Top Five Healthy Spices For Cooking (Health Benefits)

By Kevin Onuma

Cooking For Health Benefits

There are top healthy spices every cook should have in the kitchen – especially if cooking a meal with healing powers and health benefits. Here on InformAfrica, we are going to inform the world about the following top five healthy spices perfect for cooking a delicious meal.

Top 5 Healthy Spices For Cooking (Health Benefits)

1. Turmeric {Pronounced: tur-mer-ik}

Curcumin, the powerful compound in turmeric, can significantly slow the growth of skin, lung, breast and prostate cancers.

Turmeric spice should be number one on every cook’s list if cooking for health benefits. Why? Because turmeric has powerful medicinal properties that fights against a deadly disease known to be the leading cause of death worldwide which is Cancer.

Turmeric is a naturally occurring spice widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and has long been known to have medicinal properties, attributed to its anti-inflammatory effects. Previous studies have shown it can suppress the growth of certain cancers. In India, women for years have been using turmeric as an anti-aging agent rubbed into their skin, to treat cramps during menstruation and as a poultice on the skin to promote wound healing.

Turmeric is one of the major components in curry spice, and contains other ingredients such as cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, among other cooking spices.

According to a recent study published on Biomechaism, the main medicinal component in the spice turmeric is Curcumin, which is a compound that suppresses a cell signaling pathway that drives the growth of head and neck cancer.

Key points on the benefits of Turmeric

• Turmeric speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.
• It may aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.
• Since Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties; it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Turmeric may prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.
• It reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
• It is a natural liver detoxifier.
• A recent study reports that turmeric may help slow prostate tumor growth.

Recently, I have been suggesting to African cooks in diaspora of the importance of  using turmeric in dishes that requires palm oil or some type of food color. For instance, when cooking the popular African (Nigerian) dish known as jollof rice, turmeric is a perfect spice that would give the dish that golden tantalizing color that almost every Nigerian have grown to love.

Another instance is when cooking the protein rich food on every restaurant’s menu in diaspora is Beans porridge. When cooking beans porridge, some tend to put a lot of palm oil in their dish, which is not good for the heart (increases bad LDL cholesterol). However, the palm oil gives beans porridge its desired look (color) and taste that Africans have become accustomed to.

“Use turmeric when cooking to supplement your beans porridge and use less of palm oil (very little to none), which is not good for the heart;” Kevin Onuma from Nigeria told a brother from another mother during an AfricansConnect session held recently in the U.S. “Turmeric is perfect when cooking beans porridge, yam porridge, jollof rice, and any dish that requires palm oil, and the health benefits could save lives – he concluded.”

2. Coriander {Pronounced: kawr-ee-an-der}

Coriander, also known as cilantro, is stimulant in nature and helps women with proper menstrual cycles and reduces pains during periods.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also commonly known as cilantro, is considered both a spice and herb since its leaves and its seeds are used as a seasoning condiment. Fresh coriander leaves are more commonly known as cilantro and they bear a strong resemblance to Italian flat leaf parsley.  Coriander is native to southwestern Asia west to north Africa.

The seeds of Coriander are good source of health benefits, making it a top item on the list of healing spices. In parts of north of Africa, coriander has traditionally been referred to as an “anti-diabetic” plant. Meanwhile, in parts of India, it has traditionally been used for its anti-inflammatory properties, and cholesterol lowering effects.

