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Submitted by: Stephen Hoefler
I endeavored to completing the venerable Sierra Crest Route this summer. What follows, is a myriad of photos captured on that adventure which feature the stalwart Gossamer Gear Gorilla 2012 that accompanied me on my prodigious journey from Haiwee Pass (in the southern sierra, south of Olancha) to Horse Creek Pass (in the northern terminus of the high sierra west of Bridgeport) along the spine of California with over 60 peaks and most of the California 14ers to boot. As of this date, the mighty Gorilla has accompanied me to the top of 72 peaks and I anticipate we'll make it to the top of several more!
I'm a fervent believer in Gossamer Gear products and would love the chance to win a new pack. I use a G4 for winter and deep shoulder season use in the mountains but rely on my Gorilla (originally a GG Miniposa) for all other backpacking. My miniposa was a delight and doubly so with the Gorilla. I'd love a chance to replace my torn and tired gorilla with a new one or perhaps prod forward in the sport of Super Ultralight Mountaineering with a Gossamer Gear Murmur/Kumo. However, as appealing as that sounds, Mountaineering and SUL are not mutually exclusive! Either way, I'd love a new pack!
This is the GG Gorilla on Day one of the SCR at the Haiwee Pass Trailhead
Here you see the GG Gorilla on it's way to a well deserved re-supply in the town of Independence. Transportation courtesy of PCT Trail Angel Tom (thanks Tom!).
This is the GG Gorilla on top of Mount Bolton Brown. It's owner is doing something silly.
Angsty, teen-esque mood shadow shot of GG Gorilla at about mid point along the SCR.
The GG Gorilla tromping happily through Humphrey's Basin.
*We have a free pack contest happening over on our Facebook page. We get a vicarious thrill from seeing our gear out there and we do use some of your posts for our Customer of the Week feature in our newsletter (like this one). So, post under the Facebook picture or email email@example.com, your pictures and stories and be entered in to a drawing for one free GG backpack of your choice. The drawing will take place sometime early next week.


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Archive for Member Articles
On The Subject of Mobile PhonesPosted by: | Comments
Following on from some discussion at Club Night last week, for those who are interested some extracts below;
Personally I leave the phone in the car when flying. BMFA have managed to reproduce the fault, and its just not worth the risk in my opinion.
BMFA link http://www.bmfa.org/news/bulletins/sb6_mobiles.html
Following the crash of an expensive gas turbine model helicopter, the investigation into the cause revealed that the synthesised transmitter being used to control the helicopter was interfered with by a nearby mobile telephone. In this case it was a Multiplex transmitter but it is possible the same could occur with other synthesised transmitters.
The transmitter manufacturer's instructions were scrutinised and found to contain a warning that mobile telephones were not to be used within the direct vicinity of the transmitter and subsequent trials revealed that the incident was repeatable with that transmitter.
The UKRCC will be carrying out further investigations to determine the extent of the problem and will be advising in the future.
The BMFA already recommends that mobile telephones are not taken into the pits or flying area for other reasons but be aware that mobile telephones could interfere with synthesised transmitters."
RC Groups http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159515&highlight=cell+phone
2.4GH – Is It All It's Cracked Up To Be?Posted by: | Comments
This article was sent in by NLMFC Reader and Member – Dave Horvath
2.4GHz: Is It All It's Cracked Up To Be?
A substantial number of unexplained crashes of radio control model airplanes on 2.4GHz frequency prompted me to write this article on the so-called "interference free" radio control systems on the 2.4GHz band.
The electromagnetic wave spectrum is subject to the immutable laws of physics. Read More→
For Sale – Pilot R/C YAKPosted by: | Comments
FOR SALE – Steve Colllins
To All You Guys Who Might Have Built Models as a KidPosted by: | Comments
Using a tweezers, the controls can be moved.
All cables and linkages are in place to work the wing control surfaces as well. Young Park has since carved a pilot's face and hands from solid aluminum and built an articulated pilot to sit in the cockpit?
Remember this as you look at the pics……….. All the controls work as designed, by cables, chains, linkages and levers. Read More→
Did you go to the NLMFC Fireworks ?Posted by: | Comments
It was a lot of fun for all those that went to the NLMFC Fireworks night up at the field on Saturday
I didn't know at the time who was taking any photographs, but clearly Dean Grey _ The Gallery Man, was there, and soon got the pictures up on the website the same night.
Read More→Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts
DON'T FORGET TOMORROWPosted by: | Comments
Club Fireworks Night
Tomorrow is the clubs Fireworks night up at the fieldJoin the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts
Moving forward – Do you know this man ?Posted by: | Comments
A lot of club members will already know him but for those that don't, this is Philip Noel – Now Phil works at Luton Airport and is a prolific scale modeller when it comes to fixed wing warbirds and jets.
In the near future, over the winter months, NLMFC -TV will be paying Phil a visit at his home for a Video Interview in his workshop. You'll just have to wait and see what it's all about, but it's going to be one you will not want to miss!
COMING SOON ! . . . . .Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts
Introducing – The Gallery ManPosted by: | Comments
I made my way over to Stevenage this morning, to visit one of the club members who expressed an interest in helping out with the running of the NLMFC Website.
Introducing the Gallery ManJoin the forum discussion on this post - (2) Posts
Anyone Fancy A Tour Round Hanger 61 ?Posted by: | Comments
For One evening only in December, Philip Noel has arranged for three groups to a guided tour around Hanger 61, this is where phil works at Luton Airport – it is the biggest hangar at Luton, which can hold 2 Boeing 767-300's and 2 Boeing 737-800 Series Aircraft.
Please dont bombard Phil with stupid questions, all the infromation is here !

subset: commoncrawl


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Everyone must have the opportunity to adequately provide for themselves and their families. The family is the indispensable and essential unit of our society, and our nation's public policy must promote and strengthen the economic security of families.
Special attention must be paid to the basic health needs of the poor and marginalized. Addressing such needs is a matter of fundamental justice. CCUSA believes that the government has an important role to play in helping serve those in need, but must also assist in creating more flexibility and catalyzing local innovation to transform the service delivery system.
CCUSA knows that the home is the foundation of helping families achieve sustainable self-sufficiency. Catholic Charities agencies across the country are working to help individuals and families access safe and affordable housing at every level on the continuum from homeless shelters and affordable housing to home purchasing, and we support efforts to ensure that everyone has a place to call home.
CCUSA believes that it is unacceptable in a nation as bountiful as ours that children, adults, and senior citizens experience food insecurity that puts their physical, mental and developmental health at risk. We support efforts to ensure every one of our brothers and sisters who suffer from hunger has access to affordable and nutritious food.
CCUSA supports comprehensive immigration reform that not only protects our border, but also establishes a pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants forced to live in the shadows of this country. We believe immigration reform policies should allow families to remain intact, provide worker protections, and address the plight of children of undocumented immigrants.
Our nation's social safety net is largely unchanged since the War on Poverty was launched 50 years ago. CCUSA is committed to leading a conversation focused on remaking the fraying safety net to better address the realities of poverty in the 21st century by bringing holistic, market-based, and results-driven reform to social programs.
CCUSA has a special commitment to speak out for populations that are often marginalized from the public sphere, including minorities, immigrants, refugees, the unborn, the elderly, victims of violence, the disabled, children, and families. We will continue to advocate with special concern for members of the military, veterans, and their families.
CCUSA believes education and skills training are essential to the long term success of our nation's youth and adults. They are fundamental to creating a competitive workforce and a strong economy that benefits us all. Education is not only necessary for economic advancement, but carries with it wide ranging social benefits that promote the common good.


