Certain Colors More Likely To Cause Epileptic Fits......

Certain Colors More Likely To Cause Epileptic Fits, Researchers Find

Shared via AddThis

Alternates to pheromones ?

I studied about the pheromones when I was doing my post graduation and the professor, who taught us has worked with Dr. H.C. Brown (Nobel Laureate, for his contribution to the field of Organo Boranes) made us understand what are pheromones, how they are prepared and how actually they attract the insects. I think the field has been widely accepted. As for as my knowledge goes the preparation of pheromones is a costly affair (via , organo boranes). Recently I found this interesting article, where in the researchers claim that with the help of alternate chemicals (other than pheromones) one can send insects off the scent of crops.

Dr. Antony Hooper of Rothamsted Research, an institute of BBSRC said, one way in which insects find each other and their hosts is by smell, or more accurately: the detection of chemical signals – pheromones, for example. Insects smell chemicals with their antennae; the chemical actually gets into the antennae of the insect and then attaches to a protein called an odorant-binding protein, or OBP. This then leads to the insect changing its behavior in some way in response to the smell, for example, flying towards a plant or congregating with other insects (that is what we were taught..) But the more interesting part of the research is .....studying an OBP found in the silkworm moth Bombyx mori, Dr Hooper and his team were able to look at how the OBP and a relevant pheromone interact. They also tested the interaction between OBP and other molecules (that are similar to, but not the same as, the pheromone). They actually found that there are other compounds that bind to the OBP much more strongly than the pheromone.

The researchers could potentially apply these compounds, in some way to block the insects’ ability to detect chemical signals – the smell would be overwhelmed by the one they introduced. and by doing so the researchers expect the insects to be less likely to orientate themselves towards the crop plants, or find mates in this case, and therefore could reduce the damage. Though still lot of work has to be done, its a good beginning.

Hope this new and innovative way to prevent and control pests and diseases will be a success in the days to come. I wish every success in their endeavor...

Congrats Dr. Antony Hooper and co-workers..

Ref :
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/media/releases/2009/090924_scientists_discover_how_to_send_insects_of_the_scent.html

Stelara approved by the FDA for treating psoriasis

We know that Stelara (Ustekinumab), is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the shared p40 protein subunit of human IL-12 and IL-23 with high affinity and specificity, thereby preventing interaction with their surface IL-12Rβ1 receptor. Hope this approval provides an alternative treatment for people with plaque psoriasis, which can cause significant physical discomfort from pain and itching and result in poor self-image for people who are self-conscious about their appearance...

Stelara approved by the FDA for treating psoriasis

Shared via AddThis

Years of caste system belie Indians' shared ancestry - life - 24 September 2009 - New Scientist

Though there were already some sort of genetic info, regarding the difference in the North & South Indians. This info should be used exclusively for medicinal purpose, but not to differentiate again between North & South Indians. After all human beings all over the world are same. We have already facing racial attacks in Australia and this info shldn't lead to difference amongst Indians !...

Years of caste system belie Indians' shared ancestry - life - 24 September 2009 - New Scientist

Shared via AddThis

Water Found on the Moon

I think this article finds some significance with relevance to the presence of water..anyway wait for tomorrow.......



Water Found on the Moon

Posted using ShareThis

Water on the moon? ISRO to announce on Friday

Eagerly waiting for Friday....



Water on the moon? ISRO to announce on Friday

Shared via AddThis

Rethinking of Alzheimer's Disease ?

So for the explanation for the Alzheimer's disease is "amyloid hypothesis", i.e., the disease results from of an accumulation of the peptide amyloid beta, the toxic protein fragments that deposit in the brain and become the sticky plaques that have defined Alzheimer's, this hypothesis has been accepted for 100 years. Something new explanation has been provided by George Bartzokis of UCLA professor of psychiatry and he says that a better working hypothesis is the "myelin model". He explains the model in the following lines :

Like insulation around wires, myelin is a fatty sheath that coats our nerve axons, allowing for efficient conduction of nerve impulses. It is key to the fast processing speeds that underlie our higher cognitive functions and encoding of memories. But the lifelong, extensive myelination of the human brain also makes it uniquely vulnerable to damage. The myelin model's central premise is that it is the normal, routine maintenance and repair of myelin throughout life that ultimately initiates the mechanisms that produce degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. That is, the amyloid-beta peptide and the tau peptide, which is also implicated in Alzheimer's, as well as the signature clinical signs of the disease, such as memory loss and, ultimately, dementia, are all byproducts of the myelin breakdown and repair processes. The pervasive myelination of our brain is the single most unique aspect in which the human brain differs from other species.

Myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, specialized glial cells that themselves become more vulnerable with age. Myelination of the brain follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory, growing strongly until our 50s, when it very slowly begins to unravel as we age. The myelin that is deposited in adulthood ensheaths increasing numbers of axons with smaller axon diameters and so spreads itself thinner and thinner. As a result, it becomes more susceptible to the ravages of age in the form of environmental and genetic insults and slowly begins to break down faster than it can be repaired.

The exclusive targeting of the amyloid-beta peptide for many years is understandable because the same genes and enzymes involved in controlling myelination and myelin repair are, ironically, also involved in the production of amyloid-beta proteins. Bartzokis' point is that the amyloid beta may actually develop as a result of the natural process of the repair and maintenance of myelin. So the breakdown that leads to Alzheimer's and other age-related brain diseases, such as Parkinson's, may begin much earlier, before the formation of the protein deposits that are used to define these diseases," Bartzokis said. Hope this explanation will lead to new innovative ideas for drug discoverers like rather than targeting amyloid-beta peptide !. Hoping for the better results....

Ref : http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/new-target-for-alzheimer-s-102065.aspx

Gene Therapy Trial To Treat Alzheimer's Disease !

The first study of its kind for the treatment of patients : the phase II study examines the safety and possible benefits of CERE-110. CERE-110 contains a gene and is injected during surgery into a part of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease.

The gene will instruct brain cells to produce more of a protein, called Nerve Growth Factor or NGF, which helps nerve cells survive and function properly. The transfer of this gene into the brain is a medical technique called gene therapy. Though the goal is to to stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease, its a good move because still there are drugs to be innovated for the complete cure. Congrats Dr. Chris Kalhorn.

Ref : http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=44677&PageTemplateID=295

Naked mole rats may help cure cancer - health - 22 September 2009 - New Scientist

Naked mole rats may help cure cancer - health - 22 September 2009 - New Scientist

Shared via AddThis

Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer Success To Provide New Understanding Of Lunar Surface

When I read about the news about the loss of contact with Chandrayaan-1 last month, I thought its huge loss and a set back to ISRO. At least some important info it has provided makes us feel oats. The data finds its significance because of the fact that the science team will be able to determine the geochemistry of new areas of the lunar surface, adding some vital pieces to the jigsaw of the mineralogy of the lunar surface. More....

Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer Success To Provide New Understanding Of Lunar Surface

Shared via AddThis

Valturna gets FDA approval .....

FDA, has approved Valturna (valsartan & aliskiren respective structures above) tablets, the first and only medicine to target two key points within the renin system, also known as the renin angiotensin aldosteronesystem (RAAS), an important regulator of blood pressure. This is the first approval for Valturna, which is indicated for the treatment of Hypertension (high blood pressure) in patients not adequately controlled on aliskiren or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) monotherapy and as initial therapy in patients likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals. This unique combination brings together the powerful blood pressure lowering effects of valsartan and aliskiren. Valturna combines in a single pill valsartan, the active ingredient in Diovan((R)), the number one selling branded Hypertension medicine worldwide, and aliskiren, the active ingredient in Tekturna((R)), the only approved direct renin inhibitor (DRI). Valturna offers significantly greater blood pressure reduction than either valsartan or aliskiren alone. Now for the first time, patients have a treatment option in one pill that targets two key points of the RAAS, which may be overactive in many hypertensive patients. The important fact about the combination is - by targeting two key points within the RAAS, Valturna helps blood vessels relax and widen so blood pressure is lowered. Research suggests that up to 85% of hypertensive patients may need multiple medications to help control their blood pressure, underscoring the need for effective combination treatments, hope this combined drugs will help the patients to a large extent. But those people with stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure or eye problems resulting from hypertension will have to wait for some more time....

