Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Gamers Guide to Utopia: MMORPG
Most of us might wonder right now why a lot of computer shops exist as compared to the past decades. Moreover, internet connection is now proven to be a necessity to a lot of individuals for different purposes. Aside from the informative purposes of the internet utilized by a lot of researchers as well as by individuals to express their ideas and other purposes, the increase on the demand of the internet is further reinforced by none other by gamers. What started as online games based on building networks among users through the internet, became online games that now evolved into more sophisticated and complex games.
From the year 2000, the games developed from simple games to virtual societies. The MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) were then popularized. Games such as Ragnarok online and MU online provided gamers the "freedom and power" to choose their character, choose what their character specializes in (e.g. in Ragnarok online, one could choose to be a merchant, blacksmith, swordsman, mage, acolyte etc.), customize their avatar and many more. These games have scenic backgrounds from the towns, deserts, forests, underwater, hellish dungeons etc. These games also have their own currency varying from gold, rupiah, coins, zen, zenny etc. which are used to buy weapons, armours, potions, and scrolls depending on the economics and currency of the game. The games’ genres and themes may vary but in most online games, you need to create a character in which you would choose a certain race with certain history and specialization. A player must then customize their character’s appearance (hairstyle, facial features, skin tone, height, length, etc.).
With these kinds of features, the number of online gamers still increases up to date, even being popular among children as well. The software distribution of these games also varies among places. Also, such games also come in CD installers that make software installation faster and easier. Interested gamers or even those who just wants to have online games as their past time may also download the installers from the internet through direct downloads provided in the respective homepage of the different online games or through torrent downloads. All the gamers have to do is to choose the type of game that suits them and play! Online gaming, however like any other activities, should be done in moderation. Also, children should be supervised if necessary.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Why Health Technology will Matter in the Next Decade
Research and development departments of every organization in the world are using the most up-to-date technology. In fact, information technology in the healthcare industry is a major focus. In the growing healthcare sector, it cannot be ignored when being discussed. When one talks about the healthcare sector, it is easy to spot tremendous growth in health technology and healthcare information technology. The spreading awareness of health care issues around the globe led to both advancement and progress in procedures and techniques adopted by health care institutions.
Roles of Healthcare Information Technology – Past, Present & Future
Traditional practices focus on a 1:1 ratio of the number of patients to doctors. Data collection by a semi-automated process involved many channels, though there has been a history of minor problems regarding the management of patients and other, related healthcare concerns. Presently, healthcare information technology has revealed new horizons in healthcare awareness and healthcare trends. Currently, patients have hi-tech gadgets or everyday cell phones which are directly synchronized with doctors, allowing them to view real-time pulse and blood pressure updates which can be recorded in the systems. Affordability and an overall feeling of being healthier give patients a greater peace of mind. What will happen in the next decade? Well, predictions cannot be made without research but it is obvious that the influence of information technology will drive the world towards universal care. The costs will surely rise over time, but the accessibility and convenience of track records and synchronization will be widely available.
Healthcare Information Technology does Matter in the Future
Direct data collection has proven to be accurate, cost-effective, and well received by research subjects. The introduction of technology solutions in the form of Smartphones and mobile devices will lead to a new era in healthcare with personal healthcare management bringing change to traditional ways of operations in health institutions and clinical practices. On the bottom of the spectrum will be the communication barriers while at the top of the spectrum will provide faster access. Patients will be more involved and will better understand their conditions, thus allowing them to search for various ways to improve their overall wellness while becoming more educated about their medical conditions.
Consumers will prefer to manage their own healthcare rather than making a trip to the hospital frequently. These systems will enable the patient to view their medical history while having access to the most accurate and complete information about their health. In the end, this will allow patients to maintain the best possible care that is available, whether during a routine visit or a medical emergency to the hospital. Above all, the coordination of response and care will make giant strides in a positive direction. This will become vital if a patient has a severe medical condition.
Doctors can securely share information with patients and their family caregivers by using the internet to provide convenience from both ends. A collaborative environment will allow for more involvement and a sense of greater care to patients and their families.
