Medical student study: sickly schools, healthy results

Medical student study

Students with the same entry grades perform better at medical school if they hail from poor-performing schools.

This is one of the conclusions of a study of nearly 5,000 students from 12 UK medical schools published last week in the journal BMC Medicine.

The research, titled The UKCAT-12 Study, finds that the average A-level scores of students’ schools is the only piece of contextual data with significant power to predict performance in medical school.

The finding complements a study by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2003, which came up with a similar result for UK universities in general, and the early findings of a follow-up, expected to be published next year.

The UKCAT-12 Study, authored by Chris McManus, professor of psychology and medical education at University College London, and colleagues from UCL and Birkbeck, University of London, says the reason for the phenomenon may be that high-performing schools give pupils’ work “extra polish”that is not available when they leave. Another possibility is the “big fish, little pond effect”, so students from lesser academic environments have higher ambitions.

“That the effect found by [Hefce] is now found in medical students suggests that there is a strong argument for using the contextual measure of average A-level attainment at a secondary school in making admission decisions,” the authors say.

The paper also lends support to the widespread use in medical school admissions of the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT), which tests numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning, decision-making and situational judgement. It was introduced in 2006 to help distinguish between high-achieving applicants.

Based on their analysis of students who took the test between 2006 and 2008, the authors conclude that A-level grades remain the strongest predictors of medical school success. But used in conjunction with A-level and GCSE results, the UKCAT offers a small but significant boost to predictability, particularly for mature students, who often have “unusual combinations of academic qualifications”, and female students, who tend to outperform males at medical school but get worse UKCAT scores.

The paper also notes evidence that the test has widened participation and concludes that its use in admissions is “in many ways more justifiable than the use of Ucas personal statements, which…are open to criticism for difficulty in scoring consistently, are subject to a range of influences, including social opportunity, and have not been shown to predict success in medical school”.

Source: Times Higher Education

Makeup Tips for Holiday Beauty

Even if you are going to dig out the same little black dress to wear to your holiday parties every year, you can still turn up the volume on your everyday beauty routine. Don’t be scared to break out of your beauty box for just one night.
Take a cue from makeup artist James Boehmer, director of global artistry at Nars Cosmetics who uses his expertise at many runway shows.

He describes this season’s look seen at designer Carmen Marc Valvo’s fall show as “baroque with a punk edge.”

This trend is a great way to show off a holiday face — glamour with a twist.

“The eyeliner is a reference to the classic eyeliner, but with a punk spirit,” says Boehmer, “so it’s not delicate. The skin is very luminous; we talked about the girls looking haunted, but in a very pretty way.”

So Morticia Addams, move over. This season, it’s all about the drama, and not just during conversation around the bar. Let’s get the party face started. Here are some tips and trends:

–Be prepared

The trend in makeup foundation may be all aglow … but the shade of your foundation is critical. There are lots of factors that come into play. If you’ve been wearing Revlon all your life ever since you outgrew Bonne Bell in your teens then you need to take a U-turn right now, no matter where you are, and make an appointment with a makeup expert. There are hundreds of them out there … and many of them are available instantly by just walking into your favorite department store. They can answer all your questions, including “Do I have warm undertones or cool undertones in my skin?” Ask your friends for suggestions, and get thee to a beauty consultant fast. You’ll be surprised at how many years younger you may look with this one switch.

–Have a rosy outlook

Yes, the nude face may be a big trend, but the holidays are all about being merry and bright! So experiment with the newest berry hues and warm up those lips. If you don’t do anything else for your party face, try using a darker lipstick or gloss. This is another one of those times when consulting an expert may be your best bet. Velvety matte lipsticks and lip liners are popular now, but if you’re stuck on glosses, not to worry, just try a new hue. And make sure you reapply lipstick often.

–Keep an eye out

Besides your lips, the eyes are another way to focus on upping the glam factor for a holiday party face. The smoky eye is now famous (and infamous) for stealing the show. But there’s nothing worse than overdoing it and scaring the kids. Try some of the newer pencils that are more subtle than smearing on dark eyeshadows. Then, opt for a volumizing mascara to give your eyes that extra emphasis for an evening soiree.

