Women Economists Call on U. S. Policy Makers to End Global Sanitation Crisis

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "The United States is a global leader in international development and global health, including water, sanitation and hygiene. These programs not only save lives, but improve national and global economies and increase the well-being of us all. It is critical that USAID continue to scale up its water, sanitation and hygiene programs, and at the same time. We must protect our current investments in developing countries' welfare; and ensure that the programs the U.S. supports are efficient, integrated, equitable, and inclusive, targeted well to those who will benefit most. With its impact, efficiency and leveraging power, water and sanitation are a critical starting point," Dr. David Winder, Chief Executive of WaterAid in America.

A new report Off-track, off-target: Why investment in water, sanitation and hygiene is not reaching those who need it most is being published by the international non-profit organization WaterAid for World Toilet Day on November 19. Accompanied by a letter from 34 female economists from around the world expressing support for safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene as a sound investment—for every $1 invested in $8 is returned in saved health care costs and increased economic productivity—the report shows that there are more people in the world today lacking adequate sanitation services than there were in 1990. Unless urgent action is taken by national and donor governments, nearly all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and many in South Asia will fail to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) pledge they made to halve the proportion of people without sanitation by 2015. Globally, around 2.6 billion people currently lack access to safe sanitation.

Based on WaterAid projections, it will be 2029 before Bangladesh meets its target on sanitation, while Nepal will not reach it until 2030 and India not until 2047. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa will not reach the sanitation target for another 200 years. All of this has massive consequences for child mortality: 4,000 children die worldwide every day from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act (S. 641), sponsored by Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Corker (R-TN) (forthcoming in the House, led by Congressman Blumenauer, D-OR), builds upon a 2005 law defining water, sanitation and hygiene as a U.S. foreign policy priority. The bill would use existing funds to improve the integration, equitability, and efficacy of current investments. WaterAid calls on Congress to prioritize this effort to improve ongoing international aid and address the global water and sanitation crisis.

450 Men Will Die This Year -Breast Cancer

by J John Swanko

10/20/11 (People Port Family) In researching childhood breast cancer mortality rates, for a I Love Boobies article, It became the article. More than 39,000 women will die this year from the disease. Male breast cancer and childhood breast cancers are considered rare. In a preliminary report by Keep-A-Breast (KAB), those responding claimed, .4% females, .1%males had breast cancer.

Those answered the question, "Do you own a Keep A Breast I Love Boobies bracelet? If YES why?" The apparent disconnect occurs when new questions are asked. In this case, the KAB study is preliminary.

Editor's Note:

Breast cancer occurs in tissues of the breast. Breast cancer may form in both male and female children. Most are fibroadenomas, which are not cancer (benign). Rarely, these tumors become cancer (large phyllodes tumors) and begin to grow quickly. Your doctor will use a needle, sometimes a biopsy.

Risk factors do not mean you will get a disease, it is like driving. One bald tire, broken windshield wipers, thin brake pads, tail light out, broken seat belt... all are risk factors that increase your likelihood of an accident you will not survive.

From the National Cancer Institute, the risk of breast cancer is increased by the following:

-Having a personal history of cancer that may spread to the breast, such as leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, or lymphoma.

-Past treatment for another cancer, such as Hodgkin lymphoma, with radiation therapy to the breast or chest.

Breast cancer may cause any of the following signs and symptoms. Check with your doctor if any of the following problems occur:

-A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
-A change in the size or shape of the breast.
-A dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast.
-A nipple turned inward into the breast.
-Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin that is around the nipple).
-Dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange, called peau d’orange.

Other conditions that are not breast cancer may cause these same symptoms.

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The CKiD Study Is Out

Complications of chronic kidney disease occur earlier in children

The Chronic Kidney Disease in Children study is out. Growth failure, metabolic abnormalities, even cardiovascular disease are risk factors. The NIH funded study found intensive management should begin early.

Many experts previously thought that complications of kidney disease, such as anemia, acidosis and elevated potassium and phosphate, did not usually happen until kidney function was much worse. Until this study, Children with chronic kidney disease were rarely systematically assessed.

