Showing posts with label HEALTH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HEALTH. Show all posts
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Mobiles pose no health risk: Study
Those who worry that mobile phones and their transmission towers are health hazards can now relax following studies coordinated by the Berlin-based Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS).
German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said more than 50 studies in the German Mobile Telecommunications Research Programme (DMF), conducted from 2002 to 2008, had found no evidence that mobile phones and transmission towers posed a health risk within the required limits for electromagnetic radiation.
The programme was funded with 17 million euros ($26 million), a small sum compared with the billions of euros that the German government collected when it auctioned licenses for slices of Germany's UMTS airwave spectrum in 2000.
Though the country's four mobile network operators provided half of the research funds, the BfS told critics that DMF procedures had ensured the objectivity of the studies.
Research focused on the functioning mechanisms of high frequency electromagnetic fields in mobile telephony, the fields' effect on humans and animals, and the amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the public is exposed.
Several studies looked at possible effects on what is known as the blood-brain barrier, a kind of filter that prevents harmful substances in the blood from reaching neurons in the brain.
According to the BfS, the studies found no conclusive evidence that radiation from mobile telephony significantly weakened the blood-brain barrier.
Three studies dealt with the 1.5 percent of Germans who describe themselves as "electrosensitive" and blame various health problems on electromagnetic fields.
Since the ailments are typically things like headaches and sleep disorders, which could have many causes, establishing a link with electromagnetic radiation is very difficult.
The studies found that some people were quicker to sense electromagnetic fields than others, and that health complaints were not necessarily connected with radiation.
Test persons were asked to speak up as soon as they felt exposure to electromagnetic fields. Those who considered themselves electro-sensitive sounded the most false alarms.
The BfS concluded there was no proof that electromagnetic fields caused the health problems named by electro-sensitive people.
The research programme also included a number of epidemiological studies aimed at determining whether mobile phone users contracted certain kinds of cancer more often than nonusers.
The BfS said there was no evidence of a link.
Despite the studies' reassuring results, the "all clear" signal comes with a caveat: Mobile telephony is safe as far as we know, but we still do not know everything.
"What concerns me is that we know little about the effects on children and juveniles," remarked Rolf Buschmann, an environmental expert at the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Centre in Dusseldorf.
There are no suitable scientific models at present for studies involving children.
The effects of long-term mobile phone use - 10 years or more - have not been sufficiently studied either, which is not surprising considering that the technology is still young.
For Bernd Rainer Mueller, an engineer and measurement technology specialist for the Berlin-based environmental protection organisation BUND, this is reason enough to demand lower legal limits for the electromagnetic radiation caused by mobile telephony.
"I'm afraid that otherwise half the population will have health problems at some point," he said.
Mueller's fears are based in part on the justified assumption that mobile-phone use will increase in the years ahead.
For its part, the BfS also sees the need for more research on long-term mobile-phone use as well as on the effects on children and juveniles.
And it continues to advise consumers to use mobile phones as little as possible, to buy low-radiation models, and to make sure that conditions for reception are good.
German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said more than 50 studies in the German Mobile Telecommunications Research Programme (DMF), conducted from 2002 to 2008, had found no evidence that mobile phones and transmission towers posed a health risk within the required limits for electromagnetic radiation.
The programme was funded with 17 million euros ($26 million), a small sum compared with the billions of euros that the German government collected when it auctioned licenses for slices of Germany's UMTS airwave spectrum in 2000.
Though the country's four mobile network operators provided half of the research funds, the BfS told critics that DMF procedures had ensured the objectivity of the studies.
Research focused on the functioning mechanisms of high frequency electromagnetic fields in mobile telephony, the fields' effect on humans and animals, and the amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the public is exposed.
Several studies looked at possible effects on what is known as the blood-brain barrier, a kind of filter that prevents harmful substances in the blood from reaching neurons in the brain.
According to the BfS, the studies found no conclusive evidence that radiation from mobile telephony significantly weakened the blood-brain barrier.
Three studies dealt with the 1.5 percent of Germans who describe themselves as "electrosensitive" and blame various health problems on electromagnetic fields.
Since the ailments are typically things like headaches and sleep disorders, which could have many causes, establishing a link with electromagnetic radiation is very difficult.
The studies found that some people were quicker to sense electromagnetic fields than others, and that health complaints were not necessarily connected with radiation.
Test persons were asked to speak up as soon as they felt exposure to electromagnetic fields. Those who considered themselves electro-sensitive sounded the most false alarms.
The BfS concluded there was no proof that electromagnetic fields caused the health problems named by electro-sensitive people.
The research programme also included a number of epidemiological studies aimed at determining whether mobile phone users contracted certain kinds of cancer more often than nonusers.
The BfS said there was no evidence of a link.
Despite the studies' reassuring results, the "all clear" signal comes with a caveat: Mobile telephony is safe as far as we know, but we still do not know everything.
"What concerns me is that we know little about the effects on children and juveniles," remarked Rolf Buschmann, an environmental expert at the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Centre in Dusseldorf.
There are no suitable scientific models at present for studies involving children.
The effects of long-term mobile phone use - 10 years or more - have not been sufficiently studied either, which is not surprising considering that the technology is still young.
For Bernd Rainer Mueller, an engineer and measurement technology specialist for the Berlin-based environmental protection organisation BUND, this is reason enough to demand lower legal limits for the electromagnetic radiation caused by mobile telephony.
"I'm afraid that otherwise half the population will have health problems at some point," he said.
Mueller's fears are based in part on the justified assumption that mobile-phone use will increase in the years ahead.
For its part, the BfS also sees the need for more research on long-term mobile-phone use as well as on the effects on children and juveniles.
And it continues to advise consumers to use mobile phones as little as possible, to buy low-radiation models, and to make sure that conditions for reception are good.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Born outside womb after nine months
urga, an Australian baby has baffled doctors after she survived outside of the womb for a full-term pregnancy, a medical phenomenon believed to be the world's first.
Durga Thangarajah was delivered by obstetricians at the Darwin Private Hospital in Australia's northern territory on Thursday after a delicate caesarean operation that lasted for two hours.
Doctors and obstetricians at the hospital, who helped deliver Durga from her mother's right ovary, are baffled at the phenomenon, saying an ovarian pregnancy is one of the rarest variation of ectopic pregnancies and generally have life-threatening complications. They have dubbed Durga a "miracle baby".
The parents, Ravi and Meera Thangarajah, both Sri Lankans, had migrated to Australia over two decades ago.
Because of the high risk, expecting mothers who were examined by hospital in the early stages with an ectopic pregnancy are advised to abort. Meera's case was identified in late stages as earlier examinations were not abnormal.
Obstetrician Andrew Miller said he was stunned when he found the baby squeezed into Meera's right ovary.
He said she was lucky the ovary had not ruptured as the baby grew and stretched the skin. He said the skin was so thin that he could see the baby's facial features through it.
"It could have ruptured at any moment, leaving both mother and baby's lives at risk," the Australian doctor said.
Miller termed it as a medical phenomenon. "This form of pregnancy is rare enough, but to have it go full term is unheard of," he said.
"I have never come across it in any hospital. It truly is a miracle she got a living baby out of it she's extraordinarily lucky," Miller told the Northern Territory News .
Miller said Meera's egg didn't travel down the fallopian tube and into the uterus, instead staying in the ovary for the full term.
Durga Thangarajah was delivered by obstetricians at the Darwin Private Hospital in Australia's northern territory on Thursday after a delicate caesarean operation that lasted for two hours.
