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Monday, August 19, 2013

Scientists Identify Gene That Doubles Schizophrenia Risk

by Sheela Philomena on? August 07, 2013 at 11:46 AM Genetics & Stem Cells News Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute scientists have identified a new gene that doubles the risk of schizophrenia. Scientists Identify Gene That Doubles Schizophrenia Risk
A team of researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, found that a disruption of the gene TOP3B, an exceedingly rare occurrence in most parts of the world, is fairly common in a uniquely genetically distinct founder population from North-eastern Finland.

Furthermore, the biochemical investigation of the protein encoded by the TOP3B gene allowed the researchers to gain first insight into the cellular processes that might be disturbed in the affected individuals.

The team identified a rare genetic deletion affecting TOP3B in the North-eastern Finnish population that increases a person's susceptibility to schizophrenia two-fold and that also is associated with an increased frequency of other disorders of brain development such as intellectual impairment. They speculate that this deletion directly disrupts the TOP3B gene to cause its effects on the brain.

Having identified the link between TOP3B and schizophrenia, the researchers sought to understand why disrupting this gene might increase susceptibility to disease, and for this purpose they investigated the function of the protein that it encodes.

TOP3B encodes a type of protein that typically helps the cell to unwind and wind DNA helices - essential to normal cell function. Quite unexpectedly for an enzyme of this class, however, TOP3B was found to act on messenger-RNA rather than DNA.

In their further biochemical investigation into TOP3B, the team found that the TOP3B protein interacts with a protein known as FMRP. The deactivation or disruption of this protein is responsible for Fragile X syndrome, a disorder associated with autism and learning difficulties, primarily in men.

Source-ANI

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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Walking Reduces Risk of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

by Bidita Debnath on? August 07, 2013 at 10:01 PM Research News A new study suggests that people who walk to work are around 40 per cent less likely to have diabetes as those who drive. Walking Reduces Risk of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
Researchers at Imperial College London and University College London examined how various health indicators related to how people get to work, using data from a survey of 20,000 people across the UK.

They found that cycling, walking, and using public transport were all associated with lower risk of being overweight than driving or taking a taxi. People who walk to work were also 17% less likely than people who drive to have high blood pressure. Cyclists were around half as likely to have diabetes as drivers.

The findings are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.High blood pressure, diabetes, and being overweight are all major risk factors for heart and circulatory disease, the UK's biggest killer.

The researchers said people could reduce their risks of serious health problems such as heart attacks by avoiding using a car.

"This study highlights that building physical activity into the daily routine by walking, cycling or using public transport to get to work is good for personal health ," said Anthony Laverty, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London.

Nineteen per cent of working age adults who use private transport - such as cars, motorbikes or taxis - to get to work were obese, compared to 15 per cent of those who walked and 13 per cent of those who cycled to work.The study found wide variations in the modes of transport used in different parts of the UK. Public transport was used most in London, at 52 per cent, compared with just five per cent in Northern Ireland.

"The variations between regions suggest that infrastructure and investment in public transport, walking and cycling can play a large role in encouraging healthy lives, and that encouraging people out of the car can be good for them as well as the environment," said Laverty.

Source-Eurekalert

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Scientists Identify Gene That Doubles Schizophrenia Risk

Source-ANI

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Your Night Light Color may Affect Your Mood

In a study involving hamsters, researchers found that blue light had the worst effects on mood-related measures, followed closely by white light.

But hamsters exposed to red light at night had significantly less evidence of depressive-like symptoms and changes in the brain linked to depression, compared to those that experienced blue or white light.

The only hamsters that fared better than those exposed to red light were those that had total darkness at night.

The findings may have important implications for humans, particularly those whose work on night shifts makes them susceptible to mood disorders, said Randy Nelson, co-author of the study and professor of neuroscience and psychology at The Ohio State University.

"Our findings suggest that if we could use red light when appropriate for night-shift workers, it may not have some of the negative effects on their health that white light does," Nelson said.

The study appears in the Aug. 7, 2013, issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The research examined the role of specialized photosensitive cells in the retina -- called ipRGCs -- that don't have a major role in vision, but detect light and send messages to a part of the brain that helps regulate the body's circadian clock. This is the body's master clock that helps determine when people feel sleepy and awake.

Other research suggests these light-sensitive cells also send messages to parts of the brain that play a role in mood and emotion.

"Light at night may result in parts of the brain regulating mood receiving signals during times of the day when they shouldn't," said co-author Tracy Bedrosian, a former graduate student at Ohio State who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Salk Institute. "This may be why light at night seems to be linked to depression in some people."

