Stem Cells Restore Vision In Blind Man

Taylor Binns never planned to experience a simple delight of the world again: seeing it.
According to Dvice, the world was slowly going black, and time was running out. So he took his only options: a new procedure using stem cells. What we all take for granted became his gift: he could see again.
In a road-to-hell-is-paved-with-good-intentions story, Binns was doing mission work in Haiti, where he developed eye pain and blurring vision. No one knew what the problem was. Doctors were baffled while he slowly went legally blind during a two-year period.
In Binns’ words, “Everything you could do before was being taken away, day by day, and it got worse and worse.”
Finally, he was diagnosed with corneal limbal stem cell deficiency, which essentially meant his eyes were building scar tissue. Many things can cause the disease, including leaving contact lenses in for too long without disinfecting them. It also creates a problem: due to the nature of the disease, a corneal transplant is not an option.
What was an option was a procedure called a limbal stem cell transplant. Doctors in Toronto removed the scar tissue from his eyes and replaced it with stem cells from his sister’s eyes. In a month, his vision was 20/40. It rose to 20/20 and 20/40.

Wearable Touchscreen Lets Doctors Monitor Patients Remotely

Some of the coolest sci-fi medical scenes show an injured person being monitored via some sort of slick visual interface controlled by a handheld device.
Now a new product brings us a huge step closer towards that reality by delivering a wearable health monitor that doctors can check from their smartphones, Dvice said.
Developed by Sotera Wireless, the ViSi Mobile Monitor is a small health monitor with a colorful touchscreen display that can be strapped to a patient’s arm to monitor their vitals in real-time.
The device keeps an eye on blood pressure, heart and pulse rate, respiration rate, and skin temperature and includes the patient’s name on the display as well as a dynamic graphic showing their current health status at a glance.
The ViSi’s wireless operation and small size means that it isn’t limited to use in a hospital or an ambulance, and the patient can move around independently while health data continues to be collected by the device, which is also waterproof.
According to the developers, doctors can check the patient’s vital signs remotely on standard PC, tablet, or smartphone, although the company hasn’t announced which operating systems it supports.

Infants in Full Health After PGD

Iran is one of the pioneer countries in the treatment of infertility. Patients from all over the world travel here for treatment.
Dr. Mohammad Hussein Modarresi, Geneticist and member of the specialist team at Avicenna Recurrent Abortion Clinic, stated that the first healthy infant was born from parents with thalassemia minor in 2009 via PGD methods, and the second was born in 2011 in Avicenna Subspecialty Clinic, both in full health now, Mehr News Agency reported.
He identified the course of the genetic diagnosis (PGD) as the investigation of a special gene, and said that as it is carried out on single cell in this method, the examination is much more difficult, where only embryos with no genetic disorder are chosen for transfer to the womb or freezing.
Member of specialist team at Avicenna Subspecialty Clinic pointed to the high rate of thalassemia minor in society and said that using this diagnostic method prior to implantation in thalassemia, we can reduce the need for abortion with its psychological, biological, and social side-effects.
Modarresi pointed that Preimplantation Genetic Diagnostics (PGD) is highly effective in reducing some invalidities and diseases. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnostics can diminish so many of the single-gene diseases like blindness, hearing impairments and even cancer.
He also pointed to the rise in marriage age in the country and the fact that, high mothers’ age results in chromosomal disorders in the infant.
The Head of Avicenna Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research Center for Biological Technology said that in the PGD method, parents with children in danger of unnatural birth due to malfunctioning chromosomes can have healthy children by the diagnosis and transfer of the non-diseased embryo. “Avicenna Recurrent Abortion Clinic provides a PGD for all disorders.”

Latest 6 Fat-Fighting Superfoods

The best news we’ve heard all year: Chocolate boosts your metabolism.
When we combed through the research, the sweet treat wasn’t the only surprise standout, Shine.yahoo said.
While calories are the key to diet success (or failure), certain ingredients can help speed up your slim-down.

