Remember that spinal implant that helped a paraplegic man walk (albeit in a harness) back in 2011? It's now been tested on three more partially paralyzed patients -- and it's working. The original device was a 16-electrode array that emitted small...About half an hour ago, NORAD sent out an ominous looking tweet with the words "NORAD jets intercept..." and a link. The only problem? If you clicked on the link it brought you to an FAA error page with no more information.
Amazon just unveiled Dash, a handheld Wi-Fi magic wand thingy that helps you keep your AmazonFresh shopping list forever up to date. Never run out of toilet paper or oatmeal again!
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Understandably, there is some point in life where getting paid to stuff your face with french fries might sound like a desirable thing. For most people, this point quickly passes. A former professional frozen food taster tells all in a gross and engrossing interview at The Billfold.
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If you're using iCloud Keychain in order to store your passwords, you can also use it to store your credit card information across all your iPhone, iPads, and Macs for easy autofill later. We've already known you how to store credit card info in iOS 7 with iCloud Keychain so now lets take a look at how to do the same on a Mac:
That's all there is to it. iCloud Keychain will then sync your card information between any devices you have linked up to your iCloud account and have iCloud Keychain enabled on.
I'm still a bit skeptical to trust iCloud Keychain with all my credit card information. Any of you feel the same way or are you already using it? Let us know in the comments!
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Tim Kennedy sent his fellow servicemen away with a smile on Wednesday night, unloading a devastating left hook that floored Rafael Natal midway through the first-round of UFC Fight for the Troops 3's main event. The knockout marked Kennedy's first since 2007, dropped a cool $50,000 bonus into Army veteran's pocket, and capped off an exciting, finish laden night of fights at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Afterward Kennedy leapt atop the cage to shower his fellow soldiers with affection, while the exuberant crowd burst into a rousing "USA!" chant for their countryman. And as always, the mixed martial arts community wasted little time taking to Twitter to weigh in on the extraordinary scene.
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 7-Nov-2013
ShareContact: Catherine Kolf
ckolf@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Exemestane, a synthetic steroid drug widely prescribed to fight breast cancers that thrive on estrogens, not only inhibits the production of the hormone, but also appears to protect cells throughout the body against damage induced by UV radiation, inflammation and other assaults, according to results of research by Johns Hopkins scientists.
A summary of the research, performed on a variety of different animal and human cells, was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Nov. 4, and suggests that exemestane's effectiveness against breast cancer could be due to more than its ability to halt estrogen production, the scientists say. The study's results further imply that the drug, a so-called aromatase (estrogen synthesis) inhibitor, could potentially be prescribed more widely, including to men, as a way to counteract the wear and tear on cells that often leads to chronic diseases.
"Cells already have their own elaborate protective mechanisms, and in many cases they are 'idling.' The right drugs and foods can turn them on to full capacity," says Paul Talalay, M.D., the John Jacob Abel Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "In our cell studies, we found that exemestane does exactly that," he adds.
Talalay explains that cells are constantly under assault from a wide range of potentially lethal agents. UV radiation from the sun can cause errors in DNA sequences; reactive oxygen species a class of unstable, oxygen-containing chemicals that are a natural byproduct of cellular functioning can build up and cause damage to DNA and proteins; and ongoing inflammation can damage many essential cell functions.
To withstand the pressures against them, cells have evolved various mechanisms for protecting themselves. One involves turning on genes that produce a "SWAT team" of proteins, he notes, collectively called the phase 2 response. In normal cells, this response is not fully active. In previous work, the Talalay group found that sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli and other vegetables, can ramp up the phase 2 response and help protect cells from the constant wear and tear that they experience.
"Looking at the chemical structure of exemestane, I realized that it was similar to sulforaphane, and I wondered if it too could boost cells' phase 2 protective responses," says Talalay.
To demonstrate that exemestane revs up the phase 2 response, Hua Liu, a research associate in Talalay's laboratory, tested exemestane's effects on various types of cells, including liver tumor and skin cells from a mouse, human cells from the eye's retina, and rat heart cells. As expected, the addition of exemestane elevated the activity of typical protective phase 2 response enzymes in all of the cells tested, a result similar to the effects of adding sulforaphane.
Exemestane was also effective in reducing the amount of reactive oxygen species in human retinal cells, where they are thought to contribute to age-related macular degeneration. It was also able to protect rat heart cells from similar damage.
To test the drug's ability to protect skin cells from UV-induced damage, Liu treated mouse skin cells with exemestane a day before subjecting them to UV radiation and, again, exemestane was able to protect the cells significantly, Liu and Talalay say.
Assessing exemestane's ability to protect cells from inflammation produced a surprise, Talalay notes. In all the other tests, Liu and Talalay had tried not only exemestane but also a mixture of exemestane and sulforaphane. They generally found that the two had an additive effect, suggesting that they both worked in a similar way and were more or less interchangeable. However, when mouse immune cells were exposed to both exemestane and sulforaphane, the two together were much more potent and at lower doses than either chemical alone.
