This paper describes the generation and verification of four realistic sea states in a multidirectional wave basin, each representing a different storm wave condition in the Gulf of Mexico. In all cases, the degree of wave spreading and the mean direction of wave propagation are strongly dependent on frequency. Two of these sea states represent generic design wave conditions typical of hurricanes and winter storms and are defined by JONSWAP wave spectra and parametric spreading functions. Two additional sea states, representing the specific wave activity during hurricanes Betsy and Carmen, are defined by tabulated hindcast estimates of the directional wave energy spectrum. The Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) of directional wave analysis paired with a single-wave probe/ bi-directional current meter sensor is found to be the most satisfactory method to measure multidirectional seas in a wave basin over a wide range of wave conditions. The accuracy of the wave generation and analysis process is verified using residual directional spectra and numerically synthesized signals to supplement those measured in the basin. Reasons for discrepancy between the measured and target directional wave spectra are explored. By attempting to reproduce such challenging sea states, much has been learned about the limitations of simulating real ocean waves in a multidirectional wave basin, and about techniques which can be used to minimize the associated distortions to the directional spectrum.


How many of you ask this question? If we meet with a homeowner and they know exactly what they want and they are familiar with the cost of the product then I might not ask. However, 99% of the time, before I put ink to paper, I ask. Asking this question has saved me time, a lot of time. Many of my friends don't ask and are afraid. They waste countless hours guessing, hoping, and thinking they know. I don't get it. ASK. I did an estimate for a driveway on a $1,000.000 home. The homeowner's budget was $15,000. I didn't need to think about it for more than about two seconds to know that it was impossible. One of those seconds was thinking the guy was nuts. Anyway, I informed him that that was about half of my guestimate and I went on with my day. He didn't want to spend $30,000.00. It was quick and easy. If I hadn't asked, I would have wasted another hour putting together the estimate. I did another estimate on a $400,000. home. My guestimate was over $20,000. I informed the homeowner that I would be over $20.000. He informed me that he knew that it would cost at least that much. Great. I did the estimate, came in at $25,000.00, no problem. The job sold. I could have assumed that the guy with the $1,000,000 home would spend $30,000 and I would have been wrong. Also, based on my experience with the first guy, I could have assumed that the guy with the $400,000 home wouldn't spend $25,000 and I would have been wrong. Don't assume, ASK.


(PRWEB) January 26, 2014
A new website, offering support for victims of traumatic injury, launches. Life After Injury goes live, with content and blog posts relevant to victims of injuries and their families.
Suffering an injury can be a traumatic experience. Victims often wonder what their legal options are for seeking compensation, especially if the accident was caused by the negligence of someone else (such as an employer failing to comply with safety precautions.) In the case of severe brain injuries, families might consider having the victim live at a facility where trained staff can tend to their needs more efficiently.
Victims also, often, do not know where to turn for emotional support. In many cases where the injuries sustained keep the victim away from their job or hobbies, they might need an outlet for their frustrations.
This is what Life After Injury aims to be -- a full support network for victims of injuries. From connecting victims and families with professionals who can help them, such as personal injury attorneys and living facilities; to providing a channel in which families can share their experiences in living with injuries.
Life After Injury aims to be a home on the internet for the injured and their families.
The new Life After Injury website can be found at http://lifeafterinjury.org/.


Becoming a TIP volunteer can be a powerful way to learn leadership skills as part of the Warner Pacific College educational experience.
Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. (TIP) is a national voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that those who are emotionally traumatized in emergency situations receive the assistance they need. To accomplish that goal, TIP Inc. works closely with local communities to establish emergency services volunteer programs. In these programs, well-trained citizen volunteers are called to emergency scenes to assist family members, witnesses, and other bystanders who the emergency system often must leave behind.
TIP is a group of specially trained volunteers who provide emotional aid and practical support to victims of traumatic events and their families in the first few hours following a tragedy.
TIP Volunteers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are called by police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and hospital personnel to assist family members and friends following a natural or unexpected death; victims of violent crime including rape, assault, robbery, or burglary; victims of fire; disoriented or lonely elderly persons; people involved in motor vehicle accidents; people who are distraught and seeking immediate support; and survivors of suicide.
Since 1985, TIP, Inc. has established emergency services programs in over 70 cities. In each of these programs, citizen volunteers are demonstrating that given the opportunity, they can play an important role in the emergency response system.
WPC TIP volunteers are responsible for a 12 hour on-call shift to provide on-scene trauma support and emergency response across the city of Portland.


Objective: To present a model of advanced nursing practice based on a narrative analysis of advanced practice stories provided by nurses. Design: Using narratives depicting their clinical practice, nurses were asked to provide illustrations of advanced practice. Analysis of fifty nine narratives enabled exploration of aspects of advanced practice. Setting: Stories depicted contexts of advanced nursing practice including mental health, child and family health, acute and aged care. Results: Findings revealed six themes: Knowticing; Getting a doctor; Trans-action; Taleoring care; Experiencing vulnerability and Transporting: facilitating comfort and control. Three narrative aspects representing advanced practice were described: Rescue; Recognition and Responsibility; and Respect. The stories were of complex care situations relating to diverse areas of work highlighting critical incidents. Some incidents gave nurses great satisfaction whilst others were challenging. Conclusions: The findings are presented as a model of advanced practice. Both the world of advanced practice a diagrammatic representation of the findings, and the futures model of advanced nursing practice incorporate the themes that emerged from the study. They highlight the central, often invisible place of the nurse in patient care. Advanced practice nurses assume responsibility for optimising care. They believe they make a difference and they call for recognition. The models reflect the multi-dimensional nature of advanced practice, its inherent complexity, dynamism and the potential for amplification of practice roles and functions.
Relation
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 27, Issue 4, p. 43-53


Utilize este identificador para referenciar este registo:
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/2423
Título: Comparing the content of instruments assessing environmental factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Autor: Alvarelhão, José
Silva, Anabela
Martins, Ana
Queirós, Alexandra
Amaro, António
Rocha, Nelson
Lains, Jorge
Palavras-chave: Disability evaluation
Environment
Social participation
Patient participation
Data: 2012 Editora: Foundation for Rehabilitation Information Relatório da Série N.º: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine; Nº 1 Resumo: Purpose: To describe and compare the content of instruments that assess environmental factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL and PEDro databases was conducted using a pre-determined search strategy. The identified instruments were screened independently by two investigators, and meaningful concepts were linked to the most precise ICF category according to published linking rules. Results: Six instruments were included, containing 526 meaningful concepts. Instruments had between 20% and 98% of items linked to categories in Chapter 1. The highest percentage of items from one instrument linked to categories in Chapters 2–5 varied between 9% and 50%. The presence or absence of environmental factors in a specific context is assessed in 3 instruments, while the other 3 assess the intensity of the impact of environmental factors. Discussion: Instruments differ in their content, type of assessment, and have several items linked to the same ICF category. Most instruments primarily assess products and technology (Chapter 1), highlighting the need to deepen the discussion on the theory that supports the measurement of environmental factors. This discussion should be thorough and lead to the development of methodologies and new tools that capture the underlying concepts of the ICF. Peer review: yes URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/2423 ISSN: 1650-1977 Versão do Editor: http://www.medicaljournals.se/jrm/content/?doi=10.2340/16501977-0905 Aparece nas colecções: ESTSP - PTE - Terapia Ocupacional
Ficheiros deste registo:
Ficheiro Descrição Tamanho Formato PTE_JoaquimAlvarelhao_2012.pdf 481 kB Adobe PDF Ver/Abrir
Todos os registos no repositório estão protegidos por leis de copyright, com todos os direitos reservados.


Ivy Leaf - Winter 2013 RTE Degree Gains Support
Penn State Altoona has received a $50,000 commitment from Keller Engineers, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, to support the college’s Rail Transportation Engineering (RTE) program, a groundbreaking academic initiative designed to prepare students for placement and career advancement within the rail industry.
The gift will provide $25,000 for the purchase of essential lab equipment and $25,000 for the creation of an endowment for the program. This gift will contribute significantly to Penn State Altoona’s efforts to enhance the RTE program by creating transformational experiences within and beyond the classrooms and laboratories.
Penn State Altoona’s RTE program is the first of its kind in the nation. Created in direct response to demographic shifts that have resulted in the loss of highly trained senior railroad engineers in recent years, the program provides students with a unique multi-disciplinary experience that emphasizes the study, development, and application of new and emerging technologies impacting the rail industry.
Keller Engineers, Inc., founded by Joseph G. Keller, PE, has seen steady growth since its inception in 1991 by providing civil and structural engineering as well as surveying and land development services to both the public and private sectors. Keller Engineers works mainly throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. Twenty-six of their sixty employees, including Joe Keller, are Penn State graduates.
“Recently we have experienced a significant increase in railroad design work and feel the RTE program will be an excellent source of engineers for our company,” states Keller, a 1976 Penn State graduate and former Penn State Altoona student. “We are pleased to provide this opportunity to Penn State Altoona to invest in the future of our profession.”
Keller Engineers’ support for the RTE program will help Penn State Altoona play a vital role in training engineers for placement within the expanding rail industry. Penn State’s Civil Engineering four-year degree program provides a strong technical foundation for the RTE program with existing civil engineering courses. These courses are coupled with new customized courses in rail business, mechanical systems, track, operations and safety, communications and signals, and industry regulation. Students also gain an invaluable perspective on the industry’s history, culture, and financial, regulatory, and labor environments. The program’s impact may expand beyond the baccalaureate degree with research support for the industry and additional educational offerings, such as degree completion via distance learning.


Maize silage is a high quality forage supplement. However, it is particularly low in Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorus (P), and can be used as an effective carrier to supplement cows with Magnesium (Mg). Seales Maize Silage Balancer can be used as a cost effective means of adding essential minerals to an animal’s diet especially when maize silage is a significant component of the diet, during summer and autumn. Seales Maize Silage Balancer has been developed with this in mind.


