In the continuing search for the Achilles heel of HIV, researchers may finally be enjoying some success.

This week, government researchers at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported the discovery of two naturally occurring antibodies that may block HIV. Describing their work in two separate papers in the journal Science, AIDS experts said that in lab experiments, the antibodies had successfully prevented more than 90% of circulating HIV strains from infecting human cells.

This is not the first discovery of so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies. Last September, scientists at Scripps Research Institute and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) identified two other antibodies that prevent against infection from 80% of existing HIV strains — the most potent known antibodies at the time. The findings were also published in Science.

The two sets of antibodies target different regions of the virus-cell interface — together they could help scientists develop a formidable vaccine against AIDS, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID. "The strategy is going to be to put the best antibodies together, and you are going to have a whopper against HIV," he says.

Antibodies are the first-line soldiers of the immune system. Produced by specialized cells in the body that recognize incoming viruses and bacteria, antibodies act as molecular barricades, latching onto and blocking pathogens from infecting healthy cells. This antibody response is the core of all vaccine-based disease prevention.

But HIV is notoriously changeable. The virus continuously alters the makeup of the proteins on its surface, eluding attack from antibodies created by the immune system and from the relatively weak vaccines that have been developed against the virus so far.

The two new antibodies described in the current Science paper work by blocking a protein on the surface of HIV that the virus normally uses like a key to access healthy cells. This key, which tends to remain constant across most strains of the virus, binds to an entry point on a healthy cell surface, called the CD4 receptor site. When antibodies attach to this region of HIV, it cannot interact with CD4 or get inside a host cell.

Because this particular site on HIV is so crucial and rarely mutates, the virus keeps it jealously hidden under convoluted folds of its protein coat, which makes most antibodies designed to latch onto it ineffective. Certain individuals, however, generate antibodies that recognize and bind to the site more easily, so when they are infected with HIV, they are able to fight off infection.

NIAID scientists identified the new antibodies by screening the blood of one HIV-infected African American patient who produced them naturally. By lifting the obstructive protein covering that HIV uses to guard its CD4-binding site, and isolating only those antibodies that were tailor-made to attach to this gate, scientists zeroed in on just two antibodies that were able to neutralize an unprecedented 90% of circulating HIV strains.

Previous experiments on CD4 have identified other naturally occurring antibodies. But these were effective against only 40% to 50% of HIV strains in tests in the lab because they were less precisely targeted, acting on a combination of the actual binding site and the virus's surrounding protein coat.

In the 2009 study led by Dennis Burton of Scripps Research Institute, scientists focused on a different type of antibody involved in the actual process of viral entry. In order to infect a cell once HIV finds an entry point, the virus changes shape, folding itself into a form that allows it to slip inside the healthy cell. Burton's antibodies interrupt that action, blocking about 80% of circulating HIV strains from taking the shape necessary for infection. However, Burton says he and his team are still figuring out exactly how the process works.

Taken together, the recent discoveries boost the prospect of using broadly neutralizing antibodies as the backbone of an HIV vaccine, experts say. In Burton's study, the antibodies were isolated from a blood sample from Africa; in the current study, the antibodies cam from an African American man. In each case, the patients were infected with a different strain of HIV. That's important, Burton says, because it confirms that effective antibodies can be produced by people on different continents carrying different strains of the virus. "The more you see different people making antibodies, the more relaxed you become that different people can do it, and therefore given the right vaccine, that more people can make antibodies against HIV," he says.

So far, the newly discovered antibodies have been tested only in a lab dish. But Burton says he is a few months from beginning animal studies to determine whether his antibodies can prevent HIV infection in a living system as well they do in the lab.

Experts remain hopeful that this line of work will someday lead to the development of an AIDS vaccine than can be tested in humans. "I can guarantee that you're not going to get a vaccine unless you get good antibodies," says Fauci.

The possibility of public health emergencies arising concerns many people in the wake of recent earthquakes, tsunamis, acts of terrorism, and the threat of pandemic influenza. Though some people feel it is impossible to be prepared for unexpected events, the truth is that taking preparedness actions helps people deal with disasters of all sorts much more effectively when they do occur.

Below is a step by step guidance you can take now to protect you and your loved ones:

1-    Get a Kit: Gather Emergency supplies. By taking time now to prepare emergency water supplies, food supplies and disaster supplies kit, you can provide for your entire family.

2-    Make a Plan: Families can cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team.

3-    Be informed: Learn where to have a safe shelter; and maintain a healthy state of Mind: Find ways of dealing with stressful situations.

1.    Get a Kit

If disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for some time. By taking time now to prepare emergency water supplies, food supplies and disaster supplies kit, you can provide for your entire family.

Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food supplies for two weeks, consider maintaining a supply that will last that long.

You may not need to go out and buy foods to prepare an emergency food supply. You can use the canned goods, dry mixes, and other staples on your cupboard shelves.

Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 quarts (a half gallon) of water each day. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store at least an additional half-gallon per person, per day for this. You can reduce the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.

Disaster Supplies Kit

A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items that could be needed in the event of a disaster.

Assemble the following items to create kits for use at home, the office, at school and/or in a vehicle:

·         Water - three gallons for each person who would use the kit and an additional four gallons per person for use if you are confined to your home

·         Food - a three-day supply in the kit and at least an additional four-day supply per person for use at home

You may want to consider stocking a two-week supply of food and water in your home.

·         Items for infants - including formula, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, powdered milk and medications not requiring refrigeration

·         Items for seniors, disabled persons or anyone with serious allergies - including special foods, denture items, extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, prescription and non-prescription medications that are regularly used, inhalers and other essential equipment.

·         Kitchen accessories - a manual can opener; mess kits or disposable cups, plates and utensils; utility knife; sugar and salt; aluminum foil and plastic wrap; re-sealable plastic bags

·         A portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra, fresh batteries

·         Several flashlights and extra, fresh batteries

·         A first aid kit

·         One complete change of clothing and footwear for each person - including sturdy work shoes or boots, raingear and other items adjusted for the season, such as hats and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses, dust masks

·         Blankets or a sleeping bag for each person

·         Sanitation and hygiene items - shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm, sunscreen, contact lenses and supplies and any medications regularly used, toilet paper, towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent, feminine supplies, plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses), medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid, disinfectant, household chlorine bleach

·         Other essential items - paper, pencil, needles, thread, small A-B-C-type fire extinguisher, medicine dropper, whistle, emergency preparedness manual

·         Entertainment - including games and books, favorite dolls and stuffed animals for small children

·         A map of the area marked with places you could go and their telephone numbers

·         An extra set of keys and ids - including keys for cars and any properties owned and copies of driver's licenses, passports and work identification badges

·         Cash and coins and copies of credit cards

·         Copies of medical prescriptions

·         Matches in a waterproof container

·         A small tent, compass and shovel

Pack the items in easy-to-carry containers, label the containers clearly and store them where they would be easily accessible. Duffle bags, backpacks, and covered trash receptacles are good candidates for containers. In a disaster situation, you may need access to your disaster supplies kit quickly - whether you are sheltering at home or evacuating. Following a disaster, having the right supplies can help your household endure home confinement or evacuation.

Make sure the needs of everyone who would use the kit are covered, including infants, seniors. It's good to involve whoever is going to use the kit, including children, in assembling it.

Benefits of Involving Children

·         Involving children is the first step in helping them know what to do in an emergency.

·         Children can help. Ask them to think of items that they would like to include in a disaster supplies kit, such as books or games or nonperishable food items, and to help the household remember to keep the kits updated. Children could make calendars and mark the dates for checking emergency supplies, rotating the emergency food and water or replacing it every six months and replacing batteries as necessary. Children can enjoy preparing plans and disaster kits for pets and other animals.

Additional Supplies for Sheltering-in-Place

In the unlikely event that chemical or radiological hazards cause officials to advise people in a specific area to "shelter-in-place" in a sealed room, households should have in the room they have selected for this purpose:

·         A roll of duct tape and scissors

·         Plastic sheeting pre-cut to fit shelter-in-place room openings

Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide buildup for up to five hours.

2-Develop a Family Disaster Plan

Families can cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Create a family disaster plan including a communication plan, disaster supplies kit, and an evacuation plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.

• Find out what could happen to you
• Make a disaster plan
• Complete the checklist
• Practice your plan

3- Be Informed

Learn How to Shelter in Place

"Shelter-in-place" means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between. It may also mean "seal the room;" in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in. This is because local authorities may instruct you to "shelter-in-place" if chemical or radiological contaminants are released into the environment. It is important to listen to TV or radio to understand whether the authorities wish you to merely remain indoors or to take additional steps to protect yourself and your family.

How do I prepare?

At home

• Choose a room in advance for your shelter. The best room is one with as few windows and doors as possible. A large room, preferably with a water supply, is desirable—something like a master bedroom that is connected to a bathroom.
• Contact your workplaces, your children's schools, nursing homes where you may have family and your local town or city officials to find out what their plans are for "shelter-in-place."

Find out when warning systems will be tested. When tested in your area, determine whether you can hear or see sirens and/or warning lights from your home.

At work

• Help ensure that the emergency plan and checklist involves all employees. Volunteers or recruits should be assigned specific duties during an emergency. Alternates should be assigned to each duty.
• The shelter kit should be checked on a regular basis. Duct tape and first aid supplies can sometimes disappear when all employees know where the shelter kit is stored. Batteries for the radio and flashlight should be replaced regularly.

