Magnetism Trumps Morality

Would you believe if I said that magnetism has the potential to alter one's moral perception? Well, an MIT group has just recently demonstrated this by means of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invase means of delivering localized magnetic pulses to the brain. Specifically, scientists honed in on the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) a portion of the brain that has been known to become active when we make moral judgements. By interfering with the function of neurons in this region, researchers discovered that subjects were not able to accurately infer the harmfulness and morality of a particular situation. For example, one question that was asked in the study was whether or not it was morally permissible for a man to allow his girlfriend to cross a bridge he knows to be unsafe, even if in the end she makes it across safely. Control subjects found the intention to do harm was morally impermissible, while those exposed to TMS largely based their judgment solely on the outcome - that since there was no harm done, the decision to let the girlfriend cross the bridge was of sound moral judgement. So is morality incorruptible? Of course, but who would have thought that something as simple as a magnet could do it.

Physician Medicare Reimbursement Cut 21%

In a late vote last night the U.S. Senate decided against postponing a scheduled 21% reduction in Medicare reimbursements to physicians and health providers. This means that, effective immediately, those who deliver care to Medicare patients will be seeing significantly reduced payments from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Why the immense cut in physician reimbursement? The problem dates back to 1997 when Congress passed a balanced budget law which put into effect a formula used to calculate how much doctors get paid for services rendered. The idea was that if doctors collectively cost Medicare too much in one year, their pay would be docked to make up the difference in future years. However, these pay cuts have been postponed year after year until it blossomed into the 21% pay cut we are talking about today. Many argue that this is the result of the formula being flawed. According to James Rohack, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), "We want to keep people healthy, and this formula penalizes [doctors] for doing the quality care you want." For example, he says, "by keeping people's blood sugars under control, or helping them stay out of the hospital when they have heart failure," doctors may save Medicare money overall, but run up overall physician spending that then triggers future physician pay cuts. In a survey of 9,000 members of the American Medical Association (AMA), 17% of physicians (31% of those in primary care) stated they would reduce and limit the number of Medicare patients they see if Medicare reimbursements were too low.  

Poor Education Correlates With Poorer Health

Poor education predisposes one to poorer health. Study after study has confirmed this link, and now experts are honing in on the reasons for it and what can be done.  "Persons with a higher education tend to have better jobs, and better income, better benefits," said David R. Williams, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and staff director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Commission to Build a Healthier America. These "better benefits" not only include more accessible healthcare but can include factors such as the ability to take time away from work to see the doctor. As well, people with higher levels of education tend to have more resources to cope with stress and life, such as access to a health club to exercise during periods of stress. Being more educated also means that a person can better understand the complexities that go along with modern medicine. In fact, a report from May, 2009 found that adults who did not graduate from high school were 2.5 times more likely to be in less than very good health, compared with counterparts who have a college degree. Williams is advocating that health promotion should be taught earlier in schools and that improvement in literacy rates could better the health of people as they become adults.

Pancytopenia Causes

Pancytopenia causes can be diverse and this article deals with the common causes for this medical condition. Read on...

Pancytopenia is a medical condition characterized by a deficiency of blood cells. We all know that a deficiency of red blood cells is called anemia. In case of low white blood cell count, the condition is termed as leucopenia and if the platelets count is very low, then it is thrombocytopenia. In some people, all the three conditions occur and such a condition, wherein three different and vital blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) are found to be deficient is called pancytopenia. The symptoms and causes of pancytopenia may vary from one person to another. This article deals with some of the common pancytopenia causes.

Pancytopenia Symptoms

Pancytopenia symptoms vary with the severity and cause of the condition, which is characterized by a deficiency of blood cells. Read on for more information about pancytopenia.

Pancytopenia may not be a familiar term for everyone. You might have heard about anemia, a condition caused by the deficiency of red blood cells. Likewise, a deficiency of white blood cells is called leucopenia and every low platelet count is termed as thrombocytopenia. There is another condition called neutropenia, which denotes a decrease in the number of neutrophil granulocytes in blood. If any two types of blood cells are found to be deficient, then the condition is termed as bicytopenia. If a person has deficiency of all these different types of blood cells, then the condition is called pancytopenia. This article deals with the various aspects of pancytopenia, especially, pancytopenia symptoms.

Hypoallergenic Jewelry

Hypoallergenic jewelry is specifically meant for those who have an allergy of nickel. Check out this article to get a low down on this type of jewelry.

Picture this! You have had a fabulous day. First a small party in the office and then at home. You got all the chances to flaunt your new jewelry. It was a day well spent with good fun and much needed relaxation. The next day you get up, you have an ugly rash around your neck. Well, thanks to the nickel in that necklace you wore, you have got that rash. Quite a few amongst us have been there, experienced that. Fortunately, because of the jewelry making fraternity and those who research on metals used for jewelry, the incidences of people developing a rash from such things are decreasing. The reason? In comes hypoallergenic jewelry! Scan through the text that follows to know what it is!