The National Advertising Division (NAD) recently reviewed advertising for P&G’s dishwasher detergent, Cascade Platinum. The television commercial depicts two pans with baked on brownie residue. One pan is washed with Cascade Platinum and the other is washed with a product that resembles the challenger’s Finish All In One Powerball. While the dishes are being washed a voiceover states that Cascade Platinum “powers through your toughest messes better than the competition, the first time.” The pan washed with Cascade Platinum comes clean, while the pan washed with the competing product still shows a substantial amount of food residue remaining.
The challenger took issue with the express comparative claim in the voiceover, and also asserted the visual demonstration made an unsubstantiated implied claim that Cascade Platinum is superior in overall cleaning performance with respect to a variety of tough soils. The NAD found that the express comparative performance claim was substantiated by the testing submitted by P&G. Addressing the challengers criticisms of the testing, the NAD concluded that the testing sufficiently accounted for consumers’ actual usage and rejected the challenger’s assertion that P&G’s test was a torture test that used unrealistically soiled dishes. The NAD reasoned that consumers’ baking outcomes vary and some consumers overcook brownies, leaving a toughened residue akin to the residue used in P&G’s testing. The NAD also disagreed that using a low dishwasher setting during testing was a material flaw, based on evidence submitted by P&G indicated that consumers frequently use low settings even when tackling toughened soils on dishware.
However, the NAD recommended that P&G discontinue use of the brownie demonstration even though the demonstration was an accurate portrayal of one test conducted by P&G because the NAD concluded that the demonstration could be reasonably understood as illustrating the two products’ comparative cleaning capabilities on the “toughest messes” generally, not just with respect to baked on brownie residue.
TIP: Advertisers are responsible for substantiating both express and implied comparative performance claims, and should keep in mind that a combining an express performance claim with a visual demonstration may lead consumers to take away an unintended implied claim.


Healthy Tips to Prevent Childhood Diabetes
Photo: Flickr user Geoff Peters 064
DITCH THE JUICE
Orange juice seems like a healthy alternative to soda, right? Think again. Joyce Keady, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Harvard Medical School's Joslin Diabetes Center, recommends cutting out the soda and the juices from your child's diet. While they don't present a major issue in small quantities, the larger servings sold at supermarkets and vending machines can be problematic.
Because sugary fruit juices represent empty calories, Keady suggests choosing low-fat milk or water over juice. "If you are having 12 ounces of juice a couple of times a day, seven days a week, that's a lot of calories over a year, and cutting that out, you can drop a lot of weight," Keady said.


Ms Mason has more than 25 years' experience in the property industry – including roles in development, retail, office and industrial asset management. In her current role as chief operating officer, property, she sits across a portfolio of more than $19 billion, including some of the country's premier commercial, retail and industrial assets.
Her elevation to the position of president follows the completion of three years in the role by Mirvac's head of cities and urban renewal, David Rolls.
"It's an exciting time to take the helm, with NSW and Sydney on the cusp of a new era of prosperity if we continue to make the right policy choices," Ms Mason said.
"The focus on infrastructure investment, delivery of a Greater Sydney Commission and council reform is ensuring Sydney becomes a truly global city,” she said.
“We will continue to make the case for more efficient and investment-friendly planning and tax systems, which will only benefit NSW.”
In her new role as NSW president, Ms Mason said she wants to continue mobilising members and increase advocacy resources to prove how crucial property is to building jobs, prosperity and strong communities.
Meanwhile, the Property Council's chief of policy and housing, and former NSW executive director, Glenn Byres, praised the previous president, Mr Rolls, for his contribution.
“David's three years were marked by a step-change in the success of our public advocacy and securing policy reforms, and we are deeply grateful for his efforts, counsel and guidance,” Mr Byres said.
“Asset recycling became the norm in NSW, local government reform is on the march, the Housing Acceleration Fund is delivering results and strata reform is done,” he said.
"These are among the long list of achievements secured on his watch because he kept the organisation focused on the policy, advocacy and services needed to benefit the state and the industry.”


The University of Maryland University College ombudsman is a valuable resource whenever issues arise that require a confidential conversation or an impartial third party. To benefit fully from their services, you should understand the role of the ombudsman.
What an Ombudsman Does
The ombudsman is trained in conflict resolution and acts as a confidential, neutral resource for addressing the concerns of students, faculty, and staff. For example, the ombudsman can
Discuss your concerns, clarify issues, and offer informal advice Provide information about UMUC policies, procedures, and programs Help identify and evaluate a range of options for resolving a problem Facilitate communication by serving as an impartial third party, where appropriate Work toward collaborative agreements through negotiation or mediation Make recommendations for review of policies to appropriate bodies What an Ombudsman Does Not Do
The role of the ombudsman is not that of an attorney, jurist, arbitrator, therapist, or advocate. As such, the ombudsman cannot
Make decisions or findings of fact Determine the guilt or innocence of those accused of wrongdoing Establish, change, or set aside university policies or administrative decisions Offer legal advice or psychological counseling Participate in grievances or other formal processes Serve as an agent of notice for UMUC or an advocate for any individual


A patient asks the nurse about taking megadoses of vitamin C to improve her immunity to colds. "It's just a vitamin, right? What can happen?" Which responses by the nurse are correct?
- "Megadoses of vitamin C can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, and abdominal cramps."
- "Keep in mind that if you suddenly stop taking these megadoses, you might experience symptoms similar to scurvy." -"Studies have shown that vitamin C has little value as prophylaxis for the common cold." - "Vitamin C acidifies the urine, which can lead to the formation of renal stones."


Value shifting: introduction
As explained in CG13200+ it is possible to manipulate the value of assets such as shares so that value passes from one holding to another. Without special rules a transfer of value from one holding to a holding owned by another person would not be a disposal for Capital Gains Tax purposes. The value shifting rules in TCGA92/S29 were introduced to counter such avoidance.
This guidance deals with TCGA92/S29 (2) and (3) which apply specifically to share transactions. Section 29 also applies to transfers of value from assets other than shares.
This section of guidance (CG58550+) does not deal with TCGA92/S30 which is is also referred to as a “value shifting” rule. Section 30 applies to adjust disposal consideration where a scheme or arrangements
materially reduces the value of an asset
and
gives rise to a tax-free benefit.
Section 30 can apply to any disposal including a deemed disposal under Section 29. General guidance on Section 30 is at CG13260+.
For disposals of shares in a company by another in the same group before 19th July 2011, Section 30 was subject to TCGA92/S31-TCGA92/S34, see CG46800+. A new Targeted Anti-Avoidance Rule I TCGA92/S31 applies to disposals by companies of any shares or securities on or after 19th July, see CG48500+.


Description
This unit introduces students to accounting for investments in entities that are controlled, significantly influenced, or jointly controlled by the investor. The unit starts by assessing whether an investment should be consolidated, the process of consolidation, the preparation of consolidated financial statements for corporate groups, including the treatment of goodwill, intra-group transactions and non-controlling interests. Other aspects of group accounting, such as equity accounting, segment disclosures, related party disclosures, and foreign currency translation are investigated. A critical analysis of group accounting is then undertaken, including a consideration of the outcomes of related processes, and the impacts on users. The unit also critically evaluates current issues in accounting regulation and practice, and the politics of standard-setting process. Accounting issues regarding financial instruments are further developed focusing on hedge accounting as a special case. Finally, voluntary disclosures for social and environmental reporting are considered. This unit aims to further develop student¿s written communication skills and critical and analytic skills within the context of corporate group activities.


Ganglion Cysts
A ganglion cyst is a tumor or swelling on the top of a joint or the covering of a tendon that looks like a sac of liquid. While the symptoms of a ganglion cyst may be mild, medical evaluation can be beneficial.
Many ganglion cysts can disappear without any treatment at all. For others, treatments include aspiration of the cyst or surgery, both of which may require post-treatment care such as physical or occupational therapy.


A new study by RitterAssociates, 22% of coffee drinkers that are on-the-go, opt to visit a c-store for their coffee.
According to the survey, more than half of coffee drinking occasions take place outside of the home, and taste is the number one deciding factor followed by value and convenience.
“We Americans still like a cup of coffee to keep us on the go even in uncertain economic times,” said Stanley Gene Hart, president of Toledo-based RitterAssociates. “We want a good-tasting cup of coffee wherever we buy it.”
RitterAssociates is hosting a free webinar on November 19, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST to share study insights through a live webinar that includes a question/answer session.
The survey findings also include what types of stores consumers visit to buy their coffee and the price points they typically pay, as well as demographics based on age and gender.
For the study, more than 18,000 men and women were invited to participate representing nearly all corners of the U.S. Respondents were categorized by the number of times they typically drink coffee in a week-frequent users five to seven times, moderate users three to four times and light users one to two times.
Those interested in attending the webinar, follow www.ritterassociates.com/informational-resources/registration_coffee.html. The first 100 attendees to the webinar will receive a complimentary copy of Understanding Coffee Drinking Preferences white paper following the event.


We assist our clients who have loved ones with special needs, such as mental or physical disabilities, by creating and implementing supplemental needs trusts and special needs trusts. These trusts provide clients who are currently caring for a loved one who has special needs a way to continue financial security for their loved one into the future.
Supplemental needs trust and special needs trusts are designed to allow financial resources to remain available to assist an individual with disabilities who receives, or may receive in the future, public benefits such as Medicaid, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income. Moreover, supplemental needs trusts and special needs trusts do not disqualify the disabled beneficiary from receiving public benefits and the trust’s terms are crafted to supplemental not replace public benefits. These trusts are an important part of an estate plan for a client who has disabled beneficiaries in their family.


