IISc to set
up brain research centre in Bangalore
The premier Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and a
charitable trust of Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan are collaborating to
set up a centre for brain research here at a cost of Rs.225 crore. ‘The
research centre will study the various aspects of the human brain’s functioning
to find cures for neuro-degenerative conditions and diseases, which are
accelerated by old age,’ Pratiksha Trust said in a statement. An international
scientific advisory board, headed by Nobel laureate Torsten Wiesel as chairman,
will guide the research centre.
‘Human brain is one of the nature’s biggest mysteries, which
is yet to be understood by man. By funding the centre, we are creating a
globally recognised, world-class facility for cutting-edge research on the
brain,’ Gopalakrishna said on the occasion. Columbia University professor
Stanley Fahn, University of Chicago don Sangram Sisodia, Washington University
don John Morris and University of Geneva don Giovanni Frisoni are members of
the advisory board. The board will also help the centre in its operations,
set research goals and guide it in its formative years. ‘Among its goals
are to understand the relative functions of the brain and leverage it to create
better computing models,’ said Gopalakrishnan, the IT bellwether’s
vice-chairman. The trust will also fund setting up three chairs/
professorships each in the IISc’s computer science department and the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai to forge an alliance between medical
research and computing.
‘We are hopeful the centre will provide impetus to alliances
between medical research and computing, attracts funds and inspires similar
partnerships,’ Gopalakrishnan added. Lauding the initiative, IISc director
P. Balaram said the centre would provide a wonderful opportunity to bridge gap
between science and engineering and biomedical research. ‘The initiative
will be a trend-setter in private participation in research, which has
relevance to human health,’ he noted. The city-based trust also supports
education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship targeted towards the poor
and focuses on creating systemic changes in society.
Source: http://health.india.com
31.01.2014
10 minutes of exercise a day can lower mortality in
breast cancer survivors
Breast
cancer survivors, who meet the exercise regimen recommendations of 2.5 hours of
moderate intensity physical activity per week, sufficiently lower their risk of
mortality.
New
research from the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and reported in the International Journal of Cancer
suggests that exceeding the recommendations may provide greater protection, and
that running may be better than walking.
The study,
by Berkeley Lab’s Paul Williams of the lab’s Life Sciences Division, followed
986 breast cancer survivors as part of the National Runners’ and Walkers’
Health Study.
At least
31 of the 714 walkers and 13 of the 272 runners died from breast cancer over
nine years.
When
analyzed together, their risk for breast cancer mortality decreased an average
of 24 percent per metabolic equivalent (MET) hours per day of exercise, where
one MET hour equals a little less than a mile of brisk walking or about
two-third of a mile of running.
However,
when the runners and walkers were looked at separately, there was significantly
less mortality in those who ran than walked.
The
runners’ risk for breast cancer mortality decreased over 40 percent per MET
hour per day. Runners that averaged over two and a quarter miles per day were
at 95 percent lower risk for breast cancer mortality than those that did not
meet the current exercise recommendations. In contrast, the walkers’ risk for
breast cancer mortality decreased a non-significant five percent per MET hour
per day. (Read: 10 tips to
cope with breast cancer)
Williams
cautions, however, that this study does not disprove the benefits of walking
because the number of subjects was small compared to previous research showing
a benefit.
However,
he does believe that the research shows that exceeding the current exercise
recommendations will be better than simply meeting them, and that running may
be better than walking.
‘If I were
a breast cancer survivor, I would certainly consider running or some other
vigorous exercise over walking, and I wouldn’t just be doing the minimum, with
the consequences and potential benefit being so great,’ he said.
Previous
research from the national study showed that running was more effective than
walking for weight loss. For many health benefits, however, running and walking
appear to give the same benefits for the same amount of energy expenditure.
These
include lower risk for coronary heart disease, diabetes, hip replacements, as
well as brain cancer. Running and walking also seem to be equally beneficial in
the primary prevention of breast cancer.
Source: http://health.india.com
31.01.2014
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