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Staff Writer
Ted King
President/Provost at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology at MidAmerica Industrial Park Dr. Bill Path spoke to the Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday. The luncheon was held at Saint Mark's Catholic Church. Path mentioned that at the last graduation he asked the students how many of them had jobs waiting for them. He said almost the entire student body stood up. "I ask you, what other college or university anywhere in this country would the president be brave enough to stand in front of the graduates and ask that question?" Path said that nearly 100 percent of the graduates have a job waiting for them. Some graduates have two or three. He said that he doesn't mean the graduates have work six months later. "I'm talking about graduating on Friday and going to work on a Monday...at OSUIT we march to a beat of a different drum. We stack the deck in favor of our students."
Path said that businesses are needing skilled workers and they can't find them. He said his school follows what businesses need to prepare young people and older adults with those skill sets to get them work and in so doing fill business needs. Path said that OSUIT is the only school in Oklahoma that teaches applied technology.
The faculty consists of people who worked in industry. He said they work with the private sector. Companies like Toyota, Chrysler, General Motors, Rolex and Catipiller provide lessons plans at OSUIT.
Other schools that have applied science degrees offer between 64 to 72 credit hours. OSUIT offers 90 credit hours.
Path said the school operates on a 12 month calendar and that he does not know how a school can operate on a nine month basis and close the doors for summer. "Unless you are in education, I don't know any other sector that does that so why then do we in higher education think that is the best way to train young
people to fit the work force? At OSUIT that has never made sense for us. Since 1946 we have been a 12 month institution on the trimester system and it fits the needs of the employers better and it also prepares young people that much better, gets their expectations where they need to be."
Path said corporations advise OSUIT on training. He said OSUIT is located in Pryor because of MidAmerica Industrial Park. "We are engaged actively in customized training for employers out at the industrial park." Rogers State University partners with OSUIT to offer academic credit courses not offered at OSUIT.
"Our whole economy has changed folks. In 2008 if you were awake at the time, our economy changed in the United States. Our workforce needs changing in the United States. We started seeing these unemployment rates soaring far beyond where we thought they would be." He added that we now see 7.8 percent unemployment as some sort of relief.
Path said that it used to be, "Just get your bachelors degree in something, it doesn't matter what it is, just get your bachelors degree and someone is going to employ you after you graduate. Well folks, after 2008 that recommendation is no longer the right thing to tell a young person." He cited Occupy Wall Street protests as an example of how we need to reevaluate higher education.
Enrollment at OSUIT is up two percent at 3,200 students.


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The Calgary Flames announced today they have signed centre Steve Begin.
Steve worked very hard during camp and demonstrated that he is an effective player killing penalties, making life difficult for opposing players and providing a spark and positive energy when needed, said Flames General Manager Jay Feaster. He earned the right to be part of our opening day roster, and we are very pleased to have him under contract this season. The fact that hes returning home to our organization makes the story even better.
All the rest is right here

subset: commoncrawl


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Rockwall, TX —
Funeral services for Taylor Nicole Howry, 22, of Rockwall, Texas, are at 11 a.m. Friday, June 14, 2013, at Rest Haven Funeral Home-Rockwall Chapel, with Sherry Holloman officiating. Burial follows in Rest Haven Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Thursday evening at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m.
Miss Howry died June 10, 2013. She was born Feb. 10, 1991, in Dallas, Texas, to Landon Clay Howry and Jane DeJarnatt Howry.
Miss Howry is survived by her mother, Jane Howry, Rockwall, Texas; grandparents, Wanda DeJarnatt, Gunter, Texas, and Jack and Katherine Howry, Ada, Okla.; uncles and aunts, Jamie and Phyllis DeJarnatt, Dallas, and Kristin and Matthew Grant, Arkansas; numerous cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her father, Landon Clay Howry; grandfather, Bob DeJarnatt; and aunt, Judy Ford.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org.


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An off-duty deputy from the Livingston County Sheriff's Department helped evacuate a couple from a burning home on the 100 block of Chilson Road, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.
Police say that on Jan. 2, the off-duty deputy had been driving down Chilson Road around 11 p.m. when he noticed smoke. After stopping to investigate, the deputy saw flames in the windows of the home and immediately entered the residence looking for occupants.
The two residents were still inside having just woken up, according to the report, and the deputy assisted the couple outside.
According to the report, the female resident said she woke to the smell of smoke and after investigating, found a fire in the spare bedroom. Police say that shortly after that, the smoke detectors went off and the female resident went to wake up her husband.
Deputies and the chief of the Howell Area Fire Department arrived on scene and used fire extinguishers and buckets of water to attempt to control the fire until the Brighton Area Fire Department arrived on scene to extinguish the fire.
Truck with snowplow stolen from lot
On Jan. 6, a red F250 Ford truck, valued at $20,000, was reported stolen from the Fountain Square parking lot in Hartland, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.
According to the report, the truck, which includes a red snowplow on the front, was parked in the lot next to Finders Keepers and F.A.O. Jewelers and the owner noticed it was missing around 6 a.m.
Police say the owner is the only one who had a key to the truck and that he had purposely parked the F250 in front of a lamppost to try and prevent the snowplow on the front from being stolen like it had in the past.
A witness told police that he had noticed the truck exiting the parking lot "quickly" that morning, followed closely by another truck, a Ford F150.
Medication and other items stolen from locked car
A Brighton woman reported that on Jan. 1, her locked car parked on the 5000 block of Alan Drive had been broken in to, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.
Police say the passenger side door of the 2000 Chrysler was pried open enough to access the door lock.
Items reported stolen include $10, a factory item air deflector valued at $250 and Cozaar pills valued at $30. Police say the car radio was also damaged in an attempt to steal that as well.


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Duke was bracketed just about where everybody expected for the NCAA womens basketball tournament.
North Carolina got a pleasant surprise.
The No. 5-ranked Blue Devils (30-2), carrying the automatic berth from their ACC tournament title, got the No.2 seed in the Norfolk Region and will host Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion and No.15 seed Hampton (28-5) on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The No. 13-ranked Tar Heels (28-6), who were the ACC runners-up, received the No.3 seed in the Bridgeport Region and will take on No.14 seed and America East champion Albany (27-3) on Sunday at 2:40 p.m. in Newark, Del.
The Duke-Hampton winner will advance to next Tuesdays 7 p.m. game against the survivor of Sundays second game in Durham between No.7 seed Oklahoma State (21-10) and No.10 seed DePaul (21-11).
The UNC-Albany winner will face either No.6 seed and Colonial Athletic Association champion Delaware (30-3) or No. 11 seed West Virginia (17-13) next Tuesday night on the Blue Hens court.
Duke and UNC are the only N.C. teams in the 64-team field, which will wind down to its Final Four on April 7 and 9 in New Orleans.
N.C. State (16-16) was expected to receive a berth in the Womens National Invitation Tournament when the pairings came out late Monday night.
Three other ACC teams received at-large bids. Maryland (24-7) got a No.4 seed in the Bridgeport region and will square off with No.13 seed Quinnipiac (30-2) at home on Saturday at 11:15 a.m.
Florida State (22-9) got a No.8 seed in the Oklahoma City Region and will take on No.9 seed and Ivy League champion Princeton (22-6) on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. in Waco, Texas.
Miami (21-10), which might have been a bubble team, got the No.8 seed in the Norfolk Region and will visit No.9 seed Iowa (20-12) on Sunday at around 7 p.m.
The No.1 seeds, as expected, are Baylor (32-1) in the Oklahoma City Region, Notre Dame (31-1) in the Norfolk Region, Connecticut (29-4) in the Bridgeport Region and Stanford (31-2) in the Spokane Region.
Duke is hosting Hampton in a first-round game for the second time in four years. Senior Allison Vernerey is the only remaining Duke player from the squad that routed the Pirates 72-37 in 2010.
We just want to play, Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said. Of course its a great privilege and honor to host, because weve done that before and we hope to do it again. But the reality of this time of year is urgency.
Hampton I know because weve played them before. Theyre very well-coached a very good team, athletic and quick. Its an excellent game for us to get after and defend I can already feel the one-on-one stops.
The Blue Devils will be playing without All-ACC junior point guard Chelsea Gray, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Feb. 17 win against Wake Forest. Freshman Alexis Jones has stepped in ably, earning MVP honors in the ACC tournament.
I think the two-seed is what we expected, junior guard Tricia Liston said. Weve had a lot of hard practices, going up and down and playing five-on-five against each other, and really getting back into shape and conditioning and working on defense and rebounding.
The Tar Heels are happy to be back in the field following their omission by the selection committee last time.
Our kids are playing well and theyre excited to be in the tournament, said coach Sylvia Hatchell, who has 907 career wins and took the Tar Heels to the NCAA title in 1994.
I really wanted a three-seed because thats the seed we had when we won the national championship. You cant say enough about the leadership of our crew by our seniors Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Krista Gross and Waltiea Rolle. Weve had a great year, but were not finished.


