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Kentucky Derby: Reveron may enter Lexington in last-ditch effort for graded earnings
MIAMI – Trainer Agustin Bezara said Monday that he will nominate Reveron to the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland on April 21, with the thought of perhaps running the Florida Derby runner-up in a last-ditch attempt to earn enough graded stakes money to get into the Kentucky Derby field.
As of Monday, Reveron, winner of the ungraded Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year's Day, had $220,000 in graded earnings, which put him 23rd on the list. If the Kentucky Derby field overfills as expected, the 20 3-year-olds with the most graded stakes earnings will be allowed to run.
"We're going to take a look at what happens this weekend and then make a decision whether or not to run him in the Lexington," Bezara, who does not speak English, said through his interpreter, Eibar Coa. "If he qualifies, we'll run him in the Derby. If not, we'll look at the Preakness."
Bezara, a native of Venezuela, has been training in the United States for less than two years. He said Reveron came out of the Florida Derby "perfect" and has been doing extremely well ever since. He said Reveron would work each of the next two Saturday mornings at Calder.
Reveron is one of two potential Derby starters training at Calder and among six still based in south Florida. Trinniberg returned to Calder earlier this week following his popular victory in Saturday's Bay Shore at Aqueduct.
Palm Meadows currently houses three of the leading Derby candidates, Fountain of Youth winner Union Rags, Wood Memorial winner Gemologist, and Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy as well as Risen Star winner El Padrino who is presently one spot above Reveron, in 22nd place, on the graded earnings list.
Trainer Michael Matz said Monday that Union Rags would work for the first time since his third-place finish in the Florida Derby either Friday or Saturday at Palm Meadows, after which he'll decide when to ship him to Kentucky.
"I might bring him up to Keeneland either Saturday or Sunday," Matz said. "The horses have been blooming on the grass up here, and the weather has been relatively mild. The other option is to work him once more at Palm Meadows the following week before shipping."
Trainer Pat Byrne said Take Charge Indy has done great since his victory in the Florida Derby and that he would remain at Palm Meadows until May 1 before joining Gemologist and El Padrino on a flight to Louisville.
"I've just been playing around with him since the Florida Derby," Byrne said. "I'll start getting serious next week. He'll have two breezes down here before the Derby, a couple of five-eighths. No speed works, nothing crazy, just like we've been doing all winter long. This is a great track, and we have great weather, so it makes sense just to stay. And Todd [Pletcher] was kind enough to let us on the plane with him up to Kentucky."
Who is Matz putting on UR for the Derby?


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So far, 21 states have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare. As they move forward, it's worth pondering what would happen to the health care overhaul if they succeed. Could one lawsuit be the proton torpedo that blows up the Obamacare Death Star?
Typically, courts can deem a legislative provision unconstitutional without it spelling doom for the entire piece of legislation. But Obamacare isn't typical legislation.
Ben Domenech explains: "Most laws of large size and scope have something called a "severability clause" attached to them. Essentially, this means that if one part of a piece of large legislation is ruled unconstitutional by a court, that unconstitutional portion is "severed" from the rest of the bill — the ruling doesn't stop the rest of the law from being enforced."
Obamacare doesn't have a severability clause, most likely due to the hurried manner it which it was rammed through Congress. And that omission constitutes a thermal exhaust port which may allow Jedi—aka, those challenging Obamacare in the courts—to annihilate the Empire's mothership with just one deftly targeted legal torpedo.
That's not a given, of course. For example, the Supreme Court could opt to vacate only the individual mandate and directly related provisions, leaving in place the bulk of the law. That would still stick us with a bill that expands Medicaid to cover 16 million more Americans, cuts Medicare spending across-the-board, imposes a slew of new taxes on Americans from every income bracket, and adds billions to the federal deficit.
It's a scenario only an Emperor could love. Removing only the individual mandate would be disastrous. "The mandate is the only thing which made other anti-market regulatory demands (such as guaranteed issue and community rating) workable for the [insurance] industry," Domenech notes. "Removing it and leaving other requirements intact would bring the entire insurance industry to the point of collapse."
In the best case scenario, the absence of a severability clause would bring the entire Obamacare scheme crashing to the ground. That's not likely. And if the courts remove the individual mandate while leaving all the legislation's other provisions in place, if could spell doom—not for the Death Star, but for the health insurance industry.
So what's the best answer? Congress could repeal the whole thing. And they wouldn't need The Force to do it.
Tags: individual mandate, Obamacare, severability, side effects, star wars
Side Effects: What Obamacare and the Death Star have in Common | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News..
Related Articles
- Severability and Obamacare (redstate.com)
- Grace-Marie Turner: Putting the Brakes on ObamaCare (online.wsj.com)
- Why ObamaCare Must Be Repealed (realclearpolitics.com)
- Media Nearly Silent as ObamaCare Proponents Drop Deficit, Cost Savings Claims (newsbusters.org)
- Tweeting After Midnight: The Death Star's People Rage Against the Ke$ha Machine (observer.com)
- Teach your child to save for the Death Star (sfgate.com)
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subset: commoncrawl


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|9 in.
|Milwaukee Red and Black
|Shipping Weight:
|0.4 lbs.
|Shoulder Strap:
Reviewed by 2 customers
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Comments about Contractor Parts Organizer:
In the trades one is always looking to inprove capacity or speed at which one finishes a project. One of the ways is to be both organized and efficient when performing any task. We work this because be want to do the best work we can and as quickly and efficiently as possible. To that end; 'Millwauki parchute bags are great.'
Best Uses
Comments about Contractor Parts Organizer:
I bought this to store wire nuts and pigtails when I trim out electrical jobs. The design is absolutely perfect for this. No longer do I need to fish around in the side pocket of my tote for the correct color nut. They all have their own place. It even had enough spaces to add some 3 and 4 port push connectors, as well as the usual red, yellow and green nuts.


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Press Release
Additional Content Providers with Interactive Content, Increased Availability in Product Portfolio Reinforce NetCast Growth
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2010 – LG Electronics, which pioneered the product category for Internet-streaming content on connected consumer electronics devices over the past two years, today announced new alliances for its NetCast Entertainment Access system, including Skype™, Picasa™, AccuWeather and new Yahoo! Widgets™.
LG offers the most online video and audio content directly to HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players without the need for a personal computer. What's more, the company provides consumers with the broadest assortment of HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players with built-in streaming capability.
For 2010, 15 new LED LCD HDTVs, seven new LCD HDTVs and four new plasma HDTVs feature NetCast Entertainment Access. Additionally, three LG Blu-ray Disc players and three home theater systems also provide enhanced interactive content options, as well as streaming entertainment. In addition to accessing this Web-based content via an Ethernet connection, most of LG's new products also are capable of wireless connectivity, giving consumers added convenience in installation and use*.
"The expansion of LG's NetCast feature is the next step in providing consumers with instant access to the online content they crave," said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA. "Exciting new partners like Skype, Picasa and AccuWeather, along with our long-time alliances with Netflix™, VUDU™, YouTube™, CinemaNow™ and Pandora®, strengthen LG's leadership position in network-enabled devices. Most important, we're bringing diverse and compelling options to content-hungry consumers."
Interactive Additions
LG has also added new steaming entertainment options to NetCast Entertainment Access, including access to AccuWeather, as well as new Yahoo! Widgets. Streaming entertainment offerings through LG's NetCast feature now includes:
- • AccuWeather – Provides consumers access to up-to-the-minute weather updates.
- • Yahoo! Widgets – Enables access to various applications, such as Napster, CBS, eBay, Showtime and CNBC.
- • VUDU– Allows consumers to buy or rent from an extensive catalog of more than 2,000 high-definition movies and TV titles without monthly fees or additional hardware. It also is the only online service to offer movies in 1080p.
- • Netflix – Updated with Netflix 2.0, consumers can now stream thousands of movies without a PC.
- • YouTube – Instantly streams millions of Web videos directly from the Internet.
- • CinemaNow – Allows consumers to browse from the CinemaNow premium content catalog and instantly stream purchased or rented movies and popular TV shows.
- • Pandora – Provides consumers the option to listen to the online stations they've created on the Web from the comfort of their home entertainment center without the need of a PC connection.
Expanded Product Portfolio and Wireless LAN Adapter Option
LG has also increased the number of products in its portfolio that now offer NetCast Entertainment Access, further establishing its leadership in this space and giving consumers more options at different price points. Twenty-six LG HDTVs in screen sizes ranging from 32- to 60-inch classes and all of its Network Blu-ray Disc Players and Home Theater Systems incorporate NetCast Entertainment Access.
Answering consumers' needs for easier installation and convenience, more than half of LG's HDTVs can integrate into a wireless home network via a wireless LAN adaptor (sold separately). Wi-Fi capabilities are built into most Blu-ray players and Home Theater Systems. Additionally, HDTVs with wireless capabilities can receive Full HD 1080p video from up to 98 feet by using a separate wireless receiver and transmission box (also sold separately).
For more information and product images, please visit LG's online press kit at www.lgusa.com/cespressroom.
About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances and business solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.LGusa.com.
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of $44.7 billion, LG comprises of five business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is one of the world's leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both A Global Partner of Formula 1™ and A Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.
Media Contact:
Clara Chang
John Taylor
Ojas Naik
* Specifications subject to change without notice.
* Internet connection and subscriptions required and sold separately.


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It's time for you to participate in Fantastic Fans Photo Fun in The Post & Mail!
Are you a face-painter?
Are you a lucky cap-and-gear sports fan?
If you're not, we bet you know some!
