A 'chocolate cure' for persistent cough?
Posted: Tue Dec 21 2010, 12:35 hrsLondon:
Here's the perfect excuse to gorge on chocolate without a sense of guilt - scientists claim it can cure a persistent cough.
A team at British-based drugs company called SEEK has isolated a naturally occurring substance in cocoa which it says stops the "root cause" of the irritating condition, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
At present, most medications to control the symptoms are opiate-based ones like cough syrups containing codeine, a narcotic.
Now, the scientists are helping develop a medication based on a drug called theobromine, which they say "has been shown to inhibit the inappropriate firing of the vagus nerve, which is a key feature of persistent cough".
The substance is found in "significant quantities in cocoa-based products", say the scientists.
Prof Alyn Morice from the Hull Cough Clinic, said: "Due to the drawbacks of current opioid drugs such as codeine, we are in desperate need of a non-opioid treatment with a drastically improved side effect profile for patients.
He said that while it was "theoretically possible" to get enough theobromine in a bar of dark chocolate to alleviate a cough, studies had yet to be done to reveal the exact dose required.
Bionic eye will help the blind 'see'
Posted: Tue Dec 21 2010, 14:10 hrsMelbourne:
Are you under the impression that hand sanitizers keep the germs at bay? Well, here's the reality, they stop working after just two minutes.
A survey suggests that more than half of all Americans think the antibacterial gel last a lot longer than it really does and the fact that hand sanitizers don't offer long-term protection may come as a shock to germiphobes.
"Alcohol sanitizers last only a minute or two and must be reapplied when recontamination occurs," the New York Daily News quoted Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at NYU Langone Medical Center, as saying.
Len Horovitz, attending physician and internist at Lenox Hill Hospital, explained that, "hand sanitizer is better than nothing if you are going to shake someone's hand or if you are out on the street with no sink or paper towels, but the best germicidal thing you can do is wash with soap and water."
More than half of Americans think sanitizers last 30 times longer than they do, according to the survey from Healthpoint, which sells a sanitizer that the company says works for up to six hours.
"Other than soap and water, the best way to keep harmful germs at bay is never to touch your face unless you have just washed your hands," added Horovitz.
The study informed that 68 per cent of the more than 1,000 respondents said they use hand sanitizer, and 52 per cent said they keep it in their purse or briefcase.
Blind people may soon be able to regain their sight - with help of a 'bionic eye'.
The recruitment process has begun for the first UK trial of the 'bionic eye', which can restore sight to blind people. The microchip implant has already been tested in Germany, where it allowed patients to read letters and recognise objects.
Surgeons at King's College Hospital, London, hope to select six patients for the trial, due to get under way in March, reports the Scotsman.
A German company made device, the bionic eye fits under the retina and works like a digital film camera. A 3mm sq array of 1,500 light sensors sends pulsed electrical signals to adjoining nerve cells, which relay the messages to the brain.
The implant is designed to help patients with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disorder, which gradually destroys the retina.
Previously, it was tested in Germany on three blind patients. Within days of the surgery, the two men and one woman could things on the table, walk around a room with confidence, tell the time from a clock, and distinguish between subtle shades of grey.
The results were published last month in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Tim Jackson, who will head the King's College team, said: "We are delighted to be involved in testing this pioneering technology. The results demonstrated by the German team are genuinely impressive, and they represent an important step towards artificial vision that could greatly enhance the quality of life for people with an incurable, blinding disease."
Hand sanitizers work for few mins
Are you under the impression that hand sanitizers keep the germs at bay? Well, here's the reality, they stop working after just two minutes.
A survey suggests that more than half of all Americans think the antibacterial gel last a lot longer than it really does and the fact that hand sanitizers don't offer long-term protection may come as a shock to germiphobes.
"Alcohol sanitizers last only a minute or two and must be reapplied when recontamination occurs," the New York Daily News quoted Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at NYU Langone Medical Center, as saying.
Len Horovitz, attending physician and internist at Lenox Hill Hospital, explained that, "hand sanitizer is better than nothing if you are going to shake someone's hand or if you are out on the street with no sink or paper towels, but the best germicidal thing you can do is wash with soap and water."
More than half of Americans think sanitizers last 30 times longer than they do, according to the survey from Healthpoint, which sells a sanitizer that the company says works for up to six hours.
"Other than soap and water, the best way to keep harmful germs at bay is never to touch your face unless you have just washed your hands," added Horovitz.
The study informed that 68 per cent of the more than 1,000 respondents said they use hand sanitizer, and 52 per cent said they keep it in their purse or briefcase.
