Using smartphone app for detecting bacteria in food

Researchers have developed a smartphone app that alerts users of bacteria in their food using only a microscope attachment. There are very few methods for preventing food poisoning in part because testing for harmful bacteria such as E.Coli and salmonella requires specialized equipment and can take up to two days to show results.

 New technology from researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst changes that, delivering bacteria results in minutes using a smartphone app. Current methods for identifying bacteria associated with food poisoning are time-consuming because it is challenging to collect enough material.

The most common method involves rinsing potentially risky food, collecting small amounts of bacteria from the water and giving it 24 hours to multiply so there's enough to test.The tool developed at UMass uses a chemically-coated chip that binds to even the smallest amounts of bacteria. The university created a video showing how the prototype works: They rinse a potentially contaminated product with water and then place the chip into the water. Within half an hour, the microscope, which can attach to any type of smartphone camera, reveals the bacteria on the screen.

If you don't have the app, you can prevent food poisoning by: keeping the cooking area and your hands clean. Avoiding cross-contamination-raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat foods if not kept separate. Use separate cutting boards and plates when handling different foods. To cook food safely, the internal temperature must be high to kill the germs that could cause food poisoning-use a food thermometer.

Store foods properly-storing food properly is essential to combating harmful bacteria, expiration dates may not be accurate for some foods-strange smell or color may indicate that the food is not safe, frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.
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Time-lapse images of embryos for IVF

A new IVF method that takes thousands of pictures of embryos to select the best eggs has increased the likelihood of successful IVF by 25 per cent. The developing embryos are photographed while in incubators every 10 to 20 minutes and then sent to a computer to rank the eggs using algorithms.

Research including 24,000 documented treatments led by leading fertility expert Professor Simon Fishel compared IVF babies born with and without the new technique. A new IVF treatment photographs developing embryos in incubators every 10 to 20 minutes and then sent to a computer to rank the eggs using algorithms.

The study found that embryos chosen for use by the time-lapse imaging process were more likely to have a successful birth. The research demonstrates how this new technology will revolutionise the way IVF is carried out. The new IVF treatment that takes time-lapse images of embryos in order to pick the best eggs has increased chances of a successful pregnancy by 25 per cent.

Previous method involved the taking out of embryos from their temperature controlled incubator and takeing a snapshot of it every 24 hours, potentially exposing them to damage. The new IVF treatment that takes time-lapse images of embryos in order to pick the best eggs has increased chances of a successful pregnancy by 25 percent.
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Winter work out is better than summer sweat

According to personal trainers and exercise physiologists, the body's primary goal is to maintain stasis, or stability, and that includes keeping a steady temperature. In the cold, the body needs to burn extra fat, to produce energy to heat it back up to the ideal temperature.

Working out in the cold weather can shake off some extra calories. During the winter, the body ramps up its production of a chemical called ATLPL, which helps it to store up fat for the evolutionary scarce season, so staying active in the winter is important to counteracting that.

Working out in the cold makes it difficult for the body to stay warm and burn a ton of calories, the cold acts as a 'thermal stressor,' forcing the body's temperature regulation out of work. To keep the core, vital organs at the right temperature, blood flow to the extremities is reduced, and kept concentrated closer to the heart and internal organs.

The heart rate and metabolism slow, trying to save up energy and keep the warm blood in place. That's when the shivering starts. Those shakes are a series of fast muscle contractions and releases, a way for the body to produce some extra warmth by burning energy stored in fat.

When you get into a relatively consistent, high intensity workout - though you'll feel like you're working harder at first, against your slower heart rate and metabolism - the body begins warming up from more robust fat burning. As your heart rate rises, blood and warmth return to your hands, feet and other extremities, and shivering is no longer necessary.

Once you hit that point, you're burning calories as you would during exercise at any temperature. During the winter, the body crave extra simple carbohydrates found in sugary foods like baked goods and get vitamin D deficient spending too much time indoors. Getting some winter sun will boost your vitamin D to break those sweet indulgences.

Walking in moderately warm clothing on a cold day will keep the heart rate from getting high enough to cancel out the shivers, but enough activity is require for burning some fat for energy. Body temperature will be  lower when you are closer to the cold while playing in the snow, making the body ready to fight to stay warm.
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Drinking tea reduces the risk of glaucoma

A daily cup of tea slashes the risk of developing a serious eye condition. People who drink a cup of hot tea at least once a day are 74 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with glaucoma - a severe eye problem. But coffee, iced tea and soft drinks don't seem to make any difference, the researchers found.

The University of California team found a significant link between tea and glaucoma. Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness, causes fluid pressure to build up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve.

The scientists believe the antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory chemicals in tea may play a role in protecting against this process. Glaucoma becomes more common with age, and is a significant cause of blindness.

Tea is a healthy drink, rich in antioxidant polyphenols such as tea catechins and other flavonoids. However, in this research it wasn't the type of tea or its strength that appeared protective, rather the temperature at which it was drunk.
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How weather increases the risk of cancer

Living in a cold climate could make people more likely to get cancer, people are at greater risk in colder countries because of their genes. The same genes which stop human cells from dying in freezing temperatures are also linked to breast and bowel cancer and leukaemia. A researcher says the genes contributing to cooler climates are the same which increase the risk of malignant tumours forming in the body.

Genetic variants found to be beneficial in extreme environments, can also predispose for cancer. Cell resistance at low temperatures and at high altitude probably increases the probability for malignancy.’Previous research from 2010 found grim weather in northern parts of the world may make men more vulnerable to prostate cancer, perhaps due to a lack of vitamin D from the sun.

