Marriage Experts Keep Love Alive for Valentine’s Day

Newswise — NEW YORK (January 2012) — Love is in the air, but Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be the only time to express love for your partner; rather, it should serve as a reminder to devote time and energy to your relationship every day.

“Valentine’s Day is not a day for arguing with your spouse or significant other. In fact, no day is good for that. Couples should spend more time acknowledging the positive aspects of their relationship and put aside their complaints,” says Dr. Philip Lee, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and co-head of the Marital and Family Therapy program.

His wife, Dr. Diane Rudolph, also a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, and co-head of the Marital and Family Therapy program, says, “Although most couples believe it is healthy to clear the air and not keep anger ‘bottled up,’ constant arguing usually leaves both partners feeling bad about the relationship.”

Dr. Lee and Dr. Rudolph have been counseling couples for more than 25 years and have been married for more than 20 years. The doctors share their advice on how to keep the flame of love burning past Valentine’s Day.

• Be considerate but not too practical when you consider buying a Valentine’s Day gift — remember that this day is about celebrating the charming nature of love.

• Be diplomatic. Instead of screaming and throwing a tantrum about the things that make you upset, praise your partner for doing the things that are helpful to you.

• Give your partner space. Give yourselves a chance to unwind before tackling the evening’s chores. You both need some transition time after work, and once you’ve had that time you will both be much better listeners, and probably more willing to cooperate with each other.

• Remember the good old days. Almost everyone remembers the “early days” of the relationship as more fun than the present. It’s probably because you weren’t arguing about how to get to the restaurant, where to sit or how much to drink.

• Be polite. Try being polite for a week starting on Valentine’s Day. There’s no shame in saying “Thanks for picking up the kids” or “Great-looking dinner; can’t wait to try that chicken.” While it may seem silly to talk that way to your partner, just remember you would do the same for a business partner, employee or your child.

• Break the cycle of arguments. You don’t have to voice your displeasure about everything. Rather than “expressing yourself” in a negative way, break the cycle of blame and recrimination by treating your spouse more like a friend or co-worker. You wouldn’t argue with your co-worker about mundane details because you want to have a civil relationship with this person.

• Never say never. Don’t begin sentences with “You never…,” i.e., “You never clean up after…,” “You never take my feelings into account…,” or “You never think of anyone but yourself…” This places your spouse on the defensive and accomplishes nothing — it is a losing start. Try something like “You know what would be really great?” or “It would really help me if you could…”

• Say “thank you.” Show your appreciation for all of the things that your partner does no matter how small or how you may really feel. Something as simple as a “thank you” can make a dramatic difference in your relationship in a matter of weeks.
o “Thanks for picking up the kids.”
o “Oh, look, the dry cleaning is back. Thanks, honey, for picking it up.”

• Just listen. Try just listening to your partner without offering suggestions, criticism or a solution to his/her problems. Most of the time your spouse just wants you to listen and calmly empathize without saying any more. Even if it seems pointless to you, that’s often all that the person needs.

Released: 1/13/2012

Source: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/marriage-experts-keep-love-alive-for-valentine-s-day

The Paradox of Gift Giving: More Not Better

Newswise — Holiday shoppers, take note. Marketing and psychology researchers have found that in gift giving, bundling together an expensive “big” gift and a smaller “stocking stuffer” reduces the perceived value of the overall package for the recipient.

Suppose you’re trying to impress a loved one with a generous gift this holiday season, says Kimberlee Weaver, assistant professor of marketing in the Pamplin College of Business. One option is to buy them a luxury cashmere sweater. A second option is to add in a $10 gift card.

If their budget allows, most gift givers would choose the second option, as it comprises two gifts — one big, one small, Weaver says. Ironically, however, the gift recipient is likely to perceive the cashmere sweater alone as more generous than the combination of the same sweater and gift card. “The gift giver or presenter does not anticipate this difference in perspectives and has just cheapened the gift package by spending an extra $10 on it.”

Weaver is part of a research team that recently discovered, through a series of studies, what the team has called the “Presenter’s Paradox.” The paradox arises because gift givers and gift recipients have different perspectives, Weaver says. Gift givers follow a “more-is-better” logic; recipients evaluate the overall package.

