Friday, September 30, 2016

Robin Williams' Widow Writes A Devastating Account Of His Final Year



Susan Schneider Williams, Robin Williams' widow, wrote a devastating account of her husband's final year of life before he died by suicide in 2014.



An autopsy revealed that Robin Williams had Lewy body disease, an umbrella term used to describe both Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. In a letter this week addressed to neurologists, Susan described the “terrorist” who lived inside her husband's brain and caused him to forget his movie lines, plagued him with delusions and paranoia, and engulfed him in fear, anxiety and depression.



Her account of his medical journey illustrates just how difficult it is for a typical Lewy body disease patient to get properly diagnosed, how prescribed medicines for misdiagnosed conditions may have exacerbated his symptoms, and how patients who are properly diagnosed have no cure for their disease.



“I am not convinced that the knowledge would have done much more than prolong Robin's agony,” she wrote. “Even if we experienced some level of comfort in knowing the name, and fleeting hope from temporary comfort with medications, the terrorist was still going to kill him. There is no cure and Robin's steep and rapid decline was assured.”



Physical symptoms lead to cognitive problems 



Susan begins her letter describing the fall of 2013. By then, Robin was already seeing a doctor to cope with physical symptoms like a tremor in his left hand, constipation, heartburn, insomnia and a poor sense of smell. Then, one weekend in late October, she observed that his fear and anxiety had “skyrocketed” to alarming levels, beyond his usual stress.



By winter of that year, Robin was having problems with paranoia, delusions, insomnia, memory and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. He sought psychotherapy to help him cope with his fear and anxiety.



In April 2014, he had a panic attack while filming “Night at the Museum 3.” During filming, he struggled to memorize his lines ― unusual for the Juilliard-trained actor ― and his doctor prescribed antipsychotic medications.



Susan would later find out, months after her husband's death, that antipsychotics can cause severe reactions in people with LBD, and in some cases even worsen their cognitive and physical symptoms



Finally in May, doctors diagnosed Robin Williams with Parkinson's disease, which would explain physical symptoms like his hand tremor and difficulty moving. While the diagnosis proved comforting for a while, Susan writes that Robin sensed something was still deeply wrong ― specifically with his brain and his cognitive behavior.



“I just want to reboot my brain,” he said on one occasion. “Do I have Alzheimer's? Dementia? Am I schizophrenic?” he asked on another.



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A brief respite from the storm of symptoms



For the rest of the summer, the couple focused on dealing with his symptoms. He went to therapy and worked out with his trainer, and he learned meditation, yoga, self-hypnosis and more to calm his anxiety.



By July they decided to do more tests to get to the root of his depression and anxiety, and he switched medication. In August, it seemed the change had worked and his symptoms were improving ― but on Aug. 11, 2014, an assistant found his body in his home. Robin Williams had killed himself



Three months later, his widow learned from his autopsy report that his brain had been riddled with Lewy bodies, abnormal protein deposits that develop throughout the brain.



“The massive proliferation of Lewy bodies throughout his brain had done so much damage to neurons and neurotransmitters that in effect, you could say he had chemical warfare in his brain,” she wrote.



How is Lewy body disease diagnosed? 



While the presence of Lewy bodies is one of many symptoms that both Parkinson's disease and Lewy body disease share, dementia with Lewy bodies is different in that cognitive symptoms quickly follow movement problems. In Parkinson's disease, the cognitive symptoms appear more than a year after the physical symptoms first start. However, researchers acknowledge this cut-off is somewhat arbitrary, and that they're both diseases on the same spectrum.



In both cases, there is also no test that can definitively confirm the disease except a final autopsy; doctors have to make a clinical diagnosis based on a constellation of confusing symptoms. There is also no cure, but there are therapies that can perhaps prolong the milder stages of the disease and help patients and caregivers cope with the changes. 



Dementia with Lewy bodies has a few defining traits: progressive dementia, features of Parkinsonism, disordered sleep and hallucinations. While Robin Williams never admitted to having hallucinations, a doctor reviewed his medical records after his death and said it was likely he did have hallucinations but was keeping this information to himself. 



Williams' widow ended her letter with a note of encouragement for neurologists to continue their work researching cures for brain diseases. She also thanked them for their future work, and said she hopes some might turn out to discover the truth for LBD.



More than 1 million Americans are living with dementia with Lewy bodies today, and like Robin Williams, they're likely to visit several doctors before arriving at their diagnosis. 



Pat Snyder, a woman whose husband died of Lewy body dementia in 2015, told HuffPost in a previous story that the couple visited 12 doctors over seven years before she found someone who could properly treat him. 



“Her story is our story,” Snyder had said about Susan Schneider Williams last year. “You're playing whack-a-mole, getting symptoms you don't understand [and] you're going to doctors who don't understand, don't diagnose it. I am thrilled that she has been willing to step out and tell the story and make America more aware of this, because it's very common.”

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Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to beating cancer

cancers in men are prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.
 Lung cancer is the leading cancer … .
Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer that causes death. The American Cancer Society … cancer awareness month, September is prostate cancer awareness month, and March is colorectal cancer

'Every day is a gift': Dad with brain cancer gets to see his child's birth

… from an aggressive form of brain cancer was able to see the …

Asbestos Disease Awareness Org. President Urges Congressional Support of Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2016, S. 3427, Introduced Today by Senator Barbara Boxer

Asbestos
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More Options Emerging For Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer While Pregnant

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Yours or mine? How we handle objects depends on who owns them

From scissors and staplers to car keys and cell phones, we pass objects to other people every day. We often try to pass the objects so that the handle or other useful feature is facing the appropriate direction for the person receiving the item, but new research shows that we are less accommodating when it comes to handing over our own belongings.

9 Easy Pasta Dishes the Family will Love

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We love Pasta at the Hollis home! It's super easy and there's so many different recipes we can make that the boys never get tired of having it. That's why I rounded up 9 of my favorite recipes to serve to my family during the week!

One Pot Kielbasa Pasta

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One Pot Fajita Pasta

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One Pot Spinach Artichoke Pasta

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Baked Ravioli

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Shrimp Pesto Arugula Pasta

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Minestrone Pasta Salad

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Turkey Meatball Caprese Pasta

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Spaghetti and Slow Cooker Meatballs

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Summer Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

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BBQ Pizza Pasta Bake

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You May Also Like:

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11 Easy Weeknight Dinners

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Want more delicious recipes? Head on over to The Chic Site now! You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel or follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Don't forget to Pre-Order My Cookbook HERE!!

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Hillary Clinton accepted a medical journal's offer to outline her healthcare ideas. Donald Trump didn't.

… goals and plans for American healthcare in their Administrations, Hillary Clinton … Congressional Republicans to cease making healthcare “a partisan or divisive issue … healthcare policy was picked up by the eagle ears of Modern Healthcare

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Lung cancer decision aids are helpful for patients

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Holiday Weight Gain Is Real No Matter What You Celebrate



If you're worried about holiday weight gain this year, you might have cause for concern: It seems weight gain surrounding festivities is a nearly universal truth, according to a new study conducted in Germany, the U.S. and Japan. 



