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The Pole of Cold – Could You Live in the Coldest Place on Earth?

How would you manage living in a village with average January temperatures of -50C?

The valley of Oymyakon in northeast Russia is known as the 'Pole of Cold' and it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently occupied settlement in the world. This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. This area truly experiences the 'Russian winter' as it is know around the world.

The village is located around 750 meters above sea level and the length of a day varies from 3 hours in December to 21 hours in the summer. And because its extreme cold temperatures in winters, in June, July and August temperatures over 30C are not uncommon. In August as the weather beings to change, the temperature can easily drop down to -15C or jump as high as 30C.

The Pole of Cold is located not far from Kolyma Highway (also known as the Road of Bones) which was made in the 1930's by Stalin's prisoners .. The road starts off from Yakutsk and heads off up to Magadan and surmounts three major mountain ranges, which in combination with other climatic factors create the unique climate of the area.

The village was, in the 1920s and 1930s, a stopover for reindeer herders who would water their flocks from the thermal spring. Ironically, Oymyakon actually means 'non-freezing water', but even alcohol freeze here.

Astoundingly, around 500 Siberian people make their homes in this seemingly uninhabitable environment, mainly engaged in traditional occupations such as reindeer herding, hunting and fishing. In the last few years, another small, specialized industry has emerged here, tourism.

Every year in March a traditional Russian festival is held in the Pole of Cold, the coldest place on earth. It unites experienced travelers and locals who can be regarded as true explorers of the World. Even Santa Claus, of Lapland, and Russian Ded Moroz, of Veliky Ustug, have visited and founded their residences here. These fabulous heroes meet their colleague Chyskhaan (the Lord of Frost) who is considered the Pole of Cold host.

During the festival, you visitors witness vivid celebrations showcasing the traditional costumes, music and dance of the indigenous Evens people as well as reindeer racing, ice fishing, dog sleding and native cuisine.

The place is worth visiting! It is something to do at least once in a life-time. Those people who have been to this place can be called "True subjugators of Earth". Visiting Oymyakon in winter is arguably one of the most Russian things to do in Russia.

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Arthritis and Joint Protection Techniques

Most forms of arthritis involve damage to the joints of the body in one form or another, and most forms of arthritis result in permanent deterioration of one or more joints over time. Using the body incorrectly during work and leisure activities can add to the damage that arthritis causes and actually speed up the deterioration, resulting in disability at an earlier age. Joint protection techniques can help slow the progress of this kind of damage. By using joint protection techniques, you can prevent additional damage to your joints.

Joint protection means just that – techniques to protect the joints. Most of these techniques follow the basic principles of body mechanisms and overlap with work simplification techniques. The main principles include using larger joints when possible, spreading weight across multiple joints, keeping weight close to your body, and counteracting potential joint deformities.

First, use larger joints when completing tasks whenever possible. For example, when carrying a purse, use a shoulder strap and carry the purse on your shoulder, a larger joint, instead of carrying it with your hand, which uses the smaller finger joints. Keep your back straight and lift a heavy box with your knees, larger joints, rather than bending at the waist and lifting with the smaller joints between the vertebrae of your lower back. Push heavy items across the floor with your feet, using the larger joints of your legs, rather than carrying them or pushing them with the smaller joints of your arms. These are a few examples.

In addition, spread weight across multiple joints when possible. A good example of this principle is slipping your hands underneath a pan of food and spreading your fingers to carry the pan, distributing the weight across your hands, wrists and forearms. This distributes the weight more evenly and decrees stress on all the joints. Placing your forearms under a box to carry it is another example.

Next, keep weight that you need to carry or push close to your body. Your larger joints are closer to your body and can handle more weight more easily than your smaller joints. When carrying a heavy item, pull the item close to your chest or stomach and put your forearms under the item for support. This puts the strain of the weight on your trunk, shoulder and elbow joints. When pushing a heavy item, lean into the item and push with your forearms or your shoulder. This keeps the weight off of your wrists and hands and keeps the strain closer to your trunk.

Finally, try to complete tasks in ways that counteract possible joint deformities. The best example of this is opening jars by turning the lids toward your thumb. This counteracts possible ulnar deviation of the fingers. Using ergonomic tools designed to keep the wrist and fingers straight will also assist in counteracting this deformity. Counteracting the direction of the deformity may not prevent the deformity from happening, but it will prevent additional strain from occurring to the ligaments that deteriorate as the deformity progresses.

By following joint protection techniques, you should be able to reduce the strain placed on your joints from daily activities. This should help minimize the damage caused by your arthritis and should assist in slowing the progress of the disease. It should also reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness you feel every day, so these techniques are worth a try.

