Online Pharmacy

Linus Pauling Institute

2012-01-30T16:34:00.001-08:00

The term vitamin is derived from the words vital and amine, because vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Although not all vitamins are amines, they are organic compounds required by humans in small amounts from the diet. An organic compound is considered a vitamin if a lack of that compound in the diet results in overt symptoms of deficiency.

Select a vitamin on the left for more information.

The information from the the Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center on vitamins and minerals is now available in a book titled "An Evidence-Based Approach to Vitamins and Minerals." The book can be purchased from the

Who builds software?

2012-01-23T16:27:00.001-08:00

This is perhaps a strange title, which could have a simple answer: developers and/or engineers.

In reality, however, modern software solutions work in much more sophisticated and complicated ways, even though they may not be apparent or present on most интернет solutions as yet.

The overall trend in software engineering is heading towards user generated content, user generated layouts and even user generated functionality.

It is also true that software is built by some or all of the following too:

Business stake holders Tools used by engineers to build software (see ‘Overview of Code Editors‘) Software architects Automated back end systems which spew out content (and code), etc.

All this is fine, but the ultimate aim of the интернет should be towards re-usability of everything that is created, by whatever means it was created.

All these methods of content and code generation are potential friends, but in most cases fierce enemies of semantic интернет.

Here are some examples where semantic интернет solutions are jeopardized:

A back end engineer rarely produces a good piece of User Interface code Microsoft Front Page will never create a good piece of User Interface code Устраняет боль architect may produce a prototype which is only semi-semantic, but ends up being used as-is in the final solution due to (perceived) time and money constraints on a given project Automated back-end systems spew out content which, at the time of development, may have been considered great, but today is seen as semantically invalid There are many examples where code and content are mixed together and virtually inseparable and does not conform to Emerging Semantic Интернет Structure

Many Java libraries for AJAX produce inline JavaScript code which works in a browser or two, but would fail every single semantic test thrown at it.

Why? Because it was produced by a Java back end developer, who likely never heard about unobtrusive JavaScript and will likely not hear about it for a while as ‘it’s outside of his area of expertise‘.

Internet is moving towards the age of user generated interfaces, while in many cases the basics have not yet been put into proper practice.

Often a time code is also generated directly by administrator users of systems, writing ‘content’ through a WYSIWYG interface.

I have witnessed those users put a whole интернет pages into sections of another page, because that’s the only way they knew how to copy content from one интернет page into a CMS.

Needless to say this practice creates a whole bunch of junk интернет pages which are not fit for any purposes whatsoever, let alone being semantic in nature and reusable.

Our aim as интернет professionals should be to create semantic solutions at all levels, no matter how content and code for those solutions is produced.

End user generated code and content will pose even bigger challenges to engineers, developers and architects who will really need to think hard how to create solutions which are truly ubiquitous.

Whatever or whoever ends up building your software, it or they need to be able to produce a reusable, semantic solution.

Written by Jason Grant, BSc, MSc on 31st March 2009

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

i dream a highway

2012-01-23T10:25:00.001-08:00

is nestled right in the heart of Northcote’s most interesting strip.

We opened our beauty little shop in August 2007, and have already expanded our range widely. We are constantly adding labels and designers, so there is always something new and interesting for our regulars to check out.

We particularly love smaller labels with unique styles, and try to stock an eclectic mix that appeals to more than one style. We love: cowboy/cowgirl themes, vintage inspired pieces, colour and pattern, animals, accessories (accessories, and more accessories!), sustainable and artful design. We also love to support local artists and music (check out the idah records section of this website).

We are always happy to talk with new designers and crafty types who are interested in stocking our shop. Please give us a call or email, and we will get back to you shortly.

Soon to come… Our in-house label is slowly coming to life, and will incorporate clothing, stationary, jewellery and art for your home. Along with this there will be an online store, so you can order from wherever you are in the world!

Hope to see you in Northcote soon!

Subscribe to i dream a highway’s blog via by Email

Category:Medicine

2012-01-07T14:46:00.001-08:00

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Medicine Pages in this category should be moved to subcategories where applicable.

This category may require frequent maintenance to avoid becoming too large. It should directly contain very few, if any, articles and should mainly contain subcategories.

The main article for thiscategoryis Medicine .

Medicine is a branch ofhealth scienceconcerned with maintaininghuman healthand restoring it by treatingdiseaseandinjury; it is both an area of knowledge, ascienceofbody systemsand diseases and their treatment, and the applied practice of that knowledge.

This category has the following 54 subcategories, out of 54 total.

Herbal Medicine: MedlinePlus

2012-01-05T14:36:00.001-08:00

An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that people take to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.

Consult your doctor first Do not take a bigger dose than the label recommends Take it under the guidance of a trained medical professional Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or nursing

NIH: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Tobacco Cessation - You Can Quit Smoking Now!

2012-01-02T02:16:00.001-08:00

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update includes new, effective clinical treatments for tobacco dependence and the latest information to help people quit smoking.

What's NewClinician MaterialsSystems Decisionmaker MaterialConsumer MaterialsBanner Graphics for LinkingOrdering Information for 2008 Guideline and Related MaterialsSurgeon General ReportsPress ReleasesSpeechesMore Resources

Supplement: Corrections and Additions to the 2008 Guideline UpdateSlide Presentation: Full SetTreating Tobacco Use and Dependence—Quick Reference Guide (PDF File, 620 KB)Systems Change: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence

Helping Smokers Quit—A Guide for Clinicians (PDF File, 190 KB)Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update—Clinical Practice Guideline Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence (PDF File, 2 MB)En espa?ol: Gu?a de tratamiento del tabaquismo (PDF File, 2.3 MB PDF Ayuda)Supplement: Corrections and Additions to the 2008 Guideline UpdateGeneral Guideline References (PDF File, 200 KB) References for Studies in Meta-analysesTreating Tobacco Use and Dependence—Quick Reference Guide (PDF File, 620 KB)Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: Slide Presentations Slide Presentation (Full set)Slide Presentation (Overview)Tear Sheets: Primary Care Providers (PDF File, 60 KB; Text Version) En espa?ol (PDF File, 60 KB; Text Version)Tear Sheets: Prenatal Care Providers (PDF File, 538 KB; Text Version) En espa?ol (PDF File, 514 KB; Text Version)

Systems Change: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence

Help for Smokers and Other Tobacco Users (PDF File, 180 KB) (En espa?ol, PDF File, 175 KB)You Can Quit Smoking—Pocket card (PDF File, 39 KB)

(En espa?ol, PDF File, 41 KB)Quitting Helps You Heal Faster—Hospital card (PDF File, 37 KB)

Ordering Information for 2008 Guideline and Related Materials

Single copies of these Guideline products and further information on the availability of other derivative products can be obtained by calling any of the following Public Health Service organizations’ toll-free numbers:

The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon GeneralThe Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon GeneralWomen and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon GeneralReducing Tobacco Use A Report of the Surgeon GeneralSGR 4 KIDS: The Surgeon General's Report for Kids about SmokingAll Surgeon General Reports

New Evidence Provides Clinicians with Better Tools To Help Smokers QuitStatement by Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS — U.S. Surgeon General on Announcement by Pizza Hut and KFC Restaurants Banning SmokingU.S. Surgeon General Gives Tips to Fathers and Fathers-To-Be: Father's Day Tips for a Healthy ChildhoodU.S. Surgeon General Celebrates "World No Tobacco Day 2005" as Part of "The Year of The Healthy Child"U.S. Surgeon General Issues Second "Healthy Dozen" List - ToddlersU.S. Surgeon General Gives Tips to Mothers and Mothers-To-BeNew Surgeon General's Report Expands List of Diseases Caused by Smoking

The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2004Opening of meeting: Tobacco-Related Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic GroupsSecondhand Smoke and Hispanic Families: Smart Decisions Result in Better HealthNational Oral Health Call to ActionCan Tobacco Cure Smoking? A Review of Tobacco Harm Reduction

Search the healthfinder® Интернет site for more Smoking Cessation resources.Visit the National Women's Health Information Center Интернет site for "A Breath of Fresh Air! Independence from Smoking," a special section to help women stop smoking.Go to the National Library of Medicine for consumer information on Smoking Cessation.You Can Quit Smoking Now -- www.smokefree.govHHS National Quitline Number (1-800-QUITNOW)

vitamin K

2011-12-30T07:57:00.001-08:00

What is vitamin K?

