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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. This is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movement. The experts at the Penn State ALS Clinic provide a definite diagnose and offer complete care that helps the person with ALS function as normally as possible and have a better quality of life.
- Care at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Groups, Classes & Support
- Research & Clinical Trials
- Symptoms, Diagnosis & Outlook
Care at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Our clinic is recognized by the ALS Association as a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence that evaluates and treats ALS and related conditions. About 80 new patients with ALS are diagnosed at the center every year, and more than 230 are followed long-term at any given time.
What is ALS?
In ALS, the cells that control muscles, called motor neurons, waste away and no longer send messages to the muscles. Over time, this leads to the muscles getting weak. The arms, legs, mouth and tongue muscles stop working. When the muscles in the chest stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe.
Causes of ALS
About one out of 10 cases of ALS are inherited because of a flaw in a family's genes. Having a close family member with ALS raises the chances of having the disease. Other risks include military service and heavy contact with some pesticides (insect killers). In most cases, the cause isn't known.
What to expect
Patients coming to us for the first time see a neurologist (nervous system doctor) who is an expert in ALS. The goal is to be as sure as possible about a diagnosis.
After doing a series of tests, the neurologist will make an appointment with you, your family and other caregivers to talk about the diagnosis. If you have ALS, the doctor will give information and talk about proven and trial treatments.
An ALS nurse specialist is often at that visit as well. If not, you'll schedule a follow-up visit with a nurse specialist. The neurologist and nurse work with you and your family on a plan to treat the disease and manage symptoms.
Follow-up visits
Patients with ALS are seen about once every three months in our multidisciplinary clinic, which includes various specialists on our team. During these appointments, you and your family stay in one examining room for about three to four hours while the different team members meet with you.
At these visits, you will always have your weight and breathing capacity measured and see the neurologist and nurse. You will also see some or all of these team members:
- Physical therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Speech therapist
- Registered dietician
- Respiratory therapist
- Mental health specialist
- Social worker
- Pastoral care counselor
Which team members you will see during those visits is based on the issues you may be having at that time.
Working with the primary care doctor
Patients need to keep seeing their own primary care doctor while using the ALS Clinic's specialized services. After each ALS Clinic visit, your primary care doctor gets a written update from your neurologist and a summary of what the ALS team recommends.
Goals of the Penn State ALS Clinic
- Serve as a center to diagnose, treat and provide follow-up care to patients with ALS.
- Work with primary care doctors to treat the patient.
- Focus on special services for patients with ALS and related health problems.
- Take a team approach to help patients function to their best ability.
- Give each patient information about the disease process.
- Offer therapeutic drug trials.
- Keep patients and families aware of research, including research in our own Motor Neuron Disease Research Center.
Learn more about the ALS care team.
Groups, Classes & Support
We're thankful for the support we receive from a variety of sources. Without them, the ALS Clinic couldn't further its missions.
- The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter provides very important support in many ways. Our work with the chapter is key to providing services to our patients and their families and caregivers.
- The Paul and Harriet Campbell Fund for ALS Research provides generous funds to support ALS research at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health.
- The ALS Association national office provides support for our clinical activities. We've received a number of ALSA Clinical Management Grants to support our ALS research.
- The Muscular Dystrophy Association also supports our clinic.
We gratefully recognize the many private donations we have received from our patients and their families and friends.
Would you like to support our efforts?
Donations to support the Penn State Health ALS Center can be made to The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter.
Or if you'd like to support our clinical or research work by making a donation directly to our Center, you can write a check payable to the Pennsylvania State University, ALS Clinic, and send it to:
Zachary Simmons, MD
Director, Penn State Health ALS Center
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Department of Neurology, EC 037
Research & Clinical Trials
We strongly believe that research into what causes ALS and other motor neuron diseases will be the key to more effective treatments and to a cure. We also believe that research can lead to a better understanding of what can help improve quality of life for patients with ALS and their families.
Penn State ALS Clinic and Research Center is funded by ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Campbell Fund for ALS Research and many other individuals and groups.
