Depression : Causes and Solutions to the Extend

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the

 dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.

True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of

 sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time.

 

Alternative Names

Blues; Discouragement; Gloom; Mood changes; Sadness; Melancholy

 

Considerations

Depression is generally ranked in terms of severity -- mild, moderate, or s

evere. The degree of your depression, which your doctor can determine, influences how you are treated. Symptoms of depression include:

·         Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping

·         A dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss

·         Fatigue and la

ck of energy

·         Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt

·         Extreme difficulty concentrating

·         Agitation, restlessness, and irritability

·         Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities

·         Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness

·         Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

Low self esteem is common with depression. So are sudden bursts of anger and lack of pleasure from activities that normally make you happy, including sex.

Depressed children may not have the classic symptoms of adult depression. Watch especially for changes in school performance, sleep, and behavior. If you wonder whether your child might be depressed, it's 

worth bringing to a doctor's attention.

The main types of depression include:

·         Major depression -- five or more

 symptoms listed above must be present for at least 2 weeks, but major depression tends to continue for at least 6 months. (Depression is classified as minor depression if you have fewer than five depression symptoms for at least 2 weeks. In other words, minor depression is si

milar to major depression except it only has 2 - 4 symptoms.)

·         Atypical depression -- occurs in about a third of patients with depression. Symptoms include overeating and oversleeping. These patients tend to have a feeling of being weighed down and react strongly to rejection.

·         Dysthymia -- a gene

rally milder form of depression that lasts as long as two years.

Other common forms of depression include:

·         Postpartum depression -- many women feel somewhat down after having a baby, but true postpartum depression is rare.

·         Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) -- depressive symptoms occur one week prior to menstruation and disappear after you menstruate.

·         Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) -- occurs during the fall-winter season and disappears during the spring-summer season. Likely to be due to lack of

 sunlight.

Depression may also occur with mania (known as manic-depression or bipolar disorder). In this condition, moods cycle between mania and depression.

Depression is more common in women than men and is especially common during the teen years. Men seem to seek help for feelings of depression less often than women. Therefore, women may only have more

 documented cases of depression.

 

Causes »

Depression often runs in families. This may due to your genes (inherited), learned behavior, or both. Even if your genes make you more likely to develop depression, a stressful or unhappy life event usually triggers the onset of a depressive episode.

Depression may be brought on by:

·         Alcohol or drug abuse

·         Childhood events like abuse or neglect

·         Chronic stress

·         Death of a friend or relative

·         Disappointment at home, work, or school (in teens, this may be breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, failing a class, or parents divorcing)

·         Drugs such as sedatives and high blood pressure medications

·         Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cancer, or hepatitis

·         Nutritional deficiencies (such as a lack of folate and omega-3 fatty acids)

·         Overly negative thoughts about one's self and life, self blame, and ineffective social problem solving skills

·         Prolonged pain or having a major illness

·         Sleeping problems

·         Social isolation (common in the elderly)

 

Home Care

If you are depressed for 2 weeks or longer, you should contact your doctor, who can offer treatment options. Regardless of whether you have mild or major depression, the following self-care steps can help:

·         Get enough sleep.

·         Follow a healthy, nutritious diet.

·         Exercise regularly.

·         Avoid alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs.

·         Get involved in activities that make you happy, even if you don't feel like it.

·         Spend time with family and friends.

·         Try talking to clergy or spiritual advisors who may help give meaning to painful experiences.

·         Consider prayer, meditation, tai chi, or biofeedback as ways to relax or draw on your inner strengths.

·         Add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which you can get from cold-water fish like tuna, salmon, or mackerel.

·         Take folate (vitamin B9) in the form of a multivitamin (400 to 800 micrograms).

If your depression occurs in the fall or winter months, try light therapy using a special lamp that mimics the sun.

Many people try a popular over-the-counter herb called St. John's wort. Some studies do suggest that this herbal remedy may be helpful for mild depression, but not moderate or severe. Be aware that St. John's wort has potential drug interactions and should NOT be taken with prescription antidepressants, birth control pills, protease inhibitors for HIV, theophylline, warfarin, digoxin, reserpine, cyclosporine, or loperamide. Talk to your doctor if you are thinking about trying this herb for mild depression.

If you have moderate to severe depression, the most effective treatment plan will likely be a combination of counseling and medication.

 

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call 911, a suicide hotline, or get safely to a nearby emergency room if you have thoughts of suicide, a suicidal plan, or thoughts of harming yourself or others.

Call your doctor right away if:

·         You hear voices that are not there

·         You have frequent crying spells with little or no provocation

·         You have had feelings of depression that disrupt work, school, or family life for longer than 2 weeks

·         You have 3 or more depressive symptoms

·         You think that one of your current medications may be making you feel depressed -- DO NOT change or stop any medications without consulting your doctor

·         You believe that you should cut back on drinking, a family member or friend has asked you to cut back, you feel guilty about the amount of alcohol you drink, or you drink alcohol first thing in the morning

 

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

A complete history, a psychiatric interview, and a physical examination will be performed to try to classify your depression as mild, moderate, or severe and to see if there is an underlying, treatable cause (such as alcohol abuse or an underactive thyroid). Hospitalization is usually recommended if suicide seems possible.