Key points on the health benefits of Coriander 

• Diarrhea: Some of the components of essential oils in coriander such as Borneol and Linalool, helps with digestion, proper functioning of liver and bonding of bowels, and helps to cure diarrhea. In addition, the fresh coriander leaves are excellent appetizers.
• Mouth Ulcers: Citronelol, a component of essential oils in coriander, is an excellent anti-septic. Additionally, other compounds in coriander have anti-microbial and healing effects which do not let wounds and ulcers in the mouth become worse. They aid with the healing up of ulcers and freshens up the breath.
• Anemia: Coriander is good in iron content which directly helps the curing of anemia.
• Digestion: Due to Coriander’s rich aroma because of its essential oils, it helps in proper secretion of enzymes and digestive juices in the stomach, stimulates digestion and peristaltic motion. It is helpful in treating problems like anorexia.
• Small Pox: The essential oils in coriander are rich in anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, detoxifying components and acids. The presence of vitamin-C and iron in the spice strengthens the immune system. These medicinal properties help prevent and cure small pox.
• Menstrual Disorders: Coriander is stimulant in nature and helps with proper secretion from the endocrine glands. It also helps proper secretion of the hormones and thereby inducing proper menstrual cycles and reducing pains during periods.
• Eye Care: Coriander has lots of anti-oxidants, vitamin-A, vitamin-C and minerals like phosphorus in its essential oils which prevents aging of eye, macular degeneration and soothes eyes against stress. In order to improve vision, I recommend cooking with coriander leaves and spices.
• Coriander is a very good disinfectant and has anti-microbial properties which protects the eyes from contagious diseases like conjunctivitis.
• Skin Disorders: The disinfectant, detoxifying, anti-septic, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant properties of cumin found in coriander are ideal for curing skin disorders such as eczema, dryness and fungal infections.
• Food Poisoning: Coriander oil could tackle food poisoning and drug-resistant infections such as E. Coli. (More info here)
• Control of Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and Free Radical Production: Recent research studies using animal models have confirmed all three of these healing effects. When coriander was added to the diet of diabetic mice, it helped stimulate their secretion of insulin and lowered their blood sugar. When given to rats, coriander reduced the amount of damaged fats (lipid peroxides) in their cell membranes. And when given to rats fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, coriander lowered levels of total and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), while actually increasing levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol).

Research also suggests that the volatile oils found in the leaves of the coriander plant, commonly known as cilantro, may have antimicrobial properties.

3. Cinnamon {Pronounced: sin-uh-muhn}

Cinnamon has been shown to have positive effects on diabetes, and lowering of bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Cinnamon is a small tree commonly found in South Asia, parts of Africa, and the Middle East region. The cinnamon sold across supermarkets, especially in North America, is the bark of this tree, it is either sold as sticks or grounded into a powder form as spice for cooking known as ground cinnamon. The two most popular types of cinnamon are Ceylon and Cassia, each of which are derived from different trees.

Cinnamon is high in anti-oxidants, and the oil of cinnamon has strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The healthy spice is also a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Cinnamon contains polyphenols, natural substances that work similar to insulin in the body and may help control blood sugar levels, especially in people at risk for diabetes and heart disease. Studies show people who take 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon twice a day may help lower glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels up to 30 percent.

Key points on Cinnamon Health benefits

• Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
• Cinnamon can reduce the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
• Combining Cinnamon and Honey has been found to relieve arthritis pain.
• When cinnamon is added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
• Cinnamon has been found to be an effective natural remedy for migraine relief and eliminating headache.
• One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
• Previous studies have found that cinnamon may reduce inflammation, have antioxidant effects, and fight bacteria.
• In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.

4. Basil Leaves {Pronounced: baz-uhl or bey-zuhl}

People make tea with basil leaves when they have flu or any kind of digestive distress, and to also calm the nerves.

Basil, sometimes referred to as the king of herbs, is a member of the mint family.

The leaves of basil are typically a broad oval shape and release a distinctive fragrance when rubbed. The leaves are used as a seasoning in both fresh and cooked dishes.

Research studies on basil have shown unique health-protecting effects in two basic areas: basil’s flavonoids and volatile oils.

Basil is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, phosphorus and calcium. It is also a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It is thought to help the eyesight, the cardiovascular system, and the hair. It can also be used for skin infections and insect bites.

Over the years, many people make tea with basil leaves when they have flu or any kind of digestive distress. Those suffering from cramps, nausea, indigestion, and constipation also use basil leaves to alleviate the problems. Basil tea can also be used to soothe headaches and calm the nerves, and to lower fever.

Key Health Benefits of Basil Leaves

• Basil leaves contains many health benefiting essential oils such as eugenol, citronellol, linalool, citral, limonene and terpineol. These compounds are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
• Basil leaves contain many notable plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.
• Basil herb contains good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, which helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
• Basil herb contains many polyphenolic flavonoids like orientin and vicenin. These compounds were tested in vitro laboratory studies for possible anti-oxidant protection against radiation-induced lipid per-oxidation in mouse liver.
• The herbs parts are very low in calories and contain no cholesterol, but are very rich source of many essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
• Basil herb contains exceptionally high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin A, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.
• Vitamin A is known to have antioxidant properties and is essential for vision. It is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural foods rich in vitamin-A has been found to help body protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Vitamin K in basil is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood and plays vital role in the bone strengthening function by helping mineralization process in the bones.
• Basil leaves are an excellent source of iron. Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.

