When the Sun goes down on Monday evening, step outside to watch the best sky show of the year. Jupiter, Venus and Moon - three of the brightest objects up there at night - will be closest to each other then.
Jupiter and Venus have been rapidly coming towards each other for the last few days, a phenomenon that will not be visible against till 2012. And soon they will have the Moon for company.
"Look towards the southwest and you will see something very pretty - Venus and Jupiter beaming together through the twilight. The two closely-spaced planets are about to be joined by the slender crescent Moon for a spectacular three-way conjunction," Nehru Planetarium director N Rathnashree said. The three brightest objects in the night sky will be gathered so tightly together that you can hide them all behind your thumb held at arm's length.
The Nehru Planetarium will put out telescopes at Old Fort in the capital.
"Although clear to the naked eye, a small telescope will make the evening even more enjoyable. We will be putting up some telescopes at Old Fort in the evening for people to have a clearer look of the celestial triangle," Rathnashree said.
"It is a rare activity. The winter sky is very clear and you can have a spectacular look of the celestial activity," said Ajay Talwar, a member of the Amateur Astronomer Association. The celestial triangle will be visible from all parts of the world, even from
lightly polluted cities.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Drink brewed tea to protect your teeth
Good morning friends. Here's the good news for you all crazy drinker of brewed tea.
Forget lattes and fresh lime juice, the best thing to drink is brewed tea, for it has no erosive effect on teeth and its antioxidants provide health benefits, according to a new research.
Refined sugars and acids found in soda and citrus juice promote tooth erosion, which wears away the hard part of the teeth, or the enamel. Once tooth enamel is lost, it's gone forever.
However, brewed tea is a beverage that does not produce such irreversible results.
Apart from tasting good, brewed tea has many health benefits. Tea is loaded with natural antioxidants, which are thought to decrease incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
For the study, lead author Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, BDS, MSc, PhD, compared green and black tea to soda and orange juice in terms of their short- and long-term erosive effect on human teeth.
The study found that the erosive effect of tea was similar to that of water, which has no erosive effect. And, when comparing green versus black, he discovered that there is a better option among those as well.
"When we look at tea and read about the benefits, it's amazing-not because green tea is 'the in thing'-but because there are advantages," Bassiouny said.
He added that much research done overseas, in countries such as Japan and Europe, found that green tea was identified to being superior over black due to its natural flavonoids (plant nutrients) and antioxidants.
Experts suggest drinking drink tea without additives such as milk, lemon, or sugar because they combine with tea's natural flavonoids and decrease the benefits.
The also suggest to stay away from pre-packaged iced teas because they contain citric acid and high amounts of sugars. It does not matter whether the tea is warm or cold-as l as it is home brewed without additives.
Kenton Ross, DMD, FAGD, AGD spokesperson, sees patients' erosion problems on a daily basis in his practice. "This study clearly shows that brewed teas resulted in dramatically less enamel loss than soft drinks and acidic juices. I would highly recommend patients choose tea as an alternative to more erosive drinks like soda and fruit juice."
Forget lattes and fresh lime juice, the best thing to drink is brewed tea, for it has no erosive effect on teeth and its antioxidants provide health benefits, according to a new research.
Refined sugars and acids found in soda and citrus juice promote tooth erosion, which wears away the hard part of the teeth, or the enamel. Once tooth enamel is lost, it's gone forever.
However, brewed tea is a beverage that does not produce such irreversible results.
Apart from tasting good, brewed tea has many health benefits. Tea is loaded with natural antioxidants, which are thought to decrease incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
For the study, lead author Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, BDS, MSc, PhD, compared green and black tea to soda and orange juice in terms of their short- and long-term erosive effect on human teeth.
The study found that the erosive effect of tea was similar to that of water, which has no erosive effect. And, when comparing green versus black, he discovered that there is a better option among those as well.
"When we look at tea and read about the benefits, it's amazing-not because green tea is 'the in thing'-but because there are advantages," Bassiouny said.
He added that much research done overseas, in countries such as Japan and Europe, found that green tea was identified to being superior over black due to its natural flavonoids (plant nutrients) and antioxidants.
Experts suggest drinking drink tea without additives such as milk, lemon, or sugar because they combine with tea's natural flavonoids and decrease the benefits.
