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|October 10, 2007
Volume 9, Issue 21
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Infections in Pregnancy"
Print Page
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In This Week's Issue:
Quote of the Week
"Doctors prescribe medicine of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of which they know nothing."
— Voltaire
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The Art of Midwifery
Natural remedies generally are more successful than antibiotics in eradicating [an] infection without harmful side effects, but if the normal microflora are not restored, rate of recurrence is high. The use of probiotic therapy has enormous potential in preventing and treating infections in pregnancy. Treating with probiotics is not a new idea, but the focus in most trials has been on re-inoculation of the intestinal tract alone, and generally the same strains of lactobacillus used for that purpose have not been successful when used to prevent or treat urogenital infection. Recent studies, however, have shown that specific strains taken orally and implanted vaginally have resulted in remarkably successful re-colonization of normal microbiota in the female urogenital tract, with a whopping 79% decrease in UTI and with no toxic side effects. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, L. Fermentum RC-14, and L. Fermentum B-54 significantly alter both gut flora and vaginal flora. The natural bacteria remained in the vagina for several months after insertion, protecting against many pathogens. In fact, supernatants from the strains GR-1 and RC-14 can inactivate viruses within minutes.
— Genevieve Lewis
Midwifery Today Issue 79
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Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii. Since no law requires reporting it, we don't know exactly how many people are infected. Estimates are that 400–4000 new cases develop each year; 750 people a year die from it.
Most people who are infected with the Toxoplasma parasite, an estimated 23% of the population, will show no signs of it. Only those with compromised immune systems develop serious health problems. The other group that may suffer noticeable problems is babies.
How Is It Spread?
Toxoplasma is spread orally by cat feces; raw or partially cooked meat—mostly pork, lamb and deer; drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma; or a contaminated organ donation or blood transfusion, in rare cases.
What Are the Symptoms?
Occasionally infection with Toxoplasma may cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, swollen glands or muscle aches. Symptoms in individuals with weakened immune systems can lead to blindness or organ damage. Babies whose mothers are infected just prior to or during pregnancy generally show no signs at birth, but later on may develop mental retardation, blindness or epilepsy.
How Can Toxoplasmosis Be Avoided?
Midwives and other birth professionals can ask the women they serve about whether they have cats, the ages of the cats and whether they are indoor or outdoor. They can advise them about the risks of Toxoplasmosis and recommend testing, if necessary. If a woman receives positive results from a test prior to becoming pregnant, then she was previously infected and has antibodies and need not worry about passing it on. If negative, she will need to take precautions, all of which are good practices in any event.
Wear gloves for gardening or any activity that involves handling dirt. Wash hands well with soap and water after outdoor activities. Do not eat or handle food until after washing.
Try to avoid preparing or handling raw meat. If you must do so, wash your hands and everything the meat comes into contact with thoroughly with soap and hot water. Cook all meat thoroughly—to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Invest in a cooking thermometer, if possible, or make sure that the meat is completely cooked.
If you have a cat that normally goes outdoors, train it (ideally before the pregnancy) off the litter box, or ask your partner to clean the litter box during this time. If you must clean the litter box, do so frequently, making sure to use gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water afterwards. If the cat is normally an indoor cat, keep it in the house, do not feed raw meat or allow access to rodents or birds. Do not adopt any strays or new kittens at this time. Since cats are only infectious for a few weeks after they become infected, an older cat is safer to have around.
The risk of getting toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is small, but the results when it does occur can be huge. Pregnant women and women who are planning to become pregnant should have all the necessary information to make things go as smoothly as possible.
— Cheryl K. Smith
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Research to Remember
Urinary tract infections during pregnancy are a risk for both women and their babies. A retrospective analysis of records from a two year period in Chicago, eliminated cases in which another type of infection was involved, showed preterm low birth weight to be the most common adverse perinatal outcome. Other risks were for low birthweight, prematurity, premature labor, hypertension/preeclampsia, maternal anemia and amnionitis. According to the authors "urinary tract infection was associated with perinatal death only among subjects 20 to 29 years of age."
— Am J Public Health 84(3): 405–10, 1994
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Annual incidence of early onset Group B Strep disease (i.e., in infants aged 0–6 days) was 33% lower from 2003–2005 than from 2000–2001. Although incidence among white infants decreased steadily during the years 2003–2005, incidence increased 70% among black infants during that same period.
— MMWR 56(28): 701–70, July 2007
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Question of the Week
Q: I have had two homebirths and two hospital births; I will be having my third homebirth in January. With my last three children my body starts pushing when I am dilated to 8 cm. I can't seem to get my brain to function at this point to prevent any pushing at all until I fully dilate. My other problem is that with that pushing at 8 cm, I always have a cervical lip, which has to be massaged back in order for the head to get past the cervix. This is very painful, and probably needed to be done with my first child, but instead I was made to push for two hours. Any recommendations for me and my midwife?
— Peggy
SEND YOUR RESPONSE to email@example.com with "Question of the Week" in the subject line. Please indicate the topic of discussion *and the E-News issue number* in the message.
Question of the Week Responses
Q: A nulliparous client of mine who is now 36 weeks and has been planning a homebirth has just remembered that she was told after a miscarriage and D&C, and also at the first ultrasound of this pregnancy, that she has a bicornuate uterus (having two "horns," or heart-shaped). Other than that, the pregnancy has been uneventful. I told her to do another ultrasound and find out if there is also a septum and where the placenta is. The doctor told her that he can't see anything now because the pregnancy is too advanced, but the placenta is anterior. My question is: Should she see an ultrasound expert who can tell more?
I know that there is more of a chance of retained placenta and need for lysis and also more postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) with a bicornuate uterus. I had one patient in the past who even had a successful version at 38 weeks, but had to have a lysis after waiting one hour and the placenta was increta in the cornua and there was a big PPH during the lysis. Then she had another totally uneventful second birth where the ultrasound showed that the placenta was not near the cornua and there were no problems with separation.
Do you think this woman should be risked out of a homebirth if the birth is six minutes from the hospital?
— Ilana Shemesh
Editor's Note: We received no answers to the question, but got the following update from Ilana Shemesh:
The labor was very long (her contractions began the night before), and she dilated slowly but steadily. At 7:30 am, she was fully dilated, but then her contractions became irregular and weak. She tried to rest but couldn't so she did nipple stimulation and lots of position changes. I broke the water to try to stimulate contractions, which helped a bit. She never really felt pushing contractions, but after two hours fully dilated she began to squat and push with the contractions although she didn't feel such an urge. The head was asynclitic as well, which didn't help. The squatting led to little progress, so she tried side, and then jacknife (McRoberts), which seemed to help the most. Then suddenly the head gave a little turn and she made excellent progress the last 10 minutes. She birthed over an intact perineum at 11:06 am. The placenta took half an hour, no unusual bleeding either, and her uterus contracted nicely after. She was up and around after two hours, after a nice nursing with the baby. The ambulance was called at the very end around crowning in case of any placental problems due to the bicornuate uterus, and they stayed for a while after the placenta to see that the uterus was contracted. All in all it was a fine birth, despite the bicornuate uterus, and I'm not sure the long labor had anything to do with it. We are all happy we did it at home and all was well.
— Ilana Shemesh
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Think about It
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently began a program called "One Test. Two Lives," which provides HIV screening recommendations for obstetricians and midwives, as well as educational material for patients, and other tips regarding universal HIV testing for pregnant women. According to the CDC Web site, mothers of 40% of babies born with HIV were not known before delivery to have the virus.
The CDC is focusing on maternity care providers, because of research that shows that pregnant women are more accepting of recommendations from a health care provider. The intent is to provide HIV testing as early as possible in pregnancy, but also up to delivery, so that antiretrovirals can be administered to mothers and babies, preventing transmission of the virus.
You can learn more about this effort and order free materials at: www.cdc.gov/1test2lives
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I read the comment about the terminology surrounding male and female circumcision versus genital mutilation (E-News 9:18). I would remind the woman who commented that men's health is generally not so adversely affected by male circumcision. In fact, in some studies, it supports sexual health. While I am not a proponent of cutting anyone's genitalia from birth, for any reason, female genital mutilation is done for a very different reason: to adversely affect a woman's sexuality and genital organs for means of control by another person. In addition, female genital mutilation causes a multitude of health problems that go beyond sexual practice, specifically with regard to basic human functions such as urination, menstruation and childbirth. Male circumcision does not take such a heavy toll on a boy's or a man's health; comparing them as equal procedures is dangerous and misleading.
— Rebecca Williams Jackson
I totally agree with Cynthia B. Flynn on her attitude to society's gender discrimination regarding circumcision, but anytime I have tried to explain my feelings, they have been dismissed as ridiculous! The way I see it, all cultures that practice either of these traditions do so for reasons that originated long ago—reasons that no longer apply today. I believe that female circumcision is a far greater injury to a person than male circumcision, but I don't think that means we should condone male circumcision. It appears that speaking up against male circumcision is considered "politically incorrect."
— Juli Townsend, RN, RM
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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FFOS Las Racecourse rounds off the biggest week in the jump racing calendar in 2014 on Sunday, March 16.
It's 'Super Irish Sunday' – the eve of St Patrick Day – with live entertainment before and after racing from The Wild Murphy's, the three-piece group who play a mix of traditional and not so traditional Irish music.
Many Irish visitors to Britain for the Cheltenham Festival may also drop in for another exciting day's racing as they make their way home.
The Carmarthenshire racecourse has already been a stopping off point for horses from the Emerald Isle on their way to the National Hunt Festival.
Racing gets under way at 2.15pm and the feature race is the £10,000 Stradey Park Handicap Chase.
There is also racing at Ffos Las this month on Thursday 27th, but the next big race-day after Sunday is the 'All About The Horse' day on Sunday 6th April. The afternoon of jump racing is being held in conjunction with the Injured Jockeys Fund which was founded 50 years ago in 1964.
Racing on Sunday 16th March With free admission for accompanied under 18s, Ffos Las offers a very affordable family day out. On-the-day admission is £16 for over 18s (advance admission – purchased more than 48 hours before – is £14). Premier Inclusive tickets, offering admission, welcome drink, carvery roll or vegetarian option and a race programme, are available in advance for £24. The first race time is 2,15pm, with gates opening two hours before.
Further information about racing at Ffos Las can be found at www.ffoslasracecourse.com or by calling the racecourse on 01554 811092.
For further information, please contact: Tim Long, General Manager and Clerk of the Course, at Ffos Las Racecourse, on 01554 811092 or 07966 893531.

