BBC health news
Indian town battles against encephalitis
Sanjoy Majumder
World health organization
Sanjoy visit the Indian Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh to find out why the people oppressed there, Most of people 460 are children, have died after a fresh outbreak of encephalitis in northern India. Many people deprived from the better treatment . Most of the people are poor and uneducated. They can't find any suitable way for save their life.Many people are went hospital.
Ward number 12 at Gorakhpur's main hospital is overflowing with sick children, two or three squeezed into a single bed.Many of them are visibly sick and are having to be administered oxygen or being put on an intravenous drip.
Every day, 30 to 40 children are brought here after having contracted encephalitis. Many of them come from the countryside, after having travelled several hours because this is the best hospital in the region.
"I brought my daughter from our village 25km (15 miles) away," says one young woman.
"She was very sick. But here in the hospital, there are five babies dying every couple of hours. I am so frightened."
The hospital is trying its best to cope but is overwhelmed by the numbers.
"We have about 500 children in our ward and only 95 beds," says Dr KP Kushwaha, the hospital's chief paediatrician.
Those who aren't lucky to make it to a bed are made to wait with their parents in the corridor outside which is filled to capacity. The children lie on the floor, exposed to the dust and dirt.
But lack of space is not the only issue.
Encephalitis toll approaches 130
By Ram Dutt Triphati
BBC News, Lucknow
Nearly 130 people are known to have died from Japanese encephalitis this year in eastern parts of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, officials say.
Indian suffer people in hospital
A senior health official told BBC that 640 people were admitted in hospitals for encephalitis, known locally as brain fever. Out of these, 129 died. Doctors say that the high death ratio is "quite high" and "alarming".
Japanese encephalitis is caused by a virus. It is passed to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
It cannot be transmitted by other humans and is usually a mild illness - in many cases there are no symptoms.
But in a small number of cases - normally about 1 in 200 infected people - the illness is much more serious.
A senior doctor in Gorakhpur Medical college - near the border with Nepal - said that the majority of victims in the latest outbreak were children.
They say there is not enough nursing and support staff to attend to them as new patients arrive every day.
Flood waters from Nepal combined with long standing water logging in Uttar Pradesh is has been blamed for extensive breeding of mosquitoes.
More serious infections may start with fever, tiredness, headache, vomiting, and sometimes confusion and agitation leading to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
It can cause permanent brain damage in some cases.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh is a poor and backward area without adequate health facilities and encephalitis has killed a large number of people there over the last 30 years.
One of the worst outbreaks happened in 2005 when hundreds of people were killed.
Deforestation and increasing sugar cane farming have added to the problem.
Is This the End of Popping Vitamins?
Shirley S. Wang(The Wall Street Journal, New York, October 25, 2011)
"The case for dietary supplements is collapsing. A succession of large-scale human studies…suggests that multivitamins and many other dietary supplements often don't have health benefits -- and in some cases may even cause harm. The data have prompted some nutrition researchers to say taking vitamins is a waste of money for those without a specific nutrient deficiency or chronic illness. Such findings have also fueled a debate about whether the field should continue conducting expensive human trials to figure out whether particular supplements affect health…For instance, vitamins B-6 and B-12 are often touted as being good for the heart, but several studies have failed to find that they lower risk of cardiovascular disease...Vitamin C hasn't been shown in many studies to lower a person's risk of getting a cold.
Calcium, while important to bone health, doesn't lower risk of heart disease or cancer and may increase risk of kidney stones…Researchers and nutritionists are still recommending dietary supplements for the malnourished or people with certain nutrient deficiencies or medical conditions. For instance folic acid -- the supplement form of folate -- reduces the likelihood of a common birth defect if taken by pregnant women. Studying the effects of vitamins and supplements in the real world is difficult, since people eat foods with multiple nutrients that can interact with supplements and skew results. And observational trials can only show an association, not cause and effect…Micronutrients, which include antioxidants like vitamin C, hormones like vitamin D and metals like iron, are essential to the body in small amounts because they help facilitate important reactions in and between cells. Too much of them, however, can cause problems. The effectiveness of many dietary supplements remains untested and makers aren't required to do tests before selling a product. Still, about half of Americans reported taking at least one supplement a month in 2006…The supplement industry brought in $28 billion in sales in 2010…Vitamin users may derive a benefit from the placebo effect, experts say. And they often are convinced the supplements make them feel better, regardless of what studies show."
