keep our family healthy

quoted: Bloomberg.com Canada

June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu was spread directly between members of an Indonesian family in the first laboratory-confirmed case of human-to-human transmission of the lethal virus, a World Health Organization official said.

Genetic sequencing of a virus sample taken from a 10-year- old boy who died from the H5N1 avian influenza strain showed a minute change that was also found in a virus sample taken from his father, who later died from the virus, said Dick Thompson, a spokesman for the United Nations health agency in Geneva.

``We have seen a genetic change that confirms in a laboratory that the virus has moved from one human to another,'' Thompson said in an interview. The change in the virus ``doesn't seem to have any significance in terms of the pathology of the disease or how easily it's transmitted,'' he said.

Human-to-human transmission had previously been suspected as the cause of infection in seven members of the Indonesian family from the island of Sumatra. The cases attracted international attention because they represent the largest reported instance in which avian flu is likely to have spread among people. They also provide the first evidence of a three-person chain of infection.

At least 130 of the 228 people known to be infected with bird flu since 2003 have died, according to the WHO. World health officials are tracking the spread of the virus in the event it becomes more adept at infecting people.

Clusters

Clusters of human cases in which the virus was transmitted from person to person, including to health workers treating infected patients, may signal the emergence of a pandemic strain capable of killing millions of people.

医学界一大突破

去年推出的禽流感诊断器，则只能诊断出H5N1型禽流感，而且费时两个半小时。

　　相较之下，结合聚合酶链反应（Polymerase Chain Reaction）循环器的In-Check Platform，能更准确、更快捷地达到控制流感疫情的效果，因为它能在病人或禽鸟发病的头一两天，也即病毒还未扩散前，甚至是在无症状 （Asymptomatic）情况下，诊断出阳性或阴性结果。

　　普通的检测仪器，通常只能等到发病者免疫系统产生反应后，才能作出阳性诊断，因此拖延了发病者接受抗体或抗病毒药物治疗的时间。
note:
WHO confirmed human to human transmission cases of Avian Flu in Indonesia..to reconfirm and take action( prevention is always the best approach to protect ourselves and family)

during a flu pandemic

think about it...
antiimflamation property of the Statin group of medicines:

quoted:
The drugs, which appear to fight inflammation and the damage it can inflict, might be useful to help modulate the impact if the virus that causes a future flu pandemic is one that induces an overactive immune response

生物科学艺术品能舒解病情

只要看着印有花粉结构图案的纺织品，哮喘病人的病情就能得到舒解；原本只是单纯想要利用马铃薯植物病原体结构设计新款的布料图案，却无意间发现植物病原体和动物病原体间关系的演变。

　　花粉、植物病原体、癌症细胞等生命科学的各种元素不但可能化身成为赏心悦目的艺术品，艺术家在设计作品时，偶尔还会有让人惊喜的发现

transmission of the bird flu virus between human beings has been confirmed

26/6/2006 10:56
WHO officials said the transmission of the bird flu virus between human beings has been confirmed in Indonesia.

It was reported that a woman in Indonedia became infected with the bird flu virus from a chicken and spread it to the rest of her household. WHO confirmed that the entire family died.

An investigation conducted by WTO showed that the deadly bird flu virus mutated in the Indonesian family cluster but experts insisted Friday it did not become easier to transmit between people and increase the possibility of a human pandemic.

It is the first evidence indicating that a person caught the virus from a human and then passed it on to another person.

The deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus first emerged in Asia in 2003.

Since then it has claimed approximately 130 lives across the world, mostly in Asia.

Experts believe it poses the greatest threat yet of a pandemic, a global epidemic of flu that could kill millions, if it acquires the ability to pass easily from human to human.

One in ten children is suffering mental health problems

The report also highlighted a major increase in alcohol abuse by young people and warned this may exacerbate mental health problems.

Linda Dunion, the campaign director at SeeMe, which works to combat mental health stigmas in Scotland, said:

"Young people's level of awareness about mental health problems and how they are treated is sometimes very poor.

"Often, they won't even understand what is happening to them when they are suffering. Adults often don't know what they are seeing; they are sometimes at a loss as to what to do."

The report's recommendations include reducing risk factors for mental health problems, flexible services that suit a child's age and lifestyle, and tackling the stigma of mental illness.

One in ten children is suffering mental health problems

One in ten children under the age of 15 is suffering from mental illness and the prevalence of mental disorders is on the increase, according to a report published yesterday by the British Medical Association.

While many severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, do not present themselves until late adolescence, children can suffer from a range of emotional disorders such as anxieties, phobias and obsessive disorders. Teenagers also have higher rates of suicidal depression than adults.

Many children are not receiving care because their symptoms - including troubled sleeping, temper tantrums, and obsessive behaviour - are being confused with growing pains.

World’s first transdermal insulin shows promise

a growing number of new contenders vying to cash in on the non-injectable insulin field, competing with pharma giants such as Pfizer who have recently launched the first inhalable form of insulin, however, the firm believes it has developed a drug delivery technology that is unique, being able to deliver large-size insulin molecules through the skin's surface, without the need for burdensome and expensive drug delivery devices.

“We can deliver a molecule up to 40,000 daltons in size

SWEDEN DISCOVER HOW EXCESS BODY FAT CAN LEAD DIABETES

Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease characterized by the body's inability to efficiently utilize sugar. Two stages of the disease have been identified: In the first, "silent" stage, the body's cells lose their ability to respond properly to the crucial hormone, insulin, responsible for moving sugar from the blood into cells. If sugar remains in the bloodstream, the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas compensate by stepping up production. Eventually this leads to beta cell exhaustion, reduced insulin output and the appearance of full-blown diabetes.

新一代抗癌药问世 人类可能不再受癌症困扰

随着众多应用多靶点抑制原理的新一代抗癌药物问世，癌症可能不会再成为人类健康的重大困扰。这是专家3日在亚特兰大举行的美国肿瘤学会年会上透露的信息。 　　近年来，随着分子生物学研究的进展和对肿瘤发病分子机制认识的深入，以细胞受体、关键基因和调控分子等为“标靶”的治疗手段开始进入临床，人们称之为 “分子靶向治疗”
　　这些手段包括具有靶向性的表皮生长因子受体阻滞剂、针对某些特定细胞标志物的单克隆抗体、针对某些癌症基因和癌症细胞遗传学标志的药物、抗肿瘤血管生 成的药物、抗肿瘤疫苗和基因疗法等。综合应用这些手段的抗癌药物被称为“多靶点”药物。
新问世的抗癌药物呈现出“同病异治”和“异病同治”的特点。也就是说，不同的抗癌药物可以治疗同一种癌症，而一种抗癌药物也可以治疗不同的癌症。比 如，德国拜耳公司的索拉非尼（Sorafenib）对晚期肾癌、肝癌都显示了疗效。而对晚期肾癌有较好疗效的药物除了索拉非尼，还有美国辉瑞公司的一种药 等。　　“世界卫生组织等国际机构把癌症定义为慢性病，也就是说癌症的发生和发展都不是那么明显，”孙燕说。“对于普通人而言，只要加强预防、及早发现、 及早治疗，再加上许多新药物，癌症并没有那么可怕。

熬夜追世杯 别输掉健康

由于世杯赛举办国德国跟我国有时差，今年大部分球赛的转播时间都在午夜过后，球迷追球不得不熬夜，熬夜需要食物充饥提神才能支撑，看来吃夜宵是不可避免的。 　　俗话说：捱一天夜，睡三晚也补不回来。我们一定要做个明智的球迷，好好保养好自己的身体，才能打赢这场仗，否则很难捱到决赛。

四分之一疾病是环境造成

（日内瓦法新电）全球有将近四分之一的疾病是由可避免的环境因素，如水源污染、危险燃料、危楼和危险交通状况等造成的。世界卫生组织指出，若是能减免这类与环境有关的感染风险，我们每年将可以挽救400万人的生命。

　　世界卫生组织昨天发表报告说，每年有1300万人患上与环境相关的疾病而死亡，其中三分之一的受害者来自发展中国家。

Alzheimer's vaccine 'promising'

Alzheimer's vaccine 'promising'

A potential DNA vaccine for Alzheimer's disease has produced

promising results in mice.

In tests it helped cut levels of key amyloid proteins thought to

cause the disease by up to 50% in some parts of the brain.

And unlike alternative vaccines in development, which use

viruses, it produced no side effects.

The Japanese study appears in the journal Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences.


This work represents a promising new line of vaccine development
Dr Clive Holmes

Over-production of amyloid proteins are thought to trigger

symptoms of Alzheimer's by forming clumps that litter the brain.

Previous studies have shown that it is possible to stimulate the

immune system of mice to attack these plaques if they are

immunised with amyloid protein.

