text:
Why Can't We Be Friends?
Do social networks like Facebook change the norms of friendship?
That was the subject of the 54th annual Bishop John Fletcher Hurst Philosophy Lecture, presented by Beate Roessler, professor of ethics at the University of Amsterdam and coeditor of the European Journal of Philosophy.
Social research shows that most of us have from three to five real friends and about 150 acquaintances, Roessler said. On Facebook, however, that distinction gets blurred.
"In these different relationships, one presents oneself differently," Roessler said. "I present myself differently here than at home, and so on. Norms of informational privacy regulate the different relationships. That is actually the thesis I want to argue for because it links the problem of friendship and Facebook."
"If you understand informational privacy norms," Roessler added, "then you understand what can go wrong in friendships on Facebook."
What friendship means
True friendship requires us to reveal things about ourselves, to share experiences, noted Roessler, whose publications include The Value of Privacy. Privacy and friendship, she maintained, are intricately linked.
"What has friendship got to do with informational privacy norms?" she asked. "Self-disclosure, dialogue, and identity-constitution are among the essential functions of friendship—self-disclosing in the sense that you can really talk about yourself or you can really talk about your problems, your plans, for instance."
Communicating with friends is also a way we construct our identities. Facebook's flattened notion of friendship makes this impossible.
The Tyler Clementi case (in which a Rutgers student committed suicide after his roommate and another student used a webcam without his knowledge to broadcast Clementi having sex with a male student) "showed among other things that it's very difficult to find your way online," Roessler said. "And you can make mistakes which are horrible and less excusable than offline mistakes. That's certainly one of the dangers."
But Facebook's architecture is the biggest obstacle to encouraging a classic notion of friendship.
"The design of the social networks makes it almost impossible to present yourself in significantly different ways," she said. Audience separation, which allows you to "present yourself differently to different people, [and] which is an aspect of your freedom, is made almost impossible on Facebook. You can have your own groups but you can't exclude people. You can't say these people should not be one of my friends. You can de-friend, but not for a week or for a special message . . . The audience separation is one of the big problems on Facebook."
Debunking stereotypes
Critics sometimes maintain this is less a problem for young people because they don't value privacy. But Roessler said she didn't buy that idea.
"It's empirically just wrong," she said. "All the studies show that young people do care about privacy, in different ways from my generation, but they do care about privacy and they do care about how they present themselves on Facebook."
"If we want to live a rich and diverse and autonomous life, we need information privacy norms," Roessler insisted. "And if we want to have friends, we need information privacy norms as well."
The April 10 event was sponsored by AU's Department of Philosophy and Religion.


text:
Aug. 2014—It was supposed to be a regular USAID workshop in the Philippines' Davao City to provide Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) chief executives with leadership skills to improve their local school boards. But as the day progressed, it became much more.
The meeting, held on Dec. 20, 2013, developed into an open forum for mayors to voice the challenges that they confronted in education. They clamoured to air their concerns to a higher authority, with success. Former Sarangani province Governor Miguel Dominguez soon contacted ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman to take action.
Just two weeks after this workshop, which was conducted under USAID's Education Governance Effectiveness (EdGE) program through the Synergeia Foundation, a landmark meeting was held dedicated to improving education in Muslim Mindanao. The 23 mayors participating in EdGE—representing municipalities in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi—met with Hataman as well as Department of Education ARMM Secretary Jamar Kulayaan and Assistant Secretary Noor Saada. Synergeia President Milwida Guevara and former Governor Dominguez, a Synergeia trustee, acted as third parties.
This once great divide between the regional governor and his constituents revealed itself to be a lack of confidence from both sides to initiate a conversation. Hataman extended his assistance to address the mayors' concerns and laid down an unexpected condition. "If we are to help each other, there should be no politics involved," he said. He ordered all ARMM school superintendents to support the education reform programs of the local government units.
"This is a very good beginning," said Hataman. "Let's meet every quarter, provided that we continue to set goals."
The open environment provided by the workshop encouraged the mayors to share their once unheard views without fear of bias or judgment. It was this condition that led to a meeting that will pave the way for progressive changes in education for the children of Mindanao.
The aggressive effort to involve community leaders is just one of the benefits that USAID's EdGE program has delivered to help reinvent local school boards, improve education, and provide better opportunities for the country's future generation.
The five-year EdGE project, which runs from 2013 to 2018, seeks to improve education governance through decentralization, with the end goal of improving learning outcomes, particularly early grade reading, for at least 1 million children.
Last updated: August 08, 2014

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I had previously had a basic clothes rail, which turned out to be a really bad waste of (admittedly not very much) money. The thing that I like most about this is its surprising sturdiness. The framework of it is fairly sturdy, but the good thing about it is the metal bar that forms the clothing rail. The bar is hollow but still supportive enough to hold a decent amount of clothes. I would hazard a guess that I have about thirty hangers with dresses and jackets hanging from it.
The wardrobe is a single one, but it is pretty generously sized I would say. The wardrobe does a good job of protecting your clothes because it fully covers them, thanks to the sheet of material that hangs over the front of it. It has a narrow wooden stick sewn into the bottom of it to keep it hanging straight against the frame when it is down and is easily rolled up and held in place with two ties. I don't tend to tie it in place though because I'm too lazy, but it is easy to hook it over the top of the wardrobe and it stays in place.
The wardrobe looks pretty good too actually. It has a bit of a hippy look to it because the material is a bit like that hemp type fabric.
We have looked after it and it has maintained it's shape, but that can't be said for the bottom. I keep several pairs of shoes on it and one of the slats snapped. It doesn't render the base unusable because the slats are quite close together, but it is annoying all the same, especially considering there wasn't that much eight on there in the first place.
I said that there is a bar in the front cover to weigh it down and that it is sewn in, which is true, but it isn't sewn at the two ends, which means that the bar is forever shifting along the loop and sticking out at one end or another. This is easily solved with a simple stitch, but I haven't quite got round to doing it in eight years and it is annoying.
The simple answer is yes. The wardrobe is available (at the time of writing this review) from Argos for £34.99 which I think is exceptionally good value for money and pretty darn cheap to boot. Alright it is not perfect, but for that kind of money, find me something that is. I would recommend it as a temporary measure or as a permanent fixture in a spare room or in student accommodation for example
When we relocated in 2002 one of the things we discovered we needed to buy when we eventually moved into a rented house was wardrobes for my daughter's room.
With consideration that the accommodation was going to be long term, we decided on a couple of canvas and wood wardrobes from Argos. With their natural beige canvas outer and thin pine frame, they were a cheap lightweight option to our storage needs.
This version of wardrobe is styled with a hanging rail with a shelf above and the bottom creates a second shelf. This wardrobe is average width, which means it will fit in almost anywhere and hold a generous amount of clothing, whilst the height is low enough to fit in low ceilinged rooms or to store further lightweight items above in a high room.
Size: H 175cm, W 87cm, D 52cm
Getting it Home and Assembly:
The wardrobe is flat packed in a basic cardboard box and is advertised as "minimal assembly" HAHA! We were therefore quite surprised to discover that whilst we had the materials, we were expected to build the whole thing. My daughter was packed of out to her friend's house so that we could commandeer her bedroom to build the two wardrobes.
However, the wardrobe did prove quick and easy to assemble, if a little fragile. We were left wondering how this wibbly wobbly piece of tall furniture would stand up to a lively teenager?! The initial build with what is supplied just involves an Allen Key and some bolts. Then putting the canvas cover over the top and we hoped that would provide sufficient strength. However, we decided the whole thing required further screwing and bolting. We then constructed the second version our way with screws and it was much more solid and reliable for it, indeed my daughter still has it today and it is moved house without being dismantled several times.
Initially, we strengthened the wardrobe without dismantling it first and after about two weeks the hanging rail fell down (may have been due to being swung on?) The original design was for it just to sit in little holes and it kept slipping out, so that required being reinforced, which involved a metal bracket under both ends. The wardrobe proved useful and kept her room tidy as all loose items could be popped into the wardrobes, whilst her chest of drawers was used as a toy box.
To open and close the wardrobe involves rolling up the canvas at the front, rather like a tent door, this is a fiddly thing to do each time, so my daughter got into the habit of either diving into the cupboard or throwing the door up over the top. Alternatively, we did for a little while use it by leaving it rolled up, but that meant that the clothing was open to view and dust as well as made the room look untidy. The wardrobe door opening is the full front of the cupboard and is held up by canvas ties through strong rivit style holes. We found that this smaller wardrobe was sufficient to hold school and scout uniform as well as shoes underneath and jumpers on the top shelf.
Somehow, the bottom shelf ended up with three broken slats, I don't think it is designed to take the weight of a teenager and eventually, we removed the top shelf to use that as replacement for the bottom and hung the hanging rail higher, which was useful to enable it to take longer trousers and items such as coats.
As mentioned my daughter still has the other one. Well we still have this one, it spent a couple of years dissembled in the loft after she left home, but when we moved again a few years later it was brought out, refurbished and put back into use as my second wardrobe. I found it very useful for storing clothing and went for the diving in method of entry, just lift a corner and pop you r head in. It works fine. The canvas benefits from a vacuum now and again. These day's I have the luxury of a walk in wardrobe, but as we have a tricky stairwell, my husband has this wardrobe to house most of his clothing and it is still going well. Yes, we had to reinforce it, but for such a low priced item, we are surprised and delighted.
Price & Availability:
Usual price is £39.99 from Argos stores nationwide.
A bargain buy that has proven very useful and has lasted well. These will not take heavy weighted items or children climbing all over them, but generally they are a good buy. Great, if you are prepared to strengthen and improve a little. Ours is not the obvious wardrobe for an ancient cottage, but in our vaulted ceiling bedroom it does look surprisingly at home. I can vouch that these will suit any decor and provide good, clean storage space for clothing.
Thank you for reading and I will be reviewing the larger version too!
