How a 'social network' analysis for cancer offers hope for patients...............

A team of scientists has developed a computer model that applies techniques used to analyse social networks to identify new ways of treating cancer. The model analyses the unique behaviours of cancer-causing proteins, spotting what makes them different from normal proteins and mapping out molecular targets for new potential drugs that could be developed to treat cancer.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, compared proteins inside cells to members of an enormous social network, mapping the ways they interact. This allowed them to predict which proteins will be most effectively targeted with drugs.

The researchers have made this map publicly available. It could provide drug discovery scientists with a shortcut to finding new drugs for many different types of cancer.

The team found that there are many molecular pathways that interact to affect the development of cancer. Cancer-causing proteins, which have already been successfully targeted with drugs, tended to have particular 'social' characteristics that differ from non-cancer proteins, suggesting that previously unexplored cancer proteins with similar characteristics could also make good drug targets.

'Hub-like' proteins which 'communicate' with lots of other proteins - like a super-Facebook user with thousands of friends - were more likely to cause cancer.

Study leader Bissan Al-Lazikani said that this map will help researchers design better new drugs, more quickly, saving time and money. It also sheds light on how resistance to treatments may occur, and in just a few years could help doctors choose the best drug combinations to suit individual patients. The study is published in PLOS Computational Biology. 

This is why women should be wary of alcohol.............

Alcohol consumption by young women may result in unexpected, unintended and unsafe sexual encounters, says a study led by an Indian-origin researcher.

Links between alcohol consumption and risky sexual encounters are not new, said investigators, but this study identifies the disconnect between what young women have in mind when they drink and have sex and what really happens.

"The idea behind our study was to first unveil what women expect to happen, and then uncover what consequences really occur," said lead researcher Geetanjali Chander, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

"The results should help challenge unrealistic expectations and develop better interventions that lead to safer experiences," said Chander.

Chander and her colleagues conducted in-depth interviews with 20 African-American women attending a Baltimore clinic that treats sexually transmitted diseases.

All study participants reported binge drinking in the past six months or engaging in intercourse while under the influence of alcohol.

Five major unexpected sexual events happened with substantial frequency as revealed by the participants - sex with new partners; alternative sexual activities, including anal sex and "rough" sex; unprotected sex; blacked-out sex or sex occurring during alcohol-related amnesia; and rape.

In contrast to such descriptions, literature to date has shown that women tend to think alcohol will improve their sex drive, minimise their sexual inhibition or make the sexual experience better.

"Ensuring that women understand this disconnect may help them focus on the consequences more than the positive expectation," said co-researcher Dinah Lewis.

When asked how they might be safer when drinking in public, researchers said a common suggestion from the interview subjects was to watch out for each other.

The study was published online in Women's Health Issues.

'Sleepless nights' could pose heart disease risks equivalent to smoking: New study..........

In a new study, scientist have found that a bad night's sleep could trigger health risks equivalent to that of smoking.

The research shows that people who sleep for less than seven hours were up to four times more likely to suffer a stroke and doubled their risk of a heart attack, reported the Daily Express.

Professor Valery Gafarov, of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said at a conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia that poor sleep should be taken as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease along with smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet. The WHO study examined the reason behind heart disease in 657 men aged 25 to 64 with no history of heart attack, stroke or diabetes in Novosibirsk, Russia.

They found that almost two-thirds of participants who had a heart attack also had a sleep disorder. In addition to that, men with a sleep disorder had a two to 2.6 times higher risk of a heart attack and a 1.5 to four times higher risk of stroke just five to 14 years later. 

Eating nuts, peanuts everyday can lower your risk of dying............

People who eat at least 10 grammes of nuts or peanuts daily have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than those who don't consume nuts or peanuts, a new study has claimed.

The reduction in mortality was strongest for respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes, followed by cancer and cardiovascular diseases, according to researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Peanuts show at least as strong reductions in mortality as tree nuts, but peanut butter is not associated with lower mortality, researchers said.

The study was carried out within the Netherlands Cohort Study, which has been running since 1986 among over 120,000 Dutch old men and women, ages 55 to 69.

Nut consumption was assessed by asking about portion size and frequency of intake of peanuts, tree nuts, and peanut butter.

The researchers analysed the relationship with overall and cause-specific mortality since 1986.

