#Advantages, potential of computer-guided spinal surgeryin a series of research studies Cedars-Sinai spinal surgeons show that a new method of computer-guided spine surgery is beneficial for spinal reconstruction
and for treating complex tumors and degenerative spine problems resulting in fewer complications and better outcomes for patients.
The Cedars-Sinai surgeons highlight the advantages of a spinal navigation technique that uses high-speed computerized tomography (CT) imaging to navigate in and around the spinal column from different angles.
They present their findings in six articles published in the current issue of Neurosurgical Focus an online peer-reviewed journal published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Investigators say the three-dimensional navigational method is a major improvement over traditional two-dimensional fluoroscopic X-rays.
It allows surgeons to more precisely and accurately place reconstruction screws in the narrow bony corridors of the spine avoiding nerves blood vessels and other critical structures.
This reduces or may even avoid complications postoperative pain and the need for follow-up surgeries they write.
Computer-guided surgical navigation technology delivers on quality and safety said J. Patrick Johnson MD a neurosurgery spine specialist and director of Spine Education and the Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship program in the Department of Neurosurgery.
It clearly improves outcomes in spine care. The computerized navigation system uses a mobile CT-scanner to take cross-sectional images of the spine
while a patient is in surgery. The images are transferred to a computer which displays them on overhead monitors that allow precise tracking of surgical instruments as surgeons insert screws for reconstruction
and perform other complex procedures on the spine. Surgeons said the technique is superior to existing methods because of its precision and speed.
They point out that even small miscalculations with two-dimensional technology can cause problems that require follow-up operations
The Cedars-Sinai surgeons say they have cut these to nearly zero by using computer-guided methods.
The surgeons said the technology has others applications for treating spinal disorders serving as a tool to remove tumors decompress the spinal column
and perform minimally-invasive surgery. This approach represents a major leap forward for instrumented spine surgery said Terrence T. Kim MD an orthopedic spine surgeon in the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center and expert in the computer-guided navigation field.
We're looking at the future. Joining Drs. Johnson and Kim as study co-authors are Doniel Drazin MD a senior resident in the Department of Neurosurgery and Robert S. Pashman MD a clinical associate professor and orthopedic spine surgeon at the Cedars
-Sinai Spine Center. The group's studies accounted for six of 10 articles in the March issue of Neurological Focus.
A spokeswoman at the online journal said it is highly unusual for a single institution to publish a majority of articles in a single journal issue.
and computer-aided system used during minimally invasive surgery increased the accuracy of screw placement into vertebral pedicle bones.
and the mobile CT scanner allowed for more accurate surgical placement even within the narrowest parts of the thoracic spine particularly challenging regions in women
A third study determined that the image-guided technique can be useful for other minimally invasive procedures including thoracic endoscopic spine surgery to remove tumors infections
The final two articles offer an overview of computer-guided surgery of the spine including its use in revision
or redo spine surgeries that are often the most complex; and the potential future use of robotic spine surgery with computer navigation.
The special issue of the journal can be accessed at: http://thejns. org/toc/foc/36/3story Source:
The above story is provided based on materials by Cedars-Sinai Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
study showswildlife fences are constructed for a variety of reasons including to prevent the spread of diseases protect wildlife from poachers
or infrastructure some species carry diseases of agricultural concern and a few threaten human lives. At the same time people kill wild animals for food trade
The desire to separate livestock from wildlife in order to create zones free from diseases such as foot
Fortunately it is recognized increasingly that a combination of improved testing vaccination and standardized approaches to meat preparation can prevent spread of diseases without the need to separate cattle from wildlife by fencing.
The authors conclude that as climate change increases the importance of facilitating wildlife mobility and maintaining landscape connectivity fence removal may become an important form of climate change preparedness
or were susceptible to wind snow pests and pathogens. It is truly a unique achievement to design trees for deconstruction
and used in other applications such as adhesives insolation carbon fibres and paint additives. Genetic modificationthe genetic modification strategy employed in this study could also be used on other plants like grasses to be used as a new kind of fuel to replace petroleum.
Controlling nonnative plants with herbicides and fungal infections has been tried with mixed results. But the factors that ultimately determine the survival of the sagebrush ecosystem may be out of managers'control.