In general

• Learn CPR, first aid and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)

Contact the Red Cross for more Information

Reference cdc.gov

By the summer of 2009, shortly after the H1N1 flu pandemic had first emerged, there was a waiting list for the first several million doses of the forthcoming new flu vaccine. At the head of the line, naturally, were the world's richest nations. "Again we see the advantage of affluence," said Margaret Chan, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), at a news conference on July 14. "Again we see access denied by an inability to pay." Describing H1N1 as "entirely new and highly contagious," Chan scolded rich countries at the time for hoarding the "lion's share" of the global H1N1-vaccine

Six months later, Chan's admonitions seem prescient. Rich countries' hoards have become massive surpluses, and many nations are now trying frantically to cancel pending orders of vaccines or transfer them to poorer nations. France, which had ordered enough of the vaccine to inoculate its entire population of 60 million, has so far used only 5 million doses and now wants to cancel 50 million doses and sell millions more. Similarly, the Netherlands has a 19 million–dose order for sale to other countries, while Germany is in talks with drug manufacturers to halve its order of 50 million doses and sell off millions of others. Switzerland, Spain and Britain are also considering giving away or selling the millions of doses of the vaccine they have received or have on order. The U.S., which has so far distributed 160 million of the 251 million doses it purchased to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers across the country, has yet to make a decision on whether it will have an overflow and what it will do with any surplus.

The excess in many countries occurred partly because health officials initially thought the vaccine would require two doses instead of one, and many countries signed contracts with manufacturers under that assumption; it turned out that a single dose was enough to build immunity. But the main reason for the surplus is simply that demand for the vaccine fell far short of what was originally expected. Now, after governments have spent billions of dollars on vaccines that were not needed — France alone spent $1.25 billion — some politicians and health professionals are looking to hold someone accountable.

"WHO advised us falsely. They raised a false alarm," says Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, who served in Germany's parliament until September, faulting the U.N.'s global health agency for relying on an inadequate definition of a pandemic.

Wodarg notes that the agency declared the H1N1 pandemic based only on the new virus' transmissibility and did not take into consideration the severity of the strain. Wodarg blames the WHO for raising the alarm over a virus with little destructive potential, leading countries to embark on expensive mass-vaccination programs. He has organized a public parliamentary hearing on behalf of the Strasbourg-based human-rights group Council of Europe, titled "The Handling of the H1N1 Pandemic: More Transparency Needed?" The hearing, scheduled for Jan. 26, will explore the question of whether the WHO and governments overreacted to the threat of H1N1.

Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's special adviser on pandemic influenza, who will head a delegation to the Strasbourg hearing, counters that the WHO's definition of influenza pandemics has always been based on transmissibility and has never had anything to do with the lethality of a virus; it was no different with H1N1. In response to accusations of overreaction to what has amounted to a mild disease, Fukuda says that once the 2009 H1N1 pandemic had been declared, "WHO consistently made it clear that it could not predict the future course of the pandemic but consistently provided sober, balanced and scientifically supported information and guidance."

Fukuda says also that claims that H1N1 is a mild pandemic are wrongheaded. "There have been over 14,000 deaths that have been laboratory-confirmed, many in young, previously healthy people. Who is going to tell their families that the virus is mild?" Fukuda wrote to TIME in an e-mail.

Indeed, it is not difficult to imagine an alternate scenario in which critics would now be accusing the agency of failing to warn countries properly of the H1N1 threat. Hugh Pennington, a microbiologist at the University of Aberdeen who has advised the British government on past public-health crises, says the WHO was obligated to raise the alarm as soon as H1N1's spread matched the medically accepted definition for a pandemic. He points out also that early news reports from Mexico and the U.S., where the virus first emerged, suggested a highly lethal disease.

Still, Pennington says there are lessons to be learned. He says the vaccine surplus in many cases can be ascribed in part to countries' own pre-existing pandemic-preparedness plans. Many such plans, which were put in place in the mid-2000s, were based on the worst-case-scenario assumption that the next pandemic virus would be some variation of the highly lethal H5N1 bird-flu virus, which has so far killed 263 people. The U.K.'s plan, for example, which was automatically enacted when the WHO declared the H1N1 pandemic, predicted between 50,000 and 750,000 deaths from a flu pandemic. So far, there have been 400 British deaths from H1N1.

As part of their plans, many governments lined up multibillion-dollar advance-purchase agreements with pharmaceutical companies to buy vaccines during a pandemic. When the WHO declared H1N1 as such, governments were locked into these contracts, if not legally then politically — amid news reports of a new and potentially lethal virus spreading around the globe, governments could not responsibly pass on the option for vaccine. In this context, governments may have felt the only prudent course was to err on the side of caution.

Pennington says that to avoid similar situations of oversupply in the future, governments may want to plan a range of responses for the next flu pandemic, based on a virus' severity. But such evaluations of deadliness of an emerging disease are much harder to carry out than one would hope — if not impossible. And delaying action in response to an unpredictable new virus could potentially mean an increase in preventable deaths. "I think all countries recognize the desirability of flexibility in implementing pandemic plans. But exercising flexibility is really hard especially when large and complicated events like pandemics are often very confusing, and the expectations of populations can swing dramatically over short periods of time," says Fukuda.