Expect some exploration of the issues and events associated with your feelings of depression. Your doctor will ask you about:

·         Your depressive moods and other symptoms (sleep, appetite, concentration, energy)

·         Possible stressors in your life, and support systems in place

·         Whether thoughts about ending your life have ever crossed your mind

·         Drug and alcohol use, and about the medications you are currently taking, if any

Treatment will vary according to the cause and severity of your depressive symptoms, as well as your personal preference. The most effective therapy for moderate or severe depression is a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy.

For mild depression, counseling and self-care measures without medication may be enough.

If you are taking medications for other purposes that could cause depression as a side effect, these may need to be changed. DO NOT change or stop any of your medications without consulting your doctor.

For people who are so severely depressed as to be unable to function, or who are suicidal and cannot be safely cared for in the community, psychiatric hospitalization may be necessary.

 

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent depression, or lessen the chances of it happening again. These habits include eating properly, sleeping adequately, exercising regularly, learning to relax, and not drinking alcohol or using drugs.

Counseling may help you through times of grief, stress, or low mood. Family therapy may be particularly important for teens who feel blue.

If you feel socially isolated or lonely, try volunteering or getting involved in group activities.

 

Source: NY  Times - Web

 

Forget iPhone, the Gphone is here

Google, the nearly $13.5 billion search engine major, is believed to be a fortnight away from the worldwide launch of its much-awaited Google Phone (Gphone) and has started talks with service providers in India for an exclusive launch on one of their networks.

Talks are believed to be taking place with Bharti Airtel  and Vodafone Essar, respectively India's first and third largest mobile telephony operators, and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam.

Sources close to the development said a simultaneous launch across the US and Europe is expected, and announcements would be sent to media firms in India and other parts of the world. US regulatory approval, which is expected soon, is the only hurdle that Google is waiting to cross, they added. Google plans to invest $7-8 billion for its global telephony foray.

In India, it is also believed to be in talks with Indian providers to offer data and content and platforms including Instant Messaging (IM) and Search functions. However, these could not be confirmed.

A Google spokesperson said, "We don't comment on market rumour or speculation. However, Google is committed to providing users with access to the world's information, and mobile becomes more important to those efforts every day. We're collaborating with partners worldwide to bring Google search and applications to mobile users everywhere. However, we have nothing to announce at this time."

Reports of the Internet major getting into handset manufacturing as an answer to Apple's iPhone has been doing rounds in cyberspace and international media for some time. These reports suggest that Google has developed a prototype that will hit the markets in a year's time. The US-based company has neither confirmed nor denied these reports. The Wall Street Journal too had reported that Google had invested "hundreds of millions of dollars" in the project and was involved in discussions with US-based T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

Globally, Google is likely to participate in the upcoming auction for 700 MHz spectrum for which it is prepared to spend up to $4.6 billion. The firm is also introducing ads to YouTube videos which could be replicated on mobile phones. Ironically, Google recently partnered Apple to produce services such as e-mail and maps for its iPhone handset. And Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, said recently that more Google services for the iPhone would be rolled out.

Cheers !

Source: Web

 

Gphone vs. iPhone: The security debate begins

It wasn't long after Google announced its long-anticipated mobile plans this week that a debate emerged about the prospective security of the project's Linux-based platform.
Can the open-source model for the platform, now known as Android, produce secure code? Will phones based on Android, dubbed "Gphones" by many, be more or less secure than Apple's iPhone, which has been developed using proprietary software? What will Android's developers be able to do to stop authors of malicious code from capitalizing on its openness?
Security vendor McAfee, which produces proprietary security software for mobile devices, has been quick to defend open-source practices for developing mobile code.
McAfee is a member of the Linux Mobile (LiMo) Foundation, a group of companies formed to develop an open mobile-device software platform. Many of the companies in the LiMo Foundation have also become members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which Google has formed to develop and promote Android.
Jan Volzke, global marketing manager for McAfee Mobile Security, said that Linux is not new to the mobile arena and maintained that secure coding practices can successfully be built into the Android development process.
"Japan has a large deployment, with 60 percent of phones powered by Linux. McAfee protection has been integrated in the majority of these mobile Linux phones for many years," Volzke said. "For any mobile-device platform, security should not be a developer option but a mandatory requirement. Consumers--as well as operators--expect devices to be safe from the outset, with no effort required from them."
Volzke said security can be built in from the beginning of the development process by collaboration between security companies, although at the moment McAfee is the only security player in the LiMo Foundation.
Open coding practices nonetheless seem ripe for abuse. Making source code available to everyone inevitably invites the attention of black-hat hackers.
"Linux has so far been used on the enterprise-server side, with most deployments being professionally IT administrated," Volzke said. "Due to a number of industry initiatives, especially the LiMo Foundation--and now also the Open Handset Alliance--Linux will become more widely available in the consumer space. As a result, visibility to already experienced hackers increases. Open means open to everyone--with (both) good and malicious intent."

