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Mo Farah is seen through the heat of the Olympic flames as he poses with the Union Jack after winning gold in the men's 10,000m final.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Canon binoculars/Snapseed
Team USA's Gabrielle Douglas on the beam during the Women's Individual All-Around artistic gymnastics.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Canon Binoculars/Snapseed
Team USA's Anthony Carmelo is blocked as he jumps for the hoop in the game against France.
Photog: Dan Chung/IPhone 4s/Snapseed
The view from inside one of the photographer's hides in the women's individual archery at Lord's.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Snapseed
Team USA's Missy Franklin holds her gold medal for the women's 100m backstroke.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Canon binoculars/Snapseed
A fish-eye view from an underwater window of the women's 200m backstroke semi-finals.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Schneider lens/Snapseed
Usain Bolt celebrates winning gold in the men's 100m.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Canon binoculars/SnapseedOlympics 2012
The medal ceremony at the showjumping.
Photo: Dan Chung/iPhone 4S/Canon binoculars/Snapseed
The Australian Women's 3,000m team pursuit squad race in the qualifying session at the Velodrome.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Snapseed
A wide-angle view of the Olympic stadium during the heats of the women's 3,000m steeplechase.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Schneider lens/Snapseed
The Olympic opening ceremonies.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone4/ Snapseed
A brand-new Olympic event—the women's Keirin cycle race.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Schneider lens/Snapseed
China's He Kexin competes in the women's uneven bars at the North Greenwich Arena.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Snapseed
Usain Bolt wins the 100m.
Photo: Dan Chung/IPhone 4S/Canon binoculars/Snapseed
The Olympics are all about the gear for many photographers. Multiple DSLR bodies, big 400mm 2.8 lenses and remote cameras attached to special robots.
But not for Dan Chung. This year Chung, a staff photographer with The Guardian in England, decided to scale back. All he's using to document the games are three iPhones, a set of binoculars and some third-party iPhone lenses.
"I'm doing it because it's a challenge and I like the spontaneity of it," Chung says.
It's an experiment The Guardian can afford to do because the paper has four other photographers covering the action with normal gear.
"I would never pretend that the iPhone is a professional camera," Chung says. "But it is a very capable tool and it forces you to be more creative."
Anyone who has ever tried knows the iPhone is not suited to capturing sports because it doesn't have an optical zoom. Figures on the field or the court are so small they look more like Legos than real people. (The digital zoom isn't an option because it deteriorates the picture quality.)
To get around this, Chung bought a Meopta adapter that allows him to attach an iPhone to one of the eyepieces of a Canon 10×42 set of binoculars. It's a cumbersome setup because Chung has to track the action by manually focusing the binoculars while looking through the free eyepiece.
But Chung says he's been around long enough to remember the days before autofocus so for him it's not that bad.
"I used to shoot old film cameras so it doesn't feel alien to me to be manually focusing a lens on a fast-moving subject," he says.
To expand his focal range Chung is also using a set of Schneider iPro lenses that include a fish-eye and wide angle, both of which have come in handy when trying to capture the enormity of something like the Olympic stadium.
"People ask why I'm using an iPhone and not a Samsung or something else and I guess it's mainly because of the ecosystem that surrounds Apple products," Chung says. "You can just go out and buy almost everything that I'm using."
The final piece of Chung's gear is a remotely triggered iPhone. He had a special cord made that allows him to attach the phone to a Pocketwizard and he's used the remote phone in several different places including the 100-meter final, where he set it up as a wide-angle shot down on the track.
"Remotes come in very handy," he says. "In events like the hundred meters the remote provides a different angle and acts as an insurance policy just in case your main picture doesn't work."
As you can image, transmitting photos from the iPhone on deadline is a breeze. All Chung has to do is e-mail them, whereas the other photographers have to physically get their cards to an editor or find a wireless system that communicates with their cameras.
More than anything Chung says the iPhone has allowed him to take chances visually. One of his favorite photos, he says, shows British runner Mo Farah celebrating his win in the Men's 10,000m final. Chung shot the photo from up in the stands looking down through the heat waves from the Olympic torch, creating a kind of blurred aesthetic. Chung says he probably wouldn't have gone searching for that shot if he didn't have the freedom to see differently with the iPhone.
"If I had a regular camera I probably would have been looking for a safer photograph," he says.
Chung says the iPhone is also great for capturing the culture and crowds at the Olympics. He says it's much more inconspicuous and doesn't freak people out when he holds it up to make a picture.
"For more candid type shots it's fantastic," he says. "People don't react to it like they react to a DSLR. You can happily snap away for quite a bit of time before anyone gets upset."
This will likely be the only time he shoots the Olympics exclusively on an iPhone, Chung says. But he doesn't want to close the door on another experiment just yet because he knows the technology will continue to evolve and create new opportunities by the time the athletes arrive in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 games.
"Who knows what an iPhone will look like or what you'll be able to do with it in four years," he says.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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Smoke alarms awakened a Brooktrails family at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning from a smoldering fire inside the walls of their home.
When the first Brooktrails Fire Department unit arrived at the home, it was already fully charged with smoke. The fire began inside the walls behind a wood stove that had been lit for several days.
The smoky fire had not yet burst into full flames by the time firefighters arrived. The wooden framing inside the walls was burning and smoldering, forcing firefighters to pull parts of the wall out so they could attack the fire's source.
Damage was estimated by the fire department at about $5,000, plus smoke damage.
The functioning smoke detectors alerted the family in time for the family to avoid injuries and to limit the spread of the fire. "This could have been tragic, had the home not had functioning smoke alarms," said Brooktrails Fire Prevention Officer Jon Noyer. "When we arrived, smoke was charging the house fairly quickly."
Brooktrails Fire Department responded to the scene with six firefighters, including the duty vehicle and one engine. Little Lake Fire Department sent eight firefighters and two engines as part of a mutual aid agreement. Both fire departments respond in force to any residential or commercial building fire in the Brooktrails or Little Lake fire districts.

subset: commoncrawl


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Woodland police are warning residents of a series of "robo-call" scams that are infesting the community.
The phone number being used is 805-570-6779, according to Woodland Police Sgt. Steve Guthrie.
"The voice implies that a doctor, or perhaps children, signed the recipient up for a medical alert system," Guthrie stated. "It's all free, the recording implies, and 'everything is ready to be sent to your home.'"
If the person called agrees to sign up, in some cases it can cost $35 a month or more, Guthrie stated. "This type of call is also a way for con artists to obtain bank or credit card information or even a Social Security number to use later in ID theft."
At the very least, this type of call can pressure recipients into paying for other equipment or services. In some cases, after consumers press a button to accept the offer, they quickly receive another call asking for personal information, including credit card numbers, Guthrie continued.
"The calls recently appear to target the elderly, disabled and diabetic," Guthrie continued. "The automated message says 'that someone has ordered a free medical alert system for you, and this call is to confirm shipping instructions.' Other messages may tell of shipments of medical supplies 'on the way,' or the need to accept a shipment being sent to neighbors or friends who are in "desperate need of medication.'"
In recent cases, the automated calls will say something like, "press 5 for yes." Recipients of these calls may receive multiple calls about this "free system."
Some recorded robo-calls are made to sound as if they are "live" with background noise. The scammers are clever; the messages sound just believable enough to make the recipient think that the offer might possibly be real.
"If you have not ordered anything recently resembling what is being discussed, and you have high suspicions that the call is not real, just hang up the phone; do not press any buttons," Guthrie admonishes. "If the caller is a real person, be sure to first ask for the company's physical address. If the representative wants your address but won't give out its own address, it's a red flag. Remember never give out your personal information over the phone or on a computer unless you are 100 percent certain you know the recipient and you have initiated the phone call yourself."
Guthrie advises people to access the National Do Not Call registry. By entering their phone numbers, people can restrict access for these robo-callers. The log-on site is https://donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx.


