Daniel502

Teacher Tortures and Kills Blind Student

2008-05-30T21:30:00Z

Original text here

A seven-year-old blind boy was allegedly tortured to death by his teacher in Pakistan's Punjab province ‘for not learning a lesson’.

Muhammad Atif, who was enrolled at the Qari Latif Madrassa at Vihari in Punjab, was allegedly beaten up by his teacher, Qari Ziauddin, who then tied his feet to a ceiling fan hook.

The boy died after being hung upside down for some time.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed sorrow and concern over the incident and ordered an inquiry.

Atif's mother and grandmother noticed torture marks on his body and said his fellow students had told them that he had been locked up in a room.

Atif's body has been sent for autopsy, police official Muhammad Akram Niazi said, adding police was trying to nab Ziauddin.

Oldest Polio Survivor Dies Due to Power Outage

2008-05-29T23:25:00Z

Full story is here

ATLANTA -- For the first time in more than half a century, the Odell residence is quiet.

There are no squeaks and pops from the electric motor that powered an "iron lung" pumping air in and out of Dianne Odell's body.

A thunderstorm knocked out the power to her home Wednesday, shutting off the massive metal machine that had helped her breathe for nearly 60 years.

It was about 3 a.m. when the electricity went out at Odell's home in Jackson, a small Tennessee town about 90 miles northeast of Memphis. An emergency generator did not start, and Odell died as her father and brother-in-law took turns pumping the iron lung manually.

Dianne Odell, 61, was believed to be the nation's oldest survivor of polio to have spent almost all of her life inside an iron lung.

She had been confined within the 7-foot-long, 750-pound machine ever since she was paralyzed at the age of 3 by bulbospinal polio. That was in 1950, just a few years before a polio vaccine was discovered.

Regrowing Limbs: The New Science

2008-05-29T21:24:00Z

New scientific methods are being utilized at Brook Army Medical Center to help re-grow human limbs. In an emerging field known as Regenerative Medicine, a powder consisting of pig tissue is sprinkled onto the area where doctors hope to re-grow a limb or tissue. Doctors then rely on the patient's stem cells to recognize the power and rejuvenate growth of limbs or other body parts. While the new method is still in early stages of human testing, doctors are hopeful that the innovation will lead to a better quality of life for many people across the world.

Check out this cool video from CNN

Help Delay or Prevent Diabetes

2008-05-23T22:50:00Z

Drinking less alcohol, eating more vegetables and exercising can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes, researchers said on Friday in a study showing that lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

Diet and exercise reduced the incidence of diabetes by about 43 percent over 20 years among 577 high-risk Chinese adults, the researchers reported in the journal Lancet.

At the end of the 20 years, 80 percent of those who changed what they ate and exercised more had diabetes, compared with 93 percent who made no changes, said Guangwei Li of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing and Ping Zhang at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Get the full story from MSNBC

Woman Dead For 17 Hours Wakes Up

2008-05-23T17:05:00Z

Here is the story

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A West Virginia woman was being transferred to the Cleveland Clinic after walking the line between life and death.

Doctors are calling Val Thomas a medical miracle. They said they can't explain how she is alive.

They said Thomas suffered two heart attacks and had no brain waves for more than 17 hours. At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, her heart stopped and she had no pulse. A respiratory machine kept her breathing and rigor mortis had set in, doctors said.

"Her skin had already started to harden and her fingers curled. Death had set in," said son Jim Thomas.

They rushed her to a West Virginia hospital. Doctors put Thomas on a special machine which induces hypothermia. The treatment involves lowering the body temperature for up to 24 hours before warming a patient up.

After that procedure, her heart stopped again.

"She had no neurological function," said Dr. Kevin Eggleston.

Her family said goodbye and doctors removed all the tubes.

However, Thomas was kept on a ventilator a little while longer as an organ donor issue was discussed.

Ten minutes later the woman woke up and started talking.

"She (nurse) said, 'I'm so sorry Mrs. Thomas.' And mom said, 'That's OK honey. That's OK," Jim Thomas said.

Val Thomas and her family strongly believe that the Lord granted them their miracle and they want everyone to know.

"I know God has something in store for me, another purpose. I don't know what it is but I'm sure he'll tell me," she said.

She was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for specialist to check her out. Doctors said amazingly she has no blockage and will be fine.

