India leading fight against polio in 2011

A significant fall in infant mortality rates, the longest polio-free period in the country, lowest decadal growth of population in 90 years marked the health sector in 2011.
.
The infant mortality rate (IMR) dropped to 47 per 1000 live births from 50 in 2009 and 58 in 2007.  The introduction of Bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine in 2010 paid dividends as a lone case of wild polio virus type-1 was reported from Howrah in West Bengal, brightening India's chances of attaining polio-free status. The polio eradication efforts won praises from WHO.

Due to slack progress on immunisation, the government launched a unique mother and child tracking system. Another scheme called Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram was launched to provide no expense delivery including cesarean section, food, medicines and consumables, for pregnant women attending government facilities.

In spite of these initiatives, the health ministry was rocked by shocking crib deaths in West Bengal and over 500
child deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Uttar Pradesh.

Health sector eroded human development gains as the index rose only 13 per cent. Even the UN Global Human Development Report 2011 launched in November revealed that India loses 34 per cent of its HDI value when internal inequalities in health are calculated. The report placed India at the 134th positionin HDI rankings for 187 nations.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared the 12th Plan as a health plan and promised to raise budgetary allocations for the sector.

The government did attempt to increase human resources in health in 2011 as the Medical Council of India fast tracked approvals and allowed the establishment of 21 new medical colleges. Additional seats were approved leading to the creation of 4542 new MBBS seats and 2350 new PG seats in the existing 335 medical colleges which now have 41, 569 MBBS and 21181 PG seats.

But MCI's most significant proposal, that of conducting a common entrance test for admission to all MBBS courses across India from 2012, remained unfulfilled as the government told the Supreme Court that it could not hold the exam as state governments had voiced their inability to join.

On the legislative front, the much awaited National Council for Human Resources in Health Bill was tabled in
Parliament that will regulate medical education.

The Transplantation of Human Organs Amendment Bill was, however, passed expanding the definition of organ donors to include grandparents of the recipient.

New food safety and standards rules were also notified making punishments for food adulteration extremely stringent and covering vast categories of packaged foods under food quality laws.

The Government came up with improved guidelines for clinical trials but experts feel nothing less than a law can regulate the sector. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad created some flutter with his remark at the National HIV Convention of Parliamentarians in Delhi, where he described sexual relations between men as "unnatural" and a "disease", prompting visiting UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe to distance himself from the statement and issue a clarification in support of men who have sex with men.
Source:http://newstodaynet.com

»»  read more

Diseases Named After Food

I, personally, found medical school to be a grueling and tedious regimen of rote memorization and sleep deprivation – the experience of which can be more or less distilled down to a masochistic exercise in self denial and deprivation for the sake of human well being (and Porsches and golf club memberships). One bright spot in my training was the quirky trivia and neat historical anecdotes that would pop up once in a while. Doctors throughout history have proven to be a very creative and resourceful bunch, and their naming conventions can often be downright tongue in cheek. Among my favorites are disease findings and symptoms that are named after food. I am morbidly fascinated about how gross and unpalatable these naming conventions can be, but I smile when I realize that such “culinary” descriptors may partially arise out of the dark humor that is a natural outcome of such rigorous training and prolonged exposure to human suffering. Without further delay, here is a list of ten disease findings from the emerging medical specialty of “culinary pathology and pathophysiology.” Where appropriate, a photograph of the disease is linked – be warned – they are not pretty.



10:Blueberry Muffin Rash

Not to be mistaken with our favorite high calorie breakfast pastry, blueberry muffin rash is a cutaneous (skin) finding in infants who were exposed in the womb to the rubella virus. This rash is a form of purpura (red or purple skin discoloration that does not blanch with fingertip pressure due to bleeding under the skin). Although no longer solely associated with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), it is best remembered as such. The classic triad (no, I am not referring to Asian organized crime here) of CRS is deafness, eye abnormalities and congenital heart disease. 

9:Nutmeg Liver

No, congestion is not just reserved for your sinuses in the medical field. Nutmeg liver is another name for chronic passive congestion of the liver. It’s also known as congestive heapatopathy. This is a result of congestive heart failure, which in laypersons’ terms is a sick heart that cannot pump blood as well as it used to. With a poorly functioning heart, blood essentially “backs up” in the venous system (the half of your circulatory system that is responsible for bringing deoxygenated blood back to the heart). The intricate network of veins found in the liver becomes engorged with blood, giving the liver the microscopic appearance of a grated nutmeg. Unfortunately you can’t grate a nutmeg liver into your favorite apple pie or nip of eggnog; if heart function is not restored, the liver can become permanently damaged, resulting in fibrosis, which is scarring of diseased tissue. 

