ARE BED BUGS ATTRACTED TO YOUR COLOURS?

A new study finds that bedbugs just like flies and other insects have favourite colours.

Researchers placed bedbugs in Petri dishes that contained little bug-sized tents made of different coloured paper. The bugs quickly crawled to the shelter, just as you would expect for insects that spend 90% of their lives hiding in cracks and crevices. But when given the chance, they gravitated toward the tents that were black and red instead of the white, yellow or green shelters.

These apple seed-sized insects probably instinctively prefer black and red shelters over white and yellow ones because they offer better protection from predators such as ants and spiders.

Bedbugs might also gravitate to black and red shelters because they mistake the colors for fellow bedbugs, and they generally like to stick together for protection.

Another reason could be that bright colors make the insects more exposed to light, and the more exposed these insects are, the more they lose water, and if they lose too much, they will die or have to feed again.

Before you invest in a new set of luggage, there are probably better ways to keep bedbugs out of your home

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RICE, ARSENIC AND CHILDREN

Scientific evidence is pointing to an alarming link between inorganic arsenic in brown and white rice and harm to children's immune systems and intellectual development.

Concentrations of arsenic were twice as high in the urine of infants who ate white or brown rice than those who ate no rice, according to research published recently. Arsenic levels were highest in babies who ate rice cereal, often given several times a day to introduce babies to solids.

Arsenic is a heavy metal which is a natural component of the earth's crust. It exists in compounds that may be organic or inorganic. It is highly toxic in its inorganic form. Toxicity is due to arsenic's effect on many cell enzymes, which affect metabolism and DNA repair. Arsenic is excreted in urine but can also accumulate in many body tissues.

Arsenic is a natural element found in soil, water and air, with the inorganic form being the most toxic. ("Inorganic" is a chemical term and has nothing to do with the method of farming.) Because rice is grown in water, it is especially good at absorbing inorganic arsenic and, according to the Food and Drug Administration, has the highest concentration of any food. If you think it's only imported rice, think twice.

Arsenic is a known carcinogen that can influence risk of heart, immune and other diseases. Other studies have looked at how inorganic arsenic exposure in womb could alter a baby's immune system. A study of levels of arsenic in pregnant women who ate rice products found that even low levels of exposure to inorganic arsenic in womb were related to infant respiratory infections in the first four months of life. Babies exposed to the highest levels were associated with severe infections that needed antibiotics to resolve.

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NIGHT SHIFT LINKED TO INCREASED HEART DISEASES

Night shifts can cause heart disease, and this raised risk appears to be free of obvious causes such as an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, researchers reported.

They found nurses who worked rotating night shifts for 10 years or longer had a 15 percent or higher increased risk of coronary heart disease compared to women who escaped night shift duty.

"There are a number of known risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and elevated body mass index," said Celine Vetter of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who led the study.

It's probably related to disrupted biological rhythms, the researchers said, or perhaps shift work wreaks havoc on peoples' social networks.

The effect appears to wear off after a woman quits doing night shifts, the team found. And the risk, while real, is overall a small one.

The study also indicates that night shifts hurt women in other ways. The longer women worked night shifts, the more weight they gained, on average. Night shift workers tended to be married to men with less education than those on daytime schedules, they were more likely to smoke, less likely to have children and used more painkillers.

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MALARIA KEY FACTS

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. In 2015 an estimated 214 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 438,000 people died, mostly children in the African Region.

