Good Health Tips

You will be good way of summarizing what I feel are some of the most important health messages.

Mom Killed Son Because He Was Gay

Jessica Dutro, Oregon Mom, Allegedly Killed Son Because She Thought He Was Gay

An Oregon mother is facing murder charges after allegedly subjecting her 4-year-old son to deadly beatings because she thought he was gay. As the Associated Press is reporting, Jessica Dutro, 25, has been charged with murder, murder by abuse and second-degree assault in connection with the 2012 death of her son, Zachary Dutro-Boggess. Prosecutors say Zachary died on Aug. 16, 2012 of blunt-force trauma to his abdomen and a delay in medical treatment, according to reports.

Dutro, who is on trial in Washington County Circuit Court, allegedly pointed to her perception of her young son's sexuality in a Facebook message addressed to her boyfriend, Brian Canady, at the time. Using a slur, she wrote that she believed Zachary was going to be gay, and suggested Canady, 24, "work on" her son: “He walks and talks like it. Ugh.” Earlier this month, Canady pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, and second-degree assault, in connection with Zachary's death, The Oregonian previously reported. At the time of his arrest in 2012, Canady admitted to kicking Zachary in the abdomen while wearing shoes, according to The Portland Tribune.

Dutro's 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son are also said to have shown signs of physical abuse, according to The Oregonian. Still, her attorney Chris Colburn has argued that while his client was an "unusual" parent, she is not guilty of murder. The case follows that of James Larry Cosby, a Texas father who has been charged with two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his daughter, Britney Cosby, and her girlfriend Crystal Jackson, both 24, according to KHOU. He is currently being held in the Galveston County Jail on a total of $500,000.00 bonds.

Mom, boyfriend charged in child's death

Tigard police say they have arrested Brian Canady and his girlfriend Jessica Dutro-Boggess for the death of her 4-year-old son.

Delhi World's Most Polluted City

Delhi beats Beijing to become world's most polluted city: How does your city fare?

India's capital, Delhi, may have surpassed Beijing to become the city with the worst air pollution in the world.
In "Delhi world's most polluted city: Study" published Jan. 29, Hindustan Times, one of India's highest circulated daily newspapers, cited the latest Environmental Performance Index (EPI) report by U.S.-based Yale and Columbia universities to substantiate claims of India overtaking China in the hierarchal list of cities with the worst air pollution. Delhi and Beijing were followed by Cairo, Santiago and Mexico City. "The study described India's air pollution as the worst in the world, tying with China in terms of the proportion of population exposed to average air pollution levels exceeding World Health Organisation (WHO) thresholds," the article read. EPI project director Angel Hsu of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, however, said that the EPI research does not compare cities and focuses only on nationwide pollution.

"The EPI does not rank cities, nor do the data in the EPI provide any information on city-level performance," Hsu said. "Beijing reports [pollution] data on an hourly basis over a publicly accessible platform. Delhi's reporting is not as consistent or transparent, making direct comparison impossible. Delhi may or may not have dirtier air than Beijing, but it is clearly behind in how it makes air quality information available to its citizens." Although the air quality comparison between Beijing and Delhi is speculative, it is undeniable that Delhi has pollution problems. Research from India's Center for Science and Environment (CSE) showed that Delhi's PM 2.5, which refers to the toxic pollutants that can enter a person's lungs and cause severe health problems such as lung cancer, has hit 575 micrograms per cubic meter while the permissible limit is only 60 m/cum.

"While it is true that a comparison doesn't take into account the unique issues facing the two cities, it also remains true that Delhi has been very lackadaisical in its attitude towards air pollution," Anumita Roychowdhury of CSE said. "China has been much more stringent and it shows, their air pollution levels are lowering while ours are rising."

Govt bans popular diabetes drug and analgin

The government has banned three popular medicines—the widely prescribed anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone, painkiller analgin and anti-depressant deanxit—in the wake of health risks associated with them. While it's believed that pioglitazone can cause heart failure and increases the risk of bladder cancer, analgin has been discarded the world over on grounds of patient safety. Deanxit, on the other hand is a harmful combination, which has been long banned even in Denmark, its country of origin.

This decision comes in the wake of a strong stand by the government on suspending marketing of all drugs prohibited for sale in other countries like the US, the UK, EU and Australia.

The ministry of health and family welfare has suspended the manufacture and sale of all three drugs under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 with immediate effect, through a notification issued on June 18, informed sources told TOI. While the ministry has been dilly-dallying on withdrawing analgin and deanxit for years now, despite pressure from a parliamentary panel, the decision on the diabetes drug pioglitazone has taken the industry completely by surprise.

The decision to ban pioglitazone and its combinations will hit the Rs 700-crore market for such drugs and adversely impact a clutch of companies including Abbott, Sun Pharma, USV, Lupin, Ranbaxy and Wockhardt.