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Shoulder and Back Pain – An Extremely Common Complaint

In order for proper treatments to be effective, it is very important to make a correct diagnosis of the cause of shoulder pain. Shoulder pain is a very common complaint, and is associated with many different underlying problems.

Shoulder dislocation is one of the most painful ways to hurt your shoulder. This is caused by a loose joint; one of the most dreadful causes of this pain is by instability which could have been triggered by any old injury. The more the pain is caused the more the bone becomes disconnected from the scapula which could cause long term effects.

Strains, sprains, and other injuries commonly cause pain in the back and shoulder areas. Herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, pinched nerves, sciatica, and scolliosis are other disorders of the back and spine. Whiplash, dislocation, separation or tendonitis can cause pain in the neck and shoulders.

Shoulder and back pain is among the most common medical conditions in the United States. Between 50 and 80 percent of all American adults suffer from back pain at some time, according to the Arthritis Foundation. It is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Only heads are more common.

Some cases of back pain are acute, which means that they appear quickly and disappear within weeks or days. Other cases of back pain are chronic, meaning that they will last for a long time. Pain in any part of the shoulder or in any nearby area is considered shoulder pain. Shoulder pain can come from many different sources, including bone or cartilage damage caused by traumatic injury, degeneration, excessive use, too little use, or simple aging. Many seemingly unrelated conditions, such as liver disease, can result in shoulder pain as a side effect.

There is no way to avoid shoulder pain entirely. There are ways to make it less likely, though, such as regular stretching and taking proper advantage of ergonomic resources. The invention of ergonomically friendly office equipment, by itself, has lowered the likelihood of severe shoulder pain, although most people will still suffer from some kind of back pain at some point in their lives.

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Fracture Recovery

When a bone in your body fractures, it can turn your life upside down in an instant. You suddenly find many things that you took for granded, driving, showering, cooking, are suddenly made much more difficult, maybe impossible. On top of that, you are probably in pain and discomfort, lacking in sleep and generally feeling miserable. You may have to miss going to your favorite sports event or a holiday.

There are however some things that you can do to speed up fracture recovery. Firstly, look at your diet. Apart from the obvious need to eat a healthy balanced diet so you get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs for the natural healing process. It is not necessary, but it can be a good idea to take a calcium and or magnesium supplement, just to be sure you are getting enough of those key ingredients. This is particularly important if the affected person is a child and or a fussy eater.

Some of the top foods to eat in order to make sure that you are getting enough of the correct nutrients:

1. Calcium fortified orange juice (2 cups per day recommended).

2. Green leafy vegetables.

3. Broccoli.

4. Sesame seeds.

5. Carrots, lightly cooked.

6. Pumpkin, canned or cooked.

7. Sweet potatoes.

8. Squash.

9. At least 97% or greater fat free chicken or turkey breast. Also, keep animal protein consumption down, it increases calcium loss.

10. Salmon and other fish, including the skin and fat (Research suggests this fat is very good).

There are certain key things to avoid in your diet to aid fracture recovery. Caffeine, alcohol and smoking all reduce your body's ability to heal efficiently and firmly. Smoking affects the natural bone healing process by reducing blood flow to the area, increase the risk of blood clots and many of a cigarette ingredients such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde damage the cells that form the bone, slowing down and weakening the healing process.

Pain medication such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can delay healing and fracture recovery. They can be particularly damaging during the early stages of the healing process, by blocking the release of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins cause the pain, but they are vital to the first stages of tissue repair. Pain medication blocks these chemicals from being released.

Exercise can help improve fracture recovery times and efficiency. Our bodies are designed to adapt and grow and weight-bearing exercise strengthens bone mass and encourages bone growth and replenishment. This is true for healing bones too, so under supervision of a physiotherapist or other rehabilitation specialist, certain exercises can encourage and promote bone healing. Use of a walking boot can help facilitate this in fraction to the foot, ankle and lower leg.

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Dental Implants – What Determines Success and Failure

Dental implants are presented to patients as perfect or near perfect replacements to their missing teeth. Rarely are they informed of the risks and counseled on the failure rates. The procedures can have serious consequences and is not perfect. Implants can and do fail. Patients need to be thoroughly informed about the risks and understand that dental implants can fail. With proper planning, implant placement is very predictable, safe and creates a functional and esthetic result for patients.

Dental Implants have come a long since theirception in the 1950's. Dental implant technology is changing at an incredibly fast rate. As each new technology is adapted, dental implant success usually improves. Occidentally a technology comes into the marketplace that is mostly great marketing and either does not improve the success or actually hinders it. Fortunately that does not happen very often.

