Stem Cell Anti-wrinkle Cosmetics

While the vast majority of people still ask themselves what exactly are stem cells, how do they work, when can they be harvested, the cosmetics industry has already created the stem cell face cream.

If 20 years ago a stem cell-based face cream would have sounded as taken out of a science fiction movie, today the cosmetics industry finds solutions in all domains, invests important amounts of money in research projects and studies their consumers’ expectations, in order to create life-changing products.

Every product they launch promises the user a miraculous skin rejuvenating process or at least a slow down of the aging process.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells of an organism (they do not possess any specific function yet) , before becoming part of a specific tissue, and in their primary state they are capable of multiplying endlessly.

Amongst their most important features, we can say that they are totipotent (they can divide into any type of tissue), pluripotent (they can convert to specific types of tissue), and unipotent (they can form a single type of tissue).

Recently, the Swiss Stem Cell Research Center has developed a series of anti-aging cosmetic treatments based on vegetal stem cells extracted out of the lotus plant.

Producers say that all the studies to which the products have been subjected have confirmed their efficiency in fighting wrinkles without surgery. The products address women and men over the age of 35.

Anti Abortion Poster

EU countries, and especially their capitals, have grown familiar with a phenomenon that seemed quite unusual a few years back.

Classic anti-abortion demonstrations have nowadays taken different form, and doctors all over Europe are confronted with all kinds of situations, such as groups of women coming into their medical clinics to inform them of their pro-life activities or sometimes just sitting there and praying.

There are over 1 billion medical clinics that perform abortions in the Europe, and every week there is at least one such manifestation.

Anti-abortion groups have intensified their activity, especially ever since abortion has become a matter of international concern. For example, in Spain there have been talks about modifying the law of abortion; in Italy and France as well.

Only in Europe the number of abortions varies from 500,000 to 800,000 a year, according to official reports of the European Council.

Based on these circumstances, anti-abortion groups have passed from demonstrating in front of medical clinics to distributing shocking images of aborted foetuses on the streets or even attacking certain clinics.

Unfortunately, instead of helping, these manifestations can traumatize even more the patients of these clinics and doctors suggest that, instead of trying to change what cannot be changed anymore, they should focus on pregnancy prevention, seeing that it is a better purpose.

Most COmmon Types of Pain

There is a common prejudice that women complain more when they are in pain, compared to men.

Medical polls have shown that, in fact, they do complain more, but at the same time they attend the doctor’s office more frequently.

Studies have shown it is not just a psychological issue. Not only do men and women feel pain differently, but their brains also respond differently to painkillers. For example, morphine works better on men than on women.

A study realized at the University of Atlanta on patients suffering of chronic pain has discovered that men react to it by activating a circuit that connects the middle region of the brain (also known as periaqueductal grey substance) to the rostroventromedial medulla.

In the case of women this type of connection is less active, despite the fact that the ties between the grey substance and the medulla are much more numerous.

Generally speaking, there are more women in pain than men. There are even illnesses that, because of the large number of women affected, have become mostly feminine, such as migraines and fibromyalgia.

Still, studies cannot give strict causes for this phenomenon; elements that influence the perception of pain, apart from sex, can also be the genetic structure of the individual and even psychological factors.

Intrinsa Testosterone Patch

Do women need their own “Viagra”?

Apparently, they do. After long social, ethical and medical debates, women can now enjoy the effects of their own “blue pill”, under the form of a testosterone patch.

This patch was created for those women who lack sexual appetite, have a low libido or have suffer from surgical menopause.It is a major change in the life of women. The testosterone patch is meant to increase the level of testosterone in the patient’s body and thus facilitate a much better long term sexual stimulation.

The transparent patch is to be applied on the abdomen twice a week and, unlike men’s Viagra, it does not have an immediate effect. Its purpose is to produce a general, lasting improvement of the patient’s sexual activity and libido; therefore it needs time to act.

One can notice changes after approximately four weeks of using the patch, but full and lasting results will be obtained after twenty four weeks.

This patch will not be used as a recreational substance for women: it does not act as a short term sexual stimulus and orgasm facilitator. It will be recommended only on prescription by specialists, so as to avoid its inappropriate use.

