PakMonitor - News Around The Globe : Health

Now, used cigarette butts can charge your “Mobile”

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<strong>SOUTH KOREA: Scientist claim that they can convert cigarette 
filters into a material that could be used by computers, electrical 
vehicles and wind turbines to store energy.</strong><br />

Sources claim that the discarded cigarette butts are a blight on city
 streets, but now one group of scientists has come up with a way to 
reuse them to save the environment. Worldwide, around 5.6 trillion 
used-cigarettes, or 766,571 tonnes, of used cigarettes are flicked onto 
pavements each year. That’s equivalent to the weight of 380 London Eyes.<br />

Co-author of the study Professor Jongheop Yi, from Seoul National University, said in a statement that:<br />

“Our study has shown that used-cigarette filters can be transformed 
into a high-performing carbon-based material using a simple one step 
process, which simultaneously offers a green solution to meeting the 
energy demands of society.”<br />

First GM plants to produce omega-3 oil almost ready for harvest: 
Trial could lead to alternative source of fish oil in the future. Could 
the moon fuel Earth for 10,000 years? China says mining helium from our 
satellite may help solve the world’s energy crisis.<br />

The researchers claim the material’s performance is even better that 
the commercially available carbon, graphene and carbon nanotubes 
currently used to do the same job.

Now, used cigarette butts can charge your “Mobile”

SOUTH KOREA: Scientist claim that they can convert cigarette filters into a material that could be used by computers, electrical vehicles and wind turbines to store energy. Sources claim that the d…

14 Aug 2014

Indian Medical Association demands ban on use of antibiotics for growth promotion in poultry

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A day after an environment body said that "large-scale and indiscriminate" use of antibiotics in poultry industry might be "strongly linked" to growing antibiotic resistance in Indians, Indian Medical Association (IMS) today called for a ban on use of antibiotics for growth promotion and mass disease prevention in poultry.</div>
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It should only be used to cure the sick based on prescription of veterinarians, the medical body said.</div>
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"Antibiotics should not be allowed in feed and feed supplement. The government should set standards for animal feed, regulate the business. Antibiotics that are critical for humans should not be allowed for use in animals," said Narendra Saini, Secretary General of IMA.</div>
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"Further, stringent control on import of antibiotics and feed supplements should be implemented. There should be a stringent act on the same," Saini said.</div>
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The IMA also stressed on the promotion of vaccination against infectious diseases and demanded proper monitoring and surveillance of antibiotics supplied to the chemists. "Lack of data on the use of antibiotics and drug resistance is a major problem in India. It is necessary to create an integrated surveillance system to monitor antibiotics use and antibiotics resistance trends in humans, animals and food chain. A national-level database should be developed and kept in the public domain," said Saini.</div>
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"Governments worldwide are adopting regulations to control the use of antibiotics. But only those countries have shown signs of improvement that have taken stringent actions. European countries were the first ones to ban penicillin, streptomycin and tetracyclines as feed additives in the 1970s," he said.</div>
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The <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2731f5; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px;">Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had on Thursday claimed that it found several antibiotic residues in chickens</strong><span style="color: #2731f5;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box;"><b> </b></span></span>tested in Delhi-NCR region. It had said that "large-scale and indiscriminate" use of antibiotics in poultry industry might be "strongly linked" to growing antibiotic resistance in Indians.</div>
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The CSE also sought implementation of a comprehensive set of regulations including banning of antibiotic use as growth promoters in the poultry industry as it puts lives of people at risk.</div>
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It said 70 chicken samples from Delhi-NCR region were tested for six commonly used antibiotics during a recent study. While 40% tested positive, residues of more than one antibiotic were found in 17% samples. </div>

Indian Medical Association demands ban on use of antibiotics for growth promotion in poultry

A day after an environment body said that "large-scale and indiscriminate" use of antibiotics in poultry industry might be "strongly linked" to growing antibiotic resistance in Indians, Indian Medica…

01 Aug 2014

US researchers develop method the make mice transparent

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Researchers have found a way to make see-through mice, but you will not find them scampering around your kitchen.</div>
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The transparent rodents are not alive and are for research only, to help scientists study fine details of anatomy.</div>
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Before they are treated with chemicals, the animals are killed and their skin removed. Researchers made their inner organs transparent, but not their bones.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">A mouse with its skin removed and ready for examination to help researchers in their study of fine details of the anatomy.</span></td></tr>
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The results look like a rodent-shaped block of gelatin with the organs held in place by connective tissue and a gel used in the procedure.</div>
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Mice are mainstays of biomedical research because much of their basic biology is similar to ours and they can be altered in ways that simulate human diseases.</div>
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Scientists have been able to make tissues transparent to some degree for a century, and in recent years several fresh methods have been developed.</div>
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Last year, for example, a technique that produced see-through mouse brains made headlines.</div>
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Such treatments reveal far more detail than X-rays or MRI examinations could deliver.</div>
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The latest work was the first to make an entire mouse transparent, experts said.</div>
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It should be useful for projects such as mapping the details of the nervous system or the spread of cancer within laboratory animals, said Viviana Gradinaru, of the California Institute of Technology, who was the senior author of a detailed paper describing the work. It was released on Thursday by the journal <i>Cell</i>.</div>
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It might also help doctors analyse biopsy samples from people, she said.</div>
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The see-through technique involves pumping chemicals through blood vessels, as well as other passages in the brain and spinal cord.</div>
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Some chemicals form a mesh to hold tissue in place, while others wash out the fats that make tissue block light.</div>
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It took about a week to create a transparent mouse, Gradinaru said.</div>
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The researchers also have made transparent rats, which took about two weeks, she said.</div>
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Scientists can use stains to highlight anatomical details such as the locations of active genes.</div>