Researchers found that citizens of these three countries put on weight at different times of year, each time corresponding to specific holiday celebrations in each country. This may come as a surprise to those who believe that weight gain in the holidays is a unique phenomenon in the U.S., or even only in the West.



The common denominator in all three countries was the Christmas-New Year holiday. The first 10 days after Christmas led to the highest average weight increase for all three groups: Americans gained an average 1.3lbs, 1.8lbs for Germans and 1.1lbs for the Japanese.



But the study also found that Americans gain weight during Thanksgiving, too, while for Germans the equivalent is the period around Easter. And for the Japanese, the bump happens surrounding a holiday period in the beginning of May called the “Golden Week.”





Researchers chose the three countries because they represent different continents, said co-author Elina Helander, a postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University of Technology, Finland. 



Her study included 3,000 participants in all three countries who were given wireless digital scales to monitor their weight every day for a full year, starting from August 1, 2012. The researchers then assessed changes in the participants' weight compared to their initial weight.



The most interesting discovery the researchers made was that, while people would shed around half of the weight they gained during the holiday season almost immediately, the other half would remain intact well into summer and even longer.



Of course, seasonal variations in weight could also be at play: Studies show that most people exercise less and eat more during the winter. But the researchers said that holidays specifically accounted for at least some of the weight gain in the study.  



“Holidays are sharper peaks, whereas seasonal (gain) is associated with slowly varying trends,” Helander told HuffPost. In other words, we gain weight more abruptly during a holiday period, while weight changes over a season tend to fluctuate more slowly.



Overall, the study confirms what people suspected for a long time: gaining weight over the holidays is real almost everywhere. But instead of frustrating us, this fact might actually help us get more savvy with our food next time we get into festive mood.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

US STOCKS-Wall St slips as Apple, healthcare stocks drop

… by Apple and healthcare stocks. The S&P healthcare index fell …

Intuitive Surgical partners with Fosun Pharma for lung cancer diagnostic tools in China

… diagnosis and cost-effective treatment of lung cancer, one of the most commonly … suffer from increased rates of lung cancer,” Chairman of Fosun Pharma, Chen …

Raw Vegan Matcha Nougat and Caramel Cheesecake

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Let me first start by saying that this raw vegan cheescake is AMAAZZZING!



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It's my first venture into making a raw cake - if you don't include my Protein Truffles or 5 Minute Healthy Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough recipes - and I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with the result...



Aside from the fact that it's totally gluten-free and paleo (and thus mega healthy), this delicious vegan cake is totally raw.



That's right, 100% raw!



Absolutely no baking is required to make this delectable delight so it's not only fresh - with the ingredients retaining all of their nutrients - but also child friendly so you can make this with your lil 'uns, worry free.



Let's also not forget the fact that this cake contains matcha - the super, mega green tea of the moment, thereby adding even more healthy-licious greatness to an already guilt free cake.



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Can a vegan cake get even better, I hear you ask?



Well, yes... if you like Snickers, it most certainly can!



I for one, love Snickers.



However, being of a certain age and British born, I'll tell you now that aside from this post and for the purposes of my transatlantic readers, I point-blank refuse to call Snickers anything other than Marathon as that is what the peanut packed chocolate bar was called before changing to Snickers a few years back, for whatever crazy reason.



Call me old-fashioned, a stick in the mud or whatever. I don't care.



I even refuse to call Opal Fruits Starbursts as 'Opal Fruits' is what I know from childhood and thus, Opal Fruits is what they shall remain.



Don't even get me started on the ridiculous name Oil of Ulay has recently changed to...!



But, as usual, I digress.



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I love Snicker bars. The chocolate, peanuts, soft nougat and sweet, sweet caramel all combine to make one tasty chocolate bar.



However, being the health conscious nut ( ) that I am, I'm always on the search for gluten-free/paleo alternatives to my favourite meals and snacks and so, with a bit of tinkering I came up with this version of one of my favourite chocolate bars.



Made up of three layers - a chocolate, nutty cheesecake base, a fluffy matcha nougat layer and a delicious, toffee like top layer - this raw vegan cake really is the dreamiest, softest, tastiest cake I've made thus far and topping it all off with a layer of rich, dark chocolate and a sprinkling of pistachio nuts really added even more va-va-voom to an already perfect vegan cheesecake that you just have to try out for yourself.



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For the crust



1 cup of peanuts

1 cup of walnuts

2 cups of medjool dates

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1/4 tbsp of salt

2-4 tbsp maple syrup



For the matcha nougat layer



2 cups of cashew nuts (soaked overnight in water)

1/3 cup of peanut butter

1/3 cup of maple syrup

5 tbsp of almond milk

2 cups of tinned coconut cream (the creamy top layer is what is needed)

1/4 tbsp salt

1 cup of coconut oil

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

2 tsp of organic matcha green tea powder



For the caramel layer



2 cups of medjool dates (soaked overnight in water)

1/4 cup of water

1 tbsp of peanut butter

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp salt



For the topping



200g dark chocolate

Handful of crushed pistachio nuts

Edible flowers (optional)



For the base



Blend the nuts until they form a crumb like consistency.

Remove from the blender and set aside.

Place the dates in the blender and blend until the dates form a ball.

Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until you get a crumbly consistency.

Remove the ingredients and place in a cake tin, patting down until the base is flat and smooth.

Place the cake tin in the fridge to set.



For the matcha nougat layer



Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add on top of the cheesecake base and place tin back in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.



For the caramel layer



Blend all caramel ingredients until smooth and smooth on top of the nougat layer before placing back in the fridge to set.



For the topping



On a cooker, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of boiling water.

Pour over the cheesecake and sprinkle over the crushed pistachio nuts.



Notes



As the creamy top part of the coconut milk is all that is needed for this recipe, save the remaining water to include in another recipe (smoothies, soups and juices are all great with coconut milk) by pouring out of the tin and placing in an airtight container.

This water can keep for a few days in the fridge.



By Justina Elumeze

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I am a Hypochondriac

I am in a perpetual abusive relationship with hypochondria; I desperately want to get away from it, but somehow it controls my brain.



I've had hypochondriac tendencies (more officially known as "illness anxiety disorder") for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure who or what to blame and the source of the disorder is irrelevant; it's the cure I'm after.



Hypothesis theories for my hypochondria:



  • Throughout my childhood, my mother perpetually complained of a bad heart and threatened to faint, falling back on her stash of smelling salts in her purse.


  • The best birthday present I ever got was the Merck Medical Manual, which I read cover to cover like a gripping mystery novel.


  • The internet. Type in a symptom and it'll provide evidence to substantiate any cancer diagnosis - or MS or blood clot or an aneurysm de jour.