The also suggest to stay away from pre-packaged iced teas because they contain citric acid and high amounts of sugars. It does not matter whether the tea is warm or cold-as l as it is home brewed without additives.
Kenton Ross, DMD, FAGD, AGD spokesperson, sees patients' erosion problems on a daily basis in his practice. "This study clearly shows that brewed teas resulted in dramatically less enamel loss than soft drinks and acidic juices. I would highly recommend patients choose tea as an alternative to more erosive drinks like soda and fruit juice."
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Studying how nitric oxide alters brain function can lead to Alzheimer's treatment
Good morning friends. These is one of the illness many wouldn’t want to have. I hope we don’t all get any of this.
A team of British researchers has found that nitric oxide (NO) can change the computational ability of the brain.
Experts at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester say that their new finding has implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease.
Professor Ian Forsythe, who led the study at the university, said that the new findings might also help advance scientists' understanding of brain function more generally.
"It is well known that nerve cells communicate via the synapse - the site at which chemical messengers (neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine or glutamate) are packaged and then released under tight control to influence their neighbours," Professor Forsythe, of the MRC Toxicology Unit, said in a research paper published in the journal Neuron.
"Nitric oxide is a chemical messenger which cannot be stored and can rapidly diffuse across cell membranes to act at remote sites (in contrast to conventional neurotransmitters which cannot pass across cell membranes).
"It is broadly localized in the central nervous system, where it influences synaptic transmission and contributes to learning and memory mechanisms. However, because it is normally released in such minute quantities and is so labile, it is very difficult to study.
"We have exploited an in vitro preparation of a giant synapse -called the calyx of Held, developed here at the University of Leicester in the 1990s- and its target in the auditory pathway to explore nitric oxide signalling in the brain.
"We show that NO is made in response to incoming synaptic activity (activity generated by sound received by the ear) and that it acts to suppress a key potassium ion-channel (Kv3). Normally these ion-channels keep electrical potentials very short-lived, but nitric oxide shifts their activity, slowing the electrical potentials and reducing information passage along the pathway, acting as a form of gain control.
"Surprisingly, the whole population of neurons were affected, even those neurons which had no active synaptic inputs, so indicating that nitric oxide is a 'volume transmitter' passing information between cells without the need for a synapse. Such a function is ideal for tuning neuronal populations to global activity. On the other hand, too much nitric oxide is extremely toxic and will cause death of nerve cells; so within the kernel of this important signalling mechanism are the potential seeds for neurodegeneration, which if left unchecked contribute to the pathologies of stroke and dementias," the researcher added.
Professor Forsythe revealed that his research team will be trying to understand how these signalling mechanisms are applicable elsewhere in the brain, and how aberrant signalling contributes to neurodegenerative disease processes such as in Alzheimer's disease. (ANI)
A team of British researchers has found that nitric oxide (NO) can change the computational ability of the brain.
Experts at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester say that their new finding has implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease.
Professor Ian Forsythe, who led the study at the university, said that the new findings might also help advance scientists' understanding of brain function more generally.
"It is well known that nerve cells communicate via the synapse - the site at which chemical messengers (neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine or glutamate) are packaged and then released under tight control to influence their neighbours," Professor Forsythe, of the MRC Toxicology Unit, said in a research paper published in the journal Neuron.
"Nitric oxide is a chemical messenger which cannot be stored and can rapidly diffuse across cell membranes to act at remote sites (in contrast to conventional neurotransmitters which cannot pass across cell membranes).
"It is broadly localized in the central nervous system, where it influences synaptic transmission and contributes to learning and memory mechanisms. However, because it is normally released in such minute quantities and is so labile, it is very difficult to study.
"We have exploited an in vitro preparation of a giant synapse -called the calyx of Held, developed here at the University of Leicester in the 1990s- and its target in the auditory pathway to explore nitric oxide signalling in the brain.
"We show that NO is made in response to incoming synaptic activity (activity generated by sound received by the ear) and that it acts to suppress a key potassium ion-channel (Kv3). Normally these ion-channels keep electrical potentials very short-lived, but nitric oxide shifts their activity, slowing the electrical potentials and reducing information passage along the pathway, acting as a form of gain control.