Doctors and obstetricians at the hospital, who helped deliver Durga from her mother's right ovary, are baffled at the phenomenon, saying an ovarian pregnancy is one of the rarest variation of ectopic pregnancies and generally have life-threatening complications. They have dubbed Durga a "miracle baby".
The parents, Ravi and Meera Thangarajah, both Sri Lankans, had migrated to Australia over two decades ago.
Because of the high risk, expecting mothers who were examined by hospital in the early stages with an ectopic pregnancy are advised to abort. Meera's case was identified in late stages as earlier examinations were not abnormal.
Obstetrician Andrew Miller said he was stunned when he found the baby squeezed into Meera's right ovary.
He said she was lucky the ovary had not ruptured as the baby grew and stretched the skin. He said the skin was so thin that he could see the baby's facial features through it.
"It could have ruptured at any moment, leaving both mother and baby's lives at risk," the Australian doctor said.
Miller termed it as a medical phenomenon. "This form of pregnancy is rare enough, but to have it go full term is unheard of," he said.
"I have never come across it in any hospital. It truly is a miracle she got a living baby out of it she's extraordinarily lucky," Miller told the Northern Territory News .
Miller said Meera's egg didn't travel down the fallopian tube and into the uterus, instead staying in the ovary for the full term.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
'Birth defects more common in boys'
Birth defects have been found to be more common among boys than girls, according to a report.
And the most commonly occurring defect is hypospadia, an abnormally placed urinary opening in the male urethra.
Conditions that affect both sexes, but are more prevalent in boys, include congenital heart diseases, oesophageal defects and kidney cysts. Chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, are the second-most commonly reported congenital anomalies.
"For every 10,000 babies born during 2002-2003, about 11 were born with Down syndrome," said Samanthi Abeywardana, author of the Australian report.
"When terminations of pregnancies were included, the total estimated rate for Down syndrome was just over 26 per 10,000 pregnancies - an increase from previous reports."
The risk of having a baby with Down syndrome increases with age, from one in 1,500 for mothers aged 20-24, to one in 184 for women 40 and over.
The estimated prevalence of neural tube defects was about 10 per 10,000 pregnancies, about 13 per cent less than the 1998-2001 period.
The rate of anencephaly, the most severe form of neural tube defect, which is always fatal, declined from 5.1 per 10,000 pregnancies in 1998 to 3.8 per 10,000 pregnancies in 2003 - a 25 per cent reduction.
A higher overall rate of congenital anomalies was reported for the births to indigenous women compared with non-indigenous women (356 per 10,000 births versus 308 per 10,000 births).
And the most commonly occurring defect is hypospadia, an abnormally placed urinary opening in the male urethra.
Conditions that affect both sexes, but are more prevalent in boys, include congenital heart diseases, oesophageal defects and kidney cysts. Chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, are the second-most commonly reported congenital anomalies.
"For every 10,000 babies born during 2002-2003, about 11 were born with Down syndrome," said Samanthi Abeywardana, author of the Australian report.
"When terminations of pregnancies were included, the total estimated rate for Down syndrome was just over 26 per 10,000 pregnancies - an increase from previous reports."
The risk of having a baby with Down syndrome increases with age, from one in 1,500 for mothers aged 20-24, to one in 184 for women 40 and over.
The estimated prevalence of neural tube defects was about 10 per 10,000 pregnancies, about 13 per cent less than the 1998-2001 period.
The rate of anencephaly, the most severe form of neural tube defect, which is always fatal, declined from 5.1 per 10,000 pregnancies in 1998 to 3.8 per 10,000 pregnancies in 2003 - a 25 per cent reduction.
A higher overall rate of congenital anomalies was reported for the births to indigenous women compared with non-indigenous women (356 per 10,000 births versus 308 per 10,000 births).
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
O-ZONE: The New Sexy!
Is the new size zero Bebo sexy? Do women wearing sports jerseys look sexy — a la Katrina Kaif, Preity Zinta and Kareena Kapoor? Are cushy bums sexy or a put-off? Is a jiggly cleavage desirable or sheer desperate? Is a beefcake (heavily muscled guy) drool stuff or pukey?
Who is to take a call on what is sexy and what not? Has the definition of “sexy” changed over the years? We knew sexy as a bad word — to be sexy was to be a “bad girl” arousing forbidden urges in men. Vamps were sexy and heroines good, innocent and attractive. Much adrenaline has flown from then to today, when “sexy” is a coveted status. Today, sexy has lost its gender or sex relevance and has come to mean many things — in fact, it’s one of the most casually used words. People hail cars as sexy; bars, restaurants and cities as sexy; dogs as sexy — why even thoughts are considered sexy! An animal rights ad suggests that pasta and vegetables can be sexy! What next? Remember the Govinda-Karishma number... Mere shoes bhi sexy, meri pant bhi sexy, meri shirt bhi sexy....ye rumaal bhi sexy...? So stretched is the definition today that anything or anyone attractive can be given the epithet, “sexy”. The one big change of course is that sexy today is good news, not bad anymore...
And yet, is sexy a physical attribute or does it go beyond? Is sexy something that slams you in the gut and gets the juices flowing, or is sexy an attitude that attracts? Does the sex quotient reside in the body, face, eyes or mind? Or does it actually have nothing to do with the object, but everything to do with the beholder? Is sexy something tangible or is it a wispy imaginative quality that keeps shifting and changing with varying perspectives?
Madhubala’s slanted smile and flirtatious gaze, Nimmi’s pout and wounded eyes; Meena Kumari’s sensual voice and stricken look; Madhuri Dixit’s lip caught between her teeth and dhak-dhak bosom — and today, Kareena’s size zero jutting bones and vanished curves — some of our sexiest heroines — what’s common between them all? Physical attributes? From a Meena Kumari to a Kareena? Certainly not that! They were all beautiful women, who displayed great confidence and a certain attitude peculiar to themselves. It wasn’t so much in their curves or lack of them that they carried their sexiness, but in their attitude, and perhaps in their eyes.
Shah Rukh and Kareena have no doubt redefined fitness and thinness with their newly-sculpted figures. But even as those show boys slog it out, coaxing out a few pectorals or a perfect six-pack and the show girls starve themselves to reduce to size zeroes; even as men become more sculpted and women bid goodbye to good ole curves, one wonders if the definition of sexy is changing? No, not really. Sexy today is still as sexy does. It’s not in their thinness or form, but in something beyond that their sexiness resides.
If the new Kareena is sexy, so should be the thousands of malnourished girls whose gaunt looks, sculpted cheekbones and protruding ribs have nothing to do with power yoga, soups and salads, but a lot to do with utter poverty and lack of a good, balanced diet. So what is it that makes Kareena sexy and not those girls? It’s her attitude, her confidence, the spring in her step, the knowing look in her eyes — her come-hither attitude.
If Shah Rukh Khan with his six-pack has upped his sex quotient, how does he compare with the original six-packers — millions of labourers, rickshaw pullers and farmers whose muscles have nothing to do with workouts and hormone injections, and everything to do with sheer physical labour?
Ask around and you will discover sexy is more a matter of perspective than of rules and definition. A quick poll had different men settling for a woman’s face, legs, curves, smile, body language or bust as a quotient of her sexiness. Women went for a man’s eyes, height, intelligence, looks, sense of humour, chivalry, body smell or six packs!
