December 27, 2012
The BIG Education Divide
Diploma Divide: The Increasing Influence of Class in the Classroom
by TheNewYorkTimes
Education was meant to level the playing field. The increasing cost of education now has turned it into a big divider.
Read more article in NY Times.
December 26, 2012
Medical Innovations - 2013
Medical innovation has been accelerating as at a rapid clip and 2013 will only see more innovations. There is a clamor for health care rather than sick care. That is, provide better health care to prevent people from getting sick.
Below is an article from Forbes on:
PHARMA & HEALTHCARE | 12/24/2012 @ 8:06PM
Three Tensions In Medical Innovation To Watch For In 2013
David Shaywitz, Contributor
As we anticipate a new year characterized by unprecedented interest in healthcare innovation, pay particular attention to the following three emerging tensions in the space.
Tension 1: Preventive Health vs Excessive Medicalization
A core tenet of medicine is that it’s better to prevent a disease (or at least catch it early) than to treat it after it has firmly taken hold. This is the rationale for both our interest in screening exams (such as mammography) as well as the focus on risk factor reduction (e.g. treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol to prevent heart attacks).
Read more from Forbes.
Below is an article from Forbes on:
PHARMA & HEALTHCARE | 12/24/2012 @ 8:06PM
Three Tensions In Medical Innovation To Watch For In 2013
David Shaywitz, Contributor
As we anticipate a new year characterized by unprecedented interest in healthcare innovation, pay particular attention to the following three emerging tensions in the space.
Tension 1: Preventive Health vs Excessive Medicalization
A core tenet of medicine is that it’s better to prevent a disease (or at least catch it early) than to treat it after it has firmly taken hold. This is the rationale for both our interest in screening exams (such as mammography) as well as the focus on risk factor reduction (e.g. treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol to prevent heart attacks).
Read more from Forbes.
December 25, 2012
The Power Profile: Steve Harris
From thepowerprofiles.com
steven p harris
Executive Director
I was already working 50-60 hours a week selling pre-owned exotic and luxury cars when I became a Market America Independent Distributor in June 1995. I had no spare time, so I decided to make time!
About 24 months later, working a solid 10 hours per week, I was earning $10,000 a month in commissions from Market America in addition to my full-time career income! The proof is in the pudding — this business plan was designed for busy people who don't have lots of time! The MPCP gives you the potential to leverage what little time you do have into an annual six-figure ongoing income.
I now have an ample cash flow to assist my oldest daughter, Stephanie, with her college expenses, and I've set up a college fund for my daughter, Amanda, and I still have enough left over to support causes that I believe in. Thank you, Market America! Also, this business has allowed me the honor of working with remarkable people like my sponsor, Elizabeth Weber, my good friend, Bobby Cannata, and many, many Go Now leaders in my organization.
Read more.
steven p harris
Executive Director
I was already working 50-60 hours a week selling pre-owned exotic and luxury cars when I became a Market America Independent Distributor in June 1995. I had no spare time, so I decided to make time!
About 24 months later, working a solid 10 hours per week, I was earning $10,000 a month in commissions from Market America in addition to my full-time career income! The proof is in the pudding — this business plan was designed for busy people who don't have lots of time! The MPCP gives you the potential to leverage what little time you do have into an annual six-figure ongoing income.
I now have an ample cash flow to assist my oldest daughter, Stephanie, with her college expenses, and I've set up a college fund for my daughter, Amanda, and I still have enough left over to support causes that I believe in. Thank you, Market America! Also, this business has allowed me the honor of working with remarkable people like my sponsor, Elizabeth Weber, my good friend, Bobby Cannata, and many, many Go Now leaders in my organization.
Read more.
December 24, 2012
Christmas Joys! Peace on Earth!
| *Merry Christmas!* |
May you find peace and happiness.
May you find the gems hidden within you and allow it to shine.
May you allow your compassion towards humanity blossom.
May your kindness shine.
May your truthfulness be rock solid.
May your love transcends all boundaries.
And may you be just, as you wish others be just towards you.
P E A C E !
Strengthen Your Brain Through Meditation
It seems too easy but research shows that there is a quick and easy way to thicken the brain through meditation. To improve your brain health, see below - research work done at UCLA:
Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say
By Mark Wheeler | March 14, 2012
Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.
Eileen Luders, an assistant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification (“folding” of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain’s neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.
The article appears in the online edition of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Read more from UCLA Newsroom.
Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say
By Mark Wheeler | March 14, 2012
Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.
Eileen Luders, an assistant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification (“folding” of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain’s neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.
The article appears in the online edition of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Read more from UCLA Newsroom.
December 21, 2012
December 13, 2012
Resveratrol May Reduce Risk of Cancer by 50%
From Isotonix Blog
By Olivia Mungal
Resveratrol, also known as red wine extract, has long been recognized as a potent antioxidant, but perhaps scientists underestimated this naturally sourced compound. A recent study shows daily consumption of Resveratrol could cut the rate of certain types of cancers in half.
