Indias first swine flu death .. Victim: A 14 Year girl.

Indias first swine flu death   
14-Year-Old Girl From Pune Dies In Tough Battle 
Kounteya Sinha | TNN | Times of India Bangalore, August 4, 2009

New Delhi: India on Monday reported its first death due to H1N1 flu infection, with a 14-year-old-girl from Pune succumbing to the deadly influenza virus. The girl, a student of class IX from St Annes High School, showed symptoms of H1N1 infection sore throat, running nose and headache on July 21. 
 
But a crucial delay in being tested for H1N1 infection and being administered Tamiflu, because she was admitted in a private hospital instead of the stipulated government isolation ward meant for both suspected and confirmed H1N1 patients, may have been the cause of her death. 
Whats bothering the Union health ministry is that the girl had attended school till July 23, raising serious fears that the virus may have jumped to other students and teachers in the school besides everybody she came in contact with from July 20-23 . Shockingly, Lymette Wilson , the schools physical education teacher, said the state health department had not even informed the school that a student was found to be infected with H1N1. This is why the school hasnt started looking for similar H1N1 symptoms in other students till now. The Maharashtra health department is upset with the National Institute of Virology for not informing them that a positive sample was sent to them. 
M S Devnikar, head of Punes Joint Coordination Committee for Containment of H1NI, told TOI: We were not aware that a patient with symptoms of swine flu was admitted to a private hospital.

Of times when Coffee can be both helpful and harmful to health...

5 cups of coffee to beat Alzheimer’s: 
Times of India Bangalore, July 7, 2009 
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Coffee drinkers have yet another reason to relish their favourite drink — it can protect against Alzheimer’s disease, say researchers. The research team from University of South Florida found five cups of coffee not only helps reverse the effects of the disease but can treat it too. They showed that caffeine significantly decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
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Health Capsule Cartoon
Times of India Bangalore, July 7, 2009 

hmmm.. well now if a student suspects alzeimers, what he should do..???

World’s ‘toughest’ phone unveiled.

World’s ‘toughest’ phone unveiled

Times of India Bangalore, July 4th, 2009

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Land Rover has unveiled what it says is the world’s strongest phone, after the gadget survived being dropped from a tall building, stood on by an elephant, and roasted in an oven. Called the new S1 mobile, the ‘indestructible’ device was developed after the car giant teamed up with phone manufacturer Sonim.

Youth kills grandparents over smoking.

UP youth kills grandparents over smoking
19 Jun 2009, 1530 hrs IST, IANS

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LUCKNOW, India: An 18-year-old youth killed his grandparents in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district after they objected to his smoking inside the house, police said on Friday.

The killings took place in the Bauara village of Ballia, 300 km from state capital Lucknow, on Thursday.
"Ramdhar and Radhika caught their grandson smoking in the house and raised objections. In a fit of rage, Jugnu killed both of them with a knife," police inspector NS Yadav told reporters in Ballia.

"A servant who was present in the house at the time of the incident informed us after which we rushed to the spot. By then Jugnu escaped," Yadav said.

Smoking, second-hand smoke linked to breast cancer.

Smoking, second-hand smoke linked to breast cancer
24 Apr 2009, 1011 hrs IST, IANS
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TORONTO: Researchers say they have found clinching scientific evidence to link active smoking and second-hand smoke to breast cancer.

In reporting their findings, an international panel of researchers said they have "persuasive evidence" of the risk that smoking and second-hand smoke have for breast cancer.

"Until recently, evidence about the link between breast cancer and tobacco smoke, although voluminous, was inconclusive. But the panel's careful analysis of all available evidence, particularly recent evidence, led us to conclude that there is persuasive evidence of risk," said panel chairman Neil Collishaw.

"An estimated 80 to 90% of women have been exposed to tobacco smoke in adolescence and adulthood. Those women face an increased risk of breast cancer because of that exposure," he said.

A statement on the panel's findings said there have been many studies over the years on the relationship between cigarette smoke and breast cancer in women.

It said the panel reviewed all available evidence, including important recent evidence, and concluded that there was a risk even non-smoking young women face through passive exposure to cigarette smoke.

"The panel also concluded that the relationship of active smoking to both pre and post-menopausal breast cancer is consistent with causality, but there is not yet enough evidence to draw a conclusion about the nature of the relationship between exposure to second-hand smoke and breast cancer for older, post-menopausal women," the statement said.

