NOV – 15: SNIPPETS
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in monthly
Antacids increase bone fracture risk
Research from the Forsyth Institute, USA, says that antacids and heartburn medication increase risk of bone fractures. Stomach acid in the gastrointestinal tract is important for absorption of calcium in the intestines and its transfer to the skeletal system.
Two minute walk to offset harm of over-sitting
Antacids reduce the level of acidity in the stomach and bring relief to patients, but the reduction interrupts and even stops the gut from absorbing much needed calcium. The regulation of bone mass by the gastrointestinal tract is an unexpected and important relationship between these two systems.
Walking for two minutes every hour offsets the health hazards of sitting for long periods of time, suggests a study by The University of Utah School of Medicine published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). Over-sitting increases the risk of early death, as well as heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions.
Replacing two minutes of sitting with light exercise like walking every hour could lower risk of dying by 33%. The study recommends adding two minutes of walking every hour in combination with two-and-a-half hours of moderate exercise in a week.
App to find renewable energy potential
Smartphone users can now access the most reliable data on global renewable energy potential for free, according to www.irena.org. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released an app called the ‘Global Atlas Pocket’ that can turn your smartphone or tablet into a personal renewable energy prospector.
The purpose is to enable investors identify potential investment opportunities in wind, solar, marine, ocean, thermal and geothermal energy, bio-energy and hydropower. It brings together 1,000 maps from 50 data centres across 67 world governments to deliver information on renewable energy resources anywhere in the world. India is among the countries covered. The app is available on all platforms – BlackBerry 10, iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
Always bitten by mosquitoes? Blame your genes
Researchers have long known that some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others, and some think this is to do with body odour. A team from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted an experiment involving 19 non-identical twins and 18 identical twins. Each pair is then subjected to mosquito exposure.
While the mosquitoes tend to prefer one over the other in terms of fraternal twins, they end up being attracted in almost the same level when it comes to identical twins, thus proving that genes may have something to do with it. Thus, the genes you inherit from your parents may determine your chances of being bitten by mosquitoes. Understanding the genetic basis for attractiveness could create a more informed approach to repellent development.