The research presented at the Resveratrol 2012 Conference in Leicester, UK, revealed that a daily serving of resveratrol equivalent to two glasses of red wine can lower the risk of bowel tumors in lab mice by 50%. Scientists are now preparing to do studies on humans to see if they can utilize the compound in cancer research and prevention.
"We want to see how resveratrol might work to
prevent cancer in humans. Having shown in our
lab experiments that it can reduce tumor
development, we are now concentrating on
identifying the mechanisms of how resveratrol
works in human cells," says Professor
Karen Brown, of the University of Leicester.
Read more from isotonixblog.com
Further reading from Cancer Prevention Research
By Olivia Mungal
Resveratrol, also known as red wine extract, has long been recognized as a potent antioxidant, but perhaps scientists underestimated this naturally sourced compound. A recent study shows daily consumption of Resveratrol could cut the rate of certain types of cancers in half.
The research presented at the Resveratrol 2012 Conference in Leicester, UK, revealed that a daily serving of resveratrol equivalent to two glasses of red wine can lower the risk of bowel tumors in lab mice by 50%. Scientists are now preparing to do studies on humans to see if they can utilize the compound in cancer research and prevention.
"We want to see how resveratrol might work to
prevent cancer in humans. Having shown in our
lab experiments that it can reduce tumor
development, we are now concentrating on
identifying the mechanisms of how resveratrol
works in human cells," says Professor
Karen Brown, of the University of Leicester.
Read more from isotonixblog.com
Further reading from Cancer Prevention Research
December 12, 2012
10 Tips for New Entrepreneurs from Loren Ridinger
- Be all in. Just do it. You can’t have one foot out the door and expect to make it to the top.
- You don’t know what you don’t know, so find someone who does know and set up a meeting.
- Being fancy shouldn’t come first. My family and I worked out of our small home for years – the garage was the stock room, the living room was shipping, etc.
- Be honest with yourself. There’s a difference between knowing when you just have to keep pushing for a little bit longer and knowing when something just isn’t working.
- Be organized. Don’t let something completely avoidable like lost paperwork get in the way of your success.
- Tackle the hardest things on your to-do list first. I still do this – every single day.
- Remove the naysayers from your life. Probably one of the most difficult tips, especially if they are a family member. But you can’t live your life for someone else who is only trying to bring you down! When people tell me “no” I know I’m talking to the wrong person and move on to the next!
- Know when you need a break. Owning a business is not a 9 to 5 but you don’t need to work yourself into the hospital for exhaustion in order to make it. Keeping yourself healthy = keeping yourself productive.
- Realize that you will simply need to learn things on the job and from personal experience.
- When you fail (it happens to everyone), get up and try again.
December 11, 2012
Why U.S. Unemployment Could Triple from Here
By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
In Spain, the unemployment rate for those under age 25 is 56%. In Greece, it's 57%. What happens when you have hundreds of thousands of unemployed youths? They protest... sometimes violently.
Could the U.S. end up like Greece and Spain? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.
How does a country end up with high unemployment? It's Economics 101...
When you run up big debts that you can't afford, the borrowing costs in your country go up. Studies show that higher debt loads are a drag on economic growth. Higher borrowing costs and lower economic growth lead to higher unemployment.
You can see it happening around the world:
Country
|
Debt-to-GDP
|
Unemployment Rate
|
Hong Kong
|
10%
|
3.4%
|
Australia
|
30%
|
5.2%
|
Switzerland
|
39%
|
3.0%
|
United States
|
72%
|
7.7%
|
European Union
|
82%
|
11.7%
|
Spain's debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio should end 2012 at 85%. By comparison, the official federal debt-to-GDP ratio in the U.S. is currently 72%.
Read more from Dr. Steve Sjuggerud's DAILY WEALTH.
December 10, 2012
If We Had Been Giving Our Daughter Vitamin D, Would She Still Have Developed Diabetes?
KATIE BACON - Katie Bacon is a former executive editor at The Atlantic. Her blog is Eating With Bisi.
DEC 7 2012, 9:23 AM ET 11
No one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes. But there are emerging reasons to wonder if we could have done more.
A few months ago, our six-year-old daughter, Bisi, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It's a condition she will have to manage carefully for the rest of her life, to avoid the many terrible potential complications of the disease. Since the diagnosis, my husband and I have often said to one another things like: "What if we had...?" "Maybe if we had ..." And the other will respond by (half) jokingly quoting back the text on the box of diabetes information we received at the hospital from the Lilly pharmaceutical company (which makes the insulin Bisi now must take with her meals): "Pause. Take a deep breath. And remember: You couldn't have prevented what's happening with your child, so try not to beat yourself up."
Read more from The Atlantic.
DEC 7 2012, 9:23 AM ET 11
No one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes. But there are emerging reasons to wonder if we could have done more.
A few months ago, our six-year-old daughter, Bisi, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It's a condition she will have to manage carefully for the rest of her life, to avoid the many terrible potential complications of the disease. Since the diagnosis, my husband and I have often said to one another things like: "What if we had...?" "Maybe if we had ..." And the other will respond by (half) jokingly quoting back the text on the box of diabetes information we received at the hospital from the Lilly pharmaceutical company (which makes the insulin Bisi now must take with her meals): "Pause. Take a deep breath. And remember: You couldn't have prevented what's happening with your child, so try not to beat yourself up."