Corina Lynn Becker
nostereotypeshere.blogspot.com
April is an emotionally charged month for me, April 1st especially. Up to grade six, it was because I dreaded April Fool's Day, a day dedicated to pulling pranks I did not enjoy. However, in grade seven, I was given more reason to not like the day.
On his 77th birthday, my Grandpa had a massive stroke. The damage was severe enough that any operation would just leave him in a vegetative state. It was decided that Grandpa, a man dedicated to his work as a minister, would not be happy in such a state. So we just sat there for three days, waiting for him to die.
On April 1st, at 8:30 AM, Grandpa passed away.
It was the first time I experienced the loss of close relative. To me, it was losing a huge chunk of my foundational support. I had always assumed he would be there, and had based a lot of how I interpreted and defined reality on him. The result was devastating. I plunged head first into depression and Anxiety. Within a year, I started to contemplate suicide.
It was a dark time of my life, and I've spent many years fighting daily battles against despair and hysterical panic. In the beginning, my parents and friends had no idea what I was going through, and when my mental state became apparent, were not sure how to help. They didn't know I am autistic, and so didn't know how to support me in ways that would actually help.
However, through tireless effort, I have gotten this far. I am no longer tormented by constant depression and anxiety, and have learned how to deal with relapses, none of which are as bad as before. I'm certain that part of my progress has been my autism diagnosis, understanding how autism affects me, accepting the newly found parts of myself, and figuring out how to accommodate my limitations.
It has been a journey of self-discovery, and as I've come to be aware of parts of myself that I like and are valuable, the outbreaks of depression and anxiety bothers me less and less. I am not completely free of them, but like my grief, I can manage it -- especially with the support of my family, friends, and support workers.
So, for me April is month of reflection, of remembrance. It is a reminder of how deeply events can affect mental health, even for Autistic people. It is a reminder of how far I've come, what I've gotten through, and how I've become stronger. And it is a reminder of my loved ones and support network, with whom I am never alone.
And that is why I'm wearing black this month.


a-glucosidase & DPP-IV inhibitors
Home > Flashcards > Print Preview
The flashcards below were created by user jdonaldson
on
FreezingBlue Flashcards
. What would you like to do?
Which medications are classified as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors?
1. acarbose (Precose) 2. miglitol (Glyset)
What are common adverse fx with alpha-glucosidase inhibitors?
Diarrhea and abdominal pain (decrease over time) Flatulence
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are contraindicated in pts with...
- Conditions of the bowel - Patients with a SCr > 2 mg/dL?? (units?) (some metabolites of acarbose are absorbed and renally excreted. Miglitol is excreted renally unchanged).
Dosing for acarbose and miglitol -
Titration method: 1. 25 mg po once daily with a meal --> 2. 25 mg po ac meals --> 3. 50 mg po ac meals --> 4. 100 mg po ac meals *Take with first bite of meal ** Adjustments should be made at 4-8 week intervals *** Increase only if pt tolerates current dose (GI side effects)
What is the dosing caveat with acarbose?
If pt is ≤ 60 kg, 50 mg TID ac meals is max dose If pt is > 60 kg, 100 mg TID ac meals is max dose
True or False?
The alpha-glucosidase inhibitors should be taken even if a meal is skipped.
False
True or False?
Meglitinides target post-prandial glucose levels.
True.
True or False?
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors target both post-prandial and fasting glucose levels. False. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors target only post-prandial glucose levels.
If hypoglycemia occurs with an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, how should it be rapidly corrected?
Treat with glucose tablets/gel or lactose. Sucrose or other complex carbs will not be broken down rapidly due to the MOA of the drug.
True or False?
Only patients who consume a diet high in complex carbohydrates will experience significant reductions in BG levels.
True.
What medications are classified as DPP-IV inhibitors?
1. sitagliptin (Januvia) 2. saxagliptin (Onglyza)
True or False?
1. The DPP-IV inhibitors cause weight gain. 2. The DPP-IV inhibitors may cause hypoglycemia 1. False 2. True (low risk as monotherapy. Risk increases when added in combo with another agent, especially SUs --> may need to lower dose of SUs)
Dosing for sitagliptan (Januvia) -
100 mg po daily *CrCl 30 - < 50 mL/min --> 50 mg po daily *CrCl < 30 mL/min --> 25 mg po daily *See notes for SCr levels
Dosing for saxagliptin -
5 mg po once daily * 2.5 mg po once daily if CrCl ≤ 50 mL/min or if person is taking a strong CYP 3A4/5 inhibitor (ketoconazole, protease inhibs, clarithromycin)
What should be monitored in a pt taking a DPP-IV inhibitor?
- renal function q 6-12 months - SMBG should occur more frequently at initiation
Roughly how much will the DPP-IV inhibitors lower A1C?
0.4 - 0.8 %
True or False?
The DPP-IV inhibitors mostly lower fasting BG levels. False. The DPP-IV inhibitors lower post-prandial BG by about 40 - 50 mg/dL, while lowering fasting BG by about 10 - 15 mg/dL
When combined with a ________, DPP-IVs cause _______ to a larger extent.
1. TZD 2. peripheral edema
DPP-IV inhibitors may preserve _____ _____ function.
Beta cell
What would you like to do?
Home > Flashcards > Print Preview


Call for views on draft EU legislation ensuring that consumers can access digital subscriptions when travelling in other EU countries.
Detail
The European Commission has recently published draft legislation that is intended to ensure that all digital services are portable within the European Union. This would mean that a person who lives in the UK, who subscribes to a digital content service there, would be able to continue to access that service when they are elsewhere in the EU. This would be provided they have the right level of internet connection.
The government is seeking views on the draft legislation to ensure that they deliver the best outcome for businesses and consumers. We would welcome your views on the costs and benefits of these proposals and suggestions for how the language of the proposed regulation can be improved.
We would appreciate comments by 12 February 2016 to the following email address copyright.policy@ipo.gov.uk.


Dementia is a little understood and incurable illness, but much can be done to maximise the quality of life for people with the condition. This book outlines the SPECAL method (Specialized Early Care for Alzheimer's) for managing dementia that allows both sufferer and carer to maintain the quality of life, in various stages of the illness.
Върни се горе и купи


Abstract 650: Characterization of Microparticles Formed by ABCA1 Abstract
Microparticles (MPS) are lipoprotein-sized structures created by the ABCA1 transporter. Their biological roles in health and in disease remain unknown. Here, we study MPS released from baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells stably expressing ABCA1 and human THP-1 cells also expressing ABCA1.
Media cell culture was first collected from BHK-ABCA1 expressing cells after (45min, 2, 4, 8, and 24h) incubation. After centrifugation (4000xg for 15min and 10000xg for 30min) to remove cell debris, the supernatant was passed through a 10kDa cutoff filter and subsequently subjected to analytical FPLC. FPLC analysis shows creation of a single peak in the presence of ABCA1 but not in mock-transfected BHK cells. In a time-course study, the estimated hydrodynamic diameter remained stable (≥20nm).
After 8h incubation of BHK cell with apoA-I or an apo-E mimetic peptide, CS-6253 (1μM), ABCA1 mediated formation of MPS of similar size with a significant increase in 3[H]-FC content than those generated by ABCA1 alone, (373±23 % cpm, P<0.05) and (277±60 % cpm, P<0.05) respectively. This was associated with highly lipidated nHDL-CS-6253 compararely to nHDL-apoA-I (4535±72 % cpm, P<0.001 versus 1059±14 % cpm) respectively. This data suggests that MPS formations are an integral component of cellular cholesterol efflux. Also, MPS do not contain CS-6253 when ABCA1 cells were incubated with the peptide as confirmed by western blotting similar to MPS generated from ABCA1 cells generated by apoA-I incubation. Cholesterol is effluxed more to nHDL-CS-6253 (14±7.68, % cpm, P<0.01 than to MPS 1±0.10, % cpm, 24h; P<0.01) similar to apoA-I. Depletion of membrane cholesterol by methyl-β-cyclodextrin treatment impaired HDL genesis and decrease MPS release. Detection of flotellin-2 protein enriched in MPS in total cell lysate indicated that these MPS may be related to exosomes. MPS generation was also characterized in THP-1 cells for further molecular characterization. We conclude that MPS are formed by ABCA1 in diverse cell types and the cholesterol content is dependent on activation by apo A-I or mimetic peptides. The physiological role of MPS remains to be understood. These particles may be transporters of lipids and nucleic acids.
Author Disclosures:
A. Hafiane:None. J. Bielicki:None. J. Johansson:None. J. Genest:None. © 2015 by American Heart Association, Inc.


