Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) is a synthetic analogue of thymidine, one of the building blocks of DNA. When injected into animals, it becomes incorporated into newly synthesized DNA, enabling researchers to identify cells that are dividing.

The technique has been used routinely for decades to identify replicating cells, and particularly to investigate neurogenesis, the generation of neurons in the developing brain.

Read full post…

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley announced recently that nearly $23 million will go toward State Park and public land projects in the proposed FY2013 budget, with a special emphasis on their role as resources to connect the state’s families with the outdoors and provide better natural play areas for children:

The State’s parks will also serve as outdoor classrooms for the State’s new environmental literacy requirements.

“State Parks are the epitome of affordable getaways for families, models for living in harmony with nature, and a vital tonic for the mind, body and spirit,” said Tim Casey, Chair of the Governor’s State Park Advisory Commission. “These strate

Read full post…

“Even in a very difficult financial crisis, countries are delivering results in the AIDS response,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS, in a statement. Read full post…

Read full post…

This study included 80 women between the ages of 28-64.

Read full post…

A recent publication in the American Journal of Cardiology called into question the safety of high dose Vitamin D supplementation In the paper, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine investigated a proposed link between Vitamin D levels and an inflammatory protein CRP which is considered a risk factor for heart disease Their conclusions report that levels of D below 21 ng/ml are associated with higher CRP or C-reactive protein This determination came as no surprise However, participants with Vitamin D concentrations significantly above 21 ng/ml also demonstrated elevated or undesirable CRP readings The lead author of the piece, Dr Muhammad Amer, stated that Clearly vitamin D is important for your heart health, especially if you have low blood levels of vitamin D It reduces cardiovascular inflammation and atherosclerosis, and may reduce mortality, but it appears that at some point it can be too much of a good thing

Regular readers of this site know that I frequently recommend Vitamin D testing and supplementation in order to reach 25OHD levels well in excess of 21 ng/ml So, you may be wondering if this current controversy alters my point of view of Vitamin D therapy The short answer is no Im not being stubborn, just basing my opinion on the best possible evidence

In the past several months, at least four intervention studies have been carried out evaluating the impact of Vitamin D supplementation on systemic inflammation Before I describe the results of these trials, please note that intervention trials possess greater scientific validity than population studies In an intervention setting, direct measures of cause and effect are the primary end points Population studies tend to rely on observation and uncontrolled data It is for this reason that intervention trials are often called for to dispute or verify data initially presented in population studies The Johns Hopkins piece is based on population data

The latest evidence pertaining to Vitamin D supplementation and CRP levels indicates that Vitamin D lowers CRP in certain disease states such as in patients with colorectal cancer and kidney disease On the other hand, D supplementation may not have much of an impact on relatively healthy adults of varying ages and weight Please keep in mind that in none of these scenarios did Vitamin D therapy lead to higher CRP levels or other markers of systemic inflammation All four of the previously mentioned trials have an interventional study design

In closing, I want to share some underreported, but highly encouraging news about Vitamin D and cardiovascular health Two current observational studies note that low levels of Vitamin D are correlated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality and heart attack incidence In the mortality paper, the authors recommend Vitamin D levels of between 30 to 35 ng/ml significantly higher than the Johns Hopkins publication In addition, three intervention trials from late 2011 determined that Vitamin D supplementation is capable of improving blood pressure control, insulin sensitivity and lipid levels in at-risk populations including diabetics, hypertensives and seniors All of this research and more points to a valuable role for Vitamin D in the promotion of heart health

In the United States, plastic surgery procedures on young people between thirteen and nineteen years old has been qualified as mainstream and the spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr.

Read full post…

1. When you’re traveling or away from home, shun the bathroom I know—you’re only comfortable “going” on your own throne Keep it that way and when the urge strikes, ignore it, deny it—exercise your superb and enviable willpower and restraint by holding it in Snub public restrooms and strange toilets leaving home without portable seat covers in your purse makes it even easier! If

Read full post…

Once this first step has occurred, and you have removed all the junk food from your diet, then it is important to start the second step.

The second step in beginning the process of colon cleansing is to choose the appropriate cleanser to use.

Read full post…

Most Commonly Requested Procedures

The most common procedures done during a mommy makeover are breast lifts, breast augmentation and tummy tucks. A quote from Dr. Ma

Read full post…

CBS News/Web MD reports on the findings here:

Parents and non-parents alike might be shocked to learn a new study estimates that roughly 1 in 3 U.S. youths will be arrested for a non-traffic offense by age 23 a substantively higher proportion than predicted in the 1960s.

The study, posted online by the journal Pediatrics, shows that between about 25% to 41% of 23-year-olds have been arrested or taken into police custody at least once for a non-traffic offense.

Read full post…

Eric Goemaer, 58, whose charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) defied the South African government to lead pioneering programmes in the country as early as 1999, said the cancellation last week of the Global Fund’s 11th round of grants will turn back the clock in the battle against Aids.

“High-burden countries, such as Zimbabwe or Mozambique, cannot possibly afford to replace the Global Fund’s contribution. S

Read full post…

“Pre-Doha, treating [HIV] without generics… meant HIV was a death sentence,” said Gilles van Cutsem, medical coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). < Read full post…

If a yoga company approached you to make your dream mat, what changes would you make to the standard mat design? John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga dubbed by a July NY Times article as “the yoga mogul” for his business savvy, got exactly that opportunity with his partnership with yoga mat company Manduka.

Friend’s biggest complaint about these sticky pieces of rubber was that they weren’t wide enough to give his students the support they need in some poses. Friend recommends students practice poses like Upward-Facing Dog with their hands wide apart to give a broader foundation and more optimal alignment for the shoulders.

Read full post…

Epidemiologist Denise Kandel at Columbia University, New York, reported back in 1975 that drug-using adolescents had tended to start with cigarettes, which contain the addictive substance nicotine, and alcohol before progressing to more illicit substances such as cocaine¹.

Read full post…

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone produced by the human placenta and found in the urine of pregnant women. HCG is FDA-approved as an injectable prescription drug for the treatment of some cases of female infertility and other medical conditions.

The letters warn the companies that they are violating federal law by selling drugs that have not been approved, and by making unsupported claims for the substances. The

Read full post…