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Antioxidants 'cannot slow ageing'

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:03:17 -0600

Diets and creams claiming their antioxidant properties could cheat ageing may be worthless, a study says.

Using Nematode worms, scientists found even those given enhanced antioxidant powers to deal with tissue damaging "free radicals" did not live longer.

The team from University College London said, in the Genes and Development journal, there was "no clear evidence" they could slow ageing.

Antioxidants are a staple of the beauty and health industries.

This has been based on a 50-year-old theory.

The free radical theory has filled a knowledge vacuum for over 50 years now, but it doesn't stand up to the evidence
Dr David Gems
UCL

In 1956, it was suggested that ageing was caused by a build-up of molecular damage caused by reactive forms of oxygen, called superoxides or free radicals, circulating in the body. This is known as oxidative stress.

Antioxidants supposedly worked to mop up these free radicals, minimising their damage.

This week's study, however, could explain why many studies aimed at proving the theory have been inconclusive.

Nematode worms

The tiny Nematode worm, despite appearing to be far-removed from the human species, is a useful tool for scientists who want to explore how our bodies work.

They share many genes with humans, and, crucially, have a lifespan measured in days, which allows scientists to get clues about long-term changes.

The UCL team, led by Dr David Gems, genetically manipulated nematodes so that their bodies were able to "mop up" surplus free radicals.

This in theory, should give them an advantage over normal nematodes in terms of ageing and lifespan.

However, these worms lived just as long as the others, suggesting that "oxidative stress" is less of a factor in the ageing of our cells and tissues as some have suggested.

Dr Gems said: "The fact is that we don't understand much about the fundamental mechanisms of ageing - the free radical theory has filled a knowledge vacuum for over 50 years now, but it doesn't stand up to the evidence.

"It is clear that if superoxide is involved, it plays only a small part in the story - oxidative damage is clearly not a universal, major driver of the ageing process."

He said a healthy, balanced diet was important for reducing the risk of many "old age" diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, but there was no clear evidence that eating antioxidants could slow or prevent ageing, and even less evidence to support the claims made by antioxidant pills and creams.

'No magic bullet'

The research was supported by the Wellcome Trust, and Dr Alan Schafer, its head of molecular and physiological sciences, said: "Research such as this points to how much we have to learn about ageing, and the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind this process."

A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that it had been hard to find the evidence to support antioxidants from previous studies.

She said: "All the evidence has come from epidemiological studies looking at the whole diet - where there was some sign of benefit to people who ate diets with antioxidants, but also who ate lots of other good things.

"What this shows is that there is likely to be no one 'magic bullet' in terms of diet and health -the important thing is still achieving a healthy balance."

A spokesman for the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association said cosmetic companies carry out extensive research and rigorous scientific studies to ensure claims are supported by robust evidence.

"Findings on the genetics of a particular nematode worm may not be directly relevant to the complex process of ageing as it happens in higher animals such as the human," the association added.

First inventory of life at poles

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:30:11 -0600

By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News

A surprising number of creatures were found in the cold waters of the South Orkney Islands

The first comprehensive inventory of the sea and land animals living in a polar region has been carried out by British and German scientists.

A team from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Hamburg University found that Antarctica's South Orkney Islands were surprisingly rich in life.

More than 1,200 species were counted, including five new to science.

The data, published in the Journal of Biogeography, will help to monitor how the animals respond to future changes.

David Barnes, from BAS, said: "This is the first time this has been done, not just anywhere in Antarctica, but anywhere in either polar region."

The researchers studied scientific literature dating back more than 100 years, as well as more recent surveys of the land, sea and shores of the archipelago.

They concluded that there were 1,224 species in total, of which 1,026 were found in the Antarctic waters - including sea urchins, worms, crustaceans and molluscs.

Dr Barnes told BBC News: "There is a widely held belief that life is very rich in the tropics and decreases through temperate areas, through to polar regions, which are thought to be barren.

"That is partly because we see life from the land point of view - and when we see the the Arctic and the Antarctic, we just see the ice.

"But below the surface of the sea, it is an incredibly rich environment, and diving there is a bit like diving on a coral reef."

He added: "If we look at other archipelagos across the globe that are also isolated, we can see that the South Orkney Islands are actually richer than the Galapagos in terms of the number of species we find in the sea."

The team also discovered five species that were new to science, including moss-like animals and marine "woodlice".

Compared with other surveys in the polar regions, this is a relatively low number. bbc news

Nikon unveils 24.5MP D3x digital SLR

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:40:48 -0600

Monday, 1 December 2008 05:00 GMT

Nikon has announced the D3x, its latest high-resultion professional DSLR. Sporting an imaging sensor with double the number of photosites of the popular D3, the 24.5 megapixel D3x includes similar features such as a 3.0", 920,000 dot LCD monitor with Live View, 51-point autofocus, EXPEED image processing and HDMI output. To keep up with the demands of stock photography the camera produces 50MB 14-bit RAW files that can be processed to produce 140MB TIFFs. It also supports Nikon’s wireless system and is compatible with Nikon’s new GP-1 GPS unit.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1 December 2008 - Nikon Europe today introduced its new top-of-the-range D-SLR, the D3X. Building on the reliability, handling and durability of the award-winning D3, the D3X offers an imaging sensor with far higher resolution than its counterpart, breaking new ground in imaging quality. The all-new 24.5MP CMOS sensor makes the new camera eminently suitable for the broadest range of shooting situations, both in the studio and on location, and will be especially appreciated by uncompromising photographers in nature photography, studio work and fashion.

