Anine-year-old South African child with HIV has surprised experts by showing no symptoms of the virus having had just one year of treatment followed by eight and a half years with no drugs.

This has given hope to the 37 million people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

However, the case is extremely rare and does not suggest a simple path to a cure, experts say.

HIV patients typically have to keep taking antiretroviral (ART) drugs permanently to stop the virus from developing into AIDS. However, this child has no signs of the disease. The child was part of a clinical trial in which researchers were investigating the effect of treating HIV-positive babies in the first few weeks of life, and then stopping and starting the ART medicines while checking whether their HIV was being controlled.

The case was revealed Monday at an AIDS conference in Paris.

"It's a case that raises more questions than it necessarily answers," said Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society, which is holding the conference in Paris this week.

"It does raise the interesting notion that maybe treatment isn't for life," she said, adding that "it's clearly a rare phenomenon."

Researchers believe that intensive treatment soon after infection could enable long-term remission of the disease. 

Treatment with ART started when the child was almost nine weeks old but was interrupted at 40 weeks when the virus had been suppressed, and the child was monitored regularly for any signs of relapse.

Living with autism can court an endless stream of irksome comments and assumptions. Stuff like 'autistic people are geniuses' - load of old rubbish, for the record. In fact, some are even pants at maths. It's time for people in the know to explain some of the stupid things they'd rather not hear. Although autism awareness and acceptance has increased over the years, people on the spectrum still find themselves faced with questions and comments that make them confused or uncomfortable at best, offended at worst. Those who say them often don’t mean to come across as rude or disrespectful; they just don’t know better or understand what others find hurtful. That’s why people on the spectrum have spoken out on this subject on blogs, videos, and more. Here’s what some of them wish they would stop hearing—and why. Though it certainly comes with its unique challenges, many with autism do not view their disorder as a tragedy. In fact, many believe that’s part of what makes them who they are. Not to mention those on the spectrum often have wonderful strengths, or even advantages over neurotypicals, like attention to detail, genuineness, and fantastic memories. I think purpleaspie put it best; this is like saying “‘I know a neurotypical…person, and you don’t act like he or she does.'” Because autism is a spectrum disorder, everyone with it is different, from their expressions of symptoms to their personalities. Nobody likes stereotypes, not even when they’re more “positive” like this one. Why? Because it can make people who don’t fit this mold feel inadequate. Again, everyone with autism is different and has different skills, abilities, talents, and likes or dislikes. Aside from the fact that this statement is rude in and of itself (oh, the irony!), it’s also untrue for most people on the spectrum. Those with ASD struggle socially because they don’t pick up on the cues neurotypicals inherently get, and as a result, they may come across as rude. This is not the intent for many, however, and if/when they do realize they offended someone, they are often apologetic. Stimming is a common and harmless way for people with autism to deal with too much or too little sensory information. Much like the nervous habits of neurotypicals, it helps keep anxiety and emotions in check. That being said, many people on the spectrum want society to accept stimming in the same way it accepts habits like foot tapping. This one’s in the same vein as number 5.

“If you really want to annoy [people with autism], compare us to Rain Man,” Nicholas Fearn wrote in a Buzzfeed article. Savants are pretty rare, only making up about 10 percent of the autism community. And as Jeanette Purkis puts it, “Intellect is not much of a measure of someone’s value. Whoa, nelly! First of all, many differently-abled people would love to see the “r” word eliminated from the English language altogether. While once a legitimate medical term to describe those with intellectual disabilities, it’s now outdated and incredibly hurtful. Amythest Schaber, a YouTuber with autism, calls this word a slur, and the organization R-Word calls it hate speech.

Second of all, more than half of people with autism have an average or above average IQ. Of course, people with intellectual disabilities are just as valuable and worthy of love as everyone else, but it’s simply not true to say that autism equals intellectual disability. This one seems genuine and innocuous, but some on the spectrum don’t feel comfortable being asked this, and many don’t really understand the question or know how to reply. Kerry Magro, a speaker and author on the spectrum, says, “I’m just who I am. Autism is a part of who I am in many ways and my experience will vary completely to the next person you will meet on the spectrum.” Or put another way: how can you explain something if that’s all you know? 

