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Rooney a winner when picking X Factor champs, says wife
London, Oct.15 ANI: England footballer Wayne Rooney is a winner when it comes to picking X Factor champions, his wife Coleen claims.The Manchester United star has predicted the last two winners and this year has tipped stunning Alexandra Burke to walk away with the crown. With judge Simon Cowell claiming he already knows who will win the show, Wayne, 22, has singled out the bookies' choice to get the public vote. Having just missed out on appearing in the finals in 2005 Alex, 20, has returned for a second time and is now 3/1 favourite to win. She sang Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody in Saturday's first live show, winning over the judges. Having watched X Factor for the past two years, Coleen reckons she is terrible at picking a winner - but her new hubby has an eye for talent. The Sun quoted Coleen, 22, as saying: "We love watching the show and he picked out Leona two years ago from watching her very first audition. Then he tipped Leon to beat Rhydian in the final. "I wouldn't have a clue who is going to win this year. I like Laura and Diana but Wayne is confident it's Alex." ANI read more
Surfing the net boosts brain health
Washington, October 15 ANI: Web search activity may be helpful in stimulating and possibly improving brain function, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA observed middle-aged or older web-savvy people as they used search engines, and found that the activity triggered key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.Published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, this is the first study to demonstrate the impact of Internet searching on the performance of the brain. "The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults. Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function," said principal investigator Dr. Gary Small, a professor at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA who holds UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging.The researcher said that structural and functional changes occurring in an aging brain could impair cognitive function, but it could be avoided by pursuing such activities as keep the mind engaged. While crossword puzzles were traditionally used for the purpose, scientists were assessing the influence of computer and Internet use these days, according to the researcher. For their study, the researchers worked with 24 neurologically normal research volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. Half of the study participants were experienced Internet users, while the other half were not. Age, educational level, and gender were similar between the two groups. The participants performed Web searches and book-reading tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging fMRI scans, which recorded the subtle brain-circuitry changes experienced during these activities. All study participants showed significant brain activity during the book-reading task, demonstrating use of the regions controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities, which are located in the temporal, parietal, occipital and other areas of the brain. Internet searches revealed a major difference between the two groups. While all participants demonstrated the same brain activity that was seen during the book-reading task, the web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning. "Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading - but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small, who is also the director of UCLA's Memory and Aging Research Center. The volunteers who had prior experience of web searching registered a twofold increased in brain activation as compared to those with little Internet experience. According to the researchers, people have to make decisions about what to click on to pursue more information on the Internet, which engages important cognitive circuits in the brain. "A simple, everyday task like searching the Web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older," Small said. Small added that the minimal brain activation found in the less experienced Internet group may be due to participants not quite grasping the strategies needed to successfully engage in an Internet search, which is common while learning a new activity."With more time on the Internet, they may demonstrate the same brain activation patterns as the more experienced group," he said. He said that further studies would address both the positive and negative influences of emerging technologies on the aging brain. ANI read moreHow red wine protects alcoholics from fatty livers