Women with breast cancer who dread losing their hair during chemotherapy have a new ally. The first computer-controlled scalp cooling device designed to reduce the frequency and severity of chemotherapy-induced alopecia has gained FDA approval.
The DigniCap Cooling System, manufactured by Dignitana of Lund, Sweden, circulates liquid coolant throughout a silicone cap that fits snugly over the head. The cap contains 2 sensors that continuously monitor scalp temperature, allowing the system to maintain the optimal cooling level. A third built-in safety sensor prevents scalp temperature from dropping below 32°F. In a clinical study, patients’ scalp temperature was lowered to between 37.4°F and 41°F (Friedrichs K and Carstensen MH. Springerplus. 2014;3:500). An insulating outer cap made of neoprene fits over the silicone cap and keeps it in place while patients receive therapy.
Voelker R. Cooling System to Prevent Hair Loss. JAMA. 2016;315(3):243. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18375
© 2017


Recently, I discovered said photocopy hiding within one of my coding books and showed it to my peers. They loved it. They loved it so much, that they wanted to use it for their own minions.
It is my ethical obligation to share with the world at large, provided the original author doesn't mind (unnamed for privacy) and provided you understand that this is half-jest and half-serious but definitely with a lot of respect and admiration for the author. After all, it takes balls to say what you think despite how weaklings might feel about it.
Here goes:
I prefer to work fast, minimize bullshit, get to the point. You will sometimes have bad news for me. I want it immediately. I can usually show you how to fix it. And I never blame the messenger. Bring pen and paper to every meeting with me. Pay attention to what I say; I'll try to speak with care. If I frequently must repeat instructions, or remind you of something I've already told you, you will not work with me again. If I've scheduled a weekly meeting with you, don't assume that this meeting is the only time to raise issues with me; Interrupt me for time critical issues. If you have a meeting with me at an assigned time, and I am in another meeting with my door closed, interrupt me. I stack meetings, and each meeting leads into the next. I like "micro-meetings". Get in quick, bring only the necessary parties to the table, make a decision, get out. Five minutes or less. Make these effective by knowing what decision needs to be made before you start, and presenting the decision criteria ahead of time to all participants. Stand during micro-meetings. I don't like email, particularly for discussing complex topics. If a decision needs to be made, do a micro-meeting. If a problem needs to be discussed, ask the person with the most depth to prepare something, an agenda, have a whiteboard, and work through it quickly. One exception to the above: I like "micro-updates": Quick emails confirming time critical commitments and mutual understanding. These are especially useful after we hold a meeting and I give you a set of directives: I always like to hear our agreed-upon commitments echoed back to me. I may not respond, but I will read it. Keep these emails short: Spare me the greetings, thank yous, regards. Be consistent in your communication. Use words consistently. Use email headers consistently. Strive to make your work immediately comprehensible. If you disagree with me, voice your differences. I welcome and invite dissent. If this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to prepare your thoughts after the meeting and then later return to make your case. Ego-driven debates annoy me. Check your ego at the door: I'm only interested in reaching the best, most elegant solution —I don't care if it's your idea or mine. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're not clear. I have more patience for explaining and clarifying my position before you start than I do patience for fixing a wasteful, incorrect approach after the fact. Don't tell me something is in the process of being done without telling me when it will be done. I'm more interested in the time commitment than the fact that an effort exists. Always give me options, informed by an economic analysis where possible (if there are dollars involved, an analysis is mandatory), and then make your recommendation. Don't tell me there's a problem without offering a solution. Don't offer me multiple solutions without giving me your best and final recommendation. If you must prepare reports for me, review spreadsheets I've created. Copy the style and format. Don't send me long documents. I like precision and concision. Say it on one page (or less). UpdateI've fixed a typo, which was pretty hilarious. "Don't sentme long documents. I like precision...". Thank you, Hacker News for picking this up and for your comments.
If you'd like to read more, follow me @darkgoyle


Strategic Initiative Summits Synergies Around Bold Ideas
At KU, our core mission is to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that will change the world. While our mission is comprehensive, we have a tremendous opportunity and obligation to develop synergies across several parts of the university where we have particularly strong combined strength and potential.
Our four strategic initiative themes offer stellar opportunities to enhance our research excellence and visibility by addressing emerging and escalating grand challenges of crucial significance both for Kansas and globally.
Sustaining the Planet, Powering the World Promoting Well-Being, Finding Cures Building Communities, Expanding Opportunities Harnessing Information, Multiplying Knowledge Genomic Biodiversity Summit
A key aspect of the strategic plan is the focused investment in some big, bold ideas where KU can harness its unique assets to help make the world a better place. The four strategic initiative themes — referenced earlier but presented here in more detail — grew out of a bottom-up response to a campus-wide request for proposals. The objectives were several:
To address emerging and escalating global grand challenges and societal issues where KU has special capabilities; To build scholarly communities that challenge, engage, and inspire individuals from many disciplines around a common theme; To enhance KU's national and international visibility and impact; To engage and motivate funding agencies, foundations, state government, community, alumni, and friends to provide much-needed resources; and To provide our students with unique experiences that will position them as highly recruited and valued drivers and innovators of social and technological change.
A total of 104 proposals were submitted by February 28, 2011. A full vetting of the proposals, as described in the introduction of this document, resulted in the following four strategic initiative themes and the co-chairs who have agreed to form planning groups to organize and convene the summit.
Sustaining the Planet, Powering the World: Bob Honea, Joane Nagel, and Judy Wu Promoting Well-Being, Finding Cures: Jeff Aubé, John Colombo, and Dave Ekerdt. Building Communities, Expanding Opportunities: Marta Caminero-Santangelo, Derrick Darby, Don Deshler, and Steven Maynard Moody Harnessing Information, Multiplying Knowledge: Perry Alexander, Nancy Baym, and Kris Krishtalka
These themes represent KU's highest priorities for research investment during the coming five years. Each theme statement is described in more detail in the following pages and includes a set of "bold exemplars" derived from some of the submitted proposals.
During the 2011–2012 academic year, each strategic initiative theme will be the subject of an open, on-campus summit. The format for these meetings is now taking shape, and faculty members have been chosen to plan and lead them. The summits will help form research networks, identify funding opportunities and faculty leaders, strategize about needed infrastructure, and inform priorities for future faculty hiring.


The present invention relates to the enhanced production of metabolites by a process whereby a carbon source is oxidized with a fermentative microbe in a compartment having a portal. An electron acceptor is added to the compartment to assist the microbe in the removal of excess electrons. The electron acceptor accepts electrons from the microbe after oxidation of the carbon source. Other transfers of electrons can take place to enhance the production of the metabolite, such as acids, biofuels or brewed beverages.


09.13.2012
At its meeting today, the Monetary Board decided to maintain the BSP's key policy interest rates at 3.75 percent for the overnight borrowing or reverse repurchase (RRP) facility and 5.75 percent for the overnight lending or repurchase (RP) facility. The interest rates on term RRPs, RPs, and special deposit accounts (SDAs) were also maintained accordingly. The reserve requirement ratios were kept steady as well.
The Monetary Board’s decision was based on its assessment that the inflation environment remains benign, with the risks to the inflation outlook appearing to be broadly balanced. While inflation forecasts have risen slightly due to the higher August inflation and recent increases in global oil and other commodity prices, the future inflation path remains well within the target. Meanwhile, market expectations of inflation remain at levels broadly consistent with the inflation target. Weak global economic prospects continue to temper the inflation outlook, as a possible easing in global demand could contribute to moderate international commodity prices. The sustained stability of the peso against the US dollar could also temper inflationary pressures in the future.
Nonetheless, the Monetary Board remains mindful of potential upside risks to the inflation outlook, including pending electricity rate adjustments and expectations of higher foreign prices for some grains due to adverse weather conditions abroad. Moreover, underlying demand-side pressures continue to be firm, supported by ample domestic liquidity and brisk credit activity.
On balance, therefore, the Monetary Board is of the view that prevailing monetary policy settings remain appropriate. This is supported by the manageable inflation outlook and robust domestic growth, especially as the cumulative 75-basis-point reduction in policy rates and other operational adjustments earlier in the year continue to work their way through the economy. Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor emerging price and output conditions to ensure that the monetary policy stance remains consistent with ensuring stable prices while supporting economic growth.


One of America's most signature contradictions is that while "the pursuit of happiness" is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, few Americans actually are happy. According to a Harris poll, only one in three Americans consider themselves "very happy."
Maybe that's why there's such a market for happiness: Amazon holds some 66,000 books on the sought-after subject.
You don't have time to read all those. So we've summarized the best ones.
Mike Nudelman/BI


With this speed you can download a movie in 0.2ms.
Researchers at Technical University of Denmark’s (DTU) High-Speed Optical Communications (HSOC) team have been able to transfer data at 43Tbps with a single laser in the transmitter, setting a new world data transfer record.
Eclipsing the earlier record of 32Tbps set by Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the latest breakthrough was achieved by using a new single multi-core optical fibre from the Japanese telecoms major NTT.
Researchers noted that data speed competition has been the driving force behind the development of technology that can compete with the exponential growth of internet traffic, which is presently deemed to be rising by about 50% every year.
Furthermore, the increasing transfer speeds are claimed to offer environmental benefits. Emissions from the Internet’s overall energy consumption currently equate to over 2% of overall man-made carbon emissions.
"DTU noted: It is therefore essential to identify solutions for the internet that make significant reductions in energy consumption while simultaneously expanding the bandwidth."
"This is precisely what the DTU team has demonstrated with its latest world record.
"DTU researchers have previously helped achieve the highest combined data transmission speed in the world – an incredible 1 petabit per second – although this involved using hundreds of lasers."


Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at noon:
Decline of cash assistance and child well-being, Luke Shaefer
a PSC In The News reference, 2010
"What We Miss When We Obsess Over Obesity" - Miller-McCune. 08/11/2010.
In a study published in
Social Science & Medicine, Paula Lantz and colleagues report that the primary risk factors for early death among the 3,600 U.S. adults they followed were: cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and being poor. They found that obesity alone was not a significant factor.


Abstract A comprehensive flow monitoring network can provide powerful insight about the performance of a sanitary sewer collection system. Accurate flow monitoring data reveals numerous system details, such as sewer usage patterns, the presence of sediments, groundwater infiltration, rainfall-dependent inflow and infiltration, stream intrusion, and sewer exfiltration or leakages. Knowledge of these details can be used to improve system performance by identifying problems in the collection system and prompting maintenance or repairs. In addition, this information is vital to the calibration and accuracy of a sanitary sewer model. However, developing an effective flow monitoring strategy and ensuring the collection of useful data can be quite daunting to some utilities. This paper describes a recommended flow monitoring strategy and highlights the advantages of a comprehensive plan. Data analysis and interpretation of results are emphasized. Examples from various flow monitoring projects are used to illustrate the points.