Stars: 4/5
When I moved into my current place of residence in London, there was no wardrobe in my room. As the smallest bedroom in the house, there was no room for one alongside the double bed that was taking up the vast majority of the space. Consequently, I ended up hanging my clothes on the window rail for the first couple of months!
Luckily, my landlord (who is also my housemate) is an old uni friend and was sympathetic to my desire to hang my clothes up properly. He agreed to buy me a single bed to replace the massive double; once this was done, there was space for a wardrobe. At the time, I was so desperate to have somewhere to store my dresses that I told him to get the cheapest one he could find - I didn't care what it was like!
*About the wardrobe*
With my agreement he ended up ordering this polycotton and wood single wardrobe from Argos. The one he bought had a grey cover although the one on the site now has a cream one. Otherwise the two products are identical. The wardrobe is currently on sale at £17.99, but even at full price (under £40) it hardly breaks the bank.
The wardrobe comes with a hanging rail and a shelf. The measurements are as follows:
Size: H175cm, W87cm, D52cm
Weight 8.3kg
The width of the wardrobe was ideal as it had to fit in an alcove; the width proved exactly the right size for the alcove, giving maximum storage space within the gap allowed.
The wardrobe came packed flat, with, according to Argos, "minimal assembly" required to put things together. I guess this must be true as I actually managed to assemble it myself! This was the first piece of furniture I'd ever built so I was rather proud. In fairness, it didn't involve screws and hammers, just the use of an allen key and some bolts to fix the pieces of wood (and occasional metal bars) together. However, considering I didn't even know what an allen key was until I started constructing the wardrobe, I think this is pretty impressive! The hardest part was getting the grey cloth cover over the wardrobe, but my housemate helped me with that.
There was a metal bar provided to fix the wardrobe to the wall, but I thought this would be difficult, and also that my housemate wouldn't want a hole in the wall, so I didn't bother with this.
*Everyday use*
I couldn't wait to put my clothes away in my new wardrobe, and hung them up on the wooden rail. I must say I am impressed by how well this lasted: the rail is only made of wood, and it isn't actually fixed to the wardrobe - it just slots into holes on either side - but apart from a bit of sagging in the middle, it held a great many clothes very securely.
I probably did overload the wardrobe: there is limited space in my small bedroom and I needed to make the most of every inch of space. I put my towels and sheets on the shelf, alongside a box of assorted hats, scarves and gloves, with a few boxes on top of the wardrobe and one rather heavy box of assorted stuff on the bottom. As the surfaces are not solid - they are made up of wooden slats - I had to be careful what I put on them, as small items could (and did) easily slip down between them.
The grey polycotton cover has a roll-up front and tie fastenings. I ended up leaving the front permanently rolled up, as I couldn't be bothered to roll it up every time I wanted to use the wardrobe.
Occasionally the wardrobe seemed to be leaning forward, a disconcerting and rather worrying observation, but a judicial push towards the wall normally solved this problem - at least temporarily.
*Did it last?*
I ended up using this wardrobe for about a year and a half. I think this is pretty impressive for something which was so cheap and which experienced such regular and heavy use. Over time, many of the slats on the bottom of the wardrobe broke, largely thanks to the heavy box I'd put on them. This wasn't a huge problem as I simply put the box on the floor instead. I did worry that the same thing would happen on the shelf and on the top, but it didn't. I was, however, careful not to overload these surfaces too heavily.
*The End*
Eventually I had to admit that the wardrobe was not adequate for my needs. It was leaning forward and I couldn't put as much stuff on top of it as I would have liked. My long-suffering housemate ordered me a proper one and this one ended up outside for the council to take away.
*Other Info*
The wardrobe is 'sponge clean only' - I imagine this refers to the canvas cover rather than the wood! I never actually bothered to clean it so I can't comment on this.
This is a cheap wardrobe for basic or light use. I don't recommend it for heavy or regular use, as it just can't cope on a long-term basis. However, as a temporary solution, or an extra space for the spare room or clothes that won't fit in your main wardrobe, you could do worse than buy this.
When I moved from Wales to Durham a few years back I didn't take a lot of furniture as I had previously lived at home. When I arrived at my new house I had nowhere to hang my clothes so looking for a cheap solution I picked this up in Argos. The wardrobe cost me around £39.99. There was a choice of colours, brown, black, white and white and brown I chose white as it was a neutral colour.
The wardrobe is flat packed, it fitted in my then car which was a small hatchback, I did need to out the rear seats down.
The wardrobe was easy to put together, the wooden frame is held together with special screws which you are provided with an Allen key to screw them in. It took me about 10 minutes and I managed to do it myself. The only thing I had a problem with was the canvas covering as I wasn't tall enough to drop it over the wardrobe I asked a friend to help me.
Once constructed the wardrobe measures;
H 174.5 cm
W 86.5 cm
D 52cm
There is a shelf at the top of the wardrobe and another at the bottom. I have to be honest I absolutely crammed this a wardrobe with clothes, so much so the wooden rail was bending. I also filled the shelves to the brim. The wardrobe still stayed upright and didn't lean.
The wardrobe looks nice, the canvas covering is thick and of a good quality, you can roll it up and there are Velcro pieces at the top to hold the opening up. Once your done you unroll it and the bottom of the canvas 'door' has a wooden pole that holds it to the floor.
The only negative and it may just be me as I am a bit clumsy is the wooden pole can hurt your feet and toes I frequently catch it walking past. But then I also catch my dressing gown arm on the door handle!
This wardrobe was surprisingly sturdy, it lived with me in Durham for almost two years before surviving a move back to Wales where it was used as a spare then I moved again and had no built in wardrobes so I needed it again. Currently it is ram packed again it serves its purpose and it fits in my room nicely so at this point in time I have no plans to replace it with a wooden wardrobe.
Overall this is a a decent item, it is well built and looks good. Much better than a clothes rail!
In our previous house we had a lot of bedrooms as it was an ex guest house. We had converted the ground floor as a 'flat' for mom and dad but we still had a further three bedrooms and an office that we needed to furnish so cash was at a premium.
The guest bedroom on the top floor was painted and given a whole new lease of life. We got a slatted wooden double bed to go in there but we needed a small wardrobe and chest to complete the room. We got out the trusty Argos catalogue for a look and found what we thought was a great idea. It was basically a wooden frame with a canvas cover and there was a matching wardrobe and cupboard / chest affair. The measurements meant that they would fit in the slightly odd shaped room but most importantly the price was good so we went and made our purchase.
Since it was about eight years ago when we bought ours I can't remember how much it cost but the wardrobe concerned is currently on sale for £39.99. The wardrobe in question is the Argos Polycotton and Wood Single Wardrobe reference number 875/3153 although when we bought ours the cover was a lavender colour which suited our decor so that was OK. The rest of the wardrobe is exactly the same.
The whole thing comes flat packed with the promise that only 'minimal assembly is required to secure the pieces together'. The package weighs 8.3 kg and the dimensions once assembled are 175cm tall by 87cm wide and 52cm deep.
As my husband works away a lot I decided that I would put our new wardrobe together thinking that, if I did get stuck, he could always finish it off when he next came home. As it happens I didn't need any help so I was well pleased with myself.
First I built the wooden frame which is made up of four vertical pieces - one at each corner - with horizontal pieces across the top and bottom. There are four further horizontal pieces - one across the middle of each side to give it a bit more stability and another across higher up each side on which the shelf will eventually rest. The back is strengthened by two fairly thin pieces of metal with ends which bend round at right angles attached in a cross shape by means of small holes in the wood.
Once the outer frame is constructed the slatted shelf sits on the two pieces of wood towards the top of the two sides of the wardrobe and another slatted piece of wood rests on the bottom pieces of wood to form the base.
There are round holes in the pieces of wood that hold the shelf and this is where the hanging rail fits but for the life of me I cannot remember whether the hanging rail goes in before the outer construction is complete or afterwards - sorry about that!
Once the frame is complete the next job is out the cover on. I remember that the cover was VERY badly creased when it arrived so I ended up having to iron it which, being dry heavy Polycotton, was no mean feat!
Once I had ironed the cover I then lifted it up over the top of the wardrobe frame. It was a fairly heavy job as I had to lift it up above my head to get it onto the top of the frame but I managed to do it - getting a little out of breath in the process I may add!
With the cover on the top of the wardrobe I then maneuvered it around until it fitted over the frame and it was a very good fit to be fair.
The front of the wardrobe does not have doors, obviously, but it rolls up from the base to the top where it can be secured by means of two ties. The ties are just long thin pieces of the same material which makes up the outer skin of the wardrobe. There are two holes in the top of the cover which are reinforced with metal and the ties feed through these and then tie round the rolled up front of the wardrobe.
The whole thing, once constructed, looked quite smart especially with the long cupboard thing that we got to match it. Sadly that other piece isn't available any longer but at the time it was exactly what we needed.
This wardrobe isn't the sturdiest wardrobe that I have ever used - let's face it - it isn't going to be as strong as solid pine now is it? We found it a great place for me to hang my long dresses which wouldn't fit in our main wardrobe as they hanging space wasn't deep enough and for Dave to put his overcoat out of the way. We kept spare bedcovers on the top shelf and boxes with shoes in on the bottom shelf.
Of course it also served as a wardrobe for any guests who used the top floor bedroom. I would imagine it was also be a great first wardrobe for a child too as it wouldn't really matter if it didn't last for years and years for the price that you will have paid.
All in all it was a great little wardrobe for us at the time. It made the room look complete, it didn't cost too much, it stored some of our stuff and it made a nice space for guests to use too.
Now we have moved to our cottage and don't need the wardrobe any longer we have broken it up and burned the wood on our log burner and we still use the cover as a dust sheet when we do any painting! How's that for recycling then?
i've moved around alot in the last year, and one of the times I moved I needed some quick cheap furniture just to keep my stuff in temporarily. I couldnt get to an Ikea so I took a trip to my local Argos store and purchased one of these.