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Despite poor poll showings, the worldly Jon Huntsman Jr. is the most qualified candidate in the Republican primary, especially when it comes to environmental issues.
Russ Doty worries that neither presidential candidate is wary enough about nuclear power and radioactive waste disposal.
The Interior secretary is the nation's top wildlife manager and federal landlord, managing 507 million acres, 600 dams and 68 percent of the nation's energy reserves.
Ed Quillen looks behind the recent brouhaha of
Wyoming's Democratic caucuses, and speculates on Hillary
Clinton's response to Barack Obama's victory in the
Rob Saldin looks at the reasons why the Democrats finally succeeded in breaking the Republican chokehold on the West.
It might be a radical pairing, but if Huntsman ran as Obama's vice president, he'd get this writer's vote.
Hal Herring believes that Democrats should give up on gun control, not just for the sake of politics but because it's the right thing to do.
A father of a biracial child listens to the casually racist jokes of his rural Colorado neighbors.
Even though the West is supposed to be a key battleground in this year's election, so far the presidential candidates have managed to avoid addressing Western issues.
A vast army of determined volunteers were the force behind Obama's success in Colorado.
The West in your Inbox


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STOW: Superintendent Russ Jones and Stow-Munroe Falls High School Principal Chris DiMauro exited Wednesday's Safety Committee meeting early because of a reported gas leak at the high school.
Jones and DiMauro responded to a custodian's concern of the gas smell coming from one of the science labs.
The custodial staff and school officials discovered that a bunsen burner was left on in one of the science labs. A bunsen burner is a common piece of lab equipment used in science courses that produces a single open gas flame.
The burner was turned off and the science lab windows were aired out.
Everything is secure in the building and school will proceed as scheduled on Thursday, school officials said.


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Man faces heroin charge day after prison releaseNovember 08,2013Man denies
heroin charge
BRATTLEBORO A 24-year-old Springfield man pleaded innocent to possessing heroin and narcotics the day after he was released from the state prison in Springfield.
Devin Pratt was ordered held for lack of $5,000 cash bail after his appearance Wednesday in Brattleboro criminal court.
Pratt, who has a lengthy criminal record, was arrested Tuesday by Vermont State Police on three counts possession of heroin, possession of narcotics and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.
Pratt listed his address as 1 Union St. in Springfield, a sober house run by a nonprofit organization in Springfield.
His co-defendant, Juliane K. Tamasi-Bowers, 34, also of Springfield, listed 50 Valley St. as her address. She was charged with a single misdemeanor count of possessing heroin.
According to court records, Pratt was released from Springfield prison Monday after he served his sentence for assault.
Tuesday night, he was a passenger in a car stopped for speeding on Interstate 91 in Rockingham. Police said the car was driven by Eugenia Emerson, 32, of Springfield; Tamasi-Bowers was in the front passenger seat and Pratt in the back seat.
Police said Emerson was driving 76 mph in the posted 65 mph zone.
The two women told police they had driven from Springfield to the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Brattleboro which aroused officers suspicions because the KFC in Charlestown, N.H., is much closer to Springfield.
Police said they searched Emersons vehicle, with her written permission, and found six packets of heroin tucked into a pack of cigarettes on the passenger side. Tamasi-Bowers admitted the heroin was hers, police said, and that she was an addict.
Police said they found a black can in the back seat of the vehicle labeled Monster Energy, which they unscrewed and revealed a hidden compartment. They found 10 bundles with a total of 94 bags of heroin, they said.
Police said the 100 bags in all weighed more than 3 grams, far more than the felony amount of heroin.
Tamasi-Bowers later changed her story and said Pratt had given her six bags of heroin in exchange for arranging a ride to Brattleboro for him, police said.
At the state police barracks in Rockingham, police said, Pratt was searched and officers found a cigarette box in his pants containing hallucinogenic mushrooms as well as 13 wrapped doses of suboxone.
Earlier, police said, they had found a small amount of marijuana on Pratt as well.
Police found an active arrest warrant for Pratt in Vermont for extradition to New Hampshire.
Deputy States Attorney David Gartenstein said Pratt was facing serious felony charges stemming from an incident in Milford, N.H.
According to his court record, Pratt had no previous felony convictions, despite being charged with seven felonies. He has been convicted of seven misdemeanors, including assault in Bellows Falls.
A charge of sexual assault in Windham County in 2009 was later dismissed.
Pratt is originally from the Bellows Falls-Westminster area, court records show.
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U.S. News Rankings
|Ranking score and category
Otterbein University is a private institution that was founded in 1847. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,537, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 114 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Otterbein University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (Midwest), 17. Its tuition and fees are $31,424 (2013-14).
|School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):
The mission of Otterbein University is to educate the whole person in a context that fosters the development of humane values. Otterbein University is a private, church-related, coeducational college that sponsors traditional and continuing education programs of liberal arts and professional education at Baccalaureate and Graduate levels. Our commitment is to the liberal arts as the broad base of all learning.
Campus: Otterbein's 140-acre campus is accented by the historic Towers Hall, which was constructed in 1872 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Renowned for its Department of Theatre and Dance, Otterbein students perform plays for the community in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, which was renovated in 2005. The Department of Art operates three galleries. Otterbein's Art and Communication Building was renovated in 2006, and is home to the Miller Gallery, the student radio station (WOBN), student newspaper (Tan & Cardinal) and the student-run Westerville television station (WOCC). Classes began in fall 2009 at both the newly built Center for Equine Studies and the Science Center, which completed a $20 million renovation and addition.
Arts: Otterbein University Theatre and Otterbein Summer Theatre stage nine shows a year. Plays range from classical Shakespearean dramas and British comedies to musicals and experimental works. The music program at Otterbein includes the concert band and concert choir, opera theatre and musical theatre, a marching band, a vocal jazz group and several instrumental ensembles. Otterbein students also perform with the Westerville Symphony at Otterbein. Three galleries feature art by students, faculty and guest artists, as well as pieces from Otterbein's permanent collection. The Otterbein Signature Series has hosted notable visiting artists including acclaimed independent filmmaker Gus Van Sant and Joel Meyerowitz, whose photography of Ground Zero after September 11, 2001, has traveled the world.
Athletics: Men and women compete in the Ohio Athletic Conference, NCAA Division III. There are nine varsity sports each for men and women, including varsity women's lacrosse, which takes the field in March 2012. A complete intramural program is available to all students.
Community Service: Otterbein's Center for Community Engagement has been honored by the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor roll for five consecutive years. Every year, more than 70,000 hours are donated by Otterbein students through our Center for Community Engagement. Approximately 80% of the student body participated in community service in 2009-10. In addition, 90 service-learning courses enrolled over 1,000 students that same year.
General Information
|School type
|private, coed college
|Year founded
|Religious affiliation
|United Methodist
|Academic calendar
|2012 Endowment
When applying to Otterbein University, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due April 15. The application fee at Otterbein University is $25. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 75.5 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
|Fall 2012 acceptance rate
|Application deadline
|SAT/ACT scores must be received by
|April 15
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Otterbein University is 12:1, and the school has 72.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Otterbein University include: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing; Business Administration, Management and Operations; Psychology, General; and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 76.3 percent.
|Class sizes
|Student-faculty ratio
|4-year graduation rate
|Five most popular majors for 2012 graduates
Student Life
Otterbein University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,537, with a gender distribution of 38.2 percent male students and 61.8 percent female students. At this school, 63 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 37 percent of students live off campus. Otterbein University is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
|Total enrollment
|Student gender distribution
|Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
|Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
|Collegiate athletic association
Campus Info & Services
Otterbein University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Otterbein University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Otterbein University, 50 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Otterbein University.
|Students who have cars on campus
|Health insurance offered
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Otterbein University, 75.4 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $15,860.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
|Tuition and fees
|$31,424 (2013-14)
|Room and board
|$9,038 (2013-14)
|Financial aid statistics
* Overview details based on 2012 data