“People who evaluate a bundle, such as a gift package, follow an averaging strategy, which leads to less favorable judgments when mildly favorable pieces (the gift card) are added to highly favorable pieces (the sweater). The luxury sweater represents a generous ‘big’ gift. Adding on a ‘little’ gift makes the total package seems less big.”

The same contradictory effect can be found in other situations, says Weaver, whose research article, “The Presenter’s Paradox,” co-authored with Stephen Garcia and Norbert Schwarz of the University of Michigan, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Consumer Research.

“People who present a bundle of information assume that every favorable piece adds to their overall case and include it in the bundle they present,” she says. However, notes Garcia, associate professor of psychology and organizational studies at the University of Michigan, “this strategy backfires, because the addition of mildly favorable information dilutes the impact of highly favorable information in the eyes of evaluators. Hence, presenters of information would be better off if they limited their presentation to their most favorable information — just as gift givers would be better off to limit their present to their most favorite gift.”

Weaver and her co-authors found that the paradox was strongly evident in seven studies across many product domains, from bundles of music to hotel advertisements, scholarships, and even “negative” items such as penalty structures.

When asked to design a penalty for littering, for example, those who were put in charge preferred a penalty that comprised a $750 fine plus 2 hours of community service over a penalty that comprised only the $750 fine. However, perceivers evaluated the former penalty as less severe than the latter, Weaver says. “Adding a couple of hours of community service made the overall penalty appear less harsh and undermined its deterrence value.”

The discovery of the Presenter’s Paradox sheds new light on how to best present information, says Weaver. “Whether it is a public relations expert pondering which reviews to include on a book jacket, a music producer considering which songs to include in a music album, or a legal team building up arguments for a case, they all face the important task of deciding what information to include in their presentations. So do consumers who apply for a job and homeowners who try to sell their house.”

All of them, she says, run the risk of inadvertently diluting the very message they seek to convey by their efforts to strengthen it. “Fortunately, there is a simple remedy: take the perspective of the evaluator and ask yourself how the bundle will appear to someone who will average across its components. Doing so will alert you to the fact that others will not always share your sense that more is better.”

“Prompting consumers to consider the overall picture entices them to adopt a holistic perspective, which allows them to correctly anticipate evaluators’ judgments,” says Schwarz, professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Michigan. “But when left to their own devices, presenters are unlikely to notice that evaluators do not share their more-is-better rule.”

Released: 12/12/2011

Source: Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Related Link:

http://newswise.com/articles/the-paradox-of-gift-giving-more-not-better

Some Great Ideas on How to Minimize Your Stress During this Holiday Season

Newswise — The holidays are a festive time of year filled with friends and family. But with our focus so much on others, we can forget ourselves and become inexplicably stressed and sad. The key to enjoying the upcoming season is being aware of the things (and people) that affect us:

1. Manage your expectations: With so much going on, particularly with other people, this may not be the best time to expect perfection. Don’t set yourself up for undue stress by hosting parties for dozens of people, complete with a gourmet menu and stunning décor. Starting with modest and achievable expectations increases the likelihood that you will avoid disappointment.

2. Add a good night’s sleep to your “to-do” list”: Don’t deprive yourself of sleep to get more done. Sleep deprivation is a major mood killer—consider scaling back your to-do list and get some rest. An irritable host will be noticed long before the place cards and napkin rings that you stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish.

3. Mind your sleep schedule over the holidays: Sleep is a major factor in mood. With a holiday schedule full of late night parties, hours of travel, shopping, cooking and cleaning you quickly find yourself deprived of a few hours night after night. Adopting a sleep schedule that is radically different from the schedule you keep during the year can produce jetlag-like symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, and poor mood. Children are especially susceptible to this: watch your young child’s mood disintegrate with a later and more varied holiday schedule.

