text:
Volume 40 August 2006
Download this article in PDF format. (416K)
Precision Signal-Processing and Data-Conversion ICs for PLCs Now Have More Performance at Less Power, Size, and Cost
By Albert O'Grady, (firstname.lastname@example.com)
A programmable-logic controller (PLC) is a compact computer-based electronic system that uses digital or analog input/output modules to control machines, processes, and other control modules. A PLC is able to receive (input) and transmit (output) various types of electrical and electronic signals and use them to control and monitor practically any kind of mechanical and/or electrical system. PLCs are classified by the number of I/O functions provided. For example, a nano PLC incorporates fewer than 32 I/Os, a micro PLC has between 32 and 128 I/Os, a small PLC has between 128 and 256 I/Os, and so on. A typical PLC system is outlined in Figure 1.
Figure 1. PLC system architecture, showing various I/O-module functions.
PLC systems comprise input modules, output modules, and input/output modules. Since many of the inputs and outputs involve real-world analog variables—while the controller is digital—PLC system hardware-design tasks focus on the requirements for digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), input- and output signal-conditioning, and isolation of the electrical wiring of the input- and output modules from the controller and each other.
Resolutions of I/O modules typically range from 12 bits to 16 bits, with 0.1% accuracy over the industrial temperature range. Analog output voltage and current ranges include ±5 V, ±10 V, or 0 V to 5 V, 0 V to 10 V, and 4 to 20 mA or 0 to 20 mA. Settling-time requirements for DACs vary from 10 µs to 100 ms, depending on the application. Analog input ranges can be as small as ±10 mV, from bridge transducers, as large as ±10 V, from actuator controllers, or 4-to-20 mA currents, in industrial process-control systems. Conversion times, depending on the required accuracy and choice of ADC architecture, vary from 10 samples per second to hundreds of kilosamples per second.
Digital isolators-—optocouplers or electromagnetic isolators—are used to isolate the ADCs, DACs, and signal-conditioning circuitry on the field side of the system from the controller on the digital side. If the system must also be fully isolated on the analog side, a converter would be necessary on each channel of the input or output to maximize the isolation between channels—and isolated power would be necessary, via transformers or Analog Devices isoPower™ technology.
The iCMOS™ Process
This powerful combination allows a single
chip design to mix-and-match 5-V CMOS circuits with higher-voltage
Thin-film resistors, with their 12-bit initial matching, 16-bit trimmed matching, and temperature- and voltage coefficients up to 20 times better than conventional polysilicon resistors, are ideal for high-precision, high-accuracy digital-to-analog converters. On-chip thin-film fuses allow digital techniques to be used for calibration of integral nonlinearity, offset, and gain in high-precision converters.
PLC Output Module
Two architectures are commonly used in PLC-system analog output modules: DAC per channel and sample-hold per channel. The first uses a dedicated DAC in each channel to generate its analog control voltage or current. A variety of available multiple DACs provide economy of space at low per-channel cost—but channels requiring interchannel isolation usually employ single-channel DACs. Figure 2 shows a typical DAC-per-channel configuration. The simplest DACs are low-voltage single-supply types, operating from a 2.5-V to 5.5-V supply with an output range of 0 V to VREF. Their output signal may be conditioned to generate any required voltage- or current range. Bipolar-output converters, which require dual supplies, are available for use in output modules that must supply bipolar output voltage ranges.
Figure 2. DAC-per-channel architecture.
Table 1 shows a selection of 16-bit multichannel D/A converters suitable for implementing PLC output modules. These products offer either bipolar or unipolar output ranges, with settling times of 10 µs. Other members of these families, available with 12-bit and 14-bit resolution, are pin-compatible with the 16-bit versions—allowing a direct upgrade path from 12 bits to 16 bits with no hardware changes and minimal software changes. Most of these devices include an on-chip reference, thus offering a fully integrated output solution.
Quad D/A converters are ideally suited to nonisolated multichannel output designs where up to four different output configurations can be implemented using external signal-conditioning circuitry. For example, Figure 3 shows how the AD5664R, a 16-bit quad voltage-output DAC, can deliver its specified 0-V to 5-V output range—or be connected for a variety of standard output voltage ranges, or for current-sink output, using an external quad op amp. In the bipolar-output configurations, the external output of its internal reference provides the necessary tracking offset voltage. The AD5664R operates from a single 5-V power supply, includes an internal 2.5-V, 5 ppm/°C reference, and is available in a tiny 3 mm × 3 mm LFCSP package.
Figure 3. Implementing ±5-V, ±10-V, 0-V-to-10-V, 0-V-to-5-V, and current-sink outputs using a multichannel D/A converter.
Figure 4 shows a single-channel converter in an isolated 4-to-20-mA current-loop control circuit. The AD5662, available in an SOT-23 package, is ideally suited to applications where full isolation between the analog output channels is required.
Figure 4. A 4-to-20-mA current-control circuit.
The AD5662 has a maximum output voltage span of 5 V, provided by the ADR02 voltage reference, which derives a precise, regulated supply from the variable loop voltage. The 5-V DAC-output span is converted to a 4-to-20-mA current output using an operational amplifier and transistor circuit. Since the noninverting input of the op amp (N1) is a virtual ground, the op amp regulates the current, IS, to maintain equal voltage drops across RS and R3, hence
Current summation at N2 provides the loop current,
Summing the currents at N1:
The 4-mA offset component of the loop current is provided by the reference:
The programmable 0-to-16-mA component of the loop current is provided by the DAC:
per channel
Figure 5. Single-DAC architecture.
Table 2 shows a selection of single-channel, 16-bit D/A converters, with full-scale settling times from 4 µs to 10 µs. Well-suited to sample-and-hold output architectures, they are provided in small-form-factor surface-mount packages.
Switches and Multiplexers
For other applications, where very low on resistance is necessary, the ADG1408 and ADG1409 ±15-V multiplexers offer a maximum of 9 V over the full signal range. Besides having low RON, their excellent on-resistance flatness (with voltage level) makes them an ideal solution in applications where low distortion is essential for reliable, predictable circuit performance.
Table 3 tabulates capacitance, charge injection, and RON for a selection of iCMOS switches and multiplexers. They are compared with a popular earlier type, the ADG508/ADG509.
Galvanic Isolation for Power and
Digital Signals
The popular optocouplers contain light-emitting diodes (LEDs)—to convert electrical signals to corresponding light intensities—and photodetectors to convert the light back to electrical signals. In general, their LEDs are characterized by low conversion efficiencies—and the photodetectors by slow response; overall, optocouplers tend to have limited life, as well as excessive performance variation over temperature, speed, and power consumption. They are generally limited to one- or two-channel configurations and require external components to configure complete functions.
A new approach to isolation has been developed at Analog Devices, combining chip-scale transformer technology with integrated CMOS inputs and outputs. These iCoupler® devices are easy to use—with smaller size, lower cost, and lower power requirements than optocouplers. Available in a wide variety of channel configurations and performance levels, with standard CMOS interfaces, iCouplers require no external components—and provide high performance and stability over temperature, supply voltage, and life. A typical iCoupler isolation IC, the ADuM2400 quad isolator, with its interfaces and coupling transformers, is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Block diagram of ADuM2400 quad isolator.
iCouplers have two- to four-times faster data rates and timing specifications than commonly used high-speed optocouplers—and they operate with as little as 1/50 the power of optocouplers, with correspondingly less heat dissipation, improved reliability, and reduced cost. Table 4 shows available channel configuration options.
Providing isolated power from the system side to the field side in fully isolated systems is another challenge that has an emerging solution. Traditional techniques employed in transferring power across an isolation barrier include either a separate, relatively large, expensive dc-to-dc converter, or a difficult-to-design-and-interface discrete assembly. A newer and better approach, currently available to supply up to 50 mW, is to use a complete, fully integrated isolation solution involving signal- and power transfer across an isolation barrier using microtransformers. The ADuM524x isoPower family of products provides isolation up to 5 kV, for both signal and power, within a single component—eliminating the need for a separate, isolated power supply and significantly reducing the total isolation system cost, board area requirements, and design time. A typical device is shown in Figure 7. All products have achieved UL, CSA, and VDE safety approval.
Figure 7. Block
diagram of
dual-channel isolator with integrated dc-to-dc converter
PLC Input Module
Analog Input-Module Low-Level Signal Ranges
A variety of A/D converter types can be used for industrial and PLC applications—including successive-approximation (SAR), flash/parallel, integrating (including sigma-delta), and ramp/counting. The selection of an ADC for a particular application is primarily dictated by the input-signal range required by the input transducer—as well as the required accuracy, signal-frequency content, maximum signal level, and dynamic range. The most widely used architectures are successive-approximation and sigma-delta.
Successive-approximation ADCs provide resolutions from 12 bits to 18 bits with high throughput rates; they are ideally suited to multichannel multiplexed applications, where a number of input channels need to be monitored at reasonably high sample rates.
Sigma-delta architectures provide resolutions from 16 bits to 24 bits. They employ high oversampling rates and digital filtering to achieve their high resolution and accuracy—but at lower throughput rates than are achieved by SAR types. Sigma-delta architectures generally incorporate programmable-gain amplifiers (PGAs) on the front end; in converter-per-channel applications, this allows a direct interface—without signal conditioning—between the sensor and the ADC.
A key requirement when measuring low-level signals from thermocouples, strain gages, and bridge-type pressure sensors is the ability to perform a differential measurement to reject common-mode interference and provide a more stable reading in the presence of noise. In industrial applications, for example, differential inputs are used to cancel common-mode noise or interference from motors, ac power lines, or noise sources that inject noise into the analog inputs of the A/D converter.
Single-ended inputs, which are lower in cost, provide twice the number of input channels for the same number of input pins, since they require only one analog input per channel and are all referenced to the same ground point. They are mainly used in applications with high signal levels, low noise, and a stable common ground.
Figure 8 shows many of the elements that could be included in a discrete implementation of an isolated PLC input module—including excitation and input signal conditioning, fault-protected multiplexers to handle a number of input signals, programmable-gain amplifier, and A/D converter. Many of these functions, formerly assembled with discrete collections of ICs and passive elements, are now available—fully integrated and characterized—in A/D-converter and analog front-end ICs.
Figure 8. Functions embodied in a typical discrete PLC input module.
For example, the AD761x (16-bit) and AD763x (18-bit) families of iCMOS PulSAR® ADCs with internal references provide programmable input voltage ranges (0 V to 5 V, 0 V to 10 V, ±5 V, and ±10 V) that allow the designer to change inputs on-the-fly. For these devices, all switching is done via internal registers, eliminating data latency and providing improved channel switching speeds. Table 5 shows a selection of 16-bit/18-bit PulSAR ADCs ideally suited to PLC applications.
Another, more highly integrated example is the AD7792/ AD7793/AD7794/AD7795/AD7798/AD7799 family of sigma-delta ADCs. Besides their ultralow noise (40 nV) and low power requirement (400 µA), the family also provides features such as an on-chip PGA (gains from 1 to 128), voltage reference, sensor-excitation current sources, and clock—in a small TSSOP package. The combination of very low noise and low power makes these devices ideal for applications requiring high-accuracy measurements.
These ADCs can be connected directly to the sensor interface in many applications, including PLCs, temperature measurement, weigh scales, pressure- and flow measurement, and general measurement equipment. Their update rate is programmable from 4 Hz to 500 Hz, and they offer simultaneous rejection of both 50-Hz and 60-Hz signals at selected update rates. Table 6 shows features and functions offered by the AD779x family of converters.
Figure 9 shows a typical configuration using the AD7794/AD7795 to measure input signals from bridge transducers and resistance-based temperature sensors.
Figure 9. Low-level measurement using AD7794/AD7795.
When high-precision fault-protected analog measurement with voltage-input capability up to ±10 V is needed in PLCs and industrial I/O, and where high throughput for multiple channels is important, the AD7732 (two fully differential input channels), AD7734 (four single-ended input channels), and AD7738 (four fully differential or eight single-ended input channels) are ideal.
Figure 10
shows a typical configuration using the AD7734 to measure high
level signals typically seen in PLC- and process-control applications.
The analog front-end features four single-ended input channels
with unipolar or true-bipolar input ranges to
±10 V, while operating from a single
Figure 10. High-voltage signal acquisition using the AD7734.
Voltage References
Amplifiers (Instrumentation and
The AD8220 is an example of a highly versatile instrumentation amplifier that can be used in a variety of applications, such as signal conditioning between sensors—such as strain gages—and ADCs, in medical applications, programmable logic controllers, data-acquisition cards, and analog I/O cards. It offers resistor-programmable gains from 1 to 1000, with 80-dB CMR, 1-mV offset, and 10-µV/°C drift.
Operational amplifiers are the "workhorses" of analog circuitry, and Analog Devices offers one of the largest op-amp stables available in the marketplace today. Innovative design, combined with recent IC process developments, such as the high-voltage iCMOS and high-performance iPolar™, have made possible the introduction of devices for the industrial marketplace with dramatically improved performance and far greater functionality—in one-quarter the board space of older process geometries. Table 8 and Table 9, respectively, outline single- and multichannel amplifier products that are frequently used in PLC applications. They easily handle the high supply voltages generally required to support a ±10-V output range, and they feature low offset voltage and low supply current—and are housed in a small package.
APPENDIX: SELECTION TABLES (Updated versions of these tables can be found at http://www.analog.com.)
Table 1. 16-Bit Multichannel D/A Converters Targeted at DAC-Per-Channel Applications
Copyright 1995- Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
1,000-point scorer has Defenders in states for first time in two decades
March 4, 2014
Starting point guard Emily Webb sat on the bench, wearing a hefty brace after tearing her ACL eight nights earlier. A few seats away sat fellow starting guard Chloe Eisenhuth....
No comments posted for this article.
Post a Comment
You must first login before you can comment.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Inked Girls: Natasha long
Myself in a sentence: I'm a single mom. I'm 21. And I love taken pictures and I want to show the world me and that I can do it. My tattoos show who I am. As I'm not done yet but their me and they make who I am today.
Occupation: Mommy
Hometown: Woodward
The design and themes of my tattoos: No themes their just me and they have helped me in things from my life.
More specifics about my tattoo: My tattoos so far are all black and white besides two. The locket on my arm and the peacock.
My favorite tattoo and the story behind it: My favorite tattoo is my peacock on my arm it represents my life as I am changing into the better as I've had some up and downs and it also means I can see the good and people as we'll as the bad. It has a Lilly tattoo for my loves that has passed away But mostly for my aunt who decided to take her own life instead of pushing through and being the beautiful woman she is.
My next tattoo: My next tattoo is going to be a song that I sing to my daughter every night since she was born. I made it up and it means a lot to me.


