Actual Globe

The New York Daily News website is calling it Plan C, a morning after pill that claims to be efficacious even 5 days after unprotected sex.

This one as it is claimed offers more protection against unwanted pregnancy than other pills currently on the market.

The reason for more effectiveness is because it works differently: whereas other pills currently on the market destroy an embryo, this one delays the release of the egg itself.

Studies conducted have found that if taken within 72 hours of having sex, the pill can prevent up to 66% of pregnancies; whereas it will still prevent 50% of pregnancies if had within 5 days of having had sex.

Experts have called the development of the pill “encouraging” since with the currently available morning after pill, no significant reduction in abortion rates have been seen.

American women may not rejoice yet; it’s not about to reach American shores just yet. According to Dr. Jill Maura Rabin, head of urogynecology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, “It was a small study. We need more safety data.”

“It makes the lining of the uterus hostile to implantation,” Rabin was quoted as having said. “Nothing that I have read indicates that it would do anything to an established pregnancy.”

CES, 10 Best, and More

It was a big month here at Home Entertainment, from the Consumer Electronics Show to our annual 10 Best awards.

Click through for all the links.

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Folliculitis occurs when there is an inflammation of one or more hair follicles on any part of the skin; which includes the scalp.

• Folliculitis happens when bacteria enters a follicle after any kind of injury or trauma. Usually the staph bacteria are known to cause this infection of the follicle.
• Folliculitis can occur even due to repeated rubbing of clothing against the skin.
• Folliculitis could also be caused by an insect bite.
• A blockage of the follicle could also cause it. This can also be caused due to the hair curling back into the skin and causing blockage
• Shaving can be another cause and could result in what is known as Barber’s rash.
• Similarly shaving or using other methods of hair removal in the underarm area could also cause this.
• Folliculitis can also occur in the area of the scalp due to inflammation caused by braiding that is done too tight or which causes friction. Sometimes this may cause several hairs to come up from a single follicle and thereby may cause scarring and even hair loss.
• Sometimes make up can cause Folliculitis due to its content of certain oils. For this reason Folliculitis is also seen in refinery workers, sheep shearers, mechanics or road workers.

When Overbuilt is Just Right

Cary Audio’s new CD 303T SACD Professional Version is overbuilt in all the ways audiophiles are looking for. High-end DACs, super-ridged chassis, and of course… vacuum tubes.

All the info after the jump.

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We keep hearing about new things everyday that affect women’s health and more particularly reproductive health.

Now it would seem that something as innocuous as house dust could be a culprit.

Flame-retardant chemicals in items like lounge suites, electronics, fabrics, carpets, and plastics cause delays in conception, it was found by scientists in Berkley, University of California.

According to this Times report, PDBEs a group of chemicals are found to leech out through dust onto surfaces where they are inhaled and stored in the body.

Women with higher levels of PDBE chemicals in their blood found it difficult to get pregnant than those with lower levels.

Mmmm, Bacon

I’m popcorn obsessed. I eat popcorn for dinner. I devour the stale morning-after stuff with a soda for breakfast. I eschew the dry, over-salted cinema stuff with fake butter and bring my own stash.

So I’m always on the lookout for my next popfix. And boy did I find it.

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Vaginal infections are of many different types, some being of a sexually transmitted kind, while others are not and some occur due to reasons not clearly understood.

Most women will, at some or other point of time in their lives, probably get a vaginal infection which may range from the mild and easily treatable to the severe and difficult to get rid of.

It is important for vaginal infections to be identified as per its actual type and get treatment in accordance with this rather than self medicate oneself based on self diagnosis or guessing based on the symptoms that a woman may have.

Sometimes, the symptoms of certain vaginal infections could be similar to one another and one could end up taking medication for one infection when one has another.

So, testing to determine which infection is present and taking the correct medication for this is the correct course of action. The most common vaginal infections are:

Vaginal Yeast Infection: The Candida fungus is responsible for a vaginal yeast infection. The symptoms of this vaginal infection are itching, burning or soreness in the vaginal area.

There could be pain during sexual intercourse or when passing urine. Typically there is a thick discharge rather like cottage cheese. This kind of infection could be a commonly occurring one for many women, however if a woman experiences these symptoms for the first time, it is important to get a proper diagnosis and correct treatment.

Bacterial Vaginosis: Rather than an infection, bacterial vaginosis is a disorder wherein the natural balance of the bacteria present in the vaginal area becomes unbalanced and there is an overgrowth of certain less friendly bacteria.

Causes of this are not clearly understood though there are several factors that increase the risk for developing this condition. The common symptoms include a fish like vaginal odor and a frothy discharge that may be gray or white.

Trichomoniasis: This is sexually transmitted disease; an infection that also occurs in men, though the incidence is much higher in women. In women, the common symptoms are a frothy or foamy discharge that is foul-smelling and may be yellowish or green in color.

