New typhoid vaccine for adults & children to hit mkts in 2 weeks Co Promises Longer Period Of Immunity

Hyderabad: Vaccine major Bharat Biotech on Monday launched what it claimed was the world's first clinically proven typhoid conjugate vaccine, Typbar-TCV, for infants aged above six-months as well as adults. 

    The Hyderabad-based company that already manufactures and markets typhoid vaccines, said the newlylaunched typhoid conjugate vaccine would help make thevaccinated immune to the disease for a longer period of time as against the existing vaccines in that market that provide protection only for two to three years. However,the company did not announce the pricing of the new vaccine that is slated to hit the markets in two weeks time. 
    According to Bharat Biotech chairman & managing director Krishna M Ella, the typhoid conjugate vaccine would be priced higher than its existing typhoid vaccine that costs Rs 180 per dose. However, the company would follow the dual pricing model, wherein the vaccine for public usage would be pegged lower than for the product being sold in the private market. 
    "It took us almost eight years to come up with the world's first clinically proven typhoid conjugate vaccine. We have invested around Rs 65 crore in its development. We expect a business of Rs 100 crore from this new vaccine while our existing typhoid vaccine has earned us around Rs 40 - 50 crore business," he said. "The company has commenced commercial production of Typbar-TCV in pre-filled syringes at its vaccine production facility in Genome Valley here. The plant has a capacity to produce 10 million doses each year, which is expandable to 50 million does per year in the future," he said. 
    Typhoid is a common disease in the Indian subcontinent that is transmitted through food or drink contaminated by the faeces or urine of infected people. According to a World Health Organization report, 90% of the typhoid deaths occur in Asia and the disease persists mainly in children under five years.

The firm claims it has developed the world's first clinically proven typhoid conjugate vaccine

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Get onto the road of fitness today

With people becoming more aware of the benefits of regular exercise, gym enrolments have been on the rise. The benefits of exercise include increased muscle strength and endurance, weight control, boost in energy and lower stress levels. Also, it is essential to be fit in order to be more efficient in our daily lives. 

    The Talwalkars Annual Discount Scheme has received great response from fitness enthusiasts across the country, with many deciding to make health and fitness an important part of their lives. "I renewed my membership at Talwalkars during their Annual Discount Scheme as I have enjoyed working out at their gym. They have great facilities and the trainers are very helpful," says Mehul Shah. 
    The scheme offers up to 30% discount on annual membership fees and special offers on value-added services till September 6. Don't wait for tomorrow to bring a positive change in your life. 
    The Annual August Discount is available across all Talwalkars health clubs in Mumbai. 
    To avail the offer call: 022-33710100/ 
    08879631175. SMS FIT to 53636 
    www.talwalkars.net 

Mehul Shah after his complete fitness work out at Talwalkars

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NOW, COMBO WORKOUTS TO BUST THE FAT Fusion workouts, promising to get you into shape without getting you bored, are fast gaining popularity in Mumbai

Has your fitness routine become a drudgery? The next time you're bored of just going to the gym or jogging in the park, try something exciting like a fusion workout. This is a workout hybrid that combines the best of two or more effective exercises to benefit you.  PILOXING  Bringing together the elements of boxing and pilates, Piloxing, is a high-energy regimen that merges punching moves like throwing jabs, uppercuts, hooks and nifty footwork as well as slow pilates.      Benefits: While the pilates helps to condition the muscles, the cardio-based boxing steps burn the calories to help you shed flab. Says fitness trainer Jivesh Shetty, "On one hand, you have speed with positive contractions and on the other, lengthened negative contractions, so it balances out. Piloxing is a controlled movement. As you jab to the right with your left arm, twisting the hip, it tones out the arms, strengthens the hip and shoulder joint, triceps and hamstrings and the core."      Can burn: 500-800 calories an hour  BOKWA  This is a dance-inspired fitness craze that's fast catching up as a trend around the globe. Bokwa comes from Bo (boxing) and Kwa (the South African war dance, Kwaito). You do cardio moves to a high energy dance. Participants draw letters and numbers with the feet while dancing. What's unique is that it's the only workout in the world taught with a sign language. And you need not know dancing to try it.      Benefits: Says Mumbai-based dance expert Aanchal Gupta, "It's very intense, even more so than zumba. Bokwa helps motor training, and children can do this too. You have fun, so it's a stress buster and makes for a great weekend workout too."      Can burn: 1,000 calories an hour  KOGA  Koga incorporates cardiovascular kickboxing and yoga into a single workout. As it offers flexibility and cardio strength, it's being hailed as the perfect hybrid workout.  Benefits: "It's an all-round workout," says fitness expert and hypnotherapist Vishwajit Matkar. "It strengthens the core while stabilising the spine and improves flexibility. Koga brings together plyometric, strength balance as well as breathing training." In a typical class, after a warm-up, there is an intense, twenty-minute kickboxing session. Post this, yoga moves focused on a particular body part are carried out.  Can burn: 800-1,000 calories an hour  YOLETT  Want that sleek ballet dancer's frame? Go for Yolett, that combines ballet dancing and and yoga in one! Folks are raving about this fitness trend. In this fusion workout, you first do ballet movesfor greater balance and flexibility. Post that, you grab a floor mat and do half an hour of yoga poses and asanas. The resulting stretch is supposed to correct body alignment.  Benefits: This is superb body sculptor, which improves posture and blood circulation too. You hold each pose for 10 seconds or more, so the  muscles are challenged. It also leaves you feeling mentally refreshed," says yoga instructor Yogesh Chavan.  Can burn: 500 calories an hour.  WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THESE  A fusion exercise regimen works on a variety of areas in the body. This kind of workout wakes up different muscles and tones them up. It cuts down workout fatigue or boredom as you are introduced to a new activity. Can be done as a stand-alone regimen, even in the confines of your cubicle. Mix and match: Try out multiple exercises in one routine

