mental illnesses their causes and stigma part 1

Mental illness is considered an incurable curse. People fear and reject people with mental illness. They often resort to witchcraft,traditional healers and religious exorcism to remove the curses or supernatural forces behind the illness.
People’s beliefs and attitudes toward mental illness set the stage for how they interact with, provide opportunities for, and help support a person with mental illness. Attitudes and beliefs about mental illness are shaped by personal knowledge, knowing and interacting with someone living with mental illness, cultural stereotypes, and other factors.
When people understand the causes of mental illness,stigma and other related discriminating belief can be reduced.
These are common questions raised by people with co-occurring disorders and their family members.
What causes mental illnesses (psychiatric disorders)?
Why do some people develop a psychiatric disorder but others don't?
What affects the course of the disorder?
The stress-vulnerability model provides answers to these questions. This model can help in understanding the causes of psychiatric disorders, how psychiatric disorders and addiction can influence each other, and how co-occurring disorders can be managed and treated together.
In this model, two main factors are involved. "Vulnerability" refers to our basic susceptibility to mental health disorders. This is determined by our genetic makeup and our early life experiences. It is affected by our use of medications and our likelihood of using alcohol or drugs. "Stress" refers to the challenges faced in our lives. It is affected by our coping skills, social support, and involvement in meaningful activities.
We are all predisposed to mental illnesses,no one is spared. It depend on the interaction of the following factors
Biological Vulnerability
To be vulnerable it means that we are likely to be affected. Mental illnesses like other diseases like asthma run in families and make us vulnerable. Not only family history but also early life events like trauma,adverse life events sets us up for it.
Some people are biologically vulnerable to certain psychiatric disorders: bipolar disorder, major depression(sonona in kiswahili), schizophrenia, or anxiety disorders (panic, post-traumatic stress), for example. This vulnerability is determined early in life by a combination of factors, including genetics(disease run in families-inherited), prenatal nutrition,infections(influenza) and stress, birth complications, and early experiences in childhood (such as abuse or the loss of a parent).
This is why some families are more likely to have members with a particular psychiatric disorder.Although vulnerability to psychiatric disorders is primarily biological in nature, people can take steps to reduce their vulnerability, including taking medication and not using alcohol or drugs. It's also worth noting that the greater a person's vulnerability to a particular disorder, the earlier it is likely to develop, and the more severe it may become.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!! FOR MUHAS STUDENTS

The android application which goes by the name SERENGETI is now ready. Serengeti make your life easier then before by providing you with news feeds from different sources especially information as soon as they are posted from university community webs,blog,fb pages like MUHAS websites,MUHASSO facebook page, MUHASSO blog and more other websites,you don't need to search the information but the information will search you.
The application contain the followings

1. INFORMATIONS

• MUHASSO facebook page
• MUHAS websites
• Jamii forums 

   2 .BLOGS

• MUHASSO blog
• Michuzi blog
• Missiepopular
• medstuinfo

   3 .ENTERTAINMENT

• IMDb for movies
• Bongo5
• Bongocinemas

   4 .YOUTUBE

• MkasiEATV
• WemasepetuOfficial

   5 . SPORTS

• Goal.com
• Livescores

These are just webs n blogs to start with,the app will be modified and updated with time depending on the needs of pepole.This version is special for MUHAS students.
SPECS:

• 3.7MB
• HD DISPLAY
• SETTING MENU
• 2 DIFFERENT THEMES
• POWER 9CHARGE)FRIENDLY

SCREEN SHOTS.

DOWNLOAD SERENGETI HERE

PONA KWA IMANI YAKO ILA USIDANGANYIKE

PONA KWA IMANI YAKO ILA USIDANGANYIKE
Joseph Julius(MD, MUHAS)

“Ona!imani yako imekuponya”,ndivyo yesu alivyomwambia kipofu mmoja huko yeriko baada ya kupona upofu. Hapa alikua sawa kabisa,imani inaponya kweli. Kinachonisikitisha na kunisumbua mimi kama mwanafunzi wa tiba ya kisayansi na ya kisasa ya wanadamu ni jinsi gani uwezo huu wa imani kuponya ulivyovamiwa na waganga wa jadi pamoja na viongozi wa dini,ambao sintosita kuwaita matapeli.

