An enzyme erases scary memories

　　Some people “have been bitten by a snake and feared the rope for ten years”, while others “have forgotten the pain after the scar is healed.” Scientists in Australia believe that whether the brain’s memory of fear is deep or not depends on the flexibility of the body’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The easier it is to switch between different DNA structures, the more malleable our memory is and the easier it is to eliminate fear.
　　The team of Dr. Paul Marshall, a researcher at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Queensland in Australia, discovered that a double helix structure in DNA-the “ADAR1” enzyme contained in Z-DNA (a DNA structure closely related to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease) Is the key to erasing fear memories. When this enzyme is combined with Z-DNA, it can promote the compilation and expression of RNA and help people restore peace. After the researchers tried to turn off the expression of the ADAR1 gene in the brains of mice, they lost the ability to forget their fear.
　　Paul Marshall pointed out that fear is a survival mechanism for human beings, which helps to escape danger and protect oneself. But the suppression of fear is equally important, because if the memory of fear cannot be eliminated for a long time, it may cause psychological and spiritual problems. The so-called “flexibility” of DNA refers to the ability to cover fear memory with “non-fear memory” (normal memory). This research provides a reference for better treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. The research report was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Fat people exercise to lose weight fast

　　It is refreshing and comfortable to wear light during exercise, but it may be more effective to carry forward. A recent study by Swedish scientists found that weight-bearing exercise for people with more body fat can help lose weight quickly.
　　Professor Klas Olsen of the Saarglinska Institute of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden hypothesized that adding weight to sportswear during daily activities will lead to compensatory weight loss. His team recruited 69 volunteers with a body mass index of 30 to 35 (severely obese) to participate in the clinical study. Participants wore a special weighted vest for 8 hours a day for 3 weeks. The weight of the vest was determined by a lottery and divided into light type. And heavy two groups. The heavy (treatment group) vest weighs about 11 kg; the light (control group) vest weighs only 1 kg. Measurements after 3 weeks showed that the control group participants lost an average of 0.3 kg in weight, and the weight-bearing treatment group lost an average of 1.6 kg in weight, and their muscle mass remained unchanged.
　　In an animal study published in 2018, scientists discovered an energy balance system called a “gravity regulator” in mice, which regulates fat by affecting the appetite of mice in an effort to maintain a constant weight. The researchers said that the new study confirmed that humans also have a similar “built-in weight scale.” For example, when we sit for a long time, the reading of the “built-in scale” drops too little, indicating that sitting posture is prone to obesity; the weighted vest significantly increases the reading on the “built-in scale”, so the actual weight will be reduced.
　　Professor Olsen said that there are still many mysteries to be solved about the working mechanism of the “gravity regulator”, including whether the participants lose subcutaneous fat which is good for the body or visceral fat which is harmful to health.