Solar panels of the future

It is called perovskite.
The unique physical properties of perovskite materials such as high-absorption coefficient, long-range ambipolar charge transport, low exciton-binding energy, high dielectric constant, ferroelectric properties, etc. have gained a huge interest in these materials for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.University of Berlin mineralogist Gustavus Rose discovered perovskite in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1839. He named the substance after Russian mineralogist and nobleman Lev Perovski.
Perovskite, along with the minerals rutile and ilmenite, is valuable as a titanium ore. In addition to Russia, it occurs in such diverse locations as Switzerland, Italy, and Arkansas. Many oxides with the perovskite structure have physical and chemical properties that make them useful in electronic devices.
Perovskite has emerged in the past 15 years as a material capable of transforming an array of industries, from renewable energy, to ultra high-speed communications.
Perovskite is cheaper and lighter than conventional silicon-based cells, as well as far more efficient, however, the emerging technology currently suffers from a drop in efficiency and energy output during the manufacturing process.
Recent advances have seen it used to create self-healing solar panels that can recover 100 percent of their efficiency after being damaged by radiation in space, as well as break new efficiency records when combined with silicon to form tandem cells.
If the cheap-to-produce perovskite cells can be manufactured at scale while retaining their durability and reliability, then the cost of solar panels would plummet.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4,700 human-made substances that are used as surfactants, lubricants, repellents (for dirt, water, and grease). They can be found in certain firefighting foams, textiles (including carpets, furniture, and clothing), cosmetics, and in food packaging materials.

Adverse environmental and health effects have been observed for well-studied PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs and their salts and precursors) and they have been shown to pose a risk to the Canadian environment. In Canada, PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs (and their salts and precursors) are prohibited through regulations; however, scientific evidence to date indicates the PFAS used to replace regulated PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs may also be associated with environmental and/or human health effects.

Therefore, the Government of Canada is considering activities that would address PFAS as a class. A notice of intent to address the broad class of PFAS was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 155 No. 17 – April 24, 2021.

In 2021, the Government of Canada will:

• continue to invest in research and monitoring on PFAS
• collect and examine information on PFAS to inform a class-based approach
• review policy developments in other jurisdictions

In addition, within the next 2 years, the Government of Canada will publish a state of PFAS report, which will summarize relevant information on the class of PFAS.

From 'sick care' to 'health care'

 The American healthcare system is one of the world’s most expensive, yet health outcomes frequently are no better than other developed nations. Why is this happening? 

The key issue is that we have a medical system that is designed to successfully treat disease, rather than a system invested in maximizing the wellbeing of individuals prior to illness. As chronic diseases are on the rise, we’re seeing the current system fail to accommodate today’s medical climate which increases the burden of illness on individuals and society as a whole. So it begs the question, isn’t it time we shift our mindset and health care system to meet the needs of today’s patients?  

Currently, the health care system is based on a reactive approach to illness. We wait until people are sick before we treat them and focus on symptoms and disease treatment, rather than proactively addressing their overall health and wellbeing. This is referred to as a “sick care” mindset. While this seems like an appropriate way to approach your health, it’s no longer working for today’s climate of managing illness and disease. 

We need to shift our mindset from ‘sick care’ to ‘health care’. A health care system incorporates a proactive and preventative model to health that focuses on preventing issues from occurring again, or even in the first place.  