Here's your chance to participate in The Post & Mail's "Fantastic Fans Photo Fun" sports feature. Participation is free of charge. Simply snap a photo of Fantastic Fans in your sporting life and submit them to The Post & Mail. Please properly identify the person or persons in the Fantastic Fans photo, and feel free to provide additional information.
Fantastic Fans can be of any age and range from followers of local middle school and high school teams all the way to fans of college and professional teams. Your Fantastic Fans may be selected to be featured in the newspaper and/or online.
Submit digital photos and information to: firstname.lastname@example.com [1]
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How to Make a Pigeon Sound With Your Hands
So, you want to to make a funny little pigeon sound with just two hands? It seems impossible, but it's actually quite simple when you've mastered it.
1Raise your writing hand in the air, and put all of the fingers together until you feel a sensation that sort of hurts. Do the same with your other hand.Ad
2Rest your left pinkie (or whatever hand you write with, but left seems to work best) on top of the index finger on your opposite hand, so it looks like a perpendicular line from an aerial view.
3Wrap your left thumb around your right thumb, still keeping your hands together. Then make sure that NO air can get through the position your hands are in. Another method to get like this is to wrap your right hand around your left.
4Shape a small gap only with your thumb cream that is only a few millimetres wide, like a little thin-pentagon (or crystal) shape. It works more effectively If you shape it to the right hand side a little bit.
5Place most of your lip on the top of your thumb, when the joint bone is on your thumb. Make the hole quite narrow, and blow slightly diagonally-downwards down your hands until you make a pigeon sound. It takes a lot of practice!
6Once you are an expert, you can change the pitch of the sound even more by taking your outside hand and stretching it. When you straighten it all of the way, you get the highest. When you close your hands all of the way, it is the lowest. This takes a lot of practice too, so don't expect to get it on your first try.Ad
We could really use your help!
- If you are having trouble making any noise at all, make sure you are blowing at a slightly downward angle. This is key.
- If you make the hollow inside your hand wider, then it will make a lower sound. If it is tighter, then it will make a high-pitched whistle.
- Practice! It's very hard to get it in the position described above.
- Be sure not to breathe too much into it, or else you might feel slightly dizzy. Only some people feel dizzy, though!
- Don't lose the position if you want to stay like it the whole day.
Article Info
Categories: Finger and Hand Tricks
In other languages:
Deutsch: Mit beiden Händen Taubengeräusche machen, Português: Fazer Som de Pomba com as Mãos, Español: hacer el sonido de una paloma con tus manos, Русский: имитировать звук голубя с помощью рук, Italiano: Fare il Verso del Gufo con le Mani
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 81,555 times.


text: Healthy Recipes Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate Recipe E-mail recipe Print recipe To save this recipe, register now! Quick Info: Servings Quick Meal Vegetarian Heart-Healthy Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 133, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 0mg, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Total Fat: 4g, Carbs: 10g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 1g Carb Choices: 0.5 Recipe Source: Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Ingredients 12 medium strawberries 2 ounce(s) chocolate, bitter or semisweet, high-quality Preparation 1. Melt chocolate over barely simmering water or in the microwave. 2. Dip strawberries in the chocolate. E-mail recipe Print recipe To save this recipe, register now!


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July 2015
ILO Director-General and EC President discuss bilateral cooperation
30 July 2015
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker met to discuss cooperation in the field of employment and social policy in Europe.
ILO and EIB join forces for more and better quality employment
16 July 2015
The International Labour Organization and the European Investment Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding to reinforce and expand cooperation between the two organizations in the field of employment and social affairs.
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder to attend the International Conference on Financing for Development
09 July 2015
Ebola: Strengthening resilience through Social Protection
08 July 2015
An ILO side event held at UN Headquarters in New York to respond to post-ebola recovery plans in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone with a focus on social protection policies.
ILO to support post-Ebola recovery effort in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
06 July 2015
The International Labour Organization will take part to the Ebola Recovery Conference in New York on 10 July to galvanize support and ensure a healthier and safer future of the world of work in the three hard-hit West-African countries.
ILO and the Netherlands sign agreement to strengthen labour inspection systems in Pakistan
02 July 2015
The partnership will strengthen institutional mechanisms for effective labour inspection; enhance human resource capacities in the country to enforce the law on labour inspections and partner with the private sector to promote international labour standards and ensure their compliance by enterprises.
ILO Conference to discuss better future at work
01 July 2015
June 2015
ILO, ICA step up collaboration to promote cooperatives and decent work
30 June 2015
Agreement will strengthen the contribution of the two organizations to sustainable development by leveraging the comparative advantage of cooperative enterprises.
ILO Governing Body elects Misako Kaji as new chairperson
13 June 2015
Misako Kaji, Permanent Representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Geneva will head the International Labour Organization's executive body for the period 2015-2016.
Guy Ryder: Anticipating the Future of Work essential for advancing social justice
13 June 2015
The 104th International Labour Conference closes with a consensus to move ahead with a major Initiative on the future of the world of work.


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Prices From: $880 for 7 Night Package per person
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After a full day of adventure, guests may relax at the resort's lavish 12-meter fresh water swimming pool - one of the largest in the Fiji Islands - and enjoy fresh organic food at Nakia's fine restaurant.
As an eco resort, Nakia offers a comfortable and relaxing environment using the sustainable, natural energy of the sun, wind, and water. Guests also enjoy water from artesian springs and fresh organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers grown year-round on site. This combination of sustainable features is unique among Fiji resorts.
View our Fiji vacation packages and map of Fiji, then make Nakia - one of the newest Fiji resorts - your home for adventure travel and relaxation during your Fiji vacation or honeymoon.
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|Meet the Designer-Artist
Where do you live?
Hustonville, Kentucky
Describe your artistic style.
Traditional, hand-beaded Native American inspired.
What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Family, nature.
What materials do you most enjoy working with?
Seed beads, the smaller the better.
What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Shadow Brave Bag
Share Your Background
When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
Several years ago. My husband is a wood carver and we were at a Pow wow in Dover, Tennessee. I asked a gentleman beader that was there to teach me. He taught me a stitch, square stitch, I think. After, I bought books and taught myself many others through lots of trial and error. Since then I have made a lot of progress, sold many pieces at Pow wows across the south east. I love doing large pieces by hand, my largest to date had over 250,000 beads in it, and it is now in a dear friend's private collection.
Who introduced you to beading?
My husband, Gerald.
Do you have an artistic background?
How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?
Through a friend.
What other hobbies do you have?
My grandkids, pets, travel, and nature.
Beading Success
What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
I bead more than I do house work. I sometimes work on a single piece for weeks and can't seem to stop. There isn't enough time for me to bead all the designs I want to do. I find beading to be very calming, as I am disabled it is an activity than I can still enjoy. I don't consider beading a career because I enjoy doing it so much, although I have made money from beading.
If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
We do alot of Pow wows, craft fairs, eBay, Facebook, and MySpace sales. This is the only beading contest I have ever entered.
Do you participate in any charity fundraisers?
Donate to any local fundraisers that ask me.
Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?
Don't stop trying new things!


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A 28-year-old man was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the August 2011 death of another man killed during a Berkeley County bar fight.
Jonathan Powell of Ladson reportedly threw a single punch during the skirmish that killed Richard Edward Duttine, 35, of Summerville outside the Moonshine Saloon, Bryan Alfaro, 9th Circuit deputy solicitor in Berkeley County, said.
Powell was initially charged with voluntary manslaughter, as was co-defendant Justin Johnson, 28, of Summerville, Alfaro said. Johnson's case is still pending, he said.
After Powell pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, a judge sentenced him to a five-year term, suspended to three years active prison time. He will be subject to five years of probation when he is released.
Berkeley County Sheriff's deputies were called to the 216 Myers Road nightclub in Summerville about 1:45 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2011. Duttine was raced to an area hospital and died a short time later.
Evidence indicated that Duttine threw the first punch in the altercation, targeting Johnson, Alfaro said. Powell jumped from a car, raced to his friend's aid and punched Duttine, who fell to the ground, he said.
Some witnesses indicated Duttine might have struck his head on a car or the ground on his way down, Alfaro said. Others indicated he was kicked in the head while down, he said.
A medical examiner could not conclusively say whether Powell's punch or one of the other blows was the primary cause of his fatal injury, Alfaro said.
Powell's attorney, Michael O'Connell, said the incident was "just a tragedy all the way around." He said he felt sad for the Duttine family's loss as well the impact the prison sentence will have on Powell's wife and children.
O'Connell said Powell is a construction foreman and a "solid citizen." About 20 people showed up to the plea hearing to show their support for him.
"He had an excellent job and a family who really loves him," he said. "This is not the outcome we wanted, but it's the outcome we got."
The Moonshine Saloon was recently the site of another killing as well. Earlier this month, April Infinger, 32, of Goose Creek, was killed by a stray bullet as people fought outside the club, authorities said.
Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556 or Twitter.com/glennsmith5.
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A hemostasis valve which has a varying diameter. The hemostasis valve is actuated by a mechanism which provides mechanical advantage. Actuation of the hemostatis valve provides selective incremental sizing such that the valve will fit a variety of different intravascular devices.
1. A variable diameter hemostasis system comprising:
a body having a bore therethrough;
a hemostasis valve mounted in the bore:
an actuator moveably attached to the body and configured to compress the hemostasis valve; and
a cam positioned on the body and configured to releasably restrain the actuator from moving and configured to exert a force to thereby selectively compress the hemostasis valve.
