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Keep kids learning
Worried your kid forgets everything they've learnt when not at school? Here's how to keep their brain sharp. more
I'm going to answer this question in two parts. First, I'll deal with the issue of your daughter having preferences for particular clothing in general. Then I'll discuss your daughter's questions about how beautiful her arms and knees are.
As you would have noticed, from around the age of two or three, children begin to express strong preferences about a range of things, from what they eat to what they play, who they cuddle, and of course what they wear. This is entirely normal and developmentally appropriate, and we can help them by offering them choices we both feel good about. As you are experiencing, from time to time children may express a preference for something that we don't want them to have. And this is where it gets tricky.
My personal policy is that if something is a matter of principle (that is, it involves safety or morality) I'm generally firm on limits. When it's a matter of preference (such as what your daughter wears), I generally shrug my shoulders and allow my children to choose for themselves. As such, my children have gone to preschool in their pyjamas (only once – and when we got there and she saw everyone else dressed properly we returned home so she could change), and they have also had several other seemingly odd experiences due to preferences.
So, my first suggestion would be that if your daughter expresses a preference to wear long sleeves in hot weather, go along with it. Don't make a big deal about it in any way. Just smile and say "OK." You may choose to share a different opinion. But I recommend doing so gently and kindly rather than in an "I told you so" kind of way. If your daughter gets hot later, smile and kindly offer an opportunity to change.
Girls, far more than boys, are exposed to messages about body image. I'm not sure that parents can do anything at all to stop that exposure. However, parents can teach a healthy approach to body image through being a good example themselves, and by watching the things they say about themselves and others (including their kids). I'm guessing from your email that you're fully aware of this yourself.
So what do you do?
You've asked whether you should 'ignore' the issue, or if you should be more pushy.
I don't think either of these positions would be helpful. The 'ignoring' suggestion could arguably be considered as either neglectful (at worst) or laissez-faire (at best). Neither of these approaches are associated with positive outcomes for children. Alternatively, becoming pushy and authoritarian generally promotes unsatisfactory outcomes for kids as well. But … there is a third (and far more helpful) option:
I recommend that you try the following three things:
When your daughter wants to wear something you think is strange, have a chat about it. Ask why? If it's merely preferences (and not about principles) then it's usually best to allow it. Chances are she'll get hot and get changed later on. Even obstinate kids want to be comfortable eventually. If it's simply not allowable (like wearing a thermal fleece jacket on a 40°C day), set an appropriate limit by saying "No, but you can wear X or Y." It won't always go well, but you're the parent and it's your role to make the tough calls sometimes. If it's about an issue related to beauty (so it's a principle rather than a preference) try this second approach.
I'm strongly anti-praise when it comes to looks. Research clearly tells us that it can have terrible undermining effects on kids and their feelings of worth. But I'm also a big believer in talking about what we see. Research shows that descriptions can be helpful in children forming their own evaluations of things. My response would be, "Well, I see two perfectly formed arms with soft, clean, smooth skin that I LOVE to touch and tickle." That will provide reassurance – but it's not praise, nor is it making any judgement of beauty myths. You're simply saying what you love. The key to this 'chat', comes next. After you offer reassurance, ask questions. "What do you think about your arms?" Or, "You seem to be asking lots of questions about arms and knees lately. Why is that?" Sometimes you will be surprised by your daughter's insight and answers. Other times she may not have a clue why she's asking. Regardless of her responses, be gently reassuring, not through praise, but by confirmation of what you see. (And it can also be helpful to talk about that what a person looks like is not nearly as important as how a person treats others).
This article was written for Kidspot by Justin Coulson, Ph. D. Justin is a relationships and parenting expert, author and father of five children. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and at happyfamilies.com.au.
You can get parenting advice from Justin Coulson by emailing your questions to email@example.com.


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A BURNLEY cat has been lapping up the attention after being named one of Britain's naughtiest pets.
Stoops, named after the Burnley housing estate where he was rescued by his owner Sarah Bateman, came third out of 300 entries in a national competition run by online blinds firm Direct Blinds.
The company asked owners to send in their snaps of pets caught in the act of misbehaving with a chance to win a £500 voucher and set of blinds.
And Stoops came within a whisker of winning the contest for his annoying habit of jumping into the fridge and licking the top of the milk bottle.
Sarah, of Whitpark Grove, said: "Every time we open a drawer he'll jump out. The fridge will mysteriously open and it will be Stoops in the fridge.
"He will pierce the lids of bottles of milk from the milkman to get to the milk."
A German Shepherd and Keeshond cross called Yodie was voted Britain's naughtiest pet after shredding cushions up.
Four-year-old Stoops lives with Sarah and her other rescue cat Lucky, who is far more well-behaved.
Sarah said: "When I got him he was in a bit of a bad way and everybody said 'urgh', because he had fleas and couldn't even stand up properly because of the way he'd been treated.
"Nobody ever bothered with him because he was just the manky cat with fleas. He had no name.
"I'm just made up that he's actually won something. He's my little baby, even though he's now four, he's still my baby."
The mischievous moggy earned his place in the rankings thanks to his habit of opening the fridge door and piercing the tops of milk bottles.
Nic Swift, managing director of Direct Blinds, said: "We had a fantastic response to our search for the naughtiest pet, receiving over 300 amazing entries.
"From 'Dolly the Doormat Killer' to 'Stoops the Fridge Raider'; we were inundated with the naughtiest pets from across the UK, ultimately refining these entries to a Top 10 rogues gallery.
"But when we saw Stoops, we knew we had the found one of the naughtiest."
The Lancashire Telegraph reported last Friday how a cat called Slinky Malinki was hailed a life-saver after tapping on a neighbour's window when his owner Janet Rawlinson collapsed in her home in Cornholme.

subset: commoncrawl


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I went to College at SUNY Purchase. Today the school has "normaled" out a bit but when I went there it was mostly art students. One of the required courses was called Social Sciences in the Arts. The professor spent a good amount of time explaining there were different types of artists. The curriculum suggested that obviously an artist creates and is heavily inspired by his surrounding. It also suggested that every artist is heavily influenced by his audience. I found that to be the interesting part. I do think of who will be listening when I make music. The professor explained that even artists who are complete hermits, who never show their work in their lifetime create it hoping or knowing someday someone will discover it. Do you agree? Below are some links to an early Italian review of my album and an interview I did with French electronic music photographer/blogger Morganistik:
"Everything is taken, with expansion into the New Wave of Joy Division in the funereal "Love Sick". Halfway between the Rock and Synth Pop is Joyless Pleasure…" – technodisco.it
Review: technodisco.it
Interview: morganistik.com


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ONTARIO – An Ontario-Montclair School District board member has requested that the district reconsider renaming a local preschool in honor of a prominent businessman.
Board member Steve Garcia, serving in just his second meeting since being elected in November, requested that district rename the Linda Vista Preschool to the Alex Espinoza Family Center.
Garcia said he initially introduced the motion before he left the school board in 2010, "for some reason it fell through and it wasn't support."
The board member made the request at the Jan. 17 meeting. Garica asked that it be placed on the agenda of the next meeting so that it can be discussed and a decision can be made in public.
"I think the Alex Espinoza Family Center is very timely. He is a very committed person in our community, Garcia said.
An Ontario resident, Espinoza owns a real estate company and has backed community events such Esperanza Scholarship Foundation and the Ontario Leadership Alliance.
In addition to Garcia's request, board member Maureen Mendoza requested that the superintendent and his cabinet look the process adopted by other school districts to rename buildings.
"Usually they leave it up to the community so that it is transparent," she said. "We should take into consideration the community."
The next regular board meeting is Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.