Vitamin K is not a single chemical substance but rather a family of chemically related substances that go by the general name of ???vitamin K.??? Over the past 20 years, no vitamin family has undergone a greater change in terms of our scientific understanding of its chemistry and function. In the past, members of the vitamin K family have traditionally been referred to as vitamin K1, vitamin K2, and vitamin K3. This terminology is largely being replaced by a different set of terms to describe what has now been determined to be a more complicated set of vitamin K compounds.

All types of vitamin K fall into a large chemical category of substances called naphthoquinones. Within this naphthoquinone category, there are two basic types of vitamin K. The first type, called phylloquinones, is made by plants. The second basic type, called menaquinones, is made by bacteria. (The only exception to this rule involves a special group of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, which make phylloquinones instead of menaquinones.) Contrary to some previous scientific assumptions, we get most of our dietary vitamin K in the form of phylloquinones from plant foods. In fact, up to 90% of our dietary vitamin K comes in this form, and within that 90%, over half comes from vegetables???especially green leafy vegetables. Many different types of bacteria in our intestines can make vitamin K in the form of menaquinones. While this synthesis of vitamin K in our digestive tract can contribute to our vitamin K requirements, this contribution is less than previously thought.

What are the functions of vitamin K?

In terms of health research, vitamin K is best known for its role in healthy blood clotting. In fact, use of the letter ???K??? in the very name of this vitamin originally came from the German word koagulation .

Although blood clotting may not sound like a body process that is critical for our everyday health, it is, in fact, essential. At one end of the spectrum, whenever we get a skin wound (even a simple cut) we need sufficient blood clotting ability to close the wound and prevent excessive bleeding. At the other end of the spectrum, we do not want too much blood clotting ability because when we are not wounded, we do not want our cardiovascular system to ???throw a clot??? and mistakenly block an otherwise functioning blood vessel. Vitamin K is one of the key nutrients for keeping our blood clotting ability at the exact right level.

We owe much of our understanding about vitamin K and clotting to early experiments with the prescription drug warfarin. Also known under the brand name Coumadin, warfarin is a widely used anticoagulant drug that works by inhibiting the body???s synthesis of clotting factors (including clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X).

Vitamin K sits right at the center of this clotting process. If clotting factors are to successfully close a wound, they need some way to stick onto the nearby tissue surfaces. What provides them with this ???stickiness??? is a chemical event called carboxylation. One of the amino acids in the clotting factors, called glumatic acid, is the component of the clotting factors that gets carboxylated. Two enzymes are needed to keep this process running smoothly. Warfarin works as an anticoagulant and interrupts this process by blocking one of those enzymes ( vitamin K epoxide reductase ). When this enzyme is blocked, vitamin K can no longer be recycled and ???recharged??? to help the clotting factors achieve their proper stickiness. For individuals with an excessive tendency to form blood clots, anticoagulant drugs like warfarin can be life saving. These warfarin-related discoveries have led to our current understanding of vitamin K as a key nutrient for healthy blood clotting.

The relationship of vitamin K to bone health has been fairly well researched, and in the big picture, vitamin K has emerged as a critical nutrient for bone health. Most convincing is research showing protection from bone fractures that occurs when vitamin K is consumed in adequate amounts. Individuals who are vitamin K deficient have been clearly shown to have a greater risk of fracture. In addition, for women who have passed through menopause and have started to experience unwanted bone loss, vitamin K has been clearly shown to help prevent future fractures. These bone-related benefits of vitamin K appear to depend on at least two basic mechanisms.

The first of these mechanisms involves a type of bone cells called osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are bone cells in charge of bone demineralization???they help take minerals out of the bone and make them available for other body functions. While the activity of these cells is important for proper health, we do not want too many osteoclasts (or too much activity by osteoclasts) since those imbalances would mean too much bone demineralization. Vitamin K makes it possible for our body to keep this process in check. One of the menaquinone forms of vitamin K (MK-4, also called menatetrenone) has repeatedly been show to block formation of too many osteoclasts and perhaps also to initiate their programmed cell death (a process called apoptosis).

A second mechanism involves the role of vitamin K in a process called carboxylation. (This process is the same one discussed earlier in relationship to the stickiness of clotting factors required for proper blood clotting.) For our bones to be optimally healthy, one of the proteins found in bone???a protein called osteocalcin???needs to be chemically altered through the process of carboxylation. (Osteocalcin is not just any typical bone protein. It is a protein especially linked to our bone mineral density???BMD???and for this reason, it is often measured in our blood when doctors are seeking to determine the health of our bone.) When too few of the osteocalcin proteins in our bone are carboxylated, our bones have increased risk for fracture. This unwanted risk appears to be particularly important with respect to hip fracture. Scientists refer to this bone problem as one involving ???undercarboxylated osteocalcin,??? and they have determined that vitamin K can greatly improve the situation. Since vitamin K is required for proper activity of the carboxylase enzyme that allows carboxylation of the osteocalcin proteins in our bone, vitamin K can restore these bone proteins to their proper place in our bone structure and strengthen the composition of the bone. It is the MK-4 menaquinone form of vitamin K that has been best researched in this regard.

Prevents calcification of blood vessels or heart valves

One common problem in many forms of cardiovascular disease is unwanted calcification, the build-up of calcium inside a tissue that is normally soft. This build-up of calcium causes the tissue to harden and stop functioning properly. When calcium builds up inside the arteries, it is typically referred to as hardening of the arteries. One direct way to inhibit the build-up of calcium along the arteries is to maintain ample supplies of a special protein called MGP in the body. MGP, or matrix Gla protein, directly blocks the formation of calcium crystals inside the blood vessels. For MGP to function in this way, it must first be present in its carboxylated form; vitamin K is required for this carboxylation process. In other words, the heart-protective benefits of MGP in prevention of calcification depend upon vitamin K. In animal studies, both basic forms of vitamin K???i.e., phylloquinones and menaquinones???have been found to provide excellent calcification-preventing benefits. Researchers have determined that individuals with vitamin K deficiency are at greater risk for hardening of the arteries than individuals with healthy vitamin K intake.

Researchers continue to explore a wide range of health-supportive roles for vitamin K. At the forefront of this research are roles in three basic areas: (1) protection against oxidative damage; (2) proper regulation of inflammatory response; and (3) support of brain and nervous system structure. With respect to protection against oxidative damage, vitamin K does not appear to function directly as an antioxidant in the same manner that other antioxidant vitamins (like vitamin E and vitamin C) do. Yet, both phylloquinone and menaquinone forms of vitamin K appear helpful in protecting cells???particularly nerve cells???from oxidative damage. In terms of inflammatory response, several markers of pro-inflammatory activity???including, for example, release of interleukin-6 (IL-6)???are significantly lowered by healthy vitamin K levels. Finally, with regard to brain and nervous system structure, vitamin K is known to be required for synthesis of a very important family of brain and nervous system fats called sphingolipids. These fats are critical in the formation of the myelin sheath that forms an outer wrapping around the nerves, and both phylloquinone and menaquinone forms of vitamin K have been found effective in supporting synthesis of these key nervous system components. All of the above roles for vitamin K have been investigated primarily in laboratory studies on animals or in laboratory studies on human cell samples.

What are deficiency symptoms for vitamin K?

Persons deficient in vitamin K are first and foremost likely to have symptoms related to problematic blood clotting or bleeding. These symptoms can include heavy menstrual bleeding, gum bleeding, bleeding within the digestive tract, nose bleeding, easy bruising, blood in the urine, prolonged clotting times, hemorrhaging, and anemia. A second set of vitamin K deficiency-related symptoms involves bone problems. These symptoms can include loss of bone (osteopenia), decrease in bone mineral density (osteoporosis), and fractures???including common age-related fractures like that of the hips. Yet another set of vitamin K deficiency-related symptoms involves excess deposition of calcium in soft tissues. These calcification-based problems include hardening of the arteries or calcium-related problems with heart valve function.