Washington, Oct 15 ANI: Consumption of resveratrol, the compound often associated with the health benefits of red wine, can help prevent accumulation of fat in the liver which happens due to chronic alcohol consumption, according to a new study in mice. Resveratrol is present in grapes, peanuts, berries and in red wine.The research found that resveratrol reduced the amount of fat produced in the liver of mice fed alcohol and, at the same time, increased the rate at which fat within the liver is broken down. Chronic alcohol consumption causes fat to accumulate and can lead to liver diseases, including cirrhosis and fibrosis of the liver. It can also result in liver failure. The study points to resveratrol as a possible treatment for alcoholic fatty liver disease, and as a way to prevent the disease in those who are at risk, but have not developed it.The study, "Resveratrol alleviates alcoholic fatty liver in mice," was carried out by Joanne M. Ajmo, Xiaomei Liang, Christopher Q. Rogers, Brandi Pennock and Min You, all of the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, Tampa. The study appears in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society.The study builds on previous research, which suggests that alcohol inhibits two molecules that play a role in cell signaling and the breakdown of fats in the liver: AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK and sirtuin 1 SIRT1. When alcohol inactivates AMPK and SIRT1, it allows fat to accumulate. Resveratrol does the opposite - activating AMPK and SIRT1, and helping to clear out fat. In the latest study, the authors wanted to find out more about how this happens, at the molecular level. They divided mice into groups and fed all of them a low-fat diet. Some mice had resveratrol in their diet, some had resveratrol plus ethanol alcohol, some had ethanol alone and some had neither ethanol nor resveratrol. The researchers used two different dose levels of resveratrol. At the end of the experiment, they examined the livers of the mice.The researchers found, as they had expected, that resveratrol treatment increased the expression of SIRT1 and stimulated the activity of AMPK in the livers of mice fed alcohol. They further found that the increased expression of SIRT1 and AMPK led to reduction of sterol regulatory element binding protein SREBP-1, activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator alpha PGC-1a, elevation of circulating adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat cells, which helps control obesity and enhanced expression of adiponectin receptors in the liver, which increases the effectiveness of the circulating adiponectin.The findings suggest that resveratrol prevents alcoholic fatty liver by coordinating molecules that control fat metabolism. This prevents accumulation of fat in the mouse liver by both reducing the production of fat and burning off the fat that is there. Interestingly, the combination of alcohol with resveratrol appears to enhance the positive effects of resveratrol, said Dr. You, the study's senior author. ANI read moreSteroid-antibiotic combo may help in quick recovery from pne
Washington, Oct 15 ANI: A combination of corticosteroids with traditional antimicrobial therapy may help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, say UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists.Corticosteroids are often used to treat inflammation related to infectious diseases, such as bacterial meningitis, but they have been rendered ineffective in case of other infectious diseases.In a new study, scientists have shown that mice with a type of severe bacterial pneumonia, when treated with steroids and antibiotics recovered faster.The steroid treated mice had far less inflammation in their lungs than mice treated with antibiotics alone."Some people might think that if you give steroids, it would counteract the effect of the antibiotic. But it turns out you need the antibiotic to kill the bug and the steroid to make the inflammation in the lung from the infection get better. The steroids don't kill the bugs, but they do help restore health," said Dr. Robert Hardy, associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics and the study's senior author. For the study, the researchers gave a daily treatment of a placebo, an antibiotic, a steroid, or a combination of the antibiotic and steroid to mice infected with the M pneumoniae bacterium. The animals were then evaluated after one, three and six days of therapy."It turns out that the group that got both the antibiotic and the steroids did the best. The inflammation in their lungs got significantly better," said Hardy .While antimicrobials have been the primary therapy for M pneumoniae infection, many physicians have tried adding steroids to the treatment regimen of patients with severe cases. But, Hardy said that the problem is that those were individual case reports."They never had a control group, so it was impossible to tell what impact the addition of steroids had on recovery," he said.The new findings suggest that giving antibiotics with steroids can help individuals with pneumonia get better faster.Also, the research suggests a potentially more effective therapy for someone in the midst of an asthma attack due to M pneumoniae infection. The study is available online and in a future issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. ANI read moreTwo new genes discovered in type1 diabetes genetic puzzle
