10 ways to beat stress

 

 

Life getting too much for you? 

 

Things feel like they're spiralling out of control? 

 

Take a tip from the Stress Management Society to beat stress 

 

and get yourself back on an even keel.

 

 

1. Avoid tea and coffee

 

Nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and refined sugar products are all stimulants, 

 

so will not calm you down. If you're stressed, steer clear of tea, coffee and 

 

cigarettes-keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking water instead or chamomile tea.

 

 

2. 'I can definitely deal with this'

 

Think up a self-affirming mantra to repeat to yourself 

 

(eg 'I deserve calm in my life', or 'I have a choice in every situation'). 

 

Repeat it to yourself whenever you feel tense.

 

 

3. Agree with others once in a while

 

Life should not be a constant battleground. , 

 

so even if you disagree with someone, avoid conflict every now and again 

 

by just agreeing or keeping quiet. 

 

They have a right to their opinion (even if they are wrong!), just as you do.

 

 

4. Listen to your body

 

When you are tired, hungry or thirsty, do something about it: rest, eat or drink.

 

 

5. Learn how to say 'no'

 

Simple, but effective. Where a 'no' is the appropriate response, say it without guilt.

 

 

6. Get organised

 

make a list of all the things that you need to do

 

list them in order of genuine importance

 

note what you need to do personally and what can be delegated

 

prioritise things that need doing immediately

 

demote tasks that can wait

 

you may find some tasks don't actually need doing at all

 

 

7. Get online

 

When stress strikes, take five and calm down if you can on a favourite website - shopping,

 

a social networking portal, 

 

Zest.co.uk

 

! 

 

Taking a short break gives you valuable cooling time 

 

and enables you to get back to the issue in hand with a fresh head.

 

 

8. And breathe it out...

 

Try this breathing exercise: 

 

Sit or stand in a relaxed position. 

 

Slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five in your head. 

 

Let the air out from your mouth, counting to eight in your head 

 

as it leaves your lungs. Repeat several times.

 

 

As you breathe, let your abdomen expand outward, 

 

rather than raising your shoulders. 

 

 

This is a more relaxed and natural way to breathe, and helps your lungs 

 

fill themselves more fully with fresh air.

 

 

Repeat a few times to release tension, or for several minutes as a form of meditation.

 

If you like, make your throat a little tighter as you exhale so the air comes out like a whisper. 

 

This type of breathing is used in some forms of yoga and can add additional tension relief.

 

 

9. Acupressure

 

You have acupressure points either side of the bridge of your nose. 

 

Rub there gently, and around your eyes.

 

 

10. Face exercises

 

Relieve tension in the face by lifting your eyebrows, then drag your fingertips -

 

pressing firmly - from your forehead to the back of your head.

 

 

Still feeling a bit stressy? 

 

You could always try the Rescue Remedy Rant Therapy support service for anyone 

 

who's feeling super-stressed, whatever the cause.

 

 

Here's how: Draft an email. 

 

Get it all down in an outpouring of anger and stress, 

 

saying exactly what you think, why it's unfair and what you think should happen.

 

 

Now instead of sending it to the rightful recipient, send it to 

 

RescueRant@nelsons.net

 

Now your rant is out of your system and your inbox, sit back and wait for some very 

 

special advice from the Zen masters themselves. 

 

Study shows left side of brain more active in immoral thinking

 Neuroscience 
(Medical Xpress) -- Because the brain is so complex, researchers are forced to devise all manner of different types of tests in trying to understand not just how it works, but which parts of it do what. To that end, a diverse group of scientists from several universities across the U.S. got together to work on the problem of which parts of the brain, if any specifically, are involved in analyzing and making moral judgments. To find out, or at least learn more, they devised three experiments meant to test the busyness of the brain, measured by blood flow, to certain regions, when presented with immoral situations. They have published the results of what they found in the journal Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience.

The idea behind all three experiments was to present volunteers with material that is generally believed to be immoral while watching blood flow patterns in their brains using fMRI, as compared to what happens when moral or neutral material is viewed.

In the first study, volunteers were told that they would be engaging in a memory test. They were then shown a series of statements, followed by another series of statements after that. During the second series they were asked to press a button to indicate if the statement they were being shown had been among those shown in the first series. The statements shown were divided into four classes: pathogen related (non-sexually gross stuff), incestuous acts, nonsexual immoral acts and neutral acts.

