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WHY CORNER

Why don’t Bonsai Plants grow tall?

KnowHow team explains: Nature has endowed all life forms with one essential quality: growth. Embryos turn into large animals from a few cells. Seedlings become plants. And in biosphere, no other creature grows as big as trees.

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But unlike animals, trees can be trained to become dwarfs. Although the Japanese claim credits of mastering the craft of turning trees into dwarfs by the use of skilled pruning (the term bonsai means ‘tray gardening’ in Japanese), the Chinese art of “penjing” is the actual precursor to bonsai.

When seedlings, root cuttings and small grafted plants are to be developed as bonsai, they are usually first cultivated in ground beds. Here, the branch and root tips are pruned repeatedly. Each pruning session helps the plants to develop “dwarfing” habits. Vigorous growth in ground beds encourages a dense growth from the trunk during this period. Besides pruning, various other techniques such as tying and bracing are commonly used to shape branches and trunks.

All these operations forcibly block the plants’ natural growth. The terminal buds on the tips of the branches and roots contain certain types of cells which multiply and divide to effect the growth in length. Pruning, tying or bracing impede the activity of these cells and eventually stall the overall growth of the plants.
Source:The Telegraph(Kolkata,India)

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News on Health & Science

Dogs in Thailand swim to get slim

BANGKOK: Wearing a life jacket like any good swimming student, five-year-old golden retriever Jasmine is being lowered on a winch into a pool for her weekly doggie-paddle workout.

Her swims are aimed at shedding pounds, which her owner Gunyarat Kloy-Iam says she packed on because it’s just too hot in Bangkok for her to go out for a walk.

“When I was free during the day, it was simply too hot for her to go out and enjoy it,” says 48-year-old Gunyarat, who runs a agricultural chemical company.

European pedigree breeds like Jasmine have become immensely popular in tropical Asian countries like Thailand, where they have to be kept indoors and air-conditioned just to stay cool. Veterinarians say rising affluence means many pets are also being spoilt rotten — which usually means they are being grossly overfed.

More than half of Thailand’s pedigree pooches are now believed to be clinically obese, according to vet Chaiyaporn Phonsuwan, a co-owner of the Veterinary 4 Polyclinic in Bangkok.

“More than 50% of big and medium-sized pet dogs in Bangkok, usually foreign breeds, have a problem with obesity,” he said.

“Common Thai dogs do not have this problem — they can handle the environment and exercise in the heat.” Chaiyaporn’s wife, Araya Phonsuwan, who is also a vet, came up with the idea for a special doggie pool four years ago after a trip to Britain to study hydrotherapy for pets.

Source:The Times Of India

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News on Health & Science

Miracle of grease (Veselene)

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Chloe Rhodes examines the origins of petroleum jelly and reveals why it is so popular :

Last month, a reader of the Daily Telegraph wrote to the paper’s GP columnist to report the miraculous   healing properties of Vaseline. She had repeatedly applied a coat of the bathroom cabinet staple to two troublesome scars on her leg, which quickly disappeared, and then to a mole on her face that subsequently   dropped off.

A week after her letter was published, the newspaper’s mail bag was bulging with letters singing the praises of petroleum jelly for the treatment of everything from nappy rash and chapped lips to psoriasis and piles. One reader said it is the best face cream she had ever used   a beauty secret she shared with Hollywood stars Joan Collins, Meg Ryan and Scarlett Johansson.

But what is it that makes this pot of grease so great?

Vaseline was discovered in 1859 by an English-born American chemist, Robert Augustus Chesebrough. On a visit to the oilrigs in Pennsylvania, he noticed that the workers used a sticky petroleum by-product that accumulated around the drill rods to help heal cuts and burns. After almost a decade of research, he perfected a process for distilling from this residue a translucent, odourless gel he called petroleum jelly. In 1872, Vaseline was registered as a trademark.

There are two theories about how the name developed. One is that it is a blend of the German word for water   wasser  and the Greek word for oil  elaion, the other that Chesebrough named it after the vases in which he used to store his mysterious new product during his research.

Unable to generate interest from bulk buyers, he loaded up a horse-drawn wagon with one-ounce bottles of his new   wonder jelly  and touted it across New York state. He deliberately burned patches of his skin to demonstrate Vaseline’s healing powers   and within two years he was selling a jar a minute.

Chesebrough was convinced that his discovery contained some magical chemical, insisting that he be covered from head to toe in the stuff when he was diagnosed with pleurisy (from which, incidentally, he recovered). But in fact, there is no secret active ingredient. Vaseline promotes faster healing simply by creating the best conditions for the skin to heal itself.

Professor John Hawk, honorary  consultant dermatologist at St Thomas Hospital, London, explains,  Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer, which means that it creates a barrier on the surface of the skin. This is beneficial because it helps the skin to retain moisture, which is crucial to the healing process, and also because it keeps wounds sterile by preventing harmful bacteria from getting in.

