Woman Finds Cigarette in Happy Meal - Plans to Sue McDonald´s

Nicky Halloway, 21 years old, was surprised when she found a cigarette in her son´s

Happy Meal. Immediately she brought the unsmoked cigarette to the manager.
He offered her another meal or a refund. A spokesman for the fast food chain apologized to her and offered some more gifts and free meals.Nicky Holloway, however, rejects the offer. She claims she heard a McDonald´s worker saying to a colleague "leave me a fag" as she waited for her son´s Happy Meal. Now she wants "more to be done about it" and has plans to sue McDonald´s.

Justin Bieber´s Mother Knocked Down in Fan Frenzy

Justin Bieber´s mother, Pattie Mallette, has fallen victim to her teen son´s fame, being shoved to the ground today at Auckland Airport in New Zealand. The frenzy, which also resulted in his hat being stolen, followed cancelled shows in Australia.
Bieber was whisked away from the airport by security, and Tweeted later that, "Finally got to New Zealand last night. The airport was crazy. Not happy that someone stole my hat and knocked down my mama. Come on people."
Mallette also tweeted about the incident, saying she was "OK" and thanking fans for their support. It was her posting videos of Bieber singing onto YouTube that led to his current fame.

Woman on Blow Dart Spree

A 41-year old woman reported feeling something hitting her chest while standing in front of a bar. Three more people called police reporting similar occurrences in downtown Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

One of these people said she saw a dart come from a black pipe sticking out of a minivan. Police stopped this vehicle and found a blow gun, a sling shot and a bucket of rocks along with driver Paula Wolf.

When questioned, Ms. Wolf admitted to shooting at people smoking outside a downtown bar and to also breaking the window.

Driver Jumps Car Into Apartment Building

This is the link for the article:
http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/chevy-malibu-launches-into-third-floor-apartment/

Personal Response:

For reasons undetermined at this time, a Mentor, Ohio man decided to drive down Vine street at 100 mph and launch his 2004 Chevy Malibu up an embankment which caused it to launch itself in the third floor of an apartment building, 173 feet into the air.
"His family was stunned, unable to explain it," said Police Chief Michael Lazor. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and authorities are conducting tests to determine if alcohol or drugs played a role in the tragic event.
No one was present in the apartment the car crashed into. "It´s remarkable the car only marked up the building and that it didn´t cave in," said Allen Gill, 59, who lives on the 11th floor. "We were fortunate nobody else got hurt."

As Economy Cratered, Goldman Sachs Execs Boasted of Profits in E-mails

E-mails sent by Goldman Sachs and released in a Senate investigation reveal executives bragging about profits earned from short-selling their own toxic investment products. Short-selling is betting a security will decrease in value.

"We lost money, and then made more than we lost because of shorts," Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in a Nov. 18, 2007 e-mail. Part of Goldman´s strategy was to advertise toxic mortgage-bundle securities as investments that would rise in value.

The SEC says Goldman actually designed the securities to decrease in value, which would make Goldman a profit because it had short-sold them. The bank had previously claimed that it had lost money on those securities as the housing crisis deepened.

Australia: Crocodile in The Pool - Water Aerobic Class Postponed

In Australia a water aerobic class was surprised when they found a 1.5-meter crocodile in their pool. A ranger had to remove the animal, which probably crawled under a fence from the nearby swamp.
"They were all there waiting for the ranger to collect it and once he got out of the water they started their aerobic", the park manager says. Afterwards the crocodile was handed to a wildlife park.
Since hunting was banned in 1971, the number of crocodiles as well as attacks on humans has increased.

"South Park" Creators Parker and Stone Threatened With Death by Muslim Group

An article on a New York-based extreme Muslim Web site has inferred that "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker may die because of their depiction of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in last week´s episode of their animated show.

Muhammad was depicted by a bear, an Abu Talha Al-Amrikee said that the episode "outright insulted" the prophet. In the article, which has been since removed along with the entire Web site, a picture of slain filmmaker Theo Van Gogh was shown.

The article stated "We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them."

Chemical Compound Effective in Destroying Antibiotic-Resistant Biofilms

The recent research done at the North Carolina State University have found chemical compound that help prevent biofilms infection produced by antibiotic resistant strain. This chemical work when it is used in conjugation with conventional antibiotics. One of the most common antibiotic resistant bacteria forming biofilms are staphylococcus strain of MRSA, and acinetobacter. Infections from biofilms are hard to treat because when bacteria attach to surface and form biofilms, there are sticky layers that protect them from immune system and antibiotics. When you have infection from more than one strain of bacteria, you would have to treat them with multiple drugs which could help form biofilms or antibiotic resistance.
Dr. Christian Melander is a chemist from NC State has showed that when combining a compound made from 2-aminoimidazoles with antibiotics can destroy bacteria from biofilms. His next step is to see if this combination can prevent antibiotic resistant strain from the biofilms. In the research they have found that when treating bacteria with compound of 2-aminoimidazoles, and then introducing penicillin antibiotic one hour later increased penicillin effectiveness. And the bacteria were resistant to penicillin before. And also compound helped disperse biofilms.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100408160907.htm

29 Awesome things to do this summer

This is the link for the article:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IBX/is_6_9/ai_102658366/?tag=col1;subcol

Personal Response:

Hi! Friend how are you all doing. I was wondering what you guys are doing for the summer. Sometimes summer is boring .But not to worry I have something for u guys “29 Awesome things to do this summer” Lazy summer days… Who need's 'em? Not you! You've got all the time in the world, so here's how to make the best of it and beat summer boredom! I was just looking at the articles and I found this article at the first I was wondering that what can someone can do to make their summer not boring. It was amazing that there are 29 things to do. I never thought that I can make a summer scrapbook with every little thing that I have done this summer which I would never forget by making my beautiful summer scrapbook. There are many things to do this summer but for that you guys need to read the 29 amazing things to do in summer.

