Matter

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Killer E.coli strain infects first victims in Britain

The deadly new strain of E.coli that has killed 18 people in Europe risks spreading from person to person in Britain, the Health Protection Agency warned last night.

As seven cases of the food poisoning bacteria were diagnosed in Britain, the agency said that the mutant strain was so virulent that sufferers risked spreading the infection to friends and relations through close contact.

With more than 30,000 people travelling between Britain and Germany every day, officials fear the outbreak could take hold here.

The agency said anyone who had recently travelled to Germany should be vigilant about their personal hygiene to minimise the risk of passing on the bacteria, which can attack the kidneys with potentially fatal consequences.

The outbreak is on course to be the world’s “biggest ever”, according to one of the country’s leading microbiologists. The agency added that it was shocked by its “unprecedented” scale and severity. More than 1,600 people have been infected worldwide, mainly in northern Germany. Hundreds have been left seriously ill and at least 18 have died.

It emerged last night that the food bug has struck two Americans who had recently travelled to Hamburg. Both are expected to survive but experts warned that the bacteria could be exported to the US.

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The World Health Organisation identified the bacterium as a “completely new” mutant strain which was more toxic and infectious than usual varieties. It is resistant to antibiotics and has an eight-day incubation period, which means that the outbreak may not have reached a peak.

It can cause the deadly complication haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) which affects the blood and kidneys. The Food Standards Agency said that contaminated produce had not entered the British food chain, although several supermarkets confirmed last night that they were still importing produce from Germany.

Experts are still unable to say where the outbreak originated, having ruled out the initial theory that it came from a consignment of Spanish cucumbers. Fears have heightened to such an extent that Russia yesterday banned the import of all raw vegetables from Europe.

The HPA said the seven cases diagnosed in Britain involved people who had recently travelled to Germany. Three are seriously ill with the HUS complication. Dr Bob Adak, an expert in gastrointestinal infections at the agency, said his organisation had interviewed the families of those involved and advised them to take precautions to avoid a secondary spread of the bacteria.

“We’re extremely concerned by it,” he said. “We are on the lookout for secondary infections, because it is quite infectious you don’t need many bacteria on your hand to spread it.

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“If they experience abdominal cramps or diarrhoea they should seek medical advice. This illness can develop and spread very quickly. If you have young children in the house you want to protect them.”

E.coli is usually contracted by eating contaminated food, but it can spread from person to person if the strain is infectious enough. People must be particularly careful to wash their hands thoroughly after using the lavatory.

Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, said the strain had characteristics which made it “more virulent and toxin-producing”. Preliminary genetic sequencing suggests that the strain is a new, mutant form of two different E.coli bacteria, according to the WHO. “This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before,” Miss Kruse added.

Unlike previous outbreaks, this strain of E.coli mainly attacks women rather than children or elderly people. More than three quarters of those suffering from serious kidney problems are adult women. Dr Adak added: “The most simple explanation is that because women tend to eat more salad than men and children their risk becomes higher.”

Dr Alexander Mellmann, the scientist who mapped the DNA of the bacteria at the University of Munster in Germany, told The Daily Telegraph that the bacteria had evolved to become more toxic and better at “sticking” to human cells, increasing the chance of infection.

Scientists believe the strain originated in animals such as cattle before spreading to vegetables. The HPA is advising people travelling to Germany to wash salads and to avoid eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and leafy salads.

Tesco yesterday said it has “small quantities” of cauliflower, cabbage and sweetcorn from Germany in its stores, adding that its suppliers observe the “strictest hygiene standards”. Lidl said it stocks cauliflower from Germany.

The seven people infected in the UK include four German nationals and three British people who recently visited Germany. Three of them are seriously ill with HUS. The other four have suffered from bloody diarrhoea.

Germany has reported 470 cases of HUS and 1,064 cases of bloody diarrhoea. Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have also reported cases, almost all in people who have just returned from Germany.

The Food Standards Agency in Britain has issued general advice on the need to wash fruit and vegetables. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables is also known to help remove germs.

Source telegraph.co.uk

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Changing the face of Hongkong shopping

For decades Hongkong has considered itself one of the world’s top shopping destinations, a place where bargains can be found and the variety of goods available is unequalled anywhere in the world.

But times seem to be changing – and fast. Spiraling rents and the rising influence of mainland Chinese tourists – a group that now accounts for more than 60% of annual visitors to town – appear to be narrowing the choices found in Hongkong and forcing some of the city’s more traditional retail outlets out of business.

In the 1970s, the retail landscape in Hongkong was dominated by massive Chinese emporiums, selling everything from cheap clothes to cheap antiques and souvenirs. But their numbers have plummeted from an estimated 300 to just eight – and even those remaining have had to "re-brand" themselves.