“This is the camera that many professional photographers have been waiting for,” said Robert Cristina, Manager Professional Products and NPS at Nikon Europe. “Just as the D3 has become the professionals’ camera of choice in sports photography, the D3X’s extremely high imaging resolution will raise the bar for commercial, fashion and stock photography. The results speak for themselves: this is without doubt our highest-quality camera to date.”

The World is Your Studio
The D3X boasts a specially-developed FX-format CMOS image sensor with 12-channel readout, gapless micro lens array and on-chip noise reduction. It delivers class-leading levels of continuous shooting speed and noise management at higher sensitivities without sacrificing detail.

The D3X supports a broad ISO range from ISO 100-1600, extendable down to ISO 50 and up to 6400 equivalent with up to 5 fps continuous shooting at full resolution, or 7 fps in the 10MP DX-crop mode. The acclaimed Multi-CAM3500FX 51-point autofocus system enables extremely accurate single-point accuracy with outstanding dynamic tracking for fast moving subjects in low light.

The camera’s LiveView function offers a smooth workflow option, perfect for studio work or other situations where the use of the viewfinder is impractical. The camera also delivers a superb response rate, with a start-up of just 12 milliseconds and 40ms shutter lag. The Kevlar/carbon fibre composite shutter has been designed for intensive professional needs and tested to 300,000 cycles.

Images with the X factor
The D3X reaps the benefits of the very latest developments in sensor design and image processing technology. Designed to produce files suitable to meet the demands of tomorrow’s commercial and stock requirements, the camera produces 50MB 14-bit NEF (Raw) files. Using Capture NX2 software, NEF files can be processed into medium format terrain; 140MB (16-bit TIFF-RGB). Fine details are reproduced with incredible clarity, whilst shadows and highlights contain tonal gradation with minimal clipping for pictures with a unique look and feel.

Intuitive control
The D3X shares the same ergonomics and handling as the D3, which have been designed to enable anyone to get to work quickly and efficiently. The bright, uncluttered viewfinder features 100% coverage and comprehensive illuminated displays, while the high-definition, 3-inch, 920,000-dot VGA TFT monitor enables outstanding playback quality for on-the-spot image assessment. The D3X’s magnesium body, which is sealed for moisture and dust resistance, also supports Nikon’s wireless system (the WT-4), HDMI output, offers a dual slot for CF cards and is compatible with the new GP-1 GPS unit

Features:

Nikon FX-format CMOS sensor with 24.5 megapixels
The D3X employs a new Nikon FX-format CMOS sensor with 24.5 effective megapixels covering an area of 35.9 x 24.0 mm to achieve truly amazing resolution. What’s more, we’ve optimized the pixel characteristics to provide a higher S/N ratio and wider dynamic range by securing a greater amount of light received by each pixel, thereby reducing lost highlights and shadows, and ensuring smoother tone reproduction with minimized noise.

Wide sensitivity range starting at ISO 100
At normal setting, the D3X offers a wide range of sensitivity — from ISO 100, suitable for stroboscopic setting in studio shoots, to ISO 1600. It realizes superior image quality with less noise at ISO 1600 as well as at low sensitivity settings. What’s more, the sensitivity range can be increased by two stops (up to ISO 6400 equivalent) and decreased by one stop (down to ISO 50 equivalent), offering an even greater diversity of shooting possibilities. Auto sensitivity control is also available.

New EXPEED-based image processing
A new image processing system, based on Nikon’s comprehensive EXPEED digital image processing and specially optimized for the D3X, provides superior image quality, faster processing speeds and lower power consumption. This advanced system achieves precise color reproduction for the broadest spectrum of hues, plus vivid saturation and smooth gradation, conveying colors as you see them, even with the slight changes in color tones you perceive. Furthermore, Nikon’s advanced noise processing function, which was

High-speed performance meets the most rigorous professional demands
Just like the D3, the D3X achieves a start-up time of 0.12 second and a shutter release time lag of 0.04 second*1*2. It delivers a continuous shooting speed of approx. 5 frames per second in FX format (36 x 24) or 5:4 (30 x 24), and 7 frames per second in DX format (24 x 16)*2*3. Also, the D3X is fully compatible with UDMA, the new-generation high-speed card that enables 35-Mbyte recording equivalent to the D3. The D3X is capable of recording approx. 7.1 MB (JPEG, image size L, NORMAL) of data captured in FX format at speeds of approx. 5 frames per second.

Realizing reliable auto control: Scene Recognition System
As with the D3, the D3X recognizes subjects and shooting scenes using a 1,005-pixel RGB sensor that precisely controls exposure by detecting not only the brightness but the colors of the subjects as well. The results are applied to control Autofocus, Auto Exposure, i-TTL Balanced Fill-flash and Auto White Balance, thereby achieving control of the highest.

AF system employing high-density 51-point AF
The Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module, originally incorporated in the D3, offers proven outstanding performance. All 51 focus points, including the 15 cross-type sensors located at the center, are effective in all AF NIKKOR lenses with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or larger. Three AF-area modes — Single point, Dynamic-area AF and Auto-area AF — are available to maximize the use of the 51 focus points by selecting the most suitable one to match subject conditions. Moreover, in Scene Recognition System, subject identification and tracking information is applied to improve subject acquisition performance in Dynamic-area AF mode and focusing accuracy for human subjects in Auto-area AF mode.

Superior durability
Magnesium alloy is used for the exterior cover, chassis and mirror box to ensure light weight and rugged reliability. Strict O-ring sealing at critical connected parts effectively restricts dust and moisture.
The shutter unit, developed and manufactured by Nikon, employs a new material (carbon fiber/Kevlar® hybrid) for the shutter blades, guaranteeing excellent durability through 300,000-cycle release tests with the shutter actually loaded. Precision is also maintained with a shutter monitor.

