Children of 'The Troubles' more prone to suicide |  |
- Children of 'The Troubles' more prone to suicide
- New classification scheme for psychiatric symptoms based on the state of a dysfunctional neural circuit
- Virtual models of human knee joints to study joints at tissue and cellular level
- Himachal directed to ban smoking at public places
- Hepatitis could kill 5 mn in Southeast Asia: WHO
- Concerns over accuracy of tools to predict risk of repeat offending
- Permanent dental implants for toothless available
- Shanta Kumar's trust-run hospital opens in Himachal
- Permanent dental implants for edentulism patients
- Notice to governments on mobile phone towers
| Children of 'The Troubles' more prone to suicide Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) People who grew up in the worst years of 'The Troubles ' are more prone to suicide in Northern Ireland, according to new research carried out at Queen's University Belfast. The research, which examined death registration data over the last 40 years, found that the highest suicide rate is for men aged 35-44 (41 per 100,000 by 2010) followed closely by the 25-34 and 45-54 age groups. The findings showed that children who grew up in the worst years of violence between 1969 and 1977-78 are the cohort which now has the highest suicide rates and the most rapidly increasing rates of all age groups. The study found that the overall rate of suicide for both men and women in Northern Ireland doubled in the decade following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, rising from 8.6 per 100,000 of the population in 1998 to 16 per 100,000 by 2010. Suicide rates for men went from 13 per 100,000 of the population in 1997 to 24 per 100,000 by 2008; for women the increase was from a rate of 3.9 to 7.3 over the same period. Speaking about his research, Professor Mike Tomlinson, from the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Queen's, said: The rise in suicide rates in the decade from 1998 to 2008 coincide with the move from conflict to peace in Northern Ireland. The increase in suicide rates can be attributed to a complex range of social and psychological factors. These include the growth in social isolation, poor mental health arising from the experience of conflict, and the greater political stability of the past decade. The transition to peace means that cultures of externalised aggression are no longer socially approved or politically acceptable. Violence and aggression have become more internalised instead. We seem to have adjusted to peace by means of mass medication with anti-depressants, alcohol and non-prescription drugs, the consumption of which has risen dramatically in the period of peace. The research also... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Posted: 24 Jul 2012 09:37 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The traditional approach to psychiatric diagnosis is based on grouping patients on the basis of symptom clusters. This approach to diagnosis has a number of problems, as symptoms are not necessarily specific to a single diagnosis. Symptoms may vary among patients with a particular diagnosis, and there are no clear diagnostic biomarkers or tests for psychiatry as there are for other areas of medicine. With this in mind, Steve Chang, along with colleagues from Duke University, introduces a new classification scheme for psychiatric symptoms based on the state of a dysfunctional neural circuit. This is a thought-provoking proposal altering the way science thinks about psychiatric disorders, all of which have been found to have some form of neural circuit dysfunction. The authors focus on two kinds of functional deficits. Variance-shifted functionality is a condition by which a damaged circuit continues to function, but not at its optimal capacity. State-shifted functionality, on the other hand, is when the function of the circuit is either completely absent or altered in such a way that its output is functionally different. They discuss these deficits from the perspective of neuroeconomics, an interdisciplinary field that studies the process of decision-making, and related investigations in animals. "This paper suggests a future in which a cluster of important symptoms for some psychopathology is isolated, classified according to the information-based scheme outlined by Chang et al. and then used to guide the production of a model organism exhibiting deficits in a contributing neural system," commented neuroeconomics expert P. Read Montague at Virginia Tech. "These possibilities are quite exciting not only because of the possible insights into basic mechanisms, but also because of the potentially fruitful interplay with clinical applications." "Every day, millions of people struggle with mental illness. While great... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Virtual models of human knee joints to study joints at tissue and cellular level Posted: 24 Jul 2012 09:02 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A Cleveland Clinic research team is developing virtual models of human knee joints to better understand how tissues and their individual cells react to heavy loads – virtual models that someday can be used to understand damage mechanisms caused by the aging process or debilitating diseases, such as osteoarthritis. Led by Ahmet Erdemir, Ph.D., the team is leveraging the powerful computing systems of the Ohio Supercomputer Center to develop state-of-the-art computational representations of the human body to understand how movement patterns and loads on the joints deform the surrounding tissues and cells. Erdemir is the director of the Computational Biomodeling Core (CoBi) and a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Lerner Research Institute (LRI) in Cleveland, Ohio. "The aging process and debilitating diseases affect many aspects of the mechanical function of the human body: from the way we move to how our muscles, joints, tissues, and cells accommodate the loading exerted on the body during daily activities," Erdemir explained. "Computational modeling techniques provide an avenue to obtain additional insights about mechanics at various spatial scales." Many macro-scale studies have looked at how the various components of a knee joint – cartilage, menisci, ligaments and bone – respond to weight and other external loads. However, Erdemir and colleague Scott C. Sibole wanted to better understand how those large mechanical forces correspond to the related deformation of individual cartilage cells – or chondrocytes – within the knee. Previous micro-scale studies of cartilage have not commonly been based on data from body-level scales, in particular, by the musculoskeletal mechanics of the knee joint. In addition, calculated deformations typically have been for a single cell at the center of a 100-cubic-micrometer block of simulated tissue; Erdemir used an anatomically based representation that... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Himachal directed to ban smoking at public places Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:22 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Shimla, July 24 - The Himachal Pradesh High Court Tuesday directed the state government to file a reply on ensuring implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act - at public places in the state. The court asked the state to file the reply within two months. A division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice D.C. Chaudhary took cognisance of a letter written to the chief justice by the president of Himachal Pradesh Voluntary Health Association, an NGO working to make the state tobacco-free, alleging violations of provisions under COTPA in the state. The petitioner sought the court's directions to the state authorities asking them to take steps to ensure that no tobacco products are sold within 100 yards of educational institutions and no advertisements promoting tobacco products are on display in such areas. The NGO also requested the court to ban 'gutka' in the state on the pattern of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Bihar. Smoking in public places has already been banned in the state since Oct 2, 2008. The government had imposed a ban on the manufacturing, storage and sale of gutka and its variants July 13 this year. However, the ban was deferred till Oct 2 after an appeal was made by retailers to enable them exhaust their existing stocks. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Hepatitis could kill 5 mn in Southeast Asia: WHO Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:57 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, July 24 - The World Health Organisation - Tuesday said that over five million people are likely to lose life over the next decade due to viral hepatitis in Southeast Asia region. The inflammatory disease of the liver affects 100 million with chronic hepatitis B infection in the region, WHO said ahead of the World Hepatitis Day July 28. WHO estimates that more than five million people in the Southeast Asia region will die from the consequences of viral hepatitis in the next 10 years. There are an estimated 30 million people with chronic hepatitis C infection in the region, WHO said. While the UN health agency is focusing on increasing awareness about the disease, it is also aiming at increasing surveillance and resources. Viral hepatitis must be given greater priority in terms of both resources and effort. Good surveillance is essential, said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO's regional director for Southeast Asia. Infant immunisation coverage for hepatitis B must reach levels greater than 95 percent. It should be mandatory for all blood and blood products to be screened for hepatitis B and C, Plianbangchang added. The most common causes of the viral infection are hepatitis virus A, B, C and E. The infection can cause acute illness with symptoms such as nausea, dark urine, vomiting and abdominal pain. About 65 percent of those with hepatitis B and 75 percent of those with hepatitis C do not know they are infected. An effective vaccine has been available to prevent hepatitis B since 1982, the WHO said. The UN health agency added that it is developing a strategy to prevent and control viral hepatitis in the region. WHO is bringing health experts from 11 countries who will help finalise the strategy addressing areas of policy, planning and resource mobilisation, surveillance, prevention and control, education, medical care and treatment and research. The quality of hepatitis testing in public and private laboratories... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Concerns over accuracy of tools to predict risk of repeat offending Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Research: Use of risk assessment instruments to predict violence and antisocial behaviour in 73 samples involving 24,827 people: systematic review and meta-analysis Tools designed to predict an individual's risk of repeat offending are not sufficient on their own to inform sentencing and release or discharge decisions, concludes a study published on bmj.com today. Although they appear to identify low risk individuals with high levels of accuracy, the authors say their use as sole determinants of detention, sentencing, and release is not supported by the current evidence. Risk assessment tools are widely used in psychiatric hospitals and criminal justice systems around the world to help predict violent behaviour and inform sentencing and release decisions. Yet their predictive accuracy remains uncertain and expert opinion is divided. So an international research team, led by Seena Fazel at the University of Oxford, set out to investigate the predictive validity of tools commonly used to assess the risk of violence, sexual, and criminal behaviour. They analysed risk assessments conducted on 24,827 people from 13 countries including the UK and the US. Of these, 5,879 (24%) offended over an average of 50 months. Differences in study quality were taken into account to identify and minimise bias. Their results show that risk assessment tools produce high rates of false positives (individuals wrongly identified as being at high risk of repeat offending) and predictive accuracy at around chance levels when identifying risky persons. For example, 41% of individuals judged to be at moderate or high risk by violence risk assessment tools went on to violently offend, while 23% of those judged to be at moderate or high risk by sexual risk assessment tools went on to sexually offend. Of those judged to be at moderate or high risk of committing any offence, just over half (52%) did. However, of those predicted not to violently offend, 91%... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Permanent dental implants for toothless available Posted: 24 Jul 2012 12:03 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kolkata, July 23 - Patients suffering from edentulism -, on rise in India due to lack of hygiene and tobacco use, can now look forward to permanent dental implants which they do not have to rinse or take out before sleeping, said a renowned dentist Monday. Conventional dentures still remain the most preferred option for patients, but they only restore ten percent of chewing ability and lead to jaw bone degradation, said dentist Suchetan Pradhan, who is also mentor to Nobel Biocare - a world leader in innovative restorative and aesthetic dental solutions. But implants can restore from 60 to 80 percent of chewing ability and patients do not experience any bone shrinkage. Additionally it lasts for life, if proper oral care is taken, he told a media conference. Pradhan said a pan Indian survey conducted by the company revealed that edentulism is on the rise in Indians due to improper oral hygiene and tobacco chewing habits. It usually strikes post-45 and is classified as a physical handicap by the World Health Organisation. Patients of edentulism experienced speech problems, reduced chewing ability and loss of normal facial structure, which hugely impacted their social lives. The permanent implants and prosthetics are made of titanium and bio-compatible materials. The surgical procedure is done in one sitting. So you can go to the dentist with a toothless facial expression, but come back with a full set of pearly whites flashing a million dollar smile, he said. Such titanium implants are popular in US and Switzerland, but are yet to pick up pace in India. Though it is more expensive than the dentures, its longevity and hassle-free characteristics make it economically viable in the long run, he added. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Shanta Kumar's trust-run hospital opens in Himachal Posted: 23 Jul 2012 11:59 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Palampur -, July 23 - A 200-bedded hospital, the dream project of Bharatiya Janata Party - vice president Shanta Kumar, was inaugurated here Monday. The multi-specialty medical college and research institute, set up by the Vivekanand Memorial Research Trust - headed by Shanta Kumar, was opened by Swami Subodhanand, regional head of the Chinmaya Mission. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the hospital was constructed in association with Jaiprakash Sewa Sansthan -, a charitable group of infrastructure conglomerate Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. He said the government had extended all possible help for development of the hospital complex and roped in not-for-profit trust. The chief minister said that the government was strengthening the health infrastructure by associating private players in medical field. Shanta Kumar thanked the chief minister for extending help to the VMRT in completing the project. He said the medical and nursing colleges of the institute would start working soon. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Permanent dental implants for edentulism patients Posted: 23 Jul 2012 06:11 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kolkata, July 23 - Patients suffering from edentulism - can now look forward to permanent dental implants which they do not have to rinse or take out before going to sleep. Conventional dentures still remain the most preferred option for patients, but they only restore ten percent of chewing ability and lead to jaw bone degradation, Suchetan Pradhan, official of Nobel Biocare, which is a world leader in innovative restorative and aesthetic dental solutions, said Monday. But implants can restore from 60 to 80 percent of chewing ability and patients do not experience any bone shrinkage. Additionally it lasts for life, if proper oral care is taken, she told a media conference. He said a pan Indian survey conducted by the company revealed that edentulism is on the rise in Indians due to improper oral hygiene and tobacco chewing habits. It usually strikes post-45 and is classified as a physical handicap by the World Health Organisation. Patients of edentulism experienced speech problems, reduced chewing ability and loss of normal facial structure, which hugely impacted their social lives. The permanent implants and prosthetics are made of titanium and bio-compatible materials. The surgical procedure is done in one sitting. So you can go to the dentist with a toothless facial expression, but come back with a full set of pearly whites flashing a million dollar smile, he said. Such titanium implants are popular in US and Switzerland, but yet to become popular in India. Though it is more expensive than the dentures, its longevity and hassle-free characteristics make it economically viable in the long run, he added. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Notice to governments on mobile phone towers Posted: 23 Jul 2012 05:48 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, July 23 - The Delhi High Court Monday issued notices to the central and the Delhi governments on a plea to ban high-frequency mobile phone towers in residential areas as its radiation causes health hazards. Justice Rajiv Shakdher sought response from the Department of Telecommunication, the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government and a leading mobile service provider by Jan 14, 2013. The court's direction came on a plea of Ramnath Garg seeking imposition of ban on installation of high frequency mobile phone towers within 50 metres of schools, hospitals and residential localities. The petition said: Respondents to be directed to stop the radio frequency waives emitted from cell phone towers causing radiation in the schools, hospitals and residential localities, in which the towers be not allowed to be installed in 50 metres of the places. The radiation from the cell phone towers causes different type of swelling in the brain, head, hearing disorder, headache and anxiety neurosis...but no action is taken for the safety of the persons living around the towers, the petition further said. Garg also sought directions to the Department of Telecom, private operators and the state government to take steps to reduce exposure to radiation. The petition asked the court to enforce guidelines prepared by a committee formed in 2010 to study health hazards from cell phone towers. Garg also claimed compensation of Rs.50 lakh, saying that his 30-year-old son died of cancer caused by radiation from a mobile tower on the roof of his house. He said the common man is being misled by the cell phone companies and even the civic authorities. The amount to be given for the negligence of the respondents causing death to his son, said the petition. Garg claimed that local state government officials approached him in 2009 with a proposal to install a tower on the roof of his house in Surajmal Vihar. Though he urged the officials not to... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
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