Philips has announced that, it has introduced a whole new range of service designed and developed specifically for the heart patients who check in the National Heart Center Singapore (NHCS), in which the cardiac patients will now experience virtual environments that have also been employed by Disney World.

This new feature is known as Philips’ Ambient Experience and the patients will experience a host of ambient environments including, African Savannah etc. that will also entail auditory fill ins as well. The goal is to make the grueling and at times the painful experience that the patients go through during the treatment phase.

As of now, there are more than 125 medical installations such as Fairview Hospital in Cleveland and the The Villages Regional Hospital in The Villages, Florida have already installed thhis new feature in their cardiac units, thereby creating a more friendly and rejuvenating environment, rather than the cold and and sterile room, as they usually are.

The psychological effects of this new technology are already proving to be a boon for the patients as, according to the latest figures released by several hospitals, there has been about 28% reduction in sedation given to the patients who are below the age of 4 and almost 16% reduction in sedation for those below the age of 18.

Via Cnet & Philips Healthcare.

Stem cell research has opened whole new way of treatment for various ailments and the most recent one has been of creating a new skin which could help seriously burnt patients immensely. Researchers from France have claimed that they have invented a way to create new skin from human embryonic stem cells.

According to the report published in Lancet journal stem cells were grafted on to mice and it took only 12 weeks for new human skin to form.  The technique involved was replication of biological process of formation of skin during embryonic growth.

This creation of human skin will bring hope to scores of seriously burnt victims who have to go through painful process of grafting their own skin or artificial nets which involves more time and risk of dehydration, infection and in the end of it all rejection too.

Everyday many people all around the globe become victims of serious burns due to various causes and can never recover completely from the scars.  New human skin from embryonic cells will open up an entire new effective way of treating skin burns.

via BBC

The surfboard abs have always been craved for by most guys and desired by people of both the genders. However, it is also one of the most difficult to acquire and when you look at a guy like Diego Cristo, you would only go green with envy or red with desire. He acted in the Brazilian soap Caras & Bocas, and was recently photographed in this month’s issue of Nova. Nova is the Brazilian equivalent of the Cosmo.

Brazilian actors are known to be better looking than their counterparts in Hollywood or elsewhere but the kind of body that Diego has would only make every guy run to the gym or cringe at the thought of eating a piece of cake. While most women have already gone through that guilt of gobbling down pieces of cake, men will soon begin to feel that way too.

This I say because, to acquire abs like Diego, you would have to stick to protein rich fat free diet all your life and perhaps even cut on your alcohol intake! Nevertheless, strong ab muscles are known to support the back and save you from lumbago when you get old. So, working on abs is really important and if nothing motivates you, take a second look at Diego Cristo.

Via: Made in Brazil

By now, the world has already realized that the dreaded pandemic-level disease called swine flu, also known as Influenza A (H1N1) ‘isn’t as contagious and deadly as feared.’ Unfortunately for Big Pharma and vaccine manufacturers who want to cash in on the intended pandemic paranoia (remember HIV/AIDS?), ‘the initial fear that swine flu is a totally new virus that your immune system isn’t equipped to handle turns out to be pure hype.’

A brand new study suggest that ‘immune systems that have previously had contact with flu viruses recognize H1N1 and deal with it the same way, by trying to attack the virus in the bloodstream and in infected cells. That’s why swine flu hasn’t been such a killer—the severity of infections has been about on par with a seasonal flu.’ The disease has not really posed more problems. In fact, some people are even more wary about the side effects of the swine flu vaccine than the disease itself.

According to the study co-author Alessandro Sette, director of the La Jolla Institute’s Center for Infectious Disease, ‘the reason why the swine flu virus — officially designated H1N1 — isn’t the killer it was feared seems to be that the various protective mechanisms of the immune system have been primed by exposure to previous flu viruses.’

Study lead author Bjoern Peters, an assistant member of the division of vaccine discovery at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in La Jolla, California, asserts, “What has been widely reported in the general press is that the swine flu is totally new, so there is no immunity to it. But the severity of infections that have been seen is not greater than usually seen in seasonal flu.”

Peters adds, “They produce antibodies in the bloodstream and try to find the virus before it ends up in cells, so they are what prevents the disease. They recognize the virus inside cells, so they are responsible for clearing the infection once you have it. Nobody knows what level of immunity is sufficient for protection. But if infected, our data suggest that T cells in those who have previously been exposed to influenza may make the infection less severe.”

The study found that ‘69 percent of T cells, which attack the virus in infected cells, were alerted by those previous infections.’ So, the swine flu virus that is said to be sweeping across the globe and claiming many lives isn’t a total stranger to the immune system.

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Via Health Day

Fatty and refined foods, or a diet of processed foods, worsen the risk of depression by as much as 58 percent. This is the conclusion of a recent study conducted by British scientists on 3,500 adults over a period of five years.

The findings show that ‘those who ate mainly fried, processed, refined, high-fat foods had a 58% greater risk of depression than those who ate the least. And those who consumed mostly whole foods, produce, and fish showed a 26% lower risk than those who consumed the least of those foods.’ Additionally, ‘people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression,’ according to the research team from the University College London.

According to Dr. Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, “The UK population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars.” He adds, “This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health. Major studies like this are crucial because they hold the key to us better understanding mental illness.”