High-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor with approx. 920k-dots (VGA), 170° wide-viewing angle and reinforced glass
The D3X incorporates a large, 3-inch LCD monitor with ultra-high resolution of approx. 920k-dots (VGA). Enlarged playback images also appear in extremely high resolution for easy focus confirmation. The wide viewing angle of 170° makes it easy to check composition in Live View shooting for both high and low angles.

Two Live View modes available
In Handheld mode, which allows the frame to be recomposed prior to actual shooting, ordinary TTL phase-difference AF using all 51 AF points is activated. Tripod mode is designed for precise focus with still subjects and tripod stabilization; It allows focal-plane contrast AF on a desired point within a specific area. Optional software Camera Control Pro 2 enables monitor focus and control shutter release from a computer. And optical Wireless Transmitter WT-4 enables wireless remote camera control and image transfer.

Picture Control System
Picture Control System offers four kinds of Picture Controls: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, and Monochrome. Choose one and use as is, or adjust image creation factors (Sharpening, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, and Hue). Optional Picture Controls (Portrait, Landscape, D2XMODE I, D2XMODE II and D2XMODE III) are available at the Nikon website for downloading and installation to your camera.

Active D-Lighting — reproducing brightness as you see it
In settings with strong contrast, Active D-Lighting, used in combination with 3D Matrix Metering II, determines an exposure by utilizing a gradation of highlights, detects lost shadows, then reproduces them after digital processing. Rather than simply expanding the dynamic range, Active D-Lighting prevents images from looking flat through localized tone control technology, and creates realistic contrast while compensating lost shadows and highlights. Choose from Auto, Extra High, High, Normal, Low or Off setting prior to shooting.

Electronic virtual horizon
An accelerator sensor incorporated in the body of the camera detects inclination and displays it in the LCD monitor. In Live View shooting, virtual horizon is displayed in the LCD above the monitor image. It can also be displayed in the top control panel and in the exposure indicator of the viewfinder.

UDMA-compatible memory card double slot
The CompactFlash (CF) card slots are UDMA-compatible for high-speed data transfer. With the double slot, you can choose from Continuous recording, Backup recording, and RAW + JPEG Separation recording (records the same image in RAW and JPEG on different cards). You can also copy the data from one card to another.

GPS Unit GP-1 (optional)GPS records shooting information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and date of shooting. Coordinated with map information, you can create an original map using images.

Other features

Lateral chromatic aberration reduction creates images with a clear periphery using original image processing technology to significantly reduce color aberrations
Vignette Control effectively prevents reduction of light at the periphery
Optical viewfinder achieves approx. 100%*4 frame coverage and 0.7x*5 magnification in FX format
Three sensing areas: FX format (36 x 24), DX format (24 x 16), and 5:4 (30 x 24)
Customizable function button
Choice of black or white letters for shooting information display
AF fine adjustment with professional standard of accuracy
Compliant with HDMITM for high-definition image playback
Lets you shoot up to approx. 4,400 frames on a single battery charge*6

*1: Based on CIPA Guidelines
*2: In 12-bit A/D conversion mode
*3: The maximum frame rate can be chosen using Custom setting d2 [Shooting speed]. The rate is tested under the following conditions: focus mode set to C, exposure mode set to S or M, shutter speed set to 1/250 sec. or faster, with other settings set to default. If VR is on when a VR lens is used, the indicated speed may not be attained. The maximum number of shots at the maximum frame rate is determined by the selected image size and quality. The frame rate slows when the memory buffer fills.
*4 Approx. 100% (vertical/horizontal) in FX format, approx. 97% (vertical/horizontal) in DX format, approx. 100% (vertical) and approx. 97% (horizontal) in 5:4
*5 With 50mm f/1.4 lens set at infinity, -1.0m-1
*6 Using EN-EL4a lithium-ion battery at Single-frame [S] mode; based on CIPA Standards

HIV AIDS and You

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:39:12 -0600

What is HIV?
HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system-the body's defence against diseases. The latest research suggests that between 70 and 90 per cent of people may experience symptoms of infection a few days after having been infected. Three symptoms occuring together: fever, rash and a sever sore throat should always be considered a potential indicator of HIV infection. These symptoms usually disappear within two or three weeks. Some people may not experience these early symptoms. In all cases, without effective treatment the immune system will become very weak and no longer be able to fight off illnesses.

Are HIV and AIDS the same?
No. When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.

Is there a cure for HIV?
No, but treatment can keep the virus under control and the immune system healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life, although they may experience side effects from the treatment. If HIV is diagnosed late, treatment may be less effective in preventing AIDS.

Today is recognized around the world as the World AIDS Day, a day to try and come together to fight the AIDS epidemic. So what should you be doing on this day to try and help out the cause?

World AIDS Day is held every year on December 1st, and this year is no different than any other.

It is a day when individuals and groups can come together to try and raise awareness against the AIDS virus.

This is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, as it was started in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The whole idea behind it according to the WHO was to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS issues.

The biggest problems facing people with HIV/AIDS is the fact that they usually lack support and understanding.

This is a day where it is important to try and help these people, by giving them the support they need.

They can also use this day to get further educated as to how they can live with HIV/AIDS.

Other key points of interest on this historic day include the spread of education and development of prevention tactics against the virus.

World AIDS Day is recognized by more than 190 countries around the world, and will go down as a huge success once again.

HIV statistics can be quite complex. Many of the statistics consist of both clear & knowable facts as well as estimates based on clinical surveys and statistical methods. Throughout these statistics, look for the information sign to learn more about the statistic and its reliability. Most statistics relate to 2007 or 2006.

