Log on to you blogger account, click the Layout link and choose the "Edit HTML" option, now copy and paste the following code inside the template
#navbar-iframe {
height:0px;
visibility:hidden;
display:none
}
Hey, even if you can't get your hands on Vista until next year, you could still make your XP look and act like Microsoft's next OS.
I found lots of tools for converting your existing Windows XP Interface to Vista interface, the best and the safer tool is Vista Transformation Pack. I have installed it on many times on different machines and it worked like a charm, the only problem i faced was, after the "windows updation" some of the existing looks changed from Vista to XP, the main notable change is with the Boot Screen, it changed from Vista to XP.
Vista's new Aeroglass interface isn't just window dressing, it also helps you find data faster and move more quickly between open windows. Luckily, you can add many of Vista's shiny, bright interface elements to XP. For example, Vista will list a file's properties and other metadata in a pane at the bottom of Explorer windows. The freeware utility InfoTip Extension lets you beef up the pop-up info tips you see when you hover over a file icon, customizing the information that appears and even displaying the contents of a text file. Unfortunately, this utility was designed for older versions of Windows and a few of its features don't work in XP. Also, it provides no extra information for MP3, WMA, WMV and other music and video files (which arguably already have pretty good info tips). But, hey, it's still more convenient than opening a file's Properties dialog box.
Vista's new features will also show you a thumbnail preview of open files and applications when you hold the pointer over each taskbar button. Microsoft's Alt-Tab Replacement PowerToy already gives you the keyboard equivalent: after you download and install the program, simply hold the <Alt> key and press <Tab>, as you normally would to switch between running apps, and you'll see a thumbnail preview of each app in succession, though you won't see a preview if the app is minimized. If, for some reason, you don't want the Microsoft version, try TaskSwitchXP and Alt-Tab Thingy--two freebies that do much the same thing, and throw in some extra features as well.
For a very Mac-like way to switch applications, try the US$10 shareware program WinPlosion. As with Mac OS X's Expose feature, moving your pointer to a designated corner will cause all open windows to display in a zoomed-out view; click one to restore the previous view, but with the targeted window in front.
If you're looking for some of the transparency that Vista's interface uses, you can buy tools that apply various see-through effects to Windows (such as the US$20 Actual Transparent Windows from Actual Tools). But, why bother? Freeware can do most of the same tricks sans cost. If you want only your taskbar to have a degree of transparency, check out Transbar from AKSoftware. On the other hand, if you want transparency only for your application windows, the free PowerMenu not only handles that task, but also makes windows stay on top of all others, minimizes them to the taskbar with a single click and changes their processing priority to suit your preferences. If you want to apply transparency to windows and to the taskbar, Vasilios Freeware's TransApps can do both--but little else. Finally, the aforementioned Alt-Tab Thingy can ghost any inactive window so that it becomes partially transparent and also invisible to mouse clicks (the clicks pass through to whatever is underneath). The window returns to full opacity and normal behavior once it becomes active again.
To apply Vista's cool new glasslike sheen to your windows, look no farther than the granddaddy of skinning utilities, WindowBlinds from Stardock, or the equally capable StyleXP from TGT Soft. These programs cost US$20 each and offer a free trial. Last, but not least, you can obtain Desktop Sidebar, a free version of Vista's sidebar feature that displays weather information, stock quotes, RSS feeds and other timely information.
1.1 How Does Your Firewall Rate?
At this site they test all the major firewalls using leak-tests. Now outbound leak-testing is only one criterion for assessing firewall performance indeed some would argue that inbound protection is more important. My view is that both are important as are user friendliness, resource usage, software compatibility and resistance to termination by hostile agents. That said Comodo, Jetico and ZoneAlarm Pro top he list while the Microsoft XP SP2 firewall get the wooden spoon. ZoneAlarm free was another notable poor performer.
| Product | Product Score | Level of Anti-leak Protection | |
|
| Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4.18.184FREE | 9475 | Excellent |
|
| Jetico Personal Firewall 2.0.0.28 beta | 9375 | Excellent |
|
| ZoneAlarm Pro 7.0.337.000 | 8600 | Very good |
|
| Lavasoft Personal Firewall 2.0.1019.7604 (700) | 8500 | Very good |
|
| Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0.0.119 | 8375 | Very good |
|
| Online Armor Personal Firewall 2.0.1.190 | 8000 | Very good |
|
| System Safety Monitor 2.4.0.617 beta | 7975 | Very good |
|
| Jetico Personal Firewall 1.0.1.61 FreewareFREE | 7750 | Very good |
|
| Privatefirewall 5.0.8.11 | 7625 | Very good |
|
| Ghost Security Suite [BETA] 1.110 | 7500 | Very good |
|
| Dynamic Security Agent 1.0.8.8FREE | 7375 | Good |
|
| Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2007 15.30.1151 | 7000 | Good |
|
| F-Secure Internet Security 2007 7.01.128 | 6625 | Good |
|
| Outpost Firewall PRO 4.0 (1007.591.145) | 6550 | Good |
|
| ProSecurity 1.30 | 6500 | Good |
|
| BlackICE PC Protection 3.6.cpv | 5750 | Poor |
|
| Sunbelt Personal Firewall 4.5.916 | 5200 | Poor |
|
| Look 'n' Stop 2.05p2 | 4800 | Poor |
|
| Safety.Net 3.61.0002FREE | 4000 | Poor |
|
| Norton Internet Security 2007 10.2.0.30 | 3100 | Very poor |
|
| PC Tools Firewall Plus 2.0.0.25FREE | 2625 | Very poor |
|
| Avira Premium Security Suite 7 build 98 | 2450 | Very poor |
|
| SensiveGuard 1.06FREE | 2350 | Very poor |
|
| Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808FREE | 2350 | Very poor |
|
| McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006 8.0 | 2325 | Very poor |
|
| Blink Personal Edition 3.0.8.1496FREE | 2250 | Very poor |
|
| ZoneAlarm Free 7.0.302.000FREE | 1500 | Very poor |
|
| CA Personal Firewall 2007 3.0.0.196 | 1000 | None |
|
| Outpost Firewall Free 1.0.1817.1645FREE | 1000 | None |
|
| BitDefender Internet Security 10.108 | 750 | None |
|
| Norman Personal Firewall 1.42 | 750 | None |
|
| Panda Antivirus + Firewall 2007 6.00.00 | 650 | None |
|
| Filseclab Personal Firewall 3.0.0.8686FREE | 500 | None |
|
| Ashampoo FireWall Pro 1.14 | 500 | None |
|
| AVG Anti-Virus plus Firewall 7.5.431 | 500 | None |
|
| Windows Firewall XP SP2FREE | 0 | None |
http://www.matousec .com/projects/ windows-personal -firewall- analysis/ leak-tests- results.php
1.2 Utilities that Work with Vista
If you use Vista you will already have discovered that many of your favorite freeware and shareware utilities won't work with Vista. At this site they list many utilities that will work. Note: despite the site's name, a good proportion of the products listed are non Vista. Many are also commercial shareware not freeware.