"Surprisingly, the whole population of neurons were affected, even those neurons which had no active synaptic inputs, so indicating that nitric oxide is a 'volume transmitter' passing information between cells without the need for a synapse. Such a function is ideal for tuning neuronal populations to global activity. On the other hand, too much nitric oxide is extremely toxic and will cause death of nerve cells; so within the kernel of this important signalling mechanism are the potential seeds for neurodegeneration, which if left unchecked contribute to the pathologies of stroke and dementias," the researcher added.
Professor Forsythe revealed that his research team will be trying to understand how these signalling mechanisms are applicable elsewhere in the brain, and how aberrant signalling contributes to neurodegenerative disease processes such as in Alzheimer's disease. (ANI)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Studying how nitric oxide alters brain function can lead to Alzheimer's treatment
Good morning friends. These is one of the illness many wouldn’t want to have. I hope we don’t all get any of this.
A team of British researchers has found that nitric oxide (NO) can change the computational ability of the brain.
Experts at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester say that their new finding has implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease.
Professor Ian Forsythe, who led the study at the university, said that the new findings might also help advance scientists' understanding of brain function more generally.
"It is well known that nerve cells communicate via the synapse - the site at which chemical messengers (neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine or glutamate) are packaged and then released under tight control to influence their neighbours," Professor Forsythe, of the MRC Toxicology Unit, said in a research paper published in the journal Neuron.
"Nitric oxide is a chemical messenger which cannot be stored and can rapidly diffuse across cell membranes to act at remote sites (in contrast to conventional neurotransmitters which cannot pass across cell membranes).
"It is broadly localized in the central nervous system, where it influences synaptic transmission and contributes to learning and memory mechanisms. However, because it is normally released in such minute quantities and is so labile, it is very difficult to study.
"We have exploited an in vitro preparation of a giant synapse -called the calyx of Held, developed here at the University of Leicester in the 1990s- and its target in the auditory pathway to explore nitric oxide signalling in the brain.
"We show that NO is made in response to incoming synaptic activity (activity generated by sound received by the ear) and that it acts to suppress a key potassium ion-channel (Kv3). Normally these ion-channels keep electrical potentials very short-lived, but nitric oxide shifts their activity, slowing the electrical potentials and reducing information passage along the pathway, acting as a form of gain control.
"Surprisingly, the whole population of neurons were affected, even those neurons which had no active synaptic inputs, so indicating that nitric oxide is a 'volume transmitter' passing information between cells without the need for a synapse. Such a function is ideal for tuning neuronal populations to global activity. On the other hand, too much nitric oxide is extremely toxic and will cause death of nerve cells; so within the kernel of this important signalling mechanism are the potential seeds for neurodegeneration, which if left unchecked contribute to the pathologies of stroke and dementias," the researcher added.
Professor Forsythe revealed that his research team will be trying to understand how these signalling mechanisms are applicable elsewhere in the brain, and how aberrant signalling contributes to neurodegenerative disease processes such as in Alzheimer's disease. (ANI)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Snoring may stunt kids' growth
Good morning everybody. Time again for our health tips. And I'm sure mothers may be bother with it.
A new study from Yeshiva University has found that snoring and other nighttime breathing problems may delay growth in kids.
Researchers have long suspected these problems - collectively known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB) - contribute to growth delays in children but the studies have still not drawn definitive conclusions.
It is believed to interrupt deep sleep, a period of the sleep cycle when the body typically secrets large amounts of growth hormone.
And children with SDB are thought to produce a lesser amount of growth hormone.
To gain deeper insights, Karen A. Bonuck, Ph.D., associate professor of family and social medicine at Einstein collected and re-analyzed data from 20 well-designed studies, a statistical technique known as a meta-analysis.
These studies involved children with enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids - the principal causes of SDB. All the children had their tonsils/adenoids surgically removed, either to treat symptoms of SDB or recurrent infection, or both. "Our meta-analysis found significant increases in both standardized height and weight following surgery," said Bonuck.
"In other words, while all the children were expected to continue to grow after they underwent surgery, their growth rates were much greater than expected.
Our findings suggest that primary-care providers and specialists should consider the possibility of SDB when they see children with growth failure," Bonuck added.
A new study from Yeshiva University has found that snoring and other nighttime breathing problems may delay growth in kids.
Researchers have long suspected these problems - collectively known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB) - contribute to growth delays in children but the studies have still not drawn definitive conclusions.
