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© 2011 – Taylor & Francis
244 pages
As crime continues to be a high profile issue troubling politicians, the public and the media alike, the study of criminology has boomed. Providing an international and comparative introduction to the discipline, Criminology: The Basics is an accessible guide to the theoretical and practical approaches to the phenomena of crime. Topics covered in this new edition include:
Easy to read, concise and supported by a glossary of terms and pointers to further reading, Criminology: The Basics is a perfect introduction to this important and popular subject.
List of Figures and Tables. Acknowledgements. Preface 1. What is Criminology? 2. Counting Crime 3. How Much Crime? Challenging Myths about Crime and Offenders 4. The Search for Criminological Explanation 5. Thinking about the Victim of Crime 6. Crimes of the Suites: An Introduction To Critical Criminology 7. A Question of Justice 8. Crime Prevention and the Future of Crime Control 9. Developing your Criminological Imagination. Glossary of Terms. Appendix. Bibliography
The Basics is a highly successful series of accessible guidebooks which provide an overview of the fundamental principles of a subject area in a jargon-free and undaunting format.
Intended for students approaching a subject for the first time, the books both introduce the essentials of a subject and provide an ideal springboard for further study. With over 50 titles spanning subjects from Artificial Intelligence to Women's Studies, The Basics are an ideal starting point for students seeking to understand a subject area.
Each text comes with recommendations for further study and gradually introduces the complexities and nuances within a subject.


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Employers' Discriminatory Behavior and the Estimation of Wage Discrimination
This paper considers the linkage of empirical estimates of wage discrimination between two groups, introduced by Oaxaca (1973), to a theoretical model of employers' discriminatory behavior. It is shown that, conditional on different assumptions about employers' discriminatory tastes, Oaxaca's estimators of wage discrimination can be derived. That the approach is more generally useful is demonstrated by deriving an alternative estimator of wage discrimination, based on the assumption that within each type of labor (e.g., unskilled, skilled) the utility function capturing employers' discriminatory tastes is homogeneous of degree zero with respect to labor inputs from each of the two groups. The estimators are compared empirically in an application to male-female wage differentials.
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Volume (Year): 23 (1988)
Issue (Month): 3 ()
Pages: 279-295
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A Marine Corps pilot who died in a training exercise helicopter crash at Camp Pendleton has been buried in Illinois.
The News-Tribune reports that 27-year-old 1st Lt. Thomas Heitmann was buried Monday in Mendota. Heitmann and 37-year-old Capt. Jeffrey Bland of Champaign died in the accident Sept. 19 when their twin-engine, two-seat AH-1W Cobra helicopter went down during training in a remote area of Camp Pendleton.
A motorcade escorted Heitmann's hearse from Holy Cross Church in Mendota to St. Theresa Cemetery in Earlville.
Many residents stood quietly as the procession passed whileAmerican flags decorated the town. The U.S. Marine Corpsposthumously promoted Heitmann to the rank of captain.
Mendota Mayor David Boelk has declared Sept. 19 as Capt. Thomas Heitmann Day.
Information from: News-Tribune, http://www.newstrib.com


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Recreate the magic of instant printing, with your mobile device and the Polaroid Zip Photoprinter
We've been waiting for this . . . a pocket-sized device allows you to instantly print your photos from today's most popular smartphones and tablets ... and it's very cool! Who thought of it? Polaroid, of course, the first and only people to invent instant printing. Print and share images anywhere, using your modern mobile device and the Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter . . . and I'll bet you're going to want one! April 22, 2015


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There's nothing better than a smooth journey and relaxing start and finish to your Mark Warner holiday. We are pleased to confirm that we are continuing our successful partnership with British Airways for our Summer 2017 season as well as welcoming Germania to the Mark Warner flight programme.
Our Germania and British Airways charter flights fly direct to Kos Island International Airport which offers a convenient short transfer time of just 15 minutes to Lakitira Beach Resort.
Germania flights on a Wednesday from London Gatwick's South Terminal offer convenient flight times as well as inflight entertainment to make the flight more enjoyable.
British Airways flights on a Saturday from London Heathrow's Terminal 5 offer convenient flight times and a baggage allowance of 23kg providing an effortless introduction to the start of your holiday.
As our travel arrangements are made many months in advance, the flight details shown are provisional flight arrangements and approximate flying times. All flight timings are provisional and may change up to the point of departure. Your exact flight numbers, carrier and timings will be confirmed when we issue your e-tickets within 10 days of departure.
On busy dates it may be necessary to buy in extra seats which may be on different carriers, operating at different times and therefore supplements may be payable on these flights.
For further travel details including passport requirements please refer to our travel information.
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Beebalm, Monarda didyma, is perhaps the most showy members of the Mint Family. In April 2008, Lee Anne Stark (threegardeners) introduced us to this wonderful genus. This article is a follow-up to describe the many cultivars of beebalm that now exist.
The wild Monarda didyma is a native of eastern USA and southern Canada. In the wild, they have red flowers. In western parts of North America they are replaced by Monarda fistulosa, whose flowers are lavender to lilac shades. Modern-day cultivars, while mostly of M. didyma descent, probably have some genes from M. fistulosa, especially in the pink to lavender-coloured selections. Colours range from white through shades of pink, lavender, purple and red. The Royal Horticultural Society lists 84 cultivars of beebalm! Many of these are perhaps no longer in general circulation or are available only in Europe. German plant breeders have probably done more work on this genus than any other country. Not surprisingly, most of these have German cultivar names although some have been translated in English. A popular example is 'Blaustrumpf'' which is known in North America as 'Blue Stocking'. In this article I will stick to the more popular cultivars, making a special reference to those cultivars which have won the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
The first cultivars of beebalm to win the coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit were in 1993 when 3 cultivars were selected. Among these was the old yet still popular cultivar 'Cambridge Scarlet' with deep scarlet flowers on 90 cm stems. 'Beauty of Cobham' reaches 90-110 cm and has purplish-pink flowers with contrasting deep purple calyxes. 'Croftway Pink' also grows to 90 cm with clear pink blossoms. Alas, all of these cultivars are susceptible to powdery mildew, the bane of beebalm.
The first AGM beebalm winners were 'Cambridge Scarlet', 'Croftway Pink' and 'Beauty of Cobham'
The next group of AGM awarded beebalms were in 2001. These included 'Gardenview Scarlet', a giant selection reaching to 140 cm with bright red flowers and a bronzy calyx. Somewhat similar is 'Squaw', another bright red selection that reaches 140 cm. 'Marshall's Delight', a Canadian introduction with confirmed M. fistulosa genes, also won an AGM in 2001. This semi-dwarf cultivar reaches 75-90 cm with bright purplish-pink flowers. 'Talud' is the tallest awarded selection, reaching 150 cm. It has vivid magenta blooms. And finally, there is 'Violet Queen', a 140 cm selection with large pinkish-purple flowers. All of the 2001 award recipients exhibit good mildew resistance. There are many other equally attractive beebalms that have not won awards (oftentimes simply due to the fact that they have never been shown in RHS shows or trials).
In the second round of AGM's awards went to 'Marshall's Delight', 'Gardenview Scarlet' and 'Violet Queen'
Within North American gardens, powdery mildew has been a perennial problem when growing beebalm so many North American breeders are aiming for mildew-resistant cultivars. The Morden Research Station in Manitoba, Canada was one of the premier beebalm breeders (as well as rose breeders; alas that breeding station is now closed). The earliest, mildew-resistant beebalm from the Morden station was 'Marshall's Delight'(1986), previously described. Perhaps their most famous selection was 'Petite Delight' (1998), the first-ever dwarf beebalm, reaching only 30-40 cm. At last a beebalm that was wind-tolerant! This rosy-pink selection is also mildew resistant. Their most recent releases, before the station was closed, were 'Grand Parade' (2001) a pinkish-purple selection reaching 40-50 cm and 'Petite Wonder', a super-dwarf version of 'Petite Delight' that reaches just 25 cm!
Among the Morden beebalm hybrids are 'Petite Delight', 'Petite Wonder' and 'Grand Parade'
Some additional worthwhile beebalm selections with good mildew resistance include 'Blue Stocking' (purple), 'Coral Reef' (coral-pink), 'Jacob Cline' (red), 'Mrs. Perry' (red), 'Purple Crown' (purple) and 'Stone's Throw Pink' (pink). As a cut-flower or for the back-of-the-border, 'Jacob Cline' is one of my favourites as the plants reach a towering 150 cm.
Other recommended beebalm include 'Jacob Cline', 'Coral Reef' and 'Blue Stocking'
If you are not familiar with this wonderful group of perennials, then you should try them. If you avoided them due to mildew problems, then try some of the cultivars noted above. Beebalm not only provide a mid-summer burst of colour, but are also attractive to bees and hummingbirds, make admirable cut-flowers and even provide delightfully fragrant foliage to boot!
I would like to thank the following people for the use of their photos: dawndoll2 ('Gardenview Scarlet'), echoes ('Petite Delight'), Gabrielle ('Coral Reef'), hczone6 ('Petite Wonder'), Joy ('Croftway Pink'), KevinMc79 ('Violet Queen'), Kruch72 ('Blue Stocking'), plantmover ('Grand Parade') and saya ('Beauty of Cobham').


