Agent Orange was used as a defoliant during the ongoing Vietnam War to kill the crops in the fields of Vietnam in an attempt to reduce jungle foliage so that these fields could subsequently be used to build tents for sheltering the enemy combatants. The study has pointed to dioxin, which was present in Agent Orange, as the chemical responsible for reacting with the thyroid levels in veterans, and later taking the form of Graves’ Disease.

The study made by the team of researchers of the University of Buffalo has generated a lot of attention ever since it was released two months back. Ajay Varanasi, who is the first author of the study has also secured the first prize in oral presentation from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

June 15, (PRINTWORDS NEWS) A recent study has revealed that a certain variety of blood pressure drugs might lead to increase in the risk of all forms of cancer. The findings of the study which was recently published has managed to create a buzz in the medical fraternity as millions of people are administered these drugs every single day all across the world. According to the research that was undertaken by scientists of the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, the administration of the widely used angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) was associated with one per cent increase in the risk of different types of cancerous condition such as cancer of lungs, prostrate as well as breast.

In the study which took into consideration as many as 60,000 patients found that the incidence of cancer among people taking the blood pressure drugs was 7.2 per cent higher compared to a 6 per cent chance of the incidence of the cancer among individuals not taking the medicine. Although researchers established that there was indeed an enhanced risk of cancer owing to the drugs, there was only a slight increase of death among individuals who were known to be regular ARB users.

Dr. Ilke Sipahi, the lead author of the study added “the risk for the individual patient is modest but is indeed significant.” The researcher further emphasized that the 1.2 per cent increase in the risk of cancer over a period of four years needs to be analyzed with respect to the 41 percent background lifetime cancer risk. Despite the fact that the researchers have stressed that the enhancement in the cancer risk is modest, many experts feel that revelations of the study are quite disturbing as it raises serious health safety issues.

The report has been published in the website of the “Annals of Internal Medicine” dated June 15. The research was carried out by a panel that was headed by Dr. Martha L. Daviglus, a professor of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. The study maintains that while exercising regularly, eating Mediterranean diet, and being physically active might decrease the risk of becoming a victim of these diseases, there are not many evidences that can lead the scientists or the researchers to conclude their influences. It says that the study has found that the evidence is “too weak to justify strongly recommending them to patients”. The panel was also not satisfied with the evidences which would suggest that the gene marker APOEe4, depression and metabolic syndrome can be associated with the higher risk of cognitive decline.

However, all is not as depressing as the panel’s reports have found. Even members of the panel suggest that there are many researches going on in this field of Alzheimer’s treatment and that nothing could be said as of yet about the future of the Alzheimer’s treatment. Carl C. Bell, M.D. who is the director of the Institute for Juvenile Research said that the panel had to follow the science and that in the study conducted by the panel rigorous scientific standards were put to use to judge and measures that were said to decrease the risk of Alzheimer. The panel did not find the measures convincing and that is what the report has maintained. However, Carl C. Bell mentions that there “is no hard science right now”. Dr. Martha Daviglus, MD, PhD, MPH who chaired the panel says that though there is no hard science now in this field, there is no reason to conclude that there would not be any in coming years. According to her great promising researches are being carried out in this field and that those researches would definitely yield results.

There are many other people who have voiced that the published study is highly pessimistic. The associate director of the Alzheimer’s Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Greg M. Cole said “I found the report to be overly pessimistic and sometimes mistaken in their conclusions, which are largely drawn from epidemiology, which is almost always inherently inconclusive”. However, one thing that all agree is that nothing as of yet could be concluded about the factors that increase or decrease the risk of cognitive retardation. But the cases of Alzheimer are increasing every day and reports show that around 5.3 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer.

This however is not the first time that the legionnaires disease has been detected in the country. Last year too at least four people succumbed to the disease and more than 25 people were severely affected by the virus. This year the number has leaped up with 40 cases detected in Victoria alone. The first person to be detected with the bacteria hailed from Macau, but health practitioners in Australia considered his case to be a special one considering that the person was in his own city for 10 days prior to being attacked by the bacteria, also the fact that the people who were in touch with him did not acquire the same symptoms kept the doctors in peace. Medical practitioners in Australia termed his case as “isolated”.

So what is the legionnaires disease? People in India are not very familiar with the term because no such cases have been reported in our country where the cause of death is the legionnaires disease. I am quite sure that 90% of the people who have come across this news are not aware of the term. Well the disease is a bacterial infection and it is highly contagious, which means that anybody who has acquired the disease will also affect the person living in close contact with him or her.

The legionnaires disease derives its name from the Legionella bacteria. There are many types of bacteria which fall under the Legionella genus and it is said that 35 species of the same bacteria can lead to the legionnaires disease in a person. The disease is marked by high fever which in many cases turns to a severe form of pneumonia. That is why the disease is also known as Legion Fever.

