Autism affects men and women differently: study

  

London: Autism affects brain differently in men and women, a new study has found.

Scientists from the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge studied brain scans of 120 men and women, with half of the participants suffering from autism. 

Autism is more prevalent in boys, so most research on the condition has focused on the male gender. 

The new study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine how autism affects the brain of males and females. 

The study looked at the difference between the brains of healthy males and those with autism - and then healthy females and those with autism. 

They found the brains of females with autism "look" more like - but still not the same as - healthy males, when compared with healthy females, BBC News reported. 

However, the same kind of difference was not seen in males with autism - so their brains did not show "extreme" male characteristics. 

"What we have known about autism to date is mainly male-biased. This research shows that it is possible that the effect of autism manifests differently according to one's gender," said Dr Meng-Chuan Lai, who worked on the study. 

"Therefore we should not blindly assume that everything found for males or from male-predominant mixed samples will apply to females," Lai said. 
The study was published in the journal Brain.

Autism affects men and women differently: study

  

London: Autism affects brain differently in men and women, a new study has found.

Scientists from the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge studied brain scans of 120 men and women, with half of the participants suffering from autism. 

Autism is more prevalent in boys, so most research on the condition has focused on the male gender. 

The new study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine how autism affects the brain of males and females. 

The study looked at the difference between the brains of healthy males and those with autism - and then healthy females and those with autism. 

They found the brains of females with autism "look" more like - but still not the same as - healthy males, when compared with healthy females, BBC News reported. 

However, the same kind of difference was not seen in males with autism - so their brains did not show "extreme" male characteristics. 

"What we have known about autism to date is mainly male-biased. This research shows that it is possible that the effect of autism manifests differently according to one's gender," said Dr Meng-Chuan Lai, who worked on the study. 

"Therefore we should not blindly assume that everything found for males or from male-predominant mixed samples will apply to females," Lai said. 
The study was published in the journal Brain.

Polar explorer on first green expedition to South Pole

Robert Swan, the first person to have walked to the North and South poles, is on a Green Mission this time.

The 57-year-old polar explorer is preparing for an Antarctic expedition in 2015 where he will survive solely on renewable energy during the two-month-long trip.

Swan, who first took the Antarctic journey in 1986, wants to prove that if someone can survive on renewable energy in extreme climatic conditions in the polar region, then it can be replicated anywhere else in the world.

'It will be the first expedition to the South Pole on renewable energy. The whole purpose of undertaking this expedition is to tell the world to switch to environment-friendly sources of energy,' Swan told IANS in an interview. He is in India as part of the Great Himalayan Expedition to open the 'Third Pole E base' at Ladakh as part of his '2041 Campaign'.

'Every year when I go to Antarctic, I find ice of the size of Delhi has broken and is drifting due to the rising temperature ... this shouldn't happen,' said Swan, who has cleaned an entire island in the the South Pole in the last eight years.

Swan says his team is working with experts in the US to devise technology for his green expedition.

'We will be carrying solar panels, a wind turbine and batteries to cook, melt drinking water, run GPS systems, headlamps, charge batteries of electrical devices and instruments. It is a tough task but we are up for it,' said the Englishman, who has been appointed the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Youth.

All expeditions to the poles till now use fossil fuels like gas and coal to survive in temperature as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius.

Speaking about the '2041 Campaign', Swam said: 'It an effort to raise awareness about the date (2041) when world leaders will start reviewing the moratorium on drilling and mining for rich minerals in the South Pole.'

'As part of the campaign I have been involving youngsters across the world and inspiring them to take sustainable and environment friendly tasks. These young people will become the future leaders who will take forward my task of saving the planet,' said Swan.

Swan has opened third E-Base station at Ladakh after the Antarctic and Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.

The E-Base is a sustainable green building that serves as a model for educational, environmental and energy issues.

'Its purpose is to inspire the world to tackle the issue of climate change. It shows that if we can survive using renewable energy at the remotest locations of earth, then we can all take such measures,' said Swan.

In India, he has been working with The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) and food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pack on two projects SEARCH and LEADearthSHIP.

Project SEARCH is to create awareness among school students, teachers and the school community at large about waste and the habit of refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling.

LEADearthSHIP is a youth programme on leadership and business sustainability.

Polar explorer on first green expedition to South Pole

Robert Swan, the first person to have walked to the North and South poles, is on a Green Mission this time.

The 57-year-old polar explorer is preparing for an Antarctic expedition in 2015 where he will survive solely on renewable energy during the two-month-long trip.

Swan, who first took the Antarctic journey in 1986, wants to prove that if someone can survive on renewable energy in extreme climatic conditions in the polar region, then it can be replicated anywhere else in the world.

'It will be the first expedition to the South Pole on renewable energy. The whole purpose of undertaking this expedition is to tell the world to switch to environment-friendly sources of energy,' Swan told IANS in an interview. He is in India as part of the Great Himalayan Expedition to open the 'Third Pole E base' at Ladakh as part of his '2041 Campaign'.

