" Happy New year "

You Have to Try This on Google.

Google is now offering a new glimpse at exactly how their spider views your Website.
Try this:
1. Login to your Google account (AdWords, Gmail or Analytics)
2. Enter your Website URL at the bottom of this page.
3. Verify your Website by creating a uniquely-named, but empty HTML file and uploading it to your server. Click on the “verify” link to view instructions on how to do this. More info about verifying your site.
4. Click the “View stats” link

So what exactly can you find out?
The most popular queries that your Website shows up for
The top queries from which you get clickthroughs
Crawl statistics:
Pages succesfully crawled, pages blocked by robots.txt, pages that generated HTTP errors or were unreachable
The PageRank distribution within your site
Various indexing stats (pages indexed, etc.)
This is an awesome troubleshooting tool for all Webmasters, and something that hopefully the other search engines will copy soon.

" Merry Christmas "

Alien Skin Software Announces Exposure

Alien Skin Software today announced Exposure, an all-new plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® and other compatible host programs. Exposure brings the look and feel of film to digital photography. Photographers can now digitally simulate current and discontinued film stocks, as well as recreate a signature look as a one-click effect. Moreover, saturation, light temperature, dynamic range, softness, sharpness, and the addition of realistic grain can be managed in one step.
Foremost a film simulator, Exposure is based on the detailed analysis of real world film stocks. A photographer can now quickly and easily evoke the vivid colors of Velvia®, the rich blacks of Kodachrome®, or the sensitivity of Ektachrome®. Exposure includes presets that emulate the warmth, softness, and realistic grain of dozens of real world film stocks, both color and black and white. Plus, any preset can be the starting point for a signature look, adjusted it to suit a particular subject, or applied to a batch of images using Photoshop Actions.
Exposure adds realistic grain separately to the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights of an image. Unlike other digital products, Exposure does not add harsh, unrealistic noise to an image. Instead, Exposure models the size, shape, and color of real world grain. Exposure can even mimic the pronounced grain of films such as Ilford® 3200 Delta, as well as the discontinued Ektachrome EES and GAF® 500.
Collecting color, dynamic range, softness, and grain controls in one place, Exposure simplifies workflow. Photographers can now master one easy-to-use tool. Streamlined color and saturation controls warm/cool with a single. Exposure makes gamma correction and contrast changes less intimidating by adding high level contrast, highlight and shadow controls to curves editing.
Exposure includes several, additional features that address the needs of photographers. Exposure reproduces key studio and darkroom effects such as cross processing, push processing, and glamour portrait softening. 32-bit image support makes it possible to work with high dynamic range (HDR) images. Exposure encourages non-destructive editing, allowing users to render an adjusted image as a new layer in Photoshop. Exposure's advanced preview system includes an optional, split preview in addition to a before/after button. Exposure pairs unlimited undo/redo with fast rendering and lets photographers zoom and pan using Photoshop style keyboard shortcuts.

Pricing and Availability: Exposure will be available early in 2006 for an estimated street price of $199. Registered users of other Alien Skin products will receive discount pricing when ordering direct from http://www.alienskin.com. Exposure will also be available worldwide through stores, catalogs and resellers.
Makers of award-winning plug-ins since 1994, Alien Skin Software writes and sells filters that users love

Sorce:creativpro

The Art of Business: Internet Design and Development Today

The Art of Business: Internet Design and Development Today
Forget Web page design, today it's all about databases, applications, and video.
By Eric J. Adams, creativepro contributing editor

In a recent survey, Network Solutions (a company that hosts Web sites and offer many other services) found that in 2006 some 2.5 million small and mid-sized businesses plan to create an online presence for the first time, joining the 10 million already there. Yet according to a recent TrendWatch Graphics Arts report, the best opportunity in the next twelve months for Internet design and development firms will come, not from creating new Web sites, but from Web page maintenance; database design; Web application design; and streaming videoNew Web page design is a lowly fourth on the list.

The survey results beg the question: Where will all these small and mid-size businesses go for their Web site design? The answer lies in, excuse the phrase, the "franchisification" of the Web design business. As soon as small-business owners register names on a site such as Network Solutions or GoDaddy, they're bombarded with offers to create Web sites through online templates or by working with designers employed by these mammoth Internet services firms. The simple Web site is being conquered by the big guys. And the days of the boutique Web designer, while not over, are as limited as Mel's Video Rental Shop in a world bursting with Blockbuster and Hollywood Video franchises.

Back-End and Flicks
The TrendWatch report suggests another important trend: the continued importance to Web design firms of back-end development skills.
"Marketing today is less about design and aesthetics and more about databases," the study authors say. "This is not to say that design and content are unimportant, or that database marketing is something new, but today the database is king. From targeted e-mail marketing to variable-data print projects, everyone wants/needs data. Despite all the hoopla about personalized printing, the fact remains that it is more effective to leverage database marketing electronically."

These aren't the only opportunities for Internet design shops. There are also the unheralded skills relating to Web-application development (e.g., Cold Fusion, PHP, ASP, JSP), that allow developers and business owners to move from static pages of fixed text and images to dynamic, data-driven Web sites. These programs allow business owners to easily collect data, and to read and write information in other applications for marketing, e-commerce, customer service, and analysis. But the real sleeper application, and the one that's set to transform the Internet, is streaming video.

Says the TrendWatch report: "In the advertising arena, we expect further integration and cross media between broadcast/cable advertising and online advertising. As bandwidth increases and the software and hardware needed to work with digital video become less expensive and easier to use, we expect to see video turn up in more places. We fully expect that video and other forms of rich media, such as Flash animation, will play an even larger role in 'traditional' advertising and design work." These findings may not be news to many of you, but there are plenty of Web developers still living in a static Web-page world who don't yet realize that it is a passing era.

Drawing Conclusions
What conclusion can you draw from these trends, and how should you proceed?