You'll see as you look more closely at the statistics that generalisations which are true at the most general UK level are often not true at lower, more specific levels. That's why we've started off with the UK-wide picture, but then provided separate statistics for particular groups. The most important statistical groups include gay & bisexual men, black Africans, injecting drug users, black Caribbeans and people living in London.

1 How many people are living with HIV in the UK?

Estimates show that more than 80,000 people are now living with HIV in the UK

2 How many people are diagnosed with HIV each year?

7,740 people have so far been reported as newly diagnosed with HIV during 2007 - the final figure may be higher.

3. How many people have HIV but don't know it?

There are around 25,000 people in the UK who are unaware of their infection.

4. How many HIV tests are carried out each year?

Over 600,000 HIV tests were carried out in sexual health clinics in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2006.

5 How many people with HIV are being diagnosed late?

About one-third of newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults are diagnosed late.

6 How does HIV affect life expectancy?

In 2006 about 1% of people with HIV died. This is about the same as for the UK population as a whole, however the average age at death of people living with HIV is lower than that for the general population.

7 What about HIV amongst gay & bisexual men?

In 2006, an estimated 30,100 gay & bisexual men were living with HIV in the UK.

8 What about HIV amongst black Africans?

In 2006, an estimated 24,500 black Africans were living with HIV in the UK.

9 What about HIV amongst black Caribbeans?

In 2007, over 1,700 black Caribbeans were living with HIV in the UK.

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New Figures Show Increasing Number of People Living with HIV

Growing number of hetrosexuals acquiring HIV within the UK

The latest figures from the Health Protection Agency reveal that the number of people living with HIV in the UK increased to an estimated 77,400 in 2007, with 7,734 new diagnoses in 2007 alone. Although high, the number of people diagnosed with HIV each year seems to have reached a plateau but this disguises more worrying trends. Increase in Heterosexual Transmission in the UK The estimated number of people diagnosed who were infected through heterosexual contact within the UK has increased from 540 new diagnoses in 2003 to 960 in 2007, and has doubled from 11 per cent to 23 per cent as a proportion of all heterosexual diagnoses in this period. Need to get better at diagnosing HIV early Over a quarter (28 per cent) of people living with HIV are unaware of their infection and many of those that are diagnosed are being diagnosed late - after the point at which they should have started treatment. 42 per cent of heterosexual men were diagnosed late and 36 per cent of heterosexual women compared to 19 per cent of gay or bisexual men. People diagnosed late are thirteen times more likely to die within a year of diagnosis. Many people risking health by delaying treatment The statistics also highlight an area of growing concern – the number of people choosing not to start or to delay starting treatment. Almost one in five of people with diagnosed HIV who are at the point when it is recommended treatment begin nevertheless have made the decision not to start treatment. Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), comments: “Each year a significant number of people are diagnosed with HIV, showing we still have much more to do to reduce ongoing HIV infection in the UK. Funding for prevention and testing must be increased and the Government must begin to take seriously the public health challenge of HIV in the UK, as it is growing each year. Most worrying is the number of people who should be on HIV treatment but who in fact are not - whether because they are unaware of their infection or because they are opting not to start treatment when recommended. Treatment for HIV has revolutionised the condition and people with HIV can now expect a good life expectancy if they are diagnosed early and take their medication as advised. By not getting treatment people are risking their health.”

Power.com bridges all your social networks

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:11:13 -0600

Once upon a time, there was a little widget called Meebo. It excelled by pooling together disparate interactive chatting programs such as MSN, Yahoo and iCQ into a unified interface. No longer would you have to log into multiple chatting programs to span your entire network; you could just log into meebo and your friends were at your fingertips.

What Meebo does for chatting, Power.com wants to do for social networks. Many of us spend a chunk of our day interacting with our Facebook homies. We also have legacy networks residing in MySpace. Orkut and niche applications like LinkedIn. Power provides one interface where we can unite all those networks in all their glory.

Power's premise is that one interface for all networks makes life for all of us easier. It's a good concept: nothing beats the gratification of being able to view your entire social networking empire on one screen. It also means you can send one message to people on a range of networks.

But as per reviews on CNet, the program has a fair number of drawbacks. It comes across as somewhat intrusive and shifting between Power and the native networks on which it lies can be irritating.

Power promises to add mobile functionality as well as integration with Skype and all the other goodies we crave. The success of the program depends largely on how important it becomes for us to manage our portfolio of networks. If Facebook can emerge as a winner takes all product, Power may just be rendered powerless.

Many many congratulations for missionful return journey:Space shuttle Endeavour lands safely.

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:40:48 -0600

Endeavour was launched into orbit on November 14th. The crew added sleeping compartments
to the space station, as the number of astronauts living on board will increase from the current
3 to 6 next year.They also installed a system that purifies used water into drinking water.
Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 4:25 PM Sunday, local time.
It was initially scheduled to touch down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but was
rerouted because of bad weather.
The space shuttle Endeavour has safely returned from a mission to the International Space
Station. The US space agency NASA will now start preparing for another shuttle launch in
February that will carry Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata on board.
The next shuttle carrying Wakata is scheduled to be launched on February 12th.

'Hospital on a Chip' may revolutionise soldiers' treatment

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:19:33 -0600

If scientists have their way, it may soon be possible to create a 'hospital on a chip' for instant treatment to wounded soldiers even before a medic reaches their side.

The survival of battlefield wounds often depends on the level of treatment within the first 30 minutes

Evgeny Katz of Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., and Joseph Wang of the University of California, San Diego are working on developing a ‘field hospital on chip’- that would be worn by every soldier, and would be able to detect an injury and automatically administer the right medication.

