8-6-09
We hear more and more about Autism in the news. But what is the latest research indicating? Join Dr. Granet as he talks with a leading expert on the topic, Doris Trauner, MD, from UCSD's Department of Neurosciences. The newest advances and theories on Autism will be discussed. Series: "Health Matters" [2/2007] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 11948]
On CSPAN, 8/31/09
What is Social Anxiety Disorder? Is it simply a severe form of shyness? Join Dr. Granet as he talks with leading expert, Dr. Murray Stein, about this disorder that affects approximately 5% of the general population. Find out the symptoms and latest treatments that are available. Series: "Health Matters" [3/2007] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 12228]
Families in 29 countries who burned so-called "biofuels" for cooking or heating were 7 percent more likely to include a child with mild anemia.
When the researchers from McMaster University in Canada compared national-level data, they found that the countries with more residents burning biofuels were also home to more children with moderate or severe anemia.
"As a substantial proportion of people still rely on biofuels for domestic energy in developing countries, they need to be aware that exposure to biofuel smoke is associated with health risks and that they need to protect their children and themselves from being exposed to this harmful smoke," study author Hmwe Hmwe Kyu told Reuters Health.
Nearly half of children under the age of 5 living in developing countries develop anemia, putting them at risk of cognitive impairments, developmental problems, and other serious, potentially life-threatening consequences.
Anemia is caused by a deficiency of blood cells or of hemoglobin, the iron-rich molecules within blood cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
Inhaling smoke from burning biofuels has already been linked to a host of other health problems, such as low birth weight and pneumonia in children.
In theory, burning biofuels could also cause anemia because the smoke contains pollutants such as carbon monoxide, which binds to and reduces the available amount of hemoglobin, and other compounds that can destroy red blood cells directly.
Burning natural materials for cooking and heating remains very common in developing countries, however, and the number of people who rely on biofuels is expected to climb to 2.6 billion by 2030.
To investigate whether burning biofuels might indeed increase the risk of anemia, Kyu and colleagues reviewed data collected from families living in 29 developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean region. In all, 117,454 children were represented in the study.
Given that other aspects of life in those countries might be behind an apparent biofuel-anemia link, the researchers used statistical tools to control for the influence of poverty, childhood illness, smoking, and other potentially confounding factors.
Reporting in the Annals of Epidemiology, they found that 24 percent of children had mild forms of anemia, and nearly 39 percent had a more moderate to severe form of the condition.
In addition, they found that the relationship between anemia and exposure to biofuels was exacerbated when children also had diarrhea or a fever. In other words, compared with children who were not exposed to biofuel smoke and did not have diarrhea, exposed children with diarrhea were 22 percent more likely to have mild anemia.
If breathing in smoke from natural materials is triggering childhood anemia, improved stoves might help, the authors note - however, each unit likely costs anywhere from $25 to $150, Kyu said in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
They acknowledge that the smoke may not be the only source of the problem and they were unable to tease out the possible roles of all other factors. "For example, we were not able to control for intestinal parasitic infections and lead poisoning, which may have contributed to residual confounding in our study," Kyu added.
Kyu cautioned that the study focused on use of biofuels by individuals, and does not discuss the potential effects of living near a facility manufacturing ethanol for widespread use, for instance. "The results may not apply to large-scale biofuel efforts."
SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/qaj92q Annals of Epidemiology, November 2010.Copyright © 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
Here is a report on an anti-ObamaCare protester who had his "pinky finger" bitten off at a Health Care rally in Thousand Oaks, California yesterday. A Pro-ObamaCare protester reportedly was making his way through a crowd of people opposing ObamaCare and when tempers flared, wound up biting the finger off a man. The man picked up his finger and went to an area hospital. Police are reportedly looking for the attacker, who fled the scene.
Open wide and say surgery? Though it may sound like science fiction, the UCSD Medical Center is conducting clinical trials of a cutting edge technique called Natural Orifice Surgery (NOTES). Patients have reported less recovery time, less pain, and less scarring. Mark Talamini, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at UCSD Medical Center joins David Granet, MD, to explain the wonders of this new minimally invasive procedure and where the future of surgery is going. Series ...
"Guess who stepped in. Yep, Brandi," DeForest said. "She got a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness and recovered a fumble."
DeForest said getting used to the fact that so many of the things her daughter enjoyed just months ago, like playing basketball, playing a game of chase with her children and spending quality time with her family, are no longer possible.
"I can't get accustomed to the fact that she's not going to be running through my front door," DeForest said. "Our house is not handicap accessible and she will not be able to come over for Christmas."