A part of the installation under dispute between Mass. MoCA and Christopher Buchel In 2010, the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit confronted the novel question of when moral rights protections vest under the Visual Artists Rights Act. In Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc. v. Büchel, the First Circuit determined that the protections of the Visual Artists Rights Act begin when a work is “created” under the Copyright Act. This Note argues that this decision harms moral rights conceptually and is likely to result in unpredictable and inconsistent decisions. This Note proposes instead that these statutory protections should vest when an artist determines that his work is complete and presents it to the public. This standard is more consistent with the history of moral rights. Additionally, public access is necessary to justify a treatment of art different from that of other types of property, and it is a more essential component of moral rights than an artist’s feelings of connection to his work. Finally, the legislative intent behind the Visual Artists Rights Act and the reasoning in previous judicial decisions are more accurately reflected by a public disclosure standard. Utilizing “creation” as a vesting point for moral rights is not supported by the history of the Visual Artists Rights Act and will result in uncertainty and inconsistency in future decisions.


Search: Advanced search
Please enter a keyword or ID
What is horse 'wastage' in the racehorse industry?
Wastage refers to the number of horses that are ‘lost’ from the racing industry. Wastage can occur at any stage of the horse’s life, including prior to racing.
In 2002 it was estimated that Australia had 1.2 million horses including Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. A large number of horses exit the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorse industries each year though there is limited research on the full extent of the wastage problem in Australia. It is estimated that out of 1000 pregnancies in Thoroughbred Australian mares only 300 foals will actually race. The structure of the breeding industry is such that it depends on the need for ‘replacement’ racehorses however, this high rate of horse turn-over raises serious concerns about the fate of the horses leaving the industry. Similar pre-racing wastage has been found in Standardbred horses (trotters and pacers).
Horses may be rejected from the racing industry due to poor performance, illness, injury and behavioural problems. Across all equestrian disciplines, the single largest reason for wastage is musculoskeletal injury. Only a certain proportion of these surplus racehorses can be used by the equestrian industry or join breeding programs, which means that thousands of young and often healthy horses are sent to knackeries and abattoirs every year. Thus the horsemeat industry represents a significant direct destination for a lot of these horses. The Australian horse meat industry consists of slaughterhouses selling the meat as pet food in the domestic market and those exporting the meat for human consumption.
A 2004 report found that the total wastage rate for horses in training or racing was 39% for Thoroughbreds and 38% for Standardbreds. Despite the similarity in wastage rates in the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries, the destinations of the two breeds differed substantially. Thoroughbred horses were more likely than Standardbreds to go to stud, auctions or to enter ridden equestrian pursuits. In contrast, Standardbreds were more likely than Thoroughbreds to go to different trainers or directly to slaughterhouses. This difference may reflect the perceptions of the suitability and performance of ridden Standardbred horses.
Of the 39% of Thoroughbreds which left a racing stable, 6% were reported to have been sent to a knackery while 17% of Standardbred horses were reported to have been sent to the same destination. The authors noted that these figures possibly underestimate the true rate because they do not take into account those horses that left a racing stable for another destination and then subsequently went to a slaughterhouse.
The RSPCA believes there should be nationally consistent, detailed mandatory standards to safeguard the welfare of animals at all knackeries across Australia.The standards must include species-specific handling and humane slaughter standards.
Various studies also highlight the short duration of the career of the majority of racehorses, despite the fact that these horses were bred specifically for this purpose.
The RSPCA has funded two separate reports into wastage of horses: one examined the fate of horses leaving the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries and the other looked at the condition of slaughter horses. You can download these reports through the links below.
This website provides general information which must not be relied upon or regarded as a substitute for specific professional advice, including veterinary advice. We make no warranties that the website is accurate or suitable for a person's unique circumstances and provide the website on the basis that all persons accessing the website responsibly assess the relevance and accuracy of its content.


BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, May 26, 2010 -- A new study from the Human Factors Safety Laboratory at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) indicates that advanced age does not affect older drivers' ability to perceive hazards and that older drivers are more sensitive to potential hazards than young-inexperienced drivers.
The Study, "Age Skill and Hazard Perception," suggests that driving experience improves drivers' awareness of potential hazards and these drivers focus more on potentially risky situations, such as approaching an intersection or pedestrians on a curb, than young drivers. It will be published in the July issue of
Accident Analysis & Prevention.
The study involved 21 young-inexperienced, 19 experienced and 16 older drivers (37 years of experience) who viewed six hazard perception movies while connected to an eye tracking system and were requested to identify hazardous situations.
Four movies embedded planned, highly hazardous situations and the rest were used as control. The study showed that experienced and older-experienced drivers were equally proficient at hazard detection and detected potentially hazardous events continuously, whereas young-inexperienced drivers stopped reporting on hazards that followed planned, highly hazardous situations.
Moreover, while approaching T intersections, older and experienced drivers fixated more toward the merging road on the right, while young-inexperienced drivers fixated straight ahead, paying less attention to potential vehicles on the merging road.
According to BGU researcher Avinoam Borowsky, "We found that with older drivers, in general, their hazard perception abilities remained intact. However, they relied heavily on signs and signals (i.e. signals from other vehicles) to cope with the traffic environment. In their verbal comments, however, older drivers tended to claim that the other road users were responsible for putting them at risk and rarely considered themselves as responsible for hazardous events."
'/>"/>
Contact: Andrew Lavin
andrewlavin@alavin.com
516-944-4486
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Source:Eurekalert
0
GOOD


Select therapeutic use: Indications for ZIANA:
Acne vulgaris.
Adult:
Apply thin film to clean, dry face once daily at bedtime.
Children: Not recommended. Contraindications:
Regional enteritis. Ulcerative colitis. History of antibiotic-associated colitis.
Warnings/Precautions:
Sunburn (allow to heal before using). Avoid sun, UV light, eyes, mouth, angles of nose, mucous membranes. Discontinue if significant diarrhea occurs. Increased irritation in extreme weather. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.
Interactions:
Avoid erythromycin. Additive irritation with other topical products (eg, alcohol, drying agents, lime). May potentiate neuromuscular blockers. Caution with other photosensitizers (eg, tetracyclines, quinolones).
Pharmacological Class:
Lincosamide + retinoid.
Adverse Reactions:
Erythema, scaling, itching, burning, stinging, nasopharyngitis, throat pain, dry skin, cough, sinusitis; rare: diarrhea, colitis.
How Supplied:
Gel—2g, 30g, 60g


In some ways, I imagine growing up in North Korea is like growing up anywhere else. I had a father and mother who rarely failed to show me love, and my older sister looked after me constantly. I caught dragonflies with friends and waited with excitement for cartoons to come on TV.
Then, in 1995, the worst of the Great Famine descended on the land, and the privileges of my childhood were stripped away.
When I was 12 years old, my father died of starvation. Our house was taken away to repay a debt we owed a family friend. That year, my mother fled to China with my sister in search of food and money. She returned a few months later, alone. She had sold my sister into bride slavery, a common fate for young North Korean refugees. My mother believed it would be a better life for my sister than the one waiting back home.
I don’t know that she even knew what sex trafficking is; most brokers highlight the benefits of being married to a Chinese man. She was hardly the only North Korean who had to make these kinds of impossible decisions. She continued to secretly travel to and from China until she was caught by the North Korean government and put in prison.
With my whole family gone, I lived on the streets. And the possibility of ever being loved started to fade for me. Before I had a chance to decide who I was on my own terms, my identity was defined by others: homeless, orphan, beggar. When I approached people in the food courts in the city markets, they would swat me away like a fly. No one said, “I see how weary and hopeless you must be.”
Look Up
At age 15, I faced a choice: I could either starve like my father, or flee the country and hope to secure a better life outside its fortified borders. Between the certainty of death and the chance of survival, I chose survival.
I had heard that most North Koreans tried to cross the border into China during the night, so I planned my escape for midday in February 2006. I slipped down the banks of the Tumen River, coated my shoes in sandy silt for traction, and raced across the river’s icy surface to the far shore. It was a miracle that I made it.
I fled full of hope. I was sure I would have no difficulty finding food. I imagined Chinese families handing me their leftovers, as a bowl of rice was nothing for them. But once in China, reality hit. Almost no one wanted to share with me. They were irritated simply by my request for leftovers. I was so confused. This was not what I believed people were like.
For a few weeks, I was barely able to beg enough to survive. Then an elderly Chinese Korean woman approached me. “I am so sorry—there is nothing I can offer,” she said. “But you should go to a church.” She told me to look for a building with a cross.
I had seen a red cross on the gates of a hospital in North Korea. I had no idea what a cross had to do with church, but I followed her directions to a corner. I saw a few buildings, but none bore a red cross.
I stopped a man walking by. “Where can I find a cross?” I asked. “Look up.” And there it was.
This was my first time inside a church. It was late in the evening, and a few men lingered in the modest building. “I am from North Korea,” I said. “I don’t know anyone here and need help.” One of the men gave me 20 yuan (about $3) and told me that was all they could spare.
From that town in the northernmost part of China, I made my way to Yanji, then to Tumen City. I wandered around until I found another church. On the wall were written these words:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
It was as if someone was talking directly to me. I thought I heard a voice saying,
I understand how exhausted you are and what a hopeless situation you are in. Give me your hands and I will take care of you.
A neatly dressed woman greeted me with a smile—despite the fact that I had not showered for weeks. “How may I help you?” she asked. I felt I needed to add urgency, so instead of giving her my usual speech, I lied. I told her I was on my way to meet my sister in another town and needed means to get there. The woman asked me to wait in the lobby. She came back with 50 yuan ($8) and wished me luck. It was the most cash I had ever held in my hands.
A few days later, I returned to the church, imagining I would receive another 50 yuan. This time, church members offered to let me stay temporarily. This was better than what I expected. I had been sleeping in a windowless abandoned house during winter; sleeping in an actual room with a blanket was enticing. I agreed to stay.
A week later, I ran into the woman who had given me 50 yuan. It turned out that she was the pastor’s wife. I was scared that she would scold me for lying and kick me out, but she let me stay. One afternoon, I heard members of the congregation discussing how the pastor had bad teeth but couldn’t afford dental treatment. I thought that the lady had given me the yuan because she had money to spare. In that moment, I realized how much 50 yuan was for her family.
Her generous act sparked my curiosity about God. She looked so similar to all those who had refused to give me leftover rice, yet she was different. I started to read a Bible to know what she believed. Despite my sincere desire to learn, I couldn’t understand it. The vocabulary, the concept of heaven and hell—none of these made sense to me. Still, I kept wondering about her faith.
In China, hosting a North Korean refugee is illegal, and this church had already sheltered me for more than two weeks. I couldn’t stay forever. One of the members located an elderly Korean Chinese woman living in another city who was willing to take me in. She was a devoted Christian who let me call her “Grandma.” I didn’t know how to pray, but she encouraged me to read the Bible and taught me hymns to sing. She gave me a new name: Joseph.
My first prayer to God was said in China, the night Grandma introduced me to a hymn:
Father, I stretch my hands to thee, No other help I know; If thou withdraw thyself from me, Ah! Whither shall I go?
That night I prayed,
God, I don’t know who you are or whether you exist as the Bible and Christians claim. But I need your help.
A few months after I moved into Grandma’s home, I met a South Korean missionary who runs an underground shelter for North Koreans. Later that year, an activist helped me relocate to the United States. I arrived in 2007 as a refugee and began attending high school in Richmond. Different obstacles overshadowed me there. I couldn’t understand a single word of my classes or classmates and I could barely keep up with the stream of cultural differences. But because I was still relatively young, I was able to learn English. I graduated in four years, and am now attending college in New York City. I attend a church in Manhattan to learn more about God and his world.
The hymn Grandma taught me put into words what my heart needed to say. I had been alone in the world. At any moment, the authorities could have arrested me and sent me back to North Korea to starve. I felt there was no one to look after me, no one who could help. What would happen if God withdrew himself from me too?
But what was God’s help if not the churches that sheltered me or the woman who gave me the 50 yuan she couldn’t spare or the elderly Christian who gave me my new name? Fleeing to China, I had lost hope in human goodness. Finding Christians there, I found that hope again. Caring for strangers, acting compassionately without expecting anything in return: That is the beauty of humankind. That is the beauty of the gospel.
Joseph Kim is the author of Under the Same Sky: From Starvation in North Korea to Salvation in America (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).


