IN PICTURES: NODDING DISEASE

More than 3,000 children in northern Uganda are suffering from a debilitating mystery ailment known as nodding disease, which has touched almost every family in the village of Tumangu. The disease affects only children and gradually devastates its victims through debilitating seizures, stunted growth, wasted limbs, mental disabilities and sometimes starvation.

Children suffering from the Nodding Syndrome gather in Akoya-Lamin Omony village in Gulu district, 384 km (238 miles) north of Uganda's capital of Kampala, February 19, 2012. Nodding Syndrome, which mostly affects children between the ages of 5 and 15, was first documented in Tanzania as early as 1962.

Nancy Lamwaka, 12, who suffers from nodding syndrome, is being tied with a rope as she sits out in the open in Lapul, Pader district, 300 km (186 miles) north of Uganda's capital of Kampala February 8, 2012. Despite extensive investigations, researchers are still largely confounded by it. Most of the fatalities attributed to the disease are the result of secondary causes. Children suffering from Nodding Syndrome are prone to accidents such as drowning and burning.

Michael Odongkara walks out of a house with his daughter Nancy Lamwaka. Nodding Syndrome is a fatal, mentally and physically disabling disease.

Nodding Syndrome gets its name from the uncontrollable nodding it causes among those afflicted by it.

Children suffering from the disease suffer from stunted growth and non-development of the brain that causes retardation.

The nodding seizures are not continuous and tend to stop once the child is fed or is warm, but their severity tends to vary from child to child. Severe seizures can cause the child to collapse, leading to further injury.

Speculation has it that the disease could be in some way connected a parasitic worm that causes river blindness.

Scientists are also probing to find if there is a possible link between the disease and exposure to wartime chemicals.

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1. Nodding Syndrome gets its name from the uncontrollable nodding it causes among those afflicted by i

   
   

TRIVIA: THE MYSTERY OF NODDING DISEASE

Nodding disease or nodding syndrome is a new, little-known disease which emerged in Sudan in the 1960s. It is a fatal, mentally and physically disabling disease that only affects young children typically between the ages of 5 and 15. It is currently restricted to small regions in South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Prior to the South Sudan outbreaks and subsequent limited spread, the disease was first described in 1962 existing in secluded mountainous regions of Tanzania, although the connection between that disease and nodding syndrome was only made recently.

Symptoms

The symptoms of nodding disease are very peculiar. When a child is affected by it, his/her growth appears to be completely and permanently stunted. The growth of the brain is also stunted, leading tomental retardation of the victim. The disease is named nodding syndrome since it causes pathological nodding. This is a seizure which often begins when the victim begins to eat food, or sometimes when he/she feels cold. These seizures are brief and halt after the child stops eating or when they feel warm again. These seizures can manifest themselves with a wide degree of severity.Neurotoxicologist Peter Spencer, who has investigated the disease has stated that upon presentation with food, "one or two [children] will start nodding very rapidly in a continuous, pendulous nod. The child next door will suddenly go into a grand-mal seizure, others will freeze." Severe seizures can cause the child to collapse, leading to further injury. Sub-clinical seizures have been identified inelectroencephalograms, and MRI scans have shown brain atrophy and damage to the hippocampus and glia cells.

The nodding is very unusual as the victims don't appear to suffer from seizures when they are given an unfamiliar food, for example a candy bar.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis is not very advanced and is based on the telltale nodding seizures of the victims. Stunted growth and mental retardation along with the seizures means there is a high probability that the disease is present. Neurological scans may also be used in attempts to diagnose symptoms of the disease in the future. As there is no known cure for the disease, treatment of the symptoms has included the use of anticonvulsants such as sodium valproate and phenobarbitol. Anti-malaria drugs have also been administered, to unknown effect.

Prognosis

Nodding syndrome is thought to be a very debilitating disease physically and mentally. In 2004, Peter Spencer stated: "It is, by all reports, a progressive disorder and a fatal disorder, perhaps with a duration of about three years or more." While a few children are said to have recovered from it, many have died from the illness. The seizures, as mentioned before, could also cause children to collapse and further injure themselves or die, for example, by falling into an open fire.

