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Health Breakthrough on asbestos disease Doctors are developing the first ever effective treatment for the respiratory disease mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a disease of the lung lining and chest wall contracted from exposure to asbestos. It is responsible for as many deaths as cervical cancer. The disease has traditionally viewed as untreatable and incurable, but speakers at the British Thoracic Society (BTS) summer meeting in Southampton on Thursday will outline medical and surgical advances that suggest otherwise. They will highlight recent trials which show that chemotherapy treatment improves the symptoms of mesothelioma, while a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery can produce prolonged survival, if the disease is detected early. In the preliminary results of a recent study of 19 patients at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, nearly half (47%) of patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma experienced improved respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of

Women who have been treated for early signs of cervical cancer have a high risk of the disease decades later, say Swedish researchers. Regular smear tests should be offered to those with pre-cancerous lesions for at least 25 years, they said. Current guidelines for UK women who have been treated for the condition called carcinoma-in-situ recommend annual screening for 10 years. The study of 133,000 women is published in the British Medical Journal. Cervical screening is offered to women in the UK at three-year intervals between the ages of 25 and 49 and then every five years until the age of 64 years. It is done to pick up changes to cells in the surface layer of the cervix which may later develop into cancer. If abnormal cells are detected they can be monitored, destroyed or removed. Analysis Swedish researchers looked at data on women who had been diagnosed with the most severe pre-cancerous lesions - commonly known as carcinoma-in-situ - between 1958 and 2002. They found the women w

The smoke from burning marijuana leaves contains several known carcinogens and the tar it creates contains 50 percent more of some of the chemicals linked to lung cancer than tobacco smoke. A marijuana cigarette also deposits four times as much of that tar as an equivalent tobacco one. Scientists were therefore surprised to learn that a study of more than 2,000 people found no increase in the risk of developing lung cancer for marijuana smokers. "We expected that we would find that a history of heavy marijuana use--more than 500 to 1,000 uses--would increase the risk of cancer from several years to decades after exposure to marijuana," explains physician Donald Tashkin of the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead researcher on the project. But looking at residents of Los Angeles County, the scientists found that even those who smoked more than 20,000 joints in their life did not have an increased risk of lung cancer. The researchers interviewed 611 lung cancer patie

Ebay, the world's largest online auctioneer, has launched a website that allows people to invest in loans that lift people out of poverty. The website, called MicroPlace, acts as a broker between ordinary investors and microfinance organisations. For as little as $100, US investors will be able to help entrepreneurs in poor countries, be they coffee sellers in Cambodia or hairdressers in Ghana. The investments last between two and four years and offer a small return. "We really wanted to make it accessible for small everyday investors," said Tracey Pettengill Turner, the founder and general manager of MicroPlace. "You can earn a return on your investment and help the world's working poor," she said. Business not charity Microfinance is the supply of small, usually unsecured loans to poor households and small businesses in developing countries. The rates of interest are usually quite high but allow access to credit in places where people cannot readily obtain

Doctors are developing the first ever effective treatment for the respiratory disease mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a disease of the lung lining and chest wall contracted from exposure to asbestos. It is responsible for as many deaths as cervical cancer. The disease has traditionally viewed as untreatable and incurable, but speakers at the British Thoracic Society (BTS) summer meeting in Southampton on Thursday will outline medical and surgical advances that suggest otherwise. They will highlight recent trials which show that chemotherapy treatment improves the symptoms of mesothelioma, while a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery can produce prolonged survival, if the disease is detected early. In the preliminary results of a recent study of 19 patients at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, nearly half (47%) of patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma experienced improved respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and chest pain after receiving s