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re-shuffle of chefs @ chez panisse
just read about chef changes @ chez panisse
wonder if anyone has any "inside scoop" --or speculation--re what, if anything that might mean for the fare.
ok by me, if it stays the same (i'm a fan). but could image differences, w/ kitchens under new stewardship.
Sounds pretty evolutionary from what little info we are given. Likely to be a good thing to to infuse some new actors onto a familiar stage.
But the news that caught my attention was that Sandbox Bakery is taking the reins of Liberty Cafe's bakery, and that she'll be making bread there. Hallelujah! Can't wait to savor that. Has the potential to make Matsumi's understatedly mind-blowing menu at 903 even stronger too.
re: BernalKC
BernalKC, could you expand on "Matsumi's understatedly mind-blowing menu at 903" please?
re: grayelf
Mutsumi Takehara is the owner of Sandbox Bakery. she's the former pastry chef @ Slanted Door
re: grayelf
Mutsumi Takehara is the baker who started Sandbox Bakery. Some of her pastries are fusion-y adventures that I like even if I don't have a familiarity with the genre. I am above all a raving fan of her croissants and scones. She took over the space vacated by Maggie Mudd's departure and gave it the rather dry name of 903 Cortland. Its a very compact space with just three communal tables and a suitably compact menu with 2-3 entrees and a few sandwiches, salads, and sides. Its a very family friendly establishment that also does a good take away business. Great addition to the neighborhood that I have not written about because I want it to keep it in the 'hood! Here she's able to explore her eclectic tastes in a menu that has been changing and evolving and just getting better and better in the short time its been around. But one thing has always been missing from Mitsumi's repertoire: breads. So as a big fan of everything she's done so far (and her husband, who has done occasional pop-up barbeque days that are now integrated into the 903 menu) I'm excited at the prospect of her having a proper bread bakery to work with.
Alice Waters has never been the chef but her taste defines the place, and they're promoting people who've been there a while. I've never noticed any big change in style from previous changes.
Same topic from last year when David Tanis took the NY Times job: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/784152


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The Stonehouse Old Brewery
About this show
Love Salsa? Love Latino Moves? Let's Dance! We got the hot rhythm and dance floor for you!
Great place to meet your friends, and dance to the hot Latin beats! Anyone for a Spanish Club? Speak Spanish here! Habla Y baila!
5 Tips For How To Get Your Salsa Dance On
Salsa is the sexy, steamy Cuban dance that many people wish they knew how to perform. There are usually many nightclubs or ballrooms around the country that hold salsa nights and in order to fully take advantage of those occasions, it may be time to learn to salsa!
Although one of the basic movements of salsa involves the 4-step move that NFL player Victor Cruz has popularized during his touchdown salsa dance, there is a lot more that goes into it.
Here are 5 tips:
1) Listen to the beat and make sure you understand how to move with it
2) You can't get better without practice!
3) Salsa is a 2 person dance…you need a partner
4) Show confidence aka be sassy
5) Most importantly, have fun!
Have you ever taken any salsa lessons? If so, how well do you move now?
Weekly events including, Yoga, Dance Lessons, Open Mic, Jam Session, Drum Circle, Lounge Music, Taco Tuesday, DJ Dance Party Showcase! Sign up for our news Letter by clicking Sign Up while you open the News Letter. http://tinyurl.com/Stonehouse112112
For all the events at the Stonehouse, check often here:


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MILWAUKEE — Marina Dimitrijevic has been at the helm of the Milwaukee County Board for three weeks. And on Thursday, May 3rd, Dimitrijevic took time to sit down with FOX6 News for a one-on-one interview about how the job's going and where she wants to take it.
After 24 voice votes, Dimitrijevic got the necessary majority to claim the Milwaukee County Board chairmanship. Now, the new Board leader is busy creating the Board's leadership team.
"An important part of me being chairwoman is naming committee assignment and committee chairs. We did that and we did that after I met with all 17 supervisors in three days," said Dimitrijevic.
Three of the four people who ran against her for the chairmanship are chairpersons of important committees. Dimitrijevic also cemented plans for listening sessions at every municipality in the county called "Chat with the Chair." Dimitrijevic says there is a bit of a misconception as to what the county does.
"I always like to say that it's from airport to zoo, A to Z. We touch your lives in every way possible, whether you're aware of it or not and we need to do a better job making you aware of it," said Dimitrijevic. "I think that's a little bit of what's going on is a little bit of a disconnect. There shouldn't be friction. We're partners."
Dimitrijevic says one of the challenges for the Board will be getting a long-term dedicated funding source for the transit system.
"I do believe that the voters actually spoke on this a few years ago via a referendum countywide that they were interested in a dedicated funding source from the sales tax," said Dimitrijevic. "That has been ignored at the state. I hope whatever change there is at the state, it won't be ignored any more."
What will Dimitrijevic try to avoid?
"I want to avoid again the infighting, the divisiveness that hasn't given us the most positive image," said Dimitrijevic.
The first of Dimitrijevic's listening sessions is set for early June in Franklin.