“We have already designed bioelectrodes and biofuel cells responding to multiple biochemical signals in a logic way,” said Katz, co-principal investigator on the project.

“In the future we could expect implantable devices controlled by physiological signals and responding to the needs of an organism, notably a human,” Katz added.

The researchers are working on creating enzymes that can measure the biomarkers and provide the logic necessary to make a limited set of diagnoses based on several biological variables.

The system will monitor a soldier’s sweat, tears or blood for biomarkers that signal common battlefield injuries such as trauma, shock, brain injury or fatigue and then automatically administer the proper medication.

“Since the majority of battlefield deaths occur within the first 30 minutes after injury, rapid diagnosis and treatment are crucial for enhancing the survival rate of injured soldiers,” says Wang.

The researchers believe that the resulting enzyme-logic sense-and-treat system will revolutionize the monitoring and treatment of injured soldiers and will lead to dramatic improvements in their survival rate.

Bureau Report

Booster vaccine for parents protects infants from whooping cough

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:17:58 -0600

A booster vaccination for parents of new babies and other household members can significantly protect infants against the fatal form of whooping cough, say doctors.

Citing examples of two fatal cases of invasive pertussis in unvaccinated young infants, paediatricians Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh explained the how infectious adults within a family can be the source of infection for unimmunised infants, reports the British Medical Journal.

In the first case, a one-month old boy was suffering from cough, runny nose and difficulty feeding for the past five days. Both parents, and an elder sibling also reported persistent coughing with vomiting in the previous two weeks.

While the elder sibling was fully vaccinated, there was no record of the parents'' childhood vaccination status, but the mother received a pertussis booster in 1986.

Despite maximum therapy, the 1-month-old infant died within 24 hours.

In another case of a six-week old girl, who also suffered from history of cough and breathlessness, the doctors found that her mother had a persistent cough for more than two weeks.

While the mother had received all her childhood immunisations including pertussis, there was no record of the father's pertussis immunisation.

Despite maximum therapy, the infant died within 30 hours.

The doctors suggested that most infants catch the disease from affected household members, with parents accounting for more than half of the cases.

The author suggests that the introduction of an adult booster or more targeted vaccination of household contacts of young infants should be considered.

ANI

Indian, Pak hackers deface govt websites

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:14:43 -0600

Indian and Pakistani hackers are engaged in a round of tit-for-tat defacing of government-run websites of the two countries, targeting such major organisations as India's oil and gas major ONGC and its Pakistani counterpart OGRA.

The cyber warfare began in mid-November when an Indian group of hackers known as HMG or "Guards of Hindustan" defaced the website of Pakistan's Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and deleted all its data.

The move created a buzz in cyberspace as HMG had earlier hacked a number of Pakistani communities on the social networking website Orkut. Apparently acting in retaliation, a group calling itself the Pakistan Cyber Army (PCA) yesterday hacked five Indian websites, including those of ONGC, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Indian Railways and the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Ratlam.

While the websites of ONGC and Indian Railways were quickly restored, the IIRS website is still blank. In a message posted briefly on the ONGC website, PCA said the hacking was carried out in retaliation for the hacking of the OGRA website.

"Back off, go read some course books, else you will lose both, your name and this game. We will literally smoke your doors off like other groups did before," said the message from PCA.

Responding quickly to the actions of the PCA, HMG took control of the website of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Ratlam. The website still features a message from HMG asking the site owner to fix its "flaws".

"Ur site was hacked by Pakistani hackers, now ur site is in our Indian hackers' control," said the message from HMG.

After internet usage became popular in the Indian subcontinent in the early 1990s, Indian and Pakistani hackers including those based in the West often engaged in tit-for-tat defacing of websites of both countries.

Those activities subsided after a few years. Hackers cannot control a website permanently even if they break into it. They usually post a fake page on a hacked website.

Ironically, PCA has asked Indian authorities to take action against HMG for hacking Pakistani websites "or get ready for more action".

Bureau Report

Google's virtual world Lively to die next month

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:12:40 -0600

Lively, a virtual reality service from Google Inc., is dying.
The company plans to shut down the service at the end of the year, reflecting Lively's inability to stand out from the rest of the virtual reality crowd. The pack of faux worlds is led by Second Life, where people deploy animated alter egos known as avatars to pursue digital fantasies.

Google introduced Lively to much fanfare in July, but management concluded it needed to sharpen its focus on its primary business of Internet search and advertising as the company's revenue growth decelerates in the deteriorating economy.

"We've also always accepted that when you take these kinds of risks not every bet is going to pay off," Google wrote in a blog post late Wednesday.

Even so, shutting down the service represents one of the few times Google has retreated since its inception a decade ago. Emboldened by its dominance of the lucrative search advertising market, Google has been extending its tentacles into other Internet markets, such as photo sharing, online payments and e-mail.

In one of its most significant steps back before this one, Google in 2006 abandoned a service that hired researchers to answer questions from users.

The employees who had been working on Lively will be reassigned to other jobs after the service shuts down, according to Google's blog.

Bureau Report

Facebook wins case against spammer

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:11:01 -0600

Facebook has a won $873 million judgment against a Canadian man who bombarded the popular online hangout with sexually explicit "spam" messages.

The victory, sealed with a judge's order issued last Friday, probably won't yield a windfall for privately held Facebook Inc., whose revenue this year is expected to range between $250 million to $300 million.

Court records indicate the alleged spammer, Adam Guerbuez of Montreal, has been difficult to find since Facebook sued him four months ago. But Facebook is hoping the size of the judgment will scare off other spammers who might be tempted to target the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company's audience of more than 120 million users.

