Weight Down Foods

Toward the end of 2013, a woman named Carol Skaziak of Philadelphia, PA was working in public relations for a luxury boarding facility. She quickly noticed that a disturbing number of dogs were being "permanently" boarded, meaning they were dropped off and never picked up. They were typically high-energy dogs who needed more than the average of amount of physical and mental stimulation.

Skaziak lamented our throwaway society and decided she wanted to try to change how dogs like the kennel's "throw away dogs" are viewed. She saw such potential in many of the abandoned dogs and wondered, "Could they be 'repurposed' and offered a new life doing something they loved?"

As luck would have it, Skaziak's husband is a police officer, and so she began to think about the possibility that police departments without the funds to purchase K9s (at $10,000 to $15,000 a dog) might be open to taking abandoned, well-trained dogs.

She also wanted to see if there was a way to train some dogs to be service animals to help military veterans. Her goal was to offer the dogs free-of-charge to both police departments and veterans around the U.S. Two months later, Skaziak and co-founder and police officer Jason Walters launched their nonprofit, The Throw Away Dogs Project.

"I said from day one that I wanted to change things around in this nation," Skaziak told PetMD. "Not only is the Throw Away Dogs Project recognized throughout the United States, we are now known internationally. We have people reaching out to us as far as Australia, India, Iraq, Hawaii and, just recently, South Africa. Never in a million years did I expect this."1

With the help of head dog trainer Bruce Myers, the organization has placed 27 K9s to date.2 According to PetMD, eight service dogs for veterans and two service dogs for children have also been placed.

Potential Police K9s Have Certain Traits

Some of the dogs come to Throw Away Dogs Project from owners who can no longer keep them; others are rescued from animal shelters. Recently, a few dogs have also been donated. Age is always a factor, since most police departments only accept dogs between 12 and 28 months.

New arrivals are first acclimated to the environment, and no training begins until they're comfortable, relaxed, and ready to work and learn. Skaziak's team has created a homelike environment and social atmosphere that works very effectively to get the dogs settled in. During this time, the dogs are also taken for a wellness checkup with a veterinarian. Dogs with the right stuff to be K9s demonstrate the following qualities:

Dogs That Don't Make It as K9s Become Family Pets

Dogs accepted into the Throw Away Dogs Project training program live and work with the head trainer for about three months. Training is customized to each dog's individual needs with the goal of preparing them to be police K9s. At the end of the training, the dogs are deemed either "Green Dogs" or "Imprinted Dogs."

Green dogs demonstrate the appropriate drive and courage to be police K9s. Some of these dogs will be "dual-purpose," meaning they have the ability to be trained for detection (e.g., narcotics, explosives) and patrol functions such as tracking, apprehension and handler protection. Single-purpose green dogs are suitable for either detection or patrol, but not both.

Green dogs move on to K9 school. If a dog fails out of K9 school, Skaziak takes him back and tries to find a replacement K9 for the police department. Returned dogs get a refresher basic training course, and then a decision is made to either place them with another police department or adopt them into a family home.

Like the police departments Skaziak works with, adoptive families also sign a contract promising to return the dog to the organization if things don't work out in the new home. For more information on this wonderful organization, you can visit the Throw Away Dogs Project website or find them on Facebook. You can also check out their YouTube channel for videos of some of their success stories.

¡Entiendo! Por favor no me enseñen este mensaje otra vez por 90 días.

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For most of us, eating healthier involves eating more veggies than we were accustomed to. Maybe a lot more. It’s natural to feel some resistance to the new flavors and textures of foods that weren’t a regular part of your diet before, but usually, they grow on you if you give them a chance.

One of the simplest, most effective ways I’ve found to incorporate more veggies like that into our diet is to simply toss them all together with proteins and seasonings we already like. This Barbecue Bacon Chicken Casserole is the perfect example.

Now, spaghetti squash is one of the few types of squash I actually like. But my husband? The texture weirds him out and he flat-out groans every time he sees I’ve bought one. Determined to turn that rejection into acceptance, however grudging, I set out to make a spaghetti squash recipe he wouldn’t mind eating by including some of his favorite flavors: bacon, barbecue sauce, and garlic. If you’d like to make your own barbecue sauce, here’s a great recipe from Mickey, but thanks to the companies offering AIP-friendly barbecue sauce these days, you can also use store-bought!

The military is now looking to augmented reality and drones as a new avenue for delivering expert care to patients in war zones. 

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new AR system consisting of an headset and a drone, which aims to let experienced doctors give more junior doctors working in the field instructions. 