Ndio maana Kwenye mashahiri ya chekacheka T.mvungi hakusita kuuburuza wino karatasini kwamba:
                      
                         Kimbilio la wanyonge,limejigeuza chatu,
                         Chatu mmeza matonge,asieogopa watu,
                         Dawa uchonge singe,chatu afanywe si kitu,
                         Akishaoza samaki,busara ni kumtupa.

Naam,na tuzichonge singe zetu basi,kwangu mimi singe ni elimu,tufahamu nini maana ya kupona kwa imani ili kuepusha kutapeliwa basi huko mbele na labda kuokoa maisha ambayo huenda yangeokolewa kwa njia nyingine ila sio lazima iwe hii ya imani.

Kwanza kabisa tutambue kuwa miili ya wanyama ina mbinu asilia za kuepukana na kujitibu magonjwa,hii nitaiita kinga asilia dhidi ya magonjwa. Tunatapika tukila vitu vibaya ili kusafisha mfumo wa chakula wa juu,tunaharisha kusafisha mfumo wa chakula wa chini,jotoridi letu la mwili likipanda(homa) ,miili yetu inapambana vizuri zaidi na maambukizi. Mbinu zote hizo pia zinaweza kumgharimu mnyama hata maisha yake pia. Sote tunajua athari za kuhara au kutapika kupita kiasi au kwa muda mrefu. Kwa hiyo sasa, miili ya wanyama ipo makini sana katika kuruhusu mbinu hizo zifanye kazi.

Wengi tunafaham pia kuwa kama tukipata tetekuwanga mara moja maishani basi hatutopata tena na pia hata malaria inapunguza kutusumbua kadiri tunavyozidi kuwa wakubwa ukilinganisha na utotoni.
Hapa kinachotokea ni kwamba: vimelea vya maambukizi vikishaingia kwenye miili yetu,miili yetu inavitambua na kutengeneza vitu mfano wa askari ambao watapambana navyo kama vitakuja kuvamia tena.

Kama vimelea hivyo vitarudi na sura ileile basi vitatambuliwa na kuchukuliwa hatua za haraka na hatutapata ule ugonjwa. Vimelea navyo vijanja lakini,huwa vinarudi vimebadilisha sura kitu ambacho kinaulazimu mwili kutengeneza askari wengine watakaoweza kuvitambua tena. Kwa hiyo usipende kwenda maabara kupima malaria ukaambiwa “una ringi mbili za malaria” nawe ukaenda kubugia dawa,ni kawaida kuwa na hivyo vimelea kwenye damu kama unaishi haya maeneo yenye maambukizi mazito,lakini haimaanishi unaumwa;sanasana utapelekea mwili wako kuwa sugu kwa dawa hizo na siku ukiumwa kweli ikawa shida kukutibu.

Nilichokieleza hapo juu ndio sababu za magonjwa hasa ya watoto huwa yanapona bila hata kuwafikisha hospitali japo jamii inaamua kuweka imani zake,kwa mfano wanasema watoto huwa wanalilia majina ya mababu/mabibi/mizimu na ukiwabadilishia wanaacha kulia. Wanaongeza kuwa ukikosea jina wataendelea kulia tu na inabidi ubadilishe ili uone,wanaongeza tena kuwa kama mtakosea jina basi kitoto kitalia mpaka kufa. Hapo wamekosea; kipindi kitoto kikiacha kulia basi kinga asilia imefanya kazi na kama ndio walikua wamebadilisha jina basi matukio mawili yameenda pamoja ila moja(la jina) halina matokeo,na kama itashindwa basi kitoto kitahangaika mpaka kufa na watatafasili kimekataa jina.

