Medical knowledge has continued to proceed on an exponential path since the scientific method came into widespread use. Nowhere else has scientific research been focused so intensely as to the pursuit of human health.

As such, every year brings about newfound breakthroughs in the field of medicine. Here is a sampling of 2011’s most popular and interesting advances in medicine.

DRACOS (Double Stranded RNA Caspase Oligomerizer)

Just this year a team from MIT developed an entirely new approach to protection against human viral illnesses. The viruses which could be targeted with therapy based on this research include those that cause Dengue Fever and H1N1 influenza. In essence, viruses are bits of genetic material that exist to hijack a cell’s resources to replicate in order to itself. This new research highlights a unique aspect of many pathogenic human viruses, double-stranded RNA, a genetic molecule absent from human cells. By making molecules that recognize this foreign DNA and then trigger cell death, or apoptosis, the virus finds itself in a non-functioning cell and is unable to proliferate.

Glowing Tumors

A group of researchers in Munich have developed a promising method of detecting tumors in patients with ovarian cancer. Patients who are undergoing surgery for removal of ovarian cancer tumors are injected with a special dye blended with folic acid, which is known to bind with a protein molecule on the surface of ovarian tumor cells. Then, using special cameras to detect fluorescent spectrums, the surgeon can visualize where remaining cancerous cells are and remove them. The researchers are continuing to develop the technology so that it can be applied to other types of tumors and, in a broader sense, to be more adept at detecting the fluorescent spectrums.

Fungal Findings

A decent amount of research groups have undertaken studies on the effects of psilocybin — the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms” — on human beings. But a study released this year examined the effect on personality in the long term after a singular session. Based on a popularly used personality inventory, subjects indicated improved openness in their personality assessments, despite the fact that this trait tends to dwindle as people age. Inspired by these positive outcomes and other related research, the group plans to continue research to assess, among other things, if the profound psychological experience can be used to help terminally ill patients deal with diagnoses and the philosophical weight of death.

Rapid Results

One of the greatest breakthroughs of modern medicine was antibiotic therapy; one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine is antibiotic resistance. Many factors play into the complex tale of antibiotic resistance, but, by far one of the biggest contributors is the prescription of unnecessary antibiotics for viral infections. Often if a patient shows up symptomatic for an illness ranging from the common cold with cough, sore throat, sinus congestion and fever to diarrheal illness, it is not readily apparent if the pathogen is a virus or bacteria. Nonetheless, antibiotics are in some cases are handed out without substantial reason, often times to placate the patient. A new technology being tested is based on another technology used in crime scene investigations involving a chemical called luminol used for detecting traces of blood. When the blood comes in contact with the luminol, it glows. Researchers have found that when viruses and bacteria are exposed to luminol, they output different patterns of fluorescence, or glows, in a rather predictable manner. Hence, the potential for a quick diagnostic test that would allow for a drastic reduction in the prescription of unnecessary antibiotics, which don’t work for viral illnesses.

Tumor Police

Scientists have identified a compound present in a certain genus of plants called Colchicum, which can actively destroy cancerous cells. Colchicum can recognize an enzyme that cancer cells produce in order to induce the proliferation and colonization of other cells. Scientists found a way to leverage the compound they identified in Colchicum plants in a way that it would not emit toxicity until it encountered the unique enzyme responsible for tumor growth. Upon recognition of this troublesome enzyme, the compound can destroy the tumor’s ability to develop further sources of blood supply and growth to the tumor.

Kathy Stevenson blogs about medical technology and education in the medical field. Kathy has contributed several articles about medical assistant programs to student bloggers who run college focused blogs and websites.

Image credit: 1.

For many years Russian athletes dominated strength related events, using a carefully concealed secret tool.  This tool is the Kettlebell or girya. Made of cast iron, the kettlebell looks like “a cannonball with a handle.”

