Knowledge Update

Nay Pyi Taw, April 18 (IANS) Myanmar's total foreign trade increased by $1.086 billion in the just-ended fiscal year 2016-2017 from the previous fiscal year 2015-2016, the Ministry of Commerce here said on Tuesday.

​New York, April 18 (IANS) If you thought brain games could make you smarter, think again. In a study, researchers at Florida State University in the US found no evidence that such games increase overall cognitive abilities. An increasing number of people believe brain training helps protect them against memory loss or cognitive disorders, said Neil Charness, Professor of Psychology. "Our findings and previous studies confirm there's very little evidence these types of games can improve your life in a meaningful way," Associate Professor Wally Boot said. The study focused on whether brain games could boost the "working memory" needed for a variety of tasks. In their study, the researchers set up one group of people to play a specially designed brain-training video game called "Mind Frontiers," while another group of players performed crossword games or number puzzles. All players were given lots of information they needed to juggle to solve problems. Researchers tested whether the games enhanced players' working memory and consequently improved other mental abilities, such as reasoning, memory and processing speed. That is the theory behind many brain games: If you improve overall working memory, which is fundamental to so much of what we do every day, then you can enhance performance in many areas of your life. The team examined whether improving working memory would translate to better performance on other tasks. They found no such evidence, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience "It's possible to train people to become very good at tasks that you would normally consider general working memory tasks: memorizing 70, 80, even 100 digits," Charness said. "But these skills tend to be very specific and not show a lot of transfer. The thing that seniors in particular should be concerned about is, if I can get very good at crossword puzzles, is that going to help me remember where my keys are? And the answer is probably no," Charness said. The researchers suggested that to improve cognitive function, people should better get some aerobic exercise rather than sitting in front of the computer playing these games

Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) Hyderabad-based wearable technology company Ducere Technologies on Tuesday announced its partnership with Tata-owned consumer durables retail chain Croma to offer the worlds first haptic-based interactive insoles -- LECHAL -- for offline distribution. Priced at Rs 6,999, Lechal wearable product is GPS navigated and helps users track their direction, keeps a record for their route and checks fitness levels. By pairing the insoles with the Lechal app to track Maps via bluetooth, the user can set a destination and receive directions via haptic vibrations on his/her feet making any journey truly hands-free. The Lechal app is available on both android and iOS-enabled devices. "We are happy to announce our partnership with Croma, one of the biggest consumer durable retail chains in the country. With union of these two big alliances this year, we truly believe to have a balanced business outcome," said Krispian Lawrence, Founder and CEO Ducere Technologies in a statement.

Beijing, April 18 (IANS) China has begun a series of changes to the rules regarding permanent residence for foreigners, according to a plan issued by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

​Washington, April 18 (IANS) US researchers have developed a wristband-type wearable sweat sensor that could help diagnose cystic fibrosis, diabetes and other diseases.

The sensor collects sweat, measures its molecular constituents and then electronically transmits the results for analysis and diagnostics through a smartphone, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The study was led by researchers at the Stanford University, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley.

Unlike previous sweat collectors, the new device does not require patients to sit still for a long time while it collects sweat from them.

The wearable device is a two-part system of flexible sensors and microprocessors that sticks to the skin, stimulates the sweat glands and then detects the presence of different molecules and ions based on their electrical signals.

High chloride ion levels, for example, are an indicator of cystic fibrosis while high blood glucose levels can indicate diabetes, according to the study published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Conventional methods for diagnosing cystic fibrosis -- a genetic disease that causes mucus to build up in the lungs, pancreas and other organs -- require that patients visit a specialized centre and sit for 30 minutes while electrodes stimulate sweat glands in their skin to provide sweat for the test.

By comparison, the wearable sweat sensor stimulates the skin to produce minute amounts of sweat, quickly evaluates the contents and beams the data by way of a cellphone to a server that can analyze the results, and this test happens all at once and in real time, said Carlos Milla, Associate Professor at Stanford University. 

For this study, the research team also measured glucose levels in sweat, which correspond to blood glucose levels, making the device potentially useful for monitoring pre-diabetes and diabetes.

But the technology can also be used to measure other molecular constituents of sweat, such as sodium and potassium ions and lactate, meaning the platform can be used to "measure virtually anything found in sweat."

"Sweat is hugely amenable to wearable applications and a rich source of information," said co-author Ronald Davis, Professor at Stanford University.

The team is now working on large-scale clinical studies to look for correlations between sweat-sensor readings and health.

In the longer term, it's hoped that the wearable sensor could be integrated into a smartwatch for broad population monitoring.