Turudi basi kwenye imani kuponya; ili kukufungua macho acha nikuelezee kuhusu “placebo effect” kwanza; kwenye kamusi yangu ya TUKI(eng-swah) neno placebo limetafsiriwa kama kipozauongo:dawa ya kutuliza/kupoza,ila kama tutakavyokuja kuona hapo baadae hii sio dawa.
Wataalam wa tiba wakiwa wanataka kujua kama dawa au mbinu Fulani ya tiba inatibu kweli huwa wanatumia kipoza uongo kwa upande mmoja na dawa au mbinu inayochunguzwa kwa upande mwingine,kipozauongo hicho hufanana sana na ile dawa ila tu inaondolewa kiambato muhimu ambacho ndicho kinasemekana kuponya.

Mfano tunataka kuchunguza kama dawa fulani iliyotengenezwa kwa ajili ya kutibu malaria kama kweli inatibu malaria,tutachukua wagonjwa waliothibitishwa kuwa na malaria na tutawagawa katika makundi mawili bila wao kujua,tuseme wapo elfu moja kila kundi. Alafu tutachukua ile dawa inayosemekana inatibu malaria kutokana na kuwa na kiambata Fulani kiitwacho X labda,alafu tutatengeneza kidonge kingine kama hiyo dawa na tutaiondolea kiambata X ila itafanana kabisa na ile dawa ya kweli kwa vitu vingine vyote(hii ndio kipozauongo)

Baada ya hapo tutaligawia kundi moja la wagonjwa dawa inayojaribiwa na jingine kipozauongo katika kipimo na masharti sawa. Baadae tutakuja kuchunguza idadi ya wagonjwa waliopona kutoka katika kila kundi. Kila kundi litakua na wagonjwa waliopona na ambao hawajapona. Ili dawa/mbinu ile inayojaribiwa ionekane kuwa ni kweli inaponya,namba ya waliopona lazima ivuke kiwango flani cha kitwakwimu,kwa mfano wale waliopewa dawa wanaweza kupona kwa 99.9% na lile kundi lililopewa kipozauongo wakapona 1%.
Je hawa waliopona bila kupewa dawa wameponaje?imani yao imewaponya,kuna uhusiano kati ya saikolojia na fiziolojia ya mwili.
Wenzangu na mimi wanaosoma/wanaofanya tiba watakubaliana na mimi kuwa kuna umuhimu wa kutengeneza ukaribu kati yako na mgonjwa,kuwa sehemu ya kinachomsumbua,jinsi ya kujionesha mbele yake,na mengine. (Angalia hapa pia)

Nakumbuka tukiwa wodi ya wazazi,ukiwasogelea wajawazito walio karibu kujifungua ukawa unawapa moyo kwa kuwashika mkono na kuwaaminisha kuwa haitakuwa shida wanaonekana kupunguza kuhangaika na wanatulia kama maumivu yamepungua.

Baba wa udaktari Hippocrates aliwahi kusema ”watu wanadhani kifafa kimeshushwa toka mbinguni,kwa sababu tu hawakielewi. Ila kama wangeita kila kitu wasichokielewa kuwa kimeshushwa,basi vitu vilivyoshushwa visingekuwa na mwisho”. Kupona kwa imani kunatokea kwa uwezekano mdogo sana ukilinganisha na tiba zilizowahi kufanyiwa utafiti kisayansi na zinazotolewa na watu waliotumia miaka mitano au zaidi wakijifunza sababu za magonjwa,jinsi magonjwa yanavyoathiri mifumo wa mwili,vipimo vya kuhakiki na hatimaye tiba,kuzuia na ushauri.

