HEALTH TIP: How To Avoid Hitting A Deer

Here, we will take a much closer look at some of the easy
things that you can do which will ultimately reduce your
risk of hitting a deer this winter.

Avoid Hitting a Deer By Driving Slow

If you want to avoid hitting a deer, the first thing that you
will start doing is driving slow – or at least slower than
usual. The main reason is because you will be more likely to
slam on the breaks and bring the car to a stop before your car
comes close to hitting the deer. You will allow yourself more
time to react to a deer crossing the road when you drive slower
than if you were to drive faster. Following speed limits, or
doing lower than the speed limit in areas where you know that
deer may be spotted frequently, is one of the best ways to
prevent hitting a deer this winter.

Avoid Hitting a Deer By Using High Beams

It is important to keep in mind that using your high beams is
not allowable in certain areas, such as highways or main roads,
for example. However, there are many areas where you still can
use your high beams, such as secluded back roads or wooded areas
- which are both places where deer enjoy hiding out. The reason
that using your high beams is likely to help you prevent hitting
a deer is because you will be able to see further away than if
you used your headlights alone. This will give you much more time
to react and to be aware of the fact that a deer is crossing the
road in front of you.

Avoid Hitting a Deer By Avoiding Distractions

One of the best ways to prevent hitting a deer is to avoid
distractions. This includes talking on a cell phone or fumbling
with the cd player while you are driving. As with any other type
of car accident, you will be giving yourself less time, if any
time, to react to situation when you have too many distractions
going on at once. If you really want to prevent hitting a deer
this winter, you will want to allow yourself that extra reaction
time by being aware of what you are doing, without distractions.

These are just some of the things that you can do to prevent
hitting a deer this winter. Unfortunately, there are situations
in which hitting a deer is entirely inevitable. If you do feel
like you are about to hit a deer, the best thing that you can do
for yourself and your automobile is just hit it. The main reason
is because more injuries and deaths occur from those who choose
to swerve, ultimately landing themselves wrapped around a tree,
telephone poll or even another vehicle. Although your car may
have some damage, it is likely that the injuries you may face
from hitting a deer will not be half as bad as if you had swerved.

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Prion diseases cause iron imbalance

CLEVELAND — A U.S. study suggests an imbalance of iron homeo-
stasis is a common feature of prion disease-affected human,
mouse and hamster brains. Dr. Neena Singh and colleagues at
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and
Creighton University said their findings provide insight into
the mechanism of neurotoxicity in prion disorders and might
lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies. Unlike
other neurodegenerative conditions, prion disorders are
sporadic, inherited and infectious, affecting both humans and
animals, the scientists said, citing as examples mad cow
disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease in humans. The causative agent of all the maladies is
a misfolded protein referred to as PrP-scrapie that replicates
itself by changing the conformation of neighboring copies of
the same protein, namely the prion protein. The new research
suggests accumulations of PrP-scrapie alter the metabolism of
iron in diseased brains. The imbalance of brain iron homeo-
stasis worsens with disease progression and isn’t an outcome
of end-stage disease. And, the researchers added, since iron
is highly toxic when mismanaged, the condition is likely to
contribute significantly to prion-disease-associated neuro-
toxicity. Singh and her team said they were surprised to find
prion disease-affected brains are iron deficient despite a
significant increase in their overall iron content. The
findings are reported in the journal PLoS Pathogens.
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Scientists work on rhinovirus vaccine

PROVO, Utah — U.S. scientists studying the rhinovirus genome
say they’ve discovered how and where evolution occurs in the
genome and what that means for possible vaccines. “There are
a lot of different approaches to treating the cold, none of
which seem to be effective,” said Brigham Young University
Professor Keith Crandall, a co-author of the study. “This is
partly because we haven’t spent a lot of time studying the
virus and its history to see how it’s responding to the human
immune system and drugs.” The BYU team said it studied geno-
mic sequences available online and used computer algorithms
to estimate how the rhinovirus is related to other viruses.
The study’s lead author, postdoctoral fellow Nicole Lewis-
Rogers, said the rhinovirus is similar to the polio virus,
but while the polio virus has just three subspecies, the
rhinovirus has more than 100 subspecies, which continually
evolve. Crandall said the virus is evolving solutions against
the immune system and drugs, adding, “The more we can learn
about how the virus evolves solutions, the better we can rid
the body of these infections.” The study that included under-
graduate Matthew Bendall is reported in the April issue of
the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
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Nanotech might be used to detect anthrax

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says a
proof-of-concept study shows nanotechnology might be able to
detect anthrax after a bioterrorism attack. “The FDA findings
could form the basis of a test that allows earlier diagnosis
of anthrax infection than currently possible,” said Indira
Hewlett, the senior author of the FDA study. “The earlier
those infected with anthrax can be treated, the better.” A
proof-of-concept study is an initial investigation that aims
to determine if a new scientific idea or concept holds
promise for further development. The federal agency said the
method used in its study relies on a nanotechnology-based
test platform built from tiny molecular-sized particles. The
assay — the Europium Nanoparticle-based Immunoassay — was
able to detect the presence of a protein made by the anthrax
bacteria known as protective antigen, the FDA said.
“Protective antigen combines with another protein called
lethal factor to form anthrax lethal factor toxin, the
protein that enters cells and causes toxic effects.” The
researchers showed ENIA is capable of detecting protective
antigen in quantities that are 100 times lower than current
tests can detect. The study that included Jiangqin Zhao,
Mahtab Moayeri, Zhaochun Chen, Haijing Hu, Robert Purcell,
Stephen Leppla and Harri Harma appears in the journal of
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.
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Molecular switch may prevent metastases

