$700,000 of cocaine found in Jamaican beef patties

$700,000 of cocaine found in Jamaican beef patties: A Jamaican woman faces drug charges after US authorities busted an attempt to smuggle $700,000 worth of cocaine into New York concealed in a box of Jamaican beef patties.

CytoSorbents Launches VetResQ™ for U.S. Veterinary Market.

CytoSorbents Launches VetResQ™ for U.S. Veterinary Market. CytoSorbents Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSO), a critical care immunotherapy leader using blood purification to treat deadly inflammation in critically-ill and cardiac surgery patients around the world, announces the marketing launch and commercial availability of the VetResQ™ sorbent cartridge for the United States veterinary market. VetResQ is a broad spectrum blood purification adsorber designed to help treat deadly inflammation and toxic injury in animals with critical illnesses such as septic shock, toxic shock syndrome, severe systemic inflammation, toxin-mediated diseases, pancreatitis, trauma, liver failure, and drug intoxication. source

Elephants and their healing powers.

Elephants are believed to have healing powers and many people hunt them down to treat various ailments. Elephant's skin can cure skin diseases like eczema,you burn pieces of skin by putting them in a clay pot,then you get the ash and mix it with coconut oil to apply on the eczema. A paste made from ground up elephant teeth would cure pimples and remove black spots, your face will be smooth and white after you use it. Elephant poaching in Myanmar has jumped tenfold in recent years, the government said this week, driven by growing demand for ivory, hide and body parts. Increasingly carcasses are being found stripped of their skin, the hide used for traditional medicine or reportedly turned into beads for jewelry.source

Inflammation,food and diabetes.

Every meal triggers inflammation. Short-term inflammatory responses play a key role in sugar uptake and activation of immune system.When we eat, we do not just take in nutrients -- we also consume a significant quantity of bacteria. The body is faced with the challenge of simultaneously distributing the ingested glucose and fighting these bacteria. This triggers an inflammatory response that activates the immune systems of healthy individuals and has a protective effect, as doctors have proven for the first time. In overweight individuals, however, this inflammatory response fails so dramatically that it can lead to diabetes. It is well known that type 2 diabetes leads to chronic inflammation with a range of negative impacts. A number of clinical studies have therefore treated diabetes by impeding the over-production of a substance involved in this process, Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). In diabetes patients, this messenger substance triggers chronic inflammation and causes insulin-producing beta cells to die off. According to the researchers, this mechanism of the metabolism and immune system is dependent on the bacteria and nutrients that are ingested during meals. With sufficient nutrients, the immune system is able to adequately combat foreign bacteria. Conversely, when there is a lack of nutrients, the few remaining calories must be conserved for important life functions at the expense of an immune response. This may go some way towards explaining why infectious diseases occur more frequently in times of famine.

Seoul virus outbreak associated with home-based rat-breeding facilities.

Seoul virus outbreak associated with home-based rat-breeding facilities.Experts from CDC are working with the Illinois Department of Health and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to investigate cases of Seoul virus infections among eight people who worked at several rat-breeding facilities in the two states. Seoul virus is not commonly found in the United States, though there have been several reported outbreaks in wild rats. This is the first known outbreak associated with pet rats in the United States. A home-based rodent breeder in Wisconsin was hospitalized in December 2016 with fever, headache, and other symptoms. CDC tested a blood specimen and confirmed that the infection was caused by Seoul virus, a member of the Hantavirus family of rodent-borne viruses. A close family member who also worked with rodents also tested positive for Seoul virus. Both people have recovered. A follow-up investigation at several rat breeders that supplied the initial patient's rats revealed an additional six cases of Seoul virus at two Illinois rat breeding facilities. Seoul virus is carried by wild Norway rats worldwide. People usually become infected when they come in contact with infectious body fluids (blood, saliva, urine) from infected rats or are bitten by them. Most cases in people are reported in Asia. The virus is not spread between people and cannot be transmitted to or from other types of pets. Rats infected with Seoul virus typically do not appear sick. Human and animal health officials are working together to make sure infected rats are not distributed further. Seoul virus in the Hantavirus family, produces a milder illness than some other Hantaviruses. The symptoms may include fever, severe headache, back and abdominal pain, chills, blurred vision, redness of the eyes, or rash. In rare cases, infection can also lead to acute renal disease. However, not all people infected with the virus experience symptoms. Most people infected with Seoul virus recover. To prevent infections from Seoul virus and other diseases carried by rats, people should: 1)Wash your hands with soap and running water after touching, feeding, or caring for rodents, or cleaning their habitats. Be sure to assist children with handwashing. 2) Be aware that pet rodents can shed germs that can contaminate surfaces in areas where they live and roam. Make sure rodent enclosures are properly secured and safe, so your pet doesn't get hurt or contaminate surfaces. 3) Clean and disinfect rodent habitats and supplies outside your home when possible. Never clean rodent habitats or their supplies in the kitchen sink, other food preparation areas, or the bathroom sink. 4)Avoid bites and scratches from rodents. Be cautious with unfamiliar animals, even if they seem friendly. Take precautions when cleaning out rodent cages or areas with rodent urine or droppings. 5)Visit your veterinarian for routine evaluation and care to keep your rodents healthy and to prevent infectious diseases. If bitten by a rodent: Wash the wound with warm soapy water immediately. Even healthy pets can carry germs. Seek medical attention if: 1) Pet appears sick. 2) Your wound is serious. 3) Your wound becomes red, painful, warm, or swollen. 4) Your last tetanus shot was more than 5 years ago. 5)You develop sudden fever or flu-like illness in 1-2 weeks after being bitten. source

Malaria drug successfully treats 26-year-old brain cancer patient.

Malaria drug successfully treats 26-year-old brain cancer patient.The anti-authophagy drug chloroquine may be a unique way to resensitize some cancer patients to treatment. 26-year-old Lisa Rosendahl's doctors gave her only a few months to live,when her brain cancer became resistant to chemotherapy and then to targeted treatments. A paper published in the journal eLife describes a new drug combination that has stabilized Rosendahl's disease and increased both the quantity and quality of her life: Adding the anti-malaria drug chloroquine to her treatment stopped an essential process that Rosendahl's cancer cells had been using to resist therapy, re-sensitizing her cancer to the targeted treatment that had previously stopped working. Along with Rosendahl, two other brain cancer patients were treated with the combination and both showed similar, dramatic improvement.

Study of round worm that returns to life after freezing.

The first molecular study of an organism able to survive intracellular freezing i.e freezing within its cells is published in a new paper that represents a milestone in scientists’ understanding of an extraordinary adaptation. The tiny Antarctic nematode, more commonly known as a round worm, (Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1) was cultured from a coastal Antarctic penguin rookery at McMurdo Sound, and is the best-documented organism able to survive the disruptions brought about by total freezing. The nematode is also able to undergo a form of freeze avoidance by eliminating all of its water content, called cryoprotective dehydration. However, it is the ability to survive intracellular freezing which makes this organism really stand out.continue