'HAPPILY SINGLE' The Benefits Of Not Having A Boyfriend

by Philip Lop

When it comes to being single, society can sometimes treat you as though you have some sort of disease. In films and books, single women are often portrayed as helpless and hapless, but the reality is that Bridget Jones isn’t necessarily representative of single ladies.

Being boyfriend-less may seem slightly miserable when all your friends are being whisked out for romantic meals or vacations, but the single life certainly doesn’t have to be seen in a negative light. There are plenty of reasons why many women are quite happily single.

1. Enjoy a wilder social life

Many single women continue to enjoy a wild social life long after their other friends have settled down with boyfriends or husbands. When you have no boyfriend, you are free to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want, allowing you absolute freedom. You have no responsibility to spend time with friends or family members that you don’t really like. You have no need to attend dull business networking events in support of your boyfriend’s career. Instead, you can simply enjoy the company of your friends, happy in the knowledge that whatever you do, it’s your choice.

2. You can look and feel better

Research published in the journal ‘Obesity’ and cited on the Fitbie Web site indicates that being single may actually be better for your body. Couples’ habits, such as curling up in front of the sofa and eating large meals together, are much more likely to lead to unwanted weight gain. If you are a single woman, you stand a much better chance of sticking to an exercise routine. You won’t need to cook large, unwanted meals just for the sake of your boyfriend or husband, either. According to Fitbie, cohabiting increases the risk of female obesity by 63 percent.

3. Every penny you earn is yours

Single women don’t have to justify what they spend to anyone. If you want to go out and buy that gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos you saw over the weekend, there’s nobody to stop you (bank manager aside). Being attached to somebody else inevitably brings with it financial responsibilities and commitments, which can often wear very thin. If you’re really good with your cash, why should you let a man interfere and mess it all up for you anyway?

4. You don’t need to apologize for your career

Successful career women often find that their husbands or boyfriends feel jealous or threatened. This can create a lot of friction that doesn’t exist if you are single. Single career women don’t need to worry about their partners or about having children and can focus on being successful at something that they love doing. Many successful career women argue that they wouldn’t have achieved their aims if they had been involved in a relationship, which brings with it distractions and commitments that can easily get in the way.

5. Single life can make it easier to find ‘the right one’

Happily single women have an easier time finding true love. Women who are fixated on finding and being with somebody frequently fall into bad relationships with the wrong person and often start to lose self-esteem. Happily single women are generally much more confident, much more independent, and therefore, ironically, much more attractive. Pursuing your own interests and being truly happy in what you do are great ways to develop just the right mindset to meet people.

Being a single, boyfriend-less woman doesn’t have to be seen in a negative light. Countless single women love their lives just the way they are and have plenty of life lessons that wives and girlfriends could learn from.

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These Habits Decrease Your Sperm Count

Eating Processed Meat: A new study found that processed meat, like sausage or bacon, can significantly harm sperm quality. Harvard University researchers found that men who ate half a portion of processed meat a day had 5.5 percent ‘normal’ shaped sperm cells, compared to 7.2 percent who ate less. Instead, they found that fish may be the secret to better sperm.

Watching TV: The couch isn’t doing much for men’s health as you may have guessed. But, it’s not just his physique and motivation that are at risk from sitting extensively in front of the tv. A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine confirmed that men who watch a lot of TV have fewer sperm than men who exercise moderately or vigorously each week. Couch potatoes who viewed more than 20 hours of television a week had 44 percent lower sperm count than men who watched almost no television. Time to get moving, fellas.

Drinking: Turns out, the beer belly isn’t the only bad side effect from his favorite beverage. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, which in turn leads to decreased sperm quality and production. Moderation is key with drinking.

Not Having s*x: While some have said “saving sperm” until a woman is most fertile could help couples who are trying to conceive, it actually has no benefit and can make matters worse. For guys with low sperm counts, abstaining from even one day of s*x can decrease their production even further, according to researchers at Soroka University Medical Centre in Israel. Abstaining from s*x also causes sperm to change in shape, a sign that the sperm is going stale.

Stressing: Stress is bad for numerous emotional and physical reasons, but his fertility is at risk too. Whether he’s anxious about work or even having a low sperm count, severe or prolonged stress can interfere with the production of testosterone. We know some fun stress-busters for you and you guy. Wink, wink.

