| Teams aim to grow ears, skin for war wounded
WASHINGTON: Teams of university scientists backed by US government funds hope to grow new skin, ears, muscles and other body tissue for troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defence Department said on Thursday.
The $250mn effort aims to address the Pentagon's unprecedented challenge of caring for troops returning from the war zones with multiple traumatic injuries, many of which would have been fatal years ago.
“We've had just over 900 people, men, some women with amputations of some kind or another since the start of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq," said Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defence for health affairs. Many have also suffered burns, spinal cord injuries and vision loss.
“Getting these people up to where they are functioning and reintegrated, employed, able to help their families and be fully participating members of society, this is our task," he said.
FEMA Offers Advice On Mold After Flooding
If your home was affected by the recent flooding it may be harboring mold. Mold can be a significant problem after flooding and proper cleanup is critical to ensure that it does not affect you or your family's health. People sensitive to mold may experience a stuffy nose, irritated eyes, skin irritation, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. People with asthma, pregnant women, infants, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems are at higher risk for health problems from mold. If you or your family members have health problems after exposure to mold, contact your doctor or other health care provider. To prevent or stop the growth of mold after a flood, all areas of a home that were wet in the floodwaters must be cleaned and completely dried. Mold can start to grow within 48 hours.
Bioponic Phytoceuticals Announces Master Distributorship With Nature's Best Covering 1,000 West Coast Retailers
Bioponic Phytoceuticals, Inc. ("Bioponic" or "the Company") (Other OTC:BPYT.PK - News) announced today that Nature's Best, the largest privately owned wholesaler-distributor of health and natural food products in the Natural Products industry, has been named the Company's Master Distributor covering the Western United States. Effective April 1, 2008, Nature's Best is responsible for distributing five of Bioponic's most popular consumer brands to approximately 1,000 health food stores and natural product retailers in the Western United States. Bioponic's all natural, organic health and wellness products scheduled for distribution are: Hawaiian Healing Mist(TM), O-Spray(TM), Throat Note(TM), Gentle Mother(TM) and Noni Healing Tonic, representing a total of 11 products. Individual product descriptions may be found by visiting Bioponic's website at http://www.bioponic.com.
The medication wars
There's a war raging in the world of medicine as many people are opting for the path of "natural" or "herbal" remedies, as opposed to taking prescribed medicines from their medical practitioner. Many doctors are perplexed as to why patients would stop taking prescribed medication and opt for the "natural route". Their advise is not to. They say that while natural remedies may have their place, they may not be the safest bet. Dr. Martin Brown, a general practitioner cautions that while natural medicines have their uses, they have just as many side effects as natural ones. The difference he says is that pharmaceutical medicines have been researched and the side effects noted. In fact the drugs have to be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are put on the market, which is not the case for natural medicines.
Heavy security, protests mar Olympic torch event
Thousands of waiting spectators missed seeing the Olympic torch in San Francisco Wednesday, as protesters forced officials to drastically change the event's relay route and move the closing ceremony to the city's airport. The torch was lit shortly before 4:30 p.m. ET, but the first runner was escorted into a warehouse, causing confusion among the crowds of onlookers -- many of them supportive of the event, in a city with a large Chinese-American population. The Olympic flame re-appeared about 45 minutes later, with two torch-bearers surrounded by police. The runners held the torch jointly and walked, before igniting the torch of another relay team. Security officials took the runners along a different route than had been planned, further inland from the San Francisco Bay.
Banks are told to cut rates and ease pressure on borrowers
Gordon Brown will hold talks today with mortgage lenders amid growing evidence that the downturn in the housing market could be worse than that of the early 1990s. The Prime Minister is expected to urge banks to help to shore up the housing market by easing loan costs, passing on cuts in base rates by the Bank of England to borrowers and being less tough on buyers in distress. The talks will be given fresh urgency by today’s housing market data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which suggests that a vicious downturn in the property market is gathering pace. The proportion of surveyors across the country reporting that house prices fell last month reached the highest levels on record. Some 78.5 per cent more surveyors said that house prices fell in March than reported increases, up from a net figure of 65.7 per cent in February and higher even than in June 1990, the institution reported.
Oneida reviews tattoo parlor
A tattoo parlor will open in Oneida for the first time since the 19th century if the Planning Commission approves Jarrod Genge's plans for "The Electric Pen" tonight. Last month, the Common Council voted to lift the tattoo parlor ban that was first put into place in the late 1800s and reaffirmed in 1989. With the old ordinance out of the way, Genge moved quickly. Tonight, the Planning Commission will review his plans for 108 Madison St. Cassie Rose, the city's planning and community development director, said Genge could leave the meeting with approval "contingent upon several codes issues," like plumbing, wiring, and the safety of the entranceways and stairway. "There's nothing that would stop him from eventually opening," she said. "There's nothing out of the ordinary." There are no local or county laws in place for inspecting or regulating tattoo parlors, but Genge has vowed to abide by industry standards that assure customers' health and safety.
Polygamist Clothing Has Roots in 19th Century and 1950s
For a society accustomed to the likes of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, the images of the women from the polygamist compound in Texas are almost shocking in their understatement: Ankle-length dresses, makeup-less faces, hauntingly uniform hair. (Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press) .
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