8:Watermelon Stomach

Watermelon stomach is also known as gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE). Try saying that three times fast. It’s no wonder physicians would rather name it after one of our favorite summer fruits, instead. This is a very rare finding that involves dilated blood vessels in the last part of the stomach (antrum). GAVE is of unknown etiology (cause) and is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding and iron deficiency anemia. Doctors call it watermelon stomach because of the characteristic red streaks of stomach lining that look like markings of a watermelon. Ok, well last time I checked watermelons don’t have red streaks, but what did rapper Dr. Dre say…”trust me, I’m a doctor.” 

7:Cauliflower Ear

Mixed martial arts enthusiasts and angry drunks beware—cauliflower ear can be one’s worst enemy. This is a deformity that occurs after repeated trauma to the ear. With enough blows to the ears, the blood supply and underlying cartilage scaffolding gets damaged, to the point where the healing process runs amok, creating a cosmetically unappealing growth that looks a lot like albino broccoli, I mean cauliflower. This condition is not reversible, other than with an expensive visit to your plastic surgeon. Too bad medical ethics do not allow kickbacks for patient referrals. 

6:Strawberry Gallbladder

Better known as cholesterolosis of gallbladder, strawberry gallbladder is a surgical finding of excessive cholesterol deposits in the gallbladder wall. As we all know, the gallbladder stores and releases bile (which is made in the liver) which helps us emulsify and subsequently digest the fats in our diet. The stippled appearance of the gallbladder is due to the cholesterol deposits, which I guess would represent the seeds of the strawberry. Like a lot of medicine, the cause of strawberry gallbladder is unknown. Luckily for all gallbladders out there, having high cholesterol does not seem to have any harmful effects.

5:Chocolate Cyst

This is one of the few cases where chocolate is not better than sex for the majority of women out there (well at least 52% of British women according to a 2007 survey by Cadbury, who makes chocolate, incidentally). Also known as endometriosis of the ovary, a chocolate cyst occurs when endometrial tissue (blood vessel laden tissue that lines the uterus and is shed monthly in the absence of an implanted fertilized egg) finds its way into the pelvic cavity and begins to grow on one or both ovaries. This tissue continues to proliferate, slough off, and proliferate again much like a regular menstrual cycle. The problem is this is now occurring within the ovary instead of the uterus. Blood accumulates over time and turns a brown chocolate color. Unfortunately, chocolate cysts often rupture, but not before causing a lot of pain and discomfort. Surgical removal of the ovary is definitive treatment, but hormonal treatments are available as well. 

4:Port Wine Stain

A port wine stain is a relatively common birth mark caused by a collection of swollen blood vessels near the skin surface. It is usually innocuous, but may cause emotional distress in patients where the birthmark is especially prominent (hey, it didn’t stop Gorbachev from espousing Perestroika and Glasnost). The color is reddish-purple like the color of Port wine (sorry Sherry, there is no birthmark named after you) and can darken with age. Occasionally, a port wine stain may be an indication of a more serious disease such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome (I always wondered if doctors resented having to share a disease discovery with so many other doctors). If bothersome, port wine stains can be removed just like unwanted tattoos. Laser treatments are effective because it kills the offending blood vessels without damaging the skin. Repeated treatments are required and this can be an expensive and time consuming proposition. 

3:Bread and Butter Pericarditis

Also known as fibrinous pericarditis, this is the result of inflammation of the pericardium, or sac that encloses the heart. It is often caused by bacterial or viral infections, or after a heart attack. The pericardium takes on the appearance of butter on bread after it has been dropped (butter side down, of course) on the carpet. No, there are not stray hairs or dust bunnies found imbedded in the lining of the heart but there might as well be. The appearance is caused by fibrin (a type of protein) that is deposited as a result of injury. This causes a characteristic “friction rub” that is audible with a stethoscope. Another key finding is chest pain similar to a heart attack, that gets better when you lean forward. Treatment is usually with aspirin or anti inflammatory medication, with surgery rarely required. Of note, this is another one of those factlets that are pounded into your head in medical school, but never tested on because that would make things too easy.

