'Foldit' Gamers Solve AIDS Puzzle that Baffled Scientists for Decade

How amazing is this: U.S. gamers, playing a protetin-folding game called Foldit, have helped to unlock the structure of an AIDS-related enzyme the scientific community had been unable to for a decade. more

Exercise benefits boys in anti-smoking program

Adding exercise improved the results of a smoking cessation program among teen boys according to a CDC funded study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Teen girls in the program were more successful without the exercise, the study found.more

Electric current aids learning

Electric current aids learning

Electrically stimulating the brain can help to speed up the process of learning, scientists have shown.
Applying a small current to specific parts of the brain can increase its activity, making learning easier. more

Plastic bottles could clean arsenic-contaminated water

Chopped up plastic bottles covered in a common chemical may be a simple and inexpensive method for removing arsenic from drinking water.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
A team of chemists at Monmouth University, United States, found that bits of plastic coated with cysteine, a common molecule found in foods, bind to arsenic.

“Laboratory experiments have shown that the method has the potential to be very efficient and very cost effective,” Tsanangurayi Tongesayi, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at the university told SciDev.Net.

“The method uses plastics which are cheap and locally available,” he added. “[It] is eco-friendly because it involves recycling of plastic bottles [and] is also safe because the chemical ingredients used are not toxic.” Read more

Microsoft unveils its new Windows 8 operating system

Microsoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.

Windows 8 is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.

The software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.

Microsoft has been under pressure to come up with an answer to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms.

Unveiling Windows 8 at the Build developers’ conference in California, Windows division president Steven Sinofsky declared: “We re-imagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience.” Read more

Staying safe while using Facebook on mobile phones

Configuring your Facebook settings from a laptop is confusing enough, but try monitoring your Facebook privacy and security setting on a mobile phone. It’s even more of a mess.

There’s some help on the way, however. On Tuesday, the nonprofit group MobileActive published its list of tips for using mobile Facebook more safely.

About one-third of Facebook’s 750 million active users worldwide access the service via mobile phones.

MobileActive’s mobile Facebook guide is written with activists in mind (especially in light of the key role that Facebook played in many Arab Spring uprisings), but it’s useful for any Facebook user.

Some Facebook-related mobile security risks have to do with how you use Facebook in general. Others relate to how your phone and its various mobile communication channels handle security when you’re using a Wi-Fi connection rather than your carrier’s data network.

For instance, many people set their phone to use a Wi-Fi connection whenever possible, in order to curb their data usage, which can get expensive. If you use Wi-Fi on your phone, depending on how your mobile browser or Facebook app handles security, someone might snoop on your login credentials (“sidejacking”) and use them to impersonate you on Facebook. They could even lock you out of your own account. Read more

DOST explores GM mosquito applications against dengue

Part of its advocacy to find solutions against dengue, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) explores the possibility of using genetically-modified mosquito (GMM) to curb the population of dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

In a conference organized by the DOST, experts from the University of California and the Oxitec Technologies of the United Kingdom (UK) presented the aspects of genetically-engineered male mosquitoes to the scientists and biotechnology experts of DOST and other concerned agencies at the Hyatt Hotel last 12 September 2011.

“Male mosquitoes were basically used because they don’t bite humans and they have significant role in the reproduction of mosquitoes,” said Dr. Anthony James, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifProfessor at the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California. Through the “Release of Insects carrying a Dominant Lethal” (RIDL) technology, male mosquitoes are engineered to contain a gene that can be passed on to female mosquito by mating. The mating results to unviable female mosquito offspring.

“The gene targets a certain muscle on a female mosquito that affects the development of wings – thus flightless female mosquitoes are produced.” The flightless female mosquito can’t seek host to take blood meal. Thus, it can’t spread the dengue virus,” said Dr. James. “This is also lethal for female mosquitoes because they are more likely to be eaten by predators. Continuous release of male mosquitoes in the wild will eventually cut-off the population of deadly mosquitoes,” added Dr. James. Read more

New camera shows blood flow

A Swiss company has developed a camera which shows how blood is circulating through the skin in real-time.

The camera is designed to help assess the extent and severity of burns.

The device has been trialled by burn specialists and reconstructive surgeons at CHUV University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Clinical data from the trial is being presented at the 14th European Burns Association Congress in the Hague on Wednesday.Read more

Emotion sensor catches out liars

United Kingdom – A sophisticated new camera system can detect lies just by watching our faces as we talk, experts say.

The computerised system uses a simple video camera, a high-resolution thermal imaging sensor and a suite of algorithms.

Researchers say the system could be a powerful aid to security services.

It successfully discriminates between truth and lies in about two-thirds of cases, said lead researcher Professor Hassan Ugail from Bradford University. Read more

Planet with double sunset found

WASHINGTON — The existence of a world with a double sunset, as portrayed in the film Star Wars more than 30 years ago, is now scientific fact. NASA’s Kepler mission has made the first unambiguous detection of a circumbinary planet — a planet orbiting two stars — 200 light-years from Earth.

Unlike Star Wars’ Tatooine, the planet is cold, gaseous and not thought to harbor life, but its discovery demonstrates the diversity of planets in our galaxy. Previous research has hinted at the existence of circumbinary planets, but clear confirmation proved elusive. Kepler detected such a planet, known as Kepler-16b, by observing transits, where the brightness of a parent star dims from the planet crossing in front of it. Read more...

‘Microwave waste’ to get biofuel

Microwaving waste food products could be used to produce important chemicals and biofuels, new technology has shown.

The methods would potentially allow food waste to be processed at home and on an industrial scale.

The technology could provide a renewable source of carbon, as well as addressing the growing problem of global waste.

Professor James Clark of the University of York unveiled these plans at the British Science Festival in Bradford.




Using highly focused microwaves, the scientists believe they can input any organic waste, and extract useful chemical compounds that can be harnessed in materials and biofuel applications.

An international group of scientists have been working together to develop this technology, and they plan to build a demonstration facility in York later this year. Read more...

Dengue cases down this September, DOH

Manila – The DOH reported 70,204 dengue cases for week ending September 10, 2011. This was over 24,000 cases less or 25.87% lower than for the same period last year. In addition, the number of cases in July and August (the peak months for dengue) was 52% lower than last year. A total of 396 deaths were reported for this year, which is lower than last year’s number of 620. Read more...

OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works

OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works

The quest for an unhackable code

Every day the news hits of another company, website or long list of credit cards that's been hacked. But what if there was a foolproof technology to fend off cyberattackers by keeping secret information secret? Would an unhackable encryption algorithm do the trick? Read more...

Warning! Iranians hit in email hack attack

Up to 300,000 Iranians may have had their Google email monitored using security certificates stolen from Dutch firm DigiNotar. The figure came from a report into the breach at DigiNotar which let attackers generate hundreds of fake certificates. Read more

Risks of nanotechnology

Developing countries forging ahead with nanotechnology need regulation and research into local risk patterns, say Alok Dhawan and Vyom Sharma.

Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating tiny particles less than 100 nanometers in diameter, has found many applications in consumer products, biomedical devices, drug delivery agents and the industrial sector.
In the consumer sector alone, more than 30 countries are manufacturing some 1,300 nanotech-based products, including textiles, food packaging, cosmetics, luggage, children’s toys, floor cleaners and wound dressings. The number of such products has increased five-fold in the last five years. More

OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com

OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com

OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com

OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com

Worldngayon.com | My ideas. My world

Worldngayon.com | My ideas. My world

Mosquitoes 'developing resistance to bed nets'

Mosquitoes can rapidly develop resistance to bed nets treated with insecticide, a new study from Senegal suggests.