U.S. Health Care: At the Clinic, Care ... and Infection (The Wall Street Journal, New York, October 25, 2011)
"As hospitals get better at keeping serious infections from spreading to patients, a new source of worry is emerging: outpatient clinics, where reports of dangerous transmissions of bacteria and viruses have been on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]…is launching a campaign to reduce the rate of infection among the more than one million cancer patients a year who receive chemotherapy and radiation treatments in outpatient oncology clinics. Health care provided by outpatient clinics...has surged in recent years because the centers are typically cheaper and more convenient than hospitals. Unlike hospitals, however, the clinics are not tightly regulated or inspected and may not have formal infection-control programs. In the past decade, the CDC says, more than 125,000 patients have had to be notified of potential exposure to disease from unsafe injection practices alone."Free registration required.
Consumer & Food Safety: Report: Industry Decides US Food Ingredient Safety(The Associated Press, October 26, 2011)
"Thousands of ingredients that go into food have been classified as safe by private industry alone, without any government oversight, according to a new report…Since the early 1960's, private companies and industry trade associations have determined at least 3,000 ingredients are safe, with no federal scrutiny, the study found.
The ingredients include everything from artificially synthesized chemicals used in chewing gum to grape seed extract used in cheese and instant coffee. The peer-reviewed report…draws on research funded by the Pew Health Group, the health and consumer safety arm of the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts. The Grocery Manufacturers Association says the industry only classifies ingredients as safe after a battery of rigorous biological tests, but agrees that more transparency in the vetting process would help build consumer confidence."
Study Links BPA Exposure in Womb to Behavior Problems in Toddler Girls (The Washington Post, October 24, 2011)
"While several studies have linked BPA [bisphenol A] to behavioral problems in children...[a new] report is the first to suggest that a young girl’s emotional well-being is linked to her mother’s exposure during pregnancy rather than the child’s exposure after birth...BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen, which is thought to play a role in behavioral development. The results add to a growing body of research that suggests exposure to BPA poses health risks in humans. While the federal government has long maintained that low doses of BPA are safe, the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies are taking a closer look and investing in more research about the chemical’s health effects…Due to consumer pressure, some companies have voluntarily removed the chemical from products or started offering BPA-free alternatives. A number of states and cities…have banned BPA in some children’s products. France has taken action to prohibit BPA use in food packages altogether."Free registration required.
Food Security & Aid: Extra Billions Can Be Fed, but Who Will Pay the Tab?
(Reuters, October 26, 2011)
"For decades, the world's focus has been more on food aid -- donating excess grains and other agricultural supplies to poor nations. Over the last few years, that focus has shifted toward better positioning poor farmers to feed themselves. The goals include increasing…long-term food security for people in poor countries. The key targets are an estimated 600 million people who live in poverty in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. The need for improved crop productivity was underscored by a 2008 spike in food prices tied to production shortages…The World Bank is also overseeing a fund dubbed the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)…With the uncertainty surrounding the sustainability and expansion of government funding, private investments into agricultural research and development are rising…And many corporations have dived in."