The wardrobe is frame is made out of wood and comes with a cream polycotton cover that fits snuggly around it. The front opens by rolling up the cotton with two tie fastenings at the top. I tended to leave mine open just for ease rather than trying to roll it up every morning when I wanted to get dressed and again when I wanted to put my clothes away. It has a shelf at the top and a wooden racking bottom for storing shoes/bags or folded clothes. It has one handing rail to hang your clothes on as well. Its dimensions measure H175, W87, D52cm.
I found this wardrobe very easy to put together and only took around 30-45 minutes to build. It is quite sturdy and doesnt wobble about which to be honest is what I expected so I was quite suprised at how sturdy and stable it was.
It comes flat packed and is also quite light, which is good since me and my friend had to carry this home from argos by ourselves as we didnt have a car to transport it in.
Overall I think this is a great wardrobe for the price. It is easy to put together and has plenty of storage space. At the moment it is on sale on Argos.co.uk for £31.99 which is a bargain of a price! I would defintiely recommend this to anyone looking for a cheap storage solution!
Even though we have built in wardrobes in each room, there's still not enough room for all the clothes. We needed more wardrobes and we needed them fast!! My house was beginning to resemble a laundrette!
I went to a local second hand store and found 2 of these wardrobes, 1 being a double and the other a single. They were still in their original packaging and I had the 2 for just £40!! Bargain!!
This single wardrobe with shelf usually retails in Argos for £39.99 so yep I did get a fab bargain, the double retails for around £60!
It's pretty simple to put together or so I was told by my partner. Although you do need to take care as the wood is quite soft and may split if you are not careful with the screws.
It's got plenty of room, with a bottom that's suitable for shoes or maybe even a few piles of folded clothes, a hanging rail that holds plenty and a shelf above that that again is suitable for piles of folded clothes.
The cream canvas cover slips over the frame easily and rolls up and down for easy access, you get 2 pieces of material that you use to tie the 'door' in place. If you loose one like I did with the larger wardrobe, simply replace it with a bit of ribbon or any type of string really.
They look neat and tidy when the 'door' is rolled down and I think they are good value for money.
I was going to buy these wardrobes anyway at full price but I am glad I checked out the second hand shop first.
My hubby, Alex, is, surprisingly enough, the one with all the clothes in our house. We each have our own individual wardrobe which all my clothes fit perfectly into whereas Alex's wardrobe is always spilling with them. The doors never seem to be able to close as there is so much inside and he can't even manage to see what's in there as none of the hangers have even a millimetre of space to move. This has resulted in his clothes being either chucked on top of the wardrobe or just left downstairs hanging over the back of chairs and making either the bedroom or dining room look like a tip.
We didn't really have much more room for another full wardrobe in our bedroom and plus the prices in the same set we already have seem to have raced up since we originally bought them, so I eventually agreed to get a smaller and more simple wardrobe to store his clothes in for the time being.
We decided on this single wardrobe from Argos which retails at £39.99 but we picked it up in the sale for £29.99.
It is all made of pine wood and is basically just the frame of a wardrobe with 4 long poles standing upwards. There are two shelves inside - one at the bottom for things like shoes and towels, and one at the top for lightweight items - which are made of around 13 slats of wood to rest things on. Under the top shelf is a single hanging rail on which to hang all your clothes. To make this then look more presentable, there is a pale natural cream polycotton canvas cover which fits all the way over the entire wooden structure and fits under the legs at the bottom of the wardrobe to keep it in place. To get into the wardrobe, the front section of the canvas rolls up and can be secured into place with two small ribbons going through holes at the top part of the canvas.
The wardrobe is self-assembly and it's easy enough to put together. It took Alex and I about an hour to put it all up, but it would probably take most people less time than this as Alex has a tendency of getting really stressed when doing even the most simple of DIY tasks and ends up shouting and swearing at me - anything to make me do the DIY by myself next time! There are quite a lot of nails that need screwing in but they're all only small nails and these were all easy enough to do. You don't even need a screwdriver, using the little L shaped thingy (don't know what it's called!) provided is good enough.
This isn't the best of wardrobes and certainly isn't great for a long-term permanent one. The pine wood is all quite flimsy and we managed to break 2 parts of the wardrobe before we'd even finished putting it together! We dropped one of the slats from the top shelf and it fell onto the bottom shelf, knocking one of the bottom slats out. And one of the nails somehow managed to just break away the wood in the hole rather than fitting in as it should. This meant that the glue had to come out and a couple of bits needed to be glued to stay together properly. The hanging rail isn't the most sturdy of things and I wouldn't advise on hanging any heavy items on it as it would probably just collapse.
The measurements of this are 175cm in height, 87cm width, and 52cm depth which makes it a perfect wardrobe for one person or just for extra bits and bobs to go into and I think it would also make a good wardrobe for children (as long as they don't stand on the bottom shelf).
It's not the most sophisticated of bedroom furniture but it actually looks a lot nicer than I thought it would once up and finished. It can be a bit of a pain to keep rolling the canvas door up and down the whole time so we simply leave it down and just push it aside whenever we need to get in there. Overall, this isn't great as a permanent thing, but as a temporary and cheap place to put some clothes, this is the perfect wardrobe. It's very lightweight and holds up well and the natural coloured canvas makes it look very nice.


text:
Genetic Basis of Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)
This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified February 2017 by Robert A. Levine, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Leducq Foundation
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Robert A. Levine, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: October 30, 2012
Last updated: February 10, 2017
Last verified: February 2017
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
Detailed Description:
The investigators have successfully identified two novel genetic loci for MVP on chromosomes 11 and 13 and are searching for altered genes in these regions. This requires recruiting large families who may have MVP linked to these or other chromosomes; and obtaining DNA samples from 1,000-1,500 individually affected patients to study the relation between DNA markers throughout the genome and MVP. It is our expectation that the results of this study will lead to the discovery of gene(s) responsible for MVP. This will lead to improved understanding of the disease and, in turn, improved ability to treat and prevent progression in genetically susceptible individuals.
|Mitral Valve Prolapse
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Other
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Genetic Basis of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Resource links provided by NLM:
Genetics Home Reference related topics: X-linked cardiac valvular dysplasia
MedlinePlus related topics: Mitral Valve ProlapseU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Robert A. Levine, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Discovery of the genetic basis of Mitral Valve Prolapse [ Time Frame: 5 years ]Genome-wide association
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|January 1999
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|December 2020
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|December 2020 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
This is a genome-wide association study.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Study Population
Patients referred for 2D echo for MVP
Inclusion Criteria:
- Mitral valve prolapse
Exclusion Criteria:
- Other mitral valve diseases
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01719211
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01719211
|Contact: Susan Slaugenhaupt, PhD
|Contact: Robert a levine, MD
|United States, Massachusetts
|Mass General Hospital
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
Sponsors and Collaborators
Massachusetts General Hospital
Leducq Foundation
|Principal Investigator:
|robert a levine, MD
|Mass General Hospital
More Information
Keywords provided by Robert A. Levine, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Robert A. Levine, MD, Cardiologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01719211 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|October 30, 2012
|Last Updated:
|February 10, 2017
Keywords provided by Robert A. Levine, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital:
MVP, mitral valve
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Pathological Conditions, Anatomical
Heart Valve Prolapse
Heart Valve Diseases
Heart Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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Parking Only Anglican Orthodox - Sign Canvas Tote Bag
Product Color:
Product information
Why get a Canvas Tote Bag Parking Only Anglican Orthodox - Sign? Are you one of those that can't leave home without 50 "essential items" that just won't fit into your pockets? Plenty of room for all your necessities and more. Or simply let it speak your mind! Due to its sturdy fabric it also makes a great shopping bag, which lasts and saves the environment.
This Parking Only Anglican Orthodox - Sign product includes a full side and bottom gusset and extra long handles for easy carrying. Anglican Orthodox Church Canvas Tote Bag made of sturdy 100% Cotton. Measurements: 15" x 18" x 6".
Sku: BL0BL0000025050909090049YGBL00000


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A Strategy for the Rest of Earnings
By the end of Thursday, I found myself in all the names I had mentioned during the day. I kept the trades very small across the board and still managed to tweet out the additional late ideas for LinkedIn (LNKD) and Coinstar (CSTR) well before the close, but there has been a pattern emerging on many of these high-flyer, high-beta, or high-short-interest names. Anyone who trades options around earnings is aware of the implied volatility implosion that occurs after the earnings regardless of the move. This isn't new. But the advent of weekly options is still fairly new, which has added additional room on the playing field for different approaches and strategies. It has also added to IV implosion risk for those getting long options in front of earnings.
Earnings from last night and into early next week have the benefit of this weekly type of feel since monthly options expire very early this month on the 15th. Although I will take directional trades, I am finding more preference in the IV implosion trades, but approaching them in a manner that defines risk. In other words, I don't want to outright sell the options and hold a naked call or naked put or both, like selling short a strangle. A huge move there can be killers, so I want to try to limit or eliminate the high-risk portion of the trade. I want to try and limit the risk associated with no move or a very small move when a big move is priced into options, such as the move we saw in Amazon (AMZN)....458 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
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Featuring the return of a classic FF character...
For a great selection of video game action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, Urban-Collector.com, DollsAmerica.com, ClarkToys.com, ToyWiz.com, VNCToys.com, PastGenerationToys.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, YesAnimation.com, and SuperheroToys.com.
For a great selection of video game t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Up for pre-sale now is the third Final Fantasy XI Add-On Scenario of 2009, A Shantotto Ascension the Legend Torn, Her Empire Reborn! As FF fans will surmise by the title, this new scenario brings back the beloved Doctor Shantotto and all of her personality quirks (and rhymes) as she attempts to create and rule over her own kingdom. Its up to the heroes to discover the truth behind the strange events.
Available exclusively through the PlayOnline Viewer, A Shantotto Ascension is only $9.99 and will be released for download on Tuesday, November 9th. It will also be featured in the upcoming Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection along with the other scenarios.
