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loss. A "lucky combination" of rare circumstances has meant the reef has been able to make a recovery. Abundant corals have reestablished themselves in a single year, say the researchers from the University of Queensland's Centre for Marine Studies and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS). |
"Three factors were critical," said Dr Guillermo Diaz-Pulido. "The first was exceptionally high regrowth of fragments of surviving coral tissue. The second was an unusual seasonal dieback in the seaweeds, and the third was the presence of a highly competitive coral species, which was able to outgrow the seaweed." Coral |
bleaching occurs in higher sea temperatures when the coral lose the symbiotic algae they need to survive. The reefs then lose their colour and become more susceptible to death from starvation or disease. The findings are important as it is extremely rare to see reports of reefs that bounce back |
from mass coral bleaching or other human impacts in less than a decade or two, the scientists said. The study is published in the online journal PLoS one. "The exceptional aspect was that corals recovered by rapidly regrowing from surviving tissue," said Dr Sophie Dove, also from CoECRS and The |
University of Queensland. "Recovery of corals is usually thought to depend on sexual reproduction and the settlement and growth of new corals arriving from other reefs. This study demonstrates that for fast-growing coral species asexual reproduction is a vital component of reef resilience." Last year, a major global st... |
that coral reefs did have the ability to recover after major bleaching events, such as the one caused by the El Niño in 1998. David Obura, the chairman of the International Union for Conservation of Nature climate change and coral reefs working group involved with the report, said: "Ten years |
after the world's biggest coral bleaching event, we know that reefs can recover – given the chance. Unfortunately, impacts on the scale of 1998 will reoccur in the near future, and there's no time to lose if we want to give reefs and people a chance to suffer as little |
as possible." Coral reefs are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of coastal dwellers around the world and contain a huge range of biodiversity. The UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment says reefs are worth about $30bn annually to the global economy through tourism, fisheries and coastal protection. But the ecosyste... |
under threat worldwide from overfishing, coastal development and runoff from the land, and in some areas, tourism impacts. Natural disasters such as the earthquake that triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 have also caused reef loss. Climate change poses the biggest threat to reefs however, as emissions of carbon |
dioxide make seawater increasingly acidic. Last year a study showed that one-fifth of the world's coral reefs have died or been destroyed and the remainder are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network says many surviving reefs could be lost over the coming |
Bingo makes you think faster than non-players and keeps you more alert into old age, a researcher told a British Psychological Society conference. Julie Winstone, of Southampton University, said players were faster and more accurate than non-bingo players on tests measuring mental speed, the ability to scan for informa... |
memory. Her research found older players even outperformed younger counterparts, suggesting keeping the brain active keeps it sharper for longer. The finding came as no surprise to the National Bingo Association, which said the game was played by three million people with an average age of 49. "The blue rinse |
brigade dominated it 15 years ago. But then it was taken up by celebrities Denise Van Outen, Elle Macpherson, Robbie Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Bianca and Jade Jagger," said Gloria Pattinson, an association spokeswoman. "These acted as role models for younger people, who started going to evening sessions befor... |
on to clubs and pubs. Older people still go to morning and afternoon sessions. "The skill needed in bingo is quite high which is why these findings are no surprise. You have to be a good listener and search for numbers quickly." Ms Winstone said: "Any mental or physical activity |
is good for you but bingo involves searching for digits which is particularly sensitive to the ageing process." She recruited 112 people - half were bingo players - and divided them into the 18-40 and 60-82 age groups. She added: "I got them to scan a grid for single digits, |
pairs of digits and then three digits. The older bingo players were both quicker and made less errors than the older non-bingo players - and the younger bingo players. "In bingo it is very important not to miss a number and you have to sustain your attention sometimes for several |
