semis tomorrow...

NZ v OZ

ENG v FRA

woot!

  comment []8:49:52 PM    

Layers

Mayaro Beach, Trinidad, Summer 1990s.

  comment []8:45:18 PM    

Coeliac Disease

A very interesting GI ailment. I have seen it present atypically as well as the symptoms shown in the BMJ article.  The jejunal biopsy results are always worth a look. (Gastrolab)

Fortnightly Review. Conleth Feighery BMJ 1999;319:236-239

Coeliac disease is an inflammatory disease of the upper small intestine and results from gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals.  Inflammation may lead to the malabsorption of several important nutrients. Clinical and mucosal recovery after institution of a gluten free diet is objective evidence that the enteropathy is gluten induced. In 1950, Dicke observed the central role of gluten in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease.  Coeliac disease is closely related to dermatitis herpetiformis. In dermatitis herpetiformis, skin rash and a similar small intestinal enteropathy to that of coeliac disease are typically present, and both respond to withdrawal of gluten.

  comment []8:37:14 PM    

U.K has 'ghost ships' of their own.

Colour me unsurprised.

Greenpeace article

Wed 12 November 2003

INDIA/Alang

There's outrage in the UK! The US is sending its "ghost fleet," complete with asbestos and toxic chemicals, for dismantling in England. The UK government has said the ships will have to go back. A British court has put a halt to any dismantling. Permits have been revoked. But meanwhile, in India, guess what Greenpeace's ghost-busting toxic patrol has found?

Greenpeace's campaign ship Rainbow Warrior has found a UK vessel, Genova Bridge, beached for scrapping at Alang, the world's largest ship scrapping yard in India. The export of the vessel constitutes an illegal shipment of hazardous waste, contravening national law in India and the Basel Convention -- an international agreement governing transboundary movements of hazardous waste. The exposure of this clear example of double standards further complicates the "almighty muddle" of the ghost fleet issue, as one parliamentarian termed it, and the far larger issue of shipbreaking in general. If it's not OK for US waste to go to the UK, why should it be OK for UK waste to go to India? Our answer is simple: it's about as far from OK as you can get. The British owner and the British authorities have to ensure that the toxic materials onboard of this ship will be removed safely and taken back to England for final disposal. All ships containing toxic waste should be cleaned at their site of origin, providing adequate health and safety technologies are available locally, before being sent anywhere for shipbreaking, and particularly before being sent to developing countries. "This is a classic case of double standards. While the UK authorities don't want US waste in their backyard, they are happy to illegally dump their own elsewhere ? failing to ensure safe removal of toxic substances and safe conditions for the workers in the developing world. We demand that the UK government apply the same international rules to their illegal export of toxic ships to India, as they apply to the illegal import of the ghost fleet to the UK." said Ramapati Kumar, Shipbreaking campaigner onboard Rainbow Warrior at Alang. Who you gonna call? The international community has recognised that the environmental pollution from shipbreaking is a serious concern but fails to address the issue adequately. Under the Basel Convention, end-of-life ships are considered waste, meaning that their export is strictly regulated. The International Maritime Association, (IMO) the UN Agency dedicated to "cleaner seas" and "safer shipping" does not accept the notion that end-of-life ships are waste. ..." Greenpeace

  comment []8:30:49 PM    

Work

(Photo Friday)

These are my work tools, all ready for the night shift tonight.

  comment []5:01:50 PM