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New research promises a blood test to predict suicide risk

Scientists at Indiana University in the US claim to have pinpointed a molecule in the bloodstream that identifies people intent on taking their own life. They claim that raised levels of this biomarker can predict and thereby prevent suicide attempts. But although medical science has made great strides in identifying the biological predictors of many diseases, some of its claims are quite overstated. This applies particularly to claims of being able to predict humanist attributes such as ethics, love, fair play and free will. In the decisions to commit suicide, free will interacts with a complex bunch of other factors like family tensions, work-related worries, social isolation and long-term depression. Then there are the accelerants – did it rain or did the sun shine? No blood test can fix the consummation of such a volatile mix, before the human being herself locks it. 

    Even mental health professionals specifically trained in the matter continue to find it difficult to pinpoint who's at high risk of suicide, because many patients who talk about killing themselves turn out to be 'false positives' while many suicides take place 'suddenly', without any indication of depression in advance. Yet, insofar as the 
trained mental health professionals can explore a mix of conscious and unconscious thoughts with deliberation, they're better placed to anticipate and avert the moment when a patient finally decides that life isn't worth living – much better placed than a blood test. 
    Then there are the cultural factors. In Japan, for example, suicide can even be recognised as noble. In China, unlike most of the world, more women kill themselves than men. How can science take an accurate measurement for such a complex, multifaceted miscellany of human elements? After all, no molecule can capture the human spirit. 
An important medical discovery Prabhat Banerjee 
    The discovery of a blood test that can determine the propensity of a person to commit suicide needs to be hailed as a significant medical breakthrough. The test should pave the way for 
better pre-emptive interventions among patients suffering from acute depression and other mental/emotional disorders. One of the biggest challenges in medical psychiatry is that those experiencing depression often suppress their suicidal thoughts. This makes it extremely difficult to gauge the mental health of a patient through traditional psychiatric practices. The absence of timely intervention has often led to tragic suicide cases that could have been prevented with adequate precaution. 
    However, relying on biological markers, the new blood test will provide psychiatrists with empirical data to calibrate their patients' treatment. Advances inmedical science have increasingly shown that mental/emotional disorders are directly related to biological triggers in the brain. If a blood test is indicative of such triggers, why shun it as an overblown medical procedure? In fact, diagnostic procedures are constantly being fine-tuned to pre-empt life-threatening diseases. Similarly, the new blood test is an additional tool in the fight against depression and suicide. This is not to say that everyone should be subjected to the test and suspect cases immediately referred to mental asylums. Just as a physician orders diagnostic tests to gauge a patient's condition, the blood test will help psychiatrists understand a patient's mental make-up. In fact, the test will make psychiatry a more precise science, reducing guesswork and increasing the scope of medication. In a country such as India where psychiatric problems are perceived as taboo, such diagnostic tests will also help people see mental/emotional disorders as treatable medical conditions. Taken together, the new blood test will boost psychiatry and improve mental health of the people.

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Guard against flu as changing season poseshealth risk: Docs Cough & Cold Cases Up 15% Over 30 Days

The lack of heavy rain has meant respite from waterborne diseases for many Mumbaikars, but the changing weather still poses health risks. For instance, doctors have reported a spurt in flu cases. At this time of the year, people are vulnerable to viral and bacterial ailments, and so doctors advise caution.      Nishit Jaiswal (27), an IT engineer, has not been able to go to work for four days. "Along with cough and cold, I have body pain. When I consulted my doctor, he said I had viral infection," he said.      Cases of cough and cold have increased by 15% in a month, said Dr Hemant Thacker, who consults at Jaslok and Breach Candy hospitals. "Most patients coming to us report dry cough and cold. Though there are hardly any cases of fever, cold is accompanied by severe body pain in patients. It is body ache, more than mild fever, that lays a patient low. Medication is only for symptoms. Patients feel completely fine after 7-10 days."      Doctors blame the flu spurt on changing weather. "Changing conditions like showers to sun to showers again have led to virus thriving in the city. Also, the body takes a bit of time to get used to the temperature outside," said Dr Shahid Barmare, consulting physician with Kohinoor Hospital, Kurla.      Doctors also report ailments of the lower respiratory tract. "We are seeing some cases of severe pneumonia. Often we have to put patients in ICU," said Dr Khusrav Bajan, intensivist with Hinduja Hospital.      About bacterial respiratory infections, he said, "Such patients come complaining of severe breathlessness, cough, fever, low blood pressure and high fever. Sometimes, they have to be treated with steroids. As for flu patients, 80% get better with only out-patient department (OPD) treatment."

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An ingredient to stop effects of Parkinson’s

The active ingredient, kinetin, in an over-thecounter skin cream may slow or stop the effects of Parkinson's disease on brain cells, scientists have found.      Parkinson's is a degenerative disease that causes the death of neurons in the brain. Initially, it affects one's movements and causes tremors, difficulty in walking and slurred speech. Later stages can cause dementia and other health problems. "Kinetin is a great molecule to pursue because it's already sold in drugstores as a topical antiwrinkle cream," said investigator Kevan Shokat.      In 2004, researchers studying an Italian family with a high prevalence of early-onset Parkinson's disease discovered mutations in a protein called PINK1 associated with the inherited form of the disease.      Since then, studies have shown that PINK1 normally wedges into the membrane of damaged mitochondria inside cells that causes another protein, Parkin, to be recruited to the mitochondria, which are organelles responsible for energy generation.  Neurons require high levels of energy production, therefore when mitochondrial damage occurs, it can lead to neuronal death. However, when Parkin is present on damaged mitochondria, studding the mitochondrial surface, the cell is able to survive the damage.      In people who inherit mutations in PINK1, however, Parkin is never recruited to the organelles, leading to more frequent neuronal death than usual. Researchers wanted to develop a way to turn on or crank up PINK1 activity, and prevent an excess of cell death, in those with inherited Parkinson's disease.  Researchers began investigating how PINK1 binds to ATP, the energy molecule that normally turns it on. PTI

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Try aqua yoga to melt the fat Fun and super effective, experts say this new workout regime is safe for everyone

 Ditch your sneakers and tracksuit and strip down to the bare minimum to burn off unwanted calories quickly. Followed by Hollywood celebs like Jennifer Aniston, aqua yoga is fast gaining popularity in Mumbai too. This fun and effective workout regime adapts traditional yoga postures to an aquatic environment. 

    From a physical point of view, doing asanas (postures) in the water causes a less amount of stress on the joints; you feel a sense of exhilaration at being able to achieve what you cannot on land. "Water yoga and other aqua exercises are being enjoyed by a lot more people now," says fitness trainer Vinod Channa. 
WHY GO THE WATER WAY 
He says aqua yoga is therapuetic as it provides natural resistance, gives support to all parts of the body and poses no harmful impact on the joints. "It's very effective for those with back problems, arthritis and injuries. The buoyancy of the water takes the stress off bones and joints. You engage multiple muscle groups, so it's a great way to tone up. Doing stretches in the water increases one's flexibilty and lung capacity. In addition, water is a natural healing element that calms you. Anyone can try water yoga, regardless of age. " 
DO A BOOT CAMP 
Mumbai-based instructor Deepali Jain also votes for aqualates, and in fact advises one to try a boot camp of the same. "Pilates in water is termed as aqualates," she says. "If you have reached a plateau in your exercise regime and boredom has set in, then an aqua boot camp is apt. Exercising on land can have an adverse impact on your joints, but when you exercise in water, there is no gravity forcing body weight down on the joints. Plus, you do not need to know swimming as devices like floats can be used. However, one should do the workout under the supervision of a certified trainer," she adds. 
WORK IT OUT 
A water workout is power packed and burn approximately 800 to 1000 calories in an hour. What more reason do you need to try this new workout — put on your swimwear and head straight to the pool!

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