If your skills in the world of Web design are limited to the graphic stylings that make a Web page pretty, your choices are to continue to work with a small number of existing clients on Web maintenance and battle the big companies for new clients; to partner with someone who can provide the database, application, and video expertise you can't; or to learn the back-end apps driving Web development today.
If you have these talents in house, the challenge is to recalibrate your marketing materials and strategic business plan to leverage your skills and reposition yourself as a true integrator of Web applications, databases, and video.

More Findings
There's something to be said about scientific surveys: They often dispel the common myths surrounding an industry. The consensus on the street is that Web design firms are still in the doldrums caused by the dot.com fallout. (Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?) In reality, Web design firms are doing quite well, according to TrendWatch's recent report on Internet design and development firms, portions of which are available online.
The study found that 25 percent of Internet design and development firms say business conditions are "excellent," and 57 percent say business conditions are "OK, about the same." That means that 77 percent of firms report excellent or good business. Only 13 percent report business conditions as "poor and not as good as the previous year," while 5 percent lament that business conditions are "very bad, much worse than the previous year."

Internet firms are cautiously optimistic, as well. Twenty-eight percent said they expect business to be excellent next year, and 61 percent expect business to be about the same.
Nine percent of firms said they expect business to be poor, and 2 percent expect business next year to be "very bad." The study also found that firms are worried about the economy. "Worries about economic conditions" topped the list of challenges in the next 12 months, followed by concerns over what direction their business should take.
So there's still uncertainty in the industry, but one thing is clear. Integration and video, not design, will drive tomorrow's revenue.

source:creativpro

ACD Systems Partners With 3DMUSE to Release New Plug-in for ACDSee 8

ACD Systems Partners With 3DMUSE to Release New Plug-in for ACDSee 8 Digital images from ACDSee 8 come to life instantly in dazzling 3D multimedia presentations with the 3DMUSE Generator.

ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX: ASA), makers of ACDSee™ photo management software and Canvas™ technical illustration software, today announced the release of the 3DMUSE Generator, which enables users to create rich, spectacular media presentations from their digital images. Developed by 3DMUSE LLC, the 3DMUSE Generator operates as a plug-in to ACD's award-winning ACDSee 8 Photo Manager software for organizing, enhancing and sharing digital photographs.
Users simply select their desired images directly within ACDSee 8, and instantly create sophisticated presentations using the 3DMUSE Generator's patented technology. Color, audio and positioning options heighten the personalized experience, and users can burn their presentations to CD, display projects as screen savers and e-mail or publish to the Web. The 3DMUSE Generator includes a free six-month subscription to the 3DMUSE Photo Album, a personal Web-based photo album hosted by 3DMUSE, for uploading, editing and arranging photographs in various presentation formats. Users need only send their 3DMUSE Photo Album URL to enable friends, family and colleagues to quickly view 3D presentations, from any computer in the world.
"3DMUSE is pleased to be partnering with ACD Systems to extend the power and creative possibilities of ACDSee 8 Photo Manager," said Asaf Gottesman, founder of 3DMUSE. ACDSee users can now quickly create stunning multimedia presentations of their favorite memories to share with friends and family, without having to leave the ACDSee interface."
"This partnership allows ACD to offer our users a simple yet highly personalized way to present, enjoy and share their digital images, using 3DMUSE's next generation user interfaces and technology," said Doug Vandekerkhove, chairman, chief executive officer and president of ACD Systems.
The full version of the 3DMUSE Generator is available in English for $29.99 (USD). For more information visit www.3DMUSE.com or www.acdsee.com.
About 3DMUSE3DMUSE enables computer and cellular users to VIEW, CREATE and MANAGE their digital assets in a far more intuitive and enticing manner. Founded by a group of visionary architects, 3DMUSE is a unique development organization which focuses on the creation of digital asset management and next generation user interfaces. The spectrum of applications range from the display of online photo albums, multi-dimensional web pages, MMS generated rich content, image and media searches, to the creation of sophisticated rich content environments. The company has attained a unique set of patents that render it one of the leaders in the domain of next generation user interfaces. For further details, please visit the 3DMUSE website: www.3dmuse.com.

About ACD SystemsHeadquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX: ASA) is one of the world's leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software, including the renowned ACDSee image management tool and Canvas, an advanced cross-platform technical illustration and graphics program. ACD has delivered value to a global marketplace through Internet distribution and through partnerships with manufacturers and developers. ACD has millions of consumer and business users and over 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500 companies. For further details, please visit www.acdsee.com.

source:creativpro

New Adobe Design, Web and Video Bundles Combine Latest Creative Software From Adobe and Macromedia New Product...

New Adobe Design, Web and Video Bundles Combine Latest Creative Software From Adobe and Macromedia New Product Configurations Deliver the Software Relied on by Millions of Creatives, Designers, Video Professionals and Web Developers

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced three new product bundles that combine the design and publishing prowess of Adobe® Creative Suite 2 and Adobe video tools with the interactive strength of just-released Macromedia® Flash® Professional 8 and Macromedia Studio 8 software. Adobe acquired the Macromedia product line when the company purchased Macromedia, a transaction that formally closed on December 3, 2005.
The three new product bundles enhance the capabilities of customers to deliver compelling content and digital experiences - in print, on the Web, for video and across mobile devices.
With savings of up to US$299, the new product configurations are: the Adobe Design Bundle that combines Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium with Flash Professional 8 software; the Adobe Web Bundle that brings together Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium and Studio 8; and the Adobe Video Bundle that delivers Adobe video solutions coupled with Flash Professional 8. The Adobe Design Bundle and Web Bundle are available for purchase today and the Adobe Video Bundle is expected to ship in early 2006. Adobe Creative Suite 2, Adobe's video tools and Studio 8 are software solutions that contain relied upon creative and web development tools, such as Adobe Photoshop® CS2, Adobe Illustrator® CS2, Adobe InDesign® CS2, Adobe Acrobat® Professional 7.0, Adobe Premiere® Pro, Adobe After Effects®, Macromedia Dreamweaver® 8 and Flash Professional 8.

