Nerve Disease Recreated In American Lab

US scientists have created the first human model for studying a devastating nerve disease, which allows them to watch how the disease develops and could help researchers find a way to treat it. Using skin cells from a child with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disease that attacks motor neurons in the spinal cord, researchers grew batches of nerve cells with the same genetic defects.

The findings allowed scientists to watch the nerve cells die off. The finding marks the latest advance in research that reprograms ordinary cell to look and act like embryonic stem cells. Infants with the most severe form the disease develop normally for the first six months of life, and then gradually develop muscle weakness and loss of motor control.

The team made motor neurons that contained the genetic defect that causes SMA with a powerful new type of cell called IPS cells, which behave like embryonic stem cells.

Video Games May Help Aging Brains Multi-Task

In a study of 40 adults in their 60s and 70s, researchers found that those who learned to play a strategy-heavy video game improved their scores on a number of tests of cognitive function. Men and women who trained in the game for about a month showed gains in tests of memory, reasoning and the ability to “multi-task”.

The findings suggest that video games that keep players “on their toes” might help older adults keep their brains sharp, the researchers report in the journal Psychology and Aging. This is the first published study to suggest as much, so it’s important not to overstate the findings.

The study included 40 older adults who were randomly assigned to either the video game group or a comparison group that received no training in the game. Study participants who trained in the game ended up improving their scores in several areas of a battery of cognitive tests.

Music To Reduce Cholesterol

Doctors have found that prescribing music can improve heart health and lower cholesterol levels. Their research found that if a patient listens to 30 minutes a day of their favorite music, it can go far beyond simply relaxing them mentally. It benefits them physically by expanding and clearing blood vessels.

Doctors have tried the method on some patients in America and it has been welcomed by British experts. It is believed to work by triggering the release into the bloodstream of nitric oxide, which helps prevent the build-up of blood clots and harmful cholesterol. When it comes to the effect on the bloodstream, however, the key is not the type of music but what the listener prefers. The same is true of volume and tempo.

Music may pump the brain and the body. Researchers found that listening to 18th century symphonies improved listeners’ focus between movements, when they mentally updated shopping lists.

New Forset Discovery

Using Google Earth, a team of scientists has discovered a new forest in Mozambique in Africa, which has a host of undiscovered species. According to a report in the Telegraph, this mountainous area of northern Mozambique in southern Africa had been overlooked by science due to inhospitable terrain and decades of civil war in the country.

However, while scrolling around on Google Earth, an Internet map that allows the viewer to look at satellite images of anywhere on the globe, scientists discovered an unexpected patch of green. A British-led expedition was sent to see what was on the ground and found 7,000 hectares of forest, rich in biodiversity, known as Mount Mabu. The group was able to stay at an abandoned tea estate but had to hack through difficult terrain and use 70 porters in order t carry out their investigations.

In just three weeks, the scientists found hundreds of different plant species, birds, butterflies, monkeys and a new species of giant snake. There may be other small pockets of biodiversity around the world that are yet to be discovered that could be stumbled upon by searching Google Earth, especially in areas like Mozambique or Papua New guinea which have not been fully explored yet.

Race Started

India and South Africa are in the race to dethrone “the ageing and wounded” Australia as the world’s No. 1 cricket team after the South Africans had walloped the Aussies by successfully chasing 414 runs to win the first Test here on Sunday. The Australian media put Ricky Ponting and his team on the mat by calling some of the key players “over-rated, lacking form or too arrogant for their own good.”

In the race to unseat the Australians there are differences that favor India over South Africa. India has a well-balanced attack that has experienced a good deal of success against Australia, while South Africa’s pace attack has still only displayed the potential to rattle Ponting and Company.

The cricketing empire imagined by Allan Border, forged by Mark Taylor and defended by Steve Waugh is facing its greatest threat in recent days.

Money To Take Home

Angelina Jolie is the highest paid actress in Hollywood according to an annual report by the Hollywood Reporter. Ms. Jolie has taken over the honor from Australian actress Nicole Kidman who topped the list last year but does not even find a mention this year. Last year, $26 million that Ms. Kidman earned for the film, “The Invasion”, shot her to the top but with the lukewarm response to her latest flick “Australia”, the actress fell off.

Ms. Jolie is the new queen, thanks to her prized earning of $23 million for the action film “Wanted”. She is also set to earn another $27.7 million for a sequel of the film. Julia Roberts followed second with $23 million for her film “Duplicity”, while third was Reese Witherspoon, who pocketed $14 million for her new romantic comedy “Four Christmases”.

Other prominent names on the list are Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Katherine Heigl, Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. Hollywood actors still earn higher wages than actresses, with Pitt, Will Smith and Johnny Depp all earning more that $30 million per movie.

Ponting Still The Main Man

Skipper Ricky Ponting, who has been termed Captain Pout for not supporting his young pace attack has been termed as Australian sport’s most marketable star. Ponting, who might have lost his gloss, should sign up for every luxury watch, vitamin pill and car oil endorsement he can get his hands on.

The 33-year-old Tasmanian, who took the title from Ian Thorpe last winter at the top of a list which includes no fewer than seven retired sports stars in its top 10. That’s seemingly an honor reserved for whoever sits in the Australian cricket team captain’s chair.

Noting that Ricky Ponting was still setting fields to suit retired legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, former South African batting great Barry Richards advised the Australian captain to dramatically change his thinking on placements for the current lot. However, the clock must surely be ticking on Punter, who earned about 3 million dollars in 2008.