Inasemekana miaka mia hamsini iliyopita bikira la Maria alimtokea mtakatifu Bernadete Soubirous huko Lourdes,Ufaransa mara kumi na tatu na tangu hapo watu huenda kuhiji huko. Tovuti ya www.catholicnews .com imendika kwamba zaidi ya watu milioni sita huenda kuhiji huko kila mwaka wakiomba kuponywa na msamaha. Ila watu sitini na saba tu ndio waliorekodiwa kuwahi kupona kati ya hayo mamilioni,hii ni kipozauongo. Yale tunayoyaona kwenye runinga kuwa makundi makubwa ya watu yanapona palepale baada ya kuombewa,tena magonjwa makubwa kabisa kama saratani na UKIMWI ni ghilba tu ya kutaka kuvuta wateja wengi zaidi. Nakumbuka kichekesho cha mtu aliekuwa kipofu toka amezaliwa ila baada ya kuombewa na kuona aliweza kuzitambua rangi za simba na yanga.

Ni vyema basi tukipata magonjwa kuanzia kwanza kwenye tiba hii ya kisasa,tiba ya kisayansi,tiba ya magharibi kama inapatikana kabla ya kwenda huko kwingine kwa sababu kama tulivyoona kuna uwezekano mdogo sana wa kipozauongo kukuponya(japo inawezekana). Waganga wa kienyeji wao hutoa hata dawa za kunywa ambazo hazijafanyiwa utafiti na hivyo madhara yake hawayajui,hizi huweza kusababisha matatizo ya figo. Ila nisiwaonee waganga wa kienyeji tu,siku hizi hata viongozi wa dini nao wanatoa vitu vya kumeza kama dawa walizooneshwa na mungu wao,nikitaja neno Roliondo sihitaji kuelezea zaidi kilichotokea. Umaskini wetu unafanya iwe ngumu kuipata tiba hii ya kisasa ila hilo halimaanishi siyo ya kweli.kwa mfano kuna magonjwa ambayo ili wapate tiba yake ni lazima upigwe picha ya MRI labda,hizi zipo chache na wengi wetu hatuwezi kulipia ndio maana lazima tupiganie kupata maendeleo ili tuishi maisha yenye ubora.

0766817574
Josejulius1990@gmail.com

NOTICIFICATION!!

This blog is under modification........unusual activities can happen!We are trying to make this as faster as we can!!

NGONO,DUNIA YA LEO NA JAMII

NGONO,DUNIA YA LEO NA JAMII

Joseph Julius MD(MUHAS)

Habarini za leo ndugu wasomaji! Kwanza nitangulize heshima zangu za dhati kwa ndugu Paschal Ndaro kwa ubunifu alio nao wa kutumia maendeleo ya teknohama kusababisha sisi kuweza kuelimishana, kubadilishana ufahamu na kuburudishana kama ilivyo hapa.

Pia niongeze kuwa kama mtu ana chochote cha kuchangia basi ni vyema tukachangia hapa hapa kwenye blogi ili kuwapanua zaidi wanaosoma. Binafsi napenda kuandika kwa lugha yetu mama ili kuwafikia wengi na pia nina wazo la kuongeza misamiati kwenye lugha yetu hii,ila kama mahitaji ya utafsiri yatajitokeza basi sintokuwa na budi kufanya hivyo.

Leo nitagusia swala nyeti sana kwenye maadili ya mwanadam; nitachambua swala la ngono katika uhusiano na maendeleo ya dunia ya leo na jamii yetu. Kabla ya yote na tutambue tofauti yetu sisi wanadam na wanyama wengine(sisi nao ni wanyama pia). Vinasaba vya binadam vinafana na vile vya sokwe kwa zaidi ya 98% na vile vya mmea wa nyanya kwa 60%,pia vipande vidogo kabisa(atomu) vinavyotuunda vinapatikana kwenye mawe,mchanga,maji na hata nyota. Kinachotutofautisha na mengine hayo yote ni tamaduni,zinazotokana na ubongo wetu kuwa mkubwa ukilinganisha na viumbe wengine.

