Friday, January 28, 2011

Workshop on Endo – Vascular Therapy at CMCH


LudhianaThe CMCH (Christian Medical College & Hospital)  here has been chosen to host the prestigious International Master Class on Venous Disease – 2011. Dr Harinder Singh Bedi, Head, Cardio-Vascular and Thoracic surgery Department, CMCH, said, “In view of the extensive work on vascular disease being done in the CTVS Dept of CMC & H it was decided by an international panel to hold the workshop in Ludhiana”.
Dr Bedi had also delivered a guest lecture on redo-surgery at the last International Workshop. Dr Bedi is credited with being a world leader and the pioneer in beating heart surgery and in the world’s first use of the radial artery in treatment of vascular disease of the leg.
Renowned surgeons, including Prof Jean-Francois Uhl (France), Dr Ted King (USA), Dr Mark Malouf (Australia) and Dr Rene Milleret (France), will be assisting the CMC surgeons so that the latest techniques could be used to help people of this region.
According to Dr Bedi, chronic venous disease is quite common in India as most of our population works in the standing position, leading to pressure on the veins which dilate. It is estimated that over a lakh die due to venous disease (DVT and PE) each year – which is the equivalent of the disappearance of a city the size of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The other members of the local faculty are Dr A Joseph, Dr A Gupta, Dr V Abraham, Dr V Bhasker, Dr A Bhardwaj, Dr P Gupta and Dr S Samuel.
The conventional therapy of varicose veins is a major operation called stripping. It entails a long cut, pain, admission and a slow recovery. A revolutionary new technique called ‘Endovenous Thermal Ablation’ with a Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) has been introduced and perfected at the CMC. It is this technique which will be discussed in detail at the workshop. Patients will have the advantage of having the best International experts in Ludhiana to lend their surgical skills.
Officiating Director Dr.Kim Mammen, Medical Superintendent Dr.Kanwal Masih were also present on the occasion.Dr.Bedi can be contacted at 98140-60480 for any clarification.:-Rector Kathuria

Dr. Biden Keeps National Guard in Mind


By Army Sgt. Darron Salzer of National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 27, 2011 - Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, invited the fiancée of a Delaware Army National Guard member to a Jan. 24 White House news conference to unveil a whole-of-government plan to strengthen military family support.

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"You are family, and we are a National Guard family," Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, tells National Guard adjutants general during a Feb. 22, 2010, reception at the vice president's residence in Washington, D.C. Dr. Biden invited the fiancée of a Delaware National Guard officer to a Jan. 24, 2011, White House event announcing a whole-of-government approach to military family support. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill 


Biden said she met Jessica Sanders about two weeks ago when she was seeing off Army Capt. Mark Thomas at a deployment ceremony for the Delaware Army National Guard's 126th Aviation Regiment, which will provide medical evacuations for troops, allies and civilians in Afghanistan.
"I am heartened by the efforts to respond to the challenges facing our Guard and Reserve families -– from helping them sustain their businesses to supporting their reintegration back into their communities after deployment," she said.
The plan to strengthen military family support, which will begin in the coming months, is a commitment by not only by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, but also on the part of several other federal government entities.
"Today is an important next step in this administration's commitment to support our servicemen, their families and our members," said Biden, who also is the parent of a Delaware Army National Guardsman.
President Barack Obama said his administration will focus on four areas: improving the quality of life for military families and veterans, education and development of military children, expanding efforts to help military spouses pursue their education and careers, and increasing child care availability.
"The Agricultural Department is expanding its support for families in rural areas," he said, citing one example of the whole-of-government commitment. "A disproportionate number of our military families come from rural areas or are stationed in rural communities."
Obama said his administration is making almost 50 specific commitments to military families. However, he added, the government can't accomplish the mission alone.
"I want every service member who's deployed to know that when you're over there taking care of the country that you love, your country is back here taking care of the families that you love," Obama said.
 
Related Sites: 
Special Report: Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America's Commitment 
White House Report 

During the graduation ceremony

First Lady Michelle Obama addresses attendees during the 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment's Basic Combat Training graduation ceremony at Fort Jackson, S.C., Jan. 27, 2011. 


























U.S. Army photo by Susanne Kappler. 