  • The tragic stories which make you feel powerless and helpless. The healthy marathon runner who never smoked a day in his life with no family history and plagued with lung cancer.




Has your foot ever fallen asleep? How about just your pinky toe? How long will you let your pinky toe feel numb before googling it? Or will you even notice at all? I'm perpetually amazed at how we exist in a world where people could carry a pregnancy unknowingly alongside people like me who notice a pin-prick size bite or a new freckle emerge among millions. I swear to feel my egg drop each month and I promise I can feel it traveling down my fallopian tube. I'm not claiming it's painful; I'm simply acknowledging I feel it and I am hyper aware of it. This hypersensitivity is called body vigilance. It means I feel any little thing even if it's just my body being alive, and I take it to the extreme.



My brain engages in a civil war: the FEAR team versus the LOGIC team. Even though my LOGIC team is armed with more data than my FEAR team, the latter plays dirty by shooting out the deadly 'what if' arrows into the ring, completely leveling the field. For every logical comment, my brain uses to assuage the fear, the 'what-if's' throw something in to make me doubt myself. What if JUST THIS TIME it is a heart attack? What if JUST THIS TIME it is a blood clot in my lungs? What if JUST THIS TIME that little lip twitch is an early indicator of Multiple Sclerosis? Or Muscular Dystrophy? (I always confused them, but am terrified of both equally.)



Keep in mind, I am a smart, educated person who understands, appreciates and is fascinated by biology (my favorite science). When my grandfather was diagnosed with throat cancer, I scoured the Internet for everything there was to know about the disease, the treatment, and the recovery. When my grandmother was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, she asked how long it had been there and they told her they had no idea; probably years. She said, "If I've been walking around with it for years, I'll continue to walk around with it." I am not that person. I would think of nothing other than that growing blood clot pushing on my brain. I would not sleep because I would be sure it would pop in my sleep or when I coughed or screamed or yelled.



For years, I thought the momentary sharp pain I got "under my breast" was a heart attack warning. I thought back to my mother grabbing her chest and yelling out in Russian, "koleet," which translates to "it's piercing." She'd gasp for breath and occasionally ask for the smelling salts but the pain was always gone soon after with no real repercussion or follow up. She never went to a cardiologist but told me the story about how she had scarlet fever as a child and it has lasting effects on her heart. She had us all convinced she had a bad heart, but now I realize she just had gas. She also spewed the rhetoric how her "B" blood type, was a lower caliber blood, secondary to "A" blood type. "I have the weaker blood type," she would tell me, "not like your father. Thank goodness you have A positive like him." Turns out we actually both have O positive.



When I take things to the extreme, I know I'm trying to gain control because ultimately FEAR is controlling my hypochondriac symptoms. Somehow my brain believes if I discover it early enough; if I prepare well enough; if I get to the hospital fast enough, I'll save myself. My preparedness is fruitless; I am a samurai meditating on my death.



The older I get, the worse it is. I've spent so many years worrying about these possible horrific diseases without getting them, I'm sure my time is coming. Why else has life been preparing me for all these diseases? I wait and wait, wasting all my time fearing when I could have been grateful for every day without pain. I could be appreciating every day that I am not aware of something secretly growing inside me. The fear can be paralyzing; it's dangerous in the world with terrible texting drivers and drunk people at a concert who might trample me and ticking bombs in random dumpsters, but fear is just a self-induced terrorist which will imprison you with limitations.



A therapist tried to help me with my brain's propensity to rapidly accelerate towards the worst case scenario regarding health issues but it's a hard program to overwrite. She tried to teach me if I find a small lump on my arm, for instance, I shouldn't instantly google "arm cancer," and instead just be aware of it and monitor it for a few days to see if perhaps it was just a mosquito bite and will go away. Her goal was to modify my behavior to delay the panic release.



Over time, I've learned that I have to understand the difference between pain and sensation. Awareness does not necessarily indicate a symptom of something else, it is a reminder my heart is beating and I am breathing. I'm also not the type of hypochondriac who incessantly visits the doctor; I'm too afraid they will find something and also, I don't trust them. Today's doctors' first order of business is a prescription for Klonopin to try to quiet my overactive mind.



Therapists often get hung up on analysis to decipher the root of the disorder, but I'm often frustrated because I want a solution, or at least a better coping method than writing (192,733 words to date and still not cured).



Did you hear that wheeze when I inhaled deeply? Or am I not inhaling deeply enough? Is my lung capacity giving me enough air? Can I make the wheeze happen again? Of course not! It's like bringing the car to the mechanic and then it doesn't make the noise. Don't you hear that deep wheeze? Is that stage 4 lung cancer?



I feel like a floating molecule through space waiting to be struck by something. I walk through life avoiding the diseases like walking between the raindrops.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Bravery, blogs and breast cancer

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Meet the Fruit: Aronia, a "Superfood" Native to the American Midwest

2016-09-27-1475009389-3604891-aronia.jpgPhoto courtesy of Wendy Cutler, Flickr



Who says superfoods have to come from exotic places? Goji berries may come from north-central China and acai from deep in the Amazon, but farmers in the Midwest are hoping that a native fruit could bring the same cachet.



So-called "superfruits," which include everything from the well-known blueberries and cranberries, to more niche goji berries and acai, don't have any particular scientific baseline to reinforce their status. "Superfruit" and "superfood" are marketing terms, not scientific terms, and can refer to a food having high levels of, well, basically anything from vitamin C to manganese. But most often, the label is bestowed on foods with high levels of antioxidants, specifically anthocyanins. Theoretically, antioxidants can inhibit the natural damage of cells, but exactly how drinking a pomegranate juice affects your health is not really well-understood.



Plus: How to Grow Your Own Superfoods



Questionable science notwithstanding, the marketing of superfoods is a wildly profitable one. Acai berries, basically unknown in the US a decade ago, now occupy a market of hundreds of millions of dollars. It's perfectly understandable that everyone from small farmers to giant corporations like Welch's and Ocean Spray want to get some of that superfood money--but how?



Aronia could be the newest attempt--and one of the most interesting, at least to us in the US, because it's native to the Americas. Harvest Public Media alerts us to the efforts of small farmers in the Midwest to make their little black berry the homegrown goji.



Plus: Why You Should Be Eating More Purple Cauliflowera



Prior to its hopeful rebranding in recent years, the aronia berry was known as the chokeberry--not necessarily the most appealing name. ("Aronia" is simply the Linnaean name for the genus of the plant.) It comes in a few different species, normally referred to by the color of the fruit--red, black, and purple. The black aronia is what we're talking about here: a small shrub, easy to plant, that's native to the temperate areas of the Midwest, especially the area from North Dakota to Wisconsin in the north and Kansas to Illinois in the south.



Aronia was, until recently, a fairly common ornamental plant; it has nice shiny leaves and fragrant flowers, and requires little upkeep. Elsewhere in the world, the fruit is eaten more often, especially in the Balkans and Caucasus regions, where it's made into jam and even liquor. In the US, though, it's not commonly eaten; like the cranberry, it's highly acidic and astringent when raw.



