Knowledge Update

Brasilia, Feb 11 (IANS) Cancer was the leading cause of death by disease among young Brazilians, according to a study released by the country's National Cancer Institute (INCA).

The study issued on Friday said over 17,500 Brazilians aged 15 to 29 died of cancer from 2009 to 2013, accounting for 5 per cent of all deaths on the age group. It was only surpassed by deaths caused by violence and accidents, Xinhua news agency reported.

Among Brazilians aged 1-14, cancer was the leading cause of death by disease as well.

Data from the INCA indicated that the most common tumours in teenagers and young adults were carcinomas, followed by lymphomas and skin tumours. 

Carcinomas were frequently found in the urinary and reproductive system, thyroid, breast, head and neck.

Among Brazilian women aged 15 to 29, cervical cancer was the most common disease. 

Brazil has already started to take steps to curb the disease by establishing nationwide campaigns to vaccinate children against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which was the cause of most cervical cancer cases.

To prevent cancer, doctors also recommended precaution measures including avoiding smoking, having a healthy diet and not exposing oneself to the sun in excess.

The INCA expects about 600,000 new cases of cancer in Brazil this year. About a third of them are estimated to be skin tumours. 

Beijing , Feb 11 (IANS The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has approved 12 IPO applications.

The 12 firms will be allowed to raise a maximum of 7 billion yuan (1.03 billion $US), a Xinhua news agency quoted a CSRC statement on Saturday.

New York, Feb 11 (IANS) Facebook said it intends to make ad data available for independent audit this year to verify the accuracy of the information it delivers.

The move comes after the social networking giant admitted last year that it had overstated some ad metrics.

​London, Feb 11 (IANS) Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to become as big as the ubiquitous samrtmphone and help people out in daily life, Apple CEO Tim Cook has told The Independent newspaper.

​Beijing , Feb 11 (IANS) China will spend 50 billion yuan (about $7.3 billion) on building methane projects in rural areas as the government seeks to increase the use of clean energy.

​Brussels, Feb 11 (IANS) The European Commission on Friday announced it had approved three French schemes to support solar and hydropower energy generators in the country.

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) As 36-year old Egyptian woman Eman Ahmed, who is believed to be the heaviest women in the world, arrived in Mumbai to undergo a weight reduction programme, we took a look at how some of the world's heaviest individuals fared post weight reduction programme.

In November 2016, a 32-year-old Mexican Juan Pedro, who weighed nearly 500 kgs, after spending six years confined to his bed, was dubbed as the 'World's heaviest man'.

According to doctors treating him, Pedro, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, thyroid problems, hypertension and liquid in his lungs, will need at least six months of treatment to stabilise his body before gastric bypass surgery can be undertaken.

Obesity -- a disorder involving excessive body fat -- is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases like diabetes, all which increases the risk of mortality.

According to WHO, nearly 13 per cent of the world's adult population (11 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women) were obese in 2014.

Earlier this month, a 44-year-old woman from California, who weighed nearly 300 kgs, underwent weight loss surgery and shed 86 kgs.

Erica Wall, who was overweight as a child, had her stomach stapled when she was only 16 years old.

Five years later, she gained weight so rapidly that her staple line burst and her weight continued to spiral out of control.

A 310 kgs father of three from the US, who turned to food after being sexually abused in childhood, lost 100 kgs in a year with the help of surgery.

Thirty-six year old Doug Armstrong's gastric bypass surgery was a success. Post the surgery, he started going to gym, where he did cardio and lifted weights and began shedding a lot.

In another case, a 172 kg woman crowdfunded money to undergo weight-loss surgery.

Kami Perritt, lost 37 kgs post the surgery last year and aims to weigh 90 kgs by the end of 2017.

Eman Ahmed suffered a stroke which left her bedridden and has since then not been able to leave home for the past 25 years, which triggered a series of ailments including diabetes, high blood pressure.

She will undergo a series of weight loss treatments under bariatric surgeon Muffazal Lakdawala and his team at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai over the next few months.

​New York, Feb 10 (IANS) US tech giant Microsoft is planning to refresh Windows 10 user interface(UI) later this year. Called Project NEON, the upcoming UI upgrade will introduce animations and other elements for visualisations.

​London, Feb 10 (IANS) French cosmetics company on Thursday confirmed that it was LOréal has confirmed it was exploring sale of London-based The Body Shop as the beauty retailer registered fall in sales and profits. The company said that it had not made any decision on the future of the retailer, which has more than 3,000 stores in 66 countries, but had "decided to explore all strategic options" in order "to give it the best opportunities and full ability to continue its development", The Guardian reported. The Body Shop's operating profit had dived 38 per cent to 33.8 million euros ($36 million) in the year to December 31, 2016. Sales sank nearly five per cent to 920.8 million euros ($981 million). The pace of decline stepped up in the final and most important quarter of the year -- sliding by 6.3 per cent in total. Last year, The Body Shop tried to reaffirm its ethical principles with 14 targets for 2020, including ensuring all its natural ingredients were traceable and sustainably sourced, compared with just under half today, and that 70 per cent of its packaging did not come from fossil fuels, compared with 30 per cent today, the report pointed out. But the group now has more competition from more upmarket ethical brands such as Dr Hauschka and Chantecaille, as well as the British rivals Lush and Neal's Yard. L'Oréal, which owns a plethora of international brands including Garnier and Maybelline

New York, Feb 10 (IANS) Consumption of fish oil, which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, may be beneficial for patients with inflammatory diseases such as asthma.

The findings, led by researchers at University of Rochester in New York, found that omega-3 fatty acid products can reduce the production of IgE -- the antibodies that cause allergic reactions and asthma symptoms in people with milder cases of asthma.

Once ingested, the omega 3 fatty acids convert to special pro-resolving mediators that halt inflammation without suppressing the immune system. 

However, in patients with severe asthma who use high doses of oral steroids, the omega-3 fatty acids were found less effective because the corticosteroids block the beneficial effects.

Previous studies have shown that certain fatty acids contained in fish oil regulate the function of B cells. 

For the new study, published in the journal JCI Insight, the team collected blood from 17 patients and isolated their B immune cells in the laboratory to explore the impact of pure omega-3-derived products on IgE and other molecules that fuel the disease. 

The results showed that all responded to the omega-3 fatty acids to some degree, as evidenced by a reduction in the levels of IgE antibodies. But the cells from patients who were taking oral steroids were less sensitive to the omega-3 treatment, said lead author Richard P. Phipps, professor at the University of Rochester.

In addition, consumers should use caution when buying fish oil because not all fish oil is the same, the researchers warned.

"You really need high-quality, standardized material that's been processed and stored correctly before comparing results from one study to another study," Phipps said. 

"Our study used the pure, biologically active products in fish oil, known as 17-HDHA, and we've provided a clear line of evidence for why intake of high-quality fish oil is good," he added