We carry out our studies at several levels:
- Clinical trials of medicines that show promise for treating ALS
- Clinical research to improve the care and support of patients and their caregivers
- Basic science research on:
- Genetics
- Biomarkers
- Oxidative stress
- Iron metabolism
- Other causes that may explain how ALS develops
Inspired to Cure: Finding New Treatments for ALS
Clinical research faculty
Zachary Simmons, MD
Professor, Departments of Neurology and Humanities
Director, ALS Center
Divisha Raheja, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology
Associate Director, ALS Center
Stephen Schiff, MD, PhD
Brush Chair Professor of Engineering
Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
Andrew Geronimo, PhD
Instructor, Department of Neurosurgery
Stephanie Felgoise, PhD
Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Psychology
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Susan Walsh, RN, MSN, ACNS-BC
Regional Nurse Manager
ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Anne Morris, MPH
Neuromuscular Research Project Manager
Basic science research faculty
James Connor, PhD
University Distinguished Professor
Vice-Chair, Department of Neurosurgery
James Broach, PhD
Chairman, Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology Director, Institute for Personalized Medicine
Clinical research studies at Penn State
Actemra® (tocilizumab)
Tocilizumab is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved to treat refractory (resists treatment) moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. This medicine is delivered into the veins by monthly infusion. Our clinic is taking part in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 16-week study that evaluates how safe and tolerable tocilizumab is for people who have sporadic ALS.
Tirasemtiv (formerly CK-2017357)
Tirasemtiv is meant to improve skeletal muscle function in diseases that are linked to muscular weakness or fatigue, including ALS, while not affecting the structure of the muscle itself. Our clinic is taking part in a multinational, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with tirasemtiv in patients with ALS. Both patients who are taking riluzole and those who are not will sign up for the study. The primary objective is to learn how well tirasemtiv works versus placebo on respiratory (breathing) function in patients with ALS.
Tongue Movement in Adults with Motor Speech Disorders
This study is directed by Dr. Jimin Lee, assistant professor of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Penn State. The goal is to identify key tongue movements that can increase listeners' understanding of speech production. To trace the movement, sensors will be attached on the participant's lower lip, jaw, tongue and forehead. The participant will be asked to say a number of words and sentences at different speaking rates and loudness. Study visits can take place in Hershey, University Park, or in the participant's home, based on location.
Motor Synergies in Neurological Disorders
The main purpose of this study is to examine changes in motor synergies (interactions) that are part of common neurological (nerve) disorders such as Parkinson's disease, ALS, stroke, olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy, essential tremor and multiple sclerosis. Patients and control subjects will be asked to perform simple motor tasks such as pressing, using a hand-held object, reaching, standing quietly, swaying and taking a step. Multi-digit (fingers or toes), multi-joint, and multi-muscle synergies (interactions) will be analyzed using the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis.
An Online Mindfulness Intervention for People with ALS and their Caregivers
The primary aim of this project is to create and test an online psychological treatment program based on the Langer Mindfulness construct. This is targeted to improve the quality of life for people with ALS and their caregivers.
Brain-Computer Interface Technology
Brain-computer interface (BCI) devices may be able to make the quality of life better for those living with ALS, and can help with basic forms of movement control and communication. Working closely with Dr. Steven Schiff and Dr. Andrew Geronimo, our research aims to show how the success of using BCI is made more difficult by the high level of disease heterogeneity, and how we can use engineering principles to adapt our systems to optimize BCI use for each user.
The Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS)
The ECAS is a brief cognitive-behavioral assessment developed and validated by Dr. Sharon Abrahams and colleagues at the University of Edinburgh for use in patients with ALS. To date, however, the usefulness of the ECAS as a clinical tool, particularly within the setting of a multidisciplinary ALS clinic, has not yet been widely studied or evaluated. As a result, the ECAS has been adopted as a standard of care for patients seen in our clinic as a way to study and better understand how this assessment may help patients, families and health care professionals.
Outcomes of Diaphragm Pacing System Placement in ALS
Diaphragm pacing (DP) is an FDA-approved treatment for hypoventilation (very slow breathing) in ALS and appears to be reasonably safe in carefully selected patients. We have received Humanitarian Use Device Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to place DP devices in patients with ALS who meet inclusion requirements for DP. Our hospital has been implanting DP devices in patients with ALS since January 2014. The goals of our research are to:
- Examine how the clinical markers of breathing capacity and function over time predict survival in ALS patients who have had a DP device implanted at the Hershey Medical Center.
