Mouth

Handkerchief or tissue? Which one's better for our health and the planet?

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

Maybe you have hay fever, COVID, a cold or the flu, and are reaching for a tissue or handkerchief.

Key Points: 
  • Maybe you have hay fever, COVID, a cold or the flu, and are reaching for a tissue or handkerchief.
  • But which one’s better at stopping infections spreading?
  • Read more:
    Health Check: what's the right way to blow your nose?

A short history of the handkerchief and tissue

    • But such a simple square of cloth has a complex history.
    • In the first century, the Romans used a sudarium (Latin for sweat cloth) to wipe off sweat, or to mask the mouth and face.
    • We can trace the origins of paper tissue to China in the 2nd century BC.
    • But it wasn’t until the 1920s that tissue as we know it today was developed to remove make-up and wipe
      runny noses from hay fever.

So, which one is better for our health?

    • Later, we were urged to use a hanky as “coughs and sneezes spread diseases”.
    • So blowing your nose into a reusable cotton hanky, then touching another object, means these viruses can spread.
    • But several studies have shown they do not effectively filter respiratory aerosols, or stop you inhaling pollutants, pathogens or small airborne particles.

Which one is better for the planet?


    If you want to look at environmental considerations, US company Ecosystem Analytics compared resusable cotton hankies to disposable paper tissues using a lifecycle analysis. It considered four measures of environmental impacts associated with production, transport, use and disposal:
    • Across the four measures, a cotton hanky had five to seven times greater impact than an equivalent tissue.
    • And, by far, the greatest impacts were related to the production of each of these products, rather than using or disposing of them.
    • If you want to feel better about using tissues, ones made from recycled material may be a better option.

The verdict

    • But tissues don’t quite have the same panache as the historic and versatile cloth hanky.
    • Mark Patrick Taylor is a full-time employee of EPA Victoria, appointed to the statutory role of Chief Environmental Scientist.

Viome Launches Clinically Validated Oral Health and Early Stage Cancer Detection Test For Dental Professionals

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

This groundbreaking test is set to revolutionize the industry’s approach to oral care by providing dental professionals with an unprecedented level of actionable insight into their patients' health.

Key Points: 
  • This groundbreaking test is set to revolutionize the industry’s approach to oral care by providing dental professionals with an unprecedented level of actionable insight into their patients' health.
  • “The Oral Health Pro test is ushering in a new era of preventative care that benefits patients and dental professionals.
  • Oral Health Pro is also changing the way dental professionals and individuals approach oral health, highlighting the profound link between the health of the mouth and the overall well-being of the body.
  • Oral Health Pro is a cloud-based, no-cost, software product with a frictionless workflow so can easily be integrated into any practice.

Diablo by Concha y Toro Makes a Bold Entrance into the Canadian Market with Two Extraordinary Wines

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diablo, the disruptive wine brand created by Concha y Toro, proudly announces the introduction of two daring wines now available across British Columbia and Ontario.

Key Points: 
  • TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diablo, the disruptive wine brand created by Concha y Toro, proudly announces the introduction of two daring wines now available across British Columbia and Ontario.
  • Dark Red: A rich and full-bodied red wine that delivers an enveloping sensation and seductiveness on the mouth.
  • Entering these Canadian markets, Crystal Sauvignon Blanc and Dark Red signal a new chapter in Diablo's international growth.
  • Known for its distinctive branding and dark, rebellious spirit, Diablo has earned a reputation for crafting bold and daring wines.

A journey of discovery and identity formation: The Dictionary of Lost Words makes its wonderful stage debut

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

The Dictionary of Lost Words follows Esme as she navigates the patriarchal world of Victorian England.

Key Points: 
  • The Dictionary of Lost Words follows Esme as she navigates the patriarchal world of Victorian England.
  • While her father and colleagues construct the Oxford English Dictionary, Esme begins to form her own dictionary – particularly the words spoken by women and the working class who have been excluded.

A brilliant innovation

    • We first see her as an ingénue child hiding under the large desk of the eminent lexicologists.
    • Her direct address to the audience draws us into her perspective of what is occurring around her.
    • In a brilliant innovation from designer Jonathon Oxlade we see words handwritten and projected from a camera hidden within a lamp above the central desk.

A beautiful realisation

    • An inspired touch is having the ensemble move slowly behind key monologues and duologues, adding intricate detail.
    • When Esme gives birth we see her mouth magnified by the live camera, in a close-up that amplifies the intensity of the birth.
    • Cobham-Hervey is supported by a fine ensemble who succinctly double up as required in Laughton’s economy of writing.
    • This is a very clever realisation of Williams’ novel for the stage and gives great power to key moments of this epic story.

The disability royal commission delivers its findings today. We must all listen to end violence, abuse and neglect

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Many people are waiting keenly to hear how the recommendations can make a difference to the lives of people with disability.

Key Points: 
  • Many people are waiting keenly to hear how the recommendations can make a difference to the lives of people with disability.
  • While we wait for the report to be made public, we can learn from how government action from the previous child abuse royal commission helped improve people’s lives.

What was involved

    • Over four and half years, it held hearings, heard stories from witnesses, received submissions and conducted research.
    • High rates of violence and harm against people with disability have not improved very much over many decades.
    • Making changes to specialist systems such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – currently under review – will help those involved.