http://www.freevist afiles.com/
1.3 Free Web Based Applications
In recent issues I've mentioned how web based application may one day replace some of the programs currently running on your PC. Here's a list of just some of the products and services available.
http://tinyurl. com/2dztm8 (cogniview.com)
1.4 The Great Defrag Shoot-out
One of the best comparative reviews of defragment utilities I've seen. I don't agree with all the author's comments but hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
http://donnedwards. openaccess. co.za/2007/ 04/great- defrag-shootout- part-1.html
1.5 How to Permanently Wipe a Hard Drive
Most users are aware they can securely erase files and drives using free utilities like "Eraser" [1] and "Boot and Nuke" [2] that overwrite the data multiple times. At this site [3], suggested by subscriber Chris Price, they show how you can securely wipe a drive using a little-known feature built into many hard drives.
http://www.heidi. ie/eraser/
http://dban. sourceforge. net/
http://blogs. zdnet.com/ storage/? p=129&tag=nl.e622
1.6 Portable Software Lists
There are lots of these lists; none is complete but here are two of the best. The first covers free software while the second includes commercial products as well.
http://www.portable freeware. com/
http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ List_of_portable _software
1.7 Free Online Services Offer RoboForm-like Functionality
1.8 How to Reduce Your Spam
1.9 Free Service Monitors Website and Server Uptime and Performance
1.1 How to Mute Unwanted Website Sounds
Internet Explorer allows you turn off all webpage sound from the Advanced tab within Tools /Internet options however I find this very inconvenient as sometimes you want to listen to web audio. Firefox doesn't even offer an audio mute option at all but there is a free Firefox extension called Stop AutoPlay [2] that is designed specifically for the job. It works by adding a browser button that rather conveniently allows you to play or mute at will. It doesn't stop Flash sound files but if you use FlashMute in addition to Stop AutoPlay you have a pretty complete solution to all unwanted web sound.
[1] http://www.indev. no/?p=projects# flashmute Freeware, Windows 98-XP, 233KB
[2] https://addons. mozilla.org/ en-US/firefox/ addon/1765
1.2 Compress Your Files to the Max
ZIP may the most common algorithm for compressing files but it's far from the most effective. The Open Source 7-ZIP for example offers higher compression for most files but there are specialist archive formats that offer higher still., KGBArchiver V1.21 proved to be a competent well implemented archiver offering 10 different levels of compression using the PAQ algorithm. Archives are created in .kgb format. It also can create self extracting archives, supports ZIP, has drag and drop, a right click context menu and a few other niceties. It's not really a substitute for WinZip or IZArc but a specialist product aimed at those seeking to compress files down to the smallest possible size. Here are the results along with some other popular archive formats for comparison:
 |
At its default setting KGBArchiver performed competently but on average, no better than WinRAR or 7-ZIP. At its "extreme" setting it did a great job at compressing plain text files but struggled to squeeze anything more out of the other file types. The 5.5MB .exe file took nearly 7 minutes and a similar time to extract while by comparison WinZip did it in 4 seconds and WinRAR in 9. Furthermore KGBArchiver consumed computer's entire CPU and memory resources while compressing. So is it worth it? Not for most users. However sysadmins and archivists with large text files to store (and plenty of CPU time) should at least check it out. Freeware, Windows 2000-Vista, 1.02MB
http://kgbarchiver. net
1.3 Free Portable Media Player Tops Its Class
The KMPlayer" that can either be run from a thumb drive or installed. It supports numerous formats including DVD playback. It comes with a whole batch of inbuilt codecs and support for external codecs as well. In the audio area it supports AC3, DTS, LPCM, MP2, MP3, Vorbis, AAC, WMA, ALAC, AMR, QDM2, FLAC, TTA, IMA ADPCM, QCELP, EVRC, RealAudio and more while with video you can play DivX, XviD, Theora, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VP3, VP5, VP6, H263(+), H.264(AVC1), CYUY, ASV1/2, VQ1/3, MSVIDC, Cinepak, MS MPEG4 V1/2/3, FFV1, VCR1, FLV1, MSRLE, QTRLE Huffyuv, Digital Video, Indeo3, MJPEG. To have these features available on a thumb drive is quite extraordinary. Freeware, Windows 98-2003, 12.3MB.
http://www.kmplayer .com/forums/ index.php
http://www.kmplayer .com/forums/ showthread. php?t=4704<= Link to download
1.4 Using a USB Drive as a Laptop Replacement
Regular contributor "Briard" takes a break from the world of Linux and instead explores the potential of Windows flash drive computing.
http://www.techsupp ortalert. com/briard_ in_usbland. htm
1.5 Symantec Norton 360:
15 day trial, Windows XP - Vista, 49.4MB.