2. The hemostasis valve of
3. The hemostasis valve of
4. The hemostasis valve of
5. The actuator of
a button slideably attached to an exterior of the body;
a lever slideably coupled to the button, the lever having a pivot point, a lever arm and a cam surface;
a pin rotateably fixed to the body and rotateably fixed to the pivot point of the lever arm; and
a cylinder slideably positioned within the bore of the body, the cylinder having a follower surface suitable for contact with the cam and a distal surface suitable for compressing the hemostasis valve.
6. The button of
7. The detents of
8. The actuator of
a collar mounted about the body, the collar having at least one springarm with an engaging member mounted on the at least one springarm; and
female threads surrounding the body and configured to mate with the engaging member of the at least one spring arm, the at least one springarm being moveable when the collar is axially moved.
9. The actuator of
10. A Y adapter comprising:
a Y shaped body having a main section with a first lumen therethrough and a branch section with second lumen therethrough, the first lumen in fluid connection with the second lumen;
a hemostasis valve mounted within the first lumen;
a rotateable link having a cam surface and a lever arm, the link pivoting about a pivot point and aligned such that force transmitted to the lever arm will be magnified and cause the cam surface to exert a force to compress the hemostasis valve; and
an axially moveable actuator, configured to transmit axially applied force to the lever arm of the rotateable link.
11. The Y adapter of
12. The hemostasis valve of
13. The axially moveable actuator of
14. A system for selectively narrowing a lumen of a vascular access device comprising:
a hemostasis valve positioned within the vascular access devices; and
a means for selectively narrowing the hemostasis valve, the means for selectively narrowing having a cam providing discrete amounts of force to the hemostasis valve.
15. The system for selectively compressing the hemostasis of
16. The system of
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/105,384, filed Oct. 23, 1998.
The present invention generally relates to the field of minimally invasive medicine. More particularly, the present invention relates to those devices, commonly known as y-adapters, which are used to prevent blood from exiting a patient during a minimally invasive procedure. Such procedures include but are not limited to angioplasty, atherectomy, stenting, angiography, venous filtration, liquid infusion, dialysis, and intravascular ultrasound. Those skilled in the art will recognize the benefits of applying the present invention to similar fields not discussed herein.
Angioplasty has gained wide acceptance in recent years as an efficient and effective method for treating various types of vascular diseases. In particular, angioplasty is widely used for opening stenoses in the coronary arteries, although it is also used for treatment of stenoses in other parts of the vascular system. The most widely used form of angioplasty makes use of a guide catheter positioned within the vascular system of a patient. The distal end of the guide catheter is inserted into an introducer sheath which is then inserted into the femoral artery located in the groin of the patient and pushed distally up through the vascular system until the distal end of the guide catheter is located in the ostium of the coronary artery. The distal end of the guide catheter is normally curved so that the distal tip of the guide catheter is more easily directed to the coronary ostium of the patient. Typically, a Y-adapter assembly is releasably secured to the proximal end of the guide catheter. The proximal end of the guide catheter and the Y-adapter protrude outside the patient's body. The Y-adapter provides an entryway for subsequent insertion of additional angioplasty devices into the patient's vascular system through the guide catheter. Prior art Y-adapters typically includes a main body portion that is secured at its distal end to the guide catheter via a luer fitting. The Y-adapter further includes a side branch that defines an infusion port. The main body portion of the Y-adapter is configured to receive a dilatation balloon catheter.
The proximal end of the side branch and the main body portion typically include valves which are known as Tuohy-Borst valves. Tuohy-Borst valves are seals that minimize back-bleeding during the minimally invasive procedure. Each Tuohy-Borst seal includes a gasket having a through lumen and a threadably attached cap. The through lumen is configured to receive a shaft of a dilatation catheter or other minimally invasive device. The cap can be rotatably tightened to compress the gasket and thereby decrease the diameter of the through lumen to form a fluid tight seal about the shaft of the dilatation catheter. However, if the cap of the Tuohy-Borst seal is tightened too much, the dilatation catheter may be damaged or the flow of inflation fluid through the catheter may be restricted so as to make inflation of the balloon of the dilatation catheter difficult. On the other hand, tightening the cap too little may allow back-bleeding through the proximal ends of the side branch and the main body portion of the Y-adapter.
There is a continuing need for improved hemostasis and Y-adapters. Specifically, there is a need for a Y-adapter of efficient design which incorporates a valve member that provides an effective releasable seal about the shaft of a dilatation catheter and provides simplified physician use. The valve member would preferably provide a fluid tight seal about the dilatation catheter to prevent back-bleeding, while minimizing damage to the catheter. In addition, the seal formed by the vale member would not restrict the flow of inflation fluid through the dilatation catheter. It would also be advantageous to provide a valve member which may selectively seal about certain diameter devices while at the same time providing visual feedback as to diameter.
FIG. 1 depicts a y-adapter assembly which incorporates the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the cam depicted in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4A is a partial side view the assembly of FIG. 1, where the valve is in the fully open position.
FIG. 4B is an enlarged partial side view the assembly of FIG. 4A.
FIG. 4C is a partial side view the assembly of FIG. 4B where the valve is partially closed.
FIG. 4D is a partial side view the assembly of FIG. 4B where the valve is completely closed.
FIG. 5 is a depiction of an alternative y-adapter assembly which incorporates the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a depiction of another alternative y-adapter assembly which incorporates the present invention.
FIG. 7A is a side view of a valve.
FIG. 7B is an end view of the valve of FIG. 7A.
FIG. 7C is a side view of an alternative valve.
FIG. 7D is an end view of the valve of FIG. 7C.
FIG. 8 depicts an axially activated Y-adapter assembly.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a partial sectioned side view of FIG. 8.
The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings in which like elements in different drawing are numbered identically. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Examples of constructions, materials, dimensions, and manufacturing processes are provided for selected elements. All other elements employ that which is known to those skilled in the field of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the examples provided have suitable alternatives that may also be used.
FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a y-adapter 50 with actuating button 51. Actuating button 51 may be moved either proximally or distally with the thumb or forefinger and thereby actuate the opening or closing of y-adapter 50.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of y-adapter 50. Actuating button 51 is designed to slide within 62 of distal housing 70. Movement of button 51 actuates motion of cam 20. Cam 20 is pinned to proximal housing 80 by pin 22. Accordingly pin 22 defines the axis of rotation of cam 20.
Follower surface 30 is integrally molded with cylinder 40 and serves to compress valve 53 when cylinder 40 is moved axially. Washers 60 may additionally be provided proximally and distally of valve 53. Proximal housing 80 is bonded to body 90 and when brought into contact with distal housing 20, encases cylinder 40, cam 20, valve 53 and washers 60.
Valve 53 may preferably be formed of medical grade silicone such as Wacker R4000. The amount of force needed to compress valve 53 is dependent on the relative hardness of the material used for valve 53. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a material for valve 53 that is 20-50 Shore A durometer. Preferably, the durometer of the material of valve 53 may be 30 Shore A. Lower durometer valves or valves with a cutout as shown in FIGS. 7A-D are examples of valves which require less compression to close valve lumen 62. Cylindrical valves with cutouts provide reduced friction and thereby allow physicians to have better tactile feedback during a procedure.
Proximal housing 80, distal housing 70, cylinder 40 and body 90 may be formed of a suitable medical grade polymer. Preferably, proximal housing 80, distal housing 70, cylinder 40 and body 90 may be formed of polycarbonate. Button 51 may be formed of a medical grade acetal-copolymer such as Celcon, natural.
Detents 120 may be formed in proximal housing 70. Detents 120 may be spaced at regular positions along the travel length of button 51 and require button 51 to click into positions which correspond with particular diameters of valve lumen 62. Detents 120 may be conveniently positioned to correspond to atherectomy devices, stent catheters, balloon catheters and guide wire (8 Fr., 5 Fr., 3 Fr. and 0.014 inches respectively). Button 53 may also be moved rapidly such that the valve lumen 62 moves from completely open to completely closed.
In an alternative embodiment, button 51 may be designed such that specified positions along it travel length are indexed by radial teeth (not shown) which project from button 51 and mate with slots in proximal housing 70. In yet another embodiment of button 51, button 51 may have a spring mechanism which may include a coil spring or a leaf spring which maintains the button position but may also be depressed and allow the diameter of valve lumen 62 to be fine tuned.
FIG. 3 depicts cam 20 with button contact surface 29 and follower contact surface 25. Mechanical advantage is gained by the moment arm 27 or the perpendicular distance from the point which the button 51 contacts button contact surface 29, with varying force F, to the cam axis 23. Moment arm 27 is a key factor in the amount of force required to actuate button 51 and compress valve 53. The location of cam axis 23 and its position relative to the follower contact surface 25 also is a factor in the mechanical advantage provide by cam 20. The ratio of the distance the button travels axially compared to the axial travel of the follower may be a factor of 3:1 or more depending on the size and design of the cam 20.
To maintain a small profile, the cam 20 should be as small as possible. However, small cam sizes have fairly high stress and therefore require stronger materials of construction. In addition to polycarbonate and other suitable medical grade polymers, filled materials may be required to withstand the high stress. Suitable filled materials may include glass filled ABS or Celcon™.
As may be seen in FIGS. 4A-4D, the linear activation of button 51 rotates cam 20 about pin 22 while the cam contacts the follower surface 30. The follower surface 30 slides the cylinder 40 axially and compresses valve 53 as a function of the contact between follower surface 30 and cam 20. Compression of the valve 53 causes reduction in the lumen diameter of valve 53. Preferably, valve 53 will be sized such that any device may be used. A total range for valve 53 may be 9.6-0 French or 0.125-0 inches.
