| How to Use Vodafone's DreamLab App Posted: 06 Feb 2017 04:00 PM PST DreamLab is an app that allows you to contribute to cancer research while sleeping. Powered by Vodafone Australia in collaboration with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the app uses your Android smartphone's idle processing power to help solve ongoing problems in cancer research. All you need to do is plug in your phone at night and connect to the Internet; your phone will donate its unused computing resources towards cancer research while you sleep. If you've ever used BOINC and the SETI@home project, then you'll love this one. See Step 1 to learn how you can help accelerate cancer research using just your phone. EditSetting Up the App - Download the DreamLab app from the Google Play Store. At the moment, the app is only available for Android users. Your phone must be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher to be able to use the app.[1]
- Choose the project you would like to contribute to. Garvan is currently researching four projects; you can contribute to however many projects you want.
- Breast cancer: Researching the mechanism behind chemotherapy-resistant tumours
- Ovarian cancer: Searching for genetic mutations that causes ovarian cancer tumours to grow and become resistant to medications
- Pancreatic cancer: Finding the right therapy that's suitable for an individual patient's cancer diagnosis and stage
- Prostate cancer: Looking for an explanation as to why some patients respond well to medication and why some don't
- After this screen, you'll be invited to join a mailing list for periodic updates on Garvan's research projects. This is optional and not required to use the app.
- Choose how much data you would like to donate each month. In order to connect with Garvan, DreamLab must use either a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. There are limits in place to prevent overage charges. At the initial first-time setup, you choose a data limit, but you can adjust this limit as well as configure Wi-Fi in the app's settings.
- When using mobile data, you can choose to use up to 50 MB, 250 MB, or 500 MB per month. If you are a Vodafone Australia customer, you will not be charged to use data. For everyone else, including those living outside of Australia, you will be charged as per your data plan.
- When using Wi-Fi, you are free to use an unlimited amount, but can also have a limit of 250 MB, 500 MB, or 1 GB if you wish.
- Using the app while roaming will incur international rates as per your carrier's policies.
- Tap the gear to access the app's settings. Here, you can configure the data connection settings (including disabling mobile data and using Wi-Fi instead), learn more about the app, as well as sign up for research updates.
EditUsing the App - Connect to mobile data or Wi-Fi. Navigate to your device settings and turn on data or connect to a stable Wi-Fi network. Remember that the app will respect the data limits you set to avoid overage fees.
- Plug your phone into AC power. The app will automatically start when your battery level reaches 95%, but you can manually start the process by pressing the play/pause button.
- Go to sleep at night knowing you're helping to fast track cancer research. Of course, you don't always have to be asleep in order to donate processing power! As long as you're plugged in and online, you can help with research. For those curious, here's a breakdown of how DreamLab works.
 - Cancer research is hindered by the limited availability of supercomputers needed to process complex data. DreamLab harnesses the combined processing power of thousands of smartphones to help Garvan researchers solve problems through a dedicated supercomputer.
- When your phone is plugged into power and connected to the Internet, DreamLab will download a tiny piece of the research problem (we're talking several hundreds of KB) and use an algorithm to solve the problem using your phone's unused processing power generated by the CPU. The results are then uploaded to Garvan's cloud servers to be analyzed by researchers who will attempt to identify patterns in the mutated genes of cancer patients to find more effective treatment options.
- You shouldn't experience any drawbacks while using this app. Since your phone is plugged into a power source, your battery won't excessively drain. You also have full control over how much data the app uses, and DreamLab will stop once you hit a monthly limit. Depending on how your mobile data and Wi-Fi plans are set up, you shouldn't expect to run into overage problems.
- Wake up in the morning with a sense of accomplishment! You can see how long DreamLab has been running and how many research problems your phone helped to solve. Unplug your phone to stop the processing. It'll take you to the home screen where you can see the cumulative time that DreamLab has been running, the total number of problems you've solved, and the overall completion progress of the research project.
