This Medical Gun Treats Burns With the Patient’s Own Skin Cells

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RenovaCare

Every year, around 486,000 people are medically treated for burns in the United States. Severe cases can result in grafting and long-term monitoring. But a new company is hoping a technological breakthrough may provide a less painful alternative.

New York biotech firm RenovaCare has obtained a patent for the SkinGun, a space-age-looking tool that contains harvested stem cells from a patient’s own skin and then sprays the solution over the affected burn area. The hope is that the healthy stem cells will begin to heal the damaged skin with only minimal intervention and mild scarring.

First, a physician obtains cells from a one-inch patch of undamaged skin. Next, the stem cells extracted from the sample are suspended in a water vial, which is then loaded into the SkinGun. RenovaCare reports that patients can be treated in as little as 90 minutes after arriving for care, with new skin developing within days. The company estimates that 97.3 percent of the harvested cells remain viable after being ejected.

Nearly 50 patients at the University of Pittsburgh have been treated with the device. RenovaCare is hoping to pursue large clinical trials to obtain clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to market the SkinGun commercially.

[h/t CNN]


December 8, 2016 – 12:30pm

13 Vindictive Krampus Gifts to Give Naughty Loved Ones

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Etsy

Think Christmas is too commercial? Are your kids spoiled and out of control? Well, take heart: It’s Krampus season! For those who missed the Alpine folklore lesson (or the 2015 movie starring Adam Scott), Krampus is an anthropomorphic goat-ish creature who punishes misbehaving children, sometimes by throwing them in a sack and hitting them. We don’t actually condone handing your kids over to a demonic goat, but we’ll take the story as a good behavior incentive over Elf on the Shelf any day. Here are some gifts celebrating the darker side of Christmas.

1. ORNAMENT; $10

Every tree needs at least one Krampus ornament to balance out all the cheery Santas and elves. This glass ornament features the lovable demon sitting on a sack of wailing children. Put this item on the tree and the rest of the ornaments are sure to stay in line.

Find It: Amazon

2. SWEATER; $35

Show up to your next sweater party in something a little different. With patterned chains and a particularly goat-y image of Krampus on the front, this get-up is sure to make fellow party guests second-guess another glass of spiked eggnog. It says gruss vom Krampus or “greetings from Krampus.”

Find It: Amazon

3. STOCKING; $12

This ominous felt stocking will give friends and family pause. Will they find small presents, or coal? If the frightened-looking children are any indication, it’s going to be coal; and at 16 inches long, this stocking can fit enough to power a tiny train.

Find It: Amazon

4. SHIRT; $7-$16

This cotton t-shirt is great for the Scrooge in your life this holiday season—or every day if they really hate children. The design of Krampus stuffing children into his basket is professionally screenprinted onto the shirt so it can be worn for many Christmases to come.

Find It: Amazon

5. PILLOWCASE; $4

As the holidays roll around, it’s time to break out the decorative towels and tiny soaps for the bathroom. The living room can also get a makeover with a few of these surprisingly affordable pillow cases, which fit snugly over 20-inch pillows. The linen covers feature Krampus sneaking up on some unsuspecting children, branch in hand.

Find It: Amazon

6. HOLIDAY CARDS; $16

This vintage-style batch of cards comes in a metal tin with Krampus’s scary mug painted on the top. There are two cards of each design, with 20 cards in total. Each menacing card comes with its own bright red envelope that says “Christmas fun.” The cards’ pictures range from Krampus chaining up crying children to the goat-demon taking a few kids on a joyride around town.

Find It: Amazon

7. MASK; $30

Want to really scare your grandmother this holiday? Just pop on this alarming latex mask and hide behind the tree. It has gold-painted horns and a long tongue that puts Gene Simmons to shame.

Find It: Amazon

8. CINNAMON CANDY CANES; $5

If candy canes are the official candy of Santa Claus, then these fiery cinnamon candy canes belong to Krampus. The devilish candies sport red-and-black stripes that will look great next to the Krampus ornament.

Find It: Amazon

9. WRAPPING PAPER; $11

This wrapping paper sends a loud and clear message to the recipient: “OK, you get a gift this year, but watch it.” Alternatively, you can use it to wrap up some lumps of coal and call it a day. Each pack comes with two 20-by-30 inch sheets—perfect when your whole family has been up to no good.