US researchers develop method the make mice transparent

Researchers have found a way to make see-through mice, but you will not find them scampering around your kitchen. The transparent rodents are not alive and are for research only, to help scientists s…

01 Aug 2014

What To Eat To Get Your Sleep Back On Track

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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Melaina Juntti for Men's Journal</em></div>
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If you work overnight shifts, pull frequent late nights at the office or travel so often that you're constantly jet-lagged, you know how tough it can be to get good, quality sleep -- even when your overtaxed body badly craves it. That's because having an erratic sleep schedule throws off your circadian clock. These cyclical internal rhythms rely on cues from the environment -- <span style="color: #6aa3b1;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">most importantly light</span></span> -- to regulate sleepiness, hunger, metabolism, immune system function and more.</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa3b1;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">According to a new study</span></span>, you can get your circadian clock back on track by simply changing your diet.</div>
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A team of researchers from Japan found that the connection between diet and circadian rhythm is is all about the insulin. The pancreas secretes this hormone when food is consumed, and certain foods trigger more insulin release than others. Put simply, an insulin rush makes you feel tired. Therefore, the researchers say that by eating foods that cause a lot of insulin to be secreted, you can jolt your circadian clock ahead so you'll become sleepy, just like you should be at end of the day. On the flip side, by consuming foods that do not trigger a big insulin surge, you can dial back your clock to feel alert, just how you'd want to be in the morning.</div>
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To help you hit the sack at a decent hour so you can be up early the next morning, your dinner menu should include lots of carbs, says study author Dr. Makoto Akashi. "Given that insulin secretion is strongly induced by carbohydrates, if you're an early bird, you may be helped by eating carb-rich foods for dinner, such as pasta, potatoes, and rice," he says. And then to avoid an insulin-induced crash in the morning, steer clear of carb-heavy breakfast foods like bagels, waffles, and sugary cereals. Eat lean proteins, fruits, veggies and whole grains instead.</div>
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Even if you work a 9-to-5 job and your sleep schedule is quasi-normal, your circadian clock still may be out of step with the time of day -- and you might benefit from a little diet manipulation. According to Akashi, most people today lead lifestyles that don't allow sunlight to do the clock-setting as it should. Because we're constantly being exposed to blue-wavelength light emitted from laptop computers, TVs and iPads, our clock is predominantly on a "night mode that is desynchronized from social life, leading to a kind of jet lag feeling," he explains. Therefore, Akashi says getting your circadian clock back in sync through food might be a key to better digestion, metabolism and overall health.</div>

What To Eat To Get Your Sleep Back On Track

By Melaina Juntti for Men's Journal If you work overnight shifts, pull frequent late nights at the office or travel so often that you're constantly jet-lagged, you know how tough it can be to get goo…

01 Aug 2014

Some birth control pills may increase risk of breast cancer: Study

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<span style="background-color: white;">3 things every woman should know about birth control</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">To help us prepare for the safe, sexy summer (and beyond), Dr. Natashia Grell, a Toronto-based physician and contraception expert, has offered to share some important birth control tips that every woman should follow.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Doruk Sikman - Fotolia</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Know your options</b><br />Think taking the birth control</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaiY2GiEGXYveWPyiiiEzUBE3lgb-C06uwZd4D062AShlMtqCqI1Hz6r6jQnoCa6PuhWUl9fztIiRtUvPd3UQxQrMD7BVqaN0znGKb5GEW8moUzo0WrToO1lNveDm45uRAshMt_XnO_0/s1600/1297581444379_ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaiY2GiEGXYveWPyiiiEzUBE3lgb-C06uwZd4D062AShlMtqCqI1Hz6r6jQnoCa6PuhWUl9fztIiRtUvPd3UQxQrMD7BVqaN0znGKb5GEW8moUzo0WrToO1lNveDm45uRAshMt_XnO_0/s1600/1297581444379_ORIGINAL.jpg" width="200" /></span></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"> pill is your only option? Think again. As Dr. Grell explains, "There are many birth control options out there for women, like recently approved Jaydess, a new, long-term, reversible contraceptive option that offers a more convenient alternative to commonly used daily options like the birth control pill."<br />"Make sure to choose the one that is right for your lifestyle. If forgetting your pill is a problem for you, a long acting form of contraception like the intrauterine system or IUS could be a good option. This is also a great option if you are worried about or want to stay away from estrogen," she explains. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSmVSde1lqjbDc_i8zBk3kOeHz9JZHCN4Tz34sY_7t9E6s3DPQIUAIJCgUcdMv1Q-TrGpY67ds0OQaPy90xBfyXkeMyjn7dba3tcXgi4thPsqZCylqXWE2MyvHHLz7-_DJFLY-FJGkeg/s1600/1297581447020_ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSmVSde1lqjbDc_i8zBk3kOeHz9JZHCN4Tz34sY_7t9E6s3DPQIUAIJCgUcdMv1Q-TrGpY67ds0OQaPy90xBfyXkeMyjn7dba3tcXgi4thPsqZCylqXWE2MyvHHLz7-_DJFLY-FJGkeg/s1600/1297581447020_ORIGINAL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
</b><br />Anyone who has spent more than 5 seconds researching birth control knows that there are a lot of options - perhaps too many, to the point where it can be pretty confusing. That’s why Dr. Grell suggests discussing all your options with your healthcare provider. We’ve all encountered that person who just can’t stop talking about how much they love the birth control option they’ve chosen, however keep in mind that what works for your best friend, sister or over-sharing co-worker, might not be the right option for you.<br />“Every woman is different so make sure to do your own research to find out what works best for you,” Grell says</span></div>
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<div class="image_credit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Will your birth control affect your fertility?</b><br />As Dr. Grell explains, the main challenge Canadian women face when it comes to their birth control is related to the fact that women are delaying starting their families to their mid to late 30's. “This has posed a new health concern related to being on birth control for an extra 10-15 years. Women are also worried about their fertility and the long-term effects of hormone (estrogen) on their bodies,” she says.<br />As Grell suggests, “If you want to put off having children for a few more years, choose an option that allows you the time to achieve your goals without the fear of an unintended pregnancy. Once you decide it is time to start a family, an option like the IUS allows you to return to your normal rate of fertility once you stop using it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Recent use of high-dose estrogen birth control pills could significantly increase a young woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, a new American study has found.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Wash., found recent oral contraceptive use increased breast cancer risk by 50%.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">“Our results suggest that use of contemporary oral contraceptives in the past year is associated with an increased breast cancer risk relative to never or former oral contraceptive use, and that this risk may vary by oral contraceptive formulation,” researcher Elisabeth Beaber said in a press release.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">She warned the results need to be confirmed with more research and the study “should be interpreted cautiously.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Birth control pills containing high-dose estrogen increased breast cancer risk 2.7-fold, and those containing moderate-dose estrogen increased the risk 1.6-fold, the study found. Birth control pills containing low-dose estrogen didn’t increase the risk of breast cancer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The study was published in the journal Cancer Research</span></div>
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Some birth control pills may increase risk of breast cancer: Study

