Teenage immunisations for ages 14 to 18 (English and 10 translations) 2009

This booklet explains about the routine immunisations that are offered to all young people before they leave school

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In the case of such a very special building project, the crucial stake for sustainable development is the fact that space systems are extreme cases of environmental constraints. In- deed, they constitute an interesting model as an analogy can be made between Martian utmost conditions and some of the possible extreme one's that Earth might soon face. The didactic ob- jective of the project is to use the context of a building on Mars to teach an approach which raises the students awareness to design and plan all steps of a building in a sustainable way, i.e. build, with the available resources, living spaces that satisfy human needs and leave as intact as possible the external environment. The paper presents the approach and the feedback of this student project, more specifically ENAC Learning Unit", which involved 17 students from envi- ronmental, civil engineering and architecture sections from EPFL. All the same, it involved pro- fessors from all three domains, as well as aerospace and Mars specialists, which gave seminars during the course of the semester. The students were separated in groups, and the project con- sisted of two phases: 1) analysis of the context and resources, 2) project design and critic. Both organisational, technical and pedagogical aspects of the experience are presented. The outcome was very positive, with students experiencing for their first time multidisciplinary work and the iterative process of design under multiple constraints.

Teenage immunisations for ages 14 to 18 (English and 10 translations) 2010

This booklet explains about the routine immunisations that are offered to all young people before they leave school.

ARCHITECTING USER-CENTRIC PRIVACY-AS-A-SET-OF-SERVICES: DIGITAL IDENTITY RELATED PRIVACY FRAMEWORK

AbstractDigitalization gives to the Internet the power by allowing several virtual representations of reality, including that of identity. We leave an increasingly digital footprint in cyberspace and this situation puts our identity at high risks. Privacy is a right and fundamental social value that could play a key role as a medium to secure digital identities. Identity functionality is increasingly delivered as sets of services, rather than monolithic applications. So, an identity layer in which identity and privacy management services are loosely coupled, publicly hosted and available to on-demand calls could be more realistic and an acceptable situation. Identity and privacy should be interoperable and distributed through the adoption of service-orientation and implementation based on open standards (technical interoperability). Ihe objective of this project is to provide a way to implement interoperable user-centric digital identity-related privacy to respond to the need of distributed nature of federated identity systems. It is recognized that technical initiatives, emerging standards and protocols are not enough to guarantee resolution for the concerns surrounding a multi-facets and complex issue of identity and privacy. For this reason they should be apprehended within a global perspective through an integrated and a multidisciplinary approach. The approach dictates that privacy law, policies, regulations and technologies are to be crafted together from the start, rather than attaching it to digital identity after the fact. Thus, we draw Digital Identity-Related Privacy (DigldeRP) requirements from global, domestic and business-specific privacy policies. The requirements take shape of business interoperability. We suggest a layered implementation framework (DigldeRP framework) in accordance to model-driven architecture (MDA) approach that would help organizations' security team to turn business interoperability into technical interoperability in the form of a set of services that could accommodate Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): Privacy-as-a-set-of- services (PaaSS) system. DigldeRP Framework will serve as a basis for vital understanding between business management and technical managers on digital identity related privacy initiatives. The layered DigldeRP framework presents five practical layers as an ordered sequence as a basis of DigldeRP project roadmap, however, in practice, there is an iterative process to assure that each layer supports effectively and enforces requirements of the adjacent ones. Each layer is composed by a set of blocks, which determine a roadmap that security team could follow to successfully implement PaaSS. Several blocks' descriptions are based on OMG SoaML modeling language and BPMN processes description. We identified, designed and implemented seven services that form PaaSS and described their consumption. PaaSS Java QEE project), WSDL, and XSD codes are given and explained.