The fatality rate of the disease is however not very high. The Legion Fever has not been detected in many countries around the world and the good news is that it does not cause many deaths too. The death rate in patients of the Legion Fever falls in the margin of 5% to 30%. Also it has been observed that children are not much affected by the legionnaires disease. The bacterias probably love the middle aged and the old people more! However the death rates go up once the person who is a patient of the legionnaires disease is admitted in hospital. The condition must be really serious when one is taken to a hospital, with doctors not being able to save more than 50% of them.

EWG claimed that most sunscreen lotions which make exaggerated claims are harmful for the skin. Especially dangerous were products that contained the vitamin A derivative retinyl palmitate that has been tested by the FDA(Food and Drugs Administration) to accelerate skin lesions. The derivative was found to be photocarcinogenic which means it undergoes a complex biochemical reaction that has the potential to lead to cancer. Another marked chemical found in sunscreen products is Oxybenzone that has can get into the bloodstream and also react in a harmful manner. The exaggerated claims of the products about their SPF counts has also been proven false.

The sunscreen industry has called the research ‘unsubstantiated’. They called the EWG the ‘Chicken Little’ in the industry. If the research is what it claims to be then a major part of the blame goes to the FDA which has been promising sunscreen gudelines since 1978. The guidelines which are reportedly being issues this October will take another year to be totally implemented. Till that time the sunscreen products will be on the shelves. The EWG has called the sunscreen products the equivalents of ’snake oil’ that can harm by claiming to protect.

Doctors say that fat embolism was first detected in the year 1873. A person suffering from fat embolism will show an accumulation of fat macro globules in the thin tracts of his lungs which gradually leads to breathing problems as the fat in the lungs choke the respiratory passage.

Thanks to television, people today are aware of so many things that were not heard of before. In “Houses”, the character of Hannah dies of fat embolism, after undergoing an amputation operation. It was the final episode of the popular series and the character of Hannah was also loved by many, so naturally when their loved one died, it led to multiple questions in the minds of the viewers. Now it seems that the term has become so popular that everybody is on the lookout for the term on the internet. We would not like to be a victim of the disease, but there is definitely no harm getting to know about it.

Although a possible source of the lettuce which has led to the E. coli outbreak is being traced in Arizona, college students at the University of Michigan, students in Ohio and even New York City have been affected by the sudden outbreak. According to the latest news, lettuce sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brands have suddenly come under the scanner. Health experts are of the opinion that it is the ‘Romaine’ variety of lettuce which is the carrier of the germ.

It was the New York State Public Health Laboratory in Albany which first took action in the case after detecting the germ in a bag of Freshway Romaine lettuce. Several health advocates in America have been constantly fighting for the enactment of strict food laws in the country. A bill was also passed last year which would give more power to the FDA authorities to control the food policies of America. However with the Senate not passing the bill yet, there is huge doubt as to how far the FDA and other authorities will be able to help out in the matter which has now become a very important issue in America.

Considering that the health of so many is at stake it is high time that the government take quick, necessary and effective steps. With the E. coli syndrome fast spreading, American restaurants are also facing the heat. We pray for the fast recovery of the sick.

According to a study which has been undertaken by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, those who dig into a bar of chocolate every week are more sullen that those who prefer to treat themselves only once in a while. The team of researchers who carried out the study have stated that glum individuals consumed an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate compared to only 5.4 servings among those who were not depressed. The research which was published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed the long held speculation that chocolate consumption has some kind of a connection with the feeling of despair. The study took into account as many as 1000 participants which included both men and women while considering a variety of factors such as the amount of chocolate consumption, overall diets and judging their moods in order to reach the conclusion.

Dr. Natalie Rose, one of the leading researchers of the study has emphasized that there are many possible facts that explain the findings of the study which need to be delved into. One of the probable explanations that has been put forward points out that the depressed might pine for chocolate as a ’self treatment’ to brighten up their mood or despair might stimulate the craving without any beneficial effect. At the same time, the possibility that chocolates contribute to sullen mood cannot be ruled out, according to the researchers. However, whatever the explanation for the revelation of the study might be, it is hardly going to make any difference to the lovers of the cocoa bean who would continue to dig into it to satisfy their insatiable hunger of chocolates.

No matter how people dote upon the looks and functionality in a phone, the first thing which is impressive about Sagem Puma is its comfy grip within your palms. In other words it’s good looks offered in a compact frame. The mobile sports a 2.8″ QVGA display which at the very first look can be a real turnoff if you aren’t into too much exploring a gadget. We will deal with the front later on, lets flip it and take a look at the back side. Wow! Now, that’s even better than the frontal portion. (Except for the the fact the three stylized buttons on the front is the only thing that actually stops you from keeping it back on the shelf). This is where the camera is. A 3.2MP decked up with a LED flash and the solar panel which is the USP of Sagem Puma that won’t let your phone battery run out of its juice.