The current glut of vaccines in rich nations may at least prove useful to the 95 countries in the developing world that have no access to vaccines, 86 of which have written to the WHO requesting help obtaining supplies. The WHO already has 200 million doses for such countries, and the first doses of that stockpile arrived in Mongolia and Azerbaijan this month. These doses will be supplemented by bilateral deals: France, for example, plans to sell 2 million vaccine doses at cost to Egypt and 300,000 to Qatar, according to a report in the Parisien newspaper.

It appears that even in developing nations, however, the need for vaccines is not overwhelming. Despite fears that H1N1 would hit developing nations hardest, the pandemic is unfolding in those countries "in a similar pattern" to that in the developed world, says Fukuda — which is to say with relatively few deaths. In fact, some developing countries, particularly in West Africa, are reporting lower rates of infection than in the developed world. "Based on the current H1N1 strain, there are higher health priorities in the developing world," says Sandra Mounier-Jack of the Communicable Diseases Policy Group at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, citing illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Mounier-Jack's comment echoes the basic question that Wodarg and other critics of the WHO are aiming to pose at Tuesday's hearing: Given that other health problems were more deserving of the billions of dollars spent tackling H1N1, how do the WHO and governments explain their decisions?

The U.S. government, for its part, still wants to vaccinate as many people as possible against H1N1. Although it has indeed been a mild flu season so far, says Jeff Dimond, a spokesperson at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "our message right now is that people should get vaccinated. We are aware that a third wave of infections is possible, so we aren't making any decision yet on whether we will use our full capacity of 251 million doses."

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1956608-2,00.html

The Hazard

Earthquakes can be defined as the shaking of earth caused by waves moving on and below the earth's surface and causing: surface faulting, tremors vibration, liquefaction, landslides, aftershocks and/or tsunamis

Aggravating factors are the time of the event and the number and intensity of aftershocks.

Compound hazards are fire, landslide, and tsunami.

Factors of Vulnerability

Man made factors:

• Location of settlements in seismic areas;
• Inadequate building practices and regulations;
• Dense concentration of building with high occupancy;
• The absence of warning systems and lack of public awareness on earthquake risks.

Main Causes of Mortality and Morbidity

Direct Impact

Earthquakes cause high mortality resulting from trauma, asphyxia, dust inhalation (acute respiratory distress), or exposure to the environment (i.e. hypothermia).

Surgical needs are important the first weeks. The broad pattern of injury is likely to be a mass of injured with minor cuts and bruises, a smaller group suffering from simple fractures, and a minority with serious multiple fractures or internal injuries and crush syndrome requiring surgery and other intensive treatment.

Burns and electroshocks are also observed.

Indirect Impact

Damages to health facilities are massive and can lead to an interruption in basic health care services.

Massive damages to lifelines such as water and sewer systems, energy lines, roads, telecom, and airports.

Foreseeable Needs

Pending an assessment, needs can be anticipated such as: search and rescue, emergency medical assistance including the management of crush syndrome, and managing homeless population.

Don't Forget

Survival in entrapment rarely lasts longer than 48 hours: 85-95% of persons rescued alive from collapsed buildings are rescued in the first 24-48 hours after the earthquake.

The demand for health services is concentrated within the first 24 hours after the event. Most injured people appear at medical facilities during the first three to five days after which consultation patterns return almost to normal.

Patients may appear in two waves. First, come the casualties from the immediate area around the medical facility followed by a second wave of referred cases as relief gets organised in more distant areas. Victims of secondary hazards (post-earthquakes aftershocks and fires) may arrive at a later stage.

This has evident implications on the type of assistance which can be timely and efficient. Camp/field hospitals and rescue teams usually arrive too late to have a life-saving impact.

Mitigation measures against earthquakes include:

• Long term management of economic and urban development of seismic areas;
• Earthquake-proof building codes and by-laws;
• Incentives, control and enforcement mechanisms;
• Earthquake-proof lifeline systems (including hospitals, etc);
• Strong public capacities for search and rescue and mass casualty management;
• Public awareness on earthquake risks, public education and drills.

Adapted from WHO website

No one is as happy as a clam all day, every day.

Those that look on the bright side end up healthier and more successful than the rest of us.

10 ways to be a whole lot happier

The year 2009 was one that few of us will soon forget. But the tough times we’ve been through illuminate the human ability to weather challenges that might at first seem overwhelming. As so many millions have painfully learned, we can’t fully control our circumstances. Surprisingly often, though, we can control their effects on our well-being.

Experts attribute about 50% of a person’s happiness to genetic endowments and another 10% to circumstances — where we live, how much money we make, how healthy we are. That leaves 40% of our happiness in our control. Fortunately, science has much to say about how we can make the most of that 40%. Even small improvements in mood can have cascading effects. The trick is to pay attention to what strategies work best for you.