These two attributes are what give Vaseline its cure-all reputation. Ailments such as cold sores and the blisters caused by shingles are eased by Vaseline because it keeps the skin around them remain moist and supple, which stops the scabs from cracking and falling off too soon.

It is useful as a face cream for the same reason   the more moisture that can be retained in the skin, the plumper and less wrinkled it looks. Dry skin conditions, including eczema and even psoriasis, benefit from this added moisturisation too, but also from the fact that a Vaseline barrier reduces the penetration of irritants.   Eczema is probably caused by allergy-causing molecules getting into the skin,  says Prof. Hawk. Any occlusive moisturiser would help to prevent this, but Vaseline is more bland than most, there are no perfumes or colourants, so it is less likely to cause irritation.

Nappy rash, caused by the chafing of a wet nappy, can be prevented by the application of a thin layer of Vaseline to the baby’s bottom, and this sealant quality has also been suggested in the British Medical Journal as a means of staunching a nose bleed when applied just inside the nostrils, though more research is needed to test its effectiveness.

Even mouth ulcers, which are notoriously tricky to shift, can be successfully treated if dabbed dry with a tissue before being coated in a layer of gel   which protects ulcers from the acid in the mouth and allows them to heal. Fresh burns, however, should not be treated with Vaseline until the area has cooled.

Emilie Lien from Unilever, which now owns the brand, is delighted by the enthusiasm of consumers for her product.  None of these uses are   official, but it’s amazing how people have developed so many different uses for just one product. We now make 15 million jars of petroleum jelly each year so we know there’s a huge demand. In fact, over a ton of Vaseline has been used since 1981 just to help protect London Marathon runners from chafing and blistered toes.

And the miraculous mole removal? Prof. Hawk thinks he may have an explanation:   It seems unlikely that moisturising could remove a true mole from within the skin, but it could help to get rid of seborrhoeic keratoses   harmless, crusty growths that are often pigmented like moles but look as if they  are stuck to the surface of the skin. It’s not a clinically proven method, but the good thing about Vaseline is that it’s so bland you can use it as much as you like.

It certainly didn’t do Robert Chesebrough any harm   he lived to the age of 96 and attributed his longevity to the spoonful of Vaseline he ate every day.

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata,India)

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Snoring

Snoring is a noise produced when an individual breathes (usually produced when breathing in) during sleep which in turn causes vibration of the soft palate and uvula (that thing that hangs down in the back of the throat). The word “apnea” means the abscence of breathing.
All snorers have incomplete obstruction ( a block) of the upper airway. Many habitual snorers have complete episodes of upper airway obstruction where the airway is completly blocked for a period of time, usually 10 seconds or longer. This silence is usually followed by snorts and gasps as the individual fights to take a breath. When an individual snores so loudly that it disturbs others, obstructive sleep apnea is almost certain to be present.

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There is snoring that is an indicator of obstructive sleep apnea and there is also primary snoring.

Primary Snoring, also known as simple snoring, snoring without sleep apnea, noisy breathing during sleep, benign snoring, rhythmical snoring and continous snoring is characterized by loud upper airway breathing sounds in sleep without episodes of apnea (cessation of breath).

How Does Primary Snoring Differ from Snoring that Indicates Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
A complaint of snoring by an observer
No evidence of insomnia or excessive sleepiness due to the snoring
Dryness of the mouth upon awakening
A polysomnogram (sleep study) that shows:
Snoring and other sounds often occurring for long episodes during the sleep period
No associated abrupt arousals, arterial oxygen desaturation (lowered amount of oxygen in the blood) or cardiac disturbances
Normal sleep patterns
Normal respiratory patterns during sleep
No signs of other sleep disorders
What can be done about primary snoring?
First of all, it is absolutely necessary to rule out obstructive sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. Be wary of any doctor who says it is not necessary. Behavioral and lifestyle changes may be suggested. Losing weight, sleeping on your side, refraining from alcohol and sedatives are often recommended.

The Causes Of Snoring:
Modern research reveals snoring to often have more than one cause. These include the many factors that lead to nasal blockage such as nasal allergy or deformities of the nasal septum (the cartilage partition between the two sides of the nose) and other internal nasal structures. This nasal blockage can contribute to poor nasal airflow into the lungs and can in turn set the soft tissues of the palate (roof of the mouth) and throat vibrating. These vibrations cause the loud fluttering noise of snoring.

Other factors which can influence the snoring condition are obesity; lack of fitness or aging and associated loss of general muscle tone, congestion of the throat due to the reflux of stomach acid (heartburn); and the effects of alcohol or smoking.

Congestion of the throat tissues leads to swelling of fluids within the tissues. This causes loss of muscle tone and generally makes the lining tissues of the airways flop. Where nasal congestion causes faulty or turbulent airflow through the airway, then the resonance of these floppy tissues contributes to the noise known as snoring.