[1] http://www.symantec .com/norton360/
[2] http://www.pcpro. co.uk/reviews/ 110678/norton- 360.html
[3] http://reviews. cnet.com/ internet- security- and-firewall/ norton-360/ 4505-3667_ 7-32330411. html
[4] http://www.techsupp ortalert. com/review- norton-360. htm
2.0 SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES
2.1 Microsoft Security News
In the last month a new series of JavaScript related flaws were discovered in Internet Explorer [1]. These flaws could be exploited even if fully patched version of IE 6 and 7 and allow a hostile website to take control of an affected PC. A related flaw was also found in Firefox. As of today these flaws remain unpatched.
These flaws highlight yet again that you cannot rely on regularly applying Windows and other vendor updates to protect your computer when surfing. Always surf in sandbox or with your browser running with reduced rights. See item 2.6 below.
Patch Tuesday the 12th of June saw the release of six security updates from Microsoft, four of which were rated "Critical." The critical updated covered flaws in Windows, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Microsoft Mail. Another flaw rated "moderate" affected Vista systems and could allow "non-privileged users to access local user information data stores including administrative passwords contained within the registry and local file system."
Further details of the June updates can be found here [2]. All the updates are distributed automatically via the Microsoft Update Service. Dial-up users in particular need to be aware that these updates are large files and you will need a considerable period of time online for them to download successfully. If you have any doubts whether you have received the updates, then visit the Microsoft Update Service [3] now.
[1] http://lists. grok.org. uk/pipermail/ full-disclosure/ 2007-June/ 063712.html
[2] http://www.microsof t.com/technet/ security/ bulletin/ ms07-jun. mspx
[3] http://update. microsoft. com (Requires IE5 or later)
2.2 Firefox Updated to V2.0.0.4
Mozilla released a performance and security update for Firefox on the 30th of May. The new version 2.0.0.4 has better Vista compatibility and fixes five security flaws one of which was rated as "critical." Also released were the corresponding updates for the older Firefox V1.5, Thunderbird and the SeaMonkey Suite. To my knowledge there are no current exploits in circulation that utilize these flaws however, it is essential that you update now as the malware developers routinely reverse engineer security updates to identify flaws to exploit in unpatched machines. Users with automatic updates enabled should have had the new version automatically delivered and installed. You can check by selecting Help / About from within Firefox. If your version number is less than V2.0.0.4, then update manually from here [1]:
http://www.mozilla. com/firefox/
2.3 No More Updates for Firefox V1.5
Support for the old V1.5 version of Firefox was discontinued by Mozilla at the end of May. V1.5 users should upgrade to V2 as soon as possible any newly discovered flaws in the old version will not be patched. Starting from June 7th users with the automatic update service enabled will be advised of the upgrade. Other users should upgrade manually here:
http://www.mozilla. com/en-US/ firefox/
2.4 Serious Flaw in Yahoo Messenger
A critical buffer overflow flaw was discovered in the popular Yahoo Messenger instant messaging product. The flaw could allow a hostile website to take full control of a vulnerable PC. The flaw affects all versions of Messenger from 5.5.0 through to 8.0.0. All users should upgrade immediately to version 8.1.0.401 available from here [1].
[1] http://messenger. yahoo.com/
2.5 New QuickTime Security Patch Underscores Need to Keep Programs Updated
A patch for QuickTime 7.1.6 was released by Apple on the 29th of May to cover a Java Extensions flaw that could allow a PC to be compromised by simply by visiting a hostile website. Affected systems include Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, OS X v10.3.9 and v10.4.9. The Windows patch can be downloaded from here [1]. This flaw highlights the need for users to keep all the software on their PC up-to-date not just Windows and Office. You can easily check all your products by using the free service Software Inspector service [2] over at Secunia.
[1] http://www.apple. com/support/ downloads/ securityupdatequ icktime716forwin dows.html
[2] http://secunia. com/software_ inspector/
2.6 How to Protect Your PC Against Hostile Sites, Browser Flaws
Recent reports from Google [1] and Sophos [2] have highlighted the rapid increase the number of hostile websites. These sites use flaws in popular browsers as well as Windows to secretly infect anyone who happens to accidentally visit them. Keeping all your products up-to-date reduces your risk of infection but increasingly these hostile sites are exploiting new or unpatched flaws to attack visitor's computers. It's not hard to protect your PC against these threats: surf from within a sandbox such as Sandboxie or alternatively run your browser with reduced rights. To help you I've written a short how-to guide [3] that's now on my website. If you are not yet using these protective techniques I strongly recommend you read this guide and adopt its recommendations.