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How to raise happy toddlers
Welcome to the happy toddler zone that has everything parents need to know about this oh-so special age group. more
Your child's asleep in the back of the car but you need to pay for the tank of petrol. Or you're thinking about leaving your seven-year-old at home while you go to a doctor's appointment. What does the law have to say about leaving kids unsupervised? And at what age can it start?
At best it seems to be a bit of a legal grey area, with the responsibility placed on the parents to work out what's appropriate.
According to the SA Government's website Parent SA, there is no actual law stating the age children can be left at home alone. "However, the law is clear that parents are responsible for their children's safety and they should not be left in dangerous situations.
"In many cultures it is usual for children to care for brothers and sisters. While different societies have different customs, in Australia there is a legal obligation for parents to make sure that their children are properly looked after."
Given that there is no clear direction in the law, parents are advised to use their own judgment, taking into account their family circumstances and the age and maturity of your children.
Leaving your child in a car unsupervised at any time is unsafe – and depending on the circumstances may be illegal. Every state and territory has laws around this, so the best option is to never leave young children in a car unsupervised.
The reasons are sensible. In summer the temperature in a car is much hotter than outside and your child can quickly suffer heat exhaustion and become seriously ill.
Children also get bored and will explore the car's knobs and buttons, which can be dangerous; or they might become distressed, or injure themselves trying to struggle free from their seatbelts. There is also the "stranger danger" aspect.
Charges have been laid in Australia against parents who've left their kids at home when it's believed parents are not fulfilling their responsibility to their kids.
Last year a Queensland mum who left her eight-year-old boy home alone for more than five-and-a-half hours pleaded guilty in court for leaving a child under the age of 12 for an unreasonable time without making suitable provisions for his supervision or care.
In another case, a Townsville mum pleaded guilty to the same charge after she left her two sleeping babies – aged seven months and 20 months – at home alone for 30 minutes. The mum told the court she only left to make sure the battery in her car, which had not been driven for two weeks, did not go flat and, while she was out, she bought some toys from the shops for her children.
Both mums received not much more than a fine, however, in Queensland, the maximum penalty for leaving a child under 12 unattended can be up to three years' jail.
In most states, there are laws which protect kids and say that parents can be charged with an offence if children are left in a dangerous situation, are not fed, clothed or provided with accommodation.
Many a young to mid-teen makes some pocket money by spruiking their babysitting services. But at what age should parents trust a child to look after younger kids?
First, the point to be considered is that when a child or person under the age of 18 years cares
for children, the question of negligence or liability can arise. Parents can be held responsible for the
carer as well as their own kids if something goes wrong.
Parents who leave their kids in the care of an older child must be sure that they are reliable and mature, and able to cope with an emergency or any other difficulties that may arise, at least until help arrives.
As the law is murky, this becomes a very personal and subjective area. While some parents may be perfectly happy to leave their 10 year-old home alone for an hour or two during the day, there are others who wouldn't trust their 16 year-old in the same situation.
Parents are advised to ask themselves a variety of questions about their child and the environment they'll be left in. For example:
As a general rule, it's not advised to leave babies, toddlers or preschoolers unattended – no matter how engrossed they may seem in the TV show or activity – and then to make a value judgement as your kids get older.
The bottom line is adults are responsible for keeping the kids in their care safe.
This article was written by Fiona Baker for Kidspot, Australia, best parenting resource. Sources include NSW Family & Community Services and Parenting SA.


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INVESTIGATORS are look into whether disgraced entertainer Jimmy Savile abused children at an Oxfordshire special school.
Education Secretary Michael Gove has this morning announced a list of more than 20 children's homes and schools across England where there are claims that Savile may have abused youngsters.
The list includes the former Action for Children-run institution Penhurst School, in Chipping Norton.
Allegations dating back to the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s have been handed to the Department for Education (DfE) following a review of documents by the Metropolitan Police.
Local authorities and other relevant institutions have been asked to further investigate the claims, Mr Gove said in a written statement.
Penhurst closed last year. It was a school for children with profound disabilities.
Mr Gove said that, to ensure consistency with the NHS Savile investigations, he would repeat arrangements put in place by the Department of Health to oversee the new inquiries.
Human rights lawyer Lucy Scott-Moncrieff will oversee the process, undertaking a similar role to Kate Lampard in the NHS trust investigations, he added.
"I have asked Lucy Scott-Moncrieff to ensure that investigating organisations take all practicable steps to establish what happened and why at the time of the incidents, and any lessons there might be to inform current safeguarding practice in our schools and children's homes," Mr Gove said.


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Taking The Bobblehead To A Whole New Level...
Royal Bobbles (www.royalbobbles.com) is the premiere brand of bobbleheads, focusing on quality with outstanding sculpts, hand painted details, and special features like removal accessories and historical accuracy in likenesses and outfits. Even their packaging is top notch with full-length bios, portraits, and additional interesting facts. Their figures are so well-respected that they're even carried in historical locations and museums; you can buy their Lincoln figure at the Ford Theatre and at Gettysburg! When creating their John Wayne figure Royal Bobbles worked closely with the actor's son to get every detail right down to the longer bullet at the middle of his belt at his back so he could feel when he was running out of ammunition. Similarly the figure's pistol grip is the appropriate color Wayne himself created by staining his gun with iced tea.
At Toy Fair we got to check out that figure and many more from Royal Bobbles, like the Teddy Roosevelt who wears "pincher" glasses with real glass lenses and historically accurate blue and white speckled neckerchief, and the Nixon bobble that even comes with an actual campaign button and certificate of authenticity! In addition to historical figures like presidents, poets (like Edgar Allan Poe with a little raven), and more, Royal Bobbles has modern licenses like the History Channel's American Pickers and Dance Moms (Abby Lee Miller doesn't have a bobblehead but rather bobble hips). They even have fun characters like Smokey Bear.
Coming soon in Royal Bobbles' lineup are three more Elvis figures to go along with the initial white sequin version (the next up will be a '68 Comeback Special version), a World War II John Wayne version, and other great historical figures as well as some new licenses that we can't reveal just yet, but will make really fun bobbleheads.
- Scott Rubin
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.