Kila tamaduni huwa zinaweka sheria zake kuhusu swala la ngono ambazo huwa zinahusishwa na ndoa kwa upande mmoja na makatazo au ruhusa katika vipindi mbalimbali kwa upande mwingine. Binafsi nimekuzwa katika familia ya kikristu na nilifundishwa kufuata maelekezo kutoka kwenye kitabu cha biblia kwenye mambo mengi ninayofanya,hasa maadili,ninaamini pia hata wewe huwa unatumia/umewahi kutumia mafundisho ya dini yako kukuongoza katika maadili.

Kutoka 20:14 imeandika “usizini”,20:17 ikakataza hata usimtamani mke wa jirani yako,wakati katika Mathayo 5:28 Yesu anasema “lakini mimi nawaambieni,atakaemtazama mwanamke kwa kumtamani,amekwishazini naye moyoni mwake”.Kanisa katoliki likaenda mbali mpaka kuwachagulia watu jinsi ya kufanya tendo hili kwa kuweka ‘staili ya kimisionari’ ambayo ndio inakubalika. Hii sio makala ya kidini ila najaribu kuonesha vyanzo vyetu vya kujifunzia vilivyolipa uzito swala hili. Niliwahi kujifunza pia kuwa vitabu vyetu vya dini vimeandikwa katika lugha ya picha na pia viliandikwa wakati tofauti na sasa,kwa hiyo tunaweza kusoma kitu ila tukakitafsiri vingine kutokana na muda tunaoishi(mfano swala la kumiliki watumwa,wachungaji wa kike,dunia kuzunguka jua na sio kama ilivyoandikwa,n.k).

Ngono inachukua picha gani kwenye jamii katika dunia ya leo? Sio miaka mingi iliyopita ilikua ni kukosa maadili kama utaliongelea swala la ngono(hata sasa miongoni mwetu) mbele ya watu,lilionekana ni jambo nyeti linalohitaji usiri(nikiwa mdogo nilikua nikiona ng’ombe wetu wanapanda niliambiwa wanacheza). Huko Marekani pia hali ilikua hivyo mpaka miaka ya 1940 na 1950 ambapo Alfred C.Kinsey alipofanya utafiti wa kisayansi kuhusu ngono na vitendo vinavyohusiana na ngono kwa wanadam. Kwa mara ya kwanza wamarekani walijifunza kua: zaidi ya 90% ya vijana wao wamewahi kupiga punyeto,10% walikua ni mashoga, wasichana nao huwa wanafika kileleni,na pia wasagaji wana ufanisi mkubwa wa kuwafikisha kileleni wasichana zaidi ya wavulana wanavyoweza. Kinsley alilaumiwa sana kwa kukosa maadili lakini utafiti wake ulisaidia watu kujitambua zaidi na kuboresha maisha yao ya mapenzi.

Hatutakiwi kabisa kulionea aibu swala la ngono. Utafiti uliofanywa hivi karibuni na idara ya magonjwa ya akili katika chuo kikuu cha afya na sayansi shirikishi (MUHAS) ulionesha kua 10% ya watoto kati ya umri wa miaka 12 hadi 14 wamewahi kufanya ngono,na miongoni mwao 68% hawakutumia mpira. Tukinyamaza,hawa watoto watapata madhara kwa kua hawajui nini kipo mbele yao.

Tukisikia kuwaka tamaa za ngono wala tusisikitike maana sayansi inatueleza kua sababu zake ni nzuri tu,sawa na zile sababu za kusikia njaa au kiu au maumivu. Asilia inatutengeneza kuhakikisha tunapeleka nakala ya vinasaba vyetu kwenye vizazi vijavyo kupitia kuzaliana,na tutafanya hivyo tukiwa tumekwishapevuka;na tukishapevuka asilia haina tena kazi na sisi na inatuacha tuzeeke mpaka tufe,yenyewe haijali. Tumetengenezwa na kemikali(homoni) ambazo zikitoka sisi sio wa kuamua tena ila ni kutamani tu,kemikali hizi zipo kwa wingi kwa wanaume zaidi ya wanawake na ndio maana wanaume wanatamani zaidi. Tofauti yetu wanadam na wanyama wengine ni kua sio lazima tufuate asilia inachotaka,ndio maana kuna maseja na sio kila tukijisikia kutamani tunafanya,tuna mipango.