Pioglitazone combination is a bigger market than plain pioglitazone itself which is has posted a strong double-digit growth, with over 30 companies marketing the drug. The top-selling brands of posiglitazone include Pioz MF G and Pioz (USV), Gemer P (Sun Pharma), Tribet (Abbott), Tripride (Micro Labs) and Gluconorm PG (Lupin). (See chart)

Popular pain-reliever analgin is a relatively small market with brands like Baralgan and Novalgin (Sanofi Aventis), as most companies fearing a ban have already pulled out from the market, industry experts said. The third drug, a combination of Flupenthixol and Melitracen sold as Deanxit (Lundbeck), Placida (Mankind), Franxit (Intas) and Restfull (Lupin) is facing a ban because deanxit is prohibited for sale in Denmark, its country of origin, and also, the combination is not sold in major countries.

Under the Drugs and Cosmetic Rule 30-B, the import and marketing of any drug the use of which is prohibited in the country of origin, is banned in India. A parliamentary panel report on health earlier this year had rapped the government for dilly-dallying on withdrawing deanxit and analgin, which are not sold in markets globally.

The family of 'glitazones', used for blood glucose lowering properties, has been mired in controversy since the beginning, with many drugs under the class having already been banned globally, and in India. Three years back, another drug from this family, rosiglitazone, marketed by a host of companies including GSK India was banned, following a decision taken in Europe.

In the case of pioglitazone too, France has already taken it off the shelves, while in the US it is sold with a boxed warning. The warning emphasizes that it may cause or worsen heart failure, and its use for over a year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.

Doctors here in India had said in a study last year that more robust data on use of pioglitazone on Indian patients was needed. Till that time, the patient should be adequately informed about this adverse effect and the drug should be used in as small a dose as possible, with careful monitoring and follow up. Earlier this month, the ministry had suspended sale of dextropropoxyphene, sold as Wockhardt's Proxyvon, a widely-used pain-killer.

Vegetables Should Avoid Unhealthy Ways

Vegetables you should avoid

While we recommend vegetables in every shape, colour and form, not all vegetables are healthy when consumed in certain unhealthy ways.

Most vegetables when eaten in their natural form, cooked at home, are great, but we don't always eat vegetables like that, do we? And what about the other stuff that we put in our gravies calling them vegetables just for namesake? Here are some of those so-called vegetables that you should stay away from...

1. Veggie chips: You skip potato chips because of the starch and the lack of nutrition. But are veggie chips any better? Not really, especially if they are store bought. If you read the label at the back of the packet of veggies chips, the first ingredient is potatoes and corn, which to be honest isn't any better than regular chips. You would be better off making your own veggie chips rather than buying veggie chips from the store.

2. Vegetable dips : When you go shopping for healthy dips, imagine your excitement when you see spinach dip or sundried tomato dip. But if you think that spinach is the main ingredient in spinach dip think again. Yes, it does contain healthy spinach, but it's also chock-full of heavy cream, mayo and cream cheese, and quite often topped with breadcrumbs or croutons.

3. Corn: Corn is not a vegetable, it's a grain. So while it is delicious and you love it, enjoy it by all means. Just don't count it in your veggie quota. If you are eating a corn 'vegetable' with your chapatti, then you are indeed just eating grains for your lunch and there's really no veggie in that lunch box. So corn is better avoided as a vegetable.

4. 'Gatta nu shaak' or gram flour dumplings: If this or any other so called 'vegetable' like this is part of your daily vegetable allowance, then it's time to change that. Though you know it's not really a vegetable, you should not even be associating it with the word - veggie. You would rather eat your rice with just daal if you don't have proper veggies to eat it with. But get out of the habit of calling dishes like this one a vegetable.

5. Canned vegetable soup: It's easy to think that the food manufacturers are doing you a favor by preparing a delicious, hearty - and frequently low-calorie - vegetable soup, but the reality is there are a multitude of evils hidden in that can. High sodium content aside, many of these soups also contain honey, sugar and other sweeteners - whether real or artificial - that can amount to as much as 15g of sugar per half-cup serving!

Eat your vegetables as they are, by trying to retain as much of their original colour and nutrition as possible. Cook them lightly, stir-fry, pan cook, flavour with as little masala that is palatable and learn to love the natural taste of healthy vegetables. Once you love these subtle flavours, you can enjoy then without trying to mask their taste in anyway. 

A pill to prevent breast cancer

Thousands of women in Britain with a family history of breast cancer will become the first in the world to be offered a drug that will cut their cancer risk by 40%. In what is being called a historic and game changing
be given to women for five years, which will give them a choice of just popping a pill rather that get a mastectomy.

Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease in UK, and of all those who develop the condition, around 1 in 5 has a family history. A family history of breast cancer is often caused by faults with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which have been passed on from parent to child. People who carry the BRCA gene have between a 60-90 % chance of developing breast cancer.

Currently, if a person is considered to have a high risk of breast cancer , they are eligible for annual screening to detect any tumour early on. Alternatively they can choose surgery to prevent developing disease . This is a major and traumatic intervention for all involved, and was recently highlighted by the case of Angelina Jolie's decision to opt for a double mastectomy.

NICE said on Tuesday that women with a family history of breast cancer are now eligible for drug treatments. NICE has recommended that either tamoxifen or raloxifene should be offered for 5 years to postmenopausal women with a uterus and at high risk of breast cancer.

NICE says tamoxifen is effective in reducing breast cancer incidence when used for chemoprevention. Estimates suggest that offering these treatments could help prevent breast cancer in around 3% of all women aged 35 years and older—affecting around 488,000 women. While neither drug is currently licensed as a preventative treatment for breast cancer, they are currently approved for use in the US.

Why must you drink water

Regular intake of water is essential for maintaining good health

Most of us know that up to seventy per cent of the total body weight is due to water. Although it is present in all parts of the body, it is more present in organs such as lungs and brain and fluids such as blood, lymph, saliva and secretions by the organs of the digestive system. The common belief is that we feel thirsty only when our body needs water. While this is true, recent research studies have indicated that there are several other indicators of inadequate water in some or all parts of the body. Ignoring these indicators can lead to several major diseases. Most of us spend a lot of our working hours in air-conditioned environment so naturally we don't feel thirsty but that does not mean that our body does not need water. Lack of water can lead to fatigue too. So, for your glowing health, drink enough water.

Importance of water for maintaining normal health:

Just as water helps a seed grow into a tree, it also helps our body. The flow of water inside and outside the cells generates energy. This energy is stored in body along with other chemical sources of energy in the body. The energy generated by the water in the cells helps transmit impulses in the nerves. Water content in the body influences the functions of the various proteins and enzymes that are dissolved in it.

Water helps maintain the moisture of the lining of the internal organs of the body. It maintains normal volume and consistency of fluids such as blood and lymph. It regulates body temperature.

It removes 'toxins' from the body
Water is essential for regulating the normal structure and functions of the skin. The body loses about four litres of water every day. It is, therefore, necessary to replenish this volume by drinking at least the equivalent amount of water every day. Inadequate intake of water can lead to dehydration

Weather, hunger the next big worry in Uttarakhand

The death toll in Uttarakhand floods has crossed 550 and is expected to go up further once bodies are recovered from the debris lying everywhere.  Rescue agencies, including the Army and the ITBP, are carrying out massive operations to rescue stranded people from the mountains but they too are racing against time. Their worst fear is the weather, which is again expected to take turn for the worse.

According to Met officials, heavy rains are expected to lash the flood-hit state once again beginning Monday and rescuers are left with just two days to save thousands of people stranded in upper reaches of the state, including the pilgrimage site of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.  For those stranded, weather is just one worry. Many of the stranded are old pilgrims and they are finding it the most difficult to survive on hope without food or shelter.

Even ITBP chief Ajay Chaddha has admitted that they are “running against time". Chaddha said over 1,000 people are still stranded in inaccessible areas of around Kedarnath and are braving freezing nights without shelter and hardly any food.  Rescue officials say many have already died due to hunger and illness.

Other than the Kedarnath axis, somewhere around 10,000 people each are believed to be stranded in the Badrinath-Hemkunt Sahib axis and the Gangotri-Yamunotri axis.  Uttarakhand principal secretary Subhas Kumar told a leading daily that they are expecting to rescue all trapped people by June 24 (Monday) – the day when heavy rains are expected to return.

Uttarakhand saw over 60 hours of continuous and heavy rains coupled with few incidents of cloudbursts at various locations from June 14 to 17, which led to the flooding of the state's main rivers: Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. 

Daily Iron In Pregnancy Small Baby Risk

Daily iron in pregnancy 'reduces small baby risk'

Taking daily iron supplements during pregnancy can reduced the chances of having a small baby as well as anaemia, says research from Harvard University. Studies of two million women found that taking even a tiny amount of iron cut the risk of anaemia by 12% and low birth weight by 3%.

Pregnant women in the UK are not given iron supplements unless their iron levels are found to be low. Serious iron deficiency tends to affect women in poorer countries. The British Medical Journal study analysed the results of more than 90 randomised trials and studies involving pregnant women in countries including China and Tanzania.

For every additional 10mg of iron taken each day, up to a maximum of 66mg per day, the risks of anaemia and low birth weight decreased, the study said. Birth weight was found to increase by 15g with each 10mg of iron taken per day. But researchers found no reduction in the risk of premature birth as a result of iron use.

Previous studies have suggested there could be a higher risk of low birth weight and premature birth in pregnant women with anaemia. The study says iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia during pregnancy, especially in low and middle income countries, affecting about 32 million pregnant women in 2011.

The study authors are calling for improved antenatal care in countries where iron deficiency is common and say future research should look at "feasible strategies of iron delivery". The World Health Organization currently recommends a dose of 60mg per day for pregnant women.

Dr Batool Haider, study author from the department of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard University's school of public health, said even high-income countries could take something from the research.

 In the UK, iron supplements are not routinely offered to all pregnant women.

NICE, the body which provides guidance on health matters, says that iron supplements "may have unpleasant maternal side effects".

These can include constipation, indigestion and bloating.

Iron levels are checked at various points during pregnancy by a GP or midwife.

If found to be low, dietary advice or an iron supplement may be recommended, such as ferrous sulphate.

Lean meat, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and many breakfast cereals contain iron.

"The recently estimated prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy in Europe was estimated to be 16.2% in 2011," she said. NICE guidelines, however, say that iron supplements should not be offered routinely to all pregnant women in the UK.

Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said ensuring pregnant women had the right level of iron was important. "Women's iron levels are checked at specific times during pregnancy. Appropriate action is taken if required, such as dietary advice or an iron supplement may be recommended.

"There is perhaps a need here in the UK for us to focus on ensuring better pre-conception health, so that women contemplating pregnancy can adjust their diet to include appropriate nutrients before becoming pregnant." She added: "The problem of serious iron deficiency tends to affect low income countries, where some women may already have poor health status before pregnancy and have the added burden of not being able to afford iron supplements."

Dr Roger Marwood, consultant obstetrician and spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the effects of iron on pregnant women in low and high income countries in the study were hard to ignore. "This large study shows all the signs of there being a real effect - and it shows that even low doses can have a significant effect." He said women who are intolerant to iron can suffer from indigestion, bloating and other stomach problems. But reducing the dose should also reduce the side effects.

Dr Sue Pavord, consultant haematologist at University Hospitals of Leicester, said the study provided compelling evidence for the benefits of iron supplementation on foetal growth. Up until now, the evidence has been inconclusive. She said: "It's not clear whether such big effects will be seen in the UK population and whether routine supplementation for all women will be better than our current approach, which is prompt identification and management of at risk groups. "But in the light of this new data we will be reviewing this."
source:bbc.co.uk

Rescue operations underway in flood-hit Uttrakhand

Thousands feared dead in Uttarakhand floods, rescue operations intensify

The Himalayan tragedy continued to unfold today with fears that thousands of pilgrims staying in 90 rest houses may have been washed away in flash floods even as rescue operations were today stepped up with additional IAF choppers pressed into service to evacuate stranded people in Kedarnath area. In its report to the Union Home Ministry, the State Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre has said that casualties in the affected areas may run into thousands with about 90 'dharamashalas' (rest houses for pilgrims) swept away in the flash floods. However, the toll has been kept officially at 150.

With the weather clearing up, the focus was on rescue operations both in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh where two IAF and one state chopper was making sorties to rescue 600 stranded tourists. In Uttarakhand, over 15,000 people stranded in Kedarnath and Govindghat on way to Hemkund Sahib have been evacuated so far to Joshimath relief camps through air and road routes, IG police R S Meena said.

"Apart from the 12 helicopters already engaged in rescue operations in affected areas, eight more have been roped in for the purpose to step up the process," Meena said. Rudraprayag district worst hit Rescue efforts are being concentrated as of now on Kedarnath shrine and its adjoining areas in Rudraprayag district, which has been the worst hit with about 90 dharamshalas in the temple area – where pilgrims were staying – having been swept away by the flood waters, he said.

Two helicopters have flown from Dehradun to evacuate stranded people.The Army has also deployed its mountain rescue teams to evacuate the pilgrims. Scores of villages remain under water and cannot be tracked. Hence there is uncertainty about the casualties caused, he said, adding the "devastation is massive".
Rescue efforts also picked up in rain-battered tribal Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh with two IAF and one state chopper making sorties to rescue 600 tourists and others stranded in remote areas.

The sorties started at 6.30 am and people stranded at various places for past five days are being dropped at Rampur, official sources said. In all, 278 people were evacuated till yesterday evening and about 600 tourist and other people were still stranded at various places. In Uttar Pradesh, the water levels in the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Sharda, Ghaghra, Rapti and Kuanon continued to rise at several places.

The Mavi Satpudha Dam breached on the left bank of the Yamuna river in Shamli district yesterday and efforts were on to plug it with the help of locals, officials said. Some areas in Saharanpur city were still submerged, while rail traffic on the Saharanpur-Ambala route was disrupted due to waterlogging.

In Bijnore, the water level of the tributaries of the Ganga was rising. Relief and rescue operations continued on a war footing and people were being shifted to safer places in Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich and Farrukhabad districts, officials said. However, the weather remained dry in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with no report of fresh rainfall in the region.

The flow of water through Hathni Kund barrage over Yamuna river near Yamunanagar in Haryana has also decreased as against the unprecedented 8.06 lakh cusecs water discharge over the weekend. Revenue department officials of Haryana are conducting a survey to ascertain the damage caused to crops due to heavy rains last week in districts of Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat recently.

James Gandolfini Is Dead at 51; a Complex Mob Boss in ‘Sopranos’

James Gandolfini, the Emmy Award-winning actor who shot to fame on the HBO drama “The Sopranos” as Tony Soprano, a tough-talking, hard-living crime boss with a stolid exterior but a rich interior life, died on Wednesday. He was 51.

Mr. Gandolfini’s death was confirmed by HBO. He was traveling in Rome, where he was on vacation and was scheduled to attend the Taormina Film Fest. The cause was not immediately announced; an HBO press representative said that Mr. Gandolfini may have had a heart attack.