2:Currant Jelly Sputum

This is not something you want to spread on your scones along with some clotted cream. Currant jelly sputum is a mass of blood, sputum, mucous and cellular debris that collects in lung passages as a result of untreated Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia. The incidence of Klebsiella infection is increasing, likely due to new strains with antibiotic resistance. This bacterium is the second most common cause of urinary tract infections, second to E. coli. However, before you start worrying that you are going to cough up something that looks like the blue ribbon prize at the 4-H meet, pneumonia due to Klebsiella usually occurs in people who already have other medical conditions such as diabetes, other chronic lung diseases and alcoholism. Other symptoms include high fever, chills and flu-like symptoms.

1:Café au Lait Spot

French for ‘my coffee is more sophisticated than your coffee’, café au lait spots are birthmarks. Like the port wine stain, they, in and of themselves, are not harmful and are called such due to their light brown color. However, café au lait spots can be an indication of the presence of many diseases, such as tuberous sclerosis, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and Hunter syndrome. The presence of at least six café au lait spots, at least 5 millimeters in diameter (before puberty) or 15 mm (after puberty) aid in the diagnosis of Neurofibramatosis I (NF-1). NF-1 is a human genetic disorder that was once thought to be the Elephant Man’s diagnosis du jour, but has since fallen out of favor with medical historians.

Source:listserve.com

»»  read more

Top 10 National Famous Fast Foods

Before I begin my list of fast food national dishes, I openly admit being heavily influenced by Jamie’s previous list Top 10 National Dishes You Should Try. The difference here is that Jamie’s (awesome) list was about national dishes, some of which are very labour-intensive – trust me, moussaka takes several hours to prepare, whereas my list solely focuses on fast food. By the way, Jamie, thanks for that list, I had never heard of or tried Bigos or Kimchi before seeing them on your list. They are yummy! Special thanks to my beautiful Katie. Without you this list wouldn’t be half as good and you know it.

10:Pierogi
Poland

Eastern European food is getting more attention globally (just like Eastern European boxers, who dominate most boxing divisions from middleweight up to Heavyweight for the last 15 years, once the Iron Curtain collapsed and they finally made it in the pros), and with such delicious foods as Pierogi, I personally join the movement.

In reality it’s truly uncertain the real country of origin of this dish, since its origin is specified to be the wider area of Central and Eastern Europe, but I believe that in the western world, especially in Europe and the US, the Polish version of Pierogi is the most popular one.

Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or even fruit. Pierogi are served in a variety of forms and tastes (ranging from sweet to salty to spicy) in Polish cuisine, considered to be the Polish national dish. The Polish word Pierogi is plural; the singular form Pieróg is rarely used, as a typical serving consists of several Pierogi (and trust me, you can’t have just one).

9:Sushi

Japan

I don’t think there are many people nowadays who have not heard or haven’t tasted sushi. The common ingredient across all the different kinds of sushi is sushi rice. The variety in sushi arises from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and their preparation. The same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, creating a very different final result. The increasing popularity of sushi around the world has resulted in variations, typically found in North America and Europe, but rarely in Japan. Such creations to suit the Western palate were initially fueled by the invention of the California roll. A wide variety of popular rolls has evolved since.

A friendly advice from me to whomever reads this list, try to avoid the kind of sushi which contains pufferfish fugu, it can cause severe poisoning if not prepared properly. The Emperor of Japan is forbidden to eat fugu, as it is considered too risky – he knows better, I guess.

8:Spring Rolls

China

Spring roll is an umbrella term used in the Western world to describe disparate filled, rolled appetizers similar to the Chinese Chūn Juǎn (春卷, lit. “Spring roll”), from which the term was derived. East and Southeast Asian versions of “spring rolls” have different names depending on the place of origin, method of cooking, type of wrapper and filings. Spring rolls can be sweet or savory, baked or fried. Savory spring rolls are typically prepared with vegetables; baked spring rolls are usually larger and tastier!

Personally, I have eaten them in various Chinese restaurants and prefer the fried ones with chicken and veggies inside. Spring rolls are now very common (in the western world) as appetizers in many popular restaurants such as TGI Fridays and the Hard Rock Café, among others.

7:Burrito

Mexico

Not really popular in Europe, but still one of the most famous fast foods in North and Central America, Burrito definitely deserve a place in this list. Burrito, or taco de haring as they call it in Mexico, is one of the most famous Mexican foods. It consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans or meat are sometimes the only fillings. In the United States, however, fillings generally include a combination of ingredients such as Mexican-style rice or plain rice, refried or regular beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, avocado, cheese, and sour cream, and the size varies, with some burritos considerably larger than their Mexican counterparts.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of Mexican fast food stores in Europe (at least in the three countries I have spent the biggest part of my life, Greece, France and Italy) I have not been exposed much to Mexican cuisine and the few Burritos I had in Taco Time of Glyfada, Athens, back in the 1990s – they were decent, but I bet were nothing like the ones in Mexico and US. Can we have more Mexican restaurants all over Europe please?