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. medical scientists say they have identi-
fied a genetic master switch that might prevent cancer cells
from metastasizing. University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine researchers said the switch is a protein that, when
in the “on” position, maintains the normal character of cells
that line the surface of organs and body cavities. But when
the switch is turned “off” or is absent, epithelial cells
acquire characteristics of another cell type, called mesen-
chymal cells, thereby gaining the ability to migrate and move
from the primary tumor. The scientists said understanding
how the switch works might lead to a drug that controls
cancer cell metastasis and tissue fibrosis — a hallmark of
organ failure, as in liver cirrhosis or kidney failure. The
research by Assistant Professor Russ Carstens, Associate
Professor John Hogenesch and graduate student Claude Warzecha
appears in the journal Molecular Cell.

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Flies may spread poultry farm bacteria

BALTIMORE — Johns Hopkins University scientists in Baltimore
say they have found evidence houseflies collected near
poultry farms may spread drug-resistant bacteria. The
researchers from the university’s Bloomberg School of Public
Health said their findings demonstrate another potential link
between industrial food animal production and exposure to
antibiotic resistant pathogens. “Flies are well-known vectors
of disease and have been implicated in the spread of various
viral and bacterial infections affecting humans, including
enteric fever, cholera, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis
and shigellosis,” said lead author Jay Graham, who conducted
the study as a research fellow at the school’s Center for a
Livable Future. “Our study found similarities in the anti-
biotic-resistant bacteria in both the flies and poultry
litter we sampled. The evidence is another example of the
risks associated with the inadequate treatment of animal
wastes.” Although the scientists did not directly quantify
the contribution of flies to human exposure, the results
suggest flies in intensive production areas could efficiently
spread resistant organisms over large distances, said
Professor Ellen Silbergeld, senior author of the research.
The study that included Lance Price, Sean Evans and Thaddeaus
Graczyk appears in the journal Science of the Total
Environment.

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Catch Some Natural Zzzzs with Valerian Root

Most people have woken up to droopy eyes, a drowsy head,
and/or a foggy brain only to spot the clock and realize
that there is no more time for sleep and a headache-
inducing busy morning ahead. Tossing and turning in your
sleep or waking up repeatedly can be related to many
factors: a poor or uncomfortable mattress, sinus or other
breathing problems, a state of inebriation, stress, and
poor bedtime habits. With any type of insomnia, no matter
what the cause, a person enduring restless sleep at any
time cannot fully enjoy the following day because of their
sleep-deprived state. While there are many over-the-counter
remedies for insomnia, from pills and teas, to syrups and
oils, a popular natural sleep aid is called valerian root.

Valerian root, known scientifically as valeriana officinalis,
is a perennial plant with flowering blooms of pink or white
flowers with a pleasant sweet scent. Simply called valerian—
native to regions of Europe and Asia—it was used as a perfume
in the sixteenth century. The pharmaceutical-grade type of
valerian is not found in the stalk, leaves, or flowers but
only culled from the roots of the plant. It is often found
as a dietary supplement in capsules, tablets, and liquid
extract form in order to help in natural calming and sedation
techniques.

Meaning “to be strong or healthy,” valerian comes from the
Latin word valere, which many historians think can refer to
either the healthy advantages it gives or simply just for its
strong odor. According to folk lore, valerian was thought to
turn everything painful into good, and it has also been used
for medicinal treatment since ancient Roman and Greek times.

Traditionally used to ease gastrointestinal pain and irritable
bowel syndrome, the root is primarily sold as a nutritional and
dietary supplement in the United States. Valerian has been used
for treating sleeping disorders and anxiety, restlessness and
even taken as an organic muscle relaxer. Some studies have shown
valerian has a better effect over a long period of time if used
regularly but some users have claimed success as an immediate
relief substance, although there is no scientific evidence to
support such effects.

Science says that valerian root breaks down into isovaleric
acid that triggers a relaxation agent throughout your central
nervous system creating the ability to relax enough to sleep
through the night. Double-blind studies show that valerian
root’s effects as a sedative and has been prescribed by
naturalists for tension headaches as well as mild insomnia.
Released a few years ago, a natural supplement advertised to
help you relax is called Sleepasil containing the three main
organic ingredients of melatonin, chamomile, and valerian root
and is approved for persons over the age of 12, with a dosage
of one to two capsules half an hour before bedtime.

In support of valerian is the fact that the root has very
few side effects. Valerian does not cause the user to become
sluggish the following day and cannot become addictive unlike
certain anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills which
can be dangerously addictive and have shown reports of
destructive behavior as a result of over usage. However,
physicians recommend that you see your healthcare provider
before adding any new medications to your schedule and to
please follow the instructions carefully in terms of dosage.

Whether or not you wake up and stay awake for long periods
of time during the night, or if you are just moving around
a lot and waking your body up, a good night’s sleep is your
best defense against stress, colds, and the flu, and improves
your sanity in order to function your best. However you
choose to erase your sleeping problems, don’t forget to turn
out the light and don’t let the bed bugs bite.