It is believed to interrupt deep sleep, a period of the sleep cycle when the body typically secrets large amounts of growth hormone.
And children with SDB are thought to produce a lesser amount of growth hormone.
To gain deeper insights, Karen A. Bonuck, Ph.D., associate professor of family and social medicine at Einstein collected and re-analyzed data from 20 well-designed studies, a statistical technique known as a meta-analysis.
These studies involved children with enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids - the principal causes of SDB. All the children had their tonsils/adenoids surgically removed, either to treat symptoms of SDB or recurrent infection, or both. "Our meta-analysis found significant increases in both standardized height and weight following surgery," said Bonuck.
"In other words, while all the children were expected to continue to grow after they underwent surgery, their growth rates were much greater than expected.
Our findings suggest that primary-care providers and specialists should consider the possibility of SDB when they see children with growth failure," Bonuck added.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Why type 1 diabetics avoid exercise
A new study has revealed that majority of diabetics avoid physical activity because they worry about exercise-induced hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and severe consequences including loss of consciousness.
Despite the well-known benefits of exercise, this new study builds on previous investigations that found more than 60 percent of adult diabetics aren't physically active.
"Our findings confirmed our clinical suspicion," say Dr. Remi Rabasa-Lhoret, co-author of the study, a professor at the Universite de Montreal's Faculty of Medicine and an endocrinologist at the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM).
"Exercise has been proven to improve health and one would assume diabetics would remain active. Yet our findings indicate that type 1 diabetics, much like the general public, are not completely comfortable with exercise," Rabasa-Lhoret added.
In the study, one hundred adults, 50 women and 50 men, with type 1 diabetes answered questionnaires to assess their barriers to physical activity.
The biggest fear was hypoglycaemia and other barriers included interference with work schedule, loss of control over diabetes and low levels of fitness.
When questioned further, only 52 of the participants demonstrated appropriate knowledge of how insulin is metabolized and processed.
Those individuals who best understood how insulin works in their body were shown to be less fearful of physical activity.
Such knowledge is essential in order to adapt insulin and/or food intake to prevent hypoglycaemia induced by exercise.
Anne-Sophie Brazeau, lead author and doctoral student at the Universite de Montreal, said: "Our study was launched to find ways to make diabetics healthier and suggests there is a major gap in information and support required by these patients."
"Programs aimed an increasing physical activity among type 1 adult diabetics need to incorporate specific actions to prevent hypoglycemia," Brazeau added.
Dr. Hortensia Mircescu, co-author of the study, a professor at the Universite de Montreal's Faculty of Medicine and a CHUM endocrinologist, said: "We also found that individuals with the greatest fear of physical activity had the poorest control of their diabetes. Education is particularly relevant for this group."
The study is published in the November.
Despite the well-known benefits of exercise, this new study builds on previous investigations that found more than 60 percent of adult diabetics aren't physically active.
"Our findings confirmed our clinical suspicion," say Dr. Remi Rabasa-Lhoret, co-author of the study, a professor at the Universite de Montreal's Faculty of Medicine and an endocrinologist at the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM).
"Exercise has been proven to improve health and one would assume diabetics would remain active. Yet our findings indicate that type 1 diabetics, much like the general public, are not completely comfortable with exercise," Rabasa-Lhoret added.
In the study, one hundred adults, 50 women and 50 men, with type 1 diabetes answered questionnaires to assess their barriers to physical activity.
The biggest fear was hypoglycaemia and other barriers included interference with work schedule, loss of control over diabetes and low levels of fitness.
When questioned further, only 52 of the participants demonstrated appropriate knowledge of how insulin is metabolized and processed.
Those individuals who best understood how insulin works in their body were shown to be less fearful of physical activity.
Such knowledge is essential in order to adapt insulin and/or food intake to prevent hypoglycaemia induced by exercise.
Anne-Sophie Brazeau, lead author and doctoral student at the Universite de Montreal, said: "Our study was launched to find ways to make diabetics healthier and suggests there is a major gap in information and support required by these patients."
"Programs aimed an increasing physical activity among type 1 adult diabetics need to incorporate specific actions to prevent hypoglycemia," Brazeau added.
Dr. Hortensia Mircescu, co-author of the study, a professor at the Universite de Montreal's Faculty of Medicine and a CHUM endocrinologist, said: "We also found that individuals with the greatest fear of physical activity had the poorest control of their diabetes. Education is particularly relevant for this group."