In recent years the nets have become a leading method of preventing malaria, especially in Africa.

The researchers also suggest the nets reduced the immunity of older children and adults to malaria infection.

But other experts say the study was too small to draw conclusions about the long term effectiveness of nets.

In the war against malaria, the cheapest and most effective weapon to date has been the long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net.

Over the last few years the nets have been widely distributed in Africa and elsewhere - the World Health Organization says that when properly deployed they can cut malaria rates by half.

In Senegal, around six million nets have been distributed over the last five years. In this study researchers looked at one small village in the country and tracked the incidence of malaria both before and after the introduction of nets in 2008.

Within three weeks of their introduction the scientists found that the number of malaria attacks started to fall - incidence of the disease was found to be 13 times lower than before the nets were used.

The researchers also collected specimens of Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito species responsible for transmitting malaria to humans in Africa. Between 2007 and 2010 the proportion of the insects with a genetic resistance to one type of pesticide rose from 8% to 48%.

By 2010 the proportion of mosquitoes resistant to Deltamethrin, the chemical recommended by the World Health Organization for bed nets, was 37%.

In the last four months of the study the researchers found that the incidence of malaria attacks returned to high levels. Among older children and adults the rate was even higher than before the introduction of the nets.

The researchers argue that the initial effectiveness of the bed nets reduced the amount of immunity that people acquire through exposure to mosquito bites. Combined with a resurgence in resistant insects, there was a rapid rebound in infection rates.

The scientists were led by Dr Jean-Francois Trape from the Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement in Dakar. The authors are worried that their study has implications beyond Senegal.

"These findings are a great concern since they support the idea that insecticide resistance might not permit a substantial decrease in malaria morbidity in many parts of Africa," they write.

But other experts in this field say that it is impossible to draw wider conclusions.

True trend?

In a commentary, Dr Joseph Keating from Tulane University, New Orleans, US, acknowledges the concerns the study raises.

"If indeed this is a real trend we are seeing in this part of Senegal then it has very important implications for future malaria prevention and control strategies."

But he says there are a number of important provisos.

"I would certainly advise extending the study a couple of more years which would be helpful in determining if this is a true trend or is it something specific to that particular area.

"We need to be very careful when generalising these data to the larger continent of Africa as a whole; there is plenty of variation between communities and within communities."

Dr Keating acknowledges there is a debate within the scientific community on the issue of acquired immunity, the level of resistance to the disease that people get through being bitten.

"There is a huge discussion around acquired immunity. And how long does it take for an individual to lose this immunity once they are no longer exposed to parasite?

"So if you give someone a net he would be less exposed to parasites and it is possible that their immunity would shift to become less - but I think over all the benefits of nets certainly outweigh this potential loss of acquired immunity." (Matt McGrath/BBC News)

Scientists Find New Superbug Strain of Salmonella

Scientists have identified an emerging "superbug" strain of salmonella that is highly resistant to the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, often used for severe salmonella infections, and say they fear it may spread around the world.

The strain, known as S. Kentucky, has spread internationally with almost 500 cases found in France, Denmark, England and Wales in the period between 2002 and 2008, according a study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

French researchers who led the study also looked at data from North America and said reports of infection in Canada and contamination of imported foods in the United States suggest the strain has also reached there.

The study was published Wednesday as U.S. health officials reported a multi-state outbreak of another strain of antibiotic-resistant salmonella — called S. Heidelberg — which has so far made at least 76 people sick and killed one.

Salmonella infection is a major public health problem worldwide. There are an estimated 1.7 million infections in North America each year and more than 1.6 million cases were reported between 1999 and 2008 in 27 European countries.

Although most salmonella infections produce only mild gastroenteritis with stomach cramps, fever and diarrhea, older people or those with weaker immune systems are particularly at risk of life-threatening infections.

These cases are typically treated with drugs in a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, which includes the commonly-used medicine ciprofloxacin. Cipro was originally developed by Bayer and is now available as a generic.

But as with many bacteria, multi-drug-resistant, or "superbug," strains of salmonella infection have developed as the bacteria has found new ways of outfoxing the drugs, and these can spread in food and from person to person.

In the French-led study, Francois-Xavier Weill and Simon Le Hello from the Institut Pasteur looked at surveillance data from the European countries and the United States and found 489 reported cases of the superbug S.Kentucky strain. Case numbers rose every year from 3 cases in 2002 to 174 cases in 2008.

They said the earliest infections seemed to have been picked up mainly in Egypt between 2002 and 2005, but since 2006 the infections have also been acquired in various parts of Africa and the Middle East.

"The absence of reported international travel in approximately 10 percent of the patients suggests that infections may have also occurred in Europe through consumption of contaminated imported foods or through secondary contaminations," they wrote.

As part of the study, multi drug-resistant S. Kentucky was also isolated from chickens and turkeys from Ethiopia, Morocco, and Nigeria, suggesting "poultry is an important agent for infection" the researchers said, adding the common use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in chicken and turkey production in Nigeria and Morocco "may have contributed to this rapid spread."

They said the study highlights the importance of public health surveillance in a global food system.
"We hope that this publication might stir awareness among national and international health, food and agricultural authorities so that they take the necessary measures to control and stop the dissemination of this strain before it spreads globally," the researchers said. (Fox News)

HIV infection rates mostly stable, increasing among young, gay black men

The number of new HIV infections in the United States has remained steady, at around 50,000 cases a year over the past four years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The new data, published online Wednesday in the scientific journal PLoS ONE, show the largest increases were among bisexual men and men who have sex with men (MSM). Of that group, young, black men had what the agency called "alarming increases."

"More than 30 years into the HIV epidemic, about 50,000 people in this country still become infected each year," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. "Not only do men who have sex with men continue to account for most new infections, young gay and bisexual men are the only group in which infections are increasing, and this increase is particularly concerning among young African American MSM."

The data look at the period between 2006 and 2009. It's the first time HIV incidence numbers were calculated using a lab test that distinguishes recent infections from existing infections. The CDC estimates that MSM make up 2% of the U.S. population but 61% of 2009's new infections. Young men between the ages of 13 and 29 who had sex with men had the highest new infection rate/increase - more than a quarter of all new cases. The agency says while young MSM of all ethnic backgrounds have been hit hard, young blacks were the only group to see significant increases over the four-year period. Infection rates among this population jumped 48% during that time.

The reasons, according to the CDC, aren't clear. It says individual risk behaviors alone do not account for the increase. It says black MSM tend to have fewer sexual partners, are less likely to do IV drugs and are no more likely to have anal intercourse than other gay men. But the data suggests a number of possibilities for these trends - that young black MSM often don't know their HIV status, that the stigma of HIV and homosexuality in the black community can often impede the use of prevention services and that often there is limited access to health care services like testing and treatment in the black community.

Timeline: HIV/AIDS at 30

"We are deeply concerned by the alarming rise in new HIV infections in young, black gay and bisexual men and the continued impact of HIV among young gay and bisexual men of all races," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. "We cannot allow the health of a new generation of gay men to be lost to a preventable disease. It's time to renew the focus on HIV among gay men and confront the homophobia and stigma that all too often accompany this disease."