She also said Brandi is missing out on visits with her 83-year-old grandfather "Pop," who "she adores."
"He lives in a house with nine steps going straight up," DeForest said.
The biggest impact, according to DeForest, is the fact that her free-spirited, strong-willed daughter has lost her independence.
"My daughter has fallen on many occasions," she said, adding that she has to call on her parents, who live less than a mile, away for help. "Do you know she always apologizes to us? Can you believe that? It hurts to have her tell us how sorry she is for needing so much."
She also said during the sentencing hearing that just days before the attack Brandi, who was working 50-55 hours per week to raise her children, discovered she could do it all on her own.
But "the worst" emotion her daughter has struggled with is the fact that despite her beauty and fun-loving spirit, Brandi could spend the rest of her life alone.
"I think for her the worst is that she thinks she is going to be alone for the rest of her life, that nobody will every want to marry her again, now that she is in a wheelchair," DeForest said.
Furthermore, DeForest said even after months, certain fears remain for Brandi.
"She won't sit with her back to the door at a restaurant, and in large crowds, one of us has to walk behind her," DeForest said. "She jumps when someone approaches her from behind and touches her. She says she looks at people differently now. She's always wondering if they could have the intention of stabbing her."
And what about Olivia, Brandi's nine-year-old daughter?
"For months, she slept with a baseball bat next to her bed," DeForest said, adding that Brandi's five-year-old son, Lincoln, has also been effected by the incident.
And DeForest said had he not attacked her, Howard might have found a sense of hope in Brandi's spirit.
"Mr. Howard, do you know the ironic thing about this? If you would have went to that (park) bench and sat down and talked to her, Brandi would have talked your leg off, treated you with respect and told you many stories about her children," DeForest said. "I know you have been tormented and I hope, while incarcerated, you learn how special you are in God's eyes."
When it comes to the mental health system, DeForest said Howard had in some way been a victim of improper care.
"Our system for helping people in your condition is a failure and needs to be changed," she said. "I make a promise to you and Brandi, I am going to do everything in my power to bring this to our lawmakers' attention."
Meanwhile, as Brandi was greeted by a barrage of media personnel as she exited the courtroom Wednesday, she said she was "excited" that the trial had come to an end.
"I am excited about being able to put this behind me and go forward," Brandi said, adding that she is ready to get back to work and therapy and working on walking again.
Doctors have told Brandi she has a less than one percent chance of walking again, but she testified Tuesday she has seen some improvements since making a trip to California and undergoing therapy at Project Walk and intends to continue therapy here at home.
"If you had seen her work (at regaining her ability to walk), you would believe that she will walk again," DeForest said.
For Brandi, the verdict was not all about herself and the pain her family has endured.
"I'm not worried about me, I've already survived being stabbed," Brandi said, adding she is relieved there is now a chance Howard will not hurt anyone else for the next 20 years.
Golfing greats Colin Montgomerie and Paul Casey have thrown their support behind a campaign to save a public golf course threatened by developers.
The pair spoke out against the current redevelopment plan for Springfield Hospital, in Tooting, which would see up to 839 homes built on the site - and spell the end of the Central London Golf Centre, in Burntwood Lane.
The club operates on land owned by South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) - but a development application submitted to Wandsworth Council by the trust reveals no future provision for golf on the site.
The new application has again angered campaigners, who objected to a previous plan by the trust in March, last year. That proposal asked for permission to build 1,200 new homes in order to finance new hospital facilities, but it was rejected by councillors.
Campaigner Giles Nicholas said about 1,400 letters of objection had already been written. Earlier this month, more than 100 residents packed into the golf club for a mass letter writing campaign to oppose the development.
He branded the scheme “madness” and claimed the loss of the pay and play nine-hole course would disappoint hundreds of children.
Ryder Cup-winning captain, Montgomerie, said: “I don’t think you can overstate the importance of nine hole courses in introducing aspiring golfers to this great game. I started out on a nine hole pitch and putt at Troon Portland and to this day I believe there is no greater place to develop your skills without being discouraged.”
Casey added: “It’s because of places like this that I got into golf.”
Mr Nicholas also warned the development would put intense pressure on traffic in the area - nearby Trinity Road was recently deemed to be one of the most congested in Britain.
To learn more about the anti-development campaign visit neighboursofspringfield.co.uk.
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With a problem as big as Wisconsin's financial deficit ? $1.5 billion in the first year of the next two-year budget ? we need practical solutions, not just campaign promises.