Prevention

1- Hope for small changes, not big ones
Research shows that even major life events, such as winning the lottery, barely nudge people’s overall sense of satisfaction.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to improve your well-being. Recent research finds that the little things we do regularly, like exercising or attending religious services, can have a major impact on our happiness.

In one study, Yale University psychologist Daniel Mochon, PhD, and colleagues at Harvard and Duke universities discovered that people leaving religious services felt slightly happier than those going in — and the more regularly people attended services, the happier they felt overall. The same is true for exercise — people not only feel happier after going to the gym or a yoga class, but they also get a bigger boost the more often they go.

2- Flip through old photos

When you’re feeling down, break out your kids’ baby albums or pics from your favorite vacation. It may actually make you feel happier than a square of Godiva chocolate would! That’s what researchers at the United Kingdom’s Open University found after they examined how much people’s moods rose after eating a chocolate snack, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listening to music, or looking at personal photos.

The music and chocolate left most people’s moods unchanged; alcohol and TV gave a slight lift (1%), but the winner by a long shot was viewing pictures, which made people feel 11% better. To keep your spirits high at work, upload your favorite pics to your computer and set them as a rotating screensaver. Or splurge on a frame that flips through digital photos.

3- Fake it till you make it
Putting on a happy face — even if you don't feel like it — actually induces greater happiness, says Loyola University Chicago social psychologist Fred B. Bryant, PhD. So be exuberant. Don't just eat the best peach of the season; luxuriate in every lip-smacking mouthful. Laugh out loud at a funny movie. Smile at yourself when you pass by a mirror. After all, he says, "a surefire way to kill joy is to suppress it."

4- Chat up your spouse like a stranger
No one wants to make a bad first impression, so we tend to put our best face forward, especially with people we don’t know. And that turns out to be a good strategy for enhancing our own happiness. In a study by University of British Columbia psychologist Elizabeth Dunn, PhD, and colleagues, observers judged that people conversing with strangers tried harder to make good impressions than did people conversing with their romantic partners — and the more they did so, the happier they felt after the interaction was over.

Another experiment showed that people instructed to talk with their romantic partners as though they were trying to make a good impression (as they would with a stranger) felt happier after the experiment ended than those who were told to interact normally.

5- Say thanks more often
Cultivate an "attitude of gratitude," Bryant says. Pinpoint what you're happy about — a party invitation from a new pal, a seat on a crowded subway — and acknowledge its source. It's not always necessary to outwardly express gratitude, Bryant notes, but saying thank you to a friend, a stranger, or the universe deepens our happiness by making us more aware of it.

But this is a failure we can overcome by deliberately thinking through our choices as though we weren’t already invested in one course of action. The next time you’re faced with a problem that has gone from good to bad to worse, think to yourself: If I were coming into this situation right now, what would I do?

Sometimes moving on is better than "hanging in there."

7- Clear away clutter
Disorganized heaps of paper in your cube or on the kitchen counter can make you anxious. For some, "Clutter is a reminder of things that should be getting done but aren’t," says Elaine Aron, PhD, author of "The Highly Sensitive Person." "It can make you feel like a failure." For a quick fix, straighten up a few surfaces in your office or in the areas of your home where you spend the most time. "It's when every bit of space is messy that it's most disturbing," says Aron. Don't bother to organize unless you have a chunk of time. Instead, arrange papers, books, and other detritus of daily living in neat piles or store them in baskets. "Just the illusion of order is enough to ease the mind," she says.

8- Rethink retail therapy
Before you plunk down that credit card at the mall to feel better, read this. To get more happiness for your dollar, splurge for experiences instead of stuff. Psychologist Miriam Tatzel, PhD, of Empire State College surveyed 329 shoppers and found that “experiencers” — consumers who are easygoing about spending on a great meal out or a concert, for example — are happier than those who lavish their money on material goods such as clothes or jewelry. Added bonus: Experiences allow you to spend quality time with family and friends; a new pair of shoes is a solo endeavor.

9- Talk to a friendly neighbor
Socializing with a cheerful person in your neighborhood increases the likelihood that you’ll be happy too. Surprisingly, this had even more of a mood-boosting impact than spending time with an upbeat sibling, according to a recent study. How often you get together matters most, say the researchers: People who live within half a mile of buoyant friends increase their odds of being happy by 42%. If your friends live farther away (within a 2-mile radius), the chances drop to 22% — probably due to fewer get-togethers. Other research found that “very happy” people visit with neighbors 7 more times a year than unhappy people.

10- Walk around the block
If you work in a windowless office, make sure you step out to see the sun a few times throughout the day. “A couple of studies show that people who get more light exposure during the day have fewer sleep problems and less depression, and evidence suggests that light can keep you alert and productive,” says Daniel Kripke, MD, a University of California, San Diego, light and sleep expert.

Adapted from msnbc.com

The entire genetic codes of two common types of cancer have been cracked, according to scientists, who say the breakthrough could unlock a new era in the treatment of deadly diseases.

