offspring

Monday, April 30, 2012

Too long to DIAGNOSE the Brain Tumor...


Student with brain tumour repeatedly turned away by doctors who said she was 'homesick'

  • Megan suffered from terrible headaches and had difficulty walking but doctors put it down to stress
By Daily Mail Reporter
|
A student who was suffering from a brain tumour was repeatedly turned away by doctors who insisted she was just 'homesick.'

Megan Thompson, who was just three weeks into her childhood studies course at Leeds Metropolitan University, complained of terrible headaches and walking problems and made repeated trips to the doctor.

However, it wasn't until two months later that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour the size of a golf ball.

Megan Thompson with her mother Sarah during treatment last year for brain cancer
Determined: Megan Thompson with her mother Sarah during treatment last year for brain cancer

Today the UK charity Teenage Charity Trust revealed one in four young people with cancer had a similar experience to Megan and visited their doctor at least four times before they were taken seriously and referred to a specialist.

The 20-year-old student from Sunderland, who lives with her mother Sarah, and sister, Alice, 16, said: 'I began to get the most horrendous headaches and I couldn't walk properly.  It was then that I knew something was desperately wrong.

'I couldn't cut my food up and I couldn't even hold a glass of water in my hand. Every time I went to the doctors they told me I was stressed or partying too hard. They just dismissed it and said I was homesick.'

 
She added: 'It was December 16 when I had a scan and two days later I was having an operation to remove the tumour.  


'It was very quick for the operation, but it took so long to diagnose.'


Recovery: Megan now plans to study oncology and wants other young people to be aware of the warning symptoms of cancer
Recovery: Megan now plans to study oncology and wants other young people to be aware of the warning symptoms of cancer

Megan had 12 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in a bid to rid her body of medulloblastoma.

But when she suffered a reaction to the treatment, doctors placed her on a course of steroids to treat nerve damage.


A side-effect of the steroid meant bones in her leg were damaged and she was forced to undergo a hip replacement which left her in a wheelchair.  




MOST COMMON MISDIAGNOSES FROM GPS'

Survey by the Teenage Cancer Trust
Infection or virus (15%)
It's nothing/you're attention seeking (12%)
Sports injury (10%)
Stress, depression or psychosomatic (6%)
Eating disorder (2%) 

Now, after doctors put in a ceramic hip, she's hoping to follow in the footsteps of the inspirational nurses who helped save her life.


Last month she took her first steps back to independence by getting behind the wheel again to drive.


And in October she will begin an oncology course at York University inspired by the treatment she received at the RVI's Teenage Cancer Trust unit in Newcastle.

She said: 'It's so important that people keep a check out and make sure that they are alive to the signs, because it can save lives.'

The most common symptoms in young people are unexplained and persistent pain, a lump, bump or swelling, extreme tiredness, significant weight loss or changes in a mole.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Mobile phones won't damage your health...


'No evidence' that mobile phones damage your health, unless you use them while driving

  • Children should still be discouraged from excessive phone use
  • Driving while using a mobile remains the only established health risk
By Gareth Dorrian
|

Convincing evidence that mobile phones damage health is yet to surface despite an 'explosion' in research - a new study claims.

A leading scientist insisted that driving while using a mobile remains the only proven health risk; with the publishing of a report about exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields.

The review, billed as the most comprehensive yet, found a large number of studies have been published on cancer risks; but claimed none of the results had demonstrated that mobiles cause brain tumours or any other types of cancer.


The HPA report says no evidence has been found which suggests mobile phone usage will cause health problems
The HPA report says no evidence has been found which suggests mobile phone usage will cause health problems


The Health Protection Agency (HPA) report still warns that evidence needs to be constantly assessed as there was little information about risks beyond 15 years from first exposure to RF.

This should include awareness of nationwide brain tumour trends; which have so far given 'no indication' of any risk, the report said.

The HPA said it would continue to advise a "precautionary" approach and keep the science under close review.
 
The agency recommends that "excessive" use of mobile phones by children should be discouraged while adults should make their own decision.

Epidmologist Professor Anthony Swerdlow is chairman of the HPA's Independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR).

He said the last similar large-scale review was in 2003.

He said: 'There has now been a very large amount of research conducted, which wasn't true 10 years ago, and we have much firmer information than we had on several areas, for instance symptoms, cognitive effects, brain tumours, than we had then.

'There is no convincing evidence that radiofrequency exposure causes health effects in adults or in children.


    Report says children should still be discouraged from excessive phone use
Despite lack of evidence linking mobile phone use to health problems; the new report warns that children should be discouraged from excessive use

'But beyond 15 years for mobile phones, we have to say we have little or no information.

