The University of Guyana says it shares the grief and extends deep and sincere condolences on the loss of lives, property and trauma experienced in the Mahdia fire in the wee hours of Monday morning. Institutionally, the University has immediately activated several mechanisms internally and externally aimed at  ascertaining any students and staff who may ...

Barbadian men need to come forward and be tested for prostate cancer. This was the plea made by president of the Barbados Cancer Society, Professor R David Rosin, as he spoke during Sunday’s Prostate Cancer Walk.

The walk was recently launched to encourage more men to get tested for the disease.

Professor Rosin said even though more Barbadians are coming forward to be tested, the numbers among men are still worryingly low, and needed to see a change.

“Men I think don’t like to show weakness, so they don’t come forward. That’s why we really [need] more education … cancer is not such a disaster, in fact in the rest of the world [prostate cancer] is the least worrying, because men can live with it. Unfortunately, in men of African descent it’s more aggressive, so they need to come forward and they need to be sensible. Forget the idea that it’s showing weakness … come forward,” he said.

While noting the results of a recent trial which involved 565 men over 40 that showed thousands of Barbadian men as young as 40 have a specific DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule gene that predisposes them to the development of prostate cancer, Rosin stressed it was vital for men to come out in their numbers and get tested as soon as possible in order for necessary treatment to take place.

“In Barbados, prostate cancer is the most common cancer that we have. We roughly have in the last census in 2018, 325 men with prostate cancer. When you consider that it’s only half the population being men, that is a very high percentage. I think Barbados is the third highest in the world for prostate cancer [so] it’s vital that we diagnose this as early as possible.

“As with any [other] cancer, if we diagnose it early, then of course it’s very treatable. The whole idea of today’s walk is to really bring everybody’s attention to come forward and be screened.” (SB)

The post Men urged to get tested for prostate cancer appeared first on Barbados Today.

The group said that building the skills for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can start at age four — and be developed over time through routine training.

By the time children have reached 10 years old, they then may be able to perform effective chest compressions on manikins, said the statement published in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s journal. 

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It detailed evidence showing that schoolchildren as young as age four know how to call for help in a medical emergency — and that, by the ages of 10-12, they can even administer effective chest compressions when performing CPR.

The statement also said that kids can become aware of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and begin learning the steps and rhythm of CPR. 

"Building skills at a young age that are reinforced consistently throughout their years in school has the potential to educate generations of students and their parents on how to respond to cardiac arrest, perform chest compressions and rescue breaths, use an AED and ultimately increase survival," Comilla Sasson, M.D., PhD and a member of the statement-writing committee, said in a news release. 

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Sasson, an emergency physician based in the Denver area who serves as vice president for science and innovation at the American Heart Association, said all family members should know what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating) — since it occurs most often outside a hospital setting. 

The report authors reviewed over 100 research articles about training students in CPR. 

They found that school-aged children are highly motivated to learn life-saving skills and often "multiply" their training by sharing what they have learned with others, the news release said. 

"Training students has become a key element to increase the number of people ready to perform CPR when cardiac arrest occurs outside a hospital, and potentially increase rates of CPR and cardiac arrest survival globally," Dr. Bernd W. Böttiger, chair of the statement-writing group and head of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the University Hospital of Cologne in Cologne, Germany, said in a news release.

The authors recommended a combination of theoretical and practical training in schools and using social media tools to help share lifesaving skills. 

Worldwide, cardiac arrest that occurs away from a hospital setting is a leading cause of death, with survival rates range between 2% and 20% globally, according to the report. 

These rates are especially low when a bystander does not take immediate action, the news release said. 

"With survival rates of 2% to 20% for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, this study delineates the significance of children and their ability to respond not only in a timely manner but also provide care in a critical period for a patient or possibly even a friend or family member," said Dr. Zachary Hena, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone in New York City, who was not associated with the report.

Hena also told Fox News Digital, "We know the time from when someone is down to [the] time to starting chest compressions and/or delivering an effective shock if necessary improves survival and outcomes. Effectively, kids can save lives from this study — but more importantly, kids will save lives," he added. 

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Dr. Kendra Hoepper, a pediatric nurse practitioner and an associate professor and program director of nursing at Dominican University of California in San Rafael, told Fox News Digital that it's important to implement a tiered type of training program regarding CPR and first aid in children. 

That way, kids can feel more comfortable and not be fearful of reacting. 