Anthony Miller, who is one of the panelists, said: "It is important from a public health perspective to get the message out to the public, and young women in particular, that available evidence shows that both active smoking and exposure to passive smoke increase the risk of breast cancer."

The international panel was convened by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit of the University of Toronto and the public health agency of Canada.

Smoking triggers migraine attack !!!

Smoking more than 5 cigarettes a day can provoke migraine attacks
25 Jun 2009, 1204 hrs IST, ANI

The research prior to the work published in The Journal of Headache and Pain indicated that smoking could improve migraines by reducing anxiety, one of the factors that triggers an attack.

"This study is groundbreaking in Spain as there are few studies on this topic, and all are very biased. This is due to the complexity and need for prior training of the participants", Julio Pascual, one of the authors of this research and doctor at the Neurology Unit of Marqués de Valdecilla, University Hospital (Santander), explains to SINC.

One advantage of this study is that the sample used, 361 medicine students from the University of Salamanca, were fully aware what a migraine was. The experts, who enquired about the presence or absence of migraine (and its characteristics) and whether or not they smoked, guaranteed the reliability of the results obtained, as most surveys for this type of study are done over the phone, randomly and in people without knowledge of the illness.

The results show that 16 percent of students fulfilled migraine criteria, while 20 percent smoked. The percentage of smokers was higher (29 percent) in those who were also migraine sufferers and migraine frequency in those students who were migraine sufferers and smokers was clearly higher than in those who were non-smokers and migraine sufferers.

According to Pascual, "smoking is a precipitating factor of this type of headache, as the prevalence of active smokers is one third higher in migraine sufferers and there is a direct relationship between the number of cigarettes consumed and the frequency of migraine attacks".

The results of the interviews reveal that the migraine sets in after five daily cigarettes. Furthermore, although the percentage of those who smoked was higher in people with migraines, they smoked less than those who did not suffer migraines.

Booze (liquor) fogs up brain in 6 mins.

Booze fogs up brain in 6 mins   
Times of India Bangalore, June 18, 2009

Washington: Alcohol can get to a person’s head in just six minutes after taking a drink, according to researchers in Heidelberg.
    Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), scientists have shown that only six minutes after consuming an amount of alcohol equivalent to three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine — which leads to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.06% — can cause changes in the brain cells. While earlier data was only available from animal trials, the new study on humans has shown that the brain reacts quickly to alcohol.
   
 “Our study provides evidence for alternative energy utilisation upon alcohol ingestion, i.e. the brain uses an alcohol breakdown product instead of glucose for energy demands,” said Armin Biller at Heidelberg University Hospital. They demonstrated that the harmful effect of alcohol also sets in quickly.
    During the experiment, it was found that the concentration of substances like creatine (energy metabolism), which are attributed with protecting cells, decreases as the concentration of alcohol increases. Choline, a component of cell membranes, was also reduced. 

 “That probably indicates that alcohol triggers changes in the composition of cell membranes,” said Biller. “However, we assume that the brain’s ability to recover from the effect of alcohol decreases or is eliminated as the consumption of alcohol increases.” ANI

Black tea prevents heart diseases.

Black tea prevents heart diseases
Times of India Bangalore, June 20, 2009
 

Dubai: Drinking just one cup of black tea everyday might protect against cardiovascular disease, a new research has found.
    According to the study conducted at University of L’Aquila in Italy and supported by the Lipton Institute of Tea, black tea consumption improves blood vessel reactivity and reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness, indicating a notably better cardiovascular health profile. 

    Using a group of 19 healthy men (mean age 33), the researchers assigned the participants to one of five prescribed intakes of the tea over five periods lasting one week each.
    The caffeine level of each dose was standardized but the dose of tea flavonoids was controlled at the levels of 0 (the control dose), 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg per day.
    A standard cup of black tea contains approximately 100-200 mg of flavonoids, depending on the individual preference of tea making.
    During the course of the research, participants avoided naturally flavonoid-rich food and drinks like red wine and chocolate to ensure that the results become a true reflection of flavonoid-rich black tea consumption only. AGENCIES

Videogames make kids kinder?

Videogames make kids kinder? 

