54 pc children prefer to ask GOOGLE if they have a question than their patients

A recent survey finds that most kids would prefer to ask Google if they have a question rather than their parents or teachers.

According to the survey of 500 children conducted by Birmingham Science City, most six to 15 year olds would turn to the search engine first, with 54 percent saying they'd ask Google before their parents or teachers.

Only one quarter of children would ask their parents first over Google.

Encyclopaedias came in a very poor last place, with one quarter of children admitting they don't know what it is.

Almost half of all children - 45 percent have never used a print encyclopaedia and nearly a fifth - 19 percent have never used a print dictionary.

Guesses as to the strange "encyclopaedia" device's function included that an "encyclopedia" might be something you travel on or use to perform an operation.

Teachers also fared badly in the research, as only three percent of children aged six to fifteen would ask their teacher for an answer.

The survey highlighted how central technology has become to young lives, with almost half of children using Google at least five times day.

"With children now growing up in an environment where digital technology is accepted as standard, we wanted to see just how this has affected their approach to research and exploration," the Daily Mail quoted Pam Waddell, Director of Birmingham Science City as saying.

"It's not surprising that with answers at the touch of the button, youngsters often Google questions before asking parents, friends or teachers.

"However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It shows just how commonplace digital technology is for children today and how comfortable they are with using it.

"Children, no matter what generation they grow up in, have an inquisitive and curious nature, and so the fact they are able to use new technology to explore this is a positive sign for the future," Waddell added.

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Why Women are attracted more to Bad Men

The so-called bad men have always charmed their way into women's hearts and now researchers seem to know the reason behind this preference.

Scientists have revealed that women find it hard to resist callous, self-obsessed and deceitful men.

National Review writer Kevin D Williamson however, pointed out, that women might not be able to help it because it's in their genes to like bad men.

Writing in a blog following the show this week he cited several pieces of research that back up his view, including the much quoted 'Dark Triad' work of Professor Peter Jonason.

This combines the self-obsession of narcissism, the impulsive, thrill-seeking and callous behaviour of the psychopath and the deceitful and exploitative nature of Machiavellianism.

However unattractive the combination might appear, women often equate it with masculinity and the ability to father healthy children.

As a result, those looking for the thrill of an affair, or hoping to become pregnant, are very often drawn to 'bad boys'. The men, in return, raise their chances of passing their genes on to the next generation.

Scientist Jonason said James Bond is the perfect example of a ladykiller with a rather questionable personality.

"He's clearly disagreeable, very extroverted and likes trying new things - killing people, new women," the Daily Mail quoted the researcher as telling the New Scientist.

Jonason, of New Mexico State University in the U.S., subjected 200 college students to personality tests designed to rank them for each of their dark triad traits.

The subjects were also quizzed about their attitudes to sexual relationships and about their sex lives, including how many partners they had and whether they sought out flings.

The results revealed that men who scored higher on the trio of traits tended to have more partners and more interest in short-term relationships.

A second U.S. study of 35,000 people in 57 countries also found a clear link between the dark triad traits in men and success with women.

"It's universal across cultures for high dark triad scorers to be more active in short-term mating. They are more likely to try and poach other people's partners for a brief affair," researcher Professor David Schmitt, of Bradley University in Illinois, said.

The researchers also claimed that at their most extreme, the traits would be highly unattractive, leading to men being shut off from society.

But one possibility is that the strategy is most successful when dark triad personalities are rare.

Otherwise others would become more wary and guarded and the strategy would backfire.

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Breast Implant Firm's Boss Jailed, Fails to Pay Bail

The founder of the French breast implant company that sparked a global health scare was jailed on Tuesday after failing to pay his bail.

Jean-Claude Mas, 72, was jailed at Marseille's Baumette prison, the source said requesting anonymity.

In January he was charged with causing "involuntary injuries" but released on a 100,000-euro (131,000-dollar) bail.

Mas is the founder of Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), which shut down in 2010 after it was revealed to have been using substandard, industrial-grade silicone gel. More than 400,000 women around the world are believed to have received the implants.

