Smileband general news

California earthquakes are a geologic inevitability. 

The state straddles the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and is crisscrossed by the San Andreas and other active fault systems. 

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck off Alaska's Kodiak Island on January 23 2018 was just the latest reminder of major seismic activity along the Pacific Rim.

Tragic quakes that occurred in 2017 near the Iran-Iraq border and in central Mexico, with magnitudes of 7.3 and 7.1, respectively, are well within the range of earthquake sizes that have a high likelihood of occurring in highly populated parts of California during the next few decades.

The earthquake situation in California is actually more dire than people who aren't seismologists like myself may realise. 

Although many Californians can recount experiencing an earthquake, most have never personally experienced a strong one. 

For major events, with magnitudes of 7 or greater, California is actually in an earthquake drought. 

Multiple segments of the expansive San Andreas Fault system are now sufficiently stressed to produce large and damaging events.

The good news is that earthquake readiness is part of the state's culture, and earthquake science is advancing – including much improved simulations of large quake effects and development of an early warning system for the Pacific coast. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband general news

Ten drug dealing gangsters have been jailed for more than 116 years after police busted their network when they discovered a bag full of cocaine in a Cardiff street. Officers from south Wales, Essex, Thames Valley and the Metropolitan police forces dismantled seven organised crime gangs linked to a multi-million pounds Albanian drugs network. 

Police recovered around £450,000 in cash as well as several kilos of cocaine, expensive clothes and jewellery worth about £100,000.

The gang created 'hides' behind the back seats in their vehicles to store their drugs and cash, with £80,000 found in one van alone. The joint police investigation led officers to Albanian national Bledar Mziu, who was responsible for flooding the streets of south Wales and the south east of England with massive quantities of high purity cocaine.

Officers spent months tracking Mziu, 31, as he sourced the Class A drug from his own suppliers in the south east of England, and used fellow Albanian nationals Hysen Lika, 24, and Robert Xhepa, 29, to run drugs into south Wales. 

Police surveillance led officers to five recipients – Paul Wyatt, Nicky Watson, Kevin Patton, Tamar Sheblan and Hayder Sheblan – all of whom were running their own organised crime gangs in south Wales.

The gang used 'sophisticated' anti-surveillance tactics to avoid detection, Cardiff Crown Court was told.  

The chance discovery of a rucksack containing 1.5 kilos of crack cocaine, which had been abandoned in the middle of a road in Cardiff in August 2016, provided a further boost as officers were able to forensically link brothers Ali Sheblan, 23, and Hayder Sheblan, 25, to the network.

Following a number of arrests throughout the investigation, during which some individual members of the gangs were convicted and sentenced, police carried out a series of raids across the UK in June 2017.

This led to the recovery of almost half a million pounds in cash, multiple kilos of cocaine and high-value clothing and jewellery wroth around £100,000, while multiple arrests were made throughout the UK and in Marbella.  <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband general news

Michaela Sheldrake, 41, described herself as a 'monster' after a court heard she had amassed indecent images and videos and had taken 356 indecent photographs of a girl under 16 - sending some of the pictures to a man.  

Speaking after the case, a relative said the victim had been 'left serving a life sentence' and Sheldrake should be 'behind bars for the rest of her life'.

She was jailed after admitting nine offences at an earlier hearing. 

They included two charges of taking indecent photographs of a child - three of the images were classed as category B and 353 were category C.

Sheldrake also admitted two charges of making indecent photographs of a young boy in connection with two images classified in category A - the most serious category - and five in category B. Sheldrake admitted one charge of inciting a girl aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity and one charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a girl under 16.

Sheldrake, of Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, admitted possessing 2,578 indecent images and 110 movies of children on a mobile phone. 

She also admitted distributing indecent photographs of a child and attempting to pervert the course of justice by encouraging a child to provide false information to police.

Catherine Silverton, mitigating at Leeds Crown Court, said Sheldrake had no previous convictions and was ashamed of her offending.

She said: 'Nobody hates her as much as herself. 'She described herself as a monster.'

Miss Silverton said the case has been going on for almost three years. 

Jailing Sheldrake, judge Sally Cahill, QC, said: 'It is said on your behalf that you have shown remorse. 'I have to say that, having read reports and reviewed the evidence, there is no real evidence of that in relation to your victims. 

'You have realised the consequences of your behaviour and the consequences are severe. 'In my view you have not shown any real remorse.'