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Lotus's Active Valve Train (AVT) research system is an electronically controlled, hydraulically operated system that provides the control of individual valve lift profiles by a digital signal processor based controller. It provides our clients with a tool for faster research into advanced combustion performance and fuel economy.
The AVT system was developed to support research into advanced combustion techniques including Low Temperature Combustion, Controlled Auto Ignition and Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI). Where there is a need to develop camshaft and valvetrain designs, AVT simulations eliminate the need to change engine hardware thus dramatically speeding up the testing and development of engines and combustion. The Lotus AVT system is used on single cylinder engines in the research department of vehicle manufacturers and universities around the world who benefit from the ability to independently control each valve with cycle to cycle variation and operating speeds up to 8,000 RPM. The system can be adapted to fit on a variety of single cylinder research engines, including Lotus own single cylinder research engines.
In addition to supplying AVT, we offer support and training as well as in-house research for clients using our own system.
The Lotus AVT system is an electronically controlled, hydraulically operated system that allows the control of individual valve lift profiles by a digital signal processor based controller. AVT allows the user, via a PC to specify the desired valve lift profile per valve. The user can edit and save pre-defined valve-lift profiles from a selection of profiles stored on hard disk, or generate, edit and save user defined profiles. Thus, it provides a flexible research and development tool with which to control the lift and timing of the valves, whilst still allowing conventional valve acceleration and velocity characteristics to be obtained.
Conventional camshafts are replaced with hydraulically operated actuators and proportional electro-hydraulic servo valves. A double-acting hydraulic actuator is fixed to the cylinder head and co-axially aligned with the engine valve. The actuators hydraulic piston is directly attached to the engine valve and a displacement transducer is connected to the top of the piston enabling the position of the valve to be accurately monitored.
A hydraulic power pack supplies pressurised hydraulic fluid to the electro-hydraulic servo valves which proportionally control the flow of hydraulic fluid to either the top or bottom of the actuator piston. This enables control of the velocity, timing and lift displacement of the engine valves for each individual crankshaft degree of rotation.
The control parameters of the system are accessed via a graphical user interface program on a PC which communicates with the AVT Controller.
The system employs a phase advanced PID controller to detect and correct automatically the actual measured displacement towards achieving the desired displacement. The system operation is monitored continuously to identify potential malfunctions such as hydraulic pressure loss, crank or valve position signal loss, and potential valve to piston or valve to valve clash scenarios. A desired valve lift profile can be defined via the Lotus engine valve profile generator software (EVPG) which is communicated to the AVT Controller via a PC based user interface. It is possible to vary the opening and closing points of a profile individually in one-degree increments, and the maximum lift is adjustable to any valid figure between 0.01 mm and the maximum travel of the actuator. Each engine valve is controlled individually.
A library of many thousands of user specified lift profiles can be established by the user for use in their engine test programs. From this library the user can select up to 128 lift profiles, that can be applied to any engine valve, for use in any given engine test session and each of these profiles can also be phase advanced or retarded +/- 128 degrees. If required, whilst the engine is running, a lift profile may be changed or modified every engine cycle and can contain as many lift events as are physically possible to implement. For example an engine can be configured to swap between two and four stroke combustion on alternate cycles if required. This allows the user to change a profile quickly and to observe its effects on exhaust emissions and engine performance, using standard test cell monitoring equipment. For a four stroke cycle a lift demand is specified as 720 lift points. ie. one lift increment for every degree of crankshaft rotation.
A crankshaft encoder provides the crank position and LVDTs provide the individual engine valve displacements to the AVT controller, these signals are compared to the demanded profile, approximately every 100 microseconds, as part of the feedback control loop and actuator demand signals are sent to the servo valve.


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|Forum: BingAds (was MSN/Microsoft AdCenter)
|Displaying Topics 1 - 40 (58 total) Sorted by: Thread-Subject, Direction: reverse
| adCenter: 3 hours to pause/resume ads?
"Why is it still taking 3+ hours (on average) to see ads after resuming campaigns and 3 hours after pausing ads before they actually stop appearing and receiving clicks?"
|June 23, 2006
| adCenter Upgrade - Temporary Reporting Delay
"We are pleased to announce the arrival of adCenter 3.7.1. As communicated in advance of the upgrade, reporting will remain out of SLA until around Tuesday May 1st 2007 due to the massive amounts of data that we must process as a result of the upgrade."
|Apr 30, 2007
| Tutorial: Making The Most Out Of AdCenter
"My team went for a tutorial in London last week on making AdCenter work. I thought the notes that they came back with as to what they found relevent might be of help to people - especially those that suddenly find their ads in limbo, offline or entirely ineffectual."
|Dec 13, 2006
| Report: Microsoft Eyes Web Ad Firm 24/7 Real Media
"Microsoft Corp. the world's largest software maker, is a contender to buy Internet advertising firm 24/7 Real Media Inc. for as much as $1 billion, the New York Post reported on Tuesday."
|May 1, 2007
| Microsoft to Launch Digital Advertising Solutions
"At Advertising Week 2006, Microsoft Corp. will announce the worldwide launch of Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions in a move that combines the company's broad set of global advertising products and services into a unified offering for advertisers. Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions is designed to connect advertisers with their target audiences across such devices as PCs, Xbox video game systems, Web-enabled mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs)."
|Sept 26, 2006
| Microsoft to Buy Health Information Search Engine
"Microsoft is buying Medstory Inc., a small start-up in Foster City, Calif. Its search software applies artificial intelligence techniques to medical and health information in medical journals, government documents and on the Internet."
|Feb 26, 2007
| Microsoft starts testing multiple ad formats
"The company said Wednesday that is conducting tests under multiple ad formats, as part of its strategy announced in November to offer Internet-based services supported by ads and subscriptions. The online versions of its software and services target small businesses and consumers. "
|Mar 15, 2006
| Microsoft adLabs Research Center Announced
"Microsoft has announced the opening of a new research lab in China that will work on online advertising technology.... The new 'adLab' will work on improving MSN adCenter, Microsoft's pay-per-click advertising platform."
|Jan 13, 2006
| Microsoft adExcellence Accreditation Program
|Dec 10, 2007
| Microsoft adCenter Updates its Trademark Policy
|Aug 24, 2007
| Microsoft adCenter To Introduce Quality Score
Beginning this spring, advertisers will be able to leverage a new adCenter Quality Score for optimizing campaigns in the Bing+Yahoo search marketplace.[br][br]* Quality Score will be on a 1-10 scale, and be calculated at the keyword level for each match-type being purchased[br][br]* Scores are designed to represent how competitive your keyword is within the marketplace, with three sub-scores for keyword relevance, landing page relevance, and landing page user experience[br][br][br]* Actionable guidance will be provided to optimize and improve your quality score[br][br]* At launch, scores will be visible and exportable from the adCenter Web UI, and accessible through adCenter Reporting and Reporting APIs
|Mar 9, 2011
| Microsoft adCenter T&Cs Updated To Cover Content Ad Distribution
"Some of the text in the new T&Cs allows you to participate in current and future adCenter services, such as Content Ads."
|May 3, 2007
| Microsoft adCenter Now Powers Paid Search Ads On Bing and Yahoo
"Advertisers will operate a single account in adCenter to reach Microsoft and Yahoo!'s audience of 163 million searchers in the U.S. and 15 million searchers in Canada."
|Oct 27, 2010
| Microsoft adCenter Labs
|May 31, 2006
| Microsoft adCenter Gets Upgrades and New Look
|Oct 28, 2008
| Microsoft adCenter Content (Beta) Ads Pilot Program Compulsory?
"I received an email this morning notifying me that my campaign will AUTOMATICALLY go into a Content Ads Pilot Program."
|Jan 18, 2007
| Microsoft adCenter Analytics Beta Updated
|Mar 7, 2008
| Microsoft adCenter Add-in Beta for Excel 2007
"The tool is a keyword research and optimization tool that integrates into Excel 2007"
|Dec 5, 2007
| Microsoft Shows Off New Smart Web Ads
"For example, if a car company wanted to show its logo for 10 seconds in the bottom-right-hand corner of the screen, the computer program would find the 10 seconds in which the logo interferes least with the action in the video."
|Feb 7, 2008
| Microsoft Invests in Analytics Firm DeepMetrix
"Microsoft has not only built adCenter to deliver innovative reporting capabilities, but also announced that it had acquired DeepMetrix Corp..."
|May 5, 2006
| Microsoft Files Lawsuit for $750,000 in Damages Over Alleged Click Fraud
"In the suit filed on Monday in a U.S. federal court in Seattle against the three individuals and companies they are believed to control,..."
|June 16, 2009
| Microsoft Creates Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group
"Microsoft also created the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group. This new business group will be responsible for building Microsoft's monetization engine to serve the advertiser and publisher community."
|Aug 13, 2007
| Microsoft Content Ads Beta Launched in U.S.
"...Content Ads Beta available to all U.S. customers! On Wednesday, August 29, we will upgrade adCenter to include Microsoft Content Ads."
|Aug 21, 2007
| Microsoft Advertising: Consumer Experience Is Everything
"Our study identifies that consumers typically follow four multi-screening pathways..."
|Mar 17, 2013
| Microsoft AdExcellence Program Goes Into UK (Beta)
|Jan 17, 2008
| Microsoft AdCenter Gatineau Web Analytics, Beta Test Open To US Only
"Project Gatineau, Microsoft's new, free web analytics service, is ready for beta testing and the first invitations are now being sent to customers."
|Oct 30, 2007
| Microsoft AdCenter Bug Found and Fixed
Due to a bug, some advertisers were overcharged. Microsoft has fixed the problem and issued refunds to those affected.
|Feb 24, 2007
| MSN adCenter to Receive Overhaul on 8/5
Center will support Firefox. Significant changes to functionality...Improved Reporting...Improved Price Estimations.
|Aug 3, 2006
| MSN adCenter - WishList
|Jan 30, 2006
| MSN Requests WebmasterWorld Member Requests for adCenter
" Specifically, we're looking at how we can offer a set of compelling services to our self-service advertisers. Do you want campaign optimization? A quick migration tool? What about an ad certification program? If you were to name the top 5 services you could have, what would they be? Let us know!"
|Feb 13, 2006
| MSN Launches Adcenter - Now Open to all Now
"Microsoft today is launching its adCenter online advertising system in the U.S., and will now compete directly with Google and Yahoo! in selling ads on the Web."
|May 4, 2006
| MSN Behavioural Ad Targetting Now Available
"Obtain user-behaviour data from the MSN and MS Search networks to find out what people are interested in, then target them with ads on topic to those interests, rather than specific keywords."
|Sept 7, 2006
| MSN Adcenter Launches New Beta Tools
"The Microsoft adcenter labs team is launching some new and updated demos."
|Nov 1, 2006
| MSN AdCenter to launch by June
"Microsoft Corp. plans to launch its system for selling advertising alongside regular search results by June in the United States, giving the company its next piece of ammunition in the battle with rivals including Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc."
|Jan 13, 2006
| MSN AdCenter Primer for New Users
"For all of those who will be joining AdCenter on Monday here is a bit of a primer for you..."
|Mar 6, 2006
| MSN AdCenter Now Includes Ask.com
You can now purchase keywords on Ask.com and their partner sites (iWon etc.) through MSN AdCenter.
|July 17, 2007
| Is There A Bug In Microsoft adCenter With Ads Suddenly Stopping?
"My server logs show short bursts of traffic for maybe an hour in the early morning and then not a single impression the rest of the day."
|Oct 29, 2010
| Free Entry into the AdCenter beta
Starting Monday, March 6 at 9 A.M. Pacific Time, MSN will be offering an open pilot enrollment for approximately three hours.
|Mar 3, 2006
| Excluding Yahoo Partner Sites After The Merger
The 4th post highlights how to remove the less desirable Yahoo traffic from AdCenter.
|Sept 30, 2010
| Download adCenter Add-in (Beta) for Excel 2007 For U.S. Customers
|Jan 10, 2008