Does Wi-Fi Technology Violate the Americans With Disabilities Act?

2008-05-21T22:58:00Z

Some Santa Fe residents are seeking to ban Wi-Fi signals in public buildings across the city. The residents, who claim to be highly electro-sensitive, say that the prevalence of Wi-Fi signals causes adverse reactions such as headaches along with joint and muscle soreness. Despite using specially protected walls inside their cars and homes, these residents still feel the effect of the Wi-Fi signals.

Wi-Fi is a wireless technology that connects users to the internet, media and data. Wi-Fi is supported by most computers and networks in today's world. You can find Wi-Fi in coffee shops, book stores, libraries and some government buildings.

A group of electrically-sensitive residents in Santa Fe is suing the city and claims that broadcasting Wi-Fi signals in public areas is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city attorney is now checking into the matter to see if it is indeed a violation.

Check out this video from MSNBC

What do you think? Do these residents have a valid complaint? Do Wi-Fi signals violate the ADA? How should the city respond to the complaints?

Caption This: Scapegoat

2008-05-21T21:46:00Z

This is the twelfth installation of the weekly "Caption This" blog posting.

Do you think you got a better one than me - prove it! Leave your caption in the comments section. Got a picture you think is perfect for this blog - send it my way. Enjoy!

Who's ever heard of a piggy-back ride?

Miss any recent Caption This entries? Catch up!

Caption This: The Halloween Killer

Caption This: Tastes Like Chicken

Wheelchairs For Animals - Even Alpacas!

2008-05-21T17:36:00Z

Here is a great story about a really cool company called Eddie's Wheels for Pets out of Massachusetts that makes custom wheelchairs for pets. The company creates about 2,000 chairs a year for all types of animals including (but not limited to) dogs, cats, alpacas, and bunnies. The chairs typically cost $300-500 and can be used as temporary rehabilitation tools or life-long assistive devices. Check out the link to the MSNBC story (with video) or visit the Eddie's Wheel's for Pets website

Lost Parrot Gives Vet His Name and Address

2008-05-21T15:34:00Z

Original story from CNN

When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught -- recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Lost in Tokyo, Yosuke the parrot was able to give his name and address to get taken home.

Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.

He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.

"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.

The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.

But Yosuke apparently wasn't keen on opening up to police officials.

"I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me," Uemura said.

Deaf Couple Wants Right to Select Deaf Embryo

2008-05-20T16:02:00Z

Tomato Lichy and Paula Garfield are trying to conceive a baby. The couple is considering in vitro fertilization because they are wary about getting pregnant naturally after the maternal age of 40. The couple, who are both deaf, already have one deaf child, and want to have another child who is also deaf. A new law in the UK might make that impossible.

The proposed legislation would mandate that an embryo with an abnormality could not be chosen if an embryo without abnormalities is available. While other conditions such as Cancer and Down Syndrome would also deem an embryo unfit to use, Lichy and Garfield do not believe that deafness should be grouped into the same category.

"If the law is passed and says that an embryo that is hearing has to be got rid of, how would you feel? You would find that offensive" said Garfield. "It might be that a group of deaf people decided to get rid of all hearing babies. It's the same the other way around."

Check out the BBC News story

Read Veralidaine's opinion here and also here

CNN has a video that can be seen here.

What do you think? Should the family be allowed to select a deaf embryo or be forced to choose one that is free of abnormalities? Should the new law be passed? Is this discrimination against deaf people and people with other disabilities?

10 Healthy Ways to Alleviate Stress

2008-05-20T15:44:00Z

Original document from Mercola here

1. Put on a blue shirt

Blue is generally relaxing, while orange is the biggest irritant.

2. Pause your mental TiVo

Stop what you’re doing, close your eyes, and quickly count to 10 while strongly pressing your right thumb and forefinger together. Now do the same with your left hand. Repeat this five times. This will clear your mind.

3. Recruit an anger buddy

Find a thick-skinned friend who’ll let you verbally assault him when the situation warrants. Make sure you’re willing to return the favor. Make sure the tirade is brief, private, and somewhat controlled.

4. Fabricate a smile

Grin. According to experts, people who are manipulated into smiling report feeling better instantly -- going through the motions can trigger the emotions.

