Latest news with #Health
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Alzheimer: Researchers find two cancer drugs reverse damaged gene behaviour in mice
New Delhi: A study that compared gene behaviour in Alzheimer's disease with that caused by 1,300 drugs approved for use in the US has found that a combination of two cancer drugs could slow the neurodegenerative disease in mice, indicating a promise in reversing symptoms in humans. Alzheimer's disease is an ageing-related disorder in which cognitive function steadily declines, affecting speech and memory, and eventually can interfere with everyday activities. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, and Gladstone Institutes in the US first saw how gene behaviour was affected in Alzheimer's disease in a single brain cell. The researchers then looked at 1,300 drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and which of them reversed the damage. The next stage of the study, published in the journal 'Cell', analysed electronic medical records of about 1.4 million patients and found that patients who took some of these drugs for treating conditions other than Alzheimer's disease were less likely to get the ageing-related neurological disorder. Testing the top two drug candidates -- ' letrozole ' and ' irinotecan ', both of which are cancer medications -- in a mouse model having Alzheimer's disease, the researchers found that brain degeneration was reduced and a restored ability to remember. Letrozole is usually prescribed for treating breast cancer, and irinotecan for colon and lung cancer. The combined effects of two drugs were found to reverse damaged gene behaviour in neurons and glia (a type of brain cells that surround and support neurons). Further, toxic clumps of proteins and brain degeneration -- hallmark features of Alzheimer's -- were found to be reduced and memory restored, the researchers said. The team added that out of 1,300 drugs, 86 reversed gene behaviour changes in one type of brain cell and 25 reversed them in other types. However, only 10 had been approved for use in humans by the FDA. "Thanks to all these existing data sources, we went from 1,300 drugs, to 86, to 10, to just five," said lead author Yaqiao Li, a postdoctoral scholar at Gladstone Institutes. "Alzheimer's disease comes with complex changes to the brain which has made it tough to study and treat, but our computational tools opened up the possibility of tackling the complexity directly," said co-senior author Marina Sirota, professor of paediatrics and an interim director at the University of California. Co-senior author Yadong Huang, director of the center for translational advancement at Gladstone Institutes, said, "Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health." "This makes it very challenging for drug development -- which traditionally produces one drug for a single gene or protein that drives disease," Huang said. The electronic medical records analysed in the study came from the University of California's Health Data Warehouse, which includes anonymised health information on 1.4 million people over the age of 65.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nestle Q1 Preview: Muted profit seen despite steady sales growth as RM costs weigh
Nestle India is expected to report a muted earnings performance for the June quarter, with a likely 1% year-on-year decline in net profit despite mid-single-digit revenue growth . Analysts anticipate the company's top line to rise around 5–6% YoY, driven by a balanced mix of price hikes and modest volume gains. However, persistent raw material cost pressures and a dip in other income could weigh on the bottom line. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Public Policy PGDM Management Data Science Technology MCA Others Leadership Design Thinking Data Science Project Management Digital Marketing Operations Management Cybersecurity Finance others CXO Product Management MBA Skills you'll gain: Economics for Public Policy Making Quantitative Techniques Public & Project Finance Law, Health & Urban Development Policy Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate Programme in Public Policy Management Starts on Mar 3, 2024 Get Details According to the average of six brokerage estimates, Nestle's consolidated profit after tax (PAT) is projected to decline 1% YoY in Q1FY26 . While EBITDA may register modest growth in the range of 4–8%, rising input costs—particularly for coffee, milk, palm oil, and cocoa—are expected to impact gross margins, thereby curbing profit expansion. Kotak Equities models a 6.6% YoY growth in net revenues, supported by a 6.5% increase in domestic sales and a recovery in exports, expected to rise 7%. Live Events 'We expect volume growth at 3%, a slight improvement over the 2% in Q4. Growth is likely to be led by the powdered and liquid beverages segment and confectionery, while milk products may continue to lag due to challenges in the baby food segment and cooperative pricing pressure,' the brokerage noted. Nuvama is slightly more conservative, estimating 4.7% YoY revenue growth, with domestic sales rising 4–5% and export revenue declining by 2–3%. Price hikes—mainly in coffee and premium chocolates—are expected to contribute around 3% to the topline. The brokerage pegs volume growth at 2–3% and expects gross margin to improve by 115 bps to 56.5% due to recent palm oil duty reductions, with the EBITDA margin inching up to 23.3%. Still, the company is expected to face some profitability drag. "Lower other income could result in a slight decline in PAT YoY,' Nuvama added. YES Securities forecasts revenue growth of 6.2% YoY, led by 3.5% volume growth domestically. However, they expect gross margins to fall 110 bps YoY and project the EBITDA margin to contract 40 bps to 22.2%. As a result, the brokerage anticipates recurring PAT to dip by 2.6% YoY. Motilal Oswal expects 5.7% YoY sales growth, with 5.5% domestic and 10% export growth. However, they caution that Nestlé's urban-centric portfolio could face headwinds amid an uneven recovery in discretionary demand. 