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Control Software and Renewable Energy, Part 3
Bela Liptak Discusses the Control of the Renewable Energy Processes That Use Energy Sources Such as the Sun, the Moon, the Rotation of Earth and Its Coriolis Effect and the Heat Below the Ground
By Béla Lipták, PE, Columnist
Process control is the key to both the efficiency and safety in all industries. This is particularly true in case of newer industries, such as renewable energy or deep-sea or low-temperature oil drilling. In this series I am discussing the control of the renewable energy precesses that use energy sources like the sun (both directly and as hydraulic and wind energies), from the moon (tides), from the rotation of the earth and its Coriolis effect (ocean currents) and from the heat below the ground (geothermal). Many of these industries are still manually operated. Some newer energy processes, such as offshore drilling for oil, are unsafe and inefficient because their designers are ignorant of process control.
Let me mention just one of many examples of the cost of this lack of knowledge: The laying of pipelines on the bottom of the ocean is still done by separately and manually controlling the speed of pipe production and the speed of the ship. Obviously, whenever the two speeds differ, the pipes break, causing large losses in this $1 million-per-day process. Yet, because the designers are ignorant of process control, they did not close the loop by detecting the tension in the pipe (the controlled variable) and keeping this tension constant by manipulating the speed of the ship. Instead, they just accept the losses as unavoidable, accept that human operators are imperfect and yet continue operation in the manual mode, while spending a fortune on underwater welding and other similar tasks.
The same holds true in many other new processes. In this series, I am discussing one process at a time. Below is the third installment leading up to the software requirements of solar-hydrogen power plants, their control and optimization.
The Means of Storing Solar Energy
The safe, efficient and inexpensive storage and transportation of solar energy is the key to converting from depending on today's exhaustible energy sources (fossil and nuclear) to inexhaustible and free renewable energy sources. As we know, solar energy can be stored in the forms of electric, chemical or heat energy. Storing this energy in the form of electricity can use the grid or batteries; storage in the chemical form can use the generation of hydrogen fuel from water by electrolysis, and storage as heat energy can use hot water, hot oil or molten salt. I will start this discussion by describing the state of the art of storing solar electricity in batteries.
Storing Solar Electricity in Batteries
Solar electricity can be stored in car batteries or in storage battery blocks (Figure 1). The stored energy can provide night-time electricity for the home, can recharge electric cars and can be sent to the grid. The time when excess solar electricity is available usually coincides with the times when the air conditioning loads are high ("peak electricity"). This electricity is valuable to the power companies because it reduces the peak load their plants have to meet at a time when the plants are operating near their full generating capacity. In operating such a process, the task of the optimization software is to send the generated electricity to the most profitable destination.
Trends in Battery Designs
The performance of batteries has improved during the last decades. The energy density (Wh kg−1 ) of lead-acid batteries used to be about 50 Wh kg−1, and their life expectancy was between two and five years. For example a 6-volt, 210 Ah (ampere-hour) golf cart battery stored about 1.26 KWh (V x Ah = KWh, 6 x 210 = 1.26 kWh) and weighed about 30 kilograms. Trailers or motor homes usually use only a single 12-volt house battery. These batteries often use gel cell or absorbed glass mat (AGM) designs instead of wet cells, because these are suited for harsher environments, require less maintenance and provide the greatest reserve capacity (Ah = ampere hour).
The individual cells of lead-acid house batteries generate about 0.8 volts per cell and two 12-volt batteries are needed to power 4-kW inverters. Table 1 lists the size codes commonly used in the grouping of batteries.
The introduction of lithium-ion batteries improved the energy density of batteries to about 70 Wh kg−1. The energy density in the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars is higher (over 200 Wh kg−1); their power density is over 300 W kg−1, and their volumetric energy density is up to over 500 Wh l−1. The lithium-ion battery life of two to five years has not improved much, but the life expectancy of the newer NiMH batteries is much better. They last the life of the car and their charge to energy efficiency has reached nearly 90%.
Both the driving range and economics of batteries are improving with time. An electric car—depending on its size—requires between 0.25 to 0.5 kWh electric energy per mile of driving, and the cost of today's batteries is about $500 per kWh. Therefore, the purchase price of a battery block large enough for 100 miles of driving between refills is about $12,500. It is an open question if the electric car "filling stations " of the future will be designed to just replace the used battery blocks with full ones (which would take a couple of minutes) or will be operating on a "plug-in recharge" basis, which takes longer. In any case, today's the high battery costs still limit the widespread use of all-electric cars.
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Washington : Government Printing Office
|Public Law 91-229
|Indians. Loans.
|Public Law 91-229
|75 Stat. 316, 308.
82 Stat.770.
40 Stat. 988.
|Public Law 91-229
|Sec. 2
|Title in trust.
|Sec. 3
|Rights and privileges.
|Sec. 4
|Mortgaged property.
|Sec. 5
|75 Stat. 308.
7 U. S. C. 1990, 1921 note, 1013a, 1991, 1984.
Page 1183
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make loans from the Farmers Home Administration Direct Loan Account created by section 338 (c), and to make and insure loans as provided in sections 308 and 309, of the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961, as amended (7 U. S. C. 1988(c), 1928, 1929), to any Indian tribe recognized by the Secretary of the Interior or tribal corporation established pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act (25 U. S. C. 477), which does not have adequate uncommitted funds, to acquire lands or interests therein within the tribe's reservation as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, or within a community in Alaska incorporated by the Secretary pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act, for use of the tribe or the corporation or the members of either. Such loans shall be limited to such Indian tribes or tribal corporations as have reasonable prospects of success in their proposed operations and as are unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere at reasonable rates and terms to finance the purposes authorized in this Act.
Title to land acquired by a tribe or tribal corporation with a loan made or insured pursuant to this Act may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, be taken by the United States in trust for the tribe or tribal corporation.
A tribe or tribal corporation to which a loan is made or insured pursuant to this Act (1) may waive in writing any immunity from suit or liability which it may possess, (2) may mortgage or
Page 1184
otherwise hypothecate trust or restricted property if (a) authorized by its constitution or charter or by a tribal referendum, and (b) approved by the Secretary of the Interior, and (3) shall comply with rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture in connection with such loans.
Trust or restricted tribal or tribal corporation property mortgaged pursuant to this Act shall be subject to foreclosure and sale or conveyance in lieu of foreclosure, free of such trust or restrictions, in accordance with the laws of the State in which the property is located.
Loans made or insured pursuant to this Act will be subject to the interest rate provisions of section 307 (a) of the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961, as amended, and to the provisions of subtitle D of that Act except sections 340, 341, 342, and 343 thereof: Provided, That section 334 thereof shall not be construed to subject to taxation any lands or interests therein while they are held by an Indian tribe or tribal corporation or by the United States in trust for such tribe or tribal corporation pursuant to this Act.
Approved, April 11, 1970.


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popchips: Building a Social Brand One Snacker at a Time
October 12, 2012
Brian Pope, Senior Vice President of Marketing, popchips, explained how popchips leveraged grassroots marketing, social media, and word of mouth from a growing group of passionate evangelists to create a new category of popped snacks.
View highlight video below.
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Tag Archives: quest
Punch Quest coming soon!
Madgarden and Rocketcat Games have been working on a collaboration project over the last few months and here's the preview trailer. Punch Quest is an arcade fighter (like Final Fight or Double Dragon) about pummeling hordes of enemies. Simply tap … Continue reading


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Topic: Brochures
I was just wondering if there is a way to order some of the brochures.
There is going to be a Quarter Auction event near me that my sister will attend in attempt to sell the 31 products and bring in more money for the foundation. Since every commission that is received in the sales is going to the foundation (so far $100 and some brought in) we thought it would be a great way to give brochures to folks and let them know about Cholangiocarcinoma and the cause.
I noticed you can download, but I don't have a color printer...so I would absolutely not have a problem purchasing if that's possible. (or if you can tell me how to direct Kinko's people to print the brochures as I'm not that savvy with it).


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2 for 10% Promotion
Buy any two qualifying ECCO Products (within the one transaction) and receive 10% off your order value. Promotion includes sale items, but excludes Kids Sale and Care Products such as Waterproofing Spray, Foam Cleaner etc.
Inlay Soles, Socks and Laces are included within the Promotion.
Discount cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion and cannot be back dated.
Please contact customer service on 1300 138 099 (1 for E-Com) or via email@example.com for any further information on the promotion.
ECCO reserves the right to end or extend this promotion at any time without notice.
ECCO offers FREE SHIPPING for all orders / purchases over $175
Orders under $175 incur a flat shipping charge of $10
Free returns are offered on all purchases. Please refer to our Shipping & Returns Policy for return information.
Low-cut lace-up formal shoe with aesthetic stitch decoration. Removable insole allows hygienic replacement to increase lifespan. Lace closure maintains comfortable fit as foot grows. Interior moisture is managed with ECCO Comfort Fibre System insole. Natural breathable leather uppers protect foot while allowing air circulation.
At ECCO we are committed to make your online experience as easy as possible. The best way to make sure that your order is the right size is to measure your feet and then compare with the size chart below to find the appropriate size. Please follow these four simple steps to accurately measure your feet:
All you need to measure your feet from heel to toe is a piece of paper, a pencil and a ruler.
Place the paper on the floor up against a wall. Place the heel against the wall.
Mark the longest part of your foot ont he paper. Repeat procedure with the other foot.
Measure the length of each mark and match it with the size chart. Let the longest foot decide the shoe size.


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Can a voter discern something about political candidates from their manner of dress? I think so. Not what they think about issues, but how they want you to think of them.
Can a voter discern something about political candidates from their manner of dress? I think so. Not what they think about issues, but how they want you to think of them.
Sen. J. William Fulbright, Rhodes Scholar, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, at home in the world, would return to Arkansas to campaign in the legendary checked sport shirt, �Just Plain Bill.� He didn�t wear it in the �74 campaign, and it wouldn�t have helped that year.
Interestingly, most of Fulbright�s Arkansas contemporaries, his Senate colleague John L. McClellan, Rep. Wilbur Mills and Gov. Orval Faubus, rarely campaigned in anything other than suit and tie. They seemed to believe, and their success appeared to demonstrate, that voters appreciated them as men of influence and expected them to dress the part. In his splendid biography of Faubus, Roy Reed writes that a flash of elegance, Faubus believed, offered small-town Arkansans something not to resent but respect.
Gov. Beebe, impeccable as any CEO at the office, occasionally makes an official engagement in � what else? � a golf shirt, but it�s invariably an event at which he blends in perfectly.
Mr. Beebe�s predecessor had downsized substantially by the time he hit the �08 presidential trail, so his serious suits, many of them a gift from the late philanthropist Jennings Osborne, and his Hong Kong-tailored shirts fit him better than did the South Carolina primary. (Huckabee�s re-emergent waistline may have been the first clue that he�d sit out the �12 sweepstakes).
Not surprisingly, the Arkansan who did make it to the White House dressed rather smarter than as governor. The stakes in appearance were higher, for one thing, and the income a bit higher as well. During his statehouse years I wondered if his overall effect (which sometimes resembled overalls) was contrived to project humility, that he knew better all along.
Which brings us to this year�s presidential hopefuls, beginning with the incumbent and his challenger:
A fair enough closet President Obama has, though a little stiff, almost too understated, too cool, though as such it reflects his persona. But there�s a horrendous, inexcusable offense: ankle-length socks, which too frequently offer the world the spectacle of bare presidential shin, a bony one, at that. At least he avoids the wing collars the previous Democratic president preferred with black tie, which gave him the look of a Vapors Club headwaiter in the Hot Springs of his youth.
Mitt Romney: The Republican nominee looks more at home in bespoke Bain boardroom worsted than the jeans and navy blazer that, save for worsted environments, remains his customary campaign kit. The jeans don�t look terribly worn, for one thing, but if me makes it to 1600 Pennsylvania expect to see them on weekends � until and unless he wins a second term.
The GOP runners-up, beginning with an admonition to all of them against sartorial campaign clich�: The first Republican debate of the �12 campaign had barely ended before I went to my closet and threw away the only solid red tie I possessed. I urge every man of Republican, Democrat, Green or Tea Parties to do the same.
Tim Pawlenty: Not in the race long enough for anyone to notice what he wore.
Rick Santorum: Red hot rhetoric with, naturally, tie to match. He went to sleeveless sweater vests in the latter stages of the campaign, but gave them a bad name by having his name embroidered over the left breast. Who did he think we thought he was?
Ron Paul: Crimson cravat, Red State � oh, you get it. You got it every time he appeared on TV, his tie framed by dark suits, none of which fit. Their collars stood a good two inches away from his neck, a metaphor, perhaps, for the gap between candidate and electorate.
Rick Perry: Red State, red tie, sigh. Worse, French cuffs. This is a profound no-no for presidential candidates until and unless they raise their hand at noon on January 20th. The president from Arkansas understood.
Buddy Roemer: French cuffs gone absolutely commit-me-before-I-dress-again berserk. Instead of the intended yoke application, Roemer folded his cuffs into a circle before securing them with dime store links. The result was so ghastly he should be glad no one noticed he was running.
Jon Huntsman: Though he wore them with �lan � the French cuff mistake again. But it was his fluency in Mandarin, and his tendency to tell the truth, that killed his candidacy.
Donald Trump: A sometime exception to the Republican red tie rule, but no better: if his pink satin necktie had not disqualified him, his hair would have. And that�s aside from his overall goofiness.
Newt Gingrich: No other word for it � slob. Standing next to his wife, he looked like Billy Carter alongside Jackie Kennedy. Or William Howard Taft, with a less skilled tailor.
Michelle Bachmann: Campaigning in leather jackets and six-inch stilettos (where was the whip?), no wonder she suffered migraine headaches.
May the best man win. Win or lose, however, I�m sending Mr. Obama some knee-lengths.
� � �
Steve Barnes is host of Arkansas Week on AETN.