It's not just African Americans who are disproportionately affected. The data suggest that communities of color are shouldering a heavier burden. In 2009, blacks made up 14% of the population but accounted for 44% of all new infections. Their infection rate was almost 8 times that of whites. The rate among black men was the highest of any group - more than six times that of white men. The infection rate among black women was 15 times higher than white women. Hispanics make up about 16% of the population, and 20% of new HIV infections. Their rate of infection is about three times that of whites.

Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, says the data are encouraging in that the number of new infections has significantly dropped from the peak seen in the mid-1980s, however there is still much work ahead. "We have plateaued at an unacceptably high level. Without intensified HIV prevention efforts, we are likely to face an era of rising infection rates and higher health care costs for a preventable condition that already affects more than 1 million people in this country."

Phill Wilson, founder & chief executive officer of the Black AIDS Institute, whose mission is to stop the pandemic in black communities says we have the tools to end the epidemic, but prevention efforts have been stalled for some time.

"What these numbers tell us is we are not going to be successful in driving down new infections until and unless we invest in those populations most at risk, and in America today those populations are black Americans, men who have sex with men of all races and especially young, black men who have sex with men," Wilson said. "It is outrageous that over the last three years reported in this data, since 2006-2009, we see a 48% increase in new cases among young black men who have sex with men age 13-29. We have to build the infrastructure and the capacity in these communities to respond to this epidemic in an appropriate manner."

The agency says it's working on a number of interventions for hardest hit populations. Officials hope some of the latest new prevention strategies like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) - exposing high risk populations to HIV drugs to prevent infection in both MSM, and heterosexual men and women - will have a strong impact on infection rates. In July, new data from several studies found PrEP was safe and effective in preventing infection in these populations. (Saundra Young/CNN News)

Tiny blood card offers easier tests for remote areas

A cheap and portable blood test could provide a breakthrough for diagnosing infections in remote areas of the world, a scientific study says.

The mChip is about the size of a credit card and can diagnose infections within minutes, according to a study in the journal Nature Medicine.

Prototype tests for diseases such as HIV and syphilis in Rwanda showed almost 100% accuracy, it said.

The US-developed device has a projected cost of $1 (60p).

This would make it much cheaper than the lab-based tests currently used.

The plastic chip contains 10 detection zones, and can test for multiple diseases with only a pinprick of blood.

Results can be seen with the naked eye or with a low-cost detector.

"The idea is to make a large class of diagnostic tests accessible to patients in any setting in the world, rather than forcing them to go to a clinic to draw blood and then wait days for their results," said Samuel Sia, a professor at New York's Columbia University who is a lead developer of the device.

Hundreds of tests using a prototype of the device were carried out in Kigali, Rwanda. They showed 95% accuracy for HIV and 76% accuracy for syphilis, the study says.

Researchers hope to use the mChip to help increase testing of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) in pregnant women, particularly in Africa.

A version of the device has also been designed to test for prostate cancer. (BBC News)

WHO: Hepatitis toll 'in millions'

Medical experts are calling for global action to tackle the viruses that cause the liver disease hepatitis.

The first worldwide estimates in drug users show 10 million have hepatitis C while 1.3 million have hepatitis B.

Writing in the Lancet, experts say only a fraction of those who could benefit are receiving antiviral drugs.

Only one in five infants around the world are vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth, they say.

The figures, published in the Lancet, show about 67% of injecting drug users in the world have been exposed to hepatitis C, while around 10% have come into contact with hepatitis B.

In the UK, around half of injecting drug users have been infected with the hepatitis C virus, while the rate for exposure to hepatitis B is 9% - the highest in western Europe.
The research was led by Prof Louisa Degenhardt of the Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia, and Paul Nelson from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales.

They say: "The public-health response to blood-borne virus transmission in injecting drug users has mainly centred on HIV.

"Maintenance and strengthening of the response to HIV in injecting drug users remains crucial, but the significance of viral hepatitis needs to receive greater attention than it does at present."

Commenting on the study in the Lancet, Dr Joseph Amon, of Human Rights Watch, New York City, US, said: "This study provides us with a first step and powerful data to draw attention to the problem of viral hepatitis in people who use drugs.

"The next step is to challenge governments to act, and hold them accountable for implementation of rights-respecting and evidence-based programmes."
Health risks

Hepatitis is caused by five main viruses - A, B and C, and, more rarely D and E.

Hepatitis B is the most common, and can be passed from mother to baby at birth or in early childhood as well as through contaminated injections or injected drug use.

Hepatitis C is also spread through using unsterile needles and less commonly through unsafe sex or sharing razors or toothbrushes.

The E virus, caught from infected water or food, is a common cause of outbreaks of the disease in developing countries, said the World Health Organization.

Many of those carrying hepatitis are not aware they have it and can unknowingly transmit it to others. (BBC News)

'Super antibody' fights off flu

The first antibody which can fight all types of the influenza A virus has been discovered, researchers claim.

Experiments on flu-infected mice, published in Science Express, showed the antibody could be used as an "emergency treatment".

It is hoped the development will lead to a "universal vaccine" - currently a new jab has to be made for each winter as viruses change.

Virologists described the finding as a "good step forward".

Many research groups around the world are trying to develop a universal vaccine. They need to attack something common to all influenza which does not change or mutate.

Human source

It has already been suggested that some people who had swine flu may develop 'super immunity' to other infections.

Scientists from the Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill and colleagues in Switzerland looked at more than 100,000 samples of immune cells from patients who had flu or a flu vaccine.

They isolated an antibody - called FI6 - which targeted a protein found on the surface of all influenza A viruses called haemagglutinin.

Sir John Skehel, MRC scientist at Mill Hill, said: "We've tried every subtype of influenza A and it interacts with them all.

"We eventually hope it can be used as a therapy by injecting the antibody to stop the infection."

Professor Antonio Lanzavecchia, director of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland, said: "As the first and only antibody which targets all known subtypes of the influenza A virus, FI6 represents an important new treatment option."

When mice were given FI6, the antibody was "fully protective" against a later lethal doses of H1N1 virus.

Mice injected with the antibody up to two days after being given a lethal dose of the virus recovered and survived.

This is only the antibody, however, not the vaccine.

A vaccine would need to trigger the human body's immune system to produce the antibody itself.

Sir John said the structure of the antibody and how it interacted with haemagglutinin had been worked out, which would help in the search for a vaccine, but that was "definitely years away".

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "It's pretty good if you've got one against the whole shebang, that's a good step forward." (James Gallagher/BBC News)

Life-giving plants battle death at Mount Pulag

Mount Pulag, whose fertile environment nurtures life-prolonging plant species, is in danger of dying.

Environmentalists are concerned that Mount Pulag's mossy forest, where a specie of the cancer-curing Yew tree is found , is being killed by illegal vegetable gardeners, loggers, and squatters.

One significant plant specie in Mount Pulag is the Philippine or Sumatran yew (Taxus sumatrana). A study conducted by the Kao-shiung-based Sun Yat Sen University has revealed Sumatran yew contains elements that could cure cancer.

Taxol, the revolutionary drug for ovarian and breast cancer, was developed from the bark of the Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) found in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington states in the United States) forests more than 50 years ago.