And yet, ask them if anyone had these attributes but no sense of style, no confidence, no attitude — and the sexiness goes out of the window! They quickly settled for attitude over everything else! Recently, nearly 75 per cent Americans polled said that sexiness is more an attitude than in the perfect physique. More than 76 per cent even went on to say that a woman can be sexy even she was a size 14 or larger!
You either are sexy, or you aren’t. There’s nothing you can do to your body to make you sexy; but there’s plenty you can do to your attitude and your mind that makes you sexy.
Who is to take a call on what is sexy and what not? Has the definition of “sexy” changed over the years? We knew sexy as a bad word — to be sexy was to be a “bad girl” arousing forbidden urges in men. Vamps were sexy and heroines good, innocent and attractive. Much adrenaline has flown from then to today, when “sexy” is a coveted status. Today, sexy has lost its gender or sex relevance and has come to mean many things — in fact, it’s one of the most casually used words. People hail cars as sexy; bars, restaurants and cities as sexy; dogs as sexy — why even thoughts are considered sexy! An animal rights ad suggests that pasta and vegetables can be sexy! What next? Remember the Govinda-Karishma number... Mere shoes bhi sexy, meri pant bhi sexy, meri shirt bhi sexy....ye rumaal bhi sexy...? So stretched is the definition today that anything or anyone attractive can be given the epithet, “sexy”. The one big change of course is that sexy today is good news, not bad anymore...
And yet, is sexy a physical attribute or does it go beyond? Is sexy something that slams you in the gut and gets the juices flowing, or is sexy an attitude that attracts? Does the sex quotient reside in the body, face, eyes or mind? Or does it actually have nothing to do with the object, but everything to do with the beholder? Is sexy something tangible or is it a wispy imaginative quality that keeps shifting and changing with varying perspectives?
Madhubala’s slanted smile and flirtatious gaze, Nimmi’s pout and wounded eyes; Meena Kumari’s sensual voice and stricken look; Madhuri Dixit’s lip caught between her teeth and dhak-dhak bosom — and today, Kareena’s size zero jutting bones and vanished curves — some of our sexiest heroines — what’s common between them all? Physical attributes? From a Meena Kumari to a Kareena? Certainly not that! They were all beautiful women, who displayed great confidence and a certain attitude peculiar to themselves. It wasn’t so much in their curves or lack of them that they carried their sexiness, but in their attitude, and perhaps in their eyes.
Shah Rukh and Kareena have no doubt redefined fitness and thinness with their newly-sculpted figures. But even as those show boys slog it out, coaxing out a few pectorals or a perfect six-pack and the show girls starve themselves to reduce to size zeroes; even as men become more sculpted and women bid goodbye to good ole curves, one wonders if the definition of sexy is changing? No, not really. Sexy today is still as sexy does. It’s not in their thinness or form, but in something beyond that their sexiness resides.
If the new Kareena is sexy, so should be the thousands of malnourished girls whose gaunt looks, sculpted cheekbones and protruding ribs have nothing to do with power yoga, soups and salads, but a lot to do with utter poverty and lack of a good, balanced diet. So what is it that makes Kareena sexy and not those girls? It’s her attitude, her confidence, the spring in her step, the knowing look in her eyes — her come-hither attitude.
If Shah Rukh Khan with his six-pack has upped his sex quotient, how does he compare with the original six-packers — millions of labourers, rickshaw pullers and farmers whose muscles have nothing to do with workouts and hormone injections, and everything to do with sheer physical labour?
Ask around and you will discover sexy is more a matter of perspective than of rules and definition. A quick poll had different men settling for a woman’s face, legs, curves, smile, body language or bust as a quotient of her sexiness. Women went for a man’s eyes, height, intelligence, looks, sense of humour, chivalry, body smell or six packs!
And yet, ask them if anyone had these attributes but no sense of style, no confidence, no attitude — and the sexiness goes out of the window! They quickly settled for attitude over everything else! Recently, nearly 75 per cent Americans polled said that sexiness is more an attitude than in the perfect physique. More than 76 per cent even went on to say that a woman can be sexy even she was a size 14 or larger!
You either are sexy, or you aren’t. There’s nothing you can do to your body to make you sexy; but there’s plenty you can do to your attitude and your mind that makes you sexy.
Sunday, 18 May 2008
AIDS vaccine still out of reach
A quarter of a century since the virus that causes AIDS was identified, a vaccine against the deadly disease remains frustratingly out of reach despite a well-funded global effort to find a cure.
"Nearly a billion dollars is spent globally on HIV/AIDS research annually, and yet the sobering reality is that at present there are no promising candidates for an HIV vaccine," Bruce Walker of Harvard Medical School wrote in the May 9 edition of the journal Science.
The research community was dealt a heavy blow in September when the clinical trials of the most promising and widely tested HIV vaccine candidate were halted after it turned out to be a failure.
Early results showed that, rather than preventing HIV or reducing the viral load in people who received it, the experimental vaccine may have increased their chances of become infected.
"We share in the disappointment of the research and HIV communities today. Sadly, developing an effective AIDS vaccine remains one of the most challenging tasks facing modern medicine," Peter Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories, which developed the candidate, said at the time.
Merck's vaccine aimed to stimulate T cells, a type of white blood cell key to the body's immune response, taking a different approach than numerous more traditional vaccines already tested without success.
"The (research) community is depressed because we see no hopeful route to success," American biologist and Nobel prize laureate David Baltimore said of the quest for an AIDS vaccine, at the opening of the latest conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in February.
"Knowing how critical it is to get a vaccine for HIV, developers are moving ahead, even recognizing the long odds for success," he added.
The unique qualities of the HIV pathogen make developing a vaccine particularly challenging, Walker explained.
It has an enormous diversity of genetic sequences, and a great capacity to mutate and adapt, he said.
HIV strains can be divided into three different groups, of which the first, M, is itself divided into nine subtypes, with an undetermined number of variants.
One of the sub-type viruses can vary from 20 to 38 per cent in Africa, where multiple variants exist.
Moreover, the retrovirus can undergo more mutations during the infection of a single individual than the entire world flu epidemic, which requires development of a new vaccine every year, Walker said.
With 33 million people living with HIV worldwide, developing a vaccine to protect simultaneously against all the pathogen's variants is a considerable challenge, Walker said.
And the fact that HIV is an infection of the immune system makes the task even more complicated, since traditional vaccines work by boosting the immune system to fight pathogens.
"There are so many things we do not know in this field of HIV vaccines," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a summit his organization hosted in March to evaluate the situation going forward following the failure of the Merck vaccine.
At the summit, leading AIDS specialists discussed avenues of research that remain largely unexplored, such as protection at the level of the mucous membranes, and the natural immunity of certain species of monkey to the primate equivalent of HIV, Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV).
"Nearly a billion dollars is spent globally on HIV/AIDS research annually, and yet the sobering reality is that at present there are no promising candidates for an HIV vaccine," Bruce Walker of Harvard Medical School wrote in the May 9 edition of the journal Science.
The research community was dealt a heavy blow in September when the clinical trials of the most promising and widely tested HIV vaccine candidate were halted after it turned out to be a failure.
Early results showed that, rather than preventing HIV or reducing the viral load in people who received it, the experimental vaccine may have increased their chances of become infected.
"We share in the disappointment of the research and HIV communities today. Sadly, developing an effective AIDS vaccine remains one of the most challenging tasks facing modern medicine," Peter Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories, which developed the candidate, said at the time.
Merck's vaccine aimed to stimulate T cells, a type of white blood cell key to the body's immune response, taking a different approach than numerous more traditional vaccines already tested without success.