6:Fish and Chips

UK

Easily the most famous British fast food, this is also a staple addition to the vast array of available take outs in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada (albeit originally English). Commonly referred to in the UK as the “chippy” this meal consists of battered fish which is deep fried and served with chips and doused with salt and vinegar! Today eating real fish and chips is usually classed as a must for tourists visiting the UK. Personal note – there was nothing like leaving a club in the early hours and eating fish and chips served in newspaper! This was a sure way to avoid a hangover… Damn the EU and its pesky health and safety laws!

Croissant;

France

A croissant is a buttery flaky pastry named for its distinctive crescent shape. It is also sometimes called a crescent, from the French word for crescent. You can eat it for breakfast, you can have it for lunch or even dinner; you can have it either sweet (dessert) or savory. In the motherland of the specific food, France, croissants are generally sold plain and eaten without added butter.

In the United States, thanks to the Greek American community of Chicago and New York, sweet fillings or toppings are common, and warm croissants may be filled with ham and cheese, or feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach, just like in Greece, where croissants were originally classed as savory and were not only eaten as dessert or breakfast.

In Germany and Italy, croissants are sometimes filled with Nutella and in some Latin American countries; croissants are commonly served alongside coffee as a breakfast, or merienda. In Japan, croissants covered with a sweet glaze or filled with chocolate, are common in bakeries and convenience stores. Croissants are also seen in many former French colonies such as Morocco and Vietnam where, in the latter, they are called bánh sừng bò.

The only sure thing is that croissants are a global fast food nowadays that millions of people worldwide can enjoy on a daily basis. From personal experience, the two best croissants one can have are La Parisienne Almond Croissant and the ham & cheese croissant.

4:Souvlaki

Greece

 

The Greek hamburger, well at least until the arrival of the actual hamburger! Souvlaki, has been around since the days of Aristophanes, Xenophon and Aristotle; that makes Souvlaki the most ancient and historic food of this list, easily. Souvlaki consists of small cubes of skewered grilled meat usually lamb or pork, often served in a pita bread, garnished with sliced tomatoes, onions with a serving of tzatziki (a cucumber-yoghurt-garlic mix). Commonly known outside Greece as “gyro” or “gyros,” since the 2004 Olympics it has become increasingly popular and is now served as far afield as China. However, regardless of how popular this has become worldwide, a real souvlaki will only be found in Greece – and trust me on this, I have done my research! 

3:Hamburger

Origins: Germany; Rise to fame: USA

The term hamburger originates from Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city, and even though the history of hamburgers go back to 15th century Europe, these tasty ground meat patties really only shot to fame due to mass emigration to the USA. Usually made from high quality ground beef, served in a bread roll with various condiments, the hamburger gained international fame thanks to various American franchises such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, TGI Fridays and the British Hard Rock Cafés.

My three personal favorites: The Beefeater by Thomas Cook. The Jack Daniels Burger by TGI Fridays and the Legendary Burger by the Hard Rock Café.

The worst: The Big Mac!

2:Pizza

Italy

The national food of Italy, and my personal favorite! You see, the funny thing about Pizza is that if you truly want a good pizza, then you won’t find one in Italy. From personal experience (living two years in Pisa, Bologna and Macerata) I can honestly say I have eaten much better pizza elsewhere, and before nationalists complain – it was not for want of trying! I ate pizza in various restaurants and pizzerias across Italy and, honestly, the results were always the same. Okay, so maybe I exaggerate a little, but honestly, in my opinion, pizzerias in the US and Greece serve much better pizza than those in Italy. Again, this is my personal opinion, I mean no offense to Italians or Italian cuisine. All I am saying is that the biggest disappointment I experienced whilst living in such a beautiful and historic country… was its national dish!

1:French Fries

Belgium

Clearly the winner and whoever denies this, is just delusional! I can understand there will be some difference of opinion regarding the other nine entries on this list, each will have his/her personal favorite. I also understand that some people will disagree with some of my choices as well, but I doubt there is a single person who has never tasted French fries. Some of the foods mentioned in this list are usually served with French fries (burger, souvlaki and fried fish – This alone proves the popularity of the humble French fry.

