Lady Gaga’s “doll-like”, cartoonishly large eyes were most likely generated by a computer, but teens and young women across the country have been copying them with special big eye contact lenses called “circle contact lenses” imported from Asia. Known as circle lenses, these are colored contacts — sometimes in weird shades like violet and pink and with special effects — that make the eyes appear much larger because they cover not only the iris, like ordinary lenses do, but also part of the whites.

Check out Lady Gaga’s enormous, manga-like eyes on her pop video, “Bad Romance.”

Lady Gaga’s “anime character” large eyes have sparked a new, dangerous trend, and now the cool kids are buying “circle lenses.” These wider-than-life colored contact lenses, long popular in Korea, extend past the pupils to cover parts of the whites of the eyes.

Circle lenses are imported from Asia and sometimes come in strange colors such as violet and pink. The look is characteristic of Japanese anime, and is “mainstream” in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.

This new trend give the wearer the look of an anime character. But it is a dangerous one, because wearing contacts that haven’t been properly fitted by a doctor increases the risk of infection.

The circle eyes lenses are illegal in the U.S., but are available on a range of international websites. So whether they are illegal in the U.S., but people are buying them over the Internet.

The cicle eyes contact lenses are widely available online, typically for $20 to $30 a pair, both in prescription strengths and purely decorative. On message boards and in YouTube videos, young women and teenage girls have been spreading the word about where to buy them.

In some cases infections eve can lead to blindness. Beside of this, corneal ulcers, scratches or abrasions in the corner of the eye, impairing vision either from the tears or from infection, and depriving the eye of oxygen all can set up the risk of infection and in some rare cases, even blindness.

It may be worth noting that Lady Gaga wasn’t wearing circle lenses in the video. According to New York Times, her gaze was computer-generated. Let’s hope her fans take the American Optometric Association’s warning seriously.

These lenses might be just another beauty fad if not for the facts that they are contraband and that eye doctors express grave concern over them. It is illegal in the United States to sell any contact lenses, either corrective or cosmetic, without a prescription, and no major maker of contact lenses in the United States currently sells circle lenses.

At best, users could experience redness, swelling, or a painfully red eye. At worst? People who buy lenses without a consultation from an eye doctor put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye’s ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss.

Contact lenses, whether used to correct vision problems or for fashionable reasons, are considered medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FAD). For those wishing to wear decorative contacts, also called plano contacts, the FDA offers following advice to minimize risk:

• First of all, get an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional, even if your vision is perfect.
• Then get a valid prescription that includes the brand and lens dimensions.
• Buy the lenses from an eye care professional or from a vendor who requires that you provide prescription information for the lenses.
• Follow directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses, and visit your eye care professional for follow-up eye exams.

Check out makeup artist Michelle Phan’s detailed and easy to understand “how to get Lady Gaga’s look” makeup tutorial:

The legislation will massively revamp the nation’s health care delivery and financing system. By far, the biggest changes would be expanding Medicaid and establishing federal health insurance premium subsidies to the lower and middle-income uninsured. Congressional budget analysts estimate those changes could result in as many as 32 million uninsured gaining coverage.

The Senate today will begin debate on a second reform measure, a so-called reconciliation bill that also was approved by the House. That bill is designed to alter certain aspects of the main reform measure.

The legislation is packed with provisions that will directly affect employer-provided health care plans.

Some will require almost immediate action by employers. For example, within six months after enactment, employers will have to amend their plans to extend coverage to employees’ adult children up to age 26, if those dependents are not eligible for other group coverage.

Bigger changes are further down the road. By 2013, employers will have to redesign their flexible spending accounts to impose a $2,500 annual limit on contributions. There is no limit now, though employers typically impose limits between $4,000 and $5,000.

Also in 2013, employers providing prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible retirees will lose a tax break. Under a 2003 law, employers providing prescription drug coverage at least equal to Medicare Part D receive tax-free payments from the government equal to 28% of what they spend—within a certain range—on retiree prescription drug coverage. The subsidy will continue under the legislation, but employers will be barred from taking a tax deduction on expenses equal to the subsidy starting in 2013.

That change in tax law may lead some employers to drop the coverage, benefit experts say.

In 2014, employers with at least 50 employees that do not offer coverage will pay a tax of $2,000 for each employee without coverage. In computing the tax, the first 30 employees would not be counted.

Also in 2014, a new affordability test will kick in that could result in employers facing assessments unless they redesign their plans. If the premium paid by an employee exceeds 9.5% of their income and the employee uses federal health insurance premium subsidies to purchase coverage through new state health insurance exchanges, the employer would have to pay an assessment of $3,000 for that employee.

Employers most exposed to that assessment will be those with relatively low-paid workforces and that require employees to make hefty premium contributions relative to their income.

