MANILA, Philippines--The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has given the country's 700 to 800 private review centers until May 27 to integrate with tertiary schools or face closure.
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Friday, February 29, 2008
USCIS Expects Significant Processing Delays for Citizenship Applications
Emilio Gonzalez, the USCIS Director, has warned prospective U.S. citizens "not to get their hopes up" regarding any improvement in the waiting times for naturalization to U.S. citizenship.
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Thursday, February 28, 2008
Parasitic Diseases
A parasitic disease is an infectious disease caused or transmitted by a parasite. Many parasites do not cause disease per se. Parasitic diseases can affect practically all living organisms, from plants to man. The study of parasitic diseases is called by parasitology.
Some parasites like Toxoplasma gondii can cause Toxoplasmosis as a parasitic disease directly caused by the protozoan. In contrast, some of the symptoms caused by parasites are due to the toxins produced by the parasites, rather than the parasites themselves.
How are parasitic diseases diagnosed?
Many kinds of lab tests are available to diagnose parasitic diseases. The kind of test(s) your health care provider will order will be based on your signs and symptoms, any other medical conditions you may have, and your travel history. Diagnosis may be difficult, so your health care provider may order more than one kind of test.
What kinds of tests are used to diagnose parasitic diseases?
1. A fecal (stool) exam, also called an ova and parasite test (O&P)
This test is used to find parasites that cause diarrhea, loose or watery stools, cramping, flatulence (gas) and other abdominal illness. CDC recommends that three or more stool samples, collected on separate days, be examined.
Your health care provider may request that the lab use special stains to look for parasites not routinely screened for.
This test is done by collection of a stool specimen. Your health care provider may ask you to put your stool specimen into a special container with preservative fluid. Specimens not collected in a preservative fluid should be refrigerated, but not frozen, until delivered to the lab or the health care provider’s office.
This test looks for ova (eggs) or the parasite.
Example: pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) and beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata)
2. Endoscopy
Endoscopy is used to find parasites that cause diarrhea, loose or watery stools, cramping, flatulence (gas) and other abdominal illness.
This test is used when stool exams do not reveal the cause of your diarrhea.
This test is a procedure in which a tube is inserted into the mouth or rectum so that the doctor, usually a gastroenterologist, can examine the intestines.
This test looks for the parasite.
Example: Physaloptera (a nematode)
3. Blood tests
Some, but not all, parasites can be found by testing your blood. Blood tests look for a specific parasite infection; there is no blood test that will look for all parasitic infections. There are two general kinds of blood tests that your doctor may order:
a. Serology
This test is used to look for antibodies or for parasite antigens produced when the body is infected with a parasite and the immune system is trying to fight off the invader.
This test is done by your health care provider taking a blood sample and sending it to a lab.
This test is able to detect antibodies produced by the body or antigen from the parasite found in your blood.
b. Blood smear
This test is used to look for parasites that are found in the blood. By looking at a blood smear under a microscope, parasitic diseases such as malaria, filariasis, or babesiosis, can be diagnosed.
This test is done by placing a drop of blood on a microscope slide. The slide is then looked at under a microscope.
4. X-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, Computerized Axial Tomography scan (CAT)
These tests are used to look for some parasitic diseases that may cause swelling of internal organs or abnormal scarring.
source: wikipedia; Center for disease control and prevention (CDC)
Some parasites like Toxoplasma gondii can cause Toxoplasmosis as a parasitic disease directly caused by the protozoan. In contrast, some of the symptoms caused by parasites are due to the toxins produced by the parasites, rather than the parasites themselves.
How are parasitic diseases diagnosed?
Many kinds of lab tests are available to diagnose parasitic diseases. The kind of test(s) your health care provider will order will be based on your signs and symptoms, any other medical conditions you may have, and your travel history. Diagnosis may be difficult, so your health care provider may order more than one kind of test.
What kinds of tests are used to diagnose parasitic diseases?
1. A fecal (stool) exam, also called an ova and parasite test (O&P)
This test is used to find parasites that cause diarrhea, loose or watery stools, cramping, flatulence (gas) and other abdominal illness. CDC recommends that three or more stool samples, collected on separate days, be examined.
Your health care provider may request that the lab use special stains to look for parasites not routinely screened for.
This test is done by collection of a stool specimen. Your health care provider may ask you to put your stool specimen into a special container with preservative fluid. Specimens not collected in a preservative fluid should be refrigerated, but not frozen, until delivered to the lab or the health care provider’s office.
This test looks for ova (eggs) or the parasite.
Example: pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) and beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata)
2. Endoscopy
Endoscopy is used to find parasites that cause diarrhea, loose or watery stools, cramping, flatulence (gas) and other abdominal illness.
This test is used when stool exams do not reveal the cause of your diarrhea.