For more information about FINAL FANTASY XI, please visit the official website: http://www.finalfantasyxi.com/. To access the official site for FINAL FANTASY XI add-on scenarios, check out: http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/addon/.


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The Vanderbilt Master of Management in Health Care is a 30-credit-hour graduate degree in management designed specifically to help rising managers in health care organizations gain fundamental business skills and apply them immediately on the job. Over a one-year period, students participate in core business courses one night a week, attend intensive health care industry-specific courses one weekend per month and work in teams on a health care strategy project throughout the program. Our unique schedule assures the highest quality educational experience without disrupting the day-to-day operations of sponsoring organizations.
A foundation in management fundamentals
Clinical professionals in the Vanderbilt Master of Management in Health Care gain the essential business knowledge and management skills necessary to effectively manage a health care organization. Through management core courses, students will learn key business fundamentals. Core courses include the following:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Finance
- Leading Teams in Organizations
- Marketing
- Operations
- Strategy
A deep-dive into business specifics in health care delivery
In conjunction with the management core courses, the weekend health care industry-specific courses apply the core management curriculum to health care. The topics covered are highly relevant to today's dynamic health care environment. These weekend courses provide a deeper understanding of how business fundamentals relate to the challenges faced by executives in their organizations. Owen faculty and industry leaders provide their insight and expertise on some of the most crucial elements of health care business.
An integrated and applied curriculum
The Master of Management in Health Care curriculum builds further upon the management foundation and health care specifics with the Capstone Project. While gaining a solid understanding of management and health care business, students are assigned a project that requires the student team to fuse the knowledge to date and apply it to a real problem from their organization. The skills acquired in this project are far greater than what can be acquired from theoretical lecture. Develop your ability to
- Work with others as a team.
- Lead with influence and gain consensus.
- Problem-solve creatively and think outside the box.
- Make decisions like an executive.
- Appreciate differing opinions and perspectives.
A focus on leadership
At Owen we know it takes more than just the business fundamentals to lead an organization through the challenges faced by executives on a daily basis. Knowing your strengths and your areas for improvement is an essential part of learning to effectively manage others. The Vanderbilt Master of Management in Health Care curriculum is especially designed with a focus on leadership development. Students develop high-level management techniques to lead teams and people with confidence.
A collaborative classroom
In the Master of Management in Health Care program, students learn not only from the expertise and insight of the instructors but also from the varied perspectives of their classmates. Master of Management in Health Care students are all working professionals with extensive background in health care. As a result, the classroom is full of diverse perspectives that enrich the discussion and expand the breadth of health care knowledge to draw from. Vanderbilt professors are adept at drawing upon the collective experience of the class to identify and discuss ways that theory can be applied to real-time organizational opportunities and challenges.
Michele Hesselrode
MM Health Care Alum
Physicial Liaison
As a mother of 2 young children and working full time, I was concerned about having the time to commit to pursuing a master's degree. When I found the MM Health Care program, I knew it was the perfect fit for me because of the flexible schedule.
Romeo Entsuah
MM Health Care Alum
Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist, Saint Thomas Health
My journey through the MM Health Care program has mimicked the stages of metamorphosis; I arrived here barely knowing the fundamentals in health care management, but now I am confident I possess the tools to navigate the complex and ever-changing health care ecosystem.


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PTCS Duct Sealing Technician - Training and Certification
Energy Conservation Training Company - A Division of Applied Proactive Technologies, Inc
Contact: Jeff Catlin - 503.853.6111 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Tuition Price: $500.00
Classroom instruction – 8-10 students max.
Hands-on field training in two local, private residences
Reference and study materials
Written exam…
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Miranda is in the sixth grade and lives in an apartment building in New York City. The school year is moving along pretty much like any other until the Friday Miranda comes home from school and discovers her apartment door unlocked…and the spare key missing from its secret hiding spot. Miranda's mom is immediately concerned and has the lock on the door changed.
On Monday, Miranda discovers a note hidden in her backpack:
M, This is hard. Harder than I expected, even with your help. But I have been practicing, and my preparations go well, I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. Second, please remember to mention the location of your house key. The trip is a difficult one. I will not be myself when I reach you.
If the spare key was stolen on Friday, why would someone ask where it was hidden on Monday? It's already gone. Weird. As Miranda's mom says, "Someone with the key wouldn't have to ask where the key is. It makes no sense."
What's weirder is Miranda keeps fiinding more notes, and the second one starts out "Miranda" not "M," so the notes are definately for her. The writer of the notes knows things no one else should know. And then the notes start to mention things that haven't happened…yet. When the notes start to predict what happens later, that's when things start to get really interesting.
This story is a puzzle. It's the kind of story you want to read again to catch how all the puzzle pieces fit together. The author had me really guessing until the very end. Author: Rebecca Stead 2010 Newbery Medal Winner
- Amazon Look Inside When You Reach Me
- Read Chapter One When You Reach Me
- When You Reach Me on CD, Downloadable eBook and eAudio
|If you liked When You Reach Me try these time-bending adventures:


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Sony RX100 Review
|Basic Specifications
|Full model name:
|Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
|20.20 Megapixels
|Sensor size:
|1 inch
(13.2mm x 8.8mm)
3.60x zoom
(28-100mm eq.)
|No / LCD
|Native ISO:
|125 - 6400
|Extended ISO:
|80 - 25,600
|1/2000 - 30 seconds
|Max Aperture:
4.0 x 2.3 x 1.4 in.
(102 x 58 x 36 mm)
8.5 oz
(240 g)
includes batteries
|Full specs:
|Sony RX100 specifications
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Sony RX100
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RX100 Summary
Sony's Cyber-shot RX100 takes the cake as the most premium of pocket cameras, with a much larger sensor, a very bright lens (at wide angle), excellent image quality, great performance, and enough modes and special features to keep a tinkerer busy for a good long time.Pros
Excellent high-ISO performance for such a compact model; Smart controls; Small body; Bright lens; 10fps full-res burst mode; Very fast shutter response; Excellent LCD.Cons
Lens flare at night; Poor rendering of yellows; Slow flash recycling; Soft corners wide open; Continuous AF mode slow to lock.Price and availability
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 started shipping in the US market from July 2012. Pricing is set at around US$650 for the camera with battery, AC adapter, USB cable, hand strap, and neck strap adapters.Imaging Resource rating
5.0 out of 5.0
$628.65 (29% more)
Also lacks viewfinder
6% larger
3.6x zoom
$748.00 (40% more)
Has viewfinder
12% larger
2.92x zoom (23% less)
$898.00 (50% more)
Has viewfinder
12% larger
2.92x zoom (23% less)
$679.00 (34% more)
Also lacks viewfinder
21% larger
4.2x zoom (14% more)
$395.67 (13% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
21% smaller
3x zoom (20% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
19% smaller
3x zoom (20% less)
$998.00 (55% more)
Has viewfinder
12% larger
2.92x zoom (23% less)
$762.33 (41% more)
Has viewfinder
44% larger
4.2x zoom (14% more)
$747.66 (40% more)
12.8 MP (58% less)
Has viewfinder
49% larger
3.13x zoom (15% less)
$1095.00 (59% more)
12.8 MP (58% less)
Has viewfinder
51% larger
3.13x zoom (15% less)
$697.99 (36% more)
Also lacks viewfinder
20% larger
3x zoom (20% less)
$649.00 (31% more)
13.1 MP (54% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
63% larger
5x zoom (28% more)
16 MP (26% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
8% larger
4x zoom (10% more)
12 MP (68% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
11% larger
4x zoom (10% more)
$1299.00 (66% more)
16.3 MP (24% less)
Has viewfinder
57% larger
1x zoom (260% less)
$219.99 (104% less)
16.2 MP (25% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
118% smaller
5x zoom (28% more)
$1299.00 (66% more)
24.3 MP (17% more)
Has viewfinder
57% larger
1x zoom (260% less)
$344.50 (30% less)
8.3 MP (143% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
15% smaller
1x zoom (260% less)
$1995.00 (78% more)
16.2 MP (25% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
72% larger
1x zoom (260% less)
$697.99 (36% more)
Has viewfinder
33% larger
1x zoom (64% more)
Sony RX100 Review
by Shawn Barnett, Mike Tomkins, Zig Weidelich, and Dave Etchells
Review Posted: June 6, 2012
Sony finally did what so many of us have wanted: They've built a pocketable camera with a large sensor and a bright lens. It's the Sony Cyber-shot RX100, and it'll send other camera makers back to their drawing boards for next season. The Sony RX100 sets a 20.2-megapixel, 1-inch sensor behind a bright 3.6x, f/1.8 lens, and wraps it in a small body not much bigger than a Canon S100.
Indeed, the special magic of the Sony RX100 is how closely they stuck to the stronger points of the S100, one of Canon's more successful premium pocket cameras. For many of us who own a camera in this particular pocket category, the Sony RX100 embodies what we wanted when we laid down our cash for the S100, LX5, or XZ-1: a larger sensor, a bright lens, and a small body.
Many will rightly note how slavishly Sony copied the S90, S95, and S100 digital cameras, much as Nikon heavily imitated the Canon G11 with the Nikon P7000. As a Canon S95 owner, I found it easy to compare the two designs by reaching into my bag. Let's have a quick look. (I wouldn't normally lead with this comparison, and I'm not being cheeky by doing so, it's just such a striking similarity I can't go on talking about the Sony RX100's design without either getting this out of the way, or repeating ad nauseam how similar each element is to the S95.)
I don't present the Sony RX100's close resemblance to the Canon S-series as a scandalous development any more than making an SLR with a grip and a hump on top is a scandal. Seems more like good business to me, making a camera that is built the way people seem to want, but with better imaging capability inside. According to what we've seen so far, Sony's done just that.