"Our research showed unexpectedly that exemestane has multiple actions, which suggests that a wider use of exemestane should be considered if clinical tests confirm our cellular studies," says Talalay. "Of course, even if clinical tests confirm what we saw in cells, exemestane may not be appropriate for everyone. It's already advocated as a preventive measure for high-risk breast cancer populations, but it may also be valuable in preventing other noncancerous chronic diseases."
Talalay notes that the drug is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and taken by tens of thousands of women, with minimal side effects.
###
This work was supported by grants from the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Foundation and from Murakami Noen.
On the Web:
Link to article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1318247110
Talalay Lab: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pharmacology_molecular_sciences/faculty/bios/talalay.html
Media Contacts: Catherine Kolf; 443-287-2251; ckolf@jhmi.edu
Vanessa McMains; 410-502-9410; vmcmain1@jhmi.edu
Shawna Williams; 410-955-8236; shawna@jhmi.edu
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| E-mail
Share
]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 7-Nov-2013
ShareContact: Catherine Kolf
ckolf@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Exemestane, a synthetic steroid drug widely prescribed to fight breast cancers that thrive on estrogens, not only inhibits the production of the hormone, but also appears to protect cells throughout the body against damage induced by UV radiation, inflammation and other assaults, according to results of research by Johns Hopkins scientists.
A summary of the research, performed on a variety of different animal and human cells, was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Nov. 4, and suggests that exemestane's effectiveness against breast cancer could be due to more than its ability to halt estrogen production, the scientists say. The study's results further imply that the drug, a so-called aromatase (estrogen synthesis) inhibitor, could potentially be prescribed more widely, including to men, as a way to counteract the wear and tear on cells that often leads to chronic diseases.
"Cells already have their own elaborate protective mechanisms, and in many cases they are 'idling.' The right drugs and foods can turn them on to full capacity," says Paul Talalay, M.D., the John Jacob Abel Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "In our cell studies, we found that exemestane does exactly that," he adds.
Talalay explains that cells are constantly under assault from a wide range of potentially lethal agents. UV radiation from the sun can cause errors in DNA sequences; reactive oxygen species a class of unstable, oxygen-containing chemicals that are a natural byproduct of cellular functioning can build up and cause damage to DNA and proteins; and ongoing inflammation can damage many essential cell functions.
To withstand the pressures against them, cells have evolved various mechanisms for protecting themselves. One involves turning on genes that produce a "SWAT team" of proteins, he notes, collectively called the phase 2 response. In normal cells, this response is not fully active. In previous work, the Talalay group found that sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli and other vegetables, can ramp up the phase 2 response and help protect cells from the constant wear and tear that they experience.
"Looking at the chemical structure of exemestane, I realized that it was similar to sulforaphane, and I wondered if it too could boost cells' phase 2 protective responses," says Talalay.
To demonstrate that exemestane revs up the phase 2 response, Hua Liu, a research associate in Talalay's laboratory, tested exemestane's effects on various types of cells, including liver tumor and skin cells from a mouse, human cells from the eye's retina, and rat heart cells. As expected, the addition of exemestane elevated the activity of typical protective phase 2 response enzymes in all of the cells tested, a result similar to the effects of adding sulforaphane.
Exemestane was also effective in reducing the amount of reactive oxygen species in human retinal cells, where they are thought to contribute to age-related macular degeneration. It was also able to protect rat heart cells from similar damage.
To test the drug's ability to protect skin cells from UV-induced damage, Liu treated mouse skin cells with exemestane a day before subjecting them to UV radiation and, again, exemestane was able to protect the cells significantly, Liu and Talalay say.
Assessing exemestane's ability to protect cells from inflammation produced a surprise, Talalay notes. In all the other tests, Liu and Talalay had tried not only exemestane but also a mixture of exemestane and sulforaphane. They generally found that the two had an additive effect, suggesting that they both worked in a similar way and were more or less interchangeable. However, when mouse immune cells were exposed to both exemestane and sulforaphane, the two together were much more potent and at lower doses than either chemical alone.
"Our research showed unexpectedly that exemestane has multiple actions, which suggests that a wider use of exemestane should be considered if clinical tests confirm our cellular studies," says Talalay. "Of course, even if clinical tests confirm what we saw in cells, exemestane may not be appropriate for everyone. It's already advocated as a preventive measure for high-risk breast cancer populations, but it may also be valuable in preventing other noncancerous chronic diseases."
Talalay notes that the drug is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and taken by tens of thousands of women, with minimal side effects.
###
This work was supported by grants from the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Foundation and from Murakami Noen.