Washington, Oct 15 ANI: In a pursuit to reveal pieces of the complicated genetic puzzle behind type1 diabetes, scientists have found two novel gene locations that raise the risk for the disease.The discovery of the genes at those locations, UBASH2A, on chromosome 21, and BACH2, on chromosome 6, may help the researchers to improve predictive tests and devise preventive strategies to fight the disease."As we add to our knowledge of the biology of type 1 diabetes and better understand details of the disease's genetic risk, we will be able to develop better diagnostic tests that meaningfully predict who will develop diabetes," said study leader Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.In the last two years, scientists have used highly automated, sophisticated gene-scanning tools to locate genes involved in Type 1 diabetes.In the current study, researchers focussed their search in DNA samples of thousands of patients, family members and control subjects from Philadelphia, other parts of North America, Canada, Europe and Australia. The genotyping work identified two new gene locations associated with type 1 diabetes.The researchers observed that the genes at those locations, UBASH2A, on chromosome 21, and BACH2, on chromosome 6, were active in immune cells that play key roles in autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes. "Much work remains to be done to discover exactly how these genes may function in molecular pathways involved in diabetes, but the genes are apparently biologically relevant to the disease," said Hakonarson.Hakonarson expects that increasingly advanced genotyping technology will reveal the remaining undiscovered genes that contribute to type 1 diabetes.The study appeared in the recent issue of Diabetes, the journal of the American Diabetes Association. ANI read moreWorld's oldest fossil impression of a flying insect discover
Washington, Oct 15 ANI: Scientists have found what they believe to be the world's oldest whole-body fossil impression of a flying insect in the US, dating back to 300 million years.Richard J. Knecht and Jake Benner from the Tuft University found the fossil in a wooded field behind a strip mall in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.With chisels and hammers, the team reached the shale and sandstone outcropping. There, they delicately picked away pieces of rock before reaching a section that yielded fossils. Just below the surface, they uncovered a fossilized impression of a flying insect.It was not just any fossil. According to Knecht, it is the world's oldest known full-body impression of a primitive flying insect, a 300 million-year-old specimen from the Carboniferous Period. It is a rare find in the specialized world of ichnology, which is the study of fossilized animal tracks, impressions and trails to investigate behavior. Knecht said that a preserved full-body impression of a flying insect from this or any previous period has never been discovered.The fossil, according to Benner, "captures a moment in time over 300 million years ago when a flying insect just happened to land on a damp, muddy surface leaving almost a perfect impression of its body behind."The North Attleboro fossil will provide researchers with evidence of how it moved once it landed on a surface, as well as its stance, position of its legs and details about its abdomen and thorax.The impression is about three inches long and is imprinted on the flat side of a rock. The impression does not contain direct evidence of the insect having wings, but Knecht and Benner say evidence suggests that it was a winged insect. According to Benner, the insect's anatomy and body plan are consistent with those of primitive flying insects. He also points out that "there are no walking tracks leading up to the body impression, indicating that it came from above."Michael S. Engel, a leading entomologist at the University of Kansas, who is working with Knecht and Benner to study the insect, said that a preliminary inspection of the anatomy indicates that it may be related to the common mayfly. "We can tell from the imprint that it has a very squat position when it lands," he said. "Its legs are sprawled and its belly is pressed down. The only group that does that today is the mayfly," he added. Identifying the insect will also help the researchers to gain knowledge about the ecosystem of that period and what type of animals lived in it. ANI read moreElection Commission buys more time on J-K polls
Srinagar/Jammu, Oct 15 ANI: Politicians and residents have given mixed reactions to the Election Commission's decision to buy more time to decide on the poll dates in Jammu and Kashmir. Leaders of the state's National Conference party backed the decision. "I think it is a right decision because Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state. Here, whenever elections are held it should be credible one. There is no doubt that the security situation is improving, but the Election Commission should ensure that there should be people participation as only when people participation is there we will consider elections as credible," said Raheem Rather, a senior leader of National Conference.Meanwhile, residents in Jammu said the independent poll panel's decision reflected the weakness of the Central Government. "The Congress Government has come under pressure of the militants. The process was supposed to begin but now if it is delayed it will be postponed by five-six months, as now snowfall will begin. People who want democracy will now be disappointed," S. Wazir, a resident. The Election Commission on Tuesday said it was still discussing an election date for as it announced dates for polls in five other states. The polling in Delhi and Mizoram will be held on November 29 and in Madhya Pradesh on November 25. In Chhattisgarh, polling will be held in two phases on November 14 and 20 while polling will take place on December 4 in Rajasthan. All the results will be declared on December 8. ANI read moreMum of American arrested in Pakistan says it's a misundersta