Washington, April 18 (IANS) An increased risk of autism among children of women who took antidepressants during pregnancy may actually be the result of maternal mental illnesses, according to new research.

Up to 15 per cent of women have depression during pregnancy and antidepressants are a popular treatment choice for those with depression, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, there has been a long-standing debate about whether expectant mothers with depression should take antidepressants.

In a paper published by the US journal JAMA Pediatrics, Antonia Mezzacappa of the Bicetre University in France and colleagues reviewed and analysed 10 studies that have explored associations between fetal exposure to antidepressants and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

"Based on our meta-analyses, there is a significant association between ASDs and prenatal maternal use of antidepressants. However, it appears to be more consistent during pre-pregnancy than each trimester," the study noted.

The study also found that the association was weaker when past maternal illness of the mother was controlled for.

As a result, the study said the public health implications of the possible risk for ASDs as a result of antidepressant exposure during pregnancy are "difficult to assert or to refute, especially as we also observed an association with preconception exposure."

"The increased risk for ASDs in children exposed in utero could well be related to maternal depression or other psychiatric disorders rather than to antidepressant medications per se," it concluded. 

Irene Petersen, a researcher at the University College London, who was not involved in the study, said it's tricky to study the exposure on antidepressants in pregnancy and the risk of ASDs, as the effects of drug treatment are often difficult to be separated from other risk factors such as maternal illnesses.

"The findings from this review suggest that antidepressant treatment may be a 'marker' of women who may have an elevated risk of giving birth to a child with ASD," Petersen said.

"However, I would be very cautious about reaching a conclusion that antidepressants treatment in pregnancy itself is causing autism. With the existing evidence, we still cannot exclude the possibility that it is maternal illnesses linked to ASD -- and not the antidepressants," he added.

New York, April 18 (IANS) Anti-inflammatory properties in a cannabis compound could help treat itching and a wide-range of other skin diseases, say researchers.

The new study, published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, summarises the current literature on the subject and concludes that pharmaceuticals containing cannabinoids may be effective against eczema, psoriasis, atopic and contact dermatitis.

"Perhaps the most promising role for cannabinoids is in the treatment of itch," said the study's senior author Robert Dellavalle, Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in the US.

In one study, eight of 21 patients who applied a cannabinoid cream twice a day for three weeks completely eliminated severe itching or pruritus. The drug may have reduced the dry skin that gave rise to the itch, Dellavalle said.

The primary driver in these cannabinoid treatments could be their anti-inflammatory properties, he added.

In the studies reviewed, the researchers found that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the active ingredient in marijuana, reduced swelling and inflammation in mice.

At the same time, mice with melanoma saw significant inhibition of tumour growth when injected with THC.

"These are topical cannabinoid drugs with little or no psychotropic effect that can be used for skin disease," Dellavalle said.

Still, Dellavalle cautioned that most of these studies are based on laboratory models and large-scale clinical trials have not been performed.

New York, April 17 (IANS) Hospitalisation for heart attacks and strokes is less common among people living in areas that restrict trans fats in foods compared to residents in areas without restrictions, new research has found. "Our study highlights the power of public policy to impact the cardiovascular health of a population," said lead author Eric Brandt from Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, US. Trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are commonly found in fried foods, chips, crackers and baked goods. Eating even minimal amounts is linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Some communities in the US -- most notably New York City -- have eliminated the use of trans fats in restaurants and eateries in recent years. To study the impact of restricting trans fats, researchers compared outcomes for people living in New York counties with and without the restrictions. Using data from the state department of health and census estimates between 2002 and 2013, the researchers focused on hospital admissions for heart attack and stroke. They found that three or more years after the restrictions were implemented, people living in areas with the bans had significantly fewer hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke when compared to similar urban areas where no limits existed. The decline for the combined conditions was 6.2 per cent, said the study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology. "It is a pretty substantial decline," Brandt said. "The results are impressive, given that the study focused on trans fatty acid bans in restaurants, as opposed to complete bans that included food bought in stores," senior author Tamar S. Polonsky, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, added. "If we enact a more complete restriction on trans fatty acids, it could mean even more widespread benefits for people," Polonsky said.

​Beijing, April 17 (IANS) China's economy got off to a strong start in the first quarter, with the GDP growing at 6.9 per cent year-on-year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.

​Tokyo, April 17 (IANS) People who possess a greater understanding of finance tend to accumulate more assets and income during their lifetime, and therefore they are less likely to fret about life in their twilight years, suggests new research.