The associations between nuts and peanut intake and cardiovascular death confirm earlier results from American and Asian studies that were often focused on cardiovascular diseases, researchers said.

However, the new study also found that mortality due to cancer, diabetes, respiratory, and neurodegenerative diseases was lowered among users of peanuts and nuts.

"It was remarkable that substantially lower mortality was already observed at consumption levels of 15 grammes of nuts or peanuts on average per day (half a handful)," said Project leader and epidemiologist Professor Piet van den Brandt.

"A higher intake was not associated with further reduction in mortality risk," van den Brandt said.

Peanuts and tree nuts both contain various compounds such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, various vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds, that possibly contribute to the lower death rates, researchers said.

The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. 

Health ministry had given approval to Maggi in 2011.............

As the row over Maggi noodles deepens, it has come to light that Nestle India Limited had received approval from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to manufacture the product, less than two years ago. Eyebrows are now being raised on how packaged food items are being given safety approvals by nodal agencies.

Companies have to seek approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) controlled by the MoHFW before manufacture and sale of any food product. Of 11,000 food brands that seek approval under the FSSAI regulations, which were introduced in 2011, only 50% have got clearance from the central authority, said sources in the health ministry.

Nestle India received product approval certification from FSSAI on July 4, 2013 for nine variants of instant noodles with tastemaker, including Maggi 2-minute Masala Noodles (dna has a copy of the certificate).

In order to acquire a product approval, a food company has to submit reports on toxicology, shelf life and nutritional label to FSSAI. The FSSAI approval signed by Pradip Chakraborty, director (product Approval) states, "The Instant Noodles have been granted product approval based on the safety of the ingredients and additives."

Maggi is currently at the centre of a storm after tests on samples by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials in Uttar Pradesh revealed high levels of lead and presence of 'added,' monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Food safety experts said that the process of product approval was carried out based on the documents submitted by the company. The scientific panel of FSSAI does not carry out its own checks and balances before certifying if a product is safe for consumption, the allege.

"In such a case, the enforcement wing of FSSAI at the state level should be robust to make sure that food companies comply with norms," said Ashwin Bhadri, CEO, Equinox Labs.

For a population of 1.19 crore, Mumbai has only 16 food safety officers appointed under the FSSAI Act as against the sanctioned strength of 41. Of the existing staff, two are currently on maternity leave. Across Maharashtra, 188 out of 256 FSO posts are filled.

"For popular packaged snacks, oil, milk, tea, more and more checks should be conducted by local authorities. The responsibility of randomly testing the products lies with them. Due to staff crunch, enforcement testing takes a huge hit," said Bhadri.

FDA joint commissioner (food) Suresh Annapure said FSOs in Mumbai are overburdened. They work for over ten hours a day in sample collection, licensing and registration activities, vigilance and investigations. We are working in our limited capacity."

Tracing the path of South Korea's MERS 'patient zero'......

Eight days after returning from a trip to the Middle East, a 68-year-old South Korean man developed a cough and fever. He visited four health facilities seeking treatment and inadvertently triggered the biggest outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outside that region, and what is verging on national panic at home. President Park Geun-hye said on Wednesday everything must be done to stop the outbreak that has infected 29 other people, and killed two of them, in South Korea.

Hundreds of schools have locked their gates as the outbreak rekindled fears of a similar coronavirus that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002, and killed about 800 people as it spread around the world. The South Korean "index patient" was running a farm equipment company in Bahrain, according to a South Korean official, and had visited the region before returning on May 4. More than half of South Korea's infections have been traced to a hospital in Pyeongtaek city, 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Seoul, where the man shared a room with another patient. "The first patient was close to another person in the room and it appears that more infections took place as he went out of the room for checks, sneezing and coughing in the hall," said Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist advising the government. 

Others became infected at three of the four health facilities the man visited, authorities said. Officials have not identified the hospitals where MERS patients are being treated, but the Pyeongtaek facility has been shut and staff quarantined. A nurse there said there was a lack of knowledge about the virus when the man was hospitalised. Health officials have said hospital staff had not been aware of the man's Middle East trip. "There's little understanding. His visit to us was just unavoidable exposure to other people in the hospital," the nurse, who is in quarantine at home, said by telephone. She declined to be identified.

