My Fun Land

2011-11-04T02:45:00.001-07:00

Dengue Fever

Dengue fever (pronounced UK: /ˈdɛŋɡeɪ/, US: /ˈdɛŋɡiː/) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are acute febrile diseases which occur in the tropics, can be life-threatening, and are caused by four closely related virus serotypes of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae.[1] It is also known as breakbone fever, since it can be extremely painful. It occurs widely in the tropics, including northern Argentina, northernAustralia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia,[2] Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French Polynesia,Guadeloupe, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Melanesia, Mexico,Micronesia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay,[3] The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa,[4] Western Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand (ไข้เลือดออก khai lueat ok), Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Vietnam, and increasingly in southernChina.[5] Unlike malaria, dengue is just as prevalent in the urban districts of its range as in rural areas. Each serotype is sufficiently different that there is no cross-protection and epidemics caused by multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) can occur. Dengue is transmitted to humans by the Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti or more rarely the Aedes albopictus mosquito. The mosquitoes that spread dengue usually bite at dusk and dawn but may bite at any time during the day, especially indoors, in shady areas, or when the weather is cloudy.[6]
The WHO says some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue and estimates that there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries.[7]

Dengue fever is a fever. It is caused by a virus which can be spread by mosquitos, similar to Malaria. Symptoms resemble that of a common cold.

The WHO says some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue....

2011-11-04T02:44:00.005-07:00

Dengue Fever

2011-11-04T02:44:00.003-07:00

Dengue Fever

2011-11-04T02:44:00.001-07:00

Dengue Fever

2011-11-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

What Is Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called break-bone fever because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain. Health experts have known about dengue fever for more than 200 years.
Dengue fever is found mostly during and shortly after the rainy season in tropical and subtropical areas of

Africa
Southeast Asia and China
India
Middle East
Caribbean and Central and South America
Australia and the South and Central Pacific

An epidemic in Hawaii in 2001 is a reminder that many states in the

United States

are susceptible to dengue epidemics because they harbor the particular types of mosquitoes that transmit it.
The World Health Organization estimates 50 million cases of dengue infection occur each year. This includes 100 to 200 cases reported annually to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mostly in people who have recently traveled abroad. From 1977 to 1994,

U.S.

health care workers reported to CDC 2,248 cases of dengue that had been imported into this country. Many more cases probably go unreported because some doctors do not recognize the disease.
During the last part of the 20^th century, cases of dengue began to increase in many tropical regions of the world. Epidemics also began to occur more frequently, and to be more severe. In addition to typical dengue, a severe influenza-like disease-dengue hemorrhagic fever-also has been increasing in many parts of the world.
HOW IS DENGUE FEVER TRANSMITTED?
People get dengue virus infections from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite infected humans, and later transmit infection to other people they bite. The two main species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, have been responsible for all cases of dengue transmitted in this country.
WHAT KIND OF VIRUS CAUSES DENGUE FEVER?
Dengue fever can be caused by any one of four types of dengue virus: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. A person can be infected by at least two, if not all four types at different times during a life span, but only once by the same type.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE FEVER?
Symptoms of typical uncomplicated dengue usually start with fever within 5 to 6 days after a person has been bitten by an infected mosquito.

High fever, up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit
Severe headache
Retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain
Severe joint and muscle pain
Nausea and vomiting
Rash

The rash may appear over most of the body 3 to 4 days after the fever begins. A second rash may appear later in the disease.
Interestingly, most children infected with dengue virus never develop typical symptoms.
HOW IS DENGUE FEVER DIAGNOSED?
A doctor or other health care worker can diagnose dengue fever by doing a blood test. The test can show whether the blood sample contains dengue virus or antibodies to the virus. In epidemics, dengue is often clinically diagnosed by typical signs and symptoms.
HOW IS DENGUE FEVER TREATED?
There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, and most people recover completely within 2 weeks. To help with recovery, health care experts recommend

Getting plenty of bed rest.
Drinking lots of fluids.
Taking medicine to reduce fever.

CDC advises people with dengue fever not to take aspirin. Acetaminophen or other over-the-counter pain-reducing medicines are safe for most people.
HOW CAN DENGUE FEVER BE PREVENTED?
The best way to prevent dengue fever is to take special precautions to avoid contact with mosquitoes. Several dengue vaccines are being developed, but none is likely to be licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the next few years.
When outdoors in an area where dengue fever has been found,

Use a mosquito repellant containing DEET.
Dress in protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes.

