Keeping the aging voice spry

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ― Aging baby boomers have long used exercise, surgery and collagen as they try to slow the natural bodily processes of aging.Now, some are flocking to do the same with something that’s usually a dead giveaway: a voice that sounds “old.”Research shows that older peoples’ voices often develop breathiness, weakness and loss or range or quality from causes that include disease, changed use of their voices, and the condition called presbylaryngis, also known as “aging of the larynx.

April 5, 2012

Acute epiglottitis

The epiglottis is located above the larynx, and plays a key role in keeping food out of the airway by covering the larynx when we swallow. Acute epiglottitis is an acute inflammation of the epiglottis, which mainly occurs due to infection with Haemophilus influenzae. Patients risk having their breathing obstructed if they are faced with severe edema or swelling of the larynx. Because of this, acute epiglottitis is often considered an emergency condition. Time and age of onset Epiglottitis occurs

April 5, 2012

Essential tips on yellow dust

April is a cruel month for many Koreans since yellow dust fills the air, causing illnesses. The Korea Meteorological Administration said two or three intense dust storms originating from Chinese deserts generally hit Korea every year. “In spring, always be aware of weather forecasts,” a KMA spokesman said. According to scientists, the density of dust in the air during the season is 29 times greater than usual. Particles, including heavy metals, can cause numerous ailments.  Here are some guideli

April 5, 2012

Life may 'hide' beneath Jupiter moon crust

Extraterrestrial life in the solar system may be hiding beneath the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa, safe from blasts of radiation, U.S. researchers say.Graphic image of Jupiter (MCT)The frozen moon is subject to constant and significant blasts of radiation from Jupiter's magnetic field that could annihilate life at shallow depths, so scientists are conducting an experiment to determine how dee

April 5, 2012

Facebook responds to Yahoo patent lawsuit with counterclaims

Facebook Inc., operator of the world’s biggest social-networking site, accused Yahoo! Inc. of infringing 10 patents through its home page and Flickr photo- sharing service and in ads displayed throughout its site. Facebook, which was sued by Yahoo for patent infringement last month, made the counterclaims in a federal court filing in San Francisco. Facebook denied stealing Yahoo’s technology, saying its rival’s patents are either invalid or its claims legally barred and the lawsuit should be dis

April 4, 2012

Discovery of an 'alien earth' imminent?

The first planet that can be considered a true "alien Earth" will probably be discovered in the next two years, a NASA scientist says.An artist's rendering of a satellite above the Earth. (AFP)Astronomers have so far found more than 750 so-called "exoplanets" orbiting distant stars, and NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has identified 2,300 possible "candidates" that will require analysis and further

April 4, 2012

Smithsonian showcases replica of monster snake

A prehistoric monster snake the length of a school bus, which probably fed on supersized turtles and crocodiles, has made its way to the Smithsonian Institution for an exhibit opening Friday. A boy stands next to a life-size replica of Titanoboa at Smithsonian museum. (Bloomberg)The National Museum of Natural History is featuring a life-size replica of Titanoboa along with a cast of its large vert

April 3, 2012

Spy robot can jump 30 feet straight up

The U.S. Army has tested a reconnaissance robot that can jump 30 feet into the air, high enough to vault into a second story window, its maker says.(YouTube)Developed by Massachusetts firm Boston Dynamics, with U.S. Army funding, the tiny robot -- looking something like a radio-controlled model car minus its body -- can stop, stand up and launch itself with a CO2-powered piston, The Christian Scie

April 3, 2012

Flying car gets closer to reality with test flight

Flying cars aren’t just science fiction anymore.Woburn, Massachusetts-based Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its prototype flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle -- dubbed the Transition -- has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. Last month, it flew at 4

April 3, 2012

More people take longer-lasting options to replace missing teeth

DETROIT ― She wasn’t even wearing heels. But on the sidewalk near the Southfield, Mich., law firm where she works, Arlene Bordman’s loafer got stuck in a crack and “I went right over and landed on my mouth.” A few weeks later, she felt something rattling and loose in her upper jaw. Her dentist ended up pulling out her upper four front teeth, just six weeks before her son’s May 30 wedding.Bordman, 68, of West Bloomfield, Mich., got through the wedding wearing a flipper: fake front teeth attached

March 29, 2012

Functional dyspepsia

Most people have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as digestive disturbances, abdominal pain, vomiting and heart burn. When these symptoms come up, it’s best to take clinical laboratory tests. This is because Korean people are particularly vulnerable to stomach cancer and gastric ulcers. If you visit our outpatient clinic with these complaints, we will provide clinical laboratory tests as hepatic function tests, blood tests, urinalysis, stool examination, upper gastrointestinal endoscop

March 29, 2012