Ergonomic designs of button 51 may include various shapes or sizes as well as being fully circumferential. These designs allow easy access irrespective of the position of the y-adapter. FIGS. 5 and 6 are examples of alternative button designs 51.
In addition to the embodiments shown, a cylindrical activation surface which encompasses the total circumference of the valve may also be used and will allow for easy access from any angle. Axial adjustment may also include another mechanism which allows the user analog adjustment. Analog adjustment provides for fine tuning of the valve to the required amount of hemostasis and the appropriate feel or lumen size for the particular device within the y-adapter. One such method of achieving analog adjustment is through the addition of a cylindrical threaded surface which can be adjusted for fine tuning.
Mechanisms other than a cam design may also be employed to achieve the main objective of the invention. One such mechanism would provide pure axial translation to compress the valve 53. FIG. 8 depicts this embodiment of a y-adapter 160 with a cylindrical actuating button, hereafter called a collar 161. The cylindrical actuating collar 161 may be moved either proximally or distally with the thumb or forefingers and thereby actuate the opening or closing of the y-adapter. FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in FIG. 8. Various lumen sizes would be achieved by axially sliding the collar 161 along the adjusting threads 162 to snap fit into certain positions. The partial sectioned side view in FIG. 10 shows how the snap fit would be achieved by axially located spring arms 164 located within the adjusting threads 162. The spring arms deflect when forced to move axially and snap into the thread minor diameter in either direction to achieve closing or opening of the y-adapter lumen. Alternately, the collar 161 may be rotated to achieve fine tuning of the y-adapter lumen. A spring mechanism 163 would increase the ratio of manual motion to valve compression, thereby providing the physician with greater tactile feedback. The spring 163 actuates the cylindrical push rod 40 similar to that found in the embodiment of FIG. 2. The pushrod 40 then compresses valve 53 to reduce the lumen size. A secondary mechanism may be adjusted for fine tuning at each interval.
While the specification describes the preferred designs, materials, methods of manufacture and methods of use, those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope and spirit of the invention with reference to the appended claims.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
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Work zone safety in spotlight as construction season begins
IRONTON -- Millions of dollars will be spent on construction this summer in Lawrence and Scioto counties in Ohio and Boyd, Carter and Greenup counties in Kentucky, and highway officials joined forces in Ironton on Wednesday to talk about construction zone safety.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Ohio Department of Transportation officials met at the site of the $81 million Ironton-Russell Bridge to remind motorists to slow down in construction zones and give construction workers their undivided attention. The bridge is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2015.
Nationwide, there are about 500 fatalities and 37,000 injuries each year in construction zones, said Bart Bryant, Kentucky Department of Highways District 9 chief engineer. Seventeen of those fatalities were in Ohio, and five were in Kentucky.
"We want to create a heightened sense of awareness on work-zone construction safety," Bryant said. Dozens of work zones soon will spring up, he said. "We want to keep our workers as safe as possible, so please slow down.
"As highway workers, we train flaggers, put up work zone signs and barrels, provide online listings of road work and put our best people on the job to keep motorists safe," Bryant said. "And, as drivers, we all need to take a few simple steps such as slowing down and reducing distractions to keep from becoming one of those persons killed or injured."
"We do all we can to ensure the safety of our workers and the motoring public," said Vaughn Wilson, Ohio Department of Transportation District 9 deputy director. "But to see a real reduction in work zone crashes, certain driver's behaviors need to change."
Some of the projects on tap this summer include:
A $12 million resurfacing and bridge rehabilitation on U.S. 52 in Scioto County.
A $3.2 million resurfacing project on Ohio 140 in Lawrence and Scioto counties.
A $1.1 million resurfacing project on Ohio 141 in Lawrence County.
Approximately $1.9 million in slip repair projects in Lawrence County.
Milling and paving of nearly three miles of U.S. 60 in Ashland from Rose Hill to the downtown area. Several miles of Winchester Avenue and Blackburn Avenue also will be repaved.
A bridge replacement on Keye's Creek in Boyd County and construction on Kentucky 750 at Raceland, Ky.
Nearly 12 miles of new blacktop and improvements along Interstate 64 in Carter County between Grayson and Olive Hill.
A lot of the work on heavily traveled U.S. 60 in Ashland will be done at night, Bryant said.


text:
August 1, 2015
Social networking giant Facebook says government agents in 74 countries demanded information on about 38,000 users of the service in the first half of this year, with about half the orders coming from authorities in the United States.
Facebook made the statement Tuesday. It is the latest technology company to release figures on how often governments seek information about its customers. Microsoft and Google have done the same.
As was the case with the other companies, it's hard to discern much from Facebook's data, besides the fact that, as users around the globe flocked to the world's largest social network, police and intelligence agencies followed. Facebook and Twitter have become organizing platforms for activists and, as such, have become targets for governments.
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Successful Budgeting for Those Who Hate to Budget
This column includes our printer friendly budget worksheets and much more to help you plan a successful budget and get out of debt. If you try one budget system and it doesn't quite work for you, try another one. Or, create your own with our help!
Before we get to our free budgeting worksheets, don't forget that our Web site and free monthly Ezine, Living a Better Life®, are overflowing with great money-saving tips (on hundreds of various topics!) so be sure to sign up for your free membership if you haven't already.
There are many great budgeting and financial planning tools on the market today, in fact, we have several budget planners that we have personally reviewed and do highly recommend. These budget planning programs can be extremely useful and will help you stay on track year after year, but the most important thing is that you find something that works well for you and your family.
If money is very tight and this is your first time starting a household budget you may be looking for something a little more simple, and maybe even more importantly, free. I understand; our family has been there too.
We are NOT just about family budgeting and finances; we feature thousands of tips to help you save money and stretch your dollars... on everything from groceries to family fun and how to live a better life, not by spending more money, but less!
Budgeting Worksheet
Please feel free to use our printer-friendly Basic Budgeting Worksheet (link below) to help you keep track of your monthly expenses and manage your income. I hope you will find this worksheet helpful when planning your household budget, you may even want to print out several copies and share them with your friends and family, or anyone that needs budgeting assistance. (Please tell them about BetterBudgeting.com and invite them to join us!)
Debt Worksheet
I've also added a Dealing with Debt Worksheet for listing creditors and debts, a Monthly Spending Worksheet for keeping track of your extra expenses each month, and an Annual Budget Worksheet to help you budget for your annual expenses such as taxes, insurance, warranties, school tuition, etc... so that you can afford to pay them as they come due! You will find all the worksheets listed below.
More Worksheets
In addition to the Budgeting and Debt worksheets as I've mentioned above, I've also included several more free worksheets that will help with your household budgeting throughout the year. I've included my Monthly Spending Worksheet and Annual Budget Worksheet. And for the holidays, my Holiday Gift List Worksheet and Holiday Spending Worksheet. I hope you will find these printable worksheets helpful, I worked very hard creating them for you! :o)
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Also, here are just a few helpful guidelines to help you get started with your household budget.
Better Budgeting Class
If you'd like to learn more about how create your own successful budget system without the aid of expensive budget planners and software programs please consider joining in on our next session of The Better Budgeting Class. I've been teaching my 5-week class since 2005 and always receive the most wonderful feedback with each session. It's been such a joy watching our readers get back on track, year after year!
Figuring Your Income
you're paid...
Total = Surplus
After filling out the Basic Budgeting Worksheet with your monthly income and expenses, you will either have a surplus (money leftover) or a shortage. A portion of your surplus should be budgeted for savings and yearly expenditures (use our Annual Budget Worksheet for assistance).
Total = Shortage
If your budget reveals a shortage then you need to either lower your expenses or increase your income, or maybe even both. If that is not possible at this time, work towards the goal of having at least a small monthly surplus as soon as possible, even if it's just $10.
Read my previous column 15 Ways to Create More Cash
Then, continue to work diligently on your household budget throughout the coming months to increase that amount...
I know you can do it!!!
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Copyright © by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
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UNI Leaders in Education Lecture Series: Sharon Robinson, president & CEO of AACTE, Oct. 8, 2010
UNI hosted its inaugural UNI Leaders in Education Lecture Series with Sharon Robinson, president & CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Robinson presented "Envisioning a Premier Pre-K through 12 Teacher and Educational Leader Preparation Program: An Institutional Commitment."
To view her presentation click on the link below.
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Winter 2001
This story was previously published in Horizons SF.
can see some of you Summerfolk have come here because you've heard
that Jack Frost is planning to jump ship. It isn't true, but I want
you to hear why. No, please, hear me out first. I know what you're
thinking: a Hierarch of my stature coming over from the Winterfolk
could make all the difference. But I'm here to tell you--
ultimately, this is out of the hands of the Ecopantheon, Summerfolk
and Winterfolk alike. Yes, I'm including Her Ladyship in that
statement, and I don't care who thinks it's blasphemous! It's time
we admitted it -- this nuclear winter wasn't the Old Man's doing,
however pleased he is about it. The mortals did it, and though both
we and they believed it couldn't actually bring in a New Ice Age, I
don't have to tell you it's already gone on several years longer
than we anticipated.
can see you flower fays and leaf elves all looking doubtful. But some
of you harvest sprites know me well enough to trust me. Please, I
only want to tell you my story. And my plans.
won't hold anything back, so if you're shocked to hear things you
never imagined about Jack Frost, so be it. I'll begin by telling you
about a day when my heart was unusually warm.