Hand Washing Rules For Effective Disease Control

Hand washing is one of the best and most effective ways of controlling the spread of diseases - if done correctly. As we accumulate germs on our hands, we can infect ourselves with these germs by touching our eyes, mouth or nose which act as entryways into our body. Dirty hands can spread germs to others if you touch them directly, or if you touch a surface that they also touch. The best way to clean your hands is to use soap and clean running water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also great at germ-killing. Antibacterial soaps are NOT recommended because they are no more effective than regular soap. Furthermore, they may induce the development of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. For proper hand-washing follow these simple rules:

Less Parents Putting Children "Back To Sleep"

A new study published in the current issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows that the number of parents placing their infants "back to sleep" have been diminishing since 2001. The Back To Sleep campaign was started in 1994 by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in an effort to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Putting infants to sleep on their backs (rather than their stomachs) reduces the risk of SIDS, which occurs most commonly between the ages of 2 to 4 months. Since the launch of the Back to Sleep campaign the number of babies placed on their backs to sleep jumped from 25% to about 70% and the SIDS rate declined by more than 50%. However, this trend has fallen off since the year 2001. Not only are more parents not educated about placing their babies on their backs (almost half of the mothers surveyed said they had received no advice at all from their physician or that he/she had recommended stomach sleeping), the study also shows that black mothers and caregivers are more likely than whites to place infants on their stomachs to sleep. The take-home message? Physicians need to be more proactive in educating parents and caretakers and we, as individuals, need to be proactive about educating our friends and families.

Hypoallergenic Jewelry: What Sets It Apart?

How is hypoallergenic jewelry different from the normal jewelry? Where to find and buy hypoallergenic jewelry?

Wearing artificial jewelry may give some women jitters, it can give swelling, itching and stickiness of the skin. Though generally these problems solve themselves the moment the allergic jewelry is taken off, these might persist if you are not aware what is causing this allergy.

Hypoallergenic jewelry is made especially for those people who are allergic to normal jewelry. So why does not normal jewelry cause allergy? Normal jewelry contains nickel that can be allergic; several people give out different reactions. But allergic reactions make it difficult for such people to wear normal jewelry.

Creative Solution To "X" Out Tuberculosis

One of the reasons why tuberculosis is such a difficult disease to eradicate is that the bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, can evade our immune systems so well that treatment for the infection often involves taking daily pills for six to nine months. Furthermore, the actual symptoms of infection tend to go away after just two months of therapy, so the incentive to carry on is negligible. This is where MIT medical engineer Jose Gomez-Marquez brilliantly devised a scheme to get people interested in taking their medications. The project is called "XoutTB" and it involves stamp-sized special paper patches that reveal a code when they come into contact with urine containing traces of antituberculosis medication. When patients urinate on these test strips everyday the code they reveal can be sent via text message to phone companies who will then credit the patient-customer with free talk time minutes. A trial involving 30 tuberculosis patients proved to be a success and a larger, second trial of XoutTB will be starting soon in Pakistan.

Akten

Akten

Generic Name: lidocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel

Date of Approval: October 7, 2008

Company: Akorn, Inc.

Treatment for: Ocular Anesthesia

FDA Approves Akten

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Akten (lidocaine hydrochloride) Ophthalmic Gel 3.5%, a topical, ocular anesthetic formulation.

Akten is a novel, unit dose, preservative free lidocaine gel product, stored at room temperature and intended to be used in any ocular procedure that requires a topical anesthetic agent including cataract surgery, refractive surgery, Lasik surgery, and intravitreal injection.

Highlights of Akten Prescribing Information

Natural Exfoliants Made Easy

Exfoliation simply means the removal of dead skin cells to reveal the younger skin cells underneath. Exfoliation can have beneficial effects for both oily and dry skin types:

* Fewer blemishes for oily skin

* Brighter and smoother appearance for dry skin

There are a number of ways to exfoliate, from the normal method of rubbing the face with a clean cloth, to using expensive creams containing AHAs. How about using natural ingredients that are readily available from your home? I will not only save you money but also allows you to tailor your scrub to your specific needs.

Facial Exfoliants

Protect Your Feet From Killer Heels

Ask any woman how many pairs of shoes she owns and chances are she won’t say “oh, just a couple”. Now, ask every woman what they hate the most about their shoes and most will complain about aching feet.

Though many of us would love to go out bare-foot or in our most comfortable pair of sneakers, office dictates often mean heels and proper leather shoes. And even on days off, most women would never leave home without a pair of heels.