[1] http://googleonline security. blogspot. com/
[2] http://www.secureco mputing.net. au/news/53424, number-of- infected- web-pages- soar.aspx
[3] http://www.techsupp ortalert. com/safe- surfing.htm
2.7 Goggle's Security Blog Hints at the Future
Found this blog [1] quite informative, particularly the observation about the potential vulnerability of virtualization based security products. With the appearance of this blog and the recent purchase of the company that makes the GreenBorder sandbox, it looks like something is definitely brewing at Google in the security arena. Then there's the recent announcement of Google Gears [2], a toolkit that allows developers to modify their online applications to work offline as well. My guess is that Google is working on a secure browser for its online apps that also allows offline access through the Google toolbar. Maybe I'm not guessing, just fantasizing :>)
[1] http://googleonline security. blogspot. com/
[2] http://code. google.com/ apis/gears/-
2.8 The Best Windows Backup Software
If you have been looking for a backup program, this is the one.
http://www.backup- software- reviews.com/
2.9 The Best Spyware Detector
If you use Ad-aware or SpyBot you will be surprised just how more effectively SpySweeper detects and protects your PC from Spyware, Trojans, keyloggers and other malicious products. That's why it won the prized "Editor's Choice" award from PC Magazine and is rated "outstanding" by Gizmo Richards, editor of the highly regarded Support Alert newsletter. Spyware has become so serious you can't afford less than the best protection. Install it now before it's too late.
http://www.webroot. com/wb/products/ spysweeper/ index.php? rc=1132
2.10 The Best Remote Access Software
Read the full review here:
http://www.pcsuppor tadvisor. com/best_ remote_access_ software. htm
2.11 The Best Free Kids Craft Projects
Keep your young children engaged and amused with healthy, creative arts and craft activities that won't cost you a cent. Free newsletter packed with easy kids craft projects.
http://kidscraftwee kly.com/
3. 0 OTHER USEFUL STUFF
3.1 Good Deals on USB Flash Drives
[1] http://tinyurl. com/2ck8wx (compuplus.com)
[2] http://www.newegg. com/Product/ Product.aspx? Item=N82E1682022 7145
[3] http://www.buy. com/prod/ kingston- 2gb-datatraveler -usb-2-0- flash-drive/ q/loc/101/ 202743330. html
3.2 Free Utility Helps Your PC Conserve Power
[1] http://co2saver. snap.com/
3.3 Good Guide to Modern Website Design
[1] http://www.webdesig nfromscratch. com/current- style.cfm
[2] http://f6design. com/journal/ 2006/10/21/ the-visual- design-of- web-20
3.4 Useless Waste of Time Department
Here's a great way to mindlessly fritter away a few minutes of your life. Check this site where you can read how others are currently frittering away theirs :>)
http://twitter. com/
Too lazy to install the new Office 2007 or Windows Vista on your machine ? Worried that the new software might break existing stuff on your computer or may not work at all ? Here's something for you - Windows Vista cum Office 2007 inside Windows XP.
Microsoft today released a free combo VHD edition of Windows Vista and Office 2007 Professional which includes Publisher, Excel, Outlook, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, and Word.
You can download this all-in-one package from Microsoft Download Center and run it on your Windows XP computer without making any modifications by using the free Microsoft Virtual PC software.
Start the Virtual PC software and just open the Windows Vista cum Office 2007 image - the software will run independent of your existing XP SP2 setup and will not alter or install anything on the computer.
Excited ? There's a small catch - though the Office 2007 / Vista image file is free, it is a bit bulky (~2 GB to be exact) and requires addition 10 GB of free hard drive space for running smoothly inside the Virtual PC software.
If you think your Broadband connection can take the load, get the Office 2007 cum Vista installer from microsoft.com/ downloads/ (file available in VHD image format).
Who are these three guys appear on the Vista DVD
These are not the Pics of Bill gates, some other fellows.
1.Start Outlook Express.
2.Click Tools, and then click Options.
3.On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
4.In the Store Location dialog box, copy the store location. To do this, follow these steps:
a. Put the mouse pointer at one end of the box under the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
b. Press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer across the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
c. Press CTRL+C to copy the location.
5.Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.
Step B: Copy the contents of the Store folder
1.Click Start, click Run, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
2.On the Edit menu, click Select All.
3.On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.
Step C: Create a backup folder
1.Right-click any empty area on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
2.Type Mail Backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.
Step D: Paste the contents of the Store folder into the backup folder
1.Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
2.Right-click inside the Mail Backup folder window, and then click Paste.
1.On the File menu, click Export, and then click Address Book.
2.Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export.
3.Click Browse.
4.Select the Mail Backup folder that you created.
5.In the File Name box, type address book backup, and then click Save.
6.Click Next.
7.Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.
8.Click OK, and then click Close.
1.On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2.On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3.In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4.Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.
5.Click Close.
1.On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2.On the News tab, click the news account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3.In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4.Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to export.
5.Click Close.
How to restore Outlook Express items
Note To restore items when you use multiple identities in Outlook Express, you may have to re-create the identities before you follow these steps. Repeat each step as needed for each identity.1.On the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
2.In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5 or Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click Next.
3.Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and then click OK.
4.Click Browse, and then click the Mail Backup folder.
5.Click OK, and then click Next.
6.Click All folders, click Next, and then click Finish.
1.On the File menu, click Import, and then click Other Address Book.
2.Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
3.Click Browse.
4.Select the Mail Backup folder, click the address book backup.csv file, and then click Open.
5.Click Next, and then click Finish.
6.Click OK, and then click Close.
1.On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2.On the Mail tab, click Import.
