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indianexpress:  WHEN the community-oriented programme for control of rheumatic diseases (COPCORD) took shape at Bhigwan village, some 100 km away from Pune, the researchers and doctors coordinating the project never bargained for the kind of data on prevalence and incidence of rheumatic diseases that would get generated.

In India, there is little data available on the number of rheumatic and arthritis patients. Hence, this fast-track model has gained widespread acceptability in measuring rheumatic musculo-skeletal (RMS) disorders and during the 11 years since its inception has been emulated in Jammu, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and even in China and Bangladesh.

Gaining widespread acceptability, the Bhigwan fast track model has received international recognition with the recent issue of Journal of Clinical Rheumatology featuring the successful model. The journal has hailed the Indian model as the foundation for a future COPCORD design and data repository.

This programme speaks about the risk factors from a 9,000-plus population by using an indigenous design of a population study model to project the disease burden. Extensive surveys and research showed that a sizeable chunk of youngsters suffered from RMS diseases, with rheumatic arthritis and osteoarthritic knees being the main complaints. Knee and back pains have been the most frequent symptoms in the COPCORD surveys.

It was also revealed that tobacco use and illiteracy had emerged as the leading risk factors for rheumatic pains in multiple variable regression models and that this was altogether a new finding requiring urgent recognition and attention of the medical faculty and public health.

Nearly 15 per cent of the Bhigwan population suffered from RMS diseases while 30 per cent had soft tissue rheumatism. But what makes this model unique and a sought after one is the consistent follow up with patients with free-of-cost therapy. The researchers were able to evaluate risk factors like lifestyles, occupation and immuno-genicities.

Dr Arvind Chopra, Director, Centre for Rheumatic Diseases and WHO International League of Associations for Rheumatology International COPCORD Co-ordinator, said the objective was to recognise the RMS symptoms with pain and disability in focus. “Any such programme has to provide some kind of treatment services and health education which can benefit the community,” he said.

indianexpress: I’m lovin’ it, says the catch phrase of McDonald’s, the American fast food giant. But it was not a lovely experience for local residents Gregory and wife Irene Belsher at the McDonald’s outlet in J M Maharaj Road on Saturday. The couple after ordering their meal had taken a bite each from McDonald’s Chicken Maharaja Mac and Irene was preparing to take a second bite when a portion of the watercress lettuce containing a live worm fell out from the burger. “I was lucky that it fell out before a took a bite. I felt like puking,” Irene said.

The couple called for the manager. The McDonald’s outlet had no answers and the manager called up Sourav Kalra, the fast food giant’s operation consultant for Pune and Nashik. Kalra came to the outlet in about 15 minutes and gave his verdict: Nothing could be done.

“We were told that nothing in the form of a compensation could be given. Even for giving some beverage or burger as a good will, they had to get the nod of the Mumbai head. We refused,” Gregory said.

Kalra then called Ritika Verma, McDonald’s customer care head in Mumbai. After listening to the complaint from the by-now irate customers, she too said that nothing could be done as McDonald’s offices were closed during the weekend and requested the couple to wait till Monday. When Gregory asked for a written acknowledgement that a worm had been found in the burger, the McDonald’s official refused.

“She told us that we could approach the consumer court or knock at the door of the media,” Gregory said. Hearing that the couple called up The Indian Express.

“If this is the response if nobody can decide what to do on such an important matter then how can they run the outlet of an international food chain?” Gregory asked.

indianexpress: THE onset of monsoon seems to have put Wanavdi police in a Catch 22 situation. Officials are in a dilemma as far as moving out of the dilapidated and illegal Kondhwa police chowki is concerned. They can neither shift to a new place — despite being given a piece of land — nor can they operate comfortably as the existing chowki encroaches a major portion of the Kondhwa Road.

The Wanavdi police have been given a guntha of land by Kondhwa-based Kausar Baug Trust for setting up a police chowki a year ago. But a detailed construction plan submitted by the officials at the state director general of police’s (DGP) office is yet to be approved.

ACP Ramesh Biwal said he understood the conundrum they were in but had one worry — the onset of the rains. The pre-monsoon has already wreaked havoc on the chowki. “Even the summers have been too bad for us. We can neither move nor stay. But a full-fledged chowki is the need of the hour here considering Kondhwa and its adjoining areas are communally sensitive and politically volatile throughout the year,” Biwal said.

The recent down pour had inundated the chowki bringing to a halt its day-to-day business, while holes in the iron sheets led to extensive water leakages.