When the man was admitted at another hospital, where he was finally diagnosed, he at first only told staff he had visited Bahrain, which is not considered a MERS danger zone, health officials said. In fact, the man had also been to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the countries with the most MERS cases and most of its approximately 440 fatalities. "We reported him to the disease control centre but because he went to Bahrain, which was all we knew at that time, his case dragged on," said an official at the hospital where he was diagnosed on May 20, who also declined to be identified. Too much time was spent finding him positive."

The person the index patient shared a room with at the Pyeongtaek hospital contracted MERS, as did that person's son, who had visited. The son broke voluntary quarantine and travelled to Hong Kong and mainland China, where he was diagnosed with MERS. He is in hospital in China. As of Wednesday, the index patient was on a respirator in a government-designated hospital. His 63-year-old wife also contracted the virus, but authorities said her condition had improved.

Authorities believe that other than the index patient, most of the MERS infections in South Korea came from the health facilities the index patient visited.

After Delhi, Uttarakhand bans Maggi........

Uttarakhand has joined the list of states to ban the sale of Maggi with samples of the popular food product failing laboratory tests. "A decision to ban the sale of Maggi was taken late last night in public interest by the Food Security Department as 2 of a 300 odd samples of the food product failed laboratory tests," Principal Secretary Health Om Prakash said.

The decision was prompted by the presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the samples sent for laboratory tests to Rudrapur in Udhamsingh Nagar district, he said. "As the matter concerns public health we lost no time in imposing a ban on the popular food product in Uttarakhand. An order pronouncing the ban and seeking immediate withdrawal of the product from market places is being formally issued today," he said.

However, no lead content was found in the samples tested, the official said, adding that out of the 300 samples sent to Rudrapur laboratory, test results of a majority of them are still awaited. After test results of all the samples collected from different places across the state arrive they will be sent to Kolkata for the final laboratory tests, the Principal Secretary Health said.

Big retailers like Big Bazar have already withdrawn Maggi packets from their outlets in the city, he said, adding small retailers may take some more time to do so

As Maggi scare boils, more states order test, Delhi bans sale..........

The many troubles of Maggi continued on Wednesday as more governments followed other states to send Maggi samples to labs to test for its troubling levels of lead content and stores turned away from selling instant noodles. The Delhi government

 cracked down most stringently on one of Nestle India's most popular products in the country, banning it in the national capital.

Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain on Wednesday held a meeting with officials from Nestle India whom he had issued summons to. This follows Delhi government's announcement of their lab tests of collected Maggi samples, in which the lead levels far exceeded the safe, permissible limits. One of those officials was Nestle India's head of corporate communications Sanjay Khajuria who, post the meeting, told the media that the company had made their presentation to the minister and had asked for a review.

However, the health minister later told the media that the government was banning Maggi in Delhi for the next 15 days, striking a huge blow to Nestle India's immediate prospects. "We are not fully satisfied with the submission given by Nestle officials today morning. The government has imposed a ban on Maggi for 15 days," said Jain told media, adding that in one day no Maggi would be found in stores. In its official statement, the Delhi government said the company had been asked to withdraw the product from the market immediately and that it can be reintroduced "subject to its samples confirming to food safety standards."

Even the Army issued warning about the noodles, removing it from its CSD stores.

It wasn't just the government giving grief to Nestle but the private sector too. The Future Group, that runs chain stores such as the massive Big Bazaar, Nilgiris and Easyday, decided to remove Maggi from its shelves "in the interest of consumer sentiment", claimed the group.

Meanwhile, after rumours emerged that tests ordered by Maharashtra government found Maggi safe and conforming to FDA standards, state FDA commissioner Dr Harshadeep Kamble clarified that no clean chit has been issued, and they are still in the process of analysing samples. Of the 15 samples given for testing, results of eight will arrive by Friday evening, while the rest will be in on Monday. The government said that testing Maggi itself is a costly affair and requires usage of platinum bowls, each of which costs Rs 3.5 lakh. Maharashtra labs have 13 such bowls, but are now trying to procure two more. Also, the delay in the results is due to procurement of ultrapure nitric acid which costs up to Rs 25,000 for 500 ml. They require at least two more litres of such nitric acid.