text:
Source: Reuters
quote: All of you people making claims like the moron I've just replied to are utterly bereft of any higher reasoning skills.
quote: Wow, somebody's having a bad day. :-(
quote: People do understand the distinction.
quote: The problem is you don't see the other side of the coin. It could go either way.
quote: Anyone that wants a Kindle will buy one regardless of whether Walmart sells them, and will consume content through the device exactly the same no matter which store they buy it from...The flip side is the consumers that would not have bought a Kindle if they didn't happen by it at Walmart.
quote: When your Dell laptop hits the Windows desktop, there's no big button in the middle of the screen that loads right into Amazon's store, is there?
quote: As a matter of fact, there just might be. The last few off-the-shelf PCs I've seen have had Amazon shortcuts right on the desktop.
quote: But that's beside the point. Someone who wants to buy from Amazon isn't going to be dissuaded because there's not a giant Amazon button in the middle of their screen. Your assertion that somehow that person won't be able to figure out how to get to Amazon is laughable.
quote: Also...are you sure that movies and music aren't part of Walmart's core business? Pretty sure they dedicate quite a bit of space to movies and music in their stores. And in their online store.
quote: Speaking of their online store, you can access that from any device...like a Kindle. If you want to buy something from Walmart.com, not having a giant Walmart button in the middle of your screen isn't going to dissuade you from doing so.
quote: Your "argument" is pathetic.


text:
Cowlishaw: I expect Johnny Manziel to play vs. Bama, unless ...
Columnist Tim Cowlishaw answered questions in a chat Thursday. Here are some highlights.
Kyle Schneckner ... What is your current take on Johnny Manziel? Will he be suspended? I think if A&M tells him he's not playing the first 2 games there is a chance his parents will pout and say he's leaving the school. Rock and a hard place. What do you expect to happen?
Tim Cowlishaw: Not sure we have room to answer all your questions, but starting with the last one, trust me, his parents aren't going to pout and pull him out of school. Johnny Manziel needs to have a very productive year to get anywhere near the first round of the 2014 draft. So he has to play, not sit. I think it's clear the Aggies aren't going to suspend him on their own, they are going to fight this. Unless there is real evidence he took payment, I don't see him getting suspended. I think it actually helped his case that these other autograph stories about JaDaveon Clowney and Teddy Bridgewater and others came out. The NCAA isn't going to suspend everyone. But I don't know what the evidence of the case suggests.
Steve ... Does Dez make a good point in his comments about Manziel and NCAA?
Tim Cowlishaw: Well, I'm not sure. Because his first point was, yeah, he'd be mad if Johnny didn't get suspended since he did. Then he amended it and said he roots for Johnny. He certainly has a point that the NCAA is out of control and the days of schools making millions off jersey sales and the players getting nothing in compensation for that should be long gone. Texas A&M sells all those No. 2 jerseys and pretends that it's just a number, it's not necessarily Johnny Football's? Please.
ozzland2 ... What are your feelings on Johnny Manziel? Will he get suspended at all? Will he play against Alabama?
Tim Cowlishaw: I said earlier it will come down to whether they have real evidence that he was paid. Doesn't have to be court-room evidence because it's the NCAA but they won't suspend him on the simple suspicion that he may have made money. Actually, I kind of wish they would and then that would bring the whole system crashing down. But I suspect he will play against Alabama. CBS expects that to happen, too.


text:
BERLIN - The music was finished. Many bows had been taken. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra had left the stage Thursday night, except for a few straggling double bassists.
But listeners were still there and still clapping. Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin obligingly scooted back onto the Berlin Philharmonie stage with characteristic energy, and was greeted with yet another approving roar.
The orchestra had played not just well, but interestingly, with a spontaneity that sometimes teetered on the edge of chaos in ways that suited the music and were encouraged by the guest conductor. Chaos never happened - no doubt to the relief of both the conductor and his career managers, who flew in for the occasion.


text:
Product Information
SKU: prod10640378
Magnavox 500GB HDD DVD Recorder w/ DVR and Digital Tuner
Record media in high resolution with the Magnavox 500GB HDD DVR and DVD Recorder. This HDD DVR and DVD Recorder with Digital Tuner lets you watch, forward, rewind or freeze live TV while recording. With a hard drive capacity of 500 GB, you can put an end to disorganized drawers of VHS tapes by selecting media to watch in-menu. Featuring 1080p up-conversion, the Magnavox HDD DVR DVD Recorder provides faithfully high definition recording of your favorite shows or movies. Unlike TiVo, there is no monthly subscription fee and it functions much like a VCR. With 4-way dubbing and Dolby Digital stream out, the Magnavox 500GB HDD DVR and DVD Recorder with Digital Tuner will become an indispensible part of your TV-watching regimen. A DV-input allows you to connect the device to other electronics for storage so that you can keep recording your favorite shows. If you're looking for a smart digital recording solution, consider buying the Magnavox 500GB HDD and DVD Recorder.
SHOP.COM ReviewsWrite a Review
This product has not yet been reviewed. Be the first to write a review.