So what makes dental implants fail? There are a number of factors that lead to an increased risk of dental implant failure. Unfortunately some of the risks are not avoidable and that is why dental implants are about 90-95% successful based on various studies (the number is actually closer to 95%). As with long bone fractures, even with the best approximation of the fracture and great immobility, some fractures simply are not cured when the cast is removed. Either a non-union occurs (meaning no healing ever really started) or a fibrous union occurs (where instead of bone between the two sides of the fraction you have scar tissue). Depending on the type and where the fraction is and the patient, non-unions and fibrous unions occurring about 5% of the time. That is similar to the failure rate of dental implants.

The same principles of healing from a fraction are congruent with the healing of an implant. You need good approximation of the bone to the implant surface and a period of immobility to have a successful osseointegration of the implant. Osseointegration means the bone accepted the implant and incorporated itself around the implant. As you can see, the failure rate of implants is similar to the rate of fractures not healing properly. You can get failure of the bone to osseointegrate (similar to non-unions) and instead of bone around an implant you get a fibrous encapsulation (similar to the fibrous union in bone fractures).

However certain conditions that increase the risk of implant failure are poorly controlled diabetes, some bone metabolic and congenital disorders, certain medications like glucocorticoids (prednisone), immunosupressants and bisphosphonate medications (Zometa, Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, etc.) Additionally, smoking and Poor hygienic habits can lead to an increased risk of implant failure. People with these disorders and / or on these medications should bring those to the attention of their implant surgeon so a treatment plan can be tailor to fit their needs and their medical conditions.

There are other factors that can lead to an increase in dental implant failure. Implants can fail early on in the healing phase or late. Early failures would be defined as any time before osseointegration occurs (healing phase) or at the time the crown is affixed to the implant. Late failure is defined as any time after the implant with the tooth is under function.

Factors that can cause early failure are:

This type of failure occurs shortly after the implants are placed. They can be caused by:

  • overheating the bone at the time of surgery (usually due to lack of good ventilation)
  • too much force when they are placed (too tight fitting implants can actually cause bone to resorb)
  • not enough force when they are placed (too loose fitting implants do not stay immobile and do not heal properly)
  • contaminated implant
  • infection
  • Contaminated osteotomy
  • epithelial cells in osteotomy site (connective tissue or scar tissue fills the socket around the implant instead of bone)
  • poor quality of bone
  • excessive forces during osseointegration (during healing the implant is under function, is mobile and therefore bone does not affix to the implants)
  • poor compliance with post operative medication and / or instructions
  • other rare reasons like implant rejection from a titanium alloy allergy.

Late failures typically include poor hygiene from the patient. Patients' often lose teeth because of poor care and the habit continues for somepite the implant surgery. Sometimes the implant is simply overloaded. Some patients have higher bite forces and may have needed more implants to distribute the forces more harmoniously. Lateral forces can cause implants to fail late. Implants, as well as teeth, like to be loaded straight up and down – called axially. When teeth and especially implants are loaded tangentially or laterally, they weak the bone around them and begin to fail. The other factor is a poorly planned implant placement, improper implant placement and / or a poorly designed prosthetic tooth, teeth or device. There are previously lots of reasons implants can fail. Some are controllable and avoidable and some are not. So how can a patient best insure their odds and minimize their risk of implant failure? The largest help patients can do is stay compliant with the medications and instructions before and after the procedure. The second is taking this opportunity to stop smoking.

However the most controllable factor in ensuring the best chance of success is finding the right surgeon and restorative dentist. Find an implant surgeon who has had great success. Oral Surgeons, Periodontists and General Dentists with advanced Post Graduate training combine this specialty area. Implants are usually done as a team. Make sure that not only your implant surgeon is qualified, but also just as important is the qualifications of the dentist restoring the implant (putting the tooth on the implant). Ask lots of questions. Ask to see photographs of before and after photos and inquire about testimonials from other patients.

Implantology (placement of implants) is a very technically sensitive procedure. The success stems from proper planning of the case and the training, skill and experience are also key factors in the success of the procedure. While training is indeed important, evidence of substantial experience, especially within your interest area … can be even more important. Inquire if your surgeon is board certified and how long they have been placing implants and if the regular work or at least communicate with restorative dentist.

Prior to having the implant placed, the surgeon should explain everything to you. If you feel that you did not receive adequate information then wait until you are ready and completely informed. Find good information to help educate yourself. You can find more about dental implants by clicking here or by checking out this site for great information.