Read more from The Atlantic.
December 9, 2012
Benefits Leader Reins In 401(k)s
What IBM has initiated - to curb escalating retirement expenses - will have BIG ramifications for your retirement planning. Expect others in the corporate world to watch and adopt.
".....the financial implications for employees could be significant."
From WSJ
By KELLY GREENE
International Business Machines Corp., IBM +1.19% a bellwether for employee benefits, is overhauling its retirement program to contribute once a year to employee 401(k) accounts in a lump-sum payment.
Starting next year, IBM's contributions, which generally range from 6% to 10% of pay, will take place Dec. 31. Workers who leave the company before Dec. 15 won't qualify for the match, unless they retire.
Read more from WSJ.
December 8, 2012
Nanoparticle shows promise in treatment of multiple sclerosis
From gizmag
By Ben Coxworth
November 19, 2012
A 750x view of the Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles used in
the study (Image: Lonnie Shea)
Good news may be on the way for sufferers of multiple sclerosis – a team of scientists from Illinois-based Northwestern University, the University of Sydney, and the Myelin Repair Foundation in California have succeeded in halting the effects of the disease in lab mice. It all comes down to using nanoparticles to trick the immune system.
To view a normal nerve cell (left) and one affected by MS, click Shutterstock
When someone has MS, their immune system attacks the myelin membrane that serves as an insulator for the nerve cells in their brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. With that membrane compromised, the nerve cells can’t properly conduct electrical signals, resulting in limb numbness, paralysis or blindness. Some treatments attempt to address this situation by suppressing the entire immune system, although this leaves patients open to infections, and increases their risk of cancer.
Read more.
By Ben Coxworth
November 19, 2012
A 750x view of the Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles used in
the study (Image: Lonnie Shea)
Good news may be on the way for sufferers of multiple sclerosis – a team of scientists from Illinois-based Northwestern University, the University of Sydney, and the Myelin Repair Foundation in California have succeeded in halting the effects of the disease in lab mice. It all comes down to using nanoparticles to trick the immune system.
To view a normal nerve cell (left) and one affected by MS, click Shutterstock
When someone has MS, their immune system attacks the myelin membrane that serves as an insulator for the nerve cells in their brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. With that membrane compromised, the nerve cells can’t properly conduct electrical signals, resulting in limb numbness, paralysis or blindness. Some treatments attempt to address this situation by suppressing the entire immune system, although this leaves patients open to infections, and increases their risk of cancer.
Read more.
December 6, 2012
Italian doctor may have found surprisingly simple cure for Multiple Sclerosis
From gizmag
By Loz Blain
November 26, 2009
An Italian doctor has been getting dramatic results with a new type of treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, which affects up to 2.5 million people worldwide. In an initial study, Dr. Paolo Zamboni took 65 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, performed a simple operation to unblock restricted bloodflow out of the brain - and two years after the surgery, 73% of the patients had no symptoms. Dr. Zamboni's thinking could turn the current understanding of MS on its head, and offer many sufferers a complete cure.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, has long been regarded as a life sentence of debilitating nerve degeneration. More common in females, the disease affects an estimated 2.5 million people around the world, causing physical and mental disabilities that can gradually destroy a patient's quality of life.
Read more.
By Loz Blain
November 26, 2009
 |
Left: diagram from a medical text showing how MS affects the myelin sheathing
of nerves. Right: MS lesions under a microscope.
|
An Italian doctor has been getting dramatic results with a new type of treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, which affects up to 2.5 million people worldwide. In an initial study, Dr. Paolo Zamboni took 65 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, performed a simple operation to unblock restricted bloodflow out of the brain - and two years after the surgery, 73% of the patients had no symptoms. Dr. Zamboni's thinking could turn the current understanding of MS on its head, and offer many sufferers a complete cure.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, has long been regarded as a life sentence of debilitating nerve degeneration. More common in females, the disease affects an estimated 2.5 million people around the world, causing physical and mental disabilities that can gradually destroy a patient's quality of life.
Read more.
December 4, 2012
Omega-3 May Help Slow Biological Aging
From The Isotonix Blog
By Olivia Mungal
Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known for a bounty of health benefits ranging from cardiovascular health to healthy joints, but according to a study conducted by researchers from Ohio State University, omega-3s may also help to protect your DNA from the effects of natural aging.
The study, published in the Brain, Behavior, and Immunity Peer Review Journal, found that regular omega supplementation for a period of 4+ months could help to slow the biological effects of aging. In the trail, participants took either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams of active Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids compared against a third group given a placebo. Each omega-3 supplement contained a 7:1 ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
How do cells biologically age?
During mitosis, enzymes in the nucleus duplicate our DNA continuously, replacing old cells in the body with new ones. As we age, our cells are damaged by oxidation and some of our DNA’s nucleotide sequencing is also damaged during this process. Telomeres are a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences that cap the ends of each chromosome and protect them from deterioration or mutation.
Read more.
December 2, 2012
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