Tennis Pro Federer quits for Golf

Roger Federer quits tennis for golf

30 Apr 09 , TOI

Image courtesy: Reuters

Ya, we know you must be shocked and must have missed a heartbeat after reading this news, but hey, don't get disheartened because we'll still get to see this hunk on our TV sets. Roger Federer, one of the most dedicated and awesome looking tennis players, is reportedly set to quit tennis for his new found passion for the sport of golf. It seems that this year's Wimbledon will be the last tournament of his tennis career.

It's a known fact that Tiger Woods, the famous golf player, and Federer are very good friends. Tiger Woods has confirmed the news (though we haven't yet heard from the horse's mouth) and said that he will make the announcement soon but for now he's concentrating on his game.

Some might say that Roger Federer is retiring from tennis because he is threatened by the likes of younger players like Nadal. But we know Federer is a true champion and for now he's leaving tennis only because he feels golf is true calling.

(http://www.idiva.com/bin/idiva/Lounge_rumourmill_RogerFedererquitstennisforgolf_fat)

Grow your own drugs (medicine) in garden

Grow your own drugs with James Wong

Marianne Kavanagh meets James Wong, a young ethnobotanist, who grows his medicine in the garden. By Marianne Kavanagh (Telegraph, UK)

Flower power: James Wong turns to his garden rather than a chemist to treat anything that ails him

Most of us look for a dock leaf when we've been stung by a nettle, but that's as far as it goes. We wouldn't dream of using plants to treat everyday ailments like eczema, sore throats, indigestion and insomnia. But James Wong, a 27-year-old ethnobotanist (a scientist who studies how people use plants), wants to change our minds. He passionately believes that safe, natural remedies can be made from the everyday plants you find in hedgerows, the back garden or local garden centres.

''Nowadays we think of plants as pretty objects, as soft furnishings in an outdoor room," he says. "But just two generations ago they were your hardware store and chemist all rolled into one." In Malaysia, where Wong grew up, everyone treated themselves with natural remedies. Food, too, was used as medicine – not only herbs, but ginger, chilli and garlic to ward off the symptoms of a cold. "My grandmother had a tiny patch of garden," says Wong, "which to anyone else would just look like a bunch of flowers, but she could make soup, or a face pack, or something to treat insect bites, in a matter of minutes. It was magical – real Harry Potter stuff.''

The problem, Wong believes, is that there's a big cultural dividing line between conventional medicine, which is thought of as effective, proven and serious, and herbal medicine, which has the reputation of being a bit flaky. But, as Wong says, up to 50 per cent of over-the-counter medicines are based on chemicals that were first isolated from plants. "Aspirin, for example, is made from the same chemicals that were first isolated from willow, which has been used for thousands of years as a painkiller.''

But don't you need green fingers to grow the kind of plants that are good for your health? Not at all, says Wong. ''Most herb species live in poor environments with low water and low fertiliser, and you probably have to keep hacking them back or they'll take over the whole garden. You might as well make something from them instead of throwing them on the compost." Common plantain, for example, which brings down inflammation and is good for insect bites and stings, makes up a quarter of most garden lawns.

Of course you should always consult your GP before using natural remedies, especially if you're already on medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, but Wong, who trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, is quick to point out that the herbs and plants he recommends all have a long history of use and no record of toxicity.

They also, in these uncertain times, have the distinct advantage of being cheap. Peppermint tea, which is brilliant if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion or heartburn, is made from just fresh peppermint leaves and hot water. In his new book, published next month, Wong has also come up with recipes for body scrubs, deodorants and lip balms, most of which use ingredients that you already have in the kitchen cupboard. The basics for a lavender bath bomb, are citric acid, bicarbonate of soda and a splash of vegetable oil.

As a lecturer at Kent University, James is used to making the dry, academic facts about plants relevant and exciting, and he's enjoyed making his first television series, starting on BBC Two on Monday. ''Although,'' he says thoughtfully, ''I'm a bit worried about being recognised in Tesco's.'' If pressed to pick a favourite home-grown remedy out of the wealth of recipes he has gathered together, he admits to having a soft spot for the restorative powers of chilli. ''Scotch Bonnet or habanero boosts circulation and numbs pain,'' he says. ''We've used it to treat a whole team of battered rugby players.''

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/alternativemedicine/4807237/Grow-your-own-drugs-with-James-Wong.html)

It had to be Coming: Six Days in Fallujah

Get ready for an Iraq video game :

Six Days in Fallujah.

It's tempting to over-simplify the controversy surrounding Six Days in Fallujah by saying that it's simply "too soon" for this kind of treatment. The scars of the Iraq war remain fresh, both in the nation itself and on the public consciousness of the western world - and blood is still being spilled on the streets of cities like Fallujah. Let time heal the wounds somewhat, detractors urge, before making entertainment from such events.

Yet this exhortation seems to apply exclusively to video games. Other media teems with representations of Iraq. Countless books, newspaper and magazine articles, films and TV shows about the Iraq war have been created in the past few years, ranging from straight-laced documentaries to HBO's critically acclaimed TV drama Generation Kill. Some of these have been controversial in their own right, but none has had their basic right to exist questioned in the way that we are now seeing with Six Days in Fallujah.

This debate isn't about whether it's "too soon". It's about a popular viewpoint which believes that video games are not equipped to deal with the raw complexity and subtlety of an unresolved, multi-faceted conflict such as Iraq. Say the word "game" to a certain part of the public, and it conjures up an entirely inaccurate mental image. The straightforward "kill bad guys to earn points" system which many people erroneously believe exists is no reflection of the narrative power and interactive subtlety of the best modern games.