3 things every woman should know about birth control To help us prepare for the safe, sexy summer (and beyond), Dr. Natashia Grell, a Toronto-based physician and contraception expert, has offered to …

01 Aug 2014

Drinking too much soda could affect adolescent memory, ability to learn

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGJzpzxd7BMZG0ldzNU3kQtQKYtM0ZEHOBIU67NhnDLCuSGKCzb5Qozus65e4yyEwLCfVIDmSwL9yyvpBBtu8dSJaMvnTKgxfrNLbkoYE3sm1aFvM9Avo0c6YozVl1cyeXAGC5k6081g/s1600/35F6D38235B95554AD884F05AE_h243_w430_m2_q80_cnmMkSFva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGJzpzxd7BMZG0ldzNU3kQtQKYtM0ZEHOBIU67NhnDLCuSGKCzb5Qozus65e4yyEwLCfVIDmSwL9yyvpBBtu8dSJaMvnTKgxfrNLbkoYE3sm1aFvM9Avo0c6YozVl1cyeXAGC5k6081g/s1600/35F6D38235B95554AD884F05AE_h243_w430_m2_q80_cnmMkSFva.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11.99995231628418px; text-align: left;">FILE - This Feb. 13, 2014 file photo shows sugary sodas in Sacramento, Calif. Since 2005, carbonated soft drinks have been in decline in the U.S. overall, said John Sicher, editor and publisher of the news and data service Beverage Digest. The overall volume has decreased from 10.2 billion cases to 9.2 billion cases. In terms of individual consumption, there's been a corresponding decline. Much of that consumption decline is due to a migration to other categories, primarily bottled water. Between 1999 and 2010, daily calories from soda consumed by 2- to 5-year-olds decreased on average from 106 to 69, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press</span></td></tr>
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If former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg had waited just a bit longer to wage his public health battle against soda drinks, he could have had more ammunition.</div>
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Bloomberg had cited the well-known risks of obesity and diabetes that are associated with excess consumption of sugary drinks when he tried to ban oversized soda pop from being sold at some venues in the city. </div>
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But new research indicates drinking too much soda could also negatively affect the brain, especially for teenagers.</div>
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Researchers at the University of Southern California found that drinking beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose (that is, soda) every day can impair the ability to learn and remember information.</div>
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The research will be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior in Seattle this week. </div>
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"It's no secret that refined carbohydrates, particularly when consumed in soft drinks and other beverages, can lead to metabolic disturbances," said Dr. Scott Kanoski, the lead author of the study, in a release.</div>
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"However, our findings reveal that consuming sugar-sweetened drinks is also interfering with our brain's ability to function normally and remember critical information about our environment, at least when consumed in excess before adulthood."</div>
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The researchers gave adult and adolescent rats daily access to sweetened beverages that matched the sugar content found in common soda drinks for 30 days.</div>
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Spatial learning trouble</div>
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At the end of the month, the researchers tested the rats on their cognitive functions using mazes.</div>
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They noticed that the adolescent rats had trouble with their spatial learning, which has to do with navigating the surrounding environment. The drinks also led to a glucose intolerance.</div>
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Adult rats, on the other hand, performed the tests normally.</div>
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Researchers discovered that when the teen rats drank those sugary beverages every day, it led to inflammation of the hippocampus part of their brains. The hippocampus controls memory and spatial sense. The inflammation is seen to be the reason behind the rats' learning impairment, according to the researchers.</div>
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"In many ways this region is a canary in the coal mine, as it is particularly sensitive to insult by various environmental factors, including eating foods that are high in saturated fat and processed sugar," said Kanoski.</div>