Policemen posted at the chowki on the condition of anonymity said that they had been suffering from the dust kicked up by passing vehicles, water-logging and congestion. “There is an imminent danger of heavy vehicles dashing the chowki as it stands on the middle of the road. The government will wake up only after the death of some policemen,” they said.

A visit to the chowki revealed there is no proper space for complainants to sit or toilet facilities. The only solace comes in the form of some exhaust fans and coolers from a donor.

indianexpress: SEEMA (name changed), who is serving a life sentence at the female prison of the Yerawada Central Jail, for the first time had a cash amount of Rs 10,000 in her bank account when she sought parole to visit her ailing mother and children.

She is a member of a self-help group of 13, each of whom could deposit more than Rs 12,000 in their accounts with the State Bank of India (SBI) over the last one year. Behind this success story are the SBI and the Janeev Sanghatana, who introduced the micro-credit system in the jail for the first time last year.
 
Today a year later, there are three groups in the jail comprising 37 members. The SBI is now interested in reaching out to the 235 women convicts. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons (Western Region) Madhav Karve, more women would be initiated into the micro-credit system to make them self reliant, as this entails compulsory saving. The SBI had launched an embroidery training course.

“As of now, they earn around Rs 17 to 18 per day and with orders for embroidery work, they stand to earn Rs 35 per day,” says Mahananda Alyalmath, manager micro-credit system, SBI. She says, “The inmates have to show a saving deposit of Rs 10,000 while seeking permission for parole and with this micro-credit system, it becomes easier for them,” she says. The self-help groups have been formed with members of the Janeev Sanghatana along with women jail guards for operating the accounts.

To ensure all inmates get adequate work, the SBI is planning to repeat the embroidery training course. According to Karve, it will not only be an income generation, but also help them emerge more confident individuals when they leave these premises.

indianexpress: The life of twenty -four- year old Rasul Shaikh, a first year MBA student of Poona College, was snuffed out on Friday night as timely medical help was refused by city’s prominent military hospital - Military Hospital Cardio Thoracic Centre (MH-CTC).

Shaikh, who hailed from Nanded ,was on his bike taking a U-turn opposite the main gate MH-CTC gate when another motorcylist rammed into him. This was around about 9.30 pm.The MH-CTC refused admission and he was rushed to Command hospital where doctors initially refused even first aid to Sheikh. They relented only after persistent requests by Raj Singh and Aditi Marunkar, passersby who came to the rescue of the accident victim. However, they did not admit him into the ICU.

“The doctors at Command Hospital refused to admit Shaikh in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU ) on the grounds that it was reserved for military personnel.They further told me that they had restrictions saying ‘Why should we vacate our army beds for a civilian’. They told us to go to either Jehangir or Ruby Hospital,” Singh alleged.

A precious 45 minutes was lost at MH-CTC and Command Hospital. “I am saddened at the way in which the top medical institutions behaved with a civilian. It was around midnight that Shaikh was taken to Jehangir Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival”, Singh said.

MH-CTC authorities could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Colonel PS Bhatti, PRO for Command Hospital said, “As responsible citizens, we administered first aid to the boy, incubated him and put him on ventilator as his condition was extremely critical. He was later transferred to Jehangir hospital. We assure the relatives of the boy that best of medical treatment was given to him.”

indianexpress: THE Pune division railway officials will launch a drive from May 28 to June 8 to educate passengers on maintaining cleanliness.

“The Pune division will use mechanised equipment for cleaning the circulating area, platforms and trains while a jet mechanism will be used for cleaning railway tracks,” a press communiqué from the Central Railways said. The release also said that adding scouts, guides and non-governmental organisations to the cause will help communicate the message.
 
Authorities will spread the words by arming themselves with handbills and announcements to reach out to the masses. “Announcements on the use of dustbins; barring the throwing of mineral water bottles and plastic bags in drains; against spitting; etc will be repeated through the day,” the release also said. “Officials will keep a check on the people.”

“Defaulters will be fined Rs 500 or jailed for six months according to the Indian Railways Act,” spokesman Y K Singh said.

msnbc: Canadian researchers say they have developed the most detailed model of a human yet, a moveable “4-D” image that doctors can use to plan complex surgery or show patients what ailments look like inside their bodies.

Called CAVEman, the larger-than-life computer image emcompasses more than 3,000 distinct body parts, all viewed in a booth that gives the image height, width and depth, the researchers said Wednesday.