The horrified response in some quarters to Six Days in Fallujah is a consequence of that outdated viewpoint. If, indeed, this were a game where you simply blasted enemies to boost your score, it would be a disgusting exploitation of the events in question - but talented game developers evolved the medium away from that long ago. War games, both modern and historical, are now often exercises in accuracy and balance, concerned with documenting the reality of conflict as much as with providing an entertainment experience.

In this, they serve the same educational purpose as movies such as Saving Private Ryan, or TV series such as the aforementioned Generation Kill. The best war games inform and provoke thought by placing the player in a combat context and challenging them to experience both the tactical and moral decisions faced by soldiers. Crucially, this is entertainment for adults - not merely because it is often horrific, as war itself is, and rated accordingly by the BBFC - but because such moral or strategic challenges simply aren't entertaining to children.

Games, like all other forms of media, have an important role to play in provoking informed debate over the issues facing our world. Their interactive, immersive nature can give them a unique narrative power. Games like Six Days in Fallujah are not just ultra-violent Space Invaders, as the knee-jerk response to them suggests - they're a vital, thriving and intelligent part of our media and culture. (http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6072924.ece)

Diabetes lead to poorer memory and diminished brain power

Diabetes 'impact on brain power'

It is vital for patients to keep their blood sugar levels under control

Failure to control type 2 diabetes may have a long-term impact on the brain, research has suggested.

Severe hypoglycaemic episodes - hypos - occur when blood sugar levels drop dangerously low.

A University of Edinburgh team found they may lead to poorer memory and diminished brain power.

The study, based on 1,066 people with type 2 diabetes aged between 60 and 75, was presented at a conference of the charity Diabetes UK.

HYPOGLYCAEMIA Hypoglycaemia is caused by a lack of sugar (glucose) reaching the brain, which uses it as fuel Symptoms can include sweating, fatigue, hunger, feeling dizzy, feeling weak, a higher heart rate than usual and blurred vision More severe episodes can led to temporary loss of consciousness, convulsions and coma

The volunteers completed seven tests assessing mental abilities such as memory, logic and concentration.

The 113 people who had previously experienced severe hypos scored lower than the rest of the group.

They performed poorly in tests of their general mental ability, and vocabulary.

There are at least 670,000 people in England aged between 60 and 75 years old who have Type 2 diabetes and around a third of them could be at risk of a hypo.

Possible reasons

Lead researcher Dr Jackie Price said: "Either hypos lead to cognitive decline, or cognitive decline makes it more difficult for people to manage their diabetes, which in turn causes more hypos.

"A third explanation could be that a third unidentified factor is causing both the hypos and the cognitive decline.

"We are carrying out more research to establish which explanation is the most likely."

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "This study reinforces previous evidence which suggests that poorly controlled diabetes affects the functioning of the brain.

"We already know that type 2 diabetes increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, which is a type of dementia, and this research adds another piece to a very complex jigsaw puzzle.

"However, more research is needed before we can come to any firm conclusions."

There are 2.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and up to 500,000 who have type 2 diabetes but do not know it.

It is predicted that by 2025 there will be up to four million people with diabetes in the UK.

(http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5459901673067903492)

Throat cancer linked to oral sex

Oral sex linked to throat cancer

Scientists looked at tissue samples from patients

A virus contracted through oral sex is the cause of some throat cancers, say US scientists.

HPV infection was found to be a much stronger risk factor than tobacco or alcohol use, the Johns Hopkins University study of 300 people found.

The New England Journal of Medicine study said the risk was almost nine times higher for people who reported oral sex with more than six partners.

But experts said a larger study was needed to confirm the findings.

HPV infection is the cause of the majority of cervical cancers, and 80% of sexually active women can expect to have an HPV infection at some point in their lives.

It is important for health care providers to know that people without the traditional risk factors of tobacco and alcohol use can nevertheless be at risk of oropharyngeal cancer Dr Gypsyamber D'Souza, study author

The Johns Hopkins study took blood and saliva from 100 men and women newly diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer which affects the throat, tonsils and back of the tongue.

They also asked questions about sex practices and other risk factors for the disease, such as family history.

Those who had evidence of prior oral HPV infection had a 32-fold increased risk of throat cancer.

HPV16 - one of the most common cancer-causing strains of the virus - was present in the tumours of 72% of cancer patients in the study.

Risk factors

There was no added risk for people infected with HPV who also smoked and drank alcohol, suggesting the virus itself is driving the risk of the cancer.

Oral sex was said to be the main mode of transmission of HPV but the researchers said mouth-to-mouth transmission, for example through kissing, could not be ruled out.

Most HPV infections clear with little or no symptoms but a small percentage of people who acquired high-risk strains may develop a cancer, the researchers added.

Study author Dr Gypsyamber D'Souza said: "It is important for health care providers to know that people without the traditional risk factors of tobacco and alcohol use can nevertheless be at risk of oropharyngeal cancer."

Co-researcher Dr Maura Gillison said previous research by the team had suggested there was a strong link.

But she added: "People should be reassured that oropharyngeal cancer is relatively uncommon and the overwhelming majority of people with an oral HPV infection probably will not get throat cancer."

A vaccine which protects against cervical cancer caused by HPV strains 6, 11, 16 and 18, and also against genital warts is available and the researchers said the study provided a rationale for vaccinating both girls and boys.

But whether the vaccine would protect against oral HPV infection is not yet known.

Dr Julie Sharp, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "There is conflicting evidence about the role of HPV, and this rare type of mouth cancer.

"As this was a small study, further research is needed to confirm these observations."

"We know that after age, the main causes of mouth cancer are smoking or chewing tobacco or betel nut, and drinking too much alcohol." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6639461.stm)