173 posts · 28,022 views
I am the owner and editor of SayPeople.com; Science, technology, research, business and Islamic blog. I completed my M. Phil. in Pharmaceutics in 2008.
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- May 16, 2013
- 12:07 PM
- 28 views
Good News or Bad News - Skin cancer and Alzheimer’s disease
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have found that the people, who develop skin cancer, may have less chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the older ages.
Published in:
Neurology
Study Further:
Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder that affects the brain and causes dementia, especially late in life.
In this new study, researchers worked on 1,102 volunteers with an average age of 79. They were studied for about 3.7 years. In the beginning of the study, 109 peop........ Read more »
White, R., Lipton, R., Hall, C., & Steinerman, J. (2013) Nonmelanoma skin cancer is associated with reduced Alzheimer disease risk. Neurology, 80(21), 1966-1972. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182941990
- May 15, 2013
- 12:09 PM
- 48 views
Why women live longer than men?
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have found that the immune system of the women declines more slowly than men and this could be one of the reasons for the longer life of women - at least in Japan.
Published in:
Immunity & Ageing
Study Further:
Immune system is the system that recognizes and opposes disease. In the new study, researchers have reported that with the passage of time, men’s ability to oppose the disease decrease more rapidly as compared to women, resulting in increased w........ Read more »
Hirokawa, K., Utsuyama, M., Hayashi, Y., Kitagawa, M., Makinodan, T., & Fulop, T. (2013) Slower immune system ageing in women versus men in the Japanese population. Immunity , 10(1), 19. DOI: 10.1186/1742-4933-10-19
- May 14, 2013
- 11:45 AM
- 45 views
“Human frontal lobes are exactly the size expected for a non-human brain scaled up to human size”
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have found that the size of the frontal lobes of the brain is not the only crucial factor of human intelligence.
Published in:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Study Further:
Frontal lobes, as the name suggest, are present at the front of each cerebral hemisphere - either of the two symmetrical halves of the front part of the brain.
Researchers have reported in the new study that size of the brain’s frontal lobe is not the onl........ Read more »
Barton, R., & Venditti, C. (2013) Human frontal lobes are not relatively large. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1215723110
- May 14, 2013
- 10:06 AM
- 31 views
First ever discovery of an alien planet with the help of Einstein's Theory of Relativity
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Scientists have found, for the first time, an alien planet, dubbed as "Einstein's planet", with the help of the Einstein's Theory of Relativity.
Published in:
The Astrophysical Journal
Study Further:
"Einstein's planet" is officially called as Kepler-76b and is the first planet found by this method. It is the latest of the 800 planets located beyond our Solar System.
This planet is 25% larger than Jupiter and is two times of its we........ Read more »
Simchon Faigler, Lev Tal-Or, Tsevi Mazeh, Dave W. Latham, & Lars A. Buchhave. (2013) BEER analysis of Kepler and CoRoT light curves: I. Discovery of Kepler-76b: A hot Jupiter with evidence for superrotation. The Astrophysical Journal. arXiv: 1304.6841v3
- May 13, 2013
- 02:06 PM
- 36 views
Earth's central part is rotating differently than the rest of the planet
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Scientists have found that the inner-core of the Earth rotates at a different and variable rate than the mantle - the central part of the Earth or another planet that is present between the core and the crust.
Published in:
Nature Geoscience
Study Further:
Scientists observed earthquake doublets - pairs of nearly identical earthquakes that can occur a couple of weeks to 30 or 40 years apart - over the last 5 decades to find the speed of the inner-core of the Earth.
........ Read more »
Tkalčić, H., Young, M., Bodin, T., Ngo, S., & Sambridge, M. (2013) The shuffling rotation of the Earth’s inner core revealed by earthquake doublets. Nature Geoscience. DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1813
- May 13, 2013
- 11:12 AM
- 31 views
A huge amount of DNA may not be needed for the creation of complex life
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Nearly 98% of junk DNA is present in the body and scientists have found that they may not be needed for the creation of complex life.
Published in:
Nature
Study Further:
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the substance in the living beings that carry genetic information that passes from one generation to the next generation.
The term “junk DNA” refers to the “noncoding DNA” and a huge amount of such DNAs have no known biological function in the b........ Read more »
Ibarra-Laclette, E., Lyons, E., Hernández-Guzmán, G., Pérez-Torres, C., Carretero-Paulet, L., Chang, T., Lan, T., Welch, A., Juárez, M., Simpson, J.... (2013) Architecture and evolution of a minute plant genome. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature12132
- May 12, 2013
- 08:35 AM
- 37 views
Electromicrobiology - One of the rapidly rising scientific fields
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Introduction:
Electromicrobiology is one of the rising subjects in the field of science. It combines the technology with biology.
In this subject, initially scientists found the transmission of electrical signals between the microbes. On a further note, in this subject, we study about the complex interaction between the microorganisms and technological devices while considering the novel electrical properties of the microorganisms i.e. accepting or donating the electrons from electrodes wi........ Read more »
Lovley, D. (2012) Electromicrobiology. Annual Review of Microbiology, 66(1), 391-409. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-092611-150104
- May 11, 2013
- 03:34 AM
- 41 views
Young blood can breathe fresh life in older ones
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have found that blood of youngsters can rejuvenate the heart of the old ones - at least in mice.
