Day: 03/30/2015

Contact Lens With Built-In Zoom Designed To Treat Macular Degeneration; Are Wink-Controlled Lenses The Future Of Eyewear?

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Contact lenses with a built-in zoom may change the future of vision. An international team of researchers developed contact lenses zooming capablities and presented the futuristic device at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) annual meeting in California on Friday.

Zoom In Contact Lenses

The first lens prototype was unveiled in 2013, but it has been significantly improved since then, and now comes with smart glasses. The 1.55-millimeter-thick contact lens contains a tiny reflective telescope, which is activated by a single wink of the eye. It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie or futuristic James Bond sequel.

When light hits the lens, small mirrors bounce light around and change how the user perceives the size of objects, magnifying the entire view. The researchers compared it to looking through low-level magnification binoculars. The lenses only work with smart glasses that respond to the wearer’s winks — the right eye to turn on the zoom and the left eye to deactivate it, bringing it back to a normal visual level. The glasses send images to the retina through hundreds of nerves, which convert light into electric impulses. The moment the signals are converted and transmitted to the brain, the user is able to “see.”

The Future Of Vision

“We think these lenses hold a lot of promise for low vision and age-related macular degeneration,”said the team’s presenter Eric Tremblay, from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland, in a press release. “At this point this is still research, but we are hopeful it will eventually become a real option for people with AMD.”

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a vision disorder that affects older people, is the leading cause of vision loss for people aged 50 and older, according to the National Eye Institute. As people age, some experience damage to the macula, which is the tiny spot in the back of the eye responsible for seeing fine detail and color. AMD doesn’t lead to complete blindness, but it does severely impair a person’s ability to see, eventually interfering with facial recognition, driving, reading, writing, cooking, and other tasks.

The new device, which researchers called “a huge leap forward” has the power to magnify objects up to 2.8 times. The Pentagon funded the research, but not with elderly peoples’ eyesight in mind. They were originally designed to serve as a form of bionic vision for soldiers, but have since become a revolutionary treatment solution for a rapidly growing older population. Because it was first designed with the intent of helping American soldiers, the cost of the zoom-in lens for the average person will need to be considerably lowered in order to make it not only wearable but also affordable.

“It’s very important and hard to strike a balance between function and the social costs of wearing any kind of bulky visual device,” Tremblay said. “There is a strong need for something more integrated, and a contact lens is an attractive direction.”

The idea of zoom-in lenses isn’t unique to this research team’s efforts, however older models required users to tilt their heads or position their eyes to activate the magnification. Other visual aid inventions that were presented at the AAAS conference were said to have the potential to help 285 million people with vision impairments throughout the world. The team’s goal is to begin clinical trials by 2016 in collaboration with Paris-based Pixium Vision.

“Our chips are already working well in animals,” said researcher Daniel Palanker of Stanford University in California. The team has already been able to restore vision in blind rats about halfway, which is good progress considering “there is currently no solution for patients with macular degeneration.”

For 10 Years, This Blind Man and His Armless Friend Have Planted 10,000 Trees in China

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Credit: MyModernMet

Although we – as a collective – have more than previous generations could have ever dreamed of, the majority of us are quick to make excuses when it comes to doing ‘work’ we are less than inspired by.

Take out the trash? Nah, pass. Walk the dog? Nah, she’ll be fine. Plant a tree? No, too busy. On and on, excuses to avoid activities which are necessary for an orderly environment and collaborative world to exist are quick to be offered by many in our society.

…Which is why this story of a blind man named Jia Haixia and his friend, a double amputee with no arms named Jia Wengi, is fascinating and beyond inspiring.

Credit: MyModernMet

The duo have spent more than 10 years replanting trees to revive the once-barren environment around Yeli Village in northeast China.

Credit: MyModernMet

Born blind in one eye and having lost the other in a 2000 work-related accident, Haixia depends upon the sight and kindness of others to help him accurately navigate the world.

And having lost both his arms in an accident when he was only 3 years old, Wengi has developed incredible abilities to engage in the world around him with his lower limbs, but still lacks the ease others take for granted when it comes to carrying out simple, daily tasks.

Credit: MyModernMet

Together, however, the pair have leased 8 acres of land from the government and have begun replanting the land with trees to protect the village from flooding.

Every morning, the friends rise at 7 AM and then head out for a day’s work. With little money to buy saplings from the store, they rely on cuttings taken from grown trees and plant them to create new life.

Credit: Photo.Sina

After years of living and laboring side by side, the pair of friends learned how to work together in order to overcome their individual disabilities. Wengi often carries sightless Haixia on his back across the rushing river, while Haixia climbs to the top of trees to cut off the boughs that will become new trees.

After climbing back down, Haixia digs holes in the ground to plant the cuttings. Wengi’s job is then to take care of the growing saplings by watering them.

