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Lower Feed Prices Could Help Hog Producer Profits
US - Hog producers should return to profitability this spring because of lower feed prices, although delayed planting could still change that, a Purdue Extension agricultural economist says.
Chris Hurt said the animal industries got an unexpected boost from the US Department of Agriculture's grain stocks report at the end of March.
"Inventories of both corn and soybeans were much higher than anticipated, and that seemingly indicates that greater supplies of both corn and soybean meal are going to be available for the rest of this marketing year," he said. "A dramatic downward movement in feed prices had not been expected until mid- to late summer."
Corn prices dropped nearly $1 per bushel and soybean meal prices about $15 per ton.
Mr Hurt had earlier predicted that hog production could return to profitability this spring, but that was based on an expected spring hog price rally, not lower feed costs.
"Estimated costs for farrow-to-finish production had been around $70 per live hundredweight in the first and second quarter of this year," he said. "Now, my estimates for second-quarter costs have fallen to about $65.50 and to around $63 per hundredweight for the third quarter."
In the first quarter of this year, live hog prices averaged near $62 per live hundredweight. Hurt expects those prices to continue to rise to the mid-$60 range for the next two quarters.
If that happens, he said second-quarter prices should cover production costs and hog producers could see small profits of around $8 per head in the third quarter - the first profits they've seen since 2011.
If farmers are able to get the 2013 crops planted in a timely manner, feed costs are expected to continue falling for the remainder of this year and into early 2014.
Starting early this fall, total costs of hog production could drop to under $60 for the first time since 2011. But while the optimism is welcome after losses of about $26 a head for the last three quarters, Hurt said feed prices could still change and cause production costs to rise.
"Of course, weather this summer and the size of the 2013 crop production is another uncertainty of feed costs," he said. "If late planting or poor summer weather results in another below-normal production year in 2013, that could clearly push up new crop prices and maybe push them up substantially."
But on the other hand, a more normal production year for the US could provide some cushion against the next small crop and help stabilise feed prices for the next few years.
The impact of mycotoxins — through losses in commodity quality and livestock health — exceeds $1.4 billion in the United States alone, according to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. This guide includes:
- An overview of different types of mycotoxins
- Understanding of the effects of mycotoxicoses in swine
- Instructions on how to analyze mycotoxin content in commodities and feeds
- Innovative ways of combatting mycotoxins and their effects


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Apparently there is a an ultra-tiny, ultra-fast UFO zooming over Denver. Even the journalists at FOX agree that "it's not a bird." What could it be? I'm guessing it's either one of those souped-up cyber-guinea pigs with rocket thrusters — or somebody's home UAV project.
Whatever it is, there's nothing more fun than watching these news anchors scratching their heads over this crazy footage. Also, the guy who first sighted the UFO explains the video in silhouette, while naked. No, I am not kidding. WTF?
Read more via FOX31

subset: commoncrawl


text: Re: WavPack 5.0.0 alpha release available Reply #25 – 2016-07-13 18:09:28 I'm glad the latest alpha is working for you!I'm currently working on adding another capability for the 5.0 release that is taking longer than I expected, so I'm not sure the final release will be real soon. In fact, I'm sure they'll be another round of alphas for that, and I don't think I want to break up the 5.0 improvements into multiple batches.However, the feedback on the alpha3 has been good, and so you can feel comfortable using it because I'm pretty confident nothing about RF64 file handling will change, and even if it does your files will remain usable. There might be some changes with multichannel CAF files, but that won't affect you.Thanks again for the feedback!


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Joker tattoos, and actually all clown tattoos have come to symbolize the humor and the hidden tragedy that often lurks behind life's pale veil. While the clown may be seen laughing there is always the hint of sadness or sorrow that lies just underneath his facade. But, that's where the similarities end between the joker tribal tattoos and the clown tattoo.
Joker tattoo have also come to be viewed as laughing people that has at the core of their personality a sinister or evil persona. This can be seen by the Joker tattoo in the picture. It's a very good portrait of the joker character as portrayed by Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight. That character not only had a dark side to his personality but also was a sociopath. And that has almost transformed the entire joker tattoo genre.
Now, individuals are getting highly exaggerated joker's that allude to something deep, dark and potentially dangerous. It would be a perfect piece to ink into your skin. So, if your looking for a design that speaks about your fun and humorous nature yet identifies you as a force to be reckoned with then the joker tribal tattoos may be the design that you want to get.


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If you are using glass plates on Passover, your table is going to be needing something exciting to give it some life.
My delightful (haha) husband insists on cloth napkins EVERY NIGHT. And by now I am even starting to like them! They are definitely a must for company.
I am really loving the looks of these colorful printed cloth napkins… I think these are perfect for a holiday breakfast or lunch. They scream "Spring is Here"!!!
1. Crate & Barrel Butterfly Print Napkin $4.95
2. Crate & Barrel Marimekko ® Lepo Napkin $6.95
3. Pottery Barn Spring Sparrow Napkins & Place Mats, Set Of 6 $48.00
4. Horchow's 12 Hemstitched Linen Dinner Napkins, Monogrammed $77.90
5. Kelly Wearstler for Sferra $125.00
6. Kelly Wearstler for Sferra $125.00
For more ideas on how to make your house and life extra awesome, visit my blog Sketch 42.
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text: Guest EBmel Posted November 15, 2012 (Posted on Amity's behalf by EBMel ) I'm writing this post through sleepy eyes, on a very dusty laptop, on the building site of The Block All Stars. Yes, I may possibly be mad, but we're actually having a ball doing this huge renovation job, and I'm really glad I pushed aside my nerves and said yes to the opportunity. The kids are here with us and are loving the excitement of being part of a TV show. They're also getting very spoiled by the cast and crew, and are enjoying their holiday in Sydney with their grandparents while Mummy and Daddy work hard and look much dirtier than usual. The show goes to air early next year and is going to be a cracker, so make sure you tune in and see how we go! Without giving anything away, it's a pretty competitive environment around here, and this has got me thinking about kids and competition. Is it good to raise your kids to be competitive, or should we be focussing on the old adage 'it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game'? In Australia our obsession with sport and winning is well documented, yet the way we teach our kids is now much more focussed on participation, with the pressure to win played down. My six-year-old started playing soccer this year, and, in an attempt to take the pressure off the players entirely, their club doesn't even keep score for the under-sevens. I understand the logic, but it's pretty futile when the kids know exactly what the score is and celebrate and mourn their wins and losses accordingly. I applaud attempts to rid sporting leagues of the parents who abuse the referees, other parents and even kids when things don't go their way. That's the ugly side to competition and it has no place in kid's sport. But is it such a bad thing to raise kids who want to win? And is getting rid of the 'best and fairest' award, instead giving every child a medal for effort, an act of encouragement or political correctness gone too far? Our son is naturally competitive - not through our encouragement, but most likely thanks to his genetic link to competitive parents. He gets very down on himself when he doesn't excel in things, and, despite our insistence that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, he cares about outcomes very much. Like so many parents do with their own children, when playing games with him as a preschooler we let him win often enough to keep him tantrum-free. However, I questioned that after reading a study on the potential outcome of letting your child win all the time. Published in The Atlantic, the article explained how psychologists now believe children who never learn to fail can find life extremely hard as adults, often leading to an inability to cope when things don't go their way. So by letting them experience the disappointment of loss when they're young, we're actually helping our children by preparing them for the ups and downs of life. Or perhaps just their favourite footy team losing the grand final! The fact is that in sport, work and life in general, it sometimes does matter if you win or lose. Ultimately we live in a competitive society, and having a fire in your belly to want to win is a good thing. But I'll also teach my kids that you learn more from your losses than you ever do your wins, and that good sportsmanship is the most important thing. I'll also be reminding them of the old 'it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game' right before a certain auction early next year. Although, I won't lie, a win would be nice ... Are you raising your child to have a competitive spirit? Do you let them win at board games? Do you agree with the 'no scoring' rule in sport? Share your thoughts! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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On Dec. 2, 1936, Sarasota awoke to the news that John Ringling, the last of the circus brothers, had passed away at his New York City apartment.
The banner headline in that morning's Sarasota Herald informed its readers "JOHN RINGLING DIES IN NEW YORK." Feature stories, along with his photograph, recounted Mister John's illustrious circus career, his varied interests outside the big top, even an article recalling his "love for trees and flowers," intoning that the Australian Pines he planted were his pets.
The flag atop the American Legion War Memorial in the center of Five Points in downtown Sarasota was lowered to half staff, as was the flag at the circus winter quarters. A wreath of flowers was laid on the steps of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, and Mayor Earnest A. Smith sent a wreath to Ringling's New York residence.
The great man had died and Sarasota was in mourning.
John Ringling's final years were not enviable. The great showman, king of the circus world, avid art collector, successful businessman, developer and promoter of Sarasota, and considered one of the wealthiest men in the country, had fallen on hard time -- the slings and arrows he suffered during his last six years were almost endless.
His first wife, Mable, the love of his life with whom he shared the trappings of his triumphant rise in fortune, died in 1929, leaving him despondent.
His close friend, Sam Gumpertz, backstabbed him by helping to wrest away his control of the circus. He feuded with his nephews, John and Henry North, whom he came to distrust. He finally cut them out of his will with a codicil that also reduced the estate of their mother -- Ringling's only sister, Ida, who had also fallen out of his favor.
He was never on good terms with brother Charles' widow, Edith; their mutual dislike was ongoing.
After control of the circus had been taken from him, "Mister John" became a persona non grata on the circus lot. The newspapers were heralding the widowed Edith -- "Miss Charlie" -- as Woman Who Rules A Circus. Gumpertz was dubbed "Circus Boss." Ringling must have been galled.
His second marriage, to Emily Haag Buck, which began in 1930 and seemingly was based on her cash on hand (she had plenty; he had none) was an unmitigated disaster. It ended in a long, drawn-out, acrimonious, tabloid-type divorce with juicy claims and counter claims played up in the press through the country.
He recalled his domestic hell as "just continuous nagging and scolding, finding fault with everything, cursing, screaming, quarreling ... She always used the word son-of-a-bitch and committed acts of extreme cruelty and habitual indulgence in violent and ungovernable temper."
Then there was Richard Fuchs. Ringling's personal secretary from 1919 to 1934 turned on him with a vengeance.
In a four-page, single- spaced letter of resignation he recounted their history and threatened to tell anyone who would listen, including the tax men of the Federal Government, where Ringling's business skeletons were buried. Said he, "I expect to be very frank and open with the government."
Throw into the mix of misery that while John Ringling was a multi-millionaire on paper -- with Rolls Royces and a Pierce Arrow; a man who had feted the rich and famous of his day on his yacht, private railway car, and bayfront mansion; the man who owned one of the finest collections of Baroque art in the world, housed in his own museum -- he was now cash-strapped and hounded by creditors. His nephew, Henry, wrote that at one time his uncle had over 100 legal actions pending against him.
Ringling did not seem to have enough cash on hand to take a foursome to dinner. Toward the end of his life, his estate and furnishings were advertised in the legal section of the newspaper to be sold to satisfy his monetary obligations.
A simple marker
Lastly, and perhaps not surprisingly given all the angst, he had been terribly ill. First a bad leg infection, then a thrombosis that incapacitated him, and later, when it was thought he had regained his health, he caught a cold that turned into pneumonia, and he died.
Whatever bit of comfort the beleaguered Ringling might have taken from the thought that when he was laid to his much-needed rest, surely his desire to be buried with Mable in their crypt at their beloved Sarasota museum would be carried out.
Alas, that did not happen either.
The family rigmarole about his last six feet of earth should have been unnecessary. When the circus king turned art collector built the beautiful John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art as a memorial, he instructed his architect to design a crypt in the courtyard opposite the entrance, under the imposing statue of David. There, among the magnificent art treasures that he had collected over the years, he and Mable would rest and be remembered forevermore by untold numbers of passersby. Or so he thought.
Ironically, the man whose life was spent wheeling and dealing, at getting the circus wagons and then the circus trains on schedule throughout the length and breadth of America -- it was said he had a genius for transportation details -- would not be buried where he wished.
In fact he would not be permanently buried at all until nearly 55 years after he died, and then it was nearly out of sight, beneath a simple marker, behind a nondescript chain-link fence, with Mable and his sister, Ida, on the grounds of his museum.
He made so many smiles but had so few of his own
On Dec. 2, 1936, Sarasota awoke to the news that John Ringling, the last of the circus brothers, had passed away at his New York City apartment.


