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There’s good news and bad news about adult stem cells. The good news is that human trials are officially here for adult stem cell research. As of April 1, 2009, the first stroke patient was treated with his own stem cells. The bad news is that even if his treatment proves to be successful, researchers will still be prompted to run Phase II trials and Phase III trials to determine long-term safety. It could be another 10 years before stem cell therapies are FDA-approved for the masses. Even so, the portent for this relatively new field of medicine is rather exciting.

There are some advantages to using adult stem cells over embryo-derived stem cells. For one, adult cells are easier to harvest, as they can come from skin, muscle, bone marrow and fat. Often those treated with their own stem cells will not suffer immune system rejection. It’s also easier to encourage these already specialized cells to differentiate the way the scientists want them to, which is impressive considering they’re still not 100% sure what causes a cell to become a certain organ or tissue. Lastly, donated adult stemcells clear up the stem cell controversy surrounding the destruction of human embryos in the name of science.

Researchers in China and the US say that adult stem cells could be the key to improving fertility in females. Preliminary testing on mice also shows promise for repairing nerves damaged by multiple sclerosis or corneal defects. Despite the promising findings, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge of the MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London warns, “Except at Disney World, humans are not large mice. This is another chapter in what has been a very controversial story, where some scientists have gone against the dogma which states that in mammals, such as mice and humans, all the progenitor germ cells that could give rise to eggs have already done so by birth.”

While the promise of stem cell therapies is a beacon of hope for many patients, there are some disadvantages to using adult stem cells. It can be difficult to get mass quantities of adult cells and the cells scientists do get normally do not live as long in cultures, as do the fetal stem cells. Previously, it was believed that adult stem cells were not as flexible as embryonic cells and were difficult to reprogram to differentiate into other tissue types, although recent research refutes that claim.

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Researchers have been studying fetal stem cells in animals for more than twenty years and in humans for more than ten years now. The reason our earliest embryonic cells were of interest to scientists is that they possess this incredible ability to repair, replenish and replicate. As you know, what begins as a bundle of undifferentiated cells later becomes the kidneys, the lungs, the heart, the muscles, the bones, the brain, the blood and the immune system; the complete human. Can we harness the secrets behind early reproduction to help us in our later years, when injury and disease ravage our less flexible bodies? Recent stem cell research has indicated that the adult stem cell carries far more importance than was previously understood.

To be considered an embryonic stem cell, a young cell must be located in the inner mass of the blastocyst. By contrast, the adult stem cell is not characterized by its origin. To be considered stem cells adult variety, the cell must have the ability to differentiate and must be able to self-renew for the lifetime of its host. Scientists are always discovering new locations of adult stem cells, which have grown from the spinal cord and the bone marrow to include the brain, the blood vessels, the hair follicle, skeletal muscle, fat, the skin’s epithelia, the digestive system, the cornea, the retina, the peripheral blood, the teeth, the liver and the pancreas.

One of the most exciting adult stem cell discoveries occurred in 2008 when researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California coaxed mouse brain stemcells to differentiate into support cells and function with the surrounding neuronal network. When pampered in a Petri dish, scientists found that they could encourage oligodendrocyte cells to form the fatty myelin sheath that speeds up the transfer of electrical signals along the axons. They could also stimulate cellular growth in the hippocampus; the brain’s center for memories and learning. Scientists hope this research can provide a breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, stroke and epilepsy.

There are a few challenges to working with the adult stem cell. If used outside the body, scientists must take great care to ensure the culture is 100% germ-free and pure. In many studies using mice, the cultures have been only 80% pure. As an organism ages, there are a number of factors that could jeopardize the purity of the stem cell sample, such as exposure to toxins, disease or DNA errors, for instance. Great care must also be taken to ensure that cells replicate as needed and don’t go crazy to form cancerous tumors. Since the immune system is trained to attack any foreign invaders, any stem cell transplants may be subject to intense scrutiny, even if it is derived from one’s own cells. Despite these challenges, there is much to be excited about in the field of adult stem cell research.