5. Nutmeg {Pronounced: nuht-meg}

The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica, and has been used in medicine since at least the seventh century. Nutmeg is well valued as an aphrodisiac.

Historically, nutmeg has been used for everything from stomach cramps to a cure for the plague. Studies have shown that it can help lower blood pressure and sooth a stomach ache as well as stop diarrhea and (in low doses) help to detoxify the body. The essential oil of the nutmeg is considered the most effecatious part of the plant.

The essential oil from nutmeg is used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries – in toothpaste, and as a major ingredient in some cough syrups. In traditional medicine, nutmeg and nutmeg oil were used for disorders affecting the nervous and digestive systems.

The nutmeg tree is indigenous to the Banda Islands of Indonesia but is also grown in the Caribbean, especially in Grenada.

For the fact that nutmeg can bring back the bedroom spice in marriages by increasing sexual desires between couples, it had to be listed in my top 5 healthy spices great for cooking.

Key Health Benefits of cooking with Nutmeg

• In Chinese medicine, nutmeg is used to treat impotence and liver disease.
• Nutmeg g contains eugenol, a compound that may benefit the heart.
• Medically, nutmeg has strong antibacterial properties. It is effective in killing a number of cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.
• Myristicin found in nutmeg has been shown to inhibit an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease and is used to improve memory.
• It is used  to reduce flatulence (excessive stomach or intestinal gas), aid digestion and improve appetite.
• Besides being used in toothpastes, cough syrups; externally nutmeg oil is mixed with almond oil and is used to relieve rheumatic pain.
• Nutmeg oil is used to treat toothaches. Drops of essential oil from nutmeg are put on cotton swab and applied to the gums around an aching tooth, sometimes also used to control bad breath.
• Drops of nutmeg oil can also be mixed with honey to treat nausea, gastroenteritis, chronic diarrhoea and indigestion.
• In Arab nations, nutmeg is valued as an aphrodisiac (substance believed to increase sexual desire). In parts of Africa, nutmeg is used as a female Viagra. Sex therapists have long recommended cooking with nutmeg to increase sexual desire. It is very good for men.

In conclusion, the top five healthy spices for cooking with numerous health benefits discussed on this page are essential for maintaining a good health and building our immune defense. There are at least over 350 spices in the world, but this article only focus on cooking spices with great healing powers that every knowledgeable cook should have in his or her kitchen cabinet.

Cooking can be fun, but cooking for the health benefit is far greater. I hereby leave you all with this advice: Endeavor to know all the health benefits of each and every spice you cook with, and eat (live) natural.

Cancerous tumors deliver pro-metastatic information in secreted vesicles

Cellular particles fuse with organs establishing an environment ripe for the spread of cancer

NEW YORK — Cancer researchers have known for over a century that different tumor types spread only to specific, preferred organs. But no one has determined the mechanisms of organ-specific metastasis, the so-called “soil and seed” theory of 1889.

New details that could help shed light on this hypothesis have been provided by a team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and their collaborators, proposing a new mechanism controlling cancer metastasis that offers fresh diagnostic and treatment potential.

The findings, recently published online by Nature Medicine, show how melanoma cancer cells release small “exosome” vesicles (microscopic particles like “bubbles” filled with many different molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids) that travel to the bone, liver, lung and brain. This cellular material fuses with these organs and establishes an environment ripe for spreading tumour cells.

The researchers say these dangerous cancer exosomes have many effects, such as triggering inflammation, promoting leaky blood vessels and “educating” bone marrow progenitor cells to participate in the metastatic cascade soon to come.

The fact that these exosomes circulate in the blood — and thus are readily measurable and accessible — could provide an advantage to cancer diagnoses, prognoses and treatment, the researchers say.