A simple diet to drop your elevated blood pressure

 A healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to prevent blood pressure from reaching dangerously high levels. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of hypertension, but there is one vegetable that can be considered a true ‘superfood’ when it comes to lowering blood pressure.Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is an extremely dangerous pathology that can cause a heart attack or stroke. They call it the silent killer for the total absence of specific symptoms.The diet has a strong effect on blood pressure. Some foods, especially those high in salt and saturated fat, can cause a spike. However, other foods can reduce it, lowering the risk of serious complications and improving heart health.For example, one of these foods is a vegetable that is readily available, inexpensive and is also known for its rich flavor. It’s about Beetroot.This vegetable is very healthy because it is rich in substances that relax blood vessels and allow blood to circulate better throughout the body.Make yourself a juice, cut it into salads, add it to smoothies or rice; no matter how the benefits are the same.Raw beets contain most of these beneficial substances, so it is considered best to drink beet juice.In a related study, participants drank 250 milliliters of juice and ate 250 grams of baked beets daily for 15 days. Their blood pressure reading dropped “significantly” in just half a month.Other foods that help fight hypertension are oily fish, green leafy vegetables, berries, legumes, citrus fruits, and carrots.However, the most important thing is to add less salt to your food. Try using herbs and spices instead.Although diet is very important to control blood pressure and, above all, to prevent hypertension, it is always a good idea to consult your doctor.

FDA grants breakthrough designation to urine-based liquid biopsy for prostate cancer - miR Sentinel PCC4 Assay

 The miR Sentinel PCC4 Assay is a non-invasive test that has achieved sensitivity and specificity rates above 90% for both detecting and classifying prostate tumors.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough device designation to the miR Sentinel PCC4 Assay (miR Sentinel Prostate Test), a urine-based, non-invasive test that can be used to diagnose, classify, and monitor prostate cancer.1

Initial data validating the efficacy of the assay were previously published in the Journal of Urology.2 The findings showed sensitivity and specificity rates of greater than 90% for both detecting prostate tumors and classifying them as intermediate or high risk.

The breakthrough designation will expedite the development and regulatory review of the miR Sentinel PCC4 assay.

"We are highly appreciative that the FDA's breakthrough designation process provided miR Scientific with invaluable feedback, which we have incorporated into our current clinical prospective studies to support our full marketing authorization plan," Sam Salman, chairman and CEO of miR Scientific, stated in a press release.1

"Receiving this designation achieves another important milestone in the development of our novel and ground-breaking technology. We believe that the accuracy and non-invasive feature of our award-winning technology will impact the lives of millions of men and forever positively change the standard of care for urological cancers," added Salman.

The miR Sentinel PCC4 Assay involves interrogating small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) that have been extracted from urinary exosomes. The interrogation of the sncRNAs is done through a high-throughput real-time PCR–based platform. Proprietary selection and classification algorithms are used to analyze the interrogated sncRNAs.

In the study, the investigators extracted sncRNAs from urinary exosomes of the 235 enrolled individuals. The sncRNAs were interrogated on miR 4.0 microarrays. According to the researchers, “Using proprietary selection and classification algorithms, informative sncRNAs were selected to customize an interrogation OpenArray platform that forms the basis of the tests.”2 Validation of the tests was done using a case-control sample that consisted of 1436 individuals.

The Sentinel Prostate Test showed a sensitivity rate of 94% and a specificity rate of 92% in detecting prostate cancer. The sensitivity and specificity rates were 93% and 90%, respectively, for the prediction of Grade Group ≥2 cancer, and, the corresponding rates were 94% and 96%, respectively, for the prediction of Grade Group ≥3 cancer.

In an accompanying editorial simultaneously published in the Journal of Urology,3 Brian Helfand, MD, division of urology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, discussed the significance of the findings. 

“Urologists are all too familiar with the inherent limitations of prostate cancer screening. As such, novel biomarker tests that can better distinguish both prostate cancer from indolent disease and high-grade from indolent tumors are greatly needed,” wrote Helfand.

Reduce breast size without surgery: 5 ways!

 

The sudden weight you tend to put on your breasts post-pregnancy or after a sudden increase in your weight can be inconvenient. Several factors determine the size of your breasts - genetics, the body mass index, your age or even breastfeeding. So, if you are trying to get your breasts to look less saggy without undergoing surgery, we have your back. Read on to know more about the factors that affect breast size and natural remedies to reduce your breast size.

• Ginger

Regular consumption of ginger helps in obesity management and may help reduce weight and associated risks. This may have an overall impact on your body weight and help improve the look of sagging breasts. However, there are no studies to prove the efficacy of ginger in reducing breast size.

Method

You will need:

1 teaspoon of grated ginger

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of honey

What you have to do

Boil the grated ginger for 5 minutes and strain the liquid.