'I think it is important therefore, to some extent, to keep an eye out on this, which we will do into the future.'

He added that brain tumour rates were not rising in age groups that had been exposed for the last 10 to 15 years.
'This is an exposure that 20 years ago nobody had and now practically everybody has; so you might expect that if there were appreciable effects that you would see them in the tumour rates,' he said.

Dr John Cooper, director of the HPA centre for radiation, chemical and environmental hazards, said: 'There is still no convincing scientific evidence that RF field exposures from mobile phones and other radio technologies affect human health at exposure levels below internationally agreed guidelines.

'However, as this is a relatively new technology, the HPA will continue to advise a precautionary approach and keep the science under close review.

'The HPA recommends that excessive use of mobile phones by children should be discouraged and mobile phone-specific energy absorption rates values should be clearly marked in the phone sales literature.'

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Survival Secrets...


Want to stay alive? Survival secrets from an expert who REALLY knows

By Dr Jan Garavaglia


As a forensic pathologist, I’ve handled thousands of cases over the past 20 years. Normally, I don’t get emotionally involved; it’s my job to find answers and come up with a cause of death. People are counting on me to keep my emotions out of it.

But one day the body of a ten-year-old boy lay on the stainless steel table before me and I couldn’t help thinking that he would never graduate from university, never buy his own car, never fall in love and he would never have a family of his own - all the dreams I had for my own ten-year-old son.

As it happened, this boy died of a terrible, tragic error. The lab report showed he had a high level of methadone in his blood, enough to kill him.


Windows rolled halfway down cause the most traumatic injuries
Road rules: Car windows rolled halfway down cause the most traumatic injuries

Methadone is a legal drug for weaning addicts off heroin. It’s often used for the management of pain, and its illicit use is a growing problem.

There must be a mistake, we thought. How would a ten-year-old kid get his hands on methadone?
It didn’t make sense, so we repeated the tests.

Again, they came back positive for lethal levels of methadone. We talked to the boy’s mother. What we discovered was that he was being treated with another drug, methylphenidate. For several days prior to his death, he had been feeling uncharacteristically groggy and sleepy. Concerned, his mother notified the doctor, who suggested cutting the pills in half.

She did so, but his lethargy continued until the time he was found dead in bed. We tested those pills and discovered they were not methylphenidate at all. They were methadone.

The two drugs are very close alphabetically and the unthinkable had occurred: a pharmacy error. My heart went out to this mother, who was doing everything right to help her son but in the end was failed by a sometimes imperfect health-care system.

Sadly, this is not an isolated occurrence. Pharmacies do slip up. Some slip-ups, like a misspelled address, for example, won’t hurt anyone, but many other errors could cause serious discomfort, harm or even death. As I have discovered in my work, many deaths don’t need to happen.

Yes, everyone dies eventually. You can’t prevent that, but you can prevent it from happening prematurely. And you can do it with the simplest life-saving acts, whether it’s strapping on a seat belt correctly, making subtle changes to your diet or following your doctor’s orders.

That’s not all, either. There are other actions you might not be aware of that can save your life. For example, did you know that open or partially open car windows increase the risk of more severe injuries in an accident? There are many lessons that can be learned from the dead - lessons that can help us, the living, take better care of ourselves.


HOW NOT TO DIE IN A CAR ACCIDENT


Most people have never seen what a fatal car crash can do to a body, but I see it almost every day. The injuries from car accidents can be absolutely brutal. Some injuries are so overwhelming that they look like a bad horror movie.

• There are people who would be alive today had they worn their seat belts. Seat belts work because they keep drivers and passengers in their vehicles.

The interior of your car is a far more forgiving environment than the outside of your car. When you’re ejected from a vehicle in a crash, bad things happen. Just as important, you’ve got to use restraints properly.

Roads are most hazardous on Friday and Saturday nights between midnight and 3am 

Danger zone: Roads are most hazardous on Friday and Saturday nights between midnight and 3am
If you wear a seat belt without the shoulder harness, for example, you’re in danger of life-threatening internal injuries.
I’ve seen people who were almost cut in half by the lap belt because they didn’t use the shoulder harness. And if a seat back is reclined, the restraint becomes much less effective, if not useless.

• Air bags save lives, too. Safety experts recommend that seats should be moved back as far as possible to allow air bags to offer the best protection and cushioning when they deploy.

• Often, car accident victims are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I never, ever stop my car on the side of a motorway, for example. I’ve had cases in which drivers did this to fix a flat tyre and were rear-ended and killed. If something goes wrong with your car, don’t pull over until you can get to off-road parking, a side-street or petrol station.