4. Avoid “crashing”: The holidays are filled with foods that initially boost our mood and then produce longer term sugar crashes, sluggishness, and bloating. Eat healthy meals throughout the holidays and snack on healthier options such as fruits and vegetables before a party so that you are less likely to fill up on junk food and sweets. Including healthier foods in your diet will stabilize your blood sugar, rather than cause it to spike, which means a happier and more energetic you.

5. Know your limits: We all know the holidays can be a prime time for the airing of family issues and grievances. If visiting a particular relative ruins the holidays for you, devise a new plan that limits your exposure to that person or situation. If having dinner with a cantankerous aunt leaves you with resentment and ill feelings for days afterwards, skip it. It’s better to exercise good self-care over the holidays than to agree to plans that will result in a tense atmosphere and hurt feelings.

6. Make time for you: People often forget to prioritize themselves throughout the year and it gets even worse over the holidays. Take some time just for yourself. If you haven’t had a chance to do this during the day, set aside time before bed to wind down and relax. Even a half hour walk or soak in the tub at the end of the day will make a world of difference.

7. Still tossing and turning all night?: If you find yourself lying in bed with visions of budgets, menus and obligations running through your head – get out of bed. Leave your room to find something that relaxes you and return to bed when you are sleepy. Being upset or awake in the place where you should be finding rest can lead to longer term associations between your bed and stress and anxiety.

Released: 12/8/2011

Source: Ryerson University

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/minimize-your-stress-this-holiday-season-ryerson-expert

Worth Remembering As The New Year Approaches….Resolutions Are a Waste If You Don’t Plan to Achieve Them

Newswise — Those resolutions you promise yourself you will keep each year probably look a little like this — lose weight, exercise daily, quit smoking, save money, etc. Though these are great personal commitments to make, one University of Alabama at Birmingham expert says New Year’s resolutions are, for most, a waste of time.

“Many of us wind up making short-lived changes that rarely pan out. We resolve to be different or live better, and then spend a year not achieving these goals. We waste time making unmet resolutions yearly,” explains Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., a UAB clinical psychologist and author of the book, Living SMART: Five Essential Skills to Change Your Health Habits Forever.

This is not an excuse to throw in the towel and get fat or lazy. Klapow says Jan. 1 is a great time to start living the way you want to be. But, you have to be serious about it and create a game plan so the resolutions are implemented and not squandered.

“Without a course of action, these changes will not fall into place. It’s not enough just to be inspired,” Klapow explains.

If you want to achieve it — say losing weight, for example — you have to be detailed about it. Klapow says you have to outline the days and times you will go the gym, the menu adjustments you will make and who in your circle can help keep you accountable for these goals.

But before your plans get too elaborate, Klapow advises you to do a gut-check.

“Ask yourself, ‘do I really want to do this?’ If your heart isn’t in it, it’s not going to happen. It’s better to be honest than to fail,” says Klapow.

Other tips while planning for the new you:
• Don’t bite off more than you can chew — shoot for success instead of the stars
• Make resolutions reasonable by setting short- and long-term goals
• Be prepared and willing to make adjustments to your resolutions

Once those resolutions are in place, and the New Year has begun, it’s time to implement them. Make promises for change that is life-long instead of temporary.

“Monitoring your progress is very important, but simply keeping a mental track will not cut it. If you are dieting, write down the foods you eat. If you want to spend less, write down your expenses. This will give you a visual account of what is working and what is not,” explains Klapow.

A written record also can help you with the three-day rule: If you’ve missed three days of your new habit, write down the reasons you stopped, pick an exact date to re-start and put this somewhere you will see it. Klapow says this is a way to return to good habits.

Noting the barriers that exist between you and your goal also is important.

“You have to arrange your life for success. Buying junk food for your family while you are trying to diet is not going to help. If you want to save money — stop carrying credit cards. Control what you can control to make your goals more easily achievable,” Klapow says.

Last, and most important, Klapow says you must have incentives to meet your resolutions.

“Treat yourself. You have to be good to yourself and your new behaviors. The principle is simple: Reward a good behavior, and it will happen again.”