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March 18, 2009
Where does the time go?
Yes, I seem to be asking myself this question a lot lately!! This is my youngest daughter that just turned 12! Wowzer!!! My other daughter just had her 18th birthday, but she didn't stand still long enough for me to get a really good pic of her with her tradtional cake shot!! LOL... the funny thing is with all my children now is that we have to do cake in the evening, when it is dark so we can turn out all the lights and "get" "the full candle effect". Although I must agree it does make for an awesome picture to scrap!! I have a great one of Avery like this too and I can't wait to scrap it... not sure what I am waiting on since I took that pic of him back in September!! Well, just thought I would share a piece of my weekend with you all. Thanks for taking a peek!
Posted by Nina at 7:22 PM
2 comments:
- Ayelet {Jenny} said...
Happy Birthday!
She is beautiful! And now I know what you ment when you wrote to me that they do grow fast!
Thanks for the email Nina {Hugs}
- March 19, 2009 at 7:42 PM
- Curt in Indy said...
She is darling! What a cool shot. This will make a great scap shot! Happy Belated Birthday to her! Best, Curt
- April 5, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Estimated Crate Dimensions and Weight(1) 103" L x 55" W x 37" H @ 1,100 lbs. (Estimate Only)
Note: Re-configuration May Require Additional Components. Request Details
Custom Modular Assembly: Fully-assembled and Partially -assembled Components, Slide-clip Connectors, and Locking Hex Key Connections (tool included)
There are rental islands. Then there are Gravitee One-Step Island Exhibits. When you choose a RE-9119 Gravitee Island, you get a contemporary display with large graphics, practical accessories, and a mostly tool-less assembly. The full-size panels slide together with attached connectors, whether flat or curved. Most islands pack in one or two crates, saving you on freight and drayage (material handling). And assembly takes only half the time of a traditional custom exhibit. The RE-9019 is the ideal multi-purpose trade show exhibit with functional workstations, casual meeting spaces, and big, bold graphics. Plus, ample locking storage in all the counters.
Browse through the island gallery where you'll see a wide range of options and prices. These are meant to generate ideas. There are no cookie cutter designs. We'll design the island exhibit that matches your specific marketing goals and budget.
Many islands are re-configurable to smaller inlines or larger islands. For more information, click on the Contact Us button or give us a call.
NOTE: The Above Specifications May Change at Anytime Based on Inventory.
Please Contact Us with any Specific Questions.
Hybrid is a relatively new category of trade show displays. Generally, portable hybrid displays incorporate aluminum extrusion, tension fabric, and other display components to create a modern-looking tabletop or inline display. For a more comprehensive explanation, refer to the article: 10 Things to Consider Before Buying a Portable Hybrid Display.
Our portable hybrids assemble primarily with attached knobs, and the designs are unlike any other hybrids in the world: upscale, contemporary, and very affordable.
Anyone who loves curves, loves Magellan because the kits are all about curved metal and large tension fabric graphics. The most popular have been the Miracle and MOR, which (not surprisingly) are also the most affordable.
Sacagawea blends upscale design with aggressive pricing that's perfect for anyone looking for a lightweight hybrid display. Choose from three attractive design series, 65 compact and versatile displays, and terrific 10 ft. and 20 ft. configurations with multiple options.
With Visionary Designs, anything is possible – portable, modular, custom, and custom-hybrid designs. Visionary Designs can be any size, any shape, any configuration. Think of the display kits as idea generators rather than final designs.
Perfect 10 assembles without tools and comes in a mind-boggling assortment of color and shape options, all included in the standard price.There's no other display like Perfect 10, because not other system has the patented Perfect 10 S-Shape.
Bottom Line: Inexpensive, mostly curved extrusions, primarily knob assembly, large graphics. Ideal for anyone upgrading from a basic display system such as banner stands, pop ups, or curved pillowcase graphics.
Tension fabric graphics attach to a frame so the fabric is taut edge-to-edge, creating "tension." Typically, the graphic has Velcro hook sewn along the border, usually top and bottom, and attaches to Velcro loop on the frame. A silicone bead or welting can also be sewn to the edge of the tension fabric graphic. Those are referred to as Silicone Edge Graphics(SEG).
What are the benefits of fabric graphics vs. traditional first surface graphics?
We recommend washing in your washing machine, cold setting, with a mild detergent and letting air dry. Please DO NOT dry clean.
Classic Exhibits Inc. warranties the performance of its portable, modular, and custom hybrid systems during normal use, excluding excessive wear and tear, as per the instructions. This covers the workmanship and locking systems as long as the exhibit has a useful life. All remaining parts are covered against defective materials or workmanship as long as the exhibit is in service. The warranty is transferable should the product be sold or assigned to another party.
The manufacturer cannot be held responsible for damages due to abuse, misuse, or shipping damages. This warranty does not cover laminate cracks and chips, wood crate and roto-molded case damage (excluding workmanship), aluminum extrusion scuffs, mars, and scratches from normal use, and graphics wear and tear or misuse. The manufacturer is not responsible for lost or missing parts once the owner has assembled, accepted, and used the product.
Should there be any questions regarding the warranty, please contact your local Classic Exhibits Distributor.
The lead time for the REDH-9119 | Island Exhibit is 20 Days.
Add designs and photos to your personal gallery simply by clicking on the +My Gallery links
Then email your "My Gallery" to colleagues, friends, or your favorite exhibit designer. There's no better way to begin designing a display that reflects your exhibit marketing goals.
Note: My Gallery uses a temporary browser cookie to store your gallery. We recommend that you send your gallery to your email address if you need to retain it for longer than 30 days.


