Mobile Phone Radiation

Interesting article on radiation emissions from your mobile phone.

Flu Tip No. 1

Hum to Clear Your Sinuses!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/health/21really.html

In the News

Electromagnetic Radiation from Mobile Phones:
Don't sleep with your mobile beside your bed...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/business/14digi.html

Formaldehyde in Non-Iron Clothes:
Wash before you wear...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/your-money/11wrinkle.html

Thinking about Food makes you want it Less:
Think about eating chocolate frequently and you won't want it so much! Useful advice at Christmas time...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11962588

The Cat & The Cream

Next time your moggy is lapping up his bowl of milk, take a closer look. Cat-owner Dr Roman Stocker has shown that a cat's lap is perfectly timed to maximise the amount of fluid intake without splashing and making a mess. The cat's tongue just touches the surface of the liquid, inertia creates a column of fluid that flows towards the cat's mouth and the cat closes its jaws, just in the nick of time, before gravity causes the fluid to collapse back into the bowl. Other big cats also drink in the same way. Dogs, apparently, are a lot sloppier and Dr Stocker speculates that the cats' more refined methods may be due to their dislike of water, and the fact that their nose and whiskers are extremely sensitive.

Babies also lap when cup-fed milk as newborns. New mothers trying this method are told to tilt the cup of milk towards the babies mouth and watch their tongue move forward to lap up milk like a cat. Whether they employ the sophisticated biomechanics used by cats is another matter. But then again I wonder if newborn kittens use this method instinctively (once they've passed the suckling stage) or whether they learn it over time. Must ask Dr Stocker...

How To Fight A Cold

Some scientists at the MRC have turned science on its head. They've shown that antibodies can act inside the cell as well as externally - something new for the textbooks.

These researchers discovered that a cytosolic protein called TRIM21, is also a highly specific IgG receptor, suggesting that it could bind antibodies inside the cell. Perceived wisdom dictates that antibodies latch onto and cause the destruction of foreign bodies outside of the cell, so this was quite an odd finding. However, this research has shown that while antibodies can coat viruses outside of the cell, when the virus is internalised, TRIM21 recognises these antibody-coated viruses and triggers their degradation via the proteasome before the virus has a chance to do any damage.

See this excellent animation for further details:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11672919

The scientists in this research used adenovirus in their experiments but speculate that TRIM21 could act against other non-enveloped viruses. Hence why everyone is getting excited about this - it could mean a new way to treat viral infections, not least the common cold and that winter bugger - norovirus.

However, if you can't wait for new drug developments, there's a more low tech approach that you can take. A report showed that people who exercised regularly were less prone to developing colds. And there's even better news if you're a bit lazy like me, those who felt fit were also less likely to develop colds and had less severe symptoms. I feel a Garfield moment coming on: Think fit! Think fit! Think fit!

'Tis the Season to be Vomiting...

Yes, it's that time of year again, when people stop to vomit in the street, children tell tales of their friends throwing up in the playground, and hospitals contact the newspapers to tell people to stay away if they are feeling ill. Last winter it seemed that norovirus, also known as the 'winter vomiting virus' was everywhere and infecting everyone. Let's hope this year isn't the same.


In fact norovirus can occur all year round and is the most common cause of gastroenteritis (stomach bugs). It was originally called Norwalk-like virus as it was first identified after an outbreak at a school in Norwalk, Ohio in 1968. The virus was later characterised in 1972 from stored faecal samples. It is highly contagious and is thought to result in over 267 million annual infections worldwide. The GII.4 subtype of norovirus is thought to be responsible for approximately 80% of all infections. In the UK, the Health Protection Agency estimates that norovirus affects between 600,000 and 1 million people each year. In the USA, the Centre for Disease Control estimates that 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis are due to norovirus infection. It is also thought to be responsible for at least 50% of all food-borne outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Infection is primarily through the faecal-oral route, either by consumption of contaminated food or water, or by direct contact with an infected person. Infection occurs when the virus enters through the gastrointestinal system not the respiratory system.