Ableism and ‘othering’

    • People with disability are often treated in ways that are not acceptable for any member of society.
    • An example of these types of discrimination is when a waiter asks a carer what a person with disability wants, instead of asking the person themselves.
    • Or when a person with disability is expected to live with strangers who hit them, because that is the only housing available.
    • Read more:
      Ableism and disablism – how to spot them and how we can all do better

      You might think excluding people in these ways does not happen anymore or does not matter.

What we hope the commission will recommend

    • The disability royal commission listened to people with disability, family members and organisations about what they want to happen.
    • A consistent view is that it is not enough to focus on stopping violent acts where they are happening now.


    The disability royal commission recommendations and government responses should follow the example set by the child abuse commission. The need for a voice, compliance and quality standards remains relevant to people affected by disability policy. And the responsibility for real change stretches beyond government. Change happens when the responsibility to listen and act is taken up by all organisations, communities and members of the public.

What happens next

    • Immediate action, as we saw in the child abuse commission, will demonstrate priority for the rights of people with disability.
    • Everyone’s contribution to changing attitudes, building belonging and recognising people’s shared humanity is needed to defeat exclusion and prevent violence.
    • Poet Andy Jackson recited his work Listen at the disability royal commission’s ceremonial closing sitting two weeks ago.

Music4Life Reports Annual Productivity

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Music4Life reports delivering 258 full-sized ready-to-play musical instruments during the 2022-23 school year to its 11 participating public school districts.

Key Points: 
  • Music4Life reports delivering 258 full-sized ready-to-play musical instruments during the 2022-23 school year to its 11 participating public school districts.
  • “The total value of instruments provided is $126,923 as determined by our independent vendor/repair experts,” says Music4Life C-Founder & CEO David Endicott.
  • “Need” is often demonstrated by a family’s participation in free-or-reduced lunch programs and determined at the teacher level, he adds.
  • So Music4Life is just as much an education program as it is an instrumental music program.”
    During this fiscal school year, Music4Life delivered ready-to-play musical instruments to Auburn, Bremerton, Edmonds, Everett, Highline, Kent, Marysville, Northshore, Riverview, Seattle and Shoreline Public Schools.

Reliq Health Technologies, Inc. Announces New Contract with US Physician Network with over 300 Locations and over 750 Physicians Nationwide

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

The network includes over 750 physicians and is expected to add over 100,000 new patients to the platform by the end of 2025.

Key Points: 
  • The network includes over 750 physicians and is expected to add over 100,000 new patients to the platform by the end of 2025.
  • “This is another substantial new contract for Reliq,” said Dr. Lisa Crossley, CEO of Reliq Health Technologies, Inc. “This new client further expands our nationwide presence in the US with more than 750 physicians and over 300 locations across the US in their network.
  • The contract is expected to add 100,000 eligible patients to our platform over the next two calendar years.
  • Our iUGO Care platform is user friendly for both patients and clinicians and has been proven effective in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare spending.

TiVo’s Video Trends Report Unveils Consumer Increase in Content Consumption While Amount of Video Services Decrease

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

While consumers are undoubtedly reconsidering their spending habits, this change has shown growth in consumer video consumption; the report saw a jump from 4.4 hours a day in video consumption in Q4 2022 to 4.7 hours per day.

Key Points: 
  • While consumers are undoubtedly reconsidering their spending habits, this change has shown growth in consumer video consumption; the report saw a jump from 4.4 hours a day in video consumption in Q4 2022 to 4.7 hours per day.
  • When looking at how respondents spent their time watching video, the report found that ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) consumption increased considerably from Q4 2022.
  • This increase in AVOD/FAST is a reflection of consumer budget constraints and major subscription video on demand (SVOD) companies offering lower-cost services that generate higher ad revenue.
  • This new SVOD/AVOD hybrid structure allows users to consolidate their subscriptions, cut costs and still watch the same or more amount of content.

Breathing through your nose when you exercise may make your runs easier

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

But when we exercise, many of us become more aware of it than we normally are – sometimes thinking about every breath we take.

Key Points: 
  • But when we exercise, many of us become more aware of it than we normally are – sometimes thinking about every breath we take.
  • During low and moderate-intensity exercises (such as walking and cycling), the majority of us breathe in through our nose and out through our mouths.
  • But the more intense the exercise becomes, the more we tend to breathe entirely through our mouths.
  • But evidence shows the contrary – and that breathing through your nose may actually be a better technique to use during intense exercise (such as running).
  • A series of studies have shown that when exercising at different intensities, less oxygen is used when breathing through the nose compared to breathing through your mouth.
  • This means the heart is under no additional stress when breathing through your nose during exercise.

Wilton Inspires Bakers this Autumn with their New Line of Eerie Halloween Products

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Whether you are hosting a Halloween party, baking for friends or family or just want to get creative in the kitchen, Wilton provides no frights, just delights this Halloween.

Key Points: 
  • Whether you are hosting a Halloween party, baking for friends or family or just want to get creative in the kitchen, Wilton provides no frights, just delights this Halloween.
  • SRP: $11.99
    Wilton Halloween Themed Cookie Cutters and Tools: Tricks are fun, but treats are easily the best part of Halloween!
  • SRP: $1.29 - $11.99
    Wilton’s line-up of Halloween products is available at retailers nationwide and on Wilton.com.
  • To learn more about new products or to find baking and decorating inspiration, visit www.wilton.com or follow Wilton on Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest and TikTok .