Since we're making comparisons to other cameras, it's important to note that the sensor in the Sony RX100, a 1-inch design, is essentially the same size as that in the Nikon 1 series compact system cameras. As Sony puts it, that makes the sensor about four times larger than the average 1/2.3-inch sensor. Many were upset that Nikon's compact system camera had a smaller sensor than its CSC competition, but I think the compactness of the Sony RX100 more than makes up for any concern about sensor size: The Sony RX100 is where use of the 1-inch sensor can be hailed as an engineering milestone.
From the front, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 speaks to its seriousness. The band offsetting the top third of the camera subtly evokes the Leica rangefinder ethos without going overboard. Note the Carl Zeiss badge and name on the lens. The front lens element is concave rather than convex.
The ring surrounding the lens turns freely--without click-stops, unlike the S-series. But when the Sony RX100 is powered on, the speaker emits a clicking sound. As shown in the tech info section, the flash pops up on a hinged mechanical support like we've seen on several Micro Four Thirds cameras, as well as the Sony NEX-F3. It's a tiny flash that's pretty effective at wide angle, but anemic at full telephoto, according to our tests (see the results in our Flash section). Two microphone holes tell of the RX100's stereo recording.
An amber LED lights in the center of the Power button to indicate charging. The Sony RX100 comes with no battery charger, just a small USB power supply with flip prongs. An included standard micro USB cable serves to charge the camera and transfer images. That's convenient for travel, but a little painful to keep two batteries maintained, as we've had to do while reviewing the RX100. The USB port is hidden behind a door to the right of the Movie button in the rear image below.
The 3-inch LCD is pretty nice, a 1,229K-dot design they call Xtra Fine LCD. Sony says they added a new feature they call WhiteMagic, which uses additional white pixels to boost brightness and show more detail on the screen. The screen is so very fine, it's hard to see anything like white pixels, even looking very closely.
A decent rubber thumbpad rises to subtly shield the Movie record button. These buttons are very small, but most are raised sufficiently to actuate easily; the Playback button is flush, as it turns on the camera in Playback mode without extending the lens. The rear dial also functions as a four-way navigator. The ? button brings up a pretty extensive tip menu with contextual help and suggestions for different types of photographic situations. This doesn't seem like it would be useful for the intended target market, but it can't hurt.
Overall, the Sony RX100's form factor is excellent, with a tight build, aluminum body, and high-quality, responsive buttons and dials. And as a regular S95 user, I indeed feel right at home.
Note: We've completed our analysis of Optics, Exposure, and Performance, and posted our suite of Test Images and Gallery shots. Click the links here or use the tabs above to see what we think of the Sony RX100!
Sony RX100 Field Test
by Shawn Barnett
Nothing's more fun for a reviewer than looking at a camera we would buy for ourselves. Sony has finally refocused on the enthusiast user--something they haven't done with much traction since the unique F828--and the results are quite good.
Form. Sony nailed it in the physical simplicity department, largely by conforming to an already popular, well-thought-out design. Though there's no grip on the front, the Sony RX100 is thick enough to hold easily. The larger lens ring leaves a little less room for your fingers, so I recommend using the wrist strap and both hands whenever possible. At $650, you don't want to drop this little beauty. Sony also included strap lugs for both sides of the RX100, so a solitary neck strap is also likely to be available.
The shirt-pocketable design is a little thick, so it's not going to disappear into a pocket like a Sony T-series camera, but it'll fit in a pinch, and rides well in the looser pockets of slacks or handbags.
The position of the thumbgrip, Mode dial, Zoom toggle and Power button are ideal. The Rear dial, too, is well-positioned for easy access and its detents are clear. The Mode dial, on the other hand, is a little mushy for my taste; rather than snapping into position, it's reluctant to leave its position, then moves slowly to its next setting. Stiff is good, unyielding isn't. That's probably my only complaint about the Sony RX100's physical operation, though, which is good.
Lens. Ranging from 28-100mm equivalents, the Sony RX100's 3.6x lens is a big part of the camera. You can tell what I mean when you power on this solid-feeling camera and the weight shifts toward the front; much of the overall weight is the lens itself. If holding the camera without a strap, it's important to hold it well because the weight shift could cause you to lose your grip. What's amazing is how well it collapses inside the camera body. The lens zooms about as quickly as I'd like, with a slight, low-frequency buzz; not exactly silent, but low enough that it won't attract too much attention.
Optical quality at the center is quite good. Our tests show some noticeable softening in the corners, likely related to the extreme distortion correction the camera has to perform out toward the corners. It also does this correction in video, unlike a few older Sony cameras, though we doubt it'll affect the corners as much given the lower resolution of HD video. The Canon S100's uncorrected RAW images are even more distorted than the RX100's images, which could also cause much of the softening we see in the corners on that camera, in addition to the usual suspects of coma, curvature of field, and chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration is also low overall, probably processed out by the camera.
We also noticed an unusual color shift when zooming from wide to telephoto in Manual White Balance mode, going from a purple cast at wide angle to a green cast at telephoto, primarily around the edges. This is partially due to our use of Manual White Balance on most of these setups, and can be seen in other cameras, including the S100. See our Optics page for more on the Sony RX100's optical performance.
Autofocus is very quick on the Sony RX100, ranging from 0.153 second at wide angle and 0.266 second at telephoto. That's deep into phase-detect SLR territory, and is a major advantage over the Canon S100, whose shutter lag improved over its predecessor, but still hovered around 0.571 second. Prefocused shutter lag on the RX100 is a remarkable 0.013 second.
As a result, the Sony RX100 surprised me with its readiness. I almost always half-press to prefocus, and the Sony RX100's shutter release works on a hair trigger, surprising you when it goes off. That's just what you want for catching the right moment once you get used to the camera, but at first you get surprised by taking a picture before you meant to. That's not a bad problem to have.
The Sony RX100 also focused extremely well in low light, actually working better without the AF assist lamp in our lowest light test. There were a few baubles, however, in our testing, with the lens hunting excessively between shots in Continuous mode with the aperture wide open to f/1.8. Stopping down gradually reduced the issue until it went away at f/4.
Flash. Though it's mechanical and springloaded, the Sony RX100's flash is deployed electronically by the camera. You have to set the Flash mode to Auto or Forced and the camera will pop up the flash when you half-press the shutter if settings/conditions warrant. You have to push it back down manually to lock it back in place. We found it pretty good with the lens set to wide angle, but deficient even at six feet at the camera's 100mm equivalent setting. With a camera like this, I'd superglue it shut and shoot available light, myself.
Rings and complexity. The front ring is both a blessing and a curse; it's great once you decide how you want to use it, but once you switch modes its function can change. Indeed, so many changes affect other operating factors, that the Sony RX100's many options become something of a burden. After shooting with the Sony RX100, in some ways I'm drawn back to my S95 and its more limited, better-focused options. Sony poured a lot of very cool features into the RX100, and once you get used to them, you'll see what a powerful camera it is; the flip side is that even with lots of experience using Sony cameras, it's easy to get lost and lose track of how one setting affects the availability of another. We found that true of Sony NEX cameras as well. Working with a team on one camera, I too often found that the camera's abilities and behaviors changed each time it was returned to me, which is a more unique problem reserved to teams of reviewers.
With that tangle of explanation out of the way, the front ring works very well in its default mode. I don't think I've ever seen a better expression of Program shift mode than what the RX100 offers. Just leave the camera in Program, and turn the front ring. A graphic appears as an arc onscreen, with numerical aperture values turning in one direction while shutter speeds turn in the opposite direction. Oddly, this option is not offered on the S95 or its brothers without having to press multiple buttons. Since this is a lens that offers a little more bokeh, it's an absolutely natural way to shoot, giving you access to two critical exposure factors with a turn of the ring.
In Manual mode, the front ring controls aperture while the rear adjusts shutter speed, as it should be. You also get a real-time exposure preview on the screen. Bravo. When in Aperture or Shutter priority, both dials control the same parameter: either both control aperture or both control shutter speed. Makes sense. Switch to Superior or Intelligent Auto, on the other hand, and the front ring switches to controlling zoom. Press the down arrow (the one with the sparkly camera) in either of these Auto modes, and the dials change again. This time the front dial does nothing, but the rear controls simplified features like background defocus, Brightness, Color (tone), Vividness, and the rather deep well of Picture effects. Again, I'm surprised these modes are on a relatively intermediate-focused camera like this, but they can be avoided.
Ring menu. Pressing the Function button brought up the Ring menu. By default, the ring menu was set to adjust ISO, but if you use the arrow keys to scroll left and right, you can select EV, White Balance, DRO/HDR options, Picture effects, and Focus mode. I landed on Picture Effects, and started turning the ring to shoot a series. 20 shots later, I was getting tired, sure the "Off" option would swing around any moment. But all 33 options are available for the 13 types of Picture effects. You can access Picture effects in at least three different ways I found, speaking to the complexity I mentioned.
In general, though, I think this Function button method works well. It leaves the Ring free to do a single task that you set with just a turn, then it serves to adjust other settings after you press the Function button. Not bad. Just don't expect it to always do the same thing, depending on what other settings you've made, because it can surprise you.
LCD. Sony's not just boasting about the LCD with its high-res WhiteMagic display, it really is vibrant and detailed, even in sunlight; so long as it's clean, that is. Speaking of which, I'd like to say how pleased I am that it's not a touchscreen. I'm getting more accustomed to touchscreens, but I really don't want them on premium cameras like this without the ability to completely disable them. Physical controls are more important to the enthusiast shooter; and most don't like the unpredictability of touchscreens along with that.
Leveling. One of the four Display options includes a two-axis level, measuring pitch (aiming up or down) and roll (tilting left and right). I used this a lot while shooting. It's helpful particularly trying to capture from an odd angle while keeping things aligned with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, some of the shots I took on a tripod showed as level, but clearly were not. Even one degree off looks like a lot, though, so I'm sure the level is designed more to get you in the ballpark. Since we haven't a manual yet, we can't be sure whether the leveling feature can be calibrated.