'Every year when I go to Antarctic, I find ice of the size of Delhi has broken and is drifting due to the rising temperature ... this shouldn't happen,' said Swan, who has cleaned an entire island in the the South Pole in the last eight years.

Swan says his team is working with experts in the US to devise technology for his green expedition.

'We will be carrying solar panels, a wind turbine and batteries to cook, melt drinking water, run GPS systems, headlamps, charge batteries of electrical devices and instruments. It is a tough task but we are up for it,' said the Englishman, who has been appointed the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Youth.

All expeditions to the poles till now use fossil fuels like gas and coal to survive in temperature as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius.

Speaking about the '2041 Campaign', Swam said: 'It an effort to raise awareness about the date (2041) when world leaders will start reviewing the moratorium on drilling and mining for rich minerals in the South Pole.'

'As part of the campaign I have been involving youngsters across the world and inspiring them to take sustainable and environment friendly tasks. These young people will become the future leaders who will take forward my task of saving the planet,' said Swan.

Swan has opened third E-Base station at Ladakh after the Antarctic and Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.

The E-Base is a sustainable green building that serves as a model for educational, environmental and energy issues.

'Its purpose is to inspire the world to tackle the issue of climate change. It shows that if we can survive using renewable energy at the remotest locations of earth, then we can all take such measures,' said Swan.

In India, he has been working with The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) and food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pack on two projects SEARCH and LEADearthSHIP.

Project SEARCH is to create awareness among school students, teachers and the school community at large about waste and the habit of refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling.

LEADearthSHIP is a youth programme on leadership and business sustainability.

US to hike fees for generic drugmakers, Indian firms to be hit

WASHINGTON: Many Indian drugmakers will soon have to bear higher costs for sale of products in American markets, as the US health regulator FDA is hiking the fees for generic drugmakers by up to 48 per cent from October.

India is the second largest drug exporter to the US, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Indian drugmakers mostly specialise in manufacturing of generic versions of innovative drugs at a fraction of cost after their patent expiry and are estimated to command 10 per cent share in the USD 30-billion US generic drug market.PTI

US to hike fees for generic drugmakers, Indian firms to be hit

WASHINGTON: Many Indian drugmakers will soon have to bear higher costs for sale of products in American markets, as the US health regulator FDA is hiking the fees for generic drugmakers by up to 48 per cent from October.

India is the second largest drug exporter to the US, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Indian drugmakers mostly specialise in manufacturing of generic versions of innovative drugs at a fraction of cost after their patent expiry and are estimated to command 10 per cent share in the USD 30-billion US generic drug market.PTI

World Championships: Sensational Sindhu assures India a medal

Guangzhou: Tenth seed P.V. Sindhu created history Friday by assuring India of at least a bronze medal at the World Badminton Championships, beating former World No.1 Shixian Wang in straight games at the Tianhe Indoor Stadium here.

Sindhu had already caused a big upset Thursday by knocking out defending champion Yihan Wang of China. The 18-year-old took just 55 minutes to oust the seventh seeded Chinese 21-18, 21-17 in the women's singles quarterfinal to go 2-0 up in career meetings.

This is only the third instance, and first in women's singles, that an Indian will bring home a medal from the Worlds. Prakash Padukone won the men's singles bronze in 1983 at Copenhagen while Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won another bronze in women's doubles in the 2011 edition.

After Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap suffered quarterfinal defeats earlier in the day, Sindhu made sure that India's campaign will continue on the penultimate day of the Championships.

Saina's medal hopes were shattered by South Korean 13th seed Yeon Ju Bae, who beat the Indian 23-21, 21-9 in 40 minutes while Kashyap wasted a matchpoint and lost a gruelling one hour and 15-minute men's singles battle to Chinese World No.3 Pengyu Du 16-21, 22-20, 21-15.

Sindhu, who is debuting at the championships, led from the start in the first game and rushed away to a 10-5 lead. Though Shixian, a 2010 World Championship bronze medallist, clawed back to make it 12-13, Sindhu ensured that she never surrendered the lead. A superb all-round game made sure that the Hyderabadi maintained her advantage, even if it was only by a point, and sealed the game with a gap of three.

The World No.12 lagged 1-2 at the start of the second game but quickly got her bearings back and led for the rest of the game. From a 6-2 lead, the tall lanky teenager again ensured that she maintained her lead throughout the rest of the game. From 18-16, she scooped the next two points to have four match points.

Shixian was able to save one but an error gave the 10th seed a victory on her second chance and ensured India the first Worlds singles medal in 30 years.

Sindhu will next face Thai fourth seeded Ratchanok Intanon, who had defeated the Indian in their only encounter at the India Open in April.

'I am very happy that everything went according to the plan. It is great to win a medal in my very first World Championship appearance but I want to now concentrate on tomorrow's match and not allow myself to relax,' said Sindhu.