The study is published in the November.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Exercise, calorie restricted diet 'lowers postmenopausal women's breast cancer risk'
Good morning friends. After reading news I want to share it to everyone specially to women out there. It's important.
Regular exercise and reduced-calorie diet can significantly cut breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, suggests a new study.
The research team from University of Texas at Austin have identified pathways by which calorie restriction and exercise can modify a postmenopausal woman's risk of breast cancer. They found that both caloric restriction and exercise affect pathways leading to mTOR, a molecule involved in integrating energy balance with cell growth. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway is a contributing factor to various human diseases, including cancers.
Diet and exercise reach mTOR through different means, with calorie restriction affecting more upstream pathways, which could explain why caloric restriction is more efficient in delaying tumour growth than exercise in animal models. "One of the few breast cancer modifiable risk factors is obesity," said lead author Leticia M. Nogueira, Ph.D., a research graduate assistant at the University of Texas.
"Our study may provide a good scientific basis for medical recommendations. If you're obese, and at high risk for breast cancer, diet and exercise could help prevent tumour growth," she added.
The research suggests that inducing a so-called "negative energy balance" (where less energy is taken in than expended) through eating a low-calorie diet or increasing exercise levels, decreases the postmenopausal breast cancer risk associated with obesity. Increased levels of leptin and decreased levels of adiponectin have been associated with breast cancer risk.
For eight weeks, they administered a high-fat diet to 45 mice that had their ovaries surgically removed to model the post-menopausal state.
During week nine of the study, the diet-induced obese mice were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, permitted to eat at will; a group fed a diet reduced in calories by 30 percent; and a group that was permitted to eat at will but exercised on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day, five days a week. At week 16, researchers collected tissue from the mice for analysis.
The study showed that blood levels of leptin, a hormone that plays a role in fat metabolism, were significantly reduced in the calorie-restricted mice while blood levels of adiponectin showed an increase.
She also found that the key proteins found downstream of mTOR activation were less active in both the calorie-restricted and exercised mice compared to the controls. "These data suggest that although exercise can act on similar pathways as caloric restriction, caloric restriction possesses a more global effect on cell signaling and, therefore, may produce a more potent anti-cancer effect," Nogueira said.
The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. (ANI)
Regular exercise and reduced-calorie diet can significantly cut breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, suggests a new study.
The research team from University of Texas at Austin have identified pathways by which calorie restriction and exercise can modify a postmenopausal woman's risk of breast cancer. They found that both caloric restriction and exercise affect pathways leading to mTOR, a molecule involved in integrating energy balance with cell growth. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway is a contributing factor to various human diseases, including cancers.
Diet and exercise reach mTOR through different means, with calorie restriction affecting more upstream pathways, which could explain why caloric restriction is more efficient in delaying tumour growth than exercise in animal models. "One of the few breast cancer modifiable risk factors is obesity," said lead author Leticia M. Nogueira, Ph.D., a research graduate assistant at the University of Texas.
"Our study may provide a good scientific basis for medical recommendations. If you're obese, and at high risk for breast cancer, diet and exercise could help prevent tumour growth," she added.
The research suggests that inducing a so-called "negative energy balance" (where less energy is taken in than expended) through eating a low-calorie diet or increasing exercise levels, decreases the postmenopausal breast cancer risk associated with obesity. Increased levels of leptin and decreased levels of adiponectin have been associated with breast cancer risk.
For eight weeks, they administered a high-fat diet to 45 mice that had their ovaries surgically removed to model the post-menopausal state.
During week nine of the study, the diet-induced obese mice were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, permitted to eat at will; a group fed a diet reduced in calories by 30 percent; and a group that was permitted to eat at will but exercised on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day, five days a week. At week 16, researchers collected tissue from the mice for analysis.
The study showed that blood levels of leptin, a hormone that plays a role in fat metabolism, were significantly reduced in the calorie-restricted mice while blood levels of adiponectin showed an increase.
She also found that the key proteins found downstream of mTOR activation were less active in both the calorie-restricted and exercised mice compared to the controls. "These data suggest that although exercise can act on similar pathways as caloric restriction, caloric restriction possesses a more global effect on cell signaling and, therefore, may produce a more potent anti-cancer effect," Nogueira said.
The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. (ANI)
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