Eating Soy: A 2008 Harvard School of Public Health study revealed that even half a serving of soy a day was enough to harm a man’s sperm production. Isoflavones, which are found in soy products actually mimic estrogen. More tofu for you.

Using His Laptop & Cell Phone: As addicted as he may be to his two favorite pieces of technology, it might be best for his sperm count to avoid using them for long periods of time. Researchers warn that the heat given off from laptops may increase the temperature in his scrotum and reduce sperm production. In 2008, a study revealed a strong association between cell phone use and sperm count, saying that those who talked for four or more hours had fewer, weaker sperm. More recently, it was discovered that men who carry their phones in their pocket or on their belt were more likely to have fewer, inactive sperm.

Source: Mens Health

12 Health Benefits Of WaterMelon

Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) are a member of gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), a plant family which also includes cucumber, squash, and pumpkin that grow on vines on the ground. The melons which are either classified as fruit or vegetable are believed to be originated in southern Africa and now are widely grown across many tropical regions.

There are over 500 varieties of watermelons throughout the world, ranging in weights (from one pound to more than two hundred pounds), shapes (from globular to oblong) and colors (red, yellow, orange, or white flesh).

The watermelon contains about ninety percent of water and the pulp is sweet, making it a favorite thirst-quenching fruit. Apart from that, watermelon is considered as one of the world’s healthiest foods because it has no fats and has fewer amounts of calories. One cup of watermelon has just 46 calories, so it’s also an excellent food for weight loss.

In addition, watermelons are rich in many essential nutrient like vitamin A, B1, B6 & C, pantothenic acid, biotin, potassium, and magnesium. In red watermelon also contains a powerful carotenoid antioxidant known as lycopene (plant pigment that responsible for the red color of watermelon, tomatoes, and pink guavas). These powerful antioxidants help to neutralize free radicals that can lead to inflammation, general sickness and chronic illnesses such as heart attack, stroke, and cancer.

Nutritional Value of Watermelon, Raw

Health Benefits of Watermelons

Here are some health benefits of watermelons:

1. Fight Cancer
   The lypocene in watermelon has been found to be effective in preventing cancers, particularly breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and endometrial cancer. A study conducted by Harvard University found that men who ate lycopene-rich diet had a lower risk of developing certain cancers, especially prostate cancer than those who did not.
2. Relieve Kidney Disorders
   Watermelon is a good source of potassium, which is very helpful in cleaning off the toxic depositions in the kidneys. Moreover, it is helpful in reducing concentration of uric acid in the blood, thereby reducing the chances of kidney damages.
3. Reduce High Blood Pressure
   As watermelons are rich in potassium and magnesium, they help in controlling blood pressure and maintaining the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base balance.
4. Improves Eye Health
   Watermelons are an excellent source of vitamin A and beta carotene, which help improve overall eye health. Eating watermelon can also prevent age related macular degeneration (AMD), the major cause of vision loss in older people.
5. Reduce Heart Disease Risk
   Apart from protective cancers, lycopene in watermelon also provide cardiovascular benefits. Researchers found that women who consumed 7-10 servings of lycopene-rich diets every week had 29% lower risk of heart disease when compared with women who ate less than 1.5 servings of lycopene-rich diets each week. Watermelon also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help promote arteries, blood flow, and overall heart health.
6. Boosts the Immune System
   Vitamin C in watermelon can help boost the immune system, which in turn help protect your body from various illness and infections.
7. Treats Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence)
   Arginine present in water melon is beneficial in treating erectile dysfunction. Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has. While watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, it is a best way to relax blood vessels without the side effects of prescription drugs. A study of 50 men with impotence reported significant improved sexual function after they were given arginine supplementation.
8. Aid in Energy Production
   Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin B1, which are necessary for energy production.
9. Promote Weight Loss
   Watermelon is low in calories and high in water content, hence it is a perfect snack for people looking to lose weight.
10. Prevent Osteoporosis
    Watermelon is rich in magnesium, a nutrient known to help strengthen the bone, thereby beneficial in preventing osteoporosis.
11. Reduce Blood Sugar
    Minerals such as potassium and magnesium help in proper functioning of insulin in the body, thus reducing the blood sugar level. Arginine, another component found in water melons also has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes.
12. Keep Body Hydrated
    Since watermelon contains high water content – 92 percent water, it can help to replenish body fluids. Also, watermelons help in providing a cooling effect in your body. So it’s the best refreshing snack option during the hot summer season. By having watermelons, you can keep your body hydrated and healthy.