5. Clean your room

Most people don’t realize how much clutter causes stress. Pick clothes up off the floor, remove dirty glasses from the coffee table, and make your bed.

6. Climb the stairway to heaven

Music has been shown to reduce stress and have a positive effect on health.

7. Order Chinese

According to recent research, ginger and broccoli may temporarily help relieve depression.

8. Dot your eyes

Draw two dots an inch or so apart on a piece of white paper. Stare at the space between them with an out-of-focus gaze until they merge. Release and repeat three times.

9. Sniff a lemon

Nice smells such as fresh fruit, a looming thunderstorm, or just-mowed grass can turn your beat around.

10. Chop till you drop

Cook something from scratch. You are now in touch with your primal self; destroying and creating at the same time is the ultimate mood lifter.

New Test Spots Autism in Children as Early as 9 months

2008-05-16T21:57:00Z

Canadian researchers have developed a new test for diagnosing autism as early as nine months of age.

Mel Rutherford of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., has led a team that has been using eye-tracker technology to measures babies' eye directions while they look at faces, eyes and bouncing balls on a computer screen.

Rutherford, an associate psychology professor, says the test is "not at all invasive." The eye-tracker camera sits on a table in front of the child and collects data from eye movement for 10 minutes.

She believes that this is a way to measure how engaged babies are with their environment, which is a marker for normal development.

Full story can be read here

More information on the Early Autism Study can found at www.earlyautismstudy.com.

Simulation Helps Disability Community Gain Independence

2008-05-16T17:41:00Z

A new simulation allows users with disabilities to plan for and get accustomed to everyday activities, such as shopping for groceries. The graduating class at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has created a new game intended to help people with disabilities struggling to gain independence. The game utilizes blueprints from a Price Chopper grocery store and recreates the shopping experience for the user. Armed with a virtual shopping list, users must walk the aisles to find the products necessary to make a selected meal. Locating the items is just a part of the experience. The user must also grab the item from the shelf and add it to a virtual shopping cart.

Called the CapAbility Games Research Project, the students worked in collaboration with the Adult Services Division of the Center for Disability Services in Albany to develop a game that specifically addresses the needs of the center’s consumers.

The game, called “Capable Shopper,” simulates a shopping trip at a local Price Chopper. Players maneuver through the virtual grocery store—which is based on actual blueprints obtained from an area Price Chopper where the center’s consumers often shop—using a specially designed joystick or a head mouse, depending on their individual mobility.

“The most difficult—and most rewarding—part of the game development process was creating something that was accessible to a large group of people who had varying abilities,” said Zach Barth, a dual computer systems engineering and computer science major. “Beyond that we created countless iterations of the game until we achieved something educational that was still really fun to play.”

A computer monitor set up directly in front of the user simulates the layout of the store, and a second monitor to the left displays a virtual shopping list. Users start the game by selecting a meal they’d like to make—such as a spaghetti dinner, a holiday ham, or even rotini with alfredo lobster sauce—and complete it when they’ve found all the items on their list.

Read the full story here

Caption This: The Halloween Killer

2008-05-15T16:05:00Z

This is the eleventh installation of the weekly "Caption This" blog posting.

Do you think you got a better one than me - prove it! Leave your caption in the comments section. Got a picture you think is perfect for this blog - send it my way. Enjoy!

Police in this small residential community have been seeking the serial killer,

described as round and orange and nicknamed by residents as "The Carver."

Miss any recent Caption This entries? Catch up!

Caption This: Tastes Like Chicken

Caption This: Kitty Puree

Texting Helps Teens Remember Meds

2008-05-13T15:53:00Z

Get the full scoop from CNN

- 4gt yr meds? Getting kids to remember their medicine may be a text message away.

- Ohio doctors are experimenting with texting to tackle a big problem: Tweens and teens too often do a lousy job of controlling chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or kidney disease

- Dr. Maria Britto, an asthma specialist at Cincinnati Children's, noticed that even when she's talking to adolescent patients perched on the clinic exam table, they'll keep texting on their cell phones.

"You have to get in their face a little," she says with a laugh.

But it sparked the idea for a study to see if a daily medication reminder via text message would improve kids' asthma control -- preventing full-blown attacks, improving school attendance and decreasing doctor and emergency-room visits. After all, Britto says kids as young as 12 carry the phones into her clinic, poor and middle class alike.