When crossing parent plants for example breeders often like to track the genes underlying their trait of interest such as resistance to a pathogen.
A new study by Florida State university Associate professor Arturo Figueroa published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that watermelon could significantly reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals both at rest and while under stress.
More people die of heart attacks in cold weather because the stress of the cold temperatures causes blood pressure to increase
Thus people with obesity and high blood pressure face a higher risk for stroke or heart attack when exposed to the cold either during the winter or in rooms with low temperatures.
and women who also suffered from high blood pressure. To simulate cold weather conditions one hand of the subject was dipped into 39 degree water
The other group was given a placebo for 6 weeks. Then they switched for the second six weeks.
Participants also had to refrain from taking any medication for blood pressure or making any significant changes in their lifestyle particularly related to diet and exercise during the study.
and cardiac stress while both at rest and while they were exposed to the cold water. That means less overload to the heart so the heart is going to work easily during a stressful situation such as cold exposure Figueroa said.
In the past he examined how it impacts postmenopausal women's arterial function and the blood pressure readings of adults with pre-hypertension.
In addition to being published in the American Journal of Hypertension the study was published also in the US National Library of Medicine National institutes of health
and long-term health risks from using e-cigarettes will not be known for many years. Norris Cotton Cancer Center researchers take a look at what we know about e-cigarettes and health.
E-cigarettes: how they work E-cigarettes create an inhalable nicotine vapor by heating a liquid nicotine solution.
or vaporizer pens for individuals who vaporize other substances such as herbs marijuana marijuana oils and hashish waxes.
E-cigarettes were invented by a pharmacist in China and many of the first generation products continue to be produced there.
Since stopping smoking completely is the only way to limit the health consequences of smoking we need to know
This is one major reason why public health officials are reluctant to tell people to use them.
No public health official is going to issue a statement endorsing e-cigarette use for stopping smoking anytime soon.
and continues to use those other products is unlikely to greatly lower their risk of heart attack cancer or chronic lung disease.
There are other forms of medicinal nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) that have been used for 17 years to help smokers quit.
Until we know more about e-cigarettes these medicinal NRT products combined with help from quit counselors
The above story is provided based on materials by Norris Cotton Cancer Centerdartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
The potential health benefits of dark chocolate keep piling up and scientists are now homing in on
what ingredients in chocolate might help prevent obesity as well as type-2 diabetes. They found that one particular type of antioxidant in cocoa prevented laboratory mice from gaining excess weight
and type-2 diabetes. But not all flavanols which are a type of antioxidant are created equal.
and test each individually for health benefits. The scientists fed groups of mice different diets including high-fat
They also improved glucose tolerance which could potentially help prevent type-2 diabetes. Oligomeric PCS appear to possess the greatest antiobesity
and antidiabetic bioactivities of the flavanols in cocoa particularly at the low doses employed for the present study the researchers state.
-and disease-resistant can help farmers in developed nations produce more peanuts with fewer pesticides
The sequences provide researchers access to 96 percent of all peanut genes in their genomic context providing the molecular map needed to more quickly breed drought-and disease-resistant lower-input and higher-yielding
Understanding the structure of the peanut's genome will lay the groundwork for new varieties with traits like added disease resistance and drought tolerance.
and Mycotoxin Innovation Lab which is hosted at UGA. With the release of the peanut genome sequence researchers will now have much better tools available to accelerate the development of new peanut varieties with improved yields
#Allergy tablet approval warrants caution for somea pill a day keeps spring allergies away. In a perfect world it would be that easy.
And for those suffering from an allergy to some grasses the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the oral dissolvable tablets designed to help treat symptoms may be beneficial.
But for the majority of seasonal sufferers allergic to pollens from the more than 30 other pollinating species relief isn't that easy.
The approval of oral immunotherapy tablets is advancement in the right direction said allergist Michael Foggs MD president of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI.
It's an additional treatment option for those who are allergic to some types of grasses but not those allergic to other varieties of grass trees and weeds.
According to ACAAI those with seasonal allergies can be affected by the pollen of 11 different types of weeds and trees and eight varieties of grass.
