sky

The British Lung Foundation says it is closer to finding a vaccine for breathing problems suffered by babies in winter.
Experts believe the results of a three year study give them a better understanding of what causes the viral infections common amongst children in the first year of their lives.
They have identified how infants’ immune systems react to these infections - called bronchiolitis - which are the greatest cause of hospital admissions among babies in the developed world.
The condition often starts in infants as a common cold but then develops into breathlessness.
The research team headed by Dr Imran Hussain at Southampton General Hospital studied the immune responses of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children by observing white blood cells collected from their tonsils.
They were able to gain a clearer understanding of how the blood cells react to the most common form of bronchiolitis - respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The project identified RSV infections as causing harm to the immune system that would normally protect children from allergic reaction.

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

But they found some “concerning” trends in cancer deaths.
The five-year period 1999-2004 was the only period since 1979 in which the rate of decrease in avoidable cancer deaths has been less than in the previous one.
And the cancer mortality rate in England and Wales was still higher at 25.5 per 100,000 population in 2004 - than European countries such as France, Austria, Sweden and Finland.
Report author, James Gubb, director of the Civitas Health Unit, said the trend was particularly alarming given the intense focus and extra funding cancer care has received since the introduction of the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000.
“It’s impact has apparently been negligible at best.”
He said the additional funding may not have been spent in the right places.
“Some of the money was probably used to update equipment which was outdated but staff increases have come in the wrong areas so we have new diagnostic equipment sat in boxes.”
Professor Martin McKee, an expert in European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the assessment of the changes in cancer deaths that had happened in recent years was an accurate representation.
But he added: “In terms of attributing findings to changes in expenditure, it’s far too soon to say.
“It’s going to take time, especially with cancer.”
“Much of the new money simply got us back to where we should have been.”
Richard Davidson, director of policy and public affairs at Cancer Research UK, said the report was only a snapshot of seven of 200 forms of cancer.
“The latest research shows that UK cancer mortality rates have fallen by 12% over the last decade so it would be misleading to suggest that the Cancer Plan has been ineffective.
“Cancer mortality is falling and survival is increasing but there is still work to do.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said the NHS Cancer Plan had delivered huge improvements in treatment.

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

Parents should not allow under-fives to touch animals at petting farms, a microbiologist has said amid E.coli fears involving four sites.
Prof Hugh Pennington said they were the most likely people to touch animals but the hardest to get to wash their hands.
The Department of Health (DoH) said it was not changing its guidance - contact was okay if good hand hygiene followed.
Two petting farms in Surrey, one in Nottinghamshire and one in Devon have shut attractions owing to E.coli fears.
Prof Pennington said that parents should not “abandon the idea of visiting” petting farms, but they should “think very hard” about letting children under five touch the animals.
Hand-washing was “absolutely crucial” to protect visitors to petting farms, and under-fives “haven’t learned how to do it yet”.
“These very young kids are the most likely part of the population to get complications if they get infected,” he added.
But the DoH said its advice remained the same - children could pet animals but should practice good hand hygiene.
“Direct contact is not what presents the risk, it’s what happens afterwards. If you use good hand hygiene and other measures, you hopefully shouldn’t get it,” a spokesperson said.
“Ill health following a visit to an open farm is unusual, even among children, and these risks need to be balanced against the benefits for a child’s education and development that arise from contact with animals.”
Current guidance was under review following the recent E.coli outbreaks, the spokesperson added.
And Miranda Stevenson, director of the British & Irish Association of Zoos & Aquariums, said there were strict licensing regulations for zoos and there were always either gels or washing facilities were animals could be handled.
“The message to parents is to make sure that children wash their hands or put gel on their hands, after they have handled animals,” she said.
“It’s so good for the children - one would hate to get to the stage where we had to stop them doing it.”

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

This pair of Cheap UGG Nightfall Boots is made of high quality boot,and the boot look a little clumsy.The shoes lace is not looks complex with former boot.The easy shoes lace is easy to put on and take off.The boot color is not so deeply black color.The logo is on the side of the boot.The design is easy ,easy style reflect noble.
Fashion Ugg Boots may not attract you by its clumsy apparance but its high quality material is deserved you to believe.When you buy the Women’s Ugg Persephone Sandal,please pay attention to the boot,there may be some false boot that may trick you.Take cautious and identify the boot.You can search the indentify information in the Internet to let you make right choice.

Tags: Boots by admin
No Comments »

href=”http://www.toamazingstore.com/ugg-ultra-short-c-37.html”>UGG Ultra Short Boots are so popular among surfers, when the boots themselves appear to be something you would see used in the snow. The secret is its sheepskin lining that keeps your feet at the perfect temperature all the time. Many people think that Ugg Ultra Short Boots are not beautiful than UGG Classic Cardy, and not so warm than UGG Classic Tall. But I want to say, it has been famous for many years just because it’s combination of warm and fashion. When you stand on the street in Ugg Ultra Short Boots, you must be the focus of all eyes also just because the different and even odd design. In addition to, they are must be the best helper to keep your feet warm.UGG Ultra Short is one of the original traditional look Ugg boots that is designed for durability, comfort, and years of wear. It is made of double-faced sheepskin with suede heel guards. The sheepskin fleece lining allows for air circulation that in the summer doesn’t heat up your feet and in winter provides insulation against the cold. Shorter height fits great under or over True Religion Jeans.

