Reuters.comBy Will Boggs, MD
Tue Jan 3, 2006. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with Crohn's disease -- an inflammation of the digestive tract that affects a half million Americans, many age 15 to 35 years -- face a higher risk of intestinal cancer, according to a new report.
"Patients with Crohn's disease appear to be at increased risk of both colorectal cancer and small bowel cancer," Dr. Tine Jess from Herlev University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark told Reuters Health.
Jess and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of the overall risk for colorectal cancer and small bowel cancer in Crohn's disease patients, compared with the expected risks in age- and gender-matched background populations.
The overall risk for colorectal cancer was 1.9-fold higher for Crohn's patients than for patients without Crohn's, the authors report. The elevated risk for rectal cancer (1.4-fold) was somewhat lower than for colon cancer (2.5-fold).
The elevated risk of colorectal cancer applied only to Crohn's disease patients with colonic Crohn's disease or iliocolonic Crohn's disease and not to patients whose disease was restricted to the ileum.
The risk for small bowel cancer was more than 27 times higher among patients with Crohn's disease than among others, the researchers note.
Jess cautioned that these results are based on cohort studies of patients diagnosed back to the 1940s, "and the treatment policy has changed several times since then."
"The recent introduction of immunosuppressive drugs in the treatment of patients with Crohn's disease may likely have diminished the risk of intestinal cancer by enhancing the control of the intestinal inflammation in these patients, although the risk of other malignancies may have increased simultaneously."
SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology December 2005.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
SPAIN'S NEW LAWS SENDS SHIVERING SMOKERS ONTO STREET...
Reuters.com By Emma Ross-Thomas
Sun Jan 1, 2006. MADRID (Reuters) - Spaniards working on New Year's Day were driven onto the chilly streets to smoke as a new ban on smoking in public places came into effect on Sunday, but in Madrid's typical smoky bars the law was widely ignored.
Spain is Europe's second biggest per capita consumer of tobacco after Greece, according to market researchers Euromonitor, and until now many Spaniards still smoked at work.
From January 1 it is illegal to smoke in offices, hospitals, schools and shopping centers. Bars and restaurants of more than 100 sq.-meters (1,076 sq. feet) must have no-smoking sections.
But bars smaller than that can choose whether to ban or allow smoking throughout, making the law much softer than similar legislation in other European countries.
And small cramped bars -- most typically with hams hanging from the ceiling and a layer of butts on the floor -- dominate Spain's famously hectic nightlife.
"I'm not going to give up because they impose it on me," said an administrator at Madrid's Hospital Clinico, who declined to be named. "When they forbid something it makes you want to do it even more," she told Reuters.
The law, aimed at cutting the number of smokers from a current one-third of the population, also bans tobacco advertising and raises the minimum age for buying cigarettes to 18 from 16.
However, some Spaniards are using the law to help them give up and pharmacies say they have ordered extra supplies of nicotine patches. Forty-year-old finance executive Ines Escribano stocked up on New Year's Eve.
"I wanted to give up before but now it really is time, They're making it so difficult for me," she told Reuters.
THE RIGHT TO SMOKE
More than half of Spain considers smoking a right which should not be restricted, a recent survey by government pollsters CIS showed. That could be why 69 percent think the new law is going to be hard to enforce even though 77 percent back it, according to the same survey.
The government wants the law to cut smoking by 5 percent in two years but some Spaniards are defiant, particularly those in the bar and restaurant industry, who oppose the law. Bar owners say the vast majority of small bars will remain smoker-friendly.
"This is a business. Do you want it to go to ruin? More smokers come here than non-smokers," said Antonio Pallare, manager of Madrid bar Cerveceria Davila.
"Non-smokers should respect those who smoke," he said, adding he would have quit his job if the bar had gone smoke-free.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Sun Jan 1, 2006. MADRID (Reuters) - Spaniards working on New Year's Day were driven onto the chilly streets to smoke as a new ban on smoking in public places came into effect on Sunday, but in Madrid's typical smoky bars the law was widely ignored.
Spain is Europe's second biggest per capita consumer of tobacco after Greece, according to market researchers Euromonitor, and until now many Spaniards still smoked at work.
From January 1 it is illegal to smoke in offices, hospitals, schools and shopping centers. Bars and restaurants of more than 100 sq.-meters (1,076 sq. feet) must have no-smoking sections.
But bars smaller than that can choose whether to ban or allow smoking throughout, making the law much softer than similar legislation in other European countries.
And small cramped bars -- most typically with hams hanging from the ceiling and a layer of butts on the floor -- dominate Spain's famously hectic nightlife.
"I'm not going to give up because they impose it on me," said an administrator at Madrid's Hospital Clinico, who declined to be named. "When they forbid something it makes you want to do it even more," she told Reuters.
The law, aimed at cutting the number of smokers from a current one-third of the population, also bans tobacco advertising and raises the minimum age for buying cigarettes to 18 from 16.
However, some Spaniards are using the law to help them give up and pharmacies say they have ordered extra supplies of nicotine patches. Forty-year-old finance executive Ines Escribano stocked up on New Year's Eve.
"I wanted to give up before but now it really is time, They're making it so difficult for me," she told Reuters.
THE RIGHT TO SMOKE
More than half of Spain considers smoking a right which should not be restricted, a recent survey by government pollsters CIS showed. That could be why 69 percent think the new law is going to be hard to enforce even though 77 percent back it, according to the same survey.
The government wants the law to cut smoking by 5 percent in two years but some Spaniards are defiant, particularly those in the bar and restaurant industry, who oppose the law. Bar owners say the vast majority of small bars will remain smoker-friendly.
"This is a business. Do you want it to go to ruin? More smokers come here than non-smokers," said Antonio Pallare, manager of Madrid bar Cerveceria Davila.
"Non-smokers should respect those who smoke," he said, adding he would have quit his job if the bar had gone smoke-free.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
HIGH PROTEIN DIET "UNDER ATTACK"...
BBC NEWS
Friday, 30 December 2005. People on the diet are advised to eat high amounts of protein. The benefits of high-protein diets have again been questioned.
The Total Wellbeing Diet, similar to the Atkins diet, advises eating around twice the daily amount of protein in a typical Western diet.
But an editorial in the magazine Nature suggests the diet only helps a small number of people.
However the scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization who wrote the book, stand by their work.
Quick fix approaches may be harmful to your health according to Helen Stracey, British Dietetic Association.
The book has become a best-seller, selling half a million copies in Australia since May. It went on sale in the UK in September, and is due to be launched in the US next year.
The diet recommends around 30 to 35% of a person's daily energy intake should come from protein, compared to 15% in the typical Western diet.
To do this, Manny Noakes and Peter Clifton who devised the eating plan, recommend eating more meat and fish at lunch and dinner.
It differs from Atkins because followers are allowed to eat small amounts of carbohydrates and encouraged to stock up on fruit and vegetables.
Calorie intake
The authors based the diet on several studies, including one of 100 overweight women which they carried out themselves.
Half the women were put onto the high-protein diet while the rest had a high-carbohydrate eating plan.
Both diets contained the same amount of calories, and women in both groups lost the same amount of weight.
But the researchers said women with high triglyceride levels - a marker of insulin resistance - shed far more weight on the high-protein diet.
Insulin resistance happens when the body cannot respond properly to the insulin being produced, leading to difficulty in regulating blood glucose levels.
The Nature editorial said: "The diet is being promoted as beneficial for everyone, whereas the published research indicates that it is superior to a high-carbohydrate diet only for a sub-population of overweight women with symptoms of metabolic disorder."
Patrick Holford, of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, said: "The main trial showed no difference in weight loss compared with a conventional diet."
But a spokeswoman for the CSIRO said it had always published books on its scientific work and put its name to publications, and this was "no exception".
"The decision to publish was in response to many consumers asking for further details of the diet."
'Be more active'
Helen Stracey, of the British Dietetic Association, said excessive intake of protein was not recommended.
She added: "The proportion of protein in a reducing diet will typically be around 20% and should provide a minimum of 15% at least.
"Starchy carbohydrates such as bread cereals, pasta and potatoes should provide the bulk of each meal as they help to provide a sense of fullness and at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day."
Ms Stracey added: "The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you need, or to use up more calories by being more active.
"Resorting to unbalanced, quick fix approaches may be harmful to your health, and is unlikely to lead to permanent weight loss, because as soon as you come 'off the diet' you are likely to go back to your original eating habits."