A better question is one that’s more specific: for example, “What are the unique challenges you face as a person with autism?” Keep in mind, however, that such questions may be more appropriate for people you’ve known for a while. Being talked around is a universally hurtful experience, whether a person is neurotypical or has autism. It’s invalidating. Whether intentional or not, it nonverbally says “Your thoughts don’t matter to me” or “I can’t trust your input on this.” Yes, it is true that some on the spectrum are nonspeaking, but many of them can still communicate. It’s best to assume a person with autism can and will answer you before turning to someone else. And even if they can’t answer you, they can probably understand you, so watch your words around their caregiver, family, or friends!

The number of women killing themselves in the UK has hit its highest level in a decade, while the male suicide rate has fallen, according to new official statistics.

It is the second consecutive year that the rate of women killing themselves has reached a decade-long high, causing the head of Samartians to say it “could be an emerging trend”.

Yet despite the decline in male suicides from 16.8 per 100,000 people in 2014 to 16.6 in 2015, the rate of men killing themselves was three times that of women. According to data from the office of national statistics 1,566 women killed themselves in 2015 — a rate of 5.4 suicides per 100,000 people and an increase from 5.2 the year before and 4.8 in 2013.

The rise in female suicide drove the overall number of suicides to rise slightly from 6,122 in 2014 to 6,188 in 2015. Those women most at risk of killing themselves, as with men, were middle-aged. Women aged between 45 and 59 had the highest suicide rate for the 13th year running at 7.6 per 100,000 people in 2015, a level significantly higher than other age groups.

Samaritans CEO Ruth Sutherland told The Independent it appeared to be the beginning of an "emerging trend" that could be to do with an ever increasing "sandwich" of pressures on women. "The role of women in society is changing, particularly for middle aged women," she said

"Women [are now] caring for children, caring for elderly relatives, they have high pressure at work, relationship strain and money pressures."

She added in a statement: “Suicide is quite possibly the biggest public health issue of our time because of the impact it has on families, workplaces and entire communities.

“Every death is an absolute tragedy leaving devastation in its wake. These figures emphasise the urgency with which we as a society need to work together to prevent needless loss of life.

“We are alarmed by the increase in the number of women taking their own lives and will look carefully at why this might be.

“Suicide is not inevitable, it’s preventable and politicians, employers, health bodies and educators all have a role in identifying and supporting those most at risk. 

Hugh Hefner's body was driven away from his Playboy mansion early Thursday morning to begin the journey to his final resting place next to Marilyn Monroe.

The Playboy founder died of natural causes at the age of 91 on Wednesday night. Around 6.30am on Thursday, two hearses were seen leaving his Holmby Hills mansion. 

Police lined the side of his driveway as the hearses left the residence to take the icon's body to an unknown location. He will eventually be buried in a Los Angeles cemetery next to Monroe - Playboy's first-ever cover star - in a plot that Hefner bought in 1992 for $75,000.

Hefner's second wife, Kimberly Conrad, was also spotted leaving the mansion Thursday morning with their 27-year-old son, Marston. 

Hefner was born on April 9, 1926 ,in Chicago, Illinois, and went on to become a millionaire after founding the influential men's magazine in 1953.

On Wednesday night the official Playboy Twitter account announced: 'American Icon and Playboy Founder, Hugh M. Hefner passed away today. He was 91. #RIPHef.' 

Hefner's death was confirmed in a statement from Playboy Enterprises that said he 'passed away today [Wednesday] from natural causes at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones'.

His son, Cooper Hefner, who is also the chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises, said: 'My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom. 

'He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable and enduring in history. 

'He will be greatly missed by many, including his wife Crystal, my sister Christie and my brothers David and Marston, and all of us at Playboy Enterprises.  It was also reported that Hefner's wife Crystal Harris will inherit nothing after signing an ironclad prenup before their wedding and was never added to his will. 

On Wednesday night, as news of Hefner's death began to circulate, mourners began to gather at the gates of his Playboy Mansion to pay their last respects. 

In the final years of his life, Hefner - who had begun to suffer back problems - began to fade from view, not wanting to be seen using a walker to move around, or be seen fiddling with his hearing aid.

'It's tough to watch him struggle, but I'm just happy it's physical and not mental,' Cooper told The hollywood reporter in August.

The only photos of Hefner known to have been taken anywhere in 2017 were three photos shared by him and his younger brother Marston on social media in July and August. They showed the family playing backgammon together, and dining out. 

Unfortunately, if multiple investigations and specialists haven’t given you a diagnosis then a random stranger on the internet won’t be able to either.

The details of your particular case are irrelevant. Let’s instead focus on the important question “What am I supposed to do when doctors can't find what’s wrong with me?”