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| How to Hem a Pair of Pants Posted: 06 Feb 2017 08:00 AM PST Next time you find a pair of pants that are perfect in every way except their length, go ahead and buy them! Hemming your own pants is easy to do with a few basic supplies. You can use a sewing machine or do the job by hand. See Step 1 to get started. EditMeasuring - Rip out the old hem. Use a seam-ripper to take out the stitching that holds the old hem in place. Insert the seam ripper under the stitches and break the thread, pulling it out as you go. Continue until the hem is completely ripped out from both pant legs.
- If you don't have a seam ripper you can use a small, sharp knife or a pair of nail scissors to do the job.
- Be careful not to catch the fabric of your pants as you rip the stitches out.
- Put on the pants with matching shoes. To find the right length for your pants, try them on with the shoes you will most likely wear them with. Even flat shoes have a little more height than your bare feet, so it's important to try on your pants with shoes.
- Try on jeans with sneakers or flats if that's what you plan to wear with them.
- Dress pants should be worn with heels of the appropriate height.
- Cuff the pants at the correct length. Fold the edges of the pant legs under to the length that falls at the right place over the top of your shoes. The cuffs should lightly graze your shoes, rather than hovering above them or bunching up around them.
- Place several straight pins around the cuffs to secure them in place.
- Walk around the room to determine whether the pants seem like they are cuffed at the right length. Check yourself out in the mirror. Do they ride up and swing? Do they catch on the back of your heels? Make adjustments as necessary.
- Remove the pants and turn them inside-out. Make sure the pins stay in place so you know exactly how short to hem the pants. They are now ready to be sewed.
- Measure the cuffs. Use a ruler or a measuring tape to measure the distance from the edge of the pant legs to the hemline fold. Make sure both pant legs are cuffed to the exact same length. Use several more straight pins to hold both cuffs in place.
- Iron the cuffs. Use a hot iron (on the right setting for your pants' fabric) to make a crease at the fold where the pants are cuffed. Take your time and make sure the crease you make is straight.
- At this point you may carefully try on the pants once more to ensure that the hem will fall exactly where you want it. Take care not to prick yourself with the straight pins.
- Measure from the ironed hemline. This is where you will make a cut to remove extra fabric from the pants before sewing the hem. Use chalk or a marking pencil to make a mark from the hemline around the entire pant leg. Repeat on the other side.
- Remove the pins and cut the fabric along the chalked line. Use pinking shears, rather than fabric scissors, to make the cut. Pinking shears are designed to cut fabric in such a way that it doesn't become unraveled. Repeat with the other pant leg.
- Take your time trimming the fabric. Make sure you don't accidentally dip too close to the hemline.
- When you're finished trimming, use straight pins to pin the fabric back in place about from the hemline.
- Sew the hems. Thread a needle with thread that matches the color of your pants. Use a blind stitch to sew around the pant leg about from the hem. Continue until you reach the place where you started, then knot the thread and use a scissors to cut it. Repeat with the other pant leg.
- This process can also be completed using a sewing machine.
- To make sure the hem is nearly invisible from the outside of the pants, pick up only one or two fibers at a time on that side of the fabric.
- Try on the pants. Turn them right-side out and iron the hemline once more. Try them on with the pair of shoes you plan to wear with them. Make sure the cuffs look even and drop to the right length. If they need adjustment, rip out the seams and start over.
EditUsing Fabric Tape - Cuff the pants to the correct length and iron them to create a hemline crease. Use a ruler or a measuring tape to make sure both pant legs will be hemmed to the same length.
- Trim the excess fabric from the ironed hemline. Use chalk or a marking pencil to make a mark from the hemline around the entire pant leg, then trim the excess fabric with pinking shears. Repeat on the other side.
- Unfold the cuffs and apply the fusible tape. Cut a length of fusible tape and remove the paper backing. Line up the edge of the tape with the crease in the fabric that you ironed. Press the tape down and continue lining it up and applying it around the entire pant leg. Cut more tape if you run out as you go, and fold the cuff back over the tape when you're finished. Repeat with the other pant leg.
- If you don't have fusible tape, hem tape and other temporary hemming products can be used in its place. These usually fall out after a wash or two.
- Make sure the tape is completely straight around the bottom of both pant legs.