Drinking too much soda could affect adolescent memory, ability to learn

FILE - This Feb. 13, 2014 file photo shows sugary sodas in Sacramento, Calif. Since 2005, carbonated soft drinks have been in decline in the U.S. overall, said John Sicher, editor and publisher of th…

30 Jul 2014

Every IDP's child to be vaccinated against polio in Punjab Pakistan

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI1AVix8qIvv6bfQgQkDWTUaqgOZaKwgTxanodQopKlg_mAAGBSSl2uaYP8g_pQakAngOiD_OrtI3F7rvwmwG5hndWaxayaOanhPZ2j_dmJxrH7Ih__OVrJGsrY7OPFRJws2WN4-cga0/s1600/53bf2481d2685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI1AVix8qIvv6bfQgQkDWTUaqgOZaKwgTxanodQopKlg_mAAGBSSl2uaYP8g_pQakAngOiD_OrtI3F7rvwmwG5hndWaxayaOanhPZ2j_dmJxrH7Ih__OVrJGsrY7OPFRJws2WN4-cga0/s1600/53bf2481d2685.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq has directed that every child of IDPs coming to Punjab must be vaccinated against polio as unvaccinated children can pose a threat to the entire population. While chairing a meeting to review the polio situation in Punjab, here on Monday, Khawaja directed that special surveillance must be carried out in Attock, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Dera Ghazi Khan districts and immunisation of children be ensured. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Provincial In charge of World Health Organisation Dr Ubaid-ul-Islam, Dr Aslam Chaudhry from Melindagates Foundation, Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, and EDO Health Lahore Dr Zulfiqar Ali also attended the meeting. Dr Ubaid-ul-Islam presented a report regarding the polio situation. He suggested that target polio campaign should be launched in those districts where IDPs are coming. He disclosed that one day polio campaign on July 17 in 23 high risk Union Councils (UCs) of Lahore is a very successful drive and the coverage rate of the campaign is 90 percent. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Kh Salman Rafiq directed that the meeting of Provincial Taskforce for Polio Eradication immediately be called. He also directed that special focus should be given on micro planning of one-day polio campaign in 52 union councils of Lahore on July 24 so that this campaign should also be a successful campaign. Moreover, Secretary Health Punjab Dr Ijaz Munir presided over a meeting to review development work at Government Shahdra Teaching Hospital. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Principal Fatima Jinnah Medical College/ Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Professor Dr Fakhar Imam, Additional Secretary Health (Dev) Ghulam Farid, Deputy Secretary Health (Admn) Raja Mansoor, Deputy Secretary-General Dr Shoaib Anwar, Deputy Secretary (Budget & Accounts) Sarfraz Ahmad and Medical Superintendent Government Shahdra Hospital Dr Muhammad Naeem attended the meeting, which reviewed the pace of development work at the hospital. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'MS Trebuchet', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Secretary Health issued instructions for the posting of doctors for making all the departments of the hospitals fully functional. He ordered posting of doctors in gynae, ICU, anesthesia, nursery and orthopaedics departments. He said that shortage of doctors/specialists in Government Shahdra Hospital would soon be removed. He directed to ensure that all departments of the hospital are fully functional by August 15. He said the Government Shahdra Hospital is providing healthcare facilities not only to the people of Shahdra but also to millions of people of adjoining areas and after posting of doctors at the vacant seats, the performance of the hospital would be further improved. </span>

Every IDP's child to be vaccinated against polio in Punjab Pakistan

Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq has directed that every child of IDPs coming to Punjab must be vaccinated against polio as unvaccinated children can pose a threat to t…

22 Jul 2014

Tips for travelling by air during pregnancy

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIracEoqdumsGzd3yvCl6bwV-YP1WvpehKeDt8jV-B0wO5oFx9M9-DWs_h-57-gXYAVoWJA8dsEaiaryNjS4AZnHeUrTQdYAw0XonhtI1-emppq3W6qx1pF2qJYSQJCfv-chFcyUCKOQ/s1600/be_extra_cautious_while_traveling_image_title_1fctl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIracEoqdumsGzd3yvCl6bwV-YP1WvpehKeDt8jV-B0wO5oFx9M9-DWs_h-57-gXYAVoWJA8dsEaiaryNjS4AZnHeUrTQdYAw0XonhtI1-emppq3W6qx1pF2qJYSQJCfv-chFcyUCKOQ/s1600/be_extra_cautious_while_traveling_image_title_1fctl.jpg" /></a></div>
<em style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></em>
<em style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">During pregnancy, your and your baby's health is of utmost importance. So there's no doubt in saying that expecting mothers will want 100 percent clarity on how to fly safely when carrying their precious load. To ensure that you are relaxed when planning your next trip, here are a few top tips from you should consider:</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">As long as you haven't experienced any complications, the safest time to fly when pregnant is during the second trimester. By this time, first trimester morning sickness is likely to have subsided, energy levels are higher and the risk of going into labour is low </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Commercial planes are fine but flying in smaller, non-pressurised planes is not recommended at any stage of your pregnancy as the lower oxygen levels may impact your baby </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Airlines have some restrictions regarding flying for pregnant women. Majority of airlines won't allow pregnant women to fly on a flight over four hours after 36 weeks. For flights under four hours, travel is often not permitted after 38 weeks. If you are 28 weeks or more, airlines will often ask you to present a letter from your doctor. Requirements and restrictions can change so it's always best to check with the airline before planning a holiday or purchasing your ticket. Call your airline carrier for any inquiries. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When flying overseas, be sure to check your travel insurance thoroughly, as some companies will only insure a pregnant woman until a certain stage of the pregnancy (most commonly 24 weeks) and others will not cover an overseas birth. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Lastly but most importantly, before flying during any stage of your pregnancy, consult your doctor to discuss any potential risks or concerns you may have. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><strong style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Wear maternity clothing</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Maternity pants are most advisable as it gives you and your baby some room to move. But remember to wear your seat belt low and around the pelvis to reduce pressure on the baby. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When you're pregnant your veins and arteries are already under strain and the low cabin pressure won't help this. It's important to wear in-flight deep vein thrombosis socks and flexible shoes. Try to regularly stretch your limbs, exercises in your chair and remain well-hydrated. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><strong style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Request for a special seat</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Pregnant women are infamous bathroom-goers. To make getting up to go to the toilet easier, book an aisle seat. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">If possible, request a seat with more leg room — or better still, pay extra and book a premium economy or business class ticket.</span>