Starting in 2018, a 40% excise tax would be imposed on health insurance premiums exceeding $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. The cost thresholds triggering the tax will be slightly higher plans for covering retirees or employees in certain high-risk industries. In 2019, the thresholds would rise to match the increase in the Consumer Price Index, plus one percentage point.

Source: www.businessinsurance.com

Eyes are most precious organ of our body. Eyes adds vision to our life. About 80 % of what we perceive comes through the eyes. Our memories are made 80 % by images. The eye comes with information about the depth, distance, shape, color and movement of the objects.

In our generation  many people have blindly accepted many vision related myths without thinking much on it. Following article tries to debunk Top 20 most common vision or eyesight related myths which some people are still believe in.

1. Contact lenses are better than Wearing Glasses. Wearing glasses is far safer option than using contact lenses. Glasses are not only cheaper but also easy to maintain than contact lenses. Glasses don’t stick on your eyes the way contact lenses do. Wearing and removing contact lenses is also a tedious and time consuming job.
2. Reading in the dark is bad for your vision. Although reading in dim light can cause tiredness to your eyes, but no harm can be caused.
3. Some exercises for eyes can improve your vision. Eye exercise do relax your eye but can’t improve vision. Any other efforts is a needless waste of time and does not bring any benefit. It is recommended to live a physically active life and have a balanced diet for keeping your eyes healthy.

1. The eyes can “wear out”. You can not “wear out” they are actively using them.
2. Older people eyesight is improving, as they get second sight. The “second sight” means the ability of people to see better as they get older. The reason for this vision improvement is that the lens of the eye is affected by increasing cataract.
3. Frequent sex (or masturbation) can lead to blindness. Enjoying active sex life and mastuurbation don’t make you blind. However sexually transmitted venereal diseases like syphilis, if left untreated, can lead to blindness, dementia and death. That is how this myth was born.
4. Sitting close to the TV is bad for your vision. There is no evidence that it is harmful to your eyes. Sitting to wherever is most convenient. The eyes may get tired of sitting in front of TV at a short distance, if the light in the room is too dim.
5. Wearing glasses is harmful to the eyes. In fact, in order to see well, you need to find glasses with a doctor. Points that do not suit you, do not harm your eyes.
6. If you need glasses, your eyes are not healthy. Need glasses has nothing to do with the health of your eyes. You just have some normal variation in the size or shape of the eye or a change that normally occurs with age.
7. Glasses can affect vision in some time. Wearing glasses has never declined. In fact, all a matter of habit. But not wearing glasses can worsen your eyesight.
8. Crossing the eyes produce strabismus. The incorrect eyes’ posture is the result of developmental impairments. Crossing the eyes for amusement is not dangerous.
9. Blind people have a sixth sense or any talent. Most people with perfect vision do not pay attention to senses like sound, smell and touch in their daily activities. Blind people automatically start adopting, practicing and relying on other body senses. This is not a sixth sense; it’s a result of hard work and continuous practice.
10. There is no need to check the eyesight before you are forty years. The eye disease may occur at any time. Everyone should receive regular eye tests, even if you don’t have any vision related problems. Early diagnosis is better to treat any disease. There are eye diseases that are treatable. Glaucoma, for example, is one of those things that appear before you banging forty.
11. LASIK Eye Operation Cures Eyesight. Lasik don’t cure eyesight permanently. Though painless it is still a risky operation and comes with heavy future side-effects. It is much better to continue wearing glasses or contact lenses than burning your sensitive eyes under a laser. I still don’t understand why doctors call Lasik, a safer option? Many people opt for LASIK operation to get rid of glasses as they believe this will boost their personality. It makes no sense to risk your precious natural eyesight just to boost personality. So stop fighting over it and remove the world ‘LASIK’ from your Life. If you still don’t want to compromise on natural vision and fashion then visit your nearest optical stores and ask for a stylish frame which suit your personality type. Stylish glasses looks attractive on most people, then why not wear them?
12. Doctors can do eye transplants. It is impossible to transplant a whole eye. It is connected with the brain optic nerve. If it is cut, it will not connect again. So full eye transplant sounds good only in fiction and movies. When doctors figure out how to do a brain transplant, they will be able to transplant the eye. However eye parts like corneas can be transplanted.
13. Scientists have created a “bionic eye”. Researchers working on a microchip, replacing the damaged retinal cells in the central vision. Other scientists have tried to find out a way to connect the camera directly to the brain. The eyes and brain do not work as a computer and a video camera. Even if you get a bionic eye, it still is not possible to connect it to the brain.
14. The sun is not harmful if wearing sunglasses or if developed strabismus. Solar ultraviolet light can damage the sensitive cornea, retina and lens. Looking at the sun, you may be not only a headache and a temporary distortion of vision, but a permanent impairment of the function of eyes. Never look at a solar eclipse. Direct sunlight can make a person blind in less than a minute.
15. Eat a lot of carrots to improve vision. Good nutrition is important for overall health, including your eyes. But Only a small amount of vitamin A, contained in the carrots, is necessary to maintain good vision.
16. The vein of the iris can show a person’s health. Similarly to the fingerprints, the veins of the iris are very personal and cannot display the health of the owner.
17. Nothing can be done to prevent vision loss. Regular inspection of eyes, healthy life style, and respect for the eyes can help you protect most precious sensory organ. If there are any problems with your vision, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist. If the disease is detected at an early stage of development, it can either prevent or slow down. So start caring your eyes to preserve their good natural health.