Times of India Bangalore, June 20, 2009

 
Most of us are aware of the relationship between violent videogames and aggressive behaviour. But now experts have found that some videogames can make children kinder and helpful. Pro-social videogames involve characters who help and support each other in non-violent ways. Three studies conducted in different countries using different age groups all suggest that playing games with pro-social content cause players to be more helpful to others after the game is over.

Drink a day good for you? Experts seriously doubt it.

Drink a day good for you? Experts seriously doubt it
Roni Caryn Rabin | Times of India Bangalore, June 18, 2009

    By now, it is a familiar litany. Study after study suggests that alcohol in moderation may promote heart health and even ward off diabetes. The evidence is so plentiful that some experts consider moderate drinking — about one drink a day for women, about two for men — a central component of a healthy lifestyle. But what if it’s all a big mistake?
    
For some experts, the question will not go away. No study, these critics say, has ever proved a causal relationship between moderate drinking and lower risk of death — only that the two often go together. It may be that moderate drinking is just something healthy people tend to do, not something that makes people healthy.
    
“The moderate drinkers tend to do everything right — they exercise, they don’t smoke, they eat right and they drink moderately,” said Kaye Middleton Fillmore, a retired sociologist from the University of California, San Francisco, who has criticized the research. “It’s very hard to disentangle all of that, and that’s a real problem.”
    Questions have also been raised about the financial relationships that have sprung up between the alcoholic beverage industry and many academic centers, which have accepted industry money to pay for research. “The bottom line is there has not been a single study done on moderate alcohol consumption and mortality outcomes that is a ‘gold standard’ kind of study — the kind of randomized controlled clinical trial,” said Tim Naimi, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Even avid supporters of moderate drinking temper their recommendations with warnings about the dangers of alcohol, which has been tied to breast cancer and even in small amounts, is linked with liver disease, cancers, and strokes when consumed in larger amounts. NYT NEWS SERVICE

Soon, a nasal spray to fight lung cancer.

CURE IN A CAN
Soon, a nasal spray to fight lung cancer
Inhalable Gene Therapy Sets Off Cell Death, Controlling Tumours
Times of India Bangalore, June 18, 2009

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    Soon, there will be a new weapon to fight lung cancer — an inhalable spray that uses gene therapy, say scientists.
    In a new study, mice with lung cancer that were treated with a vaporized viral vector twice a week for four weeks had fewer, smaller tumors than untreated mice, Health Day reported.

    Researchers also found that treated mice had increased apoptosis, or programmed cell death, necessary for healthy tissues, as well as suppressed production of several proteins that contribute to cancer cell growth. The study, by researchers at Seoul National University in Korea, appears in the June 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. “Aerosol delivery targets the lungs specifically and represents a noninvasive alternative for targeting genes to the lung,” wrote study author Myung-Haing Cho, a professor at Seoul National University. “The delivery of genes via aerosol holds promise for the treatment of a broad spectrum of pulmonary disorders and offers numerous advantages over more invasive modes of delivery.”

    In the study, researchers used a lentiviral vector derived from a retrovirus able to infect non-dividing cells, causing lasting genetic changes. The lentiviral vector included a carboxylterminal modulator protein (CTMP), which inhibits Akt signaling. Previous study has shown 90% of non-small cell lung carcinomas involve the Akt signaling pathway, according to the study.
    Researchers divided mice into three groups: one received the aerosolized CTMP vector, one received the vector alone and one third were untreated. The mice treated by the CTMP vector had significantly fewer, smaller tumors.

    Globally, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths. Most treatments, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, slow progression of the disease only temporarily. While much research is underway on the use of gene therapy to treat lung cancer, one stumbling block has been finding delivery mechanisms that work. AGENCIES

Men more at risk of cancer death

Men more at risk of cancer death:
Times of India Bangalore, June 16, 2009

Men are 60% more likely to develop cancer than women, and 70% more likely to die from the disease, warn health experts. According to Cancer Research UK, the unwillingness of men to adopt a healthy lifestyle and visit the doctor might be behind the gender gap. And lifestyle changes have been found to reduce the incidence of cancer by almost 50%. Researchers examined data on all cancers from 2006 and 2007, and found delays in reporting symptoms could be fuelling the gender divide in cancer mortality.During the study, the researchers examined data on all cancers from 2006 and 2007, and found that delays in reporting symptoms to a doctor could be fuelling the gender divide in cancer mortality.