The answer lies to this question lies in understanding that you are asking a very different question than the one your doctors are trying to answer. You want to know what is wrong with you. You want a diagnosis to explain your pain. You want a label you can research on the internet. You want a cure. This is perfectly understandable. It is not a criticism.

However, you need to understand that doctors are not trying to answer the same question. They are searching for something they can fix . Whilst diagnosis is an important part of medicine, it’s not what we’re really about. Ultimately, we don’t care what label explains your pain - we just want to know how to treat it. The real reason we need a diagnosis is because it dictates treatment.

You are asking what is causing your abdominal pains. Your doctors are trying to find something they can fix. You're asking a Yes or No question. When the answer is Yes, then their job begins. It’s the gastroenterologist’s, or GI Surgeon’s, job to fix pain that is being caused by the gastrointestinal system. Unfortunately, when the answer is No, their job is complete. There’s nothing in your gastrointestinal tract they can fix to cure your pain. If you then try to ask them, “Well, what IS causing my pain?” their answer will be “Not your gastrointestinal tract.”

Before exploding in anger over this ineptitude, please first consider all of the questions that Specialists have already answered for you. Let’s focus on the amazing results of your investigations. Your X-rays, CTs, and scopes have not found anything to explain your symptoms. This is fantastic news and I trust you’re overjoyed.

You have: No bowel cancer, no diverticulitis, no colitis or inflammatory bowel disease, no ischaemic bowel, no ovarian cancer, torsion or ruptured cysts, no uterine cancer or fibroids, no testicular torsion, no incarcerated hernias, no leukemia or lymphoma, no kidney stones or cancer, no ectopic pregnancies, no abscesses, no hemorrhages or hematomas, and no aneurysms or dissections.

Congratulations - you are now in a far better situation than a lot of people who saw those same specialists with left, lower abdominal pain.

Your specialists have put in a lot of work, and answered a lot of questions. In fact, the only question they haven’t answered is “What is causing my pain?” And, as stated above, that’s not their job.

Now the fact that gastroenterologists and urologists haven’t found the cause of your pain leaves us with multiple possibilities:

1. It is possible that your specialists are hacks and they’ve missed something. You should not blindly trust a doctor - they are human and humans make mistakes. It is possible there is a problem with your gastrointestinal tract that has been missed and it is entirely reasonable to get a second opinion. However, if that second gastroenterologist agrees with the first, then now is the time to let go of the belief that all of those scans, scopes and specialists have missed something. It’s more likely that the problem is not your gastrointestinal tract. 
2. It is possible that your symptoms are a manifestation of early disease that is not detectable in its current state. This happens all the time. If you present with a scratchy throat, and there is nothing to see on examination (or an MRI), then it may be impossible to provide a definitive diagnosis at that point in time. No amount of specialists or tests will help.However, when you return in a few days with a sore throat, runny nose and cough we can now confidently announce that your itchy throat was the beginning of an infection. In these situations it is your change over time that secures the diagnosis. For this reason, you should not assume that because doctors couldn’t find a physical cause previously that they won’t in the future. Instead, watch for new symptoms. They could be the clue to your diagnosis. Write them down including dates, times and what’s going on at the time. Discuss them with your doctor. 

Everyone dreams – even people who believe that they “never dream” and can’t remember any of their dreams. That’s according to a group of French researchers writing in the Journal of  Research. In questionnaire surveys, up to 6.5% of people report that they ‘never dream’. Although most of these people report having dreamed at some point in the past, roughly 1 in every 250 people say that they can’t remember ever dreaming – not even once.

But is it possible that these “non-dreamers” do in fact have dreams, but just can’t remember them?

To study this question, Herlin et al., authors of the new paper, looked at people with REM sleep behavior disorder RBD, a condition in which patients make movements, sometimes violent ones, while they sleep. Sometimes these movements are accompanied by speech. The movements seen in RBD are often quite complex and, interestingly, they seem to correspond to the content of the dreams that patients are experiencing. At least some of the actions seen in RBD are ‘acted out’ dreams.

Herlin et al. report that some RBD patients report never dreaming: out of 289 diagnosed RBD cases, 2.7% reported that they had not dreamed for at least 10 years, and 1.1% said that they had never dreamed ever. However, in many cases their actions during sleep (captured on video in the sleep clinic) suggested that they were dreaming. Herlin et al. quote some examples: This certainly sounds like dream-like speech and actions. On the basis of these cases, Herlin et al. conclude that “dreaming production is universal, while dreaming recall is variable.”