You know, it always did develop a certain smoldering glow in the last
climactic days of the annual autumn colour display. And though I was
always careful to hide it from the other Winterfolk, there was many a
Christmas Eve that fanned the glow to a veritable candle flame, as I
painted the windows of filled churches and fireplace-lit living
rooms. But this particular day, as I stood before my Overlord in the
cheerless gloom of his glacial cavern, it was not the joy of my art
that sparked in my chest, but rage.
"Scintilla had no authority to move without consulting me!" I said,
and puckered my silvered brows into a furious whitecap.
Winter grunted, fingering his beard of enormous icicles so that they
jangled like ominous giant sleigh-bells. "The fault is your own,
Frost. I have warned you often, but still you leave your sprites to
their own devices."
Well, Winter was no-one to talk on that count. Because of the Earth's
23 degree tilt, he confined himself largely to the Northern
hemisphere, leaving the "lesser" work in the South to his delegate,
the Snow Queen, in her Antarctic headquarters. But I let him finish
his piece.
"How can it surprise you when they take matters into their own hands?"
he continued. "I for one am most pleased with this sprite's
It was an old argument between us. I clenched my icy teeth, and drew
my lanky blue body up to its full height. "I am an artist," I said,
slowly and deliberately. Heedless of the ridicule Winter had heaped
on me for millenia, I still clung stubbornly to my vision of myself
and my work -- which meant giving my full and passionate attention to
the autumn colours, not breathing down the necks of my underlings. I
steeled myself for the Hierarch's customary reply, my frosty leggings
asparkle and the painted leaves in my cap all quivering with my anger.
"You are a spineless son of a flower fay!" Winter roared, with a
blast of breath so icy it made even me shiver. "I should oust you
from your position in the Hierarchy of the Winterfolk, put Scintilla
in your place, and send you to serve the May Queen! Then you could
spend all your time painting posies," he sneered, "and we Winterfolk
might get some real work done in Autumn!"
"Our revered Mother would not allow that," I said smugly. "My designs
are the greatest of all her many glories."
Winter ground his teeth, making a sound like the warning of an
impending avalanche. "Boreas!" he thundered, and a moment later the
North Wind came to escort me unceremoniously from the polar ice
When the Wind was gone, I picked myself up and dusted the snow from my
jacket, sighing. I looked up to see a being in scarlet robes and a
long white beard smiling at me.
"In trouble again, my boy?" The old man's eyes sparkled.
"Hello, Nicholas." I smiled back. "It really is unwise for me to be
seen talking to you."
As you know, Winter deeply resents Nicholas and his friends, and even
her Ladyship considers him an alien, an intruder in her Dominion. She
doesn't like to be reminded that there is any authority in the cosmos
above her own, and I suppose it adds insult to injury that Nicholas,
like some others of his ilk, was once a mortal. Myself, I've always
liked his sense of fun.
Nicholas threw back his head and laughed. Leaning over, he pulled my
arm to bend me down from my towering height and whispered in my ear,
"You've never really been one of them."
was startled and disturbed. "Not one of whom? The Winterfolk? Or
the whole Ecopantheon?"
"The ones on the Dark Side. The light shone in darkness, and the
darkness could not overcome it." He slapped me on the back, and
laughed as if this cryptic remark were the biggest joke in the world.
"Now tell me, Frost, what makes you so glum?"
seated myself on a boulder of ice, drawing my gangly knees up and
draping my forearms across them with a sigh. Nicholas squinted one
bright eye closed, peering at me with the other. "It's something
squirmed at his perceptiveness; none of the Winterfolk was certain of
the limit of Nicholas' powers. At last I said, "I wonder you haven't
heard about it, Nicholas." My white knuckles were clenched into icy
fists, and suddenly there were ice crystals forming on my eyelashes.
I turned away, but it was too late; Nicholas, the ex-mortal, had
already seen the unheard-of shame of an immortal in tears.
stood and paced about on the glacial surface. "One of my
sprites...killed...the entire crew of one of the mortals' space
Nicholas was silent for a moment. "My friend," he said at last, "I
had heard it was a matter of faulty workmanship or some such..."
"She knew perfectly well the stress caused by her cold and moisture
would be fatal!" I exploded. The heat of anger in my chest was
painful. "When the taking of human life is involved, I am
supposed to be called in!"
Nicholas scratched his head. "Would you not have done the same?
Frost has been a killer before this."
"It was needless!" The flame of rage was spreading; unless I got
control of the wildfire in my heart quickly, I was going to find the
ice in my veins melting. I took a deep breath of arctic air to calm
myself. "Striking the crops so the mortals starve, or freezing people
foolish enough to get caught out in a blizzard, is all part of the
balance. But this -- this was in a sub-tropical zone, and it was done
from pure malice! And Winter, may the Sun sizzle his beard,
sank back to the ice-boulder. My bones felt like jelly, not the
steel-hard ice they should have been.
Nicholas stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Tell me, Frost, how long
has it been since you murdered anyone with your own two frosty hands?"
opened my mouth, then closed it again. "You know very well." One
Christmas Eve, I had just put an end to some hapless old man when
Nicholas appeared on the scene to rescue a child who would have been
my next victim.
Nicholas chuckled. "Mere centuries ago. You were rather proud of the
job you'd done ..."
"I was not proud of it," I said. "I told you Old Man Winter
would have been proud of it. He was not pleased when I allowed
you to distract me from the infant by showing me for the first time
what I could do with window panes. `Business' should come before art,
he thinks!"
Nicholas was grinning at me. I knew he thought I took myself too
seriously -- I daresay you and the whole Ecopantheon think the same --
but I couldn't help smiling back at him.
"I've been true to myself, Nicholas. If Winter has any objections, he
can take them to the Lady Herself. I am an artist."
"Ah. And what is it, Frost, to be an artist?" Nicholas raised a
mischievous brow.
"To tell the truth!" My passion had made me so warm that I was
suddenly alarmed to see a steam cloud rising in front of my face from
inside my collar. I gulped, and tore open my jacket to bare my blue
skin to the arctic chill.
Nicholas fairly roared with laughter.
turned on him, and with a quick snap of my frosty fingers gave his
nose an angry tweak.
His hands went suddenly to his face, his mouth a round red `O' of
surprise in the middle of his white beard. "Ouch." Then he chuckled,
shaking his head. "Ah, Jack. You're much too good for these dull,
grim Winterfolk. That's why I've come to you. Do you know about
Winter's latest hopes against the Earth Mother?"
shrugged. "He's resented her ever since she called a halt to the Ice
Age. But no-one cares, Nicholas. Nobody in the Ecopantheon, not even
Winter, has as much power as the Lady Herself."
Nicholas raised one white eyebrow. "Perhaps not," he conceded, "but
there is an outside factor. Tell me, Jack Frost, do you know the
significance of the phrase `nuclear winter'?"
stood as still as an ice statue for a moment, then began to tremble
like a sapling in the path of the North Wind. Nicholas may have been
reduced to a comic figure in the popular imagination of mortals for
the last few centuries, but his knowledge of them was
up-to-the-minute. He was telling me they were a threat to the whole
Ecopantheon, and maybe even more. At last I said to him, "What can I
And he told me.
know all of you must remember that autumn's colour display, the most
spectacular I ever created. Her Ladyship preened like a debutante in
her new finery, while mortal artists struggled heroically to capture
some pale reflection of my colours-- colours like flame and blood and
red-hot iron. But it was only a prelude to my winter work.
laboured day and night, scrawling my message on windowpanes and glass
shop doors. I couldn't be too obvious, in case Winter should discover
what I was doing: in the crystal plumage of every frost painting, I
concealed my terrible and delicate etchings of blossoming mushroom
"Look at it, blast it!" I screamed through a window at the White
House, where the President was pacing with a troubled expression on
his face. But mortal ears are not attuned to a demi-god's
frequencies, and he turned and walked away from the window without
noticing my masterpiece. Instead, he gazed at a newly-hung painting
on the wall of his office, the work of a mortal artist named Catherine
Williams, according to the signature -- and an imitation of my own
autumn colour display, if you please! I clutched at the window's
surface with such icy intensity that the molecules shifted, and a
crack opened in the pane of glass with a sudden loud ringing sound.
reeled back from the window, too late aware that my chest was aflame.
I gulped the sub-zero air, and threw myself into a chilling snowbank.
For weeks I had practised my art in constant pain, my body wracked
with the stress that tore me between frost and fire. Eventually the
searing sensation became so ever-present that I would forget it as I
worked, only to have it strike me with a vengeance whenever I paused
for a moment. But this time I had overextended myself. When the
window cracked, so did my resolve.
lay face down in the snow, wishing I were mortal and capable of
fainting. My heart was still burning, but I willed the flame to be
quenched. Even if the mortals were to see and understand the
messages, would they do anything about them? I felt the blaze in my
bosom subside to a quiet smoulder, and I made up my mind to let my
heart freeze to such a hardness that the Sun himself would not be able
to melt me.
lay there in a blessed deep-freeze, until suddenly I was jerked to my
knees and found myself staring into the sharp, stern eyes of the
ex-mortal, Nicholas. He was not laughing anymore.
Winter was right, you're nothing but a God-damned flower fay!"
When Nicholas says, "God-damned", he means it, but I made no reply. I
could feel my heart cooling by the second, and I knelt in the snow,
weak and disoriented, till Nicholas slapped my cheeks.
"I know thousands of mere mortals who wouldn't give up so easily.
What happened to all that artistic pride, Jack Frost?"
refused to rise to the bait, concentrating on freezing my heart into
imperviousness. "This wasn't my first failure, Nicholas. I got the
same results in London, Moscow, Paris. My work makes no difference."