A drug for the asbestos-linked cancer mesothelioma has been blocked for widespread use by the NHS in England and Wales. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) decided Alimta should only be recommended for use in new or ongoing clinical trials. NICE concluded there was not enough evidence the drug was better than cheaper treatments. However, critics said some patients would be left worse off. This treatment does not save lives, but it can prolong the lives of patients and also improve the quality of the time they have left Dr Joanna Nakielny Professor Nick Thatcher, specialist lung consultant at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust in Manchester, said: "This decision, if upheld, will remove a very useful treatment option for patients with this resistant cancer. "It is contrary to the scientific evidence and is purely based on the value Nice place on a person's life." Workplace exposure Mesothelioma is a type of cancer affecting the mesothelial c

The US dollar hovered near record lows against the euro by close of trade in New York on Friday, as expectations over a US interest rate cut increased. One euro was worth $1.4265 by mid-afternoon in the US, after the greenback sank just short of $1.4320. Analysts said a rise in US unemployment adds to chances of an interest rate cut when The Federal Reserve meets in October, in a bid to boost the economy. Against Japan's yen, the dollar stayed near three-week lows, at 114.77 yen. Rejuvenate confidence Commentators now say the Fed could well reduce rates from 4.75% to 4.5%. The dollar has been sliding since the Federal Reserve cut rates from 5.25% to 4.75% in September to help rejuvenate confidence in the world's largest economy. This followed a summer of turmoil in the world's credit markets, sparked by record loan defaults in the US sub-prime mortgage sector. Since then, a raft of mostly disappointing economic news and soft inflation figures has prompted the anticipation o

Syria has switched all of its government foreign exchange dealings from dollars to euros as part of a political stand-off with the US. Government divisions and public sector firms have been ordered to use the euro for foreign goods and services by Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari. The state-owned Commercial Bank of Syria said the switch was "important and necessary". Relations have been strained between the US and Syria for many years. Syria's support for militant groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and its hosting of the Palestinian group Hamas have been a major bone of contention as have US allegations - denied by Damascus - that its government had helped insurgents in Iraq and was seeking out weapons of mass destruction. 'US threats' In 2004, the US imposed sanctions prohibiting certain US exports to Syria and froze the assets of Syrians it believed were linked to terrorism. After the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri a year ago, t

The three largest players in the global currency market are teaming up with Reuters to offer foreign-exchange services over the internet to major clients, according to a report in Monday's Wall Street Journal. The report said US banks Chase Manhattan and Citigroup and Germany's Deutsche Bank were creating a new company together with the news and financial information provider. The move is the latest and most significant sign that big players in currency markets are turning to the internet to answer their clients' demands for faster services at lower prices. Chase, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank together have a market share in world foreign exchange trading of almost 30%. Other partners sought The Wall Street Journal reported sources familiar with the deal as saying that the four founders were now seeking to include a further 50 or 60 international banks in the venture before publicly announcing its creation. The new venture is set to compete directly with FX Alliance, an inter

People go to work everyday to earn money in order to finance all their expenses. Some even stay in the office for extra hours to do overtime, just so they could earn extra money. If you're one of the many people still looking for ways to earn, forex trading is a very good place to start your search. Forex trading is no longer concentrated in the actual FX market. You can actually do it globally. You might wonder how, well it is quite simple. You are most probably aware that the Internet is widely used nowadays; and many businesses are finding it very useful in almost all areas of their work. And now, you can even trade currencies through the net. New traders can find the net as a helpful tool in doing their trades online. There are many different forex trading programs available in different websites. All you have to do is to choose one website that would suit your trading needs. Many forex traders believe that the FX market is the best place to earn money. If you know how the mark

A dream machine for anyone. One whose cost factor determines that you must buy it carefully. If you are thinking of going in for a laptop (or a notebook, as it is called among the tech circles), here are a few tips that will come in handy 3 questions to ask before you buy a computer . Opt for an Intel Pentium 4 or an Intel Centrino processor. The processor forms the computing core of your laptop and is one area where you must not compromise. Invest wisely here. The processor is the first component likely to get outdated and it is not possible to upgrade it. 2. Opt for a 256 MB DDR SDRAM. A RAM of lower memory capacity will make it difficult to run certain applications and software. Upgrading from 256 to 512 MB DDR SDRAM could cost you between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000. 3. Choose an Active-matrix (TFT) display, preferably an LCD. The display is an active matrix if you can see the arrow while it traverses the screen. Most displays nowadays are TFTs as the Passive-matrix (dual scan) is now ou

