HIV can be cured by cancer drug - Researchers

#anticipate

Researchers say the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can be flushed out of its hiding places in the body using a cancer drug.

Already, the anti-retroviral therapy, destroys the virus residing in the bloodstream, but leaves “HIV reservoirs” untouched.

This latest study shows that the cancer drug is “highly potent” at reactivating hidden HIV.

Experts say the findings are interesting, but it is important to know if the drug is safe in patients, to aviod complications.

A strategy known as “kick and kill” is thought to be key to curing HIV. The kick would wake up the dormant HIV, allowing the drugs to kill it.

This is good news!

INFOGRAPHIC : How coke destroys the body

I saw this somewhere on the internet...

Fruits are the best alternative if you have a sweet tooth, though they contain fructose, the fibre in them help to reduce the adverse effects of the fructose.

Go natural...

Stay healthy!!!

Not only SUGAR causes CAVITIES

   People think it's just SUGAR that causes tooth decay, sorry to burst your bubbles, it's not just sugar that causes it.

Cavities occur when bacteria produces acids in the mouth. The process can begin by any carbohydrates (or food that contains carb) that you consume.

 Sugar, fruits, vegetables, rice, yam, plantain, bread, etc can all cause cavities if good dental care is not practiced.

To reduce tooth decay, one should not only practice good dental care but also limit intake of acidic food.

Stay healthy!

OBESITY CAN TURN YOU INTO AN 'OLODO'

Adding to the list of 'wahala' obesity causes, a new study has suggested it may also increase the risk of memory loss.

It is a well known fact that obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.

A new study at Iowa State University and published in the Journal of American Medical Association Neurology found a strong association between insulin resistance and memory function decline, increasing the risk for Alzheimer's disease (old timer's disease).

Auriel Willette, a research scientist at the university, said that insulin resistance is common in people who are obese, pre-diabetic or have type 2 diabetes.

Willette and co-author Barbara Bendlin, examined brain scans in 150 late middle-aged adults, who were at risk for Alzheimer's disease, but showed no sign of memory loss.

Stay healthy..

Africa to benefit from malaria vaccine

   I wrote about a new drug which might stop malaria but while we await the drug, we can start jubilating because a new malaria vaccine is coming to Africa to save Children in Africa.

The world's first malaria vaccine would soon be approved for use in Africa.

After some scientific research, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said that the new malaria vaccine is safe and effective.

The target population for the vaccine are kids under the age of 5 in Africa.

Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traore, executive director of the "Roll Back Malaria Partnership" said The vaccine will not stop malaria, but will add onto the benefits of other prevention measures, this is good as it will assist the children to fight malaria better.

Over 100,000 thousand children die of malaria yearly in Africa and majority of them are under five years.

#fightAgainstMalaria 

US approves new cholesterol drug

Praluent is the name of the new drug approved by US regulators for people with certain genetic risk factors for heart disease.

The new drug is not in oral form, it is an injectable drug, made by Sanofi and Regeneron, and it is the first of its kind to gain approval on the US market, and offers an alternative to popular pill-based statins.

However, the US Food and Drug Administration approved it only for adults with an inherited condition that predisposes them to high cholesterol and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The drug is not currently available in Nigeria, but there's hope it will get to Nigeria soon.

Good news for those who says "injection better pass tablet"

Stay healthy!

New Drug might block Malaria

Scientists have developed a new drug that shows hope for stopping deadly malaria in its track.

The new drug acts as a roadblock for malaria, curing mice of established infection, according to a study. Treatment was not associated with obvious side effects, suggesting that the drug may also be safe and effective in humans.
In 2011, a group of scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK discovered that a human protein called basigin was required for all strains of Pf to invade red blood cells, an essential stage of the parasite’s life cycle. Antibodies that block the interaction between basigin and the parasite protein PfRH5 were known to block Pf infection in culture, and the Sanger Institute group has now developed a nontoxic anti-basigin drug (called Ab-1) that cured mice of established blood infection.

The transition of promising new drugs from mice to humans usually requires costly and time-consuming clinical trials, but the path for Ab-1 may be less arduous.

Basigin has also been implicated in the progression of certain cancers and in graft-versus-host disease in transplant patients, and drugs that block the protein have already proven safe and effective in patients and are already in clinical use.
According to the World Health Organization malaria currently infects more than 200 million people worldwide and accounts for more than 500,000 deaths per year.
Malaria has been a problem in Nigeria for centuries.

The disease is caused by infection with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), and although the disease can be treated with anti-malarial drugs, the drugs are harsh and resistance often develops.

The study is published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Don't use FAKE eyelashes

Many ladies can't do without FAKE eyelashes, some say 'that's the trend now", others say "I don't look beautiful without it", but they don't know the adverse effects of using fake eyelashes.

A recent research by American Academy of  Ophthalmology (AAO), shows that fake eyelashes can affect the eyesight, and when used for a long time, can destroy the natural (God given) eyelashes because the glue used to fix the fake eyelashes in addition to the weight of the fake eyelashes, can stress the hair follicle and cause it to fall out and not grow back .

So y'all got to be careful, stay healthy and rock your real eyelashes. #YouAreBeautifulThatWay

COLD and FLU are not the same

Naija no dey carry last sha. Some of us don't know the difference between cold and flu and when we are trying to 'form' we just say 'I gat flu' even if it's cold, as long as we feel sick and have a runny nose.