'We model a gross margin contraction of 60 bps YoY to 57% due to input cost inflation,' Motilal noted, while projecting EBITDA margins to hold steady at 23.3%. Category-wise, beverages are expected to lead the quarter's growth with double-digit gains, followed by confectionery and prepared dishes in the high single digits. Milk and nutrition segments are likely to remain flat YoY. Innovations, premiumisation, and deeper distribution remain structural levers for Nestle, though near-term earnings may remain subdued. With raw material inflation still playing out and urban recovery expected to stabilise only from the second quarter onward, Nestle's Q1 performance may be steady—but not much to cheer about. Investors will be keenly watching commentary on rural demand, pricing trends, and margin outlook going forward.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Perak offers RM5,000 aid for trade union formation to empower workers
IPOH: The Perak government aims to encourage about 10 per cent of public and private sector workers to form trade unions in the state within the next three years as part of efforts to empower workers' rights and safeguard their welfare. State Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman A. Sivanesan said Perak is the first state to provide a special allocation of RM5,000 to help workers set up their unions. 'In Perak, out of 1.25 million workers, only a small number have joined unions. The membership rate in this state is lower than the national average of eight per cent. 'Unions are established in workplaces to ensure industrial harmony. If there is a union, workers can negotiate for salary adjustments every two years, as well as for health benefits and leave-related matters,' he told a press conference here today. He said union formation should now be easier following the 2023 amendments to the Trade Unions Act 1959, but many employers remain fearful and are reluctant to allow their workers to form unions. To facilitate union formation, Sivanesan said the state Trade Union Affairs Department has been instructed to represent the state government and assist the workers. 'When a pro-tem committee is formed but has yet to be registered with the Trade Union Affairs Department, it requires funding to carry out its activities, as it is not permitted to collect money. That's why the Perak state government will provide the funds. 'The funds will be used to help workers establish unions. I hope this will benefit at least 1.1 million workers who are currently not union members or have no union at their workplaces,' he said. He said that union formation is crucial as Perak is expected to have around 30,000 new workers in the future due to upcoming industrial projects in Proton City, Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LUMIC), Bagan Datuk, Chemor, and Kinta Industrial Park. - Bernama
India.com
8 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Not Nitish Kumar, THIS leader is likely to be the next Vice President of India, he is Modi government's top choice too, his name is…
Home News Not Nitish Kumar, THIS leader is likely to be the next Vice President of India, he is Modi government's top choice too, his name is… Not Nitish Kumar, THIS leader is likely to be the next Vice President of India, he is Modi government's top choice too, his name is… Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned on Tuesday evening, citing health concerns. In his resignation letter, Dhankhar said he was stepping down to focus on his health and follow medical advice. Not Nitish Kumar, THIS leader is likely to be the next Vice President of India, he is Modi government's top choice too, his name is... After Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation was accepted, there has been a lot of buzz about who will be the next Vice President. Several names are being talked about among BJP leaders. At the moment, Arif Mohammad Khan, who is the Governor of Bihar, seems to be the top choice for the role. People believe that once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his visits to the UK and Maldives, a final decision about the new Vice President may be made. In political circles, some other names are also being discussed for the position, one of them is Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Rajnath Singh not interested? Even when Jagdeep Dhankhar became Vice President last time, Rajnath Singh's name was being discussed. But Rajnath, who has already served twice as BJP's national president and has been handling important roles like Home Minister and now Defence Minister for the past 11 years in the Modi government, had clearly shown no interest in the post even then. JP Nadda unlikely to be chosen Some people are now also