New Surgical Superglue MeTro Seals Wounds in Seconds

God forbid you are seriously injured but, if so, this new surgical glue may save your life. 

This is no ordinary superglue. This is MeTro, a specially formulated protein-based adhesive that seals wounds in seconds. It's flexible, non-toxic, cures with UV light, and is biodegradable. 

Doctors typically had to staple or sew damaged organs and tissues together, which takes time, can be difficult to perform in tight spots, and either may not hold together well enough or need to be removed after healing. 

Harvard University Professor Ali Khademhosseini and Northeastern University Assistant Professor Nasim Annabi, present a great solution to repair wounds in mechanically challenging body areas.

“A good surgical sealant needs to have a combination of characteristics: it needs to be elastic, adhesive, non-toxic and biocompatible,” Dr. Annabi said.

“Most sealants on the market possess one or two of these characteristics, but not all of them. We set out to engineer a material that could have all of these properties.”

Professor Khademhosseini, Dr. Annabi and their colleagues from the United States and Australia demonstrated that MeTro could be photochemically tuned to effectively seal incisions in arteries and lungs of rats and to repair wounds in the lungs of pigs, all suture, and staple-free.

“MeTro is shorthand for methacryloyl-substituted tropoelastin — a protein derived from the elastic fibers that make up human tissue,” the authors explained.

“MeTro’s high elasticity makes it ideal for sealing wounds in body tissues that continually expand and relax — such as lungs, hearts, and arteries — that are otherwise at risk of re-opening.”

“The material also works on internal wounds that are often in hard-to-reach areas and have typically required staples or sutures due to surrounding body fluid hampering the effectiveness of other sealants.”

“MeTro sets in just 60 seconds once treated with UV light, and the technology has a built-in degrading enzyme which can be modified to determine how long the sealant lasts — from hours to months, to allow adequate time for the wound to heal.”

“MeTro seems to remain stable over the period that wounds need to heal in demanding mechanical conditions, and later it degrades without any signs of toxicity,” Professor Khademhosseini said.

“It checks off all the boxes of a highly versatile and efficient surgical sealant with potential also beyond pulmonary and vascular suture and staple-less applications.”

“The beauty of the MeTro formulation is that, as soon as it comes in contact with tissue surfaces, it solidifies into a gel-like phase without running away,” Dr. Annabi added.

“We then further stabilize it by curing it on-site with a short light-mediated crosslinking treatment. This allows the sealant to be very accurately placed and to tightly bond and interlock with structures on the tissue surface.”

“When you watch MeTro, you can see it act like a liquid, filling the gaps and conforming to the shape of the wound,” he said.

“It responds well biologically, and interfaces closely with human tissue to promote healing. The gel is easily stored and can be squirted directly onto a wound or cavity.”

“The potential applications are powerful — from treating serious internal wounds at emergency sites such as following car accidents and in war zones, as well as improving hospital surgeries.”

“The next stage for the technology is clinical testing,” Professor Weiss said.

Sixth Senses You Always Had But Never Noticed

If you have ever seen the 1999 mystery-thriller movie starring Bruce Willis, you would know how terrifyingly creepy it is to have a sixth sense. In this case, that is the ability to see ghosts.

However, actually, there is more to the so-called sixth sense that many people do not know about, and it is not always eerie. More so, they do not exist in just a few people, but in most of us. They are more like superpowers that we knew nothing about because we never paid enough attention.

In this video, you will find out that we are all super humans. Moreover, our senses can be used in more ways than we ever knew.

So sit back and relax as we help you discover some of the sixth senses you have always had but never noticed.

#5 — Our Skin Can Smell… And Heal Itself

From a very young age, we have been told that humans can smell through the nose. However, what most of us do not know is that the same olfactory receptors that allow our nose to smell is also present in other parts of our body, such as the liver, gut, heart, and yes, the skin.

In an experiment conducted by the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, they tested how the main skin cell type called keratinocytes would react to scents. They cloned this receptor and exposed it to various odors of Sandalwood, an ancient East Asian perfume and healing agent often used in aromatherapy.

Here, they found that instead of sending a message to the brain, like what usually happens with the nose, some of the scents prompted the keratinocytes to divide and migrate, as if they are healing themselves. One scent, in particular, the Sandalore, showed the most ability to heal. Researchers say that exposure to Sandalore radically increased the migration and proliferation of cells by 30%.