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Joostin is eating the brains of an old friend he *bumped* into earlier.
I've been working on adding game exploits and bannerbomb to my IOS guide (mainly for hardmod users), and I have come across some snags that I can't test myself, either because I don't own a game, or because I don't have a compatible region. My roommate is hooked on Twilight Princess, so I don't get much time for testing stuff.
- Will having both the NTSC-U and NTSC-J versions of Smash Stack in the private folder count as having two custom stages? I want to know if the one version needs to be deleted for Smash Stack to work.
- Is Smash Service still active? I don't know if it is still necessary to turn off WiFi first.
- Yu-Gi-OWNED! has a 50Hz and 60Hz version. How do you know which version you need? I live in the US, so I don't know the difference.
- Are there tutorials available for each exploit? I did some searching and found a Bathaxx one and a Return of the Jodi one (thanks emuhack ), but I couldn't find guides for Smash Stack, Yu-Gi-OWNED/Vah, Indiana-PWNS, or the Twilight Hack. I want know if I can be lazy and link to guides, or if I need to type instructions for all of them.
"Macs are the Perfect Computers," said the Perfect Idiot.
Joostin is eating the brains of an old friend he *bumped* into earlier.
"Macs are the Perfect Computers," said the Perfect Idiot.
Damn I suck!!!!


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Ringer S01E18: "That Woman's Never Been a Victim Her Entire Life"
I hate to say it, but at this point, there's basically nothing Ringer can do to get me excited about watching again. I just don't see it happening. Don't get me wrong—I'll still try to find things to enjoy in each episode, because I feel obligated to watch through the finale, at least. But overall, I'd say we can safely call the show a failure: a neo-noir that never committed to the genre, a nighttime soap that took itself too seriously.
There is no longer anything I look forward to about the show, and there aren't any twists that catch me off-guard. As I said last week, the characters are so wildly inconsistent, it doesn't really matter that they swing back and forth between good and evil. I'll accept whatever nonsense the writers throws at me, because I know this show isn't grounded in logic, but I've been given little reason to root for anyone, and I'm not suddenly going to join Team Bridget.
This week's episode was especially frustrating, offering both fake-outs and a lot of unbelievable timing. Andrew was in danger, then he wasn't. Olivia kidnapped Juliet, then she didn't. Malcolm was dead, then he wasn't. Basically any time I began to think, "Hey, this could be interesting," Ringer pulled back and said, "Never mind." The show wastes so much on false leads, which may be designed to build suspense but to me feels more like dragging a flimsy story out over the course of a TV season.
The all-too-convenient near-misses are also irritating. You know, Henry arriving in the hospital room just as Siobhan is going to tell Andrew the truth—such moments are reasonable on television every once in a while, but don't work when they pepper every episode. It's not challenging to watch Ringer, because more often than not, the big reveals just keep getting postponed. And when they do happen, it's too late in the game for me to care much about the fallout.
While I'm ranting, let's talk a little bit about suspension of disbelief. Machado finds a tarot card and immediately knows that it must be from this one laundromat and not any of the dozen magic shops that sell them? Or how about Andrew listening to Bridget talk about shooting her would-be assassin, and not telling the police? If you've just been shot while saving your wife, and she reveals this was the second attempt on her life, would you not immediately share that information with the proper authorities? Maybe they could actually do their jobs and find the hitman.
Of course, all of this pales in comparison to the biggest plothole of all—the fact that Machado still hasn't called Bridget out on her real identity. Okay, you could say he knows and he's waiting for her to come forward, but that's just silly. If he had any inkling that "Siobhan" was really her twin sister, he would have a ton of questions. But no, everyone assumes that "Siobhan" is just Siobhan, even though Bridget's whereabouts are unknown and she was on the run from the law when she disappeared. Don't ask too many questions, agent!
I don't know where this is all going to end up, but like I said, I'm past the point of caring. I do wonder how Ringer was planning on sustaining itself over the course of several seasons. The story and the characters haven't been strong enough to last for even one: If there was a plan for an epic thriller, it was botched from the get-go.
– Is Malcolm still alive, or is he also in a shallow grave somewhere?
– How long until Bridget tells Andrew about Catherine's extortion plot?
– Is Machado the worst detective ever, or what?


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Chekhov Help
I receive many information requests pertaining to Chekhov. Often I am too busy and I may not reply right away. Please check all the links before you request something. The information you seek may be already there. If it is not, it probably does not exist on the WWW. I have spent many hours searching for Chekhov information, and everything I find is linked from my page. I myself do not have an academic background in Russian, Literature, or Dramaturgy - so I am unable to answer some of the difficult or obscure questions that I recieve. Having said that, you are still welcome to e-mail me with requests.
Thank you
Yvan Russell
Return to the
main page


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Apartment Complex Orders Dog DNA Tests to Make Sure Owners Clean Poop
If you don't clean up after your dog, your pockets may suffer.
If you don't clean up after your dog, your pockets may suffer.
We've all seen wacky ads on Craiglist, but this one may take the cake.
Hopefully you're enjoying your day off. You know who's not? These animals! They're busy putting the "cat" in business cat-sual. Sure, a tie might be closer to standard business attire, but we're pretty sure the lack of pants keeps it totally casual.
Stop wasting all your time making hand-sewn costumes for your hamster. Do this instead. You'll save time, and it appears that there's a chance a hamster will even enjoy this, unlike that tiny train conductor uniform you spend 46 hours on.
With Labor Day just over a week away, it's time to face the facts-- summer is coming to an end way too soon. But even though we won't be able to wipe out on Slip n' Slides too much longer, there are still tons of awesome things we can look foward to in the Fall, and apparently dogs are so ready for it.
Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, stop. We're about to make your day a whole lot better, although we can't really take ownership over the adorableness that's about to ensue-- this one's all on the animals. Are you ready? It's puppy attack time!
We recently took a look at a few animals that have jobs, but this is a bit simpler.
This dog really, really does not want to take a bath, and will do almost anything to get out of it, including laying there like a big lump of lifeless dog. We've never seen such a strong desire to NOT take a bath.
Besides being the Web's funniest downer, Grumpy Cat has also been a source of artistic inspiration ever since he claimed fame. How Tarter Sauce so effortlessly gains a huge fanbase, we have no idea, nor are we questioning. The famous kitty just has some sort of magical 'oomph' to him, which is why these Disney-meets-Grumpy-Cat pictures are so fitting.
In a very official statement, the White House has welcomed the newest member of the first family: Sunny.
In case you haven't noticed, us humans are really annoying, especially when it comes to pets. We dress 'em up in embarrassing costumes and bathe them til they hate us and honestly? We can't blame them at all for retaliation.
The Shibe/doge is one of our favorite completely weird memes. It has complicated beginnings, but it is so absurd that we get lost very easily once we dive into this world. The Tumblr Shiba Confessions is probably the best source for weird Shiba stuff, but there are also several subreddits dedicated to the dog.


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WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- President Obama finishes up his stay in Mexico, then travels to Costa Rica Friday, the White House said.
The daily schedule indicates Obama will:
-- Speak at the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City.
-- Meet with Mexican entrepreneurs at the museum.
-- Leave Mexico City for San Jose, Costa Rica.
-- Meet with U.S. Embassy personnel at the InterContinental Real Hotel in San Jose.
-- Participate in two meetings with President Laura Chinchilla at Casa Amarilla.
-- Participate in a cultural event with Chinchilla and Costa Rican youth at Casa Amarilla.
-- Conduct a joint news conference with Chinchilla at the National Center for Art and Culture.
-- Participate in a photo session with Central American Integration System leaders at the National Theatre.
-- Attend a working dinner with Chinchilla and Central American Integration System leaders at the National Theatre.