text:
Pu'u-Robinson will not play for UH this season
August 30, 2012 - Robert Collias
Jordan Pu'u-Robinson has been denied by the NCAA in his attempt to be immediately eligible to play for the University of Hawaii this season, UH spokesman Derek Inouchi confirmed this morning.
Pu'u-Robinson tranferred to UH from Washington State, where he spent the first three years of his college career. He had requested an exemption from the NCAA on its one-year of no play for transfers for family reasons. His request was denied in writing from the NCAA to UH on Wednesday.
The Warriors had been holding a spot for him on its 64-player travel squad — the team leaves today for Los Angeles, where it will play No. 1-ranked USC on Saturday.
Pu'u-Robinson had been in line to start for WSU and new head coach Mike Leach this season. He had nine tackles in two starts last season, missed the 2010 season with a knee injury and redshirted as a freshman in 2009.
He attended Kamehameha Schools Maui for his first three years and graduated from Baldwin in 2009.
Depending on how the NCAA rules on his injury season of 2010, JPR may have just one season of eligibility at UH, in 2013.
Article Comments
No comments posted for this article.
Post a Comment
You must first login before you can comment.


text:
This is my first trip report, so tell me how you like it. It is very detailed, and therefore very long, so hang with me.
I went on American flight 2763 from San Jose to San Diego on an MD-80. I was going down by myself to visit my Grandparents. Our flight was set to leave at 11:37, so I planned to get to the airport at about 10:00. My Dad likes to take the Coleman route to the airport and I love it because we get to drive right under the approach for 30L. So anyway, right as we turn onto airport blvd. (south west corner of the field), I see Arizona One on final. It flies right over our car and I see it park at gate A1 (repositioned due to construction). My Dad parked our car on the fourth level of the A terminal parking garage and I climbed the stairs up to the top level. I took some pictures of Arizona, but soon had to go check in for my flight.
Walking up to the check in area, I saw the Southwest check in on the left and the American check in on the right, as usual. However, I also saw the Tokyo check in right between the two airlines. This was interesting to me because I have never checked in at the same time as the Tokyo flight. The check in wait was about 20 minutes. When I finally made it past security, I had about 40 minutes before my flight. Since it was about lunchtime and I was hungry, I got a 5 chese pizza and a soda from California Pizza Kitchen which is across from gate A4. I took my food to the gate thinking that boarding would start soon. After eating my pizza, drinking my soda, and waiting about 5 more minutes, they finally started boarding. I was in row 23 (seat 23A), which is near the back of the plane, so I was able to board pretty quickly. There was a line in the jetway, and it took me about 5 minutes just to get onto the plane. Seeing the plane up close, I could tell that there was no Oneworld sticker like on the 2 AA MD-80s that I flew on last weekend. I should also mention that it was a bare metal, not ex-Reno MD-80.
Right as I entered the plane, I looked into the cockpit. There was a flight attendent right next to me, and I asked her if I could go into the cockpit. She said sure, and I went in. The pilots were completing there checklist, and I listened. I noted that the checklist said DC-9, not MD-80. Interesting. Once they finished, we started chatting about the cockpit. I was surprised at how tiny the throttles were (barely and inch each). They told me that I should start taking flying lessons.
After chatting for about 10 minutes, the plane was about ready to leave, and all the passengers were on. I returned to my seat (the only one left on the plane), and glued my eyes to the window. The only thing abnormal that I saw was an Sporthawk 727(see this post), but I did take one picture of a UAL A320 and a Southwest 737 landing.
After takeoff, the flight was normal. The time of day was perfect. The sun shone on everything, and the mountains looked especially pretty. I took a picture of the wing with the mountains in the background, and settled in for a short flight.
On approach to San Diego, the sun was shining off of the water and looking really pretty. As we got closer, I took two more wing shots. One of the water and one of the skyline of downtown SD. When we landed, I looked around, but could not find any special planes. When we pulled into the gate, I waited in my seat for a while to take pictures of the new More Room throughout Coach seats and talk to the pilots. I asked them if they had ever been here (airliners.net), but they said no. I told them to come and look at my pictures and the whole site. Since I was the last passenger off the plane, my grandparents were a little worried, but they had a feeling that I was talking to the pilots.
As we started towards the baggage claim, I saw the America West Arizona Diamondbacks plane. After taking a few pictures from the gate area of this plane, I went down to baggage claim. I saw a group of people huddled around the carasel waiting for their bags. I spotted my distinctive blue bag immediately, and headed for my grandparents car. Leaving the terminal, I completed a Super one way trip.
Hope you liked it


text:
Fuse Creativity System Project Guide: Fun Party Themes, Idea for Handmade Cards, And More Paper Crafts from Fiskars
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
Doily Vintage Angel Card
By: Kandi Corp
We are adding the craft to your Craft Projects.
The project was added to your Craft Projects.
Click here to view your Craft Projects.
A paper doily sets the background for this vintage inspired card from Kandi Corp. Any child's image can be turned into a vintage photo with a few clever techniques. Beeswax pigments, gold fusible ribbon and swarovski crystals add elegant touches to the card.
- Hot Wax Art® Stylus with Brush & Calligraphy Tip
- Professional Touch® HotFix Applicator with 3mm tip
- Ribbon & Tread Tips
- 1" x 4" Pink Cardstock
- 11" x 4" Beige Cardstock
- 2½ x 3½ Child Image
- Paper Doilies
- FG3003 Burnished Gold Fusible Ribbon
- Hot Wax Art® Berry BeesWax Pigments
- Hot Wax Art® Ocean BeesWax Pigments
- Hot Wax Art® Metallic BeesWax Pigments
- 3mm Aquamarine & Light Amethyst Swarovski® HotFix Crystals
Cut Beige Cardstock 11" x 4" long.
Take paper doilie and lay it on top of the card.
Turn on the Hot Wax Art® Stylus. Preheat for about 2 minutes. Be careful. The metal end of the Stylus and the tip get very hot! DO NOT TOUCH ANY METAL PARTS of the Stylus or tips while in use. Using the Hot Wax Art® Stylus with Brush Tip, brush Metallic Silver BeesWax Pigments over the doilie. Repeat as needed to cover the card.
Using the Pink Cardstock, cut a 1" x 4" rectangle for a border.
Apply the Burnished Gold Fusible Ribbon using Kandi's Professional Touch® HotFixApplicator with the small Ribbon & Thread tip inserted. Turn over the Pink Cardstock rectangle so you are working on the back of the cardstock. Hold one end of the Burnished Gold Fusible Ribbon in place and apply heat to the ribbon using the Applicator to fuse the ribbon in place. This will secure the ribbon and prevent the edge from fraying. Turn the rectangle back over to the right side, and press the ribbon down by holding the applicator in one hand and maneuvering the ribbon with the other hand. When you are done, secure the end of the ribbon to the back of the card by turning the card over and fusing the end to the back of the card.
Add details to the card using the Hot Wax Art® Stylus with the Calligraphy Tip and your selection of BeesWax Pigments.
Using the Hot Wax Art® Stylus with the Calligraphy Tip inserted, apply Dark Blue BeesWax Pigment and Light Blue BeesWax Pigment to the background in the child's image.
Using Kandi's Professional Touch® HotFix Applicator with the 3mm tip inserted, apply 3mm Light Amethyst Swarovski® HotFix Crystals for the child's necklace.
- Fold your card in half. Using adhesive attach the border and child's image.
Tags / Related Topics
Your Recently Viewed Projects
Images from other crafters
Love these projects? Get MORE delivered to your Inbox – FREE Click Here!
Report Inappropriate Comment
Are you sure you would like to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to take action.
Thank you for taking the time to improve the content on our site.
What's Hot
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite crafts
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your crafts
Free eBooks
- 13 Spring Crafts: Easter Craft Ideas, Spring DIY Home Dcor, and More
- 17 Flower Craft Ideas: How To Make Paper Flowers, Easy Fabric Flowers and More
- 18 Projects Every Crafter Wants
- 23 Fabulous Picnic Craft Ideas + Restaurant Copycat Recipes
- 25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles
- 26 Spring Crafts for Kids
- Easter Craft eBook: Blogger Edition
- Garden Crafts
- Hop into Spring: Easter Crafting and Recipe
- Trash to Treasure: 28 Recycled Crafts
Our Newest Projects & Articles
- Paper Piece Diamond Quilt Pattern
- Preparing Your DIY Quilt for Quilting
- Purple Beginner Shawl
- Recycled T-Shirt Quilt Pattern
- Shawl Scarf Crochet Pattern
- Stunning Leather Trimmed Crochet Scarf Pattern
- Knit Look Cowl Crochet Pattern
- Bean Stitch Cowl Crochet Pattern
- Plush Basketweave Baby Blanket Pattern
- "18 Projects Every Crafter Wants" free eBook


text:
Kent County Career Tech student Kacie Gee was honored recently with the 2011 Judy Lloyd Leadership Award Tribute from the YWCA for her work at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, Meadowlark Retirement Village, and Saint Mary's Health Care as well as her story of being an inspiration to other girls.
Kacie overcame difficulty in her home life and destructive behavior to reclaim her own life and her future, YMCA officials said. She has spoken openly about her journey to encourage others.
The tribute awards are given annually to extraordinary female students who demonstrate leadership, positive community impact, vision and values, academic or athletic accomplishment or have overcome extraordinary circumstances and challenges. They include a $2,000 scholarship.
Kacie attends Sparta High School and KCTC in Grand Rapids Township.


text:
CICLOPE is a telesurveillance system
desiged by a team of INOV researchers, highly experienced
in development of monitoring and remote control systems.
The CICLOPE system currently
covers about 1,300,000 hectares of Continental Portugal.
Due to characteristics
of its equipment, CICLOPE enables large areas to be monitored
remotely, at a reduced cost per hectare. The simultaneous
or individual use of video and IR cameras, as well as a
special lidar (laser radar) sensor, allows round-the-clock
observations, practically regardless of the weather conditions.
With completely autonomous power supply and communications
units, the CICLOPE system is designed to operate in any
The cameras and all the associated equipment, including
the positioning and control systems are installed in the
special observation towers called SDATs (Surveillance and
Data Acquisition Towers).
The CICLOPE installation is formed
by several SDATs and a Control and Management Centre (GCC).
It is GCC that controls all SDATs and receives all the images
taken by cameras. GCC runs a powerful control application,
with some innovative features patented by INOV. These innovations
allow a practical and intuitive use of the system.
whole system operates over IP, from the capture of images
to their viewing and processing, which ensures exceptional
performance as well as expandable and unlimited use of any
means of digital communications (Microwave, GPRS/UMTS, fibre-optics,
To increase the range of provided options, the CICLOPE installation
may be supplied with meteorological stations and with systems
providing equipment & facilities security, people and
vehicle location and/or automatic target detection, all
integrated into a single software package.
CICLOPE surveillance and data acquisition tower (SDAT).
Its client/server design concept
enables SDATs to be controlled from different places: firemen
headquarter, Civil Protection unit, police station, etc.
Strongly supporting the developments
in the telesurveillance area, INOV has been developing new
brand new concepts, such as systems for traffic control
and automatic fire, intrusion and suspicious behaviour detection.
In order to guarantee proper dimensioning and design of
the CICLOPE installation, INOV has developed specific planning
tools that provide operational simulations and test solutions,
thus allowing to choose the best sites and equipment for
each case.
and Management Centre.
operation software.
DOWNLOAD CICLOPE™ PRESENTATION [ pdf - 8,9 MB ] ::


text:
One of the things that fascinated us the most during our trip to the Visavadi Center was their sanitary napkin production. There, several women manage a process that sources the raw materials, operate a machine to cut, arrange, stuff and sew sanitary napkins that are then sold, at a loss, to women in the community.
As women from the US, community acceptance and feminine products are two things that we take for granted. We have easy access to a wide variety of feminine products, which have been continually innovated and improved to fit our active lifestyles. But in many other cultures, a woman's time of the month is one full of shame, where women are literally ostracized from their families and communities. The same is true in rural India. As summarized by a blog written by Elizabeth Scharpf and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-scharpf-and-rachel-kauder-nalebuff/when-a-period-ends-more-t_b_172862.html):
"Despite the fact that half the world menstruates, most people overlook the serious repercussions of a lack of affordable sanitary supplies in developing countries. The reason? Most people don't know that it is a problem. Others find the subject embarrassing. Even those who do understand think there are more pressing problems at hand. Why spend money on pads when AIDS remains to be solved, when countries desperately need infrastructure, when the economy is collapsing? Because it turns out that providing pads does much more than prevent embarrassing stains. It is a simple solution that can change the standing of a gender, and thus an economy, across a continent."
In Gujarat – and throughout rural India – the way women were taking care of their periods is often very unsanitary – using old and dirty cotton pieces that would not get cleaned or dried properly. This can lead to many health issues, including infection, infertility and even deaths; the danger is extreme. Beyond the direct health issues that it can cause to the woman, the impact it can have on a woman's livelihood and her family's livelihood is compounded – if she can't work and provide for her family, the repercussions can be serious.
We couldn't help be fascinated by this – perhaps because it is so different from the world in which we were brought up. But was also found ourselves completely inspired by this activity – women helping women in possibly one of the best ways that one woman can improve and support the lives of other woman. We wanted to learn more.
Before SEWA embarked on this project, they had over 2 years of research into the type of product they could make. There were other pads that had wings or were thicker and longer, but they were more expensive. So they settled on a machine that cost them 400,000 rupees. Raw materials would have to purchased every six months and because these materials are bulky, they need a place to store both the raw materials and the finished products. They sell the pads for 25 rupees, a price they determined would be attainable appropriate as a token amount. As mentioned before, they lose money on this project.
Our SEWA leaders made it clear to us: "This will not be a profitable business; this is being done for the social good." But they did want us to look into how to reduce the costs and how to upgrade the machine. In the end, we determined that this is the sort of opportunity that foundations and corporations look for to fund. The capital costs should be supported by those efforts. But where SEWA can have the most impact is on the education and distribution systems. The education part is important as it not only would include the safety benefits of using the napkins and how one should dispose of it, but also help rural women more understand their bodies, a sort of taboo topic. We also think there is an opportunity to partner with the RUDI women, making sure the distribution network can reach far and wide. SEWA's research found that door-to-door selling of these products are preferred. Finally, with perhaps the greatest ROI for SEWA, we think this is an opportunity to recruit the next generation of leaders for SEWA. The Manager-Ni School can recruit younger individuals and train them to be facilitators in the sanitary napkin project. These young women will not only get an early taste of the SEWA benefits, but can also convince their friends to join SEWA. This recruitment will help the generation gap we noticed during our time with the SEWA women.


text:
503.206.8589 Sign In | Your Account
Fausse Piste Riverrock Syrah 2010
$47.95 Regular
I like Fausse Piste Riverrock Vineyard Syrah 2010 because it achieves balance (see below). Concentrated, smoky plum and currant meets savory grilled herb and olive, with violet highlights. Bold meets pretty, for a nice melding of New and Old World styles.
I'll say something a bit controversial: sometimes I find "the rocks" unappealing. By "the rocks" I mean the rocky-soiled areas of the ancient Walla Walla River Valley. You know, the neighborhood were some of the worlds highest rated wines are from. There, I said it. I love salt (a lot) but sometimes the Syrahs are too briny, lacking fruit to balance the over-the-top olive/salted meat/liquid stone notes. It's not because I don't appreciate Northern Rhone Syrahs (or domestic wines styled after them), because I love virtually everything from Cote Rotie, St. Joseph, Cornas, etc. I like when those briny, non-fruity characteristics are balanced by, well, fruit. Plum, red or black cherry, black or blueberry, whatever.
Jesse's flagship wine is sourced from the "Grand Cru" of the Walla Walla Valley, the soil of ancient cobblestones from the Walla Walla River. This is a cooler interpretation of Syrah, coming from low-yielding Riverrock Vineyard, attentively grown by a Milton Freewater native, Dana Dibble. Seventy-five percent whole cluster ferment, followed by 22 months in neutral French oak (one puncheon and three barrels). 125 cases produced. - Jesse
2009 Vintage
From the ancient Walla Walla rocks comes this pure, layered, impressive new Syrah. Baked plums fuse with dark red and black berries, subtle violet and gravel. While Garde Manger is made for early drinking, Riverrock is made for aging. I recommend decanting if you're having this now, or stashing a few away for several years to allow the full potential of this beauty to shine. - Marcus
Syrah from the Riverrock Vineyard. This vineyard, on the oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley located in the grand cru of the AVA, is a unique site and is the new worlds answer to Chateauneuf de Pape's famed gallets.
Wine Clubs | Oregon Wine | Washington Wine
Privacy Policy | View Cart | Customer Service | Contact Us | Sign up For Newsletter
503.206.8589 firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The process of selecting nine trustees for Auburn University is starting again from scratch.
The Auburn trustees selection committee agreed today to Gov. Robert Bentley's suggestion that they start again the process of selecting candidates to fill nine vacancies on the board. The committee headed by the governor last month recommended nine candidates to the Alabama Senate, including the reappointment of former banker Bobby Lowder.
Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh blocked action on the nine and Lowder withdrew his name from consideration.
At Wednesday's meeting at the Capitol of the selection committee, Bentley set up a new process of interviewing and nominating candidates. He said he hopes the committee will have new names to recommend to the Senate when the 2012 session of the Legislature begins in February.


