Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Musings... axes in hand and mind

...

Axes in hand and mind
[Accounting for the I-G (individual-group) axis and the need for the H-M axis]

Clearly there is a need for a basic scaffold. One that reflects the real world and the real time to which we are all exposed and are a part; and one that can also represent the model(s) we wish to create - the products of our health care, nursing activities. The scaffold we build must be one on which we can hang concepts and for simplicities sake human (care) concerns. Specifically a conceptual scaffold and a human scaffold. The latter can be represented simply as a continuum from INDIVIDUAL to GROUP, hereafter referred to as I-G.

The other, the conceptual scaffold, calls for what might be termed conceptual inflation. If we imagine the I-G as the vertical challenge (remember the health & safety issue!) and draw with the 'individual' at the top, then there is much we can model based on this basic dichotomy. This is too simple however. We cannot capture the part of the rich tapestry that is life - well-being, health - and death. For this another axis is needed.

(Which begs me to ask myself:
is there a law that suggests that one axis however oriented invites another?)

With this further partition and heralding of a further dichotomy what is lost? What is gained, if anything? In scribing this first line we explicitly separate the 'one' - the self from the other. The addition of another axis is where and how we define a center. With this center and from it we can find the energy to fuel our conceptual inflation. We literally draw out the foundation by considering what these persons do? ...

Conceptual inflation: Four-fold nursing agnostics
...
PJ Dec 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Links of interest c/o HIFA2015 list

The following links appeared in recent HIFA2015 Healthcare Information For All posts:

AuthorAID: http://www.authoraid.info/ is a global research community that provides networking, mentoring, resources and training for researchers in developing countries.

IICD - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Development: http://www.iicd.org/

Education for Health: http://www.educationforhealth.net/ an Open Access Journal.

Scientific Eletronic Library Online: Scientific Eletronic Library Online

Welsh Annual Conference 2010: http://www.welshconfed.org/WelshAnnualConference2010.htm

Welsh Information Literacy Framework: http://www.library.wales.org/index.php?id=7498

PLoS journal on Neglected Tropical Diseases: http://www.plosntds.org/home.action

Knowledge 4 Health eToolkits: http://www.k4health.org/toolkits

NCBI.NCI Paper: Poor reporting and inadequate searches were apparent in systematic reviews of adverse effects http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18394536

Health Speaks: pilots result in 266 new local language health articles http://blog.google.org/2010/12/health-speaks-pilots-result-in-266-new.html

ERMED: Electronic Resources in Medicine Consortium http://www.nmlermed.in/

Global Health and Prevention calendar: http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec40851/index.htm

Monday, December 27, 2010

Musings... building models, health & safety, group and individual

....

Basic foundations and minimal defaults
[Accounting for the I-G (individual-group) axis]

Since nurses and technologists are concerned with communication then the foundation from which they begin to (build and model their) work is of fundamental importance. The foundation needs to be generic in the first instance. Generic in the sense of the commonality that language instills, enables and facilitates within and between communities. Not only that, but if we take the property of 'generic' to its extreme then the foundation must be stripped down to the barest of defaults: there are no 'types'.

To use the safety analogy we need to risk assess the extent of our model building activities.

We can do this by asking: is this a one, or at most two dimensional venture; such that we can rest secure on terra firma? Or are we above 'ground' floor and immediately required to address health and safety legislation?

Since medicine and nursing are concerned with - must be evidence based - there is an immediate  vertical challenge in the hierarchies inherent in the sciences and the structure of knowledge.

Science is not the only influence here. The foundation of what we are modelling and building must reflect the ultimate subjects (the person - patients, carers, communities, whole populations) of our activities. So, the individual (whose very safety is our concern!) must be factored in and with this concept the notion of human rights. While a dialogue of no trivial nature in itself, suffice here to suggest that individual and applied human rights emerges out of and is dependent upon the collective (group). This in turn is a measure of the level of social coherence, coherence through a level of social and political organisation that allows leaders to effect positive change and betterment. The person, the individual is built not upon the shoulders of giants, but ordinary people - our ancestors and peers. ...

Axes in hand and mind
...
PJ Dec 2010

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Call for Papers: 1st Int. Workshop on Pervasive Care for People with Dementia and their Carers (PCPDC-2011)

(To the webmasters of http://www.pervasivehealth.org please check the status of your site - 'attack site')

Dublin, Ireland, 23 May 2011

http://trail.ulster.ac.uk/pcpdc/

To be held in conjunction with the 5th International ICST Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare 2011

The global population of persons aged 60 and over is rising dramatically. Between 2006 and 2050, the number of people aged 60 and over will double from 650 million to 2 billion people representing 22% of humanity. One group of the ageing population that is particularly vulnerable to loss of independence is those affected by dementia. It is estimated that around 820,000 people in the UK have dementia. Recently emerging computing and assistive technology have been used to attempt to improve the quality of life for people with dementia..

The workshop aims to provide a forum for discussion on challenges and opportunities in bringing technology to support people with dementia. The workshop will feature the theme of ‘engaging people with pervasive technology’.

Research topics included in the workshop

This workshop will feature the theme of  ‘engaging people with pervasive technology’ in dementia research. Researchers from academic, healthcare, industrial and third party organisations are invited to contribute. Early researchers and researchers from healthcare are particularly welcome. Research areas include, but are not limited to:

Theme 1 – What are the opportunities of pervasive care technology?

Development of pervasive ICT systems
Human computer interface design
Behaviour monitoring and activity recognition
Knowledge representation and dissemination
Data analysis and interpretation
Sensor design and application

Theme 2 – User engagement

Key issues emerging when working with people who have decreased capacity for consent
Ethical issues for implementation
Methods for engagement
Pitfalls of engaging people with dementia, their carers and intermediate users

Important dates

Submission deadline:          25th February 2011
Notification of acceptance: 25th March 2011
Camera-ready copy due:    4th April 2011
Conference / Workshop:    23rd – 26th / 23rd May 2011

Format

Submitted papers should not be longer than 4 pages in standard IEEE two-column format.

For more detailed formatting instructions please see http://www.pervasivehealth.org/?page_name=author_skit.

Accepted papers will be published online in IEEE Xplore Digital Library (to be confirmed).

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Shared Approach: 3 keys (and a certain conceptual framework)

Before we trip into 2011 let's make a quick return to 2008 and the three keys to the Shared Approach in mental health assessment [NIMHE, 2008] which are copied below.

In between each one I have highlighted how the Health Care Domains Model can contribute ...

1) active participation of the service user concerned in a shared understanding with service providers and where appropriate with their carers;

In the end (or at the beginning!) a model of care or assessment tool is only as good as the person using it.

To progress with key #1 there are in fact two locks to open. These are in the form of 'using' and 'user'. H2CM incorporates the individual from the outset. The model encourages consideration of the client's beliefs, preferences, and experiences ... Can the client and carer actually use the model themselves to help understand their needs, their care plan and interventions? Is there a homework exercise there for them?

Do they have capacity to decide? Do they need support - an advocate? How do we ensure the carer is factored into the care equation? Well, in h2cm that's through the social domain.

2) input from different provider perspectives within a multidisciplinary approach, and;

Do you know what "different provider perspectives within a multidisciplinary approach" look like?

Well just envisage that for a few moments. ...
A scary exercise, eh?

In order to take those different perspectives and integrate them a common framework is surely needed?

Artists are lucky they use perspective as an integrative lever on paper, canvas, or whatever medium.

Clients, carers, health and social care professionals need a canvas of their own, BUT one that is sufficiently generic and agnostic to be 'owned' by all. 

3) a person-centred focus that builds on the strengths, resiliencies and aspirations of the individual service user as well as identifying his or her needs and challenges. NIMHE (2008)

H2CM can support and foster person-centred care. The model is situated: there is one (changing) situation with the person at the center. Whatever the context -

strengths, resilience, stresses, vulnerabilities, aspirations, needs, challenges

- the care domains model is fit for purpose. Health and social care is dynamic, in person-centred care that focus needs to change accordingly. Our assessments and evaluations need to resolve the SCIENTIFIC, SOCIOLOGICAL, POLITICAL, INTERPERSONAL and SPIRITUAL dimensions of care while assuring the BIG picture.

