E-BOOKS Vs. PAPER BOOKS

 E-BOOKS Vs. PAPER BOOKS

The digitalization process is

 changing many age old concepts

around us. Everything around us

is getting digitalized. Books are

no exceptions. The digital

versions of books are usually

called e-books. Whether these e-books are

taking place of conventional printed version

of books is a burning question for the last

few years. When considering the question of

whether e-readers or e-books are making

books obsolete, it helps to take a look at

what e-readers actually do. As of early 2011,

there were at least a dozen different models

on the market, each with its own specific

features and capabilities.

Some e-readers are devices dedicated to

displaying digital books, newspapers and

magazines. Examples include Amazon's

Kindle, the Sony Reader, Borders' Kobo, and

Barnes and Noble's Nook. Some dedicated

e-readers offer Internet connectivity and

other high-end functionality, but their main

purpose is to display e-books, which they

generally do very well. Other e-readers are

more aptly called tablets. These devices

come equipped with features like Wi-Fi, MP3

support and full-colour touch screen. They

are like laptop computers, but smaller and a

bit more portable. And nowadays you don’t

need a separate e-reader as you can easily

read e-books in your smartphones, laptops

and other devices.

So how one can compare traditional books

to these newfangled gadgets? There are both

advantage and disadvantages of e-books.

The following are some of the advantages of

eBooks over printed books:

* Travel: If you travel a lot and love or

need reading while traveling, e-books are for

you. You know how heavy regular books are,

particularly if you intend to finish one book

while you are out and need to bring another

book with you. E-books allow you to bring a

whole library with you wherever you go. You

can switch between books with ease and the

weight is lighter than a standard paperback.

* Storage: Those who own a lot of books

know how much space they can take up, but

with an e-reader, your bookshelf is located

on a small handheld device, your computer

or on both. This will save you a lot of storage

space and also means you have a backup

online if something happens to your books.

* Price: E-books are often cheaper in the

long run because there are no printing fees

associated with them. In fact, you can often

find free e-books online, whereas physical

books almost always cost you something.

You must remember however, that e-readers

are not free, you are going to spend a good

amount upfront for a device like this.

* Speed: When you buy an e-book, your

reward is instantaneous. Whereas if you

order a book online, you have to wait for it

to arrive before the fun begins.

* Font adjustments: With an eBook, you

can instantly change the darkness of the

lettering or the size of your font. When your

eyes feel strained after reading a paper book

too long, you have little choice but to stop

reading. With an eBook, you can just change

the font size and keep going. This is also a

great feature for those who need large print

books.

* Night reading: If you read in bed, an

e-book may be a good option as many

e-readers come with built-in reading lights.

These are easy to use and won’t get in the

way like the lights attached to actual books

do.

In America e-books topped print sales for

the first time in 2011, a trend that continued

into 2012. A recent study in America found

that the percentage of children who have

read an e-book has nearly doubled since

2010 to almost half of all kids aged 9 to 17,

while the number who says they'll continue

to read books in print instead of electronically,

declined from 66% to 58%.

For those who prefer their books printed

in ink on paper, these data may sound

depressing. But perhaps there is reason to

hope that e-books and print books could

have a bright future together. There's

something about print that one cannot give

up. There is something about holding a book in

your hand and the visceral act of physically

turning a page, that can't be matched with

pixels on a screen.

Books have physical beauty

The beauty and grace which a printed version

of book holds is unmatchable to anything

digital. That does mean that electronic books

can't be beautiful but as a medium, e-books are

still new and designers have yet to fully realize

their potential. But for paper books, the best

designers are already there. As Craig Mod, an

independent New York based writer and

designer, points out in his essay Hacking the

Cover, “the book cover evolved as a marketing

tool. It had to grab your attention from its place

on the shelf. For that reason, the best designed

covers were often beautiful art pieces. Not so in

the digital world.” But for people who truly love

books, print is the only medium that will satisfy

them.

Printed books are collectible

The books which get printed are limited in

number. They possess the quality of scarcity,

which means that your copy is unique on some

level. For readers who truly love a particular

book, an electronic facsimile is not an adequate

replacement for owning a physical copy for

them. You can feel like a king if you own an

original copy of Milton’s Paradise lost or

Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s travels. Whereas

having the e-books or digital versions of these

legendary books will make no difference.

