Month: March 2014

10 ways to boost your odds of getting pregnant

If you’re like most couples who are trying to conceive, you want to get pregnant sooner rather than later.

Having intercourse as close as possible to ovulation definitely helps. But fertility experts say there are other ways couples can boost their fertility. A few simple measures may make the next month the month you’ll squeal: “We’re pregnant!”

1. Her Fertility Booster: Weight Control

Being underweight or overweight can delay the time it takes a woman to conceive.

William Gibbons, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Baylor College of Medicine, says weight before getting pregnant is often an overlooked factor in fertility. Keeping a healthy weight can help with conception.

2. His Fertility Booster: Protect Those Sperm

According to Dale McClure, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the idea that changing to boxers instead of briefs will boost fertility by keeping genital temperatures down is basically an old wives’ tale. Earlier studies seemed to point to boxers as the better choice, McClure says. But more recent studies haven’t shown a major difference.

What about exposing the testicles to other sources of heat? The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says controlling temperature doesn’t play much of role in boosting fertility. Some doctors, though, recommend staying away from certain sources. For instance, sitting in a hot tub day after day should be avoided, McClure says, even if a man has no known fertility problems. In at least one study, repeated exposure to high water temperatures through hot tubs or hot baths was shown to affect men’s fertility.

Still, no research has clearly shown a link between exposure to other sources of heat and a man’s fertility. One study did show that scrotal temperatures went up in laptop users who held the computer on their laps and warned that long-term exposures to high temperatures could harm sperm. Another study found that exposure to radiation from cell phones could adversely affect sperm that had been collected from participants. Researchers in that study speculated that keeping a cell phone in a pants pocket could affect the health of a man’s sperm.

While neither study was sufficient to prove that exposure to sources of heat could harm sperm enough to affect fertility, McClure still says a man who wants to be a father probably shouldn’t keep his laptop on his lap for extended periods of time. But even considering the above findings, McClure says he is “more concerned about hot tubbing.”

Source: webmd

Florida man dies from spider bite

Central Florida authorities are reporting a rare death from a spider bite. Polk County Medical Examiner Stephen Nelson tells The Ledger that Ronald Reese of Lakeland died Feb. 16 from complications of a spider bite.

Nelson said the bite became infected and developed into an abscess on the back of Reese’s neck, which pressed on his spinal cord.

Reese’s father says the 62-year-old had been bitten in August by a brown recluse spider.  H.K. William Reese says required lengthy hospital stays and numerous procedures for six months after the bite.

“He was working in an old house tearing out the existing walls and ceilings and replacing  them. Brown recluse spiders like to live in those old houses,” he said.

Nelson said Reese was never tested to determine what type of spider bit him, but medical records show there were definite complications from a spider bite wound on his neck.

Few statistics on deaths attributed to spider bites are available. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, only two people died from spider bites between 2001 and 2005. Both were believed to be caused by brown recluse spiders.

The brown recluse spider, which is not native to Florida, is one of just a handful of spiders that are dangerous to humans, though all spiders carry venom as a way to kill and digest their prey, said Polk State College biology professor Logan Randolph.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a bite from a brown recluse spider starts with two small puncture wounds and develops into a blister. The venom can also cause a severe lesion by destroying skin tissue, which requires medical attention.

However, the bites typically aren’t lethal, Randolph said. “In most spider bites, complications arise mostly if there’s some secondary factor. If the person has a specific allergic reaction, if their health was compromised in some other manner, or if the bite causes an open wound with a secondary infection,” Randolph said.

Spiders typically avoid humans, he said. “Most spiders aren’t going to attack you,” Randolph said. “It’s when you trap them, or

you’re moving something out of a cabinet and your hand brushes them – it’s typically a defense. They react rather than attack.”

Source: fox news

Finland researchers develop handheld camera for early detection of skin cancer

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a lightweight, handheld, ultra-precision hyperspectral camera for the detection of skin cancers and their precursors.

From the surface of the skin, the camera recognises early stages of cancer that are invisible to the naked eye.

Collaborators in the pilot study are the University of Jyvaskyla, the Paijat-Hame Central Hospital and the Skin and Allergy Hospital of Helsinki University Central Hospital. The preliminary results are promising, say the researchers.

The hand-held, mobile hyperspectral camera images the skin region in two seconds. The large field of view (12 cm2) enables the detection of large skin areas at once.

In the pilot study, the camera has been used to detect the skin areas with field cancerization i.e. areas of multiple skin cancer precursors, actinic keratoses, for early treatment of the affected areas.