Let it cool down. Add honey to it and drink. Repeat this method 3 times daily

• Green Tea

Green tea may help reduce body weight and body mass index. Weight gain is one of the causes of increased breast size. Hence, reducing body weight may help reduce breast size.

Method

You will need:

1 teaspoon of green tea

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of honey

What you have to do:

Boil the tea leaves for 5 minutes and strain the liquid.

Let it cool down, add honey to it, and drink. Repeat this 3 times a day.

• Neem and Turmeric

This remedy is especially useful if you are trying to lose breast fat after pregnancy or breastfeeding. Internal inflammation is associated with obesity and the deposition of fat. Neem and turmeric help overcome inflammation. This may help reduce the breast size.

Method

You will need:

A handful of neem leaves

2 teaspoons of turmeric powder

4 glasses of water

1 teaspoon of honey (optional)

What you have to do:

Boil the neem leaves for 5-10 minutes and strain the liquid.

Add turmeric and honey to it and drink it up. Do this once daily.

• Spinach

Spinach is known for its weight loss benefits. Consume this smoothie and workout to tone the muscles, reduce your weight, and improve the appearance of your breasts.

Method

You will need:

2-3 bunches of spinach

What you have to do:

Prepare a spinach smoothie with almond milk and fruits of your choice.

Add some ice cubes to it and drink. Repeat this 3 times a week

• Lemon

Lemon can significantly reduce body fat. Regular consumption of citrus fruits may help with fat loss, which may significantly reduce your breast size.

Method

You will need:

A lemon

1 glass of water

1 teaspoon of honey

What you have to do:

Squeeze a lemon into the water and add honey to it.

Stir and drink. Do this once daily.

How to Reduce the Long-term Effects of High Blood Pressure in Obese People?

 One of the methods is thru medications which is briefly described bellow:

If lifestyle modifications have not been successful in achieving weight reduction and blood pressure control, the statement suggests prescription medications may be considered for people who have obesity or overweight.

A newer class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists has been shown to help with sustained weight loss and significantly reducing blood pressure.

GLP-1 agonists, such as liraglutide and semaglutide are synthetic hormones, self-administered in a daily or weekly injection, that reduce appetite and help people to feel full.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved both medications for weight management and weight loss in individuals classified as overweight or obese.

Vitamin D may protect severe Covid infection, death: Study

Vitamin D may protect severe Covid infection, death: Study: London, Sep 16 (IANS): Good amount of Vitamin D in the body before Covid-19 infection can prevent severe disease and death, according to an international study. A team from Trinity College in Ireland, University of Edinburgh in Scotland and Zhejiang University in China for the first time looked at both genetically-pre.....

New prostate cancer test avoids unnecessary biopsies

Currently, one of doctors' best methods for detecting prostate cancer is a blood test for prostate-specific antigen, commonly known as the PSA test. Elevated PSA levels may indicate cancer, but the majority of men with an elevated PSA do not actually have prostate cancer.To determine which patients do and do not have cancer, men with an elevated PSA test undergo an invasive procedure called a transrectal biopsy. Prostate biopsies are uncomfortable for patients and carry a small risk of complications. MRI scans are also used to detect prostate cancer, but these can also miss cancerous lesions and come with much higher costs and limited availability. "Our ultimate goal was to determine whether the MyProstateScore test could be a practical, reliable test that could rule out the need for more costly or invasive testing in men referred for a prostate biopsy," says study lead author Jeffrey Tosoian, M.D., M.P.H., a clinical lecturer in urology at Michigan Medicine. Tosoian and two of his co-authors were founders of LynxDX and hold an equity stake in the company. Not all prostate cancers are equally worrisome. Many arise later in life and are so slow growing that the best course of action is to simply monitor them. It is patients with these slow growing cancers or no cancer who, despite elevated PSA levels, could be spared from the more invasive or expensive procedures if doctors had better tests, the researchers say. The validation study included patients seen at academic health centers and in community health settings. Among these 1,525 patients, 338 -- 22% -- had cancers detected on biopsy that were group grade 2 or higher, meaning they were serious enough to warrant immediate treatment. If the MyProstateScore test had been available to patients in the study, 387 biopsies that found no cancer or slow-growing cancer could have been avoided, the study found. Meanwhile, the test would have missed only 10 clinically significant cancers that would have warranted immediate treatment. "The data show that this straightforward, secondary testing approach could reduce the use of more costly and invasive procedures following a PSA test," Tosoian says.