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Following the release of their strongly-anticipated debut album, Welcome To Condale, Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey - otherwise known as Summer Camp have confirmed a spate of tour dates in the UK for early next year. For mid-late February in fact. Here are the places and times they're playing, should you be interested.
13 – Bristol, Louisiana
14 – Birmingham, The Rainbow
14 – Norwich, Arts Centre
16 – Manchester, Night and Day
17 – Glasgow, Captain's Rest
19 – Sheffield, The Harley
20 – Cambridge, Portland Arms
21 – London, Scala
And here is the video to their most recent single, 'Down'.


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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to spend up to $400 million to buy and demolish homes wrecked by Superstorm Sandy and permanently preserve the land as undeveloped coastline.A Cuomo administration spokesman confirms the state would use a portion of the $51 billion disaster relief package approved by Congress last week. That would be subject to federal approval.
The plan, first reported Monday by the New York Times, was presented to federal officials last Friday.
The program would offer previous full market value for homes in the 100-year flood plain substantially damaged by the storm and related flooding. It's estimated 10 to 15 percent of 10,000 owners might apply.
Cuomo raised the buyout proposal earlier, along with other new measures to protect New York City's underground infrastructure from flooding.
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text:
- wrote a Greasemonkey script to automatically link to webservices,
- explained how that script can be used on the server, and
- adapted a Greasemonkey script to show blog items related to molecules.
All using the new semantic markup.
Of the two, I think RDFa has the best future. Then I discovered Operator, written by Mike. While the Greasemonkey scripts already allow me to link to, for example, PubChem and eMolecules, the Operator Firefox Addon allowed me to open vCards incorporated in HTML pages directly to my address book client. Thus, I could open chemistry directly in Bioclipse too!
That was the idea, at least. I contacted Mike, and he asked me to wait until the first 0.8 releases, which he announced earlier this month. This version allows user scripts to be written, which define how RDFa should be handled. And with his patience and help, this was the result:
The HTML is almost as explained before, and looks like:

Chemical RDFa with Operator

Methane has the following identifier: InChI=1/CH4/h1H4
It is important here to wrap the statement in a
 element and to add the @about attribute to it, defining the Subject. Moreover, you need to use the @property attributes instead of @class. The content of this attribute defined the Predicate, and the content of the  element is the Object, completing the RDF triple.
Operator detects these RDFa statements from the HTML, and creates a new menu item Search in Pubchem using this piece of code:
var pubchem_inchi = {
description: "Search in PubChem",
short: "PubChem",
scope: {
semantic: {
"RDFa" : {
property : "http://www.blueobelisk.org/chemistryblogs/inchi",
defaultNS : "http://www.blueobelisk.org/chemistryblogs/"
doAction: function(semanticObject, semanticObjectType) {
if (semanticObjectType == "RDFa") {
return "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pccompound&term=%22" + semanticObject.inchi + "%22[InChI]";
SemanticActions.add("pubchem_inchi", pubchem_inchi);
You can reproduce this by installing Operator 0.8a in Firefox, saving the script to a file in your home directory, and reading it via the Operator "Options" dialog. Make sure to also set the Display Style in the General tab of the dialog to Data formats. Only then will the RDFa magic kick in.
Adding support for eMolecules, ChemSpider and whatever else we like is easy now. What I still need to explore (or ask Mike), is how I can trigger the Open With/Save As dialog of Firefox.


text:
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Although mammograms have excelled at detecting breast cancer at early stages, when it can still be treated, mammography screening has failed to reduce cases of more serious late-stage disease, according to a new study.
The researchers also estimate that almost one-third of women with breast cancer are overdiagnosed via mammography -- meaning that they do not actually have cancer or they have a type of breast cancer that would not develop into potentially deadly late-stage disease.
The rate of overdiagnosis is based on data showing that the number of cases of early-stage breast cancer has grown since the mid-1980s, when mammography screening started becoming common, but that the rate of advanced disease has dropped only slightly.
"The most striking observation is that we've done nothing to really improve late-stage disease," said Dr. Archie Bleyer, chair of the Institutional Review Board at St. Charles Health System in Oregon, and lead author of the study. Late-stage disease that has spread beyond the breast area, known as distant disease, is much more lethal and is associated with only a 25 percent five-year survival rate.
The study is published in the Nov. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The news is not all bad: breast cancer is a less deadly disease than it was 30 years ago. According to the study, there has been a 28 percent decrease in breast cancer deaths since the mid-1970s, from 71 per 100,000 women down to 51 per 100,000.
However, Bleyer attributes that improvement to better treatments.
"All the progress we've made is due to treatment," Bleyer said. "We've been attributing it to early screening and detection, but the [steady] incidence of late-stage means we haven't really done anything to detect [deadly forms of] breast cancer earlier."
One expert believes regular mammography screening should get some credit, however.
"Many experts agree that there is some degree of overdiagnosis and overtreatment," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. However, "you can't have a significant decline in mortality unless you're doing something right," he added. "I think it is a combination of mammography, increased awareness and better treatment."
Lichtenfeld added that it is very difficult to assess how much mammography, on its own, is contributing to reductions in breast cancer deaths.
The true overdiagnosis rate in the United States is difficult to know because it can vary based on how researchers analyze the numbers, Lichtenfeld noted.
"Today's paper says that mammography has limited benefit, but tomorrow's paper may say that it has significant benefit," he said.
Amid all this, the American Cancer Society continues to recommend that women get annual mammograms starting at 40 years of age, Lichtenfeld said.
For his part, Bleyer thinks that women should get mammograms every other year between the ages of 50 and 70, similar to controversial guidelines issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in 2009.
Even though Bleyer's study did not find a decrease in the cases of distant disease, it estimated that the rate of regional disease decreased by 8 percent. Regional disease is a form of late-stage cancer, but unlike distant disease, it has only spread within the area of the breasts, usually the lymph nodes, and is more treatable.
To estimate the rate of overdiagnosis, Bleyer and his colleague used U.S. data from between 1976 and 2008 on breast cancer incidence and survival rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. They also relied on survey data estimating how many women get mammograms.
The researchers found that incidence of early-stage breast cancer increased between the mid-1980s and 2000 among women 40 years and older, as the percentage of women getting mammograms was rising. Over the same years, cases of regional disease dipped by only 8 percent and cases of distant disease did not change at all.
Based on these findings, they estimated that 31 percent of women in 2008, or 70,000, were overdiagnosed. That has probably been the rate since the mid-1990s, and for the decade before that, it seemed to be about 20 percent, Bleyer said.
Between 1976 and 2008, a total of 1.3 million women in the United States were overdiagnosed, the researchers estimate.
The overdiagnosis rate was similar for all age groups over 40, although it was slightly higher among women between 50 and 70 years, who may be the ones most likely to have routine mammograms, Bleyer said. In contrast, the incidence of both early- and late-stage breast cancer was largely unchanged between 1976 and 2008 among women under 40 years, who do not receive mammogram screening.
Although Bleyer was surprised to discover that the United States had such a high overdiagnosis rate among women 40 years and older, "we are not the only one," he said. Studies of Scandinavian populations estimated rates of breast cancer overdiagnosis between about 20 and 30 percent, while an Australian study put their rate at between 30 and 42 percent.
In addition to the questions that the current study raises about the ability of mammography to reduce breast cancer disease, mammography has its own downsides, such as causing anxiety and discomfort for women, Bleyer said. For women who are overdiagnosed, mammography can also lead to unnecessary treatment, such as surgery, chemo and radiation therapy.
More information
To learn more about breast cancer risk factors, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SOURCES: Archie Bleyer, M.D., chair, Institutional Review Board, St. Charles Health System, Bend, Oregon, clinical research professor, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland; Len Lichtenfeld, M.D., deputy chief medical officer, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; Nov. 22, 2012, New England Journal of Medicine
|Copyright©2012 ScoutNews,LLC.
All rights reserved


