My Food: 49th Wedding Anniversary 6-course Dinner

Lobster Bisque, Cheese Thins

Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini, Prosciutto, Pine Nut Salad

Calamari Bites, Broccoli Tender, Radish, Ketchup Mayo

Seared Jumbo Scallop, Maitake Mushroom, Radicchio, Romaine Lettuce, Honey Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

Mini Sheppard’s Pie, Baby Carrot

2-tone Pizalle Cookie Bowl, Chocolate-coated Vanilla Ice Cream Mini Cup, Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Cookie Dust

 

 

 

 

Breathing Polluted Air May Trigger Skipped Heartbeats in Otherwise Healthy Teens

Breathing polluted air may trigger irregular heart rhythms in otherwise healthy teens – even when pollution levels fall within standards set by the government, new research suggests.

The study found teens experienced skipped heartbeats within two hours of breathing fine particulate matter, the type of pollution that comes from car and truck exhaust or wildfires. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

While prior research shows that breathing polluted air may cause harm to cardiovascular health in adults, researchers said this was the first study to investigate how air pollution may affect heart health in U.S. teenagers.

Though rare, irregular heart rhythms can lead to sudden cardiac death in otherwise healthy adolescents and young adults, lead author Fan He said in a news release. He is an instructor in public health sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“Our findings linking air pollution to irregular heart rhythms suggest that particulate matter may contribute to the risk of sudden cardiac death among youth,” He said. “Since childhood and adolescent cardiovascular conditions can track into adulthood and affect risk of major cardiovascular disease later in life, identifying modifiable risk factors of cardiac arrhythmia that may cause sudden cardiac death among adolescents should be of great public interest.”

Fine particulates are less than 2.5 microns in size, making them easy to inhale deep into the lungs. They also can enter the bloodstream. Once inhaled, they can irritate the lungs and blood vessels around the heart. Over time, they may contribute to cardiovascular disease.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets air quality standards at 35 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic feet of air per day. Average particulate matter concentrations in this study were approximately 17 micrograms per cubic foot, well below that standard.

Researchers measured exposure to fine particulate matter in the air breathed by 322 teens in central Pennsylvania for 24-hour periods between 2010 and 2013. At the same time, they measured electrocardiogram tracings for each teen’s heart rhythms using wearable devices called Holter monitors. The teens in the study were an average 17 years old, free of major cardiovascular conditions and considered at low risk for irregular heart rhythms.

The researchers looked at two types of irregular heart rhythms characterized by a premature contraction of the heart muscle, also known as a skipped heartbeat.

Premature atrial contractions, or PACs, occur when the irregular heartbeat comes from the top chamber of the heart. Usually, this doesn’t cause any harm. However, PACs have been associated with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation – a type of irregular heartbeat in which the top chambers of the heart quiver. This can lead to a higher risk for blood clots and strokes.

The other type is called a premature ventricular contraction, or PVC. These occur when the irregular heartbeat comes from the lower chambers of the heart. They can raise the risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or sudden cardiac death.

When either of these irregular rhythms occur without symptoms, they are not treated. If they occur frequently, they can be treated with medication or an implantable device that makes the heart beat regularly.

In the analysis, 79% of participants had at least one irregular heart rhythm during the 24-hour study period. Within that group, 40% had PACs, 12% had PVCs and 48% had both. For each increase of 10 micrograms per cubic foot of air, there was a 5% increase in the number of PVCs within two hours of exposure. There was no association between the increase in particulate matter exposure and PACs.

“It is alarming that we were able to observe such a significant impact of air pollution on cardiac arrhythmias when the air quality remained well within the health-based standards established by the EPA,” He said. “It may suggest that adolescents who live in highly polluted areas” are at even higher risk.

Among adults, previous research shows even higher increases in PVCs due to particulate matter exposure.

The authors said reducing the number of irregular heartbeats in adolescents could reduce their risk for developing heart disease as adults.

“Protective measures, such as wearing masks and avoiding vigorous physical activities (outdoors), may be warranted on days that particulate matter concentration is high, especially during early morning rush hours,” He said.

