Aston University - United Kingdom

MBA Scholarships

Our MBA scholarships are designed to support talented applicants wishing to develop their skills and knowledge with the Aston MBA starting in 2016/17.

Aston Excellence

Up to £6,000
The Aston Excellence scholarship will be awarded to students who can demonstrate outstanding academic, professional and personal achievements along with the passion to become an ambassador for the Aston MBA.

Aston Excellence (Online/Executive)

£3,000

The Aston Excellence scholarship will be awarded to students who can demonstrate outstanding academic, professional and personal achievements along with the passion to become an ambassador for the Aston MBA.

*Open to UK, EU and International students wishing to study the Online Aston MBA    (September 2016). 

How to apply

Applicants wishing to apply for one of the Aston MBA scholarships must meet the following criteria:

• Full completion of an online application for the Aston MBA. it is recommended that applicants submit their scholarship application at the same time as their MBA application (see details below).
• Be a self-funded candidate.

The deadline for the first round of scholarships is 31 March 2016.

For more information, please contact/visit your nearest JM Office today

                  

                                                                                                                                                              Article is courtesy of  Aston University

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James Cook University - Singapore

You are invited to join our campus tour to James Cook University Singapore on 23 January 2016 (Saturday).

JCU Singapore is a private university in Singapore, and is a branch of James Cook University, based in Townsville, Australia. In addition to Singapore and Townsville, JCU operates another campus in Cairns, Australia. JCU Singapore was opened in 2003 as part of the university's strategic intent of "Creating a brighter future for life in the tropics world-wide through graduates and discoveries that make a difference". The university is ranked in the top 4%* of universities in the world and is the leading tropical research university in Australia. JCU Singapore fully adapts the Australian curriculum and all degree certification is awarded from James Cook University Australia.

Date: 23^rd January 2016 (Saturday)

Time: 11am - 2pm

Transportation and lunch will be provided!!

For more information, please contact/visit your nearest JM Office today

                  

                                                                                                                                                              

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Victoria University - Australia

VU COLLEGE ELICOS SCHOLARSHIP 

To celebrate the official launch of VU College in 2016, and to mark Victoria University's centenary year, we are offering a special scholarship for our English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) packages*:

• For every 10 weeks of an ELICOS package get 2 weeks free, SAVING A$790
• Open to international students who apply for an ELICOS package at VU College from 23 November 2015 and commence their course in Melbourne in 2016
• No formal application required

*Package is ELICOS plus a VU College diploma or VU degree/

  Note: Students enroling in ELICOS only are not eligible for this scholarship

PATHWAYS  TO SUCCESS AT VU COLLEGE

Designed to prepare school-leavers for a university degree, our Higher Education diplomas can help students achieve their academic goals at a university level. Successful completion of a one-year diploma at VU College provides guaranteed entry into the second year of bachelor degrees at VU.

For more information, please contact/visit your nearest JM Office today

                  

                                                                                                                                                              Article is courtesy of Victoria University

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Brazilian MOH: 3893 Suspected Microcephaly Cases Under Investigation

Microcephaly Incidence - Brazil Epi Week 1

#10,914


Although the full epidemiological report for week 2 has not yet been uploaded to the Brazilian MOH website, the press release below indicates 3893 suspected microcephaly cases are under investigation, an increase of 363 over last week's number.

In a normal year Brazil records fewer than 200 microcephalic births, but since October that number has skyrocketed, with more than 3800 suspected cases reported in the past few months.

While a firm connection has yet to be established, the operating assumption is these birth defects are due to maternal infection with the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that began to spread in Brazil less than a year ago.


Over the past week we've seen the CDC issue a revised travel advisory , a HAN: Recognizing, Managing & Reporting ZIka Virus Infections In Travelers for clinicians, and MMWR: Interim Guidelines For Pregnant Women During A Zika Outbreak.

Registration Date: 01/20/2016 17:01:47 changed in the 20.1.2016 the 17:01:32

MICROCEFALIA

Laboratories expand 20 times the capacity for Zika tests

Ministry of Health is acquiring 500 000 PCR tests for the virus, increasing the production capacity of one thousand to 20 thousand monthly diagnostics. Newsletter registers 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly and points the breakdown of confirmed cases and discarded
   
(SNIP)

PRESS RELEASE - The new epidemiological report released on Wednesday (20) by the Ministry of Health indicate 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly. The notifications were registered until 16 January and took place in 764 municipalities in 21 Brazilian states. The report shows a breakdown of confirmed cases and discarded. The notified total of 224 had microcephaly confirmation, 6 confirmed the relationship with the Zika virus and other 282 were discarded. Continue research 3,381 suspected cases of microcephaly.