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan said on Wednesday, "We have written to the Food Safety and Safety Authority of India and they will take some time to prepare their report on the whole issue. I have asked them in writing to conduct tests and carry out a thorough investigation into the matter. Consequently, action will be taken."

Paswan also spoke about the issue of prosecuting celebrity brand ambassadors of Maggi, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Priety Zinta, saying, "there are two matters at hand. One pertains to misleading consumers through advertisements, the other what the exact contents of the product are. Currently, we are trying to investigate if the product has contents other than those mentioned on the packaging."

Sex-guide according to your age...........

Our sexual behaviour varies at different times in our lives. Sex guru Tracey Cox in her bestselling book, 'Sextasy' reveals the sexual urges and traits of lovers according to their age...

20-something: Most guys just can't stop dreaming about sex every couple of hours. At this age, girls are usually rebellious in their sexual imaginations. They share same-sex fantasies or want to try out bi-sexuality. A 2006 study of nearly 2000 people discovered that 76 per cent of women who slept with women reached orgasm (for women with men, the figure stands at 50 per cent).

The 20s are the time when young boys and girls are most experimental in their sexual positions. One in 10 people claims Tracey Cox have had a threesome in their early twenties.

Also, people in this age group have most likely visited a strip joint or a lapdancing club - with their friends or their better half.

30 something: The 30s are a time to experiment, almost all 30-somethings claim to have had sex outdoors. Unlike the teens when making out was the most common form of sexual experimentation, most 30 somethings prefer having sex somewhere semi-public like the beach, in the garden or on a park bench in the darkness. There's something wildly erotic about these sexapades! Also, high on the 30 something popularity chart are having sex in the shower or in the bath tub.

Kinky pleasures also rate high as most 30 plus couples claim to be giving in to their fantasies of bondage, blindfolds and spanking on a weekend of debauchery.

This is also the time when women are most likely to befriend gay male pals. Straight women love gay men; gay men love straight women. Swedish research is confirming just why the two groups get along so famously - they both have symmetrical brains. Straight men and lesbians have asymmetrical brain hemispheres.

The 30s also mark the arrival of children in a married couple's life, so the sex drive naturally dwindles. But, Cox points out that during pregnancy, couples have sex four to five times a month. Most put the brakes on their sex lives for about seven weeks after delivery, but four months later are back to four or five times of sex a month. Cox says six months after delivery, the average couple goes back to having sex three to five times a month. But incase you don't fit the bill, remember getting disheartened ain't gonna help. Remember it's just a temporary period, so continue touching and cuddling and if your baby robs you of chances to have sex, indulge in quickies.

Most women says Cox in her book experience higher orgasm rates. Ninety per cent of women past 30 regularly experience orgasm, compared to just 23 per cent of younger women.

40 something: Men in their 40s are more likely to experience erection problems. Also, this is the age when maximum number of men tend to be unfaithful. Also, men are more compelled in their 40s to watch more porn or indulge in sex chats. Women on the other hand get sexually very demanding, often being attracted to younger men.

If you thought the 40s were about low libido, think again, while 40-somethings maybe having less sex than ever, the thrust has shifted from how many times in a week to an emphasis on better quality. You are more sure of your sexual needs in this age group and thus more likely to insist on passion play as opposed to a mere making out session.

Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee may reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 20pc........

Washington, Nov 27: A new study has demonstrated that drinking 3-5 cups of coffee might help in lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by up to 20 percent. The study showed that the number of people in Europe aged over 65 was predicted to rise from 15.4 percent of the population to 22.4 percent by 20251 and, with an aging population, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease were of increasing concern.

Epidemiological studies have found that regular, life-long moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease with the body of evidence suggesting that coffee drinkers can reduce their risk of developing the disease by up to 20 percent. Here’s how you can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease

According to the study, caffeine helps prevent the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrulary tangles in the brain – two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease. In addition to this, both caffeine and polyphenols reduce inflammation and decrease the deterioration of brain cells especially in the hippocampus and cortex, areas of the brain involved in memory. 

Dr. Arfram Ikram, an assistant professor in neuroepidemiology at Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam,said that the majority of human epidemiological studies suggested that regular coffee consumption over a lifetime was associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease, with an optimum protective effect occurring with three to five cups of coffee per day. 

Obesity a major risk factor for cancer...........