Cancer: Ovarian Cancer Risk Almost Halved After 10 Years on the Pill, Study Shows
(The Guardian, London, online, October 25, 2011)
"Taking the contraceptive pill for 10 years almost halves a woman's risk of ovarian cancer, according to research. A study investigating reproductive factors in ovarian cancer found that women who had been on the pill for 10 or more years cut their risk of ovarian cancer by about 45%. Getting pregnant was the next most protective behaviour, reducing a woman's risk by 29% compared with those who had never been pregnant. The bigger the family she had, the less likely a woman was to get ovarian cancer. Each baby reduced her risk by a further 8%. The study…is part of a programme of research looking at the links between diet, lifestyle and cancer. The European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (Epic) is following more than one million people across Europe…How much protection a woman would get from taking the pill depends on her individual risk of ovarian cancer, because some of the causes will be genetic."Free registration required.
U.S.: Panel Endorses HPV Vaccine for Boys of 11 (The New York Times, October 25, 2011)
"Boys and young men should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, or HPV...the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…recommends [the HPV vaccine]…for routine use…The committee recommended in 2006 that girls and young women…should be vaccinated…HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease -- between 75 percent and 80 percent of females and males in the United States will be infected at some point in their lives. Most will overcome the infection with no ill effects. But in some people, infections lead to cellular changes that cause warts or cancer...A growing body of evidence suggests that HPV also causes throat cancers in men and women as a result of oral sex…The committee has become increasingly concerned about the cost effectiveness…Vaccinating boys is cost effective when vaccination rates in girls are relatively low, which they are now."Free registration required.
U.K.: Breast Cancer Screening Review Set Up Amid Fears Risks Outweigh Benefits
(The Guardian, London, October 25, 2011)
"An independent investigation into breast cancer screening has been set up by the government's cancer chief to try to settle the growing controversy around its usefulness and potential harms. Prof Sir Mike Richards's move is an attempt to put to rest the criticisms of a number of scientists, who say the NHS screening programme wrongly identifies cancers that might never harm women, leading to unnecessary and potentially damaging treatment with surgery, drugs and radiation therapy. They also contest the official NHS position, which is that although there is some over-treatment as a result of screening, mammograms save lives. Richards's decision came to light in an open letter to Susan Bewley, professor of complex obstetrics at King's College London, who had written to him with her concerns over routine screening."Free registration required.
North America:
Florida Judge Blocks Drug Testing of Welfare Applicants(St. Petersburg Times, Florida, October 25, 2011)
"A federal judge…temporarily blocked Florida's controversial law requiring welfare applicants be drug tested in order to receive benefits…Gov. Rick Scott, who signed the measure into law...touted it as a way to ensure taxpayer money isn't 'wasted' on those who use drugs…applicants [who] have refused to take the test…aren't required to say why…Applicants must pay…for the test and are reimbursed by the state if they pass. It's unclear if the state has saved money…Besides finding that the state so far has failed to adequately defend its position in support of drug testing, [Judge Mary] Scriven's order…cited the fact that a 2003 state-sanctioned study of drug use among welfare recipients indicated the incidence of drug use was lower among Florida's state welfare recipients than among the general population. The authors of that study specifically recommended that the state not expand such drug testing because of the high costs of testing compared with the potential benefits."
Europe:
Russia: Stopping the HIV Epidemic(The Moscow Times, October 25, 2011)
"A goal agreed upon by all member states of the United Nations strives to halt and reverse the spread of infectious diseases…by 2015. Russia positioned itself at...[a recent international health] conference as a leader in the battle against HIV…Indeed, Russia has some things to boast of…But HIV in Russia is growing because the government has not addressed HIV transmission in the group where it matters most: intravenous drug users. Nearly 80 percent of people with HIV in Russia got their infection through drug use, and new cases continue to occur among the country’s 1.8 million drug users. There are evidence-based interventions that many countries have adopted and that lead to demonstrably lower HIV transmission…including the spread of HIV by contaminated injections...True, needle exchange does not cure opiate addiction, as some of our Russian critics argue. But we treat diabetes with insulin and are perfectly happy with this noncurative approach that hugely improves the quality of life of diabetics."