- Evaluate the outcomes of ALS patients who receive the diaphragmatic pacer at our medical center.
Decomposition-Based Quantitative Electromyography (DQEMG)
The goal of this study is to learn if the quality of the amount of data provided by DQEMG facilitates, explains or changes clinical impressions obtained using standard needle EMG methods. This, if proven, would help the physicians clarify the clinical impression and would shorten the time to reach a diagnosis. This could lead to better patient care. Participants will be asked to have an EMG test with Dr. Divisha Raheja.
Quality of Life
We have a longstanding interest in quality of life (QOL) in patients with ALS. Our group has developed a QOL questionnaire made for those with ALS. It's called the ALS-Specific Quality of Life Instrument-Revised, or ALSSQOL-R. The ALS-Specific Quality of Life-Revised (ALSSQOL-R) is available for free to those who would like to use it. View and download the ALSSQOL-R Manual.
We have recently constructed a short form of the tool (ALSSQOL-20) which includes 20 items. The ALSSQOL-20 was recently validated in a multicenter study. A manual will be available soon. View and download the ALSSQOL-20 tool.
We welcome collaboration from other ALS centers for projects using this instrument. Those interested in collaborating should contact Dr. Zachary Simmons at email@example.com.
We're currently working with investigators in U.S. centers and international centers to understand QOL in patients with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We've recently constructed a short form of the tool (ALSSQOL-SF) which includes 18 items. We're in the process of validating the ALSSQOL-SF in a multicenter study.
Turning Research into Practice
Evidence-Based Practice is a method of providing clinical care to patients by systematically incorporating solid research evidence with clinician expertise. This process has inspired several collaborative teams, made up of clinicians and researchers. Each group focuses on a particular aspect of patient care so we can better meet the needs of our patients. Topics include:
- Support for Caregivers – Download our ALS Caregiver Assessment
- ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
- Improving End of Life Care and Decision Making – Download the Communication and Treatment Preference Tool
Discovery of a Genetic Risk Factor for ALS
Under the leadership of Dr. James Connor, a potential genetic risk factor for ALS has been identified. Called the H63D HFE genetic variant, this is a variation of the hemochromatosis gene, a gene involved in iron metabolism, the immune system and inflammatory responses. Studies now support that the presence of the H63D HFE gene is a four-fold risk factor for ALS.
Understanding Cellular Stress and ALS
Studies to understand the relationship between H63D and cellular stress and between H63D and two other mutations known to be associated with ALS — TDP-43 and SOD1 — are in progress. Human cells that carry the H63D mutation have elevated levels of stress and mitochondrial dysfunction and alterations in glutamate metabolism and increased TDP-43 that are thought to contribute to ALS. These models will help us to understand the impact of the mutations on cell function and how the mutations combine to cause cell death, permitting the development of therapeutic strategies around that knowledge.
Genetics of ALS and other Motor Neuron Diseases
Since the creation of the Penn State Institute for Personalized Medicine, this game-changing medical model is driving opportunities for greater collaborations across the institution to advance medical science. In collaboration with Dr. James Broach, and with patient and family member consent, blood and/or saliva samples will be taken and used to conduct highly sophisticated genetic sequencing. The process will identify known or new genetic mutations that are associated with ALS.
To learn more about current clinical trials, visit StudyFinder.
Symptoms, Diagnosis & Outlook
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. This is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movement. The experts at The Penn State Hershey ALS Clinic provide a definite diagnose and offer complete care that helps the person with ALS function as normally as possible and have a better quality of life.
Symptoms usually don't start until after age 50, but they can also start in younger people. People with ALS lose muscle strength and coordination over time. Weakness can first affect the arms or legs, or breathing and swallowing. This gets worse and eventually makes it impossible for them to do normal tasks like going up steps, getting out of a chair, or swallowing.
ALS doesn't affect the senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch). Most patients are able to think normally, although a small number have dementia, which causes problems with memory.