Overweight and obesity have become major risk factors for cancer, causing almost half a million new cases of the disease worldwide every year, a new study has found.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), cancer caused by excess weight is currently much more common in more developed countries - accounting for over 5% of all new cancer cases in these countries - compared to less developed countries, where just 1.5% of cases are due to overweight or obesity.

Furthermore, the proportion of cancers linked to obesity is higher in women than in men. In fact, women are ‘disproportionately affected by obesity-related cancers'.

"For example, for postmenopausal breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide, the study suggests that 10% of these cancers could have been prevented by having a healthy body weight," noted one of the study's lead authors, Dr Melina Arnold, of the IARC.

Overall, cancers of the breast, endometrium and colon account for almost three in four cancers linked to excess weight in women. Colon and kidney cancers account for two in three of all weight-related cancers in men.

Meanwhile, the countries with the highest cancer burden attributable to excess weight in men are the Czech Republic (5.5% of that country's new cases of cancer), Jordan (4.5%) and the UK (4.4%). Among women, the highest weight-related cancer burden is found in Barbados (12.7%), the Czech Republic (12%) and Puerto Rico (11.6%).

Dr Kate Allen of the World Cancer Research Fund International, which funded the study, described the findings as ‘worrying'.

"These worrying results highlight that it's crucial to maintain a healthy weight to prevent so many common cancers. Cancer is an epidemic problem, and to tackle it we need to help people take measures to be a healthy weight," she said.

The study pointed out that if populations had maintained their average body mass index (BMI) of 30 years ago, one in four cases of cancer attributable to excess weight - around 118,000 cases - could have been prevented.

"The number of cancers linked to obesity and overweight is expected to rise globally along with economic development.

 This study stresses the importance of putting in place efficient weight control measures, to curb the high number of cancers associated with excess body weight and to avoid the problems faced by rich countries being repeated in those now undergoing rapid development," added IARC director, Dr Christopher Wild.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, The Lancet Oncology.

Young adults not concerned about obesity.........

Young adults in Indian cities are blissfully unaware of the dangers of obesity, a survey report here said Wednesday.

"The problem is a serious one as over 58 percent of young adults do not consider obesity as a disease and thus have a casual approach about the problem," said bariatric surgeon Jayashree Todkar, who conducted the survey in collaboration with Hiranandani Hospital.

According to the survey, 70 percent of the concerned population has a family history of obesity.

It also stated that the urban, young population lacks awareness about the disease.

"Only 28 percent of the total population know the scientific definition of obesity and the health hazards associated with it," the report said.

The survey report was an outcome of a sample size of 9,670 youngsters from 10 city-based colleges.

"The most worrisome fact is that the young, Indian male population does not view obesity as a health hazard, but view it only as a matter of size and shape. A meagre 6 percent of the young Indian population is involved in some kind of physical activity," Todkar added.

Dos and don’ts for your winter skin care..........

A little chill in the air and a slight sensation of dryness on the skin – and, we know, winters are here. Although, over the years we have learnt a lot about skin care during this season – still there are certain aspects which need to be revisited every year to make sure you remain all beautiful and cheery in this weather of fall too! Ms. Gunjan Gaur, Permanent Makeup Expert and Executive Director of ALPS Beauty Clinics, reveals all what your need to do and not during the season of cold wave.

Be sun-safe:

Most of us believe that sunscreen should only be used in summers to protect the skin from tanning. But not many know that, winter sun too can damage the skin. Therefore, it is advisable to apply broad spectrum sunscreen with UV and PA+++ protection in winters on your face and other exposed parts of body. Make sure you apply the sun protection cream 30 minutes before stepping out of the house to save your grace.

Ban steaming hot water:

A hot water bath feels very appealing in cold days as it soothes the senses. But as tempting it might feel, it robs the skin’s natural oils and making it drier. So, it is recommended to bathe in lukewarm water instead of steaming hot water to keep dryness at bay. The lukewarm water will not only give you the warmth but will keep your refreshed and energized for the whole-day-long.

Creams over moisturizers:

Slathering rich creams are rather recommended than applying moisturizing lotions in winters, as the cream are generally oil-based and hence, form a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture during the chill. These creams deeply moisturize the skin while nourishing the skin from within. Also, these are long lasting in nature and therefore can spare you from the process of reapplying again and again.