"Whether producing a Web site, interactive content for a cell phone or a corporate brochure, our customers change the way the world looks everyday, with work that ensures communications, brands and products stand out from the crowd," said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief operating officer at Adobe.

"Adobe's new Design, Web and Video Bundles harness the power and global reach of Flash and PDF technology to deliver engaging content and digital experiences, to the widest possible worldwide audience. Our development teams are just beginning to explore the massive potential for integration and innovation as they start work on a new generation of solutions."

Adobe Design BundleThe Adobe Design Bundle offers the unified design environment of Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium software with recently introduced Flash Professional 8 software, the industry's choice for creating advanced interactive content. Launched in April 2005, Adobe Creative Suite 2 integrates cutting edge design tools - Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe InDesign CS2, Adobe Illustrator CS2 and Adobe GoLive® CS2 software - with the all-new Version Cue® CS2. It also introduces the Adobe Stock Photos service, Adobe Bridge and includes Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional software.

Adobe Web BundleThe Adobe Web Bundle offers Studio 8 software, the essential solution for Web design and development, with Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium software. Announced in August 2005, Studio 8 combines the latest releases of award-winning Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, Flash Professional 8, and Fireworks® 8, and key maintenance and productivity tools Macromedia Contribute™3 and Macromedia FlashPaper™ 2 software. The combination of Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium and Studio 8 delivers expressiveness, efficiency, and comprehensive workflows to design, develop, manage and maintain rich experiences for print, the Web and mobile devices.
Pricing and AvailabilityAdobe Design and Web Bundles are available today to customers worldwide through Adobe authorized resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store. The Adobe Design and Web Bundles are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. Details of the Adobe Video Bundle will be announced in early 2006. To be notified about the Adobe Video Bundle, when it becomes available, visit www.adobe.com/bundles.

Estimated street price for the Adobe Design Bundle is US$1599 and the Adobe Web Bundle US$1899. Upgrade pricing is available for certain products. For more detailed information about features, system requirements, upgrade policies, licensing options and education pricing, please visit: www.adobe.com/bundles.
About Adobe Systems IncorporatedAdobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

source:creativpro

SuperToon DVD Series Added to Alias Learning Tools for Maya

SuperToon DVD Series Added to Alias Learning Tools for Maya Authors' production experience provides insight into recommended workflows and techniques for creating toony characters.
Wednesday, December 7, 2005

The latest Learning Tools from Alias® pack powerful Maya® techniques for developing, modeling, and rigging cartoon characters into three DVDs that make up the SuperToon Series now available at www.alias.com/learningtools. Jeff Bernstein of Disney Feature Animation tackles SuperToon Modeling and Body Rigging, Joe Harkins of Sony Pictures Imageworks takes on SuperToon Facial Rigging, and Randy Haycock and Chris Cordingley of Disney Feature Animation share their experience in SuperToon Animation.
"The SuperToon MasterClasses at SIGGRAPH this year were so successful that we created this three-part series to help artists defy the laws of the physical world and achieve the outlandish effects they seek," says Danielle Lamothe, product manager, learning tools and training at Alias.

The DVDs build on one another and enable artists to learn the differences between realistic and cartoon character creation, and understand the potential pitfalls and challenges. Starting with Maya Techniques" SuperToon Modeling and Body Rigging - in which character development and modeling as well as creating stable setups for stretchy limbs, squashing bellies, character silhouettes, and adjustable line of action are explored - the Series progresses with Maya Techniques SuperToon Facial Rigging and addresses the anatomy of the cartoon face, topology, designing a facial system, translating emotion into setup, and integrating the facial setup into the master rig.

From there, Maya Techniques SuperToon Animation exposes animators to real-world techniques for achieving true cartoon style animation as practiced in the major studios today as well as professional tips and tricks that provide a better understanding of cartoon characters and how to best animate them. Topics covered include 2D versus 3D planning, applying principles such as squash and stretch, cartoon timing and snappy animation, cool cheats, emotion, silhouette, and line of action.

The Maya Techniques SuperToon Series of three DVDs is priced at US $150*, a 25 per cent savings off the individually listed price of US $69.99*.
* International pricing may vary
About AliasAs the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology, Alias develops software for the film and video, games, web, interactive media, industrial design, automotive, architecture and visualization markets. Alias has headquarters in Toronto and a custom development center in Santa Barbara with offices worldwide. Please visit the Alias web site at www.alias.com or call 1-800-447-2542 in North America. International contact numbers include: Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, +44 (0) 1494 441273; Germany, East & Southeast Europe, 0049 89 31 70 20; France, Spain and Portugal, +33 1 44 92 81 60; Italy, 39 039 6340011; Japan and other parts of Asia Pacific, 81 3 5797 3500 and Latin America, 770 393 1881.

source:creativpro

TaskPower 2: Monitor and control apps, tasks, services, and drivers

Download Now: taskpower_setup.zip

Supported Platforms: Windows 2000 or XP
Requirements: A user account with administrative privileges
Recommendations: Resolution of 1024x768
Version:2.05
By Tim Smith
When we released TaskPower two years ago, we were looking for a way to bring all of a system's process information into one easily viewed and managed utility. Our latest version takes this a step further by incorporating features from our popular EndItAll utility and adding performance and networking statistics similar to what's found in Windows Task Manager.
We've added many new features and information, but we think you'll find that TaskPower 2 is still easy to use.
Some of the nifty new features include:
• View DLLs used by an application or task. This lets you see exactly which modules an application or task is using

.• View network usage and bandwidth. This enables you to see how much data is being sent through the network adapters in your computer.

• Close or kill any or all applications or protect applications from being terminated. This allows you to end one or many processes with a single click of a button while keeping your protected programs up and running.

• Export data to use with other applications or save for historical purposes.

• View CPU and memory usage by applications, tasks, and services. This enables you to quickly determine which process are hogging resources and shut them down if they're unnecessary.

• Shutdown, Power Off, Restart, Log off, Hibernate, or place your computer into Stand By mode directly from within TaskPower.

• New enhanced interface.
source:pcmag

REVIEW: Fuji FinePix S9000

FinePix S9000

Fuji Photo Film USA Inchttp://www.fujifilm.com
Type: Superzoom
Megapixels: 9
Included Memory Amount: 16 MB
Included Memory: Media Card
Media Format: xD-Picture Card
Battery Type Supported: AA
Included Batteries: Yes
35-mm Equivalent (Wide): 28
35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto): 300
Maximum Resolution: 3488 x 2616 pixels
Interface: USB 2.0
Video Capture Ability: Yes
$505.00 - $700.00
By Terry Sullivan
In addition to offering some of the benefits you get from a D-SLR, the Fuji FinePix S9000 has a 10.7X optical zoom lens—better than what's included in most D-SLR kits. But the S9000 has some stiff competition in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30, our current Editors' Choice for superzooms. Although priced the same ($650 street), the S9000 can't quite match the outstanding quality, performance, and ease of use of the FZ30.

The two cameras look roughly the same, but the S9000 is a bit smaller and lighter. We certainly like the overall look of the newcomer, which has two manual rings around the lens barrel: one for zoom and one for focus. Although the S9000, like our Editors' Choice, gave us precise control as we zoomed in and out on a subject, it sometimes failed to focus quickly enough—or at all—when we used the manual focus ring. We like the feature, but it needs to be better implemented. In addition, the 1.8-inch LCD is small in today's market.

As with the FZ30, the S9000's hot shoe, which lets you attach an auxiliary strobe light, is dumb. It doesn't support two-way communication between the flash and the camera.
The high-resolution sensor is big enough to allow large prints or generous cropping using image-editing software. But as a superzoom, the camera doesn't get quite as close to the action as the FZ30 with its 12X optical zoom.

At 10.7X optical zoom, the S9000 has a 6.2mm to 66.7mm zoom (a 35-mm equivalent of 28mm to 300mm) with a maximum f/stop range of f/2.8 to f/4.9 across the zoom range. The wide-angle end of the zoom range is fine, but at the telephoto end, the maximum aperture, at f/4.9 is not quite as good as the FZ30's f/3.7.

Although we saw very little noise in our simulated-daylight and flash test shots, it became more noticeable as we went up to 1,600 ISO. Color matching and vibrancy was as good as the FZ30's and superior to the color casts we got using the FZ20, with just a bit of fringing in the image. The simulated-daylight shot had pretty good exposure, with very good dynamic range, but highlights were slightly blown out. We also didn't quite see a true black in the shots.

The FZ30 and FZ20 had better sharpness and stronger contrast. Flash coverage from the S9000 was just right, though, so our still life was properly exposed without any blown-out highlights. Because of the flash, the image exposure was exactly on target.
Resolution testing produced an average score 1,700 lines, which is our lowest acceptable threshold for an 8MP camera—unfortunately, Fuji bills the camera as a 9MP. In fact, the 8MP FZ30 actually had a slightly higher score, at 1,775.

In our performance tests, the S9000 was quick to boot, taking just 2.4 seconds, and had a 3.1-second recycle time, which was also quite good. That said, neither score was quite as good as the FZ30's. We saw almost no shutter lag, though, and found very little distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range with none at the telephoto end of the range.

The S9000 offers two scene modes to reduce the blur that results from shaky hands (or subjects): An Anti Blur mode, which you can use with the pop-up flash, and a Natural Light mode, which disengages the flash. The combination doesn't work as well as the Panasonic FZ30 Mega O.I.S. system, but in our testing, both modes were reasonably effective.
The modes work by increasing the ISO, which lets the camera use a faster shutter speed to reduce the effect of the subject or photographer moving.

The downside is that the photos display more noise—the speckled dots that may appear in your photo's darker tones. On 4-by-6 or 5-by-7 prints, you won't notice much. But if you plan on making large prints, you might need image-editing software to reduce some of the noise.
The S9000 shoots MotionJPEG video at 640-by-480 and 30 frames per second until the memory card is full. The colors in our video clips were vibrant and the autofocus quickly adjusted to both exposure and zoom changes. In video mode, the zoom ring is great for accurately and silently zooming. The only noise you're likely to hear is the slight swoosh and click as the zoom lens reaches its wide-angle and telephoto maximum ranges.

Overall, the Fuji FinePix S9000 is a well-rounded, full-featured superzoom. It falls just short of an Editors' Choice, leaving the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 with that honor.
Source:pcmag

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is caused by HIV (the Human Immunodeficiency Virus).

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is caused by HIV (the Human Immunodeficiency Virus).
HIV is mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse.
Once infected, the virus remains in the body for life.
One can be HIV positive and feel completely well for many years.
When a mother is infected, there is a one in three chance of her baby becoming infected if no steps are taken to prevent this.
All people infected with HIV will eventually get AIDS.
AIDS is a fatal illness.
There is no drug that can cure HIV infection, but there are drugs that can control the virus and delay the onset of AIDS.
There is no preventative HIV vaccine available at the moment, however research is ongoing to find one.
Description
The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV attacks and gradually destroys the immune system, which protects the body against infections.

AIDS develops during the last stages of HIV infection. AIDS is not a single illness, but the whole clinical picture (a syndrome) that occurs when the immune system fails entirely. A person with a failing immune system is susceptible to a variety of infections that are very unlikely to occur in people with healthy immune systems. These are called opportunistic infections because they take advantage of the body's weakened immune system. Certain types of cancers also occur when the immune system fails.
It may take years for a person's immune system to deteriorate to such an extent that the person becomes ill and a diagnosis of AIDS is made. During this time (which can last as long as 15 years or possibly even longer), a person may look and feel perfectly well. This explains why so many people are unaware that they are infected. However, even though they feel healthy, they can still transmit the virus to others.
More than 90% of people living with HIV are in developing countries, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for two thirds of all the HIV-infected people in the world. Unlike Western countries, where HIV has initially affected predominantly homosexual men, in Africa and developing countries HIV is usually spread by sex between men and women (heterosexual sex).

Research into HIV/AIDS is ongoing and new information is emerging rapidly. There are drugs that can dramatically slow down the disease in an infected person. These drugs need to be taken in various combinations in order to be effective and so treatment is generally quite expensive. Also, individuals on the drugs must be monitored by physicians trained in the use of antiretroviral therapy because these drugs can potentially cause serious side effects if not taken correctly and if the individual is not monitored properly. However, there is no cure for AIDS. There is also currently no preventative vaccine against HIV infection. At this time the only effective strategy for controlling the spread of HIV is prevention through individual behaviour change, spreading the correct information about preventing HIV infection and the use of condoms and other safe sex measures. Other measures, which should be taken by a country's health system, are screening of blood products and the prevention of infection of patients through contaminated medical equipment. Mother to child infection can be reduced by a short course of an anti-HIV drug given to the mother and new-born baby at the time of delivery.

Cause
According to researchers, two viruses cause AIDS, namely HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the predominant virus in most parts of the world, whereas HIV-2 is most commonly found in West Africa. These viruses belong to a family called the retroviruses. They are unique viruses in that they are able to insert their genetic material into the genetic material (DNA) of cells of the person that they have infected. In this way they are able to persistently infect a person for the rest of that person's life.

Viruses that are very closely related to HIV are found in other primates (apes and monkeys). These viruses are called Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses (SIV). HIV-2 is genetically almost indistinguishable from the SIV found in sooty mangabeys. A very close genetic relative of HIV-1 has been found in chimpanzees. Therefore most scientists accept that the human immunodeficiency viruses are recently derived from these primate viruses. The earliest blood sample found to contain HIV dates from 1959; this sample was collected in central Africa.
Based on molecular technology and the use of large computer programmes, scientists have been able to trace back the genetic origins of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and roughly pinpoint the time when these viruses first appeared in humans. The current theory is that sometime between 1930-1940 there was a “species-jump” of certain SIV’s into human populations, probably through the practise of slaughtering, preparing and consuming of “bush meat” from monkeys in parts of Central and West Africa.

HIV is not as contagious as is often believed. The virus does not survive long outside the body and can only be transmitted through the direct exchange of certain body fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluid. The virus can gain access to the body at its moist surfaces ("mucous membranes") during sex or through direct injection into the blood stream. Sex is the major mode of transmission of HIV.
HIV can be transferred from one person to another (transmitted) through:
Unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse with an infected person
A mother’s infection passing to her child during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding (called vertical transmission) – the risk of HIV passing from mother to child is approximately 30%
Injection with contaminated needles, which may occur when intravenous drug users share needles, or when health care workers are involved in needleprick accidents
Use of contaminated surgical instruments, for example during traditional circumcision
Blood transfusion with infected blood

Contact of a mucous-membrane surface with infected blood or body fluid, for example with a splash in the eye (Note that the virus cannot penetrate undamaged skin.)
If a person is exposed to HIV in one of the above ways, infection is not inevitable. The likelihood of transmission of HIV is determined by factors such as the concentration of HIV present in the body fluids. For example, although HIV has been detected in saliva, the concentration is thought to be too low for HIV to be transmitted through deep/wet kissing since it would require the exchange of almost one litre of saliva between individuals before there would be sufficient virus available for possible transmission. Additionally, a digestive protein in human saliva tends to inactivate the virus.

The risk of HIV transmission also depends on the stage of infection the HIV-positive sexual partner is in. Virus concentrations in blood and body fluids are highest when a person has very recently been infected with HIV, or otherwise very late in the disease, when AIDS has developed. Very early after infection the virus can multiply rapidly as the immune system has not had time to take control, and late in the disease the virus can multiply rapidly because it has destroyed the immune system altogether. However, it is important to note that once a person is infected with HIV, their blood, semen or vaginal fluids are always infectious, for the rest of their lives.
Vulnerability to HIV infection through sexual contact is increased if a person has sores on the genitals, mouth or around the anus/rectum. These sores can be caused by rough intercourse, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), gum disease or overuse of spermicides.
In heterosexual sex, women are more vulnerable to HIV infection because of the large mucous-membrane surface area of the vagina compared to that of the urethra (penile opening). Therefore, in regions where heterosexual sex is the main way HIV is transmitted (as in South Africa), approximately four women are infected for every three men that are infected.

Men who are circumcised have a slightly lower risk of being infected with HIV.
Fortunately, people can take action to reduce their risk of infection. For example, a person who uses a condom every time he or she has sex is at far lower risk of infection than someone who has unprotected sex.
The following outlines common sexual behaviours according to relative risk:

Very low risk
Kissing (if no blood is exchanged through cuts or sores)
Touching (such as stroking, hugging or massage)
Masturbation (including mutual masturbation)
Oral sex on a man with a condom
Oral sex on a woman with a barrier method (such as plastic wrap, dental dam or a condom cut open)

Low risk
Wet/deep kissing (when sores or gum disease, and therefore blood, are present)
Oral sex
Vaginal sex with a male or female condom
Anal sex with a male or female condom

High risk
Anal intercourse without a condom
Vaginal sex without a condom

How HIV is not transmitted
Unfortunately, there are still many myths around HIV. A person cannot be infected through:
Mosquito bites
Urine or sweat
Public toilets, saunas, showers or swimming pools
Sharing towels, linen or clothing
Going to school with, socialising or working with HIV-positive people
Sharing cutlery or crockery
Sneezes or coughs
Touching, hugging or dry kissing a person with HIV
(Sexual) contact with animals, since HIV is strictly a human virus and is not carried by animals
In South Africa, blood donated for transfusions or blood products is screened for antibodies to HIV and for the presence of one of the viral proteins. Any contaminated blood is discarded. The probability of HIV infection via blood transfusion in this country is therefore extremely low, but can still occur because the tests used do not detect very early HIV infection in a donor.

Symptoms
The majority of people will have some symptoms about three weeks after they have been infected with HIV. These symptoms are similar to those of glandular fever:
Fever and night sweats
Aching muscles and tiredness
Sore throat
Swollen glands
Diarrhoea
Skin rash and ulceration of the inside surface of the mouth and genitals
Headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light
These early symptoms are called the HIV seroconversion illness. This is because the illness coincides with the start of the production of antibodies to the virus. (Antibodies are blood proteins made by the immune system that recognise and attach to organisms invading the body.) Consequently, seroconversion from HIV antibody negative to HIV antibody positive follows; these are the antibodies detected with HIV tests. The seroconversion illness is brief, lasting a week or two.
Thereafter most people remain symptom-free for a long time, on average ten years. Then symptoms associated with the advance of HIV disease, roughly in order of appearance, may include:
Unexplained weight loss (more than 10% of body weight)
Swelling of glands in the neck, armpit or groin
Easy bruising
A thick, white coating of the tongue or mouth (oral thrush) or vagina (vaginal thrush) which is severe and recurs
Ongoing vaginal discharge and pain in the lower abdomen
Sinus fullness and drainage
Recurrent herpes
Shingles
Persistent sore throat
Recurring fevers lasting more than 10 days without an obvious cause
Night sweats or chills
Persistent cough and/or shortness of breath
Persistent severe diarrhoea (longer than a month)
Changes in vision
Pain, loss of control and strength of muscles, paralysis
Discoloured or purplish growths on the skin or inside the mouth or nose
Difficulty with concentration, inability to perform mental tasks that have been done in the past, confusion, personality change
Symptoms are slightly different in children. Common symptoms include:
Persistent oral thrush
Recurrent bacterial infections, such as ear infections
Recurrent gastro-enteritis
Swollen salivary glands (parotitis)
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
Enlargement of the liver and spleen
Failure to grow or reach normal points in development at the right time (such as talking, walking)

Prevalence
Estimates published in the annual “UNAIDS Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic” in 2002 estimate that more than 40 million adults and children were infected with HIV around the world in 2001. Africa south of the Sahara desert accounts for 28 million of these adults and children. A recent study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) which was published in December 2002 estimated that 11.4% of South Africans (4.5 million people) are currently living with HIV/AIDS. This study also showed that HIV/AIDS in this country affects all races with 12.9% of Africans, 6.2% of whites, 6.1% of people of mixed race and 1.6% of Indians being infected. Also this study clearly demonstrated that young women in South Africa in the age group 25-29 are more at risk for HIV infection.

This data is also supported by the annual Department of Health Ante-natal clinic (ANC) surveys that showed about 24.8% of pregnant women were HIV positive in 2001. This in turn indicates that many thousands of babies would have been infected by their mothers in South Africa during 1999 to 2001. By the end of 1999, it is estimated that there were 370 000 AIDS orphans (mother or both parents lost to AIDS) under 15 years of age in South Africa. During 1999, 250 000 people died of AIDS in South Africa.
See “Epidemic Update” at http://www.UNAIDS.org

Course of the disease
The disease is best understood as a continuum from initial infection to terminal illness.
During sexual transmission, the virus penetrates the thin, moist surface of the vagina, urethra or rectum of another person during sex. Special protective white cells called macrophages usually patrol just beneath these surfaces and usually protect against invading organisms. Unfortunately, HIV is able to infect these exact cells or "defenders" called macrophages, which then carry the virus into the blood circulation.
Once in the blood, the virus has access to another type of white cell, called a T-helper lymphocyte. HIV gets into these cells by attaching to a specific protein on their surface, known as CD4 (so these cells are also called CD4 cells). T-helper lymphocytes circulate in the blood, but most of them are found in the lymph glands, where they stimulate other cells of the immune system to go into action.
In addition to the CD4 receptor, another co-receptor is required for the HIV virus to enter the CD4 cell successfully. The co-receptors are called CCR5 and CXCR4 and are also protein markers on the surface of these types of cells. Certain people have genetically defective CCR5 receptors that make them relatively resistant to HIV infection. CCR5 defects are common in Northern European populations but unfortunately are not common in South Africans.

HIV multiplies best inside T-helper lymphocytes and the infected lymphocytes eventually deteriorate and die, releasing more viruses to infect new lymphocytes.
The virus takes about two weeks to start multiplying efficiently in the body. At about three weeks after infection the immune system will recognise the "invasion" and start to produce antibodies to HIV. The battle between the virus and the immune response causes the symptoms of the seroconversion illness when antibodies are produced. Amazingly, the immune system will get the upper hand at this stage and limit multiplication of the virus, so that symptoms resolve in a week or two. Thereafter most people will have partial control over the virus with no symptoms of HIV infection for several years, 10 on average.
However, slowly but surely the virus hides out in an individual's lymphocytes and evades the control measures of the immune system, mostly because it is genetically changeable and therefore keeps presenting a new appearance to the immune system which cannot keep up with the virus. All this time T-helper cells are not functioning properly or are destroyed whenever the virus multiplies. Initially the body is able to replace the T-helper cells as fast as they are destroyed and there is no significant effect on their numbers. However, after several years the body's ability to replace the T-lymphocytes begins to fall off. T-helper cells play a crucial part in the proper functioning of the immune system and the depletion of these cells drastically reduces the effectiveness of the immune system.

AIDS is first diagnosed when an HIV-positive person gets a characteristic opportunistic infection or an AIDS-related tumour. Very common opportunistic infections in AIDS are Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) now known as Pneumocystis jerovicii pneumonia and tuberculosis (TB), which can even occur in sites in the body outside the lungs, bones or gut. The common tumours in AIDS are Kaposi's sarcoma, usually visible in the skin, and certain tumours of the lymph glands (lymphoma). Infection of the brain by HIV itself or other viruses and certain types of parasites, can cause dementia and stroke-like problems.
Some people progress to AIDS quickly within two years, whereas others remain symptom-free for 15 years or more. This latter group of people are known as "long-term non-progressors" and scientists are very interested in what advantage they have for withstanding HIV. In developing countries, where people may be malnourished and have many other illnesses to contend with as well, HIV disease tends to progress to AIDS more quickly than the 10-year average for people living in the better circumstances of the developing world.

Risk factors
The following people are most at risk of HIV infection:
People who have unprotected vaginal or anal sex
People who have sex with many partners, thereby increasing the chance that they will encounter a partner who is HIV infected
People who share needles (for example for intravenous drug use, tattooing or body piercing)
Babies of mothers who are HIV infected
People who have another STD, especially STDs that cause open sores or ulcers such as herpes, chancroid or syphilis
Haemophiliacs and other people who frequently receive blood products (this risk is now very much diminished, but there are still countries where blood is not adequately screened)
Health care workers, where precautions are neglected or fail (for example through not wearing gloves or accidental needle injuries)

When to call a health professional
A health care professional should be seen if:
You have been at risk of HIV infection (for example through unprotected sex, rape or sharing of needles). Anti-HIV drugs taken within hours or days of exposure to HIV can decrease the risk of contracting the virus.
Your sexual partners engage in high-risk behaviour or are known to be HIV positive
You are pregnant or plan to have a child
Any of the symptoms listed above are present
An HIV-positive person develops shortness of breath, convulsions, weakness in a limb or one side of the body, or loses consciousness (they should receive emergency care)

Visit preparation
Before being tested for HIV, it is best to seek counselling. All clinics and doctors should insist on pre- and post-test counselling to help patients deal with the psychological stress and anxiety they are likely to experience while waiting for results or when they have to deal with the consequences of a positive result. Pre- and post-test counselling for HIV testing is a requirement by law in South Africa. Avoid sexual contact with others while waiting for test results.

Diagnosis
Diagnostic testing can only be done with your consent. Pre-employment testing is now illegal in South Africa. Testing by life insurance companies is still often required, but can only be done if the client gives consent.
Ordinary HIV tests do not detect the virus, but rather the specific antibodies that are produced by the immune system in response to HIV infection. Antibodies are produced from about three weeks after infection and usually become detectable by enzyme liked immunosorbent assay or ELISA testing by four to six weeks after infection. This four- to six-week period between infection and a positive test is called the window period. In some people the window period is longer; it may take up to three months for an antibody test to become positive after they have been infected, but this is unusual. People who think that they might have been exposed to infection are therefore usually asked to wait at least four weeks before having the HIV test. Also, even if the first test is negative (i.e., no antibodies detected), a follow-up test should be done three months after the suspected exposure.

The most widely used and best antibody test is called an ELISA test (ELISA is short for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). ELISA tests have to be done in a laboratory. If a positive result is obtained on an ELISA test, the laboratory will confirm the result by testing with at least one different type of ELISA test. As an additional check, a second blood specimen is usually taken from the person for repeat testing.
Testing can also be done with a rapid HIV test which can be carried out by any health care professional immediately on-site in a clinic. Two different rapid tests should be used to confirm a diagnosis of HIV infection. The advantage of rapid testing is that an HIV result is available within 30 minutes.
This sort of HIV testing is very accurate, with the statistics predicting approximately 1 in a 1000 false results, or even less. The modern HIV tests in use in South Africa do not give false positive results in persons who are pregnant, who have TB, malaria, or any other common disease.

Currently, home HIV tests are being sold in some chemists. Most health care professionals and the Department of Health are not in favour of this practice. One reason is that the quality of the test cannot be regulated, so that there may be a greater risk of false positive or negative results. Also, a person testing themselves or someone else, will probably not have the information or psychological support that is gained through pre- and post-test counselling.
HIV testing in babies:In babies less than 18 months old, the mother's antibodies in the baby's blood can interfere with the HIV antibody test. Therefore, to test whether a baby is infected with HIV, it is necessary to detect the virus itself. This is commonly done with a PCR test.
Once a person has tested positive for HIV, a thorough medical examination should be done to evaluate their present state of health. As other STDs and TB are often present in someone who is HIV positive, additional screening tests for these diseases should be done, so that they can be treated straight away.
There are tests to monitor how advanced a person's HIV disease is. A CD4 cell count indicates what reserves of T-helper lymphocytes the person has and therefore the remaining strength of their immune system. A normal CD4 count is 800 or more cells per microlitre of blood. HIV-infected people in the early stages of the disease have a count of 200 to 500 cells per microlitre and in late phases a count lower than 200. A viral load test measures the amount of virus in the blood, which shows how rapidly HIV is multiplying and therefore how quickly the disease is likely to progress.

Treatment
Home
Discuss your HIV status with your partner(s). While this may be difficult to do, it is important that they be tested so that they can also be treated if necessary. In addition, they in turn may be unknowingly putting others at risk of HIV.
Protect your partner(s) from HIV by practising safer sex.
Stay healthy to maintain a strong immune system: eat a healthy, balanced diet, get enough rest and exercise, and avoid cigarettes and alcohol.

Medication
Anti-retroviral drugs slow down the rate at which the virus multiplies. Even though these drugs cannot completely eliminate the virus, by slowing down its multiplication they can prolong the symptom-free period of the disease. The presence of symptoms of HIV disease, the CD4 count and viral load tests are all used to decide when to start anti-retroviral drugs. Even if there are no symptoms, according to international guidelines that are revised every year, a CD4 count lower than 250 or a viral load higher than 50 000 would indicate the need for drug treatment. These guidelines also give information on which drugs are suitable to start therapy with and how to monitor individuals on these drugs.
It is believed that it is best to start treatment as late as possible in order to decrease the possibility of viral resistance developing to certain important groups of drugs and to minimise the drug side effects to an individual.
Anti-retroviral drugs include:
Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) such as zidovudine (AZT) and lamivudine (3TC)
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) such as nevirapine
Protease inhibitors (PIs) such as indinavir
The two groups of reverse transcriptase inhibitors handicap (inhibit) the viral enzyme that allows the virus to repeatedly copy itself into the DNA of T-helper lymphocytes.
The protease inhibitors handicap the viral enzyme that allows young viruses to mature to the state in which they can infect new cells.
In the best circumstances a person is given a combination of these drugs. This is because the drugs assist each other against the virus, and it takes longer for the virus to become resistant to any one drug. Ultimately a person’s virus becomes resistant to these drugs so that they are no longer effective, in the same way that insects become resistant to a pesticide and bacteria become resistant to a frequently used antibiotic.
These drugs are very expensive and in South Africa the state does not pay for a person's treatment. Laboratory monitoring while on the drugs which can also be costly. If you do not have medical aid, it may be possible to get drug treatment by participating in a drug trial at a large hospital. In a drug trial new drugs or new combinations of drugs are tried out on a group of patients. These trials are closely monitored to ensure that those participating benefit from the drugs, and are not harmed or exploited.

HIV drugs and mother to child transmission (MTCT)
Pregnant women who are HIV positive can reduce the risk of infecting their babies by using anti-retroviral drugs during pregnancy and labour. In addition, the baby may be given an anti-retroviral drug for a few weeks after birth to counteract exposure to the virus during labour. There are different drugs and treatment approaches that can be used in this situation, but the most world-wide experience has been obtained with the drug AZT, and more recently, nevirapine. Infection of babies can be reduced by approximately 50% by using a short course of either of these drugs. A planned caesarean section will also reduce the risk of HIV being transmitted to the baby, as most infections occur during labour itself.
New data from studies conducted in Soweto, South Africa, using only one dose of drug (nevirapine) to the mother during labour and one dose of nevirapine to the infant after delivery has shown to decrease transmission by almost 60%. This is a very easy and short schedule that can easily be implemented in this country to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV.
However, babies can still be infected through breastfeeding, so most specialists strongly recommend that mothers who are HIV positive should bottle feed their babies. The recently implemented Department of Health MTCT programme in South Africa provides a nevirapine dose for a mother and her infant as well as a 12 month supply of formula milk at a reduced subsidised cost. Most antenatal clinics in the country also have a “training” programme to show mothers how to use this milk properly. So although the benefits of breast milk are unfortunately lost in these infants, receiving formula or bottle milk at least ensures they are not exposed to HIV.

MTCT is a very complex problem. If you are HIV positive and pregnant you would need to discuss the issues at length with a health care professional knowledgeable in the area.
Health care workers who are accidentally exposed to HIV through, for example, a needleprick accident should start one or more anti-retroviral drugs (usually AZT and 3TC) as soon as possible after the incident and preferably within 72 hours. The drugs are usually taken for one month. From analysing thousands of such accidental exposures to health care wokers, it has been calculated that even though the risk of getting HIV infection from such an accident is quite low (0.03% of cases), taking anti-retroviral drugs reduces the risk of infection by about 80%.

Women who have been raped should also start anti-retroviral drugs as soon as possible. Most specialists believe that this is highly likely to reduce the risk of HIV infection, just as the drugs reduce infections after needleprick accidents and reduce transmission of HIV from a mother to her newborn baby. Recently some experimental work in monkeys and data from rape clinics have confirmed this theory, and showed that the drugs must be taken early (definitely before 72 hours, and preferably within 36 hours) to be effective.
Currently it is not the policy of the South African government to fund anti-retroviral drugs in the context of MTCT or rape. There are certain centres where treatment is nevertheless available, such as Baragwanath Hospital in Gauteng and Groote Schuur Hospital in the Western Cape.

Preventative treatment for opportunistic infections
Preventative treatment for opportunistic infections covers primary prevention (preventing illness before it occurs) and secondary prevention (preventing a disease that a person has already had from coming back).
Children should receive their routine vaccinations, but if they already have AIDS, they should not get the vaccine against TB. Extra vaccinations may be recommended in both adults and children. All children, as well as adults who have started to show the signs of HIV disease, should take an antibiotic called co-trimoxazole continuously. This antibiotic prevents Pneumocystis jerovici pneumonia. Adults or children who have had TB or who have contact with people with TB (especially at home) should take anti-TB drugs as well.

Boosting the immune system
A third aspect of treatment focuses on boosting the immune system. In general one should take care of one's health and immune system. In addition, get treatment for any infections early on before they become too serious. Recently, researchers at the University of Stellenbosch have developed a drug called Moducare, which is made from the African potato plant. Moducare has been shown to boost the immune system and may help, along with other measures, to slow down HIV disease.
Follow-up
Follow-up treatment and examinations will include regular visits to a doctor to monitor the progress of HIV disease, to diagnose and treat other infections and to keep up to date with new treatments.
Regular dental examinations are necessary, because people with HIV have a higher rate of mouth problems, including gum disease.
Other
HIV-positive people often have to deal with being treated differently by others (discrimination) or even shunned because they carry an infectious disease that is transferred by sex. There is also the anxiety about the threat of illness and death. It may therefore be important to get emotional support from a psychologist or a support group.
It may happen that, when it is known that people have HIV, their colleagues do not want to work with them or their employer will want to fire them. Information on legal and human rights for people living with HIV/AIDS may be obtained from an AIDS service organisation.
Prevention
How to protect yourself from getting HIV:
Reduce the number of sexual partners.
Always practice safer sex:
Use condoms from start to finish during anal or vaginal sex. Male latex condoms as well as female condoms provide protection against infection.
Always use male condoms when performing oral sex on a man.
For oral sex on a woman, cover the vaginal area with plastic wrap (cling wrap), a condom cut open or dental dams.
Never use oil-based lubricants with male condoms.
Engage in non-penetrative sex practices such as kissing, massaging, hugging, touching, body rubbing and masturbation.
Avoid alcohol and drugs, which can impair judgement and motivation to practice safer sex.
Do not share needles/syringes when using intravenous drugs - preferably don’t use recreational or illegal drugs at all!
Make sure all medical and surgical instruments, including those used for tattooing, body piercing or circumcision, are completely sterilised before re-use or are safely discarded.
Be tested regularly and get treatment for other STDs (women and men with open sores from herpes, syphilis or chancroid are more susceptible to HIV than other people).

source:dhyansanjivani