"The (research) community is depressed because we see no hopeful route to success," American biologist and Nobel prize laureate David Baltimore said of the quest for an AIDS vaccine, at the opening of the latest conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in February.
"Knowing how critical it is to get a vaccine for HIV, developers are moving ahead, even recognizing the long odds for success," he added.
The unique qualities of the HIV pathogen make developing a vaccine particularly challenging, Walker explained.
It has an enormous diversity of genetic sequences, and a great capacity to mutate and adapt, he said.
HIV strains can be divided into three different groups, of which the first, M, is itself divided into nine subtypes, with an undetermined number of variants.
One of the sub-type viruses can vary from 20 to 38 per cent in Africa, where multiple variants exist.
Moreover, the retrovirus can undergo more mutations during the infection of a single individual than the entire world flu epidemic, which requires development of a new vaccine every year, Walker said.
With 33 million people living with HIV worldwide, developing a vaccine to protect simultaneously against all the pathogen's variants is a considerable challenge, Walker said.
And the fact that HIV is an infection of the immune system makes the task even more complicated, since traditional vaccines work by boosting the immune system to fight pathogens.
"There are so many things we do not know in this field of HIV vaccines," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a summit his organization hosted in March to evaluate the situation going forward following the failure of the Merck vaccine.
At the summit, leading AIDS specialists discussed avenues of research that remain largely unexplored, such as protection at the level of the mucous membranes, and the natural immunity of certain species of monkey to the primate equivalent of HIV, Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV).
Feeling depressed, get married: Study
Feeling depressed, get married. At least this is what a new study quoted by LiveScience.com suggests.
But it also concludes that marriage even if "so-so" gives a greater psychological boost to the depressed than to the happy people.
Previous studies, the website says, have suggested that the psychological perks of marriage depend upon marriage quality a happy marriage gives rise to a happy couple, and vice-versa.
Taking a cue from the earlier studies, Adrianne Frech, a sociology graduate student at Ohio State University, and her colleague, Kristi Williams, speculated that happy people would garner more psychological perks from marriage than depressed people.
In order to test the hypothesis, they looked at a sample of 3,066 men and women who had been interviewed and tested for depression once in either 1987 or 1988 and then again five years later. In the interviews, they were asked about the quality of their marriage (if they were married).
On an average, accounting for differences in depression, subjects who had got married over the five-year span between the two interviews reported improved psychological well-being in the second interview -- scoring an average of 3.42 points lower on the 84-point depression scale--than their counterparts who did not marry.
However, when they teased apart into how marriage affected those who had been depressed at the start of the study to those who had been happy, they came across something unexpected.
But it also concludes that marriage even if "so-so" gives a greater psychological boost to the depressed than to the happy people.
Previous studies, the website says, have suggested that the psychological perks of marriage depend upon marriage quality a happy marriage gives rise to a happy couple, and vice-versa.
Taking a cue from the earlier studies, Adrianne Frech, a sociology graduate student at Ohio State University, and her colleague, Kristi Williams, speculated that happy people would garner more psychological perks from marriage than depressed people.
In order to test the hypothesis, they looked at a sample of 3,066 men and women who had been interviewed and tested for depression once in either 1987 or 1988 and then again five years later. In the interviews, they were asked about the quality of their marriage (if they were married).
On an average, accounting for differences in depression, subjects who had got married over the five-year span between the two interviews reported improved psychological well-being in the second interview -- scoring an average of 3.42 points lower on the 84-point depression scale--than their counterparts who did not marry.
However, when they teased apart into how marriage affected those who had been depressed at the start of the study to those who had been happy, they came across something unexpected.
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Special suits for a virtual sexperience
No matter how graphic the sex animations may be on the virtual playground, they can't compete with the movement of the human body.
But soon people will be able to slip into motion-capture suits to capture those natural moves and engage the entire body in online sexual adventures, rather than limping along with a keyboard and mouse.
Kevin Alderman, who's already infamous for the sex animations his company Strokerz Toyz creates for Second Life, is developing a wireless, consumer-level motion-capture suit that's expected to hit shelves in 2009.
"Right now only a dozen or so sites on the web offer downloadable mocap files,"he said.
"You have to wait until some studio becomes benevolent enough to make the animations you want, or you have to engage them for your specific needs,"he added.
Personal motion-capture suits will enable residents to contribute sex animations to the world of their choice, and to develop scenarios tailored to their own deepest desires, especially if they team up with others who also have the suits.
But soon people will be able to slip into motion-capture suits to capture those natural moves and engage the entire body in online sexual adventures, rather than limping along with a keyboard and mouse.
Kevin Alderman, who's already infamous for the sex animations his company Strokerz Toyz creates for Second Life, is developing a wireless, consumer-level motion-capture suit that's expected to hit shelves in 2009.
"Right now only a dozen or so sites on the web offer downloadable mocap files,"he said.
"You have to wait until some studio becomes benevolent enough to make the animations you want, or you have to engage them for your specific needs,"he added.
Personal motion-capture suits will enable residents to contribute sex animations to the world of their choice, and to develop scenarios tailored to their own deepest desires, especially if they team up with others who also have the suits.
Friday, 9 May 2008
Teens in Europe turning to alcohol, drugs 'for sexual high'
More and more teenagers in Europe are turning to alcohol and drugs to improve their sex lives, a new study has revealed.
In their study, researchers questioned 1,341 young people in nine cities across Europe -- a third of men aged 16 to 35 and a quarter of females surveyed said they drank only to hit new sexual peaks.
Those who took cocaine regularly were five times more likely to have had five or more sexual partners in the last 12 months or have paid for sex. And young people who indulged in alcohol, cocaine or ecstasy before the age of 16 were more likely to have underage sex, the survey found.
Young people were also more at risk of unsafe sex while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it revealed.
"Millions of young Europeans now take drugs and drink in ways which alter their sexual decisions and increase their chances of unsafe sex or sex that is later regretted.
"Despite the negative consequences, we found many are deliberately taking these substances to achieve quite specific sexual effects," the British media quoted the study's lead author Mark Bellis of Liverpool John Moore's University.
In fact, almost half of participants in Vienna, Austria had drunk alcohol and had sex by the time they were 16 compared with 36 per cent in Venice, Italy, 37 per cent in Palma, Spain and 30 per cent in Liverpool.
"Sexual activity accompanied by substance use is not just incidental, but often sexually motivated. Interventions addressing sexual health are often developed and implemented independently from those addressing substance use. However, young people often see alcohol, drugs and sex all as part of the same social experience and addressing these issues requires an equally joined up approach," study's co-author Amador Calafat wrote in the latest edition of the BMC Public Health journal
In their study, researchers questioned 1,341 young people in nine cities across Europe -- a third of men aged 16 to 35 and a quarter of females surveyed said they drank only to hit new sexual peaks.
Those who took cocaine regularly were five times more likely to have had five or more sexual partners in the last 12 months or have paid for sex. And young people who indulged in alcohol, cocaine or ecstasy before the age of 16 were more likely to have underage sex, the survey found.
Young people were also more at risk of unsafe sex while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it revealed.
"Millions of young Europeans now take drugs and drink in ways which alter their sexual decisions and increase their chances of unsafe sex or sex that is later regretted.
"Despite the negative consequences, we found many are deliberately taking these substances to achieve quite specific sexual effects," the British media quoted the study's lead author Mark Bellis of Liverpool John Moore's University.