Oil for a short-span:

While it is important to oil your body, it is not necessarily important to keep it oiled for overnight. A 10 minute oiling session before your bath would suffice the nourishment needs of the skin. So, just catch hold of any baby oil or olive oil bottle and get started! Performing this on regular basis is sure to keep your skin soft, supple and smooth.

Acne panic:

Acne is not only restricted for summers; people encounter pimple-problems in winters too. Though, this time it must not be because of the over-oiliness of the face, but the culprit is, dandruff. So, the next time you see a zit pop-up on your face, be ready to blame your shampoo and swap it with an anti-dandruff one. If you are already using one; try changing the brand to wave off your woes.

'Positive signs' from Ebola vaccine trial............

A trial looking at the safety of an Ebola vaccine has had encouraging results, says the chief executive of GSK.

Sir Andrew Witty said new clinical data was "very encouraging" and that a viable vaccine could be available in the second half of next year - if these early trials continue to provide positive results.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in America has just released the first trial data for the vaccine that GSK is working on in its laboratories in Italy and Belgium.

Twenty adults were tested and an immune response to Ebola was prompted in each of them. The vaccine was also "well tolerated" by each of the people tested.

John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser win medicine Nobel for ‘brain GPS’.......

US-BRITISH scientist John O’Keefe and Norwegian married couple May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser have won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering the brain’s positioning system.

This “inner GPS” helps explain how the brain creates “a map of the space surrounding us and how we can navigate our way through a complex environment”, the Nobel Assembly said on Monday.

O’Keefe, of University College London, discovered the first component of this positioning system in 1971 when he found that a certain type of nerve cell was always activated when a rat was at a certain place in a room.

Long time coming ... co-winner John O'Keefe, of University College London, discovered the first component of the brain’s positioning system in 1971. Picture: David Bishop Source: AP

Thirty-four years later May-Britt and Edvard Moser, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, identified another type of nerve cell that generates a co-ordinate system for precise path-finding, the assembly said.

It said that knowledge about the brain’s positioning system may “help us understand the mechanism underpinning the devastating spatial memory loss” that affects people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Nobel awards in physics, chemistry, literature and peace will be announced later this week. The economics prize will be announced next Monday.

This is what looking down at your phone does to your spine..........

HOW long do you think you could last with an eight-year old sitting on your head?

According to a new study by spine surgeon Dr Kenneth Hansraj looking down at our phones is the equivalent of having around 27 kgs worth of weight on your neck.

On average, our heads weigh 4-5kgs, but when we are looking down scrolling through Facebook, the gravitational pull is massively increased.

“As the head tilts forward the forces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds (12kg) at 15 degrees, 40 pounds (18kg) at 30 degrees, 49 pounds (22kg) at 45 degrees and 60 pounds (27kg) at 60 degrees,” Hansraj writes in the paper.

The further you look down, the more weight your neck feels. Source: Supplied

Having this sort of pressure on our necks, is of course not a good thing for our health, especially when the average person spends between two to four hours a day in this position.

In the paper, Dr Hansraj cited that good posture when looking at your phone is having your ears aligned with your shoulders and your shoulder blades back.

This will lower body stress, in comparison to poor posture which will stress the spine and possibly lead to early degradation.

It’s not just staring down at your phone that is bad for you.

Studies have suggested that radiation from your phone can even cook your eyes.

By cooking, we mean that if your eyes are exposed to the kind of heat and radiation given off by phones for long enough, tiny bubbles can start to form in your eyes. This is a precursor to cataracts.

This happens due to your eyes inability to dissipate the heat into the rest of your body, essentially because it’s mostly operating on its own up there.

Studies show that radiation from phones can damage a person’s eyes. Source: Supplied

Let’s not forget how technology can ruin your sleep as well. This is mostly due to the type of ‘blue’ light that the screen on your phone, tablet or computer emits.

The light reduces the production of melatonin, our natural sleeping hormone which increases sleeping difficulties and causes more daytime sleepiness. To combate this, scientists recommend turning off all devices at least an hour before you go to sleep.

Insomnia? Blame your laptop. Source: News Limited

Using your computer all day could also be a big contributer to why your hands and body are aching. Any repetitive movement can result in Repetive Strain Syndrome and it can affect any part of the body.