Tips for travelling by air during pregnancy

During pregnancy, your and your baby's health is of utmost importance. So there's no doubt in saying that expecting mothers will want 100 percent clarity on how to fly safely when carrying their prec…

22 Jul 2014

Sleep on your left side during pregnancy

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GtzUgCR2D96mEnjMt3FRasI3Ibb-TY6sbW4jYuDqGNPEK2YNWB4tmdmJ_Vz21p99XcsuDpeN-6OYQ85xYiEyZVovqwaSY_XZ_3dfgBqfiKvvKylrQD4o2RSu4KA92nGAdQgfM3Vl03Y/s1600/1405855854-4830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GtzUgCR2D96mEnjMt3FRasI3Ibb-TY6sbW4jYuDqGNPEK2YNWB4tmdmJ_Vz21p99XcsuDpeN-6OYQ85xYiEyZVovqwaSY_XZ_3dfgBqfiKvvKylrQD4o2RSu4KA92nGAdQgfM3Vl03Y/s1600/1405855854-4830.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">ISLAMABAD- A New Zealand study has suggested that sleeping on the left side during late pregnancy could help women avoid the risk of stillbirth.</span><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">Researchers from the University of Auckland compared 155 women who had late stillbirths with 310 who had healthy pregnancies.</span><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">Sleeping on the right side doubled the risk of left-sided sleepers (but only to almost four in 1,000).</span><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">“There are many factors which are linked to stillbirth including obesity, increasing maternal age, ethnicity, congenital anomalies and placental conditions,” stated Daghni Rajasingam of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.</span><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 8px; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">He added, “This small-scale study looks at another possible factor. However, more research is needed into sleep patterns before any firm conclusions over sleeping positions can be made. In the meantime, women should speak to their midwives if they are concerned.”</span>

Sleep on your left side during pregnancy

ISLAMABAD- A New Zealand study has suggested that sleeping on the left side during late pregnancy could help women avoid the risk of stillbirth.Researchers from the University of Auckland compared 15…

22 Jul 2014

4 healthy foods you can easily overeat revealed

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEwHNR0Le6BkOsjCw5C7vMR9tD8gBwLaX881zRAAr8_O-OLAOHVNCuDEzCHEIMgE2CAkzJjYUPInFTVFmSOdO-RqJ0_YoU6zOPsTD1dGcLTi7CTu3czJGk66LJIZYTFMkYTPuipJg5UU/s1600/4-healthy-foods-you-can-easily-overeat-revealed-1405964919-3504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEwHNR0Le6BkOsjCw5C7vMR9tD8gBwLaX881zRAAr8_O-OLAOHVNCuDEzCHEIMgE2CAkzJjYUPInFTVFmSOdO-RqJ0_YoU6zOPsTD1dGcLTi7CTu3czJGk66LJIZYTFMkYTPuipJg5UU/s1600/4-healthy-foods-you-can-easily-overeat-revealed-1405964919-3504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">As a nutritionist, I counsel many clients who know what foods to eat to lose weight and be healthy. However, even the most educated of consumers may have trouble determining how much to eat of these foods. It is possible that eating too many of even the right foods can prevent you from losing weight. Hence, the need for a reality check and tips for portion control, Dr Lisa Young writes for Huffington Post.</span><br style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Here are four foods that are easy to overeat along with my suggestions.</span><br style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1. Ready-to-eat cereal: We know to stay away from sugar-sweetened cereals and choose a cereal where the first ingredient is a whole grain. However, pouring your healthy whole grain cereal into an oversize bowl can often spell disaster. It is a bigger problem for dense cereals like granola. In fact, it is easy to consume several hundred calories of granola in one sitting without realizing it. As I discuss in my book The Portion Teller Plan, I advise clients watching their weight to eat approximately one ounce of ready-to-eat cereal. A one ounce serving of cereal can range in volume from ¼ cup of granola to approximately 1 cup cereal flakes to 2 cups puffed wheat. My tip: It is important to read the food label and measure out the volume of cereal you plan to eat before pouring it in your bowl.</span><br style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2. Nuts: Nuts are healthy. They contain healthy fats and also help us to feel full. However, it is easy to eat too many nuts. Especially if you are eating them straight from an oversize jar or at a bar when having a drink with a friend. The recommended serving of nuts to eat is 1 ounce. That translates into a handful (a golf ball’s worth) or the amount that can fit into an Altoids tin. My tip: When home, I suggest portioning out several servings worth and placing them in baggies to avoid over-nutting.</span><br style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3. Olive oil: We hear that a green salad drizzled in olive oil is healthy. This is true. After all, greens are super nutritious and olive oil contains monounsaturated heart healthy fat. But olive oil still contains calories, at least 100 calorie per tablespoon. The recommended serving of olive oil or an olive oil based salad dressing is 1-2 tablespoons, an amount that will fill a shot glass. When eating out, we are often served a salad with at least 4 tablespoons of salad dressing! My tip: Next time you order a salad out, ask for the dressing on the side.</span><br style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; content: ''; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Verdana, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">4. Hummus: Hummus, or chick pea dip, is a super healthy snack. Hummus contains protein and healthy fats. Fresh veggies dipped in hummus makes for a great snack. However, it is easy to overdo it, especially if you buy the jumbo tubs of hummus or if you are nibbling at a cocktail party. I suggest eating approximately 2 tablespoons worth of hummus as a snack. </span>

