Wednesday, May 21, 2008

News media in the United Kingdom are reporting that a boy under the age of 18 was served with a court summons by City of London Police because he held a placard calling Scientology a “cult” at a peaceful protest on May 10. Human rights activists have criticized the decision to issue the 15-year-old the summons as an affront to freedom of speech, and representatives for the City of London Police force explained the actions of the police.

Individuals from the group Anonymous were protesting Scientology in the fourth protest in as many months, as part of the anti-Scientology movement Project Chanology. The Project Chanology movement began when the Church of Scientology attempted to get a leaked Scientology promotional video featuring Tom Cruise removed from websites YouTube and Gawker.com.

Members of Anonymous were motivated by the actions of the Church of Scientology, and bombarded Scientology websites and were successful in taking some of them down. Anonymous later changed tactics towards legal measures, and held international protests against Scientology on February 10, March 15, April 12, and most recently May 10.

At the May 10 protest, the 15-year-old boy was present and held up a placard which stated: “Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult,” with a mention at the bottom of the sign to the anti-Scientology website Xenu.net. He attended the protest held outside the Church of Scientology building on Queen Victoria Street, near St Paul’s Cathedral in London. In a post made by the boy on the anti-Scientology website Enturbulation.org, he stated: “Within five minutes of arriving I was told by a member of the police that I was not allowed to use that word, and that the final decision would be made by the inspector.” The website describes itself as “A Source for Information on Dianetics and the Scientology Organization”. Using the pseudonym “EpicNoseGuy” at the Enturbulation.org message board, the boy goes on to describe how he was “strongly advised” by police to remove the placard.

City of London Police cited section five of the Public Order Act 1986 to the boy, which deals with “harassment, alarm or distress“. In response, the boy cited a 1984 judgment given by Mr. Justice Latey in the Family Division of the High Court of Justice of Her Majesty’s Courts of Justice of England and Wales, in which Latey called Scientology a “cult” and said it was “corrupt, sinister and dangerous”. In the actual 1984 judgment made by Judge Latey, he stated: “Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious. […] In my judgement it is corrupt, sinister and dangerous. […] It is dangerous because it is out to capture people, especially children and impressionable young people, and indoctrinate and brainwash them so that they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living and relationships with others.” According to the boy’s post at Enturbulation.org, the City of London Police told him he had 15 minutes to remove the sign in question. He was given a court summons by the police about a half-hour later, and his sign was removed and taken by the police as evidence.

I am going to fight this and not take it down because I believe in freedom of speech.

In videos of the May 10 protest posted to YouTube, City of London Police can be seen telling protesters not to use the word “cult” in their signs. Protesters discussed the issue with police and stated that they had checked with lawyers and verified that criticizing religion was a valid form of protest. The police warned protesters that if they violated police instructions regarding usage of signs “you will be prosecuted”. A female police officer read a form statement to the 15-year-old and stated: “I’ve been asked, if you could remove it [the sign] by 11:30, if not then I’ll have to come back and either summons you or arrest you.” The boy read Mr. Justice Latey’s 1984 judgment to the police, and then said: “I’m not going to take this sign down.” He told fellow protesters: “If I don’t take the word ‘cult’ down, here [holding up his sign], I will be either, I think, most likely arrested or [given] a summons. I am going to fight this and not take it down because I believe in freedom of speech, besides which I’m only fifteen.”

After the boy was given a summons one of the protesters asked a member of the City of London Police force: “Are we allowed to say Justice Latey says Scientology is a cult?”, to which the police officer responded: “I’ve already had this discussion with people. Direct quotes by individuals, I haven’t got a problem with.”

This barmy prosecution makes a mockery of Britain’s free speech traditions.

“This barmy prosecution makes a mockery of Britain’s free speech traditions. After criminalising the use of the word ‘cult’, perhaps the next step is to ban the words ‘war’ and ‘tax’ from peaceful demonstrations?” said Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti in a statement in The Guardian. The boy has appealed for help in order to fight the potential charges and possible legal action from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Ian Haworth of the United Kingdom-based Cult Information Centre also commented on the actions of the City of London Police to The Guardian, saying: “This is an extraordinary situation. If it wasn’t so serious it would be farcical. The police’s job is to protect and serve. Who is being served and who is being protected in this situation? I find it very worrying.”

News of the summons issued to the UK minor has received significant attention on the Internet, hitting the front pages of websites Slashdot, Digg, and Boing Boing on Wednesday. The story has also been discussed in hundreds of blog postings, including sites related to the tech-sector and others related to civil liberties.

City of London police had received complaints about demonstrators using the words ‘cult’ and ‘Scientology kills’ during protests against the Church of Scientology on Saturday 10 May.

In a statement given to publications including The Guardian and The Register, a representative for the City of London Police explained the rationale for the summons: “City of London police had received complaints about demonstrators using the words ‘cult’ and ‘Scientology kills’ during protests against the Church of Scientology on Saturday 10 May. Following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service some demonstrators were warned verbally and in writing that their signs breached section five of the Public Order Act 1986. One demonstrator, a juvenile, continued to display a placard despite police warnings and was reported for an offence under section five. A file on the case will be sent to the CPS.”

“City of London Police upholds the right to demonstrate lawfully, but we have to balance that with the rights of all sections of the community not to be alarmed, distressed or harassed as a result of others’ actions,” said City of London Chief Superintendent Rob Bastable in a statement given to The Register and The Daily Telegraph. Unlike the City of London Police, the Metropolitan Police Service (the territorial police force responsible for Greater London excluding the City of London) has not raised an issue with protesters using the word “cult”, according to Londonist.

… if we receive a file we will review it in the normal way according to the code for crown prosecutors.

A spokesman for the CPS told The Guardian that they did not give City of London Police specific instruction about the boy’s protest sign. The spokesman said that the CPS gave the City of London Police “general advice” about the laws governing protests and “religiously aggravated crime”, but did not give advice about this specific case. “… if we receive a file we will review it in the normal way according to the code for crown prosecutors,” said the CPS spokesman.

The City of London Police has faced controversy in the past for its close association with the Church of Scientology. When the City of London Scientology building opened in 2006, City of London Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley praised Scientology in an appearance as guest speaker at the building’s opening ceremony. Ken Stewart, another of the City of London’s chief superintendents, has also appeared in a video praising Scientology. According to The Guardian over 20 officers for the City of London Police have accepted gifts from the Church of Scientology including tickets to film premieres, lunches and concerts at police premises. Janet Kenyon-Laveau, spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology in the UK, told The Guardian that the relationship between the City of London Police and Scientology was mutually beneficial, and said that Scientologists conducted clean-up campaigns in urban areas affected by drug use problems. A City of London Police spokesman released a statement in November 2006 saying: “We are conducting a review to ensure that all members of staff are aware of the force policy on accepting hospitality and to assess whether clarification or amendment of this policy is necessary.”

Each of the Project Chanology international protests against Scientology has had a theme: the February protest called attention to the birthday of Lisa McPherson, who died under controversial circumstances while under the care of Scientology, the March protest was arranged to take place two days after Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard‘s birthday, the April protest highlighted the Church of Scientology’s disconnection policy, and the May protest highlighted the Scientology practice of “Fair Game” and took place one day after the anniversary of the publication of Hubbard’s book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Another international protest is planned for June 14, and will highlight the Church of Scientology’s elite “Sea Organization” or “Sea Org”.

 This story has updates See No prosecution for UK minor who called Scientology a ‘cult’ 

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Posted in Uncategorized

Sunday, August 21, 2005

A robotic system at Stanford Medical Center was used to perform a laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery successfully with a theoretically similar rate of complications to that seen in standard operations. However, as there were only 10 people in the experimental group (and another 10 in the control group), this is not a statistically significant sample.

If this surgical procedure is as successful in large-scale studies, it may lead the way for the use of robotic surgery in even more delicate procedures, such as heart surgery. Note that this is not a fully automated system, as a human doctor controls the operation via remote control. Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is a treatment for obesity.

There were concerns that doctors, in the future, might only be trained in the remote control procedure. Ronald G. Latimer, M.D., of Santa Barbara, CA, warned “The fact that surgeons may have to open the patient or might actually need to revert to standard laparoscopic techniques demands that this basic training be a requirement before a robot is purchased. Robots do malfunction, so a backup system is imperative. We should not be seduced to buy this instrument to train surgeons if they are not able to do the primary operations themselves.”

There are precedents for just such a problem occurring. A previous “new technology”, the electrocardiogram (ECG), has lead to a lack of basic education on the older technology, the stethoscope. As a result, many heart conditions now go undiagnosed, especially in children and others who rarely undergo an ECG procedure.

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How Do You Measure a Chainsaw Blade and Chain?

by

Cullen BlakemanIs your chainsaw starting to seem dull and not perform as well? Looks like it’s time to replace the chain. In order to do this, you will need to know the length of both the chainsaw blade as well as the length and size of your chain. If you’ve checked out the manufacturers’ charts, they might seem a little overwhelming. But it really is pretty simple once you understand what’s involved in the length of the blade and chainsaw chain.

When you’re ready to replace your chain, the first thing to do is determine the size of your chainsaw bar. If you happen to have an Oregon chainsaw, this should be easy. Just check the first two numbers of the ten-digit model number that is stamped on the motor end of the blade. That’s your chainsaw bar length.

Don’t have an Oregon chainsaw that easily shows you the length of the blade? Then here are some tips for figuring it out yourself.

How To Measure Your Chainsaw Blade

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGxo3VtWlSw[/youtube]

You may wonder how do you measure a chainsaw blade. To determine what size your chainsaw blade is, you need to measure starting from where the bar comes out of the casing all the way to the end of the bar.

To eliminate any confusion, the words “blade” and “bar” are both used interchangeably to refer to the same thing … the long metal blade that extends from the motor casing and holds the chain that does the actual sawing.

For all manufacturers, chain saw blades are made in 2-inch measurements. Although the most often seen are the 16-, 18- and 20-inch sizes, you can actually buy chainsaw blades as small as 10 inches or as long as 42 inches. If your blade measurement doesn’t end in an even number, then round up to the nearest one.

Measuring A Chainsaw Chain

To measure the chain on your chainsaw, there are two things you will need to know … the number of drive links and the pitch of the chain.

The number of drive links actually determines the length of the chain. A drive link is simply a tooth on the chain. The pitch of the chain will also affect the size of the drive links.

The pitch of a chain is the size of the chain. This is the distance between any three rivets, then divided by two. Your chain pitch is important because it must match the pitch of the drive sprocket and sometimes the bar nose sprocket. The pitch should be stamped on the drive link.

To be more specific, a 1/4″ pitch chain might have 52 drive links and be 2.17 feet in length, while a 3/8″ pitch with 52 drive links would be 3.18 feet in length. The number of drive links has a direct correlation to the blade length.

If you have any questions, the manufacturer of your chainsaw or anyone who makes chains should be happy to help you figure out what you need to know.

But if you know what size

chain saw blade

or

chainsaw chain

you need and are eager to buy a replacement, check out the huge selection and good deals at ChainsawDeals.com

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eArticlesOnline.com}

Posted in Clothing

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Visual art, fabric art, photography, performance, dance, virtual reality, and music were all the subject of sessions at Furnal Equinox 2018, a conference held from March 16 to 18 at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle. Canada’s largest furry convention by attendance, the annual event offers dozens of subculture-specific programs.

The convention’s communications and public relations coordinator for the event, Ronnie, describes furries as “people that enjoy arts and culture centred around animals and animal-themed topics, essentially. Furnal Equinox in particular, we like to celebrate in a very visual and very […] artistic nature, where we have lots of arts and performances and crafts that go on, and people celebrate with lots of socialisation involved.”

Of the attendees, Ronnie told Wikinews “they come from all walks of life. They are people of all ages, sizes, all sorts of backgrounds, and they come together under one mutual interest, which is their love for animal culture.”

“Programming at Furnal Equinox involves[…] a lot of informational panels, so you can find out about topics from art and how to draw, or how to visually incorporate different elements into your artworks. You can also find panels that teach you how to write better, be a better fiction author for example,” explained the event representative.

At one panel Wikinews attended, members of its all-volunteer organising committee spoke of the year-long process of planning the event, and their reasons for committing such a significant amount of their time. Said one panelist, “if you’re happy, we’re happy.”

The largest hub of activity at the convention was a dealer’s room; nicknamed the “Dealer’s Den”, giving it an anthropomorphic twist. Vendors were selling original visual art, wearables like faux fur tails or ears, or things like jewellery or soap with motifs that would interest attendees.

The back area of the room was dedicated to a charity auction, with proceeds benefiting Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary. According to the convention website, the charity is “dedicated to rescuing abused, neglected, and abandoned farmed animals. Their goal is to provide a safe, life-long home for all of their residents, and to educate the public about the true nature of farmed animals through tours, volunteer programs, and community outreach.”

Split into groups, some attendees played “Fursuit Games” in front of an audience, like trying to toss a ball into a garbage can. The activity made harder, of course, by the limited dexterity and vision the most of the costumes entail.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Treasury Department secretary Timothy Geithner and the Obama administration are pressuring Congress to allow the government to seize troubled financial institutions such as insurance companies and investment firms. Currently, banks are the only such entities that the government has authority to take over.

Speaking before the House Financial Services Committee, Geithner said “The United States government does not have the legal means today to manage the orderly restructuring of a large, complex non-bank financial institution that poses a threat to the stability of our financial system.”

Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) agreed, saying, “When non-bank major financial institutions need to be put out of their misery, we need to give somebody the authority to do what the FDIC can do with banks.”

Geithner would work with the White House and Federal Reserve to execute any such takeovers.

The expanded powers would have allowed the seizure of companies such as pariah AIG, which has already received US$180 billion in government aid. The recent controversy over the payment of bonuses has bumped up the plan to high priority. It was initially to have been part of a more comprehensive overhaul by the government of the financial regulatory system.

Not all are happy with the proposal. Republican House minority leader John Boehner derided the plan, saying it would be “an unprecedented grab of power.”

Maxine Waters (D-CA) criticised the government for its lack of transparency in dealing with the current crisis, and questioned Geithner on whether firms such as Goldman Sachs had received preferential treatment by the government. Such probing may indicate reluctance on the part of Congress to grant the expanded powers.

Other than simply taking over a firm, the government would also be able to purchase its assets, guarantee losses, and take out a partial ownership interest.

“It is a terrible, tragic thing that this country came into this crisis with such limited tools for trying to protect the economy itself from the kind of distress that would come as the system came back down to Earth,” Geithner summarized.

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Symptoms and treatment of VitaminD deficiency.

by

Dr Jawad Amjad

TABLE OF CONTENT

Vitamin D

Basic facts about Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency

UVB-related deficiency

Medical/physical condition-related deficiency

UV lamp in Vitamin D formation

Vitamin D as a treatment or prevention of different conditions

Vitamin D… Did you know?

Useful Links – Support Groups

References

Disclaimer

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones. It obtained its name after the discovery of the antiarthritic effect of cod liver oil in the early part of the 20th century. The vitamin found in cod liver oil was designated “D” following Vitamin A, B and C, which had been discovered earlier.

Basic facts about Vitamin D

The metabolism of Vitamin D

The metabolism of vitamin D in the human body can be summarized as illustrated in the figure below,

The two major biologically inert precursors of vitamin D are vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) [1,2]. Vitamin D3 is formed when 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin is exposed to solar ultraviolet B (UVB, 290-320 nm), and then converted to previtamin D3. In a heat-dependent process, previtamin D3 is immediately converted to vitamin D. Excess UVB transform previtamin D3 into biologically inactive metabolites, tachysterol and lumisterol. Vitamin D2 is plant derived, produced exogenously by irradiation of ergosterol, and enters the circulation through diet [3].

Both vitamin D precursors resulting from exposure to the sunshine and the diet are then converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] ( calcidiol) when they enter the liver [4]. 25 (OH)D is the major circulating form of vitamin D and is used to determine vitamin D status. In order to be biologically active, additional hydroxylation in the kidneys is needed to form active 1,25- dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] (calcitriol) [5].

Sources of Vitamin D

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd9vik5MG3w[/youtube]

In general, humans obtain vitamin D through dietary intake and exposure to sunlight. A list of vitamin D content in different sources is shown in Table.1,

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D status

Vitamin D deficiency occurs when people do not have an appropriate dietary intake or exposure to UVB rays. It is universally accepted that the circulating level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH)D, produced in liver) should be used as an indicator of vitamin D status due to its ease of measurement, long half-life in circulation (approximately 2 or 3 weeks), and the correlation of its level with clinical disease states [3,6,7]. Different vitamin D status is shown in table.2

How much vitamin D do we need?

In 1997, the institute of Medicine of the US National Academy of Sciences recommended new adequate intakes for vitamin D as 200 IU for children and adults up to 50 years of age, 400 IU for adults 51 to 70 years of age, and 600 IU for adults 71 years of age or older [8]. However, a great number of researches revealed that without adequate sun exposure, children and adults require approximately 800 to 1000 IU per day [9-12] .

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency has already become a largely unrecognized global epidemic. Several studies showed that 40 to 100% of U.S. and European elderly men and women still living in the community (not nursing homes) are deficient in vitamin D [15]. In Europe , where very few foods are fortified with vitamin D, children and adults would appear to be at especially high risk [16-18]. A study of middle aged British adults showed that 60% are vitamin D insufficient, and the number rose to 90% during winter and spring [19].

Causes of vitamin D deficiency

There are many causes of vitamin D deficiency. Generally, they can be divided into two groups: UVB-related deficiency and medical/physical condition -related deficiency as figure.2 shows below:

UVB-related deficiency

The elderly

The elderly, due to the decreased presence of skin 7-dehydrocholesterol which is the precursor for UVB synthesis of vitamin D, are particularly at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, reduced mobility or institutionalization that discourages sun exposure, reduced renal production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D as well as decreased intake of fortified foods pose great difficulties in vitamin D formation in body [20,21].

Dark skin

People with dark skin have great amounts of melanin in their epidermis. Melanin competes with 7-dehydrocholesterol for absorption of UVB photons. Therefore, people of color are less efficient in producing vitamin D than are whites. It is reported that a person with skin type 5/6 (dark skin) requires 10-50 times the exposure to sunlight to produce the same amount of vitamin D as does a white person with skin type 2/3 [22]

Season, latitude, and the time of day

It has been known that ozone layer can absorb UVB radiation above 290 nm which is responsible for generating previtamin D3. Zenith angle, defined as the angle of the sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface, decides the thickness of ozone layer which sunlight needs to penetrate. The thicker the ozone layer is, the fewer amounts of UVB photons can reach the earth, thus few previtamin D3 can be produced. Zenith angle is dependent on factors such as time of day, season of the year, and latitude. Thus those factors have great effect vitamin D production [23,24]. For example, residents of Boston (42 N), Edmonton, Canada (52 N) and Bergen, Norway (61 N) can not produce sufficient quantities of vitamin D in their skin for 4, 5, and 6 months, respectively [25].

Sunscreen users

Sunscreens can efficiently absorb UVB radiation. This dramatically prevents the interaction of UVB with 7-dehydrocholesterol, the process of previtamin D3 generation. It has been shown that when used properly, a sunscreen with an sun protection factor of 8 reduces the production of previtamin D3 by 95%, and 99% by a sun protection factor of 15 [26,27].

Medical/physical condition-related deficiency

Fat malabsorption

As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D requires the presence of dietary fat in the gut for absorption. Certain pathological conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, surgical removal of part of the stomach or intestines are associated with fat malabsorption thus leads to vitamin D deficiency. For example, cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffer from pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. This result in malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D. CF patients, depending on the degree of exocrine insufficiency, absorb approximately 50% less vitamin D compared with what normal people absorb [28].

Anticonvulsant use

Anticonvulsants, also called antiepileptic drugs, have been used to treat epileptic seizures and bipolar disorder. It is well recognized that long-term use of some antiepileptic drugs, including phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine and antimicrobial agent rifampicin ( RIF ), can result in osteomalacia [29-33]. The induction of the catabolism of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D from these drugs is thought to contribute to this deleterious side effect.

Chronic kidney disease

In order to become biological active vitamin D, the kidneys play an important role in the transforming process. Chronic kidney disease such as patients with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease, as well as those requiring dialysis, are unable to make enough 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D which has a direct effect in inhibiting parathyroid hormones expression [34,35]. Thus 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 intake is needed to maintain calcium level in blood as well as control parathyroid hormones levels.

Obesity

It has been known for a long time that obese people are prone to be vitamin D deficient since they have lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D level [36-39]. A number of studies proved that vitamin D3 precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin of obese people were not significantly different from non-obese people [40, 41]. One explanation was that the subcutaneous fat, which is known to store vitamin D, sequestered more of the cutaneous synthesized vitamin D, which results in less release of vitamin D from the skin into the circulation in the obese subject than non-obese subject [42].

UV lamp in Vitamin D formation

Why and how a UV lamp can help boost vitamin D (fundamental theory)

Ultraviolet (UV) rays are electromagnetic waves with wavelength of between 400nm and 10nm. UV can be divided into three components according to wavelength: UVA (320-400 nm), UVB (290-320 nm), and UVC (100-290 nm). They have different skin penetration, and generate different biological effect.

UVB plays a key role in vitamin D formation. It is absorbed by the epidermal layer, where the highest concentration of 7-dehydrocholesterol exist. Th e absorption of UVB in the epidermal layer , as is shown in figure.1, is marked as the first step of vitamin D formation process. UV lamp irradiates UVB thus has the same effect of vitamin D production as sunshine (see figure.3). One advantage of UVB exposure in formation of vitamin D is that UVB exposure does not result in excessive production of vitamin D, which causes risks of intoxication. This can be explained that the previtamin D3 that is formed and the thermal isomerization product vitamin D3 that does not go into the circulation , absorb UVB radiation and isomerize to several photoproducts which have little activity on calcium metabolism [43].

The efficiency of UVB in boosting Vitamin D

Several studies have proved the effect of UV lamp in boosting vitamin D content. For example one study on elderly living in residential nursing home showed that daily exposure to UVB radiation from UV lamp can help improve vitamin D status [44]. Another 12-week investigation conducted in nursing home demonstrated that a few minutes per day of UVB irradiation generated the same effect of oral vitamin D3 intake [45]. For people who can not absorb vitamin D supplement efficiently, UV lamp has been proved as a good alternative to keep (maintain) vitamin D status. A recent study using UV lamp in treatment of vitamin D deficiency , resulted from cystic fibrosis (CF) showed that serum 25(OH)D level increased from 21 ng/ml to 27 ng/ml over 8 weeks (figure.4) [46].

Choice of wavelength

It has been found that optimum wavelength for the production of vitamin D was between 295 and 300 nm. This narrow range is sometimes referred to as D-UV [47]. One concern associated with this waveband is the erythema effect, which is result of cell irritation and destruction caused by ultraviolet radiation. In UVB region, the wavelength between 290 and 297 nm has the greatest erythema effect on human body with a steep decrease above 297 nm [48]. Therefore UVB tube with spectrum feature of minimal irradiance from 290 to 297 nm should always be chosen in treating vitamin D deficiency.

Generally, there are two types of UVB tube for medical purpose s : UVB-broadband and UVB-narrowband. Compared with UVB-broadband, narrowband is a relatively new development. Nonetheless it is now used widely in UK , continental Europe, and increasingly in the USA [49,50]. The great advantage of narrowband over broadband is that it covers less erythema area than the latter. Thus in theory narrowband is safer to human body than broadband.

Vitamin D production

The production of vitamin D depends on three factors: UV lamp power output, exposure duration, and body exposure area (see figure.5). In theory, the higher the power output, the longer the exposure duration, the larger the body exposure area, the higher vitamin D production.

With power output and exposure duration, UV radiation can be calculated. Limitations should be put on this parameter for safety considerations . Minimal erythema dose (MED) is defined as the minimum amount of UVB radiation that produces redness 24 hours after exposure. It is used when using UVB to treat psoriasis in order to minimise the potential for developing erythema. Thus UVB radiation should not exceed one MED, in other words, exposure (treatment) duration should be well controlled.

Vitamin D as a treatment or prevention of different conditions

Vitamin D deficiency has been found in a serial of diseases. The long-known examples include osteoporosis and osteomalacia, in which cases vitamin D deficiency results in Ca malabsorption. More recently, vitamin D deficiency is associated with a wider range of conditions such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes to name a few. Although whether vitamin D deficiency is the direct cause of these conditions needs further investigation, yet vitamin D supplementation provides as a good prevention or treatment of these diseases. Table 3 summarizes the usage of vitamin D in major conditions. More conditions can be found in the scale bar in figure.5

Particular target groups – People who can not take vitamin D orally

As it can be seen from Figure.1, vitamin D can either be taken from diet in Gastrointestinal Tract (GI Tract) or formed by interaction with sunlight in skin. However, people with abnormalities in their GI tract can not absorb vitamin D through GI as it is illustrates in figure.6. Thus a UV lamp, which can help the formation of vitamin D through skin, is their major source of vitamin D.

These conditions include:

* Gastric bypass surgery

* Inflammatory bowel disease

* Bowel resection

* Cystic Fibrosis

Gastric bypass surgery

Gastric bypass surgery (GBP) is used to treat severe obesity. As the rate of obesity continues to rise in recent years, the demand for this surgery continues to increase. In GBP, the sites of duodenum and proximal jejunum, which are the preferential sites for the absorption of calcium, are bypassed. The remaining small intestine can only absorb calcium through a less efficient mechanism. A number of studies showed that people who underwent GBP suffered from calcium and vitamin D deficiency which resulted in decreased bone mass [92] and more seriously, osteomalacia [93-95]. It is reported that gastric bypass patients who don’t take regular vitamin D supplementation consume only about 50% of the recommended daily requirements of vitamin D [96]. Recent study, however, showed that this deficiency can not be corrected by standard multivitamin supplementation. This can be explained as oral supplementation can not be absorbed efficiently as GI tract can not function properly. Therefore UV lamp provides an alternative in keeping normal level of vitamin D

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine and small intestine. Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the two major types of IBD. Vitamin D deficiency and decreased bone mineral density are highly prevalent in IBD, especially CD [97]. One study showed that the risk of hip fracture was increased by 86% in patients with CD and by 40% in patients with UC [98]. An updated investigation reported that malabsorption of vitamin K and D is probably the cause of decreased bone mineral density, which increases the risks of fracture [97]. Even dietary intake of these vitamins was above the adequate intakes in IBD patients, the deficiency still exists. This suggests that supplement could not be a good option of correcting vitamin deficiency in IBD. In this case, a UV lamp holds a promising implication by boosting vitamin D content relying on skin instead of bowel.

Bowel resection

A bowel resection is a surgical procedure in which a part of the large or small intestine is removed. Research revealed that vitamin D deficiency is common (38.1%) in patients with small intestinal resection and was accompanied by increased marker of bone resorption and decreased bone mineral density. UV lamp has been used in treating vitamin D deficiency in patients after undergoing bowel resection. It proved that UVB radiation is more efficient in improving vitamin D in treating a patient with only 2 feet of small intestine remaining after 2 bowel resections [99].

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the UK ‘s most common life-threatening inherited disease. CF affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus. Osteoporosis and fracture are common in children and adults with CF. Despite oral supplements (400 to 800 IU daily), vitamin D deficiency is also common and is associated with sever demineralization at the lumbar spine and hip. Thus oral supplementation may not be an effective way of maintaining normal vitamin D stores in CF [100]. As it is in bowel resection, UV lamp has also been used for boosting vitamin D and demonstrated as an excellent alternative.

Want to find out more information on Vitamin D? Download our research booklet on Vitamin D here

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Friday, February 26, 2010

According to a government official, at least 26 people were killed in a stampede on Thursday at a historic mosque in the northwestern city of Timbuktu, Mali.

“There were 26 killed and 40 wounded,” Oumar Sangare, the Internal Ministry spokesman, told Reuters. However, other news agency reports put the death toll as low as fifteen.

An official, who requested to remain anonymous, said the accident could have begun as a result of renovation work on the Djingareyber mosque—which is made primarily of mud, and was built in the fourteenth century. Construction work blocked off some of the roads, and that could have been a factor in the incident. “The mosque is being renovated, financed by the Aga Khan, and the work is carried out by South African specialists,” the official told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.

“Because of these renovations, the passage on the north side of the mosque is closed off. On that side, to get through, the faithful found an improvised alleyway. But the alley couldn’t take the number of people using it. So there was a stampede. Somebody shouted ‘someone has died’ and panic took over,” the same official went on to say.

Others have remarked that rescue services responded “very quickly” to the stampede, and helped the “many injured.”

The Xinhua news agency reports the stampede started when an elderly woman fell in one of the town streets near the city’s main mosque, where a sermon was being conducted in front of a large crowd; a passersby then rushed to assist the woman, apparently disrupting the crowd’s movement and causing the stampede.

“People were circling the mosque, a ritual at each Mouloud [the observance of the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday] and there was a huge crowd build up,” commented Mohamed Bandjougou, one of the witnesses to the event, to AFP by telephone. “There were at least fifteen dead. The bodies were taken to the morgue.”

Authorities warned the number of injured may actually be higher than reported, saying that “we cannot rule out the fact that the number of those injured will increase because some of them are still hiding in their homes instead of coming to the hospital.” A hospital source commented that some of the people hurt were in critical condition, and needed to be evacuated to the capital, Bamako, as soon as possible.

The mosque’s imam, who gave his name as Asseyuti, commented on the incident. “We’re in mourning. What happened is a real trauma. We accept the will of God. He gives us life, he takes it away,” he said.

According to an official statement, Malian president Amandou Toumani Toure is traveling to Timbuktu from Bamako in light of the stampede.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=At_least_fifteen_dead_after_stampede_at_Mali_mosque&oldid=3295080”
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Sunday, August 5, 2012

The following is the ninth in a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2012 presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after a brief mention of some of the month’s biggest stories.

In this month’s edition on the campaign trail: the rules of third party candidate polling are examined, a third party activist causes four other parties to lose their place on the Illinois presidential ballot, and the new vice presidential nominee of the Justice Party speaks with Wikinews.

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Actor Matt Smith will be the next to portray the Doctor on the BBC television program Doctor Who. Smith will be the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor, taking over from actor David Tennant who will end his time with the series after filming four editions of the program through 2009. The Doctor comes from a race of Timelords, and has the ability to “regenerate” and change appearance when his health is failing. William Hartnell was the first actor to play the Doctor, from 1963–1966. Smith will become the new occupant of the Doctor’s time machine and spacecraft the “TARDIS” in 2010.

David Tennant will be a very hard act to follow, but I’m optimistic that the new Doctor will be just as good.

John Harper, founder of the Scarborough and Ryedale Astronomical Society and a fan of the series, called the decision to cast 26-year-old Smith in the role “wonderful”. MP for Scarborough Robert Goodwill, also a fan of the program, told the Scarborough Evening News: “David Tennant will be a very hard act to follow, but I’m optimistic that the new Doctor will be just as good.”

He is possibly going to be one of the best Doctors we’ve ever had.

Matt Smith, 26, portrayed researcher Danny Foster on the political drama Party Animals, which aired on BBC Two in 2007. Fellow actor Andrew Buchan from Party Animals told The Guardian: “It’s a sublime bit of casting. He’s got that huge hair, a twinkle in his eye — Matt’s the king of geek chic. He is possibly going to be one of the best Doctors we’ve ever had.”

After a back injury got in the way of Smith’s goal of becoming a footballer, his drama teacher Jerry Hardingham at Northampton School for Boys encouraged him to pursue acting. Though Smith did not audition, Hardingham cast him in a school production of the play Twelve Angry Men. Hardingham later convinced Smith to join the National Youth Theatre, and he landed the lead role in the play Murder in the Cathedral, performing before members of the British Royal Family and other VIPs at the Westminster Cathedral.

David Tennant, 37, has portrayed the Doctor on Doctor Who since taking over for Christopher Eccleston in 2005. A major feature of his character’s stories involved a romantic interest in his companion in the TARDIS, Rose, played by actress Billie Piper.

Tennant announced his exit from the program on October 29, 2008, at the National Television Awards in the United Kingdom, during his speech accepting the outstanding drama performance award at the program. Doctor Who was recognized with the award for most popular drama program.

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“I love this part, and I love this show so much that if I don’t take a deep breath and move on now I never will, and you’ll be wheeling me out of the Tardis in my bath chair,” said Tennant in his address to the audience in attendance at the Royal Albert Hall. He was previously recognized at the National Television Awards for his role in Doctor Who with the award for most popular actor, in 2006 and 2007.

Tennant is currently performing the lead role in Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and his engagement at the Novello Theatre in Westminster, London is set to end on January 10. He portrayed Hamlet 60 times with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon prior to the production’s move to London.

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