3.In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4.Click the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5.Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.
6.Click Close.
1.On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2.On the News tab, click Import.
3.In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4.Click the news account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5.Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to import.
6.Click Close.
What is urinary tract infection?
The urinary tract is made up of the parts of the body that produce, store and get rid of urine. These include the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
The kidneys make urine. Urine flows from the kidneys down tubes called the ureters. These tubes bring urine to the bladder. From the bladder, urine exits the body through the urethra.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of any part of the urinary tract. It is caused when bacteria invade the urinary tract. Bacteria on the skin or in the area near the anus can enter the urinary tract from the urethra and move up the urinary tract, sometimes as far as the kidneys. Women have a shorter urethra than men, which makes it easier for women to get a UTI. In rare cases, infection can spread by the blood to the urinary tract from other parts of the body.
What are the symptoms of urinary tract infection?
Urinary tract infections can make you feel as if you need to urinate often. They can also make urinating painful. Sometimes, only small amounts of urine come out. At other times, you might not be able to control the flow of urine.
The urine may look cloudy or may have a foul smell. It may contain blood or pus.
If the UTI is in the kidneys, you may have fever and back pain.
What tests are needed?
Your physician may want to perform a test on your urine. This is called a urinalysis. You will need to provide a clean catch urine sample. The steps for getting a clean catch urine sample are:
Your sample will be tested to see if you have a UTI.
Some tests can be done in the physician's office, but others may have to be sent away to a lab. Final results will take a few days but treatment will usually start straight away.
What treatment is needed?
Most UTIs are treated with antibiotics. Antibiotic capsules or pills are usually taken by mouth each day for a few days.
For difficult-to- treat infections, antibiotics may be given by a needle into a vein. Physicians also sometimes treat these infections with antibiotics taken by mouth for weeks instead of days.
If you are given antibiotics, take them as prescribed. Do not stop early even if you feel better.
If you get a lot of UTIs, your physician may want to study your urinary tract more closely. This can be done with ultrasounds, X-rays or other scans. These tests can find problems that make you more likely to get a UTI. Some of these problems can be treated with surgery.
Do
Recovery time
Symptoms should go away in a few days. If they do not, tell your physician.
What can be done to stop it from happening again?
Drink six to eight glasses of water a day can reduce the risk of UTI.
Women can lower their risk of UTIs in a few ways. One is to urinate just before and just after sex. Another is to avoid using a diaphragm or spermacide. These can raise the risk of UTIs. Women who get UTIs often may therefore want to use birth control pills instead of a diaphragm.
For women, wiping from front to back after using the toilet reduces UTIs. Douches and sprays can raise the risk of getting a UTI. Avoid their use. Showers may be better than baths for some women. Wear cotton underwear and avoid tight pants to prevent UTIs.
In general, try to urinate frequently. When urinating, be sure to empty your bladder completely. These actions will help keep the urinary tract clear.
If you develop UTIs often, your physician may give you antibiotics to prevent infection.
This topic provides information about asthma in teens and adults. If you are looking for information about asthma in children age 12 and younger, see the topic Asthma in Children.
Asthma makes it difficult for you to breathe. This can happen only every now and then, or in more severe cases, every day. Asthma may also last throughout your life (a chronic disease), but you can control it through treatment with medications.
Asthma makes it difficult to breathe because it can cause inflammation in your bronchial tubes, which carry air to the lungs. The inflammation usually starts slowly, but over time it can make the muscles that line the bronchial tubes get tight (bronchospasm) . This can cause a blocking or narrowing of your airways, making it difficult to breathe. This is known as an acute asthma episode (also called an attack, flare-up, or exacerbation) .
Acute asthma episodes can happen rarely or often and be mild or severe. Most often, you can take care of symptoms at home by using an asthma action plan, which is a written plan that tells you which medicines you need to use and when you should call a health professional. If you have a severe acute episode, you may need urgent care. These acute asthma episodes can even cause death, but that is rare.
Even if you have few acute asthma episodes, you still have inflammation in your airways that needs treatment. If the inflammation is not controlled, asthma could lead to permanent changes in the bronchial tubes and harm your lungs.
Although there is no cure for asthma, with treatment you can control your symptoms and prevent further damage to your lungs.
We don't know what causes asthma. But here are some of the things that can cause the inflammation in your airways that can lead to asthma and acute asthma episodes:
Symptoms of asthma can be mild or severe. You may have no symptoms; severe, daily symptoms; or something in between. How often you have symptoms can also change. Symptoms of asthma may include:
Many people have symptoms that become worse at night (nocturnal asthma).
No one test can diagnose asthma. Your health professional will diagnose asthma using spirometry, as well as your medical history, a physical exam, and lab tests.
Spirometry measures how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs and how much air you move. The test can help your health professional decide whether asthma is causing your airflow to decrease and by how much. The test can also show how well your lungs work when you're not having asthma symptoms and measure how well your lungs respond to treatment with medication.
While taking your medical history, your health professional will ask about your symptoms and when they occur. A physical exam will not find signs of asthma unless you are having symptoms. Your health professional will listen to your chest for signs of reduced airflow in the bronchial tubes and will look for signs of sinus problems or allergies.
A chest X-ray may be done to see whether another disease is causing your symptoms. Blood tests may show that you have allergies that could cause asthma episodes. If your health professional thinks you may have asthma related to allergies, skin testing may be done to identify them.
You will need routine checkups with your health professional to keep track of your asthma and decide on treatment.
