Stem cells culled from bone marrow may prove beneficial in stroke recovery, scientists say.

Scientists at University of California - Irvine's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center identified 46 studies that examined the use of mesenchymal stromal cells - a type of multipotent adult stem cells mostly processed from bone marrow - in animal models of stroke.

They found MSCs to be significantly better than control therapy in 44 of the studies.

The effects of these cells on functional recovery were robust regardless of the dosage, the time the MSCs were administered relative to stroke onset or the method of administration.

The cells helped even if given a month after the event and whether introduced directly into the brain or injected via a blood vessel.

"Stroke remains a major cause of disability, and we are encouraged that the preclinical evidence shows [MSCs'] efficacy with ischemic stroke," said neurologist Dr Steven Cramer, clinical director of the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.

"MSCs are of particular interest because they come from bone marrow, which is readily available, and are relatively easy to culture. In addition, they already have demonstrated value when used to treat other human diseases," Cramer said.

He noted that MSCs do not differentiate into neural cells. Normally, they transform into a variety of cell types, such as bone, cartilage and fat cells.

"But they do their magic as an inducible pharmacy on wheels and as good immune system modulators, not as cells that directly replace lost brain parts," he said.

In an earlier report focused on MSC mechanisms of action, Cramer and colleagues reviewed the means by which MSCs promote brain repair after stroke.

The cells are attracted to injury sites and, in response to signals released by these damaged areas, begin releasing a wide range of molecules.

In this way, MSCs orchestrate numerous activities: blood vessel creation to enhance circulation, protection of cells starting to die, growth of brain cells, etc.

At the same time, when MSCs are able to reach the bloodstream, they settle in parts of the body that control the immune system and foster an environment more conducive to brain repair.

"We conclude that MSCs have consistently improved multiple outcome measures, with very large effect sizes, in a high number of animal studies and, therefore, that these findings should be the foundation of further studies on the use of MSCs in the treatment of ischemic stroke in humans," said Cramer.

The research appears in the journal Neurology.

Beer, when used as a marinade, can help reduce the formation of potentially harmful cancer-causing substances in grilled meats, scientists have found.

Previous studies have shown an association between consumption of grilled meats and a high incidence of colorectal cancer.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances that can form when meats are cooked at very high temperatures, like on a backyard grill.

High levels of PAHs, which are also in cigarette smoke and car exhaust, are associated with cancers in laboratory animals, although it is uncertain if that is true for people.

Beer, wine or tea marinades can reduce the levels of some potential carcinogens in cooked meat, but little was known about how different beer marinades affect PAH levels, until now.

The researchers, from the University of Vigo in Spain and University of Porto in Portugal, grilled samples of pork marinated for four hours in Pilsner beer, non-alcoholic Pilsner beer or a black beer ale, to well-done on a charcoal grill.

Black beer had the strongest effect, reducing the levels of eight major PAHs by more than half compared with unmarinated pork.

"Thus, the intake of beer marinated meat can be a suitable mitigation strategy," researchers said.

The study appears in American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Researchers in Germany have created an implantable device that reduces blood pressure by sending electrical signals to the brain.

The device has successfully reduced the blood pressure in rats by 40 percent without any major side effects, and could offer hope for a significant proportion of patients worldwide who do not respond to existing medical treatment for the condition.

The device consists of 24 individual electrodes that are integrated into a micro-machined cuff. It is designed to wrap around the vagal nerve, which extends from the brainstem to the thorax and abdomen, supplying and stimulating various major organs including the heart and major blood vessels.

The device works by picking up signals from specific sensors, known as baroreceptors, which are activated when blood vessels stretch. Some baroreceptors are grouped together in concentrated areas in the aortic arch and report their information to the brainstem via fibres in the vagal nerve. These baroreceptors function to control short-term fluctuations in blood pressure.

The device has been designed to identify only those fibres that influence the blood pressure and avoid those that are responsible for heart rate, the power of heart beat, ventilation and other vital functions.

The results have been published in IOP Publishing's Journal of Neural Engineering.

The Rwandan government Tuesday launched a $329 million plan to stop malaria deaths in the country by 2018.

The Rwanda Malaria Strategic Plan is a public health campaign to be coordinated by the Rwanda Biomedical Centre geared at eradicating the disease that claimed the lives of more than 400 people last year, according to Xinhua.

The campaign launched in Kigali focuses on encouraging all Rwandans to sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net, rapid testing and treatment by community health workers within 24 hours of a patient showing signs of malaria and close monitoring of the disease by health personnel.

Speaking at the launch, Corine Karema, director of the malaria division at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, insisted that mosquito nets remain the best way to prevent malaria infection.

"With massive distribution of mosquito nets we notice a 50 percent reduction in infections," Karema told reporters.

She explained that free mosquito nets are given to children under five when they visit a health centre for their measles vaccination and to expectant mothers during prenatal checks.

Meanwhile, Sylvia Muteteli, who works on malaria community outreach with Urunana Development Communication said some people shun sleeping under mosquito nets for various reasons ranging from allergies claims to inconvenience to use.

Muteteli said her organisation, which played a role in developing the strategic plan, tries to discourage the reluctance through radio plays to raise awareness on the importance of sleeping under a mosquito net.

She, however, appealed to local leaders to get more involved in the malaria prevention effort.

There will be a concerted effort to have more community leaders involved in awareness on malaria prevention and treatment, according to Karema.

In 2011 only 210,000 malaria cases were reported in Rwanda. This led people to believe malaria was no longer a threat, Alphonse Rukundo, an epidemiologist specialising in malaria said at the launch.

The Rwanda Malaria Strategic Plan will be funded by the government of Rwanda and the US president's Malaria Initiative and Global Fund.

Researchers have said that gardening can not only enhance home and community landscapes and provide low-cost food sources, the level of physical activity required also offers a multitude of health benefits to young adults.

Studies have confirmed that engaging in gardening can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and increase psychological well-being.

Researchers from Konkuk University and Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea, published a study in HortTechnology that evaluated the intensity of gardening activities for adults in their 20s.

Study's lead author Ki-Cheol Son said that the exercise intensity of physical activity may differ between age groups and fitness levels, and there was not enough data on the metabolic equivalents of gardening tasks in different age groups to develop a garden exercise program for maintaining or improving health conditions.

Fifteen university students in their 20s participated in the study in South Korea. Each subject performed 10 common gardening tasks in a high tunnel and in a nearby grassy area with a vegetable garden and weeds.

The subjects visited the garden plot twice and performed five gardening tasks during each visit; each task lasted for 5 minutes and was followed by a 5-minute rest. Subject wore a portable telemetric calorimeter and respired into the facemask during the gardening tasks and resting periods so researchers could measure their oxygen uptake.

The subjects also wore a heart rate monitor to record heart rate data during the gardening tasks and resting periods via radiotelemetry.

The research team evaluated the data and determined that all 10 gardening tasks were "moderate- to high-intensity" physical activities for the research subjects. Planting transplants, mixing growing medium, watering, harvesting, sowing, hoeing, mulching, raking, and weeding were all classified as "moderate intensity", while digging was a found to be a "high-intensity" activity and was the most intense task in study.