Online shoppers snapped up bargains, and Web retailers found reason to cheer Monday as traffic to many of the largest shopping Web sites soared 37 percent over last year’s so-called Cyber Monday, says Akamai Technologies, which helps online retailers handle large crowds. The National Retail Federation says cybermonday.com, a Web site it set up for store promotions, had three times as much traffic the Monday after Thanksgiving as it did last year. Driving the online push: More than 70% of retailers surveyed by BizRate Research planned to offer Cyber Monday promotions this year, up from 43% last year. There were discounts on products from toys to digital cameras to flat-panel televisions and computers. So many people rushed to the Web sites for Costco, Toys “R” Us and CompUSA that slowdowns hampered the sites starting Monday morning, says Matt Poepsel, vice president of performance strategies for research firm Gomez. Yahoo’s payment processing for retailers also experienced periodic outages. But unlike last year, when overwhelming traffic shut down sites for Wal-Mart and Amazon, no major outages were reported. Even with the boost this year, Cyber Monday — started by the retail federation in 2005 as the ceremonial kickoff to the online shopping season — was not likely the biggest shopping day. Internet market research firm ComScore reports that last year Dec. 13 took that honor. Dec. 12 was the busiest in 2005. Cyber Monday is really just “symbolic,” says Internet Retailer magazine editor Kurt Peters. The notion that people wait until they get to work Monday to shop online “is somewhat outdated, especially given that at least two-thirds of American homes now have broadband Internet access.” Debbie Virgin Shook of Chicago had never even heard the term “Cyber Monday” until Monday, while listening to a radio promotion. Still, Shook bought several things online, though not at any of…

Risk Factors Associated with Stillbirth in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam
We investigated risk factors associated with stillbirths using personal interviews and medical records abstraction in a hospital-based case-control study in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. There were 47 stillbirth cases and 365 controls in this study. Maternal education (≤12 years) (Odds Ratio, OR = 3.07; 95% CI = 1.19–7.96), from rural communities (OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.16–5.03), primiparous (OR = 3.83; 95% CI = 1.10–13.40) and lack of prenatal care vitamins (OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.25–5.23) were statistically significant risk factors associated with stillbirth in an age-adjusted multivariable model. Our findings suggest that improved maternal health education and care in all communities may reduce the burden of fetal loss in this province.

Is There Any Relationship Between Asthma and Asthma Attack in Children and Atypical Bacterial Infections; Chlamydia Pneumoniae, Mycoplasma Pneumoniae and Helicobacter Pylori
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by variable airway obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. There are many factors affecting the development and severity of childhood asthma such as genetic predisposition, atopy, environmental factors, obesity, diet, socioeconomic status, and infectious triggers. In the present study we aimed to investigate the frequency of Mycdoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Helicobacter pylori infections in asthmatic children. We investigated also whether there is a relationship between these agents and asthma attacks. Material and methods: Seventy-nine asthmatic children (46 males, aged 5–15 years) were included in study. The study group was divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 37 children with asthma attacks and group 2 consisted of 42 children with stable asthma. As a control group we studied 36 healthy children. Pulmonary function tests, skin prick tests for common allergens were performed; serum total IgE, phadiatop, specific IgM and IgG antibody levels (ELISA) for M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae and H. pylori were measured in all patients. Results: Mycoplasma IgM and Chlamidia IgM were positive in 8.1% (3 patients) and 18.9% (7 patients) of group 1 patients, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference for Mycoplasma IgM (p = 0.031) and Chlamidia IgM (p = 0.03) between group1 and other two groups. We have not found significant difference for M. pneumoniae IgG, C. pneumoniae IgG and H. pylori IgM and IgG among groups. Conclusion: M. Pneumoniae and C. Pneumoniae may play a role in development of asthma exacerbations in childhood. We could not find a relationship between H. Pylori and asthma.

Factors Influencing the Academic Performance of School Children with Epilepsy
The academic performance and intelligence quotient (IQ) of 50 children with epilepsy aged between 5 and 14 years, attending normal primary schools in Enugu, were compared with those of their non-epileptic classmates. The academic performance was assessed using the overall scores achieved in terminal examinations in the 2001–2002 academic year. IQ was assessed using the Draw-A-person Test. The influences of school absence rate, Rutter behavioural scores, socio-economic status and seizure-related variables on academic performance were then determined. Twenty-six percent of the children with epilepsy had a low overall score, and therefore poor academic performance, compared with 16% of the controls (p = 0.35). The mean IQ of the children with epilepsy was significantly lower than that of the controls (p = 0.02). The mean school absence rate for the children with epilepsy was significantly higher than that of the controls (p = 0.001). The mean Rutter score of the children with epilepsy was significantly higher than that for the controls (p < 0.001). On multiple linear regression analysis, only IQ (p = 0.01) and seizure type (p = 0.03) had significant predictive effects as risk factors for low overall scores and poor academic performance. It is concluded that the academic performance of epileptic children is influenced by their IQ and type of seizures rather than by other seizure variables or socio-demographic characteristics.

