US House of Representatives Leader Visits Lebanon, Defends Trip to Syria

By Edward Yeranian Beirut 02 April 2007

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U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are visiting Lebanon amid intensive diplomatic activity and attempts to resume Arab-Israeli peace talks. Edward Yeranian reports for VOA from Beirut.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, is welcomed by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in Beirut, 02 Apr 2007

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her bi-partisan delegation paid a symbolic visit to the tomb of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri, before meeting top Lebanese officials.

Pelosi defended her visit to Syria, planned for Tuesday, which has come under criticism from the White House. Pelosi said it was quote "important" to hold a dialogue with Damascus and to "discuss its role in supporting Hezbollah and Hamas."

"We [will] go there [Syria] and will be talking about the overarching issue, the fight against terrorism and the role that Syria can play to help or to hinder that goal," she said.

She made no apologies for the trip, insisting that it was beneficial to the U.S. national interests.

"The purpose of the trip is part of our responsibility for the national security of the United States. We are here to see how we can make the world safer and to fight terrorism," said Pelosi.

The U.S. congressional delegation met with both sides in Lebanon's four-month old governmental crisis, including Pro-Syrian Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as the leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian parliamentary majority Sa'ad Hariri, and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora.

During a visit to Israel during the weekend, Pelosi met with the families of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah guerillas this past summer. She is expected to raise the issue of the capture soldiers with Lebanese officials.

Bit Pelosi and her delegation have no plans to meet with leaders of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah, which is on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations.

Beirut's An Nahra newspaper says Pelosi is visiting Beirut in a bid to "counterbalance tomorrow's controversial visit to Syria."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is the current President of the European Union, also made a whirlwind stop in Beirut, in her words, "to express Europe's support for the government of Prime Minister Saniora."

She was given a warm welcome by the prime minister at Beirut Airport, discussing the current political stand-off with Lebanese leaders, before heading off to inspect a German naval task force that is patrolling Lebanese waters for the UN.

Chancellor Merkel told a press conference with Prime Minister Saniora that Germany is also helping Lebanon to control its borders with Syria, to prevent arms smuggling.

Diabetes Becomes Growing Threat for Affluent Asians

By Claudia Blume Hong Kong 02 April 2007

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From Bombay to Beijing, a newly affluent Asian middle class is increasingly adapting Western lifestyles. Many city dwellers opt for high calorie fast food instead of healthier traditional meals and are becoming less and less physically active. This comes with a price: diabetes, mainly caused by excess weight and lack of exercise, has reached epidemic levels in Asia. The disease is growing at a faster pace in Asia than anywhere else in the world and is increasingly affecting younger people. Claudia Blume reports from VOA's Asia News Center in Hong Kong.

Delegates from WHO are welcomed by Powhiri, a traditional Maori welcome, in Auckland, 18 Sep 2006

Diabetes is fast becoming an Asian disease. The continent is home to four of the world's 10 largest diabetic populations - India, China, Japan and Pakistan. In India alone, more than 35 million people are estimated to have diabetes, more than in any other country in the world.

In percentage terms, the worst affected nation is the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru, where more than 40 percent of the population has the disease.

In a healthy body, the pancreas releases insulin, which transforms blood sugar into energy. People with diabetes either do not make enough insulin or their bodies do not use the insulin they make, resulting in the build-up of sugar in the bloodstream.

Most patients have type 2 diabetes, which is mainly caused by obesity and lack of exercise. Type one diabetes, often called juvenile diabetes, usually strikes children and young adults, and occurs when the body's immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. Both types can lead to complications such as heart disease, kidney damage and blindness.

Medical textbooks often describe type 2 diabetes as a disease of the middle-aged and the elderly. But Jonathan Shaw, deputy director of the International Diabetes Institute in Australia, says this is changing rapidly. Increasingly, people under 40 are affected, especially in Asia.

"We are now even in European populations, but especially in Asian populations, seeing quite commonly type 2 diabetes in adults in their 20s and 30s and there are now reports of type 2 diabetes in adolescence and even children," said Shaw. "So it's occurring at younger and younger ages. At any given sort of level of risk, it always seems that people of Asian origin will more likely develop diabetes than people of European origin."

Shaw says there is evidence that some ethnic groups in Asia, particularly some in South Asia, and Pacific Islanders, have a genetic predisposition toward diabetes.

But the main culprit is lifestyle. Affluent Asians are rapidly adopting westernized ways of life, such as high-fat fast food diets and sedentary lifestyles. Ronald Ma, a diabetes specialist at the Prince of Wales hospital in Hong Kong, blames unhealthy habits for the fact that about 10 percent of the city's population has diabetes.

"Sometimes if they have to rush they eat a lot of fast food and unhealthy food - high fat, high salt kind of food," he said. "They rarely have time to exercise, they spend a lot of time in front of the computer, sitting around. The general lifestyle is really as unhealthy as it can get in terms of getting these chronic illnesses like diabetes."

Because of its connection to lifestyle, the disease shows up in Asian cities far more than in the countryside. In India, for example, urban residents are four times more likely to develop diabetes than those living in villages.

Jonathan Shaw says the epidemic is exploding faster in Asia than in any other region.

"For example the Western Pacific region currently has 67 million people with diabetes and we project it will increase by 2025 to 99 million, that's a 48 percent increase," said Shaw. "The Indian sub-continent, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well, we estimate currently has 47 million with diabetes. That will grow to 80 million by the year 2025, almost certainly the growth there is underestimated."

As in the West, most people in Asia with type 2 diabetes are overweight. But experts say many Asian diabetics are less overweight than most Western patients. Their body fat tends to be more often stored around the abdomen, however, which increases the risk of getting the disease.

Diabetes is sometimes called a silent killer because many people do not know they have the disease. Often, there are no symptoms for years. The International Diabetes Institute says awareness of the disease is low in Asia, particularly in less developed countries. Information on how to manage diabetes once it is diagnosed often is hard to come by.

Some of those affected have taken matters into their own hands.

Lily Zhou's husband was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. When the Beijing resident searched for Chinese-language information on the disease on the Internet, she was disappointed by what she found. Zhou decided to create her own Web site, called Tangzhu, which means "master of glucose".

"The Web site is for information exchange and self-management of the diabetes," she said. "We hope it can be a platform for people with diabetes to share their opinions and work together to have a better life."

Diabetes experts say it is crucial to raise the awareness of governments in the region about the enormous scale of the problem. They point out that many diabetics need drugs every day to stay alive, and that diabetes causes many victims to become disabled or to need extensive hospital treatment, all of which can cut into government budgets.

They say Asian health officials often do not recognize that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes are already as big a threat for developing countries as they are for more developed ones.

VOASE0402_Science In the News

02 April 2007

Feeling Happy in Your Skin? Good, But Still You Should Keep an Eye on It
A look at some of the things that can go wrong with the largest organ of the body. Also, how doctors treat different skin disorders.

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Today, we will tell about some disorders of the skin, and ways to treat them.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Skin. It is the largest organ of the body. Skin is the body's first barrier to infection. It keeps out many harmful bacteria and other things. It also keeps all the things we need in our bodies.

The skin helps control body temperature. Glands on the skin release fluid to cool the body when it gets too hot. When a person gets too cold, blood passages in the skin become narrow. This helps to trap heat inside the body.

VOICE TWO:

Like other organs of the body, the skin can have problems. Almost any teenager can tell you the most common disorder: acne. Acne is connected to hormones and how they affect the oil glands of the skin.

The skin gets its oil, called sebum, from the sebaceous glands. Each gland connects to a passage of extremely small hairs. The sebum travels through these passages. The oil reaches the surface of the skin through little holes, called pores. Sometimes, the sebum, hair and cells of the pores block these openings. This is how acne starts.

Bacteria can grow in a blocked pore. The bacteria produce chemicals and enzymes. White blood cells -- infection fighters -- travel to the area. All this leads to a growth on the skin, a pimple. This becomes red, hot and often painful.

VOICE ONE:

Some people think eating chocolate or oily foods causes acne. Others blame dirty skin or nervous tension. Yet researchers tell us none of these cause acne.

So what does? Doctors are not sure. But they have some ideas. For one thing, they know that hormones called androgens are involved. Androgens cause the sebaceous glands to grow and make more oil.

Young people will not be happy about this next fact. Androgens increase when boys and girls enter their teenage years.

VOICE TWO:

There are several treatments for acne. Mild cases are generally treated with medicines for use directly on the skin. These often contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

People with more serious acne may be given antibiotic drugs to take by mouth. Or they might use a combination of other treatments.

One drug used to treat the most severe forms of acne is called isotretinoin. It is sold under different names, including Accutane.

Isotretinoin has been shown to cure acne in ninety percent of people who use it. The drug is normally taken for about five months. However, it can cause serious problems in some cases. If used during pregnancy, for example, isotretinoin can harm the developing fetus. That is why health experts strongly advise pregnant women and those who may become pregnant against using the drug.

VOICE ONE:

Skin experts say there are simple ways to help prevent acne. One is to touch your face as little as possible, so as not to add oils or put pressure on the skin.

Another good idea is to avoid the urge to burst pimples. This can leave permanent marks on the skin.

Doctors also say to avoid strong cleaning products, and to be gentle as you wash and dry your skin.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

A 13-year-old boy shows the scar from the removal of a cancerous growth on his arm

Some skin problems are far more serious than acne. There are several kinds of skin cancer, for example.

Skin cancer is often the result of time spent in the sun. Light and heat from the sun can change chemicals in the skin. The sun produces ultraviolet radiation that causes the skin to burn and, over time, develop cancer.

The most serious skin cancer is melanoma. It begins in the cells that produce skin color. Melanomas can develop anywhere. They are usually found on the back and the shoulders.

Malignant melanoma

Most melanomas are black or brown. They can look like other kinds of growths. But they are the deadliest form of skin cancer. So it is important to watch for signs that can help identify melanoma. Treating it early can make the difference between life and death.

People should see a doctor immediately if they find a growth of a strange shape, with uneven sides or edges. A growth of different colors or one larger than six millimeters also should be examined.

VOICE ONE:

The usual treatment for melanoma is an operation to remove the growth. After the surgery, patients often take drugs to kill any cancer cells that remain. Doctors may also order radiation treatment. Radiation kills cancer cells and reduces the size of cancerous growths.

There also are experimental treatments for melanoma. Researchers are working on ways to genetically change white blood cells. The goal is to help the body increase its own efforts to destroy the cancer.

Researchers are also testing a possible melanoma vaccine. It would not prevent the disease like traditional vaccines. Instead, it would help the body fight the cancer in a way similar to the genetic treatment.

However, the best thing is to reduce the chances that you might ever get melanoma. Doctors tell people to limit the amount of time they spend in sunlight. They also suggest wearing hats and other protective clothing. And, they urge people to use products that help protect the skin from the sun.

VOICE TWO:

Yet there are times when doctors use ultraviolet light to treat some skin problems -- like psoriasis, for example. Psoriasis creates raised areas of skin that are dry and cause an itchy feeling. They are found most often on the elbows, knees and head. But psoriasis can spread to cover larger areas.

It usually begins before twenty or after fifty years of age. Recent studies have shown that the disorder causes the body’s defense system to produce too many skin cells.

There is no cure, but some treatments can improve the condition. One involves the use of ultraviolet light in the doctor's office to reduce swelling and slow skin cell production. This is sometimes used in combination with a drug called psoralen.

Psoriasis seems to pass down from parent to child. Researchers have identified genes linked to psoriasis.

VOICE ONE:

Another skin disorder is atopic dermatitis, commonly called eczema. It creates areas of skin that itch and become rough. Eczema is most common in babies. At least half of those cases clear up within a few years. But in adults this painful condition generally never goes away completely.

Persons with eczema often also suffer from allergic conditions like asthma and seasonal hay fever. Like psoriasis, there is no cure for eczema. But there are treatments with steroid drugs and also some newly developed kinds without steroids.

Environmental conditions can also influence development of eczema. That is why doctors often advise patients not to use cleaners that contain soap, which can make skin dry. Even water can cause dry skin, which can make eczema worse. So can temperature changes and stress.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Some skin disorders do not cause any physical pain. But they can cause emotional pain by how they affect the appearance of the skin. Vitiligo for example, is the destruction of the pigment cells. This disease causes areas of the skin to lose all color. Even the hairs turn white.

For some people, the white areas of vitiligo appear only in one or two places. Others find pigment loss on just one side of their bodies. Most people, however, develop many such areas all over their skin.

Around the world, up to sixty-five million people have vitiligo. It affects all races and both sexes.

Doctors do not know the cause. However, as with some other skin disorders, they suspect that the body’s immune system is involved.

VOICE ONE:

To treat vitiligo, some patients receive psoralen and ultraviolet light. A number of steroid drugs can also help, especially when started early in the disease.

Doctors may also wish to operate to treat severe cases of vitiligo. However, American health experts say all operations should be considered only after the patient has received other medical treatment.

One such operation involves the removal of a very small piece of healthy skin from the patient. The skin is placed in a substance that helps it grow more pigment cells. These new cells are then placed in the areas where the patient needs pigment.

Vitiligo can cause extreme changes in a person’s appearance. That is why there are mental health experts and support groups to help people who have this disease.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And, I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOASE0402_Agriculture Report

02 April 2007

Much to Be Said for Mulch
Why mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants.

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Spreading mulch

Mulch is important to farmers. Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil. It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste. Farmers may keep the remains of maize or other crops on top of the soil. This creates mulch on the soil surface. The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage. This is called conservation tillage.

Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants. Mulch not only protects the soil against wind and water damage. It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants. It also limits temperature changes in the soil. And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds, from growing.

Organic mulch improves the condition of soil. As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard. This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil. It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants. It also provides a good environment for earthworms and other helpful organisms in the soil.

The United States Department of Agriculture says it is easy to find organic mulch materials. Cut-up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used. Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from newspapers works well in controlling weeds.

The best time to add mulch depends on your goal. Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air. This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result, mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer. Mulched areas usually warm up more slowly in the spring and cool down slowly in autumn. In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil.

Mulch used to help moderate the effects of winter weather can be added late in autumn. The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives. Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem. The animals will probably find another place to live.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by George Grow. Your can download transcripts and audio files of our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.