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warc | 201704 | October 12, 2006
– 82% of Iowa's business leaders responding to a recent survey
said that the legal climate in Iowa imposes costs on businesses
that hurt job growth.
The survey, conducted by The Iowa Association of Business and Industry
with assistance from the Center for America in July
2006, invited Iowa business leaders and owners to
anonymously complete an internet-based questionnaire. The
results show how the out-of-control legal environment is
increasing costs to consumers and impeding economic growth and
innovation.
Four out of five, 80%,
say that the legal climate in Iowa increases the cost of
everything consumers buy in Iowa.
Nearly four out of ten, 39%,
have decided against developing new products and/or services
in order to avoid liability lawsuits.
More than seven out of ten
business leaders responding, 73%, say that they now spend
more time than ever before trying to manage the risks of
being sued.
Nearly seven out of ten, 69%, say that the legal climate in
Iowa
creates disadvantages for businesses in Iowa compared with
other states.
More than half, 55%,
say that the legal climate in Iowa discourages them from
spending to create or improve products and/or services.
“Increasing costs due to litigation
and fear of litigation have clearly impacted the attitudes of
job creators in Iowa,” said John Gilliland, Senior Vice
President of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI).
“We hope this Iowa specific data will help policy makers
understand the need for continued reforms to Iowa’s legal
climate.”
The survey reveals how the legal
climate in Iowa impacts the state’s economy and how business
investors view the effect of the legal climate on their
companies. Despite a top 25 ranking in the
Pacific
Research Institute's recently released
US Tort Liability Index, Iowa business owners still feel threatened by
lawsuits and are spending a great deal of time and money
protecting their businesses from them.
"Lawsuit abuse is undermining Iowa
business plain and simple," said Dan Pero, President of the
Center for America. "A climate of litigation depresses
wages, curtails job growth and hurts the pocketbooks of every
Iowa family and job provider. Iowa has so many benefits that
make it an attractive home for prospective and current
employers, particularly small business. Unfortunately, too many
lawsuits can make a state like Iowa uncompetitive in the race
for jobs. In fact, many small business owners are just one
lawsuit away from bankruptcy which would have a devastating
impact on communities across the state. Iowa is fighting for its
economic livelihood and that fight cannot be lost because too
many trial lawyers are more concerned about what's in their
wallet than what they take from the wallets and pocketbooks of
hard working Iowans."
One third of the business owners and
managers participating in this survey, 33%, have 49 or fewer
employees. Another 20% have 50 to 99 employees and 33% have 100
to 499 employees. Leaders representing businesses with 500 or
more employees comprise 14% of the respondents.
Thus, the survey respondents reflect the group of small and
medium size businesses that traditionally generate the greatest
share of new jobs and fuel local economic growth.
Listen to an audio interview with ABI's John Gilliland
Download Full Survey Report | 3,431 | 1,686 | 0.000613 |
warc | 201704 | Residents of Fairgreen’s De Vesci Court are being forced to pay over €1,500 per year to live in the estate and were last year forced to pay an extra €700 to cover residents who were not paying the management fees.
Details obtained by the Leinster Express reveal that residents are paying more than €160,000 in management fees this year.
On top of the €100 household charge and water charges which are soon to be introduced by the Government, the Fairgreen residents are being forced to pay large amounts each year for the general maintenance and upkeep of the buildings and surrounding areas.
According to Kildare based Falcondale Properties Ltd, the company responsible for De Vesci Court, the total bill for looking after the general upkeep and maintenance for the 94 units in De Vesci Court will cost over €160,000 for this year.
One resident, who did not wish to be named said people are sick of the high fees.
“The residents are getting nowhere. Everyone is giving out but no one knows what to do. We’re sick of it,” she said.
Since this woman moved to De Vesci Court, the management fees have increased by around €600.
Paying residents were also hit with a €700 levy to cover the expenses of those who were not paying.
“The fees are different every year. The first year I was here, it was €1,097, the following year it was €1,235.
“The third year there was a levy of €700 on top of the fee which brought it up to €1,975 and this year is €1,695.”
“Most people are now not paying the fees, because they felt that nothing was being done around the place.”
Sinn Fein Councillor, Alan Hand raised the issue at a recent meeting of Portlaoise Town Council.
He said something would have to be done about manangement company fees. He said it was something that he was going to continue to research on a personal level.
“People are struggling to pay their mortgages. There needs to be a cap put on these fees,” he told the meeting.
Speaking to the Leinster Express, he said: “I can see the need for insurance cover and a rainy day fund, but for the residents in De Vesci Court the fees are rising year on year.
“The lobby is filthy, there is graffiti on the walls and the grass was getting high because it was not being cut.
“In Esker Hills they pay €900 per year and that would be the top end of the scale in Portlaoise. In Kilminchy the fee is around €200 per year, and there is 26 acres of grass to keep cut there.”
Falcondale Properties declined to comment on the management fees in the Fairgreen Estate.
For a breakdown of the costs charged, see page 6. | 2,719 | 1,273 | 0.000836 |
warc | 201704 | Supreme Court of Appeal overturns Pretoria High Court decision of Halstead-Cleak v Eskom Holdings Limited.
In a previous article we considered the Pretoria High Court's decision in
Halstead-Cleak v Eskom Holdings Limited [2015] JOL 33332 (GP), in which it was found that Eskom was strictly liable in terms of the Consumer Protection Act (" CPA") for injuries suffered by the Plaintiff, who had been riding a bicycle and had suffered serious burn injuries after inadvertently coming into contact with a low hanging live powerline. This article can be accessed here.
We concluded that the High Court's interpretation and application of the CPA, and specifically its finding that Eskom was strictly liable in terms of section 61 of the CPA, were incorrect. Our view was that the facts in the case did not constitute a 'transaction' for the purposes of the CPA, and that the CPA was therefore not applicable.
On 30 September 2016 the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down a unanimous judgment, in which it overturned the Pretoria High Court decision, and remitted the matter to the trial court for a determination of whether Eskom was liable to the Plaintiff in terms of the law of delict (our common law). The SCA's judgment can be accessed here.
The SCA's findings are based on an examination of the CPA as a whole, and the Legislature's intention in bringing the law into force. The court stated that
"[f]rom the definitions, the Preamble and purpose of the Act, it is clear that the whole tenor of the Act is to protect consumers. A consumer is a person who buys goods and services, as well as persons who act on their behalf or use products that have been bought by consumers. … These purchases are made by way of transactions. The Act must therefore be interpreted keeping in mind that its focus is the protection of consumers" (emphasis added).
The SCA took the same view which we expressed in our previous article, finding that the CPA is limited in its application to harm caused by goods that are supplied in terms of a transaction. It found that,
"
…the respondent was not a consumer that was entitled to the protection of Part H of Chapter 2 of the Act. Furthermore, the circumstances of this case clearly fall outside the ambit of a consumer – supplier relationship to which the Act applies."
The SCA decision in confirming that strict liability under Section 61 of the CPA is restricted to the "
ambit of a consumer/supplier relationship" is welcomed, as the effect of the lower court decision was to override our common law of delict, which requires proof of fault in order to establish liability. | 2,642 | 1,248 | 0.000812 |
warc | 201704 | On April 26, 2016, the United States Steel Corporation ("US Steel") filed a complaint under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 , 19 U.S.C. § 1337, seeking the exclusion of Chinese carbon and alloy steel products from entry into the United States. The complaint alleges that more than forty Chinese companies have exported steel products into the United States using the following "unfair" practices, in violation of Section 337: (i) a conspiracy to fix prices and control output and export volumes; (ii) the misappropriation and use of US Steel's trade secrets; and (iii) the false designation of origin or manufacturer for the purpose of evading duties.
The complaint is unusual in that it seeks the exclusion of all Chinese carbon and alloy steel products from the US market, regardless of their source, rather than targeting a narrower subset of products and companies. Moreover, while most complaints arising under Section 337 involve alleged infringement of intellectual property rights (IPR), the US steel complaint alleges antitrust violations and duty evasion – issues not typically of focus in the US International Trade Commission's (ITC) investigations under Section 337. Given the breadth and unique aspects of the complaint, an investigation resulting in a determination of violation of Section 337 by the ITC could have wide-ranging implications.
Background
Section 337 makes it unlawful to (i) import articles that infringe on US intellectual property rights; or (ii) engage in "unfair methods of competition and unfair acts" in the importation of articles, the threat or effect of which is to (a) destroy, substantially injure, or prevent the establishment of an industry in the United States or (b) restrain or monopolize trade and commerce in the United States. Complaints arising under Section 337 are investigated by the ITC through a process that involves an initial determination by an Administrative Law Judge and a final determination by the Commission.
If the ITC finds a violation of Section 337, three potential remedies are available – general exclusion orders, limited exclusion orders, and cease and desist orders. A general exclusion order directs US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to exclude all of the infringing or unfairly traded articles from entry into the United States, regardless of their source, whereas a limited exclusion order directs CBP to exclude articles originating from a respondent in the Commission investigation. The ITC issues general exclusion orders where there is a pattern of violations and it is difficult to identify the source of the articles, or where it is necessary to prevent circumvention. A cease and desist order directs a respondent in the investigation to cease certain actions, such as selling infringing or unfairly traded articles. ITC remedial orders are subject to review by the President, who may disapprove them for policy reasons, but such disapprovals are rare.
Details of the US Steel complaint
The complaint proposes more than forty Chinese steel producers and distributors –including many of the largest producers in China – as respondents to the investigation. The complaint alleges that the proposed respondents have engaged in unfair trade practices "across their entire range of carbon and alloy steel products", and seeks the inclusion of all Chinese carbon and alloy steel products within the scope of the complaint.
US Steel asserts the following causes of action against the proposed respondents: (i) an alleged conspiracy to control production, output, and export volumes in order to injure US competitors (in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act); (ii) misappropriation and use of US Steel's trade secrets, including those relating to the manufacture of Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) used by the automotive industry; and (iii) circumvention of US antidumping and countervailing duty orders against Chinese steel products through actions such as transshipment and submission of false documents to CBP (in violation of the Lanham Act).
The complaint requests relief in the form of a permanent general exclusion order prohibiting the entry into the United States of the allegedly unfairly traded Chinese steel products, regardless of their source. Instead of a limited exclusion order, which would apply to steel products originating from the proposed respondents, US Steel argues that a general exclusion order is necessary because (i) Chinese steel manufacturers allegedly evade US duties, and therefore would likely evade a limited exclusion order; (ii) the alleged coordination of prices and output decisions is imposed on the entire Chinese steel industry; and (iii) US Steel’s trade secrets were allegedly stolen for the benefit of the entire Chinese steel industry. The complaint also requests permanent cease and desist orders prohibiting the proposed respondents from conducting various activities in the United States such as importing, selling, marketing, or distributing the allegedly unfairly traded Chinese steel products.
Implications
Given the broad range of issues and products covered by the complaint, the ITC's findings in the resulting investigation could have a substantial impact on US-China trade relations, and might also encourage similar complaints from other US industries. However, an affirmative finding is far from certain, and any remedy proposed by the ITC following such a finding would be subject to Presidential review and thus could be reversed. Indeed, the last time a 337 complaint involving steel products alleged an antitrust violation based on pricing behavior, then-President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential determination disallowing the ITC's proposed remedy (a cease and desist order), citing national interest reasons and the need to avoid duplication and conflicts with trade remedy proceedings. The next President might take similar actions, particularly given that many of the products covered by the US Steel complaint are covered by existing AD/CVD orders and investigations against Chinese steel products. Moreover, if the ITC were to find a violation in this case, the resulting determination could be appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. An exclusion order issued by the ITC in this case also would likely be challenged by China at the WTO as a potential violation of GATT Article XI:1. | 6,425 | 2,540 | 0.000397 |
warc | 201704 | On March 26, 2016, the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2016-19 to describe new procedures for taxpayers and other entities under the jurisdiction of the Large Business and International (LB&I), Small Business and Self Employed (SB/SE) and Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Operating Divisions to submit issues for consideration under the Service’s Industry Issue Resolution (“IIR”) Program. The objective of the IIR Program is to identify and resolve through pre-filing guidance frequently disputed or burdensome tax issues that are common to a significant number of taxpayers. This Revenue Procedure supersedes Revenue Procedure 2003-36,
92 and updates, revises and clarifies the procedures.
The IRS announced the Industry Issue Resolution Pilot Program in 2000 to establish a procedure to address through pre-filing guidance rather than costly post-filing examination of frequently disputed tax issues. In 2002, the program was made permanent.
93
The types of issues most appropriate for consideration under the IIR Program must have two or more of the following characteristics:
The proper tax treatment of a common factual situation is uncertain; The uncertainty results in frequent, and often repetitive, examinations of the same issue; Frequent, and often repetitive, examinations require significant resources from both the IRS and impacted entities; The issue is significant and impacts a large number of entities; The issue requires extensive factual development; and Collaboration would facilitate proper resolution of the tax issue by promoting an understanding of entities’ views and business practices.
The Revenue Procedure has identified the following types of issues that generally are not appropriate for consideration under the Program: (i) issues unique to one or a small number of entities; (ii) issues not under the jurisdiction of LB&I, SB/SE or TE/GE Operating Divisions; (iii) issues involving transactions that lack a bona fide business purpose, or transactions with a significant purpose of improperly reducing or avoiding federal taxes, and (iv) issues involving transfer pricing or international tax treaties. If the issue submitted is accepted, the IRS establishes an IIR team, drawn from the LB&I, SB/SE or TE/GE Operating Divisions, as well as IRS Appeals, the Office of Chief Counsel and the Treasury Department, to analyze the issue(s) and develop the appropriate guidance. The determination of the issue may result in published guidance, such as a regulation, revenue ruling, revenue procedure or notice. The request to the IIR Program is not required to be submitted in a particular format, but should include an issue statement, description of why the issue is appropriate for the IIR Program, an explanation of the need for guidance, an estimate of the number of entities affected by the issue, a description of how the requestor relates to those entities and how the issue may be resolved. The IIR Program request may be submitted at any time during the calendar year, and should be submitted by e-mail to IIR@IRS.Gov. | 3,090 | 1,377 | 0.000733 |
warc | 201704 | The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles in the shoulder and upper arm. The muscles help to move the arm at the shoulder and also help to stabilize the joint. The muscles are connected to the shoulder bone by tendons, which are strong, flexible cords. Tendons may become damaged from long term overuse or from injury.
A rotator cuff repair is a surgery to repair damage to the rotator cuff.
Rotator Cuff Tear
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Your doctor may recommend this surgery for:
Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have this repair, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
Your doctor may do the following:
Leading up to the procedure:
General anesthesia
is typically used.
You will be asleep.
There are two methods used to perform a rotator cuff repair:
The doctor will make a large cut in the skin over the shoulder. The torn tendon will be repaired and reattached and/or anchored with stitches. The incision will then be closed with stitches or staples.
A few small incisions will be made in the shoulder. A narrow tool called an arthroscope will be inserted through the incision. The scope has a tiny camera to allow the doctor to see inside. Other small instruments will be inserted through the other incisions. The doctor will use these tools to repair the tendon.
After either procedure, the incisions will be bandaged. Your arm will be placed in a sling. The sling will prevent movement while you heal.
About 1-½ to 2 hours
Anesthesia prevents pain during the procedure. You may have some discomfort immediately after. Your doctor can give you medicine to help manage this.
You may be able to go home the same day. Some may need to stay in the hospital for one day.
When you return home, do the following to help ensure a smooth recovery:
The rotator cuff will take several months to heal. It may take some time before you can raise your arm above your shoulder. It may be up to one year before you can hold your arm above your head and do work with reasonable strength. An aggressive and consistent exercise program is the key to a faster recovery.
After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:
In case of an emergency, call for medical help right away.
RESOURCES:
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeonshttp://www.aaos.org/
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicinehttp://www.aossm.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Orthopaedic Associationhttp://www.coa-aco.org/
Health Canadahttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php
References:
University of Iowa Health Care website. Available at: http://www.uihealthcare.com/ .
6/2/2011 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Mills E, Eyawo O, Lockhart I, Kelly S, Wu P, Ebbert JO.Smoking cessation reduces postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2011;124(2):144-154.e8. | 3,056 | 1,498 | 0.000677 |
warc | 201704 | Roughly half of adults experience hemorrhoids, or inflamed veins in the rectum or anus, by age 50. Symptoms vary but may include anal pain and itching, painful bowel movements, tender bumps near the anus and bloody toilet paper after wiping. Potential causes include pregnancy, obesity, sitting for long time periods, chronic digestive problems and a diet low in fluids or fiber. Hemorrhoid flareups typically resolve on their own. Medications and dietary changes may help prevent or reduce symptoms.
Yogurt and Kefir
Yogurt and kefir, a yogurt-like beverage, provide probiotics -- beneficial, or "friendly," bacteria that promote digestive health and immune function. Probiotics may help prevent or treat hemorrhoids, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. For best results, consume yogurt or kefir containing live active cultures, such as lactobacillus or bifidus, on a routine basis. Drinking kefir may also help reduce dehydration and stimulate bowel movements.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide valuable nutrients that help strengthen your immune system and fluids that may help ease constipation. As fiber-rich foods, fruits and vegetables also add bulk to your stool and may reduce strain and pain during bowel movements. Fruits and vegetables particularly high in fiber include berries, apples, pears, avocados, artichokes, peas, broccoli, dark leafy greens, beans and winter squash.
Whole Grains
Because whole grains contain all nutritious part of the grain, they provide more fiber, protein and micronutrients than refined grains, such as white flour. Most people do not meet their daily fiber needs, which ranges from 21 and 38 grams of fiber per day. Eating 1/4 cup of amaranth or 1 cup of pearled barley supplies 6 grams of fiber. Other fiber-rich whole-grain foods include oatmeal, 100-percent whole-grain breads and cold cereals, long-grain brown rice, wild rice and popcorn.
Fluids
To prevent or reduce hemorrhoid symptoms related to a low-fluid diet, drink water or other fluids throughout each day. Drink at least 8 cups of fluid, or 64 ounces, daily, which may derive from water, milk, 100-percent fruit or vegetable juices, herbal teas or broth-based soups. Keep in mind that fruit and vegetable juices contain less fiber than whole varieties. Avoid caffeinated, alcoholic and high-sugar beverages, which may provide less hydration and, in some cases, contribute to weight gain. | 2,445 | 1,236 | 0.000813 |
warc | 201704 | This volume provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of the major issues specific to managing bleeding patients. The sections of the book have been structured to review the overall scope of issue, among them bleeding conditions, managing bleeding including clearing patients for surgery, and massive bleeding during surgery. Reflecting the multidisciplinary care that is an integral part of managing bleeding patients, the book is written by authors from a variety of integrated disciplines, including transfusion medicine, hematology, pediatric hematology, critical care medicine, pediatric critical care medicine, obstetrics, and anesthesia. The volume also includes brief etiology and a practical reference guide regarding type of blood components, medication, dose, and duration. Management of Bleeding Patients is a valuable resource for clinicians working in the area of bleeding management. | 913 | 480 | 0.002088 |
warc | 201704 | IMRG, the trade organisation for e-retail, has come up with a five point plan to avoid the logistics problems experienced over Black Friday last year.
That week saw a large number of online orders compressed into a far shorter period of time than anticipated – triggering an online retail ‘delivery tsunami’ with a fall in volume either side of an exceptional spike in demand over the Black Friday (28 November) weekend, said IMRG. This heavily impacted carrier and retailer fulfilment operations and normal activity suffered for days afterwards.
To avoid this happening again is recommends:
1. Better information sharing. “Retailers should provide carriers with as much information as possible about what activity they will be undertaking and when – so that the carriers can identify potential bottlenecks early and put measures in place to cope with it,” it said.
2. A new approach to discounting. IMRG pointed out that for those that did discount stock heavily, customers will expect to see something similar happen again.
But it says the rate of discounts will need to be rationalised. “Black Friday can be very profitable for retailers who get it right, but the discount rate cannot keep rising or margins will fall to unsustainable levels.”
3. Contingency and variable capacity. Being realistic about lead-times for receiving orders will decrease the likelihood of customers becoming frustrated should delays occur – Black Friday takes place around a month before Christmas, so longer lead-times are less of an issue, said IMRG.
4. Variable delivery discounts and extended delivery. IMRG suggests that retailers could offer a 5 per cent discount for next day delivery, 10 per cent for three to five days, 20 per cent for seven days etc.
“It is probably a good idea to extend the delivery promise in advance to avoid frustrating customers. If carriers and fulfilment operations start to struggle the delivery promise should be adapted quickly,” is said.
5. Multi-carrier solutions. IMRG highlighted the fact that in 2014, possibly as a result of being surprised by the scale of activity on Black Friday, discounts were applied to low-cost items as well as the larger-ticket purchases.
“The result was that it massively pushed up parcel volumes that should have been sent through Royal Mail as low-cost small parcels, adding greater pressure to already struggling carrier operations.
It recommended worth looking at multi-carrier solutions to prevent the risk of one getting deluged by volumes.
It also suggested other steps to alleviate delivery problems including greater use of click and collect and fulfilling orders from in-store stock.
* The report, Black Friday 2015 – managing the peak, is available from the IMRG web site. | 2,815 | 1,398 | 0.000736 |
warc | 201704 | The use of social media and blogging websites has become more prevalent especially among young women; this trend suggests that gender has the potential to coincide with one's actions and engagement online. Despite this notable trend, there is still a dearth of research on how women use the internet and how it affects their health, families, and interpersonal relationships. Gender Considerations in Online Consumption Behavior and Internet Use considers the use of online technologies through the lens of gender. From blogs dedicated to motherhood and infertility, to the Movember men's health movement, gender identity is expressed in a communitive way online. This book provides empirical evidence on gender-specific internet usage and the feminine online experience. It is a valuable resource for students, academicians, researchers, technology developers, and government officials.
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Ebook Details Pages: 297 Size: 10.0 MB Publisher: Information Science Reference Date published: 2016 ISBN: 9781522500117 (DRM-PDF)
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warc | 201704 | Patrick Riordan takes a different approach to the questions of global ethics by following the direction of questioning initially pioneered by Aristotle; for him the most basic question of ethics is 'what is the good life'? So in the context of contemporary global ethics the Aristotelian questioner wonders about the good life on a global scale.
Global Ethics and Global Common Goods fills the gap in existing literature caused by the neglect of the topic of the good in global ethics. Beginning by outlining answers to questions such as 'what is good?' and 'is there a highest good?' Riordan demonstrates the value of a common good perspective in matters of universal human rights and their institutions and practices, the study of international relations and the construction of global institutions, and debates about global justice between cosmopolitanism, nationalism and economic globalization. Philosophical questions provoked by these debates are identified and pursued, such as the question of a common human nature which seems presupposed by the language of universal rights. For experienced students of political philosophy and international relations this is a crucial text in the literature exploring the possibilities for politics on a world scale, while the perspective of the common good adds a new and distinctive dimension to current debates on global security and the challenges of managing conflict.
To view this DRM protected ebook on your desktop or laptop you will need to have
Adobe Digital Editions installed. It is a free software. We also strongly recommend that you sign up for an AdobeID at the Adobe website. For more details please see FAQ 1&2. To view this ebook on an iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device you will need the Adobe Digital Editions app, or BlueFire Reader or Txtr app. These are free, too. For more details see this article.
Ebook Details Pages: 240 Size: 7.8 MB Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic Date published: 2014 ISBN: 9781472580863 (DRM-EPUB)
DRM Settings Copying: not allowed Printing: not allowed Read Aloud: not allowed | 2,079 | 1,075 | 0.000933 |
warc | 201704 | In my recently published mild-mannered novel, Hidden Relationships of the Homicide Detective, thirty years of law enforcement, seeing teenagers and adults from all walks of life suffer, or even killed because of bad choices that were made inspired me to put "pen to pad." Police procedure details add depth to this story about keeping the family together. Actually my desire to write this book was three-fold.
Firstly, to plant seeds that will help restore the concept of family. The family today is a broken vehicle that needs emergency help. It's about each of us doing our part to bring it back to the forefront of the spectrum.
During my law enforcement career with the Birmingham, Alabama Police Department, I served as an Officer, Detective, Supervisor, and Administrator. As I got closer to retirement, I began to reflect on my empirical view on how the family, which is the cornerstone of this country, is fading fast because of bad choices made by selfish parents and a few incorrigible children.
I did say a few children because most of our children that I've encountered want boundaries. They hunger for them; they long for them; they need them and they are depending on us to minister to them. One bad decision, if not dealt with properly, almost always lead to another. I know you've heard the adage: "experience is good teacher," but I venture to say it's not necessarily the best teacher.
I believe that adults and teens alike can garner great experience simply by listening keenly and learning from life lessons traveled by others. We don't need more laws, or rules and regulations. Just enforce the ones on the books. We simply need more parents to take ownership by getting involved with their children and leading by example. And please, nothing fancy! Let's just get back to plain old "blocking and tackling," very basic parenting.
Secondly, I want to convey to victims of violent crime that they are an invaluable part of the justice system and not just pawns used by officers to round up and remove violent offenders from our streets.
Detectives should have an agape for victims and their families that is esoteric to their profession. In some instances detectives care and show more concern than some of the family members. Still, I encourage investigators not to become personally involved in any of their cases.
And thirdly I would like for people to know a little more about some of the work that detectives do behind the scene other than make arrests. The taking of a human life is still the most egregious crime known to man. And contrary to popular belief, a thorough investigation takes more than the customary hour that we see on television. There is a special body of work that goes into each investigation along with several nuances that will never show up in the box score. Most of the Investigators that I know never give up on a case, irrespective of the victim, even though most of the time it takes a lot longer to solve cases than we'd like.
In "Hidden Relationships of the Homicide Detective," each one of these believable characters tells a morality story of sorts regarding how an individual's life choices can bring on either disaster or honor.
In this modern day Alabama novel there is plenty to glean from Sergeant Terrell Wilcox's secret connections about life, loss, and kinship.
Herman L. Hinton www.hiddenrelationships.com
Herman L. Hinton is a retired deputy chief of investigations who oversaw 130 detectives, supervisors and commanders in the Birmingham Police Department. His 30-year career in law enforcement also included supervising homicide, sex crime and domestic violence units. He wrote his first book "Life is So Simple When We Choose to Live God's Way" after a serious gunshot wound and the self-assessment of his own life. He resides in Alabama with his wife and four children.
"Hidden Relationships of the Homicide Detective"
By: Herman L. Hinton ISBN: 978-1-4931-1205-0 Hardcover retail price: $29.99 Softcover retail price: $14.66 E-book retail price: $3.99 | 4,050 | 2,022 | 0.000498 |
warc | 201704 | The study of Hatha Yoga is not about mastering postures. It’s about using postures to understand and transform yourself.
Welcome to Malter Institute
A Division of Education & Health Resources
Raising Stress Management to a Whole New Level: Where the Mind, Body and Spirit Integrate
How is stress negatively impacting your life? At the Malter Institute, we offer 35+ years of innovative solutions related to stress management. Our approach is like a 3-legged stool.
We start with an advanced nutritional approach based on your hair tissue mineral analysis, HTMA. This accurate laboratory test reflects how minerals relate to your stress reaction.
Next, we take a healing mental approach based on the concept of the “Judge” or “inner tyrant”. The “Judge” is related to everyone’s stress response; the “fight or flight” response that causes anger and anxiety, blocking us from our dreams and personal success.
Finally, we combine the benefits of yoga and meditation. Rosalie teaches yoga at the gentle/therapeutic level of exercise and relaxation for body, mind and spirit. The meditation calms the inner chatter.
When all 3 legs are active and balanced, we’ve seen our countless clients make rapid progress towards their goals.
Rick Malter, Ph.D. “Magnesium Saved my Life!” –
35 years ago, I was showing signs of severe hypoglycemia and total exhaustion. In 1980, I was fortunate that a friend and colleague of mine, Ken Candelaria, Ph.D., was very well informed about the cardiovascular health risks associated with severe magnesium deficiency. Among the major health risks associated with magnesium deficiency are sudden massive fatal heart attacks, serious glucose regulation problems leading to diabetes, and cancer.
Dr. Candelaria strongly recommended that I get a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) test. The results of this simple lab test clearly showed that I had a very severe magnesium deficiency that put me at an extreme high risk for a fatal heart attack. I have no doubt that detecting my severe magnesium deficiency with a hair HTMA saved my life and put me on the road back to restoring my health, energy, and vitality. This led me to study nutrition and hair tissue mineral analysis in depth which was a natural addition to my psychology and counseling practice. | 2,362 | 1,217 | 0.000852 |
warc | 201704 | Steve Chiotakis: First quarter earnings season kicks off today, with aluminum giant Alcoa releasing its numbers this morning. Trends in corporate profits have been pretty robust lately. So why are companies doing so much better these days?
Here's Marketplace's Jennifer Collins.
Jennifer Collins: Profits are gushing into U.S. companies from their overseas operations -- up 40 percent in the last five years. Harm Bandholz is a senior economist at UniCredit. Harm Bandholz:If the U.S. companies would have used their money to buy back stocks or to invest abroad, investment spending in the U.S. would be 70 percent higher right now. Collins:7-0 percent higher? Bandholz:It's a big number.
Partly, he says, companies see developing countries are attractive with their speedy growth rates. And Harbor Advisory's Jack De Gan says that growth is snowballing.
Jack De Gan:The more cash that builds up overseas, the more money there is there for them to expand into other economies not here.
Companies like Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, Dupont have been hiring thousands of workers internationally. If the investment stayed here, some analysts say half a million more jobs would have been created in the U.S. last year.
I'm Jennifer Collins for Marketplace. | 1,253 | 694 | 0.00145 |
warc | 201704 | Jeff Horwich: This morning we've been looking at the impact of the largest antitrust class action settlement in U.S. history. The major credit card companies Visa and Mastercard -- as well as the big banks -- have agreed to pay more than $6 billion to retailers.
The U.S. Justice Department said the credit card companies conspired to fix the prices on credit card swipe fees. Those are fees that retailers have to pay every time someone uses a credit card. Along with breaking up that collusion, the settlement changes the rules in the store. For example, it will let retailers charge you more if you use a credit card for your purchase.
Greg McBride with BankRate.com is here to talk about the consumer implications. Hello.
Greg McBride: Good morning, Jeff. Horwich: How are consumers likely to experience this change when they are shopping? McBride: Well, it's probably not going to be a positive change for consumers. I mean, as these things always go, the consumer ends up getting stuck with the bill. Back in October, reduced interchange fees for debit card fees went into effect, and I don't know about you -- but I haven't seen any lower prices since then. So the same sort of thing, or putting restrictions on fees on credit cards, is probably not going to result in lower costs to consumers. If anything, you may see merchants continue to hold the line on costs -- perhaps more than giving discounts for cash purchases. And very likely you are going to see card issuers try to recoup some of the revenue that they lost, or recoup some of what they had to pay out of pocket on these interchange fees, through annual fees on credit cards or other types of ancillary charges. Horwich: Credit card companies have said they support these reward programs in part by charging these fees. I'm one who, I'll admit it, I love my credit card rewards program, am I going to lose that? McBride: Well it does really undermine the credit card rewards programs. The rewards programs are a revenue share arrangement between the card issuer and the card holder. And let's look at what happened on debit cards when interchange fees got cut in half, we saw a 30 percent year-over-year decline in the availability of debit card rewards programs. So any sort of similar movement on the credit card front is going to undermine credit card rewards programs and potentially be detrimental to consumers. Horwich: Greg, when I shop smaller brick-and-mortar stores, they tell me that these swipe fees, which they hate, are one of those things that makes it so hard to compete with, say, Amazon.com. Are things going to get better for them in that respect? McBride: Well that's the type of merchant, where, yes, their per ticket cost are high because they don't have the volume of an Amazon, a Wal-mart. But the balancing act that they are going to have is if all of the sudden they decide that they are going to charge more for consumers that use credit cards, or they set a minimum purchase on credit cards -- there's a balancing act there because they just need to be careful how many sales they push out the door. Horwich: Very helpful, Greg McBride at Bankrate.com, thank you. McBride: Thank you. | 3,187 | 1,488 | 0.000673 |
warc | 201704 | Gold is steady on Tuesday, as the metal trades at a spot price of $1074.19 in the European session. In the US, all eyes are on Preliminary GDP. As well, the US will release CB Consumer Confidence. On Wednesday, there are two key major events – Core Durable Goods Orders and Unemployment Claims.
The guessing game continues, as the markets hunt for clues as to what we can expect from the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting in early December. Last week’s Fed minutes did not confirm a December rate hike, but most analysts feel that the long-awaited move will indeed occur next month. Market expectations have risen to 66% that the Fed will make a move next month, and recent comments by Fed policymakers have hinted that a rate move is a strong possibility. At the past two policy meetings, the vote against a rate hike was 9-1, but that clearly will not be the outcome at the December meeting. With the US economy showing improvement and employment and consumer indicators pointing upwards, the markets appear prepared for a small hike of 0.25% or 0.50%, and there is a growing view that modest, incremental moves would not cause unwanted turbulence on the global markets. One remaining question mark in the rate move puzzle is that of inflation levels. Recent inflation readings have been weak, and the Fed has repeatedly stated that inflation is a key consideration in any decision to raise rates. The markets will get a look at key inflation indicators shortly before the critical Fed policy meeting on December 16.
The economic slowdown in China and other emerging countries continues to affect markets worldwide, and one of the damaging results has been a sharp decline in commodity prices, including base metals such as gold. Somewhat surprisingly, gold has not been able to capitalize on its traditional reputation as a safe-haven in times of trouble, despite the attacks in Paris and terror alerts in France and other European countries. The precious metal has plunged since mid-October, losing some 9 percent of its value. There are a host of key releases, led by Preliminary GDP, prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, so we could see some volatility from XAU/USD during the week.
XAU/USD Fundamentals Tuesday (Nov. 24) 13:30 US Preliminary GDP. Estimate 2.0% 13:30 US Goods Trade Balance. Estimate -61.8B 13:30 US Preliminary GDP Price Index. Estimate 1.2% 14:00 US S&P/CS Composite-20 HPI. Estimate 5.2% 15:00 US CB Consumer Confidence. Estimate 99.3 points 15:00 US Richmond Manufacturing Index. Estimate 0 points Upcoming Key Events Wednesday (Nov. 25) 13:30 US Core Durable Goods Orders. Estimate 0.5% 13:30 US Unemployment Claims. Estimate 273K
*Key releases are highlighted in bold
*All release times are GMT
XAU/USD for Tuesday, November 24, 2015
XAU/USD November 24 at 10:40 GMT
XAU/USD 1068 H: 1076 L: 1067
XAU/USD Technical
S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3 980 1024 1043 1080 1098 1134 XAU/USD posted losses in the Asian session and has been flat in the European session. 1080 is an immediate resistance line. 1043 remains a strong support level. Current range: 1043 to 1080
Further levels in both directions:
Below: 1043, 1024 and 980 Above: 1080, 1098, 1134 and 1151
O ANDA’s Open Positions Ratio
XAU/USD ratio is showing little movement. Long positions continue to make up a strong majority (75%), indicative of strong trader bias towards gold prices reversing directions and moving to higher levels.
This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. | 3,797 | 1,941 | 0.00052 |
warc | 201704 | Clear blue skies, radiant sunshine and the prevailing excitement is what makes summer weddings so popular among brides. However the scorching mercury levels and sweltering heat can wreak havoc with the planning and execution of a perfect wedding, leaving any bride restless and uncertain and make the guests cranky. Here are our top 10 tips, which will help you make your summer wedding the coolest day for you and your guests!
Have your wedding ceremony by a pool, lake, sea or any water body to beat the heat on your wedding day. Even better have a pool party where your guests can cool themselves and enjoy your company in a post wedding party.
Try keeping your wedding ceremony post sunset when it is cooler rather than mid afternoon or morning. Keeping the ceremony short will also work in your favor.
Dressing up in heavy saris and formal suits can be very uncomfortable in this heat. A casual dress code will be appreciated by your guests.
The colors and fabrics that you use in the décor can go a long way in influencing the mood of your guests. Incorporate a lot of lightweight and breezy fabrics in bright summer colors like yellow, green, pink, blue etc. Tropical and beachy shades can also work for summer weddings.
For outdoor venues, provide your guests with things that will protect them against the sun. Scatter some fans, parasols, straw hats and sunscreens around the venue for your guests to use. You can also print your programme booklets on hand fans, which your guests can later use.
In case your venue does not offer any kind of cover for your guests to escape from the sun, think about setting up temporary tents, umbrellas or any kind of shade for your guests to cool off under.
Your guests have opted to step out into the sweltering heat to be a part of your celebration. You can do is to minimize their discomfort by making arrangements for outdoor mist cooling systems and other cooling systems to keep temperatures low.
Take care of your guests and provide them with sufficient fluids to stay hydrated. Stock your bar or set up rustic counters for refreshing lemonades, ice tea, jaljeera or even aam panna. Interesting flavored popsicles, a traditional gola cart or even an ice cream or a yogurt bar will be an instant hit among your guests.
Oily and heavy food will make the heat even more oppressive and should be completely avoided. Incorporate lot of fresh fruits, salads and veggies, fruit pies and some sorbet. Keep the food presentation as colorful as possible.
Edible icy favors are the best choice for summer weddings. Mini ice cream cones, jars of ice cream sandwich, jars of yummy sorbet, jams or the classic Indian aam ras or lassi are perfect options for your summer wedding favors. | 2,741 | 1,347 | 0.000747 |
warc | 201704 | Second Degree Murder
Massachusetts General Law chapter 265 § 1: The unlawful killing of a human being accomplished in one or both of the following modes: (1) with malice aforethought; or (2) in the commission or attempted commission of a felony punishable by other than death or imprisonment for life.
Malice Aforethought
Unlike first degree murder, which the statute describes in particularity, case law (meaning prior decisions of Massachusetts' courts and also known as "common law") defines the elements in second degree murder. Under Massachusetts law, murder in the second degree includes homicides committed with malice aforethought, that lack deliberate premeditation, extreme atrocity or cruelty, or participation in a felony punishable by life imprisonment (remember that the law requires these elements for murder in the first degree). Under Massachusetts case law, to prove murder in the second degree, the Commonwealth must establish that the perpetrator committed the killing with malice. As with murder in the first degree, malice means an intent to inflict grievous bodily injury without legal justification, or an intent to act in a manner likely to cause death or serious injury. The malice element does not require an intent to cause a death.
Felony Murder
For second degree felony murder, the same conditions as for first degree felony murder apply, with the exception that the underlying felony for second degree felony murder is punishable by less than death or a life sentence. Felonies such as larceny fall under this category. As in the case of first degree murder, to convict of second degree felony murder, the law requires that the underlying felony be one which is inherently dangerous or committed in a manner which demonstrates the defendant's conscious disregard for the risk to human life.
The maximum sentence for a second degree murder conviction is imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after fifteen years. It should also be noted that, unlike first degree murder, a defendant in a second degree murder case may waive the right to a jury and submit to a trial in which a judge determines guilt or innocence, otherwise known as a bench trial.
Contact an Attorney | Massachusetts Murder Overview Murder Defense Case Results | First Degree Murder | Second Degree Murder Voluntary Manslaughter Involuntary Manslaughter | Motor Vehicle Homicide | Assault with Intent to Murder/Kill | Home | 2,444 | 1,116 | 0.000902 |
warc | 201704 | freely available re-usable Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2012, 13(1), 961-976; doi:10.3390/ijms13010961 1 2 3 4 5 Abstract :Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) are found mainly in seaweeds and animals. To date, they have only been found in six plants and all inhabit saline environments. Furthermore, there are no reports of SP in freshwater or terrestrial plants. As such, this study investigated the presence of SP in freshwaters Eichhornia crassipes, Egeria densa, Egeria naja, Cabomba caroliniana, Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Nymphaea ampla. Chemical analysis identified sulfate in N. ampla, H. bonariensis and, more specifically, E. crassipes. In addition, chemical analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, histological analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), as well as agarose gel electrophoresis detected SP in all parts of E. crassipes, primarily in the root (epidermis and vascular bundle). Galactose, glucose and arabinose are the main monosaccharides found in the sulfated polysaccharides from E. crassipes. In activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) test, to evaluate the intrinsic coagulation pathway, SP from the root and rhizome prolonged the coagulation time to double the baseline value, with 0.1 mg/mL and 0.15 mg/mL, respectively. However, SP from the leaf and petiole showed no anticoagulant activity. Eichornia SP demonstrated promising anticoagulant potential and have been selected for further studies on bioguided fractionation; isolation and characterization of pure polysaccharides from this species. Additionally in vivo experiments are needed and are already underway. 1. Introduction
Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) from different sources have been studied in the light of their important pharmacological activities, such as anticoagulant, antioxidant, antiproliferative, antitumoral, anticomplementary, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties [1]. Anticoagulant activity is among the most widely studied properties of sulfated polysaccharides. Unfractionated and low molecular weight heparins are the only sulfated polysaccharides currently used as anticoagulants. However, these compounds have several side effects including bleeding and thrombocytopenia, increasing the need to search for alternative sources of anticoagulant agents, such as other SP.
SP are found mainly in marine seaweeds [2] and the animal kingdom [3]. Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are the best-known animal SP. They are polydisperse linear polysaccharides composed of alternate units of hexosamine and uronic acid, connected by glycosidic linkages. Sulfation takes place at different positions of the disaccharide units. Almost all GAGs occur in tissues as proteoglycans (PGs), where the polysaccharide chains are covalently linked to a core protein [4]. GAGs display peculiar structural variability according to tissue and species. Considering their cellular localization, structural diversity, and expression changes during different physiological conditions, including cell division, cell growth, cell adhesion, cell migration, cell differentiation, etc., then this raises the hypothesis that PGs and GAGs play a specific role in cellular interactions.
In seaweeds, SP are found in the extracellular matrix. Their physiological function in seaweeds remains little known, although some authors suggest they protect against dehydration occurring at low tide. This would explain the higher SP content of seaweeds at inter-tidal level [5]. The SP structures depend on the seaweed classes Rhodophyceae, Phaeophyceae and Chlorophyceae. The most well known SP in Rhodophyceae are carragenans and agarans, which are sulfated galactans [6]. SP from brown Phaeophyceae are homo- and hetero-polysaccharides containing α-l-sulfated fucose called fucan and fucoidan, respectively [7]. SP found in Chlorophyceae are usually heteropolysaccarides containing xylose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, glucuronic acid or glucose. However, there is a predominance of one monosaccharide at the expense of others in several algal orders [8].
Since SP in seaweeds and animals may participate in and regulate many cellular events and physiological processes in several organisms displaying tissue organization [2,3], many researchers believe SP could also occur in other types of organisms with tissue organization. However, there are no studies showing fungi synthesizing SP and only recently Aquino and colleagues confirmed the presence of SP in plants, namely three species of marine angiosperms, Ruppia maritima, Halodule wrightii and Halophila decipiens, and two species of mangrove, Avicennia schaueriana and Rhizophora mangle. However, the authors did not find SP in terrestrial plants Zea mays (corn), Oryza sativa (rice) or Phaseolus vulgaris (bean); neither did they investigate SP in freshwater plants [9,10].