Teens Using Technology - Backlit Devices can Impact on Sleep New research from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, indicates that teenagers who use backlit technology, such as tablet devices, for two hours before bed, may have their sleeping patterns disrupted. At this time... |
computers for extended periods. Being aware of backlit technology's possible effects on sleep and melatonin release, may help parents advise their teens on how to ensure they get sufficient sleep. We know that sleep has an impact on learning and information retention so we've written about this topic before. For more i... |
The new LRC research shows that a two-hour exposure to electronic devices with self-luminous 'backlit' displays causes melatonin suppression, which might lead to delayed bedtimes, especially in teens. “Our study shows that a two-hour exposure to light from self-luminous electronic displays can suppress melatonin by abo... |
to bedtime,” said Professor Figueiro. And until manufacturers develop more “circadian-friendly” electronic devices that increase or decrease light exposure based on time of day, Figueiro recommends "dimming these devices at night as much as possible in order to minimize melatonin suppression, and limiting the amount of... |
other times of the year when they want to play games on tablet-style devices but perhaps during final exam times, they'll be more receptive to this information. Morning Light Helps Teens Sleep Another field study by the LRC in 2010 indicated that teenagers are likley to have better sleep if they have more exposure to m... |
requiring teenagers to be in school early in the morning, so teens often miss some morning light. However, during a study break, your teen has an opportunity to change this pattern and possibly benefit from more and better sleep. “As teenagers spend more time indoors, they miss out on essential morning light needed to ... |
cycle,” said Professor Figueiro. In this study it was found that students who wore special glasses to prevent short-wavelength (blue) morning light from reaching their eyes experienced a 30-minute delay in sleep onset by the end of five days. Good luck getting your teens out of bed for some morning exercise and all the... |
Accidental poisoning by methadone occurs, particularly as a result of children ingesting a parent's methadone. Health care professionals have a responsibility to provide information and guidance to methadone users on safe storage of methadone. The objective of the study was to audit the effectiveness of information giv... |
of methadone consumption, dose measurement and storage, and the effectiveness of sources of advice available for patients. The study was undertaken prior to the introduction of a scheme for the supervised consumption of methadone, in the setting of an NHS Methadone clinic serving a district population of 490,000 in the |
UK. 185 consecutive patients attending a methadone clinic to collect a methadone prescription were the subject of an anonymous survey. Issues of safety of methadone consumption, storage and safety information provisions were assessed. A telephone survey of the community pharmacists dispensing the methadone covered the ... |
provision of advice on safety was undertaken. Methadone was stored in a variety of locations, a cupboard being most frequent. 95 patients (60.1%) had children either living in or visiting their home. All stored their methadone in a bottle with a child resistant lid; the majority measured doses using either |
the container supplied by the pharmacist or a plastic measure. 126 patients (78%) confirmed that a pharmacist provided a measuring container on their first visit, 24 (15%) were given a measure on every visit to the pharmacist. Advice on safe storage was recalled by 30% of the patients, and advice |
on measuring methadone by 28%. Methadone was seen as potentially dangerous by 82% of the patients. The risks resulting from unsafe storage of methadone may be reduced by daily instalment prescribing and provision of measuring containers on request. Recall of provision of information on safety issues is poor and the |
adoption of a standard policy on provision information should be seen as a priority. A re-audit of safety of storage of methadone is recommended following the introduction of a standard policy on information provision. The number of prescriptions per year for methadone in England increased from 425,400 to 1,318,100 bet... |
1990 and 2001 . Prior to the introduction in 1999 of national guidelines in England with regard to supervised methadone consumption, it was common practice for patients to be prescribed take-home methadone from specialist drug clinics or general practitioners which would be dispensed at community pharmacies. Up to 14 d... |
supply could be prescribed on one prescription and the patient would be allowed to store this at home. In practice, prior to the development of supervised methadone schemes, where patients consume their methadone at the pharmacy and are observed by the pharmacist, many prescribers controlled the amount dispensed by pre... |
