Autism breakthrough
Oxford-based research into autism has hit a major breakthrough, equivalent to one which revoluntionised the understanding of cancer 30 years ago. Scientists at Oxford University were one of three major studies to have identified the genetic mechanisms underlying autistic disorders. Thousands of volunteers had their DNA screened and the scientists believe it has lifted the lid on the causes of autism.
They believe proteins called cell adhesion molecules, which play a vital role in shaping brain “wiring”, and the way nerve cells communicate, play a key role in autism disorders. Study leader, Prof Tony Monaco, from the Wellcome Trust for Human Genetics at Oxford, said: “Most of the genes that have been identified in these studies are involved in the connections between neurons called synapses.
“This does seem to fit with what we know from brain scans — that people with autism may show different or reduced connectivity between different parts of the brain. “This new knowledge allows us to focus our studies on developing new treatments and intervention therapies for the future.” Autism covers a group of conditions known as autism spectrum disorders and affects about one in 150 children, most of whom are male. They find it harder to communicate, have repetitive and narrowly focused behaviour.
Oxford Mail (Thanks Tash)
Mind controlled wheelchair
I gotta get me one of these. (Thanks Liz)
Fox Network: Obama knocked off TV for ‘Lie To Me’
Fox Broadcasting Company announced Monday it will not carry President Barack Obama’s prime time press conference marking his first 100 days in office, the first time a broadcast network has refused an Obama administration request for that valuable airtime.
The network will instead carry its regularly scheduled episode “Lie to Me,” according to its Web site. The show is among the network’s most popular and draws an average of 13 million viewers a week. That compares to the relatively paltry 4.2 million who watched the president’s last prime-time press conference on Fox. In all, close to 40 million watched that event on one of the eight networks that carried it.
CNN (Thanks Katie)
Foreign Accent Syndrome: Yorkshireman ‘spoke with Irish accent after brain surgery’
Chris Gregory, 30, shocked his family by belting out a version of Irish ballad Danny Boy from his hospital bed, even though he has never visited the country. Greeting his wife Mary with “It’s da broid’, he continued to speak in the new accent for 30 minutes until his normal voice returned.
Mr Gregory’s strange behaviour – apparently the result of a rare condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome – lifted the mood of the intensive care ward at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital where he was recovering from surgery to correct a life-threatening blood vessel rupture in his brain.
“All the nurses were trying really hard not to laugh, and I was too. I just couldn’t take it in at first, it seemed so comical, but it didn’t matter at all because I’d been so worried about losing him altogether,” Mrs Gregory, 36, told the Mail.
Telegraph (Thanks Katherine)
HandzOff: Anti-Masturbatory Car Freshner
Can anyone explain this to me? – from Amazon. (Thanks Houdinia)
Alton Towers!
What does a little touring family do when given a day off between Nottingham and Manchester? What else. That’s me on the far left, in my lame disguise: Coops’ hoodie. The park has come a long way since the Corkscrew was the main attraction: other high octane excitements such as Rita, Nemesis, Air and Oblivion (4 times) gave us just about all the fun we could take. The weather was terrible, so we ate burgers in the rain and wore regulation plastic ponchi.
On several occasions, a ride was delayed with people onboard for maintenance or to remove an individual too fat or inattentive to the arms-inside rule for it to proceed safely, which I found quite fascinating. Here, at the peak of child-like nervous anticipation, were dozens of us, strapped, clunked and clicked into place, bodies and minds prepared for the commencement of our chosen thrill; when that take-off was unexpectedly postponed, we were utterly unprepared, unsure how to respond other than to stare dumbly at the student ride operators, bewildered, as if in a trance, restrained in a kind of chav limbo.
I took the liberty of securing a couple of prizes for a blog competition: some ‘Mindbender’ sweets from the gift shop, and the real treasure: an official fridge magnet showing myself and Mr. Coops aboard the ‘Air’ ride, where I can be seen to be amusingly pretending to smoke a cigarette as we glide pass the camera. Also noticeable in the image, as well in those below, is the make-up work done by our own Jennie before we commenced the rides: she blacked out several of the crew’s teeth so that we’d look injured in our ride photographs. How exciting! I shall post pictures of these superlative prizes when I have photographed them, and suggest a suitable activity for you to attempt, should you so desire, in order to win these rare objects for your good selves.
Right, I’m off to have a hotel massage and do an FHM interview. Please continue to enjoy yourselves.
x
Pope says he’s sorry for abuse at church-run schools
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict said Wednesday he was sorry for the abuse and “deplorable conduct” of some church members at church-run Canadian schools that aboriginals were forced to attend. Canada has also offered compensation, part of a lawsuit settlement between the government, churches and the approximately 90,000 surviving students that amounted to billions of dollars being transferred to aboriginal communities.
The Catholic Church alone paid some $79 million, the Canadian bishops’ conference said. The United, Presbyterian and Anglican churches have already apologized for their roles in the abuse. Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who himself suffered abuse at a residential school, had said that survivors wanted the Pope to acknowledge the role of the Catholic Church in their suffering.
Yahoo News (Thanks Katie)
Fatty foods ‘offer memory boost’
Eating fatty foods can help boost memory, a US study suggests. A team at the University of California, Irvine discovered oleic acids from fats are converted into a memory-enhancing agent in the gut.
They hope their work, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could offer a new way to treat memory-related problems.
Drugs to mimic the action of the compound are in trials for controlling the dangerous fat triglyceride. Evidence shows high levels of oleoylethanolamide or OEA can reduce appetite, produce weight loss and lower blood cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels, making it an attractive candidate as a diet pill too.
“Remembering the location and context of a fatty meal was probably an important survival mechanism for early humans.”
BBC (Thanks Ciara)
Spiritual healers aim to help people’s pets
PET lovers descended on Oxford in the hope of finding a spiritual cure for their poorly animals. Holistic healers have been helping people with ailments at the North Oxford Christian Spiritualist Healing Church for a number of years.
On Saturday, the healers extended their repertoire to lay their hands on cats and dogs for the first time. The healers planned to use positive energy to help the animals at the spiritual healing session at the church in Middle Way, Summertown.
Lorraine Hagin, 49, and her husband Lynwood, 57, travelled from Barry in South Wales in a bid to give their dog Elbie a better chance of survival. Elbie has suspected mouth cancer, and the couple made a 240-mile round trip to try to help the dog’s chances of survival.
Mrs Hagin said: “It was well worth the trip and hopefully it will have an impact on Elbie. It certainly had an impact on me – I found it very moving.
Oxford Mail (Thanks Katherine)
Gay and Transgender monks need to calm down
A Buddhist preacher in Thailand has announced plans for new guidelines aimed at curbing the flamboyant behaviour of gay and transgender monks. The “good manners” curriculum – the country’s first – is being introduced in the northern province of Chiang Rai.
The senior monk told the BBC he was particularly concerned by effeminate activities among novices such as the wearing of make-up and tight robes.
In recent years, they have been accused of abuses of their exalted position in society that range from amassing dozens of luxury cars, to running fake amulet scams, to violating their vows of celibacy.
He was especially concerned, he said, by the flamboyant behaviour of gay and transgender monks, who can often be seen wearing revealingly tight robes, carrying pink purses and having effeminately-shaped eyebrows.
BBC (Thanks Katie)
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