Plus: Meet the Mighty, Mighty Moringa Tree



But it's also astoundingly high in some of the metrics that make a superfruit designated as such: its antioxidant content is off the charts, among the highest of any plant yet measured, hence its deep black-purple color. (Antioxidant-rich foods are usually dark blue or purple in color.) Due to that marketable metric and the fact that it's rather easy to grow, farmers have begun planting aronia over the past few years, hoping that a marketing engine will turn their sour little berry into sweet, sweet cash.



A few marketing cooperatives have popped up, especially in the Midwest, to promote the aronia berry's wondrous properties. After all, the fact that it isn't super tasty raw isn't necessarily a dealbreaker; neither is the cranberry or the acai. And marketers are hoping that a homegrown superfruit might tap into current trends for local food. Who knows? You may soon be seeing aronia products, straight from Iowa or Minnesota, in your local gourmet grocery store soon.



More from Modern Farmer:

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5 Unusual Corn Mazes You Have to Visit This Fall

Farm to Fido's Bowl: How to Make Homemade Dog Food

6 New Books We're Reading this Fall

Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Land on Food and Farming Issues



Also on HuffPost:



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WorkSafe violations/fines for asbestos contractor in B.C.

… on exposure (to asbestos), and to date there's no exposure.” … the firm was conducting hazardous materials surveys, removing asbestos-containing … as “repeated” and “high risk.”
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Wall Street slips as Apple, healthcare stocks drop

… by Apple and healthcare stocks. The S&P healthcare index fell …

Oral nimbolide reduces prostate tumour size by up to 70%, decreases metastasis 50%

prostate cancer cells," said Assoc Prof Sethi.
Nimbolide: promising effects on prostate cancer … been reported to contribute to prostate tumour growth and metastasis," … and Inhibits Tumor Growth in Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate Model, …

Researchers get mixed results in training dogs to sniff out lung cancer in humans

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The experiment consisted … further:
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Abstract
The prognosis in lung cancer depends largely on early stage …

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance Launches Campaign To Raise Awareness And Support For Those With Metastatic Breast Cancer

… of nonprofit groups, breast cancer survivors, individuals with metastatic breast cancer, and industry partners … % of the total breast cancer research investment.  
National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day is … for those with metastatic breast cancer
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance was founded in …

Utah Zika Case Shows Casual Physical Contact Can Spread The Virus





Back in July, a 38-year-old Utah man was diagnosed with the Zika virus, even though he hadn't traveled to a Zika-affected region or had sexual contact with someone who did. 



Experts were puzzled.



They knew that Zika virus was transmitted in only one of four ways: from the bite of an infected mosquito, from sexual contact with an infected person, from contact with infected blood, or from pregnant mother to fetus in the womb. They also knew that Salt Lake City, Utah is not a hospitable environment for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits the virus easily.  







The man's only contact with someone who had Zika was a hospital visit to see a 73-year-old friend with the virus ― a visit that occurred seven to 10 days before the younger man's symptoms began. Without wearing gloves, he had helped a nurse re-position his friend and had wiped the man's eyes. That was it: There was no other contact with blood or other bodily fluids. 



So did he really get the virus from touching a patient? The answer appears to be yes, but there are a lot of caveats. 



Tears or sweat might transmit the virus, but researchers can't be sure





In a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Sankar Swaminathan of the University of Utah School of Medicine concludes that the younger man likely contracted Zika virus from his older friend, who shortly died. However, Swaminathan and his fellow authors aren't sure how the transmission occurred. One possibility is that it happened because the man wasn't wearing gloves and came into contact with his friend's sweat or tears. 



Swaminathan, who treated both men in Utah, emphasized that his report does not definitively implicate contact with sweat or tears as a way to contract the Zika virus. 



“We can't conclude anything because we really just don't have firm evidence of how it was transmitted,” he said. “This doesn't change any recommendations from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], or what the real risk factors are for people to get Zika: traveling to a Zika-endemic area or having sex with a person who has been in an area like that.” 



“We just don't want to create alarm that Zika virus is easily translated from person to person,” he concluded. “We just don't think it is.” 



The original patient had an unusually high viral load 



The facts of the case are unusual for even more reasons. For one, the original patient, who had likely contracted the Zika virus while visiting Mexico, had an unusually high concentration of the virus in his body: Doctors measured it as about 200 million copies of the virus per millimeter of blood. Research on the typical viral load of Zika virus is still forthcoming, but to give a sense of how unusually high this concentration is, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an HIV and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA School of Medicine and Public Health, pointed out that someone with HIV only has about 50,000 to 100,000 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood.



The patient may have had unusually large amounts of virus in his body because he had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer before he contracted Zika virus. The presence of cancer, his age, and the radiation and hormone therapies he underwent may have all worked together to make his Zika infection unusually virulent, resulting in his rapid deterioration and death, said Klausner. In fact, his death in and of itself is unusual, as the disease is typically mild or even symptomless for most people. 



This high viral load may have resulted in the presence of the virus in bodily fluids where it usually isn't present, leading to the other man's subsequent infection. Patient 2 did not have any underlying medical conditions and was not immunocompromised in any way, Swaminathan said. 





“We know the amount of virus in the original patient was extremely high, so it's not surprising that perhaps with such a high amount of virus, body fluids not generally considered to be high risk for spreading infection could be infectious,” Klausner concluded. “It does just speak to a need to routinely employ universal precautions when being potentially exposed to any potentially infectious material.”



What this means for the rest of us: probably nothing



The young man's case is remarkable because of how unusual it is, but it probably doesn't have any further implications for transmission in other parts of the world, said Klausner, who was not involved with the case but did review Swaminathan's report.  



Klausner expressed dismay that the man didn't take standard precautions, such as wearing gloves or face masks, when visiting his infectious friend in the hospital. But he also pointed out that the event is extremely rare, and that there is no need for the general public to be alarmed that Zika virus could be spread through casual physical contact. 



As for the rest of us, we can prevent the spread of Zika virus by not traveling to regions where Zika virus is spreading locally, and by making sure that our properties don't harbor standing water that could invite or nurture a mosquito infestation. If we do live or travel in an area affected by Zika virus, preventing mosquito bites and using condoms consistently and correctly during each sexual encounter can limit the risk of getting or transmitting the disease. 







-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Human and avian running on uneven ground

Humans and birds adapt their movement when running on uneven ground. "And even though their adaptation mechanisms and strategies developed completely independently, they do so in very similar ways", outlines a new report that analyzes human and avian locomotion on uneven ground. 