What are toxicity symptoms for vitamin K?

Since no adverse effects have been reported for higher levels of vitamin K intake from food and/or supplements, there are no documented toxicity symptoms for vitamin K. Levels as high as 340 micrograms per day have been reported in U.S. diets, and if dietary supplements are included, daily intake levels as high as 367 micrograms have been reported. In animal studies, vitamin K has been provided in amounts as high as 25 micrograms per kilogram of body weight (or for an adult human weighing 154 lbs, the equivalent of 1,750 micrograms of vitamin K) without noticeable toxicity. For these reasons, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences chose not to set a Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) for vitamin K when it revised its public health recommendations for this nutrient in 2000.

One important exception to these toxicity results involves a synthetic form of vitamin K called menadione. While this form of vitamin K can sometimes be converted by the body into non-toxic forms, research studies have shown unwanted risk stemming from intake of menadione. This risk involves excessive oxidative stress and resultant damage to a variety of cell types, including kidney and liver cells. Based on these findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow vitamin K to be sold as a dietary supplement in its menadione form. (Menadione is also commonly referred to as Vitamin K3.)

How do cooking, сторидж, or processing affect vitamin K?

As a general rule, vitamin K is a resilient nutrient and is fairly well retained in most cooked or stored foods. We realize that some websites caution heavily against the freezing of some vegetables due to potential loss of vitamin K, but we have not seen research that documents this risk. In fact, the vast majority of research studies show a range of vitamin K values for raw/fresh, frozen, and cooked foods that varies by about 20-30% for any particular food. It is difficult to draw any hard and fast conclusions from this range of values because there can be at least a 20-30% variation in vitamin K between different varieties of the same food, especially when grown under different circumstances (for example, in different countries).

With respect to cooking, studies at the Nutrient Data Laboratory (part of the Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture???s facility in Beltsville, MD) have shown heating to cause no major loss of vitamin K in vegetables. In some cases, cooking actually appears to increase the measurable amount of vitamin K. Researchers have speculated that this increase in vitamin K following heating may be due to the location of the vitamin K in the vegetables. Because the phylloquinone forms of vitamin K are located in the chloroplast components of the plant cells, cooking might be able to disrupt the plant cell walls and release some of the vitamin K, which then would get measured in the laboratory where it would otherwise go undetected. Whether this release of vitamin K from the chloroplasts improves the availability of vitamin K in our body has not been determined. But in any event, the cooking of vegetables does not appear to affect their vitamin K content in a negative way.

Commercial processing, however, is another matter. Particularly with respect to fruits and their commercial processing into fruit juice, we???ve seen evidence of dramatic vitamin K loss. While we have not seen evidence about the juicing of fresh fruits at home, we suspect that home juicing would have far less impact on the vitamin K found in fruits (or vegetables, if fresh vegetables were being juiced).

In summary, research shows that the freezing and storing of vegetables and fruits and the heating of these foods are practices that do not cause excessive loss of vitamin K. Therefore, excellent vitamin K nourishment does not depend on consumption of raw/fresh foods (even though raw/fresh foods may be outstanding components of a diet for many other reasons).

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of vitamin K?

Any health problems that compromise digestion and/or absorption of nutrients can contribute to deficiency of vitamin K. These problems include health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, short bowel syndrome, and digestive tract surgeries (like intestinal resection). Problems with pancreatic function, liver function, or gallbladder function can also increase our risk of vitamin K deficiency.

Because our intestinal bacteria help supply us with vitamin K, any drugs that alter our normal intestinal bacteria can compromise our vitamin K status. At the top of this drug list would be antibiotics b...

Vardenafil

2011-12-17T06:03:00.001-08:00

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

eye or vision problems, including a rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa heart disease, angina, high or low blood pressure, a history of heart attack, or other heart problems kidney or liver disease stroke an unusual or allergic reaction to vardenafil, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives pregnant or trying to get pregnant breast-feeding How should I use this medicine?

Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. You may take this medicine with or without meals. The dose is usually taken 1 hour before sexual activity. You should not take this dose more than once per day. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.

What if I miss a dose?

This does not apply.

What may interact with this medicine?

Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:

bepridil cisapride droperidol grepafloxacin medicines for irregular heartbeat methscopolamine nitrate nitrates like amyl nitrite, isosorbide dinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate, nitroglycerin nitroprusside pimozide ziprasidone

This medicine may also interact with the following medications:

certain drugs for high blood pressure certain drugs for the treatment of HIV infection or AIDS certain drugs used for fungal or yeast infections, such as fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and voriconazole erythromycin medicines for prostate problems

This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.

What should I watch for while using this medicine?

If you notice any changes in your vision while taking this drug, call your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible. Stop using this medicine and call your health care provider right away if you have a loss of sight in one or both eyes. Contact you doctor or health care professional right away if the erection lasts longer than 4 hours or if it becomes painful. This may be a sign of serious problem and must be treated right away to prevent permanent damage. If you experience symptoms of nausea, dizziness, chest pain or arm pain upon initiation of sexual activity after taking this medicine, you should refrain from further activity and call your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible. Using this medicine does not protect you or your partner against HIV infection (the virus that causes AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases.

What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?

Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible.

allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue breathing problems changes in hearing back pain chest pain fast, irregular heartbeat muscle aches seizures

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):

flushing headache ndigestion or stomach upset nausea stuffy or runny nose Where should I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children. Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Pemmican is the ultimate trail bar | SeacoastOnline.com

2011-12-15T05:29:00.001-08:00

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With deer season in full swing, it seems like a good time to contemplate pemmican.

I recently attended a workshop on pemmican given by Mark Kutolowski at the Snow Walkers Rendezvous held at the Hulbert Outdoors Center in Fairlee, Vt.

Pemmican is something that always has had a mystical allure for me. It's a compact mix of deer meat, fat and berries — a trail bar, a food that native people used to make, something you ate when you were living off the land.

Because of the meticulous records kept during many northern expeditions, we have a historical record of people surviving pretty much exclusively on pemmican for more than a year without experiencing deficiency diseases.

However, the pemmican has to be made correctly for it to retain necessary vitamins and prevent rancidity.

According to Kutolowski, traditional pemmican is dried meat and rendered fat with very few, if any, berries. The addition of berries or other sweeteners (such as maple syrup) turns this into "white man's" pemmican and reduces the shelf life; a mix of 80 percent calories from fat and 20 percent from protein is ideal.

The reason unsaturated fat turns rancid much more readily than saturated fat has to do with its chemical structure. Oxygen attacks these weaker points in the structure, damaging it in a way that can change its smell, taste and safety for consumption.

One effect of oxidation is that longer carbon chains are degraded into various reaction products; one of which is butyric acid, the chemical that causes the rancid smell. Butyric acid gives old butter, Parmesan cheese and vomit their distinctive aromas. The smell is unpleasant enough that butyric acid has been used in stink bombs; anyone who watches "Whale Wars" knows that stink bombs made out of butyric acid are one of the arsenal of weapons used in the battle against whaling ships.

Study: Spirulina, Vitamin C Show Promise To Help Liver Damage from Cisplatin

2011-12-14T23:27:00.001-08:00

Cisplatin is commonly prescribed to mesothelioma patients, but the platinum-based chemotherapy drug is associated with several side effects. One of them is hepatotoxicity — chemically induced liver damage.

This side effect most often affects patients who receive aggressive, high-dose or repeated low-dose chemotherapy prescriptions. Patients with malignant mesothelioma typically receive 21-day cycles of cisplatin and Alimta for several months, depending on the stage of their disease. Cisplatin is thought to affect the liver by reacting with vital compounds such as proteins or DNA in the organ.

A recent study published in Food and Function revealed that spirulina, an all-natural dietary supplement, may be able to reverse the liver damage caused by cisplatin. Spirulina, a protein and antioxidant-rich algae typically marketed in freeze-dried pill form, also may benefit cancer patients whose immune systems are compromised by intensive chemotherapy.