The hyperspectral camera has also been used to detect the borders of poorly delineated skin tumours, such as lentigo malignas, which are difficult to detect by the naked eye, in order to avoid the need for re-excisions.

Developed by VTT on the basis of the Fabry-Perot interferometer, the hyperspectral camera captures images in up to 70 narrow wavelengths, whereas a regular camera uses only three.

The spectral image generated is a three-dimensional cube built of numerous layers of greyscale images, each of which has been taken within a limited wavelength range.

A spectrum for each pixel of the spectral image is formed by the images within the cube. Different biological tissues can be identified by their reflected spectra in hyperspectral images.

Computational methods are used to interpret these images, in order to determine the position and size of the tumour to be treated. In the ongoing pilot study, all results are being verified by histopathological sampling.

Patents have been granted for the hyperspectral camera in the US and in Finland. Heikki Saari, principal scientist at VTT, is the inventor of this patented device.

Skin cancer rates have been growing exponentially, due to population ageing and UV damage caused by excessive exposure to sunlight.

The camera is owned by the University of Jyvaskyla. It can also be used for various applications of a more general nature, according to a statement by VTT.

Source: India Medical Times

Shun snacks that affect a good night’s sleep

Do some bedtime snacks help you sleep better? Perhaps not.

Several studies suggest that eating a small snack a few hours before bedtime may help you sleep by preventing hunger from waking you.

But are there snacks that guarantee you sleep?

Some people say that cereal with milk, peanut butter on toast, and cheese with crackers are good bedtime snacks because they combine carbohydrates with protein.

The theory is based on the fact that tryptophan, an amino acid, makes you sleepy.

A new research done on the sedating effects of tryptophan needed up to 15 grams of tryptophan to create an effect.

And you would need to eat more than a pound of turkey to get just one gram of tryptophan!

To get a good night’s sleep, it is more important to avoid foods like high-fat foods, garlic-flavoured and highly spiced foods, alcohol, caffeine and any beverages before bed, reported.

Other than foods, sticking to a regular bedtime and wake time schedule helps keep you in sync with your body’s circadian clock, a 24-hour internal rhythm affected by sunlight.

Try not to nap too much during the day – you might be less sleepy at night.

Exercise at regular times each day. Try to finish your workout at least three hours before bedtime, said the report.

Source: DNA India

Healthy Benefits of Hummus

Hummus is a popular dish that originated in the Middle East. It is a spread, dip, or paste made of chickpeas and tahini that is usually eaten with pita or any other flat bread, often during breakfast. It has a texture and consistency similar with peanut butter. This Middle Eastern favorite is widely used in countries like Syria, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon. Its popularity is rooted not only from its delicious taste but also from its great nutritional value.

Several ingredients are used in making hummus but the primary ingredients are chickpeas and tahini. Chickpeas, which are more popularly known as garbanzo beans, are high-protein legumes cultivated in the Middle East since thousands of years ago. Tahini, on the other hand, refers to sesame paste. It has a strong flavor, which is why most people only use this ingredient sparingly. Other ingredients of hummus include lemon juice, salt, fresh garlic, paprika, and olive oil. To make this dish, all the ingredients are simply ground down until they form a smooth paste. Seasonings are added to taste.

1. Health Benefits of Chickpeas

The nutritional benefits of hummus can be rooted down from each of its ingredients. For one, chickpeas are very healthy because they do not contain any cholesterol or saturated fats. They are also rich in protein. This makes hummus a favorite among vegetarians. Chickpeas are also known to be effective in preventing build up of cholesterol in the blood vessels. Apart from that, it can maintain correct blood sugar levels.

2. Nutritional Value of Tahini

Tahini, meanwhile, is full of fat and calories. However, the fact that it is used sparingly in most hummus recipes and that it mostly contains unsaturated fat means there is not much to worry about. Like chickpeas, tahini is also high in protein. Apart from that, it is a great source of calcium.

3. Healthy Ingredients in Olive Oil

Another healthy ingredient found in hummus is olive oil. As most people know, olive oil is a healthy fat. It has high monounsaturated fat content but low in saturated fat. This oil can thus help regulate cholesterol and protect the heart from various diseases.

4. Health Benefits of Garlic and Lemon Juice

Garlic and lemon juice, meanwhile, are filled with antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress in the body. They also work to improve immune functions and fight of bacteria and viruses.