Lab concerns. In addition to the strange seeking behavior in Continuous mode at wide apertures, the lab also found a peculiar difficulty setting Manual white balance in low light conditions. The camera just declares a Custom White Balance error if the light is too low, the ISO is set too low, the aperture is too small, the lens is zoomed in, etc.; ultimately, whatever circumstance is causing the camera to not capture enough light to determine a white balance setting. If it doubt, open up the aperture and zoom to wide angle. The Set Custom White Balance screen draws its reading from a small circle in the center of the image area when you press the shutter button, so focal length is less important.
Panorama. Shooting a panorama is about as easy as it's ever been with the Sony cameras, and the results are great. From what I can tell, the Sony RX100 uses intelligent sweep panorama, omitting elements of frames where someone's obviously moved.
Above, there's only one error where a person is half-missing, where it's clear the camera had little choice thanks to a nearby obstacle. Not bad. This is set to Standard, shooting Down with the RX100 oriented vertically.
You can shoot in the four directions, but you have to choose which first. Because I wanted to get this tall building, I switched to "Down" as the option, then swept with the camera rotated left. You don't get quite 180 degrees, but I got all of the building.
This is what you get when panning with the camera in horizontal orientation in Wide mode. The railroad tracks are running in a straight line. Shooting these with the Leveling display selected helped keep the camera level as I panned.
DRO and HDR. We shot DRO images in the lab, which you can see on the Exposure page, but I also shot some HDR samples to show what the Sony RX100 can do with shadows and highlights with its various settings, including Auto, then ranging from 1.0EV to 6.0EV of exposure. All were shot on a tripod to keep it framed accurately. Results don't seem to step up neatly for some reason, with some shadows appearing darker than others, though the reported exposure remains the same, and the last two shots seem the same.
HDR Auto
Filters. As I mentioned, there's a ridiculous number of filters available, 33 in all with their various permutations. That doesn't even include the Scene modes. Here's a subset of the modes, highlighting some of the more interesting ones. Overall, it's a pretty interesting set of filters. I really liked the Painting and Illustration modes.
Toy Camera Normal
Toy Magenta
Posterization Color
Partial Color: Yellow
High Contrast Mono
Soft Focus: High
HDR Painting: High
Illustration: High
Night. As you can see from the samples above, I took quite a few night shots. The camera focused quickly and functioned just fine in very low light, just as we found in the lab, and its exposure preview showed me exactly what I'd get when I pressed the shutter. Wide open, there was some noticeable lens flare, as you can see in the crop at right, taken from the first shot in the series above. You can also see the flare in the night video below. It's pretty common among fast lenses, so be sure to stop down a bit if bright lights will be part of your image.
Multi-Frame Noise Reduction. It took me a little time to find the Multi-Frame NR mode. Just bring up the Ring Function menu, select ISO, and turn the dial past Auto to ISO. I suppose it's good in certain situations, like when the camera will obviously choose a lower ISO, but my test showed that the really high ISO settings, like ISO 25,600, were too soft to use. I shot this scene at 3,200 and 6,400, then switched to Multi-Frame Noise Reduction and shot several takes. The camera chose ISO 16,000, 20,000, and 25,600. 25,600 was overexposed, so I left it out of this series.
ISO 3,200, f/4.9, 0.6 second
ISO 6,400, f/4.9, 0.3 second
Multi-Frame NR
Multi-Frame NR
ISO 20,000, f/4.9, 1/8 second
Above are crops of the deck chairs near a dimly lit gazebo in my neighbor's yard on a dark night. The exposure times don't make much sense, but they're what Adobe Bridge reports. ISO 6,400 looks the best, despite the slower shutter speed, and the two Multi-Frame shots don't look worth the effort, at least not in this light, with less detail and less color. Other scenarios will likely be different.
Video. Video quality looks pretty good. There's more information on our detailed video page, but my overall experience with the RX100's video was pretty uneventful; it worked pretty well. You can set ISO manually or let it gain up automatically in ISO Auto mode. Dynamic Range Optimization is also available, as are many of the picture effects. The results with all of them are pretty surprising. You can even select among Program, Aperture, Shutter-priority, and Manual shooting modes.
I only had a short time with the Sony RX100, but it's enough to say that I like it a lot. Among the scads of special features and modes, I'd probably keep to Program and Aperture priority, using the Ring in its Standard mode, and I'd probably occasionally play with the HDR mode in special circumstances. I'm sure I'd use Panorama more often. It's cool that it can rip off 10 frames per second, but this isn't the kind of camera I turn to for that kind of photography. Ultimately, I'd use the Sony RX100 for its large, light-sucking lens; its larger, high-res sensor; and its gorgeous LCD, and ignore the rest. I'm just glad a big camera manufacturer finally heard us clearly and gave us a pocket camera with some serious guts.
Sony RX100 Technical Info
by Mike Tomkins
One of the defining features of the Sony RX100 is its new 1.0"-type Exmor CMOS image sensor, with a resolution of 20.2 megapixels. Sony's first sensor in this format, it's the same size as those used by Nikon's 1-series (CX-mount) compact system cameras. Note that it's not a backside-illuminated design; according to Sony, it's large enough that a standard sensor structure suffices.
Sensitivity ranges from ISO 125 to 6,400 equivalents, with the ability to extend to ISO 80 or 100. The Multi-Frame NR function can raise the upper limit to ISO 25,600.
The new sensor has double the area of the 2/3"-type sensor used by the Fuji X10, and nearly triple the area of 1/1.7"-type sensors used in most premium compacts.
Compared to typical point-and shoots on a 1/2.3"-type sensor, the difference is vast: the RX100's sensor is almost 4.1x larger.
Its area is a little less than half that of the sensor in the Canon G1 X, and about one-third the size of an APS-C sensor, as used by most DSLRs and some CSCs.
The new sensor is coupled with Sony's current-generation BIONZ image processor, as seen in recent Alpha-series models.
According to the company, the latest BIONZ chip enables a variety of unusual features such as fully manual movie exposure, auto portrait framing, and picture effect functions.
Sony rates the RX100 as capable of 10 fps in Speed Priority Advance mode, which locks focus and exposure from the first frame.
Burst depth is 13 JPEG or 10 raw / raw+JPEG frames.
In regular continuous burst shooting, the rate falls to 2.5 frames per second.
The 3.6x optical zoom lens carries Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* branding. The 28mm-equivalent wide angle matches that of the Canon G1 X, but the 100mm-equivalent telephoto is just a little shorter than the 112mm of the Canon.
The optical formula includes seven elements in six groups. Four elements are aspherics, one of them described as an advanced aspheric. The T* coating reduces ghosting and flare.
Compared to Canon's camera, the RX100 offsets its smaller sensor somewhat with a lens that's brighter across the board, ranging from f/1.8 at wide angle to f/4.9 at telephoto.
The seven bladed aperture is almost round when near the fully open position, for pleasing bokeh.
Macro focus is possible to as close as 1.9 inches (wide) / 21.6 inches (tele).
As you'd expect, Sony's Optical SteadyShot lens-based image stabilization is included. Sony hasn't yet stated the range of correction available.
For video capture, the system has a greater corrective range, aka Active Mode.
Like almost all mirrorless cameras, the RX100 uses contrast detection autofocus. There's an AF assist lamp, and 25 autofocus points are available, plus center spot, flexible spot, and tracking modes. You can also focus manually, with both peaking and an optional AF operation to get you in the ballpark (aka Direct Manual Focus.)
The RX100 forgoes a viewfinder, a sensible decision that helps achieve a more compact body.
The LCD panel has a three-inch diagonal, and VGA (640 x 480 pixel) resolution.
Sounds pretty standard, until you look at the dot count. It's a WhiteMagic display with four dots per pixel, for a total of 1,228,800 dots. As well as red, green, and blue dots, there are white dots used to boost brightness outdoors, and reduce power consumption indoors.
The RX100's twin-dial design is accompanied by a very intuitive on-screen interface, which shows what's being adjusted by the dial around the base of the lens.
It's not just aperture that can be adjusted in this manner. A wide variety of functions can be controlled with the dial--even lens zoom, although there's a dedicated control for this too.
A built-in auto popup flash strobe is included. Range is rated at 24.2m at wide-angle and 8.9m at telephoto with ISO sensitivity set to 6,400, or about 14 and 5.2 feet at ISO 200. Maximum sync speed seems to be 1/2000s. Like most compact cameras, the RX100 forgoes any provision for external flash strobes.
The RX100 includes a dual-axis level display function, making it easy to avoid tilted horizons and converging verticals. It's a function that's pretty common on interchangeable-lens cameras these days, but much less so in fixed-lens models.
The Sony RX100 includes the usual array of operating modes you'd find on a consumer-oriented SLR or system camera, plus the single-shot Intelligent Auto and multi-shot Superior Auto modes often found on Cyber-shot models. Helpfully, there's also a Memory Recall function.
Metering modes are much as you'd expect. There's a selection of Multi-Segment, Center-weighted, and Spot options.
We don't currently have any information as to how many zones the Multi-segment metering system uses.
The RX100 uses a mechanical shutter, and doesn't have an electronic first curtain function. Shutter speeds range from 1/2,000 to 30 seconds, plus Bulb.
Much like an interchangeable-lens model, there are a healthy selection of white balance presets, an Auto mode, plus Manual and Color Temperature options.
Sony includes its Multi-Frame Noise Reduction function in the RX100. This is similar to the Handheld Twilight mode, but allows direct control of sensitivity. By combining multiple shots in-camera, a much greater sensitivity limit of ISO 25,600 equivalent is unlocked.
Sony's 2x Clear Image Zoom is a variant of digital zoom that tries to improve quality by using pattern matching. It's still interpolating (read: guessing) the missing data, but it's doing so in a more intelligent manner that Sony claims is "nearly equivalent" to optical zoom.