"Everyone who participates constructively in Facebook should feel confident that we are fighting hard to protect you against spam and other online nuisances," Max Kelly, Facebook's director of security, wrote Monday on the company's blog. Efforts to reach Guerbuez for comment on Monday were unsuccessful.

The case against Guerbuez and his business, Atlantis Blue Capital, illustrates how Internet rogues can manipulate Facebook's communications system to unleash massive marketing blitzes.

According to Facebook, Guerbuez fooled its users into providing him with their usernames and passwords. One method was the use of fake Web sites that posed as legitimate destinations.

After Guerbuez gained access to user's personal profiles, he used computer programs to send out more than 4 million messages promoting a variety of products, including marijuana and penis enlargement products, during March and April of this year, Facebook said.

"Despite the resources dedicated to spam eradication, current available technology does not permit Facebook to completely prevent the transmission of spam on its site," the company's lawyers wrote in the case against Guerbuez.

Bureau Report

Alert! Jupiter, Venus, Moon to come closer

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:04:27 -0600

When the Sun goes down on Monday evening, step outside to watch the best sky show of the year. Jupiter, Venus and Moon - three of the brightest objects up there at night - will be closest to each other then.

Jupiter and Venus have been rapidly coming towards each other for the last few days, a phenomenon that will not be visible against till 2012. And soon they will have the Moon for company.

"Look towards the southwest and you will see something very pretty - Venus and Jupiter beaming together through the twilight. The two closely-spaced planets are about to be joined by the slender crescent Moon for a spectacular three-way conjunction," Nehru Planetarium director N Rathnashree said.

The three brightest objects in the night sky will be gathered so tightly together that you can hide them all behind your thumb held at arm's length.

The Nehru Planetarium will put out telescopes at Old Fort in the capital.

"Although clear to the naked eye, a small telescope will make the evening even more enjoyable. We will be putting up some telescopes at Old Fort in the evening for people to have a clearer look of the celestial triangle," Rathnashree said.

"It is a rare activity. The winter sky is very clear and you can have a spectacular look of the celestial activity," said Ajay Talwar, a member of the Amateur Astronomer Association.

The celestial triangle will be visible from all parts of the world, even from lightly polluted cities.

IANS

Alert! Jupiter, Venus, Moon to come closer

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:01:38 -0600

USA Research Confirms Biopsies Not Needed To Diagnose Breast Cancer !!

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:02:15 -0600

Research raises hopes of avoiding biopsies on benign breast tumours

Published Date: 30 November 2008

By Nicholas Christian Scotland on Sunday

SCIENTISTS may have found a way of analysing breast lumps that could reduce the number of biopsies on benign tumours, it emerged yesterday. A review of almost 2,600 breast MRI exams carried out during a four-year period at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance found three factors which, when used together, could predict the likelihood of whether lumps were malignant.

Professor Wendy DeMartini believe they could have found a way to overcome problems faced by doctors analysing the results of MRI examinations.

Cancerous and non-cancerous lumps often look alike and behave similarly when further tests are done. A biopsy is often necessary to determine whether a lesion is cancerous.

The procedures can be emotionally traumatic for women when mammograms reveal a suspected breast tumour. About three-quarters of patients who undergo biopsies find they do not have breast cancer.

In a biopsy a needle is inserted into the breast lump and a sample removed which is taken for analysis. In some cases, a more invasive procedure has to be carried out when a patient undergoes a surgical biopsy, which involves the surgeon attempting to completely remove the area of concern, often along with a surrounding margin of normal breast tissue.

The researchers found three characteristics that, when taken together, were an effective way of predicting malignancy that could remove the need for such a biopsy.

They were the reason that the woman was having a breast MRI, the size of the lump or lesion, and the pattern observed when dye is injected to the area of concern. Dye is often injected to the breast during an MRI in an attempt to determine if the lump is cancerous.

Most likely to be benign were lumps found in women – who were being screened because they are considered to be at high risk for developing cancer – that were found to be small and their dye enhancement increased over time.

"In lesions which had those three characteristics, the likelihood of malignancy was 1%," said DeMartini.

"This is so close to zero that rather than doing a biopsy we could instead follow the patient by doing another MRI in a few months, or we may not need to do any additional testing."

DeMartini warned that more research is needed before this statistical model can be used as standard practice.

Her views were presented in a paper at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

China pledges to fight AIDS discrimination

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:49:13 -0600

BEIJING – Chinese health authorities and the U.N. AIDS agency pledged to fight discrimination against people with the disease in China with the unveiling Sunday of a massive red ribbon, the symbol of AIDS awareness, at the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing.

Organizers said the fear of being stigmatized at work or in their communities is discouraging many people at risk of HIV infection from being tested. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

After years of denying that AIDS was a problem, Chinese leaders have shifted gears in recent years, confronting the disease more openly and promising anonymous testing, free treatment for the poor and a ban on discrimination against people with the virus.

State television Sunday showed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visiting a village hit particularly hard by AIDS in eastern China's Anhui province. Wen, who makes such annual visits to mark World AIDS Day, observed Monday, held hands with children orphaned by AIDS and spoke to patients in beds.

The topic, however, still remains very sensitive and authorities regularly crack down on activists and patients seeking more support and rights.

"About half of all Chinese would not want to share a meal with a person with HIV/AIDS, and a quarter would not want to shake hands," said Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander, country coordinator of UNAIDS in China. "People will not come forward to be tested. They won't benefit from treatment. They won't talk to their partners and colleagues about HIV/AIDS — putting themselves and others potentially at risk for HIV."