Which raises an interesting philosophical question: what is a dream? Is it simply a subjective experience during sleep? If so, how can be sure that these patients are dreaming? Maybe they are just behaving as if they are dreaming, but without any conscious content. Maybe non-dreamers are a concrete example of philosophical zombies, a zombies of hypothetical creature that behaves like a normal human, but has no conscious experiences.

On the other hand, maybe some people do have dreams but never remember them. Maybe we all experience this – we might have many dreams every night, and only remember some of them. But are they really “my” dreams if I don’t remember them? Or is memory what binds together experiences into my identity?

I do note, however, that there is a selection bias in this study. All of the patients were undergoing evaluation for sleep behavioral problems, which seems to mean that they were making movements in their sleep that were a risk to themselves or others.

However, if the movements in RBD are related to dreams, then someone who really never dreams would never make such movements. Such a person could develop full-blown RBD, but no-one would ever know about it, because they would have no dreams to act out. In other words, genuine non-dreamers might be out there, and would never make it into a study like this.

Many people have unexplained lights flickering in their homes, or bulbs that blow for no reason. They replace them and they go again. There could be an explanation for this but often an electrician is called out only to find no fault.

I remember a time not to long ago that a lady came to me for a reading. Her husband had passed a year ago and he came in and said to me, “You will know it’s me as I am going to prove that I am around you by blowing all the light bulbs when you get home.” We both had a good laugh. She had travelled 5 hours to see me and when she got home she turned the lights on and all the bulbs blew out! She could not believe it. She phoned me the next day to tell me what had happened and I said, “Well you kept saying to your husband, I can’t feel you around me – show me that you are here and he did, in a big way!”

When the lights flicker it’s often someone from the other side trying to contact you, so just ask in your mind, “Who is this please”? A face or a name will come to you. Don’t dismiss it and think oh it’s my imagination just trust your thoughts.

2. Music Playing

Often people will hear a piece of music that reminds them of someone that has passed over. You may turn on the radio and hear a piece of music that was played at their funeral, it’s just them saying hello!

3. Room temperature changes

I ‘d say that this is the most common sign that spirit is close by. There may be a cold breeze or the room temperature might suddenly drop without a window or door being open. We are warm blooded and spirit is pure energy. Sometimes they will come very close to our energy field and this can be felt very strongly by some people.

As a child I remember the saying, ‘Someone just walked over my grave’ often used when a cold shiver was felt. In other words this is saying that someone is visiting you from the grave. You might notice it if you are talking about someone who has passed or thinking about them and you get the goosebumps – this is also their way of popping in to say Hi.

4. Numbers and Clocks Stopping 

Sometimes people will look at the clock and keep seeing the same time over and over again – this can be at any time of the day. There is a number that’s being shown to a lot of people lately, it’s the number 11.11.

I myself kept seeing this and I asked spirit, “Ok why are so many people now seeing this number?” They told me that at this time of day or night there is a doorway opening from the other side and we have one minute to repeat over and over again our hopes and wishes, then the door closes. It’s a gateway of very high energy. The number 11 is a master number in numerology so putting it together with another 11 is very powerful. So, next time you see 11.11, you have one minute to think of all things positive.

Sometimes a clock stops, it may be at the certain time that someone passed over and they want you to remember them.

5. Number Plates

From time to time when we are driving and stop at traffic lights for example, we might notice that the car in front of has a number plate that reminds us of someone.

I remember a friend that I really tried to help, she wanted to commit suicide and in the end, sadly she took her own life. A few months later I was waiting at the traffic lights and I saw her face in my mind’s eye and could hear her voice. She said to look at the number plate of the car in front. Her name was BEV and there on the car in front was BEV, no other numbers or anything. I smiled to myself and said, “Yep you are there BEV.”

6. Butterflies
Butterflies are amazing creatures, their colours are just beautiful but they are not around for very long, like us we cannot live forever here on earth. When you see a butterfly, sometimes it means a transformation has taken place, a sign from a loved one that they have transformed over to the other side.

In Chinese legend seeing a butterfly can mean a soul has come to see you from the other side, so if a face or a voice comes into your mind it is the soul of that person acknowledging you and letting you know that they are around you.