Blessings in Future by Healthcare IT
• Quicker diagnostics
• Cutting and reducing medical errors,
• Accuracy
• Greater, prompt care
• Safer care
• Reduced costs
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
3 ways to successfully implement educational technology integration
When we think about the educational technology integration, we realize that no matter how popular, advanced and efficient the technology might be today, there are a lot of other things to be done in order to make the whole system work. It is not enough just to have a will to implement the technology in some school systems, especially if those schools are very old-fashioned and wouldn’t change the books for anything in the world. The first step is to convince everyone that the educational technology can only improve the whole teaching systems and make them realize how many benefits it can bring to the students. There are three ways that can help every school to integrate the technology into the existing curriculum.
1. The students, teachers and the parents must all participate in the process. First of all, the students must know the essentials of the educational technology and what it can give them. The technology is something completely new, so they must know what to expect. Teachers should be there to help them with everything,and the parents must understand and agree with all the pros and cons of this system. It is not something that can happen overnight; a lot of preparation is necessary, as well as lot of work.
2. All the technology must be suitable for the students and the program involved. If there are changes that should be made, they have to be done step by step so the students don’t get scared of anything. Every subject can have a software program designed for it to make learning easier and even make boring subjects fun. One of the greatest things when it comes to technology in education is the ability to get involved in things that you have never liked before.
3. Teachers must be prepared and trained for what’s coming up. It is not enough for a teacher to be an expert in a particular subject; he must use the technology as well in order to pass the knowledge on the students. The teachers are not just supposed to learn the technical things, but also to know how to make the students interested in that technology and teach them how to use the software or other tools.
These three steps might be the most important to consider, but they are just a starting point for educational technology integration. Since technology is getting more and more important today, it is recommended that parents let their children use it when they are old enough to understand how some things work. That will make them interested and will also make them understand better once they start with school. Technology in education can be a fun thing, but it is also very serious and should be considered that way, since our future might depend on the way we accept it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
What You Need to Know About Revenue Cycle Management
Revenue cycle management is of upmost concern, given the current economic climate around the world. Today, there are many different platforms and methods that are used to manage the revenue cycle in health care. Managing revenue is a business principle that helps a business (this includes medical facilities) remain in operation and also produce a profit for its shareholders.
Medicine is not a non-profit venture, despite most people may viewing it as one. Although most of the medicine and science findings do lead to better cures and treatments, financial backing is needed to do this research. In the healthcare industry, a revenue cycle manager will manage the medical facility’s accounts using the money from patients and clients who have had their treatments and medical diagnoses at the facility. Since medical insurance and medical aid companies are usually the biggest contributors to patient’s medical bills, the hospital or medical institution will have to manage their relationship with the contributors in order to be paid. This all depends on the geographic location of the medical facility. There are states and areas which have restrictive health-plan structures. This is not good for the revenue cycle management in healthcare and the results in complex billing requirements.
Most medical facilities will take between 10 and 15 days to bill a patient after service delivery, this is longer than other businesses and industries which usually bill a client immediately. The patients and the state legisilation can represent a real challenge to revenue cycle managers who wish to recieve payment for the medical services as quickly as possible. The revenue cycle is also affected by the many organizations which manage healthcare. This relates to the availabilty of the health registration information and the reporting of the finances of a patient and whether they are likely to be to afford treatment.
How do medical facilities such as hospitals leverage processes, technologies, relationships and business structures to improve their financial performance? The current tough economic environment represent a major challenge for hospitals in employing the revenue-cycle management practices to help them to optimize their revenue. One of the challenges that hospitals currently face is the management of accounts that have bills thats have been outstanding for more than 3 months. Since many people do not have medical insurance, it means they may struggle to pay their medical bills, which results in a big problem for a hospital or medical facility. In addition, this can lead to cash flow problems if the hospital is privately owned and has no other source of income. The way that most hospitals tend to tackle this challenge is to make sure that they have good working relationships with the major medical insurance companies, medical aid companies and organisations so they can provide a stable revenue cycle management in healthcare not only for the industry, but also to ensure a finanical security base for the hopistal.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Shoes shopping: The Factor of Durability
A very old famous saying is there that need is the mother of all the inventions .The same theory is applicable for the shoes as well. The development of the septic in the human feet due to the pinching of thorn are from biting by insects may have compelled to the human being to find some solutions of the existing problem. The mankind known for their never say die attitude and spirit ultimately found the solutions of its problem and developed the shoes for the safety and security of their feet. Through the passage of time it developed as one of the most essential commodity of the human being and now some names like Adidas shoes, Nike etc does not need any introduction.