In the second study, volunteers were shown three types of statements in random order: 50 examples describing acts that most people think of as immoral, 50 statements that most think of as pro-moral (morally good) and 50 statements that most people think of as neutral.

And finally, in the third study, volunteers were shown three types of pictures in random order: immoral, non-moral (negative without morality), and neutral.

After analyzing and normalizing the data, the researchers found that the left hemisphere of the brain showed increased blood flow in response to immoral stimuli throughout all three studies, while the right did not. No such pattern was found for the neutral or pro-moral tests. They also found that while each of the three tests tended to light up specific areas of the left hemisphere in the scanned images, there was also quite a bit of overlap between those participating in the three different studies.

The research team isn’t making any declarations regarding their results other than suggesting that it appears the left side of the brain appears to be more involved in immoral processing than the right. They also suggest the brain might have evolved to work this way to avoid duplication in processing and to increase efficiency.

More information: Cope LM, Schaich Borg J, Harenski CL, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Lieberman D, Nyalakanti PK, Calhoun VD and Kiehl KA (2010) Hemispheric asymmetries during processing of immoral stimuli. Front. Evol. Neurosci. 2:110. doi: 10.3389/fnevo.2010.00110

 

 (full text availablehere

 

)

Abstract 
Evolutionary approaches to dissecting our psychological architecture underscore the importance of both function and structure. Here we focus on both the function and structure of our neural circuitry and report a functional bilateral asymmetry associated with the processing of immoral stimuli. Many processes in the human brain are associated with functional specialization unique to one hemisphere. With respect to emotions, most research points to right-hemispheric lateralization. Here we provide evidence that not all emotional stimuli share right-hemispheric lateralization. Across three studies employing different paradigms, the processing of negative morally laden stimuli was found to be highly left-lateralized. Regions of engagement common to the three studies include the left medial prefrontal cortex, left temporoparietal junction, and left posterior cingulate. These data support the hypothesis that processing of immoral stimuli preferentially engages left hemispheric processes and sheds light on our evolved neural architecture.

© 2011 Medical Xpress

"Study shows left side of brain more active in immoral thinking." November 16th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-left-side-brain-immoral.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Study IDs new genetic links to impulsivity, alcohol problems in men

  

Being impulsive can lead us to say things we regret, buy things we really don't need, engage in behaviors that are risky and even develop troublesome addictions. But are different kinds of hastiness and rashness embedded in our DNA?

A new study suggests the answer is yes -- especially if you're a man.

The research, led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln assistant professor of psychology Scott Stoltenberg, found links between impulsivity and a rarely researched gene called NRXN3. The gene plays an important role in brain development and in how neurons function.

The newly discovered connection, which was more prevalent among men than women in the study, may help explain certain inclinations toward alcohol or drug dependence, Stoltenberg said.

"Impulsivity is an important underlying mechanism in addiction," he said. "Our finding that NRXN3 is part of the causal pathway toward addiction is an important step in identifying the underlying genetic architecture of this key personality trait."

For the study, researchers measured impulsivity levels in nearly 450 participants -- 65 percent women, 35 percent men -- via a wide range of tests. Then, they compared those results with DNA samples from each participant. They found that impulsivity was significantly higher in those who regularly used tobacco or who had alcohol or drug problems.

The results, interestingly, also came down along gender lines. In men, two connections clearly emerged; first, between a particular form of the NRXN3 gene and attentional impulsivity, and second, between another NRXN3 variant and alcohol problems. The connections for women, meanwhile, were much weaker.

Stoltenberg said the gender-specific results are a rich area for further study.

"We can't really say what causes these patterns of association to be different in men and women. But our findings will be critical as we continue to improve our understanding of the pathways from specific genes to health-risk behaviors," he said.

The researchers were interested in impulsivity because the trait can predispose people to any number of behavioral problems -- addictions, behavior control, failing to plan ahead or think through consequences of actions -- and settled on the role of NXRN3 from previous, recent studies.

While the results add important new evidence to the genetic role in impulsivity and, in turn, its role in substance abuse, researchers were careful to not claim a perfect cause-and-effect relationship. Impulsivity may interact with sensitivity to alcohol, for one example, or anxiety, for another, to create complex pathways to substance use problems in both men and women.

"If you're working to explain how genes are associated with something like (substance) dependence, you have to connect a lot of dots," Stoltenberg said. "There's a big gap between genes and a substance use disorder. Impulsivity is one factor to such problems -- not the only factor."