Scientists at the UK-based Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute catalogued the genetic maps of skin and lung cancer and have pinpointed the specific mutations within DNA that can lead to dangerous tumors.

Researchers predict these maps will offer patients a personalized treatment option that ranges from earlier detection to the types of medication used to treat cancer.

The genetic maps will also allow cancer researchers to study cells with defective DNA and produce more powerful drugs to fight the errors, according to the the study's scientists.

"The knowledge we extract over the next few years will have major implications for treatment," Peter Campbell from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said.

"By identifying all the cancer genes we will be able to develop new drugs that target the specific mutated genes and work out which patients will benefit from these novel treatments."

Scientists found that the DNA code for skin cancer contained nearly 30,000 errors and lung cancer DNA contained more than 23,000.

"These are the two main cancers in the developed world for which we know the primary exposure," Mike Stratton, from the Cancer Genome Project said.

"For lung cancer, it is cigarette smoke and for malignant melanoma it is exposure to sunlight.

"With these genome sequences, we have been able to explore deep into the past of each tumor, uncovering with remarkable clarity the imprints of these environmental mutagens on DNA, which occurred years before the tumor became apparent."

The study suggests that an error occurs for every 15 cigarettes that are smoked.

Scientists as part of the International Cancer Genome Consortium in other countries around the world are completing similar studies -- the UK is looking at breast cancer, the U.S. at brain, ovary and pancreatic cancer, and Japan at the liver.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and claims more than seven million lives each year according to the World Health Organization.

Adapted from CNN

We can all make a difference

“There are moments in history where the world can choose to go down different paths. The COP15 Climate Conference in Copenhagen is one of those defining moments: We can choose to go down the road towards green prosperity and a more sustainable future. Or we can choose a pathway to stalemate and do nothing about climate change leaving an enormous bill for our kids and grand-kids to pay. It really isn’t that hard a choice.” Connie Hedegaard, Minister for the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen 2009

While world leaders are attending the conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen to sustain our environment for the future, we can take some little steps ourselves to help make this a reality.

Here are some tips:

Say 'NO' to wasteful packaging, plastic bags and bottled water and you will help the environment by an Estimated Saving of 13kg of CO2 per month (150kg per year)

Reject or cut back on these bad-for-the-environment items: over-packaged products, non-recyclable packaging, plastic bags and bottled water when tap water is available.

How to ...

Eating out, and shopping for food and beverages are key parts of our daily lives where we can make a significant difference on CO2 pollution and send a message back to the manufacturers by saying ‘NO’.

Top of our list for things to reject are:
o    Plastic bags
o    Any over-packaged products
o    Any non-recyclable packaging
o    Bottled water whenever tap water is available

1.    Always carry reusable shopping bags or your own collapsible shopping kart with you and say ‘NO’ to plastic ones.

2.    Study packaging such as plastic trays for meat and vegetables and make sure it can be recycled (look for the recycling symbol). Say 'NO' to packaging that can’t be recycled.

3.    Actively discourage shop assistants from using multiple packaging on items, especially take-away foods (e.g. wrapping a sandwich in paper, putting it in a paper bag and then in a plastic carry bag)

4.    If you think any packaged item is over-packaged then don’t buy it. You also can take time out to explain to the store manager or attendant why you don’t want the product (if enough people complain, hopefully they will pass word back to the manufacturer)

5.    Tips to help you avoid bottled water include:
o    Install a tap filter at home or buy a filtering jug
o    Get yourself a refillable water bottle and carry it with you whenever you can, especially if you are with children who are likely to get thirsty
o    Ask for tap water in restaurants instead of bottled water, and especially avoid imported bottled water

Why is it important?

We have a lot of power as consumers to reduce CO2 and to influence retailers and manufacturers to improve the environmental performance of products.

There's also a substantial CO2 pollution factor from making plastic bottles (from oil), filling them and transporting them around the country.  

http://www.1millionwomen.com.au

http://en.cop15.dk

N.B.

You may notice not all these tips are applicable in Lebanon, and some tips may seem trivial, but remember small steps can lead to big changes

Apply the habits you can change and encourage others to do the same =)

Lebanon, Beirut (CNN) --

In Lebanon, you're never far from the whiff of cigarette smoke.

In restaurants and cafes, on the streets, in the airport and even in elevators, Lebanese delight in lighting up. The World Health Organization (WHO) says Lebanon has one of the highest smoking rates in the world.

"We are a tobacco-friendly society," says cardiologist Dr. Georges Saade, a former WHO official who now heads the Tobacco Control Project at Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health.

Saade is a committed anti-smoking campaigner and for years he's fought an uphill battle for funding to increase awareness of the risks of smoking.

The ministry estimates that if attitudes towards smoking don't change, this small nation of 4 million will experience at least 3,000 tobacco-related deaths each year.

On a cool autumn night, Saade, his wife and their 5-year-old son walk through the streets Beirut's renovated downtown; the intermittent odors of cigarette and water-pipe smoke wafting through the air.