Well cold and flu are not the same same though common cold and flu (influenza) are both upper respiratory infections caused by virus, they are quite different.

The differences and similarities between them are:

* Flu gives rise to a high fever; a cold may give rise to a mild fever

* A Flu usually start with a dry throat and nose making your voice to 'crack'; a cold usually starts with a runny nose

* Flus can cause muscle pain to the whole body; colds affect the nose and throat

* Flus may lead to severe exhaustion; colds can cause mild exhaustion

* A flu can lead to more serious complications, such as pneumonia, so is considered much more serious (dangerous) than a common cold

* Both infections are highly contagious and can be caught from close contact with someone who has the virus, for example breathing in droplets of air when someone coughs or sneezes but don't run away like it's Ebola.

* It's difficult to avoid catching colds and the flu so when you come into contact with someone with an infection avoid sharing things they may have used, such as handkerchiefs, clean shared surfaces such as door handles, and wash hands regularly.

   I've had flu and cold, so I know it is nothing so 'dangerous' if well taken care of.

Treatment for cold and flu includes:

Bed rest (I'm not saying you should 'stay on bed' all day, but try to have some rest and don't get stressed)

Drinking lots of fluids (avoid cold WATER, especially if you gat sore throat), it keeps the body hydrated and reducess those 'gbagaun gbagaun' headaches. *I take naturally fruit juice*

Taking paracetamol (for flu) to manage aches, pains and fever. Also taking paracetamol for cold if it leads to mild fever.

Warm drinks and lozenges to soothe a sore throat.

You could visit a doctor, to prescribe antiviral medication for the flu, but they need to be given early in the illness to be effective.

Stay healthy

Duru Brian

MICHELLE OBAMA VS PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND

Saw this funny pic on FACEBOOK...

 

What do you think is on Michelle's mind?

Comment below...

BLACKBERRY to produce antimicrobial phones

Good news for doctors, nurses, microbiologists and all health care workers.

We might have thought that BlackBerrys went out of style with the advent of the touch screen, but the company is making a bold move to put their devices back in the limelight. Well, in hospitals at least—BlackBerry announced that it might be in the market to make antimicrobial cell phones for health care workers, Bloomberg reports.

We don’t usually think about how much bacteria is lying in wait on our cell phones. But it turns out there’s a lot—one study from last year found over 7,000 types of bacteria on 51 cell phones, and individuals often have unique microbial fingerprints on their devices. And this can change throughout the day as you check your phone over a hundred times, transmitting bacteria from the last thing you touched in each instance.

For the average person, having a bacterial cornucopia on your phone probably isn’t that big a deal. But in a hospital, bacterial transmission is a huge problem. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are on the rise, can infect patients with immune systems that are already compromised; hospital-acquired infection is one of the leading causes of death in hospitals. If a doctor is checking his/her phone in the room of an infected patient, then goes to check on another patient with a compromised immune system, she/he might have unwittingly transmitted the infection. Current hygiene standards require physicians to wipe down their phones with alcohol before leaving each patient’s room, but no one is certain that these alcohol wipes are as effective as they need to be.

Blackberry is testing a clinical alerts pilot project in a hospital outside Toronto to see if there is demand for an antibacterial cell phone. But if the demand is there, it looks like the company is game: “Health-care workers have to be worried about one less thing to wipe down,” BlackBerry CEO John Chen said in a press conference. So far the company has not released any details about how exactly the phones would ward off bacteria.

Why you should avoid SUGAR

They say 'too much of everything is bad' 

Obesity, type 2,diabetes and even heart disease have been linked to added sugars  through inflammation

A 2014 study found that people who consumed 17 to 21 percent of their daily calories from added sugar had a 38 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease than those who got only 8 percent. 

For most women, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 100 calories from added sugar daily and I think that should be applicable in Africa too.

While I recommend not more than 150 calories for a physically active man.

Mind your sugar intake.

Stay healthy

health : too much sitting is 'hazardous'

OBADWORKZ. SITTING IMAGE

Many adults can spend more than 70 per cent of their day sitting, being virtually immobile, says Professor Neville Owen of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

'Physical activity is so fundamentally important and is being under-utilised in many areas of preventative health and medicine,' he told AAP ahead of speaking to a Melbourne health care conference on Thursday.

While the recommended daily 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise was to be commended, Prof Owen said this was only a tiny proportion of people's waking hours.

Studies had shown that sitting time was a strong predictor of health risks and resulting premature deaths, while others had shown the benefits of breaking up sitting time, especially in the workplace.

Baker IDI laboratories had done research where people sat all day then had their blood glucose, insulin and other levels measured.

'They then have one experimental day when they, very simply, just break up their sitting time every half hour, moving for two to three minutes,' Prof Owen said.

This resulted in 'huge improvements' in their levels.

'More activity is always better, but there is still so much more to explore, such as whether three or four longer breaks during the day could make a difference,' Prof Owen said.

Source : AAP

MALE BREAST CANCER

When people hear about breast cancer, they think it can never happen to a man.
Well that's ignorance and that's why I chose to make out time from my busy schedule today, to talk about MALE BREAST CANCER.