More information: The study appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Provided by University of Nebraska-Lincoln

"Study IDs new genetic links to impulsivity, alcohol problems in men." November 16th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-ids-genetic-links-impulsivity-alcohol.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Understanding Schizophrenia

 Psychology & Psychiatry 

(Medical Xpress) -- Genetic mutations that cause schizophrenia could be linked to systems in the brain responsible for learning and memory, a major University study suggests.

Leading researchers from the University’s MRC Center for Neuropsychiatric Genetics & Genomics have identified changes to genes – genetic mutations – in patients with schizophrenia who had not inherited the condition.

The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, showed that these mutations occurred among a set of proteins that play a key role in memory function.

The scientists took samples of DNA from more than 650 patients with schizophrenia and compared these with DNA from their parents – who did not have the condition – to identify the genetic differences.

Professor Michael Owen, who led the research with colleague Professor Michael O’Donovan, said: "By studying such a large sample we have been able to provide the first clear insights into the sorts of basic biological processes that underlie schizophrenia.

"We hope that by identifying these mutations our findings will help us understand more clearly how schizophrenia arises and ultimately identify new targets for treatments."

The task of identifying what causes schizophrenia is difficult because the disorder does not occur as a result of a single genetic mutation, but reflects a large number of different risk genes.

The genetic mutations disrupt the production of proteins found at synapses, which are the connections between different brain cells. The proteins are normally assembled together and process information that is passed from the environment to the memory systems in the brain. Disrupting the fundamental information processing systems in synapses results in behavioural disorders.

Professor Michael O’Donovan added: "The main importance of the finding is that the new mutations were not randomly occurring in genes, instead they were concentrated in a relatively small number of genes which are crucial to the way nerve cells communicate with each other at junctions called synapses."

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the European Union.

Professor George Kirov, School of Medicine, and the study’s first author, said: "We already know that genetic factors increase the risk of schizophrenia, as well as non-genetic factors. However, we assumed that because schizophrenia sufferers are less likely than average to have children, genes with quite large effects on risk will be removed from the population by the process of natural selection.

"If this is true, this loss of disease genes must be compensated for by new mutations or the disease would no longer exist."

Rare genetic mutations that occurred either prior to or at fertilisation - do novo mutations – were found to occur among patients with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a severe disorder affecting approximately one per cent of the population. Signs can be present from childhood, but usually the disorder is diagnosed in early teens and has an impact on adult life.

Provided by Cardiff University

"Understanding Schizophrenia." November 16th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-schizophrenia.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Goodbye Prayer

A father put his 3 year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers which ended by saying: "God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless Grandma and goodbye Grandpa."

 

 

 

 The father asked, "Why did you say goodbye Grandpa?"

 

 

 

 The little girl said, "I don't know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do."

 

 

 

 The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence.

 

 

 

 A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers which went like this: "God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and goodbye Grandma." The next day the grandmother died.

 

 

 

 "Holy Moley, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side.

 

 

 

 Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say: "God bless Mommy and goodbye Daddy." He practically went into shock.

 

 

 

 He couldn't sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he

 

 

 

 Would be okay. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound.

 

 

 

 Finally, midnight arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and went home. When he got home his wife said, "I've never seen you work so late, what's the matter?"

 

 

 

 He said, "I don't want to talk about it, I've just spent the worst day of my life."

 

 

 

 She said, "You think you had a bad day, you'll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf professor dropped dead in the middle

 

 of my lesson.

 

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புற்று நோய் பற்றிய விரிவான தகவல்கள்