Find It: Amazon

10. PATCH; $8

Add an edge to your denim jacket, tote bag, girl scout uniform, or any other piece of clothing that could use a threatening yet festive touch. The digitally embroidered patch has an iron-on back for a quick application.

Find It: Etsy

11. ENAMEL PIN; $12

For something a little less permanent, jackets and accessories can be adorned with this soft enamel pin. The 1.5-inch-tall pin shows Krampus with his signature birch branches and basket of naughty children. Despite its seasonal subject matter, the simple design lets the wearer enjoy the pin all year round.

Find It: Etsy

12. SOY CANDLE; $20

Nothing says relaxation like cuddling up near a long-tongued Christmas demon candle. The soy wax candles are handmade in a mold with eco-friendly dye. The 5-inch figures come in either red or green for the holidays.

Find It: Etsy

13. THE KRAMPUS AND THE OLD, DARK CHRISTMAS; $16

Read up on the rich history of the child-abusing demon with this fascinating tome from author Al Ridenour. Ridenour takes an anthropological approach by visiting places in Austria to experience the Krampus festivities first-hand. Readers can dive into the complex mythology and culture that produced Santa’s spiritual foil.

Find It: Amazon


December 8, 2016 – 12:00pm

Newsletter Item for (89541): 13 Tips for Wrapping the Perfect Present

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13 Tips for Wrapping the Perfect Present

mfna_dek: 

Think you’re all thumbs when it comes to tying bows and wrapping presents? Gift-wrapping pro Alton DuLaney (who once won $10,000 by wrapping, among other things, a baby grand piano) shares his foolproof tips for wrapping your presents beautifully.

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Live Smarter
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13 Tips for Wrapping the Perfect Present

Newsletter Item for (89534): 10 Filmmaking Lessons from Kim Jong-Il

Headline: 
10 Filmmaking Lessons from Kim Jong-Il
mfna_dek: 

Kim Jong-Il, the late supreme leader of North Korea, was a film obsessive: With reportedly 20,000 movies in his possession, he had one of the largest private film collections in the world. And in 1973, he published On the Art of the Cinema, a 300-page, quasi-impenetrable opus filled with musings about what it takes to make a great film. Here are 10 lessons on filmmaking taken straight from Kim Jong-Il’s manifesto.

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Movies
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10 Filmmaking Lessons from Kim Jong-Il

Newsletter Item for (13012): The First (And Last) Serious Challenge to the Electoral College System

Headline: 

The First (And Last) Serious Challenge to the Electoral College System

mfna_dek: 

No election cycle would be complete without a debate over whether or not the Electoral College should be abolished. But have we ever come close to actually replacing the system that everyone loves to hate?

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History
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The First (And Last) Serious Challenge to the Electoral College System

‘Stranger Things’ Mania Leads to Holiday Light Shortage at British Chain

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Netflix

Thanks to the popularity of Stranger Things, fans started getting in the holly jolly spirit a little early this year. The sci-fi series made its record-breaking Netflix debut this past July and has spawned countless parties and cosplays in the time since. In addition to likely increasing demand for big glasses and blonde wigs, the show has led to a shortage of holiday lights at one British craft chain. As NME reports, B&Q’s inventory of multicolored LED string lights is already down 90 percent.

One of the most famous scenes from Stranger Things takes place in the third episode. Winona Ryder’s character Joyce builds a makeshift messaging system out of Christmas lights in an attempt to help her missing son contact her from the Upside Down. Fans have found clever ways to recreate the scene in real-life, but now that the holidays have arrived stores have to deal with the unintended consequences.

B&Q’s Christmas market director Mike Norton reported a significant jump in demand for multicolor string lights compared to previous years. Despite being blindsided by the trend, the store apparently has no problem playing along. Norton told NME, “Despite the similarity in the lights, we’d like to remind customers that this product should not be used to try to contact the ‘upside down’. B&Q cannot claim any responsibility for Demogorgon-related damage to homes this Christmas.”

B&Q has yet to completely sell out of the lights, but if you’re planning on purchasing some for non-holiday-related purposes it’s probably best to wait until the new year. You can check out some alternative ways to contact the Upside Down in the meantime.

[h/t NME]


December 8, 2016 – 11:45am