However, they also discovered that olfactory skin receptors are not as receptive as those from the nose. For the healing process to work, one would need to have the concentration of these scents to be a thousand times higher than the normal level.

Sadly, that would be too dangerous for our noses. Moreover, scientists have yet to find a workaround on the smelling and healing processes of our skin.

#4 — Know If Water is Hot or Cold by Listening to it

You probably never noticed this because you were paying attention to something else - perhaps the smoke that comes out of the cup as you fill it up with hot water, or the breezy feel as you pour cold water in a glass - but actually, you can know whether water is hot or cold even when your back is turned, just by listening to it.

In an experiment done by British Science presenter Steve Mould, he proved that there is a difference in the sound that cold and hot water make, and we are capable of identifying it.

Mould says heat energizes the molecules and changes the viscosity of liquids, causing a high-frequency sound when being poured. While the cold water's molecules, which are less energized, tend to stick together, causing a low pitched sound.

It all boils down to the difference in viscosity or the water's thickness. Moreover, subtle as they may be, our awesome brains have come to learn to distinguish these sounds after hearing them so often.

#3 — Humans Can Hear Better Underwater than Fish

On a daily basis, we are capable of hearing frequencies of only up to 20 kilohertz. Pitiful really, when compared to other mammals. Even dogs can hear up to 40 kilohertz, and bats at a whopping 110 kilohertz.

But worry not, we are not as pathetic underwater. U.S. Navy Researchers found that divers' hearing capability enhances once they take the plunge. Why? No, it is not because they are demigod children of Poseidon. But because they start hearing through their bones.

Most of the time, we humans hear through air conduction. In this process, sound waves travel through air, enter our ear canals, and go through our eardrums, which then causes vibration.

Next to the eardrum are three small, connected bones. One of which is the stapes, which, upon vibration, rocks back and forth, pushing the fluid-filled cochlea. It is hair-like structures then translate the pressure waves into nerve signals, which are sent to the brain and are interpreted as sounds.

But when underwater, the sound waves take a shortcut in a process called bone conduction.

According to the study, since there is no air to be disturbed, the sound skips most of the process and goes straight to the mastoid, or the bone behind our ear; enabling us to hear up to 200 kilohertz, 10 times more than we would on land.

Doubtful? Test this out on your next trip to the beach, and marvel at our body's super hearing powers.

#2 — You Can See Your Hands in the Dark

Have you ever been in a pitch-black room with nothing but your hands to guide you in the dark? Ever wondered why you could not see anything but your hands?

If not yet, would you mind trying that out now?

Go to a dark room, close your eyes, and wave your hands before them. Do you see anything? A shadow perhaps? Yes?

It is not ultra vision, but it is an amazing ability of our nervous systems.

A study conducted by a group of scientists from the Universities of Rochester and Vanderbilt shows that humans can see a shadow of their hands even when their eyes are covered, or it is too dark to see anything else.

They say this is caused by our nervous system's ability to establish connections.

You will not remember this from your childhood, but an observant parent would notice that their child would have a phase wherein they would continually move their hands in front of their face, wondering how this amazing structure came to be.

They would stop only once they get used to the hand's movement and realize that it is actually a part of their body. Through the years, the child will learn that he could use this hand to do various tasks, strengthening the visual imagery of the many hand processes.

So, for most individuals, the connection between the hand's movement and its image becomes so strong that they could see its visual image even with occluded eyes.  

Note though that this phenomenon happens only with your own hands. Try going back to that dark room and ask someone else to wave their hands in front of you.

Can you still see them? No? Obviously, your nervous system does not have an established connection with other people's hands. If you could still see a visual image of their hands, then congratulations, that would indeed be ultra vision.

#1 — You Can Still “See” After You Go Blind

Yes, you heard that right, a study shows that a blind person’s eyes could still see. In the research, a blind man was tasked to navigate a complex maze of boxes and chairs, and guess what? He was able to get out of it without crashing into any of the obstructions - an ability that scientists call blindsight.

Scientists say that in many cases, the eyes are not the main reason a person goes blind, but the brain – just like this man, who was blinded after a massive stroke damaged his visual cortex, the brain’s primary vision-processing center.

They explain that normally, the information passes through the retina into the visual cortex, which then relays the message to the brain. In the man’s case, his retina was working perfectly fine. But the visual cortex, which was supposed to process the information, was not.

With the main pathway to the brain blocked, the information would have passed through alternate routes to reach its destination, which then results to blindsight.