Friday, 30 December 2005. People on the diet are advised to eat high amounts of protein. The benefits of high-protein diets have again been questioned.
The Total Wellbeing Diet, similar to the Atkins diet, advises eating around twice the daily amount of protein in a typical Western diet.
But an editorial in the magazine Nature suggests the diet only helps a small number of people.
However the scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization who wrote the book, stand by their work.
Quick fix approaches may be harmful to your health according to Helen Stracey, British Dietetic Association.
The book has become a best-seller, selling half a million copies in Australia since May. It went on sale in the UK in September, and is due to be launched in the US next year.
The diet recommends around 30 to 35% of a person's daily energy intake should come from protein, compared to 15% in the typical Western diet.
To do this, Manny Noakes and Peter Clifton who devised the eating plan, recommend eating more meat and fish at lunch and dinner.
It differs from Atkins because followers are allowed to eat small amounts of carbohydrates and encouraged to stock up on fruit and vegetables.
Calorie intake
The authors based the diet on several studies, including one of 100 overweight women which they carried out themselves.
Half the women were put onto the high-protein diet while the rest had a high-carbohydrate eating plan.
Both diets contained the same amount of calories, and women in both groups lost the same amount of weight.
But the researchers said women with high triglyceride levels - a marker of insulin resistance - shed far more weight on the high-protein diet.
Insulin resistance happens when the body cannot respond properly to the insulin being produced, leading to difficulty in regulating blood glucose levels.
The Nature editorial said: "The diet is being promoted as beneficial for everyone, whereas the published research indicates that it is superior to a high-carbohydrate diet only for a sub-population of overweight women with symptoms of metabolic disorder."
Patrick Holford, of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, said: "The main trial showed no difference in weight loss compared with a conventional diet."
But a spokeswoman for the CSIRO said it had always published books on its scientific work and put its name to publications, and this was "no exception".
"The decision to publish was in response to many consumers asking for further details of the diet."
'Be more active'
Helen Stracey, of the British Dietetic Association, said excessive intake of protein was not recommended.
She added: "The proportion of protein in a reducing diet will typically be around 20% and should provide a minimum of 15% at least.
"Starchy carbohydrates such as bread cereals, pasta and potatoes should provide the bulk of each meal as they help to provide a sense of fullness and at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day."
Ms Stracey added: "The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you need, or to use up more calories by being more active.
"Resorting to unbalanced, quick fix approaches may be harmful to your health, and is unlikely to lead to permanent weight loss, because as soon as you come 'off the diet' you are likely to go back to your original eating habits."
Saturday, December 31, 2005
SURFING MICE AND LOVELORN POOCHES BRIGHTEN UP 2005...
Reuters.com By Paul Majendie
Fri Dec 30, 2005. LONDON (Reuters) - Dogs went woof over a Brazilian puppy love motel, an Australian trained mice to surf the waves and an Indian village married off toads in bid for rain.
In the world of the weird and wacky, the animal kingdom was the big winner in 2005.
It handsomely defeated incompetent thieves and misplaced corpses to take the prize for the year's most bizarre headlines.
A love motel for dogs in Sao Paulo proved a big hit with amorous Brazilian pooches, offering a heart-shaped mirror on the ceiling and headboards resembling doggy bones.
Shane Willmott trained his three mice -- Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen -- to enjoy Australia's favorite sport with special mouse-size surf boards. He even dyed their fur so he could spot them among the crashing white waves.
Two giant toads were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in eastern India by villagers hoping to please the rain gods and end a dry spell.
Peruvian officials saved 4,000 frogs from the cocktail blender after they were found hidden in an abattoir. In the Andes, frog cocktails are popular because of their supposed aphrodisiac qualities.
Finnish wolves with a taste for domestic dogs were given a nasty shock -- Helsinki shops started selling wired dog coats which sent 1,000 volts of electricity through the outer layer.
And in Germany, a woman burned down her family home by setting fire to the garage when trying to kill spiders with a can of hairspray and a cigarette lighter.
SAGA OF THE YEAR
The award for the most bizarre animal saga of the year was a close fought contest between Russia, China and Germany.
Stone the cows ... Russia's long winter is just flying by for a herd of cows being fed confiscated marijuana.
Drug workers said they adopted the unusual form of animal husbandry after being forced to destroy sunflower and maize crops that 40 tonnes of marijuana had been planted among.
In China, it was a case of crouching tiger, hidden donkey.
A restaurant in northeast China was caught serving donkey meat spiked with tiger urine in pricey dishes advertised as endangered Siberian tigers.
A German inventor sparked the fury of animal lovers with his macabre solution for soaring fuel costs.
Christian Koch concocted an organic diesel fuel that contained garbage and run-over cats among its ingredients.
He said around 20 dead cats added into the mix could help produce enough fuel to fill up a 50-liter (11 gallon) tank.
THICK AS THIEVES
Bungling thieves hit the headlines in 2005.
A South African mugger was mauled to death by tigers after he fled the scene of his crime and took refuge in a Bloemfontein zoo.
Australian police responding to a break-in at a furniture store were surprised to discover the suspected culprit asleep at the scene and snoring loudly.
Across the globe, the dead were not always allowed to rest in peace.
A Frenchman in his sixties lived for five years with the body of his dead mother so he could keep receiving her monthly pension.
A Mexican motorcyclist with a helmet-wearing corpse strapped to his back crashed in the northern city of Tijuana when he lost control rounding a curve.
Police believe the killer, who fled the scene, had been trying to take the body somewhere deserted so he could dispose of it.
And back in Australia, city officials faced the ultimate embarrassment -- they apologized to the family of an elderly man given a parking ticket while he lay dead in his car in a suburban shopping center.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Fri Dec 30, 2005. LONDON (Reuters) - Dogs went woof over a Brazilian puppy love motel, an Australian trained mice to surf the waves and an Indian village married off toads in bid for rain.
In the world of the weird and wacky, the animal kingdom was the big winner in 2005.
It handsomely defeated incompetent thieves and misplaced corpses to take the prize for the year's most bizarre headlines.
A love motel for dogs in Sao Paulo proved a big hit with amorous Brazilian pooches, offering a heart-shaped mirror on the ceiling and headboards resembling doggy bones.
Shane Willmott trained his three mice -- Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen -- to enjoy Australia's favorite sport with special mouse-size surf boards. He even dyed their fur so he could spot them among the crashing white waves.
Two giant toads were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in eastern India by villagers hoping to please the rain gods and end a dry spell.
Peruvian officials saved 4,000 frogs from the cocktail blender after they were found hidden in an abattoir. In the Andes, frog cocktails are popular because of their supposed aphrodisiac qualities.
Finnish wolves with a taste for domestic dogs were given a nasty shock -- Helsinki shops started selling wired dog coats which sent 1,000 volts of electricity through the outer layer.
And in Germany, a woman burned down her family home by setting fire to the garage when trying to kill spiders with a can of hairspray and a cigarette lighter.
SAGA OF THE YEAR
The award for the most bizarre animal saga of the year was a close fought contest between Russia, China and Germany.
Stone the cows ... Russia's long winter is just flying by for a herd of cows being fed confiscated marijuana.
Drug workers said they adopted the unusual form of animal husbandry after being forced to destroy sunflower and maize crops that 40 tonnes of marijuana had been planted among.
In China, it was a case of crouching tiger, hidden donkey.
A restaurant in northeast China was caught serving donkey meat spiked with tiger urine in pricey dishes advertised as endangered Siberian tigers.
A German inventor sparked the fury of animal lovers with his macabre solution for soaring fuel costs.
Christian Koch concocted an organic diesel fuel that contained garbage and run-over cats among its ingredients.
He said around 20 dead cats added into the mix could help produce enough fuel to fill up a 50-liter (11 gallon) tank.
THICK AS THIEVES
Bungling thieves hit the headlines in 2005.
A South African mugger was mauled to death by tigers after he fled the scene of his crime and took refuge in a Bloemfontein zoo.
Australian police responding to a break-in at a furniture store were surprised to discover the suspected culprit asleep at the scene and snoring loudly.
Across the globe, the dead were not always allowed to rest in peace.
A Frenchman in his sixties lived for five years with the body of his dead mother so he could keep receiving her monthly pension.
A Mexican motorcyclist with a helmet-wearing corpse strapped to his back crashed in the northern city of Tijuana when he lost control rounding a curve.
Police believe the killer, who fled the scene, had been trying to take the body somewhere deserted so he could dispose of it.