7 tips for effective listening: productive listening does not occur naturally.

Summary:

If you want to be SUCCESSFUL at the job, apply 7 tips for effective listening . It requires hard work and practice - Back To Basics - effective listening is a crucial skill for internal auditors. The person should be skilled at writing, speaking and listening effectively. According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, people think the voice mail they send is more important than the voice mail they receive. Generally, senders think that their message is more helpful and urgent than do the people who receive it. Here are the seven tips: 1.CONCENTRATE ON WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING, 2. SEND THE NONVERBAL MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE LISTENING, 3. AVOID EARLY EVALUATIONS, 4.AVOID GETTING DEFENSIVE, 5.PRACTICE PARAPHRASING, 6.LISTEN (AND OBSERVE) FOR FEELINGS, and 7. ASK QUESTIONS.

Personal Response:

I really like these 7 tips for effective listening. I have the listening problems sometimes people get mad on me because of my poor listening. At my work sometimes I need to ask customer twice what they are saying. People think that I don’t understand English. These seven tips are very helpful to those people who have listening problems.

Lung Virus Taking Its Toll on Young Lives, Study Finds

Summary:

This article is about the lung virus that is taking young lives. The article says that a common virus that causes wheezing and pneumonia claims the lives of up to two hundred thousand children worldwide each year. The article says that the research conducted by the University of Edinburgh showed that about 3.4 million children require hospital treatment for severe lung infection caused by the bug respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The article also says that RSV, which infects most children before the age of two usually, causes mild cold-like symptoms, but can lead to serious illness in babies who are born prematurely or who have congenital heart disease. The author also states that the study which was published in the Lancet journal, confirms that RSV is the single largest cause of lung infection in children. “It is the first time that the numbers of children dying globally from RSV before the age of five has been quantified.” “The international team analysed unpublished data from developing countries as well as all the published medical research on RSV infection. They found that about 33.8m children become infected with RSV each year and that 99 per cent of RSV-related deaths occur in developing countries.” The article says that since the number of the affected patients the international team may contribute to the development of a vaccine against the infection.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100415205748.htm

Personal response:

This article interested me somehow. I feel very bad for those children who are infected by this lung virus at very early age. I wish I could do anything to help those children, but I am not much of science person. I just hope that researcher at University of Edinburgh comes up with a vaccine that will help this children.

Getting the global view: Nestle, led by Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, climbs to the #1 spot in this year's Best Companies for Leaders

Summary:

This article is talking about the Nestle Company, which is a food and beverage company. This article is explaining how can a food and beverages company that wants to sell 8,500 brands in 86 countries become all things to all customers yet maintain its focus and keep its identity intact? The article says that Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe says that it all hinges on the talent that his company nurtures. Austrian-born Brabeck says that they want to make sure that employees at all their regional companies maintain their (employees) original cultures, but follow the same Nestle principles. He says they don't want to transform a Chinese into a Chilean or an American into an Australian. All they are asking for is that he or she embrace the common values that they(company) have. The article says that the company's Management and Leadership Principles state that "people are Nestle's most important asset". The article says there were nearly 2,000 junior executives selected from all over the world undergo a month long induction into Nestle's corporate philosophy. They work together on team projects and meet the company's top brass in groups as well as one on one. Brabeck says he spends at least four weeks a year at the training center. He sees it as his key task and says, "Leadership development" is perhaps one of the most important duties that I have.

Here is the link for the article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4070/is_202/ai_n8576050/

Personal response:

This is an argumentative article I think, but also somewhat informative. I like Nestle myself and I think they are the best at least for me. I would say they are number one because they have kept their identity unbroken. It shows that the employees are following Nestle’s principle. I also think leadership is important in keeping the company whole, which according to this article Brabeck does.

9 questions to ask your new lover: what you were afraid to ask, but always wanted to know

Summary:

I find this article very interesting and good. It explains what girls or women should do when dating a guy. It asks all the questions that you want to know the answer of, but are afraid of the answer that one might give. “Is he or she the one for you? What is the wildest thing he's ever done? How many sex partners has he had? Is he broke or head over heels in debt? Has he ever been arrested? And more importantly, how can you be sure?” The article says that knowing those answers it can protect ones health. Dr. Lauren Durant who is a clinical psychologist and relationship expert in Durham, N.C. says if a guy runs away from your questions, don't get discouraged. She says it is not hard to find a good man. She also says a woman should ask all the questions she want to in first three months of dating arranged in from most invasive to least invasive questions. In the article Paula Williams said that there was a time she was afraid of asking the tough questions, put she has got positive results from men by being more upfront.

