Washington, Feb 24 : Researchers from Bangor University have found that mental fatigue can have an adverse impact on the physical performance of individuals.

They found that when participants performed a mentally fatiguing task prior to a difficult exercise test, they reached exhaustion more quickly than when they did the same exercise when mentally rested.

During the study, the team including Samuele M. Marcora, Walter Staiano and Victoria Manning also looked at the brain to find out why people with mental fatigue perceive exercise to be more difficult.

Washington, Feb 24: Expression of a master control gene called Ato in fruit flies, and ATOH1 in mammals, can suppress cancer, according to scientists at VIB and K. U. Leuven.

The researchers say that these genes, when switched off, may cause cancer in fruit flies, mice, and humans.

They, however, add that it possible to switch the genes on again with drugs.

Washington, Feb 24: Vitamin D a. k. a sunshine vitamin can protect people against common cold, a new study has found.

Investigators from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children''s Hospital Boston found that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.

The risks were even higher for those with chronic respiratory disorders, such as asthma and emphysema. The report appears in the February 23 Archives of Internal Medicine.

Modasa (Gujarat), Feb 24: More and more people are turning up for a vaccination drive launched in Modasa town of Gujarat after an outbreak of Hepatitis-B.

The dreaded disease has claimed close to 43 lives within a fortnight in Sabarkantha district.

Doctors said people of all age groups were being vaccinated against the disease.

Washington, Feb 24: Lowering cholesterol may block the growth of prostate tumors, claims a new study.

Prostate tumors accumulate high levels of cholesterol, and tumor incidence correlates with eating a high fat/high cholesterol diet "Western" diet. In addition, prostate tumor progression has been linked to serum cholesterol levels.

To reach the conclusion, Dr. Keith Solomon and colleagues fed mice a high fat/high cholesterol "Western" diet.

Washington, Feb 24: Taking a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid could reduce the risk of age-related sight problems in women, says a new study.

According to the report in the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

Treatment options exist for those with severe cases of the disease, but the only known prevention method is to avoid smoking.