That goes the same for addressing job growth, tax cuts and other issues that will face the next governor.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat, offers more practical solutions than his opponent, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a Republican. That's why we endorse Barrett in Tuesday's election to replace Jim Doyle.
On the budget deficit, neither candidate paints a true picture of how deep cuts are going to have to be. As a study by the Wisconsin Research Policy Institute points out, "Even if spending for all state programs was absolutely frozen for two years and we had normal revenue growth, the budget gap would still be $778 million."
Barrett, however, has the more detailed and realistic plans. Along with both candidates' predictable calls for eliminating fraud and waste, Barrett wants to combine state and local government employees' purchasing powers and reduce contracting and regulation costs. He also insists the state can save money by offering incentives for BadgerCare clients to use cheaper health-insurance plans.
Walker's plans center around reducing state and local government employee benefit costs. But its dependence on unions agreeing to it makes it tremendously uncertain.
Both candidates say they're focused on creating a better environment for job growth. Barrett has pages and pages ? more than 50 of them, in normal-size type ? of ideas to do that.
He wants to start an Office of Job Creation, reporting directly to him; offer tax cuts and other incentives tied to jobs; and greatly increase the state's venture capital pool.
Walker has grand goals on job creation, promising he'll create 10,000 businesses and 250,000 jobs in four years. He has some similar ideas to Barrett, but also wants to repeal the new combined reporting corporate-tax law, cut small-business taxes by 20 percent and eliminate the corporate tax for two years on new businesses. But any tax cuts mean that further spending cuts will have to be made in the next budget, making that task even more daunting.
Tax cuts alone won't lead to job growth. Wisconsin doesn't exist in a vacuum. Other states have been hit by the economy, too, and will have similar plans. The most successful states will have plans for beyond the recovery. That gives Barrett's more detailed proposals an edge.
And Walker's opposition to the landmark embryonic stem cell research done through the University of Wisconsin-Madison could be truly harmful to a leading growth area in the state economy.
Barrett's approach to K-12 education funding is similarly realistic. He favors a return to the state funding two-thirds of it, but acknowledges it won't happen in the next budget. He sees the need to change the school funding formula that determines how much each district gets, but realizes it'll be difficult to achieve without more money in the overall pool.
Walker shares Barrett's view on two-thirds funding and the school funding formula, but is also proposing a statewide evaluation system for schools and teachers without much detail.
Both agree that transportation money shouldn't be transferred to the general fund, but they disagree on the high-speed train between Madison and Milwaukee. Barrett's for it; Walker's against it, though we're skeptical of Walker's suggestion that the state could use the $800 million in federal money on other transportation projects.
Both candidates will particularly struggle with how to control the costs of the state's medical assistance programs.
Ironically, given Milwaukee's enormous problems, both candidates are touting their experience in their current jobs as reasons to vote for them. Walker, in particular, says that he has faced the same economic challenges in Milwaukee County that the state is facing and has conquered them.
We would dispute that claim. It's easy to propose budgets with no tax hikes when you know your county board will overrule you.
While he's eager to take credit for the successes within county government, Walker deflects blame for the tragic situation at the county's Mental Health Complex and the fact that the state took over the county's public assistance program because of its problems.
While we're concerned about the toll the necessary budget cuts will take on our state's cherished quality of life, we're even more concerned by what kinds of cuts ? and what further cuts ? Walker would have to make.
We would be remiss if we didn't spend a moment on the candidate's running mates and suggest that should be a factor in Barrett's favor, too.
The lieutenant governor position has little power on its own, but given that two of the past five elected governors have been replaced by their lieutenant mid-term, the prospect of Walker's running mate, Rebecca Kleefisch, ever becoming governor is truly frightening. Beyond her lack of any qualifications, her statement that put gay marriage on a "slippery slope" that could lead to someone marrying a table, a clock or a dog is appalling.
One way or another, the next state budget will be balanced. Tom Barrett has the better plan for doing that, while growing the state's economy and ensuring that, when the economic times are better, our way of life will have been maintained.
All children who live with domestic violence are affected by the experience. The nature and extent of the effects vary greatly.
Children are not just eyewitnesses to battering. They are actively involved in trying to understand the abuse, predict when it will happen, protect themselves, their parents or their siblings and worrying about the consequences. Fear and secrecy dominate family relationships, and survival becomes the primary goal of non-abusing family members. The focus on making it through each day may leave little room for fun and relaxation, meeting basic needs or planning for the future. They grow up in a climate of anxiety, vigilance, helplessness and unpredictability rather than one of structure, nurture and emotional and physical safety.