Key Facts

The problem

In 2015:

• 214 million cases globally
• 438,000 deaths globally
• 90% of deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa
• 70% of deaths are children under five
• About 3.2 billion people – almost half of the world’s population – are at risk of malaria
• In 2015, 97 countries had on-going malaria transmission
• 80% of estimated malaria cases occur in 15 most affected countries
• 35% of malaria deaths occur in just two countries: Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cost of malaria

• Since 2000 malaria has cost sub-Saharan Africa US$ 300 million each year for case management alone
• Malaria is estimated to cost endemic countries up to 1.3% GDP
• Achieving 2030 targets for malaria control will add an estimated US$ 1.2 trillion to endemic countries’ economies
• Malaria can account for up to 40% of public health spending in the most endemic countries
• Malaria and the costs of treatment trap families in a cycle of illness, suffering and poverty

Progress since 2000

Between 2000 and 2015:

• The malaria mortality rate has fallen by 60% globally
• The number of malaria cases has fallen by 37% globally
• As a result, it is estimated that there has been a cumulative 1.2 billion fewer malaria cases and 6.2 million fewer malaria deaths
• 57 countries reduced malaria incidence by more than 75%, and a further 18 reduced malaria incidence by 50-75%..

Required health expenditure

• In 2014, the global total of international and domestic funding for malaria was US$ 2.5 billion – less than half of what is needed.
• It is estimated that annual investments must increase to US$ 6.4 billion by 2020, then US$ 7.7 billion by 2025, and finally $US 8.7 billion by 2030 – in order to achieve a 90% malaria reduction.

DANGEROUS BEAUTY: HEAVY METALS FOUND IN MANY COSMETICS

Cosmetics, preparations repeatedly applied directly to the human skin, mucous membranes, hair and nails, should be safe for health, however, recently there has been increasing concern about their safety.

Unfortunately, using these products in some cases is related to the occurrence of unfavourable effects resulting from intentional or the accidental presence of chemical substances, including toxic metals.

Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and nickel, as well as aluminium, classified as a light metal, are detected in various types of cosmetics (colour cosmetics, face and body care products, hair cosmetics, herbal cosmetics, etc.). 

Metals occurring in cosmetics may undergo retention and act directly in the skin or be absorbed through the skin into the blood, accumulate in the body and exert toxic effects in various organs.

Some of the specific effects of these metals on human systems are discussed below:

Lead: Lead is a potential impurity in many colour cosmetics, including lipstick. Lead is a well-known and proven neurotoxin that has been linked to learning, language and behavioural problems. Because of this, lead has been eliminated from petrol and paint, which has resulted in considerably reduced exposures in the past several decades.

Lead has been linked to reduced fertility in men and women, hormonal changes and menstrual irregularities. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable because lead crosses the placenta and may enter the foetal brain, and has also been linked to miscarriage.

Pre-adolescents are also at risk as lead has been linked to a delay in the onset of puberty in girls, and the development of testes in boys.

Mercury: Mercury is linked to nervous system poison, as well as reproductive, immune and respiratory harm, and is a recognized environmental health concern. Mercury may also disrupt thyroid hormones. Mercury is particularly hazardous during foetal growth and is readily absorbed by the skin.

Other metals:  Aluminium based compounds vary in their harmfulness, but some are linked to neurotoxicity, growing and reproductive poison, and cancer.

Chromium is strongly linked to immune and respiratory toxicity, as well as systemic toxicity. Animal studies show tumour formation at low doses. 

smoking during pregnancy leaves its lasting mark on the child's genetic make-up

Maternal smoking during pregnancy is harmful to the unborn child as well as the mother. This is a known fact. "For the first time, we can now demonstrate that exposure to tobacco smoke also causes epigenetic changes in enhancers of gene expression," said Irina Lehmann, Environmental Immunologist at the UFZ. These deregulated enhancers are distributed throughout the child's entire genome.

Epigenetic changes form part of countless processes that occur 

during human development. The genetic material functions as a

 blueprint for all cells. In order for different cell types, e.g. liver or 

muscle cells, to develop, certain genes must be activated or 

deactivated at certain times. One of the ways this happens is 

through epigenetic changes which can be disrupted by various 

environmental factors. In their latest study, the group of researchers

 from Leipzig and Heidelberg revealed that epigenetic changes 

related to tobacco smoke increase the risk of children developing 

lung diseases.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

 The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Regular exercise have these seven benefits and more.