Author Rob Hart says, "There are books that I

need bound and sitting on my shelf. I need a

copy of Fahrenheit 451. That book is important

to me, Digital technology is funny — you own

an e-book, but you don't ... You're

paying for the right to access data."

Books are nostalgic

Books are parts of our lives in

almost every phase. Reading or seeing

the books, bought in our childhood

evokes a sense of nostalgia. Reading a

book after several years of the first

reading often recreates the memory of

that past time.

Paper books do not get replaced by

e-books, because paper books are parts

of the experience which you cannot

reproduce with the digital version.

Though today even writers are not

comfortable in writing with pen and

paper, they also prefer the digital

version of writing.

The “real books” vs. “e-books”

debate may run for eternity. And, like

other types of media, books may also

keep changing formats. But for books, there are

good reasons to prefer the old medium. Paper

books don’t need electricity. You can resell them

or give them away without sparking a battle

over copyright infringement. They can suffer a

coffee spill without completely crapping out. It

is impossible to get distracted by pop-up emails

and other apps while reading a paper book.

Paper books can’t disappear from your library

due to company policy, technical malfunction,

or technology obsolescence. And no matter how

handy an e-book is, it cannot be a part of your

emotional life and perhaps can never evoke the

sentimental memories of past for you.

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Dealing with your anger !!

Dealing with your anger

 We all know what anger is, and

we've all felt it: whether as a

fleeting annoyance or as

full-fledged rage. Anger is a

completely normal, usually

healthy, human emotion. But

when it gets out of control and

turns destructive, it can lead to

problems—problems at work, in your personal

relationships, and in the overall quality of your

life. And it can make you feel as though you're

at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful

emotion. And being civilized human beings

everyone should get hold over this powerful

emotion.

People use a variety of both conscious and

unconscious processes to deal with their angry

feelings. The three main approaches are

expressing, suppressing, and calming.

Expressing your angry feelings in an

assertive—not aggressive—manner is the

healthiest way to express anger. To do this, you

have to learn how to make clear what your

needs are, and how to get them met, without

hurting others. Being assertive doesn't mean

being pushy or demanding; it means being

respectful of yourself and others.

Anger can be suppressed, and then

converted or redirected. This happens when

you hold in your anger, stop thinking about it,

and focus on something positive. The aim is to

inhibit or suppress your anger and convert it

into more constructive behaviour. The danger

in this type of response is that if it isn't

allowed outward expression, your anger can

turn inward—on yourself. Anger turned inward

may cause hypertension, high blood pressure,

or depression.

Unexpressed anger can create other

problems. It can lead to pathological

expressions of anger, such as

passive-aggressive behaviour (getting back at

people indirectly, without telling them why,

rather than confronting them head-on) or a

personality that seems perpetually cynical and

hostile. People who are constantly putting

others down, criticizing everything, and making

cynical comments haven't learned how to

constructively express their anger. Not

surprisingly, they aren't likely to have many

successful relationships.

Finally, you can calm down inside. This

means not just controlling your outward

behaviour, but also controlling your internal

responses, taking steps to lower your heart

rate, calm yourself down, and let the feelings

subside.

Simple relaxation tools, such as deep

breathing and relaxing imagery, can help calm

down angry feelings. There are books and

courses that can teach you relaxation

techniques, and once you learn the techniques,

you can call upon them in any situation. If you

are involved in a relationship where both

partners are hot-tempered, it might be a good

idea for both of you to learn these techniques.

Some simple steps you can try:

* Breathe deeply, from your diaphragm;

breathing from your chest won't relax you.

* Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as

"relax," "take it easy." Repeat it to yourself

while breathing deeply.

* Use imagery; visualize a relaxing experience,

from either your memory or your imagination.

* Nonstrenuous, slow yoga-like exercises can

relax your muscles and make you feel much

calmer.

* Practice these techniques daily. Learn to use

them automatically when you're in a tense

situation.

Remember, you cannot eliminate anger—and

it wouldn't be a good idea if you could. In spite

of all your efforts, things will happen that will

cause you anger; and sometimes it will be

justifiable anger. Life will be filled with

frustration, pain, loss, and the unpredictable

actions of others. You can't change those; but

you can change the way you let such events

affect you.

