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| Photo from:http://www.kellyupson.com/ |
The study, which included data from 448,568 people in 10 European countries, including the UK, found that the biggest consumers of processed meat were 44% more likely to die prematurely from any cause than those who ate little of it. High levels of consumption increased the risk of death from heart disease by 72% and cancer by 11%.
If everyone ate no more than 20g a day of processed meat – about one rasher of bacon, chipolata sausage or thin slice of ham – then 3% of all premature deaths could be avoided, according to an estimate by the authors, led by Professor Sabine Rohrmann from the University of Zurich. Their results are published in the journal BMC Medicine.But a small amount of red meat also seems to benefit health, because it contains important nutrients and minerals, they add. Risks rise in line with the level of consumption, the researchers found. The results are in line with previous studies. Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science at the World Cancer Research Fund, said the research bore out its own findings in 2007 – disputed by the meat industry at the time – about the health risks of processed meat.It has found that consuming bacon, ham, hot dogs, salami and some sausages heightened the risk of bowel cancer. The charity estimates that 4,100 fewer Britons a year would be diagnosed with the disease if everyone ate no more than 10g of processed meat a day, though advises avoiding it altogether.Dr Carrie Ruxton, a nutritionist who sits on the meat industry-funded MeatAdvisory Panel, said the study's findings were not robust enough to justify changing public health advice. The fact those who consumed the largest amounts of processed meat also displayed other unhealthy habits meant it was hard to confidently ascribe risk of death to meat eating alone, she said."The occasional bacon butty isn't going to do you much harm. People shouldn't avoid bacon or salami because they think it's going to kill them, because it won't. We can't say that from this study. But we do know that processed meat has a higher salt and fat content, so having bacon or salami in moderation, and switching to lean red meat products, is a good idea," Ruxton added. Tracy Parker, a heart health dietitian with the British Heart Foundation, said people who ate a lot of processed meat should try to eat a more varied diet, such as chicken, fish, beans or lentils.
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| Photo from:http://videohive.net/ |
Australian telco Telstra will spend up to US$1 billion for a planned wireless joint venture with San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines, the company’s chief Andy Penn told investors today.
That’s just Telstra’s share in the JV. Partner San Miguel, a conglomerate with diversified interests in the Philippines, will also put money in the business, along with some banks that will provide financing.“We are not expecting it to be more than US$1 billion. That would be essentially Telstra’s equity investment. We could own 40 percent of the venture, which would also have external financing as well,” Andy was quoted as saying by The Australian.Telstra and San Miguel haven’t reached a deal yet, but talks are ongoing.If it pushes through, the pair is expected to shake up the duopoly of telcos PLDT and Globe Telecom in the archipelago.“Frankly, let’s face it, go to the Philippines and experience the lousy service you get from the incumbent operators and you will see that [there’s] opportunity for a new operator to provide a much better quality service … I think there’s a significant opportunity,” Andy was again quoted as saying.San Miguel is rolling out its mobile telecommunications network in the Philippines through unit Bell Telecommunications.The conglomerate had wanted to enter the mobile business for years, but this was delayed because of other acquisition opportunities, its president Ramon Ang previously said.Over the past years, San Miguel has aggressively moved away from its traditional food and beer businesses and into heavy industries such as infrastructure, power, oil refining, and telecommunications.For Telstra’s part, it won’t be its first time to break into Asia. It acquiredSingapore- and Hong Kong-based internet services company Pacnet for US$697 million early this year. That deal was part of a A$5 billion (US$3.56 billion) budget it allotted for Asian ventures.
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| Kobe Bryant against a Timberwolves Player (credit: getty images) |
When Lou Williams somehow missed a 4-foot runner at the buzzer, Minnesota hugged and celebrated a fortunate break in a cathartic victory. Kevin Martin scored 23 points for the Timberwolves three days after they lost Saunders, the longtime coach and team president who battled Hodgkin's lymphoma.''I think we had a little help today,'' Rubio said. ''It's been a tough week. It's hard to explain. Everybody went through a lot of pain. But even though Flip's gone, he will stay with us forever.''Saunders' recent death and a pregame moment of silence put both teams in a somber mood in their season opener. Both wore warmup shirts honoring the coach. The Timberwolves' shirts bore the slogan ''WE,'' while the Lakers' said ''FLIP.''Minnesota led 111-102 with 2:11 left, but the Lakers finished on a 9-1 run. Williams hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to trim Minnesota's lead to one point. Martin missed a jumper before Williams missed his leaner.''We stayed together as a team, something that we've been doing a lot this week,'' said Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in his NBA debut. ''(We're) working together as a family and doing a great job of keeping his vision alive. We just seemed to have Coach Saunders on our side, especially with Lou Williams shooting a floater for the game. Nine times out of 10, he hits that. But I think we had a sixth man on the floor.''Kevin Garnett had four points and seven rebounds to begin his 21st NBA season, becoming just the third player in league history to last that long. Garnett, who was persuaded to return to Minnesota by Saunders last season, left the locker room without speaking to reporters.While No. 1 draft choice Towns had a solid debut for Minnesota, No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell had four points and three turnovers in a quieter debut for the Lakers.
-http://www.si.com/
Haze - what can we do?
The haze contains smoke and dust particles and lingers in the air resulting in reduced visibility. When it comes into contact with the body, it can produce symptoms to the eyes, skin and breathing systems. The way haze is measured is by using an index called Air Pollution Index (API) or Pollution Standards Index (PSI) in other countries. The higher the number, the worse the haze and the implications to our health.
Symptoms that can occur when in contact with haze:
- Eye irritation
- Skin irritation
- Breathing problems: cough, shortness of breath, chest discomfort or tightness
In people who are susceptible, the haze may cause worse symptoms or aggravation of pre-existing conditions.People who are susceptible:
- Throat discomfort and dryness
- Known to have respiratory illnesses such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Known to have heart disease such as heart failure or coronary artery disease
- Small children, babies and the elderly
- Smokers
- Pregnant ladies
Ways to minimize effects of haze to our body:
- People with allergies
- Drink plenty of plain water and wash our faces frequently
- Minimise outdoor activities
- Avoid smoking and cigarette smoke
- When driving, close all windows and activate recycle air mode
- Close all house windows
People who develop breathing difficulties or excessive cough should seek prompt medical attention. Patients who are known to have medical illnesses should take their medications as prescribed by their doctors. Patients who are on inhalers should continue taking their preventative medications and carry their reliever medication with them at all times. This is a good time for smokers to stop smoking completely.
- Use a mask that can cover the mouth and nose properly if there is a need to be outdoors
Who is recommended to use N95..?
- Those working outside PCMC building eg. Concierge, Auxillary Police, facilities staff working outside, gardeners and others.
- Those stationed near entrance with sliding doors (main lobby, ER entrance) eg. ER PSAs, Paramedics, Nurses, Patient Relation Officers and others.
- Staff with past medical problems such as:
- Any respiratory conditions especially those with asthma, chronic obstructive lung diseases.
- Any heart diseases especially those with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure.
- Any history of ear, nose and throat problems such as allergic nasal conditions or problem with sinusitis.
When do we need to wear a mask..?
- Chronic diseases such as diabetes as patients with diabetes are more prone to cardiac conditions.
- The general recommendation is for healthy people to minimise outdoor activities when the API is greater than 100 or when the PM2.5 is greater than 40.
- For those who are of higher risk, you should minimise outdoor activities when the API is greater than 80 or when the PM2.5 is greater than 15.
- When the 24-h API level exceeds 150 in the ‘Unhealthy’ range or when PM2.5 is greater than 40, people with existing heart or respiratory ailments or those who are more susceptible to smoke haze are advised to wear a respiratory mask such as N95 masks (designed to keep out fine particulate matter) when they go outdoors.
- People with respiratory diseases should consult their doctors on the use of respirator masks if they intend to use them.
- Surgical masks and paper masks do not provide adequate protection from the haze particles.
For quick access of the FAQs regarding haze, use this chart:
- It is recommended for anyone experiencing any symptoms relating to irritation of the eye, nose and throat or any chest symptoms such as difficulty breathing or chest pain to consult their doctors.
-Prince Court Medical Center
API Air Pollution
LevelHealth Implications 0 – 50 Excellent 1. No health implications 51 – 100 Good 1. No health implications 101 – 150 Slightly Polluted 1. Slight irritations may occur, individuals with breathing or heart problems should reduce outdoor exercise. 151 – 200 Lightly Polluted 1. Slight irritations may occur, individuals with breathing or heart problems should reduce outdoor exercise. 201 – 250 Moderately Polluted 1. Healthy people will be noticeably affected.
2. People with breathing or heart problems will experience reduced endurance in activities.
3. These individuals and elders should remain indoors and restrict activities.251 – 300 Heavily Polluted 1. Healthy people will be noticeably affected.
2. People with breathing or heart problems will experience reduced endurance in activities.
3. These individuals and elders should remain indoors and restrict activities.300+ Severely Polluted 1. Healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities.
2. There may be strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses.
3. Elders and the sick should remain indoors and avoid exercise.
4. Healthy individuals should avoid outdoor activities.
-Prince Court Medical CenterAs of this writing, the haze has not greatly impacted the Philippines yet; however, I suggest you keep yourself updated with the situation through watching the daily news. The seasonal northeast monsoons are expected around this time of the year, but any storm hitting the Philippines the rest of the year could maximize the problem. Keep yourself safe and healthy!
Facebook Will Now Warn You If Another Country Is Spying on You
Facebook will now issue alerts to users who the social network believes are being targeted by state-sponsored hackers, according to a message posted by Alex Stamos, Facebook's chief security officer."While we have always taken steps to secure accounts that we believe to have been compromised, we decided to show this additional warning if we have a strong suspicion that an attack could be government-sponsored. We do this because these types of attacks tend to be more advanced and dangerous than others, and we strongly encourage affected people to take the actions necessary to secure all of their online accounts," Stamos wrote.
Facebook isn't revealing its methods for attributing certain attacks but Stamos said the company will "use this warning only in situations where the evidence strongly supports our conclusion."
While Facebook said it constantly "monitor[s] for potentially malicious activity," the social network also provides preventative tools users can take advantage of to protect their accounts. Going to security settings and turning on "Login Approvals" will send a code to the user's smartphone anytime someone tries to access their account from a new device or browser. -Alyssa Newcomb