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Both Sides Insulator
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Other T-Post insulators will fit on one side of the T-Post or the other. This insulator will fit on either side offering huge flexibility for cross fencing or sectioning off pastures and may reduce the number of T-post.
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July 24, 2014
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Transcript Staff
The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — Jerry Laizure, an award-winning news and sports photojournalist whose work was published in The Transcript as well as in newspapers and magazines and on Websites worldwide, died Monday after a brief illness.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Goodrich Memorial United Methodist Church, 201 Hayes Street in Norman with Primrose Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
"He may have been short in stature but he was an absolute giant among the state's working press," said Andy Rieger, executive editor of The Transcript and a friend and co-worker since 1975. "He was an amazing man, a first-rate journalist and a great friend but I think he was a better husband, father and grandfather."
Laizure, 59, had worked for Oklahoma newspapers since age 14 when he fibbed about his age and began working in Bartlesville. He worked at the Pawhuska newspaper before moving to Norman to study journalism at the University of Oklahoma.
He began working in the production shop at The Oklahoma Daily while at OU. He left the university to work at PennWell in Tulsa, briefly working on the team that produced the Oil and Gas Journal. He returned to the newspaper business after four months.
"He missed the newspaper business," his wife, Peggy, said. "He just loved the excitement of it all."
The couple married in 1972 and have three children and seven grandchildren.
Laizure was a recognizable figure to coaches, athletes, police and firefighters. He was often first on the scene of fires and accidents. At sporting events, he often wore a Christmas hat when the season warranted and Hawaiian shirts year-round. His truck had a candy cane antennae, which he jokingly told police helped identify him as a member of the press.
Always on the cutting edge of technology, Laizure helped install many of the computers at The Transcript. He also often set up press rooms for writers and photographers and helped out-of-town photographers with logistics of covering sporting events here.
Laizure left the university in 1984 to be co-founder and co-publisher of the Cleveland County Record, a weekly newspaper in Noble. At Noble, the newspaper was one of the first in the state to be produced totally on personal computers.
The Transcript purchased the newspaper in 1989 and retained Laizure as the newspaper's editor.
He was The Transcript's senior photographer at the time of his death. His photos have been honored with awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists and Oklahoma Press Association. The family was active in organizing and making Christmas and Easter gifts for homeless children living at East Main Place and at the Salvation Army.
In addition to his wife, daughter Jennifer and sons Phillip and Jackson, Laizure is survived by three brothers and a sister. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Mary Laizure and brothers Robert, Cecil, and Michael.
For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.


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Two Ideas for the Price of One
Follow this link to see an utterly fascinating video. It is fascinating on two levels. The first level is the subject matter: "The Surprising Truth About What Motivates us". Here's the nutshell version. (But only if you promise you will go ahead and watch the video. Promise? Cross your heart and tick and tie? On your honor as an Internal Audit? You know you better watch it now, don't you?)
What motivates us is not money or someone beating us about the head and shoulders or carrots and sticks or all the things that society has made us believe leads to motivation. No, what motivates us is challenge, mastery, and making a contribution.
Now, as I think about it, I may have already provided a link to a similar presentation through TED. (I've given you the link to that web site, also. TED is always worth a visit, so take this opportunity to go back and just look at the kinds of things they have. If you aren't amazed by at least one of the presentations, then you should just turn in your license to own one (1) brain.) But this YouTube presentation on motivation is different…oh so different…than the one I recall from TED.
(Have you visited the link yet? Well, what are you waiting for?!!)
The video is not of a person giving a speech, but rather someone drawing the concepts as the speech is made. (And if you haven't visited the link yet, you won't understand how amazing that drawing is. Have I mentioned you should go visit the link?)
What struck me was the way an innovative technique of presentation is used for a talk that speaks to how innovation can be improved. (Motivation = innovation.)
And thus comes the second level of fascination.
In two weeks I'm giving one of my favorite presentations: Creative Auditing. I enjoy it because I love watching people get that bug to be "creative". And I'm always fascinated by the way people (and that includes auditors, no matter what some people say) seem to live in awe of any hint of creativity. They act like there is some magic "meka leka hi, meka hiney ho" incantation that brings creativity. They act like there is some second star to the right that beams creative secrets to the chosen few. They act like creativity is some society whose secrets can only be discovered if they knew where in Schenectady to mail their dues. And they think they are locked out of each of these opportunities.
But the opportunities for creativity are all around us.
Let's take, for example, this video. I've written, my fellow bloggers have written, you've probably written, everyone has definitely complained about, the struggles internal auditors go through in trying to convey the results of their work. The usual solution? Write a better report. Yet here, in this little presentation, may be a solution.
What if, for your next presentation regarding audit results, you (or someone with just a little more talent) were to stand in front of a white board and draw those results? I don't know what it would look like, either. But it would be different. And people would pay attention. And, if you did it right, you might even get another customer on your side – a raving fan.
Two levels from one YouTube video – learning what motivates us, and opening our eyes to a presentation method we hadn't dreamed of.
Imagine what we will know tomorrow.
Posted on Sep 12, 2011 by Mike Jacka
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Found the same room at a different price? Tell us, and we'll offer to match it.
Special Offers - The Vincent Hotel and Spa
|AA Assessed Hotel
|Ratings explained
The Hotel offers 59 en-suite guestrooms spread across 6 floors. Evoking the creative ethos of the main building, all rooms are impeccably chic and stylish, creating a living space infused with the best of contemporary design and modern facilities. State-of-the-art technology is everywhere, including complimentary high-speed internet access, HD LCD flat-screen TV's with Sky channels, the latest pay-per-view blockbuster movies and direct-dial telephones. What's more, with ultra-comfortable Emperor size or twin beds, Frette cotton sheets, a mini-bar and tea & coffee making facilities, guests will find it hard to resist their seductive charms. There are a range of room options available including guest residences, guest studios and even a penthouse suite complete with balcony, iPod docking station, Jacuzzi, steam-room and breakfast bar.
The 2 AA Rosette awarded V Cafe is certainly not your typical hotel restaurant. As unique as the property itself, it prides itself on its enviable reputation and commitment to providing new heights of culinary excellence. From causal snacks, freshly made morning coffee and arguably the best bacon butty in the world to adventurous British classics made with a sublime European twist, the talented kitchen team are obsessed with creating great food that always hits the spot. They also serve a full range of Sushi which their amazingly talented chefs will make right in front of diners eyes. Guests are also granted access to the world-famous and highly exclusive Tony McGee Bar. Offering creative cocktails served in a cool and contemporary setting it is definitely the place to see and be seen in.
The V Gym on the sixth floor is designed with today's busy life in mind, a functional space equipped with the latest top-of-the-range Techno Gym equipment. The V Spa is a haven of peace and tranquillity and provides a rejuvenating selection of holistic therapies using the luxurious ESPA range. Perfect for restoring one's natural balance after a stressful day.
With such an innovative and stylish ambience, the Vincent is perfect for injecting a bit of creative glamour into corporate events. With 4 meeting and conference rooms, and capacity for anything from 2 to 200 delegates, they can cater to an eclectic mix of business functions. The hotel's unique character and luxurious setting makes for a great choice for Weddings and other special occasions. Offering a dedicated events team, an obsession with detail and exceptional service they can ensure that any event will be remembered for all the right reasons.
The Vincent is centrally located on Lord Street, Southport's main shopping district. It offers valet parking for a small charge each day; alternatively there is plenty of side street parking in the area as well as other local parking options. The city centre of Liverpool is just a short 35 minute drive and there is excellent access to many major motorway networks. For those travelling by train, Liverpool station offers exemplary rail links to the rest of the country, whereas Southport station is just a brief walk from the Hotel. Liverpool's John Lennon Airport is just over a 40 minute drive away or it is a 50 minute drive to Manchester Airport. In recent years the traditional seaside town of Southport has been revitalised with a fresh contemporary spirit. Indeed, immediately outside the Vincent's main entrance is Lord Street, one of the North West's premier shopping streets. The gardens, bandstand and the Victorian arcades are attractions in their own right and the town can boast a re-invigorated promenade, a pier to match any in Britain and a classic new look in the town centre. It is also home to the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre which offers an all-year round programme of shows, conferences and exhibitions. Just a few minutes from the Hotel is the world-famous Royal Birkdale Golf Club, one of Britain's finest clubs and regular host to the Open Championship. With Liverpool just a short distance away, sports fans can also experience the thrills of premiership football at both Anfield and Goodison Park the home grounds of Liverpool and Everton FC. For history enthusiasts, Liverpool has an impressive seven National museums, the largest Cathedral in Britain and the award-winning Beatles Story, an atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture and music of the Fab Four.