The Kalanguya tribe of Pulag also believe in the life-prolonging elements of the Sumatran yew and use it as tea.

Mount Pulag is the second highest peak in the country standing 2,954 meters above sea level, connecting the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya. Its summit is covered with grass and dwarf bamboo plants. At lower elevations, the mountainside has a mossy forest veiled with fog, and full of ferns, lichens and moss. Below this is the pine forest growing on barren, rocky slopes. Falls, rivers and small lakes mark the area. This makes it a favorite of mountaineers, nature lovers and hikers.

The Park contains a unique diversity of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the mountain. Its wildlife includes threatened mammals such as the Philippine Brown Deer, Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat and the Luzon Pygmy Fruit Bat. One can also find several orchid species some of which are possibly endemic to Mt. Pulag, and other rare flora such as the pitcher plant.

One of the nation's most critical watersheds, Mount Pulag provides the water necessities of many stakeholders for domestic and industrial use, irrigation, hydroelectric power production and aquaculture. It is a major headwater for Ambuclao, Binga and San Roque dams. Destruction of the national park means the siltation of the dams.

A few dedicated workers of the Department of Environment and Natural resources (DENR) are determined to protect the 11,550 hectares wilderness created by then Pres. Corazon C. Aquino as a National Park in February 20, 1987 from illegal mountain intruders.

One day recently, Emerita B. Albas, DENR Mount Pulag parks superintendent, came to the office of Cordillera Ecological Center (PINE TREE), in tears having lost all the cases they filed in court against forest destroyers. She also said she and her staff have been receiving death threats.

As early as 2004, Albas said many intruders started bulldozing many parts of the park. Recently, they apprehended a backhoe operator ravaging Tabeyeo Lake but the case was also dismissed. The backhoe was not even confiscated by the authorities. Tabeyeo lake went dry last summer.

Roy Lupos, who once worked as a park ranger in Pulag said those who have intruded into the park are not merely gardeners. The forest destroyers are rich, he claimed. To bring in chainsaws, bulldozers and backhoes as well and trucks for the logs in clearing a forest needs millions of pesos, he stressed.

Already in the tentative list of the World Heritage Convention under natural category, the widespread destruction may derail Mount Pulag's chances of making it to the final list.

Albas said the problem in Mount Pulag is that many of the intruders claim to own parts of Mount Pulag. They make use of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRAS) in invoking their claim.

But by biological reality, the vast majority of the land has never been occupied. The intense growth of trees, plants, ferns and other botanical biodiversity tells of thousands of years of growth. Meaning, Albas explained, no one has really been dwelling in the forest. "So most of the intruders are outsiders," she said.

Inocencio Nerio, an agriculturist of PINE TREE said the gardeners have invaded into Mount Pulag because the cold climate favors the production of potatoes, carrots and cabbages. The same phenomenal fate that befell Mount Data National Park from 1960 to 1990 is happening to Mount Pulag, he warned.

Mount Data National Park used to be a 5,512 mossy forest. However, the mossy forest is now a mere 89 hectares, the rest are vegetable gardens. Mossy forests with pine trees, giant ferns oak trees, petroleum trees and other species exactly as those in Mount Pulag, have all been destroyed.

Even fauna like Philippine deer, cloud rat, civet cat and wild pigs used to abound in Mount Data National Park. Now, they are none left, he said. The same is happening to Mount Pulag, he disclosed.

A source within the regional office of DENR said there are persons with great influence who are behind the destruction of the forest. A few are local government officials of the municipality of Kabayan where Mount Pulag is located, others are lawyers and even one or two DENR staff themselves.

PINE TREE, in response to the plea of Albas and her park rangers, has launched a public information and education campaign to save Mount Pulag. It is using the social network Facebook to condemn the rape of the land through its group called A TRREE A DAY which has some 1,500 members in 37 countries.

It has called for legal assistance from Tanggol Kalikasana and the Legal Rights and Resources Center and will be convening a public legal forum to dramatize the plight of Mount Pulag and gain public support for the government to do its best at the soonest before things turn worse to worst.

It has made known to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje Jr. the state of Pulag as well as the death threats being received by the undermanned national park workers. (Michael A. Bengwayan,Yahoo News)

World Health Organization calls for TB blood test ban

Blood tests designed to detect active TB are inaccurate and should be banned, the World Health Organization has said.

More than two million such tests are carried out annually, but the WHO says they are unethical and lead to misdiagnosis and the mistreatment of patients.

The organisation's review of these tuberculosis test kits says they give wrong results in around 50% of cases.

The kits are mainly sold in the developing world.

However, most of the 18 kits on the market are produced in Europe and North America.

According to Dr Mario Raviglone, the director of the WHO Stop TB Department, the tests must be banned.

He said: "A blood test for diagnosing active TB disease is bad practice. Tests are inconsistent, imprecise and put patients' lives in danger."

The tests work by detecting antibodies or antigens in the blood that are produced in response to the bacterium.

But some of these commercial tests have what's called "low sensitivity" which leads to large numbers of patients being told they do not have TB when they do.
'Unethical'

Dr Karen Weyer, who is also from the WHO Stop TB department, added: "The evidence we reviewed over the past couple of months shows that one in two patients will be wrongly diagnosed, either [as] false negative or false positive.

"If it's a false negative patients get the all clear when they in fact have TB, the disease continues to spread, and the patients may die.

"If, on the other hand, it's false positive, patients are put on treatments unnecessarily while the true cause of their disease remains undiagnosed."

"We would describe this as unethical - and we are making a very strong urge to governments to consider that TB is a threat and the use of these ineffective tests is also a threat."

The WHO says that the tests which are manufactured in Europe and North America are prevented from going on sale where they are made due to regulations that call for extensive evidence of accuracy.

But this is not the case in the developing world - including in India and China.

Dr Weyer added: "One of the major problems is that these developing countries often have little or very weak regulatory mechanisms to make sure that tests are registered before they are used at country level.

"Another problem is that these tests are often used in the private sector, which is a difficult sector to regulate and as a result there is a wide misuse, I would say, of these inaccurate tests in the private sector in at least 17 countries that we are aware of."

She said there was a need for a TB test that could be used "at the bedside". But she added: "We don't have a blood test for TB that can be used at the point of care level."

The WHO says this call for a ban is a highly unusual move - It's the first time the organisation has issued an explicitly negative policy recommendation against a practice that is widely used in tuberculosis care.

TB kills 1.7m people every year, and is the biggest cause of death of people living with HIV. (Matt McGrath/BBC News)

Better animal research rules 'are needed'

Regulation is needed to govern rapidly expanding research in animals containing human tissue or genes, according to the Academy of Medical Sciences.

It said such studies were necessary for medical research, but that new ethical issues could emerge.

It said "category three" experiments on monkey brains resulting in 'human-like' behaviour, should be banned.

The government said it would consider the recommendations.

Dr Robin Lovell-Badge, from the National Institute for Medical Research, said: "Everyone laughs at talking meerkats and cats with opposable thumbs, but if we were actually doing that in the labs I don't think people would be so happy."
Human-animals

Introducing human material into animals has furthered medical research.

Putting human breast tumour cells into mice has allowed researchers to test cancer drugs on human tissue.

Stroke damaged mice showed some recovery when their brains were injected with human neural stem cells, which has led to human clinical trials.

Down's syndrome mice have had a whole human chromosome added to their genome to help researchers learn more about the illness.