In fact, almost half of participants in Vienna, Austria had drunk alcohol and had sex by the time they were 16 compared with 36 per cent in Venice, Italy, 37 per cent in Palma, Spain and 30 per cent in Liverpool.
"Sexual activity accompanied by substance use is not just incidental, but often sexually motivated. Interventions addressing sexual health are often developed and implemented independently from those addressing substance use. However, young people often see alcohol, drugs and sex all as part of the same social experience and addressing these issues requires an equally joined up approach," study's co-author Amador Calafat wrote in the latest edition of the BMC Public Health journal
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Now, gum swab to spot HIV
A simple gum swab in place of an invasive blood test can now tell whether you are HIV positive. What's even better, the test results will be out in just 10-20 minutes.
In a breakthrough that could replace the present day HIV antibody test through blood taken from the finger or the arm, a team of Indo-Canadian scientists has successfully tested the world's first saliva-based HIV test, with an accuracy rate of nearly 100%.
The final results from the study, conducted in Maharashtra in 2006, by a team from McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Canada, and Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, were published on Tuesday in the international medical journal ‘PloS Medicine'.
This test is based on oral mucosal transudate (OMT), a fluid that is secreted at the base of the gums before it becomes saliva.
Scientists found that the level of antibodies in OMT is comparable to that of blood plasma, making it an excellent sample for HIV testing.
Lead author Nitika Pant Pai from MUHC's division of infectious diseases, said this new technique would do away with blood collection, which scares away patients from undergoing HIV test. The team now hopes that this research will pave the way for widespread use of oral HIV tests available over-the-counter.
Rai conducted clinical trials on vulnerable pregnant women in the labour ward of MGIMS. She said that extracting blood in field settings poses a logistical problem because it needs injecting syringes and trained personnel. Now, all that one has to do is rub the stick against the gum twice to collect oral fluid.
"The applicator on the stick, a strip of synthetic proteins, then detects HIV antibodies in 20 minutes or less.
Standard blood test for HIV takes up to two weeks," Dr Pai said. She added that in India, it is vital to determine the HIV status of mothers very quickly to prevent transmission to the child during delivery.
"Over 50% Indian women do not receive prenatal care and therefore don't get tested for HIV during pregnancy. Testing in the labour ward is the last chance to prevent HIV transmission to the newborn baby. Also Indian patients often refuse blood collection in fear of social ostracization, while saliva collection poses no problem.
Thanks to this test, women were enrolled, received counselling, their test results confirmed and referred for treatment when found positive, within 40-60 minutes," she said.
Globally, in 2007, about 2.1 million children were detected with new HIV infection - 90% of them having acquired it via maternal fetal transmission.
Without rapid and accurate detection of HIV, no delivery of available PMTCT interventions (prevention of mother to child HIV transmission) is possible. Without anti-retroviral drugs, the probability of transmission is 30-35%. With ART, it is reduced to 10-15%.
"In the labour room, due to inconsistent supply of blood-based rapid tests, they are often not available. Thus, many fail to get tested. In India, 4,755 infants were detected in 2005 attributed to mother-to-child transmission," Pai added.
In a breakthrough that could replace the present day HIV antibody test through blood taken from the finger or the arm, a team of Indo-Canadian scientists has successfully tested the world's first saliva-based HIV test, with an accuracy rate of nearly 100%.
The final results from the study, conducted in Maharashtra in 2006, by a team from McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Canada, and Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, were published on Tuesday in the international medical journal ‘PloS Medicine'.
This test is based on oral mucosal transudate (OMT), a fluid that is secreted at the base of the gums before it becomes saliva.
Scientists found that the level of antibodies in OMT is comparable to that of blood plasma, making it an excellent sample for HIV testing.
Lead author Nitika Pant Pai from MUHC's division of infectious diseases, said this new technique would do away with blood collection, which scares away patients from undergoing HIV test. The team now hopes that this research will pave the way for widespread use of oral HIV tests available over-the-counter.
Rai conducted clinical trials on vulnerable pregnant women in the labour ward of MGIMS. She said that extracting blood in field settings poses a logistical problem because it needs injecting syringes and trained personnel. Now, all that one has to do is rub the stick against the gum twice to collect oral fluid.
"The applicator on the stick, a strip of synthetic proteins, then detects HIV antibodies in 20 minutes or less.
Standard blood test for HIV takes up to two weeks," Dr Pai said. She added that in India, it is vital to determine the HIV status of mothers very quickly to prevent transmission to the child during delivery.
"Over 50% Indian women do not receive prenatal care and therefore don't get tested for HIV during pregnancy. Testing in the labour ward is the last chance to prevent HIV transmission to the newborn baby. Also Indian patients often refuse blood collection in fear of social ostracization, while saliva collection poses no problem.
Thanks to this test, women were enrolled, received counselling, their test results confirmed and referred for treatment when found positive, within 40-60 minutes," she said.
Globally, in 2007, about 2.1 million children were detected with new HIV infection - 90% of them having acquired it via maternal fetal transmission.
Without rapid and accurate detection of HIV, no delivery of available PMTCT interventions (prevention of mother to child HIV transmission) is possible. Without anti-retroviral drugs, the probability of transmission is 30-35%. With ART, it is reduced to 10-15%.
"In the labour room, due to inconsistent supply of blood-based rapid tests, they are often not available. Thus, many fail to get tested. In India, 4,755 infants were detected in 2005 attributed to mother-to-child transmission," Pai added.
Experts develop artificial mouth
LONDON: French scientists have reported the successful development of an artificial mouth that chews apples like humans.
Researchers led by Gaelle Arvisenet at ENITIAA in Nantes, France, have designed an artificial mouth that mimics the first vital steps of human digestion ie chewing, saliva release and the initial breakdown of food.
The team says that the development could form part of a robotic taste-tester designed to improve food quality and our understanding of flavour.
Earlier groups have developed artificial mouths that can study soft foods or sets of robotic jaws to test teeth. However, until now, none has been able to recreate what happens when a human chows down on hard foodstuffs.
In the study, Arvisenet and colleagues point out that a number of factors are involved in the release of aromatic and flavour compounds in the mouth.
Chewing, the release of saliva, the rate of food breakdown and the temperature all affect the flavour and smell of food before it's swallowed.
To accurately mimic the effects of chewing, Arvisenet's team needed to build a machine that could imitate several of these subtle processes.
"Previous models were simpler and did not take into account all processes involved in perception of food. Our artificial mouth allows the study of hard foods like apples," New Scientist magazine quoted Arvisenet, as saying.
The munching device reproduces the first steps of digestion - chewing, saliva release and food breakdown. About five times the size of a human mouth inside, the steel container is kept at a steady 37ºC by an electrical element. Its internal surfaces are coated with a chemically resistant plastic used for medical implants.
The ceiling and floor of the cylindrical chamber are attached to variable speed motors. Food is placed on the floor, which is able to revolve, while the ceiling coated spiky "teeth" moves up and down like a plunger.
The compression and rotation simulate the mechanical forces food undergoes in the mouth. The process is made more realistic by the addition of enzyme-containing artificial saliva through a pipe in the base of the chamber.
Helium supplied through another inlet flows through the "mouth" to reproduce the effect of breathing and carry volatile compounds away for analysis.
The researchers compared apples chewed by their machine and by human mouths. The resulting apple pulp was scrutinized for texture, colour and aromatic compound release. "The (results) were very close," Arvisenet said.
