Knowledge Update

London, May 4 (IANS) A larger placenta during pregnancy could lead to larger bones in children, new research has found.

Larger bones in early life are likely to lead to larger, stronger bones in older adulthood, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis and broken bones in later life. 

The researchers believe that this latest research offers new insights into earlier observations linking maternal factors in pregnancy with offspring bone health.

"These findings really help us to understand the possible mechanisms whereby factors such as maternal diet, smoking, physical activity and vitamin D status may influence offspring bone development," said lead researcher Nicholas Harvey, professor at University of Southampton in Britain.

The researchers studied 518 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) who underwent bone scans at nine, 15 and 17 years of age. Measurements such as thickness, volume and weight, were also taken from the mothers' placenta.

The team found that greater placental size at birth was associated with larger bones at each age in childhood.

The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, found that the relationship between the placenta and offspring bone remained robust even after adjusting for factors such as the child's height and weight and pubertal status.

"This work builds on our previous findings from the Southampton Women's Survey, and demonstrates that positive associations between placental size and offspring bone size are maintained even through puberty," Harvey noted.​

​New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) With a barrage of smartphone health apps being launched globally -- claiming to go beyond fitness or calorie checkers and spot mental illnesses or respiratory diseases -- health experts stress that such digital applications can never be a replacement for a qualified, well-trained health service provider.

​Riyadh, May 2 (IANS) Indian IT major Wipro on Monday announced that it has signed a tripartite deal to set up Saudi Arabia's first all-women business and technology park in collaboration with Saudi Aramco and Princess Nourah University here.

Johhanesburg, May 3 (IANS) Think tanks from the five BRICS countries -- Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa, have agreed to come up with a road map to create digital diplomacy.

Las Vegas, May 3 (IANS) Michael Dell announced at the casino capital of the world that the biggest merger in tech history will be called Dell Technologies.

"It has a nice sound to it," the Chairman and CEO of Dell, which last year announced the $70 billion dollar merger with EMC, said at the Venetian Convention Center where he

​Toronto, May 3 (IANS) As part of its plans to scale training offerings, Google has acquired Synergyse Training, a business technology start-up founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur, the California-based search engine giant announced on Monday.

London, May 4 (IANS) Older adults suffering with dementia who indulged in a high-intensity functional exercise programme and group activity showed reduced levels of depressive symptoms, a new study has found.

"Unfortunately, depression is common among older people, especially in people with dementia," said led author Gustaf Bostrom, doctoral student at the Umea University's Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation in Sweden.

The team investigated whether 45 minutes of high-intensity exercise, every other weekday for four months, had a better effect on depressive symptoms than a seated group activity, performed with the same duration and frequency, in older people with dementia.

The findings showed reduction in high levels of depressive symptoms in both groups. 

But, exercise showed no superior effect on depression.

Also, the study suggested a connection between impaired balance, general dependency in activities of daily living -- in transfer and dressing -- and depression in older age. 

"The link between impaired balance, dependency in transfer or dressing, and depression is an important finding and may be the subject of future studies focusing on prevention or treatment of depression among people in older age," Bostrom said, in his dissertation.

The elderly with dementia or people over the age of 85 had an increased risk of death with ongoing treatment with anti-depressants.

Further, the study involving 392 participants revealed that women had a higher mortality risk with anti-depressant use in comparison to men, the researchers concluded. ​

​New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) Finland-based online security and privacy company F-Secure on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with European Union's law enforcement agency Europol to curb cyber crime.

Paris, May 3 (IANS) French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday said he was "at this stage" opposed to the free trade accord between the European Union and the US -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) -- unless rules to protect domestic businesses were respected.

Munich, May 4 (IANS) German car producer BMW Group reported here on Tuesday that its sales have reached a new record in the first quarter of the year. According to the group's statistics, sales volume in its automotive segment for the Bavarian company rose by 5.9 percent to a total of 557,605 units in the first three months of the year. A total of 127,167 units were sold on the Chinese mainland in the first quarter, representing an increase of 10.5 percent, Xinhua reported. "Our first-quarter performance is further proof of our ability to generate positive earnings with our core business, despite a volatile environment," Harald Krueger, chairman of the board of management, was quoted as saying. "We forecast slight increases and thus new record figures for sales volume in the automotive segment and group profit before tax in 2016," Krueger added. In addition, BMW reported that its size of the workforce increased by 4.4 percent to 122,692 people compared with the same period last year.​