Ref : http://www.novartis.com/newsroom/media-releases/en/2009/1342100.shtml

Monolaurin as a microbial agent ?

We know that Coconut oil contains about 40 to 55 percent lauric acid. Lauric acid is the main saturated fatty acid found in coconut fat and in palm kernel oil. Lauric acid is also known as n-dodecanoic acid, which is a saturated medium chain C₁₂-fatty acid, hence the Greek name “dodeca”, meaning twelve. A certain biochemical derivative of lauric acid, monolaurin (see right structure), has proven to be anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-protozoal, both in vitro and in vivo experiments — and monolaurin can destroy lipid-coated viruses, including influenza. Lauric acid, however does not have these properties as strongly as monolaurin. When ingesting coconut oil, only a small percentage—an estimated 3%--of the lauric acid will be transformed by the body into the active monolauric acid. This has been shown to elevate the body’s overall immunity to some degree.

Though there were many companies selling this as a dietery suppliment, now monolaurin has been recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is known for its antimicrobial properties. If used in combination with other antimicrobial agents, monolaurin can present an effective barrier to microorganisms.

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

The findings are really interesting :

1. Monolaurin combined with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)，a binding agent, was effective against Esherichia coliand Bacillus subtilis but not Staphylococcus aureus.

2. When combined with the antimicrobial nisin, monolaurin was synergistically effective against all three bacteria.

3. Antibacterial effectiveness was reduced by fat or starch but was not affected by protein.

Congrats for this achievement...

Ref : http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002122

Podophyllotoxin in American Mayapple ?

A common plant called American mayapple (see the picture) may soon offer an alternative to an Asian cousin that's been harvested almost to extinction because of its anti-cancer properties. The near-extinct Asian plant, Podophyllyum emodi, produces podophyllotoxin (see the structure), a compound used in manufacturing etoposide, the active ingredient in a drug used for treating lung and testicular cancer. Podophyllyum emodi is a cousin of the common mayapple, sometimes considered a weed, found in the United States.

Podophyllotoxin and its derivatives are used in several commercially available pharmaceutical products such as the anticancer drugs etoposide, teniposide, and etopophos, which are used in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer, lymphoblastic leukemia, testicular cancer, and brain tumors. Podophyllotixin derivatives are also used for the treatment of psoriasis and malaria, and some are being tested for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, podophyllotoxin is produced commercially using the roots and rhizomes of Indian mayapple, an endangered species harvested from the wild in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and China.

Now the researchers from the US, found that mayapple colonies in the eastern part of the United States can be used for the development of high podophyllotoxin cultivars, which could subsequently provide the base for commercial production of podophyllotoxin in the United States.

Ref : http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/44/2/349

Link Between Protein And Lung Disease Found

Link Between Protein And Lung Disease Found

Shared via AddThis

House plants to cut Indoor Ozone !

We know that ozone, the main component of air pollution or smog, is a highly reactive, colorless gas formed when oxygen reacts with other chemicals. And ozone pollution is most often associated with outdoor air, the gas also infiltrates indoor environments like homes and offices. And that is why those who have allergy like 'morning sneeze' will be advised by doctors to avoid going outside early in the morning and one can follow this advise sincerely. But when I read in an article that ozone can be released by ordinary copy machines (xerox machines), laser printers, ultraviolet lights, and some electrostatic air purification systems, all of which contribute to increased indoor ozone levels, I got an answer for one of my freind's problem.

We are aware that the extensive list of toxic effects of ozone on humans are pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, inflammation, and reduction of lung function. So I was wondering how one can take care of themselves even by staying in house (avoiding morning walk) ?.

Recently I found this interesting fact that three common indoor houseplants (see pictures), snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), and golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) can reduce the ozone concentrations effectively.

Hope plants as a mitigation method could serve as a cost-effective tool, where expensive pollution mitigation technology may not be economically feasible in the days to come....

Ref : http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/2/286