Professor Christopher Shaw, from King's College London and one of the report's authors, said animals with human material were "hugely important. Is [the field] going to shrink and go away? No. I'm confident it will lead to new treatments."

The Academy report said it was anticipating "a major increase in the use of these techniques".

However it raised concerns that some cases would fall through gaps in the regulation.

The authors said that, for example, experiments on an embryo which contained predominantly human material would be controlled by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the embryo would not progress beyond 14 days. For embryos which are mostly animal, but contained some human material, they said there was "no regulation at all".

Animal research is regulated by the Home Office's Animal Procedures Committee.

Professor Martin Bobrow, chair of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: "Our report recommends that the Home Office puts in place a national expert body, within the existing stringent system of animal research regulation, to provide specific advice on sensitive types of 'animals containing human material' research."

The Academy recommended three classifications for research on animals containing human material.

Most would be 'category one' and have no more restrictions than any other study on animals.

Category two experiments could be allowed but "would require strong scientific justification". The report suggested this would include adding genes to non-human primates and significant changes to an animal to make it "more human-like".

Category three experiments would not be allowed, such as letting any mixed embryo develop past 14 days, breed animals with human influenced sperm or egg cells and modifying non-human primates to create human-like awareness or behaviour.

Professor Bobrow was keen to stress that "nobody has done any of these things", but the Academy of Medical Sciences said it wanted guidelines in place rather than waiting until the horse had bolted.

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "We welcome the valuable contribution of this study to the understanding of the complex ethical, scientific and animal welfare issues involved in this area of research. (James Gallagher/BBC News)

Obesity 'leading driver' of breast cancer

Obesity is the biggest driving force behind the most common form of breast cancer in older women, say researchers.

Alcohol and then cigarettes are the next largest culprits, according to Cancer Research UK.

One in eight women in the UK develop breast cancer in their lifetime, data shows, and the majority of these tumours are "hormone sensitive" meaning their growth is fuelled by hormones.

Too much stored fat in the body raises the level of these "sex" hormones.

Studies show that post-menopausal women with high levels of oestrogen and testosterone have between two and three times the risk of breast cancer than women with the lowest levels.

Experts have known for some time that factors that influence hormone levels - like pregnancy, the oral contraceptive pill and the menopause - can change a woman's breast cancer risk.

This latest work, published in the British Journal of Cancer, suggests obesity should go at the top of this list, not least because it is a lifestyle factor that women can have some control over.

The Oxford University team, funded by Cancer Research UK, studied the health records of nearly 6,300 post-menopausal women, looking for factors that might explain why some developed hormone sensitive breast cancer when others did not.

A woman's weight had the greatest bearing on a woman's sex hormone levels, shortly followed by smoking and alcohol consumption.

Women who are overweight or obese - meaning they have a body mass index of 25 or more - had high levels of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone.

So too did women who drank more than two and a half units of alcohol a day or smoked more than 15 cigarettes daily.

Experts say women should be made aware of these modifiable risk factors.

Dr Julie Sharp, of Cancer Research UK, said: "This is an important study as it helps to show how alcohol and weight can influence hormone levels. Understanding their role in breast cancer is vital and this analysis sheds light on how they could affect breast cancer risk.

"We know that the risk of the disease can be affected by family history and getting older, but there are also things women can do help reduce the risk of the disease. Maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing alcohol consumption are key to reducing breast cancer risk." (Michelle Roberts/BBC News)

Scientists find 'better way' to grow adult stem cells

A new plastic surface which overcomes the difficulties associated with growing adult stem cells has been developed, according to scientists.

Standard surfaces have proved limited for growing large amounts and retaining the stem cells' useful characteristics.

It is hoped the discovery could lead to the creation of stem cell therapies for re-growing bone and tissue, and also for conditions such as arthritis.

The study was carried out by Glasgow and Southampton universities.

The new "nano-patterned" surface was created using a manufacturing process similar to that used to make Blu-ray discs.

The surface is covered with tiny pits, which the researchers said made it more effective in allowing stem cells to grow and spread into useful cells for therapy.

Currently, when adult stem cells are harvested from a patient, they are then cultured in a laboratory to increase the quantities of cells and create a batch of sufficient volume to kick-start the process of cellular regeneration.

At this point they can be reintroduced back into the patient.

The process of culturing is made difficult because stem cells grown on standard plastic tissue culture surfaces do not always expand to create new stem cells but instead create other cells which are of no use in therapy.

Stem cell expansion can be boosted by immersing the cells in chemical solutions, but the scientists said these methods were limited in their effectiveness.

Dr Matthew Dalby, from the University of Glasgow, led the research alongside colleague Dr Nikolaj Gadegaard and Prof Richard Oreffo of the University of Southampton.

'Stem cell factories'

Mr Dalby said: "This new nano-structured surface can be used to very effectively culture mesencyhmal stem cells, taken from sources such as bone marrow, which can then be put to use in musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and connective tissues.

"If the same process can be used to culture other types of stem cells too - and this research is under way in our labs - our technology could be the first step on the road to developing large-scale stem cell culture factories, which would allow for the creation of a wide range of therapies for many common diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease."

He said the group hoped to make the surface commercially available.

Prof Oreffo added: "It is important to realize the ability to retain skeletal stem cell phenotype using surface topography offers a step change in current approaches for stem cell biology.

"The implications for research and future interventions for patients with arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases are substantial."

The study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the University of Glasgow.

The paper, Nanoscale surfaces for the long-term maintenance of mesenchymalstem cell phenotype and multipotency, was published in the journal Nature Materials. (BBC News)

Mum's stress is passed to baby in the womb

A mother's stress can spread to her baby in the womb and may cause a lasting effect, German researchers propose.

They have seen that a receptor for stress hormones appears to undergo a biological change in the unborn child if the mother is highly stressed, for example, because of a violent partner.

And this change may leave the child less able to handle stress themselves.

It has already been linked to mental illness and behavioral problems.

The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, are based on a small study of 25 women and their children, now aged between 10 and 19.

And the researchers point out that the women involved in the study had exceptional home circumstances and that most pregnant women would not be exposed to such levels of stress day in and day out.

Furthermore, the researchers say the findings are not conclusive - many other factors, including the child's social environment while growing up, might be involved.

But they suspect it is the child's earliest environment, the womb, that is key.

For their study, they looked at the genes of the mums and the adolescents to find any unusual patterns.

Some of the teens had changes to one particular gene - the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) - that helps regulate the body's hormonal response to stress.

Such genetic alterations typically happen while the baby is still developing in the womb.

And the scientists believe they are triggered by the mum-to-be's poor state of emotional wellbeing at the time of the pregnancy.
Sensitive window

In the study, these mums had been living with the constant threat of violence from their husband or partner. And it would appear this continued stress took its toll on the pregnancy.

When the babies were followed up one to two decades later as adolescents, they had changes in the genetics of their GR that other teenagers did not.

This "methylation" of GR appears to make the individual more tuned in or sensitized to stress, meaning that they will react to it quicker both mentally and hormonally.
Stress hormones are regulated by the brain's hypothalamus Stress hormones are regulated by the brain's hypothalamus

As people, they tend to be more impulsive and may struggle with their emotions, explain the researchers, who carried out detailed interviews with the adolescents.