“The exosome profile could be useful in several ways — to help detect cancer early, to predict the aggressiveness of a patient’s tumour and response to chemotherapy or other treatments, and to understand the risk of cancer recurrence or spread before traditional methods would be able to,” says Dr. David C. Lyden, the Stavros S. Niarchos Associate Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, associate professor of Pediatrics and Cell and Developmental Biology at Weill Cornell Medical College and a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

“We believe each tumour type will have its own exosomal protein profile that will represent each tumor subtype,” says Dr. Jacqueline F. Bromberg, an associate attending physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and associate professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell, who studies breast cancer. “The exosomal proteins will be useful for prognosis in predicting which patients, including those who develop disease decades after their original diagnosis, will likely be at risk for future metastatic disease.”

Metastatic cancer has spread from the part of the body where it started (the primary site) to other parts of the body. When cancer cells break away from a tumour, they can travel to other areas of the body through either the bloodstream or the lymph system (a collection of vessels that carry fluid and immune system cells).

Dr. Lyden and Dr. Bromberg are the study’s co-senior authors.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Hector Peinado, molecular biology instructor in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College, says the study suggests that effective cancer treatment must be multi-layered. “If, in the future, we were able to find a way to control the ‘education’ of bone marrow cells, as well as the release and content of tumor exosomes in cancer patients, we would be able to curtail and reduce the spread of cancer, and improve the patient’s quality of life and survival,” he says.

Not Just Trash Bags

Dr. Lyden and his colleagues have long been trying to decode the biochemical processes that produce the “pre-metastatic niche” — the sites in distant organs primed to provide a nurturing home for cells that spread from a primary tumour. He and his colleagues were first to identify that bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) were crucial to forming this niche. In this study, they sought to understand the signals that prompt BMDCs to work at the niche. They looked at exosomes, microvesicles secreted by all cells, which were long thought to be just cellular trash bags to dump used proteins. Recently, however, exosomes contained RNA, including nucleic acids found in cancer cells. Interest in exosomes increased due to their apparent diagnostic potential.

The researchers were interested to see if the exosomes budding off of melanoma actually participated in the course of the cancer — and they found that they do, and to a great extent.

“Upon their release from the primary tumor, exosomes derived from melanoma cells fuse with cells in distant metastatic organs and lymph nodes, mediating vascular leakiness and inflammation, thereby promoting the formation of pre-metastatic niches that enhance future metastatic growth,” Dr. Lyden says.

According to Dr. Peinado, a number of exosomal proteins are transferred by the exosomes to BMDCs where they can reprogram or “educate” the cells to participate in the metastatic cascade. “We found an oncogenic protein, called MET, produced by highly metastatic tumors and packaged into pro-metastatic exosomes. The tumor exosomes circulate, fuse and transfer their information, including the MET oncoprotein, to many cells, such as bone marrow cells, promoting a pro-metastatic phenotype,” he says.

They also discovered that the education of BMDCs by exosomes is long-lasting, and this may explain how a tumor dormant for decades suddenly develops metastatic disease. These findings are crucial, says Dr. Bromberg, because “educated bone marrow is the key in disease recurrence and may even foster a future secondary cancer.”

Examining human blood samples, the scientists found a distinct signature of exosomal proteins (including MET) in patients with stage IV, widely metastatic melanoma that was not found in blood exosomes from patients with non-metastatic melanoma.

They say this protein signature could be used to predict which patients with stage III disease and local lymph node metastasis would then develop distant metastatic disease. “Treatment modalities could be initiated earlier in these high-risk patients to prevent disease progression,” Dr. Lyden says. “Our results demonstrated that MET oncoprotein expression, which can be easily analyzed in a simple blood test, could be used as a new marker of metastatic disease in melanoma patients.”

The researchers then discovered two ways to reduce exosomal-induced metastasis. One way was to target the protein, Rab27a, responsible for production of exosomes. Another was to proactively educate BMDCs using exosomes spawned from melanoma cells that rarely metastasize.

“We have found that less or non-metastatic exosomal proteins may educate bone marrow cells not to avoid partaking in the metastatic process,” says Dr. Lyden. “We are working on determining which particular exosomal proteins may be responsible for preventing metastatic participation.

“This concept may one day be applied to the clinic, where non-metastatic exosome proteins may help prevent the acceleration of tumor growth and metastatic disease, allowing patients with cancer to live longer lives,” he says.