'Clear Image Zoom' is based on Sony's rather clumsily-named 'By Pixel Super Resolution' algorithms, and so is the Auto Portrait Framing function, seen previously in the SLT-A37 and A57, as well as the NEX-F3. When enabled, this saves two copies of each image you capture. The first image is untouched; the second uses face detection to locate your subject, and then crops the image based on a rule-of-thirds algorithm for what the camera feels to be a more pleasing layout. Your dominant subject will always face towards the center of the frame, and the orientation of the recropped image won't necessarily match that of the original shot. You might shoot a landscape image, for example, which the camera decides would have been better as a portrait. So... where does 'By Pixel Super Zoom' fit into the picture? The answer is that the Sony RX100 will--after finishing cropping your image to create its masterpiece--resample the result back up to the same resolution as the original shot, thereby making it seem as if the camera has simply gone back in time and retaken the image with different framing.
A related feature that debuted in the NEX-F3 also reappears in the RX100, but it's rather less versatile here. The Self Portrait Self-timer function automatically starts a countdown timer when either one or two faces are detected in the scene, saving you the trouble of pressing the shutter button at all. Since there's no tilt/swivel display, you're flying blind with this function, though.
The RX100 also includes Sony's Picture Effects function, but with more options than ever. There are now 13 effect types, and a total of 27 variations.
Of course, the other creative functions you'd expect are all present: High Dynamic Range and Dynamic Range Optimizer, plus Sweep Panorama (2D only).
The Sony RX100 can capture 1080p AVCHD version 2.0 video at rates of 60i or 60p. There's also HDV (Anamorphic HD) and VGA capture in MPEG-4 AVC at a rate of 30p, but strangely, no 720p mode.
Otherwise, though, the video feature set is quite rich by fixed-lens camera standards. Manual exposure control is available, and there's a wind noise reduction function, plus SteadyShot image stabilization.
Audio is recorded with an onboard stereo microphone, situated on the top deck above the lens.
The Sony RX100 stores data on SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards, or Sony's own Pro Duo / Pro HG Duo types.
Connectivity couldn't be more simple. There's a micro USB port on the right side of the camera, and a rather awkwardly-positioned micro HDMI (Type D) port on the base, right next to the tripod mount.
Power comes courtesy of a new NP-BX1 lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Sony rates the RX100 as good for 330 shots on a charge to CIPA testing standards, or for 80 minutes of video capture.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is slated to ship in the US market from July 2012. Pricing is set at around US$650 for the camera with battery, AC adapter, USB cable, hand strap, and neck strap adapters. List pricing for additional NP-BX1 batteries is set at US$50, and additional accessories include a handsome two-part leather case with neck strap for about US$85, and a screen protector for the LCD display priced at about US$12.
Sony RX100 Image Quality
The crops below compare the Sony RX100 to the Canon S100, Canon G1 X, Nikon J1, Samsung NX200 and Sony NEX-5N. Though we normally start with ISO 1,600 here, we thought we'd start with base ISO to show the best that each camera can do.
Note that these images are best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction. Each camera was shot with the sharpest lens on hand, though the "point and shoot" cameras we've included here obviously used their fixed lenses.
Sony RX100 versus Canon S100 at base ISO
Sony RX100 at ISO 125
Canon S100 at ISO 80
Sony RX100 versus Canon G1 X at base ISO
Sony RX100 at ISO 125
Canon G1 X at ISO 100
Sony RX100 versus Nikon J1 at base ISO
Sony RX100 at ISO 125
Nikon J1 at ISO 100
Sony RX100 versus Samsung NX200 at base ISO
Sony RX100 at ISO 125
Samsung NX200 at ISO 100
Sony RX100 versus Sony NEX-5N at base ISO
Sony RX100 at ISO 125
Sony NEX-5N at ISO 100
Most decent cameras produce very good results at base ISO, so we like to see what they can do at higher settings. Recent advances in sensor technology have made ISO 1,600 look a lot more like ISO 100, but there are still cameras whose quality starts to fall apart at this setting. We also choose 1,600 because we like to be able to shoot at least at this level when indoors and at night.
Sony RX100 versus Canon S100 at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 at ISO 1,600
Canon S100 at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 versus Canon G1 X at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 at ISO 1,600
Canon G1 X at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 versus Nikon J1 at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 at ISO 1,600
Nikon J1 at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 versus Samsung NX200 at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 at ISO 1,600
Samsung NX200 at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 versus Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600
Sony RX100 at ISO 1,600
Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600
Today's ISO 3,200 is yesterday's ISO 1,600 (well, almost), so below are the same crops at ISO 3,200.
Sony RX100 versus Canon S100 at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 at ISO 3,200
Canon S100 at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 versus Canon G1 X at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 at ISO 3,200
Canon G1 X at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 versus Nikon J1 at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 at ISO 3,200
Nikon J1 at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 versus Samsung NX200 at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 at ISO 3,200
Samsung NX200 at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 versus Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200
Sony RX100 at ISO 3,200
Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200
Detail: Sony RX100 vs. Canon S100, Canon G1 X, Nikon J1, Samsung NX200, and Sony NEX-5N
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Print Quality
Though its official base ISO starts at 125, the Sony RX100's ISO 80 images looked good printed at 24 x 36 inches. Color was muted, particularly yellows and greens, as we also found in our MacBeth test target.
ISO 125 shots also looked quite good at 24 x 36, with excellent detail, but the muted color persisted.
ISO 200 images also looked very good at 24 x 36, if a little softer than ISO 125. Not enough to require a smaller print size.
ISO 400 images printed very nicely at 20 x 30 inches, with sharp detail.
ISO 800 shots were soft enough at 20 x 30 that we preferred the 16 x 20-inch prints, though we'd still call the 20 x 30-inch prints usable for most subjects. By ISO 800, the red leaf swatch appeared soft.
ISO 1,600 shots are usable at 13 x 19 inches, but look better at a still fairly large 11 x 14 inch size. The red leaf swatch was somewhat soft at this point.
ISO 3,200 images look good at 8 x 10 inches, with the exception of the difficult red leaf swatch.
ISO 6,400 images are a bit soft for 8 x 10 inch prints, but look quite good at 5 x 7 inches.
Overall, the Sony RX100 stands out as a pocket camera that can produce good quality 24 x 36 inch prints from ISO 80 to 200, and even its highest ISO of 6,400 outputs a good quality 5 x 7. Impressive!
In the Box
- Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 camera
- NP-BX1 battery
- AC-UD10/11 AC adaptor
- Micro USB cable
- Wrist strap
- Shoulder strap adaptor
- Instruction manual
- Software CDROM
Recommended Accessories
- Extra battery pack for extended outings
- Fast, large capacity SDHC/SDXC memory card. These days, 8GB is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity, but if you plan to capture many movie clips or RAW files, consider larger.
- Camera case
Sony RX100 Conclusion
Shaking up the premium pocket camera market, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 made quite an impact here at Imaging-Resource.com. Not only did it make a lot of big claims, the Sony RX100 actually lived up to most of them, packing an astonishing amount of imaging power into a small package. It couldn't possibly escape us that they were aiming squarely at Canon's successful S-series of pocket cameras in their design, but it also seemed like a wise move. Since what we all want from a pocket camera is better image quality, Sony took the right tack by picking a sensor that's large enough to make a difference in image quality, yet small enough to still fit into a pocketable body.
Adding a lens that's brighter than all but two cameras in the category also hits a good note. We found a little bit of lens flare, but overall the optic looks quite nice thanks to a little extra processing from the Bionz processor. Corner softening is present, as expected, but considering the very high resolution, it's not as big a factor as it looks at 100 percent onscreen. At wide-angle, we suspect some of the softening is due to the geometric distortion correction (See the Optics page for more).
Color was a little muted for our tastes, particularly yellows, which also shifted in hue toward green. This affected the entire image, making our still life shots print a little less vibrant than we're accustomed to seeing. A good percentage of Sony RX100 shooters will likely shoot RAW and process in a program like Lightroom, though, so we don't consider it a huge problem.
The Sony RX100's SLR-class autofocus speeds and very fast buffer clearing means it has fewer of the compromises we're used to seeing in small cameras. Sony also chose to use their Alpha menu system rather than the more annoying NEX menu system, a move we applaud. While it's impressive that Sony included so many of their special features, though, we have to wonder if it isn't a little too much here and there. We were also frustrated more than once when changing one setting unexpectedly locked us out of a range of features or behaviors without warning. Sometimes less is more.
What wasn't disappointing was the Sony RX100's image quality. It doesn't quite rival the quality of most compact system cameras, but it does exceed the capabilities of most of its major rivals in the pocket premium camera space, capable of printing a 24 x 36-inch print at ISO 125 and an 8 x 10 at ISO 3,200. All things considered, we think the Sony RX100 is an impressive achievement and we give it a rating of out of 5 points, as well as an enthusiastic Dave's Pick.
Be sure to visit our Optics, Exposure, and Performance, pages, as well as our suite of Test Images and Gallery shots!
Sony RX100
1 $300 Adorama Gift Certificate
2 $200 Adorama Gift Certificate
3 $100 Adorama Gift Certificate


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COLUMBUS, Ohio Limited Brands reported that adjusted earnings per share for the second quarter ended July 31, were 36 cents compared with 19 cents for the quarter ended Aug. 1, 2009, which exclude certain significant items in both years as detailed below.
The company reported a comparable store sales increase of 7% for the second quarter ended July 31, compared with the second quarter ended Aug. 1, 2009. The company reported net sales of $2.243 billion for the second quarter, compared with sales of $2.067 billion last year.
The company stated that it expects 2010 third quarter earnings per share to be 3 cents to 8 cents compared with adjusted earnings per share of 2 cents per share last year. The company now expects August comparable-store sales to increase in the mid to high single digit range versus its previous guidance for a low single digit increase.
For 2010, the company increased its adjusted earnings per share forecast to $1.68 to $1.83 from $1.60 to $1.80 previously.


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Editor's note: About this special report | Find out: See how your local school district responded
Issue your response: Tweet with hashtag #IEsafeschools
Rialto Unified School District has responded to a request seeking the number of complaints of teacher misconduct, becoming the second of 19 school districts to provide such a list for a special project by the Daily Bulletin, The Sun and the Redlands Daily Facts.