Source: Eurekalert

Sunlight converts plastic waste to hydrogen fuel

A simple sunlight-driven process  transforms plastic waste into hydrogen and other useful chemicals. The process, called photoreforming, is simple. They drop the photocatalyst onto the plastic then immerse the plastic in an alkaline solution. Irradiation with sunlight reduces water from the solution to hydrogen while the plastic polymers simultaneously oxidise to small organic molecules. The group tested the system by photoreforming three common polymers; polylactic acid, polyethylene terphthalate and polyurethane. The results matched those of state-of-the-art hydrogen evolution photocatalysis systems that employed expensive sacrificial reagents.

How to register a Kindle DX in 2020

 I recently repaired a Kindle DX for a friend. As part of that, I reset it to factory defaults. When I went to register it so it would connect to his Amazon Account, I received the following error:

Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please try again later. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from the menu in Settings and try again.

I confirmed the Kindle was running the latest software. Some chatter on the Internet suggested Amazon had disabled (re)registration for older Kindles, but that turned out to be a bug that Amazon had already fixed.

Restarting didn’t fix the problem. Turning wireless on and off didn’t fix the problem. Downloading a free book didn’t fix the problem. Wireless was definitely working — I could browse the Kindle store.

I called Amazon support. They suggested changing the password. That didn’t work. The rep tried deregistering the Kindle and then manually re-adding it to my friend’s account. That didn’t work.

I did some additional research. It turns out that in addition to updating the Kindle to 2.5.8, you need to install the Kindle Services Update. (See Kindle DX Software Updates.) You can do so via USB from your Mac or PC. (See Transfer & Install Software Updates Manually.)

Download the Kindle Services Update, mind you as of December 2020 ,I found "update-caupdate-09.bin".
At the time you read this it might be different!

https://s3.amazonaws.com/G7G_FirmwareUpdates_WebDownloads/update-caupdate-09.bin

Copy the update-caupdate-09.bin to the root level of your Kindle

Disconnect your Mac or PC from the Kindle

From Home, press the Menu button, and then select Settings.

Press the Menu button, and then select Update Your Kindle.

Select OK.

Wait for your Kindle to update and restart.

Assuming it’s listed in your Amazon account, your Kindle will automatically re-register itself. If not, register the device manually.

So what is this additional update? A new set of security certificates.

Understanding The Difference Between XLS And XLSX In Tabular Form

Understanding The Difference Between XLS  And XLSX In Tabular Form

Basis of Comparison	XLS	XLSX
Version	XLS is the older version of Microsoft Excel.	XLSX  is the latest version of Microsoft  Excel
Main Difference	XLS is the default file format for the 2003 version of Excel	XLSX is the file format for versions since 2007.
Storage of Information	XLS is based on BIFF (Binary Interchange File Format) and as such, information is directly stored to a binary format.	XLSX is based on the Office Open XML format, a file format that was derived from XML. The information in an XLSX file is stored in a text file that uses XML to define all its parameters.
Speed performance	XLS version of the file is faster especially on files that require the use of complex formula for a large set of data.	XLSX version of the file is slower especially on files that require use of complex formula for a large set of data.
Readability	XLS is readable by all Microsoft Excel versions.	XLSX is only readable by Microsoft Excel versions 2007 and onwards.
Capability	XLS is capable of holding the spreadsheets either containing Macros or not.	XLSX is not capable to support Macros.
Based On	XLS is a proprietary binary format.	XLSX is based on office open XML format.

Summary - What is the main difference between XLS and XLSX versions of Microsoft Excel?