Published in:
Cell
Study Further:
Previously, researchers found that the blood from the young mice could rejuvenate the brain of the older mice. (Nature, doi:10.1038/nature10357).
In the new study, researchers worked on two mice; one was 2-month-old and the other was 23-month-old having cardiac hypertrophy - a condition in which the heart muscle thickens lead........ Read more »
Loffredo, F., Steinhauser, M., Jay, S., Gannon, J., Pancoast, J., Yalamanchi, P., Sinha, M., Dall’Osso, C., Khong, D., Shadrach, J.... (2013) Growth Differentiation Factor 11 Is a Circulating Factor that Reverses Age-Related Cardiac Hypertrophy. Cell, 153(4), 828-839. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.04.015
- May 10, 2013
- 10:59 AM
- 37 views
Autism results in enhanced motion sensitivity in the patients
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers found that the children with autism are twice as fast as the normal children of their age in the sensitivity of motion.
Published in:
Journal of Neuroscience
Study Further:
Previously, researchers found that the autistic people have enhanced visual abilities with still images. Now, this is the first study to show that they are also highly sensitive to the motion.
In this study, researchers exposed the children to the brief video clips of moving black and........ Read more »
Foss-Feig, J., Tadin, D., Schauder, K., & Cascio, C. (2013) A Substantial and Unexpected Enhancement of Motion Perception in Autism. Journal of Neuroscience, 33(19), 8243-8249. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1608-12.2013
- May 8, 2013
- 11:11 AM
- 48 views
Plants may communicate through some mysterious signals (possibly sound waves)
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have reported that a good neighborhood is important for the better growth of the plants as they could talk with each other possibly through sound waves in addition to other mechanisms.
Published in:
BMC Ecology
Study Further:
It was already found that plants could communicate with each other through shade, aromatic chemicals, and physical touch that is important in better growth, and protection from diseases and invaders such as bees.
Now researchers hav........ Read more »
Gagliano M, & Renton M. (2013) Love thy neighbour: facilitation through an alternative signalling modality in plants. BMC ecology, 13(1), 19. PMID: 23647722
- May 7, 2013
- 09:54 AM
- 33 views
“Dynamic” Heroin Vaccine worked effectively in preclinical studies
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
Scientists have successfully tested the “dynamic” vaccine against heroin in rats that prevents the heroin and its metabolic products in the body from reaching the brain. This vaccine is ready to be tested in human beings.
Published in:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Study Further:
Heroin addiction affects more than 10 million people globally and the development of such vaccine is really a part of success against such addition.
“The effe........ Read more »
Schlosburg, J., Vendruscolo, L., Bremer, P., Lockner, J., Wade, C., Nunes, A., Stowe, G., Edwards, S., Janda, K., & Koob, G. (2013) Dynamic vaccine blocks relapse to compulsive intake of heroin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219159110
- May 6, 2013
- 04:09 AM
- 41 views
Nearly 20% of all cancers are caused by the mutation in BAF protein complex
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Points:
Researchers have found a group of proteins, BAF complexes that are mutated in nearly 20% of the cancer cases in human beings. They are think that such protein complexes can play an important role in preventing many forms of cancer.
Published in:
Nature Genetics
Study Further:
Researchers worked on the complex, called BAF, also known as chromatin-regulatory complexes. Role of these complexes is in the condensation of the DNA while allowing the replication temporarily a........ Read more »
Kadoch, C., Hargreaves, D., Hodges, C., Elias, L., Ho, L., Ranish, J., & Crabtree, G. (2013) Proteomic and bioinformatic analysis of mammalian SWI/SNF complexes identifies extensive roles in human malignancy. Nature Genetics. DOI: 10.1038/ng.2628
- May 5, 2013
- 08:48 AM
- 44 views
Potential treatment for a condition of inflammatory hair loss
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
Researchers reported, last year, that the topical use of calcipotriol, a synthetic derivative of vitamin D, could help in significant recovery from a condition of inflammatory hair loss known as Alopecia areata.
Published in:
Annals of Dermatology
Study Further:
Vitamin D is important in immune modulation in the skin while working on calcium regulation and bone metabolism. Alopecia areata has commonly been reported in the patients of vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D-res........ Read more »
Kim, D., Lee, J., Kim, I., Choi, S., Lim, Y., Kim, H., Kim, B., & Kim, M. (2012) Successful Treatment of Alopecia Areata with Topical Calcipotriol. Annals of Dermatology, 24(3), 341. DOI: 10.5021/ad.2012.24.3.341
- May 5, 2013
- 01:21 AM
- 57 views
Reversal of Gray hair and Vitiligo at the root level
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Points:
Gray hair comes as a result of hydrogen peroxide accumulation in the hair follicles and the newly reported topical UVB-activated, pseudocatalase (PC-KUS) can help against the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide at the root level.