7. Feathers

Often we will find a feather that comes from nowhere. At one of my shows recently I was talking to a lady in the audience and her husband came through. I said to her that he keeps showing me a white feather that he will give to you which will be a sign from him. At that moment, out of the blue a feather floated down from the ceiling and fell just in front of her. Everyone could see it as the stage lights were very bright. We were all blown away! She has since been to another show and spoke to me afterwards to tell me that this sign had changed her life completely and she was able to move forward knowing that he was ok and was there around her.

8. Shadows out the corner of your eye

Often when spirit is around us we see a shadow very quickly. It’s as fast as the blink of an eye. Sometimes it’s like a mist as spirits are not solid. Also we may see the spirit of our animals as they go to the other side.

9. Phone ringing once

This is a very interesting one, I have had quite a few people say they still have their loved one’s mobile phone and that their own phones have rung with their loved one’s number coming up on the screen. Spirit still thinks of their phone as their connection to you and that’s what they would do if they wanted to speak to you, but of course if you were to pick up you would not hear them. Sound on the other side is a very different vibration to the sound on earth and you need to really tune in to what you are hearing from the spirit would, which takes practice!

I often call myself the switchboard operator for the other side or the translator. I have had the ability to do this right back from my childhood, so to me it’s very normal.

Last year, I was talking to around 300 people at a spiritual festival. I asked everyone to turn their phones off. During my speech I talked about Egypt, the pyramids and the ancient wisdom of the Egyptian’s, along with their belief in the afterlife. After my talk had ended and I was leaving the room, a man stopped me. He seemed shocked and wanted to show me something. He said that he had turned his phone off as asked and when he switched it on again his phone was full of hieroglyphics and sure enough, it was. I was astounded myself but I have come to witness amazing things through spirit.

10. Orbs in photos

A lot of people are capturing orbs in their phones and cameras, orbs have always been there but due to the fast speed of iPhone’s and cameras we can see them more easily and mush more quickly as we no longer need to get films processed and developed anymore.

So what are these balls of light? They are spirit and they are just letting us know that they are around us. They can often be seen in family photos taken at birthdays, Christmas, weddings and christenings. They want to say that they are still part of the family but just in another world and that they have never really left you.

At my sister’s wedding in England many people had taken photos. At this point both my mother and my brother-in-laws mother had passed away. During the reception people were viewing the photos that they had taken and someone asked my sister what the two light orbs around both of out heads were. My sister asked me and I told her that it was mum and her mother in law and that they just wanted to be part of the wedding group.

People experience different aspects that develop around negative responses within social environment that builds a wall between different cultures, it could be within the law or within the work place environment that places a one sided element to the attitude of people, respect is addressed to all differences between culture, taking the side of destroying a person understanding within there self or talking untruth stories that lead to negative downfall is a source of discrimination based around the racial aspect. It's a aspect of human rights that lead to the term of discrimination. Human rights are a means of respecting someones life and not to take advantage of there life as it is a important purpose to a person. People choose to brake the law or hold a different route to there path in there life still hold human rights to them self but can be obstructed by means of force. No has control over a person that is of adult nature to tell that what is right from wrong based around human rights within discrimination. People source information that obtains a purpose in being different that can be within culture or education to understand how people are different. Everyone has a different view to there understanding in life, if every person was the same the world would be a boring place that holds no key to freedom that is word of speech. Please see discrimination as a bullying tactic that is used by a person or group that holds an advantage over another person, this could be there position in life or there physical power that aims the term discrimination to an individual. Please obtain information of discrimination that is address in the video above. Ps Cs

Two gang members who gunned down an innocent teenager after mistaking him for a rival have been jailed for a minimum of 30 years each.

Student Nana Darko-Frempong, 18, was blasted in the stomach and face just for being “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

His killers were members of the notorious Roadside Gs street gang, based in Camberwell, south London. They assumed he was a member of the rival TN1 - or Trust No One - clan because he lived on an estate in that gang's Tulse Hill heartland.

Christopher Gabriel, 25, used a sawn-off shotgun for the drive-by hit on June 6, 2011, while another man, also 25, who cannot be named, fired at the victim with an automatic pistol.

Other members of the gang then burned the stolen Ford Focus used in the drive-by hit so the killers could escape justice.

But they were tracked down after an associate called police and identified them.

In a statement read to the court, Nana's father Roddy said of his son: “Despite his non-participation in gang culture and the evil they generated, their evil came to him.

“For them, his life had no value. It was a cruel and despicable act, aided and abetted by cruel, horrible people.”