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Cerebral Palsy Life Expectancy – Important Factors Which Increase the Life Span

Cerebral palsy life expectancy can not be determined by doctors alone. A physician who is qualified enough to appreciate an individual suffering from cerebral palsy and a statistician can only relate this assessment with life expectancy. The life expectancy basically depends on various factors. These factors include severity, various disabilities associated, type of cerebral palsy and the level of care shown to the patient. For those patients who are suffering from constant severity the general age of death is presumed to be around 30 years. The patients who are suffering from feeding difficulties and severe spasticity the life expectancy is assumed to be up to 40 years. For those patients who are suffering from moderate cerebral palsy the life expectancy goes up to 70 years. The life expectancy may be same as a non disabled person for those patients who are suffering from mild disabilities.

The recent studies made have proven that most of the cerebral palsy adults initially start to suffer from a drastic reduction in motor function level. This may include walking ability which would make a patient to undergo orthopedic surgeries mandatory. Here it is very important to make the patient walk every now and then. Thus as the ability to walk increases the survival rate of the patient also increases overtime. Patients who manage to retain their walking ability at least to some extent can expect the survival rate to be equal to a common person. But patients suffering from low functional problems have a very less survival rate compared to a normal adult. Loss of walking ability is in fact one of the natural attributes of cerebral palsy. In order to prevent this from happening a child must undergo various therapies to enhance the motor skills right from the childhood. This will increase the cerebral palsy life expectancy rate than a normal sufferer's growth rate.

No matter what you do to avoid it, the simple fact is that the number one factor contributing to how long you'll live with this disease is the care and treatment you'll receive. The only way to ensure that you'll be able to get this kind of help is to identify the disorder early in life, and that starts with finding a good obstetrician and pediatrician. Early occupational therapy can be a strong contributing factor to not only the length of life, but also the quality of life. Occupational therapy has been shown to increase flexibility and help with all of the physical activities that most CP sufferers struggle with.

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BODYBUILDING & "Paralysis Through Over Analysis" or "Do not Over-Think Bodybuilding"

Over the past month I have been thinking about the successful people as well as the unsuccessful people in bodybuilding, health and fitness in general. I have a LOT of contact with people locally as well as worldwide and here's what I have noticed.

"There are many smart trainees who spend way too much time pondering different strategies and ideas regarding training and nutrition.

This type of person is very knowledgeable and reads a lot. They are well informed and have researched all the latest training and diet information. They can discuss all the virtues and drawbacks of the different diets and workout programs on the market. They can also tell you the latest news about various internet muscle building Guru's, bodybuilding champions and fit movie stars. Unfortunately, despite all of their knowledge about bodybuilding diets and training routines it does not seem to be doing them much good – their physiques are usually subpar. This makes me think: is too much knowledge actually disadvantageous to building a great physique? Or could it be that they spend more time thinking about diet and training than actually doing the diet and training.

So what good is knowledge if the knowledge does not convert into muscular gains? If you cram your brain full of information on diet and training how are you to sort through all of this and determine what you should and should not do? Everyone says their diet, workout, supplement or whatever is effective or the best. The truly best diets and training routines are rare and elusive. The over-thinking bodybuilder is constantly trying to sift through all the information for what is "the best" routine they should be following.

The solution to the problem is less thinking and more action. When you over complicate bodybuilding you actually retard your rate of progress. Too many choices and too many high ideas create "paralysis through over analysis" where the bodybuilder is actually paralleled from staying on one routine or diet because they keep thinking that maybe they should be on a different diet or workout routine.

So what should you do? Train hard, heavy and often. Lift lots of weights, do your cardio workouts. A real bodybuilder is pumping iron 3 to 5 times a week and using all kinds of different methods for muscle strength and pump. Do not miss a workout unless it is for a reason that you really have no control over or an emergency.

Nutrition is the cornerstone . Without a disciplined approach to your daily eating regimen you will never be successful. Hearty and healthy eating is combined with intense workouts and cardio sessions for lower body-fat down to the single digits. You have to eat clean foods.

Supplementation and YOU ! A well thought-out nutritional supplement program will enhance and accelerate muscle growth and fat loss.

You must have realistic, achievable and exciting goals! A good goal is a realistic, attainable and exciting goal. We all need to generate enthusiasm for the process and drive to attain and maintain what needs to be done in order to obtain real and substantive results.

Set a timeframe for reaching a goal. As an example, if you wanted to lose 15 pounds then give yourself 15 weeks to do this. Set the goal, make the plan and say I can easily lose 15 pounds in 15 weeks. Then make a mini-goal, say to yourself that it is a measly one pound a week weight loss, I can do that.

Over-thinking nutrition . A healthy diet follows over time with consistency is all that is required for building muscle and losing fat. Constantly changing foods, timing and amounts of food will create instability in the metabolism as well as the mind. Constantly changing the diet will never let you know or understand what is or is not working.