The French government has advised 30,000 women to have their PIP implants removed, a call repeated in several other countries.

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Prevent New Cholera Outbreak, UNICEF Warns West Africa

The United Nations Children's Fund on Tuesday alerted western African governments on the need to prevent a new cholera outbreak, after the disease claimed nearly 3,000 lives there last year.

Unicef's regional bureau said that "at least 105,248 cases of cholera were registered in 17 countries in 2011, and 2,898 people died" in what was one of the most severe outbreaks of the disease in years.

"The region is now in the inter-season which means that the number of cases is close to zero in most affected countries," it said.

But the UN agency warned that governments should be prepared "to minimize risks for the next season which, in West and Central Africa, is projected to start in April 2012".

It said it was particularly concerned the disease could hit the Sahel zone, where many people are already weakened by a nutrition crisis.

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Chun Chun is the Heaviest Newborn in the World

Chinese mother has given birth to a 15.52 pound baby.

A mother in central China has given birth to a 15.52 pound (7.04 kilogram) baby, possibly the largest newborn on record since the country's founding in 1949.

The state-run Tianjin Post said Tuesday that the 29-year-old mother in Henan province gave birth to the boy Saturday by cesarean section. It said delivery took just 20 minutes and both mother and the baby, named Chun Chun, are doing fine.

The paper said Chun Chun s parents are average size and there was nothing unusual about his mother s pregnancy or diet.

The paper said it wasn t immediately clear whether Chun Chun made China s record books.Guinness World Records says the heaviest newborn ever recorded was born to an Ohio woman in 1879 and weighed 23.7 pounds (10.77 kilograms).

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Head patch watches over stroke patients’ blood flow in brains

Stroke is one of the silent killers just like heart attacks, and the amount of damage it does to the body varies, with many of those who suffered from a stroke before having to live with limited movement as well as slurred speech. Not only that, statistics show that nearly 33% of stroke patients experience another stroke – all the while when they are still stuck in the hospital. Nurses assigned to such patients will have to go the extra mile then to keep a close eye on them, and also to help arrange for such patients to undergo additional tests if they fall under the category of being a high risk case of getting another stroke.

It is rather unfortunate that such tests can prove to be invasive, and in some cases are even potentially harmful to the patient. Good thing advancements in modern medical technology brings good news – there is a spanking new device that is being developed at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, which might eventually be able to monitor the potential advent of another stroke through the simple act of shining light onto a patient’s forehead.

This device is known as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), where it will be attached to the brow skin just like a sticker. Following that, it measures blood oxygen levels in the brain, and through the emission of near-infrared light that penetrates the scalp, which will in turn proceed about 2.5 centimeters (0.98 inches) into the underlying brain tissue, makes it work similar in nature to the pulse oximeter that is widely used today, although the latter will clamp onto one’s finger.

Standard operating procedures in testing for a stroke will require a CT perfusion scan to be performed, where this will measure blood flow and oxygenation via the use of an introduced contrast medium, and in some cases might actually result in airway or kidney damage. Should multiple scans be required, such a process will also expose the patient to excessive radiation, and that has a risk of cancer as well. Hopefully the new device can be miniaturized eventually for everyday use, including assessing the extent of brain injuries.

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Niagara Falls Turns Pink in Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

As well as providing a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, BCAM is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast aware for earlier detection.

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Dengue Fever outbreak in Pakistan 2011

Already cursed by floods and suicide bombings, Pakistan now faces a new menace from an unprecedented outbreak of the deadly tropical disease dengue fever.

Earlier this disease was spread in Lahore and Karachi but now cases of Dengue fever are coming from all major cities and towns. The first case of this disease in Pakistan reported in year 1994 in Karachi. After that this disease spread slowly and in 2006 there were large number of patients affected with Dengue fever.

In 2006 World Health Organization for the first time recognized the disease in Pakistan and according to their official statistics more than 4800 persons were affected by disease and almost 50 died till 2006. First case of Dengue fever in Lahore was reported in 2007 and since then the cases and causalities are increasing with rapid pace.