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In general, the majority of the population has heard of astral projection. They may have heard of it from a reading a book, watching a movie or from an enlightened friend. However, it seems very few know that astral projection is a genuine occurrence. It is something that we can all naturally do. You may have even projected and never realize that you did so. Many people do.

You need to understand what astral projection really is. Astral projection is the ability of an individual to leave his or her body. Everyone has the ability to do this; everyone does this when he or she lay down to sleep at night. While sleeping the physical mind is resting and the subconscious mind takes control. A person astral projects while this is happening. However, the majority may never remember astral projecting.

While you are projecting, you can go anywhere you want to go. You should try recalling your childhood; you may be able to remember being able to do this after you went to sleep. Over time, you may have forgotten. When it involves astral projection there is no such thing as time or distance. You can go anywhere, since while asleep your physical body is at rest and your astral body travels.

The next question is what the astral body is. It is the ethereal body. The astral body is the invisible duplicate of the body. It houses all our desires and feelings. Does the astral body leave and not return? A silver cord connects the physical and astral bodies together.

This silver cord was connected the first time the astral body entered the physical body and can not be severed until the astral body leaves the physical body for the last time, death. It is the silver cord that prevents the astral body from straying away.

Another question that many have is where do you go when you astral project? The astral body goes to the astral plane, which is the ‘body double’ of the Earth. This vibrates faster then the physical Earth and those vibrations penetrate to the Earth’s core. Others define the astral plane as another dimension of reality. Most will agree though that there is more then one level to the astral plane.

It is only natural at this point to question whether or not there are any dangers to astral projection. The answer is yes and no. We have established that astral projection is something everyone is capable of doing. We have also stated that there isn’t a way that the astral body can leave the physical body and not come back. But as with anything you do, you need to keep your head about you. This means that you need to make sure you have solid thinking skills so that you are going where you want and you know what you want.

Astral projection can be dangerous if you practice it with an unsound mind. Anyone under the influence of drugs and alcohol can wind up involved in an undesirable predicament at lower levels of the astral plane.

The key to astral projection involves knowing what it is you are doing and where you want to go while doing it. You must have complete control of what your astral body may be doing, since your thoughts control your projection experiences.

If you prepare yourself properly beforehand you can find yourself able to astral project very quickly. There are a number of professionals in the field of astral projection that teach different techniques to help a person gain that control and have a better experience, though most prefer to astral project on their own at home.

There are many books and other resources you can find online. For example, listening to a good quality astral projection hypnosis recording will create the correct state of mind needed. It will get you fully relaxed as well as going through the stages with you. The advantage of this rather than a professional session is that you can keep playing the recording several times until your subconscious mind gets the message that it is perfectly okay for you to leave your body.

There have been great advances recently in a sound technology called ‘binaural beats’. This works by playing slightly different sound frequencies in each ear. This has the effect of very quickly relaxing you into a deep state of meditation which is necessary for successful astral projection.

Don’t get frustrated if you are not able to successfully astral project the first time or even the second or third time. This is something that you must practice. It is not an ability that you have to acquire, we are all capable of doing it, many have just forgotten how and need to fine tune the natural skill.

Still not convinced? When was the last time you dreamt of flying or felt as though you were falling? The flying was the astral body moving through the astral planes. The falling sensation came when you noticed that astral body coming back to the physical body. Astral projection is real! Anyone can do it and benefit from it, if they take the time to fine tune their natural ability.

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The world of microscopes has come a long way since light microscopy was first invented. Nowadays, the world is cluttered with different types of microscope for different uses. If you are trying to figure out which type of microscope is best, then a little research is essential. However, the world of the microscope is so intriguing that you will not have any issues deciding which of these devices is best.

Microscopes for those who are hobbyists are the simple light microscope of their high school days. These are relatively inexpensive, and most have a simple light source already in the device. You can look at simple items that are mainly transparent, such as cells and bacterium, with this sort of microscope. Nonetheless, if you want to see solid objects, like a coin, then this is not the right scope for you. On the other hand, if you purchase pre-loaded microscope slides, then a light microscope is the ideal device for viewing them.