Steven M. Chanley has over 25 years' experience representing employers in Employment and Business Litigation matters exclusively. His practice focuses on legal advice and litigation services re: Trade Secret Misappropriation; Wage-Hour Claim Def...
Practice areas & skills: Lawsuits & Disputes, Employment & Labor
If you make a big purchase and later decide you to return the item, what can you do if the store refuses to refund your money? You can file a lawsuit and proceed with litigation, but the process can be costly and time-consuming. The law provides several other methods to resolve disputes and all offer unique advantages. A lawyer who specializes in disputes reviews your paperwork and tells you what method will best serve your needs and budget.


James Spillane, the leading expert in DistributedLeadership, shows how leadership happens in everyday practicesin schools, through formal routines and informal interactions. Heexamines the distribution of leadership among administrators,specialists, and teachers in the school, and explains the ways inwhich leadership practice is stretched over leaders, followers, andaspects of the situation, including routines and tools of varioussorts in the organization such as memos, scheduling procedures, andevaluation protocols.
This book is a volume in the Jossey-Bass Leadership Library inEducation--a series designed to meet the demand for new ideasand insights about leadership in schools.


Psychopaths are little understood outside of the criminal image. However, as the recent global financial crisis highlighted, the behavior of a small group of managers can potentially bring down the entire western system of business. This book investigates who they are, why they do what they do and what the consequences of their presence are.


Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma What is Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma (JNA)?
JNA is a benign tumor (growth) of the nasal cavity that typically affects adolescent boys. Although it is non-cancerous, it can be grow to a significantly large size and expand itself from the nasal cavity into a variety of compartments in the head making it a challenging tumor to treat.
What are the symptoms of JNA?
The symptoms are typically nasal obstruction and bleeding from the nose. Occasionally, headaches and facial swelling may be present. Bleeding from only one side of the nose is typically concerning for tumors such as JNA and should be examined by an otolaryngologist.
How is JNA treated?
Surgery is the preferred method of treatment. In the past, surgical management included surgical procedures that required incisions in the face or mouth (lateral rhinotomy, transpalatal, transmaxillary, and mid-face degloving approaches), but more recently incision-less approaches through the nose using advanced endoscopic sinus surgery techniques have been used successfully. Considerable surgical experience is required to successfully perform the endoscopic operation. The nasal and sinus surgeons at UCLA Department of Head and Neck Surgery have significant experience with endoscopic treatment of JNA.
Click the following link for a scientific report on the endoscopic treatment of JNA. (pdf)
For additional information, visit the Nasal and Sinus Disease Center webpage.


India comprises the bulk of the Indian subcontinent and lies atop the minor Indian tectonic plate, which in turn belongs to the Indo-Australian Plate. India's defining geological processes commenced 75 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent, then part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, began a north-eastward drift across the then-unformed Indian Ocean that lasted fifty million years. The subcontinent's subsequent collision with, and subduction under, the Eurasian Plate bore aloft the planet's highest mountains, the Himalayas. They abut India in the north and the north-east. In the former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough that has gradually filled with river-borne sediment; it now forms the Indo-Gangetic Plain. To the west lies the Thar Desert, which is cut off by the Aravalli Range.
The original Indian plate survives as peninsular India, the oldest and geologically most stable part of India and extends as far north as the Satpura and Vindhya ranges in central India. These parallel ranges run from the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat in the west to the coal-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand in the east. To the south the remaining peninsular landmass, the Deccan Plateau, is flanked on the west and east by the coastal ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats respectively; the plateau contains the nation's oldest rock formations, some over one billion years old. Constituted in such fashion, India lies to the north of the equator between 6° 44' and 35° 30' north latitude[e] and 68° 7' and 97° 25' east longitude.
India's coast is 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi) long; of this distance, 5,423 kilometres (3,400 mi) belong to peninsular India and 2,094 kilometres (1,300 mi) to the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands. According to the Indian naval hydrographic charts, the mainland coast consists of the following: 43% sandy beaches, 11% rocky coast including cliffs, and 46% mudflats or marshy coast. Major Himalayan-origin rivers that substantially flow through India include the Ganges (Ganga) and the Brahmaputra, both of which drain into the Bay of Bengal. Important tributaries of the Ganges include the Yamuna and the Kosi; the latter's extremely low gradient causes disastrous floods every year. Major peninsular rivers, whose steeper gradients prevent their waters from flooding, include the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Kaveri, and the Krishna, which also drain into the Bay of Bengal; and the Narmada and the Tapti, which drain into the Arabian Sea. Among notable coastal features of India are the marshy Rann of Kutch in western India, and the alluvial Sundarbans delta, which India shares with Bangladesh. India has two archipelagos: the Lakshadweep, coral atolls off India's south-western coast; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a volcanic chain in the Andaman Sea. The Indian climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, both of which drive the economically and culturally pivotal summer and winter monsoons. The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asian katabatic winds from blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes. The Thar Desert plays a crucial role in attracting the moisture-laden south-west summer monsoon winds that, between June and October, provide the majority of India's rainfall. Four major climatic groupings predominate in India: tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid, and montane.


Posted by Mark Ryan, MD July 19, 2011 at 10:06 AM
The 46th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid is July 30th. Despite the benefits these programs have provided, both find themselves under significant strains due to increasing costs of care, inadequate funding, and political agendas. Major changes have been proposed to each program–changes that would significantly impact the nature of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and potentially reverse these programs’ benefits.
Tonight, at 9 pm Eastern, NPA will participate in our first live Twitter chat. This will be the first of two chats, and will be focused on the Medicare program. The second, next Tuesday July 26, will be focused on Medicaid.
Medicare provides health insurance for elderly and disabled Americans, and its passage had significant impacts on the American healthcare system. After Medicare’s passage, rates of hospitalizations (and hospital expenditures) increased, and elderly American’s share of medical costs reduced. This increased utilization likely indicates that more Americans were receiving needed care, but the increased costs of care and increased utilization has helped lead to Medicare’s currently unsustainable funding situation. Over the next 25 years, Medicare’s costs are expected to account for 5.5% of our national GDP (currently Medicare accounts for 3.6% of GDP), and as the baby boomers retire there will be a smaller pool of workers paying into the Medicare program. Increased costs and decreased revenues is a bad combination.
Earlier this year, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan introduced a budget plan that included major reforms to the Medicare program. At a fundamental level, Rep. Ryan’s plan would change the very nature of Medicare: rather than receive health insurance directly through the government-run Medicare program, seniors would receive money from the federal government in the form of “premium supports” that would allow them to purchase commercial health insurance. (One irony is that this proposed benefit is
very similar to the health insurance exchanges and premium supports included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that Republicans intensely dislike.)
Rep. Ryan’s plan, if passed, would shift a significant burden of medical costs back onto seniors. Not surprisingly, his plan has been very unpopular among seniors. But it appears that the idea of sharing costs more generally is gaining traction in the face of the funding challenges noted above. The idea of cost shifting, and having beneficiaries pay more for their benefits, is often put forward as a way for patients to have “skin in the game” and to use resources more responsibly. On the surface, this idea might make sense. Further reading, though, reveals that many seniors lack significant retirement savings (and would be hard-pressed to pay significant out-of-pocket costs) and studies have indicated that increasing the share of medical costs patients pay reduces the use of preventive care services and might not lower costs.
Another piece of Rep. Ryan’s plan to improve Medicare’s solvency would be to increase the age of eligibility from 65 years to 67 years. This would be expected to save a significant amount of money, but could worsen the cost shifting onto elderly Americans in the form of increased premiums and the need for “young elderly” (aged 65-67 years old) to continue purchasing private insurance.
Tonight, during the Twitter chat, we will focus on the following questions:
Is Rep. Ryan’s Medicare proposal viable? Would switching to a premium support model make a difference? Is it fair to shift costs onto seniors? In general, is increased cost sharing a good thing? Should Medicare’s age of eligibility be increased? Or…as proposed by Robert Riech, should it be decreased? Given Medicare’s currently unsustainable funding, what could/should/must be done to ensure the program’s continued solvency?
I hope you will join us in this important conversation. You can follow the chat at www.TweetChat.com/room/MDChat (even without a Twitter account), or if you have a Twitter account you can log in and join the conversation.