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testosterone (generic name)
- Addiction
- Arthritis
- Auto Immune Conditions
- Bladder & Kidney Health
- Brain & Nervous System
- Cancer
- Caregiving
- Care Transitions
- Cholesterol
- Dental Health
- Diabetes
- Emotional Health
- Eye Health
- Falls Prevention
- Financial Planning
- Fitness
- General Safety
- Health Care Basics
- Healthy Living
- Hearing Loss
- Heart Health
- High Blood Pressure
- Life Transitions
- Lung Health
- Medications
- Memory
- Men's Health
- Nutrition & Weight Management
- Osteoporosis
- Pain Management
- Preventive Health
- Sexual Health
- Sleep
- Stomach & Digestive Health
- Stress & Anxiety
- Stroke
- Women's Health
What is this medicine?TESTOSTERONE (tes TOS ter one) is the main male hormone. It supports normal male traits such as muscle growth, facial hair, and deep voice. This skin patch is used in males to treat low testosterone levels.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- breast cancer
- diabetes
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- liver disease
- lung disease
- prostate cancer, enlargement
- an unusual or allergic reaction to testosterone, adhesives, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- breast-feeding
How should I use this medicine?Apply these patches once daily, at the same time every evening. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Open the pouch and remove the patch. Remove the protective liner and silver disk from the patch. Apply to a clean, dry area of intact skin on the back, abdomen, upper arms, or thighs. Do not apply to a bony area like the hip or shoulder or an area that might receive a lot of pressure while sitting or sleeping. Do not apply to the genitals or scrotum. Remove and replace the patch as directed every 24 hours, applying a new patch to a new site. When you remove a patch, do not place another patch on the same spot for at least 7 days. The patch may be worn during sex, showering, or swimming. Excessive sweating or strenuous exercise might cause the patch to loosen or fall off.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this skin patch has been used in males as young as 15 years of age, precautions may apply.
What if I miss a dose?Try not to miss a dose. If the patch becomes loose, simply smooth it down again around the edges. If a patch is forgotten or falls off before noon, apply a fresh patch and wear it until you get back on your normal schedule that evening. If a patch is forgotten or falls off in the afternoon or later in the day, do not use a new patch until it is time for your next evening dose. Do not use double or extra doses.
What may interact with this medicine?
- medicines for diabetes
- medicines that treat or prevent blood clots like warfarin
- oxyphenbutazone
- propranolol
- steroid medicines like prednisone or cortisone
What should I watch for while using this medicine?Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. They will need to check the level of testosterone in your blood.
This medicine may affect blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check with your doctor or health care professional before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetic medicine.
This drug is banned from use in athletes by most athletic organizations.
If you are going to have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure, tell your MRI technician if you have this patch on your body. It must be removed before a MRI.


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Scientists focus on commercial skills at workshop in Ghana
29 July 2014
Forty delegates from four countries in Africa took part in a workshop on entrepreneurship held at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Ghana on 14–19 July
Pioneering physicist says an unusual career can bring rewards
25 July 2014
It can be uncomfortable to be a pioneer or in a minority in any field, but "being different can be good", Prof. Dame Athene Donald told an IOP lecture audience on 24 July
Physicists reveal random nature of metastasis
18 July 2014
The spreading of a cancerous tumour from one part of the body to another may occur through pure chance instead of key genetic mutations, a new study has shown
Duke of York to be Patron of International Year of Light
17 July 2014
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is delighted to announce that the Duke of York has agreed to become Patron of the International Year of Light in the UK
IOP prizewinners tour Harwell Campus
17 July 2014
Four young scientists toured the cutting-edge facilities at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), Harwell, on 2 July as part of the reward for their success in the IOP prizes in national science competitions
A widely respected science minister steps down
15 July 2014
Following the announcement of David Willetts' resignation from his ministerial post, the Institute of Physics (IOP) has issued a short statement to express thanks to the former Minister for Science and Universities
LUCID - Launching tomorrow's scientists today
10 July 2014
Sixth form students from a state school in Kent are preparing to collect data from their very own radiation detector in space
Awards for physics-based innovation in 2014
8 July 2014
Four companies receive Innovation Awards from the Institute of Physics (IOP) today, Tuesday 8 July, in recognition of success that they have built on the commercial application of physics
Institute of Physics announces 2014 award winners
1 July 2014
The Institute of Physics (IOP) today, Tuesday 1 July 2014, announces this year's award winners with IOP's International award, the Isaac Newton Medal, going to Professor Deborah Jin
Physicists shed light on mysterious "dark universe"
1 July 2014
In July's special issue of Physics World, which is devoted to the "dark universe", physicists from around the world describe some of the efforts currently being used to understand more about the mysterious dark energy and dark matter that, combined, make up 95% of the universe
Ten departments now leading the way for gender equality
26 June 2014
Ten physics departments have now achieved Juno Champion status, the highest accolade awarded by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for their concerted and innovative approach to embedding gender equality in higher education physics.
MPs and peers focus on science for a day
26 June 2014
IOP president Frances Saunders and IOP Publishing's editorial director, Nicola Gulley, were among the speakers to address MPs and peers at a Parliamentary Links Day in Westminster on 24 June.
Four postdocs receive L'Oréal fellowships for women in science
23 June 2014
IOP member Eva-Maria Graefe was one of four postdocs to be awarded a L'Oréal UK and Ireland Fellowship For Women In Science in a ceremony at the Royal Society in London on 19 June.
Researchers target smartphone cameras with "smart glass" micro-iris
19 June 2014
A small, low-powered camera component made from a "smart glass" material has been created by a group of researchers in Germany with the hope of inspiring the next generation of smartphone cameras.
Queen's Birthday Honours go to IOP members
18 June 2014
Three IOP fellows or honorary fellows, including two physicists who were involved in the prediction and discovery of the Higgs boson, have been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock goes boldly into space exploration
5 June 2014
Space travel could become widely affordable within the next 30 to 50 years and astronauts could one day live on Mars, scientist and The Sky at Night presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock told a lecture audience at the IOP's London centre on 3 June.
Minister launches IOP project to stamp out gender bias
4 June 2014
The Women and Equalities Minister, Jenny Willott MP, will today, Wednesday 4 June, launch a pilot project called Opening Doors to ensure no student is deterred from studying certain subjects because of their gender.
Physics in Brazil takes centre stage as World Cup comes to town
2 June 2014
Physics in Brazil takes centre stage as World Cup comes to town
Sir John Pendry is awarded the Kavli Prize
2 June 2014
IOP fellow Prof. Sir John Pendry has shared in the $1 m Kavli Prize in Nanoscience awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
Climate scientist wins environmental physics essay prize
28 May 2014
A look at how global warming could affect the UK in the next 20 years secured first prize for climate scientist Rachel White in an essay competition run by the IOP's Environmental Physics Group (EPG).
IOP Publishing launches open access deal
27 May 2014
Universities that pay for their researchers' papers to appear in IOP Publishing's open access journals could have most of the costs offset against their library subscription fees.
Nature inspires drones of the future
23 May 2014
Researchers have been taking tips from nature to build the next generation of flying robots
Exoplanet researcher wins 3 Minute Wonder competition
19 May 2014
Hannah Wakeford has taken top prize in the IOP's 3 Minute Wonder competition with a talk on searching for water in the atmospheres of alien worlds.
Pioneering female presidents urge women to succeed in science
16 May 2014
Quotas for female participation in science and "token women" are a bad idea, but targets can be useful to measure progress in gender equality, IOP president Frances Saunders said at an event on 13 May to celebrate three major learned societies being led by female presidents.
IOP receives £4.3m to extend work on Stimulating Physics Network
16 May 2014
The government has awarded £4.3m to the IOP to continue its Stimulating Physics Network programme, including funding for a pilot project to identify and overcome the factors that discourage girls from studying A-level physics.
Physicsworld.com News
Self-assembly and plasmonics could join forces to boost solar energy
Tue, 29 Jul
New method allows 200 fluorescent molecules to be arranged around a gold nanoparticle
New correction to speed of light could explain SN1987 neutrino burst
Mon, 28 Jul
Gravitational effect on virtual particles violates equivalence principle
Paradoxical pigeons are the latest quantum conundrum
Fri, 25 Jul
Electron interferometry could test new quantum effect
CERN accelerators come alive for LHC restart
Thu, 24 Jul
Multitude of experiments will be switched on during the next four months
Plasmonic chip diagnoses diabetes
Wed, 23 Jul
Gold nanoparticles could help with early disease detection