Even if it acts slower than men’s blue pill, Intrinsa ( as the patch is called) will improve many women’s sexual, and emotional lives and will most likely do wonders for the couple relationships which suffer from the lack of sexual appetite of one of the partners.

The patch has already been approved by EU medical institutions and can be purchased in drugstores all over the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

African drums

Fernando Gomez, aged 35, lived in Hackney, East London and owned a drum-making workshop.

He worked with animal skins most of the times and nothing had gone wrong up until a couple of weeks ago. He was handling some imported animal skins, probably of African origin, and he inhaled anthrax spores.

He became severely ill and was hospitalised at the Intensive Care Unit of Homerton University Hospital for more than seven days, but he could not be saved. He died on Sunday evening.

Hospital representatives have told the press the man died from inhalation of anthrax spores and that several other persons are under medical observation and antibiotics treatment, just out of precaution.

There is no certain information as to the origin of the skins, but the Health Protection Agency will thoroughly examine the victim’s apartment and workshop.

Professor Nigel Lightfoot, chief adviser of the HPA, advised there was no danger of contamination for the victim’s neighbours, and that the risk comes from handling imported animal skins without any kind of protection.

Artificial Heart

Studies have shown that heart diseases kill almost 17 million people a year.

There are few those who accept for their organs to be donated after their death, so French scientists have decided to create an artificial heart. They have recently brought to light a working prototype of an artificial heart, created using satellite and airplane technology.

This prototype is the only one in the world which is fully functional and is capable to replace the original and successfully take over all its functions and respond to the same signals a natural heart does every day.

The artificial heart imitates natural heart beats quite well and uses electric sensors for the regulation of the blood flow and heart rate.

The producing company is called Carmat and its representatives have made a brief description of how the artificial heart works last week, at a press conference in Paris. They said it uses air pressure and altitude sensors which should establish immediately the right quantity of blood the patient needs.

The prototype is made out of pig tissue and polymer, amongst other materials, and so far it has been tested only on animals. The company is waiting for approval to start clinical trials.

Fruit Salad - A Great Source of Vitamins

Cancer, one of the world’s most terrific diseases – it can affect any part of the human body, it can affect anyone, regardless of their age…There is no way to completely eradicate it, but there are ways to prevent it from happening.

The most pleasant way to prevent cancer is probably eating; good food can not only keep you full of energy, it can also keep you alive and healthy for a longer time. Researchers specialized in nutrition are always on the look for such foods. The latest they have discovered include curry, fish, citrus zest, white tea, whey, berry, nuts, sesame oil, etc.

Curry (rich in turmeric) is believed to reduce the inflammation effect of an ulcer-causing bacterium, called H. pylori, which can also cause colon and gastric cancer.

Fish, so rich in vitamins A and D and in Omega-3, helps men prevent prostate cancer and those who eat it more than three times a week have 40% less chances to get ill.

Citrus zest, consumed regularly, reduces the risk of squamous-cell skin cancer by a third, and animal studies suggest that this aliment could even fight the existing tumours and shrink them.

Three cups of white tea a day help you prevent colon cancer and even block the growth of the colon-polyp as efficiently as an anti-inflammatory drug. Besides, there are no side effects to drinking tea, other than visiting the bathroom a bit more often.

Whey protein is the perfect weapon to fight prostate cancer. It is a great source of amino acid cysteine, and one of the best foods to find it in is yogurt, especially the clear part of it.

Berries seem to be the new miracle-aliment of cancer prevention. They contain several tumour- blocking elements and can prevent colon and prostate cancer, as well as head and neck tumours. To get the necessary daily quota, drink cranberry juice with high juice percentage and eat cookies with dried cranberries.

Finally, nuts and sesame oil are essential in cancer prevention due to the large quantities of gamma tocopherol – a form of vitamin E – which helps in fighting prostate and lung cancer. This vitamin is not dangerous for the body and it has been proven that it can even kill harmful cells without affecting the healthy ones in the process.

So….all those of you who want to lead a better life…..dig in……but only eat the foods that make you stay healthy, not the ones who do the opposite!