When you examine a kettlebell this description truly does fit it.  One can find these in size range from four pounds to one hundred and seventy-five pounds. Typically the kettleball is measured in “poods” which are thirty-five pounds each. What makes the kettleball different then traditional weights is the location of the center of mass.  In dumbells this mass is located at or near the hand.  With the kettleball it extends past the hand.  This is likened to Indian clubs or ishi sashi of which the latter is the most similar. There are variations on this with shifting mass inside the weight also.

One needs to look at how a kettleball is used to see the benefit of training with one. The exercises that are made to be used with this type of weight is called Ballistic exercise.  These movements are done to increase cardiovascular, core strength, and flexibility prowess. Many of the motions are swinging or swing/release in nature.  The areas targeted by the kettleball naturally include the lower back, the legs, the shoulders, and the hands. Because of this, those with back or shoulder problems or who lack good core strength should only attempt using a Kettleball under supervision of a trained expert.

The movements that kettleball exercises are based on mimic many real world activities. This includes shoveling and various farm related tasks.  The exercises engage the entire body, not isolated areas. This is particularly true of the most basic of them: the Swing, the Snatch, and the Clean and Jerk. Knowing this fact only does so much however.  What are the benefits from this type of training?

Those who use the kettleball properly should see many benefits, regardless of gender.  They can increase coordination and boost agility. Because the movements work those core muscles that help with posture there are great improvements in posture and skeletal alignment.  The weight bearing elements increases bone density while the functional movements improve the body in ways that have a daily value.  For those who combine kettleball training with other exercises and sports the benefits include greater efficiency with other exercises, more power and endurance, and reduced chances of injury due to sudden deceleration.

The benefits come at a fairly low cost, because kettleball is a time efficient, low risk, and simple form of exercise.  Because it trains the cardiovascular system and improves strength, balance, stability, power, and endurance all at the same time, one can call kettleball routines time efficient.  Working with an expert trainer at the beginning can ensure that the correct form is used and teach how to pick the right weight for each movement thus making the routine a low injury risk.  This is not a high impact exercise. The movements are simple and the workouts straightforward in nature.  Only a kettleball is needed.

Please visit The Personal Development Company do learn more about Enter the Kettlebell: Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen by Pavel Tsatsouline

The United States Department of Agriculture, in an effort to combat the epidemic of obesity putting a strain on the American health care system, has retracted its traditional Food Pyramid in favor of a new suggestion of healthy meals, called MyPlate.

With MyPlate the emphasis is clearly on fruits and vegetables, with low fat proteins getting just a tiny slice of the pie, so to speak. The new food recommendations have a new icon, a plate split into four equal parts. One half of the plate is devoted just to fruits and vegetables. The other half is split between whole grains and lean protein. The USDA also recommends you drink a glass of skim milk or have some low fat dairy to go along with your healthy meal.

These new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans puts the emphasis on fruits and vegetables, but it also makes suggestions about reducing caloric intake, reducing sodium and drinking more water instead if sugary soft drinks. More Americans are obese today than ever before and all previous efforts to counter this obesity epidemic have failed miserably. It is nearly impossible to fight obesity when sugary snacks, high calorie sweets and soft drinks are advertised on nearly every television channel, marketed directly to children. For Americans on restricted budgets, the cost of junk food compared to high value fruits and vegetables is much lower, making them a more likely choice for those who are trying to reduce costs. For many it is easier to buy the kids a bag of potato chips than a bag of carrots–and it is cheaper.

The USDA also launched a new web site to promote the new MyPlate food structure. The new web site, ChooseMyPlate.org, was created to help Americans make better choices when it comes to the foods they eat and feed their families.  The web site has recipes, tips and cooking tricks that are designed to help American families eat better and healthier meals. It also has suggestions for helping families stretch their budget when it comes to buying health foods.

The first food pyramid was released in 1992 and recommended Americans eat five to nine servings of vegetables every day, plus six to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta. It made no recommendations between refined and whole grains which meant it wound up promoting too many grain servings which actually promoted obesity. That pyramid was replaced by the MyPyramid in 2005 which did not offer much information at all. It just showed an image of a stick figure walking up the side of a pyramid.