talking about BJP national president JP Nadda for the role. They are pointing out that his term as party president is ending soon. However, many senior leaders are strongly denying this possibility. They say that Nadda is already managing two big ministries in the government i.e. Health, and Chemicals & Fertilizers, along with being the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha. So, there is little chance that he will be removed from these key roles to be made Vice President. Low chances for Nitish Kumar Some voices are also asking for Bihar's Nitish Kumar to be made the next Vice President, but this seems highly unlikely. Arif Mohammad Khan seen as the top choice Arif Mohammad Khan is being seen as the most suitable candidate because of his long political experience and his ideological alignment with the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. Though he had been away from active politics for a long time, the Modi government appointed him as Governor of Kerala, and later, Governor of Bihar. Back in the 1980s, he had resigned from Rajiv Gandhi's Cabinet after strongly opposing the law that overturned the Supreme Court's verdict in the Shah Bano case. He has always stood firmly against religious extremism and appeasement politics. More recently, he has openly supported key decisions of the Modi government, like the triple talaq law and changes to the Waqf Act, defending them with strong arguments. Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned on Tuesday evening, citing health concerns. In his resignation letter, Dhankhar said he was stepping down to focus on his health and follow medical advice. While the decision may seem sudden, there have been several recent occasions where he appeared unwell during public events — even though he seemed active and energetic while presiding over Rajya Sabha sessions. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on
New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Centre has no official data on nomophobia, Rajya Sabha told
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday said that it does not maintain any central data on patients suffering from nomophobia, the fear of being without mobile phones. In a written reply, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, informed the Rajya Sabha that a behavioural addiction clinic has been established at AIIMS, New Delhi, to manage various behavioural addictions, including internet and technology addiction. 'The data of patients suffering from nomophobia in the country is not maintained centrally,' said the minister in response to a question from Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam, who asked whether it is a fact that the number of patients suffering from nomophobia is constantly increasing in the country and whether a large number of these patients are young children and youth. Nomophobia is the fear or anxiety associated with being without one's mobile phone or the ability to use it. The minister said that to address the burden of mental disorders, the Centre is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) across the country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), a component of the NMHP, has been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts. Support for this is provided to States and Union Territories through the National Health Mission. Facilities made available under the DMHP at the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levels include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/psychosocial interventions, continuing care and support for persons with severe mental disorders, medication, outreach services, and ambulance services. In addition to these, there is a provision for 10-bedded in-patient facilities at the district level. Jadhav also stated that the government is taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at the primary healthcare level and has upgraded more than 1.77 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have been included in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Under the tertiary care component of the NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in postgraduate departments in mental health specialities, as well as to provide tertiary-level treatment facilities. Furthermore, the government has supported 19 government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 postgraduate departments in mental health specialities. There are 47 government-run mental hospitals in the country, including three Central Mental Health Institutions: the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam; and the Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Mental health services are also available at all AIIMS institutions. The minister added that the government launched the National Tele Mental Health Programme on October 10, 2022, to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services across the country. As of July 17, 36 States and Union Territories have established 53 Tele-MANAS Cells and have started providing tele-mental health services. More than 23.82 lakh calls have been handled on the helpline number. Additionally, the Tele-MANAS mobile application was launched on World Mental Health Day last year, on October 10. It is a comprehensive mobile platform developed to provide support for mental health issues ranging from overall well-being to mental disorders.