Here is the link if you want to read the whole article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_5_59/ai_113681698/?tag=content;col1

Personal Response:

I think this was a really good article. I agree with the writer that if you want to know the answer of all the questions you should also be prepared to answer those for yourself. I also think that you should ask all the questions you want to ask ASAP so that you will know if that is the person for you or not before you give your heart to someone. That way you will not have broken heart if you had to let someone go because of something you find out when it is way pass the point of getting to know.

Childhood Cancer Survivors At Higher Odds of Early Death

Summary:

This article is talking about the childhood cancer and breast cancer in women. It does mention couple other cancers as well, but most significance of this article is about the childhood cancer survivors at higher odds of early death. The author says that people who develop cancer at young age require lifelong monitoring and are at an increased risk of early death, which is true according to the outcome of two studies. In the article the authors tells us that the computer model developed by the study showed that health risks faced by childhood cancer survivors shorten their life length by an average of 10 years. It varies according to the type of cancer people have. As the author says, people with kidney cancer who survive died 4 years earlier than the general population and people with bone or brain cancers who survive dies 18 years earlier. The researchers noted that the short life expectancy could be the result of cancer treatments with long-term toxicity that were used in previous decades, which is what the author says in the article. If that is the case than I think we can definitely come up with something that is less toxic in treatment which will increase the time of life expectancy from past at least. Also as the author stated in article doctors should consider past cancer treatment and their long term effects when caring for childhood cancer survivor. Author also talks about the women with breast cancers. He says that the best thing for those women is the MRI and mammography beginning at age 25. People who have cancer certainly need help and most of them need help financially to fight the cancer.

Link to the article:
http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/cancer/articles/2010/04/05/childhood-cancer-survivors-at-higher-odds-of-early-death.html

Personal Response:
I feel bad for those kids who get cancer at the early age. Sometimes they get cancer because they inherit from their ancestor. I agree with the author that doctors should consider past cancer treatment when caring for childhood cancer survivor. I do think that doctors did consider the long term effects of the toxic chemicals, but may be they didn’t have less toxic medicine back in days to cure cancer than we have today. There might have been some doctors who didn’t consider the long term effects.

The 5 greatest movie spies

Summary:

This article is very interesting and I enjoyed reading it, I think mainly because it was about spies in movies. It talks about spies in five greatest movie spies which are based on the spy.
First person he talks about is the Austin Powers, (Mike Myers in reality, in the Austin Powers trilogy. He says how the Austin Powers is the ultimate James Bond spoof, mixed with a bit of bizarre 60s eccentricity. The author says how Austin thought he was the essence of spy-movie cool, and was oblivious to the fact that he’s really nothing but a funny, if slightly disturbing, parody. I haven’t seen these movies; therefore I have no other comments about him. He is number five in authors list of greatest spies.
Second, he talks about the Ethan Hunt, who is Tom Cruise in reality, in the movie Mission Impossible. In his quest to prove his innocence Tom Cruise’s Hunt proves himself the perfect sleek, efficient secret agent. He has the right skills, the gadgets and that annoying ability to get through anything, including a high-speed chase involving a train, a helicopter and the channel tunnel and still look picture-perfect at the end of it all. Tom cruise was so innocent in those MI movies and he had all the skills as the author described. He is number four in authors list of greatest spies.
Then he talks about Charlie’s Angels who are Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, in the movie Charlie’s Angels. “The three femme’s fatales are the ultimate team of spies. Working for the mysterious Charlie and with the help of his assistant Bosley (Bill Murray), they go around fighting crime and, well, kicking ass. They may seem all sweetness and innocence but when these girls get angry, you really wouldn’t want to be on their bad side. And with the help of Charlie’s technological genius (they can plant voice recorders and trackers in people’s teeth!) there really can be no stopping them.” They are number three in authors list of greatest spies.
Then the author talks about James Bond, who is an incomparable movie spy who needs no introduction as the author says. The author says “Bond, in all his guises, sets the bar for spy movies in every way. He’s suave, sophisticated and has the use of a seemingly never-ending arsenal of inconceivable gadgets and awesome cars. And of course, he somehow always finds time to get the girl!” Adding to what the author said the music was also one of the factors I think that false in the category of his style. He is the number two in authors list of greatest spies.
Last, but not the least he talks about Jason Bourne, who is Matt Damon in reality, in the Bourne trilogy. Author says that, Bourne could well be the coolest spy of them all. “After he wakes up with amnesia he has no idea who he is or why he’s there, but he still has the skill and cunning to stay alive and work it all out. He may not have many cool spy gadgets but it’s not like he needs them, he’s an expert at using everyday objects in unexpected ways and he can fashion pretty much anything into a weapon!” he is the number one in authors list of greatest spies.

Personal response:

Out of all these people I would say Bourne is by far the best spy in any of the movies. He is never caught and always sleeps away from the people who try to catch him. James bond is also incredible and surely does not need any introduction, but because sometimes he got caught and girls sometime dies because of him, which is why he is number two for me as well. Ethan should be number three I think because of the stuns and everything he does. There are very few people can do what he does. Charlie’s Angels are good, but I think bond is better and I have nothing to talk about Austin since I haven’t seen his movies.
The link to the article is here http://coffeebreakarticles.com/the-5-greatest-movie-spies/ if you want to read the whole article.