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A gastro-electric stimulation system includes an INS for producing an electrical stimulation signal, at least one medical electrical lead, and at least two electrical contacts. The medical electrical lead has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being connected to the INS, the distal end being adapted for placement in or near a patient's stomach or appropriate nerve or nerve portion. The electrodes are disposed near the distal end of the medical electrical lead, and are electrically connected through the medical electrical lead to the INS to receive the electrical stimulation signal and convey such signal to the selected electrode implant position. The electrical stimulation signal is provided in an amount and manner adapted to increase the pH of the gastric acid in the patient's stomach and/or to decrease the amount of gastric acid produced thereby.
1. A method comprising:
generating electrical stimulation having one or more parameters selected to reduce acidity of gastric acid secretions in a patient; and
delivering the electrical stimulation to one or more portions of a gastrointestinal tract of the patient via an implantable electrical lead to reduce the acidity of the gastric acid secretions in the patient.
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This application hereby incorporates by reference herein in their respective entireties U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20040236382 to Dinsmoor et al. entitled "Gastro-Electric Stimulation for Increasing the Acidity of Gastric Secretions or Increasing the Amounts Thereof" and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20040193229 to Starkebaum et al. entitled "Gastric Electric Stimulation for Treatment of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease," both such applications being filed on even date herewith.
The present invention relates to medical devices used to electrically stimulate the digestive system, and more specifically to devices employed to electrically stimulate portions of the digestive system and/or the vagus nerve to reduce the acidity of gastric acid secretions and/or reduce the amount of gastric acid secretions produced by the stomach.
The medical device industry produces a wide variety of electronic and mechanical devices for treating patient medical conditions. Depending upon a patient's medical condition, medical devices may be surgically implanted or connected externally to the patient. Physicians use medical devices alone or in combination with drug therapies and surgery to treat patient medical conditions. For some medical conditions, medical devices provide the best, and sometimes the only, therapy to treat a medical condition and restore an individual to a more healthful condition and a fuller life. One type of medical device applied to treat conditions receptive to neurological therapy is an implantable neurostimulator (hereafter "INS"). An INS applies an electrical signal to the nervous system to create a response such as reducing patient pain or influencing a body organ, and may also be employed to apply an electrical signal to the enteric nervous system.
The digestive system is composed of the digestive tract, accessory organs and the enteric nervous system, and functions to prepare food for absorption and use by the body. The enteric nervous system is the digestive system's nervous system, and it functions to both receive and transmit information. This system receives neurological information from the digestive system through afferent nerves, and issues instructions through efferent nerves. Gastric myoelectrical activity is described by Kenneth Koch et al. in Electrogastrography, "An Illustrated Guide To Gastrointestinal Motility," 2nd Ed., pp. 290-307 (1993). The vagus nerve contains both afferent and efferent nerves and provides nervous system connectivity between digestive system organs, including between the stomach and brain. The gastric frequency of a patient is generally about 3.0 cycles per minute. The enteric nervous system is believed to exert some control over gastric acid secretion functions.
Previous drug-based treatments for lowering the acidity of gastric acid do not satisfactorily treat some patient conditions, and moreover may suffer from a variety of undesirable side effects, especially when used over long periods of time. Pharmaceutical products aimed at reducing gastric secretion acidity such as NEXIUM�, PREVACID�, ZANTAC�, PROTONIX� may have wide-ranging systemic effects, such as motility disorders, allergic reactions and diarrhea. Additionally, because of the systemic manner in which they affect the human organism, the treatment provided by and the various side effects produced by pharmaceutical products cannot be terminated instantaneously, but instead must be allowed to run their course until metabolized or otherwise eliminated by the body. Previous treatments employing electrical stimulation techniques have not applied stimulation to certain areas of the patient's digestive system for the purpose of lowering the acidity of gastric secretions, or for the purpose of lowering the amount of gastric secretions produced.
The gastrointestinal tract has an extensive nervous system of its own called the enteric nervous system. There are two main plexuses in the enteric system:
The myenteric plexus primarily controls the gastrointestinal movements, and the submucosal plexus mainly controls gastrointestinal secretion and local blood flow. The sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers connect with both the plexuses, and can further activate or inhibit gastrointestinal function (see
More than a dozen neurotransmitters have been identified in the gastrointestinal tract. Acetylcholine (a parasympathetic neurotransmitter) typically excites gastrointestinal activity and norepinephrine (a sympathetic neurotransmitter) typically inhibits gastrointestinal activity.
The cranial parasympathetic fibers extensively innervate the stomach, and are transmitted almost entirely in the vagus nerves that run proximal to the esophagus. The sympathetic fibers to the gastrointestinal tract originate in the spinal cord between segments T-5 and L-2. Stimulation of these fibers result in an inhibitory effect by norepinephrine which can block movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract.
Many afferent sensory nerve fibers arise in the gut. These nerves can be stimulated by (1) irritation of the gut mucosa, (2) excessive distention of the gut, or (3) presence of specific chemical substances in the gut. Almost 80% of nerve fibers in the vagus bundle are afferent rather than efferent. These fibers transmit afferent signals into the medulla, which in turn initiates many reflex signals that control gastro-intestinal functions. As such, stimulation of the vagus nerve may directly affect the gastro-intestinal tract through efferent nerve capture or through a more circuitous route involving the medulla.
As shown in
It has been shown that relatively slow stimulation of the vagi (4-8 Hz) induces maximal acid secretion in cats (Sjodin, 1975). Pharmaceutical companies frequently use this model to test acid-suppressing drugs. Grundy and Scratcherd, however, found that higher rate electrical stimulation (120 Hz) of the vagus nerve significantly reduced acid production versus basal output in ferrets. In their experiment, they performed a bilateral vagotomy in the neck and stimulated the thoracic vagi via a left thoracotomy. The stimulation regime they applied was "physiologic" (a taped replica of natural vagal activity), "burst" (60 or 120 Hz, 500 microsecond pulse width), or "continuous" (6 Hz). Their data showed that continuous low-rate stimulation increased acid output relative to the "taped" physiologic stimulation, while burst stimulation significantly decreased acid output.
Some prior art publications relating to the present invention are as follows:
All patents and technical papers listed hereinabove are hereby incorporated by reference herein, each in its respective entirety. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate readily upon reading the Summary of the Invention, Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments and claims set forth below, at least some of the devices and methods disclosed in the patents and publications listed hereinabove may be modified advantageously in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages, which will now become more readily apparent by referring to the following specification, drawings and claims, are provided by the various embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention has certain objects. That is, various embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to one or more problems existing in the prior art respecting conventional treatment for gastric hyperacidity or excessive gastric acid production in a patient, including one or more of: (a) sequelae or side-effects resulting from the administration of pharmaceutical products; (b) the requirement to purchase expensive pharmaceutical products on an on-going basis; (c) when administering pharmaceutical products, not having the ability to terminate or change instantaneously administration of the therapy; and (d) lack of positive response to the administration of pharmaceutical therapy.
Various embodiments of the present invention have certain advantages, including one or more of: (a) targeted delivery of therapy; (b) ability to change the therapy delivered on-demand or instantaneously; (c) multiple methods of feedback control for optimizing therapy (e.g., pH, sensed blood metabolite levels, patient activated, time-dependent (e.g., activate stimulation therapy at mealtime); (d) lower cost than pharmaceuticals; (e) potential for the delivery of superior therapy; and (f) the patient does not have to remember to take a drug daily or according to a daily regimen.
Various embodiments of the present invention have certain features, including, but not limited to, the following: One or more electrical stimulation signals are applied to one or more appropriate portions of a patient's digestive system, vagus nerve, and/or portions in the vicinity of either in an amount and manner effective to lower the amount of a patient's gastric acid secretions and/or to lower the acidity of such secretions. The at least one electrical stimulation signal is applied by an INS that has at least one medical electrical lead positionable, secured or attached to or in a patient's digestive system and/or vagus nerve, or in the vicinity thereof. Each such lead carries at least one electrode, and preferably at least two electrodes, positionable or attachable for contact with or in proximity to the patient's digestive system or vagus nerve. In one embodiment of the present invention, the electrical stimulation signal is adapted to reduce the amount or frequency of gastric acid secretions. In another embodiment of the present invention, the electrical stimulation signal is adapted to reduce the acidity of gastric secretions.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, when considered in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate identical structures throughout the several views, and wherein:
The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Like numbers refer to like parts or steps throughout the drawings.
In the following descriptions of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration several specific embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments of the present invention are contemplated and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense. Instead, the scope of the present invention is to be defined in accordance with the appended claims.
In the present invention, electrical stimulation of appropriate portions of the vagus nerve and/or the digestive system, more about which we say below, influences the amount and/or frequency of gastric acid secretions, and may also be employed to reduce the acidity of such secretions, leading to an overall increase in the pH of the gastric acid contained in a patient's stomach. Nerve impulses generated by electrical stimulation of appropriate portions of the vagus nerve and/or digestive system travel by means of both afferent and efferent pathways to cells in stomach lining which produce gastric acid. Some impulses may travel from the digestive system along a vagal afferent pathway to the brain and then along a vagal efferent pathway from the brain to the stomach lining. Various portions of the stomach in the digestive system are well suited for stimulation in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. For example, the wall of the stomach is suitable for making electrical connections and the stomach is well innervated by the vagus nerve, and the stomach pacemaker region is particularly well innervated by the vagus nerve and other portions of the digestive system.
Referring now to
Leads 16 and 18 are preferably less than about 5 mm in diameter, and most preferably less than about 1.5 mm in diameter. Polyurethane is a preferred material for forming the lead body of leads 16 and 18, although other materials such as silicone may be employed. Electrical conductors extending between the proximal and distal ends of leads 16 and 18 for supplying electrical current to the electrodes are preferably formed of coiled, braided or stranded wires comprising an MP35N platinum-iridium alloy. Electrodes 20, 21, 22 and 23 may be ring electrodes, coiled electrodes, electrodes formed from portions of wire, barbs, hooks, spherically-shaped members, helically-shaped members, or may assume any of a number of different structural configurations well known in the art.
Inter-electrode distances on leads 16 and 18 are preferably about 3 mm, but other inter-electrode distances may be employed such as about 1 mm, about 2 mm, about 4 mm, about 5 mm, about 6 mm, about 7 mm, about 8 mm, about 9 mm, about 10 mm, about 12 mm, about 14 mm, about 16 mm, about 18 mm, about 20 mm, about 25 mm, about 30 mm. Preferred surface areas of electrodes 20, 21, 22 and 23 range between about 1.0 sq. mm and about 100 sq. mm, between about 2.0 sq. mm and about 50 sq. mm, and about 4.0 sq. mm and about 25 sq. mm. Preferred lengths of electrodes 20, 21, 22 and 23 range between about 0.25 mm and about 10 mm, between about 0.50 mm and about 8 mm, and about 1.0 mm and about 6 mm. Electrodes 20, 21, 22 and 23 are preferably formed of platinum, although other metals and metal alloys may be employed such as stainless steel or gold.
The distal portion of lead 16 extends to a target site or position near a desired nerve or nerve portion 8, and is preferably held in such position by lead anchor 19. Note that lead anchor 19 may assume any of a number of different structural configurations such one or more suture sleeves, tines, barbs, hooks, a helical screw, tissue in-growth mechanisms, adhesive or glue.
One, two, three, four or more electrodes 20, 21, 22 and 23 may be disposed at the distal end of lead 16 and/or lead 18. Electrodes 20, 21, 22 and 23 are preferably arranged in an axial array, although other types of arrays may be employed such as inter-lead arrays of electrodes between the distal ends of leads 16 and 18 such that nerves or nerve portions 8 disposed between leads 16 and 18 may be stimulated. Electrode configurations, arrays and stimulation patterns and methods similar to those disclosed by Holsheimer in U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,566 entitled "Selective Dorsal Column Stimulation in SCS, Using Conditioning Pulses," U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,330 entitled "Multichannel Apparatus for Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,703 entitled "Multichannel Apparatus for Epidural Spinal Cord INS," the respective entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein, may also be adapted or modified for use in the present invention. Electrode configurations, arrays, leads, stimulation patterns and methods similar to those disclosed by Thompson in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,465 entitled "System and Method for Multisite Steering of Cardiac Stimuli," the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, may also be adapted or modified for use in the present invention to permit the steering of electrical fields. Thus, although the Figures show certain electrode configurations, other lead locations and electrode configurations are possible and contemplated in the present invention.
Leads 16 and 18 preferably range between about 4 inches and about 20 inches in length, and more particularly may be about 6 inches, about 8 inches, about 10 inches, about 12 inches, about 14 inches, about 16 inches or about 18 inches in length, depending on the location of the site to be stimulated and the distance of INS 10 from such site. Other lead lengths such as less than about 4 inches and more than about 20 inches are also contemplated in the present invention.
Typically, leads 16 and 18 are tunneled subcutaneously between the location of INS 10 and the location or site of the nerve or nerve portion that is to be stimulated. INS 10 is typically implanted in a subcutaneous pocket formed beneath the patient's skin according to methods well known in the art. Further details concerning various methods of implanting INS 10 and leads 16 and 18 are disclosed in the Medtronic Interstim Therapy Reference Guide published in 1999, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Other methods of implanting and locating leads 16 and 18 are also contemplated in the present invention.
U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/004,032 entitled "Implantable Medical Electrical Stimulation Lead Fixation Method and Apparatus" now U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,819, and Ser. No. 09/713,598 entitled "Minimally Invasive Apparatus for Implanting a Sacral Stimulation Lead" to Mamo et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,393, the respective entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein, describe methods of percutaneously introducing leads 16 and 18 to a desired nerve stimulation site in a patient.
