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POPSMedical students fail drug tests They were generally unaware of street names of common recreational drugs, a knowledge that can be critical in diagnosis, and the prescribing an antidote or remedy. Very often the information given is from people who are delirious, feel threatened, concerned about being responsible for an overdose, or hysterical because of the fear someone they know well may not survive. They can find it hard to trust a doctor without a clue.
2
POPSNoseless seats a less pressing option It should be a great alternative for recreational use, and some professions where bike riding is part of the job description, but it isn't really an option for sports racing, where time is more important than comfort. Some bike racers would prefer to have a groin injury, than lose a second. Another remedy suggested by Dr Barnes, apart from seat adjustment, is a good quality chamois in the shorts. - However you may want to be careful not to use it to dry the car. Another thing. Police may know how to ride a bike, but what fraction have ever adjusted the seat?
3
POPSJoggers outpace an early grave As they say "Use it or lose it" The study finds that regular exercise is the key. There doesn't seem to be any 'magic formula' (despite what they say on late night TV...or spam) except that the exercise be vigorous. That can be relative -walking is more vigorous than sitting down, but what can be described as vigorous escalates as fitness improves. Not just a matter of deciding to do 20 sit ups for example (it helps to start with an anchor) which can be an aim, but seem impossible. Start with what CAN be done, no matter the amount, and set targets. It also helps to monitor heart rate, as this can be a critical fitness measure. Everyone has their individual optimum heart rate, depending on fitness, age, and health.
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POPSScientists stop the aging process. Perhaps suspend. In a mouse liver. The findings linked aging to the ability of cells to expel toxins,which when not removed cause a buildup which results in degeneration. The degeneration then reducing the ability to remove toxins. The toxins that are removed are generally natural, but I don't know how the results would extend to artificial toxins which are leeching through our environments.
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POPSOlder men told to 'use it or lose it' Other factors that contribute to erectile dysfunction that were taken into account include include age diabetes, and heart disease. Blood is retained by a muscle that stops blood from being returned to the body during arousal. Perhaps without regular exercise it is more inclined to lose its grip on the blood vessels. How being caught by surprise affected function, was not mentioned
2
POPSStudy blows whistle on ref's fitness. The referee must keep up with the fastest player, for the whole match. The players take turns to score points, and spread the load between the team. The referee not only has to keep up, but never take their eye off the ball. Not only that, if a team loses, they can get the blame. If you can't play become a referee? More like the other way around.
8
POPSGood vibrations may help reduce falls Older people can have difficulty exercising, or be 'chairbound', and this can affect their balance. It keeps getting harder to exercise, affecting balance, and muscle strength. The vibrating platform, was tested by checking the improvement by recording the time they could stand on one leg, they generally showed improved balance. They tested for balance, but osteoporosis , and deep vein thrombosis, are thought to become more likely as activity decreases. This platform, and the vibrations could also provide the muscle movement that can alleviate these conditions as well.
4
POPSNanotubes give pre-cancer symptoms in mice Every silver lining has a cloud behind it. There are perhaps thousands of prospective uses for nanotubes, from medicine to engineering. We may have to work out exactly where the line is. Asbestos was once considered an essential fire retardant. After the dangers that have been discovered recently, we've found that there are very few places it can be used safely. Asbestos is inorganic, and will not break down, however Carbon is the basis for organic chemicals, with which we are more likely to be compatible. There will be places that nanotubes will not break down quickly. Perhaps not until long after we are dead. Maybe there is a microorganism natural, or designed, that will clean them up. Meanwhile it's good the alarm bells have started to ring early, so, now wary of the dangers, we can do more specific investigation and learn exactly where they are safe to use. If there are any doubts they should be resolved first
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POPSGreen tea may help snorers sleep easy One of my biggest problems is that my dog Lani snores. She doesn't like tea. I like green tea with Jasmine. I'm going to make a cup when I've posted this. It's that time of day. The chemicals in green tea may protect the snorers from damage caused by free radicals that are in excess as a result of sleep apnoea, but they still can't help anyone who is listening. These catechin polyphenols help sufferers, and no doubt victims of oxygen deprivation. A compound using them as an active ingredient may also be used as part of the first aid kits that assist CPR, in drowning and heart attack victims. I don't know if that's on the agenda, but the quicker an overload of free radicals can be neutralized, the better. It may in many cases reduce some of the serious brain damage in survivors. (You'd have to check that with a pharmacologist)
1
POPSModern lifestyle compounds global warming We have to start changing the way that we live. This isn't a problem that is specific to any country in particular, but seems to be a 'side effect' of an 'improvement in living standards' across the world. Another case of where while it may be easy to point out a problem, but how this problem can be solved is completely beyond us. Where the intervention of the authorities is pointless, because it involves a change in lifestyle as a personal decision. There is also a general failure to recognize that the problems such as overconsumption of power, energy, and fuel, with obesity, and overeating, and over cultivating, so we will have trouble providing for ourselves, have a character that can be compared to many addictions. Beside the denial that there is a problem. The allusion that it is something beyond our control, yet somehow it will all work out in the end.