Researchers led by Gaelle Arvisenet at ENITIAA in Nantes, France, have designed an artificial mouth that mimics the first vital steps of human digestion ie chewing, saliva release and the initial breakdown of food.
The team says that the development could form part of a robotic taste-tester designed to improve food quality and our understanding of flavour.
Earlier groups have developed artificial mouths that can study soft foods or sets of robotic jaws to test teeth. However, until now, none has been able to recreate what happens when a human chows down on hard foodstuffs.
In the study, Arvisenet and colleagues point out that a number of factors are involved in the release of aromatic and flavour compounds in the mouth.
Chewing, the release of saliva, the rate of food breakdown and the temperature all affect the flavour and smell of food before it's swallowed.
To accurately mimic the effects of chewing, Arvisenet's team needed to build a machine that could imitate several of these subtle processes.
"Previous models were simpler and did not take into account all processes involved in perception of food. Our artificial mouth allows the study of hard foods like apples," New Scientist magazine quoted Arvisenet, as saying.
The munching device reproduces the first steps of digestion - chewing, saliva release and food breakdown. About five times the size of a human mouth inside, the steel container is kept at a steady 37ºC by an electrical element. Its internal surfaces are coated with a chemically resistant plastic used for medical implants.
The ceiling and floor of the cylindrical chamber are attached to variable speed motors. Food is placed on the floor, which is able to revolve, while the ceiling coated spiky "teeth" moves up and down like a plunger.
The compression and rotation simulate the mechanical forces food undergoes in the mouth. The process is made more realistic by the addition of enzyme-containing artificial saliva through a pipe in the base of the chamber.
Helium supplied through another inlet flows through the "mouth" to reproduce the effect of breathing and carry volatile compounds away for analysis.
The researchers compared apples chewed by their machine and by human mouths. The resulting apple pulp was scrutinized for texture, colour and aromatic compound release. "The (results) were very close," Arvisenet said.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Breast-fed kids smarter
Children who are breastfed after birth are smarter than those who aren't.
According to the world's largest study on lactation and intelligence, that followed 17,046 children for six and a half years from birth, children whose mothers exclusively breastfed them during the first year of life had consistently higher IQ and an improved cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) development.
Scientists from McGill University and the Montreal Children's Hospital conducted a randomized trial involving patients from 31 maternity hospitals in Belarus.
At age six and a half the children in the breastfeeding group scored an average of 7.5 points higher on tests measuring verbal intelligence, 2.9 points higher on tests measuring non-verbal intelligence and 5.9 points higher on tests measuring overall intelligence.
Michael S Kramer, lead author and professor of pediatrics at the university, said: "Our study provides the strongest evidence to date that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding makes kids smarter."
Kramer was, however, unable to pinpoint what caused this association. He said: "It remains unclear whether the observed cognitive benefits of breastfeeding are due to some constituent of breast milk or are related to the physical and social interactions inherent in breastfeeding."
Reacting to the study, Dr Arun Gupta, national coordinator of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, told TOI: "This study shows that if Indians can increase exclusive breast feeding rates from 25% at present to 100% in the near future, it will greatly benefit the country's intellectual capital. Unfortunately, breast feeding rates have hardly improved in India since 1992."
Dr J P Dadhisch, pediatrician and former secretary of the National Neonatology Forum, added: "India recommends breastfeeding within one hour and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months for every child. However, just a quarter of the children born every year are fed breast milk exclusively till they are six months old.
"Two reasons could link breastfeeding and IQ. Mother's breast milk contains fatty acids like DHA and AA that play a vital role in brain development. Even thou-gh neurological cells exist in kids, its these fatty acids that help nerve cells to send signals."
The study has been published in the May edition of the ‘Archives of General Psychiatry'.
According to the world's largest study on lactation and intelligence, that followed 17,046 children for six and a half years from birth, children whose mothers exclusively breastfed them during the first year of life had consistently higher IQ and an improved cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) development.
Scientists from McGill University and the Montreal Children's Hospital conducted a randomized trial involving patients from 31 maternity hospitals in Belarus.
At age six and a half the children in the breastfeeding group scored an average of 7.5 points higher on tests measuring verbal intelligence, 2.9 points higher on tests measuring non-verbal intelligence and 5.9 points higher on tests measuring overall intelligence.
Michael S Kramer, lead author and professor of pediatrics at the university, said: "Our study provides the strongest evidence to date that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding makes kids smarter."
Kramer was, however, unable to pinpoint what caused this association. He said: "It remains unclear whether the observed cognitive benefits of breastfeeding are due to some constituent of breast milk or are related to the physical and social interactions inherent in breastfeeding."
Reacting to the study, Dr Arun Gupta, national coordinator of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, told TOI: "This study shows that if Indians can increase exclusive breast feeding rates from 25% at present to 100% in the near future, it will greatly benefit the country's intellectual capital. Unfortunately, breast feeding rates have hardly improved in India since 1992."
Dr J P Dadhisch, pediatrician and former secretary of the National Neonatology Forum, added: "India recommends breastfeeding within one hour and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months for every child. However, just a quarter of the children born every year are fed breast milk exclusively till they are six months old.
"Two reasons could link breastfeeding and IQ. Mother's breast milk contains fatty acids like DHA and AA that play a vital role in brain development. Even thou-gh neurological cells exist in kids, its these fatty acids that help nerve cells to send signals."
The study has been published in the May edition of the ‘Archives of General Psychiatry'.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Tackle obesity to combat asthma
In order to combat the rising numbers of asthma cases in India, city doctors say it is important to address the problem of obesity. It is among the several medical conditions, like diabetes and sleep disorders, which play a critical role in aggravating an asthmatic attack.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine claims a direct link between obesity and development of a phenomenon known as dynamic hyperinflation when air breathed into the lungs cannot be exhaled. It is seen in many cases where obese patients face serious difficulty in breathing and those with asthma start gasping for breath. "Due to increase in fat deposition in the abdomen, the diaphragmatic boundary is pushed upwards, and because of this the lungs' space is compromised. This obstructs lung function," says Dr Anoop Misra, director and head of department, diabetes & metabolic diseases, Fortis Healthcare.
With obesity becoming a common problem in children, there is all the more reason to worry. Doctors say it might trigger wheezing or an asthma attack. "It is often seen that obese children run short of breath if they do even a small physical exercise. These kids have lower lung reserve and are not able to exhale properly," says Dr Sanjeev Bagai, head of the department, paediatrics, and director, Rockland Hospital.
Along with obesity, it's co-morbidities like type2 diabetes, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux etc can also result in worsening of asthma. "Diabetes and hypertension can affect any part of the body. It can also have a damaging effect on lungs because of which respiratory system can get affected," says Dr Vivek Jaggi, senior consultant, pulmonologist, Artemis Health Institute.
Asthmatic patients with sleep disorders are more prone to getting an attack. "The lower airway is as it is compromised in asthmatic patients. But due to sleep disorders, the situation becomes worse, as the upper airway also gets affected.
A lot of patients on medication for asthma complain of problem in sleeping as the medicine has stimulants. And in sleep apnea or snoring, a person's upper airway space gets narrow and this further reduces the supply of oxygen to the lungs. Decrease in oxygen level in blood can affect the sympathetic nervous control like heat rate, pulse etc.
Such patients are at a higher risk of getting a heart attack, increase in heart rate, stroke etc, as compared to other asthma patients," warns Dr Manvir Bhatia, chairperson, sleep medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
With the change in season, there are pollens and other allergens in the air. So asthma patients need to look out. But better management and precautions can certainly help.