For Saina, this was probably her best chance for a women's singles medal at the world event after failing to do so and exiting in the quarters in the last three editions (2009, 2010, 2011).

The World No.4 Hyderabadi took off in brilliant fashion scooping several points with the help of 10 smash winners to go up 14-7 in the lead in the first game. The South Korean clawed back to level the game at 19-all and then reach game point (21-20). Saina pulled back a point but the Korean had more shots in her kitty and sealed the first game on her second game-point.

The form which Yeon found at the end of the first game, continued into the second as she slowly overtook Saina's lead and raced away to 9-4. With some extremely agile net play, the Korean kept extending the lead.

By this time, Saina appeared less confident and the 13th seed capitalised on it, completely shattering the Indian's game and scooping the last seven points to win the game and match.Posted on: 10 Aug 2013

World Championships: Sensational Sindhu assures India a medal

Guangzhou: Tenth seed P.V. Sindhu created history Friday by assuring India of at least a bronze medal at the World Badminton Championships, beating former World No.1 Shixian Wang in straight games at the Tianhe Indoor Stadium here.

Sindhu had already caused a big upset Thursday by knocking out defending champion Yihan Wang of China. The 18-year-old took just 55 minutes to oust the seventh seeded Chinese 21-18, 21-17 in the women's singles quarterfinal to go 2-0 up in career meetings.

This is only the third instance, and first in women's singles, that an Indian will bring home a medal from the Worlds. Prakash Padukone won the men's singles bronze in 1983 at Copenhagen while Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won another bronze in women's doubles in the 2011 edition.

After Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap suffered quarterfinal defeats earlier in the day, Sindhu made sure that India's campaign will continue on the penultimate day of the Championships.

Saina's medal hopes were shattered by South Korean 13th seed Yeon Ju Bae, who beat the Indian 23-21, 21-9 in 40 minutes while Kashyap wasted a matchpoint and lost a gruelling one hour and 15-minute men's singles battle to Chinese World No.3 Pengyu Du 16-21, 22-20, 21-15.

Sindhu, who is debuting at the championships, led from the start in the first game and rushed away to a 10-5 lead. Though Shixian, a 2010 World Championship bronze medallist, clawed back to make it 12-13, Sindhu ensured that she never surrendered the lead. A superb all-round game made sure that the Hyderabadi maintained her advantage, even if it was only by a point, and sealed the game with a gap of three.

The World No.12 lagged 1-2 at the start of the second game but quickly got her bearings back and led for the rest of the game. From a 6-2 lead, the tall lanky teenager again ensured that she maintained her lead throughout the rest of the game. From 18-16, she scooped the next two points to have four match points.

Shixian was able to save one but an error gave the 10th seed a victory on her second chance and ensured India the first Worlds singles medal in 30 years.

Sindhu will next face Thai fourth seeded Ratchanok Intanon, who had defeated the Indian in their only encounter at the India Open in April.

'I am very happy that everything went according to the plan. It is great to win a medal in my very first World Championship appearance but I want to now concentrate on tomorrow's match and not allow myself to relax,' said Sindhu.

For Saina, this was probably her best chance for a women's singles medal at the world event after failing to do so and exiting in the quarters in the last three editions (2009, 2010, 2011).

The World No.4 Hyderabadi took off in brilliant fashion scooping several points with the help of 10 smash winners to go up 14-7 in the lead in the first game. The South Korean clawed back to level the game at 19-all and then reach game point (21-20). Saina pulled back a point but the Korean had more shots in her kitty and sealed the first game on her second game-point.

The form which Yeon found at the end of the first game, continued into the second as she slowly overtook Saina's lead and raced away to 9-4. With some extremely agile net play, the Korean kept extending the lead.

By this time, Saina appeared less confident and the 13th seed capitalised on it, completely shattering the Indian's game and scooping the last seven points to win the game and match.Posted on: 10 Aug 2013

Hospital official arrested for allegedly harassing a woman in scan room

Coimbatore: An assistant in a private hospital in Coimbatore was arrested on Friday on charges of allegedly harassing a woman patient, who had gone there to take a scan.

The woman was asked to take scan by the hospital in Peelamedu on Avanashi Road and when she entered the room, the assistant has reportedly asked her to undress and harassed her, police said.

Based on the complaint lodged by the woman, police arrested the assistant and further investigations were on, they said. PTI.

Hospital official arrested for allegedly harassing a woman in scan room

Coimbatore: An assistant in a private hospital in Coimbatore was arrested on Friday on charges of allegedly harassing a woman patient, who had gone there to take a scan.

The woman was asked to take scan by the hospital in Peelamedu on Avanashi Road and when she entered the room, the assistant has reportedly asked her to undress and harassed her, police said.

Based on the complaint lodged by the woman, police arrested the assistant and further investigations were on, they said. PTI.