text:
SAN JOSE -- Two third-period goals nine seconds apart put the Vancouver Canucks in a deep hole. A third one a little more than two minutes later buried them.
Maybe for good.
After two tight games at Rogers Arena, the Sharks are on the brink of their first playoff sweep in franchise history after dominating the Canucks 5-2 Sunday night at HP Pavilion.
What had been another close contest through two periods was blown open over a 2:27 span on rapid-fire goals by Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau and then Couture again.
"When you score goals that quick, it's tough on the bench, it's tough on the goalie. It ruins his confidence a little bit," said Couture, who added two assists for a career-best four point night in the postseason. "You could feel the building pick up energy, and their team sank a little bit."
Two goals by Joe Pavelski -- one with a two-man advantage, the other at even strength -- had staked the Sharks to a 2-0 lead, but the Canucks had cut that in half on a goal by Alex Burrows at 11:07 of the second period, setting the stage for the third-period outburst.
All of the Sharks goals came against Cory Schneider as Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault inserted him into the lineup in place of Roberto Luongo, who had played well -- but not well enough to win -- in the first two games.
Schneider was strong down the stretch for Vancouver but missed the first two playoff games with an undisclosed injury. Healthy again, he got the nod from his coach -- a move that was fine with the Sharks, according to captain Joe Thornton.
"We felt Lou was playing great. We felt we were lucky not to be playing against him, to be honest with you," Thornton said of Luongo, who replaced Schneider after Couture's second goal made it 5-1 at 4:07 of the third period.
San Jose began the final 20 minutes with a man advantage, as Jannik Hansen was in the penalty box for cross-checking Thornton on a breakaway. With just five seconds left on the power play, Couture took a pass from Matt Irwin, headed up ice and scored on a 45-foot snap shot at 1:40.
On the same shift, Couture got the puck to Marleau heading toward the goal, and he got off a 10-foot wrist shot while falling to the ice that got past Schneider to make it 4-1 nine seconds later.
"He made a great play on the board where I was able to get inside," Marleau said of Couture. "Just kind of shielded my body a little bit and took it to the net."
Couture was again in the middle of things on the third goal in the sequence. High-sticked by Henrik Sedin to give the Sharks yet another power play at 3:46, Couture took a pass from Thornton and beat Schneider at 4:07 with a shot launched not too far from his earlier goal.
"The first one I was just trying to get it on net," Couture said, "and the second I was trying to go high glove and somehow it went five hole. I'll take it."
Dan Hamhuis scored for the Canucks at 13:12 for the game's final tally, but by then the outcome was clear.
The fact that Vancouver gave the Sharks eight power plays and San Jose was able to cash in on three of them was a vast improvement over Game 2, when the Sharks were 0 for 5 with a man advantage.
"Probably the difference at the end of the night is us being on the power play for almost 13 minutes," coach Todd McLellan said. They're taxing minutes when you're on the penalty kill all the time."
While Couture said he and his teammates weren't thinking of Tuesday night's game in terms of a sweep, he said the goal would be the same as always: a win.
And, no, he was not all that surprised the Sharks were ahead 3-0 in the series, no disrespect intended.
"I thought that if we played our best hockey, we'd be up 3-0," Couture said. "We know they're a good team. We didn't underestimate them, and they're going to be even better in Game 4."
The Sharks do know history is on their side. Only three NHL teams have come back from the situation Vancouver now faces to win a series.


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Arrhythmias in Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (DM1)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Muscular Dystrophy Arrhythmia Sudden Cardiac Death
|Other: Screening
|Study Type:
|Official Title:
|A Registry of Arrhythmias in Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy
- Evaluate incidence of arrhythmias in myotonic muscular dystrophy [ Time Frame: 3 years ]
- Evaluate with diagnostic non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG) [ Time Frame: 3 Years ]
|Study Start Date:
|September 1996
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|December 2017
|Primary Completion Date:
|January 2006 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Registry of Arrhythmias
Screening of individuals with myotonic muscular dystrophy to evaluate the utility of non-invasive electrocardiographic screening methods and history in predicting serious arrhythmic events.
Other: Screening
Electrocardiography Blood Test
Other Names:
Detailed Description:
The long term objectives of this population study is a more defined natural history, optimal diagnostic testing methodology, and methods of therapy for arrhythmias in individuals with myotonic muscular dystrophy. The goal is a more adequate definition of appropriate diagnosis and therapy for arrhythmias in order to decrease the likelihood of cardiac morbidity and mortality in this disorder.
The specific aims of the study involve an initial survey of individuals with myotonic muscular dystrophy detailing multiple factors. Non-invasive electrocardiographic testing will be done. Using this initial data and subsequent follow-up data collected yearly the cohort of patients will be followed as to arrhythmia development over a minimum of five years and likely longer with a long-term registry and evaluation of National Death Records and Ancestry.com. This project is unique in that it characterizes a non-neurologic abnormality associated with a neuromuscular disease, myotonic muscular dystrophy.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 and over
- Willing to sign informed consent
- Have a previous diagnosis of myotonic muscular dystrophy
Exclusion Criteria:
- Under age 18.
- Unwilling to sign consent.
- Unwilling to commit to long-term follow-up.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00622453
|United States, Indiana
|Krannert Institute of Cardiology
|Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
|Principal Investigator:
|William Groh, MD
|Indiana School of Medicine
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|William Groh, MD, Indiana University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00622453 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|February 13, 2008
|Last Updated:
|July 29, 2015
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Muscular Dystrophies
Myotonic Dystrophy
Muscular Disorders, Atrophic
Muscular Diseases
Death, Sudden, Cardiac
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Neuromuscular Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
Pathologic Processes
Heart Arrest
Heart Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Death, Sudden
Myotonic Disorders
Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System
Neurodegenerative Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Producer Profiles
Bonaman - Cooperativa de Pequeños Productores de Banano Bonito Amanecer
Although the banana producing Cooperativa Agrícola Latifundio Fincalati (FINCALATI) began in 1996, it did not become Fair Trade Certified™ until February 2009, marking it as one of the newer cooperatives to join the Fair Trade movement. They are situated in the municipality of Chigorodó, Colombia and work on an estimated 250 hectares of land. Before organizing into a cooperative, small producers struggled with the mid 1990's drop in the banana market. Many were awaiting payments from eight months prior and other organizations they worked for owed them vacation time. Today, FINCAMALTI and its members are strong and growing. Affiliates have received fair prices for their product and bonuses that help finance their children's education and other community development programs. The cooperative's goal is to keep growing so their children will never be without a place to work.
Cash Bonuses for Members
FINCALATI has allocated Fair Trade premiums to a cash bonus program for members. This additional income helps families purchase food or fund any home expense. These types of cash infusions are especially significant during the recent economic downturn, where food sales dropped on a global scale.