Red bumps found on the scalp are a common sign associated with folliculitis and seborrheic dermatitis, skin disorders that produce itchy, flaky skin and tenderness of the scalp. While folliculitis is caused by bacteria entering hair follicles, seborrheic dermatitis can occur due to stress, fatigue, weather changes, fungal infections or autoimmune diseases, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although there isn't a cure for these skin conditions, you can treat them by using making minor hair care adjustments and by using over-the-counter medications. You also can visit your dermatologist, who can prescribe potent medication.
Things You'll Need Washcloth Oatmeal lotion Anti-fungal cream Anti-dandruff shampoo
Use an anti-fungal shampoo. If your red bumps are caused by seborrheic dermatitis, an anti-fungal shampoo can be used to reduce irritation and clear up the bumps, according to "Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Skin Disorders." These specially formulated shampoos often contain selenium sulfide or salicylic acid, which treats the infection. Anti-fungal shampoos can be purchased without a prescription at most drugstores.
Keep the area clean. Avoid using hair styling products that contain alcohol, as they are harsh on the scalp and can worsen the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis and folliculitis. Wash the area with a mild soap and pat dry, followed by applying an oatmeal lotion or hydrocortisone cream to soothe the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Use a warm compress on the area. According to the Mayo Clinic, a warm compress can help alleviate the irritation by causing the bumps to drain. A warm, wet washcloth can be used to drain the area, but a new cloth should be used after each use to prevent infection from spreading.
Take antibiotics. Your dermatologist may prescribe antibiotics if the folliculitis condition is severe. Oral antifungal medications or topical creams can be given to clear up the condition, and usually requires consistent use for at least five to seven days. Follow your doctor's directions closely, as side effects such as skin irritation, burning sensations, rash or dry skin can occur.
Tips & Warnings Do not squeeze or attempt to pop the bumps, as you can worsen the infection and irritate the skin.


Choking is a common occurrence in Nursing Homes. Nursing Homes and their staff have a duty under the standard of care to prevent an elderly resident from choking on his or her food. It can be prevented with proper care. Many nursing home residents have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Parkinson’s, and have suffered a prior stroke. These residents often suffer from dysphagia, or “difficulty swallowing.”
Upon admission, the Nursing Home has a duty to have the resident evaluated by a speech pathologist who can perform swallowing studies and a dietitian who may have to change the resident’s meals to “soft” or “pureed,” to prevent choking.
Evan Jones has prosecuted several choking cases in the past few years. Each time, the nursing home failed to place the resident on the appropriate diet. The resident choked on a piece of steak and asphyxiated. These deaths could have been prevented with proper care and proper speech and dieting evaluation.


Quantification of molecular diffusion in arterial tissues with optical coherence tomography and fluorescence microscopy
Abstract Alternations in vascular permeability for different molecules, drugs, and contrast agents might be a significant early marker of development of various diseases such as atherosclerosis. However, up to date experimental studies of molecular diffusion across vascular wall have been limited. Recently, we demonstrated that the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technique could be applied for noninvasive and nondestructive quantification of molecular diffusion in different biological tissues. However, the viability of the OCT-based assessment of molecular diffusion should be validated with established methods. This study focused on comparing molecular diffusion rates in vascular tissues measured with OCT and standard fluorescent microscopy ...


This paper has been added to your cart ($35.00)
Nanoindentation technique has been widely used for measuring mechanical properties from a very small volume of material. The hardness measured using the depth sensing nanoindentation technique often decreases with increasing indentation size, the so called indentation size effect (ISE)[1, 2]. It has been generally acknowledged that the ISE in crystalline materials originates from the density change of geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) needed to accommodate a permanent indentation imprint. Conventionally, to characterize an ISE often requires a series measurement of hardness values at different indentation size. Based on the celebrated Oliver-Pharr scheme[3]. We propose a method to derive the ISE from the loading curve of one single indentation test. The application and limitation of the proposed method will be discussed.


The European Commission has launched a probe into the tax affairs of Apple in Ireland, of Starbucks in the Netherlands and of Fiat Finance and Trade in Luxembourg. The implications of this probe for Ireland could be particularly costly in the short run. However, if the probe leads to the closure of some of the international tax system's more egregious loopholes, while preserving Ireland's 12.5% corporate tax rate, the result could be improved economic performance in longer term.
The commission's probe covers the companies'...


Last weeks weight: 204
This weeks weight: 202.5
Down 1.5 pounds
Goal: 2 pounds a week.
I am a wee bit frustrated, but I am getting past it. Frustration, regret, anger, impatience... are all enemies on a weightloss journey. They only slow you down, and deter you from your goals.
Last year around this time, I was 195. If I had lost 1 POUND A MONTH for the past year, I'd be 183. Obviously I'd rather be in the 180's right now, then in the 200's. But I'm not, because I got impatient and frustrated. This time around, I am trying to remember that no matter how slowly you lose the weight, those single pounds coming off at a time do add up, and you will get to your goal. But only if you cast aside those negative feelings, and continue your new lifestyle with a positive attitude. Because the alternative is going absolutley nowhere, or possibly even further in the wrong direction. As I did.
This past week I've been doing something I've never done before. I've been juicing for my breakfasts, and sometimes lunches too. I haven't been too strict with it... I didn't want to feel like I was on one of those crazy diets that never work. There were a couple mornings where I didn't feel like juicing, or didn't have the time, so I would have a healthy breakfast instead, and have a juice for lunch. And there were times I wanted a salad or turkey wrap instead of a juice for lunch, and so I would skip juicing for that meal. I always had at least one juice a day as a meal replacement.
Green apple, grapes, bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, tomato.
I've actually really enjoyed replacing one to two meals a day with juicing. What led me to juicing, was I felt like even when I was trying to eat healthy, I was eating way too much bread, pasta, and dairy in my diet, and not enough fruits and veggies. I thought juicing would solve both of those problems, which it has. I just wish the results were as good as I had hoped. I am going to keep replacing one to two meals a day with juicing for the next week, and see where it takes me.
For snacks I've been eating veggies and hummus- a new favorite! Yogurt with or without grape nuts, or cheese with almonds or walnuts.
For dinner I've made turkey taco lettuce wraps, turkey sloppy joe's, spaghetti with turkey sausage, and chilli.
This past week went really well. I only had a couple days where I felt like I didn't eat the best of things, but even so, I kept within my calories on those days. I never had a bad day where I went off the deep end. A small miracle.
I am happy with my choices over the past week, and I feel really proud of all the temptations I overcame. That is the only thing I am focusing on. That, and doing even better this week.


Abstract
Aging is associated with widespread changes in genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation. Thousands of CpG sites whose tissue-specific methylation levels are strongly correlated with chronological age have been previously identified. However, the majority of these studies have focused primarily on cosmopolitan populations living in the developed world; it is not known if age-related patterns of DNA methylation at these loci are similar across a broad range of human genetic and ecological diversity. We investigated genome-wide methylation patterns using saliva and whole blood derived DNA from two traditionally hunting and gathering African populations: the Baka of the western Central African rainforest and the ≠Khomani San of the South African Kalahari Desert. We identify hundreds of CpG sites whose methylation levels are significantly associated with age, thousands that are significant in a meta-analysis, and replicate trends previously reported in populations of non-African descent. We confirm that an age-associated site in the gene ELOVL2 shows a remarkably congruent relationship with aging in humans, despite extensive genetic and environmental variation across populations. We also demonstrate that genotype state at methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) can affect methylation trends at some known age-associated CpG sites. Our study explores the relationship between CpG methylation and chronological age in populations of African hunter-gatherers, who rely on different diets across diverse ecologies. While many age-related CpG sites replicate across populations, we show that considering common genetic variation at meQTLs further improves our ability to detect previously identified age associations.


Runge-Kutta methods are some of the most widely used numerical integrators for approximat-ing the solution of an ordinary di erential equation (ODE). These methods form a subset of alarger class of numerical integrators called B-series methods. B-Series methods are expressed interms of rooted trees, a type of combinatorial graph, which are related to the vector eld of theODE that is to be solved. Therefore, the conditions for B-series methods to preserve importantproperties of the solution of an ODE, such as symplecticity and energy-preservation, may be ex-pressed in terms of rooted trees. Certain linear combinations of rooted trees give conditions for aB-series to be Energy-preserving while other linear combinations give conditions for a B-series tobe Hamiltonian. B-series methods may be conjugate (by another B-series) to an Energy-preservingor an Hamiltonian B-series. Such B-series methods are called conjugate-to-Energy preserving andconjugate-to-Hamiltonian, respectivley. The conditions for a B-series to be conjugate-to-Energypreserving or conjugate-to-Hamiltonian may also be expressed in terms of rooted trees.The rooted trees form a vector space over the Real numbers. This thesis explores the algebraicstructure of this vector space and its natural energy-preserving, Hamiltonian, conjugate-to-Energypreserving and conjugate-to-Hamitlonian subspaces and dual subspaces.The rst part of this thesis reviews important concepts of numerical integrators and introducesthe general Runge-Kutta methods. B-series methods, along with rooted trees, are then introducedin the context of Runge-Kutta methods. The theory of rooted trees is developed and the conditionsfor a B-series to be Hamiltonian or have rst integral are given and discussed. In the nal chapterwe interpret the conditions in the context of vector spaces and explore the algebraic structure of,and the relationships between, the natural vector subspaces and dual spaces.