It is tropical disease and the mosquito responsible for that disease can not fly long distance. Some years before when there was attack of Dengue Disease in USA they investigated the matter and found that the disease was caused by some recycled imported tyres hence it is evident that this disease was also came in Pakistan through that way and Karachi is the main Sea Port city and worst affected by this disease. All imported material is delivered from Karachi to the all parts of Pakistan and this way the disease is now reached in all corners of Pakistan.

The mosquito with Dengue virus is found in clean water such as in grounds or gardens and hence one cannot avoid it only by keeping neighbourhood clean. Now government is taking preventive measures by using chemical sprays against mosquitoes but more efforts are required to control this epidemic disease.

In less than a month, 126 people have died and more than 12,000 have been diagnosed with the virus, which has spread rapidly among both rich and poor in Pakistan's cultural capital Lahore.

Pakistan authorities have blamed the crisis on prolonged monsoon rains and unusually high seasonal temperatures.But furious locals say the outbreak is yet another example of government inefficiency, citing a failure to take preventive measures to kill off the mosquitos and lengthy power cuts.

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Dengue fever, A Comprehensive Disease Information

If there's one insect that can truly be called a pest, it's the mosquito. Incredible as it sounds, this tiny insect can cause a host of diseases ranging from malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, and encephalitis (the inflammation of the brain).

One of the most common diseases transmitted by mosquitoes is dengue and it's found in over 40 countries. Since it first appeared in Southeast Asia in the 1950s, dengue outbreaks have increased and have been reported in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Burma, and Thailand.

Over 2.5 million people are at risk, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Millions of infections occur yearly and about 500,000 people are hospitalized because of dengue. Ninety-five percent of those affected are children.

Not all mosquitoes transmit the dengue virus. There are over 160 different species but only two cause trouble: the Aedes albopictus and more commonly, the Aedes aegypti. Only female mosquitoes bite and they're active two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.

Mosquitoes normally feast on nectar and plant juices. The female needs blood to nourish its eggs. It becomes infected with the dengue virus when it bites a person suffering from the disease. The infected mosquito then spreads the disease when it bites others.

"There is no way to tell if a mosquito is carrying the dengue virus, therefore people must protect themselves from all mosquito bites," warned WHO.

Dengue mosquitoes like to hide in closets and other dark places. Outside, they prefer cool and shaded areas such as school grounds, park, and malls. The female breeds in anything that holds stagnant water like barrels, drums, old tires, pots, flower vases, bottles, roof gutters, refrigerator drip pans, and other places that collect rainwater.

Many factors contribute to the spread of dengue. These include climate changes brought about by the El Nino phenomenon, increasing urban populations, and poverty. Mosquito breeding sites have also increased due to poor water storage and sewage systems, uncollected garbage, and infrastructure projects with stagnant pools. Mass transportation has made it easier for mosquitoes to reach other areas and move infected humans.

There are two forms of dengue. Dengue fever is a severe flu-like illness that affects older children and adults but is rarely fatal. It's characterized by sudden high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes that worsens with movement, and muscle and joint pains. Later, a measles-like rash appears on the chest and upper limbs and there is nausea and vomiting.

The more severe form of the disease is dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) which is fatal in children. Its symptoms are similar to dengue fever but it causes bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums and shock leading to death. Other signs of DHF are severe stomach pain, pale, cold or clammy skin, frequent vomiting, sleepiness, excessive thirst, rapid weak pulse, and difficulty in breathing.

If you suspect you have dengue or DHF, see a doctor immediately. Up to 20 percent of people with severe dengue or DHF may die if not properly diagnosed and treated. To keep your body strong and healthy, eat right and follow a regular exercise program. To help you lose weight, take Phenocal, a safe, natural, and effective weight loss supplement that boosts your metabolism, suppresses your appetite, reduces food cravings, and increases energy levels to keep you in shape.

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Sleep Deprivation May Increase Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have suggested a possible link between inadequate sleep and the increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

They have found that a marker for Alzheimer’s disease rises during day and falls with sleep in the spinal fluid, and the pattern is strongest in healthy young people than the older counterparts, whose sleep periods are often shorter and more prone to disruption.