daily instalments or for 2 to 3 days at a time to reduce the risk of diversion of supplies and the risk of storage of high volumes. Following the introduction of guidelines for supervised methadone, it became the norm within the UK for patients to have daily methadone prescriptions with |
supervised consumption at the pharmacy for a minimum of 3 months. Providing that they are compliant with treatment, this supervision can then be discontinued and increasing numbers of days' supply can be dispensed to take home. Even within the current supervised schemes, patients will take home at least one day's |
supply for unsupervised consumption as pharmacies are not in general open on Sundays. The introduction of national guidelines has produced some changes in the prescribing methods for methadone in the UK. There is still considerable variation in practice between clinicians both in the dose prescribed and the volume disp... |
take-home use The risks relating to methadone are not confined to those prescribed methadone or to adults using illicit supplies. The storage of methadone at home poses a potential risk to children living with the person prescribed methadone if the supply is not safely stored. The value of oral methadone |
prescribing in the treatment of opiate addicts is confirmed in National Clinical Guidelines . Safety issues relating to storage of methadone at home have been well documented . A report regarding the use of babies' feeding bottles as measuring devices for methadone highlighted the risks to children of access to |
methadone. The study recommended that all doctors who prescribe methadone should ask their patients how they measure their daily dose of methadone. It is clear from current guidance that health care professionals have a responsibility to provide information and guidance to methadone users on safe storage of methadone. ... |
undertook this audit to evaluate the effectiveness of the sources of advice that those prescribed methadone may have used with regard to safety of storage and measurement of their methadone dose. Audit criteria and standard setting The audit followed a standard audit methodology of selecting appropriate criteria and th... |
standards by which to measure success in achieving the criteria. The following criteria were selected following a review of the literature. 1. All patients prescribed methadone should recall being given information on safe storage of methadone 2. All patients who take home methadone should have it dispensed in a child |
resistant container 3. All patients prescribed methadone for home consumption should have an accurate measuring device available 4. All patients who have methadone at home should store it a child resistant container within a safe locked location. 5. All patients where children may have access to methadone should be awa... |
of the particular risks to children. 6. All patients prescribed methadone should be aware of the risks of accidental overdose. The standard setting was agreed by the audit team using the following principles. 1. Given the high risks posed by accidental methadone overdose criteria 1 – 6 were allocated a |
100% standard Development of survey instruments We devised and piloted a questionnaire for anonymous self completion by patients. The content of the questionnaire was planned to cover the following aspects. • Volumes of methadone prescribed and stored • Frequency of pick up of prescriptions • Frequency of doses • Locat... |
of storage • Measurement of methadone • Possible access to the stored methadone by children • Sources of advice on safe storage and measurement • Appreciation of the possible risks of methadone. A checklist for telephone survey of community pharmacists was devised to collect data on the availability of measuring |
devices and advice on safety aspects of storage and measurement. Over a period of three days, consecutive patients attending to collect a methadone prescription from the specialist clinic were invited to complete the questionnaire. Of the 185 patients attending, 165 (86.4%) completed the questionnaire. All pharmacists ... |
register as potentially dispensing methadone to patients attending the clinic were contacted by telephone (n = 48). Of these, 36 were actually dispensing methadone during the period of the patient survey and 35 (97.2%) agreed to complete the telephone survey Closed questions were analysed with descriptive statistics, o... |
content analysis, a χ2 test was used to compare outcomes Volume of methadone stored at home The mean daily methadone dose for the 161 patients was 32 mg, (Range 5 mg to 80 mg, SD = 14.01). Instalment prescribing is the norm within the clinic and 97 patients (63%) reported |
a daily pick up, 52 (34%) a pick up every 2 days, 3 patients (2%) picked up twice a week whilst 1 patient (<1%) reported a weekly pick up. Volumes stored at home reflected the range of doses and the type of instalment prescribing. The mean volume stored at home |
was 51 mg (Range 0 mg to 315 mg, SD= 48.3). Of the 11 patients who reported that they did not store any methadone at home, 2 reported that they stored it about their person, 8 consumed all their methadone in the street after it had been dispensed and 1 |
gave it to a parent for safekeeping. Location of storage Content analysis of the location of storage revealed a variety of locations (Table 1). A cupboard was the most common storage place 49 (30.6%), 27 (16.8%) stored methadone in the fridge, whilst only 4 patients (2.5%) stored methadone in a |
medicine cabinet. One patient stored methadone in a wastebin Table 1. Location of storage of methadone in the home Safety of storage Of the 159 patients who completed the item on security of their place of storage, 43 (27%) acknowledged that other people would have access to their storage place. |
The presence of children in the house was assessed in two ways, firstly as an item enquiring as to children resident with the patient and secondly an item regarding children who may visit the patient. From these items a consolidated figure of homes where children may have access to methadone |
was calculated. 158 patients responded to items on children within the home, of whom 95 (60.1%) had children either living in or visiting the home. An assessment by these 95 patients of the risk of children knowing where the methadone was stored resulted in 5 patients (3.2%) accepting that children |
would know where they kept their methadone, 10 patients (6.45%) reported that they thought children could find their methadone. Chi square analysis of methadone storage location and assessment of the ability of others to access the storage site showed no significant difference between the group with children living in ... |
visiting their home and those with no children living in or having access to their home. Methadone storage container Of the 160 patients who completed the questionnaire, 100% stored their methadone in the original pharmacists' container supplied with a child resistant cap. Measurement of methadone An open question with... |
to containers used to measure out methadone doses revealed a fairly narrow range of containers to be in use (Table 2). 140 patients (67.5%) used either the container supplied by the pharmacist or a plastic measure supplied by the pharmacist to measure out their methadone; a minority of 5 patients |
(3.13%) guessed the correct amount without any form of measure. Table 2. Measuring Methadone (n = 160) The need to measure out methadone occurs when more than one days supply is dispensed, such as at weekends or when patients have a less frequent prescription instalment. The need to measure out |
methadone also occurs when patients split their daily dose. Responses to the survey indicated that of the 153 who responded to this item, 100 (63%) take their methadone as single dose. The remaining patients split their dose, 52 (34%) taking methadone twice a day, and 4 (3%) taking it three |
or more times a day. 126 patients (78%) confirmed provision of measuring containers on the first visit to a pharmacist. 24 patients (15%) reported that they were given a measuring container on every visit to the pharmacist and 13 (8%) reported that they were able to request a measuring device |
when they needed one Sources of advice on storage and measurement Only 49 patients (31%) recalled being given advice on safety of methadone; of those who did recall this advice, it had been given by the Methadone Clinic (41.7%), the local drug agency (27%) or the pharmacist (21%). Advice on |
ways to measure out methadone was recalled by 45 patients (28%), this advice had been given by the methadone clinic (40%), the pharmacist (36%) or the local drug agency (18%). Knowledge of the risks of methadone In response to the question " Is methadone dangerous?". 131 patients (82%) replied yes, |
25 patients (16%) replied no and 3 (2%) did not respond. None of the patients reported having being involved with any accidental use of methadone. Of the 35 pharmacists who participated in the survey, 32 (91%) confirmed that they would provide a measuring device on request. Only 5 (14.3%) provided |
a measuring device on each attendance. Advice on storage of methadone had been given by 4 pharmacists (11%) and advice on measuring out methadone by 6 (17%). The pharmacists were each dispensing for a mean of 5 patients (Range 1 to 20, SD 4.4) Performance on criteria 1 to 6 |
was measured against the defined standards. The results are summarised in table 3. Table 3. Audit criteria performance Only 1 of the standards reached 100% in the sample studied, that being the dispensing of methadone in containers with child resistant caps. The accidental ingestion of methadone is a well recognised |
risk of methadone prescribing[7,8] The need to store methadone is increased if prescriptions are dispensed in more than daily instalments. A survey of prescribing to opiate addicts in England and Wales in 1996 showed that up to 36% of prescriptions for methadone were dispensed on a weekly basis . The |
use of inappropriate storage and measuring containers for methadone, such as babies' bottles by over 25% of patients in Dublin, was perhaps influenced by the fact that over 50 % of prescriptions for methadone in Dublin were dispensed on a weekly basis . The routine supply of measuring containers is |
not necessary when methadone is dispensed on a daily basis or its consumption is supervised, apart from at weekends and when the patient takes the methadone in divided doses. The pharmacists surveyed in this study were able to provide measuring containers on request and the patients appeared to be aware |
of this facility and had obtained them when needed. The provision of advice to patients on safe storage and measurement had been received by a minority of patients. Pharmacists confirmed that they had only given advice to a small proportion of the patients. The level of advice reported appears to |
be consistent with that reported by Calman et al in 1996, as do the various locations chosen by patients to store methadone. The patients' responses to the present study do however indicate a high level of awareness of the risks of methadone both to children and to non drug using |
adults. The risks associated with methadone storage and measurement can be seen to be reduced by daily instalment prescribing, provision of measuring devices on request and the provision of information on the particular risks of methadone to children. The risks to children of unsafe storage of medicines is not of |
course confined to methadone. Studies of accidental poisoning of children from prescribed medications have shown consistently that failure to store medication in a child resistant container in a safe location is a major factor in increasing the risk of accidental poisoning [10,11] The responsibility for giving advice o... |
does not appear to be allocated to any one agency and our study reveals that many patients do not recall being given such advice. Provision of information on safety issues is poor and the adoption of a standard policy on provision of written information should be seen as a priority. |
A survey of community pharmacists in Scotland undertaken by Matheson and Bond indicated that pharmacists providing health promotion advice to drug misusers see verbal advice as being "risky", whereas written information is seen as non-confrontational. The introduction of written information on storage and measurement t... |
time of dispensing of methadone may be one possible solution to ensuring that patients remain aware of the risks inherent in irresponsible custody of their methadone and what steps to take to reduce this risk. Studies of the relative effectiveness of written versus verbal information on patient information retention an... |
subsequent action do not, however, show any advantage of written over verbal presentation[13,14]. The overall view is that providing the information in both forms provides a range of options which may match the patients' preferred mode of receiving information. The provision of information on the safe storage of methad... |
recalled by a minority of patients, and the vast majority of patients do not store their methadone in a locked cupboard or other secure location. The audit we have reported will be repeated following the provision of written information to patients in addition to verbal information at the point that |
they commence their methadone treatment. This will be reinforced at the point where patients transfer from supervised consumption at the pharmacy to home consumption as part of a progressive relaxation of restrictions in more stable patients. The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests. RNB conceived of... |
devised the methodology and drafted the manuscript RM supervised the data collection and performed the telephone survey NS participated in the design of the study and performed the data analysis All authors read and approved the manuscript The authors extend their thanks to the patients and pharmacists who gave their |
time to contribute to the audit and to Gretta Bloor for micro-editing of the final version of the manuscript. BMJ 1996, 313:1481. PubMed Abstract BMJ 1999, 318:329-330. PubMed Abstract BMJ 1991, 303:922-923. PubMed Abstract BMJ 1999, 318:1137. PubMed Abstract Hum Toxicol 1987, 6:303-314. PubMed Abstract |
remaining 1% is dispersed throughout other body fluids and cells. Calcium's functions include: - Builds bones, both in length and strength - Helps bones remain strong by slowing the rate of bone loss with age - Helps muscles contract - Helps the heart beat - Plays a role in normal |
height. Even a mild deficiency over a lifetime can affect bone density and bone loss, which increases the risk for osteoporosis. If you do not consume enough calcium, your body will draw from the storage in your bones in order to supply enough calcium for its other functions: nerve transmission, |
muscle contraction, heartbeat, and blood clotting. Symptoms of a calcium deficiency include: - Intermittent muscle contractions - Muscle pain - Muscle spasms - Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet Very large doses over a prolonged period of time may cause kidney stones and poor kidney function. Your body |
the 20s. After this type of growth is complete, bones gain in strength and density as they continue to build up to peak bone mass by about age 35. From this point on, as a natural part of the aging process, bones slowly lose mass. Calcium is essential to slow |