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Holiday Getaways in Austria and Switzerland
Christmas Markets and downhill skiing in the Alps
By Sonja Stark
Winter is a holidaymaker's favorite season for an escape to the unspoiled kingdoms of Austria and Switzerland. An outdoor paradise of strolling, skiing and moonlight sleigh rides await you in the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck, while shopping, haute cuisine and rich spa experiences abound in Zurich.
Austria: Aimless Strolling through Story Town
Tucked inside the Inn valley, shouldered by snow-capped mountains and colorful baroque churches, sits the charming Capital city of Innsbruck, Austria. The medieval Old Town section, with its pastel-painted, wedding cake-like buildings and labyrinth of alleyways invites aimless strolling for hours.
Like other European towns, Innsbruck in December is awash with busy Christmas markets that have operated for centuries as festive meeting places for selling homemade crafts and ornaments.
Gifts like wooden figurines, glass balls, straw stars, cookie tins and painted toys are popular among visitors.
The shopping hoopla is closely watched overhead by life-size oddities along Fairytale Lane, characters like: Snow White, Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Hansel and Gretel. They perch like birds on windowsills, peeking down onto children enjoying roasted chestnuts and warm pretzels.
A favorite meeting place for families is in front of the privileged three-story balcony, aptly named The Golden Roof, because of its 2657 fire-gilded copper tiles, built in 1500 by Archduke Friedrich IV as a gift for Emperor Maximilian I. During my first visit here in 1980, I was a tiny 10 year old, but to this day I remember that sparkling Golden Roof like it was yesterday.
Seeing Innsbruck from Beyond the Clouds
The twice Olympic-city of Innsbruck draws visitors from all over Europe; many come to ski the fluffy white stuff; others come to watch brave souls launch themselves from the 50-meter Bergisel Ski Jump.
The jump is open to the public and accessible from downtown Innsbruck by tram Nr 1 or by taxi or by foot in less than 20 minutes.
It's an inspiring infrastructure that integrates several geometric shapes: an abstract glass and concrete tower, a curved green metal bridge and a long, sweeping vertical run. It was designed and built by female Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid in 2002. It's a landmark building with lights that change color at night that intensify the appearance.
Or, rather than see he city from the ski jump, hop aboard the Hungerburg cable railway with its modern oval glass stations and ascend to the top of Nordkette Mountain.
The heated cable cars leave underground Congress Station every 15 minutes climbing 1,905 meters (6,250 feet) past green gardens of soft moist earth and over the Inn River.
Traveling fast into the rugged terrain of the Tyrolean Alps you'll reach the summit in 20 minutes, experiencing an extreme metamorphosis in climate that few other cities can boast.
I get giddy with a kind of oxygen narcosis as we pass through low-lying cloud cover traveling at top speeds. Finally, the doors open on the last upper station. We spill out onto larger-than-life vistas wrapped inside a mountain of silence and stillness. It's a solitude only describable in pictures.
Downhill Skiing in the Mutterer Alm Area
The last time Innsbruck hosted the Olympics was in 1964 and 1976. Collectively, there are nine groomed resorts to ski off-piste. I draw straws for the beautiful Axamer-Lizum, one of the mountains used in the Olympics.
I rent my equipment in Innsbruck at a top sports shop called The Progressive Sports Store, owned by Volker Gesslbauer. He suits me up in well-polished demos ideal for tackling steep slopes. The shop offers more than just ski toys: snowshoes, bmx, snowboards, clothing and footwear are popular purchases.
After a free ride using the local bus service, I jump aboard the red Olympia train to the top of Axamer-Lizum. The mirror-enclosed Panorama Hoadlhaus restaurant rests at the summit with photos of hallmark Olympic medal winners like Gustav Thöni, Rosi Mittermaier, Ingemar Stenmark, and Austria's own Christl Haas and Franz Klammer.
Billy Kidd and Jimmy Heuga both earned alpine medals here in 1964, the first American males ever to do so.
In 2012, Innsbruck will host the very first Winter Youth Olympic Games. This is a special honor that is expected to attract 1048 athletes vying for medals in 63 categories.
With my new friends Donna and Sebastian in tow, we descend every trail at Axamer-Lizum in a fast and furious fashion. This area is referred to as the Mutterer Alm ski region and caters to advanced and experienced skiers. In December, ladies ski at a reduced rate.
We pick several precipitous trails intended for experts, which I am not, and drop like pebbles in a raging torrent.
It's early December and there are still parapets of rock and bald spots visible where snow has yet to build a base. I skirt around the bare stuff as best as I can but I'm curious to explore every trail regardless of ability.
Moving like the wind, there are so many shelves and shears to descent that I feel like I'm part of a Warren Miller movie. My eyes dart like a moving camera, panning the horizon, tilting from one natural jump to the next.
By three o'clock in the afternoon, a vast sweep of shadow spreads across my favorite run, the Olympia Riesenslalom Damen, which greatly limits my visibility. By closing, we're exhausted and need nourishment anyway.
Sideburns and Saddles
It's time to indulge in Austrian cuisine and the chariot awaits. The driver of the horse-drawn open sleigh is Fritz, made famous in Innsbruck by his traditional Austrian Tracht ornational costume
He's wearing black leather trousers, a tangerine-colored vest with a crest on the left pocket and a black felt hat. We hop aboard and he deftly navigates the wooden sleigh so that the blades find the ice and ease the work for the two fillies pulling out front.
Fritz doesn't speak much but the scenic ride through bucolic farmlands bordering miles of mountains needs no explanation.
He and his lovely wife own the Postkutscherhof, a log-built restaurant and farm in the nearby hamlet of Axams. After a home-cooked meal of roast pork, dumplings, sauerkraut and apfelstrudel, Fritz tops off the meal with a pint of Schnaps.
In the summer, Fritz shows off his other skills dressed up as a Roman gladiator aboard a gold-embossed chariot for horse shows. Not only is he an exceptional cook he's a traveling showman as well.
Saluting Austria's National Anthem
At night romantic walks by swinging lanterns, moonlight tobogganing and even cross-country skiing are adventures sure to please the outdoor urge
Instead, I duck inside the Congress Convention Center to pay homage to Austria's long lineage of brass ensembles.
Every December, Major Hannes Apfolterer conducts an evening performance of the legendary Tyrolean Kaiserjäger military brass troupe.
Austrians wait all year for this formal event. They dress in their Sunday best, arrive promptly one half hour before curtain call and applaud loudly from their balcony seats. The songs, the marches, drum interludes and trumpet calls are all steeped in Austrian history.
The Austrian flag at the corner of the stage, with its red and white stripes, is considered the oldest national flag design in the world.
While playing the national anthem, Austrians rise dutifully from their seats, tenderly place their hands over their hearts and declare "Oh du mein Österreich" ("O thou, my Austria")!
Drop your Drawers at the Penz Hotel
We unwind for the evening by checking into the über trendy Hotel Penz (Adolf-Pichler-Platz 3) in downtown Innsbruck. A whimsical Starck-like statue sits naked in the lobby assuring you this place is fashionable and fun. It's Innsbruck's first designer hotel accented with a warm glass façade and a funky fifth-floor bar, restaurant and terrace.
Stuffed on Germknödel
For something more nostalgic, we spend the next night at Innsbruck's only five-star hotel – Hotel Europa. The rooms offer re-designed modernity as well as romantic suites decorated with wood paneling from 300-year old Tyrolean farmhouses.
The adjoining restaurant is sectioned off by five tasting parlor rooms akin to cedar yurts where dinner is served by award-winning Chef Roland Geisberger. The main course will satisfy your every craving, but make room for the native dessert dish called Germknödel.
Germknödel is a steamed Austrian dumpling dish made of fluffy yeast dough filled with spicy plum jam and topped off with sugar, poppy seeds and melted butter. A heavy vanilla cream sauce soaks the bottom. Be aware that this high-calorie bun will sit like a brick in your stomach if you don't hike, run or ski it off immediately after.
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According to tradition, these steps (now covered with wooden plants) are the very ones Jesus climbed in the house of Pontius Pilate only to see the Roman governor wash his hands of the self-styled messiah. Emperor Constantine's mother St Helena brought these back in the fourth century. A crawl up the Scala Santa has been a fixture on every serious pilgrim's list ever since. In 1510 Martin Luther gave it a go, but halfway up he decided that relics were a theological irrelevance and walked back down again. Don't climb them unless you know 28 different prayers (one for each step); walking up is not allowed. Prepare for a queue on Good Friday.
At the top of the Holy Stairs (but also accessible by non-holy stairs to the left) is the Sancta Sanctorum ('Holy of Holies'), the privatissima chapel of the popes and one of the only monuments around here that escaped Sixtus V's revamping. Some of the best early Christian relics were kept in the crypt under the altar at one time - including the heads of saints Peter, Paul and young Agnes. Most of them have now been distributed to other churches around the city, but displayed in a glass case on the left wall is a fragment of the table on which the Last Supper was supposedly served. The real treasures here, however, are the exquisite 13th-century frescoes in the lunettes and on the ceiling, attributed to Cimabue. Once, no one but the pontifex maximus himself was allowed to set foot in the Sancta Sanctorum, but the exclusive entry policy has since been relaxed: anyone with €3.50 is welcome.
Area Rome
Transport Metro San Giovanni/bus 16, 85, 87, 186, 218, 571, 650, 665, 714/tram 3 .
Telephone 06 772 6641
Open Scala Santa Apr-Sept 6.15am-noon, 3.30-6.30pm daily; Oct-Mar 6.15am-noon, 3-6pm daily. Sancta Sanctorum (booking obligatory) Apr-Sept 10.30-11.30am, 3.30-4.30pm daily; Oct-Mar 10.30-11.30am, 3-6pm daily.
Admission Scala Santa free. Sancta Sanctorum €3.50.
I visited the Holy Stairs whilst on vacation in Rome in February 2015. There was no admission fee. It was very intense and very emotional. I would advise anyone who is in Rome to make a visit if possible. You climb up the stairs on your knees. There are also a set of stairs to the left where you walk up normally.
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We recall another chapel next to the Sancta Sanctorum. What can you tell us about it?
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Perhaps one of the highlights of my trip to Europe last year was the unexpected, albeit very profound visit to La Scala Sancta or The Holy Stairs in Rome.
My group had no scheduled tour that afternoon so we had time to go sightseeing around Rome. We ended up at La Scala Sancta, located in a building that holds part of the old Lateran Palace or Palazzo Laterano (an ancient palace of the Roman Empire which eventually became the Papal Residence for about ten centuries). The Scala Sancta has 28 marble steps and is believed to be part of the praetorium or headquarters of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. It was St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, who brought the staircase to Rome in 326AD. According to tradition, these were the actual steps Jesus Christ walked on as he put his fate in Pilate's hands. Droplets of what is believed to be Christ's blood are found on the steps, encased in glass. The steps themselves are now encased in walnut wood, which is said to be more forgiving to devoted pilgrims who climb the steps on their knees.
Yes. On their knees! Which, I thought to myself, I could definitely do!
Being presented with an opportunity to experience Christ's Passion in such a physical way was truly rare. So I readied myself with a short prayer and braced myself for the task ahead. As I looked up the stairs and saw around thirty pilgrims on their knees, I told myself: "Yakang-yaka." (Easy as pie.)
I had no idea what I was in for. Looking back now, it was a good thing I didn't know at the time that there were twenty eight steps, or I would have backed out early on. Walking on one's knees can be painful, but to ascend the stairs on one's knees? This was something else!
Climbing the first three steps was a breeze. But I could slowly feel pain as I reached the fourth step and realized it wasn't going to be as easy as I thought. But even if I wanted to back out, it was too late by then because the steps behind me were already filled up with other pilgrims, each determined to climb their way to the top. There was no way out but up.
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The world of sports has been riddled with sexual abuse and harassment[1] of young athletes by their powerful and publicly respected coaches (respected for producing performance results) for many decades, across all sports, regardless of sex. While there is no consistently collected data on the prevalence of these transgressions, there is reason to believe that news reports and limited data from national sport governing bodies represent the proverbial "tip of the iceberg":
- "Over the past decade, 159 coaches in Washington have been fired or reprimanded for sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape. Nearly all were male coaches victimizing girls. At least 98 of these coaches continued to coach or teach." (Seattle Times, 2003)
- "Even after getting caught, many men were allowed to continue coaching because school administrators promised to keep their disciplinary records secret if the coaches simply left. Some districts paid tens of thousands of dollars to get coaches to leave. Other districts hired coaches they knew had records of sexual misconduct." (Seattle Times, 2003)
- USA Swimming lists 59 coaches that have received a lifetime ban, permanently resigned their membership, or been declared permanently ineligible for membership, all but six with code of conduct violations USASwimming.org, 2011)
- Additionally USA Swimming include two coaches who served jail time, two coaches who were arrested and a coach fired from a Division I university. They weren't part of the 46-person list, published in May 2010 by the USA Swimming NGB amid accusations of lax background checks and minimal safeguards to protect youth. (Colorado Gazette, 2010)
- USA Gymnastics lists 82 coaches permanently ineligible for membership due to conduct determined to be inconsistent with the best interest of the sport and the athletes being served (USAGymorg, 2011)
Athletes are often drawn into keeping sexual abuse secret against their better judgment for the sake of protecting the team from public embarrassment (WSF Coach/Athlete relationships, 1999). As a result, such silence reduces greatly the amount data available to truly understand the scope of the problem.
Sports organizations, from privately owned local sports clubs and teams to national sports governing organizations and national coaches associations, have not been very effective in responding to this issue. While some sports organizations have policies in place that prohibit such conduct, very little success has occurred with regard to (1) taking action against coaches who violate these policies, (2) implementing consistent programs that educate athletes and parents about sexual harassment and abuse and how to deal with such situations and (3) creating a climate in which athletes feel safe in reporting such incidents.
These crimes and abuses of power of the coach/sport leader often go unreported. When they are reported, few coaches are banned from the profession for violation of professional rules of conduct and, in the case of criminal acts, brought to justice from a legal standpoint. This failure to stop such unethical or criminal coach activity is due to a myriad of factors such as:
- Lack of education of athletes and parents so they understand the nature of sexual abuse and harassment and the fact that such conduct is unethical or criminal
- Athlete embarrassment
- Lack of physical evidence
- Time lapses in reporting
- Coaches owning their own sports clubs and having no oversight body to receive such complaints
- Young athletes who seek attention and approval of their coaches and/or who do not understand the "quid pro quo"[2] nature of sexual abuse by a teacher, coach or someone in authority
- Parent denial
- Lack of effective reporting and investigatory mechanisms
- Conflict of interest – coaches being asked to judge their colleagues or institutions who would rather protect the reputation of their institution than the safety of the athletes they are serving.
The result is athletes across all sports becoming victims of sexual exploitation as consenting or non-consenting minors or adults and coach/perpetrators caught only after numerous transgressions and/or continuing to coach after deals are struck to protect the organization.
It is probably the biggest problem confronting sport today,' says Professor Celia Brackenridge, who has been researching sex abuse in sport for more than 15 years. 'Everyone talks about the perils of doping, but if there were 100 drugs cases under investigation in football, or 60 in swimming, or 40 in tennis, there would be uproar. Yet that's the scale of the problem with sex abuse today.'(Observer Sports Monthly April 2002)
While sports governance organizations and clubs have either added a "code of conduct" to their policies (see USOC Coaches Ethics Code), implemented policies that require coaches to pledge to not engage in intimate relations with athletes, or established policies that outright state that no such relationships are permitted, these efforts have not stopped the occurrence of coach-athlete sexual abuse or harassment. (see Sandler, 1996; Women's Sports Foundation, 1999; U.S. Department of Education, 2011)
Even when strong policies exist, many organizations fall short on policy implementation. For instance, in the case of USA Swimming, its policy states that the Executive Director has discretion on whether or not to investigate the claim. Generally, national sports organizations rely on local authorities to carry out investigations. By the time a situation reaches the attention of a national association, too many athletes have suffered such abuse. Or, even if USA Swimming or any national sports governing body (NGB) bans a coach from working in open amateur sport club programs, that coach could become a high school coach and the NGB ban would not become known, even if school performed a background check, unless the coach was previously charged with criminal conduct.
There are simply too many unsolved questions that need to be addressed before we can truly be effective in protecting young athletes from the unethical and possibly criminal actions of coaches:
- When do sports organizations step in to enforce professional conduct expectations and when are local authorities engaged because of possible criminal behavior?
- Should the sports community wait until there is evidence from the local authorities that an act of sexual abuse with a minor has occurred before a sports organization takes action?
- How can we ensure that every athlete is educated about proper athlete – coach relationships, whether a minor or an athlete at consensual age, and understands "quid pro quo" harassment?
- How do we confront the fact that the nature of the crime of rape is such that there is generally a 2-3 year period of time that passes until the victim has the strength to speak about the trauma? This leaves a criminal case very difficult to pursue and very little protection to the non-consenting athlete.
- How do we install systems that effectively confront coach/predator behavior?
- Can we enhance parents' efforts to protect their children? Only the state of Oregon provides some sort of coach registry where parents and athletes can file a complaint about a coach where that information is made available to the public. Are mandatory background checks effective? Are there other "due diligence" actions that an organization should pursue?
- How can we offer support for athletes that have been victims of sexual abuse or harassment during their athletic years so they can heal from these wounds that can affect them, sometimes for the rest of their lives?
- Is there a neutral party that can be put in place for athletes to gain awareness on how to prevent, protect, and report any suspicious behavior?
Next Steps
To date, the sports community has not been successful in confronting this issue. Coaches associations and national and other sport governance organizations have a built-in conflict of interest in protecting the reputations of their sports or members. There is need for an independent blue-ribbon group of sport, management, psychological, and legal experts to create a comprehensive blueprint for deterring sexual abuse and harassment by coaches in sport. The united effort of the entire sports community is needed to stop these predators.
- Colorado Gazette. (2010) Lawyers want US Swimming Banned List Expanded. Available at:http://www.gazette.com/articles/lawyerswantmorecoachesonusaswimmingbannedlist-99785--.html
- ESPN: (2010) 46 Coaches on the Banned USA Swimming List Available at: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=5220940
- Observer Sports Monthly. Downes (2002). Every Parents Nightmare Available at: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,678189,00.html
- Sandler, B.R and R.J. Shoop, ed. (1996), Sexual Harassment on Campus: A Guide for Administrators, Faculty and Students. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
- Seattle Times. (2003), Coaches Who Prey: The Abuse of Girls and the System that Allows It. Available at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/coaches/news/dayone.html
- United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. (2011) "Dear Colleague Letter on the Sexual Harassment of Students as Prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. (April 4, 2011). Available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/dear_colleague_sexual_violence.pdf
- United States Olympic Committee. (2000) Coaching Ethics Code. Available at: http://www.usacoaching.org/resources/Coaching%20Ethics%20Code_new.pdf
- Women's Sports Foundation. (1999) Sexual Harassment - Sexual Harassment and Sexual Relationships Between Coaches, Other Athletic Personnel and Athletes: The Foundation Position. Available at: http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Issues/Coaching/S/Sexual-Harassment--Sexual-Harassment-and-Sexual-Relationships-Between-Coaches-Other-Athletic-Personn.aspx
- WomenSport International. (2007) The Sexual Harassment Task Force: Brochure on Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport. Available at: http://www.sportsbiz.bz/womensportinternational/taskforces/harassment_brochure.htm
This paper was developed by Safe4Athletes.
[1] Sexual harassment and sexual abuse are different. Sexual harassment is unwanted and often persistent sexual attention. It may include written or verbal abuse or threats, sexually oriented comments, jokes, lewd comments or sexual innuendoes, taunts about body, dress, marital status or sexuality, shouting and/or bullying, ridiculing or undermining of performance or self-respect, sexual or homophobic graffiti, practical jokes based on sex, intimidating sexual remarks, invitations or familiarity, domination of meetings, training sessions or equipment, condescending or patronizing behavior, physical contact, fondling, pinching or kissing, sex-related vandalism, offensive phone calls or photos, and/or bullying on the basis of sex. Sexual abuse often occurs after careful grooming of the athlete until he/she believes that sexual involvement with his/her abuser is acceptable, unavoidable or a normal part of her training or everyday behavior. It may include exchange of rewards or privileges for sexual favors, groping, indecent exposure, rape, anal or vaginal penetration by penis, fingers or objects, forced sexual activity, sexual assault, physical or sexual violence and/or incest. (WomenSport International, 2007).
[2] Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when submission to such conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of the victims' participation in the sport, or is used as the basis for decisions affecting that individual. In the coach-athlete relationship, some examples of quid pro quo harassment are when a coach grants or withholds benefits (such as a scholarship, starting position or playing time) as a result of an athlete's willingness or refusal to submit to the coach's sexual demands.


