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Behind Kenya's harsh penal code
Yesterday's post in Conjugality by Matthew Otieno scolding President Barack Obama for chiding Kenyans about their views on homosexuality has created a lot of controversy on MercatorNet. Several readers have noted that Kenya has very severe penalties for gay sex in its Penal Code.
What does the 2009 Code actually say?
Article 162 deals with homosexual acts. "Any person who - (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal" is "liable to imprisonment for 14 years". Homosexual rape is punishable with 21 years' imprisonment.
Article 163 deals with attempted unnatural offences. Such crimes are punishable with 7 years' imprisonment. Article 165 deals with acts of "gross indecency" by males, whatever that means. Perhaps a stolen kiss. These are punishable by 5 years' imprisonment.
Do these sound harsh? Absolutely.
But if you take a…
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In ten to thirty years, the survivors will speak out
Noah Berger/Reuters/New York Times
The New York Times reported this week that the American Boy Scouts are ending a nationwide ban on gay leaders. According to the Times, the organization was seeking to resolve an issue that threatened to tear apart the organization and expose it to crippling lawsuits. Discrimination based on sexual orientation will also be barred in all Boy Scout offices and for all paid jobs. The step, the paper says, is aimed at heading off lawsuits in New York, Colorado and other states that prohibit such discrimination in employment.
It's a pity, however, that the Times missed a shocking story which emerged at the same time as jubilation over the new policy. If they had the stomach for it, it might make readers think twice about the wisdom of allowing the Boy Scouts to have gay leaders.
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A note to Obama: don't lecture Kenyans on gay rights
Dear Sir,
I must begin by congratulating you on being the first sitting American president to visit our country. It is highly unlikely you noticed it, but they renovated the highways and swept the streets for you. Never mind that a few blocks away from the highway you used, I have frequently escaped being knocked down while walking on the road, which is the only sensible place to walk if you don't want to arrive at your destination with shoes caked with dust.
But anyway, that aside, we are Kenyans. We like visitors, and we make the living room, which is where we host them, very clean and beautiful, even if it means sweeping all the dirt and muck into the other rooms. We'll deal with the trash when you are gone. And I hope that you were not fooled by the excellent behaviour of our leaders;…
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Is marriage evolving? Or being dismantled?
The campaign to redefine marriage has recently gained such momentum - with now three and soon four bills before the Commonwealth Parliament - that many think it is inevitable. This can leave those with misgivings feeling that they are already losers in a done deal.
Some think it is the inexorable progress of liberty and equality - which leaves the doubters on "the wrong side of history."
In this context supporters of classical marriage are presumed to have no real arguments to offer. So here I want to offer some reasons - not decrees from on high or from the past, not expressions of hatred or prejudice - but reasons I hope anyone can understand. I also hope these reasons prove persuasive and helpful in proclaiming and witnessing to true marriage among families, friends and colleagues.
Regardless, I hope this will help explain why Australian law has always held,…
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Monkey business at Amazon as marriage scholar's book is published
There's a "one-star vs five-star" battle going on at Amazon on the page of Ryan Anderson's newly published book, Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom, the first book to respond to the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage.
With the print version not even released yet (August 31 is the date) but availble on Kindle, Anderson's book is already No 1 Best Seller in the General Constitutional Law category at Amazon and at this moment has 222 reviews, 69 percent of which give it a five star rating while 26 percent give it one star. There's nothing much in between. The average rank is 3.9.
However, that's up from a couple of days ago when the average rank was 3.4, with 40 percent of 120 reviewers giving it one star. At that stage, the Heritage blog The Daily Signal reported that opponents had been working social media outlets to orchestrate a campaign of negative reviews,…
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Assessing Justice Kennedy as a marriage counselor
Justice Anthony Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court seems to know a lot about marriage, Justice Kennedy especially. His Honor says once gays get married they'll radiate dignity, and autonomy and spirituality. Sad to believe they'll need all that. The wife and I destroyed each other's dignity and autonomy right after our honeymoon. Odd thing: we've been happy ever since.
Year one, her chief object was to keep me from wearing cargo pants. No man was ever taken seriously wearing them, she said. Next she separated me from an old pair of wingtips and a loose fitting seersucker suit. My bow ties disappeared too.
She didn't win much dignity or autonomy marrying me either. I made her eat Middle Eastern food and read bad poetry. My poetry. I pressured her into foreign adoption which at the time…
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Obergefell: the states' duty to seek rehearing
To the Attorneys General, Governors, and Legislatures of Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky:
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the Obergefell case, purporting to overturn all state constitutional amendments and laws in your four states defining marriage as a covenant union between two people of the opposite sex. Since then, numerous efforts have been made, urging each state to file a Petition for Rehearing of that decision, as permitted in the Rules of the Supreme Court before the deadline of Tuesday, July 21, 2015. Apparently, to date, every such effort has been rebuffed. In response, various of your offices have stated that such a Petition would be: (i) unlikely to succeed; (ii) a waste of time: and (iii) a waste of money.
We know of two draft Petitions for Rehearing that have been prepared by outside lawyers. One of these…
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I can't 'celebrate' but it doesn't mean I hate you
From left to right, the car's bumper stickers read: "Hatred is Not a Family Value," "Celebrate Diversity" (in rainbow colors), and "Obama-Biden."
Collectively, these refreshed my growing fear that I should soon "celebrate" certain lifestyle choices or suffer the consequences. There was once another option, but memory of it is fading rapidly like an image in my rear view mirror.