On the Web:
Link to article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1318247110
Talalay Lab: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pharmacology_molecular_sciences/faculty/bios/talalay.html
Media Contacts: Catherine Kolf; 443-287-2251; ckolf@jhmi.edu
Vanessa McMains; 410-502-9410; vmcmain1@jhmi.edu
Shawna Williams; 410-955-8236; shawna@jhmi.edu
[
| E-mail
Share
]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 4-Nov-2013
ShareContact: Lindsey Walter
lwalter@entnet.org
703-535-3762
American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
ALEXANDRIA, VA A multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline to improve the accurate and efficient diagnosis and treatment of Bell's palsy was published Monday in the journal OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery. The guideline is intended for clinicians in any setting who are likely to diagnose and manage patients with Bell's palsy, the most common single nerve disorder, usually associated with facial paralysis.
"The primary purpose of this guideline is to improve the accuracy of diagnosis for Bell's palsy, to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients with Bell's palsy, and to decrease harmful variations in the evaluation and management of Bell's palsy," said Reginald F. Baugh, MD, Chair of the Bells palsy Guideline Panel.
Bell's palsy affects both men and woman across a wide range of ages. The condition is characterized by facial paralysis and distortions that can appear as facial sagging, immobility, or contraction on the affected side. The condition occurs when the facial nerve is damaged by swelling or pressure, but the exact cause of Bell's palsy is unknown.
The clinical guideline for Bell's palsy was created by a panel that included otolaryngologyhead and neck surgeons, neurologists, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons, neurotologists, otologists, emergency medicine and primary care professionals, nurses and physician assistants, and consumer advocates.
OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery is the official scientific journal of the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF). The guideline was published as a supplement to the journal's November edition.
The guideline's authors are: Reginald F. Baugh, MD (Chair); Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD (Assistant Chair); Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS (Assistant Chair); Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH (Methodologist); Caitlin Murray Drumheller; Rebecca Burkholder, JD; Nathan A. Deckard, MD; Cindy Dawson, MSN, RN; Colin Driscoll, MD; M. Boyd Gillespie, MD, MSc; Richard K. Gurgel, MD; John Halperin, MD; Ayesha N. Khalid, MD; Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, MD, FRCS; Alan Micco, MD; Debra Munsell, DHSc, PA-C; Steven Rosenbaum, MD; and William Vaughan.
Members of the media who wish to obtain a copy of the guideline or request an interview should contact: Lindsey Walter at 1-703-535-3762, or newsroom@entnet.org. Upon release, the guideline can be found at http://www.entnet.org.
###
AAO-HNSF Clinical Practice Guideline: Bells Palsy Fact Sheet
While patients with Bells palsy enter the health care system with facial paralysis as a primary complaint, not all patients with facial paralysis have Bells palsy. It is a concern that patients with alternative underlying etiologies may be misdiagnosed or have unnecessary delay in diagnosis. All of these quality concerns provide an important opportunity for improvement in the diagnosis and management of patients with Bells palsy.
Reginald F. Baugh, MD, Chair of the Bells palsy Guideline Panel
Assistant Chairs Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD, and Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS
What is Bells palsy?
Why is the Bells palsy guideline important?
What is the purpose of the guideline?
What are significant points made in the guideline?
1. Clinicians should assess the patient using history and physical examination to exclude identifiable causes of facial paresis or paralysis in patients presenting with acute onset unilateral facial paresis or paralysis.
2. Clinicians should not obtain routine laboratory testing in patients with new onset Bells palsy.
3. Clinicians should not routinely perform diagnostic imaging for patients with new onset Bells palsy.
4. Clinicians should prescribe oral steroids within 72 hours of symptom onset for Bells palsy patients 16 years and older.
5. A. Clinicians should not prescribe oral antiviral therapy alone for patients with new onset Bells palsy.
5. B. Clinicians may offer oral antiviral therapy in addition to oral steroids within 72 hours of symptom onset for patients with Bells palsy.
6. Clinicians should implement eye protection for Bells palsy patients with impaired eye closure.
7. A. Clinicians should not perform electrodiagnostic testing in Bells palsy patients with incomplete facial paralysis.
7. B. Clinicians may offer electrodiagnostic testing to Bells palsy patients with complete facial paralysis.
8. No recommendation can be made regarding surgical decompression of the facial nerve for Bells palsy patients.
9. No recommendation can be made regarding the effect of acupuncture in Bells palsy patients.
10. No recommendation can be made regarding the effect of physical therapy in Bells palsy patients.
11. Clinicians should reassess or refer to a facial nerve specialist those Bells palsy patients with (1) new or worsening neurologic findings at any point, (2) ocular symptoms developing at any point, or (3) incomplete facial recovery 3 months after initial symptom onset.