Male breast cancer is a cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men. It is a rare condition but it exist.
It is the same as female breast cancer and occurs when a malignant tumour develops in the cells of the breast. The cancer may spread to surrounding tissue, to the lymph nodes and to other areas of the body.

It is rare but male breast is more common in men over the age of 50.

The cause of male breast cancer is not well understood for now, though scientist are currently working on it, but some of the risk factors includes;

Increasing age (over 50 years of age)


High estrogen levels (which can occur from obesity or as a result of diseases such as Klinefelter's syndrome).

Use of hazardous chemicals on skin

Exposure to radiation

Some testicular disorders

A strong family history of breast or ovarian cancers.

GOOGLE smart contact lens can monitor glucose level

Smart technology makes tracking personal health metrics — from posture to sleep quality — easier than ever. But one new device could be more medically useful than any yet on the market: a smart contact lens.

Developed by Google’s secretive Google X arm, the initial prototype is designed to monitor glucose for diabetics. It sports a tiny sensor that measures glucose in tears and an antenna that wirelessly transmits the data to a connected device.
Google’s clinical research studies demonstrate the device can take one reading per second, promising a constant, noninvasive alternative to diabetics’ routine finger pricks throughout the day. The lens could also immediately alert patients, doctors or caregivers to abnormal glucose levels.

A different twist on the same technology could produce lenses that work better than current bifocal contact lenses. By detecting eye muscle movements and automatically adjusting focus — similar to an automatic camera lens — the new lens could replicate the eye’s natural functioning.

In July, pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced it would license and commercialize the lenses, initially focusing on these two applications. CEO Joseph Jimenez said the company wants a prototype available for research-and-development reviews by early 2015, though Novartis says it’s too early to say which version of the lens will be available first.

Source : discovermagazine

CHICKENPOX : things to know

We all know about chickenpox, it's either we've had it or seen someone who has it. Well my little friend said 'Chicken gives chickenpox' . LoL, that's false.

Here are some facts about chickenpox, a miserable ailment rendered fairly rare since the advent of an effective vaccine:

— That's not its real name

We call it chickenpox. But this disease, which was once a part of most childhoods, is actually caused by the varicella-zoster virus.

These days, cases of chickenpox are less common as a result of the introduction of the varicella vaccine. The vaccine, administered on its own or combined with the vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella, is given in two doses in childhood.
It's one of the more effective vaccines.

— It's itchy and it scars

You'd be hard pressed to find an adult over the age of 20 or so who doesn't have a chickenpox scar somewhere on their body. (I have chickenpox scars because the first varicella vaccine was introduced in Canada in 1998.)

The disease causes a blister-like red rash that is very itchy. "Don't scratch!" was always the mantra in households with chickenpox cases, because scratching picks off the scab on the blister and that's what causes scarring. From experience, it's quite difficult to resist scratching sha.

— It's not just uncomfortable. It can also kill

Before the vaccine was introduced, most people caught chickenpox in childhood. It's one of the most contagious of the so-called childhood diseases, so if chickenpox hit a household or a neighbourhood, a lot of kids got sick.

Most people who contract chickenpox feel awful for a few days but then get better. But chickenpox can lead to skin infections and pneumonia. It can also cause necrotizing fasciitis — flesh-eating disease — in rare case, as well as stroke and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).

Chickenpox complications are more common in children and adults with compromised immune systems. Chickenpox is risky for pregnant women, both for them and in some cases for the fetuses they carry.

— It's really infectious

The chickenpox virus spreads in the air through coughing or sneezing, says the CDC.
It can also spread if a vulnerable person touches or breathes in the virus particles that come from chickenpox blisters. A person who hasn't had chickenpox and hasn't been vaccinated can also catch the virus through contact with someone who has shingles. (More on shingles next.)

One of the things that makes chickenpox a terrific spreader is that people who are infected can transmit to others for a day or two before they even know they are sick. Once someone sick takes to their bed they have fewer chances of infecting others. But the virus can move around in that day or two before symptoms set in.

— Shingles

The varicella-zoster virus has a nasty trick. It remains dormant in the body of anyone who has had chickenpox, and can flare up later in life.
When the virus reactivates, it causes shingles — a painful skin rash. The CDC estimates about one in three people who have had chickenpox will have shinges.
It's not known what triggers the reactivation, though the risk seems to rise with age. More than half of cases occur in people 60 years of age and older.
There is an adult vaccine that significantly reduces the risk of developing shingles.

Get vaccinated!!!

Stay healthy!!!

Ebola infection rate still significant, UN official warns

Africa's Ebola epidemic has not run its course and around 30 people are still getting infected each week, the United Nations' special envoy for the disease said on Monday.

The worst recorded outbreak of the virus has killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa since late 2013, but had abated in recent months. A new flare-up in Liberia is seen as a setback in the fight against it.

"The battle can be won, but it requires sustained effort, very careful negotiation with communities and perfection in follow-up of everybody who has been a contact," David Nabarro told a media briefing in Cape Town.

He said under normal circumstances, an infection rate of 30 people a week would be considered "a major, major outbreak."

"Probably about one third of these people are not coming from the contact list, which means they are surprise cases, and that's a big worry," Nabarro earlier told a conference organized by the World Health Organization.

