An alarming news published in Philippine Daily Inquirer based on a research by Asian Development Bank should make us rethink of conserving water.
The Philippines’ water resources are fast deteriorating with rapid urbanization, with only about 33 percent of river systems still suitable as a supply source and up to 58 percent of groundwater now contaminated. Water availability in the Philippines could be “unsatisfactory” in eight of its 19 major river basins and in most major cities before 2025.
Urbanization has been pointed out as the major cause of this arising problem. Poor environmental management, extensive forest denudation, poor maintenance of sanitary landfills, crowding in urban areas, etc, are few of the effects of urbanization that have subsequently affected the availability of clean water in the Philippines, especially in large cities Cebu and Metro Manila.
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Health, Research Consumer Health Watch, Health, Research
Stem cells have been considered as promising breakthrough as cancer treatments. Potential sources such as skin cells, bone marrow cells, etc., have been widely researched. It seems that there is addition to these sources as researchers from a biotechnology firm in Arizona discovered the endometrial regenerative cells.
Ethical issues have been raised regarding this new form of medical treatment.
Stem cells come from two main sources: embryos or adult tissues. Embryonic stem cells can give rise to virtually any cell type in the body, but they are controversial because conventional procedures for obtaining them involve the destruction of an embryo. Adult stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow, do not pose the same ethical concerns, but they have limited powers and collecting them can require invasive procedures.
While the new technique of reverting skin cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state promises to overcome the ethical dilemmas, this approach could come with safety concerns that make the cells too risky for use in humans. The technique for converting the skin cells involves using viruses to insert several genes, one of which is known to cause cancer.
Menstrual stem cells could turn out to be a happy medium between embryonic and adult stem cells, providing an ethically acceptable alternative that is readily accessible and appears to give rise to most of the major tissue types in the body.MSNBC
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Health, Medicine, Research, Technology Health, Medicine, New Treatments, Research, Technology
Philadelphia doctors say “yes!”
A new interesting treatment is being tested by Philadelphia doctors to restore life and bring people back from the dead.
A cardiac arrest patient was saved by the new experimental treatment of chilled saline injection. Cooling pads are then wrapped around a patient. The body temperature is normally 98 degrees, but cooling brings it down to 92 degrees. Doctors keep it there for about 24 hours. This process is called intentional hypothermia. Accordingly, it decreases cellular injury when the cells are deprived of oxygen, so with less injury we are able to do a better job of getting people back.
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Health, Life, Medicine, Research Health, Health Tips, Life, Medicine, Research
Talking to plants will make them healthier, so the belief says. But what if they can also talk back and say what they need and express their gratitude? I mean not literarily but through a ring in your phone! That would be interesting, and oh.. odd!
Botanicalls.com has merged plant care with telecommunications, through it new system where your plants can call you on the phone when they need water, when they haven’t gotten enough, and to thank you when they’re no longer thirsty.
How does it work?
Each plant on the Botanicalls system is equipped with sensors connected to an Arduino microcontroller which contains code particular to that plant type. When a plant’s microcontroller determines that the plant needs to make a phone call based on current sensor information, it sends data through an Xbee wireless radio to an Xport gateway. This gateway connects to the internet, where it contacts a PHP script with the plant’s ID number and type of need. PHP then packages this information and passes it on to Asterisk, an open-source telephone system, which generates the call. When the call is placed, a prerecorded audio file is played, expressing the particular desire of that plant.
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Odd News, Research, Science, Technology Odd News, Research, Science, Technology
A study found out that emissions from office laser printers can be as unhealthy as cigarette smoke. Smoking ban in some country are already taking its effects but it seems that people has new reason to worry.
The average printer releases toner particles that can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems and cardiovascular trouble, according to Morawska’s team, part of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, and specialists in atmospheric particles. CNET news
The researchers tested 62 laser printer models and found that 17 of them were “high emitters” of toner particles. Although these particles have not had examined for chemical contents but these were considered carcinogens [agents causing cancer].
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Computer, Health, Research Computer, Health, Health Tips, Research
An interesting study (a PDF document) by the psychologists at the University of Texas about the reasons why people have sex was released They asked nearly 2,000 people why they’d had sex, and compiled a total of 237 reasons. This study is considered the “most thorough taxonomy of sexual motivation ever compiled.”
Motivations were basically the same between men and women – it’s more about lust in the body than a love connection in the heart. The foremost reason, which was the same for both men and women, was attraction towards their partners. The rest of the top 10 for each gender were also almost all the same, including “I wanted to express my love for the person,” “I was sexually aroused and wanted the release” and “It’s fun.”
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Health, Relationships, Research Blogging, Health, Men's Health, Relationships, Reproductive Health, Research, Sexual-Health, Women's Health
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