But with all that typing, tapping and clicking, it’s usually our hands and arms that suffer problems, with millions of people worldwide now developing RSI.

Symptoms include pain, muscle weakness, swelling, numbness and restricted mobility of the joint. It will typically increase after a long session of computer or device use, according to the health department.

The best cure is rest, continued use will make the problem worse.

Using a computer all day can cause Repetitive Strain Syndrome. Source: News Limited

And finally, let’s not forget those who listen to their music too loud.

About 37 per cent of hearing loss in Australia is caused by preventable noise exposure, acocording to HearNet.

And one in five teenagers today has some form of hearing loss - around 30 per cent more than in the 1990s.

Our exposure to dangerous noise levels through our headphones is on the increase, with Australians losing their hearing much earlier than previous generations.

The maximum acceptable exposure to noise over a day is 85 decibels - the equivalent of listening to the sound of traffic on the street from the footpath.

Our devices can reach up to 120dB. Osteopaths say that as a rule of thumb, you should only use devices at levels up to 60 per cent of maximum volume for a total of 60 minutes a day. If you can’t hear what’s going on around you, it’s too loud.

Why do you cry when you’re happy?...................

WHEN you think about it, it seems quite weird that you cry when you are overwhelmingly happy. But finally some psychologists believe they know why.

That reason being, that crying tears of joy may be the body’s way of restoring “emotional equilibrium”.

The idea is that, by reacting to an overwhelming positive emotion with an equally negative one, people are better able to recover from strong emotions.

The study is not just for our curiosity, results could help advance the understanding of people’s mental help.

The report published in journal Psychological Science, uses examples from a teenage girl screaming at a Justin Bieber concert to a wife crying when she is reunited with her husband returning from war.

Oriana Aragon, a psychologist from Yale University who led the study, wrote that individuals who were able to express a negative reaction to positive news were able to manage their intense emotions quicker.

There was also some relationship between an individual’s emotions and different scenarios. For example, it was found that people who were most likely to cry at their children graduating school are also most likely to want to pinch a baby’s cheeks.

The idea of opposite emotions balancing us out works the other way, too. Nervous laughter can occur when people are confronted with difficulty or frightened, while psychologists also believe people sometimes smile when they are at their saddest.

'It's easy to quit smoking. I've quit thrice already': 12 real struggle every hard smoker who's just quit will understand.............

If you've just quit smoking after years of inner struggle to kick a habit you picked up 20 years ago, congratulations. You are the boss. But every smoker knows, the first five days are excruciatingly hard to get by. The next 10 days are slightly better, but that is also the time you are spending avoiding smokers.

It's not an easy battle to fight. But it's a great one to win in the end. But here are some things that you instinctively do that sometimes upsets people around you.

No one's taking anything away from your personal victory. But don't be the guy that every smoker hates for being a sanctimonious jerk who after disregarding every advice from wellwishers for 20 years is now the spokesperson for healthy living.

You are desperate to avoid talking about smoking. And one of your friends unfailingly will. That will trigger withdrawal and you will overcompensate by eating fried stuff.

You are quietly minding your own business when someone acquainted with your struggle will say 'But hadn't you quit 3-4 times earlier as well? Good luck. You can't do it.'

Have you tried hypnosis? Friends and colleagues will bring up strange remedies to deal with withdrawal.

You've turned into this irritable jerk around smokers. It's not your fault. You did the right thing though to be honest, smokers need their space and rights too.

Now alcohol tastes like luke warm tap water without a smoke.

Ahhh. Sweet mother of God. You lurk around smokers now to get a whiff of their smoke. Passive smoking is harmful too, but it reminds you of those good old coughing fits. Good memories.

Did we mention that you've turned into an irritable jerk? Add sanctimonious to that please. Suddenly you are the resident expert on the ill effects of smoking.

You now seek out fellow quitters to sort your life but still hang around smokers so that if you got desperate you'd have a reason to fall back on your smoke buddies.

You've discovered chewing gum to stay calm, but everyone else thinks you have developed an attitude.

You are now trying to enroll every smoker on earth to your smoke-free club. How's that working out for you?

But a joint's fine, right? Technically, that's not cigarette. It's not going to work.

Notice how you are no longer part of the cool group that brainstorms over a smoke every morning?