Where bugs most likely breed

The debate about the relative security merits of open source as opposed to proprietary software development has been long-running. Open-source software development has the advantage of many pairs of eyes scrutinizing the code, meaning irregularities can be spotted and ironed out, while updates to plug vulnerabilities can be written and pushed out very quickly. However, one disadvantage of open-source development is that anyone can scrutinize the source code to find vulnerabilities and write exploits.
The source code in proprietary software, on the other hand, can't be directly viewed, meaning vulnerabilities need to be found through reverse engineering. However, as fewer people see proprietary source code, critics argue that code is more likely to be buggy. Some observers also claim that once vulnerabilities have been found, updates are slower to be pushed out, especially by large multinational software companies.
Most security vendors try to avoid commenting on whether open-source or proprietary software is more secure, often arguing that it is like comparing apples to oranges.
Volzke said it wasn't possible to compare the security of development practices for Android-based devices andApple's iPhone handset, which will be released in the U.K. on Friday. "Apple's iPhone has nothing to do with open source. Instead Apple will provide a software development kit," Volzke said. "Comparing the security challenges for an open-source device platform versus a device-specific software development kit will result in different conclusions."
One security vendor was willing to make a prediction, albeit gingerly. Ben Whitaker, head of security at mobile-security development company Masabi, came down cautiously on the side of open source. "Gphone is open source, which means it can get a good kicking and shoeing, and can be worked on by just about anyone," Whitaker said. "It's starting out in a better way than the iPhone, which has seen vulnerabilities. However, any new consumer (of both the iPhone and Gphone) won't be secure when the first product comes out."
Whitaker said that given the iPhone's record of vulnerabilities and its full, smartphone Internet connectivity, it would be more vulnerable than a strictly Java-based mobile platform, which he classified as "semi-smart." It will not be known until the Android software development kit comes out on Monday whether the Gphone will be strictly Java-based.
In the case of the iPhone, "with any brand new Web browser, malicious Web sites will take advantage of Ajax, JavaScript, and ActiveX vulnerabilities," Whitaker said. "The less smart a phone is, the less vulnerable it is. (Android) developers should stick to a semi-smartphone platform because the Java sandbox can protect against the normal kinds of attacks."
Whitaker added that, like the iPhone, Gphone devices will have vulnerabilities. "The Gphone could allow full apps to run on it, which would open it to keyloggers," Whitaker said. "At the moment, the Gphone platform doesn't run on an encrypted file system and has a vulnerable log-in. It's so stealable that (an encrypted file system and a secure log-in) should by default be included."
With much development work yet to take place--and the U.K. market still waiting for both the Apple and Google-based devices to arrive--the jury remains out for the definitive ruling on which model will be most secure. But one thing is for certain: no device that connects to the outside world can be totally secure, and neither the iPhone nor Gphone will prove to be the exception.
Source: Tom Espiner of ZDNet UK reported from London. (News BroadCast)

With proprietary, neglecting version X, Y, or Z, the platform is the same--you can guarantee the vulnerability exists with a very small number of conditions (i.e. it's been patched because it's known or the feature is turned off).

With Open Source, the 5-10% of the community who will want to poke around their code, and will distribute the changes to the community, will result in 20-25% of the community having different sets of vulnerabilities, when and if a vulnerability is found (they are there, but then again, large portions of the code, is mature, while other portion are new, thus a large number of the potential vulnerabilities are ironed out).
But then again, iPhone runs everything as root, while Android is unlikely to do so, as security (including permissions and SELinux--which is a large security aid in and of itself) are there to prevent (most) exploitation. Apple could use similar features and tools, but they don't want to.
But Google has had to deal with security for years too, as they are a prime target for hackers and DDOS attacks.
So, time will tell. We will know in a few years to some degree.

Cheers !

Setup Internet Connection via Bluetooth using Nokia 6300 on Mac OS X

Here is a brief introduction on how to setup a GPRS internet connection on the Nokia 6300 via bluetooth (or another nokia phone for the matter).

Follow the steps bellow, and it might just work out for you.

1. First of all you must have a working GPRS configuration on the phone from your network operator. My danish operator allows me to order the configuration for the Nokia 6300 from their website, then it is sent directly to the phone, where it is saved.
2. Enable bluetooth on the phone.
3. Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant on your Mac.
4. Press Continue.
5. Choose Mobile phone and press Continue.
6. When your Mac has found your phone, choose it and press Continue.
7. When your Mac has gathered information about your device pressContinue.
8. To allow bluetooth connection, you are given a random passkey to enter on the phone to accept the connection between the computer and the phone.
9. Check the Access the internet with your phone’s data connectionoption and choose Use direct, higher speed connection to reach your Internet service Provider (GPRS, 1xRTT), and press Continue.
10. For my phone network operator I do not need to fill ind the username andpassword, but the field GPRS CID String must be given a value according to GPRS configuration on the phone, I used *99***1#, as Modem Script the standard Nokia Infrared works.
11. Now the setup is finished, and it should be possible to connect to the internet through the phone.
12. Click on the bluetooth icon in the menu bar, and select Join Network onyour-phone, and you should be happy surfing through a very slow internet connection.

THE LATEST TREATMENT FOR PSYCHIATRIC & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

REPETITIVE TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (rTMS)

• What does rTMS stand for?
rTMS is the abbreviated form of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. The term refers to the fact that a magnetic field comprising multiple magnetic pulses per second passes non-invasively through the skull or cranium and no surgery is required. It is this magnetic field which is the basis for the therapeutic change within the brain cells.

• How does rTMS work?
The rTMS device allows a trained person to use an electromagnet to non-invasively stimulate the brain of a patient. A rapidly changing magnetic field created by a hand held magnetic coil causes weak electric currents in the brain through electromagnetic induction. By stimulating different areas of the brain, it is possible to elicit a therapeutic response in different disease states. rTMS can currently target sites in the brain to within a few millimeters and this eliminates the various side effects as would be seen by a non-specific treatment such as Electric Shock Therapy (ECT).