Mr. Gandolfini, who grew up in Park Ridge, in Bergen County, N.J., came to embody the resilience of the Garden State on “The Sopranos,” which made its debut in 1999 and ran for six seasons on HBO.

In its pilot episode viewers were introduced to the complicated life of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob kingpin who suffers panic attacks and begins seeing a psychiatrist. Over 86 episodes, audiences followed Mr. Gandolfini in the role as he was tormented by his mother (played by Nancy Marchand), his wife (Edie Falco), rival mobsters, the occasional surreal dream sequence and, in 2007, an ambiguous series finale that left millions of viewers wondering whether Tony Soprano had met his fate at a restaurant table.

The success of “The Sopranos” helped make HBO a dominant player in the competitive field of scripted television programming and transformed Mr. Gandolfini from a character actor into a star. The series, created by David Chase, won two Emmys for outstanding drama series, and Mr. Gandolfini won three Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a drama. He was nominated six times for the award.

HBO said of Mr. Gandolfini in a statement on Wednesday, “He was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly, a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect.”

Mr. Chase, in a statement, called Mr. Gandolfini “one of the greatest actors of this or any time,” and said, “A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes.” He added: “I remember telling him many times: ‘You don’t get it. You’re like Mozart.’ There would be silence at the other end of the phone.”

James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. was born in Westwood, N.J., on Sept. 18, 1961. His father was an Italian immigrant who held a number of jobs, including janitor, bricklayer and mason. His mother, Santa, was a high school cafeteria chef.

He attended Park Ridge High School and Rutgers University, graduating in 1983 with a degree in communications. He drove a delivery truck, managed nightclubs and tended bar in Manhattan before becoming interested in acting at age 25, when a friend took him to an acting class.

He began his movie career in 1987 in the low-budget horror comedy “Shock! Shock! Shock!” In 1992 he had a small part in the Broadway revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange.

By the mid-1990s Mr. Gandolfini had made gangster roles a specialty, playing burly but strangely charming tough guys in films like “True Romance” (1993) and “The Juror” (1996). He had an impressive list of character-acting credits, but was largely unknown when Mr. Chase cast him in “The Sopranos” in 1999.

“I thought it was a wonderful script,” Mr. Gandolfini told Newsweek in 2001, recalling his audition. “I thought, ‘I can do this.’ But I thought they would hire someone a little more debonair, shall we say. A little more appealing to the eye.”

“The Sopranos,” which also became a springboard for television writers like Matthew Weiner (who would later create the AMC drama “Mad Men”) and Terence Winter (who later created the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire”), drew widespread acclaim for its detailed studies of the lives of its characters, and, at its center, Mr. Gandolfini’s portrayal of Tony Soprano, who was tightly wound and prone to acts of furious violence. (He beat and choked another mobster to death for insulting the memory of his beloved deceased racehorse, to name but one example.)

Mr. Gandolfini, who had studied the Meisner technique of acting for two years, said that he used it to focus his anger and incorporate it into his performances. In an interview for the television series “Inside the Actors Studio,” Mr. Gandolfini said he would deliberately hit himself on the head or stay up all night to evoke the desired reaction.

If you are tired, every single thing that somebody does makes you mad, Mr. Gandolfini said in the interview. “Drink six cups of coffee. Or just walk around with a rock in your shoe. It’s silly, but it works.”

Tony Soprano — and the 2007 finale of “The Sopranos,” which cut to black before viewers could learn what plans a mysterious restaurant patron had for Tony as he enjoyed a relaxing meal with his wife and children — would continue to follow Mr. Gandolfini throughout his career.

He went on to play a series of tough guys and heavies, including an angry Brooklyn parent in the Broadway drama “God of Carnage,” for which he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009; the director of the C.I.A. in “Zero Dark Thirty,” Kathryn Bigelow’s dramatization of the hunt for Osama bin Laden; and a hit man in the 2012 crime thriller “Killing Them Softly.”

Mr. Gandolfini also produced the documentaries “Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq” and “Wartorn: 1861-2010,” about the history of post-traumatic stress in the military.

Survivors include his wife, Deborah Lin Gandolfini; a daughter, Liliana, born last year; a teenage son, Michael, from his marriage to Marcella Wudarski, which ended in divorce; and his sisters Leta Gandolfini and Johanna Antonacci.

In a 2010 interview with The New York Times, Mr. Gandolfini said that he was not worried about being typecast as Tony Soprano and that he was being offered different kinds of roles as he aged.

“Mostly it’s not a lot of that stuff anymore with shooting and killing and dying and blood,” he said. “I’m getting a little older, you know. The running and the jumping and killing, it’s a little past me.”

Asked why he did not appear in more comedies, he answered, “Nobody’s asked.”

Suraj Pancholi Arrested in Jiah Khan Suicide Case

Aditya Pancholi's son Suraj held for abetting Jiah Khan's suicide. Jiah Khan's alleged suicide note says that she undergone an abortion

Suraj Pancholi, Jiah Khan

Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi's son Suraj was arrested on Monday evening for abetting actor Jiah Khan's suicide. The action follows the delayed discovery of a letter by Jiah in which she holds an unnamed person responsible for her extreme step and mentions abortion, pain, abuse, torture and rape. Suraj, 22, was reportedly in a relationship with Jiah and was the last person she spoke to on phone before hanging herself at her residence last Monday. Earlier on Monday, the police recorded Jiah's mother Rabiya's statement again, where she repeated her allegation that Suraj was the man Jiah addressed her letter to.

Jiah's family found the letter in her handbag and gave it to the police on Saturday. "We registered an FIR under the IPC's section 306 (abetment of suicide) on the basis of Rabiya Khan's statement and arrested Suraj. We will produce him in the Andheri court on Tuesday for remand," said senior inspector Arun Bhagat of the Juhu police station.

The police had initially stated there was no evidence against Suraj, but after the letter's appearance, they consulted legal experts about its contents before deciding to book Suraj. A police team went to the Pancholi residence in Juhu around 5pm and took Suraj in custody. His mother and sister followed him to the police station in a separate car; they left from there around 9pm.

The police have said that before Jiah's suicide, Suraj spent two nights with her. On her last day, she phoned him, wanting to meet him, but he refused; instead, they had an argument. The police have been examining Jiah's phone for communication details. In Suraj's phone, they found the messages the two exchanged deleted. On Monday morning, ACP (west region) Vishwas Nangre-Patil and DCP Chhering Dorje, along with other officers, visited Jiah's residence for more clues.

On Monday, Rabiya also held a press conference at her home, in which she reiterated that Jia's suicide was not due to a lack of assignments, but her troubled relationship with Suraj. "My point is to tell you the truth. It is being said that she was depressed and had no work, but it was not the case," Rabiya said. "She was attending at least three to four events a month. She was making money and was living comfortably in her house with two maids and even had a car and a driver. It was the insecurity that her love was not respected and recognized that was killing her day by day."

Nelson Mandela’s condition ‘serious

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela’s condition ‘serious this time’, says S-Africa govt spokesman

Johannesburg: Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s medical condition was “serious this time”, a government spokesman told local television on Saturday. The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and the country’s first black president was taken to hospital early on Saturday for a recurring lung infection.

“The situation is serious this time but doctors have assured us he is comfortable,” presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj told television station eNCA. Mandela, who is 94 years old, was treated in a hospital several times in recent months, with the last discharge coming on April 6 after doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and drained fluid from his lung area. He has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27-year imprisonment under apartheid.

“During the past few days, former President Nelson Mandela has had a recurrence of lung infection,” said a statement from the office of President Jacob Zuma. “This morning at about 1:30 a.m., his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital.” It said Mandela was receiving expert medical care and “doctors are doing everything possible to make him better and comfortable.”

Zuma wished Mandela a quick recovery on behalf of the government and the nation and requested that the media and the public respect the privacy of the former leader and his family, the statement said. Mandela’s wife, humanitarian activist Graca Machel, canceled an appearance at an international forum on hunger and nutrition in London on Saturday, citing “personal reasons,” said Colleen Harris, a spokeswoman for the meeting.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Machel had canceled her attendance at the London meeting on Thursday, and had accompanied Mandela to the hospital on Saturday morning, the South African Press Association reported. “We need to hold our thoughts and keep him in our minds,” Maharaj said. “He is a fighter, he has recovered many times from very serious conditions and he will be with us. Let’s pray for him and help him to get better.”

The African National Congress, the ruling party that has dominated politics in South Africa since the end of apartheid, said it hoped Mandela, known affectionately by his clan name Madiba, would get better soon. “We will keep President Mandela and his family in our thoughts and prayers at this time and call upon South Africans and the peoples of the globe to do the same for our beloved statesman and icon, Madiba,” the party said in a statement.

Causes Of Burning Urination

Burning sensation while urinating (dysuria) is a thorny experience. Burning urination can occur in both men and women. Burning urination can occur due to various reasons. The diagnosis depends on other clinical symptoms, lab diagnosis or ultrasound scanning as required. The most common cause of burning or stinging urination is an infection or inflammation somewhere in the urinary tract. People who have pain while urinating also may have the urge to urinate more often.

Most Common Symptoms & Signs
1. Vaginal Itching
2. Bumps on Skin
3. Leg Pain
4. Vaginal Discharge
5 .Buttock Pain
6. Jaw Pain
7. Urine Odor
8. Easy Bruising
9. Swollen Lip
10. Rectal Bleeding
11. Numbness Toes
12. Nausea
13. Vaginal Odor
14. Shortness of Breath
15. Mouth Sores
16. Swollen Ankles and/or Swollen Feet

Here are some reasons which may contribute for your burning sensation while urinating. Urinary Tract Infections(UTI): Most women face from urinary tract infection at some point in their life. Frequent urge to urinate, burning urination and fever with chills are associated with UTI. Factors that leave you at high risk of UTI are diabetes, pregnancy, kidney stones or having a urinary catheter. Sexually transmitted diseases: Burning urination can occur in cases of sexually transmitted diseases such as genital herpes, Chlamydia and gonorrhoea. In such cases, burning urination will be accompanied by itching, blisters or sores for genital herpes and abnormal discharge. Inflammation: Inflammation in any part of the urinary tract will cause burning during urination.

 Inflammation can occur due to various reasons like interstitial cystitis, vaginal changes related to menopause, use of douches or spermicides, side-effects from certain medications and tumours. Kidney stones: Burning urination is a common symptom in case of kidney stones. It commonly occurs when the stones move down the ureter approaching the urinary bladder. This will cause a stronger urge to urinate and the urination will be painful. This will also lead to vomiting and pain in the back. Fungal infections: Fungal infections, especially vaginal candidiasis is a common cause of burning urination. This is generally associated with diabetes. With yeast, the burning sensation occurs when acidic urine touches the irritated skin of the vulva and so the burning arise when the urine reaches out.

Pregnancy: Pregnancy is a physiologic condition which will make our immune system a little weak. Chances are more for getting infections while the immune system is not strong enough to fight against external invasions. The urinary tract infection thus occurs will cause painful urination.

Prostitis: While urinary infections are less common in males due to the length of the urethra, prostatitis is one of the frequent causes of burning urination in males. Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland which may occur in young and middle-aged men. 

Breastfeeding benefits baby's brain

A new study has found more evidence that breastfeeding is good for the baby's brain.

The study by researchers from Brown University, made use of specialized, baby-friendly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a sample of children under the age of 4. The research found that by age 2, babies who had been breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of formula and breastmilk.

The extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition, the research showed. This isn't the first study to suggest that breastfeeding aids babies' brain development.

Behavioral studies have previously associated breastfeeding with better cognitive outcomes in older adolescents and adults.

But this is the first imaging study that looked for differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young and healthy children, Sean Deoni, assistant professor of engineering at Brown and the study's lead author said. The findings are published in the journal NeuroImage

Heart ailments, diabetes lead to diseased brain

A recent study has shown that people suffering from type 2 diabetes and heart disease are at an increased risk of dementia and other cognitive diseases.

Lead author Christina E. Hugenschmidt, PhD, an instructor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, said the results from the Diabetes Heart Study-Mind (DHS-Mind) suggest that cardiovascular disease (CVD) plays an important role in the development of cognition problems, and these may take time before becoming clinically apparent. A report of the study appeared in Science Daily. The research results, which appeared online, will also be followed by a print version in Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications.

"There has been a lot of research looking at the links between type 2 diabetes and increased risk for dementia, but this is the first study to look specifically at subclinical CVD and the role it plays," Hugenschmidt said. "Our research shows that CVD risk caused by diabetes even before it`s at a clinically treatable level might be bad for your brain." "The results imply that additional CVD factors, especially calcified plaque and vascular status, and not diabetes status alone, are major contributors to type 2 diabetes-related cognitive decline," Hugenschmidt said.

Poisoning fear in gas geysers

 Gas geysers in ill-ventilated bathrooms may pose a hazard to health, according to doctors who set out to investigate several cases of unexplained seizures and transient loss of consciousness in otherwise healthy people.

The doctors at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), New Delhi, said they have documented an “uncanny similarity” in 26 patients over a two-year period — each patient had a neurological event in a small and ill-ventilated bathroom with a gas geyser. Power cuts or erratic electricity supply have prompted some households across India to switch from electric geysers to domestic gas geysers — appliances that use liquefied petroleum gas to heat water.

The doctors believe the 26 patients they had observed had been exposed to high amounts of toxic gases, mainly carbon monoxide, released because of incomplete combustion of LPG in the gas geysers in ill-ventilated bathrooms. “These are purely anecdotal observations but we see a clear-cut association between their symptoms and the way they had used their gas geysers,” Chandrashekhar Agrawal, head of neurology at the SGRH told The Telegraph.

The gas exposure appeared to trigger seizures in 11 patients, carbon monoxide intoxication in 13 patients, and precipitated epilepsy in two patients, the doctors said, reporting their findings yesterday in the Annals of the Indian Academy of Neurology. All the patients regained consciousness quickly and had no further neurological problems, the doctors said, except for two patients, including a 23-year old engineer, who have developed early features of Parkinson’s disease.

None of the patients had any history of seizure, stroke, head injury, cardiovascular risk factor for transient loss of consciousness, indicating that the “root cause” of their neurological events may lie in the way they used their geysers. Agrawal and his colleagues, Pamela Correia and Rajeev Ranjan, said their observations highlight the need to introduce stringent regulations for the installation of gas geysers. “Such appliances are typically sold with detailed instructions on how to use them safely — people need to follow these instructions,” Agrawal said. Gas heating appliances are to be used in well-ventilated rooms and the room size should be in proportion with the capacity of the heater.