CKiD is a multi-center, prospective study of children and teenagers ages 1 to 16 years with mild to moderate impairment of kidney function, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between 90 and 30. Forty-eight sites in the United States and two in Canada are following 586 children.

Top Doctor: Harry Moon Plastic Surgen

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominent South Florida plastic surgeon Dr. Harry K. Moon has been added to the list of Top Doctors in America—a national directory comprised of top physicians in dozens of medical specialties based on peer nominations.

The directory is a collaboration between U.S. News and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of America's Top Doctors® and other guides. Top Doctors selections were based on nominations submitted by other doctors and reviewed by its physician-led research team.

The list identifies more than 27,000 exceptional doctors from a base list of close to 800,000 physicians who practice in the U.S.

In his distinguished 25-year career as a physician, researcher and surgeon, Dr. Moon has been recognized by numerous organizations in the medical industry for his commitment to quality patient care and expertise in the area of plastic surgery. Dr. Moon is the former CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Florida. He is the first American to become an Overseas Fellow with Dr. G. Ian Taylor at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. In 1993, he entered private practice and created Himmarshee Surgical Partners in Fort Lauderdale. (source: Dr Harry K. Moon)

Nasal Insulin Spray May Treat Alzheimer’s

WASHINGTON -A small pilot study led by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researcher found that a nasal insulin spray improved memory, thinking skills, and functional ability in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there are no effective treatments to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s.

“This research builds on several years of preliminary work by an innovative group of VA investigators and their colleagues, and we are gratified to see the progress that is being made on behalf of Veterans and all Americans who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel.

A VA team with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System led the trial, which was sponsored in large part by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The new findings appear in the Sept. 12 Archives of Neurology.

Previous studies found that low brain levels of insulin—the main hormone that turns sugar in the bloodstream into energy for cells—could contribute to Alzheimer’s. Based on these findings, VA’s Dr. Suzanne Craft has led efforts. Her work has found a strong link between a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and olive oil and improved memory skills in both healthy older adults, as well as those already experiencing cognitive difficulty.

The new study tested a nasal spray that delivers insulin quickly and directly to the brain, with no harmful side effects, such as increased insulin levels throughout the whole body. The trial included 104 adults with either amnestic mild cognitive impairment —people have memory loss that may progress to Alzheimer’s— or mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

The study volunteers received 20 international units (IU) of insulin, 40 IU of insulin, or a saline placebo, which were all given through a nasal delivery device for four months. Memory, cognition and functional ability were measured before and after treatment. Some participants also received spinal taps to test cerebrospinal fluid as well as brain scans before and after treatment. Treatment with 20 IU of intranasal insulin improved memory, and both doses of insulin preserved general cognition and functional ability. These results warrant larger trials of insulin nasal-spray therapy to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease or slow its progression.

VA Chief Research and Development Officer Dr. Joel Kupersmith stated, “VA researchers are exploring a number of possible approaches to help prevent or effectively treat this devastating disease, and these are among the most promising results to date. We are proud to partner with NIH in supporting this vital work.”

U.S. Blood Supply Vulnerable To Ticks

Babesia, a tickborne parasite of red blood cells, is being transmitted through blood transfusions, according to results of a collaborative study, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from the past three decades data. Transfusion–associated cases of babesiosis have been increasing since 1979, the year the first known case occurred.

The article about the study and an accompanying editorial appear today online in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

In the report, CDC and collaborators describe 159 transfusion–related babesiosis cases that occurred during 1979–2009, most (77 percent) from 2000 to 2009. No Babesia test approved by the Food and Drug Administration is available for screening prospective blood donors, who can feel fine despite being infected.

Babesiosis is a potentially fatal but treatable complication of transfusion. Severe consequences, such as multi–organ failure and death, are most often seen in persons without a spleen, the elderly, and those with a weak immune system. The study authors say prevention strategies, including development of a screening test, are needed. Some manufacturers are working with investigators at blood establishments to develop FDA–approved tests for Babesia for donor–screening purposes.

