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Coughing up blood

Alternative Names Hemoptysis; Spitting up blood; Bloody sputum

Definition

Coughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract).

Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood from the respiratory tract.

Considerations

Coughing up blood is not the same as bleeding from the mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract.
Blood that comes up with a cough often looks bubbly because it is mixed with air and mucus. It is usually bright red, although it may be rust-colored. Sometimes the mucus may only contain streaks of blood.

Causes

A number of conditions, diseases, and medical tests may make you cough up blood.
Diseases and conditions may include:

• Blood clot in the lung
  Bronchiectasis
  Bronchitis
  Cancer
  Cystic fibrosis
  Goodpasture's syndrome
  Inflammation of the blood vessels in the lung (vasculitis)
  Inhaling blood into the lungs (pulmonary aspiration)
  Irritation of the throat from violent coughing
  Nosebleed that drips blood down into the lungs
  Laryngitis
  Pneumonia
  Pulmonary edema
  Systemic lupus erythematosus
  Tuberculosis
  Diagnostic tests that can make you cough up blood include:
  Bronchoscopy
  Laryngoscopy
  Lung biopsy
  Mediastinoscopy
  Spirometry
  Tonsillectomy
  Upper airway biopsy

Home Care

Cough suppressants may help if this condition is due to throat irritation from violent coughing. However, cough suppressants may lead to airways obstruction in some cases. Always check with your doctor before using them.

It is very important to note how long you cough up blood, and how much blood is mixed with the mucus.

• 
  Also look out for these signs of severe blood loss:
  Dizziness
  Light-headedness
  Thirst
  Other symptoms:
  Blood in the urine
  Chest pain
  Fever
  Shortness of breath

When to Contact a Medical Professional

If you have any unexplained coughing up of blood, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department. This is very important if your cough produces large volumes of blood (more than a few teaspoons), or if you also have:

• 
  Dizziness
  Light-headedness
  Severe shortness of breath

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

In an emergency case, your doctor will give you treatments to control your condition. The doctor will then ask you questions about your cough such as:

• 
  Type
  Are you coughing up large amounts of blood (massive hemoptysis)?
  Can you see blood when you cough up something?
  How many times have you coughed up blood?
  Is there blood-streaked mucus (phlegm)?
  Time pattern
  Did it begin suddenly?
  Has it increased recently?
  How many weeks has the cough lasted?
  Is the cough worse at night?
  What other symptoms do you have?

The doctor will do a complete physical exam and check your chest and lungs. Tests that may be done include:

• 
  Bronchoscopy
  Chest CT scan
  Chest x-ray
  Coagulation studies, such as PT or PTT
  Complete blood count
  Lung biopsy
  Lung scan
  Pulmonary arteriography
  Sputum culture and smear

References

Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2005:402-413.
Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2000:497.
Update Date: 11/12/2007
Updated by: Andrew Schriber, M.D., F.C.C.P., Specialist in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network

Published in

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003073.htm

Iranian new naval base in Straits of Hormuz

Friday, October 31, 2008

NICOSIA — Iran has opened a major naval base in the Gulf and has vowed to use it to block the passage of oil tankers through the strategic waterway if necessary.

Officials said the Iranian Navy has constructed a base in the Strait of Hormuz, passage for 30 percent of global oil shipping. They said the base, located near U.S. military facilities in neighboring Oman, was meant to tighten Iran's hold over the narrow waterway.

"With the opening of this naval base a new line of defense has been created east of the Strait of Hormuz," Iranian Navy commander Adm. Habibollah Sayari said.

Sayari said the base was located in the Iranian port of Jask on the Sea of Oman. The admiral said the navy was capable of blocking any enemy infiltration in the region.

Published in

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/me_iran0660_10_31.asp

A meeting of Arab Countries on Red Sea Piracy

CAIRO, November 1 (RIA Novosti) - Egypt has announced it will host a meeting of Arab countries on Red Sea piracy in November, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

"Egypt has sent invitations to Arab countries having access to the Red Sea to take part in a meeting to coordinate efforts and develop means of fighting against the problem of piracy," the ministry said.

The meeting will be held "at a high level" under the common chairmanship of Egypt and Yemen.
Egypt also said that the growing problem of piracy in Somalia was spreading to the Red Sea.

At the beginning of June, the UN Security Council passed a resolution permitting countries to enter Somalia's territorial waters to combat "acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea."

According to UN data, in 2008 Somali pirates seized about 60 foreign ships for ransom. Their aggregate "revenues" this year could reach $30 million.

Published in

http://en.rian.ru/world/20081101/118091633.html

New Iranian Naval Bases along the coast of Gulf of Oman

TEHRAN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran has started constructing new naval bases along the coast of the Sea of Oman for an "impenetrable line of defense," the English-language daily Tehran Times reported on Thursday.

The new bases will extend from Bandar Abbas, a major Iranian seaport on the Strait of Hormuz, to Pasa Bandar near the Pakistan border, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayari was quoted as saying.

"The new mission of the Navy is to establish an impenetrable line of defense at the entrance to the Sea of Oman," Sayari said, adding the new bases will be constructed rapidly.

"If the enemy goes insane, we will drown them at the bottom of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman before they reach the Strait of Hormuz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf," he vowed.

On Monday, Iran's Armed Forces also inaugurated a new naval base in the strategic port of Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.