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8 Savvy Personal Finance Podcasts
Learn new investment strategies or beef up your money knowledge on the go.
For auditory learners, commuters, or gym-goers, personal finance podcasts offer a convenient, pocket-sized alternative to reading books or articles. They also cover a variety of topics from coupons to car insurance to the debt crisis.
[See 10 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2011.]
Listen in to these eight podcasts to learn new investment strategies or beef up your money knowledge on the go:
1. Brian Preston's The Money Guy: Brian Preston, a Georgia-based wealth manager, certified financial planner, and blogger/podcaster, chats with co-host Bo Hanson about a variety of money topics, offering tips on bypassing Coinstar fees, lowering utility bills, comparing airfare costs, and otherwise trimming your budget to focus on the reducing debt and saving for the future (though Preston isn't against enjoying a nice vacation). His 30- to 45-minute podcasts use a breezy, conversational tone to break down budgeting into simple, actionable steps.
Takeaway: Shopping and booking travel through Upromise.com allow you to earn rewards toward a high-yield savings account or tax-deferred 529 plan for college.
2. The Clark Howard Show: No-nonsense consumer advocate Clark Howard shares money-saving tips several times a week in this radio show and podcast. He also answers questions from callers about saving for retirement, buying a more fuel-efficient car, and getting the best rates on calling overseas. Howard's motto is "where you learn to save more and spend less and avoid getting ripped off." Each two-hour radio show is edited into two parts of roughly 35 minutes each.
Takeaway: When a cashier rings up your purchases, always pay attention to make sure you're being charged the correct price.
[See Does Shopping at Costco Save Money?]
3. The Consumerism Commentary: In this weekly podcast produced by the personal finance blog Consumerism Commentary, hosts Luke Landes (aka Flexo), Tom Dziubek, or Bryan J. Busch discuss trends in budgeting and money management with guests like Credit.com co-founder Adam Levin, consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch, and BillGuard.com founder and CEO Yaron Samid. Topics include the creation of the new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, IRS innocent spouse relief, and the consequences of extreme couponing. Most podcasts are under half an hour.
Takeaway: When using coupons, shop during off-times when cashiers can give you more attention. Also remember that stores can legally refuse your coupons, so manners matter!
4. The DailyDollar: Hosted by Korey Dixon of the DailyDollar newsletter, this weekly podcast aggregates quick, practical budgeting tips around themes like back-to-school savings, life insurance, credit scores, and travel. Most of DailyDollar's podcasts clock in around five minutes, so they're an ideal length for listening while doing quick tasks around the house.
Takeaway: Life insurance policies provided by an employer end once you leave the company, so for many people, it makes sense to buy their own policy.
5. Marketplace Money: American Public Media's Marketplace Money bills itself as "the money show for the rest of us." Running just under an hour each, weekly podcasts feature frequent guests such as Suze Orman and Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed. Recent topics include preparing college freshman to manage their money, financial downsizing, and planning for a natural disaster. Podcast transcripts are also available online if you prefer to read or follow along. For shorter, timelier podcasts, APM also synthesizes and analyzes business news multiple times a day in Marketplace Morning Report and Marketplace Mid-Day Update.
Takeaway: "Structural" changes to your budget, like moving to a smaller home or switching to a cheaper car, are easier to maintain than behavioral changes like skipping dinners out.
[See How to Be a Savvy Cheapskate.]
6. NPR: Planet Money: With new podcasts released on Tuesdays and Fridays, NPR's Planet Money podcast looks at recent international events and how they impact consumers in the United States. Recent topics include the European debt crisis, computer hackers, Norway's oil industry, Switzerland's strong economy (and why it's working against them), and how North Korea keeps foreign currency flowing into the country. Each podcast runs between 14 and 45 minutes.