Complacency with body contact

Infection rates are down from the peak of the crisis. But Liberia reported a 17-year-old boy tested positive for the virus on June 30 — almost two months after the country was declared free of Ebola.

Liberia, the country worst hit by the outbreak, had been hailed as an example for neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone, which are also struggling to stop the spread of the disease.

Olawale Maiyegun, social affairs director at the African Union Commission, said it seemed communities were forgetting a key "ABC" or "avoid body contact" rule and becoming complacent.

"Where is the ABC rule? I saw people dancing together, I was alarmed in [Sierra Leone's capital] Freetown," Maiyegun told journalists at the same briefing.
The Ebola outbreak has galvanized a global response. Last week donor countries pledged another $3.4 billion US in addition to $1.8 billion of unspent money in an effort to eradicate a disease that has wreaked economic and social havoc.


© Thomson Reuters, 2015

GRAMMATICAL ERRORS (GBAGAUN) that 'we' hate.

 

 "I have CATCHED you".   

The 'gbagaun' above can lead to 'hemicrania' , if you know what I mean.

Imagine a graduate of mass communication uttering such GBAGAUN.

Well I managed to survive the 'grammatobomb' today  but I miss our mummy Patience .

Sometimes i wonder who were the english men that sat down to define the rules and laws of english language or was it innate in them to speak proper english while some people struggle to arrange their tenses in the right way just to avoid ridicule. One thing i have noticed is that people who didn’t speak english in their younger years find it difficult to use the proper tenses no matter how wide their vocabulary is. 

When I try to correct some of them, they say "English is not my mother tongue", Then why even try??

I have a friend that makes the most annoying kind of grammatical error, well I named it the substitution error.

The substitution error as I tagged it, is done by substituting a word with another just because they are pronounced the same though they have different meanings (homophones), Example; write/right, ate/8 , you're/your. 'Brian, what you did to me is not write o' #gbagaun.  

My advice is, "if you no sabi english, just speak pidgin for us, no dey try form, you go just fall your hand" 

View popular #gbagaun on Twitter

Comment below...

Governor Umahi tagged the 50% salary slash as "insignificant"

Swag Gov

Still on the 50% salary slash, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has described the 50% pay cut by some state governors as highly insignificant.

He added that the pay cut is not enough to stimulate the desired development in their respective states.

The governor stated this on Sunday while fielding questions from journalists after paying a courtesy call on the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State.

Gov. Umahi said, “To me, this 50 per cent pay cut by some of the governors is not the way out of our present situation in the country. For instance, I earn N600,000 per month and if that is halved, I will take home N300,000 in a month. That is not the kind of money that will turn around the fortune of my people in Ebonyi State.

“I strongly feel we should go beyond that level; we should endeavour to re-invent our respective states to make them viable and more productive.”

What do you think about this?
Comment below...

WHO : Ebola was never completely eradicated in Liberia

Tests on the Ebola virus that claimed Liberia's first victim since it was declared Ebola-free in May showed it was closely related to an earlier Liberian strain suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a health official .

The findings suggest the disease was never entirely eliminated from the West African country.

"It indicates that the virus is closely related to one that was circulating in Liberia in that particular area," WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said, confirming initial results of the genetic tests obtained by Reuters .

"So it's either (from) a survivor or non-identified transmission in the community," he added.

Liberia's first Ebola case in nearly two months was reported on June 30 when the body of a 17-year-old boy, Abraham Memaigar, tested positive for the virus in Margibi County.

The case has baffled officials since Memaigar lived far from the hotspots of the epidemic on the borders with Guinea and Sierra Leone, and was not known to have been in contact with any travellers.

Ebola is thought to be able to survive no more than 21 days in most body fluids, such as blood and vomit, but is known to persist in semen and in some soft tissues, such as the eye, for months after recovery

KEY STATS AND INFORMATION ON HIV/AIDS

* An estimated 35 million people are living with HIV globally. 3.2 million of people living with HIV are children under 15 years old.

* AIDS is the leading cause of death among women of childbearing age (18-49).

* AIDS is the leading cause of death among adolescents (10-18) in Africa.

* Despite progress in reducing new infections, four countries still account for half of all new infections among children: Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.

*AIDS related deaths and new HIV infections are preventable.





Source: Unicef

HOLY BIBLE NOW IN IDOMA

   The Holy Bible in Idoma language (Ubayibu K'Idoma) was unveiled today to the public during a concelebrated Mass by the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese in Nigeria

Ubayibu K‘Idoma is the first attempt to give a full translation of the entire Bible in Idoma.

Asleep on the job runs down your business

The below infographic shows how less sleep affects the business

Source : The Pulse Institute

 

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES

    If you go through my previous posts, you'd find out that I write about diabetes a lot. It could be due to the fact that some people are ignorant of diabetes and others only know about it when they are bedridden by it.
    Below are some of the symptoms of diabetes (I put together) and if you're exhibiting any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor and have your blood glucose level checked.

• INCREASED THIRST AND FREQUENT URINATION

    This is caused by the failure of the kidney to filter the excess glucose in the blood, so it is passed out with the urine which leads to frequent urination as the body tries to remove the excess glucose. Sometimes there's excessive sweating
The body then becomes dehydrate and you feel thirsty.

