Knowledge Update

Bangkok, May 16 (IANS) Thai authorities have decided to close down tourism in Tachai Island in the Andaman Sea, to protect the coral and underwater flora and fauna in one of the country's key diving destinations, an official said on Monday.

"The island is closed for an indefinite time. Too many tourists have visited it. They have destroyed the ecology and corals of the island," Efe news quoted the official as saying.

The island will no longer be accessible to tourists after October 15 and the committee managing Similan National Park will evaluate the situation to determine when the recovery period is over.

The measure, however, excludes two diving centres operating in the area, because deep sea diving has a minimal impact on the environment and tourists are educated not to damage nature, said the official.

The freshwater golden snail and the hermit crab that uses the snail's shell for shelter are just two of the species that have been affected by tourism, according to the official.

"When it reopens, we plan to adopt more stringent measures" to control the volume of tourists, he said.

Although Tachai lacks hotel infrastructure and opened its doors to tourism in 2010, its landscape, beaches and location within the Similan National Park -- about 620 km northwest of Phuket -- have rapidly turned it into a tourist hotspot.

Thailand recorded 29.9 million tourists in 2015 and the numbers are expected to surge up to 35 million in 2016 if tourism continues its current pace, according to data from the Tourism Department.​

New York, May 16 (IANS) Are you keen on shedding those extra kilos, but are unable to maintain consistency? Take heart, as according to a new study, participating in a weight-loss programme for long-term can help manage your body weight.

Losing weight is difficult and at the same time maintaining the new healthy weight, which is associated with lower blood pressure, blood sugar, improved sleep, over years is even harder. 

The results demonstrate that long-term participation in weight-loss programme could be effective in sustaining weight loss and ward off obesity.

"Maintaining long-term weight loss is a critical challenge in treating obesity and other health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease," said lead author Nia Mitchell from University of Colorado in the US.

The team followed over 65,000 overweight or obese people who joined a national programme called 'Take Off Pounds Sensibly' (TOPS), from 2005 to 2010. 

The findings revealed that half of the participants showed significant weight loss in the first year. 

Out of those who participated in the second year, 80 percent kept off the weight.

During years three to seven, nearly 90 percent of participants who continued the programme maintained their weight loss steadily.

Consistent participation in the weight loss programme for one year helped the participants to sustain their new healthy weight, the researchers noted.

"Just losing the weight isn't enough. Since the health benefits of weight loss disappear when weight creeps back on, we need more research into effective strategies for maintaining a healthier weight once it is reached," Mitchell added.

The findings were presented at the recently held Society of General Internal Medicine 2016 Annual Meeting in Florida.​

New York, May 17 (IANS) Regular exercise at any age could keep the mind young and help you stave off Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

People with dementia may experience memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language.

In this study, the researchers discovered a positive correlation between fitness and blood flow to areas of the brain where the hallmark tangles and plaques of Alzheimer's disease pathology are usually first detected.

"This is an important first step towards demonstrating that being physically active improves blood flow to the brain and confers some protection from dementia," said lead researcher Nathan Johnson from the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences in the US.

Conversely, the findings suggest that people who live sedentary lifestyles, especially those who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's, might be more susceptible.

The findings were published in the journal NeuroImage.

For the study, thirty men and women aged 59-69 were put through treadmill fitness assessments and ultrasounds of the heart. Then they received brain scans to look for blood flow to certain areas of the brain.

"We set out to characterise the relationship between heart function, fitness, and cerebral blood flow, which no other study had explored to date," Johnson said.

"In other words, if you're in good physical shape, does that improve blood flow to critical areas of the brain? And does that improved blood flow provide some form of protection from dementia?," Johnson noted.

The results showed blood flow to critical areas of the brain - and so the supply of oxygen and vital nutrients - was higher in those who were more physically fit.

This study demonstrates that regular exercise at any age could keep the mind young, Johnson said.

Since people who exercise frequently often have reduced arterial stiffness, the researchers believe that regular physical activity -- regardless of age -- maintains the integrity of the "pipes" that carry blood to the brain.​

​Tokyo, May 17 (IANS) Environment ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Monday in Japan collectively said they were committed to ensuring global climate change would be tackled swiftly in line with a deal struck in Paris last year.

​New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) The World Bank said on Monday it has approved a $625 million loan to support India's grid connected rooftop solar programme to generate clean energy.

Havana, May 17 (IANS) The US economic sanctions against Cuba impeded the development of bilateral ties despite normalisation of relations, a Cuban official said on Monday, urging the US to lift them.

​New York, May 16 (IANS) In an example of where the scientific community can make a contribution to knowledge described in important ancient texts, researchers have used advanced astronomical software to accurately date lyric poet Sappho’s ‘Midnight Poem’ which describes the night sky over Greece more than 2,500 years ago.

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) In a bid to take on video-sharing website YouTube, social networking giant Facebook is planning a new feature called “Slideshow” which will include music from Warner Music Group to help users create “soundtrack options”.

Beijing, May 16 (IANS) China's central bank on Monday pumped 25 billion yuan ($3 billion) into the market to preserve liquidity.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) put 45 billion yuan into seven-day reverse repo, a process by which central banks purchase securities from banks with an agreement to sell

London, May 16 (IANS) Researchers have identified a biomarker that can not only predict the progression of a deadly lung diseased called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but also lead to better treatment.

COPD is a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe.

According to researchers, a process initiated in neutrophils -- the most common type of white blood cells found in mammals and important for fighting infection -- may lead to worse outcomes for some patients with COPD.

"The study found that a recently identified form of neutrophil behaviour called neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is present in the lungs of COPD patients and may weaken their ability to eat and kill bacteria," said lead author James D Chalmers from the University of Dundee in Scotland. 

For the study, the team recruited 141 patients with stable COPD. 

The findings showed that during neutrophilic airway inflammation -- when NET formation weakens neutrophils' bacteria-fighting capability -- patients experience more frequent chest infections, worse lung function and quality of life.

Further, the amount of NET complexes in the lungs of patients was directly related to the severity of their COPD and the risk of exacerbations. 

NETs increased significantly during exacerbations that did not respond to corticosteroid treatment.

The marker may also help in identifying patients at higher risk of the disease deterioration as well as those who may need treatments other than corticosteroids like anti-inflammatory medicine (steroids).

"The study stressed the need to identify new COPD treatments and further discover whether inhibiting NET formation will result in improved clinical outcomes for patients with COPD," the researchers concluded.

The results were presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference in California recently.​