__________

Co-authors include Dr. Irina Matei, Bruno Costa-Silva, Caitlin Williams, Dr. Guillermo García-Santos, Dr. Ayuko Nitadori-Hoshino, Dr. Karen Badal and Dr. Caitlin Hoffman from Weill Cornell Medical College; Maša Alečković, Dr. Benjamin A Garcia, and Dr. Yibin Kang from Princeton University; Dr. Simon Lavotshkin from Columbia University; Dr. Vilma R. Martins from the International Center for Research and Education, A.C. Camargo Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil; Dr. Gema Moreno-Bueno and Marta Hergueta-Redondo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas ‘Alberto Sols’, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-UAM, IdiPAZ (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz) & Fundación MD Anderson Cancer Center, Madrid, Spain; Dr. Cyrus M. Ghajar from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Dr. Margaret K. Callahan, Dr. Jedd D. Wolchok, Dr. Paul B. Chapman, Dr. Mary Sue Brady, and Dr. Jianda Yuan from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Dr. Johan Skog from Exosome Diagnostics Inc., New York; and Dr. Rosandra N. Kaplan, from the National Cancer Institute. 

Courtesy Weill Cornell Medical College

ஜெயலலிதாவின் லைவ் மேடை பாடல்கள்

‎"அப்சராஸ்" என்கிற கலாச்சார அமைப்பு ஒன்று சென்னையில் நடத்திய "குன்னக்குடி நைட்" என்கிற மெல்லிசை கச்சேரியில்தான், அதுவரை சில படங்களில் பின்னணி பாடிகொண்டிருந்த ஜெயலலிதா, மேடை பாடகியாகவும் உருவெடுத்தார்.

குன்னக்குடி வைத்தியநாதனின் அந்த மெல்லிசை கச்சேரியின் சிறப்பு அம்சமும் - ஜெயலலிதாவின் லைவ் மேடை பாடல்கள்தான் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

அந்த நிகழ்ச்சியில் கலந்து கொண்ட ஜெயலலிதாவின் புகைப்படம் இங்கே. இந்த கலாச்சார அமைப்பின் துணை தலைவர் அப்போது ஜெயலலிதாதான் என்பது கூடுதல் தகவல்.

New model predicts river health

MONASH UNIVERSITY

Share on print The research revealed that poor water management poses a greater threat to some fish species in the Murray-Darling Basin than climate change.  Image: jarrodboord/iStockphoto New research has identified better ways to predict how climate change and water management practices will affect fish populations and river red gum forests in the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Led by Professor Ralph Mac Nally, scientists from Monash University's Australian Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) developed models that linked ecology and hydrology to better inform management of Australia's river systems in the face of increasing water scarcity. Professor Mac Nally, Director of the ACB, said the results highlighted the importance of water-management practices to the future viability of Australia's river systems, showing that management may pose a greater risk than climate change for some fish species. "We found that the effects of different water-management regimes were more important than the impacts of a drying climate for some of the fish populations, but the floodplain forests have been badly affected by both," Professor Mac Nally said. "Improving the ecological health of Australia’s river systems, while maintaining agricultural outputs and human use, will require careful balancing of the compromises among different water users." Responding to the brief of 'do more with less water', the team, including Jian Yen, Danny Spring and Will Shenton from the ACB, and Nick Bond from Griffith University, contributed to the $10 million Farms, Rivers and Markets project funded by the National Water Commission. The research focused on the Murray-Darling Basin, currently the source of much controversy over the division of water to agriculture, to domestic use and to maintain healthy rivers. “This was an exciting opportunity to bring advances in fundamental and applied ecology to bear on the social and economic well-being of the nation’s bread-basket, the Murray-Darling Basin,” Professor Mac Nally said. "We've recently experienced southeastern Australia's longest recorded drought and predictions point to a drier and hotter future. Finding advanced ways to meet the needs of all water users is an important research area with high significance to Australia’s future." The outcomes of the research, soon to be published in Environmental Management, will be integrated with parallel research from The University of Melbourne on farm management and the economics of water trading. It is the first project to link these three vital aspects of resource management.  The article is available online in advance of print publication. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Super-sensitive biosensor created

