Circadian rhythms, informally referred to as our internal body clock, have recently been a hot topic in both science and media. Our body clock is controlled by our brain, using light to approximately work around a 24 hour cycle.

This internal clock is responsible for triggering the secretion of specific hormones in our bloodstream making us more alert, hungry or sleepy at certain times of day. However, our modern day lives don’t always concur with our internal body clocks.

Scientific studies have been indicating that defying your body clock leads to numerous problems such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. Scientists don’t know all the ins and outs of how our circadian rhythms work, but one thing is for certain – you should try to avoid mismatching your body clock and your actual life as much as possible. MORE>……..

Source : expathealth.org

Former boss of Microsoft Bill Gates believes progress is being made in the battle against Ebola in West Africa.

News that the number of new cases in Liberia is declining suggests the tide may be turning, he told the BBC.

He is hopeful of similar gains in Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Mr Gates, who has committed $50m to the international effort, believes an important factor is educating local communities in the handling of bodies of Ebola victims.

In London to deliver a lecture to MPs and peers at Westminster, Mr Gates – who runs a major charitable foundation with his wife Melinda – said the commitment of resources by major economies, including the UK, had been impressive.

“Ever since the big intervention that started in August I think the world’s done quite well – the United States and the UK stepping up with the most resources.

“In Liberia you’re seeing the cases flatten or decline and if we can get the funeral practices to change, get people treated, we’re likely to see that same thing in the other countries.”

He said that the fact that the three main countries affected by the outbreak – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – had very broken down health systems meant that the disease got to a reasonably high level before it was evident.

He said that whatever progress was made in the next few months on Ebola, a big challenge remained – ensuring local healthcare systems across Africa were better prepared for other disease outbreaks and epidemics. Better data, surveillance systems and research and development were needed, he said, so the international medical response could be faster and more effective next time.

Medecins Sans Frontieres reported the fall in Ebola cases in Liberia. But it warned that the outbreak was far from over and that case numbers could rise again as they have in Guinea following earlier declines.

The medical charity is calling for a change in tactics in Liberia. It says treatment and isolation centres now have spare capacity so the focus should shift to rapid response teams that can finish off any local flare-ups of Ebola in towns and villages.

In his speech to peers and MPs, Mr Gates also covered his foundation’s work in reducing malaria cases in the world’s poorest nations. He said a turning point had been reached in the battle to eliminate the disease but more support was needed to continue the reduction in death rates. He said it was vital the UK sustained its current focus and spending levels through the next Parliament.

SOURCE : BBC World News

 Over 8 million people have been contacted in the fight to tackle the devastating Ebola crisis in West Africa with half a million receiving practical support and another 7.5 million people receiving vital public health information on how to keep themselves safe and stop the spread of the disease.

More than 35,000 volunteers are using street theatre, house to house information and religious services to get the message across with radio broadcasts helping to share life-saving information on how to avoid catching the disease, how to identify if a loved one might be infected and encouraging those infected to seek early treatment.

Public health education is beginning to have an impact on the population of Sierra Leone and Liberia where literacy rates are extremely low. Volunteers and government agencies are playing a major role in challenging the myths surrounding Ebola and the lack of understanding around the disease.

Scientists are working to develop a test that will allow doctors to screen for multiple cancer types from a single blood sample.

All cancers produce compounds that end up in the bloodstream, so it is feasible that such blood markers could form the basis of a general screening test for many different forms of cancer.

Cancer cells often start shedding blood markers long before many of the signs and symptoms of tumors begin to emerge, so earlier diagnosis can generally mean treatment is more effective, which, in turn, improves survival.

Our genes influence whether we are fat or thin by shaping which types of microbes thrive in our gut, scientists are now suggesting.

A recent discovery is pointing towards healthy bacteria one day being used to treat obesity and by studying human twins, scientists have found a type of bacteria that was not only associated with being thin but also seemed to run in families.

When the researchers treated mice with a specific member of this bacterial family, isolated from the twin study, the animals gained less weight than mice that did not get this treatment.

They are now working to identify which genes seem to influence the presence of the bacteria and why it would have an effect on weight and hope to be able develop these findings to create a probiotic to regulate weight.