4 healthy foods you can easily overeat revealed

As a nutritionist, I counsel many clients who know what foods to eat to lose weight and be healthy. However, even the most educated of consumers may have trouble determining how much to eat of these …

22 Jul 2014

Doctors from Karachi leave to serve IDPs in Bannu, surrounding areas

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZWeYCK5hrXLl1BRY7wTTSd4blRFFvqGBMei03dZwo99LKVw07VV9izlUai4qhHt3Dt0UavCCsZdOXel-j9IA974WXVbnfbmVEdppFT45QGYHwItG6RkCiJW5j4rZ63tQ261ozflurzc/s1600/733871-_-1405060286-201-640x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZWeYCK5hrXLl1BRY7wTTSd4blRFFvqGBMei03dZwo99LKVw07VV9izlUai4qhHt3Dt0UavCCsZdOXel-j9IA974WXVbnfbmVEdppFT45QGYHwItG6RkCiJW5j4rZ63tQ261ozflurzc/s1600/733871-_-1405060286-201-640x480.jpg" /></a></div>
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<strong>KARACHI-</strong></div>
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<strong>A team of doctors, belonging to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA-Karachi), has left for Bannu to supplement ongoing relief work at the camps established for internally displaced people (IDPs).</strong></div>
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PIMA sources here on Monday said the team comprising general physicians as well as specialists will remain in different camps for around a month and would then be replaced by another team, in accordance to the needs of the people.</div>
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The PIMA doctors from other parts of the country are also running mobile medical clinics to enhance their accessibility to the affected people, pertaining to all age groups.</div>
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Keeping in view the intensity of situation and medical needs of the IDPs doctors belonging to PIMA – Swat are also serving at the IDPs camps in Bannu and surrounding localities.</div>
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Local doctors and medical staff working at different PIMA medical centres are also running mobile medical units in different areas registered to be inhabited by the IDPs, said the sources.</div>
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Central President of PIMA, Prof Sohail Akhter is said to be supervising the medical relief work.</div>

Doctors from Karachi leave to serve IDPs in Bannu, surrounding areas

KARACHI- A team of doctors, belonging to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA-Karachi), has left for Bannu to supplement ongoing relief work at the camps established for internally displaced pe…