Signs that a person may have ALS
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble swallowing: choking easily, drooling or gagging
- Head drop due to weak neck muscles
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle stiffness, which is called spasticity
- Muscle twitching due to small contractions, which is called fasciculations
- Muscle weakness that starts in one body part, such as the arm or hand, and slowly gets worse until it leads to trouble with lifting, climbing stairs and walking
- Speech problems, such as a slow or strange speech pattern (slurring of words)
- Voice changes, hoarseness
- Weight loss
Causes & Risk Factors
Possible complications of ALS
- Breathing in food or fluid (aspiration)
- No longer able to care for self
- Respiratory (breathing) failure
- Pneumonia
- Pressure sores
- Weight loss
Over time, people with ALS can't function and care for themselves. Death often occurs within three to five years after diagnosis. About one in five patients live for more than five years after they're diagnosed. Some patients live much longer, but they may need help breathing from a ventilator or other device.
Patients have a complete examination and their past medical records are reviewed. Using that information, our neurologist orders various tests as needed. These tests may include:
- Studies of blood and urine
- X-rays
- Computed tomography (CT) scans
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Most patients will also have electrodiagnostic testing (EMG and nerve conduction tests) in our EMG laboratory. Other tests may include:


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Cosmetic Dentistry
234 South Main Street
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
(724) 794-2224
Welcome to Allied Dental Group LTD. Our entire team is dedicated to provide you with the best personalized, quality dental care you are seeking.
Anesthesia-based dentistry
The doctors of Allied Dental Group have been treating patients in various locations in the Western Pennsylvania area for over 20 years, with an emphasis on anesthesia-based dentistry for dental, surgical, special needs, pediatric and the anxiety patients.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you have or to request an appointment. We hope you'll find our practice offers the accessibility and personal commitment that your looking for.

subset: commoncrawl


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by Christopher Freeburn | December 4, 2012 12:06 pm
[1]If you're one of those people who doesn't use Facebook (NASDAQ:FB[2]), even though all your friends and family do … well, the social media giant has an app for you[3].
The company has released an app for mobile devices running Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG[4]) Android operating system that allows people who don't have Facebook accounts to participate in conversations among Facebook users, USA Today notes.
Facebook said the app would allow users to communicate with anyone on their contacts list, regardless of whether they have Facebook accounts. The app doesn't currently feature advertisements.
However, for now Facebook's Messenger for Android is available only in India, Indonesia, Australia, Venezuela and South Africa. While the company plans to offer the app to U.S. users eventually, it did not specified a roll-out date for North America.
A version of Messenger will also be released for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL[5]) iOS devices at a future date. Reports surfaced last month that Facebook is encouraging its employees to adopt Android-based devices over iPhones[6].
Shares of Facebook rose more than 1% in Tuesday morning trading.
Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2012/12/facebook-introduces-new-app-for-non-fb-users/
Short URL: http://invstplc.com/1nC9w8f
Copyright ©2017 InvestorPlace Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 700 Indian Springs Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601.


text: I bought this because a Greek internet friend had been raving about it. Often consumed when one is feeling a little under the weather-but can be drunk any time. My friend had me put the stalks directly in my cup with the leaves on them. After that, I removed the stalks as best as possible and then poured through my tea strainer into a different cup. It's good, but not exciting. A bit lemony, as TG suggests. Mild spice notes. Caffeine-free, good for bedtime. I probably won't buy it again, but I would drink it if offered


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What is it
Supply of network capabilities such as network switching, firewalling and load balancing as an operational service; requiring no capital expenditure or provision of internal or outsourced highly skilled human resources to manage, configure and support.
Why you need it
Reduce initial investment in capital expenditure and human resource – concentrate your investment in people and infrastructure on your key business strengths and core activities. Using a Managed Network service provider allows you the flexibility and scalability necessary to grow, whilst maintaining budgetary control over your cost base. Make use of highly redundant network service provision providing a complex and critical solution, while simplifying your operations
How we can help you
With highly redundant and state of the art network devices and infrastructure, supported by highly skilled network engineers and consultants 24 x 7 – Continent 8 are an ideal solution to your network service needs. Able to scale up immediately through a highly invested global network infrastructure, we can get you operational, keep you operational, and grow your enterprise on demand – backed by SLA. In addition to our comprehensive network service offerings like Firewalling, switching and load balancing services; by utilising our additional network security and global access capabilities with our MPLS, DDoS protected global network.


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Does it really matter that quarterback Cam Newton is having surgery on his left ankle, which will sideline him until training camp?
