7 December, 2016

Selfie addiction reveals extreme self-love

And women photograph themselves more than men, psychiatrists say. As the selfie craze grows, some patterns are emerging. Women take more ‘oomph’ selfies than men. But when it comes to adventurous selfies, men are way ahead, according to a Bengaluru psychiatrist. 

No extensive studies have been done on the psychology of constantly taking one’s own pictures, but Bengaluru psychiatrists are getting anxious calls from parents about children and teenagers suffering from selfie addiction. Psychiatrist Dr Ajit Bhide says taking selfies all the time is a variation on the theme of narcissism, or the condition of being in excessive love with oneself. It indicates a preoccupation with the self, among people who say they have little time for other things in life.

People take photographs at extreme locations to show their sense of adventure. “More men than women do this,” he says. “But women take more selfies than men.” 

Excess is bad

Some selfie-takers put their lives at risk at extreme locations, says Dr Prathima Murthy, psychiatrist at Nimhans. No cases of selfie addiction have been reported yet at the institute, but an excess of anything is bad, she says, comparing selfie addiction to excessive gaming and phone use.

Deaths highest in India

A recent study found that India has recorded the highest number of selfie deaths. Researchers found that 127 people had died so far while taking selfies, and 76 of them were from India.

In the dictionary

in 2013 ‘selfie’ became the word of the year and found a place in the Oxford Dictionary where it is defined as ‘photograph taken of oneself and uploaded to a social media website’

Source: www.deccanherald.com

07.12.2016

Light tomorrow with today

Elizabeth Barrett

6 December, 2016

Global cancer cases up by 33% in last 10 years: Prostate cancer most common cancer in men; breast cancer in women

New Delhi: A new report has shown that there were an estimated 17.5 million cancercases around the world in 2015, increased by 33 per cent in the last decade.

The report also found that 8.7 million people died due to cancer in 2015.

Between 2005 and 2015, cancer cases increased by 33 per cent, mostly due to population ageing and growth plus changes in age-specific cancer rates, the report said.

The report by Christina Fitzmaurice from the University of Washington in the US and colleagues shows that prostate cancer was the most common cancer globally in men (1.6 million cases) and tracheal, bronchus and lung (TBL) cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths for men.

In women, breast cancer was the most common cancer with 2.4 million cases. It is aslo the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.

Leukemia, other neoplasms, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and brain and nervous system cancers were found to be the most common childhood cancers.

Researchers estimated cancer deaths using vital registration system data, cancer registry incidence data and verbal autopsy data.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and estimates of its burden around the globe are vital for cancer control planning, the report said.

Globally, the odds of developing cancer during a lifetime were one in three for men and one in four for women, it added.

"Cancer control, which requires a detailed understanding of the cancer burden as provided in the GBD [Global Burden of Disease study], is of utmost importance given the rise in cancer incidence due to epidemiological and demographic transition," the researchers said.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Oncology.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

06.12.2016

Strength does not come from physical capacity it comes from an indomitable will

Mahatma Gandhi

5 December, 2016

Cataract can cause depression in elderly

Older adults with cataracts — clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye — are more likely to have symptoms of depression, independent of lifestyle factors and visual acuity, a study has found. The vision loss might cause older adults to become isolated and withdrawn and delve deeper into depression, which might make them less likely to seek treatment for cataracts, the study said. The findings showed that symptoms of depression were more common in women than men. Older adults with low levels of education were likely to have a 50 per cent increase in depressive symptoms than those who were highly educated.

There was no difference in depressive symptoms between the elderly with cataracts in one eye versus both eyes. “Our study sheds further light on the complex relationship between ageing, vision loss, cataract, and depression and suggests that there may be a role for cataract surgery in improving mental health in the elderly,” said Haifang Wang, from Soochow University in Suzhou, China. Age-related cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide and are expected to increase as population demographics shift towards advancing age.

For the study, the team included nearly 4,600 older adults (60 years or older) from China. The participants also underwent a clinical eye examination to rate the presence and severity of cataracts. “These results suggest that optometrists and vision care professionals should think beyond the direct effects of cataracts on visual impairment. We should also consider the broader impact that vision loss may have on mental health and well-being,” the researchers said. The study is published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

05.12.2016

Life is so much brighter when we focus on what truly matters

3 December, 2016

Infant mortality: Karnataka cuts sorry figure

Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Mumbai are among the districts in the country that have the highest number of registered infant deaths, according to a latest government report.

The country witnessed deaths of 1.89 lakh children, including 80,190 girls, in 2014, as per the ‘Vital Statistics of India based on Civil Registration System 2014’ report prepared by the Office of the Registrar General. The number of deaths of infant girls has marginally come down to 80,609 in 2013 while the overall figure stood at 1.87 lakh that year.

The all-India figure could rise as Jharkhand has not provided statistics on the registration of births and deaths for 2014. Officials said the report is based only on the deaths registered and there is the possibility of deaths which have not entered the government records.

“The accuracy of the vital statistics obtained through the registration system depends much on the completeness and promptness with which events are registered and the correctness of the information in the registration records,” it added.

According to the report, around 25% of the deaths go unregistered. But the level of registration of deaths has increased from 70.9% in 2013 to 74.3% in 2014, it said.

A district-wise analysis showed that Ahmedabad has the highest number of infant deaths at 4,994 followed by Mumbai (4,883), Malda (2,074), Chandi (2,054), Cuttack (1,940) and Bengaluru Urban (1,906). The whole of Delhi, which has 11 districts, has reported 8,097 infant deaths.

The highest number of infant girl deaths were reported from Mumbai (2,177) followed by Ahmedabad 1,627. Four districts of Maharashtra — Nashik (766), Pune (736), Nagpur (735) besides Mumbai — are in the top-ten districts where there are high number of infant girl deaths. Bengaluru urban district has 619 such deaths.

The report showed that the share of rural area is 31.4%, up from 31.3%, while that of urban area is 68.6% in total registered infant deaths during 2014.

“Non-registration of infant deaths in rural area is a cause (for) concern which may be due to non-reporting of infant deaths to the registrars, especially in case of domiciliary events,” it said.

Among the states, Maharashtra (21,349) has the highest number of infant deaths registered followed by Uttar Pradesh (19,642) and Karnataka (17,286).

Source: www.deccanherald.com

03.12.2016

Never stop learning because life never stops teaching

2 December, 2016

Celebrities living with HIV AIDS

Being detected with HIV/AIDS doesn't mean your life has ended, it is just a halt and with a positive attitude, you can definitely emerge as a fighter.

1 ^st December of every year, world celebrates AIDS Day, with a motive to unite everyone and fight against HIV AIDS. It is one of the deadliest diseases that has affected millions of people across the globe. It has claimed several lives and some are still fighting. We bring you some celebs who are affected by HIV but living positively

ZACKIE ACHMAT

Zackie Achmat has been living with HIV since 1990. He is the co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign and fought for access to treatment in South Africa during Thabo Mbeki's. He is famously known to refuse his treatment until it became accessible to everyone in South Africa.

CHARLIE SHEEN

In 2015, The Two and a Half Men star disclosed his HIV status on an exclusive interview with NBC's Today Show. With his positive attitude towards life, he is living happily.

MAGIC JOHNSON

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired professional basketball player. He is the most well-known sportsman to disclose his HIV status. Living with this disease for approximately 25 years, he has committed himself to make people aware about the disease.

JUSTIN EDWIN CAMERO

Edwin Cameron is the prominent South African jurist who has been living with HIV since 1980's. Nelson Mandela called him as "one of South Africa's new heroes". He has been awarded many times and is often described as "the greatest legal mind of his generation" and "in a league of his own".

These celebrities didn't give up, but infact bounced back with their courage. Remember, it is a battle that you have to fight but with a brave, beautiful and bold face to turn things around in your favour.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

02.12.2016

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try

1 December, 2016

Scientists unlock the mystery of blood clot deaths in cancer patients

A new study conducted by New Zealand scientists have solved the mystery of why many cancer patients die of blood clots while undergoing chemotherapy.

In the study by University of Otago researchers that came out on Wednesday said, chemotherapy stimulates release of tiny bubbles from the surface of cancer cells, as reported in Xinhua news.

The most common death from cancer were caused by uncontrolled growth of tumour in vital organs, but the second common way that cancer kills is by triggering blood clotting resulting in thrombosis. The clots cause blockage of major blood vessels, preventing oxygen and nutrients to vital organs.

Despite being life-prolonging, chemotherapy is thus associated with a six-to-seven fold increase in the risk of thrombosis in cancer patients.

Associate Professor Alex McLellan said in a statement that the link between cancer and thrombosis was noted over 100 years ago, but the reasons for the association had been elusive, Associate Professor Alex McLellan said in a statement.

McLellan's team have discovered that cancer cells when treated with chemotherapy releases lipid-rich bubbles from their membranes that activated coagulation (clotting) processes.

"We now have insight into how these bubbles from dying cancer cells may cause thrombosis during chemotherapy," McLellan added.

The research had showed that certain solid cancers were more active in promoting blood coagulation, as compared to lymphomas. "A general pattern is that cancers such as pancreatic, lung and brain cancers carry the largest risk of thrombotic events," he said.

The study opened the possibility of developing inhibitors to the major coagulation pathway identified in cancer cells.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

01.12.2016

Never let success get to your head, never let failure get to your heart

30 November, 2016

Novel artificial intelligence (AI) technique can help remove specific fears from the brain

Using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and brain scanning technology, a team of researchers has developed a novel method that can help remove specific fears from the brain. The new technique that could read and identify a fear memory can pave way of treating patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias, the study said. Neuroscientists, from the University of Tokyo, developed ‘Decoded Neurofeedback’ — which used brain scanning to monitor activity in the brain, and identify complex patterns of activity that resembled a specific fear memory. In the study, the team included 17 healthy volunteers in whom a fear memory was created by administering a brief electric shock when they saw a certain computer image.  Using brain scanner, the researchers monitored the volunteers’ mental activity and were able to spot signs of that specific fear memory. Using AI algorithms, they also developed a fast and accurate method of reading the fear.

The findings showed that the volunteers’ brains showed brain patterns of that specific fear memory, even when they were resting and not consciously aware of the fear. Because the researchers could decode these brain patterns quickly, they gave the participants a reward of small amount of money, so that the fear memories would become associated with rewards. However, the volunteers were told that the reward depended on their brain activity, although they didn’t know how. At the end of the reward therapy that continued for three days, the team showed the volunteers the pictures previously associated with the shocks. ‘We could not identify enhanced activity in the amygdala — the brain’s fear centre. This meant that we were been able to reduce the fear memory without the volunteers ever consciously experiencing the fear memory in the process,’ said lead author Ai Koizumi from the University of Tokyo.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

30.11.2016

If you want to be successful,

you must never lie to yourself