Nobel prize in medicine awarded to
scientists who found the brain’s GPS system
Three scientists – John O’Keefe, May-Britt
Moser and Edvard Moser – have shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in physiology or
medicine, the Nobel Committee announced Monday. The Nobel assembly at the
Karolinska Institute has decided to award one half of the physiology or
medicine prize to John O’Keefe and the other half jointly to May-Britt Moser
and Edvard Moser for their discovery of cells that constitute a positioning
system in the brain, Xinhua reported.
According to a statement of the committee,
this year’s laureates have discovered an ‘inner GPS’ in the brain that ‘makes
it possible to orient ourselves in space, demonstrating a cellular basis for
higher cognitive function’. In 1971, John O’Keefe of University College London
discovered the first component of this positioning system. He found a type of
nerve cell in an area of the brain called the hippocampus that was always
activated when a rat was at a certain place in a room.
Other nerve cells were activated when the
rat was at other places. O’Keefe concluded that these ‘place cells’ formed a
map of the room. More than three decades later, in 2005, May-Britt and Edvard
Moser from the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology discovered another
key component of the brain’s positioning system, announced Nobelprize.org, the
official website of the Nobel prize, in a statement.
The couple identified another type of nerve
cell, which they called ‘grid cells’ that generate a coordinate system and
allow for precise positioning and path finding. Their subsequent research
showed how place and grid cells make it possible to determine position and to
navigate. ‘The discoveries have solved a problem that has occupied philosophers
and scientists for centuries – how does the brain create a map of the space
surrounding us and how can we navigate our way through a complex environment,’
the official statement read
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
09.10.2014
Scientists identify exactly how
type 2 diabetes develops
Scientists have identified mechanisms that lead to
development of type 2 diabetes. Researchers of Lund University in Sweden
studied 14 pairs of identical twins were studied in Sweden and Denmark, where
one twin had type 2 diabetes and the other was healthy.
The researchers investigated DNA methylation at 480 000
points on the DNA and looked at how it affected the expression of the genes in
the identical twins. They found that raised levels of fat in the blood and
uptake of fat by other organs instead, such as the muscles, liver or pancreas,
caused insulin resistance, which leads to type 2 diabetes
The researchers went on to compare non-identical twins
with identical twins and found that the similarities were greater in identical
twins.
Here are some expert tips to follow a diabetic diet
People with diabetes literally have to remember hundreds
of things about their diet apart from timings for their medications and
checking their sugar levels. No matter how much you try, controlling sugar
levels will become a difficult task if these things are ignored. So here are
some effective ways to help you remember your diet in a better way, shared by
Dr Pradeep Gadge, consultant diabetologist at Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai.
‘When it comes to remembering a diabetic diet, you should
always think about four things: when to eat, how much to eat, what foods to eat
and what foods to avoid completely,’ says Dr Gadge.
When to eat and how much to eat:
According to Dr Gadge, diabetics should avoid eating large
meals. Instead, opt for small, frequent meals. ‘Eat five small meals in a day
for better regulation of sugar levels throughout the day. The ideal timing for
breakfast would be 9:00 am, for lunch would be 1:00 pm and for dinner would be
9:00 pm. In between, have a fruit at 11:00 am and a salad (limited amount) at
5:00 pm,’ he explains.
Foods to be avoided completely:
·
Sugar, jaggery (gud)
and refined flour (maida) are three prime foods that should not be
consumed in any form.
·
Juice of all kinds
of fruits should be completely avoided.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
09.10.2014
Don’t postpone your happiness until some perfect future date. Be happy
now, tomorrow will take care of itself
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