• In which countries is rTMS being used clinically?
rTMS was approved as a treatment for medication-resistant depression in Canada in 2002. Since then, the treatment has been offered to patients of various other psychiatric and neurological disorders.In USA, the FDA currently allows rTMS to be used off-label by doctors. In UK, the first clinical rTMS service was established in 2003 by the 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust. It is widely used in private hospitals in Australia. Other countries where this treatment is available for clinical use are Israel, Brazil, Costa Rica etc.

• What illnesses has rTMS been successful in treating?
rTMS is currently being used as a potential treatment for many Psychiatric & Neurological disorders. The psychiatric indications include Depression, Schizophrenia, Mania, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder, Phobias, Panic Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Eating Disorders & Addictions. The neurological conditions where rTMS has proved to be useful are Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain. Details of the utility of rTMS in these conditions are given below. There are other disorders as well where rTMS is currently being tried.

• Can rTMS be given if the patient is already on medicine?
Yes. rTMS will not interfere adversely with medication. Rather, both will have a complimentary effect on the underlying disease process.

• Is rTMS a guaranteed treatment for various disorders?
No, it is not. rTMS is a treatment option and like all other treatments for any other illness, it too has its limitations. It will not help everyone who receives it. There will be some who benefit less than the others. But it is a very effective and extremely safe treatment alternative, both in treatment resistant cases and also as first line treatment.
• How effective is rTMS in Depression?
The efficacy of rTMS in treating Depression has been clearly established. It is useful both in treatment resistant Depression and also as a first line treatment modality. There are studies which have shown that its benefits equal those seen with the use of anti-depressants. When given in combination with medication, relief from symptoms and recovery can be anticipated quicker, the dose requirement of medication goes down and the adverse effects associated with continued intake of higher doses of medicine would also decrease. Overall, rTMS has been considered a ‘life saver’ in Depression.

• What are the results of rTMS in Schizophrenia?
Many patients with schizophrenia experience auditory hallucinations. Following rTMS, a majority of patients experience a significant reduction in these voices. Patients of chronic Schizophrenia often exhibit negative symptoms such as lack of motivation, lack of interest or pleasure, lack of energy, social withdrawal, decreased speech etc. Use of rTMS has enabled patients to experience a significant decrease in the severity of the negative symptoms.

• Does rTMS help in OCD?
Yes. rTMS has been shown to not only bring about significant improvement in the Obsessive thoughts and Compulsive urges but it also helps to improve the mood of the individual.

• Can rTMS help in decreasing Anxiety?
Yes. Where anxiety is present as a part of a Depressive illness, the treatment for the depression will help to decrease the symptoms of anxiety. However, rTMS will also treat Anxiety disorders such as Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Phobias, in addition to OCD (discussed above).

• Can rTMS help in Bipolar Disorder?
Yes. rTMS is useful in treating the Manic phase in Bipolar Disorder, in addition to its antidepressant effects.

• Can rTMS help in ADHD?
Yes. When used in the inhibitory mode, rTMS can bring down the Hyperactivity in a child who has ADHD. This could result a significantly low dose of medication being required to manage the problem in addition to improving the results with other interventions.

• Does rTMS help with Tic Disorder or Tourette’s Disease?
Yes. There is a reduction in tics following a course of rTMS.

• What about rTMS in Eating Disorders?
Studies have shown that rTMS can help some people with Eating Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa & Bulimia Nervosa. We are recommending that a trial of rTMS should be given in these conditions.

• Is there any role for rTMS in Addictions?
Craving is seen to go down following application of rTMS. So, it would be a worthwhile modality to try as a part of overall treatment for Chemical Dependence.

• What is the role of rTMS in Parkinson’s disease?
Following a course of rTMS, there is a decrease in rigidity & slowing (Bradykinesia), improvement in the abnormal movements (Dyskinesias) and an improvement in walking as well. Improvement in speech is also noted.

• Can rTMS help in recovery after a brain stroke?
Yes. A course of rTMS has been shown to improve spasticity, decrease weakness or paresis and induce movements in paralysed limbs. These improvements have been induced even several years after the Stroke happened.

• Is rTMS useful in Multiple Sclerosis?
The use of rTMS in MS has been associated with decreased spasticity in the limbs, improved hand dexterity & improvement in urinary tract related problems.

• Does rTMS have a role to play in Migraine?
Yes. It has been used for its role in preventing the Migraine attacks from taking place and can reduce the frequency & severity of the Migraine headache.

• Is rTMS useful in Autism?
After a course of rTMS, children with Autism showed fewer symptoms of hyperactivity, sensory overload and repetitive behaviours. The results show a great deal of promise in reducing the severity of the distressing symptoms of Autism and, as a result, helping in better communication & social interaction. The treatment does not adversely affect areas of “giftedness” in the treated children.

• I have Tinnitus which has not responded to any treatment. Will rTMS help?
Yes. Low frequency rTMS over the hyperactive auditory cortex has repeatedly been shown to reduce the sensation of ringing in the ears.

• What is the role of rTMS in Fibromyalgia & Pain management?
Patients report a measurable reduction in pain after rTMS. It has a selective effect by increasing pain tolerance & altering pain processing, thereby providing long-lasting pain relief.

• Can rTMS help in Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)?
Yes. Amblyopia is the most prevalent cause of visual impairment in a single eye, affecting millions of people in India.If not detected early enough—before seven to twelve years of age—the condition has been considered untreatable. Recent studies show that rTMS therapy improved contrast sensitivity in patients' amblyopic eyes.

• Is rTMS safe? What problems do patients commonly report?
Yes, rTMS is a very safe treatment modality. It is generally considered to be free from side effects when proper procedures are followed. Over the years since its introduction, safety guidelines have been developed which minimize risks. The main complaint from a small percentage of patients is discomfort in the scalp or a headache during and immediately following the stimulation session. This can be prevented or treated with usual pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Another problem may be ringing in the ears caused by the noise of the stimulating coil, so earplugs are typically worn during the procedure which cut the sound by up to 30 Decibels. Seizures are the major possible risk associated with rTMS, although they have only been reported in less than 20 patients thus far out of the tens of thousands of sessions that have been given worldwide. rTMS safety guidelines were established in 1993 and revised in 1996 and when these have been followed, no seizures have been reported. These guidelines are strictly followed at our clinic.

• What is the sensation like during rTMS treatment?
Patients can hear a loud clicking noise when the magnetic pulse is applied, so earplugs are normally worn to avoid discomfort. There is also a tingling sensation which can be felt in the scalp to a greater or lesser degree by patients. It is rarely uncomfortable and usually stops being a disturbance after the first 3 – 4 sessions. Some patients even report that they become so accustomed to the feeling that they can tell when the physician is stimulating the correct spot.

• How does rTMS compare with medication?
Medicines will always remain the mainstay for treatment of various disorders. However, there are studies available now which report that the therapeutic effects of rTMS in Depression match those produced by medicines. Currently, our understanding & experience show that if rTMS is started in a patient on medication and is effective, there would be a quicker onset of recovery, a decrease in the dose of the required medicine, a decrease in the adverse effects produced by medicines and better compliance. Where medicines have not helped in recovery or remission, rTMS has the potential to become the #1 alternative treatment in such drug-resistant cases.

• How does rTMS compare with ECT (Electroconvulsive therapy or Shock Therapy)?
ECT is a highly effective but invasive treatment for Major Depression which stimulates the entire brain with a large amount of electricity in a non-focussed way, thereby causing brief unconsciousness, a lot of cognitive side effects & memory disturbances. rTMS is a non-invasive method of stimulating the brain through the use of focussed magnetic fields in a variety of Psychiatric & Neurological disorders. rTMS has not been shown to cause memory loss or loss of consciousness. It does not require anaesthesia, unlike ECT. ECT is undoubtedly more effective as an anti-depressant in Major Depression but rTMS has a superior side effect profile to ECT, apart from the much larger spectrum of disorders where it is effective.

• Are there any long term risks associated with rTMS?
Currently available data from repeated application of high intensity, time-varying magnetic fields to humans, as in magnetic resonance imaging, do not suggest that the long-term risks of rTMS are significant.

• Are any investigations required before treatment commences or during the course of treatment?
Before treatment starts, an MRI of the head is advisable. This helps in an accurate determination of different sites of stimulation during the course of treatment. The MRI has to be done at a centre recommended by us so that correct localisation of areas of the brain can be done.

• How long is the course of treatment?
Different disorders require different protocols for rTMS. Usually, 20 to 30 sessions, each lasting 20 to 30 minutes, are required. These are done at a frequency of either once or twice a day. When 2 sessions are done in a day, there is a gap of 45 to 60 minutes between sessions.

• How soon does rTMS start to work?
Typically, results are achieved within one or two weeks of beginning treatment. Most patients tend to be aware of therapeutic benefit only in the second week of treatment. Late-responders may require sessions going into the third week to achieve significant reduction in symptoms.

• What about long term or maintenance therapy?
All chronic illnesses may need maintenance therapy. Usually, this would be done with medication. However, in certain cases, it may be advisable or even desirable to have follow - up rTMS sessions 6 to 12 months after the initial phase of treatment is over. This can be discussed with your treating doctor.

• What does rTMS treatment cost?
Different disorders have different protocols for rTMS. Costs of different packages are available upon request.

Hope this FAQ was Important .

Source: Web

Accessing Blocked Websites At Work or School

If you are a student, employee, or part of the military, you've probably experienced the frustration of not being able to access certain websites or even your webmail. Fortunately there are some things you can do to access these blocked sites. Here's how...

Accessing Blocked Websites At School Or Work

Peacefire.org is an authoritative resource for getting around all types of blocking software. This website started up in 1996 and was originally designed to help teens fight censorship issues. It is somewhat of an activism site but it still has great, up-to-date tools and information that you can use to access websites or email that is blocked by your workplace, school, government, etc.

Peacefire lays out several different techniques that you can try to bypass your institution's website blocking or filtering. The methods include using a third party circumventing (proxy) site, establishing your own proxy site, as well as disabling the computer's blocking software. You can also sign up for a free newsletter that gives you a list of new proxy sites, because as I'm sure you can imagine, these unblocking sites are quickly discovered and blocked.

If you want to get started using proxy websites, you can get a list of fresh proxies here. These are all free but you'll have to deal with some extra advertising.

Security Note: When using proxy or circumventing sites, be extra careful with your personal information such as credit cards and other account numbers.
Web Based Proxy and Remote Access Software

Another option you have in order to bypass blocking or filtering software is by installing web based proxy sharing software. This type of software lets you log into your own PC from any other computer that has an Internet connection. This is different from the circumventing proxies mentioned above because it allows you to surf via your home PC where the others allow you to surf using their website. The software is downloaded onto your home computer where you will set up a password. To access your PC you go to the host website, log in and do whatever you like from there. In addition to having full Internet access, you will also be able to view any other files you have stored on your home PC. It's almost like sitting right in front of your home computer.

You can get this kind of software from LogMeIn.com which has a free basic version, or GoToMyPC which offers a free 30-day trial. These have less of a chance of being blocked because businesses like to use them so that employees can access their work stuff from home which in turn equals more productivity for the business. Some employers even pay for subscriptions. See also Remote Access to Your Computer for more details.

Proxy Avoidance Software

Free software such as Crossloop or Lozdoge are similar to the above remote access tools, except the server is hosted directly by your PC so there is no third party website involved like those mentioned above. After installing the software you will be able to connect to your home computer from any other computer via a web-browser and have complete access to the internet.

Internet Access via Mobile Phones

You may also be able to use your cell phone to get where you want to go. Some mobile providers give you the option to use your cell phone as a high-speed modem. Usually it's laptop users who do this while on the road to get an Internet connection, but there's no reason you can't unplug your network cable and do this with a desktop.

Typically, all you have to do is install some software, plug your phone into the USB port of the computer, and initiate a dialup connection. Your mobile provider will tell you what to enter for the username and password, and you'll probably need a data plan if you don't have it already.

Some Words of Caution

These techniques for accessing blocked websites may seem like an excellent idea but before you decide to give it a try, you should consider potential risks involved. Using proxy sites may jeopardize your security. Remember that a proxy is just a relay, so anything that you send out or receive can be intercepted. Be careful not to send important information, such as credit cards or sensitive messages when using a circumventing site, just to be on the safe side.

It might also be a good idea to gauge your school or workplace's tolerance on this matter and make sure they don't have any explicit policies against it. If they went to the trouble of blocking certain sites, it stands to reason that they might not be happy if you find a way to circumvent. Is surfing the net at work or school worth the risk of getting in trouble -- even fired or expelled?

There is also the issue of productivity. If you do spend hours each day surreptitiously surfing the web when you should be working, you're probably not giving your employer what you should. Getting fired because you aren't getting your job done, or flunking out of school because you're too involved with your friends on My Space probably isn't worth it. Okay, enough sermonizing... just be sure you understand the risks when you attempt to access blocked websites at school or work.

Cheers !

I HATE WRITING, SO HOW DO I BUILD ADSENSE SITES?

Good! You don’t need to be a writer to create a website with Wordpress. In fact it may even be better if you can’t write a proper sentence in English.

When you’re using Wordpress, you can:

Get others to write your content for free or for a small fee.
Secure great original content for cheap, use them with your name on it, and become an instant expert.
Download articles automatically from article sites and post them to your Wordpress blog.
Use other people’s content legally and ethically, and they will even thank you for it.
Automate page creation so that you don’t need to post every day, and yet your content is published regularly, for years if you want.

EARN MONEY THROUGH FREE BLOGS

Building an adsense Business With Free blogs

When I first started out with adsense, I had little money to spare on web hosting, and I knew nothing about how to get a site ranked in the search engines or to generate traffic. It took a lot of work, reading, experimenting and failure before I discovered great ways to build my adsense business.

I feel like it’s about time that I paid back to the community for all of the knowledge and help that I received along the way. Hopefully this post will help you get started in the adsense business even if you have little or no money to spare but desperately want to try your hand at it.

Normally Google won’t approve adsense applications for free websites, but there is one exception. So if you're short on cash for hosting and are eager to get started, you might give this a try.

blogger.com blogs

Not long after Google bought blogger.com, they made adsense available to blogger blog owners. blogger is great because it has an easy interface, Google and Yahoo crawl the blogs quickly, and best of all if you're broke--they're free, and Google loves to give out adsense accounts to blogger owners. :)

So if you're looking to get started with adsense and not spend much money, blogger is a great way to get started.

Before I talk about how to setup a blogger blog for adsense, though, let me tell you what an RSS feed is and how it works. If you already know this you can skip ahead. I make reference to this in the setup instructions, so it’s important to understand.

An RSS feed (as it applies to a blog) is basically a list of all of the recent posts made to your blog. People can use “RSS Aggregators” (software that continually checks up on your RSS feed to see if there’s anything new) to keep up with new posts on your blog. Websites will also want to publish your RSS feed on their sites if your content is good. This gives them fresh content for their visitors. And we all know that content is King in the world of website building.

blogger blogs come with an RSS feed built-in, and you can use this to your advantage to generate traffic to your blog. I’ll discuss that in a bit, but first let’s get into building the blog.

Create Your blogger.com Account

Determine Your blog Topic First

Before you create the blog, you need to figure out what topic the blog will focus on. Think about your skills or hobbies that you’re really good at. You might not be a mechanic, but if you’re really good at working on cars on the weekend, and you love to do it, that would make a great blog topic. Brainstorm your skills and interests to determine what you would enjoy writing about. It’s important that you like to write about it, since you will have to do so to build up the blog!

I will say this: If you have some knowledge on a commercial or industrial topic, this will usually get higher paying adsense ads. But a hobby blog can do very well also (I know this from experience!).

Create the blog

Once you have a topic chosen, it only takes about 5 minutes to setup a blog. From the blogger homepage click the “Create Your blog Now” link and follow the blog wizard instructions. I won’t get into detail about them because it’s pretty straight-forward, but there are a few points I want to make.

First of all, when you choose your blog URL, make sure that the URL contains the keywords for your topic. For example, if you’re creating a blog about health insurance, “healthinsurance.blogspot.com” is ideal, or “health-insurance” or even “health-insurance-blog” or “health-insurance-12345”. Just make sure that your keywords are in the URL, that will help you be found when people search for your keywords in the search engines.

Also, be sure to pick one of the professional looking templates. I suggest you just pick the plain-white one that is first in the list of templates when you're creating the blog. Once the blog is created, then click on the "Templates" tab and select one of the nicer ones shown there. I'm not sure why blogger doesn't show you all of the available templates in the blog setup wizard, but they don't.

The Settings Tab.

A discussion of the important points of each settings tab is outlined below.

Basic

On the "Basic" settings tab, set your blog title to the keywords you want to show up for in the search engines. That will help you get ranked.

Give a good, detailed description about the benefits of reading your blog daily. You want to get people to add your RSS feed to their aggregators and websites so you can get traffic, and this will help.

Answer “Yes” to the question “Add your blog to our listings?”. This will have your blog appear on the main page of blogger when you make new posts (albeit for a brief period of time), and allow people to search and find your blog using blogger’s search tool.

One other, lesser known detail about setting that question to “Yes” is that if you set it to “No” blogger will shove “nofollow/noindex” meta-tags into your blog template header, which will prevent your site from getting crawled or indexed. I believe this was done to fight what blogger called “spam blogs”.

Publishing

Set the “Notify Weblogs” setting to “Yes”. This will send a notification to Weblogs every time you make a new post. Weblogs is a site that lets people (and search engine crawlers) know when new content appears on a blog. You want the crawlers (and visitors) to hit your pages when you add new content, so be sure this is set to Yes.

Formatting

You can do what you want on this tab–I personally set the number of posts on the main page to between three and five.

Comments

Allow comments unless your blog topic is really controversial and you’re likely to get a lot of flaming (people lashing out at you for what you have to say). Allowing comments is good because it gives more food to the search engines and keeps your blog updating and fresh even when you’re not posting to it.

I usually let anyone comment, and don’t limit it.

Don’t show the comments in a pop-up window, because that will prevent the crawlers from being able to get to the content since it’s javascript-based.

If you’re concerned that people might flame you, but you want to allow comments, enable comment moderation so that you have to approve each comment that is added before it goes live.

If you want to be notified when a comment is made, set the Comment Notification Address to your email address.

Archiving

Set your archiving to daily if you post every day, or weekly if you only post every few days. If you post every day daily is the best way to go, because it gives the search engines more unique pages to crawl and index. More unique content means more traffic to your blog and more clicks on your adsense ads (I’ll get to adding your adsense to the template in a bit).

If you don’t do a daily archive (and maybe even if you do), enable post pages so that each post will still have its own unique page even if multiple posts appear on the same archive page. Having multiple posts on one archive page is not a bad thing if you have post pages enabled, since the posts tied all together make for yet another unique page on the blog.

Site Feed

Definitely enable the site feed. If your posts tend to be very short, you might enable full descriptions. But if you have long posts (which I recommend), do not enable the full feed, use the short feed. Here’s why:

If you put the full post in your RSS feed, then the person reading the feed doesn’t have a reason to go back to your blog since they have already read the full post. No visitors to the blog means no clicks on your ads. adsense has an “adsense For Feeds” in beta testing, but it’s not open to all publishers yet, so at least for now you need to induce people to visit the blog.

If they can only read part of the blog post, then if they want the whole story they will need to go to your blog. You can plan for this by making sure that your title and the first 255 characters (about the first 50 words) really pull in the reader’s attention. You need to use those first 50 words to make them just have to read the rest.

Also, if your RSS feed appears on websites, you don’t want to give away the farm by showing the whole post. You’re letting websites use your feed so you can get clicks on the posts in that feed and get visitors to your site to build adsense revenue.

So set the “Descriptions” to Short, write long posts and make the title and the first 50 words count.

The Templates Tab

If you haven’t already picked a nice template from the list, click on the “Pick New” link under the templates tab and select one of the templates that you like and that fits your topic.

If you don’t already have an adsense account, you can click on the “adsense” link and apply for one straight from the blog instead of having to go to Google.com to apply. That’s how badly Google wants blogger blog owners to use adsense on their blogs! :)

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to paste your adsense code into your template. Click on the “Edit Current” link if you’re not already there.

There are two methods of setting up your template. You will generate the most clicks by doing the following:

1) Find the section of the template that looks like this:

in"> in2">

 

2) Paste your adsense code for a 336x280 large rectangle directly after the second

tag. Be sure to format the colors of the adsense to blend in with the background of your blog for maximum results.

3) Optionally, if you want to show a second 336x280 block at the bottom of the list of posts, look for this code in the template:

blogger>

Put your adsense code between the tag and the first

tag.

Click the “Preview” button to make sure the adsense blocks look correct and did not mess up the look of the template. If all is well, click “Save Template Changes”.

Note: Once you’ve made changes to your template, if you go and select a different template with the “Pick New” link it will overwrite your changes and you will have to put your adsense code back into the template.

Setup Your Profile

Once your blog is setup, you want to setup your profile. To do this, click the “Back to Dashboard” link at the top of the browser window. Once at the dashboard, click on the “Edit Profile” link in the right hand column.

Check the “Share my Profile” box, and the “Show my Real name” box, unless you have a really good reason not to. It helps build trust if you have this information showing on your blog because people can see you’re a real person and not some anonymous nobody. Your profile by default will be shown on your blog.

If you don’t mind people contacting you via email, you can select “Show my email address”.

Click “Select blogs to display” and make sure that your new blog is checked.

If you have a photograph somewhere on a website, you can point to it with the Photo URL. I recommend doing this because again, it builds trust and makes you more real and personal to your readers. If you don’t have a picture on the web, or don’t have a website, I’ll gladly host a picture of you on one of my servers for free. Sticky-mail me and we’ll arrange it. Just one of my little ways of paying back to the Webmasterworld community. :)

Go through and fill out the rest of the information. Focus on the “About Me” box, because that will show on your blog pages. Use that description to establish yourself as an expert on the topic that your blog is about. People like to know that they’re reading an expert opinion that they can trust. This box is your chance to prove you have an expert opinion!

Save your profile when you’re finished.

Getting Traffic to Your blog

Once your blog is properly configured, spend about a week making a good, informative post or two per day. You don’t want to go advertising an empty blog, so it pays to make some good posts first.

You can post to the blog by clicking the “Posting” tab. Make your title be eye-catching while still containing the keywords that the post is most relevant to. For example, if your post is going to be about how to build blue widgets from scratch, and you want to be found when people search the engines for “Build blue widgets”, try and make your title at least start with those keywords. For example, “Build blue widgets – from scratch”. The dashes help the search engines differentiate the keywords from the rest of the title.

You might get some stray traffic from people searching for blogs on blogger, and your posts appearing in the “most recent posts” list, so don’t be surprised if you get some traffic and adsense clicks even before you start advertising.

Submit Your blog to blog Directories

To get the traffic rolling you need to submit your blog’s RSS feed to as many blog Directories as you can. If you search Google for “RSS submission site”, the number one result as of right now lists off 55 directories that you can submit your feed to.

With a blogger blog, your RSS feed is always your blog url plus “/atom.xml”. For example, if your blog url is:

http://myblog.blogspot.com/

Your RSS feed url is:

http://myblog.blogspot.com/atom.xml

This is very important, because it will help attract the attention of the search engines as well as get your blog noticed by people who are searching for information and for content for their websites.

All of this will result in getting in-bound links to your site. Most people will use the title of your blog as the link text for the link to your site, and that’s why it’s important for your title to be the keywords that you want your blog homepage to rank for in the search engines. Having in-bound links that contain the keywords you want to rank for is a very powerful way to get ranked well. I have blogs that rank on the first page of search results for my keywords because of this (some even in the first or second position).

But you don’t want to sit around and wait for the links to start to gather. You want to…

Trade Links With Related Websites

Another thing I do to help get my blog ranked is to trade links with other webmasters who have sites on similar topics. I find them by searching for the keywords I want to rank for. If the blog category is not a competitive, commercial category, you can write directly to the webmasters of the top 20 - 50 results and see if they will exchange links with you.

If it’s a more competitive, commercial category, you can find out who links to the top websites for your keywords by searching for “link:http://www.YourCompetitor.com/”. That will show a list of URLs that link to your competition. Write to the webmasters who own those linking sites and see if they will trade links with you, too.

When you request a link exchange, be sure and make the request personal. Mention something that you like about the webmaster’s site and why you think that your blog is a good match for a link. You might even go a step further and put up a link to the webmaster’s site before emailing them. That way you can say “I’ve already put up a link to your site on my blog and wanted to see if you felt that my blog was a good match for a link back from your site”–or something like that. Take the first step, it’s a good gesture and it helps you get more links. 

If they agree to exchange links, make sure that you have them link to your site using the keywords that you want to rank for. For example, if you want your blog to rank well for “Home Made Widgets”, be sure to have them use the link text “Home Made Widgets”.

You can manually insert the webmaster’s link and description text into your blog by modifying your template. I try to put it in the left or right hand column just below the archive links. To do this, modify your template and look for this code:

inOrArchivePage>

That tag marks the end of the archive list. Just below that code, add this code:

[TOPIC] Links

[TOPIC] Links

 

Where [TOPIC] is replaced with the topic of your blog.

Below the

tag, add this code for each link you want to add:

• Link Text - a short description about the site.
  

Link Text - a short description about the site.

And finally, below the links, add this:

Every time you make a new link exchange with a webmaster, just go in and repeat the

code with the new link and description just above the tag.

The more competitive your blog topic is, the more links you will need to get to rank well. But if your posts are informative, witty and humorous where appropriate, word will soon spread about your blog and your traffic will grow as people link to you without you even asking for a link. Growth in traffic means growth in adsense revenue.

Hope this helps. Cheers !