The trading of the shoes emerged as one of the most profitable business after the industrial revolution. The durability of the shoes is one of the most important criteria while choosing the shoe. The durability of the shoes depends upon so many factors. The first factor on which the durability of the shoe depends is its manufacturing material. If the shoe is made from the quality leather or from high standard synthetic material, then definitely it will have the high durability factor. The quality of the sole of shoe plays an important role in the durability of the shoes. The other most important factor which plays the important role in the durability of the shoes is stitching pattern and the quality of the thread used for stitching. The branded discount shoes available from different retail outlets and online stores are also good form durability point of view.
The regular maintenance of the shoes while using plays a vital role for the durability of the shoes. The polishing of the shoes with good material not only gives the good appearance to the shoes but it also enhances the durability of the shoes. The cheap boots available in the market at very reasonable price if polished regularly and avoided from harmful liquid substances can definitely be durable for the longer time. The benefit of the long durability gives ultimate relief to the wallet of the consumer.
Benefits of natural health products
There are so many natural health products on the market today, that even those who didn’t think of using some of them are tempted to try. But, when we think of the entire chemical that we eat and put on our body every day, we are beginning to realize the real significance of these natural products. It doesn’t matter is it about vitamins, beauty products, energy drinks, herbal remedies or energy supplements, there are so many benefits they can bring into our lives.
1. The name itself says a lot. Since they are natural, this products are full of herbs and organic ingredients. You won’t have to worry about chemicals, such as parabens, aluminium, lauryl/laurethsulfates or many others that are even hard to pronounce and much harder to understand what are they exactly.
2. Since the natural health products has become a trend, there are many companies that offer thousands different products. That’s ways you can find very expensive products, but also very affordable ones, with the same quality.
3. These products don’t harm our environment because they are bio-degradable, and also, when it comes to these products, animal testing is strictly forbidden.
4. Natural products are always very mild, so they are practically made for a sensitive skin. That’s why they must be good to every skin, the only problem is if you are allergic to some of the ingredients.
5. You won’t have to use products with dangerous chemicals ever again. There are so many products on the market today, specifically made for every part of the body, when it comes to cosmetics, and every single taste, when it comes to food and drinks.
There will be those people who are suspicious about these natural health products and their real significance. Some may think that they are not strong enough to fulfill all our needs, but that’s simply not true. So many satisfied people are reason enough to switch to natural way of life. If you are not sure, read the labels on the products and do some research, and you will find out about every good side of natural product and bad side of those that are not natural. You can just wonder what kind of products had people who lived thousands ago, well – none, they made everything by themselves and they were perfectly healthy and happy.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
U.S. health-care system unprepared for major nuclear emergency, officials say
Source from: http://www.washingtonpost.com
U.S. officials say the nation’s health system is ill-prepared to cope with a catastrophic release of radiation, despite years of focus on the possibility of a terrorist “dirty bomb” or an improvised nuclear device attack.
A blunt assessment circulating among American officials says, “Current capabilities can only handle a few radiation injuries at any one time.” That assessment, prepared by the Department of Homeland Security in 2010 and stamped “for official use only,’’ says “there is no strategy for notifying the public in real time of recommendations on shelter or evacuation priorities.”
The Homeland Security report, plus several other reports and interviews with almost two dozen experts inside and outside the government, reveal other gaps that might increase the risks posed by a nuclear accident or terrorist attack.
One example: The U.S. Strategic National Stockpile stopped purchasing the best-known agent to counter radioactive iodine-induced thyroid cancer in young people, potassium iodide, about two years ago and designated the limited remaining quantities “excess,” according to information provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ProPublica. Despite this, the CDC Web site still lists potassium iodide as one of only four drugs in the stockpile specifically for use in radiation emergencies.
The drug is most effective when administered before or within hours of exposure. The decision to stop stockpiling it was made, in part, because distribution could take too long in a fast-moving emergency, one official involved in the discussions said. The interagency group that governs the stockpile decided that “other preparedness measures were more suitable to mitigate potential exposures to radioactive iodine that would result from a release at a nuclear reactor,” a CDC spokesperson said in an e-mail to ProPublica.
Japan’s ongoing nuclear crisis might prompt officials to revisit that conclusion. With radiation levels higher than expected outside the evacuation zones in some areas, the Japanese government recently asked the United States for potassium iodide. The federal government agreed to send some of its dwindling stockpile of the liquid version used in children or adults, which is due to reach its expiration date within about a year. The government is “finalizing the paperwork,” according to an official with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Another example: Although hospitals near nuclear power plants often drill for radiological emergencies, few hospitals outside of that area practice such drills. Most medical personnel are untrained and unfamiliar with the level of risk posed by radiation, whether it is released from a nuclear power plant, a “dirty” bomb laced with radioactive material or the explosion of an improvised nuclear weapon.
Many states don’t have a basic radiation emergency plan for communicating with the public or responding to the health risks. Even something as fundamental as the importance of sheltering inside sturdy buildings to avoid exposure to radioactive fallout from a nuclear explosion — which experts say could determine whether huge numbers of people live or die — hasn’t been communicated to the public.
Recently the White House and other federal officials concerned about deficiencies in public readiness met with experts to explore what might be done to make nuclear events more survivable. “The bottom line is that the citizenry are not prepared at all,” said Michael McDonald, president of Global Health Initiatives, who participated in White House and congressional briefings.
The Department of Homeland Security report acknowledges that officials are poorly prepared to communicate with the public and that the current organization of medical care “does not support the anticipated magnitude of the requirements” following an attack with an improvised nuclear device. It says the United States has “limited” treatment options for radiation exposure and notes that staff and materials aren’t in place to carry out mass evacuations after a large-scale release of radiation. “The requirements to monitor, track, and decontaminate large numbers of people have not been identified,” the report said.
Underlying the preparedness problems is the need for additional research. It isn’t known, for example, how a nuclear blast and electromagnetic pulse would affect modern communications infrastructure, or to what extent modern buildings can protect people from nuclear blast, heat and radiation effects.
A report prepared last year by the Council on State and Territorial Epidemiologists was equally pessimistic about U.S. readiness. Based on surveys of public health officials in 38 states, it concluded that “in almost every measure of public health capacity and capability, the public health system remains poorly prepared to adequately respond to a major radiation emergency incident.” Forty-five percent of the states surveyed had no radiation plan at all for areas outside federally mandated nuclear power plant emergency zones. Almost 85 percent of the officials said their states couldn’t properly respond to a radiation incident because of inadequate planning, resources, staffing and partnerships.
More troubling was the fact that the situation hadn’t improved since a similar survey was taken in 2003. “Most of those comparisons appear to indicate either the same poor level of preparedness and planning or a decline in capacity,” the report said.
The nation’s investment in emergency preparedness seems likely to decrease rather than increase, experts say, because of massive federal and state deficits.
The Natural Health Products We Require
Health has been and still is an important question in our lives. It can be a blessing if well guarded and a curse if mishandled. As such, we should take our health seriously because if disease strikes, we stand to lose a lot financially and sometimes our own lives. Disease and scourge attack is common in every part of the world and to everyone. However, prevention is always better than cure and one needs to know their health status always, hence consider health products.
In order for us to guard our health very seriously, there are many health products that we are going to consider. We should always take a balanced diet and a lot of water. Here is a simple sample of the products we need. We need to take a lot of starch and carbohydrates, especially in the morning just as we begin the day. This will ensure that the body contains a lot of energy that is needed for growth. This class of products may include maize corn, cassava, whole grains which contain fiber such as wheat, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds which have a lot of energy. However, there are also bad products whose intake should be perfectly restricted: candies, sodas, processed and refined grains, custards, fruit juices and drinks, white rice, jelly, jams and other sweets. These products have a lot of sugar which may lead to other diseases.
The other essential is proteins which form the greatest mix of the body building blocks that our bodies require as the energy supplements. They include milk, peanut butter, nuts and seeds, yogurt, cheese, eggs, tofu, beans, lentils, other legumes, poultry, lean meat and fish, soy meat and even the cheese. However, a lot of care needs to be taken as excessive consumption of these products may lead to other complications such as obesity.
We also need fruits as they provide cure to many internal ailments and also nourish the body with the necessary regalia to sustain the healthy state, like nutritional supplements. They include dried fruit like beans and peas, raw or cooked vegetables, salad greens, oranges, bananas, grapes and many other fruits.
A lot of water also needs to be taken as water provides the right proportion for mixing the chime and the whole process of digestion and absorption. Foods rich in minerals such as calcium and iron are also important health products that aid in bone and blood formation respectively.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Health Canada aware of problems with infant sleeper 'years ago'
Source from: http://www.canada.com
OTTAWA — Health Canada warned the maker of a bed-side sleeper for infants "several years ago" that its product didn't meet Canada's safety standards for cribs, but the department didn't move to pull it from Canadian homes, internal records show.
That likely will soon change, a senior executive at Arm's Reach Concepts Inc. told Postmedia News Tuesday, after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the firm issued a joint recall of Arm's Reach co-sleepers in the United States due to entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards.
The product looks like a traditional playpen or portable crib, except that one side of the bed-side sleeper is lower than the others to allow it to be placed adjacent to the parents' bed for easy access to the infant.
The recall in the U.S. says parents should immediately stop using Arm's Reach bed-side sleepers manufactured before 2002, and only start using it again after downloading instructions to make sure the item is assembled properly.
Jim Dodds, chief operating officer of the California-based Arm's Reach Concepts, Inc., said he expects a recall in Canada to go farther by telling parents to stop using the product altogether.
"A (company) representative is contacting Health Canada now. My suspicion is that they will ask them not to use the product. It will be a different slant on it," Dodds said of a Canadian recall.
About 1,100 were sold in Canada between 1997 and 2001. Dodds said the company stopped selling them years ago when Health Canada told the company its product didn't meet Canadian crib regulations, drafted to make sure there are no hazards when babies are put to bed.
Newly released internal Health Canada records, dated February 2010 and provided to Postmedia News under access to information legislation, confirm the department told the company "several years ago that they couldn't sell the Original Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper in Canada as it weighed too much to be considered a portable crib and did not meet the requirements for a standard crib."
Health Canada did not post a recall notice or issue a safety advisory about the Arm's Reach co-sleeper following this directive to the company.
In the United States, regulators classify the bed-side sleeper as a playpen, placing it under a different set of safety rules, said Dodds. That's why the U.S. recall of 76,000 units involves reissuing of instruction manuals to make sure the product is assembled properly, he added.
When the fabric liner is not used or it not securely attached, infants can fall from the raised mattress into the loose fabric at the bottom of the sleeper or become trapped between the edge of the mattress and the side of the bed-side sleeper, according to the CPSC's recall notice issued Tuesday.
No injuries have been reported in the United States or Canada, but the company has received 10 incident reports from parents of infants in the U.S.
"The incidents generally involve second or third usage of the product who didn't have the instructions," Dodds said of the U.S. recall.
In Canada, Health Canada recommends in a general consumer advisory posted to its website that the safest place for an infant to sleep is alone in a crib. And "co-sleeper products are not recommended by Health Canada. These products present a risk of suffocation and entrapment. Instead use a crib or cradle next to your bed," according to the safe sleep practices advisory.
Health Canada was not immediately available to comment on how it handled the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper file.
OTTAWA — Health Canada warned the maker of a bed-side sleeper for infants "several years ago" that its product didn't meet Canada's safety standards for cribs, but the department didn't move to pull it from Canadian homes, internal records show.
That likely will soon change, a senior executive at Arm's Reach Concepts Inc. told Postmedia News Tuesday, after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the firm issued a joint recall of Arm's Reach co-sleepers in the United States due to entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards.
The product looks like a traditional playpen or portable crib, except that one side of the bed-side sleeper is lower than the others to allow it to be placed adjacent to the parents' bed for easy access to the infant.
The recall in the U.S. says parents should immediately stop using Arm's Reach bed-side sleepers manufactured before 2002, and only start using it again after downloading instructions to make sure the item is assembled properly.
Jim Dodds, chief operating officer of the California-based Arm's Reach Concepts, Inc., said he expects a recall in Canada to go farther by telling parents to stop using the product altogether.
"A (company) representative is contacting Health Canada now. My suspicion is that they will ask them not to use the product. It will be a different slant on it," Dodds said of a Canadian recall.
About 1,100 were sold in Canada between 1997 and 2001. Dodds said the company stopped selling them years ago when Health Canada told the company its product didn't meet Canadian crib regulations, drafted to make sure there are no hazards when babies are put to bed.
Newly released internal Health Canada records, dated February 2010 and provided to Postmedia News under access to information legislation, confirm the department told the company "several years ago that they couldn't sell the Original Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper in Canada as it weighed too much to be considered a portable crib and did not meet the requirements for a standard crib."
Health Canada did not post a recall notice or issue a safety advisory about the Arm's Reach co-sleeper following this directive to the company.
In the United States, regulators classify the bed-side sleeper as a playpen, placing it under a different set of safety rules, said Dodds. That's why the U.S. recall of 76,000 units involves reissuing of instruction manuals to make sure the product is assembled properly, he added.
When the fabric liner is not used or it not securely attached, infants can fall from the raised mattress into the loose fabric at the bottom of the sleeper or become trapped between the edge of the mattress and the side of the bed-side sleeper, according to the CPSC's recall notice issued Tuesday.
No injuries have been reported in the United States or Canada, but the company has received 10 incident reports from parents of infants in the U.S.
"The incidents generally involve second or third usage of the product who didn't have the instructions," Dodds said of the U.S. recall.
In Canada, Health Canada recommends in a general consumer advisory posted to its website that the safest place for an infant to sleep is alone in a crib. And "co-sleeper products are not recommended by Health Canada. These products present a risk of suffocation and entrapment. Instead use a crib or cradle next to your bed," according to the safe sleep practices advisory.
Health Canada was not immediately available to comment on how it handled the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper file.
Monday, April 4, 2011
The 21st century revolution of natural health products
Our world around us is fast changing, every day we can see new invention and discovers happening around us. There is a new change in every field which you can think about, and these things are making our life very simple. The health products also have taken a dramatically new change on the medical world. Now day we can see thousands of natural health products which are wide spread in the market. When ever we happen to open our mail or walk across the street, we can see advertisements which inform about the health products. Now day’s things are so advanced, that people hesitate to come out form the houses and shop for food products.
Gone are the days when people go to the market to buy fruit and vegetables. Now day people just swallow a pill which has the benefits of real fruits and vegetables, and get the required energy and supplements. The natural health product manufactures are blessed with their invention. Many people including small kids are opting or natural health products to get the full richness and nutrients. The present world is highly competitive and people adulterate the food materials to make huge profits. Now a days noting is safe to eat or drink, because contain toxics chemicals and other bacteria. The other factor which leads to the success of food pills and tablets is the cost factor. If we happen to shop in the market for frits and vegetables, you will faint by hearing the price.
The pills and tablets are cost friendly and has high quality than the real fruits and vegetables. The energy drinks are the latest invention in the history of natural food products. In order to give more energy to the body, we need to shell out large sum of money for buying the required calories of food. The company has introduced powdered drinks which can be mixed with milk, water or other juice to give a refreshing touch to the body. If you want a good healthy life with out compromising on the quality and money, the natural health product are the best
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