text:
8 Free Apron Sewing Patterns
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
Snowflake Applique Shirt
By: Heidi Borchers
We are adding the craft to your Craft Projects.
The project was added to your Craft Projects.
Click here to view your Craft Projects.
No needle, no thread, no problem. Make a Snowflake Applique Shirt from Heidi Borchers using glue as well as peel and stick tape. No sew fabric projects are perfect for craft beginners or anyone who is short on time but interested in creating a fun and comfy wearable. You can also create applique snowflakes and add them to other wearables throughout the holiday season.
- Aleene's Fabric Fusion Peel & Stick Sheets
- Aleene's Fabric Fusion Peel & Stick Tape
- Aleene's Jewel It Glue
- Scissors
- Snowflake pattern of your choice
- Pencil
- White t-shirt – 1 for base shirt and one to cut up for appliques (or you can use other white cotton fabrics for appliques)
- Rhinestones
Pre-wash and dry fabrics. Do not use fabric softener in the washer or dryer.
Cut away crew neck from t-shirt.
Cut away edge seam from sleeves.
If a turned edge hem on the sleeves is desired, apply Aleene's Peel & Stick Tape along outside edge of sleeves. Remove a small section of release paper at a time, fold fabric edge and glue in place.
Apply Aleene's Fabric Fusion Peel & Stick Sheet to white applique fabric. Trace snowflake design of your choice onto release paper side. Cut design with scissors. (For more intricate designs, cut your appliques with die and die cut machine. Keep in mind that with the fabric and Peel & Stick Sheet, that some die cut machines will not cut through entire design patterns so you may need to cut details out with scissors.)
Remove release paper from 1/2 of snowflake, determine placement at t-shirt neckline and press in place. Once 1/2 of snowflake is adhered, remove remaining release paper and use your fingers to press the applique firmly to the t-shirt. Repeat to add and layer more snowflakes.
Apply a small dab of Aleene's Jewel-It Glue to center of snowflakes and press rhinestone into glue. Be certain that the glue comes up and around to cup the rhinestone. This will help to hold the jewel in place during washing. Let glue dry completely.
- To preserve the rhinestones, it is recommended that you hand-wash and hang to dry.
For a comprehensive video tutorial of this project, check out How to Make a No Sew White Snowflake Applique Shirt.
Your Recently Viewed Projects
Images from other crafters
Love these projects? Get MORE delivered to your Inbox – FREE Click Here!
Report Inappropriate Comment
Are you sure you would like to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to take action.
Thank you for taking the time to improve the content on our site.
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite crafts
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your crafts
Free eBooks
- 13 Spring Crafts: Easter Craft Ideas, Spring DIY Home Dcor, and More
- 17 Flower Craft Ideas: How To Make Paper Flowers, Easy Fabric Flowers and More
- 18 Projects Every Crafter Wants
- 23 Fabulous Picnic Craft Ideas + Restaurant Copycat Recipes
- 25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles
- 26 Spring Crafts for Kids
- Easter Craft eBook: Blogger Edition
- Garden Crafts
- Hop into Spring: Easter Crafting and Recipe
- Trash to Treasure: 28 Recycled Crafts
Our Newest Projects & Articles
- Preparing Your DIY Quilt for Quilting
- Purple Beginner Shawl
- Recycled T-Shirt Quilt Pattern
- Shawl Scarf Crochet Pattern
- Stunning Leather Trimmed Crochet Scarf Pattern
- Knit Look Cowl Crochet Pattern
- Bean Stitch Cowl Crochet Pattern
- Plush Basketweave Baby Blanket Pattern
- "18 Projects Every Crafter Wants" free eBook
- Amethyst DIY Jewelry Box Anthropologie Knockoff


text:
The defense of the nation against foreign military aggression is the most critical role the federal government possesses. In providing for the common defense, we must always maintain the most modern and efficient military, capable of a prompt and overwhelming response to any attack on the United States. This power includes maintaining superior intelligence in the field, communication technology, and anti-ballistic missile capabilities that are suitable to detect and decisively counter any strategic danger.
Senator Tom Udall has consistently failed to defend our installations. Udall played politics and chose not to vote for a bill that would have funded our labs and bases, leaving many hard working families in a state of uncertainty.
Balderas: I support the president's budget to reduce some defense spending. I would be supportive of drawing down spending in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Heinrich: We can't afford to do everything anymore. I do believe it's time to look at troop levels in Europe. Says he'll fight for New Mexico jobs at institutions like Kirtland.
Q: If forced to choose between sparing New Mexico's labs and military bases, which would you choose?
Heinrich: The right way to balance the budget is to bring the troops home, roll back Bush tax cuts and grow the economy.
Balderas: There are meaningful opportunities to do business with less resources. You can probably take 10 percent off the top. We shouldn't be pitting facilities against other facilities.
Heinrich: I'm willing to make cuts where there's waste or abuse.
|2016 Presidential contenders on Homeland Security:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)
2016 Third Party Candidates:
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
(We rely on your support!)


text:
Ten Facts about Garry Oaks
This post is written by Carly Ziter, an ecologist, science blogger, and all around amazing person. She's currently in-between her MSc and PhD. I'm super-excited to see a tree featured in the ten fact series: here's some great information about Garry Oaks:
As a more systems-focused ecologist, I rarely focus on a single organism in my research, but the forest lover in me couldn't help but feel that the "ten facts" series needed to, shall we say, branch out a little. During my undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph, I had the opportunity to spend two summers working with Dr. Andrew MacDougall's lab at their field site at the Nature Conservancy of Canada's Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve (GCOP), on beautiful Vancouver Island, Canada. Located in Maple Bay, BC, the CGOP is one of the world's best remaining examples of a Garry Oak ecosystem. My primary role there was working on my honours thesis on top-down and bottom-up controls on grassland root dynamics and soil carbon, as well as pitching in as an all around field hand. However, during my stay at the CGOP I absolutely fell in love with the Garry Oak trees the site was named for. Luckily, both Andrew and site manager Irvin Banman were a wealth of knowledge about these trees, and I managed to absorb a fact or two (or, well, ten!) about them during my time there.
1) "Garry oak" – not to be confused with the popular Pokemon character "Gary Oak" – is a uniquely Canadian moniker for Quercus garryana, a member of the Beech family (family Fagaceae) named for former deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, Nicholas Garry. For our readers south of the border, this species is commonly referred to as the Oregon White oak.
2) The Garry oak is the only native oak species that occurs in Western Canada (west of Manitoba), as well as in the state of Washington. In Canada, Garry oak ecosystems currently exist only in British Columbia, primarily occurring on Vancouver Island. The full species range occurs along the pacific coast of North America, from southern British Columbia (lat 49° N) to southern California (lat 34° N).
3) The Garry oak is a very slow growing tree, reaching approximately 20m (occasionally up to 30m) in height, and typically growing in open woodlands and meadows. Although straight-stemmed stands of Garry oak do occur, the tree more often takes on a characteristic gnarled and twisted, moss-covered form.
4) If these gnarled trees look eerily familiar, perhaps it's because they were the inspiration for the enchanted forest in Disney's Snow White! Legend has it that Walt Disney was fascinated by the trees' twisted forms on a tour of southern British Columbia, and incorporated them into his movie.
5) Can't see the ecosystem for the trees? Garry oak trees are individually beautiful, attention grabbing organisms, but are really emblematic of an entire ecosystem. Garry oak woodlands and meadows are renowned for their beautiful spring wildflowers (e.g. camas, western buttercups, chocolate lilies), and support the highest diversity of plant species of any terrestrial ecosystem in coastal BC.
6) I couldn't possibly have a "10 facts" without including any 6-legged critters, so for all of our arthropod-minded readers, Garry oak ecosystems are important havens not just for plants, but also for insects! An estimated eight hundred insect and mite species are directly associated with the Garry oak tree (If you're curious, here's an annotated list, albeit from several years ago!).
7) Unfortunately for the myriad plant and animal species associated with the Garry oak, Garry oak meadows are among the most endangered ecosystems in Canada – less than 5% of British Columbian Garry oak habitat remains intact (and less than 10% worldwide). Approximately 100 species at risk are affiliated with Garry oak ecosystems.
8) If you were to drive through southern BC, you would likely notice several mature Garry oak trees, but a surprising lack of young recruits. Many Garry Oak seedlings are damaged or killed via herbivory by (primarily exotic) small mammals. This competition with exotic animal species is occurring in combination with encroachment of exotic grasses and shrubs, rapid land development and increased habitat fragmentation/degradation, and woody encroachment due to fire suppression. Sadly, this cocktail of threats to both young and established trees paints a bleak picture for the future of the Garry oak. Fortunately, there are conservation groups dedicated to the recovery of this species and its habitat.
9) Garry oak ecosystems are not "natural", but rather have a long history of human management. In contrast to today's fire suppression, in the past, the Coast Salish First Nations peoples deliberately burned Garry oak meadows and woodlands to promote the growth of the camas flower – the bulbs of which were cultivated as an important food source. Now, many Garry oak stands are out-competed by Douglas-fir trees, which shade out the oaks, leading to the conversion of oak meadows to conifer forests.
10) Landscapes of the future? Garry oak is well adapted to a Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm temperatures with extended summer drought. These sites often occur at the margins of higher productivity forests, where drought conditions prevent other species from flourishing. If climate change brings drier and warmer conditions, the Garry oak tree may expand its range – however, whether the unique understory community will expand with the tree is less certain, as invasive species become increasingly prevalent.


text:
"I am very proud to present Linda as the 2009 woman of the year for the 38th Assembly District," said Smyth. "I have had the pleasure of witnessing all the great things Linda and Boys and Girls Club has done. The work she puts in benefits the entire community."
Linda started with the Boys and Girls Club in 1994 and has a rich and deep history of community involvement in Simi Valley and Ventura County.
During her first year as CEO, Ms. White spearheaded a capital campaign to construct a new state-of-the-art, dedicated youth facility for young members, and successfully raised over $1,000,000 toward that goal. In 1996, Club members proudly moved into the new 25,000 square foot facility where 75 staff members were employed.
As CEO, Linda has been able to take the Club's membership from 100 members to over 3,500 and continually pioneers new ways to serve an even greater number of children and families in the Simi Valley community. She has even increased the operating budget from $300,000 to $1.7 million.
"I want to thank Assemblyman Smyth for this recognition and award, I am truly touched. However, this award is really for all the hard working staff, volunteers, board members and donors who have made the club a great place to work and visit," said White.
Linda will be recognized on March 8 with a ceremony in Sacramento to celebrate Women's History Month.


