Japanese Scientists Unveil Sci-Fi Wheelchair

A new type of wheelchair has been developed by robotics experts in Japan, and it so advanced that it has been dubbed as something coming from sci-fi movies. The prototype of the wheelchair was unveiled by its creators last week. Dubbed the “Rodem,” the wheelchair does not look anything like its traditional counterpart. In fact, it looks more like a scooter than a wheelchair.

The Rodem has four wheels, and the user has to ride astride – much like riding a scooter. In order to steer the scooter, the user has to use a joystick, making the operation of the chair much easier for the user. More so, the design makes it easier for health care specialists to move their patients onto the chair. In fact, those who can move on their own will also find it easier to move onto and off of the wheel chair.

The inventors of the Rodem come from Tmsuk Co., a Japanese robotics company, and researchers from 10 universities and other research institutes. Makoto Hashizume, the head of Veda International Robot Research and Development Centre, says:

“I believe this is a whole new idea for a wheelchair. With this vehicle, users can move around more freely and more actively without much help from other people.”

Indeed, while the chair is primarily meant for health care purposes, the inventors say that it can also be used by people who simply want to ride. Veda says that they are not planning on manufacturing the chair commercially for now but that they will consider talking with private companies from various countries.

Green Tea Coke, Anyone?

Why not? Coke comes in various flavors, or versions if you want to call it that. We have the regular Coke, then we have Coke Light, and then there is Coke Zero. I personally prefer the regular (REAL) Coke, but hey, each to his own, right?

In Japan, they will soon get another option – Green Tea Coke. Katsuya Sato, the spokesman for Coca-Cola Japan Co., said late last week that they are going to launch a new product on June 8. This “new” Coke is going to have some tea antioxidants called catechins. Adding the catechins to the soda will not only give it the benefits that antioxidants normally give, but also provide a tea-like aftertaste.

And what is the rationale behind this? After all, most people I know drink Coke not because they want to stay healthy. We all know that it is NOT really a health drink, right? Well, Sato says that they are trying to target women who are in their 20s and 30s, who may be health-conscious. And while Coke is not really a health drink, providing the option of a somewhat healthy version will cater to people who want their soda and drink it too!

By the way, Coke is not the only soda company in Japan taking this route. In fact, fierce rival Pepsi is also coming up with their own exotic drink: basil-flavored Pepsi. Now I don’t know about that. I have always liked Coke but I don’t mind drinking Pepsi when I have to, but basil-flavored soda? I’ll pass.

Teenager May Be Japan’s First Swine Flu Case

The uproar over swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, has been going on for days now. As current strain of flu virus originates from Mexico, people in Asia are not as exposed to risk as our western brothers. However, due to the ease of travel from any part of the world today, there really is no guarantee that the virus will not reach the farthest corners of the world.

Japan, in particular, might have its first case of swine flu. Bloomberg reports:

Japan’s Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said a 17-year-old boy may be the country’s first swine-flu case.

The teenager, a high-school student from Yokohama, near Tokyo, visited the western Canadian province of British Columbia from April 10 to 25, according to public broadcaster NHK, which televised the news conference by Masuzoe this morning.

The youth underwent a medical checkup yesterday after coming down with a fever and cough. Preliminary tests suggested he may have swine flu, NHK reported.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo is conducting additional tests to confirm the diagnosis, the report said.

With everyone as alert as they are at the moment, people arriving at international airports are scrutinized closely for any possible signs of flu. As a matter of fact, another woman arriving from Los Angeles was suspected to have the flu as well. After further tests, however, it turned out that she had another strain of flu.

While you are probably safe if you have not traveled to high risk areas or have no plans of traveling in the near future, it is always wise to employ good hygiene practices.

In vitro Egg in Wrong Womb

It is pretty believable when a man says that a baby might not be his but to hear a pregnant woman say that the baby she’s carrying might not be hers sounds incredoulous, however, that is exactly what happened in the Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital.

Last September a woman in her early 20s became pregnant thanks to in vitro fertilisation. She was quite happy about it until medical tests suggested that it was very much unlikely that the eggs implanted in her uterus was hers. The woman opted for an abortion at nine weeks and is now seeking $215,000 as compensation for damages.

According to the hospital director, Yuzo Matsumoto, the mistake may have have happened because “”the in vitro procedures are carried out in sequence one after the other… eggs from one procedure may have accidentally been left over and used in the following procedure.”

If you are planning on undergoing fertility treatments you shouldn’t really be scared about this happening since this incident is actually very uncommon. In fact, this is the first time an incident like this has been reported. To be on the safe side you might want to ask about the procedure followed by the clinic you’re visiting. A good clinic will always give you answers and if you are uncomfortable about anything then voice your concern or find another place and doctor to accommodate your needs.

Melamine Scare Hits Japan

Weeks after the initial fracas about the tainted milk products from China hit the world, things have died down a bit. I still see milk and other dairy products on sale in supermarkets today. Though they most probably do NOT contain melamine, it is imperative for the sellers to lower their prices in order to attract people who might otherwise stay away from these products due to the scare.

In Japan, however, a recent discovery has reawakened the fears of a lot of people. A popular pizza chain, Saizeriya, discovered that the dough they have been using contained traces of melamine. This was because they used milk powder to make the dough. Apparently, the milk powder was imported from China.

If you remember, melamine is known to have made countless babies sick in China. Melamine is a chemical that is used to manufacture various industrial products, most of which is plastic. You can just imagine what this kind of chemical can do to one’ health.

In any case, the pizza chain is reported to have stated that the tainted ingredient was imported way before the Japanese government put high restrictions on goods imported from China. If there is a good side to this story, it is that the amount of powdered milk used in the pizza dough is not enough to make the melamine amounts toxic. In fact, not a single person has been reported to be affected by the contaminated pizza dough.

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Spa

Do you love wine and other similar drinks that contain alcohol? Do you like relaxing in the great outdoors? Do you like hot springs? Do you like being pampered? If you answered yes to these questions, then I suggest trying out the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Spa . This place is one of a kind. Located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the spa offers a wonderful experience to suit all sorts of tastes.

They have over 25 water attractions which will definitely give visitors what they want. The main attraction is called The God’s Aegean Sea and it is “composed of three islands with relaxing spa waters. The God’s Aegean Sea also includes a variety of water massaging devices. Also, experience the wonder and drama of dynamic special effects by a fully illuminated water screen high above on the ceiling.”

What appeals more to me, though, is the Wine Spa. The Spa’s web site describes it as:

A unique spa containing real red wine. The huge wine bottle is 3.6m tall and is very remarkable. Bathing in wine is a rejuvenation treatment for the body, and it has been said that the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra loved to bath in wine. There are regular performances of pouring real wine into the spa a few times a day.

Ok, I thought Cleopatra bathed in milk but oh well, a bath in wine is something that any wine-loving person should experience, don’t you think?

Another interesting feature is the Coffee Spa. Caffeine junkies should not miss out on this. Naturally, the bath is made of coffee in hot spring water. I think I shall spend some time dipping in wine and then wake myself up with a dip at the Coffee Spa.

Take your pick!

Is Sushi Good For You?

I finally satisfied my sushi craving the other day when I went out to eat with several friends. It was actually a funny meal because I had just spent the whole afternoon at the hospital getting some tests done and then met up with my friends for dinner. While gorging ourselves on the delectable pieces of sushi that the chef whipped up, we found ourselves talking about the health benefits of sushi.

Does sushi really have health benefits or is it just good to eat?

Well if you think about it, sushi is simply rice and fish. Of course, different varieties would have vegetables, other kinds of seafood, and sometimes sesame seed. Whether the fish is cooked or not, the fact that sushi has very low fat content remains the same. More so, sushi also has low cholesterol and caloric content. That is good, isn’t it?

In addition to these things, having seafood as the main ingredient implies another healthy reason to eat sushi. Certain seafood have a healthy does of Omega-3 fatty acids. Technical term aside, this simply means that seafood is good for your heart! As such, sushi is not only low in fat and other “bad” stuff, but it also has something good for your body!

Last, take a look at vegetables and the seaweed that is used to wrap the sushi in. These ingredients are definitely high in nutrients and other healthy things (notice that I cannot enumerate them). Cheryl Koch over at Yahoo Health says that phytochemicals are present as well.