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What purpose does this strike serve?

What purpose does this strike serve?

Abandoning patients is a breach of medical ethics and counter-productive

•  A boy with burn injuries leaves Dhaka Medical College Hospital with his mother on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw failing to receive treatment because the honorary doctors were on a strike   

Hundreds of patients were left without treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital when more than 1,000 doctors stopped work to protest the violent attack on honorary physician Mominul Islam, on Saturday night.

There is no justification for a strike which hurts innocent patients, who have no connection to, or influence over the attackers.

Striking accomplishes nothing to help law enforcement authorities catch the people responsible. No useful purpose is served by making patients suffer.

It is one thing to hold a demonstration in support of the victim of a heinous attack and to demand the arrest of perpetrators.  For honorary doctors to show solidarity with colleagues is a natural reaction.

However, it is unacceptable for doctors to disrupt vital healthcare services and leave patients unattended. It not only does nothing to help the victim of the attack, but actively harms patients.

Abandoning patients is a breach of basic medical ethics and wholly counter-productive as it brings the medical profession,  on which everyone relies, into disrepute. 

While we do not agree with the Bangladesh Medical Association’s associated call for symbolic hour long strikes, at least that move  shows a bit more concern for the rights of the public and the responsibilities of doctors.

Regrettably, the ill considered strike action at DCMH diverts attention away genuine issues of concern.  Public hospitals do need to become far better managed and doctors rights to good working conditions deserve to be respected. However, any strike, let alone one about a crime which took place outside a hospital, risks public sympathy and is unjustified.

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Scientists create first living organism

Scientists create first living organism 

The progress has unveiled a new dimension for health care products, experts say

For the first time in history, researchers have created microbes containing artificially-made DNA, expanding the universal genetic code that guides life.

The progress can lead to creation of new antibiotics, vaccines and other medical products not possible with today's bioscience, Fox News reported on Thursday.

The scientists said they created two additions to the normal genetic code, and then prompted bacteria to incorporate these pieces of man-made DNA with few ill effects.

"The cells recognised it as natural," said chemical biologist Floyd Romesberg at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, who led the research group.

The experiment demonstrated the feasibility of life-forms based on a different DNA code, independent experts said.

Eventually, scientists could use an expanded genetic code to design living cells that could make new medical compounds.

By one recent estimate, the market for biologic and protein-based therapies is expected to reach $165 billion a year by 2018.

"Most people thought this wasn't possible," said biochemist Steven Benner at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Gainesville.

Many scientists assumed that a normal cell would ignore any imitated DNA. "He has gone inside a cell and gotten it to work and that is a shock," said Dr. Benner.

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NASA announces discovery of earth-size planet

NASA announces discovery of earth-size planet 

According to the official website of the NASA, the discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that planet the size of Earth exists in the habitable zone of stars other than our sun

The astronomers have discovered the first Earth-size planet orbiting a star in the "habitable zone" -- the range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the surface of an orbiting planet.

According to the official website of the NASA, the discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that planet the size of Earth exists in the habitable zone of stars other than our sun. While planets have previously been found in the habitable zone, they are all at least 40 percent larger in size than Earth and understanding their makeup is challenging. Kepler-186f is more reminiscent of Earth.

NASA's Astrophysics Division Director at the agency's headquarters in Washington Paul Hertz said: "The discovery of Kepler-186f is a significant step toward finding worlds like our planet Earth. Future NASA missions, like the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the James Webb Space Telescope, will discover the nearest rocky exoplanets and determine their composition and atmospheric conditions, continuing humankind's quest to find truly Earth-like worlds."

"We know of just one planet where life exists -- Earth. When we search for life outside our solar system we focus on finding planets with characteristics that mimic that of Earth," said Elisa Quintana, research scientist at the SETI Institute at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and lead author of the paper published in the journal Science. "Finding a habitable zone planet comparable to Earth in size is a major step forward."

Kepler-186f resides in the Kepler-186 system, about 500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. The system is also home to four companion planets, which orbit a star half the size and mass of our sun. The star is classified as an M dwarf, or red dwarf, a class of stars that makes up 70 percent of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

"M dwarfs are the most numerous stars," said Quintana. "The first signs of other life in the galaxy may well come from planets orbiting an M dwarf.

Kepler-186f orbits its star once every 130-days and receives one-third the energy from its star that Earth gets from the sun, placing it nearer the outer edge of the habitable zone. On the surface of Kepler-186f, the brightness of its star at high noon is only as bright as our sun appears to us about an hour before sunset.

"Being in the habitable zone does not mean we know this planet is habitable. The temperature on the planet is strongly dependent on what kind of atmosphere the planet has," said Thomas Barclay, research scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute at Ames, and co-author of the paper. "Kepler-186f can be thought of as an Earth-cousin rather than an Earth-twin. It has many properties that resemble Earth."

The four companion planets, Kepler-186b, Kepler-186c, Kepler-186d, and Kepler-186e, whiz around their sun every four, seven, 13, and 22 days, respectively, making them too hot for life as we know it. These four inner planets all measure less than 1.5 times the size of Earth.

The next steps in the search for distant life include looking for true Earth-twins -- Earth-size planets orbiting within the habitable zone of a sun-like star -- and measuring the their chemical compositions. The Kepler Space Telescope, which simultaneously and continuously measured the brightness of more than 150,000 stars, is NASA's first mission capable of detecting Earth-size planets around stars like our sun.

Ames is responsible for Kepler's ground system development, mission operations, and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., managed Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo., developed the Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts and distributes Kepler science data. Kepler is NASA's 10th Discovery Mission and was funded by the agency's Science Mission Directorate.

The SETI Institute is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach.  The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe.

- See more at: http://www.dhakatribune.com/science/2014/apr/18/nasa-announces-discovery-earth-size-planet#sthash.ZNvmq4IS.dpuf

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First aid for burns

First aid for burns

About 11 million people seek medical treatment, and 300,000 die from burns each year

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To distinguish a minor burn from a serious burn, the first step is to determine the extent of damage to body tissues. The three burn classifications of first-degree burn, second-degree burn and third-degree burn will help you determine whether you need emergency care.

1st-degree burn

The least serious burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin is burned, but not all the way through. In first-degree burns:

·         The skin is usually red

·         Often there is swelling

·         Pain sometimes is present

Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or a major joint, which requires emergency medical attention.

2nd-degree burn

When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) is also burned, the injury is called a second-degree burn. In second-degree burns:

·         Blisters develop

·         Skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance

·         There is severe pain and swelling.

If the second-degree burn is no larger than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately.

How to manage minor burns?

For minor burns, including first-degree burns and second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter, take the following steps:

·         Cool the burn: Hold the burned area under cool (not cold) running water for 10 or 15 minutes or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cool water or cool it with a cold compress. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don’t put ice on the burn.

·         Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage:  Don’t use fluffy cotton, or other material that may get lint in the wound. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burn, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.

·         Take an over-the-counter pain reliever: These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, among others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol or equivalent). Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 2, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. They may heal with pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the surrounding skin. Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help. Avoid re-injuring or tanning if the burns are less than a year old — doing so may cause more extensive pigmentation changes. Use sunscreen on the area for at least a year.

Cautions

Don’t use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause a person’s body to become too cold and cause further damage to the wound.

·         Don’t apply egg whites, butter or ointments to the burn. This could cause infection.

·         Don’t break blisters. Broken blisters are more vulnerable to infection.

3rd-degree burn

The most serious burns involve all layers of the skin and cause permanent tissue damage. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white. Difficulty inhaling and exhaling, carbon monoxide poisoning, or other toxic effects may occur if smoke inhalation accompanies the burn.

For major burns

Seek emergency medical help. Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:

·         Don’t remove burned clothing: However, do make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering materials or exposed to smoke or heat.

·         Don’t immerse large severe burns in cold water: Doing so could cause a drop in body temperature (hypothermia) and deterioration of blood pressure and circulation (shock).

·         Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement): If there is no breathing or other sign of circulation, apply CPR.

·         Elevate the burned body part or parts: Raise above heart level, when possible.

·         Cover the area of the burn: Use a cool, moist, sterile bandage; clean, moist cloth; or moist cloth towels.

Get a tetanus shot: Burns are susceptible to tetanus. Doctors recommend you get a tetanus shot every 10 years. If your last shot was more than five years ago, your doctor may recommend a tetanus shot booster. 

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How to Ace the Interview Print page Print Page

Most people freely admit their dislike for job interviewing. Fortunately, job interviewing amounts to only a very

small amount of time in any career. Unfortunately, the job interview is the threshold to any job. Without some ability to be interviewed well, a candidate cannot cross that threshold. Even the best trademark professionals must therefore have a minimum of job interviewing skills.

After getting the job, any candidate can point to the reasons why the interview was a success. The mystery is determining what works and what does not work before and during the interview. Candidates may be relieved to find out that this may be as much a mystery to those conducting the interviews as to the job candidates. To help solve the mystery, several trademark professionals with significant experience conducting job interviews, offer their perspective on what they look for during the interview.

A “good fit” seems to be the primary criterion on which job interviewers base their hiring decisions. What makes an applicant a good fit for any particular job, however, seems to be as big a mystery to the people conducting the interview as to those being interviewed.

Show Enthusiasm and Be Yourself

Trademark recruiter Judy Simon of Sage Legal Search admits that “fit” is the intangible that everyone wants. She has a guideline for determining whether there is a “fit” based on what is discussed during the interview. “If you are not beyond discussing the substantive aspects of the job for at least 50 percent of the interview, it may not be a good fit,” she advised.

Judy also emphasized that a candidate is looking for a place where the candidate can work happily. After all, the “fit” must also be good for the candidate. The 50 percent guideline can be used to gauge how well both the interviewer and the candidate communicate with and feel about each other. According to Judy, the only way to do this is to speak honestly.

Judy’s advice to candidates is, “show enthusiasm and be yourself.”

Others seem to agree that credentials are not always what interest people during the interview. “The best person (I interviewed recently) was very open, genuine and believable. Those things sometimes sell better than your credentials,” said Jay Hines, partner at Baker & Hostetler in Washington D.C. He acknowledged that “you don’t know what you are getting until after they work for you. You must determine how they are going to perform based on the feeling you get from the way they conduct themselves. This can be as important as what they put on their resume.”

Jay’s advice to candidates is, “have your story and be confident about yourself.”

Listen Carefully

Microsoft Corporation in Redmond Washington recently hired Fran Jagla as its senior attorney. Only after landing the job did Fran learn about the “Microsoft Competencies” used in the interview process. A spokesperson for Microsoft explained what those competencies are:

“We use a set of specific core competencies and skills to evaluate candidates, such as Drive for Results, Communication Skills, Teamwork and Passion for Technology. We have specific behavioral-type questions. How candidates answer these questions give us a strong indication of whether or not they have the core competencies needed to be successful at the specific job, and at Microsoft as a whole.”

The existence of these core competencies is not necessarily kept a secret from applicants before or during the interview, but specific competency documentation is not shared with candidates ahead of time.

Advice to the candidate in a structured interview is, “listen carefully. The nature of the questions may provide hints as to what the employer is looking for.”

Do Enough to Know You Like It

Knowledge of the job can also make a big difference in the interview. “When people understand the job and demonstrate that they want this particular job, this makes the applicant much more desirable,” said a hiring attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This experienced interviewer acknowledged that often people seeking employment with the government are more interested in a “government job” than working as a Trademark Examining Attorney. Knowing the job and wanting it specifically can make a big difference in this case because the Trademark Office sees countless people who are looking to work for the government, and only a rare few who want to practice trademark law specifically.

Judy Simon echoes this for entry-level and young associate-level candidates. “You need to have done enough to know you like it. Let them know this during the interview,” she said.

Judy’s advice to candidates between 1 and 3 years of experience is “show enthusiasm and interest.”

Don't Allow Little Things to Rattle You

Linda Heban, Vice President and Chief Trademark Counsel of H-D Michigan, Inc., was recently impressed by a candidate who showed poise when the weather caused a setback. Moments before the interview, this candidate was caught in a sudden downpour of rain. She was unable to do anything about her wet clothes. So, she acknowledged her imperfect appearance, and then proceeded with the rest of the interview without embarrassment. She did not allow her wet clothes to wreck her performance.

Linda’s advice to candidates is, “don’t allow little things to rattle you.”

Risk Tolerance is Important

For candidates looking specifically for a job in-house, “risk tolerance is important,” according to Judy Simon. However, she admits that an applicant’s risk tolerance may not be as inflexible as the risk tolerance of the company. Perhaps communicating the ability to be flexible and meet the standards of the company rather than imposing one’s own expectations is the winning strategy when discussing risk tolerance.

Avoid Mistakes

There are also those mistakes a job applicant does not want to make. One of our sources met a person who produced a BLACKBERRY and responded to an email in the middle of the interview. This cost the applicant the job, and while it might seem like a warning that does not need to be communicated, cell phones and other portable communication devices should be turned off during the interview.

Another mistake to avoid in the interview is to be the first to discuss compensation. The company or firm doing the interviewing should always be allowed to broach this subject. If asked about current salary, an applicant can include bonuses and other benefits in the salary calculation. One job applicant we heard about computed salary, bonus and benefits that included the value of the subsidized meals in the company cafeteria. While this might seem excessive, the applicant got the job. This may be a result of the fact that salary is often one of the last things discussed in job negotiations. By the time salary is discussed, both parties may be dedicated to closing the deal.

The job interview should be a learning experience for the applicant. Not every job is right for every applicant. While it often seems like the job marketplace is the boss’ market, the job candidate should keep in mind that just as important as it is for them to like you, it is important that you like them.

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The sooner the better

The sooner the better 

Regular self examination helps to identify many diseases at its very early stages and thus may be life-saving

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 Diagnosing a disease at its early stage always gives a better result. Regular self examination helps  to identify many diseases at its very early stages and thus may be life-saving.

These 10 safe and painless health checks could save your life.

1. Know your breasts: Look at your breasts in the mirror and feel them with soapy hands while you’re in the shower. Check for changes (lump, nipple retraction, discharging nipple etc.) at least once a month. This may help diagnose breast cancer at an early and treatable stage.

2. Be aware of constipation: Check for blood in stool– it can signal bowel disease – and the colour of your urine. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are. Take adequate fibre in diet & drink at least 2 litres of water daily.

3. Bone up: A bone density test can assess the status, and taking calcium can help prevent, or at least slow, the progression of osteoporosis.

4. Calculate body mass index (BMI): Calculate your body mass index (BMI)  by dividing the weight in Kg by the height in square metres: A score between 25 and 30,  is an alarming sign for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke etc, so to avoid these lifethreatening diseases one needs to lose weight.

5. Open your mouth and inspect it regularly: White or red patches or painless ulcers could mean oral cancer, and swollen, bleeding, or inflamed gums can be an early warning sign of gingivitis. Regular checks are best done by a dentist.

6. Eye test: An eye test every two years may help detect any serious health disorders like diabetes, thyroid disorders, glaucoma, and high blood pressure.

7. Fight smear fear: Women between 20 and 64 should have a Pap smear done every two years. This will help identify cervical cancer at an early stage.

 8. Check blood pressure regularly:  High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, it can be controlled with medication and lifestyle changes, such as reducing salt and alcohol intake.

9. Skin Changes: Look for unusual changes in skin’s texture or colour, and seek doctor’s help immediately if a mole bleeds, itches, or becomes ragged at the edges, or if any sore fails to heal. These may be an early sign of skin cancer. Wear sun block of SPF15+, and choose make-up that contains sunscreen.

10. Check your Thyroid profile: In case of unusual tiredness, fatigability, body ache, weight gain etc, this may help diagnose hypothyroidism at a clinical or subclinical stage and thus help avoid various life-threatening complications.l

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Passive smoking increases risk of heart attacks or strokes for kids

Passive smoking increases risk of heart attacks or strokes for kids

Second-hand smoke is a danger to everyone, but children, pregnant women are most vulnerable

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  Photo- Bigstock

Passive smoking means breathing in other people’s exhaled tobacco smoke. According to a recent large scale international study, exposure to second-hand smoke in childhood causes irreversible damage to children’s arteries increasing their risk of heart attacks or strokes when they grow up. The research, which lends weight to campaigns for smoking to be banned in private cars and homes, found passive smoking leads to a thickening of children’s artery walls, adding some 3.3 years to the age of blood vessels by adulthood.

“Exposure to passive smoke in childhood causes direct and irreversible damage to the structure of the arteries,” said Seana Gall, a researcher in cardiovascular epidemiology who led the study at the University of Tasmania.

She said, parents or even those thinking about becoming parents, should quit smoking both to aid their own health and protect the health of their to be born children.

Smoking causes lung cancer, which is often fatal, and is the world’s biggest cause of premature death from chronic conditions like heart disease, stroke,  and high blood pressure.

On top of the 6 million people a year killed by their own smoking, the World Health Organisation (WHO)

says another 600,000 die a year as a result of exposure to other peoples’ smoke the so-called second-hand or passive smoking.

Of the more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer, the WHO says and creating 100% smoke-free environments is the only way to protect people fully.

About 40 percent of all children are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home, and almost a third of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke are in children.

Artery Walls

This latest study, published in the European Heart Journal, was the first to follow children through to adulthood to look at links between exposure to parents’ smoking and thickness of the innermost two layers of the arterial wall, known as carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).

Researchers from Finland and Australia looked at data from 2,401 people in Finland 1,375 people in Australia who were asked about their parents’ smoking habits. The scientists used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the children’s artery walls once they had reached adulthood.

The results showed that carotid IMT in adulthood was 0.015 millimetres thicker in those exposed to both parents smoking than in those whose parents did not smoke.

Gall said that while this was a “modest” increase, it was nonetheless an important extra and irreversible risk for suffering heart attacks or strokes later in life.

Since children of parents who smoke are also more likely to grow up to be smokers themselves, and more likely to be overweight, their heart health risks are often already raised, she said, and the second-hand smoke adds yet more risk.

The researchers said the findings showed reducing children’s exposure to smoke is a public health priority.

“Legislation can reduce passive smoke exposure, with restriction of smoking in public places reducing hospitalisations for cardiovascular and respiratory disease,” they wrote, adding that banning smoking in cars with children in them would also have a significant positive effect.

The United States, Australia and Canada have already banned smoking in cars carrying children, and Britain said last month that it too would be introducing a ban soon. 

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Smart phones can be health informers!

Smart phones can be health informers! 

The health tracker is called Wello. It consists of a number of sensors that are embedded into a case that fits onto a smartphone

It is no surprise that now a days billions of people worldwide use smartphones. The devices are so much more than a phone they are just like a world of knowledge right in the palms of our hands. And now, they can even monitor our health. Technology company Azoi has launched a smartphone case that can measure key vital signs.

The health tracker is called Wello. It consists of a number of sensors that are embedded into a case that fits onto a smartphone. When held up with both hands, the sensors can measure a series of vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature and blood oxygen. It also comes with an add-on device that can measure lung function. The data is then sent to a Wello app that can be downloaded onto the smartphone. This allows users to have quick access to their health information and even track trends that may indicate they are becoming ill.

Wello can also connect with other health and fitness devices, such as pedometers and sleep monitors. Furthermore, it has remote access, meaning it can monitor and track the vital signs of family members.  By regularly monitoring vital signs Wello can allow earlier detection of a major health problem like heart disease as well as other health problems. By using this novel smartphone our too often health problems may be detected before they are too late to address. In addition, the device could help ease the growing burden on health care s

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Drink water in empty stomach

Drink water in empty stomach 

Drinking water on an empty stomach helps flush out any toxins in one's colon

Drinking a few glasses of water immediately after waking up is good for the health. Drinking water on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, helps flush out any toxins in your colon.

In a way, your colon is ready to take in all the good nutrients you plan to feed your body for the day. Water also boosts metabolism. Drink 2 cups of cold water in the morning and you are ready to go.

In Japan, drinking water immediately after waking up has become a popular habit due to many benefits proven by many scientific tests.

From old and serious diseases to modern illnesses, curing them by drinking water has seen many successes. Drinking water in the empty stomach dilutes these all valuable acids and chemical compositions moreover it deactivates the fermentation process in the stomach which leads to indigestion. 

