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Showing posts from July, 2009

What is Cancer Staging?

Staging is the process of determining how much cancer there is in the body and where it is located. Staging describes the extent or severity of an individual's cancer based on the extent of the original (primary) tumor and the extent of spread in the body. Knowing the state of the disease helps the doctor plan a treatment and determine a prognosis (likely outcome or course of the disease). Staging provides a common language with which doctors can communicate about a patient's case. Knowing the stage is important in identifying clinical trials that may be suitable for a particular patient. What are the Common Elements of Staging Systems? Staging is based on knowledge of the way cancer develops. Some staging systems cover many types of cancer; others focus on a particular type. For most cancers, the stage is based on three main factors: Location of the primary (original) tumor Tumor size and number of tumors Lymph node involvement (whether or not the cancer has spread to the near

Do You Believe In 'Tooth Worms?' Micro-images Of Strange, Worm-like Structures Uncovered Inside Dissected Molar

ScienceDaily (July 28, 2009) — New, micro-images of strange, worm-like structures uncovered inside a dissected molar might have been held in ancient times as proof that gnawing tooth worms were the cause of tooth decay, a theory widely believed in many cultures before modern times. The structures are not worms, but what they are is still in question. Studies by University of Maryland Dental School researchers recently presented at the annual meeting of the Microscopy Society of America in Richmond revealed cylindrical objects extending or ‘growing’ out of the natural pores or tubules of teeth. Inside a human tooth, more than 50,000 such tubules per square millimeter act as channels running from the nerve up through the tooth. They are associated with transporting hot or cold sensitivity to the tooth nerve. [A human hair by comparison is 40 micrometers wide.] For years, scientists have debated the exact nature of the worm-like structures, which were photographed in clear detail by Ru-Ch

Crean robots para explorar venas

Escrito por Ing. Hiddekel Morrison en Lo Ultimo, tags: microrobots, nanotecnologia, robots, robots intravenosos Científicos Israelitas han creado un avance que parece salido de libros y películas de ciencia ficción, robots capaces de reptar dentro de nuestras venas. Estos robots, salidos de la Universidad de Techion, miden cerca de un milímetro y utilizan la tecnología MEMS (Sistema micro-eléctrico-mecánico) para poder reptar a una velocidad de 9mm por segundo, sin tener motores piezoeléctricos, sino usando campos magnéticos y el propio flujo sanguíneo. El objetivo es usar estos robots para diagnosticar y posiblemente tratar algunos bloqueos arteriales y cáncer. Claro está, que estos robots no pueden llegar a todos nuestros vasos sanguíneos (por ejemplo, no pueden acceder a los capilares) y aún los investigadores se encuentran trabajando en cómo instalar pequeñísimas cámaras en estos robots. No obstante esto, quizás en un futuro no muy lejano no necesitemos recurrir a cirugías o medica

Chewing Robot' could revolutionise dental research

A 'Chewing Robot' which mimics the human jaw and teeth could revolutionise dental research, it has emerged. Published: 7:00AM BST 30 Jun 2009 The mechanical mandible allows experts to study the wear-and-tear on dental fittings like crowns and bridges without using costly human subjects. Fittings are made from well-known metals, polymers and ceramics – but their dental wear properties are often poorly understood. Related Articles Lifecoach: coping with the shock of losing your job Gene found that makes tooth enamel could revolutionise dental care Chip is 400th the size of grain of salt Chocolate could fight tooth decay Robot mimics human action and plays rock-paper-scissors Clinical trials examining the toll taken on real human teeth are expensive and time-consuming. By the time a new material has been tested, it is often obsolete. This is where the Chewing Robot – created by the University of Bristol and the Department of Oral and Dental Science – comes in. The movements and