CAVEman also plots the passage of time — the fourth “D”.

Scientists can layer on the unique visuals of patients, such as magnetic resonance images, CAT scans and X-Rays, giving physicians high-resolution views of the inner workings of the body while it appears to float within arm’s reach.

It will help researchers study the genetics of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, muscular sclerosis and Alzheimer’s, said officials at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, which has worked on the system for six years.

“Today, this kind of a model is unique in the world. It’s the only one that is complete,” said Christoph Sensen, director of the medical school’s Sun Center of Excellence for Visual Genomics.

“We have components of models. We could make this thing with 50 different brains because everybody makes their own brain model. What we didn’t have was a whole, complete body.”

CAVEman is an offshoot of a 3-D virtual reality “Cave”, a $5.5 million lab the Sun Center opened in 2002 in conjunction with Sun Microsystems Inc.

The model started partly due to a desire among massage therapy teachers at a company in the central Alberta city of Red Deer for a more intricate picture of muscles and bones.

It cost somewhere between $460,000 and $1.8 million. “It’s very hard to guess, because it has taken many years, especially in Red Deer, with at least one or two artists constantly employed,” Sensen said.

msnbc: In the race for ever-thinner displays for TVs, cell phones and other gadgets, Sony may have developed one to beat them all — a razor-thin display that bends like paper while showing full-color video.

Sony Corp. released video of the new 2.5-inch display Friday. In it, a hand squeezes a display that is 0.3 millimeters, or 0.01 inch, thick. The display shows color images of a bicyclist stuntman and a picturesque lake.

Although flat-panel TVs are getting slimmer, a display that’s so thin it bends in a human hand marks a breakthrough.

Sony said it has yet to decide on commercial products using the technology.

“In the future, it could get wrapped around a lamppost or a person’s wrist, even worn as clothing,” said Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa. “Perhaps it can be put up like wallpaper.”

Tatsuo Mori, an engineering and computer science professor at Nagoya University, said some hurdles remained, including making the display bigger, ensuring durability and cutting costs.

But he said the display’s pliancy is extremely difficult to imitate with liquid crystal displays and plasma display panels — the two main display technologies now on the market.

“To come up with a flexible screen at that image quality is groundbreaking,” Mori said. “You can drop it, and it won’t break because it’s as thin as paper.”

msnbc: Digital photo frames flew off store shelves for Mother’s Day gifts, and the same can be expected for graduation and Father’s Day.

And why not? The idea of having dozens of photos rotating in a slideshow in a frame for family and friends to see appeals to our uber-egos.

Prices have dropped significantly in the last six months. Frames with 7-inch diagonal displays can be had for less than $150, and less than $100 at some stores such as Wal-Mart and Target.

Compare that price to Sony’s CyberFrame, one of the first digital photo frames on the market, which had a 5-1/2-inch screen and cost $900CQ  in 1999.

“Lower prices have driven this product to non-traditional electronics retailers, such as Linens ‘n Things, Kohl’s and Macy’s,” said Ross Rubin, a consumer technology analyst for the NPD Group.

That has made the frames more appealing as an “impulse purchase” for many consumers, he said.

Also, “newer generations of the frames are being built on the same kinds of platforms for portable media players, such as the iPod or Zune,” Microsoft’s version of Apple’s iPod.

That means some digital frames can now “play music and video, in some cases, as well as show multiple pictures on the screen at the same time,” he said.

However, the frames’ ease-of-use factor and the quality of the photos displayed still leaves a lot to be desired.

msnbc: Nearly 40 astronauts on Friday became the first to ride aboard a NASA tourist attraction that recreates a ride aboard the space shuttle, complete with the deep rumble of liftoff and a serene view of the earth from orbit.

The $60 million Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center is the agency’s first venture into the theme-park ride business, and the astronauts said it is comparable to a real shuttle flight.

“It’s pretty realistic with all the shakes and rattles and vibration,” said John Young, commander of the first shuttle mission and one of those who took the inaugural ride.

A handful of space veterans were consulted to ensure the ride was authentic.

The simulator building was designed to resemble those by the launch pads a few miles away. Visitors enter though a steel gantry and receive a mission “briefing” from Hall of Fame astronaut Charlie Bolden on three elaborate projection screens in a circular room.

Steam billows out of the floor and the room shakes as Bolden explains the mission process. The doors open and the computer announces, “Trainees report to simulator.”

Visitors are strapped in and tilted back 90 degrees, the same position in which astronauts wait two hours before launch.