“Physical and mental health are closely related, so we should not be too surprised by these results, but we hope there will be further research which may help us to understand more fully the relationship between diet and mental health,” said  Margaret Edwards, head of strategy at the mental health charity SANE.

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Via BBC

One of the worst beverages ever invented is the soda pop, also known as soft drink. It is a proven health hazard. ‘Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.’

Consumption of soft drinks in high quantity leads to various ill-health concerns such as tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease. ’Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount.’

Consuming one or more soft drinks a day, whether diet or regular variety, will lead to a ‘30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.’ The artificial sweeteners in diet soda such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin also pose a health threat. ‘Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.’ On the other hand, aspartame has been linked to obesity. Commonly known as nutrasweet, it is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. ‘The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.’

The carbonation in soft drinks also poses a health risk. The bubbles in carbonated drinks contain phosphoric acid that can ‘severely deplete the blood calcium levels.’

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Via Yahoo! Health

If your kid is suffering from frequent colds and coughs, there might be reasons to worry about. Kids usually cough to signify an underlying syndrome which may go undetected for a long time and that may lead to medical complications. STAR Analytical Services is a company based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and they are developing software which can detect the different types of coughs.

It can differentiate between a cough that is caused by cold, flu, COPD and other respiratory diseases. it can also detect between the coughs of a healthy person, a voluntary and an involuntary cough among many other things. It may be used with old people too and with adults as well. Each kind of cough has its own wavelength which is detected by the software.

When such a cough is detected, it becomes easier for people to seek medical attention on time. I only hope this reaches the market on time and when it does, I would be the first one to buy. It has to be one of the best software to be developed lately. Millions of people suffer from respiratory diseases that go undetected and such software and a befitting device could help the all.

Via: Med Gadgets

No matter on which side of the fence you are, one thing now is for certain: the use of cellphone does indeed change the configuration of your brain. But the question of the extent of damage that usage of mobiles can cause is still unanswered. If you were to believe the latest study conducted by researchers at Sweden’s Örebro University, then it seems that the use of mobiles is actually leading to a change that looks useful rather than harmful! Of course that is from the viewpoint of a layman who does not understand the mechanics of the human brain.

In their latest experiments researchers found that cellphone use increases the amount of a protein called transthyretin, which is part of the ceberospinal fluid that cushions and protects the brain. So, should that not mean that it is actually leading to an adaptation that in the long run could be useful? Well, scientists are still not clear about that part, but they state that this conclusively proves that mobile phone usage does leave a lasting impact in your head.

While adults are often far better equipped to deal with radiation that is caused by usage of mobiles, children and teenagers have much thinner skull bones and their brains have a lot more fluid and hence absorb twice the radiation. This is precisely why health experts and environmentalists are now lobbying for a decrease in the acceptable radiation mark. If that happens, expect the cell phone giants in US to make quite a fuss about it all!

Wired

The design hitch of the machine, was its similarity to a dentist chair, giving a rather less positive feel. But trials on 164 patients with unipolar, non-psychotic major depressive disorders using the Neurostar machine have proved, that treatment with short magnetic field pulses to the left prefrontal cortex of the brain can be used as an alternative to medication.

After 30 40-minute daily sessions, half the patients in the trial experienced significant improvement, while a third reported complete resolution, an encouraging outcome. The only recorded side effect reported by the patients, was mild discomfort in treatment region of the body, which can be overcome through future research. Patients can for the moment receive NeuroStar treatments in a psychiatrist’s clinics while remaining staying awake.

NeuroStar is a good try for people suffering from serious bouts of depression, as it eliminates the umpteen side effects and perceived damages that could be caused by psychiatric drugs. Treatment through the machine starts at $ 6,000 for a four week session. Neurostar may hopefully become reason for less tears in future.

Via: popsci, neurostartms

Blame it on the propagandized paranoia over the supposedly pandemic level of Influenza A (H1N1), otherwise known as swine flu. Parents’ fears may be sending them to the grocery store to stock on Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies that boasts in its advertising such immunity-boosting powers of its cereal product.

It seems that some companies are cashing in on the swine flu paranoia, apart from Big Pharma and vaccine manufacturers. After all, fear is the biggest market. According to Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, “This one belongs in the hall of fame. By their logic, you can spray vitamins on a pile of leaves, and it will boost immunity.”

The dubious claim is written in bold typeface and says: “Now helps support your child’s IMMUNITY.” ‘But the company says the cereal line has been in the works since before the swine flu scare ramped up.’ Critics have been attacking this immunity-boosting claim from Kellogg’s, the US’ largest cereal maker, saying that it sends an easily misinterpreted message beyond nutritious cereals by claiming immunity boost.

As one nutrition professor says, “The idea that eating Cocoa Krispies will keep a kid from getting swine flu, or from catching a cold, doesn’t make sense. Yes, these nutrients are involved in immunity, but I can’t think of a nutrient that isn’t involved in the immune system.”

According to Dennis Herrera, San Francisco’s city attorney, “I am concerned the prominent use of the immunity claims to advertise a sugar-laden chocolate cereal like Cocoa Krispies may mislead and deceive parents of young children.” San Francisco had sent a letter to Kellogg’s and to the Food and Drug Administration asking the company to prove its claim.

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Via USA TODAY