- Fuse the tape with the fabric. Place a thin cloth over the cuffed fabric. Heat up an iron and apply it to the cloth for several seconds. Remove the cloth and continue ironing the fabric underneath. Use this procedure to fuse the tape with the fabric around the entire pant leg, then repeat with the second pant leg.
- After you've ironed a section, lift the cuff gently to make sure that the tape has fused with the fabric to hold the hem in place before moving on.
- Make sure your iron is set to a heat that won't damage the fabric of your pants.
- Try on the pants. Turn the pants right-side out and try them on. If you aren't happy with the length, launder the pants and run them through the dryer until the tape falls out, then hem them again.
- When hemming, take longer stitches on the inside layer of cloth and tiny stitches on the outside cloth where it shows.
- Use matching thread and stitch the outer material in line with the grain of the material to help hide/blend the threads.
- Take appropriate caution when using sharp tools such as scissors and needles.
EditThings You'll Need - Pants to hem
- Correct shoes to wear with the pants
- Seam ripper
- Straight pins
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Needle
- Thread that matches the pants
- Fusible tape (optional)
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| How to Get Rid of Arthritis Pain Posted: 06 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST Arthritis pain plagues many individuals all over the world. There are two types of arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is most common and is caused by joint usage, or wear and tear, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease.[1] Although arthritis is not curable, you can do certain things to help maintain and lessen the pain that is involved with all forms of arthritis. It may take some trial and error, but if you try a few simple methods, you can learn to get rid of the pain associated with arthritis.[2] EditEasing Pain with Medication and Supplements - Take analgesics. You can take over the counter analgesics, such as acetaminophen or tramadol, to help relieve your pain. These medications help with pain, but they do not help with inflammation. Popular over the counter brands include Tylenol and Ultram.
- If the pain is severe, you may want to contact a pain clinic and ask about prescription analgesics, such as narcotics with oxycodone or hydrocodone. Popular prescriptions include Percocet, Oxycontin, and Vicodin.[3]
- Try nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). To help with the pain of arthritis, you can take over the counter NSAIDs. These drugs, such as Ibuprofen and naproxen, can be used to relieve occasional pain that comes with arthritis or overworking muscles that leads to joint and muscle pain. They also help reduce inflammation, which is a major component of arthritis pain.[4]
- Talk to your doctor if you find yourself using these medications too regularly. You don't want to over treat yourself, which can cause more problems, including damage to your kidneys and liver.
- Try a common brand of of ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin, and of naproxen, such as Aleve.[5]
- Use topical analgesics. There are some over the counter topical creams that you can buy that might help with arthritis pain. These creams contain menthol or capsaicin, which, when applied to the skin over a painful joint, can help relieve pain. They may also interfere with the transmission of pain signals from the painful joint.
- In studies, capsaicin has been shown to reduce pain by 50% after three weeks of use.[6]
- You can also get some NSAIDs that can be applied as a cream.[7]
- You can take these with or without oral medications.[8]
- Ask your doctor about corticosteroids. You can take prescription corticosteroids to help reduce severe arthritis pain and swelling. Your doctor can give these to you in the form of a shot or a pill. Injections can provide you with quick relief, but they can only be used a few times a year. This is because they break down bone and cartilage.
- Any form of corticosteroids you are prescribed will be monitored by your doctor because there are some potentially negative side effects, such as the loss of vitamin D that leads to bone deterioration.[9]
- Take SAM-e. SAM-e, also known as S-adenosylmethionine, is a supplement that has anti-inflammatory properties and can stimulate cartilage. It also affects neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which helps to reduce pain perception.
- Multiple studies have shown that SAM-e relieves arthritis symptoms just as effectively as NSAIDs, but has fewer side effects.[10]
- Use avocado-soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU). ASU is a supplement that blocks chemicals in the body that cause inflammation. It also prevents the deterioration of the cells that line joints and may help regenerate joint connective tissue.[11] This supplement is a combination of 1/3 avocado oil and 2/3 soybean oil.
- This supplement is available as a soft gel. You should take one 300mg pill daily.[12]
- Take fish oil. Also known as Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, fish oil is a supplement that has been extensively studied. The Omega-3s help block inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins and also are converted by the body into anti-inflammatory chemicals.