What people experience as different colors of light are actually lights of different wavelengths. The ipRGCs don't appear to react to light of different wavelengths in the same way.

"These cells are most sensitive to blue wavelengths and least sensitive to red wavelengths," Nelson said. "We wanted to see how exposure to these different color wavelengths affected the hamsters."

In one experiment, the researchers exposed adult female Siberian hamsters to four weeks each of nighttime conditions with no light, dim red light, dim white light (similar to that found in normal light bulbs) or dim blue light.

They then did several tests with the hamsters that are used to check for depressive-like symptoms. For example, if the hamsters drink less-than-normal amounts of sugar water -- a treat they normally enjoy -- that is seen as evidence of a mood problem.

Results showed that hamsters that were kept in the dark at night drank the most sugar water, followed closely by those exposed to red light. Those that lived with dim white or blue light at night drank significantly less of the sugar water than the others.

After the testing, the researchers then examined the hippocampus regions of the brains of the hamsters.

Hamsters that spent the night in dim blue or white light had a significantly reduced density of dendritic spines compared to those that lived in total darkness or that were exposed to only red light. Dendritic spines are hairlike growths on brain cells that are used to send chemical messages from one cell to another.

A lowered density of these dendritic spines has been linked to depression, Nelson said.

"The behavior tests and changes in brain structure in hamsters both suggest that the color of lights may play a key role in mood," he said.

"In nearly every measure we had, hamsters exposed to blue light were the worst off, followed by those exposed to white light," he said. "While total darkness was best, red light was not nearly as bad as the other wavelengths we studied."

Nelson and Bedrosian said they believe these results may be applicable to humans.

In addition to shift workers, others may benefit from limiting their light at night from computers, televisions and other electronic devices, they said. And, if light is needed, the color may matter.

"If you need a night light in the bathroom or bedroom, it may be better to have one that gives off red light rather than white light," Bedrosian said.

Source-Eurekalert

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Looking Beyond Infantile Paralysis and Life-long Hospital Stay to Achieve Life Goals

Paulo Henrique Machado from Brazil is a victim of infantile paralysis due to polio. He also lost his mother two days after his birth.

But he had made good friends in hospital with many like him who needed continuous hospital care. Some of them were dead and gone except for Elaina Zagui, who he had grown close to. They were like siblings and would have their daily arguments.

"I think that's normal between brother and sisters or a couple. But it's not an argument where one side feels offended, you end up reflecting and think, 'OK, I forgive you'," he said.

Due to the risk of infection they live in a hospital and may have stepped out just about 50 times in their life. They cherish times on the beach. "I knew the beach only from photos, films, postcards, stories from other people - so I had built up an image in my mind of what the sea and the beach would be like," Ms Zagui said. "They took us out of the vehicles, Paulo was in a wheelchair and they pushed my bed onto the sand."

It is amazing how despite the disability, Ms Zagui, nicknamed Leca, has published many stories and is an artist. She paints using her mouth.

Mr Machado is now on another goal and for that he has been able to raise funds of about $65,000 to make one of her books, The Adventures of Leca and her Friends into a stop-motion film series.

Hospital authorities are truly amazed to see the positivity in this duo, who are living life and achieving their best despite their severe disability.

Source-Medindia

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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Simple Tips to Have a Healthy Lifestyle

by Sheela Philomena on? August 07, 2013 at 4:37 PM Research News Experts have shared simple, easy tips to have a healthy lifestyle.

Femalefirst.co.uk shares easy tips to have a healthy lifestyle:

1. Indulge more in physical activities. When you get out of the bed in the morning, before heading to the shower, try doing 15 knee bends, 15 lunges and 15 crunches.

2. Add some peanuts or peanut butter to your breakfast. This can help control cravings for up to 12 hours.

3. Go for morning walk. But double your walking speed. It helps burn a lot of calories and keeps you fit and healthy. It's great for those who take their dogs out for walks or mothers who take their babies out in strollers.

4. You can workout even while sitting on a chair in office. Raise your thighs slightly by clenching your muscles and then take them back down to two inches above the floor. You have to lean back slightly. It helps tone legs.

5. Try not to use lifts or escalators; instead, take the stairs. Start with one such substitution a day, and build up slowly. If your office is on the 20th floor. Take the lift till the 18th floor and walk up from there.

6. Park your car a little away from the office or shopping centre and rather walk. It will not only help you stay fit but it will also decrease stress.