If the Carolina Panthers had one -- just one -- wide receiver on the roster who had ever caught an NFL pass, maybe it would.
But they don't. So what's the difference?
Newton hurt the ankle in Carolina's 23-10 NFC divisional playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 12.
"The ankle was sore after the San Francisco game," Panthers trainer Ryan Anderson said in a statement Monday afternoon, "and we wanted to see if rest would calm it down.
"But it is still bothering him and the decision was made to address it."
Newton will be sidelined for four months and may recover just in time for the start of training camp. The first overall draft pick in 2011 thus will miss all spring workouts.
It gets worse for the Panthers offence.


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Sauna is horror for the arthouse crowd. With this film, Finnish director AJ Annila has crafted an atmospheric slice of grim terror. Revealing itself to be a slow-burner with a few surprising jolts along the way, Sauna will test the patience of horror fans looking for non-stop cheap thrills and kills. However viewers who are willing to go the distance will be amply rewarded with an intelligent and thoughtful rumination on guilt and redemption.
As the film opens, the year is 1595 and the 25 year war between Sweden and Russia has ended. One of the after-effects of the war entails the creation of a new border between both lands. The completion of this task has been assigned to two separate commissions. The film follows one of these commissions which include members from both countries. Erik and Knut Spore are brothers on the Swedish side of the commission. Erik is a battle-hardened soldier while Knut has been largely shielded from the war, following more intellectual pursuits at home. They also happen to be on the commission for vastly different reasons. Erik sees the creation of the border as the logical culmination of the war which in a way validates all the bloodshed that came before, including the 73 people that he personally killed. Knut wants to map uncharted parts of the land in the hope that it will guarantee him a professorial position in the geography department.
Erik's barely contained aggression manifests itself in an ugly manner when he and Knut encounter a Russian farmer and his daughter. Blinded by his ingrained hatred for Russians, Erik kills the farmer under the pretext of self-defense. Being fully aware of what his older brother is capable of, Knut hides the farmer's daughter in a cellar for her own protection. Before I make Knut sound too noble, I must mention the look that crosses his face. A look of lust that indicates the daughter may not have been too safe with Knut either. As Knut and Erik beat a hasty retreat, Erik mentions that he will release the girl from the cellar. After rejoining the commission, Knut starts seeing visions of a ghostly girl that may or may not be the farmer's daughter. It is at this point that Erik reveals he never released the girl from the cellar. Shocked at his brother's brutality and consumed by guilt, Knut plans on going back for the girl when the commission comes upon a curious sight. They find an unmarked village in the middle of a swamp with a desolate sauna located next to it.
I don't dare reveal any more of the plot but suffice it to say, events slowly escalate in the village with bleeding statues, teenage girls who dress as boys, absent Russian monks and 73 villagers who happen to be terrified of the sauna with an entrance that resembles a gaping mouth in a featureless face. Since I've brought it up, let me comment on the sauna in the swamp. After Erik and Knut, it is the third most prominent character in the film. From its very first shot, when Knut catches a glimpse of it with a mixture of awe and fear in his face, the sauna is a mysterious and intimidating presence. By repeatedly inserting static shots of the sauna between events back at the village, Annila manages to ratchet up the suspense and the creeping dread without falling back on typical horror tropes. To be fair, there are ghostly visions, gouged out eyes, chewed up tongues and substantial amounts of tar black blood. However, absolutely none of these elements show up in the way that you would expect them to as Annila rearranges the horror beats into a rhythm of his own.
Going back to the Spore brothers, I can't say enough great things about Ville Virtanen and Tommi Eronen's characterization of Erik and Knut respectively. Erik's frustration at having spent his life finding purpose in bloodshed, is perfectly embodied by Ville's portrayal of tightly coiled rage. When he explains to a villager the hopes he had for Knut, Ville allows his gaunt face to relax into a smile that is surprisingly warm given all we've seen before. In that moment, we know all we need to know about his motivations and the conflict that drives him. Tommi's portrayal of Knut is less showy but no less impressive. He starts the film as a privileged intellectual who has had the good fortune of not sullying his conscience with the horrors of war. This makes the brutality surrounding the Russian farmer and his daughter all the more devastating for him. By the time the film ends, you will have an opportunity to draw your own conclusions about exactly what happened to Erik, Knut and the villagers based on the stunning final images. I can't say I have a conclusive explanation but I have a theory and I will enjoy testing that theory with future viewings.