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Bike fit
- By London Cycling Campaign on at 11:00pm 4 September 2006
- Posted in: Advice
- Tagged with:
Credit: Owen Pearson
It is important you get a frame to fit you. If you go to a good bike shop they should be able to fit a bike to you. It is not worth buying a bike that seems like a great deal but does not fit you properly.
Types of frame
Some bikes will come with both "men's" style cross-bar frames and "ladies'" step-through frames; other models may not have a step-through version but should come in a range of sizes to fit the individual. Which type you choose is a matter of personal preference.
Some bikes are designed specially for women. These tend to be smaller and have a shorter cross bar, as many women have a shorter torso.
As a rough guide to bikes with a conventional cross-bar, if you stand astride the bike the cross-bar should be two inches below your crotch. If it is another style bike then you will need to be comfortable on the bike when you have your saddle at the right height for pedalling.
Posture and riding position
When you sit on the saddle you should be able to touch the ground with your tiptoes, and when you place your foot on the pedal your leg should be almost fully stretched to reach the pedal at its lowest point. When riding you should not have to stretch uncomfortably to reach the handlebars and most of your weight should be on the saddle, not the handlebars.
Test riding
As a last rule, you should test ride several bikes before you decide which one is right for you.


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Illustration of a forest plot for a hypothetical meta-analysis comparing hernia recurrence incidence following hypothetical procedure X vs procedure Y for inguinal hernia repair. This hypothetical figure was created using Review Manager 4.2 software, which is used by the Cochrane Collaboration to perform formal Cochrane reviews.18 Odds ratio (OR) = 0.57 suggests that procedure X has lower odds of having recurrence (43% lower) than procedure Y. Test for heterogeneity reports χ2 = 8.07, df = 9, which usually is 1 less than the total number of studies (10 − 1 = 9), and corresponding P value of .53, which suggests no significant heterogeneity among the studies (in contrast, a P value <.10 implies possible heterogeneity). I2 = 0% quantifies the degree of heterogeneity and negative values are converted into 0%; 0% corresponds with no observed heterogeneity, as is seen in this example. zTest of overall effect = 2.36 with corresponding P value = .02 suggests that there was a significant effect difference between the 2 procedures. CI indicates confidence interval.
Illustration of a funnel plot for a hypothetical meta-analysis comparing hernia recurrence incidence following hypothetical procedure X vs procedure Y for inguinal hernia repair. The y-axis reflects individual study weights as the log of the effect estimate, SE (log OR). The x-axis represents the odds ratio (OR) for each study. The symmetry of the plot distribution suggests absence of publication bias. SE indicates standard error.
Tina T. Ng, Marcia L. McGory, Clifford Y. Ko, Melinda A. Maggard. Meta-analysis in SurgeryMethods and Limitations. Arch Surg. 2006;141(11):1125–1130. doi:10.1001/archsurg.141.11.1125
© 2017
The growth of new knowledge continues to advance the surgical disciplines, and several types of literature reviews attempt to consolidate this expansion of information. Meta-analysis is one such method that integrates findings on the same subject from different studies. Within surgery, there is a wealth of literature on a given topic, which needs to be considered collectively. As such, meta-analyses have been performed to address issues like the use of bowel preparation for colorectal surgery and comparisons of outcomes for laparoscopic vs open surgical approaches. A basic understanding of the groundwork required for meta-analysis is fundamental toward interpreting and critiquing its results. This review provides an overview of the principles, application, and limitations of meta-analysis in the context of surgery.
Meta-analysis refers to the analysis of analyses. I use it to refer to the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings. It connotes a rigorous alternative to the causal, narrative discussion of research studies which typify an attempt to make sense of the rapidly expanding research literature.—Gene Glass (1976)
Meta-analysis refers to the analysis of analyses. I use it to refer to the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings. It connotes a rigorous alternative to the causal, narrative discussion of research studies which typify an attempt to make sense of the rapidly expanding research literature.—Gene Glass (1976)
Meta-analysis synthesizes the medical literature on a common topic using a rigorous, statistical approach. This method was originally coined by Gene Glass; it was used to help make sense of the growing amount of data in the literature and has become an integral part of the research armamentarium.1 One of the first medical publications of pooling data was in 1904 by Pearson,2 and one of the first published, formal meta-analyses was in 1954 by Lasagna et al.3 Archie Cochrane (1909-1988), a British epidemiology researcher, was one of the foremost leaders in this field and was instrumental in establishing these techniques.4
Meta-analysis uses quantitative statistics to combine results from individual studies to determine whether a difference in outcomes exists between 2 treatments or study arm groups. Studies are weighted with regard to their sample size, and overall direction and size of the effect are calculated. Meta-analysis has the potential to resolve controversies within the literature and ultimately shape surgical practice.
A recent article on systematic review and meta-analysis by Sauerland and Seiler5 highlights the important role that these techniques play in evidence-based research for surgeons. They provide groundwork about the steps involved in designing and conducting this type of research. Our review illustrates further the key facets of the method to prepare researchers who are new to performing a meta-analysis but also assists those who want to critique these types of published studies. We describe the detailed methodological steps for meta-analysis, including defining a research question, identifying the selection criteria of studies to include, calculating the odds ratio (OR) and relativerisk (RR), and reviewing components of funnel and forest plots. Our overview begins with comparing meta-analysis with other types of literature reviews, followed by the rationale behind performing meta-analysis. We also detail the methods and limitations of this approach, all within the context of surgery.
The narrative review and systematic review both summarize results of previously published literature; however, they have limitations that the meta-analysis attempts to avoid. A traditional "review of the literature" condenses past studies using narrative form and provides generalized conclusions; however, it lacks structure in the inclusion of studies and statistical summary of the data. First, the studies selected may not represent all the available evidence because rigorous selection criteria are not typically used. As such, the summation may support the reviewer's bias. Second, the narrative review does not quantitatively combine the data or weight data, which can create misleading interpretation.6 Finally, results from different sources can be conflicting and thus a summative review may not reach a statistically justified conclusion.7,8
A systematic review is a higher level of review than a narrative approach in that it follows specific methods to define a research question, criteria for study inclusion, and method of data collection.6,7 Systematic reviews overcome some of the limitations of a traditional review since the prespecified research question and inclusion criteria tend to decrease the amount of bias in the selection of the studies and in the conclusions drawn.
Systematic reviews may or may not formally combine (ie, pool) data or weight the relative contribution of study based on sample size using statistical methods. This method of combining data is called meta-analysis. The method includes attempts to identify studies that are clinically similar enough to allow for qualitative pooling of the data. Tests to identify heterogeneity (ie, wide variations in the effect measure or outcome) are also performed. These terms, systematic review and meta-analysis, are often confused in the literature. Specifically, a meta-analysis is performed within the context of a systematic review.
Like a systematic review, a meta-analysis follows strict methods to define the study question and establish study inclusion criteria. The major difference is that the meta-analysis approach attempts to identify studies that are similar enough to allow for quantitative pooling of the data. However, if the identified studies are too heterogeneous to allow pooling of the data, then a systematic review may represent the best available method to synthesize the current literature.
The overarching goal of a meta-analysis is to create an objective conclusion based on the strengths and limitations of the available studies.6- 8 While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of evidence-based medicine, it is not uncommon for the results from the individual trials to vary, particularly within surgery because of the problems of small sample size and significant variation with respect to procedure techniques, surgeon experience, and postoperative care.
Meta-analysis can help synthesize the results for a number of scenarios where findings of the individual studies show (1) no effect because of small sample size, (2) varying direction of effect, or (3) effect vs no significant effect, all of which are commonly encountered among surgical topics. A meta-analysis may serve to combine findings from similar studies to help increase the power to detect statistical differences. Rather than base clinical practice on a single or few studies, meta-analysis allows for a pooled conclusion, thus adding to the strength and generalizability of the findings.
For example, a meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration (2004) compared laparoscopic vs open appendectomy for suspected appendicitis.9 The investigators identified many RCTs comparing these 2 procedures; however, none clearly delineated the benefits. The meta-analysis combined the results and found that the laparoscopic approach was associated with a lower wound infection rate, decreased incidence of intra-abdominal abscess, less postoperative pain, and shorter duration of hospital stay.
Another example is seen with the studies designed to compare the outcomes for breast cancer between lumpectomy plus radiation vs mastectomy. One of the first landmark studies on the this topic was the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Protocol B-06 trial, which showed that lumpectomy with radiation as compared with mastectomy had similar mortality rates and acceptable breast cancer recurrence rates.10 However, because the sample size was relatively small (n = 1529 at 12-year follow-up), it was important to demonstrate that these results were reproducible in other trials, particularly because dramatic changes in clinical practice were being undertaken. A meta-analysis by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group, looking at 36 trials, which included more than 29 000 women, helped to confirm the NSABP findings.11 Their large analysis of all available studies confirmed that radiotherapy combined with surgery led to a local recurrence rate 3 times lower than the rate from surgery alone and there was no significant difference in mortality.11 Meta-analysis works as a valuable method to combine all available surgical studies to validate findings from a single study or a few studies that may have potentially treatment-changing impact.
Meta-analysis follows an approach similar to that used for research involving primary data collection.6,7,12 The 5 steps include: (1) define research question, (2) establish study selection criteria, (3) perform literature search of topic, (4) abstract study features and outcomes, and (5) analyze data and present results.
The first step establishes a specific research question and a formal protocol detailing objectives and hypotheses. The research question should address the intervention, comparison group, and clinical outcomes of interest.13 Within general surgery, an example would be to compare laparoscopic vs open inguinal hernia repair and select the outcomes to measure, such as recurrence rate and postoperative complications.
The second step defines the inclusion and exclusion criteria for identifying eligible studies. Criteria should detail the type of study design (eg, RCT, observational cohort study), patients (eg, age, sex, presence of medical conditions), data publication (eg, abstract only or nonpublished data), language (eg, inclusion of non-English studies), and time period.6,7 Additionally, many items specific to the surgical experience must be considered, including other procedure details (eg, primary hernia, method of repair, type of mesh), surgeon (eg, experience level), hospital (eg, teaching institution), or timeliness of study. For example, there may be discrepancy in treatment or clinical management between studies performed in the past 2 years vs those performed 20 years ago. The degree of criteria specificity can greatly impact overall results as broad inclusion criteria could increase heterogeneity among the surgical studies, while narrow inclusion criteria could lead to limited subgroup analysis.14 For the inguinal hernia example, using too broad of inclusion criteria for the method of securing the mesh (interrupted vs running) in the open study arms could potentially cause too much heterogeneity when comparing outcomes between the laparoscopic vs open approach.
Third, a literature search is performed to obtain all relevant surgical studies that meet the inclusion criteria; the specific terms used to conduct the search should be reported. Common database search tools include MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Current Contents, and EMBASE. Using multiple databases is crucial to ensure that pertinent publications are not omitted; non-English–written articles should be included and translated when appropriate.6,7,12 Scanning bibliographies of the retrieved articles and asking surgical experts in the field may identify additional publications.7 Articles with duplicate or previously published data should be excluded. For example, an RCT may generate several publications on the same patient population so it is imperative not to double count them.
The fourth step involves abstraction of study features, characteristics of the patient population, and outcomes onto a standard data collection form.12 The quality of studies should be evaluated with regard to randomization, double blinding, and explanation for dropouts and withdrawals, which addresses the issues of internal validity (minimization of bias) and external validity (ability to generalize results).15 To maintain accuracy, 2 independent researchers should extract the data. The degree of agreement between the reviewers should be calculated (eg, κ statistic) and discrepancies, resolved.12 Blinding researchers to the study authors and other identifying information may decrease the chance of bias.