7. You can download fitness applications in your smartphones as it will help you keep a check on your diet plans and fitness regimes. Check out the fitness applications available for your phones.

Source-IANS

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Fish Oil During Pregnancy May Cut Miscarriage Risk

The researchers studied the effect of dietary Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) on the placenta and fetus of pregnant laboratory animals and found that after fish oil supplementation the placenta had higher levels of compounds called resolvins. They concluded that the omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil can help limit inflammation in the placenta, by being converted to compounds called resolvins in the placenta. The study has been published in the Journal of Lipid Research.

"Many people will have heard that fish oil is good for you but we don't fully understand the mechanisms," says lead researcher and PhD student Megan Jones. "The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are known to limit inflammation, and only recently it has come to light that they do this by being converted to resolvins that reduce inflammation after it's occurred."

"These findings significantly help further our understanding of how fish oil intake may be beneficial during pregnancy," she said.

What are the Benefits of Fish Oil Supplements?

Omega-3 fatty acids have positive effects on the pregnancy itself. Apart from reducing risk of pregnancy complications they are good for the fetal growth and development too.

The two most beneficial omega-3s are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). EPA supports the heart, immune system, and inflammatory response. DHA supports the brain, eyes, and central nervous system and this is the reason why it is so important for pregnant women.

Omega-3s have been found to be essential for both neurological and early visual development of the baby. There is some evidence that mothers who take 4 g of fish oil daily during the last half of pregnancy may improve their baby's cognitive development by some measures such as better hand and eye coordination, but reasoning, social, motor, and speech skills are not significantly improved.

Studies have also shown that higher consumption of omega-3s may reduce the risk of Allergies in Infants.

Omega-3 deficiency increases the mother's risk for Depression. This may explain why postpartum mood disorders may become worse and begin earlier with subsequent pregnancies.

However, fish oil doesn't seem to help prevent high Blood Pressure during pregnancy.

What to Eat During Pregnancy?

The best sources of EPA and DHA are cold water fish such as mackerel, tuna, salmon, sturgeon, mullet, bluefish, anchovy, sardines, herring, and trout. They provide about 1g of omega-3 fatty acids in about 3.5 ounces of fish. If you are worried about mercury and other toxins in fish, especially during pregnancy, opt for purified Fish Oil Supplements. These are often the safest source of EPA and DHA.

The NHS, UK, guideline recommends limiting the amount of tuna consumed to 2 tuna steaks (or 6o z. /170 g) a week. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pregnant women can safely eat up to 12 ounces (340 g) of seafood a week.

Seafood is also a very good source of protein, iron and zinc that are essential for pregnant women. But avoid large, predatory fish such as Shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish; they can contain high levels of mercury. Do not eat any raw shellfish or sushi. If taking fish oil supplements be sure to purchase supplements from a reputable source.

Fish Oil Dosage

ISSFAL (the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids) recommends consuming 300 mg DHA daily for pregnant and lactating women.

The FDA recommends fish oil to be safe for pregnant and breast-feeding women when taken in low doses (3 g or less per day). Taking more than 3 g per day might keep blood from clotting and can increase the chance of bleeding. High doses of fish oil may also reduce the immune system's activity, reducing the body's ability to fight infection.

The American Pregnancy Association recommends that pregnant and lactating women consume 500 mg to 1000 mg of fish oil per day ensuring that at least 300 mg are DHA. Although most capsules of fish oil supplements are 1000 mg, they may actually contain only 200 mg to 500 mg of fish oil.

Fish Oil Recommended During First Trimester of Pregnancy

The American Pregnancy Association recommends taking DHA throughout pregnancy and during the early stages of an infant's life, though the critical period in which DHA may influence brain growth may be in the first trimester of pregnancy.

This said, DHA alone doesn't ensure a trouble free pregnancy and delivery of a healthy baby. A balanced diet and regular exercise is the key.

Reference: http://www.jlr.org/content/54/8/2247.abstract

Source-Medindia

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DM

Monday, August 19, 2013

Scientists Identify Gene That Doubles Schizophrenia Risk

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Walking Reduces Risk of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Scientists Identify Gene That Doubles Schizophrenia Risk

Your Night Light Color may Affect Your Mood

Looking Beyond Infantile Paralysis and Life-long Hospital Stay to Achieve Life Goals

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Simple Tips to Have a Healthy Lifestyle

Fish Oil During Pregnancy May Cut Miscarriage Risk