Despite the name, this dish originated in Belgium, the term “French Fry” simply means to deep fry. In Belgium you can buy fries in “Friteries” or in a “Frietkot,” they are served with a large variety of sauces or can be eaten on their own. Traditionally they are served with a spoonful of mayonnaise.

When it comes to Western pop culture, I think fries are the true king of the fast food – speaking in terms of popularity and preference. Interesting historical fact: Shortly after the May 1940 invasion of Belgium by the Wehrmacht, Hitler attempted to ban “French fries” because they were the central nutritional source of the Belgian resistance due to their simplicity and availability.
Source:listserve.com

»»  read more

What is Intelligence ?

Intelligence is a term that is difficult to define, and it can mean many different things to different people. In fact, it has divided the scientific community for decades and controversies still rage over its exact definition and form of measurement.

In the popular sense, intelligence is often defined as the general mental ability to learn and apply knowledge to manipulate your environment, as well as the ability to reason and have abstract thought. Other definitions of intelligence include adaptability to a new environment or to changes in the current environment, the ability to evaluate and judge, the ability to comprehend complex ideas, the capacity for original and productive thought, the ability to learn quickly and learn from experience and even the ability to comprehend relationships.

A superior ability to interact with the environment and overcome its challenges is often seen as a sign of intelligence. In this case, the environment does not just refer to the physical landscape (eg. mountains, forests) or the surroundings (eg. school, home, workplace) but also to a person’s social contacts, such as colleagues, friends and family – or even complete strangers.

Researchers asked about the aspects of intelligence felt that factors like problem-solving ability, mental speed, general knowledge, creativity, abstract thinking and memory all played important roles in the measure and standard of intelligence. Most agree that intelligence is an umbrella term which covers a variety of related mental abilities.

Measuring Intelligence
Like the definitions of intelligence, the measurement of intelligence is dogged by controversy and disagreement. While there are a number of different methods for measuring intelligence, the standard and most widely accepted method is by measuring a person’s ‘intelligence quotient’ or IQ.
ntelligence is a term that is difficult to define, and it can mean many different things to different people. In fact, it has divided the scientific community for decades and controversies still rage over its exact definition and form of measurement.

In the popular sense, intelligence is often defined as the general mental ability to learn and apply knowledge to manipulate your environment, as well as the ability to reason and have abstract thought. Other definitions of intelligence include adaptability to a new environment or to changes in the current environment, the ability to evaluate and judge, the ability to comprehend complex ideas, the capacity for original and productive thought, the ability to learn quickly and learn from experience and even the ability to comprehend relationships.

A superior ability to interact with the environment and overcome its challenges is often seen as a sign of intelligence. In this case, the environment does not just refer to the physical landscape (eg. mountains, forests) or the surroundings (eg. school, home, workplace) but also to a person’s social contacts, such as colleagues, friends and family – or even complete strangers.

Researchers asked about the aspects of intelligence felt that factors like problem-solving ability, mental speed, general knowledge, creativity, abstract thinking and memory all played important roles in the measure and standard of intelligence. Most agree that intelligence is an umbrella term which covers a variety of related mental abilities.

Measuring Intelligence
Like the definitions of intelligence, the measurement of intelligence is dogged by controversy and disagreement. While there are a number of different methods for measuring intelligence, the standard and most widely accepted method is by measuring a person’s ‘intelligence quotient’ or IQ.
Source: http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/

»»  read more

Why are men struck by Lightning strikes offen than women?

Getting stuck by lightning might seem like one of the ultimate random acts of natural violence. But perhaps it's less random than you think; men tend to get shocked more often than women.

That's according to AccuWeather.com, reports the Sun-Sentinel, which says 82% of the 648 people killed in the U.S. between 1995 and 2008 were male.

This unequal relationship goes back a long way. According to a 1999 paper that looked at lightning-caused damages since 1959, men accounted for 84% of lightning deaths and 82% of injuries. Guys were 4.6 times more likely to be killed and 5.3 times more likely to be injured than women.

Why the gender-skewed victims? Perhaps because men take more risks in lightning storms, according to an official from the National Weather Service.

Other factors at play, according to the 1999 paper -- where you live and when you're exposed. Florida had the highest number of actual deaths and injuries, while Wyoming and New Mexico had the highest injury rates with population taken into account. Sunday saw 24% more deaths than any other day of the week. Lightning casualty rates tended to peak in July.

So whatever you do, don't go golfing on a high hill with a metal club in the middle of a thunderstorm in Florida on a Sunday in July. Oh yeah, and try not to be a dude.
Source:http://www.freerepublic.com/

»»  read more