2
POPSIncubator fields affect baby's heart rate. The heart ? No doubt it is going to be affected, but the brain seems like it is more at risk. The brain runs at a very low frequency - between 0, and 25 Hz in a natural state -compared to MHz, and kHz for radio, and GHz for a cpu, but as with the chords in music, a frequency higher up the scale can, amplify a note it harmonizes with somewhere else on the scale. Maybe there is a link between incubator EMR. and ADHD. A kid may not need Ritlin, they might need a tune up. If you want to know more about brain frequencies, wikki has a good summary in electroencephalograpy. Below is the url : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography#Wave_patterns
3
POPSOld donated blood a risk after surgery. Blood has an official 'shelf life' of 6 weeks. The tendency to use old blood first to rotate stocks would mean that much of the blood used would be over the two week limit said to be dangerous. Blood can't be frozen or the red blood cells burst. Huge volumes are used in transplant and heart surgery that have been much more common over the last few years. Much of the blood used in these cases ends up on the floor. If a blood bank supply reaches the two week limit, supplies are said to be critically low. There needs to be a redevelopment of the practice of blood supply and distribution, Perhaps with alternatives to whole blood and the types surgery being considered. 'Keyhole' heart surgery is one option that has that saves the need for huge transfusions, and patient stress. Something I considerd as a comparison. How long can pasteurized, homogenized milk be kept in the fridge before it goes sour ?
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POPS3 + 3 = Sick I am under the impression Americans takes pills to sleep, pills to wake up, pills to relax, pills to be more energetic, pills, pills, pills. Why do Americans eat so much medicine? When Heath Ledger died, I remember thinking, "Why is such a young, seemingly healthy man popping prescription pills, like they were M&M's?" Is the difference a quick-fix mentality, short-cutting, or because you are bombarded with medicine ads on TV all the time? Why the obsession with pills? Could it be the profit-driven American healthcare system that coaxes people to think they need all these drugs?
3
POPSHidden data 'shows antidepressants hyped'
Antidepressants can be addictive, and the body can develop a tolerance. They can be prescribed with too little information. They can turn an acute problem chronic. People must rely on a medicine that is unnecessary. Once their system has become accustomed to it, they feel depressed without it. A lot of depression treated with drugs is psychological. There are emotional problems that must be dealt with, and an antidepressant can provide a dangerous mask. Often the best cure is close personal contact with someone they can trust. Betrayal can be depressing, as can working for a lifetime and being left with nothing. Or the feeling of failure when 'everyone else' seems to be so successful. A good cure can be people with common experiences sharing them. One of the most crippling aspects of depression is the feeling of isolation. Sometimes all an antidepressant does is provide temporary euphoria. Then it's back down again, often deeper because reality can seem even more cruel.
7
POPSMiddle age truly depressing says study They were amazed at the constancy, but it is not inevitable. The fact that it is the half way point may be a factor, and the fact that many dreams of youth are no longer possible eg too old to repay a home loan. No doubt there are those who have had more realistic dreams. Experience can shatter many illusions. There is the bright side in that after a point people can realize they are too old to dream, and start living each day as though it is a bonus. What worries me is after being classified as depression, there can be a determination to classify it as an 'illness' or a 'syndrome' that can be remedied with medication, to the point where people become depressed without the medications (which can often be addictive) Often the only thing that is needed is time. After realizing you're 'over the hill' it is a matter of accepting the inevitable, and making the most of the ride.
5
POPSAustralian girl's 'miracle' immune switch Her blood type changed from O negative to O positive - the blood group of the Liver donor. Doctors describe it as a "one-in-six-Billion" miracle. The odds seem irrelevant. Now there'll be a determination to discover how and why it happened. If it happened once, there should be a way of getting it to happen again. It means she will no longer expect to spend the rest of her life taking anti-rejection drugs. She had the transplant when she was 9 years old, and is now 15. Perhaps as her body was still developing, and would continue to develop through puberty, her immune system had the plasticity to adapt to the change - stem cells in her marrow being reformatted by the 'invasive' liver cells and processes, with associated biofeedback - the liver and marrow coming up with a compromise. Only seven in 10 transplant operations in Australia have been successful over a five year period due to rejection complications, and similar ratios would be expected elsewhere.