Some representative examples of leads 16 and 18 include MEDTRONIC nerve stimulation lead model numbers 3080, 3086, 3092, 3487, 3966 and 4350 as described in the MEDTRONIC Instruction for Use Manuals thereof, all hereby incorporated by reference herein, each in its respective entirety. Some representative examples of INS 10 include MEDTRONIC implantable electrical INS model numbers 3023, 7424, 7425 and 7427 as described in the Instruction for Use Manuals thereof, all hereby incorporated by reference herein, each in its respective entirety. See also
Lead locations and electrode configurations other than those explicitly shown and described here are of course possible and contemplated in the present invention. Lead anchors 19 are shown in
In a closed-loop embodiment of the present invention, the system is preferably configured such that INS 10 is temporarily disabled so as not to provide electrical stimulation signals to nerve site or portion 8 after sensor 30 has detected, for example, an increase in gastric acid pH values above an accepted normal pH value. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,984 to Douglas, hereby incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety. Physiologic sensor 30 may be any of a number of suitable sensor types, such as a pH sensor, or any other sensor capable of sensing changes in gastric acidity or changes in the frequency of gastric acid production such as chemical or molecular sensors. For example, the sensed parameter may be pH, sensed either in the esophagus or in the stomach, may be an agonist for gastric acid secretion (e.g., acetylcholine, histamine, gastrin), or may be an antagonist for gastric acid secretion (e.g., prostaglandin, somatostatin, EGF, proglumide).
Some examples of sensor technology that may be adapted for use in some embodiments of the present invention include those disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
Each of the foregoing patents is incorporated by reference herein, each in its respective entirety.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an overall therapy aimed at decreasing gastric acid production and/or increasing gastric acid pH may best be delivered by applying a gastric acid secretion "increase signal" for a period of time after a meal has been ingested by a patient. Feedback control algorithms and methods of the present invention may also employ sensing or determining one or more of a patient's rate of gastric acid secretion or production, duodenum salinity, gastric acid impedance, gastric acid electrical activity, motion, pain, weight, nausea, and/or vomiting. As outlined above, such patient conditions may be sensed, measured or determined using an appropriate sensor or sensors that generates a corresponding output signal which is routed to the input of INS 10 for use in controlling electrical stimulation signals. The patient's condition may also be measured by the patient or a physician, who then employs the measured condition to control the electrical stimulation signal output provided by INS 10.
As shown in
An output pulse generator provides pacing stimuli to the desired nerve or nerve portion through, for example, a coupling capacitor in response to a trigger signal provided by a digital controller/timer circuit, when an externally transmitted stimulation command is received, or when a response to other stored commands is received. By way of example, an output amplifier of the present invention may correspond generally to an output amplifier disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,868 to Thompson, hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The specific embodiments of such an output amplifier are presented for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to be limiting in respect of the scope of the present invention. The specific embodiments of such circuits may not be critical to practicing some embodiments of the present invention so long as they provide means for generating an appropriate train of stimulating pulses to the desired nerve or nerve portion.
In various embodiments of the present invention, INS 10 may be programmably configured to operate so that it varies the rate at which it delivers stimulating pulses to the desired nerve or nerve portion 8 in response to one or more selected outputs being generated. INS 10 may further be programmably configured to operate so that it may vary the morphology of the stimulating pulses it delivers. Numerous implantable electrical INS features and functions not explicitly mentioned herein may be incorporated into INS 10 while remaining within the scope of the present invention. Various embodiments of the present invention may be practiced in conjunction with one, two, three or more leads, or in conjunction with one, two, three, four or more electrodes.
It is important to note that leadless embodiments of the present invention are also contemplated, where one or more stimulation and/or sensing electrode capsules or modules are implanted at or near a desired nerve stimulation site, and the capsules or modules deliver electrical stimuli directly to the site using a preprogrammed stimulation regime, and/or the capsules or modules sense electrical or other pertinent signals. Such capsules or modules are preferably powered by rechargeable batteries that may be recharged by an external battery charger using well-known inductive coil or antenna recharging means, and preferably contain electronic circuitry sufficient to permit telemetric communication with a programmer, to deliver electrical stimuli and/or sense electrical or other signals, and to store and execute instructions or data received from the programmer. Examples of methods and devices that may be adapted for use in the wireless devices and methods of the present invention include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,894 to Schulman et al. entitled "System of implantable devices for monitoring and/or affecting body parameters;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,425 to Schulman et al. entitled "Power control loop for implantable tissue stimulator;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,958 to Schulman et al. entitled "Implantable electrode arrays;" and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/030,106 filed Feb. 25, 1998 to Schulman et al. entitled "Battery-Powered Patient Implantable Device," all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein, each in its respective entirety.
In accordance with several embodiments of the present invention,
Some specific electrode locations that are well innervated, and surgically or endoscopically accessible include, but are not limited to: (a) the plexus on the anterior superior and/or the anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries; (b) the plexus on the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery; (c) the plexus on the jejunal artery; (d) the superior mesenteric artery and plexus; (d) the plexus on the gastroepiploic arteries; (e) the celiac ganglia and plexus; (f) the splenic artery and plexus; (g) the left lesser thoracic splanchic nerve; (h) the left greater thoracic splanchic nerve; (i) the principal anterior gastric branch of the anterior vagal trunk; (j) the left gastric artery and plexus; (k) the celiac branch of the anterior vagal trunk; (l) the anterior vagal trunk; (m) proximal, distal or portions between the proximal and distal portions of the vagus nerve; (n) the hepatic branch of the anterior vagal trunk; (o) the right and/or left inferior phrenic arteries and plexus; (p) the anterior posterior layers of the lesser omenium; (q) the branch from the hepatic plexus to the cardia via the lesser omenium; (r) the right greater thoracic splanchic nerve; (s) the vagal branch from the hepatic plexus to the pylorus; (t) the right gastric artery and plexus. Note that as discussed above, it is contemplated in the present invention that multiple leads be employed.
In the present invention, electrical stimulation signal parameters may be selected to influence gastric acid secretion through direct stimulation of a nerve or nerve portion 8, by stimulating afferent nerves or nerve portions 8, by stimulating efferent nerves or nerve portions 8, or by stimulating some combination of the foregoing nerves or nerve portions 8. The electrical stimulation signal is preferably charge-balanced for biocompatibility, and adapted to decrease gastric acid production and/or increase pH. For example, a gastric acid "decrease signal" is adapted to decrease the quantity of gastric acid secreted by the stomach lining, and accordingly has a frequency, phase, amplitude and morphology selected to signal the stomach to decrease the production of gastric acid. Such a "decrease signal" has a frequency ranging between about 0.10 pulses per minute and about 18,000 pulses per minute.
In the event multiple signals are employed to stimulate a desired site, the spatial and/or temporal phase between the signals may be adjusted or varied to produce the desired stimulation pattern or sequence. That is, in the present invention beam forming and specific site targeting via electrode array adjustments are contemplated. Examples of lead and electrode arrays and configurations that may be adapted for use in some embodiments of the present invention so as to better steer, control or target electrical stimulation signals provided thereby in respect of space and/or time include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,703 to Holsheimer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,330 to Holsheimer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,465 to Thompson; U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,566 to Holsheimer; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020128694A1 to Holsheimer.
Representative ranges of preferred electrical pulse stimulation parameters capable of being delivered by INS 10 through leads 16 and 18 include the following:
Further exemplary stimulation parameters of the system of the present invention include:
The graph of pH versus time from the above-described animal experiment is shown in
In addition, in the present invention it is contemplated that drugs be delivered to specific sites within a patient using well known fully implantable drug pump devices in combination with providing electrical stimulation to the nerves or nerve portions described above. According to such a method, the drug pump may be incorporated into the same housing as INS 10, or be separate therefrom in its own hermetically sealed housing. The drug catheter attached to the implantable drug pump through which the drug is delivered to the specific site may also be incorporated into lead 16 or 18, or may be separate therefrom. Drugs or therapeutic agents delivered in accordance with this method include, but are not limited to, antibiotics, pain relief agents such as demerol and morphine, radioactive or radiotherapeutic substances or agents for killing or neutralizing cancer cells, genetic growth factors for encouraging the growth of healthy tissues, and the like.
Also hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety is U.S. Patent Application Number 20020082665A1 to Haller et al. published Jun. 27, 2002 and entitled "System and Method of Communicating between an Implantable Medical Device and a Remote Computer System or Health Care Provider." In the present invention it is further contemplated that the methods and devices described hereinabove be extended to include the communication system of Hailer et al. for at least one of monitoring the performance of INS 10 and/or an implantable drug pump implanted within the body of a patient, monitoring the health of the patient and remotely delivering an electrical stimulation and/or drug therapy to the patient through INS 10 and/or the optional implantable drug pump, INS 10 or the implantable drug pump being capable of bi-directional communication with a communication module located external to the patient's body, the system comprising: (a) INS 10 and optionally the implantable drug pump; (b) the communication module; (c) a mobile telephone or similar device operably connected to the communication module and capable of receiving information therefrom or relaying information thereto; (e) a remote computer system, and (f) a communication system capable of bidirectional communication.
According to further embodiments of the present invention, an ingestible or implantable pill-shaped or capsular device is employed which is capable of sensing one or more physical parameters such as pH, hormonal levels and the like, and recording, storing or transmitting to an external receiver by, for example, RF means, information regarding the parameter(s) sensed by the device acidity. The sensed parameter information may then be employed to control or refine the gastro-electric stimulation parameters. Examples of devices that may be so adapted in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention include:
According to other embodiments of the present invention, implantable sensors and/or stimulation modules or leads may be implanted in desired portions of the gastro-intestinal tract by means of a vacuum-operated device which is endoscopically or otherwise emplaced within the gastrointestinal tract, followed by a portion of the tract being sucked up into a receiving chamber of the device, and the sensor, module or lead being implanted within the tissue held within the receiving chamber. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,629 for "Submucosal Esophageal Bulking Device" to Johnson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,345 for "Submucosal Prosthesis Delivery Device" to Johnson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,718 for "Submucosal Prosthesis Delivery Device" to Johnson et al.; and PCT Patent Application WO 02087657 for "Gastric Device and Suction Assisted Method for Implanting a Device on a Stomach Wall" assigned to Intrapace, Inc.
In still further embodiments of the present invention, various components of the gastrointestinal electrical stimulation system may be extended, miniaturized, rendered wireless, powered, recharged or modularized into separate or discrete components in accordance with the teachings of, by way of example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,539 for "Implantable Microstimulator" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,540 for "Structure and Method of Manufacture of an Implantable Microstimulator" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,316 for "Implantable Microstimulators" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,514 for "Implantable Microdevice With Self-Attaching Electrodes" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,367 for "Structure and Method of Manufacture of an Implantable Microstimulator" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,958 for "Implantable Electrode Arrays" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,848 for "Daisy Chainable Sensors and Stimulators for Implantation in Living Tissue" to Gord et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,017 for "Implantable Microstimulator and Systems Employing the Same" to Loeb et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,474 for "Implantable Device With Improved Battery Recharging and Powering Configuration" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,361 for "Implantable Expandable Multicontact Electrodes" to Kuzma et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,431 for "Power Transfer Circuit for Implanted Devices" to Hahn et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,032 for "System for Implanting a Microstimulator" to Loeb; U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,721 for "System of Implantable Devices for Monitoring and/or Affecting Body Parameters" to Schulman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,325 for "Directional Programming for Implantable Electrode Arrays" to Mann et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,227 for "Rechargeable Spinal Cord Stimulator System" to Meadows et al.
The preceding specific embodiments are illustrative of the practice of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that other expedients known to those skilled in the art or disclosed herein may be employed without departing from the invention or the scope of the appended claims. For example, the present invention is not limited to the use of any particular specific configuration of an INS, leads or electrodes shown explicitly in the drawings hereof. Those skilled in the art will understand immediately that many variations and permutations of known implantable devices may be employed successfully in the present invention.
In the claims, means plus function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and their equivalents. Means plus function clauses in the claims are not intended to be limited to structural equivalents only, but are also intended to include structures which function equivalently in the environment of the claimed combination. All printed publications and patents referenced hereinabove are hereby incorporated by referenced herein, each in its respective entirety.
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Brian Jacobs
Position: Graduate Student
Email: email@example.com
Educational Background :
Dartmouth College, BA in French & Music, Cum Laude with Highest Honors
Princeton University MA
Intellectual interests :
North African and Mediterranean literature, including topics of sex and gender. I am currently working on dissertation entitled "Men in the Middle" on the issue of masculinity in North Africa and the Mediterranean. My other interests include the relationship between music and literature as well as the OuLiPo.