• INCREASED HUNGER

Unavailability of insulin in the body reduces the quantity of glucose getting into the cell. Cells need glucose for energy, so the body tries to increase calories for energy which increases hunger.

• UNFORESEEN WEIGHT LOSS

This is due to the decrease in the amount of calories absorbed by the cell because of the excretion of glucose in urine.

• FATIGUE AND WEAKNESS

This is caused by the reduction in glucose that gets into the cells leading to reduced amount of energy to function.

• BLURRY VISION

Many people don't know this is a symptom of diabetes. High blood glucose affects the eyes causing swollen lens with abnormal shape, thereby leading to a blurry vision.

• SORE HEALS SLOWLY AND FREQUENT INFECTIONS

When the blood glucose level is high, it weakens the immune system which leads to slow healing process and the body is prone to infections.

Stay healthy.

Author

China evavuates over 800,000 as Super-typhoon nears

Chinese authorities have evacuated more than 800,000 people and cancelled hundreds of flights as a super-typhoon with wind gusts of up to 200kmph headed toward the country's southeastern coast.

Typhoon Chan-hom is expected to hit land on Saturday afternoon between the coastal cities of Ruian and Zhoushan, south of Shanghai, according to China's national weather service. It said the typhoon might be the most powerful to hit China since 1949.

About 865,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas of Zhejiang province, the provincial Civil Affairs Bureau said. The provincial flood control bureau said 28,764 ships had been ordered back to port by late Friday.

The country's railway service said more than 100 trains between the region's cities were cancelled through Sunday.

All flights into and out of Zhoushan were cancelled and bus services and speedboat ferry services halted. Elsewhere in Zhejiang, 388 flights were cancelled in Hangzhou, 34 in Ningbo and 37 in Wenzhou, according to the provincial government.

Several area cities suspended inter-city bus services.
Neighbouring countries hit Chan-hom caused 20 injuries as it moved over islands in southern Japan, Kyodo news agency reported, citing the Okinawa prefecture government.

The storm also dumped rain on the northern Philippines and was expected to pass by Taiwan, where several flights were suspended. The stock market and public offices were closed Friday in Taipei, Taiwan's capital.

People in coastal fishing farms in Fujian province to the south of Zhejiang were also asked to evacuate Friday morning when the NMC first issued a red alert, the highest level, for the super typhoon.

The typhoon is the second storm to hit China in two days after severe tropical storm Linfa made landfall on the coast of southern Guangdong province.
Earlier in the week, Typhoon Linfa displaced 56,000 people in southern China's Guangdong province


Source: Agencies

Photo : why you should quit smoking

I saw it on Facebook and decide to share...

From the picture below you could see the difference in the lungs of a non smoker and that of a smoker.

Stay healthy, quit smoking!!!

Buhari and Osinbajo slash salaries

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Predident Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo have slashed their salaries by 50 percent as part of plans to reduce the cost of governance.

The current annual remuneration of the President of Nigeria as published by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, is N14,058,820. Thus, Buhari will earn N7,029,410 per annum.


The first two citizens have therefore written to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to intimate it of the new development.

Part of the letter reads : “I write to forward the completed IPPIS registration form of Mr. President and to draw your kind attention to Mr. President’s directive that only 50 per cent of his salary be paid to him,”

 Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, penultimate week slashed his remunerations by 50 percent in view of the dwindling economic fortunes of the country. Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, last Thursday ordered that the salaries of political office holders in the state should be suspended until civil servants have been paid. Mallam Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State also slashed his salary by half upon assumption of power.

This is positive CHANGE!!!

SMOKING MAY TRIGGER MENTAL ILLNESS

Chemicals in tobacco may help trigger serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, a study suggests.

New research shows that smoking can triple the chances of developing psychosis.

Previously the fact that people with psychotic mental illnesses are more likely to smoke has been put down to non-causal factors, such as obtaining relief from distress or self-medication.

But now scientists believe something in tobacco might actually be responsible, alongside genetic and environmental influences.

'While it is always hard to determine the direction of causality, our findings indicate that smoking should be taken seriously as a possible risk factor for developing psychosis, and not dismissed simply as a consequence of the illness,' said Dr James MacCabe, a member of the team from King's College London.
The researchers analysed data from 61 observational studies involving almost 15,000 tobacco users and 273,000 non-users.

They found that 57 per cent of people treated for a first episode of psychosis were smokers. Psychotic patients were three times more likely to consume tobacco than individuals without severe mental illness.

The study also showed that daily smokers became psychotic around a year earlier than non-smokers.

The scientists, whose findings are reported in The Lancet Psychiatry medical journal, acknowledge that causality is difficult to prove.

One theory is a possible link between smoking and excess dopamine, a brain chemical that plays a role in transmitting nerve signals.

Professor Sir Robin Murray, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College, said: 'Excess dopamine is the best biological explanation we have for psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia. It is possible that nicotine exposure, by increasing the release of dopamine, causes psychosis to develop.'

A proven link has already been found between cannabis use and psychosis in genetically vulnerable people.

Dr Sameer Jauhar, another member of the King's College team, said: 'Longer-term studies are required to investigate the relationship between daily smoking, sporadic smoking, nicotine dependence and the development of psychotic disorders.

'In view of the clear benefits of smoking cessation programs in this population, every effort should be made to implement change in smoking habits in this group of patients.'