"The most critical challenge is to provide surgical expertise into the battlefield when it is most required," Juan Wachs, associate professor of Industrial Engineering at Purdue, who led the project team, said in a statement. "Even without having highly experienced medical leaders physically co-located in the field, with this technology we can help minimize the number of casualties while maximizing treatment at the point of injury."

The way it works is the provider treating patients in the field puts on an AR headset, which then connects to an experienced doctor’s screen in another location. The surgeon or specialist is able to see what the treating clinician is viewing. Then the specialist can give instructions to the medic or doctor in the field by placing augmented 3D images on top of the transparent screen the treating medic is looking through. 

Treating providers can also get on-screen feedback from the experienced physician. The system is designed so that the 3D images that the specialist places on the screen line up with the image seen on the field clinician’s screen. 

Meanwhile a drone is flying above the medic, giving the physician in the remote location an overview of what is happening in the field, including dangers and potential interferences. 

But the technology isn’t just for war zones, as the researchers noted it can be used in natural disaster zones or in rural areas where a more experienced doctor may not be readily available. 

Researchers said that this technology is aiming to replace the status quo where doctors in the field were instructed via telestrators, which are the freehand sketches over an image commonly seen in television sports playbacks. 

"There is an unmet need for technology that connects health care mentees in rural areas with experienced mentors," Edgar Rojas Muñoz, a doctoral student in industrial engineering who worked on the project, said in a statement. "The current use of a telestrator in these situations is inefficient because they require the mentee to focus on a separate screen, fail to show upcoming steps and give the mentor an incomplete picture of the ongoing procedure."

This week the research, which was supported by the US Department of Defense, was presented at the 2018 Military Health System Research Symposium. Next it will be tested at the Navy at one of its bases in Virginia, through practice drills. 

The US Military has shown an active interest in digital health. Just last week Philips Healthcare inked a deal to enter into a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement with US Air Force Research Laboratory for its Battlefield Airmen Trauma Distributed Observation Kit, for an undisclosed sum. The technology consisted of wearable sensors that can monitor multiple patients’ vitals signs remotely. 

Additionally, two weeks ago a deal was announced between Australian sleep company ResApp and the US military. The partners will join forces in developing a mobile application that will help determine the mission-readiness of American military personnel. 

When I’m dragging and feeling tired during the occasional low-energy day, my go-to elixir is an extra cup (or two or three) of black French press coffee. It gives my body and brain a needed jolt, but it may not help where I need it the most: my cells.

The cellular basis of being tired

What we call “energy” is actually a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), produced by tiny cellular structures called mitochondria. ATP’s job is to store energy and then deliver that energy to cells in other parts of the body. However, as you grow older, your body has fewer mitochondria. “If you feel you don’t have enough energy, it can be because your body has problems producing enough ATP and thus providing cells with enough energy,” says Dr. Anthony Komaroff, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. You may not be able to overcome all aspects of age-related energy loss, but there are ways to help your body produce more ATP and replenish dwindling energy levels. The most common strategies revolve around three basic concepts: diet, exercise, and sleep.

Diet. Boost your ATP with fatty acids and protein from lean meats like chicken and turkey, fatty fish like salmon and tuna, and nuts. While eating large amounts can feed your body more material for ATP, it also increases your risk for weight gain, which can lower energy levels. “The excess pounds mean your body has to work harder to move, so you use up more ATP,” says Dr. Komaroff. When lack of energy is an issue, it’s better to eat small meals and snacks every few hours than three large meals a day, according to Dr. Komaroff. “Your brain has very few energy reserves of its own and needs a steady supply of nutrients,” he says. “Also, large meals cause insulin levels to spike, which then drops your blood sugar rapidly, causing the sensation of fatigue.”

Drink enough water. If your body is short on fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue. Although individual needs vary, the Institute of Medicine recommends men should aim for about 15 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids per day, and women about 12 cups (2.7 liters). Besides water and beverages like coffee, tea, and juices, you can also get your fluids from liquid-heavy fruits and vegetables that are up to 90% water, such as cucumbers, zucchini, squash, strawberries, citrus fruit, and melons.

Get plenty of sleep. Research suggests that healthy sleep can increase ATP levels. ATP levels surge in the initial hours of sleep, especially in key brain regions that are active during waking hours. Talk with your doctor if you have problems sleeping through the night.

Stick to an exercise routine. Exercise can boost energy levels by raising energy-promoting neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which is why you feel so good after a workout. Exercise also makes muscles stronger and more efficient, so they need less energy, and therefore conserve ATP. It doesn’t really matter what kind of exercise you do, but consistency is key. Some research has suggested that as little as 20 minutes of low-to-moderate aerobic activity, three days a week, can help sedentary people feel more energized.