Det Insp Marc Bowes, of West Yorkshire Police, described the offences as 'absolutely appalling' and said Sheldrake's offending was 'significant and sustained'. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

A three-month-old girl is desperately waiting for surgery to remove a lump on her neck that has grown bigger than her head. Zareena Mangro, from Pakistan, was born with occipital encephalocele – a rare condition in which brain fluid bulges out of the skull bone. 

The baby was born with a mass the size of a golf ball but within three months it grew rapidly and she is now not able to turn her head.

Her parents, father Wajid Mangro, 37, and mother Nasreen Mangro, 24, are anxious to get a date for the operation to change their daughter's life.

They said Zareena, their third child, was born through a normal delivery despite the ball-like mass.

Mrs Mangro, from Loralai in the Balochistan province, said: 'She was only two weeks old when we took her to hospital. Her lump was very small at that time. 'Doctors gave her medicines but her condition didn't improve rather went from bad to worse. Within three months, the lump has grown bigger than her head.

'We are worried about her condition as she is not able to turn her head. Also, she can't sleep on the back of her head.'

'Her life will change forever' 

Mr Mangro, who works as a plumber in a construction company in United Arab Emirates took one month leave from work and flew back to Pakistan in order to get her daughter operated in a bigger hospital.

He and his wife travelled over 500 miles in a bus from Loralai to Karachi and had Zareena admitted in Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre. 

The father said: 'It's our second visit to Jinnah Hospital but yet we have not received any date for surgery yet. Doctors are giving her medicines and antibiotics through syringe. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

A 23-year-old mother died after taking a 'high level' of the diarrhoea drug Imodium which caused her to suffer a heart attack, an inquest found. Brooklyn-Marie Barker, from Croxteth, Liverpool, was taken to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after having a cardiac arrest in October but died five days later.

The pathologist Brian Rodgers said the combination of the drug Imodium and her epilepsy medication Pregabalin may have caused the cardiac arrest, the Liverpool Echo reported. 

Mr Rodgers said: 'There was a very high level of Loperamide more commonly known as Imodium.

'Why she was taking it I don't know, but Imodium is a morphine type drug and has similar effects.

'It is becoming an increasingly misused drug - and I make that as a general comment. Some individuals who have been abusing heroin will take Imodium to get off heroin.'

After being taken to hospital she caught pneumonia and a bacterial infection which ultimately led to her death.  

Liverpool Coroner's Court heard that the day before the cardiac arrest she had suffered two non-epileptic seizures, after which her boyfriend put her into the recovery position before going to bed.

The next morning he found her 'gargling, grey and unconscious' and he called 999 after realising she was not breathing. Ms Barker's mother, Diane, accused her daughter's boyfriend - who had a 'fairly chaotic' relationship with her after 'numerous allegations of assault' - of supplying her with heroin.

No such drugs were found in her system, but Mr Rodgers said there was scarring around her groin area which 'could have' come from drug abuse. 

Coroner Andre Rebello ruled that the death was accidental, and said that Ms Barker died from hypoxic brain injury and bronchopneumonia, caused by a cardiac arrest, with Loperamide (Imodium) and Pregabalin noted as contributory factors. 

He added: 'This was the most tragic accident. It is much more difficult when a child or grandchild dies before us - it is not how it should be.

'Please don’t allow these feelings regarding her relationship to destroy your memory of Brooklyn’s life.' <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband general news

Thousands of British cancer patients are dying early because NHS survival rates are trailing behind the rest of the world, a report has found. The largest study of cancer survival ever conducted puts the UK towards the bottom of global league tables for several common cancers.

Health charities last night called for urgent action to close the 'appalling' and 'unacceptable' gulf with other nations, blaming slow diagnosis and poor treatment. While British cancer survival has improved slightly over the past 20 years, the country is being left behind by huge advances in other countries.

The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, analysed the records of 37.5million patients with 18 of the most common cancers, comparing survival rates for 71 countries.

The UK falls in the bottom half of the league table for seven cancers and only comes in the top ten for two. For years campaigners have warned that British survival rates are way behind those in Europe and the US, and studies suggest 10,000 deaths could be prevented each year if the UK merely hit the European average.

But the analysis shows Britain is also left trailing by developing nations such as Jordan, Puerto Rico, Algeria and Ecuador.