Interestingly, another study suggests that blind people can still see emotions, leading researchers to believe that it is empathy, not visual mimicry, that allows people to mirror the emotions of others.

You must have heard of emotional contagion or the phenomenon that triggers us to involuntarily imitate the emotions and behaviors that we see in other people. Best example? Yawning.

But a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that this could still happen even if the person cannot see.

In the experiment, blind people were shown images of faces showing various emotions like sad, happy, and angry.

Just like the man with blindsight, these people had fully functioning eyes, but damaged visual cortex. And amazingly, the participants were able to show blind empathy, appropriately responding to the emotions shown in the photos with similar body expressions.

This experiment further proved that even after going blind, a person could retain a sort of sixth sense of sight, which allows them to process colors, shapes, and expressions without consciously seeing them.

Indeed, our bodies are blessed with more senses than we know of, allowing us to adapt to different environments. And sometimes, helping us adjust when one of our five senses could not serve its purpose anymore.

Of course, these are only five of the many mysteries of our bodies. Even scientists agree that people have many superhuman strengths, if only we could unlock them.

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Sources:

Selman, XJ (Nov. 3, 2015). 6 Creepy Sixth Senses You have Always HAd and Never Noticed. Retrieved from http://www.cracked.com/article_23078_6-sixth-senses-you-never-knew-your-body-has.html

Devnath, Vinay (Dec. 29, 20015). 9 Sixth Sense Abilities You Have Always Had but Never Noticed Them. Retrieved from http://www.storypick.com/humans-sixth-sense-abilities/

Pettit, Harry (March 10, 2017). Can You Identify if Water is Hot or Cold by the Way it Sounds? Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4297086/Hot-cold-water-make-different-noises.html

Martinez-Conde, Susana (Nov. 4, 2013). Why You Can See in the Dark: It is Just a Bunch of Hand-Waving. Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/illusion-chasers/why-you-can-see-in-the-dark-ite28099s-just-a-bunch-of-hand-waving/

Than, Ker (May 18, 2011). Superhuman Hearing Possible, Experiments Suggest. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/05/110516-people-hearing-aids-ears-science/

Roehr, Bob (July 8, 2014). Skin's Ability to "Smell" Seems to Help it Heal Itself. Retrieved from https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25865-skins-ability-to-smell-seems-to-help-it-heal-itself/

Nuwer, Rachel (July 11, 2014). Human Skin Can Detect Odors, Some of Which May Help Trigger Healing. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-skin-can-detect-odors-some-which-help-trigger-healing-180952006/

Balantyne, Coco (Dec. 24, 2008). Blind Man “Sees,” Cruising Through Obstacle Course Without a Hitch. Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/news-blog/blind-man-sees-cruising-through-obs-2008-12-24/

Stors, Carina (Oct. 14, 2009). Sight Unseen: People Blinded by Brain Damage Can Respond to Emotive Expressions. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/emotional-contagion-blindsight-mimcry-imitation-visual-cortex/

7 Thing You Didn't Know About Chinese Tea

In China, tea is more than just a beverage; it is an integral part of the country’s culture and tradition for several millennia. Tea has a lot to do with the development of Chinese society and its economy, and it has been a constant aspect of the Chinese people’s everyday life. The evolution of tea culture has progressed alongside Chinese culture, arguably making it one of the defining spirits of one of the world’s oldest civilizations. 

And so, if you are interested in learning about Chinese tea, here are seven (7) interesting facts you should know about this famous beverage.

Facts About Chinese Tea

#1 — Discovered 5,000 Years Ago in China

According to legend, tea is said to have been discovered in China by someone named Shennong Shi sometime around 2,500 BC. To the Chinese people, Shennong Shi was the “Divine Farmer,” and was regarded as one of the legendary Three Sovereigns of the country. As the first known Chinese herbal doctor, he is also seen by many as the father of Chinese medicine. 

Shennong Shi found a tea tree through his pursuit of collecting various plants and testing them as medicine. When he tasted this particular herb for the first time, he found that consuming tea had positive effects on the human body that could benefit those who needed to improve their health.

#2 — Originally Used as Medicine

Before the 8th century BC, the Chinese people mainly used tea as medicine before it eventually became a daily beverage. Fresh tea leaves were often boiled and consumed because ancient people thought that tea could reduce the human body’s “heat” and improve a person’s eyesight. In fact, until today, white tea, in particular, is still used in northern China as an antipyretic medicine to treat children who suffer from measles and chicken pox. 