Ule wakati wa kuwaona watu wanaofanya ngono kama wanakosea sana mi naona umepita,lakini pia ngono isitumike kama chanzo cha ukandamizaji na uonevu au kutaka kujipatia vitu kama mrejesho,heshima iwepo. Ule wakati wa watu kusubiri mpaka ndoa nao umepita maana kitendo ni kilekile. Ule wakati wa kuoneana aibu kuzungumzia maswala ya muhimu kama ngono kwenye jamii zetu nao umepita kwa maana leo kuna magonjwa ya zinaa na kupanga uzazi,lazima tuyaelewe. Na tuache kuweka matabaka ya kimaadili kwa kuwaona watu wengine wasafi na kuwasema wengine hawajatulia kisa tu wanashiriki tendo kabla hawajaoana,swala hili ni binafsi (labda hao wasafi wanaridhika na punyeto,ambayo sio mbaya japo watu hawapendi kujulikana kua huwa wanafanya),na mwisho watu wawili waliokubaliana mambo yao sisi inatuhusu nini na hawatuumizi lolote?sisi ni mapolisi wa maadili?tupanue wigo wa kuyaangalia maadili kwa kuelewa vitu kwa undani wake.

Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses

Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses.

"In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity," said Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study's co-authors. "We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning."
To determine incense's psychoactive effects, the    researchers administered incensole acetate to mice. 

They found that the compound significantly affected areas in brain areas known to be involved in emotions as well as in nerve circuits that are affected by current anxiety and depression drugs. Specifically, incensole acetate activated a protein called TRPV3, which is present in mammalian brains and also known to play a role in the perception of warmth of the skin. When mice bred without this protein were exposed to incensole acetate, the compound had no effect on their brains.
"Perhaps Marx wasn't too wrong when he called religion the opium of the people: morphine comes from poppies, cannabinoids from marijuana, and LSD from mushrooms; each of these has been used in one or another religious ceremony." said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Studies of how those psychoactive drugs work have helped us understand modern neurobiology. The discovery of how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain should also help us understand diseases of the nervous system. This study also provides a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion--burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over!"
According to the National Institutes of Health, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people ages 15--44, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults. A less severe form of depression, dysthymic disorder, affects approximately 3.3 million American adults. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million American adults, and frequently co-occur with depressive disorders.

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Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Incensole acetate, an incense component, elicits psychoactivity by activating TRPV3 channels in the brain. Arieh Moussaieff, Neta Rimmerman, Tatiana Bregman, Alex Straiker, Christian C. Felder, Shai Shoham, Yoel Kashman, Susan M. Huang, Hyosang Lee, Esther Shohami, Ken Mackie, Michael J. Caterina, J. Michael Walker, Ester Fride, and Raphael Mechoulam. Published online before print May 20, 2008 as doi: 10.1096/fj.07-101865. [link]

Scientists discover how to 'switch off' autoimmune diseases

Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the fight against debilitating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis by revealing how to stop cells attacking healthy body tissue.

Date:

September 3, 2014

Source:

University of Bristol

Summary:

Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the fight against debilitating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis by revealing how to stop cells attacking healthy body tissue. Rather than the body's immune system destroying its own tissue by mistake, researchers have discovered how cells convert from being aggressive to actually protecting against disease.

Rather than the body's immune system destroying its own tissue by mistake, researchers at the University of Bristol have discovered how cells convert from being aggressive to actually protecting against disease.
The study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, is published in Nature Communications.

It's hoped this latest insight will lead to the widespread use of antigen-specific immunotherapy as a treatment for many autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes, Graves' disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
MS alone affects around 100,000 people in the UK and 2.5 million people worldwide.