Both the imperative tone and intolerance of the bumper messages are troubling; as is the shallow and muddled thinking behind them. A polite "no thank you" is now an unacceptable response to the colorful and demanding "celebrate". It is time we rediscovered the validity of conscientious objection.
Conscientious objection is objection to an act, not a person. Equating conscientious objection with bigotry is unkind and a particularly egregious kind of ignorance. And restricting and penalizing the exercise of religiously-informed civil rights is simply wrong -- though in modern parlance it is "evolved" behavior.
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Public life after same-sex marriage: New Zealand
Kawarau Bridge Bungee Jumping, New Zealand. Helena Jinx / Flickr
In the marriage debate, all eyes recently have been on Ireland, where a referendum has given the government a mandate to legalise same-sex marriage, and the United States, where a bare majority of the Supreme Court has saved holdout states the trouble of asking their citizens by finding a right to gay marriage in the Constitution.
We have noted on this blog a number of legal cases and controversies related in one way or another to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in some US states and in Britain.
But what has been the broader effect in the UK, and in other countries that have taken this step? Is there evidence of the harm to democracy, to free speech and religious liberty that dissenting judges pointed to in the recent US Supreme Court decision?
Public life after same-sex marriage: Canada
Choke Hold. Nathan Rupert / Flickr
In the second article in this series Andrea Mrozek, Executive Director of the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada finds that SSM, legalised there nationally in 2005, is one of several trends affecting freedom of speech and religion.
It is the IMFC's position that legalization of same-sex marriage (SSM) is an effect of a longer cultural trajectory away from Judeo-Christian norms. It is also a cause of new cultural and legal trends, yet the legalization of SSM must be viewed in its historical context. Many aspects of cultural change occurring now were happening before the legalization of SSM. Therefore, it is impossible to assign causation to SSM legalization.
One can assume that all the changes to family form—including no fault divorce, and recognizing common-law (de facto) relationships as being the same as marriage, alongside legalization of…
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Conjugality deals with the true nature of marriage and the challenges it faces today. Our current focus is on the campaign to legalise same-sex marriage. We'd love to get your comments and suggestions. Send an email to email@example.com


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- Sunday: 4 person teams
- Monday: 2 person competitive doubles
- Wednesday: 4 person teams
- Thursday: 2 person open doubles
Best Dart and Pool Leagues
Have fun and meet great people when you join Cheyenne's best dart and pool leagues. Whether you missed your calling as a professional dart player or would never be considered a pool "shark," we have a league for you. Join a pool or dart league based on your particular skill level.
With our year-round leagues, we always welcome new individuals and groups.

subset: commoncrawl


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A delivery sheath is provided for deploying a self-expanding intravascular filter. The sheath includes a stiff proximal portion which provides for good pushability and trackability through tortuous vessels and a soft, flexible, low profile, radiopaque distal tip for holding and delivering a deployable filter. The soft distal tip minimizes the formation of embolic particles that may be produced by contact between the sheath and an arterial lesion. The distal tip may be molded from a polymer containing radiopaque particles held in suspension and thereby provides for good visualization under fluroscopy.
1. A sheath for delivering and deploying an intravascular filter device within a body lumen, comprising:
an elongated, tubular proximal portion adapted for deployment within a body lumen and a tubular distal tip extending from the proximal portion, wherein the outside diameter of the distal tip is less than the outside diameter of the proximal portion; and
the distal tip has a cavity sized for slidable receipt of an intravascular filter device.
2. The delivery sheath of
the distal tip includes means for achieving radiopacity.
3. The delivery sheath of
the means for achieving radiopacity comprises a plurality of radiopaque marker bands attached to the distal tip.
4. The delivery sheath of
the means for achieving radiopacity comprises radiopaque particles in suspension within a polymer which forms the tip.
5. The delivery sheath of
the radiopaque particles are bismuth particles.
6. The delivery sheath of
the polymer is polyethylene.
7. The delivery sheath of
the polymer is PeBax 40D.
8. The delivery of sheath of
the distal tip is sufficiently long to fully enclose the intravascular filter.
9. The delivery sheath of
distal portion is formed from a polymer material with a modulus of elasticity lower than that of the material which forms the proximal portion.
10. The delivery sheath of
the proximal portion is formed from high density polyethylene and the distal is formed from low density polyethylene.
11. The delivery of sheath of
the proximal portion and the distal tip are co-molded to form a single unitary sheath.
12. The delivery sheath of
the proximal portion and the distal tip are formed as discrete components and are joined to form a unitary sheath.
13. The delivery sheath of
the proximal portion has a thick wall with a relatively small lumen sized for receipt of a guidewire and wherein the distal portion has a comparatively thin wall and a comparatively large lumen for receipt of a filter device.
14. A sheath for delivering and deploying an intravascular filter within a body lumen, the sheath comprising:
an elongated proximal portion having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, the proximal portion being adapted for deployment in a body lumen; and
a distal tip connected to the proximal portion, wherein the outside diameter of the distal tip is less than the outside diameter of the proximal portion, the distal tip including a profiled cavity having a through-hole for communicating with the lumen of the proximal portion, wherein the profiled cavity is adapted to slidably receive and hold an intravascular filter in a half-load position.
15. The delivery sheath of
the profiled cavity is cylindrical with a conical end portion.