• Anything unrestrained in your car can become a dangerous missile, whether it’s shopping, sports equipment or anything else.

• Keep your windows closed. I had one poor fellow - a truck driver - who died when a bee flew into his cab. And if not closed, then roll the windows all the way down. Windows rolled halfway down can cause the most traumatic injuries if you get partially thrown from your car.

• The most dangerous hours to be on the road are Friday night and Saturday night between midnight and 3am. I make sure to stay off the road then.


HOW NOT TO DIE ON HOLIDAY


Bad things can happen to anyone on holiday. I’d be the last person, however, to advise you not to take one, but by packing some common sense, you can make sure you’re doing everything you can to stay safe and well.

• I've seen Deep Vein Thrombosis kill even the healthiest people. Drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent it. On a plane I get up every half-hour or so to move and stretch my legs. I do exercises in my seat, like contracting and relaxing my legs. Even while waiting in the airport terminal, it’s important to keep moving your legs to help blood flow. Get up and walk around when you can.

• The most common cause of death while travelling is heart attack, and it usually strikes within the first couple of days of a holiday. I’ve autopsied many travellers with weak hearts who succumbed to sudden cardiac death, even though they were often walking, talking and feeling fine when it struck.

People who become ill on holiday often ignore unusual symptoms  

Health drought: People who become ill on holiday often ignore unusual symptoms because they don't know where to turn

Often when people are on holiday, they tax their bodies by doing things they’re not accustomed to. Take it easy on your trip.

• People who feel ill on holiday often don’t seek prompt medical attention. It’s unfamiliar territory and they don’t know where to go or whom to call, so they think they’ll ride it out. But please don’t ignore unusual symptoms

 Get checked out as soon as possible. You can get a free list of English-speaking doctors in many countries around the world from the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, www.iamat.org.

Otherwise, you can usually find English-speaking doctors by contacting the staff at a large hotel or your local consulate or embassy.


HOW NOT TO BE KILLED BY YOUR SUPPLEMENTS

People often assume that over-the-counter dietary supplements are safe, but many can have harmful side-effects, especially in high doses. And, with some, you really don’t know what you’re putting in your body and they might be harmful.

I once investigated the sudden death of a healthy 49-year-old woman. She exercised every day. She watched her diet religiously and kept her weight at around eight-and-a-half stone. She didn’t drink, smoke or take drugs.

Her autopsy revealed nothing. Then it emerged that she’d been taking 40 vitamin and dietary supplements every day - one of them was DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a naturally occurring hormone, that’s been promoted as a cure-all for everything from obesity to heart disease to ageing.

She was taking seven times the daily dose - it had affected her heartrate, with fatal results. She died as a result of excessive supplement use.

I think it’s fine to take a daily multivitamin/multimineral tablet, and perhaps other supplements depending on your doctor’s recommendation, but vitamins and minerals can cause problems if taken with some drugs.

Furthermore, the science on supplements is complex and often inadequate. Take calcium, for example. Calcium supplements are known to be helpful and generally safe, yet taking calcium pills might increase the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease in older women.

My simple advice: always check with your doctor about taking supplements

.
HOW NOT TO BE KILLED BY YOUR MEDICINE

Around 10 per cent of all medication errors are from drug name confusion, and the World Health Organisation says this confusion is an urgent worldwide problem. Fortunately, most errors are preventable with vigilance on your part.

• When you pick up your medicine from the pharmacy or are given medicine in the hospital, ask: Is this the medicine that my doctor prescribed? Researchers at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences found that 88 per cent of medication errors involved the wrong drug or the wrong dose.

• Find a pharmacy or chemist that you like and stick with it. A pharmacist who knows you might be more likely to notice something unusual about a prescription.

• Discuss your prescription with your pharmacist - to find out about side-effects and confirm that you’ve got the right medicine.

• Know the colour and shape of the pills you take regularly; examine the actual pills. The name of most brand-name drugs is usually stamped on the tablets. Also, study the label to make sure it matches the doctor’s prescription.

• Check everything before you leave the pharmacy. Lots of people simply pay and run. Make sure it’s your name on the bag. Then take out the bottle or box and check the label as well.

• Find out whether your medicine interacts with other drugs. Even useful, familiar and effective drugs can produce severe side-effects; others pose dangers of allergic reactions or toxic interactions if mixed with other substances.

Know the colour and shape of the pills you take regularly and examine the actual pills 

Medicine minefield: Know the colour and shape of the pills you take regularly and examine the actual pills
The greater the number of medications you take, the greater the risk of drug interactions - the elderly (aged 65 and older) are particularly vulnerable to this.