22 Jul 2014

New drug therapy provides hope for TB and HIV patients

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEggn0FiFl2ER82aDA_dFld26yXeMRhrRauV-t7V141IBSn2Erd9NAAS1hueIwUYkK3Yx2_dVvtuLYX_5yWVSdf2i8kGydzN85M-mOFezvhCl4x98PRDrueysqW9EN6j8wssYfcV5vGo/s1600/TB-HIV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEggn0FiFl2ER82aDA_dFld26yXeMRhrRauV-t7V141IBSn2Erd9NAAS1hueIwUYkK3Yx2_dVvtuLYX_5yWVSdf2i8kGydzN85M-mOFezvhCl4x98PRDrueysqW9EN6j8wssYfcV5vGo/s1600/TB-HIV.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: 'Open Sans', HelveticaNeue-Light, Tahoma, Georgia; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2800000011920929px; text-align: justify;">A brand new combined-drug regimen revealed at the 20</span><sup style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Open Sans', HelveticaNeue-Light, Tahoma, Georgia; letter-spacing: 0.2800000011920929px; line-height: 0; text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: 'Open Sans', HelveticaNeue-Light, Tahoma, Georgia; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2800000011920929px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: 'Open Sans', HelveticaNeue-Light, Tahoma, Georgia; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2800000011920929px; text-align: justify;">International Aids Conference in Melbourne will allow for the concurrent treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV, claim researchers.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2014/07/22/new-drug-therapy-provides-hope-for-tb-and-hiv-patients/flickr-hiv-aids-niad/" rel="attachment wp-att-175091" style="color: #067fc3; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-175091" height="175" src="http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/flickr-HIV-AIDS-NIAD-e1406037765163-300x175.jpg" style="-webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; backface-visibility: hidden; border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 250px; padding: 0px;" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; padding: 0px 4px 5px;">
20th International AIDS meet announces new PaMZ combination – to be available within next three years – that can treat drug-resistant TB in four months. Photo: NIAID</div>
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Scientists from the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development tested a new drug treatment called PaMZ that can cure some forms of TB in as little as four months.</div>
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The new drug combination is an amalgam of PA-824, an antibiotic not yet approved for TB treatments, Moxifloxacin, and Pyrazinamide, an established TB drug in an eight-week trial conducted in parts of South Africa and Tanzania.</div>
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The results of the 2013 trial were disclosed at the Melbourne conference yesterday. The research involved a comparative study between PaMZ and conventional TB antibiotics tested on 207 South-African volunteers, of which one-fifth suffered also from HIV.</div>
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Results showed that 181 responded positively to the PaMZ combination, while 26 were multi-drug resistant (MDR), indicating that they had not responded to standard antibiotics.</div>
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It was found that 71% of those treated with PaMZ were cured of TB within two months in comparison to 38% of sufferers receiving standard antibiotics.</div>
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Researchers think that the new drug combination has the potential to cure both TB and some forms of MDR-TB in four months and would drastically improve treatment.</div>
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Dr Mel Spigelman, chief executive of the TB Alliance, which conducted the study commented: “This shows its potential to shorten therapy, for drug-sensitive and some forms of MDR-TB.”</div>
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Current MDR-TB treatment is costly and takes nearly two years therapy. PaMZ promises to narrow the time frame from two years to just four months, as well as reduce the related health-care costs by 90%.</div>
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Previously, treating patients for TB who were at the same time receiving Antiretroviral therapy (ART) to combat HIV would not have been feasible because certain drugs employed in the treatment of TB, such as Rifampin, inhibit the effectiveness of drugs used to fight the AIDS virus.</div>
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The announcement of the trial’s success therefore represents significant progression in the fight against TB mortality rates in patients suffering from HIV.</div>
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In areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa, China and Indonesia, those infected with HIV/AIDS are twenty times more likely to contract TB than those not infected, and as a result TB is accountable for more HIV-related deaths than any other disease.</div>
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Dr Spigelman believes it could take a further “three years” for the regimen to become widely available to those who need it.</div>
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Addressing the conference he said: “<em>Developing treatments for TB and understanding which combinations of drugs works is a very lengthy process. It took us ten years to get where we are today, so another three years until this treatment becomes available is pretty good in the scheme of things.”</em></div>
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<em> </em><strong><em>Eoin O’Sullivan-Harris</em></strong></div>

New drug therapy provides hope for TB and HIV patients

A brand new combined-drug regimen revealed at the 20th International Aids Conference in Melbourne will allow for the concurrent treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV, claim researchers. 20th Interna…

22 Jul 2014

Highest number of HIV cases recorded in Australia in 20 years

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<strong>There were 1,235 new cases of HIV diagnosed in Australia in 2013, the largest </strong>number
 in 20 years, an annual report by the University of New South Wales’ 
Kirby Institute said. The rates have been stable for the past few years,
 but are 70 percent higher than they were back in 1999, when new 
diagnoses were at their lowest. The spread of the deadly disease is due 
to rise in unprotected sex, particularly among gay men, rather than 
better testing, proofs proposed.
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(Source: RT)

Highest number of HIV cases recorded in Australia in 20 years

There were 1,235 new cases of HIV diagnosed in Australia in 2013, the largest number in 20 years, an annual report by the University of New South Wales’ Kirby Institute said. The rates have been st…

20 Jul 2014

Scientists say sniffing farts could prevent cancer

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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto;">Dr. Mark Wood says hydrogen sulfide "could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases."</span><span style="font-family: Roboto;"><br /></span><span class="story_dl" style="font-family: Roboto;">EXETER, England, July 11 (UPI) --</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto;">When people pass gas, most bystanders scatter and hold their breath, but researchers at the University of Exeter in England suggest sticking around and inhaling through the nostrils.</span><br />
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Scientists say savoring the noxious gas hydrogen sulfide -- a byproduct of the body's work breaking down food -- could help stave off the development of cancer.</div>
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"Although hydrogen sulfide gas is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases," <span style="color: #006699;">said Dr. Mark Wood</span>, a researcher at Exeter.</div>
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<span style="color: #006699;">In a new study</span>, Wood and his colleagues suggest small doses of hydrogen sulfide can help reverse mitochondrial damage. The mitochondria are the "powerhouse" of the body's cells, driving energy production in blood vessel cells.</div>
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Protecting the mitochondria is a key strategy for preventing stroke, heart failure, diabetes, arthritis and dementia. The health of the mitochondria goes a long way toward determining whether cells live or die, and strong mitochondria help control inflammation.</div>
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In clinical trials, detailed this week in the journal Medicinal Chemistry Communications, manmade hydrogen sulfide helped protect mitochondria under unforgiving biological circumstances.</div>
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"We have exploited this natural process by making a compound, called AP39, which slowly delivers very small amounts of this gas specifically to the mitochondria," explained study author Professor Matt Whiteman -- that way patients won't need to sniff foul odors to get the health benefits of hydrogen sulfide.</div>
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Scientists say sniffing farts could prevent cancer

Dr. Mark Wood says hydrogen sulfide "could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases."EXETER, England, July 11 (UPI) --When people pass…