text:
The Iron Lady feels like the best TV movie ever. In structure, length, content and technique, it feels much more like an excellent entry into the Masterpiece Theatre canon and a stand-alone feature film. If you go in expecting a sweeping, diaper-to-Depends biopic of Margaret Thatcher, you're setting yourself up for disappointment; if you think it'll be like The Queen, focusing on a single incident to illuminate a greater understanding of character, you don't get that either. Rather, you're treated to a performance by Meryl Streep so hypnotic that you are unaware you are watching a performance at all. Some roles draw attention to how complete they are; this one oddly doesn't. It's just Thatcher, through and through.
That's reason enough to see the film, which is otherwise a disappointment. We first see Thatcher in her dotage, mistakable for a bag lady, as she drifts in and out of dementia: Forgetting she is no longer prime minister of Great Britain, thinking husband Denis (Jim Broadbent), long-dead, is still with her. But things — radio broadcasts, old suits, everything except a madeleine dipped in tea — trigger her recollections, in surprisingly linear fashion: Her early campaign for Parliament, her development from a shrill housewife in pearls to a deep-throated leader of the Right; her eventually ouster when her bullying reached intolerable proportions, even among her devoted followers.
But aside from broad statements about her beliefs and too many scenes of protestors attacking her limo to show her controversial nature, the film, directed by Phyllida Law (Mamma Mia), is thin on actual politics. In one scene, No. 10 Downing St. is firebombed, nearly killing Maggie and Denis. I recall nothing about this historically, but aside from showing it, the film never even tries to explain it: Was it the IRA or some other group? What exactly about Thatcher's policies warranted this particular attack? The treatment of such matters is staggeringly superficial. (Her relationship with Reagan is barely mentioned.)
The Iron Lady does do a good job early on at portraying the then-prevailing political hierarchy of England as male-centric — a pond of fleshy-necked bullfrogs bloviating about how things need to be done. Maggie actually did things, not just talk about them, though you'll learn more details of her politics watching Billy Elliot than this movie.
Still, the hype about Streep is deserved. She's excellent playing Thatcher from 40s to 80s, showing her micro-managing habits that drove even her children crazy. It's a sympathetic portrayal not because she's so nice, but because she's so human. Iron Lady? No, she was, at heart, still flesh and bone.


text:
The other lunch option was Chopped Salad with Roasted Chicken Breast, which no doubt was the most South Beach Diet friendly choice, and probably what I'd order if I went there with friends. No photos of that, since none of us ordered it.
Full disclosure:
Representatives of the New Yorker invited me to try their new lunch menu, and my lunch was paid for by the restaurant. I don't write actual restaurant reviews on the blog, but occasionally I do write about restaurants where I love the food. I never agree in advance to write about a restaurant in exchange for a free meal or compensation, and my policy is to only write about places where I'd happily pay myself to eat.
Restaurant Info:
Club New Yorker (now open to the public)
60 W Market St
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2103
(801) 363-0166


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Hepatitis B Vaccine in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (HBV VIP)
The recruitment status of this study is unknown. The completion date has passed and the status has not been verified in more than two years.
Verified June 2012 by Ohad Etzion, Soroka University Medical Center.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
Soroka University Medical Center
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Ohad Etzion, Soroka University Medical Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: February 8, 2012
Last updated: June 6, 2012
Last verified: June 2012
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The objective is to assess the efficacy of Hepatitis B Virus vaccination in a population of IBD patients treated with immunosuppressive medications.
|Inflammatory Bowel Disease
|Biological: ENGERIX-B (HBV Vaccine) Biological: Sci-B-Vac
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Official Title:
|Assessment of Hepatitis B Vaccination Efficacy in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Hepatitis Hepatitis A Hepatitis BU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Ohad Etzion, Soroka University Medical Center:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- protective level of anti HBs antibodies [ Time Frame: 1 month after the last does of vaccine ]
Antibody titer >10 IU/ml 30 days following last vaccine dose will be considered protective.
In the work done by Altunoz et al., titer rate below 10 IU was observed in 40% of the patients, while 40% of the patients achieved a rate of above 100 IU. Therefore, we can estimate that the geometric mean of distribution is approx. 50 IU. A sample size of 37 patients in each group achieves a power of 80% to detect a ratio above 1.37 between the two vaccinated groups.
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|May 2012
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|March 2013
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|December 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|Experimental: ENGERIX-B
Biological: ENGERIX-B (HBV Vaccine)
ENGERIX-B (Hepatitis B Vaccine) 20 mcg, A series of 3 doses (1 mL each) given on a 0-, 1-, 6-month schedule.
Other Name: ENGERIX-B
|Experimental: Sci-B-Vac
Biological: Sci-B-Vac
Sci-B-Vac (Hepatitis B Vaccine) 10 μg/ml, A series of 3 doses (1 mL each) given on a 0-, 1-, 6-month schedule.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male/female ≥ 18 years of age
- Evidence of IBD as diagnosed by clinical, laboratory imaging and endoscopic criteria.
- Treated with at least one immunosuppressive medication at the time of study initiation
- Provided written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant women
- Diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis B
- Any major acute medical event in the 30 days prior to recruitment that necessitated hospitalization ( acute myocardial infarction, CVA, pulmonary emboli, sepsis, major trauma)
- Any other chronic inflammatory condition not related to IBD ( connective tissue disease, Chronic liver disease, COPD, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus)
- Active hematologic or oncologic diseases
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01531075
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01531075
|Contact: Ohad Etzion, MD
|Soroka UMC
|Beer- Sheva, Israel, 84101
|Contact: Ayala Dvir, M.Sc +972-86244245
|Sub-Investigator: Olga Abel, MD
Sponsors and Collaborators
Soroka University Medical Center
|Principal Investigator:
|Ohad Etzion, MD
|Soroka UMC
More Information
Keywords provided by Ohad Etzion, Soroka University Medical Center:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Ohad Etzion, Senior physician, Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Soroka University Medical Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01531075 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|February 8, 2012
|Last Updated:
|June 6, 2012
Keywords provided by Ohad Etzion, Soroka University Medical Center:
HBV, Inflammatory bowel disease, immunosuppressor
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Hepatitis B
Intestinal Diseases
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Hepadnaviridae Infections
DNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Hepatitis, Viral, Human
Liver Diseases
Digestive System Diseases
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Today's Devotional
Making PlansWhat plans are you working on today?
Top Music Videos
10 of 12 - The Secret to a Joyful Life - Billy Crone
Deep down inside we all know we can't buy happiness, but that doesn't keep us from trying does it? For some reason, many people, even Christians, don't seem to realize that the Bible promises something much better than happiness. It's called joy. And even though this joy is free for the asking and available to any and all who would call upon the Lord, in today's world, it still seems to elude us. Therefore, The Secret To A Joyful Life takes a look at the various problems and solutions involved in experiencing the abundant joy of the Lord. You'll see that maybe you're not experiencing A Joyful Life because you're seeking happiness in things instead of joy from the King, or happiness in behavior instead of joy from the Savior, or even happiness in personal exaltation instead of joy from the Lord of all creation. And most importantly, you'll discover the solution to experiencing A Joyful Life as you determine to seek joy in God by your actions and appreciation. So how are you doing? Is your joy filled to the top? Or are you still scraping the bottom looking for happiness? If that's you then please, learn The Secret to a Joyful Life today and start rejoicing again!


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Making The Film
Using The Film
Free Show Tonight
Academy award winning filmmaker Paul Wagner and folklorist Steve Zeitlin produced this 1983 oral history of the old-time travelling medicine show performers, with a recreated medicine show staged in a small North Carolina town.
For viewers interested in other films about medicine shows, we recommend Born For Hard Luck, directed by Folkstreams founder Tom Davenport.
For the past ten years I have made my living traveling with a comedy group. This film shows the reason I do it. Town to town with amazing performers and audiences that sometimes take a while to win over. This documentary is so well done and shows the heart and soul of the subjects. By the time you get to the show they put on you love them and feel like you have seen history turned back to a simpler time. This film is brilliant and the talent of the performers is undeniable. Oh to turn back time. I think I need me some Pawnee concoction to revive my spirits!


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MINNEAPOLIS -- This spring Target is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its GO International program with a collection that features 34 dresses from 17 past GO International designers. Ranging in price from $24.99 to $44.99, the GO International Designer Collective will be available March 13 through April 10 at most Target stores and Target.com.
"GO International has an incredible following and we wanted to provide women who love fashion with a second chance to get their hands on some of the program's most popular dresses," said Trish Adams, SVP apparel and accessories, Target. "The GO International Designer Collective offers Target's guests a stylish, affordable collection and celebrates the many talented designers who helped make this program a success."
Available exclusively at Target, the limited-edition collective features dresses from Luella Bartley, Tara Jarmon, Paul & Joe (by Sophie Albou), Behnaz Sarafpour, Proenza Schouler (by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez), Libertine (by Johnson Hartig), Alice Temperley, Erin Fetherston, Jovovich-Hawk (by Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk), Rogan (by Rogan Gregory), Richard Chai, Jonathan Saunders, Thakoon (by Thakoon Panichgul), Tracy Feith, Rodarte (by Laura and Kate Mulleavy), Zac Posen and Tucker (by Gaby Basora).


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, January 27, 2012, 1:11 PM
Town Square
Business park 'plagued' by thefts
Original post made on Jan 30, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, January 27, 2012, 1:11 PM
Comments (10)
a resident of Danville
on Jan 30, 2012 at 6:52 am
I'm glad you wrote this article. We frequent the Whole Foods and Target by Bishop Ranch at night sometimes. Since Borders closed, there has been a noticeable reduction in customer traffic. This reduction has made it easier to notice suspicious people around the parking lot. I saw a couple sketchy people wandering the parking lot about 5 days ago when I had to use the Wella Fargo ATM at about 8 p.m. It doesn't feel as safe to use the ATM there at night and I hope there is increased security.
a resident of Greenbrook Elementary School
on Jan 30, 2012 at 11:13 am
I have notice an increase in burglaries in San Ramon and Danville. This fall several houses were broken in and computer, etc were stolen. It seem that the burglar are watching when you leave. I am happy that Danville Express is talking about this.
a resident of Danville
on Jan 31, 2012 at 6:40 am
The bad guys count on the citizens being complacent. I saw a "sketchy" individual walking between cars at Blackhawk Plaza looking into cars in broad daylight a few weeks ago and called the police. They arrived interviewed him, searched him, arrested him and took him away. Haven't seen him back since. If you see something that Just doesn't look right call the police and let them figure it out. When you don't call your part of the problem not part of the solution.
a resident of Danville
on Jan 31, 2012 at 7:45 am
Well said, William, and good job! Have noticed a big increase in alleged "sales people" going door to door in danville, possibly casing out homes and seeing who is not home. Do not be afraid to call the police to check them out. I also think our town requires some type of permit to go door to door,etc. Mr. Gillette, town spokesperson, do you have any info on this?
a resident of San Ramon
on Feb 1, 2012 at 6:41 am
EXCELLENT job!!!!
Good to see people beginning to get involved to protect themselves from any kind on illegal or abusive intrusion which crime people perpetrate due to not me attitude of involvement by good citizens but not wanting to bother yet till that cow gets out of the barn and is long gone!!!!
Again well done William.
I saw a weaving gas tanker on the moving north on I680 last week and called 911, reported it and hopefully CHP was able to catch up with it and make determinations.
The speed of the tanker and headed north told me that tanker was empty and that meant plenty of fumes(if present) which are what explode not the liquid which would ignite more then explode.
CHP agreed. The call went out.
So its people indicating strange happenings which help the community, not abusive intrusive meddling.
Save your community and town; call when believed necessary.
a resident of Danville
on Feb 1, 2012 at 9:54 am
I've also noticed an increase in door-to-door solicitors. Most recently there was a guy who was selling home security/alarm systems who said they are working in conjunction with the police department due to an 18% increase in crime. I have no interest in an alarm system for my home, but I still wonder if he was telling the truth about being sanctioned by Danville PD.
a resident of Danville
on Feb 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Yup, getting door to door magazine sales every other week now. "I used to be in pharmaceutical sales now trying to set my life straight... " I tell them that I heard the same pitch two days ago and not to bother the neighbors since they have heard it as well. Having a 92 pound dog staring at them helps as well
a resident of Danville
on Feb 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Yup, getting door to door magazine sales every other week now. "I used to be in pharmaceutical sales now trying to set my life straight... " I tell them that I heard the same pitch two days ago and not to bother the neighbors since they have heard it as well. Having a 92 pound dog staring at them helps as well
a resident of Danville
on Feb 1, 2012 at 10:12 pm
The Danville Police Department does not sanction any home alarm companies. It was likely a phony sales pitch, but could also have been a potential burglar. In any case, a recession such as we are going through can turn economically marginal citizens into thieves.
a resident of Danville
on Feb 2, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I got some of my packages stolen right off my porch last month while I was at work. I live pretty close to San Ramon so I wouldn't be surprised this is related to the 'theft' cases. I informed USPS about it and filed a complaint to the police too. I hope they catch the perpetrators soon!
Don't miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Nominations due by Sept. 18
DanvilleSanRamon.com and Pleasanton Weekly are once again putting out a call for nominations and sponsorships for the annual Tri-Valley Heroes awards - our salute to the community members dedicated to bettering the Tri-Valley and the lives of its residents.