Released: 12/8/2011

Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/resolutions-are-a-waste-if-you-don-t-plan-to-achieve-them

Science and Space…NASA’s Kepler Mission Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone of Sun-like Star

This diagram compares our own solar system to Kepler-22, a star system containing the first "habitable zone" planet discovered by NASA's Kepler mission. Image credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Kepler mission has confirmed its first planet in the “habitable zone,” the region where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface. Kepler also has discovered more than 1,000 new planet candidates, nearly doubling its previously known count. Ten of these candidates are near-Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of their host star. Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets.

The newly confirmed planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest yet found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a star similar to our sun. The planet is about 2.4 times the radius of Earth. Scientists don’t yet know if Kepler-22b has a predominantly rocky, gaseous or liquid composition, but its discovery is a step closer to finding Earth-like planets.

Previous research hinted at the existence of near-Earth-size planets in habitable zones, but clear confirmation proved elusive. Two other small planets orbiting stars smaller and cooler than our sun recently were confirmed on the very edges of the habitable zone, with orbits more closely resembling those of Venus and Mars.

“This is a major milestone on the road to finding Earth’s twin,” said Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Kepler’s results continue to demonstrate the importance of NASA’s science missions, which aim to answer some of the biggest questions about our place in the universe.”

Kepler discovers planets and planet candidates by measuring dips in the brightness of more than 150,000 stars to search for planets that cross in front, or “transit,” the stars. Kepler requires at least three transits to verify a signal as a planet.

“Fortune smiled upon us with the detection of this planet,” said William Borucki, Kepler principal investigator at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., who led the team that discovered Kepler-22b. “The first transit was captured just three days after we declared the spacecraft operationally ready. We witnessed the defining third transit over the 2010 holiday season.”

The Kepler science team uses ground-based telescopes and the Spitzer Space Telescope to review observations on planet candidates the spacecraft finds. The star field that Kepler observes in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra can only be seen from ground-based observatories in spring through early fall. The data from these other observations help determine which candidates can be validated as planets.

Kepler-22b is located 600 light-years away. While the planet is larger than Earth, its orbit of 290 days around a sun-like star resembles that of our world. The planet’s host star belongs to the same class as our sun, called G-type, although it is slightly smaller and cooler.

Of the 54 habitable zone planet candidates reported in February 2011, Kepler-22b is the first to be confirmed. This milestone will be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

The Kepler team is hosting its inaugural science conference at Ames Dec. 5-9, announcing 1,094 new planet candidate discoveries. Since the last catalog was released in February, the number of planet candidates identified by Kepler has increased by 89 percent and now totals 2,326. Of these, 207 are approximately Earth-size, 680 are super Earth-size, 1,181 are Neptune-size, 203 are Jupiter-size and 55 are larger than Jupiter.

The findings, based on observations conducted May 2009 to September 2010, show a dramatic increase in the numbers of smaller-size planet candidates.

Kepler observed many large planets in small orbits early in its mission, which were reflected in the February data release. Having had more time to observe three transits of planets with longer orbital periods, the new data suggest that planets one to four times the size of Earth may be abundant in the galaxy.

The number of Earth-size and super Earth-size candidates has increased by more than 200 and 140 percent since February, respectively.

There are 48 planet candidates in their star’s habitable zone. While this is a decrease from the 54 reported in February, the Kepler team has applied a stricter definition of what constitutes a habitable zone in the new catalog, to account for the warming effect of atmospheres, which would move the zone away from the star, out to longer orbital periods.

“The tremendous growth in the number of Earth-size candidates tells us that we’re honing in on the planets Kepler was designed to detect: those that are not only Earth-size, but also are potentially habitable,” said Natalie Batalha, Kepler deputy science team lead at San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif. “The more data we collect, the keener our eye for finding the smallest planets out at longer orbital periods.”

NASA’s Ames Research Center manages Kepler’s ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., managed Kepler mission development.

Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo., developed the Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts and distributes the Kepler science data. Kepler is NASA’s 10th Discovery Mission and is funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters.

Released: December 5, 2011

Source: NASA

Related Link:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/kepscicon-briefing.html

Some Great Ideas to Help You Make the Most of Your Holiday Shopping!

