Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Lens not the ‘best idea’ during pregnancy

Lens not the ‘best idea’ during pregnancy


    JUN 24 -
    We are all aware of the fact that the body changes during pregnancy. And just as it alters various systems within the mother's body, pregnancy is now also known to have effects on the physiology and patho-physiology of the mother's eyes. Of course, any changes in vision induced by pregnancy are temporary and will disappear once the baby is born. But it would be wise for would-be mothers to know what to expect, so that they are able to identify when symptoms are pointing to serious problems and when they are benign.
    The changes in hormone levels, metabolism, fluid retention and blood circulation that occur when one is pregnant, all affect the eyes and eyesight. This is a particular concern for contact lens-wearers who might experience discomfort. Research has shown that between 25-30 percent of lens-wearers develop problems during pregnancy.
    When one is with child, one could see one's water-storage capacity increase by about 6.5 litres. Since the cornea contains 70 percent water, it is the first part of the eye to be affected by this water retention, leading to corneal thickness and curvature, further causing difficulties with previously comfortable contact lenses. Pregnancy also causes a reduction of tear film stability, experienced by about 80 percent of pregnant women, which can cause dry eye symptoms.
    It might, therefore, not be the best idea to get fitted for new lenses or invest in glasses until several weeks post-partum. If you do insist on wearing lenses, and they get increasingly challenging to keep on, try reducing the frequency at which and the number of hours you wear them for—or switch to glasses for the entire duration.
    Keeping a humidifier in at home or the workplace can also help combat dry eyes. An alternative to this would be opening the windows for a while, or having some plants nearby. Yet another alternative is the use of artificial tear substitutes to keep the eyes hydrated.
    Contact lens intolerance, however, is not a given with all pregnancies, and of course, it is not permanent. It is important to remember that after nine months, when the body is recovering from having given birth, the shape and thickness of the cornea return to normal, as do vision and the tear film stability.
    But there is always the small chance that the changes don't recede, and your vision and cornea shapes remain altered. More often than not, there is no reason for concern; you will merely have to get new corrective eyewear. It would be best to schedule eye exams before and after the pregnancy to keep track of changes, if any.
    Dr Kharel is an Ophthalmologist at the BP Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine
    Posted by at No comments:

    Sony launches giant waterproof Xperia Z Ultra phone

    Sony launches giant waterproof Xperia Z Ultra phone

    By Leo KelionTechnology reporter
    Xperia Z UltraThe Xperia Z Ultra is marketed as being waterproof

    Related Stories

    Sony has announced a waterproof Android smartphone with a 6.4in screen (16.3cm).
    The firm is pitching the Xperia Z Ultra as being the slimmest large-screened handset on the market.
    It can also accept sketches or notes written using a standard pencil or metal-tipped pen in addition to an optional stylus.
    The firm says it intends for the device to challenge Samsung's dominance of the jumbo-sized handset sector.
    According to a study by consultants Transparency Market Research, Samsung accounted for 70% of the overall "superphone and phablet" market in 2012 thanks to the popularity of models including the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
    Earlier this year, it added the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Mega - a 6.3in-screened handset - to its line-up.
    Sony already offers a 5in handset of its own, the original Xperia Z, which it unveiled in January.
    The Ultra follow-up was unveiled at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai. The new device will go on sale in China, Indonesia and Singapore in July and then in Europe in September.
    "Southeast Asia is the key market for the product because the trend towards large-screened smartphone devices is stronger there," Calum MacDougall, director of Xperia marketing, told the BBC.
    "But we also see the trend in Europe as well.
    "In the large-screen segment at the moment most consumers are looking at the Galaxy Note. Now we can offer something that is really distinct: a stronger screen, greater portability, waterproofing and something different around the stylus and the pen."
    Sony is not alone in seeking to erode Samsung's lead.
    Over recent months Huawei has announced the the 6.1in Ascend Mate; ZTE the 5.7in Grand Memo; Acer the 5.7in Liquid S1; Asus the 6in FonePad Note; and Lenovo the 5.5in Ideaphone K900.
    Mr MacDougall said Sony intended to compete against these by promoting the Xperia Z Ultra's "premium" features rather than trying to match or undercut the Chinese and Taiwanese firms' prices.
    The Japanese firm reported its first annual profit in five years in May, but some analysts said its figures were skewed by asset sales and did not reflect a turnaround for its electronics divisions.
    Headphone flap-free
    The Xperia Z Ultra is 6.5mm (0.26in) thick - only slightly deeper than the thinnest device on the market, Huawei's Ascend P6.
    Samsung Galaxy MegaSony's new model is a fraction bigger than Samsung's Galaxy Mega
    Unlike the original Xperia Z the new phone does not need a flap over its headphone socket to protect it from water damage, addressing complaints the feature was fiddly to use.
    It can also be submerged to a deeper limit - 1.5m (4.9ft) in freshwater for up to half an hour.
    The device also features:
    • A 1080p resolution screen with in-built software to upgrade lower definition videos and photos
    • 16 gigabytes of internal storage with support for 64GB microSD cards
    • An 8 megapixel rear camera
    • A battery offering up to 11 hours talk time or 120 hours of audio playback - a figure which Sony claims is a record
    Those concerned about using such a big device for quick tasks are also offered an optional bluetooth add-on which can be paired to the handset using NFC (near field communication) to make calls, view text messages or stream music.
    The accessory is similar to the HTC's Mini accessory announced in January for its 5in Butterfly handset.
    Transparency Market Research said that over 150 million Android super-sized phones were sold in 2012 and predicted the market would grow to 400 million by 2018.
    Another consultancy firm, Frost & Sullivan, agrees that demand for such devices appears to be robust despite the fact many users would struggle to use them unless they had both hands free.
    "For many people in developing parts the phablet is their first communications and computing device and allows them to have a single machine rather than multiple ones," the firm's managing director Manoj Menon told the BBC.
    "But going forward companies are going to find it increasingly hard to differentiate between their products on size - it will have to be on software and other features. So, Sony seems to have the right strategy at this time."
    Posted by at No comments:

    Indian tourist dies in Tanahun

    Indian tourist dies in Tanahun



      TANAHUN, JUN 25 -
      An Indian tourist died when a falling stone hit him in Tanahundistrict.
      The deceased has been identified as 60-year-old Rameshwor Singh.
      A team comprising of eight people including Singh had come to visit Muktinath.
      The incident took place when a falling stone from a hill at Anbukhaireni VDC in the district hit him while they were taking rest.
      Injured Singh died on Monday while undergoing treatment at Bharatpur Hospital, according to the District Police office,Tanahun . RSS
      Posted by at No comments:

      CPN-Maoist-led alliance to go solo against polls

      CPN-Maoist-led alliance to go solo against polls



        MB
        KATHMANDU, JUN 25 -
        The CPN-Maoist led 33-party alliance has endorsed the second round of nationwide protests against the Interim Election Government’s decision to hold the Constituent Assembly elections in November “without consultation with them”.
        A meeting of the alliance held at the CPN-Maoist headquarters on Monday agreed to continue protests unless the government created an atmosphere for dialogue by immediately halting the election process.
        Accusing the big parties of bypassing them instead of addressing their fair demands, the agitating parties warned of extreme measures in retaliation if the government attempted to suppress them.
        “We will stop our protests if the government agrees to halt the election process and revoke a number of controversial election-related decisions. This is our bottom line for negotiation,” CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung told the Post. The announcement of the second phase of protests follows the refusal of the Ashok Rai-led Federal Socialist Party Nepal and the Upendra Yadav-led Federal Democratic Front to collaborate with the 33-party alliance.
        The two major forces, who launched a joint anti-election struggle a few days ago, have decided to start protests on their own citing primarily the differences over the way they view the Khil Raj Regmi-led government.
        The meeting of the alliance decided to carry on with the protests till the end. “We will not give up until all our demands are met,” said Pasang Sherpa, vice-chairman of the Social Democratic Party, adding that the absence of the Rai and Yadav-led parties would not hinder their programme.
        “Our party concluded that election is impossible in the current circumstances, while the other parties are not ready to see the reality and stop the overall election process. Dialogue is meaningless until they realise,” said Gurung.
        The alliance remains adamant on its demand for scrapping the 11-point and the 25-point agreements reached to remove constitutional difficulties, and replacing the incumbent non-partisan government by one of political parties.
        Considering the advent of monsoon and its impact on the people, the parties have decided to take softer strategies of struggle. Leaders said they have focused more on indoor programmes and internal preparations. The party has said the week-long protest will primarily be symbolic with activities such as brief obstruction of vehicular movement, showing black flags and holding rallies.
        The alliance has not targeted the mid- and far-western regions with its protests owing to monsoon-related disasters there. “We urge the government to provide the victims with relief packages,” read a joint statement.
        Posted by at No comments:

        Iraq protest camp hit by deadly twin suicide bombings

        Iraq protest camp hit by deadly twin suicide bombings

        Map

        Struggle for Iraq

        At least eight people have been killed in Iraq after two suicide bombers targeted a protest camp north of the capital, Baghdad, officials say.
        The attack took place near the village of Tuz Khurmato, 175km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.
        The protesters are understood to have been ethnic Turkmen demanding better security for the area.
        In January at least 23 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a Shia mosque in the village.
        At least 30 people were wounded in the latest attack in the village.
        Also on Tuesday, at least three people were killed when a bomb exploded on a bus near the southern Iraqi town of Iskandiriya carrying Shia pilgrims to the holy city of Karbala.
        There has been a recent surge in sectarian violence in Iraq, with last month the bloodiest since June 2008.
        Tuz Khurmato is part of an area disputed between the government in Baghdad and ethnic Kurds, who inhabit a semi-autonomous region in the north and claim territory in four other nearby regions.
        Posted by at No comments:

        Cyber attack hits South Korea websites

        Cyber attack hits South Korea websites

        File photo: Members of the Korea Internet Security Agency check on cyber attacks at a briefing room of KISA in Seoul on 20 March 2013In March, cyber attacks on South Korea affected 32,000 computers

        Related Stories

        South Korea has issued a cyber alert after an apparent hacking attack on government websites.
        The website of the presidential office was one of several official and media sites hit by an apparently co-ordinated attack on Tuesday morning, reports said.
        The identity of the hackers was not known, a government statement said.
        The incident came on the anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War, which divided the Korean peninsula.
        "The government can confirm a cyber attack by unidentified hackers that shut down several sites including the Blue House," the Science Ministry said in a statement, referring to the presidential office.
        The website for the office for Government Policy Co-ordination and some media servers were also said to be affected by the attack.
        'Anonymous messages'
        Messages praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and claiming that hacking collective Anonymous was responsible were left on the hacked websites.
        However, Anonymous denied any involvement in the South Korean cyber-attacks on its official Twitter account, AFP news agency reported.
        Instead, the "hacktivist" group was said to have planned attacks against North Korean websites.
        A number of North Korean websites went offline on Tuesday morning and appeared to have been targeted by hackers on Tuesday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing unnamed sources.
        These included the websites of North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, newspaper Rodong Sinmun, and portal Naenara.
        Anonymous has previously claimed to have hacked and vandalised social networking profiles linked to North Korea as part of its Operation Free Korea.
        South Korea has raised its cyber-alert level, and asked citizens to review their internet security, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul reports.
        South Korean investigators say North Korea has frequently carried out cyber attacks in the South, our correspondent adds.
        On 20 March, cyber attacks on six South Korean banks and broadcasters affected 32,000 computers and disrupted banking services.
        South Korea has blamed that incident - which came at a time of heightened tensions between the two Koreas following Pyongyang's nuclear test on 12 February - on North Korea.
        North Korea has also been blamed for previous cyber attacks in 2009 and 2011.
        Posted by at No comments:

        Desperate, Nepalis search for lost kin

        Desperate, Nepalis search for lost kin


          -
          DEHRADUN, JUN 25 -
          Relatives of Nepali pilgrims missing in the Uttarakhand flooding in India have flocked to places like Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh in search of their lost kin.
          At least 300 Nepalis are missing in the June 16 flood and landslides that struck India’s northern state, which is home to four famous Hindu pilgrimage sites of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
          Pranil Thapa of Kathmandu has arrived in Rishikesh, searching for his 59-year-old mother, Tara. He stood outside the Rescue Coordination Centre until late Monday evening, scanning the crowd intently, hoping if his mother would show up.
          His mother was part of a 14-member team of pilgrims that had left for Uttarakhand on June 5. Only seven members from the team returned home last week. The whereabouts of the remaining seven, including his mother, are unknown. “The last I talked with her was on June 16. The same night, the Dharmashala she was lodged in was hit by the flood. I have not given up hope yet,” said Pranil.
          Bimala Pandey of Kapilvastu, who had gone to Kedarnath with her 63-year-old husband Ashutosh Kumar, was alone when she returned home.
          Their son, Alok Kumar, said he lost communication with his parents in the wake of the flooding. “Mother arrived home safely, but there is no information about my father. They must have got separated somewhere on their way back,” he said.
          Alok Kumar has sent pictures and information of his father to the Uttarakhand State Emergency and Operation Centre and the security agencies involved in the search and rescue.
          Nirajan Poudel, who is in Rishikesh in search of his 63-year-old mother, Ramkala, said the two communicated two days before the flooding.
          “She and some others had completed the tour of Haridwar and Rishikesh and headed towards the upper region. That’s the only thing I know of her whereabouts,” Poudel said.  
          “At this point of time, there is very little chance that we will find the missing ones safe and sound,” said Suryabikram Shahi, chairman of the Dehradun-based Gorkha Democratic Front.
          As of now, 12 Nepali pilgrims have been confirmed dead in the flood.
          Posted by at No comments:

          Moors Murderer Ian Brady attacks treatment

          Moors Murderer Ian Brady attacks treatment

          Court artist sketch of Ian Brady. By Julia QuenzlerIan Brady spoke carefully in a soft and quiet Scottish accent

          Related Stories

          Moors Murderer Ian Brady has told a mental health tribunal he has been misdiagnosed as mentally ill.
          Brady, speaking publicly for the first time in 47 years, said his actions were interpreted by "opportunistic" doctors and nurses as signs of mental illness.
          Brady - wearing a suit and tie, and dark glasses - says he should be moved from a high-security hospital to jail.
          Along with his accomplice Myra Hindley, Brady, now 75, tortured and murdered five children aged between 10 and 17.
          The pair buried some of their victims' bodies on Saddleworth Moor in the Peak District.
          image of Dominic CascianiLatestDominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent
          Brady is speaking at the final day of the tribunal, which is sitting at Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospital in Maghull, Merseyside, where he has been held since 1985.
          Proceedings are being relayed to the press and public on TV screens at Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
          The killer told the tribunal he talked to himself when alone, just like many other people.
          He said he had been in solitary confinement for a while in prison and would occupy his days by memorising pages of Shakespeare and Plato - and then recite them aloud as he walked up and down in his cell.
          He said that any similar activity in Ashworth was seen as a sign of mental illness and then used against him.
          "If I interact with the TV, Tony Blair or something on, and make any comment, this is interpreted as psychosis.
          "And who doesn't talk to themselves? This is a question people very rarely ask."
          Asked why he wanted to leave Ashworth, he said he hated it because "the regime has changed to a penal warehouse".
          "They give you false drugs and turn you into a zombie," he added.
          And he criticised "some of these psychiatrists" saying he "would throw a net over them".
          "I would not allow them on the street - they are unbelievable.
          "How has this person got the job in the first place and how is it they're able to hold the job?"
          Brady, who never looked up during the opening half hour of his evidence, spoke carefully in a soft and quiet Scottish accent.
          The tribunal had earlier heard that Brady sometimes blocked out the world by listening to white noise on headphones - but he told the tribunal it was a "simply pragmatic" decision to make conditions more tolerable.
          image of Dominic CascianiAnalysisDominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent
          For almost 50 years the high walls of prison and hospital silenced Ian Brady.
          Well, on Tuesday, he finally got what he has wanted for years - to speak about the way he says he has been misdiagnosed.
          Brady sat in the hearing quietly and, never looking up once, began a long list of complaints - some clear to understand, others less so.
          He has a soft voice and speaks carefully - apparently weighing his words. Sometimes he adds caveats to qualify what he wants to say. At other times he tries to use sarcasm and wit - such as describing medicated patients as zombies.
          Brady is clearly a clever man. But the question is whether he is clever enough to get out of Ashworth.
          His crimes involved dominating his victims. The experts at Ashworth believe that he now wants to dominate them and, through this mental health tribunal, control how the public perceive him.
          They are determined he will not.
          He said his resistance of the regime at Ashworth began in 1999 after he says he was assaulted by a group of riot-gear clad warders who were moving him from one unit to another.
          Asked how he had spent his time in prison over the years, he said he had studied psychology and German and had worked on braille texts.
          He said he had also worked as a barber at Wormwood Scrubs before he was sent to Ashworth.
          'Makes toast'
          Brady said he had mainly stayed in his room for the past 10 months because of "negative, regressive, provocative staff that I am avoiding".
          Asked about the theory he stayed in his room because he was paranoid about other patients, he said his relationship with other patients was "unremarkable".
          The serial killer, who said he had mixed down the years with the notorious Kray twins and IRA terrorists, added: "Only the authorities call it paranoia - the prisoners say it is sensible suspicion."
          Brady's legal team say he has a severe personality disorder but is not mentally ill and could be treated in prison rather than hospital.
          But staff at Ashworth say he remains a paranoid schizophrenic who should stay at the hospital.
          Solicitor David Kirwan: "There's a moral imperative in this case and I don't think we should give in to him."
          His reasons for wanting to return to prison remain unclear, although it is thought he might try to starve himself to death in prison.
          He had been reported that he had been on hunger strike since 1999 and that doctors at Ashworth could force-feed Brady through a tube in his nose under mental health law.
          But on Monday, a nurse told the tribunal that, despite his hunger strike, Brady often took the food made available to him, and he "makes himself toast every morning".
          The judgement of the panel will be released at a later date yet to be fixed.
          The last time Brady was heard in public was in 1966 at Chester Assizes, where he denied the murders.
          He was eventually found guilty of three of the murders and jailed for life. He and Hindley later confessed to the other two. Hindley died in prison in 2002, aged 60.
          Posted by at No comments:
          Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)