When choosing a watermelon, look out for the red watermelon because lycopene is found only in this varieties. The redder the watermelon, the more lycopene it contains.

7 Signs Your Lungs Are In Danger

by Melanie Haiken

We hear a lot about the risks of lung cancer — but less about a lung condition that’s just as common and debilitating, called COPD. This term, which stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, refers to a combination of two conditions, emphysema and chronic obstructive bronchitis, both of which are caused by lung damage from smoking or exposure to other lung irritants, such as asbestos. Whether you’re a smoker, a former smoker, or just unlucky, you can develop COPD as a result of damage to your lungs that gradually limits their ability to take in oxygen.

When your lungs aren’t functioning at full capacity, symptoms begin to appear that are sometimes so subtle that you may not recognize them as such. And because COPD is a progressive disease that can’t be slowed without treatment — and because it’s the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. — it’s critical to catch it as soon as possible. Here, seven signs that your lungs are trying to tell you they’re in trouble.

1. Shortness of breath

“Many people start to experience shortness of breath, and they just think ‘I’m old, I’m out of shape,’ and they don’t do anything about it other than cutting back their activity level,” says Byron Thomashow, a physician and professor at Columbia University Medical Center and chairman of the board of the COPD Foundation. “Then when you have shortness of breath just getting to the bathroom, all of a sudden you take notice.”

The problem with this, Thomashow says, is that the lung damage that constitutes COPD can’t be reversed; all you can do is halt or slow the progression of the disease. And if you don’t start treating it until you’re already out of breath just walking around the house, you’ve got a lot less to work with. Not only that, but cutting back is the last thing you want to do to prevent COPD progression; maintaining and even increasing your activity level is key to keeping the lung function that you have.

One thing to look for: When you’re climbing steps or exercising, do you have trouble inhaling a deep breath? An even more telltale sign: Do you take the elevator instead of the stairs to avoid this feeling? Experiment with different activities to see if you have shortness of breath when you increase your level of exertion, and note if there have been any changes over time. “I ask people, how’s your breathing compared to last year — can you do what you used to do a year ago?” says Thomashow. If you feel your ability to draw a deep breath is declining, ask your doctor to perform lung function tests to give you a clear picture of your lung health.

2. Frequent or worsening coughs

Everyone gets a cough once in awhile, but if you seem to be getting them more frequently, or they linger for a long time or become chronic, it’s time to talk to your doctor. COPD inflames the bronchial tubes and the tiny sacs called alveoli that line the lungs, making them less flexible and elastic. When that happens, the walls of the airways thicken and produce more mucus than usual, which clogs them up.

What you’ll notice is a phlegmy cough that feels like the type that usually accompanies the flu — except you don’t have other flu symptoms. If you cough up mucus that’s any other color than clear, that can be a sign your condition is worsening, says Byron Thomashow of Columbia and the COPD Foundation. The mucus may be yellow, green, or even have blood in it.

One interesting fact to be aware of: If you’re still smoking, your sputum production may not increase despite advancing COPD, whereas sputum production tends to increase after you quit.

3. Morning headaches

One of the more mysterious symptoms of COPD is waking up after a night’s sleep with a dull, throbbing headache. “What’s happening is that you’re not breathing deeply enough at night, and the carbon dioxide builds up while you’re sleeping,” says physician Norman Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association. The buildup of carbon dioxide causes blood vessels in the brain to dilate, resulting in headaches.

Many people don’t connect the headaches to COPD, though; instead they treat them as a separate symptom. But unless you treat the underlying cause — making sure you get enough oxygen into your lungs while you sleep — the headaches won’t go away. Talk to your doctor about setting up a treatment regimen for COPD designed to reduce inflammation and increase the absorbent capacity of the lungs

4. Swollen ankles

As COPD advances, it becomes intertwined with heart failure, because your circulatory system isn’t getting the oxygen it needs to be healthy. This can lead to fluid buildup, which is most easily recognizable as swollen feet and ankles. “As lungs get progressively worse, the ability of the body to compensate goes down and the heart can’t pump strongly enough,” says Norman Edelman of the American Lung Association.

