HealthTech.PH

Using Robots In Fruit Fly Brain Dissection

May 30, 2017 The Reporter 0

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<span style="font-size: large;">By now, it’s starting to seep into our consciousness that <a href="http://www.healthtech.ph/search/label/Robotics%20and%20Surgery"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">robots are about to take over Surgery</span></b></a> as a medical sub-industry. Today, we show you another way that robots are being refined to conduct medical procedures on humans in the future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This video demonstrates the use of a brain surgery robot on a fruit fly. Fruit flies, in general, are the choice of the scientific community in terms of research. <a href="http://www.yourgenome.org/facts/why-use-the-fly-in-research">The reasons are numerous</a>, such as the fact that 75% of human genes are also present in the fruit fly. Aside from that, they easily breed, and are inexpensive to maintain. It is logical, then, that robots are now being used to study fruit flies’ brain structure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">According to the initial application of the robot, around 1,000 fruit flies were dissected in a 10-hour period. By contrast, manually dissecting fruit flies could be a rather tricky ordeal, with the process ranging from catching the fly, to rendering it immobile, as well as dissecting with tools that can manipulate the fly’s brain for research. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This machine, then, will allow a more in-depth study into the neural structures of the fruit fly, allowing medical researchers to learn more about the mechanisms and structures of brains in general, as well as to find out the causes of brain degeneration. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In spite of the fact that the machine is very dexterous, precise, and accurate, the researchers who pioneered the technology <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/408679/inside-the-brains-of-fruit-flies/">aren’t keen on outlining its use for human brain surgery anytime soon</a>, however. The researchers are far more keen on employing the use of the technology to study neurological degeneration on fruit flies and a range of other insects, for the meantime. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Further Reading:</span></b></h4>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">On Fruit Fly Brain Dissection:</span></b></h5>
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<li><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/408679/inside-the-brains-of-fruit-flies/"><span style="font-size: large;">Inside the Brains of Fruit Flies</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/science/14neuron.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Decoding the Human Brain, With Help From a Fly</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/64462/robots-can-perform-brain-surgery-flies"><span style="font-size: large;">Robots Can Perform Brain Surgery on Flies</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/science/a-robot-that-can-perform-brain-surgery-on-a-fruit-fly.html"><span style="font-size: large;">A Robot That Can Perform Brain Surgery on a Fruit Fly</span></a></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fruit Flies And Brain Research Papers: </span></b></h5>
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<li><a href="http://greenspanlab.ucsd.edu/networks_fly.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Networks in the Fruit Fly Brain</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v12/n7/full/nmeth.3410.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Dexterous robotic manipulation of alert adult Drosophila for high-content experimentation</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.jove.com/video/55128/a-simple-one-step-dissection-protocol-for-whole-mount-preparation"><span style="font-size: large;">A Simple One-step Dissection Protocol for Whole-mount Preparation of Adult Drosophila Brains</span></a></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660653/"><span style="font-size: large;">Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism of Brain Diseases</span></a></i></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep08920"><span style="font-size: large;">Visualization of synaptic domains in the Drosophila brain by magnetic resonance microscopy at 10 micron isotropic resolution</span></a></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Regarding The Use Of Fruit Flies In Scientific Research:</span></b></h5>
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<li><a href="http://www.yourgenome.org/facts/why-use-the-fly-in-research"><span style="font-size: large;">Why use the fly in research?</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.unc.edu/depts/our/hhmi/hhmi-ft_learning_modules/fruitflymodule/"><span style="font-size: large;">Using fruit flies in research</span></a></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Robot Surgery:</span></b></h3>
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<li><a href="https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=BhHic2uoo6YC&pg=PA463&lpg=PA463&dq=robot+brain+dissection&source=bl&ots=3PJvjzHjWC&sig=NzhkOiElFixgdQEvit5pIzoaVfA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN0vvgrZbUAhUJJ5QKHaLdC_0Q6AEIPTAE#v=onepage&q&f=false"><span style="font-size: large;">Advances In Tele-Reality And Artificial Existence</span></a></li>
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Using Robots In Fruit Fly Brain Dissection

By now, it’s starting to seep into our consciousness that robots are about to take over Surgery as a medical sub-industry. Today, we sh...