Source : skynews

Squirrels suspected to have a deadly virus that kills human.

Squirrels

Earlier this year, i read about the death of three German men who worked as squirrel breeders, and they all died of brain inflammation. This “cluster” of deaths was likely caused by a newly mutated bornavirus, which is usually found in animals like horses, birds and pigs, according to authorities at the European Center for Disease Control . Researchers were previously not sure if bornavirus can infect humans, but further investigation into these deaths indicates that humans are in fact at risk, and these viruses are a bigger threat than ever before, according to the report and reported by website (LiveScience)..

The three men who died of the mutated virus were in their 60s or 70s and were friends who met up regularly. They were all squirrel breeders, raising animals that were sold as exotic pets, and reports indicate that at least two of them received scratches or bites from the squirrels. Between 2011 and 2013, all three men developed encephalitis, brain inflammation usually caused by a virus. They were treated in intensive care units, but within four months of their initial symptoms, they slipped into comas and died.

The doctors were puzzled by the cause of the men's demise—tests for the usual causes of encephalitis came back negative. The researchers conducted a genetic test on one of the squirrels and found a previously unknown virus, which the researchers named VSBV-1. And when they tested the blood and spinal fluid of one of the deceased patients, they found antibodies for the same virus.
These tests don't definitely prove that VSBV-1 was the virus that caused the encephalitis and subsequent death of all three patients, the researchers note. But this work raises a lot of questions about how bornaviruses are transmitted from animals to humans and its reservoirs in the body. Until scientists understand the virus better,

European public health officials recommend avoiding “feeding or direct contact with living or dead variegated squirrels … as a precautionary measure.”

Squirrel hunters, be warned!!!

WIDAl TEST : typhoid fever

    Many times when we fall I'll and visit the doctor, we are asked to go for a widal test. But how many of us know why and what we are being tested for.

    A widal test is a test done to for the detection of typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is also know as enteric fever.
It is caused by two bacteria of the Salmonella genus ; Salmonella typhi and Samonella  paratyphi (milder than typhi).

    These bacteria gains access to the human body through ingestion of contaminated water or contaminated food (fecal-oral).

    Symptoms of typhoid fever includes ;

• High fever
• Abdominal pain
• General weakness
• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• Inflammation of the liver and spleen
• Skin rashes.

    Typhoid fever should be treated as soon as it is detected. As soon as you notice any of the above symptoms, consult your doctor because untreated typhoid fever could lead to ;

* Perforation of the intestine (ulceration)
* Lower gastrointestinal breeding
* Dissemination to the different body organs including meninges and brain.

Brian Duru

Nike Zoom Penny 6 "Copper"

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After making its debut as a part of the coveted “Sharpie” pack alongside a special edition of the Foamposite One, Penny Hardaway’s latest signature sneaker is set to get its first standalone release in the form of a classic “Copper” make-up. Sporting an official colorway of Black/Metallic Copper-White-Black, the design couples a premium black suede upper with copper-colored Foamposite paneling while additional hits of the metallic hue adorn the patterned jewel Swoosh, Dynamic Flywire, Penny logo, tongue stripe, heel pull tab and outsole. Finished with dual-colored rope laces, the “Copper” edition of the Nike Zoom Penny 6 is set to debut this Friday, July 10 for $185 at select NSW stockists.

learn how to walk in heels

Walking in high heels can be very difficult with all the 'shakey shakey' but there's nothing sexier than a great pair of high heels.
There are some easy secrets i came across to make life a whole lot easier on you, your feet and, well, everyone around you including the 'looku looku' people, so I decided to share.

Here are eight tips on how to walk in heels like you mean it.

Invest in Support

First things first: You need backup. Stock up on toe gels, moleskin insoles, arch supports, heel pads and blister strips before you’re in pain. It sounds like a lot of prep, but once you get into the swing of things, it’ll become second nature to you.

Train Your Arch

Guess what? Your foot arch will mold to your shoes . So if you typically wear flats, chances are your arch is less pronounced than someone who regularly wears high heels. Your best bet is to alternate your shoe heights. For example, commute to work in sneakers and then slip on a pair of heels when you get to the office. That way you train your arch to get used to a variety of heel heights.

Walk Heel to Toe

When you’re walking in high heels, there’s a tendency to plant with your toes first since your foot is slanted downward. Don’t succumb to the urge! You’ll want to stride in your normal heel-to-toe rhythm to prevent twisted ankles or broken stilettos.

Stand Up Straight

Check your posture while walking in high heels. Notice how your head and your body lean slightly forward? That will throw your weight on the balls of your feet and leave you susceptible to knee or back pain. Instead, tighten your core and make sure to stand up straight at all times, especially when you’re in a rush.

Look Forward

One of the easiest ways to spot a novice in high heels is by their eyeline. Confident women look straight ahead, which in turn helps them to walk in a straight line. Newbies often look down, which will hinder their gate and strain their neck. So, find a landmark in the near distance and zero in.

Take Small Steps

Heels naturally shorten your stride, so try to avoid taking the monstrous steps you’re used to when you wear flats. That’s not to say you have to tiptoe around. Just use your best judgment and find the right balance for you. This will help support your upright posture and your heel-to-toe motion.