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About Newcastle
At first, "City of Palaces" doesn't seem the most appropriate alias for Newcastle, a former industrial heartland known for its straight-talking dockers and hard-living miners.
But City of Palaces it is, courtesy of the vision of Richard Grainger, a 19th-century property developer. While Grainger was not the founding father of Newcastle—that honor goes to Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy and eldest son of William the Conqueror—he was responsible for transforming Newcastle with his neoclassical street designs.
With the help of local architect John Dobson, Grainger turned the center of Newcastle from the "coal hole of the north" into the city of palaces, according to author William Howitt. Grainger was said to have "found Newcastle of bricks and timber, and left it in stone," and the imposing buildings that bear his mark are all predominantly four stories, with vertical dormers, domes, turrets, and spikes.
Today, despite the intervening decline of the shipbuilding and coal-mining industries upon which Newcastle was originally built, the city maintains an exuberant attitude alongside infectious optimism about its future. After a prolonged period of urban renewal, Newcastle is now undergoing another transformation, to that of renowned tourist destination.
Start your tour by the quayside, where views of Newcastle's riverside are dominated by the seven bridges of the Tyne. The George V Bridge, better known as the Tyne Bridge, opened in 1929 and served as the blueprint for the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which was also constructed in nearby Middlesbrough.
From the northern end of the Tyne Bridge, it is a short walk to Dean Street, precursor to Grey Street, the location of Grainger's finest work. Named after Earl Grey—the tea's namesake, British Prime Minister, and Northumbrian resident—this street is home to the Georgian façade of the Theatre Royal, northern base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. At the pedestrianized end of Grey Street, where it meets Grainger Street, is Grey's Monument, a statue of Earl Grey atop a 40-meter column complete with viewing deck.
Walk to the southern end of Tyne Bridge, and you're in Gateshead, Newcastle's arty cousin. After a look at the Norman Foster–designed The Sage, a concert hall curiously reminiscent of a large, shiny slug, head east to the former Baltic Flour Mill, now converted into the Centre for Contemporary Art. Finally, travel 7 kilometers south to the Angel of the North. This 200-ton steel structure, unveiled in 1998 to pay tribute to the industrial heritage of the northeast, is 20 meters high with a wingspan of 54 meters; it welcomes 90,000 people every day as they arrive on the East Coast railway or A1 road.
Dining and Nightlife
Arguably the nightlife capital of the north, Newcastle has a reputation for being a fun-loving city. Geordies, an affectionate term for the city's residents, are renowned for their love of going out. A common city center sight is a queue of excited clubbers standing outside in subzero temperatures—without coats—waiting to enter the latest nightspot.
The city is regularly placed in the UK's top 10 nightspots, and the Rough Guide tourist handbook voted Newcastle's nightlife Great Britain's number one tourist attraction. The best places for nightlife are concentrated around the Bigg Market, Central Station, and Quayside area of the city center and the student suburb of Jesmond.
The city's 190,000 residents can choose from a wide variety of restaurants, and its thriving Chinatown, opposite Newcastle United Football Club's St. James' Park stadium, is a well-known dining destination. Or, if you're full of beer and bravado, try the world's hottest curry near Bigg Market, which numerous celebrities have tried and failed to finish.
Beyond Newcastle
Newcastle's location in the northeast of England makes it a great springboard for short trips north of the border into Scotland. Edinburgh is only 144 kilometers away. Or walk the route of the ancient Scottish/English divide, marked by the Roman remnants of Hadrian's Wall. The most popular tourist attraction in Northern England, the wall is a UNESCO World Heritage site; it starts at Wallsend on the Northumbrian east coast, passing through Newcastle until it finally finishes on the west coast at Solway Firth, 117 kilometers later.
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BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. — It's time again for the legendary Land of Oz to come to life. People can follow the Yellow Brick Road, meet up with characters from the famous book and movie and generally remember the good ol' days when the park was one of the top theme parks around.
That's because the 18th annual Autumn at Oz takes place Oct. 1-2. It has grown from a reunion of former park employees to a chance for Oz fans to come together and celebrate the theme park.
People can tour Dorothy's House, walk along the iconic Yellow Brick Road and visit with many of the characters, including Dorothy, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Glinda the Good Witch, the Great & Powerful Wizard, Munchkin Mayor and many more — and yes, the Wicked Witch of the West with her Winkie guards and flying monkeys will be represented.
"We have more characters now than when the park was open," event organizer Cindy Keller said. "Several theater groups assist us, some from as far away as New York City. They're interested in helping us rekindle, rebuild and resurrect what we can of the Land of Oz."
While the theme park closed in 1980 after a 10-year run, the Oz spirit has never waned. People remain curious about the mountaintop park and what remains of it from the 1970s.
Thousands of people visited the park, and it had a lasting impact on most people because of its unique nature and the beautiful setting at the top of the highest town in the Eastern United States.
That, coupled with the popularity of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and the novel by L. Frank Baum, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," has made the Autumn at Oz gathering a success.
There are three sessions each day — 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. — with tickets costing $16.50 in advance (ages 2-under free) and $20 at the event, if not sold out. Tickets are available online and sales will be limited.
A highlight this year will be a display of items from the original park that were recently reacquired. The items had been in storage in Boone for years.
"We're going to showcase a few pieces from a big collection that has come back to us," Keller said. "In the early 1980s, several park items were donated to Appalachian State University under the assumption the Land of Oz was gone for good."
Keller said that, after all these years of organizing the event, "Hardly a day goes by that somebody doesn't make some reference to a line in the movie. It is part of the American fabric. I'm amazed how integrated it is into our culture."
For tickets or info, visit www.AutumnAtOz.com or call (800) 468-5506. The property is not wheelchair-accessible or accommodating to large strollers.


