Monthly Archives: January 2013

Asthma and Alternative Medicine

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Complementary Therapies and Treatments There are many different types of complementary therapies and treatments. Numerous scientific studies around the world have shown no conclusive evidence that alternative medicine is beneficial for asthma. However, there are several treatments and therapies that may work to help asthma when combined with traditional medicine.

Acupuncture: is an ancient Chinese treatment that uses very fine needles inserted into specific parts of the body. The Chinese theory behind this treatment is to balancing of the bodys natural energies. Acupuncture also helps relax strained muscles and over active nerves, which can have beneficial effects on the rest of the body. Several studies have shown short-term effects for those with mild to moderate asthma. However, more research is needed to show that acupuncture is truly a help for asthma. One note: if you dont like needles, this therapy is not for you.

The Buteyko Method, Yoga and Meditation: these therapies help you to learn to be conscious of your breathing, while teaching you how to relax your mind and entire body. The benefit of these methods is breath training and awareness of stress within your body. These breathing techniques do work to strengthen your lungs, while helping you learn how to relax. Plus, you may be able to use these breathing methods when your asthma becomes worse, and may even be able to avoid an asthma attack. More information about these methods can be found on the BellaOnline asthma site in the related links section below this article.

Chiropractic: employs manipulation of the spine, with the idea that health issues of the neuromusculoskeletal system affect other disorders of the body. Research into the benefits of chiropractic treatments for asthma has been inconclusive.

Herbal Medicine: uses plants or parts of plants to treat illness. Herbs have been used to treat lung disease from ancient times. Several herbs have shown some benefit in the treatment of asthma, however, further studies are needed to learn what actually works and if the herbs are safe. The effects of herbs are not completely understood. They can have serious side effects, and should be respected as much as traditional medications. Herbs traditionally used for asthma include: 1) Butterbur 2) Dried Ivy 3) Ginkgo Biloba 4) Tylophora asthmatica 5) Pycnogenol 6) Choline

While herbal asthma treatments have shown some benefits for the lungs and airways, caution should be exercised. There is no oversight for the quality and dose of herbal preparations. The FDA does have guidelines in place to ensure all labels (for herbal medications) accurately list the ingredients.

Homeopathy: treatments are geared to stimulate the bodys immune system by using small doses of substances that bring on symptoms. The doses are so small that it rarely causes allergy or asthma symptoms to worsen. However, researchers around the world have found no conclusive evidence homeopathy helps asthma.

Vitamins and Supplements: some studies have shown that certain vitamins and supplements can help asthma. These include: 1) Vitamin C: acts as an antihistamine in the body. Its also a strong anti-oxidant that has been shown to strengthen the immune system. 2) Omega-3 fatty acids: typically found in certain types of fish and plants, and cannot be made by the body. Omega-3s work to reduce inflammation in the body. 3) Vitamin D: is essential for many of the bodys functions. Vitamin D is made in the body, and is important for the immune system. Many asthma patients have been shown to be vitamin D deficient. You can find additional information right here on the BellaOnline asthma site by coping and pasting this web address into your browser: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art178107.asp.

Can Complementary Therapies Help Asthma? Alternative therapies and treatments can often be combined in order to provide the best help for asthma patients. Each of these therapies (mentioned here) has been studied by researchers, with some treatments showing benefits, while others havent. However, everyones body is differentwhat works for one person may not work for another. Its definitely a good idea to research types of therapies youre interested in. After looking into a possible therapy, you can then talk with your doctor to see if this might help your asthma. Before adding or changing your asthma regimen, first talk with your doctor to make sure these treatments wont cause other problems with your health. Never quit taking your prescribed asthma medications, unless told to do so by your doctor. Don't make any changes to your asthma regimen without first talking to your doctor

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Asthma and Alternative Medicine

Reaching out; local doctors fund medical schooling for three Afghan women

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Several local doctors have decided to pay for medical school for three women in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, a war-torn region in the south of the country known to be a Taliban stronghold.

Allison Burton, a hospitalist doctor at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, said the idea came about when hospital staff learned three of their colleagues from Afghanistan were planning to leave the area. Burton and several other St. Joseph physicians wanted to give them a going away present, she said.

We realized this gift could really go a long way, Burton said of the medical school funding.

Burton's brother works for Green Village Schools, a nonprofit which helps build schools and fund health education in Helmand Province. It was an easy fit, Burton said, to join forces with her brother's organization. Seven other St. Joseph physicians wanted to contribute, too.

By American education standards, a medical school degree in Afghanistan is a bargain. A student can attend medical school in Helmand Province for about $150 a month, Burton said. Their contribution to the three women might go toward their tuition, or related items like books and housing, she said.