You can treat asthma with medications, especially inhaled corticosteroids, which prevent or control airway inflammation, and beta 2 -agonists, which make the airways larger (dilate). You usually work with your health professional to form a daily treatment plan and an asthma action plan. These plans help you to:
A common herbal extract available in health food stores can greatly reduce urinary tract infections and could potentially enhance the ability of antibiotics to kill the bacteria that cause 90 percent of infections in the bladder. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center, in a series of experiments in mice, believe they have also discovered why many urinary tract infections in the bladder return even after treatment with antibiotics.
They found that some bacteria hide in cells lining the bladder, where they cannot be reached by antibiotics. But they also found that forskolin, an extract from the Indian coleus plant, flushes out hiding colonies of bacteria, making them susceptible to antibiotic treatment. "After customary antibiotic treatment, the vast majority of the bacteria are either killed by the antibiotics or eliminated during urination," Abraham said. "However, there are small numbers of bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment because they sneak into the lining of the bladder, waiting for the opportunity, after antibiotic treatment, to come out and start multiplying again." The researchers found that forskalin has the ability to force the bacteria out of their niches and into the urine, where they can be killed by antibiotics. Abraham said that forskalin's action makes intuitive sense, since the herb is known to rev up certain cellular activity. This heightened activity in the bladder causes the specialized pouches to "flush out" their contents -- in this case, the hiding E. coli. "This herb has been used in Asia for centuries for a wide variety of ailments," Abraham said. "However, one of its constant uses has been for treating painful urination."
Today, forskalin is added to bodybuilding products and marketed for its ability to increase lean body and bone mass, as well as to increase testosterone levels. The herb also has been claimed to be an effective weight-loss aid.
Latin Name : Coleus forskohlii Family : Lamiaceae Sanskrit Name : Makandi Common Name : Coleus, Mainmul, Karpuravali Parts Used : Roots Coleus forskohlii is part of the mint family of plants and has long been cultivated in India, Thailand and parts of SE Asia as a spice and as a condiment for heart ailments and stomach cramps. The roots of the plant are a natural source of forskolin, the only plant-derived compound presently known to directly stimulate the enzyme adenylate cyclase, and subsequently cyclic AMP.
Cyclic AMP levels cause several physiological and biochemical effects such as : - Inhibition of platelet activation and degranulation. - Inhibition of mast cell degranulation and release of histamine and other allergic compounds. - Increased force of contraction of the heart muscle. - Relaxation of the arteries and other smooth muscles, vasodilation. - Increased insulin secretion. - Increased thyroid function (and therefore metabolic rate). - Reduced adipose assimilation and increased lipolysis of fats.
ACTION : Anti-glaucoma, Anti-platelet, Bronchospasmolyltic , Cardiotonic, Hypotensive, Anti aging, Anti allergic, Smooth muscle and arterial relaxant, Antiasthmatic.
A new study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute suggests that a commonly used herbal supplement, triphala, has cancer-fighting properties that prevent or slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors implanted in mice. The study found that an extract of triphala, the dried and powdered fruits of three plants, caused pancreatic cancer cells to die through a process called apoptosis -- the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells. This process often is faulty in cancer cells. Results of the study, are being presented in a late-breaking session at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 14-18, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Triphala, one of the most popular herbal preparations in the world, is used for the treatment of intestinal-related disorders. It is typically taken with water and thought to promote appetite and digestion and to increase the number of red blood cells.
"We discovered that triphala fed orally to mice with human pancreatic tumors was an extremely effective inhibitor of the cancer process, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells," said Sanjay K. Srivastava, Ph.D., lead investigator and assistant professor, department of pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Triphala triggered the cancerous cells to die off and significantly reduced the size of the tumors without causing any toxic side effects."
Dr. Srivastava and colleagues fed mice grafted with human pancreatic tumors 1 to 2 milligrams of triphala for five days a week and then compared tumor size and levels of apoptotic proteins in the tumors to a control group of mice that received normal saline only. They found that the mice that received triphala had increased levels of proteins associated with apoptosis and significantly smaller tumor sizes when compared to the control group. Triphala-treated tumors were half the size of tumors in untreated mice. Further testing revealed that triphala activated tumor-suppressor genes, resulting in the generation of proteins that support apoptosis, but did not negatively affect normal pancreatic cells.
"Our results demonstrate that triphala has strong anticancer properties given its ability to induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells without damaging normal pancreatic cells," said Dr. Srivastava. "With follow-up studies, we hope to demonstrate its potential use as a novel agent for the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer," said Dr. Srivastava. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is one of the most aggressive cancers, with an extremely poor prognosis.
Magnetic levitation is the use of magnetic fields to levitate a (usually) metallic object. Manipulating magnetic fields and controlling their forces can levitate an object.
In this process an object is suspended above another with no other support but magnetic fields.
The electromagnetic force is used to counteract the effects of gravitation. But it has also been proved that it is not possible to levitate using static, macroscopic, `classical' electromagnetic fields.
The forces acting on an object in any combination of gravitational, electrostatic, and magnetostatic fields will make the object's position unstable.
The reason a permanent magnet suspended above another magnet is unstable is because the levitated magnet will easily overturn and the force will become attractive. If the levitated magnet is rotated, the gyroscopic forces can prevent the magnet from overturning.
Several possibilities exist to make levitation viable.
It is possible to levitate superconductors and other diamagnetic materials, which magnetise in the opposite sense to a magnetic field in which they are placed.