Why was literature so often defended and defined in early modern England in terms of its ability to provide the Horatian ideal of both profit and pleasure? Robert Matz analyses Renaissance literary theory in the context of social transformations of the period, focusing on conflicting ideas about gentility that emerged as the English aristocracy evolved from a feudal warrior class to a civil elite. Through close readings centered on works by Thomas Elyot, Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser, Matz argues that literature attempted to mediate a complex set of contradictory social expectations. His original study engages with important theoretical work such as Pierre Bourdieu's and offers a substantial critique of New Historicist theory. It challenges recent accounts of the power of Renaissance authorship, emphasizing the uncertain status of literature during this time of cultural change, and sheds light on why and how canonical works became canonical.


Skin experts often discourage women with acne from wearing makeup, but a new study shows that certain cosmetics can improve acne sufferers' quality of life without aggravating their skin. Dermatology professor Nobukazu Hayashi and other researchers at Tokyo Women's Medical University instructed 18 women to apply makeup formulated for blemish-prone skin (from a Japanese cosmetics line) as they began an acne-treatment regimen. (Treatment, which varied by individual, consisted of oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics, chemical peels, or a combination of these.) After two to four weeks, the women in the study reported feeling more attractive and less embarrassed, anxious, and depressed, and despite the makeup, they had fewer breakouts than they had initially. Rather than covering acne with oil-based foundation, Hayashi recommends applying noncomedogenic makeup, which is designed not to clog pores.


Illinois ranked near the bottom of the country at 45th place with a D on the 2014 American College of Emergency Physicians' state-by-state report card on America's emergency care environment, a striking decline from the 27th place showing and grade C it earned in 2009 on the same report.
Illinois earned a D in the category of Access to Emergency Care. The state has increased the number of emergency physicians, neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons and nurses since 2009, but dwindling Medicaid reimbursement rates threaten access to care for the state's Medicaid patients. To improve access to primary care for these patients, Illinois must increase Medicaid payments.
The state was ranked 50th in the nation for Medical Liability Environment, which is largely due to significant setbacks that left Illinois virtually without medical liability reforms in place to discourage frivolous lawsuits. Average insurance premiums for primary care physicians are the second highest in the country.
Our state has become a sort of judicial hellhole for medical professionals and runs the risk of our losing qualified physicians and medical professionals.
Sudip Bose, M.D. Chicago


Haiti's challenges are enormous and there are no easy answers. However, a two-pronged strategy --- registration and monitoring of NGOs and a governmental and donor focus on "core governance" -- may be a good start.
Read Whole Story
The world has focused on rebuilding Haiti after this tragedy, but it's important not to lose sight of Haiti's rich traditions. One of them is soccer.
Haiti is not just "rebuilding" with cement and muscle. Haiti is "reimagining" a nation, with a bold vision and collective dream.
To place blame solely on the earthquake is to miss the political and historical underpinnings of poverty in Haiti.
Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day. Newsletters may offer personalized content or advertisements. Learn more.


The larger community-citizens, patients, inter professional team members, and nursing peers expect and are entitled to more than simply knowledge and competence. They expect good character from us. Virtues related with good character in nursing have progressed over time from those such as cleanliness and self-sacrifice to include several depicted in the framework and considered essential to the process of developing a healthy workplace and generous ethical climate such as compassion, fidelity, veracity, and prudence. Compassion is known as the cornerstone of healthcare providers' practice, a critical trait necessary to the delivery of morally good care.
For example, practicing compassion with other members of the acute and critical care team may also contribute to sustaining an ethical practice environment, because it is a component of moral sensitivity. Moral sensitivity is necessary to recognition that an ethical dilemma exists. Without moral sensitivity and compassion, members of the healthcare team may not be able to see that a problem exists or may unknowingly tolerate ethically objectionable acts or conditions. This recognition also involves the ability to appreciate the perspectives of others, including team members, by acknowledging their values, beliefs, and obligations. Compassion and moral sensitivity include awareness of the various courses of action and how each may affect all members concerned, the patient, family members, and others on the inter professional team (Mickey, Catherine, 2009)
Reference:
Mickey L. Parsons PhD, MHA, RN, FAAN, Catherine Robichaux PhD, RN, CCRN, CNS


Many patients with diabetes say that the inconvenience and discomfort of constant therapeutic vigilance, particularly multiple daily insulin injections, has as much impact on the quality of their lives as an intermediate complication. On average, patients considered the burden of comprehensive diabetes care comparable to that of angina, nerve or kidney damage.


Three known thiocarbamate (TC)- and isothiocyanate (ITC)-related compounds have been isolated from the leaves of Moringa oleifera, a traditional herb in southeast Asia, as inhibitors of tumor promoter teleocidin B-4-induced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation in Raji cells. Interestingly, only niaziminin among 10 TCs including 8 synthetic ones showed considerable inhibition against EBV activation. The structure-activity relationships indicated that the presence of an acetoxy group at the 4'-position of niaziminin is important and indispensable for inhibition. On the other hand, among the ITC-related compounds, naturally occurring 4-[(4'-O-acetyl-alpha-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl]ITC and commercially available allyl- and benzyl-ITC significantly inhibited activation, suggesting that the isothiocyano group is a critical structural factor for activity.


Early diagenesis of plant-derived dissolved organic matter along a wetland, mangrove, estuary ecotone
Limnol. Oceanogr., 49(5), 2004, 1667-1678 | DOI: 10.4319/lo.2004.49.5.1667
ABSTRACT: We studied the role of photochemical and microbial processes in contributing to the transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from various plants that dominate the Florida Everglades. Plant-derived DOM leachate samples were exposed to photochemical and microbial degradation and the optical, chemical, and molecular weight characteristics measured over time. Optical parameters such as the synchronous fluorescence intensity between 270 and 290 nm (Fnpeak I), a strong indicator of protein and/or polyphenol content, decreased exponentially in all plant leachate samples, with microbial decay constants ranging from -1.0 d
-1 for seagrass to -0.11 d -1 for mangrove (half-life [t 1/2] = 0.7-6.3 d). Similar decreases in polyphenol content and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration also occurred but were generally an order of magnitude lower or did not change significantly over time. The initial molecular weight composition was reflected in the rate of Fnpeak I decay and suggests that plant derived DOM with a large proportion of high molecular weight structures, such as seagrass derived DOM, contain high concentrations of easily microbially degradable proteinaceous components. For samples exposed to extended simulated solar radiation, polyphenol and Fnpeak I photochemical decay constants were on average -0.7 d -1 (t 1/2 1.0 d). Our data suggest that polyphenol structures of plant-derived DOM are particularly sensitive to photolysis, whereas high molecular weight protein-like structures are degraded primarily through physical-chemical and microbial processes. Furthermore, microbial and physical processes initiated the formation of recalcitrant, highly colored high molecular weight polymeric structures in mangrove-derived DOM. Thus, partial, biogeochemical transformation of plant-derived DOM from coastal areas is rapid and is likely to influence carbon and nutrient cycling, especially in areas dominated by seagrass and mangrove forests.


Delayed Preconditioning and Adaptive Cardioprotection ISBN/ASIN: 9789401062312,9789401153126 | 1998 | English | 230/239 pages | 7.38 Mb Publisher: Springer Netherlands | Author: G. F. Baxter, D. M. Yellon (auth.), G. F. Baxter, D. M. Yellon (eds.) | Edition: 1
Interest in the ability of myocardium to adapt to ischaemic stress has continued to grow since the discovery of ischaemic preconditioning in 1986. In 1993, two reports heralded the recognition of a delayed preconditioning response in the heart, now commonly known as the `second window' of protection. Since then, a number of studies have described the ability of delayed preconditioning and related adaptive phenomena to protect against a variety of pathologies in the ischaemic and reperfused myocardium. Our understanding of the cellular mechanisms of sub-acute adaptive cardioprotection has advanced considerably during this period. This compilation of state-of-the-art reviews by those who have made significant contributions to this field provides detailed and critical analysis of this research, from molecular basis to potential clinical relevance. The book aims to provide an authoritative, comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date overview for scientists and clinicians engaged in, or observing, this rapidly-developing area of heart research. It will also be of interest to those engaged in research on other tissues where ischaemia-reperfusion pathology is of major concern.


Abstract
This paper is about two New South Wales Aboriginal groups that are engaging Aboriginal people in looking after their country. In particular, it highlights the socioeconomic benefits such activity is generating for the people involved.
Banbai Business Enterprises manages the first Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in New South Wales, ‘Wattleridge’, on the New England Tablelands north east of Guyra, and is now also managing a second IPA, ‘Tarriwa Kurrukun’, on land owned by the Guyra Local Aboriginal Land Council. The Nyambaga Green Team operates from the Ngurrala Aboriginal Corporation near Macksville, New South Wales. The Nyambaga Green Team successfully sustains itself through a mix of contracts with a range of natural resource management and other bodies which it carries out on a commercial basis.
At both locations a diverse range of significant cultural, social and economic benefits are emerging which the paper outlines. It then discusses some of the factors and conditions for success in these ventures and reflects briefly on the policy implications.
Keywords: Natural resource management, New South Wales, land and sea management, socio-economic benefits, Aboriginal employment; Indigenous protected area, caring for country, Banbai, Gumbaynggirr.