this natural loss and stave off the onset of osteoporosis—a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Tips for Increasing Your Calcium Intake - When making oatmeal or other hot cereal, use milk instead of water. - Add powdered milk to hot cereal, casseroles, baked goods, |
and other hot dishes. - Make your own salad dressing by combining low-fat plain yogurt with herbs. - Add tofu (processed with calcium) to soups and pasta sauce. - If you like fish, eat canned fish with bones on crackers or bread. - For dessert, try low-fat frozen yogurt, ice |
cream, or pudding. - In baked goods, replace half of the fat with plain yogurt. If you are unable to meet your calcium needs through dietary sources, consider a calcium supplement. Some points to remember when choosing and using a calcium supplement include: - Check the label because the amount |
of calcium differs among products. - Avoid supplements with dolomite or bone meal; they may contain lead. - Check your vitamin D intake, too. This vitamin is essential for absorption of calcium. Milk is a great source of vitamin D, as is sunlight. - If you take both calcium and |
iron supplements or a multivitamin with iron, take them at different times of the day. They can impair each other's absorption. This is also true of chromium, manganese, magnesium, and zinc. - Do not take more than 500 mg of calcium at a time. Taking the calcium with food can |
help absorption. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics The Nutrition Source Harvard School of Public Health Food and Nutrition Dietitians of Canada Bowes A, Pennington J, Church H. Bowes & Church Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1998. Calcium. EBSCO Natural and Altern... |
Nutrition and Human Metabolism. Belmont, CA: West Publishing Company; 1995. Last reviewed August 2012 by Brian Randall, MD Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR |
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. |
| Risk Factors Hepatitis B is a liver disease. It can be acute or chronic. Acute hepatitis B usually goes away on its own and may not need treatment. Chronic hepatitis B is an infection that lasts more than six months. Chronic infection can lead to other health problems. Hepatitis B is treated with antiviral medication... |
is caused a virus. The virus causes swelling and irritation in the liver and makes it difficult for the liver to function normally. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is spread by semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, blood, or body fluids from an infected person. The virus can pass from these fluids to your body through an open... |
can also pass HBV to her baby during childbirth. Factors that may increase your chance of hepatitis B include: - Illicit drug injection use, especially when sharing needles - Unprotected sexual contact, especially with multiple partners - Sharing a residence and/or personal items with someone who has HBV - Stay in hosp... |
body fluids, such as health care or public safety workers - Travel to areas where HBV is common It is possible that someone infected with HBV may never have symptoms of hepatitis B. If symptoms do develop, they appear around 60-150 days after exposure. Symptoms may include: - Fatigue that lasts for weeks or months - Lo... |
Low-grade fever Yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice) - Abdominal pain in the upper right side of the abdomen - Joint pain - Dark urine and light-colored stool Chronic hepatitis can lead to serious health problems including: The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Hepatit... |
to monitor changes in the liver. For chronic cases, a liver may be needed. Acute infection may not need any treatment since it usually goes away on its own. Chronic hepatitis B may be treated with a combination of different antiviral medications. All medications do not work the same in all people. Talk with your doctor... |
doctor may also ask that you: - Avoid alcohol - Avoid certain medicines, dietary supplements, and herbs - Contact recent sexual partners so they can be tested and/or treated To reduce your chance of getting hepatitis B, take these steps: There is a to prevent hepatitis B. This vaccine, a series of three injections, is ... |
not vaccinated as babies can still receive the shots. Other prevention strategies include: or abstain from sex. - Limit your number of sexual partners. Do not inject drugs. If you use IV drugs, get treatment to help you stop. Never share needles or syringes. Do not share personal items that may have blood or body fluid... |
or piercer properly sterilizes the equipment. Wear gloves when touching or cleaning up body fluids on personal items. - Cover open cuts or wounds. - If you are pregnant, have a blood test for hepatitis B. Infants born to mothers with hepatitis B should be treated within 12 hours after birth. Baker CJ, Pickerling LK, Ch... |
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