Malaria: 57% of African population live in high-risk infection a

In 2010, 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in populations living in the African region of the World Health Organization. Although the past 10 years have seen major investments in malaria control in Africa, new research suggests that almost 60% of the population continue to live in moderate- and high-risk infection areas.
This is according to a study recently published in The Lancet.
To reach their findings, researchers from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the World Health Organization (WHO) Office for Africa, and the University of Oxford in the UK analyzed data from 26,746 community-based surveys of parasite prevalence since 1980.
The surveys included 3,575,418 people from 44 malaria-endemic countries and territories in Africa.
Using this data, the investigators estimated the proportion of the population aged between 2 and 10 years who were infected with varying levels of a malaria-causing parasite called Plasmodium falciparum across Africa between 2000 and 2010.
The researchers note that 1998 saw the launch of the Roll Back Malaria initiative. This is a global framework that aims to protect vulnerable populations against malaria.
The team wanted to see how this initiative had impacted malaria control in Africa from 2000 up to a decade later.

Increase of population in moderate- to high-infection areas

The researchers found that between 2000 and 2010, the estimated number of people living in areas with high malaria transmission reduced by 16%, from 218.6 million to 183.5 million.
However, the number of people living in areas deemed as moderate- to high-risk of infection increased by 57%, from 178.6 million in 2000 to 280.1 million in 2010.
The researchers point out that a part of this increase is attributable to population growth. There are now 200 million more people living in malaria-endemic regions of Africa than there were in 2000.
The research team also found that the number of people living in very low-risk areas increased by 64% over the 10-year period, from 78.2 million to 128.2 million, with four countries (Cape Verde, Eritrea, South Africa and Ethiopia) demonstrating malaria transmission levels that indicate realistic malaria elimination.

Continued support for malaria control needed

However, the investigators say it is a concern that the number of people living in moderate- to high-risk infection areas has increased.
They point out that just 10 countries account for 87.1% of these people, and three of these countries are not a part of the WHO Malaria Situation Room - a worldwide joint initiative that aims to provide support to the 10 countries with the highest malaria burden in Africa.
Dr. Abdisalan Mohamed Noor, of the Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Program and co-author of the study, notes that the international community has heavily invested in malaria control over the past 13 years.
In 2000, worldwide malaria control investment stood at around $100 million. In 2013, it almost reached the $3 billion mark. But the researchers stress that although this study shows some successes of joint initiatives, further support is needed.
They write:

"In a period of global economic recession, these results emphasize the need for continued support for malaria control, not only to sustain the gains that have been made, but also to accelerate the reduction in transmission intensity where it still remains high.
If investments in malaria are not sustained, hundreds of millions of Africans run the risk of rebound transmission, with catastrophic consequences."

In a comment piece linked to the study, Prof. Brian Greenwood, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK, and Dr. Kwado Koram, of the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research in Ghana, agree that more could be done to improve malaria control in high-risk countries.
"However," they add, "a focus on elimination must not result in a reduction in support for development of new methods (drugs, insecticides, vaccines and new approaches to vector control), and improved delivery methods, which will be needed in large areas of sub-Saharan Africa before malaria transmission can be reduced to the level at which elimination becomes a credible prospect."

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How a New Software Program Can Bring the World Together

James lives in Hawaii and his mother lives in Korea.  James speaks English (he never learned Korean), and his mom only speaks Korean.  They communicate perfectly.
Elad lives in Israel. His grandmother lives in Austria. Elad speaks no German and his Grandmother speaks no Hebrew.  They communicate perfectly.
Enrique is from Honduras, but he lives in the U.S.  Enrique just started learning English and speaks very little. But, everyday Enrique reads the latest local US news on the Web, with no problem.
What these individuals (and close to 60 million others around the world) share, is a remarkable, free software program called Babylon.
Babylon may well be the most advanced translation software in the world, and it's a must-have for anyone whose life extends beyond the borders of their own language--or those who want it to.
Once you download it, you can highlight any text in practically any program, and its instantly translated into the language of your choice.   You can use it to translate a website, email, word doc, pdf, and virtually any document in any format you can think of.
You can compose a document in your native language, and Babylon will instantly translate it into another before you send it.
The program translates 75 languages, including: Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Hindu, and Russian.  It also includes up-to-date encyclopedias, dictionaries, and spell checkers.
Babylon is a long way from early translation software that would, more often than not, generate an unreadable babble of grammatically incoherent text that was better suited for generating laughs than comprehension.  Babylon's ability to understand and translate is state-of-the art.  In fact, businesses are adopting Babylon as the standard when it comes to translating commercial communications and other important documents.
Babylon is also a great tool for people who are learning another language.  Use it anytime you encounter a word or passage you don't understand.
What users rave about most is the program's ability to open up a different world to them. Whether it's surfing a news site in a different country, or being able to properly communicate with a family member or friend oversees, Babylon can make it happen.