When the heart can’t pump enough blood to supply the liver and kidneys, they can’t perform their necessary functions of flushing out toxins and removing fluid. The result: the same type of edema many people experience while flying or women experience when pregnant.

5. Trouble sleeping or staying asleep

Ask yourself this: Do you pile up pillows to raise your chest and head and make it easier to breathe while you sleep? Do you sleep in a chair, such as a recliner, because breathing’s easier in that position? It’s also possible that you sleep flat but wake up feeling unwell or even dizzy.

Because lying flat forces your lungs to work harder, many people with COPD find they have trouble sleeping deeply — but they may not realize it’s the lung condition causing it. “Sleep is also hard for people with COPD because they may cough throughout the night, waking themselves up or interrupting deep sleep,” says Byron Thomashow of the COPD Foundation.

The relationship between COPD and poor sleep gets complicated, because many people with COPD also develop sleep apnea and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), neither of which is conducive to deep, refreshing sleep.

The bottom line: If you wake regularly throughout the night with breathing difficulties or coughing, or you wake up in the morning feeling weak, unrested, and possibly with a headache, talk to your doctor.

6. A barrel chest

One informal test that some doctors use to check for COPD progression is to have you breathe while raising your arms over your head. Why? They’re looking for a change known as “barrel chest,” which describes a particular posture and body shape that tends to develop as a secondary symptom of COPD.

As a result of chronic inflammation, the lungs become enlarged and push the diaphragm downward, which makes it harder for the diaphragm to contract as efficiently. The chest wall becomes enlarged as well, weakening muscles in the chest, neck, and between the ribs; these are known as the “accessory respiratory muscles.” When this happens, people with COPD unconsciously try to compensate by leaning forward when sitting, with their arms on their knees or in front of them. This posture stabilizes the upper chest and shoulders, making it easier to use the accessory breathing muscles.

7. A bluish tinge to lips or fingernails

Over time, if your blood doesn’t circulate enough oxygen throughout your body, your lips and fingernails can take on a blue or gray tone. Sometimes the color, known as cyanosis, is most apparent in the nail beds; some people develop an overall grayish-blue tinge to the skin. The cause: Oxygen-rich blood is bright red, while blood with less oxygen turns dark and bluish-colored.

In dark-skinned people, the discoloration is most visible in the lips, gums, and around the eyes, and it can be easier to spot. Cyanosis usually occurs when oxygen levels in the blood drop below 90 percent. A doctor can check this for you; you can also monitor it yourself using a finger pulse oximeter, available in medical supply stores.

(via caring.com)

President Obama Takes Stand On Marijuana Controversy:It Is Not More Dangerouos Than Alcohol

President Obama waded into the controversial politics of marijuana in an interviewpublished Sunday, saying he’s not convinced pot is “more dangerous than alcohol” and arguing it’s “important” to allow recent legalization efforts in Colorado andWashington State to proceed.

“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life,” the president told the New Yorker’s David Remnick. “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

The president even argued marijuana is less dangerous “in terms of its impact on the individual consumer.”

Still, “It’s not something I encourage, and I’ve told my daughters I think it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy,” he added.

Marijuana

The president also said he’s troubled by racial disparities in the application of marijuana laws.

“Middle-class kids don’t get locked up for smoking pot, and poor kids do,” he explained. “And African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties.”

Mr. Obama ascribed some element of hypocrisy to lawmakers who’ve stiffened penalties against pot use despite some probable experimentation of their own.

“We should not be locking up kids or individual users for long stretches of jail time when some of the folks who are writing those laws have probably done the same thing,” the president said.

Mr. Obama seemed to welcome recent efforts to legalize the drug for recreational use in Washington and Colorado “because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished.”

Despite the fact that marijuana use is still illegal under federal law, the governmentannounced in August last year that it would not halt the legalization efforts then underway in those two states – part of an effort to re-prioritize drug enforcement resources.