Over-thinking training . The biggest mistake you can make in weight training is to continuously keep changing the workout program. Train hard, train heavy and safe and on a continuous basis and you can make almost any workout program a success. Once progress comes to a halt you take a seven to twelve day rest and start all over on a different workout routine. It's that simple.

Over-thinking supplementation . Too many people believe that there exists a miraculous, safe, all natural just discovered nutritional supplement that will turn them into a Superman or Supergirl in four or six weeks. They think there exists some safe supplement that delivers steroid like results with none of the steroid risk factors. Let me tell you the truth, that supplement does NOT exist! Yes, we all can get sucked into the alluring advertisements that promise it all but the fact is this. Muscle, strength, fat loss and health are not a product, rather they are a product of consistency in clean eating, exercise and positive mental attitude towards life and living.

Want success? Start doing this today . Set in your mind a fixed goal, a goal that excites you and creates enthusiasm every time you think about it. Set up weekly mini-goals for keeping track of your progress. Establish a sound diet program and eating schedule and follow it every day. Follow a sound, progressive and challenging weight lifting routine and cardio program. Stick to the program for at least eight weeks, no excuses. Take a top of the line Multi Vitamin-Mineral tablet each and every morning and be consistent.

Follow the program for no less than eight weeks and preferably twelve weeks. Each week strive to hit mini-weekly goals. Hold this course for a few short months and I guarantee you'll realize dramatic gains in muscle size, definition, fat loss and overall great health

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Strangulated Hernia Symptoms

A hernia is a standard medical crisis that folks will have. This can be a small bulge that's made when intestines and other things within the abdominal cavity are spilling into another space through a damaged muscle or tissue within the abdominal cavity. These frequently do not cause any kinds of symptoms or even pain. Essentially the most that you can suffer is a slight ache and you will see the bulge grow over time.

Still, there might come a period when they have become so big and is pushing through in such a way that it will become strangulated. When this comes about it is cutting the blood supply around. This is a fatal problem that requires immediate surgery. Without the mandatory blood flow your heart will not manage to do anything properly and you can die inside of the day.

That is why it is important to understand how to spot the symptoms that this will create. The most common which you may encounter is fatigue and vomiting. Endeavor to press over the area where the hernia pushes through. Does it appear swollen and is it painful to the touch? This is a common problem when these have become strangulated.

Stomach soreness, fever, and chills are other symptoms that you may experience when this has taken place. If you are even having one of those symptoms and you understand that you possess a hernia than go to the doctor right away. They'll have to make sure what is going on so they will be able to take the appropriate action.

A lot of people who know they have a hernia will try to prevent this from occurring by getting the surgery in early. While this is not always something you need to do immediately, it is true that it can save your life in the long run. Just be sure that you follow the necessary hernia recovery steps to getting better.

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Some of the Most Common Complications Seen in Cosmetic Surgery

Surgery could be a scary thought for many. There is always a possibility of some complications and a surgery that went perfectly well could be fatal if the post operative care is not effective. Here are some of the most common complications seen in cosmetic surgery:

Hematoma

Hematoma is basically a pocket of blood that resembles a large and painful bruise. This side effect most commonly occurs in 1 – 6 percent of breast augmentation procedures. It is also one of the most common complications seen after a facelift. Well, it is a risk factor is almost all types of surgeries. It is however treatable and usually includes additional surgery to drain the blood.

Nerve damage

There is a potential for nerve damage in different types of surgical procedures. After cosmetic surgery, numbness and tingling are very common and could be signs of nerve damage. Most of the women experience a change in sensitivity after a breast augmentation surgery which could be due to nerve damage.

Infection

Most surgeries include post operative care procedures to help reduce the risk of infection. However, it remains one of the most common complications of cosmetic surgery. In some cases, the infection is internal and pretty severe. In these cases IV antibiotics are an option.

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

Deep vein thrombosis is a condition where blood clots are formed in deep veins – usually in the legs. These clots sometimes break off and travel to the lungs. This is known as pulmonary embolism and is fatal. Even though these complications are uncommon, they pose a greater risk to the patient when they occur.

Scarring

Any kind of surgery results in scarring. Scars can be particularly troubling especially after a cosmetic surgery which aims at improving the way you look. These scars can be treated if you follow the doctor’s advice religiously.

General appearance dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction with the results could be a reality and a possibility. Especially facial surgeries are a greater risk if the results are not as per the expectations of the patient.

Organ damage

Liposuction is one procedure that could be traumatic for internal organs. When the surgical probe comes in contact with internal organs it could cause punctures or perforations. Repairing these could require additional surgery.

Anesthesia complications

Anesthesia complications are not uncommon. General anesthesia can sometimes lead to complications such as stroke, heart attack or waking up confused, disoriented and shivering.