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Wagner to undergo Tommy John surgery
TORONTO -- Right-hander Neil Wagner is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery next week and likely will miss the next 12 months.
Wagner had been dealing with a forearm injury for most of the season but initially hoped to avoid surgery. He missed two months and eventually made one rehab appearance for Bluefield in the Rookie League before shutting things down for good.
The 30-year-old will have the surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews on Aug. 19. There's a chance he could return at some point late next year but will face an uphill battle to get back to the big leagues before 2016.
Wagner last pitched for the Blue Jays on May 14 when he threw 46 pitches over 1 1/3 innings in a lopsided loss to the Indians. He was optioned to the Minor Leagues after the game and made four appearances with Buffalo before he was shut down.
The native of Minnesota was an intergral part of the Blue Jays bullpen in 2013. He posted a 3.79 ERA with 33 strikeouts over 38 innings but lost his spot on the roster this year because he had Minor League options remaining and other relievers did not.
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Uilium wrote:What is the difference? Isn't it important for beginner's at least, to know what is the Buddha's teaching and what is not the Buddha's teaching within any given tradition? Has the counterfeit dhamma that the Buddha predicts arisen already? What do we do about counterfeit dhamma? Should we just be polite or be real? Should we judge or should we just say "that's just how things are"....or what?
BuddhaSoup wrote: My last example: The Lotus Sutra is often cited as a latter development, and is sometimes rejected as being a poetic narrative that goes far outside the boundaries of the original teachings. Yet, I've read that this sutra has in its original translations aspects of Indic language in it,making its root text and teachings likely from the BCE period. With time,the text was accented and augmented. Yet, within it lies language that scholars have seen as being far closer to Pali than Sanscrit or any non-Indic language. So for me, the Lotus Sutra is a beautiful and complex flower,which has in its origins a very ancient and traditional root system,and I appreciate it all the more for that fact.
The Buddha addressed Bhaiṣajyarāja, saying: "If, after the parinirvāṇa
of the Tathāgata, any being hears even a single verse or line of the Lotus Sutra,
and thereupon has even one thought of rejoicing in it, I will bestow upon them
the prediction that they will attain highest, complete enlightenment.
"If there is anyone who preserves, recites, explains, or copies even a
single verse of the Lotus Sutra, or who respects this sutra as if it were a
buddha, or who reverently offers it various flowers, perfumes, necklaces,
fragrant ointments, scented powders, burning incense, canopies, flags, banners,
clothing, or music, or who simply honors it with his palms pressed
together, know, O Bhaiṣa jyarāja, that this person has already paid homage
to tens of myriads of koṭis of buddhas of the past! Such people have completed
their great vow in the presence of all the buddhas and yet they have
been born as humans out of their compassion for sentient beings.
"O Bhaiṣajyarāja! If anyone should ask you what kind of sentient being
will become a buddha in the future, you should inform them that it is those
of this kind who will definitely become buddhas in the future. Why is this?
"If there are any sons or daughters of a virtuous family who preserve,
recite, explain, and copy even a single line of the Lotus Sutra, or who pay
homage to this sutra with various offerings of flowers, perfumes, necklaces...etc
I'm amazed that people could think it was taught by the Buddha of the Pali Canon
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text:
Comparison of Ro 31-8959 Plus Zidovudine (AZT) Versus AZT Plus Zalcitabine (ddC) Versus Ro 31-8959 Plus AZT Plus ddC
This study has been completed.
Hoffmann-La Roche
Information provided by:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: November 2, 1999
Last updated: February 28, 2011
Last verified: February 2011
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
PRIMARY: To determine the efficacy and toxicity of three treatment regimens: saquinavir mesylate (Ro 31-8959) plus zidovudine (AZT) vs. AZT plus zalcitabine (dideoxycytidine; ddC) vs. Ro 31-8959 plus AZT plus ddC.
SECONDARY: To investigate the pharmacokinetics and effects on various clinical parameters of the three regimens.
|HIV Infections
|Drug: Saquinavir Drug: Zidovudine Drug: Zalcitabine
|Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Double-Blind, Randomized, Phase II Study of Ro 31-8959 Plus Zidovudine (AZT) Versus AZT Plus Zalcitabine (Dideoxycytidine; ddC) Versus Ro 31-8959 Plus AZT Plus ddC
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDS
Drug Information available for: Zidovudine Saquinavir Saquinavir mesylateU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|13 Years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
Prior Medication: Required:
- At least 4 months total of AZT at some point in the past, alone or in combination with other antiretroviral therapy.
Patients must have:
- HIV seropositivity.
- Diagnosis of AIDS, ARC, PGL, or asymptomatic infection.
- CD4 count > 50 to <= 300 cells/mm3.
- Life expectancy of at least 6 months.
- Prior AZT therapy.
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:
- Acute serious opportunistic infections requiring immediate treatment, including (but not limited to) tuberculosis, CMV, cryptococcal meningitis, disseminated MAC, cerebral toxoplasmosis, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
- Known intolerance to Ro 31-8959, AZT, or ddC.
- Symptoms suggestive of pancreatitis.
- Moderate or severe peripheral neuropathy as evidenced by discomfort from numbness, tingling, burning or pain of the extremities or any related symptoms that are accompanied by an objective finding.
- Visceral Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Lymphoma that will require therapy within the next 6 months.
- Transfusion dependence.
Concurrent Medication:
- Investigational or antineoplastic agents.
Concurrent Treatment:
- Radiotherapy (other than local skin radiotherapy).
- Transfusions.
Prior Medication:
- Any antiretroviral agent (other than AZT) or immunomodulatory therapy within 14 days prior to study entry.
- Prior treatment with an HIV proteinase inhibitor.
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: NCT00001040
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00001040
|United States, Alabama
|Univ of Alabama at Birmingham
|Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
|United States, California
|Stanford Univ Med Ctr
|Stanford, California, United States, 943055107
|United States, Colorado
|Univ of Colorado Health Sciences Ctr
|Denver, Colorado, United States, 80262
|United States, Illinois
|Northwestern Univ Med School
|Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
|United States, New York
|Bellevue Hosp / New York Univ Med Ctr
|New York, New York, United States, 10016
|Univ of Rochester Med Ctr
|Rochester, New York, United States, 14642
|United States, Ohio
|Ohio State Univ Hosp
|Columbus, Ohio, United States, 432101228
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Girard Med Ctr
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 191046073
|United States, Texas
|Univ TX Galveston Med Branch
|Galveston, Texas, United States, 775550882
|United States, Washington
|Univ of Washington
|Seattle, Washington, United States, 98122
Sponsors and Collaborators
Hoffmann-La Roche
|Study Chair:
|Collier AC
|Study Chair:
|Corey L
More Information
Keywords provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017
Schapiro JM, Lawrence J, Speck R, Winters MA, Efron B, Coombs RW, Collier AC, Merigan TC. Resistance mutations to zidovudine and saquinavir in patients receiving zidovudine plus saquinavir or zidovudine and zalcitabine plus saquinavir in AIDS clinical trials group 229. J Infect Dis. 1999 Jan;179(1):249-53.
Brambilla D, Coombs R, Bremer JW, Reichelderfer PS, Kalish L, Shapiro DE. The contributions of assay variation and biological variation to the variability of HIV RNA measurements in serially collected clinical specimens. Int Conf AIDS. 1998;12:805 (abstract no 42163)
Collier AC, Coombs RW, Schoenfeld DA, Bassett R, Baruch A, Corey L. Combination therapy with zidovudine, didanosine and saquinavir. Antiviral Res. 1996 Jan;29(1):99.
Collier AC, Coombs RW, Timpone J, Schoenfeld DA, Bassett R, Baruch A, Corey L. Comparative study of Ro 31-8959 and zidovudine (ZDV) vs. ZDV and zalcitabine (ddC) vs. Ro 31-8959, ZDV, and ddC. The ACTG 229 Protocol Team. Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):21 (abstract no 058B)
Noble S, Faulds D. Saquinavir. A review of its pharmacology and clinical potential in the management of HIV infection. Drugs. 1996 Jul;52(1):93-112. Review.
Vanhove GF, Gries JM, Verotta D, Sheiner LB, Coombs R, Collier AC, Blaschke TF. Exposure-response relationships for saquinavir, zidovudine, and zalcitabine in combination therapy. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1997 Nov;41(11):2433-8.
Collier AC, Coombs RW, Schoenfeld DA, Bassett RL, Timpone J, Baruch A, Jones M, Facey K, Whitacre C, McAuliffe VJ, Friedman HM, Merigan TC, Reichman RC, Hooper C, Corey L. Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection with saquinavir, zidovudine, and zalcitabine. AIDS Clinical Trials Group. N Engl J Med. 1996 Apr 18;334(16):1011-7.
Fischl MA, Stanley K, Collier AC, Arduino JM, Stein DS, Feinberg JE, Allan JD, Goldsmith JC, Powderly WG. Combination and monotherapy with zidovudine and zalcitabine in patients with advanced HIV disease. The NIAID AIDS Clinical Trials Group. Ann Intern Med. 1995 Jan 1;122(1):24-32.
Schapiro JM, Lawrence J, Speck R, Winters MA, Coombs R, Collier AC, Efron B, Merigan TC. HIV RNA and resistance mutations to saquinavir and zidovudine in patients receiving dual versus triple combination therapy. Conf Retroviruses Opportunistic Infect. 1998 Feb 1-5;5th:154 (abstract no 401)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00001040 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 2, 1999
|Last Updated:
|February 28, 2011
Keywords provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
Drug Therapy, Combination
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
AIDS-Related Complex
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Anti-HIV Agents
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Protease Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