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Challenge : Part of Play

U.S. Navy Capt. Thom Burke, left, the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), attempts a putt on a 60-foot green on the flight deck Jan. 25, 2011, in the Pacific Ocean. The putting challenge was part of Play for L.A., an 18-day promotional event culminating in the Northern Trust Open golf tournament Feb. 15. Ronald Reagan was moored in its home port of San Diego preparing for a deployment. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Nicholas A. Groesch, U.S. Navy/Released)

Piracy Challenges Maritime Security Off Somalia


Posted on Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 1:21 AM
By Cheryl Pellerin of American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2011 - Pirates off the coast of Somalia are using bigger vessels to extend their criminal reach in a move that could prompt U.S. Navy forces in the region to intensify techniques for pursuing the lawbreakers, the top naval officer in the region said today.

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Kuwait Naval Force Brig. Gen. Jassim al Ansari, left, shakes hands with Royal Bahrain Naval Force Col. Isa Al Doseri, his successor as commander of Combined Task Force 152 during a change-of-command ceremony at Mina Salman Pier in Bahrain, Jan. 6, 2011. Combined Task Force 152 is one of three task forces that reports to U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox, center, in his capacity as commander of Combined Maritime Forces. Established in March 2004, Combined Task Force 152 coordinates theater security cooperation activities with regional partners, conducts maritime security operations, and is prepared to respond to any crisis in the Arabian Gulf. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Brown 

(Click photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available.
Navy Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet, told a group of defense reporters here that pirates have begun commandeer large merchant ships and use them as "mother ships" to put smaller boats into operation far from the coast and beyond the reach of the international forces arrayed against them.
"This is the first time we've seen persistent and increased use of mother ships -- up to eight 'pirate action groups' as we refer to them, disbursed throughout the region," Fox said, calling this development a "game changer."
Such groups may include one or two mother ships that travel with a range of dhows, skiffs and other small craft to attack and hijack international commercial vessels.
Fox said the number of pirate hostages rose from 250 to about 770 between September and January. In response to this and to the pirates' evolving capabilities, "we're in a constant process of assessing the way we do our business here."
The international force that works together in the region includes participation from the political alliance with the European Union, the military alliance with NATO, and military combined task forces that bring together nations from around the world to address critical security issues facing the region, including terrorism and piracy.
U.S Naval Forces Central Command is part of that mosaic, Fox said, "and then we have independent deployers like China or Russia, who are also in the region looking out for the well-being of their ships."
Everyone in the region has been "too keen" to categorize some efforts as counterpiracy and some as counterterrorism, the admiral noted.
"We've not used the same level of rigor and discipline in terms of [investigating] the counterpiracy piece as we have in the counterterrorism piece," he said. The same techniques should apply to both, he added, including investigating the sources of financing for pirates' activities, equipment, relationships and supplies.
The fight against piracy and terrorism is a critical issue in the region but it has helped countries in the region work better together, Fox said.
"Pirates are enemies of all, terrorists are enemies of all, and there has been willingness on the part of a large number of nations to come together and work together, where heretofore that hasn't happened," the admiral added.
"This is real, no-kidding capability of regional partners developing their own capacity to take care of their own water space, communicate and effectively deal with a threat that they all want to be able to manage," Fox said.
 
Biographies:
Navy Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox
Related Sites:
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet/Combined Maritime Forces 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Obama Cites Military Successes in State of Union Address


By Karen Parrish 
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2011 - In a State of the Union address here marked by a call for renewed American innovation and cooperation, President Barack Obama pointed to the nation's military as an example to follow.
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President Barack Obama paid tribute to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces during his State of the Union address, Jan. 25, 2011. He said the nation can repay service members "by giving them the equipment they need; by providing them with the care and benefits they have earned; and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own nation." DOD Screen Grab 
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
"Look to Iraq, where nearly 100,000 of our brave men and women have left with their heads held high; American combat patrols have ended; violence is down; and a new government has been formed," the commander in chief said.
In Afghanistan, U.S. troops have taken Taliban strongholds and trained Afghan Security Forces, and will continue to deny al Qaeda the safe-haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11, he said.
"Thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer Afghans are under the control of the insurgency," Obama said. "There will be tough fighting ahead, and the Afghan government will need to deliver better governance."
But U.S. and coalition efforts are strengthening Afghan capacity and building an enduring partnership with the Afghan people, he said.
"This year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an Afghan lead. And this July, we will begin to bring our troops home," the president said.
The nation has sent a message to all parts of the globe, Obama said: "We will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you."
Obama credited American leadership, especially in the New Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, for curbing the global nuclear threat.
Thanks to the treaty, he said, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be deployed.
"Because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands of terrorists," he said.
America leads the world in the quest for freedom and security, the president said, and the nation must always remember "that the Americans who have borne the greatest burden in this struggle are the men and women who serve our country."
The nation can repay that service, he said, "by giving them the equipment they need; by providing them with the care and benefits that they have earned; and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own nation."
American troops represent every creed, color, culture and geographical region in the nation, Obama said. And, he added, some are gay, and may now serve openly for the first time since the "don't ask, don't tell" law was overturned late last year.
"Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love," he said. "And with that change, I call on all our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and ROTC. It is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past. It is time to move forward as one nation."
First Lady Michelle Obama included among her guests for the address current and former military members, including Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, who received the Medal of Honor in November; Army Staff Sgt. Brian Mast, who lost both legs below the knee and suffered several other injuries in a roadside bomb blast while serving in Afghanistan; Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Nicole Mohabir, who has deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan; and Dr. Peter Rhee, a Navy veteran and former military surgeon, now director of medical trauma at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz. Rhee oversaw the treatment of victims injured in the Jan. 8 Tucson shootings, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Fire AT4 rocket launchers

