BROADCASTERS will be carefully studying ratings figures for Fridays Euro 2012 fixtures. And you can bet that if England v Bulgaria on ITV1 , for example, draws a lower than normal audience, pressure will mount on FIFA, who changed the calendar for double headers from the traditional Saturday-Wednesday slots to Friday-Tuesday. Many England fans living outside London are furious that the 8pm start will force them to take time off work and create travel problems. But the only opinion that will count in FIFAs corridors of powers are those of TV moguls with their big bucks. The size of their Friday audiences will decide whether the international assault on Saturday kick-offs continues. The omens are not good. TV bosses report that Friday night ratings for rugby union are encouraging.
HES managed in six countries, including two spells with Real Madrid. Hes felt the wrath of angry supporters as well as the golden glow of success. Yet John Toshack, after 32 years in more hot seats than hed care to remember, will still look back on his time with Wales as the hottest of them all. “Its different to a club job but, yes, its been tough,” said the man who begins his final campaign, Euro 2112, in Montenegro next Friday night. “I knew it would be, thats why I insisted on five years rather than three when I got the job.”
A CASH-STRAPPED council in Wales has sanctioned pounds 190,000 to be spent on “essential” building work. OK, so that must mean updating a care home, or building classrooms or maybe a new clinic? Where do you start? But, no. Environmental bosses at the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council have insisted nearly pounds 200,000 is blown on three wire walkways across a new bypass. Not for local kids, mind you, but for dormice.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — North Carolina based Iron Horse Auction Company, Inc., a MarkNet
Alliance member, was recently the first auction company to ever conduct
a multi-parcel auction on location with live internet bidding available
through an interactive map.
The team at Iron Horse Auction broke new ground on their August 20th
auction offering a winery/vineyard onsite and to online bidders using
the open forum method of accelerated bidding using proprietary software
developed at MarkNet Alliance.
“Our company has strived to stay ahead to the curve on technology in
order to better serve our clients,” said Tom McInnis, one of the owners
at Iron Horse. “This new proprietary marketing tool will allow the
maximum participation for every property that we offer for sale. It will
prove to be the best method by which to attain maximum value for any
type of real estate offering.”
In the past there has not been a way to effectively offer property using
the multi-parcel method of selling to onsite and online bidders
simultaneously. Until this auction in order to use this method you would
have to rely on bidders traveling to the auction site. Now you can have
bidders at the site and international investors online bidding on the
property all in real time.
“Iron Horse Auction Company owners Tom McInnis and Bill Lilly along with
their team are masters of the trade. They did a tremendous job and made
auction history in the process,” said Chris Pracht, Director at MarkNet
Alliance.
ALEADING Scottish property developer employed “evil scheming” to gain access to historic land to build a lucrative private housing estate, according to documents seen by the Sunday Herald. The Lomond Group secretly planned to bounce Fife Council into ordering the demolition of a 300-year-old wall in the conservation village of Falkland, so farmland behind it could be opened up for a development likely to reap a multi-million pound profit. The companys behaviour has been condemned as “bullying” and “despicable” by residents, who described the destruction of the wall as “an act of vandalism”. Lomond said the wall had to come down because it was unsafe. A 20-metre stretch of sandstone wall was knocked down by a Lomond mechanical digger on April 7. Residents have argued the company manipulated the council to try and further its development plans. Their suspicions have now been reinforced by two company documents.
Niagara Acquisition Inc. (”Niagara”), a corporation owned by KingSett Capital Inc. (”KingSett”) and certain clients managed by Alberta Investment Management Corporation (”AIMCo”), has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests in ING Summit Industrial Fund LP (”Summit”) from Realty Holding LP and Realty Holding II LP in a private acquisition. The transaction value is approximately CDN$2 billion, including assumed debt. Niagara has also agreed to acquire ING Real Estate Canada LP, the manager of Summit.
This news release is being issued under the early warning provisions of Canadian provincial securities legislation.
Summit is Canadas largest owner of light industrial property. It owns a portfolio of over 400 properties containing approximately 32 million square feet of gross leasable space and 751 net developable acres of land in major metropolitan areas across Canada.
KingSett is Canadas leading private equity real estate investment business co-investing with pension funds and high net worth individuals.
AIMCo is one of Canadas largest institutional investors. It manages about $70 billion of Alberta public sector pension and endowment assets, including a real estate portfolio valued in excess of $5 billion.
ALEADING Scottish property developer employed “evil scheming” to gain access to historic land to build a lucrative private housing estate, according to documents seen by the Sunday Herald. The Lomond Group secretly planned to bounce Fife Council into ordering the demolition of a 300-year-old wall in the conservation village of Falkland, so farmland behind it could be opened up for a development likely to reap a multi-million pound profit. The companys behaviour has been condemned as “bullying” and “despicable” by residents, who described the destruction of the wall as “an act of vandalism”. Lomond said the wall had to come down because it was unsafe. A 20-metre stretch of sandstone wall was knocked down by a Lomond mechanical digger on April 7. Residents have argued the company manipulated the council to try and further its development plans. Their suspicions have now been reinforced by two company documents.
SHOCKED pals of Michaela Davis huddled together in trembling groups yesterday as they struggled to come to terms with the pretty youngsters death. They stood at the entrance to her Village estate in Clonsilla which was exactly at the point where the Garda tape sealed off the scene. The young teens watched as Garda vehicles passed up and down the road and officers hurried around the corner to where the body was discovered in undergrowth. One sobbed: “I just cant believe it. I saw her walking by my house yesterday. Its so hard to believe she is gone, just like that.” Pals said the pretty 12-yearold was short for her age but was much more mature. She was looking forward to returning to starting secondary school tomorrow. Her friends also revealed how she had worn her new uniform for the first time last Friday at Luttrelstown Community College when she picked up her timetable for the coming year.
If youre wondering where Air Force fullback Jared Tew finds the rage required to challenge massive, mangy tacklers, try visiting his hometown of Park City, Utah. Imagine a less snooty version of Aspen, and you have the right image of Park City. The vibe is mellow. The real estate is astronomical. The nearest mugger works at least 20 miles away. “Its real quiet,” Tew said, smiling as he travels in his mind to the small town where he learned to play football. After first talking to Tew, theres no reason to believe he can bust through the line for the Falcons and muscle past the big men itching to mangle him.
Foreclosure. Reduced hours. Downsizing. Unemployment. In one month, I was given reduced hours at work, my mother lost her benefits, and a former bishop of mine became unemployed. This current economic calamity is taking no prisoners. We all are squeezed by the downturn. When faced by trials, we sometimes ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” In some cases, this may be appropriate. After all, we all need improvement. But sometimes the answer is that we did nothing. Dr. Truman G. Madsen pointed out that when we ask this question we “assume suffering is always a form of Divine punishment. It is not. (We) are convinced by Jobs friends instead of by Job” (see “Eternal Man” by Truman G. Madsen, p. 55).
By Jan Biles A group of volunteers is helping to restore a historic farmstead in Wabaunsee County. The Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards recently put down gravel and made other improvements to the road leading to Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie, a 50-acre hilltop park about three miles south of Wamego, said Michael Stubbs, a founding member of the Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards. The volunteers also worked with Wabaunsee Township and local construction companies to replace culverts and build up the roadbed. The cost of the project was about $6,500, which will be raised by the volunteers.
BOLTON v BIRMINGHAM REEBOK, 1.30PM, SKY SPORTS 1 MATT DERBYSHIRE might be swapping his life as a Greek god to be a more humdrum hero back in England – but Birminghams new loan striker cant wait to prove he belongs in the Premier League. The former England Under-21 star has come home from an 18-month adventure in Athens determined to add a finishing touch for boss Alex McLeish (below) and his Blues side. And after grabbing his first goal in the midweek Carling Cup win over Rochdale Derbyshire is hoping for the chance to do the same at Bolton today. Derbyshire became known as “The English Killer” by the fans of Olympiakos after scoring twice to set up a Greek Cup final win over deadly rivals AEK Athens.
I never met Chris Tunis. I know his name and have heard him on the radio a few times. With all of the wonderful articles that have been written about him during the past few days since his passing, I feel like I have been introduced to a very remarkable individual who lived his life in such a way that he left a positive mark on everyone with whom he came in contact. I just want to say how refreshing it has been to read various articles about him by sports broadcasters and writers in the valley who have paid tribute to this wonderful man. They all seem to remember him in the same positive way: a man of integrity and kindness. A gentle giant. His family must be very proud of the legacy he leaves behind. You dont find that very often in the sports world, no matter what the role might be.
Chris Tunis 1956 ~ 2010
The FusionStorm Foundation has partnered with SiliconView for an unprecedented advertising blitz to stimulate ticket sales in the last days before the Dream Sail Raffle drawing. The Dream Sail Raffle was set up to assist Ocean Voyages Institute and Project Kaisei with their ocean clean up initiative. The project aims to clean up plastics that are harmful to the worlds ocean and its marine life.
John G. Varel, CEO of FusionStorm and Co Founder of The FusionStorm Foundation, stated, “We are grateful to have a partner such as SiliconView, who understands the importance of raising awareness about the state of our oceans and the damaging effect of plastics. The SiliconView board is the brightest, biggest and the best to communicate our message to millions and the fact that SiliconView has partnered to extend an unprecedented number of advertising spots confirm this.”
Adam Kates, General Manager of SiliconView, stated, “We are very pleased to partner with the FusionStorm Foundation to promote this important fundraiser in support of cleaner and healthier oceans.”
TEST cricket never fails to amaze me. When England collapsed to 102-7 just 40 overs into the game it would have taken a brave man to suggest that England would go on to win at Lords. Yet here we are this morning with England on the brink of a quite remarkable victory. Whoever says Test cricket is dull needs to take another look. We have been royally entertained with some outstanding batting and bowling which has been a wonderful advertisement for the game. The world-recordbreaking eighth-wicket partnership of 332 between Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad was not only of the highest class but has enabled England to secure the series win. Pakistan thoroughly deserved their success at the Brit Oval last week and arrived at the home of cricket full of confidence.
IMAGINE British Telecom allowed people to call you up and spew religious hatred down the phone. Imagine all your pals received the same phone calls. No-one would blame you for switching to O2, even if the service was nowhere near as good. In the age of social networking, the methods have moved away from crank calling, but the impact has proved much more severe. Muslims all around the world are furious with Facebook after a string of anti-Islamic pages and campaigns. The notorious Draw Muhammad Day cast the first stone, daring artists all over the world to depict Muhammad – a cardinal sin in Islam – as a protest against the Danish cartoon controversy. Another page started up recently advertising Burn A Quran Day, which is set to take place on September 11 outside a Florida church. More than 6000 people have already pledged their support for this inflammatory and divisive day of hate. In contrast, a rival campaign called Burn A Bible Day boasts barely 50 supporters. These antagonistic pages are only the tip of an ugly and Islamophobic attitude surging through Facebook and other social networking sites. Unsurprisingly, Muslims are starting to vote with their mouses and click somewhere else. Pakistan actually shut off access to Facebook after the first Draw Muhammad Day, though it was only a temporary solution. More than 2.5 million Muslims using Facebook threatened to leave the site after it took down four popular Islamic pages, claiming they were being used to send spam – the sort of junk mail that plagues the internet. Now several Muslim-only social networking sites have started up. The first was a site called MillatFacebook which aimed to “unite Over 1.57 billion Muslims and peaceful people from other religions”. Although 333,000 people signed up in the first few weeks, it has been dogged with problems, mostly because it is very clunky and badly designed. Last week The Muslim Brotherhood, an international Islamist group, started its own Facebook clone – which is likely to be far less benign. The Brotherhood is in opposition in Egypt and cannot get on the TV, so its interest in a social networking site is clear. Yet its links to violent groups have been asserted over and over. If angry young Muslims leave Facebook and sign up here, the risk of cyber-indoctrination seems far greater. All the social networking Islamophobes complain a strain of Islamic supremacism is attacking the Western world, bent on putting up mosques near Ground Zero and killing critical blasphemous filmmakers in a mission to stifle any opposition to Sharia law. Of course, this is true of a tiny small minority within the Muslim world. By offending moderates and driving them into online ghettos, what chance is there of reaching some sort of cultural detente? The internet cherishes freedom of expression, but this should not come at the cost of driving yet another wedge between communities.
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
INTRODUCTION Pork is a popular meat consumed by non-muslim Singaporeans with about 87,000 tonnes being consumed per year (Kanagalingam, 2005). Currently, Singapore imports its pork from several countries, but Australian and Indonesian pork is consumed most widely due to its ready availability at supermarkets and wet markets. Fresh pork is obtained from pigs raised in Indonesia but slaughtered at Singapore abattoirs, while chilled pork is mainly imported from Australia and is widely known as “Air Pork”. Singaporean consumers are aware of the origin of pork from packaging labels. Results of a recent survey showed that Singapore consumers associate non-Indonesian pork with the presence of an unpleasant mutton-like off-flavour (Leong et al., 2008). One possible cause of off-flavours in pork is by the oxidation of lipids, leading to the formation of aldehydes and short-chain fatty acids (Reindl and Stan, 1982; Devol, et al., 1988). The rate and extent of lipid oxidation depends on a number of factors, the most important being the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle (Allen and Foegeding, 1981). Pork contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids relative to ruminant meat (Enser et al., 1996) and is more susceptible to oxidative deterioration of lipids and myoglobin. Feeding of PUFAs to pigs can improve the nutritional quality of pork, but may also increase the susceptibility to oxidation (Sheard et al., 2000; Kouba et al., 2003; Morel et al., 2006). There have been many reports of PUFA-rich feeds leading to increased lipid oxidation and thus off-flavour in pork (Houben and Krol, 1980; Warnants et al., 1998; Roman et al., 1995; Overland et al., 1996; Leskanich et al., 1997; Wood et al., 2003). There have also been examples of off-flavours in pork arising from the direct transfer of aroma components from feed to meat, including several reports on how feeding of fish oil and high fat fish meal to finisher pigs has caused “fishy” and other off-flavours in pork products (Kjos et al., 1999; Lauridsen et al., 1999; Maw et al., 2001; Jaturasitha et al., 2002). The current paper compares sensory assessments of the flavour of pork from the legs of pigs finished in New Zealand on three diets (Morel et al., 2008) using Singaporean panelists. The objective was to determine the extent to which dietary feed treatments received by the New Zealand pigs influenced the sensory properties of pork using trained and untrained Singaporean panels. Results of sensory analyses of pork from the loins of the same New Zealand pigs using New Zealand panelists were reported by Janz et al. (2008).