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Share on print A schematic showing the new biosensor used to detect enrofloxacin. Magnets are used to assemble nanoparticles, coated with antibodies to enrofloxacin (blue snowflakes), between two electrodes. When antibodies leave the nanoparticles (as on the right-hand image) the electrical resistance falls. Image: UNSW A whole new class of biosensor that can detect exceptionally small traces of contaminants in liquids in just 40 minutes has been developed by a UNSW-led team of researchers. Known as a biochemiresistor, it meets a long-standing challenge to create a sensor that is not only super-sensitive to the presence of chemical compounds but responds quickly. It has countless potential uses for detecting drugs, toxins and pesticides for biomedical or environmental analysis. In a paper published in the prestigious chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie the researchers describe how they successfully tested the new sensor by detecting tiny traces in milk of the veterinary antibiotic enrofloxacin. The journal has singled out the study for attention as a “Very Important Paper”. Only 5% of papers published by the journal are so designated. “Enrofloxacin is an antibiotic used in the agricultural industry that can be transferred to the food chain,” notes co-author Scientia Professor Justin Gooding, of the UNSW School of Chemistry and the Australian Centre for Nanomedicine. “Our biochemiresistor was able to detect enrofloxacin in neat milk in 40 minutes, at levels as low as one nanogram in a litre of milk. To put that number in perspective, a nanogram is a billionth of a gram and is the mass of a single cell. “While that is impressive enough, the sensor is a general concept that can be widely applied across many different fields.”  A biosensor is a portable analytical device that uses biological molecules to detect selectively just one compound within a mix of many others. Small biosensors are already in daily use testing the safety of drinking water, for checking diabetic blood-sugar levels and for pregnancy tests The biochemiresistor uses gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with antibodies that are selective for the chemical constituent – or analyte - of interest. The nanoparticles are dispersed into the sample for analysis and if the analyte is present some of the antibodies detach from the nanoparticles. Using a magnet, the nanoparticles are then assembled into a film between two electrodes and the electrical resistance is measured. The more analyte is present, the more antibodies leave the nanoparticles and the lower the resistance in the nanoparticle film. “This new type of biosensor is rapid in response because the magnetic nanoparticle biosensors go and get the analyte rather than the usual approach of waiting for the analyte to find the sensing surface,” says Gooding. “The biochemiresistor is also more sensitive than the usual biosensor because, as the nanoparticles are dispersed throughout the sample, the entire sample is analysed, not just a small portion of the solution.” The study’s lead author is Leo M.H. Lai. The team included other researchers from the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine and the former ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials at UNSW. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Muscle size gene discovered

THE GARVAN INSTITUTE

Share on print The researchers discovered the gene while trying to improve the response of muscles to insulin. As well as helping scientists understand muscle wasting, the find could reveal insight into Type 2 diabetes. Image: Lepro/iStockphoto Australian scientists have identified a gene that regulates muscle size, a finding that could help unlock therapies for Type 2 diabetes and diseases such as muscular dystrophy, where muscles are weakened and damaged. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body no longer controls blood sugar levels properly. We need insulin, a hormone released from the pancreas when we eat, to channel sugar from our blood into our cells. While researching ways to improve the response of muscle to insulin, Dr Lowenna Holt, Associate Professor Greg Cooney and Professor Roger Daly from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research were surprised to see that a particular strain of genetically modified mice - missing the Grb10 protein - had large muscles.  Even newborn mice missing Grb10 had larger muscles, indicating that this protein regulates muscle development before birth.  The results are now published online in The FASEB Journal. "Our main finding is that Grb10 plays a role in regulating the size of muscles during embryonic development, mainly by increasing the number of muscle fibres in the muscle, which is unusual.  Usually muscles become bigger by increasing the size of each fibre" said Dr Lowenna Holt. "We compared global gene expression in large versus normal muscle using gene microarrays and a computer program to visualize changes in gene networks.  We saw more replication and proliferation gene sets in the Grb10 knockout muscle, telling us that processes causing proliferation of muscle stem cells could be controlled by Grb10 in the embryo.  We also found that gene sets for muscle development were increased." Apart from its implications in muscle regeneration during healing, the finding is important for diabetes research because muscles are the biggest users of glucose in the body. A drug able to reduce Grb10 expression would increase muscle mass, and so increase the capacity to move glucose from the blood stream into cells, a major goal for any diabetes therapy. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Shirdi SaiBaba Natika part 4