- It also helps decrease joint tenderness and stiffness. In studies, it has also been shown to reduce or eliminate the use of NSAIDs.[13]
- You can also take omega 6 fatty acids, known as gamma linolenic acid (GLA), to help reduce joint inflammation.[14]
EditLessening Pain by Changing Your Lifestyle - Understand the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Though they may have similar characteristics, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have different causes.[15] If you have rheumatoid arthritis, then your joints are being attacked by your own immune system, which is the source of the pain. With osteoarthritis, the pain is caused by use of the joints. The type of arthritis you have may influence which treatments are most appropriate for you.
- Rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any age, while osteoarthritis usually occurs later in life, since it is associated with joint usage. The symptoms will often present rapidly instead of appearing gradually over the years.[16]
- A major sign that you have rheumatoid arthritis and not osteoarthritis is the presence of other symptoms, such as fatigue and a persistent feeling of being sick.[17]
- Pain resulting from rheumatoid arthritis affects joints big and small and usually occurs on both sides of the body. Morning pain will last longer than an hour.[18] If you have osteoarthritis, you may experience morning pain, but you are more likely to feel it after using the affected joints.[19]
- Manage your weight. Being overweight can cause or increase complications associated with arthritis. It can also contribute to arthritis pain. You should try to slowly make changes in your life to lose weight, such as exercising more and eating better.[20] You need to build muscles around your joints, but you don't want to damage the joints themselves.
- You should focus on stretching and range of motion exercises that will gradually increase your strength. Avoid running, jumping, tennis, and high-impact aerobics.[21]
- Try to exercise later in the day. This will help you feel less stiff when you wake up in the morning.
- These should be permanent lifestyle changes, so you can continue to maintain your weight over time. This will help you increase your overall health and reduce your arthritis pain for a long time.[22] Losing weight will help with the degenerative changes seen with aging and wear and tear.
- Keep moving. In addition to exercise, you should stay mobile throughout the day. The more stationary you are, the more pain you will experience once you get going again. When you are at work, try to get up and move at least once an hour. You should adjust your position frequently, move your neck from side to side, change the position of your hands, and bend and stretch your legs whenever you can.
- If you have really bad leg pain from arthritis, you should try to get up and walk around every 30 minutes.[23]
- Work with a physical therapist. If you find yourself losing range of motion in your joints, your doctor may have you work with a physical therapist. The physical therapist can show you exercises to help keep your muscles and joints strong and loose, so you don't become too stiff.
- She may also be able to design you a personal fitness program, with strengthening and cardiovascular exercises that will help with joint pain as well as with your health and weight maintenance.[24]
- Do yoga. Yoga is a combination of deep breathing, meditation, and body poses. It will help decrease joint pain and stiffness as well as reduce any stress you have. Make sure you listen to your body and only do those poses that will help you move and that don't hurt your joints.
- You should start slow and then increase your movements as you get comfortable with the movements.[25]
- Assist your movements. If you are suffering from extreme pain, you may be able to use devices that help you move easier or in ways that don't hurt your joints as much. Try using a cane or walker whenever your joints are hurting too much. This will help you ease some of the pain on the joints that hurt and allow them to stop swelling and have less pain.
- You can also try to use a raised toilet seat or specialized bathtub to help with your pain or with any trouble you have moving around.[26]
- Put less pressure on your joints. To avoid overworking your joints and bringing on more pain, you should learn to put less pressure on your joints. Incorporate new items or activities into your daily life in order to preserve and protect your joints. Try using pens with a larger base, which will make them easier to hold and write. You can also buy objects with larger and longer handles, so you don't have to strain as much to carry them.
- You should also pick up things with stronger joints instead of smaller ones. For example, when holding heavy bags, you should hold them with your elbow joint instead of your wrists or fingers.
- You can also buy plastic dishes to make them easier to carry, use, and wash.[27]
- Use heat. When you are suffering from arthritis pain, one of the best ways to alleviate it is to use heat. It relaxes the muscles and helps to temporarily relieve the pain. Try applying heat pads or patches, taking a hot bath or shower, or using paraffin wax on the painful areas.