0
POPSTriatheletes warned of early season heat The study focused of triatheletes acclimatizing to the heat, and the increased likelihood of collapse from heat stress. Triatheletes can over extend themselves, and no event in extreme heat conditions should be run without a trainer and medical advice. Apart from merely 'collapsing' in the heat there can be a condition known as 'muscle meltdown,' where the integrity of the muscles breakdown, and muscles can literally melt.
7
POPSGene therapy could ease chronic pain I wonder why they can't just inject people with endorphins. Or use the same genes to create the endorphins outside the body. Sounds like a sales pitch to get people where it hurts.
23
POPSThreat To Medicines From Plant Extinctions The world's most widely-used cancer drug, is Paclitaxel, which is derived from the bark of several species of yew tree. Its complex chemical structure and biological function has so far made it impossible to produce artificially. ----- 80 per cent of the global population - rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary form of healthcare. -----
11
POPSMany negative drug studies don't see print Perhaps one of the reasons so many people on antidepressants, commit suicide. What does that say about cloning research. The public are obviously seen as nothing more as a market. What do you do if someone is depressed? Stun them with pharmaceuticals, and hope they don't wake up, or are too disoriented to argue. Of course you can always expect doctors to do what is right according to the information that is provided to them.
8
POPSStudy: Autism linked to Rare Gene Change The genetic variation, while rare, is a characteristic that can be detected to assist in the diagnosis, and further understand the way the condition of autism develops. The locations and functions of such genes, can shed light on the way they affect the thinking of someone diagnosed with Autism, and help determine the right combinations of genetic, pharmaceutical, and cognitive therapies.
4
POPSMedical clinics expanding care to needy In the same way there can be a food pantry for the needy, so health care can be provided. There are free clinics, but the uninsured aren't as likely to go there for health problems. When they need food, they are also given a checkup targeting things like high blood pressure and diabetes. The principle of Medicine is to heal the sick regardless of position. Doctors cannot be expected to heal the poor. They should do it voluntarily, because they became Doctors to heal people. There are clearly Doctors who still believe this is a fundamental principle.
4
POPSAddicted Doctors are allowed to practice An addiction is incurable, with generally the only treatment, apart from medicated withdrawal, being complete abstinence. Before 1980, addicted doctors were struck off the register. If they simply join a treatment program, nothing usually changes, so there is no real reason to fight the addiction when a treatment is over. People generally give up an addiction, because they are determined to do so. I don't think they have the same dedication, if they are giving up because they have been caught. The ability to practice gives doctors direct access to some of the drugs that are prime concerns. Temptation is not what an addict needs. There also should be a distinction between addictions. Each addictive substance has it's own properties, that can have diverse effects, which can both sharpen and dull the knife. Sometimes both at the same time. We shouldn't assume that because they are doctors they should know better, doctors thinking that can be the start of the problem.
6
POPSNanoparticles release drugs on demand The particles are tracked with an MRI scanner, because their iron cores show up. When they are seen at at tumour site an electromagnetic pulse breaks the bond with the drug it is dragging. Blood vessels around tumours are generally widesr, so the particle size allows them to pass into tumours, without as much chance of the drug 'leaking' into other organs, and systems, and so prevent a number of side effects
4
POPSNeed your sleep ? Stay out of hospital They say waking people up every four hours is protocol. With all of the technology there should be a way to change protocol, considering the value of sleep and the role of good sleep in healing. There is more to resting than just laying down.
6
POPSStudy: Monthly fasting may help heart The monthly cycle is based on a Mormon fasting ritual, once a month. Seems like a kind of Detox. The period does not seem as important, as the practice of relieving the body of toxins and fats among other things, that are part of the average high carbohydrate, processed food diets, that our systems still have trouble dealing with. Giving the digestive system a 'break' and some 'recovery time'.
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POPSStudy : Try Honey for Childrens coughs Most people know or have heard of the benefits of honey with it's soothing and antiseptic properties. This study compared the recovery of children with chest infections, and the effects the remedies were having on the cough, and general recovery. Honey scored best, and this is important, as we learn some of the pharmaceutical cough and cold medicines, could be doing more harm than good.
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