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Developing Better Solutions for a Healthier World
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- May 14, 2013
- 01:20 PM
- 62 views
Coffee: Bugs and Debugging
by Aurametrix team in Irritable Bowel Blog
Coffee can bug or de-bug you - in many different ways.It can actually energize your gut bugs. Nestlé researchers showed that for sixteen healthy adult volunteers consuming a daily dose of 3 cups of coffee during 3 weeks. This led to an increase of the metabolic activity and/or numbers of Bifidobacterium species, important probiotics in the food industry. Bifidobacteria has been long suggested to be therapeutic for the relief of intestinal disorders, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome ........ Read more »
Jaquet M, Rochat I, Moulin J, Cavin C, & Bibiloni R. (2009) Impact of coffee consumption on the gut microbiota: a human volunteer study. International journal of food microbiology, 130(2), 117-21. PMID: 19217682
- May 1, 2013
- 11:22 AM
- 77 views
Inhale and feel it with your heart
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
All you need is love. Or failing that chocolate.And not only because dark chocolate could lower the risk of heart disease, blood pressure and sugar levels. As Dr. Schieberle's team recently discovered that heart could sense and enjoy the sweet smell of chocolate too. When they put small odor-emitting molecules from chocolate on one side of a dish, cells actually moved towards the aroma.The heart, the lungs, the blood, the sperm and testis all have the abilities to recognize chemicals responsible........ Read more »
Feldmesser E, Olender T, Khen M, Yanai I, Ophir R, & Lancet D. (2006) Widespread ectopic expression of olfactory receptor genes. BMC genomics, 121. PMID: 16716209
Schieberle P, & Molyneux RJ. (2012) Quantitation of sensory-active and bioactive constituents of food: A Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry perspective. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 60(10), 2404-8. PMID: 22369090
- March 18, 2013
- 01:12 PM
- 157 views
Blood and Taxes
by Aurametrix team in Environmental health
Nothing is certain, but blood pressure does increase in the end of winter and beginning of spring. According to Aurametrix users and google statistics. As a matter of fact, it highly correlates with tax fever - as found by Google Correlate algorithm comparing millions of web queries. But the reason for raising blood pressure is not always taxes. Seasonal variation in blood pressure was noticed and described more than 50 years ago and was connected to periods of decreasing outdoor temperature. ........ Read more »
Alpérovitch, A. (2009) Relationship Between Blood Pressure and Outdoor Temperature in a Large Sample of Elderly IndividualsThe Three-City Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(1), 75. DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2008.512
Halonen, J., Zanobetti, A., Sparrow, D., Vokonas, P., & Schwartz, J. (2010) Relationship between outdoor temperature and blood pressure. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 68(4), 296-301. DOI: 10.1136/oem.2010.056507
Brook RD, Weder AB, & Rajagopalan S. (2011) "Environmental hypertensionology" the effects of environmental factors on blood pressure in clinical practice and research. Journal of clinical hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.), 13(11), 836-42. PMID: 22051429
- February 10, 2013
- 12:03 AM
- 236 views
Will you get the flu this season?
by Aurametrix team in Environmental health
Worst of flu season may be over. But you can still catch a chill. If you shake hands with lots of sick people, for example. Or don't keep sufficiently warm. Yes, your mother has told you, and you thought it was just an old wives' tale, but it wasn't. Scientists (Johnson and Eccles, 2005) provide evidence that cold exposure may induce cold symptoms without any contact to sick individuals. As we all carry dormant (sub-clinical) infections in our nose, genitals and other parts of the body, and thes........ Read more »
Johnson C, & Eccles R. (2005) Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms. Family practice, 22(6), 608-13. PMID: 16286463
Huang Y, Zaas AK, Rao A, Dobigeon N, Woolf PJ, Veldman T, Øien NC, McClain MT, Varkey JB, Nicholson B.... (2011) Temporal dynamics of host molecular responses differentiate symptomatic and asymptomatic influenza a infection. PLoS genetics, 7(8). PMID: 21901105
- January 31, 2013
- 11:33 AM
- 216 views
Odors and Infections
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
Many illnesses are associated with distinct odors. Especially those caused by infectious or opportunistic microbes inside the body or on its surfaces. Body odor of someone infected with C. difficile, for example, can appear "swampy", H. pylori can create a range of foul odors, and pseudomonas infections can smell like grapes and bitter almond. Infections like C. difficile are usually linked to a general imbalance of the intestinal microbiota, often refer........ Read more »
Bomers MK, van Agtmael MA, Luik H, van Veen MC, Vandenbroucke-Grauls CM, & Smulders YM. (2012) Using a dog's superior olfactory sensitivity to identify Clostridium difficile in stools and patients: proof of principle study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 23241268
- December 24, 2012
- 11:31 PM
- 252 views
Molehills and Mountains
by Aurametrix team in Irritable Bowel Blog
If you suffer from IBS, chances are you're very considerate of others and even possibly an anxious 'catastrophizer'. It was repeatedly concluded based on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and psychological questionnaires - for students, older men and women, Easterners and Westerners, right-handed and left-handed individuals. In fact, IBS sufferers' anxieties are somewhere in between those of people with Crohn's disease (similar to healthy persons) and panic patients. And many IBS suffere........ Read more »
Collins SM, Surette M, & Bercik P. (2012) The interplay between the intestinal microbiota and the brain. Nature reviews. Microbiology, 10(11), 735-42. PMID: 23000955
- November 29, 2012
- 10:30 PM
- 323 views
Come out smelling like a rose
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
You are what you eat. And you smell like your food. Well, it's actually a bit more complicated - as we emit complex combinations of volatile chemicals produced from food by our own metabolic system as well as microbes that call us home. Same foods can be translated into a wide range of odors, depending on the individual. People exhibit a large variety of smells, much more diverse than animals or plants. Thanks to variations in our digestive enzymes, diets, supplements, medicines, perfumes, deter........ Read more »
AKIYAMA, A., IMAI, K., ISHIDA, S., ITO, K., KOBAYASHI, T., NAKAMURA, H., NOSE, K., & TSUDA, T. (2006) Determination of Aromatic Compounds in Exhalated from Human Skin by Solid-Phase Micro Extraction and GC/MS with Thermo Desorption System. BUNSEKI KAGAKU, 55(10), 787-792. DOI: 10.2116/bunsekikagaku.55.787
- November 26, 2012
- 10:45 PM
- 186 views
Close your eyes and tap your heels
by Aurametrix team in Health Technologies
GPS shoes can point to where you're going, but how will they know where to go? By consulting the map uploaded via USB and its own GPS receivers, wirelessly communicating with each other. For future models, you could probably set up WiFi to let your shoes download more information, talk with other people's shoes and modify your route on the go. So your footware might need its own network access, like agent Maxwell Smart's left shoe with a mobile subscription plan. The "No place like home" shoes a........ Read more »
Yu F, Bilberg A, Stenager E, Rabotti C, Zhang B, & Mischi M. (2012) A wireless body measurement system to study fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Physiological measurement, 33(12), 2033-2048. PMID: 23151461
Marschollek, M., Rehwald, A., Wolf, K., Gietzelt, M., Nemitz, G., zu Schwabedissen, H., & Schulze, M. (2011) Sensors vs. experts - A performance comparison of sensor-based fall risk assessment vs. conventional assessment in a sample of geriatric patients. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 11(1), 48. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6947-11-48
- September 26, 2012
- 01:38 AM
- 279 views
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Am I healthy after all?
by Aurametrix team in Health Technologies
Health gadgets continue to evolve in many forms and shapes - from something that fits in your pocket to something that is wearable or walkable. Everyday objects are turning into "Smart objects", building the foundation for the next version of the Internet. And it's not all smoke and mirrors. So let's talk about mirrors. Fairy tales and science fiction stories often pave the way to real world technology. Magic mirrors have been used in Snow White and Harry Potter's world. Now you can get one, too........ Read more »
Poh MZ, McDuff DJ, & Picard RW. (2010) Non-contact, automated cardiac pulse measurements using video imaging and blind source separation. Optics express, 18(10), 10762-74. PMID: 20588929
Li F, Zhao C, Xia Z, Wang Y, Zhou X, & Li GZ. (2012) Computer-assisted lip diagnosis on traditional Chinese medicine using multi-class support vector machines. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 12(1), 127. PMID: 22898352
- August 5, 2012
- 10:50 PM
- 420 views
Carbohydrates for your bacteria
by Aurametrix team in Irritable Bowel Blog
Our bacteria are picky eaters. Some of them - like Prevotelia - prefer a high carbohydrate diet, while others - like Bacteroides - stick to unhealthy western lifestyle with lots of meat and fat. The most prevalent bacteria in the gut of horses, cows and goats prefer people consuming alcohol and polyunsaturated fats. Methanobrevibacter is most abundant in anorexic nervosa patients. Gram negative bacillus Bilophila wadsworthia loves people with gangrenous appendicitis or those whose diets are high........ Read more »
Staudacher HM, Lomer MC, Anderson JL, Barrett JS, Muir JG, Irving PM, & Whelan K. (2012) Fermentable carbohydrate restriction reduces luminal bifidobacteria and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. The Journal of nutrition, 142(8), 1510-8. PMID: 22739368
Cui S, & Hu Y. (2012) Multistrain probiotic preparation significantly reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. International journal of clinical and experimental medicine, 5(3), 238-44. PMID: 22837798
Wu GD, Chen J, Hoffmann C, Bittinger K, Chen YY, Keilbaugh SA, Bewtra M, Knights D, Walters WA, Knight R.... (2011) Linking long-term dietary patterns with gut microbial enterotypes. Science (New York, N.Y.), 334(6052), 105-8. PMID: 21885731
- July 15, 2012
- 04:02 PM
- 483 views
On Apples and Trees
by Aurametrix team in Environmental health
An apple doesn't fall far from the tree. So if you don't like apples, trees won't like you either. And the other way around.If your mother ate apples during pregnancy, she might have protected you from asthma. And if you like apple juice, this might help you avoid chronic wheezing issues. Research has already proven these and many similar connections. Now a new study suggests that eating apples could also help you cope with seasonal allergies - particularly with allergies to ........ Read more »
Kopac P, Rudin M, Gentinetta T, Gerber R, Pichler Ch, Hausmann O, Schnyder B, & Pichler WJ. (2012) Continuous apple consumption induces oral tolerance in birch-pollen-associated apple allergy. Allergy, 67(2), 280-5. PMID: 22070352
Okamoto Y, & Kurihara K. (2012) [A case of oral allergy syndrome whose symptoms were dramatically improved after rush subcutaneous injection immunotherapy with pollen extracts of birch]. Arerugi , 61(5), 652-8. PMID: 22705787
- June 24, 2012
- 12:35 AM
- 351 views
Cars That Care
by Aurametrix team in Health Technologies
Health technology of the future promises an easy life with no interruption in your daily activities. For example, information about your health could be collected while you're driving. A car is already viewed as a health platform and wellness coach by leading manufacturers. How would this work?To begin with, by measuring our heart rate. The electrocardiographic (ECG) seat built by Ford is based on studies of sensors in beds for intensive care units. Unlike traditional monitoring systems, it does........ Read more »
Wartzek T, Eilebrecht B, Lem J, Lindner HJ, Leonhardt S, & Walter M. (2011) ECG on the road: robust and unobtrusive estimation of heart rate. IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering, 58(11), 3112-20. PMID: 21824839
Doherty ST, & Oh P. (2012) A multi-sensor monitoring system of human physiology and daily activities. Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association, 18(3), 185-92. PMID: 22480300
- May 26, 2012
- 11:53 PM
- 510 views
More apps, less flu?
by Aurametrix team in Environmental health
Fewer people caught the flu this season compared with past years. And many more apps tracking the flu have been developed. Any relationship between these two trends?Of course, less flu could be just the result of fewer mutations in bugs, warmer weather and more vaccinations. Yet the power of good software - such as google flu trends, twitter-based trackers and numerous apps can not be underestimated. Thanks to these tools, we are now more aware (and more afraid).The flu is inher........ Read more »
Dugas, A., Hsieh, Y., Levin, S., Pines, J., Mareiniss, D., Mohareb, A., Gaydos, C., Perl, T., & Rothman, R. (2012) Google Flu Trends: Correlation With Emergency Department Influenza Rates and Crowding Metrics. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 54(4), 463-469. DOI: 10.1093/cid/cir883
- May 10, 2012
- 08:42 PM
- 362 views
Hello Summertime!.. Owls Beware
by Aurametrix team in Environmental health
Environment can significantly affect human health. And the risks are not limited to air pollution, seasonal allergies, tainted water or chemicals in food. Our life dramas are set against the backdrop of world events that contribute to environmental health too, to a lesser or greater extent.How does springing clocks forward affect our lives?Hopefully, not much financially. Despite earlier predictions that average stock market returns are likely to be lower on Mondays following time changes (........ Read more »
Janszky, I., Ahnve, S., Ljung, R., Mukamal, K., Gautam, S., Wallentin, L., & Stenestrand, U. (2012) Daylight saving time shifts and incidence of acute myocardial infarction – Swedish Register of Information and Knowledge About Swedish Heart Intensive Care Admissions (RIKS-HIA). Sleep Medicine, 13(3), 237-242. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2011.07.019
Lim, S., Park, Y., Yang, K., & Kwon, H. (2010) Effects of Daylight Saving Time on Health. Journal of Korean Medical Association, 53(2), 155. DOI: 10.5124/jkma.2010.53.2.155
Schneider, A., & Randler, C. (2009) Daytime sleepiness during transition into daylight saving time in adolescents: Are owls higher at risk?. Sleep Medicine, 10(9), 1047-1050. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2008.08.009
- May 8, 2012
- 12:19 AM
- 492 views
Finding the Goldilocks Solution
by Aurametrix team in Irritable Bowel Blog
A top story in today’s news is related to a recent scientific paper published in Current Biology concerning the dinosaurs. British scientists wanted to know, Could methane produced by sauropod dinosaurs have helped drive Mesozoic climate warmth? By their estimates, some 520 million tons of methane (a “greenhouse gas” emission) were produced by the flatulent beasts every year. This begs the question, do flatulent humans today also contribute to global warming? Probably........ Read more »
Wilkinson, D., Nisbet, E., & Ruxton, G. (2012) Could methane produced by sauropod dinosaurs have helped drive Mesozoic climate warmth?. Current Biology, 22(9). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.03.042
Winham DM, & Hutchins AM. (2011) Perceptions of flatulence from bean consumption among adults in 3 feeding studies. Nutrition journal, 128. PMID: 22104320
- January 10, 2012
- 10:00 AM
- 668 views
Studying body odor: one step at a time
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
Unpleasant body odors could be a sign of a disease. But even when the cause of the disease is known - an example is trimethylaminuria or TMAU - there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Elimination of choline and other essential nutrients from diet can be harmful and unhelpful. Everyone has their own unique needs, with individual combinations of foods, activities and optimal environmental conditions.An earlier survey of about 100 body odor and halitosis sufferers indicated stress (34%), fo........ Read more »
Jan Havlicek, & Pavlina Lenochova. (2008) Environmental effects on human body odour. Chemical Signals in Vertebrates. DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-73945-8_19
Havlicek, J., & Lenochova, P. (2006) The Effect of Meat Consumption on Body Odor Attractiveness. Chemical Senses, 31(8), 747-752. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjl017
- December 24, 2011
- 11:25 PM
- 527 views
The smell of Christmas
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
How does Christmas smell like? Like cinnamon! So say studies by European scientists. And even though the smell of cinnamon is described as "pungent" (besides "warm", 'sweet", and "spicy"), it fires up our brains, evoking a joyful Christmas mood and making us more generous. Cinnamon is classified as a stimulant. Smelling and tasting cinnamon could enhance attention and virtual recognition memory, at least in comparison to smells of peppermint, jasmine or cherries. In addition to its many heal........ Read more »
Seo HS, Buschhüter D, & Hummel T. (2009) Odor attributes change in relation to the time of the year. Cinnamon odor is more familiar and pleasant during Christmas season than summertime. Appetite, 53(2), 222-5. PMID: 19576937
Hlebowicz, J., Hlebowicz, A., Lindstedt, S., Bjorgell, O., Hoglund, P., Holst, J., Darwiche, G., & Almer, L. (2009) Effects of 1 and 3 g cinnamon on gastric emptying, satiety, and postprandial blood glucose, insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide 1, and ghrelin concentrations in healthy subjects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(3), 815-821. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26807
- December 9, 2011
- 11:25 AM
- 486 views
Can Software help Health care?
by Aurametrix team in Health Technologies
Apps, apps and more apps. Software is everything and everything runs on software. Almost every industry in the U.S. has been disrupted by software. The health care field is not one of them. Easily accessible consumer information makes everyone a little bit doctor. Emerging portable diagnostic devices will strengthen the transition. Are we up to it? Not yet. ... Read more »
Archer N, Fevrier-Thomas U, Lokker C, McKibbon KA, & Straus SE. (2011) Personal health records: a scoping review. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, 18(4), 515-22. PMID: 21672914
- December 6, 2011
- 12:00 AM
- 558 views
The Road to Ammonia
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
Why do I smell like Ammonia? This question, in thousands of variations, has been asked over and over again at every major question/answer site, especially teen, bodybuilding and athletic forums.The Internet provides plenty of opinions.Medical sites talk about diseases like chronic kidney failure, hepatic cirrhosis or H. pylori infection. Fitness sites recommend drinking more water, reevaluating protein sources and eating more carbohydrates. What are these diet-odor links? And what's the Science?........ Read more »
Hovsepyan, M., Sargsyan, E., & Bergsten, P. (2010) Palmitate-induced changes in protein expression of insulin secreting INS-1E cells. Journal of Proteomics, 73(6), 1148-1155. DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2010.01.012
- November 12, 2011
- 01:10 PM
- 600 views
Adding red to your diet
by Aurametrix team in Irritable Bowel Blog
A number of studies have suggested that a higher intake of lycopene-containing foods decreases the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, other cancers and infections, even cataracts and asthma. What are the potential side effects?... Read more »
Jatoi A, Burch P, Hillman D, Vanyo JM, Dakhil S, Nikcevich D, Rowland K, Morton R, Flynn PJ, Young C.... (2007) A tomato-based, lycopene-containing intervention for androgen-independent prostate cancer: results of a Phase II study from the North Central Cancer Treatment Group. Urology, 69(2), 289-94. PMID: 17320666
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