized training to use. Results would be available in minutes, convenient and would allow food processors, distributors, handlers, or even consumers to quickly assess food for contaminating bacterial toxicity.

Source:ScienceDaily

Prebiotic Potential Of Almonds

2008-10-22T10:03:00.001+02:00

Almonds, as well as being high in vitamin E and other minerals, are also thought to have other health benefits, such as reducing cholesterol. Recently published work by the Institute of Food Research has identified potential prebiotic properties of almonds that could help improve our digestive health by increasing levels of beneficial gut bacteria.

Our digestive system maintains large population of bacteria that live in the colon. Prebiotics are non-digestible parts of foods that these bacteria can use to fuel their growth and activity. These 'good' bacteria form part of our body's defence against harmful bacteria and play a role in the development of body's immune system. The prebiotics work by stimulating the growth of these bacteria. However, in order to get to where they are needed prebiotics must be able to get through the upper part of the intestine without being digested or absorbed by the body.

Funded by the Almond Board of California, IFR scientists first used the Model Gut, a physical and biochemical simulator of the gastro-intestinal tract, to subject almonds to the same conditions experienced in the stomach and small intestine. They then added the digested almonds to an in vitro batch system to mimic the bacterial fermentation in the large intestine and monitored its effect on the populations of intestinal bacteria.

The study, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found that finely ground almonds significantly increased the levels of certain beneficial gut bacteria. This effect was not seen when the fat content was removed from the almond preparation, suggesting that the beneficial bacteria use the almond lipid for growth, and this is the basis for the prebiotic effect of almonds.

Previous studies have shown that the amount of available lipid is reduced if the almonds are not processed, for example by grinding as in this study or by chewing. The length of time the almond spends in the digestive system also affects the amount of available lipids and proteins. More detailed studies on the digestibility of almonds are now required, and the prebiotic effect of almond lipids needs to be tested in human volunteers.

Source: ScienceDaily

Pillows: A Hot Bed Of Fungal Spores

2008-10-21T15:10:00.001+02:00

Researchers at The University of Manchester funded by the Fungal Research Trust have discovered millions of fungal spores right under our noses -- in our pillows.

Aspergillus fumigatus, the species most commonly found in the pillows, is most likely to cause disease; and the resulting condition Aspergillosis has become the leading infectious cause of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. Fungi also exacerbate asthma in adults.

The researchers dissected both feather and synthetic samples and identified several thousand spores of fungus per gram of used pillow - more than a million spores per pillow.

Fungal contamination of bedding was first studied in 1936, but there have been no reports in the last seventy years. For this new study, which was published online today in the scientific journal Allergy, the team studied samples from ten pillows with between 1.5 and 20 years of regular use.

Each pillow was found to contain a substantial fungal load, with four to 16 different species being identified per sample and even higher numbers found in synthetic pillows. The microscopic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus was particularly evident in synthetic pillows, and fungi as diverse as bread and vine moulds and those usually found on damp walls and in showers were also found.

Professor Ashley Woodcock who led the research said: "We know that pillows are inhabited by the house dust mite which eats fungi, and one theory is that the fungi are in turn using the house dust mites' faeces as a major source of nitrogen and nutrition (along with human skin scales). There could therefore be a 'miniature ecosystem' at work inside our pillows."

Aspergillus is a very common fungus, carried in the air as well as being found in cellars, household plant pots, compost, computers and ground pepper and spices. Invasive Aspergillosis occurs mainly in the lungs and sinuses, although it can spread to other organs such as the brain, and is becoming increasingly common across other patient groups. It is very difficult to treat, and as many as 1 in 25 patients who die in modern European teaching hospitals have the disease.

Immuno-compromised patients such as transplantation, AIDS and steroid treatment patients are also frequently affected with life-threatening Aspergillus pneumonia and sinusitis. Fortunately, hospital pillows have plastic covers and so are unlikely to cause problems, but patients being discharged home - where pillows may be old and fungus-infected - could be at risk of infection.

Aspergillus can also worsen asthma, particularly in adults who have had asthma for many years, and cause allergic sinusitis in patients with allergic tendencies. Constant exposure to fungus in bed could be problematic. It can also get into the lung cavities created by tuberculosis which affects a third of the world's population, causing general ill-health and bleeding in the lung, as well as causing a range of plant and animal diseases.

Dr Geoffrey Scott, Chairman of the Fungal Research Trust which funded the study, said: "These new findings are potentially of major significance to people with allergic diseases of the lungs and damaged immune systems - especially those being sent home from hospital."

Professor Ashley Woodcock added: "Since patients spend a third of their life sleeping and breathing close to a potentially large and varied source of fungi, these findings certainly have important implications for patients with respiratory disease - especially asthma and sinusitis."

Source:ScienceDaily