In the new study, scientists report that the normal highs and lows of amyloid beta levels in the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord begin to flatten in older adults.

“In healthy people, levels of amyloid beta drop to their lowest point about six hours after sleep, and return to their highest point six hours after maximum wakefulness,” said Randall Bateman, MD, associate professor of neurology.

Bateman’s laboratory conducted the study in partnership with Washington University’s Sleep Medicine Centre.

Stephen Duntley, MD, professor of neurology and director of the Centre added, “We’ve known for some time that significant sleep deprivation has negative effects on cognitive function comparable to that of alcohol intoxication.”

“But it’s recently become apparent that prolonged sleep disruption and deprivation can actually play an important role in pathological processes that underlie diseases.

“This connection to Alzheimer’s disease isn’t confirmed yet in humans, but it could be very important,” he stated.

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Dengue fever - information, symptoms and treatments

Fever Dengue (pronounced DEN-gee) is caused by viruses that are transmitted by mosquito bites. It is a severe illness that starts suddenly and usually follows a benevolent course with such symptoms as fever, headache, intense muscle and joint pains, exhaustion, lymphadenopathy (swollen glands) and the telltale rash. Dengue is characterized by the presence of what is called the "dengue triad" (headache, fever and rash). There are other signs of dengue like stark pain behind the eyes, gums that bleed, and redness in the palms of hands and soles of the feet. What is Dengue Fever?

Fever dengue strikes those who have low immunity levels. Fever dengue can be caused by any one of four types of the dengue virus: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4 (the numbers reflect the order of discovery and have no relation to disease severity). An individual can be infected by at least two types, if not all four at different times during his or her life. However, an attack of a particular type of dengue produce lifetime immunity against that serotype which the patient had been exposed to.

There are other names for dengue such as "dandy fever" or "breakbone." The name "breakbone" was derived because the victims of dengue have contortions because of the intense muscle and joint pains. The name "dandy fever" was derived from the slaves of the West Indies who had contracted fever dengue because of their gait and postures.

The more severe viral serotype of fever dengue is dengue hemorrhagic fever. Signs include headache, rash, fever, petechiae (which are small purple or red blisters just under the skin), bleeding of the gums, blackened stools, and bruising that easily develop. Dengue hemorrhagic fever can be lethal and can develop into the most severe form of dengue which is dengue shock syndrome.

A person who has been bitten by the Aedes mosquito carrying the dengue virus will show signs and symptoms after 3 to 15 days (although it is more common from within 5 - 8 days). The person infected will first experience chills and then headaches or pain when they move their eyes, and lower back pain. The pain in the joints and muscle pain in the legs occur during the first hours. The body temperature will then rise to about 40 degrees Centigrade (or 104 degrees Fahrenheit). The heart rate will remain low (known as bradycardia) and so will the blood pressure (known as hypotension). There will be reddening of the eyes and then there will be a rash or flushing that comes over the face and then goes away. The lymph nodes (glands) in the groin and neck will be swollen.

Most of those who develop fever dengue completely recover within two weeks however there are some who may go through several weeks of feeling depressed and/or tired.

The virus is contracted from the bite of a striped mosquito known as the Aedes aegypti that has been previously bitten a dengue infected person. This mosquito flourishes during the rainy seasons or monsoons but can easily breed in water-filled potholes, drains, flower pots, old tires, plastic bags, and cans all year-round. Only one mosquito bite is enough to inflict the disease.

The dengue virus is not contagious and cannot spread directly from one individual to another. To spread, there must be a pathway that goes "person-to-mosquito-to-another-person".

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Celiac Disease on the Rise in the U.S.

Complaints of celiac disease are on the rise in the United States, with more and more people growing ill from exposure to products containing gluten.

Nearly five times as many people have celiac disease today than did during the 1950s, according to one recent study. Another report found that the rate of celiac disease has doubled every 15 years since 1974 and is now believed to affect one in every 133 U.S. residents.

"It's quite widespread," said Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and the Mucosal Biology Research Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We thought there were regional differences in the past, but now we know it's everywhere."