Tags: Boots by admin
No Comments »

Russia, the first country to put a man in space more than 40 years ago, led the tributes.
Russian space agency first deputy, Nikolai Moiseyev, said: “We welcome this development and congratulate China for joining the club of space powers that have their own manned space programmes.”
The European Space Agency (Esa) described China’s first manned flight as an “outstanding achievement”, likely to open up a new era of wider cooperation in space.
“China becomes the third country to send human beings into space, demonstrating the reliability of its aerospace technology,” Esa Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said in a statement. Scientists in India, which recently announced plans for an unmanned Moon mission in 2008, also congratulated China.
“It is absolutely fantastic,” said a former head of India’s Space Research Organisation, UR Rao.
India had the scientific capability for a manned mission, he added, but lacked government support.
In Tokyo, the response was similar. The Japanese Government praised China for its success but said its own space efforts were not lagging behind.

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

Earlier this month it was announced that heart attack rates fell by about 10% in England in the year after the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in July 2007 - which is more than originally anticipated.
But the latest work, based on the results of numerous different studies collectively involving millions of people, indicated that smoking bans have reduced heart attack rates by as much as 26% per year.
Second-hand smoke is thought to increase the chances of a heart attack by making the blood more prone to clotting, reducing levels of beneficial “good” cholesterol, and raising the risk of dangerous heart rhythms.
Dr James Lightwood, of the University of California at San Francisco, led the Circulation study that pooled together 13 separate analyses.
His team found that heart attack rates across Europe and North America started to drop immediately following implementation of anti-smoking laws, reaching 17% after one year, then continuing to decline over time, with a 36% drop three years after enacting the restrictions.
Dr Lightwood said: “While we obviously won’t bring heart attack rates to zero, these findings give us evidence that in the short-to-medium-term, smoking bans will prevent a lot of heart attacks.
“This study adds to the already strong evidence that second-hand smoke causes heart attacks, and that passing 100% smoke-free laws in all workplaces and public places is something we can do to protect the public.”
Ellen Mason, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “These studies add to the growing evidence that a ban on smoking in public places seems to have a positive impact on heart attack rates, which is clearly good news for our nation’s heart health.

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

The inquiry’s panel has already begun work, making the first requests for government documents.
But the chairman said it could take months to read through the “huge amount” of material and identify issues on which to focus.
Its “first priority” would be to hear from the families of British service personnel killed during the conflict, he said.
All documents held by the British government and any British citizen could be called to give evidence, he said.
The inquiry panel came in with “open minds” and a determination to “review the evidence independently”.
He said nobody was “on trial” but the committee would “not shy away from making criticism”.
“If we find on going through the evidence that we see … that people fell short in their duty, made mistakes, acted wrongly, we shall most certainly say so and say so clearly.”
He suggested that key figures - likely to include Tony Blair - would appear towards the end of the inquiry to ensure that they were asked the right questions.

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

How do you say the unspeakable? The refuge, in many places, at many times, has been the cartoon.
But in the Middle East, there has not been much of that tradition.
It is partly censorship. It is partly, also, the religious tradition: Islamic tradition has discouraged figurative depiction of human beings; in Judaism, pictures are used only sparingly.
Now, an exhibition which is currently touring the West Bank, aims to spread the word about the power of cartoons.
Lighting Lamps is sponsored by the British Council, and has just opened at the Duheishe refugee camp, close to Bethlehem.
It features cartoons from across the Middle East, as well as a smattering from the British cartoonist, Steve Bell.
There is a strip from the Palestinians, Amr Shomali and Basel Nasser (pictured above). Two men are talking.
Man A: “Are you Fatah or Hamas?”
Man B: “I’m Palestinian.”
A: “Habibi (matey)… don’t be clever. We’re all Palestinian. Who are you with in the civil war?”
B: “I’m against the civil war.”
A: “We’re all against it, but it happened…..so who are you with?”
B: “I’m against both.”
A: “Don’t drive me crazy. You have to choose between Fatah and Hamas.”
B: “Between Fatah and Hamas, I choose Canada.”
One of the contributors is Emad Hajjaj, from Jordan. Despite a thin history of figurative drawing, cartoons have, he says, become very popular in Arabic newspapers over the last 50 or 60 years. “It’s one of the few things that make you laugh about your problems.”
Freedom is, still, curtailed. Being a cartoonist is, says Mr Hajjaj, “unfortunately a very tough job in our region”.

Tags: news by admin
No Comments »

You must love the looks of Classic UGG Boots Sale - they are perhaps the “softest”, most romantic in appearance, and the styles this year are nothing short of gorgeous. Make sure to check them out for yourself - it is almost certain that UGG Classic Short Boots, UGG Classic Tall Boots and any of these boots would be a real hit with ladies and the little ladies too!Classic Mini - These are available for women only. It is unclear to me whether these boots have been discontinued from the permanent Classic collection from UGG Australia, but can still be found in places online. They come up to just above the ankle and are a good choice for ladies who like a shorter boot to wear under jeans or pants. Classic Tall - This is most definitely available in women’s sizes but for some reason I was not able to locate a kids size for this shade - they may come available as the colder months roll in. These are the most popular version of the “Classic” Australian boots and can be worn straight up or cuffed down for a shorter, mid to upper-calf look.UGG Classic Cardy have become some of the most searched for in the UGG Collection - the soft color is a great combination with the classic look and feel that can only come from UGG Australia.

Tags: Boots by admin
No Comments »