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Study Shows Number of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cases Increasing

… of new cases of metastatic prostate cancer (cancer that spreads to other parts … Robotics for Prostate Cancer, is alarmed by the rise in metastatic prostate cancer cases … .  “Prostate cancer is only curable if it is diagnosed early.  Early prostate cancer is …

China's $5 Billion Health-Care Deal Spree Shows Global Ambitions

… Kong-listed China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings Ltd., has big ambitions … $5.2 billion of overseas health-care acquisitions this year, according to … the most prominent deals, Humanwell Healthcare Group, a Chinese maker of …

More WorkSafe violations, fines for asbestos contractor who worked in Maple Ridge

… on exposure (to asbestos), and to date there's no exposure.” … the firm was conducting hazardous materials surveys, removing asbestos-containing … as “repeated” and “high risk.”
Al Johnson, vice-president of … accuses the organization, its lawyers and its board of …

We Wear Orange

On Friday our family wears orange. You can't compare pain and hurt like the one our people endured in the Residential Schools. You only have to ask someone in the community about the abuse that the schools caused, and each one could name 3 or 4 elders, uncles, or grandmas that endured the horrid pain. My mother never ended up in the schools but instead spent her years in the foster care system. When she was 9, she came downstairs looking for her brother, who lived in the home with her. The response to her inquiry, was simply "Your brother's been adopted and you will never see him again."



How does healing begin in a community that is still looked upon with such judgment and racism? Even growing up as the "lonely Indian", I never shared my Metis heritage. Because you don't tell people you're "mixed"; my mother made sure of that. We only shared our Cherokee roots. I remember though, even then, the shame behind my culture in school and the mocking names people would give me when I would share small pieces of my culture and of my community even though, for the most part, I looked like a white girl. And once I shared my Aboriginal background, their faces changed and hardened slightly, as if they weren't surprised that I was from an alcoholic single-parent family.



So much healing has to happen. The elders that taught, and continue to teach us, never share their anger like I expected they would. Only healing. Desperate to heal their community from the abuse that has since manifested into failed relationships, addictions and suicide.



So, as the lonely Indian girl that watched her family suffer from abuse, that looked in the eyes of people whose pain was so frightening from the memories of the schools, we stand. We wear orange shirts together. We will recollect and hope for the generations to come. But we won't forget. We honor the courage and spirits of those who endured the schools. And teach our children of the healing that will come.

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Cancer and Genetics: What's the Connection?

… risk of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer
Cowden syndrome - raised risk … risk of colorectal cancer, some skin cancers, and brain tumors
Multiple endocrine neoplasia … breast, bowel, ovarian, womb, and prostate cancer. Tests are also available for …

New Lung Cancer Study May Improve Mesothelioma Therapy

… .
While the study focused on lung cancer, new breakthroughs targeting mutated genes … Acids Play Key Role in Lung Cancer
UT Southwestern researchers determined enzymatic … biological significance of ACSL3 in lung cancer, researchers studied several complementary approaches …

New Lung Cancer Study May Improve Mesothelioma Therapy

… Mutation Analysis in Mesothelioma Treatments
Asbestos exposure activates EGFR; … mutations in pleural mesothelioma patients.
Researchers found … of ACSL3 in lung cancer, researchers studied several … lung cancer, which is the largest single subtype of the disease

Young Males And Problematic Porn Use

Is Your Son Using Porn?



A few years ago, Canadian researcher Simon Lajeunesse wanted to study the effects of porn on adolescent boys. To do this, he needed to assemble two groups--young males who were porn users, and young males who were not porn users. His hope was to compare and contrast, looking for differences between the two cohorts. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't locate any adolescent males who'd never looked at porn. Eventually, with no control group, he had to abandon the study.



Thus, if you're the parent of a teenaged boy, he's probably looking at porn. He might also be sexting, messing around with hookup apps, and playing highly sexualized video games, as these activities have also become relatively normal forms of teenaged sexploration.



Should You Be Worried?



As with other potentially problematic forms of adolescent investigation (smoking, drinking, taking drugs, etc.), most porn-using boys are able to experiment without serious consequences (except, perhaps, the occasional reprimand from a parent or some other adult authority figure). However, as digital pornography becomes more and more accessible, a small but growing number of boys are running into problems. Consider these posts found on the popular website, YourBrainOnPorn.com:





  • I started watching porn at 10 and fapping [masturbating] soon after, several times a day for the last four years until I decided to quit. I had many reasons for quitting: girls, anxiety, depression, and I couldn't figure out why I felt so dead inside.


  • I had weird fetishes and could not stay hard during sex.


  • What was worse than the PIED [porn-induced erectile dysfunction] was the desensitization to the world. I found it hard to enjoy anything at all.




NOTE: Young females also use and sometimes struggle with pornography. (We don't know how often this occurs because female sexuality is woefully under-researched.) Typically, girls are introduced to porn by a boyfriend, or they seek it out themselves because they are curious about sex and their body and want to compare and contrast. But then they get aroused, they become more involved, and over time they get hooked, experiencing consequences similar to those of boys. Plus, girls can suffer because they feel like they either can't or don't want to live up to the unreasonable standards of hardcore pornography. For instance, getting a "bukkake facial" does not appeal to most girls, but porn would suggest it's a common occurrence.



Is This Addiction?



Until recently, it was assumed that most adolescents who experienced negative consequences related to heavy porn use were, except for their age, traditional porn addicts, fully meeting the generally accepted criteria for sexual addiction:





  • Preoccupation to the point of obsession


  • Loss of control over use (typically evidenced by multiple failed attempts to quit or cut back)


  • Directly related negative consequences, including problems at school, social isolation, erectile dysfunction, loss of interest in real world romance, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc.




Lately, however, treatment specialists have noticed that some heavy users of porn might not be fully addicted. This is most common with young males. These boys may be using porn just as often, with similar consequences, as the boys who are truly addicted. But they are able to walk away from porn relatively easily. Moreover, their porn-driven consequences (especially erectile dysfunction issues) tend to clear up within a month or two of quitting.



This suggests that some young males who use porn heavily are addicted, while others are merely "compulsive with" or "conditioned to" porn. The addicted group, usually boys with significant trauma histories (abuse, neglect, family dysfunction), tends to use porn as a way to escape emotional discomfort, the same way substance addicts use alcohol and drugs. The other group, usually boys with minimal early-life trauma, tends to use porn because they were exposed to it at an early age and became accustomed to its supernormal stimulus. They might also be using porn because it's easier than learning about and experiencing sexual activity in a real world setting.



Since I started noticing these similar but different populations, I've been calling one group addicted and the other group either conditioned or dependent. Others have called the two groups classic porn addicts and contemporary porn addicts. Whatever the terminology, it seems clear that unresolved early-life trauma drives one group, while early-life exposure to a supernormal stimulus drives the other.



Interestingly, both groups tend to struggle with real world romantic interactions. They are just plain unable to effectively navigate the oft-treacherous waters of real world dating and sexuality--likely because porn use has supplanted certain aspects of normal adolescent development. In other words, they've learned how to manage their online sexual world, but that is the extent of their skillset. Their face-to-face romantic abilities are nascent at best.