Women fear violence in Haitian camps

Summary:

This article is about women in Haiti who are living (camping) in front of the presidents building in Haiti due to the earthquake on January 12, 2010. They have no privacy, everything that happens there is on the news. That is not all the young men are the worst treat to them. When those men don’t have food or work, and they are just sitting around and drinking they will do anything to women. The place where they live is build with the bed sheets. It is so easy for anyone to break into their houses. During the day women have to bathe topless in an outdoor fountain. There has been also couple report of the rape in the camp. Before the earthquake Haiti was in the middle of implementing what the United Nation Population Fund called an impressive five year plan to curb violence against women and change the culture.

Here is the link to the article http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/15/haiti.violence.women/index.html?hpt=Sbin .

Personal response:
I feel terrible for the people who were victim of the earthquake in Haiti, especially for the women. I hope the security gets better in Haiti for those women and they get some facilities so that they can at least have a place where they can go to take bathe and have 100% privacy.

Disinfectants May Promote Growth of Superbugs

Summary:

In a recent study researchers from the National University of Ireland in Galway shows that increase in using disinfectants in laboratory culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause increase in growth. Disinfectant can cause Pseudomonas aeruginosa to become resistant to ciprofloxacin, a commonly-prescribed antibiotic. Disinfectant can also cause mutation in DNA which cause them to resist certain types of antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection cause weak immune system, like cystic fibrosis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important cause of hospital-acquired infections. The study shows that adapted bacteria are more likely to survive when comparing to non-adapted bacteria when using small amount of non-lethal disinfectant. There could be an environmental factor in resistance.

Personal Response:

This news scares me a little. If we’re using disinfectants to kill germs, but instead if it cause them to grow then what is point of using disinfectants. Especially in hospitals or day care around kids.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091227212310.htm

Dentist Charged Over Using Paper Clips in Root Canals

Summary:

In this article writer David Knowles writes about how easy doctors manipulate people. 51 years old dentist Michael Clair is accused of bilking Medicare for false claim in Bristol County Massachusetts. Clair is accused of using paper clips during root canal and then billing Medicare for high costlier stainless steel post instead. Clair is also accused for submitting false Medicare claims by using other dentists’ provider number, illegally providing prescriptions drugs to employee like hydrocodon and combunox. Mass. Attorney general’s office said the between 2003-2005 Clair have illegally billed Medicare approximately $130,00.

Personal Response:

I chose this article because in you have to be really careful in today’s world. You go to doctor for one thing and they’ll find something else wrong with you just to get your money. And it’s just not doctor, but also if you take your car to mechanics, or it could be just shopping.

http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/dentist-charged-over-using-paper-clips-in-root-canals/19401795

Safety before Slaughter

Summary:

E. coli is one of the most common bacteria for food poisoning. About 76 million people get food poisoning each year in United State, out of which 1.4% is from E. coli 0157:H7. Beef contamination is one of the biggest E. coli contaminations. It is extremely challenging for the manufacturing companies to eliminate E. coli form beef. So far this year 40,000 pounds of beef has been recalled due to E. coli contamination. Last year about 2.7 million beef was recalled.

There is really big push by USDA to agriculture industries to lower rate of E. coli and other pathogens in the beef. The Agriculture industry has been trying new technologies and methods to eliminate E. coli. One of the commonly used techniques includes Carcass Steam Pasteurization, physical removal of E. coli by 180-degree spray, and Vinegar rinse. The industry is trying to eliminate E. coli before cattle are brought to the slaughter house, in the farm. Industry is looking forward 5 new methods which have not been approved by USDA yet.
1. Vaccines: Vaccines lower E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle’s gut. USDA has approved Epitopix and it is being tested in USA.
2. Phage: Phage is viruses that are harmless to humans and cattle. Phages bind to specific receptors on E. coli and kill E. coli. Phage using is not new to Agriculture industry; there are phages that are sprayed on tomatoes and peppers to kill spotting bacteria.
3. Probiotics: It is a culture of bacteria, like in yogurt, that are mixed with cattle food. These bacteria are harmless to cattle and out compete with E. coli.
4. Sodium Chlorate: Bacteria in cattle’s gut obtain energy form nitrogen since there is no oxygen provided. E. coli cannot differentiate between chlorate and nitrogen and sometime they use chlorate, if there is any chlorate present. This turns chlorate into bleach and kills E. coli from inside without harming the cattle.
5. Grain vs. high-quality hay: some slaughter house give high quality hay before slaughter to reduce the E. coli 0157:H7 rate. But the results have always been varying.
One of the biggest question is who could afford this? These new techniques are not cheap. And if eliminating E. coli cost more than manufacturing who would like to invest.

Are Your Dishes Clean?

Summary:

Next time you go to a restaurant you might want to think if the plates and utensils you’re using are clean or not. There are hundreds of restaurants closing everyday because they don’t meet health standards. E. coli and salmonella are two of the most type of bacteria outbreak seen in restaurants. One of the reason is dirty plates and utensils. Bacteria like to grow on dirty plates with cheeses, dried milk, eggs, and even lipstick. FDA recommends restaurants to follow three steps in washing dishes. First scrubbing dishes in soapy hot water at temperature 110 degree Fahrenheit. Followed by rinsing with clean water . And then soaking in sanitizer. Ohio State University has done an experiment to see effect of washing dishes with cold water instead of hot water. In their study students have coated dishes with chesses, dried milk, jelly, eggs, and lipstick. And they also contaminated dished with E. coli and Listeria innocua, common bacteria in food-borne diseases in restaurant. Dishes were washed at room temperature water, cold water, and hot water. All three methods met the FDA- acceptable results. But sometimes it all depends on type of utensils, what type of sanitizers is used, or how long utensils have been scrubbed.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/

Why Is It So Difficult to Eradicate Salmonella?