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Meeting change for Lakewood's Gastric Bypass Support Group
The Gastric Bypass Support group offered by Lakewood Health System will not be meeting on their regularly scheduled days during the months of October, November and December. They will instead be meeting with Lakewood's PACT (Pursuing Active Change Together) class during those months. The first meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 from 2-3 p.m. in the lower level classrooms at Lakewood's Main Campus.
The two groups will meet together to begin the meeting and the last 20 minutes will be spent breaking into smaller support groups. This joint group is open to anyone who has had gastric bypass surgery or is considering surgery, and those interested in receiving education, tips and resources to help promote healthy lifestyle choices and disease prevention.
Physician referral is not necessary to attend the class but pre-registration is required to reserve your seat for the PACT portion of the meeting. To register, call Lisa at (218) 894-8623. For more information, please contact Jena Doemel, RD, LD at (218) 894-8509.


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NASA v. Nelson - Post-Argument SCOTUScast
SCOTUScast 10-14-10 featuring Richard J. Peltz
Listen & Download
On October 5, 2010, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in NASA v. Nelson. The case presents the question of whether a prospective federal government contract employee is protected by a constitutional right of informational privacy from having the government ask, in the course of a background investigation, whether the prospective employee has received counseling or treatment for illegal drug use that has occurred in the past year or from asking the prospective employee's designated references for any adverse information that may have a bearing on the employee's suitability for employment at a federal facility. The Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, would restrict disclosure of responsive information to third parties.
To discuss the case, we have University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law Professor Richard J. Peltz.
[Return to the SCOTUScast menu]


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Shikhar Dhawan, 27
3 Tests, 243 runs at 81
25 ODIs 1060 runs at 46.08
A fantastically strong left-handed strokeplayer, he made the fastest century by a Test debutant against Australia in Mohali in March. He is a really good back-foot player, which most Indian players have not been, and therefore should not struggle against quick, short-pitched bowling.
Virat Kohli 25
20 Tests 1,235 runs at 41.16
119 ODIs 4,919 runs at 51.77
Unlike Tendulkar and most Test batsmen, he is more of an off-side strokeplayer, which may explain the relative slowness of his adjustment to Test cricket. In the one-day game he has already got 17 centuries and at the same age only Tendulkar, with 21, had scored more, but it took him 211 matches. At this rate he will overhaul Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries.
Rohit Sharma 26
2 Tests 288 runs at 288
108 ODIs 3,049 runs at 36.73
Like Kohli, another player who has scored one-day international runs before cracking Test cricket. He was India's leading scorer in the one-day series against Australia last month and made only the third double century in ODI's after Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. He kicked on when he made his Test debut, becoming only the fifth man to score centuries in his first two innings.


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American Chemical Society calls green chemistry bill a 'smart step'
The American Chemical Society (ACS) today praised House passage of legislation that will improve federal coordination, dissemination and investment in green chemistry research and development (R&D). Introduced by Reps. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) and Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2005 (H.R. 1215) aims to provide safer, more sustainable technological options to replace traditional products and processes.
ACS President E. Ann Nalley, Ph.D., praised the leadership of the two Congressmen saying "Green chemistry is a smart approach to pollution prevention, and the House took a smart step in the right direction by passing H.R. 1215."
"As real environmental progress shifts to preventing pollution, we need more innovative strategies and technologies," Nalley said. "The tools chemists and chemical engineers develop will be instrumental in meeting the challenges of environmental protection and economic growth. Green chemistry plays a critical role because it literally seeks to change the equation by designing cleaner and safer chemicals, products, and processes up front."
Home of the Green Chemistry Institute, the American Chemical Society has played a leading role in advancing the concept of improving the environment through chemistry. Paul Anastas, Ph.D., institute director and winner of this year's Heinz Award for the Environment, said: "People often believe environmental and economic prosperity are a balance or trade off. Green chemistry is showing that you can simultaneously benefit the environment and the economy."
Under the bill, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy would work together to enhance funding and coordination of green chemistry R&D. The interagency program would support merit-reviewed grants to individual researchers, university-industry partnership, R&D and technology transfer at federal laboratories, and the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in green chemistry science and engineering.
