smh.com.au May 17 2003

The "mail" in blackmail (at various times also spelt maill, male) is an old Scots word for rent. This was usually paid in what was often called white money, silver coins. It comes from Old Norse "mal", meaning an agreement, later a contract, and then the payment specified by the contract.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, chieftains in the Scottish Highlands and along the border between Scotland and England ran protection rackets in which they threatened farmers with pillage and worse if they didn't pay up. This amounted to an informal tax or extra rent and the farmers, with twisted humour, thought of it as the opposite of the legitimate white money, or white mail, that they paid. Black has for many centuries been associated with the dark side of human activities, hence blackmail. The term was extended in the 19th century to other ways of extorting money with menaces, and in particular to the threat of exposing a person's secrets.

Ian Blair Hamilton, Byron Bay

Why have the Dutch produced so many famous painters but hardly any composers or writers?

When Holland had its "Golden Age" in the 17th century, it was the burghers, and in particular the merchants, who amassed huge fortunes. While the wealthy aristocracy in other European countries (then a republic, Holland had no royal house) entertained their friends with their own court orchestra, the Dutch tried to impress their friends with works by the great masters (like Rembrandt) in their grand canal houses. Catholic churches (also the sponsors of music) were closed due to the Reformation, and the Dutch Reformed Church frowned upon large orchestras in churches. Anne Frank is probably the most famous Dutch writer, with more translations in other languages than any other book, apart from the Bible.

Johan de Ruiter, Surry Hills

I have noticed some Asian tourists giving the V-sign when having their photos taken. Why do they do this?

If you watch Japanese cartoons, you'll notice that the main characters tend to pose with a V-sign after they have accomplished their "missions". So V is more likely to stand for victory (or in this case, "I have made it here") rather than a sign of peace.

Adrian Lee, St Ives

It's predominantly Japanese tourists who display this for a photo. It symbolises victory. It's also a message of good fun or a good time. Generally, the former interpretation is for sporting team photos and the latter for holiday pix. I've observed this in Taiwan, but not so in Hong Kong.

Steven Katz, Gordon

Why is the abbreviation for number "No." and not "Nu."? "No." for number is a type of abbreviation called a contraction, meaning that you take out the middle of a word. In this case, the word is the Italian "numero", which means number. It was devised by Italian shipping clerks, who also contracted "ditto" and made do with that.

Torbjorn Lundmark, Manly

If you catalogued the Bible, would it be regarded as a work of fiction or non-fiction? Although the Bible contains material that some believe is fictional, it also contains historical information that has been verified as factual. On the basis of the latter it presumably would be catalogued as non-fiction.

David Gordon, Cranebrook

Is it cheaper to leave lights on if going in and out of a room, or to turn them on and off? The flick of the light switch completes the electrical circuit, after which point energy is being consumed. When using normal tungsten filament light bulbs, every second the light is on will lead to a more expensive electricity bill. In the case of fluorescent tubes, the energy consumption to electrically charge the gas in the tube (when the light flickers before starting up) is eight times greater than the general energy consumption of the same tube once started.

Assuming it takes a maximum of four seconds to start up a fluorescent light tube, it would only be cheaper to leave the light on if you were to be back in the room within 32 seconds - otherwise turning the light off as you exit the room would be the most cost-effective option.

Jason Carroll, Turramurra

Why do so many place names, especially countries, start and end with the letter A? Blame it on the Romans, the Latin language and the Renaissance. The ancient Romans, in their conquest of the then-known world, named many countries and towns/settlements with either masculine names, ending in "um" (such as Londinium and Belgium), or feminine names ending in "a" (Britannia, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Romania, Bulgaria). But the latter seemed to be preferred.

The period of the European Renaissance, the 14th to 16th centuries, saw a strong swing to the much-admired standards of the Roman and Greek civilisations. The Renaissance also saw the emergence of European world exploration and settlement. So many of the new colonies and their cities were given stylised names with "a" endings (Australia, America, Canada, Alaska, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, India, Malaya and so on).

Jim Martyn, Mollymook

What is the difference between a government and a regime? The use of the regiment.

Michael Flatt, Byron Bay

A "free" press, or maybe Rupert Murdoch's personal support for your junta.

Timothy Aley, Federal

What's the difference between a government and a regime? Bail.

Conrad Mathias, Cooma

Any answers?

• Why do seasons start at the beginning of the month in Australia, but on the 21st of the month in the northern hemisphere?
• When Tasmania broke free of the mainland, why did it stop so close?
• Why doesn't toothpaste have a use-by date?
• Why is there beef and chicken stock but no lamb stock?
• What sort of event or collision would it take to make the planet explode?

READERS' RESPONSES: Email your answers, or any questions you want answered, to bigquestions@ smh.com.au or write to Big Questions, Spectrum, SMH, GPO Box 506, Sydney 2001. Limit questions to one short sentence and answers to a maximum of 130 words, and state your name and suburb/town.

EurekAlert Public release date: 15-May-2003 [ Print This Article | Close This Window ]

Contact: Susan Brooks susan.brooks@aventis.com 908-243-7564 Aventis

Paula Koenigs koenigs.pm@pg.com 513-622-3923 P&G Pharmaceuticals

New evaluation of osteoporosis therapies

Finds gastrointestinal-related cost differences San Diego, CA (May 15, 2003) -- In a new analysis, gastrointestinal (GI)-related medical expenses for osteoporosis patients initiating therapy with Fosamax® (alendronate sodium tablets) were nearly three times higher than for those patients initiating therapy with Actonel® (risedronate sodium tablets). The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE).

The evaluation assessed the medical costs to managed care organizations for outpatient visits (e.g., hospital outpatient and physician office visits), inpatient care (e.g., hospitalization) and prescriptions for gastro-protective agents, over the first four months of therapy. In this analysis, the average monthly cost for GI-related medical treatment was $2.52 per Actonel patient, compared to $7.40 per Fosamax daily patient and $7.50 per Fosamax weekly patient. Inpatient visits -- typically expensive components in overall medical care -- were 0.2 visits (per 100 patients per month) for Actonel, and 1.2 and 1.6 visits (per 100 patients per month) for Fosamax daily and Fosamax weekly, respectively.

"Extent of inpatient care was the main reason for the difference in GI-related medical costs," said Natalie Borisov, PhD, health economist at P&G Pharmaceuticals, who led the evaluation. "GI-related medical costs are a factor that managed care organizations take into consideration when evaluating the cost profile of an osteoporosis therapy."

Treating patients with a weekly dose of Fosamax versus a daily dose did not markedly change the level of GI-related medical expense or number of inpatient visits that these patients experienced.

Analysis Details The economic evaluation was conducted with a large medical and pharmaceutical claims database licensed from the health care consulting service, Protocare Sciences. The analysis included 3,947 subjects (93 percent women) age 65 years or older who initiated treatment with Actonel (5 mg/day) or Fosamax (5 mg/day, 10 mg/day, 35 mg/week or 70 mg/week) between November 2000 and August 2001.

Patients were separated into two groups: those with a "GI history" and those with "no GI history." The group with a "GI history" had a GI diagnosis (based on internationally standardized codes), had undergone a GI procedure, had taken medications for GI conditions, or had taken medications associated with increased risk of GI conditions, during a six-month pre-treatment period. The data discussed above were for those patients in the "no GI history" group. In the "GI history" group, Actonel patients also experienced lower GI-related medical costs than Fosamax patients. Costs were valued using 2002 US dollars. Causality between treatment and GI events was not assessed.

About Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by reduced bone strength predisposing a person to an increased risk of fracture. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 1.2 million women suffer osteoporotic fractures in the U.S. each year. Risk factors for osteoporosis and subsequent fractures include loss of estrogen production, advanced age, preexisting fractures, and low bone mineral density. Studies show that among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who experience a spinal fracture, one out of five will suffer their next spinal fracture within just one year, potentially leading to a fracture cascade.

Preventive measures, such as not smoking, maintaining a balanced diet supplemented with calcium and vitamin D, and engaging in weight-bearing exercise like walking, can reduce an individual's chances of developing osteoporosis. However, in some people these preventive measures may not be enough, and medications like Actonel may be beneficial.

About Actonel® (risedronate sodium tablets) Actonel is developed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and co-marketed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Aventis. Actonel 35 mg Once-a-Week and Actonel 5 mg daily are indicated for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Actonel 5 mg daily is also indicated for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) in men and women either initiating or continuing systemic glucocorticoid treatment (greater than or equal to 7.5 mg/d prednisone or equivalent) for chronic diseases.

In clinical trials, Actonel was generally well tolerated. Actonel is contraindicated in patients with hypocalcemia, known hypersensitivity to any component of this product, or inability to stand or sit upright for at least 30 minutes. Hypocalcemia and other disturbances of bone and mineral metabolism should be effectively treated before starting Actonel therapy. Actonel is not recommended for use in patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance < 30 mL/min).

Bisphosphonates may cause upper gastrointestinal disorders such as dysphagia, esophagitis and esophageal or gastric ulcer. Patients should pay particular attention to the dosing instructions, as failure to take the drug according to instructions may compromise clinical benefits and may increase the risk of adverse events. In clinical trials, the overall incidence of adverse events with Actonel 5 mg daily was comparable to placebo. The most commonly reported adverse events regardless of causality were infection (primarily upper respiratory, placebo 29.7 percent vs. Actonel 5 mg 29.9 percent), back pain (23.6 percent vs. 26.1 percent), and arthralgia (21.1 percent vs. 23.7 percent).

In a one-year clinical trial comparing Actonel 35 mg Once-a-Week and Actonel 5 mg daily, the overall incidence of adverse events with the two dosing regimens was similar. The most commonly reported adverse events regardless of causality were infection (Actonel 35 mg 20.6 percent vs. Actonel 5 mg 19.0 percent), arthralgia (14.2 percent vs. 11.5 percent) and constipation (12.2 percent vs. 12.5 percent). Please visit www.actonel.com for full prescribing information for Actonel.

About The Alliance for Better Bone Health The Alliance for Better Bone Health was formed by Procter & Gamble and Aventis in May 1997 to promote bone health and disease awareness through numerous activities to support physicians and patients around the globe.

About Procter & Gamble Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. Some of the nearly 300 P&G brands consumers know and use with confidence in over 160 countries around the world include: Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Bounty®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Olay®, and Clairol Nice 'n Easy®. Some of P&G Pharmaceuticals leading prescription products include Actonel® (risedronate sodium tablets), Asacol® (mesalamine), and Macrobid® (nitrofurantoin monohydrate macrocrystals). The P&G community consists of nearly 102,000 employees working in almost 80 countries worldwide. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About Aventis Aventis is dedicated to treating and preventing disease by discovering and developing innovative prescription drugs and human vaccines. In 2002, Aventis generated sales of € 17.6 billion (US $16.6 billion), invested € 3.1 billion (US $3 billion) in research and development and employed approximately 71,000 people in its core business. Aventis corporate headquarters are in Strasbourg, France. The company's prescription drugs business is conducted in the U.S. by Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Aventis in the U.S., please visit: www.aventis-us.com.

Copies of this release are available on the Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals Web site at www.pgpharma.com, on the Aventis Pharmaceuticals U.S. Web site at www.aventis-us.com, or by calling 800-207-8049.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, are forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition to the risks and uncertainties noted in this news release, there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made. These include: (1) the achievement of expected cost and tax savings associated with changes in the Company's organization structure; (2) the ability to achieve business plans, including growing volume profitably, despite high levels of competitive activity, especially with respect to the product categories and geographical markets in which the Company has chosen to focus; (3) the ability to manage and maintain key customer relationships; (4) the achievement of growth in significant developing markets such as China, Turkey, Mexico, the Southern Cone of Latin America, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the countries of Southeast Asia; (5) the ability to successfully manage regulatory, tax and legal matters, including resolution of pending matters within current estimates; (6) the ability to successfully implement, achieve and sustain cost improvement plans in manufacturing and overhead areas; (7) the ability to successfully manage currency (including currency issues in Latin America), interest rate and certain commodity cost exposures; (8) the ability to manage the continued political and/or economic uncertainty in Latin America (including Venezuela) and war in the Middle East, as well as any political and/or economic uncertainty due to terrorist activities or war (including Korea); and (9) the successful acquisition, transition, integration, and operation of the Wella business. If the Company's assumptions and estimates are incorrect or do not come to fruition, or if the Company does not achieve all of these key factors, then the Company's actual results might differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein.

Statements in this news release other than historical information are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially depending on factors such as the availability of resources, the timing and effects of regulatory actions, the strength of competition, the outcome of litigation, and the effectiveness of patent protection. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties is set forth in the current Annual Report on Form 20-F of Aventis on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

<a href=www.helsinki-hs.net>Helsengin Sanomat Metro - Thursday 24.4.2003

Vantaa family drives over one hundred kilometres daily to take children to school and day-care

By Jaana Savolainen

It says "Guarderia española" on the door of a yellow wooden house on Toinen linja in Helsinki's Kallio district. Inside, three Cuban teachers guide the merry group of children to the table with their colouring books.

"What is the capital of Venezuela?" Rayza Reguera asks. 
"Caracas!" the children yell out in unison. 
"How many stars are there on the Venezuelan flag?" 
"Seven!" the children answer in Spanish, without a moment's hesitation. 

Nearly half of the children who spend their days at the Mi Casita day-care centre have at least a part of their roots in Spain or in Latin America. A group of parents established the private day-care centre nine years ago, when there was no Spanish-language day-care available in Helsinki.

A part of the 22 children come from entirely Finnish families. Some of them have wound up at Mi Casita purely by coincidence. The reputation of the day-care centre is so good that children even from Vantaa and Kerava have been driven over daily. 

"A warm day-care place, we are very thankful", says Vantaa resident Marita Asplund, whose three children have all gone to Mi Casita. 

Teacher Magalys Marin lifts the youngest children into her lap every so often, gives them hugs and kisses. One-year-old Disa Dahlström squeezes her tightly around the neck. 

The Asplund family heard about the Spanish-language day-care alternative by chance on the radio at the time when they were seeking a place for their oldest child. "We did not receive a day-care place from Vantaa at the time."

Since then, the family has driven from the Vantaanlaakso district to Kallio every weekday morning, with the parents then driving back to Vantaa's Heikinlaakso for work. Now, in addition, they drop the two older children off at the Taivallahti school in Helsinki's Töölö district, where the children are taught in Spanish for a few hours a week. 

In the afternoon, they first pick up 11-year-old Dan and 8-year-old Maximilian from school, and later pick up 6-year-old Cecil from the day-care centre. All the driving amounts to over 100 kilometres each day. 

"It is not a problem", Asplund assures. "Entrepreneurs can manage this." 

The parents in the family had not studied Spanish before, but now they have learned a bit as well. The family has also vacationed twice in Cuba, to take advantage of the children's language skills. 

Pernaja resident Marjo Vartiainen had received a Mi Casita brochure from a colleague, and decided to place her two children there. The family lived in Kerava at the time, but Kallio was along the way to work for the mother.

"Even from Pernaja, it only takes 45 minutes to drive here along the freeway." 

She is very pleased with the language skills of her children, who are now both in school. "Spanish is easy to pronounce for Finns." 

When son Hugo, then aged three, was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, the answer was a matador, a bullfighter. Wiliina, who still goes to Mi Casita for a while in the afternoons, is now excited about the rhythms in Latin music. 

Many of the children speak no Spanish when they first start at Mi Casita, but especially the more talkative children learn the language fast. "In four months, they begin to understand, and in six months, they are already quite fluent", explains Rayza Reguera.

Among themselves the children speak Finnish. 

Lilian Snellman's daughter Rosalia started going to Mi Casita when she was slightly under two years old, and the next time Christmas came around, she sung all the Christmas songs in Spanish. "There is no need for any intensive teaching, children have the capacity to learn", observes Snellman, who teaches Spanish for a living herself. 

It takes some effort to maintain the acquired language skills. At school, the children have only two extra hours of Spanish classes a week. In fact, Magalys Marin has already formed a group with six former day-care children who are now in school, and she teaches them Spanish for a couple of hours every Saturday. 

FACTFILE: Nineteen foreign-language day-care centres

There are nineteen private, foreign-language day-care centres in Helsinki: eleven in English, two in French, two in Russian, one in German, one in Arabic, and one in Spanish.

In addition to Helsinki, there is a Spanish-language day-care centre in Espoo.

Full-day care at Mi Casita costs 500 euros per month for one child, and 430 euros per month for siblings. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) assists private day-care expenses with 117.3 euros per month. Additional grants can be received depending on the municipality of residence, and the parents' income level.

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 17.4.2003

<a href=www.sun-sentinel.com>sun-sentinel.com By Erwin M. Vasquez Posted May 11 2003

On my way back to Venezuela in 1979 from a cold and snowy Washington, D.C., I drove for hours and decided to rest in Fort Lauderdale before reaching Miami International Airport.

At a restaurant, I was conversing with some people who told me a hospital on the beach was seeking physicians. I drove over to what then was North Beach Medical Center on State Road A1A in Fort Lauderdale and spoke with the staff there.

As destiny would have it, I decided to stay in Fort Lauderdale and open my cardiology practice. That was the beginning of my journey, and the horizon was infinite.

I used to vacation in the United States as a child with my family, but in 1971 I came to Miami to take a foreign medical graduate test. After passing that exam, I started an intensive English course at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Then I did an internship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, completed my residency in Detroit, and finished a cardiology specialty at the University of Pittsburgh. I was quickly learning the American culture.

Medicine was my dream, and to be a good physician was my goal. My father was a fisherman and my mother was a pious woman who concentrated on my values and education. My parents instilled a foundation for me and the courage needed to later endure the difficult medical internship with my language limitations.

Medicine gave me the financial independence to practice the values given to me. I have always been interested in every aspect of social justice. When I was a child, I remember my mother placing food out by the kitchen door every night for the poor and forgotten. My religious upbringing was strong, and our belief to help those who are suffering was part of my formation.

I wanted to expand my profession toward that aim. In 1989, after treating so many poor immigrants through my practice, I founded the Light of the World Clinic (Clinica Luz del Mundo), along with a priest and a number of volunteer Hispanic physicians. It was meant to serve as a primary medical clinic for the needy and underserved families who fall between the cracks of an already burdened public health system -- understanding the limitations that these families face with language barriers and no jobs or money.

Today, the clinic remains a free volunteer-run facility, totally supported through small grants and private donations. Without any state or county funds, the clinic provides services to more than 12,000 people a year with general medicine, cardiology, dermatology, gynecology, pediatric, psychology and nutrition programs. With a cadre of volunteers, medical professionals and students who give of their time from the heart, this is truly a community project of love.

Around the time I opened the clinic, I sought to expand my volunteer efforts and my path crossed with my future wife, Elaine Micelli, who had had a different experience in her life. As a then-single mother of three daughters from Brooklyn, N.Y., she dedicated her time to them and worked two to three jobs to make ends meet.

Her career spanned the gamut from the cable television industry to the Hispanic market. She has helped organize fund-raising and educational events with the aim of adding a Hispanic flavor to the mainstream, and runs El Heraldo, which went from a monthly to a weekly publication.

She brought the American way into my life and made me believe we could achieve the dream together. We have been combining our volunteerism for many years. It keeps us centered and aware of the numerous people who touch us and whom we touch, producing a communion of souls.

We believe we should "give until it hurts," in the words of Mother Teresa. Our faith helps us endure the pain of seeing people suffer, and to be able to accomplish a number of tasks all at once.

Although our worlds were different, our principles and values were essentially what brought us together. Our parents gave us a similar foundation: to love thy neighbor and do no harm unto anyone.

As an immigrant in this land of the free and brave, I have been fortunate to have good mentors who have shown me the way with so much love.

Still, the work is not complete.

There is poverty, homelessness, discrimination and racism. Our work will be complete when these fade from society. The occasional "My Story, A New Life" features people from outside the United States who have established themselves successfully in South Florida.

townonline.com Friday, May 9, 2003

The American Academy of Physician Assistants has selected Cameron R. Macauley of Allston as the recipient of its 2003 Humanitarian Physician Assistant of the Year Award. The award will be presented May 21 in New Orleans at AAPA's 31st annual Physician Assistant Conference.

Since 1984, Macauley has provided medical care, surgical care and health education to people in six countries on three continents. He has learned to speak, read and write five languages: Bahasa, Crioulo, Portuguese, Yanomami, and Fulani, as well as to converse in a sixth, Khmer.

During his career, Macauley has opened and supervised outpatient community clinics in Guinea-Bissau, Brazil and on the Thai-Cambodian border, and provided immunization services in southern Angola, an area that had not had such a program for 10 years. He also supervised the collection and analysis of more than 10,000 blood smears for malaria during an epidemic in the Brazilian Amazon and coordinated medical relief efforts during a cholera epidemic in South Central Angola in 1994.

Macauley has designed and taught courses for nurses, surgical technicians, health agents, vaccinators and microscopists in places where such programs had not previously existed and created course materials in native languages. "In 17 years I have taught over 1,000 students, always in their own languages," said Macauley. Most recently, he established the first training program for Yanomami indigenous health agents in Brazil, where he also trained the first Yanomami malaria microscopists.

"Cameron recognized that education is a fundamental activity in the fight for human rights," wrote Dr. Sandra Gomes de Almeida, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a letter of recommendation.

"The self-esteem and ambition that Cameron inspired in his students will continue to make an enormous difference in their future and will, I believe, shape the grassroots health education in Brazil."

Macauley has also advocated for human rights outside of his clinical work and teaching. In 1994, while living and providing medical care in Angola, he launched a protest against local police and military staff who were illegally conscripting health care workers for military service. In 1986, while managing an outpatient clinic that served 30,000 refugees on the Thai-Cambodian border, he led protests against human rights violations at the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok.

Macauley says that one of the greatest challenges he has found in his work is "overcoming the lack of motivation of students due to chronic poverty and in some cases war, to inspire them to learn how to provide basic health care services." He is currently working with Physician Assistants for Global Health, an AAPA-recognized special interest group, to encourage PAs to work overseas in humanitarian assistance, as well as researching cost-effective malaria control strategies for Amerindian groups in Venezuela and Brazil.

The Humanitarian Physician Assistant of the Year Award, supported by Pfizer Inc., honors a physician assistant who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to human rights and exemplifies the PA profession's philosophy of providing accessible and quality health care in geographic locations inside and outside of the United States. Macauley will be presented a crystal PAragon Award and a check for $2,500. A matching contribution will be given in his name to Cultural Survival.