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PAUL WALKER BIOGRAPHY

Quick Facts

• NAME: Paul Walker
• OCCUPATION: Film Actor, Television Actor
• BIRTH DATE: September 12, 1973
• DEATH DATE: November 30, 2013
• PLACE OF BIRTH: Glendale, California
• PLACE OF DEATH: Santa Clarita, California
• Full Name: Paul William Walker IV
• AKA: Paul

• Born in California in 1973, Paul Walker made his big-screen debut in the 1986 horror spoof Monster in Your Closet. After appearing in several television shows in the 1990s, including Charles in Charge, Who's the Boss? and The Young and the Restless, Walker gained attention with a role in the 1999 film Varsity Blues, and his TV days were officially behind him. After working in teen movies such as She's All That and The Skulls,
  Walker got his breakthrough role in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious, which would become his star vehicle and keep him busy through four sequels and a short prequel. The Fast and the Furious franchise established Walker as an action-film mainstay, and he went on to appear in several films in the genre, including Takers, Hours and Vehicle 19. Walker died in a car accident on November 30, 2013, at age 40.

  Early Years

  Born on September 12, 1973, in Glendale, California, Paul Walker appeared in front of the camera at a young age, modeling and acting in television shows such as Charles in Charge, Highway to Heaven and Who's the Boss. In 1986, he made his film debut in the horror spoof Monster in the Closet while also landing a recurring role on TV's Throb.
  
  After high school, Walker attended various California community colleges, but he dove into acting full-time in 1993, taking a role in the soap opera The Young and the Restless. After a handful of TV guest roles and the lead in Tammy and the T-Rex, Walker starred in the family comedy Meet the Deedles and left his TV career behind for good.
  
  Walker's next role was a big one for his career: He appeared opposite Reese Witherspoon in the critically acclaimed, high-concept Pleasantville. From that point on, Walker found himself in starring roles in such late-1990s films as She's All That, Varsity Blues and The Skulls—all pitched at a teen audience which helped turn Walker into a heartthrob.
  

  The Role of a Lifetime

  In 2001, Walker's career hit overdrive when he landed a leading role alongside up-and-comer Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious. A film that paid homage to road films of the 1970s, The Fast and the Furious brought Walker to new heights of fame on the way to box-office receipts of more than $200 million.
  
  Two years later, the franchise was back with its first sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Walker was again along for the ride. The film's gross was even larger than the first, and a bona fide hit series was under way. Walker then appeared in a few more action-oriented movies, including Timeline (2003), Into the Blue (2005) and Running Scared (2006), while also signing on to appear in the ensemble drama Noel (2004) and the children's adventure movie Eight Below (2006).
  Walker also showed his range as an actor in the 2006 war drama Flags of Our Fathers, directed by Clint Eastwood. He continued to take on more action movie roles in The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2007), Takers (2010) and Fast Five (2011)—the third installment of the Fast and Furious franchise.
  In 2012, Walker signed on to film The Fast and the Furious 6 (2013), keeping the series' momentum going.
  While not filming, Walker was active in Reach Out Worldwide, a nonprofit organization he formed in 2010 to bring aid to regions devastated by natural disasters.
  

  Tragic Death

  Walker died in a car accident on November 30, 2013 at the age of 40. Walker was in Santa Clarita, California to attend a charity event for Reach Out Worldwide to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. He was reportedly in the passenger seat of a Porsche when his friend who was driving lost control, crashing the vehicle into a tree. The car was engulfed in flames and both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
  At the time of his death, Walker was working on two upcoming films: Brick Mansions and Fast & Furious 7, both slated to be released in 2014.

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How to Lose Weight as Fast as Possible With Zero Hunger

There are many ways to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
However, most of them require you to be hungry and unsatisfied.
If you don’t have iron willpower, then hunger will cause you to give up on these plans quickly.
The method I’m about to describe will:

• Kill your appetite.
• Make you lose weight fast, without being hungry.
• Improve your health at the same time.

Rule 1 – Eliminate Sugars and Starches

The most important part is to remove sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet.
These are the foods that stimulate secretion of insulin the most. If you didn’t know already, insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body.
When insulin goes down, fat has an easier time getting out of the fat stores and the body starts burning fats instead of carbs.
Another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight (1, 2).
It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.
This is a graph from a study comparing low-carb and low-fat diets in overweight/obese women (3).

The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie restricted and hungry.
Cut the carbs, lower your insulin and you will start to eat less calories automatically and without hunger (4).
Put simply, lowering your insulin puts fat loss on “autopilot.”

Bottom Line: Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will lower your insulin levels, kill your appetite and make you lose weight without hunger.

Rule 2 – Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables

Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20-50 grams per day.