In the interview, the president also lent credence to opponents of legalization, however, saying advocates of full legalization have likely overstated their case by framing the change as a “panacea” for many social ills.

And he nodded at the “slippery slope” argument commonly voiced by foes of more permissive drug laws, wondering where the line will eventually be drawn.

“When it comes to harder drugs, the harm done to the user is profound and the social costs are profound,” he said. “And you do start getting into some difficult line-drawing issues. If marijuana is fully legalized and at some point folks say, ‘Well, we can come up with a negotiated dose of cocaine that we can show is not any more harmful than vodka,’ are we open to that? If somebody says, ‘We’ve got a finely calibrated dose of meth, it isn’t going to kill you or rot your teeth,’ are we O.K. with that?”

(via CBS News)

Smoke In Public In Lagos And Go To Jail

The Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a bill, aimed at banning smoking in public places in the state.

This came after several months of deliberation and public engagement, mainly to sensitise and gather residents’ opinions on the bill.

The 16-section bill, said that posting of signs which states “no smoking,” with a picture depicting a burning cigarette enclosed in a circle with a bar across, should be displayed in all “no smoking areas.”

The assembly noted that the picture depicting ban of smoking in a particular public place would be prominently posted and properly maintained by the owner, occupier or person in charge of the “no smoking areas.”

The bill, which, yesterday, scaled through the third reading, prohibited anybody smoking in all public places including libraries, museum, public toilets, schools, hospital, day care centres, public transportation and restaurants, among others.

The assembly proceeding which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said smoking in public places would attract penalties ranging from three month imprisonment to six month jail term.

It said the bill “has been sent to Governor Babatunde Fashola  for an assent,” even though the development had attracted public outrage, citing infraction on fundamental human rights.

Section 4 of the bill said it shall be the duty of those who own or occupy public places to ensure that approved “no smoking” signs are displayed conspicuously at each entrance and in prominent locations throughout the premises.

The bill on no smoking in public places, also stated the penalties for smoking in a “no smoking area” will be N10,000 fine or imprisonment for a term not  less than one month and not exceeding three months or both.

While any person who repeatedly violates the provisions shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N50, 000 or six month imprisonment or both.

The law also states the penalty for non compliance by owner/occupier of a “no smoking area” the offenders shall attract N100, 000 or 6 month imprisonment, or other non custodial punishment that the judge may deem fit.

It shall be an offense to obstruct a duly authorised officer from carrying out his duties under the provision of this law.

The law states that any person who smokes in the presence of a child commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of N15,000 or imprisonment for a month or both.

We hope it will be implemented this time.

Watch Music Bring Back Memories For Alzheimer;s Patients

This clip is from the documentary Alive Inside, a story inspired by Dan Cohen's project, Music & Memory, a nonprofit that helps seniors access music from their youth. The film premiers at the Sundance Film Festival.

In Case You Missed Out: 7th Annual Drug Discovery For Neurodegeneration Conference

The 7th Annual Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference is a conference presented by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). The conference, held February 10-12, 2013 in sunny San Francisco, California, brought together attendees from a variety of different sectors including academia, industry, biotech, government, and non-profit organizations. The goal of the meeting was to delve into the details of the drug discovery process -- covering topics from high throughput screening, to identifying and optimizing a lead compound, to preclinical studies – all in the context of the important considerations that need to be addressed when developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. 

Dr. Howard Fillit, ADDF Executive Director and Chief Science Officer, opened the conference with a broad overview of the current state of the field. In his talk, Fillit suggested that the drug development landscape is changing. There is much more collaboration between industry and academia then even five years ago, and such collaboration is necessary for successful drug development. Yet, although we are making progress and these collaborations are helping advance discoveries, scientists in the business of developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases still face tremendous challenges. Three of these challenges will be covered in today’s post: 1. the changing and evolving use of animal disease models in translational research, 2. the rising importance of biomarkers, and 3. the inherent difficulties in targeting protein-protein interactions (particularly in the brain). 