Herpex Simplex - Cold Sores

We have all heard of herpes; little, painful blisters who appear on several body parts and make our lives difficult. But do we know the differences between them?
Here are the 5 most common types of Herpex Simplex:

1. The cold sores is a contagious, contact transmitted form of herpex simplex, that usually appear when a person suffers from a cold. It looks like little, red blisters filled with liquid and are normally located on the skin around the mouth or on the lips. They heal without leaving marks in a couple of days and there is no sure way to know if they will reappear or not.

2. The genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus type 2 and can be integrated in the category of STDs. The manifestation is similar to that of the cold sores one, except that it is located on the genitals and it may take weeks to cure. The problem is this type cannot be cured, and it practically retreats into the nervous system, where it remains latent.

3. The Sacral Herpes is basically an HSV2 herpes but located on the buttocks, anus and thighs area. If you have the above symptoms, it is best to see the doctor while the blisters are still there, as the virus cannot be detected otherwise.

4. The ocular and periocular herpes is a rare form of HSV1 which is located around the eye, and on the eyelids. It can be recognized after the presence of the known blisters, and also after symptoms like inflammation of the cornea, pain, blurred vision, tearing and sensitivity to light.

5. The herpetic Whitlow is a blistery rash located on the hands and fingers, following a herpes simplex infection. It is a form common amongst health professionals who forget to use the gloves or amongst those who constantly bite their nails and they have a cold sore.

All these types of herpes simplex can be treated with an antiviral drug like acyclovir.

Most Common Food Allergy Chart

Food allergies are on a rising curve amongst American children, studies have shown. Are they more sensitive than before or is the food less qualitative then it used to?

Scientists have discovered that the number of children allergic to peanuts has doubled in the last few years; also, the little ones seem to have difficulties in overcoming allergies to milk and eggs.

There are several non-food related factors that could cause these numbers to go higher year by year; for example, parents take their children to the doctor’s office more often then they used to, hence making the discovery of the allergy more likely to happen. Also, many times parents blame it on the food when there is something wrong with the baby.

Taking into consideration the time criterion, there are basically two main types of allergies: the temporary ones, which are usually surpassed during childhood, and the permanent ones which last a lifetime – like shellfish and peanuts allergies.

Statistically, about 9,500 people a year have been diagnosed with food allergies, compared to about 2,500 ten years ago.

High Fat Food

The factors which cause obesity have always been a subject of great interest to research scientists, as obesity is becoming worryingly common amongst adults and even amongst children.

The latest studies, performed by Japanese scientists at the Osaka University, show that even the speed at which you eat can be an important factor in the apparition and development of obesity.

After studying the eating habits of about 3,000 people they have reached several conclusions:
- the tendency to overeat may be caused by poor signaling systems which do not warn you when to stop eating;

- fast eaters usually tend to eat more than they should, which in time can translate into obesity; women are even more in “danger” than men, because they tend to consume less calories.

Scientists agree that the fast-eating habits usually develop during childhood and that they can be quite difficult to modify as an adult. They advise children should be taught to eat slowly and, also, they should be allowed to eat only as much as they feel like.

Over-feeding them will only make them gain weight and develop an overeating tendency that, on the long term, is more than likely to lead to obesity.

Michael Mastromarino

Louis Garzone, Gerald Garzone and Michael Mastromarino, are the three funeral homes entrepreneurs who also acted as part time illegal body part dealers.

They were accused of conspiracy, theft and corpse abuse, amongst others, and they all pleaded guilty as charged at the trial.

Louis and Gerald were sentenced to spend from 8 to 20 years in jail, while Michael, the one who organized the whole thing, was handed 25 to 58.

The three men had been in the funeral home business for quite some time and they realized some extra money could be made out of harvesting body parts from corpses they were supposed to embalm or cremate and selling them to biomedical firms.

The most amazing part is that they managed to do that without the families’ consent and even without the doctors’ knowledge, who then used them in transplants. This was done with the help of Mastromarino’s company, Biomedical Tissue Services, who sourced body parts in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania funeral homes. He would buy corpses that were theoretically cremated, then send a crew to dissect them and harvest the organs used in hip and knee transplants, and even in dental implants.

