STATE OF EMERGENCY IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

 

It's my opinion that a "state of emergency" be declared in all government universities across the country. The reason is not far fetched as we are all aware of the current admission by ASUU and other individual bodies about the deplorable state of infrastructure necessary for training of students. I'll recommend a minimum of One year by which time all Universities should have been adequately equipped.
The country has witnessed over the years an efflux of students to other neighboring countries and farther countries around the world where they are sure to get uninterrupted and quality education and amazingly not so expensive. Apart from the time and stress saved, they gain a wealth of exposure which would last a lifetime.
It is true that the problems in Nigeria are of a peculiarly complex nature which can be felt in all aspects of our daily lives. In order to adapt, it has become natural to "manage" or yield to the pressure of survival which ultimately boils down to "corruption".

A "state of emergency" is not an indication of a worsening of the prevailing condition, but should be seen as a means for a "complete overhaul". Admission into should be discontinued since it has become obvious that enrolling in our institutions results in "falling educational standards" and "unemployable" graduates.
This "state of emergency" is what I propose because repairs cannot happen overnight and it will be unreasonable to claim work can be done simultaneously with training of students.

DIABETES AND YOUR DENTAL HEALTH

4 Signs You May Have a Problem

Diabetes puts you at risk for dental problems. It impairs your ability to fight bacteria in your mouth. Having high blood sugar encourages bacteria to grow and contributes to gum disease. You may have gum disease if you have:

• Gums that are red, sore, bleeding, or swollen, or that pull away from your teeth
• Loose teeth
• Chronic bad breath
• An irregular bite or dentures that don't fit well

 

Control Diabetes to Keep Your Smile

Well-controlled diabetes contributes to a healthy mouth. If you have poorly controlled or high blood sugar, your risk increases for dry mouth, gum disease, tooth loss, and fungal infections like thrush. Since infections can also make your blood sugar rise, your diabetes may become even harder to control. Keeping your mouth healthy can help you manage your blood sugar.

See Your Dentist Regularly

People with diabetes are prone to oral infections. You should get dental checkups at least twice a year. Let your dentist know you have diabetes and what medicines you take. Regular checkups and professional cleanings can help keep a mouth healthy. And your dentist can teach you the best ways to care for your teeth and gums at home.

Keep Plaque at Bay

Sticky plaque -- food, saliva, and bacteria -- starts to form on your teeth after you eat, releasing acids that attack your tooth enamel. Untreated plaque turns into tartar, which builds under gum lines and is hard to remove with flossing. The longer it stays on your teeth, the more harmful it is. Bacteria in plaque causes inflammation and leads to gum disease. Having high blood sugar often makes gum disease worse.

Brush Daily, Brush Right

Brushing your teeth twice a day not only keeps your breath sweet, but also helps rid your mouth of bacteria that makes up plaque and can lead to oral infections. To brush properly, point your bristles at a 45-degree angle against your gums. Use gentle back-and-forth strokes all over your teeth -- in front, in back, and on chewing surfaces -- for two minutes. If holding a toothbrush is hard for you, try an electric toothbrush. Also brush your gums and tongue.

Floss Every Day

Flossing helps control plaque. It can reach where a toothbrush can't, like between the teeth. Ask your dentist for tips if you're not sure how to floss. Like everything else, flossing gets easier with practice.

 

Take Care of Your Dentures

Loose-fitting or poorly maintained dentures can lead to gum irritation and infections. It's important to talk to your dentist about any changes in the fit of your dentures. When you have diabetes, you are at a higher risk of fungal infections like thrush. And poorly maintained dentures can contribute to thrush, too. It's important to remove and clean your dentures daily to help reduce your risk of infection.

Toss the Tobacco

Tobacco products -- including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipes -- are bad for anyone's mouth. But if you have diabetes and you smoke, you are at even greater risk of developing gum disease. Tobacco can damage gum tissue and cause receding gums. It can also speed up bone and tissue loss, leading to lost teeth. Motivate yourself to quit. List your reasons for quitting, set a date, and get the support of family and friends.