MSEs outperforming Fortune 1000s; surprising adoption trends among
other highlights
NEW YORK — TheInfoPro,
an independent research and advisory company for the IT industry, today
released its latest storage study which yields some encouraging news for
the industry and indicates which companies stand to emerge strongest
from the recession. According to the study, total storage spending among
Fortune 1000 customers reports modest growth with 35 percent of
organizations expecting to boost appropriations in 2011 and 39 percent
anticipating stable spending.
Generally, midsize enterprises (MSEs) are performing slightly better
than the Fortune 1000, with only 13 percent of storage budgets facing
cuts in 2011, down from 27 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, 26 percent of
Fortune 1000 customers are facing budget cuts, a drop of only four
percent compared to this year.
EMC seems poised for a strong 2011, especially among the Fortune 1000,
with five of its products listed on TheInfoPro’s ‘most exciting product’
list. IBM and Hewlett-Packard (HP) on the other hand, seem somewhat
vulnerable, despite their strong brand advantages. Oracle’s woes
continue – the tech giant was rated as the second most vulnerable vendor
for a second consecutive round of the study.
“The HP and Dell bidding war over 3PAR is dominating the media’s
attention right now, and rightfully so,” said Ivan Ruzic, CEO of
TheInfoPro. “But the acquisition merely underscores what is shaping out
to be a strong year for the industry as a whole as well as for
innovative storage vendors like EMC, NetApp and others who have retained
customer loyalty through their ability to adapt to the changing
landscape and still offer an exciting product.”
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
WLS, a leading provider of cellular platforms to top tier global phone
makers, will operate as a standalone business serving its existing
customers. WLS will also contribute to Intel’s strategy to make
connected computing ubiquitous from smartphones to laptops to embedded
computing.
“The global demand for wireless solutions continues to grow at an
extraordinary rate,” said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. “The
acquisition of Infineon’s WLS business strengthens the second pillar of
our computing strategy — Internet connectivity — and enables us to
offer a portfolio of products that covers the full range of wireless
options from Wi-Fi and 3G to WiMAX and LTE. As more devices compute and
connect to the Internet, we are committed to positioning Intel to take
advantage of the growth potential in every computing segment, from
laptops to handhelds and beyond.”
“The sale of WLS is a strategic decision to enhance Infineon’s value. We
can now fully concentrate our resources towards strong growth in our
core segments Automotive (ATV), Industrial Multimarket (IMM) and Chip
Card Security (CCS). This creates a great perspective for all Infineon
customers, employees and shareholders,” said Peter Bauer, CEO of
Infineon Technologies AG. “We all stand to benefit enormously from this
deal. Thanks to the outstanding effort of the employees and the
management during the last years, WLS is excellently positioned to grow
further with the new owner who is ideally suited for this business.”
HOUSEHOLD finances came under greater pressure in August, according to new research from YouGov and Markit.
THE Governor of the European Central Bank has warned Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan that more cuts are needed before the Irish economy recovers.
One important task when analyzing microarray data is that of determining which genes changed their expressions significantly from one state to another, for example, from tissues in a cancerous state to tissues in a healthy state. In general, the procedure in which such a task is undertaken is known as gene filtering and has been extensively explored due to its potential for recognizing a reduced number of genes, which recognition can offer a shortcut to illness diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment (4-5, 7-21). Gene filtering has been explored through a variety of techniques based on normal distribution, such as the 2 sample t-test (17), ANOVA (22), and the Welch t-test (19), among others. Some authors stress the fact that gene expression data do not follow a normal distribution (18, 21, 23), proposing the use of nonparametric statistical tests such as the Mann-Whitney (MW) test (18), also known as the Wilcoxon test. Genes selected through a filtering procedure can be used for many purposes. Of particular interest to this study was defining a classifier to determine whether a given tissue belongs to a particular category (i.e. cancer or healthy) through measuring the relative expressions of the selected genes. Thus, the interest was on developing a cancer diagnosis that is based on classification. As a precedent, our research group has previously proposed a strategy (based on the Wilcoxon test) to carry out gene filtering and tissue classification (24-25), aiming first for simplicity rather than performance. In this study, using this initial strategy as a baseline, classification performance was targeted through the development of two new methods. The first method employed the Wilcoxon test for gene filtering and classification; however, this revised method introduced a gene-set selection step right after filtering to enhance classification performance. The second method capitalized on this new structure, and used the Nemenyi-Damico-Wolfe (NDW) multiple comparison nonparametric test as a distinctive enhancement strategy. For brevity, the descriptions of the Wilcoxon and the NDW tests have been omitted here but can be readily perused in a textbook on nonparametric statistical methods, such as that of Hollander and Wolfe (26). The structure of this paper is as follows: In the next section, microarray databases are described in general, along with the details of the proposed methods. The computational setting is then discussed in the ensuing section, followed by an assessment of the classification performance of the proposed methods vs. that of the baseline approach. Finally, conclusions are drawn and future plans are described.
Approximately 5.5 million workers are exposed to drugs and hazardous materials in Puerto Rico and in the United States (1-2). In 2005, Puerto Rico generated 22.6 million pounds of solid waste including biomedical waste and carcinogens (3-4). Some companies that manage this type of waste face ethical and financial dilemmas and, on occasion, choose to inappropriately dispose of hazardous waste. The cost of disposing a pound of hazardous waste is approximately $2.00 when it is incinerated by a company that has an incinerator certified by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); but it would only cost $0.35 in a non-certified facility (5). In 2007, a company in Puerto Rico inappropriately disposed of some biomedical waste and polluted an area of Caguas. To remedy the situation, the Environmental Quality Board hired Western Medical to appropriately dispose of this waste at a cost of approximately $3.2 million (6). This situation stresses the importance of properly disposing toxic waste. The objective of this paper is to review the regulations and evidence-based recommendations for the appropriate disposal of antineoplastic medications and to update the reader on this important issue. Regulations and recommendations
THEY won the inaugural SNCL Premier Division in 2000 and Grange were last night confirmed as the team of the decade, lifting the title for the sixth and final time. Victory over Forfarshire at Forthill was enough to stave off the threat of Watsonians, who blew their chances against Dunfermline Knights at McKane Park. It has been a thrilling finale to the final season of league cricket in its present format – 16 teams will contest a diluted Premiership next season. While Grange are among a number of clubs with reservations about the new order, for the moment they will rightly savour their latest triumph. Pushed all the way by an emergent Watsonians outfit, Sanjay Patels side wobbled briefly when they lost to Clydesdale three weeks ago. It was their good fortune that outgoing champions Aberdeenshire chose that same day to hit form and dent the challenge of Watsonians.
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF, PIANO; “Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff” (RCA Red Seal) **** VLADIMIR HOROWITZ, PIANO; “The Legendary Berlin Concert 1986″ (Sony Classical) **** VLADIMIR HOROWITZ, PIANO; “Vladimir Horowitz at Carnegie Hall, the Private Collection: Haydn and Beethoven” (RCA Red Seal) **** VLADIMIR HOROWITZ, PIANO; “Vladimir Horowitz at Carnegie Hall, the Private Collection: Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Balakirev” (RCA Red Seal) **** Sergei Rachmaninoff made numerous recordings during his career, and thanks to advanced technology, many of those are available today in a high-quality digital format.
Ion Energy and PP Oil Formed Around Highly Experienced Broking
Teams in Energy and Carbon Options and Futures
LONDON — OTC Global Holdings (OTCGH), the leading independent interdealer broker
(IDB) in the over-the-counter space, announced today the formation of
OTC Europe. Establishing Ion Energy and PP Oil divisions solidifies OTC
Europe’s footprint and allows the progressive IDB to expand its singular
business model into the U.K.
Among Ion Energy’s first key hires is Erik Hansen, who is responsible
for building carbon, LPG, naphtha and gasoline business across Europe.
Hansen brings a wealth of expertise to the firm in both the physical and
financial realms, including 20 years of progressive international
trading and broking in various commodities.
Helmed by Paul Doherty and Peter Fradd, PP Oil specializes in gas oil,
brent and WTI options and futures. Previously with MF Global, Doherty
and Fradd led a group widely recognized as the preeminent gas oil
options desk in London. With more than four decades of broking
experience between them, Doherty and Fradd are highly respected across
the U.K. and aim to rapidly assemble a team.
TOWN fans rode a roller-coaster as their team went top of the embryonic top-flight table by beating Southampton – and were then given a footballing lesson by Liverpool. Dick Krzywicki, skipper Jimmy Nicholson and Steve Smith scored in the space of 18 second-half minutes as Ian Greaves side hit back from a goal down to defeat Saints 3-1 in front of 24,424 at Leeds Road. The win, which came after Ron Davies registered for the visitors, followed a 3-0 opening-day home destruction of Blackpool and left Town looking down at the rest. It also swelled the blue and white ranks at Anfield, where 52,628 saw the team managed by former Town boss Bill Shankly take his old club to the cleaners. * interest Leeds While Southampton made the mistake of letting super-fit Town come at them, Liverpool were always in control as they cruised to a 4-0 triumph to go second in the standings to Leeds, who made it three wins from three by defeating Everton 3-2 at Elland Road. Shankly handed a home debut to 18-year-old John McLaughlin, and was rewarded when the club youth product netted the first two goals, after nine and 39 minutes.
A day after unleashing advertisements that portray his opponent as an extremist, Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet called for cleaner campaigns and the end of partisan bickering. During a campaign stop in Colorado Springs on Friday, Bennet said todays children deserve a brighter future removed from political polarization. “We need to construct a politics thats worthy of them,” he said. Of the ad slamming Republican Senate hopeful Ken Buck that started airing a few hours earlier, Bennet said the truth is not an attack, and Buck threw the first punch. “Unfortunately, thats the kind of campaign he started,” Bennet said of Buck.
A DIABETIC grandmother in hospital for a minor operation died because nurses forgot to give her insulin injections. Gillian Astbury, 66, received the appalling treatment at a hospital, where up to 1,200 patients have died in suspicious circumstances in four years. A police investigation into Gillians care left three nurses facing possible manslaughter charges, which were later dropped. Two have been sacked. The third has been suspended and faces being struck off.
HES managed in six countries, including two spells with Real Madrid. Hes felt the wrath of angry supporters as well as the golden glow of success. Yet John Toshack, after 32 years in more hot seats than hed care to remember, will still look back on his time with Wales as the hottest of them all. “Its different to a club job but, yes, its been tough,” said the man who begins his final campaign, Euro 2112, in Montenegro next Friday night. “I knew it would be, thats why I insisted on five years rather than three when I got the job.”
Foster parents are a special ilk. They nurture other peoples children who have been removed from homes amid allegations of neglect and/or abuse. With proper supports and efforts on the part of birth parents, many children are reunited with their birth families. There are also occasions when foster families adopt the children who have been in their care. Presently, there are 2,800 foster children in state care. Many have intense needs, and they are spending longer periods in foster care. At the same time, amid overall budget cuts, the state has reduced foster care stipends to $14 a day for children who do not have special needs. These cuts took effect July 1. It costs roughly $11 more — $25 a day — to kennel a dog along the Wasatch Front. How on earth are foster parents supposed to provide the basic needs of these children — food, clothing and other necessities — on stipends that have been rolled back to 2007 rates? Its a disgrace. State lawmakers need to find a way to restore this funding to previous levels. While those rates were far from what experts say would be sufficient, cutting these stipends while foster parents are pinched by the economic downturn places tremendous stress on their household budgets. Some foster parents may not be able to continue to provide this much needed care under this funding arrangement. That means state child welfare workers will have fewer options to place children or they will be pressing foster families to accept more placements.
Leo Ross Walker, Jr. DDS. 7/29/1923 ~ 8/26/2010
Bessie Craven “Kay” Kay was born nearly 86 years ago in Sylvester, Texas. She moved to San Diego, CA while in her early 20s where she met and married Samuel H. “Sam” Craven Jr., who predeceased her in 1966. They are survived by their four children, Samuel H. “Sam” Craven III, Martha Sue Robinson, Mary Ann Schick, and George D.
Supported by the governments agricultural machinery subsidy policy,
Chinas agricultural machinery industry has developed rapidly in recent
years.
1. The total number of agricultural machinery keeps growing
The total power of Chinas agricultural machinery was 525.7 million kW
in 2000, 684.0 million kW in 2005, 821.9 million kW in 2008, and 875.0
million kW in 2009. In the meantime, the ownership of large and
medium-sized tractors increased from 975,000 sets in 2000 to 5.019
million sets in 2009, while the ownership of combine harvesters rose
from 235,000 sets to 847,000 sets, at a CAGR of 20.2% and 15.3%
respectively.
2. The structure of agricultural machinery has been optimized
This tables only report provides 160 statistical tables for Internet,
broadband and all aspects of the digital economy in Australia.
National Broadband Network: Australia is among the leading countries
whose government is actively investigating the social and economic
benefits that can be achieved through the deployment of a mainly
fibre-based telecoms infrastructure. Services that depend on high
quality broadband infrastructure include tele-health, e-education,
e-business, digital media, e-government, smart meters etc. In countries
where the national telco is lagging behind we see that local governments
have no choice other than to take a leadership role, as they have done
with similar infrastructure over the last 100 years.