This test is a procedure in which a tube is inserted into the mouth or rectum so that the doctor, usually a gastroenterologist, can examine the intestines.
This test looks for the parasite.
Example: Physaloptera (a nematode)
3. Blood tests
Some, but not all, parasites can be found by testing your blood. Blood tests look for a specific parasite infection; there is no blood test that will look for all parasitic infections. There are two general kinds of blood tests that your doctor may order:
a. Serology
This test is used to look for antibodies or for parasite antigens produced when the body is infected with a parasite and the immune system is trying to fight off the invader.
This test is done by your health care provider taking a blood sample and sending it to a lab.
This test is able to detect antibodies produced by the body or antigen from the parasite found in your blood.
b. Blood smear
This test is used to look for parasites that are found in the blood. By looking at a blood smear under a microscope, parasitic diseases such as malaria, filariasis, or babesiosis, can be diagnosed.
This test is done by placing a drop of blood on a microscope slide. The slide is then looked at under a microscope.
4. X-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, Computerized Axial Tomography scan (CAT)
These tests are used to look for some parasitic diseases that may cause swelling of internal organs or abnormal scarring.
source: wikipedia; Center for disease control and prevention (CDC)
Middle East: Sponsoring your parents and relatives
Sponsoring your parents
Dubai: Expatriates who have a valid resident visa in UAE can sponsor their parents for a year's stay by paying a Dh5,000 deposit as guarantee for each parent.
But according to new regulations, you cannot sponsor only one of your parents and have to sponsor your father and the mother together, with proof that you are their sole supporter and they have no one to take care of them back home.
If one of your parents has passed away or if you are divorced, you have to show papers to prove that to the Naturalisation and Residency Department, as justification why you want to sponsor only one of your parents.
The son or daughter must also prove he or she is the only supporter of the parents and that there is no one to take care of them back home.
One should apply for the residency visa for parents at the department which issued his or her own resident visa.
The son or the daughter can sponsor the parents or the father and mother-in- law. In order to be able to sponsor your parents or father and mother-in-law, one should have a minimum salary not less than Dh6,000 with accommodation allowance or minimum salary of Dh7,000. They also need to obtain a medical insurance policy for both with a minimum coverage of Dh600 for each, to be renewed each year.
Now besides a medical health check, an HIV test is also needed before applying for the residence visa.
To obtain a residence visa for the parents, one has to show proof to the Naturalisation and Residency Department that there is a humanitarian issue that requires to sponsor them and that the son or daughter are their lone supporters.
The expatriate should also obtain a letter from his or her embassy or consulate certifying that the person is the sole supporter.
The Dh5,000 guarantee deposit will be returned after the parents leave the country and the visa is cancelled or the parent dies.Procedure- The UAE has allowed sponsoring the residency of parents because of ‘humanitarian reasons’ as elderly parents should be taken care of by their children, according to the Interior Ministry.
- Earlier, you could sponsor your parent for a residency visa without having to pay Dh5,000 as refundable guarantee. The new rule implemented few months ago now requires the deposit.
- All expatriates can sponsor their parents but the sponsor’s minimum salary should be Dh6,000, with housing allowance.
- You will now also need a Dh600 medical insurance policy for your parents.
- One can sponsor the father-in-law or mother-in-law, under the same conditions.
- The residence visa for the parents is valid for one year only and should be cancelled or renewed after the end of the validity.
- If you fail to renew or cancel the visa, the parents will be deemed to be illegal overstayers and will have to pay a fine.
Sponsoring a relative to visit
Dubai: Expatriates who have valid residency papers can apply for a visit visa for relatives or friends, but must fulfil certain conditions.
According to the Naturalisation and Residency Department (NRD) law, if the sponsored relative is a female, she should not be less than 25 years of age.
If an expatriate wants to sponsor his wife and children on a visit visa, he should personally apply at the NRD at the emirate which issued him residency visa.
Papers needed
The papers needed are: passport copies of the applicant as well his wife and children, marriage contract attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; attested work contract if working with a private company, or salary certificate if working in the public sector.
The salary of the expatriate should not be less than Dh3,000 per month with accommodation or Dh4,000 per month without accommodation. The applicant need not pay any deposit. He must get an e-gate card.
The e-form application will cost Dh100; another Dh100 if the visa is needed urgently, as well as Dh10 for delivery of the visa through Empost.
If an expatriate wishes to sponsor his parents on a visit visa, the application must be submitted personally at the NRD. The papers required are passport copies and an attested letter from the embassy proving the relationship.
Also needed are: an attested work contract if the person is working in a private company or a salary certificate if working in the government sector. The minimum salary requirements are the same: not less than Dh3,000 per month with accommodation or Dh4,000 per month without accommodation. No deposit is required, but the applicant must get an e-gate card.