Ask your doctor (or doctors) to review your treatment plan at least every three or four months. Websites such as www.medscape.com or www.drugs.com have ‘interaction checkers’ where you plug in the medicine you’re taking to get a list of all the other drugs it interacts with.

• Check whether your medicine interacts adversely with any foods. Grapefruit juice, for instance, can increase the blood levels of some drugs, such as sedatives; calcium in dairy products impairs the absorption of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, widely used antibiotics. Ask your doctor about food-drug interactions and read the information that accompanies your prescriptions.

• Before leaving the doctor’s surgery, make sure you can read your prescription. If you can’t, your pharmacist might not be able to, either.

Also, ask your doctor or nurse what the medicine is for, how often you should take it and for how long, whether you should take it on an empty or full stomach, whether you should avoid certain foods, drinks or activities while taking it.

Very importantly, ask your doctor what are the potential side-effects — and what you should do if these side-effects do occur.

• Unless it’s essential, don’t use any prescription drug within two years of approval. Drugs are approved on the basis that a relatively-small number of studies show that a drug works and is safe. But it might not be until the drug has been on the market for a couple of years, and millions of people have used it, that infrequent but serious problems surface.


HOW NOT TO DIE IN HOSPITAL


Modern medical care is wondrous, but it’s complex. The things that can go wrong in a hospital are almost innumerable. But that doesn’t make them right or acceptable. Health care, instead of helping, might cause needless harm or, worse yet, kill you.

You must do what you can to ensure your hospital stay puts you on the path to recovery - and not to the morgue.

• Insist that anyone who has direct contact with you washes their hands, even before they put on protective gloves: if someone’s hands are unclean when they put on gloves, the gloves might become contaminated.

• Urinary tract infections are actually the most common type of infection originating in a hospital. Bacteria can slip into patients via urinary catheters, and these infections can be dismayingly tenacious.

Urinary catheters also limit your mobility, which then increases your risk of blood clots, pneumonia and muscle loss. While urinary catheters are sometimes necessary, the longer the catheter remains in place, the more likely you are to get an infection or other complication.

It’s often possible to avoid the catheter and a resultant urinary tract infection by using nappies or a bedpan instead.

• Pneumonia is another common hospital-acquired infection. The risk is shallow breathing which makes it easier for bugs that cause pneumonia to get a foothold.

Modern medical care is wondrous yet complex - with innumerable things that can go wrong 

Double-edged sword: Modern medical care is wondrous yet complex - with innumerable things that can go wrong
Shallow breathing is common during recovery from surgery or any other treatment - you might naturally take shallow breaths because you’re on your back and breathing deeply might be painful.

Also, after surgery, your lung tissue might have partially collapsed (a condition called atelectasis).
Deep breathing will help prevent pneumonia, and hospital staff can give you a device called an incentive spirometer; blow into it several times every day to strengthen lung capacity.

As soon as you are able, with assistance, get out of bed and walk around the hospital floor. Do this several times a day. Becoming mobile as soon as you can prevents atelectasis.

• Have your doctor sign his or her initials directly on the site to be operated on prior to the surgery. You’ll be less likely to make ‘Doctor Removes Wrong Kidney’ headlines.

• When a nurse comes to give you medicine, ask what it is and why you need it. Make sure the nurse checks your ID bracelet against the name on the prescription. Medication errors are common in hospitals.

• The longer you’re in the hospital, the higher your risk of complications. Do everything your healthcare team asks, so you’ll be able to leave quickly. In many cases, it’s better to continue your recovery at home,
anyway, away from the hum and beep of machines, the clatter of the food trolley and the loud conversations between nurses.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1202575/Want-stay-alive-Survival-secrets-expert-REALLY-knows.html#ixzz1sMe30vvM

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Curry Spice....


Curry spice 'lowers risk of heart attack after surgery'

  • Yellow pigment in turmeric known for having anti-inflammatory properties
By Daily Mail Reporter
|
The curry spice turmeric may help ward off heart attacks in people who have had recent bypass surgery, according to a study.

Curcimins - the yellow pigment in turmeric -  is known for having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Bypass surgery is performed to improve the blood supply to the heart muscle. 

However, during the operation the organ can be damaged by prolonged lack of blood flow, increasing the patient's risk of heart attack. 


Patients given an extract from turmeric (pictured) had a 65% lower risk of heart attack than those given a placebo in a study
Patients given an extract from turmeric (pictured) had a 65% lower risk of heart attack than those given a placebo in a study

The new findings suggest that curcumins may ease those risks when added to traditional drug treatment.