PHA urges 'freshers' to be smart and know their alcohol limits

As 'fresher's week' commences, the Public Health Agency is encouraging students across Northern Ireland to avoid binge drinking and to know their limits if they do choose to drink alcohol.Enjoying new freedoms, at college or university, means taking care of yourself and others and, if you choose to drink, staying within safe alcohol limits. Owen O'Neill, PHA Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager for drugs and alcohol, said: "Some young people may drink more when they leave home, or join their friends in college or university for the first time. They might think that, as young people, they don't have to take care with alcohol, but staying within the safe drinking limits is important for everyone who drinks. Excessive and binge drinking can have lasting effects on health, such as damage to the liver, heart, brain and stomach. Drinking too much can also increase the risk of accidents and antisocial behaviour as well as sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy"."We would also strongly advise against drinking games. Although they are regarded as a 'bit of fun', in reality they can be very dangerous. As an extreme form of binge drinking, where large quantities of alcohol are consumed in a very short time, drinking games can result in alcohol poisoning, leading to brain damage, coma or death. The PHA encourages students to enjoy their new student life, but urges them to be aware of their alcohol intake and drink responsibly, especially throughout fresher's week, with the many cheap drink promotions currently available."Daily alcohol limits are recommended by the government in order to avoid the risks of excessive and binge drinking in any one session. These are:Men: No more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day and no more than 21 units over the course of the week.Women: No more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day and no more than 14 units over the course of the week.Examples of units:Can of extra strong lager - 4 unitsBottle of lager - 1.5 unitsPint of standard lager - 2.5 unitsPint of premium larger - 3 unitsSmall pub bottle of wine - 2.25 units70cl bottle of wine - 7 to 10 unitsStandard 275ml of alcopops - 1.5 to 1.8 units70cl bottle of alcopops - 3.75 to 4.5 unitsPub measure of spirits - 1.5 unitsPint of cider - 3 unitsPint of stout - 2.5 unitsIf you do choose to drink alcohol:DON'T:Ever drink and driveDrink on an empty stomachMix alcohol with other drugsDrink in rounds as this may speed up your drinkingLeave your drinks unattendedDO:Take sips rather than gulpsAlternate each alcoholic drink with a non alcoholic drink e.g. water or a soft drinkSet yourself a limit and try to stick to it (refer to daily alcohol limits) Take frequent breaks from drinking to give your body time to recoverTell friends and family where you are going and who you will be withRemember, that for each unit you drink over the daily limit, the risk to your health increases. It's important to spread the units throughout the week - you can't 'save up' your units for the weekend or your holiday. It is also important to drink plenty of water, ideally matching the amount of alcohol you have consumed.So students make smart choices this term - drink sensibly and know your limits!For further information on sensible drinking and alcohol units visit the Public Health Agency's website www.knowyourlimits.info

Poots launches £18m state-of-the-art Telemonitoring NI service

Health Minister Edwin Poots today marked the roll-out of a ground-breaking hi-tech scheme which will enable more patients to monitor their health in their own homes. Following funding of £18m from the Department of Health, the newly named Centre for Connected Health and Social Care (CCHSC), part of the Public Health Agency, worked in partnership with business consortium TF3to establish the innovative Telemonitoring NI service. The service is now being delivered by the TF3 consortium in partnership with the Health and Social Care Trusts.Remote telemonitoring combines technology and services that enable patients with chronic diseases to test their vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure, body weight, temperature, blood glucose and oxygen levels at home on a daily basis. The service will now be rolled out to 3,500 patients across Northern Ireland per annum for a period of six years.Mr Poots today visited the home of Larne pensioner Michael Howard who has Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disorder (COPD) to hear how Telemonitoring NI has changed his life.During the visit Mr Poots said: "Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and COPD affect around three quarters of people over the age of 75. This is the generation from whom transport and mobility pose the biggest problems. The Telemonitoring NI service will allow thousands to monitor their vital signs without having to leave their own homes."It means that patients are able to understand and manage their condition better. Many say it has improved their confidence and given them peace of mind. With a health professional monitoring each patient's health on a daily basis, there is less need for hospital admission. Carers are also better informed with the pro-active support provided. It means earlier intervention in, and the prevention of, deterioration of condition, acute illness and hospital admissions."Telemonitoring NI is an excellent example of how the Health Service can innovateusing modern technology to deliver a better service for our patients."Eddie Ritson, Programme Director of CCHSC, PHA, said: "The roll-out of Telemonitoring NI represents a significant step towards providing quality care for the growing number of people with heart disease, stroke, some respiratory conditions and diabetes who want to live at home while having their conditions safely managed."This new service will give people more information which combined with timely advice will enable patients to gain more control over their health while supporting them to live independently in their own homes for longer."A patient will take their vital sign measurements at home, usually on a daily basis. and these will automatically be transmited to the Tf3 system. The resulting readings are monitored centrally by a healthcare professional working in the Tf3 triage team. If the patient's readings show signs of deterioration to an unacceptable level, they will be contacted by phone by a nurse working in a central team and if appropriate a healthcare professional in the patient's local Trust will be alerted to enable them to take appropriate action."Families and carers will also benefit from the reassurance that chronic health conditions are being closely monitored on an ongoing basis. The information collected through the service can also be used by doctors, nurses and patients in making decisions on how individual cases should be managed. "Using the service, Mr Howard, 71, who has emphysema - a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath - monitors his vital signs using the new technology every weekday morning. The information is monitored centrally and if readings show signs of deterioration to an unacceptable level, Mr Howard's local healthcare professional is alerted."Taking my readings is such a simple process but one that gives me huge benefits as it is an early warning system to me and also for the specialist nurses in charge of my care. Without the remote telemonitoring I would be running back and forward to the GPs' surgery all the time to have things checked out," he explained."Having my signs monitored by a nurse means any changes in my condition are dealt with immediately and this has prevented me from being admitted to hospital - in the past I've had to spend six days in hospital any time I'm admitted with a chest infection."The telemonitoring is not only reassuring for me, it also gives me more control over managing my own condition and as a result I have less upheaval in my life, and I'm less of a cost to the health care system. Most importantly, it gives me peace of mind and one less thing to worry about at my age."Patients seeking further information about the new telemonitoring service should contact their healthcare professional.