The bill was managed on the floor by Reps. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and David Wu (D-Ore.). Also supporting the bill on the floor was sponsor Rep. Gingrey, and House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas). A Senate companion bill, S. 1270, has been introduced by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), but has not yet been acted upon by the Senate.
The American Chemical Society -- the world's largest scientific society -- is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Last updated: 30 Apr 2016
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 30 Apr 2016
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.


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looking forward to chatting with other moms about moms and anything lol....Kisses Annie
(¯`v´¯) Fiercely Real Moms of CM
`*.¸.*´ ?
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)?
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
Are you a Fierce Mommy?
This is the place to be!
Fun, laughter, an escape.
Come be fierce with us!
Include that I invited you in your app!
✮✮✮ ✮ ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮
I don't know lol
Happy New Year. I look forward to talking with you.
Hi!! How are you?....glad to be friends...Happy New Year!
Hi! Welcome to CafeMom!
Please join us on The Park Bench group. It's a great place to get started, meet other moms like you, and find active conversations!
I hope to see you there! http://www.cafemom.com/group/theparkbench
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At his New Town business, DJ Alexander, the slowing of the sales market and the subsequent hike in rentals has been a godsend.
On one hand, business at his eponymous property rental firm is booming – but on a personal level, the downturn has spelled something of a disaster because of his involvement in the collapsed investment fund, Heritors Residential Property.
Alexander has upped the number of properties on its books by 600 to 5,000 – and with a 15 per cent commission on a fully managed property, the figures are good. He is expecting a 15 per cent rise in turnover to £45 million for the year to August.
He explains: "What has been difficult for us is that things have changed dramatically in the market.
"In 26 of the 27 years I've been in property, it has been pretty straightforward to predict that the market will rise. That is no longer the case."
He adds: "The residential lettings market has been fantastic. No matter what happens economically, people always need a place to live. They have babies, get married, separate – their situations change and they need to move accordingly.
"The difference now is that people are reluctant to buy or sell because of the market, so they are renting more."
And they are renting longer. Alexander's figures show that the average lease was 11 months at the end of last year – now it is 18 months.
He recalls that at the start of the downturn, last year, demand was far exceeding supply: "Then, all of a sudden, it went full circle," he reflects. "People wanted to move and couldn't sell, so decided to rent out their properties instead – and even builders started to rent out some new build properties because they couldn't sell.
"Then there was an oversupply in the market. We have come through that now in that there is a healthy demand, and by God there's a healthy supply too."
Alexander is known to have personally bought a number of properties, as well as his "significant" investment in Heritor's.
He admits: "I had put my hard-earned money into it – it was basically money I expected to retire on. Now I'll have to work for an extra ten, maybe 15 years. It was horrible, but these things happen. You just have to get on with it.
"I am very fortunate in that my main core business has been fantastic. I had a good business going into the recession and I expect to have an even better business coming out."
There is a hint of wistfulness in his voice as he muses: "The majority of people's wealth in the UK in recent years has been on the back of property. I don't think it will ever go back to the halcyon days.
"People got carried away, wanting bigger cars, bigger houses and so on. I think when something happens, you've just got to adjust your lifestyle and start appreciating things you took for granted."
As for Heritors, although he won't be drawn on details of his investment, the property entrepreneur admits the cash he put in was in seven figures.
But Alexander is now dusting himself down and throwing all of his energy into developing his rental business.
The latest stats show that the firm let a total of 133 properties in June – around 15 per cent higher, year-on-year. And his two UK offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh – DJ Alexander also boasts a small but growing operation in Dubai – have taken on a "handful" of extra staff in the past year, taking the total headcount to 49.
DJ Alexander, which generates some 90 per cent of its income through property rental, added a sales business to its portfolio 12 years ago. Income from that side of the business is 40 per cent lower in the current year, but Alexander is not too worried.
"It is a small proportion of our business," he explains, adding that the division sells around 20 properties a month.
In fact, the division was set up initially to service clients who had been renting out properties but then decided they wanted to sell.
"People were asking us for recommendations of where they should go," recalls Alexander. "And it seemed ridiculous not to set up our own sales side – as otherwise we were just watching the business go elsewhere."