Polio: Officials Say India Close to Wiping Out Polio (The Associated Press, October 24, 2011)
Nigeria: Polio -- Nation Sinks in PAIN
(Daily Trust, Nigeria, October 24, 2011)
"Nigeria faces a bleak scenario -- that poliomyelitis could resurge...When polio cases dipped 95% in 2010, officials considered the country to be on target. The dip was less than expected...[now] a rise in the number of polio cases…has shaken that confidence and ignited worry…according to the National primary healthcare development agency which coordinates immunisation programme, because of the presence of wild polio virus, low immunity level among the population or clustering of the virus. Health experts have warned of emergency situations and are holding Kano state up as a spectre of what could happen if the country loses its grip on polio…The pressure to stop polio is increasing. After agreeing with nearly 200 countries to kick the disease out, Nigeria is still one of four embarrassingly named PAIN countries -- along with Pakistan, Afghanistan and India -- yet to completely stop the virus."
International Health Insurance news
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Technology waves in modern society are meant to help you be part of the new experience in the world. These waves will now be used to digitalize your social experience; make you to be part of security remedies and not victims, give you the opportunity to share more often and widely and have the ability to have the power we desire where we wish to have it. Ten years down the line, we look back and appreciate how far we have come in the name of technology. Here are some of the waves that startled the entire world.
The Inception Of Video Wave: The video wave has hit the modern world to a great extent and it has with no doubt transformed the lives of its users. This is witnessed in a way that most of the social medias such as Facebook have the video chat tab which enables you to chat with your friends when they are online. This application is not only on Social medias or sites but also on other websites. Most of the websites have taken to the idea of video chat where you can chat with a client or an employee of a particular company. This has with no doubt enhanced relationships and boosted businesses in various ways. In addition, clients or surfers get direct and immediate response from these chats. To add on, video chat is not only applicable on computers or tablets alone, it has also been incorporated in mobile phones and each day, new mobile phones are being produced to offer unique services that their competitors, and this makes the use of this technology better every day.
Public Safety: This is one area that has received massive boost with the inception of new technology in the word. This has ensured that the era of dialing 911, less police and the inability of video capturing system to function well for the sake of public safety have long been surpassed by time. One example that showed how poor the security systems were in recent years is the 9/11 event. At the moment, there are new technologies that are being put forward in the mobile world where Smartphone users will be able to access security surveillance systems and distribute it to other people for their own safety. This is said believed to be a solution to the security menace in the world where early warning and response will be the order of the day.
Multi-Touch With Pen: Tablets are the latest waves in the market and soon, it is believed that they will soon take over the duty of notebook computers. This is attributed to the fact that they are deemed to be creation devices rather than consumption devices. The next generation of these tablets are said to be better in design and functionality and their ability to use stylus and not the keyboard makes it unique. To date, it is possible to get smartphones as well as monitors that have both touch and high resolution digitization on their screens. This technology is available on the same screen.
There are other amazing technology waves in the world worth mentioning. You do however need to know that the more the world progresses, the better the technology.
Microsoft Newest Technology
Posted by: Topicaltv
Microsoft is one of the leading companies in the computer world, and since its establishment, it has rooted itself as a force to be reckoned with in the business and computer world. Latest news has that any Microsoft computers that use Windows 7 will be upgraded to Windows 8. This was revealed by Microsoft and it pledged to keep and maintain hardware requirement level or have them lowered when next edition of Windows will be released.
According to Microsoft news and statistics, it has sold over 400 million licenses of Windows 7, though Windows XP is still commonly used in the entire world. At the moment, it has already shown two technological previews to experts and media professionals and it has also promised another preview in September. This is an indication that Microsoft has derived a balancing act that will be used to convince consumers and businesses to upgrade to Windows 7 irrespective of a new operating system that is just around the corner. This is because when they upgrade to Windows 7, it will be quite easy to upgrade to Windows 8 basing on the fact that the hardware requirements will be maintained and even lowered in the coming years.