It remains to be seen whether USDA recommendations make any difference in American eating habits. People seem to eat what they will and are prone to allow their health deteriorate as a result of their poor choices. Making recommendations about what they should or should not eat is great on paper, but in reality, ultimately, the only thing that is going to change the American eating habit, is the American doing the eating.

Emma Thomas is an avid food critic and a longtime advocate of healthy food living. With the help of a team of Virtual Assistants, Emma runs a healthy living website showing people how to cook food healthy. If you’re interested in Emma’s healthy initiatives or would like to find out more on how to use a Virtual Assistant, visit her website.

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by malias

As I grow older, I find myself reflecting more and more on the long hours I spent at school, as the days began and ended with sun-filled recesses with the sounds of laughing and screaming children.

Of course now I am older, and understand recess wasn’t so much about giving the kids a chance to be kids, but that recess was a critical part of any child’s development, allowing children to create, socialize, and spend large amounts of energy.

The saying, “the times, they are a changin’” never grows old. We are now in a competition driven world and all sorts of people expect a lot from children academically, so much to the point that in many parts of the world, the time for recess has been eliminated or shortened in order to place more focus on academics. The idea that playtime for children is important now seems to be a thing of the past, and instead, children have become ‘little adults’ living in results driven environments, but unfortunately these results are often not the intended ones. Instead of a child receiving an “A”, children everywhere are receiving “C”s for ‘chubby’ or “F”s for “fat”; or in a more politically correct fashion, children are now more obese than ever and mental or emotional disorders, such as hyperactivity, are on the rise.

Darrell Hammond is the founder of KaBOOM!, an organization established sixteen years ago in order to aid in creating playgrounds and other “playtime” areas for children all over the country. Recently, Hammond published the book “KaBOOM: How One May Built A Movement to Save Play” in an attempt to share the lessons he has learned while acting as an advocate for children’s playtime, stating it’s a crucial part of a child’s development.

One thing I took away from the book was that social change will contribute itself to personal transoformation. Hammond tells us that literally anyone out there can make a change, and that it’s not limited to teachers, parents, school administrators, or those in similar positions. This is coming from a man who as a child lived in a group home and never earned a college degree, but yet has made such a profound impact. Although cliche, it’s true that change comes from within, and provoking this change doesn’t require a fancy degree or being the product of a pedigree family.

Secondly, Hammond tells us how an organization can actually become a success. In just over ten years, KaBOOM! has raised $200 million from a variety of corporations and has heavily utilized a million volunteers. Success followed, and and Hammond also intended to learn from what had failed by remaining humble and vulnerable. Additionally, KaBOOM! was innovative in taking a new approach to this growing social issue, doing so by developing public-private partnerships, whereas before it was just a common practice.

Perhaps the most important thing I gained from reading Hammond’s book was the prompt I received to re-evaluate the importance of those sunny, afternoon recesses and playtime. Hammond states that children being able to play is not a luxury, but rather a necessity that children need to build social skills, promote creativity, and even lend itself to physical muscle development. Not only does this give the child happiness, it also leads to a new generation that is productive. He feels that playtime should be child-led and driven and that it should be an unstructured environment.

If we simply re-evaluate where we stand with this important issue, you’ll begin questioning yourself and wondering where your life would be today had you not heard those bells ring for recess.

Janet Marie Frank writes for the Social work course reviews blog. Her hobby blog she uses to provide help for people who want to work into the social field. She has over 15 years of social working carrer and contributed to create a lot of Universities courses to give people master degrees in social work.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Harpersbizarre

In 2009, Boston was considered to be the fourth safest city in the U.S. Since then, however, the city has been slipping in ranks – and in safety.

Lately, local reporters and police officers have been busy due to a number of house break-ins, car break-ins, and bank robberies. The headlines this week include, “Robber hits banks in 2 towns, gets away” and “Police Investigating Mom’s Disappearance as Crime.”

Summer is only 2 months away and people should start being more aware of what they can do to be safe in the warmer weather, when open windows and screen doors are a welcome mat for intruders.

