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Health and Wellbeing
Bone-Conduction and Infrared FINIS AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor for swimmers
By Mike Hanlon
18:34 April 21, 2009 PDT
We have already professed our love for the Finis Swimmers Snorkel, eulogized about the antidote to lap-grinding boredom known as the bone-conduction SwiMP3 underwater music player and now we're gonna do it all over again for the USD$140 AquaPulse heart rate monitor, a workout accessory for swimmers wishing to optimize their water-based exercise routine through heart rate training. Are we just raging fanboys? No, we do however rejoice in the logical and practical application of technology to enable new and better ways of doing things, and Finis will again deliver just that (in May). Read More
Le Whif - chocolate consumed by inhaling
By Jamilah Le
06:18 April 21, 2009 PDT
Eating chocolate is one of those pleasure experiences many of us can’t live without, and for those serious choc addicts who think they've done it all, there could yet be a new frontier - chocolate that you inhale. Created by a professor at Harvard University with help from art and science college students, Le Whif began as a culinary art experiment which culminated into a marketed product that’s set for a world tour - it’s a chocolate inhaler shaped like a tube of lipstick that is breathed in for a mouth full of chocolate, with a tiny fraction of the calories. Scoffing is replaced by whiffing. Read More
Gemalto launches innovative e-Health Terminal
By Mike Hanlon
23:02 April 14, 2009 PDT
Perhaps a glimpse of the near future of digital health care globally, Gemalto has commercially launched its Sealys e-health terminal, specially designed for the progressive German market, and a significant development on its previous GCR 550 health card reader. The new unit has been developed to incorporate the latest technological advances requested by German health professionals and includes access to the patient’s electronic medical file and emergency data such as blood group, allergies and ongoing treatment records. Doctors will also be able to issue electronic prescriptions that facilitate data exchange with pharmacists and reduce fraud, while eliminating paperwork. The Gemalto terminal offers optional connection of biometric and contactless devices, allowing doctors to sign e-prescriptions using their fingerprint or any contactless device. Read More
Cities with MLB baseball teams have a lower divorce rate!
By Mike Hanlon
18:21 April 12, 2009 PDT
The family unit is society's fundamental unit - 95 percentage of US citizens marry by age 55. A marriage breakdown is one of the most stressful life events possible, yet more than one in three will experience the trauma of divorce. Not surprisingly, the dynamics of relationships are increasingly the focus of ever more research. The University of Denver Center for Marital and Family Studies in particular is constantly shedding new light on the institution of marriage with recent research findings establishing that the quality of the relationship with parents-in-law is directly connected to marital satisfaction, and more recently, that 90 percent of couples experience a decrease in marital satisfaction once their first child is born. A new study from the centre looking at divorce rates before and after cities got Major League Baseball teams is fascinating in its implications. The study showed that cities with major league baseball teams had a 28 percent lower divorce rate than cities that wanted major league baseball teams. Can marital harmony really be this simple? Read More
Dilbert celebrates 20 years of cubicle lifestyle and workplace dysfunction
By Mike Hanlon
16:44 April 8, 2009 PDT
April 9, 2009 If you're a modern office worker, the chances are you'll know Dilbert, the most photocopied, pinned-up, downloaded, faxed and e-mailed comic strip in the world. Many Dilbert readers, particularly those employed at large corporations, are convinced that Dilbert creator Scott Adams works at their company since he conveys corporate inanities so well in the ever-funny, ever-savage satire of life in the modern workplace. Indeed, in some newspapers, the strip runs in the business section rather than the funnies, reflecting its accurate portrayal of the realities of work life for 21st century cyberserfs. Dilbert turns 20 this month, and a book/online resource has been created to celebrate. Dilbert, we love you! Read More
GlideCycle: giving back independence and mobility
By Karen Sprey
22:14 April 6, 2009 PDT
The GlideCycle offers a whole new world of mobility, independence and exercise to people of almost any age with disabilities and injuries. Looking a little like a bike, but with no pedals and a frame over the top of the body rather than underneath, the GlideCycle uses a suspended ergonomic saddle that holds the pelvis to support body weight so that the rider can walk, run or glide with no pressure on the crotch or perineum. It provides major cardio benefits with virtually zero impact, is easily mastered, comfortable and fun to use, quick to assemble – and it’s affordable. So what’s the catch? There isn’t one. Read More
Safer surgery using mussels and inket printers means no needle and thread
By Jamilah Le
03:50 March 25, 2009 PDT
You’ve probably never thought of mussels or inkjet printers having much to do with surgery, but Research by North Carolina State University is underway to create a medical adhesive based on these things which could replace traditional sutures. Mussels on rocks are near impossible to pry off by hand if you’ve ever tried (let’s face it, you have) due to their adhesive proteins that can bond them to stone underwater to resist the relentless surging of the sea. The researchers believe this mussel glue and a variation on an inkjet printer could “result in faster healing, less scarring and increased precision for exacting operations such as eye surgery.” Read More