யாருக்கு வேண்டுமானாலும் வரலாம். எப்போது வேண்டுமானாலும் வரலாம் என்று பலரையும் பயமுறுத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கும் நோய்களில் ஒன்று தான் புற்றுநோய். ஆனால் உண்மையில் இது பயப்பட வேண்டிய நோய் அல்ல. விழிப்புணர்வுடன் இருக்கவேண்டிய நோய். தொடக்கத்திலே கண்டுபிடித்தால் 95 சதவீதம் குணப்படுத்தி நிம்மதியாக வாழ முடியும். இந்த நோய்க்கு இப்போது வியக்கவைக்கும் அளவிற்கு நவீன நோய் கண்டுபிடிப்பு கருவிகளும், நவீன ஊசி மருந்துகளும் உள்ளன. அதனால் தரமான சிகிச்சையால் உயிர் பிழைத்து, நலமாக வாழ வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. ஆனால் அறிகுறிகளை அலட்சியப்படுத்திவிட்டு கண்டுகொள்ளாமலே இருந்தால் மட்டுந்தான் இது ஒரு ஆபத்தான நோயாக ஆகிவிடுகிறது. புற்று நோய்க்கு என்ன காரணம்? பல காரணங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. பாரம்பரியத்தாலும் வரும். பழக்கவழக்கங்களாலும் வரும். உணவாலும் வரும். அதிகமாக உடலில்படும் சூரிய ஒளியாலும் வரும். ஆண்களுக்கென்று சில புற்றுநோய்களும், பெண்களுக்கென்று சில புற்றுநோய்களும், இருபாலருக்கும் என்று பொதுவான புற்றுநோய்களும் உண்டு. இந்த நோய்க்கான அறிகுறிகள் என்னென்ன? உடலில் எந்த பகுதியிலும் இந்த நோய் வரலாம். எந்த இடத்தில் வருகிறதோ அது அதற்கென்று தனித்தனி அறிகுறிகள் இருக்கின்றன. நுரையீரலில் ஒரு அறிகுறி. ஈரலில் இன்னொரு அறிகுறி. இப்படி இடத்திற்கு தக்கபடி அறிகுறிகள் மாறும். ஆயினும் பொதுவாக 10 அறிகுறிகள் உள்ளன. அவை: குணமாகாத புண். ரத்த வாந்தி அல்லது புறவழி ரத்தப்போக்கு. சளியில் ரத்தம் வெளிப்படுதல். கட்டி பெரிதாகிக் கொண்டே இருப்பது. மச்சத்தில் அரிப்பு அல்லது ரத்தக் கசிவு ஏற்படுதல். கழுத்துப் பகுதியில் ஏற்படும் வலியற்ற வீக்கம். திடீரென ஏற்படும் எடை குறைவு, காய்ச்சல்.(குறிப்பாக 40 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்ட பெண்களுக்கு) மார்பில் வலியற்ற கட்டி தோன்றுதல். உணவை விழுங்குவதில் ஏற்படும் சிரமம். திடீரென்று தோன்றும் அதிக மலச்சிக்கல். எந்தெந்த பகுதியில் ஏற்படும் புற்றுநோய்க்கு என்னென்ன காரணங்கள்? வாய் புற்று: புகைப் பிடித்தல், புகையிலை மெல்லுதல், பான்- ஜர்தா போன்றவை மெல்லுதல், முறையான பல் பராமரிப்பு இல்லாமை. நுரையீரல் புற்று: புகைப் பிடித்தல், ஆஸ்பெட்டாஸ்- சிலிக்கான் தொழிற்சாலைகளில் வேலை பார்க்கும் ஊழியர்களுக்கு. வயிற்றுப் புற்று: மது அருந்துதல், புகைப்பிடித்தல், வறுத்த- பொரித்த- உணவுகளை அதிக அளவு சாப்பிடும் முறையற்ற உணவுப் பழக்கம். ஈரல் புற்று: மது அருந்துதல் மற்றும் வைரஸ் தொற்று. மார்புப் புற்று: குழந்தையில்லாமை, ஒரு குழந்தை மட்டும் பெற்றெடுத்தல், தாய்ப்பால் புகட்டாமை, குண்டான உடல்வாகு. கருப்பை புற்று: அதிகமாக குழந்தை பெற்றெடுத்தல், எச்.பி.வி.வைரஸ் தொற்று. (எச்.பி.வி. வைரஸ் தொற்று ஏற்பட்டு இந்த புற்றுநோய் உருவாகாமல் இருக்க தடுப்பு ஊசி மருந்து கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுவிட்டது. வெளிநாடுகளில் இப்போது பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது) சரும புற்று: சருமத்தில் அதிக அளவு வெயில் படுதல், சொரியாசிஸ் போன்ற சில வகை தோல் நோய்கள், நாள்பட்ட ஆறாத புண். (இந்தெந்த புற்றுநோய்க்கு இவைகள் காரணங்கள் என்று சொல்லப்பட்டாலும், பிரச்சினைக்குரிய பழக்கமே இல்லாத ஒருவருக்குகூட இந்த நோய் ஏற்படலாம். `மது அருந்தமாட்டார். புகைப்பிடிக்கும் மாட்டார். அவருக்கு வயிற்று புற்றுநோய் வந்துவிட்டதே' என்று வருந்திப்பயனில்லை. முற்றிலும் மாறுபட்ட இதர காரணங்களால் அவருக்கு நோய் பாதிப்பு ஏற்பட்டிருக்கலாம்) இந்த புற்றுநோய்களை தடுக்க முடியுமா? தடுக்க முயற்சிக்கலாம். மேற்கண்ட பழக்க வழக்கங்கள் இல்லாமல் இருந்தால் முடிந்த அளவு தடுக்கலாம்தானே! குறிப்பிட்டுச் சொல்லவேண்டும் என்றால் புகையிலை, மது, புகைப்பிடித்தல், பான்பரக் பயன்படுத்துதல் போன்றவைகளை தவிர்த்திடுங்கள். முடிந்த அளவு தவிர்த்திட முடியும். ரத்தப் பரிசோதனை, எக்ஸ்ரே, அல்ட்ரா சவுண்ட், சி.டி- எம்.ஆர்.ஐ. ஸ்கேன்கள், என்டோஸ்கோபி அல்லது ஐசோடோபிக் ஸ்கேன்கள் போன்றவைகளில் உங்களுக்கு எந்த மாதிரியான பரிசோதனை தேவை என்பதை டாக்டர் சொல்வார். அதைவைத்து நோயை கண்டறிவார். ஆனால் பயாப்ஸி மூலமே நூறு சதவீதம் கண்டறிய முடியும். சரி கண்டுபிடித்துவிட்டால், குணப்படுத்திவிட முடியுமா? ஆரம்ப கட்டத்தில் கண்டறிந்துவிட்டால் 95 சதவீதம் குணப்படுத்திவிடலாம். இதற்காக தொடக்க காலத்திலே அறிகுறிகளை கண்டறிய வேண்டும். முற்றிய நிலை என்றால் குணப்படுத்துவது கடினம். இதில் மகிழ்ச்சிக்குரிய விஷயம் என்னவென்றால் சில வகை புற்றுநோய்கள் எந்த வயதில் வந்தாலும், குணப்படுத்த அதிக வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. இதற்கு பெட்டன்சியலி க்யூரபுள் கேன்சர் என்று பெயர். சில வகை ரத்த புற்று, நெரி கட்டுவதில் ஏற்படும் புற்று போன்றவையாகும். புற்றுநோயை குணப்படுத்த ஆபரேஷன் செய்துகொள்வது அவ்வளவு நல்லதில்லை என்பது சரியா? காலம் மாறிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது. நவீன ஆபரேஷன் முறைகளும்- கருவிகளும் வந்துகொண்டிருக்கின்றன. மருத்துவ நிபுணர்களும் உருவாகிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். 30, 40 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னால் புற்றுநோய்க்கு மேஜர் ஆபரேஷன்கள் செய்யப்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தன. இப்போது எளிதான ஆபரேஷன்கள் செய்து, நவீன மருந்து- நவீன தெரபிகள் கொடுக்கப்படுகிறது. ஆனாலும் மற்ற நோய்களுக்கான ஆபரேஷன்களோடு ஒப்பிடும்போது புற்றுநோய்க்கான ஆபரேஷன் சற்று ரிஸ்க்தான். இருந்தாலும் பயப்பட வேண்டியதில்லை. புற்றுநோய்க்கு இருக்கும் சிகிச்சைகள் என்னென்ன? மூன்றுவிதமான சிகிச்சைகள் கையாளப்படுகின்றன. அவை: 1. ஆபரேஷன், 2. கீமோ தெரபி(மெடிக்கல் ட்ரீட்மென்ட்), 3. ரேடியேஷன்(எக்ஸ்-ரே ட்ரீட்மென்ட்).

