Yahoo is being sued for allegedly releasing information about Internet use that directly led to the arrest and torture of a Chinese dissident. This is believed to be the first lawsuit against an Internet company for human rights violations. The World Organization for Human Rights USA said that it filed the suit Wednesday on behalf of Yu Ling, the wife of Wang Xiazoning. She said that 10 Chinese police came to their home in early September, 2002. Wang was first detained, and then arrested on charges that included “incitement to subvert state power.” He had written and published articles in several online publications that called for democracy and a multiparty system in his country. Yu said that Chinese court papers indicated Yahoo had revealed to the authorities that her husband was the author of those articles. “All the different pages has [sic] Yahoo written all over the place,” she said through a translator, in an interview with NPR. “It’s very prevalent to me that Yahoo is the culprit.” ‘Emaciated, Weak’ This information, the human-rights organization contends, led to the imprisonment of Wang and about 60 other people. It said that Wang has now been tortured in the Chinese forced-labor prison where he is being held on a 10-year sentence. When she first saw him after he had been imprisoned, his wife said in the interview, “he looked emaciated, weak, and he kept coughing nonstop. He had no expression whatsoever. He was seeing through me.” The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is seeking unspecified damages under the U.S.’s Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act. The suit also requests a judge’s order preventing Yahoo or its subsidiary from turning over any more information, and it seeks Yahoo’s help in freeing those who have been…

Web Sites Ignore Hormone Warnings
Many Web sites have ignored federal warnings against making unfounded health claims in promoting hormone products to treat menopause, the government said Thursday. In letters to 34 Web sites, the Federal Trade Commission said in November 2005 it may be illegal for them to assert that their hormone products prevent or treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis or other health problems. The sites billed the products as natural alternatives to hormone replacement therapy. Yet 19 of those sites still are selling the “natural” hormone creams and sprays by citing unsupported claims for the products’ benefits, an FTC official told the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Many of the other Web sites reviewed have modified or removed the objectionable claims, said Eileen Harrington, deputy director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection. She said the agency is following up with the companies that did not make such changes. “We could have moved faster here and we should have,” Harrington told Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon. The committee’s top Republican, Smith was the lone lawmaker present for most of the hearing. Smith held the hearing to spur action by the FTC and Food and Drug Administration, and increase federal oversight. At issue are hormones that are custom mixed or compounded by specialized pharmacies according to a doctor’s prescription. “The FDA needs to step it up and so does the FTC,” Smith told reporters. The FDA has warned some Web sites that are selling hormone products, according to Dr. Steven Galson, the agency’s drug chief. Smith said his staff members recently bought a tub of progesterone cream from one of the 34 Web sites warned by the FTC in 2005. Advertising material from the site claims the cream increases bone mass density, prevents osteoporosis and decreases the risk of breast cancer. “There are no studies that would support such a claim,” said Dr. Jacques…

Buying Disposable Diapers for Your Baby
Diapers are a part of every new parent’s life. Actually, diapers are a part of most not-so-new parents’ lives, too. Your baby will need to wear diapers for a few… Used Diapers? With Cloth, Used Makes Budget Sense At first glance, the idea of buying used diapers for your baby may seem a […]

Benign intracranial hypertension associated to blood coagulation derangements
Background: Benign Intracranial Hypertension (BIH) may be caused, at least in part, by intracranial sinus thrombosis. Thrombosis is normally due to derangements in blood coagulation cascade which may predispose to abnormal clotting activation or deficiency in natural inhibitors’ control. The aim of the study is to examine the strength of the association between risk factors for thrombosis and BIH.Patients and methodsThe incidence of prothrombotic abnormalities among a randomly investigated cohort of 17 patients with BIH, was compared with 51 healthy subjects matched for sex, age, body mass index, height and social background. Results: The number of subjects with protein C deficiency was significantly higher in patients than in controls (3 vs 1, p < .001; Fisher Exact Test). Moderate to high titers of anticardiolipin antibodies ( 2-Glycoprotein type I) were found in 8 out of 17 patients.Increased plasma levels of prothrombin fragment 1+2, fibrinopeptide A (FPA), and PAI-1 were demonstrated in patients group (5.7 1.15 nM vs 0.45 0.35 nM; 8.7 2.5 ng/mL vs 2.2 1.25 ng/mL; 45.7 12.5 ng/mL vs 8.5 6.7 ng/mL, respectively; p < .001; Fisher Exact Test). Gene polymorphisms for factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin mutation 20210 A/G, MTHFR 677 C/T, PAI-1 4G/5G, ACE I/D were detected in 13 patients.DiscussionIn agreement with other authors our data suggest a state of hypercoagulability in BIH associated with gene polymorphisms. Our findings also showed that mutations in cardiovascular genes significantly discriminate subjects with a BIH history. The association between coagulation and gene derangements, usually regarded to as cryptogenic, may suggest a possible pathogenetic mechanism in BIH. So, a prothrombotic tendency may exist that would, at least in part, explain some cases of BIH.Although based on a small population, these findings raise the exciting possibility of using these haemostatic factors as markers for selecting high-risk subjects in BIH disease.