The ultimate goal is for the students to eventually return to their home villages to practice as the first female physicians there, a press release from the hospital said.

That would be very progressive, said Burton, who attended the Medical College of Georgia. Having

Afghanistan has the third-highest infant mortality rate in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The southerly part of the country, of which Helmand is a part, has just two hospitals, according to Doctors Without Borders. The organization reports the province's children have a chronic problem of malnutrition.

Burton said her brother has been to Afghanistan to meet the three women, all of whom have been accepted into medical school.

Hospital spokeswoman Leslie Broomall said she had never heard of St. Joseph doctors teaming up for such a cause before.

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Reaching out; local doctors fund medical schooling for three Afghan women

Interim dean takes on permanent role at medical school

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Correction appended More than two years after Jeffrey Akman was named interim dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, he was announced Monday as the permanent leader of GWs most selective and richest school.

The move was one made with urgency after hastening by top administrators in the fall following two years without a permanent dean to leader the college as it undergoes curriculum changes and budget shifts.

Akman also stays on as senior vice president for health affairs, making him one of the most influential administrators at GW and allowing him to oversee the Universitys relationship with the Medical Faculty Associates and GW Hospital, which are separate corporations but share use of medical faculty as doctors.

Akman said in an email that while his former temporary role did not hold him back, the the permanent position would help solidify the school.

Removing the interim title does provide an additional sense of stability for our students, faculty, alumni and the greater SMHS community, Akman said. Undoubtedly, it will help as I recruit for key positions within SMHS, including [administrative] positions and chairs.

He said he would be focused on hiring going forward, particularly by bulking up the schools research and improving staff diversity. While the medical school is perennially one of the most coveted colleges in the country for aspiring doctors, it is still the most expensive one to not crack U.S. News & World Reports top 50 for research.

University President Knapp ordered an expedited search to fill the position in November, and some professors said they hoped permanent leadership would ease the process of filling senior positions in the schools administration. Five of the schools 23 departments are still headed by interim chairs.

Provost Steven Lerman declined to say if a committee in the medical school considered any other candidates during the accelerated search.

We have had interim dean for two years, and President Knapp and I decided now was the right time to expedite filling the position, Lerman said. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences bylaws explicitly provide a mechanism for a shorter search.

Akman, a psychiatry specialist who has spent 25 years at the school, first landed in the deans office in 2010 after an impromptu resignation from former dean James Scott. The decision came as GW was breaking up the medical school from the former Medical Center, which also included the school of public health and the school of nursing.

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Interim dean takes on permanent role at medical school

Liberty Media buys more shares of Sirius XM, gets majority control of satellite broadcaster

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By The Associated Press

Liberty Media Corp., which has been trying to take over Sirius XM Radio Inc. for some time, has now bought enough shares in the satellite radio company to give it majority control.

The Englewood, Colo., company disclosed in a Securities and Exchange filing Thursday that it bought 50 million common shares in the company. It now holds about 2 billion common shares and 1.29 billion convertible shares, according to the filing. Those combined give Liberty a more than 50 per cent stake in Sirius.

Sirius, based in New York, provides radio programming in vehicles, online and through mobile applications to nearly 24 million subscribers.

Liberty, run by cable magnate John Malone, saved Sirius from near-bankruptcy in 2009 by agreeing to lend it up to $530 million in exchange for preferred stock that amounted to a 40 per cent stake. Since then, it had slowly amassed more shares in the company. Meanwhile, Sirius has recovered from its tailspin and added more subscription customers, adding 2 million net subscribers during 2012.

The Federal Communications Commission recently approved the transfer of Sirius broadcast licenses to Liberty. The FCC was looking into Liberty's proposed takeover of Sirius, and Liberty said in October that if the commission approves, it would buy up enough shares to give it majority control.

A representative for Sirius did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Sirius shares gained 2 cents to $3.17 in midday trading Friday. Its shares have climbed roughly 60 per cent since July.

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Liberty Media buys more shares of Sirius XM, gets majority control of satellite broadcaster

Liberty Global Won’t Boost Telenet Bid, Will Buy Shares Tendered

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Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA) said it wont reopen its 2 billion-euro ($2.6 billion) bid for Belgiums Telenet Group Holding NV (TNET) and will accept the shares already tendered at the offer price of 35 euros apiece.

Telenet fell as much as 6.4 percent to 34.41 euros. The stock, which rose 21 percent last year, traded at 35.46 euros, or 3.6 percent lower, at 10:57 a.m. local time.

Liberty Global, the international cable provider controlled by billionaire John Malone, made the announcement in a notice in De Tijd and LEcho newspapers today. Shareholders with 8.4 percent of outstanding shares accepted the tender, which expired on Jan. 11, bringing Libertys stake in the Belgian cable operator to 58.4 percent, the company said Jan. 14.

