2012 – Set to be hottest year yet?

2012 could very well rank among the top hottest 10 years since 1850, with global temperatures likely to be half a degree Celsius warmer than the long-term average of 14 degrees, the UK’s Meteorological Department has said.

This year could become one of the top 10 hottest since 1850, with global temperatures expected to be almost half a degree Celsius warmer in 2012 than the long-term (1961-1990) average of 14 degrees, the UK’s Met Office said yesterday.

“2012 is expected to be around 0.48 degrees warmer than the long-term (1961-1990) global average of 14 degrees, with a predicted likely range of between 0.34 and 0.62 degrees,” the Met Office said in a statement.

“In 2011 we saw a very strong La Niña, which can temporarily cool global temperatures. The La Niña has returned, and although it is not as strong as early last year, it is still expected to influence temperatures, (and) we expect 2012 to be slightly warmer than last year but not as warm as 2010,” said Adam Scaife, head of Monthly to Decadal Forecasting at the Met Office.

2011 figures released by the Met office were close to those published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which put the global average temperature at 0.41 degrees above the norm.

The WMO lists 2010 as its warmest year on record, and all of its 12 warmest years fall between 1998 and 2011.

Diabetes monitoring goes remote

Medtronic, a world leader in medical technology, has won an approval from the US regulatory body for the first remote glucose monitor that will let parents check the blood sugar of a diabetic child sleeping in another room.

A bedside monitor features an alarm that alerts the carer to blood glucose changes, thus helping protect against low blood sugar instances.

The mySentry monitor, which costs about $3,000, works with Medtronic’s MiniMed Paradigm Real-Time Revel System, an insulin pump with built-in continuous glucose monitoring.

In addition to displaying blood sugar readings, the device provides information on the insulin pump battery life and amount of insulin remaining.

Since 75 percent of reactions, in which a diabetic’s blood sugar drops to a dangerously low level, occur overnight, this remote/automatic checking could be a boon to parents who will now not have to get several times in the night to their child’s blood sugar levels.

Getting creative with gifts

Now that we’re in the thick of the gift-giving season, most would still be nursing last minute thoughts on that elusive ‘perfect gift’. Either he or she has everything or doesn’t need what you’re planning to gift. But when it comes to men, there’s one gift that can never go wrong – personalized cufflinks.

They also allow you get creative and engrave your favorite man’s name or a brief message on the links. The variety in design, material, colors and styles is fantastic, and it’d be a cake walk to zero in on the perfect choice for your gift recipient.

Besides, you may browse through the choices available on some of the more established accessories and gifts sites, and have them delivered. And the customization allows one to get as close as possible. Moreover, customized cuff links are easily portable and will be something to keep and cherish forever.

Surgeons ’stay away from end-of-life topic’

A number of surgeon in the US refrain from discussing issues related to the consequences of death during a risky operation, says a new study.

Medical wishes and plans for end-of-life care, called “advance directives,” outline what can and cannot be done if patients are unable to decide for themselves, explained the survey published in the Annals of Surgery.

“(Surgeons) feel the advance directive basically ties their hands behind their back, and they’re not given the tools to get them through the surgery,” said Margaret Schwarze, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

She and her colleagues polled 912 surgeons who regularly perform risky operations 14 questions on how they discuss a patient’s advance directives.

While about 80 percent of the surgeons discussed which forms of life support the patients would like to limit, only about half asked specifically about the patient’s advance directive.

“I think some surgeons just don’t discuss advance directives because they think it’s so irrelevant,” Schwarze said.

The car – more than a transport device

Let’s face it – we take the car for granted. Like it’s a necessity, something everyone owns. Having said that, the car assumes a little more character than just a device for transporting one from point A to point B.

The car has become a lifestyle. More than anything else, it can make a statement, even become a style symbol. Since the car can mean so much, it’s not just the brand or the model that counts. What also matters is the interiors… how’s the dashboard? How comfortable are the seats (are they leather)?

How about in-car entertainment? While the DVD player can be a little extravagant yet, the car audio is must. Then again, what kind of audio system? How many speakers and sub-woofers? Your car is not really complete without an audio system that’s just right for your car!