Members of the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) fire AT4 rocket launchers at Forward Operating Base Kalagush in Nuristan province, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2011. The Nuristan PRT worked with the Afghan government to improve security and infrastructure capacity in the district. 














(DoD photo by Chief Master Sgt. Richard Simonsen, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Presenting a Purple Heart

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., center, presents a Purple Heart to Spc. Logan Hawthorn at Brooks Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 21, 2011. Hawthorn was wounded by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan. (DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen, U.S. Army/Released)

White House Unveils New Approach to Military Family Support


By Elaine Wilson of American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2011 - White House officials released a report today that unveils a new, governmentwide approach to military family support and details a sweeping, interagency effort under way to strengthen families and enhance their well-being and quality of life.
President Barack Obama announced the results of a nearly yearlong review of military family support today in a White House ceremony attended by the Defense Department's top brass, including Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, service chiefs and their spouses.
From child care to health care to spouse employment, the report -- titled "Strengthening our Military Families: Meeting America's Commitment" -- identifies the key issues military families face and presents programs and resources government agencies plan to roll out in the coming months to address them.
"This document is the commitment to our military families not only of this government, but this nation in terms of their support, their care and their empowerment," Robert L. Gordon III, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service in a recent interview.
The report outlines four key areas that the governmentwide effort plans to address: enhancing military families' well-being and psychological health, developing military spouse career and education opportunities, increasing child care availability and quality and ensuring excellence in military children's education and development.
"We're bringing together our agencies, our whole of government, with our whole of nation to focus on those four priority areas," Gordon said. "The DOD can't do this alone; it does take a whole-of-nation approach."
Gordon cited counseling services as an example of the benefits of an interagency effort. While the Defense Department offers counseling through Military OneSource and within military support centers and communities, "we can expand those services and activities with partnership with other sorts of sectors," he said.
The report addresses plans for expanded counseling services in detail, which will greatly benefit military families, Gordon noted. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 2 million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan in an unprecedented frequency, the report said, and, along with service members, military families also are vulnerable to deployment-related stress. The report cited a 2010 study that reports an 11 percent increase in outpatient visits for behavioral health issues among a group of 3- to 8-year-old children of military parents and an increase in behavioral and stress disorders when a parent was deployed.
"We do need to pay attention to the socio-emotional support of our kids," Gordon said, noting the impact of long parental separations due to deployments. He also acknowledged the additional responsibilities the spouse back home must shoulder in the military member's absence.
"We have devised ways ahead as a government and ... in partnership with the other sectors to do something about that," he said.
The report also lays out new and improved programs to increase behavioral health care services for military families in the coming months. The Veterans Affairs and Defense departments, for example, are slated to implement a multiyear strategy to promote early recognition of mental health conditions that includes education and coaching for family members and integration of mental health services into primary care, the report said.
DOD officials also are working to boost the number of mental health providers and to increase quality of care. In one effort, a TRICARE military health plan working group is undertaking a yearlong project to provide the best possible health care for the more than 9.6 million beneficiaries beyond 2015, the report said.
Additionally, the Defense and Health and Human Services secretaries will jointly accelerate efforts that prevent and address suicide, the report said. Meanwhile, VA's National Suicide Call Center will expand and enhance services to combat suicide among veterans.
The report also outlines efforts to protect military families from unfair financial practices, to address homelessness and improve housing security, and to ensure availability of substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services for veterans and military families.
Gordon also touched on employment opportunities for spouses.
"Our spouses want to work," he said, noting that of the roughly 700,000 spouses in DOD, 77 percent have expressed a desire to work. "We want to create opportunities for them," Gordon added.
The report takes a two-tier approach to the issue of employment, Gordon said. First, the government is committed to opening doors to educational opportunities, and then on easing the path to employment.
As an example, he highlighted the Army Spouse Employment Partnership program, which has signed a statement of support with 42 Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies. Since 2003, these companies have hired more than 84,000 Army spouses, the report said. DOD officials plan to enhance and expand this program to Navy, Marine and Air Force spouses, Gordon added.
"These are the kinds of opportunities we are looking for," he said.
In another effort, the Veterans Affairs, Labor and Defense departments will reform the employment workshop portion of the Transition Assistance Program to include an outreach initiative for military spouses, the report said. The workshop will feature a hands-on, tailored work force readiness program for service members and their spouses, including employment assistance during moves.
Other agencies will educate corporate America on the benefits of hiring from within the military, the report said, and encourage them to hire military spouses.
Turning to military children, Gordon said a considerable portion of the review was dedicated to looking at the need for more abundant child care. The department has 200,000 military children in the child care system, he noted, and a shortage of about 37,000 child care spaces.
"This is one area we want to focus on," Gordon said. "You'll see that commitment in this document. It's a partnership that we want to engage with our communities."
This community partnership is vital, he noted, since only about 37 percent of families live on military installations; the remaining 63 percent live in thousands of communities nationwide.
The Defense, Education, Health and Human Services and Agriculture departments are working together to increase the availability of child care options, the report said. This month, new child care liaison positions will be established through pilot programs in 13 states with identified childcare needs. DOD also will leverage partnerships with organizations such as the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the Council on Accreditation and Zero to Three for assistance with training community providers.
Additionally, DOD will continue to slate construction projects to meet the demand for increased capacity and to replace aging facilities, the report said.
On education, the report details efforts to ensure excellence in military children's education and development. The Education Department, for example, will, for the first time, favor grant applications to meet the needs of military-connected students, the report said, and DOD is committed to making its schools a leader in the use of advanced learning technologies, including software, online courses and student-written and sharable simulations.
To help to reduce the negative impacts of frequent relocations and absences, DOD will pursue the complete development of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which addresses mobility-related challenges military children face, such as records transfer and course placement, the report said.
To gain a complete picture of this groundbreaking effort, Gordon encouraged service members and their families to read the full report.
"What you'll find is how the government and nation really define areas where we can support and care for our families, our service members," he said. "But not only that, it's about empowerment. It's the fact that our families want to be fulfilled. It's the fact that they are assets for the country in those 4,000-plus communities and across the world, and how we can leverage that as well. This document talks about all of these things." 
 