Professor Thomas Elbert, one of the lead researchers at the University of Konstanz, said: "It would appear that babies who get signals from their mum that they are being born into a dangerous world are faster responders. They have a lower threshold for stress and seem to be more sensitive to it."

The investigators now plan to carry out more detailed investigations following larger numbers of mothers and children to see if they can confirm their suspicions.

Dr Carmine Pariante, an expert in the psychology of stress at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, said: "This paper confirms that the early foundation years start at minus nine months."

He added: "Pregnancy is uniquely sensitive to a challenging maternal psychosocial environment - much more than, for example, after the baby is born. As we and others have been advocating, addressing maternal stress and depression in pregnancy is a clinically and socially, important strategy." (Michelle Roberts/BBC News)

UK - Painkillers 'may ease agitation' in dementia patients

Many dementia patients being prescribed "chemical cosh" antipsychotic drugs could be better treated with simple painkillers, research says.

The British and Norwegian study, published on the BMJ website, found painkillers significantly cut agitation in dementia patients.

Agitation, a common dementia symptom, is often treated with antipsychotic drugs, which have risky side effects.

The Alzheimer's Society wants doctors to consider other types of treatment.

Experts say that each year about 150,000 patients in the UK are unnecessarily prescribed antipsychotics, which have a powerful sedative effect, and can worsen dementia symptoms, and increase the risk of stroke or even death.

They are often given to patients whose dementia makes them aggressive or agitated.

But researchers from Kings College, London, and Norway speculated that the behaviour may sometimes be caused by pain, which patients were unable to express in other ways.

They studied 352 patients with moderate or severe dementia in nursing homes in Norway.

Half were given painkillers with every meal, the rest continued with their usual treatments.

Supervised treatment 'key'

After eight weeks, there was a 17% reduction in agitation symptoms in the group being given painkillers - a greater improvement than would have been expected from treatment with antipsychotics.

The researchers concluded that if patient's pain was properly managed, doctors could reduce the number of prescriptions for antipsychotic drugs.

Prof Clive Ballard, Alzheimer's Society: "Simple painkillers... had a a very, very substantial impact”

Professor Clive Ballard, one of the report authors and director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the finding was significant.

"At the moment, pain is very under-treated in people with dementia, because it's very hard to recognise," he said.

"I think this could make a substantial difference to people's lives - it could help them live much better with dementia."

However, he said painkillers should only be given to patients under the supervision of a doctor.

The Alzheimer's Society is issuing new guidance calling on doctors to think much harder before prescribing antipsychotics, and to look at prescribing pain medication instead.

The National Care Association said the study highlighted some of the complexities of dementia.

"Pain in itself is debilitating, so to identify it as the route cause of agitation and aggressive behaviour is a major breakthrough which will enable us to support people appropriately," said its chairman, Nadra Ahmed.

A government programme to reduce the inappropriate prescription of antipsychotic drugs is already under way in England.

The care services minister Paul Burstow welcomed the study.

"It should act as a further call for GPs to carefully examine the reason why those with dementia display agitated behaviour, rather than immediately resorting to antipsychotic medication," he said. (Jane Hughes/BBC News)

Philippines warns against geckos as AIDS treatment

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines warned Friday against using geckos to treat AIDS and impotence, saying the folkloric practice in parts of Asia may put patients at risk.

Environmental officials have also expressed alarm about the growing trade in the wall-climbing lizards in the Philippines. An 11-ounce (300-gram) gecko reportedly sells for at least 50,000 pesos ($1,160).

Geckos are reportedly exported to Malaysia, China and South Korea, where they are used as aphrodisiacs and as traditional medicine for asthma, AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis and impotence.

Their use as medical treatments has no scientific basis and could be dangerous because patients might not seek proper treatment for their diseases, a health department statement said.

"This is likely to aggravate their overall health and put them at greater risk," it added.

Treatments for asthma are easily available and affordable, while there are antiviral drugs to control the progress of HIV, it added.

Geckos are carnivorous, nocturnal reptiles from the family Gekkonidae that are found in tropical countries. They are known for their sticky footpads that allow them to climb vertical surfaces, including glass.

Wildlife official Mundita Lim said her office has asked law enforcers to look into the possibility that scammers may have infiltrated the trade because of the exorbitant prices being quoted online by buyers demanding geckos weighing at least 400 grams (14 ounces).

She said geckos in the wild grow up to 200 grams (7 ounces). Those fattened in captivity can grow only up to 300 grams (10 ounces).

In folkloric practice, geckos are dried and pulverized to use as medicine, and there are anecdotal accounts of the saliva or internal organs being collected, according to Lim.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje earlier warned that collecting and trading geckos without permit can be punishable by up to four years in jail and a fine of up to 300,000 pesos ($6,900).

He said a healthy population of geckos is needed to regulate pests and maintain the fragile ecosystem. Geckos feed on insects and worms. Larger species hunt small birds and rodents. (Yahoo News)

Poliomyelitis in Pakistan

7 July 2011 - Pakistan has reported wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) isolated from a 16-month old child with onset of paralysis on 9 June 2011, from a conflict-affected, inaccessible area of Khyber Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). This is the only case of WPV3 detected in Asia in 2011. WPV3 transmission in Asia is on the verge of elimination, with the last case occurring more than six months ago, on 18 November 2010 (also from Khyber Agency, FATA).

Confirmation of continuation of WPV3 transmission in tribal areas of Pakistan has significant implications for the global effort to eradicate WPV3, particularly as Asia is on the verge of eliminating circulation of this strain. The detection of WPV3 in Pakistan represents the risk that it may spread from this transmission focus to other WPV3-free areas of Asia and beyond. Globally, WPV3 transmission is at historically low levels in 2011, with other circulation of this strain restricted to parts of west Africa (17 cases in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Niger), Nigeria (five cases) and Chad (three cases). The risk of onward spread of WPV3 is deemed as high by the World Health Organization (WHO), particularly given large-scale population movements within Pakistan, between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and expected large-scale population movements associated with Umrah and the upcoming Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) in the coming few months.

In 2011, supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) in Pakistan have been inadequate in quality in key high-risk areas and a significant proportion of children remained inaccessible in conflict affected tribal areas. In FATA, particularly in Khyber agency, nearly 50% of children have been regularly missed during SIAs for the last two years. In addition to challenges relating to reaching children in insecure areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, significant operational challenges continue to mar the quality of SIAs in accessible areas of Khyber and in other key transmission areas of the country, notably in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh. In addition to confirmation of the only WPV3 case in Asia in 2011, Pakistan is affected by country-wide geographical transmission of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), with 57 confirmed WPV1 cases in 2011 (as at 5 July 2011), compared with 14 WPV1 cases for the same period in 2010.

To urgently address the situation, the Government of Pakistan has this year launched a National Polio Emergency Action Plan, under the auspices of His Excellency the President. However, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), set up at the request of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2010 to independently monitor progress towards a polio-free world, in April 2011 expressed alarm that the Plan is taking too long to implement, a conclusion echoed by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Eastern Mediterranean in June 2011.