Breastfed kids score high, go to college

Breastfed kids score high, go to college
Times Of India Bangalore, June 16, 2009

New York: Breastfed babies seem more likely to do well at high school and go on to attend college than infants raised on a bottle, according to a new study in the United States.  Professors Joseph Sabia from the American University and Daniel Rees from the University of Colorado Denver based their research on 126 children from 59 families, comparing siblings who were breastfed as infants to others who were not. 
 
  By comparing siblings, the study was able to account for the influence of a variety of difficultto-measure factors such as maternal intelligence and the quality of the home environment. 
The study, published in the Journal of Human Capital, found that an additional month of breastfeeding was associated with an increase in high school grade point averages of 0.019 points and an increase in the probability of college attendance of 0.014. “The results of our study suggest that the cognitive and health benefits of breastfeeding may lead to important long-run educational benefits for children,” Sabia, a professor of public policy who focuses on health economics, said in a statement. 
 
  “But this is just a start. Much work remains to be done to establish a definitive causal link.” 
  Sabia said the study, using data from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, was the first to use sibling data to examine the effect of bre-astfeeding on high school completion and college attendance. REUTERS

Zero-emission car to hit roads

Zero-emission car to hit roads.
Times of India Bangalore, June 15, 2009

The world’s first mass-produced zero-emission minicar, the “i-MiEV”, is all set to debut in Japan next month, which promises to usher in a new age of driving that does not require fossil fuel. 

  
Developed by the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the car has neither an engine nor a muffler and does not need an internal combustion engine because it runs on a motor which is charged with electricity. AGENCIES

No porn for Indians on Microsoft's new search engine Bing.

No porn for Indians on Microsoft's new search engine Bing.
Yahoo News India - Jun 8, 2009

Washington, June 8 (ANI): Indian netizens will not find any explicit images and videos on Microsoft's new search engine Bing because the company has blocked them for Internet users in countries where pornography is banned.

This feature now works only when a user says that he/she is an English-speaking American, Canadian or Australian.

"We determined the list of countries for which sexually explicit results are restricted based on analysis of where such are restricted by local law, but we did not take these actions in response to specific government demands or regulations," Fox News quoted a Microsoft spokesman as telling the Indian Web site ContentSutra.com.

However, the "ban" can apparently be reversed if the country-localizing page to see the images can be changed to those of the countries where the search engine returns dozens of explicit images and videos.

Other countries where the results were filtered featured most of the Islamic world, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and what Microsoft calls "Arabian" countries. (ANI)

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090608/854/ttc-no-porn-for-indians-on-microsoft-s-n.html

DNA behind initial spark between lovers.

CHEMISTRY OF ATTRACTION
DNA behind initial spark between lovers
Body Odour Linked To Genes Plays Vital Role In Selecting Mates: Expert

Times of India Bangalore, May 26, 2009

London: Love at first sight? But, what creates that initial spark between two people? Well, it’s body odour, created by the genes involved in the immune system, and more specifically the DNA, say experts.

    According to Tamara Brown, a Croatian geneticist based in Zurich, a section of the DNA called human leukocyte antigen plays a key role in searching for “true love” and the key lies in “secret signals” one picks up from another’s body odour.

    “It’s chemistry of attraction. Somebody might not be Brad Pittgood-looking, but there’s just something about them and you can’t put your finger on it,” Dr Brown was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying.

    In fact, the catalyst for her research was the “T-shirt experiment”, a Swiss study at the University of Bern carried out in the mid-1990s that screened the DNA of male and female volunteers, then asked the women to smell T-shirts the men had worn for two nights and rate them for “attractiveness”. The women, it turned out, preferred the smell of men with genes that were different from their own in this HLA section. All the women, except for those on the contraceptive pill, seems to affect their sense of smell.
    In 2003, Brown started researching her own formula for attraction by looking at these HLA genes. “Everybody knows there is ‘chemistry’ between people, but at the time I did not know if we’d find out something worthwhile or economically viable as a business concept.” She has has found the attraction formula — based on patterns in the HLA genes — and turned it into a computer programme, an algorithm that she is keeping to herself.
   