text:
Succeeding as an Organization's First Chief Marketing Officer
June 26, 2012
According to Spencer Stuart, CMOs now exist in 62% of companies. However, the role remains poorly defined, making it challenging for new CMOs to keep their position.
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text:
ESCONDIDO -- School's out and the fun's still coming for hundreds of youths in day camps and athletic programs throughout Escondido.
With everything from swimming and ice skating lessons to surf and cooking camps, there is something for every age and space is still available. Costs vary in range, with partial to full scholarships available for those who qualify.
Without the structure of school, youth workers say it's important to keep children off the streets and busy, even if they are old enough to stay home.
"I think it's important to have safe, supervised activities with adults," said Chris Endris, supervisor at the Escondido Boys and Girls Club, which offers day camps and drop-in programs. "When I was a kid, it was kids looking for trouble to get into, and nowadays, it's the trouble finding the kids."
Tyler Raymond, 7, of Temecula was safe and away from trouble Thursday at the Palomar Family YMCA in Escondido. Most summer programs are open to youths from other cities, but offer a discount to residents.
When Tyler goes back to school in the fall, he will have learned something new -- roller hockey.
"I've only played street hockey," he said, while trying to stand in full gear and on wheels. "I'm just beginning over here … so when I try to get the puck, I usually fall."
Aside from roller hockey, other YMCA day camps include sailing, golf, karate, fishing and field trips. Tyler said he can't think of anything else he would rather be doing during the summer.
"It's really fun," Tyler said energetically. "We get to make new friends and stuff."
Down the road at Grape Day Park, Escondido residents Amy Burns, 33, and Andrea Olijnyk, 30, sat in the shade watching their children learn to swim. Burns is taking a swimming class with her 2-year-old son, Josh, while her daughter, Sierra, 4, learns to swim on her own in the city's "Grunion 1" class.
"It's nice that they have them at the same time," she said. "She can see me, which makes her feel more comfortable."
Burns said learning to swim is a good way to spend a summer.
"I want them to be water safe," Burns said, while taking a break. "It's something to do and they're loving it. It's good exercise, too."
Some of the other activities the city provides include arts and crafts, computers, dance, music and fitness.
Olijnyk has her 3-year-old son, Matthew, in two city programs.
"He looks forward to it every day. He says, 'Come on Mom, let's go to swimming lessons,' " she said. "I put my son in the East Valley gymnastics, too, and he loves it."
Structured programs also give peace of mind to parents who rely on them for child care while they work. Julie Mannina, 38, of Poway sends daughters Rachel, 10, and Olivia, 7, to Girl Scouts "Incredible Edibles" cooking camp at Kit Carson Park.
"It's a real positive experience for my girls," Mannina said. "It's consistent, safe and I know they are happy to be here."
The Girl Scouts' summer camps are open to all girls, not just Girl Scout members, and take program aides up to 17 years old. Its day camps include horseback riding, science, drama, jewelry making and leadership. Girl Scouts spokesperson Sue Carter said the camps are not only entertaining, but life-changing.
"There is a lot of education that takes place," she said. "I grew up in day camps. It taught me leadership and to be a responsible role model."
Contact staff writer Adrienne A. Aguirre at (760) 740-3526 or email@example.com.