Nicholas snorted. "No difference? Blast you, Frost. Before there
was any Yule, much less Christmas, it was only your sparkle
that ever put any beauty into the dark days of winter. In the old
days, your art gave men hope, Jack--"
"I gave them death, too, in those days!" I spat. "And I will do so
again. The mortals are going to have their war, and before the dust
settles, Winter will take over, for months or perhaps years. I will
be there -- picking off the survivors, like the vultures and coyotes
who will be doing the same." I forced myself to my feet, and felt the
warmth in my chest fade to an insignificant spark.
"So!" The old man shook his staff. "You admit you are no longer an
Without answering, I turned to hobble off through the snow. I was not
going to allow Nicholas to see me weep a second time.
All of you Summerfolk remember when they did it: on Midsummer's Ever,
just when the crops in the Northern Hemisphere were most vulnerable.
We Winterfolk gathered at the Hierarch's ice cavern, far to the north
of where the forest fires were ripping a fiery path across Canada to
one side and the Soviet Union to the other. In the high arctic, the
Sun never sets at that time of year, but that day we knew he would not
be seen much anywhere for a long time after. We watched the West Wind
hurrying the fires along and casting great black smoke plumes to the
sprites of the upper air, who spread them to make a smothering tent
between earth and sky. The Aurora Borealis fairly screamed in
"Don't set your hopes too high," Winter warned us. "It may not
be the longest Winter ever. But with the things that come after--"
He smiled, as broadly as he had the day he murdered the Titanic with
an iceberg. "Ozone depletion, famine-- let us see how her Ladyship
weathers that."
could feel the tingle of excitement in the sprites and elves and imps
all about me. Soon they would be kept very busy.
"There will be refugees, fleeing northward from the destruction,"
said Scintilla, her snowflake robes shimmering with her anticipation,
"and before they realize the perils of the north and turn back, we
will catch them..."
My icy fingers closed on her throat, paralyzing her voice with my
frost. "You will be frosting windows, sprite. Taking human
life is my responsibility," I hissed, and released her.
She backed away, her eyes round with terror. The whole cavern was
suddenly silent. Even Winter made no remark about my change of heart,
except to raise his hoary brows.
am still proud to say I did my work efficiently. I suppose I couldn't
help making even killing into an art. My victims had a gentler,
swifter death than they would have had from Pestilence and Famine,
from whose jaws I often snatched them. I told myself it made no
difference to me how much or how little they suffered, but the
infinitesimal spark in my heart refused to go out. It was encased in
thick ice, as solid as an ancient glacier, but somehow it kept on
glowing there, so small that I had forgotten it by the eve of the
second Christmas.
Of course we Winterfolk did not call it Christmas, but the fourth day
after Winter Solstice. If there was Christmas anywhere on the globe
that year, I did not know about it. I no longer painted window panes,
leaving that minor necessity to my sprites. If they peeped through
the glass and saw yule logs or Christmas trees or turkey dinners in
any of the small rural communities that survived the War, they never
reported it to me. On my patrols of the roadways I certainly saw no
peace, nor any sign of good will. Straggling refugees, making their
way from town to town in hope of food and shelter and a place to begin
again, were shot on sight by farmers or turned away by paranoid
townspeople. I had an appointment with one of those unfortunates that
very night, the fourth after Winter Solstice.
found the place without trouble -- an abandoned church among a
half-dozen buildings, the remains of a prairie town that had died when
the railway was redirected, long before the coming of the deadly
Winter. A tiny building, it was nevertheless crowned with an onion
dome that would have gleamed, had the Sun been there to light it.
sign was painted in Slavic lettering on the wall by the door. Chipped
and peeling but still legible, the name of Saint Nicholas wrung from
me the first smile my face had known in a long time, and I could hear
my frozen cheeks crack.
quickly sobered. Bursting the lock with a single flip of the wrist, I
stepped in.
The interior of the church was swept clean of any accoutrements,
leaving only a raised platform where the altar had once stood. The
traditional icon screen must have been dismantled and taken away, when
the town died, but the ceiling and the walls...had eyes.
gazed around uncomfortably, for like any other member of the
Ecopantheon, I would not by choice enter any mortal edifice, least of
all a church. This one was long abandoned, but I could smell a
residue of power in the painted images. The eastern wall displayed a
Resurrection, the ceiling a stern Pantocrator and a Mother of God with
arms outstretched in prayer. The spaces between the plain glass
windows, three on each side, were filled by saints, each with
distinctive symbols and clothing.
recognized Nicholas at once, in his red robes and white mane. The
large, knowing eyes of the icon were uncannily like those of the real
Then I heard the victim at the door, where my sprites had advised me
she would be. They had reported the woman near exhaustion and
demoralized, and it was not likely she would be able to rally enough
resources to survive the night. Jack Frost had the mandate to end her
stood to the right of the door and breathed a chill down her neck as
she entered. She shivered, hugging her arms to her sides. Putting
one gloved hand out, she felt ahead in the dark emptiness, and I
slipped my arm under her elbow, snaking one finger in at the wrist of
her coat sleeve. She was young, and relatively healthy, if underfed,
and her clothing was fairly warm. It might take a long time to kill
her, but I was patient as well as gentle. I had nothing better to do
that Christmas eve, and was prepared to work all night. What I was
not prepared for was to be seen by her.
She turned around suddenly, as if she had heard something, and
screamed like a trapped animal. I dropped my hands to my side,
staring openmouthed at her terrified face.
"Oh, no. No," she said, as she backed away. She was halted abruptly
by the wall that bore Nicholas' icon. She huddled there, unaware of
the painted figure that towered protectively behind her, her eyes
locked on mine as if she were already frozen stiff.
was no better. At last I said, "It should not be possible for you to
see me."
The woman gulped, still rigid with terror. "Oh, God, please..." she
whispered. "You look too solid to be a hallucination. Who are you?"
had never conversed with a mortal before. What was I to tell her?
The truth, hissed the spark of warmth in my icy heart. It suddenly
thrust outward into the ball of ice that surrounded it, piercing all
the way to the surface like a slender white-hot needle. A spasm of
shock and pain nearly doubled me before I took control of myself.
"Are -- are you all right?" she asked.
nodded grimly. "I am Jack Frost."
She laughed nervously. "That's cute, Jack. I'm Catherine Williams.
Nice to meet you." She pulled off one glove and extended her small,
elegant hand. Not knowing what else to do, I reached out and clasped
"Your hands are like ice!" she gasped and withdrew her hand, blowing
on it before replacing the glove. "Oh, well, cold hands, warm heart,
right? So, what were you, before the War, with a name like 'Jack
Frost'? A rock musician? A mystery writer?"
"An artist," I said. The spark in my heart, laser-like, carved
another pinhole through the ice armour, but this time I was steeled
for it and revealed no pain to the mortal's eyes.
She let out a startled breath. It hung smokily before her face for a
moment, then vanished. "Well. It's still a small world, isn't it,
even after the War? I was an artist, too."
"You!" I said. "Catherine Williams! You painted for the American
"Why, yes," she said, still nervous, and I held the flame in my heart
carefully in check. It was not her fault the President had missed my
message by gazing at her painting, but neither was she immune to the
cold just because she was an artist like me. I had a job to do.
moved closer to her, and she had to crane her neck to look up at me.
She drew in a deep shuddering breath. "You aren't...human, are you?"
shook my head. I exhaled, letting my chill breath drop gently to her
upturned face.
Suddenly she bolted, but I snared her with my long icy arms, wrapping
them around her. "You can't run from Frost, Catherine Williams."
She stood shivering in my grip. I released one arm only, to run a
numbing fingertip across her nose and cheeks.
"You're going to kill me!" she whispered, and steamy tears spilled
from her dark, shiny mortal eyes. I jerked my hand away from the heat
of the tears, but ignored the flame I felt kindling in my chest. I
had never looked in a victim's eyes before, but neither had any of
them looked in mine as I did my work. It would be cowardice to turn
my gaze squeamishly away, when, through no choice of her own, she saw
her death leaning over her.
placed a frigid, whisper-soft fingerstroke across her chin. Suddenly
she pulled the woollen hat from her head, threw down her gloves and
ripped open the zipper of her coat, struggling out of the thick
sleeves like a snake out of its skin. Faster than I could follow her
with my chill touch, she shed her inner layers of clothing as well,
until she was as naked as Eve.
"Let's get it over with!" she said. "Go on, kill me! I stopped at a
farm before I got here, but they turned me away. Want to know why?
Because I was an artist! If I'd been a doctor or a nurse, maybe they
would have taken me in, but an artist is just another useless mouth to
feed!" She laughed bitterly. "I'll never paint another picture
again, and even if I did, who would look at it? So go ahead, kill
The spark in my heart swelled to an intense, angry candle flame. "Do
you think I'm a killer by choice? I was an artist! The more the
human race found ways to insulate itself against Winter, the freer I
was to practice my art. I did all I could to warn them, but they made
the War just the same!"
She said nothing, but merely stood there in her courageous nakedness,
and both anger and compassion fed the flame in my heart. I knew
unless I doused it quickly, I would soon be once again in the tortured
state I had suffered in my brief days as a prophet of doom.
willed the ice to harden, to contain the flame long enough for me to
do my work properly, and I said quietly, "I will do it as quickly as I
can." I rested one frigid hand on her bare shoulder, feeling her
shudders reverberate in my own bones. "Close your eyes, mortal. I
don't know how you can see me at all, but you needn't watch me
leeching the life from your body."