We want to stress that Liberty Global can anytime increase its offer, Emmanuel Carlier, an analyst at ING Groep NV in Brussels who recommends investors buy the stock, said today in a note. The longer it takes however, the higher the chance that Liberty Global will not raise its bid but try to gain control via a share buyback.

Telenet, which has 2.1 million cable-TV subscribers, said on Jan. 9 that revenue increased 8.2 percent to about 1.49 billion euros in 2012. The company will publish full results on Feb. 27.

The limited amount of shareholders tendering at 35 euros comes as no surprise given Telenets growth potential, James Ratcliffe, an analyst at Barclays Plc, said in a note to clients earlier this week.

Belgium is Liberty Globals second-biggest market, after Germany. Liberty acquired German cable providers Kabel Baden- Wuerttemberg and Unitymedia in the past three years.

Liberty Global, based in Englewood, Colorado, distributes TV, Internet and phone services to 19.6 million customers, making it the second-largest cable company in the world, behind Comcast Corp. It has 18.4 million European subscribers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Clapham in Brussels at aclapham@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jerrold Colten at jcolten@bloomberg.net

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Liberty Global Won’t Boost Telenet Bid, Will Buy Shares Tendered

Liberty Media takes majority hold of Sirius XM

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Liberty Media Corp., which has been trying to take over Sirius XM Radio Inc. for some time, has now bought enough shares in the satellite radio company to give it majority control.

The Englewood, Colo., company disclosed in a Securities and Exchange filing Thursday that it bought 50 million common shares in the company. It now holds about 2 billion common shares and 1.29 billion convertible shares, according to the filing. Those combined give Liberty a more than 50 percent stake in Sirius.

Sirius, based in New York, provides radio programming in vehicles, online and through mobile applications to nearly 24 million subscribers.

Liberty, run by cable magnate John Malone, saved Sirius from near-bankruptcy in 2009 by agreeing to lend it up to $530 million in exchange for preferred stock that amounted to a 40 percent stake. Since then, it had slowly amassed more shares in the company. Meanwhile, Sirius has recovered from its tailspin and added more subscription customers, adding 2 million net subscribers during 2012.

The Federal Communications Commission recently approved the transfer of Sirius broadcast licenses to Liberty. The FCC was looking into Liberty's proposed takeover of Sirius, and Liberty said in October that if the commission approves, it would buy up enough shares to give it majority control.

A representative for Sirius did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Sirius shares gained 2 cents to $3.17 in midday trading Friday. Its shares have climbed roughly 60 percent since July.

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Liberty Media takes majority hold of Sirius XM

Cayman Islands to name previously hidden companies

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The Cayman Islands will open the thousands of companies and hedge funds domiciled on the offshore Caribbean territory to greater scrutiny, in a break from decades of secrecy.

The British overseas territory, which has been criticised as being one of the most secretive finance jurisdictions in the world, is introducing reforms that will make public the names of thousands of previously hidden companies and their directors, reports the Financial Times,

CIMA, the islands' monetary authority, sent proposals, seen by the FT , to Cayman-based hedge funds and outlined plans to create a public database of funds domiciled on the island for the first time and will also list the funds directors, pending an ongoing consultation process due to close in mid-March.

In the 24 months subsequent to the onset of the financial crisis, the BVI Financial Services Commission, the Central Bank of Ireland (OTC BB: IRLD - news) , the Jersey Financial Services Commission, the Bahamas Financial Services Board and the Isle of Man Supervision Commission all updated their corporate governance codes, laws and/or regulations, the FT reports CIMA said in one document.

CIMA did not respond to the FT's request for a comment.

The Cayman Islands are seen as a tax-haven by many companies to avoid payer higher rates of tax in other countries.

Last month, filings showed that Facebook hid almost half a billion pounds in a Cayman Islands tax haven last year in an effort to avoid paying tax in Britain and its other main markets.

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Cayman Islands to name previously hidden companies

Cayman Islands to Make Public Thousands of Names

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The British overseas territory, which wants to shed its reputation for clandestine financial activity, is introducing sweeping reforms that will make public the names of thousands of previously hidden companies and their directors.

In proposals sent to Cayman-based hedge fund businesses and seen by the Financial Times, the islands' powerful monetary authority, CIMA, has outlined plans to create a public database of funds domiciled on the island for the first time. The database will also list funds' directors, pending an ongoing consultation process due to close in mid-March.

CIMA, which did not respond to a request for comment, also plans to require directors to undergo a vetting process to ensure they are qualified to act as fiduciaries for investors.

"In the 24 months subsequent to the onset of the financial crisis, the BVI Financial Services Commission, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Jersey Financial Services Commission, the Bahamas Financial Services Board and the Isle of Man Supervision Commission all updated their corporate governance codes, laws and/or regulations," CIMA said in one document.