How 3D Printing May Be Able To Solve Infertility Issues

May 18, 2017 The Reporter 0

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<span style="font-size: large;">Want children, but it seems like no matter how hard you try, you and your spouse just couldn’t seem to help nature bring forth your heart’s desire? Rejoice, as a breakthrough may be on the horizon: Researchers at the Women's Health Research Institute at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have engineered another use for 3D Printing—a possible solution to infertility. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The researchers installed a 3D-printed ovary on a mouse, and the mouse was able to mate naturally and give birth to two pups of her own. An interesting way for technology to help nature, right?  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While this medical breakthrough only seems to address the lack of a functioning ovary in a mouse, who knows what else 3D printing could replace? Damaged fallopian tubes? Endometrial lining that just can’t hold a baby firmly? An STD-ravaged cervix? Or how about testes that don’t produce the right amount of sperm to sustain fertilization? The possibilities are endless.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The application for 3D printing is chiefly in creating prosthetic parts for amputees and other patients who may require assistance with limbs and other body parts. The technology has also been used in creating anatomically-accurate models for teaching purposes, as well as medical equipment that may have been more expensive to create and transport otherwise. Although medical professionals can already create tissues complete with blood vessels, heart valves, and even sensors for organs that may have lost feeling through wonders of 3D printing, solutions for infertility had been unheard-of, at least, until today.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So if IVF or surrogate pregnancy won’t work for you and your spouse, decades in the very near future, you may be able to hold a bundle of pure joy and your merged DNA—thanks to the wonders of 3D Printing.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For more applications on 3D Printing, <b><a href="https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/12-things-we-can-3d-print-in-medicine-right-now-42867/">VISIT THIS LINK</a></b>.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/16/health/3-d-printed-ovary/">This news was scooped from CNN</a></b>. A video explaining the medical breakthrough is also available on the linked article. </span><br />
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<br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Photo Credits: </b><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/16/health/3-d-printed-ovary/" target="_blank">CNN</a></span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How 3D Printing May Be Able To Solve Infertility Issues

3D Printing Applications of 3D Printing Infertility Breakthrough Infertility Technology Medical Breakthrough How 3D Printing May Be Able To Solve Infertility Issues

Want children, but it seems like no matter how hard you try, you and your spouse just couldn’t seem to help nature bring forth your hear...

Future Forward: Whole-Head Transplant By Dr. Sergio Canavero, Dr. Xiaoping Ren, et, al.

