| Local women create natural cosmetics
Julia Brownfield and Victoria England have something in common: At some point, each of them looked at commercially available cosmetics and skin care products and thought, "I can make better stuff than this." So they set out to do it. Through determination and a great deal of trial-and-error experimentation, each developed her own line of products, created packaging and labeling, tackled the difficult task of marketing, and now each operates her own business, offering organic alternatives to traditional cosmetics. Brownfield's initial motivation was a selfish one. "I trained racehorses for 15 years, so my skin took a beating," she said. "I wanted a natural product for my skin. It was just for me." Making extensive use of the Internet, Brownfield began researching fruits and vegetables, oils and vitamins, looking for the ideal ingredients to improve the health of her skin.
Aging: how growing older affects cancer risk and outcomes
SAN DIEGO -- As our population ages and senior citizens become a larger demographic, cancer researchers are focusing on the links between aging and cancer. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12 16, highlight the biological aspects of aging that are key to greater risk and poorer prognosis, and surgical outcomes. Surgical resection and survival in octogenarians and younger age cohorts of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer: Abstract 5537 Although fewer of them undergo surgery, lung cancer patients in their 80s fare equally well following surgery as their younger counterparts, researchers report. The findings offer doctors potentially valuable guidance in treatment options for elderly patients, according to researchers.
Inflammation triggers cell fusions that could protect neurons, Stanford research shows
STANFORD, Calif. - Chronic inflammation triggers bone marrow-derived blood cells to travel to the brain and fuse with a certain type of neuron up to 100 times more frequently than previously believed, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. After the fusion, the blood-cell nuclei begin to express previously silent, neuron-specific genes. The surprise finding in mice suggests that the creation of the fused cells, called heterokaryons, may possibly play a role in protecting neurons against damage and may open new doors to cell-mediated gene therapy. "This finding was totally unprecedented and unexpected," said senior author Helen Blau, PhD, the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Professor and director of the Baxter Laboratory in Genetic Pharmacology.
Bodies bring people together
More than 45 people gathered to celebrate and love being in their own skin last night.
The Women's Studies Department and Southwest Institute for Research on Women held a "Love Your Body" event in the conference of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Annex.
"'Love Your Body' is to help celebrate and love yourself in your own skin," said Katy Baker, a health and sexuality intern at the Women's Resource center. "It's about being comfortable with who you are and in order to do that we have various activities and discussions set up."
A panel discussion focused on how sexism and other pressures from society can lead people, specifically women, to have issues with their bodies.
"I think that everyone, both female and male, feel pressure at some point from society about their body image," said Ayisha Al-Sayyad, a graduate student in women's studies and a panelist who has done research in the area of body image and eating disorders in the lesbian community.
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