When being tired warrants a visit to your doctor

You should see your doctor if you experience a prolonged bout of low energy, as it can be an early warning of a serious illness. “Unusual fatigue is often the first major red flag that something is wrong,” says Dr. Komaroff. Lack of energy is a typical symptom for most major diseases, like heart disease, many types of cancer, autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, and anemia (too few red blood cells). Fatigue also is a common sign of depression and anxiety. And fatigue is a side effect of some medications.

A pharma executive has defended his decision to raise the price of an antibiotic mixture to more than $2,000 a bottle, arguing there was a “moral requirement to sell the product at the highest price”.

Last month, Nostrum Laboratories, a small Missouri-based drugmaker, more than quadrupled the price of a bottle of nitrofurantoin from $474.75 to $2,392, according to Elsevier’s Gold Standard drug database.

Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic used to treat bladder infections that was first marketed in 1953, which appears on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. It comes in a tablet form as well as a liquid version that Nostrum makes.

In an interview, Nirmal Mulye, Nostrum chief executive, said he had priced the product according to market dynamics, adding: “I think it is a moral requirement to make money when you can . . . to sell the product for the highest price.”

Mr Mulye said Nostrum was responding to a price rise from Casper Pharma, which makes a branded version of the product known as Furadantin. Casper increased the price of its product by 182 per cent between the end of 2015 and March 2018, taking a bottle to $2,800, according to the Elsevier database.

Casper did not respond to a request for comment.

“The point here is the only other choice is the brand at the higher price. It is still a saving regardless of whether it is a big one or not,” said Mr Mulye.

Mr Mulye compared his decision to increase the price to an art dealer that sells “a painting for half a billion* dollars” and said he was in “this business to make money”.

He also defended the actions of Martin Shkreli, who became infamous in 2015 for his decision to raise the price of an Aids and cancer drug from $13.50 to $750 per tablet. Shkreli was jailed earlier this year on unrelated fraud charges.

“I agree with Martin Shkreli that when he raised the price of his drug he was within his rights because he had to reward his shareholders,” said Mr Mulye.

Mr Mulye pointed out that Shkreli was able to increase the price of Daraprim so dramatically because his company was the only one making it.

“If he’s the only one selling it then he can make as much money as he can,” said Mr Mulye. “This is a capitalist economy and if you can’t make money you can’t stay in business.”

He added: “We have to make money when we can. The price of iPhones goes up, the price of cars goes up, hotel rooms are very expensive.”

I agree with Martin Shkreli that when he raised the price of his drug he was within his rights because he had to reward his shareholders

Companies such as Nostrum and Casper have been able to raise the price of the antibiotic so dramatically due to supply shortages of the liquid version that were prompted by new rules on impurities from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Several suppliers, including Nostrum, removed their versions of the drug from the market to reformulate them to comply with the FDA regulations. The medicine now appears on a list of drug shortages that is maintained by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, although it is not on the FDA’s list of shortages.

The liquid version of nitrofurantoin has also been marketed by Amneal at a price of $486.94, although a spokesperson for the drugmaker said it had “put the product on tentative unavailable status”.

In a tweet responding to Mr Mulye’s comments, Scott Gottlieb, FDA commissioner, said: “There’s no moral imperative to price gouge and take advantage of patients. FDA will continue to promote competition so speculators and those with no regard to public health consequences can’t take advantage of patients who need medicine.”

In a follow-up LinkedIn message after the initial interview, Mr Mulye said Nostrum had not yet started re-shipping the product, and that the price could change again “according to market conditions”.

Mr Mulye also launched an unusually outspoken attack on the FDA — which he described as “incompetent and corrupt” — and dismissed the new rules on impurities as a “piece of nonsense”.

He said Nostrum had lost money for several years and hit out at an increase in the fees that drugmakers must pay to the regulator, which he said were tantamount to “highway robbery”.

Liquid versions of antibiotics are normally given to people who cannot take pills — like children or the elderly — and they tend to cost more because they are complicated to make. However, nitrofurantoin costs significantly less in other countries such as the UK, where a slightly larger bottle is priced at £446.95.

The 404 per cent price increase for Nostrum’s product comes as Donald Trump’s administration declares victory in its battle against the soaring cost of prescription drugs in the US.

In July, Pfizer reversed price increases on 100 products after Mr Trump took to Twitter to say the company should be “ashamed” of the move, while several other drugmakers have promised restraint.