To rapidly build up immunity to both wild poliovirus strains, a Short Interval Additional Dose Strategy (SIAD) SIA with bivalent OPV is being conducted in Khyber Agency , the first passage on 4 July and the second on 12 July. It is expected that, as during the most recent SIAs in mid-June, 45% (89,449) of target children in Khyber Agency (80% in Bara Tehsil, i.e. approximately 73,000) will remain inaccessible during the SIADs. National Immunization Days (NIDs) will be conducted in the country on 18-20 July, using bivalent OPV (containing type 1 & 3 serotypes). However, key to success will be to overcome remaining operational challenges in fully-accessible areas and to implement special outreach strategies with full community participation to increase access to populations in security-compromised areas. To minimise the risk of WPV3 re-infecting Afghanistan, Subnational Immunization Days (SNIDs) - including in border areas with Pakistan - will be conducted in the country on 10-12 July, also using bivalent OPV.

It is important that countries across Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean strengthen disease surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), in order to rapidly detect any poliovirus importations and facilitate a rapid response should importation occur. Countries should also continue to boost routine immunization coverage against all strains of polio to minimize the consequences of any introduction.

As per recommendations outlined in WHO's International travel and health, travellers to and from Pakistan should be fully protected by vaccination. Travellers to Pakistan who have in the past received three or more doses of OPV should be offered another dose of polio vaccine before departure. Any unimmunized individuals intending to travel to Pakistan should complete a full course of vaccination. Travellers from Pakistan should have a full course of vaccination against polio before leaving Pakistan, with a minimum one dose of OPV before departure. Some polio-free countries may also require travellers from Pakistan to be immunized against polio in order to obtain an entry visa.

With Hajj and Umrah season already started, and Umrah expected to increase during Ramadan (in August) and Hajj in early November, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has vaccination requirements for travellers (all ages) for Umrah and Hajj. These requirements are in line with recommendations outlined in WHO's International travel and health, with the addition that travellers of all ages from polio endemic countries are required to show proof of vaccination with OPV six weeks before travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and will receive a further dose of OPV upon their arrival. (WHO)

Philippines - DOH intensifies fight against HIV AIDS

MANILA PHILIPPINES — The Department of Health (DOH) is intensifying its campaign against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) due to the increasing incidence of infection in the country.

The infection rate is alarming although it is small in percentage, according to Health Secretary Enrique Ona. He said that since 1983, the total number of people infected with HIV/AIDS is 6,000.

"Tumaas nang konti?pero in percentage nakakatakot," Ona said in a Cabinet Forum of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster on Friday broadcast live over NBN4 and dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Despite the current infection incidents, Ona assured that his department is prepared to handle those cases.

"We can manage these cases meron na po tayong nailunsad na information campaign lalo na sa mga tinatawag nating mga vulnerable populations, yung mga nagtatrabaho ngayon sa mga call centers," he said.

He said that based on the Department of Health (DOH) studies, more people working in the call center industry are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection.

"Hindi po sa sinasabi kong marami, in the sense na based on maliit na simula. Kaya it is something na dapat nating bigyan ng tingin eh ginagawa po natin ang lahat ng paraan para po hindi kumalat itong sakit na ito," Ona said.

The campaign to inform the public is national in scope, and Ona said they were particularly focusing on young adults who were more and more becoming sexually active even at an early age. The DOH also pays attention to drug addicts that share needles in using drugs that quickly spread the virus.

Ona said that the Health department monitored two or three barangays in Cebu that posted a rising number of infected individuals, especially among drug users.

"Mayroong pong lumalabas ngayon na mukha hong lumalaganap ang HIV/AIDS in this particular two or three barangays in Cebu at bibigyan natin ng atensyon iyon," he said. (PNA/Zambotimes)

Africa - Inventor uses stinky socks to fight malaria

Africa - The odour of stinky socks is repulsive to humans, but an African inventor has discovered it's as sweet and seductive as roses to mosquitoes.

Canadian tax dollars are helping a young Tanzanian scientist build a sophisticated mosquito trap that is poised to play a major role in the global war on malaria.

Fredros Okumu received a $775,000 US grant Wednesday from Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“This project is a bold idea, one that's creative, innovative and counterintuitive,” says Grand Challenges Canada CEO Dr. Peter Singer. “Who could have thought a lifesaving technology could be lurking in your laundry basket?”

The trap uses chemicals that mimic human foot odour to draw mosquitoes inside a shuttered box, about the size of a garbage can. Once inside, the mosquitoes are poisoned by a powerful insecticide.

“We use a synthetic attractant to mimic a real human being,” Okumu told Postmedia News from Tanzania. “Mosquitoes go in thinking it's a human being, but they don't find any blood. Instead they get contaminated and die.”

Okumu's research found that mosquitoes are drawn to humans by the scent of ammonia, lactic acid, carbon dioxide and other substances released by skin, sweat and breath.

The synthetic attractant, Okumu's research has found, attracts four times more mosquitoes than real humans.The trap kills between 74 and 95 per cent of mosquitoes that enter it.

Before developing a synthetic compound to lure mosquitoes, Okumu baited his traps with dirty old socks collected from locals in Isakara, in Southeast Tanzania.

Malaria kills some 800,000 people per year, affecting Africans -- and African children -- in particular.

“This is an outdoor mosquito control strategy,” he said. “The primary focus is to develop something to complement the current primary malaria controls tools: the nets and insecticide sprays used inside houses.”

Okumu said the trap -- called the odour-baited mosquito landing box -- works best when there are 20 or more per population of 1,000. The traps are built by local carpenters using local materials, and can be produced for between $4 and $27.

Grand Challenges Canada was founded with $225 million from the federal government's 2008 budget, taken from Canada's international aid envelope.

Singer says the 29-year-old PhD student is exactly the type of innovator they are looking to support.

“Fredros Okumu is a young, innovating, dedicated person who is trying to solve African problems with African innovation,” he said. “We strongly believe that innovators in low- and middle-income countries are best suited to solve their own problems.”

Okumu said he will use the grant money to improve his prototype, train additional carpenters, and study where the traps should be placed to be most effective. (monterealgazette)

Gallatin - West Nile virus found in Gallatin Country mosquitoes

GALLATIN COUNTY, IL (KFVS) -

Health officials in Illinois say a batch of mosquitos caught in Old Shawneetown tested positive for West Nile virus.

It's the first case reported in Gallatin County.

The infected mosquitoes were collected from a trap in Old Shawneetown on July 7, 2011, according to the Egyptian Public and Mental Health Department.

Surveillance for West Nile virus began in May and includes trapping and testing adult mosquitoes throughout Saline, Gallatin, and White counties.

A limited number of sick or dying birds are also being collected for West Nile virus testing.

The state public health director says it is important to take precautions to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

Recommended West Nile virus precautions include:
* Emptying or changing all standing water in container such as birdbaths or buckets on your property to reduce areas in which mosquitoes may breed.
* Making sure your windows and door screens are in good condition.
* Using insect repellent when outdoors –particularly in the evening.
* Limiting outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
* Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. (kfvs12)

Philippines - UP-DOST telemedicine project discovers rare skin disease in Mindanao tribe

“A dermatologist may not see this disease in his/her lifetime.” This is how Dr. Belen Dofitas, dermatologist of the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), describes Tinea imbricata, a disease found infecting a tribe in Kiamba, Sarangani Province in Mindanao through the telemedicine project of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST) and the University of the Philippines National Telehealth Center (UP-NThC).

Tinea imbricata, also known as Tokelau ringworm, is an uncommon superficial fungal infection caused by Trichophyton concentricum. The disease is characterized by the formation of patches that are concentrically arranged, imbricated and known for its scaly rings and skin exfoliation.