Babesiosis is commonly by ticks, the risk of this disease is another reason for people to prevent tick bites. People who unknowingly become infected through the bite of a tiny tick (about the size of a poppy seed) can transmit the parasite via blood transfusion. Preventing the tick bite is the key.

Most U.S. tickborne Babesia cases have occurred in seven states in the Northeast and the upper Midwest (in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin), particularly during the warm months of the year. However, transfusion–associatedBabesia cases have been identified in 19 states and have occurred year–round.

Taking Your Horses Camping

Gibson Park likes horses. Gibson is in sleepy Hamilton County Florida. On the way to another State Park. You may want to stay here.

Most people use the park for boating. It was dedicated with horses in mind. Pretty, with a true Southern bent, the park gives visitors a chance at campfires, star filed sky. Chirping birds. Frisky squirrels. It's huge open field will support barrel racing, training, or lots of campers. It does have facilities, hookups, however, not that many.

It will give a city dweller a real taste of the outdoors, even if they are in a motor home. The park's boat ramp doubles as a power-walkway. Fishing can be excellent or good, depending... If you are out boating, be careful there are jumping fish here. Not grass carp, gulf sturgeon (see background) Kids will have fun, so will most visitors. Taking horses camping I thought was only done in real camping experiences out west.

They occur in parks also. The horses enjoy being next to your tent. The trails are good. You and your pets will enjoy Gibson Park.

Background:

The gulf sturgeon is an ancient fish first appearing in the fossil record 225 million years ago and evolving to its current form around the same time as sharks. They can live forty years. Grow 12 feet long, weigh 1200 lbs. They average 5-6 feet. The head of the gulf sturgeon consists of a long snout preceded by four sensitive tactile barbels (cat's whiskers) which sense prey.

The gulf sturgeon is anadromous and spends the major part of the year in freshwater, migrating to saltwater in the fall. Gulf sturgeon return to their natal stream to spawn. Steep banks and a hard bottom with an average water temperature of 60 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit are also characteristic of rivers where sturgeon inhabit. Sturgeon occupy the river bottom downstream of springs where they seek thermal refuge during hot summer days. Movement from the gulf and up-river movement generally occurs between February and April, while down-river movement occurs between September and November. (source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Lawmakers Introduce Civil Rights Bill to Prevent Discrimination Against Health Care Workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.-(BUSINESS WIRE)- The Alliance of Catholic Health Care applauded the introduction of new bipartisan federal civil rights legislation that would protect all hospitals, clinics and health care workers from being forced to perform or support abortions in violation of their rights of conscience.

“Government should never force health care workers to choose between violating their consciences or losing their jobs, and hospitals should never have to choose between violating their mission or closing their doors”

"Government should never force health care workers to choose between violating their consciences or losing their jobs, and hospitals should never have to choose between violating their mission or closing their doors,” said Bill Cox, President & CEO of the Alliance, which represents all four California-based Catholic health care systems and their 53 hospitals.

The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 (H.R. 361) is sponsored by Rep. John Fleming (R- LA), a Shreveport physician, and Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK). The bill covers health care entities across the board – ranging from hospitals, doctors and nurses to insurance payers. Its comprehensive language protects entities from being forced by government agencies to perform or participate in abortions, provide abortion training, pay for abortions, or make referrals for abortions or abortion training.

A requirement by Vanderbilt University’s nurse residency program to require nurses in the women's health track to participate in abortions. The policy was rescinded this past week, but no effective federal protection exists for nurse trainees’ ability to defend their rights in court should it be reinstated or replicated.

A decision by the Alaska Supreme Court forcing a private, non-sectarian hospital to perform abortions.

The Alliance of Catholic Health Care represents California’s Catholic health care systems and hospitals. There are 53 California Catholic and community-based affiliated hospitals providing nearly 16 percent of all California in-patient acute care. The Catholic health care systems participating in the Alliance include Catholic Healthcare West (San Francisco), Daughters of Charity Health System (Los Altos Hills), Providence Health and Services (Southern California), and the St. Joseph Health System (Orange).