–Go bold on brows

Maybe you’ve got the smoky eye down, but you rarely pay attention to your brows. Well, they can make a huge impact on your overall look. And this is one thing with which you can easily experiment — brow pencils and brow gels are very affordable. Fill in those barely there hairs and follow the natural line of your brows … you’ll be amazed at the results. Remember, bolder is better, but “natural” is the key word.

In the photo: Model backstage at Carmen Marc Valvo’s fall runway show in Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, Belle de Jour Velvet Matte Lip Pencil and Madere Pure Matte Lipstick.

Source: The National Ledger

Ghana: Urgent Need to Fix Mental Health system

The recent visit to Ghana by the United Nations expert on torture highlights the need to end abuses against people with mental disabilities.

The government of Ghana should take steps to implement the 2012 Mental Health Act before the end of 2013.

The UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, in his visit from November 8-14, expressed deep concern about the state of Ghana’s mental health care system, and called for urgent reform of both psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps warehousing those with mental disabilities.

“The UN expert on torture expressed serious concerns about the use of electro-shock therapy and prolonged shackling of people with mental disabilities,” said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at Human Rights Watch. “He sent a clear message: the Ghanaian government should do what it takes to end this inhuman and degrading treatment – and it should do so soon.”

As a first step, the government needs to carry out the provisions of the 2012 Mental Health Act, including setting up the oversight mechanism to begin visiting mental health facilities and unregulated prayer camps across the country, Human Rights Watch said.

In some of the thousands of privately run prayer camps in Ghana, people with mental disabilities – some as young as five – are shackled by their ankles to trees in open compounds, where they sleep, defecate, and bathe.

In his report to the UN in March this year, Mendez said that there is no therapeutic justification for the use of prolonged restraint of people with disabilities, and that any use of restraints for even a short period of time, may constitute torture or ill-treatment. Hecalled on the Ghanaian government to make the Mental Health Act operational, including oversight of the prayer camps, by the end of 2013.

Human Rights Watch documented mistreatment of people with mental disabilities in Ghana in its 2012 report “‘Like a Death Sentence’: Abuses against Persons with Mental Disabilities in Ghana.” The report describes how thousands of people with mental disabilities such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia are forced to live in psychiatric hospitals, often against their will, and with little possibility of challenging their confinement.

Human Rights Watch found that at least hundreds – and possibly thousands – of people with mental disabilities are kept in prayer camps associated with pentecostal and evangelical churches. Managed by self-proclaimed prophets, these camps operate completely outside of government control. People with mental disabilities at these camps do not receive any medical treatment and instead are forced to take herbal concoctions or deprived of any food or water for days. Some had been at the prayer camps for as long as five years.

The Special Rapporteur also expressed concern about the practice of electro-shock therapy in Accra Psychiatric Hospital, which is not used as a last resort and which is performed without anesthesia and without the free and informed consent of the patient. In Ghana’s psychiatric hospitals, Human Rights Watch also found a lack of trained mental health workers and overcrowded, filthy conditions, with foul odors in some wards or even feces on the floors due to broken sewage systems.

The government should create community-based support services, including housing and health care that enable people with mental disabilities to live in the community, Human Rights Watch said. The government should ensure that people are not forcefully detained in prayer camps or psychiatric hospitals and that they have access to mechanisms to challenge any violations of their rights.

“People with mental health problems need community-based support, not electro-shock treatment,” Barriga said. “We hope that the special rapporteur’s visit will spark real change in Ghana’s mental health care system. Thousands of people are counting on it.”

Source: Inagist

Dr Vijay Sanghvi donates $2 million to advance cardiac imaging

Dr Vijay Sanghvi and Dr Khushman Sanghvi, an Indian-American doctor couple, have donated $2 million to establish the Drs Vijay and Khushman Sanghvi Endowed Chair in Cardiac Imaging (the Sanghvi Chair) to support a faculty member who is dedicated to the advanced cardiac imaging programme at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

The Sanghvi Chair will be given to a faculty member within the division of cardiovascular health and disease to help enhance educational efforts related to the UC cardiology fellowship programme, his or her own clinical and research efforts, in particular by adopting the most advanced imaging technologies, and efforts in supervising two imaging labs within the UC Health system.

Since 1966, Dr Vijay Sanghvi has been an active member in Cincinnati’s medical community. He served as medical director from 1971 to 1990 for the division of cardiology at Jewish Hospital, where he was responsible for introducing what now represents the core techniques used in the cardiology field.

“It has been a thrill to witness the evolution and dramatic growth of what we refer to today as modern cardiology resulting in significant improvements for cardiovascular disease-related outcomes,” said Dr Sanghvi, now an adjunct professor of clinical medicine within the division of cardiovascular health and disease at UC.

“The next 10 years in cardiology are going to be extremely exciting. Cardiac imaging, in particular, represents tremendous potential for growth and consequent impact on outcomes, including minimizing invasive approaches,” he said.

From 1990 to 2003, Dr Sanghvi was involved in private practice, focusing on diagnostic and interventional cardiology, but he maintained an affiliation with UC.

In early 2012, he endowed UC’s Mind-Body Interface in Health and Healing Lectureship, in order to address what he sees as an unmet need in current medical education and continuing education.

Dr Sanghvi received postgraduate training at McMaster University and Queen’s University, both in Ontario, after receiving a medical degree from Gujarat University, India, and completed his residency training and Board Certification in Internal Medicine in 1964 and his American Board in Cardiovascular Disease in 1975.

He holds fellowships from the American College of Cardiology, the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Intervention.

“Investments in education are fundamental to fostering leadership and long-term progress,” Dr Sanghvi said. “I am very pleased to fund this endowed chair so that it can support a UC faculty member to be a leader in the field of cardiology, and simultaneously enhance his or her own education, while shepherding the education and research of future physicians.”

“It is my hope that the chair also represents an opportunity for the strategic positioning of the UC College of Medicine, as well as the UC community more broadly, all in the ultimate service of patients. It was important to me that the investment in technology could strengthen access for everyone. UC’s academic stature in the medical field, together with its link to a public hospital, makes this possible,” he said.

Dr Thomas Boat, Christian R Holmes Professor, dean of the UC College of Medicine and UC vice president for health affairs, said the college, the division of cardiovascular health and disease in the department of internal medicine and UC Medical Centre are honoured by Dr Sanghvi’s gift and pleased to have an endowed chair in his name at the college.

“Dr Sanghvi is a distinguished cardiologist not only at UC but also in the community and beyond,” he said. “We are so proud that he is part of our faculty. His generous gift will ensure that the cardiac imaging programme at UC will continue to grow and be successful in years to come.”

“I’m delighted to be the first American of Asian Indian origin to endow this position in a city and institution that has been a part of so many historical firsts,” Dr Sanghvi said. “UC was the place where the first heart-lung machine made open heart surgery possible, but Cincinnati also has a long history of being the first to open its doors to those who have been considered ‘outsiders’ — immigrants, the disenfranchised and the underserved — from its part in the Underground Railroad to UC being the first university to offer cooperative education.

“As an immigrant and naturalized citizen of the US, Cincinnati has been this kind of place: a real home that has enabled me to thrive, build a family, a career, a community and has ultimately given the gift of belonging,” added Dr Sanghvi

Source: India Medical Times

‘Dead’ baby wakes at China funeral parlour before cremation

dead baby

A Chinese baby boy who had been declared dead was saved from being cremated alive when he started crying at a funeral parlour, media reported Thursday.

The parents of the critically-ill boy, who was less than one month old, had agreed to end his medical treatment at Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital in eastern China, hospital sources told Xinhua state news agency.

A death certificate was issued before the baby was sent to a funeral parlour in Hefei, the provincial capital — only for staff there to be alerted by crying on Wednesday.
It was unclear how long he had been at the funeral parlour, or when his cremation had been due.

The baby was immediately sent back to the hospital, several news outlets including the Beijing News reported on Thursday.

“Because the baby still had life signs, we continued to give him transfusion to maintain his life for humanitarian reasons,” a hospital staff member told Xinhua.

The baby was born with a “congenital respiratory system malformation”, the report added.
The baby was receiving treatment at the hospital late Wednesday, reports said.

A doctor was suspended, a nursing worker laid off and an investigation launched into the incident, the hospital said, according to Xinhua.

Source: Times of India

 

Positive lifestyle changes to cut risk of metabolic syndrome

Data reported by the a new study reinforces the positive influence of lifestyle factors in mitigating risks which could potentially up heart disease risk and other health problems.

Findings based on 1,059 residents of New Ulm, Minnesota underscore the importance of obesity prevention and nutrition, specifically eating more fruits and vegetables, in addressing metabolic syndrome (MS), a common precursor to cardiovascular disease (CVD).

This study used an easily calculated Optimal Lifestyle Score (OLS), which is a composite summary of smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol use, physical activity, and body mass index.

The results were presented by Jackie Boucher, MS, RD, LD, CDE, Vice President for Education, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation on Tuesday November 19 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Dallas, TX.

Boucher said that these findings clearly support national recommendations encouraging individuals to achieve energy balance and to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

She said that their data suggests that there is a clear connection between increased body weight or the decrease in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the development of metabolic syndrome, a clustering of CVD risk factors.

In 2009, 1,059 of screened residents did not have MS, with 123 (12 percent) going on to develop MS by 2011.

A decline in the OLS was associated with a nearly 3-fold increased risk of incident MS (aOR = 2.9, CI: 1.69, 5.04). Changes in BMI and fruit/vegetable consumption were the OLS components most strongly associated with MS.

People who became obese during the two-year time period were more than eight times more likely to develop MS and people who reduced their intake of fruits and vegetables to less than 5 or more servings per day were four times more likely to develop MS.

Source: ANI

Toxic waste ‘major global threat’

More than 200 million people around the world are at risk of exposure to toxic waste, a report has concluded.

The authors say the large number of people at risk places toxic waste in a similar league to public health threats such as malaria and tuberculosis.

The study from the Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross calls for greater efforts to be made to control the problem.

The study carried out in more than 3,000 sites in over 49 countries.

“It’s a serious public health issue that hasn’t really been quantified,” Dr Jack Caravanos, director of research at the Blacksmith Institute and professor of public health at the City University of New York told the BBC’s Tamil Service.

The study identified the Agbobloshie dumping yard in Ghana’s capital Accra as the place which poses the highest toxic threat to human life.

The researchers say that the report has not been hidden from governments, and they are all aware of the issue.

Agbobloshie has become a global e-waste dumping yard, causing serious environmental and health issues Dr Caravanos explained.

The study says that “a range of recovery activities takes place in Agbobloshie, each presenting unique occupational and ecological risks”.

As the second largest e-waste processing area in West Africa, Ghana annually imports around 215,000 tonnes of second hand consumer electronics from abroad, particularly from Western Europe, and generates another 129,000 tons of e-waste every year.

The study warns that that Ghana’s e-waste imports will double by 2020.

At the Agbobloshie site, the study found the presence of lead in soil at very high levels, posing serious potential health and environment hazards to more than 250,000 people in the vicinity.

Chernobyl in Ukraine ranks second in the study, while the Citarum River Basin in Indonesia ranks third.

Among the worlds top ten toxic threat sites as listed in the study, Africa, Europe and Asia have three sites respectively and Latin America one.

Children at risk

The study says that tens of thousands of women and children are at risk due to toxic dumping and environmental pollution.

“These are sites that are releasing toxic chemicals into air, water and soil. These are sites where children are particularly at risk and the numbers are rather high. We have not hidden this list from the respective governments and they are all aware of the issue” said Dr Caravanos.

He also agrees that the developed nations are part of this problem.

Dr Caravanos told the BBC that many westerners buy products without knowing the environmental impact.

He said Ghana actively wanted to progress in the IT field and as such started importing used computers from Europe 10 years ago. That had resulted in Agbobloshie becoming a dumping yard for e-waste from Europe.

In some places the damage caused to the land is so huge that it cannot be reversed, so the only option is to move people away and seal the contamination. Heavy metals are very difficult to remove from the soil, Dr Caravanos pointed out.

While the study sates that India has made significant progress in dealing with pollution issues on a national level, environmentalists and activists disagree with that observation.

The World Health Organization, in conjunction with the World Bank, estimates that 23% of the deaths in the developing world are attributable to environmental factors, including pollution, and that environmental risk factors contribute to more than 80% of regularly reported illnesses according to the report.

Source: BBC

African Children’s Well-Being Improved, but Still Inadequate

Africa has become a better place for children in recent years, but more investments are needed in health and education to further improve the lives of African children, according to a new study of the African Child Policy Forum.

The African Report on Child Well-being 2013, says conditions for children on the African continent improved in the last five years, mostly because of recent achievements in increasing the survival rate of children, reducing infant mortality and improved access to water and sanitation.

Mauritius, South Africa and Tunisia top the list of the 52 investigated African countries in the report launched by the African Child Policy Forum. They put in place national laws that protect children from violence and maltreatment. That resulted in better outcomes for children in those countries.