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Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3)
Unique among nuts, walnuts contain the highest amount of ALA.
Unique among nuts, walnuts contain the highest amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acid, required by the human body. As one of the best plant food sources of omega-3s, a one-ounce serving of walnuts provides 2.5 grams of ALA. A growing body of scientific evidence is beginning to uncover a variety of benefits that ALA/omega-3s may provide to our bodies. While most nuts contain monounsaturated fats, only walnuts are comprised primarily of polyunsaturated fat (13 grams out of 18 grams total fat). Dietary guidelines recommend that people keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.


text:
Preferred by alpine climbers who are more worried about shedding snow than rain, single-wall tents are constructed with waterproof/breathable fabrics such as Gore-Tex to eliminate the need for a rain fly. Double-wall tents consist of an fly over the tent body this tent style is more common in 3-season tents.
4-season tents sleep anywhere from a single person to eight or more. Often, these tents offer more floor space to accommodate for the added gear necessary for cold-weather camping.


text:
[Page 245]
|First kibbutz in Rokiskis
|Unidentified group photo, but probably a Scout group
(Left to right) Avigdor Aryal (Glambatsky), Moishe Vesterman,
Shifra Loyfer, Rivke Nahumovits, Tybe Kyl, Henokh Pots, Borukh Glas
[Page 247]
|A group of Scouts in Rokiskis
[no individual identification]
[Page 247]
| Rokiskis Hasherah-Kibbuts of future immigrants to Israel
The members of this group came from various shtetlach and cities in Lithuania
[No individual identification.]
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
Rokiskis, Lithuania Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page
Copyright © 1999-2017 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 07 Sep 2003 by OR


text:
Yost gives Mariot a mulligan after dismal outing
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Right-handed pitching prospect Michael Mariot had a good 2013 season for Triple-A Omaha.
Mariot, 25, didn't allow a run in his final 14 regular-season outings, finished with 11 saves and was outstanding in the playoffs. But his ninth inning in the Royals' 10-1 loss to the Rockies on Sunday was a nightmare.
He gave up four runs on five straight hits, including a bases-clearing double, before finally getting a strikeout and a double-play ball.
Manager Ned Yost, grinning, explained how he tried to soften the blow afterward.
"I told him after his outing: 'Look, every pitcher on our staff I give a mulligan to at the beginning of Spring Training. Would you like to use yours after today?' " Yost said.
"He said, 'Yes sir, I surely would.'"
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
CULPEPER, Va. (AP) – The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a pedestrian who was hit by a deputy's patrol car.
Police tell The Free Lance-Star (http://bit.ly/V5LZ07 ) that the deputy was responding to a medical emergency call when his car hit the woman on U.S. 29. The accident occurred Wednesday night.
Witnesses told the police that the woman was wearing dark clothing and was in the southbound lane.
The patrol car was traveling about 70 miles per hour. Its emergency lights weren't on.
The deputy and the woman haven't been identified.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


text:
Madson hopes to join Angels' bullpen next week
HOUSTON -- Can Ryan Madson join the Angels' bullpen by the end of next week? That's the hope he expressed on Tuesday after an encouraging, aggressive, 20-pitch bullpen session off the Minute Maid Park mound.
It'll all depend on how he feels on Wednesday, and how his surgically repaired elbow reacts to facing hitters a second time around. But Madson is slated to pitch in extended spring training in Arizona later this week, and the 32-year-old right-hander wants to deploy a "super aggressive approach" that will have him facing hitters every other day.
The tentative plan, as relayed by Madson himself: Face hitters in Arizona on Thursday and Saturday, pitch in a Minor League game on Monday, then see how he feels. If he needs another outing, which he most likely will, he'll pitch on the following Wednesday. If not, he'll go straight to the big leagues.
Now, Madson has felt similarly close before. He felt really good after an April 16 bullpen in Minnesota, but when he faced hitters in a simulated game at Angel Stadium three days later, Madson experienced elbow tightness that kept him off the mound for two weeks.
Asked if there are any signs that it'll be different this time, Madson said: "There's more intensity being applied now than what was being applied then, as far as the hips and more thrust going through. And mechanically I'm a lot better now than I was even two weeks ago. That's helped, so that should take a lot of pressure off. I'm using my hips, using my legs a lot more; and just getting strength has helped me."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Augment Recovery From Minimally Conscious or Persistently Vegetative States After Traumatic Brain Injury
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Traumatic brain injury has a high morbidity and mortality in both civilian and military populations. Blast and other mechanisms of traumatic brain injury damage the brain by causing neurons to disconnect and atrophy. Such traumatic axonal injury can lead to persistently vegetative and minimally conscious states, for which extremely limited treatment options exist, including physical, occupational, speech and cognitive therapies.
More than 50,000 patients have received vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy and depression. In addition to decreased seizure frequency and severity, patients report enhanced mood, reduced daytime sleepiness independent of seizure control, increased slow wave sleep, and improved cognition, memory, and quality of life.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate objective improvement in clinical outcome by placement of a vagus nerve stimulator in patients who are recovering from severe traumatic brain injury. Our hypothesis is that stimulation of the vagus nerve results in increased cerebral blood flow and metabolism in the forebrain, thalamus and reticular formation, which promotes arousal and improved consciousness, thereby improving outcome after traumatic brain injury resulting in minimally conscious or persistent vegetative states. If this study demonstrates that vagus nerve stimulation can safely and positively impact outcome, then a larger randomized prospective crossover trial will be proposed.
The investigators will achieve this objective by evaluating whether vagus nerve stimulation impacts clinical recovery from minimally conscious or persistent vegetative states caused by traumatic brain injury as assessed by the FIM™ instrument and Functional Assessment Measure (FIM+FAM) as well as the JFK Coma Recovery Scale Score. The investigators will also evaluate whether vagus nerve stimulation alters resting and activational functional MRI.
Twelve patients will be enrolled in this initial crossover pilot study. These patients will have sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (Disability Rating Scale score of 22 to 29) more than twelve months from starting the study, and have no other concurrent active severe medical problems. Baseline EEG and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be performed prior to left vagus nerve stimulation implantation. Patients will be randomized to alternating three month periods with the device on or off. Outcomes will be assessed at three month intervals with the FIM™ instrument and Functional Assessment Measure (FIM+FAM) and JFK Coma Recovery Scale by a neuropsychologist blinded to the status of the device. Outcomes will also be assessed using quantitative eye movement tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Patients will cross over every 3 months and be followed for at least 18 months.
|Minimally Conscious States Due to Traumatic Brain Injury Persistently Vegetative States Due to Traumatic Brain Injury
|Device: Vagus nerve stimulation; Device: No stimulation
|Phase 3
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Augment Recovery From Minimally Conscious or Persistently Vegetative States After Traumatic Brain Injury
- JFK Coma Recovery Scale [ Time Frame: every 3 months for 18 months ]
- FIM plus FAM [ Time Frame: every 3 months for 18 months ]
- functional MRI [ Time Frame: every 3 months for 18 months ]
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|January 2011
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|October 2013
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|July 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Name of the Device:
We will use the PMA approved version of the NCP System, including the NCP Generator (model 103), NCP Programming Wand (model 201), NCP Programming Software (model 250v7.1), NCP Lead (model 304), NCP Tunneling Tool (model 402) and the Patient Magnet (model 220).
FDA Facility Registration Number: 1644487
Device: Vagus nerve stimulation;
Name of the Device:
We will use the PMA approved version of the NCP System, including the NCP Generator (model 103), NCP Programming Wand (model 201), NCP Programming Software (model 250v7.1), NCP Lead (model 304), NCP Tunneling Tool (model 402) and the Patient Magnet (model 220).
FDA Facility Registration Number: 1644487
|Sham Comparator: No Stimulation
Device: No stimulation
Vagus nerve stimulation
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 60 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age between 18 and 60
- greater than 12 months from a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Disability Rating Scale score of 18 to 29
- with or without concurrent seizure activity
- Eligible for care in the VA system
Exclusion Criteria:
- Anoxic mechanism of brain injury (eg prolonged arrest)
- Untreated hydrocephalus
- Elevated intracranial pressure
- Systemic issues precluding surgery or 18 months survival
- Traumatic injuries precluding surgery or 18 months survival
- Retained shrapnel or other metal contraindicating MRI
- Prior vagotomy
- Sleep apnea
- Myocardial infarction, arrhythmia
- History of cardiac conduction abnormality
- Pregnancy or intent to become pregnant
- Pre-existing CNS disease
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01260090
|Contact: Uzma Samadani, MD PhD
|212 686 7500 ext 6857
|United States, New York
|Manhattan Va NYHHCS
|New York, New York, United States, 10010
|Contact: Uzma Samadani, MD PhD 212-686-7500 ext 3665 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Responsible Party:
|Uzma Samadani, MD PhD, VA NYHHCS
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01260090 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|December 14, 2010
|Last Updated:
|August 9, 2011
Keywords provided by VA New York Harbor Healthcare System:
Minimally conscious states
Persistently vegetative states
Traumatic brain injury
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Wounds and Injuries
Brain Injuries
Persistent Vegetative State
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Craniocerebral Trauma
Trauma, Nervous System
Brain Damage, Chronic
Consciousness Disorders
Neurobehavioral Manifestations
Neurologic Manifestations
Signs and Symptoms
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
THE Wiltshire Business Awards dinner takes place today. More than 100 firms in the county are hoping to be named as the Wiltshire Business Of The Year.
Commercial law firm Thrings, a long-time partner of the event, is once again sponsoring the blue ribbon Overall Excellence award.
Thrings' senior corporate partner John Davies said: "Since I started judging the awards in 2007, I've met many fantastic businesses in Wiltshire. This year the standard of entries is higher than ever.
"The judges have been struck by how many businesses tick the 'all-rounders' box; ones which have performed well , demonstrated financial security, acted professionally at all times and delivered exemplary service.
"We have also enjoyed learning about businesses which have not been afraid to innovate, those which look after their staff, and those which are prepared to immerse themselves in the community."
The awards will be taking place at the Center Parcs at Warminster. There are eight categories: Apprenticeship Employer Of The Year; Business Person Of The Year; Customer And Staff Care; Environmental; Innovation And Growth; Leadership And Social Influence; Services To The Community; Small Business Of The Year and Overall Excellence or the Business Of The Year.
The winners will be online at swindonadvertiser.co.uk tonight.
Readers can also follow the awards on Twitter #wiltsbizawards.


