Under Secretary to the Government of India

Placing a laptop directly on your legs for prolonged periods can harm the skin.

The laptop was invented to provide user mobility — so we don't end up being chained to our desk computers. But working for hours with the lappy perched on your lap could result in discoloured patchy skin. While you could be enjoying the heat emanating, you could also develop Toasted Skin Syndrome. Here's more about the condition...

What is it?
It is clinically known as Erythema Ab Igne and also known by names such as 'laptop thigh' and 'hot water bottle rash'. Swiss doctors call it 'laptop-induced dermatosis'. Cosmeto-dermatologist Dr Anuya Manerkar defines it as "A coarsely reticulatedpigmentation which is produced by prolonged exposure to excessive heat without the production of a burn."

Who is at risk?
"People who spend prolonged periods of time studying, reading, or playing games on laptops resting on their upper legs could develop this skin syndrome," warns dermatologist Dr Shreyas Kamath. This skin condition is common among people often exposed to heat while working (blacksmiths, silversmiths, cooks, etc). Now, people using laptops for long hours are facing this.

Causes
The prolonged placement of laptop on the thighs results in thermal build of around 44 degrees of heat to which the skin responds by developing persistent redness and pigmentation. This has been reported in medical literature between 2004 to date, explains dermatologist and dermatosurgeon Dr Shenaz Z Arsiwala.

Harmful effects
"The skin develops a patch which is mottled (caused by local hemostasis — stagnation of blood) and later becomes reticulated erythema (patchy striped erythema) leaving behind pigmentation," says Dr Manerkar.

Cosmeto-dermatologist Dr Swati Srivastava warns that repeated skin exposure can waste tissues, typically due to the degeneration of cells. If there is a persistent soreness that does not heal, a skin biopsy should be performed to rule out the possibility of skin cancer.

Treatment
First of all, identification of the root cause, i.e., the source of the heat, needs to be identified. If it is excess duration of laptop usage, it should be cut down. Also, direct contact of the laptop and the skin should be avoided by placing a barrier in between. Dr Arsiwala says laptop coolers are also available. The skin change, if detected early and is mild in nature, can settle on its own without treatment. For persistent redness, anti-inflammatory creams can be used. For pigmentary changes, addition of topical tretinoin (a drug related to retinol or vitamin A) cream may be mandatory. In some cases, one may require laser therapy. 

Source :  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Office is pushing for a multi-pronged strategy to 'prevent and contain malicious use of internet and social media', indicating the government's seriousness in regulating the cyberspace.

At an August 27 meeting in the PMO, attended by heads of all intelligence agencies, as well as representatives from the ministries of home, telecom and IT, the government decided to set up an 'appropriate regime' that will address issues related to blocking content on the internet and social media in a 'smart, timely and consistent manner'.

According to the minutes of the meeting, reviewed by ET, the new regime will work out an effective cyber monitoring system, lay out guidelines and operating procedures on the nature of online content that will be blocked, and specify penalties for perpetrators.

It will also have a legal arm that will fill up existing gaps in the IT Act for dealing with such situations, including deterring malicious use of the internet and social media.

The ministries of home and information technology have been directed to work out the structure and the mandate of the new regime.

The need for a 'legal and administrative regime' to prevent malicious use of the internet was felt last month after rumours spread through mobile phone text messages and on social networking sites fuelled panic among migrants from the Northeastern states.

To quell the rumours, the government had to issue four separate orders to block about 20 Twitter accounts and nearly 310 other items online, including entire websites, YouTube videos and Facebook pages.

The meeting in the PMO came just days after the government failed to block Twitter in select regions of the country.

The home ministry had asked internet service providers and telcos on August 23 to block Twitter in Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Andhra PradeshBSE -2.26 %, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh after thousands of people from the northeast began fleeing cities such as Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mysore fearing attacks. But this was not implemented after telcos said they did not have technology to bar websites on a state-by-state basis.

Under the new policy, the Centre will unveil public guidelines to spell out its responses to such situations in the future.

"This will introduce predictability with regard to what kind of content is liable to be regulated and for how long, the structure and process of such regulation, proactive dissemination of information to counter false propaganda, as well as a system of graded response and graded penalty to perpetrators," the minutes of the meet said.

It also aims to provide adequate communication to ISPs and telcos before blocking of content.

"These would be written appropriately into a set of standard operating procedures," the minutes added.

This will help address complaints from telcos and ISPs that customers often vent their rage at service providers on finding content or websites blocked as per government's orders. Operators have also sought that the government put out such directives in public domain to prevent consumers from assuming that their service provider was censoring online content. 

Source :  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

When he applied for reimbursement of Rs.2 lakh to which he was entitled, the railway authorities rejected his claim on the ground that treatment in a non-recognised private hospital without referral by the railway authorised medical officer was not admissible. Hence, the present application.

 

Rejecting the contentions, CAT judicial member G Santhappa said that in this case, the applicant had produced the emergency certificate and that had not been considered by the railways. The Personnel Branches Circular (PBC) dated May 4, 1994 listed under what circumstances reimbursement of medical expenses could be made. It included that if a patient falls ill at a place where there was no government or railway hospital and that if transporting the patient to the nearest government hospital would result in loss of life, the servant could be admitted in a private hospital. The rejection was against the law laid down by the SC, the tribunal said, set aside the order and directed the railways to sanction the amount in a month.

 

Source : www.newindianexpress.com
[http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article601428.ece]