Scientists were able to selectively target the cells that cause autoimmune disease by dampening down their aggression against the body's own tissues while converting them into cells capable of protecting against disease.
This type of conversion has been previously applied to allergies, known as 'allergic desensitisation', but its application to autoimmune diseases has only been appreciated recently.

The Bristol group has now revealed how the administration of fragments of the proteins that are normally the target for attack leads to correction of the autoimmune response.

Most importantly, their work reveals that effective treatment is achieved by gradually increasing the dose of antigenic fragment injected.
In order to figure out how this type of immunotherapy works, the scientists delved inside the immune cells themselves to see which genes and proteins were turned on or off by the treatment.

They found changes in gene expression that help explain how effective treatment leads to conversion of aggressor into protector cells. The outcome is to reinstate self-tolerance whereby an individual's immune system ignores its own tissues while remaining fully armed to protect against infection.
By specifically targeting the cells at fault, this immunotherapeutic approach avoids the need for the immune suppressive drugs associated with unacceptable side effects such as infections, development of tumours and disruption of natural regulatory mechanisms.

Professor David Wraith, who led the research, said: "Insight into the molecular basis of antigen-specific immunotherapy opens up exciting new opportunities to enhance the selectivity of the approach while providing valuable markers with which to measure effective treatment. These findings have important implications for the many patients suffering from autoimmune conditions that are currently difficult to treat."
This treatment approach, which could improve the lives of millions of people worldwide, is currently undergoing clinical development through biotechnology company Apitope, a spin-out from the University of Bristol.

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Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Bristol. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. 
Also sciencedaily.com

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Journal Reference:

1. Bronwen R. Burton, Graham J. Britton, Hai Fang, Johan Verhagen, Ben Smithers, Catherine A. Sabatos-Peyton, Laura J. Carney, Julian Gough, Stephan Strobel, David C. Wraith. Sequential transcriptional changes dictate safe and effective antigen-specific immunotherapy. Nature Communications, 2014; 5: 4741 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5741

Can Medical Marijuana reduce Opioid Overdose Mortality?

Can Medical Marijuana reduce Opioid Overdose Mortality?

  
 Reginald R Gervas, MD4.(MUHAS)

About one in every three individuals will experience chronic pain in their lifetime, and opioids are known to be an effective means to treat this condition.

The world (especially the developed countries) is faced with an increased bout in drug abuse and overdose deaths involving prescription opioid pain relievers such as morphine.
In USA, unintentional death from drug overdose have been increasing steeply from 1990s and they are the second leading cause of accidental deaths. The increase in death is caused by increase in opioids in managing chronic pain.

Due to urgency of this matter, there should be an alternative way in managing chronic pain rather than using opioids. Medical marijuana is one of good remedy in managing chronic pain. In states that have legalised medical marijuana, opioid overdose mortality has fallen impressively.

A study done by In an effort to examine the correlation between the presence of state medical cannabis laws and opioid analgesic overdose mortality, Marcus A. Bachhuber, MD et al performed a time-series analysis of medical cannabis laws and state-level death certificate data from 1999 to 2010 in all 50 states.

From the analysis, it has been shown that compared with states without medical cannabis laws, states with laws had a 24.8% lower mean annual opioid overdose mortality rate (P=0.003). In each year after implementation, these laws correlated with a lower rate of overdose mortality that generally strengthened over time (Table 1).

Years after medical cannabis law implementation	Change in overdose mortality
Year 1	-19.9%
Year 2	-25.2%
Year 3	−23.6%
Year 4	-20.2%
Year 5	−33.7%
Year 6	-33.3%

“Medical cannabis laws are associated with significantly lower state-level opioid overdose mortality rates. Further investigation is required to determine how medical cannabis laws may interact with policies aimed at preventing opioid analgesic overdose.” Wrote the researchers.