They even used the bones of BBC Broadcaster Alistair Cooke, after he died of cancer in New York, in 2004 and got an estimated 11,000 dollars for them.

Out of the 244 bodies the Garzone brothers have sold, only 49 have been identified, as almost all the paperwork had been falsified in order to cover up the whole scheme.

Child Porn Computer Screen

Last week, the Ohio police arrested a 15-year-old girl for having sent nude photos of herself to several people in her classroom. Specialists say she most likely was not aware of state legislation regarding the publication of explicit sexual material over the Internet, and she was probably just trying to enhance her popularity quota.

Going from particular cases to the general context, psychologists are really worried about this fast developing, extremely harmful ‘trend’ which more and more teenagers follow by posting nude pictures of themselves on the Internet.
The reality show ‘bug’ is affecting them in the worst manner possible and they see the Internet as a possibility to gain fame and have their own show, without stopping even for a second to think about the consequences.

Under law, the photos of the Ohio girl are considered to be child pornography, which makes it possible for her and the receivers of the photos to be sentenced to several years of detention in a juvenile center.

Incidents like the one in Newark, Ohio have also been reported in Wyoming, New York and Pennsylvania and studies show that, if they haven’t posted nude self-photos yet, at least 70% of the 13-14 year old girls and even more boys have visited sexually explicit adult Internet sites already.

Overeating

Apart from the obvious aesthetic negative consequences of overeating, scientists have discovered a hidden and even more dangerous one: loosing control over your appetite.

A study made by the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that a few months of eating more than your body actually needs, will cause serious confusion in your brain, in the sense that it will not be able to set limits to your eating and your appetite will be extremely difficult to control.

Overeating will reactivate cells in your brain that are normally inactive, and their ‘awakening’ will interfere with the signals your brain sends to you in order to let you know you have had enough to eat.

Also, the part of the brain that tells the body to exercise and consume the energy obtained from food is deactivated and you soon turn into a couch potato.

So, if you don’t want that to happen, you’d better start controlling your appetite while you still can. Do not over-feed yourself, exercise as often as you can, and most importantly, listen to the signal your brain sends you, not your pastry chef. Your brain knows exactly how much you need to eat every day in order to have the necessary energy and vitality.

Lincoln Park Hospital Lobby

The Lincoln Park Hospital’s financial crisis seems not to have any solution; they have tried selling it, but they could not find a buyer and they are now about to close its doors for good.

No patients are admitted since yesterday, they do not have a functional emergency room any longer and Chief Executive Michael Curran has sent an official letter to all ambulance and firefighters services announcing that they are closing down. The hospital will remain open only for the 37 patients that are still admitted.

The Chicago Lincoln Park Hospital has been functioning since about 125 years ago, but the inability to get finances has driven the owner to putting out for sale. Even though they received a lot of help from the state, they still couldn’t manage to find a buyer or at least some funds to keep it open for another while.

The patients attending this hospital were mainly living in neighborhoods like Uptown and Rogers Park, who had a Medicaid health insurance, and most of them were future mothers who wanted to deliver their baby here.

Aspirin

A major medical study proved that aspirin and ibuprofen may reduce breast cancer risk.

Specialists tested 2.7 million women in 38 separate studies. The result of the test was encouraging: women who took aspirin had a 13% lower risk of getting breast cancer than women who didn’t take, and women who took ibuprofen presented a 21% lower risk.

The results of the study were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

If you want to try to use more of these pain relievers in order to reduce your own risk of getting breast cancer, you have to know that researchers mentioned that the pills can cause bleeding in your digestive tract.

Although studies show that women who take aspirin and ibuprofen have a lower risk of getting breast cancer, specialists declare that it is better not to use these pills to reduce the risk of breast cancer, but to use these pain relievers for their normal prescription.

Specialists say that some other factors are mainly responsible for the reduction of cancer risk. All in all, experts still work on finding out what other ways there are to reduce breast cancer risk.