Salmonella is one of the most common bacteria that cause serious illness all around the world each year. Salmonella is mostly live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Foods contaminated with Salmonella are mostly animal origin like beef, poultry, milk, or eggs and even some types of vegetables. Cooking usually kill the Salmonella, but they can also be founded on hand if you don’t wash your hand properly before cooking. Salmonella can also be founded in pet feces. There are many different kinds of Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella serotype typhimurium and Salmonella serotype enteritidis are the most common in the United States.
In this article Dr. Lene Karine provide the solution for many food industries’s major problem. There are some Salmonella that can manage to establish themselves in the food and fish factories. And it is very difficult to get rid of them. Dr. Karine have discovered that Biofilm help salmonella to survive longer in the factory. She says that in order to get rid of those Salmonella is to get rid of Biofilm. Biofilm, in Salmonella, have slime layer which help them protect and produce themselves. One company has studied the effect of nine most commonly used disinfectants on Salmonella. Only a product containing 70% ethanol was the most efficient.
There have been so many techniques developed over the years it fight Salmonella, none of them were efficient. Maybe getting rid of Biofilm would be the key to develop technique to fight Salmonella, but till then we would always have to be careful in what we eat and touch.

Bacterial meningitis kills two Oklahoma students

Summary:
There has been report of six possible cases of bacterial meningitis in rural Oklahoma. Bacterial meningitis is caused by Neisseria meningitidis Bacteria. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. People with meningitis have fever, intense headache, nausea, vomiting and a stiff neck. Bacterial meningitis are contagious, it spread through coughing, kissing, and sneezing. Two children from Oologah-Talala public school district have died from meningitis. Oologah is located around 30 miles northeast of Tulsa. The school district taking caution, school has been cancelled for Friday. More than 100 people including faculty have been screened for meningitis and Oklahoma health department is providing antibiotics to students and faculty members.

Personal Response:
The reason why I chose this article is to let people know that meningitis is a contagious disease. Meningitis could spread by sneezing, coughing, or kissing person who have this disease. So we should always make sure to wash or hand after seeing sick person.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/11/oklahoma.meningitis.death/index.html?iref=allsearch

Study raises hope for gut disease cures

Summary:

Recent study might have found the cure for gut diseases like ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and, Crohn’s. About 100 researchers have worked over two years, identifying bacteria living in intestine. Researchers have found 1,000 species of bacteria with 3.3 million distinct genes. Most of these bacteria has never been identified before. By studying function of these bacteria will help understand how they’re related to disease. They research was carried out on 124 adults from Denmark and Spain: some healthy, some obese or suffering from IBD. These bacteria share a sizeable denominator if intestinal flora. Some microbes are helpful to health: help to break down indigestible foods, activate our immune system, and produce vitamins. But this recent study point that these bacteria do play some role in obesity, heart disease, and intestinal disorders.

Personal Response:

I had some idea about bacteria living in our intestine but, I never knew or thought it could be so many. It’s good that these bacteria help us in some way. But hopefully this new discovery will help us cure ailments like ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

http://inform.com/science-and-technology/study-raises-hope-gut-disease-cures-862119a

"Myactivity Pyramid for Adult."

Summary:

In “Myactivity Pyramid for Adult,” the authors describe the myactivity pyramid. The pyramid is based on the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) MyPyramid for health eating. Everyone knows the benefits of the physical activity, but most Americans do not meet the minimum recommendation. The MyActivity Pyramid is a new tool adults (18-64) can use to meet the necessary amounts and verity of activity. The MyActivity Pyramid is divided into four categories: Lifestyle, Aerobic Activity, Strength and Flexibility, and inactivity. Lifestyle activities are at the base of the pyramid, and it also represents the largest area. Next are aerobic Activities, which include things like jogging, swimming, brisk walking. It is also necessary to have some flexibility and strength, which is next part of the pyramid. These decreases risk of back pain and also reduce risk of injury. And at the top is inactivity, which counts for only about 3%.

Personal Response:

The pyramid sounds like nothing new. Many people have come up with things like this, but we haven’t seen any changes. If we really want to help then we have to come up with something that would make people realize about why they need physical activities. First they have to understand the risk and health problem associated with not being physically active, and then if we teach them about this pyramid then we could see some change.

Bathing, but Not Alone

Imagining taking shower could contain more bacteria then walking out on New York City’s subway station is scary then anything else. A study done by group of people headed by Dr. Norman R. Pace of University of Colorado finds that the water is morning shower contain about 15 different types of bacteria. The good news is that not all of these bacteria are harmful to humans. But these bacteria are closely related to bacteria that cause severe diseases like lifeguard’s lung, hot tub lung and Lady Windermere’s syndrome. Water could be also contaminated by Mycobacterium avium, cause tuberculosis. Mycobacterium avium is common problem in municipal water supplies, because cities use chlorine to kill bacteria in water but it does not kill Mycobacterium avium. the group also tested New York City’s subway station air. And the results were different then other tests. The subway station air have less bacteria in the air because pressure from the trail movement cause the outdoor air to move into the tunnel.