Overall, particularly for surgery, few randomized articles on a given topic may be available and heterogeneity between those studies can be significant. As such, the majority of surgical meta-analyses are composed of relatively few articles, frequently fewer than 10. A recent review article by Dixon et al16 looked at the quality of published meta-analysis within general surgery. They found 51 meta-analyses to review, and of these, 18 analyzed 10 or fewer studies. It is acceptable to perform meta-analysis on surgical topics with few available studies—even 3 is commonly performed—as long as the degree of heterogeneity is minimal.
The fifth step of a meta-analysis includes data analysis and presentation of results. Selection of the specific type of analysis depends on whether the outcome variable is continuous (eg, postoperative length of hospital stay) or dichotomous (eg, postoperative complication event). For continuous end points, the mean difference between 2 groups (eg, control and treatment groups) is recorded.12 Data must be translated to a common scale to allow for comparison. For example, a recent meta-analysis on bariatric surgery found that the majority of articles reported preoperative weight in kilograms, while some articles reported preoperative weight in pounds.17 Transforming data into a common scale will allow for maximal inclusion of data.
If the end point is dichotomous (effect vs no effect), the OR or RR is calculated.12 "Odds" is defined as the ratio of events to nonevents, and the OR is defined as the odds in 1 group (eg, treatment group) divided by the odds in a second group (eg, control group). An OR greater than 1 means that the event is more likely in the treatment group, and therefore, the treatment group is favored if the "event" is desirable (eg, 1-year survival). "Risk" is defined as the number of patients with an event divided by the total number of patients, and the risk ratio is defined as the risk in 1 group (eg, treatment group) divided by the risk in a second group (eg, control group). An RR less than 1 favors the treatment group if the "event" is not desirable (eg, reoperation). Relative risk is easier to interpret intuitively, but some study designs, like case control, prevent its calculation and OR should be used.
For RCTs, absolute measures, such as the risk difference (RD), also called the absolute risk reduction, and number of patients needed to treat (NNT) can be calculated. The RD is defined as the risk in the treatment group minus the risk in the control group, which quantifies the absolute change in risk due to the treatment. In general, a negative risk difference favors the treatment group. The NNT is defined as the inverse of the risk difference. The NNT provides the number of patients who need to be treated with the intervention to prevent 1 event. In the case where the risk difference is positive (does not favor the treatment group), the inverse will provide the number needed to harm (NNH).18
The meta-analysis technique for combining data also uses a weighted average of the results. Larger trials are given more weight since the results of smaller trials are more likely to be affected by chance.6,12 Either the fixed-effects or random-effects model can be used for determining the overall effect. The fixed-effects model assumes that all studies are estimating the same common treatment effect; therefore, if each study were infinitely large, an identical treatment effect could be calculated. The random-effects model assumes that each study is estimating a different treatment effect and hence yields wider confidence intervals. A meta-analysis should ideally be analyzed using both the fixed-effects and random-effects models. If there is not a difference between the 2 models, then the studies are unlikely to have significant statistical heterogeneity. If there is a considerable difference between the 2 models, then the most conservative estimate should be reported, which is usually the random-effects model.18
When reporting a meta-analysis, the combined study effect (ie, difference between the study arms) is presented graphically along with the results of individual studies, as demonstrated by the forest plot example in Figure 1. In this example, hernia recurrence rate is compared between 2 procedures and the diamond-shaped figure represents the pooled results, with the midline corresponding to the calculated estimate for all studies and the horizontal spread representing the 95% confidence interval. Since the horizontal spread does not cross the vertical line (located at an OR of 1) in this forest plot, this demonstrates a statistically significant difference, with procedure X having a lower rate of hernia recurrences than procedure Y.
There are additional types of meta-analysis that can be performed. One approach is to run the analysis based on individual patient data.19 Individual patient-level data involves the reanalysis of the actual raw data from all relevant RCTs. The researcher conducting the individual patient-level data study collects the data and reanalyzes it. Often, the data are double-checked for accuracy and follow-up times are updated. This process involves obtaining the raw data from the original researchers who conducted each study, which may not always be possible. While this technique takes longer to perform and requires additional resources, it has several advantages including detailed subanalyses, flexibility of analysis, and standardization of outcome variables and follow-up. The Cochrane Collaboration has a section devoted to performing these types of studies, called the Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis Methods Group.20 A recent example of this type of meta-analysis looked at repair of inguinal hernias and was called "Open Mesh Versus Non-Mesh Repair of Groin Hernia: Meta-Analysis of Randomised Trials Based on Individual Patient Data."21 While this method requires a greater amount of resources, it lessens the degree of publication and selection bias, thus potentially resulting in more accurate results.
Another example is the cumulative meta-analysis, which involves repeating the meta-analysis as new study findings become available and allows for the accrual of data over time.8 It can also retrospectively pinpoint the time when a treatment effect achieved statistical significance or identify if a treatment's effectiveness diminishes over time (ie, antibiotic resistance).22 This can be particularly informative for surgical patients with cancer as adjuvant treatment evolves with time.
A surgical meta-analysis can also be performed using either observational or RCT data. Ideally, limiting the meta-analysis to only RCT data will produce results with a higher level of scientific evidence; however, there are often only a few of these studies available. Randomized data will be less likely to have significant selection bias or other confounding factors. Pooling nonrandomized data has many limitations that must be considered in the final assessment of the results. Furthermore, a general rule of thumb is that observational data should not be combined with randomized data for meta-analysis.
While a meta-analysis can produce an overall conclusion on a surgical topic with more power than looking at the individual studies, results must be interpreted with consideration of the study question, selection criteria, method of data collection, and statistical analysis.6
The primary criticism of a meta-analysis is the presence of multiple types of bias, which is common within surgery. Pooling data from different sources unavoidably includes biases of the individual studies.23,24 Moreover, despite the establishment of study selection criteria, authors may tend to incorporate studies that support their view, leading to selection bias.6,7,23- 26 There is also potential for bias in identification of studies because they are often selected by investigators familiar with the field who have individual opinions.23 For example, an author who believes strongly in the benefits of the laparoscopic approach for colon cancer may unwittingly exclude studies that do not support his or her view.
Language bias may exist when literature searches fail to include foreign studies, because significant results are more likely to be published in English.6,23 Studies with significant findings tend to be cited and published more frequently, and those with negative or nonsignificant findings are less likely to be published, resulting in possible citation bias and publication bias.6,23 Since studies with significant results are more likely to be indexed in the literature database, database bias is another concern.6,23 Studies that have not been published in traditional journals, like a dissertation or a chapter, are referred to as "fugitive" literature and are less likely to be identified through the traditional database search. Finally, multiple-publication bias can occur if several publications are generated from a multicenter trial or a large trial reporting on a variety of outcomes. If the same set of patients is included twice in the meta-analysis, the treatment effect can be overestimated.23 These potent bias factors can affect the conclusions and must be considered during interpretation of the results.
To combat these sources of bias, several tools are available. First, a sensitivity analysis can help examine for bias by exploring the robustness of the findings under different assumptions.23 Exclusion of studies based on specified criteria (eg, low quality, small sample size, or studies stopped early because of an interim analysis) should not significantly change the overall effect if the results of the meta-analysis are not significantly influenced by these studies. Second, the degree of study heterogeneity is another major limitation and the random-effects model should be used when appropriate and attempts made to identify potential causes (eg, clinical differences in the studies) of the heterogeneity.18
A third approach at measuring potential bias is the funnel plot, which is a scatterplot illustrating each study's effect with reference to their sample size (Figure 2). The underlying principle is that as the sample size of individual studies increases, the precision of the overall estimate improves. This is shown graphically because smaller studies would distribute widely while the spread of large studies should be narrow. The funnel plot shows a symmetrical inverted funnel if there is minimal or no bias, as demonstrated in Figure 2. By the same logic, the plot would be asymmetrical and skewed when bias exists.
The quality of a meta-analysis is dependent on the degree of heterogeneity between studies. The recent review by Sauerland and Seiler5 details the importance of careful selection of studies while taking into account variations between treatments or patient populations that may exist. Particularly within surgery, where procedure techniques or patient selection may vary, it is imperative to identify the relevant differences and limit the statistical pooling of data to situations where heterogeneity is minimal. In fact, when too much heterogeneity between studies is apparent, data should not be pooled and definitive conclusions will not be able to be drawn until more studies become available.25,26
Also, the strength and precision of a meta-analysis is in question when the results contradict a large, well-performed RCT.23,24 As such, results of any individual study or trial may be overlooked in place of the pooled results. However, it is arguable that findings falling outside the group mean are likely a product of chance and may not reflect the true effect difference, which provides the rationale for formally pooling similar studies. Even if a real difference exists in an individual trial, the results of the group will likely be the best overall estimate (also known as the Stein Paradox).27
Caution should be exercised when using subgroup analysis to make decisions on individual patients. Meta-analysis approximates the overall effect of a treatment in a wide range of subjects and thus subgroup analysis issusceptible to bias. Surgeons should consider the risks and comorbidities of the studied population in comparison with their own patients to help decide whether the findings are clinically applicable.
The recent review article of meta-analyses within general surgery by Dixon et al16 found many inadequacies in the quality of these studies. Overall, the majority of the meta-analyses had major methodological flaws—median score of 3.3 on a scale from 1 to 7. Areas of weakness included errors in validity assessment, selection bias of patient populations, poor reporting of search strategies, and improper pooling of data. Further, they found that poor-quality meta-analyses tended to report a greater effect difference than the higher-quality ones. These results emphasize the importance of performing meta-analysis using rigorous and high-quality methods.
A recent article on the effectiveness of bariatric surgery highlights the strengths and limitations of these methods.28 The study included both a meta-analysis and systematic review on the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery. Because there were few controlled studies comparing the effectiveness of surgery vs a control arm (ie, medical treatment for weight loss), pooling of this data was not possible. On the other hand, there were a handful of RCTs comparing outcomes for different types of bariatric surgery (ie, vertical banded gastroplasty vs gastric bypass) for which the data for several studies could be pooled and analyzed collectively.
The meta-analysis method has inherent limitations; however, attempts by researchers to decrease bias, minimize study heterogeneity, and carefully interpret results will improve the likelihood of generating valid and accepted conclusions.
This overview aimed to clarify some of the concepts behind meta-analysis as well as review the basics for those more familiar with the method. Like primary research, meta-analysis involves a stepwise approach to arrive at statistically justifiable conclusions. It has the potential to provide an accurate appraisal of the literature along with quantitative summation and may objectively resolve controversies. The greatest challenge in conducting a meta-analysis on a surgical topic is often the lack of available data on the subject, because there are few high-quality, published studies with an acceptable degree of heterogeneity.
Since the number of meta-analyses published in recent years has increased substantially, it is imperative that surgeons understand the strengths and weaknesses of this method.7,29 Furthermore, surgeons must also have the ability to critically judge the findings since the results of a meta-analysis have the potential to influence clinical practice.
Correspondence: Melinda A. Maggard, MD, MSHS, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 72-215 CHS, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (email@example.com).
Accepted for Publication: August 10, 2005.
Author Contributions:Study concept and design: Ng, McGory, and Ko. Acquisition of data: Ng and McGory. Analysis and interpretation of data: Ng, McGory, Ko, and Maggard. Drafting of the manuscript: Ng, McGory, and Maggard. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Ko and Maggard. Statistical analysis: McGory, Ko, and Maggard. Administrative, technical, and material support: Ng. Study supervision: Ko and Maggard.
Financial Disclosure: None reported.