text:
The Scent of Fashion
Components of dress
Portrait of a Woman
Berthe Morisot (1841-1895)
Berthe Morisot's portrait of Madame Edma Pontillon of 1872 demonstrates Morisot's own awareness that a woman's toilette was an integral part of femininity in the later nineteenth century and her meticulous rendition of the separate elements of female dress are as thorough an indication of modernity as the painterly texture of her brushwork: Morisot gives "the impression of [.....] turning curling tongs, fastening buttons, tying laces, smoothing folds, tightening waistbands, straightening a bonnet and fixing a flower."
These separate components of female dress are demonstrated in her portrait of Edma Pontillon. The sitter's hair is worn high upon her head in a plaited chignon threaded through with a ribbon, an instant signifier of the decorative aesthetic of the 1870s, as are the drop pendant earrings and the pendant necklace threaded onto a black ribbon, a fashionable style of accessory also seen in the meticulous brushwork of James Tissot's paintings of fashionable women during the same period. The bodice of Edma's dress is cut in a V-shaped neckline but is filled in with a chemisette of muslin trimmed with lace, a style of bodice construction typical of the early 1870s. The waistline of the dress is still rather high and the sleeves are long and fairly close fitting to the elbow, but the open sections of the lower sleeves indicate the remaining influence of the open style of the pagoda sleeves of the 1860s. An overskirt is attached to the bodice and is open to reveal an underskirt of a darker fabric. The double skirt, like the sleeves and bodice, is trimmed with a pleated edging which demonstrates the decorative nature of dress during this decade and the sash around the waist emphasises the impetus towards the concentration of a decorative bulk at the back of the dress.
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Rosemary Truffles Recipe
After my single-origin dark chocolate tasting last week, I was inspired to make truffles. They are one of my favorite candies because of their versatility.
The chocolate truffle, composed of a center of ganache and a hard chocolate shell, can be flavored with just about anything. When making truffles, you can steep the cream in the filling with herbs, spices, citrus—or you can add liqueurs, nut pastes, even fruit purees to your base.
Or you can take a plain chocolate-filled truffle and flavor it from the outside by rolling it in toasted nuts, cocoa nibs, or even bacon bits (!). Some of my favorite combinations are Earl Grey tea and dark chocolate, or Szechuan peppercorn and milk chocolate.
This week I decided to make a rosemary and orange-infused ganache using 66% chocolate, which falls somewhere between semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate. The result was great! The chocolates had a nice earthy flavor from the herb, a bright citrus finish, and a rich chocolate to support the combination.
Rosemary Truffles
- Yield:about 60 small truffles
- Rated:
- For the ganache filling:
- 2 1/2 cups dark chocolate
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large sprig of rosemary
- 1/2 an orange, finely zested
- Pinch sea salt
- For the chocolate coating:
- 2 cups dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
For the ganache:Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Bring the cream, rosemary, orange, and salt to a boil. Turn off heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
Bring back to a boil. Strain the hot liquid over the chocolate and gently whisk smooth. (If all of the chocolate doesn't melt, place bowl over a double boiler to finish.)
Place in refrigerator to set, at least 2 hours to overnight.
Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
While the chocolate is melting, use a small melon baller to scoop out rounds of ganache and place on one baking sheet. Place in fridge for about 5 minutes to harden.
Remove ganache balls and gently roll between your palms to smooth surface and create a nice ball. Gently roll on to baking sheets. Return to fridge for about 5 minutes.
Remove your chocolate from the double boiler and smear a thin layer of melted chocolate on your palm. Place one truffle in your chocolate-coated hand and roll around until the entire surface is covered. Arrange in neat rows on the remaining baking sheets. Return coated truffles to the fridge to set, approximately 10 minutes.
Repeat the last step to give the truffles a second coating. Return to fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Once the outer shell has completely hardened, gently roll in a large bowl with cocoa and powdered sugar to coat.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Invasion of the Alien Blobs!
A mysterious alien life form has appeared from outer space and is raging war against humanity! Use your Stylus to make a stand against the invasion by squashing the alien blobs one at a time! With just 10 seconds to deal with each attack wave, you have no time for sight-seeing as you travel the globe fighting off the blobs.
The blobs come various sizes and forms. Attack the larger blobs to break them up into multiple smaller blobs, and then squash the smaller blobs to kill them off. Infectious Blobs will infect other blobs, while Eater Blobs grow by eating other blobs. Metal blobs require multiple hits. You'll need to make good use of Slaughter Bombs and Hell Fire, capable of wiping out masses amounts of blobs at once, if you are to fend off the blob invasion and save the world!


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3" PVC core diameter bore brush. Hand or machine operated designed to clean both the wall and the bottom of a hole when a spiral brush is not strong or thick enough to provide sufficient abrasion. The tap is for ACME (standard) Broom Thread. Other sizes available upon request.
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A crew performance report (or crew performance review) was a report submitted by senior officers aboard a Federation starship that described how a crewmember under the senior officer's department (or presumably within the chain of command) had performed in their duties.
The Cardassian spy who assumed the identity of Starfleet officer Raymond Boone in 2362 failed several reviews that led to his discharge from Starfleet. (DS9: "Tribunal")
In 2373, Tom Paris and Harry Kim were working on crew performance reports in the holodeck before they were interrupted by Q. (VOY: "The Q and the Grey")
Crew performance reports in Star Trek: Voyager may have been an offshoot of crew evaluation reports referenced in Star Trek: The Next Generation with similar purposes. However, being stranded in the Delta Quadrant without possibility of crew transfers and little room for promotion on the USS Voyager, performance reports did not result in recommendations for promotion, like evaluations reports did.
See also
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So says U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton in court transcripts recently made public. While at a company picnic last September, Walton made an off-the-cuff remark to a former colleague's spouse—also an attorney. The spouse said something to the effect of "Looks like you have to retry the Roger Clemens case" and Walton responded "Well, government counsel may want to talk to the jury."
Walton later brought in counsel for both parties to his chambers and informed them of this conversation. The transcript was filed and made public in the clerk's office in January, but did not show up in the electronic file until earlier this month because of a standard 90 day waiting period before electronic records become public. According to the Associated Press it reads in part:
"The reason I wanted to do this in chambers and not do this in the courtroom is because I think what I'm going to say now would create a tremendous amount of publicity, which I don't think this case needs, and that is, some of the jurors had said that they felt it was a waste of taxpayers' money at a time when we have significant fiscal problems in our country to prosecute this case again because they felt that Congress has all of these other issues on their plate, they can't seem to solve them, so why are we spending money prosecuting this case."
You know, those jurors make a lot of sense. Lying under oath is never good—whether in court or in front of Congress, and ensuring that individuals tell the truth is the very foundation of any justice system and normally, I cringe at the "we're wasting money" notion, but this is different. This is embarrassing—prosecutors had their shot at Clemens and absolutely blew it by presenting jurors with evidence previously deemed inadmissible, forcing Judge Walton to declare a mistrial. Not to mention this is a perjury case about whether or not a fucking baseball player lied to Congress about taking steroids.
So, it's hard not to agree with your fellow citizen jurors when they say this is stupid and a waste of money. Not many would argue otherwise, but I can think of one—is it possible that Jeff Novitzky might actually be peerless?


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44 South Arbor Shores
Newnan, Georgia, 30265
Commute to Downtown Newnan
Almost all errands require a car.
About your score
44 South Arbor Shores has a Walk Score of 2 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so almost all errands require a car.
This location is in Newnan.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 44 South Arbor Shores.
View all Newnan apartments on a map.
Search for homes in Newnan or find a Newnan real estate agent who knows walkable neighborhoods. Links will open on our partner site Redfin.com.
This location is in the city of Newnan, GA. Newnan has an average Walk Score of 24 and has 33,039 residents.Learn More About Newnan


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Meetings and Events
Conference & Event Services at DU provides event and conference services to over 250 external events year round. Events range from corporate meetings and academic conferences, to educational and nonprofit functions.
Located just minutes away from downtown Denver, our vibrant campus gives you access to it all—unique meeting spaces, advanced technology, sustainability, and much more.