Possible causes

It is currently unknown what causes the disease, however it is believed to be connected to infestations of the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is prevalent in all outbreak areas. O. volvulus, a nematode, is carried by the black fly and causes river blindness. In 2004, most children suffering from nodding disease lived close to the Yei River, a hotbed for river blindness, and 93% of nodding disease sufferers were found to harbor the parasite--far more than disease-sufferers without it. A link between river blindness and normal cases of epilepsy, as well as retarded growth, has been proposed previously, although the evidence for this link is inconclusive. Of the connection between the worm and the disease, Scott Dowell (the lead investigator into the syndrome for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) stated: "We know that [Onchocerca volvulus] is involved in some way, but it is a little puzzling because [the worm] is fairly common in areas that do not have nodding disease". Andrea Winkler, the first author of a 2008 Tanzanian study has said of the connection: "We could not establish any hint that Onchocerca volvulus is actually going into the brain, but what we cannot exclude is that there is an autoimmune mechanism going on." In the most severely affected region of Uganda, infection with microfilariae in epileptic or nodding children ranged from 70% to 100%.

The CDC is investigating a possible connection with wartime chemical exposure. The team is also investigating whether a deficiency in vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine) could be a cause, noting the seizures ofPyridoxine-dependent epilepsy and this common deficiency in disease sufferers. Older theories include a 2002 toxicology report that postulated a connection with tainted monkey meat, as well as the eating of agricultural seeds provided by relief agencies that were covered in toxic chemicals.

Prevalence and epidemiology

While occurrences of the disease known as "nodding syndrome" have been relatively recent, it appears that the condition was first documented in 1962 in southern Tanzania. More recently, nodding syndrome was previously most prevalent in South Sudan, where in 2003 approximately 300 cases were found in Mundri alone. By 2009, it had spread across the border to Uganda's Kitgum district, and the Ugandan ministry of health declared that more than 2000 children had the disease. As of the end of 2011, outbreaks were concentrated in Kitgum, Pader and Gulu. More than 1000 cases were diagnosed in the last half of that year. The spread and manifestation of outbreaks may further be exacerbated due to the poor health care of the region. 

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ENGLISH 101: 10 COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED FOODS AND DRINKS

Chipotle 

Often pronounced how it seems to be spelt, ‘chip-ottle’; we’re told by the team at Mission Burrito that this smoke-dried jalapeño is pronounced ‘chip-pot-lay’. It’s used in Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, and gives sauces and rubs a heady, smoky spice. The word is thought to come from the Aztec ‘chilli’ and also ‘poktli’ - named after the smoking process.

Chorizo

If you’ve been saying it ‘cho-RITZ-io’, ‘chor-RITZ-o’ or ‘chor-IZZO’ then you’ve been saying it wrong. Moises Almenara, of La Tasca restaurant in Windsor is Barcelona-born, and sets the record straight for us. While in many parts of Spain it’s pronounced ‘cho-ree-tho’ it some parts of the country and in other Spanish-speaking countries the ‘z’ is pronounced like ‘s’. To pronounce it the way he does, say ‘chor-EESS-o’. Roll the tongue slightly on the ‘r’ and the ‘o’ should sound sharp, as in ‘hot’ not as in ‘toe’.

Espresso

Don’t be surprised if your barista looks slightly irritated when you ask for an ‘expresso’. The drink might be quick to make, but it’s actually called an ‘espresso’. According to legend, in 1903 an Italian named Luigi Bezzera became frustrated over the length of time it took to brew a coffee. He decided to force pressurised water through the coffee, making a short but full-bodied drink. And so the first ‘espresso’ (‘express coffee’) was born.

Sherbet

This mispronunciation was made famous by Mike Myers as Austin Powers in the hypnosis scene with Christian Slater as Dr Evil’s guard. But it’s not actually pronounced ‘sher-bert’; there’s no ‘r’ in the second part of the word. It’s definitely ‘sher-bet’. The word is said to come from ‘serbet’ or ‘sharbet’, a sweet drink served in the Middle East since Medieval times. Smashing, baby.

Paella

This Spanish dish is often mispronounced here in the UK. Most of us call it ‘py-ella’, named after the type of pan it is cooked in. But if you want to pronounce it like a native it should be pronounced ‘pa-eh-ya’. Moises from La Tasca also let us in on another possible origin of the word. He told us that in Spain, Sundays used to be traditionally a day for hunting. The huntsman would bring home his catch and cook paella for the woman of the house. In Spanish, ‘for her’ is translated as ‘para ella’ and so it’s believed the word was shortened over time to represent the dish.

Mascarpone

It’s spelt ‘mascarpone’ but a lot of people still slip in an extra ‘r’ in the first syllable and pronounce this Italian cheese ‘mars-ca-po-neh’. According to the team at Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s: “the name is said to come from mascarpa, a milk product made from the whey of stracchino”. They confirm that it should be pronounced ‘mas-car-POH-neh’.