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You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
There will always be room for Jamie Moyer
Nice article on the Hall of Amazing - and Neyer leaving SB Nation?
This is my last column for SB Nation, at least for a good little while….
This is my last column for SB Nation, at least for a good little while. When I signed up three years ago, I wanted a different kind of adventure and that's what I got. At various points along the way, I was blessed to work every day with Grant Brisbee, Jeff Sullivan, and Al Yellon; their passion and commitment continue to inspire me. My bosses were Tyler Bleszinski and Kevin Lockland, and both treated me better than I probably deserved.
Grant's still around, of course; with him and Steve Goldman and Marc Normandin and Justin Bopp and all the other talented people covering baseball here, this site remains in wonderfully capable hands. I'm grateful to everyone above, and of course I'm forever grateful to you for reading. At some point in the next couple of weeks, I'll be writing about baseball again, and I hope you'll find me again.
Toolsy McClutch Posted: January 28, 2014 at 07:28 PM | 15 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: hall of merit
Reader Comments and Retorts
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.1. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili (TeddyF.Ballgame) Posted: January 28, 2014 at 10:28 PM (#4647782)
I feel like there's a really, really good piece of writing percolating underneath what's actually on the other end of this link. Which is worth reading, mind.2. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 28, 2014 at 10:35 PM (#4647784)
Wonder where Rob's going?
Ezra Klein to take over his column at Vox Media, right?3. Monty Posted: January 28, 2014 at 10:43 PM (#4647786)
I'm going to speculate wildly that Rob's going to take some time off to write a book and then pop up at, say...Grantland. That feels plausible, right?4. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 28, 2014 at 10:56 PM (#4647790)
I see a lot of negative comments about Al Yellon. Why do people not like him?5. Monty Posted: January 28, 2014 at 11:02 PM (#4647796)
Interestingly, Rob's the article where Rob put Bo Jackson in his Hall of Amazing was his last article for ESPN. Or possibly for the Sweet Spot blog. Anyway, I guess he likes to revisit the concept when he writes goodbye articles:6. Jose is an Absurd Doubles Machine Posted: January 28, 2014 at 11:16 PM (#4647806)
Whether you've been reading my ramblings since 1996 or just since last week, you have my profound, impossible-to-express-in-words gratitude. There is not a working writer on Earth who's more grateful than I for his readers. Without you, I would have nothing.
I feel like there's a really, really good piece of writing percolating underneath what's actually on the other end of this link. Which is worth reading, mind.
The fact that he's not saying where he's going suggests to me that the parting is not particularly amicable.
"The fact that he's not saying where he's going suggests to me that the parting is not particularly amicable."
maybe, but not necessarily how the biz works.
I hope Rob goes back to writing books, or long-form articles, which seem now to be part of some distant past, like Myspace.9. Toolsy McClutch Posted: January 29, 2014 at 06:19 PM (#4648292)
I'm starting to dislike Grantland more and more outside Zach Lowe, I think they should just rename it hubris.com and constantly talk about the Hills or Real World Hawaii all the time.10. God Posted: January 29, 2014 at 06:47 PM (#4648302)
It's a little weird that Rob left a good, highly stable job for one that was clearly riskier, and ended up leaving after less than three years.11. villageidiom Posted: January 29, 2014 at 09:08 PM (#4648376)
He's not in Posnanski territory yet. In the space of -- what -- two or three years -- Joe went from the KC Star to Sports Illustrated to Sports on Earth to NBC. (Am I missing anything?) I don't really understand that as a career path. Particularly leaving SI for Sports on Earth, and then the mysterious departure from Sports on Earth. Did he quit because the site didn't quite turn out to be what they pitched it as? Did they not want him around anymore after the Paterno debacle? Never did quite figure that whole thing out.
The fact that he's not saying where he's going suggests to me that the parting is not particularly amicable.One could argue that the high road would be not using your old employer to advertise your new employer.
It's a little weird that Rob left a good, highly stable job for one that was clearly riskier, and ended up leaving after less than three years.
I think for a lot of people, what externally can be seen as a "good job" might not be that good to the person working it. Even a highly compensated position might have the warts of (especially for writers) heavy handed editorial control or a shitty working environment or any number of things that degrade quality of life more than the paycheck or exposure is worth.
That said, while I applaud Poz's and Neyers' willingness to step outside the traditional mediums of writing, it does seem like perhaps a case of "the grass is greener" as they haven't stuck very long at the new gigs either. Don't know what you've got till it's gone and all that.
Grantland's fine but I'd like a navigation option for "this article is primary about sports". To be fair, their header is "Sports and Pop Culture".
edit: Just clicked on Titus' NCAA rankings (I don't like Titus, he says a bunch of stupid #### about Michigan basketball) and of course he likens losing McGary and Michigan's 7-0 run to the top of the B1G to "the Ewing effect". My god dude, you don't have to slurp Simmons' long ago discredited stupid theory, just write about Michigan as Michigan. Beilein is a helluva damn coach and Nik Stauskus is playing like a top 5 pick, they would be a crapload better with a healthy McGary, did you watch the NCAA tourney last year?
The fact that he's not saying where he's going suggests to me that the parting is not particularly amicable.
Or he has a contract he's not allowed to talk about yet.
Word on the street (meaning AwfulAnnouncing.com) is that Rob's going to Fox Sports.15. JJ1986 Posted: January 30, 2014 at 10:13 PM (#4649103)
I find FOX Sports website literally unreadable. Five layers of headers, a sidebar that takes up half the screen, prominent use of unreadable fonts, and the whole thing is too close to the left margin.
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W.W. Grainger, Inc. has posted a 1 percent increase in overall sales for the month of February.
Grainger attributed the sales growth to acquisitions, specifically its purchase of British distributor Cromwell Group Ltd. Grainger's daily sales in the United States declined 1 percent, while the company's sales in Asia, Europe, and Latin America increased 51 percent in local currencies.
Grainger often is deemed a harbinger of the U.S. economy due to the wide range of its offerings.
To read the full story, click here.
About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2013 sales of US$9.4 billion, is a broadline supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products serving businesses and institutions in North America with an expanding presence in Asia and Latin America. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.


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Java Draw Created Mar 18, 2012 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2012 jagerjoe56.
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What a pretty lady! I love her necklace and earrings :) 5h
so pretty and amazing style i luv it ur a gr8 artist omg!!!!!!! 5/5 deffinitly (augh how to spell it?)!!! :D :D :) :) yayayayayayay
Pretty lady!!
o jeah, she is sophisticated..5/5..
Ooooooooo She is SO SO SO SO SO LOVELY!!! I love her lipstick and her necklace! She is sooo pretty! 5/5 Collection!
Beautiful portrait.


text:
Police are searching for two men who used a small axe and an iron bar to rob a convenience store in Frankston earlier this week.
The two men confronted the lone worker about 1.30am on Monday and demanded cigarettes and cash while armed - one with the iron bar and the other with the axe.
The worker called police from an office of the Cranbourne Road store but in his absence, the armed men jumped over the counter and stole cigarettes and other items, a police spokeswoman said.
They then ran away across Cranbourne Road; witnesses told police they saw the men in nearby McClelland Drive shortly afterwards.
Detectives from the Frankston Embona Armed Robbery Taskforce want anyone with information to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police have released images of two men they believe can help with their investigation.


text:
About This File
MTP Medical Landing Strip
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it another landing strip?
Well, yes... but this one is not found in the airport menu... but it is found in the hospital menu.
When you live out in the sticks, boonies, wop wops, or for the Aussies, the out-back... and little Johnny falls out of the apple tree and breaks both arms and both legs, or old Jethro, crushes his fingers in the combine harvester... or Sally-Ann goes into premature labour... you need a hospital. Well that can be a problem if the only town for miles around only has a small clinic, that can only deal with minor injuries and ailments. If the nearest hospital is in the next tile, or 4 hours drive away you are going to need a faster way to get to hospital.
The MTP Medical Landing Strip, provides maximum medical coverage, equipped with both a Medi-vac helicopter and also a fixed wing air ambulance. Well the air ambulance is actually the local sky diving plane, but it is roomy, and you can get a stretchered patient in the back.
Menu - Hospital
Coverage - Maximum
Cost - $750
Monthly - $500 (adjustable)
Bulldoze - $100
Needs power and water
Equipped with a small, on site clinic, but for anything more serious than a band aid they will fly you out to the nearest fully equipped hospital.
Nightlighting - Buildings, and portable flood lighting for heli-pad.
UDI (U-Drive it) - Ambulance, Medi-vac Helicopter (requires large medical center in tile), without a large medical center, the helicopter will still periodically take off and return.
Air Ambulance (Sky-Diving Plane - requires a landing strip in tile)
*Fly from the medical landing strip to any other airport in your tile!
PEG-MTP Super Pack
To install, unzip into your C: documents/Simcity 4/Plugins folder.
To remove, delete from the plugins folder.