The laser confocal microscope and the transmission electron microscope are among several other types of magnifying instruments available. Both of these are made exclusively for use by researchers and scientists. In order to view the microscope images, electron scopes utilize a vacuum and a high voltage electron gun which makes them extremely expensive to buy and operate. A confocal microscope employs different types of lasers to help you see the fantastic fluorescence images that can be sent to a computer monitor. Once again, these are very costly devices but they give scientists the opportunity to view images that no other microscope could do. In addition, a few other types of scopes include the inverted microscope, the compound microscope and the atomic force microscope.

Microscopes provide a way for folks all over the world to see into the world of the invisible. No matter if you are looking at a blood cell or a deadly disease under a microscope, the thing to remember is that this may be the next Noble Prize winning discovery about to happen. Cultivating a childs interest in science can only prove to be a good thing for both parents and teachers alike. That is why choosing the right microscope for your budding scientist will take time and effort, in order to come away with the best magnifying instrument for the job.

Technorati Tags: atomic force microscope, compound microscope, confocal microscope, inverted microscope, microscope images, microscope slides, microscopes, transmission electron microscope

Just imagine if we lived in a world where surgical loupes or the dental microscope had not yet been invented. Would you like to have a surgeon or a dentist operate on you without the benefit of these items? Microscopes are essential to diagnosing abnormalities. The difference between the levels of treatment received is influenced by the ability of the doctor to see. Exploring a few ways these items are used to enable doctors and dentists to perform the surgeries and treatments needed will help you to understand the importance of magnification in medicine.

Surgical loupes have proven their ability to help the dental and medical fields immensely. Without the use of these loupes, there are many things that would escape the human eye. Microsurgery, one of the most delicate surgeries using miniature instruments is one use that definitely would not be viable without the ability to magnify the area for the surgeon. This surgery is often used for eye operations, ear surgery and the reattachment of limbs.

Magnification abilities will cause either the complete success, or the utter failure of a medical procedure which calls for it. Surgical Loupes have the ability to magnify an entire area, and are used a lot for cosmetic dentistry, along with movable dental microscopes. There’s a flip-up type of microscope which allows a dentist to alter those levels of magnification at will, and won’t have any trouble doing so.

These Surgical Operating Microscopes, also known as surgical loupes have been in existence since the 1960’s, but they have received several upgrades and augmentations over that period of time to raise the magnification level. An endodontist utilizes this type of dental microscope to see within a tooth. Sensitive tissue resides within a tooth, and it is filled with blood vessels and nerves. If the technology did not exist, then such an area would be completely invisible to a dentist.

Illumination and magnification is needed for doctors that are versed in the treatment of ear nose and throat conditions. Microscopes such as this have a straight head instead of an angled one. The focal lens on these is completely unlike the normal microscopes, and the part can be switched out along with the lens. This is the method used to change the magnification level.

Among the advantages of such microscopes in the capability to manipulate the levels of focus utilizing your foot. With a tiltable main head, a doctor has the ability to rotate that head up to 180 degrees. A binocular head will supply much needed magnification, and there are many add-ons which can be purchased for the microscope that enhance it’s overall use.

Other types of surgical loupes or microscopes are used by ophthalmologists. They are necessary for surgeries that correct problems of the eyes. Also used for lasik surgery which is becoming more popular with those who need corrective surgery to improve their sight, these microscopes are becoming quite commonplace.

Magnification is very important, especially in the medical field when it comes to making the right diagnosis!

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Many celebrities have admitted that much of their success is down to ‘cosmic ordering’, but what is it?

If you have seen the film ‘the secret’ or have heard about the law of attraction, you will know something about this, but advanced cosmic ordering allows you to decide specifically on things that you want in your life.

Suppose for a moment that you had access to a cosmic ordering service and if you wanted something, all you had to do was think of it and it would appear before you. That would be amazing, wouldn’t it? The incredible thing is that every one of us can already do this - but most of us, even with limitless options continue to choose the same thing over and over again.

Look at life as a menu containing every possible food - but you just look at one line of that menu and keep ordering the bread every time! Maybe you just haven’t bothered to investigate the possibilities; or you feel like you only deserve what you already have.

Picture yourself wealthy. Picture yourself running, dancing, climbing mountains and driving the most luxurious car. Picture yourself constantly on vacation with a private jet and rooms at only the best of hotels.