XLSX and XLS files are Microsoft Excel spreadsheets commonly used to store financial data and to create mathematical models. These files store data in worksheets that contain cells arranged as a grid of rows and columns. Excel spreadsheets may also contain charts, mathematical functions and various kinds of cell formatting. Spreadsheets are often used in business contexts to store financial data and to perfom mathematical computations.

The main difference between XLS and XLSX is that XLS files use a proprietary binary format whereas, XLSX use a newer file format known as Open XML. Another difference is that the XLS extension is used by Microsoft Excel 2003 and earlier whereas the XLSX extension is used by Microsoft Excel 2007 and later.

If I was exposed to COVID-19, how long would it take for me to become sick?

The time between exposure to a contagious illness and the onset of symptoms is called the “incubation period.” Based on what has been seen previously with similar viruses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated the incubation period for COVID-19 to be from 2–14 days. It will depend on the viral load you are exposed too. It was reported that medical professionals exposed on small doses daily developed antibodies during the course of time... 

What kills coronavirus

The World Health Organization’s online information about coronavirus includes answers to questions about preventing its spread.

Following is the agency’s advice regarding what methods can and cannot kill the virus or otherwise prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Hand-washing: Frequent washing with soap and water is effective in killing the virus. The water does not need to be hot, though warm water improves the soap’s efficiency. Dry hands thoroughly with a towel, paper towel or hand dryer.

Hand sanitizers: As an alternative to soap and water, a sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol can be used. Most commonly available sanitizers have at least that much alcohol.

Masks: Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing. A healthy person needs to wear a mask only if taking care of a person with suspected coronavirus infection.  Follow proper procedure in putting on, removing and disposing of the masks, including washing hands with  soap and water before and after wearing a mask and not touching the front of a mask. Multiple masks are not more effective than one properly adjusted mask.

The best way to track coronavirus from safety

Besides the official WHO site two other sites are very good so far in tracking the coronavirus spread
1.
Coronavirus online dashboard

Track the coronavirus on a real-time map

The live dashboard pulls data from the World Health Organization (WHO) -- as well as the centers for disease control in the US, China and Europe -- to show all confirmed and suspected cases of coronavirus, along with recovered patients and deaths. The data is visualized through a real-time graphic information system (GIS) powered by Esri. 

2.

Worldometers

You can find all details and up-to date charts here about novel coronavirus also known as COVID-19

Goto Worldometers\Coronavirus

Cancer-fighting Compound May Reduce Fat

Cancer-fighting compound G-1 could decrease fat, according to a study done in obese mice, published in Science Translational Medicine.
Cancer-fighting Compound May Reduce Fat

Although G-1 is currently in phase 1 clinical trials for cancer, Prossnitz and his team are planning preclinical studies to use G-1 to fight fat in obese people.

Obesity affects 40% of adults in the United States, resulting in health conditions that include heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity and its related conditions far outweigh other causes of death. Current drugs for obesity don't effectively reduce it or have undesirable side effects.

Eric R. Prossnitz and his team have been studying GPER, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor that G-1 activates, because GPER affects certain breast cancer cells.

When breast cancer drugs like tamoxifen and fulvestrant block estrogen receptors in a cell's nucleus, they also activate GPER, which is found in cell membranes.

Prossnitz's previous studies showed that GPER may play a role in resistance to tamoxifen and similar drugs, and that led him to wonder how G-1 affects non-cancerous cells when estrogen is lacking.

Estrogen is considered a female hormone, although men produce it at low levels. Low estrogen in women is a hallmark of menopause, and postmenopausal women also have higher rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. So to understand whether G-1 might affect metabolism in postmenopausal women, Prossnitz and his team studied mice with low estrogen levels.

In their studies, low-estrogen female mice gained weight rapidly, even on a normal diet, and quickly became obese and diabetic. When the researchers treated these obese female mice with G-1, the mice lost weight and their diabetes went away.

The researchers determined that the weight loss wasn't due to the mice eating less or moving around more; it resulted from what their bodies did with the calories they ate. Instead of storing calories as fat, the mice used them as fuel.