Who You Represent

“Like an ocean of purity are the mother and father of these children, who are like a heavenly desire tree, who have a spotless beauty that gives the eyes so much happiness that is without end.” (Janaki Mangala, 43) punya payodhi mātu pitu e sisu suratarū | rūpa sudhā sukha deta nayana amarani barū || Like it or not, your behavior is a reflection on your upbringing. The people who raise you are responsible for making sure that when you’re an adult you follow the proper standards of conduct, that you obey the law and don’t cause a nuisance to society. A parent especially understands how difficult it is to raise a child and make sure that they grow up to be properly educated and well-behaved, so when they see good traits in another child they immediately think of the role of the parents. This was the case with a famous king who cast his glance upon the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rama. What is a transcendental form? Can God have any other kind of form? God is everything, a fact which isn’t too earthshattering. In mathematics there is the concept of sets and what different values they can contain. The most inclusive set is that which has the most values, the largest amount of numbers that represent the possible aggregations one can find. If we looked at the entire creation from a mathematical perspective, we’d see that there is a sum collection of space and its component objects. Obviously the measurement of that collection is unfathomable, but there is nevertheless a total amount. If we see a jar full of jellybeans, we can’t be exactly sure to the number how many jellybeans there are, but there is still a specific total. If we calculated a total for the universe, it’d be a representation of God. His universal form, orvirat-rupa, is one way to think of Him, but at the same time this only represents a partial view. “How is this possible? If we include everything, is that not the limit to existence? The Absolute Truth is the entire collection of gross matter, or a form that is considered invisible to the mind. We can’t see the universal form but we know that it exists. Therefore God is not a perceived reality. He must be accepted as an impersonal force that is always present in some way.” But the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, reveal that the Supreme Lord is both formless and with form. The distinction itself is a necessary product of illusion, pointing to a limitation in understanding. Just as we say that the sun is not out on a particular day because of the influence of the clouds, since we can’t understand what a spiritual form is, we say that the macrocosmic vision of the Lord is His only feature. But to show what it means to have a transcendental form, that Absolute Truth kindly appears before our eyes every now and then. The foolish still don’t understand His true nature even when looking directly at Him, but for those who are humble enough to know their limitations and accept the statements of the bona fide acharyas on faith in the beginning, the fruit of existence is revealed. Shri Rama, the young boy who accompanied Vishvamitra Muni through the forests many thousands of years ago, showed the pious exactly what God looks like. The Lord has many spiritual forms and the fact that they appear within this material world is not extraordinary. A person who is superior and in charge of a particular energy can never be beholden to that energy’s influence. The material nature, which spreads illusion that results in an identification with dull matter, has no existence on its own. Rather, it is consciousness that brings the presence of life, and the source of that consciousness is God. In every vibrant life form, including our own body, the consciousness derived from the Supreme Lord’s superconsciousness is present. We can think, feel and will because we are similar in quality to God but vastly inferior to Him in quantitative powers. We can be illusioned, but He cannot. With proper training in the system of spirituality descending from Shri Rama, illusion can dissipate, paving the way towards basking in the sweetness of God’s transcendental form. Even the exalted figures are sometimes bewildered by this apparent duality, the fact that God is everything and still capable of appearing within a smaller section. Mother Parvati once asked her dear husband Lord Shiva to describe the glories of Shri Rama and explain how Rama is actually God and not an ordinary man. Lord Shiva began his discourse by remarking that there is no difference between the personal and the impersonal features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is only a perceived difference, and due to that one tends to think that Rama accepts a material form and then rejects it. The Supreme Lord is never subject to illusion nor is He ever away from us. He pervades all of space and at the same time He is not personally present within everything. His divine vision is granted to the kind souls who know how to properly utilize His energies. When King Janaka saw Rama and Lakshmana entering his kingdom, he was enamored by their beauty. Vishvamitra brought the brothers to Janakpur to witness the bow-lifting contest that was taking place. Up to this point, Janaka was intimately familiar with Brahman, which is a theoretical understanding of spirit but one that is still not complete. To know Brahman is to know that spirit is the essence of identity and that it is transcendental to