text:
Insider Hot Stocks: Johnson & Johnson, Baidu.com, AuRico Gold, Weatherford, Xilinx, and J.B. Hunt Transport
Pennystocksinsiders.com (PSI) has issued insider trading reports and Equity Research for the following companies: Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Baidu.com (NASDAQ:BIDU), AuRico Gold (NYSE:AUQ), Weatherford (NYSE:WFT), Xilinx (NASDAQ:XLNX), and J.B. Hunt Transport (NASDAQ:JBHT).
(Read full report by clicking the link below, you may need to copy and paste the full link to your browser.)
Report Highlights:
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ): For the second quarter of 2012, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) reported net earnings of US$1.4 billion, or US$0.50 per diluted share. That is compared with net earnings of US$2.78 billion, or US$1.00 per diluted share, a year ago. For the second quarter, revenue was US$16.5 billion, a decrease of 0.7% from the same quarter of 2011. Moreover, The Board of Directors of Johnson & Johnson approved a quarterly cash dividend of US$0.61 per common share payable on September 11, 2012 to shareholders of record on August 28, 2012. Shares of Johnson & Johnson gapped open sharply lower in the last trading session. However, by market close, the stock advanced US$0.55 (or 0.80%) to US$69.00 and made a new 52-week high of US$69.18. Did Johnson & Johnson insiders buy their shareholdings before the stock price soared? Academic studies have shown that insiders traditionally make higher investment returns than ordinary investors. Do you want to find out how they do it? Check this insider trade report for JNJ here.
Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/071812A/JNJ/Johnson.pdf
Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU): Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is scheduled to release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012 on July 23, 2012. Baidu.com, Inc. is a Chinese-language Internet search provider with a market capitalization of US$36.65 billion. Shares of Baidu.com, Inc. slumped 2.21% to US$104.98 and made a new 52-week low of US$99.71. Its price, as of the latest close, was up 5.3% compared with the 52-week low and was 58.1% below the 52-week high. There were 10.10 million stock shares traded, which was 2.8 times more than average volume. Pennystocksinsiders.com refers insider trading data to investors as Baidu.com, Inc. insiders have a better understanding about the company's prospects. Check this insider trade report for BIDU here.
Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/071812A/BIDU/Baidu.pdf
AuRico Gold Inc. (NYSE:AUQ): On July 17, AuRico Gold Inc. (NYSE:AUQ) announced that René Marion, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director was resigning for health reasons, effective September 3, 2012. Scott Perry, current Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer to replace Mr. Marion. In the last trading session, shares of AuRico Gold slipped 12.20% to US$6.62 and made a new 52-week low of US$6.23. Abnormal trading volume of AuRico Gold was found reaching 14.27 million shares, 5.9 times heavier than usual day trading. AuRico Gold Inc. is a Canada-based gold producer with a diversified portfolio of mines and projects in North America. Do you think AuRico Gold will rebound or continue to drop? Do you think now is a good time to sell the stock? Investors could get an idea by checking this insider trade report for AUQ here.
Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/071812A/AUQ/AuRicoGold.pdf
Today Pennystocksinsiders.com also observed abnormal trade volume for the following companies; insiders may involve trading in these companies. It will take some time for insiders to report their trades. Read these reports and add these companies into your Insider Trade Radar.
Weatherford International Ltd (NYSE:WFT):
Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/071812A/WFT/Weatherford.pdf
Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX):
Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/071812A/XLNX/Xilinx.pdf
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT):
Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/071812A/JBHT/JBHuntTransport.pdf
Insider Filing Source Reference: All observations, analysis and reports are based on public information released by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Pennystocksinsiders.com:
Pennystocksinsiders.com features a team of experienced data analysts striving to provide the investment community with the tools, software, and data necessary to carry out more effective investment research.
Important Disclaimer:
Please visit Pennystocksinsiders.com/disclaimers/index.php for details.
CONTACT: Pennystocksinsiders.com, email@example.com
SOURCE Pennystocksinsiders.com
Editor: Janet Nan Jiang
Reported on Jul 18, 2012
More Insider News ...


text: Imagine if we got Mercilus(16 sacks, 22.5 tfl) and Wolfe(9.5 sacks, 21.5 tfl) in the 1st and 3rd rounds, and they're production levels weren't a fluke. WOW, d-line issues no longer. I can see our coaches doing something like this WAY before they take a chance on someone just because they look good.


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Police are on the hunt for a man who was caught on camera beating a deli worker unconscious during a robbery in the Roxborough section of the city.
On Tuesday, around 2 p.m., the suspect entered the M&M Deli on the 400 block of Markle Street armed with a handgun.
Police say the suspect then walked behind the counter while pointing his gun at a 50-year-old employee. The suspect then allegedly went through the victim's pockets as well as the cash register.
As the suspect filled his bag with cigarettes, the employee pushed the silent alarm, according to investigators. Police say the suspect then began beating the employee, repeatedly punching him in the head until the victim fell unconscious.
Investigators say the suspect stole about $1500 in cash and merchandise before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was treated for a broken orbital bone.
The suspect is described as a muscular man in his early to mid-30's, standing between 6-feet and 6-foot-2 with light facial hair. He was last seen wearing a blue/white button-up hooded sweatshirt, tan baseball cap with a dark colored brim, white and black sneakers and checkered black and white boxer shorts.
Police also say he was carrying a white bag with a red star logo, possibly a Macy's bag.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call Philadelphia Police.