(Read More: Hedge Fund 'Sharks Going After' Paulson: Pro)

The move comes amid a barrage of international criticism for the diminutive tax haven's minimal disclosure requirements and tough corporate privacy laws in recent years. The Caymans have borne the brunt of attacks on offshore centers from angry US and EU politicians as they struggled to keep pace with fast-moving new global regulations. They even featured in rancorous debates over the tax affairs of US presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

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Cayman Islands to Make Public Thousands of Names

Clinton assures Japan on islands, invites Abe to U.S. in February

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton assured Japan on Friday of U.S. support in Tokyo's dispute with Beijing over a string of islands and invited new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Washington in late February for a meeting with President Barack Obama.

Clinton held a working lunch with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, and both emerged pledging that U.S.-Japan security and economic ties would remain strong following Abe's landslide election victory last month.

"Our alliance with Japan remains the cornerstone of American engagement with the region," Clinton told reporters, noting a wide range of cooperation on everything from disaster relief to the stand-off over nuclear North Korea.

Clinton, due to step down in coming weeks, again affirmed that the United States would stand by its longtime ally in its territorial dispute with China over islets in the East China Sea claimed by both countries.

Tensions over the tiny islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have flared in recent months, one of several maritime territorial disputes involving China that have worsened as Washington seeks to shift its security focus to Asia.

"Although the United States does not take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands, we acknowledge they are under the administration of Japan," Clinton said, repeating the long-standing U.S. position on the dispute.

"We oppose any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration, and we urge all parties to take steps to prevent incidents and manage disagreements through peaceful means."

Kishida signaled that Abe, who had taken a tough stance on the dispute during his election campaign, was not eager to escalate the conflict.

"While Japan will not concede and will uphold our fundamental position that the Senkaku islands are an inherent territory of Japan, we intend to respond calmly so as not to provoke China," he said through an interpreter.

Clinton announced that Abe had been invited to Washington in the third week of February to hold his first meeting with Obama.

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Islands of sanctuary for endangered orang-utans

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AN AMBITIOUS project, led by a Melbourne zookeeper, to create a series of man-made islands for sick and injured orang-utans in Indonesia, is a step closer after an Australian fund-raising drive.

Earth 4 Orang-utans has secured 48 hectares in the northern part of Sumatra after raising a $150,000 down payment on the land from Australian donors, including Melbourne advertising executive Ted Horton and his wife Miche. It is understood they gave a significant sum towards the project.

The initiative is the brainchild of Jessica McKelson, head primate keeper at Melbourne Zoo, and Dr Ian Singleton, conservation director at the Sumatran Orang-utan Conservation Program (SOCP) in Indonesia.

Two other orang-utan non-government organisations, based in Britain and the US, are also backing the scheme, as well as the Australian-based network The Orang-utan Project.

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The project intends to relocate sick and injured orang-utans, which are unable to be released into the wild and are languishing in cages at the SOCP quarantine centre, Batu Mbelin. A chain of four islands will be created by digging moats around the land. Orang-utans, which are afraid of water, will be free to roam on the islands.

Orang-utans are critically endangered due to the clearing of forests for palm oil in Indonesia, the last country in which the flame-haired apes are found in the wild. They also suffer from direct contact with humans, with many shot or captured illegally. Human diseases such as hepatitis are also passed on to them.

Ms McKelson said she was thrilled the project had attracted support. ''I didn't think it was possible 12 months ago, but now we have land secured, which is a vital first step. This will be the first time that something has been built like this in Indonesia.''

A crucial part of the project will be an education centre at the site, aimed at the locals. The centre will highlight the threats orang-utans and other animals face from forest clearing and traditional medicine, which results in animals such as fruit bats and tigers being killed and eaten in the erroneous belief they cure diseases.

''No one has tried to educate the middle-class business people, the guys with the nice cars in the top networks,'' Dr Singleton said. ''At Melbourne or Sydney zoo, you'd get a strong education message, whereas the zoos here are all terrible, apart from, arguably, the ones in Bali. But even there you have people throwing peanuts at the animals and laughing at them.

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Islands of sanctuary for endangered orang-utans

BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE IN FUTURE -A MUST SEE AMAZING FUTURIST VIDEO INSIDE BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE – Video

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BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE IN FUTURE -A MUST SEE AMAZING FUTURIST VIDEO INSIDE BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE
Stephan Zlotescu- did a best video inside bangkok nightlife ever(in future).all rights are the property of stephan zlotescu.real great stuff from this romanian artist.

By: al magdic

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BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE IN FUTURE -A MUST SEE AMAZING FUTURIST VIDEO INSIDE BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE - Video