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- Title: NEXUS GALAXY SlimRoms 4.3
- Listed: 12/11/2013 3:40 am
- ROM Version: ROM Android 4.3 SlimRoms
You must be Membership (Account Premium)
for ROM download.
2122 total views, 2 today
1 Total favorites
ROM Phone NEXUS GALAXY L700 - ROM Android 4.3 SlimRoms Build 1 Version stable
Features ROM:
Update : Version Final Build 2.2 SLIM – 12/04/2013
- SuperUser security fixes
- Several BT fixes
- Selinux security ehancements
- LID controll fix
- some translation upstrem
- nearly all device got device and kernel updates
-Add support for Samsung AGPS (specific devices only)
-Improve scrolling cache
-Add List Animations
-Fix camcorder crash after pause and resume
-Fix camcorder freeze when attempting to take snapshot on unsupported devices
-Massive upstream for recovery (specific devices only)
-Fix BT (or it should be functioning for all now)
-Pie and Navbar optimization & cleanup
-Removed redundant menu entry on navbar and pie and merged it with AOSP behaviour
-Pie add dynamic menu button
-Fix Slim Bugreport
-Fix up cpp flags
-Fix security issues with some apps like amazon, fsync
-gapps: update g+ and google music
-gapps: optimizing libs
-gapps: new aroma package
Install ROM :
Connect your phone to PC using USB cable.
Copy downloaded files to the SD card of your phone. Important: Don't extract any files.
Disconnect USB and then turn off your phone.
Now, boot into ClockworkMod recovery [recovery mode key combination]. Use Volume keys to browse between options in recovery while Power key to select an option.
Perform a Nandroid backup of your existing ROM that you can restore later if this new ROM not work or you want to go back. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore, then on the next screen, select Backup again. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
Now, perform data wiping task. To do so, select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm your action. Wait few minutes till the data wipe is complete. Now come back to CWM recovery main menu. Select wipe cache partition and after wiping process done, select Wipe Dalvik Cache under advance option to perform Dalvik cache wiping.
Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Now, locate the 5502-slim-toroplus-4-3-build-1-official-901.zip file that you copied earlier in Step 2 and select it by pressing Power button. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install _____.zip on the next screen. The ROM installation will begin.
Once the ROM installation process end, repeat the step 7 but choose the gapps-jb-20130813-signed.zip file instead of ROM zip to install the Google apps package.
When installation is completed, go back to the main recovery menu and select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into customized Android 4.3 Jelly Bean ROM SlimRoms. The first boot will take time, so be patient!
Returning to Previous ROM: To go back to your previous ROM, boot into recovery, select backup and restore then restore your previous ROM by selecting it from the list.
※Please make a backup of your device before installing or updating ROM
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Doctoral Student Has a Winning Research Formula
UT Dallas graduate student Prakash Sista ticks off his accomplishments with the same low-key demeanor one might use to describe a morning commute.
He is modest about his research successes in the Chemistry Department, which include authoring or co-authoring eight scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals – an impressive feat for anyone, and all the more for a graduate student.
Sista, a native of India, was the first in his immediate family to branch out into the natural sciences. His father is an economist and his mother, a linguist. His two siblings chose careers as computer engineers.
"I was truly drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of bridging organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, material science and engineering," Sista said. "I knew that's what I wanted to do. I started a five-year program in chemistry in India."
He attended the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, one of the top schools for science in his home country. He entered a specialized program in chemistry that covered a broad range of topics, where he began exploring current research trends.
"After completing my degree, I wanted to further my education in chemistry and came to the United States in 2006," Sista said. "I began at the University of San Francisco, but I knew that UT Dallas had a great program and wanted to come here to finish my doctorate."
He has focused on polymers used in semiconductors, among other applications. His research includes measuring electronic properties of semiconducting polymers for use in solar cells.
"During my undergraduate studies, I was already exposed to these various fields, and I came across Dr. Mihaela Stefan and her research and saw the broader reach of the research here at UT Dallas, where I could involve myself in all the fields," he said. "It's very useful to interact with people from different fields and combine our skills to further our understanding of these materials and their uses."
In the spring, Sista was asked to present a poster detailing his research at the Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium organized by the division of Polymer Chemistry at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society. Only a handful of students are invited to present posters in this symposium. With the recommendation letter from his mentor, Dr. Stefan, assistant professor of chemistry at UT Dallas, he prepared an outline of his research including synthesis of semiconducting polymers and testing them as active components in field-effect transistors and solar cells.
"I was very flattered to be asked to present," Sista said. "The application process is lengthy, and we show our results and explain why we are doing it."
During his three years at UT Dallas, he has learned how to make organic polymers made predominantly of carbon and investigate how electric charges move inside these polymers.
"Prakash is an outstanding graduate student and a wonderful mentor for both undergraduate and graduate students, and he has a genuine passion for science doubled by an amazing work ethic," Dr. Stefan said. "His research in my group is highly interdisciplinary and in less than three years, he has acquired skills in organic and polymer synthesis, materials science and engineering , and semiconductor technologies."
Prakash's research is supported in part by a National Science Foundation Career Award won by Dr. Stefan. Additionally, the NSF Career grant and the UT Dallas Small Grants Program funded by the University's Office of Research provided Prakash the financial support to attend the Chemical Society meeting in the spring of 2011.
After completing his studies, Prakash wants to pursue a career as a university professor.
Doctoral student and researcher Prakesh Sista (left) "has a genuine passion for science doubled by an amazing work ethic," said Dr. Mihaela Stefan, an assistant professor of chemistry at UT Dallas.
Media Contact: The Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected].


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Food & Drink
The best picks around the world for celebrating Pride
By Jessica DuLong, Special to CNN • Updated 30th May 2012
Politics will mix with partying this Pride season as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their allies around the world celebrate President Barack Obama's support for same-sex marriage and protest North Carolina's passage of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions.
When planning a Pride vacation, pick a destination where the scale of the celebration is one that you can handle, recommends Ed Salvato, gay travel expert and editor in chief of Man About World, a soon-to-launch gay travel magazine for the iPad.
Instead of the biggies such as San Francisco or New York City, which might be overwhelming, consider choosing "a nice, manageable Pride in an interesting location." Book early, as hotels fill quickly, and be sure to ask about Pride packages, says Salvato. "Often hotels will throw in something so your party starts as soon as you get into your room."
All are welcome to join in on the fun. For more tips on enjoying the best Pride fests worldwide, check out our guide:
Boston: June 1- 10
What Salvato loves about
Boston Pride
is the diversity of people from all walks of life who come out for the celebration. This time of year, he says, "shows Boston in its greatest light."
One highlight of Boston Pride is dancing in the streets. On Saturday, June 9, a Women's Block Party begins at 1 Boylston Place just after the parade. On Sunday afternoon, block partiers can pick between shaking their groove thing at the Back Bay Edition on St. James Avenue in Boston, or the JP Edition on Perkins Street in Jamaica Plain, which features a Dogs & Drag Fashion Show, family-friendly activities and five female DJs. Other options include themed Pride @ Night parties that take place all weekend long, including a Youth Dance, which kicks off at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
But Boston Pride is more than just one big party.
This year, cultural events include a human rights and education discussion as well as a free exhibit at the Boston Center for Adult Education called "Pride: 40 Years of Protest & Celebration," which chronicles the early history of LGBT advocacy in New England.
Early arrivals to the city can call
Old Boston Tours
to book the "Old Boston Original Secret Tour" and learn more about the extraordinary lives of the men and women who made Boston great. The $30 tour is 90 minutes, and reservations are required. Visitors will not want to miss the new American wing at
Boston's Museum of Fine Arts
, which includes a stunning Tiffany favrile glass window, "Parakeets and Gold Fish Bowl."
Tel Aviv, Israel: June 3 - 8
During the city's annual Pride celebration, Tel Aviv lives up to its reputation as the gay capital of the Middle East. (Even the crosswalks are painted in rainbow stripes.) All week long, clubs and bars are packed, and
special events
are planned, including two concerts by Grammy- and BRIT Award-nominee
Rufus Wainwright.
On Friday, June 8, revelers hit the streets for
the parade
that has become one of Tel Aviv's biggest events of the year. Kicking off in Gan Meir garden, a small park in the heart of the city's gay community, the parade ends with a massive beach party on the Mediterranean Sea. From 2 p.m. until evening, Gordon Beach is mobbed with people moving to the sounds of the city's hottest DJs.
For more beach fun, visit
Hilton Beach
, a popular spot among gay men. Then, for a change of scenery, check out the
Azrieli Observatory
for a chance to view "the white city" from the highest point possible. Or plan an afternoon at
Beit Ha'ir,
a museum of Tel Aviv history housed in Town Hall.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: July 28 - August 5
What better year to visit Amsterdam than this one? This year marks the 25th anniversary of the world's first gay monument, the
, located on the Westermarkt in the center of the city. Visitors can pay their respects, then stop by Pink Point, an information kiosk/shop providing an array of gay guides and souvenirs. Just around the corner is another opportunity to contemplate the meaning of freedom: the
Anne Frank House
, where the world-famous diary was penned while Frank hid in a secret annex.
Next, top off the afternoon with a cold one (or three) at some of Amsterdam's microbreweries. Check the city's
official website
for a list of places to enjoy "rich tripels and fruity white beers" as well as "dark brown bocks and thirst-quenching pilsners." By nightfall, the gay districts on Reguliersdwarsstraat and Amstel will be hopping with street and club-circuit parties that rage all weekend long.
The highlight of Amsterdam Pride is the famous Canal Parade on Saturday, August 4. Unlike in most parades, Amsterdam's floats actually float. This year, organizers expect half a million spectators will watch 75 decorated boats sail from 2 to 6 p.m. through the Prinsengracht Canal and Amstel River. Find a full listing of the more than 300 parties and cultural events on
the official calendar.
Asheville, North Carolina: October 6
Known for its progressive politics and vibrant arts and culture scene, Asheville has been dubbed one of the "gayest cities in America" and one of the "top five surprisingly gay small towns" by The Advocate. The city's annual
Blue Ridge Pride
festival typically draws between 8,000 and 12,000 people from throughout the Southeast to Pack Square for a full day of music, workshops and family activities, as well as a showcase of gay-friendly businesses, service organizations and community groups.
Pride festival chairperson Holly Parr says she's proud of how quickly Blue Ridge Pride, organized by an all-volunteer nonprofit, has grown since it was founded in 2009. "We're excited about what we are able to do for our greater Western North Carolina LGBTQ community," she says.
The grassroots, hometown feel of Blue Ridge Pride makes this a special destination to consider. This is especially poignant given
the recent amendment passed in North Carolina
that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, says Salvato. "It's a good time to show our support and solidarity in a state that's had a setback," he explains.
And with its sophisticated spas, shops, restaurants and more than 30 art galleries, as well as golf clubs and other outdoor activities in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains,
Asheville offers plenty
to do both before and after Pride.
Atlanta: October 13 - 14
Some call Atlanta the "GayTL," and the city offers something for everyone in the LGBT community.
The largest pride event in the Southeast includes not only the main festival, but a
Dyke March
, a Trans March, and from August 29 to September 3, Black Gay Pride, sponsored by
In the Life
Atlanta. With a distinctive Southern flavor, the Atlanta Pride Festival in Piedmont Park entices people from all across the region. Some attendees from nearby towns revel in their once-a-year opportunity to step out of the closet.
Pride festivities
kick off well before the official weekend, with pre-Pride events such as an AIDS vigil, an exhibit of 25 years of international AIDS posters, a commitment ceremony and a men's designer event. And once
the main weekend
rolls around, visitors can take their pick from children's entertainers, a car and motorcycle show, a literary showcase, human rights exhibits, a community health expo, and a marketplace featuring more than 200 vendor booths. At 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 14, the parade kicks off down the streets of Midtown, drawing tens of thousands of spectators.
And if all those options aren't enough, step out of the Pride fray to visit the
Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
to learn about King's life, legacy and teachings. Or visit
Zoo Atlanta
, in Grant Park, home to endangered animals such as rhinos, orangutans, gorillas and elephants.
A year of the world's
Best Beaches
There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
Go to the best beaches