The Central Bank of the UK will likely lower interest rates at its next meeting, following the lead of the Fed. The most recent British economic data indicated that inflation has fallen to its lowest level in over a year. Moreover, UK (and European for that matter) monetary policy prioritizes price stability over employment, by unofficially targeting an inflation benchmark. Thus, without regard to economic growth, the Bank of UK will adjust interest rates accordingly. While the Pound-Dollar exchange rate is less sensitive to relative interest rates, the Pound has already fallen against the Euro, since the two countries compete over foreign capital. Bloomberg News reports: "The move down is probably going to continue. Sterling will remain under pressure. If any major central bank is going to emulate the Fed and cut rates, it's going to be the BOE. Fed Chiefs Act Alike in Crisis Alan Greenspan, former President of America's Federal Reserve Bank, gained notoriety as well

The Australian Dollar recently touched a 20-year high against the USD, having risen 15% in the last month alone. In fact, the currency has proved to be one of the top performers against the USD in 2007, having benefited from continued weakness in the US economy. It has also been one of the chief beneficiaries of the Yen carry trade, in which investors have sold Yen in favor of higher-yielding currencies, which also include the Swiss Franc and New Zealand Dollar. Meanwhile, Australia's economy is surging, as Chinese demand for raw materials is unabated. Many analysts are asserting that the Australian Dollar can go no higher, citing technical factors. However, there seems to be just as many analysts who expect the AUD to test the outer limits of parity with the USD. The Sydney Morning Herald reports: The chief equities economist at CommSec, Craig James, said the dollar was now likely to enter the “nervous nineties.” Read More: Australian dollar the strongest in 20 years Global

Japan's Central Bank now controls over $950 Billion in foreign exchange reserves, second only to those of China. While Japan is not accumulating significant new reserves, its existing reserves have appreciated in value due to the Euro's recent ascent. Analysts are keeping a close eye on the reserves of both countries, which represent close to 50% of the world's foreign exchange reserves. In addition, analysts will be watching China, which may take a cue from Japan and diversify some of its reserves into Euro-denominated assets in order to offset the effect of the declining Dollar. AFX News Limited reports: Japan's reserves are closely watched for evidence of how the country is managing its foreign currency holdings. Its actions are seen as having a significant impact on exchange rates and bond markets around the world, particularly the US government bond market. Korean Won Benefits from Falling Dollar It seems the collapse of the USD is quickly spreading; the Korean

When it comes to trading systems that you can use to trade on the Forex market you have plenty of options but it’s very important to choose the right Forex trading system for you. Some may find fundamental factors easier to take while others will do better with technical indicators. Everyone is different and which system isn’t important – what is important is matching individual to system. So how do you find the right system? Well it starts with you understanding the methods of analysis that are used when you are trading on the Forex currency market. When you know what the tools are and how to use them you can analyze what is best for you. Some of the most popular technical analysis tools include pivot points, Fibonacci retraces, chart patterns, candlestick patterns, trade balances, interest rates, and GDP which stands for gross domestic product. You will need to determine the profitability of the Forex trading system you are considering choosing. Use a real time demo to determine how

You’ve decided to become a trader on the Forex market but since you’ve never played on the currency market you aren’t sure where to start. Not to worry – we’ve got some great tips for global Forex trading, Forex is the foreign exchange market where currencies are bought and sold. It began back in the 1970’s with the introduction of free exchange rates and floating currencies. Thanks to the internet more and more people are able to reap the profits of the currency market with global Forex trading. This is a market that trades as over US$1 trillion a day. It trades more than any other market. There are some distinct differences in the currency market compared to the stock market. Money moves much faster so no single investor has the ability to actually affect market price and trades are able to open and close within seconds which is not possible on the stock market. To start your global Forex trading you need to open a Forex account. Just fill in the application and the sign the margin a