Liver degeneration and cell death were discovered as common occurrences in cisplatin-treated lab mice. Researchers gave mice with lost liver function one of four treatments: spirulina, vitamin C, a combination of the two supplements or nothing.

Results showed that mice that received at least one of the supplements experienced restored liver function, but the restorative benefits were greatest in mice who received both spirulina and vitamin C.

Tests revealed that when combined with vitamin C, spirulina also prevented elevated levels of liver enzymes, a signal of cell death. The levels of two liver damage enzymes, ALT and AST, were reduced in mice that had been given spirulina and vitamin C. The enzyme levels in these mice dropped to a normal pre-Cisplatin range. These enzymes help prevent radically-induced oxidative stress, which is thought to be responsible for the metastatic Спрэд of mesothelioma.

Researchers concluded that spirulina and vitamin C may help reduce cancer patients’ risk of liver damage or renal failure after receiving Cisplatin. They suggested that a supplementation regimen of spirulina and vitamin C be adopted before and during chemotherapy cycles.

Because each body responds differently to supplemental therapies, patients should consult with their oncologist before adding a new supplement to their diet.

Sources:

Bhattacharyya, S., & Pooja, M. (2011). “The hepatoprotective potential of spirulina and vitamin c supplemention in cisplatin toxicity.” Food and Function. Retrieved from http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/pdf/article/2012/fo/c1fo10172b

University of Maryland Medical Center – Spirulina. (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/spirulina-000327.htm

Low vitamin D linked to heart disease, death

2011-12-14T17:25:00.001-08:00

NEW YORK - In people with low blood levels of vitamin D, boosting them with supplements more than halved a person's risk of dying from any cause compared to someone who remained deficient, in a large new study.

Analyzing data on more than 10,000 patients, University of Kansas researchers found that 70 per cent were deficient in vitamin D and they were at significantly higher risk for a variety of heart diseases.

D-deficiency also nearly doubled a person's likelihood of dying, whereas correcting the deficiency with supplements lowered their risk of death by 60 per cent.

"We expected to see that there was a relationship between heart disease and vitamin D deficiency; we were surprised at how strong it was," Dr. James L. Vacek, a professor of cardiology at the University of Kansas Hospital and Medical Center, told Reuters Health.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a range of illnesses, but few studies have demonstrated the reverse -- that supplements could prevent those outcomes.

Vacek and his team reviewed data from 10,899 adults whose vitamin D serum levels had been tested at the University of Kansas Hospital, and found that more than 70 per cent of the patients were below 30 nanograms per milliliter, the level many experts consider sufficient for good health.

After taking into account the patients' medical history, medications and other factors, the cardiologists found that people with deficient levels of vitamin D were more than twice as likely to have diabetes, 40 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure and about 30 per cent more likely to suffer from cardiomyopathy -- a diseased heart muscle -- as people without D deficiency.

Overall, those who were deficient in D had a three-fold higher likelihood of dying from any cause than those who weren't deficient, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Cardiology. Moreover, when the team looked at people who took vitamin D supplements, their risk of death from any cause was about 60 per cent lower than the rest of the patients, although the effect was strongest among those who were vitamin D deficient at the time they were tested.

The study does not prove that vitamin D is the cause of the effects seen -- other factors, like disease, could be responsible both for the differences in health and the differences in vitamin D levels, for instance.

Previous research has indicated that many Americans don't have sufficient levels of vitamin D, however. The latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 25 per cent to 57 per cent of adults have insufficient levels of D, and other studies have suggested the number is as high as 70 per cent.

Vacek said he believes so many people are deficient because we should get about 90 per cent of our Vitamin D from the sun and only about 10 per cent from our food. The human body makes vitamin D in response to skin exposure to sunlight.

Certain foods, like oily fish, eggs and enriched milk products are also good sources of D. A sufficient amount of Vitamin D absorption from the sun would require at least 20 minutes of full-body exposure each day in warmer seasons, and most people aren't outside enough, Vacek said.

In the northern United States and throughout Canada, experts say the sun isn't strong enough during the winter months to make sufficient vitamin D, even if the weather was warm enough to expose the skin for a long time.

It means that adults should consider getting their Vitamin D levels checked through a simple blood test, Vacek said, мало-мальски скользкие D supplements. Generally, Vacek recommends that adults take between 1,000 to 2,000 international units (IU) of Vitamin D each day.

"If you're not deficient, Vitamin D is not a magic pill that will make you live longer," Vacek said.

"Its benefit is in people who are deficient. If you're low, it makes sense to be put on replacement therapy and have a follow-up a couple months later to make sure your levels come up."

Vitamin-D Fortified Yogurt Lowers Cholesterol and Improves Heart Health

2011-12-14T11:21:00.001-08:00

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Drinking vitamin-D fortified yogurt drinks can improve cholesterol levels and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, a precursor of heart disease.

Not having enough vitamin D affects the inner lining of blood vessels (endothelial cells) eventually leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction can be measured by the increased levels of a set of biomarkers, such as serum endothelin-1, E-Selectin and MMP-9. In a double-blind trial, researchers from Tehran investigated the effect of vitamin D on the glycemic status, cholesterol levels and endothelial biomarkers of diabetics. Patients were given either a plain yoghurt drink (Doogh) or the same drink fortified with vitamin D twice a day for 12 weeks.

Researchers from the National Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology had previously shown that a vitamin D-fortified yoghurt drink could improve the glycemic status of people with type 2 diabetes. In collaboration with Tehran University of Medical Sciences their new trial showed that vitamin D improved the fasting glucose, insulin, QUICK1 (a measure of insulin resistance), and found some improvement in long term HbA1c.

"The patients who had taken the vitamin D yoghurt also had improved cholesterol levels with lower total cholesterol and LDL levels and an increase in HDL. All the improvements in cholesterol seemed to be due to the reduction in insulin resistance. The biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, serum endothelin-1, E-Selectin and MMP-9, levels were also lower for the patients taking vitamin D," Dr Neyestani was quoted as saying.

"Most of our patients were deficient in vitamin D at the start of the trial but the fortified yoghurt drink elevated most of their levels to normal. However, even amongst those who took the vitamin D supplement, some people (about 5%) remained deficient at the end of the 12 weeks. These people did not show the same improvements. Nevertheless for most diabetics with vitamin D deficiency this is an easy way to improve their outcome," Prof Djazayery was quoted as saying.

Idaho Falls nuclear medicine maker, ISU to produce cancer-fighting isotope | Business | Idaho Statesman

2011-12-14T05:17:00.001-08:00

Idaho Falls-based International Isotopes Inc., a manufacturer of nuclear medicine products, and Idaho State University began a joint partnership this month to produce Copper-67.

Copper-67 shows great potential in treating non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma as well as bladder, colorectal and ovarian cancers, the company said. However, it is a difficult isotope to produce and has not been consistently available in the United States. That has restricted its evaluation in cancer research and clinical trials.

Idaho State University developed an advanced method for producing the isotope using technologies at its Idaho Accelerator Center in Pocatello. Under an agreement, Idaho State will produce the raw isotope and International Isotopes will transfer the material to its Idaho Falls headquarters, where it will be processed and packaged in its final form.

"To be able to play a role in treating these diseases is exciting and speaks to the university's role as a distinguished research university leading in opportunity and innovation through research, education and service,? said Idaho State President Arthur Vailas.

Idaho State also is providing the expertise for chemical processing. International Isotopes will make an in-kind contribution of equipment for the isotope processing, technical support for packaging and shipping, and supporting safety staff. International Isotopes said it is licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for this type of activity. Its plant is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a manufacturer of drug products, which will help facilitate the commercial development of Copper-67, the company said.

?It is especially noteworthy that we have been able to join the resources of an Idaho business and an Idaho university to proactively collaborate on the production of this potentially important medical isotope,? said Steve T. Laflin, president and CEO of International Isotopes.

Institute of Medicine honors Bouv? leadership

2011-12-13T23:15:00.001-08:00

Hortensia Amaro (right), was inducted into the Institute of Medicine at a ceremony on Oct. 16, 2011. Courtesy photo.