The first plenary speaker Dr. Piet van der Graaf, Senior Director of Clinical Pharmacology/Pharmacometrics at Pfizer, didn’t shy away from one of the most controversial topics discussed at the meeting -- the reliability of using animal models of disease for preclinical testing. In his presentation “Transforming Drug Discovery for Complex Diseases: A Systems Biology Approach” van der Graaf suggested that all too often animal disease models have little predictive value. His comments echoed the recent findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that showed some mouse models of disease may not recapitulate the immune response observed in human disease. The discussions at the conference emphasized the growing concern in the drug development community of whether mice are an appropriate model for human disease, or if we need to find new disease models. Computational and iPS cell derived models are two alternatives that were discussed in detail at the conference. 

But should we really leave our mice behind? Dr. Katya Tsaioun of Pharma Launcher challenged van der Graaf’s thinking about animal models. She argued that we need to closely examine the black/white thinking that animal models “don’t predict” -- perhaps we just need to be more aware of the limitations of our animal models. Both Tsaioun, during her talk “Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicology (ADME-Tox) in Compound Refinement”, and Fillit in hisopening remarks, suggested that animal models are highly useful for collecting multiple supporting pieces of data critical for successful drug development. Effective and well-understood animal models of disease allow us to look at disease mechanisms and investigate what is going on at the molecular level. Using animal models to collect these types of data might be the best way to harness these models in a productive way. Although the jury is still out on the utility of animal models of neurodegeneration -- this is clearly a perennially hot topic that was in hot debate at the conference! 

The importance of identifying and developing biomarkers, was another underlying theme highlighted by several speakers at the conference. Dr. Kalpana M. Merchant, Chief Scientific Officer for Translational Science at Eli Lilly and Company, in her talk “Improving Clinical Success through Optimal Target Validation” emphasized that biomarkers are essential for monitoring whether therapies have engaged their target. How do you successfully choose the right biomarker? Make sure that you know your therapy’s target and then make sure you have a disease-associated biomarker that you can use to monitor target engagement. Tsaioun also pointed out that once you have a druggable target, biomarkers can help with correlating your in vitro results with your in vivo results. Further to her point about changing the way we use our animal models, Tsaioun suggested that animal-based disease models can be useful for collecting biomarker data. 

One of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind throughout the conference was: why don’t we have more drugs for neurodegenerative diseases? One obvious answer is that it is hard to get drugs across the blood-brain barrier. Dr. Bruce Morimoto of Allon Therapeutics Inc. in his talk“Peptide Therapeutics and Mechanisms for Intranasal Delivery” suggested that one solution to this problem is to use intranasal delivery, which allows drugs to bypass the blood-brain barrier entirely. Another answer for why there are so few drugs for CNS diseases is that many neurodegenerative diseases are protein-aggregation diseases, and protein-protein interactions are notoriously difficult to target. Dr. Jim Wells, Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed two key limitations to targeting protein-protein interactions in his talk entitled “Challenges of Protein-Protein/Protein-Peptide Targets.” First, proteins often associate with one another using large interfaces that make preventing these interactions difficult. Second, proteins often form tight complexes with one another that need to be dissociated in order to restore function and/or remove dysfunctional proteins from the cell. Wells mentioned that one way to target unwanted protein-protein interactions is to use alanine-scanning mutagenesis to identify hot spots of binding and then you could potentially find ways to target these hot spots with drugs. Dr. Ryan Watts, Associate Director and Head of Neurodegeneration Labs in the Department of Neuroscience at Genentech, Inc., suggested in his talk “Developing Therapeutic Antibodies for Neurodegenerative Disease” that antibodies are the best way to target protein-protein interactions. However, despite the promise antibodies hold for targeting and disrupting protein-protein interactions, they do have some limitations including the challenge of getting the antibodies across the blood-brain barrier (bringing things full circle!).

This summary is only a small taste of the numerous useful topics discussed at ADDF’s 7th Annual Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference. The conference was a great success --the attendees received some hearty "food for thought" about our current system of drug development, especially in the complex and challenging neurodegenerative disease space. For those of you who weren’t able to make it to California for the conference but want to learn more, the entire 2013 Drug Discovery Conference webcast is now available. Click here to watch it for free. 

Never Ever Give Up.Arthur Inspirational Transformation

Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again.

He stumbled upon an article about Diamond Dallas Page doing Yoga and decided to give it a try -- he couldn't do traditional, higher impact exercise, so he tried DDP YOGA and sent an email to Dallas telling him his story.