Prepare for Oral Surgery

Well-controlled blood sugar reduces your risk of infection and speeds healing. If you need oral surgery, tell your dentist and surgeon you have diabetes beforehand. Your doctor may recommend that you wait to have surgery until your blood sugars are under control.

4 Steps to Protect Your Health

The same steps that ensure a healthy mouth also help you manage your diabetes.

• Eat a healthy diet.
• Don't smoke.
• Keep up with your diabetes medications.
• See your dentist regularly to reduce your risk of developing a serious problem.

Know the Warning Signs

Regular dental checkups are important because your dentist can spot gum disease even when you don't have any pain or symptoms. But you should examine your teeth and gums yourself for early signs of trouble. Infections can move fast. If you notice redness, swelling, bleeding, loose teeth, dry mouth, pain, or any other oral symptoms that worry you, talk to your dentist right away.

 

Source: WebMD



The Effects of Noise Pollution on the Physical Environment

The physical environment includes everything that surround us: land, air, water, people, plants, animals, buildings and infrastructures. The levels of noise in the physical environment can influence the physical and mental health of humans and other living creatures. Noise pollution, often with levels above 75 decibels, seriously damages the whole physical environment. Sources of noise pollution include factories, transport, building sites and loudspeakers.

Economic Effects

• High levels of noise pollution in an area can negatively affect property values. In residential areas, the value of houses decreases according to the increase of decibels. Near noisy highways, the value of a property decreases even more significantly, partly due to other negative effects of intense traffic, such as air pollution.

Physical Health Effects

• Noise pollution can cause physical damage to the human ear that is constantly exposed to sound levels from 80 to 130 decibels. Light traffic noise, for instance, generates about 74 decibels; the approaching of a subway train produces 90 decibels, and an aircraft takeoff can produce as much as 120 decibels of noise. Noise-related hearing loss can be temporary, or it can be permanent, called "noise-induced permanent threshold shift," or NIPTS. A sound level of 150 decibels or more can negatively affect the circulatory system by raising blood pressure.

Mental Health Effects

• Excessive noise can cause emotional or psychological effects, such as irritability, anxiety, mental fatigue and stress in humans and animals. Noise exposure is related to memory deficit, increased aggression and reduced helping behavior. Symptoms reported among industrial workers exposed to noise pollution include nausea, headaches, argumentativeness, changes in mood, and anxiety. Noise pollution can also interfere with the cognitive performance of children at school.

Effects on Wildlife

• In addition to sight and smell, some animals rely on their hearing to locate prey. Highways or airports built close to wildlife areas can expose the animals to noise pollution, making the hunting process more difficult and causing ecological imbalance. Noise pollution can also disrupt the animals' breeding patterns, and it has been identified as a reason for the extinction of some animal species, according to Charter Township of West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Read more: eHow

HIGH HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS LINKED TO REDUCED COGNITIVE FUNCTION

A recent study suggests that high levels of homocysteine in the blood may be associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment in older people.

 

Homocysteine is a naturally occurring, sulfur-containing amino acid in the blood that requires enzymes, vitamin B12, folic acid, and other vitamins to be converted to the essential amino acid methionine. Deficiencies in folic acid (folate), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, or betaine may lead to hyperhomocysteinemia, a medical condition characterized by high levels of homocysteine in the blood. The concentration of homocysteine in the blood may decrease after appropriate supplementation with the deficient vitamins.

In a recent study, researchers from the University of Western Australia and Royal Perth Hospital recruited 358 people over the age of 50 to determine if homocysteine levels may be associated with cognitive impairment in older adults with depressive symptoms. About 70 percent of the participants met the criteria for major depression. The researchers collected blood samples to determine levels of homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate, and administered cognitive tests to assess verbal and visual recall and memory.

The researchers found that people who had major depression and high homocysteine levels performed significantly worse on the cognitive tests. Participants who had high homocysteine levels without major depression had lower scores than those with normal homocysteine levels. Furthermore, those with high homocysteine levels were almost twice more likely to show cognitive decline on several tests.