Author’s response:

I believe the reason author wrote this article is to let people know that how dangerous shower mist you inhale could be.

Personal response:

The reason I chose this article is that when I first saw this article I could not believe there could be so many bacteria in shower water. I guess it does not matter if the color of water looks clear or not. We here people saying wash your hand or use hand sanitizer, but if water we use to wash our body is not germ free then what is the point of taking shower if we just added few more bacteria on our body by taking shower. And defiantly cannot use hand sanitizer all over our body after every time we take shower. I guess no matter how much we try to sanitize ourselves we’ll never be germ-free.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15shower.html

"Toddler brain difference linked to autism."

Summary:

In this article author report the study done by University of North Carolina in development of autism in children. In study, using MRI brain scans, researchers found that on average 13 percent children with autism have enlarged brain. This area is called amygdale. At birth this area is normal but at some point in their life this are enlarges. This area helps person process faces and emotions, behavior which is commonly known as joint attention. The researchers have found that toddlers with enlarged amygdale have joint attention problem. Researchers have not yet linked the repetitive behavior and other social problems with enlarged amygdale. But this could be the next step in finding the cause of the autism.

Personal Response:

Well this could be the next step in finding the cause of autism. If this could be the cause then researchers might be able to find some type of cure. Maybe by shrinking this area could help joint attention problem.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/autism.brain.amygdala/index.html

IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS

Summary:

The article is about coral reefs and how they are important in this world not only to the humans but also to some other species. They help fishes by providing them a shelters to keep there eggs in safe plce where they can hide them from other pray of the oceans. They also provide food for 30 to 40 million people on the earth. The article also says that people not only benifot from the food, but also coral reefs are used as good pets. Therefore people catch them and sale them and from that income many people feed there families. The article also talks about coral reefs regulating the level of the carbon dioxide in the oceans water.

Personal Response:

The reason I picked this article is because coral reefs play an important part in this world. They not only feed the fishes and provide them shelters, but they also feed 30 to 40 million peoples on the earth and not only that coral reefs are income for some people. Coral reefs are good pets some people make money by catching them. They feed there families buy selling them. Also coral reefs regulates the the level of the carbon dioxide in the oceans water which I think is very important because for many species to survive in the ocean it is important to have the level of carbon dioxide in water.

http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral4.htm

Indian village marks 25 years in dark despite electric posts

Summary:
In this article writer Harmeet Shah Singh write about unique celebration. In India a village celebrate unusual jubilee of not having electric despite of posts to convey electrical power arrived in 1985. A village in India, Kanugaon-located in Assam state in northeast, does not have electricity. People of the village have tried to contact with authorities about this issue, but their attempts have been failed. Children study with lanterns at night, cell phone carriers travel to neighbor village to charge their phone. According to India’s 2001 census around 78 million rural households had no access to electricity. And today at least 4 out of 10 people have cell phones. India heavily relies on thermal power. Half of their power generation comes from Cole and less than three percent is from nuclear energy. India is one of the fastest developing countries along with China. And somewhere in this race India is neglecting the need of its own people.

Author’s response:

One of the reasons why the author wrote this article, in my opinion, is to show that despite of becoming one of the fastest developing countries, India is neglecting its own people. India gained independence in 1947 from Britain, after around 400 years of ruling. It was Gandhi’s dream to make India a better country for anyone to live. But his dream is shattering somewhere. India has made excellent progress like they are one of the few with nuclear power, they have been on moon, and economy is increasing. But somewhere in India these progress has no effect because they can’t afford to get education, decent nutritional food, or even decent clothes. I believe the writer wanted to let the Indian government know what they’re neglecting.

Personal Response :

The reason I chose this article is to let people know that here in America that we should not take everything for granted. Here in US we get better education, food, clothes and so many other things. We cannot live without checking our face book or texting a friend, but somewhere in world there are children, not just in India, do not know what computer or cell phone is. We should appreciate what we have instead of complaining about not getting good connection on our phones.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/14/india.village.no.electricity/index.html

"Analyzing Predictors of Daily Social Skill Performance."

Summary:

This article is a study to examine how play activities, intervention, and teacher’s prediction of children’s sociability have impact on children with autism. In this study three preschoolers with autism participate in daily activities with their peers. The children learn to share toys, play, organize, and interact with each other. Children were to maintain the newly taught exchanges. The result shows that the social reciprocity and peer interaction have huge impact on autistic children’s level of social interaction.

Personal Response:

This research shows how children with autism can be able to live their daily life. But it also depends on how the “normal” children interact with autistic children. Not all children interact the same way, which could have some impact on autistic children. Same can be said for teacher and parents.

"Early Births Take a Toll, Group Says."

Summary:

In New York Times’ “Early Births Take Toll, Group Says,” the author describes the recent research on rising of premature birth all around the world. Nearly one in 10 babies is born premature. One of the main concerns is in poor countries like in Africa and Asia. Where there is no proper neonatal intensive care for premature babies. The rate of premature babies in United States has also increased. Those babies are what we call “miracle babies,” because of proper intensive care for premature babies. If premature babies do not receive proper intensive care then there are chance of having lifelong health problem like jaundice, learning and behavioral problem, and also breathing problems.