If you can hold this image in your mind for a few minutes, you are already on your way to making it happen. Most of us have difficulty even visualizing this - let alone the idea of cosmic ordering, which seems entirely out of reach to many of us. So just what is cosmic ordering?

Advanced cosmic ordering is really for the majority of people who have not yet been successful at cosmic ordering. It basically means reprogramming your subconscious mind to clear all the negative programming which you have been subjected to since you were a child.

Most of us simply internalize this negative thinking and as a result hold the belief that it is just not possible for everyone to live the good life. Feeling like you don’t deserve success is terrible; and envying others’ success only makes it worse.

Thinking that you don’t deserve better makes it very hard for you to do better for yourself, even when the opportunity is right there in front of you.

Quantum physics is a scientific field which has opened new possibilities for thinking about the Universe. The rules are different than in the physics you remember from school and can be used a s a way to think about why some are more successful than others.

Your brain emits energy which is capable of affecting the smallest particle known to man - the quark. When a quark leaps from one level to another, it is called a quantum leap. When this change happens, the quark changes the properties of the atom containing it. Just think - if your mind can influence this change, than you can accomplish anything!

Many of us don’t think that you can actually change your circumstances by changing the way you think about them. They might have tried to do this once themselves - but without believing that it can work, the results are not going to be good. Quantum physics has shown us that observers can change the outcome of a process simply by observing it. If you watch something happen without believing that it can really happen, then it very likely won’t; you will then have negatively affected the outcome of that process by acting as an observer.

With instruction and practice, you can use the cosmic ordering system to get what you want; this is something which the ancients knew. The cosmic ordering system is a part of every religion in the form of prayer. But most of us listen to neither what religion or science has to tell us and instead continue to lead unsatisfying lives.

Teaching your mind to ask for the things which are best for you takes practice; and you must first clear away the negative thought patterns which have been ingrained in you. Now there are many ways to speedup this process and let you clear away your old unsuccessful thought and behavior patterns.

Advanced cosmic ordering uses new developments in audio technology. By listening to special frequencies called binaural tones, you can tune your brain waves to the necessary frequency to communicate with the universe. This is the state which Buddhist monks spend years of meditation trying to reach.

In combination with subliminal affirmations and self-hypnosis recordings, binaural sound helps you get rid of negative patterns and begin seeing results fast.

Advanced cosmic ordering can work for you. Once you master the techniques, everything you want will begin coming your way - but you’ll have to work at it too.

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Astronomy is a fun science filled with many astronomy fun facts.  Everything from the size and temperature of our own star, the Sun, to the makeup of distant planets is recorded.  All of this information can be recalled to entertain and enlighten people.

The Sun is a great source of astronomy fun facts. Our own star that supplies our heat and light is between 91 and 94.5 million miles from Earth. It’s not that nobody knows for certain. It’s that the Earth orbits the sun in an elliptical, uneven, orbit. The distance varies depending on where the Earth lies in that orbit.

The sun is only average size for a star, yet it’s size is another terrific source of astronomy fun facts. As average as it is it accounts for about 98% of all the matter in the solar system. Even with Jupiter on our side, we’re still a measly 2% of non “the sun” stuff. It would take about 100 Earths to make it across this average sun. The solar wind produced by the sun extends to about 50 times the distance from the Earth to the sun from the sun. In other words those solar winds go out about 50 AU’s, with an AU being the distance from the Earth to the sun. That’s amazing.

Shall we turn to some astronomy fun facts that don’t have to do with the sun?  What about the moon?  It’s the only non-Earth object upon which man has walked.  One earthly traveler visited the moon and never came back.  Dr. Eugene Shoemaker  was rejected as an astronaut.  In 1999, after his death of course, his ashes were spread onto the moon.

There are even more astronomy fun facts covering the moon.  It’s the site of what may become the oldest footprint.  Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” left a print in the moon dust that will like still be there in 10 million years.  Many people, in fact about 13% of those asked in 1988, still believe the moon is made of cheese.  The astronauts who walked on the moon wore suits that weighed 180 pounds on earth but a mere 30 pounds on the lunar surface.  That is a big difference.