Dark Chocolate
A particularly sweet study found that daily consumption of roughly one and a half ounces of dark chocolate--about the amount in a Hershey’s bar--reduced the stress hormone cortisol. (Stress has been linked to a sluggish metabolism.) Researchers suspect that certain compounds in chocolate, like caffeine and theobromine, may be responsible. Another reason to indulge: A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that adults who ate moderate amounts of chocolate regularly were actually thinner than those who didn’t, even though they consumed more calories and exercised the same amount.
Look for chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa--the darker, the better. Pair a square with a cappuccino for a midmorning pick-me-up or stir some chunks into homemade trail mix.

Eggs
According to Bowden, eggs are the best protein source on the planet. They contain all nine essential amino acids, which your body needs to build muscle tissue. And the bigger your guns, the greater your fat-burning potential, because it takes more calories to maintain muscle than it does fat.
Start your day with two scrambled eggs instead of waffles or cereal. Or get creative and cook an egg in an avocado for a dose of healthy fats: Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit and carve out some additional space in the center, then crack an egg into it. Bake at 425° for about 10 minutes or until set!

Sesame Seeds
Animal studies showed that plant chemicals, called lignans, in sesame seeds enhance fat burning by increasing liver enzymes that break down fat. “Many studies found that protein and essential fatty acids increase the metabolic rate, and sesame seeds are loaded with both,” explains Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They’re also a rich source of minerals and fiber.
Roast sesame seeds (spread evenly on a baking sheet and put in an oven set to 325° for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant), then sprinkle them on salads, stir-fried vegetables, chicken, fish, and soups. Spread tahini (sesame paste) on celery or bread and opt for sesame seed buns and bagels over plain.

Smoothies
Sipping a smoothie can stoke your fat-burning fires, as long as it contains whey protein powder. New research suggests that this substance triggers satiety hormones, including cholecystokinin, which sends your brain a “Hey, I’m full” signal. Plus, whey, a protein found in milk, contains the muscle-building amino acid leucine. “When you’re losing weight, eating whey protein can help reduce the loss of lean muscle mass, which keeps your metabolism revved,” Dr. Gerbstadt says.
Whey protein powder isn’t just for smoothies. Mix it into yogurt and pudding or add it to the dry ingredients when you’re baking muffins or cookies.

Yellow Bell Peppers
It’s time to “pep” up your diet. About one-third of Americans are vitamin C deficient, and one yellow pepper supplies 341 milligrams, nearly three and a half times the amount in a large orange. “The body needs vitamin C to produce a molecule called carnitine, which helps muscles use fat for energy and, in turn, boosts metabolism,” says Carol Johnston, PhD, RD, the associate director of the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University. Sure enough, people with higher levels of C in their blood had lower BMIs and less body fat, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition.
Raw yellow pepper strips make a satisfying snack with a little hummus, and they add crunch to fish tacos. Or core and clean a pepper and fill it with tuna salad (use low-fat Greek yogurt instead of mayo) for lunch.

Peanuts
These fiber-packed nuts don’t just help curb your intake of calories, they can help torch them too. “Peanuts induce a strong thermic response, which means that the process of digesting them actually burns calories,” Johnston says. A study in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders found that when people consumed 500 calories’ worth of peanuts daily for 19 weeks, their resting metabolic rate increased by 11 percent, even without added exercise.
Don’t go overboard, as peanuts are calorie-dense. Keep a stash in your purse for a quick snack (aim for one ounce, or about two tablespoons, daily), revisit your childhood with an afternoon PB&J, or make pad thai with ground peanuts for a delish fat-burning dinner.

Drink That Helps You Shrink
Want to lose an extra 6.6 pounds a year? Down two glasses of water before breakfast (you can try it before any meal). People who did this in a recent study at Virginia Tech consumed an average of 75 fewer calories at their a.m. meal than those who didn’t. “The water acted as a calorie-free appetizer,” says study author Brenda M. Davy, PhD, RD. “It filled participants’ stomachs, so they reported less hunger just prior to eating.” Other research suggests that H2O boosts metabolism, because your body has to work to raise the temperature of the ingested water to match that of your core. In one study, people who drank eight to 12 glasses a day had higher metabolic rates than those who sipped just four.