Fortunately there is a longstanding solution for those suffering from multiple allergies. Immunotherapy also known as allergy shots has been used for 100 years
and is a natural treatment. Each injection can be customized to an individual's allergic needs.
Allergy shots can modify and prevent allergy progression while also relieving symptoms. They are also fast acting and cost-efficient.
It would be ideal if tablets could be customized like allergy shots but that's not on the horizon yet said Dr. Foggs.
Since allergy treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach treatment needs to be tailored to an individual's needs.
Although the approved tablets are beneficial only for those suffering from some forms of grass allergy the FDA's approval will help open the door for others getting approved such as tablets for ragweed and dust mite allergy.
The best way to conquer allergy symptoms is to avoid allergens according to the ACAAI. During the spring sneezing season sufferers should:
â#¢Limit time outdoors when pollen counts are highest (midday and afternoon hours) â#¢Keep windows in the car and home closed â#¢Wash hair after working
or exercising outdoorsallergy sufferers should talk with their board-certified allergist to learn which treatment is suited best for their needs.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length n
#Eyes in the cereal aisle: How Capn Crunchs gaze is influencing your purchasingin a study of 65 cereals in 10 different grocery stores Cornell researchers found that cereals marketed to kids are placed half as high on supermarket shelves as adult cereals--the average height
for children's cereal boxes is 23 inches verses 48 inches for adult cereal. A second key finding from the same study is that the average angle of the gaze of cereal spokes-characters on cereal boxes marketed to kids is downward at a 9. 6 degree angle
whereas spokes-characters on adult cereal look almost straight ahead. To examine the influence of cereal box spokes-characters Cornell Food
or increase mortality due to waterlogging stress. We will evaluate these responses for the first time at a regional scale using remotely sensed indicators of vegetation condition
or to be current smokers than those not exposed finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
and promotions appealing said lead author Samir Soneji Ph d. an assistant professor at the Geisel School of medicine at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
In the 1960s health concerns about tobacco prompted Congress to ban cigarette ads on television and radio.
This article is important for all concerned about youth smoking said Richard Brunswick M d. a physician who has written an evidence-based primer on smoking cessation entitled Can't Quit?
The above story is provided based on materials by Health Behavior News Service. The original article was written by Milly Dawson.
disease-resistant varieties of riceas Earth's human population marches toward 9 billion the need for hardy new varieties of grain crops has never been greater.
In an era of climate change pollution and the global spread of pathogens these new grains must also be able to handle stress.
of stress: biotic generally caused by infectious organisms like bacteria; and abiotic caused by environmental agents like nutrient deficiency flood and salinity.
Traditionally scientists have believed that different sets of genes regulated plants'responses to biotic and abiotic stress.
However Wusirika and Shaik discovered that 1377 of the approximately 3800 genes involved in rice's stress response played a role in both types stress.
About 70 percent of those master genes are co-expressive--they turn on under both kinds of stress.
Typically the others turn on for biotic stress and turn off for abiotic stress. The scientists looked at the genes'response to five abiotic stresses--drought heavy metal contamination salt cold and nutrient deprivation--and five biotic stresses--bacteria fungus insect predation weed
competition and nematodes. A total of 196 genes showed a wide range of expressions to these stresses.
The top genes are likely candidates for developing a rice variety with broad stress-range tolerance Wusirika said.
Next they would like to test their findings. We want to do experimental analysis to see if five or 10 of the genes work as predicted he said.
Their study is described in the paper Machine learning Approaches Distinguish Multiple Stress Conditions using Stress-Resposive Genes
and Identify Candidate Genes for Broad Resistance in Rice published in the January edition of Plant Physiology.
#Patients with gluten intolerance: New therapies possibleresearchers at Mcmaster University have discovered a key molecule that could lead to new therapies for people with celiac disease an often painful and currently untreatable autoimmune disorder.