Source: American Heart Association

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin and Chestnut Afternoon Tea of Mercer Brunch in Shibuya, Japan

The price is 5,200 yen (tax included).

The Restaurant

 

 

 

 

Robots Work to Catch Seniors Before They Fall

Pranshu Verma wrote . . . . . . . . .

Resercher last week unveiled a new robot that can predict and catch seniors before they fall — a potentially major development in caring for the world’s rapidly aging population.

The new device, which looks like a motorized wheelchair, has guard rails that come up to a person’s hip and are outfitted with sensors to judge when a person begins to go off balance. Users strap into a harness, and when they are starting to tip, the robot engages it to keep them from falling.

The machine’s inventors, from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, affectionately call the machine “Mr. Bah,” a stand-in for its actual name: the mobile robot balance assistant. The device still needs regulatory approval in major markets like the United States, and faces significant funding challenges for getting to market, but it is targeted to be available in two years, researchers said.

“Mr. Bah” joins a growing number of technological advances for elderly care, including robots that clean homes and provide companionship and wearable devices that track key health metrics. The robot’s inventors say their fall prevention robot is a crucial advance, especially since falls can often lead to serious injuries or deadly outcomes.

“[Falls] are a big problem worldwide,” said Wei Tech Ang, a lead researcher for the project and executive director of the Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS). “The … intention was to help people walk around at home without the fear of falling down.”

Globally, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, falls remain the leading cause of injury-related deaths among adults ages 65 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows.

Ang became aware of that problem from personal experience. “My 85-year-old mother, she’s a frequent faller,” he said. “After she fell for the first time about 10 years ago, I started having this idea of creating a robot.”

Ang partnered with researchers at NTU Singapore and Tan Tock Seng Hospital to create and pilot the

robot. So far, the device has been only tested on 29 participants. They were patients who suffered from strokes, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

During testing, which spanned three days per participant, the robot aided seniors with sitting, standing and walking. No falls were recorded during the trials, researchers said. (The results were announced this week.)

The team’s goal is to get regulatory approval for the device in major markets across the world, including the United States. They envision releasing two versions of the robot. One is a hospital version, outfitted with many high-end sensors and cameras that track an elderly person’s movements, and could cost around US$20,000. The other is an at-home version, which would either have fewer sensors and cameras in it or use lower-quality ones, and could go for about US$3,000, Ang said.

But the team faces a steep challenge. They need around US$4 million in initial funding just to get device approval from regulatory agencies in places like the United States, Europe, China and Singapore, Ang said. From there, they would need an additional US$10 million to US$20 million to get the device into market. “That is awfully difficult here,” he said.

Should that happen, researchers said, the effects could be significant and represent a way for robots to improve the lives of elderly people by giving them the feeling of independence.

“One of [the] key strategies is to empower patients,” Karen Chua, a co-developer of the mobility robot at NTU’s medical school said in a statement. “We want to make robotics therapies more sustainable and accessible in the community where our patients can lead healthier and happier lives.”

Source: The Washington Post

 

 

 

 

Tortilla with Roasted Bell Peppers and Spicy Chorizo

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
2 small chorizo sausages, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tbsp grated Manchego cheese
salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
2. Place the red bell peppers on a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until the skins are black. Remove from the oven and cover with a dish towel until cool. When cool, peel away the skins and dice the flesh.
3. Cook the diced chorizo in a 12-inch nonstick skillet until it is brown and the fat is rendered. Drain on paper towels.
4. Wipe out the skillet, then heat the oil and cook the diced potatoes for 5 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.
5. Return the chorizo to the skillet with the potatoes and add the diced red bell peppers and torn basil leaves.
6. Mix the eggs and grated cheese together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the ingredients in the skillet, using a wooden spoon to distribute the ingredients evenly. Let cook for a few minutes over low heat until the egg has started to set.
7. To finish the tortilla, place the skillet under a preheated hot broiler to brown lightly. Slide onto a serving plate and cut into wedges to serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Brunch

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