Personal Response:

Since this is epidemic scientists should take this more seriously. While taking the toll there might be many cases in poor countries they have not heard about. There should be research on the cause of the premature birth. And also about some type of treatment they can give to women who go under early labor. And there might be some disease that might be linked to premature birth like autism, a disease which is increasing in US and there is no known cause of it.



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/health/research/05babies.html?ref=research.

Pregenent women cause aggression in children.

Summary:

Elizabeth Walling is mainly stating the problem with pregnant women smoking and having the affect of aggressiveness in children that most of us don’t pay attention to. She defines that aggressiveness of the child with quickness in biting, kicking, bullying and hitting. She gives the statistics of the women with antisocial behavior and smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day which is 67% and those who smokes less than 10 or 0 cigarettes a day which is 16%. She also tells us that families with higher income than $40,000 has 8% chance of having aggressive children and with lower than $40,000 has 5 times more risk of having aggressive children. She says that if the mother has a history of antisocial behavior and income lower than $40,000 then perhaps they are the main reason for the aggression in children. She says child aggression is just one more negative affect to add on the list of reasons why women shouldn’t smoke during pregnancy among prematurity, respiratory problems, low birth weight, etc.

Personal response:

I think the author is strongly trying to get the message out for the women who smoke during their pregnancy and I completely agree with her. I can see that if you prefer not to spend time with other people you might be shy or you don’t like to be other people, or you are just don’t know how to communicate and having lower income than $40,000 might means your life is not like you wanted. It creates roughness and loneliness in life. You feel like you have no future may be, but that doesn’t mean you should smoke; in particular when you are pregnant. I don’t understand why women smokes when they are pregnant knowing how it has negative effect on their children. Do they just not care or do they think that my child will be fine?

Walling, Elizabeth. "Smoking during Pregnancy may Cause Aggression in Children." Http://www.naturalnews.com/026119_smoking_pregnancy_health.html. 24 Apr. 2009. Web. 18 Oct. 2009.

How to quit smoking with Hypnotherapy.

Summary:

The author is stating his viewers about the statistic of the male and female smoking in United States and about the chemicals that cigarette have, which is 4000 according to World Health Organization. Then the author states about how adductive the smoking is to the smokers and how it affects the people surrounded by the smokers. He says that smoking is mental addiction and in order to quit smoking and not affect the people around the smokers the author suggests the alternative method of hypnotherapy to the people who smokes. The author says that people has benefited by hypnotherapy. He also says that quitting smoking also has positive impact on economy.

Personal Response:

I agree with the authors about hypnotherapy because it is matter of mind. If we think about how we make our decisions and choose one thing over another thing; it all depends on how we think. We choose to do what we like. Smoking is concept some people like and are addicted to it. I’m sure many smokers knows about the diseases that they can get by smoking, but may be they don’t know enough or exactly how tobacco effects them and people around them. Therefore I think hypnotherapy is one of the good way we can let the smokers know about the negative side of smoking in depth and try to help them quit smoking. After all it is the matter of mind, so even if we show them the negative sides at the end it is up to smokers.

Jones, Steve G. "Stop Smoking with Hypnotherapy." Http://www.naturalnews.com/026363_smoking_health_stop_smoking.html. 02 June 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2009.

One way to quit smoking....

Evans, Kim. "Quit Smoking: Try Juicing Fruits and Vegetables."

Http://www.naturalnews.com/026632_juicing_chemicals_fruits.html. 16 July 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.

Summary:

The author is stating us that when people smoke they start craving which makes it difficult for them to quit smoking. As of results in USA there is more than one death out of five deaths because of cigarettes. Kim is also stating us about how people who smokes can actually quit smoking by just drinking fresh organic fruits and vegetables which will help them get rid of those toxic that they get from smoking which causes them craving. Then at the end she is acknowledging us that after while when you have stopped smoking you should still keep drinking those organic fruits and vegetables because they provide us with variety of nutrients and all the amino acids for our body.

Personal Response:

I think this article is very good and effective. Our author is a natural health writer and personally eliminated many chemicals from her own body. If people who are in habit of smoking read this article there is a good chance they might try to quit smoking. People who smoke could be part of those more than one out of five people who dies because of cigarettes, therefore they should think about not participating in that number and stop smoking and help this country decrease the number of deaths because of cigarettes.

"Vaccines didn't cause autism, court rules."

Summary

In “Vaccines didn't cause autism, court rules,” the author report on special Court’s decision on one of the longest case of autism. Special Court declared no involvement of vaccine causing autism. Three families: the Cedillos, the Hazelhursts and the Snyders believed their children have autism due to vaccines like measles, mumps and rubella combined with vaccines containing thimerosal, containing mercury. But court made the decision due to not enough evidence. Meanwhile the medical community is trying their best to find a link between autism and vaccine, and also the cause of the autism.

Personal Response

In my opinion there should be more research on connection between vaccine and autism. But parents should not stop vaccinating their children until link is found.