The data, from 2010 to 2014, shows that only 6.8 per cent of British pancreatic cancer patients survive for five years after diagnosis, putting the UK 47th out of the 56 countries that had full data for that cancer.

The pancreatic cancer survival rate in the US is nearly twice as high, at 11.5 per cent. But the UK is also surpassed by Latvia, South Africa and Argentina. For stomach cancer the UK comes 46th out of 60 countries, with only 20.7 per cent surviving five years, worse than Romania, Turkey and Malaysia. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband general news

Five men have been arrested after half a tonne of cocaine worth more than £50 million was discovered in a private jet. Border Force officers found around 500kg of the Class A drug after searching a twin-engined aircraft that flew into the UK from Bogota in Colombia yesterday.

Two Britons, two Spaniards and an Italian were arrested on suspicion of importing Class A drugs after the jet landed at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire. The discovery is believed to have been one of the largest recent seizures of its kind. The Border Force said that the drug was hidden in 15 suitcases found on board.

The plane belongs to an Austrian company called Tyrolean Jet Services based in Innsbruck, according to The Sun. 

Border Force Deputy Chief Operating Officer Mike Stepney said: 'After meeting the flight and questioning those on board, officers became suspicious and searched the aircraft and their luggage. 

'When opened, each case was found to contain between 34 to 37 tape wrapped packages weighing approximately one kilo each.

'One of these was pierced and a white powder exposed which tested positive for cocaine. Three properties in Bournemouth, Dorset, were also searched by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of the investigation, and computers and phones taken away for examination.

NCA operations manager Siobhan Micklethwaite said: 'This is a major seizure of cocaine, one of the largest flown into the UK by plane in many years, and this seizure by Border Force represents a major blow to organised crime.

'We estimate that once cut and sold on the streets in the UK it would have had a potential value in excess of £50 million.'

The aircraft crew were questioned before being released without charge. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

Health Risks of Being Overweight

Overweight and obesity may increase the risk of many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. If you are pregnant, excess weight may lead to short- and long-term health problems for you and your child.

This fact sheet tells you more about the links between excess weight and many health conditions. It also explains how reaching and maintaining a normal weight may help you and your loved ones stay healthier as you grow older.

What kinds of health problems are linked to overweight and obesity?

Excess weight may increase the risk for many health problems, including

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• heart disease and strokes
• certain types of cancer
• sleep apnea
• osteoarthritis
• fatty liver disease
• kidney disease
• pregnancy problems, such as high blood sugar during pregnancy, high blood pressure, and increased risk for cesarean delivery (C-section)

How can I tell if I weigh too much?

Gaining a few pounds during the year may not seem like a big deal. But these pounds can add up over time. How can you tell if your weight could increase your chances of developing health problems? Knowing two numbers may help you understand your risk: your body mass index (BMI) score and your waist size in inches.

Body Mass Index

The BMI is one way to tell whether you are at a normal weight, are overweight, or have obesity. It measures your weight in relation to your height and provides a score to help place you in a category:

• normal weight: BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
• overweight: BMI of 25 to 29.9
• obesity: BMI of 30 or higher
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Smileband general news

Bill Gates has revealed that his father suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The billionaire tech-mogul, 62, described how the diagnosis of his 92-year-old lawyer father, Bill Gates Sr, inspired him to fund research for a cure for the neurodegenertative disease.

In November, the Microsoft co-founder invested $100 million of his $94 billion fortune to innovative and unconventional research with the hopes that new drugs will be developed within the next 10 to 15 years.

Now he has disclosed that his Washington-born dad, who has had a hand in major business deals including Howard Schultz's purchase of Starbucks, was his motivation for doing so. 

This morning, Gates told TODAY that he is optimistic that with the right resources a cure and preventative drugs will be discovered to combat the disease that 5.5 million Americans suffer from. In a sit-down interview with NBC's Maria Shriver, whose father died of the disease, Gates said: 'I have a father who's affected deeply by it. Only by solving problems like this can we take these medical costs and the human tragedy and really get those under control.'

Gates added that his father's diagnosis lead him to worry about his own brain staying 'intact as long as possible'. 

Of his $100 million donation, $50 million will go to the Dementia Discovery Fund, an organization that brings together industry and government to fund innovative dementia research.

The remaining $50 million will go toward a national patient registry to speed up recruitment for clinical trials and an international research database that will help scientists share data and collaborate with one another.

Both donations are personal investments, separate from Gates' philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

'More and more people are getting Alzheimer's, and it's tragic,' he said. 

It is unclear how long his father, also a philanthropist, has had the disease.

Americans spent $259 billion in 2017 caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Dementia, of which Alzheimer's is the most common form, affects close to 50 million people worldwide and is expected to affect more than 131 million by 2050, according to Alzheimer's Disease International.

Despite decades of scientific research, there is no treatment that can slow the progression of the disease. The philanthropist, whose usual focus is on infectious diseases in poorer countries, eluded to his father's diagnosis when he announced his donation in November.  

'I know how awful it is to watch people you love struggle as the disease robs them of their mental capacity... It feels a lot like you're experiencing a gradual death of the person that you knew,' he said in a blog post about the dementia investments.

He added: 'Some of the men in my family have suffered from Alzheimer's, but I wouldn't say that's the sole reason [for this investment].'  

Through talking to experts in the field over the past year, Gates said he had identified five areas of need: understanding better how Alzheimer's unfolds, detecting and diagnosing it earlier, pursuing multiple approaches to trying to halt the disease, making it easier for people to take part in clinical trials of potential new medicines and using data better.

'My background at Microsoft and my foundation background say to me that a data-driven contribution might be an area where I can help add some value,' he said.

This would make it easier for researchers to look for patterns and identify new pathways for treatment, Gates added.

Gates said: 'I really believe that if we orchestrate the right resources, it's solvable.' <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

Dozing off at work could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease, new research warns. People who dozed off or napped at inappropriate times, even if they got enough sleep, were more likely to have traces of the disease during their brain scans, according to the new study.

Alzheimer's disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death among adults in the US, is difficult to spot in the early stages because symptoms don't appear until later.

The study, published in JAMA Neurology, is the latest to link the sleep-wake cycle to the neurodegenerative disease and could help doctors identify people at-risk of developing the disease years in advance. 'In this new study we found people with pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease had more fragmentation in their [sleep-wake] activity patterns - with more periods of inactivity or sleep during the day and more periods of activity at night,' said senior author Dr Yo-El Ju of Washington University.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, which includes inability to create new memories and forgetfulness, usually do not appear until after the age of 60, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

One of the hallmarks of the disease is the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques between nerve cells in the brain. Clumps of this toxic brain protein destroys memory and causing confusion.

For the study, researchers at Washington University in St Louis analyzed data from 189 cognitively normal adults with an average age of 66. Their sleep cycles were tracked for one to two weeks using devices similar to exercise trackers.  

Some underwent PET scans to look for Alzheimer's-related amyloid plaques in their brains and others cerebro-spinal fluid tests. A third group had both.  

Researchers found that those with beta-amyloid plaques were either nodded off during the day, frequently had their sleep disrupted, or both.

In other words, people who experienced short spurts of activity and rest during the day and night were more likely to have evidence of amyloid build-up in their brains.   

Among the 50 whose results were abnormal - suggesting presence of the neuron-killing protein clumps - they were either waking up regularly during the night, nodding off in the day or both.

The 139 others had no evidence of the amyloid protein that signifies pre-clinical Alzheimer's. Most had normal sleep-wake cycles although several had circadian disruptions that were linked to advanced age, sleep apnea or something else.

The subjects from Washington University's Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre wore devices similar to exercise trackers for one to two weeks. 

Previous studies have linked sleep activity to the development of Alzheimer's disease.<!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
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Research published last year in the journal Brain found that a poor night's sleep was associated with higher levels of amyloid plaque, proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. 

A separate 2015 study in mice being published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine showed similar circadian disruptions speeded up the development of the beta-amyloid plaques. 

The team's previous research in people and animals has found levels of the protein fluctuate fall during sleep - and rise when this is interrupted or when people don't get enough deep sleep.

However, the current study isn't just about lack of sleep, it's about how people sleep.

'It wasn't the people in the study were sleep-deprived. But their sleep tended to be fragmented,' said researcher Dr Erik Musiek of Washington University. 'Sleeping for eight hours at night is very different from getting eight hours of sleep in one-hour increments during daytime naps.'

Researchers said it's top early to answer the chicken-and-egg question of whether disrupted circadian rhythms put people at risk for Alzheimer's - or whether Alzheimer's-related changes in the brain disrupt circadian rhythms.