“We don’t claim to provide the ideal partner based purely on DNA. People also need to match on a social level — to have similar life goals, ideals and education levels,” she was quoted as saying. A kiss is another way to pick up the DNA scent signals that we give out, Brown says. Studies suggest that women may use kissing more than men to assess subconsciously whether they have found a suitable mate or not. AGENCIES

Global Warming is now audible too, says new research

Warming is now audible too, says new research

Times of India Bangalore, May 26, 2009 

Ask any skeptic of global warming to keep his ears open and he would get to hear the evidence. With large portions of ice shelves falling off and glaciers melting, the ravages of climate change are not just visible, now it’s audible too with larger and more intense storms, say researchers.

    According to a new study, it’s now possible to hear the rise of global warming in the form of more, larger, more intense storms — signs of climate change, many scientists say. For decades, seismologists have been filtering out the sounds of massive, stormdriven ocean waves crashing into coastlines. The pesky noise was getting in the way of earthquake detection, reports National Geographic.

    But now some experts are electronically filtering out the quakes — and turning up the volume on the storm waves. The noise of waves crashing ashore creates very specific vibrations, according to study leader Peter Bromirski of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. And those vibrations indicate how severe storms at sea actually are.
    Bromirski and others are still studying seismological data on storms from the 1930s to the present and are waiting to release the full analysis to the public. But a trend is already obvious, he said. “There is a definite increase in severe storm events over the years that we are noticing at the recording stations”.
    That consistency may be reassuring to researchers. For example, weather-satellite data have been used to identify evidence of a trend of intensifying storms, but some scientists say satellite tech, having changed so much over the decades, is problematic for tracking storms in the long term. AGENCIES

Txtng cn ruin ur helth n scool perfrmanc: stdy

Txtng cn ruin ur helth n scool perfrmanc: stdy

Times of India Bangalore, May 27, 2009

New York: Texting may have become a popular way of communication among teenagers, but it could lead to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, repetitive stress injury and sleep deprivation, say experts.

    According to the Nielsen Company, American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008 almost 80 messages a day, more than double the average of a year earlier. Dr Martin Joffe, a paediatrician in Greenbrae, California, recently surveyed students at two local high schools and found that many were regularly sending hundreds of texts every day.

    That’s one every few minutes. Then you hear that these kids are responding to texts late at night. Thats going to cause sleep issues in an age group that’s already plagued with sleep issues,” The New York Times quoted him as saying. Texting may also be taking a toll on teenagers thumbs. Peter W Johnson, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington, said it was too early to tell whether this kind of stress is damaging.

However, he added: based on our experiences with computer users, we know intensive repetitive use of the upper extremities can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, so we have some reason to be concerned that too much texting could lead to temporary or permanent damage to the thumbs. AGENCIES

In Asia, diabetes more likely to strike the young.

In Asia, diabetes more likely to strike the young

Times of India Bangalore, May 28, 2009

Jakarta: Diabetes is spiralling in Asia but __ unlike the west __ those affected are relatively young and less likely to be struggling with obesity, a new study shows.
    

Research published in the Journal of American Medical Association(JAMA) on Wednesday said the disease has turned into a global problem, with the number of victims expected to grow from 240 million in 2007 to 380 million in 2025. More than 60 per cent of those will be in Asia, the world’s fastest growing region, with low and middle-income countries hardest hit.

    India will see its numbers grow from 40 million to nearly 70 million; China 39 million to 59 million; and Bangladesh 3.8 million to 7.4 million, the authors wrote, citing figures from the International Diabetes Federation. Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and others will also see their figures skyrocket.
   

Frank Hu, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, noted the disease is associated with serious complications such as heart disease, stroke and renal failures__all of which are expensive to treat.

    Trends of diabetes in the region are influenced by everything from genetic makeup and cultural differences to smoking and degrees of urbanization, the JAMA study showed. But the most startling findings __ which tended to vary from country to country __ related to body mass and age. AGENCIES

Tap on head cures chocolate addiction.

Tap on head cures chocolate addiction

Times of India Bangalore, May 28, 2009

Want to get rid of those uncontrollable urges to eat chocolates? Well, all one needs is a tap on the head. A new therapy, called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), has claimed an 80% success rate for overcoming chocolate addiction. And it involves a therapist tapping on meridian pressure points on the head, neck and arms, like acupuncture but without the needles. Many practitioners have reckoned it can help people overcome phobias and end addictions in just a couple of sessions. Lily Allen recently used it to help her lose weight, and even Madonna is rumoured to be a fan of the technique as well.