#3 — Second Most Consumed Beverage in China After Water

Sometime between 221 BC and 8 AD, tea leaves were processed by pressing them together and shaping them into balls, drying them, and storing them for later use. From time to time, people crushed these ball-shaped tea leaves and mixed them with other herbs for boiling and drinking. Eventually, this practice became a regular habit that transformed tea into a beverage that is enjoyed by many people today from all walks life in different parts of the world. 

Drinking tea has become a huge part of Chinese culture that the country is filled with teahouses where people regularly meet to socialize with friends or discuss business matters with their colleagues over a good cup of tea. This is why it is not so surprising that tea is the national drink in China and that it is among the most consumed beverages in China, second only to water. 

#4 — Oldest Export from China

Not only was China the first to export tea to foreign traders, the country remains to this day as the world’s largest exporter of tea. Chinese tea was traded to various British traders around the end of the Ming Dynasty when several trading posts for foreign merchants were established in the city of Xiamen in Fujian Province. 

Interestingly, the word “tea” in Mandarin Chinese translates to “cha,” but in Fujian Province, the people of Xiamen referred to tea as “tay,” which the British traders spelt as “tea.” While the word “cha” was the first to spread outside of China, it was the term “tea” that gained ground in countries that spoke the English language and eventually to the rest of the world. 

#5 — Several Types of Chinese Tea

In China, tea can be classified into several types, but some of its main varieties include the following: green tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, and dark tea.

GREEN TEA is considered as the most popular type of tea and is also the oldest one of them all. It is concocted from fresh shoots of tea plants and is well-known all over the world for its pale color when boiled with water and it's very strong flavor when consumed.

BLACK TEA is the second most-varied type of Chinese tea, and it is known for its aromatic scent as well as its distinctive reddish color. 

WHITE TEA is the uncured and the unfermented version of green tea, and it is indigenous to the Chinese province of Fujian. This type of tea is famous for its lighter color and its tamer taste compared to the other types of Chinese tea available on the market.

YELLOW TEA is made from naturally-dried damp tea leaves, and it is easily identified not just because of its yellowish color but also because of its distinctive aroma. Regarded as premium-quality tea, it was served as a beverage to the many emperors of China as its yellow shade resembled the nation’s imperial color. 

OOLONG TEA, which is also referred to as blue tea, is actually an unfermented tea made from a combination of green tea and red tea. It is popular for its taste as well as its health benefits, particularly in weight loss. 

DARK TEA is a type of fermented tea believed to have originated in the city of Anhua in Hunan Province around the 16th century. The dark tea’s actual process of fermentation entails multiple steps and is different from other main varieties of tea as it is assisted by bacteria. 

#6 — First Tea Monograph is Chinese

The earliest monograph about tea is called The Classic of Tea or “chájīng,” which was written by Lu Yu sometime between 760 CE and 762 CE during the dominance of the Tang Dynasty. The book contains ten chapters about the mythical origins of Chinese tea, the tools used for drying and storing tea leaves, as well as the proper preparation and consumption of tea. The book also discusses the history of tea as mentioned in Chinese literature and historical records. 

#7 — Serving Tea to Elders & Guests Shows Respect

Chinese tea embodies the spirit of respect, which is why in Chinese culture, serving tea to a guest or an elder is deemed as an expression of a person’s respect and gratitude to the one the tea is offered to. This is also why serving tea is common in special events such as birthdays and the spring festival. In celebration of weddings, tea is also served by the bride and groom to their parents as an expression of gratitude for being raised by them. Tea can also be offered as a form of apology to another person and serving it is seen as a sincere display of one’s regret and submission.

Drinking tea is an essential part of the Chinese people’s social life as its regular practice is regarded in their culture as a demonstration of one’s morality and social status. Its importance as a Chinese tradition and the significant role it plays in Asian culture for many centuries have led many people today to regard the process of making tea and the method of drinking it as an art form. And so, tea is not just a staple beverage to the Chinese people, it is a symbol of a more enlightened and more appreciative way of life, which they intend to keep alive for generations to come. 

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Sources:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-tea/
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-tea/interesting-things-to-learn-about-tea.htm
http://www.chinatravel.com/facts/chinese-tea-culture.htm
http://www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-chinese-tea-facts-you-might-not-know/
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-tea/tea-classification.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Classic_of_Tea
http://www.china.org.cn/learning_chinese/Chinese_tea/2011-08/03/content_23133510.htm