Celiac disease is a food sensitivity to dietary gluten contained in cereals. In people who are predisposed genetically gluten containing food will trigger an immune response that leads to destruction of the intestinal lining abdominal pain changes in bowel habits malnutrition
and many other symptoms that include anemia and neurological problems. People with this disease cannot eat food containing wheat rye or barley
which is a main source of protein intake in the western diet. Researchers in the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at Mcmaster University have discovered that a molecule elafin
which is present in the intestine of healthy individuals is decreased significantly in patients with celiac disease.
The research was published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. When people with celiac disease eat food containing gluten the digestive enzymes cannot digest it
and left over peptides from digestion induce inflammation. This inflammation is amplified further by an enzyme called tissue transglutaminase 2. An intriguing finding of the research say scientists was that elafin by interacting with the transglutaminase 2 enzyme decreased the enzymatic reaction that increases the toxicity of peptides derived from gluten.
In studies with mice the researchers found that the administration of the elafin molecule protects the intestinal lining of the upper gut that is damaged by gluten.
Following a gluten-free diet is very difficult because gluten is used not only in the food industry
but in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as a common low cost filler. â#oepeople who have to strictly avoid gluten for life often find this very difficult due to these hidden sourcesâ#said Elena Verdu associate professor of Medicine in the Michael G. Degroote
School of medicine. â#oethere is need a great for a therapy that will protect patients with celiac disease from these accidental contaminations. â#Verdu says the results raise the possibility of elafin administration
or replacement as a new adjuvant therapy to the gluten free diet. â#oethis would add flexibility to a restrictive lifelong diet
and increase patientsâ##quality of life and potentially accelerate the healing of celiac lesions. â#The research has implications beyond celiac disease.
Recently gluten intolerance has been reported in patients who do not have celiac disease (non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Development of new therapies such as this one could help in the management of common gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome that could be triggered also by wheat containing food.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Mcmaster University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length
#New evidence linking fruit and vegetable consumption with lower mortalityeating seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduces your risk of death at any point in time by 42%compared to eating less than one portion reports a new UCL study.
Researchers used the Health Survey for England to study the eating habits of 65226 people representative of The english population between 2001 and 2013 and found that the more fruit
Eating seven or more portions reduces the specific risks of death by cancer and heart disease by 25%and 31%respectively.
The research also showed that vegetables have significantly higher health benefits than fruit. This is the first study to link fruit
and vegetable consumption with all-cause cancer and heart disease deaths in a nationally-representative population the first to quantify health benefits per-portion
The study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health found that fresh vegetables had the strongest protective effect with each daily portion reducing overall risk of death by 16%.
%Salad contributed to a 13%risk reduction per portion and each portion of fresh fruit was associated with a smaller but still significant 4%reduction.
but the size of the effect is staggering says Dr Oyinlola Oyebode of UCL's Department of Epidemiology
& Public health lead author of the study. The clear message here is that the more fruit
The UK Department of health recommends'5 a day 'while'Fruit and Veggies--More Matters'is the key message in the USA.
Our study shows that people following Australia's'Go for 2+5'advice will reap huge health benefits says Dr Oyebode.
and cheaper varieties are packed in syrup rather than fruit juice explains Dr Oyebode. The negative health impacts of the sugar may well outweigh any benefits.
Another possibility is that there are confounding factors that we could not control for such as poor access to fresh groceries among people who have preexisting health conditions hectic lifestyles
or who live in deprived areas.**Note: 13. 0m tons of canned fruit and vegetables were sold in the EU in 2008 compared to 3. 7m for frozen fruit and vegetables.
years old according to a new study by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. In research published on March 31 2014 in JAMA Pediatrics Dartmouth researchers found that one-half to one-third of children did not identify milk
when shown Mcdonald's and Burger king children's advertising images depicting that product. Sliced apples in Burger king's ads were identified as apples by only 10 percent of young viewers;
http://youtu. be/Tl9uhuewztyburger King's depiction of apple slices as'Fresh Apple Fries'was misleading to children in the target age range said principal investigator James Sargent MD co-director Cancer
Control Research Program at Norris Cotton Cancer Center. The advertisement would be deceptive by industry standards yet their self-regulation bodies took no action to address the misleading depiction.