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PHILADELPHIA – A Canadian woman was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison for illegally importing Ecstasy pills into the United States from Canada. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Tina Menard, 39, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, pleaded guilty to the charges Aug. 8, 2012. She was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Petrese Tucker.
"This sentence serves as a stern warning about the consequences awaiting those who smuggle dangerous drugs," said John P. Kelleghan, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. "Substances like Ecstasy not only pose a significant public safety risk, they also generate huge profits that are often funneled back into other types of illegal activity. That is why HSI is determined to attack and dismantle these kinds of criminal schemes."
According to court documents, Menard helped recruit and organize a group of smugglers, mostly from the Windsor-area, who imported large quantities of drugs into the United States. These drugs were manufactured in Canada by Asian drug trafficking organizations. These organizations then hired Menard and her couriers to transport the drugs to other drug dealers across the United States.
The investigation began in September 2007 when two couriers were stopped in Philadelphia and law enforcement officers seized 102,000 Ecstasy pills, which they attempted to distribute to drug dealers in Philadelphia and Boston.
The Pennsylvania State Police, Philadelphia Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Livermore, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, prosecuted this case on behalf of the U.S. government.


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Hotels in 37681 - Limestone TN
Only hotels in 37681 zip code are listed below. Search for cheap and discount hotel rates in Limestone, TN for your upcoming leisure or conference / group travel. We list the best 37681 hotels and motels so you can review the Limestone hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. Hotels in Greene county and area code 423 are also listed.
37681 Hotels, Motels & Accommodations
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Join Express-News staff writers Lorne Chan and Blake Hurtik for a high school football chat at 1 p.m. Wednesday as we preview the first week of the season. We'll also have special guest Jeff Howe of 247sports.com to answer any recruiting questions.
High School Sports
Multi-sport coverage from the Express-News staff.