Water-pipe -- also known as hookah, shisha or nargileh - is a popular form of social smoking.

Saade says they've seen a steady increase of hookah smoking among young females -- mainly because of a widespread misconception that water-pipes are not as harmful as cigarettes.

Various studies, including research by the American University of Beirut, indicate smoking water-pipe is at least as harmful if not more harmful than cigarette smoke, leading to higher risks of mouth, throat, and stomach cancer.

"If I want go out with my son," says Saade, "I cannot take him to any cafe here in Lebanon, to any indoor place unfortunately, because somebody is always smoking."

He says he and his wife spent most of her nine-month pregnancy at home because public places provided no protection from second-hand smoke.

The WHO estimates that about half of Lebanese adults smoke, and the ministry estimates that the figure is higher. There is, however, an even more alarming statistic.

A 2001 Global Youth Survey found that Lebanon had the highest rate of smoking among school children in all of the Middle East.

The ministry estimates that around 65 percent of Lebanese boys aged 13-15 consume tobacco regularly -- either by smoking cigarettes or water-pipe.

These statistics marry up with Saade's experiences in practice. The patients he sees who suffer from tobacco-related heart disease are getting younger and younger -- and it inspires his passion for change.

Now he's getting a chance to try to clear the air.

After years of applying and being turned down, the ministry has finally received a grant from New York-based organization, Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.

On November 1, a shock media campaign featuring the message "Smoking is eating your loved ones alive," was put up on 500 billboards countrywide and featured in newspapers, magazines and on TV spots.

A draft law submitted by the Ministry of Public Health and various NGOs to curtail smoking in public places has been decaying in the parliament's proverbial drawer since 2003.

Saade hopes the national awareness campaign will mobilize Lebanese people to put pressure on their fractious political leadership to re-consider.

He is particularly compelled by the thought that in a decade most of his son's high school colleagues are likely to be smokers.

"This is why I'm doing something," he says. "But I think in 10 years few of the colleagues of my son will be smoking."

Realistic? Or a pipedream?

Cigarettes are cheap in Lebanon and health warnings are not currently required on packs. In addition, the media is heavily bombarded with tobacco advertising.

Even worse, there is not even a minimum age to buy cigarettes. And then there's a culture that defies regulation -- perhaps a lingering side-effect of the lawlessness of the nation's devastating 15-year civil war that ended in 1990.

Law enforcement officers rarely intervene, even when people blatantly break rules. Which may explain why it's so common to see people smoking literally underneath a no-smoking sign.

Gemmayzeh, is a Beirut neighborhood famous for its active night life. In the bars and restaurants there, smoking is considered a symbol of freedom.

Tony, a smoker in his early 30s says Lebanese people would not react well if the government banned smoking in bars.

"Rage, anarchy. That's what will happen.

"It's not a smoking culture. This is freedom culture. You can do whatever you want," he told CNN.

Many other Middle Eastern countries have laws restricting tobacco advertising and smoking in public places.

Syria banned smoking in public places in October. Jordan is trying to go smoke-free in the coming months. Israel, Egypt, most Gulf countries -- even Iraq -- have some restrictions on tobacco use, although degrees of enforcement vary.

Smokers in Lebanon say any attempt to ban smoking won't work here.

"Most likely people won't accept it and will continue on smoking," says Raoul, a shaven-headed Lebanese in his mid-30s, puffing on a cigarette in a popular bar.

Raoul says even if the law passed, it would last a week and be forgotten.

"Unfortunately [the Lebanese] don't like laws," he continues. "Because of the history of Lebanon and what happened here, they're used to it, they're not into laws, they don't like to respect laws and most of them think that laws are against them."

But, for health advocates, there are some signs of promise in the very bars that are usually thick with tobacco smoke.

One Beirut bar called Godot opted to implement "smoke-free Wednesdays" about a year ago. The managers say that although they initially lost a few customers, Wednesday is now one of their busiest nights, catering to a non-smoking clientele.

The entire Gemmayzeh area, with the support of anti-tobacco NGOs, has had two completely smoke-free nights over the last year.

So for Saade and his tireless -- some may say Quixotic -- campaign, it seems there is hope.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/11/16/lebanon.smoking.ban/

14 November 2009

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes - its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

WHO estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, according to 2005 figures. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

Diabetes

Facts

• At least 171 million people worldwide have diabetes; this figure is likely to be more than double by 2030.
• Around 3.2 million deaths every year are attributable to complications of diabetes; six deaths every minute.
• The top 10 countries, in numbers of sufferers, are India, China, USA, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil Italy and Bangladesh.
• Overall, direct health care costs of diabetes range from 2.5% to 15% of annual health care budgets, depending on local diabetes prevalence and the sophistication of the treatment available.
• The costs of lost production may be as much as five times the direct health care cost, according to estimates derived from 25 Latin American countries.
• Recent studies in China, Canada, USA and several European countries have shown that feasible lifestyle interventions can prevent the onset of diabetes in people at high risk.