The decision from the Australian government to launch a $43 billion
national FttH broadband network is a clear indication that they believe
broadband is essential infrastructure. It fulfils a national purpose as
its trans-sector multiplier effect delivers massive social and economic
benefits in healthcare, education, energy and the environment. A digital
economy requires an open broadband infrastructure, and for that to work
it can only be built by a utility (NBN Co). While there certainly are
questions regarding the business model and the investment plan, there is
widespread support for the visionary plan.
This tables only report provides 160 statistical tables for Internet,
broadband and all aspects of the digital economy in Australia.
National Broadband Network: Australia is among the leading countries
whose government is actively investigating the social and economic
benefits that can be achieved through the deployment of a mainly
fibre-based telecoms infrastructure. Services that depend on high
quality broadband infrastructure include tele-health, e-education,
e-business, digital media, e-government, smart meters etc. In countries
where the national telco is lagging behind we see that local governments
have no choice other than to take a leadership role, as they have done
with similar infrastructure over the last 100 years.
The decision from the Australian government to launch a $43 billion
national FttH broadband network is a clear indication that they believe
broadband is essential infrastructure. It fulfils a national purpose as
its trans-sector multiplier effect delivers massive social and economic
benefits in healthcare, education, energy and the environment. A digital
economy requires an open broadband infrastructure, and for that to work
it can only be built by a utility (NBN Co). While there certainly are
questions regarding the business model and the investment plan, there is
widespread support for the visionary plan.
Supported by the governments agricultural machinery subsidy policy,
Chinas agricultural machinery industry has developed rapidly in recent
years.
1. The total number of agricultural machinery keeps growing
The total power of Chinas agricultural machinery was 525.7 million kW
in 2000, 684.0 million kW in 2005, 821.9 million kW in 2008, and 875.0
million kW in 2009. In the meantime, the ownership of large and
medium-sized tractors increased from 975,000 sets in 2000 to 5.019
million sets in 2009, while the ownership of combine harvesters rose
from 235,000 sets to 847,000 sets, at a CAGR of 20.2% and 15.3%
respectively.
2. The structure of agricultural machinery has been optimized
Exclusive Forum organized by Chinese General Administration of Press and
Publication (GAPP)
Beijing (August 30, 2010) Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global
information
services and publishing company focused on professionals, announced that
Nancy
McKinstry, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, has been invited by Mr
Liu
Binjie, Minister of General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP)
to
deliver a keynote speech at the 2010 Beijing International Publishing Forum
on
Sunday, August 29, 2010, in Beijing, China.
The Beijing International Publishing Forum is the most important high-level
industry event that provides a valuable opportunity and a platform for
Chinese
and foreign publishers to have a dialogue and exchange experiences. Held in
conjunction with the 2010 Beijing International Book Fair that is taking
place
from August 29 to September 3, the Forums theme covered “Global Publishing
Cooperation and Chinas Market Opportunities”.
Ms. McKinstry emphasized Wolters Kluwers commitment to support the growth
ambitions in China and deliver world-class information solutions to Chinese
professionals it serves, such as lawyers, accountants, and health
professionals,
especially in the context of the emerging digitization of the information
and
publishing industry. The company remains committed to the Chinese market in
terms of delivering value to customers, employees and investors through
continued investments in developing global partnerships in the tax,
accounting,
legal, and healthcare markets in China.
This announcement directly follows the press release on June 29, 2010, in which the company reported negotiations with an undisclosed contracting and quarrying company in British Columbia.
Bermal Contracting Inc. company excavates high quality ledge stone, used for landscaping. The unique stone found in the BC quarry is very popular among developers and is often used for rock walls, fireplaces, ponds, patios, house exteriors, fire pits, flower beds, stairs and walkways. The company has a miner licence and plans to invest in the necessary mining equipment.
NWTT is completing negotiations with Bermal Contracting, and discussions are underway about merger logistics. Details about a definitive merger will be released shortly.
In other news, as part of the pre-merger negotiations, NWTT will build and launch new website with merger candidate information, and will formulate logistical solutions to effectively communicate with shareholders and future clients.
Under the 2009 Economic Stimulus legislation, U.S. homeowners are eligible for a 30 percent tax credit, up to $1,500, for the costs incurred in the purchase of a wood pellet stove.
Indeck Energy , a producer of Premium Grade wood pellets , reminds consumers that the tax credit is only available through Dec. 31, 2010.
Wood pellet stoves burn specially manufactured wood pellets, which are about a quarter inch in diameter and one half inch in length. The wood pellets are created by compressing locally grown hardwood into small, uniformly shaped pieces. These pellets are able to be burned efficiently in the stoves and are available at any fireplace or home store.
Scott Freier, owner of Freiers Electric and Heating in Hudson, Wis., says that the tax credit should really motivate consumers.
“Owning a wood pellet stove is a strong investment at any time,” he said. “Now, with the tax credit, moving toward alternative energy is an unbelievable deal.”
By Mary Carol Garrity Mirrors work wonderfully as artwork because they are available in every style and price range and are incredibly versatile. Youll find everything from funky modern mirrors in cool shapes to antique mirrors with a rich history. If you cant find a framed mirror you like, you can make your own. Just hunt for a picture frame at a frame shop or garage sale, then have it fit with a new mirror. Mirrors are like chameleons in the decorating world — they take on the look of whatever you put with them. Thats why I like to hang them over a fireplace mantel. They are so neutral they allow you to revamp your mantel display over and again without clashing. If you decide to place a mirror above your mantel, position it to reflect down, not up. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when working with mirrors is to tilt it so that it reflects the ceiling, not the lovely things in the room below. Once your mirror is properly positioned, if you want to, you can break up the cool expanse by leaning a piece of artwork against it to add color and movement. Hang mirrors in unusual spots for added panache. When our daughter was married at our home, I hung a gorgeous antique mirror from the molding between the windows in my foyer, where the ceremony took place. I was so taken by how the mirror looked in this unexpected spot that Ive kept it there. For a variation on this idea, hang a set of small mirrors down the wood molding between two windows. They also look great hung above beds.
WHEN Andy and Bonnie Cowley saw an advertisement for a 100ft Dutch barge for sale in Ireland, they jumped at it. They sold their hotel on the Isle of Wight and, in 2005, picked up the African Queen, sailed her across the Irish Sea and up to a base on the River Thames. There followed a few months of extensive restoration and the former Dutch barge was ready for action. She now offers tranquil cruises past some of the most attractive spots on the River Thames. I joined the African Queen at Mapledurham, near Reading, where Andy and Bonnie greeted us with a cream tea. The boat can take 12 passengers in en-suite cabins. Upstairs theres a lounge area with plenty of room to sit and chat, plus a flatscreen TV, fully-stocked bar and dining area. Theres also a sundeck where you can while away the hours.
WHEN Andy and Bonnie Cowley saw an advertisement for a 100ft Dutch barge for sale in Ireland, they jumped at it. They sold their hotel on the Isle of Wight and, in 2005, picked up the African Queen, sailed her across the Irish Sea and up to a base on the River Thames. There followed a few months of extensive restoration and the former Dutch barge was ready for action. She now offers tranquil cruises past some of the most attractive spots on the River Thames. I joined the African Queen at Mapledurham, near Reading, where Andy and Bonnie greeted us with a cream tea. The boat can take 12 passengers in en-suite cabins. Upstairs theres a lounge area with plenty of room to sit and chat, plus a flatscreen TV, fully-stocked bar and dining area. Theres also a sundeck where you can while away the hours.
RIVERTON — At the construction site of the future Mountain View Corridor, Global Positioning System technology is navigating the navigators. Huge GPS devices have been attached to the equipment thats grading the road. The equipment operators push dirt at about 7-10 mph, while glancing down at computers inside their cabs that show their position in relation to where the future road will materialize. “It can tell him to go to the right or left,” said Randy Norton, survey manager for Copper Hills Constructors, the construction consortium thats building the future west-side freeway. “Or which corner of his blade needs to come up.” The operators use the computers to determine whether theyre grading in the right places and whether theyre going too deep or not deep enough into the ground. Teri Newell, Mountain View Corridor project director, said that GPS aids with precision in grading, which will ultimately help the commuters wholl use the corridor.
(VMworld) – Reflex Systems , a pioneer in virtualization systems management solutions, today unveiled its Private Cloud Initiative , a bold new vision that helps enterprise IT staff deliver the power of self-service to virtual infrastructure. While cloud computing has long held the promise of simplification for the end-user, Reflexs Private Cloud Initiative provides greater simplification and ease of management for the IT staff tasked with building private clouds for their end users to leverage.
Enterprises across many industries have been eager to harness the power, ease-of-use and cost-saving benefits of cloud computing, but not every enterprise can use a public cloud, due to security, regulatory or other issues. Enterprises are increasingly turning to virtualization to help them realize the potential of privately-managed clouds, but to date have lacked the people and resources to manage these clouds in-house. The Reflex Private Cloud Initiative makes it possible for end-users to enjoy the self-service aspects of private clouds by drastically simplifying the backend management of these clouds.
A survey of over 350 IT managers , released today, found that issues such as capacity planning, performance and provisioning consume significant resources when enterprises are attempting to leverage virtualization for private clouds. The Reflex Private Cloud Initiative enables enterprises to create fully-functional internal cloud infrastructure. Key building blocks include:
Dynamic infrastructure enablement , including provisioning, configuration management and capacity planning.
Visualization , to improve performance, simplify troubleshooting and enable asset tracking and billing.
Security and dynamic policy enforcement , to ensure regulatory compliance across both the physical and virtual infrastructure.
Ability to easily connect with public clouds , for seamless policy enforcement no matter where machines are hosted.
“Enterprises are expressing increasing interest in leveraging private clouds, but are struggling with the challenges of deploying and managing the virtual infrastructure to support these initiatives,” said Rachel Chalmers, Research Director, Infrastructure Management for The 451 Group. “Reflexs Private Cloud Initiative brings together technologies and best practices to make it as easy for IT to build and manage private clouds as it is for end-users to use them.”
Achieves Approximately 40 Percent Improvement in Figure of Merit
(FOM) From the Company’s Existing Products
TOKYO — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier provider of
advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the availability of
its new 12th-generation power MOSFETs, the RJK0210DPA, RJK0211DPA and
RJK0212DPA, as power semiconductor devices for DC/DC converters used in
applications such as general point-of-load, base stations, computer
servers and notebook PCs.
The new products are used to control the voltage-conversion circuits of
the CPU and the memory. For example, the new power MOSFETs can be used
as a step-down circuit for converting the 12-volt (V) voltage supplied
by a battery to 1.05 V for use by the CPU. Further refinements to the
manufacturing process allow Renesas Electronics’ new MOSFETs to achieve
approximately 40 percent lower FOM (figure of merit; on-state resistance
times gate charge; see Note 1) compared to the company’s existing
products, which contribute to reduction of the power loss during voltage
conversion and thereby enable highly efficient DC/DC converter
performance.
As the performance of applications such as servers, notebook PCs and
graphics cards increases, their power consumption grows as well. At the
same time, the trend toward lower operating voltages for components such
as CPUs, graphics processing units (GPUs), memory devices and ASICs
results in increased current flow. This creates a need for DC/DC
converters capable of handling low voltages and large currents. In
addition, there is strong demand for reduced power loss during voltage
conversion and higher efficiency to help conserve energy and reduce
environmental impact. Renesas Electronics is addressing these demands by
expanding its lineup of low-FOM power MOSFET offerings with its new
products that achieve the leading level of performance in the industry
today.
This decrease in return counts also reflects the expected recessionary period in the U.S. economy and its implications for tax return volumes. Historically, recessionary periods are correlated with increases in unemployment and corresponding decreases in taxable income. This reduction in income can be expected to reduce overall individual tax return filings, as the projections indicate. After CY 2010, grand total return filings are projected to grow at a more common average annual rate of 1.1 percent and are expected to reach 253.6 million returns by 2016. The average rate of growth is derived mainly by projected trends for the major return categories that comprise grand total filings, including individual income tax returns and business tax returns like employment tax returns, corporation tax returns, partnership returns, and estate tax returns. In addition, projections for total electronic returns continue to show a steady increase over the forecast horizon. This growth of electronic filing furthers IRSs strategic goal to improve taxpayer service. For example, according to the most recent forecast, total individual electronic returns are estimated to be 66 percent of all individual income tax returns filed in 2009 and are projected to constitute 79 percent of all returns in 2016. Trend in Grand Total Returns
Janet Summerill Johnson 1948 ~ 2010
This article discusses typical sampling procedures used in most Statistics of Income (SOI) programs. Aspects covered briefly include sampling criteria, selection techniques, methods of estimation, and sampling variability. Some of the nonsampling error limitations of the data are also described, as well as the tabular conventions employed. Additional information on sample design and data limitations for specific SOI studies can be found in the separate SOI reports. More technical information is available, on request, by writing to the Director, Statistics of Income Division RAS:S, Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 2608, Washington, DC 20013-2608. Statistics compiled for the SOI studies are generally based on stratified probability samples of income tax returns or other forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The statistics do not reflect any changes made by the taxpayer through an amended return or by the IRS as a result of an audit. As returns are filed and processed for tax purposes, they are assigned to sampling classes (strata) based on such criteria as: industry, presence or absence of a tax form or schedule, and various income factors or other measures of economic size (such as total assets, total receipts, size of gift, and size of estate). The samples are selected from each stratum over the appropriate filing periods. Thus, sample selection can continue for a given study for several calendar years–3 for corporations because of the incidence of fiscal (noncalendar) year reporting and extensions of filing time. Because sampling must take place before the population size is known precisely, the rates of sample selection within each stratum are fixed. This means, in practice, that both the population and the sample size can differ from those planned. However, these factors do not compromise the validity of the estimates. The probability of a returns selection depends on its sample class or stratum and may range from a fraction of 1 percent to 100 percent. Considerations in determining the selection probability for each stratum include the number of returns in the stratum, the diversity of returns in the stratum, and interest in the stratum as a separate subject of study. All this is subject to constraints based on the estimated processing costs or the target size of the total sample for the program.