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AMRI Promotes Takeshi Yura, Ph.D., to Vice President of Discovery and Development Services, Asia
25 Feb, 2013, 13:00 GMT
-- Integrated Leadership of Singapore and India Strengthens SMARTSOURCING™ Platform
ALBANY, New York, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AMRI announced today that it has promoted Takeshi Yura, Ph.D., to Vice President of Discovery and Development Services, Asia. Dr. Yura will report directly to Thomas E. D'Ambra, Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120229/NY61160LOGO)
Dr. Yura joined AMRI in January 2011 and most recently served as Senior Director of Drug Discovery services in Singapore, leading the chemistry and biology teams of AMRI's flagship Asian integrated drug discovery operations. Effective immediately, Dr. Yura has also assumed leadership of AMRI's Discovery and Development efforts at AMRI's Hyderabad, India site.
Dr. D'Ambra said, "AMRI's Singapore and Hyderabad operations are important and growing businesses for AMRI and conduct projects for customers located all over the world. With the ongoing evolution of outsourcing and a growing focus from customers on strategic relationships, we believe that Dr. Yura's leadership, his focus on excellence in scientific research and his dedication to quality and the integrity of our customers' intellectual property will provide integration under one leadership of what we are referring to as 'AMRI Asia.' This new alignment will enable seamless transfer and execution of projects within and between sites to consistent high standards and provide more effective project management and development of key talent."
Dr. D'Ambra added, "We have a growing international customer base in Singapore that has been looking to utilize the synergies of that location with our custom library, discovery chemistry, development, analytical and kilo scale capabilities at Hyderabad. When you also consider our large scale manufacturing capabilities in Aurangabad, AMRI Asia is now equipped to seamlessly serve our customers from early discovery to large scale production in this newest application of our SMARTSOURCING™ strategy."
Dr. Yura brings to this role more than 22 years of scientific and leadership experience in discovery research, project management and business development. Before joining AMRI, he was a director at Dishman Japan Ltd., responsible for sales and all business development activities for contract manufacturing services. Before that, he served as discovery chemistry research head at Pfizer Japan, dedicated primarily to the areas of pain and gastrointestinal drug discovery. Prior to Pfizer, he served as section head, medicinal chemistry at Bayer Yakuhin in Japan focused on urology and asthma. He has held additional scientific roles at both Ciba Geigy Japan and Tanabe Seiyaku. Dr. Yura obtained a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of Tokyo, working with Professor Teruaki Mukaiyama until his retirement and with Professor Koichi Narasaka. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Temple University Tokyo.
About AMRI
Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (AMRI) is a global contract research and manufacturing organization offering customers fully integrated drug discovery, development and manufacturing services. For over 21 years, AMRI has demonstrated its adaptability as the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have undergone tremendous change in response to multiple challenges. This experience, a track record of success and locations in the United States, Europe and Asia now provides our customers with SMARTSOURCING™, a full range of value-added opportunities providing customers informed decision-making, enhanced efficiency and more successful outcomes at all stages of the pipeline. AMRI has also successfully partnered R&D programs and is actively seeking to out-license its remaining programs for further development. For more information about AMRI, please visit our website at www.amriglobal.com or follow us on Twitter (@amriglobal).
About Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd.
In Singapore, AMRI provides integrated chemistry and biology services to support drug discovery programs. The Singapore site specializes in all medicinal chemistry services, such as hit-to-lead and lead optimization services, and also serves as AMRI's global biology center. In the area of biology/in vitro pharmacology, the Centre provides target validation; assay development; HTS; rapid production of SAR quality data; and in vitro ADMET support, including CYP inhibition, metabolic stability (liver microsome assays), and aqueous solubility. As a signatory to the World Patent Treaty, Singapore provides an environment that stringently protects intellectual property, enabling our scientists to conduct proprietary and cutting-edge research on behalf of our customers.
About AMRI India Operations In India, AMRI offers cost-competitive chemical synthesis and kilo lab work, as well as a reliable, large-scale manufacturing source for starting materials and intermediates. AMRI established its presence in India in 2007. Since that time, capabilities have been built in the areas of chemical synthesis and manufacturing, keeping AMRI's core values of Safety, Quality and Customer Satisfaction and Service at the forefront of the Company's business objectives. Today, AMRI in India has significant capabilities and capacity across the Custom Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS) space. AMRI's Global Project Management Team has access to the extensive experience and capabilities of all of the Company's global locations, and can tap into the collective problem solving and brainpower of industry experienced managers as needed. Numerous projects are in progress or have been completed using this integrated model, and AMRI's operations in Hyderabad and Aurangabad, India, are especially well-suited to be a centerpiece of a global project team.