Stress

Loads of files, a million of tasks and impossible deadlines… Everyday chores from work can push us on the edge of patience and at a thin limit of supportability. All these lead to stress. Nowadays we live and work in a very stressful environment, where we have to be fast and efficient. The question is: how do we handle stress? How do we manage to cope with stress, in order to succeed professionally and keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy?

The main key to coping with stress is to put a fair limit between professional and personal life. If we manage to have a clear distinction between the time spent at work and the time reserved for our own exclusive use, the pressure that stress causes will disappear.

Psychologists say that almost 80% of people are affected by stress. It is the “disease” of the new millennium. The golden rule of keeping your body and mind healthy and stress free, is to take distance. Take distance from what stresses you (work, colleagues, neighbors, environment, husband… ) and analyze what makes you become so tense. Analyze everything from a cold perspective and try to find the best solution to eliminate the stressful elements from your daily life.

When it comes to work, a way of making sure that you are not going to get stressed, is to be realistic with yourself. Set up realistic goals and accept only fair deadlines. Don’t accept something just because somebody else imposes it on you, otherwise you’ll gather a lot of frustration and, sooner or later, you will explode.  And, of course, do not work under pressure!

Remember: you will do a great job and you will succeed in everything, only if you are NOT stressed about it!

LidoSite

Are you one of the millions of persons suffering from needle phobia? If you are, I have good news for you: they invented a patch that can relieve the pain of the injection. For all you people out there that faint only at the sight of a needle, the nightmare of going to the doctor and getting a blood test or simply having to put up with a treatment based on injections, is over!

An American company invented two smart things that really can help needle-phobics (for those who prefer the scientific term) or the “chicken” ones (for those who admit that they skip their doctor appointment only because they are afraid of needles). Either way, these things work for everybody: from people who suffer from migraine to women who need an infertility treatment. 

The first one is a medical device called LidoSite that is placed on the skin before having a blood draw or a needle procedure and that provides a deep and fast anesthesia. For those who didn’t understand a word from all that I will explain it simpler: after you use this LidoSite device, when the doctor sticks you, you won’t feel the needle pain anymore. The second smart thing is called exactly like this: the Smart Patch! What this Smart Patch does is to deliver drugs through the skin, without using needles and with no pain. So, from now on, no more injections using needles!

Morning Coffee

There is no life before coffee, some say.
Tastes good, smells good, and most of all gives us lots of energy, as well as sugar.

Apparently, caffeine and sugar are substances guaranteed to keep you awake and active for many hours. They seem to be the perfect alternative to sleep.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that, in time, caffeine and sugar are not as helpful as one might think.
In 2006 scientists have demonstrated that sugar is a fast way to get energy, but its effects are short lasting;the same amount of energy can be obtained by having a snack and you will feel dynamic for a longer time.

As far as coffee is concerned, there are other “dangers”. Since caffeine stays in the human system for 12 hours after having a coffee, it can cause serious sleeping problems.

In such cases, doctors recommend giving up coffee and replacing it with chocolate and soda which contain less amounts of caffeine. That way you can get a good night sleep and go through the day full of energy.

Resentment

Resentment is a quite common emotional state nowadays. It appears as a natural reaction to conflictive situations, and is characterized by feelings of anger, discomfort, indignation and bitterness.

The main question is “how do we deal with it?”.

The first step in getting over it is understanding the emotional steps a person goes through before reaching this state of mental discomfort. Some of the most commonly met are shock, tendency to react aggressively, and a feeling of despair.

After conducting several studies, psychologists have advised that the best way to “treat” resentment consists of three main elements: releasing the anger (through physical and mental exercises), understanding the others involved and forgiving them.

Physical exercises help you to express your anger in a safe way, help get rid of the negative energy and relax the body. Mental exercises help in bringing one to better terms with their feelings and allow the brain to take control over the more shallow human pride.

Understanding the other person’s reasons for treating you unjustly is also a good way to deal with resentment. Walking in their shoes for a while may bring to light problems you never suspected were there.

Finally, forgiveness brings with it the peace we all need in order to have a good inner life and good relationships with those around us. Forgiving ourselves and the others is the best way to evolve and grow emotionally and spiritually and it is the most recommended attitude in such cases.