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Let the fact-checkers do their thing. Let the pundits judge who won.
For the television audience -- and, after all, we are the real target for the debate, particularly the undecideds on the couch -- there are more visceral cues we'll seek before anointing a winner.
Like it or not, this is show business. Acting presidential is equivalent to being presidential. Sounding like a leader in this media audition will help the contender to land the part.
Read the full story here at DFM�Politics.


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Castillo Theatre's SALLY AND TOM Wins 5 AUDELCO Awards
On Monday, November 19, the membership of the Audience Development Corporation honored the Castillo Theatre with wins in all five of the categories in which it was nominated for the Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Recognition Awards for Excellence in Black Theatre (aka the Viv Awards) for its production of Sally and Tom (The American Way) by FrEd Newman and Annie Roboff, directed by Gabrielle L. Kurlander. The musical looks at the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, his slave and mistress for 30 years, exploring the tragic contradiction at the heart of American history and culture.
Sally and Tom (The American Way) won Best Musical Production of the Year. The play's director, Gabrielle L. Kurlander, won Best Director of a Musical Production. Ava Jenkins, who played Sally Hemings, won Outstanding Performance in a Musical-Female, and Brian D. Hills, who played Madison Hemings, Jefferson's and Hemings' son, took home the award for Outstanding Performance in a Musical-Male. Michael Walsh won Outstanding Musical Director. This year's recognition follows the Castillo Theatre's 2011 Viv Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Playing With Heiner Müller, also directed by Kurlander.
The 2012 Viv Awards also honored Court-Martial at Fort Devens, a drama about a strike by Black WACs during Work War II. Court-Martial at Fort Devens, which was produced by the New Federal Theatre in association with Castillo Theatre, won Vivs for: Best Dramatic Production of the Year; Best Playwright Jeffrey Sweet; Best Director of a Dramatic Production, Mary Beth Easley; Best Costume Design, Ali Turns; Best Sound Design, Mark Bruckner; and the cast was awarded Outstanding Ensemble Performance. A second New Federal production in association with the Castillo Theatre, Puberty Rites by Elaine Jackson, won Best Lighting Design for Shirley Prendergast.
The Castillo Theatre (Dan Friedman, artistic director; Diane Stiles, managing director) has been creating and producing experimental, socially engaged and entertaining theatre for 29 years. It has long featured the plays of FrEd Newman, its late artistic director and playwright-in-residence and is increasingly recognized as a multi-cultural home for Black Theatre in New York City, located at 543 West 42nd Street. Earlier this season, Castillo extended a run of Katori Hall's Children of Killers due to popular demand. The rest of its eclectic season of political theatre includes: Demonstration 2013: A Choral Community Play by Dan Friedman, directed by David Nackman; Carmen's Place (A Fantasy), like Sally and Tom, a musical by FrEd Newman and Annie Roboff, directed by Gabrielle L. Kurlander; Hip-Hop Explosion Workshop, a hip-hop take on the work of German avant-gardist Heiner Müller, directed by Madelyn Chapman and Antoine Joyce; and musical improv comedy by Castillo's in-house troupe, The Proverbial Loons.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - This Halloween is even more special for a group of Navy families based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky Wednesday afternoon for the return of Helicopter Squadron 11, also called "Dragon Slayers." The team arrived home in a flying V formation after nearly eight months of deployment.
They were deployed with the USS Enterprise in support of "Operation Enduring Freedom."
IMAGES: 'Dragon Slayers' return home
Seven helicopters carrying 180 people returned to their families.
"I've got my family here and it couldn't be better," said Lt. Leif Walroth, who's back from his third deployment.
Many fathers saw their children for the first time since the spring. Liam Walroth was only 5 days old when his dad deployed in March.
"I just missed my family," Leif Walroth said while crying.
"Home for the first Halloween, so that was big to make it home, not to miss another first, you know. So that's great," Nicole Walroth said of her husband's return.
The USS Enterprise is on its final mission before it's decommissioned later this year. Petty Officer First Class Brandon Lee summed up what he and the other "Dragon Slayers" are sent out to do.
"Ultimately, we're out to protect the ship from carriers, any type of enemy threats that's out there," said Lee, of Middleburg. "If we come across them and have to take them out, that's what we do."
The squadron spent most of its deployment in the north Arabian Sea, bouncing back and forth between Dubai and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The squadron's commanding officer said this was one of his longer deployments.
"You communicate pretty well. I mean, email is up usually all the time, to be honest with you," Commander Ryan Keys said. "You can actually text people through email, which is great. So the communication aspect is there, but yeah, I mean being separated for eight months is definitely hard over time."
The families have plenty of time to catch up. They're not scheduled to deploy again until January 2015.
Copyright 2012 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Corn futures fell rather sharply Thursday despite persistent soybean firmness. The winter storm blanketing the Central Plains with snow and news that the International Grains Council had boosted its estimate of 2012-13 global corn production by 5.0 million tonnes probably weighed upon prices. We would also point out that the equity markets fell rather substantially, whereas the U.S. dollar rose to highs not seen last September. Neither of those moves is conducive to grain price strength since they hold negative demand implications for the domestic and export markets, respectively. March corn ended the day having fallen 10.0 cents to $6.905/bushel, while December dropped 8.0 cents to $5.535.
Nearby soybean futures managed a modest rise Thursday, but the deferred contracts and oil declined. Talk of firm cash prices across the Midwest reportedly supported the March and May contracts. Speculation that logistical problems with the huge Brazilian crop will force international buyers to continue buying U.S. beans later in the year than previously thought reportedly encouraged bulls as well. Meal demand may also be proving surprisingly robust, which would explain nearby futures gains in that pit and concurrent oil weakness. March beans closed 5.0 cents higher, at $14.8775 Thursday afternoon, while March soyoil had fallen 0.76 cents to 51.31 cents/pound, whereas March meal gained $4.0 to $437.6/ton.
Wheat futures fell to fresh 8-month lows Thursday, with traders rather obviously reacting to the snow blanket being dropped on large portions of the Plains from the Panhandle region into Iowa. This could substantially increase production prospects for the coming winter wheat harvest. As with corn, the combination of stock market weakness and U.S. dollar strength may have depressed prices as well. March CBOT wheat futures plunged 17.25 cents to $7.2125/bushel by the Thursday afternoon close, while March KCBT wheat dove 20.0 cents to $7.5725, and March MGE futures dropped 14.0 cents to $8.0675.
After posting a sizeable reversal Wednesday night, live cattle futures apparently resumed their downtrend Thursday. We wonder if the livestock markets are suffering from ongoing talk about the anticipated government sequester. The packing industry could be forced to completely shut down (due to the requirement for USDA inspection of all meat production) if it occurs. We think this is highly unlikely, but we cannot completely rule it out either. Midday slippage in beef cutout values did not help the situation. April cattle fell 0.47 cents to 127.75 cents/pound as the CME pit session wound down Thursday, while August lost the same amount, ending at 125.05. Meanwhile, March feeder cattle slid 0.10 cents to 140.62 cents/pound, and August had fallen 0.47 cents to 153.32.
Hog futures proved quite weak again Thursday. Concerns about the impact of the mooted government sequester may also have been affecting the swine and pork complex. On the other hand, the latest cash and wholesale news was not supportive. Traders saw no quotes concerning hog trading in the Western Corn Belt, but those east of the Mississippi River had fallen rather sharply. The noon pork report called ham prices steady to 2.0 cents lower, which did not improve sentiment in the CME pit either. April hogs dropped 0.60 cents to 82.35 cents/pound Thursday afternoon, while June fell 0.70 cents to 91.65.