Reference:
The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) and the Care Services Improvement Partnership. 3 Keys to a shared approach in mental health assessment. London: Department of Health; 2008.
Available from: http://www.3keys.org.uk/downloads/3keys.pdf

Call for Maps: Mapping Science Exhibit, 7th Iteration on "Science Maps as Visual Interfaces to Digital Libraries" (2011)

Background and Goals

The Places & Spaces: Mapping Science exhibit was created to inspire cross-disciplinary discussion on how to best track and communicate human activity and scientific progress on a global scale. It has two components: (1) physical exhibits enable the close inspection of high quality reproductions of maps for display at conferences and education centers and (2) the online counterpart (http://scimaps.org) provides links to a selected series of maps and their makers along with detailed explanations of how these maps work.

Places & Spaces is a 10-year effort. Each year, 10 new maps are added, which will result in 100 maps total in 2014. Each iteration of the exhibit attempts to learn from the best examples of visualization design. To accomplish this goal, each iteration compares and contrasts four existing maps with six new maps of science. Themes for the different iterations/years are:

  * 1st Iteration (2005): The Power of Maps
  * 2nd Iteration (2006): The Power of Reference Systems
  * 3rd Iteration (2007): The Power of Forecasts
  * 4th Iteration (2008): Science Maps for Economic Decision Makers
  * 5th Iteration (2009): Science Maps for Science Policy Makers
  * 6th Iteration (2010): Science Maps for Scholars
  * 7th Iteration (2011): Science Maps as Visual Interfaces to Digital Libraries
  * 8th Iteration (2012): Science Maps for Kids
  * 9th Iteration (2013): Science Maps for Daily Science Forecasts
  * 10th Iteration (2014): Telling Lies With Science Maps

Places & Spaces was first shown at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers in April 2005. Since then, the physical exhibit has been displayed at more than 175 venues in over 15 countries, including eleven in Europe, plus Japan, China, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. A schedule of all display locations can be found at http://scimaps.org/exhibitions

Submission Details

The 7th iteration of the Mapping Science exhibit is devoted to science maps that serve as visual interfaces to digital libraries. These maps might communicate the

  * quality and coverage of data sets,
  * the structure (ontology, taxonomy, classification hierarchy) of data sets,
  * (semantic) linkages between data sets,
  * the evolution of a data set, or
  * access and usage patterns of data sets.

They are intended to support the navigation, management, and utilization of mankind’s scholarly knowledge and to make it more readily available to researchers, educators, industry, policy makers and/or the general public.

We invite maps that show a visual rendering of a dataset together with a legend, textual description, and acknowledgements as required to interpret the map. Science map dimensions can be abstract, geographical, or feature-based, but are typically richer than simple x, y plots. Scientific knowledge can be used to generate a reference system over which other data, e.g., funding opportunities or job openings, are overlaid or be projected onto another reference system, e.g., a map of the world, but must be prominently featured.
See http://scimaps.org/static/docs/all-maps-1-6.pdf for an overview of the 60 maps already featured in the exhibit.

Each initial entry must be submitted by Jan 30th, 2011 and needs to include:

  * Low resolution version of map
  * Title of work
  * Author(s) name, email address, affiliation, mailing address
  * Copyright holder (if different from authors)
  * Description of work: Scholarly needs addressed, data used, data analysis, visualization techniques applied, and main insights gained (100-300 words)
  * References to publications in which the map appeared
  * Links to related projects/works

Entries should be submitted via email to the curators of the exhibit: Katy Börne (katy at indiana.edu) and the exhibit designer Michael J. Stamper (mstamper at indiana.edu) using the email subject header “Mapping Science Entry”.

Please feel free to send any questions you might have regarding the judging process to Katy Börner (katy at indiana.edu). Please keep subject header (as used here).

This call - with additional details -  is also available at http://scimaps.org/call

Friday, December 17, 2010

Health Tips Facts – Cellulite Definition Symptoms Causes Home Treatments Remedies

Cellulite Definition:-

Body cellulite explains deposits of fats trapped in the pockets of connective tissues that are to be found just under the skin. These are the lumpy substance that looks like cottage cheese and can be found in the buttocks, stomach and thighs. The lumpy substance makes a person appear bulky with creases and layers of fat that is noticeable even from afar.

Cellulite Causes:- 
The most important causes of cellulite are:
Genetics, Hormones, Lack of certain types of exercise, wrong foods. 
These days, Hormonal imbalances are much more common, which is why this problem is so well-known. Overproduction of hormones can cause excess fat storage in the hips, thighs, and butt, also breaks apart collagen fibers.

Cellulite Signs Symptoms:- 
Swelling of the upper and lower eyelid, Orbit becomes swollen and bulges, Eye may appear red, Decrease in the child's ability to move the eyeball.
Cellulite Home Herbal Treatments Cure Care Remedies:- 
Natural treatment goes deep into the skin layers and melts away the fat. Unlike other OTC creams it does not hide the ugly cottage cheese appearance.
It is quite reasonable. It costs you a fraction of the cost involved in surgical methods of removing orange peel effect.
It has no side effects. It can be used in complete privacy of your home.
It does not require any prescription. You just need to order it online and start using it without even telling someone about it.
It has no odor. It can be used any time of the day.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Call for Papers - 2011 CHI Workshop on Bridging Practices, Theories, and Technologies to Support Reminiscence

CALL FOR PAPERS

CHI Workshop on Bridging Practices, Theories, and Technologies to Support Reminiscence 2011
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/~danco/remchiwork/

CHI 2011 Workshop

This one-day workshop explores how HCI-related practice and research can understand and support reminiscence. The workshop has two main goals. First, we hope to bring together academics and practitioners from a variety of backgrounds, disciplines, levels of experience, and approaches to studying and supporting reminiscing. Second, we hope to explore a variety of topics around current and potential uses of technology to support reminiscence, including but not limited to:

- understanding people's current practices around reminiscing;
- exploring empirical studies and theories of memory that might inform technology designs;
- presenting, critiquing, and evaluating existing technologies for reminiscence,
- considering how technology might support new reminiscing practices, and
- supporting social aspects of reminiscence.

We are particularly interested in participants from outside the CHI community to foster new perspectives and collaborations. Our plan is to conduct three short discussion-focused panels organized around participants' interests. Those discussions will ground small groups in articulating interesting directions, studies, designs, and outlines of potential grant and book proposals at the intersection of reminiscing and technology

SUBMISSION

Interested participants should mail position papers of up to 6 pages in .pdf versions of the CHI Extended Abstracts format to danco at cs.cornell.edu by January 14, 2011. Papers should clearly express how the authors' participation will further the goals of the workshop: what do authors offer and hope to gain by participating? They should also clearly, but briefly, present participating authors' backgrounds, in order to support our goals of creating a diverse group of participants.

We will notify accepted participants on or before February 11, 2001. A limited amount of funding will be available, primarily to support attendance for people from other disciplines who are not regular CHI attendees. The workshop will be held on Sunday May 8, 2011 in Vancouver, Canada. Please note that at least one author of an accepted position paper must register for the workshop and for one or more days of the CHI 2011 conference.

IMPORTANT DATES

- Jan 14, 2011: Position papers due
- Feb 11, 2011: Notifications of participation
- Apr 1, 2011: Final versions of position papers (to be shared with other participants)
- May 8, 2011: (Sunday) The workshop! (Here's the list of all workshops.)
- May 9-12 2011: CHI itself

ORGANIZERS

- Dan Cosley, Information Science, Cornell University danco at cs.cornell.edu
- Maurice Mulvenna, School of Computing and Mathematics, University of Ulster md.mulvenna at ulster.ac.uk
- Victoria Schwanda, Information Science, Cornell University vls48 at cornell.edu
- S. Tejaswi Peesapati, Information Science, Cornell University stp53 at cornell.edu

Monday, December 13, 2010

h2cm = Bayesian Quarters?

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL
The Bayesian approach allows human insight, subjective though it is, to be combined with statistical information, limited though it may be. It is not surprising that this blurring of the line between the methodologies of the sciences and the humanities has attracted passionate supporters as well as furious enemies on both sides of the cultural divide.
Von Baeyer (2003) p.79.

von Baeyer, H.C. (2003) Information: The New Language of Science, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Healthy Hair - Hair Care Tips

Every body wants healthy and shinning hair, if your hair is worn long, short or somewhere in between, healthy hair is always in fashion.

* Choose the food that contains green vegetables and sweet fruits. Milk products, coconut and yogurt are also good for your hair.
Cold drinks also can disturb your ingestion and the assimilation of nutrients.
Avoid canned goods. Food with preservative and additional chemical will not give you nutritious benefit for your body.
Spinach, broccoli, and Swiss chard are important resources of vitamin A and C. Your body needs them to produce sebum, a kind of oil that is produced by hair follicle to be natural conditioner for your hair. Egg is one of the best protein resources you can find. It also contains biotin and vitamin B12 that are very essential to be beauty nutrition.
Low fat milk products are essential calcium resources that are useful for hair. These foods also contain casein and whey as two high quality proteins.
Cooking spice like black pepper is also useful for your Black healthy hair. Just add this spice into your soup or other daily cooking.

* Whenever go for sleep with wet hair because wet hair can be easily breakable. Biotin, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 are the most important ones to get for ensuring new growth and keeping your existing hairs healthy too.

* Avoid stress because it can have on your hair color seriously in long term. Afford to regulate your time and duty to reduce the pressure. Also, you can do meditation.

* Natural hair treatments such as hair oils, masks and creams that you make yourself are effective treatments for troubled hair.

* Pomegranate is another ingredient commonly found in natural hair care products. Back in ancient Rome and Greece, pomegranate was used as medicine but with its organic acids and tannins, it also adds vitality to hair, especially hair that has been colored.

Dizziness Symptoms- Causes- Home Natural Treatments

What is Dizziness? Definition of Dizziness:

Dizziness is caused when the blood pressure drops suddenly. Research concluded that dizziness caused by low blood pressure but not of high blood pressure.
Signs of Dizziness Symptoms:
Common symptoms of dizziness associated with aging include light headedness, unsteadiness, a spinning sensation, giddiness or wooziness.
Dizziness Signs or any similar factors like it can result to different types of causes, like anemia, migraine, hearing loss, motion sickness or even stroke. Proper analysis and diagnosis of this should be a necessity, since dizziness may be a cause of something else other than what was mentioned.

Dizziness Causes:
Dizziness can be caused of psychological, central or neurological, medical and ontological imbalance. And these imbalance can classified into; sensory disturbances - usually loss or imbalance reception of the senses; central or brain disturbances - these can be a dizziness cause by multiple disruptions of blood flow towards the brain, or any other neurological issue. Dizziness causes a lot of assumption and evaluation. It can be a major or minor issue, a chronic disease or just plainly symptom of hearing imbalance. Most of the dizziness problems as reported are due to hearing problem.

Dizziness Prevention Home Herbal Natural Treatments Remedies Cure Care:

1. Place an Ice Pack on the back of Your Neck - This works probably again due to acupressure points

2. Avoid Stress - Try not to let life get you too stressed out which could lead to anxiety or panic attacks. When a situation happens that causes you stress, stop and take several deep breaths and try to focus on something positive in your life.

3. Massage Area Between Your Eyebrows - This is a known acupressure point that helps to relieve dizziness

4. Drink water as much possible and make it a habit.

5. Inhaling Peppermint or Chamomile Oils.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Recipe for tension: Left-of-center values - Human (lower) Rights

Sometimes the invisible is most visible ...

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL
Person
visible - invisible
in the conceptual frame 
Where
is
your
science
now?
'Peace'
the
ultimate
meme?
Discuss.
"Human (lower) Rights"

Image source: Heiko Junge [20/27] Kansas City Star
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/09/2509904/empty-chair-left-for-jailed-chinese.html

Related links:

Recipe: Holistic care - Care pebble turnover*

Recipe II: Holistic care - Care pebble overhere!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Recipe II: Holistic care - Care pebble overhere!

...

WouldBeUser: Well there's no shortage of pebbles, the referrals come thick and fast.

ActualUser: That's why reflecting on that particular pebble is important, turning it - them, their situation over. Asking yourself is there anything I and the team have missed?

WouldBeUser: OK, the beach is still full of them!

ActualUser: Is it the pebble you are trying to see?

WouldBeUser: Ah, of course! Individualised care?

ActualUser: That's right. Nursing, health, social care and in fact good governance everywhere is about seeing the person. Sometimes it isn't easy; but if you pick that person out then you can count the rewards as you would the pebbles on the beach ...

Original image sources - see Recipe I

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Recipe: Holistic care - Care pebble turnover*

WouldBeUser: How can you sum up use of the health career - care domains - model?

ActualUser: Well it's a bit like you are picking and throwing some pebbles on the care plan or game board.

WouldBeUser: What - as simple as that!

ActualUser: Yes, but - NEVER underestimate the value of turning each of those pebbles over and reflecting, sharing...

*Also great for a game of nudge - nudge.

Original image sources:

http://imagecache.artistrising.com/artwork/lrg//4/417/7CV9000A.jpg
http://www.crglass.ca/images/dark%20green%20pebbles.jpg
http://www.crglass.ca/images/dark%20blue%20pebbles.jpg
http://www.crglass.ca/images/red%20pebbles.jpg

Friday, December 3, 2010

Winter Skin Care - Routine Protection Home Remedies

Below freezing temperatures and cold winds, face can take quite a beating during the winter season. Covering your face completely is not a simple task.

1. Cold weather can take its toll on your skin, too, especially if you have dry or sensitive skin. The lower temperatures outside, increased windiness and the fact you are turning up the thermostat in your home can all make your skin flaky, blotchy, chapped, dry and itchy.

2. Use of heavier moisturizer on your hands, feet, elbows and knees.

3. Use a mild cleanser as opposed to soap, which can strip your skin of the essential oils it needs.

4. Continue to drink lots of water to provide the necessary hydration to your skin.

5. Use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or better. Although you may not feel it as much, the sun can be just as powerful when reflecting off the snow or while taking a long walk outdoors as it is on a summer day at the beach. A suitable suggestion is to use a moisturizer or foundation with a built-in sunscreen every day.
6. Layer your clothing when going out in cold. Cold weather dries your skin out faster than when it's warm.

7. If your moisturizer doesn't contain sunscreen, apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 at minimum. Normally recommended SPF30 or higher but since you are less likely to spend an extended amount of time outdoors, SPF15 is sufficient.

8. Be prepared for extra skin care by carry moisturizing cream with you when you are out.

9. Avoid skin care products that contain ingredients that dry out your skin. Such ingredients to avoid would be fragrance oil, alcohol and other harsh un-natural ingredients.

10. Keep your feet hydrated by slathering on a thick foot cream at night and wearing socks.

11. Wear gloves outdoors to protect your skin from the excessive cold. Apply a bit of hand lotion on your hands before you tuck your hands into gloves or mittens.

Healthy Diet Tips to Improve Immune System

Immune system is the best defense against all types of dreaded ills. So let’s build strong immune system together. Here are some brief but really helpful healthy Immune System Boosters Tips for Healthy Lifestyle.

Maximum Use of Herbs:-
Daily drink a cup or two of ginger tea sweetened with honey especially at winter time.
Use of Echinacea capsules, Garlic is also one of the powerful to boost immunity.

Enough Sleep:-
While we sleep, our body heals and strengthens the immune system. Some important factors like hormone levels, clear thinking and reasoning, weight management, healthy skin, mood improvement and glowing, are totally depend on six to ten hours sleep per night.

Onions:-
In winter, airborne germs can make us ill. So, I do not want to advice about to eat onion but just put whole, raw, unpeeled onions in every room of your house may absorb viruses and bacteria that may help prevent flu and the common cold.

Stress, Anxiety:-
Number of positive thinking people easily available, so just spend some time with them for that every week, consume some time for yourself to do an activity for enjoyment, because anxiety and stress has a way of weakening your immunity.

Exercise:-
Right Exercise especially outside in the fresh air are responsible for circulates the lymph fluids which are important for your immune system.

Antioxidants:-
Fresh fruits and vegetables juice act as vital role of antioxidants are important to strengthen the immune system.

Protein:-
Protein forms from antibiotic and hormone-free beef and poultry are for building blocks of healthy cells resulting in wellness of body, mind and an immune boost.

h2cm and clinical equipoise

The past few weeks reading the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice - I've encountered the concept of equipoise: specifically the clinical form.

The Health Career - Care Domains - Model is all about 'poise'.

The model's care domains provides the perfect workout.

Medicine, health and social care constantly exercises us. We are whether or not we recognize it on a balance board. In fact if you consider that image and then factor in the complexity of health care today you realise just how much stuff (technology), how many people (subjects, agents) need to be on that same board. Who does the board belong to though? Well of course it's -

Jo (off-balance, strengths depleted, sick (and tired), prone to relapse, bank poleaxed...) Public's !

The April 2010 issue of the above journal is a fascinating read. I noticed today that some of our placement students were not aware of the recent and current position regarding health policy: that is the 'long view' of decades such as: Health of the Nation, the National Service Frameworks, Darzi ... They need to address that and I'm sure they will.

This journal issue prompts me to consider evidence based medicine anew, especially:
  • How long it's been around - some 20 years.
  • Its occupying the SCIENCES domain, with its weight threatening to overbalance all (you could say it's a significant singularity).
  • The realization that the Emperor is short on clothes.
  • Given the above it can mature. Bogdan-Lovis and Holmes-Rovner (2010)
Back to that board: and stepping onto the health care domains - all four of them so spread your feet - you can see instantly (feel that feedback) how EBM, shared decision making and (person) patient-centered care are all related. As Bogdan-Lovis and Holmes-Rovner (2010) highlight:
Equipoise is the heart of the shared decision making movement, and it embodies the problems for which patient decision aids are most often developed to explain the risks and benefits of competing alternatives. p.377.
h2cm is well suited to this task on so many levels.

The past week or two I've also noticed several mentions of the need to nudge people - here and there - both in the media and in Bogdan-Lovis and Holmes-Rovner's paper and references.

More to follow - and as you step-off take care ....

Wilson, K. (2010) Evidence-based medicine. The good the bad and the ugly. A clinician's perspective. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 16, 398-400.
Bogdan-Lovis, E., Holmes-Rovner, M. (2010) Prudent evidence-fettered shared decision making. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 16, 376-381.

And for the week ahead:
One mind, many minds - ONE PLANET. One need, many needs - ONE PLANET: what price stability?
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/2009/02/one-mind-many-minds-one-planet-one-need.html

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Body Fat and Disease Risk

If your body weight goes up, not just body fat increases, but also the risk of various diseases. That's because the conditions that can make a person old quickly, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and pain, closely related to the presence of excess fat.

In determining the normal weight, you can use body mass index (BMI), which divides weight by height squared. Value exceeding 25 is considered overweight (overweight) and obese if the value exceeds 30. In addition to calculating BMI, you can also measure the fatness of the abdominal circumference. For women, the maximum is 80 cm and 90 cm for men.

In addition to making the body so it is not agile, piles of fat in the body will invite the arrival of the disease. Similar to other body parts, fat tissue also requires oxygen and nutrients from the blood. With the increased need for oxygen and nutrients, then the amount of blood flow throughout the body would have to increase as well. Thus, increasing the risk of high blood pressure.

Excess fat is also associated with increased LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Over time, these blood fat changes had a role in the formation of fatty deposits (plaques) in arteries. This condition is called atherosclerosis which can make your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Diabetes type 2 is also closely linked to being overweight. Excess fat will directly influence the body's ability to balance blood sugar.

In addition to cardiovascular disease, according to Dr. John Tjandrawinata, SpGK from Boromeus Hospital, Bandung, there are several types of cancer associated with being overweight. "In women, such as breast cancer and uterine cancer. While in obese men, a greater risk of pancreatic cancer and biliary stones," he said.

What should be known is weight loss no matter how small would be useful. If you are obese, then lower the weight as much as 10 percent of it will give a positive effect on health.

Slimming, the traditional safer?

Fats, especially when it comes to accumulate in the body is now the enemy of many people. Therefore, all efforts to remove him popular chosen people, both men and women.

Those who want to lose weight but do not bother to exercise and regulate his diet, usually choosing medicine products, herbs, supplements, or slimming drinks.

Most of these products has not been clinically tested. Therefore dr.Johanes Tjandrawinata, Sp.GK, clinical nutritionist from Melinda Hospital Bandung, advised consumers to be more careful in choosing slimming products.

"Herbal or traditional medicines usually have the effect of increasing the frequency of urination and defecation. Hence the weight will quickly come down," he said at a media event education about anti-obesity drug safety in Jakarta, (1 / 12).

The herbs are often used for slimming are usually made from a plant of Dutch identity, yellow or saffron. Community because many are choosing herbal medicine made from natural ingredients that are safe for consumption.

Besides herbs, other products which have a way of working is similar to the herbal slimming green tea beverages. About this drink, dr.Johanes believes virtually all types of tea are able to reduce body fat.

"Research in Japan shows tea contains ECGC, an antioxidant that can increase metabolism and inhibit the formation of fat cells. Therefore, basically all types of tea can reduce body weight, origin consumed without sugar," he said.

Although most people think herbal and traditional medicines have fewer side effects than chemical drugs, but dr.Johanes said in the long term, traditional medicine can also cause side effects.

"Products that how it works out fluid can interfere with kidney and inhibited blood circulation," he said. He therefore suggested that users of medical herbs in advance to know the materials used clearly and regularly to check kidney.

What needs to be understood, according to him, that weight loss efforts is not a short process but the long term. "It can not be instant. Is not obesity is also a result of a long process?," He said. Enterprises should weight loss is holistic, ranging from setting diet, exercise, behavior modification, and medication, if needed.

Tips for Dealing with Picky Eater Toddlers

Dhea instantly shut his mouth when Lusi (31), his mother, thrust the spoon which contains rice with vegetables spinach. However, 3-year-old girl was happily eating rice with fried sausage after the mother remove vegetables from his plate.

According to Louise, her daughter every day, just want to eat if given a side dish of fried sausages or eggs alone. "He immediately went on hunger strike if given the vegetables. And I had to outsmart so vegetables do not look," said the woman who is a lecturer of this.

Feeding in children under five is often a problem for parents. Many children against their parents when it comes to food and diet. Children who have difficulty eating or just ask the same types of foods such as Dhea is also called the picky eater. The children in this category are quite a lot, almost 50 percent.

Difficulty eating, according to Dr. Aryono Hendarto, Sp.A (K), most often experienced by children at the age of 1-5 years. "At this age children are usually very active and are happy to explore the surroundings. Therefore, no child likes eating activity because it is considered boring," said a doctor who is usually called Ari.

A survey showed that most children are picky eaters only eat mashed foods they like porridge (27.3 percent) and have kesulitah chewing and swallowing (24.1 percent). However, children picky eaters at age 2-3 years, in general, just like a certain food types.

Although the general experience of children under five, Dr. Ari confirmed that difficulty eating is not just a stage of growth. "There are many factors that affect why kids so it's hard to eat, for example because the child had a disease that does not have appetite to eat or because of psychological factors," said a doctor from the Division of Child Nutrition and Metabolic FKUI / RSCM Jakarta.

In seeking the causes of child feeding difficulties, according to Dr. Ari, there are some things parents need to be evaluated, for example, whether the number and amount of food that was given in accordance with the needs of children. "The size of the stomach of each child's different backgrounds, we should not force children to spend an excessive portion," he said in the event parenting workshops on nutrition for children hosted by Abbott Nutrition in Jakarta some time ago.

Parents also need to explore the character of children. For example, if the child including a difficult temperament or whether the parents have created a suitable environment. In addition, parents should also be sensitized on child hunger and satiety. "If just one hour to drink milk, it was clear he was still satisfied when told to eat," he explained.

