Body Worlds 3 & The Story of the Heart

LOS ANGELES, CA- For students that consider themselves visual learners, exploring the “Body Worlds 3 & The Story of the Heart” exhibit at the California Science Center will give them a whole new approach to understanding the human body.

The exhibit has proven to be especially helpful to those students enrolled in Professor Rhonda Wimmer’s Biology classes at CSULB. Professor Wimmer offered her students 20 points of extra credit for attending the exhibit. The educational insight, however, was more than enough of an incentive to attend.

According to a news release, the exhibit features over 200 authentic human specimens including whole bodies, organs, and translucent body slices. There was also a special presentation of the heart. The purpose of the exhibit was to educate the public on not only the inner workings of the body (something that many people will never experience first hand) but to also raise awareness of the structure and function of healthy and unhealthy bodies, and to stimulate curiosity about the science of anatomy.

“It’s another great opportunity to expand the scope of our educational mission and present the science of anatomy and important health messages in a way that we know will encourage further science learning and positively impact the lifestyle choices of many who see the exhibit,” noted Science Center President Jeffrey N. Rudolph in a recent news release.

The bodies were organized and placed in an educational and aesthetic way. Each full body was put in a different pose to place emphasis on different areas, and was accompanied by cases of particular organs to further demonstrate exactly what takes place in that specific region of the body. Each body shows the detail of disease and anatomy that is impossible to demonstrate on models, and the Science Center offers students the chance to experience the real thing. Full descriptions were written in such a way that when a complicated piece of information is being explained, it is organized thought by thought, so that anyone can comprehend the diverse infrastructure of the human body.

“Seeing the bodies in person just drives the point home. We’re taught so many concepts in class, that being able to visualize things makes it so much easier to understand,” said Tommy Bailey, a junior at CSULB enrolled in Wimmer’s Biology class.

There were displays of a healthy lung and a lung that suffered from years of smoking, as well as a healthy digestive system that displayed the positive outcome from maintaining a balanced diet. Every body or organ displayed, however, were somehow tied in to the importance of maintaining a healthy heart. Demonstrations were shown step by step exactly how an artificial heart works, which offers insight of exactly what can happen if one develops heart disease.

The exhibit brings visitors one step closer to visualizing exactly what goes on inside the human body, which can not only be helpful to students studying science, but to anyone who wants to know what the inside of their body looks like and how it functions.

“When does anyone ever get an opportunity to see the inside of a human body, perfectly in tact, unless they take an anatomy course? Seeing images in a book or online doesn’t compare to the opportunity you’re given at Body Worlds 3,” said Tommy.

Body Worlds 3 & The Story of the Heart will be on display at The California Science Center in Los Angeles until September 7, 2008. Discount tickets are available to students, as well as groups.

Price increase on birth control at Student Health Center

Books or birth control?

Like a game of dominoes, one price after another seems to be rising around CSULB; tuition, parking passes, books, and now birth control are just some of the items that students must prioritize on which to spend their money.

Due to a recently effective legislative movement, the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), pharmaceutical companies have lost subsidies that enabled them to provide college campuses with drugs at discounted rates. The DRA, implemented in 2007, was originally intended to reduce student loan costs, however it had other unexpected side effects.

"Without the contract with the pharmaceutical companies, brand name drug prices have increased over time," said Kathy Chen, RhP at the Student Health Center at CSULB. However, generic prices have decreased because there are more generic brands of birth control, she noted. According to Chen, the current prices for birth control at the SHC are "cost plus 10%".

Unless a student has health insurance, going to the SHC to obtain birth control may be her only way. If a student comes to the SHC and cannot afford birth control, she may apply for a "Family Pack", a state funded program for contraceptives coverage. According to Chen, once students are qualified, they can receive birth control for free. This option is not available to everyone, however.

College campuses all over the nation are being effected by the increase in birth control prices too. College newspapers such as The Stanford Daily of Stanford University are raising awareness about the issue.

Celiac Disease Awareness Month

According to the National Health Information Center's "2008 National Health Observances", May is Celiac Disease Awareness month.

An event is taking place in Los Angeles to acknowledge the disease and to create awareness. On May 3rd, the Celiac Disease Foundation is holding it's annual "Education Conference and Food Faire" at the Good Samaritan Hospital. The event will have over ten qualified keynote speakers, including physicians, dietitians, business owners, and authors. There will also be book signings and cooking classes, as well as a gluten-free breakfast, lunch and beer tasting.

One of the sponsors of the conference is Chex, a cereal company. Rice Chex, a popular brand of their cereal, is now considered gluten-free. Chex has replaced the barley and malt, gluten derivatives, with gluten-free ingredients. Chex offers a handful of recipes as well that can be made the gluten-free way with their products.