PARIS — Regulatory News:
CGGVeritas (Paris:GA) (NYSE:CGV) (ISIN: 0000120164) announced today that
it has been awarded by Pemex a more than 150M$ contract extension to
acquire a 3D wide–azimuth (WAZ) program in the Mexican waters of the
Gulf of Mexico which will be extended to 18,000 square kilometers. The
total survey, which is above 200M$, will be the first WAZ contract of
this scale in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. It is
expected to start in October 2010 for a period of 300 days. Two
CGGVeritas 3D seismic vessels, the Vanquish and the Oceanic Vega, the
new X-BOW® seismic vessel, as well as two source vessels will
be allocated to this significant wide-azimuth program in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Jean-Georges Malcor CEO of CGGVeritas, said: “Along with the successful
collaboration between Pemex and CGGVeritas on our current multi-year
marine program, we are very pleased to have been awarded this very
important WAZ contract extension.
Our high-end fleet, with its combination of Sentinel solid streamers and
Nautilus streamer steering devices, reinforced by our advanced imaging
technology and our leading experience in wide-azimuth offshore
operations will bring unique benefits to this new program. This award
further confirms the technological leadership of CGGVeritas in
addressing the needs of the expanding high-end technology segment of the
seismic industry.”
The main goal of the Training Program is to increase the number of Hispanic students knowledgeable and committed to careers in cancer research and cancer medicine. The specific objectives are to prepare Hispanic students to pursue careers in cancer research, cancer medicine, and population sciences and to establish a Career Development Program for clinical and basic scientist faculty at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Puerto Rico (UPRCCC). The Training Program includes a series of didactic and research experiences, and enrichment activities that include on-campus cancer research at the UPR campuses during the academic year, and summer research and year-round rotations to MDACC. These experiences are complemented and supported by a structured Mentoring Program for students and junior investigators. The mentors are well recognized senior Faculty, mostly from MDACC. Training Opportunities Various research programs are available in UPR and MDACC, all sponsored by the U54 Training Program. In the UPR there is Research Assistantships Stipends Program for Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Students have the opportunity of working in cancer research projects under the guidance of Faculty in mid to senior stages of their academic careers. Most of these scientists are re-gearing their careers to Cancer Research. The students are also required to attend Seminars and Workshops offered through the academic year, mostly offered by visiting world-renowned scientists.
Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results from the Phase 2 INNOVATE-PCI study of its investigational antiplatelet drug, elinogrel, the only competitive, reversible direct-acting P2Y12 ADP receptor antagonist. Results in patients undergoing non-urgent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) showed that an intravenous (i.v.) and oral elinogrel regimen provided more rapid and greater antiplatelet activity than clopidogrel (Plavix®*) without a significant increase in the risk of TIMI major and minor bleeding, and was generally well tolerated. These findings establish the basis for clinical dose selection for a pivotal Phase 3 program, which is anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2011. The data were presented today during the Hot Line II – Coronary Artery Disease late-breaker session at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Stockholm. Elinogrel is being developed in collaboration with Novartis, which holds worldwide development and commercialization rights.
“Cardiovascular deaths from thrombotic events [blood clots] continue to rise globally and current antiplatelet medicines are not effective for all patients,” said INNOVATE-PCI study chair Dr. Robert Harrington, Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, N.C. “The medical community has particular interest in the development of novel agents, including those that have the potential to offer adaptability in their administration and have a competitive, reversible mechanism of action. The results of this study support the further investigation of elinogrels use in patients with heart disease.”
INNOVATE-PCI Study Design
The randomized, double-blind, multi-center Phase 2 trial evaluated i.v. and oral elinogrel compared with clopidogrel in addition to standard of care in approximately 650 patients undergoing non-urgent PCI. The study was designed to evaluate multiple endpoints. These included assessing antiplatelet activity (a well-established marker associated with clinical outcomes) in a small pharmacodynamic substudy, and the safety and tolerability of elinogrel across several doses (80 or 120 mg administered i.v., followed by either a 100 mg or 150 mg oral dose) during a 60-120 day treatment period. The study was not designed or powered to examine a specific primary endpoint.
INNOVATE-PCI Results
Elinogrel demonstrated more rapid and greater antiplatelet effect (measured by extent of platelet aggregation) than loading doses of clopidogrel (300-600 mg) that reached statistical significance within 15 to 30 minutes (150 mg, p=0.007; 100 mg, p=0.015) and at 20 hours (150 mg, p=0.016; 100 mg, p=0.025) following study drug administration. Antiplatelet activity of elinogrel was sustained during the i.v. to oral transition and greater antiplatelet effect was achieved vs. clopidogrel during oral chronic administration. There were no TIMI major bleeding events in the acute 24 hour phase in either the clopidogrel or the 150 mg and 100 mg elinogrel treated patients, and only one TIMI minor bleeding event occurred in each of the elinogrel 150 mg and 100 mg arms. In the chronic phase between 24 hours and 120 days, bleeding events were low with no TIMI major and one TIMI minor bleeding event in the clopidogrel-treated patients and two TIMI major and no TIMI minor events in both the elinogrel 150 mg and 100 mg arms. There was a dose-dependent trend in the rate of lesser bleeds (bleeding requiring medical attention) with elinogrel during the peri-PCI period (3.9% for the clopidogrel arm vs. 6.6% and 9.0% for each of the pooled. i.v. doses). There were no significant differences in clinical efficacy at 24 hours or 120 days.
Bleeding is often used in Phase 2 studies as a marker for antithrombotic activity because cardiovascular event rates are low, particularly in a non-urgent PCI patient population. Accordingly, these results form the basis for dose selection for larger Phase 3 studies designed to confirm the clinical utility of elinogrel.
Leah Morrison Bodily 1916 ~ 2010
Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results from the Phase 2 INNOVATE-PCI study of its investigational antiplatelet drug, elinogrel, the only competitive, reversible direct-acting P2Y12 ADP receptor antagonist. Results in patients undergoing non-urgent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) showed that an intravenous (i.v.) and oral elinogrel regimen provided more rapid and greater antiplatelet activity than clopidogrel (Plavix®*) without a significant increase in the risk of TIMI major and minor bleeding, and was generally well tolerated. These findings establish the basis for clinical dose selection for a pivotal Phase 3 program, which is anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2011. The data were presented today during the Hot Line II – Coronary Artery Disease late-breaker session at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Stockholm. Elinogrel is being developed in collaboration with Novartis, which holds worldwide development and commercialization rights.
“Cardiovascular deaths from thrombotic events [blood clots] continue to rise globally and current antiplatelet medicines are not effective for all patients,” said INNOVATE-PCI study chair Dr. Robert Harrington, Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, N.C. “The medical community has particular interest in the development of novel agents, including those that have the potential to offer adaptability in their administration and have a competitive, reversible mechanism of action. The results of this study support the further investigation of elinogrels use in patients with heart disease.”
INNOVATE-PCI Study Design
The randomized, double-blind, multi-center Phase 2 trial evaluated i.v. and oral elinogrel compared with clopidogrel in addition to standard of care in approximately 650 patients undergoing non-urgent PCI. The study was designed to evaluate multiple endpoints. These included assessing antiplatelet activity (a well-established marker associated with clinical outcomes) in a small pharmacodynamic substudy, and the safety and tolerability of elinogrel across several doses (80 or 120 mg administered i.v., followed by either a 100 mg or 150 mg oral dose) during a 60-120 day treatment period. The study was not designed or powered to examine a specific primary endpoint.
INNOVATE-PCI Results
Elinogrel demonstrated more rapid and greater antiplatelet effect (measured by extent of platelet aggregation) than loading doses of clopidogrel (300-600 mg) that reached statistical significance within 15 to 30 minutes (150 mg, p=0.007; 100 mg, p=0.015) and at 20 hours (150 mg, p=0.016; 100 mg, p=0.025) following study drug administration. Antiplatelet activity of elinogrel was sustained during the i.v. to oral transition and greater antiplatelet effect was achieved vs. clopidogrel during oral chronic administration. There were no TIMI major bleeding events in the acute 24 hour phase in either the clopidogrel or the 150 mg and 100 mg elinogrel treated patients, and only one TIMI minor bleeding event occurred in each of the elinogrel 150 mg and 100 mg arms. In the chronic phase between 24 hours and 120 days, bleeding events were low with no TIMI major and one TIMI minor bleeding event in the clopidogrel-treated patients and two TIMI major and no TIMI minor events in both the elinogrel 150 mg and 100 mg arms. There was a dose-dependent trend in the rate of lesser bleeds (bleeding requiring medical attention) with elinogrel during the peri-PCI period (3.9% for the clopidogrel arm vs. 6.6% and 9.0% for each of the pooled. i.v. doses). There were no significant differences in clinical efficacy at 24 hours or 120 days.
Bleeding is often used in Phase 2 studies as a marker for antithrombotic activity because cardiovascular event rates are low, particularly in a non-urgent PCI patient population. Accordingly, these results form the basis for dose selection for larger Phase 3 studies designed to confirm the clinical utility of elinogrel.
SO sorry to see The X Factor “in crisis” yet again. Pulling in its biggest audiences of all time. Trust me, the Dark Lord isnt losing any sleep. His carefully staged pantomime is exactly where he wants it. all over the front pages. The talking point of the nation. “Youre fantastically nuts,” Simon told Shirlena. No, Simon. she was clinically nuts. As was glaringly obvious to everyone except you and your production team. She was also useless. And now shes gone. Sob. Meanwhile, massive mistake to improve the voices of the wannabes through the magic of the Auto-Tune editing machine. But are we absolutely sure it was working? Crying “fix” is all part of the pageant. Anything to keep the publicity pot boiling.
WALTER SMITH is seeking a massive improvement on last seasons disastrous C h a m p i o n s L e a g u e campaign. Rangers finished bottom of their section after failing to win, home or away, against Seville, Stuttgart and Unirea. But while on paper Manchester United, Valencia and Bursaspor are even stronger, t h e I b r ox boss believes his players can step up. Smith (right) said: “Our Champions League performances from last season werent good enough, especially in our home games. “Manchester Uniteds pedigree is already set. Valencia have had a good few changes in their team for the first time in the last three seasons. They have lost four of their main players but have brought in another six or seven Spanish players. “They will be changed from the last two or three seasons where they have had fantastic consistency to finish third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. “And Bursapor? Well, if you were drawn against Fenerbahce or Galatasaray you would say you wo u l d h ave a struggle. It would be a good game and Bursaspor have won the League and they beat Fenerbahce in the first game of the season.
MAZDA has released some pictures of the updated Mazda2 ahead of its Paris Motorshow debut. The 2 will now come with an automatic option; upgraded interior, upgraded exterior styling and an updated suspension to improve ride comfort.
YOULL get pumped up about our great money-saving offer this bank holiday! Weve teamed up with Shell to give you and every Sunday Mirror reader pounds 2 off a 20-litre tank fill or more on their brilliant new fuels – Shell FuelSave Unleaded and Shell FuelSave Diesel. The new fuels, which have replaced Shells regular Unleaded and Diesel, have been designed by Shell scientists to help save you up to one litre per tank at no extra cost*. SIMPLY cut out the voucher (left) and hand to the cashier at a till point at any participating Shell Service Station in Great Britain before midnight Saturday September 4, 2010. Youll receive your pounds 2 discount when you buy 20 litres or more of Shell FuelSave Unleaded or Diesel. See voucher for full terms. If you have any issues redeeming this promotion please contact customer services on 0207 293 2220 (Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm, Sat/Sun: 9am-3pm. *Based on a minimum tank size and fill up of 50 litres. Comparison between a standard gasoline and that same standard gasoline containing our instantaneous fuel economy formula; urban cycle comparison between a standard diesel and that same standard diesel containing our instantaneous fuel economy formula. Actual savings may vary according to vehicle, driving conditions and driving style.
MILLIONS of parents will be spending the bank holiday weekend getting their kids ready to go back to school. But the cost of kitting them out for their studies can cause a serious dent in the family finances. Research from insurance and investment group LV= shows parents will spend pounds 709m on back- to-school basics – an average of pounds 122 per child. The cost rises to pounds 139 for secondary school children, compared to pounds 96 for infants. Here are our top tips for cutting new term bills. TAKE advantage of back-toschool promotions wherever possible. Asda, for example, are offering cut-price uniforms, with school trousers from just pounds 4, and pintuck shirts starting at pounds 2. The supermarket also sells stationery sets for pounds 2 and laminated ringbinders at just 50p. You can pick up a 36-pack of HB pencils for pounds 1 and a pocket calculator for 50p.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — North Carolina based Iron Horse Auction Company, Inc., a MarkNet
Alliance member, was recently the first auction company to ever conduct
a multi-parcel auction on location with live internet bidding available
through an interactive map.
The team at Iron Horse Auction broke new ground on their August 20th
auction offering a winery/vineyard onsite and to online bidders using
the open forum method of accelerated bidding using proprietary software
developed at MarkNet Alliance.
“Our company has strived to stay ahead to the curve on technology in
order to better serve our clients,” said Tom McInnis, one of the owners
at Iron Horse. “This new proprietary marketing tool will allow the
maximum participation for every property that we offer for sale. It will
prove to be the best method by which to attain maximum value for any
type of real estate offering.”
In the past there has not been a way to effectively offer property using
the multi-parcel method of selling to onsite and online bidders
simultaneously. Until this auction in order to use this method you would
have to rely on bidders traveling to the auction site. Now you can have
bidders at the site and international investors online bidding on the
property all in real time.
“Iron Horse Auction Company owners Tom McInnis and Bill Lilly along with
their team are masters of the trade. They did a tremendous job and made
auction history in the process,” said Chris Pracht, Director at MarkNet
Alliance.
Niagara Acquisition Inc. (”Niagara”), a corporation owned by KingSett Capital Inc. (”KingSett”) and certain clients managed by Alberta Investment Management Corporation (”AIMCo”), has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests in ING Summit Industrial Fund LP (”Summit”) from Realty Holding LP and Realty Holding II LP in a private acquisition. The transaction value is approximately CDN$2 billion, including assumed debt. Niagara has also agreed to acquire ING Real Estate Canada LP, the manager of Summit.
This news release is being issued under the early warning provisions of Canadian provincial securities legislation.
Summit is Canadas largest owner of light industrial property. It owns a portfolio of over 400 properties containing approximately 32 million square feet of gross leasable space and 751 net developable acres of land in major metropolitan areas across Canada.
KingSett is Canadas leading private equity real estate investment business co-investing with pension funds and high net worth individuals.
AIMCo is one of Canadas largest institutional investors. It manages about $70 billion of Alberta public sector pension and endowment assets, including a real estate portfolio valued in excess of $5 billion.
Asked to size up Powers Boulevards retail potential a decade ago, developer Fred Veitch put it this way: “It will be the next Academy Boulevard – better done,” said Veitch, of Colorado Springs real estate company Norwood Development Group, which has since built several shopping areas along Powers. Until the late 1990s, Academy was Colorado Springs dominant retail corridor – with popular shopping centers and restaurants up and down the north-south highway, which stretches from one end of town to the other. Academy remains a busy retail destination, especially north of Woodmen Road. But its been displaced by Powers, which has several newer and better designed shopping centers, easier access to retail areas and some stores not found on Academy. But has Powers popularity come at Academys expense?
I HAVE never been comfortable watching the early auditions for The X Factor. Troubled souls are wheeled out to be openly jeered at by the audience and judges. We dont laugh and point at people with psychological problems in the street, so why should we be allowed to ridicule them on TV? When Shirlena Johnson leapt around on stage shrieking “Mercy”, Simon Cowell doubled over with laughter as did most of the audience. Yet it was painfully obvious this 30-yearold single mum had “issues” that showed up later in her doctors report. Cowell has now decided to axe Shirlena from the show, as much for his sake as hers.
Viejas Casino Voted “Best” in 11 Categories, Including Gaming,
Entertainment, Dining and Shopping
Viejas Casino swept all 11 categories in which it was entered, winning
first place in the following categories:
Best Local Casino, Loosest Slots, Best Casino Restaurant, Best Buffet,
Best Steakhouse, Best Chinese Restaurant, Best Local Shopping Center,
Best Bowling Alley, Best Entertainment Venue, Best Place for Live Music
(under 3,000 people), Best Place to Dance.
“This is truly an incredible accomplishment and a tremendous honor,”
said Viejas Tribal Chairman Bobby L. Barrett, “especially since this is
a vote of the people – people who actually know us and are familiar with
area casinos. It’s not a recognition sponsored by a casino industry
magazine or self-appointed expert. This is the real deal: a recognition
of excellence from people who visit or live in southern California and
have discovered all that Viejas has to offer.”
Nancy K. Vos (Granny B.)
IRVINE, Calif. — As many families face bittersweet emotions as their children head off to
college for the first time, an Irvine-based company is helping them keep
in touch by providing email addresses that instantly say, “I’m thinking
of you.”
Parents can show their pride and love by obtaining an email address that
ends with such sentiments as: LoveFromHome.net, AProudMom.com,
AProudDad.net, MomKnows.net, or CallMeAnytime.net.
Students can share their new life with family by obtaining a
personalized email address that expresses appreciation or future goals,
such as: Grateful-Anteater.com, AppreciativeOwl.com, Thank-you-Mom.com,
Thankful-from-College.com, Engineer-in-Training.com, or
FutureJournalist.net.
Other family members can also get “personal,” by acquiring an email
ending with words like YourLittleSis.com, HappyGrandma.net, or
ProudGrandparent.com.
Abbreviations The guidelines for application of diagnostic imaging, and MRI in particular, to breast cancer patient evaluation and management continue to evolve, and some are articulated by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN; 1). Currently, the breast cancer patient populations who might benefit most from pre-operative MRI include genetically-defined high-risk patients, those with dense breasts as determined by mammography, those with a lobular invasive cancer, a multi-centric tumor or a previously-diagnosed bilateral tumor, those with significant distinctions in size between mammography and ultrasound (US) findings, or those for whom partial breast irradiation or other breast conserving therapy is being considered (2-5). Despite this extensive experience, considerable controversies exist as to the true benefits of the application of MRI to treatment management. A retrospective review of patients with newly diagnosed breast carcinoma who had MRIs prior to surgery noted 381 lesions in 361 patients with pathologic confirmation of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive carcinoma, or mixed DCIS and invasive carcinoma (6). Of these lesions, 16.8% were DCIS, 26.5% were invasive carcinoma, and 56.7% were mixed. An MRI lesion correctly identified the histopathologically-defined cancer in 85.9% of DCIS cases, and to an even higher extent in invasive (97.0%) or mixed (98.1%) cases. DCIS often appears as non-mass clumped enhancement on MRI, with ductal or segmental distribution (7).
Abbreviations The guidelines for application of diagnostic imaging, and MRI in particular, to breast cancer patient evaluation and management continue to evolve, and some are articulated by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN; 1). Currently, the breast cancer patient populations who might benefit most from pre-operative MRI include genetically-defined high-risk patients, those with dense breasts as determined by mammography, those with a lobular invasive cancer, a multi-centric tumor or a previously-diagnosed bilateral tumor, those with significant distinctions in size between mammography and ultrasound (US) findings, or those for whom partial breast irradiation or other breast conserving therapy is being considered (2-5). Despite this extensive experience, considerable controversies exist as to the true benefits of the application of MRI to treatment management. A retrospective review of patients with newly diagnosed breast carcinoma who had MRIs prior to surgery noted 381 lesions in 361 patients with pathologic confirmation of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive carcinoma, or mixed DCIS and invasive carcinoma (6). Of these lesions, 16.8% were DCIS, 26.5% were invasive carcinoma, and 56.7% were mixed. An MRI lesion correctly identified the histopathologically-defined cancer in 85.9% of DCIS cases, and to an even higher extent in invasive (97.0%) or mixed (98.1%) cases. DCIS often appears as non-mass clumped enhancement on MRI, with ductal or segmental distribution (7).
The main goal of the Training Program is to increase the number of Hispanic students knowledgeable and committed to careers in cancer research and cancer medicine. The specific objectives are to prepare Hispanic students to pursue careers in cancer research, cancer medicine, and population sciences and to establish a Career Development Program for clinical and basic scientist faculty at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Puerto Rico (UPRCCC). The Training Program includes a series of didactic and research experiences, and enrichment activities that include on-campus cancer research at the UPR campuses during the academic year, and summer research and year-round rotations to MDACC. These experiences are complemented and supported by a structured Mentoring Program for students and junior investigators. The mentors are well recognized senior Faculty, mostly from MDACC. Training Opportunities Various research programs are available in UPR and MDACC, all sponsored by the U54 Training Program. In the UPR there is Research Assistantships Stipends Program for Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Students have the opportunity of working in cancer research projects under the guidance of Faculty in mid to senior stages of their academic careers. Most of these scientists are re-gearing their careers to Cancer Research. The students are also required to attend Seminars and Workshops offered through the academic year, mostly offered by visiting world-renowned scientists.
This decrease in return counts also reflects the expected recessionary period in the U.S. economy and its implications for tax return volumes. Historically, recessionary periods are correlated with increases in unemployment and corresponding decreases in taxable income. This reduction in income can be expected to reduce overall individual tax return filings, as the projections indicate. After CY 2010, grand total return filings are projected to grow at a more common average annual rate of 1.1 percent and are expected to reach 253.6 million returns by 2016. The average rate of growth is derived mainly by projected trends for the major return categories that comprise grand total filings, including individual income tax returns and business tax returns like employment tax returns, corporation tax returns, partnership returns, and estate tax returns. In addition, projections for total electronic returns continue to show a steady increase over the forecast horizon. This growth of electronic filing furthers IRSs strategic goal to improve taxpayer service. For example, according to the most recent forecast, total individual electronic returns are estimated to be 66 percent of all individual income tax returns filed in 2009 and are projected to constitute 79 percent of all returns in 2016. Trend in Grand Total Returns
More than 100 HPV types have been identified with more than 30 being sexually transmitted (7). Anogenital HPV types have been classified into low-risk types (non-oncogenic), which are associated with anogenital warts (condyloma acuminata), oral and conjunctival papillomas, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (in infants and young children), and mild dysplasia (8). High-risk types (oncogenic) are associated with high-grade dysplasia and various cancers. Current estimates of the attributable fraction, the proportion of cancer cases preventable by the elimination of HPV, are very high (9): 100% for cervical, 90% for anal, 40% for vulvar and vaginal, 50% for cancer of the penis, and between 33 and 72% of oropharyngeal cancers (10). Although there has been increasing interest in understanding the burden of HPV infection and related comorbidities in men (11), studies in this group are still quite limited (12), particularly among Hispanics. Research and surveillance data have indicated that Hispanics have been disproportionately affected by HIV/ AIDS (13), Other STIs (14) and may engage disproportionately in high-risk sexual behaviors (15). In addition, a higher incidence of cervical cancer is observed in Puerto Rico and Hispanic women in the US compared with non-Hispanic whites (Figure 1). These factors could reflect a potential higher prevalence of HPV infection in these populations, as well as disparities in screening rates in these groups (16) suggesting that Hispanic and Puerto Rican men might also be at higher risk for HPV infection and related health outcomes. This high incidence might also lead to a significant economic burden. In Puerto Rico for example, it was estimated that the economic impact of HPV related cancers in 2004 was approximately 7.5% (close to 5 million dollars) of the total cancer costs (17). Even though HPV infection is highly prevalent in sexually active men, (18), most research studies have focused only in women. Studies in men are of particular relevance because, as with other STIs, men play a key role in the transmission dynamics to both male and female sexual partners. It is also clear that HPV infection in men is a serious clinical issue, given the association of HPV infection with a variety of cancers in men, including anal cancer and a subset of penile and oral cancers (19). With the world-wide introduction of two new prophylactic vaccines (bivalent vaccine protecting against HPV 16 and 18, and the quadrivalent vaccine protecting against HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11) against oncogenic HPVs causing cervical cancer in women (20), and the recent FDA approval of the quadrivalent vaccine to prevent genital warts also in men, there is an urgency to determine the burden of HPV in Hispanic populations before vaccination programs are implemented on a widespread basis. Knowledge of the burden of the disease and its related morbidities prior to implementation of these programs will allow a better assessment and understanding of the short-term and long-term effectiveness of this primary prevention strategy for cervical neoplasia and genital warts. In addition, it will permit exploring the prevalence of type-specific HPVs in these populations, not currently included in the HPV vaccines available in the market.
One important task when analyzing microarray data is that of determining which genes changed their expressions significantly from one state to another, for example, from tissues in a cancerous state to tissues in a healthy state. In general, the procedure in which such a task is undertaken is known as gene filtering and has been extensively explored due to its potential for recognizing a reduced number of genes, which recognition can offer a shortcut to illness diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment (4-5, 7-21). Gene filtering has been explored through a variety of techniques based on normal distribution, such as the 2 sample t-test (17), ANOVA (22), and the Welch t-test (19), among others. Some authors stress the fact that gene expression data do not follow a normal distribution (18, 21, 23), proposing the use of nonparametric statistical tests such as the Mann-Whitney (MW) test (18), also known as the Wilcoxon test. Genes selected through a filtering procedure can be used for many purposes. Of particular interest to this study was defining a classifier to determine whether a given tissue belongs to a particular category (i.e. cancer or healthy) through measuring the relative expressions of the selected genes. Thus, the interest was on developing a cancer diagnosis that is based on classification. As a precedent, our research group has previously proposed a strategy (based on the Wilcoxon test) to carry out gene filtering and tissue classification (24-25), aiming first for simplicity rather than performance. In this study, using this initial strategy as a baseline, classification performance was targeted through the development of two new methods. The first method employed the Wilcoxon test for gene filtering and classification; however, this revised method introduced a gene-set selection step right after filtering to enhance classification performance. The second method capitalized on this new structure, and used the Nemenyi-Damico-Wolfe (NDW) multiple comparison nonparametric test as a distinctive enhancement strategy. For brevity, the descriptions of the Wilcoxon and the NDW tests have been omitted here but can be readily perused in a textbook on nonparametric statistical methods, such as that of Hollander and Wolfe (26). The structure of this paper is as follows: In the next section, microarray databases are described in general, along with the details of the proposed methods. The computational setting is then discussed in the ensuing section, followed by an assessment of the classification performance of the proposed methods vs. that of the baseline approach. Finally, conclusions are drawn and future plans are described.
In August 2004, the Law #230, approved by the Government of Puerto Rico in a three party resolution, created the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UPRCCC), a public corporation affiliated to the University of Puerto Rico. This law established that this Center will be the organism responsible for executing the public policy related to the prevention, education, and research, as well as the clinical and treatment services related to cancer in Puerto Rico. The dual mission of the UPRCCC is: (1) To deliver the best research-driven cancer care through programs that integrate patient care, research, prevention, and education, and (2) To eradicate cancer in Puerto Rico using a multidisciplinary approach of basic, clinical, and population research. Thus, the UPRCCC is fundamental for the development of cancer control, research, and training efforts in Puerto Rico. More recently, in 2008, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Puerto Rico published its first official Cancer Control Plan, a structured guide with measurable outcomes aimed at reducing the cancer burden in our population. All of the previously mentioned initiatives will continue to be key to the progress in cancer control and research in Puerto Rico and thus, to the quality of the preventive and treatment services that we will offer to our patients. The increase in the cancer burden in Puerto Rico has been accompanied by a substantial increase in the volume of published research and federal funds to academic institutions in Puerto Rico for cancer research. Despite this advancement, areas that need our continued support and development in the years to come include: 1) continued surveillance of cancer occurrence in Puerto Rico through the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry, 2) development of transdisciplinary and translational cancer research that encompass all areas of the cancer control continuum (prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship), 3) outreach efforts that bring scientific knowledge to the development of targeted cancer control strategies for the community, 4) development of sound cancer-related public policy, and 5) continued training of the next generation of cancer researchers and health professionals. Our ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary local and international teams will be essential to our success. The forthcoming issue of the Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal provides an informative summary of various research studies that are currently being conducted in Puerto Rico. The 17 articles in this issue describe diverse research areas in the cancer field including disease burden, disease prevention, correlates of cancer occurrence, diagnostic technologies and clinical management. In addition, an overview of cancer training efforts in the island is discussed. Our future as a healthy nation will require a concerted effort between government, academia and industry that lead the research, training, and public policy efforts that will ultimately result in improved cancer prevention and control outcomes for the people of Puerto Rico. We hope you find in this edition of the journal a well-rounded overview of cancer research in Puerto Rico.
The main goal of the Training Program is to increase the number of Hispanic students knowledgeable and committed to careers in cancer research and cancer medicine. The specific objectives are to prepare Hispanic students to pursue careers in cancer research, cancer medicine, and population sciences and to establish a Career Development Program for clinical and basic scientist faculty at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Puerto Rico (UPRCCC). The Training Program includes a series of didactic and research experiences, and enrichment activities that include on-campus cancer research at the UPR campuses during the academic year, and summer research and year-round rotations to MDACC. These experiences are complemented and supported by a structured Mentoring Program for students and junior investigators. The mentors are well recognized senior Faculty, mostly from MDACC. Training Opportunities Various research programs are available in UPR and MDACC, all sponsored by the U54 Training Program. In the UPR there is Research Assistantships Stipends Program for Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Students have the opportunity of working in cancer research projects under the guidance of Faculty in mid to senior stages of their academic careers. Most of these scientists are re-gearing their careers to Cancer Research. The students are also required to attend Seminars and Workshops offered through the academic year, mostly offered by visiting world-renowned scientists.
Leo Ross Walker, Jr. DDS. 7/29/1923 ~ 8/26/2010
Leah Morrison Bodily 1916 ~ 2010
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
BROADCASTERS will be carefully studying ratings figures for Fridays Euro 2012 fixtures. And you can bet that if England v Bulgaria on ITV1 , for example, draws a lower than normal audience, pressure will mount on FIFA, who changed the calendar for double headers from the traditional Saturday-Wednesday slots to Friday-Tuesday. Many England fans living outside London are furious that the 8pm start will force them to take time off work and create travel problems. But the only opinion that will count in FIFAs corridors of powers are those of TV moguls with their big bucks. The size of their Friday audiences will decide whether the international assault on Saturday kick-offs continues. The omens are not good. TV bosses report that Friday night ratings for rugby union are encouraging.
The Very Last Of The Summer Wine (8.00pm) In which several old men build a rocketpropelled bathtub on wheels with hilarious consequences. Oh, that was last week. Its the end for, surely, the longest-running comedy series ever! CHOICE Mountain Gorilla (8pm) Fascinating look at the gorilla community, narrated by Patrick Stewart (now theres a voice made for documentaries) sees silverback leader Titus try to care for a vulnerable orphan. CHOICE Martin Clunes – Horsepower (8.00pm) Doc Martin star and animal lover Clunes examines the changing role of horses over the years. He also has a punt and looks at police horses in Old Trafford -home of Mane-chester United. CHOICE Alan Carr: Chatty Man (10.00pm) The hair, the teeth, the sexual innuendo – and thats just Alan Carrs guests this week, with Jedward, Whoopi Goldberg and Sex and the Citys Kim Cattrall on the sofa. McFly provide the music.
On March 2 of 2007, with the implementation of Law 66, Puerto Rico became a smoke-free island by completely banning indoor smoking in public places such as bars, pubs, casinos, hotels, work places with more than one employee, and cars with any passenger under the age of 13 . According to the literature, the immediate impact of smoke-free workplace policies has been to dramatically reduce the exposition to SHS for customers and workers (10-17). Many studies have used the level of respirable particulate matter ([PM.sub.2.5]) as the main indicator of exposure to SHS because it has been demonstrated that smoking is one of the main sources of indoor levels of [PM.sub.2.5] (10). For example, bars in the state of New York experienced an average reduction of 84% in their [PM.sub.2.5] levels after the Clean Indoor Air Act was implemented in July of 2003 (11). In the case of Austin, Texas, bars experienced a reduction from 71% to 99% in their [PM.sub.2.5] levels after a smoking ban was implemented (12). In another study (13), Irish-theme pubs around the globe located in countries or cities with smoke-free legislation were compared with similar pubs in places without smoke-free ordinances. In this case, the results showed an average 91% reduction in [PM.sub.2.5] levels. In March of 2006, a smoking ban was implemented in Scotland, which substantially covered enclosed places including pubs. Evidence shows that, as a result, Scottish pubs experienced an average of 86% reduction in [PM.sub.2.5] levels (14). In Italy, a year after the implementation of an all smoke-free workplace policy in January of 2005, there was an average of 68% reduction in [PM.sub.2.5] levels across bars, restaurants, game rooms, and pubs (15). The main claim of this study is that the smoke-free workplace policy implemented in March of 2007 was effective in reducing the exposure to SHS in restaurants, pubs, and discos in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The specific research objectives of the study were three. First, to measure and compare the restaurants, pubs, and discos in the metropolitan area of San Juan at baseline (before the smoke-free workplace policy was implemented) in terms of the levels of respirable particulate matter (PM), the number of smokers, the number of customers, and establishment area. Second, to measure the change in levels of PM, the number of smokers, and the number of customers before and after March 2007. And third, to measure the effect of the smoke-free workplace policy on the level of PM controlling for the number of customers and establishment area.
A CASH-STRAPPED council in Wales has sanctioned pounds 190,000 to be spent on “essential” building work. OK, so that must mean updating a care home, or building classrooms or maybe a new clinic? Where do you start? But, no. Environmental bosses at the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council have insisted nearly pounds 200,000 is blown on three wire walkways across a new bypass. Not for local kids, mind you, but for dormice.
A DIABETIC grandmother in hospital for a minor operation died because nurses forgot to give her insulin injections. Gillian Astbury, 66, received the appalling treatment at a hospital, where up to 1,200 patients have died in suspicious circumstances in four years. A police investigation into Gillians care left three nurses facing possible manslaughter charges, which were later dropped. Two have been sacked. The third has been suspended and faces being struck off.
HES managed in six countries, including two spells with Real Madrid. Hes felt the wrath of angry supporters as well as the golden glow of success. Yet John Toshack, after 32 years in more hot seats than hed care to remember, will still look back on his time with Wales as the hottest of them all. “Its different to a club job but, yes, its been tough,” said the man who begins his final campaign, Euro 2112, in Montenegro next Friday night. “I knew it would be, thats why I insisted on five years rather than three when I got the job.”
MAZDA has released some pictures of the updated Mazda2 ahead of its Paris Motorshow debut. The 2 will now come with an automatic option; upgraded interior, upgraded exterior styling and an updated suspension to improve ride comfort.
MERCEDES-BENZ has set tongues wagging and pulses racing as it unveiled the new CLS this week.
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
INTRODUCTION The essentiality of copper for poultry and livestock is well documented (Davis and Mertz, 1987). Cu is an essential mineral which serves as co-factor in many enzyme systems in the body. Cu-sulfate (CuS[O.sub.4]5[H.sub.2]O) is the most commonly used dietary Cu supplement. Copper in the form of Cu-sulfate improves growth rate and feed efficiency in broilers (Choi and Paik, 1989; Baker et al., 1991) and in pigs (Roof and Mahan, 1982; Edmonds et al., 1985; Cromwell et al., 1989) at supernormal level (125 to 250 mg/kg). Growth promoting effect of dietary Cu has been attributed to its antimicrobial action (Fuller at el., 1960; Bunch et al., 1961; Burnell et al., 1988). Improved availability of Cu from organic Cu complexes compared with the commonly used Cu salts recently has been suggested. Chelates, complexes or proteinates are the organic form of Cu and are usually considered for use in animal diet as alternatives to inorganic Cu source. More bioavailability of Cu is probably due to better absorption, which enhances its efficiency (Downs et al., 2000; Yu et al., 2000; Guo et al., 2001). Baker and Ammerman (1995) reported that relative bioavailability estimate of organic Cu sources ranged from 88% to 147% of the response to cupric sulfate in poultry, Swine, sheep and cattle. Improvements in the digestibility of proteins (Braude, 1965; Castell and Bowland, 1968) and retention of nitrogen (Braude, 1965) have been reported in young pigs fed diet containing added Cu. Studies by Dove and Haydon (1992) and Dove (1995) have indicated that addition of 250 mg Cu/kg improved digestibility and utilization of the fat of weaned pigs, but results have limited and inconclusive for chickens when Cu added to the feed fortified with oil. To increase the energy level in the finisher diet and to obtain higher weight of a broiler chicken, oil and fat are used because of its high energy content. Soybean oil which stimulates growth rate, when included in poultry diet (Nitsan et al., 1997) is most commonly used oil source in Indian condition. Unsaturated vegetable fats (like soybean oil) are more energetic than saturated animal fat. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of level of dietary inorganic and organic forms of Cu and energy level on performance and nutrient utilization of broiler chicken.
Epidemiological studies in the United States (US), Europe, Australia, and Africa have documented standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of AIDS related and non-AIDS related cancers using data from linked Cancer and AIDS registries (4-13). In a population-based registry linkage in New York State, Gallagher et al. (10) reported significant SIR for KS, NHL, invasive cervical cancer, and several non-AIDS related cancers affecting the tongue, mouth, rectum, anus, trachea, bronchus, and lung. In Italy, Dal Maso, Serraino and Franceschi (7) reported a SIR of 302 (95% CI, 253-357) for NHL in AIDS patients. In a linkage of AIDS and cancer registries from 11 US regions, Engels et al. (4) reported important declines in KS and NHL after the introduction of HAART in people with AIDS, no change in cervical cancer, and increased risk of non-AIDS related cancers, particularly Hodgkin lymphoma, anus, liver, and lung cancer. An AIDS-Cancer linkage was also conducted in Africa, where the incidence of all AIDS related cancers and some non-AIDS related cancers (Hodgkin lymphoma, conjunctiva, kidney, thyroid, and uterus) were found to be higher among people with AIDS (9). In a more recent prospective cohort study, Patel et al. (5) also reported a reduction in AIDS related malignancies except for cervical cancer, and a significant increase risk of non-AIDS related malignancies in a cohort of adults living with HIV compared to the general population in the US. The most important types of non-AIDS related malignancies were: anal, vaginal, Hodgkin lymphoma, liver, lung, melanoma, oropharyngeal, leukemia, colorectal and renal. These results suggest that the incidence of non-AIDS related cancers has increased more than the incidence of AIDS related cancers, and that the influence of HAART in the development and prognosis of various cancers is still not clear. Biological, environmental and behavioral risk factors must also be explored to better define the long-term cancer risk in people living with HIV/AIDS (14). Puerto Rico (PR) is one of the top ten US States and territories with the highest cumulative number of AIDS cases, and Puerto Ricans are the second largest group of Hispanics in the US with higher cancer mortality rates (15-16). However, little information is available regarding AIDS related and non-AIDS related malignancies among Hispanics with HIV/ AIDS in the US or PR. In one retrospective cohort study in Southern California, Levine et al. (17) reported that from 1982 to 1998 the prevalence of AIDS-related lymphoma decreased significantly in whites but increased in Hispanics. In another study, Fordyce et al. (18) conducted a population-based AIDS-Cancer linkage analysis of women from New York City diagnosed with AIDS between 1981 and 1994, and reported that 47% of all cancer cases were among African Americans, 36% among Hispanics, and 16% among non-Hispanic whites. Mayor et al. (19) conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 3,576 HIV/AIDS patients attending an outpatient clinic in PR from 1992 to 2005. Of these patients, 171 (4.8%) were diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives: 51.5% AIDS related and 48.5% non-AIDS related cancers. Because no population-based studies have been conducted in PR, the risk of AIDS related and non-AIDS related cancers in PR compared to the general population is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of AIDS related and non-AIDS related cancers among Hispanics with AIDS in PR using the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry and the Puerto Rico AIDS Surveillance Program Registry. Both are population-based registries that receive support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We hypothesized that the risk of all AIDS related cancers and the risk of many non-AIDS related cancers will be higher in the AIDS group compared with the general population in PR. The results of this study will provide the basis for future epidemiological studies to characterize the natural history of specific cancers in HIV infection and other important biological, environmental, and behavioral risk factors.
By Jan Biles A group of volunteers is helping to restore a historic farmstead in Wabaunsee County. The Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards recently put down gravel and made other improvements to the road leading to Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie, a 50-acre hilltop park about three miles south of Wamego, said Michael Stubbs, a founding member of the Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards. The volunteers also worked with Wabaunsee Township and local construction companies to replace culverts and build up the roadbed. The cost of the project was about $6,500, which will be raised by the volunteers.
SHOCKED pals of Michaela Davis huddled together in trembling groups yesterday as they struggled to come to terms with the pretty youngsters death. They stood at the entrance to her Village estate in Clonsilla which was exactly at the point where the Garda tape sealed off the scene. The young teens watched as Garda vehicles passed up and down the road and officers hurried around the corner to where the body was discovered in undergrowth. One sobbed: “I just cant believe it. I saw her walking by my house yesterday. Its so hard to believe she is gone, just like that.” Pals said the pretty 12-yearold was short for her age but was much more mature. She was looking forward to returning to starting secondary school tomorrow. Her friends also revealed how she had worn her new uniform for the first time last Friday at Luttrelstown Community College when she picked up her timetable for the coming year.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — International real estate investment and services firm Kennedy Wilson (NYSE:
KW) today announced the results of its 2010 annual shareholder
meeting held on Thursday, August 26, 2010.
Shareholders reelected Cathy Hendrickson to serve a three year term on
the Board of Directors and elected Stanley Zax to also serve a three
year term on the Board. Zax is chairman and CEO of Zenith National
Insurance Corporation, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings
Limited.
Additionally, shareholders approved an amendment to the company’s
amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which increases the
number of shares of authorized common stock from 80,000,000 to
125,000,000 shares. The issuance of shares of common stock upon
conversion of Series A Preferred Stock in accordance with applicable New
York Stock Exchange Rules was approved. Shareholders also ratified the
appointment of KPMG as the companys independent registered public
accounting firm for 2010.
Asked to size up Powers Boulevards retail potential a decade ago, developer Fred Veitch put it this way: “It will be the next Academy Boulevard – better done,” said Veitch, of Colorado Springs real estate company Norwood Development Group, which has since built several shopping areas along Powers. Until the late 1990s, Academy was Colorado Springs dominant retail corridor – with popular shopping centers and restaurants up and down the north-south highway, which stretches from one end of town to the other. Academy remains a busy retail destination, especially north of Woodmen Road. But its been displaced by Powers, which has several newer and better designed shopping centers, easier access to retail areas and some stores not found on Academy. But has Powers popularity come at Academys expense?
Claude Elmo Middleton 1917 ~ 2010
Fraunhofer’s telepresence@home HD Video Conferencing Technology,
Developed within the EU Project “Together Anywhere Together Anytime”
Delivers a “Same-Room” Experience Despite the Distance between Users
BERLIN — Fraunhofer IIS, the world’s authoritative source of audio and multimedia
technologies, is presenting technologies for telepresence@home and HD
video conferencing systems, featuring low-delay, high-quality audio and
video for the first time at IFA 2010 in Berlin. Fraunhofer’s technology
allows users to experience completely natural conversation just as if
the participants were sitting in the same room.
The telepresence@home system demo is part of the European Union’s
“Together Anywhere Together Anytime” (TA2) project, which aims to enable
new media experiences to nurture relationships between families and
friends. Through its work as a research partner within TA2, Fraunhofer
contributed its Audio Communication Engine to provide the highest
quality audio, and now delivers a matching low-delay video solution.
This new video technology reduces delay to a level that allows for
natural communication experiences. In contrast to conventional video
conferencing systems, the Audio Communication Engine and low-delay video
technology deliver a complete telepresence@home system that provides the
highest audio and video quality along with imperceptible latency.
“Current low-delay video technologies require either a much higher
bit-rate or rely on very expensive dedicated hardware,” said Dr.
Nikolaus Faerber, low-delay video project manager at Fraunhofer IIS.
“However, Fraunhofer’s solution is based on PC hardware, which is widely
available at a very competitive price. The result is an HD video
conferencing system for the home that delivers the best possible
communication experience at a low cost.”
Fraunhofer’s low-delay video technology consists of low-delay,
high-quality video encoding and decoding based on H.264 in conjunction
with a custom designed low-delay frame grabber card. This combination
enables high-quality HD video at DSL compatible bit-rates well below 100
ms delay end-to-end.
Balqon Corporation (OTCBB: BLQN), a developer and manufacturer of zero emissions, heavy-duty electric vehicles and drive systems, has received a $490,000 order for electric drive systems under a new dealer agreement with DynaProTech, a leading composite automotive parts manufacturer in the Peoples Republic of China.
Under the terms of the dealer agreement, DynaProTech plans to integrate Balqons zero-emissions electric drive systems into electric buses, heavy-duty trucks, light commercial vehicles and automobiles for use throughout China. DynaProTech will also provide servicing and parts for Balqons products throughout China.
“Our relationship with DynaProTech is a continuation of our localization strategy to have our drive systems integrated into products manufactured by regional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in major world markets,” said Balwinder Samra, president and CEO of Balqon Corporation.
“We believe that DynaProTechs existing customer base in the automotive sector will expedite our ability to promote our technologies to a growing base of OEMs seeking zero-emissions technologies,” said Samra. “In addition, we believe that our relationship with DynaProTech will also allow us to showcase our flux vector motor controllers and battery management systems to manufacturers of electric buses, trucks and automobiles in China.”
The relationship with DynaProTech comes at a time where China is expected to increase spending in the alternative-energy vehicle industry. On August 4, 2010, the Shanghai Securities News reported (without citation) that China may invest more than 100 billion Yuan (approximately US$14.8 billion) in the alternative-energy vehicles industry during the next 10 years.
SINGAPORE — Personal navigation devices (PNDs) have been popular in recent years,
and remain so. According to ABI Research market data, approximately 42.3
million personal navigation devices will be shipped in 2010. New devices
offer more features attractive to customers. “New features such as
multimedia functions, voice commands, and digital camera and Bluetooth
connections are being added to both handheld and automotive-friendly
devices,” notes telematics and navigation practice director Dominique
Bonte.
Device manufacturers such as Navigon, Pioneer, and Garmin all launched
new PNDs in the first half of 2010. Among the new products launched this
year, Garmin nüvi 3700 series devices are less than 9mm thick, which is
ultra-thin compared to the other devices on the market. It also has a
dual-orientation capability which is very suitable for portable use. New
products from Garmin and Navigon come with Bluetooth connections.
Personal navigation devices come with screens sizes ranging from 3 to 5
inches. In-vehicle dashboard devices have larger screens, up to 7
inches. More than 80% of the portable and in-dash navigation devices
come with touch screens which give a more intuitive user experience.
Recently, PND manufacturers are facing increased competition from
GPS-equipped smartphones, and some manufacturers have found their sales
of PNDs declining. Free map access from Google and Nokia on mobile
phones has also caused a fall in sales and average selling prices.
However, “Stand-alone PNDs still have an advantage over smartphones,”
says research associate Khin Sandi Lynn. “Their larger screens provide
users with a clearer view that is also easier to use while driving.
Although volumes are dropping, for automotive use standalone PNDs will
remain the preferred choice for many users.”
SINGAPORE — Personal navigation devices (PNDs) have been popular in recent years,
and remain so. According to ABI Research market data, approximately 42.3
million personal navigation devices will be shipped in 2010. New devices
offer more features attractive to customers. “New features such as
multimedia functions, voice commands, and digital camera and Bluetooth
connections are being added to both handheld and automotive-friendly
devices,” notes telematics and navigation practice director Dominique
Bonte.
Device manufacturers such as Navigon, Pioneer, and Garmin all launched
new PNDs in the first half of 2010. Among the new products launched this
year, Garmin nüvi 3700 series devices are less than 9mm thick, which is
ultra-thin compared to the other devices on the market. It also has a
dual-orientation capability which is very suitable for portable use. New
products from Garmin and Navigon come with Bluetooth connections.
Personal navigation devices come with screens sizes ranging from 3 to 5
inches. In-vehicle dashboard devices have larger screens, up to 7
inches. More than 80% of the portable and in-dash navigation devices
come with touch screens which give a more intuitive user experience.
Recently, PND manufacturers are facing increased competition from
GPS-equipped smartphones, and some manufacturers have found their sales
of PNDs declining. Free map access from Google and Nokia on mobile
phones has also caused a fall in sales and average selling prices.
However, “Stand-alone PNDs still have an advantage over smartphones,”
says research associate Khin Sandi Lynn. “Their larger screens provide
users with a clearer view that is also easier to use while driving.
Although volumes are dropping, for automotive use standalone PNDs will
remain the preferred choice for many users.”
WERE going on holiday by Eurostar and since our train leaves London at 8am we need to stay the night before in a hotel near St Pancras. Can you suggest somewhere that is not too expensive? – R Hindle, North Yorkshire.
AN Argyll hotel business in which reality TV tycoon Gerry Robinson refused to invest, on the grounds that it “didnt need the money”, has gone into administration, with the loss of 58 jobs. McColls of Argyll, based in Dunoon, featured on Channel 4s Gerrys Big Decision last year. Former Granada boss Robinson, has made a second career out of television turnarounds and he advised on a restructuring in a way that appeared to end a long-standing father- and-son battle for managerial control. But Robinson also surprised the Wilkinsons by declining to invest the requested pound(s)150,000 in the business, claiming that it would “distract” from the agreed business plan. Robinson said at the time: “Without a doubt this is a business that can work. You have gone right to the edge of the cliff and you probably think you have gone over it without this cash. I dont think you have.” He added that he would be prepared to talk to banker Clydesdale on the managements behalf and said it would be “monumentally stupid” if it withdrew its support. Barely a year after the show was broadcast, Clydesdale did withdraw support, calling in administrator BDO Stoy Hayward.
Teens, Athletic Footwear, and the Retail Channels in Which They
Meet
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — With the back-to-school retail season underway, The NPD Group,
Inc., a leading market
research company, released an analysis of where and why teens
purchase athletic footwear from its Retail and Brand Landscape Report
Series. While the shopping destinations of choice are discount
stores and mass merchants, department stores are gaining some traction
with this demographic.
According to NPD’s Consumer Tracking Service, teens ages 13 to 17
accounted for almost 20 percent of athletic footwear sales during the
back- to- school selling season (July, August, and September) during the
past 3 seasons. An examination of this age group in the Retail
and Brand Landscape Report Series shows that discount stores and
mass merchants rank number one in converting teen shoppers from
considering them as a place to shop and to get them to make a purchase.
The 2010 results represent an increase for these types of stores among
male teens (from fifth last year to first this year), while for female
teens they stayed in the number one position from last year to this.
Percent of Consumers Willing to Consider the Retailer and Make a
Purchase
Listen in The Internet news talk show “Jim Cates @ CJOnline can be heard live from 8 to 10 a.m. Mondays and Fridays. To access the show, go to CJOnline.com and click “Listen!
Rose Malnar Johnson 1923 ~ 2010
Jessie Mae Sagers Johnson A Love Story
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
Foster parents are a special ilk. They nurture other peoples children who have been removed from homes amid allegations of neglect and/or abuse. With proper supports and efforts on the part of birth parents, many children are reunited with their birth families. There are also occasions when foster families adopt the children who have been in their care. Presently, there are 2,800 foster children in state care. Many have intense needs, and they are spending longer periods in foster care. At the same time, amid overall budget cuts, the state has reduced foster care stipends to $14 a day for children who do not have special needs. These cuts took effect July 1. It costs roughly $11 more — $25 a day — to kennel a dog along the Wasatch Front. How on earth are foster parents supposed to provide the basic needs of these children — food, clothing and other necessities — on stipends that have been rolled back to 2007 rates? Its a disgrace. State lawmakers need to find a way to restore this funding to previous levels. While those rates were far from what experts say would be sufficient, cutting these stipends while foster parents are pinched by the economic downturn places tremendous stress on their household budgets. Some foster parents may not be able to continue to provide this much needed care under this funding arrangement. That means state child welfare workers will have fewer options to place children or they will be pressing foster families to accept more placements.
Foster parents are a special ilk. They nurture other peoples children who have been removed from homes amid allegations of neglect and/or abuse. With proper supports and efforts on the part of birth parents, many children are reunited with their birth families. There are also occasions when foster families adopt the children who have been in their care. Presently, there are 2,800 foster children in state care. Many have intense needs, and they are spending longer periods in foster care. At the same time, amid overall budget cuts, the state has reduced foster care stipends to $14 a day for children who do not have special needs. These cuts took effect July 1. It costs roughly $11 more — $25 a day — to kennel a dog along the Wasatch Front. How on earth are foster parents supposed to provide the basic needs of these children — food, clothing and other necessities — on stipends that have been rolled back to 2007 rates? Its a disgrace. State lawmakers need to find a way to restore this funding to previous levels. While those rates were far from what experts say would be sufficient, cutting these stipends while foster parents are pinched by the economic downturn places tremendous stress on their household budgets. Some foster parents may not be able to continue to provide this much needed care under this funding arrangement. That means state child welfare workers will have fewer options to place children or they will be pressing foster families to accept more placements.
Cinema possesses a rich history of collaboration between artists of sound, narrative, and image. However, traditional tendencies to perceive music as a strictly supportive background or accompaniment have been subjected to in-depth critique only recently. Abigail Childs interactions with musicians in Is This What You Were Born For? (1981-89) and Bill Morrisons partnership with composer Michael Gordon in Decasia (2001) exemplify (but by no means exhaust the possibilities of) the broader range of collaborative textures that cinema has always suggested. Not coincidentally, these works represent the influence on cinema of two popular music practices: the ubiquitous re-mixing that has emerged from hip-hop culture and the group composition typical of many rock bands. Abigail Child (also a poet, critic, and scholar) has had an influential career as an experimental filmmaker since the mid-1970s when she turned from professional documentary work to the creation of independent films focusing on gender, sexuality, class, and the critical possibilities of montage. Recycling found footage from a wide variety of sources, such as porn, industrial films, and home movies, and progressing cinematic techniques often associated primarily with the historical avant-garde of the early twentieth century, Child has created an oeuvre of incredible beauty and continuing social relevance. Her films are shown at major art museums and in experimental cinema venues and can be obtained through a variety of distribution channels. Is This What You Were Born For?, the series of short films Child created in the 1980s, underscores her exploration of interdisciplinary collaboration and these endeavors have had on her work. Michael Gordons award-winning career as a composer has resulted in a variety of notable intermedia collaborations, including for example operas with diegetic film components progressing beyond the more familiar application of projection as scenery and non-narrative music performances incorporating video. Gordon is a founding member of the highly regarded new music organization Bang on a Can, a group dedicated to facilitating the composition and performance of new music, often with an interdisciplinary dimension and independently of conservative academic contexts. Decasia, Gordons internationally celebrated collaboration with filmmaker Bill Morrison, is a symphony for full orchestra paired with a montage of archival nitrate footage in various states of intriguing and evocative decomposition. The final version of the film, edited to fit the live recording of the symphony performance, was featured in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Decasia synaesthetically elucidates subtleties inherent to myriad generative tensions: progress/tradition, memory/time, darkness/illumination, and mini-malism/totalism.
Interest, dividends, and other passive types of income comprise the vast majority of U.S.-source income paid to foreign persons that is subject to Form 1042-S reporting. In 2007, foreign persons received $376.6 billion in U.S.-source interest payments, which represent 58.3 percent of total gross income paid. Dividend payments to foreign recipients totaled $134.0 billion (20.7 percent), while notional principal contract income was $68.9 billion (10.7 percent). Finally, payments of rents and royalties, personal services income, and Social Security and railroad retirement benefits combined for $33.0 billion. It is not uncommon for U.S.-source income payments to foreign persons to be entirely exempt from withholding tax. The most frequent reasons for this are that the income is exempt due to a tax treaty between the U.S. and the recipients country of residence, or the specific type of income (typically portfolio interest) is exempt under an Internal Revenue Code section. In 2007, just 10.8 percent ($70 billion) of U.S.-source income paid to foreign persons was subject to withholding tax. Almost $10.2 billion in withholding taxes were collected on the residual income subject to withholding, with an average effective tax rate of 14.5 percent (see Figure A). The average effective rate is substantially less than the 30-percent statutory withholding rate because reduced withholding rates are permitted under many tax treaties. In addition to receiving the most U.S.-source income, corporate recipients were among the biggest beneficiaries of reduced withholding rates, with an average effective tax rate of 12.3 percent. This is due in large part to the fact that corporations received large amounts of dividends and royalties that receive preferential withholding rates under treaty agreements. Conversely, foreign individuals received much of their incomes in the form of Social Security and railroad retirement payments and personal services income, two categories which tend to have withholding rates closer to the statutory level. This resulted in foreign individuals having the highest effective tax rates among the major recipient categories (22.2 percent). Figure B shows six countries whose residents received the largest amounts of U.S.-source gross income during the 3-year period from 2005 to 2007. In 2005 and 2006, residents of the United Kingdom (U.K.) received the most U.S.-source income. However, in 2007, income paid to the U.K. fell to $77.1 billion and was surpassed by the Cayman Islands. Figure B, Part 1 illustrates the steady growth of payments to the Cayman Islands over this period, beginning with $40.1 billion in 2005 (trailing both the U.K. and Japan) and reaching $84.7 billion in 2007. Part 2 of Figure B shows Cayman Islands recipients paid the most tax throughout the 3-year period, and the amount of tax withheld rose at a rate proportionate to the growth in income received over the same period.
Motor vehicle versus pedestrian crashes are a leading cause of injury and death among children. Because attending school is a major focal point of a childs daily activity, many pedestrian-related injuries among children occur on the way to or from school. Research on this topic has shown a number of factors to be related to motor vehicle versus pedestrian crashes, some of which include: school travel times, season, neighborhood characteristics and the number of schools in the area. School zones have been created in many areas, aimed to reduce the risk of pedestrian-related injuries to children and are meant to be safe places for children to walk during school travel times. However, the question remains as to how effective these zones are and if more should be done to protect our youth. Our study used pedestrian collision data from the City of Torontos Traffic Data Centre and Safety Bureau. The study included all police-reported motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians with a recorded age less than 18 years that occurred in Toronto, Canada between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) provided a list of all 1,050 schools registered in Metropolitan Toronto. School zones, established by the Toronto Transport Operations, are defined as a 150-meter radius around a school. For the purpose of this study, additional zones were designated around schools at increasing distances of 150, 150-300, 300-450 and 450 meters. Frequency of vehicle-pedestrian collisions around schools in each zone was determined. We found that there were a total of 2,717 collisions in Toronto between 2000 and 2005 that involved children under the age of 18. The largest proportion of collisions was in the 10-14 year age group (37%). Almost 50% of collisions occurred during the hours defined as school travel times (7-9 am, 12-1 pm, and 3-5pm). When considering the rate per hour, there was 3.3 times greater rate of injury during school travel time. Furthermore, higher numbers of child pedestrian collisions occurred during the school year (from September to June), with a drop in the summer (July and August). School zones were found to be less than 10% of the surface area of the city, but had a much higher risk of child pedestrian collisions than other areas. The absolute density of injuries (collisions divided by units of area [m2]) and fatalities (fatalities dived by units of area [m2]) were 5.7 and 9.4 times higher in the school zones as compared to the largest zone (450m or more away from the school).
INTRODUCTION Pork is a popular meat consumed by non-muslim Singaporeans with about 87,000 tonnes being consumed per year (Kanagalingam, 2005). Currently, Singapore imports its pork from several countries, but Australian and Indonesian pork is consumed most widely due to its ready availability at supermarkets and wet markets. Fresh pork is obtained from pigs raised in Indonesia but slaughtered at Singapore abattoirs, while chilled pork is mainly imported from Australia and is widely known as “Air Pork”. Singaporean consumers are aware of the origin of pork from packaging labels. Results of a recent survey showed that Singapore consumers associate non-Indonesian pork with the presence of an unpleasant mutton-like off-flavour (Leong et al., 2008). One possible cause of off-flavours in pork is by the oxidation of lipids, leading to the formation of aldehydes and short-chain fatty acids (Reindl and Stan, 1982; Devol, et al., 1988). The rate and extent of lipid oxidation depends on a number of factors, the most important being the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle (Allen and Foegeding, 1981). Pork contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids relative to ruminant meat (Enser et al., 1996) and is more susceptible to oxidative deterioration of lipids and myoglobin. Feeding of PUFAs to pigs can improve the nutritional quality of pork, but may also increase the susceptibility to oxidation (Sheard et al., 2000; Kouba et al., 2003; Morel et al., 2006). There have been many reports of PUFA-rich feeds leading to increased lipid oxidation and thus off-flavour in pork (Houben and Krol, 1980; Warnants et al., 1998; Roman et al., 1995; Overland et al., 1996; Leskanich et al., 1997; Wood et al., 2003). There have also been examples of off-flavours in pork arising from the direct transfer of aroma components from feed to meat, including several reports on how feeding of fish oil and high fat fish meal to finisher pigs has caused “fishy” and other off-flavours in pork products (Kjos et al., 1999; Lauridsen et al., 1999; Maw et al., 2001; Jaturasitha et al., 2002). The current paper compares sensory assessments of the flavour of pork from the legs of pigs finished in New Zealand on three diets (Morel et al., 2008) using Singaporean panelists. The objective was to determine the extent to which dietary feed treatments received by the New Zealand pigs influenced the sensory properties of pork using trained and untrained Singaporean panels. Results of sensory analyses of pork from the loins of the same New Zealand pigs using New Zealand panelists were reported by Janz et al. (2008).
The Malaysia Food and Drink Report provides industry professionals and
strategists, corporate analysts, food and drink associations, government
departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and
competitive intelligence on Malaysias food and drink industry.
BMI View: Malaysias food and drink industry continues to recover from
the slowdown experienced in 2009 with many of the countrys leading
industry players posting robust growth in interim financials. Even
allowing for this recovery, however, Malaysia continues to linger within
the bottom half of our Asia Pacific Food Drink Risk/Reward Ratings,
with neither existing consumption levels nor growth prospects exciting
enough to mark the country out among many of its higher growth regional
emerging market peers.
Headline Industry Data
BRIAN ODriscoll has revealed it took just 15 days before his new bride turned into a rugby widow. The Ireland superstar got hitched in the summer after a gruelling tour to New Zealand and Australia and was looking forward to a four week break from anything to do with rugby. He travelled to the quiet east African state of Tanzania on honeymoon with new wife Amy, but just after two weeks had passed, the Leinster star got itchy feet and I do became I must. “I was saying after the summer tour that I needed a holiday and a break,” said ODriscoll. “At the time I thought how will four weeks be enough?, but after just over two weeks into it, I started missing exercise and was kind of looking forward to it again!
I HOPE people learn from newlyweds Carrie-Anne and Michael Dudbridges mistake in failing to take out holiday medical insurance. They are probably not the first to think the European Health Insurance Card covers everything.
UP to 100 pit-bull terriers and their owners will gather today in Dublin in a bid to reassure the public they arent dangerous dogs. The Irish Pit Bull Terrier Association will hand out leaflets to educate people about the breed which has often linked to vicious attacks on children. IPTA chair Lillian Colgan said: “Pit-bulls have received bad very press in the past but Ive had them since I was a child and I have never been bitten. “But it is often the case they are owned by people for the wrong reasons.”
Janet Summerill Johnson 1948 ~ 2010
Janet Summerill Johnson 1948 ~ 2010
(PINK SHEETS: DTSL) – Delivery Technology Solutions, Inc.
(PINK SHEETS: EEGI) – Eline Entertainment Group, Inc.
TEST cricket never fails to amaze me. When England collapsed to 102-7 just 40 overs into the game it would have taken a brave man to suggest that England would go on to win at Lords. Yet here we are this morning with England on the brink of a quite remarkable victory. Whoever says Test cricket is dull needs to take another look. We have been royally entertained with some outstanding batting and bowling which has been a wonderful advertisement for the game. The world-recordbreaking eighth-wicket partnership of 332 between Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad was not only of the highest class but has enabled England to secure the series win. Pakistan thoroughly deserved their success at the Brit Oval last week and arrived at the home of cricket full of confidence.
TEST cricket never fails to amaze me. When England collapsed to 102-7 just 40 overs into the game it would have taken a brave man to suggest that England would go on to win at Lords. Yet here we are this morning with England on the brink of a quite remarkable victory. Whoever says Test cricket is dull needs to take another look. We have been royally entertained with some outstanding batting and bowling which has been a wonderful advertisement for the game. The world-recordbreaking eighth-wicket partnership of 332 between Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad was not only of the highest class but has enabled England to secure the series win. Pakistan thoroughly deserved their success at the Brit Oval last week and arrived at the home of cricket full of confidence.
WHEN Andy and Bonnie Cowley saw an advertisement for a 100ft Dutch barge for sale in Ireland, they jumped at it. They sold their hotel on the Isle of Wight and, in 2005, picked up the African Queen, sailed her across the Irish Sea and up to a base on the River Thames. There followed a few months of extensive restoration and the former Dutch barge was ready for action. She now offers tranquil cruises past some of the most attractive spots on the River Thames. I joined the African Queen at Mapledurham, near Reading, where Andy and Bonnie greeted us with a cream tea. The boat can take 12 passengers in en-suite cabins. Upstairs theres a lounge area with plenty of room to sit and chat, plus a flatscreen TV, fully-stocked bar and dining area. Theres also a sundeck where you can while away the hours.
Instant expert A FINE Leeds Pottery horse dating back to around 1825 is up for auction next month. It is one of just a handful produced as advertising wares for shop windows and is a museum piece of some note. ANYTHING to do with horses is always highly collectable. The Leeds horse (pictured below) is 43cm tall and was originally made for veterinary surgeons, saddlers and druggists. It was used as a sign that the business traded in products for horses.
Come on, Hollywood. A $10 million opening weekend is nothing to celebrate. You certainly wouldnt know that, though, if you read all the glowing press releases about last weekends new horror-comedy, “Piranha,” better known as “Piranha 3-D.” (Despite the misleading advertising, the film is playing in either 2-D or 3-D, depending on the location.) Anyway, officials from Dimension Film crowed about the $10 million haul and the No. 6 slot where the movie finished in the weekend Top 10. In fact, they already announced that a sequel is in the works. Dont believe the hype, though. This is simply more movie business “spin,” as its known. Other studios were putting similar spins on the performances of a glut of new movie releases. Almost all of them bombed at the box office last weekend.
WHEN your hair starts to grow back after alopecia it can have a couple of undesired effects. Just ask Gail Porter. The star told me over coffee at the GMTV studios this week: “My hair grew back and then my eyelashes. But Id completely forgotten about the rest of my body until I took my daughter Honey swimming and realised I had Julia Roberts armpits and God knows what else going on.” The star is currently planning her 40th birthday celebrations for early next year.
Variety Opens Call for Submissions for Special Pitch Session of New
Marketing Products and Services
LOS ANGELES — Variety today announces it is seeking applications from companies
with innovative media products and technologies to participate in its
inaugural Film Marketing Summit, to be held October 5-6 at the Universal
Hilton in Los Angeles.
The two-day event will bring together the top theatrical marketers from
the major and independent studios to explore the dynamic world of
feature film promotion. A special session on October 6th
will focus on marketing innovation and give selected companies the
opportunity to present their offering during a live-pitch session: Media
Innovation that can Change the Game for Marketers. The session will
be moderated by Gordon Paddison, of global marketing firm Stradella
Road, who is serving as program director for the conference.
Selection criteria will focus on the applicant’s ability to offer
innovative approaches to film marketing and deliver measurable positive
impact in the coming year. Participants will be selected across a range
of technology and media arenas, including television, mobile, Internet,
and convergent platforms. Products and services presented must be live
in the marketplace before the end of this year to be eligible.
The session format will offer participants five minutes to pitch their
solutions before a panel of studio media executives, who will follow up
with rapid-fire questions to establish credibility and relevance to
real-world entertainment marketing challenges.
VRX Worldwide Inc. (TSX VENTURE: VRW) announced today that that its wholly owned subsidiary, VRX Studios Inc . (”VRX Studios”) has been provided with a $300,000 Revolving Demand Credit from TD Bank Financial Group (”TD Bank”).
“Receiving a credit facility from one of Canadas chartered banks is a significant milestone for VRX,” says Kevin Leong, Chief Financial Officer of VRX Studios. “This new facility will help us weather seasonal fluctuations and provide us some financial flexibility in the future.”
The borrowings under the credit facility are subject to a borrowing base calculation. All sums advanced through this facility shall bear interest at the Bank Prime Rate plus one and one half percent (1.5%) per year from the date each advance is made until paid back in full. The Agreement is secured by a first charge on the Companys present and after acquired property. The revolving credit facility requires maintenance of minimum tangible net worth and other certain customary covenants such as limitations on, among other things, additional debt, liens, investments, acquisitions and capital expenditures, future dividends and asset sales.