May 09, 2017 The Reporter 0

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<span style="font-size: large;">A full head transplant. The phrase evokes wispy memories of Isaac Asimov, Aldous Huxley, or George Orwell’s 1984. This is the stuff of hardcore science fiction, but it’s been done. Over and over and over again by <a href="https://web.facebook.com/SergioCanaveroMD/">Dr. Sergio Canavero, M.D</a>.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Late last week, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Dr. Canavero’s latest whole head transplant exploit, <a href="https://technology.inquirer.net/62164/surgeons-successfully-transplant-2nd-head-onto-rat#ixzz4g8rm0wYV">a whole head transplant between two rats</a>, with one rat as the host for blood supply. While this operation is definitely groundbreaking, this is not Dr. Canavero’s first attempt.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Canavero earned both praise and notoriety when he declared in 2015 and 2016 that he and his team would be able to finally carry out a whole-head transplant on humans by 2017. Dr. Canavero, in partnership with the Harbin Medical University in China and <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/chinese-surgeon-who-has-performed-1000-head-transplants-on-mice-wants-to-create-the-first-head-10304115.html">Dr. Xiaoping Ren</a>, was able to carry out a whole-head transplant on a monkey in 2015 (estimated).  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, it was way back in 2013 when Dr. Canavero started his streak of success in carrying out <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3408400/Surgeon-claims-carried-HEAD-transplant-live-monkey-Controversial-trial-lead-procedure-humans.html">over a thousand whole head transplants on mice and rats</a>. And with their reported success on carrying out a whole head transplant on not just a monkey, but also a human being, Dr. Canavero’s projection that he, Dr. Xiaoping Ren, and the rest of their team would be able to successfully carry out a whole head transplant on a real live human being by the end of 2017 is fast becoming a reality.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Not everyone is happy about this “Frankensteinian” development, however. Protests about the ethical ramifications of this specific operation are rife, and Dr. Canavero and his team have hit many roadblocks in the quest to carry out the operation on humans who actually need it.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2016, it was reported that Valery Spriridonov, who suffers from <a href="http://observer.com/2017/04/dr-sergio-canavero-head-transplant/">Werdnig-Hoffman disease</a>, a condition that has wasted his muscles and rendered him a paraplegic, would be the first-ever patient for the human whole-head transplant. However, possibly due to his concerns about the success rates of the operation, it was decided that the first patient to receive a complete whole-head transplant would be a Chinese patient. Dr. Sergio Canavero <a href="https://web.facebook.com/SergioCanaveroMD/photos/a.295594744144773.1073741828.295472257490355/399287613775485/?type=3">has assured the public</a> that they are still in search of solutions for Spriridonov.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Sergio Canavero, Dr. Xiaoping Ren, the Harbin Medical University in China and the rest of their supporters have since received <a href="https://www.ooom.com/digital/sergio-canavero-a-revolution-in-medicine/">extensive exposure on OOOM.com</a>, which calls itself “The first global platform to inspire and connect people with the same thoughts, feelings, interests, wishes, and needs,” with the goal to “[…]Show people how to lead a better, more sustainable, and much more inspired life.”  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2073923-head-transplant-carried-out-on-monkey-claims-maverick-surgeon/">the protests</a> regarding the procedure are <a href="https://braindecoder.com/post/please-dont-take-the-head-transplant-surgeon-seriously-1085090918">rife</a>, the fact remains that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12112051/First-head-transplant-successfully-carried-out-on-monkey-claims-surgeon.html">the procedure</a> holds much potential for individuals who need a new body, and subsequently, a new lease in life. Valery Spriridonov is not alone in dreaming of finally being able to do what the rest of us merely take for granted. Conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, the viral ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), as well as other conditions and accidents that cause <a href="http://www.humanillnesses.com/original/Pan-Pre/Paralysis.html">paralysis</a> and <a href="http://www.healthline.com/symptom/muscle-wasting">muscle atrophy</a>, severely limit a person’s mobility and quality of life. Which is why, in spite of the ethical considerations for Dr. Sergio Canavero’s groundbreaking work, the potential for greater good is still very palpable.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Will this procedure make it into mainstream surgery and neurosurgery? Only the very near future will tell. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Photo Credits: </b>Getty Images, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dabertphotography/7433158082" target="_blank">Robert Lopez on Flickr.com via Creative Commons</a></span><br />
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Future Forward: Whole-Head Transplant By Dr. Sergio Canavero, Dr. Xiaoping Ren, et, al.

ALS Cerebral Palsy Dr. Sergio Canavero Dr. Xiaoping Ren groundbreaking procedures neurosurgery neurosurgery technology Surgery Whole Head Transplant Future Forward: Whole-Head Transplant By Dr. Sergio Canavero, Dr. Xiaoping Ren, et, al.

A full head transplant. The phrase evokes wispy memories of Isaac Asimov, Aldous Huxley, or George Orwell’s 1984. This is the stuff of ha...

#SmartphonesAndHealth: Three Great Mental Health Apps For Growth And Wellness, iOS Edition

