For some time now, doctors in Bangalore suspected there was a new virus in Bangalore’s air. Now, they’re certain that break bone fever, better known as dengue, is raging across the city. Even a viral fever is now accompanied by severe joint pain lasting for nearly a week. Doctors are forced to admit into hospitals those patients with symptoms of fever for a day or two and put them on intravenous fluids.
Symptoms:
Chikungunya: (not chicken gunya!! nothing to do with chicken!!)
High fever, Joint pain
Dengue: High fever, backache, muscle and joint pain, headache,pain behind the eyes.
Viral fever: High fever, cold, sore throat, body ache.
Preventive measures:
Control mosquito breeding by getting rid of stagnant water.
Use mosquito repellent.
Keep surroundings hygienic.
Clean water tank regulary.
Avoid indoor plants.
Eat right nutritious food
Drink clean water
Avoid dehydration.
Symptoms of Chikungunya, Dengue fever
HEART OF THE MATTER
A new study, conducted by researchers in the UK, has shown that having a lower than average IQ is in itself a risk factor for heart disease.
The researchers found that the results were the same even when known heart disease risk factors were taken into account. “We already know that socio-economically disadvantaged people have worse health and tend to die earlier from conditions such as heart disease, cancer and accidents,” BBC News quoted David Batty, who led the study for the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, a saying.
“Environmental exposures and health-related behaviours, such as smoking, diet and physical activity, can explain some of this difference, but not all of it,” he added. The research team studied a group of 4,289 former US soldiers from all walks of life. As expected from past trends, those on low incomes and with less education had a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
However, when the researchers took into account intelligence or cognitive function, commonly referred to as IQ, and controlled for nine other known heart disease risk factors, IQ alone explained 23% of the differences in mortality between the highest and lowest socio-economic groups in the study.
They offer several possible explanations for this - low IQ scores might simply be a marker of underlying poor health or intelligence might lead to greater knowledge about how to keep healthy. Batty said, whatever the explanation, the findings imply the IQ of the public should be considered more carefully when preparing health promotion campaigns.
The study has been published in the European Heart Journal.
Love not enough to make marriages work
Living happily ever after needn’t only be for fairy tales. Researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it’s a lot more than just being in love.
A couple’s age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.
The study tracked 2,500 couples — married or living together —from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.
It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage having separated compared to just 9% of couples without children born before marriage.
Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce. Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90% more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
Money also plays a role, with up to 16% of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband — not the wife — was unemployed saying they had separated, compared to 9% of couples with healthy finances.
Check If It Smells Right
Lost in the fine print of the Finance Bill and the Explanatory Memorandum is stuff that you should actually need to know about. Don’t overlook this article:
India Inc is well and truly on the MAT(Minimum Alternate Tax). Not only has the levy increased by 5% to stand at 15% (effective rate being 17%), but there are many hidden devils. If a company has devalued an asset and debited it to profit & loss (P&L), this debited amount in the P&L will be added back to the book profits. MAT will be calculated on the enhanced book profits. Brace yourself as this comes with retrospective effect from April 1, 1998.
Fringe Benefit Tax stands abolished, but a tad too late. India Inc has paid the first installment of FBT. Further, rules will be introduced to determine the perquisite value that should be taxable in the employees’ hands. You thought that a tax was abolished? It is just transfer of the onus of paying tax from the employer to the employee. ESOPs, employers contribution to superannuation and much much more will also be a perquisite, taxable in your hands and mine.
What could the future hold? Anything, just anything is possible. The tax authorities can actually withdraw an approval given by them for anything and at anytime. The only saving grace is that an opportunity will be given to the taxpayer of being heard before doing so.
Donation to electoral trusts shall be allowed as a 100% deduction in your hands. Yes, you can keep the wheels of democracy turning and get a tax break. The hitch is you have to show your allegiance on paper to a political party so as to get a tax break.
If you thought that you were subject to reassessment only to the extent of income escaped in respect of issues recorded by the Assessing Officer, think again. With a view to further clarifying the legislative intent, the Assessing Officer can reassess income in respect of any issue which comes to his notice, which are not only restricted to the recorded reasons.
You can no longer evade tax through a gift. Now, any gift worth above Rs 50,000 in the form of immovable property, shares, jewellery, archaeological collections, drawings, paintings, sculptures or any work of art is taxable in the hands of the recipient.
If any person whose income is to be subject to withholding of tax at source does not provide his Permanent Account Number (PAN) to the deductor, then the deductor shall have to deduct tax at a higher rate — at 20 per cent. Even non-residents will be forced to obtain a PAN. However, fortunately this is with prospective effect from April 1, 2010.
In some cases, employees used to claim exemption for voluntary retirement scheme income, and further relief for high tax burden of advance salary. Now, this double benefit cannot be claimed.
Presumptive tax benefit is not as rosy for small retailers. Earlier, persons engaging in retail trade were subject to tax on a presumptive basis of 5%. Now, although the FM has broadened the presumptive taxation option to most small businesses, the presumptive tax rate has been increased to 8%.