16. The delivery sheath of
the profiled cavity is cylindrical with a parabolic end portion.
17. The delivery of sheath
the proximal portion and the distal tip are co-molded to form a single unitary sheath.
18. The delivery sheath of
the distal tip includes means for achieving radiopacity.
19. The delivery sheath of
the means for achieving radiopacity comprises a plurality of radiopaque marker bands attached to the distal tip.
20. The delivery sheath of
the means for achieving radiopacity comprises radiopaque particles in suspension within a polymer which forms the tip.
21. The delivery sheath of
the radiopaque particles are bismuth particles.
22. The delivery sheath of
the radiopaque particles are barium oxide particles.
23. A delivery system for delivering an intravascular filter device within a body lumen, the system comprising:
an expandable filter device deployable within a vessel lumen;
a guide wire having proximal and distal ends, wherein the filter device is attached to the distal end of the guide wire;
a delivery sheath having an elongated tubular proximal portion and a tubular distal tip connected to the proximal portion, wherein the outside diameter of the distal tip is less than the outside diameter of the proximal portion and the proximal portion and distal tip are adapted for deployment within a body lumen;
the distal tip including a cavity having a hole for communication with the lumen of the proximal portion, the cavity being adapted for slidable receipt of an intravascular filter;
the distal tip further including radiopaque means for achieving radiopacity, wherein the tip is visible during fluoroscopy;
means for positively locating the filter within the profiled cavity; and
the proximal end of the guide wire being threaded through the distal tip of the delivery sheath, wherein the filter is seated within the profiled cavity.
24. The delivery system of
the radiopaque means comprises barium particles held in suspension within the polymer which forms the tip.
25. The delivery system of
the radiopaque means comprises a plurality of radiopaque markers attached to the tip.
26. The delivery system of
the means for positively locating the filter within the profiled cavity includes a radiopaque marker affixed to the guide wire proximal of the filter and a bearing surface withing the profiled cavity, wherein the radiopaque marker abuts the bearing surface when the guide wire is fully threaded through the delivery sheath.
27. The delivery system of
the profiled cavity is adapted to slidably receive and hold an intravascular filter in a half-load position.
28. The delivery system of
an obturator which provides a smooth transition from the tip to the filter device.
The present invention relates generally to the field of percutaneous transluminal treatment of stenosed or narrowed arteries in the human vascular system. More specifically, the invention is directed to a sheath for delivering intravascular filters for use in capturing embolic debris across tight lesions.
Arteries can become stenotic in a number of ways. Often, a stenosis or lesion forms due to an accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque on the walls of a blood vessel. Atherosclerotic plaque is typically a hard calcified substance, particles of which may dislodge during interventional procedures and flow freely in the circulatory system. A stenosis also may form from an accumulation of thrombus material which is typically softer than atherosclerotic plaque, but can nonetheless cause restricted blood flow in the lumen of a vessel. Like atherosclerotic plaque, thrombus material may sometimes dislodge during interventional procedures. Free flowing particulates, whether composed of plaque or thrombus material, are commonly referred to as emboli. Such free flowing emboli are dangerous since they may become lodged in small blood vessels and occlude or partially occlude the vessels.
Various approaches have been developed to treat a stenotic lesion in the vasculature. One of the most common is balloon angioplasty. Balloon angioplasty is directed towards relieving the constriction in the artery by radially expanding the stenosis to increase the diameter of the artery wall at the region of the stenosis. Another common procedure used to treat a stenotic lesion is atherectomy. In an atherectomy procedure, the stenosis is removed from the artery by the action of a cutting blade.
In a typical balloon angioplasty procedure, a guiding catheter is percutaneously introduced into the cardiovascular system of a patient through the femoral artery by means of a conventional Seldinger technique and advanced within a patient's vascular system until the distal end of the guiding catheter is positioned at a point proximal to the lesion site. A guide wire and a dilatation catheter having a balloon on the distal end are introduced through the guiding catheter with the guide wire sliding within the dilatation catheter. The guide wire is first advanced out of the guiding catheter into the patient's vasculature and is directed across the arterial lesion. The dilatation catheter is subsequently advanced over the previously advanced guide wire until the dilatation balloon is properly positioned across the lesion. Once in position, the expandable balloon is inflated to a predetermined size with a radiopaque liquid at a relatively high pressure to radially compress the atherosclerotic plaque of the lesion against the inside of the artery wall, thereby dilating the lumen of the artery. The balloon is then deflated to a small profile so that the dilatation catheter may be withdrawn from the patient's vasculature and blood flow resumed through the dilated artery. As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, while the above-described procedure is typical, it is not the only method used in angioplasty.
The procedure for atherectomy is similar to that of balloon angioplasty in that a guiding catheter is introduced into the patient's vasculature through a conventional Seldinger technique and a guide wire is typically advanced through the guiding catheter and across an arterial lesion to a point distal of the lesion. However, rather than expanding the lesion and artery with a balloon as in angioplasty, in atherectomy, a specialized catheter containing rotating cutting blades is used to mechanically cut or abrade the stenosis from the wall of the artery.
With either of the above procedures, the treated artery wall suffers a degree of trauma and in a small percentage of cases may abruptly collapse or may slowly narrow over a period of time. To prevent either of these conditions, the treatment procedure may be supplemented by implanting within the arterial lumen a prosthetic device known as a stent. A stent is a small tubular metallic structure which is fitted over a catheter balloon and expanded at the lesion site. Stents serve to hold open a weakened blood vessel and help to prevent the blood vessel from collapsing or narrowing over time.
Balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, and stenting procedures have proven successful and are widely used in the treatment of stenosis of the coronary arteries and have, for many patients, rendered unnecessary invasive bypass surgery. However, all of the above procedures may create embolic particles which in certain critical arteries, such as the carotid arteries, may pose a significant risk of ischemic stroke. For this reason, these beneficial techniques have not been widely used in treating stenosis of the carotid arteries, leaving invasive bypass surgery as the primary treatment of choice.
Embolic particles may be created during balloon angioplasty because stenoses are often formed from hard calcified plaque which tends to crack when subjected to radial expansion of the inflatable balloon. Upon cracking, emboli may be released into a patient's bloodstream. Emboli may also be formed during a stenting procedure since the metal struts of the stent may cut into the stenosis and shear off plaque or thrombus material. During an atherectomy procedure, a constant stream of particles is cut from the stenosis. Typically, a suction catheter is used to capture these particles before the particles flow downstream in the vessel. However, it is often necessary to pull a high vacuum in order to remove all debris created by the cutting process. In some circumstances, it is not possible to pull a high enough vacuum to remove all debris without causing radial collapse of the weakened artery. Thus, some particles may not be drawn into the suction catheter and may flow downstream as emboli, where the particles may become lodged in small diameter blood vessels.
Numerous embolic filters or traps have been proposed, to capture embolic particles flowing distal of a lesion. The majority of these devices use some form of woven mesh basket. Some of these devices are self-expanding and are intended to be attached to a guide wire and delivered by a catheter or delivery sheath. Once the filter is in position in the vasculature, the sheath is removed from the collapsed filter to allow the filter to self-deploy to an expanded position within an artery. A typical example of the wire mesh basket type of intravascular filter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,978, entitled "Device and Method for Emboli Retrieval" issued to Ginsburg. Ginsburg discloses a removable vascular filter permanently attached to a guide wire for deployment from a catheter. The filter is comprised of an expandable wire mesh basket employing diamond shaped cells. Upon deployment, the filter expands to contact the walls of the lumen, thereby obstructing the vessel and straining blood flowing through the lumen.
One problem common to most types of intravascular filters is the process of delivering the filter to a point distal of the lesion without creating embolic particles prior to the filter's deployment. In delivering an intravascular filter, typically, a guiding catheter will have been previously advanced through the patient's vasculature to a point proximal of the arterial lesion. Subsequently, the filter along, with a delivery sheath which covers the collapsed filter, is advanced through the guiding catheter and across the arterial lesion. Then the sheath may be retracted to deploy the filter. Since arterial lesions tend to be formed of friable material, sufficient abrasion of the lesion caused by the delivery sheath while crossing the lesion or by any subsequent manipulation process required to deploy the filter may create embolic particles.
What is needed therefore is a delivery sheath with a sufficiently low profile that it may cross a lesion without causing any significant abrasion, which may lead to the creation of embolic particles. In addition, the sheath should have a soft and flexible distal tip to reduce trauma to the lesion in the event of contact during crossing and to reduce possible abrasion during deployment of the filter. Further, the filter should include features that allow for rapid deployment of the filter with a minimum of relative motion between the delivery sheath and the guide wire. The present invention meets these and other needs.
The present invention provides a delivery sheath for deploying collapsible intravascular filters. The delivery sheath includes a stiff proximal portion to help advance the sheath through a guiding catheter, and along a guide wire, and a soft distal tip for holding and delivering a deployable filter to a location distal of an arterial lesion. The proximal portion is produced from a material having relatively high stiffness, thereby giving the proximal portion high column strength which results in good pushability of the delivery sheath through tortuous vessels. The distal tip of the sheath is made from a softer, more pliable material than that of the proximal portion. The distal tip has a relatively low stiffness which minimizes trauma to the vessel caused by contact between the vessel and the distal tip. In addition, the distal tip is necked down from the proximal portion to form a reduced crossing profile. The reduced profile decreases the likelihood that the distal tip will contact an arterial lesion, while crossing the lesion, and consequently reduces the possibility that plaque will be abraded or sheared from the surface of the lesion.
In order to aid a vascular surgeon in placing the sheath under fluoroscopy or similar x-ray visualization procedures, the distal tip may be made radiopaque by molding the tip from a polymer material containing radiopaque particles, such as bismuth particles, held in suspension in the polymer. Alternatively, the distal tip may be equipped with radiopaque markers. The distal tip may be co-molded with the proximal portion to form a single unitary delivery sheath or the distal portion may be formed as a separate component which is attached to the proximal portion of the sheath by adhesives, ultrasonic welding, or other suitable bonding methods.
Abrasion between the sheath and the lesion during sheath introduction and filter deployement may be minimized by reducing the relative motion between the distal tip and the guide wire. This may be accomplished by partially loading the filter device within the distal tip. In partial or half-loading, about one half of the length of the filter device is loaded into the distal tip, while the remainder, typically the filtering element, is left extending from the tip. Particular embodiments of the distal tip incorporate profiled cavities having positive stop features for facilitating half-loading of the filter. A filter device which is half-loaded into the delivery sheath requires only about one half of the relative motion between the sheath and the guide wire for deployment that would otherwise be required by fully loading the filter within the delivery sheath. Thus, half-loading the filter device is advantageous in that it allows for quick filter deployment with minimal manipulation needed for deployment, as well as minimal force.