S. Korea Confirms Bird Flu Outbreak
South Korea’s first bird flu outbreak in eight months forced the slaughter of thousands of ducks in the country’s south Saturday, although the deadly H5N1 virus was not involved, the government said. The virus that caused the latest outbreak was a “low pathogenic” H7 strain that has not been known to spread to humans, said an official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Quarantine workers slaughtered about 17,000 ducks at the farm in Gwangju, about 205 miles southwest of the capital, Seoul, the official said on condition of anonymity, citing office policy. The outbreak, South Korea’s first since March, was confirmed on Friday, the ministry official said. Seven outbreaks of the lethal H5N1 virus hit poultry farms across South Korea between November 2006 and March this year, resulting in the slaughter of about 2.8 million birds. The country declared itself free of bird flu in June after reporting no new outbreaks for three months. The latest outbreak does not affect South Korea’s bird flu-free status because it involves a “low pathogenic” virus, the ministry official said. Since H5N1 reemerged in 2003, it has led to the death or slaughter of hundreds of millions of birds and has killed 206 people worldwide, according to the World health Organization.

‘The use of acacia gum in end stage renal failure’
Objective: To describe a new model for the management of end-stage renal failure (ESRF) associated with longest period of dialysis freedom (4-year) achieved with this novel form of renal replacement therapy (RRT).The research was done in accordance with Helsinki declaration and approved the scientific committee in the hospital. Conservative management of chronic renal failure (CRF) can only be successful in nonterminal CRF, and patients with ESRF cannot sustain life in the absence of renal replacement therapy. A new regimen combining the traditional conservative management of CRF (dietary and pharmacologic) with addition of Acacia gum (AG) 1 g kg–1 per day has been reported to provide patients with ESRF dialysis freedom. An 11-year-old girl with ESRF initially required four sessions of intermittent peritoneal dialysis to control uremic symptoms despite conservative measures. The parents refused further treatment by dialysis. Thereafter, she was managed with a new regimen combining the traditional conservative management of CRF with addition of AG. Four year dialysis and improved well-being was achieved. The chronicity of her illness was confirmed by the presence of small contracted kidneys, a finding that has not changed during the subsequent follow-up. During these 4 years she continued experiencing improved well-being and good participation in outdoor activities, had never been acidotic or experienced significant uremic symptoms. Conclusion: This is the longest period of dialysis freedom reported in children with ESRF.

Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of Two Recombinant Hepatitis B Vaccines in Small Infants: A Randomized, Double-Blind Comparative Study
Hepatitis B infection is very common in infants, especially in countries with limited resources. Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended in the routine immunization schedules in many countries, including India. We compared immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two recombinant hepatitis B (HB) vaccines in healthy infants. A total of 262 evaluable Indian infants received three doses of 10 g of an Indian (GeneVac-B ) or European (Engerix-B ) HB vaccine in a double-blind, randomized fashion. The first dose, given at birth, was followed by a dose at age 6 and 14 weeks. All the subjects were initially seronegative for HB surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HB antibodies (anti-HBs). The post-vaccination anti-HBs titers were assessed by ELISA at the time of second and third dose, and 1 month after the third dose. Seroconversion and seroprotection were defined as anti-HBs titers ≥1 mIU/ml and ≥10 mIU/ml, respectively. After first dose, the seroconversion rates were 20% and 17%, in Indian and European vaccine recipients, respectively. The second and third dose increased the seroconversion to 84% and 80%, and to 98% and 98%, respectively. Correspondingly, the seroprotection rates after the first dose was 11% and 10%, and consequently 54% and 58%, and 97% and 95%. None of the differences between vaccines reached statistically significant proportions. Geometric Mean Titer after third dose was 383 mIU/ml and 285 mIU/ml, respectively, also this difference remaining insignificant. Adverse events were similar in both vaccine groups. Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of the Indian and European Hepatitis B vaccines were comparable, when immunization was started at birth.

Montelukast vs. Inhaled Low-Dose Budesonide as Monotherapy in the Treatment of Mild Persistent Asthma: A Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial
Background: Guidelines recommend daily controller therapy for mild persistent asthma. Montelukast has demonstrated consistent benefit in controlling symptoms of asthma and may be an alternative, orally administered, nonsteroidal agent for treating mild asthma. Aim: To determine whether montelukast is as effective as budesonide in controlling mild persistent asthma as determined by FEV1. Methods: Between November 2003 to October 2005, participants aged 5–15 years with recently diagnosed mild persistent asthma (n = 62) were randomized to oral montelukast (5 mg daily) [N1 = 30] or inhaled budesonide (400 g per day in two doses) [N2 = 32] in a single center, double-blind study. Results: Baseline demographic and spirometric parameters were comparable. The median (95% confidence interval) percentage predicted FEV1 was similar in the two groups after 12 weeks of treatment (budesonide: 76.70 (67.96–90.53%), montelukast: 75 (67.40–88.47)%; p = 0.44). There was similar improvement in spirometric parameters and clinical symptom scores in both the groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the need for rescue drugs as well as side effects reported by parents. Conclusion: Montelukast is as effective as inhaled budesonide in the treatment of mild persistent asthma in children aged 5–15 years. Montelukast may be used as an alternative to low dose inhaled corticosteroids for management of mild persistent asthma.

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