In the eighties, Nader and colleagues studied 15 species of invertebrate groups including Crustacea, Pelecypoda and Gastropoda, and recorded a positive correlation between sulfated polysaccharide concentrations and water salinity in these aquatic invertebrates [11]. In addition, SP synthesized in marine angiosperm Ruppia maritima was not found when the plant was cultivated in fresh water [10]. Thus, the question, do freshwater plants actually synthesize SP?
In order to understand this question, the present study used different tools such as chemical and histological analyses, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), gel electrophoresis and infra-red spectroscopy to confirm the presence of sulfated polysaccharides in freshwater plants for the first time. Moreover, we also demonstrate that SP extracted from E. crassipes root has potential as an anticoagulant compound.
2. Results and Discussion 2.1. Identification of Freshwater Plants That Synthesize Sulfated Polysaccharides
Abiotic factors can affect the physical and chemical characteristics of river water, which can, in turn, affect molecular synthesis in plants. Salinity has been suggested as a factor that may induce SP production in animals and seaweeds [10,11]. As such, we selected a river containing several species of freshwater plants and low or no salinity as our collection point, namely the Agua Quente stream. Several abiotic parameters were analyzed. Average rainfall was 252.0 mm/month and sun exposure was 248.20 h per month. During analysis, average water temperature in the stream remained around 32 °C. We also recorded an absence of salinity and no changes in water depth during the sampling period.
Seven freshwater plants were collected in the Agua Quente stream: Eichhornia crassipes, Egeria densa, Egeria cobra, Cabomba caroliniana, Ceratophyllum aquaticum, Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Nymphaea ample. These were collected and divided into root, rhizome, petiole, leaf, and flower, when possible. Each portion was submitted separately for polysaccharide extraction as described in Methods. Polysaccharides; from each plant, portions were obtained after proteolysis and precipitation with methanol. Chemical analysis showed the presence of sulfate and polysaccharides in three from the seven plants analyzed as presented at Table 1. No preference was found for sulfate specific location in plant tissue. N. ampla showed higher amounts of sulfate in the root, H. bonariensis in leaves and E. crassipes in petiole and root. However, we still detected levels of proteins in our preparation. In order to rule out the possibility that the sulfate in some samples could be derived from the proteins, but not polysaccharides, the proteins in the samples were precipitated with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) (80%). Then, the amount of sulfate and proteins in the samples was re-determined and the data showed that the amount of sulfate did not change after TCA treatment (data not shown). Additionally, we did not detect any protein in all of the samples analyzed.
Chemical data obtained showed that three of the seven plants collected in fresh water contained SP (E. crassipes, H. bonariensis and N. ampla). This indicates SP is more common in plants than previously thought. Since E. crassipes exhibited the highest amount of sulfate in comparison to other plants, it was chosen for the next set of experiments.
2.2. Characterization of Sulfated Polysaccharides from E. crassipes
E. crassipes, more commonly known as aguape (Brazil) or water hyacinth (USA), has been studied by other groups, but has never been investigated for the presence of SP. As such, percentage composition was analyzed for comparison with previous proximate composition determination, since it may have been different. Proximate composition of E. crassipes portions (leaves, petioles, rhizome and roots) is shown in Table 2. All parts displayed low lipid and nitrogen contents. Moisture values ranged from 86 (leaves) to 93 (petiole and rhizome), with no significant differences (p > 0.05) among replicates. No significant differences were recorded when comparing the percentage of carbohydrates in the four plant sections. The highest ash content was found in the root and rhizome, while the largest percentage of protein was observed in the petioles and leaves.
Data obtained for different portions of E. crassipes (Table 2) was comparable to that recorded in prior research [12]. This confirms that E. crassipes used here is similar to that previously investigated.
Monosaccharide compositions (Table 3) from E. crassipes polysaccharide showed that galactose, glucose, arabinose, xylose are present in all parts. In addition, mannose and xylose were also found in the root and rhizome. Galactose was the main monosaccharide in polysaccharide fractions from E. crassipes.
No amino sugars were identified in the monosaccharide composition of SP in E. crassipes. This result refutes the hypothesis that E. crassipes may be capable of synthesizing glycosaminoglycans as occurs in animals. Furthermore, fucose, a sugar type found primarily in brown seaweeds, was not present. Monosaccharide composition also indicated the presence of galactose, as well as small amounts of glucose and arabinose. SP with a similar composition are observed in green seaweed [8], although sulfated homogalactans have also been described [13]. Sulfated homogalactans have been characterized in SP from the seagrass R. maritima, H. decipiens, H. wrightii [9], while those in mangroves were sulfated arabinogalactans. These data demonstrate that SP in E. crassipes are more similar to those found in other plants and in green seaweeds than those produced by brown seaweeds and animals.
Characteristic sulfate absorptions were identified in the all FT-IR spectra of E. crassipes polysaccharides: bands approximately 1252 cm
−1 for an asymmetric S=O stretching vibration [14]; bands around 1068–1167 cm −1 were assigned mainly to symmetric O=S=O stretching vibration of sulfate esters [14] found in all spectra. Bands around 820 cm −1 were recorded in all spectra, indicating that sulfate groups are located at position six of the galactose ring [15,16]. Additionally, at 3000–3400 cm −1 and around 2920 cm −1 all polysaccharides showed signs of the stretching vibration O–H and C–H, respectively. Bands at about 1638–1654 cm −1 were due to bound water [16]. 2.3. Polysaccharide Analysis by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
In order to verify whether sulfate ions were linked to polysaccharides, SP were subjected to electrophoresis in agarose gel. Gels were dried and stained with toluidine blue. Using this dye, polysaccharides are stained purple, as with the GAGs heparan, chondroitin and dermatan sulfate (Figure 1). However, purple bands were not observed in the leaves and rhizome fractions of E. crassipes. Moreover, the root portion showed polydisperse band, purple staining, indicating the presence of sulfated polysaccharides (Figure 1) and the petiole displayed a small purple band with low electrophoretic mobility, since it did not move from the gel line.
SP were confirmed in the petiole and roots by agarose gel electrophoresis. An interesting aspect is that these two portions also had a high proportion of sulfate in relation to sugar (Table 1). The 1,3-diaminopropane/acetate buffer used in electrophoresis allowed diamines to interact with sulfate groups present in SP, reducing electrophoretic mobility. This interaction also depends on conformation and consequently the composition of SP [17]. Thus chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate, which have the same charge/mass ratio, have different electrophoretic mobilities in a diaminopropane/acetate buffer (Figure 1).
Since SP from the petiole and root portions exhibited different mobility, E. crassipes may produce more than one type of SP. This finding was previously recorded in different organisms, such as invertebrates and vertebrates, as well as seaweeds. Purple bands were not detected in the rhizome and leaves. However, infrared analysis indicated these sections also produce SP, albeit probably in small amounts, given it was not detected by agarose gel methodology.
2.4. Histological, and EDXA/MEV Analysis
Another approach used to identify sulfated polysaccharides in this plant was histological localization analysis of each portion. For freshwater Eicchornia crasipes, sulfated polysaccharide was found primarily in the cell wall, after these sections were stained with toluidine blue and observed with optical microscopy (Figure 2). Sulfated polysaccharides were detected in the epidermis and exodermis at the cortex of the root (Figure 2A). The rhizome was also observed, exhibiting irregular cells in the cortex (marked with an arrow) and a well organized layer of cells in the epidermis (indicated by an arrow). This section also showed sulfated polysaccharides in the cortical region of the rhizome (marked with an arrow), but displayed less labeling intensity compared with the root (Figure 2B). The third area analyzed for E. crasipes was the petiole, which presented an epidermal layer of cells with uniform size similar to those found in the rhizome region. This was followed by collenchymas, composed of cells with different shapes and sizes. The epidermis and collenchymas were stained with toluidine blue, indicating the presence of sulfated compounds in these areas (Figure 2C). The E. crasipes leaf is formed of a layer of cuboidal-shaped cells external to the leaf tissue, followed by successive layers of cells of varying sizes and shapes. The color of the epidermal cell layer in the leaf region suggested the presence of sulfated compounds given that it was stained by toluidine blue when compared to other regions (2D). However, as observed with the rhizome, the leaf also demonstrated less labeling intensity.
Considering all the results obtained, the rizhome portion displayed the highest amount of SP. Thus, this section was analyzed using scanning electron microscopes/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDXA) in order to verify the presence of sulfur from SP. Figure 3 shows three points analyzed with this method. SEM/EDXA analysis of the plant root allowed simultaneous observation of several elements in a fast and quantitative manner (Table 4). Considering the three triplicate analyses, elements C, O and N, as well as smaller amounts of S were detected, confirming the presence of sulfate polysaccharide in E. crasipes.
Histochemical analysis identified SP in all parts analyzed. As observed in R. maritima [9], substantial amounts of SP were also found in the roots of E. crassipes. Aquino and colleagues suggested its presence in the roots may be related to the role of SP in nutrition and water capture. Results obtained by EDXA showed sulfur in the epidermis and cell wall, important regions for water and nutrient capture in plants, reinforcing the function of SP. However, what exactly is the role of SP in the leaves and petiole of E. crassipes? It has been suggested that SP in seaweeds may protect against water loss during sun exposure at low tide [5]. As such, SP may have the same function in the leaves and petiole of E. crassipes.
Aquino and colleagues cultivated the seaweed R. maritima in different tanks under different salinity. SP were produced in smaller amounts in R. maritima plants grown in low salinity and in fresh water, no SP were detected. However, in rice (O. sativa) cultivated in the presence or absence of 200 mM of NaCl, no SP production was observed in the presence of salinity [10]. Furthermore, our results with E. crassipes collected in a non-saline environment confirmed the presence of SP. This suggests freshwater plants may produce SP that is not related to salinity stress, and that other factors may promote their production.
2.5. Genomic Analysis
Considering this hypothesis and genomic tools available on web pages, an in silico analysis was conducted to identify possible sequences related to SP synthesis in plants. Since these sequences were not found in the genome database for plants and seaweeds, sequences were used from Rattus norvegicus (M92042); Homo sapiens (U17970) and Mus musculus (U02304) to design two pairs of primers at the region corresponding to 5′PSB 3′PB—that recognizes 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) binding motif. First, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using rat and human DNA to test the primers. Products obtained were sequenced and corresponded to these two sequences. Next, PCR amplification was carried out using E. crassipes DNA in high and low stringent PCR conditions. The resulting products obtained were cloned and sequenced. However, no sequences related to sulfotransferase were obtained. The outcome indicated these regions may be divergent in plants, given that the sequences could not be amplified.
2.6. Anticoagulant Activity
Several investigations have shown that SP have different biological/pharmacological activities, such as anticoagulants [8,18]. The present study demonstrates that E. crassipes produces SP, making it important to evaluate the polysaccharide bioactivity of this freshwater plant. Thus, we assessed anticoagulant activity of sulfated polysaccharide-rich extracts of E. crassipes through activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and protrombin time (PT) tests, which analyze the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of coagulation, respectively. Since this is the first identification of SP in freshwater plants, we also examined anticoagulant activity in three seaweeds: Caulerpa sertularioides (green), Gracilaria caudata (red), and Dictyopteris delicatula (brown). These are known to have anticoagulation activity and as such were used for comparison with E. crassipes SP.
The anticoagulant activity is presented in Table 5. In the PT test, SP produced by E. crassipes could not alter the plasma clotting time. However, in APTT testing, several polysaccharides showed considerable anticoagulant activity. SP from D. delicatula was the most potent anticoagulant compound, followed by SP in the roots and leaves of E. crassipes. (Table 5). No correlation was found between anticoagulant activity and sulphate/sugar ratio (R
2 = 0.201). This is in agreement with different results showing that the anticoagulant effect of SP is dependent on molecule structure and charge distribution, not only on the sulfate group [19,20]. None of the sulfated polysaccharides assayed were more active than heparin, an anticoagulant drug used as the positive control.
In addition to the content of sulfate groups in polysaccharides, the positions of these groups in a monosaccharide residue also influenced the anticoagulant activity [21]. Here, SP from E. crassipes contained galactose-6-sulfate as observed in FT-IR, indicating this sulfated residue to be important for anticoagulant activity of this SP. In agreement with our results, Chaidedgumjorn et al. [22] showed that polysaccharides specifically desulfated at position C6 lost their anticoagulant activity, whereas desulfation on C4 did not affect polysaccharide anticoagulant activity.
E. crassipes is a very resilient plant that adapts well to many aquatic environments, including those affected by human activities. It is one of the most proliferate plant types and is easily cultivated, already colonizing 62 countries in Africa, Asia and North America, with human help. In some areas, E. crassipes is used in phytoremediation projects. However, in most cases it is considered a pest [23,24]. Identifying bioactive SP in this plant increases its potential use as source for developing anticoagulant drugs. Thus, in addition to this study, E. crassipes has been selected further for bioguided fractionation and isolation of active anticoagulant polysaccharides.
3. Experimental Section 3.1. Plant Material
The following plants were collected in the Agua Quente stream (05°59′ S and 35°07′ W), located in Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil: Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Liliopsida-Commelinales), Egeria densa Planch (Liliopsida-Alismatales), Egeria naja Planchon (Liliopsida-Alismatales), Cabomba caroliniana Gray (Magnoliopsida-Nymphaeales), Ceratophyllum sp. (Magnoliopsida-Ceratophyllales), Hydrocotyle bonariensis Comm. ex Lam. (Magnoliopsida-Apiales) and Nymphaea ampla (Salisb.) D.C. (Magnoliopsida-Nymphaeales). Specimens were identified by M. Iracema B. Loiola and deposited in the herbarium of the Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil, under catalog numbers 2260, 2259, 8107, 8105, 8106, 2258 and 2261 respectively.
The seaweeds Caulerpa sertularioides, Gracilaria caudata, and Dictyopteris delicatula were collected at Búzios Beach in Nísia Floresta-RN, Brazil. Algae were stored in our laboratory and dried at 50 °C with ventilation in an oven, ground in a blender and incubated with acetone to eliminate lipids and pigments.
3.2. Extraction of Polysaccharides
Plant samples were collected and transported to the laboratory in plastic bags containing river water. Plants were then cleaned and, when possible, each plant was divided into four parts: root, leaves, petiole and rhizome. Each part was dried at 50 °C with ventilation and ground in a blender. These materials were treated with acetone (4 L) in order to eliminate lipids and pigments. One hundred grams of each part, defatted, dry and powdered, were suspended with 500 mL of 0.25 M NaCl, and the pH was adjusted to 8.0 with NaOH. Twenty mg of maxatase, an alkaline protease from Esporobacillus (Biobras, MG, Brazil), was added to the mixture for proteolytic digestion. After 18 h of incubation at 60 °C under agitation, the mixture was filtered through cheesecloth. The filtrate was precipitated with 2 volumes of methanol and maintained at 4 °C during 24 h. The precipitate formed after centrifugation (10,000× g, 20 min.) was dried under vacuum and it was suspended in distilled water and then it was analyzed.
The sulfated polysaccharides from seaweed were obtained as described by Costa and colleagues [1].
3.3. Chemical Analysis
Total sugars were estimated using the phenol-H
2SO 4 reaction [25] with d-galactose as a base standard. After acid hydrolysis of polysaccharides (4 N HCl, 100 °C, 4 h), sulfate content was measured using the gelatin-barium method [26]. Polysaccharides were hydrolyzed with 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 M of HCl, respectively, for varying periods of time (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 h) at 100 °C. Reducing sugars were determined using the Somogyi-Nelson method [27]. Following acid hydrolysis, sugar composition was determined by a LaChrom Elite ® HPLC system from VWR-Hitachi with a refractive index detector (RI detector model L-2490). A LichroCART ® 250-4 column (250 mm × 40 mm) packed with Lichrospher ® 100 NH2 (5 μm) was coupled to the system. The sample mass used was 0.2 mg and analysis time was 25 min. The following sugars were analyzed as references: arabinose, fructose, fucose, galactose, glucose, glucosamine, mannose, rhamnose, and xylose. The amount of uronic acid was determined as described by Barroso et al. [28]. Protein content was measured using the methods described by Spector [29], with bovine albumin as standard. 3.4. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
Agarose gel electrophoresis was prepared in 0.05 M 1,3-diaminopropane-acetate buffer, at pH 9.0 as previously described [17].
3.5. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR)
Sulfated polysaccharides (5 mg) were mixed thoroughly with dry potassium bromide. A pellet was prepared and the infrared spectra between 500 and 4000 cm
−1 were measured on a Thermo-Nicolet Nexus 470 ESP FT-IR spectrometer. Thirty-two scans at a resolution of 4 cm −1 were averaged and referenced against air. 3.6. Histological Examination
Plant samples were collected in the same area described above, transported to the laboratory in plastic bags containing river water and cleaned of other organisms. Fragments 5 mm in diameter were cut from the roots and immediately fixed in 70% FAA mixture (formalin 40%, alcohol 70%, acetic acid) for 48 h, and then conserved in 70° G.L. ethyl alcohol. For anatomic analysis, these materials were dehydrated with acetone graded series followed by the addition of paraffin wax in accordance with standard techniques applied in plant anatomy. Sections (10 μm) were obtained in a microtome (Sorvall, Asheville, NC) and stained with 1% toluidine blue (Sigma), pH 4.4, for 3 min at 40 °C. This stain reveals the presence of sulfated polysaccharides by metachromasia [9].
3.7. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXA)
Pieces of ~9 mm
2 from the roots of E. crassipes were cut with razor blades under a stereomicroscope and rinsed with a 0.1 M cacodylic acid buffer, pH 7.4 and kept at room temperature for 60 min in 2.5% glutaraldehyde. After washing in the cacodylic acid buffer, roots were post-fixed and contrasted for 1 h in 1% osmium tetroxide (OsO4). Fixed roots were then dehydrated with increasing concentrations of ethanol, dried using the CO 2 critical-point method, sputter-coated with gold and examined with a Shimadzu SSX-550 microscope.
Elemental composition of roots was determined by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). Samples were prepared for MEV as described above, and analyzed on a Shimadzu SSX-550 equipped with a Noran-Voyager analytical system. A focused spot (d ~ 100 nm) was used to analyze areas of interest in the root sample. Areas probed were representative of the whole sample (we obtained several spectra from the individual particles). Micrographs were obtained from untilted samples (before analysis). During EDXA, the samples shown in this investigation were stable under the electron beam. Typical acquisition data were: accelerating voltage = 20 kV, live-time = 300 s, dead-time ~ 18%, and sample tilt angle = 30°.
Chemical mapping was performed as described by Andrade et al. [30] using a Shimadzu SSX-550 microscope.
3.8. Abiotic Factors
Water from the Água Quente stream was collected at three different sites and pH and salinity of each solution were determined using a PHTEK pHS-3B pH meter and an RTS 101 ATC refractometer, respectively.
3.9. Proximate Composition
Proteins, carbohydrate, lipids, ash, moisture and nitrogen contents of plants were determined by standard AOAC (1995) [31] methods. Protein content was calculated by converting the nitrogen content, determined by the micro-Kjeldahl method (6.25·N). Carbohydrate content was determined as the weight difference using protein, lipid, fiber, moisture and ash content data. Lipids from plant powder were extracted in a Soxhlet extractor (TECNAL-TE-044, São Paulo, BR) using hexane. The residue was re-extracted, after being washed with boiling distilled water and acetone and finally dried at 105 °C to constant weight. The material was heated at 550 °C for 3 h and the weight recorded. Moisture content was established by drying the plant samples in an oven at 105 °C until a constant weight was obtained. Ash content was obtained by calcinations in a muffle furnace at 550 °C for 4 h.
3.10. Genomic Analyses
BLAST analysis was performed at NCBI [32] as described for Altschul and colleagues [33]. Nucleotide and protein sequences from Homo sapiens, Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Cricetulus longicaudatus, Drosophila melanogaster, Mus sp., Flaveria bidentis, Rhizobium sp. were used as probes for this search. Homologous sequences were then researched in plant databases at NCBI GenBank [32], TAIR [34], TIGR [35]. Additionally, sequences M92042; U17970 and U02304 were used to search for 5′PSB and 3′PB in the conserved protein region for sulphotransferase. Primers were designed using these motifs. E. crassipes DNA was extracted as described for Doyle and Doyle [36]. PCR reactions were performed using 100 ng of DNA and PCR conditions were as follows: 3 min at 95 °C, then 35 cycles of 95 °C 30 s, 50–62 °C 30 s (non-stringent or stringent temperature condition), 72 °C 30 s, and then 72 °C for 5 min. Taq polymerase (Invitrogen) was used in these reactions, and the primers were: P1F 5′-TCT ACC TAT GAG CCA GTG CTG-3′, P1R 5′-CAG AGG TGG TGT TGG AGG GAA TGA-3′, P2R 5′-CTG AGC CAG CGT TCA ATA TGA GTG-3′, PF 5′-AGG AGA AGA CAT GTG ATC GCT TCC-3′ and PR 5′-CCA GCG TTC AAT ATG AGT GGC ATA-3′. The amplified fragments were separated on a 0.8% agarose gel.
3.11. Anticoagulant Activity
All protrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) coagulation assays were performed with a coagulometer as previously described [37], and measured using citrate treated normal human plasma. All assays were performed in duplicate and repeated at least three times on different days (n = 6).
4. Conclusions
In conclusion, we found sulfate in polysaccharide-rich extracts of three freshwater plants: E. crassipes, N. ampla and H. bonariensis. All parts of E. crassipes synthesize SP; however, significant amounts were only recorded in the roots. We extracted SP from E. crassipes, which showed anticoagulant activity at different levels. It is evident that the biological function of SP is dependent on its structural characteristics. Additional investigation will identify and purify active polysaccharides in E. crassipes to further our understanding of the complete polysaccharide structure, including the composition and sequence of monosaccharides, the configuration and position of glycosidic linkages, the position of branching points and the structure-function relationship. This will certainly provide a promising opportunity to elucidate the biological roles of polysaccharides and develop potential anticoagulant drugs based on the three-dimensional structures.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the CNPq, CAPES, FAPERN/CNPq and MCT for their financial support in the form of grants and fellowship awards. SL Cordeiro, MSSP Costa, DG Santos and ND-Santos are grateful to the CNPq and CAPES for fellowship support. This research was submitted to the Graduate Program in Health Sciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte as part of the D. Sc. thesis of ND-S.
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Aliquots of approximately 5 μL (250 μg) of Eicchonia polysaccharides or (5 μg) glycosaminoglycans were applied in agarose gel (10 × 7.5 cm, and 0.2 cm thick) prepared in 0.05 M 1,3-diaminopropane-acetate buffer pH 9.0, and subjected to electrophoresis at 110 V/cm for 60 min. Gels were then held in 0.1% cetyltrimethylammonium bromide for 2 h and dried. Polysaccharides were stained with 0.1% toluidine blue in a solution containing 50% ethanol and 1% acid acetic, in water, for 15 min. Gels were then de-stained using the same solution, without toluidine blue. R—root; Ri—rizhome; Pet—petiole; L—leaf; CS—chondroitin sulfate; DS—dermatan sulfate; HS—heparan sulfate; Or—origin. Figure 2.Sulfated polysaccharide localization in different regions of the E. crassipes determined by histological analysis. Optical microscopy images of the root ( A), rhizome ( B) petiole ( C) and leaf ( D) of the E. crassipes showed differences in the staining intensity from toluidine blue represented by the arrows. Figure 3.Scanning electron microscopy from E. crassipes root. Arrow, arrowhead, and asterisk indicate the points of collection of data for analysis of energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). Arrow—epidermis; arrowhead—cortex; asterisk—vascular bundle. Table 1.Mass/mass ratio of total sugars, sulfate and proteins extracted from different portions of plants.
Plant Portion Polysaccharides Sulfate Protein Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms. Root 1.00 0.240 0.15 Rhizome 1.00 0.140 0.11 Petiole 1.00 0.340 0.20 Leave 1.00 0.060 0.19 Egeria densa Planchon Root 1.00 - 0.04 Petiole 1.00 - 0.02 Leave 1.00 - 0.02 Egeria naja Planchon Stem 1.00 - 0.05 Leave 1.00 - 0.06 Cabomba caroliniana Gray Stem 1.00 - 0.05 Leave 1.00 - 0.06 Ceratophyllum aquaticum Lam. Root 1.00 - 0.01 Stem 1.00 - 0.08 Leave 1.00 - 0.11 Hydrocotyle bonariensis Comm. ex Lam. Root 1.00 - 0.03 Petiole 1.00 0.010 0.04 Leave 1.00 0.290 0.06 Nymphaea ampla (Salisb.) D.C. Root 1.00 0.240 0.06 Rhizome 1.00 0.040 0.13 Petiole 1.00 0.003 0.11 Leave 1.00 0.008 0.01 Flower 1.00 0.020 0.04 Table 2.Proximate composition of root, rhizome, petiole, and leaf of E. crassipes.
Compound Root Rhizome Petiole Leaf Carbohydrate (%) 13.6 13.7 13.6 11.9 Ash (%) 14.6 13.6 6.6 5.9 Protein (%) 9.1 8.9 13.7 13.9 Lipids (%) 1.1 1.6 3.0 1.5 Moisture (%) 91.3 93.2 93.2 86.5 Nitrogen (%) 1.5 1.4 2.2 2.2 Table 3.Monosaccharide composition of sulfated polysaccharides extracted from E. crassipes.
Portion Molar Ratio Gal 1 Glc 1 Ara 1 Xyl 1 Man 1 Root 1.0 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.3 Rhizome 1.0 0.4 0.7 0.1 0.1 Petiole 1.0 0.5 0.6 - - Leaf 1.0 1.0 1.0 - - 1Molar ratio of sugars using galactose as parameter. Gal, galactose; Glc, glucose; Ara, arabinose; Xyl, xylose; Man, mannose. Table 4.Major components elemental surface composition of root the E. crassipes determined by SEM/EDXA.
Main components (at%) Elements Epidermis Cortex Vascular bundle C 30.1 19.1 10.5 O 37.3 52.4 49.3 N 29.8 28.4 38.7 S 2.5 0.9 1.3 Table 5.Anticoagulant activity of sulfated polysaccharides from different sources.
Sample Sulfate/sugar (w/w) a PT a APTT SP from Root 0.24 nd 0.100 SP from Rhizome 0.14 nd 0.150 SP from Petiole 0.34 nd nd SP from Leaf 0.06 nd 0.100 SP from C. sertularioides 0.85 nd 0.100 SP from G. caudata 0.20 nd nd SP from D. delicatula 0.34 nd 0.040 Heparin - 0.001 0.002
SP: sulfated polysaccharides; APTT: activated partial thromboplastin time; PT: protrombin time; nd: anticoagulant activity not detected at concentrations tested (from 0.001 to 0.2 mg/mL); - not determined;
aData are reported as concentration (mg/mL) required to double APTT compared to saline control.
© 2012 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). | 43,067 | 16,976 | 0.00006 |
warc | 201704 | Since the Media Rating Council (MRC) liftedits advisory on viewability ratings a little over two months ago, the digital ad industry has been quick to react.
There have been a slew of partnerships between media-buying platforms and viewability vendors, but AppNexus, one of the leading ad tech providers in the market, is taking it one step further. The company on Wednesday announced it has acquired Alenty, a Paris-based viewability measurement firm. Alenty is an MRC-accredited vendor.
AppNexus declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal.
"AppNexus has always stood behind the idea that better advertising creates a better Internet, and solving the issue of viewability is critical to that mission," stated Brian O'Kelley, CEO, AppNexus.
Alenty was founded in 2007 by CEO Laurent Nicolas and chief technology officer Nicolas Thomas. The company has offices in Paris and the UK and clients throughout Europe, per a release.
Alenty’s viewability tech has been available through the AppNexus App Marketplace since 2011, but following the acquisition it will be fully baked into AppNexus’ media-buying platform. O’Kelley stated that Alenty’s tech will become a “fundamental component” of the platform.
A display ad is considered “viewable” if it at least 50% of it is in-view of a user's screen for at least one second. Per many viewability rating vendors on the market -- Alenty included -- only about 50% of all online ads are considered viewable.
While the market has increased its focus on viewability in recent months, progress has been slow. Per a recent Integral Ad Science report, 51.3% of ads served on programmatic exchanges were viewable in Q2 2014, up just a little from the 47.4% rate in Q1. | 1,764 | 951 | 0.001083 |
warc | 201704 | “The spouses of advanced cancer patients are really carrying the load. Cancer is a devastating illness, and a patient’s primary resource is the partner, who often doesn’t have the information she needs to deal with these complex problems,” says lead study author Laurel Northouse, Ph.D., R.N., co-director of a Socio-Behavioral Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The study found that what really impacted emotional distress – among both patients and their spouses – was whether the patient was newly diagnosed, facing a recurrence or living with advanced disease.
The researchers looked at 263 men with prostate cancer and their spouses. Participants were recruited from three large cancer centres. Both the men and their wives completed questionnaires that assessed quality of life, including physical, social, family, emotional and functional issues. Patients and spouses each reported on their own quality of life. The researchers found little difference in quality of life between patients and spouses, but found significant differences based on the phase of their illness. Couples coping with advanced disease had significantly poorer overall quality of life. Spouses reported lower confidence than patients in their ability to manage the illness, and more uncertainty about the illness. Patients also reported more social support than did spouses. “Doctors, nurses and even family and friends often focus mainly on the patient who has cancer and don’t realize the illness has enormous ramifications on the family, especially the spouse,” Northouse says. The researchers urge more health care interventions aimed at emotional distress for both patients and caregivers. At the same time, caregivers should recognize they too are emotionally affected by this illness and seek appropriate support. Patients also can play a role by encouraging their spouse to be actively involved in their care. MEDICA.de; Source: University of Michigan Health System | 2,032 | 993 | 0.001031 |
warc | 201704 | When you are taking courses toward a medical billing and coding certification, your habits and personality can have a significant impact on your success. Certain study habits give you an advantage, and your health and participation will also affect your ability to make the most of your courses. And students who have certain personality traits are more likely to do well in the top online medical billing and coding courses.
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Communicating with and relating to others is an important skill to work on, especially if you are taking a medical billing online course. Medical billers are in constant contact with patients, insurance companies and healthcare providers. Students can use class discussions or Internet chats to develop the social skills that will be needed on the job.
Paying Attention to Detail
Noticing details in written and verbal communication is particularly important for medical billers and coders because a mistake can delay payments or even impact patient health. Traditional colleges and accredited online medical coding courses will test your ability to memorize and enter codes correctly.
Being Good with Numbers
Medical coders and billers must track outstanding balances and collections activity as well as translate medical records into standardized numerical codes. The best online medical billing courses will test students’ math and accounting skills.
Having Good Concentration
Maintaining focus for long periods of time is important for medical coders who have to spot small differences in diagnoses after hours of coding. Students taking a medical coding course online are more likely to be successful in their work if they can perform routine tasks consistently and accurately.
Practicing Conflict Resolution Skills
Successful medical billers are able to deal with interpersonal conflict. Some jobs allow employees to perform medical billing and coding from home, but most medical billers work in an office and must resolve problems between insurance companies, healthcare providers and patients. Just like developing clear communication, if you are taking medical billing online courses you will need to develop your ability to stay calm during disagreements and form compromises. | 5,964 | 2,531 | 0.000398 |
warc | 201704 | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its annual report, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2012 (the most recent year for which data is available). With data culled from state and local records of sexually transmitted disease (STD), including private and public sources, the report includes statistics on chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, while excluding several additional STDs — human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes simplex virus, and trichomoniasis — due to the fact that data for those infections are not routinely reported to the CDC. This annual snapshot, then, serves as an incomplete portrait of STDs in America.
Yet it offers some necessary insights into STD diagnosis trends across the country. Although many cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis continue to go undiagnosed, the CDC estimates that nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year, half among people between the ages of 15 and 24. With each infection comes a general threat to a person’s overall health. An STD, for instance, increases a person’s risk for HIV infection, and when a woman develops an infection, it may lead to severe reproductive health complications, including ectopic pregnancy. Along with negative health consequences, STDs also represent an economic burden, costing the nation nearly $16 billion every year.
The Numbers
In 2012, the number of cases of chlamydia, an often symptomless STD caused by a bacterium, amounted to 1,422,976 or nearly 457 per every 100,000 people. This rate was relatively stable in comparison to the previous year unlike gonorrhea, which increased by 4.1 percent. In 2012, the total number of cases of gonorrhea was 334,826 or about 108 per every 100,000 people. Gonorrhea, like chlamydia, is caused by a bacterium and may be symptomless for women though it often causes a burning sensation and discharge from a man's penis. Meanwhile, syphilis (primary and secondary) increased by slightly more than 11 percent over last year, solely among men, particularly gay and bisexual men, with 15,667 total cases reported (five per 100,000 people). Signs in the earliest stages of syphilis, which is easy to cure, include a firm, round, small, and painless sore on the genitals, anus, or mouth, or a bodily rash, especially on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet. Lastly, congenital syphilis, present at birth, decreased by a full 10 percent compared to the CDC's last annual report; a mere 322 cases were reported.
Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)
According to the CDC, MSM are at increased risk for STDs when compared to women or men who have sex exclusively with women. “… Testing strategies are often suboptimal for detecting STDs in MSM,” the report notes, and “a number of individual-level risk behaviors, such as higher numbers of lifetime sex partners, higher rates of partner change and partner acquisition rates, and unprotected sex, also contribute to the disparities in sexual health of MSM. The CDC report also compares statistics by HIV status (among MSM visiting STD Surveillance Network clinics): the prevalence of STDs was lower among HIV-negative MSM than among HIV-positive MSM.
Adolescents and Young Adults
CDC estimates suggest that one in four sexually-active adolescent females have an STD, such as chlamydia or HPV. Compared with older adults, sexually active adolescents and young adults are at higher risk of acquiring STDs for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. The higher prevalence of STDs among adolescents also may reflect multiple barriers to accessing quality STD prevention services, including lack of health insurance or ability to pay, lack of transportation, discomfort with facilities and services designed for adults, and concerns about confidentiality.
Women
According to the CDC report, “…a woman’s inability to negotiate safer sexual practices, such as condom use, can significantly affect her sexual health and subsequently the health of her unborn baby.” Biological and social factors, such as poverty and access to quality STD services, may impact her sexual health as does the behavior of her male partner. “Because it may be the behavior of her male partner, rather than the woman’s own behavior, that increases a woman’s risk for STDs, even a woman who has only one partner may be obliged to practice safer sex such as using condoms.” | 4,490 | 2,118 | 0.000482 |
warc | 201704 | When our organs age or wear out, their renewal usually depends on a few stem cells in the tissue, because the vast majority of differentiated cells have lost their ability to divide and generate new cells. A German-French team led by Michael Sieweke from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin and the Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML) in Marseille has now discovered how human macrophages, a type of specialized immune cell, can nevertheless divide and self-renew almost indefinitely. As the researchers show in the journal
Science, the macrophages achieve this by activating a gene network similar to one found in embryonic stem cells. In the future the findings could provide new directions in regenerative medicine and therapies.
The picture shows macrophages. Credit: Sieweke Lab
Credit: Sieweke Lab
Our body is constantly changing: new cells continually replace specialized cells to maintain the skin, intestine, blood, and other tissues or repair them after an injury. Since differentiated cells are usually no longer able to divide, the renewal is almost always accomplished by stem cells specific to the tissue, which are capable of continually generating new cells. Recently researchers have discovered some exceptions: some types of immune cells which have already differentiated possess a capacity for self-renewal.
Macrophages, which play an important role in immune defenses, can also control tissue regeneration and renewal.
A few years ago, a team led by German immunologist and stem cell researcher Michael Sieweke at the French CIML showed that under certain conditions macrophages can divide without losing features they have acquired while specializing into immune cells. The researchers had shown in mice that proteins that regulate the reading of genes, called transcription factors, play a decisive role in this process. Genetic manipulations that turned off two transcription factors named MafB and c-Maf in the macrophages caused the cells to start what appeared to be a self-renewal program. They could even be maintained and expanded almost indefinitely in cell cultures - which is usually not possible with differentiated cells.
In the new study, Sieweke's research team from the MDC in Berlin and the CIML in France have now been able to show that this also works with various macrophages taken from mice that have not undergone genetic manipulations. This happened when concentrations of both MafB and c-Maf were naturally low or were inhibited for a short time.
"We now asked ourselves how this is possible - in other words, what mechanisms and genes allow the differentiated macrophages to switch on self-renewal?" Sieweke says. To find out the researchers compared the macrophages to embryonic stem cells, which have a similar, unlimited capacity for self-renewal. The scientists compared the patterns of gene regulatory elements and genes that were active in the two types of cells.
"As it turned out, the macrophages contain a set of dormant genes that can be reawakened and thus enable self-renewal," Sieweke says. In this context, the researchers made a surprising discovery: the macrophage genes work together in a network very similar to one that is switched on in proliferating embryonic stem cells. "You could say that the differentiated cells contain dormant stem cell genes," Sieweke explains.
While the gene networks in the two types of cells are very similar, they are managed in different ways: they are controlled by different transcription factors and gene regulatory elements which are specific to each type of cell. "But it is good news to discover that macrophages can activate the self-renewal genes found in stem cells using their own very specific regulatory factors ," Sieweke says.
He believes that these findings will ultimately be useful in regenerative medicine. "If differentiated cells could be expanded directly, it might be possible to replace diseased tissue without taking a detour via embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells," Sieweke says. He adds that the dormant gene network may also be activated in other types of cells - mature liver cells, for example, have the ability to divide as well.
Transplantation studies with macrophages suggest that such transplantations of macrophages might indeed be useful for regeneration. Sieweke's teams have already shown that macrophages grown in laboratory cultures do not lose their properties. When injected into mice, the cells successfully re-integrate into tissues and perform all of their normal functions. The cells are not only able to fight infections, but also have an important function in maintaining tissues and are needed for regeneration. "They are, so to speak, the gardeners or guardians of the tissue," Sieweke explains. | 4,820 | 2,081 | 0.000484 |
warc | 201704 | Sunburns could contribute to the development of melanoma by directly altering the pigment cell genomes and also indirectly through inflammatory processes in the surrounding tissue, reveal an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University Hospital and the LIMES Institute of the University of Bonn. Melanoma is particularly dangerous because it can form metastases in vital organs such as the lungs, liver or brain. UV radiation is considered to be the most significant triggering factor. The results are now being published online in the renowned journal "
Nature".
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According to predictions from the Robert Koch Institute, approximately 20,000 people in Germany will develop malignant melanoma in 2014. More than 2500 of those affected will die from metastases to internal organs. "The inflammatory reaction of the skin after severe sun exposure promotes the early migration of melanoma cells along vessels within the body," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Tüting, professor of Experimental Dermatology at the University of Bonn Hospital and leader of the study team.
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Melanoma cells migrate along blood vesselsTo understand the development and early metastasis of malignant melanoma, the researchers developed experimental models in mice which allowed them to investigate the effect of inflammatory responses following UV exposure. "We repeatedly observed increased melanoma metastases in the lungs of UV-irradiated mice," reports the dermatologist Dr. Evelyn Gaffal. Analyses of melanoma tissue sections revealed the spread of tumor cells along blood vessel surfaces in inflamed skin. Using modern methods of fluorescence and electron microscopy, the researchers observed a close association between melanoma cells, inner blood vessel walls and immune cells, especially neutrophils.
Activated neutrophils pave the way for melanoma cellsFurther experiments showed that neutrophils play an important role in metastasis. They are attracted by alarm signals emitted by UV-damaged keratinocytes in the epidermis. The use of special mouse strains which lack important molecules required for the activation of innate immune defense shed light on the underlying signaling pathways.
Inflammatory mediators promote melanoma cell motilityResearchers in the LIMES Institute of the University of Bonn developed new experimental methods to investigate the interaction between melanoma cells and cells of the inner blood vessel walls, known as endothelial cells. In doing so, they observed that melanoma cells can migrate particularly effectively on blood vessel surfaces. "Melanoma cells increase their motility in an inflammatory environment," says Prof. Dr. Waldemar Kolanus.
Further investigations with human melanoma cells and modern genomic methods provided insights how inflammatory mediators stimulate melanoma cells migration. "During embryonic development pigment cell precursors travel long distances along blood vessels in the body in order to reach their final destination in the skin. These migratory programs are erroneously reactivated in melanoma cells by inflammation," says Prof. Dr. Michael Hölzel from the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology in Bonn.
Important insights for new treatment strategies"Our findings may explain why patients with superficially ulcerated melanomas and neutrophil infiltration frequently develop organ metastases" says Prof. Tüting. The researchers hope to develop new forms of targeted therapy in the future which specifically interfere with inflammatory signaling cascades and inhibit the migration of melanoma cells on the surfaces of blood vessels. The interdisciplinary cooperation between different research groups in Bonn within the Collaborative Research Center 704 and the Excellence Cluster ImmunoSensation provide an excellent basis for such ambitious projects.
Source: Eurekalert
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warc | 201704 | The research team deleted the protein from normal mouse mammary cells in one experiment and watched what happened. Expecting the cells to completely disconnect and move out on their own into the surrounding gel, the researchers were surprised to find that most of the epithelial cells remained connected to each other, although their organization was disrupted. Some of the epithelial cells did penetrate the gel, but usually in single-file "columns" that remained connected to the tissue. A similar result was seen in live mice.
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"For tumor cells to metastasize, they have to begin interacting with the proteins outside of the tumor and eventually strike out on their own," says Eliah Shamir, a graduate student in Ewald's lab and lead author on the study. "When we deleted E-cadherin, the epithelial cells began interacting more with proteins in the gel, but they didn't lose contact with the rest of the mammary tissue."
AdvertisementIn a second set of experiments, the team turned on a gene called Twist1, which is thought to affect the activity of many genes needed to transform groups of stationary epithelial cells into independent, mobile cells. The result, they say, was dramatic. Within 24 hours of turning on Twist1, dozens of individual cells began to move past the epithelial boundary and into the gel beyond. Again, similar results were seen when the experiment was repeated in live mice.
Surprisingly, the researchers say that when they caused epithelial cells lacking E-cadherin to turn on Twist1, the cells were no longer able to escape into the gel as single cells. Instead, they created many "columns" of cells, which didn't detach from the mammary tissue. These results suggest that the single-celled detachment and migration induced by Twist1 actually requires the presence of E-cadherin the Velcro protein that helps bind the cells together. "This finding is quite counterintuitive," Ewald says, "and we are eager to understand the biology behind it."
Since Twist1 is known to affect the activity of many genes, the researchers have begun to narrow down which of those genes is responsible for the cellular spread they witnessed. With that information, they hope to identify new means of preventing metastasis.
"Our goal is to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer, and this work takes us one step closer to doing so," says Ewald.
Source: Eurekalert
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warc | 201704 | WASHINGTON -- A federal judge ruled today that the Obama administration's plan to provide federal funds for research using embryonic stem cells violated a federal law that bars the use of government money to destroy human embryos.
U.S. district Judge Royce Lamberth granted an injunction to block the flow of National Institutes of Health research monies, ruling that a suit brought by researchers opposed to embryonic research had merit.
The researchers contend that the administration's heralded stem cell research program did involve the destruction of human embryos. Lamberth's ruling allows the case to go forward.
The administration must now decide whether it will fight the injunction, proceed to trial, or rewrite the guidelines in a way that would pass muster with the court.
The suit, which was reportedly backed by some Christian groups, argued that the Obama policy also shifted funds from researchers working with adult stem cells.