Seroma

This condition occurs when the serum from your blood pools beneath the surface of the skin resulting in pain and swelling. It usually looks like a very large blister and could occur after any surgery. It is however, the most common complication of a tummy tuck. These seromas can become infected. In order to remove them, they are drained by pricking a needle. However, there is a chance of recurrence and further complications.

Blood loss

With any surgery, blood loss is expected however uncontrolled and heavy blood loss could lead to a drop in the blood pressure and could be fatal. This could occur during or after surgery.

Educating yourself about the procedure and its possible risks can help you manage your expectations pot surgery.

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If You Want to Fix Your Xbox 360 Disc Read Error, Read This!

1. What does Disc Read Error mean?
2. What caused it?
3. How to fix it?

Disc Read Error can basically happen due to many factors, such as scratched disk, DVD drive problem, dust on the laser reader, and incorrect region. I will explain further on all this problem below.

What does it mean?

In simple terms, it basically means that your Xbox 360 console can not read or play the disc inserted into the DVD drive. Read below to see what could cause this.

What caused it?

Couple of factors contribute to this problem as explained below:

Disc is scratched

  • The nature of CDs, DVDs are such that they get scratched easily. When they are scratched constantly over time, the data on them becomes unreadable.

Disc is dirty / dusty

  • When disc are not kept properly in their cases, dirt and dust can build up on them. So, when the DVD drive tries to read them, the laser beam path gets blocked, resulting in the error

Incorrect region disc

  • DVDs came in different formats that states their regions. If the region of the DVD and player do not match, it will not play the disc.

How to fix it?

Firstly, do not start hitting your console as it will only make matters worse. Disc Read Error fix variants inline with the factors below.

If the disc is scratched, you can try cleaning it with a piece of cloth. If the scratches are extreme, then you would need to replace it.

If it's dirty, then just clean it up and make sure to place it in a case or folder.

Be careful when buying disc that are mean for different regions. Return it to the shop or retailer if you happen to buy one and get them to give a correct region one.

If you want more information on Xbox 360 Problems and how to fix them, click here

Good Luck Gaming!

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Beside the Lungs, Other Organs Affected by Lung Cancer

Unfortunately for many sufferers, lung cancer is diagnosed when it is in its early stages, and is usually only discovered by accident when either a routine chest X-ray, or a CT (computer tomography) scan is ordered by a doctor for another health issue. Some 25% of all lung cancer sufferers tend to show no signs of having lung cancer present, meaning that when the disease is always diagnosed, it is usually in its late and final stages. Other organs in the body at this stage have also usually been caused some degree of damage. This damage is usually permanent.

As the disease develops within the lung, the outer tissues of the lung are invaded by cancerous cells, as are other nearby tissues. This development enables the lung cancer to be able to spread to other organs in the body with relative ease. The disease can infiltrate the liver and adrenal glands, which often occurs over a period of time without any noticeable symptoms to the sufferer. When symptoms of visual problems begin to occur, it is usually because the lung cancer has spread to the brain, which may cause the sufferer to have a seizure. A loss of strength may also be noted.

Bones can also be affected by lung cancer, usually noticeable with a discomfort in either the vertebrae (backbone), or the ribs and thighs. The nerves can also be attacked, which causes many sufferers to experience continuing aching pains in the (deltoids) shoulders, and a pain that runs along the outer side of the arm. Vocal chords may be affected when the cancer has spread to the esophagus (the conduit that connotes the mouth and stomach) causing difficulty in swallowing. This is usually caused when a portion of the lung has collapsed, resulting in a severe, difficult to treat lung infection.

Other common symptoms caused by lung cancer are a lack of appetite, a noticeable weight loss (usually occurring rapidly), headaches, sluggishness, memory loss problems, bleeding and clotting. These symptoms often go untreated for long periods of time before a sufferer feels the need to deal with them, as they often get associated with other less serious health issues. When a sufferer has been diagnosed with late stage lung cancer, most of the damage has already been caused to the body, resulting in a sufferer having a low prognosis (life expectancy), usually under five years from when the disease was first diagnosed.

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Leg Weakness After Microdiscectomy

For people with sciatica, conservative treatments like physical therapy, chiropractic care and non-surgical decompression are usually sufficient. Minimally-invasive microdiscectomy is a common surgical procedure performed on those whose pain has not been relieved by conservative means, or for those who present sever symptoms such as incontinence that require immediate intervention.

A common cause of sciatica is a disc herniation in the lumbar spine. As the outer ring of the disc weakens, the fluid in the disc's center begins to leak out and irritate nerves exiting the spine. The sciatic nerve roots exit the spine from vertebrae L4 to S3. Nerve irritation causes sharp, radiating pain from the lower back to the legs, muscle weakness and numbness.

