The Most Selfless Person Is Mom

BOC For All Moms

The most selfless person is Mom,
She nourished you in her womb,
She gave you this world, a home
She fed you and protected you

                                          Now it is time you give back to her
                                          You are big, capable and on your own,
                                          What more a better way than
                                          Gifting her a BOC Test (*)

She may not know the significance of it,
But you are there to explain, educate
Breast, Ovarian and Cervical cancer,
Can strike any woman, regardless of color, creed or age

                                                Let it not be your mother.
                                                She is an angel. Protect her.
                                                Screen her and give her the
                                                Today and tomorrow, she truly deserves.

BOC is a women`s test
Which is the best
For cancer screening
Because Life has a meaning.
*----available at INFOVALLEY

by Dr Livy, Head of Molecular Research Lab

Immunity Makeover

Give your immunity a makeover!

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it has been shown that women have a stronger immune system than men. However, at an average, women around the world get three colds a year. That doesn’t sound too bad right? But how would you like it if you reduce those odds even further?

Presenting five natural cures which could help boost you immune system. Read on to find out more:

1)    P-Power
Having those gut-friendly pro-biotics could prove to very useful. Apart from the obvious gastrointestinal benefits, the microorganisms present in pro-biotic products can help influence and increase your T-cell count. This will make you less vulnerable to infections. Research published in the Journal of Postgraduate medicine shows that such women who take pro-biotic supplements everyday in the morning have a much higher T-cell count compared to those who don’t. Of course, taking supplement may not be necessary and instead you could feast on the widely available foods available such as pro-biotic yogurt.

2)    D-Power
While Vitamin D supplements have the obvious benefit in strengthening your bones, fighting inflammation and boosting your mood, research has shown that they play a helpful role in keeping infections are bay. Vitamin D helps the body produce a protein called cathelicidin which helps in fighting bacteria and viruses. How can you get Vitamin D? Eat salmon and dairy products, take Vitamin D supplements (since you can never get enough Vitamin D from food) and soak up in the sun. Just make sure you don’t get sunburn!

3)    Pamper yourself
Nowadays we are stressed up most of the times, resulting in your body producing cortisol, a stress hormone which can take a toll on your immune system. A trip to a spa and regular massages to destress can have a good impact in reducing cortisol levels in your body and thus boost your immune system. Now even more reason to head over to the spa!

4)    Cut Calories
It has been shown by the Journal of Gerontology that a small 10% drop in calorie intake by overweight people makes your T-cells healthier. This is mainly because excess weight results in the body producing a certain immune-suppressing hormone-like compound which can damage your immune system. If you can’t cut down on the delicious foods available then just add in a bit of exercising which helps burn some of those calories off. Cutting down on calories can never be a bad thing!

5)    Social Networking

No I don’t mean Facebook. Instead spend some time meeting more people, friends, neighbours, relatives alike because believe it or not, people with the most types of relationships have a greater resistance to infectious disease according to Health Psychology. Conversely, people who spend more time alone do more damage to their immune system. Convert your 100 odd Facebook friends into real friends who you can meet and greet!

If you haven’t guessed it already, the above following points hold true for everybody and not just women alone.

by Utprabh Mohan, Marketing Executive

Breastfeeding Against Breast, Uterine and Ovarian Cancers

The greatest health benefit of having a baby is a decrease in the risk of several types of cancer. During pregnancy, breast cells undergo tremendous changes, causing them to become fully matured and prepared for breastfeeding the baby after the birth1. Hormonal changes in both pregnant and lactating (breast-fed) woman are thought to help prevent breast cancer. Estrogen levels drop at some point during pregnancy and breastfeeding as the monthly menses impede and shift the hormone balance toward progesterone.

Estrogen and progesterone, closely interrelated hormones, work in synergy in female body. Estrogen however promotes the proliferation of cells in the breast and uterus. Proliferation of normal cells with exposure to estrogen creates a vulnerability to spontaneous mutations, some of which might represent the first step of cancer pathway. It is thought that the less estrogen is available to stimulate the lining of the uterus and breast tissue, the less are the risks of these tissues becoming cancerous2.

The frequency of ovulation has been associated with ovarian cancer risk. Some experts believe that women who ovulate less often have a decreased risk of ovarian cancer. Women who are breastfeeding ovulate do not ovulate as often as never breastfeeding women. Thus breastfeeding is a potentially modifiable protective risk factor for breast, uterine and ovarian cancers3-5.

Choosing whether to breastfeed or formula feed your baby is one of major decisions expectant parents will make and the decision can be a very personal one. Women who chose to breastfeed her child have to be mentally prepared as it can be time-consuming and physically challenging for both sides. Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed your baby and the benefits are incalculable. It can impact the present and future health of you and your baby in the long run.

References:
1.    Riordan J AK. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation. 2nd edition ed: Jones and Bartlett.
2.    (Accessed 24 May, 2012, at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/estrogenreceptors/page1.)
3.    Lipworth L, Bailey LR, Trichopoulos D. History of breast-feeding in relation to breast cancer risk: a review of the epidemiologic literature. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92:302-12.
4.    Danforth K, Tworoger S, Hecht J, Rosner B, Colditz G, Hankinson S. Breastfeeding and risk of ovarian cancer in two prospective cohorts. Cancer Causes and Control 2007;18:517-23.
5.    Cramer DW. The epidemiology of endometrial and ovarian cancer. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2012;26:1-12.

by Nurul Hanis Ramzi, Research Scientist

What Really A White Paper Is

Typical document report (White Paper) hierarchy in industry:

  
Patents:
•    The most important document that you can write in many industries
•    One does not really write it alone.
•    A lawyer participates, but it is your document.
•    Patents are recognized here as documents with the highest priority and importance, because a patent can be the lifeblood of an organization.

Published Works:
•    Some companies encourage technical paper for publication in an archival journal
(some discourage journal publication, because it may open a channel to leak proprietary information)
•    The review of manuscripts for journal publication should include
•    The writer’s immediate supervisor
(or higher management at the discretion of the supervisor)
•    Corporate editors for writing correctness
•    The legal department
(to ensure freedom from libel and maintenance of intellectual property.)

Formal Technical Reports:
•    Is the gold standard of technical writing in industry.
•    If an engineer has been working on a major project for a year, managers surely will ask
•    what benefits the company received from the work.
•    What are the results?
•    What value are the results?
•    This report should be archived in the company library, and it should be complete enough so that the work can be repeated by others.


Informal Reports:
•    Laboratory reports are generally a good example of an informal report.
•    This document is probably more widely circulated & more significant than the trip report.
•    If the failure occurred on a key piece of equipment, report distribution should include the managers involved, and the document may be archived for a number of years.
   
Technical Memoranda:
•    In engineering and the basic sciences, most projects and studies are concluded either by a formal or informal report.
•    These documents generally pertain to business or ancillary aspects of a project or investigation.
•    A trip report is a good example of a technical memorandum.

Shared by Dr. Jahedi, Head of Medical Informatics