text:
CTU foolish to fight Common Core
Over the past year Glenn Beck, tea party activists and the billionaire Koch brothers have been the loudest voices fueling a backlash against the new Common Core student achievement standards. Last week, the right-wing gained an unlikely new ally: the Chicago Teachers' Union. The CTU voted last week in favor of completely abandoning the Common Core.
CTU's resolution to 'eliminate the use of the Common Core for teaching' is shortsighted. The standards themselves represent an opportunity to set a higher bar, and replace America's flawed and misaligned standards from the No Child Left Behind era to better equip our students for college and jobs in the global economy.
Read more here.
This article was originally published in Chicago Sun-Times.
To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:
Print: Liz Bartolomeo (poverty, health care)
202.481.8151 or email@example.com
Print: Tom Caiazza (foreign policy, energy and environment, LGBT issues, gun-violence prevention)
202.481.7141 or email@example.com
Print: Allison Preiss (economy, education)
202.478.6331 or email@example.com
Print: Tanya Arditi (immigration, Progress 2050, race issues, demographics, criminal justice, Legal Progress)
202.741.6258 or email@example.com
Print: Chelsea Kiene (women's issues, TalkPoverty.org, faith)
202.478.5328 or email@example.com
Print: Beatriz Lopez (Center for American Progress Action Fund)
202.741.6255 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Spanish-language and ethnic media: Rafael Medina
202.478.5313 or email@example.com
TV: Rachel Rosen
202.483.2675 or email@example.com
Radio: Sally Tucker
202.481.8103 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
From Policy Analysis Inc, Brookline (Drs Thompson, Edelsberg, and Oster and Ms Bird), and the Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston (Dr Colditz), Mass.
Obesity is an established risk factor for several chronic diseases. The lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity for individual patients have not been documented.
To estimate the lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity.
We developed a dynamic model of the relationship between body mass index and the risks and associated costs of 5 obesity-related diseases: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and stroke. The model was estimated using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the Framingham Heart Study, and other secondary sources. We used this model to estimate (1) risks of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus at future ages; (2) lifetime risks of coronary heart disease and stroke; (3) life expectancy; and (4) expected lifetime medical care costs of these 5 diseases for men and women aged 35 to 64 years with body mass indexes of 22.5, 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5 kg/m2 (nonobese and mildly, moderately, and severely obese, respectively).
Disease risks and costs increase substantially with increased body mass index. The risk of hypertension for moderately obese 45- to 54-year-old men, for example, is roughly 2-fold higher than for their nonobese peers (38.1% vs 17.7%), whereas the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus is almost 3-fold higher (8.1% vs 3.0%). Lifetime risks of coronary heart disease and stroke are similarly elevated (41.8% vs 34.9% and 16.2% vs 13.9%, respectively), whereas life expectancy is reduced by 1 year (26.5 vs 27.5 years). Total discounted lifetime medical care costs for the treatment of these 5 diseases are estimated to differ by $10,000 ($29,600 vs $19,600). Similar results were obtained for women.
The lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity are substantial and suggest that efforts to prevent or reduce this problem might yield significant benefits.
DURING the past 2 decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically among US adults. Between 1976 and 1980, 24.1% and 26.5% of men and women, respectively, were reported to be overweight; between 1988 and 1991, these figures were estimated to have increased to 31.7% and 34.9%, respectively.1 The potential health implications of these trends are ominous, as results of several large-scale epidemiological cohort studies2 have established that obesity is a major risk factor for several chronic disease conditions, including coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, selected cancers, and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as all-cause mortality.
In the Nurses' Health Study,3 for example, which prospectively followed up more than 100,000 women, the 14-year mortality rate for those with body mass indexes (BMIs or Quetelet indexes; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters: weight (kg)/[height (m)]2) greater than 32 was more than double that for women with BMIs less than 19. In another analysis4 based on this study, relative risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus were 40.3, 54.0, and 93.2 for women with BMIs of 31.0 to 32.9, 33.0 to 34.9, and 35.0 or greater, respectively, relative to those with BMIs less than 22.0. In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study,5 which followed up 29,000 men for 3 years, subjects who were mildly obese (BMI, 25.0-28.9) had a 50% higher risk of CHD than those with BMIs less than 23.0; moderate obesity (BMI, 29.0-32.9) and severe obesity (BMI, ≥33.0) were associated with nearly 2-fold and more than 3-fold increases, respectively, in CHD risk. These and other studies underscore the far-reaching health consequences of obesity.
The economic burden of obesity is also substantial. Health care expenditures attributable to obesity were estimated to total $51.6 billion in the United States in 1995, or almost 6% of total health care spending; indirect costs (reflecting the value of lost productivity attributable to obesity-related morbidity and mortality) were reported to be $47.6 billion.6 Although this and similar studies provide valuable information on the aggregate economic burden of obesity, they do not address the lifetime consequences of this condition for individual patients. Although estimates have been reported7- 9 of the impact of other risk factors such as cigarette smoking on lifetime medical care costs, to the best of our knowledge, no study has yet examined obesity from this perspective.
In this study, we address these issues using a model of the lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity. We focus attention on the relationship between obesity and 5 major chronic disease conditions: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, CHD, and stroke. Results of previous research10 suggest that these 5 diseases account for approximately 85% of the total economic burden of obesity. We estimated our model using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), the Framingham Heart Study, and other secondary sources, and used it to examine how a variety of clinical and economic outcomes vary in relation to BMI for men and women aged 35 to 64 years.
We developed a dynamic model of the relationship between BMI and 5 diseases for which obesity is an established risk factor: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, CHD, and stroke. Our model is composed of a set of interrelated equations that estimate the lifetime risks and costs of these diseases for men and women in relation to their current age and BMI, and it is similar to models previously used by 2 of us in analyses of the lifetime risks and economic costs of smoking.7,8
Because some diseases for which obesity is a risk factor (ie, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus) are themselves risk factors for CHD and stroke, our model is structured in 2 stages to embody the complex nature of these relationships (Figure 1). In stage 1 we generate predicted risks of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus for men and women in each future year of life in relation to BMI. In stage 2 we estimate the risks of CHD, stroke, and death during each future year of life, based on BMI and the predicted risks of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus from the first stage of the model. Our analysis therefore reflects obesity's direct effects on future cardiovascular disease risks and its indirect effects on these risks as a result of changes in blood pressure, serum cholesterol level, and glucose metabolism.
Illustration of the cost of obesity model. BMI indicates body mass index; CHD, coronary heart disease.
Expected medical care costs are generated and tallied in both stages of the model. In stage 1, the expected costs of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in each future year of life are calculated based on the estimated risks of these diseases and corresponding estimates of medical care costs; to avoid double counting, cardiovascular disease costs (eg, heart attack and stroke) attributable to these 3 diseases are not included in this stage. In stage 2, the expected costs of CHD and stroke in each future year of life are calculated in similar fashion, based on future risks of these diseases and their associated medical care costs.
In our calculations, we hold BMI constant at its initial value as we "age" persons over time; all other risk factors are adjusted to age-appropriate values. Our model accordingly generates a stream of annual BMI-specific disease risks and economic costs running from current age to age 99 years. We translate this lifetime stream of costs into a summary measure of economic burden by discounting and summing these annual estimates, after adjustment for the likelihood of survival to each future year.
We conservatively assumed that all obesity-attributable mortality results from elevated CHD and stroke risks. Hence, in our model, persons can die from CHD, stroke, or causes unrelated to these diseases, but not directly from any other complications of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or type 2 diabetes mellitus (eg, kidney disease). The probability of survival to any given future age is therefore calculated as the sum of 3 conditional probabilities: (1) survival given previous onset of CHD, (2) survival given previous onset of stroke, and (3) survival free of these diseases. Life expectancies are calculated by summing annual probabilities of survival, from current age through age 99 years.
A technical appendix that sets forth all model equations is available on request.
We estimated our model using data from a variety of secondary sources, which we describe in detail below. All costs were estimated at 1996 price levels; the Medical Care Component of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers was used to adjust prices, where necessary. Future costs were discounted to present values using a real annual rate of 3%, consistent with recent recommendations of the US Public Health Service Task Force on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine.11
We used data from NHANES III12 to estimate risks of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (and mean levels of diastolic blood pressure and total serum cholesterol) for men and women in relation to age and BMI. The variables of interest were expressed as a function of age, age squared, and BMI, and techniques of regression analysis (logistic for dichotomous measures and linear for continuous measures) were used to estimate these equations separately for men and women. We then used the estimated β coefficients of these regressions to predict mean values of the variables of interest in each age-sex-BMI stratum. Because of sample size limitations, we limited our attention to persons aged 35 to 84 years. In the model, we accordingly assumed that the risks of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus would remain constant at the levels prevailing at age 84 years throughout all remaining years of life (ie, to age 99 years).
We considered NHANES III respondents to be hypertensive if (1) their mean diastolic blood pressure exceeded 90 mm Hg, (2) their mean systolic blood pressure exceeded 160 mm Hg, or (3) they responded "yes" to a question concerning current use of drug therapy to control blood pressure. We similarly considered survey respondents to be hypercholesterolemic if (1) their total cholesterol level exceeded 6.21 mmol/L (240 mg/dL) or (2) they responded "yes" to a question concerning current use of drug therapy to reduce their cholesterol level. In NHANES III, blood pressure was measured up to 6 times; we used the average of all available readings for both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Because treatment would mask the true biologic relationships between BMI and both blood pressure and total cholesterol level, we excluded from the regression analyses of diastolic blood pressure those persons who were currently receiving antihypertensive medications, and from the analyses of total cholesterol level those who were currently receiving cholesterol-lowering therapy.
In NHANES III, persons with diabetes were not specifically identified as having type 2 or type 1 diabetes mellitus. Accordingly, to identify cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus, we used published criteria13 for the diagnosis of this condition to develop an algorithm that was compatible with NHANES III. We considered all persons who reported having diabetes (other than those with gestational diabetes) to have type 2 diabetes mellitus if (1) they were at least 30 years old at onset, (2) they were between the ages of 19 and 29 years at onset and were not taking insulin, or (3) they were between the ages of 19 to 29 years at onset and were currently taking insulin, but did not begin taking insulin for at least 12 months following disease onset.
We estimated the annual cost of treating patients with hypertension ($670) by averaging the costs of pharmacologic therapy and provider services in the first, second, and all subsequent years after diagnosis, as reported by Odell and Gregory.14 Unpublished data from NHANES III12 indicate that 80.9% of all persons with elevated blood pressure receive antihypertensive therapy. In the model, we accordingly estimated the annual cost of hypertension to be $542 (or $670 × 80.9%).
Our estimate of the annual cost of treating patients with hypercholesterolemia ($705) was based on a recent study by Oster and colleagues.15 Unpublished data from NHANES III12 indicate that only 22.0% of all persons with hypercholesterolemia receive cholesterol-lowering medications. Hence, in the model, we assumed that the annual cost of hypercholesterolemia would be $155 (or $705 × 22.0%).
Age- and sex-specific estimates of the costs of type 2 diabetes mellitus were derived from a study by Huse and colleagues.16 Costs of hospital, physician, and nursing home care; drugs; other professional services associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus; and those associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus such as induced atherosclerosis, blindness, glaucoma, cataract, and end-stage renal disease were included in this estimate. Diabetes-attributable costs of CHD and stroke were excluded to avoid double counting. The annual costs of type 2 diabetes mellitus for men aged 35 to 64 and 65 to 99 years were $2025 and $2806, respectively. Corresponding estimates for women were $2374 and $4454.
Using data from the Framingham Heart Study, we estimated logistic functions to predict the risks of CHD and stroke for 2 years as a function of age, age squared, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol level, presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and current smoking habit. Separate logistic functions were estimated for men and women aged 35 to 64 and 65 to 84 years; only primary events were considered. Coronary heart disease was defined as in previous research17 to include sudden death, nonsudden death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, and stable angina pectoris. Stroke included both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Logistic functions were estimated using data for the original cohort of Framingham Heart Study participants; 2-year risks were halved to approximate annual risks.
Once these logistic functions were estimated, we used them to predict risks of CHD and stroke among persons aged 35 to 84 years based on age, sex, BMI, and the predicted values for diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol level, and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the absence of data for persons aged 85 to 99 years, annual risks of CHD and stroke were assumed to be constant and invariant with respect to BMI. We estimated these risks using the logistic functions for persons aged 65 to 84 years, setting age equal to 85 years and all other risk factors to population mean values for men and women 85 years and older from NHANES III. Because cigarette smoking might confound our estimates of CHD and stroke risk, we estimated annual risks only for nonsmokers.
For CHD and stroke, we assumed that disease onset impacts mortality only in the first 10 years after onset. Thereafter, we assumed that mortality would return to general population levels. Mortality after CHD was estimated using unpublished data from the CHD Policy Research Institute (Karen Kuntz, ScD, written communication, August 1997); mortality after stroke was estimated using data from a Rochester, Minn, study18 of survival after first cerebral infarction. In the absence of age-at-onset–specific mortality rates for events occurring after age 84 years, mortality rates after onset of CHD or stroke for persons aged 85 to 99 years were assumed to be equal to general population values.
