198 Pound Tumor - A day after surgery that completely removed a 198-pound (90-kg) tumor from his right leg, a Vietnamese man is recovering in the intensive care unit Friday, according to the hospital.

The 12-hour procedure, performed at FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, had been considered risky with a 50% success rate because of the amount of blood vessels around the tumor.

The tumor was first discovered when the patient, Nguyen Duy Hai, 31, of Da Lat City, was four years old, according to FV Hospital. He had undergone a surgery to remove it in 1997, but in 2001, the tumor grew, and no doctors agreed to operate on him, the hospital said.

The growing tumor had rendered Hai virtually immobile until his surgery.

The latest surgery, which required Hai's torso to be elevated, was performed by a team of surgeons from FV Hospital and led by Dr. McKay McKinnon, a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery from Chicago.

McKinnon has been credited with removing a 200-pound tumor from a woman in the U.S. state of Michigan in 2000 as well as a 176-pound (80 kilo) tumor from a Romanian woman in 2004.

198 Pound Tumor

Doctors expect that Hai's cardiac and pulmonary functions will return to normal over the next 10 days.

The hospital had set up a live video feed of the surgery for other doctors and hospitals to watch.

The cost of the surgery was estimated at $20,000, but the hospital said it will charge 60% of the cost, which will be covered jointly by the Red Cross of Da Lat City and sponsors.

The hospital said it is financing all the traveling costs and accommodation for Dr. McKinnon, who is performing the surgery free of charge. 303-pound tumor removed.

Elin Nordegren demolishes mansion - Elin Nordegren demolishes her $12 million Florida mansion for no good reason.Tiger Woods' ex-wife bought the 9,000 square foot North Palm Beach home in March 2011 after she reached a reported $100 million divorce settlement with her controversial straying husband.

Elin Nordegren demolishes mansion

Nordegren must have felt the six bedroom, eight bathroom mansion was a tad on the small side, so she did what any reasonable multi-multi-multi-millionaire would do: she smashed it into itty bitty pieces.

According to website TMZ, Nordegren has hired an architect to build her and her two children a new dream home. Perhaps due to the media coverage of her marriage's collapse under the weight of Tigerwoods' multiple mistresses, Nordegren is requiring every single worker on the demolition and building project to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Nordegren is staying in a nearby rental mansion while the work is completed.

Lost World Sea Creatures

Lost World Sea Creatures - Sea creatures in "lost world' discovered deep in the ocean near Antarctica! An expedition to explore the creatures of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the dark abyss of the Southern Ocean has revealed a “lost world,” straight out of a Jules Verne adventure. Scientists have found new species of crab, snail, sea star, barnacle, sea anemome, and even octopus. These animals thrive in total darkness, warmed by the heat of the vents, and mostly sustained by a food chain that begins with sulphur-oxidizing bacteria that thrive by the mineral-rich waters released from the vents. But scientists have also been surprised by what they did not find: common organisms found at hydrothermal vents in other oceans.



The study, conducted by a team led by Professor Alex Rogers of Oxford University, utilized a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to document marine creatures living around two hydrothermal vent locations at a tectonically active region called the East Scotia Ridge, not far from the Antarctic peninsula. Their findings were published in the January 2012 issue of the journal PLoS Biology.

Volcanically active regions of the ocean floor, such as tectonic plate boundaries, and ‘hotspots’ that spawn undersea volcanic mountains, are caused by the intrusion of magma from the Earth’s mantle into the crust. Resulting fissures in the ocean floor form hydrothermal vents that spew very hot mineral-rich water into the sea. Some vents, called black smokers, appear as chimneys billowing smoke. These are very hot vents releasing water rich in sulfides. The ‘chimneys’ are made of mineral precipitates, created when hot mineral-rich vent water meets frigid sea water. Another type of hydrothermal vent – not as hot as black smokers – is formed where hot water diffuses from cracks in the sea bed.

Hydrothermal vents occur at great ocean depths where sunlight never penetrates, yet, despite total darkness and extreme heat, life flourishes around active vents.

In a press release announcing their recently-published findings, Professor Rogers said:

Hydrothermal vents are home to animals found nowhere else on the planet that get their energy not from the Sun but from breaking down chemicals, such as hydrogen sulphide. The first survey of these particular vents, in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, has revealed a hot, dark, ‘lost world’ in which whole communities of previously unknown marine organisms thrive.