Despite their young age, she said even a 4-year-old could be helpful in an emergency.

"The sooner we can encourage kids to know what to do in emergencies, the better," she said.

"Let's say a parent or grandparent collapses in the home — [children] may not know how to check a pulse or for breathing, but they can recognize when something is wrong and they should know to call 9-1-1." 

She added, "The 4-year-old can at least talk to someone on the phone who would then be able to instruct the child on what to do until emergency services arrive."

Hoepper and some of her former colleagues at Molloy University in Rockville Center, New York, partnered with local schools and organizations such as the Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts to help educate the community on the American Heart Association’s "Hands On Only" CPR training through formal classes and pop-up tent events. 

Debra McWilliams, MS, RN, director of Interprofessional Simulation at Long Island University Post in Brookville, New York, said of the report, "We know that every second counts when it comes to helping someone who has collapsed from a cardiac event."

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She added, "Many people witnessed the collapse of Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin on the field this past year. Within seconds, team trainers provided CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restart his heart." 

McWilliams and her nursing students recently taught CPR to the LIU community.

She said, "Knowledge is power. Educating people of all ages, children to adults, will have a positive ripple effect. This lesson can literally save lives."

Humans cannot deny the importance of water as a resource for life, which serves for hydration, daily hygiene, cooking food, and other uses such as irrigation, recreational purposes, and even energy production.

However, when water is contaminated by parasites, it can cause various diseases, especially in the digestive tract.

In the Dominican Republic, it is not uncommon for diarrhea to be caused by parasitic agents detected through stool culture.

“We live with parasites. It is very common in our country that a patient who comes with diarrhea and fever turns out to have a parasitic infection,” said gastroenterologist María Alonzo.

This is due, to a great extent, to four fundamental reasons: impurities that were not eliminated in the source at the moment of drinking water; lack of chlorine; deficient systems of storage of the liquid, and bad hygiene habits on the part of the citizens.

“Many of the pictures we see in the gastro consultation have to do with water that has not been properly processed and transmit parasites, bacteria and viruses,” she added.

According to the specialist at the Center for Advanced Gastroenterology, the most common parasite reports she sees in her practice are from patients infected with amoeba and giardia.

Dr. Maria Alonzo (EXTERNAL SOURCE).

These microscopic agents can cause acute gastroenteritis, consisting of diarrhea with nausea, vomiting, fever, and general malaise.

Alonzo clarifies that it is important to identify which parasitic agent is causing diarrhea, since “each one has a specific type of treatment.” Self-medication is ruled out.

“We cook or clean with non-potable water, thus contaminating the food and then we ingest it. Also, people who do not wash their hands properly, when interacting with food, in the end it is transmitted orally,” the doctor explained about the transmission cycle.

The gastro pointed out that children and elderly people are the most at-risk population, reminding that in case of diarrhea, the main thing is to keep the patient hydrated until he/she receives the corresponding treatment, otherwise, it could lead to renal failure.

More hand washing
Although it may seem a reiterative measure, Alonzo called for more emphasis on hand washing education, a simple action with proven results for the benefit of health.

“The Covid pandemic reminded us of this, but we are becoming increasingly lax. People no longer last the 20 seconds they should be soaping each hand. Only good hygiene prevents these cases (of parasitosis),” she said.

Water crisis
At present, the country is experiencing a water shortage as a consequence of the drought, aggravating the factors that lead to a lack of sanitation, which may cause, in addition to gastroenteritis, an increase of dengue, malaria, and chikungunya due to the storage of water in tanks and gallons that end up becoming mosquito breeding places if they are not hermetically sealed.

Another disease that spreads rapidly due to lack of water is cholera since its transmission is entirely linked to poor hygiene and sanitation habits. It is important to note that cholera cases have decreased and in the last few weeks, Public Health has not reported any new infections.

A direct consequence of the low rainfall is that the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (Caasd) has stopped producing about 25% less water than it used to, for a deficit of 139 million gallons per day in Greater Santo Domingo.

According to epidemiological surveillance records of notifiable diseases, as of March 25, the system had captured 1,331 cases of dengue, 31% more than last year; 66 of malaria, 24% more and 100 of leptospirosis, 107% more (including 10 deaths).

Also, they report 14 cases of diphtheria, with one death; 12 cases of tetanus in non-neonatal ages, with seven deaths, and two cases of pertussis, including one death from that cause.