The results need to be confirmed in further research, said Wanwarang Wongcharoen from Chiang Mai University in Thailand.


Turmeric extracts have long been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine.

Research has suggested inflammation plays an important role in the development of a range of diseases, including heart disease, and curcumins could have an effect on those pathways, said Bharat Aggarwal, who studies the use of curcumins in cancer therapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.


'It's very, very encouraging,' said Aggarwal of the study.


The researchers studied 121 patients who had non-emergency bypass surgery at their hospital between 2009 and 2011.


Half of those patients were given one-gram curcumin capsules to take four times a day, starting three days before their surgery and continuing for five days afterwards. The other half took the same number of drug-free placebo capsules.


The researchers found that during their post-bypass hospital stays, 13 per cent of patients who'd been taking curcumins had a heart attack, compared to 30 per cent in the placebo group.


After accounting for any initial pre-surgery differences, Wongcharoen and his colleagues calculated that people on curcumins had a 65 per cent lower chance of heart attack.


Researchers said it's likely that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumins may have helped limit heart damage in the patients.


'Curcumin has for many years now been shown to reduce inflammation and to reduce oxygen toxicity or damage caused by free radicals in a number of experimental settings,' commented Jawahar Mehta, a cardiologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.


'But that doesn't mean that this is a substitute for medication,' he said, noting that drugs like aspirin, statins and beta blockers have been proven to help heart patients and people in the current study were taking those as well.


One limitation was that the study was relatively small. Another is that while curcumins are thought to be safe, there could be side effects at very large doses.


'Taken in moderation or used in cooking, (curcumins) are quite useful. But I wouldn't go to a health food store and start taking four grams of curcumin a day, as was done in this study,' Mehta said. 

The study was published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Cardiology.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Facebook...


Facebook can lead to 'addiction', especially among the poorly educated - and heavy users feel less happy about their lives

  • 70% of users log in as soon as they start their PC
  • Can lead to 'addiction' say researchers
  • Poorly educated use site the most
  • Heavy users feel less happy and content with their lives
By Rob Waugh
|

Facebook can lead to 'addiction' says a Swedish report into the social network - and people on low incomes and of low educational levels are particularly at risk
Facebook can lead to 'addiction' says a Swedish report into the social network - and people on low incomes and of low educational levels are particularly at risk 

Facebook is a habit-forming activity - but users who spend a lot of time on the site say they feel less happy with their lives.

University of Gothenburg researchers say that many users log in as soon as they turn their PCs on - and that the behaviour can develop into an 'addiction'.

People in low income groups and the poorly educated are particularly at risk. 


Up to 85% of users say that they use Facebook daily - and half say they start up Facebook as soon as they open their web users. 


Half fear that they are not 'on top of things' if they are not logged into the site, and 25% say they fill 'ill at ease' if they can't log in regularly. 


The Swedish survey, which polled 1,000 people aged 18-73 showed the network had its dark side. 

'Facebooking may become an unconscious habit. A majority of the respondents log in every time they start their web browser. This may even develop into an addiction,' says Leif Denti, doctoral student of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg.


People with low income and low-educated individuals spend more time on Facebook.
Women are generally more active than men on Facebook.

FACEBOOK IN NUMBERS - WHO USES IT, WHY AND FOR HOW LONG

The average user spends 75 minutes per day on Facebook

The average user logs on to Facebook 6.1 times per day

70% log in every time they start their computer or web reader

26% feel ill at ease if they do not get to log in regularly

Women spend on average 81 minutes per day on Facebook

Men spend on average 64 minutes per day on Facebook
Users with low income and low education use Facebook more than other groups. Within these groups, users who spend more time on Facebook also report feeling less happy and less content with their lives.
This relationship is also present for women, but not for men.


The other surprise about the network is that although a huge amount of personal 'news' is traded, through the site, it tends to focus purely on the positive
.
'Facebook is a social tool that is clearly used to manage relationships with friends and family. 


'But users won't write just anything – most of the content they share has something to do with major events, positive events and when feeling good. Only 38 percent write about negative emotions and events,' says Leif Denti.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2126181/Facebook-lead-addiction-especially-poorly-educated.html#ixzz1reDSiOsq

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Picture of TITANIC taken from land


Titanic sets off on its doomed voyage: Newly-discovered picture taken by amateur photographer, 15, shows gleaming liner leaving Southampton on fateful journey

  • 15-year-old Elliot Brown took image of doomed liner leaving Southampton
  • His picture of vessel is one of last ever pictures of Titanic taken from land
By Chris Parsons
|

The 'Unsinkable Ship' setting sail for her fateful maiden voyage a century ago is an image those who waved her off will never forget.