May 08, 2017 The Reporter 0

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<span style="font-size: large;">In today’s high-pressure world of so many things to juggle, a person will have moments when things get so overwhelming, they just need to let it out. Which is why a lot of us reach out to friends, while others look for new friends from the varied social networks available nowadays. But what if no one’s available right that moment? What if you need more than a patronizing “It’ll be okay”?  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Enter mental health apps.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In light of<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.pinoydoctor.com/2017/05/the-mental-health-act-of-2017-gets.html"><strong>the passage of the Philippine Mental Health Act of 2017</strong></a>, we will be featuring great mental health-promoting apps, kicking off with this post.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For today’s edition of <a href="http://www.healthtech.ph/search/label/%23SmartphonesAndHealth"><strong>#SmartphonesAndHealth</strong></a>, we’re sharing three great iOS apps that you can download, install, and use via your iPhone or iPad. On the next edition, we’re sharing three Android apps. So, let’s start?  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moods-tracking-for-better-mental-health/id1023271188?mt=8"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moods</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Moods is a clean, simple, daily mood logging app. While you can definitely repurpose a notepad app as a log for your moods, Moods, the app, has features that your standard notepad app doesn’t have. When you’re at a loss for words on how to describe your current mood, there are ready choices that you can just tap on. But Moods really shines when you have a “bad” mood. After you log your bad mood, there is a section there where maladaptive ways of thinking are described. This section is crucial for realizing that you can actually adjust the way you think, and be better at managing how you feel.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moods’ weakness is that you cannot edit or delete moods and entries already logged. Personally, I find that this is a liability only when you’re testing the app. For real-world use, though, this is perfect, because you cannot edit your own thoughts, and you cannot self-censor. By crippling your ability to edit your moods and thoughts, the app constrains you to be genuine with your emotions, thoughts, and internal state. This push for authenticity may truly help you grow and be better at managing your moods, your internal climate, and contribute to your becoming a better person. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wysa-your-happiness-buddy/id1166585565?mt=8">Wysa</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wysa is like Simsimi for mental health. Instead of parroting local bad words and mirroring the things you say, though, Wysa helps you process through how you’re currently feeling. It rewards you for good moods, then helps you process or deal with the bad ones.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wysa, like Moods, also shines when you feel bad about a situation. Wysa is programmed to respond appropriately to certain keywords, and it also has emotion templates that you can tap. Once you trigger the “conversation” for sadness, grief, or loss, it can help you process the feelings via “Guided Reflection,” which is essentially asking you a series of questions to probe further about how you feel. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This helps because it may lead you to answers about why you’re feeling the way you do. In the process of testing the app, I’ve discovered that Wysa is even better than a friend, because the questions are structured in a manner that leads to further introspection. And unlike friends who are not skilled in providing empathy, much less counseling, there is less risk for Wysa to trigger a conflict that may arise from the friend saying something offensive.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And Wysa is available 24/7. So when your friends and confidantes are all busy, Wysa could be your go-to, always-available confidante. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bot.touchkin"><strong>Wysa</strong></a> is also available on the Android. </span><br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/feely-take-control-of-your-mental-health-and-feel-happier/id1069037145?mt=8"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Feely</span></a></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://feely.se/"><strong>Feely</strong></a><strong> </strong>is like a more robust Moods, with sections on wellness exercises, as well a curated section on mental wellness resources. While I find the interface a lot more cluttered than I would prefer, I actually like the exercises, and deem them very helpful for introspection and growth. The diary is also more flexible, with the capacity to add photos. Personally, though, I’d prefer to keep both Feely and Moods on my iPhone.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><br /></strong></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Bonus: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whats-up-a-mental-health-app/id968251160?mt=8"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What’s Up</span></a></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">What’s Up is more of an informational app than an interactive app. This came highly recommended among the mental health and wellness apps, which is why I took it for a spin. When I discovered that it was more of an information repository than something that can help manage an emotional crisis right there and then, I felt like this is less than a help than how a mental wellness app should be.  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">However there’s a section that may help you work through a rather emotionally distressing moment: The Get Grounded section. It gives you several mental/thinking games that will help you dismiss the distressing thought. Perfect for a moment where you need to get the distress off your mind, but don’t want to go in-depth in “processing” it.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jacksontempra.apps.whatsup&hl=en"><strong>What’s Up</strong></a> is also available on the Android. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></h4>
<h4>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">In Conclusion</span></b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">These apps will not solve a serious, persistent, or clinical mental disorder, but these will help you manage the tiny moments of distress that occur throughout the day. In fact, these may also help you and your therapist pinpoint your causes of distress more accurately. Most people aren’t very articulate of what troubles them, and these apps may exercise you to be able to express these better.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Watch out for the Android edition of this collection, and cheers to being mentally, psychologically, and emotionally well, and most of all, to growth!  </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Visit the <a href="https://www.change.org/p/mhactnow"><strong>MH Act Now Change.org Petition Page</strong></a>, <a href="http://mhactnow.org/"><strong>MHAct.org</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/"><strong>PsychologyToday.com</strong></a>, and <a href="https://psychcentral.com/"><strong>PsychCentral.com</strong></a> for <a href="http://www.pinoydoctor.com/2017/05/the-mental-health-act-of-2017-gets.html"><strong>information on the Philippine Mental Health Act of 2017</strong></a>, as well as more resources on mental health and growth. </span><br />
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#SmartphonesAndHealth: Three Great Mental Health Apps For Growth And Wellness, iOS Edition

#SmartphonesAndHealth health apps iOS apps mental health apps #SmartphonesAndHealth: Three Great Mental Health Apps For Growth And Wellness, iOS Edition

In today’s high-pressure world of so many things to juggle, a person will have moments when things get so overwhelming, they just nee...

GE Spearheads PH Cancer Management and Treatment

May 05, 2017 The Mail Man 0

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSZc2s6R6TOGOW-EaNwgXGz_whPA7Q4I2Ruv-ADYqegdknbJNx8csK8jrtfv0eWE-xE9CYBSkG6XIphk3mepCip3T07vS3jo-M9grk_9Erqt4fp4Y24jZufDIO-VIyZjfKhRq0zHupgxR/s1600/GE-Discovery-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSZc2s6R6TOGOW-EaNwgXGz_whPA7Q4I2Ruv-ADYqegdknbJNx8csK8jrtfv0eWE-xE9CYBSkG6XIphk3mepCip3T07vS3jo-M9grk_9Erqt4fp4Y24jZufDIO-VIyZjfKhRq0zHupgxR/s400/GE-Discovery-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background: #DDDDDD;">Cardinal
Santos Medical Center’s latest effort to meet the country’s needs on cancer
care is the installation of the GE Discovery PET/CT 710, which features
high-sensitivity, high-definition image reconstruction to help doctors
recommend the best possible tailor-made regimen for patients while minimizing
radiation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This writer has been touched by Cancer so many times. In fact, it is the No. 1 case of death in my family. My family’s success rate in fighting Cancer is ZERO. My own mother, grandfather, 2 aunts, 2 uncles, and 1 cousin and not counting friends, parents of friends and former co-workers and their families. These are only my personal scoreboard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In fact, national statistics state that 56,000 lives annually succumb to cancer. And worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) cancer took an 8.8 million toll last 2015.  It is estimated that it will increase to 17 million annually by the year 2030.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But cancer can be reduced by interventions such as lifestyle changes and early screening. That is what the doctors told my cousin whose father recently passed away because of cancer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Symptoms such as weight loss, fever, fatigues, skin changes are oftentimes seen as common illnesses and after sustained symptoms, it is only diagnosed as a manifestation of cancer when it has already metastasized and at its Stage 4.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With regards to early screening, GE Healthcare Philippines introduced GE Discovery PET/CT 710 which features high-definition image reconstruction that can actually help doctors recommend the best possible tailor-made regimen for patients while minimizing radiation.  </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Our work as a healthcare solutions provider does not stop with the development of innovative medical equipment. We help build on the diagnostic capacity of healthcare workers pursuant to the recommendations of WHO.” According to GE Healthcare Philippines country manager Ivan Arota.</span></div>
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GE Spearheads PH Cancer Management and Treatment

Equipment Global News Health IT Healthcare Hospitals Innovations Philippine Healthcare Professional Tech revolutionizing Medicine Technology GE Spearheads PH Cancer Management and Treatment

Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s latest effort to meet the country’s needs on cancer care is the installation of the GE Discovery PET/CT ...

Robotic Surgery in the Philippines

May 04, 2017 The Mail Man 0

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robotic Surgery in The Medical City</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Robots are now being utilized in surgical operations in the Philippines. This has been the case since 2010. Robots first appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s but for space exploration and industrial assembly applications.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The precision attained by using robots have also made them ideal for medical surgical operations and procedures. It took some time for robotic technology to be utilized in medical surgical operations but advances in technology such as human-machine interface made possible by more powerful computers achieved such.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Traditional surgery entailed making incisions along the affected parts of the body and these can result to pain and longer recovery time for the patients. Also, there was no going around certain body organs since human hands can only achieve so much precision as well as limited sight by human surgeons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There came a time when long and disfiguring incisions were no longer needed with the advent of robot assisted laparoscopy. Laparoscopic surgery uses only small incisions that utilizes specialized long instruments and visual system that gives the current surgeon greater flexibility in making operations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Greater accuracy and precision were still needed since human hands can be precise to a limited extent. That is where robotics come in wherein the surgeon controls the robot and a three dimension video is provided and even up to 10 times magnification.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The surgeons movements are managed by the robot so as not to let involuntary muscle twitching affect the performance of extremely precise procedures and movements during operations and surgeries. Even millimeter sized blood vessels can now be seen and avoided with robot assisted operations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is a critical part of robotic surgery is that the visuals can be enhanced to the specifications needed for the surgery. A three-dimensional magnified video is available so as to give an “inside view” that has never been available before. This enables the surgeon to precisely move and identify borders of the target organ for the procedure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This precise movements translate to less affected organs, less trauma, less bleeding, less pin and faster recovery time for the patients.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Medical City (TMC) first used robots in surgery in 2010. It is being utilized in complex procedures in the fields of urology, gynecology, thoracic, head, neck, oral surgery, colorectal surgery and other abdominal surgeries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">TMC has teams of highly trained surgeons and doctors in robot assisted surgery and they continue with updated trainings as they become available.</span></div>
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Equipment Health IT Robotics and Medicine Robotics and Surgery Tech revolutionizing Medicine Technology Robotic Surgery in the Philippines

Robotic Surgery in The Medical City Robots are now being utilized in surgical operations in the Philippines. This has been the case s...

Breaking News: An Automated Robotic Drill May Change The Way Craniotomies Are Performed

May 02, 2017 The Reporter 0

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<span style="font-size: large;">What do a car and your skull have in common?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Probably just carbon and a few other elements. But soon, hospitals across the world may be using the same technology used to drill cars, to perform intricate cranial surgery.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The University of Utah tapped their Mechanical Engineering department to design exactly that: A drill for the skull that can cut into the cranium with such an unparalleled precision.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">While the idea for the machine came from drills used in cars, the version custom-built to perform neurosurgeries was programmed to work with and around the sensitive structures in the brain. In the past, a neurosurgeon would have to slowly, painstakingly, drill at the skull bone with a hand drill <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480624/" target="_blank"><strong>specifically designed for cranial surgery</strong></a>. This machine, though, takes away the backbreaking work of bone-cutting from the neurosurgeon, allowing him to maintain his focus on the whole operation.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />“It was like doing <b><i>archaeology</i></b>. We had to slowly take away the bone to avoid sensitive structures.” </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These were the words that Dr. William Couldwell, a neurosurgeon at the University of Utah Health, used to describe the procedure.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, hacking at bone is not the be-all and end-all of craniotomies. A craniotomy is but a means to an end: The neurosurgeon still has to get to the actual issue: A brain tumor, an abscess, even a tapeworm in the brain. With all the neurosurgeon’s energy sapped from bone-hacking, you bet that he’d have less focus and sharpness when he has to get into the actual issue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lPU8k4bJYa0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lPU8k4bJYa0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But thanks to Dr. William Couldwell and the mechanical engineers at the University of Utah, soon, neurosurgeons can be freed to focus on the heart of their tasks: Whatever needs to be removed from the brain.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The machine even has a nifty function: It can cut away and remove large sections of bone. By contrast, the existing tools require gradual chipping, and at smaller points at a time.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This comes as good news for neurosurgeons, indeed, as with this automated robotic drill, surgeon fatigue would be reduced in leaps and droves.  </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For more details, head on over to <a href="http://newatlas.com/robotic-drill-skull-minutes/49297/" target="_blank"><strong>New Atlas</strong></a> and the <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2017/04/drill-neurosurgery.php" target="_blank"><strong>University of Utah’s official press release</strong></a>. </span><br />
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<b>Photo Credits: </b><a href="http://newatlas.com/robotic-drill-skull-minutes/49297/" target="_blank">New Atlas</a><br />
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Breaking News: An Automated Robotic Drill May Change The Way Craniotomies Are Performed

cranial surgery craniotomy Dr. William Couldwell Global News Health IT neurosurgery neurosurgery technology robot robotics Robotics and Surgery robots Tech revolutionizing Medicine Technology Breaking News: An Automated Robotic Drill May Change The Way Craniotomies Are Performed

What do a car and your skull have in common? Probably just carbon and a few other elements. But soon, hospitals across the world may b...