While the records for the year 2022 up to the same period, reported 1,007 cases of dengue fever captured by the system; 53 cases of malaria, 48 of leptospirosis and eight deaths; six cases of diphtheria and one death; eight cases of tetanus in non-neonatal age with one death and one case of pertussis.

The data are contained in epidemiological bulletin number 12 of the General Directorate of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health.

The report details that in epidemiological week 12, which ended last March 25, 62 probable cases of dengue were reported, 21% of the cases are distributed in the province of Santo Domingo, and 303 cases were reported during the last four weeks of registration.

In relation to malaria, the accumulated cases as of that date were 66, of which 50% came from the outbreak in the province of Azua.

During week 12, the report indicates that five suspected cases of leptospirosis were reported, in three men residing in María Trinidad Sánchez, Peravia, and Santiago Rodríguez provinces, and one woman in Hermanas Mirabal province.

The provinces with the highest cumulative incidence of this disease, transmitted to humans through contact with the urine of infected animals, especially rats, are Santiago Rodriguez, Peravia, Azua, La Romana, and Monseñor Nouel.

SANITARY PANORAMA
On 10 April, Listín Diario reported that the first three months of this year, between medical protests, cholera outbreak, dengue cases, Covid-19 surveillance, and epidemiological alert for the presence of chikungunya in the region, were the topics that occupied the most attention in the sanitary field in the country. While the health system maintains important challenges aimed at maintaining a low incidence of other diseases.

Santo Domingo.- The rising rates of skin cancer in the country can be attributed to several factors, including inadequate skin care, delayed intervention, and the failure to use sunscreen. This year alone, the Dominican Dermatological Institute (IDCP) has received 605 consultations resulting in diagnoses of cancerous skin lesions. This number is alarmingly close to the previous year’s report, which documented 1,168 cases of cancer detection.

Luisa Gonzalez, the head of the center’s Surgical Units, highlighted the increase in the incidence of skin cancer and attributed it to various factors such as environmental pollution, dietary habits, and lifestyle changes. These factors have collectively contributed to a higher prevalence of skin cancer among the population.

Out of the 600-plus consultations received, 111 patients required surgical procedures for skin cancer treatment. This number is significantly higher compared to the previous year when 400 patients underwent surgery, indicating an increasing trend.

The IDCP plans to conduct a national awareness campaign called “Choose to Take Care of Yourself” from the 25th of this month to June 25th. The campaign aims to raise awareness about skin cancer prevention. The medical professionals at the dermatological institute emphasized that the incidence of malignant melanoma in the Dominican Republic differs from the global trend.

Contrary to global statistics, it was observed that women in the Dominican Republic are more proactive in seeking early medical attention for any changing or emerging skin lesions. This may be due to better education and awareness among women compared to men.

Previously, the institute received visits from 30 patients with advanced malignant melanoma in a year, but last year alone, the number increased to 170 patients.

Specialists emphasize the importance of early detection of malignant melanoma, as each case of skin cancer is unique. The institutional focus has always been on raising awareness, as timely prevention measures can significantly reduce the impact of the disease.

Early diagnosis and biopsy are crucial in determining the appropriate course of treatment, as different types of skin cancer exhibit varying behaviors. The Dominican Dermatological Institute follows a protocol for skin cancer patients, including triage, evaluation, surgery, and post-operative follow-ups at regular intervals over several years. This comprehensive approach aims to ensure optimal care and monitoring for patients.

The objective of this year’s theme is to raise awareness, promote hypertension detection and encourage citizens of all countries to prevent and control this silent killer

View the full post World Hypertension Day: 17 May 2023 on NOW Grenada.

Artificial intelligence has its own idea of what the perfect human body should look like.

A new study by The Bulimia Project, a Brooklyn, New York-based website that publishes content and research related to eating disorders, investigated how AI perceived the "ideal" body based on social media data.

The results, produced by AI-generated imaging tools such as Dall-E 2, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, showed widely "unrealistic" body structures, as reported in a discussion of the findings on The Bulimia Project's website.

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Forty percent of the overall images depicted "unrealistic" body types of muscular men and women — 37% for women and 43% for men — according to the study.

For women, the AI-generated images seemed to have a bias toward blonde hair, brown eyes and olive-toned skin.

More than half (53%) of all images of women generated to depict the "ideal body type" included olive skin.

For men, the AI-generated images showed a bias toward brown hair, brown eyes and olive skin.