Named “Nano Bansoko” (nano band-aid), the new bandage is between from several tens of nanometers to 1,500 nanometers thick (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). It is more than 1,000 times thinner than a plastic wrap. One side of nano band-aid is highly adhesive and can stick to tissues around wounds, while the other side shows very little tissue adhesion. The bandage, which breaks down naturally after healing, is made from chitosan (a substance derived from chitin found in crab shells) and alginate sodium (produced in kelp slime).

“We will now conduct a detailed safety evaluation in order to put the bandage into practical use in three years,” said professor Shinji Takeoka, who also announced plans to study the use of the bandage on other organs like intestines, as well as in scar prevention on sutured wounds after breast cancer surgery.

They found evidence that the human immune system can partially recognize A virus H1N1 virus, which is something still similar to seasonal influenza viruses.

“Swine influenza is a bit like an ordinary flu, which may suggest that humans already have a partial immunity against it. Perhaps this can make the disease less severe among the general population than previously estimated,” – said Alessandro Sette, Ph.D. Head and Member Center for Infectious Disease in California.
The study also may help explain why many older people are not so hard to carry the disease, said Ellison Dekhat Augustine from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “We adults may be a partial immunity against A virus H1N1,” – she said.

Swine flu has swept through about 22 million Americans from April to October, killing an estimated 3,900 people, including 540 children.

“We’ve been tracking influenza for decades,” says Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “What we are seeing in 2009 is unprecedented.”

The research was led by the team of Dr. Anthony Atala, who said that the novel experiments raise hope that tissue engineering can one day be used to help men with severe impotence, or needing penile reconstruction, to regain their full sexual function.

The concept is that cells from a reduced organ are sprayed onto a collagen matrix, then bathed with compounds that stimulate cell growth and left in kept in an environment that duplicates the temperature and chemical makeup of living tissue.

The cells were naturally reproduced in the laboratory and within weeks have grown enough to be used to replace or reconstruct the defective organ or body structure. After that the cells were surgically implanted in the sexual organs of rabbits.  Since the implanted cells come directly from the body part that needs repair, problems associated with rejection are eliminated.

This scientific breakthrough gives hope for a similar restoration of the human penis, if it was damaged in accident or illness. However, scientists said that before starting the approbation of this technology in humans it is necessary to conduct additional studies.

“Right now we can do partial penile repair but in order to do complete replacements we need to make sure all the parts are there, including the nerves,” Atala said in a media statement. “This research takes us one step closer.”

New research being presented

Researchers find that cereals for children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults. In addition, companies are spending more than $156 million a year to market these cereals directly to kids.

Researchers analyzed 277 individual cereal varieties across 115 brands. Brands were identified as ‘child brands’ if they were marketed directly to children on television and the internet. They found that preschool-age children in the US see an average of 642 cereal commercials a year on television alone, “almost all for cereals with the worst nutrition rankings.”

Lead investigator Dr Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives at the Rudd Center, told the press that: “This research demonstrates just how far cereal companies have gone to target children in almost everything they do.”
The researchers found that not one the cereals targeted to children in the United States meets the nutrition standard required to advertise to children in the United Kingdom.

These findings are part of an extensive analysis of children’s cereals conducted by researchers at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity as part of the RWJF-funded Cereal FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score) project. The results of this study were presented at the 2009 Obesity Society Meeting in Washington, District Columbia.

According to the scientists, testing for this protein – which is released into the bloodstream when the blood vessels leading to the heart are damaged – adds to the predictive value of screening blood samples for both total and HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Thus C-reactive protein testing may improve doctors’ ability to predict heart disease risk.

The study involved 2,240 people who were 40 years old or older and stroke-free. A CRP test is done on a sample of blood taken from a vein. All participants had their blood tested for CRP levels and were evaluated for stroke and heart attack risk factors. They were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, there were 198 strokes, 156 heart-related events and 586 deaths.