Iran Produces Hi-Tech Tumor-Imaging

Researchers at Amirkabir University of Technology have made use of a toxic substance as a way to increase the resolution of images taken from cancerous tumors; taking another step toward the production of anti-cancer drugs.
Fayaz Mohammad-Bagheri, executive manager of the project identified the substance used as Colchicine, adding that Colchicine is an herbal Alkaloid extracted from the plant “colchicum autumnale” (also named “meadow saffron”), Mehr News Agency reported.
He cited its toxicity as an advantage, and said that the substance is biologically active, cytotoxin, and shows its activity by attaching to cell microtubules (fine tubes which are a factor in cell division).
Explaining the function of the substance in the body, Mohammad Bagheri said, “The attachment of this substance to the microtubules when cell divides stops the polymerization of the microtubules and causes cell necrosis.
With the prevention of the lengthening of the microtubule, the mitotic spindle decomposes and multiplication cell division is stopped. According to this researcher, this effect has turned colchicines into the oldest known anti-mitotic (anti-cancer) drug.
He added that this substance has marked indirectly by technetium m99 and, using a chelator, a precision agent for cancer imaging was prepared.
Pointing to the applications of the findings, Mohammad Bagheri said that the accumulation of this substance in cancerous tumors facilitates imaging with high resolution.

Ditch That Phone Charge Cable

The announcement last week by Japanese automaker Toyota that it will offer wireless charging for mobile phones in its redesigned 2013 Avalon is the latest indication of the spreading acceptance of the convenient way to keep a smartphone charged up and ready to go.
Other car makers see it as an attractive option and selling point for prospective car buyers, UPI wrote.
Chrysler will offer a $200 charger option in its 2013 Dodge Dart, and General Motors has taken a $5 million ownership in wireless charging company Powermat, although it has not offered wireless charging in any vehicles yet.
Charging a smartphone by simply placing it on a charging “mat” or surface sounds simple enough, but how does it work?
It’s down to a phenomenon called electromagnet induction, where an electric current is created in a conductor by a magnetic field.
Induction chargers use a coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field in a charging base station; a second induction coil in a smartphone or other portable device like a tablet or e-reader converts that magnetic field into electrical current to charge its battery.
The first practical method of generating energy by magnetic induction was patented in 1891 by electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, and his name is now used to denote a unit of magnetic field strength.
An early example of inductive power transfer in consumer devices was the crystal radio, which used the power of the radio signal itself to generate a magnetic field just strong enough to power headphones.

Birds Use Butts In Nests to Deter Pests

Urban birds are incorporating cigarette butts into their nests for bug-killing action and for insulation, a new study finds.
The discovery, published in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, helps to explain why so many avian nests include cigarette butts in their construction, ABC Science said.
Isabel López-Rull of the Instituto de Ecología, UNAM in Mexico, and colleagues came to the determination after studying the effect cigarette butts have on parasites. In short, if you’re a parasite, you don’t want to be anywhere near them.
“The amount of cellulose acetate from butts in nests of two widely distributed urban birds was negatively associated with the number of nest-dwelling parasites,” the authors write. “Moreover, when parasites were attracted to heat traps containing smoked or non-smoked cigarette butts, fewer parasites reached the former, presumably due to the presence of nicotine.”
The cigarette butts were also found to insulate nests, making conditions cosier for the studied birds: the house finch and the house sparrow. Other birds likely use cigarette butts too, but these happen to be the two species selected for the study.
“Birds are known to respond to nest-dwelling parasites by altering behaviors,” the authors add. “Some bird species, for example, bring fresh plants to the nest, which contain volatile compounds that repel parasites.”
The usage of cigarette butts then falls in line with this already evolved behavior.
“Because urbanization changes the abundance and type of resources upon which birds depend, including nesting materials and plants involved in self-medication, our results are consistent with the view that urbanization imposes new challenges on birds that are dealt with using adaptations evolved elsewhere,” the authors explain.

Hawaiian Islands

Most of us think of soil erosion as the primary force that levels mountains, however geologists have found that Oahu’s mountains in Hawaiian Islands are dissolving from within due to groundwater.