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Unraveling the Mystery of Tibetan Yoga Practices
While the Chinese occupation of Tibet has stirred the outrage of the world's spiritual community, it has also brought many of Tibet's religious secrets into the light of day. Tibetan spiritual masters have carried their knowledge and traditions to the West, capturing the imaginations of mystics, seekers, and scholars everywhere. In fact, stories that began to trickle out of Tibet in the first half of the twentieth century were no less than fantastic—yogis who could generate immense inner heat, enough to survive unclothed in the harsh and freezing Tibetan landscape, who could literally open the tops of their heads and transfer consciousness to another, and who could transport themselves effortlessly across vast distances at superhuman speed.
A growing body of knowledge about Tibetan spiritual arts and beliefs, utterly magical and almost hallucinatory in their drama and complexity, has begun to articulate the meditation and visualization practices that helped generate these powers and, more importantly, the states of mind and spirit that made them possible. But there have been frustratingly few specifics about physical movement practices that are Tibetan in origin. Though tantalizing hints are woven into texts describing the meditation and Pranayama practices of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and other Tibetan teachings, most of the references are general and vague, with reminders of the extremely clandestine nature of these practices. But movement practices do indeed exist, and in fact play an important role in the trinity of body, mind, and spirit that grounds Tibetan theology.
Until very recently, Westerners have had few clues in the search for knowledge of these Tibetan yogic paths. In the past few years, however, select teachers from two Tibetan spiritual communities now centered in the West have begun to share their long-secret, carefully guarded movement practices. Both of these practices are forms of what is called, in Tibetan, 'phrul 'khor, pronounced "trul-khor." Trul-khor is the generic name for Tibetan movement practices, and today, two forms of trul-khor are being taught in the West.
The first form is called Yantra Yoga (not the yantra yoga of India, which is associated with geometric images) and is taught by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, leader of the Dzogchen meditation community based in Naples, Italy, and Conway, Massachusetts. Norbu, who is beginning to make the practice more widely available, was born in Tibet in 1938 and recognized as the incarnation of a great Dzogchen master at the age of 2; he recently retired after serving 28 years as a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at the Oriental Institute of the University of Naples. He is a living holder of the Yantra Yoga teaching, which stems from an ancient text called The Unification of the Sun and Moon and which descended through the famous Tibetan translator Vairochana and a lineage of Tibetan masters, according to Snow Lion Publications, which publishes an extensive catalog of Buddhist books and other materials.
The second form was brought to the West by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a master of the Bon school of the Dzogchen meditative tradition. In 1992, he founded the Ligmincha Institute, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, with branches in Texas, California, Poland, and Mexico; its aim, according to Ligmincha literature, is to "introduce to the West the wisdom traditions of the Bonpo which are concerned with the harmonious integration of internal and external energies." One part of these wisdom traditions is the Tibetan yoga practice that Ligmincha practitioners call Trul-Khor. (In this story, the capitalized term "Trul-Khor" refers to the movement practice taught by the Ligmincha Institute's authorized teachers; the lowercase "trul-khor" is a generic term referring to Tibetan movement practices in general.)
Both Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor are forms that have been kept intact through centuries, and that are designed to create a state of "natural mind" for the devoted disciple. With newly available workshops, classes, instructional videotapes, and soon-to-be-published books, Tibetan yoga is bound to attract the interest of Westerners. Those who know the practices say they hope these yogas will not be diluted or modified as hatha yog has been. Powerful and demanding when fully engaged in, these disciplines will probably never find their way into the class schedule of every health club in America. The serious seeker who finds this path, however, will discover the magic of an ancient tradition still intact.
The Magical Wheel
"Trul-khor" means "magical wheel," says Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, a teacher associated with the Ligmincha Institute and a Ph.D. candidate in religious studies at Rice University in Houston. Chaoul-Reich learned Trul-Khor, a set of seven cycles with a total of 38 movements, at Tritan Norbutse Bon monastery in Kathmandu, and was then able to verify the movements against an original Tibetan text with his teacher, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.
The form known as Yantra Yoga has 108 movements in all (a number considered auspicious because it echoes the 108 canonical texts of the Buddha). Yantra Yoga is one of the few trul-khor practices of the Buddhist tradition that authorized teachers will transmit, at least in part, to students who are not engaged in the traditional three-year retreat process, and who have not completed a lengthy series of prostrations, meditations, and mantras.
The Eight Movements of Yantra Yoga, a recently released videotape from Snow Lion Publications, represents a remarkable breakthrough in making Tibetan movement practice universally available. "It's out now because Namkhai Norbu is willing for it to be made public," says Jeff Cox, president of Snow Lion. "Norbu is concerned that people do these movements properly, and with the release of this video, I think he's making a statement that he thinks enough people will be able to learn and benefit from it." The eight movements demonstrated on the videotape can be considered a preparatory method for balancing one's energy system, Cox says; a book with extensive instructions for the full system of Yantra Yoga is being translated from Tibetan by Adriano Clemente of Italy, a student of Norbu's, and will be published by Snow Lion.
Fabio Andrico, also of Italy, is the tape's instructor; originally a student of hatha yoga, as were many trul-khor practitioners, he met Norbu Rinpoche in 1977. "I met Yantra Yoga and my teacher after having studied hatha yoga for several months in southern India," says Andrico. "A friend of mine told me that a Tibetan teacher was giving teachings on an advanced form of yoga which deepened particularly the aspect of the breathing, so I decided to go to the retreat in southern Italy." More than 20 years later, Andrico is helping to disseminate the teachings he calls "subtle and powerful."
When asked to compare trul-khor to hatha yoga, Andrico notes that Tibetan yogas vary; just as there is a wide range of schools and traditions in hatha yoga, the same is true in the lineage-specific forms of trul-khor. "But to make a generalization," Andrico says, "the principle difference is that in Yantra Yoga we have a continuous sequence of movement while in hatha yoga there is more emphasis on static forms. In Yantra Yoga, you do not stay in a position for a long time—the position is only a moment in the sequence of movement, ruled by the rhythm of the breathing and the application of one of the five kinds of breath retention."
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu expands on these differences in his introduction to The Eight Movements of Yantra Yoga. "In Yantra Yoga there are many positions similar to those of hatha yoga, but the way of getting into the positions, the main point of the practice and the consideration, or point of view, of the practice of Yantra Yoga is different," Norbu says. "In Yantra Yoga the asana, or position, is one of the important points but not the main one. Movement is more important. For example, in order to get into an asana, breathing and movement are linked and applied gradually. The [hatha yoga] movement is also limited by time, which is divided into periods consisting of four beats each: a period to get into the position, a certain period to remain in the position, and then a period to finish the position. Everything is related in Yantra Yoga. The overall movement is important, not only the asana. This is a very important point."
Michael Katz, author of The White Dolphin (Psychology Help Publications, 1999) and editor of Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light by Namkhai Norbu (Snow Lion Publications, 1992), has been practicing Yantra Yoga since 1981 and teaches in various locations, including New York City's Open Center, through the Conway, Massachusetts-based Dzogchen community. He agrees that the focus on breath is a primary point of difference between Yantra Yoga and hatha yoga as it's taught today in the West. "Yantra Yoga seems more active, movement-oriented—at first blush that's the distinction," Katz says. "I think there's a very strong emphasis on the breathing process, and a lot of the exercises that are presented in the form of yoga are designed toward developing advanced breathing exercises."
The Trul-Khor taught by Chaoul-Reich shares this emphasis on movement and breath. "One of the more obvious distinctions with hatha yoga is that in Trul-Khor the postures are not fixed asanas, but are in continuous movement, some very vigorous," Chaoul-Reich says. "Another peculiarity of Trul-Khor is that one is holding the breath during the entire movement and only releasing it at the end of the posture. Some say that because of its forceful nature, Trul-Khor is similar to what is called Kundalini Yoga in the West," he adds.
The Tang of Tibet
Another series of movements said to be Tibetan in origin is known as "The Five Rites of Rejuvenation" or "The Five Tibetans." These unusual, rhythmic movements, which have circulated for decades among yogis but are finding new popularity today, have been credited with the ability to heal the body, balance the chakras, and reverse the aging process in just minutes a day. Legend says that a British explorer learned them in a Himalayan monastery from Tibetan monks who were living in good health far beyond normal lifespans. Skeptics say that no Tibetan has ever recognized these practices as authentically Tibetan, however beneficial they may be.
Yoga teacher Chris Kilham, whose book The Five Tibetans (Healing Arts Press, 1994) has contributed to the practice's current popularity, makes no claims of certainty about the series' origins. "Whether or not the Five Tibetans are in fact Tibetan in origin is something we may never ascertain," Kilham writes. "Perhaps they come from Nepal or northern India...As the story has it, they were shared by Tibetan lamas; beyond that I know nothing of their history. Personally, I think these exercises are most likely Tibetan in origin. The issue at hand, though, is not the lineage of the Five Tibetans. The point is [their] immense potential value for those who will clear 10 minutes a day to practice."
Kilham believes the Five Rites have "the tang of Tibet," and others agree that there are similarities to Tibetan yogas. "I personally don't know if they're for real," says Andrico. "Oddly, some of the five movements—one especially—resembles one of the eight movements of Yantra Yoga, but it's done without any knowledge of integrating the breathing with the movement, which is a fundamental point in the practice of Yantra."
Whatever their origin, the Five Tibetans/Five Rites share both method and potential madness with trul-khor practices. "These exercises seem to speed the flow of energy or prana up the spine and through the chakras," says Jeff Migdow, M.D., a contributor to Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, Book 2 (Doubleday, 1998), director of the Prana Yoga Teacher Training course at the Open Center in New York City, and a physician in holistic practice with an office at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. Furthermore, the Five Rites are potent in their intensity. "If people do them incorrectly, they may experience dizziness or nausea," Migdow says. "The exercises are deceptively simple but very powerful."
"The Five Tibetans combine posture, breath, and motion to create a dynamic energetic effect," Kilham says. "They do not require either exceptional strength or flexibility, but with a minimum of both, they can generate significant energetic power, which is then used in meditation to shatter the cognitive boundaries of the mind and achieve a transcendent state."
Whatever the provenance or effects of the Five Rites/Five Tibetans, it seems clear that the practices of Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor are keeping ancient, secret traditions alive and intact in a way that hatha yoga, perhaps, can no longer claim. "I think [Yantra Yoga] is very much as it was when it was first introduced. There's an unbroken lineage," Katz says. "It's rarely presented to the public, which limits the likelihood of the distortion of the lineage. This may not be the case with some hatha yoga traditions, where there are various interpretations. I think the lineage in this particular tradition is very strong."
Chaoul-Reich echoes this reflection on the adaptation of hatha yoga traditions, agreeing that teachers of Tibetan yoga must weigh the risks of compromising tradition against the risks of losing these practices altogether if they are not taught more widely. "Through the years we've seen many kinds of yogas, which were originally from Hindu sources, that seem to have been adapted for the Western mind, body, and lifestyle. Today we even see hatha yoga courses in gyms which seem to be just stretching exercises," Chaoul-Reich says. "Don't get me wrong—I believe it's a way that these traditions can reach more interested people that would probably not come if the methods were not adapted. I believe it's a challenge, too, to be able to instruct without corrupting the teachings, yet acknowledging the audience."
"I do have concerns that the complexity [of Yantra Yoga] will disappear," Katz says, "But I've come to the conclusion that Norbu Rinpoche, who is the guardian of this tradition, has the bird's-eye view. If he feels it's more important that it be practiced more accurately by a very few, he'll make the call. All the Tibetan teachers want to make sure these traditions are not lost, and so would like people to practice. At the same time, if it's not practiced as accurately as they would like, they have a strong feeling it's not worth it." The jury's still out, Katz says, on how much Tibetan yoga will be revealed in a much more public way.
Is It Magic?
If it seems startling that any tradition could remain so mysterious and little-known today, when virtually every culture and every corner of the world has been explored, it may reflect the power that these practices are said to have. As mentioned above, early Western visitors to Tibet reported yogis with phenomenal, almost unbelievable, powers. While trul-khor practices may have been only a small part of the spiritual landscape—and lifetime devotion—that made these feats possible, the movements are nonetheless considered to be powerful. While holding unlimited potential for healing and balancing the body, mind, and spirit, these movements were and are also considered possibly dangerous to those who use them recklessly or without adequate instruction. In the West, however, the current level of teachings available will not take students to dangerous extremes.
Theoretically it's possible to develop these powers through the practice of trul-khor and, in particular, the "unification of the sun and moon," Katz says. "I'm not aware of any current Western practitioners who have taken it to that level...but I do believe these practices are profound. Someone who was to devote his life, in retreat, to these practices could develop these kinds of capacities," Katz adds.
Most Westerners are, instead, at what Katz calls a "spiritual beginner" level, which limits our capacity for such extraordinary feats. Moreover, trul-khor can have negative consequences if performed improperly or with arrogance. "It's been described as a 'sharp path,' meaning it can cause negative health problems if it's done incorrectly," Katz says. "It really can't be done frivolously."
Those potential negative health effects that can result from misuse of these movements are making teachers all the more cautious, adding to the mystique and the secrecy of the teachings. The dangers are more subtle than sprained ankles or sore muscles. "Breathing is intimately connected with energy," says Snow Lion's Cox. "Breathing can affect a person's energy system more deeply than movement. So there are usually warnings not to overdo or try to force things, like holding the breath too long or doing too many repetitions," he adds.
"You're playing with some of the energies of the body, the internal circulation of air," agrees Katz. "If you direct or force the internal airs into the wrong channels, you can disrupt the natural processes of the body. These are quite powerful exercises, and doing them improperly even for a short time can result in insomnia, digestive problems, whatever—or, in the extreme, if you were to abuse the practice, you could have mental problems such as anxiety or depression," he says.
Healing & Purifying
Done correctly, these movements can be equally powerful as agents of healing and balancing the body and mind, beyond the extremes of supernatural abilities or destructive forces.
In fact, the trul-khor systems are intricately designed to maximize positive effects on the body and mind. Ancient Tibetan medicine identifies five elements—space, air, fire, earth, and water—which correlate to organs in the body and to emotions, both positive and negative. Chaoul-Reich says that the Bon tradition, in particular, explores the elements, though the system is also used in Tantra, Tibetan shamanism, and Dzogchen, and is similar (but not identical) to the five elements in traditional Chinese medicine. In the Trul-Khor of the Bon tradition, the first, or preliminary, cycle of movements is an introduction to the breath. The second, more vigorous, cycle specifically balances the five elements and their corresponding afflictions.
The 108 movements of Yantra Yoga also address the body's "channels," says Andrico. "There are three families of preparatory exercises apart from the eight movements [shown in the video]. There are five movements to mobilize the joints and five movements to control the channels. Before that we practice a breathing exercise designed to expel the impure prana." In the complete system, these are followed by 25 positions, called yantras, with two variations of each for a total of 75 movements divided into five groups. Finally, says Andrico, there is a series called the vajra wave, designed "to correct any possible obstruction of the flowing of prana created by distraction during the practice."
Ultimately, the intention of both Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor is to clear all of the qualities identified as unwanted obstructions, imbalances, distractions, or afflictions, including negative emotions. In this state of purification, the student can begin to experience "the natural mind."
"The basic goal is to be able to continue in a state of relaxation—a natural state without tensions, but in the full presence of our potentiality," Andrico says. For both Yantra Yoga and Trul-Khor, meditation is an integral part of the practice; the bodily movements are designed to be experienced with the meditations that are part of each tradition's lineage. "Yantra Yoga is meant to be done in conjunction with meditation, particularly from the Dzogchen and Vajrayana tradition," Michael Katz says. "It's good for people who are particularly oriented toward balancing their yoga practice with a very intact spiritual tradition." Yet here in the West, those people seem to be a rare breed, and in fact hatha yoga is often presented as only a physical pursuit. "Tibetan Yoga is little known and practiced exactly because it is so doggedly focused on conscious training and liberation," says Chris Kilham.
Buddhism, on the other hand, is often presented as a meditative and intellectual religious practice without a physical component. For this reason, says Katz, Westerners have been relatively slower to seek out traditional Tibetan yoga practices than to adopt Buddhism's more ethereal components.
"Buddhism tends to be presented in a rather sedentary and intellectual manner in the United States," Katz says. "It's unbalanced, with an insufficient emphasis on the physical body. [Trul-khor] is a way to balance out that problem." Although Tibetan yoga may have been somewhat overlooked, the fact remains that a cloak of secrecy has surrounded it.
For Namkhai Norbu and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, releasing these teachings is a matter of necessity—to preserve the traditions—as well as one of generosity, in sharing what they believe can be a beneficial practice leading to spiritual awakening.
But it's also an act of courage, as they send their ancient, closely guarded traditions into a modern world that is likely to change them.
Yet if these teachings can make a successful transition to Western culture in the eyes of Tibetan spiritual elders, it's likely to propel even more of Tibet's secrets into the open.
Tsegyalgar, the U.S. center for the teachings of Namkhai Norbu, in Conway, Massachusetts: (413) 369-4153; e-mail:email@example.com; www.3dsite.com/n/sites/dzogchen.
The Eight Movements of Yantra Yoga: An Ancient Tibetan Tradition (videotape), by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, with Fabio Andrico, instructor. Snow Lion Publications: (800) 950-0313; www.snowlionpub.com.
Ligmincha Institute, led by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche: (804) 977-6161; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; www.ligmincha.org.
Elaine Lipson is a Colorado-based writer specializing in yoga, organic foods and natural health, and textiles. She has practiced the Five Tibetans since 1993.