"Their metabolism changed," Prossnitz says. "The mice showed an increased energy expenditure."

Prossnitz's team also studied male mice, which have naturally low levels of estrogen. The male mice were fed a high-fat diet, which made them obese and diabetic, and then some were treated with G-1.

Although the treated mice did not lose weight, they did not gain additional weight either, like the untreated mice. More importantly, their diabetes improved.

"This result suggests that G-1 has separate effects on obesity and diabetes," Prossnitz says. "The G-1-treated male mice were metabolically healthier, even though they were still obese."

Finally, the team also fed a high-fat diet to low-estrogen female mice. These mice became obese very quickly, but just like their sisters on a normal mouse diet, they lost weight and their diabetes improved when they were treated with G-1.

These results, says Prossnitz, could point to a sex difference in the effects of the drug or in the way GPER signals in the cells of males and females.

To learn about how G-1 increases energy expenditure, the team studied brown fat cells, which generate heat instead of storing excess calories as fat. What they found surprised them: when treated with G-1, the cells expended more energy.

"This fits nicely with what we saw in mice," Prossnitz says, "and suggests that G-1 may reduce obesity by targeting brown fat cells that burn extra calories."

In a future series of experiments, Prossnitz plans to study how signals from GPER induce the cellular changes that cause more energy to be used. He hopes that one day soon G-1 could revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disorders.

In the meantime, he and his team are starting the long path toward clinical trials that will test the ability G-1 to fight obesity and diabetes in people.

Protein therapy may improve heart attack outcomes

Heart disease remains the largest killer around the world and now researchers have found that a protein therapy -- recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-AB (rhPDGF-AB) -- could improve outcomes following heart attack.
After a heart attack, scar tissue forms and this negatively affects heart function, said the study, published in journal Science Translational Medicine.
In the study, researchers showed that infusing rhPDGF into participants that have had heart attacks improves the quality of the scar, leads to the formation of new blood vessels in the heart and reduced rates of dangerous heart arrhythmia (irregularities of heart rhythm that can cause sudden death).
Following heart attack, the heart muscle is damaged, causing thick scar tissue to form. This can limit the heart's ability to function efficiently, and can increase the risk of heart failure, and sudden cardiac death.
Current treatments aim to restore blood and the oxygen supply to the heart as quickly as possible to reduce scarring. While this improves clinical outcomes, up to a quarter of patients experiencing their first heart attack will develop heart failure within one year.

Prostate cancer symptoms

Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate — a small walnut-shaped gland in men. Symptoms of prostate cancer do not usually appear until the prostate is large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis. This can lead to a number of symptoms related to the bladder. One warning sign in particular can disrupt a person’s sleeping pattern.
According to the NHS, getting up more frequently to urinate during the night may signal the deadly disease. This is medically known as nocturia.
Other bladder-related symptoms include:

Needing to rush to the toilet
Difficulty in starting to urinate (hesitancy)
Straining or taking a long time while peeing
Weak flow
Feeling that a person’s bladder has not fully emptied
Blood in urine or blood in semen
According to Cancer Research UK, the above symptoms are much more likely to be the result of an enlarged prostate gland than cancer.

As men get older their prostate gland enlarges. It isn’t normally cancer but instead a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), notes the charity. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the medical term for an enlarged prostate.

The symptoms are similar because BPH is also caused by increased pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis.

However, if a person recognises any of the symptoms that could be caused by prostate cancer, a person should visit their GP, advised the NHS.

Who is at risk?

It is not clear what causes prostate cancer but certain factors may raise a person’s risk of developing the disease. According to Cancer Research UK, age is a significant risk factor. The disease is most common in men aged 75 to 79 years.