If you are sponsoring a relative, a deposit of Dh2,000 is required and the salary must not be less than Dh5,000 per month with accommodation. But if you are sponsoring a brother or sister, the salary and accommodation allowance should be Dh6,000.
An expatriate can also sponsor two friends on visit at a time, but the salary requirements are higher - not less than Dh10,000 and Dh2,000 refundable deposit for each person which is returned after the friends leave the country. One should keep the receipt safely and present it for the refund.
Ceiling for categories
Some of the monthly salary requirements for sponsoring relatives or friends on a visit visa
-Wife or husband's parents or grandparents. Salary must be Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 and accommodation facility.
-Wife or husband's brothers and sisters and their sons and daughters who are less than 18 years. Salary should be Dh5,000 per month and Dh2,000 as deposit.
-Sister's or brother's sons and daughters. Salary must be Dh6,000 and Dh2,000 deposit for those above 18 years.
-Grandsons under 18 years of age. Salary must be Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility. No deposit is required.
-Adult grandsons. Salary must be Dh6,000 as well as a deposit of Dh2,000.
-Cousin. Salary of Dh8,000 and deposit Dh2,000.
-Wife's minor sons and daughters. Salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility.
-Wife, sons and daughters. Salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility.
-A friend. Salary of Dh10,000. One can sponsor only two friends at a time. If there are more, one should justify the reason for the visit of so many friends.
source: Gulf News
Dubai: Expatriates who have a valid resident visa in UAE can sponsor their parents for a year's stay by paying a Dh5,000 deposit as guarantee for each parent.
But according to new regulations, you cannot sponsor only one of your parents and have to sponsor your father and the mother together, with proof that you are their sole supporter and they have no one to take care of them back home.
If one of your parents has passed away or if you are divorced, you have to show papers to prove that to the Naturalisation and Residency Department, as justification why you want to sponsor only one of your parents.
The son or daughter must also prove he or she is the only supporter of the parents and that there is no one to take care of them back home.
One should apply for the residency visa for parents at the department which issued his or her own resident visa.
The son or the daughter can sponsor the parents or the father and mother-in- law. In order to be able to sponsor your parents or father and mother-in-law, one should have a minimum salary not less than Dh6,000 with accommodation allowance or minimum salary of Dh7,000. They also need to obtain a medical insurance policy for both with a minimum coverage of Dh600 for each, to be renewed each year.
Now besides a medical health check, an HIV test is also needed before applying for the residence visa.
To obtain a residence visa for the parents, one has to show proof to the Naturalisation and Residency Department that there is a humanitarian issue that requires to sponsor them and that the son or daughter are their lone supporters.
The expatriate should also obtain a letter from his or her embassy or consulate certifying that the person is the sole supporter.
The Dh5,000 guarantee deposit will be returned after the parents leave the country and the visa is cancelled or the parent dies.Procedure- The UAE has allowed sponsoring the residency of parents because of ‘humanitarian reasons’ as elderly parents should be taken care of by their children, according to the Interior Ministry.
- Earlier, you could sponsor your parent for a residency visa without having to pay Dh5,000 as refundable guarantee. The new rule implemented few months ago now requires the deposit.
- All expatriates can sponsor their parents but the sponsor’s minimum salary should be Dh6,000, with housing allowance.
- You will now also need a Dh600 medical insurance policy for your parents.
- One can sponsor the father-in-law or mother-in-law, under the same conditions.
- The residence visa for the parents is valid for one year only and should be cancelled or renewed after the end of the validity.
- If you fail to renew or cancel the visa, the parents will be deemed to be illegal overstayers and will have to pay a fine.
Sponsoring a relative to visit
Dubai: Expatriates who have valid residency papers can apply for a visit visa for relatives or friends, but must fulfil certain conditions.
According to the Naturalisation and Residency Department (NRD) law, if the sponsored relative is a female, she should not be less than 25 years of age.
If an expatriate wants to sponsor his wife and children on a visit visa, he should personally apply at the NRD at the emirate which issued him residency visa.
Papers needed
The papers needed are: passport copies of the applicant as well his wife and children, marriage contract attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; attested work contract if working with a private company, or salary certificate if working in the public sector.
The salary of the expatriate should not be less than Dh3,000 per month with accommodation or Dh4,000 per month without accommodation. The applicant need not pay any deposit. He must get an e-gate card.
The e-form application will cost Dh100; another Dh100 if the visa is needed urgently, as well as Dh10 for delivery of the visa through Empost.
If an expatriate wishes to sponsor his parents on a visit visa, the application must be submitted personally at the NRD. The papers required are passport copies and an attested letter from the embassy proving the relationship.
Also needed are: an attested work contract if the person is working in a private company or a salary certificate if working in the government sector. The minimum salary requirements are the same: not less than Dh3,000 per month with accommodation or Dh4,000 per month without accommodation. No deposit is required, but the applicant must get an e-gate card.
If you are sponsoring a relative, a deposit of Dh2,000 is required and the salary must not be less than Dh5,000 per month with accommodation. But if you are sponsoring a brother or sister, the salary and accommodation allowance should be Dh6,000.
An expatriate can also sponsor two friends on visit at a time, but the salary requirements are higher - not less than Dh10,000 and Dh2,000 refundable deposit for each person which is returned after the friends leave the country. One should keep the receipt safely and present it for the refund.
Ceiling for categories
Some of the monthly salary requirements for sponsoring relatives or friends on a visit visa
-Wife or husband's parents or grandparents. Salary must be Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 and accommodation facility.
-Wife or husband's brothers and sisters and their sons and daughters who are less than 18 years. Salary should be Dh5,000 per month and Dh2,000 as deposit.
-Sister's or brother's sons and daughters. Salary must be Dh6,000 and Dh2,000 deposit for those above 18 years.
-Grandsons under 18 years of age. Salary must be Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility. No deposit is required.
-Adult grandsons. Salary must be Dh6,000 as well as a deposit of Dh2,000.
-Cousin. Salary of Dh8,000 and deposit Dh2,000.
-Wife's minor sons and daughters. Salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility.
-Wife, sons and daughters. Salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility.
-A friend. Salary of Dh10,000. One can sponsor only two friends at a time. If there are more, one should justify the reason for the visit of so many friends.
source: Gulf News
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Make Nurses Happy, Some Hospitals Say
Despite the nursing shortage, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington, has no problem attracting a steady steam of job candidates.
“We’ve never offered nurses a sign-on bonus,” says Kathy Franz, the hospital’s director of human resources. “Sign-on bonuses typically keep nurses in their jobs for two years. Our goal is to attract candidates who want to work here for other reasons.”
Among those reasons are a supportive corporate culture, flexible shifts, numerous opportunities for upward mobility and benefits that include a matching 401k, onsite child care and tuition reimbursement.
Read more
“We’ve never offered nurses a sign-on bonus,” says Kathy Franz, the hospital’s director of human resources. “Sign-on bonuses typically keep nurses in their jobs for two years. Our goal is to attract candidates who want to work here for other reasons.”
Among those reasons are a supportive corporate culture, flexible shifts, numerous opportunities for upward mobility and benefits that include a matching 401k, onsite child care and tuition reimbursement.
Read more
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Nurses compile their own list of problems
An occupational health and safety inspection by the NSW Nurses Association has revealed another long list of safety problems at the new $98 million Bathurst Base Hospital.
find out more at bathurst
find out more at bathurst
Manitoba nurses threaten strike
Mannitoba--
The province and it's nurses lurched closer to a strike today when the nurses' union asked it's members to refuse to do overtime or accept extra shifts, and scheduled a strike vote for next month.
The Manitoba Nurses Union says talks with the Doer government broke down last night over wage issues. The union says the pay raise offered by the province is not enough to stem the exodus of nurses to higher paying jobs outside the province. The union says Manitoba's health care system is short 8 hundred nurses and the situation will only get worse as more RN's retire.
The province appears to have been taken by surprise by the union's move: a spokesman for Manitoba Health says the province tabled a proposed wage increase of 4.8 per cent per year over two years and expected negotiations to continue.
The province says its offer would make Manitoba nurses the fourth highest paid in Canada behind Alberta, Ontario and BC, all of which have higher costs of living. A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority says extra shifts and overtime are scheduled into March and the WRHA expects nurses to show up for those shifts. The health authority wouldn't say what plans it has to replace RN's who refuse to sign up for extra work after the scheduled overtime shifts run out.
The Manitoba Nurses Union says it has scheduled a strike vote for March 10th.
Source: canada.com
The province and it's nurses lurched closer to a strike today when the nurses' union asked it's members to refuse to do overtime or accept extra shifts, and scheduled a strike vote for next month.
The Manitoba Nurses Union says talks with the Doer government broke down last night over wage issues. The union says the pay raise offered by the province is not enough to stem the exodus of nurses to higher paying jobs outside the province. The union says Manitoba's health care system is short 8 hundred nurses and the situation will only get worse as more RN's retire.
The province appears to have been taken by surprise by the union's move: a spokesman for Manitoba Health says the province tabled a proposed wage increase of 4.8 per cent per year over two years and expected negotiations to continue.
The province says its offer would make Manitoba nurses the fourth highest paid in Canada behind Alberta, Ontario and BC, all of which have higher costs of living. A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority says extra shifts and overtime are scheduled into March and the WRHA expects nurses to show up for those shifts. The health authority wouldn't say what plans it has to replace RN's who refuse to sign up for extra work after the scheduled overtime shifts run out.
The Manitoba Nurses Union says it has scheduled a strike vote for March 10th.
Source: canada.com
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