I guess I have presented my argument quite convincingly, huh? Sushi is indeed good for the health.

Photo courtesy of breezeDebris

Sushi Safety: Parasites?

Alright, mercury I can take, but parasites? I have heard stories of people getting sick because of parasites but I have always thought that they were merely urban legends. When I ran across Ross Christensen’s series of posts on “How Safe Is Your Sushi?”, I realized just how serious this issue can be. In the course of my research, I also ran across other articles with opposing views.

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, encourages others to go ahead and eat sushi. She states:

• Order sushi from reputable restaurants, where the restaurant and fish provider follow food safety standards. You can ask if the fish has been previously frozen.
• Completely cooked is always the safest way to eat fish
• The FDA recommends that you don’t risk eating raw fish if you’re pregnant or have a compromised immune system.
• Don’t make your own sushi with raw fish unless you can freeze the fish for more than 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

On the other hand, Michael Vaughn is strongly opposed to eating raw fish himself:

It’s not that I’m opposed to it; I’ve just been working in the seafood industry for too long that the thought of eating sashimi and raw-form sushi gives me the willies.

That’s not to say that he discourages others from doing it. He has some nice tips in his article as well.

So it’s up to you. Should you eat raw fish? I personally think that if you like it, go ahead. You should just follow the suggestions provided by experts. The Japanese have been eating sushi all their lives – how many people do you know have had cases of parasite infection because of it?

Photo courtesy of Giant Gingko

Sushi Safety: On Mercury

As you can probably surmise by now, my craving for sushi has not abated. This is due to the fact that I haven’t had the chance to get me some! In any case, I thought that it would be apt to talk more about sushi in the next few posts.

Did you know that there have been safety concerns regarding sushi? I suppose this issue is inevitable – raw fish, hello? If you do a search on Google or any other search engine using the term “sushi mercury” you will get a lot of results. This is because early this year, a lot of fuss was made over the levels of mercury that can be found in raw tuna, which is one of the most commonly used ingredients for sushi.

As recent as January of this year, MSNBC published an article detailing the potential dangers of this wonderful food:

Lab tests commissioned by the New York Times found so much mercury in tuna in 20 Manhattan restaurants and stores that eating six pieces a week would exceed acceptable levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the newspaper reported.

So should we be concerned? I don’t think so:

Sushi tuna is most often linked to high levels of mercury, but don’t panic if you’ve eaten a lot recently. According to the Food and Drug Administration, one week’s consumption doesn’t change the level of methylmercury in the body much at all. If you eat a lot one week, you can cut back the next week or two and you’ll be fine.

So there! The media sometimes makes too much of a fuss over a simple thing that shouldn’t really cause concern. The Japanese eat sushi A LOT and are they being poisoned by mercury? I think not!

Photo courtesy of Giant Gingko

Taspo Card Lent To Teenager

Do you remember the entry we had in April about the smart card that will, ideally, deter teenagers from purchasing cigarettes from vending machines? One of our readers, Jacl, commented on that post:

The only thing is … the machine will not “see” who is actually using the taspo card. If a minor is truly serious in trying to buy cigarettes, it wouldn’t stop the teenager from “borrowing” the taspo card from an adult and using it or finding some other creative ways around it.

Was he right! I was browsing Japanese-related news today when I ran across an article talking about a mother who lent her taspo card to her 15-year-old son! The article from AP goes:

Japanese police are demanding charges against a woman who allegedly lent her 15-year-old son an identification “smart card,” which is being introduced to prevent minors from buying cigarettes from vending machines.

The mother, 41, whose name was not disclosed because she has not been charged, lent her taspo to her son Monday so he could buy cigarettes to smoke in their home, a police official in southwestern Fukuoka prefecture said Tuesday.

Police have sent papers to prosecutors demanding charges of violating the law banning minors from smoking, he said on condition of anonymity because he was merely reading from police records. The maximum penalty is a 10,000 yen (US$96; €62) fine.

If parents themselves do not respect the rationale behind the taspo card, then I suspect that the Japanese government’s campaign may not be as effective as they had foreseen it. Then again, with prosecution as a possibility, then parents might think more than twice before doing something like this.