The global burden of diabetes

A diabetes epidemic is underway. An estimated 30 million people worldwide had diabetes in 1985. A decade later, the global burden of diabetes was estimated to be 135 million. The latest WHO estimate – for the number of people with diabetes, worldwide, in 2000 – is 171 million. This is likely to increase to at least 366 million by 2030. Two major concerns are that much of this increase in diabetes will occur in developing countries, due to population growth, ageing, unhealthy diets, obesity and sedentary lifestyles, and that there is a growing incidence of Type 2 diabetes – which accounts for about 90% of all cases – at a younger age. In developed countries most people with diabetes are above the age of retirement. In developing countries those most frequently affected are in the middle, productive years of their lives, aged between 35 and 64.

The number of deaths attributed annually to diabetes is around 3.2 million. Diabetes has become one of the major causes of premature illness and death in most countries, mainly through the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Hyperglycaemia and other related disturbances in the body’s metabolism can lead to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

There are two basic forms of diabetes:

• Type 1: people with this type of diabetes produce very little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes require daily injections of insulin to survive.
• Type 2: people with this type of diabetes cannot use insulin effectively. People with type 2 diabetes can sometimes manage their condition with lifestyle measures alone, but oral drugs are often required, and less frequently insulin, in order to achieve good metabolic control.

Most people with diabetes have type 2. Many of them have no symptoms and are only diagnosed after many years of onset. As a consequence, almost half of all people with type 2 diabetes are not aware that they have this life-threatening condition.

Complications associated with diabetes mellitus

• Cardiovascular disease is responsible for between 50% and 80% of deaths in people with diabetes. Risk factors for heart disease in people with diabetes include high blood pressure, high serum cholesterol, obesity and smoking. Recognition and management of these conditions may delay or prevent heart disease in people with diabetes.
• Diabetic neuropathy is probably the most common complication. Studies suggest that up to 50% of people with diabetes are affected to some degree. Major risk factors of this condition are the level and duration of elevated blood glucose. Neuropathy can lead to sensory loss and damage to the limbs. It is also a major cause of impotence in diabetic men.
• Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness and visual disability. Research findings suggest that, after 15 years of diabetes, approximately 2% of people become blind, while about 10% develop severe visual handicap.
• Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure, but its frequency varies between populations and is also related to the severity and duration of the disease.
• Diabetic foot disease, due to changes in blood vessels and nerves, often leads to ulceration and subsequent limb amputation. Diabetes is the most common cause of non-traumatic amputation of the lower limb.

How do we prevent and treat diabetes?

Primary prevention, healthy diet and regular physical activity, protects susceptible individuals. It has an impact by reducing or delaying both the need for diabetes care and the need to treat diabetes complications. It should be emphasized particularly in the poorest regions of the world where resources are severely limited.

Secondary prevention includes early detection and good treatment. The treatment of high blood pressure and raised blood lipids, as well as the control of blood glucose levels, can substantially reduce the risk of developing complications and slow their progression. Large, population-based studies in China, Canada, USA and several European countries suggest that even moderate reduction in weight and half an hour of walking each day reduced the incidence of diabetes by more than one half in overweight subjects with mild Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT).

Economic costs of diabetes

Because of its chronic nature, the severity of its complications and the means required to control them, diabetes is a costly disease, not only for affected individuals and their families, but also for the health systems. Studies in India estimate that, for a low-income Indian family with an adult with diabetes, as much as 25% of family income may be devoted to diabetes care. For families in the USA with a child who has diabetes, the corresponding figure is 10%.

In WHO’s Western Pacific region a recent analysis of health care expenditure has shown that: 16% of hospital expenditure was for people with diabetes. In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, this figure was 25%. And 20% of "offshore expenditure" on health by Fiji was for diabetes-related complications - instances where facilities for care were not available in Fiji, so patients had to travel elsewhere. These represent considerable sums for countries who can ill afford such massive expenditure on preventable conditions.

www.who.int

What is Public health?

Public health is the approach to medicine that is concerned with the health of the community as a whole. Public health is community health. It has been said that: "Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time."

The mission of public health is to "fulfill society's interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy." The three core public health functions are:

·         The assessment and monitoring of the health of communities and populations at risk to identify health problems and priorities;

·         The formulation of public policies designed to solve identified local and national health problems and priorities;

·         To assure that all populations have access to appropriate and cost-effective care, including health promotion and disease prevention services, and evaluation of the effectiveness of that care.

Public health is comprised of many professional disciplines such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, nutrition, social work, environmental sciences, health education, health services administration, and the behavioral sciences; however its activities focus on entire populations rather than on individual patients.

Doctors usually treat individual patients one-on-one for a specific disease or injury. Public health professionals monitor and diagnose the health concerns of entire communities and promote healthy practices and behaviors to assure our populations stay healthy.

Adapted from medicineNet.com