According to reports by Microsoft, two thirds of all business PCs is still operating on Windows XP, hence convincing and moving users to Windows 7 is an urgent work that is significant in its operation. This computer guru company has indicated that the new Windows 8 will be released next year, and as a way of helping businesses from holding their money, Microsoft has taken the initiative to convince them to upgrade now to windows 7 with their same PC and later on, run them on windows 8. You need to know that whether you upgrade your PC or decide on buying another new one, it will still adapt to that hardware. Microsoft experts have indicated that Windows 8 is suitable for millions of modern PCs that are available in the world today and for devices and use of tomorrow.
Earlier this year, business news put it that Windows 8 will be optimized for both PCs and touch screen tablets. This company also indicated that it will support ARM architecture which is a low powered chip suitable for mobile devices. Only last month, Microsoft showed off its new tablet interface. It is also said that Windows 8 is a real re-imagining of Windows basing on its chip and interface. Regardless of the re-imagining, it has also indicated that it will maintain system requirements or even reduce them. In order to run Windows 7, your PC should have at least 1 GB RAM, 1GHz processor, 16 GB disk space as well as Direct 9 Graphics. presently, there are Windows 7 tablets in the market, though despite advice from Microsoft of upgrading, it would be much better for consumers to wait t for the Windows 8 tablets for they are bound to be more advanced.
All in all, it is evident that Microsoft is hitting the market and business world with its latest Windows 8 that entail the latest technology. Keep checking for more news on Microsoft and Windows 8.
Yahoo health news
Murder, suicide top medical deaths in pregnancy
By Kerry Grens | Reuters – Wed, Oct 26, 2011
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Expectant mothers are more likely to die from murder or suicide than several of the most common pregnancy-related medical problems, U.S. researchers have found.
Roughly half of those women who died violently had had some sort of conflict with their current or former partners leading up to the death, causing experts to call for more thorough screening and follow up for domestic problems during pregnancy check-ups.
"I think that there's still an under-appreciation of the risk (for murder and suicide) and probably less screening than should be done," said Dr. Linda Chambliss, director of maternal fetal medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, who did not participate in the new work.
The study shows that about three out of every 100,000 women who are pregnant or have a child less than one year old are murdered, and two out of every 100,000 kill themselves.
Those numbers remained fairly constant from 2003 to 2007, the years that the researchers examined.
They pulled their data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Violent Death Reporting System, which includes 17 states.
Murder and suicide were more common causes of death than medical conditions related to the pregnancy, according to a different set of data.
For instance, fewer than two out of every 100,000 women died from either pregnancy-related bleeding, improper development of the placenta, or preeclampsia, a complication of high blood pressure that can occur during pregnancy.
Dr. Christie Palladino, the lead author of the study, told Reuters Health that deaths from medical problems during pregnancy have dropped in recent decades.
"We've seen improvements in the more traditional causes of death, likely due to advances in medical care and public health practices. But the rate of injury seems to remain constant," said Palladino, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.
This finding is especially troubling, she said, because violent deaths can be stopped.
"Even if the numbers are relatively small, you're talking about something that's preventable. It doesn't have to be there at all," agreed Chambliss.
Some groups of women were at a greater risk of violent death.
Women who died by suicide, for example, were more likely to be white or Native American, unmarried and over 40. Older women and those under 24 were at greater risk of being murdered, as were African Americans and unmarried women.
Palladino said her study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, likely underestimated the number of violent deaths among pregnant women.
The National Violent Death Reporting System includes all records of violent deaths in the participating states, but in some cases the pregnancy status of the victim was unknown, and Palladino and her colleagues excluded those records from the study.
World health organization
Palladino said pregnancy is a prime opportunity for working to prevent suicides and murders, particularly those related to domestic violence, because women regularly see health care providers.
"We want to make sure we intervene before we get to these really disastrous consequences," she said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/u2Dgjy Obstetrics & Gynecology, November, 2011.
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