text:
Experience the world's most memorable destinations with an unforgettable journey in the World's Best Business Class, as recognised by 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards. In your private nest, you will relax in an ultra-spacious cabin, enjoying up to 3,000 in-flight entertainment options, delicious dine-on-demand cuisine, and our legendary hospitality.
Our Business Class combines luxury, spaciousness and elegant design with passenger-focused care. The roomy cabin allows you to relax or work in comfort and privacy, while our award-winning crew looks after your every need. Generous storage will keep your belongings within reach, and advanced LED lighting will help you adjust to changing time zones, so you arrive at your destination as refreshed as possible.
Experience the great design of a high-tech oasis, where you can settle into unparalleled comfort, and adapt your personal space to suit your needs. Catch some sleep or get productive with a generous work surface. Your seat also features ample stowage options and a vast selection of in-flight entertainment.
The world is at your fingertips with Qatar Airways' state-of-the-art communications system. Stay connected with our OnAir mobile service, laptop power and USB plug. A large working area and total privacy will enable you to roll up your sleeves and get busy. Wi-Fi services available on board our A380, A350, B787, A319 and selected A330, A320 and A321 aircraft make it easy for you to stay on top of work, with uninterrupted access to colleagues and clients.
Sample signature dishes designed exclusively for Qatar Airways. Our on-demand menu service lets you enjoy sweet or savoury delicacies whenever you like. Mouth-watering flavours, artful presentation, luxurious table linen and deluxe cutlery make dining with us an unforgettable experience.
We offer a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages at any time during your journey. Enjoy a tantalising combination of fruity fizz or spicy zest, and savour signature mocktails. Relax and unwind with a freshly brewed cup of tea served from an individual porcelain set.
Qatar Airways takes endless care to anticipate the needs of our passengers, so each of your needs are attended to. Stay refreshed with a luxurious selection of amenities from Italy's Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio, including lip balm, hydrating facial mist and anti-ageing moisturiser cream. And slip into a blissful sleep in ultra-comfortable 100 per cent cotton sleeper suits and slippers from The White Company.
Comfort. Convenience. Choice. These are the things that matter most to today's traveller, and you will find them all at Hamad International Airport, home of Qatar Airways. Designed for passengers both regional and international, it offers facilities that are efficient, modern and user-friendly. Wide check-in aisles, abundant service desks and speedy security clearance make your pre-flight experience quick and easy.


text:
Look, I'm not one of the darksiders who thinks the Pacers are doomed to lose the ECF in 5 games. I think the team isn't super motivated at this point in the long regular season, but I think that the effort will look much better once the playoffs roll around.
But the attitude that the win is all that matters is silly, in my opinion. When the team loses one can still learn from things that were done right, just as one should criticize poor play in a win. Being results-oriented doesn't tend to be condusive to improvement.


text:
Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes
Pentagram Design, San Francisco, California, 2010
Project brief: Established in 1953, Design Research was the first influential modernist mini-chain that mixed design objects from Charles and Ray Eames, Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen with eclectic folk materials and textiles from around the world and helped introduce the modern "lifestyle" to postwar Americans and their homes. Jane Thompson, the wife of store founder Ben Thompson, came to the designers and asked them to help tell the remarkable Design Research story. The result was Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes.
Approach: When Jane Thompson first approached the design team, she brought several scrapbooks of Design Research (DR) ephemera. The writers and designers worked through boxes and binders of artifacts, photographs, documents and other materials in Thompson's archive. Many members of the team had a personal connection to the store, making the project a labor of love.
This personal approach extends to the book, which is organized as a lively oral history assembled from reminiscences by Jane Thompson and DR staff, friends and collaborators from around the world, with excerpts from Ben Thompson's memoirs. The book features personal photographs, period advertisements and catalogue pages, and includes special sections on DR's collaboration with Julia Child (the store helped furnish the sets of Child's TV show The French Chef) and DR's beloved Marimekko, the bright, bold prints and apparel imported from Finland, which became a phenomenon after Jackie Kennedy was photographed wearing a pink Marimekko dress in 1960. The cover of the book is wrapped in a Marimekko-inspired pattern that helps turn the book into an object that might have been found in the store.
Effectiveness: Jane Thompson was thrilled with the result and the book has won the admiration of the design community for capturing the iconic history of Design Research.
Juror Notes
A delightfully organized history that keeps the aesthetic of the store contemporary without becoming nostalgic. A book all designers should have!
- Design firm
- Pentagram Design
- Art director
- Michael Bierut
- Designers
- Michael Bierut, Yve Ludwig, Tamara McKenna
- Client
- Thompson Design Group