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Limitations imposed by Ohio lawmakers who oppose the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") have forced Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to give up a $124,419 federal grant that would have gone toward helping uninsured Ohioans navigate new online marketplaces for health insurance.
Specifically, the state law, which Gov. John Kasich signed on April 30 and went into effect on July 30, excludes any organization that receives payments from a health care payer, such as an insurance company, from being designated as a "navigator."
The designation is necessary for Cincinnati Children's Hospital to receive the federal grant, which is part of national outreach efforts to enroll as many Americans, especially young adults, into Obamacare's online marketplaces when they open for enrollment on Oct. 1.
Without the designation, Cincinnati Children's Hospital was forced to give up the federal money, Cincinnati Children's Hospital spokesperson Terry Loftus told CityBeat.
State legislators passed the restrictions to clarify regulations on navigators that avoid potential abuses and conflicts of interest.
But Obamacare's supporters claim the state law is part of a nationwide effort from state and federal Republicans to make Obamacare more difficult to implement.
The federal government intends to sign up 7 million people into Obamacare's online marketplaces, but 2.7 million have to be young adults to keep costs low. Otherwise, older, less healthy Americans will fill up the marketplaces, exhaust health services and drive up costs.
Supporters of Obamacare acknowledge that signing up so many young adults will be difficult, so they've taken to national and state-by-state education campaigns that tell young adults about the benefits and cost savings made available through the president's signature health care law. These campaigns are being headed by various organizations that have been dubbed "navigators."
But opponents, particularly Republicans, are preventing some of the efforts by investigating navigators and passing legislation in state governments that limits what navigators can do and who can be classified as a navigator.
Most recently, Republicans in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to groups participating in the navigator program with a series of accusations and questions.
"This is a blatant and shameful attempt to intimidate groups who will be working to inform Americans about their new health insurance options and help them enroll in coverage, just like Medicare counselors have been doing for years," Erin Shields Britt, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told The Hill.
For the uninsured, not knowing about the online marketplaces could mean losing out on opportunities to obtain health insurance at lower costs. Recent reports have found that Obamacare's online marketplaces and tax subsidies will lower costs for Ohioans in the individual health care market.
An Aug. 29 study from the RAND Corporation, a reputable think tank, found health care premiums will rise to an average of $5,312 under Obamacare in 2016. Without the law, premiums would reach an average of $3,973 that year. But when Obamacare's tax credits are plugged in, the average Ohioan will only pay a premium of $3,131 — $842 less than he or she would pay without the law.
Avik Roy, a conservative health care economist and prominent critic of Obamacare, found even better results for Ohio. His model found premiums will drop by 30 percent in Ohio, although they'll rise by 24 percent on average for 13 states, including Ohio, and the District of Columbia as a whole. Unlike RAND, Roy's calculations don't take subsidies into account, so the final cost for the average Ohioan is likely much lower.
The numbers only apply to Ohioans in the individual health insurance market. Under Obamacare, individuals will be able to enroll for health insurance through an online marketplace. The majority of Americans who get health insurance through their employers or public programs fall under different rules and regulations.
It's unclear how much Republican opposition will ultimately play into the numbers. But for Cincinnati Children's Hospital, it means $124,419 less to help its neediest, less knowledgeable patients.
Pro-choice groups are criticizing Ohio House Republicans' budget plan for pulling money from Planned Parenthood and shifting federal dollars to "anti-choice" crisis pregnancy centers.
The Ohio House Republicans' budget plan would redirect federal funding for family planning services in a way that would strip funding for Planned Parenthood and family planning providers.
During hearings at the Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee today, multiple women's health advocates, ranging from health experts to members of Planned Parenthood, said these services mostly benefit low-income women, particularly in rural areas. On the other side, representatives from anti-abortion groups spoke in support of the Ohio House Republicans' measures, citing health care options, family values, abstinence and chastity.
Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, says the defunding measure has become a recurring trend for Ohio Republicans, who have taken up the Planned Parenthood measure multiple times in the past couple years. But she says the threat could have more weight this time around.
"This feels different," Copeland says. "They've always kind of tried to hide it before. This time they were a lot more upfront about it. It seems like they may be willing to put political capital into this fight this time."
A separate section of the Ohio House Republicans' budget plan redirects federal funding to a program that will fund crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which provide abstinence-only family planning services.
Some researchers have found abstinence-only programs to be ineffective. A 2007 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health
found abstinence-only programs have no impact on rates for teenage
pregnancy or vaginal intercourse, while comprehensive programs that
include birth control education reduce rates.
A 2011 study from researchers at the University of Georgia that looked at data from 48 states concurred abstinence-only programs do not reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy. The study indicated states with the lowest teenage pregnancy rates tend to have the most comprehensive sex and HIV education programs.
Still, a 2010 study from a University of Pennsylvania researcher found abstinence-only education programs may delay sexual activity. The study, which tracked black middle school students over two years, found students in an abstinence-only program had lower rates of sexual activity than students in the comprehensive program.
Some supporters say the Ohio House Republicans' budget measures aren't specifically about Planned Parenthood, abortion or birth control. Instead, they argue they're trying to establish more health care options for women.
But the providers that would be able to get more funding already apply for it; they just lose out to Planned Parenthood's services, which are deemed superior by state officials who distribute the funds during the competitive distribution process.
Copeland says "no thinking person" should fall for the reasoning given by Republicans and supporters who say abortion is not one of their concerns.
"They're trying to impose their morals on you," Copeland says. "These are not health care experts. These are not people who are trying to find real solutions for the problems that real people face. These are people who want to impose their personal views, their personal morality on you."
Some anti-abortion supporters, including Denise Leipold of Right to Life of Northeast Ohio, say abortion and broader cultural issues are absolutely part of the reason they support the Ohio House Republicans' budget plan.
"Our mission is to support the right to life from conception to natural death," Leipold says. "Abortion happens to be a big problem right now because in the past 40 years it's become part of the culture."
She adds, "Now kids are learning that responsible sex means that you can have sex but just use birth control. That's not supposed to be the attitude. The attitude is supposed to be that sex is for a committed relationship between a man and a woman in a marital relationship."
During testimony today, Stephanie Kight, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, asked state legislators to support the organization's numerous medical services, including women's health, family planning and sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment.
Kight also said state and federal funds do not go to abortions. Planned Parenthood's abortion services are instead funded by private donations.
At the hearings, Republican State Rep. Ron Maag asked Kight why Planned Parenthood doesn't shut down its three abortion clinics in Ohio if those clinics are potentially threatening the "good work" Planned Parenthood does elsewhere. Kight said Planned Parenthood believes its abortion services are "good work."
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled price data today for more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals, revealing large price variations between hospitals around the nation, including in Cincinnati.
For treating chest pain, charges from three Cincinnati hospitals varied by thousands of dollars: Bethesda North charged on average $17,696, Christ Hospital charged $12,000 and University Hospital charged $10,130.
But the initial charge seems to have little relation to what Medicare ultimately paid out. In the three cases for chest pain, Medicare on average paid $3,242 to Bethesda North, $3,657 to Christ Hospital and $5,463 to University Hospital.
In other words, University Hospital charged about 57 percent of what Bethesda North charged, but University Hospital was ultimately paid 68 percent more.
The price variation wasn't exclusive to chest pain, either. For major joint replacement or reattachment of a lower extremity without major complications, Bethesda North charged $61,947 and was paid $12,712 on average, Jewish Hospital charged $38,465 and was paid $14,069 on average and University Hospital charged $46,463 and was paid $20,116 on average.
In fact, all of the 100 metrics tracked by CMS had at least some degree of variation in charges and payments. Whether it was chest pain, joint replacement, diabetes or cardiovascular complications, prices always varied between hospitals — sometimes greatly, other times by a little.
The data from fiscal year 2011 shows how much hospitals initially charged Medicare for the 100 most frequently billed discharges and how much Medicare ultimately paid out. The difference between charges and payments is usually large because Medicare negotiates prices down.
CMS says the price discrepancy is happening at hospitals all around the nation: "As part of the Obama administration's work to make our health care system more affordable and accountable, data are being released that show significant variation across the country and within communities in what hospitals charge for common inpatient services."
Still, some health care advocacy groups say Ohio is doing worse than other states. A study from Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute gave Ohio and six other states a "D" for health care price transparency, based on the states' laws and regulations. That was actually better than 29 other states, which flat-out flunked with an "F." Only New Hampshire and Massachusetts received an "A," the highest grade possible.
Even then, the Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute cautioned in the study that their grades were given on a curve, which means all states would likely fare worse if the organizations measured them based on ideals instead of comparatively.
Many health care experts and advocacy groups claim the price variation is caused by a lack of transparency in the health care system, which gives hospitals free reign to charge without typical market checks ("Healthy Discussion," issue of April 10).
According to the Cincinnati Health Department, 36 babies died from unsafe sleeping conditions between 2010-2011. The campaign addresses simple "ABCs" of safe baby sleep to stop infant mortality deaths that otherwise could have been prevented. The most important things to remember, according to the campaign, are that infants should always sleep alone, in a crib and on his or her back. The health department provides other helpful tips here.
It's another step forward in addressing a concern that plagues neighborhoods across the city. Some Cincinnati zip codes in the past have held higher infant mortality rates than those of third-world countries.
The campaign is also donating 1,000 onesies to area birth hospitals that read "This Side Up" on the stomach — a friendly safety reminder to new parents. Kroger is also partnering with the campaign by helping to spread the tenets of the campaign in diaper and baby food aisles at local stores.
According to a Cincinnati.com editorial by Noble Maseru, Cincinnati's health commissioner, the recent efforts have been working. He says the city's 2013 infant mortality rates are projected at 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, a 52 percent reduction in fatalities that brings the city drastically closer to the national average.
Previously, the infant mortality rate in Cincinnati was more than double the national average: 13.3 babies out of 1,000, compared with 6.1 deaths per 1,000 nationally.
In June, the city of Cincinnati announced the community partnership spearheaded by Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune to lower infant mortality rates, uniting health experts, political leaders and some nonprofits to share ideas and best practices to better overlap city efforts.
University of Cincinnati Health president and CEO Jim
Kingsbury agreed to offer the new collaboration initial funding from the
county's sale of Drake Hospital.
Mayor Mark Mallory also entered the city into a contest in February to earn a grant to expand the city's Infant Vitality Surveillance Network, which monitored the pregnancies of new mothers in high-risk areas across the city with an updated database. The city's entry was a finalist, but ultimately didn't win a grant.
Today, the Infant Mortality Surveillance Network still works with both University Hospital and Christ Hospital to collect data on new mothers from zip codes with the worst infant mortality rates and provides them with information, education, depression screening and home care help, if needed.
Two bills discussed today at a hearing of the Ohio House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee would, if passed, offer greater protections to victims of domestic violence and extend them more legal rights to protect their employment, housing and financial livelihood.
Those bills will join H.B. 243 and H.B. 160, which are still awaiting hearings before the judiciary committee and would, respectively, require individuals served with temporary protection orders to surrender their firearms and offer legal protection to the pets of domestic violence victims — often cited as a reason victims have difficulty leaving a violent situation.
Most significant are the changes that would be implemented by H.B. 297, first introduced to the Ohio House in October by Reps. Ann Gonzales (R-Westerville) and Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati). The bill outlines new legal protections for domestic violence victims who need to terminate a rental agreement or take unpaid leave at work in order to deal with domestic violence incidences.
Under the bill, victims of domestic violence would be legally protected against termination at work and have the ability to dissolve a rental lease if the tenant has been a victim of domestic violence. The bill would also prohibit landlords from kicking out tenants because they've been victims of domestic violence at the residence and requires them to comply with requests to change locks when a tenant has been a victim of stalking or menacing.
H.B. 309, also introduced in October, by Reps. Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), would dissolve any charges related to modifications made to a domestic violence, anti-stalking or other type of protection order or consent agreement
In August, CityBeat spoke with domestic violence victim Andrea Metil, who talked about her personal experiences with legal trip-ups that made protecting herself from her attacker difficult. Metil called for stronger legislation to protect victims of domestic violence.
This is the first hearing for both of the bills.
Food deserts are a big problem for many of Hamilton County's impoverished families, but ongoing research suggests officials may be overlooking mobility when attempting to pinpoint neighborhoods that lack access to healthy foods.
University of Cincinnati professor Michael Widener is heading research that looks into how mobility can alter perceptions about food deserts. So far, his findings have suggested that some people may have access to healthy foods throughout their daily commute despite being classified as living in a food desert.
Widener explains the research is necessary to make identifying food deserts more accurate. "In previous work and when I was doing my dissertation, I was noticing how a lot of food desert research failed to take into account the dynamics of everyday urban life," he says. The observation led Widener to incorporate those dynamics, particularly people's movements throughout the day, to see how they impact people's access to food.
Still, Widener cautions that his findings don't dismiss the problems caused by food deserts: "Of course, there are a lot of assumptions being made, like are (these commuters) totally drained after work? The biggest (assumption) is of course that (someone has) a car."
Widener says his findings could impact how public officials approach food desert policies. He points to potential stopgap measures, such as better access to public transportation, that could alleviate the pains of living in a food desert while a more permanent solution is put in place. Widener argues these policies could make financial sense: Considering how many potential costs a food desert can bring on a community, it might be cheaper for a city to build a bus route and encourage better ways to load groceries into buses. Widener knows these aren't perfect solutions, but he thinks they could provide some aid in a bogged-down political climate that often results in sluggish policy changes.
There is a caveat: Widener acknowledges research has so far been inconsistent as to whether access to healthier food actually leads to healthier results. Eventually, he wants to research what actually causes healthier results and whether broader economic factors, such as poverty, play a more important role. That could give officials a clearer picture on which policies work and which don't.
The first part of Widener's research came out in a January paper that looked at auto commuters' access to food, and the next part will look at public transportation's impact. The research project is using local transportation data from The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.
Food deserts are neighborhoods that lack access to fresh, healthy foods. In Hamilton County, many of the identified food deserts are in neighborhoods on the city's west side, including Price Hill and Queensgate. Cincinnati's food deserts are just one problem being addressed by Plan Cincinnati, the city's first master plan in more than 20 years ("Core Future," issue of Sept. 5).
Part of the parking plan proposed by City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. on Feb. 19 ("City Manager Proposes Parking, Economic Development Plan," issue of Feb. 20) would also build a modern grocery store with access to fresh fruits and vegetables in Downtown.
To honor National HIV Testing Day — a day meant to raise awareness about the virus — Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio region is offering free HIV testing at three locations in the Cincinnati area.
Free HIV testing is available today at from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Cincinnati's VA Medical Center (3200 Vine St.) and from 1-5 p.m. at the Lower Price Hill Health Center (2136 E. Eighth St.). The test is done quickly using a method called rapid HIV testing, which produces results immediately.
About 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV at any given time, and about one in five of those don't even realize they're infected.
That means those one in five could, at any time, be unknowingly transmitting the disease to their partners, or that they're missing out on taking important preventative measures that could keep the infection from developing into AIDS. The HIV virus is most commonly spread through unprotected sexual contact or sharing needles, or can be passed down from mother to child during pregnancy or shortly after birth. For more basic information about HIV, click here.
In 2012, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio provided 1,225 HIV tests amongst its eight facilities, among a number of other preventive services. Currently, Planned Parenthood branches across Ohio are being threatened by Ohio conservatives' efforts to defund the organization, which provides myriad health services in addition to abortion, including cancer and STD screenings, birth control, pregnancy testing and health care for both men and women. State and federal funds used by Planned Parenthood aren't used to fund abortions, which are instead funded by private donations.
If successful, the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature could pass a budget this weekend that would put Planned Parenthood at the back of the line for state funds. A separate set of federal funds would also go to crisis pregnancy centers, which have a history of using scare tactics and false information about abortion.
Under Obama's Affordable Care Act, which will go into effect in 2014, insurance providers will be required to cover HIV testing and birth control.
Mallory puts the issue in perspective on the proposal's page on The Huffington Post: "In Cincinnati, we have had more infant deaths in recent years than victims of homicide. Our community, justifiably, invests millions of dollars, immense political capital, and large amounts of media attention in reducing our homicide rate. It's time to start doing the same for our infant mortality rate."
Mallory's proposal would create an Infant Vitality Surveillance Network, which, according to a press release sent out by Mallory's office, has already been launched via a pilot version with significant success. Here's how it works: When a woman finds out she's pregnant, she's enrolled in First Steps, a care program that maintains a secure database of new mothers and monitors pregnancies.
The competition garnered applications from 305 cities, and Cincinnati was one of 20 finalists selected. If recognized, Cincinnati could win a $5 million prize or one of four $1 million prizes to help implement and sustain the Infant Mortality Network.
"City after city deals with this issue, but in Cincinnati, we are dealing with an infant mortality rate that is twice the national average. And half of those deaths occur in just five zip codes. So we know exactly where the problem is, we know exactly what community is having the issue. ... We're really trying to create a program in Cincinnati that can be replicated all across the country. So that in city after city, they can see the same type of success that we are seeing — continuing to drive that infant mortality rate down so that we are saving babies' lives," Mallory says in the Mayors Challenge finalist video below.
According to data from 2007-09 from the Cincinnati Health Department, the five zip codes experiencing the highest infant mortality rates are: 45219 (30.4), 45202 (24.2), 45246 (20.7), 45203 (20.1) and 45214 (19.2). For more detailed information from the Cincinnati Health Department, click here.
Watch the full finalist video:


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America's Most Profitable Malls
The best shopping centers may get even stronger as competitors bite the dust.
Everybody knows that American shoppers have cut back their spending, driving some retailers—and even some malls—out of business. But commerce hasn't ground to a complete halt, and Americans are still spending on some things. Somewhere.
[Slideshow: America's Most Profitable Malls]
Using data from Green Street Advisors, an investment research firm in Newport Beach, Calif., that specializes in publicly owned real estate companies, U.S. News identified malls in which the retail economy is relatively healthy. While bargain shopping is obviously popular, the nation's most profitable shopping centers generally don't rely on discounters. Instead, they tend to feature chains with a strong brand identity, like Nordstrom, Abercrombie & Fitch, Apple, and Anthropologie. Since it's all about real estate, location is vital: The best malls tend to be in densely populated areas or tourist hotspots. And it sure helps if local residents are affluent.
[See America's most endangered malls.]
The data we analyzed includes sales, occupancy rates, and quality grades for about 650 of America's biggest shopping centers. All of these properties post average sales of about $420 per square foot, and the average occupancy rate is 92 percent. That earns an A- grade. The 10 malls at the top of the list perform much better, with sales well above $600 per square foot and occupancy rates of 94 percent or higher. And each earns an A+ from Green Street for its performance and the quality of its tenants. Here's where shoppers are still spending money:
Ala Moana, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Occupancy rate: 95 percent*; sales per square foot: $1,125). This upscale shopping mecca near Waikiki is a gold mine, with annual sales of more than $1 billion. While other malls are struggling to hang onto tenants, Ala Moana recently added a new wing with 30 additional retailers.
Fashion Valley Mall, San Diego, Calif. (99 percent; $810*). A-list retailers like Nordstrom, Coach, Tiffany, and Cheesecake Factory help distinguish open-air Fashion Valley from other nearby shopping centers. A prime location and easy access to two highways drive well-heeled shoppers to San Diego's most upscale mall.
Forum Shops at Caesars, Las Vegas, Nevada. (100 percent; $1,400*). This faux-Roman complex on the Vegas strip is an attraction in and of itself, with a spiral escalator, lavish reflecting pool, and other monuments to, well, America's retailing geniuses. It also seems to be where lucky gamblers come to spend their winnings: With sales per square foot of $1,400, Forum Shops may be the most profitable shopping center in the United States.
[See how to tell if a mall is in trouble.]
Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, N.J. (95 percent; $702). A choice location in the suburbs about 15 miles west of New York City puts this mall—New Jersey's biggest—within easy driving distance of more than 1 million prosperous consumers. A recent renovation and a slate of top-tier merchants helps keep the cash registers ringing.
Mall at Millenia, Orlando, Fla. (94 percent*; $1,000). Business from tourists helps offset a soft local economy at this luxury mall that's just 15 minutes from Disney World. Huge video displays highlight fashion trends from New York, Paris, and Milan, while strong retailers include the only Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus stores in the region. A nearby Ikea isn't part of the mall, but it helps draw shoppers.
The Mall at Short Hills, Short Hills, N.J. (94 percent*; $1,000*). Wealthy shoppers who don't feel like trekking to Manhattan, 20 miles away, appreciate this blend of upscale stores closer to home. Short Hills includes 42 retailers found nowhere else in New Jersey, and it's one of only two malls that host Saks, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus under one roof. No wonder shoppers spend so much money here.
[See some restaurants that are on the ropes.]
Queens Center, Elmhurst, N.Y. (98 percent; $876). There's no Saks or Neiman's, but this suburban-style mall located smack in the middle of Queens has something many other malls don't: a subway stop. Lots of buses, too. Mass transportation and a location just off the Long Island Expressway help bring the masses to this shopper's retreat.
Roosevelt Field, Garden City, N.Y. (96 percent; $810*). There are 30 shoe sellers, 20 restaurants, and four department stores at this mega mall, the biggest in New York. It's packed with shoppers, too, thanks to its location in the densely populated Long Island suburbs close to New York City.
Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, Calif. (95 percent; $675). The parking stinks, but this high-end complex located two blocks from Union Square—the biggest urban shopping center in the western United States—enjoys a great location and strong merchants like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales. A recent renovation makes it a pleasant stop in one of America's top destination cities.
[See why more companies are likely to fail this year.]
Scottsdale Fashion Square, Scottsdale, Ariz. (95 percent; $618). When it's too hot to go outside—which is often—Arizonans shop, and Fashion Square has a number of stores, like Neiman-Marcus, Burberry, and Jimmy Choo, that are found nowhere else in the state. The housing bust has hammered Arizona, but Scottsdale is still one of the nation's fastest-growing cities, with high incomes to match. Barney's New York, coming to Scottsdale in the fall, will mark another first for Arizona.
* Where noted with an asterisk, figures are Green Street estimates.