There are a host of patient-friendly devices in asthma care that are now available in the metros. There are newer drug delivery devices, better medicines and pocket-sized oxygen cylinders that assure asthmatics of a better quality of life. Medicines for asthma used in the West now make their way to Indian shores almost simultaneously.
At the hospital end too technology promises better treatment.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine claims a direct link between obesity and development of a phenomenon known as dynamic hyperinflation when air breathed into the lungs cannot be exhaled. It is seen in many cases where obese patients face serious difficulty in breathing and those with asthma start gasping for breath. "Due to increase in fat deposition in the abdomen, the diaphragmatic boundary is pushed upwards, and because of this the lungs' space is compromised. This obstructs lung function," says Dr Anoop Misra, director and head of department, diabetes & metabolic diseases, Fortis Healthcare.
With obesity becoming a common problem in children, there is all the more reason to worry. Doctors say it might trigger wheezing or an asthma attack. "It is often seen that obese children run short of breath if they do even a small physical exercise. These kids have lower lung reserve and are not able to exhale properly," says Dr Sanjeev Bagai, head of the department, paediatrics, and director, Rockland Hospital.
Along with obesity, it's co-morbidities like type2 diabetes, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux etc can also result in worsening of asthma. "Diabetes and hypertension can affect any part of the body. It can also have a damaging effect on lungs because of which respiratory system can get affected," says Dr Vivek Jaggi, senior consultant, pulmonologist, Artemis Health Institute.
Asthmatic patients with sleep disorders are more prone to getting an attack. "The lower airway is as it is compromised in asthmatic patients. But due to sleep disorders, the situation becomes worse, as the upper airway also gets affected.
A lot of patients on medication for asthma complain of problem in sleeping as the medicine has stimulants. And in sleep apnea or snoring, a person's upper airway space gets narrow and this further reduces the supply of oxygen to the lungs. Decrease in oxygen level in blood can affect the sympathetic nervous control like heat rate, pulse etc.
Such patients are at a higher risk of getting a heart attack, increase in heart rate, stroke etc, as compared to other asthma patients," warns Dr Manvir Bhatia, chairperson, sleep medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
With the change in season, there are pollens and other allergens in the air. So asthma patients need to look out. But better management and precautions can certainly help.
There are a host of patient-friendly devices in asthma care that are now available in the metros. There are newer drug delivery devices, better medicines and pocket-sized oxygen cylinders that assure asthmatics of a better quality of life. Medicines for asthma used in the West now make their way to Indian shores almost simultaneously.
At the hospital end too technology promises better treatment.
Monday, 5 May 2008
Night club drug can ease depression
Scientists have unraveled how a horse tranquilizer and hallucinogenic night club drug known as "Special K" can ease depression, researchers said on Friday.
Ketamine, which can also cause feelings of detachment, could pave the way for new treatments for people suffering from depression, the researchers added.
Ketamine, which can also cause feelings of detachment, could pave the way for new treatments for people suffering from depression, the researchers added.
Red Cross rushes aid to Myanmar cyclone victims
Aid agencies on Monday rushed emergency food and water supplies to victims of a massive storm in Myanmar which killed hundreds of people and left tens of thousands homeless, a Red Cross spokesman said.
Tropical cyclone Nargis left at least 351 dead after hitting southwest Myanmar at the weekend, packing winds of 190 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, razing thousands of buildings and knocking out power lines, state media reported.
Several coastal villages had been destroyed according to a preliminary assessment by the International Federation of the Red Cross, spokesman Michael Annear said.
The villages in the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) delta bore the brunt of the storm which came in from the Bay of Bengal and combined with a sea surge before hitting the main city Yangon. State media said nearly 98,000 were homeless on the delta's Haing Gyi island alone.
Annear said teams in Myanmar were distributing essential supplies and would be bringing in more from Malaysia as soon as possible.
"We're distributing supplies for those who need shelter, plastic sheeting to cover roofs, water purification tablets, we are currently procuring 5,000 litres of water, cooking items, bednets, blankets and clothes for those in most need," he said.
"We went out as soon as possible but there were problems with mobility due to a lot of debris and power lines down. Authorities and the local community have been clearing the road networks so mobility has increased from Monday.
"Assessment teams have been a lot better getting through to affected areas but it's going to take a number of days to get an overall picture of the overall disaster," he said, adding that Yangon's airport was expected to reopen on Monday.
International Red Cross teams would be connecting with the local Myanmar Red Cross where more than 1,000 workers are trained in assessment and relief.
United Nations agencies and international charities were meeting later on Monday at the UN's Bangkok headquarters to coordinate their response to the disaster.
"We have called in the relief agencies and we will be discussing the overview of the situation, what we expect to happen over the course of the day and what activities are foreseen by the agencies," Terje Skavdal, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said.
All the major UN agencies involved in the disaster response were attending, including the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and World Food Programme, alongside the International Federation of the Red Cross and major aid organisations Save the Children and Oxfam.
Myanmar's national Red Cross was the only agency able to begin assessment of the damage on Sunday, but a number of other agencies had now started their own assessments, Skavdal said.
"Collating the data will take some time," he said. "Because of communication problems with phone lines down people will have to come back to Yangon to share their findings."
The IFRC has sent assessment teams to Yangon, the Ayeyawaddy, Karen, Bago regions and may also deploy to Mon state.
Tropical cyclone Nargis left at least 351 dead after hitting southwest Myanmar at the weekend, packing winds of 190 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, razing thousands of buildings and knocking out power lines, state media reported.
Several coastal villages had been destroyed according to a preliminary assessment by the International Federation of the Red Cross, spokesman Michael Annear said.
The villages in the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) delta bore the brunt of the storm which came in from the Bay of Bengal and combined with a sea surge before hitting the main city Yangon. State media said nearly 98,000 were homeless on the delta's Haing Gyi island alone.
Annear said teams in Myanmar were distributing essential supplies and would be bringing in more from Malaysia as soon as possible.
"We're distributing supplies for those who need shelter, plastic sheeting to cover roofs, water purification tablets, we are currently procuring 5,000 litres of water, cooking items, bednets, blankets and clothes for those in most need," he said.
"We went out as soon as possible but there were problems with mobility due to a lot of debris and power lines down. Authorities and the local community have been clearing the road networks so mobility has increased from Monday.
"Assessment teams have been a lot better getting through to affected areas but it's going to take a number of days to get an overall picture of the overall disaster," he said, adding that Yangon's airport was expected to reopen on Monday.
International Red Cross teams would be connecting with the local Myanmar Red Cross where more than 1,000 workers are trained in assessment and relief.
United Nations agencies and international charities were meeting later on Monday at the UN's Bangkok headquarters to coordinate their response to the disaster.
"We have called in the relief agencies and we will be discussing the overview of the situation, what we expect to happen over the course of the day and what activities are foreseen by the agencies," Terje Skavdal, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said.
All the major UN agencies involved in the disaster response were attending, including the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and World Food Programme, alongside the International Federation of the Red Cross and major aid organisations Save the Children and Oxfam.
Myanmar's national Red Cross was the only agency able to begin assessment of the damage on Sunday, but a number of other agencies had now started their own assessments, Skavdal said.
"Collating the data will take some time," he said. "Because of communication problems with phone lines down people will have to come back to Yangon to share their findings."