Other risk factors include:

Ethnic group – prostate cancer is more common among men of African-Caribbean and African descent than in Asian men
Family history – having a brother or father who developed prostate cancer before age 60 seems to increase a person’s risk of developing it; research also shows that having a close female relative who developed breast cancer may also increase a person’s risk of developing prostate cancer
Obesity – recent research suggests there may be a link between obesity and prostate cancer and a balanced diet and regular exercise may lower a person’s risk of developing prostate cancer
Diet – research is ongoing into the links between diet and prostate cancer and there is some evidence that a diet high in calcium is linked to an increased risk of developing prostate cancer
Interestingly, height may also raise a person’s risk. As Cancer Research UK explains, taller men have a higher risk than shorter men of getting a faster growing (high grade) prostate cancer or prostate cancer that has spread.

Eating a certain food may reduce a person’s risk of developing the disease.

How to test for prostate cancer

According to the NHS, there’s no single, definitive test for prostate cancer. “Your GP will discuss the pros and cons of the various tests with you to try to avoid unnecessary anxiety,” the health body explained.

A person’s GP is likely to:

Ask for a urine sample to check for infection
Take a blood sample to test your level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) – called PSA testing
Examine a person’s prostate by inserting a gloved finger into their bottom – called digital rectal examination

Eating mushrooms can reduce men's risk of prostate cancer, study reveals

Eating mushrooms can reduce men's risk of prostate cancer, study reveals

Researchers from Tohoku University suggest that consuming mushrooms on a regular basis reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men - especially those aged 50 or older

It’s a love or hate ingredient, but a new study has revealed a link between eating mushrooms and lower risk of prostate cancer.

Researchers from Tohoku University suggest that consuming mushrooms on a regular basis reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men - especially those aged 50 or older.

Dr Shu Zhang, who led the study, said: "Test-tube studies and studies conducted on living organisms have shown that mushrooms have the potential to prevent prostate cancer.

"However, the relationship between mushroom consumption and incident prostate cancer in humans has never been investigated before.

Scientists find 'cure' for cervical cancer in mice - and it could be tested in humans by 2024

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first cohort study indicating the prostate cancer-preventive potential of mushrooms at a population level.”

In the study, the researchers surveyed 36,499 men about their lifestyle choices including food consumption, psychical activity and smoking and drinking habits, and analysed their medical records.

The results revealed that overall, 3.3% of the participants developed prostate cancer during a follow-up period.

However, participants who ate mushrooms once or twice a week had an 8% lower risk of developing the disease, compared to those who ate mushrooms less than once a week.

Caribbean for all of us (The Best Beaches)

Image courtesy of Phil Thebault at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Best Beaches
Good beaches with soul-warming sun, crystal-clear waters, and fragrant sea air can be found on virtually every island of the Caribbean, with the possible exceptions of Saba (which has rocky shores) and Dominica (where the few beaches have dramatically black sands that absorb the hot sun).

Shoal Bay (Anguilla): This luscious stretch of silvery sand helped put Anguilla on the world-tourism map. Snorkelers are drawn to the schools of iridescent fish that dart among the coral gardens offshore. You can take the trail walk from Old Ta to little-known Katouche Beach, which offers perfect snorkeling and is also a prime site for a beach picnic under shade trees.

The Beaches of Antigua: Legend has it that there is a beach here for every day of the year, though we haven't bothered to confirm that by counting. Antiguans claim, with justifiable pride, that their two best beaches are Dickenson Bay, in the northwest corner of the island, and Half Moon Bay, which stretches for a white-sandy mile along the eastern coast. Most major hotels open directly onto a good beach, so chances are good yours will be built on or near a strip of white sand.

Palm Beach (Aruba): This superb white-sand beach put Aruba on the tourist map. Several publications, including Condé Nast Traveler, have hailed it as 1 of the 12 best beaches in the world. It's likely to be crowded in winter, but for swimming, sailing, or fishing, it's idyllic.

The Gold Coast (Barbados): Some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean lie along the so-called Gold Coast of Barbados, site of some of the swankiest deluxe hotels in the Northern Hemisphere. Our favorites include Paynes Bay, Brandon's Beach, Paradise Beach, and Brighton Beach, all open to the public.

Cane Garden Bay (Tortola, British Virgin Islands): One of the Caribbean's most spectacular stretches, Cane Garden Bay has 2km (1 1/4 miles) of white sand and is a jogger's favorite. It's a much better choice than more obvious (and more crowded) Magens Bay beach on neighboring St. Thomas.

