Self-Assembling Hydrogel - A New Drug Delivery System

Hydrogels have been around for for quite some time now. And despite their utility, their toxic components, and use as drug carriers have been their popular shortcomings. However, recently a self-assembling version of the pharmaceutical raw material has been developed, which is claimed to be biocompatible.

If you are new to hydrogels, then simply put, it's a gel in which water is the continuous phase and it has a myriad medical and industrial applications.

During the course of their study, instead to reinventing the wheel, researchers went about exploring means by which medically approved drugs can be converted into amphiphilic molecules which can self assemble. Finding new uses of the already approved pharmaceutical excipients seems to be a slick way to tackle the issue of the time it takes to get a new molecule of pharmaceutical ingredients approved.

And now the researchers' efforts have led them to develop structures capable of delivering high concentrations of pharmaceutical drugs minus the negative side effects. It still the beginning, an important one though, because this method can be a stepping stone for making drug-based delivery carriers which can release a number of drugs e.g. anti-inflammatory drugs.

This research conducted by scientists from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology (HST) will be published in the journal, Biomaterials.

Hydrogels have seen a number of developments over the years and the new research is the most recent advancement for using them as controlled drug delivery vehicles. This research is also important as it might even help eliminate the need for an external carrier for as a means of drug delivery.

On the lines of innovation healthcare, Video Game Surgery and Sick (Man)nequins seem to be intriguing as well.

Why Are Personal Care Products Harmful?

We use thousands of personal care products today, which are nothing but a compilation of thousands of chemical substances. And research suggests some of these may cause ecological harm.

Personal care product and toiletries (viz. fragrances, soaps) refers to the manufacturers of consumer products used for beautification and in personal hygiene.

If the EPA is to be believed, then the waterbodies in the US have pharmaceuticals present in them. And many of these land up in the environment form medicated cosmetics products that are used. While scientists haven't yet found proof of adverse human health effects from in the environment, it doesn't mean that it's not happening. But it's still good news because rigorous inquiry is the bedrock of science.

Personal care products and pharmaceuticals have in all probability been present in water and the environment since they were invented. Today it's a big industry (US $40 billion) with many major players and numerous who deal in wholesale cosmetics trading. The problem arises when the products we consume are not completely absorbed by our bodies, and are then excreted and flow into wastewater and surface water.

Some common personal care items that contribute to the phenomenon are fragrances, cosmetics, and sun-screen skin care products. However, not all products end up like this, rather it varies. For instance, some are easily disintegrated and broken down by the human body or yield to environmental conditions, other which are difficult to break down enter domestic sewers, etc.

Recently, some personal care products were certified under the new natural seal and standard program. These products which must be made up of at least 95% truly natural ingredients make up for good candidates to break down easily.

Perhaps, when a majority of products comprise substances that can be easily disintegrated, or better ways to process them before they're discarded are discovered, the concerns would be alleviated.

Vitamin D - Why Kids Need Double Dose Now?

A couple of days back the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) decided to double the amount of vitamin D it recommended for infants, children and adolescents. And the new guidelines suggest an intake of 400 IU of vitamin D per day, as against 200 IU per day, recommended earlier, which may be met by an appropriate dietary supplement.

The Endocrine Society had earlier raised doubts about the previous Vitamin D recommendations not being sufficient even to the extent of ensuring essential levels needed by children.

Apparently, the new guidelines are a fallout of a realization that there was a wide ranging deficiency of Vitamin D in infants, children, and adolescents, leading to a large number of cases or Rickets in the US. The new recommendations to provide health supplements to children applies from the first few days of an infant's life.

Recent studies have shown that 400 units of vitamin D a day will benefit the kids two-fold. One is by preventing rickets, and two by treating it.

Also, since it's difficult to assess a safe level of sunlight exposure to an individual to help vitamin D production, making up for it with health supplements of the vitamin is a easy way meet the body's requirements.

Rickets in children and adolescents is the primary reason why kids should take sufficient amounts of the vitamin. Aside from nutritional supplements, Vitamin D is also found in dairy products (viz. cheese, butter, cream, fortified milk), fish, oysters, fortified cereals and margarine. But the diet supplements are always an option, effective enough.

Kids aside, consuming the needed amounts of vitamin D may prevent adults from developing osteoporosis. And staying in line with keeping ourselves healthy, check out the 10 tips for preserving health.

When Doctors Prescribe Sham Medicines

If you believe that a doctor's prescription has real pharmaceutical drugs written on it, think again, because recent studies have pointed to the fact that doctors frequently prescribe placebo pills to achieve a psychological effect.

The findings supporting the practice were reported in a recent issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ). But at the same time the "placebos" that doctors sampled in the survey used were not completely inactive like the substances used in clinical trials. Rather, these were substances that may have some effects, but not any direct effect on the patient's condition other than what can be termed as a placebo effect. Generally, people think of a placebo as something similar to a sugar pill.

Placebo effect is any benefit experienced by patients when they are by assured that whatever is being prescribed to them will benefit them, irrespective of the problem. It's like cashing in on optimism and confidence to help someone.

You may be wondering why do doctors need to prescribe placebos rather than real prescription drugs to combat the symptoms a patient reports.

Well the reason lies in the fact that a lot of sensations such as pain we feel are also governed by how we think about our sickness. Further, over the years the effectiveness of "The placebo effect" has been validated in a number of studies.