Because Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, be sure to use precautions especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.
Other precautions include

Keep unscreened windows and doors closed.
Keep window and door screens repaired.
Get rid of areas where mosquitoes breed, such as standing water in flower pots or discarded tires.

CAN DENGUE FEVER LEAD TO OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS?
Most people who develop dengue fever recover completely within two weeks. Some, however, may go through several weeks of feeling tired and/or depressed.
Others develop severe bleeding problems. This complication, dengue hemorrhagic fever, is a very serious illness which can lead to shock (very low blood pressure) and is sometimes fatal, especially in children and young adults.

2011-11-01T23:56:00.001-07:00

Life In A Big City

Class XI, ENGLISH, Essays, "Life in a Big City"

Karachi is the biggest city in

Pakistan

and also one of the most thickly populated cities in the world. Its population has increased rapidly and accordingly has given rise to many social problems. People of this metropolis are becoming more and more concerned about solving these serious problems, some of which are discussed below.

The ever-increasing rush of heavy traffic on the roads is resulting in heavy loss of human life. One day or the other, people suffer form accidents due to reckless driving. Some lose their vehicles and some go to the police. This is due to lack of civic sense in the citizens and violation of traffic rules. Traffic jams, road quarrels, untidiness and damage of public property is also a result of this problem. The government has not done any planning to control this situation in the past two decades.

In the same manner, the government has never emphasized upon population distribution. As a result, slum areas are rapidly being built, where poor labour lives. The disordered development of small houses is spoiling the outlook of the city, as well as creating problems of illegal electric connections, water supply and pollution. The authorities have failed to reclaim the locations from these people.

The academic career of children in Karachi is unpredictable due to lack of good schools and institutions. The need of recreational institutions, parks and play grounds is also felt at times and most of all joblessness creates problems for poor people.

Another problem faced by the citizens of the city is the frequent power breakdowns. Every other day, K.E.S.C cuts down the electric supply without notice. This becomes a great hurdle for industries and professional that use electric machinery for their work. Disturbance and shortage of water supply is also a cause of discomfort among the citizens. Sometimes, the dirty and unfiltered water becomes a major factor in food poisoning, which usually takes place on festive occasions, when demand of water in the city increases. Any measure to improve the supply of filtered water has also not been adopted by the government. Problems due to improper drainage system are also becoming a matter of concern among the people. The alarming in crease in the disorderliness of drainage lines is posing serious threats for people, especially in poor areas. Filth and dirt runs down a channel by the footpath and children play over it. We have malaria, cholera and dysentery still destroying our children because such things exist.

The attitude of beggars in Karachi is the most irritating problem. They are worthless idlers robbing good-natural people. It has become their regular practice to crowd public spots and cheat people. The adverse effects of begging problem are noticeable in sum areas.

There are too many dirty and ownerless dogs roaming about in the streets of Karachi. They spread many diseases and sometime become a danger by injuring people.

Lack of environmental care among people and drivers of public service vehicles is giving rise to pollution problems. Dust fills the air in most of the roads all the time. Improper turned cars fill the atmosphere with deadly smoke at hours of rush, which causes disease among the policemen and common public. The blowing of pressure horns is always there, deafening the ears.

Karachi is also often subjected to terrorist activities. Bomb blasts and firings at public spots are resulting in great loss of human life. The terrorists deserve no less than capital punishment. It is the duty of the police to intensify their investigation to stop such activities.

For the well to do class, life in Karachi may be fascinating, but for other citizens it is a center of drawbacks. It is only through the concentrated efforts of each and every person, including the members of law-enforcing and administrative agencies, can we overcome these serious problems of the metropolis.

2011-11-01T23:54:00.001-07:00

Virulent Dengue Fever

Virulent Dengue Viruses

This is an in depth comparison between the 4 strains of Dengue Fever. The research documented here was designed to try to determine which strains are the most common, virulent and contagious, and their affects on humans. Dengue fever is the most common mosquito transmitted disease in humans and also potentially life threatening. With their being no current laboratory or animal models of this disease available for study, the pathology and growth of this disease has been hard to examine and therefore, hard to prevent. This summary focuses on results using human dendrite cells and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and this viruses’ ability to replicate and infect others. Results from these studies implicate that the Southeast Asian genotypes’ characteristics are continuing to displace its’ sister strain, the American genotype.