General population mortality rates for men and women aged 35 to 84 years were obtained from US Vital Statistics19; rates for persons aged 85 to 99 years were obtained from the Social Security Administration (unpublished data, 1997). For persons younger than 85 years, age- and sex-specific mortality rates from causes other than CHD or stroke were estimated by subtracting CHD and stroke mortality from general population mortality rates for the US population.19
As with survival after onset of CHD or stroke, we assumed that these diseases would give rise to medical care costs during a 10-year period (or up to age 99 years for events occurring after age 90 years). Age-at-onset–specific estimates of the annual cost of CHD for men and women in each of the 10 years after onset were obtained from the CHD Policy Research Institute (Karen Kuntz, ScD, written communication, August 1997). These estimates represent a weighted average of the expected costs of myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, and angina pectoris. Costs included hospital care, prescription drugs, physician services, laboratory tests and rehabilitation services for the diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization (ie, bypass graft surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty), annual maintenance therapy after acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest (fatal or nonfatal), and congestive heart failure. Estimates also include the expected costs of secondary events occurring in the 10 years after onset.
Estimates of the annual costs of stroke were obtained from a study20 of the cost-effectiveness of stroke prevention in high-risk patients. First-year costs ($12,634) included inpatient hospital and professional services and inpatient rehabilitation. Age-specific costs of stroke in years 2 through 10 after onset were obtained by annualizing the monthly costs of nursing home care; all visits to physicians, physical therapists, and speech therapists; home health care; and inpatient acute and rehabilitation care for recurrent strokes. These costs were estimated to be $3171, $5356, and $9421 annually for persons aged 35 to 74, 75 to 84, and older than 84 years, respectively.
We used our model to examine the risks at given ages of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus; the lifetime risks of CHD and stroke; life expectancy; and expected lifetime medical care costs of the 5 obesity-related diseases. We estimated these measures for men and women aged 35 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 to 64 years with BMIs of 22.5 to 37.5 (in increments of 5.0). We designated persons at the lowest level of BMI (ie, 22.5) as "nonobese" and used this group as a benchmark against which to assess excess risks and costs among those with higher levels of BMI. Persons with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5 were designated "mildly obese," "moderately obese," and "severely obese," respectively.
Estimates of the risks of hypertension (Figure 2), hypercholesterolemia (Figure 3), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Figure 4) in relation to BMI are presented for men and women aged 35 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 to 64 years. The relationship between BMI and risk of hypertension is strong (Figure 2). For example, among men aged 45 to 54 years, the risk of hypertension rises from 17.7% for those with a BMI of 22.5 to 26.7%, 38.1%, and 50.9% for those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively. Among 45- to 54-year-old women, the risk of hypertension rises from 14.3% at a BMI of 22.5 to 21.7%, 31.4%, and 43.1%, respectively, at each of the higher BMIs.
Estimated risk (%) of hypertension by sex, age group, and body mass index (BMI).
Estimated risk (%) of hypercholesterolemia by sex, age group, and body mass index (BMI).
Estimated risk (%) of type 2 diabetes mellitus by sex, age group, and body mass index (BMI).
The risk of hypercholesterolemia also increases across the range of BMIs considered, although the effect of obesity is smaller than of hypertension (Figure 3). Among men aged 45 to 54 years, the risk rises from 24.9% to 34.8% as BMI increases from 22.5 to 37.5; corresponding estimates for women of this age are 26.2% to 35.0%.
The increase in risk in relation to BMI is greatest for type 2 diabetes mellitus (Figure 4). Among nonobese persons aged 45 to 54 years (BMI, 22.5), the risk of this disease is 3.0% for men and 3.2% for women. Among men, risk increases to 5.0%, 8.1%, and 12.9% for those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively; among women, risk increases to 4.9%, 7.5%, and 11.2%, respectively.
Age- and sex-specific estimates of lifetime risks of CHD and stroke in relation to BMI are displayed in Table 1. Risks of CHD increase substantially with increasing BMI. For example, among men aged 45 to 54 years with a BMI of 22.5, the lifetime risk of CHD is 34.9%; risk increases to 38.0%, 41.8%, and 46.4% for those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively. A similar pattern of increasing CHD risk prevails among women: among those aged 45 to 54 years, lifetime risk increases from 25.5% for the nonobese (BMI, 22.5) to 28.6%, 32.4%, and 37.1% for those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively.
Although lower in absolute terms, the lifetime risks of stroke for men exhibit a pattern of increase in relation to BMI similar to that of CHD; the gradient for women, however, is less pronounced. Among men aged 45 to 54 years, the lifetime risk of stroke rises from 13.9% for those with a BMI of 22.5 to 15.0%, 16.2%, and 17.4% for those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively. Among women of similar age, the corresponding lifetime risks of stroke are 16.5%, 16.7%, 16.9%, and 17.0% across the range of BMIs considered.
Table 2 summarizes our estimates of life expectancy for men and women by current age and BMI. Life expectancy among nonobese (BMI, 22.5) men and women aged 45 to 54 years is 27.5 and 32.2 years, respectively. Higher BMIs are associated with reduced life expectancies: among men, life expectancy is estimated to be 27.0, 26.5, and 25.8 years for those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively; among women, corresponding estimates are 31.9, 31.4, and 30.9 years.
Increases in BMI are associated with substantial increases in total (discounted) expected lifetime medical care costs for the treatment of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, CHD, and stroke (Table 3). Among men aged 45 to 54 years, for example, costs rise from $19,600 among those who are nonobese (BMI, 22.5) to $24,000, $29,600, and $36,500 among those with BMIs of 27.5, 32.5, and 37.5, respectively. Among 45- to 54-year-old women, total expected costs rise from $18,800 at a BMI of 22.5 to $23,200, $28,700, and $35,300 at each of the higher BMIs.
Among men, CHD accounts for about half of the total expected medical care costs of the 5 diseases in all age groups except 75- to 84-year-olds, in whom CHD and stroke are similar and together account for roughly two thirds of the total cost (disease-specific data not shown). Among women who are mildly, moderately, or severely obese, type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most costly disease in all age groups, generally followed by CHD and hypertension. However, in the 75- to 84-year-old age group, the costs of stroke exceed those of these diseases.
Our findings suggest that the lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity are substantial. For example, relative to persons who are nonobese (BMI, 22.5), the risk of hypertension is 40% to 60% higher for those mildly obese (BMI, 27.5), 2-fold higher for those moderately obese (BMI, 32.5), and nearly 3-fold higher for those severely obese (BMI, 37.5). Similarly, in most age-sex groups, the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus is 50% to 60% higher, more than 2-fold higher, and 3- to 4-fold higher among those who are mildly, moderately, and severely obese, respectively. Cardiovascular disease risks also increase considerably with increasing BMI. These differences in disease risk translate into substantial differences in medical care costs. Mild obesity increases the expected lifetime medical care costs for the 5 diseases of interest by approximately 20%, while moderate obesity increases them by about 50%, and severe obesity nearly doubles them.
It is interesting to compare our estimates of the lifetime costs of obesity with those attributable to cigarette smoking, which is the No. 1 modifiable risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the United States.21 In a study7 using a similar method, excess lifetime medical care costs (discounted 3% annually) of CHD, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were $5500 among 45- to 54-year-old men who were light smokers (<1 pack/day), $9200 among moderate smokers (1-2 packs/day), and $14,100 among heavy smokers (>2 packs/day) (estimates were updated to 1996 dollars). These cost estimates are similar in magnitude to ours for 45- to 54-year-old men who are mildly, moderately, and severely obese.
Although our findings suggest that the lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity are substantial, we believe them to be conservative for several reasons. First, modeling complexity prevented us from examining the relationship between BMI and other diseases that have been linked to obesity, including gallbladder disease,22 osteoarthritis of the knees,23 and endometrial cancer.24 It is unknown to what extent our omission of these diseases led us to understate the impact of obesity on medical care costs and life expectancy. In addition, although available evidence1 suggests that average body weight (and hence BMI) among US adults increases with age, in our analysis, we assumed that BMI would remain constant from each person's current age through all remaining years of life. This assumption was necessitated by the lack of data characterizing average weight gain with increasing age in relation to initial BMI. Hence, possible future increases in BMI, and their attendant effects on disease risks and costs, are not reflected in our estimates of the lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity.
Additional limitations of our analysis should be noted. Because of the complexity of the interrelationships between degree of obesity and the 5 obesity-related diseases on which we focused attention, we made several simplifying assumptions to prevent the model calculations from becoming intractable. We assumed that obesity impacts mortality only via its role as a risk factor in the development of CHD and stroke. In the model, mortality rates for persons who do not develop 1 of these diseases are accordingly assumed to be equal to those of age- and sex-specific US population averages (with CHD and stroke mortality factored out), irrespective of the degree of obesity. This undoubtedly lent a conservative bias to our life-expectancy estimates because reported differences in mortality rates among obese vs nonobese persons exceed the amount that can be explained by differences in cardiovascular mortality.25 We also assumed that persons could develop either CHD or stroke but not both, either in the same year or at different points in time. Prediction of the joint risks of CHD and stroke, or of the risk of 1 of these diseases conditional on previous development of the other, would make model estimation infeasible with available data. Finally, we did not attribute to obesity the possible savings in lifetime medical care costs that could result from reduced longevity. Although overweight persons who die prematurely of an obesity-related disease are not subject to the costs of medical care (routine and otherwise) incurred in the additional years of life lived by their nonobese peers, it is unlikely that inclusion of such costs in the analysis would have appreciably altered our findings, due to the modest differences in life expectancy according to BMI that we estimated, as well as the effects of discounting on future disease costs.
The health and economic burden of obesity has drawn considerable interest in recent years. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to examine its lifetime health and economic consequences. Our findings suggest that these consequences are substantial, and that efforts to prevent or reduce the magnitude of this problem may yield significant health and economic benefits.
Accepted for publication February 18, 1999.
Funding was provided by Knoll Pharmaceutical Co, Mount Olive, NJ.
We thank Ralph B. D'Agostino, PhD, of the Department of Mathematics, Boston University, Boston, Mass; George W. Petty, MD, of the Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn; Paula Goldman, MPH, Karen Kuntz, ScD, and Milton Weinstein, PhD, of the CHD Policy Research Institute Inc, an affiliate of the Harvard School of Public Health and the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; and Karen Hirsh, MPH, and Scott Thompson of Knoll Pharmaceutical Co, without whom this study would not have been possible.
Presented at the 8th International Congress on Obesity, Paris, France, August 30, 1998.
Reprints: David Thompson, PhD, Policy Analysis Inc, 4 Davis Ct, Brookline, MA 02445 (e-mail: email@example.com).
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Internal Medicine editors. You will be notified when your comment has been published. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest*
Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers' bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
Systemwide Events Calendar
Lineage : A Family Tree of PrintmakersJanuary 7, 2013 - May 27, 2013
Manoa Campus, Hamilton Library Alcove
Lineage is a new exhibition curated by Erika Molyneux and sponsored by the Honolulu Printmakers showcases artists who have made significant contributions to the strong printmaking tradition of Hawaii.
The exhibition is a genealogy chart or family tree of printmakers, emphasizing the relationships connecting various generations of artists.
Print artists in the exhibition are recognized for either their teaching, scholarship of printmaking tradition, the construction of community-access studios, facilitation of visiting artists, financial support of other printmakers & printmaking activities, or the creation of culturally significant and widely influential artworks.
The Honolulu Printmakers is the oldest nonprofit printmaking organization of its kind west of the Mississippi River and is one of Hawaii's oldest art organizations. Started in 1928 by Huc Lucquiens and Alice Poole, the organization promotes the appreciation and understanding of printmaking and print production. The Printmakers is supported by members, community corporations, state and private foundations.
Honolulu Printmakers provides the local community with a variety of programs and services, including: exhibitions, community-access print studio, limited print editions, lectures and technical workshops with visiting artists, and leadership stemming from our officers and board of directors.
Erika Molyneux conceived, researched and curated this important exhibition. She teaches traditional and digital arts at Sacred Hearts Academy and serves on both the Honolulu Printmakers Board of Directors and The Gallery Iolani Advisory Board. She also exhibits her own work locally and has received awards from The Honolulu Printmakers, The Digital Artists' Society of Hawaii, and The Honolulu Museum of Arts.
For specific information about the Honolulu Printmaker's exhibit, please contact:
Curator: Erika Molyneux, 808-341-5348; firstname.lastname@example.com
Executive Director: Laura Smith, 808-536-5507; laura@honoluluprintmakers
For more information about Hamilton Library's exhibit galleries and display spaces, please contact Teri Skillman, 808-956-8688 (email@example.com).
Ticket Information
Free & open to public during building hours
Event Sponsor
Honolulu Printmakers & UH Manoa Li brary, Manoa Campus
More Information
Teri Skillman, 956-8688, firstname.lastname@example.com
|Thursday, April 4
|The Wellness Center - Fitness Class Schedule
Maui Campus, Pilina Bldg., Wellness Center
|Oceania Rises
Manoa Campus, 3121/3125 John Burns Hall
|The Inter-University Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Cyber-Symposium
Manoa Campus, Saunders Rm 713
|TOEFL Institutional Testing Program Exam
Manoa Campus, Business Admininstration auditorium
|Nursing Final Oral
Manoa Campus, Webster 402C
|Expanding Diversity in Biology Discussion: Dr. Scott Santos
Manoa Campus, HIG 110
|Tadahiro Meya, percussion
Manoa Campus, Orvis Auditorium
|Oceanography Seminar
Manoa Campus, MSB 100
|Andrew Ramos, piano
Manoa Campus, Orvis Auditorium
- Highlighted dates have scheduled events.
- Select the date to view all events for that day.
Ongoing Events
- Lineage : A Family Tree of Printmakers
- Arts Exhibition: Ainu Treasures: A Living Tradition in Northern Japan
- Biggest Loser Challenge
- Phoebe Cummings: Cella
- void loop ( ), an MFA thesis exhibition by Noah Matteucci
- 90.3FM KTUH Music Sale
- Owarinaki Michi Ka Huaka'i Palena 'Ole--MFA thesis exhibition by Shiori Abe
- Waves of Change International Conference