This approach has been tested in preliminary trials on humans,

but early results showed that the immune response was too strong,

leading to damaging swelling of the brain, as well as plaque

destruction.

New studies in man are currently underway that hope to mobilise

the immune response in a less aggressive manner so that plaques

are destroyed, but brain swelling is avoided.

Gentle response

The latest approach, developed by a team at Tokyo Metropolitan

Institute for Neuroscience, works by stimulating the body to

produce small amounts of amyloid protein itself.

Mice are injected with naked DNA that codes for these proteins,

rather than relying on a special virus to get it into the cell.

This has the effect of producing a more gentle immune response,

and importantly the DNA has also been designed so that it is not

capable of replicating itself by incorporating itself into the

human genome.

In tests, the latest vaccine reduced the deposition of amyloid

proteins by between 15.5% and 38.5% compared with untreated mice.

Deposition in specific areas of the brain - the cerebral cortex

and hippocampus - was reduced 40%-50%.

The researchers suggest that DNA vaccines of the type they have

produced could provide a cheap and effective strategy for

treating Alzheimer's in future.

Dr Clive Holmes, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said the

Toyko study held great promise.

He said: "This work represents a promising new line of vaccine

development but more research would be needed to see if this

could be replicated safely in humans."

Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society, agreed that the

fact that the vaccine appeared safe was significant.

She said: "The findings support the idea that a vaccine is our

best hope for fighting this devastating disease for which there

is currently no cure."

( note: It is not surprising to observe new virus origin at

later study. DNA or protein origin with link to virus is a way to

trigger immune or antibody reaction thus to protect host. However

side-effect may appear much later like prion protein case...it

may happen 10 to 30 years from now...be ware.. it is possible)


file c12 James Chong/ 40-A Jalan Mendu, Kuching , Borneo

Twilight at Damai Beach 3rd June 06

take a deep breath, smell of sweet fresh air and slightly salty sea breeze. Close and your eyes and say hello to me, please...... 

3rd June 06 Damai Beach, Kuching, Borneo

Peaceful lagoon with orange kayak. Stay a while longer, please ...... 

Report links asbestos to larynx cancer

Washington, June 08: Research has linked another cancer to asbestos, according to a report released on Tuesday that found exposure can cause cancer of the voice box, or larynx, and possibly of the colon, stomach and upper throat.

Rabies deaths jump in China as pet population grows

BEIJING, June 8 (Reuters) - China's booming southern province of Guangdong has reported more than 300 deaths from rabies last year, the highest number in a decade, as its increasingly affluent population buys more dogs, state media said on Thursday.

Rabies killed 306 people in the province last year, up 24.9 percent from 2004, the China Daily said.

"As living standards keep increasing, more people feed dogs, and this increased contact means more chance of infection," Professor Guo Xiaofeng of the South China Agriculture University (SCAU) was quoted as saying.

Pet dogs were shunned in the days of Mao Zedong as a symbol of bourgeois decadence and dog is still a popular restaurant dish. But pets have become increasingly popular in the last decade with improved living standards.

Last year, 330,000 people sought treatment for rabies in Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong, and 500,000 were vaccinated. There were 1.5 million reported dog bites or scratches.

Guo also said that education about rabies in rural areas, where most infections took place, was important to encourage people to vaccinate their dogs against the disease.

Some 2,660 people died of rabies in China in 2004, according to Ministry of Health figures.

浪漫法国人，母亲节也只重情不重礼

母亲节在法国由来已久。早在1806年，拿破仑就决定设立母亲节。1918年6月16日，里昂举行了第一次真正意义上的母亲节庆祝活动。1950年5月24日，当时的法兰西第四共和国总统樊尚·奥里奥尔签署的法案生效，“母亲节”正式成为一个节日。

与大多数国家的母亲节比起来，法国的母亲节有些特别，因为法国的母亲节日期不是5月的第二个周日，而是最后一个周日，如果正好赶上圣灵降临节，那就推迟到6月的第一个周日。

从5月初开始，巴黎的大街小巷就弥漫着浓浓的母亲节气氛。服装店、首饰店、糕点店纷纷推出了母亲节产品；报纸、杂志用大篇幅介绍新颖的母亲节礼物；不少网站举办母亲节诗歌比赛，让子女把对母亲的爱表达出来。

记者问过几位法国朋友，打算在母亲节送给妈妈什么礼物，答案五花八门，有的说送一件妈妈一直喜欢的首饰，有的打算送传统的鲜花加巧克力，有的则为父母报了旅行团外出游玩。

一位朋友的话最让人深思。他说：“几年前的一个母亲节，我问远在外地的母亲想要什么礼物，她回答‘我要你’。我震惊之余反思自己，确实亏欠父母太多。从此，不管多忙多累，母亲节那天我一定回家，陪在父母身边，让他们享受天伦之乐。

我如此地爱你/妈妈/你总是那样温柔，那样坚强/有时你美丽的眼中也会闪过一丝忧虑/因为做个完美的母亲并不容易……我爱你，妈妈/愿你每一年每一日如同今天一样美丽、幸福、健康！” 当记者问起勒诺特尔夫人每年的母亲节如何度过时，她从书桌的抽屉里拿出一张叠得整整齐齐的信纸，朗诵了上面这首诗。这是她儿子15岁时送给她的母亲节礼物，她视为珍宝

夏游青海湖，花艳湖水蓝

　　位于青藏高原东北部的青海，面积70多万平方公里，人口只有500多万，合着每平方公里才7个人，再想想这人口都集中在几个较大城市，剩下的 广大区域想不地广人稀都难，加上唐古拉山峙立于南，祁连山矗立于北，巍巍昆仑山横贯中部，茫茫草原起伏绵延，柴达木盆地浩瀚无垠，青海湖碧波荡漾———所 有最壮观的景象汇聚在一起，

柔顺秀发的懒人保养法

地球离了谁都照样转动，但你们也不得不承认，这个世界如此精彩都是拜懒人所赐，为了让懒人更舒服、更省事、更享受，才有了那么多的发明创造。

懒不等于傻，要懒出风格、懒出境界。

懒也不等于凑合，相反，懒人的要求总是更高。

面对夏日的骄阳，勤快人首先想到“我要加强防护，出门别忘了带遮阳伞、戴帽子”，而懒人想要的，是怎么才能不带伞、不戴帽子，秀发沐浴在阳光下依然有光泽。

患精神问题少儿5年增倍

造成儿童和青少年精神问题有三大因素：家庭情况出现变化、同学与朋友的影响和压力，及学校方面的各种压力。

　　而被诊断出的四大病情包括情境反应（即压力所导致的反常反应）、抑郁症、行为问题及精神病，例如性格分裂症及躁郁症。

Kimberley, Beatrice, Cahi family and James

At Damai Beach resort. Rooms and breakfast paid. Go ahead and have fun. Good for physical and complete health ( include balanced mental health) 

warm water, cool breeze, Damai pretty beach

twin sisters of Chai family jumped into the boat.
Kimberley and Beatrice rolled the boat for one hour...painful arms.. 

fish ?

yes. at 8 pm they went to the sea shore to find fish. wonderful moon light. southern cross constellation and bright stars calmed our heart. 

Ready for picnic

fruit baskets for a holiday 

Kimberley and her classmate with giant fruits

Coconuts. Good for health. But the juice not sweet ( true) 

Blue lagoon, Damai Beach, Kuching, borneo

  

with Mr. Thong

Thank you Mr. Thong...for all the kind action 

James, Lew, Dr. Lew, Dr. Saw, Lim, Richard

and Kim at the left front seated. Wondeful food in KL. Near Hilton Hotel. Thanks for the nutrition 

Mr. Wee and family with James

Mr. Wee expert in bread product and other food..make you healthy 

Kim and friend

Yvonne and Kim 

Gathering at Damai Resort

All clinic staffs and family, total 12 children and adults having fun at Damai resorts hotel and sea beach. Explored tree house( airconditioned), sea otters nest. night prawan and crab catching competition with strong torch light. 

healthy and happy family c/o Mr. Warrick Anderson

Happy Birthday
Wonderful party 

Richard and Kim at Patricia's house

Jalan Sekama Utara. House of houses with green tress+ + 

China, Russia on board in sweetened offer to Iran

U.N. Security Council, along with Germany, agreed on a "set of far-reaching proposals" that will form the foundation for resuming talks with Iran, said British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.

The package still hinges on Iran halting its nuclear enrichment program -- a demand Tehran scoffed at earlier Thursday.

"We believe that (the proposals) offer Iran the chance to reach a negotiated agreement based on cooperation," Beckett said. "We urge Iran to take the positive path and to consider seriously our substantive proposals, which would bring significant benefits to Iran.