In total there were 49 reported deaths due to congenital malformations. These five have been confirmed for the relationship with the Zika virus, all in the Northeast, one in Ceará and four in Rio Grande do Norte. Additionally, the release also brings the laboratory investigation of a baby with microcephaly in Minas Gerais, which had the relationship with Zika diagnosed. This is the sixth confirmed the relationship of disease with the virus. These results add to the other scientific evidence obtained in 2015 and reinforce the hypothesis relationship between the Zika virus infection and the occurrence of microcephaly and other congenital malformations.

According to the report, the state of Pernambuco continues with the highest number of suspected cases (1,306), representing 33% of total registered across the country. Next are the states of Paraíba (665), Bahia (496), Ceará (216), Rio Grande do Norte (188), Sergipe (164), Alagoas (158), Mato Grosso (134) and Rio de Janeiro ( 122).

Currently, the movement of the Zika is confirmed by PCR with molecular biology technology. From the confirmation in a particular locality, the other diagnoses are made clinically, for medical assessment of symptoms. So far, they are with indigenous circulation of Zika virus 20 units of the federation. They are: Federal District, Mato Grosso do Sul, Roraima, Amazonas, Para, Rondonia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhao, Piaui, Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Paraná.

(Continue . . . .)

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MMWR: Interim Guidelines For Pregnant Women During A Zika Outbreak

Zika Testing Algorithm - MMWR Jan 2016

#10,913


Last Friday the CDC issued a HAN advisory for clinicians on Recognizing, Managing & Reporting ZIka Virus Infections In Travelers. Yesterday the CDC's MMWR published a lengthy set of interim guidance for pregnant women during a Zika Outbreak.

These guidelines include recommendations for pregnant women considering travel to areas where Zika may be acquired and recommendations for screening, testing, and management of pregnant returning travelers.

Last week the CDC issued a travel advisory suggesting:

• Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip.

And as I reported earlier today, health authorities are already seeing pregnant women with travel history to Zika endemic areas return with the virus (see PAHO: Zika Marches On).

As we've seen with so many other emerging infectious diseases (MERS-CoV, Avian Flu, Dengue, etc), one of the most important steps is for patients to share their travel history with their health care provider.


Follow the link below to view the full MMWR interim guidance:

Interim Guidelines for Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak — United States, 2016

Early Release / January 19, 2016 / 65(2);1–4

Format:

Select one

• PDF [354 KB]

Emily E. Petersen, MD¹; J. Erin Staples, MD, PhD²; Dana Meaney-Delman,, MD³; Marc Fischer, MD²; Sascha R. Ellington, MSPH¹; William M. Callaghan, MD¹; Denise J. Jamieson, MD¹ (View author affiliations)

CDC has developed interim guidelines for health care providers in the United States caring for pregnant women during a Zika virus outbreak. These guidelines include recommendations for pregnant women considering travel to an area with Zika virus transmission and recommendations for screening, testing, and management of pregnant returning travelers. 

Updates on areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission are available online (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/). Health care providers should ask all pregnant women about recent travel. Pregnant women with a history of travel to an area with Zika virus transmission and who report two or more symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease (acute onset of fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia, or conjunctivitis) during or within 2 weeks of travel, or who have ultrasound findings of fetal microcephaly or intracranial calcifications, should be tested for Zika virus infection in consultation with their state or local health department. Testing is not indicated for women without a travel history to an area with Zika virus transmission. In pregnant women with laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection, serial ultrasound examination should be considered to monitor fetal growth and anatomy and referral to a maternal-fetal medicine or infectious disease specialist with expertise in pregnancy management is recommended. There is no specific antiviral treatment for Zika virus; supportive care is recommended.

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (1,2). These vectors also transmit dengue and chikungunya virus and are found throughout much of the Americas, including parts of the United States. An estimated 80% of persons infected with Zika virus are asymptomatic (2,3). Symptomatic disease is generally mild and characterized by acute onset of fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia, or nonpurulent conjunctivitis. Symptoms usually last from several days to 1 week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, and fatalities are rare. Guillain-Barré syndrome has been reported in patients following suspected Zika virus infection (4–6).

Pregnant women can be infected with Zika virus in any trimester (4,7,8). The incidence of Zika virus infection in pregnant women is not currently known, and data on pregnant women infected with Zika virus are limited. No evidence exists to suggest that pregnant women are more susceptible to Zika virus infection or experience more severe disease during pregnancy.