Fun facts about astronomy aren’t limited to our close neighbors. Looking at stars is like looking into the past. Some of the stars we see today in the night sky are so far away that light takes a million years to reach us from them. Some of those stars you see may really be images of stars a million years old that aren’t even there in the present. There are over 1 x 10 ^22 stars in the universe. That’s a 1 followed by 22 zeros. The number is staggering.

Astronomy fun facts can go on forever. But this article can’t. So get out there and learn about astronomy.

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It is a well known fact that most humans use only about 10% of their potential mindpower. It’s something staggering to think about; how high must our potential be if we only use this small fraction of our minds! What could you accomplish if you were able to use 100% of your mind?

The scientific opinion has long been that those who have psychic abilities and extra sensory perception are able to use these abilities by tapping into those great unused mental reserves. Some seem to have been born with these abilities, while others learn later on in life how to start using this potential mindpower.

Mind Power - Although the process is far from fully understood, the latest advances in quantum physics are beginning to reveal the true nature of the link between what we think and what we experience in ‘real’ life.

Some studies even point towards the ability of our own minds to change reality. Our minds may be molded by the world less that they mold it, it seems.

And with films such as ‘The Secret’ which explains the theory of the law of attraction, people are realizing that by changing the way they see things and by using their mindpower, they can attract abundance and anything they want into their life.

The law of attraction is all about cause and effect. The principle holds that our thoughts have no less of an effect than our physical actions and that focused thoughts can attract outcomes to us.

The subconscious mind appears to be out means of communicating with the universe and channeling universal energy as well as being the source of psychic abilities like telepathy.

In order to develop your mindpower, you need to get your conscious and subconscious minds in communication with each other. There a number of different methods to build this link and help you increase your mindpower.

Affirmations:- Affirmations are a well known positive thinking technique. When you repeat a positive affirmation to yourself, your subconscious begins to understand and begin using your untapped mindpower and start making your wishes a reality.

So if someone needed more self esteem for example, they would keep repeating to themselves at various times throughout the day something like: ‘I am a confident person’ ‘I deserve to be happy’ etc. Or they may wish to change a bad habit which would involve them repeating to themselves: ‘I always eat sensibly’ or ‘I no longer feel the need for a cigarette’.

Affirmations produce results with repetition. You need to repeat the message until it reaches your subconscious and begins to make you change your behavior to get the results you’ve wanted.

Follow this line of reasoning and you’ll see that you can change everything – not just your own behavior but reality itself can be molded by your own mindpower!

Visualization:- Visualization is another effective method of developing mindpower. You just need to close your eyes and start to see the results you want to achieve. Your subconscious mind will pick up on these images and begin to start making them a reality. Whatever you want, you can visualize it and your subconscious can begin to set events in motion to make it happen. Anything you focus your visualizations on will become a reality.

You can use visualization to help you develop some of the psychic abilities which are naturally present in every human being. You can visualize yourself predicting the future or communicating via telepathy. If you keep practicing, visualization can bring these latent abilities to the surface and increase your mindpower even further.

Hypnosis:- Hypnosis has long been known as a way to communicate with the subconscious and to increase mindpower. A hypnotist can give suggestions to your subconscious which it will act on.

You don’t necessarily have to go to a professional hypnotist either. You can use the technique of self hypnosis, listening to a hypnotherapy session which has been recorded. This is far cheaper than going to a hypnotist yourself and of course, you can use this recording anytime you like.

Brainwave entrainment:- This is an audio technology which uses specially recorded frequencies to synchronize your brainwaves to improve memory, alleviate pain or any number of other beneficial effects.

There are frequencies which help your mind to reach the meditative state needed to communicate with your subconscious and develop your mindpower.

Other frequencies can stimulate the parts of your body known as the chakra energy centers. There is a chakra in the center of your forehead called the third eye chakra which is responsible for psychic powers.

There are psychic powers which are latent in all of us. However, your mindpower needs to be enhanced before these abilities can be unlocked and developed. Otherwise, these capabilities remain deep in the subconscious and are unused.

So when we talk about developing mindpower we really mean unlocking all of the latent powers and true potential of every human being.

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