Treatment



Both populations typically respond to the basics of sex/porn addiction treatment, especially behavioral and accountability tasks. With the newer/contemporary population, however, deeper aspects of addiction treatment, especially psychotherapeutic work focused on underlying trauma, may be overkill (and possibly even counterproductive). In these cases, treatments aimed at rectifying aspects of delayed development are proving to be more effective.



Takeaways



If you're a parent and your adolescent son is looking at porn, he is probably not addicted. Most likely, what he is doing is normal for a young male in the digital age. If he is looking at porn multiple hours nightly, however, and his grades are slipping, he seems socially isolated, and his sexual/romantic behaviors and attitudes seem "off" to you, he may have a problem with addiction. In such cases, your son may benefit from professional sex addiction treatment.



For additional information about sex/porn addiction and the process of healing, click here and here.



Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S is Senior Vice President of National Clinical Development for Elements Behavioral Health, creating and overseeing addiction and mental health treatment programs for more than a dozen high-end treatment. He is the author of several highly regarded books. For more information please visit his website at robertweissmsw.com or follow him on Twitter, @RobWeissMSW.

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Study of North Atlantic Ocean reveals decline of leaded petrol emissions

A new study of lead pollution in the North Atlantic provides strong evidence that leaded petrol emissions have declined over the past few decades. For the first time in around 40 years, scientists have detected lead from natural sources in samples from this ocean. In the intervening period, the proportion of lead in the ocean from humanmade sources, most importantly leaded petrol emissions, had been so high that it was not possible to detect any lead from natural sources.

KKR Said to Seek Up to $800 Million for First Health-Care Fund

… to strike big-ticket deals for health-care companies.
A spokeswoman for New … flagship funds. KKR started the health-care growth strategy by using money … about $4.5 billion in health-care companies since 2004.
The firm …

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: why we so badly need more Havens

… – female or male – diagnosed with breast cancer and living with the disease … physical support to those with breast cancer – even in places where there … years since my diagnosis, the Breast Cancer Haven dropped the first two … people or those with secondary breast cancer, plus one-to-one counselling sessions; benefits …

Paella: A Vegetarian One-Dish Feast

2016-09-26-1474915633-2630936-VegetarianPaella.JPG




Paella is traditionally meant to feed many. The Italians call it risotto, the Spanish, paella. There are similarities and differences, of course, such as the smoky paprika and saffron in paella, and the parmesan and creamy nature of risotto. The first time I had true paella was at a little hole in the wall place called Lola's on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans. Garlic aioli comes to the table in a little dish, creamed up like butter, served with a big pan of paella, toppling with abundant rice studded with shrimp, calamari, scallops, mussels and other fruits de mer. The seafood paella, Lola's specialty, serves four people easily, most of them, if not all, reek of that marvelous garlic aioli. I came to learn later, after spreading the stuff on every bite, the bedsheets become perfumed with the stinking rose of garlic, along with my clothes, my skin, everything. Ah, but the garlic-infused paella, bountiful with your choice of either seafood, meat or vegetarian. Garlic, saffron and paprika are the trinity of paella.



Since the beginnings of paella back in its mother region of Valencia, Spain, a few old-fashioned paella-making basics have remained standard routine. Begin making paella with a smoky sofrito, a flavor base of chopped up vegetables sautéed in oil with garlic and tomatoes, onions and Spanish red peppers. Sofrito means "gently fried" and this is your secret sauce. For a rich flavor, cook the sofrito longer. Then the rice is added and cooked through for about 20 minutes until that toothy al dente tack is reached. For a flavorful crust, called socarrat, turn up the heat for a moment before finishing the paella to toast the rice on the bottom of the pan.



My paella pan is large enough to feed a table of people, and that is all you will need. Once you have made your rice, just put it on the table and serve. This makes paella an easy weekday dinner or a weekend dish after the Sunday farmers' market. There are endless ways to make paella, but vegetarian style allows humble vegetables to showoff and become luxury ingredients. Especially because paella might be considered parallel to a casserole of sorts, an ordinary feed with the purpose of using up leftover ingredients or produce that doesn't have much left to give, which summons up some kitchen inspiration for creating an ordinary dish into something extraordinary. I've used the same paella pan for years and it only improves with the patina of age, as I'd like to believe the pan gives the rice more flavor, the chewy caramelized crust of rice at the bottom and the al dente tenderness at the center of the one-dish pan is the spice-fragrant treasure one seeks until completely scraped out, spoons and forks licked clean.



This recipe is more of a suggestion than an exact recipe, so please add your own choice of vegetables to this paella as you please.



Vegetarian Paella

(serves 6)



  • 1/4 cup olive oil


  • 1 large onion, chopped


  • 1 leek, chopped


  • 6 cloves garlic, minced


  • 4 cups vegetable broth


  • 2 cups short grain paella rice (bomba, Valencia or Calasparra)


  • 3 small sweet peppers, yellow, red and orange, charred and sliced


  • 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped


  • 1 bunch basil, leaves


  • chopped green olives (optional)


  • a few threads of saffron, crushed


  • 1 tbl smoked sweet paprika


  • 1 lemon, juiced


  • sea salt




  1. Prep all veggies before adding to your paella: roast peppers, sauté any other veggies you choose so that they are ready to add to the paella near the end of cooking.




  2. Heat the olive oil in the paella pan and sauté the onion, leek and garlic on medium-high heat until tender and translucent, about 10-15 minutes. Sometimes I splash a little sherry or marsala at that point, it adds some dimension to the caramelized ingredients.




  3. In a separate pan, heat the vegetable broth until simmering.




  4. In a small bowl, put saffron into a little hot water, allow to stand about 10 minutes.




  5. Add the rice to the paella pan with the onion, leek and garlic and sauté about 3 minutes.




  6. Add tomatoes and paprika. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add more paprika and any other Spanish peppers to make the luscious sofrito seasoning into a richer, deeper flavor, and cook a little longer.




  7. Add veggie broth and saffron water. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium-high heat until al dente texture. If the broth has been absorbed but needs more cooking time, add more broth accordingly, taste to check the cooked rice until desired consistency. Reduce heat to low.




  8. Cook without stirring at high heat, 1 to 2 minutes, allowing a crust to form on the bottom.




  9. Add in the sweet charred peppers and chopped green olives (if desired), as well as any other veggies you want.




  10. Toss all vegetables gently in the pan to incorporate into the rice, taking care not to scoop to the crispy soccarat bottom, and cover with foil. Remove from heat, allowing the rice to set, about 10 minutes.




  11. Drizzle lemon juice and season with sea salt to taste.




  12. Garnish with basil leaves (parsley and/or cilantro can also be used) and serve.

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New Lung Cancer Study May Improve Mesothelioma Therapy

New insight into the gene responsible for the most aggressive subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could bring hope for mesothelioma patients.


Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center identified a new way to target lung cancer through the Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog, also known as the KRAS gene.