Microdiscectomy entails the removal of the small piece of disc material responsible for impinging the nerve. Many who have had the surgery find that, though pain levels improve, strength does not return to the muscles of the affected leg.

Success rates for microdiscectomy and other spinal surgeries are reported to be around 95% by surgeons. However, these rates often reflect that the surgeon was successful in removing a disc piece, or that bones actually fused in a spiral fusion procedure. The actual relief of patients is not always included in the definition of a procedure's success.

A study of 91 patients with disc herniation and leg paresis (slight paralysis / weakness) who underwent microdiscectomy showed that success rates, in terms of strength recovery, were far from 95%. Only 75% of patients in the study had regained strength in the affected leg a year after surgery. While this represents a majority, a full quarter of participants did not regain strength; this is a notable percentage. See a summary of the study at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22193841 .

Microdescectomy is often successful at relieving pain, but it can not reverse nerve damage that was already done before the procedure. If the sciatic nerve incurred damage that interfereed with its ability to send motor and sensory impulses down the leg, this will not spontaneously recover after surgery. This means that, if you have severe muscle weakness to begin with, microdiscectomy may not be a better option than conservative treatments to treat nerve impingement. Decompression, traction and exercise therapies should be pursued rigorously before considering surgery.

Nerve Regeneration

Nerve damage is often permanent; there is no standard treatment for regenerating the sciatic nerve once damage has occurred. Experimental treatments like stem cell therapy and growth factor therapy are promising options, but access to them is limited. Your best bet for these treatments is to search for trial studies to participate in or to travel out of the country for treatment.

Omega-3 fatty acid consumption, whether from foods or supplements, may encourage nerve repair soon after injury. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111103856.htm for more on this.

Electrical stimulation of nerves may also help them repair and regrow. This method has been tested on severed sciatic nerves in rats and was shown to promote regeneration. Inquire with local physical therapists, chiropractors and other health professionals about the availability of functional electrical stimulation in your area.

Microdiscectomy treatment is not likely to treat severe leg fatigue, since this is often caused by nerve damage. While it is important to resolve the cause of sciatic nerve impingement, a surgical procedure may not be the best option due to cost, recovery time and risks. While some nerve damage is often permanent, there are new methods of nerve regeneration being explored.

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Top 10 Most Effective Home Remedies For Tonsillitis

Tonsils are known as part of immunity system present in mouth. However, there are certain conditions, which may lead to damage and infection to them. The state of inflammation of tonsils is known as tonsillitis. The person suffering from tonsillitis often experiences sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, pain in ear, weakness and enlargement of lymph glands.

Before you consult a doctor for the treatment, it is advised to try some home treatments capable of treating this undesirable disorder.

  1. Salt and Water – It is the most common home remedy for tonsillitis to gargle with salt added to warm water.
  2. Vegetable juices – The juices of vegetables like carrot, cucumber and beet is indeed the most effective home based remedy for treating tonsillitis. You may consume these juices separately or as a mixture.
  3. Mustard – It is often suggested to rinse your throat with solution prepared by mixing powdered mustard in hot water. This helps in cleaning the germs causing this problem from the throat.
  4. Lemon and honey – The mixture of lime juice with honey prepared in hot water is another great remedy for relieving throat from pain and infection. You may also add a pinch of salt in the mixture.
  5. Fenugreek seeds – The fenugreek seeds should be allowed to boil with water and the resulting mixture must be used as a gargle to get relief from this problem. However, you must allow the mixture to cool down before using it.
  6. Milk – The pure boiled milk is another recommended home remedy for treating tonsil infections. It is also advised to add turmeric powder and pepper powder in the milk before consuming it.
  7. Banafsha Flowers – You may boil 12g of banafsha flowers with milk and filter it out after boiling. The filtered milk must be drunk hot to relieve throat from tonsil infections. Also, you may use the flower extracts filtered out in above process and massage them gently around throat before going to bed.
  8. Turmeric – Because of anti-bacterial anti-viral properties exhibited by turmeric, it is advised to prepare a paste of turmeric roots in hot water and apply it externally around the throat.
  9. Dried Figs – Dried and boiled figs are quite effective in decreasing the pain and harshness caused due to tonsillitis. You must mash these figs and consume them with a spoon of honey.
  10. Onion and Ginger – Onion juice and ginger juice are considered as best home remedies for various problems and tonsillitis is one of them. You may use these juices for gargling and reducing the pain in throat.

Dietary recommendations
It is necessary to follow a perfect diet plan to get relieved from tonsillitis. You must consume fresh fruits and vegetables to benefit your throat against this problem. Also, products like yoghurt, tea prepared from Echinacea, Goldenseal, nuts and grains.