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We Try The 3 New Desserts At Taco Bell
When I saw the above print ad announcing Taco Bell's trio of new desserts, my inner DJ cued up "One of These Things is Not Like the Others." Churros and a Caramel Apple Empanada are a natural fit at the Bell, but a Chocolate Chip Cookie-Frosting Sandwich? Not sure that one really has roots in the rich history of Mexican cuisine, though I guess I can see it going over with the late-night half-drunk Doritos Taco crowd. And who am I kidding? I'm a big fan of chocolate-chip cookies and frosting, too.
While I'm not sure these sweets are enough to lure me back into Taco Bell any more frequently than I normally go (which is rarely), two of them turned out to be surprisingly tasty ways to top off a combo meal. But, as in the old Sesame Street song, one of these things just doesn't belong.
Initially, I was least excited about the Churro, based on that poster in the window. My favorite churros have always been a plural entity, served hot by the basketful, usually with some sort of chocolate dunking sauce. I was having a hard time getting pumped up about a single Mexican donut; seemed un poquito chintzy. But in reality, this thing was seven inches long and over an inch wide. The crisp twisted exterior, liberally dusted with cinnamon and sugar, gave way to dense, soft, chewy interior dough. It was more filling than I expected a 99-cent dessert to be, and was definitely my favorite of the lot. But a side of chocolate dipping sauce would have been nice.
Next up, the Caramel Apple Empanada, also 99 cents. This one actually seemed smaller than it had looked in the ads, about the size of my smartphone in real life. The crust was flaky and crisp and reminiscent of those glorious old-school fried pies at McDonald's. On the downside, despite a paper sleeve that cautioned against potentially "very hot" filling, mine wasn't even warm anymore. Granted, it spent a few minutes posing for pictures, but no more time than it would normally sit on a tray while the average high schooler downed a chalupa.
The filling is advertised as "chunks of warm apples in creamy caramel sauce." Mine, however, was primarily the latter. The sweet goo had a definite caramel taste, but I noticed only one or two discernible pieces of apple throughout the six bites it took to polish off the whole thing. Not bad as a guilty pleasure, but what I'd really love is one of these empanadas piping hot, broken open over some vanilla ice cream. Overall, though, a fitting addition to the Taco Bell lineup.
And then there's the Cookie Sandwich. (Really? The VP of Clever Menu Item Names was out that day?) It's exactly what it looks like: two wedges of chocolate chip cookie with a layer of vanilla frosting between. This one isn't advertised as being served warm, but mine was actually cold. As such, it took a pretty forceful bite to get through, causing most of the frosting to squeeze out the back side. I'm not sure you can really screw up chocolate chip cookies and frosting to the point of being bad, but this iteration was lackluster at best, no better than a generic treat plucked from an end cap at a convenience store. Ten seconds in a microwave and a glass of cold milk would do wonders here.
The cookie felt very much like the also-ran in this lineup. The churro and empanada came in specialized official-chain-branded packaging; the cookie was bundled up in clear cellophane with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Taco Bell sticker sealing it shut. The others are at least warmed up to serving temp on-site; the dense, cold cookies with commercial-grade frosting smack of straight-off-the-truck. Worst of all, at $1.29, it was the most expensive.
But I suppose fast food desserts in general are usually just an afterthought, some random sweets stuck on the menu in hopes of suckering the occasional overeager customer into an impulse purchase. I love that Taco Bell actually put some thought and effort into two of their new Mexican-themed desserts, and produced a couple of after-dinner noshes I'd actually get again. Not even Cookie Monster would dig that third one, though.
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