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Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation
Cryoballoon Ablation
A refrigerant is delivered through a balloon that is attached to the catheter guided into the heart. The refrigerant freezes the tissue and disables unwanted heart electrical currents that cause atrial fibrillation. The delivery by a balloon is revolutionary because of the continuous line of scar tissue around the pulmonary vein to stop the currents. This method is safe and effective. It has a low risk of complications. The majority of patients have been free from atrial fibrillation at one year with a reduction in symptoms, a decrease in drug therapy, and substantial improvements in quality of life.
Watch how it the Arctic Front Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter System works.
Palmetto Health Heart Hospital offers extraordinary heart care. If you have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, treatment is important. Electrophysiologists on our medical staff who treat atrial fibrillation are:
John T. Beard, MD, FACC – Columbia Heart
W. Robert Mazzei, Jr., MD – Columbia Heart
Jennifer A. Feldman, MD, FRACP – Palmetto Heart
Other Types of Arrhythmias Treated
1. Supraventricular tachycardias (SVT)
2. Ventricular tachycardias (VT)
3. Congenital and acquired Cardiac Repolarization disorders procedures and tests


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Teachers who educate children deserve more honor than parents who merely gave birth; for bare life is furnished by the one, the other ensures a good life.
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
Henry Brooks Adams 1838-1918 'The Education of Henry Adams' (1907) ch. 20
Few have been taught to any purposes who have not been their own teachers.
Sir Joshua Reynolds 1723-92 "Discourses on Art" (ed. R. Wark, 1975) no. 2 (11 December 1769)
A teacher should have maximal authority and minimal power.
Thomas Szasz 1920— "The Second Sin" (1973) "Education"
Teach the free man how to praise.
W. H. Auden (Wystan Hugh Auden) 1907-73 'In Memory of W. B. Yeats' (1940)
For rigorous teachers seized my youth,
And purged its faith, and trimmed its fire,
Showed me the high, white star of Truth,
There bade me gaze, and there aspire.
Matthew Arnold 1822-88 'Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse' (1855) l. 67
Love had he found in huts where poor men lie;
His daily teachers had been woods and rills,
The silence that is in the starry sky,
The sleep that is among the lonely hills.
William Wordsworth 1770-1850 "Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle" (1807)
A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.
Thomas Carruthers
Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.
Gail Godwin
A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.
Horace Mann
Most teachers have little control over school policy or curriculum or choice of texts or special placement of students, but most have a great deal of autonomy inside the classroom. To a degree shared by only a few other occupations, such as police work, public education rests precariously on the skill and virtue of the people at the bottom of the institutional pyramid.
Tracy Kidder
I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.
Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"
The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth."
Dan Rather
In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.
Jacques Barzun


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ESPNU Road Trip Show Airs Tuesday
Last weekend, the show ESPNU Road Trip visited West Virginia University for the Senior Day football game against Kansas. The show will air Tuesday, Dec. 4th at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and is also scheduled to re-air on Saturday, December 8 at 6:30 a.m. ET.
Show hosts Ali Nejad and Nikki Noto made their first-ever trip to Morgantown to see what a WVU home football weekend was like. The ESPNU Road Trip crew experienced a West Virginia gameday from the Mountaineer Mantrip all the way to the singing of Country Roads.
Earlier in the week, Ali and Nikki toured the football facilities with senior center Joey Madsen and got to sit down to talk West Virginia football with Coach Dana Holgorsen.
Ali and Nikki also spent some time to learn how to shoot prone with the nationally-ranked Mountaineer rifle team while on campus, and the two also met up with Mountaineer mascot, Jonathan Kimble, to get an in-depth look at WVU's campus. They also got some hands-on training at the WVU Mine Training Academy, seeing what it's like to battle an underground mine fire.
Be sure to tune in Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. to see this week's show.
Men's Basketball: Bahamas Preview
Womens Soccer: Kadeisha Buchanan Press Conference
Big 12 Media Days: Dana Holgorsen
Women's Soccer: Amanda Hill and Mocha
Big 12 Media Days: Nick Kwiatkoski
Football: Dana Holgorsen on ESPN


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RIDGEFIELD -- The town's school system has hired 41 new teachers and administrators for the 2013-14 school year.
The new staff members were introduced at a Board of Education meeting this week.
The news staff was hired to fill positions that opened either through shifts in personnel or by teachers who retired.
Twenty-one teachers retired at the end of the 2012-13 school year.
More than half the new staff were hired for spots at Ridgefield High School.


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Macaulay Culkin Hooked On Heroin, Should Have Never Been Left Home Alone
Macaulay Culkin, the 31-year-old actor has allegedly been seen by many eyewitnesses using a deadly mix of prescription drugs and if he doesn't get any help, they say his addiction will kill him.
According to a blockbuster new report in the National Enquirer, the Home Alone star shoots up heroin on a regular basis and also the prescription painkiller oxycodone and nearly overdosed once.
Culkin's legal team denied the claims that he nearly overdosed and that he bought thousands of dollars of prescription drugs.
According to the Enquirer, Culkin spends up to $6,000 a month on other very dangerous painkillers, and has turned his apartment located in Manhattan, into his own private drug den where he gets high while he is alone or with his close friends.
Culkin's drug use intensified about a year and a half ago, say the insiders, when he took a turn for the worst over his short-lived career and a shattered romance with the sexy Mila Kunis, who's now dating actor, Ashton Kutcher.
Macaulay Culkin is hooked on drugs and it's killing him!
Said a source close to the star.
Another close friend claims to have witnessed Culkin's increasing drug use and said his friends are afraid for his life.
He's been hooked for a year and a half, and his drug of choice is either heroin or oxycodone. Mac is surrounding himself with junkies and lowlifes. It's a real tragedy.
Another states:
Macaulay Culkin is surely dying. He's addicted to heroin, oxyco done, Percocet and Vicodin. I have witnessed his drug taking, which has escalated over the past year and a half to the point where he needs serious help.
And Another:
His closest friends fear that he'll overdose or his heart will explode. If he doesn't get help and enter rehab now, he could be dead in six months.
The friend told the National Enquirer that they hoped he would get help before something tragic happens.
It should have been a wake-up call, but it didn't seem to have any effect on him. Mac is still partying hard. I pray that he finds the courage and strength to clean up before it's too late.
Photo Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images


