Daily dose of walnuts boost sperm quality.

According to a new study by UCLA  researchers, eating 75 grams of walnuts a day improves the vitality,motality and morphology of sperm in healthy men aged 21 to 35. Dr. Wendie Robbins and her colleagues at the University of California,Los Angeles decided to investigate whether increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are critical for sperm maturation and membrane function, would increase sperm quality in men consuming a Western-style diet.

The best sources of dietary PUFAs in a Western-style diet include fish and fish oil  supplements, flax seed, and walnuts, the latter of which are rich sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a natural plant source of omega-3. With support by the California Walnut Commission, Dr. Robbins' team selected 117 healthy men between the ages of 21 and 35 who ate a Western-style diet and split them into two groups: one (58 men) who would avoid eating tree nuts and another (59 men) who would eat 75 grams of walnuts per day.

Previous studies had indicated that 75 grams of walnuts would be a dose at which blood lipid levels would change, but at which healthy young men would not gain weight. Before the experiment began and then again 12 weeks later, the men's semen quality was analyzed according to conventional parameters of male fertility, including sperm concentration, vitality, motility, morphology, and chromosome abnormalities.

After 12 weeks, the team found no significant changes in body-mass index, body weight, or activity level in either group. The men consuming walnuts, however, had significantly increased levels of omega-6 and omega-3 (ALA) fatty acids and experienced improvement in sperm vitality, motility, and morphology.

Those eating walnuts also had fewer chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm following the walnut dietary intervention.The control group, on the other hand, experienced no changes. Although this research indicates that eating 75 grams of walnuts per day can positively affect a young man's sperm quality, it is still unknown whether the benefits would apply to young men with fertility problems and whether they would actually translate into increased fertility.

Purple corn helps cure diabetes, kidney disease

A compound found in Purple Corn may helo in developing future treatments for Type 2 diabeted and kidney disease, scientists have said.Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most serious complications related to diabetes, often leading to end-stage kidney disease.

Purple corn grown in Peru and Chile is a relative of blue corn, and is rich in anthocyanins (also known as flavonoids), which are reported to have anti-diabetic properties.

Scientists from the Department of Food and Nutritionand Department of Biochemistry at Hallym University in Korea investigated the cellular and molecular activity of purple corn anthocyanins (PCA) to determine whether and how it affects the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Their findings suggest that PCA inhibits multiple pathways involved in the development of DN, which may help in developing therapies aimed at type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi to receive US Congress award

US lawmakers are setting aside party differences as they honor Myanmar democracy leader Aung n Suu Kyi with the highest award of US Congress.

The Nobel Peace laureate's struggle against military rule in Myanmar is one that Democrats and Republicans have united in championing over the years. Her landmark visit to America offers a poignant opportunity to present the Congressional Gold Medal that she was awarded in absentia in 2008 when she was still under house arrest in her country.

She will receive the medal on Wednesday and will also meet with House and Senate leaders. Secretary of state Hilary Rodham Clinton also will attend the ceremony, to be held in the Capitol Rotunda.

26 killed in Mexico pipeline fire

At least 26 people were killed when a Mexican pipline exploded and caught fire at a gas plant near the US border on Tuesday.

 

The accident has also injured many others in the worst accident in just two years for the state-run Pemex energy firm.TV images have shown tall flames and plumes of smoke billowing from the gas plant, which is located near Reynosa, a city located in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, which sits across from the Texas town of McAllen. The company stated on Twitter that:“Regrettably, the number of workers who died in this morning’s accident in Tamaulipas rose to 26.”

The death toll more than doubled on Tuesday evening from the 10 deaths that were reported earlier on. The company added that four of those dead were Pemex workers, while the other 22 people were contractors.They did not report any injuries, but a Red Cross worker let reporters know that 40 people were taken to a hospital, with more than half suffering from first- and second-degree burns.
The fire is the third incident at a Pemex facility in a little over a month.Workers immediately shut off pipeline valves while firefighters worked to spend two hours extinguishing the blaze.

Pipelines that carry gas and diesel in Mexico are often tapped by thieves looking to steal what they carry. There have been several oil spills and explosions as a result, although thieves rarely target gas pipelines.Authorities blamed oil thieves for an oil pipeline explosion in a central Mexico city that killed 28 people, including 13 kids, in December 2010. The blast scorched homes and burned people, affecting 5,000 residents in just a six mile area.
 

Yemeni protesters storm US embassy in Sanaa.

Yemeni protesters, angry over a film mocking Islam, on Thursday stormed the complex of the US embassy in Sanaa, defying efforts by riot police to hold them at bay, an AFP correspondent said.Protesters torched a number of diplomatic vehicle as security forces used water cannons and warning shots in a bid to drive them out.

Police had earlier fired warning shots to disperse few thousands of protesters as they approached the main gate of the mission."O, Allah's messenger... O, Mohammed," protesters chanted.The attack comes two days after four Americans including the ambassador were killed when a Libyan mob attacked the US consulate in Benghazi, and protesters in Cairo tore down the Stars and Stripes and replaced it with a black Islamic flag.

The low-budget movie, "Innocence of Muslims" in which actors have strong American accents, portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent.It pokes fun at the Prophet Mohammed and touches on themes of paedophilia and homosexuality, while showing him sleeping with women, talking about killing children and referring to a donkey as "the first Muslim animal."

Hair stylist killed by 3 gay partners

Police claimed to have cracked the murder of well-known hair stylist Bimal Gurang, the brand ambassador of a French cosmetic company, saying he was killed at his Ber Sarai house in south Delhi by three youths whom he had picked up for sex. In a case that has shades of the 2004 Pushkin Chandra murder, Gurang's naked body was discovered early on September 6 after neighbours complained of a foul smell from his house.

Police on Wednesday said the three accused killed Gurang on September 5 with an intention of robbing the house. Gurang was allegedly strangled during a sexual romp. The three accused  Nand Kishore, 24, Dalip Sharma, 27, and Pradeep Kumar, 24 have been arrested.

"One of them, Nand Kishore, had sexual relations with Gurang earlier and would get paid for it," said Chhaya Sharma, DCP (South). Kishore and Kumar were in jail till 2010 for the murder of a Dwarka-based businessman. Kumar had surrendered two days back in a bike theft case to mislead the cops.

300,000 tourists flock to terror-hit Swat valley.

A staggering 300,000 tourists from across the country have visited the picturesque yet terror-ravaged Swat valley in northwest Pakistan since the beginning of Eid, a media report said on Tuesday. Officials and residents said that during this period not a single act of violence took place in the valley, known for its archaeological sites of Gandhara civilisation and scenic hamlets.

It was in 2008 that the Taliban gained control in the area and parts of Kohistan, Dir and Malakand which were main tourist spots. The areas had then presented a deserted look.The daily, however, said that some hotel owners, bakers, and petrol pump owners have begun to fleece tourists on the pretext of artificial shortage of various items. During the rush, Rs.2,000 to Rs.8,000 was being charged for a single room for one night's stay in hotels while the price of petrol zoomed to Rs.550 per litre.