Whether you live in the suburbs or in the heart of Boston, here are a few safety tips that will lower your chances of being a victim:

House break-ins

If you’re a homeowner with an alarm system, you probably feel a lot safer when you leave the house for work, to run errands or go on vacation. However, when was the last time you tested your home security system?

Having a home security system isn’t enough; you need to maintain it, test it and review important areas with your family. Try gathering your family and have a “security drill” in order to test everything: the battery, the motion detectors on the windows and doors, and the panic button.

It’s also a good idea to review who is in charge of what: who is going to answer the phone when the security monitoring station calls? Who is going to race home when the burglary alarm goes off and you are at work?

Home security systems will protect your house against intruders, burglars, and even lower the risk of your house being attacked – if it’s working correctly. Testing it regularly is the only way to ensure that you and your family are safe.

If you don’t have a security system, it’s important that you take extra precautions: keep the doors and windows locked at all times when you aren’t home (even if you are outside quickly walking the dog). You can also pick up home alarm stickers and put them on your windows so thieves think you have a security system.

Car break-ins

A lot of people use their garage as a storage shed, rather than a place to keep their cars. However, if you’ve been hearing a lot about car break-ins in your neighborhood, you should probably reconsider cleaning out the garage.

If parking your cars in the garage is out of the question, then clean out your car. Start storing GPS, iPods and mobile devices in the glove compartment or trunk. Leaving these expensive electronics out in full few will only tempt someone to break into your car. You also shouldn’t rely on your car alarm to save the day; a lot of purses and electronics get stolen from vehicles at night, when people are sleeping.

In fact, car break-ins are the most common type of crime in the Back Bay. So although it’s a smart idea to keep an extra set of car keys on you, don’t leave them in the car; chances are that a well-experienced thieve will know exactly where to look.

Attacks

Massachusetts has strict laws regarding weapons. As a result, it’s not a bad idea to learn how to protect yourself using only your body.

For women, taking a self defense class can be an empowering experience; you’ll certainly feel more confident walking around Faneuil hall at night. In addition, taking a self defense class will not only empower you mentally but also physically; you’ll learn how to use your body as a weapon which will encourage you to keep it in shape.

For men, taking a boxing class is a great way to build up the muscles you’ll need if you find yourself in a dangerous situation. Boxing classes will help improve your form as well as physique.

Boston is a beautiful city and the suburbs surrounding it are equally as enchanting. However, it only takes one instance of feeling victimized to ruin the place you call “home.” Take the necessary precautions you need to in order to feel and stay safe this spring and summer.

Sylvia Rosen is an online writer with a background in newspaper journalism. She enjoys writing about parenting, family lifestyles and home services.

So, several news websites decided to publish articles today discussing the dangers that the Internet poses for those individuals suffering with anorexia or other eating disorders such as bulimia.  Websites in which sufferers of the disease are free to discuss and/or encourage the obsessions that the affected have with weight loss and food are known as “pro Ana” sites and are nothing new.

Pro Ana websites adhere to the ideology that Anorexia is less of an illness and more of a lifestyle choice and they often offer advice regarding extreme methods that can be used to avoid eating, including punching oneself hard in the stomach and eating wads of toilet tissue (because it is on the low end of the calorie scale and blocks up the digestive track).

Scary stuff, huh?

Although it is easy to blame pro Ana websites for the increasing numbers of people suffering from eating disorders (and the worsening of these conditions for some) it is important to remember that even if it were possible to eradicate every website of this type, there would still be plenty of ways for anorexics to discuss their unhealthy fixations online. Avenues include social networks (Facebook administrators are constantly deleting pro Ana groups and fan pages) and instant messengers.

Although these websites are obviously not medically helpful for those with the condition, those suffering an eating disorder no doubt need a support network around them. Immediately banning an anorexic daughter or son from the Internet could potentially hurt them psychologically, since the feeling that “no one understands” is no doubt partly to blame for the devastating position they are currently in.

Instead of damning the Internet for the communal practises of pro Ana individuals online, we need to look at the wider issue. It is said so often now that it has become a bit of a cliché but the contemporary media focus on weight, image and celebrity is no doubt having a negative effect on everybody’s self esteem.