Children are exposed to domestic violence in many different ways:
n Seeing mother threatened, demeaned or battered.
n Being in the middle of an assault by accident, because the abuser intends it, or because the child tries to intervene.
n Overhearing conflict and battering.
n Seeing the aftermath, such as mother's injuries and trauma reactions.
n Living in a household dominated by tension and fear.
n Being raised by parents whose ability to care for them is compromised by domestic violence.
n Being used and manipulated by the abuser to hurt the battered parent.
n Suffering the consequences of economic abuse.
Effects of exposure to domestic violence can include:
n Believing the abuse is their fault
n Turning against mother or father or having ambivalent feelings about both parents.
n Feeling that they are alone, that there is no one who understands them.
n Being afraid to talk about the abuse or express their feelings.
n Developing negative core beliefs about themselves and others.
n Developing unhealthy coping and survival reactions, such as mental health or behavior problems.
n Being isolated from people who might find out about the abuse or offer help.
Children also learn lessons such as:
n Violence and coercion are normal and justifiable.
n Abusive tactics are effective ways of getting what you want.
n There are two ways to solve problems: aggression and passivity.
n Victims are responsible for what happens to them.
n People who hurt others don't face consequences for their actions.
n It's OK to blame problems on someone else.
n People who are supposed to take care of you cannot always be trusted.
Long-term effects of exposure to domestic violence include a higher risk for alcohol and drug abuse, sexual acting out, running away, and suicide. Boys who grow up with domestic abuse are more likely to abuse their intimate partners, and girls are less likely to seek help if they become victims in their adult relationships.
John Stossel's Eye opening report on socialized health care. Part 1 of 6 ... John Stossel Michael Moore Health Care Centralized Socialized Medicine Sicko Hillary Clinton
It is estimated that one in every 10 Americans have Hepatitis C. Known as "a silent killer," many people are unaware they are infected, leaving them vulnerable to liver damage and other health problems. To help us better understand this, Tarek Hassanein, MD, Medical Director of Liver Transplantation and Chief of Clinical Hepatology at UCSD, educates us on Hepatitis C, including the latest treatment options, while Stan Miller, respected anchor at Channel 8 evening news, bravely shares the ...
On MSNBC, 7/9/09
In the US today, over 6 million people are affected by infertility. What should be the most joyous time in a couple's life can often become the most difficult. This complex issue requires the latest medical technology with the equally important need for empathetic care. To help couples on this journey, Dr. Granet is joined by a nationally recognized expert, Arlene Morales, MD, Fertility Specialists Medical Group, as she talks about the latest fertility treatments and what the best options ...
President Obama Asked: Is His "Knees Are Buckling" On Health Care Reform On Conservative Michael Smerconish's Radio Show - 08/20/09 Guarantees
2008 Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader answers a question about the role of health insurance companies in his national heath care plan. From the Open the Debates super rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 4, 2008. Video by Karen Kilroy - karenkilroy.com
Senator Evan Bayh questions Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in a hearing of the Senate Committee in Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Incident in Indiana where a health inspector trespasses on private property while law enforcement looks on.
Health Care CEO's - Who makes rescission decisions, and how? Courtesy C-Span 06_16_09 visit: firedoglake.com
Health policy professor Laura Schmidt discusses the relationship between health reform and health in America. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [7/2009] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 16726]
CNN |Breaking| White House Weighs 'No-Compromise' Health Care Strategy - 08/18/09
Southeastern District Health Department talks about Breast Feeding on Health Focus.
OnJuly 23, 2007, CNN and YouTube partnered to sponsor the first Democratic primary debate of the 2008 election cycle. Questions were asked by citizens from around the country by uploading personal videos to the YouTube website.
Southeastern District Health Department talks about Breast Feeding on Health Focus.
From LasVegasNOW.com -- the health care debate gets ugly in Las Vegas when a woman shouts "Heil Hitler" to an Israeli Jew who supports health care reform. ... "Las Vegas" "Town Halls" "Health Care Reform"
Southeastern District Health Department talks about Breast Feeding on Health Focus.
President Obama hosts a conversation with the people who have a stake in our health care system and those who have the ability to change it. Held at the White House on March 5th, 2009. Learn more at healthreform.gov (this video is public domain)
Winston-Salem store is now cleared to reopen.
Contest Entry ... hr676 single payer amsa pnhp healthcare now public service announcements
When you stay in a hotel room, you expect to find a comfortable space free from insect infestation.
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