Specialist eases fears of vax-induced blood clot: Rare case
An infectious disease specialist and member of the Philippines’ vaccine expert panel has sought to allay fears after the Philippines stopped the use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine following rare cases of blood clots reported abroad......»»
Canada records second case of rare blood clot after AstraZeneca shot
Canadian health authorities said Saturday the country has recorded a second case of rare but serious blood clotting linked to AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, but still recommend the shot for use......»»
Specialist eases fears of vax-induced blood clot: Rare case
An infectious disease specialist and member of the Philippines’ vaccine expert panel has sought to allay fears after the Philippines stopped the use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine following rare cases of blood clots reported abroad......»»
Comatosed teen dies
Iranian teenager Armita Garawand died on Saturday a month after falling into a coma following a disputed incident on Tehran’s metro, media in the Islamic republic said. “Armita Garawand, a student in Tehran, died an hour ago after intensive medical treatment and 28 days of hospitalization in intensive care,” reported the Borna news agency affiliated with the youth ministry. The 16-year-old ethnic Kurd was hospitalized in Tehran after she fell unconscious on the metro. Her case was first reported on 3 October by Kurdish-focused rights group Hengaw, which said she had been critically wounded during an incident on the underground train network. Authorities say she suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure and denied that any “physical or verbal altercations” had taken place between her and other passengers. But rights groups have said the teen was critically wounded during an alleged assault by members of Iran’s morality police. It came just over a year after the death of Mahsa Amini, also a young Iranian Kurd, following her arrest by the morality police for allegedly breaching Iran’s strict dress code for women in an incident that sparked mass protests across the Islamic republic. On Saturday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted doctors as saying that Garawand had “suffered a fall resulting in brain damage followed by continued convulsions, a decline in brain oxygen and a cerebral edema after a sudden drop in blood pressure.” WITH AFP The post Comatosed teen dies appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dissident author warns Russians in Europe to be on guard
Russian author Sergei Lebedev's novel "Untraceable", about an undetectable toxin used to target Kremlin critics, was released a few years ago but has taken on added resonance as alleged poisonings have multiplied. Now the dissident writer is warning that the Russian exile community in Europe faces an ever greater threat amid heightened tensions over the Ukraine war. "This emigre community in Europe is now one of the most important targets for the Russian security (services)," the 42-year-old, now based in Germany, told AFP in an interview at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week. "There will be attempts to infiltrate, to get informants... Of course, there will be some assassination attempts." In Germany -- which Lebedev describes as a "hub" for overseas Russians -- there have been a growing number of suspected cases of Kremlin critics being targeted. In May, German police said they were investigating the possible poisoning of exiled Russians after an activist, Natalia Arno, reported health problems following a Berlin meeting of dissidents. Meanwhile, Berlin-based Russian journalist Elena Kostyuchenko wrote in a Guardian article last month about how she fell ill last year after visiting Munich, and poisoning was suspected. Inside Russia, the most high-profile case in recent years of a Kremlin critic allegedly being poisoned was that of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed allegations that it has targeted critics in this way. But Western governments say evidence points to the contrary and for Lebedev, Russians in Europe are not taking the threat seriously enough. 'Very eerie' "They are not very much concerned with security," he said. "They do not understand the principles of how the security services work." "Untraceable", which tells the story of an ageing scientist who creates a highly toxic, undetectable poison, was inspired by the 2018 poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. And it was around the time that the book was published in Russia that opposition politician Navalny was allegedly poisoned -- a development that Lebedev said he found "very eerie". While he has been vocal about his opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he does not believe he faces a threat himself. He has not found himself in the crosshairs of the authorities and feels he does not run the same level of risk as others, such as critical journalists, particularly those still trying to report from inside Russia. Still, Lebedev -- who moved to Germany five years ago with his wife -- said he has been taking extra precautions, particularly when it comes to exchanging sensitive information. Before becoming a full-time writer, Lebedev worked as a geologist and later as a journalist. He was motivated to write a novel after discovering his grandmother's second husband had been the commander of a Soviet labor camp. He was shaken by the revelation and faced the question of how to "deal with this personally -- with the fact that in your family (there) was a murderer". "I realized that the way out was to write a novel." 'Shocked' at Ukraine war The result was the book "Oblivion", about the legacy of the Soviet prison camp system, which was released about a decade ago and launched his literary career. He has since written several books and his latest is a collection of short stories, "A Present Past: Titan and Other Chronicles". It reflects what he believes is Russia's tortured relationship with the Soviet era -- and society's failure to come to terms with the past -- as well as aspects of its problematic present. Lebedev, who lives in Potsdam outside Berlin, did not flee his homeland. He first moved to Germany for professional reasons. But he has not returned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fearing it is not safe to do so. He said he was "shocked" when Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine. "I was the same idiot as many of us were, thinking that Putin is a... modern autocratic, modern dictator and not the blood-thirsty maniac that he is." He sees no swift end to the conflict. "The most difficult and problematic thing is that Russians are getting used to the fact that they are at war but still life is sustainable," he said. The post Dissident author warns Russians in Europe to be on guard appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Palawan still ASF-free
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – Amid the recent outbreak of African swine fever in an island barangay in Palawan, the province’s veterinary chief said Friday that it is able to maintain its status as a “dark green zone” and can transport swine stocks to other parts of the country. The swift containment efforts of the disease, supported by vigilant surveillance conducted by the Provincial Veterinary Office and various provincial government offices, was the reason for sustaining its status as a free zone. ProVet officer-in-charge Dr. Darius Mangcucang explained that the color code shows that Palawan maintains its status as an “ASF-free zone” according to the national plan for prevention and control zoning established by the Department of Agriculture. “When we say ‘dark green zone,’ it means we are still ASF-free. Although we had an ASF incursion, the good thing is that we were able to contain it immediately. It didn’t spread beyond Barangay Cocoro,” said Mangcucang, adding that even Magsaysay remains free from ASF. His explanation followed the receipt of a letter from the Bureau of Animal Industry within the DA which supported ProVet’s request to retain Magsaysay town and the entire province in the “dark green zone,” given that the ASF case in Barangay Cocoro had been effectively isolated. In addition to reaffirming Palawan’s ASF-free status, Mangcucang highlighted that the BAI had also bestowed Magsaysay and Cuyo with Recognition of Active Surveillance for ASF certificates. The recognition was granted after blood samples collected from the swine populations in these two municipalities between 18 and 19 September tested negative for the disease. He emphasized that this successful testing was the basis for the BAI’s confirmation of Palawan’s ongoing status as ASF-free. The post Palawan still ASF-free appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study
Artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT diagnosed patients rushed to emergency at least as well as doctors and in some cases outperformed them, Dutch researchers have found, saying AI could "revolutionize the medical field". But the report published Wednesday also stressed ER doctors needn't hang up their scrubs just yet, with the chatbot potentially able to speed up diagnosis but not replace human medical judgment and experience. Scientists examined 30 cases treated in emergency service in the Netherlands in 2022, feeding in anonymized patient history, lab tests, and the doctors' own observations to ChatGPT, asking it to provide five possible diagnoses. They then compared the chatbot's shortlist to the same five diagnoses suggested by ER doctors with access to the same information, and then cross-checked with the correct diagnosis in each case. Doctors had the correct diagnosis in the top five in 87 percent of cases, compared to 97 percent for ChatGPT version 3.5 and 87 percent for version 4.0. "Simply put, this indicates that ChatGPT was able to suggest medical diagnoses much like a human doctor would," said Hidde ten Berg, from the emergency medicine department at the Netherlands' Jeroen Bosch Hospital. Co-author Steef Kurstjens told AFP the survey did not indicate that computers could one day be running the ER, but that AI can play a vital role in assisting under-pressure medics. "The key point is that the chatbot doesn't replace the physician but it can help in providing a diagnosis and it can maybe come up with ideas the doctor hasn't thought of," Kurstjens told AFP. Large language models such as ChatGPT are not designed as medical devices, he stressed, and there would also be privacy concerns about feeding confidential and sensitive medical data into a chatbot. 'Bloopers' And as in other fields, ChatGPT showed some limitations. The chatbot's reasoning was "at times medically implausible or inconsistent, which can lead to misinformation or incorrect diagnosis, with significant implications," the report noted. The scientists also admitted some shortcomings with the research. The sample size was small, with 30 cases examined. In addition, only relatively simple cases were looked at, with patients presenting a single primary complaint. It was not clear how well the chatbot would fare with more complex cases. "The efficacy of ChatGPT in providing multiple distinct diagnoses for patients with complex or rare diseases remains unverified." Sometimes the chatbot did not provide the correct diagnosis in its top five possibilities, Kurstjens explained, notably in the case of an abdominal aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening complication where the aorta artery swells up. The only consolation for ChatGPT: in that case the doctor got it wrong too. The report sets out what it calls the medical "bloopers" the chatbot made, for example diagnosing anaemia (low haemoglobin levels in the blood) in a patient with a normal haemoglobin count. "It's vital to remember that ChatGPT is not a medical device and there are concerns over privacy when using ChatGPT with medical data," concluded ten Berg. "However, there is potential here for saving time and reducing waiting times in the emergency department. The benefit of using artificial intelligence could be in supporting doctors with less experience, or it could help in spotting rare diseases," he added. The findings -- published in the medical journal Annals of Emergency Medicine -- will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress (EUSEM) 2023 in Barcelona. The post ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A history of storytelling through art collections
Narrative art is art that tells a story. It uses visual images of a sequence of events unfolding over time or an ongoing story to evoke emotions and capture one’s aspirations or culture. Narrative art preserves the past for future generations across diverse cultures. One of the country’s top bankers, Edwin Bautista, president of Union Bank of the Philippines, and his wife, professor Aileen Beltrano Bautista, debuted their private collections at the Salcedo Auctions titled Private Art, Public Lives, featuring A Passion for Connections: Objects and their narratives from Edwin and Aileen Bautista collection. “It’s a full story,” said Edwin when asked about the collections’ narrative. “The exhibit starts with the pre-colonial era. Basically, (Ferdinand) Magellan. There’s a portion that shows trade with China. Some ceramic pieces and gold pieces of jewelry that ancient Filipinos wore. This is like telling the story of how life was before the Spaniards came. That portion ends with the arrival of Magellan and his death at the Battle of Mactan.” The Bautistas’ collection of pre-colonial art pieces illustrating historical events of life before the Western World discovered the Philippines brings our imagination to life and provides us insights into our ancestors’ sophisticated artistry and rich culture. Philippine birth certificate An interesting collection is the map section that tells the story of the Philippines through maps and how the Philippines was seen in the eyes of the Western World. The collections trace the evolution of the Philippines through maps, Edwin said. The first Philippine map, which is also called the Birth Certificate of the Philippines, shows the first time the whole archipelago was officially named the “Philippines.” According to Edwin, there are only about three or four copies of that map. Some of the original maps do not show the island of Luzon. “Remember it was only after the third expedition of (Miguel Lopez de) Legazpi that the Spaniards landed in Luzon. Before him, there was only the Visayas. So you have Magellan and then Villalobos.” One of the most important collections in that section is the Murillo Velarde map or the Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Islas Filipinas (Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine Islands). The map was the first map made in the Philippines and first published in Manila in 1734 by the Jesuit cartographer Pedro Murillo Velarde, the engraver Nicolás de la Cruz Bagay and the artist Francisco Suárez. The Velardo map played a critical role in the Philippines case in The Hague for our claim over the West Philippine Sea islands as the 1734 map showed that the Spratly Islands, named Los Bajos de Paragua, and Scarborough Shoal, named Panacot, were part of “Las Islas Filipinas” constituting the Philippine archipelago during the Spanish regime. There were also old Philippine flags captured by the American soldiers during the Philippine-American war. But Bautista traced most of them and bought them from private collectors. Personal collections Edwin said all of the art pieces in the exhibit were from his and his wife’s own collection. They did not even know most of the artworks existed before they started their collection. His passion for the arts was ignited when he started collecting amulets (anting-anting). “My focus then was how to make the narrative full. It’s easy to collect amulets because there is an organized group of Filipinos who believe in them.” As for the source, he used to scour eBay, visit auction houses or even get tips from Buddhists and other religious groups. But for the Salcedo Auction exhibit, the Bautista couple commissioned well-known playwright and director Floy Quintos, who also owns the Art Gallery Deus in Manila. Floy shared: “The exhibition begins with two large ivory corpus that embody the very pinnacle of both Filipino craftsmanship and spirituality. It ends with contemporary folk amulets and carvings that speak for the enduring, resilient folk spirit of the Pinoy.” “In between these objects, many narratives have unfolded. The range of objects offers perspective and insights into our history, spirituality and creativity. The collection of Edwin and Aileen Bautista brings all these objects together to tell a story of our evolving nationhood. “From the blood, sweat, tears and passion of Edwin and Aileen Bautista comes the art collections worth preserving. The art pieces are the stars of our history, but the collectors connect all their stories to create a wonderful narrative. They inspire, educate and even entertain the public with their passion for the arts and gripping perspectives on our history and heritage.” The post A history of storytelling through art collections appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The solitary kidney
In recent news, a basketball player had to have his kidney removed after sustaining an injury during a game. While unfortunate to lose a kidney, most people with just one kidney can live healthy, normal lives. There are four main causes of this condition, known as a solitary kidney: 1. Birth defects. Some people can be born with only one kidney, or with two kidneys, but with only one that functions properly. 2. Surgical removal. A kidney may be removed due to severe trauma after an accident (as in the case of the basketball player), a tumor (whether benign or cancer), kidney stones or a severe infection. 3. Kidney donation. Persons who donate a kidney to be transplanted into a family member or friend whose kidneys have failed should have two healthy kidneys. 4. Kidney transplant recipients. Recipients of the kidney transplant have native kidneys that do not work properly and will have only one functioning kidney after the transplant. A solitary kidney may be able to compensate and increase function as well as two healthy kidneys, like having one person doing the job of two people. However, injury to a solitary kidney can cause kidney failure to happen more quickly, making treatment more urgent and needing closer monitoring. Individuals with one kidney may have a slightly increased risk of developing high blood pressure and this can damage blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to work correctly. You should have your blood pressure monitored at least twice a year and if high blood pressure is present, your blood pressure should be controlled to less than 130/80 mmHg. Having a single kidney has historically been considered a disqualifying condition for contact sports like football, basketball, martial arts, boxing and soccer. Over the years, however, it has been shown that it is reasonable to allow individuals with a single kidney to participate in contact sports, after discussion of the potential risks. Wearing protective gear such as padded vests can help protect the kidney from injury during sports. This can help lessen the risk, but remember that it won’t take away the risk. Here are some tips on how to take care of a solitary kidney. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can overtax the ability of one kidney to function properly. Eat a balanced diet. Have a healthy, balanced diet low in salt, sugar and processed foods. Include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains in your diet. Stay hydrated. Drink enough water to maintain good kidney function. Proper hydration also helps prevent kidney stones. Monitor your blood pressure. You should keep your blood pressure within a healthy range because high blood pressure can put extra stress on your kidney. Limit alcohol and caffeine. Don’t smoke. [caption id="attachment_181177" align="aligncenter" width="1706"] Photograph courtesy of Pexels/Cottonbro StudioDon’t smoke.[/caption] Be careful with pain relievers. Long-term use or excessive dosage of medications like ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and etoricoxib can harm the kidneys. Take these medicines only as prescribed by your doctor. Medication awareness. Inform your healthcare provider about your solitary kidney when discussing medications, as some drugs can be hard on the kidneys. They can adjust prescriptions accordingly. Exercise. Engaging in regular physical activity to promote overall well-being is still a good idea, but take precautions to protect your kidney. Regular check-ups. See your doctor regularly to monitor your kidney function and provide guidance on managing your health. Periodic blood and urine tests can help to detect any issues early so that they can be managed right away. Treat bladder and kidney infections. If you have any signs of urinary tract infection, such as pain on urination, frequent urination and fever, seek medical help immediately to get the proper treatment. Educate yourself. Learn about your condition and follow your doctor’s advice. Being well-informed about your health can help you make better choices Yes, you can live with one kidney. Together with the guidance of your physician, regular monitoring and a healthy lifestyle, you can help ensure the optimal function of your solitary kidney. The post The solitary kidney appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ASF invades Cocoro Island
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Provincial Veterinary Office here disclosed on Friday that the African swine fever has reached the region and caused an outbreak on Cocoro Island, a barangay in the fifth-class municipality of Magsaysay in the easternmost side of the province. Palawan PVO officer-in-charge Dr. Darius Mangcucang, in an interview, revealed that Cocoro has recorded approximately 300 swine mortalities as a result of African swine fever and confirmed that out of the six blood samples collected from the domesticated pigs that survived on Cocoro Island, five of them were positively identified as having ASF. The results were according to laboratory evaluations conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry. He also stressed that measures have been put in place to isolate the area and prevent the disease from spreading as the PVO is already enacting measures to control the situation. Meantime, community leaders are taking steps to restrict the movement of pigs and pork products from the island, while surveillance is also focused on monitoring the transportation of pork into the town. “We can manage the situation on the island as long as there is cooperation from the community. The barangay officials are monitoring closely as they have received directives from their leaders,” Mangcucang said. As an alternative to culling, given that all domestic pigs on the island have already succumbed to ASF, Mangcucang said they already initiated a disinfection procedure and used lime on the burial sites. The method aims to confine the virus and is anticipated to last for approximately three months, according to his estimation. “The pigs might all be gone, there’s no need for culling anymore. What we’ll do instead is disinfection. We’ll place lime on the sites where the pigs were buried by the farmers and residents, in order to contain the virus,” Mangcucang said. The PVO, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police and local municipal authorities, has also established checkpoints in all entry areas to Magsaysay. He said their endeavors include continuous monitoring, gathering of blood samples, and conducting quarantine assessments. Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates, in a statement issued by the Provincial Information Office, assured the public of swift governmental response as collaborative endeavors with various government agencies are in motion to tackle the crisis while citizens are urged to adhere to guidelines to halt ASF’s progression to other parts of the province. “This incident is being closely monitored, and appropriate measures are being taken in collaboration with other government agencies, while simultaneously urging the public to adhere to the government’s implemented policies to prevent further spread of ASF to other parts of the province,” Socrates said. The PVO also appealed to residents to cooperate by refraining from purchasing meat products online and to avoid feeding pigs with potentially contaminated swill or uncooked food. In case of any suspicious pig deaths or symptoms, residents are urged to promptly inform the veterinary office or the Municipal Agriculture Office. The post ASF invades Cocoro Island appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Artists scoot off Scooter Braun’s management
Scooter Braun’s an empire no more. Multiple reports say major artists, among them Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Idina Menzel, have parted ways with the music executive. Braun, known for discovering Justin Bieber on YouTube, is also stepping back from managing the Canadian singer, though Bieber’s departure from Braun has been denied by sources. NBC News reported that there’s no bad blood between the artists and Braun. The talent manager is said to be preparing for his role as chief executive officer of the American branch of HYBE, the South Korean multinational entertainment company behind the K-pop titan BTS. In 2021, Braun sold his Ithaca Holdings to HYBE for US$1.05 billion. Braun earned the ire of Taylor Swift and her global fandom in 2018 when he acquired the rights to her first six albums when he purchased the label Big Machine Record Group. Swift called the move her “worst case scenario.” Braun then sold Swift’s music catalog for $300 million to Shamrock Holdings, leading to Swift announcing that she would rerecord her albums. So far, Swift has released the new versions of Fearless, Red and Speak Now. She is set to release 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in October. Braun is said to still be managing Hollywood acts Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin, Carly Rae Jepsen and Ava Max. The post Artists scoot off Scooter Braun’s management appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The World Cup and our national pride
Barely a few weeks after our women’s football team, the Filipinas, electrified the Philippine sporting world with a first-ever appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a first-ever goal and even more unbelievable, a first-ever win stunningly scored no less than against the host country, New Zealand, for the next two weeks, a much bigger world audience will have their eyes focused on the Philippines. Never mind that 90 percent of the Filipinas were composed of recruits from all over the world with some traces of Filipino blood flowing in their veins. Never mind that the biggest stars of the Filipinas, golden girl Sarina Bolden and goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, and in the case of our Men’s Basketball team, NBA Utah Jazz shooting guard sensation Jordan Clarkson of Gilas, are as American as McDonald’s. Our hearts ever so slightly would start to beat a lot faster whenever these heaven-sent athletes would do what they do best on the pitch or the hardcourt. Surely just watching the replay of Sarina heading in the goal against the Kiwis and sprinting across the field with arms spread-eagled like the Philippine Eagle, you can’t help but scream out loud “Yes!,” get goosebumps, be misty-eyed, and jump with joy all at the same time recalling that single moment of a wondrous feat that boosted Filipino pride in an instant. Why is this so? How can a single goal cause so much adulation for the Filipinas and breast-beating pride in a nation forgetting for a moment all our gargantuan problems, and social and political differences? Apparently, this phenomenon is nothing new. A quick look in Google reveals various articles that conclusively demonstrate that sporting success and national pride are clearly intertwined. For instance, in various surveys of the International Social Survey Program conducted by Social Weather Stations in 1995, 2003 and 2013, from number 2 in 1995, sports moved up to number 1 in 2013 as the main source of national pride, edging out our national history from the top spot. From an 80 percent mark in 1995 representing the number of Filipinos proud of our sports achievement, this moved up to 87 percent in 2013. Not surprisingly, these were the years that Manny Pacquiao became an international sensation putting the Philippines in the world limelight for his achievements as a boxing great. What’s happening in the next two weeks? Well, unless you have been completely zonked out of your senses, the FIBA World Cup, the world’s biggest basketball spectacular, will be happening right here in our backyard. Millions of Filipinos, including yours truly, will have their eyes glued to television, streamed games on their smart gadgets, or for some lucky thousands who can shell out some hard-earned pesos, watch the games live at Araneta, MOA, and Philippine Arena. To be realistic though, the odds of Gilas sweeping our Group A games against Angola, Dominican Republic, and Italy to move on to the knockout stage are next to impossible. I think that at best what we could hope for is a close win against Angola and if NBA Minnesota Timberwolves star center Karl Anthony Towns can somehow be neutralized by wide-bodied but undersized Junemar Fajardo and our guards like Scottie Thompson or Kiefer Ravena can match up against their bulkier but fleet-footed guards, then a miracle for our country might be in the offing. Unfortunately, our game against Italy will be more of a question of limiting the certain Italian win to single digits to keep our national pride from getting trampled on too badly. But in all these games, the fans will be feverishly anticipating the explosions of Jordan Clarkson, our one and only Filipino NBA pride, and perhaps maybe Kai Sotto, and why not AJ Edu and Dwight Ramos, finally getting their much-needed exposure in the international limelight to showcase their talents and demonstrate that they are good enough to make the NBA. Nevertheless, win or lose, I believe what is important is that as a host nation, we put our best foot forward, take a momentary pause and suspend the endless carping on social media and the news, to present to the world just what basketball crazy but hospitable people we are. Go Gilas! Until next week… OBF! *** For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com. The post The World Cup and our national pride appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Southern Leyte swine fever infection confirmed
TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas has confirmed the viral spread of African Swine Fever in Southern Leyte after laboratory tests found blood samples randomly taken from hogs in Padre Burgos town positive for the infection. The DA regional field office said reports of unusual deaths of hogs exhibiting ASF-like symptoms started the last week of June, prompting the Municipal Agriculture Office of Padre Burgos and Southern Leyte Provincial Veterinary Office to investigate. The DA regional office said the new ASF infection is an isolated case, as the overall trend of ASF cases in the region shows the infection is on the decline. The DA regional office is continuing to investigate the case to determine the extent of the viral spread, although initial information shows the infection seems limited to Barangay Tangkaan of the said municipality. “Based on the initial investigation, it is believed that possible transmission of the virus resulted from either the transport of infected live hogs from neighboring municipalities that still have active cases of ASF, swill feeding, and poor biosecurity,” the DA regional office said in a statement. The DA assured the public that a technical team has been deployed upon the confirmation of the cases, and continues to conduct proper preventive measures against the spread of the virus. The agency said it is closely monitoring the area and its neighboring communities for possible transmission. The DA advised the public not to be alarmed and to help stop the spread of the disease by observing the protocols so that the farmers and hog raisers will be able to continue with their livelihood. ASF is a highly contagious and fatal disease that affects pigs. There is no known cure for ASF, and the only way to prevent it is to implement strict biosecurity measures. The DA has urged the public to report any unusual deaths of hogs to the MAO or PVO. The post Southern Leyte swine fever infection confirmed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protect (not) their own
Enterprising journalists always insist on getting the so-called “spot reports” that cops responding to calls for police assistance immediately send to their superiors to inform them of actions taken. While the grammar is usually horrendous, the 5W and 1H reports (Who, what, when, where, why, and how) are oftentimes good enough for breaking news despite being sketchy, as in lacking in details. Then some reports are “sketchy” in the sense that the narrative appears dubious, and the storyline implausible because, just to cite one red flag, the actions cited by the cops run against normal human reactions. But then again, when it comes to crimes, logic cannot always explain the violent tendencies of men and women experiencing a wide gamut of emotions — pain, anger, desperation, jealousy, etc. — that throw them off the edge of sanity. For crimes of passion and even road rage, for example, we have a term for that, “Nagdilim ang paningin,” a phrase that roughly (not literally) translates to someone descending into the dark enough recesses of the human mind to commit a crime in an instant. If one blinded by anger kills without premeditation, he or she is charged with homicide if successful, but if the killing was planned or was attended by treachery and the use of overwhelming force, then murder would be. During olden times in the Philippines, a husband who stumbled upon his wife in bed with another man and killed one or both would have just merited the punishment of “destierro.” A legal reference defined destierro as a “mere banishment, rather than a punishment, one that serves to protect the killer or attacker from retaliation from the family members of the deceased.” How about that: Protecting the killer or killers? The intent of destierro, based on that definition, clearly elucidates the point that there are crimes that sometimes do not rise to the level of imputing criminal liability on the perpetrator. The same could be said of actions taken in self-defense. The point here is that even before suspects in criminal cases are brought before the prosecutors for inquest, or before the courts for trial, the police have always exercised control over information pertaining to crimes that are imbued with public interest and so must be ventilated by the media. Cops routinely release mug shots of those arrested in small-time drug busts, but their officials cry foul when members of the media report on incidents that may involve men in uniform, leading to the perception, right or wrong, of whitewashing or cover-up. Take that fatal shooting of “Jemboy” in what the Navotas police claimed to be a case of mistaken identity and of a couple of the warning shots (fired by all six responding policemen, mind you) finding their way into the teen’s head and hand. No spot report that contained the names of the cops that had since been restricted to quarters was released to reporters, while those few who had gotten the names from external sources were prevailed upon to withhold the names of the suspects. A case of double standard, would you say? The sacked Navotas police chief had it coming when he decided to withhold the names of the six cops who, after all, had already been subjected to inquest. Court reporters should have gotten the suspects’ names, too, but again the lid put on their identities was so tight in the few days after the shooting that the public started thinking something was being cooked. More so since the six were only charged with “reckless imprudence resulting in homicide” instead of homicide, as suggested by forensic investigator Raquel Fortun; or murder, as this Contrarian raised in a previous column. A lawyer of Jemboy’s family had said they are pushing for a charge of murder against the six cops. With what little we know of the case, that seems to be a fair enough course of action. Again, the National Bureau of Investigation should step into the picture if we are going to have a credible investigation and prosecution of this case. Out with the sanitized narrative of how Jemboy wound up in the murky depths of a Navotas river, with blood oozing from his head. The post Protect (not) their own appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Insurance from a Muslim perspective (2)
The prevalent concept about insurance among Muslims is that it is “haram” or prohibited by the religion. Muslim jurists or “ulamas” classify it as a form of “riba” or usury and dependent upon the happening of uncertain events. Usury and gambling are specifically mentioned in the Holy Koran as mortal sins which Muslims should shy away from. It is a fraudulent undertaking, they say. People are lured by marketing agents’ promises of big benefits. Moreover, it is viewed as a scheme that eats up people’s money excessively and unjustly enriches insurance companies, which is taboo in Islam. The flip side of the coin is that insurance is a scheme that alleviates the pain of loss or personal tragedy. The school of thought that is fast gaining currency among Muslims is that insurance under certain circumstances is allowed if done along the tenets and jurisprudence of Islamic Shari’ah. In Malaysia, Egypt, and other Muslim countries, they justify insurance through the concept of Takaful or Islamic insurance, which is based on “shared responsibility within a community” and is not profit-driven. A group of people contributes money to a common pool, not for anyone’s benefit or advantage but to provide a resource they can draw from when a member most needs it, like during a sickness, an accident, etc. “Alims” or Muslim scholars point to the custom of yore in an Islamic society where the tribes shared in the payment of blood money to amicably settle a social infraction committed by a tribe member. It sought to mitigate the tragedy or loss by pooling resources in a community fund from which they could immediately draw funding support. This is basically halal or permissible. One contributes to a common fund so that when one meets an accident resulting in fractured limbs he is gifted with the contribution of the community members. They concede that while there is an element of uncertainty in takaful insurance, it is far outweighed by the economic benefits that it will bring to the recipient and the community. There is now a sweeping reshaping of established cultural and religious norms in the Muslim world. Social transformation which was unthinkable before is now finding its way to acceptance. Muslims are drawing inspiration from the recent transformation of once closed-culture and ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia (thanks to Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman) into an open society with the easing of cultural and religious restrictions without sacrificing fundamental tenets of Islam. The dividends of this wave of reforms are now palpable with the Kingdom turning into a major political and economic power player not only in the Middle East region but globally. Perhaps what is needed is a clear explanation about insurance as “halal” or permitted by Shari’ah. Maybe there is a need for the government or insurance companies to wage a campaign for information and clarification about the concept of insurance in Muslim areas. And for this purpose, they should bring the issue to Muslim jurists or organizations like the Ulama Council of the Philippines for support with the possible issuance of a “fatwa” or decree making insurance permissible, albeit there are already existing “fatwas” for its permissibility. This field is a possible motherlode for the insurance industry. If explored properly and successfully, a sector of Philippine society that has lingering doubts about its religiosity can now accept the industry. This is perhaps a job cut out for the new Insurance Commissioner, who has the vision to reboot the industry as part of the engine of growth of the Philippine economy. He can devise a strategy to embark on a campaign to engage Muslims for a better understanding of the concept. He can dialogue with Islamic bodies to draw assurances of the acceptance of “takaful” insurance as a scheme that can provide relief to Muslims in case of emergencies. Proper packaging and marketing of the concept might persuade Muslims to abandon their mindset that has become passé in light of its acceptance in other Muslim countries. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Insurance from a Muslim perspective (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Six white US police officers admit torturing Black men
Six white Mississippi police officers tortured two innocent Black men using a sex toy, Tasers and a sword in an hours-long attack that ended with one man shot through the mouth and neck, the US Department of Justice said Thursday. The brutal assault, and its subsequent cover-up in which the men left one victim bleeding as they hid evidence of their crimes, is the latest race-tinged stain on US policing. "The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect, and shamefully betrayed the oath they swore as law enforcement officers," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Five now-former members of Mississippi's Rankin County Sheriff's Department and one former member of the Richland Police Department pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple charges including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. All six acknowledged that while responding to a report of suspicious activity on January 24 this year, they kicked in a door at a house and began a sustained and unprovoked attack on two Black men there. They handcuffed the men and racially abused them, warning them to "stay out of Rankin County," the DoJ said. "The defendants punched and kicked the men, tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo," a press release said. They also hit one man multiple times with a metal sword and a wooden kitchen implement, the DoJ said. Deputy Hunter Elward, 31, removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun and forced his weapon into one man's mouth before pulling the trigger. "Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated (the victim's) tongue, broke his jaw and exited out of his neck," the DoJ said. As their critically injured victim lay bleeding, the men set about planting evidence to justify their actions. "Remarkably, the victim survived the shooting even though these defendants left him lying on the floor gushing blood for a considerable amount of time... because they were too busy developing a false story to try and cover up their misconduct," prosecutor Kristen Clarke told reporters. "The actions of these defendants not only caused significant physical, emotional and psychological harm to the victims, but also caused harm to the entire community, who feel they cannot trust the police officers who are supposed to serve them and leaving other police officers to try to mend the communal wounds inflicted by these defendants," said Clarke. "This trauma is magnified because the misconduct was fueled by racial bias and hatred." Elward, Brett McAlpin, 52, Christian Dedmon, 28, Jeffrey Middleton, 46, Daniel Opdyke, 27 and Joshua Hartfield, 31, pleaded guilty to all charges against them. Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke also pleaded guilty to three other felony charges stemming from another episode of brutality against a white man in December. All six are due to be sentenced November 14. Horrifying episodes of police abuses against minorities in the United States burst into the public consciousness with unwelcome frequency, with victims like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor symbols of what critics say is wrong with the US model of law enforcement. The post Six white US police officers admit torturing Black men appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl cinema in the first year of BBM