But what is Celiac Disease? According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, it is a "lifelong autoimmune intestinal disorder, found in individuals who are genetically susceptible. Damage to the mucosal surface of the small intestine caused by immunologically toxic reaction to the ingestion of gluten interferes with the absorption of nutrients." Furthermore, the CDF notes that it is a unique disease in that the trigger, gluten, is known, unlike other auto-immune disorders.

But what is gluten? It is a common name for the offending protein in grains in all forms of wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. Those diagnosed with Celiac Disease must obtain a diet of gluten-free food in order to live a healthy life.

Symptoms of Celiac include abdominal pain, anemia, fatigue, canker sores, delayed growth, and malnutrition. There are also diseases attributed to Celiac, which include Type 1 Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Thyroid Disease, and Osteoporosis. There are also many long term conditions that can come along with Celiac including lactose intolerance, iron deficiency, pancreatic insufficiency, and other mineral and vitamin deficiencies.

When one who has Celiac Disease accidentally ingests gluten (a common mistake), the villi, tiny hair-like projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients from food, are damaged. This is due to an immunological reaction to gluten. Damaged villi do not effectively absorb basic nutrients -- proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and, in some cases, water and bile salts. If CD is left untreated, damage to the small bowel can be chronic and life threatening, causing an increased risk of associated disorders -- both nutritional and immune related, notes the Celiac Disease Foundation.

As a US citizen, you can help take action to raise awareness for Celiac Disease, one of the most common auto-immune diseases. In fact, 1 out of 133 people have Celiac Disease, but many of them don't know it. It is commonly under-diagnosed, and misdiagnosed as well. One way to take action is to become an Advocate, which only takes three minutes! You can push elected officials to become get the ball rolling on nation wide awareness in supermarkets, restaurants, and other facilities.

Green Cleaning Products

Many people are jumping on the bandwagon to create, and use, green cleaning products. Many women all over the United States have joined Women's Voices for Earth, which gives them instructions on how to host a "green cleaning party". Move over, Tupperware!

The basic essentials to concocting your own all-purpose cleanser include vinegar, baking soda, caster oil, and some lemon juice. Many Americans are seeking to use these products that are carried in stores like Whole Foods and Wal-Mart. Mostly all green cleansers are derived from plant products.

Chlorine, bleach, and ammonia based cleaners, the most typical on the market, have been known to cause reactions such as asthma and skin irritations, and are proven to harm the environment. According to the Los Angeles Times, chlorine-based cleaners can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and harm living things. When dumped in lakes, it can also cause algae to proliferate, which eventually depletes the water of oxygen and chokes all fish and other marine animals.

Not only will it improve your health, but most green cleaning products come in recycled, or recyclable bottles.

Here is a guide to some green cleaning products.

Eating Better to Save The Planet

According to a recent article by the Los Angeles Times, one-third of humanity's contribution to green house gases comes from the global food and agricultural system. Simply put: the food we eat can be harming the environment!

More and more consumers are not only switching their light bulbs and converting to energy-efficient cars to help the environment, but are changing their diets as well. 

It makes sense when you think about it. How exactly does the food that you eat get to your local supermarket? It has to be transported, which inevitably emits carbon into the ozone whether it be by boat or automobile. 

Apparently, certain food even emits more carbon than others. Chicken, it turns out, has a lower carbon footprint than beef, notes the LA Times article. 

Many college campuses around the country are adopting the new low-carbon diet as the latest trend. Bon Appetit Management Co. offers such a diet to over 400 campuses. Many corportate companies nationwide, such as BestBuy and Adidas, have adopted the menu as well for company events. The company promotes their "Circle of Responsibility" which takes a macro view of wellness. A healthy environment, community, and menu are vital to one's well being, said Bon Appetit. 

Bon Appetit offers nutrition facts and some basic information to help get you started on a low-carbon diet. 

National Public Health Week: Climate Change and the Nation's Health

April 7-13, 2008, is National Public Health Week. The awareness week has been put on by the American Public Health Association since 1996, and is designed to educate the public, policy-makers, and public health professionals about important ways to improve the public's health. 

According to the National Public Health Week's (NPHW) website, the focus for 2008 is "climate change and the nation's health". NPHW notes that there is a direct connection between climate change and the public's health, yet few Americans are unaware of how very real the consequences are. 

The goal of NPHW 2008 is to get the public to change their daily lifestyle in five ways; each day of the week will focus on a new topic:

• Monday, April 7: Be Prepared
  
• Tuesday, April 8: Travel Differently
  
• Wednesday, April 9: Eat Differently
• Thursday, April 10: Green Your Work
  
• Friday, April 11: Green Your Home

Each day I will update the links that will take you to the specific tasks designated for that day. 

A summary of what each day involves is included with a pledge to participate in National Public Health Week.