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Category: Kate Middleton water birth?
by Patty Adams Martinez of parents.com
While billions of people worldwide are waiting with anticipation to see when Kate Middleton will go into labor this July, there's only one person who will make her child's birth an event that will go down in history: Prince William. According to reports, he is planning to be in the delivery room with Kate, which may sound like no big deal (um, aren't all dads these days?), but it is apparently a historical occasion.
This would be the first royal birth ever where the dad was present for the delivery. That's right, when Prince William was born, Prince Charles was off playing polo. When Prince Charles was born, Prince Philip was playing squash. And the list goes on and on.
Post Categories:


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Biofuels and biomass energy (bioenergy) produced by plants directly from the sun's energy can be used to produce some of our electricity and liquid fuels, and should be part of the solution to global warming pollution. NWF is working to ensure that sustainable land use, carbon benefits, and environmental protections are in place so that the next generation of biofuels and biomass energy is done right.
Biofuels have the potential to provide a modest contribution to our mix of fuels for transportation, and some biofuels may have lower greenhouse gas emissions than fuels derived from petroleum. However, it is important that biofuels be produced under environmental and social safeguards.
NWF is involved in a number of initiatives to ensure that the next generation of biofuels and biomass energy can be used to help curb global warming, while produced in a sustainable manner:
While burning wood is as old as civilization, new techniques for growing and utilizing biomass resources make it a viable renewable fuel option for many parts of the U.S. and the world.
For NWF, the key to a proper role for biomass energy is ensuring sustainable land use and achieving real carbon benefits. We work with leading forest companies and landowner groups to identify the proper balance between forest-derived woody biomass fuel and sustainable forest management that protects core biodiversity and habitat values.
NEW! Learn from case studies in the Southeast US
Learn how biofuels policy may be driving direct and indirect loss of wildlife habitat.
2013 Best Management Guidelines to Achieve Sustainability of Wildlife Resources in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains. Read the full report or the summary flyer.
2013 study shows implications of forestry bioenergy for wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
NWF factsheet explains how EPA is letting the RFS become a driver of grassland and wetland loss.
EPA allows two invasive species, giant reed and napier grass, to qualify as cellulosic biofuel feedstocks.
NWF factsheet gives examples of sustainable and unsustainable sources of biomass for bioenergy production.
Addressing the invasive potential of bioenergy feedstocks.
A study of southeastern forests in the U.S. finds that in the long run, burning wood instead of fossil fuels to make electricity can reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but not soon enough to prevent worsening the conditions leading to global climate change.
NWF report calls for strong agriculture and energy policies that create jobs, curb global warming, pollution, enhance national security, protect wildlife and uphold soil and water quality.


