On 4/29/09 eight states had school closings due to swine flu threats and infections, and the number of students affected in Texas was 53,000. A Fort Worth district is planning to keep 80,000 children home until about May 11. On 4/30/09 the numbers grew to 74 schools closing due to suspected cases...
Probiotics is a popular word in health-conscious circles as they promote good health in a natural way. Probiotics refer to “good” bacteria that is present in certain parts of the body. Most people think of the digestive tract when probiotics are brought up. In women, probiotics exist in the...
Normal body conditions allow the immune system to produce antibodies which protect the cells and fight against any foreign substance which may affect the cells. Antibodies recognize and destroy the foreign substances, however, an autoantibody indentifies the body’s own proteins or tissues as foreign,...
Fibrosis is a condition that is characterized by the formation of scar tissue that results either from an injury or from a long-standing inflammation. Physicians have classified fibrosis into two main types – pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis refers to the hardening,...
When most people hear the word hacker, they remember the glorified images of rebel geniuses – such as those in movies like “War Games” – that break into security systems. Real hackers lead much less exciting lives. In the computing world, hackers are expert computer programmers. Their job is to...
Maxillary surgery is a procedure done to rectify problems with the upper jaw. These abnormalities may be due to congenital factors - a cleft palate, for example. Children who are born with this deformity need to undergo maxillary surgery at an early age in order for the procedure to work best....
Insulin is a protein hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. This hormone was discovered by Frederick Banting and J.J.R. Macleod who won a Nobel Prize in 1923. Frederick Sanger followed in 1958 for his discovery of the insulin’s amino acid sequence. Insulin...
A wisdom tooth can be any one of the four third molars which grow at the back part of one’s jaws. In general, adults get four wisdom teeth, although some adults get more. Wisdom teeth usually come out in between the ages of 17 and 25. When more than four wisdom teeth grow, adults can experience...
When the dying tyrant Nero proclaimed on his death bed “Oh, what an artist that perishes in me!” his remarks reveal more than just the arrogance of history’s darkest man. They also reveal the almost immutable cultural connection between art and great suffering; between the artist and the sufferer....
Have you heard of the term “mangy dog?” Mange is a skin disease found in dogs, cats and many animals. It is caused by mange mites, which dig into the skin and cause itchiness, then leads to a horrible scaling of the skin. Mange is caused by mange mites. There are many kinds, which burrow into...
