7.28.2006

You Are What You Eat

Summer is the season of vacations. And vacations often mean time spent on the road or in airports where fast food is the easiest thing to grab when you need a quick meal or snack. The good news is that these outposts of instant gratification have all made great strides toward adding healthier choices to their menus. But the bad news is that the majority of fast food offerings are still loaded with excess calories and fat.


It looks like the breakfast at "Micky D's" leads the pack. I can't say I'm surprised.




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7.20.2006

Ultrasonic Hemostasis



Ultrasound technology is best-known for its use in producing images of fetuses in the womb. But focused beams of high-intensity sound waves also can be used to stop internal bleeding--an ultrasound application that Philips Research, with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, hopes to adapt for use on the battlefield, where many injuries become fatal because internal bleeding is not stopped in a timely way.


This technology could also certainly have applications for civilians as well. This would be ideal for situations where a bleeding patient is too far away from a trauma center for rapid transport. Also, splenic salvage, or an additional modality for liver hemostasis come to mind.

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7.03.2006

Baby Steps In Bionics

UK scientists have developed technology that enables artificial limbs to be directly attached to a human skeleton. The breakthrough, developed by researchers at University College London, allows the prosthesis to breach the skin without risk of infection. The team says early clinical trials have been "very promising". It hopes the work - which is to be published in the Journal of Anatomy - may help survivors of the 7 July bombings, as well as other amputees. The work paves the way for bionic limbs which are controlled by the central nervous system. In the deer antlers it is very much to do with the structure and shape of the bone, and the porosity of the bone. The technique, called Intraosseous Transcutaneous Amputation Prosthesis (ITAP), involves securing a titanium rod directly into the bone. The metal implant passes through the skin and the artificial limb can be directly attached to it.


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Driving Under The Influence...Of a Cell Phone?!

Some U.S. states have banned drivers from chatting on their cell phones while behind the wheel, at least without using headsets. But according to the latest research findings, it may be prudent for local governments to stop people from driving and chatting altogether, given that talking on a mobile phone and driving at the same time is as dangerous as driving whilst drunk.


I'm just not sure about this. I don't think that talking on a cell phone, is quite the same as being legally intoxicated behind the wheel. Then again, I had a patient last month that dropped their cell phone, and crashed their car. Now that is a different story...

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