The most conspicuous member of the vent fauna was a new species of a type of crustacean called ‘yeti crab.’ These crabs, thought to feed on sulphur-oxidizing bacteria, were found carpeting large areas around the vents. Seven-legged predatory sea stars, also a new species, were seen feeding on stalked barnacles and yeti crabs. The vent fauna also included new species of snail, limpet, barnacle, and sea anemone. Several octopus of an unknown species appeared like ghostly apparitions in some images taken by the ROV. Fish, however, were very rarely seen.

There was another important and unexpected result. Said Rogers, in the press release,

What we didn’t find is almost as surprising as what we did. Many animals such as tubeworms, vent mussels, vent crabs, and vent shrimps, found in hydrothermal vents in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, simply weren’t there.

This absence may be caused by currents of the Southern Ocean acting as a barrier to prevent hydrothermal vent organisms in other oceans from reaching the Antarctic vents. In fact, past research indicates that ocean vents across the world have their own biogeographic provinces, created by geological and ocean circulation barriers that prevent some types of organisms from colonizing other vents. The unique fauna of these newly-explored Southern Ocean vents are, themselves, a new biogeographic province.

In April 2011, a panel of marine scientists that included Professor Rogers met to assess the state of our oceans. In their preliminary report, the scientists warned of a great risk we were facing, entering a phase of species extinctions in the oceans that’s unprecedented in human history. Said Professor Rogers:

These findings are yet more evidence of the precious diversity to be found throughout the world’s oceans. Everywhere we look, whether it is in the sunlit coral reefs of tropical waters or these Antarctic vents shrouded in eternal darkness, we find unique ecosystems that we need to understand and protect.

Bottom line: Exploration by remotely operated vehicles of deep-sea hydrothermal vents near the Antarctica peninsula has revealed a “lost world” of new species including crab, snail, sea star, barnacle, sea anemome, and octopus. Professor Alex Rogers of Oxford University led the team, which published its finding in the January 2012 issue of the journal PLoS Biology. The scientists said they were also surprised by the absence of common organisms found at hydrothermal vents in other oceans.

DASH Diet

DASH Diet - Did you know that DASH Diet is the Best Diet of 2012? Yes, thats right, the best diet of 2012 is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. This is the second year in a row the DASH diet, which aims to prevent and lower high blood pressure, has won the category of "best diet overall."

Deborah Enos, a certified nutritionist in Seattle and a MyHealthNewsDaily contributor said:

"While it may have started as a [blood pressure] lowering diet, it really has incredible nutritional value."

Second place was won by the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which aims to lower cholesterol, and third place went to the Mayo Clinic diet, which focuses on weight loss.

"TLC is another example of a wonderful 'medical' type of diet that has gone mainstream," Enos said. But while it's low sodium requirement means it boosts heart health, it may be difficult for some to follow.

The U.S. News & World Report description of the diet's strengths and weaknesses noted that "The TLC diet takes work and a certain aptitude for reading nutrition labels."

"The easy-to-follow aspect is almost more important than the weight lost on a program," Enos said. Her clients, she said, have a difficult time sticking with diets that are hard to follow. "Now, for my clients who need to lower their cholesterol levels, this is an amazing and necessary diet for them to consider."

The rankings were decided by a panel of 22 experts in diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart disease, according to the magazine's website. The experts rated the 25 diets in seven categories: how easy the diets are to follow, their ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, nutritional completeness, safety and potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease. The full rankings were published online today (Jan. 4).

DASH Diet - Best diets for weight loss

The top three diets for weight loss are the Weight Watchers diet, the Biggest Loser diet and the Jenny Craig diet, according to the rankings.

"The data show that dieters had the best luck with Weight Watchers for both short and long term weight loss," and the diet ranked highly in terms of how easy it was to follow, Enos said. "The Weight Watchers plan is also the diet that people most often return to — it appears in the article, and in my own experience, to be the diet that people really refer back to over their lifetime."

The experts rated the Weight Watchers diet as a 3.7 out of 5 in the category of easy to follow, whereas the Biggest Loser diet scored a 2.9 in this category, according to the rankings. The Jenny Craig diet scored a 3.6, but fared less well than Weight Watchers in terms of its ability to produce weight loss.