She clenched her teeth. "Why not? It's an artist's business to see
what other people can't. So what could be a more appropriate way for
me to die?"
third burst of white heat stabbed through the ice, and my frosty hand
went involuntarily to my chest. The juxtaposed heat and cold
threatened to burst the ice-armour as suddenly as my hands had burst
the door lock. I swallowed, clenching my fists, struggling for
"I am truly sorry, Catherine Williams," I said. "May you go wherever
mortal artists wish to go when they die."
lifted my hands again to place them on her shoulders, but suddenly she
was enveloped from head to foot in a vast blanket of crimson. Waves
of heat radiated from the fabric, and I drew back, scarcely able to
"Hello again, my friend," said Nicholas, as he wrapped the scarlet
cloak about the mortal woman. "Keep wrapped tight, my child. I have
business with our friend Frost here."
"Nicholas! What do you think you're doing?"
The sharp-eyed ex-mortal snapped his fingers under my nose. "You
are trespassing on my territory, Jack Frost. And on Christmas
eve, too!"
"Blast it, Nicholas. I'm no vampire or werewolf. It takes more than
a cross to keep the cold out."
Nicholas laughed as heartily as I had ever heard him do before the
War. "Well, you have me there, Frost. I admit you have every right
to be in an unheated church in the wintertime. But I won't allow you
under that cloak to murder a woman who's taken sanctuary on my
property. By the way," he added, grinning slyly, "it was I who gave
her the eyes to see and ears to hear you."
stood flexing my frosty fingers. No-one in the Ecopantheon had ever
battled Nicholas head-on before, and I wondered if this was the time
to try.
"Jack." Nicholas had that mischievous glint in his eye. "Why don't
you paint my windows for me? Something to make the place look
glanced up at the bare windowpanes and thought, My sprites should
have done that, blast them. Then I turned an ice-hard gaze on
Nicholas. "It's the same trick you used the first time, Nicholas.
Get me busy with the windows, and the victim will survive the night."
This time he didn't laugh, but merely shrugged. We faced each other
for a long time, and the voice that finally broke the silence was
Catherine Williams'.
"Take a crack at it, Jack. I'd like to see how an immortal artist
Nicholas shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid he is no artist now."
That was the last snowflake, the one that starts the avalanche. The
icy casing about my heart shattered like a crystal glass on a high
note. I flew to the window at the front left side of the church and
flashed a coating of frost onto the glass. Then I began to trace a
figure with lines of sparkling feathers. Something Christmassy,
Nicholas had taunted. My heart beat like a forge-hammer, red-hot and
powerful, but my fingers danced over the pane, light as spiderwebs.
When I was done, a long-bearded prophet stood there, holding aloft a
scroll in proclamation.
moved to the second window at once, before I could be stricken by the
sword-like pain. I painted the Annunciation, a stout-hearted Virgin
declaring, 'Be it unto me as you have said,' as steadfastly as
Catherine Williams had submitted to her would-be murderer.
The third window became a sunburst of angels, trumpeting the message
that would be Winter's death-song.
crossed the nave, scarcely aware of Nicholas standing in the corner
with the mortal woman muffled in the cloak at his feet. Another trio
of windows awaited my touch, and I dared not stop to give in to the
feverish pain in my bosom. I tore free of my jacket, but Winter's air
did little to relieve me as I leapt to the next window and engraved on
it a clutch of shepherds, who gazed in awe at the angelic hosts
opposite them.
came to the Nativity itself with dragging feet. My hands were as icy
as ever, but my veins were on fire. When I finished it, I -- Jack
Frost -- I was sweating. And still one window remained.
"Jack." Nicholas' hand was on my shoulder. "You have proved yourself
beyond measure, my friend --"
shrugged off the hand. I stood, labouring to breathe through scorched
lungs, staring at the blank glass. The right design was a simple
one. It would take only a brief, if intense, spurt of concentration
to complete.
should stop, I thought, before this pain drives me mad, get them to
bring in snow to cool me down. But I had a sudden fear that the
design would escape me, unless I outlined it at once. I drew in one
more breath, and pressed my palms to the glass.
With trembling fingers I drew the magi at the bottom of the window
pane, their eyes raised to the dome of heaven above them. Then I
climbed to the window sill, reaching for the top, where I placed the
most blazing star that ever lit the night. One after another I drew
the glittering frosted rays of the star outward from its points, till
they illuminated the wonderstruck faces of the magi below, and at last
filled the whole pane from frame to frame.
With outstretched arms, I hung dizzily on to the window frame,
balancing on the sill on the balls of my feet. The glory of the star
filled my sight; a nova-like blaze filled my bosom. I clung
transfixed to the window, while sweat coursed down my brow and
shoulders like a spring thaw. The heated ichor was flowing freely in
my veins, pouring down through my torso and thighs like lava. It was
only when the river of flame reached my hands that I moved again.
It stabbed at my palms like white-hot nails, and a faint tingling
began in my fingertips. I let go of the window frame, staring at my
hands in horror.
"No! Not my hands!" I screamed, and hurled myself at the window.
The hammering fever-heat in my head blocked out the sound of the
breakage, and I landed in the snow amid a thousand pieces of sparkling
glass, fragments of the great frosted star. I thrust my hands deep
into the snowbank, and clutched handsful of cold white powder,
ignoring the cuts where the black ichor oozed out to stain the snow.
One tiny, bright splinter of the star was embedded in my eye, and I
ignored that too, closing my eyelids as I burrowed deeper into the
snowbank. Steam rose around me, until at last I had the strength to
sit up, the flame diminished once more to a steady candlelight in my
Leaning over me was Nicholas. The mortal, dressed against the cold
again now, stood at his elbow. I drew a shuddering breath of cold
"Oh, Jack," the mortal artist said, "Your masterpiece--" And she
began to weep.
have been painting with frost since before her ancestors painted on
the walls of caves, and I needed no flattery from a mortal, but the
fire in my heart flared suddenly because I saw she had been moved by
my Epiphany.
looked at her, but what drew my eye was the star that, impossibly,
seemed to hang above her head. My immortal body was already beginning
to heal itself; ichor congealed on the surface of the lacerations, and
the cut in my eye had closed smoothly around the star-shaped splinter
of glass. It shone there, now, appearing wherever I looked-- at
Nicholas, at the mortal, at the cross atop the church dome, like a
mischievous eye, winking at me. And I did something I hadn't done
since the day I became a prophet of doom -- I laughed.
"Catherine Williams, Jack Frost's works of art have always been the
most fleeting. Weep not for me. It is only you mortal artists who
need strive so bitterly for permanence in your work."
She smiled. "So you think I should go back to my art."
smiled back. "And leave it by a window. I'd like to see it."
Nicholas, leaning on his staff, was looking at me with a grave
expression. "What now, my friend? Had you let the warmth melt your
very hands, you could have joined the Summerfolk."
stood up slowly, scooping up two handsful of snow. My fingerbones
were solid ice again; I let the snow fall and gave Nicholas' nose a
playful tweak. The flame in my heart still hurt, but it was dancing
now, as merrily as a Christmas carol.
So you see now why I am resolved not to leave the Winterfolk. Yes, it
means I'll still have to do some of Winter's dirty work, but as I said
before -- what I do is mercy killing. But I will never give up my art
again. If I went with you Summerfolk to paint flowers down in the
tropics, who would be left to paint the stars on the windows of
winter? No, on the contrary, the reason I've told you my tale is to
lure some of you warm-hearted folk over to my service. That's right
-- for the first time in his eons-long career, Jack Frost, the
undisputed first among the artists of the Ecopantheon, will take on
You're disappointed? You thought I was going to lead you all in a
rebellion against Winter. But don't you see, that's exactly what this
work is.
know, there are really none of you to spare from your work. Summer is
under siege in the tropics, and you have to work twice as hard to
accomplish half as much. But I'm asking you to wage a war of
propaganda and subversion. Bring your talents out behind Winter's
line of attack.
It's true my art failed to stop the mortals from pressing the
buttons. But it did save one human soul from despair, and also my
have to warn you: I'll drive you nearly as hard as I do myself, and I
can't promise you'll ever accomplish even as much as the little I've
done. But if even one or two of you would say, Yes, I'll leave my
bright floral palette in the tropical sun and dare to join Jack
Frost's school of rebels as they etch hope on the mortals' windows --
even one or two of you, ah, now, that would really be something to
warm my heart.
September 2, 2001


text:
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text:
Xavier Pro Series Recieved N4A Model Practices Award
June 11, 2014
CINCINNATI - Xavier University's Office of Student Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) earned national recognition for its career development program for student-athletes. The program, Xavier Pro Series, received the 2014 National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) Model Practices Award.
Xavier Pro Series began in 2011 as an incentive-based career development program for varsity student-athletes in their junior and senior seasons. The program offers a series of workshops throughout the academic year aimed at preparing student-athletes for professional careers and graduate school. Participation by Xavier student-athletes has grown each year since its inception.
Erik Alanson, Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Development, along with SAASS staff members Kerry Wright and Zach Barge presented a workshop about the Xavier Pro Series at the N4A National Convention in Orlando, Fla.
"Our office is incredibly proud of the national recognition we received for the Pro Series," said Alanson. "This program was designed to help prepare our student-athletes for their transitions from intercollegiate athletics to the world of work. It is great to know that Xavier has developed one of the top programs in our industry."
N4A recognizes one collegiate institution annually with this award, which provides a grant to help fund the program in the future.


text:
Personnel Staffing Expertise
Darrell Walker WorkForce Systems is an industry leader in the field of executive recruitment, professional placement, temp agency staffing and payroll services.