text:
Christmas Is Over, Now Write Those Thank You Letters!
An alarming majority of people now eschew sending written thanks to their nearest and dearest who have spent their hard earned money on presents. Some will half-heartedly try to express their thanks by sending a thank you text or email. I can't imagine doing such a thing. I am coming out in hives as I write. That said, I suppose they are better than nothing.


text:
Product Summary
Quatech Industrial USB to Serial adapter provides secure connection in a ruggedized metal box to meet demanding applications and withstand harsh environments. You can now broaden the range of external serial peripherals at higher data rates with USB 2.0 Serial Adapters. USB 2.0 has more bandwidth that allows higher data rates on multiple serial ports and improves overall system efficiency.
General Information
|Product Type
|Serial Hub
|Manufacturer Part Number
|Manufacturer Website Address
|B&B Electronics Mfg. Co
|Product Model
|Product Name
|QSU2-540IS 4-port Serial Hub (Optical Isolation)
|Brand Name
Technical Information
|Host Interface
|Data Transfer Rate
|962.10 Kbps
|4 x 9-pin DB-9 Male RS-232/422/485 Serial
Physical Characteristics
|1.0" Height x 4.3" Width x 7.1" Depth
|Weight (Approximate)
|1.21 lb
|Form Factor
|Standard Warranty
|1 Year
This product is shipped only within Canada and Warranty valid for Canada only.
Computer Valley makes every effort to provide accurate specifications, descriptions, images and price on all products that are found on www.computervalley.ca
However for complete and updated descriptions, compatibilities, specifications and actual photo we recommend our clients to consult with manufacturer's websites or simply call us for proper clarifications. Computer Valley is not responsible and will not accept returns for items purchased that are not compatible with your system. Please ensure that you have verified compatibility and actual photo with your system by visiting the manufacturer's web site prior to purchase or give us a call to make sure what you are purchasing.
For more information, visit our Shipping and Return policy.
Computer Valley wants to provide you with the best and fastest possible service. We try to ship in stock orders placed before 2:00pm EST the same day. For in stock orders placed after 2:00pm EST they are usually shipped the next business day. However there are always exceptions. Please contact us prior to placing your order if you need your purchase by a certain date.
We ship by UPS, FEDEX, USPS, CANADA POST , PUROLATOR and LOOMIS from the nearest locations possible based on stock in hand.
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|Read Reviews Write Review


text:
If you're after some non-RIM QWERTYness, try one of these five...
Nokia E6
A hefty stainless steel body, touchscreen navigation, 8MP camera and decent battery life form the foundation of this clever QWERTY. It's not as powerful as the competition with its measly 600MHz processor, but it's aesthetically pleasing, the Symbian^3 'Anna' OS springs to life with the addition of finger-friendly controls and the D-pad means navigation is a breeze. We particularly like that the question mark, comma and full stop symbols have their own dedicated keys.
HTC ChaCha
This isn't just a phone with a Facebook button. With its distinctive, slightly angled design, giving a nod to the chin of the T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic and Hero, you'll be able to bash out missives at speed and view the screen comfortably at the same time. It's a hugely likeable device, thanks to its Android 2.3 underlay, ergonomic design and one of a quirkiest phone names we've ever heard.
Dell Venue Pro
Like the Torch but can't bear the thought of its sluggish 624MHz processor slowing you down? Dell's Venue Pro is a QWERTY sliding beast in comparison packing a 1GHz CPU, plus it's got the backing of Windows Phone 7 to deliver an excellent user experience, with its gorgeously styled tiles based UI. It may be super-sized and far from pocket-friendly, but with its excellent keyboard and giant screen, it's one of the best smarties around for the hardcore business folk.
Orange Barcelona
The follow-up to Orange's own-branded San Francisco is a smart choice if you want a piece of the QWERTY pie, but you've only got cash for plain digestives. It's stepped up its Android game by packing 2.2 as opposed to 2.1, which means it's still dragging behind the competition – but given its bargain pricing, we think we can let this slide. It's certainly no match for the more high-end smartphones, but it's a great entry-level handset if you're thinking about moving into QWERTY territory.
HP Pre 3
The first of the Pre line to bear the HP name since the company took over Palm – and it's the best Pre yet. This is thanks to a solid design, 1.4GHz engine, 3.6-inch display, a 5MP sensor that can capture 720p HD video and the gloriously innovative cards-and-stacks-based webOS. Even better, if you have a TouchPad, you can take advantage of its Touch To Share feature by syncing the two devices and sharing web content between them. You can't get your grubby mitts on it just yet, but it's available for pre-order, for September shipment.
Three new BlackBerry torch models announced
BlackBerry Bold 990 available for pre-order
Need to know – BlackBerry OS 7
BlackBerry Bellagio 9790 leaked
BlackBerry PlayBook video review


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Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -- Mark Twain
For over a week now the headlines each day have been about stocks being under pressure on worries about the eurozone debt crisis and the fiscal cliff. Nothing has changed this morning as stocks struggle once again on the same concerns.
What makes this market particularly difficult is that everyone seems to agree. Everyone knows what the negatives are, everyone knows the market is technically oversold and everyone is looking for some sort of relief bounce to eventually occur.
Of course, when everyone agrees that the market should do something it usually does nice job of causing great frustration by doing just the opposite. What adds to the difficulty is that we know that the contrary action of the market won't last forever. Sooner or later a big bounce will kick in and it will likely feed on itself as the folks on the sidelines finally pile in and try to catch a ride.
So, once again the big question we must ponder is whether today is the day that the bounce occurs? It seems like a fairly good bet, but it has been a pretty good bet all week and it hasn't worked.
It is very easy to grow tired and frustrated with this market. There just isn't much we can do while we wait for some sort of countertrend action. We are too oversold to be aggressive with shorts, but we definitely aren't seeing any good bounce action either. The contrarians have been active trying to anticipate a turn, but they have been killed with their premature accumulation.
The way to deal with this market is patience and vigilance. That isn't very entertaining, but the way to make money is to wait for some signs of action and then rush in as it develops further. So far nothing much at all has developed and if you are too anxious to move it hasn't worked. But at some point, a bounce will become self-fulfilling and will gain some momentum. If you have the right trading vehicles, use good money management and are aggressive, you should be able to catch a move.
The important thing when focusing on bounce action is that you treat it as a trade and not a belief that a major market turn has occurred. You can bet that the minute we bounce, many pundits will be crowing about how the worst is over and that it is smooth sailing to the upside now. Don't buy it. A oversold bounce might be the first step in putting in a low, but it will take more than that to change the character of this market.
It is Friday and we are heading into Thanksgiving week, so conditions are good for some short covering that may help to finally deliver some upside. I'm leaning a little long here mainly because we closed a little better on Thursday. We have had a series of poor closes lately and I viewed a late uptick as a slight positive.
We'll see how things develop, but given how often the bounce buyers have been disappointed lately they are likely to be hesitant to rush in and be burned yet again. But it is skepticism that is the ingredient that is most likely to finally give us that bounce that so many are looking for.


text:
Portable Electronic Devices Now Allowed in County Courthouse
Jan. 8, 2013
A new court order allows portable electronic devices inside the Fairfax County Courthouse, subject to regulations. Approved portable devices may now be used for audio telephone calls inside courthouse common areas; however these devices may not be used in courtrooms for any purpose unless expressly authorized by the presiding judge. Photography, video and audio recording, and/or other audio or video transmission from inside the courthouse is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Court.
Acceptable portable electronic devices include:
- Portable personal computers.
- Tablet computers.
- Mobile telephones (including telephones with cameras and audio and video recording and transmission capabilities).
- Electronic calendars.
- E-book readers.
All other cameras, video cameras, video recording equipment and recording devices that are not considered a portable electronic device are prohibited beyond the courthouse entry area. Prohibited photographic and video recording equipment may be permitted with prior written authorization by an active 19th judicial circuit or district judge.
Jurors and court personnel are subject to additional restrictions and guidelines. View the full court order (PDF) for more information, or call the Fairfax County Circuit Court at 703-691-7320.