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Showing 641 - 660 of 701
Video: Black Friday at the Campus Store
They lined up for hours ...
November 18, 2011 | Myrna Anderson
Video: Calvin's gridiron classic: Fumblers vs. Jacques
Every October, they meet just once. Traditionally, the old guys win. Watch game highlights with commentary and play-by-play.
November 18, 2011 | Matt Kucinski
Video: Covenant Fine Arts Center backstage tour
In this five-minute CFAC tour, check out some of the areas that will likely never be seen by the general public.
July 28, 2011 | Matt Kucinski
Video: Happy Thanksgiving!
Students reflect on family, friends, food and other blessings.
November 15, 2012 | Matt Kucinski , Myrna Anderson
VIDEO: It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without ...
Students tell us what they love most about Thanksgiving.
November 23, 2010 | Matt Kucinski
Video: River City Improv's "Congratulations!"
From beating cancer to getting hitched, dozens of people came to the Blue Bridge Saturday to be celebrated by River City Improv.
September 29, 2011 | Myrna Anderson
Video: The first week
Watch incoming students move in, get acquainted, serve in the community and bat a few beach balls around.
September 08, 2011 | Matt Kucinski
Video: Using electrophysiology to study the brain
A biochemistry major and two professors are using electrophysiology to study brain tissue.
July 29, 2011 | Matt Kucinski
Volleyball booklet awarded "Best in the Nation"
Sports information coordinator Jeff Febus and graphic designer Steve Barkema were awarded a "Best in the Nation" citation by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the post-season volleyball booklet they produced. The booklet was recognized in the CoSIDA's Special Event Program category and was also awarded "Best Cover."
July 20, 2011 | Matt Kucinski
Wadlopen: students take up the Dutch national pastime.
A geography professor writes about walking the mudflats of the Wadden Sea during last spring's Semester in the Netherlands.
September 19, 2012 | Henk Aay
Wake Up Weekend
"It's good to be reminded not to go into neutral, there is no neutral. Every decision has impact on human life and animal life."
January 20, 2012 | Matt Kucinski
Walking Boldly: Addison Sung
Addison Sung '15 is a human resources specialist at Indian Trails Camp in Grand Rapids, Mich.
June 19, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Walking Boldly: Jenny LaJoye
Jenny LaJoye '15 just released her album "Vapor" and is helping to plant a church in California.
July 02, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Walking Boldly: Kathryn Knox
Kathryn Knox '15 is heading to Guatemala for two years to serve in the Peace Corps.
June 08, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Walking Boldly: Monica Limback
Monica Limback '15 is an Active Duty Signal Corps Officer in the U.S. Army.
July 16, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Walking Boldly: Paulina Heule
Paulina Heule '15 is a paralegal at one of the largest law firms in the world.
July 31, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Walking Boldly: Ranu Sinniah
Ranu Sinniah '15 is doing research at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Md.
July 20, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Walking Boldly: Teunis Verwijs
Teunis Verwijs '15 is currently applying to galleries and museums in Amsterdam.
June 12, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale
Warners Garners Two Awards
Dave Warners, a professor of biology, received the Mary Jane Dockery Award last week from the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (joining Calvin colleague Randy VanDragt as one of two honorees). Then today he was honored as the 2006 Professor of the Year by the senior class at Calvin
May 03, 2006 | N/A
Warners gets 300th win
"It is my hope that the impact I would have on them as people is much greater than the impact I've had on them in their victories on the court." Women's volleyball coach Amber Warners talks with the Grand Rapids Press about her milestone 300th win in just her 10th season at Calvin.
October 10, 2011 | Matt Kucinski


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MOVED: Department of Defense WOSB Opportunity Forum - October 24
by AKallay, Window Shopper
- Created: October 5, 2012, 1:42 pm
- Updated: October 14, 2012, 10:37 am
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This post has been moved to "Small Business Events [1]". [1] https://www.sba.gov/community/discussion-boards/discuss-popular-topics/government-contracting/department-defense-wosb-op
‹ PRE- and POST- Programming for the 8(a) Firm Are there government contracting opportunities for products like Texas Gifts? ›
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Five ways to create a results-oriented smart script, Pt. 3
By Bill Bachrach
Bachrach & Associates
Editor's note: This is the third in a series on smart scripts. Five ways to create a results-oriented, smart script, Pt. 1
A smart script has a purpose
A dumb script lacks direction. A smart script has a purpose and doesn't waste the client's time. Here's a simple example:
"Hi, Stan. It's Bill Bachrach calling. Did I catch you at an okay time? I'm calling because we met on April 15 and completed your Financial Road Map®. We decided at that point that it wasn't time to take action but I promised to follow up on May 19, so here I am calling as I promised I would to determine if you'd like to move forward or not."
Notice that the conversation is deliberate and the subject matter was predetermined. I couldn't make such a call on May 19 if we hadn't made an agreement on April 15.
A smart script doesn't leave things ambiguous and open-ended. A smart script leads prospects to the next step, such as scheduling an appointment. Even if they say, "I'm going to have to think about this and get back to you," you can say, "That's no problem. By when should I expect to hear from you?"


text:
The Singles 1999 - 2006, which is released on March 26, will contain five singles which have never previously appeared on vinyl - 1999's The Blue Room EP; 2006 download-only single The Hardest Part; and international singles Don't Panic; God Put A Smile Upon Your Face and What If.
Each single will be pressed on heavyweight vinyl and sleeved in its original artwork. The set will not be released on CD.
The full tracklisting runs:
'The Blue Room EP' (original UK release date 25/10/1999)
Disc 1
A. Bigger Stronger
B1. Don't Panic
B2. See You Soon
Disc 2
A. High Speed
B. Such A Rush
'Shiver' (06/03/2000)
A. Shiver
B1. For You
B2. Careful Where You Stand
'Yellow' (26/06/2000)
A. Yellow
B. Help Is Around The Corner
'Trouble' (13/10/2000)
A. Trouble
B. Brothers & Sisters
'Don't Panic' (Single not released in UK)
A. Don't Panic
B. You Only Live Twice (Live From Norway)
'In My Place' (05/08/2002)
A. In My Place
B. One I Love
'The Scientist' (11/11/2002)
A. The Scientist
B2. I Ran Away
'Clocks' (24/03/2003)
A. Clocks
B. Crests Of Waves
'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' (Single not released in UK)
A. Got Put A Smile Upon Your Face
B. Murder
'Speed of Sound' (23/05/2005)
A. Speed Of Sound
B. Things I Don't Understand
'Fix You' (05/09/2005)
A. Fix You
B. The World Turned Upside Down
'Talk' (19/12/2005)
A. Talk
B. Gravity
'What If' (Single not released in UK)
A. What If (Tom Lord Alge Mix)
B. How You See The World (Live From Earls Court)
'The Hardest Part' (10/04/2006 download-only release)
A. The Hardest Part
B. Pour Me (Live At The Hollywood Bowl)