A superconductor is perfectly diamagnetic which means it expels a magnetic field (Meissner-Ochsenfel d effect). Other diamagnetic materials are commonplace and can also be levitated in a magnetic field if it is strong enough.Diamagnetism is a very weak form of magnetism that is only exhibited in the presence of an external magnetic field.
The induced magnetic moment is very small and in a direction opposite to that of the applied field. When placed between the poles of a strong electromagnet, diamagnetic materials are attracted towards regions where the magnetic field is weak.
Diamagnetism can be used to levitate light pieces of pyrolytic graphite or bismuth above a moderately strong permanent magnet. As water is predominantly diamagnetic, this property has been used to levitate water droplets and even live animals, such as a grasshopper and a frog.
Superconductors are perfect diamagnets and when placed in an external magnetic field expel the field lines from their interiors (better than a diamagnet). The magnet is held at a fixed distance from the superconductor or vice versa. This is the principle in place behind EDS (electrodynamic suspension) maglev trains. The EDS system relies on superconducting magnets.
A maglev is a train, which is suspended in air above the track, and propelled forward using magnetism. Because of the lack of physical contact between the track and vehicle, the only friction is that between the carriages and air. So maglev trains can travel at very high speeds (650 km/h) with reasonable energy consumption and noise levels
yPen - An Online Text Notebook, Simple but Useful
Do not confuse yPen with sophisticated notebook applications like Google Notebook or the more feature-rich Zoho Notebook.
yPen, like other online clipboards, is just a quick tool for creating text notes online inside a neat and minimal interface.
No registration or browser add-ons required - just type (or copy-paste) the text in the available space and it stays there forever.
You can access your text notes via a unique URL. And there's no save button, everything you type is automatically saved.
yPen is different from other note-taking applications in the sense that it sports a tabbed interface and therefore several text clippings can be entered on the same webpage organized as tabs (equivalent to sections or pages in Microsoft OneNote 2007)
For developers, yPen also has an API to create or read yPen notes inside your application or widget.
Others:
mynoteIT:http://www.mynoteit .com/index. php
Notefish: http://www.notefish .com/
GoogleNoteBook: http://www.google. com/notebook/
Notezz: http://www.notezz. com/
Stikkit: http://www.stikkit. com/
Yahoo!Notepad:Yahoo
ZohoNotebook: http://notebook. zoho.com/ nb/login. jsp
While compact discs (CDs) are remarkably durable, it’s nearly impossible to prevent scratches and scuffs from occurring from time to time. The resulting damage can be either a skip in your favorite Bob Marley track or, in the case of data CDs, the loss of that spreadsheet you worked on for two weeks. Don’t despair—repair! While commercial CD repair kits and CD refinishing machines are available, you may be able to repair the damage on your own with products you already have.
Asus debuts Tri-band PDA phone
Asus India has entered the communication segment with the launch of its P535 tri-band PDA phone in India.
The P535 tri-band PDA phone features full wireless functionality, Global Positioning System (GPS), and a high quality auto-focus camera, all in one compact form factor, says Asus.
And, the PDA phone is targeted at business professionals and high-end technology users, according to the company.
Andrew Tsui, Managing Director of Asus India, said, "We now aspire to successfully enter the communications segment with the introduction of the P535 PDA phone, which will complement our 3C philosophy of providing products in the computers, communications, and consumer electronics space."
The P535 offers push email, Internet access, and off-site synchronization of calendar and contact information over wireless or mobile GPRS networks. With the P535, users can view and edit Office documents as well.
The phone features an integrated auto-focus 2.0-megapixel camera that doubles as a business card scanner; Asus' proprietary Secret Folder software through which users can encrypt and protect sensitive information; and the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system.
Other features include a 2.8-inch display, 256MB Nand Flash ROM and 64MB SDRAM memory, 2.5 to 5 hours of talk time, Bluetooth version 2.0, USB 1.1, MiniSD card slot, and 2.5mm Audio Jack.
The P535 PDA phone is available for around Rs 37,800, along with a one-year warranty through Neoteric Informatique (Asus' distributor) . The company has announced an inaugural offer of a free 1GB Mini SD card with every P535 purchased.
For the first time since life evolved, one species is now altering the physical, chemical, and biological features of the planet on a geological scale. Scientists tell us of a litany of ecological disasters—climate change, toxic pollution, species extinction, marine depletion, deforestation— the depressing list can paralyze one with hopelessness and despair. Fear can motivate immediate action in the short-run, but hope can be sustained.
And that hope rests on all of us.
Remember some things u got to do to save this earth:
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1. Never Add To the population. We all like children, but remember there are more than enough human beings, do not add any more. And if you add to the population, u actually do two wrong things- one is you are going to make ur child suffer on a bad earth and also ur child will be an additional burden for the resources.
2. U can marry, but please do not add to the population. Please plant a tree instead. and marry if it is only really required. Marriages are a burden, please live ur life alone. and do all things to protect earth.
3. Never use any resource more than required
4. Try and live simple lives, just stop ur cars, use public transport. Use bike only if ur work demands it, but do bike pooling too. those who have cars do car pooling.
5. Be simple, as simple as possible.
6. First preference should be environment protection, all other things come later. Since without the earth there is no human rights, women rights, child rights etc. And without earth there is no use of ur money. So protect earth today.
7. I see many friends not switching off their computers even at night, since i can see their Gmail accounts still glowing. This is bad. Please switch off ur computer, television, and all equipments when not in use. do not put anything on standby mode. Please use CFL bulbs and tubelights instead of normal bulbs.