But while the enduring memory of the Titanic is of the famous liner sinking into the North Atlantic, one man captured a rare snapshot of the moment she set off on her one and only journey.

Sailing smoothly through the waves just off Southampton, this 100-year-old photograph shows the doomed boat taking to the icy seas on April 10th, 1912.

It was captured by then 15-year-old Elliot Brown, who used the picturesque scene of his uncle's sea-facing back garden on the Isle of Wight to photograph the giant vessel as it loomed into view off the south coast.

Iconic: A 15-year-old Elliot Brown took this picture of the Titanic as it left Southampton on its first and only voyage
Iconic: A 15-year-old Elliot Brown took this picture of the Titanic as it left Southampton on its first and only voyage
Mr Brown's uncle's house on the Isle of Wight offered spectacular views of ships sailing from Southampton out towards the English Channel, with the teenager using a brownie box camera to immortalise the moment.
The young Mr Brown, a keen amateur photographer, took a picture and stowed the image away into his album along with pictures of his friends and family, unaware of just how significant his quickly-taken photograph would later become.

When disaster struck and the 882ft Titanic plunged into the North Atlantic Ocean four days after Mr Brown's picture, the teenager knew he had captured an iconic moment, but nonetheless opted to keep his memento safe in the family album.

Respected: Elliot Brown, pictured here as a young man in photographs from the same album as the Titanic picture, maintained an interest in photography but went on to become a GP in Birmingham.



Respected: Elliot Brown, pictured here as a young man in photographs from the same album as the Titanic picture, maintained an interest in photography but went on to become a GP in Birmingham.
Respected: Elliot Brown, pictured here as a young man in photographs from the same album as the Titanic picture, maintained an interest in photography but went on to become a GP in Birmingham.
A 'brownie' camera from around the 1940s

THE CAMERA WHICH MADE PHOTOGRAPHY POPULAR



The 'brownie' series of cameras used by Mr Brown for his Titanic picture were introduced around 1900 and helped popularise photography at the turn of the century.

A precursor to the modern disposable camera, early versions consisted simply of a cardboard box with a meniscus lens inside.

Although other kinds of box cameras existed at the time and continued to be produced for decades, the most successful model initially was the 'Brownie' made by Eastman Kodak Co.

Named after 'The Brownies' comic strips, their makers marketed the camera with the slogan, 'You push the button, we do the rest'.
The photograph remained in his possession his entire life as Mr Brown married, had children, and established himself as a respected GP in Birmingham.

When his second wife Faith was moved into an old people's home, however, his children began clearing possessions from Elliot and Faith's bungalow in Galmpton, Devon.

It was then they came across the album and its rare contents belonging to their father, who died in 1967 aged 70.

Had they not saved the rare image in the album, the momentous picture could have been lost forever.

Mr Brown's son Bruce found the picture, which had a noticeable fold down the middle and was stuck in the album with a handwritten caption: 'RMS 'Titanic': Maiden Voyage'.

Bruce has since had the iconic photograph digitally restored in time for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, but still plans to keep the picture in the family.

The 77-year-old retired meetings manager, from Henley-on-Thames, said: 'When I was in my mid-20s he happened to tell me in passing that he had taken a picture of the Titanic as she came out of Southampton water.

'I remember it stuck in my mind when he told me at the time, and it has been a subject which has fascinated a lot of people ever since.
'He realised how significant a picture it was some time later, but decided to keep it in his album.

'Like everyone else the Titanic had a big impact on him and he was shocked by what happened.

'My father was quite a religious man and was quite moved by the fact that the band on the Titanic apparently played 'Abide With Me' before it went down.'

Describing the moment he found the photo his father had told him abou
t decades earlier, grandfather Bruce added: 'It was a split second decision whether to keep the album as it was his and I didn't know anyone else in the pictures, but I'm not glad I did.'

Century-old: The original image taken by Elliot Brown has a fold down the middle next to the caption: 'RMS Titanic - Maiden Voyage'
Century-old: The original image taken by Elliot Brown has a fold down the middle next to the caption: 'RMS Titanic - Maiden Voyage'

First and only journey: A route map of the route taken by the Titanic on its doomed maiden voyage
First and only journey: A route map of the route taken by the Titanic on its doomed maiden voyage


Keeping it in the family: Retired meeting manager Bruce Brown, 77, says he intends to keep his father's momentous 100-year-old Titanic photograph
Keeping it in the family: Retired meeting manager Bruce Brown, 77, says he intends to keep his father's momentous 100-year-old Titanic photograph

Pete Boswell, from Warwickshire-based Photo Legacy, who restored the photo, said: 'It has been a fantastic experience and a privelege to work on a picture like this one.