That increased incidence rate has left researchers scrambling to figure out why more people are developing the chronic digestive disorder. Doctors still can't explain the trend, but they are making some headway testing a number of hypotheses.

"There are many theories out there, not all independent of each other and not all of them true," Fasano said.

Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune system to attack the small intestine, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. The attack is prompted by exposure to gluten, a protein found in such grains as wheat, rye and barley.

The disease interferes with proper digestion and, in children, prompts symptoms that include bloating, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Adults with celiac disease are less likely to show digestive symptoms but will develop problems such as anemia, fatigue, osteoporosis or arthritis as the disorder robs their bodies of vital nutrients.

Awareness of celiac disease has grown in recent years, evidenced by the growing number of gluten-free foods on the market. However, medical experts don't believe that the increase in celiac disease incidence can be chalked up simply to folks becoming more aware of the chronic digestive disorder or to improvements in diagnostic techniques.

Rather, the most popular potential explanations for the increase in celiac disease rates involve improvements in sanitation and hygiene in civilization overall, said Fasano and Carol McCarthy Shilson, executive director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center.

According to the "hygiene hypothesis," Shilson said, people in industrialized countries are more at risk for celiac disease because their bodies have not had to fight off as many diseases.

"We're just too clean a society, so our immune systems aren't as developed as they should be," she said.

Another version of the hypothesis holds that the cleanliness of industrialized society has caused a fundamental change in the composition of the digestive bacteria contained within the gut, Fasano said.

"It's because this increase occurs primarily in industrialized countries, where things are cleaner," Fasano said. "We abuse antibiotics, we wash our hands too often, we are vaccinated more often."

Other potential explanations for the rise in celiac disease rates, according to Fasano, include:

An increase in the amount of gluten found in grains. "We eat grains that are much more rich in glutens than they were 70 or 80 years ago," he said.
Children being exposed to gluten from an early age. "We know for sure if we introduce grains too early, people at risk for developing celiac disease are more likely to contract it," he said.
Too few women breast-feeding their children. "There are theories out there that say breast-feeding will protect you, or prevent celiac disease," Fasano said.

It's possible, experts say, that each of these theories is correct to a degree and that a combination of factors will ultimately be found to contribute to celiac disease. "It may well be in one person, one plays a stronger role than another," Fasano said.

But while experts try to find a cause -- and then, they hope, a cure -- advocates urge people who are at risk for developing celiac disease to undergo screening for the disorder.

Researchers have shown a genetic predisposition for celiac disease, with about 30 percent of the population carrying genes that make them vulnerable, Shilson said.

But because adults with celiac disease often don't suffer the digestive symptoms associated with gluten intolerance, many people are unaware they have it or could pass it on. "About two-thirds of people with the active disease have no symptoms at all," Shilson said.

Studies also have found that the earlier people find out they have celiac disease, the better able they are to head off the disorder's more debilitating effects.

"There's not much you can do to prevent it, but you can be aware of it and catch it," Shilson said. "Early intervention is key."

However, people who suspect they have celiac disease should not go gluten-free before being tested. Doing that can interfere with the accuracy of the screening.

"It's very important that you don't change your diet before you are screened for celiac disease," Shilson said.

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Study finds Sniffer dogs can smell out lung cancer

German scientists experimenting with sniffer dogs have found they can accurately detect lung cancer by smelling breath samples.

In a study carried out by researchers from Schillerhoehe Hospital in Germany, the dogs were able to correctly detect lung tumors in 71 percent of patients, suggesting a similar technique could be used for early detection in future.

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A Chinese teenager survive after a dreadful accident in which a sword got embedded in his head

Zhang Bin, 15, a Chinese teenager got that ‘once in a life’ moment that phenomenally collared him back from the wide open jaws of death.

He held his share of luck at the right flash to survive after a dreadful accident in which a Japanese style sword got embedded in his head.

The blade ended up 5 cm into Bin's forehead after he and his friends started playing with the toxic weapon.

The 15-year-old had to linger close to four hours before receiving treatment after the first hospital he was hurried to was apparently unable to battle the injury.

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