"Let’s face the facts of our busy lives, if a program isn’t easy to follow, we probably won’t," Enos said.

Weight Watchers won the category of best commercial diet plan, edging out the Jenny Craig diet, which relied too heavily on packaged meals and came with a high cost, according to the rankings. However, when Consumer Reports released its ratings of commercial diet plans in May, Jenny Craig ranked as the winner. Those raters acknowledged criticisms that the diet is hard to follow, but cited a two-year study of 332 people showing that 92 percent of participants stuck with the diet. That study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010.

DASH Diet - Best diets for healthy eating

The DASH and TLC diets topped the category of best diets for healthy eating, which emphasized nutrional completeness and safety. The Mediterranean diet ranked third. The data show that the DASH diet offers the best overall nutrition, Enos said.

"It has one of the highest levels of B-12 and potassium," she noted, whereas the Weight Watchers plan is low in those nutrients, and recommends that its followers take a multivitamin.

The DASH diet prescribes the number of servings of grains, vegetables, dairy and other food types that a person should eat daily, based on their calorie needs. It suggests high amounts of fiber, potassium and magnesium, and keeps sweets to a minimum. The diet caps salt intake to the recommended daily values —1,500 milligrams for people who are age 51 or older, African-American, or have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease; 2,300 milligrams for everyone else.

The DASH diet also won in the category of best diabetes diets, while the Ornish diet, which focuses on low fat intake and emphasizes exercise and stress management, won for best heart-healthy diet.

Pass it on: One panel has decided the best diet of 2012 is the DASH diet, which emphasizes consuming lean protein, fruits and vegetables.

Angelina Jolie wardrobe malfunction

Angelina Jolie wardrobe malfunction - Angelina has a sticky red carpet moment and a wardrobe malfunction.

It's hard not to envy Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, pictured with arm wrapped round one of the world's sexiest men, actor Brad Pitt at the premiere of her new film Beowulf. But on closer inspection, the star was having a few wardrobe malfunctions - including her leather trousers splitting at the seams. First, Angelina got herself into a somewhat sticky situation as the sexy star's Christian Louboutin stiletto shoe got stuck in a wad of chewing gum on the red carpet.

Angelina Jolie Sticky moment: Angelina's rock-chick look was slightly spoiled by the wad of gum clinging to her Christian Louboutin stilettos at the premiere of Beowulf last night

Bad luck: Angelina's heels pick up an unpleasant accessory on the red carpet last night. The unattractive accessory moulded itself to the four inch heel of the designer shoes, spoiling Angelina's carefully groomed image. Then the incredibly skinny star, who has raised eyebrows with her painfully thin frame, surprisingly appeared to be busting out of her trousers.

Tight spot: Last night Angelina's skin-tight leather trousers, surprisingly, gave way at the seams despite the actress' shrunken frame

Splitsville: Brad's comforting hand on her bottom managed to slightly conceal the wardrobe malfunction As she cuddled lover Brad Pitt, his hand, which was placed strategically on her bottom, inadvertently concealing a split spreading in the seam of her tight leather trousers. Clearly, even Hollywood stars have their wardrobe malfunctions. Fears for the 32-year-old's health continued as she looked gaunt in her all-black ensemble which did her shrunken figure no favours.

Loved up: The couple put on a display of affection in front of the gathered crowds who had waited hours to see the stars of film Beowulf last night. The actress who was once renowned for her curves has dropped pounds since the death of her mother. She admitted that she had been shy about seeing her body so exposed in the animated epic. The film which uses cutting edge digital technology is based on the Old English poem about the Viking warrior Beowulf, who rescues a Danish kingdom from the deadly beast Grendel. Jolie, 32, plays Grendel's mother, who plots to destroy the warrior.

In one scene the gorgeous actress emerges from a lake naked and dripping in liquid gold. The image has been digitally enhanced using the latest animation techniques and Jolie's curves are rather more pronounced than in real life. Angelina told reporters: "She's a great character. It's great to play a bad guy and a mom." She has three adopted children, Maddox, six, Zahara, two, and the most recent addition, Pax Thien, three as well as her own baby, Shiloh, with Brad Pitt who was born last year. DailyMail