text:
I found your forum last fall or winter, and was impressed by the knowledge, intelligence and devotion to the Dhamma of its members. It's the best Theravada interent forum I've seen so far. I particularly enjoy your Dhammic Free-for-All, and am glad others are willing to ask questions I am usually too timid and cautious to myself, and to vicariously engage in such frank discussions.
I have been a Theravadin since age 20, for 30 years. I have gathered on this forum that the term "orthodox" is out of favor among most Theravadins, so I'll describe myself as a "classical" Theravadin, or one with definite classical/orthodox/doctrinal leanings. I believe in literal and physical rebirth and consider this teaching significant in actual practice. It seems to me there are many teachings in the Tipitika that cannot be justified from a strictly rationalist, empiricist, scientific perspective, and at the very least, I take these teachings seriously, and excising or ignoring them seems to lead, for me, to a rather unimpressive teaching and practice. However...
I must give my modernist friends credit for their zeal, discipline and toughness in practicing what the Dhamma as they see it. I could definitely emulate them better in that respect. I still have a massive amount of Dhamma to learn and practice. That's not polite humility, just plain and simple fact. But with all due respect to those who may chide me, I must tighten my own lyre. I'm working on it. Better a crawl than a standstill.
I've recently relocated from California to Washington state, and currently do not have home internet. Partly out of choice, I am thinking of trying to go without it this summer, relying on the public library's. There are many interesting, helpful and wise people on the Web, but I'm afraid it has the tendency to distract me from other important goals I should give more time to. So when I say I may not be conversing with you here very often, it's not meant as a snub. It's just that I don't have the time to do that as much as I'd like to. Also, I don't "think" very well on Net forums----they tend to be too much, too fast for me. I'm a bit slow. I do hope to drop in and contribute now and then.
I publish a very occasional print journal called Dhamma Letters, subtitled: Letters, Essays, Fragments. Critically Orthodox Theravada Buddhist Perspective. Snail mail is usually a much more manageable speed for me. My address: James N. Dawson, P.O. Box 292, Malden, WA 99149.
Does anyone know of any print/postal-mail forums of this one's caliber and analytical depth? One that asks hard questions in the spirit of Milinda Panha? If so, please let me know. Many thanks.


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I'm doing some research for an uncoming Oracle conference – to help, please answer this poll. Thank you!
Update: thanks to everyone who voted – it certainly looks like there is a significant number of places still running Oracle versions older than 10g. It is likely that many of these will be getting ready to upgrade or be decommissioned, but even then our 7/8i/9i database skills will be relevant for some time to come.
If you haven't voted yet, the poll is still open.


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I noticed when I watch videos of guys throwing for distance such as the Distance with Dion video on YouTube that all his discs go out anhyzer. Also there is another distance discraft video with the top 5 pros throwing bombs... And they too throw anyhyzer shots for max d.
So my first question is are they hyzer flipping, releasing flat and the disc and they have so much power on them that they turn that hard? Or are they releasing anhyzer and just letting the disc run it's course?
My next question is... I currently can max out at 400-410 but am consistently averaging 350'. But I'm just throwing straight shots using the nuke or destroyer... Where the disc goes pretty straight and then fades out at the end. So here's my question, if these guys are throwing 500'+ anhyzer shots how far would they throw just straight golf shots?
Just wondering because I love distance driving and just letting them rip, but wondering if I am missing something and should be letting them fly anhyzer or are they that strong/fast that they release flat and just from the sheer power the HSS turns the discs anhyzer...
here are the you tube clips...


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Brentford striker Clayton Donaldson's admitted his winner against Southend on Tuesday might never have happened, but for a deflection.
Boss Uwe Rosler's men saw off League Two Southend 2-1 at Griffin Park to set up an FA Cup fourth round glamour home tie with European champions Chelsea.
Paul Hayes scored from close range in the first half to give his side the lead and the Bees would have been out of sight by the break had it not been for the Shrimpers' former Bees keeper Paul Smith.
Smith made a host of world class saves - including one from a Harry Forrester penalty - before Donaldson's decisive 76th minute strike after Barry Corr's header for the visitors had levelled matters moments earlier.
And the Brentford striker, celebrating his 18th goal of the campaign for the Bees, admitted it was a relief to finally get past the in-form shotstopper.
"Today was a result game. We just had to get through," he said.
"If it hadn't taken a nick, Paul (Smith) probably would have saved it. That might have been the only way we were going to score, so I was happy to see it hit the back of the net.
"It is difficult not to think about the Chelsea game now we are through.
"It is a great feeling. It didn't really sink in as we walked off the pitch.
"But when we sat in the dressing and everyone pointed out that in the opposite changing room will be the likes of Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard, it is unbelievable.
"It is a tie everyone is looking forward to."


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Tony s Hostel Boutique
Welcome to Tony's Hostel Boutique!
A brand new hostel located in the beautiful province of Heredia.
We are the first Hostel Boutique in Costa Rica.
Tony's Hostel Boutique is a diferent place because in here... is all about you!
Come visit us and let us help you discover the beauties that Costa Rica has to offer!
Come and find out why we ticos say Pura Vida so much!
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Security
- Airport Transfers
- Book Exchange
- Breakfast Not Included
- Cable TV
- Café
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Foosball
- Hot Showers
- Internet Access
- Key Card Access
- Linen Included
- Security Lockers
- Luggage Storage
- Mini Supermarket
- No Curfew
- Outdoor Terrace
- Postal Service
- Reading Light
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels Included
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
From Juan Santa Maria Airport:
With Us:
We offer a private direct Shuttle Service to/from the airport which is cheaper
and safer than regular taxis at the airport.
Our Rates:
$18 (1 person)
$9 Per Person (2 or more people) from/to the airport
By Bus: Take the red bus(TUASA) from the bus stop just outside the station. Take the bust that says 'Heredia' and ask the driver if he goes by the Walmart Supermarket in Heredia.
Get off at the supermarket bus stop and walk 100 mters west and 400 meters north and we are located on the corner of 'calle 32 Ave 2' (look for the signs.)
By taxi:
Take the orange colored taxis in the airport as these taxis are secure and owned by the airport. Official taxi drivers are clearly identifiable and speak English.
Be careful of taxis outside the airport, as many are illegal taxi drivers that don't have insurance or government permission to operate.
Tell the driver to take you '100 metros oeste y 400 metros norte del Walmart de heredia, casa esquinera en calle 32 avenida 2'
This is 100 meters west and 400 meters north from Walmart Supermarket, the hostel is located on the corner of 32 Street and 2th Avenue.
Important: Please notice that other shutte services and taxis might say anything to
you to make you ride with them rather than us. They might say that we are full, or closed, but it is not true. If you already talk to us, or make reservations, we will be waiting for you at
the airport. Our staff will be clearly identified.
Located Near
Welcome to Tony's Hostel Boutique!
-Bus Station
-Coffee Shops
-Shopping Areas.
-Gas Stations.
-Bar/Clubs/Night Life
-Internet Cafe.
-Private Parking Lots
-Heredia Stadium