1: Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.

 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.

3: Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. 

4: Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.

6: Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise.

 7: Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new.




Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. 

HEALTHY TIPS

When it comes to health there is no quick fix  that will help you become healthy overnight. Being fit and healthy in order to reach a ripe old age takes effort and attention. the following tips are helpful in achieving a healthy life.

1. Drinking an adequate amount of water: eight to 10 glasses every day -- can help keep you hydrated. Many foods are also good sources of water; fruits like oranges, grapefruit, grapes, watermelon, and apples can help keep you healthy and hydrated.

2. Avoid unhealthy snacks:  The snacks that your co-workers so nicely place on their desk can add a few hundred calories to your daily diet if you're not careful, and they can leave you with unwanted pounds if you help yourself day after day. If it's out of sight, it's out of mind, so if you know someone has a candy dish on their desk, walk around his or her desk so you don't feel the temptation.   

3. Exercise: One of the most important things you can do during the day to stay healthy and in shape is to exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability.

4. Balanced diet: Eating a healthy food is an important part of a balanced diet. But eating reasonable portions is an important part of your health. Eat a healthy meal, but also practice portion control so you aren't consuming too many calories.

5. Eat fruits: Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Eat plenty everyday.

Drinking more water associated with numerous dietary benefits, study finds

A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water -- tap water or from a cooler, drinking fountain or bottle -- by 1 percent reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

People who increased their consumption of water by one, two or three cups daily decreased their total energy intake by 68 to 205 calories daily and their sodium intake by 78 to 235 milligrams, according to a paper by University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Ruopeng An. They also consumed 5 grams to nearly 18 grams less sugar and decreased their cholesterol consumption by 7 to 21 milligrams daily.

"The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status," An said. "This finding indicates that it might be sufficient to design and deliver universal nutrition interventions and education campaigns that promote plain water consumption in replacement of beverages with calories in diverse population subgroups without profound concerns about message and strategy customization."


source: sciencedaily.com

New scientific evidence of sexual transmission of the Zika virus

An analysis has shown 100% genetic correlation between the form of the virus present in a man who contracted the virus in Brazil and that of a woman who had never travelled in the epidemic area, but who had sexual relations with him.

A study by researchers from Inserm, the Paris Public Hospitals (Bichat Hospital, AP-HP), Aix-Marseille University, and the National Reference Centre for Arboviruses confirms that the ZIKA virus can be transmitted sexually. Their analyses have shown 100% genetic correlation between the form of the virus present in a man who contracted the virus in Brazil and that of a woman who had never travelled in the epidemic area, but who had sexual relations with him. These results are published in The New England Journal of medicine.

The ZIKA virus, a member of the Flavivirus family, is almost exclusively transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. Although Zika infection usually causes mild symptoms, it can be responsible for severe neurological complications, particularly in the infant of a woman infected while pregnant. Some indications of possible sexual transmission of the virus have been reported before now.

For the first time, and to take things further, French researchers have been able to culture the infecting virus from two people seeking a consultation for suspected ZIKA infection. Specimens of urine, saliva and blood were taken from a man who returned from Brazil, and had contracted the virus there. The same specimens were taken from a sick woman who had sexual relations with this man, but who had never travelled to an epidemic area.

While the virus was detected in the urine and saliva of the woman, analysis of the specimens showed that it was absent from the blood and saliva of the man, making it unlikely that transmission occurred by these routes. The researchers then tested his semen for the virus, and detected high viral loads at 15 days and at 3 weeks after the patient's return from Brazil (approximately 300 million copies/ml).

The virus from both persons was individually sequenced (using a saliva sample from the woman and a semen sample from the man) for genetic analysis. Examination showed 100% correlation between the two genetic sequences. Apart from 4 mutations, all of them "synonymous," the nucleotide sequences both encoded an identical form of the virus.