Picnic perfection

Far too often when we pack the picnic basket we leave behind the good habits that keep us safe from food poisoning at home. Here are a few simple tips to help you avoid potential perils of picnics.

Bird of Prey

This poster informs about the danger of date rape stating: 'Date rape is on the increase in Northern Ireland and someone somewhere sees you as a victim. Never leave your drink unattended and you won't be a sitting duck'. It also provides contact details for the National Drugs Helpline. Tel: 0800 776600.

Teenage immunisations for ages 14 to 18 (English and translations)

This booklet explains about the routine immunisations that are offered to all young people before they leave school.

The utility of the polymerase chain reaction assay for aetiologic definition of unspecified bacterial meningitis cases

Most patients with acute suppurative meningitis are otherwise healthy individuals with regard to immune mechanisms against invasive bacterial disease. This medical emergency is among the most dramatic and potentially ravaging diseases that affect humans, particularly young children. The illness often strikes suddenly, and can either result in death or leave the survivors with significant neurological dysfunctions. The demonstration of a bacterial aetiology is necessary for decisions regarding treatment and prophylaxis. Conventional bacteriological methods frequently fail to identify an agent, as a result of administration of antibiotics or delayed lumbar punctures. We investigated the major aetiologic sources of unspecified bacterial meningitis cases (G00.9, ISCD-10) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based identification of Neisseria meningitidis (crgA), Streptococcus pneumoniae (ply) and Haemophilus influenzae (bexA) in cerebrospinal fluid samples. The multiplex PCR detected N. meningitidis in 92%, S. pneumoniae in 4% and H. influenzae in 1% of the 192 clinical samples assayed; 3% were negative for all three DNA targets. Bacterial DNA detection was found to be a valuable adjunct to enhance bacterial meningitis surveillance when the yield of specimens by culture is reduced. The implementation of PCR assays as a diagnostic procedure in Public Health Laboratories is perceived to be a significant advance in the investigation of bacterial meningitis.

Micro-Structural Brain Alterations in Aviremic HIV+ Patients with Minor Neurocognitive Disorders: A Multi-Contrast Study at High Field.

OBJECTIVE: Mild neurocognitive disorders (MND) affect a subset of HIV+ patients under effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). In this study, we used an innovative multi-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach at high-field to assess the presence of micro-structural brain alterations in MND+ patients. METHODS: We enrolled 17 MND+ and 19 MND- patients with undetectable HIV-1 RNA and 19 healthy controls (HC). MRI acquisitions at 3T included: MP2RAGE for T1 relaxation times, Magnetization Transfer (MT), T2* and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) to probe micro-structural integrity and iron deposition in the brain. Statistical analysis used permutation-based tests and correction for family-wise error rate. Multiple regression analysis was performed between MRI data and (i) neuropsychological results (ii) HIV infection characteristics. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based on MRI data was performed between MND+ and MND- patients and cross-validated with a leave-one-out test. RESULTS: Our data revealed loss of structural integrity and micro-oedema in MND+ compared to HC in the global white and cortical gray matter, as well as in the thalamus and basal ganglia. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant influence of sub-cortical nuclei alterations on the executive index of MND+ patients (p = 0.04 he and R(2) = 95.2). The LDA distinguished MND+ and MND- patients with a classification quality of 73% after cross-validation. CONCLUSION: Our study shows micro-structural brain tissue alterations in MND+ patients under effective therapy and suggests that multi-contrast MRI at high field is a powerful approach to discriminate between HIV+ patients on cART with and without mild neurocognitive deficits.