subset: commoncrawl


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An Open House in Washington D.C.
We have so many fans who have attended a Tumbleweed Workshop and send us pictures of their tiny houses. We love how these fans have gone into a workshop with a dream and turned that into a reality. One fan recently came to us with so much more. Lee Pera attended a workshop on the East Coast and was so inspired by what she learned that she organized a group of people to build a row of tiny houses in Washington D.C.(We will share an interview with her soon!)
Lee and her group just closed on a parcel of land on which they will all build their tiny houses together. She is such an inspiration to us that we were delighted when she agreed to host an open house on April 14-15 in D.C. featuring the Fencl. Her motivation and drive is contagious and if you dream of building a tiny house community, she is full of ideas and practical knowledge. This group of builders will host the open house on one of the largest community gardens in D.C. which just broke ground in March.
We will keep you updated on her group's progress over the coming months and we have some special upcoming events with Lee that you won't want to miss. For now, sign up for the open house on our Facebook event page and be sure to share the event link with your Facebook friends!


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26 January 2010: Tension surrounds today's presidential election, especially for the press, which has had to face many obstacles. Use of the state media to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa's campaign for another term has been accompanied by harassment and violence against privately-owned opposition media, culminating in the 24 January abduction of political reporter Prageeth Eknaligoda. Reporters Without Borders appeals to both sides to make every effort to avoid an Iran-style scenario in which the challenging of a questionable election result leads to a cycle of demonstrations and repression in which the press would clearly be one of the victims.
Dublin war-crimes tribunal, conducted by Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) based in Milan, which held hearings on Thursday and Friday on war-crime charges on Sri Lanka from eye-witnesses and other material evidence, in the preliminary findings issued Saturday said, Sri Lanka Government is "guilty of War-Crimes" and "guilty of Crimes Against Humanity."
In 1995 a significant set of reforms to the Sri Lanka penal code was enacted. The process was consultative and women's groups were included in the discussions that led to the reforms. While the 1995 amendments were, by and large, a welcome modernization of the penal code, nineteen years after these amendments, still other laws remain which undermine women's equality. The demand for further legal reform is about this 'unfinished business'. At a time of elections Cat's Eye particularly wants to highlight some laws (which apply to both men and women, and some to women in particular) that require urgent reform so that the public and political parties can take note.
On 22 October 2009, human rights defenders Ms Frederica Jansz and Ms Munza Mushataq received identical death threats by post, both of which had been hand-written in red ink. Frederica Jansz is Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Leader, and Munza Mushataq is the newspaper's News Editor. The founder and former Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, Mr Lasantha Wickramatunga, was murdered in January 2009, three weeks after receiving a similar death threat which had also been written in red ink.


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When a judge ruled this week that San Diego's plan for financing an expanded convention center was legal, backers of the $520 million project quickly cheered the news, eager to reap the economic rewards they say will most certainly come with a much more spacious facility.
Their visions, though, of hundreds of thousands more well-heeled conventioneers spending money in San Diego hotels and restaurants will have to be deferred a while longer. Opponents say they will appeal the judge's long-awaited ruling, likely postponing an anticipated 2017 opening of the expanded center by at least a year or longer.
The delay means some larger, more lucrative meeting groups may well bypass San Diego in the coming years, unwilling to wait out the legal wrangling over a hotelier-approved room tax that is the linchpin of the project's financing plan. The prolonged uncertainty over the litigation comes at a time when the convention landscape is more competitive than it has ever been.
With cities eager to capitalize on what analysts say are the economic benefits of larger state-of-the art facilities, the number of well-positioned suitors eager for a share of convention business is far outstripping demand.
"The number of what you'd consider primary large conventions that are sought after because of their higher level spending is not expanding, so as the facilities expand and the options are greater for people, the pie is getting cut up smaller," acknowledged Joe Terzi, CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority, which handles bookings for most conventions at the center. "We already have conventions waiting on us that are going to make a decision right now. They've told us if you're able to commit to 2018, '19, '20 we'll come. Do we lose a lot in 2017? No, but if you don't start selling the center for 2018 and beyond as soon as possible you'll lose those conventions."
San Diego's biggest convention, Comic-Con, with more than 130,000 attendees, has previously been heavily courted by the cities of Los Angeles and Anaheim but organizers have since agreed to stay put through 2016. It's unknown, though, how patient Comic-Con International will be if the expansion continues to be delayed. Spokesman David Glanzer said he did not want to comment on what might happen in the future.
Meanwhile, other large groups, which tend to schedule their meetings several years out, are weighing their options, given the uncertainty. Some, like the American College of Surgeons, say a delay will not keep them from returning, while the Society for Human Resource Management, last in San Diego in 2010, may back away from a possible date in 2018.
"We're a space hog. We use every square inch of San Diego's space, so we need the expansion to maintain the quality of the event," said meetings manager Jennifer Wroniewicz, whose convention draws up to 18,000 attendees and generates more than 12,000 hotel room nights. "There are only a handful of cities where we can actually do our show, but San Diego is not the only city vying for 2018. It makes the most sense to go back there, but if they're not going to be ready we can't come back."
Since 2000, meeting space across the country has grown by more than 30 percent, while attendance, which dipped sharply between 2008 and 2010, has increased by just 2 percent, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.
"It's a bit ironic that all four major California destinations that compete for national conventions — Anaheim, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco — are in various stages of considering expansion of their convention facilities," said Doug Ducate, who heads the center.
He noted, however, that given San Diego's desirable climate, a well-located convention center steps away from the Gaslamp Quarter and a healthy inventory of nearby hotels, the city frequently has an edge over its rivals.
Recognizing there is some risk for groups looking to book an expanded center in 2017 and beyond, Terzi said he's been talking to the Convention Center Corp. board about offering options for breaking contracts if the project doesn't come to pass.
San Diego's 1.1 million-square-foot bayfront center, last expanded in 2001, would grow by 400,000 more square feet of exhibit, meeting and ballroom space under the current expansion plan. While the project already has been endorsed by San Diego Port Commissioners and the City Council, it still must pass muster with the California Coastal Commission.
Citizen activists have filed two lawsuits against the city over the plan, arguing that an already approved hotel tax of 1 percent to 3 percent is illegal because if should have been voted on by the general electorate, not the hotel owners. Attorney Cory Briggs, who is handling one of the suits, has pledged to appeal all the way to the state Supreme Court, a process that could take two years or longer.
What worries some project advocates is that San Diego, at least for a couple of years, will miss out on the estimated 250,000 additional convention and trade show attendees a year the city could realize each year with an expanded center. A consultant's analysis prepared for the city in 2010 estimated that the added attendance would translate into $348.8 million in spending on lodging, meals and other expenses.
More worrisome are the escalating construction costs the city is facing with each year of delay, said Charles Black, San Diego's project manager for the expansion. Each year it is delayed, expect a $13.5 million hike in construction and design costs, he said.
"A year-and-a-half delay, it's not the end of the world but it does make it more difficult," said Black. "And the lost revenues, you never replace those."
Email me: email@example.com or call me at 619-293-2251. | Follow me on Twitter @loriweisberg.| Subscribe to my blog.


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The Muny Launches 'Cool Down' Renovation; Ready for SPAMALOT, Summer 2013
Popular outdoor theater The Muny is planning to install a new fan system to help cool down the audience. If the installation goes according to schedule, the system will be in place when Spamalot kicks off the summer season on June 17, 2013.
The two-part project will substantially enhance audience comfort by improving airflow during performances. Plans, which call for a significant upgrade to an existing blower system and the installation of new state-of-the-art fans, will directly address the top audience request, to keep them comfortable.
"After three consecutive summers of record-breaking temperatures, we are excited to be taking steps to improve the comfort of our audience," said Reagan. "This may be one of the most exciting developments in The Muny's 95-year history, continuing our tradition of giving our audiences exceptional theater and an extraordinary experience."
This historic project was made possible by a generous gift of $200,000 from Harry & Sally Johnston and the Henry O. Johnston Family Fund. The total project is expected to cost $600,000. Additional members of the "Muny Fan Club" include generous support from Ameren Corporation and Interco Charitable Trust, along with other major gifts scheduled for announcement in 2013.
The existing blower system, installed in 1957, will be modernized to enhance airflow in the audience. Upgrades to the motors and new louver designs will more than double the system's current output and reach. These blowers will continue to operate throughout Muny performances. Work on this part of the project is scheduled to begin in early winter.
The current Muny fans, installed in 1955, will be replaced with four significantly larger fans featuring lightweight blades modeled with energy efficient WhalePower technology. These new fans will create a breeze that will reach across the entire Muny audience. The Muny's goal is to run these fans during the evening performances. Sound engineers and contractors are currently conducting research and tests to see if the fans will be quiet enough to achieve this goal.
"We are thrilled to make the first gift in support of The Muny's new cooling system," remarked Sally Johnston. Sally's husband, Harry Johnston, served as Muny Board Chair from 2002-2004, and their son Steven is a current Board member. "Everyone in our family understands that the true magic of The Muny is being able to experience a marvelous show, outdoors, under the stars. We also know that heat keeps some people away. Now they can come back to The Muny knowing that the new fans and blower system will keep them more comfortable."
The project is based upon a 2012 air study conducted by HOK, a global architecture, engineering and planning firm.
Provided there are no delays-which could mean pushing the second part of the project back for a year or more-patrons should spend the 2013 summer season at The Muny watching Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, Nunsense-Muny Style!, Shrek-The Musical, South Pacific, Monty Python's Spamalot and West Side Story in comfort.
For more information about the season and more, call (314) 361-1900 or visit muny.org.


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New York Jets' running back Joe McKnight was arrested last week after being pulled over for speeding past a police officer, then getting in a new lane without signaling, according to the New York Post.
According to the report, McKnight was pulled over shortly after 11 a.m. on July 30 in New Jersey, a day off from Jets' training camp.
MORE: Iyer: NFL headlines | No spinning the football?
When the officer checked the plates on McKnight's car, he found the outstanding warrant for blowing off a $200 fine for failing to produce an insurance card in the town of Summit. He also found a $120 fine from a ticket for failing to observe a traffic signal in Springfield. He was subsequently arrested and taken to the police station where he posted bail—the $320 in fines.
He was released with a summons for an unsafe lane change and an uninsured motor vehicle.
PHOTOS: Players arrested since Super Bowl XLVII
Fellow Jets running back Mike Goodson also found himself in handcuffs because of weapons and murder charges. He pled not guilty.
McKnight has served as the team's primary kickoff return man the last two years. He failed the conditioning test this season but passed it one day later blaming the heat that caused him dehydration.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
June 14, 2013
Fantasy Starting Pitcher Planner
Week 12
Welcome to the Weekly Pitching Planner. Each week I will cover the pitchers are who slated to make two starts and help you decide who you should start and who you should sit. Sometimes guys will be in the "consider" where they might have one good start, but a second tough one and then your league settings might determine whether or not you should go forward with him. The pitchers will be split by league then by categories:
Auto-Starts – These are your surefire fantasy aces. You paid a handsome sum for them either with an early draft pick or high dollar auction bid so you're starting them anywhere, anytime. Guys can emerge onto or fall off of this list as the season evolves. There won't be many – if any – notes associated with these groupings each week. We are starting them automatically so why do I need to expound on how awesome they are and will be in the coming week?
Starts – These are the guys I'm recommending you put into your lineup this week. Some will be obvious, but not quite auto-start excellent while others will be waiver wire fodder who find themselves with a pair of favorable outings that you can take advantage of in your league. There will be accompanying notes supporting the decisions.
Considers – As mentioned earlier, these guys will be on the fence and your league settings and position in the standings will really be a decider here. If the Minnesota Twins fifth starter is slated to face the Astros at home followed by an interleague trip to San Diego, he will appear on this list because the matchups are great though he isn't and if you are in a 10-team mixed league you probably don't need to take the risk, but a 10-team AL-only leaguer might see it as a nice opportunity to log some quality innings from a freely available resource.
Sits – These are the guys I'm getting away from this week. They will range in talent from solid to poor. Rarely will you see a really good pitcher here unless he gets an "at COL, at TOR" slate. Speaking of the fateful "at COL", any mediocre talent with a trip to Coors Field will be a sit until further notice. If they turn the humidor back on, I'll reconsider, but after last year there is just no reason to throw any non-stud in that park.
And with that, here is our week 12 slate starting with the NL…
AUTO-START: Yu Darvish, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, James Shields, and Jon Lester
AUTO-START: Adam Wainwright, Mat Latos, Matt Harvey, Jeff Samardzija, Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin, and Matt Cain
Paul Sporer is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @sporer
9 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Curious what your thoughts are regarding Gerritt Cole for the ROS, and his 1st MLB start. Apologies if you've already posted them somewhere on this site. Who do you see having a bigger impact this year, Cole or Wacha?
Jun 14, 2013 05:41 AM
Chris Archer seems has the two start in the position of HELIX (unless I missed the memo that he is going to be skipped). Would you say the same about Archer?
Jun 14, 2013 09:05 AM
J. Lester is an Autostart still? Even with his last few starts blowing up?
Jun 14, 2013 12:14 PM
it looks like john lannan will get two home starts, against WASH and NYM. sit him or start him?
Jun 14, 2013 20:42 PM
Mets and Nats are both bottom 4 in terms of wOBA vs. Lefties this season ... I'm thinking of going with Lannan ...
Jun 15, 2013 18:01 PM
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Samardzija to be missed by friends on Cubs
WASHINGTON -- While talking to reporters on Saturday afternoon, James Russell gazed across the visitors' clubhouse at an empty locker that formerly belonged to his friend and teammate Jeff Samardzija, whom the Cubs traded to the Athletics along with Jason Hammel late Friday night.
Russell said he and Samardzija met up briefly to say farewell after being informed of the deal.
"It's just tough to see your boys leave," Russell said.
Russell, a 14th-round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, and Samardzija, a fifth-round pick in '06, came up together through Chicago's farm system and spent time as teammates for Triple- A Iowa before joining the Major Leagues. Second baseman Darwin Barney, a fourth-round pick in 2007, was also a part of those Minor League teams in 2009 and '10.
"Losing friends is tough in this game," Barney said. "It's not always that you find friends that you've been with since you've been drafted. Jeff's been in this organization for a long time and I've known him for a little bit. So it's hard. It's hard to lose a guy that's been here for eight years in this organization. And our goal all the way up has been to win a championship here in Chicago. And unfortunately, that's not his goal anymore."
Barney's goodbye with Samardzija was not as smooth as Russell's, though.
"It's always weird to say bye to a dude," Barney joked. "What do you do? Do you slap hands? Do you hug?"
The deal sent Samardzija and Hammel to Oakland for prospects Addison Russell and outfielder Billy McKinney, as well as right-hander Dan Straily. Russell becomes yet another talented middle infielder in the Cubs' farm system, which Barney said makes him uneasy, especially considering the front office's willingness to execute trades the past few seasons.
"In the back of your mind, you're thinking 'Who's next? Is it me?'" Barney said. "But you've got to try and put that aside and focus on today."
Starlin Castro, who is putting together an impressive 2014 campaign as the Cubs' starting shortstop, is taking a similar approach to Barney when it comes to Russell's addition.
"I don't put this in my mind," Castro said. "Just keep playing hard here and whatever happens, happens. It doesn't matter."
Manager Rick Renteria said he held a team meeting before the Cubs took the field for batting practice Saturday.
"I let them know that we've lost two teammates, two friends," Renteria said. "And the reality is that there are things that we can't control. And the things that they can control are continuing to play the game. Go out there and continue to grind them out. Go out there and keep doing what they're doing. Obviously those two guys set examples. … Let's show them what they've taught us, we can continue to do."
And James Russell, who could also be shopped before the non-waiver Trade Deadline at the end of the month according to multiple reports, is heeding his skipper's advice by viewing the situation in a positive light.
"Maybe in a year and a half we'll cross paths again and find ourselves in the same city," Russell said.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Daniel Popper is an associate reporter for MLB.com. He also can be found on Twitter @danielrpopper. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Dairy producers are doing something right. A recent study presented in September, 2011 at the 3rd International Symposium on Mastitis and Milk Quality, indicates that bulk tank somatic cell counts (BTSCC) have continued to decrease on U.S. dairy farms, which indicates an increase in milk quality. BTSCC refers to the number of white blood cells (primarily macrophages and leukocytes), secretory cells, and squamous cells per milliliter of raw milk and is used as a measure of milk quality and as indicators of overall udder health.
The study used data from four Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMOs) which capture data from almost 50% of milk shipped in the U.S. BTSCC were evaluated at four levels: herds, shipments, orders, and milk. The milk-weighted geometric mean BTSCC was 295,000 cells/ml in 1997 and was 224,000 cells/ml in 2010, representing a 24% decrease.
Jason Lombard, DVM, MS, USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, Colo., says approximately 50% of shipments from each of the four FMOs averaged 200,000 to 399,000 cells/ml BTSCC, while less than 3% of all shipments in 2010 exceeded the current U.S. regulatory BTSCC limit of 750,000 cells/ml.
Even summer variations, when higher temperatures and humidity increase stress on cows and provide conditions more favorable for bacterial growth, have also decreased over the years that were monitored, Lombard says.
Granted, this information is a bit biased, Lombard notes, because those federal milk marketing orders pay bonuses based on somatic cell counts, but three subsequent National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) studies have also indicated a decrease in BTSCC.
There seems to be a correlation to dairies that are more observant and those that have high milk quality, adds Angela Daniels, DVM, Circle H Headquarters, LLC, Dalhart, Texas. "The small things matter a lot. Farms that have good milk quality are good at mastitis recognition, maybe to a point where we are hypersensitive. They also have sound milking and treatment protocols in place and a good monitoring system that allows us to recognize when changes occur."
Monitoring to find problems
There isn't just one way to solve high SCC problems on the dairy. Daniels says it's really important to know what the culprits are before trying to blindly solve the problem. "We advocate a monitoring program that includes regular bulk tank cultures, monitoring fresh cows for contagious mastitis and bacterial monitoring of mastitis cases," Daniels says. "Additionally, having continuous access to the quality results from the milk processor are key to knowing what is going on."
Daniels says with a monitoring program in place, there is an early alert system in place when something does change which allows you to know where to begin. "If you are working with a client who does not have this system in place, it is important to collect some diagnostics to know which direction to head."
Changes in bedding, 1996 to 2007
The ideal bedding for lactating cows is dry and clean, provides cushion and does not support bacterial growth. Of the bedding types listed in the table, only the use of straw and/or hay decreased from 1996 to 2007 on operations and for cows. The percentage of cows bedded on corn cobs and stalks decreased by about one-half from 1996 to 2007. The percentage of operations that used sand or mattresses increased, with mattresses showing the largest increase from 4.7% in 1996 to 23.7% in 2007. Composted manure use increased, as 9.0% of cows were bedded on composted manure in 1996 compared with 24.2% in 2007.
There are a lot of inputs that can impact SCC on the dairy, everything from bedding, cow health, environmental changes, milking equipment, sanitation and more, and it's difficult to point to one area that makes the difference. "From my experience, it is dairy-specific and is generally multifactorial," Daniels adds. She works individually with clients throughout the region to improve milk quality when opportunities arise
How clients have improved
Over the last five to 10 years there have been improvements in health, housing and technology that no doubt have benefitted SCCs on dairies. Daniels outlines how some specific activities have contributed to milk quality. "Clients realize the value of training programs," she says. "In most cases our clients use full prep routines, we have better teat dips – particularly better winter/protectant dips, we are doing a better job washing towels and monitoring the cleanliness of the towels and the barn."
As far as cow cleanliness and sanitation, Daniels says the industry agrees that sand is the best bedding material, but good advances have been made in using compost. "We also now have the tools to hygiene-score cows, there has been new technology introduced with pre-dipping and more attention to stall cleanliness."
Daniels says the largest change she's noticed is that we recognize the importance of tracking health data. "Laboratory results can now be automatically uploaded into the software systems, We have farms that have implemented on-farm culture that allows for making more targeted treatment decisions. We may be under-utilizing the value of DHIA testing which is a great tool to help monitor milk quality via SCC data on a monthly basis."
Daniels believes that dairymen have always placed a high value on having high-quality milk. "Certainly the discussion of lowering the SCC limits brought the discussion of improving milk quality to the table," she says. "The value of implementing many of these changes can certainly be realized by milk quality bonuses. The key for long term buy-in and success is to have cost-effective programs in place."
NAHMS shows where we've improved
Jason Lombard, DVM, MS, USDA-VS, shares NAHMS data from the last three dairy studies, the latest which was Dairy 2007, and indicates the biggest areas of improvement which lead to lower BTSCC scores. A similar decrease in BTSCC has been observed over the course of the three NAHMS studies as was observed for the Federal Milk Marketing Orders. The majority of operations had an average BTSCC between 100,000 and 299,000 cells/ml during each of the three study years.
1 A higher percentage of operations forestripped cows in 2007 compared with 2002.
2 The use of single use cloths or towels for drying teats has increased from 2002 to 2007. Single-use paper towel was the most common drying method used in 2002 and 2007. In summer and winter, the percentage of operations that air dried teats prior to milking decreased from about 27% in 2002 to about 12% in 2007. The use of single-use cloth towels increased from 2002 (10.2 and 7.9% in summer and winter, respectively) to 2007 (21.5 and 21.6% in summer and winter, respectively).
3 More operations have milkers wear gloves during milking. The percentage of operations in which milkers wore gloves to milk all cows increased from 32.9% in 2002 to 55.2% in 2007. The percentage of cows on operations in which milkers wore gloves increased from 48.7 in 2002 to 76.8% in 2007.
4 More operations are using automatic takeoffs in 2007 compared with 2002. Although there were no changes by herd size from 2002 to 2007 in the percentage of operations that used automatic takeoffs, the percentage of all operations increased from 36% in 2002 to 45.4% in 2007.
5 More operations (and more cows) are using (being milked in) parlors compared with 1996. The percentage of operations that used a parlor as a primary milking facility increased from 28.8% in 1996 to 39.5% in 2007, while the percentage of operations that used a tiestall or stanchion decreased from 69.5 to 60.3% during the same period. A larger shift was observed in the percentage of cows, as 54.9% of cows were milked in parlors in 1996 compared with 78.2% in 2007.
6 Although housing types don't appear to have changed much as a percent of operations, a small increase in freestall operations and a decrease in tie stall stanchion operations could account for a large number of cows.
7 The percent of cows on sand bedding has doubled since 1996 – from 15.3% to 30.3%. The ideal bedding for lactating cows is dry and clean, provides cushion, and does not support bacterial growth. Of the bedding types listed in the table below, only the use of straw and/or hay decreased from 1996 to 2007, on operations and for cows. The percentage of cows bedded on corn cobs and stalks decreased by about one-half from 1996 to 2007. The percentage of operations that used sand or mattresses increased, with mattresses showing the largest increase from 4.7% in 1996 to 23.7% in 2007. Composted manure use increased, as 9% of cows were bedded on composted manure in 1996 compared with 24.2% in 2007.


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RMU scored six of the first seven goals of the game to take an early lead that would not get closer than seven goals the rest of the way.
Saint Mary's was led by Rachel Minarovich, Jaclyn Biggers and Krista Morgan with two goals apiece. Anna Turpit and Allie DeBruhl added a goal each. Minarovich had seven draw controls which puts her as the all-time leader at SMC with 142 career draw controls in this, just her third season on campus.
Emily Kuptz led the Gaels with nine draw controls and five caused turnovers.
The Colonials were led by Emily Jamison and Jess Rutherford as the duo scored three goals apiece. Jessica Karwacki had 14 draw controls.
RMU took 42 shots compared to 29 by the Gaels. Saint Mary's held a 21-15 edge in shots in the second half. SMC also edged out RMU in ground balls by a 19-16 total.
RMU held a 17-10 edge in draw controls while the turnovers were even at 19 apiece.
Sydney Pinello had 14 saves in goal for the Gaels.
Saint Mary's is back in action on Saturday, March 22nd when it travels to Stanford to take on the Cardinal at 12:00 p.m.


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Arrange the shapes in a line so that you change either colour or
shape in the next piece along. Can you find several ways to start
with a blue triangle and end with a red circle?
Move four sticks so there are exactly four triangles.
If you can post the triangle with either the blue or yellow colour face up, how many ways can it be posted altogether?
Explore ways of colouring this set of triangles.
Can you make symmetrical patterns? With two colours? Three colours? More than three colours?
Can you colour the small triangles, using four colours, with no two triangles of the same colour side-by-side?


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The NYC public schools offer grades Pre-K through 12. As diverse a city New York is so are the offerings in the NYC school system. Some public schools offer special programs and small environments that are similar to private schools while other schools are bustling with crowded classrooms.
Like other communities across the country, children are typically assigned to schools based on their home address. These schools, known as zoned schools, serve all children in the designated catchment area. You can find your zoned school on the NYC Department of Education's website.
The quality and tone of zoned schools vary widely. However, during the elementary school years, the majority of families are comfortable with their children attending their zoned neighborhood school. Some families however seek other options and have their children evaluated for public gifted and talented programs, identify bi-lingual or dual language programs, or consider charter schools in their neighborhoods or elsewhere.
Elementary School
Elementary schools typically house grades Pre-K to 5 or Pre-K to 6th grade. Traditional middle schools (also referred to as Intermediate Schools, Junior High Schools) house children in grades 6-8 and high schools serve student in 9th through 12th grade. There are however both well-established and new schools that are structured differently and serve children in grades K-8, 6-12, K-12; one school on the Upper West Side offers a successful program educating students in 5th to 8th grade.
Middle and High School
At the middle school level, school choice is much more prevalent with students applying to schools within their home school district or in other districts. The choice process brings with it an admission process that is varied. Some schools invest hours to meet with student candidates and administer and review locally developed assessment tests while others accept students based on a review of the school documents.
Gifted and Talented Programs
There are many schools throughout the city that offer gifted and talented programs with one or more classes per grade for identified gifted and talented students. In addition, there are a handful of schools which are dedicated entirely to serving gifted and talented students.
Bi-Lingual/Dual Language Schools
Dual Language programs in NYC public schools teach children the usual curriculum in English as well as in a second language. Dual language programs are available in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Haitian Creole or French. Your child can be a native English speaker or an English Language Learner (ELL) to enroll in a dual language program. Most programs do some type of screening to be sure that a dual language program will be an appropriate fit for your child. You should contact schools you are interested in to find out whether they accept students who are not zoned for that school.
Charter Schools
Charter schools operate as independent and autonomous public schools and typically rely on an active parent body. They are awarded a "charter" and are operated according to an approved plan that outlines how they will function pedagogically, administratively, and fiscally. In NYC charter schools are newly established schools and in some cases existing schools that convert to charter status.
Charter schools receive some funding from federal, state and public local funds, and typically must raise additional funds from individuals, foundations, and the private sector. A charter school must comply with all laws regulating public schools therefore any student that is eligible to attend a public school is also qualified for admission to a charter school. A school's charter and their autonomy is dependent upon their meeting educational performance standards, and maintaining sound fiscal and management practices. Charter schools are subject to oversight by the NYC Chancellor.
Public School Assistance within the Greater NY Metro Area
Carebridge Life Resources, NYU's Employee Assistance Program, is available by phone (800-437-0911) to assist you in gaining a better understanding of schools in your home community or a community in which you are planning to move. Or, you can also do some research on your own by exploring the websites for your state's Department of Education:


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1993 Toyota Pickup - Weekend Warrior: Part 2, Rear Suspension
Link it up
Well, like usual, life has a way of messing up our plans. We wanted to work on this little project every free weekend, but those "free" weekends are few and far between. It took more than a month later to get some more progress going on our "Weekend Beater." But hey, that's exactly what this project is for. This gives us the chance to learn how to slowly but surely work on a truck one weekend at a time. So, to pick up where we left off, we had the truck completely torn down and back-halved the last weekend, so now it's time to get going on the rear suspension.
Follow along and we'll show you how we set up our rear suspension in the comfort of our own driveway. What we learned from spending an entire weekend building everything from scratch was that, depending on your application, it's definitely worth it to buy pre-fabbed four-links and tabs! For more information, contact the companies listed in the source box.
Sadistic Iron WerksHesperia, CA 92345
AVSFresno, CA 93703


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DENVER - For one night, the conversation wasn't all about rookie sensation Yasiel Puig.
Granted, the Dodgers outfielder did have another stellar game, which is pretty much the standard these days. But Clayton Kershaw accomplished what few have been able to do lately - he stole some of Puig's spotlight.
Kershaw tossed a four-hitter for his second shutout of the season as the Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 8-0 on Tuesday.
"He had everything working," manager Don Mattingly said of his ace.
Kershaw (7-5) kept the Rockies off balance all night, even top hitter Michael Cuddyer, who had his franchise-record 27-game hitting streak halted after going hitless in four plate appearances.
Cuddyer flied out to Puig in right to end the game.
"If it was going to end, might as well end against the best pitcher in the league," Cuddyer said.
Kershaw allowed just one runner to get to second all evening. The hard-throwing Kershaw had eight strikeouts and walked none.
"I had pretty good fastball command tonight," he nonchalantly said.
Asked about the offense and his face lit up as he pedaled on the exercise bike after the game.
"It's awesome," Kershaw said. "It's a tough lineup right now to get through. Puig's on another planet. You keep thinking he can't keep this up, not just singles, he's been hitting the ball really hard everywhere. I've been really, really impressed."
It's hard not to be. The 22-year-old Puig had three more hits, including a solo homer, to raise his average to .443 this season.
"Whatever league that I'm in I'm going to do the best I can," he said through a translator. "I'm going to play wherever they ask me to play."
Roy Oswalt (0-3) was roughed up in his first start at Coors Field this season. He allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings.
Adrian Gonzalez broke open the game with a two-run homer in the third and Juan Uribe added a pair of RBI singles. Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in the second.
Kershaw found himself in a rather unfamiliar position - with a big early lead. He entered the game with the second-lowest run support of any NL starter.
But the Dodgers gave Kershaw an early four-run cushion, more than enough for him. It was Kershaw's third complete game of the season and second shutout. He held the San Francisco Giants without a run in his first start of the season on April 1.
"He had his `A' game, no question," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It was going to be tough to score off of him. He was at the top of his game and when he is, you have to scratch and claw for everything."
The fans showed up early to watch Puig send one monster shot after another into the stands during batting practice.
Puig was even more impressive once the game began.
These days, it's hard not to take notice of Puig. His 44 hits in June were a Dodgers rookie record for a month.
He carried it over into July with a single in the first and a double off the right-field scoreboard in the third. Puig sent a pitch from reliever Adam Ottavino over the fence in the deepest part of the park for his eighth homer this season.
Puig wasn't done there. He also made a running catch in foul territory, veering right for the seats before suddenly turning to avoid a collision.
Cuddyer failed to get a hit for the first time since May 27. His streak was the longest in the majors this season.
Cuddyer didn't reach base, either, bringing his streak of 46 straight games with a hit, walk or being plunked by a pitch to an end.
Dodgers acquire Marmol
With a few minor adjustments to his mechanics, the Dodgers believe they can resurrect the career of reliever Carlos Marmol.
The Dodgers acquired the struggling closer from the Chicago Cubs for right-hander Matt Guerrier.
"He's still got a lot of youth to him," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "He's not on the downside of his career. He needs, perhaps, a change of scenery and an adjustment with his delivery."
Colletti said the team detected flaws in Marmol's mechanics, something they feel confident can be worked out. Marmol is currently in the Dominican Republic, but should report to the team soon.
"Anytime you can add somebody who's had success pitching the ninth, you can always use them in roles that don't include the ninth," Colletti said. "We're looking to add to the pen. Whatever that role becomes, it will become."
The Cubs designated Marmol for assignment last week. He was 2-4 with two saves and a 5.86 ERA in 31 appearances this season, striking out 32 while walking 21.
An All-Star as a setup man in 2008, Marmol's best year as a closer was 2010, when he had 38 saves in 43 chances along with 138 strikeouts.
"His stuff is power stuff," manager Don Mattingly said. "At the end of the day, he helps us. We know he's a guy that has good stuff and has a potential to be nasty."
"We think that we have found a couple of points in his delivery that with an adjustment could bring him back. Talking to him today, he's excited to start anew, to see if he can get better, and if he can return to the form he was in not too long ago."
Guerrier is 25-33 with six saves and a 3.54 ERA over 10 seasons in the major leagues. He went 2-3 with a 4.80 ERA this season before being designated for assignment on Sunday.
In addition to Marmol, the Dodgers also acquired an international signing bonus slot in the deal, which was just as important, Colletti said. "An opportunity to get somebody with his ninth-inning history, coupled with being able to find a home for Matt Guerrier before we were going to need to release him, coupled with the opportunity to add the slot money on the international side, we thought there were a lot of good pieces to this,"


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Dragons invite clubs to meeting about regions' dispute with WRU
4:00pm Friday 17th January 2014
4:00pm Friday 17th January 2014
NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have invited clubs in their area to a meeting where they will provide an update on the four regions' spat with the Welsh Rugby Union, writes Chris Kirwan
The Dragons will host representatives from clubs in District A – the east of the country – at Rodney Parade on Monday.
Regional chiefs will give the lowdown on the latest issues surrounding a fresh participation agreement with the WRU and their dispute over funding and future European competitions.
The 14 Premiership clubs have already held a meeting with Regional Rugby Wales, the body that represents the Dragons, Cardiff Blues, the Ospreys and the Scarlets.
Meanwhile, RRW has written to clubs to respond to an earlier letter from the Union.
Signed by the chairmen and chief executives of the regions it puts forward their case on the issues of
the national side, community rugby, the participation agreement, the regions' business position, changes in European professional rugby, the competitions they take part in and player contracts.
"All four regions have consistently stressed that they remain totally committed to working with the
WRU to secure a sustainable and competitive future for professional rugby in Wales," it reads.
"At NO time have the regions ever stated or indicated any intention to "break away" from the governance of the Union or IRB."
© Copyright 2001-2017 Newsquest Media Group


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4 Ways to Make Our Trains Safer
The World's cities will need to accommodate an additional 2.4 billion people by 2050, according to the World Health Organization, and a growing number of architects think those residents could live in wooden skyscrapers. Every cubic meter of wood sequesters 1 ton of carbon from the atmosphere. Compared with concrete and steel, building with lumber would reduce emissions by up to 81 percent, says architect Michael Green, who will complete construction on British Columbia's Wood Innovation and Design Centre in September. The finished structure is expected to be 96.7 feet, which will make it the world's tallest wooden building.
Wooden architecture is reaching these new heights thanks to mass timber. Composed of thin layers of wood from young or low-grade trees glued together into giant panels up to 16 inches thick, mass timber is stronger than a regular 2 x 4, allowing architects to build towers as high as 42 stories.
Location: Stockholm
Height: 34 stories
Status: Built by 2023
Architect: C.F. Møller and Dinell Johansson
The Strange Origins of 10 Tech Terms


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2008 Environmental Excellence Awards Presented by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Nov. 17, 2008
News Highlights
Award recipients are: Chet McLaren (county resident category); the
Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter Project Management Team
(organization category); "Jack-the-Ripper" Certified Arborists
Inc. (business category).
- Award recognizes advancement or support of Fairfax County's environmental goals and policy statements; dedication of personal time and expertise beyond normal fiscal or civic responsibilities; and leadership as a role model for others.
More Information
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors presented its 2008 Environmental Excellence Awards today. Awards were presented to Chet McLaren (county resident category); the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter Project Management Team (organization category); and "Jack-the-Ripper" Certified Arborists Inc. (business category).
Chet McLaren was recognized for his leadership of a wide range
of civic and environmental organizations, including the Environmental
Quality Advisory Council; the Fairfax County Park Authority Board and
its advisory board; the Wakefield Park Master Plan Committee; the
Trails and Sidewalks Committee; the Upper Accotink Watershed Education
Committee; and the North Springfield Civic Association Board. His
nomination called him "living proof that dedication, passion and a
little elbow grease goes a long way in improving our local
Please click on thumbnail for high resolution photo.
The Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter Project Management Team
was recognized for its efforts to incorporate green building features
into the design of the shelter. The project management team includes
the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental
Services and Wisnewski Blair & Associates. It is the first such
shelter in the country to be recognized by the Green Building
Initiative's Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system
for commercial buildings and the first project to be certified by the
Green Building Initiative in Virginia. Among the environmental
features incorporated in the design of the facility are: a minimal
footprint; energy-efficient appliances and systems; minimal
environmental impact building materials; materials from nearby areas to
reduce costs and environmental impact of hauling; natural landscaping;
low-emissivity windows; preferred parking for carpoolers; and bicycle
racks and an off-site trail.
- "Jack-the-Ripper" Certified Arborists Inc. was recognized for its "sustained and ongoing commitment to sound environmental business practices." In addition to upkeep and maintenance of beautification efforts at sites in the Great Falls, McLean and Vienna areas, the firm has saved landmark trees, including large oaks at the McLean Post Office and at Louise Archer Elementary School as well as a grove of trees at Flint Hill Elementary School. The firm was honored with a Fairfax County Friends of Trees Award at the 2008 Earth Day/Arbor Day ceremony in recognition of its efforts.
Award winners are selected based on their advancement or support of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County's environmental goals and policy statements; their dedication of personal time and expertise beyond normal fiscal or civic responsibilities; and their leadership as a role model for others.
The awards program is administered by the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council and is supported by the county's environmental coordinator and the Department of Planning and Zoning.
For more information about this year's award winners or the Environmental Excellence Awards, call Kambiz Agazi, environmental coordinator, at 703-324-1788, TTY 711. Previous years' award winners are listed online.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
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Public AMI Publishing: Hardening and Clean-up Requirements
As a publisher of a public AMI, you are responsible for the initial security posture of the machine images that you distribute. You are free to configure your private AMIs in any way that meets your business needs and does not violate our Amazon Web Services Acceptable Use Policy. However, when an AMI is made public, it can be launched by customers who are not security experts, and who are not familiar with the history and details of the AMI. In order to protect our customers, certain minimum security standards must be met by all public AMIs.
This article expands on the following existing resources:
- The Sharing AMIs Safely section of the EC2 User Guide, which can be found at http://docs.amazonwebservices.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/AESDG-chapter-sharingamis.html.
- How To Share and Use Public AMIs in A Secure Manner, which is available at https://aws.amazon.com/articles/0155828273219400.
In addition to making sure that the software you publish is up to date with relevant security patches, you must also minimally perform the following set of clean-up and hardening tasks before publishing your AMI.
All AMIs:
- Disable services and protocols that authenticate users in clear text (e.g. Telnet and FTP).
- Do not start unnecessary network services on launch. Only administrative services (SSH/RDP) and the services required for your application should be started.
- Securely delete all AWS credentials from disk and configuration files.
- Securely delete any third-party credentials from disk and configuration files.
- Securely delete any additional certificates or key material from the system.
- Ensure that software installed on your AMI does not have default internal accounts and passwords (e.g. database servers with a default admin username and password).
- Ensure that the system does not violate the Amazon Web Services Acceptable Use Policy. Examples include open SMTP relays or proxy servers.
Unix/Linux AMIs:
- Configure sshd to allow only
public key authentication. This can be done by setting
PubkeyAuthentication yesand
PasswordAuthentication noin sshd_config.
- Generate a unique SSH host key on instance creation. If you are using cloud-init in your AMI, it can handle this for you automatically.
- Remove and disable passwords for all user accounts so
that passwords cannot be used to log in and user accounts do not have a
default password. This can be done by running
passwd -l <USERNAME>for each account.
- Securely delete all user SSH public and private key pairs.
- Securely delete the shell history and system log files that contain sensitive data.
Windows AMIs:
- Ensure that all enabled user accounts have new randomly generated passwords on instance creation. The EC2 Config Service can be set to do this for the Administrator account on the next boot, but you must explicitly enable this before bundling the image.
- Ensure that the guest account is disabled.
- Clear the Windows event log.
- Do not join the instance to a Windows domain.
- Do not enable any file share points that are accessible by unauthenticated users. It is recommended to completely disable file shares.
The preceding lists are not intended to be comprehensive lists of hardening tasks for published AMIs and AWS will add to the lists over time, so please reference this document before publishing. If an AMI that you have published is discovered to be in violation of one of the above practices, or poses a significant risk to a customer's running of the AMI, then AWS may take measures to remove the AMI from the public catalog and notify you and those running the AMI of the finding(s).
Secure Deletion
To securely delete files, use a tool that writes over the disk space that is used by the files. Use of such a tool greatly reduces the ability of a third party to recover the deleted files. For Linux operating systems, utilities like shred or srm can be used. For Windows operating systems, you can use a utility like Sysinternals SDelete or Eraser.
Security Concerns with a Public AMI
If you should discover a public AMI that you feel presents a security risk to any member of the AWS user community, for whatever reason, please e-mail AWS Security directly at firstname.lastname@example.com. We take security very seriously, and investigate all reported issues. If you wish to protect your email, you may use PGP; our key can be found at https://aws.amazon.com/security/aws-pgp-public-key/


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UNCTAD´s Global Investment Trends Monitor is a quarterly publication providing an up-to-date assessment of global FDI flows. In this second issue , UNCTAD reports that FDI that global flows in foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by close to 40% in 2009, to US$1.0 trillion, from $1.7 trillion in 2008.
FDI flows remained relatively stable during the third quarter of 2009 -- but at a low level. No pick-up in FDI was detected in the fourth quarter.
The overall decline in FDI for the year was widespread across all major groups of economies. After experiencing a severe reduction in 2008, FDI flows to developed countries continued to plummet -- they dropped by a further 41% in 2009. Flows to developing and transition economies, meanwhile, which had risen in 2008, declined by 39% in 2009 as the global financial and economic crisis continued to unfold.
In terms of mode of entry of FDI, cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) were the most affected, decreasing by 66% in 2009 as compared to 2008.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
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15 Nov 2012 at 07:54
At the IMAX with Flat Stanley!!
With RileyD
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FLAT STANLEY® is a trademark of the Trust u/w/o Richard C. Brown f/b/o Duncan Brown. Used with permission. All rights reserved


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Founded in 2015, Mildly Classic Technologies Pvt Ltd is a funded company based in Bangalore. It has 1-5 employees currently and works in the domain of Mobile.
We are a Healthcare Software Product company looking for a full stack ROR developer to work on our product. * Must work from our Pune office. Working remotely is not an option. * Work in a small team of like minded talented geeks. * Own a complete module/project (full stack). * Work on the latest and greatest of both server and client stack (Rails 5, Actioncable, ACtiveJob, ReactJS). * Work on a real-life product used by customers in production. Polish your skills of code optimization, performance tuning.
Key Responsibilities The individual role that you'll play in our team: ● Developing large multi-tenant applications in Rails. ● Understanding Rails best practices and religiously introducing those to our codebase. ● Knowledge on how to do effective Refactoring. ● Knowledge in using AngularJS or other Frontend frameworks like (Bootstrap) ● Ability to write unit tests and following those practices religiously. ● Working closely with the Product managers and UX team. ● Helping QAs to write automated integration tests. ● Staying up-to-date with current and future Backend technologies and architectures. What we want to see in the potential Candidate The candidate would be an enthusiastic developer with a strong understanding of core Ruby and Rails framework along with PostgreSQL database. You have to consistently deliver in a fast paced environment and should be more than willing to build software that people love to use. Read the 'Skills and Experience' section, it is not the usual yada yada, you'll be asked specific questions on these. Skills and Experience ● Ruby on Rails architecture best practices ● Strong OOP knowledge in Ruby. ● Asynchronous Networking in Ruby ● Designing RESTFul HTTP APIs using JSON-Schema or JSON API ( jsonapi.org ). ● Ability to architect and develop API only backend ● Experience in using ActiveRecordSerializer ● Understanding O-Auth2 or JWT (Json Web Token) authentication mechanisms. ● How to use RSpec ● Rails Security Best Practices ● PostgreSQL and Rails. ● SQL concepts like Joins, Relationships etc. ● Understanding DB Partition strategies. ● Knowledge about refactoring ActiveRecord Models (read this - "7 Patterns to Refactor Fat ActiveRecord Models"). ● Understanding scaling strategies for a high-traffic Rails applications (2 million+ requests a day). ● Background Job processing using Redis and Sidekiq ● Experience in using Amazon Web Services (AWS) tools. ● Writing automated Deployment Scripts using Capistrano, Ansible etc. ● Sending emails in Rails ● Knowledge in Linux and Git is mandatory Optional Skills ● Knowledge in using Chef or Puppet ● Ability to do basic DevOps like setting up a Linux server. ● Websocket communication in Rails 5. ● Node.js ● JRuby About ProMobi Technologies ProMobi Technologies is based in Pune, Maharashtra. We are a Product and Services company providing top-notch Mobile and Web Application services to our clients and customers across the globe. We are one of the emerging new start-ups in India who is providing solutions for Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM). The role is to be part of our "core development" team of awesome Mobile and Backend engineers. The successful candidate will be involved in building robust Android apps used by hundreds of businesses every day. This is a very exciting opportunity as we are a fast growing company so you'll be able to see your hard work and ideas going live to customers quickly.
DESCRIPTION Amazon's new delivery product, Amazon Flex, aims to delight customers by delivering millions of packages faster than ever before. We are expanding our service rapidly to new geographies and products from groceries to big-screen TVs in an increasingly complex transportation network. We recently launched Prime Now, Amazon's newest benefit for Prime members who can now skip a trip to the store by shopping on the Prime Now app for products like paper towels, shampoo, books, toys and batteries with orders delivered right to their door in an hour or less. With Amazon Flex, individuals can now be their own boss, delivering ultra-fast Prime Now and Restaurant orders. Both Amazon Flex and delivery experience of Prime Now are powered by the Amazon Flex App, which is available on iOS and Android. The Amazon Flex App works in concert with our advanced logistics systems and technology. The Amazon Flex App and technology will allow the delivery partner to onboard, schedule delivery times in advance or on demand, guide them through their deliveries with in-app mapping and navigation, and more. You can find out more about Amazon Flex, our newest delivery innovation, at flex.amazon.com. Come join the team and help us make history! It is still Day 1! We are building a new business and a global product in the last mile space. We have many openings for individuals to help us innovate in this space. We are looking for talented WDEs to design and build these new systems. You will work on hard problems at scale and will have autonomy to deliver. You will learn about real-time adaptive transportation solutions, routing algorithms and optimizations, operating on large scale datasets, mobile development and more. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS · Bachelor's degree and/or Master's degree in Computer Science or equivalent. · 5+ years of software development experience, including Java and/or C++, OO Design, and SOA · JavaScript competence · Experience using a MV* framework (such as Backbone.js, Ember.js, AngularJS, ReactJS, …) · Experience with web interface development and frameworks (Ajax, Angular, Jquery, and similar) · Experience in using a version control system, preferably Git · Knowledge of HTML5, DOM traversal/manipulation and event capturing, jQuery, CSS PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS · Experience in building high-performance, highly-available and scalable distributed systems. · Experience with databases. · Java, SQL and web development experience with Linux · Spring experience · Experience in responsive design, touch interfaces · Ideal candidates will show excellent debugging and troubleshooting skills, with an enthusiastic attitude to support and resolve customer problems · Experience designing and supporting large-scale distributed systems in a production environment · Self-starter, quick learner and passionate problem resolver Amazon is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer – Minority / Female / Disability / Vet.
Equal Experts makes simple solutions to big business problems. We provide tailored, end-to-end services in software development and delivery – from user research and design, to technical architecture, development and QA, all the way to devops, continuous delivery, hosting and support. With offices in the UK, US, Portugal, India and Canada, our network of over 700 experienced software consultants – a blend of permanent employees and associates – has created software for a wide range of public and private sector clients. These include organisations as diverse as HMRC, the Home Office, O2, Camelot and major institutions in the publishing, financial and retail sectors. Continuing growth saw our total sales reaching £42 million in 2015/16. Everyone at Equal Experts is committed to using technology and modern agile practices to deliver measurable business value. Our people typically have at least 10 years' experience in delivering valuable, working software, and this focus on experience sets us apart – it's what allows us to develop high-quality software faster, and for lower cost. Recent updateSee all See all recent updates Image accompanying recent update 10 years together: Associate model - Equal Experts equalexperts.com 11 Likes 5d Company details Website http://www.equalexperts.com Headquarters London Year founded 2007 Company type Privately Held Company size 501-1,000 employees Specialties Application Development, Offshore & Distributed delivery, System Integration, Iterative Delivery, Digital Transformation, User Centred Design, Continuous Delivery, E-Commerce, DevOps, Big Data, Mobile (Web and Native), Open Source, Java, Scala, NoSQL, .Net, REST, and Cloud
Equal Experts makes simple solutions to big business problems. We are a network of talented, experienced software consultants, specialising in agile delivery. We bring maturity, pragmatism and passion to software projects of all shapes and sizes – everything from mobile apps to enterprise-level technology platforms Our people typically have 8+ years' experience in delivering valuable, working software, and this focus on experience sets us apart – it's what allows us to develop high-quality software faster, and for lower cost. We follow extreme programming practices extensively & religiously in Equal Experts. You check our values here: https://www.equalexperts.com/our-values/delivery-values/
After 1.5 years of launching CutShort and making it profitable with a small core team, we are finally looking to welcome a few more smart folks to our team. We have reached more than 60,000+ users + 2500+ companies such as Myntra, Amazon, Google, etc but really believe we are only getting started now. 2017 is going to be big for us - we plan to dominate the Indian market and also expand our reach across the globe. Scaling up the backend is critical as a startup grows and needs to be done right. We are looking for a techie who can join us in tackling growth problems on the backend. Knowledge about how the frontend works and how it integrates with the backend is a must. Our professional assistant, Voila, is also shaping up well and uses Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. Knowledge / Experience in this kind of work is definitely a bonus. We work on the MEAN stack.
CoHo.in is a well funded co-living startup based out of Gurgaon. You will be joining a small team with a lot of interesting projects ranging from AR to AI to data analytics. We provide a lot of learning opportunities and put great emphasis on sustaining a high-performance environment.


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AMR Corporation and its two U.S. airline subsidiaries, American Airlines and American Eagle, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today after failing to agree to cost-cutting measures with its pilots. The only major U.S. airline company to avoid bankruptcy over the past decade, AMR finally succumbed to pension funding burdens and high fuel costs while its main rivals shed labor costs under Chapter 11 and subsequently engaged in consolidation.
"We took this action in order to achieve a cost and debt structure that is industry competitive and thereby assure our long-term viability and ability to continue delivering a world-class travel experience for customers," said the company in a statement. American Airlines and American Eagle will continue to operate normal flight schedules, maintain their frequent-flier programs, honor all employee wages and benefits and carry on with all their code-share relationships, it added.
AMR also announced today that it has replaced retiring chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey with Thomas Horton, who will also retain his position as president. Under its Chapter 11 filing in the Southern District of New York, the company listed assets of some $24.72 billion, $29.55 billion in liabilities and $4.1 billion in cash. AMR lost $162 million in the third quarter and has posted losses in 14 of the last 16 quarters.
"This was a difficult decision, but it is the necessary and right path for us to take–and take now–to become a more efficient, financially stronger, and competitive airline," said Horton. "Our very substantial cost disadvantage compared to our larger competitors, all of which restructured their costs and debt through Chapter 11, has become increasingly untenable given the accelerating impact of global economic uncertainty and resulting revenue instability, volatile and rising fuel prices, and intensifying competitive challenges."


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Local artist Nina Schmidt honors her home state in Landscapes of Wisconsin, an exhibit of artwork in the Fond du Lac Public Library Langdon Divers Gallery December 3 to January 7.
The Friends of the Fond du Lac Public Library are planning a fun and family friendly event on March 15, 2015: The Browser Open.
As the year draws to a close, FDL Library staff reflects on 2014's most memorable books. Click on any book title to place a hold.
If credit card bills are giving you holiday-spending remorse, maybe it's time to get a handle on spending. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 17, Family Living Educator Michelle Tidemann will present "Where Does the Money Go?" at the Fond du Lac Public Library. The program is free; no registration required.
Crafters will use Dixie Cups, upcycled book pages and stamps and inks to add some retro warmth to a string of holiday lights in the December 6 Crafternoon program at the Fond du Lac Public Library. Crafters must bring their own strand of twinkle lights (50 lights maximum) to make a festive garland in the program that runs 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for adults and teens in middle school and older.
The public is invited to see 3-D printers in action, find 3-D projects on the web and queue them up for printing at the Fond du Lac Public Library's second 3-D Open Print event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, December 13.
Once upon a time there was a magical story about what happened when Santa crash-landed during a terrible storm. Who did Santa meet? Why was he in danger? How can he, his angels and invisible reindeer save Christmas?
Kids, get your lists ready: Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the Fond du Lac Public Library from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3. Every family will receive a free, new holiday book to take home. Parents can take photos of their kids with Santa, and the whole family can enjoy making a holiday craft. Santa's visit is free and open to the public; no registration required.
Thanks to members of the Fond du Lac Evening Optimist Club, families who attend the Fond du Lac Public Library's Evening with Santa 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 3, each will receive a copy of the book, Mouse's First Christmas, by Lauren Thompson. Pictured, from left, bottom row: club member Tricia Bonlander, library Children's and Teen Services Coordinator Sarah Newton and club member Lynn Nickel. Top row: club members Dick Baumhardt, Gail Harder and Gerry Bonlander.


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January 20, 2009 - The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Beyond Traditional Borders, Rice 360°, and the World Affairs Council of Houston is hosting
Dale Dawson, the founder and CEO of Dallas-based relief agency Bridge2Rwanda. He will deliver a talk at Rice University titled "Creating Tomorrow's Leaders to Transform a Nation" at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Dawson will discuss the agency's
efforts to build schools and businesses by mobilizing "borrowed talent," which he characterizes as "smart, humble and committed individuals from around the world" drawn to Rwanda to help develop the country. Dawson, who formed the agency in 2002, is an adviser to Rwandan President Paul Kagame and to the Rwanda Development Board. He helped found and serves on the boards of the nation's Urwego Opportunity Bank
and Muhabura University. The free talk at Duncan Hall's McMurtry Auditorium is open to the public. A reception will follow in Martel Hall. For information about Bridge2Rwanda, visit www.bridge2rwanda.org.


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St. Petersburg, Florida
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."
After spending 11 years working for Pinellas County Schools as a special education teacher and then technology specialist, Michael E. Sweeney joined the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at the University of South Florida. He has been doing instructional technology training for over 12 years for K-12 school districts and higher education institutions. Currently, he is leading teams of trainers around the state of Florida doing four-day Teaching and Learning Summer Institutes on the integration of technology into classroom curriculum. He has a Bachelor's degree in Behavior Disorder Education and a Master's degree in Instructional Technology and Design.
During his tenure at the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, Sweeney has provided training to Florida school districts on a range of Adobe software: Web Design with Dreamweaver®, Flash®, and Fireworks®; Digital Images in the Classroom with Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements; and Digital Video in the Classroom with Adobe Premiere® and Final Cut Pro. He also helps to develop dynamic websites using PHP, mySQL, and Filemaker Pro that provide digital assets for all teachers at no cost.
Working in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education, Sweeney has helped develop the Florida Digital Educator and Master Digital Educator Programs. With the use of Adobe Captivate®, Adobe Connect™, and Moodle, the center has gone beyond face-to-face training. He initiated online learning communities that would allow teachers from all over the state to work with national trainers on software, classroom management, and the integration of technology into their curriculum.
In his spare time at work, Sweeney is also the server administrator for the center's eight Mac OS X servers that include web servers, file servers, database servers, and the Adobe Connect server.
Sweeney enjoys photography and videography. If he has free time during daylight hours, he can be found rollerblading or biking one of the many trails in the St. Petersburg area.