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Chapter 4 : Lasting Impressions
|Rating: Mature
|Chapter Reviews: 4
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It was comforting.
Durmstrang, although just as historic and prestigious as Hogwarts, was a cold, bleak and unfriendly place. The people were up their own arses. It was unbelievably dull at times. They still had a strict curriculum. It just wasn't Hogwarts. I may have only gone to school here for a year, but it definitely left a lasting impression. Both people and place.
I was looking forward to getting back into the grind of things, though as I walked with Al deeper into the maze of corridors the castle housed, I realised that familiarising myself with them again wouldn't exactly go amiss.
"I still can't believe you're back!" he said with a broad grin as he led me through the dungeons.
I flashed him a grin in return "I know, when I found out we were moving, I almost owled you".
"Why didn't you?" he asked with a frown, absentmindedly muttering "The fens."
I shrugged as we stepped through the portrait, making a mental note of the password "It's been five years. Things change."
As we stepped through the portrait hole, a small smile made it's way to my lips.
The Slytherin Common Room was a low-ceilinged, dungeon-like room and received just enough light from the greenish lamps that were scattered about the place. Skulls adorned almost every surface, whether engraved into the woodwork on the tables and hardback chairs, or a prominent display on the mantle and bookcases. The sofa's and plush armchairs were a dark green, so dark in fact that one would assume they were black. But as much as it looked dark and unwelcoming, it was actually a surprisingly warm, comfortable and relaxing place to be. I've definitely missed it.
"Yeah, but people don't" he said rousing me from my musings.
I scoffed, "Oh I don't know about that one…"
"Oh yeah, you're Mr Smooth, Suave and Sophisticated these days. I forget." he smirked, sinking into one of the sofa's in front of the fireplace, and lazily kicking off his shoes as he put his hands behind his head.
I shook my head with a laugh. "I like to think I give the people what they want" I said, sitting down on one of the chairs with a broad smirk. It was convenient that as I said that, a small cluster of sixth years girls walked past towards the stairs, whispering animatedly amongst themselves as they glanced my way.
I love how girls think we're completely unaware when they do that. Lad's know that girls are talking about them, and giggling and smiling flirtatiously certainly proves that. Pull them up on it though, will they admit it? Not a chance.
"I'll say!" Al grinned, catching sight of the girls as they walked past, "You may have your uses after all" he finished, eyeing up a pretty blonde.
I rolled my eyes, loosening my tie as I sat back "And you tried to say people don't change…"
"What?" he asked grinning boyishly, "I can't not notice a pretty face when I see one. Anyway," he said, sitting up straighter and facing me when they'd disappeared up the stairs, "How was Durmstrang? Dad always said it was a horrible school."
"Not horrible," I said frowning lightly, "but it's not Hogwarts. Everything's just more laid back and effortless here, where as Durmstrang is the complete opposite. Very structured. Get's tiring after a while".
"So that's the reason for you looking like you have a stick up your arse?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"
"Oh you know what I mean," he said waving my question away as if it was a perfectly normal thing to come out with, "Let's change the subject. How was your summer? Do anything?"
"Alright," I said slowly, "but no. We only got back two weeks ago, so we've just been getting the house sorted. What about you?"
"Same old," he said with a grin, "just hanging around with the family. There's a lot to go around. How was your run-in with Rosie anyway? I'm assuming you met her before coming to the Great Hall?" he asked suddenly.
I thought back to when I was sat in McGonagal's office.
I didn't turn when McGonagal returned with the head boy and girl, but as they both sat down, I glanced up. I didn't recognise her at her at first, but when I did, I was certainly taken aback. Not only was Rose Weasley head girl, but she didn't look like that annoying little first year anymore. It took me a second before I was actually able to remove the traces of surprise from my features.
Rose Weasley, or 'Weasel' should I say, was a short, scruffily clad, messy haired, annoying girl, with unseemly freckles scattered about her nose and a permanent scowl on her face. She was snappy, short tempered and unbelievably irritating, and quite frankly, she looked like a boy with long hair.
The person who had sat beside me…well, to put it simply, she was nothing like that.
I could tell she'd figured out who I was. The way she rigidly sat in her chair, and clenched her jaw repeatedly and determinedly stared ahead was a bit of a giveaway. Even from the angle I was glancing from, I could clearly detect that old scowl.
Then when she looked at me, I could see the surprise in her eyes, and I smirked slightly. Clearly she wasn't expecting me. But then the scowl snapped back into place as her dark blue eyes blazed with anger.
God how I despised that scowl.
She may have grown up a bit in looks, but she was still that snappy, short tempered and unbelievably irritating girl that I'd quite happily left behind. Though, I suppose it was comforting to know I could still rile her up with a simple smirk.
"It was…interesting" I said thoughtfully.
"She cursed you." he said bluntly.
I laughed, "No."
"You both had a blazing row?"
"She turned your hair pink again?"
"No." I said with an angry frown, thinking back to when that happened. She thought she was so hilarious because she managed to sneak into my dorm and do it when I was asleep, so I went to breakfast the next morning not knowing a thing.
"Did she t-"
"She did nothing" I cut him off.
"Nothing?" he asked in disbelief.
"Nothing," I said indifferently, "in fact, we didn't even say a word. We glanced at each other once, and that was about it".
"But…but…" Al mumbled confused, "you two always try to rip each others heads off!"
I merely shrugged in response.
Al shook his head in amazement muttering "Shocking…" as he moved his feet so his friend Artie could sit down.
"What is?" he asked interestedly glancing between us both as he took a bite of the sandwich he'd snagged from the great hall.
"Scorp and Rose didn't try to murder each other" Al said, his eyes still wide with amazement.
Artie turned to look at me, before shaking his head with a grin and propping his feet up on the table in front, "It'll never last…"
I rolled my eyes. "And why's that exactly?"
"Because," he said quickly swallowing his mouthful, "the only reason you two haven't argued is because you haven't seen each other for years, and the surprise of seeing each other prolonged the inevitable. I give it a week and you'll be at it like cats and dogs" he finished nodding wisely.
"5 galleons says it's two weeks" Al said holding out his hand with a grin.
Artie scoffed, quickly grasping his hand, "Done. Prepare to cough up Potter, there's no way they'll last that long".
"Oh I don't know Edwards," Al said, sitting back smugly, "I think she'll try to act as if first year didn't happen, try to start afresh being head girl and everything."
"Bugger," Artie said quietly, "Didn't think of that…"
"How come she's head girl anyway?" I asked suddenly, "Surely McGonagal had plenty of other options?"
"Course she did," Artie said, finishing off his sandwich, "but Rose was top of the list".
"She's nothing like she was in first year, in fact, she's quite the opposite. At school anyway." Al said at my confused expression.
"Evidently…" I mumbled.
It's going to be interesting to see just how many things have changed in this place, I thought as I sat back, and listened to Artie tell us about the trip to Australia he went on with his family over the summer.
"-and then I hugged Al and he was looking again!" I said, throwing my hands up as I collapsed on my bed.
"Oh no," Dom droned monotonously, "not another look. What is the world coming to. How dare he look at you when you were hugging his best friend. The sheer audacity."
I leaned on my elbows looking across at her with a glare "I neither asked for, nor appreciate that sarcasm Dominique Weasley".
"Oh what do you expect," Mel said coming out of the bathroom, clad in her pyjama's and running a hand through her damp curls, "you're being far too dramatic. Have you heard yourself? You're ranting about stares Rose. Stares!"
"Well I'm sorry if I found it disconcerting" I sniffed.
"Would you rather he had said something to you?" Dom asked, raising an eyebrow.
I frowned, and before I could answer, Mel jumped in, "No, of course you don't, because that would mean you would have actually had to say something back".
I looked at them both before replying sulkily "I don't like this whole ganging up thing going on here."
"Aw Rosie" Mel said coming to lie beside me and putting her arms around me, "don't be such a baby and we won't" she grinned.
"I'm not being a baby!" I said indignantly, "You asked me what happened with Jasper, and I told you".
"Key word there being 'Jasper'" Dom said pointedly, giving me a meaningful look.
I opened my mouth ready to argue, but stopped, glancing at Mel's identical meaningful look. They were right. They hadn't even mentioned Malfoy, sure, they both thought he was gorgeous and everything, but that was it, as far as they were concerned, they couldn't really give a toss about what look he gave me.
What they had been interested in is how Jasper and I got on walking around the castle together on our own, the first time of many, and I'd somehow ended up talking about him.
It's ridiculous! He's been here a matter of hours and he's already gotten under my skin. Everything about him just irritates me to no end, I can't help but rant.
That definitely stops now.
From here on out, I refuse to let him get me so riled up. He does something to annoy me? I will merely respond with polite indifference and take my leave of him. Simple enough to stick to I think. It can't be that hard surely. I'm nearly seventeen, not eleven.
"Alright," I said with a smile, "What do you want to know?"
They both instantly perked up, and I grinned, all thought of Malfoy gone. At last.
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Just Like A Rose: Lasting Impressions
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Janna Robinson doesn't need another Randy Moss jersey, even at its new bargain price.
The New England Patriots fan can pull her old purple No. 84 out of the closet now that one of her favorite players is back with the Minnesota Vikings.
She'll be watching Moss catch passes from Brett Favre instead of Tom Brady, who moves on without his only proven deep threat.
"He's played really well with Brady, but if he's not happy, he won't play well," said Robinson, 41, of Alexandria, N.H., as she browsed the shelves of the Patriots Pro Shop in plain view of the end zone where Moss caught some of his 50 touchdowns in three-plus seasons with New England.
The shop wasted no time marking down Moss' jerseys just hours after he was traded Wednesday with a seventh-round pick in 2012 for a third-rounder in 2011, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity because the teams did not disclose terms of the deal.
The price dropped from $249.95 to $75 for an authentic version and from $79.95 to $25 for a replica jersey.
Moss, in the last year of a three-year, $27 million contract, had said several times that he didn't think the Patriots would re-sign him.
Less than an hour after their season-opening 38-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Moss spoke for 16 minutes, nearly all about his contract and his feeling that he wouldn't be with the team after this season. He said he was hurt but wasn't mad.
Two days later, he told The Associated Press he "would love to" retire as a Patriot, but "If I do leave here, I want everything to be positive - that I was a good guy, I was well coached, well mannered, a good man in the locker room, a good teammate to be around."
Coach Bill Belichick indicated that a trade had been under consideration for some time.
"Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about Randy's place on our team and his future in football," Belichick said in a statement. "Consistent with my dealings with Randy from the day we acquired him through our conversation this morning, it has been honest, thoughtful and with great mutual respect."
Moss set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches in 2007 after being traded during that year's draft by Oakland for a fourth-round pick. He had spent two years with the Raiders after seven with the Vikings, who took him in the first round in 1998.
The Patriots are tied for first with the New York Jets in the AFC East at 3-1 after beating the Miami Dolphins 41-14 on Monday night. For the first time in his Patriots career, Moss didn't have a reception. He has nine catches, three for touchdowns, this season.
Now Belichick must do his game planning without Moss, but the timing of the trade in the Patriots' bye week should help.
Brandon Tate, a third-round pick last year, likely will take Moss' starting spot. The Patriots have two other youngsters at the position - Julian Edelman, a seventh-round pick last year, and Taylor Price, a third-round pick this year who was inactive the first four games.
Rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez give Brady two other options.
Wes Welker has thrived since he and Moss joined the Patriots in 2007. The slot receiver's 346 catches were the most in the NFL over the past three years. But without Moss, defenders are likely to pay more attention to Welker.
"He can't play to an elite level outside the numbers. He can only play to an elite level inside the numbers and the hashes, because that's the style of player he is," said Cris Carter, a Vikings receiver in Moss' first four seasons with the team from 1998-2001 and now an ESPN analyst. Brady "will be a great quarterback until he retires, but he will have to work extra hard. Wes Welker's job just became a little bit harder."
Last year, the Patriots defense received a youthful makeover when linebacker Tedy Bruschi and safety Rodney Harrison retired and defensive end Richard Seymour and linebacker Mike Vrabel were traded, all before the season started.
This year, the Patriots are without four major pieces of their offense. Running back Laurence Maroney was traded to Denver after the first game - and his jerseys were going for the same prices as Moss' jerseys on Wednesday. Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins hasn't reported in a contract dispute and running back Kevin Faulk is out for the year with a knee injury.
Now Moss is gone.
A third-round pick in the Moss deal would give the Patriots two choices in each of the first four rounds of next year's draft - plenty of chances to stockpile young players.
But what about this year?
"I feel really bad," said Geri Braun, 66, of West Bath, Maine, another visitor to the Pro Shop. "They should have extended his contract. They'll lose something on offense. They don't have the experience. It makes a difference."
Another shopper was more upbeat.
"I don't feel too bad about it," said Tony Chicoine, 27, a native of Worcester, Mass., who was wearing a Moss' No. 81 Patriots jersey. "They got a third-round pick. ... We won Super Bowls with (wide receivers) Troy Brown and Deion Branch. Belichick will find ways to win. He's won without him."