Dallas was so moved by his story, he began emailing and speaking on the phone with Arthur throughout his journey - he encouraged Arthur to keep going and to believe that anything was possible. Even though doctors told him walking would never happen, Arthur was persistent. He fell many times, but kept going.

Arthur was getting stronger rapidly, and he was losing weight at an incredible rate! Because of DDP's specialized workout, he gained tremendous balance and flexibility -- which gave him hope that maybe someday he'd be able to walk again.

His story is proof, that we cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often do not know our own potential. Niether Arthur, nor Dallas knew what he would go on to accomplish, but this video speaks for itself. In less than a year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of 15 years earlier.

Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck - you can take control over your life and change it faster than you might think.

Hopefully this story can inspire you to follow your dreams - whatever they may be.

Anything is Possible! If this story can inspire someone you know, please share it with them!

Actress Gabourey Sidibe's Reply To Weight Critics

The Oscar nominated plus size actress stood up to weight critics in the best possible way. She took to twitter to write what you see above after people slammed her red carpet look at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. Instead of feeling bad, the Precious star had the perfect answer for the mean-spirited tweets directed her way after the awards. Way to go Gabby! See some of the tweets after the cut...

Karen Igho Undergoig Cancer Treatment In The UK

In December, the BBA winner and actress tweeted that she had cancer (if you missed it, read it here) and not much has been heard from her since then. At the time she was awaiting results that indicated she had breast cancer. It's been confirmed and she is currently undergoing treatment in a UK hospital. All the best to her!

How A region Gets Certified 'Polio-free'

Wild poliovirus has not been found in India since 13 January 2011 meaning that, from that date, India is no longer a country where polio is endemic. Three years of being polio free is a notable milestone for the country as a whole, but the success of the immunization and awareness campaign has had a wider impact – with this achievement, it is hoped that soon the entire South-East Asia Region can be considered certifiably free from polio. A commission of experts will meet at the World Health Organization offices at the end of March to analyze the data and determine the polio status for the Region.

Historically, India has been the largest endemic reservoir of polio in the world with between 50 000 to 100 000 paralytic polio cases occurring each year between 1978 and 1995. It has also been one of the main sources of polio importation for other countries. This achievement has been driven by the partnership between the Government of India, international organizations, local NGOs and other institutions. An extraordinary mobilization of health workers was necessary to reach this point, particularly in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states. The outcome of this has been an improved vaccine delivery system, better trained health staff and high quality surveillance, monitoring and research mechanisms.

This does not mean that the virus cannot reemerge within any of the countries or the Region. There is no room for complacency with ongoing polio vaccination work. High immunity levels must continue in order to protect those in the Region and as newer, more comprehensive interventions are developed, these too need to be rolled out. Furthermore, whilst no new cases of wild polio have been recorded recently, the disease in different forms can be brought in to the Region via those who have contracted it in other parts of the world and then travel to South-East Asia.

Facts about Polio Certification

In 1988, the forty-first World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio. Here are some polio certification facts:

• No single country can be certified as polio free. Regions as a whole are certified as polio free
• For certification, all countries in the Region need to not register a case of wild polio for 3 years in the presence of high quality surveillance
• The formal process for certification of polio eradication was established in 1995 at the first meeting of the Global Certification Commission (GCC)
• There are National Certification Committees (NCCs) who focus on analysis at the country level. In SEARO, each of the 11 member states has a NCC
• All Regions have a certification commission. For SEARO there is the South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission which comprises eleven global and regional experts. It is this commission that can certify the South-East Asia Region as polio free
• Three Regions (Americas, 1994; Western Pacific, 2000; Europe, 2002) have already been certified as polio free

About poliomyelitis (polio)
Poliovirus is transmitted mainly from person-to-person through the fecal-oral route and on average, depending on the serotype (poliovirus type 1, 2 or 3), a single case of paralytic polio represents 200 to 1000 silent infections surrounding the case.

WHO fact sheet on polio
10 facts on polio eradication
About Vaccine derived polio

The work to date on the eradication of polio from the South-East Asia Region is the culmination of a long standing partnership between WHO and donors such as Rotary International, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID.

For more information on WHO South-East Asia Regional Office’s work on Polio, visit the immunization section.