Dengue fever is a blood-borne disease contracted and spread by being bitten by a mosquito infected with the Dengue virus. In the New World the most common family of mosquito infected with the Dengue Fever (DH) is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, creating over 100 million cases of dengue worldwide every year. (Center for Disease Control website) Of the DF virus there are four main strains, DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. Two of these strains are the DF, and two are the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), a more severe and possibly fatal form of this disease. DHF is caused by the same virus as DF but different in its symptoms and treatment.
There are 4 distinct antigenic types of the Dengue Fever (DF) of the Flaviviradiae family, infection and or exposure to more than one type increases the risk of developing the fatal form of this virus, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, (DHF). The American genotype of this virus has remained a more docile and non-life threatening strain of this virus. The counterpart to this horrible virus is the Southeast Asian strain; know as Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, a much more virulent and life threatening...

2011-11-01T23:53:00.003-07:00

AMBITION to man is what fragrance is to a flower

AMBITION to man is what fragrance is to a flower. There may be flowers without fragrance; but no man is without ambition. It is a force without constraints or restrictions. It stealthily creeps into the heart of a young man and a young lady alike. The rich man will try to become richer and the poor man to become rich. He will not be contented with two square meals a day. If he was to be so he is certainly not ambitious. The man who has renounced his material life is also not free from ambition. His ambition is to seek the ultimate truth. Whatever one's age or status be, every one nurses in his heart of hearts a secret ambition. It is born out of today's discontent and looks up to a better and more satisfying tomorrow. It is a driving force that spurs the inactive into action, a force that shakes off the lethargy, like the west wind that sweeps off the dust from the ground. It is because of ambition that nobody likes to remain as a nobody, and everybody would like to be somebody, somebody - good, great, powerful and wise as the great Shakespeare has said:

Why then, the world's mine oyster

Which I, with my sword, will open

It cuts, like a sword, the outer shell, to bring the inner pearl out.

Ambition is, like a sword both an asset and a liability. It can make a man to succeed in his life or career. It may bring all the bounteous things in life; finally he may become the object of admiration; people may worship and emulate him. He will become a living legend. Such people are the ones who make history and fill its pages. Gandhiji, Pandit Nehru and Vallabhai Patel belong to this category. Their life is a source of inspiration to people, of all times and of all nations. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Vinoba Bhave and Tilak are no less in greatness. That Indian Batsman Sunil Gavaskar who is affectionately referred to as the 'little master' has created a legend of his own.

Little known to history are numberless people who have achieved greatness in their little spheres of action, as Grey calls - many a gem of purest ray serene. Burning with an un extinguishable flame of ambition, they too struggle and toil, trekking along with perseverance, surmounting difficulty after difficulty and in the final race they may not be the winners who get trophies. But posterity will certainly remember them. Their names will evoke mixed feelings of joy and sorrow.

Lakshmi Bhai of Jhansi, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, are some of those whose names fill our hearts with thoughts 'too deep for tears'.

Instead of elevating man to higher realms of divine thoughts, ambition sometimes fills his heart with animal passions of selfishness which inevitably leads him from misery to misery and finally to despair and death. Like the drowning man he causes distress and disaster to all those around him.

Italy

's Mussolini and

Spain

's Generalissimo Franco are two such. But Hitler of Germany excels by far the other two. The entire world shook because of his un satiating lust, but it was himself and his own

Germany

that paid heavily. It all began with a foolish notion that Germans were a superior race. Soon the national pride took the ugly shape of national ambition - to prove the superiority of

Germany

. As a consequence

Germany

suffered a crushing defeat resulting in its partition and Hitler died an ignoble death, with none to weep and pray for the peace of his soul.

There are others like Saddam Hussain of

Iraq

and Ayatollah Khomeni of Iran who are the two latest arrivals on the scene. They are suffused with unbounded ambition that borders monomania. Such people mix religion with politics and employ all pretexts under the sun to project their views. They forget that the essence of religion is tolerance and instead of forgiving, they declare war against their opponents. Nobody knows where such perverted ambition leads us. Already

India

is paying heavily for such misguided policies of fanatics. Nature will not tolerate such aberrations and one day all will come to nothing; but before that, much innocent blood would be shed.