Credit: Photo.Singi

With this unique system of teamwork, the friends estimate that they’ve planted over 10,000 trees in over a decade.

Credit: Photo.Sina

A tremendous amount of attention and a bounty of support has been offered to the pair after news of their heroics went viral in China. As shared by Hebei Haoren, some generous souls have even donated money to provide the elderly duo with pensions to support their lifestyles.

And according to another article from Xinhua News Agency, Haixia may be soon be able to regain sight in his left eye thanks to an operation that a team of health care professionals are willing to perform for free, making this story even more heartwarming!

Credit: Photo.Sina

Truly, positivity does exist in this world, and personal initiative to co-create a greener, more sustainable environment is growing. It’s now up to the people to demand news that showcases more than the negative happenings presently being showcased.

Credit: Photo.Sina

Perhaps their inspiring example will inspire you and others to think twice before making excuses to carry out tasks others may only dream of being able to act upon.

 

A surprising source of serotonin could affect antidepressant activity .

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Depression affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide and poses a major public health challenge, according to the World Health Organization. Researchers have discovered an unconventional way that serotonin is released from neurons that could play an important role in the mechanism through which antidepressant drugs work. The Journal of General Physiology study is highlighted in the April issue.

Schematic of a serotonergic neuron. Exocytotic release of serotonin from vesicles (red arrow); nonexocytotic release (blue arrow); reuptake (green arrow) is blocked by SSRIs.

 

Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that plays a key role in regulating various emotions and behaviors. Like other neurotransmitters, which relay signals between neurons, serotonin is stored in vesicles in the presynaptic terminal of one neuron and released into the synapse in response to neuronal firing to bind to receptors on a postsynaptic neuron. An imbalance in serotonin signaling is generally thought to contribute to depression.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of antidepressants that increase levels of extracellular serotonin by preventing its reuptake by neurons. However, one of the main drawbacks of SSRIs is their delayed effect. A contributing factor to the delay is thought to be that the firing of serotonergic neurons is itself suppressed by extracellular serotonin, which acts on inhibitory neuronal “autoreceptors” in a process known as autoinhibition. Thus, SSRIs — which are intended to enhance serotonin signaling — may actually initially slow the therapeutic process.

Now, Boris Mlinar and colleagues from the University of Florence show that, remarkably, the serotonin that mediates autoinhibition appears to be released into the extracellular space through a distinct process. Rather than being released from vesicles in response to neuronal firing (in a process known as exocytosis), the study indicates that this pool of serotonin may be supplied by simple diffusion across the cell membrane. Mlinar and colleagues believe that a full understanding of this process might inform better strategies of modulating serotonin signaling in order to treat depression.

– See more at: http://www.neuroscientistnews.com/research-news/surprising-source-serotonin-could-affect-antidepressant-activity#sthash.27HugSa7.dpuf

Cardiac Health is in Our Control – Cardiovascular Disease Can Be Prevented.

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Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America today. It can be prevented, cured, and even reversed! Hense, my writing this article on Cardiac Health.

In January 2008, I had a heart attack and had five stents put in my chest. Realizing that although this repaired the blockage in my arteries, I began extensive research into potential solutions to restore my cardiac health.

I uncovered a massive amount of research which has been done on natural alternatives. The pharmaceutical companies spend millions to convince us that only commonly prescribed drugs will fix you. I have found out otherwise and am trying to get the word out that there are alternatives.

Many are aware of the untimely passing of Tim Russert 58, NBC newsman who died June 13, 2008 of a massive heart attack. His doctor had diagnosed him with coronary artery disease for which he had been prescribed medication and exercise. He also performed well on a stress test in April. For about one third of all with coronary disease, sudden death is the first symptom.

There is very little one can do (except preventative action) to predict sudden cardiac arrest which takes more than 310,000 Americans every year. That is more than breast cancer, lung cancer, stroke and AIDS. Russert’s death is a wake-up call to thousands of men and women who never thought they might be courting a coronary.

Forty-two percent of all deaths in the United States are directly related to circulatory disorders.

Some figures are related below:

Heart Disease kills 361,276 men & 371,133 women

Cancer including lung kills 280,465 men and 253,845 women

Strokes kill 60,225 men & 93,081 women

Diabetes + Atherosclerosis make these the number one killer today!

The circulatory system is vulnerable based on many factors including the genetic factor, which is how I became interested (inherited heart issues from my parents). I haven’t smoked, was not eating high fat foods, I have exercised regularly and do not live a stressful life. Yet, I found myself in the hospital with chest pains and a heart attack.