baby gifts, big sister shirts, personalized big
… baby gifts, big sister shirts, personalized big brother sweatshirts, children’s bathrobes, big brother shirts, personalized baby blankets, baby shower gifts and more! … Welcome to v-baby company manufacture and export baby wears,baby clothing,baby garments and accessories … baby wears (infant & toddler) Dress your baby with love … Flickr: Photos tagged with baby Flickr is almost […]

Histological composition and progression of carotid plaque
Background: To analyse histological composition and progression of carotid plaque. Methods: Thirty-one patients (22 males, mean age 68.03 7.3 years) admitted for carotid endarterectomy for extracranial high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis ( 70% luminal narrowing) were enrolled. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to symptomatology (group I, 17 symptomatic patients; and group II, 14 asymptomatic patients). A histological analysis and inflammatory cell quantification of each excised carotid plaque was made. Nine carotid arteries were removed from human cadavers that were not preselected for carotid artery disease. These specimens were used as a control tissue without any macroscopic signs of atherosclerotic plaques. Results: Fifty eight percent of all carotid plaques were classified as complex plaque with possible surface defect, hemorrhage or thrombus. The inflammatory cells concentration did not differ between the two groups. All specimens from human cadavers were classified as preatheroma with extracellular lipid pools. Conclusion: Asymptomatic and symptomatic patients could have the same histological components on their carotid plaques. Fibrotic and calcific plaques could become vulnerable as complex plaques with surface defect, hemorrhage and thrombus could remain silent. Asymptomatic carotid stenosis should be followed close with no invasive diagnostic methods and clinical evaluation.

Outcomes of thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin vs. unfractionated heparin in medical inpatients
Background: Clinical trials have shown low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to be at least as safe and efficacious as unfractionated heparin (UFH) for preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in acutely-ill medical inpatients.ObjectiveTo compare clinical and economic outcomes among acutely-ill medical inpatients receiving the LMWH enoxaparin versus UFH prophylaxis in clinical practice. Methods: Using a large, multi-hospital, US database, we identified persons aged 40 years hospitalized for 6 days for an acute medical condition (including circulatory disorders, respiratory disorders, infectious diseases, or neoplasms) from Q4 1999 to Q1 2002. From these patients, those who received thromboprophylaxis with either enoxaparin or UFH were identified. Surgical patients and those requiring or ineligible for anticoagulation were excluded. We compared the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and all VTE (i.e., DVT and/or PE). Secondary outcomes were occurrence of side-effects, length of hospital stay and total costs. RESULTS: 479 patients received enoxaparin prophylaxis and 2,837 received UFH. The incidence of VTE was 1.7% with enoxaparin prophylaxis versus 6.3% with UFH (RR = 0.26; p < 0.001). Occurrence of side effects, length of stay (10.00 days with enoxaparin vs. 10.26 days with UFH; p = 0.348) and total costs ($18,777 vs. $17,602; p = 0.463) were similar in the 2 groups. Conclusion: We observed a 74% lower risk of VTE among patients receiving enoxaparin prophylaxis versus UFH prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in side effects or economic outcomes. These results provide evidence that the LMWH enoxaparin is more effective than UFH in reducing the risk of VTE in current clinical practice.

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