Apparently norovirus is very difficult to culture in the laboratory so researchers have to resort to human studies to investigate its infectious nature. A recent study was carried out by a team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas. They published a study in October 2008 where they infected 16 volunteers with norovirus. The faeces of these volunteers were then analysed over a period of 2 months to determine the extent of virus shedding. These volunteers were chosen because they were secretor-positive which essentially means that their ABO blood group can be determined from their saliva. Secretor-negative individuals (approx. 30% of the population) are known to be resistant to norovirus infection. It is also thought that people with blood group O are most susceptible to infection, while those having blood type B show most resistance to infection and symptomatic disease. However our resistance to infection by norovirus is complicated by the fact that it is known to be continually evolving and changing its outer coat to avoid destruction by our immune system, as does the influenza virus. Most people don't achieve long-term immunity to the virus and repeated infections are common.


So back to the study, each of these 16 mugs - sorry volunteers!- were given a low or high dose of norovirus, then they were monitored for signs of gastroenteritis. This was defined as illness with moderate diarrhoea (alone) for any continuous 24-hour period or 1 vomiting episode plus 1 of the following: abdominal cramps or pain, nausea, bloating, loose faeces, fever, myalgia (muscle pain) or headache. Of the 16 people, 11 developed gastroenteritis. The other 5 did not meet the clinical definition of gastroenteritis as they didn't have vomiting or diarrhoea but developed 3 or more of the following symptoms - malaise, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, headache, myalgia, fever, chills. The severity of illness was not determined by the initial dose of the virus and the virus was detected in the faeces anytime from 18-110 hours after the initial innoculation. In other words, it could take up to 4 and a half days for the illness to develop. Symptoms lasted from 2-4 days.

The most fascinating result of this study was that in 4 of the 11 cases with gastroenteritis the virus was still being shed in their faeces 48-56 days after initial infection. Another 4 were still excreting the virus for up to 30 days but monitoring was stopped at this point. For the remaining 3 (out of 11) the virus was shed up to 10, 15 and 21 days later. In the second group that had symptoms but not clinical gastroenteritis, 2 were monitored up to days 21 and 32 and were still shedding virus. The other 3 stopped excreting virus at days 13, 20 and 28.

From these results it is clear why norovirus has to capacity to spread to epidemic proportions. It is incredible that almost 2 months after infection some of the subjects were still shedding the virus in their faeces. Even people who did not have a serious illness were still shedding and possibly infectious for up to a month after initial infection. In fact when you read the report that 1 in 4 commuters has bacteria from faeces on their hands, is it any wonder that diseases like this spread like wild-fire in the community? Good old-fashioned hand-washing is still the most effective way of keeping germs at bay - it just seems that we're not very good at it.


So what can you do if there is a norovirus outbreak near you?

• Follow the six steps listed here to reduce your chances of infection.
• Read this FSA leaflet for guidance on how to deal with norovirus.
• Support and promote Global Handwashing Day

A Pinch of News

Interesting science in the news:

• Virgin shark got pregnant in Virginia aquarium (Reuters). This is the interesting story of parthogenesis or 'virgin birth' in a shark.

• Man 'roused from a coma' by a magnetic field (New Scientist). The editorial accompanying this article is only partially available online. It raises the ethical dilemma that accompanies this kind of awakening. Once a patient is raised from a vegetative state to a minimally conscious one, a brain imaging study has shown that their response to pain is similar to that of a healthy person. They can also react to voices and it is thought that they may be capable of experiencing emotions. A person in a vegetative state does not respond in the same way.

• UV light fear over 'green' bulbs (BBC News). A warning not to get too close to unencapsulated (where the coil is visible) low-energy light bulbs.

• Common fibre a true 'superfood' (BBC News). Pectin, a fibre found in many types of fruit and vegetables is found to fight disesase. No need to buy expensive blueberries!

• Gene scan to predict hair loss (BBC News). It's not just your mother's fault if you're bald.

• Internet use good for the brain (BBC News). Read this blog and boost your brain power!