Unless the two-a-penny, airbrushed and disposable culture filling the pages of celebrity gossip magazines like Heat and Closer (both UK based) is addressed by western governments (and western society as whole, for that matter), then the cases of negative self image will only worsen. It is proven that children learn attitudes and behavioural traits from their parents – if self loathing and unhealthy eating habits – and this DOES include weird diets like Atkins and liquid meal replacement – have become the norm for the current generation, just think of the damage the next lot could do to themselves.

I would (sadly) hazard a bet that the Internet will be used by the next generation of ED sufferers too.

Kat Cole is currently a Samaritans counsellor but has previously worked for several compensation claims companies dealing with accident compensation cases. She has a seven year old daughter named Brody and can already see the negative effects that celebrity culture is having on her self esteem.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by by Janine

Today the London Wheelchair Marathon is one of the highest profile wheelchair races in the UK. The London Marathon began when a couple of members of the Raneleigh Harriers running club and Olympic medallists, John Disley and Chris Brasher experienced the 1979 New York Marathon and saw how exhilarating a huge city marathon could be, compelling them to found the London version.

Disley presented a course design that embraced many of London’s famous sights including the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace and the event was approved. The event was granted charitable status and on 29th March 1981 the first race was held where out of about 20,000 applications 7,747 runners were accepted.

The race became an instant hit and has become one of the major events in the sporting calendar and one of the top five international marathons to run. In 2010 36,549 people crossed the finish line. It has gone on to be a major fundraising event, far more so than any other marathon and is now the largest annual fundraising event in the world. The first wheelchair marathon race was held on 1983 and has been credited with helping to reduce stigma associated with disabled athletes. It attracts some of the worlds best wheelchair athletes to compete for prize money.

The London Wheelchair Marathon also plays an important role in identifying the outstanding wheelchair athletes of the future. As a charity, the London Marathon has assisted with the provision of racing wheelchairs for young athletes to help foster budding talent. The 2010 line up for the wheelchair marathon has been cited as the best line up in the world.

David Weir is Britain’s best wheelchair athlete and has won three London Marathon titles in a row, and four in total. In the women’s field Wakako Tsuchida from Japan and Amanda McGrory from the United States are among the top ranking athletes. Tsuchida won the 2010 wheelchair marathon and in the men’s race Josh Cassidy from Canada took first place. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a previous winner of the London Wheelchair Marathon has praised the event for how far it has come in terms of quality since its inception in the 1980′s. The fact that it continues to attract accomplished and Paralympic medal winning competitors is testament to its popularity.

Wheelchair racing has become one of the most popular sports in the world and a top class racing wheelchair can be expensive so it is a good idea to try it out on someone else’s first or purchase a used chair. The use of a racing chair is completely different to using an everyday chair. Instead of grabbing the rims to propel yourself forward you hit the rims with a fist stroke, so gloves are imperative! There is only one type of racing glove made specifically for racing.

Beginners should start on a track, with the most demanding aspects being the steering of the chair and creating a good stroke. The gloves assist with this in that they force you to use a proper stroke. Regular training and experience at smaller racing events will help you become more experienced and ready to enter your own London Wheelchair Marathon where so many inspirational athletes have already succeeded.

Published by Gowrings Mobility. Gowrings are leading the way in wheelchair accessible vehicles, with a wide range of new and used mobility cars.

A student’s high school years are some of the most formative, especially when it comes to establishing lifelong physical exercise and health habits. Regular physical exercise will help adolescent students build and maintain healthy joints, muscles and bones.

Exercise can also help them control their weight, build lean muscle and reduce excess fat. Regular exercise can also contribute to the prevention of high blood pressure, and it can help reduce blood pressure in students who suffer from hypertension. Physical education classes don’t just establish a regular physical exercise routine; they also help students develop healthy social skills and the knowledge and attitudes they need to continue a lifelong physical activity routine.