However the new study - which compared international rates of cancer with 240 genetic studies of cancer and seven others in cold and high-altitude countries - suggests where people live affects their genes.Extreme cold weather can cause human cells to die, so that people in freezing countries have genetic mutations to prevent cell death and repair DNA.
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Causes of IVF failure

The most important variables involved in a successful IVF cycle are a healthy egg, normal, functional sperm, and a uterus that is capable of nurturing the growth of a baby.

The human egg is a very complex structure, it is prone to damage and this can render it nonfunctional which may leads to abnormal distribution of chromosomes and nonviable embryo.

During IVF, cell stage, embryo grade and the rate of cell division will determined embryo selection, embryos that have developed to at least the 6 cell stage have a much better prognosis for success than embryos that have 5 or fewer cells on day three.

The egg retrieval and the embryo transfer to correct location are very important to the success of an IVF cycle. Retrieving fewer eggs than expected, or failure to retrieve any eggs, can affect the success rate.

The IVF laboratory factors can lead to failure of IVF. If the equipment are not functioning properly, poor control of oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, and other factors such as humidity, PH, temperature and light.
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Olive oil is safe for frying food

Olive oil is the best for frying when compared with other vegetable oils available, it has very low content of aldehyde when tested with heat.

 Other vegetable oils produced more aldehydes quickly, heating monounsaturated olive oil produced fewer aldehydes at a very high temperature.

Polyunsaturated oils have more regions ripe for chemical reaction, olive oil is the safest option if you choose to fry your food because of its chemical reaction and composition.

Keep olive oil below its smoke point while frying your food to enjoy all the good chemical it contains and this will reduce any dangerous chemical associated with frying food.
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How to control hyperhidrosis

 Hyperhidrosis may affect every parts of your body or just certain parts like arms, palms of your hands, soles of your feet, face and chest while the remaining parts of the body are sweating normally.

Sweating maintains the body’s temperature and allows the body to cool down when it over heat, the moisture that sweat produces evaporates from the surface of the skin to cool the temperature.

Sweat glands become active during puberty, it is normal to sweat, but excessive sweating is not normal. Overactive glands may be responsible for this and it can affect young children and adults.

 We sweat when we are hot, nervous, anxious and physically exert ourselves Excessive sweat can cause feelings of depression and anxiety. You can reduce
excessive sweat by reducing caffeine and spice intake. Wear loose and breathable clothes.

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Hot water as good as cold water for hand wash

Scientists asked 20 people to wash their hands 20 times each with water that was 15C (59F), 26C (79F) or 38 degrees (100F).

Volunteers were also asked to experiment with different amounts of soap - ranging from 0.5mm to 2mm.
Before they started the tests, their hands were covered in harmless bugs.

Scientists say there was no difference in the amount of bugs removed as the temperature of the water or the amount of soap changed. The temperature does not matter.

 Hands should be washed for at least 20 seconds by rubbing hands together in various ways to make sure each surface of each hand is clean. Wet hands and
apply enough soap to cover the whole surface of the hand, rub palms together
with fingers interlaced.

Rub each palm over the back of the other hand with interlaced fingers,
rub between fingers on each hand,
rub backs of fingers (interlocked) and
rub around each thumb, then rub both palms with finger tips and rinse with warm or cold water




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Benefits of breast thermography

Breast thermography is the use of digital infrared imaging to detect charges in breast and temperature of the breast.

Thermography uses infrared imaging to detect any changes in the breast and locates abnormalities in breast.

Growing of cancer cells in any parts of the body leads to increase in blood flow to the area, this increase the temperature of the particular part of the body.

Abnormal rise in temperature will be detected during breast thermography if cancer cells are growing in the breast.

Breast thermography detects cancer or pre-cancerous cells at early stage, which leads to other breast examination.

Effects of marathons on your kidney

Marathon is a long distance running race with an official distance of 42, 195 kilometers, running marathon can harm your kidney.

Kidney may not be able to filter waste during marathon as s result of reduction in blood flow to the kidney during the race.

Dehydration during the race can cause increase in temperature, the body temperature can rise to 104f during the race, the heat stress can damage the kidney.

Waste product like creatinine in the blood and protein in the urine are the common kidney injury experienced by those involved in marathon.

Marathon related kidney damage may be caused by rise in runners body temperature and dehydration which prevents blood flow to kidney. This last for two days because the kidney will recover after the marathon.

Warm planet may increase diabetes

Global warming is increase in temperature of the earth surface, warm temperature will deactivate the use of brown fat in the body.

Diabetes occurs when the amount of sugar in the blood is too much because the body cannot use it properly.

If the global warming continues it may increase diabetes by making brown cell inactive for a long period of time.

Brown fat is very active in winter, when the temperature is cold. People with type 2 diabetes can be expose to cold regularly to improve the use of insulin. It can also leads to production of new brown fat cells in the body.

Advantages of indoor plants

Indoor plants are grown indoor to decorate residences, common indoor plants are: Peace lily, Christmas cactus, Aloe, Calla lily, Spider plant, Ficus, Pepperoni and Areca Palm. Indoor plants are used for:
1 . reducing carbon dioxide in the environment where it's planted.
2 . boosting humidity
3 . reducing pollutants like benzene and nitrogen dioxide
4 . reducing air temperature and dust level
5 . producing natural scent