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|August 4, 2010
Volume 12, Issue 16
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Birth Change"
Print Page
Welcome to Midwifery Today E-News !
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The right to have the most joyous and healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum possible should be a human right for both mother and baby. Learn how you can help. Come to our conference in Strasbourg, France, September 29 –October 3, 2010. Classes will include Mothers' Birth Rights, Babies' Birth Rights, and Maternal Mortality Is a Pressing Human Rights Concern.
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In This Week's Issue:
Quote of the Week
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
— Harriet Tubman
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The Art of Midwifery
There is absolutely no evidence that supports that taking five-minute interval fetal heart tones makes a bit of difference in the outcomes. The simpler you keep the birth process, the fewer mistakes are made.
— Gloria Lemay
ALL BIRTH PRACTITIONERS: The techniques you've perfected over months and years of practice are valuable lessons for others to learn! Share them with E-News readers by sending them to firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Jan's Corner
Birth Change
Changing birth practices around the world is an important part of my work, and it is probably an important part of your work. Every motherbaby has the right to an optimal pregnancy and birth. When I attended homebirths in the '70s and '80s, the uterus had not yet been invaded. During the early 1970s, the US cesarean rate was 6–8%—not the optimum of less than 5%, but certainly more reasonable than today's numbers. By 2007, the c-section rate in the US had soared to 31.8%. Between 1975 and 1983, the c-section rate in the US increased sharply, doubling from 10% to more than 20%. What accounted for this increase? Was it fetal monitoring or too many drug pushers in the hospital? (Midwifery Today, Issue 95, which comes out in early September, includes an informative article about drug pushing in hospitals.) Regardless of the reason, what we are left with is a humongous amount of change needed in birth practices.
As a pregnant woman, you have the ability to change the outcome of your own birth. The first and best way to ensure a positive outcome is to stay home. You will expose yourself to much less risk by staying out of the hospital. Hospitals are for sick people and you aren't sick. Find a great midwife who has time for you and who understands that, if she helps you during your prenatal period to work though things that may hold you up in labor, your birth is likely to go well. During our recent midwifery conference in Russia, many of us came to the conclusion that probably 90% of birth takes place in the mind. The mind influences our muscles, so the more you can clear from your mind prenatally, the easier your birth will be. If you do birth outside your home, remember that drugs cause babies to get caught in positions that are not optimal for birth and lead to further interventions, including c-sections, so "just say no" to drugs during your labor! I have been writing about the dangers of ultrasound on my Facebook page, and we have written about it in Midwifery Today magazine, but ultrasound rates continue to climb. Today, US doctors are performing twice as many prenatal ultrasounds as they did just 10 years ago. Question the need for drugs and technology in birth.
While meeting with our sisters in Russia, we developed a "Global Midwifery Council" to tackle the many problems and questions surrounding birth issues around the world. I'll write more about this global council soon. For now, I have a couple questions: For those of us who know all of this, how do we convince other mothers of these truths? How do we change the world of horrendous birth practices?
When we hold our Midwifery Today conference in Strasbourg, France, September 29 – October 3, 2010 (http://www.midwiferytoday.com/conferences/Strasbourg2010/), we have an excellent opportunity to discuss birth changes. The day before the conference starts, we will host an International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization (IMBCO) meeting. Those who attend will discover how to use IMBCO's excellent, evidence-based, 10-step International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI) to improve care throughout the childbearing continuum and enact birth change in your society. Find out more about IMBCI's 10 Steps at http://www.imbci.org/ShowPage.asp?id=174. Another great site to check out, especially if you live in the US, is http://www.motherfriendly.org/. The job of changing birth practices is up to all of us who are interested in the emotional, spiritual and physical health of motherbaby. There is no reason for mothers to go through their lives traumatized when we know so much about the miracle of birth. Each one teach one!
— Jan Tritten, mother of Midwifery Today
Jan Tritten is the founder, editor-in-chief and mother of Midwifery Today magazine. She became a midwife in 1977 after the amazing homebirth of her second daughter. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies throughout the world. Meet Jan at our conferences around the world, or join her online, as she works to transform birth practices around the world.
Jan's blog: community.midwiferytoday.com/blogs/jan/default.aspx
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A new study shows that a newborn's first exposure to bacteria differs according to how that baby is born. Led by researchers from the University of Puerto Rico, the study examined the types of bacteria on newborns and compared c-sectioned babies to those born vaginally.
Babies born vaginally were covered in bacteria similar to that found in their mother's vagina—bacteria that researchers noted may be useful for protecting the baby against various diseases. The babies born via cesarean section had acquired bacterial colonies commonly found on human skin, primarily the Staphylococcus genus bacteria, which can cause deadly infections.
Researchers noted that their findings "establish an important baseline" for studying how mode of delivery affects an infant's health.
— M. Dominguez-Bello, et al. Delivery mode shapes the acquisition and structure of the initial microbiota across multiple body habitats in newborns. PNAS early edition, doi:10.1073/pnas.1002601107 Accessed 21 Jun 2010.
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Enter our short video contest on the theme "Birth Is a Human Rights Issue" and you could win a free five-day conference registration! Entry fee is US$10 per video and you can enter as many times as you want in the three categories: Short Documentary, Make 'em Laugh, and Advertise Optimal Birth. The winning videos will be shown at our conference in Strasbourg, France.
Entry Deadline is August 10, 2010, so get your creative gears spinning! Go here for more information and instructions.
Birthing with Reverence
Midwives can create a spirit of beauty at a birth or they can desecrate it. They can create a sacred space around a birthing woman that drives out fear and inspires the mother's belief in herself, which ultimately determines the outcome of the birth. Midwives can be a channel of Grace in ways they never imagined and in doing so they create a spirit of reverence. Reverence in these days and times is not a common thing.
As a midwife there were times after births that I was overcome with awe, which is another term for reverence. It seemed appropriate for the sun to stand still in the sky, and the traffic to stop, and the whole universe to pause for a minute of awe in acknowledgement that something astonishing had just happened. It just seemed appropriate that all of creation should have taken notice. Perhaps, in the unseen world, it did.
Unfortunately in America there appears to be little reverence for much, especially not women or birth. This is not surprising given the history of the oppression of midwives, the rise of the medical model and the objectification of women's bodies. The sacred has not just been drowned out at births but in our lives as a whole. In fact, reverence is not part of our public vocabulary at all. Yet, there are a few things that Americans do revere. Reverence for money comes to mind.
If you follow where the money goes it will reveal the short list of things that Americans do have reverence for. Large amounts of money are funneled into the pornography industry. Women are not revered in that industry. In fact, they are desecrated as an object of fantasy, not to be loved, cherished and honored, but simply to be used and discarded. Therefore, lust is revered, and as a result we have become a pornographic culture in which women are routinely desecrated.
Desecration involves an act in which a sacred thing is pillaged, or dishonored. The opposite of desecration is reverence. Reverence acknowledges and honors the sacred. Women and that which has to do with them, namely birth, are sacred. But they are not sacred at this place and this time. In fact, who among all the industrialized nations are reverent about women and what they do when they give birth?
Midwives have been given a sacred trust and a great honor to stand by as a witness to a miracle. Birth is not a small miracle. It is an extraordinary miracle. We are created for reverence and our work demands it. But when birth became a medical procedure our culture became so far removed from the beauty of it that it became commonplace and unimportant to the larger community. In the process of our irreverence we lost sight of our beauty as human beings.
— Caroline Wise
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Question of the Week
Q: Can an inverted uterus cause complications during the third stage of labor?
— Jacqui Basilian
SEND YOUR RESPONSE to firstname.lastname@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: We're looking for interesting postpartum customs from other cultures. Do you know of any? Please share them with us.
— Midwifery Today staff
A: Here in St. Paul, Minnesota, we have a large contingent of immigrants from Southeast Asia who are part of the Hmong culture. The Hmong women follow a strict, traditional diet for six weeks after childbirth: Only hot water, rice and a soup made from chicken and herbs are consumed. Nurses in our hospital have noticed that these women rarely complain of cramping postpartum, and we have wondered if the fact that they only consume warm beverages and foods is responsible for this. Many of our Asian immigrant women from other cultures also follow the custom of avoiding cold food postpartum.
Another custom many Hmong women follow during the postpartum period is the use of an abdominal binder. If the doctor won't prescribe the stretchy kind the hospital provides, one of the grannies will often fashion one from a shawl or scarf. Women say they like the feeling of support the binder provides.
The Hmong families also show a great deal of support to their new moms. The entire extended family often arrives to visit, packing a dozen or more people into the woman's small hospital room, including small children and elderly relatives. There is always someone who stays with the new mother to help care for the baby, so she can rest and recover from birth. I love the feeling of warmth and caring these families show their new moms.
— Molly Brom, RN
A: Ayurveda (literally "science of life," the traditional medicine of India) recommends light massage (abhyanga) with warm sesame oil (more of an oil application than massage) for 42 days after birth. How's that for nourishing? Ayurveda teaches that the new mother is just as open, sensitive and vulnerable as her newborn during this time, and has an opportunity to heal her whole being in profound ways. The oil and warmth are particularly soothing, grounding, relaxing and binding after childbirth. More ayurvedic postpartum protocols can be found at: http://www.sacredwindow.com
— Andrea Murphy, birth and postpartum ayurvedic doula
A: Here in Malaysia it is customary for a new mother to hire a "confinement lady" after the birth of the baby. I do not have personal experience with this, but I do know it varies from helper to helper on what is offered and from mom to mom on what they desire. The rules are very different from ethnicity to ethnicity. Read more about the practice of having a "confinement lady" at: http://www.babycenter.com.my/pregnancy/asian-postnatal-practices/confinement-practices/ While I think that, overall, this can be a very good thing, I also know that many moms abuse it (my opinion here) by sending the baby to be fed all night by the helper. I also know moms that felt so very restricted by their helper, by the dietary rules and someone constantly fussing over them.
— Vanessa Beyer
A: Here in Southern Algeria, where I am currently living, there are some postpartum rituals practiced. Everyone here is Muslim, so the postpartum mother is excused from her daily prayers during her lochia period. Also, if she is breastfeeding she is excused from fasting until she feels able to fast, or has weaned her baby. The families—on her side and on her husband's side—cook and clean for the new mother for at least 40 days. There are special dishes that are cooked just for her, to help her milk come in and to prevent bleeding or pain.
New mothers here also put henna on themselves and on their baby (hands only for the baby, but hands and feet for the mother). The new mother rubs her baby daily with olive oil and puts kohl on the baby's eyes. She receives guests (women of her family and community) almost every day and everyone helps out.
On the seventh day after a birth, lambs are slaughtered in thanks to God for a new baby, and then the meat is given away to the poor people of the community. The baby's head is shaved and the weight of the hair, in the form of gold, silver or money, also is given away in charity to the poor.
Having a baby here is almost as social as an engagement or a marriage, and I believe that is why I have yet to see or hear about postpartum blues.
— Jennifer Hebert
Responses to any Question of the Week may be sent to E-News at any time. Write to email@example.com. Please indicate the topic of discussion *and the E-News issue number* in the subject line or in the message.
Dear Midwifery Today,
I am collecting stories and photos of South African homebirths for a South African Web site dedicated to homebirth. I'm also looking for things to include in a homebirth resource list (e.g., antenatal classes, midwives, doulas, mothers and fathers who have experienced homebirth and are willing to be contacted by people who are thinking about it, good Web sites and books).
Much love,
— Ruth Ehrhardt
Dear Midwifery Today,
[This letter is in response to a recent "Trick of the Trade" published in Midwifery Today E-News Issue 12:12 http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews1212.asp#art, which said babies nurse for longer periods of time and drink more milk when the nursing mother eats garlic two hours before feeding time.]
In the homeopathic world, this is no secret! Homeopathically, garlic, or Allium sativum, in its proving symptoms causes "voracious appetite," "patients to eat a great deal more than they drink," "thirst," and "complaints of those who eat to excess; gluttony." But it also can cause "dyspepsia," or "troubles from the least change of diet (like dyspepsia, burning in stomach; derangement of bowels and/or belching)" and so much more. Remember, garlic is a medicine like onions, asparagus, many spices including black pepper and cayenne, coffee, tea, chocolate and vanilla. These substances should be used sparingly while pregnant and nursing as our babies are more affected by these potent substances and usually cannot tell us that they are causing them discomfort in some way (e.g., cranky or irritable, not sleeping, colic, stomach pains, etc.). Many of the symptoms that we mothers drive ourselves crazy trying to remedy could actually be being caused by what we are eating and drinking!
— Christina Mueller
Dear Midwifery Today,
My name is Nick Nguyen and I work for Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin), an international relief agency that trains midwives in Afghanistan and Liberia. We are looking for US midwives to support the training of midwives all over the world by simply giving your signature to our campaign, "Hands Up for Health Workers." Our goal is to collect 10,000 signatures by September 2010 to present them in New York at the UN Summit on Millennium Development Goals, one of which is to support maternal and infant health care. Your signature would represent your support in the local training of midwives and other health workers around the world so that they can provide sustainable health care to their own communities.
Merlin specializes in health, saving lives in crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health systems. On-the-job training for health workers, and midwives, is key to all our programs, but in those countries where maternal deaths are among the highest in the world, we've gone even further: we've established dedicated midwife training schools.
Support Merlin's campaign to raise 10,000 signatures by September 2010, when we'll present a petition to world leaders demanding urgent investment in health workers in crisis countries. Since 2004, Merlin has supported two community midwife training schools in the Takhar and Kunduz provinces in Afghanistan, and has trained more than 155 midwives, benefiting more than 600,000 people. In Liberia, Merlin and Liberia's Ministry of Health opened a midwife training school in December 2008 and the first class of 45 students will graduate at the end of this year. Visit http://www.handsupforhealthworkers.org and choose a health worker to support, then add your signature. Thank you so much for supporting our global health care campaign.
— Nicholas Nguyen
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Periglow, the best to support the perineum after birth. Periglow is a ready-to-use Swiss compress to promote healing the first weeks after giving birth. As a soak or bath. http://www.periglow.com
I am a Licensed CPM with a busy homebirth practice in Lynchburg, VA, looking for an experienced midwife who would like to join me. More information: http://www.LynchburgMidwifery.com or email@example.com .
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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The 100% Bed Bug Proof Vinyl Box Spring Encasing Queen - 9" is certified to *completely* block bed bugs. While bed bugs can quickly bite through normal bedding, they will not bite through this vinyl box spring cover. This vinyl encasing features a patented tape closure that fits securely over the zipper end to form a complete seal. In addition to providing 100% bed bug protection for your box spring, this vinyl encasing is also dust mite proof and waterproof - nothing will get in or out of your box spring. And because you do not sleep directly on the box spring, the comfort level of the material does not matter, so you save money with an inexpensive vinyl material.
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Wash by hand with water and mild soap. Never use cleaning fluids, polishes or waxes. Avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures over 130°F and under 0°F.


