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english study.docx

Humidifiers may help fight flu

The cold, dry air of winter can give you chapped lips, cracked hands, and now, a study suggests, a better chance of getting the flu. A new analysis of previous data shows that in low-humidity conditions, the influenza virus is more likely survive, possibly giving it a better shot at spreading from person to person and making its way to you.

The finding also suggests that using a humidifier may be a good idea in places where the spread of influenza poses a serious threat, such as intensive care units or even a home with a sick child -- as long as sensitivity to moisture-loving mold and spores isn't a problem, according to Jeffrey Shaman, Ph.D., of Oregon State University in Corvallis, a coauthor of the new study.

"It seems that [the influenza virus'] ability to survive and be transmitted person-to-person is greatly affected by how dry or wet the air is," says Shaman, whose study is published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The name for this potentially deadly respiratory infection comes from the Italian word for influence; centuries ago, people believed that the influence of the planets made people sick with the disease. Our science is a little more solid today, but researchers still aren't 100 percent sure how and why the virus spreads, and they remain stumped about why some parts of the world have such a pronounced winter flu season with almost no flu activity in warmer months.

Shaman believes he's found the answer: It's all about humidity. Absolute humidity, that is, which is particularly low in cold weather.

Shaman and his colleague Melvin Kohn of the Oregon Department of Health Services in Portland revisited a 2007 study that found higher humidity slowed the spread of the flu among guinea pigs. The researchers had measured air dampness using relative humidity, or how saturated the air is with water vapor.

For example, 75 percent relative humidity would mean the air is holding 75 percent of its total capacity of water vapor. Relative humidity is strongly influenced by temperature; the warmer the air, the more water vapor it can hold, while colder air can't hold as much water vapor.

Absolute humidity, on the other hand, refers to the actual amount of water vapor in the air regardless of saturation. Relative humidity is like a car's gas gauge, Shaman notes. It tells you how full your tank is. Absolute humidity represents how many gallons you have in your tank, regardless of the tank's size.

Shaman converted the guinea pig data from relative humidity to absolute humidity and found the link between air moisture and flu spread got much stronger. "Absolute humidity, for reasons that remain undetermined, is affecting how long the virus remains viable," he says. "It really explains why you have this pronounced seasonality in temperate regions."

The researcher also looked at studies dating back to the 1940s of airborne flu virus survival. Some included information on relative humidity, which he converted to absolute humidity. Again, the relationship between survival and air moisture got stronger.

For example, in the wettest possible absolute humidity, less than 20 percent of the virus was still viable after an hour, while at the driest conditions 80 percent of the virus was still capable of making someone sick. After 23 hours, the viruses in the dampest conditions were all dead, while 60 percent of those under the most arid conditions were still alive.

"The idea that humidity affects the life of virus has been known for decades," says Michael Gardam, M.D., Ph.D., an infectious disease specialist with the University Health Network in Toronto and Ontario's public health agency. While Shaman's findings are "important," according to Gardam, the challenge will now be to see if air humidity affects the spread of the disease among humans in the real world. "Based on the papers that have been done thus far, I wouldn't run out and buy humidifiers, but I would definitely buy humidifiers to study humidifiers."

"This is sort of nibbling around the edges," he added. "It's useful, but it's not sufficient to say, 'We now have the answer to change the world.'"

It's "frustrating," Gardam says, that we still don't know if the virus is spread mainly by physical contact or through the air or both. For this reason, he adds, there remains no scientific evidence that widely promoted protective measures such as hand washing and mask wearing will actually stop people from getting sick. "We've just sort of taken for granted we know how it transmits, and we really don't know," he says.

"I think they've done a good job. I agree with their work," says Anice Lowen, Ph.D., a researcher at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and one of the authors of the guinea pig study. "I'm not an expert in the methods that they used, but it seems to make sense."

The reasons why the flu virus might survive and spread more easily in dry conditions -- and why absolute humidity might be a better gauge of these conditions than relative humidity -- are still not clear, Lowen notes. It could have something to do with moisture evaporating from surfaces more speedily when humidity is low, she says.

Lowen agrees that keeping indoor air more humid might help slow down the spread of the flu. But, she adds, "the best way to protect yourself against influenza is to get vaccinated."

1.    Do you think there are any relationship between humidity and flu spread?

2.    Do you know good ways to prevent flu from spreading other than getting anti-influenza vaccine?

3.    Have you had a serious cold? Let’s talk about our experiences.  

Treasury’s U.S. Housing Plan to Fund Interest-Rate Reductions

Feb. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration’s housing plan will use government money to help reduce interest rates for struggling borrowers, while asking lawmakers to approve more ways to modify mortgages, according to a person briefed on the proposal.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner intends to make the plan public in coming days, possibly within a week, said the person, who declined to be identified before the announcement. Some elements can begin immediately, and others must be considered by Congress.

Foreclosure filings in the U.S. surged 81 percent last year to 2.3 million, the highest on record, as home prices fell and tighter mortgage standards made it harder for homeowners to sell or refinance, according to RealtyTrac Inc. of Irvine, California, a provider of real estate data. The administration has pledged to use $50 billion to $100 billion for housing relief, taken from the $700 billion bank rescue package enacted last year.

“Our focus will begin on using the full resources of the government to help bring down mortgage payments and help reduce mortgage interest rates,” Geithner told the Senate Banking Committee yesterday.

The government will subsidize interest-rate reductions by working with the servicers that handle mortgages, the person said. That way, servicers can lower monthly payments for households without shortchanging investors.

The new plan, which isn’t final and could change, would be voluntary for lenders and investors, the person said. It is aimed at loan modifications that have a positive net present value, meaning that the cost of a foreclosure would be higher than that of adjusting the loan terms.

Courting Banks, Industry - Geithner and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan courted banks and housing industry groups yesterday in an effort to gather support ahead of the housing policy announcement. The Cabinet officers used the hour-long meeting to discuss strategies for preventing foreclosures and modifying mortgages for struggling homeowners.

Like earlier efforts from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and housing industry groups, the new plan will make use of interest-rate reductions, loan extensions and so-called principal forbearance, in which part of a mortgage’s principal is deferred to the end of the loan’s term.

All these measures will be used to help homeowners reach an affordable monthly payment, the person said. That monthly housing payment, compared with their income, will be the focus of the program, rather than achieving a target interest rate.

Common Standard - Borrowers won’t need to be in foreclosure proceedings to take advantage of the program, the person said. The new program also will create a common standard for loan modifications, to replace the range of standards used in currently available programs.

The new loan modification program will be combined with a push for more authority from Congress, the person said. The Obama administration wants to allow judges to change loan terms under some conditions, and it also wants to permit modifications on Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Administration loans, which currently can’t be changed.

Community groups want to give judges the power to lower mortgage rates for borrowers in bankruptcy, a provision that the banking industry opposes. Investors have said this provision could cripple the secondary mortgage market and raise interest rates for all borrowers.

President Barack Obama said on Feb. 10 that this proposal, commonly called “cramdown” authority, will not be part of the administration’s initial housing program. Obama said cramdowns are “one potential provision that has been discussed, that I’m supportive of, but is not in this package. It will be in a separate package.”

JPMorganChase, Citigroup - Bank of America Corp., JPMorganChase & Co., Wells Fargo & Co. and Citigroup Inc. were represented at the meeting yesterday with Geithner and Donovan, along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage companies, and a number of banking industry and consumer advocacy groups, the people said. The attendees weighed in on how to help homeowners survive the recession and its accompanying credit crunch.

Geithner said the administration has a plan “that is not by any means set in stone,” according to John Taylor of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

“The proposal wasn’t finished and they are open to ideas,” Taylor said.

Before convening the housing meeting, Geithner told the Senate Banking Committee that the government seeks to reduce the cost of borrowing and paying off home loans.

Lawmakers indicate they are eager to see the details of the administration’s housing plan. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told reporters that using $50 billion to $100 billion of the $700 billion bank rescue fund to stem foreclosures will create “a tourniquet” for the housing crisis and help families stay in their homes.

1.    How do you think the economy is affected by President Obama’s policy?

2.    When is the best time to get the house?

3.    Which factors do you think the most important when you buy the house? (building itself, transportation, location..)

Videogames seen good for children

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Videogames can be good for children, encouraging creativity and cooperation, a European Union report concluded Wednesday which ran counter to the violent reputation of some titles.

In conclusions that may either surprise or reassure parents of game addicts, the study by the European Parliament Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection found a number of benefits and no definitive link to violent behavior.

"Videogames are in most cases not dangerous and can even contribute to the development of important skills," said Toine Manders, the Dutch liberal lawmaker who drafted the report.

"(They stimulate) learning of facts and skills such as strategic reflection, creativity, cooperation and a sense of innovation," a news release on the report said.

The report avoided any call for EU-wide legislation banning certain games, and instead urged the bloc's 27 member states to work together in strengthening an existing voluntary code in Europe known as "PEGI" which rates games according to content.

Total revenues from the video gaming sector amounted to more than seven billion euros ($9 billion) last year, the report said. In Britain, separate research last year showed videogames outselling music and other video products for the first time.

The EU report noted that not all games are appropriate for children, but argued that some books and movies are targeted for an older audience. It acknowledged that violence in some games could "stimulate" violent behavior in specific situations.

The report stressed parental involvement by proposing development of a "red button" that could allow parents to control content and how long games are played. It did not elaborate as to what form this button would take.

It further challenged received wisdom that such games were chiefly for children, quoting statistics that showed the average age of the European gamer was 33.

1.    Do you think the videogames have a great influence children’s violent behavior?

2.    According to this article, the videogames can contribute to the development of skill. Do you agree with this?

3.    How are you going to control the videogames or comics for education of your children?

[Kev(케브)]

...이번주는 집나간 감 찾으러 스터디 나가보려고 합니다. 재밌는 글로 부탁드려요

[zina]

급하게 올리느라 좀 정리 안되지만. 이해해주세요. 참고로 전 결석입니다 ㅠ.ㅠ 바..바..발렌타인데이라..

[Vincent(종호)]

바..바..발렌타인데이라 참가, ㅠ.ㅠ

[Lisa (리사)]

ㅋㅋㅋ 바바 발렌타인 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 그래서 참가? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Marianne]

ㅋㅋㅋ 잘 보겠습니다.

[Sue(수현)]

스터디에 못 가지만 자습할게요. 감사합니다.

[Matthew(범석)]

잘 볼게요...그리구 지나씨 가끔은 스터디 나와요....얼굴 까먹겠다..ㅋㅋ