And back in Australia, city officials faced the ultimate embarrassment -- they apologized to the family of an elderly man given a parking ticket while he lay dead in his car in a suburban shopping center.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, December 30, 2005
MEATS DIFFER IN EFFECT ON COLON CANCER RISK...
Health Reuters.com
Wed Dec 28, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who eat a lot of processed meats may have a higher risk of developing pre-cancerous growths -- polyps -- in the colon, while the opposite may be true for fans of chicken, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 1,520 adults with a history of colon polyps, those who ate a diet heavy in processed meats had a higher risk of polyp recurrence than those with the lowest intake. On the other hand, patients who favored chicken had a lesser risk of new polyps than those who ate the least.
Colon polyps are growths that, while usually benign, can become cancerous. Patients in the current study had all had polyps removed and were then followed for 4 years to detect any recurrences.
Overall, the one-quarter of patients with the highest intake of processed meat were 75 percent more likely to develop an advanced polyp compared with the one-quarter of patients who ate the least processed meat, the researchers found.
In contrast, those with the highest chicken intake were 39 percent less likely than those who ate the least to develop an advanced polyp.
"Our data indicate that intake of specific meats may have different effects on risk," the study authors state in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Douglas J. Robertson of the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont, led the study.
A number of studies have linked heavy consumption of red or processed meats to a higher risk of colon cancer, while diets high in fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains have been tied to a lower risk of the disease.
But not all studies have found these relationships. And in the current study, high fiber intake was not clearly tied to the overall risk of polyp recurrence.
Patients who ate the most fruit, vegetables and whole grains were, however, less likely to develop polyps in the upper part of the colon. Red meat, meanwhile, was not linked to polyp risk.
Despite that latter finding, the overall results are in line with advice to eat red and processed meats sparingly, Robertson and his colleagues write.
In theory, they note, processed meats could contribute to the development of colon cancer because processing may increase levels of potentially cancer-promoting substances called N-nitroso compounds.
SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology, December 2005.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Wed Dec 28, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who eat a lot of processed meats may have a higher risk of developing pre-cancerous growths -- polyps -- in the colon, while the opposite may be true for fans of chicken, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 1,520 adults with a history of colon polyps, those who ate a diet heavy in processed meats had a higher risk of polyp recurrence than those with the lowest intake. On the other hand, patients who favored chicken had a lesser risk of new polyps than those who ate the least.
Colon polyps are growths that, while usually benign, can become cancerous. Patients in the current study had all had polyps removed and were then followed for 4 years to detect any recurrences.
Overall, the one-quarter of patients with the highest intake of processed meat were 75 percent more likely to develop an advanced polyp compared with the one-quarter of patients who ate the least processed meat, the researchers found.
In contrast, those with the highest chicken intake were 39 percent less likely than those who ate the least to develop an advanced polyp.
"Our data indicate that intake of specific meats may have different effects on risk," the study authors state in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Douglas J. Robertson of the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont, led the study.
A number of studies have linked heavy consumption of red or processed meats to a higher risk of colon cancer, while diets high in fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains have been tied to a lower risk of the disease.
But not all studies have found these relationships. And in the current study, high fiber intake was not clearly tied to the overall risk of polyp recurrence.
Patients who ate the most fruit, vegetables and whole grains were, however, less likely to develop polyps in the upper part of the colon. Red meat, meanwhile, was not linked to polyp risk.
Despite that latter finding, the overall results are in line with advice to eat red and processed meats sparingly, Robertson and his colleagues write.
In theory, they note, processed meats could contribute to the development of colon cancer because processing may increase levels of potentially cancer-promoting substances called N-nitroso compounds.
SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology, December 2005.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
VIRUS POSES AS LEAKED MSN MESSENGER BETA....
e-week.com By Paul F. Roberts
December 27, 2005 Internet users are being warned about a new virus that poses as a leaked pre-release version of the MSN Messenger instant messenger program.
Unsuspecting Windows users who install the phony MSN Messenger Version 8 "beta" actually install an IM worm that spreads to their IM contacts, and connects their computer to a remote control "bot" network run by malicious hackers, according to F-Secure Corp., an antivirus firm based in Helsinki.
A Web site, msgr8beta.com, purports to have the leaked version of MSN Messenger. The site touts the advantages of the MSN Messenger 8, including "real-time emoticons," and "built-in functionality with Windows Media Player 10." Microsoft has not yet released a beta for MSN 8 to the public, although versions of the software are rumored to have been released to select customers.
However, the download offered from the Web site doesn't contain any MSN Messenger code, said Mikko Hyppönen, manager of antivirus research at F-Secure. Instead, clicking on the Web site download links installs a virus that F-Secure calls "Virkel.F," and causes your MSN Messenger client to send download links for the malicious Web site to the person's IM contacts. Behind the scene, Virkel.F connects infected machines to a remote "botnet" server that can be used to issue commands or transfer malicious programs to the infected host, he said.
F-Secure researchers learned of the new virus Tuesday after customers reported receiving suspicious IM messages with links to the Web page Hyppönen said.
Virkel is a new twist on an older family of IM viruses named "Kelvir." The source code for Kelvir was released on the Internet and has spawned many variants. The new Virkel family adds remote control "botnet" capability to the IM worm feature, Hyppönen said.
F-Secure reported the new worm to Microsoft. It is not clear why the attackers set up the site at all. However, the domain could be promoted through spam and news group postings, Hyppönen said.
The msgrbeta8.com Web site was registered on Dec. 24 to a "Mark Nicholas," of Richmond, U.K. E-mail messages sent to the administrative address at msgr8beta.com were returned, and Nicholas could not be reached at home or via cell phone for comment on Tuesday. It was unclear whether Nicholas was actually the individual who registered the Web site, or whether another individual used his contact information when setting up the Web domain.
The malicious Web site calls attention to a persistent problem that fosters online attacks and the spread of malicious code: loose monitoring of Web domain registration.
Based on test results, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 1.64 million (3.65 percent) of Web domains have been registered with incomplete data in one or more of the required fields, and 2.31 million domain names (5.14 percent) have been registered with patently false data.
Individuals and organizations use the lax domain registration process to hide their identities and prevent members of the public from contacting them, GAO said.
Better enforcement of domain registrations would help curb online fraud, spam and intellectual property theft, GAO said.
Check out eWEEK.com's Security Center for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzer's Weblog.
December 27, 2005 Internet users are being warned about a new virus that poses as a leaked pre-release version of the MSN Messenger instant messenger program.
Unsuspecting Windows users who install the phony MSN Messenger Version 8 "beta" actually install an IM worm that spreads to their IM contacts, and connects their computer to a remote control "bot" network run by malicious hackers, according to F-Secure Corp., an antivirus firm based in Helsinki.
A Web site, msgr8beta.com, purports to have the leaked version of MSN Messenger. The site touts the advantages of the MSN Messenger 8, including "real-time emoticons," and "built-in functionality with Windows Media Player 10." Microsoft has not yet released a beta for MSN 8 to the public, although versions of the software are rumored to have been released to select customers.
However, the download offered from the Web site doesn't contain any MSN Messenger code, said Mikko Hyppönen, manager of antivirus research at F-Secure. Instead, clicking on the Web site download links installs a virus that F-Secure calls "Virkel.F," and causes your MSN Messenger client to send download links for the malicious Web site to the person's IM contacts. Behind the scene, Virkel.F connects infected machines to a remote "botnet" server that can be used to issue commands or transfer malicious programs to the infected host, he said.
F-Secure researchers learned of the new virus Tuesday after customers reported receiving suspicious IM messages with links to the Web page Hyppönen said.
Virkel is a new twist on an older family of IM viruses named "Kelvir." The source code for Kelvir was released on the Internet and has spawned many variants. The new Virkel family adds remote control "botnet" capability to the IM worm feature, Hyppönen said.
F-Secure reported the new worm to Microsoft. It is not clear why the attackers set up the site at all. However, the domain could be promoted through spam and news group postings, Hyppönen said.
The msgrbeta8.com Web site was registered on Dec. 24 to a "Mark Nicholas," of Richmond, U.K. E-mail messages sent to the administrative address at msgr8beta.com were returned, and Nicholas could not be reached at home or via cell phone for comment on Tuesday. It was unclear whether Nicholas was actually the individual who registered the Web site, or whether another individual used his contact information when setting up the Web domain.
The malicious Web site calls attention to a persistent problem that fosters online attacks and the spread of malicious code: loose monitoring of Web domain registration.