The Bouv? College of Health Sciences is home to two members of the Institute of Medicine – considered a top honor bestowed upon researchers in the fields of health and medicine. Terry Fulmer, the recently appointed dean of Bouv? , was inducted in 2010. Professor Hortensia Amaro, associate dean of Bouv? and director of the Institute on Urban Health Research, was inducted last month.

An accomplished scholar, researcher and a nationally known expert in geriatrics, Fulmer was the founding dean of the New York University’s College of Nursing. She has also held academic positions at Boston College, Yale University, Columbia University and the Harvard Medical School Division on Aging. She has been a fellow at both the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine, and was the first nurse to serve as the president of the Gerontological Society of America. She earned a master’s degree in nursing and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. She received her bachelor of science from Skidmore College.

Amaro’s nationally recognized work includes developing an innovative integrated model for the treatment of substance abuse, mental illness, trauma, and HIV/AIDS. She has produced groundbreaking studies on clinical strategies for treating women, launched community-based addiction treatment programs, and forged vital connections between public health research and practice.

According to the IOM, new membership is determined by current active members through a highly selective process to identify individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. Members are recognized for outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Established in 1970, the IOM is part of the National Academies and considered a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.

The Bouv? College of Health Sciences is a center of excellence in health education, research and service. The college offers nine undergraduate and 29 graduate programs with an interdisciplinary emphasis that reflects today’s integrated approach to health care.

Membership Medicine · OPB News

2011-12-13T17:07:00.001-08:00

Frustrated by excessive insurance regulations, lean reimbursements and the brief visits they allow with patients, Dr. Steven L. Hersch of Ashland is changing his practice to concierge care, in which his patients pay an annual membership fee but receive extended visits, ongoing preventive care and a chance to talk to him by phone or email.

For a retainer of about $100 a month, Hersch remains accessible, gets to know his patients' lifestyles, and develops plans for their diet and exercise, taking genetic and family history into account.

"It provides the level of care and service I would want," said Hersch, who worked 13 years in a five-doctor practice in Los Angeles and did hospital work for 10 years with Rogue Valley Medical Center. "Not a lot of doctors are doing close, attentive care, but I want to do it."

Concierge care allows a doctor to give more attention to fewer patients, Hersch said. Increasingly complex insurance reimbursements restrict the amount of time doctors can spend on procedures, he said, resulting in "doctors seeing more patients for less time" with less quality care.

Sen. Alan Bates, a Medford physician and architect of much of the state's recent health legislation, disparaged concierge care, a growing trend among doctors nationwide.

"It's good for doctors and, if they can afford it, for patients," Bates said. "But 99 percent of them can't afford it. What it says is you get special care. It's cherry-picking and what you, the patient, are getting is your own personal doctor."

The practice, Bates added, would shrink the insurance risk pool and "lead to a disintegration of the system over time ... only the wealthiest people would be attracted to it. I don't personally agree with the philosophy."

Bates said membership medicine isn't affordable to low-income and middle-class people and is a "system of specialized care that you usually have to do in affluent areas."

Betsy Boyd-Flynn, chief operating officer of the Oregon Medical Association, постепенно притормаживающий getting started in Oregon and she knows of only a few doctors who are providing it. A quick search online showed a few Portland doctors and one in Bend advertising concierge care, also called membership care.

"I don't have enough data from Oregon to give you a range, but I've heard of anecdotes from other states about multi-thousand-dollar annual fees; DCBS (Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services) data in 2010 showed fees were averaging $125-$200 per month.

"It reflects what doctors have to do to stay in practice and take care of patients," said Boyd-Flynn. "The profession is in a very stressed place, from a number of directions, and the doctors are right in the middle."

Costs and limited insurance reimbursements "means we can't be counseling for obesity, for example. That's not in health plans," she said, adding that the present medical system carries "perverse incentives and is a system of fixed care, not wellness."

Under the present system, physicians don't get to explore and Аск questions such as, "Do they have healthy foods and can they walk for exercise, outside, freely and safely?" she said.

Boyd-Flynn said concierge care may prove attractive to patients without health insurance or those with minimal care needs or a medical savings account.

Hersch calls his practice "Meducation" and operates out of a home on Chestnut Street near Ashland Community Hospital. He employs only an office manager and does all nursing tasks himself. His patients still carry insurance, which can be used for specific in-office procedures covered by the thick book of rules and reimbursements from the insurer.

Patients' membership allows for a range of other things a doctor can do to make a "holistic plan of prevention and treatment" that may include research and consultations with alternative healers.

Hersch, in a flier to patients, said he tried concierge care without fee for three years, but insurers wouldn't pay for any extra time he invested in patients.

He acknowledged the cost will mean some patients may leave, but members will all be treated fairly and equally, with equal payments for services, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

Hersch said membership care may reduce overall costs for people with multiple or ongoing health issues and covers anything not covered by insurance.

He has "a couple hundred" patients and is not taking new patients, except as spaces are created by people opting out of the membership care plan.

John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org.

This story originally appeared in Medford Mail Tribune.

Medicine on the move | International Development Journalism competition | guardian.co.uk

2011-12-13T11:05:00.001-08:00

In a clearing on the edges of Vazhachal forest, scores of forest-dwelling tribal villagers, dressed in their best clothes, are standing in pouring monsoon rain. They are waiting outside a dilapidated two-storey concrete building that today is serving as a makeshift diagnosis room and pharmacy.

This is Athirapally medical camp, one of several monthly camps that provides healthcare services for Kerala's most under-served villages. It is organised by the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (Aims), a specialist hospital some 100km away in Kerala's state capital, Kochi. Aims works with the Kerala forestry department, which arranges transport so the villagers can attend.

On the first floor, Dr Siddanth Reddy places his stethoscope on eight-year-old Bishir's chest. "Most commonly the rural children that come here have fever and cough, sometimes breathing difficulties. A big problem is TB, so we take a blood count, give a chest x-ray in the telemedicine van, and if there are any abnormalities we обычно называемом to our main hospital," he says.

Public healthcare is free in India, yet years of under-investment in public health means that facilities are grossly understaffed and under equipped. As a result, 80% of Indians seek private healthcare. Such expenditure is the leading cause of poverty in India, contributing to the impoverishment of 39 million Indians annually. Aims treats about 45,000 patients free of charge each year.

Bishir has a fever. He's been coughing for the past two months. "We hoped it would go away," says his mother, Karthu. "The hospital is too far." Like a large number of India's rural poor, Bishir never received a BCG vaccination against TB. Low rates of immunisation and health awareness mean many Indians continue to die from easily preventable diseases.

India's most advanced telemedicine van is at Athirapally today. It is a hi-tech mobile diagnostic unit, complete with x-ray, echocardiograph and on-board pathology lab. The van was funded by NGO Direct Relief International in 2006 and has been used to treat more than 500,000 patients across the country.

The van is connected via satellite to Aims, enabling real-time consultations with specialists at the hospital. Although static telemedicine units have been around for a while, they are dependent on high???speed broadband, so are less useful.

Karthu sits by Bishir, as the van's technical facilitator, Prasanth, completes a chest x-ray. The hard copy x-ray is then taken back up to Reddy. There are no abnormalities so Reddy gives Bishir a prescription, available on the ground floor free of charge, saving Karthu and Bishir a 40km trip to the nearest hospital.

"Telemedicine can enable much faster, more efficient and more accurate care. It is no good without trained and competent staff, but can be extremely beneficial to patients as it can cut costs and save time," says Dr Kumar Menon, Aims's director of telemedicine.

India has a massive resource gap of about 2.6 million health workers and, to compound problems, nearly 60% of existing health workers practise in urban areas.

About 70% of India's population lives in rural areas, often far from healthcare providers. Both the World Health Organisation and India's 2005 Rural Health Mission consider the use of technology and outreach work imperative to bringing better healthcare to India's most vulnerable people.

From within the van, Prasanth takes blood from 66-year-old Shamugan to determine his blood sugar level after complaining of depleting vision in one eye. He also has severe chest pains and lays on his back while a chest x-ray and ECG is performed. "I feel out of breath after only taking a few steps," he says, as the ECG beeps in the background.