Sixty-seven percent of all images for men with the "ideal body type" included brown hair and 63% had olive skin.

Additionally, 47% of the images for men included facial hair.

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The Bulimia Project extracted its results by approaching the various AI systems with two prompts.

The first prompt — "the ‘perfect’ female body according to social medial in 2023" — generated a variety of female body types but showed an obvious preference for slimmer women with toned muscles.

The second prompt — "the ‘perfect’ male body, according to social medial in 2023" — did the same, coming up with images of men with perfectly toned abs.

"Smaller women appeared in nearly all the images created by Dall-E 2, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, but the latter came up with the most unrealistic representations of the female body," the study revealed.

"The same can be said for the male physiques it generated, all of which look like photoshopped versions of bodybuilders."

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The study broadened the scope beyond social media, prompting the AI tools to generate images of "the ‘perfect’ woman in 2023" and "the ‘perfect’ man in 2023."

The results showed more diversity in skin, hair and eye color as well as ethnicity, although the images still depicted conventionally "fit" individuals.

The study compared how the social media-inspired images were much more sexualized and "unsettling," in terms of disproportionate body parts, than the AI-inspired renderings.

"Considering that social media uses algorithms based on which content gets the most lingering eyes, it’s easy to guess why AI’s renderings would come out more sexualized," the study concluded. 

"But we can only assume that the reason AI came up with so many oddly shaped versions of the physiques it found on social media is that these platforms promote unrealistic body types to begin with."

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In the age of filters on photo apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, "no one can reasonably achieve the physical standards set by social media," the study noted.

The Bulimia Project study was launched in response to the jarring impact of social media on children’s mental health, which could be a source of body image issues, according to the study.

The idealization of body types on social media has an undeniable effect on adults as well, experts say.

James Campigotto, a Deerfield, Florida-based data journalist who worked on The Bulimia Project's study, told Fox News Digital in an interview that this study was designed to explore the biases and potential dangers of AI.

Campigotto noted that some of the results were considered "unrealistic" in terms of body type by straying "far away" from what is "obtainable" by the average person.

"This could [negatively impact] individuals' body images," he said. 

"You could be someone who's doing all the right things, eating properly and exercising constantly … and still not achieving these very outlandish images, which can be very disheartening and impactful on someone's self-image," he added.

Campigotto said he was most surprised by the lack of diversity in the social media-inspired renderings.

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Most of the male images showed chiseled abs and "Superman-like" physiques, he said — which he believes could be linked to a lack of conversation surrounding male body positivity.

"I think men are struggling with this idea just as much, if not the same, as women — this idea of body image [and] what it is to have a body you’re proud of," he said.

AI expert Joe Toscano, founder of the data technology company Mach 9 in Omaha, Nebraska, told Fox News Digital the study findings are "not surprising," since the internet is "all about what gets clicked on the most."

"These systems are not making decisions based on ‘thinking,'" he said in a statement. "They're making these decisions based on what's already out there and indicators that are coded into the system to determine what is ‘best.’" 

As AI poses a potential threat to self-esteem and body image, Campigotto said the study also revealed biases present within artificial intelligence, warning users to "take everything with a grain of salt."

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"Keep in mind that everything that's being generated is being influenced by a certain perspective and a certain bias," he said. 

Taking social media influencers as an example, Campigotto explained they are a "minority group" who should not be representative of an overall image.

Instead, he said, "try to compare yourself to the version of yourself from yesterday and less toward everything going on around you," he said. 

"Adjust your perspective to just focus on yourself."

Toscano of Mach 9 added that a certain kind of AI usage will only "accelerate levels of mental illness and body shame."

"I used to compare myself to my peers locally, but now kids are comparing themselves to the things that trend the most on the internet, meaning instead of comparing yourself to one in 1,000 people or even 10,000 people, you're comparing yourself with the ‘best’ in the world — making those standards even more unattainable," he said. 

"In addition to that, there's no way to tell what's been rendered or not nowadays," Toscano said. 

"There's no way to tell who's had plastic surgery or not nowadays."

“The fogging operation is in response to complaints of mosquito infestation in those areas”

View the full post Vector Control Division: Fogging Schedule on NOW Grenada.

“The situation is very, very serious, and we need to take heed and do all that’s necessary to prevent a major outbreak”

View the full post Dengue outbreak in Grenada – 8 hospitalised on NOW Grenada.