Know Your Terrain

Stilettos have no business on cobblestone streets or freshly manicured lawns. When your terrain gets a little bumpy, opt for shoes with at least a one-inch-thick heel to keep you from teetering to and fro.

Swing Your Hips (do shakara)

A little pep in your step never hurt anyone. If you’re feeling wobbly or you notice that you plant your foot on the ground really hard, you’re probably stiffening up when you walk. Add a slight swing in your hips to ease the tension and give you some momentum. Hey, you’ll probably even turn a few heads while you’re at it.

Oya ladies tell me 'thank you'

4 Gmail hacks that will change your life

I’ll be honest — I’ve had mixed feelings about Gmail . Sometimes it’s fantastic, like when my best friend and I send each other cool links all morning while simultaneously talking on Gchat. But other times, as I’m watching my inbox fill up at the speed of light, it can just be overwhelming. Gmail and I have finally come to a mutually respectful relationship (think Kanye’s post-VMA apology to T-Swift ), but it’s been a long road. These four hacks have paved the way, and once you’ve got them down, I promise Gmail will feel like a whole new ball game
.
1. You can magically fake the timestamp.

As a self-proclaimed night owl, I never really thought anyone noticed my late-night emailing, until one morning I came into the office and my supervisor (whom I’d emailed during a late-night catch-up binge) asked, “Were you working at 2 a.m.?” Busted. I realized that if I wanted to be taken seriously, it would be a lot better if my emails looked like they were being sent at 8 a.m. instead of at 3 a.m. And then I discovered Boomerang.
Boomerang is a Gmail app that allows you to schedule emails, set up snooze messages, and get reminders. You can easily schedule emails to go out at any time, so it’ll look like you’re sending something at 8 a.m. on Monday, even though you scheduled it at 11 p.m. the night before. You can also choose to “boomerang” emails, meaning you can mark an email to leave your inbox and return on a certain date. Let’s say there’s a reminder for a networking event next month and as much as you want the email, it’s cluttering your inbox. Just choose to “boomerang” the message, so that it leaves your inbox for now but returns two days before the event. You can also ask Boomerang to send you a reminder if nobody replies to an email, so you’ll never forget to follow up with people again.
Tip: When scheduling an email, I do like to BCC myself just to be absolutely, 100 percent sure that everything is getting sent out.

2. You can instantly pull up someone’s name, title, and mutual connections.

You know how before cold emailing someone important, you can spend a good 30 minutes stalking her LinkedIn profile, searching for any mutual connections, and triple-checking the spelling of her first and last name? Well, Rapportive is your new networking best friend. This Gmail extension will pull up LinkedIn profiles right inside of Gmail, so you can see someone’s profile alongside your message. Whether you’re sending or receiving an email, Rapportive will give you the quick information you need to make sure your message is accurate and well-informed.

3. You can unsend a hastily written message.

This new Gmail feature made headlines last week — and it’s true; you can now take it back. Gmail’s new “Undo” feature will let you unsend an email up to 30 seconds after you hit “send.” To enable the feature, just click the gear in the top right-hand corner of your Gmail window, go to Settings, scroll down to “Undo Send,” make sure the button is checked, and then save your changes. Now after you send an email, a yellow bar will appear at the top of your inbox, asking if you would like to undo. I think I speak for everyone when I say this magic button makes us breathe a huge sigh of relief.

4. You can plow through your inbox in record speed.

When my friend first told me about the Gmail keyboard shortcuts, I was underwhelmed at the suggestion, even though she claimed she loved them. But being one who doesn’t knock it ’til I try it, I decided to give them a whirl. And oh my, these shortcuts are a game changer. To enable them for Gmail, go to the gear on the top right-hand corner of your main page, go to Settings, scroll down to “Keyboard shortcuts,” make sure they’re turned on and then save your changes. Now you can whiz through Gmail without (almost) ever leaving the keyboard. Need to draft a new email? Just press “c.” Need to mark something as important? Just press “+.” Need to mark an email unread? It’s as easy as hitting “Shift + u.” Get ready for your coworkers

Source : www.Brit.co

Researchers propose new Ayurvedic drug to treat Diabetes

Research inspired by the unique ayurvedic metallic preparations known as ‘bhasmas’ has led Indian researchers to propose a novel nano-particle-based drug for diabetes.

In a proof-of-concept study, researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in Pune claim to have successfully used this nano-medicine to treat both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes in rats.

Oral administration of zinc oxide nano-particles (ZON) resulted in significant reduction of blood glucose levels and increased insulin levels, they claim in a report published in a recent issue of the journal “Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine”.

“These results, reported for the first time, warrant further investigation for the development of ZON as an anti-diabetic agent,” Kishore Paknikar, director of ARI and one of the authors, told IANS.

In Ayurveda, metals that go through a purification and incineration process that turns them into ash are called ‘bhasmas’, which literally means ash. They are indicated for the treatment of several diseases. For instance, zinc-based bhasma (Jasada bhasma) is mentioned in ayurveda as the treatment of choice for diabetes.

To verify this, the ARI researchers synthesized Jasada bhasma using traditional method and carried out a study to evaluate its efficacy in treating rats in whom diabetes was induced chemically.

In case of Type-1 diabetic rats, Jasada bhasma treatment showed reduction of blood glucose levels comparable to the drug glibenclamide, Paknikar said.