Once Shamugan's results are collated, the van uses satellite technology to connect with the main Aims hospital. Prasanth sends the results and a digital image of the x-ray and the ECG to Aims's head of cardiology, Dr Haridas. The doctor analyses the results, prescribes the correct course of medication and makes an appointment for Shamugan to visit the hospital, which provides free healthcare for those living below the poverty line of RS2,000 a month (about ??26). The details of Shamugan's tele consultation are recorded on the van's database, as are Bishir's diagnosis and prescription, and those of every other patient seen today.

Specialist care, which is needed for chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes – India's biggest killers and causes of disability – is virtually non-existent in rural areas. The World Bank believes India is grossly unprepared for the coming burden of non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, as its population ages. Investment in telehealth could be vital for the future, as the burden of such chronic diseases will continue to increase significantly over the next 25 years.

Despite these benefits, the use of ICT (information and communication technologies) healthcare intervention in India is still very much in its infancy and has not benefited the vast majority of the rural or urban poor.

"It involves a lot of expenditure – the government funding has to be there," says Dr Alok Agrawal of Delhi's private Apollo Hospital chain, the first hospital chain in India to use telemedicine. "You need staff who are technically sound and a doctor who knows what he's doing technically. You need infrastructure."

Mobile phone penetration has extended throughout India, and leading software companies such as IBM and HP are working on health programmes that use text-messaging services, or interactive voice responses for those who are not literate. This could be particularly useful for chronic disease management.

But although India is the world's second fastest growing economy, progress in healthcare has not matched this growth and India compares poorly with countries at similar levels of development.

According to Menon and his colleagues, a multi-pronged approach is necessary to improve access to quality healthcare for India's poor. All aspects of telehealth should be implemented, they believe, from static telephone lines to advanced mobile health units. All data must be kept in a repository such as a national health grid. This can be used to keep information on areas of disease outbreak and could be used to share information on effective healthcare practice.

There is general agreement from medical and development professionals that health policies must be strengthened and accountability levels raised in order to meet the government's recent pledges to increase public health spending. Without these interventions, India will almost certainly not reach its Millennium Development Goal targets for health and fail to fulfil its economic potential.

As Athirapally medical camp packs up for the day, the staff prepare to head back to Kochi. The Kerala forestry department uses jeeps to drive the villagers as close as they can to the forest, before the villagers disembark and return to their homes.

Co-pay cards prompt CVS to toss drugs off formulary

2011-12-13T05:03:00.001-08:00

It had to happen eventually: A pharmacy benefits manager is striking back at co-pay coupons. As The Wall Street Journal reports, CVS Caremark's PBM is recommending that customers stop covering 34 drugs, including GlaxoSmithKline's ( $GSK ) erectile dysfunction remedy Levitra and Eli Lilly's ( $LLY ) insulin drugs Humalin and Humalog. The reason? Saving money, of course; some drugmakers wouldn't meet CVS Caremark's rebate demands, while others have offered co-pay assistance that undermines its efforts to steer patients toward generics.

Co-pay coupons and discount cards have attracted a lot of attention lately, with Pfizer ( $PFE ) unveiling discounts designed to keep Lipitor patients from defecting to the first generic versions of the drug. AstraZeneca ( $AZN ), whose Crestor pill will have to compete with Lipitor generics, has also announced a co-pay program. The two programs join dozens of others that apply to everything from cancer drugs (Novartis' Gleevec, for one) to bone drugs (Amgen's Xgeva) to acne pills (Medicis' Solodyn).

About half of the 34 drugs CVS Caremark is downgrading have co-pay assistance attached, the WSJ says. Just last week, a PBM trade group issued a report saying that co-pay cards could cost employers, unions and state governments $32 billion over the next decade. "Meeting our client's objective of lowering total cost has been complicated in recent years by the proliferation of manufacturer coupon programs, which undermine member incentives to use lower-cost products," CVS Caremark told the WSJ .

Lilly told the WSJ that it rejected the big discounts CVS Caremark wanted on Humalin and Humalog, which together posted U.S. sales of $1.7 billion last year. "In light of the aggressive pricing required to win this business--and the fact that only a small percentage of Lilly's insulin franchise would be impacted by this change--we ultimately decided it did not make good business sense for Lilly to be included," the company said.

Co-pay cards to hike drug costs $32B, report says

AZ launches Crestor co-pay card to battle Lipitor copies

Obama plan hits pharma with rebates, pay-to-delay ban

Pharmacology Expert Joins The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

2011-12-12T23:03:00.001-08:00

The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University will enroll its first class for the Fall of 2013.

Victoria Richards, an assistant professor of basic medical sciences, in The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.

A pharmacology expert dedicated to optimizing the physician/pharmacist relationship has joined the faculty of The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.

Victoria Richards, of North Haven, Conn. recently joined Quinnipiac as an assistant professor of basic medical sciences. She will teach pharmacology to medical students. She is also designing the curriculum.

“I want to be able to be part of merging that very important relationship between the pharmacist, the patient and the physician,” Richards said. “Pharmacology is really an umbrella that covers all the medical disciplines.”

Richards comes to Quinnipiac from the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, where she was an assistant professor of pharmacology.

Because schools of osteopathy stress an integrated approach in training physicians, Richards is well prepared for Quinnipiac’s medical education model.

The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University will follow an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum, one that will integrate medical students with their peers studying other health disciplines in the School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing.

In January 2010, Quinnipiac began the complex accreditation process to establish a medical school with an emphasis on primary care. The university plans to enroll the charter class by fall 2013.

“Victoria brings all the assets we are looking for in our founding faculty,” said Bruce Koeppen, founding dean of The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. “She has experience in interprofessional education and teaching pharmacology across an integrated curriculum. She also has experience in course and curriculum development and leadership.”

Richards earned her doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Arizona, Tucson and a master’s degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine.

Slideshow « Im??genes Exclusivas – Debate de Alcaldes de la Capital | TuPolitica.com - El Sitio y Centro de Prensa Oficial de la Pol?tica en Panam...

2011-12-12T16:59:00.001-08:00

Inicio » Partido Paname?±ista » Im??genes Exclusivas – Debate de Alcaldes de la Capital

Diputado Lombana denuncia humillaci??n de Valderrama

Tiembla liderazgo de Varela en las filas del Paname?±ismo

V?deo: Entrevista a la Ex Presidente Mireya Moscoso

V?deo: Declaraciones de Juan Carlos Varela posteriores a su destituci??n como Canciller

MITRADEL y Magistrada del Tribunal Superior – Preocupadas por aumento de trabajo infantil | TuPolitica.com - El Sitio y Centro de Prensa Oficial de la...

2011-12-12T10:55:00.001-08:00

Inicio » Portada » MITRADEL y Magistrada del Tribunal Superior – Preocupadas por aumento de trabajo infantil

MITRADEL y Magistrada del Tribunal Superior – Preocupadas por aumento de trabajo infantil

Publicado : agosto 20, 2009 || Portada | Etiquetas: Magistrada Judhit Coss?? , Ministerio de Trabajo , Tribunal Superior de la Ni?±ez y Adolescencia

La Ministra de Trabajo y Desarrollo Laboral, Alma Lorena Cort?©s y su equipo de trabajo часто редко встречающееся del Tribunal Superior de la Ni?±ez y Adolescencia, Judhit Coss?? de Herrera donde se tocaron temas, entre otros, como el trabajo infantil, especialmente en los cafetales en Chiriqu? y Bocas del Toro as? como el papel del Comit?© para la Erradicaci??n del Trabajo Infantil y Protecci??n a las Personas Adolescentes Trabajadora, CETIPPAT.

Sobre el tema de CETIPPAT la Ministra de Trabajo indic?? que se debe hacer una alianza nacional frente a este problema y que en cada direcci??n regional exista un representante de este importante organismo, anunciando que el MITRADEL est?? haciendo los ajuste necesario para ser presentado pr??ximamente a los organismos decisorios del Gobierno Nacional para que le den el visto bueno, acci??n programada para el pr??ximo a?±o.