There are four fantastic resource books that have been written concerning arginine and nitric oxide. They answered all of my questions about these powerful substances. These books document how the natural amino acid ingredient arginine, and nitric oxide which is created by the endothelium (smooth muscles lining the inside of blood vessels) from arginine are an answer to most folk’s prayers. They are proven by these books to be a natural preventative and cure for heart attack and stroke.

It was very fortunate I was in the hospital when I had my heart attack, for 30% of heart attacks the very first warning is instant death. The U. S. healthcare system is dominated by expensive technologies to treat patients after they suffer a heart attack. Very little is done to prevent heart attacks.

Arginine is the body’s key source of nitrogen. After reviewing the evidence, my position is that I believe along with the authors of the four resource books, that arginine is essential for many individuals, especially as they age. While young, our cardiovascular and other bodily systems have not yet suffered the damage that often comes with aging. It is in our latter years, when the cardiovascular system’s need for ADNO becomes greater than ever, because our health has been compromised by years of heart un-healthy habits or genetics.

If you already suffer from atherosclerosis, hypertension, and the cavalcade of other chronic disorders — I believe based on my research, that supplementing your body with 5 grams per day of liquid arginine is critical to your long-term health. L-arginine is reasonably priced and available in many health food stores in capsule, powder and tablet form. In order to get the adequate supplementation to your diet it is easier and less expensive to use the liquid which has a 90% assimilation in a quality liquid form.

I have found and use a high quality liquid of L-arginine and am very pleased with the results. It is truly an amazing medical discovery.
[http://www.cardiachealth4u.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lemoyne_Bloom

Researchers take another step in bringing back a wooly mammoth

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A team of researchers working at Harvard University has taken yet another step towards bringing to life a reasonable facsimile of a woolly mammoth—a large, hairy elephant-like beast that went extinct approximately 3,300 years ago. The work by the team has not been published as yet, because as team lead George Church told The Sunday Times,recently, they believe they have more work to do before they write up their results.

Church is quick to point out that his team is not cloning the , instead they are rebuilding the genome of the ancient animal by studying its DNA, replicating it and then inserting the copy into the genome of an Asian elephant—the closest modern day equivalent. They are not bringing forth a new mammoth yet either—all of their work is confined to simple cells in their lab. What they have done, however, is build healthy living elephant cells with mammoth DNA in them. Their work is yet another step towards that ultimate goal, realizing the birth of a wooly mammoth that is as faithful to the original as is humanly possible.

Talk of cloning a mammoth began not long after scientists learned how to actually do cloning—mammoth carcasses have been found in very cold places which preserved remains, which of course, included DNA. But not everyone has been onboard with the idea—some claim it is stepping into God’s territory, others suggest it seems ridiculous considering all of the species that are nearing extinction, including those of elephants. Why not use those financial resources that are now going towards bringing back something that has gone extinct, to saving those that are still here?

The technique the team is using is called Crispr, it allows for reproducing exact copies of genes—in this case 14 mammoth genes, which are then inserted into elephant genes. As Church explains, the team prioritizes which genes are replicated and inserted, based on such factors as hairiness, ear size, and , which the animal needed to survive in its harsh cold environment.

Not clear as yet is when or if the team at Harvard has plans to produce an actual living mammoth, or if they will leave that to other teams working on similar projects.

For All Smokers: How to Make a Miracle Elixir to Clean Your Lungs .

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If you’ve been smoking for more than five years, you’ve so far certainly had bronchitis, which is characterized by specific coughing.

Normally it would be best to quit them forever, but if you can’t do that, we suggest to you to insert this food in your daily diet along with a recipe for a potion that’ll also help.

Garlic and Onion

You already know a lot of benefits of garlic and onions. They have anticancer effects and excellent prevention of many malignancies. The onion is particularly effective in preventing various respiratory infections.

Ginger

This ancient east spice has been long known for its miraculous curative action. Ginger is also important for the disposal of the layers of secretions in the lungs from smoking.

Turmeric

This stunning yellow spice is rich in vitamins and minerals and contains healing omega 3 fatty acids. Turmeric actsantiviral, antibacterial and anticancer, so it is very desirable to include in the daily diet.

Recipe for a potion that cleans the lungs from smoking:

Ingredients:

  • 14 oz /400 g onions
  • 34 oz /1 liter of water
  • 14 oz /400 g of brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons turmeric
  • Cleaned small root ginger

Preparation:

Put a bowl on heat. Pour water along with sugar and leave them to boil. Add the cleaned onion, chopped in quarters, and the grated ginger root (about the size of your thumb). Place the turmeric and when it starts boiling, reduce the heat. Simmer until the amount is not reduced twice, strain, put in a glass jar, and when the mixture is completely cool, place it in the refrigerator. Take two tablespoons in the morning (on an empty stomach) and in the evening, two hours after a meal.

Warning: Before you begin the consumption of any medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist.