Posts filed under 'Health and Fitness'
October 19th, 2006
Everyone gets tired, and everyone requires adequate sleep. However, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) can not be classified as the normal ups and downs experienced in everyday life. The earliest sign of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a strong fatigue that either comes on suddenly and then subsides or can continue constantly. Normal activities can become impossible to perform and exhaustion can appear with no readily apparent reason.
Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), Yuppie Flu , and by a variety of other names, is a complex and debilitating chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems. The profound weakness experienced by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers does not go away with a few good nights of sleep. Instead, it clandestinely steals your energy and vigor over many months and sometimes years.
For many people, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can begin after a stint with a minor illness such as a cold, or an intestinal bug. In many cases CFS sufferers notice that their illness started during a period of high stress. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can also develop more gradually, with no clear illness or other event starting it. Besides the fatigue and extremely low stamina, Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome is characterized by problems concentrating, poor short-term memory, and post-exertional malaise (worsening symptoms after physical and or mental exertion). Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome is often accompanied by flu-like symptoms.
Some of the symptoms
- Inability to concentrate
- Tender lymph nodes
- Sore throat (recurring)
- Fatigue and weakness
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
- Anxiety
- Bowel problems (diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain)
- Fever
- Memory problems (short term memory or concentration)
- Sleep (non-restorative)
Unlike influenza symptoms, which usually go away in a few days or weeks, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms can either hang on or come and go frequently for close to a year.
July 13th, 2006
The genes, small pieces of DNA that contain encoded information about how to make proteins (they are some kind of ‘blueprints’ for the body) are the basic units of human heredity. When, for some reasons, something happens to the genes and they can’t perform their normal functions, gene therapy is required. Gene therapy consists of several methods for ‘repairing’ the defective genes, curing the diseases that are caused by them. You can say that gene therapy ‘cuts the evil from its seeds’.
As said before, gene therapy uses several methods for fixing the broken genes. The most common of them is to replace the defective genes with healthy ones. This is done using a molecule that carries the healthy gene to the desired spot. These molecules that gene therapy uses are usually modified viruses that can carry the healthy gene. Depending of the type of molecule that needs to be carried, several types of viruses are used :
Adenoviruses - they can carry DNA fragments, and then they infect the desired cells, putting the healthy DNA there. Gene therapy treatment using adenoviruses must be repeated regularly.
Retroviruses - can carry RNA molecules. They introduce the RNA inside the cells they infect, and also some enzymes. Then, the RNA molecules produces copies of the healthy, required DNA.
This process is called reverse transcription.
Adeno - associated viruses - Gene therapy uses these viruses because they carry single-chains of DNA and introduce them in the 19th chromosome.
Herpex simplex viruses are also sometimes used, but gene therapy doesn’t only depend on carrier viruses - the normal DNA can be directly inserted into the infected cells, but this method is used quite seldom. Scientists are doing some experiments with introducing artificial human chromosome inside the cells, but this still presents some difficulties.
Gene therapy can surely be the future of medicine, and it could replace traditional drug - based medicine, and it could easily heal difficult diseases, but for many people it poses some ethical and religious problems, so the whole thing is under a big question mark.
Collected from the internet.
July 13th, 2006
DNA testing is routinely used in immigration cases to prove whether a child under 18 is a biological child of or, in some cases, is related to an individual with a leave to remain in the UK. Most DNA tests for immigration reasons are parentage testing (paternity or maternity) but in some cases a grand parentage or avuncular (whether a child is a nephew or a niece of the sponsor) test is employed to prove an alleged relationship.
When the child is outside the UK, a DNA test is normally arranged by an ECO. In such cases, DNA samples are taken from applicants at a post overseas and sent to a UK-based laboratory together with the samples of the sponsor, which in most cases is taken in the UK. If the child is already in the UK, DNA testing could be conducted in a Home Office-appointed laboratory or arranged privately or via solicitor. The DNA testing report provides an assessment as to the nature of relationship between the tested individuals and states the probability of this relationship.
According to the Home Office guidelines, in assessing DNA reports, the question to be addressed is whether the evidence establishes the relevant relationships on a balance of probability. If a DNA report concludes that the probability of a claimed relationship is at least three-times greater than any other relationship, it should normally be accepted as proof of that relationship without further enquiry. If the probability of the claimed relationship is only twice as likely (or less) than any other relationship, the case is usually reviewed as a whole. However, the Home Office admits that even a low balance of probability in favor of the claimed relationship is substantial evidence and should be accepted unless there is strong evidence to the contrary. If relationship was the sole ground on which the application was refused, and it was later established by means of DNA evidence, the Home Office usually concedes the case.
In cases where several children are to be tested, the fact that some children are related to the claimant does not constitute the evidence in favor of other children who were not tested. The application with regards to the latter will be refused on the ground that there is not enough evidence to support the alleged relationship unless DNA testing results prove otherwise.
When DNA testing proves the alleged relationship, the Home Office usually concedes the application; however, in some cases, the Home Office has specific guidelines as to their treatment. This applies to cases when the child is related to only one of the parents, or is not related to them at all.
The immigration law treats a case where a child is related only to one of the parents differently. Treatment will depend on whether the child is related to the mother or to the father.
When the child is revealed to be the biological child of the father but not the mother, the Home Office usually seeks an explanation from the family on the following issues:
- whether the child has been brought up and lives with the natural mother or the natural father.
- whether the child’s mother is also seeking entry or whether she qualifies for admission.
- whether the father had exercised sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing.
- whether the father had a previous undisclosed marriage or is in a polygamous marriage.
Providing that the father is not in a polygamous marriage, has exercised the sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing, and the child’s mother is not seeking entry to the UK, the application is usually conceded by the Home Office.
When the child is related only to the mother, the situation is again different. This is a very delicate case and is usually handled with great sensitivity as the child may be illegitimate and the father may not be aware (even if he saw the DNA report). The impact of a disclosure of adultery could be disastrous for the woman. If the child has been brought up as child of the family he or she is usually admitted.
If DNA testing results indicate that the child is unrelated to the claimant, there may still be grounds for the Home Office to concede the application. If there is evidence that the child has been brought up as a member of the family he or she may be qualified for admission as de facto adopted child. In cases where the child is not a biological child of the parents but is related to them, the child may qualify as a dependant of a relative other than a parent.
DNA technology has significantly improved from the times when it was discovered, and now DNA testing has become a gold standard for cases where the relationship between people needs to be determined. Since 1985, thousands of children have been legally admitted to the UK and hundreds of families have been reunited. This can be largely attributed to Sir Alec Jeffreys’ discovery of DNA fingerprinting 20 years ago.
Collected form the internet.
July 13th, 2006
Before you can understand the importance of paternity testing, you must first understand the DNA element involved and why DNA is used to establish paternity. DNA is the pattern for your genetic makeup. Each and every person has a different pattern of DNA. However, persons belonging to certain ethnic backgrounds, certain races, or simply certain features, can have DNA that shows related characteristics. No two people, except for identical twins will have the same DNA.
Every person has 46 chromosomes in each cell. The only exceptions are the sperm and egg cells. They each have 23. At the moment of conception, however, the 23 chromosome from the sperm and egg combine to form 46, and at that moment, you have the chromosomes needed to create a new person. This pattern for your genetic makeup is a combination of maternal DNA and paternal DNA. In other words, half your makeup is your mother’s and half is your father’s. Now, since the mother would be the person giving birth, there is no dispute about maternal proof. She was there at birth. But what about paternal proof? How do you determine the identity of the father, without a shred of doubt?
Enter DNA paternity testing. DNA testing works in the following way. The DNA of the child is tested. A test strip of DNA “bands” is established. The DNA is then tested from the alleged father. If the child and the man share common “bands” in a number of different locations, then paternity is established with 99.9 percent accuracy. That is as accurate as the results can be. This is a seemingly simple test, to have such a staggering effect on the people’s lives that are involved. Entire families have been ripped apart over paternity issues. Lives have been forever changed, thanks to one little DNA test.
Today, paternity testing is utilized to decide custody cases, establish legitimate child support cases, influence adoption proceedings, and to aid in claiming inheritance by providing proof of relationship. By far, however, the largest use of DNA testing is in determining paternity issues. Most courts accept 99.9 percent positive as equal to a result of 100%.
There are tests available that can be used at home, but in the case of a legal battle, or establishing legal paternity, only the tests conducted by certified and licensed facilities will be allowed.
Collected from the internet.
June 19th, 2006
Have you been struggling to lose weight, but diet and exercise aren’t giving you the results you need to be healthy? Are you sick of people telling you that you could lose weight if only you had the will-power? It may be time to ask a physician about a phentermine prescription.
What is Phentermine?
Remember those 50s movies in which women lost weight by taking amphetamines? We know now that amphetamines can be very dangerous, so they don’t make safe weight-loss drugs. Chemically, phentermine is a little like amphetamines, but isn’t one. So it has the weight-loss effect but fewer “Valley of the Dolls” worries for you.
Phentermine is an appetite suppressant - it changes the chemicals made by your brain to make you feel less hungry. Some researchers think that it might also speed up your metabolism. Short-term use of phentermine has been shown to help people who are already on diet and exercise programs lose weight.
It sounds perfect! How do I get started?
Although phentermine isn’t an amphetamine, it can have serious side-effects, so before you can buy phentermine, you need a prescription. If your body-mass index (calculated from your height and weight) is high (over 30) your doctor may agree that a drug should be added to your diet and exercise program. You’ll stay on the drug for a few weeks or months, after which you’ll be ready to continue your weight-loss program on your own steam!
If you have atherosclerosis, a history of drug or alcohol addiction, allergies to certain medications, high-blood pressure, diabetes, or are on certain anti-depressants (especially MAO inhibitors), your doctor may suggest a different drug for you.
All these names! Which phentermine is which?
If you can read your doctor’s handwriting, you might notice she has prescribed a drug with a different name than “phentermine.” Phentermine is just the name of the chemical found in a number of different products. Adipex, Phentercot, Teramine, Fastin and Pro-fast are all brand names for drugs that have the same active ingredient, phentermine.
Ionamin has phentermine in a special “resin” formula that helps it last longer. Phentermine 37.5 is just a generic version of phentermine that comes in a large dose. Phentermine 37.5 is great if you need a larger dose of the drug.
Where do I go from here?
To make sure you get the most out of your phentermine prescription, make sure to keep this to-do list handy:
- Get your prescription refilled before you run out of pills; online pharmacies can set up a regular refill for you, as prescribed by your doctor.
- Check in with your doctor if you start having side-effects like sleeplessness, nightmares, difficulty breathing, or chest pain.
- If you feel the appetite-suppression is wearing off, it’s time to talk to your doctor about going off the medication.
- Don’t forget - this drug works its magic with exercise and diet - so keep up your own good work for best results!
Next Posts
Previous Posts