North Carolina US, Oct.15 ANI: The mother of a 20-year-old American college student detained by Pakistani officials in the restive tribal region along the Afghanistan border, has told FOX News that her son's incarceration is a case of "misunderstanding."The North Carolina woman, who identified herself as the mother of Jude Kenan, said that she recently contacted her son."I'm OK and he's OK. I don't understand. There must be a misunderstanding because my son is just fine. I'd rather not talk about it," she said.Pakistani officials said they picked up a man on Sunday who identified himself as a Florida college student in the region to visit a friend. The man was arrested at a checkpoint in the Mohmand Agency region of North Waziristan, considered a possible hiding place for Usama bin Laden.A U.S. official confirmed to FOX News that the name of the 20-year-old being held in Pakistan is Jude Kenan Mohammad, not Juddi Kenan, as previously reported. Officials told FOX News that Mohammad is part of an ongoing FBI investigation, though he has yet to meet with anyone from the U.S. government, which hasn't been able to confirm any ties to terrorism.Pakistani diplomatic sources told FOX News that the man holds both Pakistani and American passports, and said he has been released after officials interrogated him and found no connection to terror groups in the region.Kenan was reportedly picked up for traveling in the region without government permission, which is required of foreigners in the war-torn area.He is believed to have been carrying a laptop, maps and CDs and wearing traditional Pakistani clothing at the time of his arrest. ANI read moreFor the first time, FBI admits Texas murder was a case of ho
Austin Texas, Oct.15 ANI: The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has finally admitted after almost a year that the murder of two teenage girls by their father is a case of "honor killing."Sarah Said, 17, and her sister Amina, 18, were killed on New Year's Day, and were found in the back seat of a taxicab in Texas.But for nine months, the FBI deflected questions about whether their father - the prime suspect and the subject of a nationwide manhunt - may have targeted them because of a perceived slight upon his honor.According to Fox News, the girls' great-aunt, Gail Gartrell, says the girls' Egyptian-born father killed them both because he felt they disgraced the family by dating non-Muslims and acting too Western, and she called the girls' murders an honor killing from the start.But some Muslims say that calling the case an honor killing goes too far."As far as we're concerned, until the motive is proven in a court of law, this is just a homicide," Mustafaa Carroll, the executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations in Dallas, told FOXNews.com.He said he worries that terms like "honor killing" may stigmatize the Islamic community. "We Muslims don't have the market on jealous husbands ... or domestic violence," Carroll said.The United Nations estimates that 5,000 women are killed worldwide every year in honor killings - mostly in the Middle East, where many countries still have laws that protect men who murder female relatives they believe have engaged in inappropriate activity. A U.N. report includes chilling examples of such cases.Their friends and classmates knew many of the threats against Sarah and Amina. High school friends told the Dallas Morning News that the girls sometimes came in with welts and bruises, which they confided were inflicted by their father. After Yaser Said threatened to kill one daughter in December 2007 - documented in text messages Sarah Said sent to a friend - the girls and their mother, Patricia, fled from their home in Lewisville, Texas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the mother soon had a change of heart and went back, leading to the tragedy on January 1. Some, including Gartrell, believe the mother may even have been complicit in the murders.An FBI spokesman played down the significance of the listing, saying that the change on the wanted listing was simply due to more information coming out about the case since it was first listed and that it shouldn't matter what the case is called. ANI read moreEgyptian Qaeda suspect and family win right to stay in UK
London, Oct.15 ANI: An Egyptian al-Qaeda suspect and his family have won permission to live in Britain - and claim hundreds in benefits a month. According to The Sun, the British Government has granted Hany Youssef "discretionary leave to remain", even as the Home Office admits he is on a UN list of people "belonging to or linked" to the terror group.The decision means he can stay in Britain with his wife and five kids up to 2011. He is also free to claim housing benefit, child tax credits and Jobseekers' Allowance. They have already been living in a house in Hammersmith, West London, at taxpayers' expense. Youssef came here in 1994 and applied for asylum. He was held briefly in 1999 under anti-terror laws and Tony Blair said it was "crazy" he could not be deported. Youssef received damages in 2004 after the High Court ruled he was unlawfully detained. The Home Office twice apologised for delays dealing with his application. ANI read more| << < ... 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 ... > >> | ||
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