When children do not eat well, they probably will not get the portion of the nutrients it needs so that it can have an impact on growth. Even so, parents should not give the wrong treatment to the child. "Forcing children to eat will only make things worse," added Dr Tjin Wiguna, Sp.KJ (K), a child psychiatrist.

He explained that, if parents want to develop eating properly, parents should first set an example for his son. "How can kids like vegetables if their parents never ate vegetables or bad comment on vegetables," he said.

Parents are also expected to create a comfortable environment, not in a hurry, and without pressure. "Children are also entitled to make choices like eating anything. Throughout healthy, meet only the demand for children," said Dr. Tjin.

Such as milk supplementation in children difficult to eat, according to Dr. Ari, okay if the child has a growth disorder, such as less weight. "Keep in mind that the supplement is not a substitute for daily meals. Children still need to be taught good eating habits," he said.

To find out the nutritional adequacy diasup children, parents can see from the chart the growth of the child's weight. "If within three months of weight infants do not go up, then indeed he is short of nutrients," he said.

HIV Transmission from Mother to Infants always increase

HIV transmission from mother to infant tends to increase steadily over the increasing number of women with HIV in Indonesia. Although the prevalence data of HIV transmission from mother to baby is still limited, but the trend of transmission will continue to rise because the number of HIV positive pregnant women tend to increase.

Thus disclosed Deputy Assistant Regional Development of the National AIDS Commission Good Rahmat Prabowo in discussion "The Importance of Providing Access to HIV / AIDS Prevention of Mother to Child (Prevention-Mother-To-Child-Transmission/PMTCT-)" which was held in Bandung Frisian Flag Indonesia , on Wednesday (01/12/2010).

Good explains, from about 4.5 million pregnancies in Indonesia every year, an estimated 25 percent raises risk of HIV transmission from mother to baby. Estmasi This can be seen from the HIV screening data obtained from PMTCT services.

"Data in 2008 showed that the number of pregnant women who test for HIV as many as 5167 people, of which 1306 (25%) of them HIV positive," he said.

Good adds, until 2008, has been available PMTCT services to 30 services are integrated in the MCH services (antenatal care). PMTCT programs have also been adopted by several institutions of society, especially for outreach and expand access to PMTCT services.

Increased number of HIV positive pregnant women, continued Good, makes the need for PMTCT services will increase. Based on the results of projections and modeling of the HIV epidemic, the number of positive pregnant women who need PMTCT services will increase from 5730 persons in 2010 to 8170 people in 2014.

On the same occasion, Dr. Reni Ghrahani of Allergy Immunology Division Staff Section of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Padjadjaran states, prevention becomes very important because every pregnant women with HIV / AIDS to their babies at risk of transmitting 25 to 45 percent. The risk of transmission when the mother has appeared in a state of pregnancy, during childbirth until later when breastfeeding their babies.

"Poor people's knowledge related to transmission and prevention of HIV / AIDS to make Indonesia as the fastest country in the spread of HIV / AIDS in Asia. The worse the condition of the mother, risk of transmission to infants will increase. The process of delivery by Caesarean section and do not give milk to babies from mothers with HIV / AIDS can reduce the risk of transmission to 35 percent, "he said.

Meanwhile, Corporate Communications Manager Frisian Flag Indonesia (FFI) Anton Susanto, confirms it is committed to improving nutrition and public health, especially children.

For this reason, the FFI has commenced involvement in the partnership program to provide access to HIV prevention from mother to child (PMTCT) in Bandung since March 2009. FFI has teamed up with the KPA, Bandung, West Java Commission for Health (KUJBS) and several nongovernmental organizations to help the PMTCT program through the provision of counseling and monitoring support to mothers with HIV / AIDS.

"We are aware that in several countries has shown that preventive action through PMTCT programs can reduce the risk of transmission rates significantly," he said.

For his support of the PMTCT program in Bandung since two years ago, FFI receives award from Bandung City Government. Award presented by Mayor Dada Rosada coincide with World AIDS Day.

Know the Risk of Prostate Cancer Through Finger

There is no simple formula to determine who will have problems in the prostate. Therefore, many doctors recommend that men over the age of 40 years of a medical examination the prostate.

Another way to determine the risk of prostate cancer, at least according to research published in Brisith Journal of Cancer, is to look at differences in finger length. It is said that men who have a longer index finger than ring finger, lower risk for prostate cancer.

Finger length is already formed before the baby is born and is influenced by sex hormones in the womb. The fetus is exposed to the hormone testosterone more less will have size index finger is longer and were protected against prostate cancer later in life.

"The results of this research may someday be used as a screening tool to be combined with other risk factors, such as genetic testing and history in the family," says Professor Ros Eeles, researchers from the University of Warwick and the Institute of Cancer Research, UK.

The study adds evidence of previous studies that mention the link between the influence of hormone balance in the fetus with the disease who may suffer in the future. It is not impossible if the will of the pregnant women can do in ways of prevention of cancer risk in prospective baby.

Even so, the men who have a shorter index finger does not need to worry because prostate cancer is more influenced by the age factor. The older the age of a man, the higher the risk of having prostate problems.

When to Keep Slimming Drugs?

Obesity and all its complications can reduce the quality of life, ranging from limitations of motion, decrease in self-confidence, until the risk of various diseases.

Obesity is a state of excessive accumulation of body fat so that weight well above normal and could endanger health. Body mass index or body mass index (BMI) has been recognized as a method in determining the level of overweight and obesity.

BMI is obtained by dividing weight (kilograms) by square of height (meters). Someone said to overweight if his BMI values over 25 and is obese if his BMI over 30.

The problem of obesity is classified as chronic and difficult to control. "Obesity is a disease with a genetic factor and a major health problem. The increase in body weight after the drug was stopped, also show obesity is a chronic disease, like hypertension," said dr. John Chandrawinata, MND, Sp.GK.

That is why, the management of obesity are also long term. However, during this penananganan identical to the reduction of obesity which is considered torture eat so often fail.

"The condition of obesity is the result of long-term. Therefore, it is also handling the long term," he said at an event about the security of anti-obesity medication that Clinic Nutrition Medical Association held in Jakarta (1 / 12).

Ideally, obesity therapy is done by setting a healthy diet, behavior modification, and exercise to increase energy expenditure.

Assisted drug
Sometimes the patient also needs the help of medical drugs that have proven its safety. The use of obesity drugs for people who already have a certain criteria, such as BMI values over 30 and adapted to the patient's disease history.

However, according dr.Johanes enough patients IMT was not yet 30 but already have prescription weight loss medication. "There are people who are not included obesity, but already experienced in abdominal fat deposition. It is also dangerous," he said.

Weight loss drug circulating in Indonesia are of two types, namely a central work by suppressing appetite and increasing satiety and drugs that work in the gut by inhibiting the absorption of nutrients.

In determining the type of drug to be used, the doctor will see indications and kontraindikasinya. "Drugs actual weight loss, including prescription drugs. Therefore, it can not be careless consumption," said dr.Johanes.

Also of note are patients with drug side effects. Obesity drug that works at the nerve center such as class subutramine now withdrawn permission orbit since proven to cause interference with the heart.

Slimming drug alert

Obesity is a scourge, not only for women but also men. Apart from the obvious appearance, in terms of health has been proven that obesity is detrimental to health. That's why many people do various efforts to reduce excess weight.

In addition to prescription drugs that have been proven medically, commercially available various supplement products, herbal medicine and traditional medicine to reduce excess weight. Although there is no scientific evidence, these products claim to be able to shed fat fast. The extent to which security products?

"Slimming supplements, such as type of fat burner, usually contain caffeine high. In high doses, these supplements can disrupt heart rhythms and cause hypertension," said dr.Johanes Chandrawinata, Sp.GK, from the Association of Physician Nutrition Specialist Clinic Indonesia.

John looking, most outstanding slimming supplement product sold under price expensive but not really effective weight loss. "If it's effective, why are not sold as a prescription drug whose price is definitely more expensive?," He asked.

He urged the public to be careful in choosing slimming products. "Avoid taking drugs, herbs or supplements that have diuretic side effects or increase urination and defecation. The product type that is rapidly losing weight, but drained of body fluids and blood flow to vital organs is interrupted," said a doctor from RS.Boromeus Bandung this.

If used in the long term, these drugs can cause heart and kidney disorders.

Weight loss drug circulating in Indonesia and already approved the current POM is a class of Diethylpropion and Orlistat. Both are clinically proven safe for long-term use.

Previously circulated also anti-obesity drug sibutramine group but since October 2010, POM suspended the marketing authorization of this drug after several international scientific journals publish research results about the side effects of these drugs that can cause strokes and heart problems.

Age and Sex Male Ability Decrease

When you are twenty years of age, you probably never thought about the difficulty to get an erection. But when your age has crept past the number 40, desire and sexual ability you may not be as good as before.

Physical changes and decline in social ability has been mostly due to decreased levels of the hormone testosterone gradually. The decrease of hormones that also affect the energy, strength, muscle and fat mass, bone density and sexual function.

What are the sexual problems faced by middle-aged men?

- In the mid-50s, a man needs physical stimulation and psychological longer to be ready and able to have sex. Even so, in fact strongly influenced men's sexual desire of health and habits than her age. A healthy and fit man normally will remain ready and excited to old age.

- Along with age, a man may take longer to get an erection and maintain it.

- At age 20, your erection occurs in real-time and hard as wood. But now your penis is sometimes weak and limp. The changes were normal. All you need to do to prevent it is to maintain fitness with exercise to keep blood flow smoothly, including to the penis area.

- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Many of us know that the best way to avoid STDs is to remain faithful to one partner. But if you secretly have multiple partners and not using a condom, maybe you will suffer from diseases that are transmitted through sexual intercourse. Some common diseases, genital herpes, syphilis, chlamydia, hepatitis, or HIV.

Bursary applications - 17th Oxford Workshop on Evidence-Based Practice

Dear Colleagues,

The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine is offering three free bursary places on the -

17th Oxford Workshop on Teaching Evidence-Based Practice.

Applicants will need to cover their travel and accommodation costs.

All applicants should send a covering letter with their application (which can be downloaded at www.cebm.net) detailing their current involvement with Evidence-Based Practice and outlining what they would do with the knowledge gained on the workshop. Applicants should also enclose a current C.V..

All applications should be sent to me at the address at the bottom of this email. Closing date for applications is 31st March 2011.

I should be grateful if you would disseminate this email to any and all interested parties.

The 17th Oxford Workshop on Teaching Evidence-Based Practice will be held 5th - 9th September 2011 at St. Hugh's College, Oxford, UK and is aimed at clinicians and other health care professionals, including those involved in mental health, who already have some knowledge of critical appraisal and experience in the practice of evidence-based health care and who want to explore issues around teaching evidence-based medicine.

There will be two main themes running throughout the workshop:

Teaching will be addressed through the exploration of different educational models for teaching evidence-based practice and identification and discussion of issues of pedagogy, curriculum design development and maintenance. The aim will be to promote the teaching of evidence-based health care at your home institution.

Personal Development will be addressed by offering guidance and help in extending and advancing participants' existing critical appraisal and teaching skills.

All good wishes,

Olive

Olive Goddard
Centre and Editorial Manager
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
Department of Primary Health Care
Old Road Campus, Headington
Oxford, OX3 7LF

............................................................
email: olive.goddard AT dphpc.ox.ac.uk
 www.cebmh.com

My source: CEBMH-MEMBERS AT JISCMAIL.AC.UK

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Rhinos, evidence based medicine and 'out-reach'

It would be be marvellous to be able to introduce h2cm to the nursing, health and social care communities in Asia, especially China. According to Flag Counter just two visitors. There are the good - effective ways of doing that and the not so good. How the following measures up I'm not sure...

Working in health we are surely aware of the need to base what we do on evidence. Although nurses are not necessarily independent as the patient advocate. Advocacy is still an important part of the nursing role and one requiring specific advice in some instances.

Earlier this month a Guardian article related the ever more precarious position of the South African rhino and how claims about the curative properties of rhino horn as a medicine fuels poaching. The UK is nowhere near South Africa or China so what gives? What gives is the Planet, the tiger too and the biosphere in general. Apparently rhino horn is just compacted keratin and has no medicinal properties.

Nurses tend to be a green, ecologically minded group and the best source of change comes from within. It is never easy to change the beliefs of others, especially when your culture venerates its elders. Belief also remains a powerful factor in health. Despite this do nurses not have a duty to challenge beliefs that are wrong, to educate their communities?

What price true literacy: spiritual, 3Rs, ICT, health, environmental ....?

There must be a way for nurses to unite on this - 
across cultures, borders, digital barricades, politics, beliefs ....

As we make a difference individually with patients and carers ... collectively can we extend our reach to other communities too? While there's still time - and we try not to bite our nails.

Interesting and clearly ironic in the UK that after a generation public health is to have a new service with a return to the local authorities.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Health Tips and Facts – Whiplash

What is Whiplash? Whiplash is also known as acceleration flexion-extension neck injury and soft tissue cervical hypertension injury.

It is a serious injury which is most often underestimated and frequently occurring in car accidents.

Whiplash Symptoms Signs Side Impact:-

Muscle spasms ,Neck pain, Blurred vision, Tenderness, along the back of neck, Headaches, Inability to move the neck properly, Tenderness in the back of the neck, Muscle spasms, Tiredness, Tinnitus, Neck swelling, Tingling sensation or numbness in the hands and arms, Pain in the lower back area, Dizziness, Difficulty in swallowing, Vertigo.

Whiplash Causes Risk Factors:-

Assault, Sports injuries, Slip and fall accidents, Child abuse, Amusement park rides, repeated stress injuries.

Whiplash Treatments:-

Chiropractors may have knowledge in how to ease pain in back through a type of massage. Always make sure your chiropractor has all the correct qualifications and is recommended by your GP before booking an appointment.

Physiotherapists may be able to encourage quicker healing of the injured muscles through massage and other forms of therapy. Again, always make sure they are properly accredited and qualified to deal with your injury.
Osteopaths are an alternative therapy specializing in treating back and neck pain.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Buller and Butterworth: Skilled nursing practice - four domains?

The health care domains model identifies four domains within health and social care and medicine. What evidence is there to support the model's inclusion of:

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

- plus the spiritual within and without? Steve Buller and Tony Butterworth undertook a ethnographic study in 2001 'Skilled nursing practice - a qualitative study of the elements of nursing'. With skilled nursing practice at the center (Fig. 5.) they identified:

relating and communicatingdoing the job
being professionalmanaging and facilitating

There is some overlap, reflection arises in relating and communicating and doing the job. Overall however there is a definite correspondence between these domains and those within h2cm - the health care domains conceptual framework. I have equated being professional with the SOCIOLOGY domain as for the authors this includes being with patients, conveying confidence, handling situations, being informed. Managing and facilitating is undoubtedly POLITICAL with supervising, auditing, making sure things get done. Doing the job - is based upon planning, informing, assessing, intervening, and being confident (with equipment, procedures, manual dexterity..?).

Having been thinking and writing about h2cm for many years it is a shame that other models have benefitted from funding and gain "ward and community (research) cred" while here evidence is retrofitted. Looking at the paper just in the decade since submission and publication I wonder which elements remain local, and where other elements of the skills base (care concepts) have migrated to ethnographically?

Steve Buller, Tony Butterworth (2001) Skilled nursing practice — a qualitative study of the elements of nursing. Int. J. of Nursing Studies. 38, 4, 405-417.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Wonk - and the comprehensive health record

As the future unfolds the day will emerge when a 'wonk' - that is, "someone meant to know everything" (Prospect Magazine, Dec 2010, p. 19) is realised in software (or in a termin-ological mix with some "I'll be back" hardware).

The Internet is already envisaged as a giant global graph - a vast intelligence. The health care domains model provides a framework - a graph - to capture what someone or some group of people know about a situation. Policy, practice and values are often rightly based and measured against ideals. In health (and social-) care the comprehensive health record is the ideal. Throw information technology into the mix and you have an ideal of Platonic proportions.

Can you have a complete and ongoing record and still work smart and Lean?

I don't wonk, do you?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Before you measure ....