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Asma-Leif Tablet
Theophylline/Food Interaction
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug, changing your diet or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Very important. A change in your diet, medicine, or dosage may be necessary. Promptly consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How the interaction occurs:
The cause of the interaction is not known.
What might happen:
When theophylline is taken with food, it may either increase or decrease your blood level of this medicine. A decrease in the blood level of this medicine may decrease its beneficial effects. An increase in the blood levels of this medicine may cause serious side effects.The effect of food on your blood level of this medicine may vary depending on the carbohydrate (sugars and starches) and protein content of the food.
What you should do about this interaction:
Always take sustained-release theophylline with meals or always take it on an empty stomach (one hour before or two hours after food).Some sustained-release theophylline products have specific manufacturer's instructions regarding when to take this medicine relative relative to food. Follow the specific instructions. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) for more information about your particular product.Tell your doctor immediately if you develop chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, confusion, stomach pain, or breathing difficulties while taking this medication.Your healthcare professionals may be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change your medicine or diet before checking with them first.
1.Kappas A, Anderson KE, Conney AH, Alvares AP. Influence of dietary protein and carbohydrate on antipyrine and theophylline metabolism in man. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1976 Dec;20(6):643-53.
2.Welling PG, Lyons LL, Craig WA, Trochta GA. Influence of diet and fluid on bioavailability of theophylline. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1975 Apr; 17(4):475-80.
3.Pedersen S, Moller-Petersen J. Influence of food on the absorption of theophylline from a sustained release formulation (Somophyllin). Clin Allergy 1985 May;15(3):253-9.
4.Sips AP, Edelbroek PM, Kulstad S, de Wolff FA, Dijkman JH. Food does not effect in bioavailability of theophylline from Theolin Retard. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1984;26(3):405-7.
5.Lagas M, Jonkman JH. Greatly enhanced bioavailability of theophylline on postprandial administration of a sustained release tablet. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1983;24(6):761-7.
6.Karim A, Burns T, Janky D, Hurwitz A. Food-induced changes in theophylline absorption from controlled-release formulations. Part II. Importance of meal composition and dosing time relative to meal intake in assessing changes in absorption. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1985 Dec;38(6):642-7.
7.Karim A, Burns T, Wearley L, Streicher J, Palmer M. Food-induced changes in theophylline absorption from controlled-release formulations. Part I. Substantial increased and decreased absorption with Uniphyl tablets and Theo-Dur Sprinkle. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1985 Jul;38(1):77-83.


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The XILS Lab XILS 3 is a recreation of the EMS VCS synthesizer. It comes in two flavors. There is a LE version for $37 and a version with more features for $181. There is a demo. All versions including the demo require an iLok. There is an extended review of the XILS 3 in the August issue of Sound on Sound: click here. Basically they say it's not a spot on emulation but a very interesting plug-in. Hardware lust and purism aside is the XILS 3 in the realm of the TimewARP 2600, UHE ACE and the Korg Legacy Collection?
"Given the DSP power available nowadays, you might think that it would be possible to emulate the VCS3 in software. You could imitate its unstable oscillators, model its unpredictable filter, recreate its loopy envelope generator and all its other facilities, iron out its idiosyncrasies, add a few enhancements, and then stick a pretty GUI on the front that forces players to approach it in the same way as the original. So, what is XILS 3? On the surface, it's a soft synth designed to look, feel and sound like a VCS3. However, as we delve deeper, we'll find that it's much more than that." – Sound on Sound
For more info: xils-lab.com/pages/XILS-3.html
photo credit: The Standard Deviant


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"We put taxpayer money on the table, and we expect a return in exchange for that," said Tom Lewandowski, president of the Northeast Indiana Central Labor Council, adding that it's often difficult to tell whether companies that get tax breaks create all the jobs they promise.
Companies that get tax abatement already must file an annual compliance form that lists the new jobs and wages that have been created as a result of the deductions. Under the revised ordinance, each company that gets the tax breaks would also need to provide a form that lists the company's employment using exact job classifications.
The new layer of oversight would still rely on self-reported information from the companies and would not require businesses to hand over specific payroll tax data, but it would improve the information available to local officials, said City Councilman Russ Jehl, R-2nd.
"It improves transparency, it improves information," said Jehl, who was part of a committee that spent several months updating the policy. "Before, you didn't have to break into so much detail the categories of jobs."
Jehl said the local government simply would not have the resources and personnel to comb through state or federal payroll tax information. Requiring that level of information also would strain local businesses, which the updated policy avoids, he said.
"It's designed to not be an undo burden on the business, but it is designed to make them detail enough information where if they're not in compliance, there's enough information to raise red flags," Jehl said.
But Lewandowski, a frequent critic of tax-incentive policy, said that because the system relies on self reporting, it leaves local officials with little real evidence that companies are living up to their promises.
"The dilemma is, the way they approach it now leaves it unmeasurable and unenforceable," Lewandowski said.
Elissa McGauley, an economic development specialist with the city, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Councilman Geoff Paddock, D-5th, called the updated compliance form "a logical next step" toward gathering more information without overburdening businesses and city personnel. But in the future, Paddock said, the city may look into boosting the economic development staff to allow for greater oversight of tax incentives.
"There may be an effort at some point to beef up the staff to check into those things," he said.
Council is scheduled to debate the revised ordinance Feb. 26.


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Blood drive reflects the best of Rutland County
Blood drive reflects best of region
This note of appreciation is a little overdue, as I wanted to await the final, official count from the Red Cross for the Gift-of-Life Marathon, but I am writing to thank everyone involved with the blood drive's record-breaking success. To say it was a collaborative effort of the community would be to say Mount Everest is a big hill.
Last week we received the final, official, count from the Red Cross, and as expected, the number increased a little bit from the original, unofficial count of 2,337 pints. The new national record is 2,350 pints!
Rutland and Rutland County — the whole state, really — should be proud of the accomplishment, which almost seems inconceivable given our size, knowing that thousands of families across the region have benefited. We talk a lot about records and numbers to try to motivate people to participate in the GOLM, and the psychological value of success for the community is a big part of my motivation, but in the end, the GOLM is all about saving lives.
This year's success could never have been achieved without an incredible partnership between the Red Cross, WJJR, Castleton College and Green Mountain Power, and hundreds of people within these organizations. It has been a thrill to work with these teams and key leaders, including Mike Kempesty, Terry Jaye, Dave Wolk and Mary Powell, who each put their hearts and souls into the effort.
I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of people over the past 30 years, and this small group encompasses some of the best people I've had the pleasure to work with. Each modeled a tremendous amount of commitment, enthusiasm and hard work, much of it behind the scenes, to make the GOLM a success.
But the entire community of Rutland, Rutland County and beyond, made this happen:
More than 600 students and adults donated blood for the first time — almost twice as many as donated in total at the first GOLM 11 years ago.
More than 320 people donated their time at the drive, and about 100 other volunteers helped with preparation.
More than 2,800 presenting donors turned out. (Some were deferred for various reasons.)
More than 50 businesses and organizations donated gift bag items or made other in-kind donations.
Staff from five organizations — the Paramount Theatre, Elks Club, American Legion, Holiday Inn and College of St. Joseph — committed themselves to the event and turned their facilities over to the Red Cross for the day.
Media outlets throughout the region supported the drive through news coverage, public service announcements and advertising discounts.
Hundreds of businesses and about a dozen schools gave staff and students time off from work or classes to attend, and they often turned out in droves to donate together.
Mayor Louras, Dave Allaire and members of the Rutland City Board of Aldermen, other state and local political leaders and local organizations too numerous to mention, but ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to Rutland Young Professionals, helped spread the word in a geometric progression that ensured everyone was aware of the GOLM.
Every one of these people and organizations served like a thread in a beautiful tapestry.
As in past years, when Rutland set New England records repeatedly and came within a whisker of the national record, I've been asked dozens of times how this community can do what it has done. I think the answer, taken from the title of Art Jones' documentary film about Rutland, is simple: There is something special in the blood in this town.
Steve Costello of Rutland Town was co-organizer of the Gift-of-Life Marathon.
Blood drive reflects the best of Rutland County
Blood drive reflects the best of Rutland County


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Rough start sends Mets reeling in Atlanta
deGrom's three-run first is costly as New York wraps 1-6 trip
ATLANTA -- The Mets left Atlanta late Wednesday after three disappointing nights, with absolutely nothing to show for them. They lost all three of their games at Turner Field, including a 3-1 defeat earlier in the evening.
Heading into this series against the division-leading Braves, the Mets were simply looking to win two of three in their continued flirtation with .500 -- or at least their flirtation with something close to it. Instead, they went into Thursday's off-day a season-worst 11 games below the break-even mark, a season-high 10 games out of first place and at a loss for answers.
"We want to win baseball games," second baseman Daniel Murphy said. "It's no fun losing."
All the necessary damage in the series finale occurred in the first inning, when rookie starter Jacob deGrom gave up a single and two walks before recording an out. Though deGrom recovered to retire the next two batters without allowing a run, he couldn't nail down the inning's final out before Chris Johnson ripped a bases-clearing double past third baseman Eric Campbell.
"They did a really good job before I came up that at-bat, seeing a lot of pitches from [deGrom]," Johnson said. "We haven't seen him before, so it was nice to see some pitches, see all of what he had, and then I was able to get a ball out over the plate and luckily got it down the line."
Johnson's hit gave the Braves 10 runs scored with two outs in the series, compared to zero for the Mets.
"That was pretty frustrating," deGrom said. "That first inning got me."
deGrom settled down to deliver four scoreless innings after that, striking out eight without walking another batter, and a quartet of relievers also kept Atlanta off the board. But the Mets could not mount a comeback against Braves starter Julio Teheran, who allowed one run -- a Curtis Granderson sacrifice fly in the fourth -- over seven innings of four-hit ball. The Mets also went quietly against Atlanta's bullpen, which delivered 9 2/3 scoreless innings over the three-game series.
"I thought it was going to be one of those nights when we had to get him out of there early," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Teheran, "but he battled, gave us seven strong innings. The last two innings, it was gut check. He got himself into trouble and he made some great pitches. We gave him three runs early in the game. He made it hold up."
With that, the Mets finished their road trip at 1-6 and flew back to New York, where a 10-game homestand against the Rangers, Braves and Marlins awaited them. Already, talk around the team has shifted to the non-waiver Trade Deadline, as the Mets' recent slide has many pundits expecting them to be in sell mode. While a full-out fire sale may not be in the offing, the Mets could make some moves if they don't start winning soon.
Those searching for solace can look at the team's run differential -- a respectable minus-six -- as evidence that the Mets are not hurting as badly as their record might indicate. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson discussed his confidence in the team earlier in the day. But moral victories do not often result in playoff berths, and the club's chances at one of those seem as slim as ever.
Thanks to the Mets' pitching, the vast majority of their games this season have been close. But because of their below-average situational hitting, their record in those games -- particularly one-run games, in which they are 10-20 -- is poor.
The Mets should receive a boost Friday, when injured third baseman David Wright is due back to the lineup, and another later this week when starting pitcher Dillon Gee returns. But it risks being too little, too late for a team rapidly falling out of contention.
"We miss David's bat in the lineup, there's no doubt," manager Terry Collins said. "But we competed as good as we can compete. We went out and played hard. You look at tonight, we played a team that's red-hot and we were in every game. We're just not getting the big pitch made or the big hit. It's the same scenario when you're going through what we're going through pretty much nightly."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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OSA is currently seeking enthusiastic, self-motivated members to volunteer to lead
OSA Members are encouraged to join up to five technical groups as part of their member benefits. These specialized technical groups designed to unite members with colleagues and leaders within their sub field of optics and photonics.
Joining an OSA Technical Group ensures that you will receive updates on OSA meetings, publications, activities and networking opportunities tailored to your areas of interest.
Current OSA Members can update their technical group selections at any time by updating their profile in My Account. If you need assistance with updating your technical groups, please contact OSA Customer Service.
If you are not currently an OSA Member, we encourage you to join today! You will have the option to select up to five technical groups during your enrollment process.


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Is it the battery or the starter? This is one of those questions and situations where you could ask ten different people and possibly get almost ten different answers. Adding more insult to injury is you would probably only get one or two "yes" or "no" answers – the rest would be "well… it depends…"
Before we even give you a firm answer, we'd have to ask some additional questions – for example did you hear only one click, or was it a rapid clicking sound when you turned the key? If you heard the rapid clicking noise, almost like a high pitched machine gun, then chances are the battery needs to be replaced or at minimum a healthy recharge. If you heard just one click, then it most likely is the starter.
You have to be careful though – some people will tell you if the battery is dead, nothing on the car would work. That's only true to a point. There may be enough juice in the battery to power the interior lights, the fan, the radio, and even the headlights. They only need a certain amount of amperage to run and it's not a heck of a lot. In order to start a vehicle's engine, a great deal more is required. So, be careful not to rule out a part you may think is the problem!
Lastly, if you have an appointment for service work to be done to replace either part, be sure to have the entire starting as well as the charging system checked. A worn out or intermittent alternator (a bad diode in the alternator) may result in insufficiently recharging the battery, or a bad ground may be putting a draw on the battery thus draining it prematurely.
Our website: varneyvalue.com


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Model Type
26 Combined MPG (23 city / 29 hwy)
EPA estimated
A full list of available features and filters for the used 2017 Mazda CX-5 inventory include but are not limited to: Edmunds Special Offers: Purchase Offers, Lease Offers, Gas Card (1), Used Offers (1). Model Type: SUV (3).
Trims: Grand Touring (3), Touring, Sport. Features: Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel (3), Aux Audio Inputs (3), Fold Flat Rear Seats (3), Rear Bench Seats (3), Stability Control (3), Tire Pressure Warning (3), Trip Computer (3), Bluetooth (3), Post-collision safety system (3), Back-up camera (3), Blind Spot Monitoring (3), Power Driver Seat (3), AWD/4WD (3), Upgraded Headlights (3), Heated seats (3), Automatic Emergency Braking (3), Pre-collision safety system (3), Auto Climate Control (3), Multi-Zone Climate Control (3), Keyless Entry/Start (3), Sunroof/Moonroof (3), Navigation (3), Leather Seats (3), Power Liftgate/Trunk (3), Adaptive Cruise Control (3), Lane Departure Warning (3), Upgraded Stereo, USB Inputs, Alarm, Heads up display (2), Remote Start, Parking sensors, Towing Hitch. Engine/Mechanics: 4 cylinders (3). Transmission: Automatic (3), Manual. Fuel Type: regular unleaded (3). Drivetrain: all wheel drive (3), front wheel drive.
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The 2017 Mazda CX-5 is a class-leading compact SUV that receives a host of revisions this year. Its options are offered solely in packages, which are available on the upper two trim levels only. The features in these packages are grouped logically, though inevitably some people will end up with items they don't care for in order to get the ones they do. However, this setup also simplifies the process of selecting the right CX-5.
The 2017 CX-5 is offered in Sport, Touring and Grand Touring trim levels. The differences among them boil down to comfort and convenience features rather than hardware and drivetrain differences. All of them share the same four-cylinder engine and transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available on all trim levels.
Sport trim level marks the entry point among CX-5s. While Sport models offer the basics, it's worth spending the extra money for the Touring trim level since it nets you a host of worthwhile comfort items. Notable features of Touring models include heated front seats, simulated leather upholstery, an upgraded sound system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and automatic climate control. Touring models also grant access to two reasonably priced option packages — the Preferred Equipment package and the Touring i-Activsense package.
The Touring will likely meet the needs of the many buyers, though if the past is any indication the top Grand Touring trim will be undoubtedly be popular. In addition to a Touring with both option packages, the Grand Touring adds 19-inch wheels, leather upholstery, additional seat adjustments and adaptive headlights. From there you can add the priciest of all packages, the Grand Touring Premium Package, for additional comfort and convenience items in the cabin. At this fully equipped point, it's priced accordingly, but the tab manages not to be outrageous.
Among compact SUVs, the CX-5 stands out for its compelling combination of taut driving dynamics, an upscale cabin and competitive fuel economy. It manages this feat while remaining on par with the pricing in its class. As such, you can feel free to indulge on the specification of your CX-5 without the guilt that you're being a spendthrift. Edmunds' outstanding shopping tools are at your beck and call when you're ready to take the next step of finding the right 2017 Mazda CX-5 for you. 2017 mazda cx-5 first drive
When the CX-5 compact crossover debuted as a 2013 model, Mazda was still trying to figure out its place in the crossover segment. Now, five years later, the company is flush with success and aiming its sights higher with the redesigned 2017 Mazda CX-5. It's still a five-passenger compact SUV, and it's basically the same size as the outgoing CX-5, but the new model has received a host of refinements that make for a more premium experience.
For 2017, the CX-5's sheet metal is new as is the cabin and much of what resides under the skin. Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine receives only minor tweaks that boost output ever so slightly to 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission's mechanical guts are carried over, though a revised calibration makes for crisper departures from a standstill.
The outgoing CX-5's 2.0-liter engine is no longer available, nor is the manual gearbox that was available with it. The new CX-5 is, however, still available with front- or all-wheel drive. Either layout is available on all three trims: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. New goodies — adaptive headlights, lane departure warning, a power liftgate, full-range adaptive cruise and automatic high beams — are standard in the top trim, and many of them are optional in Touring models.
In step with the more dramatic exterior styling, the CX-5's cabin is a cut above what you'll find in, say, a Toyota RAV4 or a Honda CR-V. Its materials look and feel are richer than those of the outgoing model, and the design elements lend a more upscale, near-luxury vibe. It turns out that sales of the CX-5 increasingly leaned toward higher-spec Grand Touring trim levels over the past four years, so the company embraced this sensibility with the new model. To that end, many of the CX-5's revisions were specifically targeted at reducing noise. This wasn't simply a case of adding sound-deadening material; Mazda's approach also included more elaborate door and tailgate seals and front side acoustic glass among other things. Weightwise, the new CX-5 gains between 20 and 100 pounds, depending on equipment.
Few areas escaped scrutiny in the new CX-5. The steering wheel's spokes are slimmer for an easier grasp, and the front roof pillars have been moved aft nearly an inch and a half to aid outward visibility. The cargo floor is flatter when the backseats are stowed, and when they're in place, the backseats are less upright and can now recline. The rear doors open wider and wear reshaped panels for easier access, and the passengers back there now have vents and available heated seats. Meanwhile, the suspension has been updated with slightly softer springs, a rack that's mounted directly to the subframe to improve response, plus new control arm bushings and lower-friction struts. The idea is to eke out better ride comfort without sacrificing agility.
We drove the new CX-5 in a dense urban environment, on the freeway and on winding rural roads. The attention paid to noise reduction seems to have paid off. Though we didn't have an outgoing version to compare it to, the new CX-5 does its business with civility. Voices need not be raised even at freeway speeds, and although there's noticeable engine noise during hard acceleration, it's never intrusive.
It steers and handles like a Mazda, which is to say at the top of its class. The carmaker had so much confidence in the CX-5's real-world driving dynamics that it brought along five significantly more expensive compact crossovers for comparison. The CX-5 acquitted itself well, executing everyday driving maneuvers at least as intuitively as the rest. Part of the new CX-5's repertoire is what Mazda calls G-Vectoring Control, which is a clever way of using imperceptible modulations of engine torque to help the car turn in more sure-footedly. You never notice it, other than having robust confidence in the car's manners. It simply steers and corners deftly, and it does so without also having a punishing ride — the CX-5's suspension snubs road imperfections quickly and without upsetting its occupants.
Though its EPA fuel economy numbers are a hair lower than those of the outgoing model, the new CX-5 is no less fuel-frugal. The discrepancy is down to a change in EPA's methodology for 2017. Measured against the same fuel economy-measuring yardstick as the outgoing CX-5, the 2017 model is on par (and AWD variants gain 1 mpg highway). A diesel engine joins the CX-5 fold this autumn for those who crave additional low-end torque and improved fuel economy.
The 2017 Mazda CX-5 is a more grown-up compact crossover than its predecessor, yet it doesn't cede any ground in its hallmark driver-centric nature. If you're looking for a small, affordable crossover that feels as if it should cost considerably more, the 2017 Mazda CX-5 is a good first stop.
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As you may have noticed, I like science. And, as with pretty much anything, science is even better when it happens to be delicious.
Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite words: eutectic. A eutectic, in confectionery terms, is a combination of fats that melts at a lower temperature than any one of the fats by itself. The eutectic you probably most often encounter on a day-to-day basis is milk chocolate.
The milk fat forms a eutectic with the cocoa butter, which is why milk chocolate is softer and has a lower working temperature than dark chocolate. However, the magical power of the eutectic is particularly well (and tastily) illustrated in the center known as a meltaway.
Meltaway centers are made by mixing chocolate and a lauric fat (like coconut or palm oil) with some flavoring and letting it set, kind of a dairyless ganache.
What makes them unique is the way they, well, melt away in your mouth. The combined melting point is well below both that of chocolate (94 °F) and coconut oil (my tropical fat of choice, 76 °F), and both of those are below body temperature.
Peter Greweling puts it best in Chocolates & Confections when he says: "...the transition from solid to liquid state happens so quickly that it is possible to feel the heat being absorbed from the mouth. This is the reason that [eutectics] actually leave a cool feeling on the palate as they rapidly melt."
Fascinating, right? This meltaway recipe is hilariously easy too: melt, stir, and set.
About the author: Liz Gutman co-owns the Brooklyn-based candy business Liddabit Sweets, which means she spends a lot of time around chocolate (and a lot of time eating it). She moved to New York in 2001 to go to, wait for it, acting school. But when the acting life wasn't for her, she wound up in the French Culinary Institute's pastry program while working at Roni-Sue's Chocolates in Manhattan's Lower East Side. She befriended Jen King, aka the other half of Liddabit, at FCI and founded Liddabit in May of 2009.


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FactSet Falls After Q3 Miss
Shares of FactSet Research Systems (FDS) were falling 4.7% in morning trading, following the company's fiscal third-quarter report.
Before the bell, FactSet said it earned $53.4 million, or $1.20 a share, up from $1.05 a share in the year-ago period and seven cents ahead of estimates. However, excluding one-time items, earnings were $1.15 in the quarter ended May 31, below the $1.26 analysts were expecting. Revenue increased 6.1% to $214.6 million, also below the $215.05 million consensus.
Operating margin slid to 33.4% from 33.9%. FactSet signed four new clients in the quarter, bringing its total to 2,440.
For the current quarter, FactSet said it expects per-share earnings between $1.18 and $1.21, on revenue of $218 million to $221 million. Analysts were looking for EPS of $1.18 and $220 million in revenue.


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Miniaturize your Xbox Live Avatar and battle against other Mini Wizards in this spell casting action game. Includes LIVE multiplayer and single player survival mode with global scoreboard.
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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Agenda: Marks and Spencer to Reveal Succession Plans?
At tomorrow's investor day ears will be pricked for news on who will succeed Sir Stuart Rose as chief executive of M&S.
There are three internal candidates: John Dixon, clothing director Kate Bostock and finance and operations director Ian Dyson.
But none of these cuts the M&S mustard.
As BGC Partners analyst David Buick points out: "Sad to say, but they are all tarred with the same M&S brush which has made inadequate progress in the past few years, regardless of a truly gut-wrenching recession."
Buick reckons M&S needs a fresh broom. He believes the three best candidates for the role are Charlie Mayfield of John Lewis, Marc Bolland of Morrison and Andy Bond of Asda.
Simon Fox should also be considered. He's done a fantastic job at HMV and must be champing at the bit for a new challange. And putting the spark back into Marks and Sparks is about as big a challenge going in UK retailing right now.


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Since I became a bhikkhu more than 30 years ago, I have often been asked by local Buddhist devotees as well as foreign bhikkhus whether the "Chief High Priest of Malaysia and Singapore" was indeed the head of the whole Saṅgha in Malaysia and Singapore. Thai bhikkhus were more specific: "Is he the SaṅghaRāja of Malaysia?" they asked, according to their own understanding of the hierarchy of their national Saṅgha organisation, which is headed by a SaṅghaRāja.
Today, I found an interesting article (as excerpted above) posted on the facebook site of the by on monastic titles. More on the article