The researchers found that people with C-reactive protein levels greater than 3 mg/L were 70 % more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55 % more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of less than 1 mg/L of the protein in their blood. The researchers suggest that the CRP itself is not the cause of heart disease but may merely be an indicator of its existence.

Researchers will continue to explore among older adults who don’t have the traditional warning signs of dangerously clogged arteries, such as previous episodes of chest pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or a history of smoking. Every year, nearly 900,000 Americans die from cardiovascular disease, the nation’s leading killer. But 50 percent of people who suffer heart attacks have no warning signs. These results suggest a possible association between acute episodic inflammation and cardiovascular events.

What is influenza A virus H1N1 also known as swine flu?

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (swine flu) is a new influenza virus causing illness in humans. This new virus was first reported in Southern California and near San Antonio, Texas in early April 2009. This virus is spreading from one person to another all over the world, just like the regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.

A (H1N1) has been called swine flu because it has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia, but the virus also has avian genes and human genes.

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a pandemic of H1N1 flu was underway. The pandemic flu virus is unique, that is why people have no immunity or resistance to it.

How does influenza A virus H1N1 compare to seasonal flu?

The results of a multi-hospital study of severe A (H1N1) cases suggest severity is linked to a genetic variation in the immune system. This could explain why some ethnic groups are more affected by flu. A genetic mutation could also explain why some people suffer severely or even die from swine flu while others experience only mild symptoms.

Seasonal influenza viruses attach to receptors found on cells in the nose, throat and upper airway, enabling them to infect a person’s respiratory tract. In the current study, the researchers have found that pandemic H1N1 swine flu can also attach to a receptor found on cells deep inside the lungs, which can result in a more severe lung infection. They say that the pandemic influenza virus’s ability to stick to the additional receptors may explain why the virus replicates, and spreads between cells more quickly.

How long can an infected person spread this virus to others?

At the current time, CDC believes that this virus has the same properties in terms of spread as seasonal flu viruses. People infected with seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and in people infected with the Influenza A virus (H1N1).

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?

A flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu infection. This season, there is a seasonal flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu viruses and a 2009 H1N1 vaccine to protect against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

Preventative measures to protect your health and avoid getting the flu:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Stay home if you get sick and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with influenza-like illness, keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.
• Avoid nonessential travel to areas with high rates of transmission.

The spread of swine flu is fast emerging as number one healthcare emergency not just in the country but the world over. Despite the issue being in the media for a long time, there continue to be ignorance and misinformation about the disease and how to handle it.

During the September – October 2009, influenza activity continued to increase in the United States. Flu activity is now widespread in 37 states. Nationwide, visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness increased over last month and are higher than expected for this time of year. In addition, flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are increasing as well, and are higher than expected.

Nanotechnology

When a person suffers from eye ailments today, nine times out of ten, he will be prescribed eye drops to treat his illness or relieve his discomfort. However, 95 percent of the medication administered in this manner flows to where it is not needed. Most eye medications are delivered by drops. The drops usually mix with tears and drain into the nasal cavity, where they can flow through the blood stream to other organs and cause serious side effects. In addition, dosage through eye drops is inconsistent and difficult to regulate, as most of the drugs are released in an initial burst of concentration.

To counter these problems, researchers have been studying the use of contact lenses to deliver eye medication.

One proposed method was to pre-soak the lenses in the drug solution, while another involved incorporating the drug solution in a hollow cavity made by bonding two separate pieces of lens material. However, neither of these methods proved very effective at delivering medication for extended periods of time.

The new technologies for making lenses involves mixing the drug with a pre-polymer liquid. This mix is then polymerised, creating a transparent contact lens material.

If the drug is water-soluble, it will be trapped within a network of tiny inter-connected, water-filled channels in the material. If it’s water-insoluble, it will be trapped within nano-spaces in the polymer matrix, and slowly leach out into the channels. In contact with fluid on the eyeball, these channels open up and release the drug.

By adapting the water content of the original mix, can be varied the size of the channels and so controlled the rate at which the drug is released.

Moreover, with changes to the size, concentration and structure of the polymeric nanoparticles within the lenses, the drug delivery rate can be controlled and remains effective over longer periods of time.

This new approach could be adapted to deliver glaucoma medication, as this eye disease is particularly hard to treat and existing medications have numerous side effects. The World Health Organization estimates that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma is a build-up of pressure in the eye. Experts believe that by using nano-technology, ophthalmologists can find innovative treatment methods for glaucoma.

Some researchers have designed contact lenses that can measure pressure within the eye and relay the data to a computer. It would allow to learn more about glaucoma and improve patient treatment.

Contact lens wearers with dry eyes may also benefit from this invention, as the material can be modified to produce self-lubricating contact lenses.