Fitness-to-work tests to be reformed after criticism

- you check your tools:

You calibrate, validate and balance ...

strengths - weaknesses
functional - diagnostic
humanistic - mechanistic
individual - group
purpose - policy
practice - process
physical - emotional
person centred - policy centered
sad (?) - (you will be -) happy


Additional links:
How to assess happiness? A tale of three measures
WWF: Manifesto - The Politics of Happiness
Frank Furedi: Why the ‘politics of happiness’ makes me mad

Monday, November 22, 2010

Call for Papers for the European Design 4 Health Conference 2011 + 6th CIPED


Lab4Living at Sheffield Hallam University is pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the  
European Design 4 Health Conference 2011. The conference will be held at Sheffield Hallam University from 13 - 15 July 2011, Sheffield, UK.

The conference will provide a platform for dialogue between designers, healthcare professionals, funding bodies, researchers and users. Submissions to the conference are invited, in the following forms:
Abstract submissions: extended abstracts that address the conference themes.
Exhibition proposals: exhibits of innovative artefacts or systems that make significant progress in design for health.
Visit www.design4health.org.uk . Join the conference mailing list for regular updates.

6º CIPED - Congresso Int. de Pesquisa em Design (6th CIPED - Int. Congress of Research in Design)

- to be held at the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, October 10-12, 2011:
An Agenda for Design. More details will be provided later, just keep the dates free!

Professor Peter Lansley, BSc, MSc, PhD, MCIOB, FCOT
Director, KT-EQUAL – Knowledge Transfer for Extending Quality Life
School of Construction Management and Engineering, URS Building,
University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 219, Reading, RG6 6AW, UK

p.r.lansley at reading.ac.uk www.sparc.ac.uk (and my source).

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Beauty of Diagrams: Vitruvian Man BBC Four

Tomorrow a new six part series begins on BBC Four.

Diagrams, conceptual frameworks and cognitive spaces have driven my interest in models of care and h2cm for decades:

1996 Peter attends 'Thinking with Diagrams' Colloquium, IEE, Savoy Place, London. 18 Jan BCS-SGES et al.
Professional Group C4: Digest No: 96/010
Chronology

I also maintain a diagrams listing on the sciences domain listing, suggestions welcome.

So, really looking forward to this!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Health Tips-Carrot Juice Benefits

Carrot is universal vegetable for juicing. Use Carrot juice at young age it’s actually beneficial for health. Carrot juice has a number of wellbeing effects. An imperative element in an infant’s up bring can be found in the vitamin A of carrot juice. Drinking carrot juice is thought to be extremely beneficial for the liver due to Vitamin A's cleansing effects.

Vitamin A reduces bile and fat in the liver. Carrot juice has anti-carcinogen properties. Carrot juice is best ingested in the afternoon because of the burst of energy that always follows.

Carrot Juice Contained Vitamin E also, which appears in three forms, known chemically as alpha-, beta-, and gamma-tocopherol, and commonly known as the vitamin E complex.
It is also believed to have cancer-curing properties. A carrot and milk juice is the ideal vitamin A source for infants and can in no case lead 10 the risk of the child having too much A.

Carrot juice is like a tonic. It will improve the overall health of you and your child, and increase immunity. Drinking carrot juice, as well as eating carrots, is thought to be especially beneficial for prenatal health. Beta-carotene that forms into Vitamin A is said to be very healthy for both mother and child.

Beta carotene is an anti-oxidant, and thus it prevents cell degeneration. Anti-oxidants also slow down the ageing process. Another fruit which is an excellent anti-oxidant is the berry. It can be taken alone, or combined with other fruit and vegetables juices.

Carrot Juice Benefits:-
It applied daily is great for uneven skin tones due to blemishes and pigmentation.
Helps prevent cancer.
Low blood pressure can be helped by consuming parsley, capsicum and garlic juice.
It acts as an anti-inflammatory and revitalizes and tones the skin.
If it applied on blemishes regularly helps them to fade away.

Headache Types Causes

Health Care Tips Facts

Headache Types:-
Red wine headache, Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, Toxic headache, Ictal headache, Brain freeze, Thunderclap headache, Spinal headache, vascular headache, Coital cephalalgia, Hemicrania continua, Rebound headache, Hangover.

Here is a list of things that can cause one of those badly painful headaches that make you want to end your suffering for good.

1. A Train Horn being honked within 10-15 feet of you.
2. Writing all day.
3. Staring at a computer screen all day under fluorescent lighting.
4. Playing too much video game.
5. Watching too much television.
6. Reading all day.
7. Sleeping in room full of dust, mold, rust, or signs of asbestos.
8. Talking too much on your cell phone or falling asleep on the phone.
9. Eating too much ice cream.
10. Not eating anything all day.
11. Dealing with incessant baby cries.
12. Temperature changes in the air.
13. Exposing you to headphones and speakers for a long period of time.
14. Going to a heavy metal concert.
15. Getting hit in the head hard.
16. Too much caffeine.
17. Suffering from a brain tumor.
18. being cross-eyed.
19. Getting hit in the head or body frequently.
20. Lack of sleep.
21. Painting for too long of a period with toxic paints.
22. Smoking too many cigarettes.
23. Standing on your head for too long.
24. Driving for way too long.
25. Singing in concert for hours on end.
26. Sniffing intoxicating gases.
27. Being exposed to harmful gases and chemicals.
28. Being trapped in a shopping mall with loud, annoying teenagers.
29. Being confined to cell walls.
30. Taking prescription medications.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

9 Potions Overcome Hepatitis

9 Potions Overcome HepatitisIf not addressed, inflammation of the liver which is popular with the name of hepatitis can cause death. Hepatitis is an inflammatory process in liver tissue. The disease is more commonly known as liver disease or jaundice. However, the term jaundice can lead to confusion because not all jaundice caused by inflammation of the liver.

Of the many factors, the virus that was ranked first as the cause of most disease hepatitis. Others may be caused by bacteria, parasites, drugs, chemicals that damage the liver, alcohol, worms, or too poor nutrition.

By DR. Dr. Julitasari Sundoro, based on the course of the disease, hepatitis can be divided into acute and chronic. Called chronic hepatitis is still there after six months. There are five types of viral hepatitis, namely hepatitis A (VHA), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV or non-A non-B parenteral), viral hepatitis D (VHD), and viral hepatitis E ( vhe or non-A non-B enteric). In addition to some virus, now there's even a virus that causes hepatitis AE F and G.

Prof. H. Ali Suleiman, Professor of Medicine Faculty of medicine, says that people with hepatitis who have been in the prodormal phase (before the body becomes yellow), usually experience symptoms of weakness, tired, lethargic, no appetite, nausea, vomiting, feeling uncomfortable and pain in the abdomen, fever and sometimes chills, headache, pain in the joints, stiffness in the whole body, especially hips and shoulders, and diarrhea. Sometimes people like to colds and cough with or without sore throat.

When you have reached the phase of yellow (jaundice), the patient will see a yellow urine is concentrated, such as tea. In addition, the whites of the eye ball, the mucous membrane of the palate, and skin turned yellowish. And when there are barriers to the flow of bile into the intestine, feces will pale as putty (stool acholis).

Symptomatically
However, not all hepatitis have symptoms, as already mentioned. There are people with hepatitis with no symptoms at all or maybe only with mild symptoms, and there are really serious in a short time later terminated death.

If so, we must be careful. Besides always used to lead a healthy lifestyle, do regular checks to the doctor. If it was known to suffer from liver disease, usually the doctor will give medicine.

Treatment by doctors, according to Dr. Setiawan Dalimartha, generally symptomatic, ie, to relieve symptoms of diseases that arise other than as a therapy that helps the continuity of liver function.

The drugs are generally hepatoprotector (protects liver cells against the effects of toxic substances that can damage the repair and regeneration), lipotropik (increasing mobility of fat in the liver), Kholeretik (increasing the production of bile by the liver), and kholagogum (improves gallbladder emptying and running it into the duodenum).

Medicinal plant materials to assist in the improvement of liver function is usually hepatoprotective. Materials that include curcumin can be obtained from ginger and turmeric, filantin from meniran, silymarin from widuran, aukubin of leaf spoon, glycyrrhisic acid from the saga, essential oils of garlic, krisofanol of rhubarb, gingerol from ginger, wedelolakton of urang -aring, andrographolide from bitter, and sianidol of tannic substances.

Some Examples Potion
Many medicinal herbs recipes, one from Dr. Setiawan Dalimartha, useful for improving liver function. Some of them are presented because the materials are easily obtainable. However, patients should still consult your doctor when using these recipes:

Remedy 1
Material
- One finger sticks brotowali
- Three glasses of water
- One tablespoon honey
How to Make
Wash brotowali stem and cut into pieces as needed. Boil three cups of water until the remaining one cup. Once cool, strain and add a spoonful of honey. Drink twice a day, each half a glass.

Potion 2
Material
- 9-15 grams of dried stem bugenfil
- Three glasses of water
- One tablespoon honey
How to Make
After cleaning, cut the stems thinly bugenfil. Enter your email in a pan while plus three glasses of water. Boil until the water remains one glasses. Once cool, strain. Drink filtered water after the added honey. Water filter is taken twice a day, morning and afternoon, each half a glass.

Potion 3
Material
- A handful of fresh leaves of bitter melon
- One cup of boiled water
- Salt to taste
How to Make
Wash bitter melon leaves and rinse with boiled water. Beat until smooth leaves with a plus one cup water. Stir until evenly distributed and add a little salt. Strain the herbs and drink in the morning before eating.
Note: This recipe should not be used when being pregnant because it can cause miscarriage.

Remedy 4
Material
- Two ripe tomatoes
- Sugar to taste
How to Make
After being washed, cut-cut tomatoes to be juice. However, if they do not have the tool, the fruit can be boiled with water to taste. After boiling, pulverized or milled, then squeezed. Add the juice of sugar a little bit and then taken twice a day.

Potion 5
Material
- Three or a handful of ripe noni fruit noni skin
- A piece of banana leaf
- A piece of cloth
- Vinegar to taste
The way I
Noni fruit are washed and rinsed with boiled water. Grate and peraslah with a piece of cloth. Juice drink.
How II
For external use, noni skin finely ground and then mixed with a little vinegar. Wrap the mixture with banana leaf. Heat briefly over a fire or steamed. In the circumstances, warm, attach the packing in the upper right abdomen, where the liver is swollen and sore.

Remedy 6
Material
- One tablespoon papaya seeds
- Three fingers mengkal papaya fruit
- Honey to taste
How to Make
Papaya seeds and blend until smooth or mashed seeds while the fruit is grated. The dough will serve as an added honey to taste, then drink.
Note: Pregnant women are forbidden to drink this concoction because it can cause miscarriage.

Potion 7
Material
- Fresh carrot taste
How to Make
Carrots cleaned and washed with boiled water. Trim as needed and make into juice. Can also be shredded carrots and the results are squeezed, and then filtered to collect up to one glass. Carrot juice can be drunk directly.
Note: Most eating carrots can cause skin color to yellow. When that happens, stop drinking potions for a while. Skin color will return to normal.

Remedy 8
Material
- Two fingers of fresh ginger rhizome
- Honey to taste
How to Make
Peeled ginger rhizome, and then washed clean. Rinse with water boiled and then shredded. Add half a cup of warm water and a tablespoon of honey. Stir evenly then squeeze and strain. Drink filtered water a day two times a day.

Potion 9
Material
- One finger turmeric
- One tablespoon honey
How to Make
Turmeric rhizome is washed and shredded. Add a little water on the grater. Grater then filtered and add honey. Drink three times a day.

Want to Know Savor Ants Nest?

Want to Know Savor Ants Nest?Ant nests with Myrmecodia pendans scientific name, which comes from iron wood parasite has many benefits for human health. These ants nest serves as a remedy various diseases, of the stamina enhancer, until the cancer is said there is no cure.

According Suhirman, one of the agents, ant nests have a chemical compound that can help healing quickly. "Ant nests were actually parasite, because in it there is a kind of labyrinth so live ants. In it there is substance flavonoids and Tanin. Flavonoids are useful for cancer prevention, if good tannins for curing diseases," he said when met Kompas.com Suhirman at Flower Festival 2010 Flower Market Raewa Belong, West Jakarta, on Thursday (04/11/2010).

The disease can be cured by ant nests, among others, various types of cancer and tumors, coronary heart disease, ambient, tuberculosis, lupus, stroke, and increase male stamina. According Suhirman, the healing process through an ant nest is relatively quick, about 7 days.

"If hemorrhoids, cancer stage 1 or 2 so most take 3-5 days in a row has begun to heal. But if the heart is leaking or has stage 4 cancer that took much longer. Can a week or week and a half," he said.

To consume, this ant nest must be boiled first. Water the stew and then drunk. Within a day, ant nest must be taken 2 times, morning and afternoon. "If that is so hard-boiled 2 tablespoons powdered ant nest mixed 3 cups of water. If that is still intact, boil a handful of ant nests are also mixed with 3 cups water. Ngak cold or hot drink anything," explained Suhirman.

Ant nests can be found in two types, and dry powder. "If that had been shredded bu uk, if the dry roasted. But both are equally potent, is not no different," explained Suhirman.

The price of plastic the size of ant powder 0.25 kg to Rp 150,000. Meanwhile, a roasted ant nest worth about Rp 200,000 per pack.

Although relatively expensive, Suhirman say that these ant nests can be boiled up to many times. "It can be boiled up to 10 times as possible. Just as long as the result of concentrated decoction is still colored semutnya nests can be boiled again. But then after boiling the water is somewhat clear meaning can not be boiled again, should be replaced new ants nest," explained Suhirman.

Urine Test for Early Detection Renal Failure

Urine Test for Early Detection Renal FailureAcute kidney failure occurs when the kidneys lose their ability to quickly dispose of waste products from blood. If untreated, this condition can be fatal. Unfortunately, the disease is often asymptomatic. Usually the new doctor asked if a blood or urine is suspected kidney failure.

In research published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the scientists said they had found a marker (marker) in urine that indicate specific diseases Acute renal failure. With the urine test is expected disease can be detected early, can even be prevented.

Research shows that urine samples from mice and humans who suffer from acute renal failure have elevated levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and mRNA (prints for synthetic proteins). In other words, genes that encode MCP-1 and mRNA will be active if the patient suffered from acute renal failure.

Using the new method, scientists can also indicate changes in the protein (known as hitones) that activates genes that produce MCP-1.

Previously, blood and urine tests conducted to determine the presence of abnormal levels of waste products normally removed from the blood. The existence of excessive protein in urine is a common sign of damage to the kidney nephrons.

Why Baby Dont Stop Cry

Why Baby Dont Stop CryThere are many reasons why babies cry, but mainly because he wanted to communicate the needs or discomforts felt. Whether because his diaper is full, the body heat, pain, fear, and others.

Not a few parents who are overwhelmed by the baby's constant crying. They difficulty soothing the baby to get back to sleep soundly. In order for the baby calmed down and did not cry again, parents should meet their basic needs, namely:

1. Is your baby hungry or thirsty? Try to remember the last time when he was fed breast milk or eat solid foods (complementary foods). After breast-fed or given solid foods, generally infants who hunger or thirst for calm.

2. Does your baby swelter or cold? Make sure the baby clothes that are suitable for the weather at that time. Feel free to telon oil rubbed on during cold weather, air-conditioning was turned on when the air temperature was hot.

3. Check your baby's diaper, may be replaced by full-time so that makes him uncomfortable.

4. Is your baby tired? Try to comfort her and make the atmosphere of calm so that he can sleep.

5. Does your baby feel scared / frightened? Try to hug and make eye contact so that it comfortably. Avoid excessive teasing or let it linger picked up a stranger.

6. Does your baby have symptoms of colic, or hiccups? Try to position the baby on your shoulder and gently rub or pat his back to burp.

7. Does your baby is teething? Usually the appearance of teeth accompanied by fever and makes him uncomfortable. Measure the temperature and provide heat-lowering drugs if needed.

8. Does your baby feel bored? Try to do the game "-a-boo", a walk to find a new atmosphere, reading stories, and others.