Tobacco as medicine - needless to say you don't smoke it
By Darren Quick
22:10 March 24, 2009 PDT
Smokers don’t get excited - science hasn’t found a way to genetically engineer tobacco for smoking to be good for you. What science has done however is to genetically engineer tobacco plants to produce medicines that could assist in the treatment of several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including diabetes. Read More
Gold nanospheres search out and ‘cook’ cancer cells
By Karen Sprey
21:48 March 23, 2009 PDT
March 24, 2009 A minimally invasive therapy that could help fight cancer may be on its way with the development of the first hollow gold nanospheres that actively search for and burn tumors. Researchers believe the new technique could prove particularly effective against malignant Melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer responsible for around 48,000 deaths worldwide each year... and numbers are growing. Read More
Increased risk of injury even after one glass of alcohol
By Mike Hanlon
16:19 March 23, 2009 PDT
The cost to society of physical injury related to alcohol consumption is immense – the link between severe alcohol intoxication, road accidents and violence is well established. Now new research from the Swedish Karolinska Institutet medical university indicates that most alcohol-related damage occurs after moderate consumption. While people who have drunk considerable quantities of alcohol suffer higher injury risk than people who have drunk only a little, the research shows the risk of suffering injury increases significantly after small amounts of alcohol as little as one glass. Read More
First-of-its-kind study warns of jury service trauma
By Mike Hanlon
01:26 March 23, 2009 PDT
March 23, 2009 In the first study of its kind, a new report by psychologists at the University of Leicester warns of the dangers of jurors facing trauma because of their exposure to harrowing and gruesome evidence. The research confirms that jury service, particularly for crimes against people, can cause significant anxiety, and for a vulnerable minority it can lead to severe clinical levels of stress or the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Women jurors are particularly vulnerable if the trial covers material that resonates with their personal histories. Read More
The Slik-Stik nexgen high-tech walking stick
By Mike Hanlon
01:12 March 20, 2009 PDT
March 20, 2009 The SLIK-STIK is a next-generation walking stick that just might be a killer app with the post war baby boom moving into senior citizenhood. It's adjustable in height, folds up for convenient storage and portability, has a rubberised non-slip hand grip, a forward facing super bright LED torch light and a foot-fall floodlight to ensure safe footing at night on pavements, steps, and other trip hazards. It also has a panic alarm and best of all, it incorporates an induction generator system inside, so a minute of winding the retractable handle is sufficient to provide several minutes of emergency illumination. Read More
Hi-Flow integrated filtering system - bottle quality from the tap
By Jude Garvey
00:59 March 20, 2009 PDT
The Hi-Flow integrated filtering system is a unique and clever way to deliver fresh, filtered tap water at home. Unlike some other filtration systems, the Hi-Flow metal cartridge is installed under the sink without the need to drill a separate hole in the sink or bench top. The system is then plumbed inline to an existing standard cold tap or mixer tap, therefore eliminating the need to have a separate filtration unit or tap. Once connected the Hi-Flow delivers mains pressure, freshly filtered water directly from the kitchen tap. Read More
New study demonstrates the pervasive influence of children on parent purchases
By Mike Hanlon
02:50 March 17, 2009 PDT
March 17, 2009 "Most parents seem to be completely unaware of how much their little ones make them buy“, said Claus Ebster, one of the researchers from the University of Vienna that unobtrusively monitored 178 parents shopping with their child in Austrian supermarkets, after which they were interviewed. When asked how many products their children had made them buy, on average parents only reported half the number of purchases that had been secretly observed. "Considering that the majority of purchase decisions in a supermarket are made in the store, neither retailers nor parents should underestimate the importance of child-induced purchase decisions", said Udo Wagner, professor of business administration of the University of Vienna. Read More
Music does indeed improve the mind
By Mike Hanlon
21:48 March 16, 2009 PDT
March 17, 2009 A number of studies over the years have reported positive associations between music experience and increased abilities in non-musical (e.g., linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains in children. Now a new study, published this week in the Journal Psychology of Music, report that children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers. Read More
Magic mirror charts muscular activity in real time
By Darren Quick
00:52 March 12, 2009 PDT
March 12, 2009 Let’s be honest, for most people exercising is a bit of a pain and the following day you can wind up sore in muscles you didn’t even know you were using. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a system that could help lessen such painful surprises by displaying muscular activity in real time. Read More
Bionic eye begins to see real-world results
By Karen Sprey
22:18 March 10, 2009 PDT
For those suffering from degenerative eye diseases, abilities which most of us take for granted like following white lines on roads and sorting socks can have a huge impact on quality of life. "Bionic-eye" technologies that can artificially restore sight are creeping closer to reality and now one of the most promising systems to grace our pages - the Argus II Retinal Implant - is beginning to reap rewards in the real world with positive outcomes reported in the preliminary results of the device's feasibility study and personal stories beginning to emerge of the difference this technology can make to peoples lives. Read More