Medical researchers in the UK had observed the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from bathroom gas water heaters nearly 40 years ago. A study from Bristol, UK, published in the Health Education Journal in 1973, had observed that among a sample of 66 gas water heaters, 12 per cent produced toxic room atmospheres — with carbon monoxide concentrations greater than 500 parts per million. Studies over the past decade from Australia, New Zealand and France have also identified carbon monoxide as a pollutant released by gas heaters.

Baby 59: grandparents of newborn found in sewage pipe in China appeal for privacy

The grandparents of Baby 59 – the newborn child who was thrust into the global spotlight last Saturday after being miraculously rescued from a sewage pipe – have appealed for the family to be left in peace.

Baby 59 was reportedly discharged from hospital into the care of his maternal grandparents on Wednesday night, four days after being found trapped in a pipe below a communal lavatory in China's eastern province of Zhejiang. The grandparents, who have not been named, urged the media and general public to "stop paying excessive attention to the baby" so that he would be able to "grow up in a peaceful environment", according to a report from the state-run China News Service.

The baby's 22-year-old mother was initially expected to face attempted murder charges for supposedly abandoning the baby after secretly giving birth. But reports on Thursday suggested police had accepted her version that the baby had "accidentally" slipped into the lavatory, becoming lodged in a pipe below.
The mother, whose name has also not been released, is suffering "from a high fever due to postnatal complications and remains in hospital", the state-run Global Times reported on Friday.

Meanwhile, police believe they have now located the father of Baby 59, who was nicknamed after his hospital incubator. "After a thorough investigation, we are confident, to some extent, that we have found the baby's father. Right now they are undergoing a DNA test. The man has expressed his willingness to raise the baby if their relationship can be confirmed," Xiang Jiangsong, a local police official, told the Global Times.
It is still not clear who will ultimately be given custody of the child or whether the parents, who were reportedly not in a relationship, will attempt to raise Baby 59 together.

Chinese micro-bloggers have been left perplexed by the astonishing reversal in the Baby 59 case, which this week saw the mother transformed almost overnight from villain into victim.
"Why the mother is not investigated?" wondered one baffled user of China's Twitter-like social media site Weibo. "Based on her story alone it cannot be concluded that the baby suddenly slipped down the sewage pipe when she was using the lavatory." Others were more sympathetic, backing the grandparents' call for Baby 59's family to be allowed some privacy. "The baby was rescued and we should let the mother have a good rest. The media should take a rest too," wrote one micro-blogger under the name "Jianshixian".

Shah Rukh Khan to undergo shoulder surgery today

The actor who injured himself while shooting an intense action scene, will undergo surgery today

Shah Rukh Khan, who was scheduled to treat his shoulder injury in London, will check into a suburban hospital today for a much-needed surgery. The actor had injured himself while shooting for some intense action scenes for his upcoming film Chennai Express. Despite the seriousness of the injury and suggestions from his family and doctors to have it attended to at the earliest, SRK had kept stalling the procedure till the shoot wrapped up.

A source close to the star told Mumbai Mirror, "Shah Rukh is getting admitted today and he will be accompanied by his family members and a handful of friends. His shoulder pain had been worsening but he waited till he was free of all his commitments."

How serious is the injury? The source said: "He may appear on television as someone who is always on his feet - dancing and entertaining everyone. But the truth is, every morning he wakes up with an excruciating pain and is unable to move his shoulders till a massage loosens up the muscles. Despite the debilitating pain, he shot an intense action scene in Hyderabad for the film."

Conscious of the money and the time riding on him, over the weekend, SRK completed a photo shoot and made an appearance at the IPL finale as well. "For Chennai Express too, only after director Rohit Shetty assured him that the film is a wrap, did he call his doctor."  The surgery will be performed by Dr Sanjay Desai. SRK has already requested him and his team of doctors to allow him to go home and rest and not be confined to the hospital bed. "He hates hospitals and wants to go home as soon as possible," added the source.

Here's wishing the actor a speedy recovery.
SRK's history of injuries On the sets of Darr, SRK fractured three of his ribs while performing a stunt with Anupam Kher. Kher accidentally lifted his leg, hurting SRK's chest in the process. In 1993, the actor hurt his right toe forcing him to be in bed for several weeks. The same injury troubled him again in 2010 when he was filming My Name is Khan. In 1994-95, while shooting a running sequence in Koyla, SRK hurt his left knee. He continued to shoot but wrapped a dupatta around the wound. While shooting for Shakti in 2006, SRK suffered a neck injury while performing a stunt. He was operated in the UK for the same by a renowned surgeon. In 2008, SRK suffered a major injury on his right shoulder. He ignored the pain, but as it worsened in 2010, he had to undergo a minimal invasive surgery. In 2010, while doing a cameo in Mudassar Aziz's Dulha Mil Gaya, SRK damaged his shoulder which required him to go through a major surgery. In late 2011, SRK was holidaying in Dubai with his family, when he "overdid the fights and hurt his ribs." The actor had no choice but to stay indoors and play videogames.

Extraordinary Video of Man Playing Guitar During Brain Surgery

In a medical first, a US man has played the guitar while undergoing brain surgery to help surgeons pinpoint exactly where to treat Parkinson's disease