Correction of snoring may not only require surgical intervention, but will probably also need cessation of smoking, minimised alcohol consumption, control of gastric acid reflux where neccessary and weight control
.

The Anatomy of the Upper Airway Passages.

CURE & TREATMENT:
Pillar Procedure
The Pillar Procedure is a new snoring treatment.
It is an operation carried out under local anaesthetic in most cases. Three tiny implants, made from woven polyester, are injected into the tissues of the soft palate. Floppiness of the soft palate, that part of the roof of the mouth which extends from the bony hard palate to the uvula (or central, dangling portion of the soft palate), is a frequent contributor to snoring. Stiffening the soft palate has been well known to quieten snoring in selected cases. However, palatal stiffening is suitable for patients who have been carefully evaluated by an ear, nose and throat surgeon with an interest in snoring problems. It does not assist every patient. Other factors may be contributing to snoring in these patients.

Now, what are Pillar implants?
The Pillar implants, made from polyester material, were developed in Europe and now have FDA US Government authority approval for surgical use. This material has been frequently used in medical products and can be safely inserted within the body. The implant creates a fibrous capsule around the implant which is the mechanism of the stiffening.

How do they work?
During the Pillar Procedure, three tiny woven inserts are placed in the soft palate to help reduce both the vibration that causes snoring and the ability of the soft palate to obstruct the airway. The Pillar inserts add structural support to the soft palate over time and prevents palatal fluttering (snoring).

The complex anatomical structure of the upper airway passages is due to the close association of the air, food and fluid passages. We not only breathe through our mouth and nose, but we also eat and drink through our mouth. The food passages of the mouth, throat and oesophagus leading to the stomach are separated from the airway by the soft palate and epiglottis and associated structures of the larynx or voicebox. This normally prevents food or fluid passing into the air passages and lungs. Occasional strong coughing fits are reminders that this is not always the case!

The nasal air passages serve to moisten the air intake and also provide the olfactory, or smell sense. Alternating congestion of the nasal passages helps channel the air intake between the two lungs.

ORAL/DENTAL DEVICES
There are mouth/oral devices (that help keep the airway open) on the market that may help to reduce snoring in three different ways.

Some devices:
bring the jaw forward or
elevate the soft palate or
retain the tongue (from falling back in the airway and thus decreasing snoring).

SURGERY
There is also surgery. Snoring is Not Funny, Not Hopeless. There is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) or Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), that involves removing excess tissue from the throat.

The newest surgery, approved by the FDA in July 1997 for treating snoring is called somnoplasty and uses radio frequency waves to remove excess tissue.

Injection Snoreplasty and Non-Surgical Snoring Cures are some other options.

10 Natural Tip for a Silent Night

Home Remedy of Snoring…….(1)

Home Remedy …………...(2 )

Regular Yoga Exercises like Meditation, Breathing Exercise etc. are also a permanent cure for snoring and sleep apnea.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Source: www.snoring.com.au

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News on Health & Science

Giving up hope increases risk of cancer

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 Many people fear they can do nothing to protect themselves from cancer, and they may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, US researchers said.

Their survey of more than 6,000 Americans found that nearly half 47% agreed that “nearly everything causes cancer” and that more than a quarter felt there was little they could do about it.

Yet an estimated two-thirds of cancer cases can be prevented with common-sense measures, such as not smoking, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoiding too much sun, according to the American Association of Cancer Research and the National Cancer Institute.

“They say, ‘Well, there is nothing much you can do about it,’ and, as our survey shows, they indeed do nothing about it,” said Jeff Niederdeppe of the University of Wisconsin, who helped lead the study.

“Yet we know that approximately 30% of cancer deaths are attributed to smoking, while 15 to 20% are linked to overweight and obesity. Clearly, there are very specific things we can do to reduce our personal risk for getting cancer.”

Niederdeppe and colleagues analysed a National Cancer Institute survey that asked people whether they agreed with three statements about cancer.

About 47% of those surveyed agreed that “it seems like almost everything causes cancer”, while 27% agreed that “there’s not much people can do to lower their chances of getting cancer.”

Most of all, Americans are confused, with 71.5% agreeing that “there are so many recommendations about preventing cancer, it’s hard to know which ones to follow,” researchers wrote in their report, published in the current issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

People who agreed with at least one of the three statements were less likely than others to exercise weekly and eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, said Niederdeppe and colleagues.

Those who said there were too many recommendations were the most likely to smoke, and overall, less-educated people were more likely to hold one or more of the three beliefs. Part of the problem could be the way medical research is reported, with one discovery at a time dribbling out and some findings contradicting others.

Cancer is the second-leading killer of people in the United States and most developed countries, after heart disease. Half of all men and one third of all women will develop some type of cancer in their lifetime. Severity of symptoms depends on the location and character of the malignancy.

Source: The Times Of India

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