Published in:
The FASEB Journal
Study Further:
"To date, it is beyond any doubt that the sudden loss of the inherited skin and localized hair color can affect those individuals in many fundamental ways," Karin U. Schallreuter, M.D., s........ Read more »
Schallreuter, K., Salem, M., Holtz, S., & Panske, A. (2013) Basic evidence for epidermal H2O2/ONOO--mediated oxidation/nitration in segmental vitiligo is supported by repigmentation of skin and eyelashes after reduction of epidermal H2O2 with topical NB-UVB-activated pseudocatalase PC-KUS. The FASEB Journal. DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-226779
- May 4, 2013
- 11:13 AM
- 53 views
PlayStation could result lesions on fingers
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
In 2010, researchers reported the finding of asymptomatic pigmented macules on the index fingers of a 16-year old boy.
Published in:
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology
Study Further:
Macule refers to the small pigmented spot on the skin that is neither raised nor depressed.
Researchers found that the macules on the fingers of the boy showed “parallel ridge pattern of homogenous reddish-brown pigment.” Researchers wrote, “Although the parallel ........ Read more »
Robertson, S., Leonard, J., & Chamberlain, A. (2010) PlayStation® purpura. Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 51(3), 220-222. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-0960.2010.00652.x
- May 2, 2013
- 09:40 AM
- 58 views
Leo P, newly discovered dwarf galaxy near our Milky Way
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main points:
Scientists have found a new dwarf galaxy, dubbed Leo P, near our Milky Way. This galaxy is present about five to six million light-years away from Milky Way.
Journal:
The Astronomical Journal
Study Further:
Astronomers found this galaxy with Arecibo Observatory radio telescope in Puerto Rico and first considered it as a cloud of hydrogen gas. Later they confirmed the finding with optical telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
Leo P is one of the l........ Read more »
Rhode, K., Salzer, J., Haurberg, N., Van Sistine, A., Young, M., Haynes, M., Giovanelli, R., Cannon, J., Skillman, E., McQuinn, K.... (2013) ALFALFA DISCOVERY OF THE NEARBY GAS-RICH DWARF GALAXY LEO P. II. OPTICAL IMAGING OBSERVATIONS. The Astronomical Journal, 145(6), 149. DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/145/6/149
- May 1, 2013
- 06:38 AM
- 54 views
Marijuana ingredients can help against HIV-1 infection
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
Treatment strategies against HIV-1 infection could be enhanced by the use of marijuana derivatives.
Journal:
Journal of Leukocyte Biology
Study Further:
Technically speaking, researchers have found that the compounds that stimulate the cannabinoid type-2 (CB2) receptor in white blood cells, particularly in macrophages, can reduce the severity of HIV-1 infection. CB2 is responsible for showing the effects of cannabis.
"The synthetic compounds we used in our stud........ Read more »
Ramirez, S., Reichenbach, N., Fan, S., Rom, S., Merkel, S., Wang, X., Ho, W., & Persidsky, Y. (2013) Attenuation of HIV-1 replication in macrophages by cannabinoid receptor 2 agonists. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 93(5), 801-810. DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1012523
- May 1, 2013
- 03:52 AM
- 56 views
Depression is not much common in U.S. as said
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
Researcher has found that over-diagnosis and over-treatment of depression is common in Americans.
Journal:
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
Study Further:
"Depression over-diagnosis and over-treatment is common in the U.S. and frankly the numbers are staggering," said Ramin J. Mojtabai, PhD, author of the study and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health.
Researcher, in this study, worked on 5,639 participants wi........ Read more »
Mojtabai, R. (2013) Clinician-Identified Depression in Community Settings: Concordance with Structured-Interview Diagnoses. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 82(3), 161-169. DOI: 10.1159/000345968
- April 29, 2013
- 10:30 AM
- 68 views
Belief in God enhances psychiatric treatment
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have found that higher belief in God positively affects the treatment strategy of the people with psychiatric disorders.
Journal:
Journal of Affective Disorders
Study Further:
"Our work suggests that people with a moderate to high level of belief in a higher power do significantly better in short-term psychiatric treatment than those without, regardless of their religious affiliation. Belief was associated with not only improved psychological wellbeing, but........ Read more »
Rosmarin DH, Bigda-Peyton JS, Kertz SJ, Smith N, Rauch SL, & Björgvinsson T. (2013) A test of faith in God and treatment: the relationship of belief in God to psychiatric treatment outcomes. Journal of affective disorders, 146(3), 441-6. PMID: 23051729
- April 29, 2013
- 06:02 AM
- 114 views
Antibiotic for better decisions for male businessmen
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
Researchers have found that minocycline, an antibiotic, can protect men from the apparent attraction of women in making better decisions especially financial decisions.
Journal:
Scientific Reports
Study Further:
Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic that is technically speaking a microglial inhibitor, is used for the treatment of acne. It has also been found to be effective against mental disturbances such as schizophrenia and depression, and it can also enhance decis........ Read more »
Watabe, M., Kato, T., Tsuboi, S., Ishikawa, K., Hashiya, K., Monji, A., Utsumi, H., & Kanba, S. (2013) Minocycline, a microglial inhibitor, reduces ‘honey trap’ risk in human economic exchange. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/srep01685
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