Schwartlander was speaking at the Bird's Nest stadium, a main Olympic venue, during the unveiling of a 66-foot by 50-foot (20-meter by 15-meter) banner on which the red AIDS awareness ribbon was printed.

"Stigma and discrimination are major obstacles in an effective response to AIDS. We need to engage all sectors of society in China to combat these issues and work together to stop the disease," said Minister of Health Chen Zhu. He did not specify any steps they would take.

Official estimates put the number of people living with HIV in China at about 700,000, with around 85,000 people with full-blown AIDS, UNAIDS said in a statement. But the number of officially reported HIV cases remains only 264,302 — far lower than the estimated total, in part because of reluctance to seek testing

Computer Crashes

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:32:11 -0600

A Harris Interactive study from 2005 discovered that 35 percent of Americans said they weren't backing up at all. My guess is that the actual figure is even higher. Why? Because backing up is a pain in the neck. The only way to get people to back up their data is to make the process automatic. Apple has a feature called Time Machine that backs up your Mac to an external drive, automatically. But what if the disaster that wipes out your computer also takes out your whole office? Mozy (and others, like Boston-based Carbonite, Mozy's chief rival) is selling the advantage of having your data stored thousands of miles away—in Mozy's case, in three data centers in Utah, and, for European customers, one in Dublin, Ireland.

Three years after its launch, Mozy has 900,000 user accounts. Most use its free service, which lets you store up to two gigabytes of data at no cost. But 340,000 people pay Mozy and get unlimited storage (the basic consumer package costs five bucks a month). You create an account and tell Mozy which files you want backed up. Your first backup can take more than a week, depending on how much data you're sending out over the wire. After that, Mozy runs in the background, backing up only files that have changed since the last backup. Mozy officials won't talk much about financials, but they say revenues are in the "eight figures" and revenue this year will grow 300 percent. "We've kept growing even in the past few months as everyone else is struggling," says Vance Checketts, Mozy's chief operating officer.

TECHTONIC SHIFTS Daniel Lyons

NASA delays space shuttle Endeavour's landing

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:29:27 -0600

Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts will remain in orbit a little longer than planned.

Dangerously high wind and a stormy forecast forced Mission Control to call off Sunday's first landing attempt at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There is a second landing opportunity at Kennedy later in the afternoon, and NASA was hopeful the weather might cooperate.

If not, good weather is expected all day at Edwards Air Force Base in California, NASA's backup landing site.

Endeavour and its crew are wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the international space station freshly remodeled and capable of housing bigger crews. Returning home is former space station resident Gregory Chamitoff, who's been off the planet since the end of May.

___

MNC exec survives on BlackBerry, guts and beer; lives to tell it

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:47:16 -0600

Being the vice-president of a multinational firm, Amit Gupta, 38, thought he knew exactly what facing a high-pressure situation meant. So when gunmen stormed the lobby of Oberoi Trident Hotel in Mumbai on Wednesday night, Gupta relied on his experience in crisis management and moved out of harm's way. In an instinctive yet organised manner.

"I checked into room number 1781 of Oberoi at 9.35 pm. At 9.40 pm, I heard what sounded like fire crackers from the lobby. I opened my door and smoke had engulfed the hallway and was filling my room through the AC ducts," recounts Gupta, a resident of Pitampura, who returned to Delhi Friday night, after surviving the hostage drama.

"I broke open the large window pane of my room and stepped out to the stone ledge overlooking the street below. I sat there for 20 minutes until the smoke cleared," he adds, convinced by now that it was a terrorist attack. His fears were confirmed when relatives informed him of the news on his BlackBerry.

After recovering from the initial shock, Gupta stayed put in his room. Common sense prevented him from using the emergency exits as he felt the terrorists were roaming freely in the building. After midnight, when gunshots began and the lights went out, his only companion was a BlackBerry that gave him updates.

Relief came when he heard news of '200 NSG commandos landing in Mumbai'. "At 9. 30 am there was a knock on my door and three armed men in black suits asked me to open up. It was unnerving - I wasn't sure if they were terrorists or commandos. I asked them to prove their identity. But they threatened to break in and I had no defence," he laughs. The men frisked him and his belongings before identifying themselves as the NSG. Gupta knew he was safe, but his ordeal wasn't ending soon. The commandos left the room only to return in short intervals for water and food.

By Friday morning, the cable had been cut off, water and food was over, and his BlackBerry was low on battery. It was dark and lonely. But Gupta penned out a check list to keep himself calm. His only nutrition came from sipping beer cans stored in the fridge. "I needed to re-hydrate or I would pass out." At 1.30 pm on Friday the siege ended. Commandos escorted him along with seven other hostages to the Air India building. "I understood then what freedom meant. Being able to see the sky and breathing fresh air. It was a relief that my 42-hour ordeal was over."

But life still goes on and Gupta promises to return to work on Monday, against the advice of his superiors.

conjoined twins Decision

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:04:17 -0600

Doctors will decide on Tuesday whether to operate and separate a pair of newly-born conjoined twins.

Laura Williams, 18, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, gave birth to the girls, named Faith and Hope, at University College Hospital, London on Friday.

They are joined from their breastbone to their navel, so share a liver but have separate hearts.

Their mother told the Mail on Sunday that her babies, who are now at Great Ormond Street Hospital were "fighters".

Mrs Williams has made medical history by becoming the world's youngest mother of conjoined twins at the age of 18.

'Beautiful'

She said the moment she first saw the girls, who were delivered by Caesarean section on Wednesday was "brilliant" and "amazing".

She told the newspaper: "After I came round from the operation they wheeled me in to see them.

"They had tucked Hope's arm underneath and it was Faith's arm that I could see.

"I touched her and I took her hand and she was grasping it.