'When people find pictures like this one it is often a journey of discovery, and this image is no different.'

Bruce Brown revealed that he discovered the photo album in his late father's home in Devon in around 1985, but kept hold of it since then and has only recently had it digitally restored.

Momentous: The sinking of the Titanic, immortalised here in the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster, happened 100 years ago this month
Momentous: The sinking of the Titanic, immortalised here in the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster, happened 100 years ago this month


Watery tomb: The bow of the Titanic at rest on the bottom of the North Atlantic, about 400 miles southeast of Newfoundland
Watery tomb: The bow of the Titanic at rest on the bottom of the North Atlantic, about 400 miles southeast of Newfoundland
Dozens of artifacts from the world's most famous ship have emerged since it sank on April 15, 1912.

Numerous events have also taken place in the lead up to the 100th anniversary of its sinking.

The Belfast shipyard where the Titanic was built has been revitalised in time for the landmark date, while an eye-catching, dockside centre opened just weeks before the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking.

Vaccine to beat CANCER is tested on human


'Universal' vaccine that could beat 90 per cent of cancers is tested on humans for first time

  • Vaccine triggered greater immunity to cancer cells in trial patients
By Fiona Macrae and Claire Bates


A vaccine that targets a molecule in 90 per cent of all cancers has been tested on humans for the first time.

Results from the safety trial - on patients with blood cancer - found all had greater immunity to the disease after receiving the vaccine. Three of the seven patients who have completed the treatment are now free of the condition.

As a therapeutic vaccine it is designed to be given to patients to help their bodies fight cancer rather than the majority - known as prophylactic vaccines - that aim to prevent disease in the first place. 

Researchers believe the jab could also tackle breast, prostate, pancreatic, bowel and ovarian cancers.

Vaccine: A new drug could help fight potentially 90 per cent of cancer
Vaccine: A new drug could help fight potentially 90 per cent of cancers

Even tumours that resist treatment with the best medicines on the market, including the breast cancer ‘wonder drug’ Herceptin, may be susceptible to the vaccine.

If all goes well, the vaccine – called ImMucin – could be on the market by 2020.
More than 300,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed in Britain each year and the disease kills around half this number annually.

Rather than attacking cancer cells, like many drugs, the new treatment harnesses the power of the immune system to fight tumours.

The search for cancer vaccines has until now been hampered by fears that healthy tissue would be destroyed with tumours.

Breakthrough: The new vaccine is thought to be even more effective than Herceptin
Breakthrough: The vaccine is thought to be even more effective than Herceptin
Researchers from the drug company Vaxil Biotheraputics and Tel Aviv University have focused on a protein called MUC1 that is made in bigger amounts in cancerous cells than in healthy ones.

Not only is there more of it, but a sugar that it is ‘decorated’ with has a  distinctive shape.
The vaccine ‘trains’ the immune system to recognise the rogue sugar and turn its arsenal against the cancer.

The misshaped MUC1 sugar is found in 90 per cent of all cancers. There have been ‘dramatic’ results in tests on mice with breast tumours.

Now, Vaxil Biotheraputics have announced promising results in a human safety trial.
Ten patients suffering from multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, have now received the vaccine received the vaccine at the Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem.

Seven of the patients have finished the treatment and Vaxil reported that all of them had greater immunity against cancer cells compared to before they were given the vaccine. Of the seven, three patients are reportedly free of detectable cancer.

None of them have reported suffering side-effects apart from minor irritation.

Hope: The new treatment shrunk breast tumours by 80 per cent in mice
A statement from Vaxil Biotheraputics said: 'ImMucin generated a robust and specific immune response in all patients which was observed after only 2-4 doses of the vaccine out of a maximum of 12 doses. 

'In some of the patients, preliminary signs of clinical efficacy were observed.'
Years of large-scale human trials will be needed before the drug is judged safe and effective for widespread use in hospitals.

It could then be used with existing drugs to boost treatment and given to prevent tumours from coming back after surgery.
Men and women known to be at high risk of cancer because of their genes could also be vaccinated in an attempt to stop tumours from appearing.

Dr Caitlin Palframan, of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: ‘This exciting  new approach could lead to treatments for breast cancer patients who have few options.
‘It also opens up the possibility of vaccinating high-risk women against breast cancer in the future.'

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Rubbing toothpaste on your teeth 'quadruples protection against decay'

By Claire Bates
|
A visit to the dentist always ends with the same advice - brush your teeth twice a day and make sure you floss in the evening.
Now scientists have suggested rubbing some toothpaste into your gums after lunch as well.