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
June 1, 2011
Prospectus Hit and Run
Westward Huh?
If you weren't previously aware of the weirdness in the American and National Leagues' West divisions, the long weekend provided ample opportunity to take note of the ascendance of two teams that combined to lose 198 games last year. The Yankees pulled into Seattle with the AL's second-best record, and while they held their own against the one-two punch of Michael Pineda and Felix Hernandez, the Mariners clawed away at the Yankees' bullpen and took two out of three games. In doing so, they climbed above .500 for the first time since April 3, when they were 2-1, and finished Memorial Day just 1.5 games out of first place. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks pulled into first place in the NL West on Sunday, thanks to a well-timed streak in which they won 13 out of 14 games while their division rivals fell apart. Obviously, neither team figured to be in this position even one-third of the way into the season. The question is whether they can continue to factor into their divisions' free-for-alls.
Consider the Mariners. Coming off a humiliating 61-101 season in which they scored fewer runs than any team since 1971, the team was forecast to improve to 71-91, but even so, to remain the league's second-worst team. While they stumbled to an 8-15 start and fell seven games back in the AL West through April 24, they had gone an AL-best 19-11 from that point through Monday, better than the Red Sox (20-13) or Indians (18-12), and with the league's best Pythagorean winning percentage (.609) to boot.
The M's offense is still Dialing M for Miserable, hitting a collective .232/.305/.333 while scoring 3.58 runs per game, ranking last or second-to-last in the league in all four categories. Some of that is owed to their pitcher-friendly ballpark amid a down year for scoring, but their .256 True Average ranks 12th. The team has given 60 plate appearances to 12 different players this season. Only four—Justin Smoak, Jack Cust, Brendan Ryan, and Ichiro Suzuki—have gotten on base at a clip better than the league average (.321), the latter three while slugging less than .350. Smoak and Adam Kennedy are the only players slugging better than league average (.407), with the dearly departed Milton Bradley the only other one who has exceeded .350. Up and down the lineup, the problems are glaring; consider the team's hitting performance by batting slot:
That is a lineup going nowhere. Ichiro is coming off a month in which he hit just .216/.270/.245. The fact that he has hit leadoff in every game this year suggests that manager Eric Wedge just may want to consider giving the 37-year-old the occasional breather. Chone Figgins (.190/.232/.256) is rekindling memories of last year's horrid start while flatlining the second spot, and together the top two hitters aren't even giving the team a performance as good as the seventh through ninth hitters; someone may want to hold a mirror to Wedge's mouth just to see if he's still breathing, if not quite ready to acknowledge it's time to make a change. Neither Bradley, nor Cust, nor Miguel Olivo has provided anything close to adequate production for a three or four hitter. Smoak (.253/.362/.452) has rebounded from a rough rookie season to assert that he belongs at the major-league level, and since the team jettisoned Bradley, Wedge has hit the young first baseman in the third spot. The move has yet to pan out—Smoak is hitting .194/.316/.328 in 79 PA since being moved—but the fact that it has coincided with an upturn in the team's fortunes has bought time for him to settle in.
Other in-season changes have helped the offense as well, with Adam Kennedy (.283/.316/.441) outperforming Jack Wilson (.248/.278/.277) at second base, and Franklin Gutierrez (.265/.306/.382 in just 36 PA) recently returning to the roster while the team tries to figure out his ongoing stomach woes, rescuing the Mariners from the sub-Mendoza stylings of Michael Saunders (.172/.228/.254) and Ryan Langerhans (.173/.317/.346). On the other hand, Bradley's replacement in left field, Carlos Peguero (.179/.220/.339), has hardly done much better while demonstrating massive holes in his swing.
Fortunately, the Mariners have done a good job with run prevention, yielding just 3.77 runs per game, second in the league—though again, some of that is courtesy of the ballpark. For starters, four out of the team's five starters have ERAs below 3.50. Hernandez (3.19 ERA) hasn't been quite as dominant as last year, though that's mainly due to defensive support; while his peripherals are virtually unchanged, his 29-point BABIP advantage relative to the league has vanished. The rookie Pineda has been something of a revelation, with a 2.42 ERA and an AL-high 9.4 strikeouts per nine, and the unheralded Doug Fister (3.24 ERA) has been outstanding as well. Furthermore, Erik Bedard (3.48 ERA) has been healthy and effective after missing all of 2010 and half of both 2008 and 2009; he's missing bats (7.8 per nine) but struggling to keep the ball in the park (1.2 homers per nine).
The bullpen has been a shakier proposition. With David Aardsma on the shelf due to the double whammy of a slow recovery from hip surgery and a strained ulnar collateral ligament, Brandon League has stepped in as closer. Neither his 5.09 ERA nor his 4.96 Fair Run Average are palatable, but his three blown saves and 10 of the 14 runs he has allowed this year came in a span of four consecutive appearances from May 8-13; he was charged with the loss each time, twice in extra innings. As for his mates, the Mariners have allowed 36 percent of inherited runners to score, the league's third-highest rate; the sub-2.00 ERAs of David Pauley, Aaron Laffey, and Jamey Wright, the team's three most heavily-used relievers, come out to FRAs in the high threes and low fours when inherited runners are considered. Furthermore, the unit's 1.75 K/BB ratio ranks ninth in the league, just below league average (1.82) and well behind the rotation's league-best 2.83 ratio.
Despite their recent 11-3 tear—which has included a 6-2 record against the Twins and Padres, two of the majors' worst teams—the Mariners have still been outscored by 10 runs, a differential that's tied for ninth in the league and the worst among their fellow short-stackers. In the most recent Hit List, they ranked 10th, at least 24 points worth of Hit List Factor below the Rangers, A's, and Angels. They had the good fortune to surge at a time when the Rangers' offense was withering without Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz; Texas went 5-2 and scored 6.7 runs per game after that duo returned from the disabled list. The Mariners' surge has come while the A's rotation has been decimated by injuries, losing both Tyson Ross and Brandon McCarthy in addition to having already lost Dallas Braden. It has come as the Angels have plummeted back to earth.
The Mariners have picked a fine time to show a pulse, but not enough to convince me that I wasn't right to dismiss their chances three weeks ago when remarking upon the division race, which has only tightened since then; through Monday, the four teams were separated by just 2.5 games, compared to 4.5 through May 12. The Mariners have a rougher road ahead of them in June, with series against the Rays, Phillies, Marlins, and Braves. While it's not as though their rivals don't have similar gauntlets to run, it's telling that once you factor in current performance, PECOTA, and future schedule, the odds report gives the team just a 2.5 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. There's no way they're going to go 14-11 again in a month where they score 3.24 runs per game. So color me unconvinced.
As for the Diamondbacks, they too were projected to improve by 10 games over last year's sorry record, in this case inching up to 75 wins. Even so, they were forecast to be the league's worst run prevention unit, and while they haven't been great, allowing 4.37 runs per game (12th in the league), they've been respectable. More to the point, they've shown considerable improvement since the beginning of the year. Torched for 5.35 runs per game in April while going 11-15, they banished both Armando Galarraga and Barry Enright to Triple-A after the duo combined for a 6.16 ERA, 2.3 homers per nine, and just three quality starts out of 14. The additions of Josh Collmenter, Micah Owings, and now Zach Duke helped the team cut down to allowing 3.46 runs per game in May.
Which isn't to say that run prevention is sustainable. Ian Kennedy has been the Snakes' top starter, with a 3.01 ERA and eight quality starts out of 11. After putting together a solid season for Arizona last year, the 26-year-old righty has cut his homer rate in half, pared his walk rate significantly, and reaped the benefits of a .257 BABIP. Daniel Hudson has delivered eight quality starts out of 11 as well, but while he has posted better peripherals than Kennedy, he has been scorched for a .340 BABIP, so his ERA is more than a run higher at 4.13. Joe Saunders (4.77 ERA, 1.4 HR/9) has been lousy, with an elevated walk rate exacerbating his already glaring faults. Collectively, those three are in the vicinity of their expected performance, while the fill-ins are overachieving considerably, and thus due for a fall. Duke, who posted the highest ERA of any NL pitcher with at least 150 innings last year (5.72), came off the disabled list to throw seven innings of shutout ball and hit a three-run homer in his D'backs debut; don't bank on either happening again. Collmenter, a 25-year-old rookie who ranked 19th on Kevin Goldstein's prospect list and didn't even crack Baseball America's top 30 for the organization, has a 1.49 ERA while allowing just 25 baserunners in 36
Where the Diamondbacks have improved most dramatically is their bullpen, which finished with the fourth-worst WXRL (-4.4) and fifth-worst FRA (6.51) on record last year. Rebuilding it was a job perfectly situated in incoming general manager Kevin Towers' wheelhouse given the success he showed doing the same in San Diego. He doesn't have vintage Trevor Hoffman here, but closer J.J. Putz has returned from two years in the wilderness to convert all 16 of his save opportunities, and has been scored upon in just three out of 22 outings. Set-up men David Hernandez and Esmerling Vasquez haven't been as good as their ERAs suggest—they have a collective 42/25 K/BB ratio in 35
That last figure is how many wins better or worse than the major-league average the team is based upon the records when tied or leading after seven innings as reported at Baseball-Reference.com. The Diamondbacks' pen may not continue to be quite that efficient, but the potential for at least a 15-win turnaround based upon that performance alone is there for the taking.
As for the offense, the Snakes rank third in the league at 4.78 runs per game in their hitter-friendly environment, and a respectable fifth in True Average at .269. They're eighth in batting average (.252), on-base percentage (.322), and BABIP (.292), and seventh in walk rate (8.7 percent), but they lead the league in homers (62), not to mention their percentage of runs via homers (the Guillen Number) at 39.2 percent. Justin Upton leads the team with 10 homers, followed by Kelly Johnson and Chris Young with nine apiece, and Ryan Roberts with seven; Miguel Montero and Henry Blanco have combined for 10 out of the catcher's spot as well.
The Diamondbacks have cut their strikeouts considerably after leading the league for the past two years, and setting an all-time record with 1,529 last year. Trading single-season record holder Mark Reynolds (211 K last year) has helped, as has letting go of Adam LaRoche (172 K). Where the team had seven out of eight qualifying hitters striking out at a rate higher than the league average last year, just four out of eight are doing so this year, and their collective strikeout rate has dropped from 24.7 percent to 20.0 percent, a rate that would result in nearly 300 more balls in play when projected over the course of a full season.
The offense is getting TAvs of .270 or higher from six lineup spots, led by the surprising Roberts (.313). A 30-year-old journeyman who appeared fated for a bench role as Melvin Mora took over for the departed Mark Reynolds at third, Roberts has seized the starting job thanks to a mix of power and patience, hitting .280/.388/.475. The power is mostly an April thing; he went from slugging .594 in the opening month to .380 in May, and figures to continue falling; his 90th percentile PECOTA projection is .294/.378/.457.Nonetheless, he's one of only two key regulars who are outperforming their PECOTA projections by a wide margin:
Miranda, who was acquired from the Yankees over the winter, has hit a surprising .250/.370/.490 as the long half of a first-base platoon with Nady, this after Towers finally cleared a logjam by releasing Russell Branyan a couple weeks back. Somewhat disconcertingly, the 28-year-old lefty has hit just .231/.348/.423 in 93 plate appearances against righties, compared to an unsustainable .318/.444/.727 in 27 PA against lefties. He'll need to shore up the former, and could risk overexposure if manager Kirk Gibson gets too obsessed by the latter; it's worth noting that his first two starts of the year against southpaws have come in the team's last three matchups.
Those two can afford to cool off somewhat if Kelly Johnson (.224/.284/.428) can rediscover his form from last year, when he hit .284/.370/.496 after being non-tendered by Atlanta following a weak 2009. It would certainly be nice to see more growth from the 23-year-old Upton, who has yet to approach the Junior Griffey comparisons set for him years ago, but as it is, his slugging percentage is up 46 points on last year, and he hasn't endured any further shoulder woes. Meanwhile, Young is showing no signs of an age-27 breakout; instead he's dealing with a .259 BABIP, 20 points below his career rate, as well as a walk rate that has receded to where it was three years ago, in the eight percent range.
Overall, the Snakes have outscored their opponents by 22 runs, the division's best run differential, and one of only two in the black (the Rockies' +11 being the other); they ranked eighth on this week's Hit List, less than eight points behind the Giants and Rockies. Whereas the Mariners emerged at a time when their AL West competitors were temporarily back on their heels, the Diamondbacks have emerged at a point where both the Giants and Rox have suffered season-ending injuries to key players (Buster Posey and Jorge de la Rosa, respectively) and have to face serious questions as to whether they can count on other key contributors such as Pablo Sandoval, Aubrey Huff, and Ubaldo Jimenez to deliver as advertised. Meanwhile, the Dodgers, who were projected to challenge for both the division and the wild card, are victims not only of an endless slew of injuries—they've used the disabled list an MLB-high 15 times—but of poor roster construction.
The Playoff Odds report still rates the Diamondbacks as having just a 6.6 percent chance of reaching the postseason, and while I wouldn't go overboard overestimating their chances, their performance is much more sustainable than that of Seattle. Gibson, who has just a .467 winning percentage in parts of two seasons as skipper, is something of an untested commodity in the dugout, but the real advantage here might be Towers, whose tenure in San Diego included four division winners and one pennant winner. The Diamondbacks are already reaping the benefit of his experience in handling a roster, and while Towers doesn't have a particularly strong system to deal from, his experience could be an extra weapon if the team is still in position to make a push later this summer. Don't count them out.
5 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Jay Jaffe
BP staff
Some late-night butchery on my part with that Diamondbacks leading after 7 table.
Jun 01, 2011 08:32 AM
I am by no means a Dodger fan, but looking at this division and how it has morphed the past couple of weeks, if the back end of their bullpen returns to health they should prove tough.
Jun 01, 2011 12:00 PM
Jay Jaffe
BP staff
I'm trying to avoid being optimistic about the Dodgers only to get my hopes crushed. The returns of Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake should help the offense considerably. I'm less optimistic about the bullpen because there are just so many guys down, and the one who I have the least hope for is Jonathan Broxton, who showed he was too dumb to recognize he was hurting the team by pitching through pain.
Jun 01, 2011 13:41 PM
Seattle has been interesting - good to see excitement back in their ballpark .... Aside from the King and Pineda who are co-#1 talents - They have some guys pitching out of their collective arse right now
Jun 01, 2011 12:07 PM
Ian Miller
Jay, or some other BP person who knows numbers and what have you, can you explain how the Giants are still projected to win 91 games *without* Buster Posey? I get that the division is awful and that the G's pitching is great, but do they really have a better chance of making the postseason than the Phils and the Cards??
Jun 01, 2011 14:06 PM
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Continued research pours in regarding the diverse and beneficial health effects of whey protein consumption. New research out of Canada suggests whey protein can help people lose weight by helping to decrease hunger as well as manage blood glucose levels.
Once per week for five weeks, researchers had 16 healthy men consume a standardized breakfast (totaling 300 calories). For lunch, the subjects were given drinks consisting of various amounts of whey protein in random order — 0g (control day), 10g, 20g, 30g or 40g. After 30 minutes, they were offered pizza and asked to eat for 20 more minutes until "comfortably full." The amount of pizza consumed was measured.
On the control day (0g of whey protein), subjects consumed 1,142 calories of pizza. The amount of pizza calories consumed was significantly decreased by 153, 159, and 305 calories when 20g, 30g and 40g of whey protein was consumed before pizza.
Also, the blood glucose response to the pizza meal was significantly reduced by all levels of whey protein, but the greatest effect was seen when 40g of whey protein was ingested before pizza.
These results indicate that consuming whey protein 30 minutes before lunch can suppress appetite and decrease the amount of calories consumed. This effect is associated with less of a spike in blood glucose. Overall, the results point to regular consumption of whey protein to minimize overeating in subsequent meals.