While the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal trade commission play important regulatory roles in food labeling
The above story is provided based on materials by Norris Cotton Cancer Centerdartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#Urban gardeners may be unaware of how best to manage contaminants in soilconsuming foods grown in urban gardens may offer a variety of health benefits
but a lack of knowledge about the soil used for planting could pose a health threat for both consumers and gardeners.
and challenges related to the perceived risk of soil contamination among urban community gardeners and found a need for clear and concise information on how best to prevent
and manage soil contamination. The results are featured online in PLOS ONE. While the benefits are far-reaching gardening in urban settings can also create opportunities for exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals petroleum products and asbestos
which may be present in urban soils said Keeve Nachman Phd senior author of the study and director of the Food Production and Public health Program with CLF.
Our study suggests gardeners generally recognize the importance of knowing a garden site's prior uses
and expertise to determine accurately the prior use of their garden site and potential contaminants in the soil.
or gaps in knowledge about how best to minimize their risk of exposure to contaminants that may be in urban soil.
As a result many soil contaminants have been found at higher concentrations in urban centers. To characterize urban community gardeners'knowledge
and perceptions of soil contamination risks and reducing exposure researchers conducted surveys among urban community gardeners and semi-structured interviews with key informants in the gardening community in Baltimore Maryland.
or organizational affiliation makes them knowledgeable about Baltimore City community gardening and soil contamination. People may come into contact with these contaminants
if they work or play in contaminated soil or eat food that was grown in it.
In some cases exposure to soil contaminants can increase disease risks especially for young children said Brent Kim MHS lead author of the paper and a program officer with CLF.
Given the health social environmental and economic benefits associated with participating in and supporting urban green spaces it is critical to protect the viability of urban community gardens
The research was funded in part by Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and the GRACE Communications Foundation.
The above story is provided based on materials by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
and drilling medical therapy and diagnosis biopharmaceuticals air conditioning fuel cells power transmission systems solar cells micro-and nanoelectronic mechanical systems and cooling systems for everything from engines to nuclear reactors.
cessation counseling ratessmartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more clinicians to screen patients for tobacco use
Even though tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U s. clinicians often donâ##t ask about smoking during patient exams.
Using mobile phones loaded with tobacco screening guidelines prompted nurses to ask patients about their smoking habits in 84 percent of clinic visits
and to offer cessation counseling to 99 percent of smokers who expressed a willingness to kick the habit according to a study from Columbia University School of nursing published in Oncology Nursing Forum. â#oethese findings suggest that mobile applications can play a significant role
in curbing tobacco useâ#says lead study author Kenrick Cato Phd associate research scientist at Columbia Nursing.
Currently U s. patients are screened for tobacco use in about 60 percent of office visits and smokers are advised on how to quit less than 20 percent of the time according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
â#oethese findings are a win in the ongoing battle against tobacco use and they also point to a broader benefit of mobile applications in getting more clinicians to follow evidence-based practice guidelinesâ#Cato says.
The study evaluated tobacco screening rates for more than 14000 visits at clinics in New york city. Clinic patients were treated by 185 registered nurses enrolled in advanced practice degree programs at Columbia Nursing.
While overall screening and counseling rates were increased by use of the mobile tools the gains varied by race gender and payer source the study found.
Screening was more likely to occur when patients were female or African-american and at clinics where the predominant payer source was Medicare Medicaid or the State Childrenâ##s Health insurance Program.
Screening was also more likely for patients with private insurance than for patients who were uninsured
or covered by worker compensation benefits the study found. â#oescreening for African-americans and men in particular has lagged traditionally other populations
and the higher screening rates that we found for African-americans suggest that mobile health-decision tools can help address health disparitiesâ#Cato says. â#oethe technology can serve to remove any unintended bias clinicians might have about
which patients are most likely to benefit from intervention. â #While the study included only patients seen by nurses who had access to mobile health tools the screening
and counseling rates in the study are much higher than the baseline rates tracked by the CDC Cato says.
Using the mobile tools also helped clinicians exceed the targets for screening and counseling established by Healthy People 2020 a national road map for improving health
and eliminating health disparities. Tobacco-related objectives in Healthy People 2020 include screening rates of about 69 percent during office visits
and counseling rates of about 21 percent. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Columbia University School of nursing.
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