Hi, Mommy.

...I'm your baby. You don't know me yet, I'm only a few weeks old. You're going to find out about me soon, though, I promise.

Let me tell you some things about me. My name is John, and I've got beautiful brown eyes and black hair. Well, I don't have it yet, but I will when I'm born. I'm going to be your only child, and you'll call me your one and only. I'm going to grow up without a daddy mostly, but we have each other. We'll help each other, and love each other. I want to be a doctor when I grow up.

You found out about me today, Mommy! You were so excited, you couldn't wait to tell everyone. All you could do all day was smile, and life was perfect. You have a beautiful smile, Mommy. It will be the first face I will see in my life, and it will be the best thing I see in my life. I know it already.

Today was the day you told Daddy. You were so excited to tell him about me! ...He wasn't happy, Mommy. He kind of got angry. I don't think that you noticed, but he did. He started to talk about something called wedlock, and money, and bills, and stuff I don't think I understand yet. You were still happy, though, so it was okay. Then he did something scary, Mommy. He hit you. I could feel you fall backward, and your hands flying up to protect me.

I was okay... but I was very sad for you. You were crying then, Mommy. That's a sound I don't like. It doesn't make me feel good. It made me cry, too. He said sorry after, and he hugged you again. You forgave him, Mommy, but I'm not sure if I do. It wasn't right. You say he loves you... why would he hurt you? I don't like it, Mommy.

Finally, you can see me! Your stomach is a little bit bigger, and you're so proud of me! You went out with your mommy to buy new clothes, and you were so so so happy. You sing to me, too. You have the most beautiful voice in the whole wide world. When you sing is when I'm happiest. And you talk to me, and I feel safe. So safe. You just wait and see, Mommy. When I am born I will be perfect just for you. I will make you proud, and I will love you with all of my heart.

I can move my hands and feet now, Mommy. I do it because you put your hands on your belly to feel me, and I giggle. You giggle, too. I love you, Mommy.

Daddy came to see you today, Mommy. I got really scared. He was acting funny and he wasn't talking right. He said he didn't want you. I don't know why, but that's what he said. And he hit you again. I got angry, Mommy. When I grow up I promise I won't let you get hurt! I promise to protect you. Daddy is bad. I don't care if you think that he is a good person, I think he's bad. But he hit you, and he said he didn't want us. He doesn't like me. Why doesn't he like me, Mommy?

You didn't talk to me tonight, Mommy. Is everything okay?

It's been three days since you saw Daddy. You haven't talked to me or touched me or anything since that. Don't you still love me, Mommy? I still love you. I think you feel sad. The only time I feel you is when you sleep. You sleep funny, kind of curled up on your side. And you hug me with your arms, and I feel safe and warm again. Why don't you do that when you're awake, any more?

I'm 21 weeks old today, Mommy. Aren't you proud of me? We're going somewhere today, and it's somewhere new. I'm excited. It looks like a hospital, too. I want to be a doctor when I grow up, Mommy. Did I tell you that? I hope you're as excited as I am. I can't wait.

...Mommy, I'm getting scared. Your heart is still beating, but I don't know what you are thinking. The doctor is talking to you. I think something's going to happen soon. I'm really, really, really scared, Mommy. Please tell me you love me. Then I will feel safe again. I love you!

Mommy, what are they doing to me!? It hurts! Please make them stop! It feels bad! Please, Mommy, please please help me! Make them stop!

Don't worry Mommy, I'm safe. I'm in heaven with the angels now. They told me what you did, and they said it's called an abortion.

Why, Mommy? Why did you do it? Don't you love me any more? Why did you get rid of me? I'm really, really, really sorry if I did something wrong, Mommy. I love you, Mommy! I love you with all of my heart. Why don't you love me? What did I do to deserve what they did to me? I want to live, Mommy! Please! It really, really hurts to see you not care about me, and not talk to me. Didn't I love you enough? Please say you'll keep me, Mommy! I want to live smile and watch the clouds and see your face and grow up and be a doctor. I don't want to be here, I want you to love me again! I'm really really really sorry if I did something wrong. I love you!

I love you, Mommy.

Every abortion is just…

One more heart that was stopped.

Two more eyes that will never see.

Two more hands that will never touch.

Two more legs that will never run.

One more mouth that will never speak.

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^ People getting themselves tested for diabetes and hypertension at T alkatora Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

With lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension posing a huge health risk to India, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday said the government is planning to screen over five crore (50 million) people for these ailments before September.

"The WHO and UN has taken note of the gravity of diabetes and hypertension. We will screen five crore persons before September 2011 when UN General Assembly will hold a special session to discuss means and measures to control these diseases," he said, after inaugurating a camp to screen slum-dwellers in Delhi for lifestyle diseases. "We all are concerned about non- communicable diseases which become cause for 50 percent total deaths in the country.

It has been learnt that cancer and diabetes are going to affect our country badly," Azad said. The camp is a part of government's initiative to launch a major drive for free screening of diabetes and hypertension in 100 select districts and 33 cities with more than 10 lakh population.

There are 5.1 crore diabetic patients in India, the second-most in the world after China. More than 30 lakh people around the world die due to diabetes every year. In India, 1.75 lakh people died due to diabetes in 2005 and the number is likely to touch 2.36 lakh in 2015.

Azad also said a pilot project costing Rs.1,230 crore to control cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and stroke in 100 districts of 21 states and urban slums in 33 cities has been approved. "Under the pilot project, a cardiac care unit at cost of Rs.1.5 crore will be established at 100 district hospitals," he said, adding centres for non-communicable diseases will also come up at 100 district hospitals and 700 other places for diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and stroke.

Each district hospital will be provided Rs.50,000 for medicines, Azad added. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who was also present on the occasion, said the campaign has been focused on slums as the population there has poor access to health facilities for the treatment of such life-long conditions. "The statistics on diabetes and high blood pressure are alarming.

The government is committed to contain damage of such diseases at the earliest, so that the diseases may not become fatal," she said. According to sample survey done by government, the prevalence of diabetes is around 10 percent in urban adults and 3.5 percent in rural adults.

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Taking minimal invasive surgical procedure to another height, Manipal Health Enterprises (MHE) made announcement about the launching of the Manipal Vattikuti Institute of Robotic Surgery (MVIRS) in Bangalore on Monday.

Dr. H Sudarshan Ballal, Medical Director, Manipal Hospital, stated that in Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS), the computing machine transforms the medical doctor's efforts that are then executed on the sufferer by the robotic surgical system.

The robotic surgical system is specifically designed to flawlessly replicate the movement of the medical doctor's hands with the tips of micro-instruments.

The novel technology assists to triumph over the preceding restraints of minimally invasive surgical operation where in place of directly moving the instruments, the operating surgeon had to make use of a computer console to control the instruments linked to various arms of the robot.

"The system cannot make decisions on its own, nor can it perform any movement or manoeuvre, without the surgeon's direct input, so at all times during the surgery, the robot is guided by and under the direct supervision of the surgeon," Dr. Sudarshan said.

Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS) can be utilized for different kinds of surgical procedures, from urology to surgical procedures of cancers comprising prostate, kidney, oral cavity, intestine, uterus and cervix.

Reconstruction of pelvic organ prolapse, congenital abnormalities of kidney, ureter and bladder, exclusion of uterus for benignant illness can also be conducted with the assistance of this novel technique.

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More than 300 resident doctors strike work at Aiims

More than 300 resident doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims) went on a relay hunger strike late on Monday evening. The resident doctors are demanding reinstatement of a senior resident from the department of neurosurgery, who was accused of molesting an eight-year-old boy admitted in the hospital ICU in January this year.

The hospital’s internal inquiry report and Delhi police’s investigation had found nothing conclusive against the accused doctor. The doctors on strike have said patient services will not be hit in any manner.

“We will continue till our demand for justice to the doctor is not met, “ said Dr Debjyoti Karmakar, president, resident doctors association.

Doctors want tainted colleague back

Doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have found a new way to express their anger and thoughts regarding the 'injustice' happening at the medical institute. At one end, one can find a large number of pamphlets around the campus area which talk about the 'faulty' examinations that happen every year in each department, while on the other hand, more than 100 doctors from the institute are protesting on Monday to get their colleague back, who was charged with a case of sexual harassment.

Black day
On Monday, more than 100 doctors will demonstrate at the institute. The protest is called "black Monday..black badges and huddle for Shejoy". Dr Shejoy P Joshua, a senior resident of the AIIMS neurosurgery department, was alleged of molesting a seven-year-old child who had undergone surgery in the institute for brain tumour.
"We are basically fighting against the injustice happening here. The administration is not keen on looking at the issues. Shejoy is innocent and we will fight for him," said one of the doctors participating in the protest on the condition of anonymity.
The doctors are also updating their posts on the social networking websites like Facebook. "There have been matters where the administration has been ignoring our issues. This highlights how the system in the institute works. We are basically mourning the death of justice in AIIMS by wearing black badges," said Dr Debjyoti Karmakar, president, Resident Doctors Association (RDA), AIIMS.

Paperwork
Meanwhile, other groups of doctors have been distributing pamphlets regarding the problems with the examinations process. "It's really shameful that AIIMS has been flouting the rules every time and no action is taken. By distributing these pamphlets, we want to ensure that we do not remain quite," said a spokesperson from Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum (PSMF), an organisation running within the institute.
The pamphlets mention all the details about the examinations from the year 2000 to present.
The official spokesperson of AIIMS, Dr Y K Gupta, was not available for comments.

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Seven days after raids on various government and private hospitals to check violation of Bio-Medical Waste Rules, Punjab pollution control board (PPCB) on Saturday evening issued show cause notices to all 54 hospitals in the state, which were found violating norms. The managements of these hospitals have been summoned to Patiala head office to submit their replies.

A total of 108 hospitals were raided earlier. "The visit reports of all these hospitals were scrutinized minutely and 54 government and private hospitals were found violating the various provisions of BMW rules," said board chairman K S Pannu on Sunday.

As per the provisions of these rules, all the hospitals are required to segregate the bio-medical waste into different containers as per colour coding prescribed in the rules.

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More than a thousand girls a year aged under 15 have an abortion, figures have revealed.

Some of them were aged just 12 or 13

Terminations are being carried out on youngsters aged just 12 or 13 who have only just started secondary school.

And every year nearly 4,000 procedures are undertaken on girls who have not yet reached their 16th birthday, the legal age of consent.

Campaigners warned the alarming figures, revealed by the Department of Health, were representative of a society where abortion was ‘on demand,' even for very young girls who legally should not be having sex.

The official statistics show that since 2002 more than 35,262 abortions were carried out on girls under the age of 16.

Last year 3,718 procedures were carried out on girls aged 16 or under, including 1,040 on girls aged 14 or younger.

Of these girls, 134 were just 13 and two just 12 years old. For the first time the figures show the exact numbers of abortions carried out on girls in each age group under 16.

Breakdown

In the past, the Department of Health has only published figures for the under-14s as a whole and the under-16s, never with a breakdown per year.

The figures show that previously abortions have been carried out on girls aged 11 who have not even started secondary school.

Since 2002 three such terminations were performed, although there were none last year.

Campaigners said the figures were extremely worrying, particularly as a termination could be very upsetting for the youngsters.

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MCI creates 4,452 new MBBS seats; 21 new med colleges all over India. Those aspiring to be doctors can now hope for more as the Government has decided to create 4,452 MBBS seats in 21 new medical colleges and increase the number of seats in existing institutions this year.

The Medical Council of India has approved 21 new medical colleges at the undergraduate level, taking the total number of medical colleges in the country to 335, including 185 in the private sector and 150 in the government sector, sources said.Of the new colleges approved, 16 are in the private sector and five in the government sector.In another significant development, the MCI allowed 33 existing medical colleges to add additional undergraduate seats (MBBS).

The MCI, in this regard also rejected as many as 71 applications from colleges for approval of additional medical seats, said Dr Purshotam Lal, member of MCI's Board of Governors.While the 21 new medical colleges will add 2,650 fresh MBBS seats, 33 existing ones have been granted permission to add 1,802 fresh seats, said Dr Lal.

With this, MCI has added 12.6 per cent medical seats in the country this year alone.Both moves will together create a poll of 39,785 seats in the country, which is reeling under doctor shortage - currently pegged at six lakh.The MCI had received applications for setting up as many as 86 new medical colleges, of which only 21 got the final nod after scrutiny and inspection.

Similarly, a total of 104 applications were received for further increase in seats by existing medical colleges, of which only 33 were accorded sanction and the remaining were rjected after scrutiny and inspection.

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18 babies die at govt hospital in Bengal, probe ordered

Eighteen babies died at a premier state-run children hospital here, triggering protests by locals and relatives who alleged negligence by doctors even as the West Bengal government ordered an inquiry.

Mrinal Kanti Chatterjee, principal of the BC Roy Children's Hospital told PTI that 18 babies died in the past 48 hours.

The health department also confirmed the deaths.

Superintendent D Pal said most of the babies were either pre-mature or suffering from septicaemia or low-birth weight problems and were brought in a moribund stage to the hospital, the largest paediatric referral in the eastern region.

Aggrieved over the deaths, family members and local people barged into the hospital's main building alleging medical negligence, police said.

The agitators also blocked the road in front of the hospital before being chased away by policemen.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a probe.

"The inquiry committee, which has been formed with two doctors from outside, has been asked to ascertain if there was any lapse on our part and submit a report within 24 hours," she said.

"The babies were referred from hospitals in South 24 Parganas, Nadia and East Midnapore districts when they were near death," she told reporters.

Of the babies, one was referred by a reputed heart care institute and two had heart trouble, she said.

"Two babies had heart trouble. I have ordered a probe and asked the authorities to submit a report to me," she said.

"If any medical negligence is proved in the case, nobody will be spared and we will not see any political colour," she warned.

Banerjee noted that once 75 babies had died at the same hospital and the authorities had claimed that it was 'normal'.

She said she wanted to visit the hospital, but did not do so fearing it might hinder the treatment of the children.

Earlier in September 2002, there were protests in the same hospital when 14 children died of broncho-pneumonia and gastro-enteritis.

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Even as the toll reached 34 on Wednesday, there is still confusion over the mystery disease that has gripped Muzaffarpur and its surrounding districts. While Bihar doctors diagnosed the disease as encephalitis, the National Institute of Virology, Pune, has tested all blood samples negative for the suspected disease.

At Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital, Muzaffarpur, a girl died on Wednesday, taking the toll there to 11. Nineteen are admitted with similar complaints.

All 34 victims belonged to below poverty line families living in suburban Muzaffarpur, Minapur, Kanti, Sitamarhi and in rural areas of adjoining Sheohar and Motihari districts.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said two high-level teams had come to Bihar and experts would “find out a concerted plan to deal with this disease, reported from Tirhut region during this time of the year”. Health Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, however, is unable to explain what this mystery disease is all about. On the other hand, Bihar BJP state president and former Union health minister Dr C P Thakur attributed the deaths to encephalitis, characterised by high or mild fever, convulsion, unconsciousness and froth from mouth.

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Amitabh Bachchan has been working around the clock promoting his Puri Jagannadh film, Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap and it has affected his health adversely. He has been travelling non - stop to do talk shows on TV and radio plus press conferences.

The almost 70 star had to slow down when he suffered from a sore throat and a congested chest. His doctor has put him on antibiotics to control the infection and has told him to take it easy.

The veteran reassured fans that it was nothing to worry about and nothing more than a minor ailment. He reports that he is feeling better and is waiting to resume work on Aarakshan, his next film with Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.

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Include mangoes in your daily diet

We all know that mangoes are called the king of all fruits. But do we really know why? Apart from the fact that it is one of the most delectable treats for the taste buds, this fruit is also loaded with vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants, all of which are good for the skin, say skin care experts.

Dr Apratim Goel, dermatologist says, “Mangoes are a rich source of beta carotene (vitamin A), which is a strong antioxidant. Apart from the rejuvenation effect, vitamin A also has dramatic effects on acne / pimples. Beta-carotene is the nutrient that’s supposed to help you see in the dark, and it’s crucial for your skin. It’s converted by your body into vitamin A and is so important that it’s often prescribed as a topical treatment (one that’s applied directly on to the skin) for acne.”

Mangoes are high in fibre but low in calories and sodium. They are also rich in vitamin A and have good amounts of vitamins B and C as well as Potassium, Calcium and Iron.

It has been found that the phenols and several enzymes in mangoes have healing as well as anti-cancer properties.

Dr Satish Bhatia, dermatologist says, “The phenols in mango and enzymes besides promoting healthy skin and hair, help in diabetes control and improve overall immunity. Vitamin B3 and B-Complex strengthen hair. Mangiferin, the enzyme, has skin and other cancer benefits.”

Mangoes are one of those fruits that have a lot of misconceptions about them. Nutritionists have often reiterated that mangoes do not have much fat in them, rather they reduce cholesterol and are a source of natural sugar. Clinical nutritionist Dr Nupur Krishnan says that mangoes are high in fibre.
Vitamin A is the greatest friend to good skin and its deficiency can cause dull skin, open pores, acne, as well as horny eruptions on the arms, elbows and knees.

Consuming mango regularly makes the complexion fair and the skin soft and shining say experts. Dr Goel says, “Mango is effective in relieving clogged pores of skin. It is high in antioxidants and low in carbohydrates. This fruit contains a lot of tryptophan, which helps in the formation of the ‘happiness-hormone’ serotonin.”

Mango has iron, so, pregnant women and people with anaemia are advised to eat this fruit. “Apart from the fruit pulp, the skin of the fruit is rich in AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids) and is used as skin exfoliant and rejuvenator. It has a more rapid cell turnover rate,” says Dr Goel.

Aesthetician Ritu Tanwar says, “Rub the skin of a ripe mango, on your face gently, for a few minutes. This fruit has many ingredients that can help the skin to remain smooth and young. It has a rejuvenating effect.”

Vitamin C, in this fruit, helps in collagen formation, which keeps the skin firm.
So, what are you waiting for? Include those ripe and juicy mangoes in your daily diet and begin leading a healthy and beautiful life!

One medium-sized mango comprises:
Calories - 107
Protein - 0.84 g
Carbohydrate - 28 g
Total Fat - 0.45 g
Fibre - 3 g
Vitamin A - 6425 IU
Vitamin C - 45.7mg
Magnesium - 18 mg
Potassium - 300 mg
Calcium - 20 g
Cholesterol - 0 g
Saturated fat - 0 g
Traces of manganese, selenium, iron, sodium and phosphorus

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Indian-American chef Floyd Cardoz, the man behind New York's now-closed Danny Meyer Indian restaurant Tabla, has taken home the $1,00,000 top prize in the third season of Top Chef Masters with a simple upma dish.

Mumbai-born Cardoz, who beat out California luminaries Traci Des Jardins and Mary Sue Milliken for first place, is donating his winnings to the Young Scientists Cancer Research Fund at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in memory of his father, who died of cancer.

Cardoz divided the judges with his inclusion of the popular Indian breakfast dish Upma in his meal, but "in the end, (he) impressed because of the spice and passion that infused his final meal of the season," said The Wall Street Journal.

"The three-course feast also featured a rice-crusted snapper in a fennel-laced broth and a reinterpreted version of a Malaysian beef stew. Our guess is that Cardoz won by doing exactly what he does at Tabla — that is, honouring his Indian gastronomic roots and finding a way to reinvent his native cuisine at the same time," it said.

By winning, Cardoz joins the ranks of better-known chefs Rick Bayless, of Frontera Grill in Chicago, and Marcus Samuelsson, of Red Rooster and formerly Aquavit, both in New York, who won second and third season respectively, the Huffington Post reported

Next, Cardoz will head another Danny Meyer production, North End American Grill in Battery Park City, New York, it said.

The restaurant, which is calling its cuisine "roof-to-table," marks a departure for the chef, who focused on high-end Indian cuisine throughout his tenure at Tabla, the Post said.

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Scientists found new molecule that may lead to better drug for TB

Transitmycin was extracted from marine microorganism isolated from soil sample

Scientists at the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC) here have hit upon a new molecule with anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that could potentially lead to a better drug for the treatment of TB and common HIV sub-types.

The team at TRC extracted the molecule, Transitmycin, from the marine microorganism Streptomyces sp. isolated from a soil sample off the Rameswaram coral reef.

The brominated and pigmented (yellow) antibiotic was found effective during in vitro tests against dormant and active forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis — the pathogen that triggers one of the leading infectious diseases worldwide.

Another capability

The Transitmycin molecule also exhibited promising inhibiting capability against certain common HIV sub types such as clade B and C (HIV clade C is the most common HIV strain in India) and pathogens such as E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

“The significance of the discovery of this molecule is that it comes at a time when there is very little to offer to patients developing multi-drug resistance to otherwise effective drugs in the regimen like Rifampicin and isoniazid,” said Vanaja Kumar, Head of Bacteriology at TRC, Chennai.

The combined resistance to Rifampicin and isoniazid has an adverse impact on the TB control programme. Compounding matters is the emergence of extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR) involving resistance to fluoroquinolone and one of the three second-line injectibles (capreomycin, kanamycin or amikacin).

Simultaneous treatment

“Equally significantly, the molecule's dual anti-bacterial and anti-viral action could lead to a drug that could simultaneously treat patients co-infected with TB-HIV,” she said. Conventionally, Rifampicin (TB) and Nevirapine (HIV) cannot be used simultaneously.

“Given the antibiotic efficiency of the basic molecule, further refinement of the compound could improve potency by 10 to 20 times,” said Mukesh Doble, Professor, Department of Biotechnology, IIT-Madras.

Along with IIT-M, Periyar University, Salem also collaborated in the Rs.20-lakh project funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

Simple structure

Among all the compounds under testing, Transitmycin proved to be the best by virtue of its simple structure, status as a polar and water-soluble compound and minimal cyto toxicity, said Luke Elizabeth Hanna, TRC scientist.

However, despite all the promise at the laboratory-level, a Transitmycin drug could be far away — at least ten years — when it is put through the acid tests of animal trials and clinical trials. The project would also require funds to the tune of around Rs.300 crore from here on.

After filing for a patent in February, the scientists have also sent a 64-page proposal to the ICMR to push the case for funded research to take the project forward.

Animal trials

R. Balagurunathan, co-investigator and head of Microbiology, Periyar University, hoped that animal trials could soon be launched as the Indian Council of Medical Research had agreed to provide linkages with ICMR institutions with animal houses.

Scientists pointed out that while actinomycetes are the most valuable microorganisms capable of producing chemically diverse metabolites with wide-ranging biological applications, the rate of discovering new compounds from terrestrial actinomycetes has decreased in the recent past.

Transitmycin belongs to the family of marine actinomycetes that are becoming the promising source for secondary metabolites. And, if it paves the way for a drug, Transitmycin holds the advantage of having its coral reef origins sterilised from human interference — this extends the time cycle of humans developing resistance to a drug derived from this molecule.

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The deadly strain of E. coli that has killed at least 17 people in Europe and sickened 1,500 has never been seen in a human population and it may be the most toxic yet, health experts said on Thursday.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the outbreak.

1. What is E. coli? 
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are a group of bacteria that live in the intestines of many animals, including humans. Most strains are harmless, but others can cause illness ranging from diarrhea to pneumonia. E. coli infections can be mild to life- threatening.

2. How is E. coli spread?
E. coli infections are caused by ingesting the feces of infected animals or humans, often via contaminated food or water. People can contaminate food by failing to wash their hands after using the toilet or changing a baby's diaper, although person-to-person infection is rare. Feces from animals, ranging from cows to birds, can contaminate water or crops.

3. What is the strain?
The strain that is sickening people inGermany and other parts of Europe, known as 0104:H4, is part of a class of bacteria known as Shiga toxin- producing Escherichia coli, or STEC. It is the first time the strain has caused an outbreak in humans. Symptoms of STEC infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Low fever (less than 101 degrees F/38.5 degrees C) also may be present. Most people recover within five to seven days.

4. What are the major complications of this strain?
Hundreds of people sickened in the outbreak have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a life-threatening complication of E. coli infections. The syndrome, which results in the destruction of red blood cells and severe kidney problems, usually arises about a week after diarrhea starts. Symptoms of HUS include decreased frequency of urination, extreme fatigue and the loss of the skin's pink color. Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems usually are at highest risk for HUS. In the case of this outbreak, healthy adult women have been hard hit.

5. What is the medical treatment?
Experts said supportive therapy, including hydration, is important. Treatment for HUS includes dialysis for kidney failure and blood transfusions for anemia. Antibiotics should not be used, as there is no evidence that treatment with antibiotics is helpful. Antibiotics and antidiarrheal agents like Imodium also may increase risk of HUS.

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The wedding day is one of the most special occasions in a womans life. On this day you need to look your best. With the right use of make-up, you can be a beautiful bride. *(As told by Manzoor Khan, a leading Bollywood make-up artist)

Heres how:

* Create the perfect base:

If you have dry skin, apply moisturiser and in case of oily skin go for toning and scrubbing a day before the wedding. While doing your make-up, the first step is to apply a foundation matching your skin tone. Use just one layer of foundation, or you could look too made up. If you have blemishes or dark circles, before the use of foundation, you can apply concealer. The concealer can be a half shade lighter than your natural skin tone. While using the foundation, do not forget to apply it on your ears and your neck as well.

*Shape your brows:
Grow your eyebrows for some months before your wedding and before the ceremony, get it shaped by a well-known beautician. Fill in your eyebrows with a brown coloured eyebrow pencil.

*Play up your eyes:
If you have deep-set eyes, you should apply more frosted and shimmer based eyeshadows, which make your eyes look wider. If your eyes are more bulging, avoid the shimmery shadows and go for the less frosted or matte finished ones. This will lend stability to your face.

*Use a lot of mascara. 
Make sure to separate the end or tips of your lashes. Before applying the mascara, curl your lashes with an eyelash curler. This opens up your eyes and makes them look bigger and brighter.

*This season, it is trendy to cut down on the thickness of your liner. Apply kajal on the bottom of your eyes and also on the lids beneath your lashes on the upper eyelids. On the wedding day, stick to the traditional black liner or the deep blue eyeliner. On other days, for instance on your mehendi or reception, you can experiment with colours, according the colour of the outfit you are wearing.

*Pamper your lips:
Highlight your best feature. If you are going for heavy eye make-up, the lips should be more subtle. Complement your looks with a nice frosted colour and gloss. If you are using golden or brownish eye shadow, go for a lipstick in a reddish tone. But tone down the shade of red.

*Highlight your cheeks:
Contouring is extremely important as it enhances the shape and structure of your whole face. Take a dark brown compact or blush. Locate your cheekbone and apply this under the cheek bones. Blend it well towards your jaw line. If you have a roundish face, use the blush a little under the cheek bone, and blend it properly towards the hair line and the apple of your cheeks. This will make your face look oval, which is considered to be the best shape for faces.

*Put a blusher on:
If you have naturally high, defined cheekbones, you should not contour it. Highlight the cheeks with shimmer; a golden or a bronze shimmer can look absolutely fabulous. Remember, here too blending is the key.

*Add some curls:
Hair complements your look up to 30 or 40 per cent. Straight hair is out and curls are in. Remember that if you have a longish face, avoid high put up hairstyles.

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“For some people losing weight is challenging but for some gaining weight is all they desire.”

An American girl, who suffers from a rare and undiagnosed syndrome that prevents her from gaining on weight, has to eat every 15 minutes in order to stay alive. Lizzie Velasquez, 21, from Texas, who is a communications student, weighs just 25.4 kg and has almost zero per cent body fat, but is not anorexic.

This, despite 60 small meals a day, consisting of between 5,000 and 8,000 calories daily. Velasquez had been born four weeks prematurely and doctors found there was minimal amniotic fluid protecting her in the womb. Genetic experts could not diagnose her illness, and her case fascinated doctors all over the world.

Now she is part of a study run by Professor Abhimanyu Garg in Dallas. Garg believes Velasquez may have Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome which causes accelerated ageing, fat loss from the face and body. People with PRS often have triangular and prematurely aged faces with pointy nose.

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1 - Body Position Affects Your Memory

Can't remember your anniversary, hubby? Try getting down on one knee. Memories are highly embodied in our senses. A scent or sound may evoke a distant episode from one's childhood. The connections can be obvious (a bicycle bell makes you remember your old paper route) or inscrutable. A recent study helps decipher some of this embodiment. An article in the January 2007 issue of Cognition reports that episodes from your past are remembered faster and better while in a body position similar to the pose struck during the event.

 2 - Your Skin Has Four ColorsAll skin, without coloring, would appear creamy white. Near-surface blood vessels add a blush of red. A yellow pigment also tints the canvas. Lastly, sepia-toned melanin, created in response to ultraviolet rays, appears black in large amounts. These four hues mix in different proportions to create the skin colors of all the peoples of Earth.

3 - Big Brains Cause Cramped Mouths Evolution isn't perfect. If it were, we might have wings instead of wisdom teeth. Sometimes useless features stick around in a species simply because they're not doing much harm. But wisdom teeth weren't always a cash crop for oral surgeons. Long ago, they served as a useful third set of meat-mashing molars. But as our brains grew our jawbone structure changed, leaving us with expensively overcrowded mouths.

4 - Your Stomach Secretes Corrosive Acid There's one dangerous liquid no airport security can confiscate from you: It's in your gut. Your stomach cells secrete hydrochloric acid, a corrosive compound used to treat metals in the industrial world. It can pickle steel, but mucous lining the stomach wall keeps this poisonous liquid safely in the digestive system, breaking down lunch.

5 - Bones Break (Down) to Balance Minerals In addition to supporting the bag of organs and muscles that is our body, bones help regulate our calcium levels. Bones contain both phosphorus and calcium, the latter of which is needed by muscles and nerves. If the element is in short supply, certain hormones will cause bones to break downeupping calcium levels in the bodyeuntil the appropriate extracellular concentration is reached.

6 - Much of a Meal is Food For Thought Though it makes up only 2 percent of our total body weight, the brain demands 20 percent of the body's oxygen and calories. To keep our noggin well-stocked with resources, three major cerebral arteries are constantly pumping in oxygen. A blockage or break in one of them starves brain cells of the energy they require to function, impairing the functions controlled by that region. This is a stroke.

7 - Thousands of Eggs Unused by Ovaries When a woman reaches her late 40s or early 50s, the monthly menstrual cycle that controls her hormone levels and readies ova for insemination ceases. Her ovaries have been producing less and less estrogen, inciting physical and emotional changes across her body. Her underdeveloped egg follicles begin to fail to release ova as regularly as before. The average adolescent girl has 34,000 underdeveloped egg follicles, although only 350 or so mature during her life (at the rate of about one per month). The unused egg follicles then deteriorate. With no potential pregnancy on the horizon, the brain can stop managing the release of ova.

8 - Puberty Reshapes Brain Structure, Makes for Missed Curfews We know that hormone-fueled changes in the body are necessary to encourage growth and ready the body for reproduction. But why is adolescence so emotionally unpleasant? Hormones like testosterone actually influence the development of neurons in the brain, and the changes made to brain structure have many behavioral consequences. Expect emotional awkwardness, apathy and poor decision-making skills as regions in the frontal cortex mature.

9 - Cell Hairs Move Mucus Most cells in our bodies sport hair-like organelles called cilia that help out with a variety of functions, from digestion to hearing. In the nose, cilia help to drain mucus from the nasal cavity down to the throat. Cold weather slows down the draining process, causing a mucus backup that can leave you with snotty sleeves. Swollen nasal membranes or condensation can also cause a stuffed schnozzle.

10 - The World Laughs with You 

Just as watching someone yawn can induce the behavior in yourself, recent evidence suggests that laughter is a social cue for mimicry. Hearing a laugh actually stimulates the brain region associated with facial movements. Mimicry plays an important role in social interaction. Cues like sneezing, laughing, crying and yawning may be ways of creating strong social bonds within a group.

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Effect of Global Warming

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