Maternal-fetal transmission of Zika virus has been documented throughout pregnancy (4,7,8). Although Zika virus RNA has been detected in the pathologic specimens of fetal losses (4), it is not known if Zika virus caused the fetal losses. Zika virus infections have been confirmed in infants with microcephaly (4), and in the current outbreak in Brazil, a marked increase in the number of infants born with microcephaly has been reported (9). However, it is not known how many of the microcephaly cases are associated with Zika virus infection. Studies are under way to investigate the association of Zika virus infection and microcephaly, including the role of other contributory factors (e.g., prior or concurrent infection with other organisms, nutrition, and environment). The full spectrum of outcomes that might be associated with Zika virus infections during pregnancy is unknown and requires further investigation.

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Recommendations for Pregnant Women Considering Travel to an Area of Zika Virus Transmission

Because there is neither a vaccine nor prophylactic medications available to prevent Zika virus infection, CDC recommends that all pregnant women consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing (10). If a pregnant woman travels to an area with Zika virus transmission, she should be advised to strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites (11,12). Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite both indoors and outdoors, mostly during the daytime; therefore, it is important to ensure protection from mosquitoes throughout the entire day (13). Mosquito prevention strategies include wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)–registered insect repellents, using permethrin-treated clothing and gear, and staying and sleeping in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms. When used as directed on the product label, insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant women (14,15). Further guidelines for using insect repellents are available online (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bug-bites) (11,15).

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Recommendations for Pregnant Women with History of Travel to an Area of Zika Virus Transmission

Health care providers should ask all pregnant women about recent travel. Women who traveled to an area with ongoing Zika virus transmission during pregnancy should be evaluated for Zika virus infection and tested in accordance with CDC Interim Guidance (Figure). Because of the similar geographic distribution and clinical presentation of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya virus infection, patients with symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease should also be evaluated for dengue and chikungunya virus infection, in accordance with existing guidelines (16,17).

Zika virus testing of maternal serum includes reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for symptomatic patients with onset of symptoms within the previous week. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and neutralizing antibody testing should be performed on specimens collected ≥4 days after onset of symptoms. Cross-reaction with related flaviviruses (e.g., dengue or yellow fever) is common with antibody testing, and thus it might be difficult to distinguish Zika virus infection from other flavivirus infections. Consultation with state or local health departments might be necessary to assist with interpretation of results (18). Testing of asymptomatic pregnant women is not recommended in the absence of fetal microcephaly or intracranial calcifications.

Zika virus RT-PCR testing can be performed on amniotic fluid (7,9). Currently, it is unknown how sensitive or specific this test is for congenital infection. Also, it is unknown if a positive result is predictive of a subsequent fetal abnormality, and if so, what proportion of infants born after infection will have abnormalities. Amniocentesis is associated with an overall 0.1% risk of pregnancy loss when performed at less than 24 weeks of gestation (19). Amniocentesis performed ≥15 weeks of gestation is associated with lower rates of complications than those performed at earlier gestational ages, and early amniocentesis (≤14 weeks of gestation) is not recommended (20). Health care providers should discuss the risks and benefits of amniocentesis with their patients. A positive RT-PCR result on amniotic fluid would be suggestive of intrauterine infection and potentially useful to pregnant women and their health care providers (20).

For a live birth with evidence of maternal or fetal Zika virus infection, the following tests are recommended: histopathologic examination of the placenta and umbilical cord; testing of frozen placental tissue and cord tissue for Zika virus RNA; and testing of cord serum for Zika and dengue virus IgM and neutralizing antibodies. CDC is developing guidelines for infants infected by Zika virus. If a pregnancy results in a fetal loss in a woman with history of travel to an area of Zika virus transmission with symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease during or within 2 weeks of travel or findings of fetal microcephaly, Zika virus RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining should be performed on fetal tissues, including umbilical cord and placenta.

There is no commercially available test for Zika virus. Testing for Zika virus infection is performed at CDC and several state health departments. Health care providers should contact their state or local health department to facilitate testing and for assistance with interpreting results (4).

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How to Treat Pregnant Women with Diagnoses of Zika Virus Disease

No specific antiviral treatment is available for Zika virus disease. Treatment is generally supportive and can include rest, fluids, and use of analgesics and antipyretics (4). Fever should be treated with acetaminophen (21). Although aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not typically used in pregnancy, these medications should specifically be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk for hemorrhage (4,9,17).

In a pregnant woman with laboratory evidence of Zika virus in serum or amniotic fluid, serial ultrasounds should be considered to monitor fetal anatomy and growth every 3–4 weeks. Referral to a maternal-fetal medicine or infectious disease specialist with expertise in pregnancy management is recommended.

(Continue . . . . )

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PAHO: Zika Marches On

 
#10,912


Five days ago the CDC issued a Level 2 (Enhanced Precautions) Travel Alert for Zika Virus for portions of South & Central America and the Caribbean, and while specifically mentioning 14 countries and territories, granted that the number of affected regions would likely expand.   

As of today, PAHO lists 20 countries and territories in the Americas with autochthonous transmission of the Zika Virus, and that number is only expected to rise.

Yesterday it was widely reported (see 2 cases of Zika virus confirmed in Miami-Dade County) that Florida's DOH had confirmed 3 recently arrived international travelers had been diagnosed with the Zika virus; two in Miami-Dade who returned from Columbia last month, and one in Hillsborough County who visited Venezuela in December.


Again yesterday, the Illinois State Department of Health announced two pregnant women - with recent travel to Zika endemic areas - have tested positive for the virus.

Two Illinois Residents Test Positive For Zika Virus

19th Jan, 2016

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is alerting the public of the potential of contracting Zika virus while traveling abroad.  Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites, similar to West Nile virus or dengue fever.  While illness is usually mild and severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, there is a possible link between Zika virus infection in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects.

Two pregnant Illinois residents who recently traveled to countries where Zika virus is found have tested positive for the virus.  Physicians are monitoring their health and pregnancies.

“There is virtually no risk to Illinois residents since you cannot contract Zika virus from another person, but only through the bite of an infected mosquito,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D.  “But since this is a time of year when people travel to warmer climates and countries where Zika virus is found, we are urging residents, especially pregnant women, to take preventive measures when traveling in affected countries and check health travel advisories.”

(Continue . . .)

 
This is precisely the kind of scenario the CDC hopes to avoid going forward with their recently issued travel warning.


During the dead of winter mosquito activity is practically non-existent across much of the nation, and significantly dampened even here in central Florida.   Were this summer or fall, there would be greater concern over the possibility of viremic visitors `seeding' the virus into local mosquito populations and sparking local transmission.

This is how both Dengue and Chikunungya are believed to have been (temporarily) introduced into Florida's mosquito population in recent years, and local transmission has occurred (see Arboviruses: (Already) Coming To America).

With Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya all spreading rapidly across the tropical Americas, this is a threat we will undoubtedly have to deal with increasingly over the coming months and years.

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RESEP ES MAMBO COKLAT SUSU ENAK DAN LEMBUT

Resep Es Mambo Coklat Susu Enak yang Lembut - Minuman beku tradisional dengan aneka varian rasa ini sejak dahulu memang sudah sangat akrab menjadi pilihan jananan sebagai penghilang dahaga. Bahan dasar es mambo umumnya terbuat dari air, sari buah, susu atau santan, serta bermacam tambahan lainnya sehingga lebih bervariasi. Penggunaan air yang terlalu banyak akan menghasilkan es mambo yang tidak lembut, sedangkan penggunaan susu (full cream atau skim) sebagai bahan dasar dapat membuatnya menjadi creamy dan lembut.

Apabila ingin mencoba mengolahnya sendiri di rumah, berikut ini adalah cara membuat es mambo coklat susu yang enak dan mudah serta bertekstur lembut. Semakin baik kualitas bubuk coklat yang digunakan, maka cita rasa coklatnya juga akan semakin mantap.

Persiapan Bahan Es Mambo Coklat Susu

• 20 gram coklat bubuk
• 500 ml susu cair full cream
• 80 ml susu kental manis putih full cream (sekitar 2 sachet)
• 150 gram gula pasir
• 15 gram tepung maizena dilarutkan sedikit air

Cara Membuat Es Mambo Coklat Susu Lembut

1. Tuang semua bahan ke dalam panci kecuali tepung maizena, aduk rata lalu masak sambil diaduk-aduk sesekali hingga mendidih. Setelah mendidih, baru kemudian tuang larutan maizena dan terus diaduk hingga agak kental, matikan api dan biarkan dingin.
2. Setelah dingin lalu tuang dalam plastik es mambo, gunakan gelas takar atau wadah apa saja yang sekiranya mudah untuk menuangkannya. Pegang batas isi dan putar-putar plastiknya, tarik ujungnya biar memanjang lalu putar dan ikat. Simpan dalan freezer kemudian siap untuk disantap setelah beku.

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