The present invention reduces the likelihood of emboli formation during the delivery of an intravascular filter by providing a delivery sheath with a radiopaque, low profile, distal tip which minimizes the possibility of abrasion and shearing of the lesion as the sheath crosses a tight lesion. Thus, the delivery sheath of the present invention increases the safety and efficacy of interventional procedures. Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying exemplary drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of a delivery sheath, embodying features of the present invention, shown positioned within a vessel lumen and extending across an arterial lesion while holding a deployable filter in the half-load position.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the delivery sheath shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the delivery sheath shown in FIG. 1, where the sheath is equipped with radiopaque markers.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a delivery sheath made in accordance with the present invention showing a profiled cavity with beveled faces for holding a deployable filter.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another delivery sheath made in accordance with the present invention showing a profiled cavity of parabolic shape for holding a deployable filter.
The delivery sheath of the present invention may be used with any self-expanding or non-self-expanding deployable intravascular filter. Most self-expanding and non-self-expanding basket type filters are suitable.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the low profile delivery sheath 10, having a tubular proximal portion 12 and a tubular distal tip 14, is shown in its operating environment within a lumen 16 of an arterial vessel 18. The delivery sheath is shown advanced across a lesion 20 with a deployable filter 22, having a expandable strut assembly 24 and a filtering element 26, held in a partial or half-load position. The filter device 22 is in its reduced diameter state within the distal tip 14 of the sheath 10, ready to be deployed past the lesion for capturing embolic material released into the blood stream. An obturator 23 could be positioned over the tip of the guide wire 34 providing a smooth, atraumatic transition from the guide wire tip to the proximal portion of the filter device system. Although not shown in the other embodiments, a similar obturator could likewise be incorporated into these other designs.
The proximal portion 12, of the delivery sheath 10, includes a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end. A relatively small inner lumen 30 extends from the proximal end to the distal end 28. This proximal portion has a relatively thick tubular wall 32. The inner lumen in the proximal portion of the delivery sheath, needs to be only large enough to allow for the passage of a guide wire 34. The small inner lumen and the tubular wall cooperate to provide the proximal section a high cross sectional stiffness which provides for good pushability within a guiding catheter (not shown) or the vessel lumen 16. The proximal portion may be made of any suitable bio-compatible polymer possessing a relatively high modulus of elasticity ("G"), such as high density polyethylene. Other materials such as high density polypropylene and PeBax 720 are also suitable. The proximal portion may be formed as a continuous length of tubing by any known extrusion, drawing, molding, or similar production process.
The distal tip 14 of the delivery sheath 10 includes proximal and distal ends, 36 and 38 respectively, and has a relatively large inner lumen 40 with a relatively thin wall 42. The proximal end of the distal tip includes a necked down section 44, which reduces the diameter of the distal tip so that the tip may more easily pass across tight arterial lesions and thereby deliver the intravascular filter device 22 to a location distal of the lesion. The necked down region of the distal tip also improves device trackability through tortuous anatomy. The inner lumen is adapted to slidably receive the intravascular filter device in its collapsed state. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the filter device may be fully withdrawn into the lumen (full-load position) or the filter may be partially withdrawn into the lumen (half-load position) so that the expandable strut assembly 24 of the filter device, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is collapsed within the lumen while the filtering membrane 26 remains extended distally outward from the distal end of the lumen.
It may be desirable to make the distal tip 14 of the sheath 10 radiopaque in order to enable a vascular surgeon to properly visualize and precisely place the distal tip and the filter device 22 in a vessel lumen using fluroscopy or other x-ray visualization procedures. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distal tip is entirely radiopaque. This is achieved by molding the distal tip from a polymer containing radiopaque particles 46 held in suspension within the polymer. Bismuth particles are particularly well suited to this application, however other radiopaque materials which may be procured in particle form such as platinum, gold, silver, barium oxide, and tantalum, are also suitable. Alternatively, the distal end 38 of the distal tip may be equipped with a plurality of discrete radiopaque markers 48 at fixed locations along the tip, as shown in FIG. 3.
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, two additional embodiments of the distal tip 14 are shown. These embodiments are particularly useful for deploying embolic filters in the half-load configuration. FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment where the distal tip includes a cylindrical cavity 50 terminating in a chamfered or conical surface 52, which aids in loading the filter device 22. This embodiment also includes a bearing surface 54 which contains a through-hole 58 for the guide wire 34. The hole is sized to be a loose slip fit with the guide wire. A positive stop 53 for loading the filter may be formed by attaching a radiopaque marker 60 to the guide wire just proximal of the intravascular filter. The radiopaque marker functions as a positive stop by abutting the bearing surface when the intravascular filter is loaded into the delivery sheath by pulling on the guide wire. FIG. 5 depicts an additional embodiment of the distal tip which includes the cylindrical cavity and a parabolic end surface 62. The parabolic end surface may provide easier loading with certain filter configurations.
The distal tip 14 may be formed from any bio-compatible polymer material possessing a low modulus of elasticity (G). Examples of suitable materials are low density polyethylene, low density polypropylene, and PeBax 40b, as well as the polyolefinic ionomers of the sodium, lithium and zinc types. These ionomers are commercially available from the E. I. Dupont de Nemours Corporation under the trademark SURLYN. Polyolefinic ionomers which have been irradiated to cross link the polymers are also suitable as are blends of polyolefin and polyethylene. Other bio-compatible polymeric materials may also be suitable. The distal tip 14 may be formed by any known extrusion, injection molding technique, or similar production technique.