Seven Mile Beach (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands): It's really about 9km (5 1/2 miles) long, but who's counting? Lined with condos and plush resorts, this beach is known for its array of watersports and its translucent aquamarine waters. Australian pines dot the background, and the average winter temperature of the water is a perfect 80°F (27°C).

The Beaches of the Dominican Republic: There are two great options here: the beaches of resort-riddled Punta Cana at the easternmost tip of the island, or those at Playa Dorada along the northern coast, which fronts the Atlantic. Punta Cana is a 32km (20-mile) strip of oyster-white sands set against a backdrop of palm trees, and Playa Dorada is filled with beaches of white or beige sands.

Grand Anse Beach (Grenada): This 3km (2-mile) beach is reason enough to go to Grenada. Although the island has some 45 beaches, most with white sand, this is the fabled one, and rightly so. There's enough space and so few visitors that you'll probably find a spot just for yourself. The sugary sands of Grand Anse extend into deep waters far offshore. Most of the island's best hotels are within walking distance of this beach strip.

Seven Mile Beach (Negril, Jamaica): In the northwestern section of the island, this beach stretches for 11km (6 3/4 miles) along the sea, and is backed by some of the most hedonistic resorts in the Caribbean. Not for the conservative, the beach also contains some nudist sections along with bare-all Booby Cay offshore.

Diamond Beach (Martinique): This bright, white-sandy beach stretches for about 10km (6 1/4 miles), much of it developed. It faces a rocky offshore island, Diamond Rock, which has uninhabited shores.

Luquillo Beach (Puerto Rico): This crescent-shaped public beach, 30 miles east of San Juan, is the local favorite. Much photographed because of its white sands and coconut palms, it also has tent sites and picnic facilities. The often-fierce waters of the Atlantic are subdued by the coral reefs protecting the crystal-clear lagoon.

St-Jean Beach (St. Barthélemy): A somewhat narrow, golden sandy beach, St-Jean is the gem of the island, reminiscent of the French Riviera (though you're supposed to keep your top on). Reefs protect the beach, making it ideal for swimming.

The Beaches of St. Maarten/St. Martin: Take your pick. This island, divided about equally between France and the Netherlands, has 39 white-sandy beaches. Our favorites include Dawn Beach, Mullet Bay Beach, Maho Bay Beach, and Great Bay Beach on the Dutch side. Orient Beach is another standout -- not because of its sands but because of the nudists.

Canouan (The Grenadines): Most of the other beaches recommended in this section have been discovered and may be crowded in winter. But if you're looking for an idyllic, secluded stretch of perfect white sand, head for the remote and tiny island of Canouan, one of the pearls of The Grenadines, a string of islands lying south of its parent, St. Vincent. You'll have the beaches and the crystal-clear waters to yourself, even in winter.

The Beaches of Tobago: For your Robinson Crusoe holiday in the southern Caribbean, head to the little island of Tobago. Even Trinidadians fly over here on weekends to enjoy the beach life. It doesn't get any better than a long coral beach called Pigeon Point on the northwestern coast. Other good beaches on Tobago include Back Bay (site of an old coconut plantation) and Man-O-War Bay, known for its beautiful natural harbor and long stretch of sand.

Grace Bay Beach (Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands): These 19km (12 miles) of pale sands are the pride of Provo; Condé Nast Traveler has called this one of the world's best beaches. It's such a spectacular setting that increasing numbers of resorts, including Club Med, have sprung up along the shore. A couple of miles out from the northern shore, the beach is fringed by a reef with fabulous snorkeling. Back on land, there are plenty of places where you can rent watersports equipment.

Trunk Bay (St. John): Protected by the U.S. National Park Service, this beach is one of the Caribbean's most popular. A favorite with cruise-ship passengers, it's known for its underwater snorkeling trail, where markers guide you along the reef just off the white sands; you're sure to see a gorgeous rainbow of tropical fish.