8. Use bucket water to take bath, never use a shower. never leave ur taps open.
9. As far as possible take cold water baths, never use hot water to take bath. Cold water is good for ur body and also saves energy.
10. Be a vegetarian as far as possible. try to eat less meat.
11. never use light in the mornings, use minimum electricity.
12. travel only if necessary, use telephones and Internet to communicate, don't move around undauntedly.
13. dont conduct seminars and workshops if not required. seminars and workshops add to global warming and is a waste of time. most of the seminars speak the same thing. so have a programs only if required.
Remember, I am speaking based on ground realities,
Kerala and Karnataka coast has already seen two to three Sea Intrusions two weeks back before monsoon. And all the sea intrusions are due to global warming.
the coasts are getting eaten up very fast.
if the current rate continues, within next five years the NH 17 and NH 47 will soon be under the sea and soon the maps of Kerala would have to be redrawn. remember Kerala is mostly below sea level in many places.
this will result in serious human rights issues. many of our friends on the coast will become refugees in their own land.
do u want to see this happen?
tsunami could kill only 20,000 people, but remember this will kill millions and also displace many from their homes. this is the way nature will evict people. all CRZ and CMZ will be meaningless when the sea will share borders with the western ghats in about 10 yrs from now. it is serious.
In many other places it is going to serious drought. like bangalore will suffer for drinking water and people will have to migrate. let us stop this destruction.
so please please do ur bit if u care for your own people around the world.
take care
have a green day
Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to the world and its wildlife, from rare species to the landscape itself. Some of the planet's most breathtaking features now face an uncertain future, as this gallery from Conservation International testifies.
Frogs and toads are declining worldwide due to a mysterious fungal disease epidemic. In the Andean tropical mountains, scientists have documented the extinction of 67 percent of Tropical American harlequin toads. Evidence shows that climate change has increased the occurrence of the fungal disease killing these frogs. As Alan Pounds, a leading researcher of the amphibian decline, has said: “The fungus is the bullet that killed the toads, but climate change pulled the trigger.”
Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama
Hydrocoral was declared extinct before scientists even had given it a name. In 1991 it was thought to be gone forever as a result of a massive ocean warming event in 1982-83. A small colony was rediscovered in 1993, but was then killed by a subsequent ocean warming event. The status of this species is uncertain.
Northwest South Africa
Aloe dichotoma, the quiver tree, is declining across much of its range due to warming and drying. This unique species was used by the San or “Bushman” people to craft quivers for arrows. Its succulent branches are nearly hollow but it hasn't been able to hold enough water to stave off climate change.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
The cloud forest in Monteverde, Costa Rica is changing: clouds are moving higher up mountain slopes and conditions are drying. One species, the golden toad (Bufo periglens), is already extinct. Many other amphibians have undergone huge declines. Birds are migrating upslope, and toucans from lower elevations are driving resplendent quetzals to higher and higher elevations by preying on their nests.
Antarctic
There has been a 10-fold crash in the krill population in the Antarctic since 1950, likely due to decreases in the algae krill feed on. The algae grow on the underside of sea ice, but as sea ice melts due to climate change, there is less algae krill to form the base of the Antarctic marine food web, so species from whales to penguins are at risk due to krill population declines.
Raja Ampat Islands
Raja Ampat's marine habitats naturally experience some of the largest ocean temperature variations in this region. To date, however, they have exhibited an exceptional resilience to the stresses associated with climate change. These marine habitats, particularly the coral reefs, are therefore likely to be some of the most resilient in the region. They provide refuge for marine wildlife and will be central to the repopulation of species in nearby areas that prove less resilient to climate change.
Pacific Islands
Coral reefs have been compared to underwater rain forests: they are full of life. Twenty percent have been destroyed; another 60 percent are severely threatened by climate change. Losing reefs is equal to losing about $375 billion dollars yearly and will jeopardize the food and economic security of about 30 million people. Since most coral reefs are found in tropical waters of developing countries, people already in poverty will be most affected.
The Amazon
The frequency of natural fires is increasing in the Amazon due to longer and more severe droughts throughout this massive region. In turn, the future of many plant species that are rare throughout the Amazon is under threat. Scientists predict that if current trends in climate change continue, 43 percent of representative plant species now living in the Amazon will disappear in 80 years.
Papua New Guinea
New Guinea’s extraordinary tropical montane biodiversity wilderness, as well as its extensive coral reefs, will suffer serious impacts from global climate change, including rising sea levels, sea water warming, atmospheric warming, erratic wind patterns, and altered rainfall patterns. Some impacts already are evident. In 1997-98, drought encompassed the entire island and small fires quickly spread throughout the dry flammable forests, giving the indication of having an untold effect on wildlife.
Nepal
Glaciers around the world are shrinking at a dramatic rate. Rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers in parts of India, Nepal, and China will cause flooding and avalanches. As climate change progresses, and meltwater from glaciers disappears, the loss of agricultural productivity dependent on this water source will affect the food security of more than one-sixth the world’s population living in valleys below major mountain ranges.
China
Ten percent of the world’s population, about 643 million people, live in coastal areas. Coastal areas are at great risk from sea-level rise, which is projected to increase dramatically – anywhere from one to six meters – this century. Coastal cities, agriculture, livelihoods, and infrastructure will be affected. China is among 10 countries with the largest number of people vulnerable to sea level rise.
The Congo
Populations near the equator are subject to severe swings in precipitation, resulting in flooding and drought cycles. This will affect local production negatively, especially in subsistence sectors at low latitudes.