Experts believe that prescribing placebos is a common in the practice of medicine. And the study revealed that only 3 percent doctors doled out sugar pills, 13 percent prescribed antibiotics, 41 percent used over-the-counter painkillers, 38 percent used vitamins, and 13 percent used sedatives as placebos.

So the next time your doctor prescribes you may be compelled to think more about the prescription, somewhat.

Report: Now Less American Infants Are Dying

The United States ranked 29th in the world in infant mortality in 2004, compared to 27th in 2000, 23rd in 1990 and 12th in 1960, according to a new report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics.

It's good news, because infant mortality is considered as the most important indicators of the health of a nation, as it is associated with quality and access to medical care, maternal health, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices. The U.S. infant mortality rate has generally declined throughout. The rates are worse than some other industrialized nation though. The medical industry needs to do a lot more to make the rates better still.

Here are the key Findings:

• The U.S. infant mortality rate was 6.78 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2004.

• Infant mortality rates were generally lowest (below 3.5 per 1,000) in selected Scandinavian (Sweden, Norway, Finland) and East Asian (Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore) countries.

• Twenty-two countries had infant mortality rates below 5.0 in 2004.

• The current U.S. infant mortality rate is about 50 percent higher than the national goal of 4.5 infant deaths per 1,000 births.

• The report shows the U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline from 2000 to 2005. However, preliminary data for 2006 show a significant 2 percent decline between 2005 and 2006

• The infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women was 2.4 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women. Rates were also higher for Puerto Rican and American Indian women, 8.30 and 8.06 respectively.

While infant mortality rates are now more desirable, American kids may be at risk, reason free pharmaceutical drug Samples.

Top 11 Tips To A Healthy Brain

In this fast paced world our mental capabilities are constantly challenged and it's almost a necessity now that we keep our brains sharp as a razor.

People are increasingly preferring products that claim to boost brain power. Intriguingly, even pharmaceutical drugs for narcolepsy aren't an exception. A BBC report highlighted it.

But unlike using prescription drugs to charge the brain, which may raise safety concerns too, the following tips should help boost up your mental prowess.

1. Get more physical exercise: Engage yourself in physically active leisure activities, play a sport, etc.

2. The mental muscle needs workout too: Getting six pack abs requires specific physical workouts. Similarly, solving a puzzle, reading challenging material, learning a new skill, etc. strengthen your mental muscle.

3. Socialize: Socially engaging with friends, family, colleagues and just about anyone human to keep your brains neurons up and running.

4. Eat a nutritious diet: What you eat also feeds the cells of your brain, and you can't expect starved brain to work well. Brain boosters include foods with a good supply of vitamins, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, or take a supplement if need be.

5. Excess weight is bad for brain: Try getting a healthy weight.

6. Manage your health problems well: If you suffer from hypertension, diabetes, or any other abnormal medical condition get proper treatment. See: 10 Tips To Stay Healthy

7. You brain needs rest too: After a day's work your body needs rest and so does your brain, make sure that you get ample sleep before you start off for the next day. See: 11 Tips To Sleep Better

8. Try to maintain a positive outlook: Life is a challenge for sure, but a positive outlook will encourage your brain to find solutions to your problems.

9. Consume alcohol in moderation: Also avoid smoking, or doping. See: 12 Smoking Myths

10. Manage your stress levels: Aside from ruining your mental abilities, it can be a cause of diseases. Keep them under check, try meditation and other advice on busting stress. Here are some nice ways to relax yourself.

11. Your brain needs variety: Change your daily schedule a bit by engaging into a hobby and having fun.

No matter what your age is, you're never too old to perk up your brain. Maintain a sense of purpose in life and keep working at it.

How CDC Will Defeat Disasters

A new low-cost, high-resolution imaging system to create a comprehensive picture of an area devastated by a hurricane or other natural disaster has been developed. The information will be used assess the number of people affected by a disaster and also the need for humanitarian services from the health care industry .

Developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) as part of a project funded by the CDC, the device has been christened as Mini ModPOD, which stands for “Miniature Modular Photographic Observation Device. The gadget will be attached to a helicopter to gather the visual information.

“Without a real-time map, it’s very hard to do population estimates and demographic estimates to figure out where people are, how they’re moving, how they’re spaced out and even how many people you have on the ground,” said a project officer from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “This technology does not exist currently, so GTRI’s imaging system is really an innovative project.”

For now aid organizations distributing pharma drugs and other essential supplies don’t have fast and accurate means of finding out how many people need assistance. This technology should sort out the nagging issues. At the same time a cloud cover over the affected region could stifle the image gathering efforts. Similarly there will also be dissemination restrictions.

GTRI technologists plan to install the system on Coast Guard UH-60J Black Hawk helicopters. These are the same choppers that were among the first to fly over Haiti following Hurricane Hanna’s devastation.

The system incorporates an off-the-shelf Canon Digital Rebel XTi digital camera, a global positioning system receiver, a small circuit board that uploads mission parameters, and an inertial measurement unit. The inertial measurement unit is supposed to measure the aircraft’s rate of acceleration and changes in rotational attributes, including pitch, roll and yaw. The images gathered can later be put together to create a complete picture of the affected area.

Aside from the GTRI's innovation, see how an award winning device can aid Hands Free Surgery