text: Explore The Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth and the western region East London and the central region The Eastern Cape Drakensberg The Wild Coast region Share RHODES is almost too good to be true – a remote and beautiful village girdled by the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. Few people actually live here: like other villages in this region, Rhodes was progressively deserted as residents gravitated to the cities to make a living, leaving its Victorian tin-roofed architecture stuck in a very pleasing time warp. Today, its raison d'être is as a low-key holiday place for people who appreciate its isolation, wood stoves and restored cottages. Although electricity reached the village a few years ago, very few establishments have it, and paraffin lamps and candles are the norm. Given that Rhodes is not on the way to anywhere (on some maps it doesn't even appear), it is a place to dwell for a few days, rather than for an overnight stop. While nights are cool even in summer, in winter they are freezing, and there's no central heating, so pack warm clothes. The village itself is not much more than a few crisscrossing gravel roads lined with pine trees. At the heart of the village is the Rhodes Hotel, a general shop and a garage; there's also a post office and payphone, but no banking facilities and no public transport in or out of the village. Rhodes used to be busy in the winter, when skiers used it as a base for the artificial snowed Tiffendell slopes, but this activity has ceased due to mysterious legalities. The village is an hour's 4WD drive into the highest peaks of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. December to May are the best months for swimming and hiking.


text:
Welcome to Glock Talk
Why should YOU join our Glock forum?
- Converse with other Glock Enthusiasts
- Learn about the latest hunting products
- Becoming a member is FREE and EASY
If you consider yourself a beginner or an avid shooter, the Glock Talk community is your place to discuss self defense, concealed carry, reloading, target shooting, and all things Glock.
The difference between science and religion...
Discussion in 'Religious Issues' started by Gunhaver, Oct 8, 2012.
Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4


text:
Why sponsor?
Support the mLab the focal point of the Mobile Developer Community in East Africa. All proceeds go towards the mLab. There is no better way to show goodwill to the Mobile Developer Community.
Showcase your Platform – For Platform Providers, this is the best opportunity to highlight your platform and announce any new updates to the developer community.
Network – Network with East Africa's top Mobile Developers and the ICT fraternity at large.