Related Sites:
White House news release

Common man hit hard with price rice

Common man hit hard 
    Now those are very old sayings when it is being often told that "Dabb ke vaah te rajj ke khaa" [means: work hard and get better eating]. Now a days thinking of this thing is like a sin. In today's scenario it is being told "Khaadha Peeta laahe da baki Ahemadshahe da" [means: The which one ate is good, rest will not be saved and spent in expenses]. 
 Inflation has risen so much high that it looking like a competition of kites that who's kite is more high mean to say that which product is most inflated. scenario is going in this way that things of daily needs are getting costlier day by day and luxury items are getting cheaper due to stiff competition. Then logically a saying by Shyam Jagota's  comes to my mind that anyhow a common wants to ask that "whether you also save me like Afzal and Kasab ?" The common man in this picture is saying this in a shouting tone. And if the answer comes that comes very late when with the balloon of inflation many people flew away. Or a promise which takes a long time to get it complete and in between that half of the population will fly along with the ballon of inflation. i will make you know the common meaning of my these words further, first we should have to know about the inflation. 
Inflation Rate :-
     According to the figures released the inflation rate was 18.32 5 on food items on 25th December. It was on 14.44 5 a week ago by 25th December.  It was on 10.15 % on 13th November. After-all what is this 18.32 %, 14.44 %, 10.15% ? In a layman's term it is a purchasing power of a person. This purchasing power increased or decreased to knowing this is a inverse relation. Mean to say that if the sign of a figure is positive then purchasing power is decreased. If the figure is negative then purchasing power is increased. In more easy way we can understand in this way, if it is 18.32 % or +18.32% [same thing] then purchasing power is decreased, if figure is like -18.32 % then purchasing power is increased. now it can be said easily that on 13th November the inflation which was on 10.15 % has crossed a mark  of 18.32 % on 25th December. We can also say this that purchasing power of a man has been declined to 18.32 %.
     After-all how this comes into the picture? What are the base figures of these figures which determines the whole ?
 The mirror is very clear. first we should come to know that how these figures are being determined. Actually in our country some parameters has been established to measures the inflation. Many factors are taken into consideration while measuring the inflation but the most important factor is the BASE YEAR. The prices of the base year are taken as base to measure the inflation. What happens ? Th difference of the prices from base has been taken and divided by the prices of the base year then multiplied with hundred. the result obtained by this is written in percentage form like 18.32 %. This base year is changed time to time after some particular interval of time. the base year of current inflation is the financial year of 2004-05.
Reasons of Inflation :-
     As in science their is some reason for happening or not happening similarly economics has the reason of inflation and deflation. According to economics the prices of the product us decided by force which is called Demand and Supply. When the demand and supply remains same in proportion then the prices reached to an equilibrium point. When demand increases and supply decreases or remains constant then prices rise. When  demand decreases and supply increases or remain constant then prices fall. I think this is the sole reason of increasing or decreasing of prices. 
Political noise and dialogism :-
     According to chain the next question which comes into picture is that what is reason behind today's inflation? is demand has increased and supply is constant this time ? or supply is reduced and demand is constant ?