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Unusual Eocene Invertebrate Fossils Found in Oceanside
Discoveries include previously unknown sand dollar and comb-clawed shrimp
August 5, 2001
During late winter and early spring of 2001, the staff from the Paleontology Department monitored the construction activities of Ocean Ranch, an industrial park in eastern Oceanside being developed by Stirling Homes. Initial digging exposed terrestrial deposits of Eocene age about 42 to 45 million years old. The remains of land mammals were found, including the skull and other bones of Metarhinus pater, a brontothere, or large rhinoceros-like animal. Also found were molds and casts of land snails.
Lower down in the sedimentary rock sequence, marine strata were unearthed representing a wide range of marine environments, from a muddy, oyster dominated estuary to a sandy ocean bottom inhabited by many kinds of sea creatures including crabs, shrimps, sand dollars, mollusks, fish, sharks, and rays. These deposits are from the Santiago Formation of the Eocene and are about 45 to 47 million years old.
Among the most interesting fossils found were specimens collected by paleontologists Brad Riney and Gino Calvano, at lots 2 and 5 of the project (San Diego Natural History Museum localities 4573 and 4572 respectively). Locality 4573 primarily consisted of a consolidated siltstone matrix and locality 4572 was predominately sandstone, but both locations sampled different parts of the same stratum, generally referred to as the "shrimp bed", because of the prevalence of the remains of shrimp and other decapod crustaceans. This prevalence of crustaceans is itself unusual, because fossils of crustaceans are not often found in our local Eocene deposits, and those found are generally fragmentary or poorly preserved. At Ocean Ranch however, crustaceans were common, and between the sites, no less than 7 different species of crustaceans in several different families were recovered. The state of preservation is very good, with claws, tails and carapaces and nearly whole bodies of some species preserved.
Most of the invertebrates found at Ocean Ranch are representatives of families that are familiar to us today. A very large species of ghost shrimp, Callianassa sp. (up to18 cm. in length, with its tail extended) was found at locality 4572. A couple of species of ghost shrimp are commonly encountered in bays along the California coast today. Swimmer crabs, Family Portunidae, are common at both localities, and are presently common in bays from southern California south to Baja, Mexico. A single specimen of the serrated segment of the second thoracic leg of a mantis shrimp was found. Collected at both localities, but far more common at locality 4573 was a strange and fascinating species of shrimp with comb like claws. This shrimp is so unusual it may be a new species, possibly a new family.
This shrimp has long, thin, and sharply pointed "teeth" projecting from the inner edge of the larger of two front claws. Behind this pair of claws there appears to be a second appendage that is either forked or clawed. I am not familiar with any other crustacean that has two pairs of claws at the front of the body. Crabs, lobster, and shrimp generally only possess one pair of claws in front, except for the American Lobster and its close relative, the crayfish, in which every leg segment is biramous, or clawed. Spiny lobsters on the other hand have no claws. It is tempting to speculate that the strange Eocene shrimp of Ocean Ranch used its spiny claw for catching small fish, an adaptation to which this unusual design would be perfectly suited. This claw somewhat resembles the mouth of the barracuda, which is adapted for catching fast moving fish, and that of the Gavial, the relative of crocodiles and alligators whose long, toothy snout is adapted for feeding on fish, as well the mouth of the European dinosaur Baronyx walkeri (related to the Spinosaur (Suchomimus sp.)) which is believed to have lived on a diet of fish. The shrimp cannot be officially be called the "fishing shrimp" because we have no direct evidence of it catching fish, such as a fossil fish trapped in its claw, or fish remains in its gut. However, there are a number of burrows in the collection filled with scales and other disarticulated fish parts, as well as one nearly complete fish. If this shrimp did in fact catch fish, the prey may very likely have tended to get stuck in the fine "teeth" of the claw. If there was a second pair of claws or forked appendage behind the combed claw, it would have been useful in freeing food from the claw, and also would have been able to chop the food into smaller bite size pieces and bring these pieces to the shrimp's mouth. The "teeth" look delicate and may have easily broken, but they would have been replaced after the shrimp molted and grew all new parts.
The best specimens of the fossil crustacean material have been sent to Doctors Carrie Schweitcher and Rod Feldman, experts on fossil decapods, at Kent State University, Ohio. We will look forward to learning more about these fascinating crustaceans.
The recent discovery of fossil crustaceans at Ocean Ranch has contributed to our knowledge of the marine environment in San Diego County during the Eocene. As other collections of marine Eocene fossils from our area have demonstrated, the climate was tropical. What is most exciting about the recent discoveries of fossil invertebrates in Oceanside is the possibility that we have found a number of new species of previously unknown marine organisms.
Text by Scott Rugh,
Collections Manager, Invertebrate Fossils; photos by Jim Melli