The distal tip 14 may be co-molded with the proximal portion 12 to form a single unitary delivery sheath 10, as is shown in FIGS. 1-3. Co-molding techniques are known in the art. Alternatively, the distal tip 14 may be formed as a separate component, as is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. When formed as a separate component, the distal tip may be attached to the proximal portion of the sheath by adhesives, ultrasonic welding, heat shrinking using shrinkable tubing or other suitable methods. After fabrication, selected lengths of the delivery sheath may be packaged in sealed inert polyethylene bags and then sterilized by irradiation techniques well known to those skilled in the art. In a typical interventional procedure, coronary or carotid application the overall length of the sheath is about 135 cm, with the relatively stiff proximal portion being about 130 cm long and the distal tip being about 10 cm long.
Referring now to FIG. 4, a preferred method of use of the delivery sheath 10 of the present invention is as follows. A guiding catheter (not shown) is percutaneously introduced into a patient's vasculature, using a conventional Seldinger technique, and is advanced through the patient's body lumen 16 until its distal end lies proximal to and somewhat removed from the arterial lesion 20. Preferably, the guiding catheter is equipped with a radiopaque marker on its distal end. A vascular surgeon may accurately place the guiding catheter within body lumen by tracking the progress of radiopaque marker with x-ray or similar visualization apparatus.
Once the guiding catheter has been placed, the delivery sheath 10 is back-loaded with the guide wire 34 and the filter device 22. Back-loading is accomplished by threading the proximal end of the guide wire through the distal end 38 of the delivery sheath. Attached to the distal end of the guide wire is the intravascular filter device. Once the guide wire is threaded through the delivery sheath, the filter device may be gently compressed and loaded into the distal tip 14 of the delivery sheath by gently pulling on the proximal end of the guide wire which should be extending from the proximal end of the delivery sheath. Alternatively, a commercial available funnel introducer may be used to reduce the diameter of the filter device before loading the filter device int the delivery sheath. This technique reduces the force necessary to load the filter device into the delivery sheath. After a small amount of force is applied to the guide wire, the radiopaque marker 60 attached to the guide wire will abut the bearing surface 54 of the cylindrical cavity 50. At this point the filter is in the half-load position and is ready for deployment. Alternatively, one of the distal tip embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-3 may be employed. In this case, the filter device may be fully withdrawn into the distal tip, or the filter device may partially extend from the distal tip at the vascular surgeons discretion.
The back-loaded delivery sheath 10 is subsequently advanced through the proximal end of the guiding catheter and out of the distal end until the sheath has crossed the arterial lesion 20. Exact placement of the distal tip 14 and consequently the filter device 22 may be easily determined by tracking the progress of the bismuth or barium oxide loaded radiopaque distal tip (preferred), or alternatively the radiopaque marker equipped distal tip, with fluroscopy apparatus. Once in position, deployment may be achieved by pulling backward on the delivery sheath while holding the guide wire in place. An alternative deployment method is to push forward on guide wire while holding the delivery sheath in place. Upon deployment of the filter device, the delivery sheath is withdrawn and an apparatus for an angioplasty or other interventional procedure may advance through the guiding catheter and over the guide wire core.
It will be appreciated that a new delivery sheath which minimizes the device crossing profile along with formation of embolic particles during the delivery of an intravascular filter has been presented. While only the presently preferred embodiments have been described in detail, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, modifications and improvements may be made to the device disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
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Macbook (Uni/Late 09) issue shuts down immediately (video)
This is the video about the issue. It was working very well till I decided to replace my cracked Housing, Display Rear with new one i bought on ebay. I replaced it succesfully and wanted to test it before I put everything back together. It work like 5 minutes with no problem then it shut down by itself and i couldnt turn it on again ever. What do you thing about the issue? Where is the problem? I couldnt find a solution. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
YouTube - MACBOOK (Uni/Late 09) ISSUE SHUTS DOWN IMMEDIATELY
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Newly renovated and refurbished, the Evason Ma'In Hot Springs and Six Senses Spa reflects a modern look while ensuring comfort.
Find great deals on quality hotels & resorts in Madaba Jordan, or indulge at one of our luxury resorts. Take advantage of the many amenities that can be included with your stay such as in-room internet access, wifi, room service, fitness center, pool, hot tub, steam room, and shuttle services to and from the airport. Browse our hotels and resorts in Madaba Jordan and plan your Madaba Jordan vacation today!


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Sinéad Finnerty-Pyne '00 was determined to find a job in the art world once she earned her degree at Loyola Marymount University. During her senior year, she worked at the Laband Art Gallery and assisted on a professional art show, gaining valuable knowledge and connections.
Today, Finnerty-Pyne is a curator and exhibitions manager at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, Calif., where this past spring she organized her first major exhibition, "Under the Knife." She also served as judge for the 2009 "California Open Exhibition," held May 23-June 26, 2009 in Long Beach, Calif. She credits her education and years at LMU as the driving force in her career. "The professors were very supportive of my ambitions," Finnerty-Pyne said. "I had a great experience at LMU."
"Under the Knife" displayed the art of 12 contemporary artists who employ the technique of cutting in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture and collage. Finnerty-Pyne, who earned her bachelor's degree in art history with a minor in studio art, is working on her next major exhibition, "Stitches," which will open in spring 2010.
Finnerty-Pyne started preparing to be an arts administrator during her undergraduate years at LMU. She got on-the-job training in her senior year when Gordon Fuglie, then-director of the Laband Art Gallery, asked Finnerty-Pyne to assist on a show of Los Angeles artists that was held in Seattle. Her role was to interview the artists for the curator's catalog essay.
In 2006, Finnerty-Pyne curated "Ricochet," the first juried exhibition of LMU alumni art. "I was honored to be a part of the rich history of LMU's Department of Art and Art History by curating the inaugural alumni exhibition," Finnerty-Pyne said. "I started off as a student who worked behind the front desk 10 years earlier, then became someone who curated an exhibition there. That was truly an important moment in my artistic career."
Finnerty-Pyne has been with the nonprofit Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena for about 1½ years. She has worked on Yoko Ono's "Wish Tree" project in Pasadena and is preparing for the center's 20th anniversary exhibition, "Installations Inside/Out," featuring artists such as Ed Ruscha, Bruce Nauman and Daniel Buren.
For more information about the Armory Center for the Arts, go to www.armoryarts.org. For more information on LMU's arts offerings, go to http://cfa.lmu.edu.
© 2012 Loyola Marymount University


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No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.
Elbert Hubbard
No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.
Elbert Hubbard
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As the summer vacation season approaches and millions of people start planning trips, among the most popular ways the recreation-starved choose to spend their hard-earned vacation time and harder-earned cash is on cruise ships or at all-inclusive tropical resorts. The cruise industry alone saw more than 10 million passengers depart from U.S. ports last year, while tropical über-resorts with names like Sandals®, Breezes, and Couples beckon with enticing promises of warm sands and days of leisure. (We won't touch on what Hedonism Resorts® beckons with). What these vacation destinations all have in common is cocoon-like protection in a safe, microcosmic version of the locale you're visiting, committed to relaxation and fun. But they share something else too. As all-inclusive vacations, they offer near-continuous access to all the food you can eat, which makes them appeal to instincts honed by our famine-fearing ancestors—instincts that tell us that if there's food available, it's time to chow down. Cruise ships in particular have gained notoriety as being fat factories on the seas. Like the average American waistline, every year, the ships grow larger and larger, adding more and more dining rooms and buffets, each enticing travelers to gorge as they lounge in the tropical sunshine.
And while in this era of shrinking paychecks and cost-conscious, consuming the idea of all-inclusive vacations sounds like a smart vacation shopper's dream come true, this all-you-can-consume kind of vacation carries with it risks for the health-minded vacationer. So if your goal is to keep from overindulging while at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise, and you can't depend solely on your willpower to keep you on the straight and narrow, here are eight ways you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest without derailing your healthy eating and exercise plan.
The point with all these exercise options is to move, and whenever possible, to embrace the concept of Muscle Confusion™, which forms the basis of the P90X® fitness regimen. Keeping your body moving in a variety of ways, continually forcing it to adapt, results in effective muscle toning and fat burning.
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Questions about your workout program, diet, the latest newsletter, or anything wellness related? Chat with Steve Edwards, the overseer of Beachbody's fitness and diet development (who also serves as your Fitness Advisor on the Message Boards), in the Beachbody Chat Room on Monday, June 27th, at 3:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM PT.
If you'd like to ask a question or comment on this newsletter article, click here to add a comment in the newsletter review section or you can email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Check out our Fitness Advisor's responses to your comments in Steve Edwards' Mailbag on the Message Boards. If you'd like to receive Steve Edwards' Mailbag by email, click here to subscribe to Steve's Health and Fitness Newsletter. And if you'd like to know more about Steve's views on fitness, nutrition, and outdoor sports, read his blog, The Straight Dope, recently named one of the Top 50 blogs covering the sports industry by the Masters in Sports Administration.
There's nothing bad about melons. They're yummy, they're super good for you, and they're one of the most social foods around. No self-respecting summer picnic would be complete without a big ol' watermelon. In fact, Americans purchase 3 billion pounds of the big green yum-balls annually. Everything else on the checkered tablecloth might be a nutritional nightmare, but nestled between the ambrosia and the macaroni salad you'll always find those big slices of sweet pink vitamin C-packed goodness, secretly supplying hungry partygoers with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.
In truth, I probably don't need to explain why you should be eating everyone's favorite summer fruit, 'cause you're gonna eat it either way, but we're all food nerds here, right? So let's take moment and learn a little more about melons.
You can buy melons in the grocery store year-round, but they're in season in America in the summer, so save your consumption for that season, and make sure you buy local. There are a couple of reasons to do this. First, once a piece of fruit is picked, it starts to lose nutrients, so not only do melons shipped from Central America tend to be mealier in texture, they're also less nutritious. Second, imported melons are more expensive.
You can store a melon at room temperature for a few days. Refrigerating it will help the nutrients last longer, but you lose flavor, particularly with cantaloupes. Once you've cut it open, all bets are off. Seal that melon and store it in the fridge. It should last about a week.
And even though you're probably not going to eat the rind, give your melon a good washing before cutting it up, so you can avoid any dirt, residues, or pesticides (if it's not organic) that might get into the flesh when you cut it.
While the watermelon is arguably the rock star of the melon world, having recently been rated the second healthiest fruit around by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (behind guava), it's just one of dozens of melon varieties. Let's discuss a few.
Actually, the watermelon is the only melon that's not a member of the Cucumis genus. It's a member of the genus Citrullus – which totally matters, right? Anyway, why did the CSPI go nuts for watermelons? They're loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, A, B6, and B1, as well as potassium and magnesium. More importantly, they're loaded with carotenoids, pigments existing in plants that give them their vibrant colors. Carotenoids also have beneficial effects on those who eat them, including protecting cell walls from free radicals, improving your immune system, and helping to maintain reproductive health.
One of the most prominent carotenoids in watermelon is cardiovascular-system-enhancing lycopene, which is usually associated with tomatoes, even though watermelon contains a much higher concentration by volume.
Haters sometimes criticize the watermelon for its lack of fiber. While this is true, it's fairly irrelevant. This fruit is incredibly water- and nutrient-dense, meaning you get a lot of vitamins and minerals for very few calories. One cup, which works out to about a pound of fruit, is only 49 calories.
Furthermore, I defy you to show me anyone who's ever gotten fat from eating watermelon.
Picking a good watermelon is easy. As is the case with all melons, once it's been plucked from the vine, it stops ripening, so don't buy it hoping it'll improve. According to The World's Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan, there are two tricks to identifying a ripe watermelon. First, the "ground spot," where it rested in the dirt, should be yellow. If it's green or white, it's probably not ready. Seedless watermelons sometimes don't have ground spots, so this doesn't apply to them. Second, give it a thump. If it responds with a dull thud, that's good. It if sounds hollow, put it back.
On final note, if you're concerned about the genetic modification factor when it comes to seedless watermelon varieties, don't be. They're hybrids, meaning they're a cross between two types of melon. No genes are manipulated in the making of this summer treat.
My grandmother used to say, "Cantaloupe—'cause we're already married!"
Bwahahahahaha! [Wipes tear from eye.]
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's talk about the fruit the CSPI ranked as the eighth healthiest fruit. The cantaloupe, as we know it, is actually a muskmelon. Real cantaloupes are grown in France and rarely make it to the states. Whatever you want to call them, they're packed with vitamins C, A, B3, B6, and B9, as well as potassium. Unlike watermelons, they have a little fiber, a little over 1 gram for a 56-calorie, one-cup serving.
They're also a good source of carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which you'll also find in carrots. Are you seeing the pattern here? Remember how I said carotenoids are pigments? Cantaloupes and carrots are both orange. Watermelons and tomatoes, with their lycopene, are both red.
Cool, huh?
Cantaloupes stop ripening when picked, but unlike watermelons, the tap test should sound hollow. They should have a subtle, fruity smell. If a cantaloupe smells too strong, it's probably overripe. Also, the side opposite the stem should be slightly soft. Other than that, there should be no bruises or odd spots.
The only real downside to cantaloupe—and it's a weird one—is that people with latex allergies sometimes react poorly to them, so look out for that. Who knew?
Although they're still yummy, honeydew melons fare poorly from a nutritional standpoint when compared to their pink and orange brethren. That one cup of cubes has 61 calories and 1 gram of fiber, but the vitamin C is only about half that of cantaloupe, and there are also much lower amounts of other micronutrients, although there's still a pretty good amount of potassium.
The carotenoid that gives honeydew its green hue is zeaxanthin, which promotes eye health. You'll find even more impressive amounts of zeaxanthin in almost all leafy greens.
You determine whether a honeydew's ripe the same way you find a good cantaloupe. Hollow tap, fruity smell, and no soft spots.
Although it's less well known, I thought I'd mention the casaba, because of the special role it plays in the melon world. While nowhere near as nutritionally dense as the melons we've discussed previously, the casaba still features a nice little hit of vitamins C and B6, plus some potassium. Casabas also tend to have slightly more protein and fiber and less sugar than other melons, which gives them less of a glycemic load. In other words, they might be considered a "low-carb" fruit.
Though not as flavorful as some other melons, casabas have a long shelf life, which is convenient. The ripeness smell test doesn't really apply here, as they have no aroma, so look for color instead. The outer skin on a ripe casaba will be bright yellow.
The answer? Any of them. Hoewever, if after reading all this, you're stuck as to which melon to pick for your next BBQ, I have an idea: Buy one of each! Chop them up, mix them up, and you have a colorful, nutrient-rich fruit salad that'll kick that picnic into overdrive. With any luck, Cousin Millie and Grandma Bertie will finally get the message that you don't need mayo and refined sugar to make food delicious.
Related Articles
"Seasonal Summer Produce"
"Tropic Thunder II: 6 More Super-Healthy Exotic Fruit"
"7 Substitutes for Diet-Killing Picnic Foods"
Ready for a frosty treat that's as healthy as it is delicious? Try this recipe for frozen Shakeology pops. They're simple to mix up and freeze, and best of all, there's no guilt—just icy-cold choco-peanutty refreshment!
Place ingredients in blender and blend until thoroughly mixed and creamy. Pour into 4-ounce pop molds and freeze until solid. Makes 4 pops.
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"Thanks! Great tips on melons! I especially loved the grandma quote! :'-)"
– Nina, Washington, DC, DC
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sendwithus API
Sendwithus creates tools that make transactional mail more effective and efficient for marketers. Services include A/B testing support and user analytics. The sendwithus API provides email templating for SendGrid, Mailgun, Mandrill, and Amazon SES. Developers write code once and let marketers update content as needed.
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