The researchers concluded that high blood levels of homocysteine may be linked to weaker performance on cognitive tests, compared to normal levels, independent of the presence or severity of depressive symptoms. The authors suggested that B-vitamin supplementation may be an effective way to lower homocysteine levels and reduce the impact of cognitive deficits in older adults.

Source: NaturalStandard

GREENHOUSE GASES ARE HEALTH THREATS

GREENHOUSE GASES

 

Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses from power plants, cars, and other sources can harm human health directly. Ground-level ozone, for example, can contribute to asthma and other lung diseases.
The six greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
Global warming has broader health effects on the population. It has been found that global warming could increase rates of heat stroke, infectious diseases, drownings due to higher water levels, more frequent and intense wildfires, and water-quality problems.
In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act as announced by some agencies such as the "Environmental Protection Agency" in Washington.
The EPA announcement was the result of a review ordered by the Supreme Court. The court ruled that the EPA has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses if the agency determines they endanger health and welfare.

Source: WebMD

SLEEP

TOP TIPS TO GET BACK TO SLEEP.

1. If you wake up and struggle to get back to sleep, there's usually a reason.
Illness, heartburn, hot flashes, and what you eat and drink can keep you up. So can anxiety, stress, and depression.
Many people also have trouble sleeping after a troubling event such as a death or divorce.
2. While alcohol can make you sleepy, it won't help you get a good night's rest. You're more likely to wake up when the alcohol's effects wear off.
Avoid alcohol after dinner. More than a drink or two can keep you from getting the deep sleep you need.
3. When it comes to getting a good night's sleep, a lot of medications can get in the way. Some antidepressants can keep you awake, as can over-the-counter pain relievers and decongestants.
Heart and blood pressure medications like beta-blockers and diuretics can also disrupt your sleep.
4. If you wake up and can't get back to sleep within 15 to 20 minutes, the worst thing you can do is stay in bed and watch the clock.
Get up and go into another room. Read, take a bath, have a light snack, or do something quiet. When you feel sleepy, get back into bed.
5. Healthy sleeping habits known as sleep hygiene can help you shift from daytime frenzy to nighttime slumber.
Go to sleep when you are tired and avoid caffeine four to six hours before bedtime. Don't smoke near bedtime, and finish dinner several hours before going to sleep. Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool, and only use it for sleeping and sex.
And don't drink too much water. If you do, you'll wake up because you'll need to use the bathroom.
6. The word apnea means "not breathing." If you have sleep apnea, your airway gets blocked on and off during the night, which wakes you up. You might wake up hundreds of times a night without remembering it. Your partner might tell you that you snore loudly, snort, or gasp.
Insomnia and sleep apnea can be connected. Sleep apnea can be dangerous. People who have it have a high risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
7. A sleep diary can help you find out what's keeping you from getting a good night's sleep.
Keep a record for one week of things like when you went to bed, how often you woke up during the night, and how many caffeinated drinks you had during the day.
Bring your sleep diary with you to your next doctor appointment. Then you and your doctor can come up with a plan for sleeping better.
8. If you want to sleep better, start exercising. People who exercise, especially those who exercise vigorously, report sleeping better than those who don't.
Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days. For most people, exercising any time -- even near bedtime -- is better than no exercise. If you have trouble sleeping and your doctor has told you not to exercise at night, follow that advice.
9. Having a fan or another "white noise" device in your room can help you tune out outside noise, such as barking dogs and loud power generators and cars.
Try not to watch TV or use a computer before bedtime. Some studies suggest the light from those devices can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps bring on sleep.
10. It may be tempting to turn to over-the-counter sleeping pills when you are staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night. But while these medications may help you for a few days, they don't work well in the long run.
Many people who take nonprescription sleeping pills feel tired the next day. That can be due to a "hangover" effect of the medication. These drugs may not completely stop working after eight hours.

