Health

If you live in the Northern hemisphere (75% of Gizmag readers do), and you’re prone to depression (20% of all people are clinically depressed at least once in their life), your outlook is quite probably headed towards its bleakest early next week - Blue Monday occurs next Monday, January 18, and is the day when a series of combined depressive effects, identified in the aforementioned equation as weather (W), debt (d), time since Christmas (T), time since failing our new year’s resolutions (Q), low motivational levels (M) and the feeling of a need to take action (Na). It all sounds so plausible, but sadly it’s a total crock of BS, and the story is still being perpetuated.  Read More

Chinese researchers have become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to peer-reviewed scientific literature on clock-reversing regenerative medicine even as a skeptical international research community condemns the practice of Chinese clinics administering unproven stem cell therapies to domestic and foreign patients. According to a study by the Canadian-based McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health (MRC), published this week by the UK journal Regenerative Medicine, China's government is pouring dollars generously into regenerative medicine (RM) research and aggressively recruiting high-caliber scientists trained abroad in pursuit of its ambition to become a world leader in the field.  Read More

It's early January - you're probably looking to work off some of your Christmas kilos and shed that festive spare tyre. For millions of people around the world, that means making a New Year's resolution, buying a new pair of runners and hitting the road for a jog. But a new musculoskeletal study has concluded that the average modern running shoe is significantly more damaging to your knees, hips and ankles than running barefoot - or even walking in high heels. With osteoarthritis of the knee representing the biggest cause of disability in the elderly, this is a serious finding that's worth taking into account if you want to protect your joints.  Read More

Recently we reported on Marines and their deployment of GREENS solar-power for technological devices on the battlefield. World Water and Solar Technologies (WWST) has also placed solar-powered water purification units throughout the world including war-torn Darfur, Sudan. Working with the Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG), two high-volume Mobile Max Pure (MMP) water filters have been installed that use the sun for their power. Placed in a carefully selected location where it could do the most good, each unit can generate up to 3.5kW of solar electric power and provide 30,000 gallons of clean drinking water for the many thousands of displaced civilians.  Read More

Casting one’s eye into a crystal ball is a risky undertaking that can leave the forecaster as visionary or fool – particularly if they are short term predictions that can easily be checked. But that hasn’t deterred the soothsayers at IBM coming up with their fourth annual “Next 5 in 5” list of innovations that will impact our lives in the next five years. Based on market and societal trends as well as emerging technologies, the latest list focuses on innovations that have the potential to change how people live, work and play in our burgeoning cities.  Read More

From identifying anemia by counting red blood cells to tracking the growth of cell/ tissue cultures in a laboratory, counting cells is the basis of many life science activities. Designed to replace the process of counting cells manually under a microscope using a hemocytometer or an expensive desk top automatic cell counter, Millipore's Scepter crams cell counting technology found in much larger instruments into a hand-held device the size of an automated pipette.  Read More

For most women, pap smear tests are a necessary but often uncomfortable experience they have to endure every few years. And afterwards, they may have a stressful few weeks waiting for the test results. A cervical cancer screening device currently being trialed in Europe could signal the end of pap smear testing. Zilico’s system consists of a portable, handheld device and a base unit and as opposed to pap smear tests, can provide a result in a matter of minutes.  Read More

Low temperature plasma is currently used for the sterilization of surgical instruments. This is because plasma works at the atomic level and is able to reach all surfaces, even the interior of hollow needle ends. Its ability to disinfect is due to the generation of biologically active bactericidal agents, such as free radicals and UV light, which can be delivered to specific locations. Research into how and why these biologically active agents are generated has led to the construction of two prototype devices: one for the efficient disinfection of healthy skin in hospitals and public spaces where bacteria can pose a lethal threat; and another to treat infested chronic wounds.  Read More

Ah, the humble mouse. Enabler of functions, the bridge between human and machine, and, evidently, the cause of much discomfort for millions of users the world over. With repetitive strain injury a major health problem linked to PC use, the long awaited Smartfish ErgoMotion Mouse is hoping to alleviate the pain. It features a tilting base that swivels in unison with a user’s natural hand and wrist movements, promoting circulation and comfort with the aim of reducing injury.  Read More