5. General Health Benefits of Hummus

Hummus as a whole contains plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for improving intelligence and maintaining a healthy heart. On top of it all, this dish also has iron, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, folic acid, and amino acids. Tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine are the amino acids found in hummus that can promote good quality sleep and uplift one’s mood.

Humus is loaded with nutrients that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Include this in your diet by using it as spread on sandwiches and wraps, as dressing to your salad or pasta, as dip for raw vegetables, or as side dish for main courses.

Source: 3fc

 

Leprosy the world’s oldest infectious disease?

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Researchers have found two leprosy-causing bacteria from a last common bacterial ancestor around 10 million years ago.

“Leprosy is a strict human disease that stretches back millions of years,” said Professor Han from University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Centre.

He found that two leprosy-causing bacteria, including Mycobacterium leprae, were pinpointed to come from a last common bacterial ancestor around 10 million years ago – meaning that ancient humans suffered from the disease.

Human beings carried the leprosy bacteria when departing Africa around 100,000 years ago to populate the rest of the world, said the study.

“Tracing the ultimate origin of leprosy through the parasitic adaptive evolution of the leprosy bacteria is rather insightful – not only for this single disease but also for our better understanding of the mechanism behind other human infections,” explained Han.

Together with Francisco Silva, of the University of Valencia’s Evolutionary Genetics Unit, Han concluded that leprosy can be viewed as a natural consequence of a long parasitism.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Neglected

Source: Business standard

3D-printed heart aids life-saving surgery on US baby

3d-printed-splint-family-13

A newly developed 3D-printed heart has helped doctors perform a life-saving heart surgery on a 14-month old infant in the US.

Researchers from the University of Louisville and Kosair Children’s Hospital created a 3D printed model of the organ 1.5 times its actual size that helped the surgeons to prepare for the surgery.

Built in three pieces using a flexible filament, the printing reportedly took around 20 hours and cost USD 600.

Roland Lian Cung Bawi of Owensboro, Kentucky, was born with four congenital heart defects and his doctors were looking for greater insights into his condition prior to a February 10 operation.

Philip Dydynski, chief of radiology at Kosair Children’s Hospital wondered if a 3D model of the child’s heart could be constructed using a template created by images from a CT scan to allow doctors to better plan and prepare for his surgery.

The result was a model heart 1.5 times the size of the child’s.

Once the model was built, Erle Austin III, cardiothoracic surgeon at Louisville, was able to develop a surgical plan and complete the heart repair with only one operation.

“I found the model to be a game changer in planning to do surgery on a complex congenital heart defect,” he said.

Roland was released from Kosair Children’s Hospital on February 14. His prognosis is good, doctors said.

Source: zee news

When Breast Cancer Spreads

If your cancer spreads beyond your breast and the nearby lymph nodes, it’s called advanced cancer, or metastatic cancer. The most common places it spreads to are the liver, lungs, bones, and brain.

News that your cancer has spread is scary, but there are many treatments that work for metastatic breast cancer.

“The majority of women with metastatic breast cancer can move forward with their therapies while continuing their regular lifestyle — working, taking care of their families, exercising, and traveling,” says Erica L. Mayer, MD, MPH, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

“We often think of metastatic breast cancer as a chronic disease, like diabetes,” says Mayer. A Different Treatment Schedule

Treatments for advanced breast cancer may go on without an end date, to keep the cancer under control. You’ll visit the clinic on a regular basis and you’ll get to know the health care team.

“If the treatment works, you’ll stay on it as long as it’s working well without side effects,” says Rita Nanda, MD, of the University of Chicago’s breast cancer program. If not, your doctor will try different treatments.

Your doctor is likely to suggest chemotherapy because it travels through your entire body. “Metastatic breast cancer is a whole-body disease,” Mayer says.

You may also need hormone therapy. Targeted drugs are another option. They work directly on the changes within cancer cells. These combinations can make chemotherapy work better.

Sometimes surgery or radiation can help ease symptoms. Regular Tests Keep Tabs on Your Cancer

Occasionally, you’ll have imaging tests to see how treatments are working and whether the cancer has spread. Common imaging tests include:

CT scans, where an X-ray machine circles around as you lie on a table Bone scans with an injection that helps show areas with cancer (scintigraphy) PET scans with a special camera and a tracer chemical that goes in your arm by IV
“CT scans examine the chest and abdomen,” says Richard J. Bleicher, MD, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “You can see something on organs like the liver or sometimes the bones.” Sometimes results are combined for a PET CT scan. A computer merges the images to find hot spots that may be cancer.

Your doctor will tell you how often you need these tests, based on the stage of your cancer.

Source: Web md