As you can see from the preceding symptoms of the common vaginal infections, they can commonly being mistaken; one for another. However, their nature and mode of infection are different as are the ways used to treat them. This is the reason that proper diagnosis is required before treatment is obtained.

Diamond Tweeters

With the latest upgrade in their popular 800 Series speakers, B&W has put their famous diamond dome tweeters in every speaker in the line.

B&W claims the new 800 Series Diamond, with the diamond tweeters and a host of other changes, offers significantly better performance. 

All the info after the jump.

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According to a recent study reported in The LA Times, female teachers who say they are anxious about math, girls are more likely to share that attitude and score lower on tests, researchers say.

So ladies if you grew up thinking you were not good in math, it was probably self fulfilling prophecy propelled by gender stereotyping that expects females to be bad at math. The study revealed that the reason may not be far to find, it could be the elementary teacher herself! First- and second-graders whose teachers were anxious about mathematics were more likely to believe that boys are hard-wired for math and that girls are better at reading, according to the study.

“Teachers who are anxious about their own math abilities are translating some of that to their kids,” said University of Chicago psychologist Sian Beilock, who led the study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Nu NuVo

NuVo’s new Music Port Server (NV-MPS4) and Color Touch Pad (NV-CTP36) are now available.

Both are new components for the company’s Grand Concerto, Essentia, and Renovia audio systems.

All their detail after the jump.

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Anemia is defined as a decrease in normal number of red blood cells or a condition where there is less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood and generally speaking, the causes of anemia are high rates of blood loss, the body not producing enough red blood cells or there being a high rate of destruction of red blood cells in the body.

Blood loss is one of the causes of Anemia: If the body has suffered a loss of blood due to surgery, injury, trauma, excessive blood donation, in childbirth etc, these factors could well be the causes of anemia.

There could also be chronic causes of anemia such as that resulting from heavy menstrual periods, inflammation of the stomach, ulcers of the stomach, fissures and hemorrhoids, etc.

Sometimes, cancer of the colon or stomach can cause bleeding leading to anemia. Certain high dosage medications used over a long period of time can cause anemia due to bleeding in the stomach.

Inadequate Red Blood cell production is the cause of anemia: Either due to genetic conditions or because of other factors, the body sometimes does not produce enough number of red blood corpuscles.

Nutritional factors such as iron deficiency, vitamin deficiency can often be the underlying causes of anemia. Sometimes, it is pregnancy that can cause a woman to become anemic, and at times certain hormone deficiencies may also cause anemia.

Aplastic anemia is another condition that is either acquired or inherited, which may prevent the body from producing enough red blood cells.

Excessive destruction of Red blood cells is one of the causes of anemia: A red blood cell has a life span of about three months; however certain conditions cause them to be destroyed before that time, thereby causing hemolysis or anemia caused by excessive red blood cell destruction.

Sickle cell anemia is one of the inherited conditions which cause the red blood cells to assume a sickle shape due to which these cells break down quicker and are unable to provide requisite levels of nutrition and oxygen to the different parts of the body

Thalassemia cause lack of certain enzymes in the body, can also lead to the destruction of healthy red blood cells as can certain disorders of organs such as the liver.

Certain medications also cause a destruction of red blood cells, causing anemia. In addition, certain conditions such as immune reactions, certain infections, certain toxins, and a number of medical procedures can also become the causes of anemia.

An underarm lump can have many different causes, ranging from benign and harmless to malignant and cancerous.

Underarm lumps may be small or big, may or may not be painful, may or may not be discolored and while some may be more of less constant, others come and go in a recurring fashion.

Some of the causes of underarm lumps may be as follows (there are many more), however it is important that to be evaluated by a medical practitioner at the earliest rather an attempt being made to at self diagnosis:

• Swollen Lymph nodes could be the cause of an underarm lump and these could be caused by a virus, chickenpox, rubella, Hodgkin’s disease, infectious mononucleosis, lymphoma, etc.
• It could be caused by an allergic reaction to a cosmetic or personal care product
• It could be Folliculitis or an infected skin or hair follicle that causes the lump either due to improper hair removal methods or other reasons
• It could be an early sign of breast cancer
• Abscess could be another reason
• A cyst could be the cause
• Ectopic breast tissue could result in an underarm lump
• Lipoma or tumor of fat cells under the skin could also be a cause

2009 CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles Award Winner

Best Large Home Theater: Overall Winner

Electronic Systems Consultant: La Scala Home Cinema + Integrated Media—Vancouver, Canada

If a residential electronic systems consultant is so bold to offer a customer-service hotline 24/7—and a return phone call within 15 minutes—the firm is either crazy or confident. Or a little of both.

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Brian Jackman finds avocets and oystercatchers, welcoming inns and wild open
spaces on a visit to the south Devon coast.

It’s a Wrap

Designed by famed French designer Igna Sempé for European furniture phenomenon LK Hjelle, the Enveloppe sofa is so comfy that you may never climb out of it again.

It wraps around you like a cushy-soft cushion, so get situated and prepare for an extended snuggle session.

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