Here, we look back at the state of the Philippine film industry since he took the seat of power 13 months ago. When President Marcos Jr. became the 17th leader of the nation, the country was on the brink of the “new normal.” The campaign elections even saw multitudes of crowds in the streets, the Filipinos’ political passion overpowering the fear of a Covid-19 infection. Covid-pandemic viewing By May 2022, the month of the presidential campaigns, the Department of Health said the country was at “minimal-risk case classification” with an average of only 159 cases per day. By June 2022, when the President took his oath, 69.4 million Filipinos had been fully vaccinated. Along with the country, the Philippine film industry started healing. On the same month, the country went under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, with 50-percent allowed capacity in indoor cinemas. Live film festivals The Marcos administration saw the return of Filipino film festivals in theaters. On Marcos’ fifth month as president, the QCinema International Film Festival, with the theme “in10City,” held hybdrid screenings — in-person and online. The Metro Manila Film Festival in December 2022, six months into the new presidency, went full force in cinemas for the second time during the pandemic. Earlier, in 2020, during the Duterte administration, the festival was held online for the first time, and the following year, in December 2021, after level alert measures in the Philippines were relaxed, the MMFF finally went back to the cinemas. However, only around 300 cinemas (down from the usual 900) were allowed to screen the MMFF entries. Meanwhile, the 18th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival was held from 5 August to 31 October 2022 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in select mall cinemas and online. But what made a mark during the Marcos administration’s first year was the inaugural edition of the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival. The SMMFF was held in Metro Manila and throughout the Philippines. Organized by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines, the first MMFF was supposed to be held in 2020, but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2023, held from 8 to 18 April 2023 with the theme “Tuloy-tuloy ang Saya,” the summer festival featured eight entries and, like its December counterpart, even held a Parade of Stars. About Us But Not About Us by Jun Lana, produced by The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films and Quantum Films, emerged as the first Best Picture of the summer festival. [caption id="attachment_161372" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] About Us But Not About Us by Jun Lana[/caption] The Film Development Council of the Philippines’ sixth edition of its own mini-film festival, held during the Marcos administration’s third month, headed back to cinemas, offering free access to award-winning classic films of the new National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts at TriNoma Cinema in Quezon City and in all Cinematheque centers nationwide (Manila, Iloilo, Negros, Davao and Nabunturan). CCP closes for renovations On 1 September 2022, CCP president Margarita Moran-Floirendo announced during a hearing of the Senate committee on cultural communities, that The Cultural Center of the Philippines — home to the Cinemalaya festival — will close its doors starting January 2023 for renovation and structural retrofitting works, and will reopen in March 2025. This marks the first time that Cinemalaya, on its 19th year, which has the theme “ilumiNasyon,” will be held at various venues inside the adjacent Philippine International Convention Center, from 4 to 13 August 2023. The rise of political films With the country deeply driven by polarized political views, the Marcos administration saw a war between political commercial films. [caption id="attachment_161370" align="aligncenter" width="1800"] ‘MAID in Malacanang’ stars Cristine Reyes, Diego Loyzaga and Ella Cruz. | Photograph courtesy of viva[/caption] On 29 July 2022, Darryl Yap’s period drama Maid in Malacañang, touted as “the most controversial film of the year,” was released to packed cinemas. The movie, about the Marcos family’s last three days in Malacañang Palace before they were forced into exile, premiered at SM North EDSA and was released nationwide on 3 August 2022. Yap, who passionately campaigned for Marcos, became a controversial filmmaker with the release of his Marcos film. Leni Robredo supporters tried to boycott the film, with some Filipino movie critics exposing themselves as heavily political and non-neutral with their reviews, accusing the film of propaganda and historical revisionism. The attempt to quash the movie’s release failed and it became a box-office hit, with producer Viva Films releasing a statement that it earned a whopping P21 million on its opening day and P63 million three days after its release. It was the first time in Philippine cinema history that local theaters nationwide saw a deluge of moviegoers lining up to watch a movie on the big screen, mostly driven by political affiliation. Another unsuccessful political attempt to diminish the film’s release was Vince Tañada’s re-release of his Martial Law film Katips to counter Maid in Malacañang. Tañada’s film eventually won Best Picture at the Famas Awards. MIM actress Ella Cruz’s remark during a press conference, that “history is like tsismis,” further fanned the flames of political debate online. Eight months later, in March 2022, Viva released Yap’s second installment in his Marcos trilogy, Martyr or Murderer, which now focused on Ferdinand Marcos and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. Two anti-Marcos movies rose to combat the film — Joel Lamangan’s Oras de Peligro, released on the same day, and Tañada’s movie adaptation of his musical play Ako Si Ninoy, released one week earlier. Movie buffs, political analysts, film critics, the press and social media influencers dove into feverish commentaries on the three films, and Philippine cinemas were ignited and, for a while, became alive with social discourse. New FDCP head On 21 July 2022, Tirso S. Cruz III officially assumed his position as the head of the country’s national film agency, the Film Development Council of the Philippines. He replaced Liza Diño, who was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as FDCP chairperson on 12 August 2016. [caption id="attachment_161368" align="aligncenter" width="736"] FDCP chair Tirso Cruz III. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FDCP[/caption] Cruz, a veteran actor, said that the target of the FDCP under the Marcos administration was to support local films, not just in Metro Manila, but also from regional filmmakers. He also professed support for film students and highlighted archiving as part of the FDCP’s agenda, with 42,000 materials in its archives to be salvaged. MTRCB In September 2022, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board released a statement addressing the controversy about its proposal to expand its jurisdiction to online streaming services like Netflix, Vivamax, Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms. The MTRCB said it was responding to multitudes of complaints from parents and other concerned groups demanding that the agency regulate movie and TV online platforms to protect children from harmful viewing. The Marcos administration has seen a continuous boom in streamers, which began during the pandemic, with Vivamax becoming one of the leading local streamers due to the popularity of Filipino sexploitation films. On 23 February 2023, MTRCB chairperson Lala Sotto-Antonio expressed her gratitude to Senators Francis “Tol” Tolentino, Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian for the separate bills they filed that would amend and expand the board’s mandate. “We welcome the move to amend the charter of the MTRCB as it will allow the agency to adequately adapt to changes in technology and the ever-evolving needs of the viewing public and our other stakeholders,” Sotto-Antonio said before the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media chaired by Senator Robinhood C. Padilla. Eddie Garcia Act In January 2023, the chamber passed through voice voting House Bill 1270, or the proposed Eddie Garcia Act, at the House plenary session. [caption id="attachment_161367" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] HOUSE Bill 1270 has been proposed in honor of the late actor Eddie Garcia. | Photograph courtesy of gma-7[/caption] Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte authored the bill, which aims to provide workers in the movie, television and radio entertainment industry opportunities for well-paid employment and protect them from economic exploitation, abuse and harassment, as well as hazardous working conditions. The bill was named after the late veteran actor Eddie Garcia, who died in 2019 after suffering a neck injury while shooting the television series Rosang Agimat, produced by GMA Network. According to Villafuerte, productions would go from 16 to 24 continuous work hours per set and would rush productions to save costs. The proposed law mandates that normal work hours of the worker or talent shall be eight hours a day; overtime work should not exceed more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period; and the total number of work hours shall not exceed 60 hours in a week. Paul Soriano Relatively unknown to most Pinoy moviegoers, filmmaker Paul Soriano was put on the limelight as the man behind the President’s advertisements — way back from campaigns since Marcos started out as vice governor, and then, governor of Ilocos Norte, up until his senatorial campaign, and eventually his campaign for the vice presidency and presidency. [caption id="attachment_161371" align="aligncenter" width="781"] PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on Creative Communications Paul Soriano. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ig/PAUL SORIANO[/caption] Of course, the opposition in the film industry predictably canceled Soriano, the blood nephew of First Lady Liza Cacho Araneta-Marcos. Dolly de Leon It was also during the BBM era that Filipina actress Dolly de Leon gained international fame for her performance in the 2022 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness. [caption id="attachment_161366" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Dolly de Leon gained international fame for her performance in the 2022 Cannes Palme d’Or winner ‘Triangle of Sadness.’ | Photograph courtesy ofig/dolly de leon[/caption] The 54-year old film, television and theater actress made history by becoming the first Filipino actor to be nominated at the British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Filipino movie fans and critics, having been exposed to global content since the rise of the streamers, plus the proliferation of self-published movie reviews, are generally still disappointed with the output and system of the Philippine film industry, but filled with hope that, with full support from the government, Philippine cinema will finally become truly internationally competitive, sustainable and recognized. The post Phl cinema in the first year of BBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Geneva patient’ the latest in long-term remission from HIV
A man dubbed the "Geneva patient" is the latest person with HIV to be declared in long-term remission -- however he did not receive a transplant with a virus-blocking gene mutation like previous cases, researchers said on Thursday. But they stopped short of saying the man was "cured" of HIV, warning there was still a chance the virus could still return. Five people have previously been declared cured of HIV: the Berlin, London, Duesseldorf, New York and City of Hope, California patients. All had bone marrow transplants to treat serious cases of cancer, receiving stem cells from a donor with a mutation of the CCR5 gene. This mutation is known to block HIV from entering the body's cells. In 2018, the Geneva patient similarly received a stem cell transplant to treat a particularly aggressive form of leukaemia. But this time the transplant came from a donor who did not carry the CCR5 mutation, French and Swiss researchers told a press conference in the Australian city of Brisbane as part of an AIDS conference that begins at the weekend. This means that the virus is still able to enter the patient's cells. However, 20 months after the man stopped taking antiretroviral treatment -- which reduces the amount of HIV in the blood -- doctors at Geneva University Hospitals have not found a trace of the virus in his system, the researchers said. While they cannot rule out that the man's HIV will return, the researchers said they consider him to be in long-term remission. 'Magical' "What is happening to me is magnificent, magical," the Geneva patient said in a statement. The patient, a white man who chose not to be named, was diagnosed with HIV in 1990. He had been on antiretrovirals until November 2021, when his doctors advised him to stop taking the treatment after the bone marrow transplant. Two previous cases, known as the Boston patients, had also received normal or "wild type" stem cells during their transplants. But in both cases, HIV returned a few months after they stopped taking antiretrovirals. Asier Saez-Cirion, a scientist at France's Pasteur Institute who presented the Geneva patient case in Brisbane, told AFP that if there was still no sign of the virus after 12 months "the probability that it will be undetectable in the future increases significantly". There were a couple of possible explanations for why the Geneva patient remains HIV free, Saez-Cirion said. "In this specific case, perhaps the transplant eliminated all the infected cells without the need for the famous mutation," he said. "Or maybe his immunosuppressive treatment, which was required after the transplant, played a role." 'Promising' Sharon Lewin, the president of the International AIDS Society holding the HIV science conference in Brisbane, said the case was "promising". "But we learned from the Boston patients that even a single" particle of the virus can lead to HIV rebounding, she cautioned. "This particular individual will need to be watched closely over the next months and years." While these cases of long-term remission raise hopes that one day HIV can truly be cured, the brutal and risky bone marrow transplant procedure is not an option for the millions of people living with the virus around the world. It is instead a last-ditch attempt to treat life-threatening cancer in people who also have HIV. Alexandra Calmy, head of the HIV unit at Geneva University Hospitals, acknowledged that the procedure is not an option for most HIV patients. But the exceptional case of the Geneva patient "opens the door to ways to reach lasting remission in the absence of a transplant carrying a mutation," she told an online press conference on Thursday. Saez-Cirion said the case had also encouraged the researchers to continue studying innate immune cells, which act as the first line of defence against various pathogens, and could help control the virus. For his part, the Geneva patient said he was now "looking to the future". The post ‘Geneva patient’ the latest in long-term remission from HIV appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Study highlights limitations of BMI in predicting death
People classified as overweight though not obese are not at a higher risk of death, according to a new study Wednesday that underscores the clinical limitations of body mass index, long a standard medical metric. The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, come as populations in both rich and poor countries are becoming heavier. In the United States, more than 70 percent of adults are defined as either overweight or obese. BMI, which was first described by a Belgian mathematician in the 19th century, is calculated by dividing a person's weight by the square of their height. It is increasingly seen as a crude instrument for measuring individual health. Authors Aayush Visaria and Soko Setoguchi of Rutgers University argued their work showed measures of body composition and body fat distribution, such as waist circumference, are more informative from a health risk perspective. Older studies on the link between weight and death rates drew inconsistent and uncertain results and were mostly focused only on non-Hispanic white adults. In the new work, the researchers drew on data on more than 550,000 American adults from the 1999-2018 National Health Interview Survey and the 2019 US National Death Index. They calculated BMI based on the self-reported height and weight of the participants and gathered data on demographics, socio-behavioral factors such as smoking and physical activity, underlying health conditions, and access to healthcare. More than 75,000 people who were included in the study died during the period of research. After adjusting for other variables, the results showed that people with a BMI between 25 and 30, which is classified as overweight, did not have an increased risk of death compared to people whose BMI was between 22.5 and 24.9. However, the mortality risk rose markedly among people whose BMI was under 20, and those with BMI greater or equal to 30, defined as obese. Obesity carries higher death risk For example, a person with "third degree" obesity, defined as a BMI of 40 or above, but had never smoked and had no history of cardiovascular disease or non-skin cancer, was more than twice as likely to die as an equivalent counterpart with BMI defined as average. The average age of participants was 46. Half were female, and 69 percent were non-Hispanic white. Of those included, 35 percent had a BMI between 25 and 30, and 27.2 percent had a BMI above or equal to 30. "It's a large study with a representative sample which is good," George Savva, a biostatistician at the Quadram Institute in the United Kingdom, told AFP. "The authors have, as far as I can see, done a good job of analyzing the mortality link with baseline weight status." He added it might be the case that diseases linked with higher weight are managed better than they once were, for example, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. "So you would expect the relationship between weight and death to change over time, which potentially is what this is showing," Savva said. The post Study highlights limitations of BMI in predicting death appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. issues malaria alert
Five recorded cases of locally acquired malaria, the first in 20 years, prompted the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a health alert on Monday. Four cases of the mosquito -borne illness were confirmed in the counties of Sarasota and Manatee in the state of Florida and one in Cameron County, Texas, the CDC said in its health alert. “All patients have received treatment and are improving,” CDC said. Malaria is a serious and potentially fatal disease transmitted through the bite of an infective female anopheline mosquito. It can also be transmitted congenitally from mother to fetus or to the neonate at birth, through blood transfusion or organ transplantation, or through unsafe needle-sharing practices. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and fatigue. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur, according to CDC. For most people, symptoms begin 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, although a person may feel ill as early as 7 days or as late as 1 year after infection, CDC said. “Malaria is a medical emergency and should be treated accordingly,” it added. The health alert enjoins authorities to be on the lookout for additional cases and to implement mosquito control measures, according to health agency. CDC warned that Anopheles mosquitoes found in much of the US can transmit the disease if they feed on an infected person. “The risk is higher in areas where local climatic conditions allow the Anopheles mosquito to survive during most of or the entire year and where travelers from malaria-endemic areas are found,” CDC said. “Prompt diagnosis and treatment of people with malaria can prevent progression to severe disease or death and limit ongoing transmission to local Anopheles mosquitos,” it added. The last locally acquired malaria case in the US was in 2003 when eight cases were identified in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to the CDC. Almost all cases of malaria in the country are imported by people who have traveled from countries with malaria transmission. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 2,000 cases of mostly travel-related malaria were diagnosed in the US each year; approximately 300 people experienced severe disease and 5 to 10 people with malaria died yearly. The post U.S. issues malaria alert appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wagner chief to leave Russia in deal to ease crisis
The chief of the rebel Wagner mercenary force will leave Russia and won't face charges after calling off his troops' advance on Saturday, Moscow said, easing Russia's most serious security crisis in decades. The feud between Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia's military brass came to a violent head in the past day, with his forces capturing a key army headquarters in southern Russia and then heading north to threaten the capital. Within hours of Prigozhin's about-face, the Kremlin announced he would leave for Belarus and Russia would not prosecute either him or the group's members. It had been a dramatic day of developments, with President Vladimir Putin warning against civil war, Moscow telling locals to stay off the streets and Kyiv revelling in the chaos engulfing its enemy. The tide shifted suddenly when Prigozhin made the stunning announcement that his troops were "turning our columns around and going back to field camps" to avoid bloodshed in the Russian capital. Prigozhin, who has feuded bitterly with Moscow's military leadership even as his outfit led parts of Russia's Ukraine offensive, said he understood the importance of the moment and did not want to "spill Russian blood". - Wagner troops cheered - By early Sunday Wagner had pulled fighters and equipment from Rostov-on-Don, where they had seized the military headquarters, said the regional governor. But before they left, dozens of residents were cheering and chanting "Wagner! Wagner!" outside the military headquarters they had captured. Authorities in the southern Lipetsk region announced the lifting of restrictions after earlier reporting Wagner fighters in their territory, where the local capital is just 420 kilometres (260 miles) south of Moscow. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he had negotiated a truce with Prigozhin, drawing thanks from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters that the "criminal case against him (Prigozhin) will be dropped. He himself will go to Belarus." Peskov also said that members of Wagner who had taken part in what authorities termed an "armed rebellion" will not be prosecuted. "Avoiding bloodshed, internal confrontation, and clashes with unpredictable results was the highest goal," Peskov added. Kyiv revelled in the chaos that engulfed its enemy. "Prigozhin humiliated Putin/the state and showed that there is no longer a monopoly on violence," presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter. While Russia claimed the rebellion had no impact on its Ukraine campaign, Kyiv said the unrest offered a "window of opportunity" as the nation pressed its long-awaited counter-offensive. - Moscow's warning - The United States and its allies publicly stayed on the sidelines as officials waited to see how the revolt would play out. US President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain amid concerns that Putin's control over the nuclear-armed country could be slipping. Moscow issued a stiff warning to the United States and allies to stay back. "The rebellion plays into the hands of Russia's external enemies," the foreign ministry said. Before Prigozhin's climbdown, Russian regular forces had launched what one regional governor called a "counter-terrorist operation" to halt the Wagner advance northwards up a main highway towards Moscow. In the capital, the mayor urged Muscovites to stay indoors and declared Monday a day off work. Security was tightened in the city centre, with armed men in flak jackets guarding the parliament building and Red Square closed off to the public. "I don't know how to react. In any case it's very sad this is happening," 35-year-old Yelena told AFP, declining to give her last name. The measures came after Prigozhin announced his troops had taken control of the military command centre and airbase in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, the nerve centre of Russia's offensive in Ukraine. - 'A blow to Russia' - Responding to the challenge in a televised address, Putin accused Prigozhin of a "stab in the back" that posed a threat to Russia's very survival. "Any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood and to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia and to our people," Putin said, demanding national unity. "Extravagant ambitions and personal interests led to treason," Putin said, referring to Prigozhin, who began building his power base as a catering contractor. Another Putin ally, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, declared that he had dispatched his own units to help quash the Wagner rebellion. Armed Wagner fighters deployed around administrative buildings in Rostov and tanks were seen in the city centre. As the insurrection force headed north through Voronezh and Lipetsk towards Moscow, the capital's mayor announced that "anti-terrorist" measures were being taken. Critical facilities were "under reinforced protection", TASS reported, citing a law enforcement source. While Prigozhin's outfit fought at the forefront of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, he repeatedly blamed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters' deaths. bur-jmm/jj © Agence France-Presse The post Wagner chief to leave Russia in deal to ease crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»