Study Proposes, People Learn While They Sleep

People may be learning while they're sleeping -- an unconscious form of memory that is still not well understood, according to a study by Michigan State University researchers.

"We speculate that we may be investigating a separate form of memory, distinct from traditional memory systems," said Kimberly Fenn, assistant professor of psychology and lead researcher on the project. "There is substantial evidence that during sleep, your brain is processing information without your awareness and this ability may contribute to memory in a waking state."

In the study of more than 250 people, Fenn and Zach Hambrick, associate professor of psychology, suggest people derive vastly different effects from this "sleep memory" ability, with some memories improving dramatically and others not at all. This ability is a new, previously undefined form of memory.

"This is the first step to investigate whether or not this potential new memory construct is related to outcomes such as classroom learning," Fenn said.

Why Women Need Fitness Training?

Fitness is definitely needed for both men and women to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But when it comes to losing weight, both these genders have different requirements. Both men and women should not follow the same workout strategy because their body type is different.

Women can also go for strenuous types of workouts although their training requirement is different. Hence its important for women to undergo fitness training for weight loss purposes and also to lead a healthy lifestyle and body. Fitness training shapes your body and provides an excellent physique which makes you look more attractive than others and improves your confidence.

Apart from including cardiovascular exercises, their training should also include other types of exercises for muscles and abs. Fitness training should also be followed regularly by women in order to achieve their desired weight and to be fit. You will definitely experience tiredness on your muscle during the first time of your training and it means that your workout is effective. This would be the beginning of a new life for you and so start your fitness training and find the changes on your body.

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Cancer Smart Bomb Discovered from Crocus Flower

Scientists from the UK have figured out a way to turn chemicals found in the crocus flower which blooms throughout the UK into a ‘smart bomb’ of sorts when it comes to a new cancer medication. This new treatment may potentially create a drug that is capable of targeting cancerous tumors, such as associated with breast, colon, lung and prostate, without causing any side effects.

The researchers, led by Professor Laurence Patterson, have found a way around the toxic nature of the chemical when it comes to healthy tissue in the body and determined a way to focus the toxicity towards the cancerous tumor. By attaching a chemical 'tail' to the colchicine molecule, the researchers have been able to deactivate the toxic properties until it reaches the targeted cancer. Cancer tumors contain an enzyme called MMP and this enzyme effectively removes the ‘tail’ and activates the colchicine. Once activated, the colchicine goes into action breaking up the blood vessels that feed the tumor and essential starve it. Because the drug is activated in the tumor, it does not affect outside tissue and no side effects have been noted.

In mice testing, all mice have responded to the treatment and in as many as half of the studies, the mice appeared cured of the cancer. The drug is effective toward cancers that produce tumors and the researchers have tested breast, colon, lung, prostate and sarcoma tumors at this point.

The researchers hope that if the clinical trials prove successful, a new drug could be available within the next six to seven years.

Orange Corn holds Guarantee for Reducing Blindness and Child Death

Decreasing or increasing the function of a newly discovered gene in corn may increase vitamin A content and have significant implications for reducing childhood blindness and mortality rates, according to a Purdue University-led study.

Torbert Rocheford, the Patterson Endowed Chair of Translational Genomics and professor of agronomy at Purdue, led the study that made findings in yellow and particularly orange corn, a type he said likely originated in the Caribbean and is popular in some Asian and South American countries as well as in northern Italy.

The orange color comes from relatively higher levels of carotenoids, one of which is beta-carotene. Humans convert beta-carotene, which also is abundant in carrots, into vitamin A during digestion.

Between 250,000 and 500,000 children -- mostly in Africa and Southeast Asia -- go blind each year because of vitamin A deficiency, according to the World Health Organization. Half of those children will die within a year of going blind. Rocheford said increasing beta-carotene levels in cereal grains, such as corn, is an economical approach to addressing these deficiencies in developing countries.

Through a process known as hydroxylation, beta-carotene is converted into other carotenoids that can cut the amount of pro-vitamin A that is created through digestion in half, or eliminate it altogether.