Napkin with anions launched
These are questions almost every woman has asked: Which sanitary napkin can give better protection from leakage? Which napkin can absorb better and can give maximum comfort? And do the napkins claiming to offer maximum comfort and absorbency have the scientific evidence to back up their claims? In January Winalite International, a company specializing in the production, research, development, and marketing of women's sanitary products, launched the Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin, which aims to address not only the usual problem of leaks, but also other health risks and physical discomforts that accompany menstruation. Studies done by Winalite show that just after two hours of use, as many as 107 bacteria can thrive in just a square millimeter of a common sanitary napkin. This continuous multiplication of microbes could make a woman suffer from bacterial infection during this time of the month. If infection occurs, some common symptoms are external vaginal inflammation, itchy skin, cervical inflammation, and searing heat or pain on the lower abdomen. To minimize these health risks, Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin makes use of advanced anion technology, the first of its kind. Anions, according to studies done by Winalite, "effectively neutralizes germs and bacteria in the most intimate feminine areas. It also promises to reduce inflammation, promote metabolism, improve internal secretion, enhance immune system, moderate pressure and prevent fatigue." According to the World Health Organization, there should be at least 1,000 negative ions per cubic meter of fresh air. The anion strip this napkin has releases 5,800 anions per cm2. Family physician Ricardo Guanzon said that negative anions can also relieve the discomforts that accompany dysmenorrhea by enhancing serotonin breakdown. He explained: "Imagine, there are hormonal changes, let's say every 15th of the month or every 20th, serotonin level increases. When serotonin increases you have muscle spasms. Negative anions were shown to decrease serotonin. Therefore when you're low in serotonin, you don't have spasm, you don't have dysmenorrhea," he elaborated. The Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin guarantees all these health benefits plus assures women of the protection from leaks with its seven layers of protection-a soft cotton surface; anionic strip; protective top cover; superabsorbent polygel to lock in the moisture; protective lower cover; breathable cotton layer; and ergonomically designed back adhesive. Added Guanzon: "This product is unique and that it is the only one, and there is evidence to prove it is bacteriostatic and, to a certain degree, bactericidal." Mabelle Aban
Hospitals can help ward off the spread of infections by using air purifiers to kill airborne pathogens and filter the air for odors and pollutants. Studies at Kansas State University (KSU) have proved that EcoQuest International's Fresh Air purifiers kill up to 99.99 percent of germs on surfaces, prompting the Clevedon Hospital in Somerset, England to use the purifiers to keep its record of never having had a case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is a pathogen resistant to antibiotics that patients sometimes catch in the hospital. Manufactured in Greeneville, Tennessee in the United States, Fresh Air is designed to cover occupied space of up to 279 square meters. Testing in at the Clevedon Hospital began in summer 2006, and officials there have now put them in its wards and minor-injuries department. The hospital said that research has shown them to be particularly effective against MRSA and the norovirus, which causes diarrhea and vomiting and is a problem affecting many hospitals, especially in the winter months. Tests conducted in the US by Dr. James Marsden, professor of food safety and security at KSU, showed that the EcoQuest air purifiers kill up to 99.99 percent of bacteria, viruses, and molds on surfaces. These include the norovirus, E. coli, Listeria monocytogens, Streptococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, S. chartarum, avian-flu virus, among other pathogens. EcoQuest's air-purification system was used at the Pentagon following 9/11 to combat toxins and pollutants brought about by the bombing. Fresh Air by EcoQuest was the chosen product for air purification in the 2005 NextGen House of the Future Project at the Orlando Builders Show. This same technology is used in EcoQuest's ecobox air purifier recently released in the Philippines by AJG Healthy Home Enterprise. The ecobox is designed to purify areas up to 139 square meters. AJG imports and distributes EcoQuest air-purification products, ranging from portable units for homes and offices to fixed in-duct systems for centralized air conditioning. For further information, call +63-2-8990065, send an e-mail to AJGHealthyHome@gmail.com, or visit www.TryFreshAir.com.
BASEL, Switzerland Roche reported a better-than-expected 2007 net profit of US$10.4 billion, boosted by cancer-drug sales. Operating profit rose 22 percent to US$13.3 billion while sales were up 10 percent at US$42.3 billion. Analysts had expected net profit of about US$8.7 billion. Overall sales "have thus shown double-digit growth for the seventh year in succession," Roche chief executive Franz Humer said. Roche's two main cancer drugs, Herceptin and Avastin, saw their sales rise 23 percent and 41 percent respectively, the company said. The group's oncology division as a whole generated sales of US$15.14 billion in 2007, up 20 percent. "Over the next two to three years, oncology products will continue to grow," Humer said, adding that Roche was better placed than its competitors to withstand pressure from generic versions of previously patented drugs. "The competition is going to lose 30 to 50 percent of its sales from now till 2012 as patents expire, not us," he said. Sales are expected to grow at a high single-digit rate in 2008, with "above-market sales growth" in both the pharma and diagnostics divisions, Roche said. These forecasts exclude government and corporate stockpiling orders of Roche's flagship Tamiflu treatment for use in any flu pandemic, it added. Roche said it expects a "significant decrease" in Tamiflu sales in 2008 but was upbeat on prospects for new products for breast cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and dyslipidemia. The company also anticipates strong growth in 2009 and 2010 from the launch of rheumatoid arthritis treatments MabThera and Actemra and kidney treatment Mircera. Humer said Roche would continue to take a flexible approach to future acquisitions, after the US$3.4-billion purchase of US health diagnostics group Ventana was concluded early this year. The company has a war chest of US$12.5 billion for any future mergers and acquisitions, he said, adding: "There will be possibilities in 2008 and 2009." AFP |