But executive director of the African Child Policy Forum Theophane Nikyeme says that despite the improvements, the continent is still facing serious challenges when it comes to providing basic needs for children.

“What they need is an environment in which they can grow in freedom. Where their basic needs will be satisfied,” said Nikyeme. “Where they can go to school and get proper education. They could go to a health service not from their home, not having to go through kilometers to reach their clinic. Being able to go to school all the way to university if they want to do so.”

Many children in Africa still die from preventable diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition. While African governments committed to spend 15 percent of their budget on health, on average only 11 percent is spent.

The worst places for children to grow up are unstable and fragile countries such as the Central African Republic, Chad and Eritrea.

The report focuses on 44 indicators such as a government’s provision for children’s basic needs and the participation of children in decisions that affect them.

Countries with low GDP such as Rwanda and Malawi scored higher than countries with a relatively higher GDP such as Namibia and Equatorial Guinea.

Nikyeme says the report shows that a child’s well-being does not necessarily depend on a country’s wealth, but on the government’s commitment:

“What we are advocating for, is for governments, when they ratify a law or a treaty at the international level or regional level, they should go back to harmonize it to the national laws. But this is not happening,” said Nikyeme.

The first report on child well-being in Africa was done in 2008. While the overall well-being of children seems to have improved, the report calls upon African governments to increase investments in education, health and social protection. The African Child Forum Policy also urges African countries to enhance accountability and good governance so that the recent economic growth on the continent should translate into concrete results.

Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara were not included in the report because of a lack of reliable data.

Source: All Africa

Is bottled water safer?

Drinking plenty of water is important for your health, because it maintains bodily functions, carries nutrients to cells and helps you stay hydrated and energized.

But you’ve probably wondered: Is fancy bottled water somehow better for you than plain tap water? And is it even OK to drink tap water without using a water-filtration device?

Many people believe that because bottled water goes through a filtration process that improves its taste, odor and color, it’s also healthier for you. Filtration eliminates possible contaminants such as lead, parasites and byproducts of chlorine, so it’s gotta be better, right?

Well, not really. “While (filters) can reduce exposure to (harmful) elements, it doesn’t necessarily mean bottled water will be better for your overall health,” says Katherine Patton, a registered dietician and certified sports dietician.

In the U.S., tap water is already treated to remove particles, chemicals and bacteria. During the process of treating public water, chlorine is added as a disinfectant, and fluoride is added for its dental health benefits (though there are those who say fluoride does more harm than good).

The Safe Drinking Water Act was put into place in 1974 to ensure that all drinking water that is “actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above-ground or underground sources,” must meet the minimum safety standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So whether you’re drinking water that came from a rural kitchen tap or one in a city restaurant, it should be safe.

Well water, however, is more likely to be contaminated since it doesn’t go through the same treatment and testing as water for public consumption. If the drinking water in your home comes from a well, filter it or hire a company to test its quality before you drink it.

But the water source isn’t your only concern: The pipes it flows through matter, too. Lead pipes can leach lead into water, making it harmful to drink (especially for children and pregnant women). If you aren’t sure whether or not your pipes are made of lead, have your water tested.

And what about microscopic creepy-crawlies? According to the National Sanitation Foundation website, “bottled water is regulated by the FDA, which has established water-quality requirements similar to those established by the EPA for public water supplies. Bottled water products and public water supplies are not required by either agency to be 100% free of contaminants, but the end product should always meet all federal, state or provincial drinking water standards.”

Of course, many people buy bottled water for its taste and portability. But if you’re buying it because you believe it’s safer than tap, you may want to start heading to the sink to fill up your glass.

Source: upwave

Take aspirin before bed to cut morning heart risk

Taking a single aspirin tablet before bed can reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack in the morning, a new trial has suggested

Taking aspirin before going to bed might reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack in the morning, according to a new study.

A trial involving 290 heart attack patients has shown that taking just one 100mg tablet before going to bed was more effective than taking it in the morning.

Researchers found that platelet levels were lower in patents who took the painkiller, which thins the blood and prevents clotting, at night.

Platelets, which lead to the formation of blood clots, tend to reach their peak in the morning.

This means that the risk of heart attack is often at its highest shortly before or just after waking up

Source: Telegraph