“The disease is relatively rare. There are reports in scientific journals but only few around the world,” said Dr. Dofitas in an interview. In the history of dermatology in the Philippines, only three cases were reported - one in 1789 in Mindanao, another in 1962 in Mindoro and another in 1990, also in Mindanao. In all three cases, the disease occurred in ethnic and tribal groups.

“It was my first encounter with the disease and I have no idea about it,” said Dr. Lemuel Non, Municipal Health Officer and Doctor-to-the-Barrio (DTTB) of Kiamba, Sarangani Province, who found the disease on a walk-in patient in Kiamba Municipal Health Center. “What I did was, I photographed the infected part of the body of the patient, together with my initial assessment and forwarded it to the NThC via text messaging (SMS) and multimedia message (MMS) for evaluation and verification of the disease. It so happens that the municipality of Kiamba is one of the pilot sites of the UP-DOST telemedicine program.”



Telemedicine is an interactive audiovisual media that uses telecommunication and information technologies for the delivery of clinical care. It can be used for consultations, examinations and other remote medical procedures specifically designed to provide better health care services in the far-flung communities or the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA), where specialized medical experts are unavailable.

According to Mr. Sid Cardenas, technical staff from NThC, “when the assigned doctor does not know or is not sure what to do with the encountered disease/s in the field (particularly on specialist-specific diseases), this is where telemedicine helps.” The doctor forwards its initial assessment to the NThC servers through SMS, MMS or email. The report will be channeled to the telemedicine domain experts for diagnosis or management, and findings will be sent back to the doctor in remote site.

With the help of the UP-DOST telemedicine project, Dr. Non in Kiamba, Sarangani Province received relevant information from Dr. Dofitas in UP-PGH to properly handle the Tinea imbricata disease.

Beyond telemedicine

Since Tinea imbricata is a special case, the NThC technical staff together with the UP-PGH experts visited the municipality of Kiamba to conduct a follow-up health mission. “There may be other cases existing in the community. That is why we really need to go up there to find out the real situation of the tribe,” said Dr. Dofitas. “It is possible that some of their family members are also infected with the disease. Aside from that, we need to know how the community treats the disease and their perception about it.”

In cooperation with the local government of Kiamba, members of the tribe were invited for free medical consultations. “Because the tribe perceived that the disease is incurable, they were initially reluctant to be examined by the medical team. However, after learning that some of their members were successfully treated, the tribe was, eventually convinced,” said Dr. Dofitas. There were twenty eight individuals found infected with the rare disease.

“We also introduced “akapulko” for the treatment of the disease.” Akapulko is an indigenous herbal medicine abundant in the community that is found effective in curing skin diseases including Tinea imbricata.

Aside from medical consultations, the team also conducted information dissemination campaigns to increase the community’s awareness on the disease. “This is very important to change their mindset, to make them realize that the disease is curable,” said Dr. Dofitas.

Telemedicine project defies distance and lack of medical experts

According to the UP Manila - National Institutes of Health, 60 percent of Filipinos die without seeing a doctor. This may be due to the fact that being an archipelagic country, distribution of health care services could be a quite challenge.

“In an archipelagic country like the Philippines, telemedicine is an advantage to bring health care services in isolated and poor, underserved communities. It is a medical option that bridges “doctor-patient” geographical separation. Aside from that, it addresses the problem of lack of deployed experts in areas with high risks of diseases like Sarangani Province. That is why telemedicine is very important and should be incorporated in our health system,” said Dr. Dofitas.

She also emphasized that telemedicine has an important role in the continuing education of doctors, caregivers, and patients, and cuts the often high cost of travel and stay in nursing homes or hospitals through the efficient referral system among hospital experts anywhere in the country. (Edmon B. Agron/PCHRD-DOST)

United States - Mosquitoes are expected to bite but not to transmit virus

Murphysboro, Ill. — Missouri residents in areas impacted by flooding this spring and summer can expect pest mosquitoes that will chase and bite but likely will not transmit virus, according to a mosquito borne virus expert at Southeast Missouri State University.

Dr. Christina Frazier, professor of biology and director of the Southeast Missouri Arbovirus Lab, says this area can expect a bumper crop of Aedes vexans this summer, a type of pest mosquito which has already shown up in significant numbers in Mississippi County. Aedes vexans eggs are laid on drying ground and hatch during reflooding.

“Aedes vexans lay their eggs on the edge of water, and they dry out,” Frazier said. “But when water then covers them, they hatch out. There will be hoards after a flood. There will be a big boom of these this summer. If we are getting lots of mosquitoes, these are the type we will get.

“Right after a flood, we can expect to see an increase in pest mosquitoes,” she said.





At this point in the summer, Frazier said the St. Louis County Health Department normally would be collecting 200 mosquitoes a night in a trap. Recently, they have collected more than 1,000 per night.

Frazier says Missouri residents should be especially cautious about puddles left behind by recent flooding as they attract vector mosquitoes – the type that transmit virus.

“Everybody should be responsible for their own yards to make sure they don’t have spots holding water,” she said, adding that old paint cans, old swimming pools that are semi-dried up and old tires are likely culprits. “If you have a lot of these items around, you are generally a breeding ground right in your own yard. We are better off if everyone cleans up their yards so we have fewer mosquitoes.”

Frazier and Karen Yates, vector borne disease coordinator with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Veterinary Public Health, train local health departments in Missouri to trap mosquitoes. County health departments in Butler, Jasper, Cole, Nodaway, Boone, Henry, St. Louis, Clay and Taney counties participate in the program. The departments trap and send mosquitoes each week from May to September to Southeast’s Arbovirus Lab. The lab determines if they are vector mosquitoes – those carrying either West Nile Virus or St. Louis Encephalitis.
St. Louis County recently sent 30,000 Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes – a type which can transmit virus -- to the lab. Six were determined to be carrying the West Nile Virus, Frazier said, however no mosquitoes carrying St. Louis Encephalitis have been identified yet this summer.

Fortunately, she says, no vectors have been found among the mosquitoes collected recently from the Birds Point levee area in Mississippi County.

“Culex mosquitoes need organic rich spots to survive,” Frazier said. “Lots of little puddles have created lots of breeding sites,” though.

Frazier says hot, dry summer days will initially shrink these to be better more nutrient rich breeding places, but if the conditions continue long enough they will eliminate these spots. Wet weather, she added, will continue to keep these numbers elevated.

Southeast’s Arbovirus Lab maintains a password protected website, courtesy of Southeast Missouri State University’s Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning, that allows it to communicate information with local health departments and the state health department in Missouri. The state in turn provides data to the Centers for Disease Control. County health departments also use the data to inform the public about the number of mosquitoes collected and tested from their county and the number of positive tests for vector mosquitoes, Frazier said.

She said counties use the information to guide their spraying practices and also to educate the public with tips on avoiding mosquitoes, such as:

• Wear mosquito repellent when outdoors
• Avoid going out from dusk to dawn
• Wear long sleeved shirts if you are outdoors

Frazier holds a doctoral degree in virology/epidemiology/immunology and arbovirus epidemiology with an emphasis on West Nile from Yale University. She has been researching mosquitoes in Missouri for 30 years. She also serves as associate to the provost for data analysis and assessment at Southeast. (murphys boroamerican)