The IFRC has sent assessment teams to Yangon, the Ayeyawaddy, Karen, Bago regions and may also deploy to Mon state.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
What lies beneath
Successful relationships need to be worked upon. The period between the first spark to the raging fire and the embers is surprisingly short, and thereafter it’s work, work all the way.
Love may reign strong in many fortunate cases even after the spark is long gone, but passion play needs work. Also, it never hurts to mix a little passion with love for a heady cocktail, does it?
It may sound rather frivolous to people post a certain age bracket, but the role of sexy lingerie to spice things up in the bedroom cannot be stressed upon too often! If you are not used to wearing lingerie in the bedroom, it’s not too late to start. Sometimes change for the sake of change can work wonders! If you are fighting shy of a sudden makeover, choose a special occasion to start off with. Anniversaries, Valentine’s Day are good excuses.
Once you start to look, you will be surprised with the range of options available in this segment in the market! There are some lingerie that attract attention to the bust, while others to the derriere. Sexy lingerie and fantasy play go hand in hand, allowing you to play a new game with your partner every evening!
As the creative juices start to flow, include an element of drama with role-playing tactics! Men are visual creatures. You can start to build up for the evening by sending your partner messages about your underwear on his cell phone. If your man is even slightly romantic, be sure they will show at your doorstep with at least a bottle of wine in the evening after this teaser!
Remember, an ignorant buy of a smaller or bigger size can be otherwise interpreted! Also, know which parts of your body is cool so go flaunt it
Love may reign strong in many fortunate cases even after the spark is long gone, but passion play needs work. Also, it never hurts to mix a little passion with love for a heady cocktail, does it?
It may sound rather frivolous to people post a certain age bracket, but the role of sexy lingerie to spice things up in the bedroom cannot be stressed upon too often! If you are not used to wearing lingerie in the bedroom, it’s not too late to start. Sometimes change for the sake of change can work wonders! If you are fighting shy of a sudden makeover, choose a special occasion to start off with. Anniversaries, Valentine’s Day are good excuses.
Once you start to look, you will be surprised with the range of options available in this segment in the market! There are some lingerie that attract attention to the bust, while others to the derriere. Sexy lingerie and fantasy play go hand in hand, allowing you to play a new game with your partner every evening!
As the creative juices start to flow, include an element of drama with role-playing tactics! Men are visual creatures. You can start to build up for the evening by sending your partner messages about your underwear on his cell phone. If your man is even slightly romantic, be sure they will show at your doorstep with at least a bottle of wine in the evening after this teaser!
Remember, an ignorant buy of a smaller or bigger size can be otherwise interpreted! Also, know which parts of your body is cool so go flaunt it
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Gene therapy helps restore vision
An experimental gene therapy has helped restore partial vision to people with congenital retinal disease, according to breakthrough studies which provides hope for treating various eye illnesses.
Clinical trials showed success on three young adults at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who suffered from a rare and as yet incurable form of congenital blindness.
"This result is important for the entire field of gene therapy," study leader Katherine High was quoted as saying in the New England Journal of Medicine whose website reported the findings by a collection of international doctors and scientists. Scientists used a genetically engineered virus as a vector to carry millions of copies of a normal version of the gene known as RPE65 to the patients' retina via surgical procedures performed between October 2007 and January 2008.
A mutation of this gene that normally makes a protein needed by the retina which senses light and sends images to the brain, is responsible for a gradual loss of sight.
About two weeks after the surgery all three patients reported improved vision in the injected eye.
Clinical trials showed success on three young adults at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who suffered from a rare and as yet incurable form of congenital blindness.
"This result is important for the entire field of gene therapy," study leader Katherine High was quoted as saying in the New England Journal of Medicine whose website reported the findings by a collection of international doctors and scientists. Scientists used a genetically engineered virus as a vector to carry millions of copies of a normal version of the gene known as RPE65 to the patients' retina via surgical procedures performed between October 2007 and January 2008.
A mutation of this gene that normally makes a protein needed by the retina which senses light and sends images to the brain, is responsible for a gradual loss of sight.
About two weeks after the surgery all three patients reported improved vision in the injected eye.
Heart disease related gene identified
Researchers from Imperial College London, the Medical Research Council (MRC), and other international institutions have identified a gene that can cause the heart to become enlarged, greatly increasing the risk of heart attacks and heart failure.
The findings are based on a study that revealed how a gene called osteoglycin (Ogn), which had not previously been linked with heart function, plays a significant role in regulating heart growth.
According to the study, the gene can behave abnormally in some people, and that this can cause the heart becoming abnormally enlarged.
The researchers hope that with a complete understanding of how enlarged hearts are linked to the workings of genes like Ogn, they will be able to develop new treatments for the condition, which affects a large proportion of those with high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
They hope that their findings will provide new avenues for treating people who either have an enlarged heart or are at risk of developing one, which can only be treated by lowering blood pressure currently.
In the study, researchers demonstrated that Ogn regulates the growth of the heart's main pumping chamber, its left ventricle.
If the left ventricle thickens, this creates a condition known as elevated Left Ventricular Mass (LVM), a major contributing factor for common heart diseases.
When the heart is enlarged it needs more oxygen and becomes stiff. This can cause shortness of breath or lead to a heart attack.
In the study, the researchers found that higher than normal levels of Ogn were linked to the heart becoming enlarged in rats and mice and in humans.
For the study, the researchers first associated the Ogn gene with elevated LVM by looking at rat models and analysing how LVM related to the genetic makeup of rats with both elevated and normal LVM.
Then, they conducted the same analyses on samples from the human heart, volunteered by patients who had undergone cardiac surgery.
Researchers found that out of 22,000 possible genes, Ogn was the gene most strongly correlated with elevated LVM in humans.
"We already knew that enlarged hearts were linked with conditions such as high blood pressure and obesity but figuring out the genetic causes as well could be key to working out how to treat the condition," Nature quoted Professor Tim Aitman, co-author of the study from the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Imperial College London, as saying.
The findings are based on a study that revealed how a gene called osteoglycin (Ogn), which had not previously been linked with heart function, plays a significant role in regulating heart growth.
According to the study, the gene can behave abnormally in some people, and that this can cause the heart becoming abnormally enlarged.
The researchers hope that with a complete understanding of how enlarged hearts are linked to the workings of genes like Ogn, they will be able to develop new treatments for the condition, which affects a large proportion of those with high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
They hope that their findings will provide new avenues for treating people who either have an enlarged heart or are at risk of developing one, which can only be treated by lowering blood pressure currently.
In the study, researchers demonstrated that Ogn regulates the growth of the heart's main pumping chamber, its left ventricle.
If the left ventricle thickens, this creates a condition known as elevated Left Ventricular Mass (LVM), a major contributing factor for common heart diseases.
When the heart is enlarged it needs more oxygen and becomes stiff. This can cause shortness of breath or lead to a heart attack.
In the study, the researchers found that higher than normal levels of Ogn were linked to the heart becoming enlarged in rats and mice and in humans.
For the study, the researchers first associated the Ogn gene with elevated LVM by looking at rat models and analysing how LVM related to the genetic makeup of rats with both elevated and normal LVM.
Then, they conducted the same analyses on samples from the human heart, volunteered by patients who had undergone cardiac surgery.
Researchers found that out of 22,000 possible genes, Ogn was the gene most strongly correlated with elevated LVM in humans.
"We already knew that enlarged hearts were linked with conditions such as high blood pressure and obesity but figuring out the genetic causes as well could be key to working out how to treat the condition," Nature quoted Professor Tim Aitman, co-author of the study from the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Imperial College London, as saying.
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