Our Federal Reserve's Diversity

01/18/11 (People Port) Our Federal Reserve today announced the establishment of offices to promote diversity and inclusion at the Federal Reserve Board and at all 12 of the Federal Reserve Banks and, You thought women in finance were rare.

The offices will build on the Federal Reserve System's long-standing efforts to promote equal employment opportunity and diversity, and will continue to work to foster diversity in procurement, with a focus on minority-owned and women-owned businesses. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act required that diversity and inclusion offices be established at certain federal agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, and at the Federal Reserve Banks. In addition to promoting diversity at the Board and throughout the System, the Board's Office of Diversity and Inclusion will play an integral role in the development of standards to assess the diversity practices at entities regulated by the Federal Reserve as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.

The heads of the diversity and inclusion offices are:

Federal Reserve Board, Sheila Clark. Clark, program director, has overseen the Equal Employment Opportunity programs at the Board since 1995. Prior to joining the Board, Clark was manager of workplace diversity programs at Dow Jones Company. Clark holds a bachelor's degree in management from Marymount College, Tarrytown, New York.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Marques Benton. Benton, a vice president, has worked in a number of areas, most recently public and community affairs, where he served as the Bank's point person on several foreclosure-prevention efforts. Benton holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master's in business administration from Babson College.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Diane Ashley. Ashley has served as vice president and chief diversity officer at the Bank since 2007. Prior to joining the Bank, Ashley was a senior vice president and director of supplier diversity at Citigroup. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in French from Yale University, a master's degree in human resources education from Boston University, and a juris doctorate degree from Rutgers University School of Law.

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Mary Ann Hood. Hood has been a senior vice president of human resources and the Bank's Equal Employment Opportunity officer since 2009. She was promoted to vice president of human resources in 2004 and has been an officer in that department since 2000. She has a bachelor's degree from Hood College, Frederick, Md., and holds a master's degree in human resource development from Villanova University.

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Peggy Velimesis. Velimesis is a senior vice president and chief of staff. She also oversees the human resources and executive information functions and serves as the Bank's Equal Employment Opportunity officer. Prior to joining the Bank, Velimesis was vice president of human resources for Meridia Health System. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Cleveland State University.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Tammy Cummings. Cummings has served as senior vice president of human resources and the Bank's Equal Employment officer since 2009. Prior to joining the Richmond Fed in 2006, Cummings was the vice president of human resources at Tredegar Corporation. Cummings holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Joan Buchanan. Buchanan, a vice president, previously served as an assistant vice president with responsibility for the Bank's Equal Employment Opportunity and corporate secretary functions. She also has served as an officer in bank supervision and regulation, where she worked in consumer compliance, including enforcement of non-discrimination regulations. She received a bachelor's degree in applied psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Valerie Van Meter. Van Meter serves as the District's Equal Employment Opportunity director in her role as senior vice president andchief financial officer. Van Meter holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Michigan, is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, and holds a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, James Price. Price has served as vice president of diversity and inclusion and as the District's Equal Employment Opportunity officer since 2008. Price holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Culver-Stockton College.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Duane Carter. Carter is the senior vice president of human resources and central bank services, and has served as the Bank's Equal Employment Opportunity officer since 2002. Carter holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture business from the University of Minnesota and a master's in business administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Donna Ward. Ward was appointed senior vice president of the administrative services division last year after serving as vice president for human resources. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Drury University and a master's in business administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Tyrone Gholson. Gholson is senior vice president with responsibility for human resources, Treasury services, financial institution relationship management, and public affairs. Gholson has served as the District's Equal Employment Opportunity officer since 1992. He received his bachelor's in business administration from North Texas State University.

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Susan Sutherland. Sutherland, a senior vice president, has overseen Equal Employment Opportunity, human resources, statistics, and strategy and communications, and is the executive committee sponsor of the Bank's diversity efforts. Sutherland holds a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University.