Hongkong welcomed 22.7 million Chinese tourists last year – out of a total of 36 million over 12 months. And the main focus of their visits is shopping – the distinctly luxurious kind. Also, the Chinese visitors to Hongkong spend more than any other group – on average around HK$12,000 (RM4,800) per visit.

And so mass retailers are fast disappearing from the city’s main shopping districts of Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay and Central and are being replaced by jewellery and watch shops.

The massive Luk Fook Jewellery chain – which alone has 15 outlets across Hongkong – says it derives more than 60% of its sales from mainland Chinese shoppers, while 85% of customers at the flagship store of Emperor Watch & Jewellery comes from the same source.

That flagship store – on the busy Canton Road in the heart of the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district – is rented for HK$3 million (RM1.2million) per month, and covers 1,200 sq ft.

A prime example of just how crowded the market is becoming with these outlets is the Park Lane Shopping Boulevard which has five jewellery stores packed into its 300m length.

And with retail rents expected to rise from between 10 to 20% in Hongkong this year, it appears that high-end products are the only way forward for retailers. - AFP Relaxnews

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Transition year : a concept worth exploring

The transition year option in schools in Ireland helps students to develop not just in the academic field but also on a personal, social and vocational level as well, writes KOH SOO LING

“WE have won! We have won! We are going to represent our county at the national finals in Dublin”, my daughter Audrey screamed as her team from St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe, Ireland emerged champions of the Student Enterprise Awards at the regional level.

They had created Starling Records, an Irish independent record label to promote up-and-coming, local young talent. All the hard work has paid off but deep inside I knew the transition year has taught her more than hard work.

One of the projects in transition year is to form mini companies which emphasise entrepreneurship and teamwork. Students come up with creative ideas, product packaging and marketing.

Starling Records managing director Sean Hayes has this to say: “In my time working on mini-company projects, and dealing with different people, classmates and teachers, I feel my teamwork skills have improved.

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“I have learned to compromise, something which I would never have been able to do before! I also learned how valuable it is to talk to people, alert them to what you’re doing, and always be polite and mannerly, as they will always be willing to help you in any way they can.

“My musical and production skills also improved considerably. As I was executive producer of recordings, I learned a lot about music and its technical side. It turns out... it’s not just singing along like karaoke!”

Transition year is an interesting concept that needs to be explored. Every year, we see scores of schoolchildren sitting Penilaian Menengah Rendah and they are then thrust into the Science or Arts stream in Form Four.

It is not surprising that many are clueless about the new subjects in Form Four and herd mentality seems to dictate their academic life. By the time they reach tertiary level, it is not unusual to find those who would have excelled in the Arts on a path towards a career in the Science discipline and vice versa.

In Ireland, transition year bridges the gap between Junior and Leaving Certificates. A report by the Education Social Research Institute showed that students who attend the year tend to score higher points in the Leaving Certificate.

Transition year aims to prepare students to face the real world by developing transferable skills needed for adult life and the workplace. Interestingly, much learning takes place outside the classroom as students go on field trips and experience work and community placements, and outdoor activities such as rock climbing or canoeing. The emphasis is on social and personal development.

Classroom work is both traditional teaching and learning as well as project assignments. Students learn to run a mini company, start a school bank, make videos, do metal works, design computer graphics and even record songs. If anything, it is a good break from exams and students are not confined to the classroom. Just under half of all students at Irish second-level schools attend transition year, and it is now available in 75 per cent of schools.

Transition year focuses on education for maturity with priority on personal development, including social awareness and social competence. It promotes general, technical and academic skills, which stresses on interdisciplinary and self-directed learning. Basically, it is education through experience of adult and working life.

It is a year of raising awareness: consciousness of the surroundings, how to work with others and where you are heading. Students get to experience two weeks of work experience, which can be in an office, hair salon or school.

Jade Hoynes also from St. Anne’s Community College in Killaloe says: “During transition year, I did my work experience at a Montessori school in Scariff and it was the best. I am now considering it as my future career. I supervised the children, gave them their lunch, played educational games with them and read stories to them. At the end of the week, I thought this would be a great career to pursue. As I am now selecting my subjects for my Leaving Certificate, I am prepared in my choices as I know what I will be doing when I set off for college.”

The downside of transition year is the quality of programmes run by the school. There are some schools with excellent courses headed by dedicated teachers.

Some students are afraid that they will lose their friends who opt out of transition year. Others fear that they may not be able to get back to an academic routine after a year of projects and skills training. Perhaps the most challenging of all is the spectrum of students in transition year.

Committed students are stressed out by those who are laid-back.

Some parents may feel that transition year is a waste of time. Both good academic learning and other qualities such as communication skills, problem-solving and teamwork are vital for the workplace. Therefore, transition year is just the ticket to grab.

• The writer, who lectured at Universiti Teknologi Mara, now spends her days enjoying life as it is. Email her at kohslhoward@gmail.com

Source NST

Monday, May 30, 2011

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