1. Schneider JP, Matthews M, Jamison RN (24 Oct 2010). "Abuse-deterrent and tamper-resistant opioid formulations: what is their role in addressing prescription opioid abuse?". CNS Drugs 10 (80): 805–810 
2.  Okie S (November 2010). "A flood of opioids, a rising tide of deaths". N. Engl. J. Med. 363 (21): 1981–5. 
3.  Bachhuber M (august 2014). “Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Analgesic Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1999-2010”. JAMA Intern Med

USAFIRI SIO ISHU

Natumaini umeshasikia majina kama usafiri,nyuma,kujazia,mnye,mkia na mengine mengi yakisifia makalio kwa wanawake.

Binafsi nimezoea kuona kua wanawake wana makalio makubwa zaidi ya wanaume na nimekua nikiamini ndio kawaida,hata tukiona mwanaume ana makalio makubwa huwa kama tunashangaa na kwake huwa ni kero, utafiti uliofanyika hivi karibuni huko ujerumani na Preininger B. et al katika pepa yao "The sex specificity of hip-joint muscles offers an explanation for better results in men after total hip arthroplasty" unaonesha kua wanaume ndio wana "ujazo mkubwa wa misuli ya makalio" kuliko wanawake.

Hii inaendana kabisa na ukweli kuwa wanaume huwa wana misuli mikubwa kuliko wanawake.

Je, kile tunachokiona kwa wanawake ni nini sasa? Hayo ni mafuta.

Katika kitabu kinachoitwa Text book of medical physiology kilichoandikwa na Arthur C.Guyton kinaeleza kuwa kuongezeka kwa kiasi cha mafuta mwilini kunapunguza usisimuliwaji wa seli na sukari kwenye damu,swala ambalo linapelekea kisukari,

sio tu hivyo,mafuta mengi mwilini huusishwa na magonjwa kama shinikizo la dam na saratani.Kuna haja ya kubadili mtazamo sasa, naamini hii inawezekana maana historia inatuambia mwanamke mzuri katika roma ya mwanzo alikua ni mwanamke mnene,ila leo huko magharibi mwanamke mnene ni kero. Wanaume wabadili tabia na wasiyaone makalio makubwa sana kama mazuri sana.

simaanishi wasiyaone makalio kama uzuri wa mwanamke hapana,makalio yanawafanya wanawake waonekane wazuri ila yasiwe malaini yenye mafuta mengi.

Wanawake wafanye mazoezi ili wapunguze mafuta na wakuze misuli ya makalio,hapo yatakua mazuri zaidi yenye kuvutia.

By Joseph Julius Masalu ( MD4,MUHAS)

Latest Invention: Liquid Condom Blocks HIV, Herpes, Papilloma VirusesLatest Invention:

 Latest Invention: Liquid Condom Blocks HIV, Herpes, Papilloma VirusesLatest Invention

Researchers managed to come up with the latest invention in medicine called vaginal liquid condom that has the ability to block semen and anything that is contained in it, including viruses such as the human immunodeficiency virus.
The condom is liquid gel before coming into contact with semen. When it catches semen the vaginal condom becomes solid. The gel plays two important roles: it is a protectant and a contraceptive. This is because it traps particles wider than 50nm, such as sperm, HIV, herpes virus, papilloma virus, which can lead to cervical cancer, and more.

Scientists who worked on this latest invention include Patrik Kiser and his colleagues from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Their goal was to protect women in countries with a high level of HIV-positive people by offering them a rather inexpensive way of contraception and protection when their partners do not wear a condom.
"We did it to develop technologies that can enable women to protect themselves against HIV without the approval of their partner," says Kiser. The team of scientists managed to test their latest invention only in laboratory. They stained HIV particles using a fluorescent dye to demonstrate that the gel turned solid when it came in contact with semen and blocked the virus, reports New Scientist. More information on diseases and reseaches can be found here at www.InfoNIAC.com, check the links at the bottom of the article.
According to Kiser, the clinical trials of the gel will mostly likely continue for another five years. Until the drug hits the drug stores, the scientist looks forward to impregnate the invention with an anti-HIV drug that would kill the captured HIV virus before a woman washes the gel out of the vagina.

From  www.infoniac.com