Por su parte la Magistrado Judhit Coss?? de Herrera se mostr?? preocupada por varios temas puntuales como el aumento registrado por las estad?stica en materia de trabajo infantil y consider?? importante ventilar como gobierno la problem??tica que registran los j??venes pos liberado, o sea aquel joven que luego de cumplir su pena se encuentra con la realidad de no encontrar trabajo. Al respecto dijo que a pesar de los prejuicios sociales sobre estos j??venes siempre hay aquellos que han logrado un cambio radical de conducta.

Otro de los temas tratados fue el asunto de los menores en Dari?©n, el abuso a que son sometidas, principalmente las j??venes ind?genas donde muchas dejan de estudiar debido a su situaci??n, as? mismo el control de los desplazados en la frontera. En esta provincia es necesario indic?? la Magistrada Judhit Coss?? hacer un esfuerzo en materia de inspecci??n dado el hecho de encontrarse muchos menores laborando en condiciones precarias.

La Ministra de Trabajo, Alma Cort?©s mostr?? su preocupaci??n frente a los se?±alamientos de la Magistrado Judhit Coss?? y argument?? que se est?? trabajando seriamente en los casos de los ni?±os trabajadores en la frontera con Costa Rica donde se deben presentar programas de reconversi??n laboral, lograr un cambio de cultura en la poblaci??n lo que requerir?? no solo de iniciativas sino de hacer un censo para ver realmente cuanto ni?±os y ni?±as est??n en esta situaci??n.

Inaugura muestra documental “Conozcamos nuestro Movimiento Separatista de 1903”

Panam?? y Cuba refuerzan relaciones interparlamentarias

Avance del 70% construcci??n de nuevo edificio de Asamblea

Kentucky News Review: Electronic cigarettes may be effective for stopping smoking

2011-12-12T04:55:00.001-08:00

New York Times science columnist John Tierney writes about electronic cigarettes and their use as a method to stop smoking. The Food and Drug Administration has ruled the e-cigarettes are a "drug delivery device" that could not be marketed until its safety and efficacy could be demonstrated in clinical trials, but some experts do not agree. Brad Rodu , a professor of medicine at the University of Louisville, said, "It’s time to be honest with the 50 million Americans, and hundreds of millions around the world, who use tobacco. ...The benefits they get from tobacco are very real, not imaginary or just the periodic elimination of withdrawal. It’s time to abandon the myth that tobacco is devoid of benefits, and to focus on how we can help smokers continue to derive those benefits with a safer delivery system." Doctor and University of Kentucky professor at the college of public health, James W. Holsinger, writes for Roll Call that a model for cost-efficient and effective health care is found at the Department of Veterans Affairs. "The VA has led the way in various areas of health care, including implementing electronic medical records back in the 1980s. Of interest to the joint [budget] committee, however, is the VA’s extraordinary Home Based Primary Care program. ... The Home Based Primary Care program targets aging veterans who are battling complex chronic diseases. Importantly, HBPC serves these veterans not in costly hospital or nursing home settings but in their own homes. As a result, participating veterans receive timely care by an interdisciplinary care team without the risk of infection that is unfortunately so common in institutional settings," writes Holsinger. KyForward reports on Lexington music producer Duane Lundy and his 10in20 project. Lundy records ten local musical groups then compiles their work on vinyl. Lundy has recorded sessions with Matt Duncan, Coralee and the Townies and Sunday Valley . Lundy said to KyForward : "The main idea, and purpose for the project initially was to showcase what a wondrous amount of musical talent that is here in Lexington. The other purpose came from my own desire to work with what I consider to be Lexington’s finest musical talent, and produce them in a way that befits my production style, and would allow creative freedoms for the artist." More on heavy-weight boxer Joe Frazier , who died Monday, and his long-time grudge against Louisville-born Muhammad Ali . The Daily Mail recalls the details of the Thrilla in Manila boxing match between Frazier and Ali. "In boxing terms they were perfectly matched, but when it came to verbal sparring the ‘Louisville Lip’ could reduce Frazier to stammering incoherence — and his cruellest onslaughts came on the eve of the last of their three epic fights; the so-called Thrilla In Manila ." Comments

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Big Tobacco Gets Judge To Block Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels

2011-12-11T22:51:00.001-08:00

Smokers will not be forced to confront graphic images on cigarette packs depicting the potentially insalubrious side-effects of their addiction, a federal judge ruled today . You'll recall that the FDA, carrying out legislation enacted by Congress, was poised to require cigarette packages to be sold with a variety of graphic anti-smoking warnings. But five major tobacco companies filed a lawsuit , and today U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that it's likely they'll win—so he's ordered the FDA hold off on requiring the warnings until that legal battle is settled.

"It is abundantly clear from viewing these images that the emotional response they were crafted to induce is calculated to provoke the viewer to quit, or never to start smoking—an objective wholly apart from disseminating purely factual and uncontroversial information," Judge Leon wrote in a 29-page opinion obtained by the Associated Press . He also pointed out that some of the images were altered photographs intended to evoke emotion. And you know tobacco companies can't allow cigarettes to lose their cool by associating with something as unglamorous emotion.

The judge also decided the size of the labels could be unconstitutional, because they would constitute 20 percent of cigarette advertising, amounting to a "mini-billboard" for the agency's "obvious anti-smoking agenda." Matthew Myers, president Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, is calling on the Obama administration to appeal the ruling, and released a statement saying , "Studies around the world and evidence presented to the FDA have repeatedly shown that large, graphic warnings, like those adopted by the FDA, are most effective at informing consumers about the health risks of smoking, discouraging children and other nonsmokers from starting to smoke, and motivating smokers to quit."

Lifestyle

2011-12-11T16:46:00.001-08:00

Singapore is for the family How to give distinctive touches to the living room MaAga ang Pasko project seeks toy donations Raising an only child A visit to Milo Naval showroom is a visual experience

Awesomeness in New York Fil-Am singer-songwriter in running for 2012 Grammy nominations South Korean star Rain adjusting well to army life It’s a boy for Ogie and Regine Just can’t get enough of the ’80s

Philippine stocks continue to climb Silkair to boost Davao flights Robust demand for BPO services seen AirAsia’s Fernandes to start new airline—report Ayala Land to launch socialized housing Bella Vita

Smart to launch iPhone4S in Manila by end-’11 Wikipedia eyes India for language growth Globe Telecom, Americatel introduce ZeroUnlimited Philippines Driver caught after posting joyride video on YouTube YouTube, Disney teaming up

What I Lost in Libya

2011-12-11T10:44:00.001-08:00

While covering the Libyan civil war, the author was seized by Muammar Qaddafi’s forces and held in captivity with two colleagues; a third was killed. This is the story of how an academic found herself imprisoned in Tripoli.

Tuesday, April 5, started off as an exceptionally successful day. We had located the ever-changing front line of the Libyan civil war, a conflict we had come from all over the world to cover. Before the day was over, it would be exceptional in another way entirely—brutal, heartbreaking—as our initial success made us forget the cardinal rule of war reportage: don’t die.

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The freelance journalist filed for TheAtlantic.com before being captured by Qaddafi's forces. Read how her Libyan adventures played out in real time.

There were four of us that morning, freelancers who had already racked up our share of near misses, together and separately. I’d known Jim Foley, a fellow American, the longest. He’d come to Benghazi from Afghanistan in time to catch Qaddafi’s attack on the city on March 19, and he and I had been close ever since. He tended to address other men as “brother” within seconds of meeting them. Manu Brabo, a rangy Spanish photographer, also had a ready grin. We hadn’t gone out reporting as a group before, but we’d spent a lot of time talking in the media center and the hotel. I’d met Anton Hammerl, a photographer from South Africa, only a few days earlier. His quiet charisma and professionalism had impressed me during an interview with a general in Benghazi, and later that evening he had bounded up to me in the hotel, showing off a picture of his son, with whom he’d just chatted on Skype. And then there was me, covering the conflict for The Atlantic , USA Today ,and other publications. The dissertation in medieval history I’d completed less than a year earlier had left me unsatisfied with academia and determined to work in journalism, where I could get a look at history being made.