You must avoid alcohol, smoking, spices, condiments, fried foods and carbonated drinks in case of tonsillitis.

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Juvenile Diabetes

Juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder of the body's immune system. Juvenile diabetes is diagnosed in children, teenagers and young adults.

The exact cause of juvenile diabetes (Type 1 diabetes) is still unclear. The common belief is that juvenile diabetes is caused due to an insult to the immune system. This can be either infectious or toxic, which in turn causes the autoimmune response to alter pancreatic protein, resulting in insufficient insulin production. Let's make one thing perfectly clear, this type of diabetes is not caused by obesity or by eating excess sugar. Children diagnosed with diabetes will require insulin injections for survival.

The challenges of being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes can sometimes seem overwhelming. It can be tough to find a private place to monitor your glucose levels and inject yourself with insulin while at school, or just out and about with friends. Diet plays a very significant role in the management of juvenile diabetes, so forget the junk food at the mall or pigging out at a party. Eat smart and eat healthy, and insulin injections have to be timed with your meals. Sticking to a time schedule is very important, so forget sleeping in late, because your blood sugar levels can drop dangerously low during an extended snooze.

The use of an insulin pump to control juvenile diabetes, may be a more convenient way of administering insulin providing more freedom through the day. Once diagnosed, several injections of insulin will be needed a day, the diabetic pump uses a small needle inserted under the skin on the left side of the abdomen, the bloodstream absorbs a small, continuous dose of insulin through the day. One stick, more freedom.

It is possible, to stay on top of juvenile diabetes and still do most things a typical teenager does. Having juvenile diabetes makes you part of a team. Your doctor, dietitian, and family are all part of this team. As with any team the decisions you make affect all members of the team. Peer pressure will always play a significant role in the decisions that you make. Having diabetes requires you to be more disciplined and have more forethought about your decisions. Always remember that you control juvenile diabetes, it does not control you.

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Obesity and Fast Foods

What is the link?

Before we discuss obesity and fast foods, let us have some definitions first.

o Obesity: A person is termed obese when his or her Body Mass Index exceeds 30
o Body Mass Index (BMI): A unit of measurement used to define the state of a person's body weight. It is derived by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of his or her height in meters.

Underweight BMI = less than 20
Normal BMI = 20 to 24.9
Overweight BMI = 25 to 30
Obese BMI = greater than 30

o Fast food: there is no standard definition for it, but generally taken to mean foods that are prepared in very large quantities using standard kitchen utensils, following standardized recipes and repetitive preparation procedures and served quickly in standard designed restaurants known as fast food restaurants. They typically advertise their services through electronic and print media and generally target children and young people. The rapid spread of such restaurants is usually made possible through the franchising system.

The key to good health through eating nutritious foods needs no explanation. As the saying "we are what we eat" goes, our physical well being is large dependent on the type of foods we take. Cases of diet related diseases are well documented. They include the likes of diabetes, overweight, obesity, hypertension, heart diseases and certain types of cancer.

The link between obesity and fast foods has been well documented. It has been recognized that excessive consumption of fast foods is a leading cause of obesity due to the high content of fat, sugar and salt in fast foods. They are typically low in complex carbohydrates.

Another area of ​​concern is that advertisements of fast foods are generally targeted towards children. Children, particularly the youngger ones, are generally unable to discern through food and nutrition information. It is no coincidence that there are increasing incidences of the rise in obesity in the younger people.

Countries around the world are getting more and more alarmed at the rate of increase in obesity particularly in the younger people; they are well aware of the link between obesity and fast foods.

However, it is unfair to put the entire blame squarely on fast foods. Kids nowadays spent more time on computer games and television than their parents' generation; they are less likely to part take in robust physical games.

Seeing the need to address the danger of the link between obesity and fast food, many countries around the world are taking action to enforce tighter control on television and print media advertisements, because the young people are usually the targets of fast food companies.

Of particular concern is television advertising, an extremely influential and effect medium of advertisement for children. Among some of the restrictions adopted are:

o Prohibition of TV advertisements of fast foods during the airing of children's programs
o Prohibition of TV sponsorship by fast food companies for children's programs
o Prevention of misleading food information which may confuse consumers
o Fast food companies are prohibited from any form of advertisements that encourages excess consumption
o Fast food companies are prohibited from promoting fast foods as healthy substitutes for a complete or balanced meal

The link between fast foods and obesity has prompted many Governments to take affirmative action to prevent excess consumption particularly by the younger people. It is a step in the right direction to reduce the overall burden of health care costs provided by governments around the world.