How smoking accelerates the aging process
By Mike Hanlon
19:30 March 9, 2009 PDT
Wrinkly skin, breathlessness and a chesty cough are regularly associated with heavy smoking. They can belie a person's age by making someone seem older than they actually are, but until now, scientists have known little about the biological mechanisms that appear to accelerate the aging process. Read More
Neuroscientists identify the neural circuitry of first impressions
By Mike Hanlon
21:06 March 8, 2009 PDT
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and it had better be a good one. When encountering someone for the first time, we are often quick to judge whether we like that person, and research shows that people make relatively accurate and persistent evaluations based on rapid observations of even less than half a minute. Now neuroscientists at New York University and Harvard Universityhave identified the neural systems involved in forming first impressions of others. Read More
Equitable societies are better for everyone
By Mike Hanlon
19:01 March 2, 2009 PST
March 3, 2009 In rich societies, poorer people have shorter lives and suffer more from almost every social problem. Likewise, large inequalities of income are often regarded as divisive and corrosive. Now, in a groundbreaking book, UK-based researchers go beyond either of these ideas to demonstrate that more unequal societies are bad for almost everyone within them — the well-off as well as the poor. The authors forcefully demonstrate that nearly every modern social and environmental problem — ill-health, lack of community, life, violence, drugs, obesity, mental illness, long working hours, big prison populations — is more likely to occur in a less equal society, and adversely affects all of those within it. Read More
Study confirms effects of early environment in brains of suicide victims
By Mike Hanlon
01:31 February 24, 2009 PST
McGill University and Douglas Institute scientists have discovered that childhood trauma can actually alter your DNA and shape the way your genes work. This confirms in humans earlier findings in rats, that maternal care plays a significant role in influencing the genes that control our stress response. Using a sample of 36 brains; 12 suicide victims who were abused; 12 suicide victims who were not abused and 12 controls, the researchers discovered different epigenetic markings in the brains of the abused group. These markings influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function, a stress-response which increases the risk of suicide. Read More
Intellectual Freedom versus the feudal lords of medicine
By Mike Hanlon
15:38 February 23, 2009 PST
According to a paper published in the current issue of the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by its editor Giovanni A. Fava, the drug industry has full control of many scientific societies, journals and clinical practice guidelines. Members of special interest groups act as editors, reviewers and consultants to medical journals, scientific meetings and non-profit research organizations, with the task of systematically preventing the dissemination of data which may be in conflict with their interest. This censorship may be the result of direct prevention of publication and dissemination of findings by the pharmaceutical company itself, displaying its power as an advertiser in medical journals, a supporter of meetings and the owner of the data. Read More
Drug Testing & Analysis Podcast - a viable test for hGH?
By Mike Hanlon
20:13 February 17, 2009 PST
As the incidence of drugs escalates in 21st century living, their detection and analysis have become increasingly important. Sport, the workplace, crime investigation, homeland security, the pharmaceutical industry and the environment are just some of the high profile arenas in which analytical testing has provided an important investigative tool for uncovering the presence of extraneous substances. Now there's a new scientific magazine entitled Drug Testing and Analysis which will explore the analytical techniques used to determine controlled and potentially controversial compounds. As a promotion for the first issue, publishers Wiley-Blackwell have made public a podcast of an interview with Professor Richard Holt of the University of Southampton on the current state of human Growth Hormone use, abuse and detection in sports. Read More
Memory surgery: common drug takes the panic out of traumatic memories
By Loz Blain
14:56 February 17, 2009 PST
Memory-induced panic attacks can be absolutely crippling for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - the suffocating, gripping fear associated with traumatic memories can destroy victims' careers, relationships and the normal functioning of their lives. But a team of Dutch clinical psychologists are developing an almost magical cure, using a single dose of a common and fairly harmless beta-blocking drug that seems to be able to separate the panic emotion from the factual elements of the memory - leaving patients with an apparently lasting ability to recall and talk about the traumatic incident without the usual devastating rush of fear. Read More
The most insidious invention in history?
By Mike Hanlon
15:16 February 15, 2009 PST
Further irrefutable proof that the slot machine is one of the most insidious inventions in history came from the 800 year old University of Cambridge this week. Researchers used fMRI brain-imaging to find that near misses (two identical fruits on the pay line and another just above or below) activate the same reward pathways in a gambler's brain as a win. What's more, slot machine manufacturers seem aware of this, as machines are programmed to deliver near misses almost one in three, enticing losers to keep gambling. Hardly seems fair does it? Read More
matthew.rings
- November 9, 2009 @ 01:28 UTC