In March 2009, the president lifted a ban on stem cell research imposed by President George W. Bush. At the time, Obama said that lifting the ban would be part of his plan for "restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making."
Science "is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda -- and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology," Obama said.
Lamberth is a well-known jurist who made headlines during the Clinton administration when he ruled that the deliberations of the healthcare reform group assembled by then First Lady Hillary Clinton were not protected by executive privilege.
In another well-publicized case involving Native Americans, Lamberth characterized the actions of the U.S. Interior Department as racist, a remark that eventually resulted in his removal from the case. | 1,833 | 962 | 0.001048 |
warc | 201704 | Nobivac ® FeLV Feline Leukemia Vaccine, KILLED VIRUS
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Please see the product label for further safety information.
Administration and Dosage
For cats 9 weeks of age or older:
Subcutaneous or intramuscular injection Initial 1-mL dose administered at 9 weeks of age or older Second 1-mL dose administered 3 to 4 weeks later Revaccination every 2 years with a single dose is recommended
For further information, including complete directions and warnings, please see the product label.
Product label(s) and MSDS
References:
Data on file, Merck Animal Health. Jirjis FF, Davis T, Lane J, et al. Protection against feline leukemia virus challenge for at least 2 years after vaccination with an inactivated feline leukemia virus vaccine. Vet Ther. 2010;11(2):E1–E6. Torres AN, O’Halloran KP, Larson LJ, Schultz RD, Hoover EA. Feline leukemia virus immunity induced by whole inactivated virus vaccination. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2010; 134 (1–2):122–131. Patel M, Carritt K, Lane J, Jayappa H, Stahl M, Bourgeois M. Comparative efficacy of feline leukemia virus inactivated whole virus vaccine and canarypox viris-vectored vaccine during virulent FeLV challenge and immunosuppression. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2015 American Association of Feline Practitioners. AAFP 2013 feline vaccination advisory panel report. J Feline Med Surgery. 2013; 15:785-808. | 2,747 | 1,325 | 0.000767 |
warc | 201704 | October 2008 - Net Worth Update and Personal Finance Status
Published 10/23/08 (Modified 3/8/11)
By MoneyBlueBook
For new readers of my personal finance blog, this is my first inaugural financial status and
net worth update. I hope to make this is a monthly tradition to better help me track the condition of my financial health. At the same time, I am keenly aware of the potential awkwardness that comes with financial disclosure involving actual numbers. I know that there is a taboo sensibility when it comes to talking about money and actually revealing personal numbers. However, Money Blue Book is a personal finance blog and my purpose here is to encourage readers to improve their own financial lives by adopting practices that will put them on the right track to financial independence. Perhaps my own experiences and financial progress will inspire calls to action and help voyeuristic readers gain the necessary confidence to learn more about the importance of financial tracking and statistical self assessment. In the future I may discuss more sensitive topics such as my own expenditures concerning church tithing.
As a side note, the reason I am posting this halfway through the month rather than the customary beginning of the month is because of how my income accounting is set up. My income streams tend to get realized and reported at around this time.
My Current Net Worth and Financial Status Update Compared To Last Month
Income From My Small Business Enterprise, and My Current Cash Flow
Ever since I made the significant switch from traditional job to self employment, my financial life has vastly improved. In my former life (which was only actually a year ago), I was an attorney and one who was stuck working the usual 9 to 5 job with frequent overtime and weekend hours. While I received a fairly steady paycheck, I constantly felt the slow drain of my youthful creative spirit being sapped away as I slaved away in a working situation where everyday felt the same as the day before. Eventually I made the decision to start working for myself and become a full time entrepreneur. Today, I run my own part time legal practice and spend much of my active daytime working hours keeping tabs on my alternative "real life" businesses. In between, I also spend a portion of my time managing my network of income producing online businesses which include the personal finance blog you are reading and another blog about health and fitness. Altogether, my combined monthly income stream from all income sources, averages around $53,000 a month, pre-tax. Needless to say, this healthy monthly cash flow, which has remained steady for more than 9 months now, has allowed me to pursue more aggressive investment opportunities and possibilities. Looking back, if I had decided to play it safe and not leave my job as an employed attorney a year ago, I would never have had the opportunity to realize my full financial potential.
Cash Saving Accounts (Banks and CD's)
With the recent stock market crash brought on by the imminent economic recession and continuing credit crisis, I have decided to adopt a more conservative investment strategy regarding taking on new positions in the stock market. For the time being, I've chosen to keep the vast bulk of my monthly income and cash flow stored away in safe investments - namely
FDIC insurance protected banks accounts. Currently, the largest chunk of my cash savings are spread among accounts with the top online banks in the market. These bank accounts are made up of a small mixture of high savings accounts and CD ladders.
While I fully understand the wisdom of Billionaire Warren Buffett's investment mantra regarding
fear and greed when it comes to seizing long term opportunities, I also soberly understand the need to preserve capital during difficult times. For the short term, I want to shield my cash assets from loss so I have sufficient assets to pursue lucrative opportunities once the recession and credit crisis have finished doing their financial demolition derby. For the next few months at least, I'm putting a higher priority on maintaining more than enough cash to enable me to ride out any financial emergency should the worst case scenario arise. Credit Card Rewards and Debt
Although my income cash flow has significantly spiked within the last year due to the financial successes of my self run small businesses, I still maintain a manageable frugal lifestyle. However, some expenses simply can't be avoided, sadly. Because I'm a single guy, I'm a terrible cook - which means I spend a lot of money per month dining out and buying expensive ready made meals and groceries at the supermarket. To reduce costs and save money, I use credit card rewards to earn up to 5% cashback bonuses on everything I buy. In an effort to maximize savings, I use
multiple credit cards to get the highest spending rebates for all the different types of purchases I engage in. Currently, all additions to my credit card balances are due solely to regular spending habits and not attributed to any balance transfer arbitrage activity. My current credit card balance may seem rather high to some, but bear in mind, I use credit cards for everything and avoid using cash when I can. I actually abhor using cash. Stock Investments and Retirement Accounts
Unless you've been living in a cave on Mars with your fingers stuck in your ears, you are no doubt well aware of the devastation happening in the world financial markets. Due to the housing bubble pop and the giant ongoing debacle involving risky subprime loans, several prominent banks and major financial institutions have recently been wiped out. As we slowly make our way through this economic recession, the stock market will undoubtedly remain extremely volatile and irrationally influenced by emotions and despair. This is the reason why the majority of my assets are now in cash savings and not fully invested in the stock market. Clearly in the long, long run, stock market investing is the way to go for the growth minded investor, but in this irrational economy, where corporate balance sheet fundamentals no longer matter and are overpowered by continuous fear, I prefer to play it safe until at least after the U.S. Presidential election and perhaps until the start of 2009.
Because most of my
Roth IRA, and Traditional IRA retirement investments were previously made in more volatile and risky emerging market index and mutual funds, my stock portfolio has taken quite a beating since the highs a year ago - down 40%. However, I have not sold a position since the blood letting began and in fact, actually feel quite pleased (as giddy as a schoolgirl) at the significant drop in stock market prices. Despite the rampant fear in the market, I smell a wonderful opportunity in the making, and am waiting for the right opportunity at the right low price. Remember, it's during economic recessions and stock market crashes that opportunistic future millionaires get made. I hope to be one of them someday. Housing and Real Estate
Currently, I'm renting a brand new condominium apartment for $1,475 a month. My monthly rent may seem high to some, but it's quite average for my area, a very convenient Maryland suburb of metropolitan Washington D.C.
My short term plan is to purchase a primary home for myself within the next year or so. Despite the recent precipitous plunge in national housing prices, I believe home prices must continue to drop some more - at least another 20-25% before we reach true real estate equilibrium. So long as house sellers refuse to sell their overinflated homes at bargain basement prices, buyers like myself will continue to sit on the sidelines and patiently continue renting.
As my income situation continues to prosper and improve, I have upcoming plans in the works to take advantage of my cash savings and healthy cash flow. As an aspiring
vulture real estate investor, I hope to purchase several real estate investment properties in the next year or two at heavily discounted prices. I anticipate saving up enough money in the coming year to afford the 20% down payments to be used towards the properties I pursue. Meanwhile, I plan to continue monitoring my FICO credit score (currently at a healthy 802) and take necessary steps to maintain the score to increase my future chances of being able to secure multiple home mortgage loans when the opportunity arises in 2009 and 2010. | 8,476 | 3,975 | 0.000252 |
warc | 201704 | Finding the Sweet Spot
Highly expansionary global monetary policies and easier financial conditions are changing the risk and reward tradeoffs within firms’ capital structures. Investors should favor companies in industries that can generate solid top-line revenue and free cash flow growth. Strong earnings growth can re…
Read the rest of this article on Perspectives Content Submission | 401 | 279 | 0.003714 |
warc | 201704 | Products Spares & Accessories Special Offers & Discounts Instruction Booklets Support Blog Redefine by Morphy Richards Cooking and Baking Floor Care
Is it time for the big deep clean of your home now spring has finally rolled around? Now winter’s on its way out having a thorough clean is a great way to pay some attention to those spots that get missed as part of your regular cleaning routine. Don’t miss our top tips on sprucing up your home from top to bottom, plus find out how you can win a Total Clean Fresh Steam Cleaner!
When you think about all the things that need cleaning in your home, it can be a bit overwhelming. The best way to tackle a deep clean or big spring clean is to have a clear process in mind. Before you even start cleaning, having a pre clean where you focus on decluttering and tidying up will make the cleaning process itself so much easier. Work out the order of how to move through your home and where you’ll clean first. If you live over two floors, starting upstairs and working your way down could be one method. Whichever room you tackle first, it can help to take a top to bottom approach, so start high up and think about dusting ceilings and light fittings and on top of cupboards, then work down to eye level and tackle furniture and worktops, before finishing off with the floors. This method also makes sure any dust you create high up gets cleaned up at the end. Having a checklist can also help you stay on track. We like this free printable list from the Living Well Spending Less blog.
Raid the cupboards
As well as stocking up on cleaning products, ingredients you’ve probably already got in your cupboards can be a good addition to your deep cleaning regime. For example, vinegar and baking soda can be used to get oil-based stains out of carpet. Lemon and salt can be used to clean stainless steel sinks and cream of tartare can help make small appliances like toasters look shiny and new again.
Have the right equipment
Once you’ve got your checklist and process nailed, check you’ve got all the things you need to carry out the big clean. Think cleaning products as well as the basics like sponges, cloths, bin liners and paper towels. Once you get stuck into cleaning the last thing you’ll want to do is have to dash to the Supermarket for more supplies! The cleaning equipment you use can make a big difference to how efficient the cleaning process is.
Banish dust from your home with the Morphy Richards Allergy Bagged Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner. This lightweight cylinder vacuum has variable suction control for different floor types and an integrated EPA filter, which retains 99.9% of household dust.
Once you’ve carried out the big deep clean, keep topped up with the SuperVac 2-in-1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. The lightweight, cordless model can also be used as a handheld device perfect for tackling curtains, upholstery and hard to reach places. | 2,952 | 1,468 | 0.000693 |
warc | 201704 | There is an old Western expression that a person's mood is "lower than a snake's belly." Well lift up that snake and you just might find a home builder under it.
The National Association of Home Builders (
NAHB) released the results of its monthly survey of builder confidence on this week and found that confidence even more shaken by continued problems in the mortgage industry than it was in September. Continuing high inventories of unsold homes and what is perceived of as generally negative media coverage of the housing situation is also leaving builders increasingly less hopeful about a short-term recovery in the housing market.
The report stressed that, while builders are reporting that their
sales incentives are attracting interest, "many potential buyers are either holding out for even better deals or hesitating due to concerns about negative and confusing media reports on home values.
NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders said, "Consumers are still trying to sort out market realities and get the best deals they can. Many prospective buyers may very well have
unrealistic expectations
regarding new-home prices as well as how much they can expect to receive for their existing homes. When the market is in proper balance, people can recognize a good deal when it comes along; at this point, they view a good deal as a moving target."
NAHB in cooperation with Wells Fargo has been conducting the survey upon which the Housing Market Index (
HMI) is based for 20 years. Builders are asked to rank the housing market on three criteria - current single family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months each of which are evaluated as good, fair, or poor, and current buyer traffic which is rated from very low to very high. For each of the three components any score over 50 indicates a good degree of builder confidence as does such a score for a composite of the three.
The overall HMI for October was 18. This was two points below the September HMI and the
lowest recorded since the survey began in 1985. The index gauging current single family home sales also declined 2 points to 15.
The
positive news from today's report, said Seiders, is that builder expectations for sales conditions in the next six months held steady at 26. "Builders believe they are taking the right steps to reduce inventories and position themselves for the market recovery that lies ahead," he said. "Indeed, NAHB's housing forecast indicates that home sales should stabilize within the next six months and show significant improvement during the second half of next year."
The NAHB survey, however, was conducted well before today's report from the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development on housing starts and permits issued during the month of September. The report sent Wall Street into a temporary tailspin.
Housing starts in the month of September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.191,000 units, a 10.2 percent decline from the revised August figure of 1,327,000 and 30.8 percent fewer starts than the 1.721,000 starts in September 2006. However, single family housing starts were only 1.7 percent below the August figure; it was the initiation of projects with five or more units that slipped drastically, down 36 percent since the previous month. This was the lowest rate of new construction activity since March 1993.
Starts in the Northeast Region, however, were up a remarkable 45.4 percent in September while the other three regions were in the negative double digits.
Builders pulled permits to build 1,226,000 units in September, 7.3 percent fewer permits than were issued in August and 25.9 percent fewer than in September 2006 when an estimated 1,654,000 permits were issued.
Builders are sitting on an estimated 1,874,000 permits for which construction has not yet begun but this is a 4.2 percent decline from the August number and is 8.6 percent lower than the figure one year ago. | 3,978 | 1,906 | 0.000529 |
warc | 201704 | The process of moving is quite expensive and there are many expenses that don't come to mind immediately. This guide will walk you through some of the most forgotten moving expenses.
The Most Overlooked Moving Expenses
Household plants just like our fragile items need special attention when you move. For liability purposes, some movers will not load your plants on a moving van. It is recommended to move plants to your new residence in your car.
Moving Plants
Should you go with climate controlled or conventional storage facility? There is no definitive answer to that question, there are "pros" and "cons" of each side.
Climate Control or Conventional Storage
For most of the families relocating from one home to another seems like a difficult and stressful event, but with a little planning and a few of our tips you will have a better experience than you could ever imagine.
General Moving Tips
No matter what you need to pack, boxes come in all different shapes and sizes to help guarantee safe and efficient transportation. Get information on the different types of boxes.
Type of Moving Boxes | 1,117 | 633 | 0.001601 |
warc | 201704 | Print Friendly View Rose Bengal Agar Base
Catalog Number: 1008917
Rose Bengal Agar Base Description: Rose Bengal Agar Base and Chloramphenicol are used in the preparation of Rose Bengal Chloramphenical Agar. The complete medium is recommended in the selective isolation and enumeration of yeasts and molds from environmental materials and foodstuffs. Rose Bengal Agar Base is a selective basal medium which supports good growth of yeasts and molds. The pH of the medium is near neutrality for improved growth and recovery of acid sensitive strains. 4,5,11 The presence of rose bangal in the base suppresses the growth of bacteria and restricts the size and height of mold colonies. 8,10,11 This restriction in growth of molds aids in the isolation of slow-growing fungi by preventing their overgrowth by more rapidly growing species. In addition, rose bengal is taken up by yeast and mold colonies thereby facilitating their recognition and enumeration. Supplementation of Rose Bengal Agar Base with chloramphenicol provides for improved inhibition of bacteria present in environmental materials and foodstuffs. Formulation in g/L:
Peptone, soybean 5 g Dextrose 10 g Monopotassium Phosphate 1 g Magnesium Sulfate 0.5 g Rose Bengal 0.05 g Agar 15 g Preparation: Use aseptic technique in rehydrating chloramphenicol and adding it to the base. Follow proper, laboratory procedures in handling and disposing of infectious materials. Avoid the formation of aerosols. Store the Rose Bengal Agar Base below 30 oC. The powder is very hygroscopic. Keep container tightly closed. Do not use the agar base if it is caked, discolored or shows other signs of deterioration. Specimens should be collected in sterile containers and transported immediately to the laboratory in accordance with recommended guidlines. 12-14 For the Chloramphenicol supplement: Rehydrate 0.05 g of chloromphenicol with 2 ml of ethanol. Thoroughly mix to dissolve the powder. Do not use the rehydrated chloramphenicol if it is contaminated, partially or completely evaporated or shows other signs of deterioration. It is recommended that solutions be made fresh each time to avoid potential problems. Preparation of the Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar: To rehydrate the base, suspend 16 g Rose Bengal Agar Base in 500 ml of distilled or deionized water and heat to boiling to dissolve completely. Sterilize in the autoclave for 15 minutes at 15 lbs psi (121 oC). Cool to 43-46 oC. Aseptically add 2 ml of rehydrated chloramphenicol to the molten agar. Mix thoroughly. Inoculation and Incubation: Prepare the sample for pour plate inoculation in accordance with recommended guidelines. 12-14 Aseptically add 0.1 or 1 ml of each dilution to a sterile 90 mm Petri dish. Add 10-20 ml of sterile molten agar, mix by gently rocking and tilting the plate. Allow the medium to solidify. Incubate plates aerobically at 20-25 oC. Examine the plates for growth after 5 to 7 days incubation. Results: Colonies of molds and yeasts should be apparent within 5 days of incubation. Colonies of yeasts appear pink due to uptake of rose bengal. Determine the yeast or mold count by counting the number of colonies appearing on those plates containing 30 to 300 colony forming units and multiplying that number by the dilution factor. Results may be reported as yeast or mold count per gram or milliliter of sample, as applicable. Appropriate references may be consulted for further information. 12-14 User Quality Control: Examine the agar base for color and texture. The powder should be beige to faint pink, free-flowing and homogenous. Determine the pH of the base after preparation and cooling to 25 oC. The pH should be 7.2 + 0.2. Examine the lyophilized and rehydrated chloramphenicol for evidence of deterioration. Check the performance of the base and chloramphenicol by testing in the complete medium. Plates should be inoculated with approximately 100 colony forming units of the cultures listed below and incubate aerobically at 20-25 oC. Examine plates for growth after 5 days incubation. Results should be as stated below:
Organism Growth (after 5 days incubation) Colonial Morphology (after 5 days) Candida albicans ATCC 10231 good colonies appear pink, smooth, pasty and raised. Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 good colonies appear white and filamentous becoming salt and pepper and eventually black. Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 marked to complete inhibition
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Micrococcus luteus ATCC 10240 marked to complete inhibition
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Limitations of the Procedure: Rose Bengal Agar Base and chloramphenicol are intended for use in the preparation of rose bengal chloramphenicol agar. Although this medium is selective primarily for fungi, microscopic examination is recommended for presumptive identification. Biochemical testing using pure cultures is required for complete identification. Consult appropriate references for further information. 12-14 Due to the selective properties of this medium and the type of specimen being cultured, some strains of fungi may be encountered that fail to grow or grow poorly on the complete medium; similarly some strains of bacteria may be encountered that are not inhibited or only partially inhibited. Availability: References: Waksman, S.A., "A method for counting the number of fungi in the soil." J. Bact., v. 7: 339-341 (1922). Koburger, J.A., "Yeasts and molds," p. 225-229. In M.L. Speck (ed.), Compendium of methods for the microbiological examination of foods. American Public Health Association, Inc. Washington, D.C. (1976). Mossel, D.A.A., M. Visser, and W.H.J. Mengerink, "A comparison of media for the enumeration of molds and yeasts in foods and beverages." Lab Practice, v. 11: 109-112 (1962). Martin, J.P., "Use of acid, rose bengal and streptomycin in the plate method for estimating soil fungi." Soil Sci., v. 69: 215-232 (1950). Koburger, J.A., "Fung in foods. IV. Effect of plating medium pH on counts.", J. Milk Food Technol., v. 35: 659-660 (1972). Tyner, L.E., "Effect of media compositions on the numbers of bacterial and fungal colonies developing in Petri plates." Soil Sci., v. 57: 271-274 (1944). Smith, N.R., and V.T. Dawson, "The bacteriostatic action of rose bengal in media used for th eplate counts of soil fungi." Soil Sci., v. 58: 467-471 (1944). Cooke, W.B., "The use of antibiotics in media for the isolation of fungi from polluted water." Antibiotics and Chemotherapy, v. 4: 657-662 (1954). Papavizas, G.C., and C.B. Davey, "Evaluation of various media and antimicrobial agents for isolation of soil fungi." Soil Sci., v. 88: 112-117 (1959). Overcast, W.W., and D.J. Weakley, "An aureomycin-rose bengal agar for enumeration of yeast and mold in cottage cheese." J. Milk Technol., v. 32: 442-445 (1969). Jarvis, B., "Comparison of an improved rose bengal-chlortetracycline agar with other media for the selective isolation and enumeration of molds and yeasts in foods." J. Appl. Bact., v. 36: 723-727 (1973). Speck, M.L. (ed.), Compendium of methods for the microbiological examination of foods. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C. (1976). Marth, E.H. (ed.), Standard methods for the examination of dairy products, 14th Ed. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C. (1978). Greenberg, A.E., J.J. Connors, and D. Jenkins (ed.), Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 15th ed., American Public Health Association - American Water Works Association - Water Pollution Control Federation, Washington, D.C. (1981). | 7,519 | 3,238 | 0.00031 |
warc | 201704 | There are over 20 million battery hens farmed in the UK alone living in cages with floor space smaller than an A4 piece of paper. Hens enter cages at 18 - 20 weeks and will remain in the cage for about a year before slaughter, with no sunlight or fresh air, and are often unable even to turn around.
70% of eggs produced in the UK come from battery hens. (On average a battery hen will lay only 15 more eggs a year than barn or free range hens).
The battery-farming system strives to produce the most eggs as quickly and cheaply as possible and in the least amount of space. The hens are bred and fed antibiotics or hormones to fatten them faster and make them grow larger and produce more eggs than they would otherwise.
Because overcrowding creates a prime breeding ground for disease, they are fed a cocktail of drugs which remain in their bodies and are passed on to the people who eat them. This creates a serious hazard to human health, which is why the World Heath Organisation and American Medical Association want to eliminate this practice.
In 1999 it was agreed under the Laying Hens Directive that barren battery cages would be banned across the EU with effect from 1st January 2012. A barren battery cage has just four wire ?walls? wherein 4-5 hens live for a year with less space than an A4 sheet of paper each.
However, as a result of fierce lobbying by the poultry industry it may become possible for farmers to switch from using barren cages to using ?enriched cages? which offer some improvement to the hens? quality of life but denies them access outdoors, does not address the problem of brittle bones (Cage Layer Fatigue) and pecking order problems.
We need your help to address the current legislation and outlaw battery farming and the inhumane aspects of this intensive farming system.
We need another 998101 signatures so that we can Stop Battery Farming.
Become a 'supporter' by wearing the badge opposite or sign the petition to make your voice heard.
Does this cause contain offensive or libellous content? Click here to report this cause.
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Even better, you can put in your friends comments to make them aware of your cause! All the badges lead back to this page so your cause gets the support it needs. Stop Battery Farming Badge: Stop Battery Farming Text Link: | 2,486 | 1,287 | 0.000782 |
warc | 201704 | Women and Osteoporosis
Ever notice how some elderly women have a difficult time standing straight. Why is that? In many cases, the answer is Osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that occurs over time in which our bones become fragile enough so that break easy.
Severe cases of Osteoporosis is evident when all our bones become fragile, not just the one's in our spine.
Something as simple as a strong hug can in fact lead to a broken bone(s) when severe Osteoporosis is present.
Small fractures and compressions in the bones of our spine causes it to curve into an "S" shape which causes a person to bend forward.
Osteoporosis often affects people as they age because when the body ages, it naturally loses some of the material that makes up our bones.
The amount of bone material that the body makes is greater than the amount it loses and the total amount of bone material in our body increases up until a women reaches her mid 30's.
At this point this process reaches a balance and our bodies then begin to only replace what we actually lose in bone mass and it remains stable.
Osteoporosis occurs when this balance is disturbed enough so that the body loses more old bone than it can replace.
Why women are susceptible to Osteoporosis
Although anyone can get Osteoporosis, it occurs far more frequently in women for a number of reasons.
In fact, by the time most women reach 60, one in every four women will have been affected by Osteoporosis to some degree.
Physically, women generally have smaller and lighter bones than men so there is less bone mass lost over time making them more susceptible.
Men also make more bone mass than they lose for more years than women do.
Additionally, when women start menopause, their bodies stop producing the hormone estrogen. Estrogen plays an important role in the reduction of bone loss.
By the age of 70, women can lose up to one-third her total bone mass. It's no wonder why women are more vulnerable to Osteoporosis given these factors.
Factors that increase a woman's risk of Osteoporosis
You are more likely to develop Osteoporosis if you are Asian or Caucasian, especially if you have fair skin.
You are also more likely to develop Osteoporosis is you have a small thin frame and if there is a family history of the condition.
Other risk factors include having breast-fed a baby or never having a baby and early menopause.
Smoking, caffeine and alcohol in excess, a lack of exercise and a deficiency in calcium are all lifestyle factors associated with Osteoporosis.
Medical conditions that include: diabetes, hyperthyroidism, anorexia, chronic bronchitis and emphysema may also make you more susceptible to Osteoporosis.
Certain medicines such as the use of steroids for asthma and arthritis, some diuretics, medicines that contain aluminum and certain anticonvulsant also increase your chances of developing Osteoporosis.
Taking a high enough dose of prescribed thyroid hormone and high stress are also contributing factors to Osteoporosis.
Preventive measures
Simple measures you can take to reduce your risk of developing Osteoporosis include:
Making sure you get enough calcium in your diet by eating a healthy balanced diet or through proper supplementation.
Calcium isn't enough, do not neglect important vitamins and minerals either.
The body needs vitamin D in order to absorb calcium.
Taking a good multi-vitamin mineral formula will help meet your daily vitamin and mineral requirements.
Avoid smoking and limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption.
Overall, a balanced lifestyle that includes regular activity and a healthy nutrition plan with proper nutrient supplemention is the key to Osteoporosis. | 3,729 | 1,706 | 0.000592 |
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Financial crash could deepen food crisis: UN
ROME, OCT 15 (DPA):
:
Published on 16 Oct. 2008 11:33 AM IST
Governments should avoid reducing aid to developing countries’ agriculture and introducing protectionist trade measures in response to the global financial crisis, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Wednesday.
Such steps could increase the risk of another food crisis occurring next year, Director-General Jacques Diouf of the Rome-based FAO said in a statement. Another food crisis “could happen despite the record 2008 cereal harvest which is now expected,” the statement said.
Cereal production this year is forecast to increase 4.9 percent to a record 2.232 billion tons, according to the latest issue of FAO’s Crop Prospects and Food Situation report.
However, some 36 countries around the world are still in need of external assistance as a result of crop failures, conflict or insecurity, or continuing local high prices, the report noted.
“The great uncertainty now enveloping international markets and the threat of global recession may tempt countries towards protectionism and towards reassessing their commitments to international development aid,” Diouf said. “It would be unfortunate if this were to be the case and the recently mobilized political will towards enhanced international support for developing country agriculture were to evaporate,” he added.
Diouf noted that the financial crisis, following hard on the heels of the soaring food price crisis which threw an additional 75 million people into hunger and poverty in 2007 alone, may well deepen the plight of the poor in developing countries. “Last year it was the pan,” Diouf said. “Next year could be the fire”.
Commodity prices are currently dropping, mainly on expectation of favourable crop prospects but also because of a slowing world economy, among other factors. This could mean a cutback in plantings followed by reduced harvests in major exporting countries, FAO said.
Given continuing low grains stocks, this scenario could lead to another turn of record food prices next year - a “catastrophe” for millions who by then would be left with little money and no credit, FAO said.
The impact of the financial crisis may also be felt in developing countries at the macro level, with further potentially negative effects on agriculture and food security, Diouf said.
“Borrowing, bank lending, official development aid, foreign direct investment and workers’ remittances - all may be compromised by a deepening financial crisis,” he noted.
The FAO chief recalled that governments and world leaders agreed at an FAO High-Level Conference on World Food Security held in June that “the international community needs to take urgent and coordinated action to combat the negative impacts of soaring food prices on the world’s most vulnerable countries and populations”.
At a Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Japan a month later, world leaders confirmed their resolve to address global food security as a top priority and demonstrated a growing political will to reverse disturbing trends in global hunger, he noted.
“It is vital that this momentum be maintained,” Diouf said. “Unless political will and donor pledges are turned into real and immediate action, millions more may fall into deeper poverty and chronic hunger.”
“The global financial crisis should not make us forget the food crisis. Agriculture needs urgent and sustained attention too to make hunger and rural poverty part of history,” he added.
News:
Date: | 3,761 | 1,833 | 0.00057 |
warc | 201704 | Fashola and Buhari. Buhari Travelling.There has been so much talk on the constant travellings of the President of Nigeria,Muhammadu Buhari.While some see the benefits ,saying the image of the nation had been tarnished and the President needs to personally make these trips to revitalize our image as well as close deals to benefit Nigeria,some say the prsident does not have to go to all the trips as he can designate people in his cabinet to represent him,while he attends to more important matters at home as well as save costs from this travelling.
Well,the Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, has defended Buhari's travelling and written an article on the advantages of Buhari's recent Foreign trips. Read below
In making this public intervention, I seek to highlight the benefit of global relationships and cooperation in a world that is changing daily as a result of globalization and transborder economics, social and even criminal activities where no one is safe, except all are safe, and to leave the dispassionate observer his opinion after deep reflection on the value, or lack of it, of the President’s foreign trips.
Buhari going on a foreign trip.
That was when Buhari declared at a meeting in Lagos during his campaign in 2015, that if elected, he would make us proud about our country again. Proud to be Nigerian again. That is the context in which I view his foreign trips and the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Foreign Relations which promised to: Make the Nigerian national interest the overriding factor in its foreign policy and international relations. Work to reform global governance in multilateral institutions and agencies. Work to strengthen the African Union to become a more effective organization on global affairs. Engage the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on the basis of equality. Play a leadership role to develop a MINT (Mexico, India, Nigeria, and Turkey) as a counterforce to BRICS.
I will limit my takeaways to 4 (Four) trips that I attended with the President namely: the G7 Summit in Germany, the Oil and Gas Summit in Iran, the Renewable Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi and the State visit and Business Forum in China; and 2 (Two) trips that I did not attend, but whose deliberations I followed, namely: Paris for the COP 21 and USA for the Nuclear Energy Summit. G7 in Germany This is a club of eight of the most industrialized, economic and technologically advanced nations. For the benefit of those who do not follow international politics it was originally the G8 comprising the USA, Britain, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, Italy, and Russia, who were later suspended and had sanctions imposed on them to make it G7 as a result. It was formed in 1975 as a club of 6 (Six) before Canada and Russia were admitted. They look after each other, and the rest of the world to put it simply. They have gone to war together if you remember Iraq and Libya in recent memory and they are all largely collaborating to fight terror. (Most recently the FBI was rendering assistance to Belgium in the aftermath of the terror attacks in that Country). Why G7 one might then ask? Answer: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as host, invited PMB on his inauguration to be their guest along with some three or four other African countries.
Their agenda was global security, global economy and global health in the aftermath of Ebola, which was still raging in some African countries. Apart from the personal aides of the President, Governor Shettima of Borno, General Dambazau and myself were the only ones who accompanied PMB. I recall that upon our arrival in Germany they expressed surprise that our delegation was small and asked if others were still coming. In the pre-departure briefing, in addition to highlighting how the security and economic agenda of the G7 coincided with 2 (Two) of his campaign promises, security, (corruption) economy, PMB stated the reasons 3 of us were invited. Governor Shettima was in the front line of terrorists and criminal activities in the north east; General Abdulrahman Dambazau, was a former Chief of Army Staff, and also a faculty associate of Harvard University Weatherhead Center for International Affairs; I had run the single biggest economy of a state within Nigeria for eight years and was in the frontline of Ebola. Without ministers, one week after taking office, he felt we were the ones best suited to assist, if he needed it, on the issues of security, economy and health on the G7 agenda.
They pledged support for Nigeria on Terror and the Economy. Importantly, I learned that their scientists were worried about increasing resistance of strains of infections to antibiotics; and that they were committing enormous resources into finding out why and what to do. They highlighted the difficulty of time and resources that it will take to develop new antibiotics and the risk to global health. If we all appreciate how vulnerable we can be without effective antibiotics, especially our children, and if we remember how low life expectancy was and how poor global health was before the discovery of Penicillin after the World War, we will appreciate the seriousness of the platform to which Nigeria was invited. I was proud that our President was there. If the seven most powerful nations stand with you, who can stand against you?
PMB’s logic was different. Hold your volumes, steady the price, and don’t let us hurt one another. Recorders of history will recall that the Venezuelan government suffered a major political defeat in Parliament, while PMB’s logic has at least steadied oil prices. It might interest you to know that all European nations sent their oil ministers, except Russia, where Vladimir Putin came in person, because having been suspended from the G8 and facing sanctions, this was the meeting where his country’s interests were best served. For the record, Russia pledged a $5 Billion state support to Iran, and if the purpose of this is lost on anyone, I interpret it to mean, “Take cash, don’t pump out your oil. It will hurt me.” This is the reality of international politics. Finally on Iran, PMB told us, how when he flew to Iran in his days as Petroleum Minister, he noticed how much gas they were flaring and now he returned as President, all the flares were gone. We found out that all the gas had been harvested and piped to every home for heating, cooking etc. His mandate: “If they can do it, we must do it.” I am proud to be led by a President who sees good things outside and seeks to bring them to his people. Abu Dhabi Renewable Energy This is reputed to be the richest of the Emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
We are currently working on the Energy Mix for Nigeria which is the implementation process of the energy policy that will take us there. Hopefully we will soon be signing the first set of solar deployment agreements for Nigeria. In this way, more solar and hydro will be used in the North, more coal and hydro in the Middle Belt, and more gas in the South; so that we take power generation closest to the most prolific source of fuel to bring down the cost and make it more affordable. On the trip to China (which I will comment on) we met a few Chinese solar manufacturers (who recognized us from Abu Dhabi) who want to set up business of manufacturing solar panels in Nigeria. China Investment Forum and State Visit This is the visit that provoked this write up, because I had bottled what I knew. But it was time, I believe, to share some of it. China is the second largest economy in the world with a per capita income of $8,000 which they are planning to raise to $12,000 by 2020. By her own assessment, according to President Xi Jinping, they are still a developing nation seeking to achieve what he described as “initial prosperity” by 2020. If you look at the back of your phone, your TV, your watch, your I-Pad, your Mobile Charger, many other accessories that you use, you are likely to find these three words “Made in China” printed somewhere.
For such a nation, (with trillions of dollars in reserves, that plans to spend $2 trillion on imports in the next five years and earn $100 billion annually) who still sees itself as a developing nation, such modesty in the face of success, assiduous hard work and productivity is a destination to seek cooperation in the pursuit of economic development. This is where PMB led an array of Nigerian investors including Erisco Foods, (who now makes our tomato paste at home and employs people locally including farmers who supply the tomatoes), Power operators (DisCos and GenCos), and the Dangote Group, to meet with and address their Chinese partners. During the meeting with the Chinese President, 6 (Six) collaboration agreements were signed including for agriculture and food production improvement techniques, rail and power infrastructure development, for funding the Dangote group to continue to expand and create jobs at home and keeping some of our reserves in the currency of the richest nation in the world. This last mentioned agreement was a legitimate coup by PMB because the intelligence was that some West African countries were going to sign before us. PMB seized the moment. Of course he had to apologize for our previous failures on our agreement made to part-fund 4 airport projects in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna rail project.
Buhari in China.
” If this was not initiative I doubt what is? As for the trips to Paris, COP 21 and the USA, Nuclear Security Summit, I will only say this: a) The threat of climate change, global warming, desertification in the north of Nigeria and coastal erosion in the Atlantic (Bar beach in Lagos) and in the south, affecting Rivers, Bayelsa and other coastal states, the clear scientific evidence lays the blame at the door of the world’s most industrialized nation for their pollution. b) Since the Kyoto protocol they have paid lip service to remedying the situation, which unfortunately affects developing nations more adversely. c) COP 21 was the first serious commitment that these leaders made to ensure that global temperatures do not rise above 2°C and indeed are reduced to 1.5°C. I am proud that Nigeria was not missing at this historic moment. When the planet is saved, the next and future generations of Nigerians will recall that PMB was present, when all of the world leaders were present to save the planet. d) In the aftermath of COP 21, the commitment of these nations is to increase production and technology for renewable energy and to reduce the use of carbon fuels. One way they plan to achieve this is increased deployment of nuclear energy. e) These nations are at the cusp of sharing safe nuclear technology for peaceful uses with developing nations for power generation.
Buhari and President Obama.
Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN | 10,999 | 5,149 | 0.000196 |
warc | 201704 | # About the Author # About the web site # Our second web site # Question of the day A New Book of Biochemistry Acid Base Balance AIDS Animations Links Biochemical Techniques Biochemistry Quiz Biological Oxidation Cancers Chemistry of Carbohydrates Chemistry of Lipids and Eicosanoids Chemistry of Nucleotides Chemistry of Proteins Detoxification Diabetes Mellitus Diet and Nutrition Enzymes Facebook Group Posts Haem Synthesis and Degradation Hemoglobin and Hemoglobinopathies Hormones Liver Function Tests Metabolism – Carbohydrates Metabolism – Lipids Metabolism – Nucleotides Metabolism – Proteins Metabolism of Alcohol Minerals Molecular Biology Past Papers Power Point Presentations Practical Biochemistry Abnormal Urine Blood Glucose Estimation Blood Urea and Urea Clearance Estimation Normal Laboratory Reference Values Normal Urine Analysis Power point presentations Protein Precipitation Reactions Reactions of Carbohydrates Serum Creatinine and Creatinine clearance estimation Serum Total Protein estimation Practice Questions Quick revisions Renal Function Tests Semester Paper Spotters Students’ corner Vitamins Water and Electrolyte balance and Imbalance Alkaptonuria Alkaptonuria
Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare inherited genetic disorder of tyrosine metabolism characterized by the triad of Homogentisic aciduria, ochronosis and arthritis. It is one of the conditions in which Mendelian recessive inheritance was proposed. It was also one of the four inborn errors of metabolism described by
Garrod.
The most obvious sign in adults is a thickening and blue-black discoloration of the ear cartilage. This blue-black discoloration of connective tissue (including bone, cartilage, and skin) is caused by deposits of yellow or ochre-colored pigment, and is called
Ochronosis. Frequency
The condition is rare, affecting one in 250,000 to one million people worldwide. In US, the incidence is 1 case per 4 million populations.
Biochemical Defect
AKU is an autosomal recessive disorder, caused due to deficiency of Homogentisic acid oxidase (HGAO) which catalyzes the conversion of HGA (also called alkaptone) to maleyl acetoacetate (Figure-1). Inability to convert homogentisic acid to maleylacetoacetic acid results in accumulation of the former. Homogentisic acid is subsequently converted to benzoquinone acetic acid and spontaneously polymerized (Figure-1).
Pathophysiology
In the absence of the enzyme HGAO, Homogentisic acid and benzoquinone acetic acid (BQA) build up in the body (Figure-1). Homogentisic acid is rapidly cleared in the kidney and excreted.
Although homogentisic acid blood levels are kept very low through rapid kidney clearance, over time homogentisic acid is deposited in cartilage throughout the body and is converted to the pigment like polymer through an enzyme-mediated reaction that occurs chiefly in collagenous tissues. As the polymer accumulates within cartilage, a process that takes many years, the normally transparent tissues become slate blue, an effect ordinarily not seen until adulthood.
The earliest sign of the disorder is the tendency for diapers to stain black. Throughout childhood and most of early adulthood, an asymptomatic, slowly progressive deposition of pigment like polymer material into collagenous tissues occurs.
In the fourth decade of life, external signs of pigment deposition, called ochronosis, begin to appear.
The slate blue, gray, or black discoloration of sclerae and ear cartilage is indicative of widespread staining of the body tissues, particularly cartilage. The hips, knees, and intervertebral joints are affected most commonly and show clinical symptoms resembling rheumatoid arthritis. Although unproven, the deposition of polymer is assumed to also cause an inflammatory response that results in calcium deposition in affected joints.
Clinical Manifestations
Most patients don’t have any symptoms throughout childhood or early adult life and it is not until they reach their 40’s that other signs of the disease start appearing.
One of the earliest signs is thickening of the ear cartilage (the pinna feels noticeably thickened and flexible). In addition the skin turns a blue-black color (Figure-2)
Figure-2- Showing blackening of the ear cartilage Earwax is often reddish-brown or jet-black. Bones and cartilage of the lower back, knees, shoulders and hips are most affected. Firstly patients suffer low back pain with stiffness,followed by knee, shoulder and hip pain over the next 10 years. Cartilage becomes brittle and can break apart easily. In some cases this leads to spinal injuries such as prolapsed intervertebral discs. Deposits around the trachea, larynx and bronchi may cause shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Deposits around the heart and blood vessels can calcify and lead to atherosclerotic plaques. Pigmentation of the scleraof the eye usually occurs early on. This does not affect vision but appears as brown or grey deposits on the surface of the eye (Figure-3) Figure-3- Showing black spots on the sclera Skin color changes are most apparent on areas exposed to the sun and where sweat glands are found (Figure-4) Figure-4- Showing blackening of the skin Urine exposed to air can become dark; this is useful for diagnosing young children using diapers.The urine is malodorous.
Figure-5- Showing the darkening of urine on standing. Diagnosis
Presumptive diagnosis can be made by adding sodium or potassium hydroxide to urine and observing the formation of a dark brown to black pigment on the surface layer of urine within 30 minutes to 1 hour.
The fresh urine of an alkaptonuric appears normal but starts darkening on exposure to the air. This is caused by oxidation and polymerization of the HGA that speeds up on alkalization. Hence, (strongly) acidic urine may not darken for many hours on standing. This may be one of the reasons why darkening of the urine may not be noted in an affected child and the diagnosis is delayed until adulthood when arthritis or ochronosis appears.
HGA is a strong reducing substance that produces a positive reaction with Benedict’s and Fehling’s reagent. With Fehling’s (FeCl3) reagent, it gives transient blue-green Color.
The diagnosis of alkaptonuria is confirmed by measurement of HGA concentration in the urine by paper and thin layer chromatography and photometry.
HGA is not elevated in the blood but excreted in the urine in heavy amounts – as much as 4-8gm / day.
Treatment
Alkaptonuria is a life long disease. There is no cure for the condition.Prevention is not possible and the treatment is aimed at ameliorating symptoms. Reducing intake of the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine to the minimum required to sustain health (phenylalanine is an essential amino acid) can help slow the progression of the disease. Vitamin C has been found to slow down the conversion of homogentisic acid to the polymeric deposits in cartilage and bone. A dose of up to 1g/day is recommended for older children and adults.
Medical therapy is used to ameliorate the rate of pigment deposition. This minimizes articular and cardiovascular complications in later life.
Reduction of phenylalanine and tyrosine has reportedly reduced homogentisic acid excretion. Whether a mild dietary restriction from early in life would avoid or minimize later complications is not known, but such an approach is reasonable.
Prognosis
Life expectancy is normal although patients may be at increased risk of heart conditions and may require surgical treatments for spine, hip, knee and shoulder joint problems. Exogenous cutaneous Ochronosis has been successfully treated by laser.
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warc | 201704 | Builder Confidence Rises As Housing Starts Stall in May
Single-family housing starts edged up 0.3% in May from the prior month, according to a new government report, as homebuilders continue to complain about labor shortages.
The Census Bureau reported Tuesday morning that single family starts rose to a 599,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in May from a 597,000 rate in April.
The April rate was revised downward from 610,000.
Construction of residential homes hit its highest level this year at a 652,000 rate in February. But starts have slowed since then.
Overall, single family housing starts are up 16% from May 2012. In April, before the revisions, the Census Bureau estimated housing starts were up 21% from a year ago.
Despite the high national unemployment, “our members tell us they are having trouble finding skilled labor,” according to the National Association of Home Builders chief economist David Crowe.
As a result, they are working their crews harder when they would prefer to increase their hiring, he said.
Small and mid-size firms also face a shortage of building lots, which is also holding back new construction.
Despite these shortages, builder confidence about demand for new homes and sale expectations rose to the highest level since April 2006.
“Builders are experiencing some relief in the headwinds that are holding back a more robust recovery,” Crowe said.
The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index surged 8 points from April to 52 in May. A reading above 50 means that more builders view conditions as good as opposed to bad.
NAHB chairman Rick Judson, a home builder from Charlotte, N.C, said builders are seeing more “buyers gravitating toward new homes” due to the low inventory of existing homes.
Economists at Wells Fargo Securities noted that “homebuilder confidence is reviving as more markets move into recovery mode.” | 1,918 | 1,013 | 0.001016 |
warc | 201704 | http://www.naturalnews.com/037800_breast_cancer_prevention_early_detection.html
(NaturalNews) Take matters into your own hands and ignore the preventative measures offered by the
Koman Foundation
types, which actually function to snare you into the toxic and lucrative cancer industry early.
Here are six ways to stay away from the mainstream cancer industry and protect yourself from breast cancer.
(1) Komen/cancer industry early detection lies
Early detection methods promoted by these "charitable" groups actually help cause breast cancer. Mammograms emit highly carcinogenic radiation. Add this to the many false mammogram positives that put women into chemo or radiation treatments unnecessarily. (http://www.naturalnews.com
)
According to Dr. John McDougall, by the time mammography detects cancers, "they have been growing eight to 14 years ...by this time the disease has spread to the rest of the body and is unreachable by surgery or radiation."
Fortunately, thermal imagery is safe and
able to perceive tumors during their inception.
After detection, more hazardous imagery may be needed for measurement purposes.
Search for thermal imagery locations here: http://thermologyonline.org/Breast/breast_thermography_clinics.htm
. Other accurate lab blood tests are available as well. Look in source (1) below under the "Other options for detecting cancer" section.
(2) Dietary preventative measures
Heavy red meat and alcohol consumption increase the risk of breast cancer
. Most doctors don't warn about consuming sugar even after cancer becomes obvious. They ignore the fact that cancer cells thrive on sugar. Synthetic artificial sweeteners cause other serious problems as well. Stevia and honey are okay.
Consume high amounts of green and cruciferous vegetables along with ample amounts of green tea. Use only organic cold pressed oils, such as olive, sunflower, or coconut oils. Avoid processed trans-fatty acid hydrolyzed oils and canola oil.
Make an effort to avoid fast foods and processed items, most of which contain GMOs. Have you seen the tumors on rats fed GMOs yet? (http://www.naturalnews.com
)
(3) Avoid carcinogenic pollutants
Cigarette smoke from your smoking or from others contains one of the worst carcinogenics, cadmium. So do many batteries used today. Make sure they're kept tucked away and properly disposed when spent.
Exhaust from gas driven vehicles adds carcinogens. Avoid too much exposure by driving your car with windows shut and recycling internal air while in heavy traffic.
Natural pesticides and insecticides are also available to replace those toxic items. (http://www.naturalnews.com/037106_pesticides_exposure_herbicides.html
)
(4) Topical toxins to avoid
Most commercial cosmetics contain carcinogens such as parabens and phthalates. Most underarm deodorants contain aluminum, which is toxic and carcinogenic. Shop for natural
cosmetics in your local health food stores. Ditto for sun screens, which should only be used for extreme sun exposures.
Use only all natural detergents for your clothes, and seek non-perchloroethylene (non-perc) alternative technology dry cleaners. All the normally commercial stuff is carcinogenic.
Use natural insect repellent oils or sprays only. (http://www.naturalnews.com/036676_West_Nile_virus_protection.html
)
(5) Recommended supplements
Maintain a high blood level of vitamin D3 (NOT D2) to inhibit cancer cell growth. You should experience a moderate amount of direct sunlight, without glass between you and the sun, or use UVB tanning beds to increase your D3 blood levels.
Independent studies indicate that vitamin D3 blood levels measured with a 25(OH)D test should be above 50ng/ml. Some suggest 60 to 80 ng/ml to protect against cancer
.
The recommended daily amounts (RDA) for supplementing D3 of 600 to 800 IU are not enough. It can take 4,000 to 10,000 units or more of naturally derived D3 supplements to get your D3 blood levels where they should be.
Other helpful supplements include CoQ10 vitamin C, and other antioxidants. Supplementing with resveratrol may inhibit estrogen growth factors that could lead to cancer causing hormonal imbalances.
(6) Keep your hormones balanced
Birth control pills, BPA in plastic food containers and inner linings of cans, and synthetic hormone replacement therapies (HRT) can actually be gateways to breast cancer by upsetting your sex hormone balance. Avoid them. (http://www.naturalnews.com
)
Sources for this article include:
(1) http://amazingdiscoveries.orghttp://www.thedailygreen.comhttp://www.naturalnews.comhttp://www.naturalnews.com
Take Action: Support Natural News by linking to this article from your website
Permalink to this article:
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warc | 201704 | Font: + -
SAN FRANCISCO — The weak and woozy California sea lion found on a San Francisco Bay-area beach in December with buckshot embedded in its skull has become an all-too-common sight for wildlife officials.
Wildlife officials have seen a slight rise in the shooting of ocean mammals in recent years, and investigators often struggle to find a culprit. There are few witnesses to such shootings, making it nearly impossible to bring a case.
"We always try to do an investigation, but unless there's an eyewitness to the shooting it's hard to make a case for our enforcement folks," said Joe Cordaro, a wildlife biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who tracks reports of the shootings.
Hoffman withdrew $1,200 hours before death: sources
Philip Seymour Hoffman withdrew a total of $1,200 from an ATM at a supermarket near his New York City apartment the night before he was found lifeless in his bathroom with a syringe still in his left arm, sources told NBC News.
NYC mayor will skip St. Pat's parade over gay ban Indiana man back home 18 years after abduction 32 states in the path of another wild storm Judge vows quick ruling on Va. marriage ban Hoffman withdrew $1,200 hours before death: sources
The NOAA said there were 43 reported marine mammal shootings in 2009 — nine more than in 2008 and 14 more than five years earlier. Of the reported shootings in 2009, all were sea lions. And officials say many more cases likely go unreported.
Wildlife officials say sea lion and human populations continue to increase, making interaction more common, especially among fishermen who compete for the same food and often view the creatures as a nuisance.Story: More than 1,000 dead birds fall from sky in Ark.
Though NOAA and the California Department of Fish and Game are responsible for investigating these cases, few cases result in prosecution. Recent public outcry over highly publicized cases like that of the wounded sea lion near San Francisco have brought more attention to these shootings.
Veterinarians at the Marine Mammal Center in Suasalito are treating the wounded critter in the hope an aquarium or zoo will take it. The 7-foot-long male, dubbed Silent Knight by its rescuers, is now blind and cannot return to the wild.
When there is a witness, there usually is a case. A witness came forward after the 2009 shooting of a 650-pound sea lion nicknamed Sgt. Nevis was covered by local press and television.
Larry Legans of Sacramento was ordered to pay more than $51,000 in restitution for the cost of treating the critter, who recently underwent plastic surgery at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom to close bullet holes in its muzzle. Legas also spent a month in jail and got five years probation.
Lt. Rob Roberts, a warden with state Fish and Game Department, said the agency takes marine mammal shootings very seriously, and noted that reports have increased in kind with the growth of the sea lion population along the Northern California coast.
Roberts hopes successful prosecutions and intense media coverage of cases like Legans' will help.
"If the general public sees that there's recourse and accountability, that's a deterrent," Roberts said.
The Marine Mammal Center, where Silent Knight is being treated along with hundreds of ocean animals suffering a variety of ailments, has treated nine gunshot victims in 2010. The center treated 18 in 2009, down from a high of 72 sea lions in 1992, when the center started keeping statistics.
Most popular
While the number of mammals treated for gunfire wounds has trended downward at the center over the decades, in recent years it has begun to creep back the other way, statistics show.
On Monday, more than 400 people came to see Silent Knight during the center's visiting hours, fascinated by the plight of the wounded pinniped, said Jeff Boehm, the center's executive director.
The center tries to help wardens in the investigations by determining the kind of weapon that were used and how long an animal has been wounded. For now, the center will work to try and get Silent Knight healthy, and ready to live in captivity.
"We've seen over 1,000 patients in 2010, and of that number only nine were shooting victims, a small fraction," said Boehm, whose center studies and treats animals that have been injured by fishing nets, disease or environmental hazards like pollution.
"But it's dramatic, because (shootings) are entirely unnecessary situations."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 4,628 | 2,321 | 0.000435 |
warc | 201704 | THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE
Number 532, August 16, 2009
"Their real object is to control you and deny you joy."
Attribute to
The United States is the only nation in the industrialized world without a universal health care system. The oldest universal health care system is in Germany, which had its inception in 1883 under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
Let's lay an important ground rule before we begin. Traditional insurance policies cover unexpected but predictable occurrences. For example, an auto policy covers an unexpected collision. But that policy does not cover maintenance costs which are a normal part of owning a vehicle. Health insurance has become maintenance insurance over the years, paying for everything from regular checkups and tooth cleaning to heart transplants. And, with some group insurance copays at $5 to $20, the concept of deductibles is becoming archaic.
So, in considering a single-payer cradle-to-grave government healthcare system, the old concepts of insurance and risk must be put aside. Single-payer healthcare is NOT INSURANCE in the strictest sense. It is a massive Social Security-type program, into which tax revenues flow and from which health care payments flow out to health care providers.
This article does not advocate a single-payer government-run healthcare system. But it does look at what a single-payer system might look like, and reasons why it will not work.
In December 2008 The McKinsey Global Institute issued an exhaustive 122-page report on health care costs in America, entitled "Accounting for the costs of US healthcare: A new look at why Americans spend more." The best estimate of American healthcare costs is about $2.1 trillion annually.
Here is a summary list of its findings:
The McKinsey report doesn't recommend a universal healthcare single-payer system. It simply tries to provide accurate information to those who will be making policy regarding healthcare in the USA.
Here is what a universal healthcare system might look like. This takes the best characteristics from healthcare systems around the world.
1. Funding through individual taxation for wage earners and self employed persons. Low income persons subsidized. Should tax be based upon age? Should the tax be calculated as a percentage of income, like in the IRS Tax Tables and FICA payments?
2. Medicare, Medicaid, the VA healthcare system and all other Federal healthcare systems would be rolled into the universal system. That would include the healthcare benefits for Federal workers and members of Congress.
3. No individual underwriting. All living persons of US citizenship are covered. Non-citizens with taxable earnings could be taxed and covered.
4. No deductibles. Copay for any doctor visit of $5-$20.
5. Prevention-based health care at the General Practitioner level. Compensation based upon health of the patients. Healthier patients, doctor makes more money.
6. Medical school 100% paid by government in exchange for 10 years service as a Federal employee. This would include additional training in medical specialties. Compensation levels could be set lower since there would be no school debt.
7. FedGov sets minimum standards for care. Insured persons are free to choose their own doctors. Patients can choose specialists without first seeing Primary Care Physician.
8. No insurance company precertifications necessary.
9. System includes mental health, nursing home and hospice care.
10. FedGov sets prices for pharmaceuticals, medical procedures and medical supplies. FedGov sets wages for all medical employees, including administrators, nurses, med techs and doctors.
11. Tort reform. If health care was universal from cradle to grave, torts would be limited since the patient would automatically be eligible for additional medical care required by malpractice, an unintended consequence of treatment or a medical complication. Doctors would still be liable for negligence, but awards would not need to compensate the individual plaintiff/patient for anticipated medical care into the future.
12. Electronic Medical Records, a database of all medical records for each patient, accessible by all medical providers. Would eliminate all duplication. Living wills and advance care directives would be part of every patient file. This has the potential to drastically reduce end-of life invasive care and duplication of procedures.
13. Individual health insurance policies would still be available for those that wanted a higher level of care, and would be excess insurance, like a Personal Umbrella policy.
14. Private medical providers, including doctors and hospitals, would still exist, offering custom care for those willing to pay extra for it.
I know this is a cursory look at universal healthcare. I know I've left out important features and benefits. But I'm trying to wrap my mind...and yours...around a concept that I fear is in our immediate future.
The big insurance companies have completely screwed up the health insurance marketplace in the United States. They've had the help of the Federal Government. So, if they get left at the dock when this new ship sails, I won't shed any tears. They get what they deserve.
Now, here is why I don't think that the system outlined above will work.
1. The Federal Government is broke. They are already running trillion dollar annual deficits. In order to stave off governmental collapse, the Federal Reserve is printing paper money as fast as it can. Eventually, inflation will sink the ship of state. To absorb the healthcare system into the Federal Government which represents about one-seventh of the economy, is a bridge too far.
2. Funding this new healthcare system would require increasing taxes significantly. Everyone with income should have to pay into this system at some level. Health insurance premiums, whether paid by individuals or businesses, would be turned into tax payments, just like FICA.
3. Pharmaceutical companies lobby Congress. They will fight any system that controls drug prices and threatens their profits.
4. Trial Lawyers have a powerful lobby in Congress. They will fight medical malpractice tort reform.
5. Medical providers, the American Medical Association and other medicine-related groups have powerful Congressional lobbyists. They will fight reforms, just like they do now.
6. Insurance companies will be forced out of business if the Federal Government takes over the healthcare system. Insurance companies hold trillions of dollars in US bonds and other municipal securities. They will threaten Congress with the collapse of the bond market if Congress passed a new system that leaves them out. All the insurance companies would have to do to crash the bond market and cause the collapse of the Federal Government is to sell off a small percentage of their bond holdings all at once. So, blackmail...excuse me, "lobbying"... could be an effective last resort.
In conclusion, I recommend looking at any Obama Administration proposal for universal healthcare in light of the competing groups in the medical field. Each group must be bought off for their cooperation, and in turn each one will buy off Congress to get what they want. Some things never change.
The single payer healthcare system that emerges from Capitol Hill, the system that will affect the healthcare of each American, should adopt as its logo the duckbilled platypus.
That's the animal that looks like it was designed by a committee.
TLE AFFILIATE | 7,507 | 3,467 | 0.00029 |
warc | 201704 | In 1869, 23-year old Julius Maggi sat in his family mill near Zurich, in Switzerland, throwing darts at a picture of a steamship.
OK, we made the darts bit up. But in the 1860s big ships bringing cheap grain and corn from America caused a major crisis for European millers. Young Julius needed new wind in his sails. Mill, sails, wind? Yep, you got it!
One day Maggi bumped into a legume-loving factory inspector, Fridolin Schuler. Ouch! Anyway, Schuler told him that plant-based foods like peas and beans were an affordable way to prevent malnourishment in the Swiss workforce.
This guy had his finger on the pulse. As did Julius, who quickly invented a range of legume-based flours that were cheap, nutritious, and easy to use. There was just one catch. They didn’t exactly fly off the shelves.
Undeterred, Julius created
Maggi’s Bouillon-Extract in 1886, the classic plant-based liquid food seasoning that is still sold today as Maggi Würze or Maggi Seasoning.
Julius claimed on the label that his product would make ‘any soup or weak bouillon surprisingly good and hearty in an instant, conveniently and at low cost’. ”Yeah, right!” people thought. But then they tried Maggi’s moreish seasoning.
And they liked it. A lot.
The product spread across Europe and made Julius’s fortune, and in 1947 Maggi merged with Nestlé.
Today
Maggi sells nutritious foods including noodles, bouillons, soups, seasonings and sauces. Many products are fortified with micronutrients such as iodine or iron to help improve peoples’ diets. | 1,588 | 903 | 0.001156 |
warc | 201704 | Tuesday, August 11th, 2015 - Roy Morgan Research Netflix has hit 8% of Australian homes reaching 1.89 million people 14+ in July, the latest monthly data from Roy Morgan Research shows. Over 1 in 3 households now have some form of pay or subscription TV, up almost 30% since the start of 2015.
At the start of 2015, the very idea of paying for TV content was practically synonymous with Foxtel. In January, 95% of the 2.4 million homes with Pay/Subscription TV market had Foxtel, and just 5% used only another service such as Fetch or Presto.
Enter Netflix, which has grown to 737,000 household subscribers in July. Netflix is expanding the category by luring new customers to paid/subscription TV—now in almost 3.1 million homes. So while Foxtel’s
share has fallen dramatically to 76%, the size of its customer base is almost unchanged (2,346,000).
In July, 7.3% of Foxtel’s homes (171,000) were also subscribing to Netflix—a rate not much below the national Netflix take-up of 8.0% of households. The consistent number of Foxtel homes suggests that many of its customers are, for now at least, trialling Netflix as an add-on to their main Pay TV provider.
Estimated number of households with Pay/Subscription TV service: Source: Roy Morgan Single Source, January 2015 n = 4,031 and July 2015 n = 5,056 Australians 14+. Tim Martin, General Manager – Media, Roy Morgan Research, says:
“Our ongoing month-by-month research is already giving some early indications of the newly competitive pay TV marketplace.
“For many years prior to the arrival of Netflix, total uptake of pay or subscription television had remained steadily in the region of 25-30% of households, unable to break through to a wider audience. Clearly, there was plenty of space for the market to grow.
“In just four months, Netflix has expanded the total market up to over a third of all homes. So far, it appears Foxtel hasn’t been damaged by the arrival of Netflix. It may turn out to be that the two are not direct competitors after all: Foxtel subscribers will view Netflix as an add-on provider, and non-subscribers were never going to get Foxtel anyway.
“As our sample of subscribers grows, we will be able to dig deeper and deeper into the underlying differences between the target audiences and uptake of Foxtel, Netflix and other providers.” Contact Profile Roy Morgan Research
Roy Morgan Research is Australia’s best known and longest established market research and public opinion survey company. Roy Morgan Single Source is thorough, accurate, and provides comprehensive, directly applicable information about current and future customers. It is unique in that it directs all the questions to each individual from a base survey sample of around 55,000 interviews in Australia and 15,000 interviews in New Zealand annually - the largest Single Source databases in the world. The questions asked relate to lifestyle and attitudes, media consumption habits (including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, catalogues, pay TV and the Internet), brand and product usage, purchase intentions, retail visitations, service provider preferences, financial information and recreation and leisure activities. This lead product is supported by a nationally networked, consultancy-orientated market research capability.
Shaun Ellis
P: 03 9224 5332
W: www.roymorgan.com | 3,413 | 1,693 | 0.000604 |
warc | 201704 | <p>(BPT) - With so many TV shows, publications, websites and social networks focusing on home design, gathering expert tips and real-world inspirations to make over your home is easier than ever. Use these sources of inspiration and ideas as a starting point, and inject personality by adding layers to the space with individual touches that will truly make it your own.</p><p>The key to making a home uniquely special to the people who share the space is ensuring that the decor tells a story. A set of cream sofas, beige pillows, pale khaki curtains and a large wooden coffee table may create a safe, neutral palette, but it’s highly unlikely that it reflects who you are. Consider what you’re passionate about: literature, fashion, food, music, nature, travel. These inspirations should be communicated in your home decor – from the paint color used on your walls to the accessories you place in a cozy corner. </p><p>Introducing new color is one of the easiest ways to personalize your space. White walls and wood tones can be appropriate, but not in every room of your home. Reinvent a room by rejuvenating old furniture or giving tired walls (or even the ceiling) a fresh look with bold colors that best reflect your style. Narrow your paint color choices by looking to things that you already love. Pull colors from a decorative plate, pillow or even a striking flower. Or consider letting your favorite song inspire your home’s color palettes with paintlist by Dutch Boy, a free smartphone app that analyzes genre, mood and tempo to translate music into actual Dutch Boy color palettes. Download it to get started at <a href="http://www.dutchboy.com/paintlist" rel="nofollow">dutchboy.com/paintlist</a>.</p><p>After selecting the color palette for your space, consider additional elements that best reflect who you are, and showcase your passions and memories. Some things to consider include:</p><p>* Meaningful art – In addition to pieces by professional artists, show off the personal pieces created by you or someone you love. For a sentimental display, arrange all family artwork on one wall – your son’s carefully sketched family of stick people, or his handprint-inspired Thanksgiving turkey alongside your daughter’s angel drawing. And keep in mind, not everything has to be framed. The wall will feel more organic and natural if the picture frames and loose papers don’t match perfectly.</p><p>* Coveted places – If you’ve always fantasized about living on the coast or in a cabin near the woods, try incorporating shells and modern rope decor, or repurposed wood and patchwork patterns into your space. Start small and incorporate themed items into a bathroom, where simple additions can make a big impact.</p><p>* Hobbies and activities – Do you love to bike through the mountains or city streets? Hang a bicycle on your living room wall. Display paddles over your mantel if you love to canoe down Canadian rivers each summer. Or repurpose some old boxes of your favorite wine to stack and use as a bookshelf.</p><p>* Sensory appeal – Personalizing your home doesn’t only mean incorporating visual items. It involves textures, sounds and scents too. Keep pretty dishes of your favorite candies or chocolates around the house – especially in the rooms that you and guests frequent. And because smell is one of the strongest triggers for memory, consider lighting candles or incense associated with your favorite moments – like homemade apple pie on Thanksgiving or outdoor scents like vanilla sandalwood in the winter.</p><p>Whether you try these recommendations or experiment with other ways to make your home more personal, simply look to your everyday life for your home inspirations. Start with things you love, like music, activities or even food, to give your home the special touches that make it welcoming, beautiful and uniquely you.</p> <img src='http://www.brandpointcontent.com/printsite/ImageWriter.ashx?articleid=18836&memberid=8729' border='0' width='1' height='1' /> | 4,086 | 2,058 | 0.000496 |
warc | 201704 | The results were spectacular. Mice given the drug every three days from birth suffered far less age-related body-wasting than those which were not. They lost less fatty tissue. Their muscles remained plump (and effective, too, according to treadmill tests). And they did not suffer cataracts of the eye. They did, though, continue to experience age-related problems in tissues that do not produce P16INK4A as they get old. In particular, their hearts and blood vessels aged normally (or, rather, what passes for normally in mice with progeria). For that reason, since heart failure is the main cause of death in such mice, their lifespans were not extended. The drug, Dr Baker found, produced some benefit even if it was administered to a mouse only later in life. Though it could not clear cataracts that had already formed, it partly reversed muscle-wasting and fatty-tissue loss. Such mice were thus healthier than their untreated confrères. The most intriguingthing Dr Baker’s result provides is a new way of thinking about how to slow the process of ageing—and one that works with the grain of nature, rather than against it.
The new way of thinking about aging is one of the seven pillars of the SENS approach to antiaging. The way to think about is to remove and repair as much aging damage as we can.
Donate to SENS to hasten the development of research and therapies to implement this new approach to antiaging.
Existing lines of inquiry into prolonging lifespan are based either on removing the Hayflick limit, which would have all sorts of untoward consequences, or suppressing production of the oxidative chemicals that are believed to cause much of the cellular damage which is bracketed together and labelled as senescence. But these chemicals are a by-product of the metabolic activity that powers the body. If 4 billion years of natural selection have not dealt with them it suggests that suppressing them may have worse consequences than not suppressing them. By contrast, actually eliminating senescent cells may be a logical extension of the process of shutting them down (they certainly cannot cause cancer if they are dead), and thus may not have adverse consequences. It is not an elixir of life, for eventually the body will run out of cells, as more and more of them reach their Hayflick limits. But it could be a way of providing a healthier and more robust old age than people currently enjoy.
Science news description is that axing cellular zombies may slow aging. The senescent cells are molecular zombies.
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinatoror StumbleUpon. Thanks | 2,650 | 1,348 | 0.000748 |
warc | 201704 | The hunt is on for California's marijuana czar (or czarina), with a whole new branch of state government waiting to be shaped by his or her hands.
Medical marijuana legislation recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will establish a new Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulations under the Department of Consumer Affairs. (Depending on how you feel about the long-overdue package of laws, you might refer to it as a BuMMR or the BoMM.)
Heading this bureau will be a yet-to-be-named chief bureaucrat; the
SF Chronicle's Joe Garofoli reports that the state is narrowing in on job qualifications. A representative of the Department of Consumer Affairs, which will hire for the position, said the job will be relatively straightforward, as state regulatory jobs go. The director will hire 40 to 50 people to staff the new bureau, write state policy and administer the new licensing scheme's rules. The post will pay up to $128,000 a year — which seems a relatively meager wage compared to other state and county salaries.
One consultant told the
Chronicle that the new director will have to maintain a good balance between the 17 agencies enforcing new medical marijuana laws, the many facets of the medical marijuana industry, and the federal government, which still officially considers marijuana of no medicinal value.
Plus, the article points out, recreational marijuana is likely to reach California's ballot next year, meaning the new chief could be "either out of a job — or in line for an even bigger one regulating medical and recreational herb."
•
As the
Journal went to press, the Humboldt County Planning Commission was meeting to finalize its recommendations for a large-parcel outdoor cultivation ordinance that's been the subject of dozens of hours of meetings over the last month. (The commission didn't meet the week of Thanksgiving — for the most recent updates, see "Humboldt's Specialty," Nov. 26.)
But in the most recent issue of
EcoNews, Humboldt Baykeeper Director Jen Kalt wrote that the commission largely ignored the concerns of conservation and environmental groups. "It has become clear that the majority of Humboldt County Planning Commissioners wants to open the doors for expansion of the Green Rush," Kalt wrote.
While she praised the commission's recommendations to limit water trucking, she said other commission recommendations are poised to open the door to expanded environmental damage with the following missteps:
• No limit on the number of new grows that would be permitted;
• No limit on the overall number of permits;
• No limit on the number of permits per parcel;
• No limits on indoor cultivation relying on diesel and gas generators;
• No limit on the amount of Timber Production Zone or agricultural land that can be converted to marijuana cultivation;
• Large increases in the size of cultivation areas proposed in the draft ordinance.
Kalt also decried the lack of a "specialty" designation that would reward best practices on grow sites, and said the lack of limits on grows could put the law's mitigated negative declaration — which would ensure the law's compatibility with state environmental regulations — at risk of being inadequate. | 3,268 | 1,588 | 0.000647 |
warc | 201704 | As expected, City Council on June 13 set a tax rate, or millage, of $1,340 per $100,000 of property value. Members also approved a $30,000 homestead exemption for owners who live in their homes.
With the tax rate and the homestead exemption, property owners can look at the new property assessments they received this year and figure out what their 2014 tax bills will be.
Councilman Bobby Henon (D-6th dist.) said he expects the 100-percent market values along with the homestead exemption and the new tax rate will benefit most Northeast residents. City Controller Alan Butkovitz months ago had projected many in the Northeast would see their taxes dip, remain about the same or go up only slightly in 2014.
If an owner who lives in his home applied for and was granted the homestead exemption, he would subtract that $30,000 from his new assessment before applying a tax rate. For example, the real estate tax on a house with the exemption that is assessed at $180,000 would be figured out by subtracting $30,000 to get the $150,000 value that would be taxed. Since $150,000 is 1.5 times $100,000, multiply $1,340 by 1.5 to get $2,010.
Not voting for either the tax rate or the exemption was Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.), who said he favored a lower millage. He added that the homestead exemption not only pushed the rate higher but also sliced so much off the taxable value of about 30,000 properties that their owners will pay no real estate taxes and get city services for free.
“I don’t think that’s right,” he said in a June 14 phone interview.
O’Neill said the Actual Value Initiative assessment along with the new tax rate and homestead exemption does mean a lot of Northeast residents will benefit, but the benefit will be a very small one.
“There would be more benefit,” the councilman said, “if the millage were kept lower.”
He said he would have backed no homestead or the $15,000 exemption Mayor Michael Nutter had proposed in March.
O’Neill said he also opposes so-called “gentrification” or “reverse abatement” provisions that would wipe out tax increases for 10 years for homeowners who will see their assessments triple.
To be eligible, owners would have to have lived in their homes for 10 years, and in some cases, just five years. Income eligibility is too generous, O’Neill said. It’s $83,000 for a single person and $112,000 for a family of four.
“You will not have to pay the tax increase for 10 years,” he said. “You basically have everybody else paying your taxes for you and you never have to pay it back.”
O’Neill said if all tax exemptions would evaporate, the city’s real estate tax rate would be just under $1,200 per $100,000 of property value.
“We should have the lowest possible rate to start off with,” he said.
But since the homestead exemption is a done deal, he feels his constituents should take advantage of it and if they haven’t applied for it yet, they should. •• | 3,074 | 1,429 | 0.000737 |
warc | 201704 | I believe that after almost twenty years of close involvement with pet Parrots and breeding Parrots that they are capable of empathy with their human carers and that they can suffer the same mental anguish and the same joy that we can.
It reassures me when I read articles that confirm my own belief that Parrots are emotionally and intellectually on a level with higher primates like dolphins and chimpanzees.
Serenity Park is a Parrot sanctuary in USA founded by Lorin Lindner. She is a psychotherapist and deals with soldiers who have post-traumatic stress disorders.
Almost twenty years ago she took veterans suffering from PSTD to help build cages for her Parrot sanctuary.
She says, ‘all of the sudden these same tight-lipped guys are cuddling up to the Parrots and talking away with them.’
The army veterans and the sanctuary’s Parrots appeared to have an affinity for one another. And Lindner began a work-therapy program. This helped both the traumatised war veterans and the Parrots.
Charles Seibert has written in the New York Times about Serenity Park that ‘abandoned pet Parrots are twice traumatized beings: denied first their natural will to flock and then the company of the humans who owned them.’
‘The problem with Parrots is that they’re so intensely attuned,’’ Lorin Lindner told Seibert one afternoon as they stood watching Julius, a Cockatoo, pace back and forth, speaking in Korean.
‘’Parrots,’ she said, ‘have so many social neurons. Their brain is filled with the capacity to mirror their flock. It’s so crucial for survival to be able to know what the flock is doing, to know what the danger signs are, when they have to get together, when night is falling and they are called to roost. They’re so attuned to being socially responsive that they can easily transfer that to us. They have the ability to connect, to feel this closeness with another being, another species ’
Pet Parrots abandoned by their owners either through death, divorce or lack of interest suffer a double trauma. Their lives in captivity are inevitably divorced from their lives in the wild where they would live either with a monogamous mate or, depending on the species, in a group.
Scientists have discovered that in a nest each baby Parrot makes its own individual sound - similar to our names. Parrots learn to speak them soon after hatching so that they can communicate with their parents and their flock.
When baby Parrots live with us, if they want to communicate, they have to learn human language. That is the origin of our word Parroting.
But although it’s often babble, there’s also a high degree of understanding - pretty amazing when you consider a Parrot’s brain is not that large.
A quality that Parrots do possess, that Parrot owners have always known about, and now scientists are even documenting- is the ability to empathise with other Parrots and with us.
My own poignant example of a pet Parrot’s empathy came years ago. Artha the young African Grey was outside in the garden in a small aviary. I was crying in the grass next to her cage because my youngest daughter Zoe, aged 27, had recently died.
Artha said clearly, ‘Will you be my friend?’ Not a phrase I had used in front of her or one I ever heard her use subsequently.
And just like us, Parrots can be aggressive to their own or another species, as well as showing sympathy and compassion. I occasionally take in rescue birds. A wild caught Grey whom I named Solomon, suffered from aspergillosis.
The vet said he doubted there was much hope of recovery but I wanted to give Solomon a chance so I put him in a secluded corner of the large outdoor aviary.
Solomon survived for six weeks. During the last two weeks, he stretched one wing in greeting when he saw me and even emitted an occasional whistle.
When I found him dead one morning, Casper Grey, then only a year old, appeared to be attempting to open his beak. Feed him? Awaken him? I don’t know. But it certainly was not indifference on the young Parrot’s side.
Writing about Serenity Park, Seibert found an extraordinary example of symbiosis between the veterans and the sanctuary Parrots, ‘two entirely different outcasts of human aggression – war and entrapment – are somehow helping each other to find their way again.’
Though the avian brain does not have a well-developed neo-cortex which is one of the main structures associated with mammalian intelligence, recent studies of crows and Parrots have shown how that birds think and learn using an entirely different part of their brain, a kind of avian neocortex known as the medio-rostral neostriatum/hyperstriatum ventrale.
Parrots and crows are said to be the most intelligent bird species; their ratio of brain to body size is similar to that of the higher primates. Problem solving and tool use were associated only with Homo sapiens when I was at school (yes, it was that long ago).
Nowadays we know that it’s not only Homo sapiens and other species of primates - the various orders of monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees - but other species like crows and Parrots that can make and use tools and solve problems.
What also has become evident is that other qualities like empathy and compassion are not purely human but exist in a variety of other species.
Evolution isn’t a pyramid with us at the top; it is better visualized as a many-branching tree. ‘In one recent psychiatric study conducted at Midwest Avian Adoption and Rescue Services, a Parrot sanctuary and rehabilitation facility in Minnesota, a captive-bred male Umbrella Cockatoo who had been ‘exposed to multiple caregivers who were themselves highly unstable (e.g. domestic violence, substance abuse, addiction) was given a diagnosis of complex PTSD.
When examined through the lens of complex PTSD, Dr. Gay Bradshaw, a psychologist and ecologist and an author of the study, wrote, ‘the symptoms of many caged Parrots are almost indistinguishable from those of human P.O.W.s and concentration-camp survivors.’
She added that severely traumatized Cockatoos ‘commonly exhibit rapid pacing in cage, distress calls, screams, self-mutilation, aggression in response to physical contact, nightmares and insomnia.’
Anyone who has been at all involved in Parrot rescue and rehabilitation will recognize that image of a distressed psittascine. What gives us courage to persist is that in giving unhappy birds a more sympathetic quality of life, they can recover some semblance of contentment.
Lindner found out in her work at Serenity Park that PTSD soldiers were able to relate to the sanctuary Parrots, to the mutual benefit of both humans and Parrots.
The quality that the Parrots demonstrate at Serenity Park is that of intelligence - different from our and yet recognizable –the non-human part of the equation.
When Seibert was asking the veterans why and how the Parrots at Serenity Park helped them so much, one the helpers, Jim Minick, told him, ‘They look at you, and they don’t judge. The Parrots look at you and it’s all face value. It’s pure.’
‘The problem with Parrots is that they’re so intensely attuned,’ Lorin Lindner told Seibert one afternoon, as they stood watching Julius, the Cockatoo, pace back and forth, speaking in the Korean of his former owner.
Once you realize that evolution has found more than one single path to complex cognition, you accept that our Parrots have real emotional lives that in both joy and sorrow, can, and do, mirror our own.
Editors note: The article Dot refers to about Parrots helping vetrans is this one.
It was originally published on the Feathered Angels blog in February 2016. | 7,839 | 3,636 | 0.000285 |
warc | 201704 | On the 24th November, the head of anti-poaching for Lewa and the Northern Rangelands Trust, Edward Ndiritu, received the inaugural Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award from HRH the Duke of Cambridge at the Tusk Awards in London.
Edward, who leads a large team of rangers charged with covering vast areas of northern Kenya, was chosen as the winner from a list of nominees across Africa. The judges state that he stood out for his vigilant leadership, bravery, and inspiring commitment to the protection of wildlife and communities across the northern Kenya landscape.
Prince William was especially proud to present the award to Edward. Leading a team fighting the war against poaching, the award, said the Prince “recognises the extraordinary bravery and commitment of the men and women at the frontline of the battle – and it is a battle – to save some of the world’s most iconic species.”
In 2014, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the Northern Rangelands Trust brought their anti-poaching operations under one centralised command. This has enabled more effective responses to incidents and better sharing of intelligence. It has also allowed community conservancies to benefit from Lewa’s anti-poaching resources. Edward heads up this centralised command centre, supporting conservancy rangers as well as NRT’s specialised anti-poaching squads.
In Edward’s own words: “I would like to thank my team back at Lewa and the Northern Rangelands Trust for this award. Were it not for them and their bravery, I would not be standing here today. This award is not mine but ours. I would also like to thank my family for their endless support and faith in me. Finally, I would like to thank Tusk Trust and the Duke of Cambridge for creating this award to honour wildlife rangers across Africa.”
Edward also expressed what the award means to him: “Being a ranger is very rewarding but it also has its challenges and is often dangerous. Winning this award gives me tremendous pride and hope, and it is also very humbling. When I made a commitment to become a ranger and protect wildlife as a 23-year-old, I never imagined it would lead me to this. To all rangers across Africa risking their lives daily to protect endangered species, I hope this award motivates you all to know that the world appreciates our work and sacrifices.” | 2,375 | 1,150 | 0.000895 |
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Pathologic findings from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (NSABP) Protocol B-17. Five-year observations concerning lobular carcinoma in situ
Fisher ER, Costantino J, Fisher B, Palekar AS, Paik SM, Suarez CM, Wolmark N
Cancer 78(7):1403-16, October 1996
Abstract
Background: Extant information reveals inconsistencies concerning the natural history, pathologic features, and treatment of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) of the breast. It is uncertain whether these are related to the methods of study, diagnostic criteria employed, relative paucity of cases, or varying lengths of follow-up.
Methods: The cohort was comprised of 182 women with LCIS who were enrolled in National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (NSABP) Protocol B-17 but received no treatment other than lumpectomy. Nineteen pathologic features were assessed and related to ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) and contralateral breast tumor recurrence (CBTR) at a mean time on study of 5 years.
Results: Thirteen IBTR and 4 CBTR, including 1 instance of bilateral recurrence, were observed. All IBTR occurred in the same quadrant as the index LCIS. All 4 (2.2%) IBTR that were invasive cancers were of the lobular type, as was 1 of the 2 (1.1%) CBTR that were invasive. The other was a mucinous carcinoma. Three (1.6%) IBTR were pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and another was accompanied by LCIS. One instance of CBTR was also comprised of DCIS and LCIS. The remaining five IBTR and one CBTR were LCIS only. The only pathologic parameter found to be significantly predictive for invasive IBTR and DCIS was type 3 and, to a lesser extent, type 2 LCIS. Some heretofore unrecognized or little appreciated pathologic features of LCIS are noted. Ancillary histochemical findings strongly implicate the derivation of LCIS from ductal or secretory cells rather than "new cells" or myoepithelial elements. All examples tested were found to be c-erb B-2 negative, universally diploid with normoproliferative DNA content, and estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor positive. No other events related to the breast were encountered.
Conclusion: The number of events observed in this large cohort of patients with LCIS is markedly less than that noted by others after a comparable period of follow-up. Possible reasons for this dichotomy, including differences in patient characteristics, diagnostic criteria, and status of resection margins, are discussed. Considerations are also offered to support the view that LCIS may exhibit precursor activity as well as represent a risk factor (the term marker is literally inaccurate). In this light, the designation LCIS rather than lobular neoplasia is preferred. These preliminary findings and historical information presented in this study fail to provide any reason to perform mastectomy on patients with LCIS.
National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, Pittsburgh, PA. | 3,762 | 1,873 | 0.000541 |
warc | 201704 | Acknowledging the intense attention currently placed on education, NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi said teachers must deliver on the state's historic investment in public education to work toward ending the achievement gap and improving student performance. He stressed that real collaboration and more control for teachers over what happens in their classroom s are the keys to success.
In a thoughtful, 25-minute address to more than 200 members of the Watervliet Teachers Association, administrators, school board members and support personnel, Iannuzzi did not hold back, warning that - fairly or unfairly -- the stakes are high for the future of public education and the pressure is on teachers to raise student achievement.
Noting that public education has worked well for most children in New York state, Iannuzzi addressed the needs of at-risk children. "If the achievement gap isn't narrowing; if our schools in urban centers are struggling; if poor rural districts cannot make the grade, then what is the answer?" Iannuzzi asked. He stressed that, "If what educators are hearing from critics are not viable solutions, then they must be convincing as to why and offer viable alternatives to the options currently on the table."
Now that the state has delivered record school funding with the promise of even more, Iannuzzi said teachers must accept - even embrace - increased accountability and be open to change in long-standing policy. In order to fully achieve student gains, however, Iannuzzi said teachers will need a stronger voice in defining those policies - from those determined locally to the setting of state and federal education policy.
"Traditionally, teachers have been left out. Teachers have always been the last to know," Iannuzzi said. "But the movement towards collaboration is happening. It has to happen and there is no more important time for it to happen than now; in Watervliet in our state and in our country."
Iannuzzi held up Watervliet, a small city on the outskirts of Albany, as a model of the positive outgrowth of collaboration. He praised the vision of a very active union leadership - as well as the superintendent and school board members - for setting aside their differences so they can work together on behalf of children and the community. He praised the WTA, led by co-presidents Peter Strand and Jill Gainor, for recently reaching agreement on a new contract and plotting a course for greater collaboration.
"The great value of labor-management collaboration -- and your superintendent and board see the value of this -- is that you together said, 'Let's get this (contract) out of the way so we can concentrate on the children and a list of priorities that we share,'" Iannuzzi said. He included in that list mentoring, professional development, safe and healthy schools, better academic intervention and improved student performance.
Iannuzzi speaks to the media following his address to members of the Watervliet TA.
Speaking at Watervliet's staff development day, Iannuzzi also updated union members on NYSUT's efforts to fix major flaws in No Child Left Behind, which he said unfairly tests and measures students and schools against an ever-changing set of benchmarks.
Iannuzzi said NCLB's sanctions for schools not meeting AYP targets flies in the face of everything teachers know to be true about reaching youngsters.
"Every teacher knows that a system built on sanctions and punishments fails," Iannuzzi said. "You must look at a student who is not succeeding and provide support. Yet, NCLB looks at a student who is not succeeding or a school that is not succeeding and rolls out sanctions."
He added that NCLB's testing policy for students with special needs and for those who are English Language Learners "borders on criminal" and said NYSUT and its national affiliates are working diligently to influence those who will need to fix the law, including holding town meetings with key members of Congress. | 4,000 | 1,894 | 0.000532 |
warc | 201704 | Home prices got off to a strong start in January, with Orange County’s single-family home price up 7.8 percent from January 2015, CoreLogic’s Home Price Index shows.
That’s the biggest price appreciation rate for the county since June 2014. Home price gains ranged from 3.8 percent to 5.8 percent in 2015.
The CoreLogic HPI – determined by comparing each home’s sale price to a previous sale price – reflects similar trends reported for January by two other indexes.
For example, CoreLogic reported earlier that Orange County had a 7.2 percent gain in its median single-family home price – or price at the midpoint of all sales. The California Association of Realtors reported a 4.5 percent gain in O.C.’s median house price.
Nationwide, house prices rose 6.9 percent in January, according to the HPI. California’s price was up 8.1 percent.
CoreLogic projected that U.S. house prices will continue to increase, rising by 5.5 percent by next January.
“Heading into the spring buying season, home prices continue to rise across much of the country,” said Anand Nallathambi, CoreLogic president and CEO. “With rates staying low for now and continued solid job and income growth, the spring buying season is shaping up to be a good one.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7734 or jcollins@ocregister.com | 1,367 | 710 | 0.001489 |
warc | 201704 | In
Cavin v. Honda of America Manufacturing, he 6th Circuit held that “the FMLA does not permit an employer to limit his employee’s FMLA rights by denying them whenever an employee fails to comply with internal procedural requirements that are more strict than those contemplated by the FMLA.” Six years later, however, the Department of Labor amended the key FMLA regulation that underpinned the Cavin decision.
That regulation, 29 C.F.R. § 825.302(d) now reads as follows:
An employer may require an employee to comply with the employer’s usual and customary notice and procedural requirements for requesting leave, absent unusual circumstances.… Where an employee does not comply with the employer’s usual notice and procedural requirements, and no unusual circumstances justify the failure to comply, FMLA-protected leave may be delayed or denied.
So, what happens now when an employer has a call-in rule that is more strict than the FMLA? According to
White v. Dana Light Axle Manuf. (6th Cir. 8/7/13) [pdf]:
An employer may enforce its usual and customary notice and procedural requirements against an employee claiming FMLA-protected leave, unless unusual circumstances justify the employee’s failure to comply with the employer’s requirements.
What does this case mean for you? It means that you should consider implementing reasonable call-in requirements to help curb FMLA abuse and over-use. If the statute allows you to take advantage of these policies, why not help level the playing field against a statute that, more often than not, favors the employee. | 1,621 | 786 | 0.001316 |
warc | 201704 | New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Compensating victims of crime and inflicting 'purposive punishment' on perpetrators has been recommended by an expert committee, the Law and Justice Ministry reported today.
The Committee set up two years ago under the chairmanship of Prof Madhava Menon to draft a National Policy Paper on Criminal Justice System ''has submitted its report,'' the Ministry's statement said.
Its ''major'' recommendations include: -- Reclassifying crimes so as to empower victims; -- Delivering justice speedily and efficaciously; -- Setting sentencing guidelines for ''purposive punishment;'' -- Safeguarding weaker sections' interest; -- Using science and technology to reform Criminal Justice system; and -- Compensating victims.
The statement did not elaborate.
This is not the first time the government has sought expert advice to reform India's criminal justice system which some critics assert has collapsed. But changes have yet to be effected.
One of India's leading criminal lawyrs, K P S Tulsi told an audience some years ago that the average rate of conviction in 2002 was 4.6 per cent-- down from 6.4 per cent in 1996.
That means fewer than five of every hundred prosecutions started end in convictions.
Punishment is often inadequate to prove much of a deterrence against crime, critics point out.
The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission on Public Order has dubbed a lack of consistency in sentencing practices across the nation ''a real problem''-- compounded by broad executive discretion in commuting sentences and granting pardon.
UNI MJ RR GC1907 | 1,585 | 893 | 0.001128 |
warc | 201704 | Washington, Nov 23 (ANI): Want to know about the formation of stars? Well, scientists have found that cosmic dust is a vital ingredient that shapes them.
Astronomers also said that is important for understanding how primordial diffuse gas clouds assemble themselves into full-blown galaxies.
Thanks to a combination of new observations and supercomputer simulations, including those conducted by Kravtsov and Nick Gnedin, physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, researchers have explained why stars formed more slowly in the early history of the universe than they did much later.
"What it shows is that at early stages of evolution, galaxies were much less efficient in converting their gas into stars," said Kravtsov.
"Early on, galaxies didn't have enough time to produce a lot of dust, and without dust it's very difficult to form these stellar nurseries.
"They don't convert the gas as efficiently as galaxies today, which are already quite dusty," he said.
The star-formation process begins when interstellar gas clouds become increasingly dense. At some point the hydrogen and helium atoms start combining to form molecules in certain cold regions of these clouds. A hydrogen molecule forms when two hydrogen atoms join.
The Gnedin-Kravtsov model has also provided a natural explanation for why spiral galaxies predominately fill the sky today, and why small galaxies form stars slowly and inefficiently.
"We usually see very thin disks, and those types of systems are very difficult to form in galaxy-formation simulations," said Kravtsov.
That's because astrophysicists have assumed that galaxies formed gradually through a series of collisions. The problem: simulations show that when galaxies merge, they form spheroidal structures that look more elliptical than spiral.
But early in the history of the universe, cosmic gas clouds were inefficient at making stars, so they collided before star formation occurred.
"Those types of mergers can create a thin disk," said Kravtsov.
The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal. (ANI) | 2,087 | 1,054 | 0.000959 |
warc | 201704 | London, July 17: Removal of river water for irrigation and habitat fragmentation by irrigation dams are decreasing the number of Indus river dolphins, says a study.
"This important study shows that it is river habitat fragmentation by dams, and removal of river water for irrigation that has caused the massive range decline of the Indus river freshwater dolphin," said Gill Braulik from University of St. Andrews in Britain.
Many freshwater marine mammals are endangered due to rapidly degrading habitat and conservation of these megafauna species depends on maintaining intact habitat.
This study used historical range data and information on dolphin presence from fisher interviews to better understand the timing pattern of range decline of the Indus river Dolphin, an endangered freshwater dolphin that inhabits one of the most modified rivers in the world.
Additionally, the researchers modelled seven potential explanations for declining range, including date of construction of the nearest dam, dry season river discharge, distance from the edge of the former range and length of river section to identify the factors responsible for the decline.
The historical range of the Indus dolphin has been fragmented into 17 river sections by diversion dams, the findings showed.
River dolphins disappeared from ten river sections, still live in six, and are of unknown status in one section.
Low dry-season river discharge, due to irrigation at diversion dams, was the principal factor that explained the dolphin's range decline, according to the study.
The study appeared in the journal PLOS ONE.
IANS | 1,616 | 779 | 0.001294 |
warc | 201704 | If you are digital professional you are likely to earn a salary nearly double that of your non-digital peers, a recent report confirms.
Undertaken by Manchester-based marketing & digital recruitment agency, The Candidate, the report evaluated 150 senior level digital managers and upward, comparing them to their equivalent 150 non-digital peers. The results were startling. The report highlights a huge salary difference if you are a high achiever in digital compared to other professional careers. The study found the top tier managers in digital can earn a massive £55,000 more than those at the same level in a non-digital job.
The rise in prominence for digital professionals shows no sign of abating, either, with industry analysis showing that the sector requires nearly 300,000 recruits at professional, manager and associate professional level to fulfill growth potential and replacement by 2020.
Additional finding include the thought that PPC is taking over SEO and online marketing in terms of core skills for mid-senior-level digital marketing professionals. To read the report in full, click on the image below.
Image credits: http://guaranteed-cash.co.uk | 1,180 | 640 | 0.001577 |
warc | 201704 | Foot care for diabetics is an essential step that needs to be taken, and this is especially true for elders. Why? It is because by being callous about your foot you increase the risk of serious foot complications, which may also lead to amputation.
Image source : Getty
The problem faced by elderly diabetics is that they may not be able to take care of their feet all by themselves, given their age and drooping energy levels. In a study published in Oxford University Press had revealed that almost 87 percent of elderly diabetic participants were not able to treat their own foot complications. It is therefore very important for health care providers and family members to extend a helping hand to reduce the chances of feet complications for the elderly. Here is a guide that will tell you how and in what way an elderly diabetic patient should be helped with his or her feet complications.
Needless to say that this should be one of the most important ways to take care of a diabetic’s feet. An elderly diabetic’s feet should be inspected daily for signs of ulcers, blisters, lesions, cuts and swellings. There should also be a time set apart daily for cleaning the foot with warm water, making sure that you do not go too harsh on scrubbing them. Also, warm water does not mean hot water as that would cause burns and diabetics often causes desensitization in the feet and so the nerve there would not be able to feel hot temperatures. Always apply a lotion to finish the feet care session, but never between the toes where there can develop fungal infections.
Also read : Take Control of Your Type 2 Diabetes Diet
Special attention should be given to the type of foot wear for an elderly diabetic. An elderly diabetic’s foot wear should fit well and must never be ill fitting. Ill fitting shoes cause corns, callouses, ulcers and nail problems, so please avoid this. Opt for soft leather uppers without seams as this will mould the feet and let them be free. Also by going for wide toe caps with depth the diabetic would allow room for the toes to wriggle. Always make sure that the insoles are soft and the linings have no wrinkles or seams. Shows must be free of any external object, like little pebbles and pieces of stones.
Now we often do not pay much attention to the toe nails, and this is why we have decided to bring this to your notice separately. An elderly diabetic's toe nails should be cut and shaped to the end of the toes and not shorter than this. You should make sure that the nails are not cut from the sides. Always use a file on those sharp corners and rough edges and the nails may be easier to cut after a bath, but then again because they are very soft they would be vulnerable to breaking easily. So, you must be very careful.
Also read : Role of bitter melon during diabetes
Finally this is the most important thing to be done for a diabetic. One must always monitor his or her glucose levels and maintain it through a proper diet and by taking all the prescribed medications. This can prevent nerve damage in the feet. By maintaining proper levels of blood glucose levels in a diabetic there increases the chance of protecting the nerves in the body from getting damaged. So, please be very alert and go for regular tests.
There is an absolute necessity for diabetics to visit their doctor or podiatrist regularly and getting information on caring for the feet. By going for regular checkups a diabetic can monitor his or her state of health.
Image source : Getty
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People with diabetes are very vulnerable in matters related to their feet. Keeping the feet safe is a very important task for them. Read more here.read more
Summer Foot Care for Diabetes : Foot care for diabetics is must and the summers can make this task even more tedious.read more | 3,923 | 1,843 | 0.000547 |
warc | 201704 | Astronomers Discover Water Clouds on the Coldest Known Object Outside Our Solar System
Astronomers have just discovered strong evidence that the brown dwarf WISE 0855 has clouds in its atmosphere made of water or water ice. But for those of you envisioning extraterrestrials or a new human habitat, there's a catch: it's the coldest object in the universe that we know of, aside from gas giants in our own solar system.
WISE 0855 is a close neighbor, only 7.2 light years away from Earth. It's a brown dwarf, which is our name for objects thought to be "failed stars," which are too large to be planets but too small to be considered stars. They are also extremely cold, too cold to emit visible light, so they can generally only be seen using infrared telescopes, which can detect the small amounts of heat radiating from the object. But WISE 0855 is so cold, it can barely be seen even with our largest infrared telescopes, leading astronomers to conclude that it is the coldest known object outside of our solar system.
Previous studies of this mysterious object had indicated the possibility of water clouds, but since it's so difficult to observe, they were never confirmed. For the new study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers used the Gemini-North telescope in Hawaii and the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph to observe WISE 0855 at very specific wavelengths within 5 microns, which allowed them to see heat emissions from the deep atmosphere. They observed the object for 13 nights, a total of about 14 hours, and were just barely able to determine the molecular composition of the atmosphere. They created models of the atmosphere based on different compositions, including cloudy and non-cloudy, and found that water clouds yielded the best fit with the spectoscopy of WISE 0855.
They found that WISE 0855 resembles Jupiter in many ways, although it's thought to be about five times more massive. Most notably, it is nearly as cold as Jupiter, with a temperature of about 250 degrees Kelvin, or minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (Jupiter, for comparison, is about 130 degrees Kelvin). | 2,119 | 1,077 | 0.000932 |
warc | 201704 | Symptoms and Risks
What Every Woman Should Know About Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Abdominal, pelvic, or lower back pain
Nausea, lack of appetite, or feeling full quickly
Bloating or intestinal gas
Urinary symptoms (urgency or increased frequency)
Unexplained changes in bowel habits
Unexplained weight loss or gain
Ongoing decreased energy level
Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors
Inherited gene mutation: BRCA1 and BRCA2
Personal or family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer
Infertility or no pregnancies
Increasing age
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in the U.S. All women are at risk and should have an annual pelvic and rectal examination. Early detection increases survival rate. Ask your doctor about the CA125 blood test.
A pap smear does not detect ovarian cancer...so listen for the whisper!
What do I do if I am concerned about my risk of ovarian cancer or have symptoms that persist and are unusual for me?
Speak to your gynecologist for more information and have an examination. Be sure to discuss the possibility of ovarian cancer with your doctor.
How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?
Vaginal-rectal pelvic examination (also called a bimanual exam). This exam allows the ovaries to be examined. Every woman should undergo a rectal and vaginal pelvic examination when she visits her doctor.
Transvaginal Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create a picture of the ovaries, and can often reveal if there are masses or irregularities on the surface of the ovaries. It cannot determine if you have cancer but it can show characteristics that give different levels of suspicion.
CA125 blood test. This test measures the level of a substance (protein) in the blood that may increase when a cancerous tumor is present. This protein is produced by ovarian cancer cells and is elevated in more than 80% of women with advanced ovarian cancers and 50% of those with early-stage cancers. CA125 is not elevated in half of early cancers and can be elevated in many benign conditions. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) does not endorse using it to screen women at ordinary risk or in the general population.
These tests are most effective when used in combination.
The PAP test is used to detect cervical cancer, NOT ovarian cancer.
If tests suggest the possibility of ovarian cancer, seek a referral to a gynecologic oncologist:
A gynecologic oncologist is a physician who specializes in treating women with reproductive tract cancers.
Gynecologic oncologists are initially trained as obstetrician/gynecologists and then undergo three to four years of specialized education in all of the effective forms of treatment for gynecologic cancers (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and experimental treatments) as well as the biology and pathology of gynecologic cancers.
Why is it so important to be treated by a gynecologic oncologist?
The importance of being treated by a gynecologic oncologist cannot be stressed enough. According to numerous medical studies, there are significant survival advantages for women who are treated, managed, and operated on by a gynecologic oncologist.
Gynecologic oncologists are 5 times more likely to completely remove ovarian tumors during surgery
80% of ovarian cancer patients receive inadequate surgical debulking and staging from non-gynecologic oncology surgeons
Survival rate and outcomes vastly improve with gynecologic oncologists
How can I find a gynecologic oncologist in my area?
Call The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation toll-free hotline at 1-800-444-4441 or visit them online at www.wcn.org
How is ovarian cancer usually treated?
Surgery, debulking, and surgical staging (removal of ovarian tumors)
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy when appropriate
Treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer needs to be determined by a gynecologic oncologist
Where can I get more information and help?
Source: American Cancer Society, Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, And National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. | 4,079 | 1,867 | 0.000541 |
warc | 201704 | World Politics Review | July 13, 2010
By Parag Khanna
In the 1960s, University of Michigan scholar AFK Organski predicted that a populous, industrious China would rise in the East to challenge America as the world's paramount power, and that the U.S. and Soviet Union would ally against China despite the communist allegiance shared by the PRC and USSR. Fifty years later, we can be increasingly certain that Organski was impressively ahead of his time with this prediction. Of course, the Soviet Union no longer exists and China is an authoritarian capitalist rather than communist state. But Organski calculated how China would eventually dwarf Russia in demographic and economic might, forcing Russia into the West's arms. What we will witness in the coming decade or two is the converse of 1972: Instead of America wresting China from the Soviet orbit, the West will have to rescue Russia from its suicidal embrace of China.
How could Organski make such a prediction while China was still very much a backwards, agrarian country, self-absorbed in post-Civil War political convulsions? The answer is his power transition theory, which specifies that rising regional hegemons and declining global ones tend to go to war in the strategic geographies where they overlap and intersect. The cost-benefit analysis on the part of the rising and declining powers is intensely subjective and psychological. A hegemon could unilaterally abandon its overseas commitments and retrench, but that would only accelerate the speed with which competitors ambitiously race to fill the resulting power vacuum, while potentially spurring the main challenger to launch a pre-emptive strike.
Today, power transition theory is considered a pillar of academic geopolitics, the science of long-term change in world affairs. The best analogy to geopolitics is climatology, which captures the subtle changes in our ecosystem over time, and examines how they affect the human-environmental equilibrium. By contrast, the study of international relations is mere meteorology, the daily weather forecast.
The insights generated from geopolitical schools of thought give us enormous foresight into global trends. And for better or worse, they support the argument that the global power structure continues to rapidly diffuse away from American hegemony toward a post-American world. Not only are there already other centers of gravity in the global system, such as China and the European Union, which undermine American dominance, but a belt of several dozen second-world countries is also reshaping diplomacy, region by region and issue by issue. This diffusion is as inevitable as climate change.
Five years ago, I spent 24 months traveling non-stop through today's aspiring regional hegemons and swing states. My 40-nation itinerary included states ranging from Ukraine and Turkey to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, from Venezuela and Brazil to Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria, from India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam to, of course, China. Along the way, I witnessed smart second-world countries practicing multi-alignment, selectively engaging with the U.S., EU, and China in ways that best suit their own interests, in order to get as much as possible while giving the least in return. In a world where decisions are no longer routed through Washington, London or Moscow, the axes and alliances emerging across second-world countries, and the deepening regionalism taking hold in regional clusters, are as important to the future world order as the decisions of the superpowers.
Since the end of the Cold War, a number of events have been cited to suggest the durability of American unipolarity, as well as to challenge assertions of America's relative decline. First was the obvious absence of a peer competitor as well as the increasing frequency of American interventions abroad in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse. Then came the aggressive response to Sept. 11, which brought impressively quick initial victories in Afghanistan and Iraq. The world, and especially the so-called "Axis of Evil," was meant to be put on notice. Even the global financial crisis has been used as an example of how only the U.S. could have convened the world's leading powers so quickly to confront such systemic economic risks.
All of these events, however, have proven ephemeral palliatives. America's failures in the greater Middle East are plain for the world to see. In particular, second-world countries are rapidly moving away from dependence on the U.S. for political legitimacy and economic growth.
Today, there are ever more instances we can point to as illustrations of the increasingly non-American character of global power dynamics. The Brazil-Turkey initiative that could potentially reopen diplomatic channels between the West and Iran over the latter's nuclear program has been one of the most attention-grabbing recent examples. Another is the make-or-break role that China, India, and Brazil played at the Copenhagen climate negotiations in December 2009. To many observers, Copenhagen was important simply because it happened, demonstrating a global commitment to a global process and the relevance of the United Nations. But the outcome of Copenhagen was far more profound in demonstrating how no global climate deal is possible on American or Western terms alone.
Most fundamentally, the global financial crisis beginning in 2008 speaks to the long-term reality of a post-American world, since it is far less a global crisis than a Western one. With growth in Western economies hovering in the low single digits, it is a safe bet that about two-thirds or more of the world's economic growth in the coming decade will occur in emerging markets. Furthermore, not only the rate of economic growth, but the types of economic systems achieving that growth are quite un-American. Instead of laissez-faire capitalism, it is state capitalism that has propelled China, Russia, and the Persian Gulf states. Certainly Brazil and India are fast-growing democracies, but neither they nor the U.S. can claim a democratic monopoly on long-term economic growth potential.
One of the structural trends underpinning the continued diffusion of power away from America is the growing regionalization of world politics. Regional anchors from Brazil to Saudi Arabia to China have sponsored a deepening integration -- globalization within regions -- that politicians, scholars and the media have all been slow to pick up on. Regional organizations have evolved considerably in recent years. In South America, the tepid Mercosur arrangement of a decade ago has blossomed into the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), and in the Far East, the East Asian Community is similarly heading in the direction of an Asian Union. The Gulf Cooperation Council is moving toward a common currency and undertaking thousands of miles of cross-border rail linkages. Summits between Latin, Arab, Asian and African regional groups are where the commercial and diplomatic ties among second-world countries are forged. The future consists as much of inter-regional relations as international relations.
It is easy to critique the immaturity of some emerging powers. India is still unable to tame South Asia, and exists in a state of semi-permanent hostility and tension with neighbors such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. China remains untested and untrusted when it comes to mediating the future of the South China Sea, whose perimeter and under-sea resources it claims exclusively, despite competing claims by Vietnam and other Asian littoral states. Each has experienced a mix of success and failure, leadership and backlash against its ambitions.
Equally significant, the internal stability of many second-world countries is not assured. Often it is unclear whether their populations will end up more resembling the first world or the third, or whether they will remain unequally divided between the two developmental poles in perpetuity. How can the two countries with the largest number of absolutely poor people in the world simultaneously be rivals to America on the world state?
But the argument is not that China or India can or will oust the U.S. as a global leader. To understand the post-American world, we must dispense with clichés about the East dominating the West, China replacing America, or the Pacific displacing the Atlantic. Indeed, the U.S.-EU dyad remains the world's largest free trade area and perhaps the world's only true alliance.
The emerging world order will be defined instead by complexity, even chaos, rather than hegemony and dominance. Many great powers will co-exist, some global and some regional, each of them viewing themselves as the center of the world, while forming multiple alliances of convenience and showing ever less deference to the U.S. This radical positionalism, and not a durable American unipolarity, will be the lasting outcome of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Like Organski before us, we should have seen it coming. | 9,082 | 4,264 | 0.000235 |
warc | 201704 | I’m feeling particularly emotional for a Thursday night. You see, my baby girl turns three tomorrow. I’m sure many parents feel this way as another year passes and we all wonder where the time has gone, but aside from worrying life is passing by too quickly, it’s the time of year I find myself looking back at photos of when she was born and reliving the experience.
On this eve three years ago, I was being rushed for an emergency Caesarean resulting in our little girl arriving 10 weeks early, weighing just 2 lbs. 4 oz. the following morning. She was whisked away from us and taken to the Special Care Baby Unit where she was kept alive by breathing apparatus.
I was recovering from severe early onset preeclampsia – on an I.V. and unable to leave my bed – so for two days, I didn’t meet my baby girl. I didn’t hold her, I didn’t touch her, I didn’t feed her, or marvel in the magical experience of birth. Instead I was taken to a maternity ward where I lay in bed listening to screaming babies, wondering if I would ever be lucky enough to hear my baby cry through the night.
When the time finally came that we could meet our precious daughter, our first cuddles were hindered by wires and needles. We were able to hold her once a day, tucked into our tops for skin-to-skin contact, and we could change her diaper every four hours. Whilst this felt incredible, I don’t think I have ever quite come to terms with not being able to hold my baby girl and bond with her as we all expect to be able to do.
At night, going home and leaving her behind was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Every night I would call the unit to make sure she was okay before going to sleep myself, never knowing for sure that I would see her again in the morning.
After six weeks in SCBU, the day finally came when we could take her home. It was such an emotional day, putting our now 4 lb. baby in her car seat and carefully driving her home. At six weeks old, she was still half the weight of the average newborn and still wasn’t supposed to have entered the world for another month.
I’ll never forget our time in SCBU. Actually, that’s not true. From day to day, I don’t think about it. I can talk about my little girl being premature, but I don’t remember our time there. I think I’ve largely blocked out the details, but when I look at the photos, or a tiny hat, the teddy she had in her incubator, I’m transported back there. I can feel the uncertainty, smell the clinically clean wards, hear the beeping monitors warning of tiny hearts stopping. I’m filled with mixed emotions – the excitement of becoming a parent and the sick feeling that I may never BE a parent.
But this experience has shaped us as a family and changed my outlook on life. I can honestly say that every day I feel grateful. Not all day, I do have a three-nager you understand! But at some point in each day, I count my blessings. There was a chance that either she or I may not have made it through that night three years ago, but we are both here now.
We didn’t get to hold our daughter straight away when she was born, but now I take pleasure in holding her every day and really savoring it. I didn’t get to feed her straight away but now we spend hours cooking together or making play picnics. There were days when I didn’t know whether I was going to take my baby home, but I did. And now she’s here and about to turn three.
I have found happiness in every day that I’ve had her with me and I’m grateful for that. Our time in the SCBU made us appreciate life and what we have. So although looking back is painful, I wouldn’t change it. | 3,745 | 1,799 | 0.000578 |
warc | 201704 | Without comment, the Supreme Court has declined to review a Federal Circuit decision on a University of Rochester patent involving the discovery of a separate cox-2 gene and related biological processes. The University had petitioned the Court to hear the case after a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court, in February, upheld a lower court ruling that declared the University’s patent invalid on the grounds that it did not provide sufficient information to meet what the court described as a "written description" requirement. In July, the federal appeals court had denied, on a 7 to 5 vote, a request by the University for an en banc hearing.
While the fact was uncontested that the University’s discovery of a gene and biological process enabled companies to create new drugs, the federal appeals court in effect imposed a second hurdle for such patents by saying that the Rochester patent was invalid because it did not include the precise chemical formula for such a compound.
The school committed more than $10 million in legal costs to defend the patent for a new cyclo-oxygenase enzyme that causes inflammation. Pharmaceutical companies later codeveloped lucrative cox-2 inhibitor drugs, such as Celebrex, and the school hoped to recoup royalties and fees ranging from $3 billion to $30 billion. The University is not anticipating any further legal steps at this time.
The Rochester decision, and other recent precedent, is sending a message that the Federal Circuit does not intend to limit the written description requirement solely to cases involving issues of priority or DNA structure. Rather, Rochester holds that the written description requirement applies when a patentee seeks to claim an aspect of an invention in terms of functionality rather than structure. | 1,805 | 895 | 0.001128 |
warc | 201704 | Threat #3: Malware
Every day, virus, spyware, and adware creators come up with new, ingenious ways to gain access to your PC. These steps will help keep you safe:
Think before you click: Attached files that end with .exe, .com, .bat, and .scr, as well as scriptable document files, including .doc and .xls, can infect your PC with a single click. Many e-mail programs block access to executable-file attachments. Use a spam filter: Though some malware makes its way onto your computer via drive-by browser hijacking (see "Threat #1"), e-mail is its other main source. Install a junk-mail filter to reduce your chances of activating malicious scripts embedded in messages. Update your antivirus software: Allowing your antivirus software to continue running after its subscription has expired is actually worse than using no antivirus software at all: Not only do you lack the crucial virus signature database updates, but you expose your system to malware that targets known flaws in antivirus software. My personal favorite free antivirus app is Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus Free. Go to our Top Antivirus Softwarechart for our antivirus-software recommendations. Get a second opinion: Install and use only one antivirus program at a time on your computer because multiple real-time scanners will conflict with one another. If you have doubts about your program's effectiveness, however, use a free online virus scanner, such as Panda Software's ActiveScan; see Figure 3 Download with discretion: Any program you download and run on your system could potentially result in a lethal infection or zombification. Download software only from reputable online sources (such as PCWorld.com's Downloads section) that first scan all of their download files for any malware. Use a bidirectional firewall: Windows XP and Vista each come with a firewall that blocks incoming attacks; it's enabled by default in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later. For the best protection, you'll also want to block unwanted outgoing connections made by malware on your PC that attempts to either connect to a remote server or send out spam. Vista's firewall can be set up to do that, but configuring it is not a job for the average Windows user. Instead, get one of several free bidirectional firewall programs, such as Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm Free, or Agnitum's Outpost Firewall Free. Most commercial security software suites also include a firewall program. Use antispyware: Spyware, adware, and some browser cookies slow down your system, cause crashes, and track your online activity. Antispyware utilities work much like antivirus software, detecting and removing the unwanted software from your PC. We picked Webroot's Spy Sweeper 5 ($30 per year) as our favorite in our "Spyware Fighters" antispyware roundup. Upgrade from XP: Service Pack 2 makes Windows XP much safer, but the operating system still has security holes, and it remains a top target for malware authors. Windows Vista's new user access controls ask your permission before launching new programs, which reduces the chances that malware can leap from the Web to your PC automatically, though some Vista bugs have already been found. Both the Mac OS and Linux offer even stronger safeguards against program launching, and they are rarely the targets of malware attacks, which makes it very unlikely that Web-hosted attacks--or any other kind--will afflict computers running those operating systems. | 3,443 | 1,722 | 0.000582 |
warc | 201704 | Airplanes. More than likely, you’ve been on one. If you haven’t, some might say you’re missing a lot, while others might suggest you’re not missing much at all. In my opinion, flying is great, but there are plenty of downfalls to the experience. One of those is the fact that at certain points during the experience, you’ve got to shut off your favorite electronic gadget for a few minutes. It has been this way for as long as I can remember, but obviously the “problem” has become more prevalent in today’s world, but I can’t help but wonder – do you really care?
And I’m asking because I think I’m honestly right in the middle of this situation. On the fence, as they say. I’ve been on a countless number of flights over the years, dating back to when I was a kid and the only way I could ever,
ever get through a flight was with some kind of gadget in my hand (it’s not like that isn’t the case anymore, though). Back then, when the flight attendants told me to turn off my GameBoy, I just did as they say, without thinking about it. It was the rule, after all. But, as I grew up, and the reason as to why I had to turn off my phone, or whatever else I had, became clear; I started wondering just why I had to do it.
There has to be something said to the fact that the reason hasn’t changed over the years. Using electronics will mess with the flight itself. Using a GameBoy back then or your smartphone today, before the plane reaches 10,000 feet could mean the plane suffers a terrible loss of much needed electronics. The obvious result would be catastrophic, or at least that’s what the FAA would have us believe. If you’ve flown before, this is either the point where you either hate flying, or maybe just hate airplanes and their regulations, or you don’t mind at all.
I know people who don’t turn off their gadgets. I’ve been on flights where people obviously don’t turn off their gadgets. I’ve been on flights where the flight attendants have told me, and others, that turning our devices on “flight mode” wasn’t good enough, and that we had to completely shut off our devices. Now, see, that’s where I get confused, and I think where the “rules” get a bit distorted. After all, I’ve always been of the mind to assume that “flight mode” is intended for when the device is ascending towards that 10,000 foot ceiling. After all, once you reach that point, you can turn your gadget on and everything is hunky-dory. So, if “flight mode” isn’t good enough, why are companies still putting it on phones?
More to the point, why was I told that “flight mode” isn’t good enough only once? Are planes different, all of a sudden? Is the technology in each plane different, to the point where sometimes phones and gadgets have to be off completely and sometimes “flight mode” is sufficient enough? To be honest, I think the sheer fact that people have kept their electronics on, and nothing has happened, shows that there’s a real issue with this whole thing. I’m not going to sit here and say that the FAA or that whole organization is making this stuff up, because I’m not in that kind of position.
So here’s the question I’ll ask you, dear reader: do you care? And, for the moment, let’s just ask the question to those who fly, and fly often. Do you honestly care that you have to turn your phone, eReader, laptop, or any other gadget off for a handful of minutes? I guess we would have to extend that to when the plane is stuck on the runway for an elongated period of time, don’t we? I think in that particular instance, when the airplane is in taxi mode, just waiting to take off, we shouldn’t have to be forced to shut off our devices. When we’re in the final run, about to ascend, then, go ahead, enforce your rules.
So, let me know: do you care that you have to turn it off? | 4,036 | 1,827 | 0.000584 |
warc | 201704 | This great adventure begins in the first year of the course, which has several distinct aims. First, it aims to bridge the gap between school and university level physics. Second, it aims to consolidate school physics by providing a much more logical and analytical framework for classical physics, which will be essential for all years of the course. Third, it includes new themes such as special relativity and quantum physics, which foreshadow key topics to be developed in the subsequent years of the course. Fourth, the individual lecture courses aim to broaden your perspective, so that you can begin to appreciate the great flexibility and generality of the laws of physics and their application, from the most theoretical applications, such as the behaviour of matter close to black holes, to the most practical of everyday problems, such as the damping of oscillating systems.
Practicals
Students attend a physics practical for one afternoon once every two weeks. The primary aim of the class is the development of experimental skills, which are important to all professional physicists. The second aim of the practical session is to illustrate ideas and concepts in physics. Most of the experiments are concerned with topics covered in the Part IA Physics lecture course. | 1,285 | 656 | 0.001529 |
warc | 201704 | PRIMIR Non-Print Revenue Study Findings Released; Helps Identify New Paths to Profitability
Figure 1: 2011 Split of Print and Non-Print Revenue
Figure 2: Non-Print Revenue by Service
In PRIMIR’s newly released study, “Evaluating and Understanding Non-Print Revenues of N.A. Printing Companies,” State Street Consultants investigated the non-print services that printers currently offer, their implementation successes and failures, as well as future growth opportunities. This key study provides an understanding of North American print revenues divided between traditional ink/toner on substrates versus other services print firms offer.
The research findings help firms in the printing industry supply chain understand the total opportunity for their products and services, along with potential growth areas for new offerings for both printers and suppliers.
According to the study, total 2011 printing industry revenue was $156.5 billion. However, as shown in Figure 1, only 86.5 percent of that revenue was generated from actual printing; the remainder was generated from a vast array of services print firms offer their clients today, such as mailing and fulfillment services, design, data management and marketing services.
The study examined 26 non-print (or ancillary) services. The leading non-print services offered by respondents in the 18 market segments (commercial printers, in-plants, service bureaus, etc.) include: mailing services, fulfillment and warehousing, design services, data management services, and marketing services. These and the other non-print services accounted for more than 13 percent of the total industry revenue in 2011 (see Figure 2).
By 2016, the non-print revenue percentage will increase to more than 20 percent. Over 70 percent of the non-print growth will be attributed to one key segment—commercial printers. Many will offer a full range of non-print services.
Clearly this information is important to printers, for whom the path to profitability will be these non-print services—many of which often lead to increased ink-onpaper revenues as well. Thus, manufacturers of equipment and supplies can expect to see declining shipment volumes for their products corresponding with the declining print shipments. Yet, astute suppliers will examine new business opportunities or ‘ancillary’ services that complement their primary business in order to support their print firm clients’ evolving needs. | 2,489 | 1,180 | 0.000865 |
warc | 201704 | Asteroids and Comets
All the Little Things in the Solar System, and the Things They Can Do to Earth
Is there an asteroid or comet out there that poses a risk to life on Earth? The answer is certainly "yes," but we don't yet know where the next major impactor will come from or when it will crash. The best way to reduce this uncertainty is to search the skies for these crumbs of the solar system. The Planetary Society has a long history of supporting amateur and underfunded professional astronomers in their efforts to discover and track potentially hazardous near-Earth objects. This is useful not only for planetary defense, but also for learning about the solar system's origin and evolution.
A fortuitous byproduct of our increasing ability to detect fainter objects is that, for the first time, we now stand a chance of discovering smaller, five- to ten-meter-sized rocks while they are still in space before they burn up in our atmosphere and scatter meteorites along the ground. We are now beginning to link meteorites that we can study in our labs with the data on orbits and compositions that we amass with astronomical observations. Every meteorite, every tiny asteroid has a story, and we can combine these stories together to answer fundamental questions about how the solar system formed and evolved. What were the ingredients that made Earth and the other planets? How are those constituents different now? How have asteroid and comet impacts shaped the origin and evolution of life on Earth (and, potentially, on other planets)? Can asteroids serve as stepping-stones for human travel to farther destinations?
Blogs About Asteroids, Comets, and the Impact Threat
Van Kane rounds up some of the latest NASA Discovery mission proposals aiming to explore our solar system's smallest bodies.
While Pluto deservedly stole the headlines last week, Chris Russell’s Dawn update at the Exploration Science Forum at NASA Ames reminded us that the other dwarf planets are also sharing their secrets with eager scientists.
Posted by Annie Wargetz on 2015/07/17 03:12 CDT
While the OLA, OCAMS, and REXIS instruments on the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft continue working towards their deliveries, other hardware onsite at Lockheed is undergoing testing prior to installation. The hardware is put through tests here on Earth prior to launching into space.
Asteroids, Comets, and the Threat
Scientifically, it is useful to divide the impact hazard into two types of events: those with local consequences and those with global consequences. Global events, while much less likely, actually pose a greater risk.
The Planetary Fund
Help us accelerate progress in our four core enterprises: Robotic Space Exploration, Human Space Exploration, Planetary Defense, and The Search for Life. | 2,796 | 1,439 | 0.0007 |
warc | 201704 | Aaron Mannes University of Maryland scholar on terrorism and international affairs : "Presidential Leadership in Political Time"
Steve Skowronek’s "Presidential Leadership in Political Time" is a profound book that identifies underlying cycles that shape presidencies and presidential legacies.
Based on his 1993 book, "The Politics Presidents Make" (which won the Neustadt Prize for research on the presidency), "Presidential Leadership in Political Time" revisits his initial argument a decade and a half (and two presidencies) later. Skowronek describes the presidency is a force of upheaval and change.
The challenge is in presidential authority - does the president have a warrant for his actions that legitimates them? When presidents lose that warrant, their allies are discouraged and their foes are energized. The great struggle for presidents is to define their actions in terms of a broader purpose that is coherent and consonant with the values of their supporters. But, Skowronek explains that the most important factor in a president’s efforts to legitimate his actions will be the actions of the president before him and that this relies on broader political cycles.
There are four types of presidents
Politics of disjunction: This period occurs when a long-standing political order is no longer capable of addressing the challenges facing the country. The most recent example is Jimmy Carter; others include Hoover, Franklin Pierce, and John Quincy Adams. Not a distinguished list, but Skowronek argues it has less to do with their personal limitations then the pre-existing commitments of their coalition that prevent effective action. Politics of reconstruction: After the politics of disjunction, a new order overturns the old order’s commitments and takes power. These presidents have freedom to make new commitments and exercise the enormous power of the presidency. Reagan was the most recent example. Other examples include FDR, Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, and of course Washington. This looks like a Presidential allstar team, but Skowronek states that the collapse of a long-standing coalition allowed them greater freedom to act. Politics of articulation: After the new order is established, follow-on presidents face a different set of challenges. They are charged with continuing the vision of the founder - but there is discord within their coalition over implementing the vision. Decisions inevitably alienate factions. This group includes the founder’s immediate successors (Van Buren, Truman, and Bush 41) as well as later followers who attempt to renew the founder’s vision. This group includes Polk, Teddy Roosevelt, LBJ, and Bush 43. This latter group has disproportionately engages in wars of choice and is most likely to serve only one-term or not run for reelection. Since the 1820s only three have won both of their presidential elections (Grant, McKinley, and Bush 43.) Politics of preemption: Occasionally the non-dominant party elects a president (Andrew Johnson, Cleveland, Wilson, Eisenhower, Nixon, Clinton, and Obama). These presidents usually distance themselves from the past failed order of their party, are less hemmed in by ideology, and adopt policies from the dominant order. Frequently tarred as tricky by their political opponents because of their ideological inconsistency, these presidents have greater freedom of action but are more likely to be impeached (Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton for example.) Many of these presidents have served two terms.
But, just as Clinton sought a “legacy,” many of these presidents seek a defining issue for their presidency. | 3,679 | 1,738 | 0.000583 |
warc | 201704 | So Many Stories Pink Saris Sampat Pal, Babuji, Niranjan, Rekha, Renu (HBO Documentary Films) HO: 30 Nov 2011 2010
“If girls spoke up, the world would change. Be brave.” As Sampat Pal apprises a girl newly arrived at her doorstep, she offers the advice for which she has become famous in India. The founder of the Gulabi Gang, an all-female organization known for their signature pink saris and dedicated to educating and empowering women, Sampat is a daunting figure in most every situation. “Speak up child,” she tells the girl Rekha, whose first inclination is to keep her head down and her mouth shut. “If you’re shy, you’ll die.”
Sampat makes this case again and again in
Pink Saris, underlining that in India, domestic abuse of women is traditional and persistent, even after the passage of laws against it. Domestic violence has been the focus of a lifelong struggle for Sampat, herself a former child bride and abuse victim who resisted her seeming fate and left her husband, and was forced out of her village as a result. Now, 15 years later, she lives in Uttar Pradesh in Northern India with another man, Babuji, both supported by donations to the Gulabi Gang.
Babuji is introduced in Kim Longinotto’s superb documentary—premiering 30 November on HBO—as he watches Sampat in action, exhorting Rekha to marry the boy who has made her pregnant, despite his father’s opposition (“Rekha must get married,” a title card informs you, “Unmarried girls who get pregnant are often killed by their own families”). The scene—which centers Sampat as a crowd of listeners stand by—is complicated from the start, and as such, typical of Longinotto’s work, which seems observational but is also interrogative and revealing. When Babuji, positioned to Sampat’s right, wonders whether the girl has “anything in writing” regarding the relationship, Sampat dismisses him: “Go away,” she advises, “Babuji knows nothing. It’s a woman’s problem.”
As he dutifully exits the frame, you become aware that what they’re talking about is in fact not only a woman’s problem, though it affects women most deeply and immediately. For what Sampat is talking about is not only women’s duties to fathers and husbands and in-laws, but also the caste system that still ordains the experiences of many Indians. While she notes that those who are “educated” know better, a belief lingers that Untouchables and other low caste individuals will “ruin” families if they do indeed come in contact with those stationed above. This is one of the concerns for Rekha and her beau, as it is for Sampat and Babuji (as her caste is lower than his), a concern rooted in ancient beliefs.
When Sampat goes to speak with the boy’s father, the older man threatens her with his godlike powers, at which point she speaks loudly and forcefully, apparently well aware of the effects of such self-presentation (for the camera and local observers): “This is why I started the Gulabi Gang,” she asserts, “-I don’t believe in gods. If you have the power, turn me to dust.” He sputters, insisting that he can make such a choice. “Gods,” sums up Sampat, “can go to hell. Is there a greater goddess than this girl? There’s no higher power than woman.”
Sampat is repeatedly impressive as she stands up to a series of intransigent families: “You’re an adult,” she criticizes one father-in-law accused of raping his son’s wife. “Don’t fight like a child.” She threatens to call the police, she brings abuse victims to sign official complaints, and she takes in girls who have nowhere else to go, and she promises one victim, “I’ll sort those bastards out” (leaving you with little doubt that she will). At best, Sampat hopes newlyweds will be able to live together and apart from the husband’s parents, but if tradition holds sway, and new wives move in with their husband’s parents, she urges families to reconcile. If the culture insists on 12-year-old brides, they must be treated well, as individuals with rights and desires, not just subhuman servants or objects.
As virtuous and commanding as Sampat appears during confrontations with in-laws or in interviews, the film reveals that she’s also dealing with her own questions. These don’t make her any less potent as a champion of women and girls’ rights and expectations, but it does complicate her story. She visits with her much older husband (to whom she is still married, legally), arguing with him about how he’s dealing with their children and insisting that he appreciate her position in their family (“If you need money or food,” she reminds him, “I’m your provider”). He complains that she undermines his authority regarding the children, who still live with him, complaining that when he tells them to study, they don’t. Sampat nods, offers her own hard-won philosophy (“Leave the kids alone, who cares what the world thinks? It’s never helped us, we have to look after each other”), then instructs the children to study: they scamper, apparently instantly obedient, and she stands to straighten objects on a table before she exits.
The documentary doesn’t explain the scene, return to the husband, or offer either of the adults’ comments on what they’ve just shared, but still, the scene reveals the tensions that shape Sampat’s experience. In interviews where she explains herself, Sampat is both self-convincing and relentless: “Things won’t change overnight. We have to wake people up,” she estimates, noting that neighbors are still sometimes concerned that she lives with Babuji. “They still believe in untouchability. Things will change slowly.” She believes in her cause and knows better than anyone how difficult her own path has been. But, as Babuji points out, she can also be tough to live with.
The film doesn’t offer melodramatic details of their interactions or their precise history, instead leaving you to assess what’s in front of you, with occasional formal nudges. When Sampat makes a decision concerning one young girl’s situation, the documentary points out in a title card that she does so without telling Babuji, and with an eye toward reconciling with her own village, the one that turned her out so many years ago. The girl, Niranjan, reveals to the filmmakers that she has been beaten again by her in-laws, showing the marks on her legs even as she also hides her face with a veil. The voice offscreen urges her to tell Sampat, as the scene cuts to a confrontation between Sampat and Babjui, one that reveals both their frustrations, and might support either partner’s view of their relationship. He believes she’s overcome by ambition, the desire to be “a big shot,” and she thinks he means to hold her back, to control their household.
Sampat is unable to sort out her situation as plainly as she has done for others (“God knows I’m a good person,” she says, “I know what’s right, what I see, what you’re up to, who knows how you could plot my downfall?”). And she sees in the crisis confirmation of her history. Her own story is reflected in her conversation with another girl she has taken in, Renu. Even if her family has rejected her, Sampat advises, she must take to heart the lesson. Traditionally, families see girls as sources of labor or income. It’s crucial that girls see themselves differently. “When you lose your worth,” Sampat says, as both she and Renu begin to weep. “No one cares. You have to stand alone like I did.” The camera holds on them, in tears and strong too. | 7,930 | 3,672 | 0.000291 |
warc | 201704 | There are a lot of good reasons to run your everyday diesel vehicle on homegrown oils--energy independence and less particulate pollution among them--but like all DIY projects, biodiesel production can have a dark side if it's not undertaken with the proper precautions. I've been making my own biodiesel for eight years now and have never experienced a fire, but as more people try their hands at fuel production, the news has become peppered with cautionary tales.
I am very fortunate that I live on a farm, and so my fuel operation is conducted in a stand-alone steel building, away from houses, with a concrete floor and powered vent hose attached to the mixing chamber. I also store the methanol in steel drums outside the structure, along with the finished biodiesel. Unfortunately, when it comes to making your own fuel, you can't get around working with flammable liquids and a heat source--and for most people this process is going to happen in a garage, which could be attached to a home. And so the ordinary homeowner should be extra careful when it comes to making his or her own biodiesel.
The biodiesel process starts out with some form of grease, such as new or used cooking oil or animal fats. This grease is primarily made up of triglycerides, which are glycerol molecules modified by fatty acids. In order to make biodiesel you have to add an alcohol, such as methanol, and a catalyst, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The process that results, called transesterification, causes the alcohol to combine with the triglycerides, forming biodiesel and glycerin as a byproduct. Like all chemical processes, this works best when heated.
The potential hazard is introduced when you move a chemical plant into your home environment. The grease is a form of fuel (some people run their vehicles on that alone) and so is biodiesel, the finished product. Both of these fuels need to be stored outside or in fire-resistant containers. The methanol is also flammable. I store mine in the 55-gallon drum it comes in; it's steel and properly marked.
Mixing methanol and sodium hydroxide into hot grease produces combustible fumes, therefore you need to have proper ventilation. All it takes is a spark, which could come from an electrical flash from a switch, a plug pulled out of a socket, electric motor brushes, the pilot light of a water heater or an open flame, if that's what you're using to heat your grease.
Here are some other tips to follow: Before you get started, check to see if you need a permit for the storage of flammable and combustible liquids. Then, if you're hooking up an electric heating element, do not use small extension cords. Heating elements draw high current; you may even have to upgrade your electrical service. The motors used to transfer liquids from one drum or container to another should have totally enclosed housings, so that no liquid gets near them. Keep a spare bag of kitty litter around in case of a spill. And of course, make sure you have the proper types of fire extinguishers near at hand (I have three) and check with local fire, building and electrical inspectors to ensure that your proposal is safe for you, your family and the community. | 3,217 | 1,569 | 0.000639 |
warc | 201704 | C-section deliveries were infected by the bacterium almost a year earlier than vaginally-delivered infants in the four-year study of 156 mother-infant pairs published in the September issue of the Journal of Dental Research. The first signs of the bacterium appeared at an average of 17.1 months of age in C-section babies, compared to 28.8 months in vaginally-delivered infants, a significant finding since previous studies have linked earlier bacterial infection with a higher rate of dental caries in children.
NYU's study is the first to distinguish between bacterial infection in C-section and vaginally-delivered babies. The findings suggest that mothers who have dental caries should inform their family dentists if they had a C-section delivery because of the potentially higher risk that the child will also develop caries, said the study's principal investigator, Dr. Yihong Li, an Associate Professor of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology at NYU College of Dentistry.
"Vaginally-delivered infants offer oral bacteria a less hospitable environment," Dr. Li explained. "They develop more resistance to these bacteria in their first year of life, in part because of exposure to a greater variety and intensity of bacteria from their mothers and the surrounding environment at birth. C-section babies have less bacterial exposure at birth, and therefore less resistance."
Mothers in Dr. Li's study who delivered C-section babies had high levels of Streptococcus mutans infection, and caries on an average of one-third of their teeth. A majority had an annual family income of $10,000 or less -- a potential barrier to accessing dental care ? and a history of sexually transmitted disease. These cofactors contributed to an earlier onset of bacterial infection, Dr. Li said.
The study followed a predominantly African-American group of women from an inner-city area of Birmingham, Alabama, beginning in their third trimester of pregnancy. There were 127 vaginal and 29 C-section births.
Further study is needed to determine if C-section births can be linked to earlier acquisition of this and other oral bacteria in a broader cross-section of the population, and if a higher incidence of caries follows. The results of Dr. Li's study add to a growing body of knowledge about a possible link between a mother's level of tooth decay and her newborn's health that was identified by NYU dental researchers in an earlier study of predominantly low-income African-American women in Birmingham, which found that pregnant women with high levels of oral bacteria associated with dental caries are at risk for delivering preterm low birth weight babies. Published last February in the Journal of Periodontology, that study was led by Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion. Dr. Dasanayake is among a group of researchers in the U.S. and abroad who also have reported that periodontal diseases in pregnant women may be a risk factor for delivering preterm low birth weight babies. | 3,035 | 1,415 | 0.000709 |
warc | 201704 | Steven Pinker has kicked up a cloud of dust with a seemingly mild claim, addressed to people in the humanities: Science Is Not Your Enemy. And he’s right, it’s not! Science is merely an extremely effective method for gaining empirical knowledge of the world, and empirical knowledge of the world should not strike fear into any self-respecting intellectual person. Or if it does, perhaps you should contemplate a different form of employment, like U.S. Senator.
The devil is in the details, of course, and plenty of people have objected to the specific ways in which Pinker has argued that science is your friend, and others have defended him. Here are takes by Jerry Coyne, Eric MacDonald, and Massimo Pigliucci. I don’t mean to add anything deep or comprehensive to the debate, but I do want to make a suggestion that, if adopted, would make the world a better place: the word “scientism” should be dropped from the vocabulary of this discussion.
Now (like Pinker), I am a descriptivist rather than a prescriptivist when it comes to language. Word usage is not “right” or “wrong,” it’s just “useful” or “unhelpful.” So the point here is that use of the word “scientism” is unhelpful, not that people are using the “wrong” definition. It’s unhelpful because it’s ill-defined, and acts as a license for lazy thinking. (It wasn’t too long ago that I acknowledged the potential usefulness of the term, but now I see the error of my ways.)
The working definition of “scientism” is “the belief that science is the right approach to use in situations where science actually isn’t the right approach at all.” Nobody actually quotes this definition, but it accurately matches how the word is used. The problem should be obvious — the areas in which science is the right approach are not universally agreed upon. So instead of having an interesting substantive discussion about a real question (“For what kinds of problems is a scientific approach the best one?”) we instead have a dopey and boring definitional one (“What does the word `scientism’ mean?”).
I don’t know of anyone in the world who thinks that science is the right tool to use for
every problem. Pinker joins Alex Rosenberg, who has tried to rehabilitate the word “scientism,” claiming it as a badge of honor, and using it to mean a view that “the methods of science are the only reliable ways to secure knowledge of anything.” But even Alex firmly rejects the idea that science can be used to discover objective moral truths — and others think it can, a view which is sometimes labeled as “scientism.” You can see the confusion.
Someone might respond, “but `scientism’ is a useful shorthand for a set of views that many people seem to hold.” No, it’s not. Here are some possible views that might be described as “scientism”:
Science is the source of all interesting, reliable facts about the world. Philosophy and morality and aesthetics should be subsumed under the rubric of science. Science can provide an objective grounding for judgments previously thought to be subjective. Humanities and the arts would be improved by taking a more scientific approach. The progress of science is an unalloyed good for the world. All forms of rational thinking are essentially science. Eventually we will understand all the important questions of human life on a scientific basis. Reductionism is the best basis for complete understanding of complicated systems. There is no supernatural realm, only the natural world that science can investigate.
The problem is that, when
you use the word “scientism,” you (presumably) know exactly what you are talking about. You mean to include some of the above supposed sins, but not necessarily all of them. But if you aren’t completely explicit about what you mean every time you use the term, people will misunderstand you.
Indeed, you might even misunderstand yourself. By which I mean, using vague words like this is an invitation to lazy thinking. Rather than arguing against the specific points someone else makes, you wrap them all up in a catch-all term of disapprobation, and then argue against
that. Saves time, but makes for less precise and productive discussion.
Given that the only productive way to use a word like “scientism” — something vaguely sinister, ill-defined, used primarily as an accusation against people who would not describe themselves that way — would be to provide an explicit and careful definition every time the word is invoked, why use it at all? I’m not saying you can’t disagree with specific claims made by Pinker or anyone else. If you think people are making some particular mistake, that’s fine — just say what the mistake is.
I take the main point of Pinker’s piece to be the same as Feynman’s discussion of the beauty of a flower, or Dawkins’s
Unweaving the Rainbow — science is not opposed to the humanities or the arts, but enhances them by giving us a deeper understanding. With that, I couldn’t agree more. We can disagree with some of the specific contentions in a constructive way, but lumping everything we don’t like into one catch-all word isn’t useful.
TL;DR: The word “scientism” doesn’t helpfully delineate a coherent position, it unhelpfully flattens important distinctions and creates a false target. We can do better. | 5,617 | 2,558 | 0.000417 |
warc | 201704 | EKU Leads Push to Attract More Minorities into Environmental Health Field
EKU, home of the nation?s largest baccalaureate degree program in environmental health science, is leading a nationwide effort to attract more minorities into the rapidly growing career field.
A minority recruitment team, featuring some of the nation?s leading environmental health officials, will gather on campus Sept. 24-25 to develop a model for minority recruitment, retention and mentoring that can be replicated on college and university campuses nationwide.
The team includes African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and representatives from other underrepresented groups in the environmental health profession. Among the participants are former Assistant Surgeon General Rear Adm. Webster Young Jr., corporation executives, academic leaders and scientists from throughout the nation.
The project will be a collaborative effort between EKU?s Department of Environmental Health Science, the University?s Diversity Office and the Centers for Disease Control?s National Center for Environmental Health. Earlier this year, EKU entered into a nationally unique partnership with the CDC. One of the benefits of that alliance is that Capt. Dan Harper, deputy chief and senior environmental health officer with the CDC, has joined the EKU faculty for the next four years.
?The immediate goal of this effort is to provide information on careers in the environmental health science field to potential students from various minority groups, and mentoring opportunities for all minority environmental health students,? said Dr. Darryl Barnett, chair of the Department of Environmental Health Science. ?The long-term goal of the project is to increase the number of minority environmental health practitioners throughout the United States.?
The 15 participants in the two-day campus event are mid- to upper-level environmental health professionals who volunteered to serve as mentors in the project. They represent various federal governmental agencies, such as the CDC, FDA and EPA, as well as state and local health authorities, academia and private companies.
?It?s important to let young people know that there are highly successful minorities who?ve been there, done that,? Harper said. ?They will be excellent assets in the recruitment and mentoring of minority students.?
Another goal of the project is to secure minority scholarships from private companies.
Already, EKU is seeing significant increases in minority students pursuing a degree in environmental health science, the number quadrupling in the last year alone. For all its environmental health science majors, EKU already boasts an innovative mentoring program that matches students with leading professionals nationwide and will serve as a model for the Minority Recruitment and Retention project.
?The CDC has identified some key elements in the field of environmental health science that need to be changed if it?s going to survive and prosper in the 21st century,? Harper said, ?and one of those elements is diversity. Our objective is to develop models of excellence that can be used throughout the country at other universities and with other agencies.?
Because the racial diversity goals of the CDC and EKU are similar, ?it became a natural marriage for us to work together to create a national model,? said Joe Beck, an associate professor in EKU?s Department of Environmental Health Science. ?We see ourselves as the leader in environmental health science education in the nation, and we want to see the profession grow.?
Harper said: ?It?s more than a coincidence that the CDC has chosen Eastern Kentucky University to help them revitalize the environmental health field and develop models of excellence for the entire country. They have something here that?s really incredible. It?s a hidden jewel.?
Because of recent world events, the environmental health science field is poised for tremendous growth.
?Environmental health is best defined as protecting people and populations from chemical, biological and physical threats to their health and sense of well-being,? Barnett said. ?Because of our increased awareness of radiological, biological and chemical risk, the demand for professionals for the war on terrorism means new and challenging work opportunities for our graduates.?
Beck estimated that, for every environmental health science graduate, at least 1,000 positions are available, provided the graduate is flexible about location. Entry-level salaries currently range from $35,000 to $55,000.
Some students even make attractive salaries as interns, he added, and eventually gain full-time employment as a result of their internships.
While graduates of EKU?s environmental health program are employed in both the private and public sectors of environmental health, many are selected each year for commissioning by the U.S. Public Health Service. The students then are assigned environmental health responsibilities in several branches of the federal government, including the Indian Health Service, Coast Guard, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Federal Food and Drug Administration, the Park Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Prisons.
Approximately 200 students are majoring in environmental health science at EKU, and an additional 50 are enrolled in the graduate program. EKU boasts the only accredited environmental health science program in Kentucky.
For more information about the program or the minority recruitment/retention project, call 622-3078. | 5,595 | 2,434 | 0.000412 |
warc | 201704 | DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, and NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP), a leading global data storage and management company, have announced a partnership to jointly develop and deliver secure data storage and big data analytics solutions.
With regional government and enterprise users increasingly looking to leverage big data analytics to drive business and operational improvements, large public and private cloud data storage solutions are required, which not only integrate seamlessly with their business processes, but also demonstrate the highest levels of security and cyber threat mitigation.
With advanced persistent threats on the rise both globally and in this region, security is particularly urgent in the data environment -- all the more so given the regular announcements of increasingly large and damaging data breaches across industries.
Through this agreement, customers in the Middle East will benefit from DarkMatter's implementation of resource-efficient and scalable NetApp technologies that quickly ingest and analyse data, thereby empowering end-users with actionable insights in a predictable and efficient manner. These advantages are combined with DarkMatter's recognised expertise in cutting-edge cyber security implementation and systems integration.
In the future, regional customers will enjoy the fruits of new collaboration between the two companies' respective research and development labs. DarkMatter and NetApp software engineers and developers will work on multiple flash and data storage technologies with the goal of delivering innovative, highly secure, high performance cyber security defence and big data analytics solutions.
Commenting on the partnership,
Rabih Dabboussi, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development of DarkMatter said, "In today's world, big data analytics is vital to business success. By working together, DarkMatter and NetApp are helping our customers solve two of today's biggest operational challenges: deriving actionable business insights from big data and keeping that data safe."
Mr Dabboussi added: "We see great value for end users through this partnership, which reflects an alignment of our shared approach to data security and risk management, innovation and technical excellence."
The agreement recognises DarkMatter's leadership in the regional cyber security field and its technical capabilities in NetApp solutions, having been named a NetApp Gold Partner.
"Organisations across the region are adopting a data driven approach and there is strong emphasis on the requirement for resilient and compliant data protection solutions that safeguard business-critical applications. Together with Dark Matter, we are looking at developing effective and secure solutions that enable enterprises to envision, deploy, and evolve their IT environments," said
Fadi Kanafani, Regional Director for Middle East and Africa at NetApp.
The two companies have already begun work on specific areas of shared research interest, as well as a solutions framework to address the unique requirements of regional customers.
About DarkMatter
DarkMatter is transforming the cyber security landscape. Headquartered in the UAE and operating globally, we're the region's first and only fully integrated digital defence and cyber security consultancy and implementation firm. Our elite team of global experts deliver advanced, next-generation solutions to governments and enterprises across the cyber security spectrum.
We help clients simplify the enormous complexity of today's ever-evolving cyber threats. Our vision is to secure the future by protecting its technologies
Our products extend to Secure Communications, Public Key Infrastructure, Innovation & Research, and Big Data & Analytics.
Our services extend to Governance, Risk & Compliance, Cyber Network Defence,
Managed Security Services, Infrastructure & System Integration, Test & Validation Labs, and Smart Solutions.
For further details, visit http://www.darkmatter.ae
About NetApp
Leading organisations worldwide count on NetApp for software, systems and services to manage and store their data. Customers value our teamwork, expertise and passion for helping them succeed now and into the future. To learn more visit http://www.netapp.com
SOURCE DarkMatter | 4,356 | 2,021 | 0.000498 |
warc | 201704 | LONDON, April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
ICIS, a trusted provider of European electricity pricing and market information, is enhancing its daily electricity coverage by offering Greek and Bulgarian price assessments.
Last year, Turkey began limited commercial flows, with Bulgaria and Greece forming part of its interconnection process with the main European system. Turkey is expected to increase the cross-border flows with its two neighbours later this year, drawing the attention not only of regional companies, but also that of international trade and supply companies.
Since the beginning of the year, at least three European companies have applied for trading licences in Bulgaria, while Greece offers attractive opportunities as a market in itself, as well as being a transit country.
To help active market participants, as well as interested newcomers form a consistent view of these three emerging markets, ICIS will offer front-month Bulgarian and Greek electricity price assessments to complement its unrivalled Turkish and southeast European power market coverage.
The forward prices for exported energy from Bulgaria and Greece and their spreads to the Turkish market will be published every Thursday in the
Heren European Daily Electricity Markets report, with commentary explaining and analysing price developments.
The Turkish and Greek front-month price assessments will reflect the value of the commodity on the market, while the Bulgarian assessments will include the commodity value plus the fixed export fee, which is considered to be an integral component of the overall price.
Any changes in variable ancillary cross-border fees levied by the three countries will be explained in our dedicated market comment.
" The new assessments aim to bring transparency to the three emerging markets, and help participants with an interest in cross-border trading to make informed decisions regarding their trading positions ," says Louise Boddy, head of gas, power, emissions and coal at ICIS.
ICIS was the first news and data provider to assess Turkish electricity prices, and currently offers estimates for six long-term contracts, including front-month Baseload prices, as well as in-depth market news.
To find out more about our electricity market coverage, visit our website.
About ICIS
ICIS is the world's largest petrochemical market information provider, and has fast-growing energy and fertilizer divisions.
Our aim is to give companies in global commodity markets a competitive advantage by delivering trusted pricing data, high-value news, analysis and independent consulting, enabling them to make better-informed trading and planning decisions.
With a global staff of more than 600, ICIS has people based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Perth. The team covers over 120 commodity markets, and has in-depth knowledge across markets in upstream and downstream sectors in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
For further information about this new coverage, please contact:
Aura Sabadus
Specialist Reporter on Southeastern Europe at ICIS +44(0)20-7911-1853 aura.sabadus@icis.com
SOURCE ICIS | 3,253 | 1,618 | 0.000622 |
warc | 201704 | The Thera-Band Academy has 200 international instructors providing the scientific and clinical application of Thera-Band products.
Akron, OH (PRWEB) July 30, 2012
Physical therapists, physicians and sports trainers from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ministry for Home Affairs and the Federal Security Service recently participated in a two-day training program led by Phil Page, PhD, PT, ATC, CSCS, FACSM, Director of Clinical Education and Research for the Thera-Band Academy and Barton N. Bishop, DPT, SCS, CKTI, TPI CFGI-MP2, CSCS. This training, the first of two conducted in Moscow, focused on the fundamentals of Functional Exercise Progression™ (FEP) and the how-to’s of implementing the program in the participants’ own practice. The FEP is an evidence-based clinical progression of rehabilitation and exercise based on the teaching of the late Dr. Vladimir Janda, a pioneer in rehabilitation medicine.
A second training program was held in Moscow’s Institute for Restorative Medicine. This Train-the-Trainer program provided attending therapists and physicians with information and training on Thera-Band products and protocols. Upon completion of the program, attendees are recognized as certified Thera-Band Academy trainers, enabling them to lead their own Thera-Band workshops and seminars.
“We were very pleased with the international interest in this training program,” stated Dr. Page. “The Thera-Band Academy has 200 international instructors providing the scientific and clinical application of Thera-Band products. We believe this training and information will improve patient outcomes around the world.”
About the Academy
The Thera-Band® Academy was formed to scientifically document the benefits of resistance exercise and pain relief, guide the company in its development of new products and exercise programs, and to promote therapeutic exercise and pain management through professional and consumer education. The Academy web site is a unique resource that connects healthcare professionals and consumers to the ever growing body of knowledge on exercise. Registration is free and provides access to the largest database of rehab exercises, protocols, research and education in the world.
About Performance Health
Featuring leading brands like Thera-Band®, Biofreeze® and Pedigenix® Foot Care System, Performance Health offers a broad portfolio of products for the therapy, rehabilitation, wellness, massage, podiatric and performance markets. In addition to market-leading products, Performance Health provides practice building support, evidence-based protocols, clinical and product education, turn-key dispensing and pain management solutions. | 2,744 | 1,298 | 0.000791 |
warc | 201704 | Matt wisely commented on my last post:
I hate all the smack talk between systems. No one is ever right.
Who gives a flying $hit if Microsoft or Sony win?
As pure consumers of video games, Matt is absolutely right. There is no reason to cheer on one company vs. another. No movie watchers cheer one movie publisher vs another, why would video gamers act differently?
But, of course, gamers do develop strong allegiances towards one platform vs another, even when they have plenty of money to comfortably buy all the systems and games that they want.
Why?
Video games operate in the world of vying technology platforms and standards and in that world there are a few important phenomena to be aware of:
“Positive Feedback Loop” and “Winner-Takes-All”
Positive Feedback Loop: If technology A is successful, that success leads to money and and industry excitement which lead to the technology becoming even more successful. If technology B is more successful than A, it gets more money to reinvest and gets more of the industry’s excitement which generally lead to more growth and a widening of it’s lead over A.
Winner Takes All: Generally, for one particular type of technology, a single competitor pulls ahead and becomes the dominant standard and everyone is expected to conform and adopt the dominant technology, whether they want to or not. This naturally leads to much bitterness and resentment as people are forced to conform to technologies that they didn’t chose and often do not like.
The above two effects give people strong incentive to cheer the products and companies related to the products that they love and root against products and companies with related to competing products that they resent and want to see held in check.
Other People’s Bias
A third factor is other people’s biases. We hear a lot from our friends, families, professors, bosses at work, and from the media that we consume, that we often hear quite a bit of other people’s biases. We often grow to resent those biases develop a natural reaction to head in the exact opposite direction of the original bias.
Bottom Line
People have very natural reasons for developing this type of bias, but it isn’t generally productive, particularly for a basic leisure activity. Your personal behaviors as an individual are generally too small to cause any significant effects and your interests as a consumer are best served by being politically neutral.
Of course, I’m guilty myself from time to time, but no one is perfect.
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Written by: Darrin - Contributing Editor | 2,621 | 1,279 | 0.000806 |
warc | 201704 | FILED: September 22, 2004
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF OREGON
State of Oregon
Appellant,
v.
BART ALAN SAUNDERS,
Respondent.
C011442CR; A115760
Appeal from Circuit Court, Washington County.
Gayle A. Nachtigal, Judge.
Argued and submitted December 22, 2003.
Laura S. Anderson, Assistant Attorney General, argued the cause for appellant. With her on the brief were Hardy Myers, Attorney General, and Mary H. Williams, Solicitor General.
Ryan Scott argued the cause for respondent. On the brief were Peter A. Ozanne, Executive Director, Peter Gartlan, Chief Defender, and Dan Maloney, Chief Deputy Public Defender.
Before Edmonds, Presiding Judge, and Wollheim and Schuman, Judges.
WOLLHEIM, J.
Affirmed.
WOLLHEIM, J.
In this criminal case, the state appeals a pretrial order granting defendant's motion to exclude evidence of defendant's prior adjudications of guilty except for insanity of public indecency. We review for errors of law and affirm.
The facts are not in dispute. Defendant was charged by indictment with felony public indecency as follows:
"The defendant, on or about May 27, 2001, in Washington County, Oregon, did unlawfully and knowingly expose his genitals while in a public place, to wit: Winco Foods, with the intent of arousing the sexual desire of himself and another person. The defendant having a prior conviction for public indecency."
The parties stipulated and the trial court found that defendant had, on four previous occasions, been adjudicated "guilty except for insanity" of public indecency. Defendant moved to exclude evidence of the prior adjudications, arguing that guilty except for insanity adjudications are not "convictions" for purposes of increasing defendant's crime from a misdemeanor to a felony under ORS 163.465(2)(b). The state argued that the prior adjudications of guilty except for insanity are such convictions. The trial court granted defendant's motion. The state appeals.
If a defendant has a prior conviction for public indecency, he can be charged with the elevated crime of felony public indecency. ORS 163.465 provides, in part:
"(2)(a) Public indecency is a Class A misdemeanor.
"(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, public indecency is a Class C felony if the person has a prior
convictionfor public indecency * * *."
(Emphasis added.) The question here is whether defendant had such a prior conviction. We must determine whether the legislature intended that a judgment of guilty except for insanity is a conviction under ORS 163.465(2)(b).
There are two generally accepted meanings of the word "conviction."
Depending on the context, a conviction may be either a finding of guilt by plea or verdict
or a final judgment entered on a plea or verdict.
Vasquez v. Courtney, 272 Or 477, 479-80, 537 P2d 536 (1975). We start by applying the rules of statutory construction to
determine the legislature's intended meaning of the word "conviction." PGE v Bureau of
Labor and Industries, 317 Or 606, 610, 859 P2d 1143 (1993). The first level of review is
an examination of both the text and context of the statute in question. Id. at 610-11.
We previously considered the term "conviction" in
State v. Gile, 161 Or
App 146, 985 P2d 199 (1999). At issue there was whether a defendant found guilty of
burglary except for insanity was convicted such that the court could impose a unitary
assessment and attorney fees. We considered the text and context of the statutes in
question, ORS 161.665 and ORS 137.290, to determine whether the guilty except for
insanity determination was a finding of guilt or a final judgment of guilt. Id. at 150-51.
The text and context of both of the statutes demonstrated that the legislature intended
"conviction" to mean a criminal judgment pronouncing sentence and not a finding of
guilty by plea or verdict. Id. at 151.
Here, we undertake the same analysis, beginning with a review of the text and context of ORS 163.465(2)(b). The statute does not define conviction and provides no insight into the meaning of "the term." We next consider the guilty except for insanity statutes, ORS 161.295 to ORS 161.351. While "conviction" is not defined in those statutes we, nonetheless, can determine whether the legislature intended for a judgment of guilty except for insanity to be a conviction.
In
Gile, we stated that this "statutory framework uses the word 'conviction'
only once and then in a context suggesting that the dispositional judgment is not a
criminal judgment imposing a sentence." 161 Or App at 153. Gile--because the statutes in question required a criminal
judgment to be enforced--it is less helpful here because we do not know whether the
intended meaning of "conviction" in ORS 163.465(2)(b) is a final judgment or simply a
finding of guilty.
We turn to the text of ORS 161.325, which governs entry of judgment of guilty except for insanity. It provides:
"(1) After entry of judgment of guilty except for insanity, the court shall, on the basis of the evidence given at the trial or at a separate hearing, if requested by either party, make an order as provided in ORS 161.327 or 161.329, whichever is appropriate.
"(2) If the court makes an order as provided in ORS 161.327, it shall also:
"(a) Determine on the record the offense of which
the person otherwise would have been convicted[.]"
(Emphasis added.) The plain language of this statute tells us that the person was not, in fact, convicted. It therefore follows that, in the absence of being convicted, one cannot have a conviction. In sum, ORS 161.325 provides the contextual clue that when a defendant is guilty except for insanity, there is no conviction.
Defendant's prior adjudications finding him guilty except for insanity of public indecency are not convictions.
Affirmed. | 5,854 | 2,550 | 0.000398 |
warc | 201704 | PUCL, November 2005
16 November 2005 Appeal from the Chhattisgarh Lok Swatantrya Sangathan (PUCL)
Suppression of human rights in Chhattisgarh by the state
-- By Dr Binayak Sen, General Secretary, Chhattisgarh Lok Swatantrya Sangathan (PUCL), and National Vice President, PUCL.
[Dear Friends, The author of the report below is my elder brother, who is a paediatrician and human rights activist with the People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) in Raipur, the capital of the state of Chhattisgarh in east central India. The purpose of this e-mail is to solicit your support in spreading the message here as widely as possible among any of your friends who may be in a position to publicize the violations of ordinary life (never mind civil liberties) that are being inflicted on people in my country by their own government.
If you do a Google on "Salwa Jurum", you are likely to find nothing. This means that there is probably no mention in the Indian media online of the state terrorism that masquerades as a popular anti-Maoist campaign. This is a dangerous situation, not only because the state is apparently at war against its own people, but also because the media are failing to highlight what is happening in the name of anti-terrorism . This perpetuates the illusion that the Maoists are a bunch of marauding anarchists who deserve to be put down with the full force of the state.
Indian democracy is sufficiently vibrant to ensure that we have enough laws to protect the ordinary citizen from the abuse of power by state functionaries and others. But without a sufficiently vigilant press and media that hold the state to account for its failure to obey its own laws, these statutory protections may as well not exist.
The world is just beginning to find out what the complicity and silence of the "free embedded media‰ has led to in Iraq. A similar pervasive media silence is suppressing the widespread distress in the villages and slums of India. Internationally, the corporate media like to project India as the latest economic powerhouse in Asia. The report below is yet another inadequately publicized account of what is happening to the people who are paying the price of this so-called progress.
While the Indian state now seeks the US and Israel as partners in the war on terror, its methods at home have always displayed an uncanny similarity to the methods of these two global paragons of democracy and civilization that have so horrified the world. When virtually the only position that is represented in the media on the issue of Maoism (which was regarded as a spent force by the end of the 70's) is that of the state, the state acts with impunity. As in Iraq, so in India.
In friendship, Gautam Sen]
Appeal from the Chhattisgarh Lok Swatantrya Sangathan (PUCL) regarding ongoing suppression of human rights in Chhattisgarh by the state power.
Chattisgarh Lok Swatantrya Sangathan (PUCL) (A-26 Surya Apartments, Katora Talab, Raipur, C.G. 492001. Ph. (0771-2422875) e mail- sbinayak@gmail.com
Friends,
PUCL Chhattisgarh would like to appeal to all human rights organizations in the country as well as to intellectuals and all democratic forces in the matter of the deterioration of the human rights situation in the state of Chhattisgarh. The situation is fast reaching an explosive point and we request your support and urgent response to this appeal .
In the recent past, the people of Chhattisgarh have faced a continuous onslaught on their human rights through displacement in the wake of several Œdevelopment' projects like dams, factories and express highways, and through the blatant loot of natural resources like forests, minerals, land, water and natural resources. Thermal Power Plants and Sponge Iron factories have destroyed the once pristine environment, and peoples' legitimate protests about such invasive policies have been brutally suppressed. Workers are forced to work in subhuman conditions in the many older and new industries of the region like the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Bharat Aluminium Corpn (BALCO), and Jindal Steel and Power (JSP).In all these industries, there is widespread prevalence of the contractual system, and deaths and injuries in industrial accidents are extremely common.
Land Mafiosi and industrial concerns violate the rights of indigenous communities; ordinary people are victims of malnutrition, police excesses, and shrinking life and livelihood opportunities. In the forest areas, people are also routinely subjected to harrasment, questioning and torture by the CRPF and state police in the name of anti Naxalite operations, and the DK Basu protocol with regard to the norms for arrest and questioning is violated every day.
PUCL Chhattisgarh has been in communication with some of you on many of these issues in the past, and will continue to keep you posted about the situation in Chhattisgarh in the future as well. The objective of the present communication is to acquaint you with the extremely serious situation arising out of the 'mass awakening' campaign being carried out in the Bastar region under the banner of the 'SALWA JURUM',a supposedly spontaneous peoples' uprising against Naxalite violence, and to seek your support in carrying out an investigation about the real nature of this so called peace campaign .
The Salwa Juroom campaign has been underway in Chhattisgarh for the last several months. It has been described as a spontaneous peoples' uprising against Naxalite Violence, and it enjoys the joint patronage of the state government, the state unit of the BJP, the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly, sections of the Congress party, the State Police and the Central Reserve Polkice Force (CRPF). It is officially described as a non-violent peace campaign to put an end to the problem of Naxalism in the state, and is currently being carried out in the Bijapur and Bhairamgarh areas of Dantewara (South Bastar) District. There is talk of extending the campaign to other areas. However, the information and reports coming out of Bastar in recent weeks, raise several concerns about the nature of this campaign and its implications for human rights. We would like to share these concerns with you.
Many of the observations outlined above are in direct contradiction to the proclaimed peaceful, spontaneous and voluntary nature of the Salwa Juroom. It is our perception that the Salwa Juroom 'campaign' needs to be seen in the context of the overall situation of the tribal areas of the state, notably Bastar, including North and South Bastar, Raigarh and Surguja. Many of these areas are extremely rich in mineral and forest wealth, at the same time as the people living in these areas are poor, malnourished, and exploited. One of the stated priorities of the present state of Chhattisgarh is the exploitation of these resources for industrial development and for export.
In the last few years, a sum of over Rs 60 thousand crores (USD 13.3 billion) has been invested for the development of mining and transportation in these areas. In Bastar alone, MOUs for an investment of Rs 17 thousand crores (USD 3.8 billion) have been signed this summer for the proposed Tata and Essar Steel Plants. Many of these development projects are achievable only at the cost of the destruction of tribal livelihood systems and as such tribal resistance is only to be anticipated. As such, the establishment of an 'enabling' environment for these investments, devoid of any resistance, seems also to have become the priority of the government .The deployment of police and other armed personnel in these areas should be interpreted in this perspective. The fact is that for the ordinary person, these forces become major agents of repression, as many earlier reports of Chhattisgarh PUCL have highlighted.
Our Proposal | 7,883 | 3,597 | 0.000279 |
warc | 201704 | How to Use Copper Peptide With Vitamin C?
Copper peptides are ingredients used for skin rejuvenation and remodeling as they help to firm the skin, reduce wrinkles and promote collagen synthesis. Vitamin C is also a popular ingredient found... Read More »
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Copper peptides are lab-synthesized with the express purpose of being applied to the skin. As such, there is no such thing as a food source of copper peptide. However, copper itself (the trace mi... Read More »
http://www.ehow.com/about_5481972_food-source-copper-peptide.html Peptide Copper Cream Remedies?
Worried about premature aging and fine lines? Dermatologists and plastic surgeons have long used copper peptide cream to treat burn wounds and for skin remodeling. But now, researchers believe that... Read More »
http://www.ehow.com/way_5855095_peptide-copper-cream-remedies.html How to Use Copper Peptide Serum to Make Breasts Firmer?
Copper peptide has been shown to heal wounds, erase wrinkles, and improve the appearance and firmness of skin. One area where women have been using copper peptide to increase firmness is on their ... Read More »
http://www.ehow.com/how_4854550_use-serum-make-breasts-firmer.html | 1,304 | 664 | 0.001541 |
warc | 201704 | This page discusses containment theory. It is broken down between external containment (at your customer location) and internal containment (at your facility). In addition, I cover warranty issues and containment.
When your customers experience problems with your parts, they expect you to quickly address the issues. When dealing with these external issues, you need to deal with both your customer's external containment and your internal containment issues. You may find external containment difficult, costly and time consuming. As soon as your customer finds an issue, he immediately thinks more defects will appear. How many parts have this problem? What is the defect rate? Do similar parts have the same problem? How prevalent is this issue?
During your external containment theory analysis, help your customer as much as possible. Provide information without being asked upon. If the customer needs to push you, then you are not taking appropriate action.
If you have excellent traceability, provide the suspect lot numbers to the customer. With these lot numbers your customer can easily segregate the poor parts.
You may have to immediately replace the parts. Issue an RMA (Return Material Authorization) for the suspect parts. Leave the RMA open for other suspect parts. Don’t be cheap and make the customer angrier, pay for the return of the parts. Have the parts Fed Ex to your attention.
If necessary, visit the customer and fix the problem. Do not wait on this decision. The quicker you take action the more satisfied your customer. External defects are costly and you must be willing to spend the money to address the issue.
You may decide to take a part back and repair it at your facility. Once the part arrives then repair it immediately. Remember your customer depends on your parts. Without that unit, your customer’s production could be affected and it could cost them business with their customer.
Or you may visit the customer to help sort the good ones from the bad ones. Why? because you were responsible for shipping the defective product. You are responsible for assuring your customer doesn't use the defective parts. By making them sort the suspect parts, you are angering the customer.
The key to external containment theory is speed. Do not wait to answer customer emails. Do not wait to take action. Do not wait to notify your senior management. Do not wait to do failure analysis. Do not wait to repair the unit.
If this is a safety issue, then bare no expense. If not handle swiftly, these issues quickly lead to lawsuits. Ugly lawsuits can put you out of business.
Don’t forget other customers that received the same material. If Customer X complains then you know customer Y will also complain.
Internal containment is not as costly as external containment. When you find a problem with the product and it does not meet customer requirements then you need to take action. Most likely 100% sorting of the product will be necessary. This prevents the customer from receiving bad product. Do not let known defects escape. Escaping defects lead to external containment. As describe above this is very undesirable.
Internal containment actions start at the end of the process. Then move backwards to the root cause area.
If necessary, issue emergency containment documentation with pictures of the defects. Provide training to the employees on the documentation.
Evaluate similar products. They may have the same problem. Apply the same internal containment theory.
What happens when your customer finds a defect after your written warranty period? If it doesn’t involve a safety issue, then you most likely you are not liable. However, you need to sympathize with your customer. Don’t throw the warranty clause in your customer face and ignore their issue.
Explain the issue to your customer so they better understand the reason behind the warranty. Also let your customer know that their defect information helps you improve your product. Further, let them know you understand the issue and you are working on reducing the defect.
Finally, follow the internal containment theory to assure you are not shipping new product with the same issue.
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Software, Videos, Manuals, Training Material | 4,578 | 1,934 | 0.000523 |
warc | 201704 | Automated Test System Ensures Steel Quality
But Ispat Inland--one of the largest steel companies in the United States--has never been content to simply match such requirements. The company's mill in East Chicago typically produces its steels and steel-alloy products to more stringent standards imposed by its own quality design engineers.
Before the flat rolled coils and bar products are released for shipment, samples from each lot are tensile tested at the company's on-site Quality Control Center. To accommodate the large number of samples that arrive daily from the mill, the QC Center uses a fully automated, mechanical horizontal testing system (MHT) provided by Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Co. Inc. (Willow Grove, PA).
One key feature of the system, in use since 1998, is its robotic handling system. By enabling full automation of the testing process, the robotic system has produced big savings in time and labor, compared to the nonrobotic test systems previously used by the company.
"When you use manually operated machines, you have to do a lot of handling and measuring by hand before you actually pull the specimen apart," notes Roger D. Mikuly, project engineer who oversees materials testing operations at the QC center. "Using manual machines for tensile testing is very labor intensive, and if you are testing for r and n values, it takes a lot of time to calculate the results by hand with paper and pencil."
The automated MHT has a 30,000 pounds of force (150,000 newton) capacity and provides high-resolution, high-elongation testing with a longitudinal extensometer and a transverse extensometer. System components include a laser bar code scanner for specimen identification, a specimen measuring station, and a PC-based data acquisition and control system.
The Tinius Olsen system is itself "put to the test" by the combination of the 400 to 900 samples sent daily from the mill to the QC center, the varieties of steel and the range of testing standards for Ispat Inland's breadth of global customers. Products range from a soft, drawing quality steel up to martensitic 220 kilopounds per square inch (ksi) tensile strength steel. System capabilities include testing according to ASTM, EN, DIN, ISO and JIS test methods, variously required across the mix of customers worldwide.
In operation, the robotic handler moves each specimen, typi-cally 1 by 9 inches with its simple or special test requirements indicated in its barcoding, into the automated MHT for testing against a confirmed standard. The MHT's grips securely hold both ends of the specimen during the two minutes or longer for the sample to be pulled apart. The robotic handler removes the broken pieces and inserts another specimen--while the MHT transmits the test results via local area network to Ispat Inland's mainframe computer for fast analysis and instant release of the product. "The mill knows within a minute after we test a specimen whether it's okay to ship the product," Mikuly points out.
Once the system operator has separated and loaded the specimens into the racks and set the automated MHT into motion, the operator is free to perform other duties. This characteristic lets the mill tap even greater value in the testing system: the MHT is used 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"The robotic system has, in effect, opened up another 'seven-day testing week' for us," Mikuly observes. "Before the second shift is over at 11 p.m., we'll load specimens into the system and let it run tensile tests overnight, without the presence of an operator."
Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Co.
(215) 675-7100 www.tiniusolsen.com | 3,650 | 1,813 | 0.000555 |
warc | 201704 | Published By :
20 Jan 2016 | Published By : QYRESEARCH
The global industrial robotics market is currently progressing at a CAGR of 6.2% between 2014 and 2020. This is a rather optimistic growth rate for a market that has already experienced extremely high levels of development and growth in the past two decades. Back in the nineties, automation was quite the buzzword in major industries, as players slowly began to appreciate the benefits of having industrial robotics helping the manufacturing process. The market was already valued at US$28.93 bn in 2013 and is expected to reach US$44.48 bn. This shows that the global industrial robotics market is still running full steam ahead. But what is the reason for its latest surge in growth? Simply put, it is all the small and medium scale industries around the world.
North America and Europe are not showing as significant a growth rate in the global industrial robotics market as the other regions are, especially Asia Pacific. This region is currently experiencing a high level of industrialization. This, coupled with increasing spending power and the rising costs of labor, have pushed manufacturers and enterprises to employ robotics to get the job done. Previously this was true only for large-scale enterprises as the exceptionally high costs of installation were manageable only by them. However, the advancements in technology have created ample opportunities for small and medium scale enterprises to use their own versions of industrial robotics. This has created a massive rise in demand in the global industrial robotics market from multiple developing economies around the world, most particularly India, China, Japan, and Australia.
It is indeed a great time to be a part of the global industrial robotics market. The International Federation of Robotics have stated high rates of growth between 2010 and 2014. They also predicted that there could be an increase in overall robotic installations in the world by 15% in 205 alone. The IFR also states that there could be an introduction of 1.3 mn new robots into the global industries between 2015 and 2018. This is further emboldened by the recent record set by FANUC Corporation, when they achieved a sale of over 400,000 units, which not only speaks volumes of the position the company is in, but also of the global industrial robotics market in general. | 2,380 | 1,171 | 0.000856 |
warc | 201704 | Vitamin K is an organic exogenous compound required by humans for a vital function in clotting. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is easily depleted and poorly stored, requiring dietary replenishing given that it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of humans and higher mammals. Vitamin K actually refers to not one but a group of fat-soluble (lipophilic, hydrophobic) vitamins that share a common methylated naphthoquinone characteristic chemical structure. There are two naturally occurring forms - vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K3 is a synthetic water-soluble substance that is chemically similar to natural vitamin K but with limited effectiveness.
Research has shown that vitamin K is an anticalcification, anticancer, bone-forming and insulin-sensitising molecule. Recent data indicate that subclinical vitamin K deficiency is not uncommon. Additionally, vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin may cause detrimental side effects.
Since it is involved in blood coagulation, deficiency can cause easy
bruising. The
primary form in the diet is
phylloquinone, which is found
mostly in green leafy vegetables, but also in cheese, liver, coffee, and
green tea. Insufficient intakes of vitamin K are not uncommon in the US
and h cause problems of blood coagulation in
human. Phytonadione is another effective form of vitamin K. Phytonadione
is used to treat vitamin K deficiency and to treat certain bleeding or
blood clotting problems.
Vitamin K is getting more attention as a potential treatment for osteoporosis. Early research suggested that low vitamin K status is associated with low bone mass and an increased risk of fracture in elderly patients. Clinical research then began to develop showing that taking certain vitamin K supplements might also improve bone mineral density in some patients. Studies regarding the role of vitamin K supplementation on bone mineral density and decrease fracture risk in at-risk patients have shown mixed results. There are several forms of vitamin K. Vitamin K is a family of structurally similar, fat-soluble, 2-methyl-l,4-naphthoquinones, including phylloquinone (K1), menaquinones (K2), and menadione (K3). Researchers have mainly focused on vitamin K2 (menaquinone) but it is not easy to know which form, or phytonadione, is best for overall health. Buy Vitamin K (phytonadione) on sale
Buy Vitamin K supplement on sale or subscribe to a free newsletter on nutritional healing
Vitamin K in food Substances with vitamin K activity were originally identified in green leafy vegetables, spinach, Swiss chard, hemp seeds, liver and fish meal. These substances were found to have anti bleeding activity and their collective name was derived from koagulation, the German word for clotting. There are two common forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone (vitamin K1) is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and comprises about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a normal Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), make up the rest. Vitamin K2 are found in some fermented foods such as cheese or natto, and can be also be made in the gut by bacteria. Function
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, present in plants as phylloquinone and
produced by bacteria as menaquinone. It is is a co-factor for gamma-glutamyl
carboxylase. This enzyme is responsible for post-translational modification of
some glutamate side chains to gamma-carboxyglutamate. The majority of gamma-carboxylated
proteins function in blood coagulation; others play a role in calcium
homeostasis.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013. Vitamin K metabolism: Current knowledge and future research. This essential fat-soluble micronutrient is required for the post-translational γ-carboxylation of specific glutamic acid residues in liver and extra-hepatic proteins involved in blood coagulation and preventing cartilage and vasculature calcification. In humans, sources of vitamin K are derived from plants as phylloquinone and bacteria as the menaquinones. Menadione is a synthetic product used as a pharmaceutical but also represents an intermediate in the tissue-specific conversion of vitamin K to menaquinone-4, which preferentially resides in tissues such as brain. Research into its metabolism is essential for the understanding of vitamin K biology in health and disease. Progress in this area, driven by knowledge of vitamin K and the availability of markers of vitamin K status, has already proved beneficial in many areas of medicine. Areas of interest discussed in this review include prophylactic administration of vitamin K1 in term and preterm neonates, interactions between vitamins K and E, the industrial conversion of vitamin K to dihydro-vitamin K in foods, tissue-specific conversion of vitamin K to menaquinone-4, the biological activity of the five and seven carbon metabolites of vitamin K and circadian variations.
Lower risk for cancer
Dr. Jakob Linseisin at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg reports individuals with higher intakes of vitamin K from food are less likely to develop or die of cancer, particularly lung or prostate cancers, than those who eat relatively few vitamin-K- containing foods. Dr. Jakob Linseisin says more studies are needed to clarify this finding. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010.
Chemical Structure
Vitamin K is a group name for a number of related compounds, which have in common a methylated naphthoquinone ring structure, and which vary in the aliphatic side chain attached at the 3-position. Phylloquinone contains in its side chain four isoprenid residues one of which is unsaturated. Menaquinones have side chains composed of a variable number of unsaturated isoprenoid residues. It is generally accepted that the naphthoquinone is the functional group, so that the mechanism of action is similar for all K-vitamins. Substantial differences may be expected, however, with respect to intestinal absorption, transport, tissue distribution, and bio-availability. These differences are caused by the different lipophilicity of the various side chains, and by the different food matrices in which they occur. Requirement Minimum daily requirements of vitamin K have not been fully evaluated. Adults may need about 50 to 100 mcg a day which can be obtained through diet. Studies have been done using much, much higher dosage of vitamin K, up to 45 mg a day. For long term supplementation, a daily dose in the range of 50 to 500 micrograms should be sufficient in those who are interested in using vitamin K supplements for bone strength. However, there should be a good reason to use this supplement. If there is no medical reason to take vitamin K, then there is no point in supplementation.
I read online that in the U.S., the recommended daily
intake for vitamin K, in all forms, is 120 micrograms for men and 90 micrograms
for women. Is this right?
This is also my understanding. It is difficult to know exactly how much is best, but a range of 60 to 150 mcg is reasonable.
Physiology
Vitamin K is involved in the carboxylation of certain glutamate residues in proteins to form gamma-carboxyglutamate residues (abbreviated Gla-residues). Gla-residues are usually involved in binding calcium. The Gla-residues are essential for the biological activity of all known Gla-proteins. At this time fewer than 12 human Gla-proteins have been discovered, and they play key roles in the regulation of three physiological processes: blood coagulation (prothrombin (factor II), factors VII, IX, X, protein C, protein S and protein Z) bone metabolism vascular biology.
Phylloquinone (K1) and menaquinone 4 (MK-4) and 7
(MK-7) are generally observed in human plasma.
Role in disease Vitamin K-deficiency may occur by disturbed intestinal uptake (such as would occur in a bile duct obstruction), by therapeutic or accidental intake of vitamin K-antagonists or, very rarely, by nutritional vitamin K-deficiency. As a result of the acquired vitamin K-deficiency, Gla-residues are not or incompletely formed and hence the Gla-proteins are inactive. Lack of control of the three processes mentioned above may lead to the following: risk of uncontrolled and massive bleeding, cartilage calcification and severe malformation of developing bone, or deposition of insoluble calcium salts in the arterial vessel walls.
Aging
Ensuring optimal dietary intakes of vitamin K may help prevent age-related conditions such as bone fragility and heart disease. Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute scientists Joyce McCann and Bruce Ames analyzed data from hundreds of published articles dating back to the 1970s designed to test Ames' "triage" theory that provides a new basis for determining the optimum intake of individual vitamins and minerals. The analysis supports recommendations by some experts that non-clotting functions requiring vitamin K may need higher intakes than are currently recommended. Vitamin K is known as the "Koagulation" vitamin because about half of the 16 known proteins that depend on vitamin K are necessary for blood coagulation. The other vitamin K-dependent proteins are involved in a variety of different functions involving the skeletal, arterial, and immune systems, the researchers said.
Vitamin K and cancer
Some rodent and laboratory studies have indicated that it may have anti cancer activity. However I am not familiar with any human studies where oral vitamin K supplements have led this vitamin to effectively prevent, treat, or cure cancer.
Preventive effects of vitamin K on recurrent disease in
patients with hepatocellular carcinoma arising from hepatitis C viral infection.
J Gastroenterol Hepatology. 2007. In this study, the chemopreventive effects of vitamin K2 on the recurrence and survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after curative therapy were evaluated. Sixty patients who were diagnosed to be free of hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation therapy or surgery were randomly assigned to either the vitamin K2 group or the control group. All patients were positive for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody and hepatitis B surface antigen positive patients were excluded from this study. Patients in the vitamin K2 group received an oral dose of menatetrenone at 45 mg per day. Vitamin K2 may have a suppressive effect on the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and a beneficial effect on tumor recurrence. However, there was no significant difference in the survival rates. The chemopreventive effects of vitamin K2 are not sufficient. The development of a further regimen such as combination therapy is required.
Dietary intake of vitamin K and risk of prostate cancer
in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into
Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg).Am J Clin Nutr. 2008. Division of Cancer
Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany.
We evaluated the association between dietary intake of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and menaquinones (vitamin K2) and total and advanced prostate cancer in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. DESIGN: At baseline, habitual dietary intake was assessed by means of a food-frequency questionnaire. Dietary intake of phylloquinone and menaquinones (MK-4-14) was estimated by using previously published HPLC-based food-content data. During a mean follow-up time of 8.6 y, 268 incident cases of prostate cancer, including 113 advanced cases, were identified. We observed a nonsignificant inverse association between total prostate cancer and total menaquinone intake. The association was stronger for advanced prostate cancer. Menaquinones from dairy products had a stronger inverse association with advanced prostate cancer than did menaquinones from meat. Phylloquinone intake was unrelated to prostate cancer incidence. Our results suggest an inverse association between the intake of menaquinones, but not that of phylloquinone, and prostate cancer. Further studies of dietary vitamin K and prostate cancer are warranted. Osteoporosis, loss of bone tissue Vitamin K deficiency is associated with low bone mineral density and increased risk of bone fracture. Whether vitamin K supplements help those with osteoporosis is yet to be determined. There is no consensus in the medical establishment whether vitamin K supplements offer benefits for osteoporosis beyond what calcium, vitamin D, and exercise would provide. No firm answers can be given as the benefits versus risks of taking vitamin K supplements for osteoporosis, and the ideal dosages are still being evaluated.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2014. The association between vitamin K status and knee osteoarthritis features in older adults: The Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins, including the mineralization inhibitor matrix-gla protein (MGP), are found in joint tissues including cartilage and bone. Previous studies suggest low vitamin K status is associated with higher osteoarthritis (OA) prevalence and incidence. Community-dwelling men and women with very low plasma PK were more likely to have progression of articular cartilage and meniscus damage.
J Clin Densitom. 2013. Vitamin K and bone health. tVitamin K has been purported to play an important role in bone health. It is required for the gamma-carboxylation of osteocalcin (the most abundant noncollagenous protein in bone), making osteocalcin functional. There are 2 main forms (vitamin K1 and vitamin K2), and they come from different sources and have different biological activities. Epidemiologic studies suggest a diet high in vitamin K is associated with a lower risk of hip fractures in aging men and women. However, randomized controlled trials of vitamin K1 or K2 supplementation in white populations did not increase bone mineral density at major skeletal sites. Supplementation with vitamin K1 and K2 may reduce the risk of fractures, but the trials that examined fractures as an outcome have methodological limitations. Large well-designed trials are needed to compare the efficacies of vitamin K1 and K2 on fractures. We conclude that currently there is not enough evidence to recommend the routine use of vitamin K supplements for the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures in postmenopausal women.
Effect of Vitamin K Supplementation on Bone Loss in
Elderly Men and Women.
J Clin Endocrinology Metabolism. 2008. USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of three-year vitamin K supplementation on change in bone mineral density of the femoral neck bone in older men and women who were calcium and vitamin D-replete. In this three year, double-blind, controlled trial, 452 men and women (60-80 y) were randomized equally to receive a multivitamin that contained either 500 microg/d or no vitamin K phylloquinone, plus a daily calcium (600 mg elemental calcium) and vitamin D 400 IU supplement. There were no differences in changes in bone mineral density measurements at any of the anatomical sites measured between the two groups. The group that received the vitamin K phylloquinone supplement had significantly higher phylloquinone and significantly lower % undercarboxylated osteocalcin concentrations compared to the group that did not receive phylloquinone. No other biochemical measures differed between the two groups. Vitamin K Phylloquinone supplementation in a dose attainable in the diet does not confer any additional benefit for bone health at the spine or hip when taken with recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
Effect of phylloquinone supplementation on biochemical
markers of vitamin K status and bone turnover in postmenopausal women.
Br J Nutr. 2007. Department of Human Nutrition/Centre for Advanced Food Studies, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Rolighedsvej 30, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. While current intakes of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) in many populations are believed to be sufficient to maintain normal blood coagulation, these may be insufficient to cover the requirements for optimal bone metabolism. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of increasing phylloquinone intakes above the usual dietary intake for 6 weeks on biochemical markers of vitamin K status and bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Thirty-one postmenopausal women completed this 3 x 6-week randomised cross-over study, in which volunteers were supplemented with 0 (placebo), 200, and 500 micrograms phylloquinone per day. In addition, the volunteers were given 10 microg vitamin D3/d throughout the study period. With increasing phylloquinone intake, the concentration of serum gamma-carboxylated and under-gamma-carboxylated osteocalcin was significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. Mean serum phylloquinone concentration was significantly higher with daily supplementation with 500 microgram vitamin K1 compared with that during either of the placebo or 200 microg phylloquinone/d supplementation periods, which did not differ. Serum total osteocalcin was significantly increased in response to daily supplementation with 500 (but not 200) microgragrams vitamin K1 compared with placebo. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase as well as the urinary markers of bone resorption (N-telopeptide cross-links of collagen, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline) and urinary gamma-carboxyglutamate were unaffected by phylloquinone supplementation. In conclusion, while daily supplementation with 200 and 500 microg vitamin K1 per day for 6 weeks increased vitamin K status in postmenopausal women, it had no effect on bone turnover. Vitamin K and Osteoarthritis There appears to be an association between low blood levels and an increased prevalence of hand and knee osteoarthritis. In one study, the lower the levels of vitamin K in the blood, the higher the prevalence of osteoarthritis. Patients with the lowest phylloquinone plasma levels are also the ones whose x-rays most often revealed the presence of large osteophytes, or "bone spurs" -- small outgrowths of the bone common in arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism April 2006.
Vascular conditions
Vitamin K and vascular calcifications. Acta Physiol Hung. 2010 Sep; Fodor D, Albu A, Poantă L, Porojan M. University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Internal Medicine, Clinic Iuliu Hatieganu, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The role of vitamin K in the synthesis of some coagulation factors is well known. The implication of vitamin K in vascular health was demonstrated in many surveys and studies conducted over the past years on the vitamin K-dependent proteins non-involved in coagulation processes. The vitamin K-dependent matrix Gla protein is a potent inhibitor of the arterial calcification, and may become a non-invasive biochemical marker for vascular calcification. Vitamin K(2) is considered to be more important for vascular system, Vitamin K, Warfarin and oral
anticoagulants Vitamin K is an essential co-factor for the synthesis of several coagulation factors. Oral anticoagulants competitively inhibit enzymes that participate in vitamin K metabolism. Vitamin K intake of more than 250 mcg/day decreases warfarin sensitivity in anticoagulated patients consuming regular diets. For each increase in 100 mcg of vitamin K intake, the INR may be reduced by 0.2. Some over-the-counter multivitamin supplements contain enough vitamin K1 to significantly alter coagulation parameters. The long-term use of warfarin, known as the product name Coumadin, a drug commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots, appears to increase the risk of fractures associated with osteoporosis, a bone-thinning condition that usually increased with age. Warfarin prevents coagulation by blocking vitamin K, which is needed to activate certain clotting factors. Because vitamin K is also used to activate proteins involved in bone formation, drugs like warfarin may increase the risk of fractures. A dose of 1-2.5mg of oral phytomenadione ( vitamin K1 ), reduces the range of INR from 5.0-9.0 to 2.0-5.0 within 24-48 hours in those who have had excess anticoagulation. However, I suggest you also review the study below:
Although it is safe, low-dose vitamin K used to treat warfarin recipients with high INRs (international normalized ratios) does not reduce episodes of bleeding. "Our results support the practice of treating patients with INRs between 4.5 and 10.0 with simple warfarin therapy withdrawal and reinstitution once the INR has decreased into the desired range," says Dr. Mark A Crowther, at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The investigators note that warfarin's dose-response characteristics are highly unpredictable, frequently leading to elevated INRs and increased risk for bleeding, particularly intracranial bleeding. They studied the effects of oral vitamin K on clinical outcomes in over-anticoagulated patients with INRs between 4.5 and 10. The subjects were instructed to withhold warfarin for 1 day and were randomly assigned to vitamin K 1.25 mg or to placebo. The day after treatment, mean INR had decreased significantly more in the vitamin K group than the placebo group. However, there were no significant differences in the percentages of patients who had at least one bleeding complication within 7 days (8% in the vitamin K group vs 9% in the placebo group) or within 90 days (15% vs 16%). There were also no significant differences in 90-day rates of thromboembolism or death. Similarly, the number of patients experiencing a major bleeding event -- defined as fatal bleeding, bleeding requiring therapeutic intervention or transfusion of 2 or more units of red blood cells, or objectively confirmed bleeding into an enclosed space -- was similar in the two groups at day 90 (2.5% treated with vitamin K vs 1.1% treated with placebo). Dr. Crowther's team cautions that their findings "should not be applied to patients who present with active bleeding, those who require acute normalization of their INR (because of imminent surgery, for example), or those with INRs greater than 10.0." Ann Intern Med 2009.
Drug interactions
Vitamin K may enhance the effects of the cancer drug Nexavar, which may allow patients to take lower, less-toxic doses. Combining vitamin K with the cancer pill Nexavar, or sorafenib, sold by Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc and German drugmaker Bayer AG helped it kill liver and pancreatic cancer in human cell cultures. Nexavar is approved for use in liver kidney cancer and is being tested for an array of other cancers, including melanoma, lung and breast cancer. Combining the drug with vitamin K may help patients avoid hand-foot syndrome, a common side effect of Nexavar that affects about 20 percent of patients. Vitamin K1 also enhanced the effects of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma or primary liver cancer.
Research
Vitamins K2, K3 and K5 exert in vivo antitumor effects on hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the expression of G1 phase-related cell cycle molecules. nt J Oncol. 2005. A number of studies have shown that various vitamins K, specifically vitamin K2, possessed antitumor activity on various types of rodent- and human-derived neoplastic cell lines. However, there are only a small number of reports demonstrating in vivo antitumor effects of vitamins K. Furthermore, the mechanism of antitumor effects of vitamins K still remains to be examined. In the present study, we examined the antitumor effects of vitamins K2, K3 and K5 on PLC/PRF/5 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vivo. Furthermore, to examine the mechanism of antitumor actions of these vitamins K, mRNA expression levels of various G1 phase-related cell cycle molecules were evaluated by using a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. HCC-bearing animals were produced by implanting PLC/PRF/5 cells subcutaneously into athymic nude mice, and drinking water containing vitamin K2, K3 or K5 was given to the animals. Treatments with vitamins K2, K3 and K5 were shown to markedly inhibit the growth of HCC tumors. To examine the mechanism of in vivo antitumor effects of vitamins K, total RNA was extracted from HCC tumors, and the expression of G1 phase-related cell cycle molecules was quantitatively examined. Real-time RT-PCR demonstrated that the expression of the cell cycle-driving molecule, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4), in HCC was significantly reduced by the treatments with vitamin K2, K3 and K5. Conversely, the expression of the cell cycle-suppressing molecules, Cdk inhibitor p16INK4a and retinoblastoma, in HCC was significantly enhanced by the treatments with vitamins K2, K3 and K5. These results indicate that vitamins K2, K3 and K5 exert antitumor effects on HCC by regulating the expression of G1 phase-related cell cycle molecules. These results also indicate that vitamins K2, K3 and K5 may be useful agents for the treatment of patients with liver cancer.
Pleiotropic actions of vitamin K: protector of bone
health and beyond?
Nutrition. 2006. Kaneki M, Hosoi T, Ouchi Y, Orimo H. Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Vitamin K is a nutrient that was originally identified as an essential factor for blood coagulation. Recently, vitamin K has emerged as a potential protector against osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, and hepatocarcinoma. Accumulated evidence indicates that subclinical non-hemostatic vitamin K deficiency in extrahepatic tissues, particularly in bone and possibly in vasculature, exists widely in the otherwise healthy adult population. Vitamins K1 and K2 have been shown to exert protective effects against osteoporosis. Increasing evidence implicates a role for vitamin K in calcification of arteries and atherogenesis. Most of the new biological functions of vitamin K in bone, vasculature, and hepatoma cells are considered attributable to promotion of gamma-carboxylation of glutamic acid residues in vitamin K-dependent proteins, which is shared by vitamins K1 and K2.
Phase I trial of menadiol diphosphate (vitamin K3) in
advanced malignancy.
Invest New Drugs. 2005. Lim D, Morgan RJ Jr, Akman S, Margolin K, Carr BI, Leong L, Odujinrin O, Doroshow JH. Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA Based on the activity of menadione (M) in the human tumor stem cell assay, we conducted a phase I trial of M in patients with advanced cancer. Forty patients (19 men, 21 women) were treated with 90 courses of M; 82 treatment courses are evaluable for toxicity. No objective partial or complete responses were observed. Solanesol is an intermediate in the metabolism of vitamin K2 Questions Q. Was just wondering about vitamin K supplement and how it would help cure cancer? Your research is very important and very helpful, have emailed your web page to all my friends so they to can learn. A very very nice web site. My sister is a RN and she says U know what your talking about. So I'm convinced so far. A. Thank you. We work hard to maintain our site. Some rodent and laboratory studies have indicated that Vitamin K may have anti cancer activity. However we are not familiar with any human studies where oral vitamin K supplements have led this vitamin to effectively prevent, treat, or cure cancer.
Q. Hi. I'm 68 - exercise a lot and recently I take 500
mcg vitamin k a day. I've had a small calcified heart valve for a number of year
but it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. I had the ultrasound of my heart a
couple of years ago and was told I had the ejection rate of my tech who was 45
at the time. I used to have very thin blood and a low platelet count - lots of
nose bleeds in the morning and high blood pressure. Would regular vitamin k
supplements reduce or remove the calcium / cholesterol deposit in my aorta. I've
read vitamin K prevents the formation - would it remove them. Also my 56 year
old wife has an increasing number of calcium deposits in her breasts each year.
Would vitamin k prevent those or remove them.
A. It is unlikely that a vitamin K supplement would remove calcium deposits.
Q. My husband is on Coumadin for a short while as he
recovers from knee replacement surgery. His doctor said avoid anything with
vitamin K. Does saw palmetto have vitamin K in it? He needs the help with the
prostate gland function.
A. Saw palmetto herb does not have vitamin K.
Q. Being 62, I am wanting to make sure I take
supplements needed for prevention of osteoporosis. The bottle I have is called
Osteo Support by Douglas Labs and contains 150 mcg of Vitamin K per dose. My
concern is that being of the age for possible strokes, does taking Vitamin K
influence stroke incidence?
A. This is a difficult question to answer since one has to weigh the benefits of vitamin K supplementation versus the risk for stroke. Much depends on an individual person's risk factors for stroke and their clotting or bleeding tendencies. Some people clot too easily, others have a tendency to have very thin blood. One has to also consider whether vitamin K is necessary for osteoporosis prevention when there are other supplements that are quite effective. We have not seen much research to determine if taking vitamin K supplements has a measurable effect on increasing stroke risk. It is difficult to predict the benefits versus risks of vitamin K supplementation and to determine which option is better. Also, a stroke can occur either from a blood clot, which is more common, or bleeding into the brain, which is less common.
Q. I have read about the use in Japan of mk-7 vitamin
k-2 for
osteoporosis. All the research I've read says that 43 milligrams was
the dosage used yet the makers of menaquinone 7 say that 43
micrograms is the correct dosage. I'm confused about this. Have you any
clarifying information? I've found a supplement that has 90 mcg
of mk-7.
Thank you for all your work, for your newsletter and for your
supplements.
A. The full benefits and risks of vitamin K supplementation have not been fully established. Adults need about 50 to 100 micrograms a day through diet. Some research studies have used up to 40 to 50 mg a day of vitamin K, but this does not mean that it would be appropriate to use these high dosages for prolonged periods. The role of vitamin K in terms of osteoporosis help is still being evaluated and there is no consensus in the medical establishment whether vitamin K supplements offer benefits for osteoporosis beyond what calcium, vitamin D, and exercise would provide. As of April 2009 no firm answers can be given as the benefits versus risks of taking vitamin K supplements and the ideal dosages are still being evaluated.
Q. I was reading the information on your website
regarding the benefits of vitamin K. I recently had a blood test that showed I
have low blood platelets. My number is 118 and the lowest number on the scale is
140. My doctor was concerned and wanted to refer me to a specialist. I told her
that I wasn't interested in that right now, that instead wanted to research and
find out what I could do about this and get my blood retested in several weeks.
She agreed. My question is, would a vitamin K deficiency be a possible cause of
low blood platelets? I do muscle testing and after testing myself found my body
to be low in vitamin K. This is at the same timeframe as the blood test. I am
trying to determine the cause of my body having low platelets as this is the
first time that this has showed up. My doctor did a finger prick in her office
yesterday to retest my platelets and on this test it showed them to be 109.
A. Vitamin K deficiency is not associated with low platelet levels. There are many causes for low platelets that your doctor is likely to look into over time.
Q. Dutch studies have shown that vitamin K2 is needed
to guide Calcium into the right places in our bodies, otherwise calcium is
deposited on soft tissue ranging from arteries to to heart valves. My wife had
calcium deposits on her heart valve as found by heart murmur. After she was on
vitamin K2 for six months, her heart murmur went away. The deposit on the heart
valve was established by ultrasound and tracer ( Tc) radiography by her
cardiologist. This suggests before we take high calcium supplements, make sure
you have enough vitamin K2.
A. One case report is interesting but not conclusive. We will await studies regarding the role of vitamin K supplements and heart valve calcification.
Q. Vitamin K-2 is said to aid in strengthening bones,
and small doses are said not cause blood clotting. So why is it typically
removed from nattokinase
supplements, when the two together might be a healthier supplement? A. There are few long term human studies regarding the benefits of vitamin K as a supplement for bone health. Most people get enough vitamin K in their diet. Nattokinase is used as a blood thinning agent and it makes no sense to have vitamin K with the possibility that it may cause better clotting.
Q. I understand that vitamin K helps clotting while the enzyme nattokinase is a
blood thinner, is that true?
A. Yes, nattokinase enzyme has blood-thinning potential while vitamin K helps clotting. I find it very confusing to say that vitamin K helps clotting blood even though this is what the encyclopedia or dictionary says. My understanding is that K1 (man-made or from leafy greens) is responsible for blood clotting. However, K2 is different. Both MK4 and MK7 are grouped under K2. MK7 and nattokinase are the end products of the fermentation of natto beans. Both have fibrinolysis effects. So, MK7 which is also vitamin K is an anticoagulant agent. I don't know if MK4 (from tobacco leaves) is anticoagulant or not. I don't know about K3 either. Please help me sort this out and correct me if I am wrong. So far I have not found a person who can help me sort out vitamin K properties. As far as I know, any form of vitamin K is removed from nattokinase. I have not studied this topic in enough detail to know all the intricacies, perhaps an expert on this topic can email me with their insight.
I found your site interesting and informative and wanted to share what I consider the next up-and-coming superstar: vitamin K2! Please look into this vital, fat-soluble nutrient that is largely insufficient in our population. It appears that insufficiency of K2, along with D insufficiency and various other co-factors for calcium usage, has set us up for everything from osteoporosis, kidney stones, dementia, arthritis, and CVD.
Does Barley Grass powder supplement contain Vitamin K?
If so, how much per serving? What about Wheat Grass power supplement?
These products do contain vitamin K but each batch has to be analyzed individually to determine how much is present. The amount may depend on various factors including how the plants were grown, the soil, and various steps in the processing of the product to make it a supplement.
I really enjoy your website. Please let me know if the
use of Vitamin K2 will negate the beneficial effect of Plavix.
Although K2 and Plavix may influence different parts of blood clotting, it is difficult to say what the interaction would be or what conflict would occur when both are taken. I have not seen such studies with this combination.
My specific question is about vitamin K. I keep going
back and forth on this, don't believe I'm deficient, but have continually been
brought back to taking it a few times a week due to what I read. I am aware that
it is a coagulant, and have questions on it's safety. Though I do take a few
other supplements that I understand are thinners. I'm inclined to stop it
completely.
Most people do not need to take this vitamin, but your doctor would have to make the final decision.
I was wondering if you have any information about
Vitamin K2 MK 7 and MK 4 to be precise. A lot of claims are being made all over
the internet. Are any of these claims valid? And which form of K2 would be best
to supplement MK 7, MK 4, or both?
As of December 2009, there is not enough research to know the effectiveness of this vitamin for long term use and which form is best.
I would very much like to hear your opinion on
something. Can taking a large dose of Vitamin D with a Vitamin K component
contribute to a blood clot, or DVT? Specifically, 5,000 IU of Vitamin D per day
with 80 mcg of Vitamin K included, over a period of 8 months.
It is very difficult to predict these kinds of scenarios since so much depends on each person's intrinsic blood clotting or thinning potential along with food, spice and drink consumption, activity level, sleep, hormone status, other medications or supplements used, alcohol consumption, etc.
Do you have an opinion on taking vitamin K to reduce
the chance of untoward effects from relatively high levels (e.g., 5,000IU or
more) vitamin D supplementation? My integrative physician advocates this
approach, as does the Life Extension Foundation, but I'm unclear on the quality
of the evidence for this approach.
I have not seen such studies and do not see the rational for it. I am not ready yet to recommend the widespread intake of vitamin D greater than 2 or 3 thousand units a day until long term studies are published.
I was reading an article you had written and you had
stated that you believed that k1, k2 mk4 and mk7 all can be derived from Natto.
Natto has some of the highest mk7, but almost no mk4. Goose liver has some of
the highest mk4, but little else does. So to get a 45 mg per day dosage of mk4,
you would need to eat a large amount of goose liver or get a supplement that
contains that amount but not from Natto.
A. I have not seen enough data yet on this topic to know for certain, but I will keep an eye out on such research.
Q. Can I use nattokinase together with K2. Both seem to
work against each other?
A. I do not see a medication condition where nattokinase needs to be taken together with vitamin K. Press release received in 2007
The Active Form of K2 With the Highest Bioavailability. Vitamk7, exclusively
produced by Gnosis, is natural vitamin K2 as pure menaquinone 7 (MK7). Vitamk7
as MK7 is the MOST ACTIVE of K2 with THE HIGHEST BIOAVAILABILITY. Gnosis, an
advanced biotechnology company, has conducted clinical studies for Vitamk7
demonstrating its unique properties. Vitamk7 has been shown to be involved in
calcium uptake and bone mineralization through the gamma carboxylation pathway
which reduces the incidence of arterial calcification. In addition, clinical
human studies with vitamin K2 carried out by Prof Gian Paolo Littarru, Ph.D,
(Institute of Biochemistry Polytechnic University of the Marche), president of
the International Coenzyme Q10 Association, have shown it to reduce the
incidence of coronary heart disease and promote cardiovascular health.
Advantages of Vitamk7 include:
Press release March 2010
MenaQ7, the natural vitamin K2 for better heart and bone health. MenaQ7 from NattoPharma helps keep calcium in your bones and out of your arteries by activating relevant proteins in your body. NattoPharma and MenaQ7 have a strong position in the market and is by far the leading vitamin K2 brand, based on a superior quality product and numerous clinical studies. NattoPharma will through a series of newsletters communicate to you the benefits of this innovative product so that you will understand how this can fit into your portfolio. In this first issue we will provide you with an introduction to MenaQ7, the natural vitamin K2 (MK-7). Other products available online
Supplement Facts
Serving Size:
1 Veg Capsule
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value Vitamin C (from Ascorbyl Palmitate) 2 mg 3% Vitamin K2 (as Menaquinone-7) (MK-7) (from Non-GMO Natto)
Buy Vitamin K supplement high quality
Nature's Life, K-2, Menatetrenone, 5,000 mcg, 60 Tablets
Now Foods, Vitamin D-3 & K-2, Liposomal Spray, 2 fl oz (60 m/) | 40,348 | 15,795 | 0.000064 |
warc | 201704 | Grass Cycling
Many people believe that you must remove all of the grass clippings from the lawn after mowing but this is not the case. Grass clippings can be used to provide a good source of nutrients that will improve the quality of the lawn. Leaving clippings on the lawn also slows down water loss and reduces the need to use chemical fertilizer on the lawn.
Grass clippings decompose quickly with the clippings from an ordinary mower being small enough to decompose within a couple of weeks. You do not need a specialized mulching mower for grass cycling.
Just leave a light covering of grass clippings on the lawn and let nature do the rest.
Tips for grass cycling. Mow the lawn when the grass is dry. Set the mower height to about three inches above the ground so that you are only cutting off the top third of the grass. Continuous mowing at 2 inches or lower tends to weaken the turf and increase pest and other problems Mow your lawn regularly so that the grass clippings are small and will decompose quickly. How often you need to cut the lawn will depend on the time of year and the weather. In the cool, rainy months of April, May and June the lawn will grow rapidly and you will need to cut the lawn on a weekly basis. In the hotter months of July and August the warm temperatures restrict growth of the grass so the lawn will only need to be mowed every 2-3 weeks. By mid-september and throughout the fall the grass will grow rapidly once more and you will find you need to cut the lawn more frequently again. | 1,529 | 751 | 0.001337 |
warc | 201704 | March 1, 2010 Chile Quake Occurred In Zone Of ‘Increased Stress’
The massive, 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile Feb. 27 occurred in an offshore zone that was under increased stress caused by a 1960 quake of magnitude 9.5, according to geologist Jian Lin of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
The earthquake, some 300-500 times more powerful than the magnitude 7.0 quake in Haiti Jan. 12, ruptured at the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. The temblor was triggered when the "subducting" Nazca plate was thrust under the South American plate, uplifting a large patch of the seafloor and prompting tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific Ocean. The two plates are converging at a rate of 80 mm per year, says Lin, "which is one of the fastest rates on Earth."Lin and colleague Ross S. Stein of the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Ca., have studied the region extensively, and alerted the scientific community to a build up of stress along the interface of the two plates in a 2004 paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
"In 2004, we calculated that the 1960 magnitude 9.5 earthquake has caused large stress increase on both the northern and southern ends of its rupture," said Lin. That quake, centered a few hundred kilometers south of Saturday's earthquake, was the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world. It killed 1,655 people in southern Chile and unleashed a tsunami that crossed the Pacific, killing 61 people in Hawaii and 185 in Japan. Saturday's "quake picked up where the 1960 rupture ended in the north," Lin said.
"This story is quite similar to the Dec. 26, 2004 magnitude-9.0 Sumatra earthquake, which was followed by a magnitude 8.7 quake on its southern end on 28 March 2005," he said. "The only difference is that it took 50 years for the northern neighboring section of the 1960 [Chile] earthquake to rupture, while it took only 3 months for the southern adjacent segment to rupture in Sumatra.
"We do not yet have good enough science to say why one place took only 3 months and another took 50 years. But even 50 years is short enough [to fall within] in a person's lifetime. Thus, we should consider the earthquake interaction possibilities seriously."
In Haiti, Lin point out that and others have calculated that the Jan. 12 rupture has heightened stress further east along the Enriquillo Fault, thereby increasing chances of a quake in that region, which "comes within five kilometers of Port-au-Prince," he said.
The latest Chile quake, which had killed more than 700 people as of March 1, was centered some 65 miles west-southwest of Talca, Chile, about 21.7 miles below the ocean's surface, "relatively shallow for a subduction quake," said Lin. It struck about 200 miles southwest of Santiago, the country's capitol. Saturday's earthquake had a "much longer" rupture zone"”500-600 km"”than that of the Haiti quake"”35-50 km, Lin said.
"So why was the Haiti quake so much more catastrophic than the Chile quake?" he asked.
"First, as a nation, Chile is much better prepared for earthquakes than Haiti. People in Chile today still remember the pain of the 1960 quake," Lin said. In addition, coastal Chile has a history of other very large earthquakes. Since 1973, there have been 13 events of magnitude 7.0 or greater. Approximately 870 km to the north of the Feb. 27 earthquake is the source region of the magnitude 8.5 earthquake of November 1922. That great quake significantly killed several hundred people and caused severe property damage. The 1922 quake generated a 9-meter local tsunami that inundated the Chile coast near the town of Coquimbo; the tsunami also crossed the Pacific, washing away boats in Hilo harbor, Hawaii.
"In contrast, the last catastrophic earthquake in Haiti was 240 years ago," Lin said, "and thus few people were aware of a string of "Ëearthquake bombs' lying next to Port-au-Prince until Jan. 12.
"Second," he said, "the economy of Chile is much better than that of Haiti. Thus, building codes are better developed and enforced in Chile. The contrasts between the aftermaths of the Chile and Haiti quakes reminded us, once again, that "Ëearthquakes do not kill people, buildings do.'"
The Chile temblor dispatched tsunami waves onshore to Chile and across the Pacific Ocean toward Hawaii and the west coast of the US mainland, primarily California, and experts warned that tsunami waves were likely to hit Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of the earthquake. Waves 6 feet (1.8 meters) above normal hit Talcahuano near Concepcion 23 minutes after the quake, and President Michelle Bachelet said a huge wave swept into a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles (660 kilometers) off the Chilean coast. There were no immediate reports of major damage from the waves.
Though the predicted tsunami waves did reach Hawaii, California, New Zealand and other Pacific Rim regions, they proved to be relatively small and had minimal impact. "Even though the waves turned out to be not devastating", Lin said, "it was an important opportunity for communities in coastal regions to improve the preparedness for potential greater tsunamis in the future."
The WHOI research vessel Atlantis was operating off the coast of northern Chile when the magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on Saturday. WHOI confirmed that R/V Atlantis and all on board are safe. There were no ill effects to R/V Atlantis or those on board from the quake or the subsequent tsunami.
R/V Atlantis has a scheduled port stop beginning on March 3, 2010, in Arica, Chile, which is on the northern coast of Chile. The WHOI Marine Operations Department is assessing the situation with their port agents to determine how or if that port stop will be affected.
A number of WHOI staff are onboard the R/V Melville, operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which is conducting research at the Chile Triple Junction. WHOI received an email from an employee aboard the ship, and was told that all onboard are fine. The blog associated with this expedition (http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10chile/) had not been updated on Saturday because, WHOI was told, the ship's communication capability was being used to communicate by those onboard with family on shore.
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Image Caption: The latest earthquake off Chile occurred just north of the 1960 rupture, which had caused a stress buildup along the fault line. (Jian Lin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
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warc | 201704 | July 29, 2011 Sea Level Rise Less From Greenland, More From Antarctica, Than Expected During Last Interglacial Bt Jill Sakai, University of Wisconsin-Madison
During the last prolonged warm spell on Earth, the oceans were at least four meters "“ and possibly as much as 6.5 meters, or about 20 feet "“ higher than they are now.Where did all that extra water come from? Mainly from melting ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, and many scientists, including University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscience assistant professor Anders Carlson, have expected that Greenland was the main culprit.
But Carlson's new results, published July 29 in Science, are challenging that assertion, revealing surprising patterns of melting during the last interglacial period that suggest that Greenland's ice may be more stable "“ and Antarctica's less stable "“ than many thought.
"The Greenland Ice Sheet is melting faster and faster," says Carlson, who is also a member of the Center for Climatic Research in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. But despite clear observations of that fact, estimates of just how much the ice will melt and contribute to sea level rise by the end of this century are highly varied, ranging from a few centimeters to meters. "There's a clear need to understand how it has behaved in the past, and how it has responded to warmer-than-present summers in the past."
The ice-estimation business is rife with unknown variables and has few known physical constraints, Carlson explains, making ice sheet behavior "“ where they melt, how much, how quickly "“ the largest source of uncertainty in predicting sea level rises due to climate change.
His research team sought a way to constrain where ice remained on Greenland during the last interglacial period, around 125,000 years ago, to better define past ice sheet behavior and improve future projections.
The researchers analyzed silt from an ocean-floor core taken from a region off the southern tip of Greenland that receives sediments carried by meltwater streams off the ice sheet. They used different patterns of radiogenic isotopes to identify sources of the sediment, tracing the silt back to one of three "terranes" or regions, each with a distinct geochemical signature. The patterns of sedimentation show which terranes were still glaciated at that time.
"If the land deglaciates, you lose that sediment," Carlson explains. But to their surprise, they found that all the terranes were still supplying sediment throughout the last interglacial period and thus still had some ice cover.
"The ice definitely retreated to smaller than present extent and definitely raised sea level to higher than present" and continued to melt throughout the warm period, he adds, but the sediment analysis indicates that "the ice sheet seems to be more stable than some of the greater retreat values that people have presented."
The team used their results to evaluate several existing models of Greenland ice sheet melting during the last interglacial period. The models consistent with the new findings indicate that melting Greenland ice was responsible for a sea level rise of 1.6 to 2.2 meters "“ at most, roughly half of the minimum four-meter total increase.
Even after accounting for other Arctic ice and the thermal expansion of warmer water, most of the difference must have come from a melting Antarctic ice sheet, Carlson says.
"The implication of our results is that West Antarctica likely was much smaller than it is today," and responsible for much more of the sea level rise than many scientists have thought, he says. "If West Antarctica collapsed, that means it's more unstable than we expected, which is quite scary."
Ultimately, Carlson says he hopes this line of research will improve the representation of ice sheet responses to a warming planet in future Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. Temperatures during the last interglacial period were similar to those expected by the end of this century, and present-day temps have already reached a point that Greenland's glaciers are melting.
The Science paper was co-authored by UW-Madison colleagues Elizabeth Colville, Brian Beard, Alberto Reyes, and David Ullman and Oregon State University researchers Robert Hatfield and Joseph Stoner, and supported by UW-Madison and the National Science Foundation.
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Image Caption: Anders Carlson, a UW"“Madison geologist, surveys an outlet glacier in southwest Greenland. Carlson and colleagues from UW"“Madison and Oregon State University have shown that melting ice from Greenland may have raised ocean levels less than expected during the most-recent prolonged warm spell on Earth. The surprising patterns of ice melt found by new research suggest that Greenland's ice sheet may be more stable "” and Antarctica's less stable "” than previously thought. Photo: courtesy Robert Hatfield, Oregon State University
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warc | 201704 | Photographed By Raven Ishak; Illustrated By Ly Ngo.
Valentine’s Day has come and gone and with that the most recent installment of special-occasion sex. So, now our focus can revert back to more important things like, well, finances.
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While getting it on is a surefire way to be happier and healthier, a newly released survey found that 62% of American adults think about money more often than sex (major yikes). Perhaps extra cringe-worthy is that more than a quarter of Americans in a romantic relationship reported money woes affect how often they want to do the dirty with their partner. The survey conducted by Harris Poll (commissioned by finance data platform Yodlee) included 2,039 adults, ages 18 and older, from 2010 U.S. census data.
Here’s the super-freaky part: Money didn’t just screw with the libidos of people with tight finances. It even messed with those in higher-income brackets. The poll found 26% of couples that earned $100,000 or more per year dealt with damaged sex drives because they were too preoccupied with their bank accounts.
Despite the desire to point fingers at older people, the survey found money-related sexual hang-ups were more prominent in younger adults (those 18 to 34). And, though it suggests women are more likely to fixate on money than men — 77% versus 46% — a nearly identical number of paired-up ladies and gents reported decreased sexual desire due to financial stress. Could it be that talking about money, or lack of it, with a partner is behind these dry spells? While it's understandable that low funds and low sex drives go hand in hand, there's one thing we're certain of: Avoiding sex won’t make you any richer. (Yodlee)
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warc | 201704 | As soon as the term Ringworm is heard, it causes panic and stress to some people thinking that Ringworm is a type of worm infection. It commonly causes confusion to many because of its name, but actually ringworm is a fungal infection. The fungal infection got its name because of its ring-like appearance. Symptoms of ringworm may vary depending on where the ringworm is located. There are several types of ringworm, each named based on where it is located. However, in general, ringworm can be red, itchy and scaly patches on the skin. This fungal infection is common among children but can still affect people of any age, and can even affect animals like the common house pets. It can easily be spread through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or animal, or through the use or sharing of infected items such as combs, towels, clothing and other personal items. It can also be contracted by humans through in contact with soil and other warm and moist places like pool areas and locker rooms where the fungi culprits live.
This fungal infection is caused by dermatophytes; this is a group of three types of fungi that commonly causes skin, hair and nail infections known as ringworm. Dermatophytes require keratin in order to grow, and because of that, they are restricted to areas like the skin, hair and nails. This is why they can cause infection to these areas. The naming of the different types of ringworm includes the word “tinea” which means dermatophytoses, then the term for the location of the infection. For instance, tinea corporis is the ringworm of the body, tinea pedis or ringworm of the feet which is also called athlete’s foot, tinea cruris or ringworm of the groin area commonly known as jock itch and others.
Treatment
Fortunately, ringworm is treatable. Treatment of ringworm will vary, from over-the counter ringworm treatment to prescription medications. Specific treatment will depend on the severity of the infection, the location and the age of the patient. Some types of ringworm are effectively treated with topical antifungal medications and some require stronger topical antifungals or even systemic medications through oral antifungals. Initial treatment involves the use of over-the-counter ringworm treatment which includes antifungal creams, lotions, powders and medicated shampoos. Over-the-counter antifungals may include products containing antifungal drugs like clotrimazole, miconazole, terbinafine and selenium sulfide. These medications are used for about two to four weeks to prevent the recurrence of the fungal infection. However, if over-the-counter medications do not work, when the ringworm does not respond to the drug or for severe and recurrent cases, higher doses of antifungals or prescription medications may be necessary. The above mentioned over-the-counter ringworm treatment eliminate fungi and inhibit their growth.
Imidazoles
Clotrimazole and miconazole both belongs to this class of antifungals. They treat a variety of fungal infections including ringworm. These antifungals are effective treatments by preventing the growth of fungi. Imidazoles work by inhibiting the conversion of lanosterol to ergosterol by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for this synthesis called lanosterol demethylase. Through this inhibition, leads to a decrease in ergosterol which is actually a main component of cell membrane. This in turn brings about the disruption of the structure and functions of the cell membrane, inhibiting the growth of the fungus, and apparently, death.
Allylamines
Terbinafine belongs to the allylamine group of antifungal which are also effective antifungal treatments of a variety of fungal infections, including ringworm. Terbinafine also works by preventing the synthesis of ergosterol by inhibiting the enzyme squalene epoxidase. This will also bring about the death of fungal cells due to the depletion of ergosterol.
Selenium Sulfide
Selenium sulfide is a compound that has an antifungal property, preventing the growth of fungus on the skin. It is effective in treating a variety of fungal infections, commonly available in shampoos. It is also used as an adjunct therapy in treating ringworm, like tinea capitis or ringworm of the scalp. It helps reduce the risk of spreading the fungal infection by reducing spores that are shed.
Aside from using over-the-counter ringworm treatments or prescription medications, these steps may also be helpful in treating the fungal infection:
Keeping the skin clean and dry regularly; remember that fungus thrive in warm and moist areas Do not use clothing that will rub against the infected area; it is best to use loose clothing Wash sheets and nightwear everyday while one is infected with ringworm Avoid scratching the infected area to prevent secondary infections | 4,825 | 2,005 | 0.000502 |
warc | 201704 | “I have dry red scaly lesions on my arms and neck. They look similar to ringworm but there is no itch. Doesn’t ringworm always itch? Is it candida? What is the difference between candida and ringworm?”Many patients tend to suffer from ringworm like rash, which actually turns out to be something else. Therefore, proper diagnosis of every skin rash is a must. Often, ringworm or Tinea corporis/cruris rashes start out as brownish reddish, scaly patches that are clear in the center. Their appearance is just like a worm under the skin, leading to the moniker ‘ ringworm’. In reality, a ringworm rash is a fungal infection caused by nearly 5 different types of fungi, including Trichophyton or dermatophyte fungi. The problem is, many different types of skin rashes are ‘ lookalikes’ of ringworm rashes.Let us study some common types of ringworm rashes and also others similar to it. Tinea corporis
The ringworm of the trunk is easily confused with nummular eczema. Clinical diagnosis alone is not sufficient and a culture of the skin is often needed for exact diagnosis. It helps to confirm if you have been in contact with animals like horses, guinea pigs, cats, dogs etc. The species of fungus found in the skin culture can help accurately determine the source of infection as well as the medicine to be used. Signs of tinea corporis are: unilateral rash, circular, itching, well demarcated lesions with single or several concentric rings.
Treatment -Terbinafine cream must be applied on the rash three times a day, for at least 2 weeks. Ketoconazole cream may also be applied twice a day for 3-4 weeks. Other ‘azole’ based creams can also be applied 3-4 times a day for 4 weeks. Wrestler’s ringworm
This ringworm is seen mainly in wrestlers or other contact sports players. This is highly contagious ringworm infection with or without itch that spreads from one wrestler to another usually from trunk to scalp. Apart from topical medication, systemic medicine is also indicated. Itraconazole or terbinafine 100mg/day based on the weight of the person is generally prescribed. It is best to keep away from wrestling and contact sports till the duration of the treatment. Training companions and asymptomatic family members must take care not to share personal items with infected people. They should continue using ketoconazole based products like soaps and shampoos etc for bathing to prevent ringworm. It is essential to wash the wrestling training facility,mats, bathrooms etc with sodium hypochlorite solution to prevent the spread of ringworm rashes.
Scalp ringworm
Scalp ringworm is common fungal ringworm often without itch. It is characterized by scaling, bald patches and clumps of broken hair on scalp region. It could lead to a pus filled infection called
kerion. Early diagnosis and treatment is necessary to prevent permanent hair loss. Terbinafine 250mg/day for a period of one month is indicated. Candida infections
Candida is a skin rash caused by a fungus and is very similar to ringworm. Candida albicans is the most common pathogen responsible for this rash. It may be seen in the angles of the mouth, under breasts, vagina and other folds of the skin. Common causes of candida infections are immune-suppression, diabetes, HIV, etc. Candida intertrigo is also a rash very similar to ringworm or often confused with eczema rash. It is mainly seen in between the fingers, inguinal folds, folds between the buttocks, under breast area, in the navel region etc. Candida Balanitis is another ringworm like rash often mistakenly diagnosed as seborrhea dermatitis. It is seen in female patients in their groin areas. Culture test often yields false positives, hence balanitis often goes misdiagnosed.
Treatment for candida, ringworm like rash, also includes
azole based creams, lotions, shampoos etc. Fluconazole and Miconazole hydrocortisone based ointments must be applied for at least 2 weeks. If this ringworm like rash recurs, then blood test must be done to check out blood glucose levels or immunodeficiency. Paronychia Monilia: Ringworm like rash
Paronychia Monilia presents itself as ringworm and is also similar to rashes of candida, eczema, warts, or sometimes misdiagnosed as tumors. People who have to work in moist and humid conditions, especially cleaners, and kitchen personnel etc are more prone to such rashes. The clinical presentation of this rash is a horizontal growth with wavy appearance. Treatment includes antifungal medication as well as antibiotics to clear up bacterial infection. One must keep their hands clean and dry to prevent Paronychia Monilia.
Treating and preventing fungal skin infections
All kinds of ringworm like rash infections can be prevented and treated in the same or similar manner.Here are some steps to prevent these rashes:
All fungal infections arise due to presence of moisture and humidity. So try and keep the skin dry. Protect your nails when you go for manicures/pedicures etc. Take your own mani/ped kit to avoid sharing tools. Contact sports players must exercise extra precaution such as bathing immediately with antifungal soap/shampoo etc. Try and place at least 2-3 teaspoons of ketoconazole shampoo all over the skin for 3-4 minutes before washing off with hot water. Pat the skin dry and dust liberally using antifungal powder. Always wear footwear when walking on wet surfaces especially found near swimming pools, public washrooms etc. Take care of your feet from time to time by soaking them in warm water and brushing away the dead, dry skin layers. Apply some antifungal powders or creams if you have a tendency to developing Athlete’s Foot infections. Use cotton socks to absorb sweat and keep feet dry. Air out the feet from time to time. Throw away infected shoes, socks and underclothes etc. Wash your swimwear, workout clothing, sweaty T shirts etc and avoid wearing them repeatedly since fungal spores tend to spread due to these habits.
As can be seen, there are many ringworm like rash infections which are similar to each other and produce the same symptoms. Most fungal creams available over the counter can be used successfully to treat them. If, however, you do not see improvement after a couple of weeks, you must visit a dermatologist and get a complete culture/blood work done. | 6,348 | 2,878 | 0.000351 |
warc | 201704 | Households headed by adults age 65 or older devoted a quarter of their 2013 income to housing, which includes spending on mortgage interest, rent, property taxes, maintenance, repairs, homeowners’ and renters’ insurance, and utilities.
Older households are more than three times as likely as younger households to own their homes free and clear (58 versus 17 percent). Yet, the lack of a mortgage doesn’t reduce their housing costs much because they still have to pay property taxes, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and utilities. In fact, those costs combined make up more than half of what older households with mortgages spend on housing.
Housing doesn’t eat up much more of household budgets for older adults than for adults younger than 65, who allocated 21 percent of their 2013 income to housing. What’s surprising, though, is that seniors spend so much on housing even when they aren’t saddled with mortgages.
Older homeowners without mortgages spent 18 percent of their 2013 income on housing, including 8 percent on utilities, 5 percent on property taxes, and 5 percent on maintenance. Older renters spent much more of their income—43 percent—on housing because their incomes, on average, were half as much as homeowners without mortgages. This share is well above the 30 percent cutoff commonly used to identify burdensome housing costs.
Low-income seniors spend an even larger share of their income on housing. Nearly 7 million adults age 65 or older receive incomes below 125 percent of the federal poverty level, a reliable indicator of inadequate income. They spent a staggering 74 percent of their income on housing in 2013. Those with more income but less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level devoted 41 percent of their income to housing.
read more…
http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2015/12/even-without-mortgages-senior-housing-costs-soar/ | 1,926 | 879 | 0.00117 |
warc | 201704 | I was stunned to read this story about the future of the historic Barrister Place in downtown Phoenix. The 1915 Hotel Jefferson, now city-owned, is one of the few remaining of what were once scores of beautiful old structures downtown.
The
Republic's Dustin Gardiner writes, "The hotel, which featured 150 rooms, was decked out in mahogany, marble and expensive colonial furniture. It featured a coffee shop, a cigar stand, private suites and a rooftop garden with palm trees and a fountain."
As an EMT-Paramedic, I saw it in harder times, when it was an SRO which frequently required visits from emergency responders. Amid the human tragedy and shabbiness, it still retained good bones. Unfortunately the interior was later gutted. Now the city is looking for a buyer.
Here's what stunned me: "Councilman Jim Waring...questioned whether the city could get more money for the lot, in the heart of downtown Phoenix, if a buyer could demolish the building and start from scratch."
Fortunately, he didn't prevail. But behold what your city council risks becoming, Phoenix.
Permit me one diversion. That the building has stood vacant for more than three years after the police museum and city offices moved out is a sign of the astoundingly flaccid condition of business in Phoenix.
In a city such as Seattle, Portland, San Diego or Denver, such an elegant building would be an inviting place for startups. Not in Phoenix. The enchanting Luhrs building and tower are similarly largely empty (see comments for an update). The city's "economic strategy" seems to extend no further than thinking of restaurants or hotels. Maybe the Barrister could represent a modest step forward in the hands of the right developer and leasing crew.
Back to Waring. His contempt for historical preservation might have been understandable, if lamentable, in the 1960s. Now it is ignorant and potentially ruinous. We know the value of historic buildings and a walkable city (the building was once surrounded by other businesses).
The best "start from scratch" gets is a sterile CityScape; more likely is another parcel added to the miles of empty land in the core that once held buildings, many of them magnificent.
But his attitude is not a one-off. This recycling Republican pol — he spent seven years in the state Senate — is one of the faces of a dysfunctional Phoenix City Council that is unprecedented in the modern era. Another is "Better Call Sal" DiCiccio. Both have brought national tea partyism and worse to council chambers.
Council always had conservatives. It is where Barry Goldwater got his start in politics. More recently we saw Peggy Neely. But virtually all were committed to the good of the city, not the infestation of rigid ideology. Thus with Neely, for example, council pushed ahead with light rail (WBIYB).
On Waring's home page, his biography calls him a "fighter of wasteful government spending, a champion of job-creating policies and a steadfast proponent of tough-on-crime public safety policies." Translation: Opposition to the intelligent policies needed for the nation's sixth most populous city to become appropriately livable and competitive. "Job-creating policies" means tax cuts, not a forward leaning strategy. "Tough on crime" — here's Arizona, with its high incarceration rate and corrupt private-prison racket. Meanwhile, Phoenix languishes.
"Better Call Sal" wants to run against Greg Stanton to become mayor, hence his tip-of-the-hat to a strong downtown in his most recent inaugural speech. And if you believe that, I have a bridge Chris Christie will sell you. DiCiccio is another obstructionist with an ultra-right-wing agenda. His time-consuming speeches during council meetings are the stuff of legend.
For both, there is no price to be paid. Each represents a district of Phoenix's suburbs-within-the-city, comfortably red. A majority of the voters who vote believe public employees are enemies and all Phoenix needs is lower taxes. The city would benefit long-term by de-annexing much of these districts.
Councilman Bill "Fiscally Austere" Gates sometimes sides with these two. He probably wants statewide office. I know less about Thelda Williams, who also served on council in the late 1980s and 1990s, but she seems to be a light-rail backer. Michael Nowakowski is a bit of a mystery, lately in a kerfuffle with the mayor over subcommittee assignments.
They are offset by a progressive wing: Daniel Valenzuela, Kate Gallego and Laura Pastor. Mayor Stanton tilts that way, too, and can break a tie. Early soundings on Pastor are disappointing, while Gallego gets raves.
This polarization is making it difficult to get some of the most basic work of the city done — look at all the "interim" and "acting" officials — much less apply the vision necessary to save Phoenix.
It is difficult to imagine this council accomplishing the big lifts of the 2000s — light rail, convention center, ASU downtown, T-Gen, UA med school and biosciences campus, and downtown Sheraton.
But Phoenix is nowhere near where it needs to be. It faces a host of problems, huge lost opportunities, the giant sucking sound of the affluent suburbs, linear slums...you know the drill.
Is a change to the City Charter the answer, including more council members and a strong mayor? That, dear reader, is the topic for future posts. | 5,403 | 2,802 | 0.000362 |
warc | 201704 | But how does one go about doing it the right way in
online betting offshore action? How can a gambler develop a level of expertise that is sufficient to competently and confidently win in offshore gambling?
Online betting offshore success begins with eliminating mistakes. One of the first key mistakes that too many gamblers make with offshore gambling is that they think that they must become experts on everything. That is a horrible mistake at online betting offshore sites. Nowadays, in the “Information Age” experts are a dime a dozen. In terms of sports betting, it means that if you are an expert you are thinking like the media and the public. That is a recipe for disaster with offshore gambling.
To win at online betting offshore sites you must be a student of gambling. After all, that is what you are doing. You are gambling at the online betting offshore sportsbook. You are not a football scout, for example, trying to figure out the merits of a football game matchup. What you are is a gambler, and your mission is to find the best values and lines with online betting offshore action. And since you are a gambler, your focus of knowledge attainment should be on gambling, and what it takes to succeed and profit at wagering money on games, cards, or horses at the online betting offshore site.
To win at online betting offshore action you should focus on the following criteria as a student of gambling; Value assessment, money management, value-oriented methodology, and self discipline. Whenever you are around other gamblers, for example, just think how often these gamblers discuss these criteria. Rarely, if ever is the answer. Is it any wonder that most gamblers lose big time money as a result in offshore gambling?
If you want to make money when wagering at online betting offshore sites you need to start thinking like the house. Think like the oddsmaker or the house and you have a much better chance to win at online betting offshore games.
Open a New Account and start offshore betting on sports at SBG Global! | 2,057 | 934 | 0.00108 |
warc | 201704 | San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2014 -- Public consciousness is now firmly transfixed on obesity, and the weight loss industry of diet pills, shakes and calorie plans makes billions every year as a result. But not everyone is obese, and natural variations in metabolism can cause just as many problems on the other end of the spectrum. For many with an ectomorphic body type, putting on weight can be virtually impossible, and yet crucial to their long term health and fitness goals. Pills To Gain Weight is a new website launched specifically to review pills designed to help people gain weight.
The site has already begun to offer practical advice to skinny individuals on how they can put on weight in the right way, ensuring that gaining new active muscle is the primary aim. The blog includes guidance on how to gain weight, slow down metabolism and information on how weight gain pills work. The site has also created an independent guide to the weight gain pill CB1, and those who read the review will discover it includes information on how the pill works, how to use it properly and how to get the best results, as well as personal stories of users who have found success with the pill. A spokesperson for www.PillsToGainWeight.com explained, “Being obese is a problem, but being underweight is a problem too, and being underweight is a problem society seems less ready to address, given the body dysmorphia encouraged by the modelling industry. To find a healthy weight, and put on muscle that will allow people to live a healthy lifestyle, sometimes the body needs an extra little nudge in the right direction, and these weight gain pills can provide just that when used correctly. We will be regularly adding more reviews to the site as time rolls on, so users should bookmark the page now to keep abreast of the latest news.” About Pills To Gain Weight Pills to Gain Weight is a new website that regularly analyzes the newest and most popular weight gain supplements on the market, offering actionable and independent consumer advice on how to gain weight and where to make the right purchases. The site is regularly updated, and offers the very best insight. For more information please visit: http://www.pillstogainweight.com/ | 2,261 | 1,142 | 0.000881 |
warc | 201704 | Serviços Personalizados Journal Artigo Indicadores Citado por SciELO Acessos Links relacionados Citado por Google Similares em SciELO Similares em Google Compartilhar versão impressa ISSN 0716-9760 Biol. Res. vol.45 no.1 Santiago 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0716-97602012000100004 Biol Res 45: 27-31, 2012 RESEARCH ARTICLES
Chronic ethanol consumption in mice does not induce DNA damage in somatic or germ cells, evaluated by the bone marrow micronucleous assay and the dominant lethal mutation assay
Manuel F Ellahueñe 1*, L Patricia Pérez-Alzola2 and M Isabel Olmedo1 1 Unidad de Biodiversidad Acuática, Centro Nacional del Medio Ambiente (CENMA), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. 2 Universidad Andrés Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, República 252, Santiago, Chile. ABSTRACT
Although alcohol is known to be a carcinogen for humans, ethanol-genotoxicity studies are incomplete. Ethanol seems not to be a bacterial mutagen, but the results are conflicting in rodent assays. We investigate the genotoxicity in the bone marrow micronucleus (MN) test and in the dominant lethal mutation (DLM) assay using two long-term ethanol exposure protocols. In the MN test, mice consumed three doses (5, 10 and 15% v/v) for 32 weeks. MN induction was compared to two control groups of 5- and 38-week-old mice (the ages of the treated mice when the treatment was initiated and when they were killed, respectively). For the three groups treated with ethanol there was no significant increase in MN induction as compared to the first control group, but observed MN frequencies were significantly lower than in the 38-week-old control group. This suggests a protective effect against genotoxic damage caused by aging, probably due to ethanol action as a hydroxyl radical scavenger.
In the DLM assay, male mice drank ethanol at 15% or 30% (v/v) for 20 weeks. In both groups the number of dead implants was similar to the control, but there was a significant reduction in total implants, indicating a pre-implantation loss.
Key words: dominant lethal mutation, ethanol, genotoxicity, micronucleus test INTRODUCTION
Chronic alcoholism is a mayor public health issue around the world. Consumption of alcohol has been related to cardiovascular diseases (Friedman, 1998), hepatic effects (Lieber, 1985), brain toxicity (Harper, 1998), and increased incidence of esophagus, larynx and oral cavity cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 1998) has found that there is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of alcoholic beverages in humans, and has classified alcoholic beverages as Group I carcinogens, although the mechanism of ethanol carcinogenicity is still not known (Kayani and Parry, 2010).
There are many studies about the genotoxic potential of ethanol, some of which have shown chromosomal effects in lymphocytes of alcoholics, like sister chromatid exchanges (reviewed in Obe and Anderson, 1987), induction of chromosomal aberrations (López et al., 2001) and increased incidence of aneuploidy (Kucheira et al., 1986), suggesting that alcoholism may cause chromosome damage in humans.
The genotoxicity testing of ethanol was first reviewed by an expert group of the International Commission for the Protection against Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogenesis (ICPEMC) (Obe and Anderson, 1987). No conclusion was reached about the effects of ethanol in relation to genetic damage. In 1995, the UK Department of Health's Committee on Mutagenesis of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reviewed the evidence for the mutagenecity of ethanol, acetaldehyde and alcoholic beverages. The Committee agreed that the consumption of alcoholic beverages does not present any significant concern with respect to their mutagenic potential.
In 2001, Phillips and Jenkinson (Phillips and Jenkinson, 2001) made a review of the available information on the genotoxicity of ethanol, concluding that the data derived from studies using standard genotoxicity methods are incomplete. They reported that there is clear evidence that ethanol is not a bacterial or mammalian mutagen, but the results of some
in vivo rodent assays are conflicting. The reported tests for chromosome aberrations in vivo are all negative, a minority of micronucleus tests have given positive results, dominant lethal assays are divided between positive and negative, and there is some limited evidence that high doses of ethanol can induce sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and aneunogenic effects.
More recently,
in vitro micronucleous (MN) tests with human TK6 cells showed non-MN induction with ethanol exposure up to 1.6% (v/v) (Bryce et al., 2007), while the cytokinesis blocked micronucleous assay (CBMN) revealed a dose dependent increase in the mean frequency of binucleated cells with MN with 0.8, 1.0 and 2.0% (v/v) of ethanol (Kayani and Parry, 2010)
The present study investigated the genotoxic potential of ethanol by using long-term exposure protocols to simulate chronic alcoholism in a mouse micronucleus bone marrow test and a mouse dominant lethal mutation assay.
MATHERIAL AND METHODS Chemical Reagents
Ethanol (CAS N° 6417-5) was obtained from Merck Chemical Co. (Germany).
Animals and treatments
CF1 mice were obtained from the National Health Institute of Chile. They were kept with water and pellets (mouse chow Kimber, Chile)
ad libitum, with a controlled temperature (24°C) and humidity (40 - 50%) and a 12-hour light-dark cycle. During the study animals were kept under the same environmental conditions, except that ethanol treated groups received ad libitum an aqueous ethanol solution instead of water. Since mice do not like the taste of ethanol, we first began the ethanol treatment with a very low dose, which was daily increased to 5, 10, 15 or 30% (v/v) Micronucleus Assay
For chronic ethanol treatment, three groups of male mice (n=6) drank an aqueous solution of ethanol with concentrations of 5, 10 or 15% (v/v) from 5 to 38 weeks of age. Control animals (n=6) received only water for the same period of time. The mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay was performed as previously reported (Ellahueñe et al., 1994). For each animal, 2000 polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) were scored, and cytotoxicity was measured as the ratio of PCE/NCE
(normochromatic erythrocytes) in 200 total erythrocytes. The results were analyzed statistically by the Mann-Whitney U test, with the level of significance set at a = 0.05.
Dominant Lethal Mutation Assay
Two groups of male mice (n=10) were exposed to 15% or 30% (v/v) of ethanol in the drinking water, as the only choice of liquid, from 10 to 30 weeks old. The control group (n=10) received only water for the same period of time. After the exposure interval, the ethanol solution was replaced by water in order to have minimal effects on mating performance. Each male was separately caged with two virgin females; each morning the females were examined for the presence of the vaginal plug, mated females were replaced and non-mated females were kept in cages. This mating procedure was performed for three consecutive days. The mated females were killed by cervical dislocation 12 days after the vaginal plug was observed and each uterus was removed and examined for the number and status of all implantation sites. The numbers of total live and dead implants were scored. The percentage of induced dominant lethal mutations (DLM) was calculated as:
The results were analyzed statistically by the student's t test, with the level of significance set at a = 0.05.
RESULTS
Table I shows the micronucleus bone marrow test results. There were no significant increases in induced MNPCEs at any of the ethanol doses (5, 10, or 15% v/v) as compared to the 5-week-old control group. In addition, no differences were observed among the three doses. However, there were significant differences in induced MN between the two control groups, 2.7 ± 1.2 in 5-week-old mice and 6.5 ± 3.0 in 38-week-old mice. As well, the MN frequencies observed in the three ethanol treated groups were all significantly lower than the values observed in the 38-week-old control group.
The PCE/NCE ratio was within the normal range (>0.1) for both the treatment and control groups, showing no cytotoxic effect of ethanol ingestion on the cell population.
Dominant lethal mutation results are summarized in Table II. The number of total implants per pregnant female is similar for both ethanol doses, and significantly lower than the number observed in the control group. The mean numbers of living embryos per pregnant female also decreased in both ethanol treated groups, but not to statistically significant levels. No differences were observed for the mean number of dead implants, and the percentage of DLM was low and similar for both ethanol doses.
DISCUSSION
Alcohol abuse greatly increases the risk of different malignancies, including cancer, but the mechanisms by which ethanol could be a carcinogenic or co-carcinogenic agent remain unknown. The available data from studies on ethanol using standard genotoxicity methods are incomplete and inconclusive (Phillips and Jenkinson, 2001). Nevertheless, some studies have shown that chronic alcoholism may cause chromosome damage in humans, such as chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes (Burim et al., 2004), centromere positive MN in lymphocytes (Maffei et al., 2000), or micronuclei in tongue cells (de Almeida et al., 2002), suggesting a relationship between excessive consumption of ethanol-containing beverages and some degree of genotoxicity. On the other hand, the reports for chromosomal aberrations
in vivo, designed to model the effects of alcoholism in animals, were all negative. Ethanol showed no effect on micronucleous incidence in rat bone marrow, when ethanol was administered in drinking water at 5% for 10-30 days (Balansky et al., 1993) or at 10% and 20% for 3 to 7 weeks (Tates et al., 1980). As well, a non-significant increase in chromosomal aberration frequency was observed at 20% of ethanol administered for 30 days (Tavares et al., 2001). These negative results could be the consequence of the short exposure time period (30 days), or the small number of animals (Tates et al., 1980). However, if ethanol per se is neither carcinogenic nor mutagenic, it could act as an enhancer for carcinogenicity. In this way it has been suggested that the ability of ethanol to induce CYP2E1 (Guegerich et al., 1994) could be the mechanistic basis of ethanol for enhancement of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity in mixtures containing carcinogens, such as alcoholic beverages (which contain urethane, and probably other known carcinogens). In support of this suggestion, alcoholic beverages, such as tequila and brandy, were demonstrated to be more genotoxic with the sister chromatid exchange test in mouse bone marrow cells than was ethanol itself (Pina Calva and Madrigal-Bujaidar, 1993).
In this work, we investigated the possible genotoxic effects of chronic ethanol exposure, so mice were drinking ethanol for a longer period of time than that used in the other cited
in vivo ethanol studies. In the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay (Table I), we observed that all ethanol doses tested did not increase the MNEPC frequency as compared to that in control animals. Because it has been reported that the MNEPC frequency increases in mice with age (Sato, 1995, Dass et al., 1997), we used two control groups, one 5 weeks old, the age at which the treated mice began drinking ethanol, and the other 38 weeks old, the age at which the treated mice were killed after drinking ethanol. Surprisingly, we observed that the MNEPC frequency was significantly lower in the three ethanol-treated groups compared to the 38-week-old control group, suggesting an ethanol protective effect against genotoxic damage caused by aging. This low MN frequency observed in our experiment could not be ascribed to an ethanol cytotoxicity effect, because the EPC/ENC ratio is within the normal range (> 0.1) in all of the treated and control animals (Table I).
Ethanol has previously been reported as a genotoxic protective agent. Different injected ethanol doses have been shown to reduce the induction of mouse MNEPC by urethane (Choy et al., 1995). The same authors also demonstrated that ethanol delays urethane genotoxicity for 12 hours (Choy et al., 1996).
Other authors have reported a radioprotective effect of ethanol. The addition of 10 mM ethanol reduced X-ray-induced chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes
in vitro, while ethanol was less effective in protection from carbon-induced chromosome aberrations. Since densely ionizing radiation produces lesions through direct action, while other ionizing radiation, like X-rays or g-rays, induces DNA lesions mostly by indirect action where free radicals play an important role, the authors concluded that ethanol protects DNA from X rays by scavenging hydroxyl (OH) radicals (Monobe and Ando, 2002). The same authors found that in mice that are given 1 ml of 5.5% ethanol orally 30 min before whole body irradiation, chromosome aberrations in spleen cells were significantly reduced by ethanol for g-ray irradiation, but not for carbon-ion irradiation (Monobe et al., 2003). These results may confirm the hypothesis that ethanol acts as a free radical scavenger. In human lymphocytes, ethanol showed a protective effect for hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage in vitro (Greenrod and Fenech, 2003), also apparently by acting as a free radical scavenger.
Paradoxically, oxidative metabolism of ethanol has been described as the mechanism by which ethanol can induce genotoxicity damage and some authors have demonstrated that antioxidants could markedly decrease the levels of ethanol induced DNA single-strand breaks in mouse brain cells (Guo et al., 2007)
The primary site of ethanol absorption is the gastrointestinal tract. Only 2% - 10% of the total ethanol ingested is eliminated by the kidney, and the rest is mainly oxidized in the liver (Lieber, 1997). Ethanol oxidation occurs in three places in hepatocytes, by different pathways: (a) in the cell cytoplasm by alcohol dehydrogenase; (b) in the endoplasmic reticulum by the microsomal ethanol oxidation system (MEOS); and (c) in the peroxisomes by catalase (Burim et al., 2004). Each of these three oxidation processes produces specific metabolites.
The first phase of ethanol biotransformation involves its oxidation to acetaldehyde, the main and primary metabolite of ethanol. Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive compound that can interact with DNA, forming DNA adducts of acetaldehyde like those observed in peripheral white blood cells of alcohol abusers (Fang and Vaca, 1995), or DNA strand breaks (Singh and Khan, 1995) and DNA cross-links in cultured human lymphocytes (Blasiak et al., 2000). Thus, the high levels of acetaldehyde accumulated during ethanol metabolism could be responsible for the positive genotoxic effects of ethanol reported in some papers. According to many authors, ethanol does not possess genotoxic potential and the observed ethanol genotoxicity is only due to acetaldehyde. Nevertheless, Kayani and Parry (2010) have shown that both ethanol and acetaldehyde can produce significant increases in MN induction, establishing that ethanol-MN induction is mainly through an aneugenic mechanism, while acetaldehyde does the same through a clastogenic effect. Different factors could regulate the rates of alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism. One of these factors is alcohol deshydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde deshydrogenase (ALDH) polymorphisms, both enzymes being primarily responsible for the amount of acetaldehyde generated. There could be a relationship between polymorphisms of ethanol-induced metabolism genes and alcoholism (Chen et al., 2009), and an effect has been observed of drinking alcohol and ADH/ALDH polymorphism on DNA damage, as measured by the alkaline comet assay (Weng et al., 2010). Thus, human polymorphisms of these enzymes could explain the different effects of the ethanol consumed by alcoholics.
Chronic ethanol consumption leads to its oxidation by MEOS, where P4502E1 is the main component of this system, generating an adaptive increase of ethanol metabolism (Lieber, 1997). This adaptation and/or tolerance to high concentrations of ethanol has been suggested to prevent ethanol that has entered the circulation from reaching excessive levels, so this progressively increasing rate of ethanol clearance from blood could explain the lack of genotoxic effect of chronic ethanol administration in rats (Tavares et al., 2001), as well as our negative results in mice. Furthermore, together with a lack of genotoxic effect, we also observed less genotoxic effects in older mice chronically exposed to ethanol. We suggest this could also be explained by ethanol metabolic pathways. Since oxidative damage of macromolecules plays a significant role in the aging of rodents (Martin et al., 1996) and enzymes involved in free radical detoxification, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, are known to decrease in the liver and brain of mice with age (Dass et al., 1997), the genotoxic protection effect of ethanol could be due to ethanol acting as a hydroxyl radical scavenger by reducing free radical production. Chronic alcohol consumption could stimulate catalase activity, which is involved in ethanol oxidation, producing an adaptive increase similar to that observed for CYP2E1 activity. This hypothesis could also explain the absence of a synergistic or additive genotoxic effect of ethanol combined with cigarette smoke observed in alcoholic smokers (Burim et al., 2004), and the increase of cells with chromosomal aberrations in chronic alcoholics after 12 months of abstinence in comparison to the frequency at the beginning of an intensive treatment program (Huttner et al., 1999).
In germ cells, the dominant lethal mutation assay (Table II) gave no evidence of a significant increase in post-implantation lethality, while a moderate but significant reduction in mean total implants was observed, indicating pre-implantation loss. These results are similar to those reported by Rao et al, who found a significant reduction in mean total implants in a Swiss strain, but not in CBA mice after acute ethanol treatment (Rao et al., 1994). Thus, our results exclude the possibility that chronic ethanol exposure could induce germinal chromosome mutations in mice.
Finally, our results show that chronic treatment with ethanol does not induce genotoxic damage in somatic or germinal mouse cells evaluated by the micronucleus or the dominant lethal mutation assays. This suggests that ethanol could have a protective effect on age-related genotoxic damage, presumably due to free radical scavenging by ethanol, although further studies are required to confirm this effect and to elucidate the underlying mechanism.
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HUTTNER E, MATTHIES U, NIKOLOVA T, EHRENREICH H (1999) A follow-up study on chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes of alcoholics during early, medium and long-term abstinence. Alcoholism: Clin & Exp Res 23(2): 344. [ Links ]
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Received: June 1, 2011. In revised form: September 13, 2011. Accepted: September 14, 2011.
* Corresponding author: Manuel Ellahueñe, Centro Nacional del Medio Ambiente (CENMA), Av. Larraín 9975, La Reina, Santiago, Chile, Phone: (562)-2994151, FAX: (562) 2751688, E-mail: mellahuene@cenma.cl | 26,033 | 10,671 | 0.000094 |
warc | 201704 | When Husband and I were dating, there were a few times we had to be long distance for an extended time due to deployments, pcs, and TDYs (or TAD for other military branches). Long distance is tough, if not almost impossible, to sustain long term. HOWEVER, every now and then, we encounter couples who have been together for years and somehow managed to live apart for an extended time. They must have figured out something that works for them.
While long distance relationships aren’t for everyone, there are a few things to know before you begin or decide to keep going with one.
1) Some people won’t take you seriously.
There may be more negative comments from your peers than positive ones. Long distance relationships aren’t the norm yet and there are very few success stories. Therefore, some people may be skeptical about your relationship.
2) Your partner will spend time with other people.
If you are the jealous type, be warned that your partner will be around other people, possibly single people and vice versa. There has to be a great deal of trust in a long distance relationship.
3) The physical aspect matters more than you think.
Of course, you can have meaningful contact via skype or text. However, it won’t beat physical touch. Humans thrive on physical contact and so you may start to feel down when all you want is a hug but can’t get it. To compensate for this, you can communication more verbally and really savor the physical aspect once you are together.
4) Your schedules impact your relationships just as much the distance does.
With distance comes time difference. Your relationship may be put off balance if your schedules are completely mismatched. For example, you may be just wrapping up your day and ready to talk while your partner is already in bed. This can put your relationship out of sync.
5) You may get jealous of other couples.
Seeing others happy and together may make you a little bit envious. Even seeing them in television or in movies can get you a little green with envy about your own relationship.
RELATED: 60 Long Distance Relationship Quotes to Remember 6) Happy and sad times happen routinely.
With long distance relationships, you’ll know that every reunion is a happy moment followed by a sad departure. Even during your time together, you may be dwelling on the fact that your partner will leave soon while you should be enjoying the moment. You have to brace yourself for the roller coaster of emotions whenever reunions and separations happen.
7) It gets expensive.
Phone bills, care packages, and travel expenses can quickly add up. Just because you guys aren’t going on “regular” dates doesn’t mean your relationship won’t cost money.
8) There will be a lot of “promises” in your relationship.
You or your partner will make promises about what you will do when you’re in the same town or what you would do if you were together right then. The intentions may truly be sincere, but you really won’t know unless you were physically close to one another. It’ll be easy to picture the illusion of how perfect life would be once you’re together but until that point happens, you’ll have to keep both of your realities in check.
9) You may fight more often than you would think.
You might think because you don’t see each other often, you won’t fight as much as “regular” couples do. However, when your relationship happens mostly over text or email, you won’t be there to interpret the body language or mood of the other person unless they explicitly tell you, “hey, I’m in a bad mood”. This can often lead to arguments.
10) You need relationship goals.
As I mentioned before, there are very few success stories of long term long distance relationships. All of your communication won’t mean much if nothing ever changes. Most long distance relationships usually have the couple reunited again thereby ending the long distance part. It’s possible to maintain your situation temporarily, but it’s not a permanent solution. However, depending on where you’re at in a relationship, talking about moving to be together may be premature and put unnecessary pressure on both of you. Simple goals can be the next reunion, but as you progress on your relationship, you’ll both need to set up a realistic end goal that works for your relationship.
Long distance relationships take a lot of work. But if the right two people find each other then it may be possible that you survive this long-distance situation and have a regular, crazy, local relationship just like everyone else. | 4,703 | 2,122 | 0.00049 |
warc | 201704 | About Financial Aid
An extensive financial aid program is available to help a student and family meet the expenses of a college education. A college education is one of the most important investments you can make. You and your family will be expected to contribute as much as you can from your own resources to help meet college expenses.
The purpose of financial aid is to help students and families meet educational expenses that cannot be met through their own resources. Financial aid can be either need-based or non-need-based. The results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) along with the cost-of-education will determine whether or not a student has financial need.
There are several types of financial aid available. Grants and scholarships are considered "gift aid" because they generally do not have to be repaid. Loans and employment are considered "self-help aid" because loans have to be repaid and by working you earn money for educational expenses. Loans are by far the largest source of financial aid for the majority of students and families. Most grants, some loans (Subsidized Stafford), and Federal Work Study are need-based financial aid programs. The Unsubsidized Stafford and the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are considered non-need-based. Scholarships can be based upon merit, financial need, or both.
There are four main sources of financial aid. These include the federal government, the state government, the institution and private entities. The federal government is the largest source of financial aid.
Completing the FAFSA
Each year, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA serves as the application for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid at Shawnee State University. You should file the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA online at http://www.fafsa.gov. This is the fastest and most efficient way to file the FAFSA. FAFSA on the Web provides numerous edit checks that will help prevent errors. FAFSA on the Web is available beginning January 1 each year.
You and your parent (if you are a dependent student) should each use PINs to sign the FAFSA electronically. If you or your parent do not already have a PIN, apply for one at http://pin.ed.gov.
Shawnee State University school code is 009942, which will be needed on your FAFSA.
FAFSA Results
The federal government will process your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and electronically send the results to the Financial Aid Office at Shawnee State University provided you listed us as one of the schools to receive the results of your FAFSA. You will also receive notification in the form of a Student Aid Report (SAR).
When you file your FAFSA online and provide a valid e-mail address, you will receive your SAR online. If you do not provide a valid e-mail address, you will receive a SAR Information Acknowledgement in the mail. You can call 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243) to request a paper SAR if necessary.
You should review your SAR carefully. It will contain the information you reported on the FAFSA. If you need to make corrections to your FAFSA information, you may do this online or by sending the SAR to Shawnee State University with the corrections indicated.
The data you put on your FAFSA is put through a needs analysis formula called the Federal Methodology. The output of this formula is called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The lower your EFC, the more financial need you will have. The lowest possible EFC is zero. In extreme cases, the EFC can go as high as 99,999.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Expected Family Contribution, i.e., the results of your FAFSA, subtracted from your Cost-of-Attendance equals your financial need.
Cost of Education minus Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need
How much financial need you demonstrate will determine the programs for which you qualify. Even if you have no financial need, you will still qualify for the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Your parent must be willing to apply for the PLUS loan and have a satisfactory credit history. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that your aid will cover your full financial need or the full cost of attendance.
In order to be eligible for most federal financial aid programs, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
have financial need, except for some loan programs. have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) Certificate, pass a test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or meet other standards established by your state and approved by the U.S. Department of Education. (Students who have been home schooled should contact the Financial Aid Office for guidance.) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working towards a degree in an eligible program. be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen. have a valid Social Security Number. make satisfactory academic progress. sign a statement of education purpose and a certification statement indicating that you are not in default on a student loan nor owe an overpayment on a grant. Both statements are found on the FAFSA. register with the Selective Service, if required. You can register online at the Selective Service System's web site. never been convicted under a federal or state law of possessing or selling illegal drugs during a period of enrollment for which you were receiving federal student aid (grants, loans, and/or work-study). Special Conditions
Although the process of determining a student's eligibility for financial aid is basically the same for all students, an adjustment sometimes can be made if a student has special circumstances. Special circumstances may include a reduction in income due to loss of employment, retirement, disability or death of a wage earner; divorce or separation; loss of social security benefits, child support, etc. The Financial Aid Office has a Special Conditions Application, which should be used when the special circumstances involve a loss of income or change of circumstance. The Special Conditions Application is available online or in the Financial Aid Office.
In extreme circumstances, a student who does not meet the federal definition of an independent student for financial aid purposes may be able to document those exceptional circumstances in order to be considered an independent student. A student who wants to appeal his or her dependency status for financial aid purposes should file the Petition for Independent Status for the appropriate school year. A student who does not meet the federal definition of an independent student normally must file as a dependent student and include parental information on the FAFSA. Only students with exceptional circumstances should file the Petition for Independent Status. Unfortunately, parents' unwillingness to help pay for college, not being claimed as an exemption on parents' tax return, or living on your own does not make you independent for financial aid purposes. The Petition for Independent Status is available online or in the Financial Aid Office.
If you think you have special circumstances that you want to discuss with a financial aid administrator, please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office.
Award Notification
Once we receive the results of your FAFSA and if you are admitted to Shawnee State University, we will send you an Award Notice.
We also continue to update award notices throughout the school year if your aid package is revised. If you have questions about an award notice you receive, you should contact the Financial Aid Office.
If you decide not to attend Shawnee State University, please let us know. You also should inform the Registrar's Office to cancel your classes if you have preregistered and the Housing Office, if applicable.
Overawards
According to federal law, a student can not receive aid that exceeds the student's financial need nor can the student receive aid that exceeds the student's cost of attendance. When an overaward exists, the student's aid must be reduced. | 8,147 | 3,233 | 0.000311 |
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