Tumors that carry a mutation in this gene account for about 30 percent of lung cancer cases, which are usually aggressive with a poor prognosis.


Prior to the study, scientists had difficulty targeting the gene.


The KRAS gene produces proteins called K-Ras, which influence cell division. Mutations in K-Ras can result in normal cells dividing uncontrollably and turning cancerous.


This is an example of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).


EGFR is involved with the pathogenesis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), the most common form of mesothelioma.


While the study focused on lung cancer, new breakthroughs targeting mutated genes and cancer cells are beneficial to future treatments of mesothelioma, which is equally as aggressive as NSCLC.


Significance of Mutation Analysis in Mesothelioma Treatments


Asbestos exposure activates EGFR; however, because it is produced by a variety of cancers, it cannot be used to diagnose mesothelioma.


Advances with anti-EGFR drugs and targeted treatments can be significant in future treatments of pleural mesothelioma patients. Molecular profiling is essential for some pleural mesothelioma patients who may respond to anti-EGFR therapies.


The British Journal of Cancer in 2013 published a study that investigated the presence and frequency of EGFR gene mutations in pleural mesothelioma patients.


Researchers found EGFR downstream pathways are not rare in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients, and although none found in the study “seemed to be prognostically significant, they may support a more specific selection of patients for future trials.”


Findings Show Fatty Acids Play Key Role in Lung Cancer


UT Southwestern researchers determined enzymatic activity from the Fatty-Acid-Coenzyme A Ligase Long-Chain 3, or ACSL3 gene, is essential for the mutated KRAS genes to survive. Suppressing the ACSL3 gene causes these lung cancer cells to die.


Dr. Mahesh S. Padanad, first author and part of the UT Southwestern team, wrote in the study that “there is an urgent need for discovery of additional targets that inhibit lipid metabolism in cancer cells that could lead to targeted therapies: the discovery of the importance of ACSL3 in lung cancer meets this unmet need.”


To understand the biological significance of ACSL3 in lung cancer, researchers studied several complementary approaches, including cell lines, mice and human patient tumor samples.


Scientific journal Cell Reports published the study in August. The American Cancer Society Research Scholar grant, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), UT Southwestern Friends of the Comprehensive Cancer Center and other research grants supported the study.


Clinical Trial Shows Success in KRAS Treatment


A recent collaboration at 67 medical centers and clinics in 12 countries reported some success in treatment of KRAS-mutant cancers using a compound of standard chemotherapy agent Docetaxel in combination with Selumetinib.


“A combination of chemotherapy and Selumetinib is significantly better than chemotherapy alone for this group of patients – better in terms of tumor response to therapy and in terms of survival times prior to advance of the disease,” Dr. Pasi A. Janne, a practicing oncologist and researcher at the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, told Asebstos.com. “It suggests that for the first time we may have an effective treatment for KRAS-mutant lung cancer, which is the largest single subtype of the disease.”


The clinical trial found Selumetinib, manufactured by AstraZeneca, plus docetaxel has promising effectiveness but with a “higher number of adverse events than with docetaxel alone.”


Researchers said the findings warrant further clinical investigation.


The post New Lung Cancer Study May Improve Mesothelioma Therapy appeared first on Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Psychological support may be crucial for physical recovery of breast cancer patients

… Cooper Institute (Dallas).
She believes breast cancer patients should consider the following … occur in breast cancer patients.
11.Disturbed sleep can occur in breast cancer patients … extensively across the country on breast cancer, minority health and similar subjects …

Non-coding portions of genome are found to play role in cancer

… is linked to specific cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and leukemia. Earlier this … MaTARs in mammary cancer-derived organoids, three-dimensional models of tumor cells that represent … Laboratory (2P30CA45508).
"Mammary Tumor-Associated RNAs Impact Tumor Cell Proliferation, Invasion and …

Angels Among Us brain cancer research benefit event set Wednesday, Sept. 28

… who are going to cure brain cancer,” Carlton said. “They're just …

Tiramisu With Mango, An Exotic Twist To An Italian Classic

Tiramisu With Mango



This is a real twist on Tiramisu Recipe. It's a tropical inspired dessert packed with flavors that will make you drool. Mango, mascarpone and chocolate, how could you possibly resist?



Watch video recipe:







Mango-sue | Tiramisu Recipe with Mango | Italian Food Recipe



Ingredients:

3 x eggs

1 packet of savoiardi biscuits

1 tub of mascarpone cheese

2 table spoons of white sugar

Bowl of mango Juice

1Fresh Mango cut into small pieces

200g x block of milk or dark chocolate (chopped into small pieces)

Cocoa



Utensils:

2 x medium size mixing bowls

Electric mixer

4 wide rim glasses to serve

1 x table spoon

1 x small sieve



Method:

1. Crack each egg separating the yolk from the egg white and put them into individual mixing bowls.

2. Mix the egg white using an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of white sugar to the egg yolk and mix it through until it forms a cream. Then add 500g mascarpone and mix once again.

4. Fold through the egg white using a spatula until it becomes smooth.

5. Dip both sides of a savoiardi biscuit into the mango juice, holding it flat for 3 seconds in total then cut it in half and place it into the bottom of a glass. Each layer needs 1 ½ biscuits.

6. Cover the biscuits with a few spoonful's of cream then add a few chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of cocoa.

7. Add a few pieces of fresh mango on top and repeat the process until you reach the top of the glass.



Vincenzo's Plate Tip: Only add cocoa and mango to the final layer of your mango-sue!



tiramisu recipe with mango



How To Serve:

This tiramisu recipe is best served chilled. Once it is ready, leave it covered in the fridge for a few hours before serving.



tiramisu recipe with mango



Mango-sue | Tiramisu Recipe with Mango | Italian Food Recipe



E ora si mangia, Vincenzo's Plate...Enjoy!



Enjoy this amazing dessert with these delicious dishes:



- Burrata Salad | Burrata Cheese Figs and Nuts Salad







- Rigatoni all'Ortolana | Vegetarian Pasta Recipes | Italian Food Recipes



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SBRT studies show positive results for lung cancer in elderly and prostate cancer

… elderly patients with early stage lung cancer and high cancer control and … Oncology (ASTRO).
For the epidemiological lung cancer study, 62,213 records of …

Want To Practice Mindfulness? Start At Work



On any given workday, most people appreciate a little break time. But not everyone knows how valuable truly taking a moment can be ― because how you use a break is just as important as the break itself. It's all too common: you finally get a much-needed break, and end up spending it playing a game on your phone, browsing the web, or using other methods of distraction to take you away from the here and now. Before you know it, the break is over, and it's back to work feeling anything but refreshed.



What if there was a way for you to really take advantage of that break, to improve your productivity and just your general sense of well-being? Together with Aetna, we want to show you how mindfulness ― the act of being present in the moment ― can help you achieve just that.



 



What Is Mindfulness?



