JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand hovered near two week highs against the dollar on Tuesday with sentiment still buoyant after a sharply narrower February trade deficit, although an overally dim economic outlook could cap gains.
By 0658 GMT the local unit traded at 9.1830 to the greenback after ending Monday's session at 9.1975. It also edged up against the euro to 11.7707 from 11.8042.
Government bonds were also firmer despite the anticipated injection of 2.35 billion rand worth of new paper at a weekly auction later in the day.
The yield for the 2026 paper was down 2.5 basis points at 7.36 percent and that for the paper due in 2015 fell three basis points to 5.465 percent.
Sentiment for the currency has received a boost after data last week showed South Africa's trade deficit narrowed sharply to 9.5 billion rand in February from nearly 25 billion rand the previous month.
"The (trade data) came as a huge relief which many in the market are interpreting as early signs that the weaker rand is starting to have a positive effect in restoring balance to the trade and current account deficits," said Tradition Analytics in a note.
The rand has already slid nearly 9 percent against the dollar in the first three months of the year, weighed down by data pointing to an economy struggling to grow after a 2009 recession and strikes which have cut mining output.
"The imbalances that have resulted in the weaker rand trend in the past 18 months remains very much intact and today investors will gain a fresh glimpse at these imbalances through the release of the latest PMI figures," said Tradition Analytics.
There's always been something just a little off about Dr. Watson and his uncanny ability to always appear by his partner's side. But now that your suspicions of Sherlock Holmes' faithful man-servant have been proven correct, will you survive the night? More »
President Obama has unveiled a plan to learn more about the inner workings of the human brain. It calls for including $100 million in the 2014 budget to launch what's being called the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative. The goal is to help researchers find ways to cure or prevent brain disorders including Alzheimer's disease.
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tipwith "Insert Coin" as the subject line.
Father and son team Nick and Larry Braun want to build a portable zip line system for cameras. Problem is, predictably, design and manufacturing cost a lot of money. So, the two have turned to Kickstarter and are asking for a little help in getting their LineCam project off the ground. The duo are actually building two different models: the simple, gravity-powered Glide and the motorized Flow. Both are wheeled carts that attach to a cable and have mounts for various cameras, including standard tripod mounts for shuttling DSLRs through the air. The Glide is capable of using smaller gauge line and has a simpler rigging assembly, which helps keep cost and weight down. The remote controlled Flow, on the other hand, requires a much more robust setup.
The Flow is definitely the more interesting of the two products. Rather than simply riding the cable under the the influence of physics, it features an RF remote with speed control and the ability to run in reverse. And the 10,900mAh battery is charged in part by a regenerative breaking system packed into the shuttle. Having all this machined aluminum made here in the US isn't cheap however. The Glide platform alone (that includes none of the rigging or cabling) will require a pledge of $510. The Flow? A jaw dropping $4,535. And if you want all the necessary equipment to film your exploits from the air you'll have to offer support totally $5,600. Still, if you're serious about your photography and video, it might not seem like that absurd a price. Heck, the GoPro guys seem to like it. Check out the video pitch for the LineCam after the break.
Many emergency department providers don't ask suicidal patients about gun accessPublic release date: 1-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: David Kelly david.kelly@ucdenver.edu 303-315-6374 University of Colorado Denver
Over half of US suicides committed with firearms
AURORA, Colo. (April 1, 2013) Although guns are used in over half of all American suicides, a new study shows that many emergency room doctors and nurses do not routinely ask suicidal patients about their access to firearms.
"In our study, less than half of emergency room medical providers believe most or all suicides are preventable and many rarely ask about the availability of firearms," said Marian Betz, MD, MPH, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "There is a great opportunity to save lives here that many are not taking advantage of."
The study, published in the March edition of Depression and Anxiety, surveyed 631 emergency department doctors and nurses in eight American hospitals as part of the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) trial.
They found that 44 percent of physicians and 67 percent of nurses believed that most or all of those who committed suicide by gun would have found another way if the firearm was not available.
It also showed that 49 percent of doctors and 72 percent of nurses said they `hardly ever' personally counsel patients or families to remove or lock up guns at home.
The proportion of providers who said they `almost always' asked suicidal patients about their access to firearms varied according to the scenario.
64 percent would almost always ask if the patient had an actual plan to commit suicide with a gun.
22 percent would ask if the patient was suicidal but had no suicide plan.
21 percent would ask if the patient was suicidal with a non-firearm plan.
16 percent would ask if the patient had been suicidal in past month but was not today.
9 percent would ask if patient had overdosed but was no longer suicidal.
In 2010, 38,000 people committed suicide in the U.S. and another 465,000 were treated in emergency departments for self-inflicted injuries.
In the year before they died, 40 percent of suicide victims visited an emergency department at least once and often many times.
"This is an opportunity for intervention but very often providers don't know how to react or they think someone else should ask about firearms," said Betz, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the CU School of Medicine. "And then some have an aversion to getting into an area so fraught with politics. This is not an issue of gun control; it's a safety issue for patients in crisis."
As part of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, emergency room providers are encouraged to routinely assess the ability of suicidal patients to obtain firearms or other tools to harm themselves.
In real life, Betz said, this rarely happens. Her study shows that most felt it was the responsibility of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses or social workers to ask about firearms.
"If a suicidal person has a gun you could come up with a plan to put it in a safe place," she said. "Sometimes, the police or a family member can take it. Or it can be locked up in a safe."
The study acknowledged the growing caseloads in emergency departments and the difficulty in conducting lengthy counseling sessions of suicidal patients.
The best option, Betz said, would be for emergency departments to have mental health professionals standing by.
"However, brief risk assessment of access to lethal means and possibly brief interventions are reasonable skills for emergency department providers to master," she said, noting that these skills should be incorporated into medical education. "Whenever we have the opportunity to save a life, we ought to be taking it."
###
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the CU Denver School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies. The School is located on the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit the CU Denver newsroom online.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Many emergency department providers don't ask suicidal patients about gun accessPublic release date: 1-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: David Kelly david.kelly@ucdenver.edu 303-315-6374 University of Colorado Denver
Over half of US suicides committed with firearms
AURORA, Colo. (April 1, 2013) Although guns are used in over half of all American suicides, a new study shows that many emergency room doctors and nurses do not routinely ask suicidal patients about their access to firearms.
"In our study, less than half of emergency room medical providers believe most or all suicides are preventable and many rarely ask about the availability of firearms," said Marian Betz, MD, MPH, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "There is a great opportunity to save lives here that many are not taking advantage of."
The study, published in the March edition of Depression and Anxiety, surveyed 631 emergency department doctors and nurses in eight American hospitals as part of the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) trial.
They found that 44 percent of physicians and 67 percent of nurses believed that most or all of those who committed suicide by gun would have found another way if the firearm was not available.
It also showed that 49 percent of doctors and 72 percent of nurses said they `hardly ever' personally counsel patients or families to remove or lock up guns at home.
The proportion of providers who said they `almost always' asked suicidal patients about their access to firearms varied according to the scenario.
64 percent would almost always ask if the patient had an actual plan to commit suicide with a gun.
22 percent would ask if the patient was suicidal but had no suicide plan.
21 percent would ask if the patient was suicidal with a non-firearm plan.
16 percent would ask if the patient had been suicidal in past month but was not today.
9 percent would ask if patient had overdosed but was no longer suicidal.
In 2010, 38,000 people committed suicide in the U.S. and another 465,000 were treated in emergency departments for self-inflicted injuries.
In the year before they died, 40 percent of suicide victims visited an emergency department at least once and often many times.
"This is an opportunity for intervention but very often providers don't know how to react or they think someone else should ask about firearms," said Betz, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the CU School of Medicine. "And then some have an aversion to getting into an area so fraught with politics. This is not an issue of gun control; it's a safety issue for patients in crisis."
As part of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, emergency room providers are encouraged to routinely assess the ability of suicidal patients to obtain firearms or other tools to harm themselves.
In real life, Betz said, this rarely happens. Her study shows that most felt it was the responsibility of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses or social workers to ask about firearms.
"If a suicidal person has a gun you could come up with a plan to put it in a safe place," she said. "Sometimes, the police or a family member can take it. Or it can be locked up in a safe."
The study acknowledged the growing caseloads in emergency departments and the difficulty in conducting lengthy counseling sessions of suicidal patients.
The best option, Betz said, would be for emergency departments to have mental health professionals standing by.
"However, brief risk assessment of access to lethal means and possibly brief interventions are reasonable skills for emergency department providers to master," she said, noting that these skills should be incorporated into medical education. "Whenever we have the opportunity to save a life, we ought to be taking it."
###
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the CU Denver School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies. The School is located on the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit the CU Denver newsroom online.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 1-Apr-2013
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