"Our work confirms, using molecular analyses, that sexual transmission of the ZIKA virus exists, and should be taken into consideration when making recommendations, due to its persistence in the semen several weeks after infection. The period for which men should systematically have protected sexual relations (even oral) needs to be defined," explains Yazdan Yazdanpanah.

source: sciencedaily.com 

   

 

 

 

 

Researchers uncover earliest events following HIV infection, before virus is detectable

When researchers exposed rhesus monkeys to SIV and conducted analyses of the animals on days 0, 1, 3, 7 and 10 following exposure, they found that SIV could disseminate rapidly through the body, with viral RNA (SIV's genetic material) present in at least one tissue outside the reproductive tract in most monkeys analyzed 24 hours after exposure. (stock image)

New research in monkeys exposed to SIV, the animal equivalent of HIV, reveals what happens in the very earliest stages of infection, before virus is even detectable in the blood, which is a critical but difficult period to study in humans. The findings, published online today in the journal Cell, have important implications for vaccine development and other strategies to prevent infection.

"The events during the first few days after exposure to the virus and prior to the initial detection of virus in the blood are critical in determining the course of infection, but this period is essentially impossible to study in humans," said lead author Dan Barouch, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Our study is the most comprehensive evaluation of acute HIV/SIV infection to date."

The study was initiated as part of the National Institutes of Health-funded Consortium for AIDS Vaccine Research and involved multiple collaborating laboratories, including those headed by Rafick-Pierre Sekaly, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University and Jeffrey Lifson, MD, of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.

When Barouch and his colleagues exposed 44 rhesus monkeys to SIV and conducted analyses of the animals on days 0, 1, 3, 7 and 10 following exposure, they found that SIV could disseminate rapidly through the body, with viral RNA (SIV's genetic material) present in at least one tissue outside the reproductive tract in most monkeys analyzed 24 hours after exposure.

"In addition to rapid viral dissemination, the virus triggered a local inflammatory response that appears to suppress antiviral innate and adaptive immunity, thus potentially augmenting its own replication," explained Barouch. "These data provide important insights into the earliest events of infection."

The inflammatory response occurred in virus-infected tissues soon after exposure to SIV, and increasing amounts of viral RNA correlated with rising amounts of a host protein called NLRX1, which inhibits antiviral immune responses. In addition, the TGF-beta cell-signaling pathway, which suppresses adaptive immune responses, was triggered and correlated with lower levels of antiviral T immune cell responses, as well as higher levels of SIV replication. The researchers observed elevated expression of genes in the TGF-beta pathway in tissues that contained viral RNA as early as day 1 after exposure to the virus.

The findings suggest that there may be a very narrow window of opportunity to contain or eliminate the virus. HIV prevention strategies should take these factors into account. "We believe that these insights into early HIV/SIV infection will be critical for the development of interventions to block infection, such as vaccines, antibodies, microbicides and drugs," Barouch said. "The next step in this line of research is to evaluate how various interventions may impact these early events."

source: sciencedaily.com

Liver disease risk increased by type 2 diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of serious liver disease than those without the condition, new research has shown.

Researchers warn that hospital admissions and deaths caused by liver disease are likely to rise if cases of type 2 diabetes continue to increase at current rates.

The team, involving researchers from the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh, examined cases of liver diseases among people with diabetes from anonymised, securely linked hospital records and death records in Scotland over a 10 year period.

They found that most cases of liver disease in people with type 2 diabetes are not alcohol-related but caused by a build-up of fat within liver cells -- a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

NAFLD is commonly linked to obesity, which is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Most people can avoid getting these conditions by following a healthy diet and taking regular exercise.

The research team found that men with type 2 diabetes are three times more likely to suffer from NAFLD than men without diabetes.

There are fewer cases of type 2 diabetes and liver disease amongst women but having type 2 diabetes increases the risk of NAFLD by five times, the study found.

Treatment options for NAFLD -- which increases the risk of life-threatening complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer -- are limited.

source: sciencedaily.com