“Genes Controlling Affiliative Behavior as Candidate Genes for Autism”

Summary

In “Genes Controlling Affiliative Behavior as Candidate Genes for Autism,” the scientists are researching for specific genes that can cause Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder in neuron development. The cause of ASD is unknown. One of the common features of ASD is lack of affiliative behavior, which includes impaired social, linguistic and, motor skill. It has been said that certain genes can cause ASD but, they have not discovered yet. There are also some known environmental factors that can cause Autism-like Symptom. As of May 2008 only 10% of all ASD cases have known cause. There are six genes (OXT, OXTR, PRL, PRLR, DBH, AND FOSB) scientists believe have some influence on maternal and affiliative behavior.
In this study DNA samples have taken from Autistic children and their families. The six genes are separated for further study. The result shows that there are some genes, PRL, PRLR, and OXTR, involved in developing affiliative behaviors.

Personal Response

In my opinion it is great that they have discovered at least something responsible for the behavior noted in ASD children. But they should consider some factors that have impact on those genes. We also need to look at environment those children live in. Maybe it was environmental factor that have impact on genes. It would be good if scientists can develop a test that can be done before baby was born to see any sign of something going wrong with the genes causing ASD.

"Medical Marijuana: The Debate Rages On."

Summary

In “Medical Marijuana: The Debate Rages On”, the author describe the pros and cons of the most controversial debate of all time on medical marijuana. Instead of marijuana the term we’re familiar with are “Pot” and “Weed”, but the scientific name is Cannabis. This name comes from plant Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana smoking became famous in US among “flower people” in 1960’s. US and many countries consider marijuana smoking illegal and possession of it is crime punishable by law. But in some countries marijuana is considered as herbal medicine. Recent studied has declared that some substance in marijuana has medical proprieties, and it can be used in terminal disease: cancer or AIDS. In 1999 the Department of Health and Human Service studied marijuana’s medical properties. The result is the Institute of Medicine’s “Marijuana & Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.” The result stated the pros and cons but did not give clear conclusion. After ten years of its publication the debate is still going on. In 2006 US Food & Drug Administration listed marijuana in Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I for major three reasons: 1. High potential of abuse, 2. No current accepted medical use in United States, and 3. Lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. But technologies and our understanding in medicine has been improved since 1999. Therefore, more research on marijuana’s medical proprieties is needed to update the IOM’s 1999 report.

Personal Response

In my personal opinion there is not enough evidence on use of marijuana as medicine. By the study all we know is it’s not healthy to smoke marijuana. Also it has high rate of abuse. It should be illegalized until the researchers find the evidence of its medical proprieties, which has no side effects.


http://healthworldnet.com/HeadsOrTails/medical-marijuana-debate-rages/?C=5381.

Sudden Cardiac Death: Should Young Athletes Be Screened?

Website: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1921260,00.html

Summary:
Eben Harrell’s “Sudden Cardiac Death: Should Young Athletes Be Screened?” focus on the today’s athletes’ main concern, Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). SCD is a sudden and fatal loss of heart function. Joggers to high school soccer players all athletes have higher chance of getting this condition. In this condition individual can die with no or little warning. British and Netherlands researchers have made the conclusion that in order to prevent this condition; all athletes should be tasted for heart abnormalities routinely by Electrocardiogram (ECG). The ECG test cost about $500 per test. And there are higher chances of getting false-positive results. But some sport cardiologists think this test is more cost-effective. Instead they recommend all athletes to be screened through physical and health questionnaire. And only use ECG for higher research. The non-ECG test have same rate of annual death as ECG test. When there is a false-positive result there are more expensive test and anxiety over if there is something wrong with their heart or not. But we should not put price on young athletes’ death.

Personal Response:
I believe that SCD is a condition that we should not ignore. It should be up to athletes themselves to decide whether they want to have an ECG test done or physical exam. But I think they should get physical exam done and, then only if necessary they should get ECG test.

Miracle Organism: Lichens

Summary:
The article is simply talking about the organism “Lichens”. It talks about how lichens play part in our everyday life. The article gives importance to lichens by talking about in how many different ways the lichens help this world. It says lichens are the organism that we use in medicine, food, and clothing. The article says that it is very hard to find this organism because there isn’t much left of them. The author states that pollution is a serious threat to lichens even in the remote arctic, and reindeer that rely on them for food are under increasing stress.

Personal response:
I think that the lichens are very unique organisms. There aren’t many organisms on the earth like lichens that we use for food, medicine and clothing. There we should do our best to lessen the pollution for the species like lichens and try to save as much as possible of them.

Sharnoff, Sylvia D. "Lichens more than meets the eye." National geographic R5139 (1997): 60-71. Print.

Risk of Smoking

Evans, Kim. "Diseases Caused by Smoking will be Graphically Depicted on Packs."

Http://www.naturalnews.com/027015_smoking_disease_chemicals.html. 12 Sept. 2009. Web. 17 Sept. 2009.

Summary:
The author is basically informing us about the new law that Obama is trying to pass to decrease the level of smoking which is 20 percent right now. The author is also talking about how horrible diseases we get by smoking. The new law of forcing the cigarette productions to have a horrible graphic image of the diseases caused by smoking on cigarette packs hopefully will help decrease the level of smoking. At the end she also tells us that there are many other dangerous chemicals around us to acknowledge us that the toxic in the cigarettes are not the only dangerous toxic we should be worrying about.

Personal Response:
I think people shouldn’t smoke and we should have law for that because when people smoke they not only poison their body, but they also poison the bodies of people they smoke around. In the end I agree with Kim that we are not only polluted by smoking there are many other dangerous chemicals that we use pollutes our body.