Christopher Gabriel, 25, and a second man, also 25, who cannot be named, were convicted of murder following a three-and-a-half month Old Bailey trial.

Judge Nicholas Cooke jailed them each for life yesterday and ordered them to serve a minimum of 30 years behind bars.

He said: “This was a gang-organised shooting of a wholly innocent teenager. There has been no indication of genuine remorse of the part of either of you. There is little purpose in wasting any further words on you.”

Romario Henry, 21, along with two men, aged 27 and 24, who cannot be named were convicted of perverting the course of justice and each jailed for eight years.

Judge Cooke told them: “You three knew that the car which was burned out had been used in a shooting that was likely to have been fatal. You were in fact by destroying this car approving of their act. Indeed, even now, although you have long since become aware of just how dreadful that shooting was you have shown not one shred of remorse. Your conduct was intended to make bringing the killers to justice impossible.”

Al Daniels, 22, was convicted of firearms offences and will be sentenced next month.

A seventh defendant, Sachia Clarke, 22, was cleared of six firearms charges but jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a further two counts. 

Naked yoga helps you discover an entirely new way of looking at your own body, inspiring you to take pride and pleasure in your unique physique and capabilities. It  teaches you to embrace your imperfections and open your heart to yourself and to the world with courage and confidence. For people who suffer from low self-esteem and poor body image,  when they practice without clothing in a safe, nurturing environment, they come to appreciate their bodies and understand that their feelings of shame are not their own, but a kind of inherited mind-state that comes as a result of societal judgments. Naked yoga helps anyone who wishes to be free of the emotional shackles that prevent us from celebrating all that we are, and all that we can be.  Well-crafted naked yoga practices remove any sense of restriction from clothing, promoting a greater sense of freedom, confidence, and an enhanced appreciation for the body. Seeing and feeling the body as it stretches and moves from one pose to the next results in a more mindful, sensual and connected practice. And when we are connected to ourselves, we are able to cultivate an inner awareness that leads us to a place where we can transcend earthly concerns and embrace a higher consciousness. Also, when we consider the role that clothing has played in society, it seems to be in direct opposition to the spirit of yoga which speaks to “oneness” and union. By design, clothing reminds us of our differences, and serves as a distraction that leads us away from a central yogic principal: the commonality of all living things, which inspires peace, compassion and dedication to spirit. 

Aside from the well-known physiological benefits from practicing yoga, stress reduction, increased energy, enhanced overall strength, stamina and flexibility, improved respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine and brain function, naked yoga practitioners experience greater self-acceptance, appreciation and self-actualization. Feeling good psychologically is a powerful immune-booster, and everyone knows that when we feel better mentally, we feel better physically as well. Naked yoga allows people to experience freedom from inhibitions, opinions of others and any shame about the body, which can lead to low energy and poor health. As you learn to love and respect yourself, negativity burns away and any of the physical repercussions from harboring or holding toxic emotions get resolved. The body, mind and sprite unite and heal, and you feel deeply energized, vital and calm. 

Burning, itching, and an unpleasant odor are just some of the common symptoms of vaginal infections. But treatments vary by condition, so it's important to know which type of vaginal infection you have. Vaginal infections, or vaginitis, are very common — so much so that most women will experience some form of vaginal infection or inflammation during their lifetime.

“To the gynecologist, vaginitis is a vaginal discharge with or without itching and burning, with or without an odor, says Gregory R. Moore, MD, MPH, an obstetrician-gynecologist and director of the University Health Service at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Some women seem to be more prone to vaginal infections than others for reasons that are not entirely obvious, Dr. Moore says.

What Upsets the Normal Vaginal Balance

A healthy vagina has many bacteria and yeast. However, some things can disturb that healthy balance. These include:

• Douches 
• Hormone level changes
• Antibacterial 
• Vaginal intercourse
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding The Most Common Types of Vaginal Infections
  There are three very common types of vaginal infections, says Cynthia Krause, MD, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
  • Yeast infections. The most common type of vaginitis, a yeast infection is caused by one of the many species of fungus known as Candida. Candida live naturally in your body in small numbers, including in the vagina, and usually don't cause any harm.
    However, Candida thrive in a warm, moist, airless environment and, under those conditions, can grow in number, causing a vaginal infection. Dr. Krause says, “There are many species of yeast or Candida — Candida is the most common.”
    Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include a thick, white discharge that some women describe as resembling cottage cheese. Yeast infections also can cause vaginal infection and redness of the vulva (the lips of the external female genital area) and vagina.
  • Bacterial vaginosis. Along with yeast, “friendly” bacteria called lactobacilli live in the vagina. When the number of lactobacilli gets too low, it can trigger a condition called bacterial infection. 
    Why bacteria levels change is not known, but the normal lactobacilli can be replaced by other infection-causing bacteria. “Gardnerella is the bacteria most often associated with bacterial vaginosis,” Krause says. “It is the lack of lactobacilli and overgrowth with these other bacteria that cause the symptoms of infection.”
    With bacterial vaginosis, a woman may see a thick or whitish discharge or one that is slippery and clear. It is not likely to itch or burn. A fishy odor may be noticeable, especially during intercourse. Trichinosis. “Of the three most common vaginal infections, trichomonas vaginitis is the only one that is a true sexually transmitted infection,” Krause says. Commonly called “trich,” it is caused by a single-celled parasite, trichomonas vaginalis, and is passed from partner to partner during intercourse.
  • The symptoms of trichomonas vaginitis are similar to other vaginal infections: burning, irritation, redness, and swelling of the vulva, with a yellow-gray or greenish vaginal discharge, possibly with a fishy odor. Some women also experience pain during urination.
  Other Vaginal Infections and Conditions
  Other common vaginal infections and causes of vaginal itching include:
  
  
  • Chlamydia vaginitis. Chlamydia, is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause inflammation of the vagina. Some women will have a discharge with chlamydia and some will not. A more common symptom is bleeding, especially after intercourse. “Sexually active women up to age 26 should be tested annually for chlamydia because it so often comes without symptoms and can linger and do a fair amount of damage to fertility,” Moore says.
  • Noninfectious vaginitis.Noninfectious vaginitis is when the skin around the vagina becomes sensitive to an irritant such as scented tampons, perfumed soaps, or fabric softeners. This is not an infection, and the solution is simple: “Not to be exposed to whatever you are having a reaction to,” Moore says. This is a condition in which women have chronic pain or discomfort of the vulva without a known cause. The symptoms are similar to vaginal infections: burning, stinging, rawness, soreness, and swelling. Symptoms may be constant or occasional.
  • Viral vaginosis. Viruses also can cause vaginal infections. Most viruses are spread through sexual contact. “The herpes simplex virus is a common cause of viral vaginosis,” Moore says. Symptoms include pain in the genital area from lesions or sores. Most of the time, you can see the sores on the vulva or vagina, but they can also be hidden and seen only during an examination by your gynecologist.

Most existing cancer drugs and treatments are poisons, designed to attack and hopefully kill cancer cells, or at least slow their growth.

But most of these treatments attack not just cancer cells, but healthy cells, too. Thus, people taking the drugs too often suffer horrible side effects on top of whatever havoc the cancer itself is already wreaking. They become thin and weak. They lose their hair and their color.

But now, the next revolution in cancer therapy may have arrived.

It’s called “molecularly targeted therapy.” The treatment consists of drugs designed at the molecular level of the cell to specifically attack and kill only the cancer cells of a specific type of cancer. And they are tailor-made to recognize specific molecules unique to specific cancers. The new method of killing cancer cells– called Caspase Independent Cell Death (CICD), led to the complete eradication of tumours in experimental models.

Currently most anti-cancer therapies, which include chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy, work by killing cancer cells through a process called apoptosis. This process activates proteins called caspases, leading to cell death.

But in apoptosis, therapies often fail to kill all cancer cells, leading to disease recurrence, and can also have unwanted side effects that may even promote cancer. Scientists at the University of Glasgow wanted to develop a way to improve therapy that induces cancer cell killing while also making sure to limit unwanted toxicity “Our research found that triggering Caspase-Independent Cell Death (CICD), but not apoptosis, often led to complete tumour regression,” said Dr Stephen Tait, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Institute of Cancer Sciences.

“Especially under conditions of partial therapeutic response, as our experiments mimic, our data suggests that triggering tumour-specific CICD, rather than apoptosis, may be a more effective way to treat cancer.”

Unlike apoptosis, which is a silent form of cell death, when cancer cells die through CICD, they alert the immune system through the release of inflammatory proteins. The immune system can then attack the remaining tumour cells that evaded initial therapy-induced death.

The researchers used bowel cancer cells grown in the lab to show the advantage of killing cancer cells via CICD. Experts also said the benefits could work with other types of cancer.

He added: “In essence, this mechanism has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of anti–cancer therapy and reduce unwanted toxicity.

“Taking into consideration our findings, we propose that engaging CICD as a means of anti-cancer therapy warrants further investigation.

Charity scams can be simple: someone who poses as a street fundraiser for an existing charity and asking for donations from passersby or pretending to participate in a challenge on behalf of a charity and collecting sponsorship. 

 

More complex fraud can take the form of a fraudster creating an entirely bogus charity and pocketing proceeds from fundraising.

 

As the regulator for all charities in England and Wales, the Charity Commission holds information on all current charities as well as those that have been struck off for not complying with the regulations required for operating a registered charity.

 

Charities and members of the public who are concerned about an organisation or an individual purporting to be involved in not for profit activities can report their concerns to the Charity Commission. However, if they are concerned that a fraud has been committed and that there has been a financial loss, they can also report their experience to Action Fraud.

 

As with other types of fraud, Action Fraud will collate any data and pass it on to enhance intelligence about these crimes. The Charity Commission list of registered charities is available online so that someone who suspects an organisation is fraudulent can immediately refer to the register and they can be reassured.  

New guidance aims to safeguard charitable donations and encourage giving

Fraud watchdog the Fraud Advisory Panel has launched the UK's first independent guidance on how to make charitable donations safely.

 

‘Giving Safely: A guide to making sure your donations really count’ provides simple, practical advice on how to avoid potential scams and how to ensure that your donations really do reach the good causes you wish to support. As every per cent that is given has to make a change to any sort of developing organisation that aims the deed of bring help to those who need. No support to charties based on structured worded information is a devil that agrees to the greed of him or her or a organised crime circle that profit cash donations and sensitive credit information for the use of living an expensive life style with the hurting thought that no help is being addressed. 

Alleged serial cannibal Dmitry Baksheev used dating sites to recruit women who he and his wife then killed and ate, it is claimed.

Wife Natalia Baksheeva has told police the gruesome family had at least 30 victims over 18 years, and it is feared she fed human meat to student pilots in the military academy where she was a nurse, according to reports in Russia.

State investigators are seeking to verify the claims about dozens of victims of the sinister pair from Krasnodar who were detained after seven bags of body parts were found in their fridge and freezer.

At least one jar with pickled human remains, and 19 slices of skin were also discovered in the macabre flat. Many cans with steamed meat were found in their kitchen, a source told Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Today it was claimed that wife Natalia Baksheeva, 42, had taken her 35 year old orphan husband in as a teenager and wed him when he turned 18.

Police fear that Baksheev found victims by setting up meetings on dating websites.

His wife is reported to have been shown the faces of missing women in southern Russia and identified dozens who she claimed were their victims.

A police source said: 'Going through the photographs, the woman has recognised more than 30 victims that they killed and eaten together with her husband.

'A psychologist was sent from Nizhny Novgorod to make her talk. Separate reports say Natalia was checked by a psychiatric hospital and found to be 'mentally healthy'.

'In their home, many mobile phones of their victims were found, and also video lessons on how to cook meals from human meat,' said the police source.

'This woman had been working in the military academy as a nurse and supposedly she was sharing these cans of steamed human meat with student pilots.'

But so far police have concrete evidence of only two women who were allegedly killed and eaten, it is understood.

Baksheev was originally detained after a man found his mobile in the street in regional capital Krasnodar and saw images of him posing for selfies with a woman's body parts.

'He took a selfie with the hard in his mouth, at the same time he put the fingers of the dead hand into his nose,' said a police report.

'Then he cut one finger with a knife.'

A police source added: 'The earliest date of their culinary experiment is 28 December 1999 - the date on one of the photographs.

'We can see a cooked human head at the big plate surrounded by mandarins.

'They put olives into the eyes and attacked a lemon to the nose.'

A police search found body parts in a rubbish container near the hostel where the pair lived, and a red-haired woman's head in a metal bucket, with human skin nearby. More human remains were found in a cellar.

He confessed to throwing away the body parts, telling police: 'I did a stupid thing.'

The woman was identified as Elena B, who lived in the same military academy where the alleged cannibal couple resided.

It is believed she was killed in a forest nearby and her dismembered remains were carried to his home by Baksheev in a backpack.

Both suspects have been detained pending further investigations.

A local shopkeeper remembers him coming to top up his mobile and walking away with blood dripping from a cooler bag he was carrying.

Natalia was fired as a nurse because of her drinking habit, according to reports.