The thing is, we won’t caught dead wearing a sloppy pair of rubber flip flops. But the fact is, many of us suffer from foot aches and pains because of one simple mistakes – not choosing our shoes properly. With discounts and sales going on each month, it is easy to forgo comfort to save a dollar or two for more shoes. But what happens is we end up with shoes that do not fit and aches that can get worse if left untreated.

Natural Moisturizers For Healthier Skin

Moisture content is the key ingredient in your skin that keeps it looking young. Healthy skin is about 10% water – whether it’s oily or dry – and drinking plenty of water will help keep your skin hydrated from the inside out. The main purpose of a moisturizer is to lock in the moisture with a surface film of oil. Dry skin lacks the fatty lipids which naturally seal moisture in the skin, but all skin types need soothing and protecting at some time. The key is to be guided by your own skin. If it feels dry and taut after cleansing, it needs moisturizing. However, oilier skins may only require moisturizing occasionally, or in certain areas, such as the neck and cheeks. Moisturizers are best applied after toning.

Risk Death Of Alcohol

Poor alcohol regulation could cost up to 250.000 lives in England and Wales over the next years, doctor warn. The scientists predicted UK deaths from liver disease in four different scenarios. Drinking levels there were reduced by imposing strict marketing restrictions.

The medics, led by Professor Sir Ian Gilmore who has long campaigned for action on alcohol misuse, welcomed the coalition government’s plans to keep duty rises on alcohol at 2% above inflation. ” Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity like soap powder,” said Sir Ian. Sir Ian said recent figures had shown a slight decline in the level of alcohol consuption.

Treatment And Therapies For Autism

Applied Behavior Analysis Training (ABA)

ABA is one of the most widely accepted therapeutic remedies for autism. It is based on the idea that people engage in repeated behaviors which are recognized or rewarded more than they do in those that are ignored.

ABA helps children with autism and other related disorders who exhibit unwanted behaviors like head-banging or slapping others. It can be very difficult and frustrating for parents and caregivers to reduce these behaviors and they often end up making these behaviors occur more frequently when they try to discourage them. With ABA, autistic children are helped to develop a number of skill sets and, at the same time, to reduce the presentation of problematic behaviors.

Autism And Your Child In School

A child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), like Asperger’s syndrome for example, will have difficulties thriving in the classroom. The child will also tend to have behavioral problems because he won’t be able to communicate well. Autism creates a troublesome situation not just for the child, but also for the teachers and the parents.

There are some private schools that claim they are ill-equipped to take on a child with autism so they don’t take children who have ASD. There are few schools that do but they are expensive and have a limited capacity.

There are ways to help a child with ASD learn and thrive in the classroom. Traditional schools can adapt to help the child do well and grow like children who do not have the same problems as a child with autism.

BlogCatalog Community Organ Donation Awareness Campaign

Patty Grasso, a recipient of a kidney and pancreas transplant lives by the philosophy, “Life is beautiful pass it on.” This is just one story among thousands of recipients of organ donations who have been given a second chance at life. Most recipients tell their story with a smile and a tear in their eye. A transplant recipient, like Patty Grasso is “so happy to be alive!”

According to the New York Organ Donor Network there are over ninety-six thousand men, women and children who are waiting for an organ for transplantation. These numbers are for just the United States and do not even begin to tell the global need for organs used in transplant surgery. These men, women and children wait every day to receive that phone call that says an organ has been located. Sadly, many do not live long enough to receive this call.

Ginger Beauty Essentials

Zingiber officinalis a.k.a ginger, was one of the earliest spices to travel the caravan “spice routes” from Asia to Europe where both the Greeks and Romans made extensive use of it.

Native to the steamy, tropical jungles of Southeast Asia, ginger is a reedy plant growing up to a meter in height, with white or pale yellow orchid like flower, though it is the underground tuberous stems or rhizomes that produce the spice. Its distinctive tase and scent and renowned healing properties has made ginger a popular spice, medical ingredient and essential oil for thousands of years.

The natural, stimulating warmth of ginger makes it a wonderful addition to bath, massage and burner blends.

Beauty Blunders Women Should Avoid

Makeup can help make a woman look her very best, but it can often be difficult to determine what types of makeup to use and how to apply it. There are a few beauty blunders in particular that many women tend to make, and which they should be aware of so that they can avoid making them in the future. Beauty blunders not only refer to applying makeup inappropriately, but also refer to using the wrong types of makeup which end up hurting the skin.

Stuck in a Time Warp

One of the biggest mistakes that women make when it comes to their makeup is not updating it. Women who began using makeup in the 80s for instance still have some of the same makeup they did then, over two decades ago. This is seriously problematic, not only because the colors and types of makeup will be inappropriate now but also because makeup only stays good for so long and after that should be thrown out. Especially foundation and mascara which can have bacteria buildup when kept too long should be disposed of after a few months, definitely no longer than a year.