     I don't find any logical reason of inflation in between these two. Just observe, Isn't the prices can be increased with a wrong intention ? But how ? As in economics as the supply decreases the prices rise similarly if the availability of products in the market is being reduced or stopped then prices automatically rises. then only that product will be sold which will be available in the market at that time and on high rates. see, prices has been risen.
Price Rise
     Now the question arises that how this whole is being executed ? There has to be no astonishes that this whole is done by big market player and hoarders and earns super normal profits. Moreover political dialogues help these to execute this whole. But how ? Just try to think on the other side of the coin, when a political leader gives a dialogue that this time produce may be not good because of un-seasonal rain. Then isn't this a motivation to big market players and hoarders to stock the products in the godowns ? And in these super normal profits if there may be a share of a Minster, there will be no doubt of being this. When Mr. Pawar gives a dialogue that the produce has been spoiled in Mahrashtra because of rain and the produce will remains low in this year. then isn't this a motivation to hoarders to carry on their such filthy acts ? The point is that that to what degree it was logical to give a dialogue on produced ? Does less produce in one particular area can make suffer whole of the country ? If there it is then can't the products be imported from neighbor countries ? If yes, then what is the reason to make public this thing that the produce will remain low ? Now, isn't this a motivation to hoarders to hoard the stock and rise the prices ?
Photo Courtesy:Vichar Mimansa
     Then after some days, the renowned economist and the vice president of planning commission of India Montek Singh Ahluwalia gives a political dialogue that the increased prices has brought financial happiness. Our GDP is increasing and we try that it crosses a mark of 9 % by the end of this financial year. I ask to S. Ahluwalia that why don;t you say this that the purchasing power of a common man has been decreased and will be continue day by day ? It is obvious that if the prices will rise GDP will automatically rise and also you are pointing you want to reach GDP to the mark of 9 %. It will be very good if the prices will be in control and as well as GDP will increase. Ahluwalia sir, what was the need to tell public about the GDP as everyone know this fact ? It is looking that you make a dialogue just for a formality. Readers, now you tell isn't this a motivation to rise the prices and hoard the stock ?
     According to me the political dialogism has the highest share of making prices rise rather than other factors. If this share may be 99 % it will not astonish me. Even the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told that the inflation will be in control by the end of March. These are those easy explanations for which I've stated upper. 
Rise in Petrol prices :-
Satinder Singh Shah
     By when the govt. has deregulated the oil prices to the companies to determine it has anyhow increased somehow by every month. recently its prices has been increased. If it is analyzed logically then we can see that there is only $ 1/- barrel in crude oil from last year but current year's petrol prices are far far away from last year's prices. what is the reason behind that tha is also a very deep thing but the increased prices of petrol makes what effect on food prices worries me. Inflation will rise anyhow.
     The situation reaches to this extent that youngsters are updating these type of statuses on social networking sites like Facebook "This is the first time in the history that needs, comfort and luxuries are available on same price. Onions: Rs. 65/- KG, Petrol: Rs. 65/- liter, Beer: Rs. 65/- bottle."
     One make a sigh of relief that diesel prices are not deregulated and the control of this is in the hands of govt. and these are not been increased. But there is also a panic that whether they may not increase that in coming financial budget. if it does so then living of a common man will be battleground. 
     Then where the thing is mind of the people will come out on their tongue. "whether you also save me like Afzal and Kasab ? "