New Goals

The negative effects that come with not exercising are varied and abundant. So it might come as a bit of a surprise to know that, as of 2009, only a third of all high school students in the United States actually meet the recommended levels of physical activity. For this reason, official national health objectives for 2010, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, include (a) to increase the proportion of adolescents who participate in daily PE classes to 50% or more and (b) to increase the proportion of adolescents who spend “at least half of school PE class time being physically active”.

Some Statistics

According to the CDC, in1999 almost half of all American youths aged 12 – 21 are not engaged in regular physical activity and 14 percent of high school aged students reported having no recent physical activity. From 1991 to 1995, enrollment in PE classes went down from 42 percent to 25 percent.

There has been little increase in physical activity among high school students since then. A recent survey from the nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) that gathered data from 1991 to 2007 found that enrollment in high school PE classes among white female and male students as well as Hispanic students in grades 9 – 12 did not increase or decrease significantly. And among black students, enrollment actually declined considerably. And indeed, across the board, minority students are less likely to be involved in sports and physical activities and more likely to engage in what researchers refer to as “sedentary behavior”. Also, girls are generally less physically active than boys. As the age or grade level of students increases, their level of physical activity tends to decrease.

What Can Be Done?

Schools and parents can help by promoting daily physical activities with their children. Encouraging them to participate in an after school activity or sports program is a good idea. Schools should also aim to create a physical education curriculum that is enjoyable and help develop team work and confidence.

It’s also recommended that teachers and school staff members be involved in physical activities as well, as they are the primary role models for students to emulate. Having healthy staff is just one more thing that goes towards promoting a healthy school environment. Health care providers and doctors should also be actively involved in talking to their young patients about the importance of physical activity in their lives. And again, support from families, friends and community members goes a long way towards increasing the effectiveness of school sports and physical education programs.

Spring is just around the corner and it’s time to think about new spring fashion and take on a new workout to make sure we look really good in those new clothes. If that sounds boring, you probably share the same feelings as thousands of women who participated in a survey and revealed that they would exercise more if it was more fun. This was a starting point for the Reebok and Cirque du Soleil joint initiative aimed to create a new, “smile while you’re sweating” routine.

What is Jukari about?

It took eight months for these two brands to create a completely new and challenging Jukari Fit to Fly workout. Participants exercise in groups of twelve, guided by a trained instructor, using the FlySet, a device specially designed for this kind of workout. It hangs from the ceiling and is composed of a three-stranded rope, two attachment loops and a FlyBar. The exercises performed give you the incredible flying sensation and they are available for everybody, regardless of how fit they are. Some of the moves combine elements of both fitness and artistic flare, i.e. the Hanging Carousel to Straddle, the Mountain Climber to Pike or the Mixed Grip Pull-Up with Kick. But the workout is not all about fun and excitement. If you decide to take part in it, you get 1 hour exercise routine that works your abductor muscles, lats, and abdominal parts. You will definitely break a sweat!

Is it going to be popular?

While it has been difficult to predict if Jukari Fit to Fly workout will gain a following since its introduction to gyms in March 2009, it is apparent that more and more women love this new way of exercising. And celebs are raving about it too. Recently, Mischa Barton gave it a try and judging by her new, toned body, we can say it works! So ladies, it’s time to hit the gyms. Let’s strengthen and lengthen our bodies before spring arrives. Let’s fly!

The text was written by PennySaverUSA.com. If you are interested in exercise equipment, please visit us and check our online classifieds.

Some ad campaigns are just brilliant. Why waste thousands on mediocre advertisements if you can spend just as much money on creative approach.

Nike ad campaign promoting their treadmills is one of those campaigns that just can’t help inspiring.

They have placed interactive billboards around the world. In each billboard anyone could run a built-in treadmill. For every kilometer run, Nike promised to donate a certain amount to UNICEF. Fun, no?

Speaking of creativity and treadmills, I found it relevant to share another treadmill post:

I just came across a cool post at eFITology reviewing some funny and weird treadmills and thought I should definitely share it here. The one I liked most of all was DIY bicycle treadmill which demonstrates how far human ingenuity can reach: