Sauna culture from country to country
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:33 am | by admin
Sauna is widely accepted as having been introduced by the Finnish and the word ’sauna’ itself is a word from the Finnish language, in Finland. There are known to be some variations of sauna which are older i.e. in China but the modern style sauna is a wide part of social culture and life in Finland. More than 50% of households in Finland have a sauna and going to the sauna is something extremely popular in this country, almost like a pastime. Culturally in Finland, men and women use sauna separately with separate areas for each. In Finland though families often use the sauna together and groups of friends sometimes rent cabins near to a lake and enjoy a weekend of sauna and socialising. Part of the sauna experience often involves submersing oneself in a hole in the iced over lake, having come straight from the sauna. Wearing clothes is pretty much frowned upon in a sauna and one would look out of place with a swimsuit or anything else on, in a sauna in Finland.
In Germany and Holland the sauna experience is similar and the rules quite particular, only many of the saunas are very often mixed and clothes are not worn. There are often unspoken rules such as the expectation that you will shower after exiting a sauna and that you will use a towel in certain types of sauna such as a dry sauna and not in a steam sauna. Germany and Holland are both very liberal countries when it comes to sauna use and there are some excellent saunas throughout both countries.
In South Korea, a sauna is for women only and for men only and are popularly known as a mogyoktang and also as a jjimjilbang. Saunas are very popular in Korea and many people spend a hole evening their relaxing in the main area, in the sauna and sometimes taking a short sleep. You can often also check the Internet and read a book etc and really get your money’s worth. In Japan they have some excellent saunas and one of the most famous is called the 1000 Man bath. Generally it is similar to Korea and Finland in that it is usually men or women only.
In countries such as the UK many respectable saunas i.e. at health clubs require you to wear a swimsuit and the saunas are mixed. There are a few saunas though which are clothing optional and these sometimes offer days for women only days, men only days and mixed days.
Paul writes for UK sauna and spa and Hot stone massage.
Top Saunas and Health Clubs worth visiting in the UK
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:32 am | by admin
1. The Relaxation centre in the heart of Bristol, England, in the popular area of Clifton and it has excellent facilities and is popular amongst the sauna and massage crowd. The Relaxation Centre do offer a number of massage and other therapy style classes regularly, in addition to having its own sauna and spa facilities. You can enjoy experiencing using a floatation tank, infrared sauna, outdoor saunas and Jacuzzi. The prices are quite reasonable and the venue well run and clean.
2. In Warwickshire in the UK, the Wildmoor Spa and Health Club is a wonderful venue which also has great facilities and although a little more on the expensive side, it is an excellent health clubs and which excellent facilities. There is a large number of treatments you can choose from covering a wide range of prices. You can choose simple facial or get an all over body wrap, or choose to get a lengthy massage. Wildmoor Spa also has its own gym for keeping fit and working out and you can also stay at the centre.
3. The Ragdale Hall Health Spa in the country of Leicestershire, England is one luxury venue which is well-worth considering for a weekend of recovery. Relax, get a massage, have a pedicure, spend some time in the hot tub and sauna, have a herbal tea in the café, have a hot stone massage or try an infrared massage. However you like to unwind, Ragdale is not a bad place to choose. Ragdale have a number of choices in terms of packages and they include one day packages, weekend packages and other choices. This centre has won many awards and is classy place to relax and to stay
There are dozens of excellent spars in the UK and you can find other options and ones closer to your location with a web search i.e. by searching on words such as health clubs, health spas and spa weekends. Everyone needs to relax, unwind and be treated well so a weekend of relaxation might be for you.
Paul writes for UK sauna and spas and Sicily Property Italy.
Human aging gene found in flies
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:26 am | by admin
Medical Science News
Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have found a fast and effective way to investigate important aspects of human ageing.
Working at the University of Oxford and The Open University, Dr Lynne Cox and Dr Robert Saunders have discovered a gene in fruit flies that means flies can now be used to study the effects ageing has on DNA. In new work published today in the journal Aging Cell, the researchers demonstrate the value of this model in helping us to understand the ageing process. This exciting study demonstrates that fruit flies can be used to study critical aspects of human ageing at cellular, genetic and biochemical levels.
Dr Lynne Cox from the University of Oxford said: “We study a premature human ageing disease called Werner syndrome to help us understand normal ageing. The key to this disease is that changes in a single gene (called WRN) mean that patients age very quickly. Scientists have made great progress in working out what this gene does in the test tube, but until now we haven’t been able to investigate the gene to look at its effect on development and the whole body. By working on this gene in fruit flies, we can model human ageing in a powerful experimental system.”
Dr Robert Saunders from The Open University added: “This work shows for the first time that we can use the short-lived fruit fly to investigate the function of an important human ageing gene. We have opened up the exciting possibility of using this model system to analyse the way that such genes work in a whole organism, not just in single cells.”
Dr Saunders, Dr Cox and colleagues have identified the fruit fly equivalent of the key human ageing gene known as WRN. They find that flies with damage to this gene share important features with people suffering from the rapid ageing condition Werner syndrome, who also have damage to the WRN gene. In particular, the DNA, or genetic blueprint, is unstable in the flies that have the damaged version of the gene and the chromosomes are often altered. The researchers show that the fly’s DNA becomes rearranged, with genes being swapped between chromosomes. In patients with Werner syndrome, this genome instability leads to cancer. Cells derived from Werner syndrome patients are extremely sensitive to a drug often used to treat cancers: the researchers show that the flies that have the damaged gene are killed by even very low doses of the drug.
Professor Nigel Brown, Director of Science and Technology, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council said: “The ageing population presents a major research challenge to the UK and we need effort to understand normal ageing and the characteristics that accompany it.”
“Fruit flies are already used as a model for the genetics behind mechanisms that underlie normal functioning of the human body and it is great news that this powerful research tool can be applied to such an important area of study into human health.”
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/
Fruit fly avoidance mechanism could lead to new ways to control pain in humans
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:26 am | by admin
Medical Science News
At first, fruit flies eat like horses. Hatching inside over-ripe fruit where they were laid, they feed wildly in the sugar-rich environment until nature sends them an offer they can’t refuse. To survive, they must leave the fruit, wander off and burrow into the earth where they avoid food as if it were poison. Only then can the larvae grow and hatch into flies that will take wing to lay their own eggs.
Now, a team of researchers from the University of Georgia has discovered for the first time that the important developmental switch from food attraction to aversion in the fruit fly larva is controlled by a timing mechanism in the brain and its sensory system. The study shows how this important avoidance mechanism has been recruited into evolutionary processes to promote development and could one day lead to new methods of controlling pain in humans and other animals.
“The findings provide an intriguing glimpse into how an animal modulates its chemosensory properties and behaviors in coordination with development,” said Ping Shen, an assistant professor in the department of cellular biology at UGA and a member of the Biomedical & Health Sciences Institute. The research was published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
“Fruit fly larvae are like tadpoles-they have to migrate from their first habitat to stay alive and flourish,” said Shen. “What we found was that a molecular timing switch tells them when to quit eating and burrow into the earth. We also found that the same switch can trigger strong cooperative behavior in the flies.”
Authors of the paper in addition to Shen, all from the University of Georgia, are Andrew Sornborger of the Faculty of Engineering and the department of mathematics; Jie Xu, a doctoral student in Shen’s laboratory; and Jennifer Lee, a former undergraduate and technician, also in Shen’s lab.
Using cutting-edge imaging techniques developed by Sornborger and his colleagues, the researchers have imaged the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) with unprecedented sensitivity.
“Analysis techniques have lagged behind image acquisition technology,” said Sornborger. “This work addresses that gap. With our methods we have been able to image the inner workings of the nervous systems in real time amid massive amounts of data.”
Fruit flies can’t really stay in the rotting fruit where they are laid. Not only do they risk drowning in the ripening fluid, they are increasingly exposed to harmful microorganisms that can kill them. To escape, the larvae “wander” out and burrow into the ground.
One interesting finding is that the change from eating to non-eating is controlled by a timing mechanism that switches on a fructose sensor and involves a channel protein called PAIN, known to respond to noxious stimuli such as heat and horseradish.
While all this may seem extremely specialized since it involves fruit flies, that’s far from the case, Shen and Sornborger said. The molecules at work in this system have counterparts in mammalian models that have been implicated in many psychological processes and behaviors such as the response to food and alcohol and the suppression of anxiety and pain.
Understanding the system in the fly could therefore lead to the development of new pain relievers that might do far less harm to the organism involved while shutting down pain at its most basic level. And that would be quite a gift from a fly.
http://www.uga.edu/
Scientist discovers mechanism that ’silences’ unmatched genes during cellular reproduction
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:25 am | by admin
Medical Science News
When most people discover mold on their bread, they immediately throw it out. Others see a world of possibilities in the tiny fungus. A University of Missouri scientist, along with a collaborative research team, has examined a new mechanism in the reproductive cycle of a certain species of mold.
This mechanism protects the organism from genetic abnormalities by “silencing” unmatched genes during meiosis (sexual reproduction). The finding could have implications for higher organisms and may lead to precise “targeting” of unwanted genes, such as those from the HIV virus.
“Meiotic silencing also occurs in worms, mice and human beings,” said Patrick Shiu, assistant professor of biological sciences in the MU College of Arts and Science. “It’s unlikely that all share the same mechanism, but the principle of targeting unpaired DNA for silencing seems to be found in both simple and complex organisms. Knowing the process of how DNA in molds is targeted for silencing could be important for silencing genes you don’t want to be expressed, like disease-causing genes.”
Shiu and his colleagues discovered that each sexual cell in mold has an internal mechanism that “scans” paired chromosomes for anomalies. The researchers found that when one chromosome in a pair carries an extra copy of a gene not found in its partner chromosome, it is a good indication of an intruder and the fungus will “turn off” all copies of that gene during meiosis. The researchers call this process “meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA,” or MSUD.
“MSUD defends the fungus against invasion at a time when chromosomes are especially vulnerable to the spread of viruses and insertion sequences,” Shiu said.
Shiu’s research enhances understanding of how to “shut off” undesirable genes, sheds light on the genetic components of the MSUD pathway, and may have applications in a number of industries, including pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
Because of his contribution to the field of genetics, Shiu recently received the Beadle and Tatum Award, named after Nobel Prize-winning geneticists George Beadle and Edward Tatum. The award was established to recognize outstanding and original research by a scientist using Neurospora, a type of bread mold, as a model organism.
http://www.missouri.edu/
New key mechanism in cell division discovered
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:24 am | by admin
Medical Science News
Scientists at the IFOM-IEO Campus have revealed the function of a protein that is indispensable for passing on an accurate copy of the genome from mother to daughter cells. This study, published in Cell, opens up new avenues of research to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer.
The protein can be compared to a cowboy’s lasso: it catches chromosomes and ties them to a transitory structure assembled during cell division. Once they have been neatly tied up, the chromosomes await the end of replication to be equally distributed between the two daughter cells. But if the lasso doesn’t catch them, chromosomes end up being randomly scattered, with potentially disastrous genetic effects: should cells survive this, they receive the wrong genetic inheritance, with dire consequences. The structure and function of this chromosomal lasso were discovered in Milan, at the IFOM-IEO Campus (that hosts the laboratories of the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation - IFOM - and of the European Institute of Oncology - IEO) and these findings have just been published in the prestigious scientific journal, Cell. “We’ve been studying a molecule called Ndc80 - explains Andrea Musacchio, principal author of the study, and head of a research group in the Department of Experimental Oncology (IEO). This protein is a key player necessary for the correct distribution of genetic inheritance. Ndc80 could potentially be used as a target for new drugs that would have fewer toxic side-effects than current drugs, such as paclitaxel (originally called taxol), which mainly act as inhibitors of cell replication.” The operative word here is ‘mainly’. Although many drugs used in traditional chemotherapy act on molecular targets that are in involved in the duplication of cells (during a phase known as ‘mitosis’), these targets also have other cellular functions. Ndc80, on the other hand, performs its job only during mitosis. So, by blocking Ndc80, the only cells that would be affected would be the dividing ones. Any other cells would be unaffected. Musacchio and his colleagues (together with co-author Peter De Wulf and his research team) are already testing a number of substances that might be able to block the action of Ndc80. The published findings were a truly international effort involving research groups from England and the USA; much of the work was made possible thanks to financial support from the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC).
“We’ve been studying the mechanisms that regulate accurate genome duplication for many years now - explains Musacchio. Our hope is to discover new, less toxic drugs for chemotherapy. Cancer cells grow at a much faster rate than normal cells and traditional chemotherapy drugs, like paclitaxel, block this cell division process. The efficacy of these drugs depends on differences in the growth rates of normal and cancer cells. This means that paclitaxel is toxic for all cells undergoing mitosis; however, since most mitotic cells in cancer patients are actually cancer cells, it follows that this drug will do most of its damage in cancer cells. The problem is that paclitaxel acts on proteins that are essential not only for cells to divide, but also for other phases of the cell cycle. This means that the drug has significant associated toxicity, something we would rather avoid. We had hypothesized that Ndc80 was only active during cell division, which is why we thought it might be an interesting target to study. And our results proved us right. We discovered that Ndc80 acts as a kind of molecular lasso that tethers chromosomes to the mitotic spindle, a molecular structure that only forms during mitosis. Ndc80 straps chromosomes firmly onto the spindle until the dividing cells separate; after this stage, it is of no more use to the cell. So, if we interfere with Ndc80, we can significantly reduce the so-called ‘toxicity window’.” Any drug that inhibits the function of Ndc80 would therefore be much more tumor-specific than currently available treatments. “Peter De Wulf and I - continues Musacchio - have already flagged some interesting molecules. Our in vitro work now needs to be validated in vivo, first in laboratory models, and then in standard clinical trials.”
Musacchio and colleagues have made an important step forward in understanding the molecular workings of normal and cancer cells. This work is the starting point for the development of new drugs. But, as this scientist points out, the expertise needed to achieve this latter step is sorely lacking in Italian academic research environments. “The development of new drugs - explains Musacchio - depends on the mutual interaction of Chemists and Biologists. Italian academic research still hasn’t capitalized on this, and academia limits itself to the identification of therapeutic targets. While this is a necessary and important step, the development of new drugs is left in the hands of the large pharmaceutical companies.”
This situation is unacceptable. Italian academic research (which is, by definition free, and not profit-led) can - and should - also focus on screening for molecules that can interact with newly-identified targets to inhibit them. To add insult to injury, such compounds are often neglected by pharmaceutical companies, when they do not fall within their production strategies. Musacchio and De Wulf’s strategy in their hunt for molecules that can inhibit Ndc80, exemplifies what needs to be done. But, unfortunately, their approach is not commonly adopted in Italy, and the gap between basic and translational or applied research grows ever wider. Musacchio uses a vivid metaphor to describe the situation: “We discover mountains to climb, but we don’t have the equipment needed to guarantee the success of our expeditions”. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of the collections of compounds hidden away in academic chemistry laboratories; these could be made publicly available. Mussacchio concludes: “A contribution of this kind would be invaluable for international research and a crowning achievement for our Nation”.
The findings are the result of a collaborative effort between the IFOM-IEO Campus and the University of North Carolina (USA), Colorado State University (USA), the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology (UK), the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh (UK) and the University of London (UK). The research was funded not only by AIRC, but also by the International Association for Cancer Research, the Telethon Foundation and the Italian Ministry of Health.
http://www.ifom-ieo-campus.it/
How your heart sounds could tell your heart attack risk
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:23 am | by admin
Medical Research News
According to scientists in the United States, a doctor may be able to determine a person’s risk of having a heart attack just by listening to their heart with a stethoscope.
The scientists from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington say that a certain noise is made by the heart when fatty deposits on the wall of the arteries accumulate and this can be heard with a stethoscope.
This sound which is caused by the build up of arterial plaque is called a carotid bruit and is the sound that blood makes when it passes over an obstruction in the carotid artery, the main channel for supplying blood to the head and neck.
The researchers analyzed 22 studies featuring 17,295 heart patients who were followed up for four years and they found that the presence of a carotid bruit was linked to double the risk of suffering a heart attack compared to those without a bruit and such people were 2.5 times more likely to die because of a heart attack.
Until now carotid bruits have usually been associated with bleeding in the brain.
Dr. Christopher Pickett and colleagues say their research shows that the presence of a carotid bruit significantly increases the likelihood of cardiovascular death or heart attack.
The researchers say if doctors can determine that a patient has a carotid bruit, they may be able to design preventative therapies to help reduce heart attack risks.
Australian scientists warn, to avoid cancer keep alcohol to a minimum
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:22 am | by admin
Medical Research News
Australian scientists are warning that alcohol can increase the risk for a number of cancers.
Research conducted by scientists at the Cancer Institute has revealed that drinking two units of alcohol on a daily basis significantly increases the risks of developing breast, bowel, throat and mouth cancer.
The researchers say alcohol raises the risk of breast cancer by 22 per cent, the risk of cancer of the oesophagus by 50 per cent, cancer of the larynx by 40 per cent and the risk of mouth cancer by up to 75 per cent, and men who drink four units of alcohol a day increase their risk of bowel cancer by 64 per cent.
These revelations contrast starkly to a plethora of earlier research which has found that moderate amounts of red wine could have health benefits and may help to prevent heart disease and strokes.
The Cancer Institute says that the health benefits of alcohol consumption may have overestimated and most evidence suggests that one drink every two days may be cardioprotective, but only in men over 45 years of age and women after menopause.
They say there is no evidence to support the theory that people should take up or maintain drinking alcohol for their health.
The report by the Cancer Institute of New South Wales, found in fact there is no safe level of alcohol and alcohol consumption should be kept to an absolute minimum.
According to Professor Jim Bishop from the Cancer Institute, that alcohol is a carcinogen and known to increase the risk of several cancers, is well established and he says even drinking moderate levels of alcohol on a regular basis can increase the risk.
Professor Bishop says as far as cancer is concerned no benefit is derived from alcohol.
The research is based on data from an international audit of recent cancer research which found that cancer is on the increase.
The researchers say although alcohol is widely available and widely consumed, it is also a known risk factor for several cancers and is classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a Group 1 carcinogen - the highest classification available and signifies the cancer risk for humans.
According to the report 70% of adults in NSW drink alcohol, which comes second only to tobacco as a preventable cause of drug-related deaths - people who smoke and drink are at a far greater risk.
The report says in 2003 there were an estimated 2,844 new cases of cancer and 1,358 deaths from cancer in Australia were attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.
Assistant Health Minister Verity Firth says people need to reconsider their alcohol intake and make the same sorts of decisions about alcohol as they do about other habits such as smoking.
The researchers are calling for tougher drinking guidelines.
The Cancer Institute NSW was founded in July 2003 and is Australia’s first State-wide Government cancer control agency which is responsible for reducing cancer incidence, increasing cancer survival, improving the quality of life for cancer patients and their carers and providing expert advice on cancer.
Japanese authorities fear bird flu spread in wild birds
Written on May 12, 2008 – 8:20 am | by admin
Disease/Infection News
The discovery of another swan killed by bird flu in Japan has concerned health authorities.
The dead swan was found on the northern island of Hokkaido and authorities have confirmed that the wild bird was infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Another case, also in a dead swan, found five days ago near Lake Saroma in eastern Hokkaido, has also been confirmed as bird flu, this latest case apparently had the same strain found in another dead swan found on April 24th on another part of the island.
This latest case is Japan’s third outbreak this year; several swans were found in April with the H5N1 strain on the shores of Lake Towada, close to the northern tip of the main island of Honshu.
Japanese authorities are concerned that the bird flu virus may be spreading among wild birds in the north but so far officials in Hokkaido say no poultry have been affected.
Health authorities will inspect three nearby poultry farms and disinfect 180,000 chickens as a precaution and scientists at Hokkaido University are conducting gene tests to find out more information about the cases.
Officials say the period when swans fly into Hokkaido has now peaked and only about 500 remain in a lake on the tip of the island.
Even though the virus remains a disease mainly of birds which is difficult for people to catch, scientists are concerned the virus will ultimately mutate into a form that spreads more easily between humans, with the potential to kill millions worldwide.
According to the World Health Organisation at least 240 people have died from bird flu since 2003, and most human cases have been las a result of close contact with infected poultry.
To date Japan has reported no human cases of the bird flu virus.
Men more likely to turn to alcohol when they feel down
Written on May 12, 2008 – 7:25 am | by admin
Men’s Health News
Women and men tend to have different types of stress-related psychological disorders. Women have greater rates of depression and some types of anxiety disorders than men, while men have greater rates of alcohol-use disorders than women. A new study of emotional and alcohol-craving responses to stress has found that when men become upset, they are more likely than women to want alcohol.
Results will be published in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at OnlineEarly.
“We know that women and men respond to stress differently,” said Tara M. Chaplin, associate research scientist at Yale University School of Medicine and first author of the study. “For example, following a stressful experience, women are more likely than men to say that they feel sad or anxious, which may lead to risk for depression and anxiety disorders. Some studies have found that men are more likely to drink alcohol following stress than women. If this becomes a pattern, it could lead to alcohol-use disorders.”
As part of a larger study, the researchers exposed 54 healthy adult social drinkers (27 women, 27 men) to three types of imagery scripts - stressful, alcohol-related, and neutral/relaxing - in separate sessions, on separate days and in random order. Chaplin and her colleagues then assessed participants’ subjective emotions, behavioral/bodily responses, cardiovascular arousal as indicated by heart rate and blood pressure, and self-reported alcohol craving.
“After listening to the stressful story, women reported more sadness and anxiety than men,” said Chaplin, “as well as greater behavioral arousal. But, for the men ? emotional arousal was linked to increases in alcohol craving. In other words, when men are upset, they are more likely to want alcohol.”
These findings - in addition to the fact that the men drank more than the women on average - meant that the men had more experience with alcohol, perhaps leading them to turn to alcohol as a way of coping with distress, added Chaplin. “Men’s tendency to crave alcohol when upset may be a learned behavior or may be related to known gender differences in reward pathways in the brain,” she said. “And this tendency may contribute to risk for alcohol-use disorders.”
There is a greater societal acceptance of “emotionality,” particularly sadness and anxiety, in women than in men, noted Chaplin.
“Women are more likely than men to focus on negative emotional aspects of stressful circumstances, for example, they tend to ‘ruminate’ or think over and over again about their negative emotional state,” she said. “Men, in contrast, are more likely to distract themselves from negative emotions, to try not to think about these emotions. Our finding that men had greater blood pressure response to stress, but did not report greater sadness and anxiety, may reflect that they are more likely to try to distract themselves from their physiological arousal, possibly through the use of alcohol.”
http://www.yale.edu/