WONDER DRUG (KG5) TO KILL OFF CANCER

A DRUG that makes cancer cells “commit suicide” could eradicate the most deadly forms of the disease.

Scientists claim to have achieved a major breakthrough by creating a 'wonder drug' which kills off cancer -- in fact, it could wipe out some of the most deadly forms of the disease.

An international team led by the University of California says that the KG5 drug works by making cancer cells "commit suicide"; it stops tumorous cells from multiplying, and they then shut themselves down, the 'Nature Medicine journal reported.

The radical drug will bring fresh hope to patients with aggressive and deadly tumours and could be available in as little as five years, say the scientists. They hope to deliver it in pill form, which has very few side effects. 

Lead scientist Prof David Cheresh said the drug "blocks the function of proliferation," and the malignant cells commit suicide when they can't multiply. It has been proven effective in tests against pancreatic, breast, and kidney cancers, and it could well have a positive effect on a wide range of other tumours.

KG5 works in a totally different way to traditional therapies by altering the structure of a cancer growth protein, an enzyme known as RAF.

The protein has been long studied, but its role in cell division—critical to cell proliferation and tumour growth—is surprising. Existing treatments block RAF's activity. However, KG5 changes the entire shape of the protein, neutralising it without leading to unwanted side effects. To date, KG5 has been tested in animals and patient tissue samples.

The team has since developed variants of KG5 that are 100-fold more powerful than the original drug. They hope one of these more powerful compounds will enter clinical trials on humans at Moores Cancer Center in San Diego within 18 months.

"Before this drug was designed, we had no idea RAF could promote tumour cell cycle progression. This may be only one example of how, by designing drugs that avoid the active site of an enzyme, we can identify new and unexpected ways to disrupt the growth of tumours.

"In essence, we are attacking an important enzyme in a whole new way and thereby discovering new things this enzyme was intended for," Prof Cheresh was quoted by the Daily Express.

At present, medicines that target enzymes like RAF often damage healthy cells, according to Prof Cheresh. "They hit many different targets, meaning they can produce undesired side-effects and induce dose-limiting toxicity," he said.

The new class of RAF inhibitors alters the enzyme's whole structure rather than focusing on a particular part of the protein. It singles out RAF in proliferating cells while ignoring normal or resting cells. KG5 also acts by cutting off the blood supply to tumours.

Dr Julie Sharp of Cancer Research UK welcomed the new findings, saying, "The next step will be to test out these ideas with patients."

Source: ibnlive

image:alternative-cancer.net

புற்று நோயின் வீரியத்தை கட்டுப்படுத்தும் மருந்து கண்டுபிடிப்பு

உயிர் கொல்லி நோயான புற்று நோய் உலகை அச்சுறுத்தி வருகிறது. இந்த நோயை முற்றிலும் குணப்படுத்த இன்னும் மருந்து கண்டுபிடிக்கவில்லை. விஞ்ஞானிகள் தொடர்ந்து ஆராய்ச்சி நடத்தி தீவிர முயற்சி மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்றனர். இந்த நிலையில் தற்போது கலிபோர்னியா பல்கலைக்கழகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த சர்வதேச விஞ்ஞானிகள் குழு புற்று நோயை முற்றிலும் அழிக்க கூடிய வீரியமான மருந்தை கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளனர். கேஜி 5 என்றழைக்கப்படும் இந்த அதிசய மருந்து புற்று நோய் பாதித்துள்ள செல்களை முற்றிலும் அழிக்கும் தன்மை கொண்டது. இந்த மருந்து புற்றுநோய் செல்களை தற்கொலை செய்து கொள்ள செய்து அது மேலும் பரவாமல் தடுக்கும் சக்தி வாய்ந்தது. இந்த மருந்து இன்னும் 5 ஆண்டுகளில் செயல்பாட்டுக்கு வர உள்ளது. இதுகுறித்து விஞ்ஞானி பேராசிரியர் டேவிட் செரேஷ் கூறும் போது, இந்த அதிசய மருந்து மாத்திரைகள் வடிவில் வழங்கப்பட உள்ளது. இது மிக சிறிதளவில் மட்டுமே பக்க விளைவுகளை ஏற்படுத்தும். ஆனால் புற்று நோய் மேலும் பரவாமல் முற்றிலும் குணமாக்கும் என்றார்.

Taking Action on Climate Change

November 15, 2011 – In less than two weeks, the nations of the world will gather in Durban, South Africa, for the annual United Nations conference on climate change.

Ahead of the meeting, Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change, describes how the Bank is helping countries and people to take action on climate change.
From solar power investments in Morocco to climate smart agricultural practices in Niger and innovative insurance schemes in Mongolia, Steer highlights action that is taking place on the ground with the help of the World Bank.