But hey wait up !! Are we taking about sun in UK? Ah!! You must have Houdini as your best pal. “Eco-friendly” is one vague term which finds it hard to gain grounds with only a a negligible amount of sunshine witnessed in UK. So, as it seems we have to rely on normal battery back up and let it go its own way to pick up and store as much amount of energy its able to trap in. The front of the phone – Yeah its stylized, minus the black plastic feel , the phone has one VGA camera for video conferencing. So what’s selling the phone if not the solar panel? The answer is its firmware along with the Interface which is a delightful experience. The main menu is a simple one which is divided into two ways ; one that leads to shortcuts defined by the user itself and the other one is the sportier style that is decked up with features like “Run tracking”. On the extreme right you shall find your browser and your multimedia kit.

The User Interface as mentioned earlier happens to be one of the decent and the frst ever thing in the mobile which is unique. Apart from the minor glitches that every other touch phone suffers in terms of resistivity, Sagem Puma has done a splendid job with the interface. Icons are well placd and are good to touch but this is one place where you shall have to strain your fingers a little to make sure you hit the right icon.

The tiny little triangle located at the bottom right-hand corner is a pull up and pull back option which takes you to context menus and lets you choose your own option. Neatly crafted out this is one great feature in the mobile that when you actually pull down the screen top you shall be able  to shift it to memory card and then to bluetooth all  in one go.  All major social networkingplatforms like Facebook and Twitter are all preloaded and offers a vast and unique expirence while one uses the Sagem Puma browser to access it. Solar Power which is the biggest hype factor of the phone  lets the users see how much energy has been trapped in and how much has been used already.  Sagem Puma is a Java Based handset which is understadable and acceptable from the point of view that this happens to be the very first handset produced by the company.

As of a whole we never recommend you to buy the phone that too at a price  of £300. Samsung SGH-F110 miCoach is defintly a better one than this but if you don’t want to lose your sleep over buying it then you might just go over the words of Jérôme Nadel; the vice president of Puma Sagem told the media how he had envisioned Sagem Puma Solar Mobile as the “First Layer’ in their innovations as he feels that the best is yet to come.

Riley was born to Sarah and Dave Joyce in the Royal United Hospital in Bath. His birth was not an easy one, and the doctors had to perform a Caesarian operation on Sarah in order to deliver the child. The troubles continued even after his birth, for the doctors discovered, to their dismay, that he was neither breathing, nor did he have a pulse rate. In fact, by all appearances, he seemed dead. However, the medical team realized that Riley was, in fact, suffering from the symptoms of having suffered from birth asphyxia, a condition triggered by an acute lack of oxygen at the time of birth.

The condition turned even more serious with the diagnosis. Such a situation can lead to permanent and massive brain damage, and the child may be inflicted with disorders ranging to cerebral palsy. There was nothing that the doctors could do, nothing sure shot, that is, except cooling Riley’s body temperature, a previously tested method that has been found to effectively reduce brain damage. However, the method was only known to be partially successful, and it was not certain whether it would work on Riley, as earlier, babies who had been administered this technique had not always recovered.

This, or there was one other choice. A new technique had been developed by a professor of neuroscience in the University of Bristol, Professor Marianne Thoreson, and also Dr. John Dingley, the consultant anaesthetist at the School of Medicine of the Swansea University. This technique, though not perfected yet, was scheduled to be administered to twelve children who had been born with brain damage, and Riley presented the first case study. If it could make Riley breathe and then walk and talk, it would be considered successful.

Sarah and Dave Joyce were given the choice, and they agreed. It as understood that the whole thing would be conducted as an experiment, and nothing could guarantee its success. The parents had nothing to lose, as it was, Riley had 50% chance of suffering a brain damage. So Riley was transferred to the St. Michaels Hospital in Bristol.

The system of administering xenon gas to newborn babies suffering from brain damage occurred to Marianne Thoreson when she found that cooling the body temperature of the child did not always prove to be effective. After much research, it was found that the inert gas achieved that result with more effectiveness. The gas had earlier been used on patients of bypass surgeries, but it had never been used to this effect. After Riley, the method is going to be implemented upon eleven more children in order to be sure of its effectiveness, and then would be adopted in a larger scale.

Getting back to Riley, he is the first child to be successfully administrated xenon. At present, he can smile, feed and move. In short, he can do all that any twelve day old kid should be doing. Including crying in the middle of the night and giving his parent sleepless nights. But they sure don’t mind. After all, they have double cause to celebrate.

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• First baby treated with xenon gas (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Gas given to baby to prevent brain damage in world first (telegraph.co.uk)
• British doctors use inert gas to save baby (seattletimes.nwsource.com)