SMART PHONE APPS DETECTS BACTERIA DISEASES

In much the same way that glucometers and pregnancy tests have revolutionized in-home diagnostic testing, researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators have identified a new biosensing platform that could be used to remotely detect and determine treatment options for HIV, E-coli, Staphylococcus aureas and other bacteria. Using a drop of blood from a fingerprick, this novel biosensing platform provides clinically relevant specificity, sensitivity and detection of pathogens from whole blood and plasma.

The thin, lightweight and flexible materials developed by these researchers can be fabricated and operated without the need for expensive infrastructure and skilled personnel, potentially solving real-world healthcare problems for both developed and developing countries. Using this technology, they also have developed a phone app that could detect bacteria and disease in the blood using images from a cellphone that could easily be analyzed from anywhere in the world.

Waseem Asghar, Ph.D., assistant professor of electrical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at FAU, co-first author on the study, along with Hadi Shafiee, Ph.D., instructor in medicine at the Division of Biomedical Engineering at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Fatih Inci, Ph.D.; and Utkan Demirci, Ph.D., Stanford School of Medicine, senior authors on the study, have published their findings in Nature Scientific Reports in an article titled "Paper and Flexible Substrates as Materials for Biosensing Platforms to Detect Multiple Biotargets." Other team members on the study include Mehmet Yuksekkaya, Ph.D.; Muntasir Jahangir; Michael H. Zhang; Naside Gozde Durmus, Ph.D.; Umut Atakan Gurkan, Ph.D., and Daniel R. Kuritzkes, M.D.

In the article, the researchers address the limitations of current paper and flexible material-based platforms and explain how they have integrated cellulose paper and flexible polyester films as new diagnostic tools to detect bioagents in whole blood, serum and peritoneal fluid. They employed three different paper and flexible material-based platforms incorporated with electrical and optical sensing modalities. They were able to demonstrate how these new materials can be widely applied to a variety of settings including medical diagnostic and biology laboratories.

Using paper and flexible substrates as materials for biosensors, Asghar and his colleagues have identified a new rapid and cost-effective way to diagnose diseases and monitor treatment in point-of-care settings. They have been able to show how their new platforms are uniquely able to isolate and detect multiple biotargets selectively, sensitively, and repeatedly from diverse biological mediums using antibodies.

"There is a dire need for robust, portable, disposable and inexpensive biosensing platforms for clinical care, especially in developing countries with limited resources," said Asghar.

Existing paper and flexible material-based platforms use colorimetric, fluorometric and electrochemical approaches that require complex labeling steps to amplify their signal, are very costly to fabricate and also require expensive equipment and infrastructure.

"The future of diagnostics and health monitoring will have potentially cell-phone based or portable readers sipping saliva or blood and continuously monitoring human health taking it way beyond where we are with counting steps today," said Demirci, who is the corresponding author.

Asghar notes that because their materials are easy to make, easy to use, and can easily and safely be disposed by burning, they provide appealing strategies for developing affordable tools that have broad applications such as drug development, food safety, environmental monitoring, veterinary medicine and diagnosing infectious diseases in developing countries.

"Our paper microchip technologies can potentially have a significant impact on infectious diseases management in low- and middle-income countries where there is limited laboratory infrastructure," said Shafiee.

Demirci notes that these platforms could potentially be adapted and tailored to detect other pathogens and biotargets with well-known biomarkers.

Neuro Muscular Diseases Vid

Today's video from aboutperipheralneuropathy.blogspot.nl (see link below) talks about neuro-muscular diseases in general, including neuropathy. ALS and muscular dystrophy are perhaps the best known but peripheral neuropathy falls into the same group of disorders. As anybody with neuropathy knows, the effect of nerve damage on muscular activity can be life changing. Many people also worry they have muscular dystrophy, or something else, even if they have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. This video helps to clear up the differences and explains how diagnoses are made using various tests.
The doctor and his practice are from West Michigan but the information he gives applies everywhere.




http://aboutperipheralneuropathy.blogspot.nl/2013/09/how-to-diagnose-peripheral-neuropathy.html

HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES FOR MOUTH DISEASES

In biological anatomy, commonly referred to as the mouth, under formal names such as the oral cavity, buccal cavity, or in Latin cavum oris is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal , bounded on the outside by the lips and inside by the pharynx and containing in higher vertebrates the tongue and teeth This cavity is also known as the buccal cavity, from the Latin bucca ("cheek").

Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. Any problem that affects your mouth can make it hard to eat, drink or even smile.

Some common mouth problems include- cold sores-- painful sores on the lips and around the mouth, caused by a virus, canker sores- - painful sores in the mouth, caused by bacteria or viruses, Thrush –a yeast infection   that causes white patches in your mouth, Leukoplakia - white patches of excess cell growth on the cheeks, gums or tongue, common in smokers, dry mouth- - a lack of enough saliva, caused by some medicines and certain diseases, gubad breathm or tooth problems,

Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. Keeping a clean mouth by brushing and flossing often is important

HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES

ACONITUM NAPELLUS 30- HELLEBORUS NIGER 30- STRAMONIUM 30- Chewing motion of the mouth

ANTIMONIUM CRUD 30, CONDURANGO 30, NATRUM MUR 30 PSORINUM 200, HEPAR SULPH 30, HYDRSTIS CAN 30--Blisters in the mouth or cracks near the corner of the mouth and lips as per indication of the remedy. Psorinum is indicated , if the cracks at the corners of the mouth are more chronic. In Natrum mur. The sores  on the lips and around the mouth are cold

ARSENICUM ALBUM 30- Mouth feels dry with burning ulcers inside, which are better by warm mouth washes

ARUM TRIPH. 30- Raw feeling at the roof of the mouth and palate. Corners of the mouth are sore and cracked

BAPTISIA TINC. 30- Ulcers of the mouth with foul smell. The patient is sleepy and debilitated. Useful for children. Merc. Is useful for adults in this conditions

BARYTA MUR . 30- Children go about with their mouth open,  looking stupid

BORAX 3X- White fungus like growth in the mouth. Mouth hot and tender. Blister ppainful on touch and eating. Painful gum boils

BRYONIA ALBA 30- Mucous membrane of the mouth are dry. Lips are parched and there is thirst for large quantities  of water at long intervals

CAUSTICUM 30- Bites the inside of cheeks while chewing

KALI CHLOR 30- Ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue. Saliva ropy

MERCURIUS SOL 30- Offensive odor from the mouth, fills the whole room. Sweetish metallic taste with with excessive saliva. Saliva dribbles from the mouth while speaking . Inflammation of the mouth and throat.

NATRUM SULPH 30-Small ulcers extremely sensitive , better by holding cold fluids in the mouth

NITRIC ACID 30- Ulcers in the mouth are accompanied  by sharp splinter like pains.Acrid and fetid salivation

OPIUM 30- Mouth remains open during sleep

RHEUM 30-Mouth covered covered with offensive mucus after sleeping

RHUS TOX 30- Jaws crack while chewing

TARENTULA CUB 30- GRAPHITES 30- Mouth cracked at corners

WEAR SUN GLASSES TO PREVENT COMMON EYE DISEASES

If your job leads to spending most of the time outdoors, do not forget to wear sunglasses as it can save you from developing a common eye disease.

According to a study, residential geography, time spent in the sun and whether or not sunglasses are worn may help explain why some people develop exfoliation syndrome (XFS), an eye condition that is a leading cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma and can lead to an increased risk of cataract.

“Lifetime outdoor activities may contribute to XFS so a more widespread use of UV-blocking eyewear can help prevent XFS,” said lead study author Louis Pasquale, as associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Researchers conducted a clinic-based, case-control study in the US and Israel, involving XFS cases and control individuals.

They measured weighted lifetime average latitude of residence and average number of hours per week spent outdoors as determined by validated questionnaires.

They found that genetic or environmental factors also contribute to XFS.

Previous studies have shown that residential (geographic) history and extent of solar exposure may be important risk factors for XFS.

The study appeared in the journal Ophthalmology.