Based on test results, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 1.64 million (3.65 percent) of Web domains have been registered with incomplete data in one or more of the required fields, and 2.31 million domain names (5.14 percent) have been registered with patently false data.
Individuals and organizations use the lax domain registration process to hide their identities and prevent members of the public from contacting them, GAO said.
Better enforcement of domain registrations would help curb online fraud, spam and intellectual property theft, GAO said.
Check out eWEEK.com's Security Center for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzer's Weblog.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
GROUP SEX CLUB PATRONS SWINGING FREE...
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click here to view the post.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
RESISTING TRAINING OK FOR HEART FAILURE PATIENTS...
Health - Reuters.com
Mon Dec 26, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to qualms about deleterious effects on the heart, people with chronic heart failure can safely undertake a resistance training program, Australian researchers report. In fact, such training appears to have a beneficial effect on how strongly the heart is able to pump blood.
Resistance training has been shown to improve the functional ability of people with chronic heart failure to perform activities of daily living, and to improve their overall quality of life. However, there have been concerns that it may accelerate the remodeling process that affects the main pumping chamber of the heart -- the left ventricle -- when chronic heart failure sets in.
To investigate, Dr. Itamar Levinger, from Victoria University of Technology in Melbourne, and colleagues used ultrasound to assess the structure and function of the left ventricles of eight men with heart failure who participated in an 8-week resistance training program and seven similar men who did not.
The investigators' findings appear in the International Journal of Cardiology. The resistance training did not appear to have a significant effect on left ventricle measurements, the report indicates.
Yet, the patients who undertook the resistance training showed significant increases in the amount of blood the heart was able to pump with each beat, compared with the non-training group.
"Since resistance training improves functional ability and quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure without causing a reduction in left ventricular contractile function or structure it is recommended to add this training regime to the regular exercise rehabilitation programs of these patients," Levinger's team concludes.
SOURCE: International Journal of Cardiology, November 2, 2005.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Mon Dec 26, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to qualms about deleterious effects on the heart, people with chronic heart failure can safely undertake a resistance training program, Australian researchers report. In fact, such training appears to have a beneficial effect on how strongly the heart is able to pump blood.
Resistance training has been shown to improve the functional ability of people with chronic heart failure to perform activities of daily living, and to improve their overall quality of life. However, there have been concerns that it may accelerate the remodeling process that affects the main pumping chamber of the heart -- the left ventricle -- when chronic heart failure sets in.
To investigate, Dr. Itamar Levinger, from Victoria University of Technology in Melbourne, and colleagues used ultrasound to assess the structure and function of the left ventricles of eight men with heart failure who participated in an 8-week resistance training program and seven similar men who did not.
The investigators' findings appear in the International Journal of Cardiology. The resistance training did not appear to have a significant effect on left ventricle measurements, the report indicates.
Yet, the patients who undertook the resistance training showed significant increases in the amount of blood the heart was able to pump with each beat, compared with the non-training group.
"Since resistance training improves functional ability and quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure without causing a reduction in left ventricular contractile function or structure it is recommended to add this training regime to the regular exercise rehabilitation programs of these patients," Levinger's team concludes.
SOURCE: International Journal of Cardiology, November 2, 2005.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
POLICE MAKE MERRY IN RACE RIOT'S AFTERMATH...
Reuters.com By Mark Bendeich
Mon Dec 26, 2005. SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police patrolled Sydney's beaches in buggies and on horses decorated with tinsel and reindeer antlers Sunday, as fears of fresh racial violence dissolved into a quiet Christmas Day.
On Cronulla beach, where gangs of white surfers and ethnic Lebanese clashed in alcohol-fuelled riots two weeks ago, families spread out across the sand and children ran into the sea -- all under the watchful eye of dozens of armed, uniformed police.
Policewomen kept watch from two tinsel-trimmed mounts, horses named Hero and Hollywood, which plodded along the sand wearing fake antlers, while other police officers climbed life-guard towers or scooted along the beach in four-wheeled buggies.
"I think everybody has realized that violence is not the answer to all our problems," said Phil Wardman, sitting with his family on Cronulla's powdery sand, beneath a postcard-blue sky.
"I wanted to come down today to show I'm not afraid to come here."
Australia is trying hard to mend its image after the riots, which evoked old racist stereotypes and prompted police to throw a security cordon around Sydney's most popular beaches to head off threats of more violence from white supremacists.
Only a week ago, police made dozens of arrests and seized a frightening array of crude weapons, including petrol bombs, knuckle-dusters and wooden clubs studded with nails, from cars stopped and searched at seaside road-blocks.
World publicity of the riots and the police crackdown had sparked fears of a drop in tourism to Australia this summer, but Sydney's beaches appeared to have returned to near normal Sunday despite the heavy police presence.
BONDI PILGRIMAGE
Hundreds of British and European backpackers and thousands of other sun-worshippers made their annual Christmas Day pilgrimage to Sydney's most famous summer playground, Bondi Beach, while police patrolled its esplanade in cars and on foot.
Private security guards checked all beachgoers' bags before allowing them on to the hallowed sand -- but this was not a precaution against racial violence. After years of trouble with drunken louts, Bondi is now an alcohol-free zone at Christmas.
No glass and no alcohol," security guard Yahia Haddad yelled as people approached his check-point. "Oh yeah," he added jokingly, "and no weapons!"
Bondi, a cosmopolitan community and a magnet for international tourists, is a world away from Cronulla where residents are mainly white and there are long-standing tensions between territorial surfers and newer immigrant communities.
While police and surf life-savers at Cronulla declined to talk to Reuters, and an immigrant shop-owner there complained of poor business, the mood at Bondi was as hedonistic as always.
Wearing Santa hats and playing soccer among topless bathers, young tourists from the southern English seaside town of Portsmouth were just pleased to be out in the sun at Christmas.
"We've gone from rain and stones to sand and hot weather," said a delighted Daniel Turner, 21.
Asked to reflect on the state of Australian race relations, his friend Louis Cross, 20, was more thoughtful.
"Racism in England is a lot worse that it is here," he said. "Stuff like that can happen in Birmingham all the time."
The peaceful scenes on Sydney's beaches seemed to answer the Christmas prayers of Australian religious leaders.
"There are pockets of racists among us but criminal racism is rare and therefore untypical," Sydney Catholic Cardinal George Pell said on national television.
"During this holiday summer season, let's show the world what Australia is really like -- fundamentally decent, tolerant and law-abiding."
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Mon Dec 26, 2005. SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police patrolled Sydney's beaches in buggies and on horses decorated with tinsel and reindeer antlers Sunday, as fears of fresh racial violence dissolved into a quiet Christmas Day.
On Cronulla beach, where gangs of white surfers and ethnic Lebanese clashed in alcohol-fuelled riots two weeks ago, families spread out across the sand and children ran into the sea -- all under the watchful eye of dozens of armed, uniformed police.
Policewomen kept watch from two tinsel-trimmed mounts, horses named Hero and Hollywood, which plodded along the sand wearing fake antlers, while other police officers climbed life-guard towers or scooted along the beach in four-wheeled buggies.
"I think everybody has realized that violence is not the answer to all our problems," said Phil Wardman, sitting with his family on Cronulla's powdery sand, beneath a postcard-blue sky.
"I wanted to come down today to show I'm not afraid to come here."
Australia is trying hard to mend its image after the riots, which evoked old racist stereotypes and prompted police to throw a security cordon around Sydney's most popular beaches to head off threats of more violence from white supremacists.
Only a week ago, police made dozens of arrests and seized a frightening array of crude weapons, including petrol bombs, knuckle-dusters and wooden clubs studded with nails, from cars stopped and searched at seaside road-blocks.
World publicity of the riots and the police crackdown had sparked fears of a drop in tourism to Australia this summer, but Sydney's beaches appeared to have returned to near normal Sunday despite the heavy police presence.
BONDI PILGRIMAGE
Hundreds of British and European backpackers and thousands of other sun-worshippers made their annual Christmas Day pilgrimage to Sydney's most famous summer playground, Bondi Beach, while police patrolled its esplanade in cars and on foot.
Private security guards checked all beachgoers' bags before allowing them on to the hallowed sand -- but this was not a precaution against racial violence. After years of trouble with drunken louts, Bondi is now an alcohol-free zone at Christmas.
No glass and no alcohol," security guard Yahia Haddad yelled as people approached his check-point. "Oh yeah," he added jokingly, "and no weapons!"
Bondi, a cosmopolitan community and a magnet for international tourists, is a world away from Cronulla where residents are mainly white and there are long-standing tensions between territorial surfers and newer immigrant communities.
While police and surf life-savers at Cronulla declined to talk to Reuters, and an immigrant shop-owner there complained of poor business, the mood at Bondi was as hedonistic as always.
Wearing Santa hats and playing soccer among topless bathers, young tourists from the southern English seaside town of Portsmouth were just pleased to be out in the sun at Christmas.
"We've gone from rain and stones to sand and hot weather," said a delighted Daniel Turner, 21.
Asked to reflect on the state of Australian race relations, his friend Louis Cross, 20, was more thoughtful.
"Racism in England is a lot worse that it is here," he said. "Stuff like that can happen in Birmingham all the time."
The peaceful scenes on Sydney's beaches seemed to answer the Christmas prayers of Australian religious leaders.
"There are pockets of racists among us but criminal racism is rare and therefore untypical," Sydney Catholic Cardinal George Pell said on national television.
"During this holiday summer season, let's show the world what Australia is really like -- fundamentally decent, tolerant and law-abiding."
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
PICKPOCKET SEIZED AT POLICE CHRISTMAS PARTY...
Reuters.com
Mon Dec 26, 2005 BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in Berlin made their easiest arrest of the year at their annual Christmas party, after spotting a man rummaging through the pockets of their coats in the cloakroom.
Officers of the Federal Police criminal investigations unit said the unlucky pickpocket had not known that the revelers in a Berlin brewery were law enforcers.
"He was definitely surprised," said a police spokesman in Berlin. "He did not realize who he was dealing with."
Confronted with 35 officers, the 45-year-old Albanian, who police said held a forged passport and was wanted for other offences, offered no resistance.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Mon Dec 26, 2005 BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in Berlin made their easiest arrest of the year at their annual Christmas party, after spotting a man rummaging through the pockets of their coats in the cloakroom.
Officers of the Federal Police criminal investigations unit said the unlucky pickpocket had not known that the revelers in a Berlin brewery were law enforcers.
"He was definitely surprised," said a police spokesman in Berlin. "He did not realize who he was dealing with."
Confronted with 35 officers, the 45-year-old Albanian, who police said held a forged passport and was wanted for other offences, offered no resistance.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
YAHOO TO OFFER CHEAP PC-to-PHONE CALLS OPTIONS
Freeware Forum
Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) said the company plans to allow computer users to make and receive calls from phones at rates that undercut eBay-owned rival Skype and are significantly below traditional phone companies.
Yahoo said on Wednesday a new version of its Yahoo Messenger text, voice and video communications software to be introduced in the next few days will include "Phone Out," with low per-minute charges for calls from computers to phones, and "Phone In," a low-cost subscription service for phone callers to call computer users.
The world's largest Internet media company said it plans to charge one cent per minute to Yahoo Messenger users calling the United States from, say, Russia, or anywhere else in the world and 2 cents a minute to call 30 other countries including Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Korea.
In all the Yahoo Messenger phone-calling service will be available in 180 countries, according to Terrell Karlsten, a spokeswoman for the Sunnyvale, California-based company. Details were due to be available shortly at http://voice.yahoo.com/....
Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) said the company plans to allow computer users to make and receive calls from phones at rates that undercut eBay-owned rival Skype and are significantly below traditional phone companies.
Yahoo said on Wednesday a new version of its Yahoo Messenger text, voice and video communications software to be introduced in the next few days will include "Phone Out," with low per-minute charges for calls from computers to phones, and "Phone In," a low-cost subscription service for phone callers to call computer users.
The world's largest Internet media company said it plans to charge one cent per minute to Yahoo Messenger users calling the United States from, say, Russia, or anywhere else in the world and 2 cents a minute to call 30 other countries including Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Korea.
In all the Yahoo Messenger phone-calling service will be available in 180 countries, according to Terrell Karlsten, a spokeswoman for the Sunnyvale, California-based company. Details were due to be available shortly at http://voice.yahoo.com/....
CAN THEY DO THAT? WORKPLACE HORRORS COMPILED...
Reuters.com
Fri Dec 23, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The time-honored office tradition of whining at the water cooler just might get you fired, according to a newly compiled list of workplace horrors around the world.
Two workers who exceeded the official limit of two moans per employee at one unnamed German firm were fired this year. Several colleagues quit before their moans could be counted.
Their employer's strict policy tops a list compiled by Challenger, Gray and Christmas. The Chicago-based outplacement firm gave nine notable examples from hundreds of cases.
Most involve petty rules.
Workers at a DaimlerChrysler plant in Kokomo, Indiana, should drive a Chrysler model or they may find their car in Indianapolis, 50 miles away. That's because a rule limits parking space for non-Chrysler cars. Violators will be towed.
"These are things that make you go hmmm," Challenger spokesman James Pedderson said.
Such stories pour in throughout the year and Challenger plans to make the list an annual tradition, he said. The point is to encourage managers and their staff to communicate better.
Some of the worst stories involve discrimination against a worker's religion, ethnicity, or, less seriously, squirrels. A librarian lost her job for devoting too much time to saving a squirrel stuck in a ceiling.
"I think reason has to prevail in some of these instances," Pedderson said.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Fri Dec 23, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The time-honored office tradition of whining at the water cooler just might get you fired, according to a newly compiled list of workplace horrors around the world.
Two workers who exceeded the official limit of two moans per employee at one unnamed German firm were fired this year. Several colleagues quit before their moans could be counted.
Their employer's strict policy tops a list compiled by Challenger, Gray and Christmas. The Chicago-based outplacement firm gave nine notable examples from hundreds of cases.
Most involve petty rules.
Workers at a DaimlerChrysler plant in Kokomo, Indiana, should drive a Chrysler model or they may find their car in Indianapolis, 50 miles away. That's because a rule limits parking space for non-Chrysler cars. Violators will be towed.
"These are things that make you go hmmm," Challenger spokesman James Pedderson said.
Such stories pour in throughout the year and Challenger plans to make the list an annual tradition, he said. The point is to encourage managers and their staff to communicate better.
Some of the worst stories involve discrimination against a worker's religion, ethnicity, or, less seriously, squirrels. A librarian lost her job for devoting too much time to saving a squirrel stuck in a ceiling.
"I think reason has to prevail in some of these instances," Pedderson said.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
SUCCESSFUL AGING MAY BE PARTLY IN THE GENES...
Health-Reuters.com By Megan Rauscher
Fri Dec 23, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you make it to a ripe old age with all your marbles, credit might go to the gene you inherited.
Researchers have identified genes related to reaching age 90 with preserved brain function. Their study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and reported at a medical conference in Hawaii, is among the first to identify genetic links to long-lived mental powers.
"We defined successful aging as reaching age 90 without a significant decline in mental capacity because we could apply it objectively and consistently but also because it has a fair amount of face validity," Dr. George S. Zubenko from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine explained in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.
"I think you would find that most people would endorse the goal of living to a ripe old age of 90 with intact mental processes as a reasonable definition of successful aging."
Zubenko and colleagues compared the genetic makeup of 100 men and women aged 90 and older with preserved cognition with that of 100 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. They also looked at lifestyle factors, such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
According to the team, the APOE E2 allele, which is known to protect against Alzheimer's disease, was present far more often in the elders than in the younger folks. And the APOE E4 allele, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, showed up less often in the 90-year-olds compared with the younger set. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of mental degeneration in older adults.
The researchers also identified novel "genetic regions" associated with successful aging, including the so-called DYS389 and DYS390 regions, some of which affected men or women, but not both.
Men and women differ in their average lifespan (women live longer on than men) and the prevalence of numerous serious diseases differs between the sexes. Therefore, "it would not be surprising if the collection of genes that influences the capacity to reach old age with normal mental capacity differs somewhat for men and women," Zubenko said.
Zubenko also noted that "only a very small percentage of Americans currently reach age 90 or above. Genetics probably plays a less profound role in intermediate lifespan or the typical lifespan, which is less than 90 years. Lifestyle changes are also important -- whether people can live a reasonably healthful lifestyle in the interim I think are very important to longevity," he said.
In support of the benefits of healthy living, the current study also confirms the harmful effects of cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake on successful aging. Further research is needed to better understand how genetic and behavioral factors influence the aging process, with an eye perhaps to enriching or extending the lives of individuals, the study team concludes.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Fri Dec 23, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you make it to a ripe old age with all your marbles, credit might go to the gene you inherited.
Researchers have identified genes related to reaching age 90 with preserved brain function. Their study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and reported at a medical conference in Hawaii, is among the first to identify genetic links to long-lived mental powers.
"We defined successful aging as reaching age 90 without a significant decline in mental capacity because we could apply it objectively and consistently but also because it has a fair amount of face validity," Dr. George S. Zubenko from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine explained in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.
"I think you would find that most people would endorse the goal of living to a ripe old age of 90 with intact mental processes as a reasonable definition of successful aging."
Zubenko and colleagues compared the genetic makeup of 100 men and women aged 90 and older with preserved cognition with that of 100 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. They also looked at lifestyle factors, such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
According to the team, the APOE E2 allele, which is known to protect against Alzheimer's disease, was present far more often in the elders than in the younger folks. And the APOE E4 allele, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, showed up less often in the 90-year-olds compared with the younger set. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of mental degeneration in older adults.
The researchers also identified novel "genetic regions" associated with successful aging, including the so-called DYS389 and DYS390 regions, some of which affected men or women, but not both.
Men and women differ in their average lifespan (women live longer on than men) and the prevalence of numerous serious diseases differs between the sexes. Therefore, "it would not be surprising if the collection of genes that influences the capacity to reach old age with normal mental capacity differs somewhat for men and women," Zubenko said.
Zubenko also noted that "only a very small percentage of Americans currently reach age 90 or above. Genetics probably plays a less profound role in intermediate lifespan or the typical lifespan, which is less than 90 years. Lifestyle changes are also important -- whether people can live a reasonably healthful lifestyle in the interim I think are very important to longevity," he said.
In support of the benefits of healthy living, the current study also confirms the harmful effects of cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake on successful aging. Further research is needed to better understand how genetic and behavioral factors influence the aging process, with an eye perhaps to enriching or extending the lives of individuals, the study team concludes.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
COLLEGE STUDENTS NOT ALONE IN DANGEROUS DRINKING...
Health Reuters.com
Fri Dec 23, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Though getting drunk is often seen as a traditional college pastime, other young adults, particularly men, have similarly high rates of potentially hazardous drinking, new research shows.
In a study of nearly 2,000 young adults who'd been followed since high school, researchers found that by the age of 24, both college graduates and those with no more than a high school diploma had comparably high rates of heavy drinking.
In general, men and women with only a high school education drank more heavily in 12th grade and maintained the habit through early adulthood. College graduates, on the other hand, tended to drink less in high school but "caught up" during college.
Though drinking on college campuses has garnered much attention, it's clear that risky drinking is a problem among all young adults, the study authors report in the medical journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"These results emphasize the need to intervene early to prevent at-risk alcohol use," write Dr. C. Raymond Bingham and his colleagues at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
What's more, they add, the study shows that risky drinking "is neither unique, nor necessarily the highest among individuals who complete college."
Overall, men who finished college had the biggest increase in drinking between 12th grade and the age of 24 -- boosting their drinking more than women did, and more than men with less education.
Women with a college degree also began to drink more heavily and get drunk more often after high school -- though, by the age of 24, they had merely "caught up" with women with less education, and their upturn in drinking during college was actually on the decline.
Women who attended high school only tended to have higher rates of drinking in 12th grade, but their drinking either held steady or began to taper off as they got older.
Men, on the other hand, did not show a reversal of their college, or high school, drinking habits. College graduates had the highest rates of drunkenness, binge drinking and drunk driving at the age of 24, though other men were not lagging much.
In fact, the researchers note, men with only a high school education appeared most at-risk, since their heavy drinking began in high school and continued or increased as they grew older.
"This pattern of alcohol-related risk reinforces the need for early intervention to prevent alcohol misuse in high school," the researchers conclude, "and this need is especially great for students who are not likely to complete college."
SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, December 2005.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Fri Dec 23, 2005. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Though getting drunk is often seen as a traditional college pastime, other young adults, particularly men, have similarly high rates of potentially hazardous drinking, new research shows.
In a study of nearly 2,000 young adults who'd been followed since high school, researchers found that by the age of 24, both college graduates and those with no more than a high school diploma had comparably high rates of heavy drinking.
In general, men and women with only a high school education drank more heavily in 12th grade and maintained the habit through early adulthood. College graduates, on the other hand, tended to drink less in high school but "caught up" during college.
Though drinking on college campuses has garnered much attention, it's clear that risky drinking is a problem among all young adults, the study authors report in the medical journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"These results emphasize the need to intervene early to prevent at-risk alcohol use," write Dr. C. Raymond Bingham and his colleagues at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
What's more, they add, the study shows that risky drinking "is neither unique, nor necessarily the highest among individuals who complete college."
Overall, men who finished college had the biggest increase in drinking between 12th grade and the age of 24 -- boosting their drinking more than women did, and more than men with less education.
Women with a college degree also began to drink more heavily and get drunk more often after high school -- though, by the age of 24, they had merely "caught up" with women with less education, and their upturn in drinking during college was actually on the decline.
Women who attended high school only tended to have higher rates of drinking in 12th grade, but their drinking either held steady or began to taper off as they got older.
Men, on the other hand, did not show a reversal of their college, or high school, drinking habits. College graduates had the highest rates of drunkenness, binge drinking and drunk driving at the age of 24, though other men were not lagging much.
In fact, the researchers note, men with only a high school education appeared most at-risk, since their heavy drinking began in high school and continued or increased as they grew older.
"This pattern of alcohol-related risk reinforces the need for early intervention to prevent alcohol misuse in high school," the researchers conclude, "and this need is especially great for students who are not likely to complete college."
SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, December 2005.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, December 23, 2005
HIGH RISK IN SYMANTEC ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE FLAW...
Norton Internet Security-ZDNet John Ford jr's comment
Thu 22 Dec 2005. I had my system crash from Norton Internet Security few months ago. I was told to call a telepnone # I finally after waiting an hour hooked up with somone in India, I could not understand the person due to his thick accent, I asked for someone else that spoke more fluent English, my request was denied.
After spending another hour on the phone (now 2 hours) I finally gave up. I had a nice phone bill that would have paid for a new AV and I was totally exhausted and spent the next 12 hours sleeping.
I then both wrote and phone Symantech in the US and after speaking to 4 people in 5 days, I funally got someone that had the authority to send me a new program with a new activation key. I hd to re-istall windows and install everything back on my PC since I wiped out the hard drive. Few days later I recieved a new disc drom Symantec and two days later I recived the second disk and wait a moment, a week later I received the 3rd disk...I sold them on eBAy made back the money I spent on the phone call to India.
This coming year 2006 I will choose another brand of AV manyfacturer! It seems to me that all the company's are getting serviced from India and just wait untill they start answering you in Chinese.
Does anybody know if Computer Associates Internet Security is any good? Or what should I get for 2006? I don't mind spending the money, but if you know what is good out there could you please let me know.
Norton Internet Security is out in my Books! Never again!
Thu 22 Dec 2005. I had my system crash from Norton Internet Security few months ago. I was told to call a telepnone # I finally after waiting an hour hooked up with somone in India, I could not understand the person due to his thick accent, I asked for someone else that spoke more fluent English, my request was denied.
After spending another hour on the phone (now 2 hours) I finally gave up. I had a nice phone bill that would have paid for a new AV and I was totally exhausted and spent the next 12 hours sleeping.
I then both wrote and phone Symantech in the US and after speaking to 4 people in 5 days, I funally got someone that had the authority to send me a new program with a new activation key. I hd to re-istall windows and install everything back on my PC since I wiped out the hard drive. Few days later I recieved a new disc drom Symantec and two days later I recived the second disk and wait a moment, a week later I received the 3rd disk...I sold them on eBAy made back the money I spent on the phone call to India.
This coming year 2006 I will choose another brand of AV manyfacturer! It seems to me that all the company's are getting serviced from India and just wait untill they start answering you in Chinese.
Does anybody know if Computer Associates Internet Security is any good? Or what should I get for 2006? I don't mind spending the money, but if you know what is good out there could you please let me know.
Norton Internet Security is out in my Books! Never again!
JUDGE SAYS HE CAN'T FREE UIGHURS AT GUANTANAMO...
Reuters.com By JoAnne Allen
Thu Dec 22, 2005 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday ruled that he does not have authority to order the release of two ethnic Uighur prisoners from China detained at Guantanamo Bay, even though the U.S. military declared they are no longer "enemy combatants."
U.S. District Judge James Robertson said he finds that "a federal court has no relief to offer" Abu Bakker Qassim and A'del Abdu Al-Hakim, who are being held at the U.S. military prison in Cuba while the United States searches for a country to take them in.
"An order requiring their release into the United States, even into some kind of parole 'bubble,' some legal-fictional status in which they would be here but would not be 'admitted,' would have national security and diplomatic implications beyond the competence or the authority of this court," Robertson said in a 12-page ruling.
The two men have been detained since June 2002 at Guantanamo Bay, where the United States hold suspects in its war against terrorism launched after the attacks of September 11, 2001. A U.S. military tribunal ruled nine months ago that the Uighurs should "no longer be classified as enemy combatants."
A lawyer working with the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights had urged Robertson to order the men released while the government continues its search for a country that will grant them asylum.
The U.S. government told the court it could not return the men to China because they would face persecution there.
Many Muslim Uighurs, who are from Xinjiang in far western China, seek greater autonomy for the region and some want independence. Beijing has waged a relentless campaign against what it calls the violent separatist activities of the Uighurs in the desert region.
Terry Henry, a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, said at an August hearing that the United States would hold the Uighurs at Guantanamo "for as long as it takes."
Henry said the two men had been transferred to a section where they were allowed more freedom of movement and more facilities than at Camp Echo, where they were previously detained.
The United States is holding about 500 foreign prisoners at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Thu Dec 22, 2005 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday ruled that he does not have authority to order the release of two ethnic Uighur prisoners from China detained at Guantanamo Bay, even though the U.S. military declared they are no longer "enemy combatants."
U.S. District Judge James Robertson said he finds that "a federal court has no relief to offer" Abu Bakker Qassim and A'del Abdu Al-Hakim, who are being held at the U.S. military prison in Cuba while the United States searches for a country to take them in.
"An order requiring their release into the United States, even into some kind of parole 'bubble,' some legal-fictional status in which they would be here but would not be 'admitted,' would have national security and diplomatic implications beyond the competence or the authority of this court," Robertson said in a 12-page ruling.
The two men have been detained since June 2002 at Guantanamo Bay, where the United States hold suspects in its war against terrorism launched after the attacks of September 11, 2001. A U.S. military tribunal ruled nine months ago that the Uighurs should "no longer be classified as enemy combatants."
A lawyer working with the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights had urged Robertson to order the men released while the government continues its search for a country that will grant them asylum.
The U.S. government told the court it could not return the men to China because they would face persecution there.
Many Muslim Uighurs, who are from Xinjiang in far western China, seek greater autonomy for the region and some want independence. Beijing has waged a relentless campaign against what it calls the violent separatist activities of the Uighurs in the desert region.
Terry Henry, a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, said at an August hearing that the United States would hold the Uighurs at Guantanamo "for as long as it takes."
Henry said the two men had been transferred to a section where they were allowed more freedom of movement and more facilities than at Camp Echo, where they were previously detained.
The United States is holding about 500 foreign prisoners at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
STOLEN WAR MEDAL FOUND ON BEACH...
Reuters.com
Thu Dec 22, 2005. CANBERRA (Reuters) - A valuable British war medal discovered on an Australian beach has been traced to a London family who reported the treasured piece of history stolen nearly two decades ago.
The George Cross medal, valued at about 15,000 pounds ($35,700), was found on a beach in Queensland state in February and police handed it to the British Consulate in Brisbane on Thursday so that it could be returned to its owners.
Australian Associated Press reported that the medal had been awarded to Flying Officer Anthony Tollemache in 1940 after his plane crashed during an exercise in England and he risked his life to save a passenger.
The medal was one of several stolen from the Tollemache family home in London in 1988.
It remains a mystery as to how the medal ended up on the other side of the world.
"I was trying to find the person responsible for the offence but in the end I was just happy to find the heir," Queensland state police officer Brendan Laverty said in a statement.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Thu Dec 22, 2005. CANBERRA (Reuters) - A valuable British war medal discovered on an Australian beach has been traced to a London family who reported the treasured piece of history stolen nearly two decades ago.
The George Cross medal, valued at about 15,000 pounds ($35,700), was found on a beach in Queensland state in February and police handed it to the British Consulate in Brisbane on Thursday so that it could be returned to its owners.
Australian Associated Press reported that the medal had been awarded to Flying Officer Anthony Tollemache in 1940 after his plane crashed during an exercise in England and he risked his life to save a passenger.
The medal was one of several stolen from the Tollemache family home in London in 1988.
It remains a mystery as to how the medal ended up on the other side of the world.
"I was trying to find the person responsible for the offence but in the end I was just happy to find the heir," Queensland state police officer Brendan Laverty said in a statement.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
YEP, THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT...
Reuters.com
Thu Dec 22, 2005. BERLIN (Reuters) - Some Germans would rather spend Christmas with a tree than with their families, a new poll shows.
The survey in Thursday's Focus weekly news magazine found 75 percent of Germans could not contemplate Christmas without their beloved "Tannenbaum," the traditional tree many cover lavishly with candles, lights and decorations.
But only 65 percent said spending time with relatives was also essential for a good Christmas.
Singing carols was the next most vital ingredient, with 57 percent saying they could not do without them, while 42 percent said Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without presents.
The modern tradition of the Christmas tree originated in Germany.
Three percent of the 1,014 people polled about attitudes to Christmas wanted to skip the whole thing.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Thu Dec 22, 2005. BERLIN (Reuters) - Some Germans would rather spend Christmas with a tree than with their families, a new poll shows.
The survey in Thursday's Focus weekly news magazine found 75 percent of Germans could not contemplate Christmas without their beloved "Tannenbaum," the traditional tree many cover lavishly with candles, lights and decorations.
But only 65 percent said spending time with relatives was also essential for a good Christmas.
Singing carols was the next most vital ingredient, with 57 percent saying they could not do without them, while 42 percent said Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without presents.
The modern tradition of the Christmas tree originated in Germany.
Three percent of the 1,014 people polled about attitudes to Christmas wanted to skip the whole thing.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
SKYPE 2 (BETA) CNET REVIEW
Skype 2 (beta) Reviews By Stephanie Bruzzese
CNET editors' review and rating
Very good 7.5 out of 10
Review date: 13/12/05
The good: Skype 2 (beta) is still free and easy to install and set up. Calls to other Skype users are free, and calls to non-Skype phones are competitively priced. The beta of version 2 adds new features such as videoconferencing; toolbars for IE, Firefox, and Outlook; contact groups; mood messengers; and avatars, sounds, and ring tones.
The bad: When using SkypeOut and SkypeIn, Skype 2's voice quality is merely mediocre. It gets even worse when uploading files.
The bottom line: Though Skype 2 suffers from middling voice quality when calling landline phones, it's still one of the best free VoIP services around, and its new Skype Video feature makes it even better.
Sometimes the best things in life are free--such as Skype 2, the latest version of eBay's newly acquired VoIP service. Now in beta, Skype 2 tacks on free video calling between Skype users and other neat additions to its long list of cool features, which include conference calling and an IM client. You can also add low-cost inbound/outbound calling, voicemail, and call forwarding to analog phones. The Skype dashboard thankfully remains free of advertisements, and the quality of Skype-to-Skype calls is still high. Though the quality of landline calls hasn't improved, Skype 2 continues to be an overall excellent option for anyone seeking to make free phone calls.
Installing Skype 2 is beyond easy: download and run an executable file, follow the few steps in the setup wizard, and you're done. The first time you launch the program--which pops up in an IM-like, dashboard window--a handy Getting Started wizard appears, taking you through a test call and helping you import contacts from address books it detects on your system. You'll be able to hear and see your callers using the audio or video devices (microphone/speakers, USB headset, Webcam) that you've already connected to your computer. Spend a few bucks on a device like the Actiontec Phone Wizard, and you can also use your analog phone.
All access to and adjustment of Skype 2's features happens through the dashboard window. The window is segmented into three main tabs: Contacts, Dial, and History. To place a free call to another Skype user, just click the name in your contacts list. If you've purchased credit to SkypeOut, which begins at 10 euros (currently just under $12 U.S.) and includes low rates for international locations, you can reach landline phone numbers by either clicking a number you've saved to your contacts list or by using the electronic keypad in the Dial tab. To redial a name or number that you've already called, click it in the History tab. The dashboard window is also where you can initiate other features, such as conference calling for up to five people; IMing with other Skype users; call forwarding for up to three numbers (if you have SkypeOut); and voicemail retrieval (if you bought a voicemail plan, which starts at 3 months for 5 euros).