Lack of ambition too is not a healthy sign. It leads to stagnation and finally to death by degrees. When there is nothing to motivate or inspire; life becomes dull and eventless: Besides, when difficulties crop up, one feels utterly incompetent to face them. They may believe that time is the best healer of all wounds. But such a notion is another form of incompetence. Even God will not help those that cannot help themselves.

Absence of ambition is not contentment. Contentment is the highest form of philosophical outlook. It can never be the outcome of want. If it does, it is not contentment. A hungry man will never experience the feeling of satisfaction; it is only when the hunger is satisfied that contentment can come. Only a rich man can renounce his wealth but not a poor man. If, on one side, he looks at the things he wants with greedy eyes, and on the other, in spite of his suffering, talks of contentment it is likely to be mistaken for weakness and he will be an object of ridicule. But when an Edward renounces his empire for the sake of his lady love, people hail it as the highest form of sacrifice a man can do for the sake of love; again when a Buddha renounces his kingdom people are all appreciation for his high ideals. A man who has his share of life in material luxury, can only think of severing his earthly ties. But material success is not a sufficient condition for sacrifice. It is therefore more desirable to have a noble ideal before us, even if we fail to reach than not to have at all. To love and lose is better than not to love at all.

Therefore it is essential that we all have an ambition in our life. But before you set your goal before you, you must also realize whether it would be possible for you to reach it or not. Without considering the practical aspect of it, it is no use of setting high ideals before you. All of us are not made of the same stuff. Certainly there are inequalities; and the circumstances in which we are placed too vary. Simply because we set our eyes on something great and noble, there is no reason why we should succeed. True, if we aim at the sky we will shoot high. But should we not know how to shoot first? All of us cannot become Gandhis, Nethajis, Buddhas and Nehrus. In all probability, we can, in our private life rise to the heights reached by Othello, but we must take care that we may not fall down like Macbeth, into the pit of hellish fire; or like Faustus to the very hell itself. One may even try to become a Shakespeare, for, before he became the great Shakespeare, he was just like any one who was not inspired by ambition. Therefore, it is better to remember.

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune,

Omitted, all the current of their lives,

Is bound in shallows and in misery

2011-11-01T23:53:00.001-07:00

Life in Big City

India

has many big cities. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, etc. are some of them. But 80 per cent of our population lives in the villages.

A person from the rural area may find himself lost in a big city. Life in a city looks attractive and glamorous. People are progressive. They are constantly keeping abreast with the developments in the world and even the government takes care to see that the big cities begin to look like any other big city in the world.

This is a desirable attitude to the extent that it keeps

India

modern and any foreigner coming to this land begins to realize that we are after all not a country of only snake charmers and elephants, as was the impressions in the West until a few years ago.

Cities provide job opportunities to people and we find thousand of villagers moving to the cities to get employment.

However, one finds that on comparison village life is a more peaceful one. In cities most people live like strangers. A city dweller works from morning till night. He seldom finds time to socialize because he has long office hours. There is the problem of commuting.

Distances are long and to keep any appointment in a big city is difficult. People get stuck in traffic jams and have to also stand in line for hours waiting for a bus to arrive. Buses are packed with people and there is a lot of harassment. People become aggressive. Each man feels the need to satisfy his own need for comfort at the cost on his neighbour.

Facilities are limited everywhere and there are too many people to avail of these facilities. This causes trouble at railway stations, in trains, at cinema theaters, in buses and at petrol stations. Man has become materialistic and selfish in a big city.

Nature is neglected and even if one wants to enjoy the peace that comes with nature he cannot. Tall buildings obstruct the view of the stars in the sky. Pollution makes the air thick and city dwellers suffer from respiratory trouble.

A man of the city is a product of his artificial surroundings. He becomes insensitive to the needs of his fellow men. One cannot blame him because everyman has to nurture his own family and the pressure of the city life makes it impossible for anyone to even have the time to stop and look at his neighbour. Children get neglected because both their parents work and often have long office hours. Schools are more demanding and children are burdened with heavy bags.

Despite all these, the city still holds our interest as it promises a life of action and progress. There are unlimited opportunities. Any one, who wants to, can grab these opportunities and improve their lifestyle.

2011-11-01T23:52:00.001-07:00