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Special Feature

ALL THAT IS GOLD DOES NOT glitter

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

The narrow alleys of Tanti Bazaar in Old Dhaka are adorned with small jewellery shops. Gold jewellery of Tanti Bazaar was once a booming and glorious trade since the golden days of the eighteenth century.
The spine of this business is the goldsmiths, who with mere hands and minimal use of machinery have brought fame and fortune to the trade, creating a rich heritage.
Fifty-year-old Sujit Das (all names have been changed to protect privacy), one such goldsmith, eased his aged spine a little bit, wearily stretching his arms and legs. A few brief hours of sleep had left him drowsy. But the necklace he had been working on late last night needed to be completed. Still bare-chested and like his colleagues not caring to put a shirt on in this hot weather, he sat behind one of the low wooden tables to begin the day.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

“The 'mohajon' had brought an order for a necklace from a jewellery shop down the street,” he said, opening the drawer and bringing out the laminated piece of paper that displayed the design. “The whole process of making jewellery can take anywhere from five days to a month.”
Jewellery making in Tanti Bazaar is a traditional and old-fashioned process. When you enter a workshop, you will see several individual desks, quite small in breadth and indeed very low in height, about knee-height. Each worker sits behind the table on the floor or a small tool or a cushion to work.
The role of machinery, although vital, is minimal. Sujit pointed out to the hammer and a robust and bulky block lying on the floor.
“We beat gold to break and mould and bring out the shape and size we require,” he informed.
Fire is a necessary element of the workshops. A pipe with a small handle-type outlet is incorporated into every desk. “Fire is used in many stages, be it for melting gold or wielding gold,” Sujit informed.
To illustrate, he turned on the burner. The flame rapidly spurted out. However, the flame was too large for Sujit's purpose. He therefore took a thin blow-pipe and pressed it between his lips. “As you puff out air near the flame that's coming from the burner, the blow-pipe helps manipulate the big flame to reproduce a laser-thin one, which I will apply to the precise location I want to target,” he explained.
Another device -- typically red in colour, mobile and small enough to be held in one's palm -- is used to bring out flames.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Precision is the key to craftsmanship. Tiny stones need to be placed and fixed in position, and even half an inch here and there can mark the failure of the task.
The process of making jewellery comprises of several processes, with division of labour and specialisation quite evident in the industry.
Simple tools like tweezers/forceps come to aid. Even plasters are used at some stages. To pick up an object which is, say, as small as a tiny globule of gold, and then putting it in a precise position on a jewellery set cannot be done with mere hands. A pair of tweezers, on the contrary, can pick up and handle things tiny and fragile.   
Therefore, as you can easily understand, the job of the craftsman requires immense patience, stable hands and a very meticulous and thorough approach towards work. A goldsmith even has to handle acid. “After all the processing, you need to bring out the golden colour of the metal. This you do by applying acid,” Sujit told.
This level of craftsmanship doesn't come easy. It takes years of practice. You usually start out as an apprentice.
The master, fondly called 'Ustad', employs the novice worker, taking care of his food, shelter and other expenses. In return, the apprentice provides his labour whilst learning the trade. “It takes at least three to four years to learn the craft,” Sujit informed. During that time, the master will prepare his apprentice, so that after 'graduation', he'll be ready to face the world on his own.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

What kind of world will the future generation of Tanti Bazaar see? The past was wonderful; the present doesn't look very good for Sujit and his colleagues.
“The demand for jewellery has dropped due to soaring prices,” Kartik Bose, a goldsmith whose table is just beside Sujit's, spoke of the frustration they are going through. “Many goldsmiths have left the trade and took up other professions. Dhaka is not getting any cheaper. The goldsmiths are struggling to meet the minimum standard of living.”
Gold has gone beyond the reach of many people now. “Previously, the middle class family occasionally bought gold jewellery, especially when it came to weddings. And the rich people used to buy gold more frequently.  Nowadays, this trend is declining, and affinity towards gold-plated jewellery or other ornaments is increasing,” Kartik sighed.
If this continues, this trade will one day lose all its glory.  
The grave discussion left all the goldsmiths silent. From an unnoticed corner of the room, a young apprentice yawns as he wakes up from his makeshift bed on the floor, making his presence known. His 'Ustad' Sujit Das indicates to him, with stern eyes, to begin the day's work.
The care-free, young man makes his way behind his table.  The wise master, still studying him, has become very pensive. Perhaps he was thinking what kind of future lay ahead for this young chap. Will the golden days ever return?

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