About the AAO-HNS
The American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery, one of the oldest medical associations in the nation, represents about 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy serves its members by facilitating the advancement of the science and art of medicine related to otolaryngology and by representing the specialty in governmental and socioeconomic issues. The organization's vision: "Empowering otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care."
[
| E-mail
Share
]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 4-Nov-2013
ShareContact: Lindsey Walter
lwalter@entnet.org
703-535-3762
American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
ALEXANDRIA, VA A multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline to improve the accurate and efficient diagnosis and treatment of Bell's palsy was published Monday in the journal OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery. The guideline is intended for clinicians in any setting who are likely to diagnose and manage patients with Bell's palsy, the most common single nerve disorder, usually associated with facial paralysis.
"The primary purpose of this guideline is to improve the accuracy of diagnosis for Bell's palsy, to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients with Bell's palsy, and to decrease harmful variations in the evaluation and management of Bell's palsy," said Reginald F. Baugh, MD, Chair of the Bells palsy Guideline Panel.
Bell's palsy affects both men and woman across a wide range of ages. The condition is characterized by facial paralysis and distortions that can appear as facial sagging, immobility, or contraction on the affected side. The condition occurs when the facial nerve is damaged by swelling or pressure, but the exact cause of Bell's palsy is unknown.
The clinical guideline for Bell's palsy was created by a panel that included otolaryngologyhead and neck surgeons, neurologists, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons, neurotologists, otologists, emergency medicine and primary care professionals, nurses and physician assistants, and consumer advocates.
OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery is the official scientific journal of the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF). The guideline was published as a supplement to the journal's November edition.
The guideline's authors are: Reginald F. Baugh, MD (Chair); Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD (Assistant Chair); Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS (Assistant Chair); Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH (Methodologist); Caitlin Murray Drumheller; Rebecca Burkholder, JD; Nathan A. Deckard, MD; Cindy Dawson, MSN, RN; Colin Driscoll, MD; M. Boyd Gillespie, MD, MSc; Richard K. Gurgel, MD; John Halperin, MD; Ayesha N. Khalid, MD; Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, MD, FRCS; Alan Micco, MD; Debra Munsell, DHSc, PA-C; Steven Rosenbaum, MD; and William Vaughan.
Members of the media who wish to obtain a copy of the guideline or request an interview should contact: Lindsey Walter at 1-703-535-3762, or newsroom@entnet.org. Upon release, the guideline can be found at http://www.entnet.org.
###
AAO-HNSF Clinical Practice Guideline: Bells Palsy Fact Sheet
While patients with Bells palsy enter the health care system with facial paralysis as a primary complaint, not all patients with facial paralysis have Bells palsy. It is a concern that patients with alternative underlying etiologies may be misdiagnosed or have unnecessary delay in diagnosis. All of these quality concerns provide an important opportunity for improvement in the diagnosis and management of patients with Bells palsy.
Reginald F. Baugh, MD, Chair of the Bells palsy Guideline Panel
Assistant Chairs Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD, and Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS
What is Bells palsy?
Why is the Bells palsy guideline important?
What is the purpose of the guideline?
What are significant points made in the guideline?
1. Clinicians should assess the patient using history and physical examination to exclude identifiable causes of facial paresis or paralysis in patients presenting with acute onset unilateral facial paresis or paralysis.
2. Clinicians should not obtain routine laboratory testing in patients with new onset Bells palsy.
3. Clinicians should not routinely perform diagnostic imaging for patients with new onset Bells palsy.
4. Clinicians should prescribe oral steroids within 72 hours of symptom onset for Bells palsy patients 16 years and older.
5. A. Clinicians should not prescribe oral antiviral therapy alone for patients with new onset Bells palsy.
5. B. Clinicians may offer oral antiviral therapy in addition to oral steroids within 72 hours of symptom onset for patients with Bells palsy.
6. Clinicians should implement eye protection for Bells palsy patients with impaired eye closure.
7. A. Clinicians should not perform electrodiagnostic testing in Bells palsy patients with incomplete facial paralysis.
7. B. Clinicians may offer electrodiagnostic testing to Bells palsy patients with complete facial paralysis.
8. No recommendation can be made regarding surgical decompression of the facial nerve for Bells palsy patients.
9. No recommendation can be made regarding the effect of acupuncture in Bells palsy patients.
10. No recommendation can be made regarding the effect of physical therapy in Bells palsy patients.
11. Clinicians should reassess or refer to a facial nerve specialist those Bells palsy patients with (1) new or worsening neurologic findings at any point, (2) ocular symptoms developing at any point, or (3) incomplete facial recovery 3 months after initial symptom onset.
About the AAO-HNS
The American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery, one of the oldest medical associations in the nation, represents about 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy serves its members by facilitating the advancement of the science and art of medicine related to otolaryngology and by representing the specialty in governmental and socioeconomic issues. The organization's vision: "Empowering otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care."
[
| E-mail
Share
]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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