The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Santas warm up for Christmas in Sweden’s far north Posted: 19 Nov 2012 07:03 AM PST  Kicksled Sack Race during the Santa Claus Winter Games in Gallivare, above the polar circle in northern Sweden on November 17, 2012. – AFP pic "We're getting into shape before delivering all the Christmas presents and we want to make all the children happy today," said the only Mother Christmas taking part in the competition, who travelled from France and donned her red suit to compete for the second year in a row. The nine competitors and their elves paraded Saturday through the Lapland town of Gaellivare, located 100 kilometres (62 miles) inside the Arctic Circle, to the site of the competition in the town's centre. Japan's Santa Claus was accompanied by three human reindeer, who, in a gracious display of Christmas spirit, agreed to pull the sleigh of the local Santa also competing in the event. Along the route, curious onlookers joined the procession. Agnes, a toddler bundled up in a warm purple snowsuit, was fascinated. "A Santa! Oh! Another one! I have to kiss them! All of them! I've never seen so many," she exclaimed. Raissa, a Russian 53-year-old, came to watch the games for the fifth year in a row. "I like all these Santa Clauses. It's fun and nice. It's an event that makes me happy," she said with a wide grin. As spectators watched from the sidelines, elves and reindeer handed out flags, whistles and candy to supporters. The Father Christmas from Spain had a three-year-old helper named Marco who conscientiously completed his duties before diving face-first into the snow, as he discovered white fluffy snowflakes for the first time. The competition included a reindeer-riding event, porridge-eating, karaoke and sack races, before the jury crowned a winner. "Our local Laplander has to win. He rocks!" said Siri, 11, who watched the competition with her friends atop a snowy hill. "I promised the Dutch participant that I'd root for him. He's so nice," said Ina-Britt, 76, who has watched each Santa Winter Games since the start in 2003. France's Mother Christmas said she was having fun, even though there's a lot of effort involved. "It's not that easy," she admitted between two events. "Ho ho ho, I'm happy, Merry Christmas!" thundered in English the Chinese Father Christmas who came all the way from Hong Kong. In the end, the Santa from the Netherlands was declared the winner of the 2012 competition. "I'm thrilled: I'm the first to win two years in a row. I'm going to come back next year to defend my title," he vowed. After the competition, everyone had a smile on their lips as they drank mulled wine – or hot chocolate for the youngsters – at the town's picturesque Christmas market nearby. Some 400 people braved the cold in parkas and warm boots to watch this year's competition, a record, according to organisers. "Next year, we'll do things bigger," said Mathias Svalenstroem, who organises the annual event. – AFP/Relaxnews |
| Rare gene mutation offers clues to Alzheimer’s Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:04 PM PST
Scientists from two independent teams stumbled on the same result, published in two studies in the New England Journal of Medicine: a mutation in the TREM2 gene, which helps govern immune system responses, is three to four times more common among elderly patients with Alzheimer's than those without the diagnosis. The hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of plaques and tangles in the brain tissue. In normal bodies, it seems the immune system's inflammatory molecules help clear that build-up before it becomes a problem. The TREM2 gene functions to keep that inflammatory response in check, to stop the inflammatory molecules from harming healthy tissue. But preliminary research indicates the mutation could send the TREM2 gene into overdrive, hindering the inflammatory molecules from doing their job at all. "While the genetic mutation we found is extremely rare, its effect on the immune system is a strong indicator that this system may be a key player in the disease," said University College London's Rita Guerreiro, lead author of one of the two studies. The mutation is found in fewer than one in 200 people, and in fewer than one in 50 Alzheimer's patients, which means the mutation alone is unlikely to be enough to cause the disease. A combination of environmental and hereditary factors are believed to contribute to developing Alzheimer's. However, researchers said identifying this gene and its possible role in Alzheimer's is a step in the right direction. "This is an important step towards unraveling the hidden causes of this disease, so that we can develop treatments and interventions to end one of the 21st century's most significant health challenges," said Peter St George-Hyslop, of the University of Toronto. Another of the lead researchers, Kevin Morgan of the University of Nottingham, said "the risk associated with this new variant is the largest seen to date and heralds the start of a new era in (Alzheimer's Disease) genetic research. "At long last we are beginning to witness major breakthroughs that will hopefully result in therapeutic developments to help alleviate this devastating condition." The scientists said that new drugs could potentially be developed to target the TREM2 gene and stop it from overly interfering in the inflammatory response. One of the studies was done by an international research team based in Britain, Canada and the US, using a data bank of 25,000 people. The other was done by researchers in Iceland, using data from 2,261 elderly Icelanders and then confirmed with population samples in the US, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany. — AFP/Relaxnews |
WASHINGTON, Nov 19 — Scientists have found a rare genetic mutation that appears to triple the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and provides important clues into how the so-far incurable disease operates.| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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