In the case of Type-2 diabetic rats, treatment with Jasada bhasma was found to be comparable to the widely used drug pioglitazone.

While the study confirmed the anti-diabetic effect of Jasada bhasma, its synthesis involves laborious and time consuming procedures, Paknikar said. Therefore, the researchers decided to look at the composition of Jasada bhasma.

Using modern physico-chemical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy, the researchers found that the traditionally prepared Jasada bhasma consisted of zinc oxide in the form of nano-particles of the size 200-500 nanometre (one nanometre is one billionth of a metre).

“Since our studies clearly demonstrated the presence of ZON in Jasada bhasma, we hypothesized that ZON should also be able to exert anti-diabetic effects,” Paknikar said.

“An elaborate study was therefore undertaken to investigate this possibility.”

For this study, zinc oxide nano-particles, of less than 10 nanometres in size, were procured from a company in the US.

Oral administration of ZON, after four weeks of treatment, resulted in improved glucose tolerance, higher serum insulin, reduced blood glucose and reduced triglycerides in diabetic rats, the researchers reported.

Most of the currently available drugs for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes are used in combination with each other or with insulin, increasing the treatment cost. None of them is free from adverse effects, Paknikar said.

“A single, cost-effective, oral, anti-diabetic treatment with minimal side effects is the need of the day.”

According to Paknikar, it is evident from the rat studies that ZON can elicit potent anti-diabetic activity.

Administration of ZON resulted in sustained release of zinc up to 24 hours — which is a desirable pharmacokinetics profile — and was found non-toxic up to 100 times the efficacy dose, he added.

The researchers said that on the basis of their findings they were proposing “a new chemical entity — zinc oxide nano-particles — as a promising anti-diabetic agent warranting further studies”.

The report further said that the bhasma-inspired drug discovery approach followed by them to identify a diabetic drug could also be used to develop metal based nano-medicines for several other diseases.

“Once the active ingredients of bhasmas are identified, these metal oxides can be synthesized and evaluated as a new chemical entity in modern drug discovery.”

Source: IANS

Funny photo : rebranded local gin (ogogoro)

When something is banned in Africa, people rebrand it and continue selling it...

This is just 'OGOGORO' with a 'killer' name...

LoL ... Drink and die .. REST IN PEACE

Fifa world ranking 09/07/15 : top 20 men

From the list..
Argentina is still @ the no1 spot...
Algeria is the only African country on the top 20 list...

Drop your comments ...

Diabetes affects the brain

Having Type 2 diabetes is associated with greater impairment of blood flow to the brain and a sharper decline in mental acuity compared with nondiabetic people of similar age and health status, even over a two-year period, researchers report.

The study, published in Neurology , included 40 people whose average age was 66, half of whom had been in long-term  for Type 2 diabetes. All were tested at the start of the study and then two years later with M.R.I. scans, various blood tests and several tests of cognitive ability.

At the end of two years, people with diabetes had greater declines in gray matter volume, composite scores on mental tests, and in rates of blood flow to the brain than those in the control group. They also had greater increases in blood measures of inflammation. Among the group with diabetes, those with more severe declines in cerebral blood flow had correspondingly greater declines on tests of mental skills.

“There is currently no treatment for cognitive decline in diabetes,” said the lead author, Dr. Vera Novak, an associate professor of neurology at Harvard. “Even tighter glycemic control did not improve things. We are doing a new trial to assess whether injecting insulin into the brain through the nose could improve cognitive function or slow down cognitive decline.”

diabetes could be inherited - Researchers

Children born to fathers with diabetes are around five times more at risk of developing type 1 diabetes as those without it.

Those with mothers with type 1 diabetes have three times the risk, while the offspring of mothers with type 2 diabetes have almost double the chance.

A study, which looked at more than 1.2 million children in Sweden, also found that mothers who were overweight or obese in early pregnancy increased the risk of children developing type 1 diabetes - even if neither parent had the condition.

Researchers said better public health strategies are needed to encourage mothers-to-be to keep to a healthy weight, as type 1 diabetes in children becomes more prevalent all over the world. The latest National Pediatric Diabetes Audit revealed there were 1,000 more children suffering from diabetes reported in England and Wales last year.

In the Swedish study, a high body mass index was associated with a 33 per cent increased risk of type 1 diabetes in offspring of parents without diabetes when compared with maternal BMI in the normal range.

It added that maternal obesity within the three months only increased the risk of diabetes in the children of parents without diabetes, causing no 'extra' risk in the offspring of parents with diabetes, suggesting that heredity for type 1 diabetes is the strongest risk factor of the two for development of type 1 diabetes.

'This population-based study from Sweden demonstrates significantly increased risks of type 1 diabetes in offspring of both mothers and fathers with diabetes and regardless of parental migration background,' the authors concluded.
'The highest risks were noted in offspring of mothers and fathers with type 1 diabetes.

'Furthermore, maternal overweight and obesity in early pregnancy was associated with increased risk of type 1 diabetes in the offspring of parents without diabetes.

'Therefore prevention of overweight and obesity in women of reproductive age - currently increasing in all countries - may contribute to a decreased incidence of type 1 diabetes.'

The research, led by Associate Professor Tahereh Moradi, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, is published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes).