Technology
Posted on August 10, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Parenting, Technology
A blood test designed to reveal the gender of an unborn baby is extremely effective after seven weeks’ gestation, according to a new article in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association. The test provides a less invasive alternative to other procedures like amniocentesis, which involves removing a sample of amniotic fluids surrounding the fetus.
The test correctly determined a male fetus 95 percent of the time when performed at seven to 20 weeks’ gestation. In the weeks following, the rate of success in determining a child’s sex was near perfect. Authors of the paper surveyed 146 studies and pieces of literature published on the effectiveness of the noninvasive prenatal test, and found it to be very accurate, especially as the gestational age of the child became greater.
Researchers based the test on cell-free fetal DNA taken from the mother’s blood. Although procedures like amniocentesis and chorionic biopsies detect inherited birth problems and certain disorders, they also carry a small risk of miscarriage. Study authors noted that “The availability of reliable noninvasive alternatives to determine fetal sex would reduce unintended fetal losses,” as well as help women carrying fetuses at risk for disorders.
Would you take this new test to determine your baby’s gender?
Posted on August 8, 2011 in Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Recalls, Recent Studies, Technology
- Prime-Line Products has recalled children’s Bathtub Non-Slip Pads because some of the pads do not stick to the bathtub surface, posing a fall hazard. Only one report of the pad slipping has been reported.
- Pilgrim’s Pride recalled 18,312 pounds of chicken nuggets and chicken fillets sold at Dollar General stores in nine states. Deadly listeria bacteria was found in the fully cooked products.
- Flying Foods has also recalled around 7,000 pounds of chicken, turkey, beef, and pork products due to listeria contamination. Starbucks Chipotle Chicken Wraps Bistro Box and the Starbucks Chicken & Hummus Bistro Box are included in the recall.
- Fisher-Price is recalling a small red Builders’ Load’n Go Wagon that is part of the Little People line of toys. A yellow plastic handle on the toy poses a laceration hazard.
- Apple is recalling some iMac ITB hard drives that shipped between May and July of 2011. They may fail under certain conditions.
- Ross Stores is recalling 1,200 Acacia chairs that can collapse with weight placed on them.
- Honda is recalling certain ST1300 and ST1300A sport-touring motorcycles, and ST1300PA police motorcycles from the 2008 through 2010 model years to fix a problem that could cause the rear brake to fail.
- Motorcycle maker Kawasaki says it is recalling some2011 Ninja ZX-10 models because of an electrical problem. The company says the recall affects 2,560 motorcycles.
- Tri State Beef, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is recalling approximately 228,596 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
- Heinen’s crab dip with a sell by date of 7/29/2011 listed on the package has been recalled. Metal fragments were found in one of the crab dip packages.
Posted on August 7, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Technology, The Environment
Those of us who are prepared for the unlikely event of an electrical blackout may have flashlights, extra matches and a generator stored away in the garage. But a new car due to be on the market within a year could pose a simpler solution: Nissan Leaf drivers will be able to use the electrical car’s batteries to power their homes.
The Nissan Leaf to Home system will be commercialized in Japan within the next year. The system uses the Leaf charging station to draw from the car’s lithium ion batteries and feed current into a home’s electricity distribution panel.
The 24 kilowatt-hours of energy storage in the Leaf is enough to power an average Japanese home, which uses about half the energy of an average U.S. household, for about two days. After the system has been used and adapted to local electricity systems, Nissan expects to make the car available in other countries.
It might also save consumers money: charging the battery at night and using it during peak times could cut electricity costs. Other companies have already designed lithium ion batteries for cars for a similar purpose, but Nissan’s model would be included with the car.
Posted on August 4, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology
What if you could reduce medical errors simply by holding out your hand? That’s the idea behind new biometric technology employed at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, which is using scanners made by technology company Fujitsu. Rather than requiring forms and health insurance cards, the hospital scans the veins of patients for a unique identification system.
Since no individual’s palm-vein configurations are the same, the software can quickly find the patient’s medical records. The initial scan for a new patient takes about a minute, while scans taken afterward take only one second. A patient does not need to be conscious at the time of check-in, as is sometimes the case in emergency rooms.
The primary reason behind the new technology is patient safety, according to a Reuters interview with a doctor at the hospital. Studies have shown that hospital errors are behind as many as 98,000 deaths a year in the United States. Many of these errors are attributed to difficulties with identification or the wrong medication.
After 250 scanners were installed at the hospital in early June at a cost of about $200,000, more than 25,000 patients have had their palm-vein patterns registered in the system. Registration into the system is optional.
Would you use this technology if it was offered at your local hospital?
Posted on July 27, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology
The Internet is a necessity for building careers and social lives in today’s world. But could it also be classified as a full-blown addiction? New research about online dependence shows that 53 percent of us feel upset when denied access to the Internet and 43 percent feel lonely if unable to go online.
The study surveyed 1,000 British participants about how they felt after going 24 hours without any access to Internet technology, the Daily Mail reported. Participants were quizzed on their attitudes about the use of Internet, smart phones, and other devices. The study, carried out by consumer research firm Intersperience, confirms research conducted last year by University of Maryland scientists that determined many suffer from withdrawal symptoms sans gadgets. In March 2010, Retrevo, a consumer electronics and shopping website, reported that many people admitted to being obsessed with social media, such as posting photos and exchanging information about family and friends.
In the latest study, one person surveyed said that giving up the Internet was “like having my hand chopped off.” Another called it “my biggest nightmare.” Others compared it to giving up drinking or smoking. Many said that they experienced feelings of sadness or loneliness if their Internet access was cut off for even a short period of time.
Are you addicted to the Internet?
Posted on July 26, 2011 in FDA, Health & Medicine, Technology
A wave of new software applications allow doctors to view X-rays and monitor heart rates from smartphone applications, prompting the FDA to propose government oversight for some of the more complex apps.
Government officials worry that the apps could cause harm if they fail to work correctly. Although the FDA plans to encourage development of mobile technology in hospitals, they will now have to be approved by the agency before reaching the market. Smaller screen sizes and lower contrast ratios could impact the quality of the device, the FDA said.
Not all of the mobile apps will face FDA review. The apps fall into two categories: technology that turns a mobile platform into a medical device, and apps that serve as accessories to an already-approved FDA-regulated device. Medical apps are sold for devices such as Apple Inc’s iPad and iPhone, Blackberry phones sold by Research In Motion, and phones run by Google’s Android software.
The FDA has already cleared several medical apps, including one that lets doctors view CT, MRI, and other scans on Apple’s iPhone or iPad.
Would you feel safe if this technology was used in a hospital?
Posted on July 17, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology
Full-body airport scanners are now standard at many airports, but critics are still questioning whether the low-dose radiation they emit poses a significant cancer risk. The machines use low-level beams to create an image of the body, revealing weapons and other concealed items beneath a passenger’s clothing.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a privacy-rights organization, has accused the Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees the Transportation Security Administration, of concealing risks related to the use and operation of backscatter scanners. Among the group’s claims are that the scanners may be causing “cancer clusters” among security screeners and that the TSA has mischaracterized the type of testing the machines have undergone.
The organization is making these accusations based on documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. TSA disputes the charges brought against them as a result of those documents, calling the allegations false. EPIC has also sued the government to prevent all use of body scanners, which the group calls “invasive” and “ineffective.”
Some of the group’s concerns are based on the fact that the intensity of the backscatter X-ray beam has not been publicly released.
Posted on July 14, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Holistic Remedies, Technology
Ditching the alarm clock in favor of setting a phone alarm on your iPhone could lead to a better night’s sleep, especially after the invention of the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app. The device uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to analyze your movement through the night and monitor sleep patterns.
After downloading the $0.99 app, all you need to do is place your iPhone by the side of the bed, under the fitted sheet to keep it from sliding around. Over the course of two or three nights, Sleep Cycle records activity and gradually learns your sleep patterns. A sleep cycle graph shows you the different phases of sleep from previous nights. Beginning about 30 minutes before your alarm is set to go off, the app begins watching for the lightest portions of your sleep cycle and gently prods you awake with your choice of preset sounds.
The app isn’t meant to be a scientific tool for people with medical sleep issues, but could help curious consumers pinpoint their best sleep strategies.
Would you use the Sleep Cycle app to improve sleep quality?
Posted on July 8, 2011 in Business/Law, Technology
Is Google’s long-awaited social network, Google+, a real challenge to Facebook? Google released a limited amount of invitations to the new network, then boasted that “insane” demand forced them to cap the number of users.
The new site is built around profiles with status updates and lists of friends, just like Facebook, with a couple of key improvements that make it slightly different from Zuckerberg’s creation. Google has connections organized in L Circles, different circles that allow different privacy settings to be applied to each.
L Hangouts let your friends know that you’re available to chat via webcam, enabling group meetings and collaborations. And L Sparks provides you with targeted news tidbits based on the interests you specify.
In coming weeks, the social networking powers that be will be eagerly watching to see if Facebook users jump ship and import their list of contacts to Google+. Alternatively, Facebook’s new partnership with Microsoft-owned Skype could add a new dimension that might persuade users to stay.
Posted on July 6, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology
A text message reminding you not to smoke might seem like a small deterrent, but it reportedly helps smokers resist the temptation to light up. A study of smokers trying to quit found that the messages were effective in helping them kick the habit to the curb.
In the study, people got five text messages daily for the first five weeks and then three per week for the next six months. Messages helped people prepare for quitting, and after the quit date, offered tips to help people reduce cigarette cravings and getting back on track if they slipped up.
Of 2,911 smokers randomly assigned to the no-smoking texts, 10.7% had not smoked six months out. Only 4.9% of the 2,881 smokers getting texts unrelated to quitting did so.
Researchers found that the texts worked equally well among older and younger people, as well as people of different socioeconomic groups. The study authors couldn’t pinpoint why the text messages worked to deter smokers, though: a hypothesis that the messages encouraged people to use smoking-cessation devices wasn’t proven.
Do you know someone who could benefit from a text message anti-smoking program?