Newswise — Purchasing gifts for loved ones consumes much of our time in the weeks leading up to the holidays. Luckily, there are lots of tricks and tips that you can employ to help you get the best deals on the perfect gifts while saving yourself time and money.

‘Twas the night before the sale
If you know that a retailer is holding a sale, try shopping after 6 p.m. the night before it is set to begin. You might find the discounts are already marked.

Buy in bulk
If you’ve got friends or relatives who are all equally important to you, buy them all the same gift in different colours or themes as a memento. This strategy can easily be turned into a tradition and something your family and friends look forward to.

Shop around
A consumer tip: don’t forget to comparison shop on the Internet and to ask a retailer if an item might go on promotion within the next month. Most holiday promotions are planned in advance and stores should know what is going to be featured. Great deals can also be found on group-buying websites such as Onespout.com, Groupon and other coupon-sharing sites.

Personal Touch Baskets
Create a basket that suits a particular person. Collect small items on a theme. If you create baskets for multiple people on your list you can take advantage of bulk shopping by buying larger quantities and dividing them.

Make it a Green Christmas
The number of eco-friendly products is expanding every season, so you should be able to find something for everyone on your list. Also, green shopping can be easy shopping if you consider alternative gifts such as charitable donations, movie/concert/stage show tickets, spa packages, hotel stays, etc.

Don’t Lose Momentum
If you can hang on just one more day you can get all of next year’s gifts purchased this year on Boxing Day. If you can’t face the crowds, hang in just another week or two and clean up at the January sales.

Shop Early
Retailers are keeping their inventories leaner and leaner, so ensure that the ‘must-have’ gifts are purchased early. Plan your shopping during the week so that you avoid weekend crowds and ensure that you can get help from salespeople.

Parking Lot Safety Measures
If you take presents to the car and plan to do more shopping, move the car so it’s not obvious that you’re storing goods there. Keep any parcels covered or in the trunk, so it is not obvious that they are in the car.

Resist City Parking
When shopping in the city, using transit is the economical and direct route. Park close to a transit hub and buy a day pass on the TTC or GO Transit. Then browse at your leisure, saving your large, bulky purchases until the end of your shopping day.

Released: 12/1/2011

Source: Ryerson University

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/make-the-most-of-your-holiday-shopping-ryerson-retail-expert

World Aids Update… Unparalleled global progress in HIV response but sustained investment vital

GENEVA, 30 November 2011—Global progress in both preventing and treating HIV emphasizes the benefits of sustaining investment in HIV/AIDS over the longer term. The latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and UNAIDS Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response indicates that increased access to HIV services  resulted in a 15% reduction of new infections over the past decade and a 22% decline in AIDS-related deaths in the last five years.

“It has taken the world ten years to achieve this level of momentum,” says Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO’s HIV Department. “There is now a very real possibility of getting ahead of the epidemic. But this can only be achieved by both sustaining and accelerating this momentum over the next decade and beyond.”

Advances in HIV science and programme innovations over the past year add hope for future progress. In times of economic austerity it will be essential to rapidly apply new science, technologies and approaches to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIV programmes in countries.

The report highlights what is already working:

• Improved access to HIV testing services enabled 61% of pregnant women in eastern and southern Africa to receive testing and counseling for HIV – up from 14% in 2005.
• Close to half (48%) of pregnant women in need receive effective medicines to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in 2010.
• Antiretroviral therapy (ART), which not only improves the health and well-being of people living with HIV but also stops further HIV transmission, is available now for 6.65 million people in low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 47% of the 14.2 million people eligible to receive it.

When people are healthier, they are better able to cope financially. The report acknowledges that investment in HIV services could lead to total gains of up to US$ 34 billion by 2020 in increased economic activity and productivity, more than offsetting the costs of ART programmes.

“2011 has been a game changing year. With new science, unprecedented political leadership and continued progress in the AIDS response, countries have a window of opportunity to seize this momentum and take their responses to the next level,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “By investing wisely, countries can increase efficiencies, reduce costs and improve on results. However, gains made to date are being threatened by a decline in resources for AIDS.”

The report also points to what still needs to be done:

• More than half of the people who need antiretroviral therapy in low- and middle-income countries are still unable to access it. Many of them do not even know that they have HIV.
• Despite the growing body of evidence as to what countries need to focus on to make a real impact on their epidemics, some are still not tailoring their programmes for those who are most at risk and in need. In many cases, groups including adolescent girls, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, prisoners and migrants remain unable to access HIV prevention and treatment services.

Worldwide, the vast majority (64%) of people aged 15-24 living with HIV today are female. The rate is even higher in sub-Saharan Africa where girls and young women make up 71% of all young people living with HIV – essentially because prevention strategies are not reaching them.

Key populations are continually marginalized. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, more than 60% of those living with HIV are people who inject drugs. But injecting drug users account for only 22% of those receiving ART.

Although better services to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV have averted some 350 000 new infections among children, some 3.4 million children are living with HIV – many of whom lack HIV treatment. Only about one in four children in need of HIV treatment in low- and middle-income countries received it in 2010, as compared to 1 in 2 adults.

“While there have been gains in treatment, care and support available to adults, we note that progress for children is slower,” says Leila Pakkala, Director of the UNICEF Office in Geneva.  “The coverage of HIV interventions for children remains alarmingly low. Through concerted action and equity-focused strategies, we must make sure that global efforts are working for children as well as adults”.

HIV in regions and countries

In 2010, HIV epidemics and responses in different parts of the world vary with shifting trends, progress rates and outcomes.

Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the biggest overall annual increase–30%–in the number of people accessing ART. Three countries (Botswana, Namibia and Rwanda) have achieved universal coverage (80%) for HIV prevention, treatment and care services. The regional ART coverage rate stood at 49% at the end of 2010. Approximately 50% of pregnant women living with HIV receive treatment to prevent mother-to child transmission of HIV. And 21% of children in need are able to get paediatric HIV treatments. There were 1.9 million new infections in the region, where 22.9 million people are living with HIV. There are some major disparities in progress between different parts of the region. Countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have reached much higher coverage rates for ART (56%) and PMTCT (64%) than countries in Western and Central Africa (30% and 18% respectively).

Asia shows a stabilizing epidemic overall, but new infections are very high in some communities. Of the 4.8 million people living with HIV in Asia, nearly half (49%) are in India. Antiretroviral treatment coverage is increasing with 39% of adults and children in need of HIV treatment having access. Coverage of PMTCT services is relatively low- (16%).

Eastern Europe and Central Asia presents a dramatic growth in HIV, with new infections increasing by 250% in the past decade. Over 90% of these infections occur in just two countries: Russia and Ukraine. The region demonstrates high coverage rates for PMTCT and paediatric HIV treatment (with 78% and 65% coverage rates respectively). However, ART coverage is very low at 23%, particularly among the most affected people- the ones who inject drugs.

Middle East and North Africa records the highest number of HIV infections ever in the region (59 000) in 2010, which represents a 36% increase over the past year. Coverage of HIV services are very low in the region: 10% for ART, 5% for paediatric treatment and 4% for PMTCT.

Latin America and the Caribbean have a stabilizing epidemic with 1.5 million living with HIV in Latin America and 200 000 in the Caribbean. HIV is predominantly among networks of men who have sex with men in Latin America. In the Caribbean though, women are the more affected group accounting for 53% of people living with HIV. The region has ART coverage of 63% for adults and 39% for children.  Coverage for effective PMTCT regimen is relatively high at 74%.

Sustaining the HIV response through the next 10 years

• Countries are already showing marked efficiency gains in HIV programmes: South Africa reduced HIV drug costs by more than 50% over a two-year period by implementing a new tendering strategy for procurement. Uganda saved US$2 million by shifting to simpler paediatric regimens. Such efficiencies are promoted through Treatment 2.0 – an initiative launched by WHO and UNAIDS in 2010 to promote simpler, cheaper and easier-to-deliver HIV treatment and diagnostic tools, combined with decentralized services that are supported by communities.
• WHO is developing new guidance on the strategic use of antiretroviral drugs for both prevention and treatment.
• WHO’s “Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV/AIDS, 2011-2015”, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2011 highlights the importance of continuing efforts to optimize HIV treatment and “combination” prevention – the use of a range of different approaches to reduce people’s risk of infection.

The 2011 “Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response” is the comprehensive report on both the epidemiology and progress rates in access to HIV services globally and in regions and countries. It has been jointly developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, in collaboration with national and international partners.

The full report is available from: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/progress_report2011/.

In The News….What Does It Look Like When an Economy Collapses?

Newswise — Europe’s financial crisis has now reached a point where many economists worry the continent’s economy could collapse in weeks, if not days, unless political leaders can agree on a bailout package for economies groaning under unmanageable debt loads.

But what would an economic crash look like when the crash is only metaphorical, so there’s no actual rubble or twisted metal strewn about? And how much time would pass before we knew it happened?

“There would be immediate financial chaos,” said Paul Weller, a professor of finance at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. “Europe would be plunged into a deep recession and the real economic effects would come into play quite quickly.”

Most worst-case scenarios that have been playing out in recent days involve a default by Italy’s government on its sovereign debt, a scenario Weller believes is unlikely, but “is more likely than it was a few weeks ago.” The country would need billions of Euros from the European Central Bank to relieve its staggering $2.5 trillion debt, but leaders in other Eurozone countries are balking at such a large amount. They want Italy, Greece, and other struggling countries to put more effort into reforming their economies first, and there’s political resistance in Germany because the country’s still-strong economy would likely bear most of the costs of any bailout.

Weller said the triggering event of an all-out economic collapse would be an announcement that “Italy has begun an orderly debt restructuring, which is really a euphemism for default.”

After that, he says the first immediate visible sign that the economy has collapsed would be runs on banks, leading to long lines at banks and ATMs and people spending lots of time online trying to get their money out of failing banks. This would begin on the day of the default in Italy if not earlier, then quickly spread to the so-called PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain), other Eurozone countries with massive debt and fragile economies that are also in danger of default. Eventually, he said banks in other parts of Europe, in particular France and Germany, would feel the effects, and then banks in other countries.

With no cash, many banks go out of business and those that survive stop lending. Credit dries up, leaving even healthy businesses with no cash to pay their bills or short-term debt and no choice but to close their doors. Workers are laid off within weeks and unemployment shoots up. A default also likely leads to the break-up of the Eurozone and the collapse of the European Union as an economic entity, leading to more economic and political chaos.

Governments fall and in a matter of months, Europe is in a deep recession with high unemployment and unstable, austerity-wrecked governments unable to provide assistance or stimulus.

Weller says the U.S. economy would take a hit because American banks own huge amounts of European debt and credit default swaps written on that debt. With Europe’s economy plunging off a cliff, those banks are forced to swallow a loss on most if not all of that debt.

He says the current European scenario is similar to what happened when the bankrupt investment bank Lehman Bros. collapsed in 2008, causing a credit freeze among other lenders and investment banks that sent the U.S. economy into recession within a quarter. The damage was so sudden and so traumatic that the Federal Reserve immediately took action to minimize the fallout and spent billions of dollars to prop up other weakened financial services companies, while Congress passed the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Weller said the EU scenario is similar, with Italy in the role of Lehman Bros. and the European Central Bank as the Fed. But he is cautiously optimistic that the collapse that would have occurred in 2008 without Fed intervention won’t play out because he thinks Europe’s political leaders will eventually agree on a bailout plan for Italy and other beleaguered eurozone economies. It might not happen until the eleventh hour, but Weller said a collapse would be so catastrophic that politicians, especially in Germany, will do all within their power to sell a bailout to voters as a least-bad option.

“When people stare into the abyss, they often decide other options are worth pursuing,” he says.

Released: 11/29/2011

Source: University of Iowa

Related Link:

http://newswise.com/articles/what-does-it-look-like-when-an-economy-collapses

Eco-Friendly Holiday Advice….Going Green and Staying Out of the Red!

Newswise — Christmas offers a golden opportunity to go green — and save a little green – as consumers seek ways to compensate for Christmas trees that may be smaller and more expensive due to drought in parts of the country, said Suzy Weems, Ph.D., chair of the department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Baylor University.

Christmas traditionally is a time when people over-stretch their budgets not only on gifts but on holiday decorating. But choosing alternate ways to decorate can help dodge debt whle increasing family togetherness and making memories, Weems said.

• Consider buying a potted Christmas tree rather than using an artificial one or even one from a tree farm. You won’t have to cope with brown needles dropping, which cuts down on fire hazards, and the tree can be a practical legacy for future Christmases if you plant it in your yard after the holidays.

• Set aside two or three hours for your family to adorn the tree the natural way — by stringing inexpensive strands of popcorn or cranberries as families did in other centuries. Use good-sized needles, thimbles and monofilament fishing line, which not only is strong but comes in colors as well as clear.

• Go native. Those who live in tumbleweed terrain can string tumbleweeds with small lights and use them as accents or centerpieces; coastal residents might turn shells into ornaments by looping a ribbon, hot-gluing its ends together, then hot-gluing the “hanger” to the shell. A starfish may be attached with wire at the top of the tree.

• A fragrant, traditional and natural accent can be fashioned by pressing cloves into oranges. Decorate with holly sprigs clipped from shrubs, or gather mistletoe from area trees to hang above doorways. But do research to ensure that poisonous decorations are out of reach of pets and children.

• Recycle Thanksgiving pumpkins or gourds by painting them white, stacking them by size and turning them into snowmen or a snow family.

Released: 11/28/2011

Source: Baylor University

Related Link:

http://newswise.com/articles/going-green-and-staying-out-of-the-red

Useful Tips on Surviving the Holiday Parties!

Newswise — Does the thought of having to make polite conversation with relatives you only see once a year, or with your coworkers at the annual holiday bash, leave you tongue tied? Many of us have experienced social anxiety, or at least felt a little uneasy when faced with a room full of people you don’t know well. However, Dr. Martin Antony, a Ryerson University psychology professor and leading expert on social anxiety and shyness, can help put those fears to rest with helpful tips to bring out that social butterfly out in all of us:

Making Conversation
1. This sounds simple and is easy to do. Start by reaching out to someone at the party. Smile. Make eye contact. Be approachable and open to conversation.

2. Join an ongoing conversation at the social gathering. People often walk about, moving in and out of different conversations. See if you can join a group that is discussing a topic that interests you, or that you can tell a humorous anecdote about.

3. Ask questions. Here’s a chance for you to catch up with coworkers, friends or family members on what they have been involved with this past year and share some experiences of your own.

4. Be an active listener. Reflect back that you understand what the other person is saying and talk about an experience you’ve had or tell a story to keep the conversation rolling.

Quelling those “butterflies”
1. Don’t assume that your anxious thoughts and predictions are necessarily true. Examine the evidence for your beliefs and do your best to think realistically. Ask yourself questions to challenge your anxious thoughts such as: “What is the likelihood that others will notice my anxiety?”

2. Avoiding fearful situations will only worsen your anxiety. If you’re shy, talking to others will be hard at first, but will become easier over time if you keep trying to be social.

3. Trying to fight your anxiety at a party may make it worse. Just accept those uncomfortable feelings and try some of the other tips to banish those butterflies so you’ll have a good time.

Office parties: advancement moves
1. Research the dress code before you go. Ask the organizer or someone who attended last year’s party if you’re not sure. When in doubt, it’s best to stick to business attire.

2. Shake hands with your boss and other senior managers and wish them a happy holiday season. Make sure your manager sees you at the holiday party, and also remembers speaking to you. When it comes time for promotions, your boss is likely to pick a pleasant employee who seems happy to be working at the organization.

3. Office parties are also great opportunities to cultivate new relationships and network, but you’ll need more than one conversation. Use the party as a starting point, and then follow up with colleagues later to arrange future get-togethers.

4. Before you leave, remember to say goodnight and thank you to the most senior staff member in attendance, the party organizer and your boss before leaving.

Released: 11/17/2011
Source: Ryerson University

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/surviving-the-holiday-parties