18 Jul 2014

AIDS could be wiped out by 2030: UN

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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">GENEVA: Global AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections have fallen by over a third in a decade, raising hopes of beating the killer disease by 2030, the United Nations said Wednesday.</b></div>
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With more than half of the 35 million people living with HIV unaware they are infected, the battle is far from over however, said Michel Sidibe, head of UNAIDS.</div>
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"If we are smart and scale up fast by 2020, we´ll be on track to end the epidemic by 2030, so that AIDS is no longer a public health threat," he told reporters.</div>
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"We have a fragile window of opportunity, because what we do over the next five years will determine the next 15."</div>
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In a report released ahead of the 20th International AIDS Conference in Australia from July 20-25, the UN agency said AIDS-related deaths dropped to 1.5 million in 2013 from 1.7 million the previous year.</div>
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That was the sharpest annual decline since the epidemic´s peak in 2004 and 2005, and marked a 35-percent drop from the 2.4 million deaths seen in both those years.</div>
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New infections also fell to 2.1 million last year, down 38 percent compared to the 3.4 million in 2001.Africa remains the hardest-hit continent, with 1.1 million deaths in 2013, 1.5 million new infections, and 24.7 million people living with HIV.</div>
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UNAIDS said the battle needed to focus squarely on 15 countries which accounted for three quarters of new infections.</div>
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Nine are in Africa: Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.</div>
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But the spotlight is also on Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and the United States -- where Black women, Hispanics and young gay man are most affected.</div>
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Globally, the report said 35 million people were living with the virus in 2013, up from 34.6 million the previous year.</div>
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A major problem, Sidibe said, is that 19 million do not know that they are HIV-positive.</div>
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To beat the disease, testing must be more widely available, given that tardy diagnosis is a key problem. (AFP)</div>

AIDS could be wiped out by 2030: UN

GENEVA: Global AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections have fallen by over a third in a decade, raising hopes of beating the killer disease by 2030, the United Nations said Wednesday. With more th…

16 Jul 2014

Child TB problem far greater than thought: study

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<b>PARIS: Twenty-five percent more children are falling ill with TB than the UN had thought, with more than 650,000 hit by the disease each year in the 22 worst affected countries, specialists said Wednesday.</b></div>
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Reporting in The Lancet, they said that about 53 million children under 15 are living with latent TB infection, a condition that can develop into active TB at any time.</div>
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A contagious disease of the lungs, TB is caused by a microbe called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Millions of people are latent cases, meaning they are infected with the germ yet have yet to develop any symptoms.</div>
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Last year the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated there were 530,000 cases of active TB among children younger than 15 years in 2012. But this estimate was based on reporting by paediatric doctors -- a technique faulted by many experts as its methods and reliability vary hugely from country to country.</div>
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The new estimate is based on a mathematical model based on each of 22 countries where TB falls into the category of a "high burden" for health.</div>
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It factored in the national prevalence of TB in adults, the likely risk of household exposure from infected relatives and the effectiveness of vaccination against the disease.</div>
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The findings suggested that about 7.6 million children younger than 15 in these 22 countries became infected in 2010. Of these nearly 651,000 developed the disease, more than a quarter of them in India alone.</div>
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Lead author Peter Dodd of the University of Sheffield in northern England said the figures pointed to the urgent need to focus help on children, using the drug isoniazid.</div>
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"Children are an often ignored but important part of TB control efforts," Dodd said. "Quantifying the burden of TB in children is important because without good numbers, there can be no targets for improvement, no monitoring of trends and there is a lack of evidence to encourage industry to invest in developing medicines or diagnostics that are more appropriate for children than those available today." (AFP)</div>

Child TB problem far greater than thought: study

PARIS: Twenty-five percent more children are falling ill with TB than the UN had thought, with more than 650,000 hit by the disease each year in the 22 worst affected countries, specialists said Wedn…

16 Jul 2014

Got a Skin rash? iPad, other devices might be the cause

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<b>CHICAGO: Unexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing metals.</b></div>
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Recent reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies from a variety of personal electronic devices, including laptops and cellphones. But it was an Apple iPad that caused an itchy body rash in an 11-year-old boy recently treated at a San Diego hospital, according to a report in Monday's Pediatrics.</div>
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Nickel rashes aren't life-threatening but they can be very uncomfortable, and they may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the skin eruptions become infected, said Dr. Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady Children's Hospital, where the boy was treated. Jacob, who co-wrote the report, said the young patient had to miss school because of the rash.</div>
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The boy had a common skin condition that causes scaly patches, but he developed a different rash all over his body that didn't respond to usual treatment. Skin testing showed he had a nickel allergy, and doctors traced it to an iPad his family had bought in 2010.</div>
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Doctors tested the device and detected a chemical compound found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating.</div>
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"He used the iPad daily," she said.</div>
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He got better after putting it in a protective case, she said</div>
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Whether all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel is uncertain; Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company had no comment.</div>
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Nickel rashes also have been traced to other common products including some jewelry, eyeglass frames and zippers.</div>
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Jacob said evidence suggests nickel allergies are become more common, or increasingly recognized. She cited national data showing that about 25 percent of children who get skin tests for allergies have nickel allergies, versus about 17 percent a decade ago.</div>
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She said doctors need to consider electronic devices as potential sources when patients seek treatment for skin rashes.</div>

Got a Skin rash? iPad, other devices might be the cause

CHICAGO: Unexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing metals. Recent reports in medical journals detail nick…

16 Jul 2014

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