One of the major new features in beta version 2 is Skype Video, free video calling between Skype users. Skype has partnered with a number of hardware companies, including Logitech and Motorola, to bring Skype-certified accessories to the market, including Webcams and Bluetooth headsets. Other new features include avatars, sounds, and ring tones (available for purchase from Skype's Web site); contact groups; and toolbars. The browser toolbar works with Internet Explorer and Firefox: Skype recognizes phone numbers and Skype names on search results pages, allowing one-click calling from the results page via Skype. The Outlook toolbar consolidates your Outlook and Skype contacts, allowing you place Skype calls to Skype users who have e-mailed you or call non-Skype users via SkypeOut.
Our anecdotal tests of Skype 2-to-Skype 2 audio calls yielded conversations that sounded almost exactly like those between two analog phones. Voices on both the calling and receiving ends came through quite clearly, and latency was barely evident. Using the video-calling function was an equally easy experience, as the program automatically detects whether the Skype user you're calling also has video capability and allows you to accept or decline the video feed. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Skype 2-to-landline calls (and vice versa). On a SkypeOut call to one of CNET Labs' analog phone lines, audio was relatively clear on the Skype end of the call, though the analog caller experienced some static and random chirp reminiscent of old Doctor Who episodes. Voice quality took another hit when we uploaded and downloaded data during calls, with the audio occasionally cutting out altogether on both sides of the call. After purchasing a SkypeIn subscription (starting at 3 months for 10 euros) and choosing a regular phone number to associate with our account, we made a series of analog calls to our Skype number--and experienced more of the same inferior call quality on both sides. Skype's performance problems when calling analog phones were worse than the problems that plague most VoIP services. For good call quality with Skype, your best bet is to persuade those you want to reach to install the program themselves; in addition to higher voice quality, your calls will always be free.
Free software is generally not well supported by the maker, but Skype makes a decent effort. The Skype Web site offers a user forum, downloadable user guides, a searchable knowledge base, and a troubleshooter tool that walks you through a series of questions to help you solve basic problems. Users can also submit a support request through an online form and check the status of the request.
CNET editors' review and rating
Very good 7.5 out of 10
Review date: 13/12/05
The good: Skype 2 (beta) is still free and easy to install and set up. Calls to other Skype users are free, and calls to non-Skype phones are competitively priced. The beta of version 2 adds new features such as videoconferencing; toolbars for IE, Firefox, and Outlook; contact groups; mood messengers; and avatars, sounds, and ring tones.
The bad: When using SkypeOut and SkypeIn, Skype 2's voice quality is merely mediocre. It gets even worse when uploading files.
The bottom line: Though Skype 2 suffers from middling voice quality when calling landline phones, it's still one of the best free VoIP services around, and its new Skype Video feature makes it even better.
Sometimes the best things in life are free--such as Skype 2, the latest version of eBay's newly acquired VoIP service. Now in beta, Skype 2 tacks on free video calling between Skype users and other neat additions to its long list of cool features, which include conference calling and an IM client. You can also add low-cost inbound/outbound calling, voicemail, and call forwarding to analog phones. The Skype dashboard thankfully remains free of advertisements, and the quality of Skype-to-Skype calls is still high. Though the quality of landline calls hasn't improved, Skype 2 continues to be an overall excellent option for anyone seeking to make free phone calls.
Installing Skype 2 is beyond easy: download and run an executable file, follow the few steps in the setup wizard, and you're done. The first time you launch the program--which pops up in an IM-like, dashboard window--a handy Getting Started wizard appears, taking you through a test call and helping you import contacts from address books it detects on your system. You'll be able to hear and see your callers using the audio or video devices (microphone/speakers, USB headset, Webcam) that you've already connected to your computer. Spend a few bucks on a device like the Actiontec Phone Wizard, and you can also use your analog phone.
All access to and adjustment of Skype 2's features happens through the dashboard window. The window is segmented into three main tabs: Contacts, Dial, and History. To place a free call to another Skype user, just click the name in your contacts list. If you've purchased credit to SkypeOut, which begins at 10 euros (currently just under $12 U.S.) and includes low rates for international locations, you can reach landline phone numbers by either clicking a number you've saved to your contacts list or by using the electronic keypad in the Dial tab. To redial a name or number that you've already called, click it in the History tab. The dashboard window is also where you can initiate other features, such as conference calling for up to five people; IMing with other Skype users; call forwarding for up to three numbers (if you have SkypeOut); and voicemail retrieval (if you bought a voicemail plan, which starts at 3 months for 5 euros).
One of the major new features in beta version 2 is Skype Video, free video calling between Skype users. Skype has partnered with a number of hardware companies, including Logitech and Motorola, to bring Skype-certified accessories to the market, including Webcams and Bluetooth headsets. Other new features include avatars, sounds, and ring tones (available for purchase from Skype's Web site); contact groups; and toolbars. The browser toolbar works with Internet Explorer and Firefox: Skype recognizes phone numbers and Skype names on search results pages, allowing one-click calling from the results page via Skype. The Outlook toolbar consolidates your Outlook and Skype contacts, allowing you place Skype calls to Skype users who have e-mailed you or call non-Skype users via SkypeOut.
Our anecdotal tests of Skype 2-to-Skype 2 audio calls yielded conversations that sounded almost exactly like those between two analog phones. Voices on both the calling and receiving ends came through quite clearly, and latency was barely evident. Using the video-calling function was an equally easy experience, as the program automatically detects whether the Skype user you're calling also has video capability and allows you to accept or decline the video feed. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Skype 2-to-landline calls (and vice versa). On a SkypeOut call to one of CNET Labs' analog phone lines, audio was relatively clear on the Skype end of the call, though the analog caller experienced some static and random chirp reminiscent of old Doctor Who episodes. Voice quality took another hit when we uploaded and downloaded data during calls, with the audio occasionally cutting out altogether on both sides of the call. After purchasing a SkypeIn subscription (starting at 3 months for 10 euros) and choosing a regular phone number to associate with our account, we made a series of analog calls to our Skype number--and experienced more of the same inferior call quality on both sides. Skype's performance problems when calling analog phones were worse than the problems that plague most VoIP services. For good call quality with Skype, your best bet is to persuade those you want to reach to install the program themselves; in addition to higher voice quality, your calls will always be free.
Free software is generally not well supported by the maker, but Skype makes a decent effort. The Skype Web site offers a user forum, downloadable user guides, a searchable knowledge base, and a troubleshooter tool that walks you through a series of questions to help you solve basic problems. Users can also submit a support request through an online form and check the status of the request.
DARK CHOCOLATE MAY CUT HEART DISEASE RISK: STUDY
Health - Reuters.com
Mon Dec 19, 2005. LONDON (Reuters) - A few squares of dark chocolate every day might cut the risk of serious heart disease by helping to stave off the hardening of arteries, according to a study published on Tuesday.
Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich studied 20 male smokers, who are at greater risk of hardening arteries characteristic of coronary heart disease, to see the effects of dark and white chocolate on arterial blood flow.
The group, who were asked to abstain from eating foods rich in antioxidants for 24 hours, were given 40 grams (2 ounces) of chocolate to eat.
After two hours, ultrasound scans revealed that dark chocolate -- made up of 74 percent cocoa solids -- significantly improved the smoothness of arterial flow, whilst white chocolate, with four percent cocoa, had no effect, the study published in Heart magazine said.
The researchers, who said further studies were needed, suggested that the possible benefits arose from the antioxidants in dark chocolate.
"Only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health," they said.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Mon Dec 19, 2005. LONDON (Reuters) - A few squares of dark chocolate every day might cut the risk of serious heart disease by helping to stave off the hardening of arteries, according to a study published on Tuesday.
Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich studied 20 male smokers, who are at greater risk of hardening arteries characteristic of coronary heart disease, to see the effects of dark and white chocolate on arterial blood flow.
The group, who were asked to abstain from eating foods rich in antioxidants for 24 hours, were given 40 grams (2 ounces) of chocolate to eat.
After two hours, ultrasound scans revealed that dark chocolate -- made up of 74 percent cocoa solids -- significantly improved the smoothness of arterial flow, whilst white chocolate, with four percent cocoa, had no effect, the study published in Heart magazine said.
The researchers, who said further studies were needed, suggested that the possible benefits arose from the antioxidants in dark chocolate.
"Only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health," they said.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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