Our spirits were high as we set out at 7 a.m. from our base in Benghazi toward Brega, an important oil town in eastern Libya, where the front line of the rebel offensive had stagnated. At a checkpoint outside Brega, we dismissed our driver and secured a ride with some rebels, in a red van that we quickly concluded was a scout vehicle. “They would have more luck with two guys on foot with binoculars,” Anton observed. As we rode, I used the zoom lens on my camera to scan the crest of a hill above us. When the van stopped near some other rebel vehicles, we climbed out.

“Qaddafi soldiers at 300 meters,” a rebel in another car told us. Bullshit , I thought. The four of us looked at each other and shook our heads. We’d seen no such thing, and had frequently gotten faulty intelligence from rebels. We milled about for a while, asking if we could ride with the rebels when they launched a counteroffensive. We moved to the side of the road in case of shelling, which tended to hit the center of the road. That’s when we heard automatic gunfire; the warning was right. I heard Anton shout, “We have to get in a truck!” But the only rebel vehicles in sight were fleeing the scene and we weren’t close enough to get in, so we ran deeper into the desert to take cover in a small copse of trees.

Manu and I reached the trees first and fell flat on our bellies; nettles embedded in my palms. Jim was a bit behind, and beyond him lay Anton.

“Help!,” I heard Anton cry out. “Are you okay?,” Jim shouted back. “No,” came the weak reply.

Two tan army trucks pulled up on the side of the road, and several men jumped out. Jim stood, held up his hands, and said “ Sahafa ”(Press) over and over, and the soldiers didn’t shoot any more. Lying under the trees, I couldn’t shake from my mind the rebel propaganda about African mercenaries Qaddafi sent into the field, pumped up on Viagra and ordered to rape. Play dead , I told myself.

An older-looking soldier I took to be the squad leader ran over, screaming, and clocked me in the face with his fist. I didn’t feel anything. It was like watching a scene in a movie: Boy, that doesn’t look good. And now they are dragging her by her hair to the trucks .

I saw Anton lying on the ground, his blood darkening the sand, as soldiers tied our hands and piled Jim, Manu, and me on the floor of one truck. The squad leader, sweat pouring off his face, sat on my legs. “You make patrol, you make patrol!” he shouted gleefully, slapping my ass again and again. (Manu would later tell me, “Don’t take it personally. He slapped my ass too.”) Jim’s eyes were closed, and blood was pooling under his head. “Are you okay?,” I asked him. The squad leader slapped my head and said “Don’t talk!,” but not before I heard Jim murmur “Yes.”

“ Mish kwayyis ” (Not nice), the squad leader said, as he tried to cover my hair with my scarf. After giving up, he fondled my breasts briefly, then patted my head in what seemed an attempt at tenderness. His poor wife , I remember thinking.

At what seemed to be a civilian house repurposed as a temporary military camp, our captors seated us on turquoise couches and inspected our injuries. None of us had been hit by the gunfire, but Jim and Manu had scalp wounds from the butts of AK-47s, and Jim and I each had a black eye. Eventually, the soldiers gave us Marlboros, Fanta Orange, and chunks of some kind of meat in red sauce.

We were guarded by two young men with AK-47s, and other soldiers wandered in and out, sometimes taunting us. When the guards let us speak to each other, Jim told me, “Anton’s dead.” “Are you sure?,” I asked. “Absolutely,” he replied, as Manu nodded. I’d lost my glasses when the soldier punched me, and did not see what Jim would later describe as a “serious abdominal wound,” and Manu, as “His insides were on the outside.”

They blindfolded us and stuffed us into a small sedan, three tall people with their hands bound behind them. This is what they mean by a “stress position , ” I remember thinking. I don’t know how long that ride lasted—two hours, three?—but it seemed longer. The car’s sound system played a somber remix of Qaddafi’s famous “zenga zenga” speech—in which he pledged to purge Libya “alley by alley”—set to the martial theme of the movie 300 . At the point in the speech when the Leader rhetorically demands “Who are you?” the guard who was riding shotgun instructed us, “Say it, say Qaddafi .” “Qaddafi,” I mumbled.

Upon arriving at a military base in Sirte, we were questioned briefly and then locked in adjacent basement cells. Mine had a mattress on the floor, with a blanket. After some food and cigarettes, I carved our initials and the date into the wall and went to sleep.

The next evening, a Libyan state-TV crew came to film us. The segment, in which an interviewer asked us to describe the rebels—I said “happy,” Manu said “stoned,” and Jim said “ill-equipped”—never aired, probably because our black eyes and bruises wouldn’t have played well.

The following morning, we were brought out of our cells, this time with our hands free and no blindfolds, and loaded into a white van with another captured reporter, from Algeria, and his two cameramen. They had a whole pack of Rothman cigarettes, and the guards gave us butter biscuits. We smoked and ate and joked, dubbing the vehicle the “ sahafa party van.” In a more serious moment, Jim, Manu, and I agreed that for our own safety, we couldn’t say anything about Anton. “If someone judges me for that later, I don’t care. They were not in my position,” Manu said, voicing our mutual sorrow, confusion, and animal sense of survival.

After a five- or six-hour ride, we were in Tripoli, where banners with pictures of the Leader and the rising-sun motif seemed to hang from every building. We arrived at one complex only to be directed to another, which bore the legend, in English, without security there is no freedom . But apparently that wasn’t the right place for us, because we left and returned to the first complex. This time, the guards came to our van, shouting “Heads down!” and pushing our faces into our laps. They blindfolded us, tied our hands behind our backs again, pulled us out, and led us into our new cells. Sahafa party van, end of the line.

It was about midnight when we arrived. Jim and I, thank God, were placed in a cell together. In the absence of a male relative, evidently, our hosts entrusted me to the custody of a countryman. Not long after, a guard came in, waving a blindfold. “You, come with me,” he said to me.

The guard led me up several flights of stairs to a room where at least three other men sat: the translator, someone he called “The Inspector,” and a third man who occasionally added his own questions. I felt that other people were in the room, too, but perhaps that was merely the blindfold doing its job.

As I sat down, a thought popped into my head: It may look as though these guys are in charge, but you’re the one with all the power . I’m not sure where this absurd pep talk came from; maybe I’d read too much Foucault in graduate school. The setting even reminded me of my comprehensive exams, during which I’d sat in a small room with four distinguished scholars. But there I’d had tea and biscuits, and I could look my interlocutors in the eye.

Viagra may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis

2011-12-11T04:40:00.001-08:00

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that about 400,000 people have the disease that causes pain in the muscles and can lead to difficulty walking and talking. Usually, a person is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis between 20 and 50 years of age, but multiple sclerosis has been diagnosed in children and in the elderly. Multiple sclerosis is twice as likely to occur in Caucasians as in any other group and women are twice as likely as men to be affected by multiple sclerosis earlier in life.

Viagra, the wonder drug for men battling erectile dysfunction, may help MS patients deal with their symptoms. A study done by Universitat Aut??noma de Barcelona shows a complete recovery occurs in 50% of the animals after eight days of Viagra treatment. Researchers are confident that clinical trials will begin soon and show similar results in humans.

The “little blue pill” has made headlines since it hit the market in 1998. Millions of men have taken the medication to help with erectile dysfunction. The medication is known to help men achieve and keep an erection for sex. However, that is not its only application. Several other studies have show Viagra can help with heart problems, and even help women conceive.

Viagra is part of a group of vasodilator drugs, which has shown great results in treating sexually issues, but doctors believe the “talents” of Viagra could reach far beyond fun in the bedroom.

“After battling MS for about a decade now, I would welcome any advancement in the field,” Ariel Svelden said. “I am on medication right now that does help manage the disease, but if there was another option, I would love to see if it would work better for me.”

About lisaf As a journalist Lisa enjoys writing about a variety of topics. Over the course of the last ten years she has been involved in television news as well as print and online publications. Medical news has always been a favorite for this native New Yorker because she gets to stay on top of the latest developments in a rapidly changing field.