Employment Opportunities
An Alabama owned and operated personnel staffing and placement agency, we offer a variety of employment options, including professional career placements and our 'Try & Hire' plan (short-term, long-term, and permanent employment).
We have established ourselves as an industry leader in the field of Personnel Staffing, and we have the resources and expertise to get the job done.
Quality Jobs, Top Employers
We are always seeking quality job applicants that possess the skills, work ethic, and qualifications that are highly sought after by top employers throughout the area.
Job seekers may find employment with our staffing agency in one of the following industry sectors or job categories:
- Light Industrial
- Clerical / Office Support
- Medical
- Dental
- Sales
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Total Personnel Service
Whether you are a job seeker or an employer, we would welcome the opportunity to assist you.
Cities we serve include:
- Alabaster
- Birmingham
- Homewood
- Hoover
- Huntsville
- Leeds
- Moody
- Pell City
- Trussville
- Tuscaloosa
- and surrounding areas
Darrell Walker WorkForce Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer


text:
Gearing up for lacrosse season
Lacrosse is quite a popular sport at the college level and is played at quite a few colleges. There are about 63 sanctioned NCAA lacrosse teams currently active in America. Lacrosse is not an easy sport as it seems and it does require quite a bit of equipment. Here are a few things you would need before the new season begins.
One of the first things you would need would be your crosse stick. This is quite tricky as the crosse stick is regulated by the USLA and the NCAA to ensure there is no unfair advantage. For men, the short crosse stick must be between 40 and 42 inches and the long crosse stick must be between 52 and 72 inches. The goalie's crosse stick must be between 40 and 72 inches long. For women the crosse must be between 35.5 and 43.25 inches, while the goalie's crosse can be up to 48 inches. The material used in making the crosse stick is also regulated. The handle of the stick can be made from a composite metal alloy. All other parts however must be made of wood, laminated wood or a synthetic material such as plastic or fiberglass.
The next thing you would have to get would be your safety equipment. You would require a mouth-guard to protect the teeth and frontal part of your face, and a helmet to keep your head protected against impact. The Nike lacrosse helmet happens to be one of the most popular ones around. They are one of the most comfortable and lightweight ones you will find. They also feature a custom fit option which helps fit on different head shapes and sizes.
Once you've got your helmet it is time to get some practice equipment. The first thing you would need is the lacrosse ball. According to the UCLA and the NCAA the ball should be between 7.75 and 8 inches in total circumference and between 5 and 5-1/4 ounces in weight. The colors of these lacrosse balls are restricted to white, orange, yellow or lime green. In addition to the ball you could get yourself a lacrosse rebounder so you could have target practice. These rebounders are great to set up in a back yard and will help you improve your game.
Last but not the least you would need to consider getting good lacrosse footwear. Traction is quite important in lacrosse as you would have to make quick turns and stops. Getting the right footwear depends on the playing surface. Usually for field lacrosse having soft cleats with spikes would be a good idea. Rubber or hard plastic spikes are usually preferred.


text:
Overall: 2-3; Last Week: 0-0
Scoreboard: Holy Cross at Stonehill, Easton, Mass., 2/23, postponed
Holy Cross vs. St. Francis (Pa.), Manchester, Conn., 2/24, cancelled
Schedule: No scheduled matches
- The Holy Cross women's tennis team did not play any matches this past weekend due to inclement weather. The Crusaders' match versus Stonehill was postponed to Wednesday, March 13, while the match against St. Francis was cancelled.
- Holy Cross does not have any scheduled matches this week as its next match will be on March 13 at Stonehill.
- The Holy Cross women's tennis team lost its first match of the 2013 spring season, 6-1, at Southern New Hampshire on Friday, Feb. 15.
- Holy Cross freshman Abby Henry (Wellesley, Mass.) won the only Crusaders point during the Southern New Hampshire match at No. 4 singles, 6-4, 2-6, 10-4. Henry teamed up with junior Maya Welch (Rye, N.Y.) in No. 2 doubles, but the pair lost a close match, 8-5.
- In her first match of the 2012-2013 season, sophomore Taylor Stathis (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) lost her No.1 singles match by a score of 6-2, 6-1.
- Get all the latest news and results on the Holy Cross women's tennis team sent directly to your email. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here: http://www.goholycross.com/list-signup.


text:
O-H-I-O Share your pride
"Latin America/Caribbean" Images (696)
"Buckeyes in Santiago"
by Carrie Krochta - MA Arts Policy class of 2012
Graduate students of Arts Policy, Art Ed, and Music in Santiago, ChileCurrent students, Latin America/Caribbean
"Serving the USA in Peru"
by Jody Huss - Huge Fans
United States Air Force in Peru, taking care of the ill here.Latin America/Caribbean
"Bringing Ohio to the beach in Bermuda"
by Rick Verst - Civil Engineer
Verst family vacation on the beaches of Bermuda. Holding tight to the rock before the waves whisk us off.Latin America/Caribbean
"OHIO in the deep!"
by Larry L. Rummell - '65 Journalism Grad.
My son and his family went with my wife and me on a Disney Fantasy cruise to the Caribbean in April for a week. Our shore excursion at Grand Cayman was an underwater Sea Trek some 50 feet below the surface, wearing these 75lb helmets. Lots of bubbles, fish and fun. Pictured (l to r) son Rick, my wife Mary, granddaughter Allison and me. Rather crude "OHIO," but the conditions called for quick action and making sure the helmets and air stayed on our heads. However, the spirt was there!Alumni, Latin America/Caribbean
"Cayman Sunset-O"
by Steve Reiss - Business management, sophomore, xenon christian fellowship
This was taken on Grand Cayman Island and we used the setting sun as our O. It was EPIC!Beach, Current students, Latin America/Caribbean
"Bahamas 2012-O-H-I-O"
by Jen Purcell - Epidemiology
The girls (Trish, Carla, Jen, and Carolyn) chillaxing in the Bahamas.Current students, Latin America/Caribbean
"Greetings from Ouanaminthe Haiti"
Latin America/Caribbean
"O-H-I-O from the Virgin Islands"
by Ashley Bulinski - Junior, Biology major
OSU students and professors show their buckeye pride during a short term study abroad in the US Virgin Islands.Current students, Faculty/Staff, Latin America/Caribbean, Study abroad, US
"From OH to the DR"
by Rebecca Johnson Cervenec - Animal Sciences, '05; Veterinary Medicine, '11
Buckeyes on vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. From left to right: JC Decker, Crystal Newcomer Decker (Wildlife Management, '05; Veterinary Medicine, '09), and Jeremy Cervenec (Accounting, '05).Alumni, Latin America/Caribbean
"Buckeyes in the Moringa Field"
by Teresa Commisso - CCC employee
Kathy Braidic (Office of the CIO, 1998 Grad Public Policy and Management -MA), Stephanie Taylor (June 2012 Grad from College of Social Work -BSW), Teresa Commisso (Comprehensive Cancer Center) and Pam Hardin (College of Education and Human Ecology) in a field near Cabaret, Haiti where we planted Moringa seeds. We traveled as part of a group of 16 from Grace Fellowship Pickerington and served with CPR-3. Nutritional analyses show that the leaves from the Moringa tree are very high in protein and contain essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and C. Delivering such powerful nutrition Moringa leaves have the potential of obliterating malnutrition and related diseases in developing countries.Faculty/Staff, Latin America/Caribbean
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text:
Prostate Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, and African American men who are less likely to go for regular checkups, are especially at risk.
So the nation's urologists are encouraging the loved ones of this country's husbands, sons, brothers, nephews, uncles and adult males to get PSA--- prostate-specific antigen---testing for early detection of prostate cancer during the month of September.
According to Dr. Deepak Kapoor, President of the nation's largest urology practice group called LUGPA, one in six American men will have prostate cancer in their lifetime, and the incidence could be higher for African American males or those with prostate cancer in their families. PSA screening reduces cancer mortality and is the best way to reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer.
"As practitioners with the primary responsibility to diagnose and treat prostate cancer, we need to remain steadfast in our efforts to educate patients to access potentially life-saving diagnostic testing, including PSA testing for prostate cancer," said Dr. Kapoor.
That is why the nation's 2000 urologists are asking the loved ones of this nation's adult men to have a conversation with their doctor about whether PSA screening is appropriate for them. Doctors recommend PSA screening start at age 40 to 45.
A PSA test is merely a blood test. Early detection is critical to the success of prostate cancer treatments.
Tips from Dr. Kapoor: Remember to think SMART:
· Schedule an annual health exam. It's important to evaluate your health from year to year so you know if anything changes. Males of the age of 40 should talk to their doctor about prostate screening.
· Monitor your circulation. Talk to your doctor about exercises you can do to increase the circulation to your prostate gland tissue.
· Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Provide your body with a sufficient amount of rest and regular physical activity. Exercising regularly has been proven to ensure improvement of immune and digestive systems, body circulation, cleansing of body toxins and waste, and reducing stress.
· Reduce sodium by drinking more water. Staying hydrated will help flush toxins out of the urinary system. Ingesting too much salt can disrupt the water balance in your kidneys.
· Thrive without smoking. Smoking can cause bladder and kidney cancer, as well as contribute to erectile dysfunction.
About LUGPA
LUGPA represents 121 large urology group practices in the United States, with more than 2,000 physicians who make up more than 20 percent of the nation's practicing urologists. LUGPA and its member practices are committed to best practices, research, data collection and benchmarking to promote quality clinical outcomes. For more information, visit lugpa.org.
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