“More than 130 developing countries have asked the World Bank Group to work with them on adaptation and mitigation,” says Steer. “And in over 90 countries, we are working with those countries to help them to adapt because try as we might to stop climate change it is happening,” he says.

Describing why the World Bank cares about climate change, Steer says “Because we care about reducing poverty, and if you care about reducing poverty in today’s world then you have to take climate change seriously.”

நடந்த கதை - Ndantha kathai - Tmil short film - good quality

‘Magnets’ help stroke patients speak

THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

Eighty percent of patients who were treated with TMS showed improvements in language skills. Image: jeangill/iStockphoto Magnetic stimulation of the brain could help improve language skills of stroke survivors with aphasia, according to research by The University of Queensland. Dr Caroline Barwood, who recently completed her PhD at UQ's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, conducted the research and found significant improvement in the language skills of stroke patients after they underwent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). TMS is a non-invasive method that seeks to target brain activity, with the intention to facilitate the reorganisation of brain regions with the purpose to alter language behaviours. The treatment involves placing a coil on the head of the participant which uses electromagnetic induction to induce weak electric currents through a changing magnetic field. Twelve patients who experienced strokes between one and six years prior to the study were recruited for participation and treated at the UQ Centre for Neurogenic Communication Disorders Research. “Eighty percent of patients who were treated with TMS showed improvements in language skills, most notably in expressive language, which includes naming, repetition, and discourse. No language improvements were seen for those patients treated with placebo TMS,” Dr Barwood said. Guided by a state-of-the-art neuronavigational system, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to pin point the stimulation site for two sets of five-day treatments. Dr Barwood said changes in patients' language scores were measured on standardised speech pathology tests. “The research strongly demonstrates that TMS may be a very useful and safe treatment method. Overall it has generated exciting discussion regarding the direction of treatment and the considerable impact this may have in the future to decrease the cost of rehabilitation,” she said. Dr Barwood explains the technique differs to traditional language therapy, which uses behavioural methods, and said in the future the two methods may be used together. Dr Barwood's PhD has been reviewed by a number of journals across fields of neurology and speech pathology and was published in peer-reviewed journals; The European Journal of Neurology; Brain and Language; Brain Stimulation; and Neurorehabilitation. Dr Barwood said in light of the very positive results, she is seeking to continue and extend the current methodology to include a larger sample as a clinical trial. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Study finds ‘stop cancer’ gene

MONASH UNIVERSITY

Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 with SCC being one of the most common forms. Image: dbencek/iStockphoto An extraordinary breakthrough in understanding what stops a common form of skin cancer from developing could make new cancer treatments and prevention available to the public in five years.  In research published today in the leading international cancer journal, Cancer Cell, an international team of scientists led by Professor Stephen Jane and Dr Charbel Darido of Monash University's Department of Medicine at the Alfred Hospital, has discovered a gene that helps protect the body from squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the skin. The Cancer Council estimates that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 with SCC being one of the most common forms. Up until now, its genetic basis has not been well understood, with surgical treatments the only option. Professor Jane said the team discovered that a gene with an important role in skin development in the foetus is missing in adult SCC tumour cells. Although the researchers initially focused on skin cancer, they found that the protective gene is also lost in SCC that arises in other tissues, including head and neck cancers, that are often associated with a very poor outcome for the patient. "Virtually every SCC tumour we looked at had almost undetectable levels of this particular gene, so its absence is a very profound driver of these cancers," Professor Jane said. In collaboration with Associate Professor Rick Pearson from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Monash researchers showed that loss of this particular gene knocks out the signal to stop skin cells from growing. Without this stop signal, the cells keep increasing in number and eventually forms a cancer. Identifying this driver of cancer in skin and other organs provides a clear direction for developing strategies for both prevention and treatment in the relatively near future. "Our research indicates that drugs already in clinical trials for other cancers may actually be effective in treating SCC - they just need to be applied to skin or head and neck cancers.  "This means that a number of the usual hurdles in getting therapies to trial have already been cleared, so patients could be reaping the benefits of this research in under five years," Professor Jane said. "It's a similar case with prevention. There are strategies by which we could increase the expression of this gene that will likely afford some protection from skin cancer, for example in the form of a supplement in sun-cream. The molecules that would increase this expression, are very well validated, so there would be few barriers to applying them in clinical trials." Collaborating institutions on the paper include the Polish Academy of Sciences, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Harvard Medical School, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and the Alfred Hospital. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.