matter. Knowing Bhagavan, however, is knowing that Brahman has an origin. Rama is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing before the eyes of the earth’s creatures in the guise of a warrior prince. In Bhagavan’s original feature, He is Shri Krishna, the charming youth with a blackish complexion holding a flute in His hands and enchanting the residents of the spiritual planet of Goloka Vrindavana. The personal expansions of Krishna are identical to Him in potency. The only difference is in the transcendental mood of devotion that they instill in their followers. Rama was especially attractive to Janaka upon first sight. The king couldn’t believe what he was feeling, a sort of ecstasy that he did not think was possible. By understanding Brahman one learns to keep their emotions in check, to not be distracted by temporary highs and lows. Indeed, Janaka was holding this contest only to follow dharma. Personally he did not wish to part with his beloved daughter Sita, but dharma called for the king to marry off his daughter when she reached an appropriate age. When Janaka, a good parent in his own right, saw Rama and Lakshmana, he immediately thought of their parents. He thought that the parents must be an ocean of purity, for the boys were like a wish-fulfilling tree whose beautiful forms granted so much unending happiness to the eyes. The children are produced by the parents, and in the Vedic culture one follows so many rules and regulations to ensure that their offspring are beautiful and virtuous. Rama was the most beautiful and Lakshmana was like His twin, so whoever produced them must have had the largest store of virtue. Rama would uphold the good name and fame of His parents by His outward beauty and by His actions. As God, Rama does not have any parents, but to give pleasure in the mood of bhakti known as vatsalya-rasa He appears from the womb of mother Kausalya during every Treta Yuga, or second time period of creation. He accepts King Dasharatha as a father to give the pious leader an heir to the throne of Ayodhya. Dasharatha also develops a firm attachment to Rama, who becomes the king’s life and soul. Rama would give so much fame to His family line by winning the contest, being the only man capable of lifting Shiva’s bow. It was almost as if Lord Shiva had coordinated the events, for he delights in hearing about Rama and discussing His pastimes with others. Goswami Tulsidas, the author of the Janaki Mangala, follows Mahadeva’s example by giving the world delightful poetry to be used in remembering Sita, Rama, Lakshmana and the Lord’s most faithful servant Hanuman. King Janaka was very sweet in his observations on Rama and Lakshmana and their family, and the same sentiments could be applied to him. How pious the parents of Janaka must have been to get a son who would take care of the goddess of fortune, Sita Devi, and then invite Shri Rama Himself to the kingdom. Tulsidas sparks the same question in the reader. Where did Rama find someone so kind to describe His pastimes? Where does Rama find a dedicated brother like Lakshmana and a heroic servant like Hanuman? These questions are difficult to answer even for the Lord, for He is so pleased by the service of the devotees. From this incident with Janaka we get a good idea on how to serve our parents, who do so much to protect us in life. The parents have a difficult job because they cannot slip in their behavior. The impressionable young child will follow the behavior of the parents more than their words. If we do acquire any good qualities, if we are fortunate enough to chant the holy names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, it should be understood that our parents did a good job in raising us, even if it may seem otherwise. Somehow or other we were put into the position to connect with the holy name, which fully represents the Supreme Lord and His personal self. To repay the service offered by the parents, one should follow the highest system of piety, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or devotional service. Rama upheld the virtue of His parents and ancestors by following the prescribed duties of His order, the kshatriya. The kshatriyas are royal administrators, so they must exhibit bravery in combat and impartiality in the distribution of justice. In the current age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the lines have been blurred to the point that one can’t figure out what their occupational duties are. Thus there is only one dharma that need be followed: devotion to God. From regularly chanting God’s names, hearing about His pastimes and worshiping and honoring His servants, we give the highest service to our parents. We represent them in our behavior, so if we can show that life’s mission of understanding God is reached, we prove that they are full of purity as well, for they gave the world a sincere servant of the Lord, whose association is a terrific boon. In Closing: Know that responsibility with everything you do, Represent your character and your parents’ too. Thus if you point your behavior in right direction, On the merits of mother and father a good reflection. Seeing Rama and Lakshmana, of their origin Janaka unsure, But could guess that their parents were like an ocean pure. Endless happiness to eyes that their forms see, Thus boys appeared as if they were heavenly desire tree. When your consciousness to divine realm you send, The pious credits to your good parents will extend.