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Sabtu, 29 Januari 2011

Reduced Lung Fuction Due to Vitamin D Deficency in Dark Skinned People

No wonder West Indians had a rough time when they moved to the UK in the mid-twentieth century: with the polluted atmosphere common at that time many suffered from a vitamin D deficiency. Their children born in the UK had more problems than their parents because growing up in a sun depleted climatic environment with a dark skin led to long term lung problems.

Australian research shows the lack of vitamin D leads to altered lung structure, with the lungs partially shutting down. In adult life people of West Indian heritage have decreased lung function.

Mice were tested with some being made deficient in vitamin D while others had an adequate level. Tests with a plethysmograph showed lung obstruction was markedly greater in mice lacking vitamin D. Overall, lung volume was reduced. Lungs were also smaller than average.

It was unclear as to whether the problem was basically due to heritage, or mothers being deficient during pregnancy, because test mice had to be bred to have low sun-to-vitamin D conversion.
~~~~~Health~~~~~
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Selasa, 27 Juli 2010

New Treatment for Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease is widespread. It must be very difficult living your life, strictly watching what you eat. Indeed, many are not diagnosed and go through life suffering. But now there is hope. A research team at Monash university has identified problem protein fragments that cause the disease. Soon treatments will be developed that allow sufferers to consume products that contain gluten.

The research was a combined work between the Victorian Coeliac Society and the John Radcliffe hospital in the UK. Three gluten peptide fragments were observed as being the most toxic in tests, while some 90 fragment caused some reaction in sufferers.

Nexpep Pty Ltd has already developed an immunotherapy that desensitizes people to gluten. This is possible because the three "culprits" are now known.
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Kamis, 15 Juli 2010

The Internet Is Not Yet the Great Leveller

Access to the Internet prevents it from being a world levelling device. In Australia people will have to wait up to eight years to get broadband. South Africans living in "dangerous" areas will never get an Internet connection because telco companies fear theft of copper wire. India is too poor, so many regions will have to remain on dial up Internet. Those in remote places in Britain are still waiting for a method to be chosen for broadband distribution.

Leading Western countries are the main source of software for all Internet users. Even Twitter and Facebook are based in the US. People also use these sites to interact with those of similar ilk. The world is segmenting into cliques and a broad world view is not materializing. This is despite more information being available for the average person than at any other time in human history.

People are essentially parochial. They identify with the region and country they are in. Though international news is easily accessed, many choose not not to log on. They still get news from local television and radio. Such news sources now have less than 15 per cent of non-local news, particularly in the US. Ninety five per cent of Internet users in the UK go to domestic news sites. Afghanistan is the topic of most international news stories while clashes in Africa are given just cursory comment.

No doubt in time a common world view will develop. This is because urbanization is happening everywhere, so there will eventually be a common background for most people irrespective of place of origin. The readership of blogs is increasing, with most commenting on local and international issues. There is a need for barriers from language barriers to be broken down. News will travel faster when breaking stories are translated on the spot.
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