Iran's Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Seied Abdolrahim Moussavi said Tuesday that the aircraft carriers of the enemy, "like the elements of the computer games," are under the gaze of Iran's Armed Forces.

The semi-official Fars news agency quoted Moussavi as saying that the new naval base in Jask would function as a "protective barrier in the eastern parts of the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman."

The United States and Israel have consistently refused to rule out the possibility of military strikes against Iran over its refusal to halt its nuclear program.

The United States and its allies have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Iran has denied the U.S. charges and insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Published in

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/30/content_10281436.htm

ما بعد الإستعمار والفساد في الدول العربية

زاهر بن حارث المحروقي

كاتب عماني

1

في إحدى المرات قال لي الزميل عبد العزيز بن علي السعدون – وهو إعلامي قديم وقدير – قال لي إنه زار روديسيا قبل أن تنال الاستقلال فوجدها بلدا متطورا آمنا ومستقرا وهو أقرب إلى الدول الأوروبية في كل شيء ، وبعد عشر سنوات زارها بعد أن نالت استقلالها وأصبحت تسمى باسمها القديم زيمبابوي فإذا هي قد عادت إلى الوراء 50 عاما في كل شيء وما قاله السعدون قاله الكثيرون من الذين اكتووا بنيران المستعمرين بعد أن ذاقوا جنة الاستقلال أو الحكم الوطني ثم أصبحوا يترحمون على أيام الاستعمار، وقد يكون لهم أسبابهم ومبرراتهم في ذلك لقد اعتقدت الشعوب التي كانت تحت الاستعمار بأنها ستجني ثمار الاستقلال سريعا بعد النضال والتضحيات التي قدمتها في سبيل ذلك لكنها اكتشفت نفسها أنها كانت حالمة لأن الموارد كلها كانت قد نهبت أو أنها مربوطة بنظم دولية ومعاهدات تواصل النهب ، ثم اكتشفت أن قادة التحرر وجدوا لأنفسهم سلطة على رعاياهم فقط ولم يجدوا سلطة على غيرهم ، وأمام مطالب الشعوب وعجز القادة أدى هذا إلى أن يوجه هؤلاء القادة أسلحتهم إلى عدو جديد لم يكن في حسبانهم هذا العدو هو الشعب داخل الوطن ، وفي ظل الصراع في الداخل ظهرت فئة من المستفيدين – وهم موجودون في كل زمان ومكان – استطاعوا أن يكوّنوا ثروات ورتبوا لأنفسهم مصالح مع الجلادين القدامى وأصبحوا وجها آخر من وجوه الاستعمار حتى وإن لبسوا اللباس الوطني وتكلموا باللهجة المحلية ورفعوا الشعارات الرنانة ، وهو ما انتبه إليه حكيم الهند ( جواهر لال نهرو )عندما قال مخاطبا المجتمعين في قمة باندوج التي أسست لما عرف فيما بعد بعدم الانحياز حيث قال : ( إن المستعمرين السابقين قد رتبوا أنفسهم قبل أن يوافقوا على الاستقلال وأقاموا أوضاعا جديدة تستبدل الأعلام القديمة بأعلام جديدة ولكن هل سيغير هذا من واقع الأمر شيئا ؟ سوف تجدون أنفسكم أمام مشاكل ، وسوف يندفع بعضكم إلى أن يطلب من صندوق النقد الدولي أو البنك الدولي قروضا ، فهل سألتم أنفسكم من هم هؤلاء الذين يسيطرون على صندوق النقد الدولي وعلى البنك الدولي ؟ إنهم نفس جلاديكم السابقين ، أي أنكم تذهبون إلى الأسياد القدامى طالبين منهم أن يساعدوكم على مسؤولية الاستقلال ) وأي وضع هذا الذي يستنجد فيه الضحية بالجاني حتى يساعده على تلافي جريمته ؟ ! قبل أن تعود هونج كونج إلى السيادة الصينية بسنتين – وقد كان ذلك حدثا ينتظره الكثيرون - سألت إحدى الصينيات ما هو موقفها من عودة هونج كونج إلى الوطن الأم فقالت لي إن ذلك لا يمثل شيئا بالنسبة لها فسألتها لماذا ؟ فقالت إن وضعها الآن جيد وتنال حقوقها كاملة وتعيش حياتها بالطول والعرض وتخشى أن تفقد هذه الميزات في ظل وجود حكم وطني ، وفي ذلك الوقت كنت متأثرا بشعارات الاستقلال والوطنية فإني اتهمتها في وطنيتها وقلت إن هذه المرأة نموذج صارخ من نماذج صنع الاستعمار وغسل العقول وأذكر أن أحد التنزانيين قال لي إنه لا يهمه أن تكون تنزانيا مستقلة أو مستعمرة طالما أنه يجد حقه كاملا مع أي منهما فما معنى أن تكون بلاده مستقلة ولا يجد الغذاء والتعليم والعلاج والخدمات والأمن في وقت ينتشر الفساد في البر والبحر والجو ، وما معنى أن تكون بلاده مستعمرة وهو يجد الغذاء والحماية والأمن والتعليم والعلاج وكل الخدمات ؟ ثم ركز على نقطة أخرى وهي أهمية وجود جهاز محاسبة الفساد في الإدارة المالية وفي المحسوبية وفي كل شيء وأن القضاء على الفساد هو سمة أي مجتمع متطور وأن هذا قد اختفى بذهاب الاستعمار الإنجليزي عن تنزانيا وعن معظم مناطق أفريقيا .

2

من الخطأ طبعا القول إن الاستعمار جيد وإنه أرحم من الحكم الوطني ولكن لا بد من أخذ وجهة النظر التي تقول ما فائدة الحكم الوطني إذا كان أسوأ من الاستعمار وما فائدة الحكم الوطني إذا استبدل بأشخاص آخرين لكنهم فعلوا أسوأ مما فعله المستعمرون ؟ إن الحديث عن الفساد والذي أصبح الآن سمة من سمات المجتمعات في العالم الثالث مع وجود هذه القفزة الهائلة في عالم الاتصالات هو الذي أدى إلى طرح تلك التساؤلات عن الاستعمار رغم رحيله الشكلي من زمان وبما أن ظاهرة الفساد الإداري والمالي والرشوة والمحسوبية أصبحت تهدد العالم كله حيث شاركت فيها الدول كما شارك فيها الأفراد ، وافقت الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة على الاتفاق الدولي لمكافحة الفساد وذلك في عام 2003 للحد من خطورة هذه الظاهرة وذلك بحثّ الدول على التعاون من أجل التصدي لهذا المرض ، وإن كان الاتفاق غير ملزم لأحد ويصعب تطبيقه في عالم الواقع ، إلا أنه كان إنذارا بوجود مشكلة كبيرة ارتقت إلى مستوى ظاهرة وأصبحت تهدد حتى العلاقات بين الدول بعضها ببعض ولنا في اتفاقيات صفقات الأسلحة مثلا وما رافقها من دفع عمولات خيالية وما أثير حول هذا الموضوع من نقاشات ومداولات وصلت إلى التهديد بقطع العلاقات بين بعض الدول وقد طرح موقع ( العربية نت ) موضوعا للنقاش عن الفساد في الوطن العربي نقلا عن جريدة الحياة اللندنية ، وذلك في 5/4/2008 حيث نال الموضوع العديد من المشاركات والآراء مما يدل على أن وعي المواطنين العرب بخطورة هذه الظاهرة وعي كبير ومن هناك سأنقل بعض الآراء في الفقرة التالية

3

لا شك أن واحدا من أهم طرق مكافحة الفساد هو متابعة رؤوس الفساد والمفسدين وكشف جرائمهم واسترداد المال العام والخاص الذي نهبوه بغير حق وتقديمهم للعدالة لإنزال العقاب الرادع بهم بقطع شأفة جرائمهم ليكونوا عبرة لغيرهم ، لأن المفسدين وآكلي الرشوة أعضاء مريضة متعفنة إذا لم تعالج سرى سمها في جسد الأمة كلها ولا علاج لها إلا البتر والقطع إن الفساد إذا استشرى أصبح آفة تهدد الاقتصاد والتنمية وتضر بالبلاد والعباد وتجعل الطريق ميسورا لتسيطر فئة قليلة على أموال الدول والشعوب بغير وجه حق ويجب أن يكون عقاب المفسدين رادعا بل قاسيا ، وللأسف فإن الدول العربية تحتل مرتبة متقدمة في الفساد لأن السيطرة الاقتصادية في العالم أصبحت لشركات الدول الصناعية الكبرى التي يسيطر نحو 600 منها على النسبة الكبرى من حجم التجارة العالمية خاصة مع الدول العربية ، ولكي تفوز بعقود ضخمة بعشرات البلايين من الدولارات لا يضيرها أن تمرر هذه الصفقات عن طريق الرشوة وتضاعف الأسعار حيث تذهب بلايين الدولارات إلى خزائن تلك الشركات وجيوب الوسطاء ومتلقي الرشوة على حساب الدول والشعوب ومع الثروات الهائلة التي هطلت على الدول العربية خصوصا الدول المنتجة للنفط زاد الفساد وأصبح يمثل معول هدم فهو عامل رئيسي في تبذير الأموال وانتهائها في جيوب قلة فاسدة وقد ذكرت شركة ( بروليدز إن ) للأبحاث أن في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي وحدها يزيد حجم المشاريع العقارية الجديدة على تريليون دولار في ميدان مؤسسات التعليم والصحة والرياضة والحدائق والمتنزهات والفنادق ومشاريع أخرى ، ناهيك عن المشاريع الكبرى الأخرى في البنية الأساسية من طرق وجسور وموانيء ومطارات ، ويقفز الرقم إلى أكثر من ذلك مما يجعل لعاب الشركات الكبرى يسيل ويجعلها تحرص على الحصول على نصيب كبير من الكعكة الدسمة وهي لا تتردد في دفع مبالغ كبيرة كرشاوى يساعدها على ذلك ضعف أو غياب الرقابة

4

هناك الآن مشكلة هي أزمة الثقة بين القيادات والشعوب ، وتحتاج الحكومات إلى جهود كبيرة لاستعادة ثقة شعوبها وذلك بالتصدي الحازم للفساد الإداري والمالي والخلقي والقضاء على المحسوبية والرشوة التي أصبحت منتشرة حتى عند صغار الموظفين كنتيجة منطقية لفساد الكبار ، وأصبح المواطن العربي يتلفت يمينا وشمالا ويرى الرشوة وقد غلبت في المجتمعات ويرى الواسطة هي المسيطرة على كل شيء ويرى أناسا كانوا يعيشون في فقر مدقع وما إن ارتقوا إلى الكرسي حتى أصبحوا فجأة من أغنياء المجتمع ووجهائه ، وأصبحت فئة صغيرة تملك أرقاما فلكية لا نستطيع أن نلفظها أو نكتبها لكثرة الأصفار في اليمين فيما الغالبية العظمى تتسول للدجاج والخبز اليابس في دول نفطية تقيم المشاريع بالمليارات .وحتى تصل الحكومات ثانية إلى كسب ثقة الشعوب عليها أن تكون قدوة ، وهذه النقطة مهمة لأن الناس يتقبلون عندما يثقون أن الذين يدعونهم إلى شيء هم الذين يطبقونه أولا على أنفسهم ، وعندما يحس المواطن أن القيادة تمثله ويؤمن بإخلاصها وقدرتها وحكمتها فإنه يتفاعل مع قراراتها حين تصدر ولا يعتبرها مجرد أوامر من أعلى ، إن نفذها ينفذها خوفا وليس حبا وتقديرا وولاء . والملاحظ الآن هو أن المواطن العربي يمارس مقاومة سلبية وهي المقاومة التي وصفها الأستاذ أحمد بهاء الدين بأن المواطن لا يتفاعل أبدا مع قرارات حكومته وإن قبلها فإنه يقبلها على مضض ، وتبقى الكلمة التي قالها جلالة السلطان المعظم حفظه الله في عام 1977 نبراسا يضيء لمن أراد أن يستنير حيث قال : إن الوظيفة تكليف ومسؤولية قبل أن تكون تشريفا ، ومن هنا يجيء الترحيب بالحملة الواسعة لمكافحة الفساد الإداري والمالي في البلاد

نشرت في

http://www.shabiba.com/innerpage.asp?detail=13890

Oman Air announced more flights to London and Bangkok

Oman Air (website: www.omanair.aero) has announced that it is boosting the frequency of flights that it operates between London Gatwick and the capital city of Muscat.

From October 26, the national carrier will run one extra weekly service to the popular holiday destination, fulfilling its target of providing a daily service.

The new connection takes to the skies on the same day that Gulf Air launches its London Heathrow to Muscat service via Bahrain.

A dual-cabin Airbus A310 will be deployed on the Oman Air route, offering a choice between business class and economy class service.

Alongside its enhanced Gatwick connection, the carrier will also be increasing the number of flights it operates between Muscat and the Thai capital, Bangkok.

That will offer UK travellers the option of stopping over in the Omani capital before heading on to south-east Asia, with six Bangkok-bound flights departing each week.

Oman Air currently operates a fleet of two Airbus A310 aircraft, four ATR 42 aircraft and ten Boeing 737 aircraft, servicing 27 destinations around the globe.

Published in

http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2008/10/oman-air-boosts.html

International Hydrographic Symposium (OmanHydro 2009)

The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) is pleased to organise an International Symposium; OmanHydro 2009, during the period 15-18 March, 2009 in the Sultanate of Oman, which will feature Hydrography for National Development and Maritime Safety as its main theme.

The Symposium aims to raise awareness of the importance of hydrography and the role that it plays, together with the benefits it provides, for the management and development of marine and coastal resources.

Because of the extensive development of the coastal zone that is being planned and undertaken within Oman and the surrounding region, it is considered that this is an ideal moment to hold such a symposium.

The symposium will be accompanied by a commercial Exhibition.

For more details, Please visit:

http://omanhydro.com/English/topics/conference/index.php

Scientists may have discovered a potential medicine from toxins for cystic fibrosis

Reported by Kristy Ondo - bioemail Posted by Debra Worley - email

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Biochemists at UNCW's Center for Marine Science believe they've discovered a way to turn toxic red tide into a potential medicine.

The medicine could help people suffering from respiratory diseases like Asthma and Cystic Fibrosis.

The project is called "From Harm to Charm."
You often can't see red tide, but when it's airborne you can feel the effects as toxins sneak into your eyes and lungs.

The coast of North Carolina doesn't usually have red tide, but there are exceptions.

"In fact, one year a couple of decades ago now I believe, the oyster festival in North Carolina was actually shut down because of a bloom of the Florida red tide," said Dr. Daniel Baden, a biochemist at UNCW.

Around that same time, Dr. Baden began looking more closely at the potent toxins of red tide.
"All of them have this very strange, what's called a poly-ether structure, almost looks like a strung out chicken wire," said Dr. Baden.

The "chicken wire" holds the key to something remarkable. Baden's team started to break down the toxin and chemically alter it, and that's when the tide began to turn.

"We found a derivative, a modified toxin that was not any longer toxic, and in fact, it became anti-toxic. It was the anti toxin. So that's the 'changing the harm into charm," said Baden.

The initial discovery is just the beginning. This step could put the Center for Marine Science on the map, as they work to move the project out of the lab and into the hands of people who need it.

People suffering from Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis have new hope, thanks to this new discovery in Wilmington.

Right now, Steven Fontana is getting the word out to drug companies so they can begin clinical trials on humans.

"Oh, it's awesome. Anytime you have the opportunity to work on something that can have a real life clinical benefit and affect human lives, it's always exciting," said Fontana.

In the meantime, the UNCW scientists believe they've just scratched the surface of the possibilities that lie beneath the waves.

The whole project is possible because of a program called, "Marbionic." It's an economic development program associated with UNCW and supported by the state.

The project funds the development of different products that come from the sea.

Published in

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=9205539&nav=menu157_2

EADS to build air academy in Sohar, Oman

Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:30am EDT

MUSCAT, October 19 (Reuters) - EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the European maker of the Airbus family of commercial jets, plans to open an air academy in the Gulf Arab state, to train both local and foreign pilots, project officials said on Sunday.

"EADS has proposed the academy and we have accepted," Mohammed Sakr al-Amry, Undersecretary of Civil Aviation, told Reuters.

An EADS project official said the academy would be built in the industrial city of Sohar, which is slated to see a new airport completed in 2012.

"The academy will be fully funded by EADS and is proposed to be built at the new airport in Sohar," said Xavier Azan, managing director of Dubai-based Offset Development Company.
(Reporting by Saleh al-Shaibany; Editing by Rupert Winchester)

Published in

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSLJ1552020081019

Somali Pirates Hijack Ship Laden With Cement in Indian Ocean

By Hamsa Omar

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Somali pirates hijacked a merchant ship laden with cement in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Oman, officials said.

The Panama-registered MV Awail was rented by Barwaqo, a Somali trading company, and was en route to Bosasso from Oman, Abdi Weli Abdi Rahman, deputy minister of harbor and mineral resources for the semi-autonomous Puntland region in northern Somalia, said by phone today.
``The ship was seized by pirates last night,'' Rahman said.

Attacks by pirates off Somalia have surged this year and are running at close to one a day. Commercial shippers have warned they may start routing cargo around Africa, passing the added fuel and time costs on to clients.

The United Nations Security Council voted 15 to zero earlier this month to adopt a resolution, drafted by France, that seeks deployment to the area of naval vessels and military aircraft to use ``the necessary means, in conformity with international law'' to engage pirates.

Meanwhile, the pirates who seized a Ukranian ship carrying a cargo of battle tanks in the Gulf of Aden last month say they won't hijack aid ships or merchant vessels bringing goods to Somalia.

``We have had nothing to do with the hijacking of such vessels and have been preventing other pirates from seizing such ships,'' Sugale Ali Omar, spokesman for the group, said by satellite phone today.

---Editors: Athol Bolleurs, John Deane.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hamsa Omar in Mogadishu via Johannesburg at abolleurs@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 10, 2008 06:15 EDT

Published in

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The Holy Quran Site موقع القرآن الكريم

موقع القرآن الكريم والتفسير بلغات مختلفة في الوصلة التالية

The Holy Quran site with High quality colored pages of the translations of the meaning of the Holy Quran in different languages in the following link:

http://www.alketab.com/default.asp

Domestic steel industry worth 5 billion in Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is aiming to become one of the Gulf region’s top iron and steel producer, with plans to invest USD 5 billion to boost productivity and construct new facilities as part of the government’s efforts to broaden the base of its economy for the coming years. With a clear directive to further strengthen its position in the country’s fast growing construction market, Danube Building Materials FZCO, the leading player in the construction, interior decoration and shop fitting industry, has announced that it will be channelling AED 50 million to develop a new steel facility in Mabella, Oman which will further strengthen its position in the Sultanate.

Spanning approximately 51,000 sq.ft. in the Mabella area, the facility will function as the logistics hub for Danube’s operations in Oman and will facilitate the storage of all stock including deformed bars and other structured steel like angles, channels, and plates. Upon completion, the facility will be ideal for all Omani construction companies to get their required supplies at highly competitive prices on account of the economies of scale generated through bulk purchasing done in Dubai. Furthermore, the manufacturer has also revealed that it will have large-scale imports of steel products from Turkey, China, Taiwan, Korea, South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which will then be processed to address varying customer requirements.

“The unprecedented growth of the real estate market in Oman has been fuelling intense activity in the construction scene, with the government focusing high interest into further advancing its local steel trade,” said Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube Building Materials. “We consider Oman as a key market for our high quality building materials, and with more construction and real estate projects emerging within the Sultanate, this is truly the perfect time to invest significantly in expanding our operations there. This new facility will substantially increase our steel products output, thereby ensuring a steady supply of top-grade steel-based construction materials not only for the country but for the rest of our regional markets as well.”

As a relative newcomer to the steel sector, Oman has witnessed significant growth in its local steel industry in the last few years as a result of strategic utilisation of its energy resources, solid infrastructure and proximity to export markets. Industry analysts are optimistic of Oman’s potential to become a major steel producer in the region, with the government taking substantial investments in developing its steel production capacity primarily to supply the burgeoning local consumption, which is expected to hit 1.1 million tons by 2010. Given the favourable market landscape in the Sultanate, Danube is expecting its latest expansion effort to generate high revenues, while fostering strategic partnerships with more Oman-based partners.

“This new endeavour gives us an excellent opportunity to leverage the booming Oman steel market as well as the Sultanate's excellent relations with potential importing countries. Our expansion to Oman is a testament to our growing business, which has gone well beyond our UAE operations to reach the most booming markets in the region today. Our regional growth strategy to exploit high market demand for our products is driving our expectations for the achievement of our revenue goals for 2008, and we are looking forward to supply our steel products to future projects in the Sultanate,” concluded Sajan.

In addition to its Oman-based expansion, Danube has recently announced its plans to invest AED 200 million in the steel industry in UAE for 2008. Maintaining a high level of quality across all its products, the company is currently in the process of initial market testing to ensure the smooth delivery of its products to customers.
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Published in

http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Oman/236382

6,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) stranded on Oman-UAE border

By Cynthia BalanaPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 02:15:00 09/28/2008

THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN Affairs Saturday ordered its embassies in the Middle East to extend assistance to some 6,000 overseas Filipino workers stranded on the border of Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Acting Foreign Secretary Esteban Conejos Jr. said the OFWs were stranded on the border because of recent changes in the UAE’s visa rules which took effect on July 29.

The new policy directs previous holders of visas to the UAE to reapply as tourists, resulting in the rejection of thousands of visa applications from Filipinos.

“The Filipinos had been warned since March (about the new rule),” said Conejos.
Nevetheless, he said, the DFA would appeal to the UAE government not to drive them away.
At any rate, the DFA would first coordinate with UAE officials before deciding whether or not to repatriate the Filipinos, Conejos said.

He stressed repatriation would be a last resort considering the big number of OFWs involved.
Embassy officials in Muscat, Tehran and Abu Dhabi, as well as the Philippine consulate in Dubai, have been mobilized to deal with the problem.

“(The decision to repatriate the OFWs) will depend on how the UAE government responds to our request for leniency,” Conejos said.

Conejos said that since Sept. 23, a four-man consular team from the embassy in Muscat has been going to various hotels in Al Buraimi, along the border with Oman.

Nearly 1,000 OFWs were reportedly holed up at the Al Buraimi Hotel alone.

The stranded OFWs said they were being asked by the hotels to deposit their passports upon checking in.

The OFWs who exited from Al Ain in the UAE as a result of the change in visa policy entered Oman using three-day tourist visas issued by Omani authorities. However, their visas expired before they could get fresh UAE visit visas to enter UAE.

Starting Aug. 1 this year, Oman also stopped the practice of issuing visas to regular exit visitors.
Aminah Marduen, the coordinator at the embassy in Oman, said that Filipinos and many other foreign nationals entered Oman without being aware of the new Omani immigration law.

Published in

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Qtel ‘eyes second Oman fixed line licence

DOHA: Qtel is bidding for Oman’s second fixed line licence, Reuters said yesterday quoting the London-based Middle East Economic Digest.According to Reuters, Oman has shortlisted six bidders for the Sultanate’s second fixed line telecommunications network that would break the monopoly of the State-run Omantel.Oman, which already has two mobile telephone operators and is also selling a stake in Omantel, is liberalising the telecom sector as parts of efforts to encourage foreign investment as its oil production dries up.

In an interview with Gulf Times in March this year, Qtel Group chief executive officer, Nasser Marafih had said: “Qtel will definitely be bidding for the new fixed line licence in the Sultanate. Qtel is waiting for the Omani authorities to announce the procedures for choosing another fixed line operator in the Sultanate.Qtel is already in Oman through Nawras, its joint venture with Denmark’s TDC and some Omani investors, which provides mobile phone service. Marafih had also said Qtel would certainly scout for more markets and expand its presence in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s top 20 telecommunication companies by 2020.Nawras had been doing “very well” in Oman, Qtel chairman Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani said recently.“The customer base grew 63% to 1.3mn in H1, 2008 with a 44.4% market share,” he said.

Published in

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وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

موقع عن القرآن الكريم، في الوصلة التالية
http://quran.muslim-web.com/

Spratly Islands

Group of several dozen small islands and reefs, south-central South China Sea. Located about midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, the group is claimed variously by Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Of the 12 main islets, the largest is the 90-acre (36-hectare) Itu Aba. Turtles and seabirds are the only permanent inhabitants. After World War II, China established a garrison on Itu Aba, which has been maintained by the Chinese government on Taiwan. All other claimants also have small military forces on several of the islands.

For more information visit:

http://www.answers.com/spratly

New Zealand Extended Continental Shelf

New Zealand’s right to approximately 1.7m square kilometres of extended continental shelf seabed has been confirmed by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

The extended continental shelf is the shelf that extends beyond New Zealand’s 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

It is in addition to the approx four million square kilometres of seabed in the New Zealand EEZ. The extended continental shelf is about six times New Zealand’s total land area (about 270,000 square kilometres).

The New Zealand submission was the result of a 10-year, $44m project involving technical, scientific, legal and policy input from a range of New Zealand government agencies.

These include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), and Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science (GNS Science).

New Zealand lodged its submission with the UN Commission in 2006 in accordance with the procedures in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea [external link].

Over the past two years, a team of New Zealand officials (from MFAT and LINZ) and scientists (from NIWA and GNS Science) have met four times with a special sub-commission set up to consider the NZ submission.

New Zealand’s team answered questions and provided further information on New Zealand’s continental shelf.

The Commission issued its recommendations on 12 September (2008). It has endorsed more than 98 percent of New Zealand’s original submission.

New Zealand can now set the outer limits of its continental shelf on the basis of the Commission’s recommendations, subject to agreeing maritime boundaries with Fiji, Tonga and possibly France (in respect of New Caledonia) to the north.

It’s not yet known what natural resources might be on the extended New Zealand shelf. However, the process ensures New Zealand enjoys sovereign rights over them.

The New Zealand Government already earns more than $100 million per annum in royalties and other income from the seabed within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Australia’s extended continental shelf was confirmed by the UN Commission in April 2008, and is about the size of Western Australia – approx 2.5 million square kilometres.

• 
  Information on the Continental Shelf Project in the “New Zealand Continental Shelf Report” published by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) more
• 
  Information on the scientific work involved in the preparation of the New Zealand submission more

Published in

http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Features/NZs-extended-seabed-claim.php

Decision on the Continental Shelf Delineation Deadline

Check out in the following link:

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/meeting_states_parties/documents/splos_183e_advance.pdf

India Bangladesh Maritime Boundary

Sep 16th, 2008 By Sindh Today Category: India

Sep 16 (IANS) The location of a tiny island and the flow of a river into the Bay of Bengal are the main points of negotiation as India and Bangladesh discuss their maritime boundary after a gap of 28 years.

The island is called South Talpatty by Bangladesh and Purbasha or New Moore Island by India. The flow of Haribhanga river’s channels around it is one of the principal points of dispute between the two neighbours.

As per the rules drawn up by Sir Cyril Radcliffe for demarcating the border when India was partitioned and Pakistan was created in 1947, if there is a river on the border, then the mid-current of the river will be the borderline. Since its emergence in 1971, Bangladesh has been identifying its border according to the Radcliffe rules.

Bangladesh officials claim that the main channel of the Hariabhanga river flows through the west side of South Talpatty while their Indian counterparts claim the eastern channel is the main flow, The Daily Star newspaper said Tuesday.

The island is still in formation, visible only during low tides, emerging in the estuary of the Hariabhanga river, the bordering river in the south-western part of the country.

‘We’ve just started talks and the discussion has been very cordial,’ said M.A.K. Mahmud, additional secretary to the foreign ministry, who is leading the 15-member Bangladesh delegation at the three day talks that began Monday.

The northern reach of the Bay of Bengal is shared by India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. While India is both conducting its off-shore operations and allocating blocks for exploration to foreign multinationals, the latter approach is adopted by Bangladesh and Myanmar too.

In recent years, claims of overlapping territories have piled up with the three, particularly Bangladesh and India, challenging each other’s decisions.

Dhaka is claiming rights over an exclusive economic zone for extraction of marine resources, the New Age newspaper said Tuesday.

In the absence of an accepted exclusive economic zone, India and Myanmar recently opposed Bangladesh’s offshore block bidding for exploration of oil and gas even within the territorial sea of the country.

Also under discussion is the issue of continental shelves in the bay. The UN Convention on Law of the Sea allows a country to claim 350 nautical miles as its continental shelve.

Bangladesh and India had last held talks in 1980 to iron out differences on the contentious maritime boundary in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal.

Dhaka says New Delhi has been lukewarm to talks on maritime boundary, but its officials also blame their own lack of preparation and expertise to counter the Indian claims.

As signatories to the UN convention, Dhaka and New Delhi must submit their claims to the UN by 2011 and 2009, respectively.

Published in

http://www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/21046.htm

Latent TB Treatment Saves Time, Money, And Lives

ScienceDaily (May 23, 2008) — A new way to treat patients with latent tuberculosis (TB), who are infected with TB but without symptoms, can effectively treat it in less than half the time and at a lower cost than the current standard treatment, according to researchers who conducted a multi-center, randomized controlled trial.

"We found that using a therapy of four months of Rifampin instead of the current nine months of Isoniazid costs significantly less for the healthcare system," said lead analyst, Anne Aspler, M.Sc., of the Respiratory Epidemiology & Clinical Research Unit at McGill University's Montreal Chest Institute. "Overall, Rifampin costs about $484 less per patient treated, which, if we assume that four months of Rifampin has at least equal efficacy to nine months of Isoniazid, represents an added savings to the health system of more than $10,000 per patient prevented from developing TB disease. And because of improvements in compliance, we are actually preventing more cases. This treatment can save money as well as lives."

At present, two billion people are believed to have latent or dormant TB. Of those infected, eight to nine million will develop TB each year, of whom 1.6 million will die. "This is one of the most pressing public health crises in our modern world," said Ms. Aspler.

Rifampin is offered in developing countries, where TB presents the greatest burden, at a subsidized cost through the Global Drug Facility of the World Health Organization. In addition to the cost savings, therapy with Rifampin has the advantage of increased compliance.

"While Isoniazid therapy is 90 percent effective for those who complete it, in reality, fewer than 50 percent do," Ms. Aspler explained. The high attrition rate can have serious public heath effects, not only for the patients who fail to complete therapy, but also for the individuals they may later infect.

According to previous research and program experience in Maryland and New Jersey, a four-month treatment has been shown to improve compliance by 20 to 25 percent. In addition to better completion rates, a four-month course of Rifampin offers the advantages of fewer adverse reactions (fewer serious side effects such as hepatotoxicity or liver damage), and lower costs.
"The next step in research is a major Phase III clinical trial of efficacy--ideally in HIV-infected and non-infected patients and in low-income settings where tuberculosis is the leading cause of death in people living with HIV," said Ms. Aspler.

The results will be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on May 20.

Published in

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520090457.htm

Oman to fund Iran gasfield development

MUSCAT: Oman and Iran plan to complete the development of the Kish gasfield in the Gulf by 2012 with the GCC state footing the bill of up to $12 billion, an Omani energy ministry official said yesterday.

"Oman is going to wholly fund the Kish gasfield and we expect to sign an agreement at the end of 2008 so the plant can start producing gas for Oman by 2012," an oil and gas ministry project official said.

"The project will involve a 200km pipeline, mostly underwater, to Musandam and Sohar.

"Phase one of this project will transport gas to Oman at a rate of one billion cubic feet per day and then rising to 3bn cubic feet."

Iran and Oman signed a deal in April to jointly develop Iran's Kish gasfield at an estimated cost of between $7bn and $12bn, but did not give a timeline for the project at the time.

Iran's oil minister travelled to Muscat earlier this month to discuss the plans to export Iranian gas to Oman, from where it could be exported using an Omani liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant.

Iran has the world's second biggest gas reserves but has been slow to develop gas exports and has no LNG facilities, which supercool gas so it can be exported by ship.

Facing US sanctions and pressure, it has increasingly turned towards Asia and elsewhere to develop its oil and gas sector. The Islamic Republic's gas reserves were put at 27.80 trillion cubic metres at the end last year, compared to Oman's much more modest 690 billion cubic metres.

The gas heading to the Omani LNG facility will be used by the National Iranian Oil Company.

Published on 11 September in:

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=228610&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=31175

New Zealand Continental Shelf Extension

September 5, 2008, 10:35 am

New Zealand could be on the verge of winning a territorial and economic bonanza, with word due any day on a claim to 1.6 million square kilometres of continental shelf.

The claim was lodged with the United Nations Law of the Sea Commission two years ago after a 10-year $44 million research project to work out the limits of the shelf.

If successful, New Zealand would gain jurisdiction over an area of seabed six times the size of its landmass, giving it control of potentially enormous mineral resources that lie on or under the seabed beyond the existing 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

It includes a large area in the Tasman called Lord Howe Rise, a block extending north into the Pacific Ocean towards Tonga and Fiji, an area skirting the Chathams Rise to the east, and additional areas to the far south.

Foreign Affairs Ministry legal adviser Gerard van Bohemen told The Dominion Post newspaper the commission was believed to have made its decision, and the ministry expected to hear any day.

Even with a favourable ruling, agreements on New Zealand shelf boundaries still had to be reached with Fiji and Tonga.

Undersea boundaries in the Tasman Sea and the southern oceans were agreed with Australia four years ago.

GNS Science ocean exploration chief Ray Wood said securing the shelf would be a huge benefit for New Zealand .

There could be large oil deposits on the Lord Howe and Chatham rises, gold and other valuable mineral deposits on the Three Kings Ridge to the north of New Zealand , and manganese nodules worth billions in the southern parts of the shelf.

"The real challenge for us now is to work out what we have and how we use it in the future," Dr Wood said.

Published in
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/4991767/ruling-bring-economic-bonanza-nz/

الليالي العشر الأواخر وليلة القدر في شهر رمضان للشيخ أحمد الخليلي

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)

Pulmonary tuberculosis
Overview
Symptoms
Treatment
Prevention

Definition:
Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) . The lungs are primarily involved, but the infection can spread to other organs.

Alternative Names:TB; Tuberculosis - pulmonary; Consumption

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Tuberculosis can develop after inhaling droplets sprayed into the air from a cough or sneeze by someone infected with M. tuberculosis . The disease is characterized by the development of granulomas (granular tumors) in the infected tissues.

The usual site of the disease is the lungs, but other organs may be involved. The primary stage of the infection is usually asymptomatic (without symptoms). In the United States, the majority of people will recover from primary TB infection without further evidence of the disease.

Primary pulmonary TB develops in the minority of people whose immune systems do not successfully contain the primary infection. In this case, the disease may occur within weeks after the primary infection. TB may also lie dormant for years and reappear after the initial infection is contained.

Infants, the elderly, and individuals who are immunocompromised -- for example, those with AIDS , those undergoing chemotherapy , or transplant recipients taking antirejection medications -- are at higher risk for progression to disease or reactivation of dormant disease. In pulmonary TB, the extent of the disease can vary from minimal to massive involvement. Without effective therapy, the disease becomes progressively worse.

The risk of contracting TB increases with the frequency of contact with people who have the disease, with crowded or unsanitary living conditions and with poor nutrition. Recently, there has been an increase in cases of TB in the U.S. Factors that may contribute to the increase in tuberculous infection in a population are:

• Increase in HIV infection
  Increase in number of homeless individuals (poor environment and poor nutrition)
  The appearance of drug-resistant strains of TB
  Incomplete treatment of TB infections (such as failure to take medications for the prescribed length of time) can contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.
  Individuals with immune systems damaged by AIDS have a higher risk of developing active tuberculosis -- either from new exposure to TB or reactivation of dormant mycobacteria. In addition, without the aid of an active immune system, treatment is more difficult and the disease is more resistant to therapy.

In the U.S., there are 10 cases of TB per 100,000 people, but it varies dramatically by area of residence and socio-economic class. Also see:
Disseminated tuberculosis (affects the whole body)
Atypical mycobacterial infection

References:
Ferrara G, Losi M, Meacci M, et al. Routine Hospital Use of a New Commercial Whole Blood Interferon-(gamma) Assay for the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Infection. Am J Respir Crit Care Med . 2005 Sep 1;172(5):631-5. Epub 2005 Jun 16.
US Centers for Disease Control. Treatment of Tuberculosis. MMWR 2003; 52.
Diagnostic Standards: Classification of TB in Adults and Children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000; 161.

Published in

http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000077.htm