Banning Unified School District asked for a second extension.
On Feb. 28 and 29 the three newspapers submitted a Public Records Act request for the following – district policies on teacher misconduct, a list chronicling complaints of teacher misconduct in the last five years and reports sent to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing requesting revocation of teacher credentials. The request was sent to districts from Bonita Unified School District in the west to Banning Unified School District in the east.
By law, districts had until Tuesday to respond to the query. Rialto and Banning unified school districts were among those that requested an extension.
On Thursday, Rialto Unified responded with copies of district policies and a list totaling 18 complaints of teacher misconduct dating back to the 2006-07 school year. Of those complaints, 10 took place in 2006-07. The district has not sent any requests to the state commission on the revocation of a teacher credential in that time frame.
On Friday, Banning Unified asked for a second extension of 14 days in order to seek public records. The district previously asked for an extension of seven days.
The newspapers' query comes in light of the child molestation allegations that surfaced against teachers at Miramonte School in South Los Angeles earlier this year.
Rialto Unified and Central school districts were the only two that provided a list of complaints as requested.
Alta Loma, Mountain View and Yucaipa-Calimesa school districts reported either no complaints of teacher misconduct or none that were of conduct that was sexual or abusive in nature. Bonita Unified School District had no complaints that warranted reporting to the state commission except for one, which is currently under investigation.
Other school districts asked for more information and to narrow the scope of the records request. Some districts needed a clarification of the term "complaint" and others wanted a clarification of the term "misconduct."
Reach Wendy via email, or call her at 909-483-9376, or find her on Twitter @RanchoNow.
Catch up on this special report in our Safe Schools section.


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Twins recall right-hander Deduno for start vs. Tigers
DETROIT -- The Twins officially recalled right-hander Samuel Deduno from Triple-A Rochester before his start against the Tigers on Friday night.
The Twins already had a 25-man roster spot open after optioning right-hander Vance Worley following his outing against the Braves on Wednesday. To make room for Deduno on the 40-man roster, the Twins transferred reliever Tim Wood to the 60-day disabled list.
Deduno, who was slated to start for Rochester on Tuesday, threw a bullpen session instead to get ready for his first start of the year with the Twins.
Deduno, 29, made 15 starts for the Twins last year, posting a 4.44 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 53 walks in 79 innings. He faced the Tigers twice, giving up three runs over seven innings at Target Field on Aug. 13, and surrendering seven runs on seven hits over 2 1/3 innings at Comerica Park on Sept. 22.
Deduno was expected to make the club's rotation to start the season after starring for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, but he suffered a groin strain in the championship game and began the season injured. He returned to action on May 5 and posted a 2.70 ERA in three starts with Rochester, with 17 strikeouts and 10 walks over 16 2/3 innings.
"He's faced them before," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's come back from a long road after getting hurt in the World [Baseball Classic]. He's excited. So he just has to go out there and show off his stuff. He's got the pitches."
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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The Cost of Cancer Care: Part I
The Cost of Cancer Care: Part I
Progress in oncology has resulted in the rapid expansion of more effective, less toxic therapies, due to accumulating insights into cancer biology at the cellular level. However, the rising cost of cancer treatment now competes with the availability of effective therapy as a constraining element in our war on cancer. Patients are often simply unable to afford their personal financial responsibility for the cost of care. This rising cost appears to be due to replacement of less-expensive treatment with higher-cost care, longer patient survival times extending the period of active treatment, demographic changes leading to increased disease prevalence, and changes in the site of care. Oncology drug cost is escalating rapidly. Novel therapies reach patients in an increasingly haphazard payment environment, often placing cost-sharing burdens on patients that are beyond their capacity to pay. About 25% of cancer patients consume most or all of their savings in dealing with their cancer and its treatment. Patients may value treatment in a way that is different from what has been generally perceived, assigning greater importance to the chance of a large survival gain over a more predictable modest benefit.
Three years ago, I counseled a patient after a gastrointestinal stromal tumor had been resected from his stomach. I was pleased to be able to tell him that imatinib (Gleevec), a drug very well tolerated by most patients, would meaningfully reduce his risk of recurrence. Later, we learned that his out-of-pocket expense under his Medicare Part D plan would be several thousands of dollars for a year of treatment. The patient decided the expense was too onerous and that he would forgo treatment. Patient assistance programs are often limited for Medicare beneficiaries, and none could be secured. I pressed to ascertain whether cost was his sole concern, or if there was another unspoken reason for his resistance to proceed with treatment. There was not; his decision was purely due to cost.
How should we view this scenario? Should we think of it simply as the result of cost-sharing arrangements designed to make patients partially responsible for utilization of expensive therapy? Instead, should we decry the millions of dollars already invested in biomedical research and development failing to provide benefits to a patient for whom it was intended?
More than four decades ago, President Nixon signed the National Cancer Act of 1971. Initially, progress was slow. Over the past several years, however, a qualitative change has emerged in both our understanding of cancer biology and the tools we can use to fight it. We can now better discern the biologic mechanisms of the cancer cell itself—the ways in which genetic aberrations drive fundamental properties of malignant cells, namely, altered cell proliferation, capacity for tissue invasion and metastasis, and angiogenesis. Elegant treatments are now being developed that "target" key cellular signals of carcinogenesis or activate endogenous immune mechanisms against malignant cells.
These gains have not come without a price. Research and development is expensive. Patients who survive longer under active therapy generally receive more intense overall treatment; this includes not just the therapy itself but also the radiographic and laboratory surveillance necessary to monitor ongoing treatment response and toxicity. While we strive for the development of more effective, less toxic therapies, this progress may be transforming into a painful paradox: the more we advance scientifically, the more constrained we become economically.
Due to an increasingly robust scientific process, we can now expect therapeutic applications to be identified for dozens of novel cancer therapies over the next few years. However, these new therapies are currently made available to patients in the context of an ever more haphazard payment and coverage environment. Many of these treatments are remarkably expensive despite often providing relatively modest survival gains. These dynamics are forcing us to confront several essential questions regarding the cost of cancer therapy. What is an appropriate cost for cancer treatment? What are the key drivers of cost increases? Who or what mechanism should determine the cost? To what extent should patients be asked to share in the cost of their own care and what do we do when they cannot? What can we do to lower the cost of care?
In Part I of this article, I will focus on our current understanding of drivers of cost for oncology care and the effect of the high cost on patients, as well as on how patients value treatment.
How Expensive Is Cancer Care and What Is Driving This Expense?
Although cost estimates vary, the National Institutes of Health estimated direct spending on oncology care to be $89 billion in 2007 in the US.[1] This spending represented 5% of total healthcare spending and 0.8% of US gross domestic product.[2] Direct medical costs for oncology care include surgery, hospitalization, physician visits, imaging, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and biologic therapy.[3] Spending for oncology care tends to follow a U-shaped curve: treatment costs are highest in the year following diagnosis and the last year of life, and lower in the intervening years.
How has this spending changed over time? An analysis by Tangka et al compared spending in 1987 vs spending between 2001 and 2005.[4] Between the late 1980s and the 2000s, spending on cancer care approximately doubled. As a proportion of overall medical expenditures, however, cancer costs remained stable, accounting for 4.8% of total medical expenditures in 1987 and 4.9% between 2001 and 2005. Thus, while oncology draws scrutiny largely because of the high cost of newer therapeutics, the cost of cancer care may not have been rising any faster than overall health spending. It is notable that the proportion of spending for inpatient admissions fell from 64% of total cancer spending in 1987 to 27% in 2001 to 2005. The transfer of oncology care to the outpatient setting has produced substantial savings compared with what the cost would have been had this shift from the hospital inpatient setting not occurred.
Other sources estimate a higher current increase in oncology spending. A recent Institute of Medicine Report estimates that oncology spending is growing at more than 15% annually. Many factors have been implicated as the cause of the upward trend (Table 1). These include replacement of less expensive treatments with more expensive ones; provision of more aggressive care by physicians; and longer patient survival times, leading to prolongation of the period of treatment. Spending on cancer drugs has been estimated to comprise 10% to 15% of total spending on oncology care, with this cost rising between 15% and 20% per year.[5] Tangka et al concluded that the key driver of escalating oncology spending from 1987 through 2005 has been the increased number people living with cancer, not the cost per treated cancer case.[4]
Changes in the site of care may be acting as a more recent cost driver. A recent Milliman report examined the total cost of care for Medicare patients, depending on the site of chemotherapy infusion.[6] The study examined the fee-for-service population from the Medicare Limited Data Set from 2006 to 2009. The per-patient-per-month cost was $4,361 in the physician office setting compared with $4,981 in the hospital outpatient setting, a 14% difference. A similar recent study by Avalere Health examined 3 years of commercial health plan data to determine the total episode cost for cancer patients treated either in the physician office setting or hospital outpatient department.[7] When adjusted for age, sex, and a prior history of cancer, the average cost of an office-based episode was approximately $28,000 compared with $35,000 for a hospital outpatient department–managed episode, a difference of 24%. The unadjusted difference was 34%.
The relative contribution of the various components of spending to the overall oncology cost curve is challenging to disentangle. Furthermore, proportional and absolute spending is a dynamic process. Analysis of historical data may not sufficiently inform us on how to best address the current drivers of the cost curve in an era of rapid scientific progress and evolving regional models of health delivery.
Mariotto et al have modeled how much cancer spending may increase in the future.[8] This modeling requires estimates regarding incidence, mortality, prevalence, and costs of treating individual patients, particularly in the initial year after diagnosis and last year of life. The authors estimated a range of cost increases between 2010 and 2020. Assuming no increased expense of treating an individual patient, total spending can be estimated to rise by 27% over this 10-year period, largely driven by the aging and growth of the US population. If individualized treatment costs were assumed to increase at 5% annually, total spending would then increase by 66%.