Night Owls More Likely to Experience Nightmares

Night owls might think staying up late is a real hoot, but a new study hints that delayed sleep might have a sinister side. People who hit the sack late might have a greater risk of experiencing nightmares, according to scientists, although they add that follow-up research is needed to confirm the link.
"It's a very interesting preliminary study, and we desperately need more research in this area," says Jessica Payne, director of the Sleep, Stress and Memory Lab at the University of Notre Dame, commenting on the new findings.
Previous reports have estimated 80 percent of adults experience at least one nightmare a year, with 5 percent suffering from disturbing dreams more than once a month. The new paper, from a group of scientists writing in the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms, surveyed 264 university students about their sleep habits and frequency of nightmares, defined as "dysphoric dreams associated with feelings of threat, anxiety, fear or terror."

The scientists, led by Yavuz Selvi at the Yuzuncu Yil University in Van, Turkey, used a measure known as the Van Dream Anxiety Scale to assess the rate of bad dreams. Specifically, study participants were asked to rate their frequency of experiencing nightmares on a scale from zero to 4, corresponding to never and always, respectively.
On average, individuals who described themselves as evening types had a score of 2.10, whereas their morning-type equivalents averaged 1.23 on the scale, a significant difference according to the authors of the study.
The Turkish study follows from a larger online survey of nearly 4,000 people that found hints of an association between being a night owl and nightmares among women beginning in their 20s. Those results from Tore Nielsen, director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at the Sacre-Coeur Hospital in Montreal, were published in 2010 in theJournal of Biological Rhythms. "I was pleased to see that they replicated the association between being an evening person and having nightmares," Nielsen says. But he adds that more research is needed into how this might play out according to a person's sex: "Men and women have very different emotional systems, and I think we're seeing a different expression of that difference in nightmares."
Experts are intrigued by the idea that a person's daily body cycle, known as the circadian rhythm, might be linked to nightmares. "I think it's certainly of interest," says Russell Rosenberg, director of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine & Technology and chairman of the National Sleep Foundation. "There's certainly not a lot of research in this area."
Mood matters
Exactly why evening types might report more nightmares is a mystery. The authors of the new study point to previous work that found these individuals might be more likely to have mood disorders and stressful lifestyles. Other scientists have found an association between mood disorders, such as depression, and sleep problems.
Mark Blagrove, director of the Sleep Lab at Swansea University, notes that the survey by Selvi et al. found that evening types were slightly more likely to recall their dreams overall, so this could in part explain the findings.
However, Blagrove adds that night owls who go to bed late during the week and have to wake up for work at the same time as early birds are more likely to experience sleep deficit—and to make up for it on the weekends by sleeping in. It's during this extended weekend sleep that they might experience more REM sleep, a sleep phase that is characterized by rapid eye movement, increased brain activity and vivid dreaming. "They might have a whole lot of recovery sleep on the weekend that explains why this is happening," Blagrove says.
A so-called stress hormone known as cortisol might also be involved, Payne hypothesizes. The hormone usually peaks in the body in the morning, just before we wake up. It's also around this time that REM sleep cycles also peak. "The first question is whether there is a connection between REM and cortisol peaking," Payne says. "The idea is that if your sleep has been shifted you may be asleep when cortisol is elevated, which might lead to nightmares or bizarre and vivid dreams."
It's unclear from the new study whether the students who self-reported as evening-types were true night owls or natural early birds who mischaracterized themselves because they were forcing themselves to stay up late to socialize or complete a term paper. According to Rosenberg, follow-up studies on the possible nightmare link should have participants record their habits in a sleep diary, or wear a movement-detecting device known as an actigraph unit—essentially a specialized accelerometer that can record sleep patterns based on periods of rest.
The value of knowing the causes of nightmares is not lost on researchers themselves. "I used to have a whole load of dreams ten years ago that were thrillers, with a slightly threatening aspect to them," Blagrove says. "I don't miss them at all."
This article was provided by ScientificAmerican.com. © 1905 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.