"They were both blowing little bubbles.

"They were so beautiful, I couldn't stop looking at them. After everything everyone said, I'm so glad they've proved them all wrong."

Mrs Williams and her husband Aled, from Anglesey, found out about their children's condition after a routine 12-week scan.

They were advised by doctors to have their daughters aborted but they refused to have a termination.

Mrs Williams said: "The night before the operation I couldn't sleep. I prepared myself for the worst, just in case, but from the first time I felt them kick, I thought they were going to be OK. And they're still here.

"They're little fighters."

Her husband said: "No words can describe it. I was so excited and happy and when I heard them screaming, it was like the world had lifted off my shoulders.

"The first thing I did was tell Laura they were all right and when I did, a single tear fell down her cheek."

The twins were christened one hour later then put in an ambulance to Great Ormond Street - a leading European centre for the care of conjoined twins.

Mrs Williams said she was optimistic about her daughters' chances of success.

'Significant abnormalities'

"The only thing they share is the liver and as that's the only major organ that can regenerate, the doctors can split it between the two of them and it will grow back, " she said.

Nuffield Professor of paediatric surgery at the hospital, Agostino Pierro, said the children's hearts had significant abnormalities that may need surgery.

He added: "The current concern is that the two hearts and the joined circulation raise a risk that the children might suddenly deteriorate and need emergency separation surgery.

He said surgeons would prefer to wait to operate on the children when they are older and stronger but they were beginning to believe that this may be risky.

"A meeting will be held on Tuesday to decide whether to attempt a planned separation this week, but it will be the parents who finally decide," he said.

Conjoined twins are rare and take place at the rate of about one in 400,000 live births.

In 2001 a team of surgeons in Birmingham carried out a successful operation to separate Eman and Sanchia Mowatt, who were joined at the spine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7757086.stm

The art of the toilet in Japan

allvoices / contributed news — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:42:30 -0600

Duncan Bartlett discovers how, when it comes to lavatories, Japan is a step ahead of the rest of the world.

No country takes toilets quite so seriously as Japan.

Machines with heated seats, built-in bidets and a dynamic range of flushing options are almost ubiquitous in homes and public buildings.

A poem recently published by a stressed-out salary man captured their comforting appeal with haiku-like brevity. "The only warmth in my life is the toilet seat," he mourned.

But lavatories here can do much more than keep you warm. One even sends a tiny electrical charge through the user's buttocks to check their body-fat ratio.

The master of the modern convenience is the Panasonic Corporation.

Booming market

At its Tokyo showroom, located in a skyscraper near the BBC's office, a group of smart young women, dressed in uniforms resembling flight attendants, showed me the company's latest wares.

The lids lifted up when I approached. If I stood in front of one, it took a guess at my gender and lifted up the seat as well.

There was a loo that glowed in the dark and another that had built-in loudspeakers.

With manicured fingernails, the demonstrator pushed the control panel beside the seat and gentle light classical music began to play.

Pleasant enough, I thought, although I preferred a pastoral sound effect that provided the impression one was seated upon a white plastic throne surrounded by songbirds in a springtime meadow.

Kyoko Ishii, who heads up the public relations department for Panasonic, explained to me that most of the people who choose luxury loos are older women, so this is a booming market in rapidly ageing Japan.

Kyoko says that for this core customer group, the emphasis now is less on the gadgetry and more on convenience and cleanliness.

A new flush has been invented which does away with the need for a tank and saves dramatically on water.

The device costs about £1,950 ($3,000) including installation. But it is not easy to sell outside Japan as bathrooms in other countries are rarely fitted with the right mixture of sophisticated plumbing and electronics.

Clean culture

A visitor to Tokyo recently told me that he was surprised to find Japanese women rather than foreigners cleaning the toilets in his hotel.

It is of course often immigrants who take on such jobs in rich countries. But foreign-born workers are rare here as only about 1.5% of the population are made up of non-native Japanese.

However, the low immigration level is only part of the explanation. Japanese people do not see cleaning as a demeaning or shameful job.

School children are trained from a young age to sweep their classrooms and scour the playground for litter.

Lorry drivers wash their trucks at the end of every day. No restaurant ever serves a meal without first offering the customer a cleansing towel.

Recently, I visited a small technology company in Osaka. The president, Mr Sugimoto, is trying to inspire his staff to work harder as recession takes hold.

He is noted for his drive and enthusiasm and that came across in a punchy presentation which he showed me on his laptop.

It included photographs of his staff on their knees scrubbing the urinals.

His point was that in preparation for a new project, the whole team had mucked in to clean up the workplace and this was clearly a source of pride to be included in the company's publicity.

Source of comfort

But toilets can raise a smile, too. Television comedies sometimes include scenes of pranksters luring people into loos whose walls then collapse, and the embarrassment this causes the victim is a source of great hilarity.

The Japanese - like the British - do not seem to mind too much when comedians sink into vulgarity and joke about scatological matters.

But there is also a dark underground trade in DVDs filmed in ladies' toilets by hidden cameras, and only last week a man was arrested for placing "spycams" in the lavatories of a girls' school.

Most of the time, though, the Japanese are happy to think of a toilet as their comfort and their friend.

The other day, while catching a commuter train to work, I found myself transfixed by an advertisement which was being screened on a TV inside the carriage.

A young girl slowly walked towards a loo, which automatically raised its lid to greet her.

The toilet then appeared to give a welcoming robotic smile and its seat began to glow an inviting orange colour as it heated up, ready for action.

Fortunately, the advertisement ended there. But not before a broad and appreciative smile broke out across the face of the girl.

From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 29 November, 2008 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.