- Be careful not to burn yourself. You should never use a heating pad for more than 20 minutes at a time.[28]
- You can also use cold for your muscles. It will temporarily numb the pain associated with arthritis.[29]
- Make an Epsom salt soak. Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate, which is a natural mineral that has been used for years for pain relief. The high levels of magnesium help reduce the pain in your joints when you soak it in water.
- To make the soak, fill a large bowl with warm water and add a 1/2 cup of Epsom salt. Place the joint that is in pain in the bowl and let it soak for at least 15 minutes.
- If the joint is not easily soaked in a bowl, such as a knee joint, try adding Epsom salt to a warm bath and soaking in it for a while.[30]
- Get more sun. Instead of relying just on food to get Vitamin D, you can also use the sun to get vitamin D. Try going out of the house into the sun without sunscreen for 10-15 every other day. This can help you absorb a lot of vitamin D in a natural way without running the risk of causing skin problems due to UV rays from the sun.
- You can just leave your hands free from sunscreen if you are worried about your skin. Even just that small portion of your skin can help you absorb more vitamin D.[31]
- Quit smoking. Smoking is bad for your overall health, but it can also cause arthritis pain. Smoking puts chemicals in your body that causes stress on connective tissues, which will lead to more arthritis pain.
- Try using patches, chewing gum, or going cold turkey to quit smoking.[32]
EditHelping Pain with Diet - Eat bananas. Bananas are great for arthritis because they help fight the underlying causes. Bananas contain high levels of potassium, which is necessary for the proper functioning of your cells. It also contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, and folate, which help to improve your immune system.
- Try eating them as a snack or with your meals.[33]
- Add turmeric to your food. Turmeric is a spice that can be added to food to help with arthritis pain. It contains curcumin, which is a chemical that reduces joint pain and swelling through the blockage of inflammatory cytokines and enzymes.
- There are many recipes that you can add turmeric to, including everything from main entrees to desserts.[34]
- Incorporate more ginger. In recent studies, ginger has been shown to have similar anti-inflammatory capabilities to ibuprofen and, as an extract, has been shown to work almost as well as steroids. Put ginger in more recipes, from chicken recipes to desserts.
- You can also use ginger to make a tea, and drink it to help with pain.[35]
- Eat foods with vitamin D. People who suffer from arthritis need to take care of their bones, which means they need more vitamin D. Those who take corticosteroids need it even more, because this type of medication actually lowers the amount of vitamin D in your system. Try to eat fish, especially salmon, mackerel, or herring. Three ounces of these fish have your recommended daily amount of vitamin D.
- You can also eat the fish raw, because it has even more vitamin D then cooked fish.
- Also try to incorporate more vitamin D-rich dairy, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, into your diet everyday.[36]
- Eat foods with probiotics. Probiotics, also known as "good" bacteria, can help with pain. In recent studies, foods such as yogurt that have these bacteria in it significantly reduced the pain associated with arthritis. It can also help increase mobility as well.
- Try eating at least one serving of yogurt with probiotics per day to help.[37]
- Consume foods with sulfur. You body uses sulfur in detoxification, but it can be depleted when you use NSAIDs and other pain fighting medications. To replenish your body's supply, you should eat foods with rich is sulfur that have a certain kind of bite, such as onions and garlic.
- You can also eat other sulfur-rich vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.[38]
- Increase your intake of foods with magnesium. Magnesium relaxes your muscles and nerve endings and eases pain. It also helps your bones to mineralize. Try to eat more magnesium-rich foods, such as dark leafy greens, nuts, and beans.
- You can also take a supplement, but the natural type from food is processed better by your body.[39]
- Have more sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are great for those with arthritis. They are rich is beta carotene, vitamin A and C, minerals, anthocyanin, and soluble fiber. All of these ingredients help with pain, inflammation, and joint health.
- You can eat them steamed, boiled, or baked to incorporate them more into your daily food intake.[40]
- Drink green tea. There is an antioxidant in green tea known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that blocks the production of molecules that cause joint damage. This will help lower the pain in your joints because your joints will be less damaged.
- Researches suggest that you drink 2-3 cups a day to get the full benefit of the antioxidant.[41]
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