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Posted 5 years ago
(1 item)
Found this in my storage. The cigar is broken off on his mouth, I am going to glue it on. Bottom is made of wood, cowboy made of fiberglass I think. Anybody ever seen one and knows how old it is and what it might be worth please let me know. Thank you


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From OpenWetWare
< Biomod | 2011
Revision as of 04:51, 6 February 2012 by Naito Ushio (Talk | contribs)
We propose a new kind of molecular robot fully made of DNA.
To win the race, the robot need to be fast, and also need to go straight toward the goal accurately.
Our design for this rolling robot is able to follow a defined track made of DNA origami in an efficient way by means of going faster than conventional spider robots.
In near future, such molecular robot would be useful for efficient drug delivery in living beings.
Do you want to learn more about this project? We present the following contents for constructing our racing robot. You also can find a video showing our project overview in the bottom of this page.
Observation under AFM
|Our robot is entirely constructed of DNA molecules.Based on our molecular-dynamics computer simulation result, we designed our robot with caDNAno software.
|Atomic-force microscopy(AFM) is suitable for watching molecular robot race. With high-speed AFM, we checked whether the DNA structures would be made or not as the designed. Moreover, the observed results were fed back to seek the optimal condition for the experiments.
|We did 3D molecular dynamics simulation for rational design of our racing robot on the DNA origami field. In this simulation, the robot consists of mass points and we used the Langevin equation to describe the motion of each mass point. The parameters were tuned to represent the results from wet experiments.
YouTube video


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Retailers who report monthly sales are set to report their best December results in several years this Thursday assuming preseason forecasts and in-season upward revisions prove accurate. Total holiday sales are forecast to increase in the low- to mid-single digits, and Thursday's monthly results from the likes of Target, Macy's, Kohl's, TJX and others will offer an indication of how good a season it was. Challenging weather conditions, particularly in the Northeast, may have hindered store traffic and gift card redemption activity late in the month, but not enough to undermine what was otherwise a solid rebound from several years of weak consumer demand.
That's good news considering the health of the American consumer upon whose shoulders a continued strengthening of the economy rests has been a much debated topic. However, while the December numbers are expected to be good, the holiday euphoria likely to result from their release will quickly fade as retailers share an outlook for 2011 that factors in some significant challenges.
Housing prices continue to decline, turnover is low, the job market is weak and wage growth remains limited. If that weren't enough, rising fuel costs will eat into disposable incomes in the months ahead just as increased prices appear likely due to commodity inflation. These factors weigh heavily on the consumer spending outlook even if December results show a nice increase from the prior year. It is also important to remember that release of monthly sales from a handful of retailers is exactly that and as such should not be overly relied upon as an indicator of anything other than consumers who have jobs and had restrained spending succumbed to retailers' seasonal promotional efforts that were early and relentless.


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Barriers to Effective Diabetes Care: How to Recognize and Overcome
Barriers to Effective Diabetes Care: How to Recognize and Overcome
Key words: diabetes, barriers to care, adherence, depression
Diabetes is the most demanding chronic illness. It challenges every fiber of a patient's body and spirit and demands a system of care that ministers to the biological, social, and psychological aspects of the illness. It takes a "village" to accomplish this task.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus may be the most challenging and frustrating disease faced by primary care clinicians. Excellent evidence exists that reaching goals for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure significantly reduces diabetic complications1,2 and costs.3 Fortunately, effective therapeutic options are available for reaching these goals. But unfortunately, even with our best efforts, only 48% of patients with diabetes reach goal for HbA1c and only 33% for LDL and blood pressure; only 7% achieve all 3 goals concurrently.4
Diabetes is also a significant challenge and frustration for patients. It requires a complete reorientation of a patient's life. Multiple medications, needle sticks, food restrictions, increased exercise, and multiple visits to health care providers are a few of the changes needed to face diabetes. An additional challenge is the incorporation of these changes into a lifestyle that is strongly influenced by culture, belief system, values, socioeconomics, family, religion, and psychosocial wellbeing. Any or all of these may be a barrier to effective care.
Knowledge of the pathophysiology and pharmacology of diabetes forms the foundation of care. It facilitates writing scripts and monitoring chemical changes, but this knowledge alone is not sufficient. An understanding of the social and psychological aspects of diabetes care is also required. Care that does not include recognition and understanding of these aspects of the disease leads to frustration, anger, disappointment, fatigue, disorganization, and burnout for both the clinician and the patient. This leads to a sense of failure and the additional barrier of "inertia." The clinician, patient, or both feel that nothing can be done and convey that sense through actions, words, and nonverbal behavior.
In this article, I explore the reasons behind the barriers to care, and I suggest measures that can help overcome them.
Overcoming barriers requires office systems that address the multiple issues discussed above. These systems include information technology such as a diabetes registry, effective use of office staff (medical assistants and nurses), and empowering patients to self-manage their disease.5,6 Appropriate delegation of some tasks to office staff increases the amount of time the clinician has to discover and address barriers. Staff members may also uncover barriers because patients may be more comfortable sharing information with them.
Emphasizing to patients and their family members that they are important members of the diabetes team and partners in their care empowers them to be better self-managers. Office systems can be used to inform patients and family of barriers, how to overcome them, and when and where to seek
The most common barriers listed in the medical literature are inability to pay for medication and supplies, depression, lack of transportation, literacy problems, and clinician inertia.7,8 But if we talk to patients, they may use a different set of words to describe their barriers. Their words reveal what they are feeling and provide the foundation for discovering the barriers. Listed in the Box are statements from telephone interviews with patients in our diabetes registry9 who had an average HbA1c value of 8% or higher.
Some readers may consider these patients "noncompliant." But what is the value of this label? Noncompliant is a dysfunctional term.10 It places blame on the patient and does not facilitate consideration of other causes and solutions. It is a word that reflects the frustration that health care providers have when, despite all their efforts, the patient is not at goal.
Unfortunately, medical culture seeks to find blame. A shift in medical culture that considers systems of care as the cause rather than blaming produces a less defensive posture and facilitates finding solutions.11
Many of the patients' statements in the Box may result from communication barriers. Were these patients literate? Did they understand what was being said to them? Did the caregivers understand all the patient's circumstances? What are the patient's goals? Is there a mismatch between the patient's goals and the clinician's goals? The following is a suggested way to enhance communication skills with patients.