A team from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, found the technique vastly reduced the risk of developing tooth cavities.

The beneficial effect of brushing twice a day could be enhanced with a toothpaste massage
The beneficial effect of brushing twice a day could be enhanced with a toothpaste massage

Study leader Dr Anna Nordstrom said: 'Rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth increases the flouride protection by 400 per cent.'

The researchers were testing the effect of a high-fluoride toothpaste available without prescription in Sweden. They asked 16 volunteers to brush various numbers of times a day and also tested out the 'finger rubbing' technique.

Dr Nordstrom said: 'This 'massage' method proved to be at least as effective as a third brushing in increasing the amount of fluoride in the mouth.

'Rubbing the front of your teeth with toothpaste can be an easy way of giving your teeth a third 'shot' of fluoride during the day, after lunch for example. 
 
teeth
Fluoride works by hardening tooth enamel

'But this should not replace brushing with a fluoride toothpaste morning  and evening - it's an extra.'
She added that people should also avoid rinsing out their toothpaste with water after brushing.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that prevents decay by strengthening the protective enamel coating on teeth.

However, just 10 per cent of England’s water is fluoridated compared to 60 per cent in the U.S. due to health concerns.

Opponents believe fluoride could be a risk to general health with potential side effects
 including an increased risk of bone cancer in boys. But the British Dental Association said fluoridation was a safe and effective way of reducing fillings and extractions.

The latest research comes just a day after scientists revealed failing to brush your teeth properly could lead to potentially fatal heart problems.

Bacteria that loiter in the mouth can cause life-threatening blood clots via bleeding gums, which could trigger the rare condition infective 

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health

Olympic Doping Tests


Olympic doping tests may have to be tightened after study finds that green tea could help cheats

  • Extracts shown to reduce testosterone concentrations by up to 30%
  • Scientific director of World Anti-Doping Agency says changes could be necessary
By Sadie Whitelocks
|

Green tea can help mask the levels of testosterone in the body, say scientists.
A study found extracts contained in the beverage, reduced concentrations of the hormone by up to 30 per cent.

Olympic doping officials have now raised concerns that athletes could use tea to hide increased levels of testosterone from standard drugs tests.


A study found green tea helped reduce the concentration of testosterone
A study found green tea helped reduce the concentration of testosterone 

Testosterone is one of the oldest illegal steroids used in sports, and it is commonly used to build muscle.

Experts say athletes taking testosterone for doping purposes typically have 200 to 300 percent more in their bodies than normal.
During the study, researchers added green and white tea extracts - or catechins - to the hormone and discovered that they reduced the concentration by almost a third.

The recent anomaly could now lead to a change in the tests ahead of this summer's Games. 


Olivier Rabin, scientific director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA said: 'It's interesting that something as common as tea could have a significant influence on the steroid profile.

'We may need to adjust our steroid (test) to allow us to exclude whether a test is modified by food or training or disease, before we can say that it's doping,'

Olympic sprinter, Ben Johnson, was banned from athletics for life after failing a drugs test for the second time in 1993
Olympic sprinter, Ben Johnson, was banned from athletics for life after failing a drugs test for the second time in 1993 

The study was conducted in a laboratory so scientists said it was too early to tell what the effect of green tea might be in humans, but similar results have been found in rodent studies.

Other foods and beverages, such as alcohol, are also known to muddle test results and WADA has tight controls on other commonly consumed substances like caffeine.

'There's no reason to think we just happened to pick the only food in the world that does this,' said Declan Naughton of Kingston University, who published the findings in the journal, Steroids.

Charles Yesalis, a doping expert at Pennsylvania State University, said officials needed to react quickly.


'Athletes will not wait for the clinical trials,' he said. 'I'll bet there are already lots of athletes out there drinking loads of green tea,' he added.

However some experts said the limited effects of foods like green tea on masking illegal drug use would be too small to help doping athletes.

'You would probably need to drink the tea continuously to get any sustained but minor effect,' said Andrew Kicman, head of research and development at the Drug Control 
Centre at King's College London, which is providing the anti-doping laboratory for the upcoming Olympics.

'It would be a very foolish athlete who's thinking of doping with testosterone and thinks he could drink white or green tea to beat a drug test,' he said. 'And I personally wouldn't want to drink nine cups of tea on the day of a race.'

The new facility in Harlow, Essex is where the athletes samples will be tested
The new facility in Harlow, Essex is where the athletes samples will be tested


Studies have shown that tea can mask testosterone concentration
Studies have shown that tea can mask testosterone concentration


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