Protein Sources:

• Meat – Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, bacon, etc.
• Fish and Seafood – Salmon, trout, shrimps, lobsters, etc.
• Eggs – Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.

Protein is the macronutrient that contributes most to fullness and eating adequate protein can raise your metabolism (5).
Low-Carb Vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Kale
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Cellery
• Full list here.

Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20-50 net carbs per day.
The vegetables and the meat contain all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. There is no physiological need for grains in the diet.
Fat Sources:

• Coconut Oil
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Lard
• Tallow

Eat 2-3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal.
Don’t be afraid of eating fat, trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan.
The best cooking fat to use is coconut oil. It is rich in fats called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). These fats are more fulfilling than others and can boost metabolism slightly (6, 7).
There is no reason to fear these natural fats, new studies show that saturated fat doesn’t raise your heart disease risk at all (8, 9).
To see how you can assemble your meals, check out this low carb meal plan and this list of low carb recipes.

Bottom Line: Assemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and a low-carb vegetable. This will put you into the 20-50 gram carb range and drastically lower your insulin levels.

Rule 3 – Exercise 3-4 Times Per Week

You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended.
The best option is to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Do a warm up, lift weights, then stretch.
If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.
By lifting weights, you will burn a few calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (10, 11).
Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat (12).
If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some easier cardio workouts like running, jogging, swimming or walking will suffice.

Bottom Line: It is best to do some sort of resistance training like weight lifting. If that is not an option, cardio workouts work too.

Optional – Do a “Carb Re-feed” Once Per Week

You can take one day “off” per week where you eat more carbs. Many people prefer Saturday.
It is important to try to stick to healthier carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits, etc.
But only this one higher carb day, if you start doing it more often than once per week then you’re not going to see much success on this plan.
If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, then do it on this day.
Be aware that cheat meals or carb refeeds are NOT necessary, but they can up-regulate some fat burning hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones (12, 13).
You will gain some weight during your re-feed day, but most of it will be water weight and you will lose it again in the next 1-2 days.

Bottom Line: Having one day of the week where you eat more carbs is perfectly acceptable, although not necessary.

What About Calories and Portion Control?

It is NOT necessary to count calories as long as you keep the carbs very low and stick to protein, fat and low-carb vegetables.
However, if you really want to, then use this calculator (opens in new window).
Enter your details, then pick the number from either the “Fat Loss” or the “Extreme Fat Loss” section – depending on how fast you want to lose.
There are many calorie counters you can use to track the amount of calories you are eating. I like Cron-O-Meter – it is free and easy to use.
The main goal is to keep carbs under 20-50 grams per day and get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.

Bottom Line: It is not necessary to count calories to lose weight on this plan. It is most important to strictly keep your carbs in the 20-50 gram range.

Other Weight Loss Tips to Make Things Easier (and Faster)

Pretty much all you have to do is to stick to the three rules:

1. Eliminate high-carb foods.
2. Eat Protein, Fat and Veggies.
3. Exercise 3-4 times per week.

However, there are a few other tips that you may find useful if you want to speed things up even further.
None of these are old wives’ tales, they all have scientific evidence to back them up.
Drink Water, Coffee or Tea: Satisfy your thirst with water. If you’re a coffee or a tea drinker, then by all means drink as much as you want as both can raise your metabolism slightly (14, 15).
Use Smaller Plates: Studies show that people automatically eat less when they use smaller plates. Strange, but it works (16).
Sleep Like a Baby: Poor sleep is associated with weight gain and obesity, taking care of your sleep is important (17).
Reduce Stress: Being stressed can elevate the stress hormone cortisol, which can cause fat accumulation in the belly (18).

Bottom Line: It is most important to stick to the three rules, but there are a few other things you can do to speed things up.

You Will Become a “Fat Burning Beast”

You can expect to lose 3-10 pounds of weight (sometimes more) in the first week, then consistent weight loss after that.
I can personally lose 3-4 lbs per week for a few weeks when I do this strictly.
If you’re new to dieting, then things will probably happen quickly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.
For the first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body has been burning carbs for all these years, it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead.
It is called the “low carb flu” and is usually over within a few days. For me it takes 3. Adding some sodium to your diet can help with this, such as dissolving a bouillon cube in a cup of hot water and drinking it.
After that, most people report feeling very good, positive and energetic. At this point you will officially have become a “fat burning beast.”
Despite the decades of anti-fat hysteria, the low-carb diet also improves your health in many other ways:

• Blood Sugar tends to go way down on low-carb diets (19, 20).
• Triglycerides tend to go down (21, 22).
• Small, dense LDL (the bad) Cholesterol goes down (23, 24).
• HDL (the good) cholesterol goes up (25).
• Blood pressure improves significantly (26, 27).
• To top it all of, low-carb diets appear to be easier to follow than low-fat diets.

Bottom Line: You can expect to lose a lot of weight, but it depends on the person how quickly it will happen. Low-carb diets also improve your health in many other ways.

You Don’t Need to Starve Yourself to Lose Weight

If you have a medical condition then talk to your doctor before making changes because this plan can reduce your need for medication.
By reducing carbs and lowering insulin levels, you change the hormonal environment and make your body and brain “want” to lose weight.
This leads to drastically reduced appetite and hunger, eliminating the main reason that most people fail with conventional weight loss methods.
This is proven to make you lose about 2-3 times as much weight as a typical low-fat, calorie restricted diet (28, 29, 30).
Another great benefit for the impatient folks is that the initial drop in water weight can lead to a big difference on the scale as early as the next morning.
Here are a few examples of low-carb meals that are simple, delicious and can be prepared in under 10 minutes: 7 Healthy Low-Carb Meals in 10 Minutes or Less.

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"Daydreamer"

Daydreamer
Sitting on the sea
Soaking up the sun
He is a real lover
Of making up the past
And feeling up his girl
Like he's never felt her figure before

A jaw dropper
Looks good when he walks
Is the subject of their talk
He would be hard to chase
But good to catch
And he could change the world
With his hands behind his back, oh

You can find him sittin' on your doorstep
Waiting for a surprise
And he will feel like he's been there for hours
And you can tell that he'll be there for life

Daydreamer
With eyes that make you melt
He lends his coat for shelter
Plus he's there for you
When he shouldn't be
But he stays all the same
Waits for you
Then sees you through

There's no way I
Could describe him
What I'll say is
Just what I'm hoping for

But I will find him sittin' on my doorstep
Waiting for a surprise
And he will feel like he's been there for hours
And I can tell that he'll be there for life
And I can tell that he'll be there for life

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Washington 'pot shops' hit by shortage on first day of sales

Cannabis City owner James Lathrop gestures as he stands in the middle of his shop days before opening

Continue reading the main story

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Legal marijuana sales in the western US state of Washington have begun amid a shortage of the drug in the state.

State officials told licensed pot shops they could open at 8:00 local time but only a few are expected to have marijuana to sell on Tuesday.
The shortage comes as fewer than 100 people of more than 2,600 who applied for a growing licence were approved.
Washington and Colorado voters legalised the possession and sale of the drug in November 2012.
Colorado's marijuana stores opened for business on 1 January.
An Associated Press survey of 25 licensed Washington cannabis dealers found only six were expected to open on Tuesday, including one in the largest city of Seattle.

Only a fraction of the growers who applied for licences were approved

Others planned to open later in the week, while some shops said it would be at least a month before they had marijuana to sell.
In Bellingham, Top Shelf Cannabis investor John Evich told the Associated Press news agency they were "pretty stoked" to be open on the first day of sales.
"We haven't had any sleep in a long time, but we're excited for the next step," Mr Evich said.
The store told the Seattle Times early on Tuesday they initially saw fewer people than expected. Their first customers were from Kansas.
Washington officials eventually expect about 300 licensed shops to open.
More than 2,600 people applied to become licensed growers in Washington, but fewer than 100 have been approved.
And as of early this month, only about a dozen growers had crops ready to harvest.
The shortage is expected to raise prices to at least $25 (£15) a gram, the Associated Press news agency reports.

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Diamond Platnumz Baada Ya Kutofanikiwa Kupata Tuzo Ya BET Asema Haya

Imani yangu ni kwamba umekuwa mfuatiliaji mzuri wa habari tofauti kuhusu muziki wa Tanzania  na unafahamu kuhusu tuzo kubwa aliyokuwa akiwania msanii Diamond katika tuzo za Bet Nchini Marekani. Taarifa mpya ni kuwa Tuzo zimefanyika na Tuzo aliyowania Diamond ya Best Africa Act imekwenda kwa msanii mwenzake Davido kutoka Nigeria.
Kwenye instagram Ya Diamond Kuna Huu Ujumbe kuhusu Matokeo Hayo.
” Tusipopenda kukubali Matokeo na Ushindi wa Wenzetu basi Daima Hatutaweza kuwa Washindani….Muhimu ni kujua wapi tulipotoka na Wapi tulipo Leo… Katika Nchi zaidi ya 20 zenye wasanii zaidi ya Million 40, kuchaguliwa Tanzania ni fursa, Heshima na Hatua kubwa… Cha Muhimu ni kuitumia vyema Fursa Hii na Kuhakikisha Mwakani tunapiga Hatua Zaidi!…. Asante sana kwa wote wanaozidi kuni support kwa hali na Mali, Mapambano ndio kwaaaanza yanaanza sasa…..!!!!!! @wcb_wasafi For Life Baby

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