Mindfulness is not a new concept ― its roots can be traced back to Buddhist practices in meditation. But this practice is having a moment in the mainstream during a time when most people are rarely away from a screen or disconnected from a constant barrage of communication ― which is no coincidence.



Michael Chaskalson, one of the U.K.'s leading mindfulness trainers, has worked with companies and individuals alike to educate them on incorporating mindfulness into busy lives. And he thinks that mindfulness is becoming more popular for a couple of reasons.



“It's the coming together of two things,” said Chaskalson. “One is the science ― there's been an extraordinary upsurge in research on mindfulness ― so we know a lot more.” The field is now far more grounded in facts, he added. “The other part is that people are struggling. It's tough out there, we're living in an 'always on' world. People aren't taking breaks ― and some of these demands are self-imposed. It's really important to come away from devices and actually experience the rest of the world.”



 





When I returned to work after giving birth to my son, I started meditating at the office for just five minutes daily. These short sessions really help me to transition from my 'mom mind' to my 'boss mind.'

Janna Meyrowitz Turner, a mindfulness practitioner and founder of Style House Public Relations





 



Workers In The U.S. Are Taking Fewer Breaks



If you work for a living, chances are you've been touched by the “go, go, go” mentality that too often comes hand-in-hand with unprecedented constant availability, thanks to our now-ubiquitous digital connections. We're getting more done than ever before, but at what cost?



Counterintuitive as it may seem, a growing body of research suggests that setting aside work to take breaks actually increases our productivity. However, when we do take breaks, the majority of us are taking low-quality breaks without paying attention to what will truly help us focus when we return to work. And the longer we work without interruption, the more our productivity suffers.



Small breaks from work are the perfect time to practice mindfulness ― by truly being present in the moment, paying attention to yourself and your surroundings.



“It's very important to spend some time simply with your experience rather than with your thinking mind,” said Chaskalson. “Experiencing means, when you go for a walk, do you experience your body moving, do you experience sights, do you experience smells? Are you involved in the world around you?” 



 





Every hour, I take a moment to stretch and consciously focus on how my body feels; this is the ultimate 30-second undercover mindfulness exercise.

Selinde Berger, a mindfulness practitioner and founder of Zillionist, a business and lifestyle brand





 



 





Eat With Purpose



A genuine away-from-your desk “lunch hour” seems to be, for many, a relic of the past ― a time when workers weren't expected to perform job duties in a moment's notice and be reachable at any time. One survey from 2012 found that only one in five office workers even eat lunch away from their desks. The trouble is, eating is not something that should be done mindlessly. Mindless eating does not just limit your enjoyment of food ― it also tends to makes one eat faster, resulting in a delayed feeling of fullness and a higher calorie intake overall.



Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist and the bestselling author of Eating Mindfully, acknowledges that while a full lunch hour is ideal, it may not be realistic for many American workers. Leaving one's office, let alone turning off devices and being unreachable, may seem like an impossibility (and, let's be honest, zero distraction sounds like a recipe for boredom).



“Some of [what constitutes] mindful eating is really just a shift in mindset,” said Albers. “You can still have distractions, but the question is 'Are you focused enough on what it is that you're eating?'”



This focus can take many forms, but the most important part of it is presence of mind, and awareness of what you're eating, how it tastes, and how you feel while eating it. No time to do this for your whole meal? Try just the first bite:



“Take a moment to take a deep breath or pause before you start eating, or make just your first bite be a mindful bite; because you become habituated to your food after a few bites, the first bite is actually the most flavorful,” she said.



 





Mindfulness has stopped many workplace snafus from happening in the first place. Once the mind is calm, a resolution can be reached.

Diane Dye Hansen, a mindfulness practitioner and chief inspiration officer at What Works Coaching





 



Nurture Your Body And Mind



Are you a lunchtime gymgoer? While most of us wish to zone out during our workouts, you can use at least a portion of that time to practice mindfulness. Studies have found that being more mindful during exercise may actually affect our likelihood of sticking with a regular routine. The uptick in adherence researchers observe may have to do with the satisfaction we experience as a result of our awareness: awareness that reminds us why we're taking care of our bodies, and how it makes us feel.



“If you're exercising, don't try to multitask,” said Chaskalson. “Don't try to sit in the gym reading your emails or go for a run listening to an audiobook. When you're running, run. When you're on a treadmill, experience yourself running on a treadmill ― at least for some of the time.”



If meditation is more your speed, you can look forward to exercise of a different kind ― by improving the way your brain functions.



Judson Brewer, director of research at the Center for Mindfulness and an associate professor in the departments of medicine and psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts, is an expert in mindfulness training for addictions, and has studied how mindfulness and meditation affects the brain. 



“When we look at brains of both novice and experienced meditators, their entire brain during meditation is less active than during baseline,” said Brewer. “There's a certain part of the brain that gets activated when we get caught up in our experience ― [for example] when we're stressed out, angry, ruminating or craving. This region is also the one that is deactivated during meditation and mindfulness. And when you're deactivating that, it seems that the brain in general works more efficiently.”



To explain this concept, he uses an analogy: “[Imagine] we're driving the car with one foot on the brake and one on the gas. When we pull our foot off the brake, we don't have to apply any more gas ― the car drives faster and more efficiently. In the same way, if we get out of our own way, then our brains are freed up to function more efficiently and do their jobs better.”



Even if you don't have the flexibility to take long breaks, you can still incorporate this important practice into your daily life ― and add some much-needed relief and replenishment to your regular routine.



 



 



This material is for general informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice, diagnosis, or treatment by a physician or other health care professional. Aetna is not the author of this content.



Aetna believes that mindfulness – the act of being present ― starts with simply experiencing what is here and now. So step back, #takeamoment, and appreciate the little things. You'll be surprised at what you notice. Learn more: aetnamindfulness.com



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Tyson Chicken Recalled Over Possible Hard Plastic Contamination



Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling more than 130,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after customers complained about hard, white plastic in the meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.



Affected products include 5-pound bags labeled “Tyson Fully Cooked Panko Chicken Nuggets” with a July 18, 2017 best-by date and 20-pound bags labeled “Spare Time Fully Cooked, Panko Chicken Nuggets, Nugget Shaped Chicken Breast Pattie Fritters With Rib Meat” with a July 18, 2016 production date. 



The 5-pound bags were sold at Costco stores nationwide, while the 20-pound bags were sold to a single wholesaler in Pennsylvania, Tyson told HuffPost. 



The plastic bits ranged in size from 21mm in length and 6.5mm in diameter, the USDA said, and “may have come from a round, hard plastic rod used to connect a plastic transfer belt.”



Customers in possession of either of the products may cut the UPC number and date code from the back of the packages and mail them to Tyson for a full refund. 



This latest recall comes on the heels of a Sept. 23 incident, in which nearly 8,000 pounds of ham were recalled from Costco and Sam's Club due to contamination with pieces of rubber.  

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