Quinoa

Many of us look at this word and think it’s pronounced ‘kwin-oh-ah’. But this bead-shaped crop is actually pronounced ‘keen-wah’. It was grown by the Incas in South America for thousands of years, and is now regarded as a superfood for its health benefits. The Incas called it ‘chisaya mama’ (‘mother of all grains’).

Jalapeño

OK, so is it ‘jala-peeno’, ‘hala-pen-o’ or ‘jala-penyo’? According to the folks at Mission Burrito, it’s none of them. They tell us that this spicy chilli pepper is most definitely pronounced ‘ha-la-peyn-nyo’. It’s thought that the jalapeño chilli originated from the Mexican city of Xalapa, also sometimes spelt ‘Jalapa’. The ‘eño’ was added on the end of the word to mean ‘from’, as in ‘from Jalapa’.

Pancetta

Pan-chetta or pan-setta? We called on Carluccio’s to set the record straight. Pancetta is pork belly cured with salt, and in Italian, derives from the word ‘pancia’, which means ‘belly’. They tell us it’s pronounced ‘pan-CHETTA’ and literally means ‘little belly’. But it’s often pronounced ‘pan-SETTA’ in Spanish-speaking countries. However, Moises from La Tasca told us that as it was originally an Italian word, he thinks it should really be pronounced the Italian way.

Crêpe

This crispy, thin French pancake isn’t pronounced ‘kreyp’. In fact, the best way to pronounce it is a bit like ‘krep’. The French ‘r’ isn’t pronounced as in English – the sound comes from the back of the throat like a little gargle. According to the Epicurean website, crêpes were first made in Brittany in north-west France and their name comes from the Latin ‘crispus’, meaning ‘crisp’.

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VALENTINE'S DAY IN THE OFFICE

February 14, 2012

KPOP: CITY HUNTER OST

INSTRUMENTAL

IT'S ALRIGHT

SO GOODBYE

SARANG

Credits: 4shared.com

WHITNEY HOUSTON DIED AT 48

Photo courtesy: http://www.whitneyhouston.com/us/remembering

Publicist confirms death of troubled soul singer, one of the world's best-selling artists at her peak in the 80s and 90s

American soul singer and actress Whitney Houston, one of the most decorated female artists of all time, has died aged 48.

Her publicist, Kristen Foster, confirmed her death in the early hours of this morning. While the cause of death remains unclear, police said she was found dead in her hotel room in Los Angeles.

Police spokesman Mark Rosen told reporters Houston was pronounced dead at 15:55pm (23:55 GMT) in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

"She has been positively identified by friends and family (who) were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified," he said.

The singer was in Beverly Hills for the Grammy Awards which take place on Sunday night. She died hours before she was expected to perform at record producer Clive Davis's annual pre-Grammy party on Saturday, which is held at the Beverly Hilton.

Houston was one of the world's best-selling artists at her peak in the 80s and 90s, selling more than 170 million albums. Among her hundreds of awards sat two Emmys and six Grammys as she moved effortlessly from musical hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) and Saving All My Love For You to worldwide movie success with The Bodyguard - which included her signature hit I Will Always Love You - and Waiting to Exhale.

But her striking voice and image, along with her record sales, became ravaged in recent years by drink and drug abuse. Public appearances became more erratic and she confessed to using cocaine, marijuana and pills leaving her unable to hit the high notes she had done in her prime.

Despite her personal troubles she commanded great affection among her music industry colleagues, and emotional tributes were sent out in the hours after news broke of her death.

"I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing," legendary music producer Quincy Jones said in a statement. "... I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."

Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammys, said event producers were working on ways to honour the singer in front of her many friends in the audience.

Standing on the red carpet outside the hotel, Portnow said they would "try to celebrate her life," and called Houston a "one of a kind singer" whose body of work was "staggering."

Whitney Houston, her debut album in 1985, sold millions. Saving All My Love for You brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. Further hits followed leaving the New York Times to write that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices".

Houston seemed born for greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 60s pop diva Dionne Warwick, and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin. She started singing in church as a child and in her teens, she was a backing singer for Chaka Khan and Jermaine Jackson.

Following her death Franklin released a statement saying: "I just can't talk about it now. It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown)."

Houston married soul singer Bobby Brown in 1992, the year that The Bodyguard made her an acting star. But their rocky marriage, during which Brown was arrested several times on charges including domestic abuse, ended in divorce in 2007. Two spells in rehab followed before Houston appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2010 to declare herself clean.

Houston briefly reignited her album sales with the 2009 platinum-selling I Look To You, but a disappointing world tour followed.

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