Les tecnologies de la comunicació al servei de la gent gran

Aquest informe mira de documentar el projecte GeriaTic, que desenvolupa l'Ajuntament de Barcelona al districte 22@. L'informe fa una anàlisi de la situació de la gent gran en relació amb les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació en el sector de la salut, el control de l'entorn i el lleure. L'anàlisi de la documentació trobada i la informació extreta d'un grup de discussió amb persones grans usuàries de les TIC permeten identificar el mercat existent, els productes i serveis, les necessitats no cobertes i les bones pràctiques relacionades amb els tres sectors estudiats. Les conclusions de l'estudi assenyalen tres aspectes clau: la necessitat que la tecnologia s'incorpori a la vida quotidiana de les persones, perquè aparegui com a quelcom necessari i útil; la cura en cercar un disseny modular, escalable i integrat de la tecnologia que acompanyi les característiques específiques de la persona i els canvis al llarg del seu cicle vital, i, finalment, la consideració que la incorporació de les TIC en l'àmbit de la gent gran no tan sols involucra la persona, sinó també el conjunt de professionals i la societat en general. Aquests tres aspectes permeten plantejar l'exigència que la incorporació de la tecnologia en la vida de la gent gran abandoni el model assistencial i es presenti a la persona i a la societat com una font de noves possibilitats i una oportunitat per al canvi.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy in newly diagnosed cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial

Aims: (i) To describe the prevalence and profile of newly diagnosed cancer patients motivated for psychotherapy and (ii) To evaluate its effectiveness.Methods: Between 2006 and 2009, every new patient of the Oncology Service of the University Hospital Lausanne was informed of the opportunity to benefit from psychotherapeutic support. Patients were randomly assigned to an immediate or delayed (4 month waiting list) psychodynamicoriented psychotherapeutic intervention, formalized as short intervention (1-4 sessions) or brief psychotherapy (16 sessions). Patients with no interest were asked to participate in an observational group. Socio-demographic and medical data, anxiety and depression (HADS, SCL-90), alexithymia (TAS) and quality of life were evaluated for all groups at baseline and 1, 4, 8 and 12-months follow-up. Results: Of 1973 patients approached, 1024 were excluded, mainly because of organisational reasons (living too far away, interfering treatments, etc.), ageN75 years, life expectancyb1 year or language difficulties. One fourth (N=530) refused to participate and 229 patients accepted to be followed in the observational group. Patients interested in psychological support (N=190, 94 in immediate and 96 in delayed intervention) were younger, predominantly female and symptomatic (higher depression and anxiety scores); 56% engaged in 1-4 and 44% in 16 sessions.Conclusions: The naturalistic design of this study revealed relevant questions regarding (i) the design of such studies (untargeted intervention, choice of measurement, etc.), (ii) the type of interventions (pro-active approaches of men, those unable to speak the language or who can not leave home) and (iii) the profile of patients accepting support. A complete analysis will be presented at the congress.Keywords: Psychotherapy, psycho-oncology, cancer, methodology, interventions

Automatic classification of breast density

A recent trend in digital mammography is computer-aided diagnosis systems, which are computerised tools designed to assist radiologists. Most of these systems are used for the automatic detection of abnormalities. However, recent studies have shown that their sensitivity is significantly decreased as the density of the breast increases. This dependence is method specific. In this paper we propose a new approach to the classification of mammographic images according to their breast parenchymal density. Our classification uses information extracted from segmentation results and is based on the underlying breast tissue texture. Classification performance was based on a large set of digitised mammograms. Evaluation involves different classifiers and uses a leave-one-out methodology. Results demonstrate the feasibility of estimating breast density using image processing and analysis techniques

Accumulation des carbohydrates chez les sexués de plusieurs espèces de fourmis en relation avec l'existence ou l'absence d'un vol nuptial

The dispersal strategy of ants generally makes use of a nuptial flight to bring together the sexes. The energy necessary to accomplish this flight comes from stored carbohydrates. However, in some species, one of the sexes does not fly and mating occurs in the nest. This is the case in Iridomyrmex humilis and Cataglyphis cursor, in which the virgin queens possess wings but not leave the natal nest. We show in this work that the winged females of these two species accumulate very little carbohydrate during the maturation period occuring between emergence and mating: expressed as a percentage of dry weight at the time of mating, the total carbohydrates reach only 3.2% in I. humilis and 2.1% in C. cursor. In contrast, the males of these species which fly, possess three to four times more carbohydrates (13.0% and 6.2%, respectively). These latter values are very similar to those found for both sexes of species employing nuptial flights, such several species of wood ants (Formica rufa, F. polyctena, F. lugubris ), Lasius (L. niger , L. flavus ) or Myrmica scabrinodis also studied here. It appears that the absence of the mating flight is associated with reduced levels of carbohydrates, specially glycogen