However, Michael Rea, chief executive of RX Savings Solutions, which makes software to help employers and patients lower their drug bills, said the Nostrum price increase showed it was “business as usual in the drug pricing world — contrary to what we hear out of Washington”.

He added: “The public shaming effect is waning and triple-digit price increases are not uncommon.”

*An earlier version of this article misstated the price of art referenced by Mr Mulye

A pharma executive has defended his decision to raise the price of an antibiotic mixture to more than $2,000 a bottle, arguing there was a “moral requirement to sell the product at the highest price”.

Last month, Nostrum Laboratories, a small Missouri-based drugmaker, more than quadrupled the price of a bottle of nitrofurantoin from $474.75 to $2,392, according to Elsevier’s Gold Standard drug database.

Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic used to treat bladder infections that was first marketed in 1953, which appears on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. It comes in a tablet form as well as a liquid version that Nostrum makes.

In an interview, Nirmal Mulye, Nostrum chief executive, said he had priced the product according to market dynamics, adding: “I think it is a moral requirement to make money when you can . . . to sell the product for the highest price.”

Mr Mulye said Nostrum was responding to a price rise from Casper Pharma, which makes a branded version of the product known as Furadantin. Casper increased the price of its product by 182 per cent between the end of 2015 and March 2018, taking a bottle to $2,800, according to the Elsevier database.

Casper did not respond to a request for comment.

“The point here is the only other choice is the brand at the higher price. It is still a saving regardless of whether it is a big one or not,” said Mr Mulye.

Mr Mulye compared his decision to increase the price to an art dealer that sells “a painting for half a billion* dollars” and said he was in “this business to make money”.

He also defended the actions of Martin Shkreli, who became infamous in 2015 for his decision to raise the price of an Aids and cancer drug from $13.50 to $750 per tablet. Shkreli was jailed earlier this year on unrelated fraud charges.

“I agree with Martin Shkreli that when he raised the price of his drug he was within his rights because he had to reward his shareholders,” said Mr Mulye.

Mr Mulye pointed out that Shkreli was able to increase the price of Daraprim so dramatically because his company was the only one making it.

“If he’s the only one selling it then he can make as much money as he can,” said Mr Mulye. “This is a capitalist economy and if you can’t make money you can’t stay in business.”

He added: “We have to make money when we can. The price of iPhones goes up, the price of cars goes up, hotel rooms are very expensive.”

I agree with Martin Shkreli that when he raised the price of his drug he was within his rights because he had to reward his shareholders

Companies such as Nostrum and Casper have been able to raise the price of the antibiotic so dramatically due to supply shortages of the liquid version that were prompted by new rules on impurities from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Several suppliers, including Nostrum, removed their versions of the drug from the market to reformulate them to comply with the FDA regulations. The medicine now appears on a list of drug shortages that is maintained by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, although it is not on the FDA’s list of shortages.

The liquid version of nitrofurantoin has also been marketed by Amneal at a price of $486.94, although a spokesperson for the drugmaker said it had “put the product on tentative unavailable status”.

In a tweet responding to Mr Mulye’s comments, Scott Gottlieb, FDA commissioner, said: “There’s no moral imperative to price gouge and take advantage of patients. FDA will continue to promote competition so speculators and those with no regard to public health consequences can’t take advantage of patients who need medicine.”

In a follow-up LinkedIn message after the initial interview, Mr Mulye said Nostrum had not yet started re-shipping the product, and that the price could change again “according to market conditions”.

Mr Mulye also launched an unusually outspoken attack on the FDA — which he described as “incompetent and corrupt” — and dismissed the new rules on impurities as a “piece of nonsense”.

He said Nostrum had lost money for several years and hit out at an increase in the fees that drugmakers must pay to the regulator, which he said were tantamount to “highway robbery”.

Liquid versions of antibiotics are normally given to people who cannot take pills — like children or the elderly — and they tend to cost more because they are complicated to make. However, nitrofurantoin costs significantly less in other countries such as the UK, where a slightly larger bottle is priced at £446.95.

The 404 per cent price increase for Nostrum’s product comes as Donald Trump’s administration declares victory in its battle against the soaring cost of prescription drugs in the US.

In July, Pfizer reversed price increases on 100 products after Mr Trump took to Twitter to say the company should be “ashamed” of the move, while several other drugmakers have promised restraint.

However, Michael Rea, chief executive of RX Savings Solutions, which makes software to help employers and patients lower their drug bills, said the Nostrum price increase showed it was “business as usual in the drug pricing world — contrary to what we hear out of Washington”.

He added: “The public shaming effect is waning and triple-digit price increases are not uncommon.”

*An earlier version of this article misstated the price of art referenced by Mr Mulye