And watching business go elsewhere is not something that appeals to Alexander.
Conserve your cash – and your skills
David Alexander gives his tips on surviving a downturn.
• Cash is king in any downturn.
Do not spend money unless it's crucial to your business and budget for much harder times.
In my opinion, this recession has not reached its bottom. If you budget for much harder times and it doesn't happen, then you will be in a good position – but if it does, then you will be able to survive it.
• Try to tweak, improve or finesse your service.
You have to remember that your clients will be feeling the recession too.
Anything you can do to improve the service you're giving people will help – and make people more likely to bring you return business.
• Look after your key staff.
You will need them to work harder and longer and you need people to be motivated and work together.
Also, don't be afraid to part company with poor performing staff. When things are good, you may be able to carry people who are not pulling their weight, but in a downturn, you cannot do that. It is very difficult, but you have to make sure that everyone is performing.
DAVID Alexander's first property venture was an estate agency which he opened in Leith in 1982 when he was only 21.
Initially focusing on sales, he decided to start a letting operation at the insistence of one customer and later closed down the sales side of the business.
In 1989, he moved his operation to Edinburgh city centre, opened an office in Glasgow in 1997 and, in 2007, launched a small operation in Dubai.
THE SCOTSMAN, 15 July 2009


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Beijing, July 21 (IANS) China has begun building the world's largest amphibious aircraft, a media report said.
The assembly of the domestically developed AG-600 seaplane started in Zhuhai city on July 17, the People's Daily reported on Tuesday.
"The AG-600's overall specifications, such as the maximum takeoff weight and flight range, are better than other amphibious planes in the world. Some countries with many islands, such as Malaysia and New Zealand, have expressed interest in the AG-600," Qu Jingwen, general manager of China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co, the aircraft's developer, was quoted as saying.
The aircraft can carry 50 people during a maritime search and rescue mission.


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The former chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin's statement regarding the padding and unpadding of buhari's 2016 budget is an evidence that he, Jibrin, willingly accepted to defraud Nigeria either with some specific lawmakers, the presidency or both. Whichever way you look at it, by Jibrin's statement which he made without compulsion of any kind, he personally confirmed that he participated in a grand conspiracy to defraud the Nigerian people to the tune of N100bn or more, in this critical period when children are dying of malnutrition in IDP camps and all over Nigeria.
In a sane society, Jibrin would have been arrested since 2015 (not 2016), put in Kirikiri with all his accounts plus that of his wives frozen untill full investigation of all other parties involved is concluded.
For those who are contemplating on whether or not to believe Jibrin, please note that a common criminal like Jibrin who is using senatorial powers as a shield against prosecution, would never say the truth in a very serious case of this nature directly affecting him as the main man who was single handedly in-charge of the padded budget and every other thing thereof? Of what benefit would his truth be to him when it is clear that he is on a one way traffic to Kirikiri prison? Jibrin is destined to go down and he has adopted the 'Pull Him Down' strategy. If he must go down, then the whole House of Rep must go down with him. That is why he is making statements that he is not trying to pull the House down, when that is exactly what he is doing and no one asked him if he was trying to pull the house down.
Recall that Jibrin was the same small boy who was harrassing Ngozi Okojo-Iweala in 2014. He even walked her out and the APC mugu's led by Tinubu, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Amaechi, e.t.c., were hailing him, chorusing that he is so conscientious in his duties and not only that, but that he is also a harvard graduate and very sound.
It is now clear that Jibrin has been padding budgets against the PDP government interest all alone by himself using APC as a shield. That was why the APC in just couple of months in office were already conversant with the vocabulary 'padding' as in budget.
Jibrin insulted NOI with his intimadating 50 questions which were meant to force NOI to play by his own selfish rule just like he is doing with speaker Dogara now.
A crook is a crook, no matter what. Or how would you explain that Obasanjo, who has been on sabbatical since May 29, 2015 suddenly resumed work, met with buhari and then have already written so many letters in just 2 days after Jibrin's outburst against lawmakers who are seen as anti-Buhari/Tinubu cabal?
Jibrin is not new in the game of destroying public office holders in order to be relevant and thus have his way. He is a consistent power grabber whose main aim by his recent outburst is to derail the leadership of the current House of Representatives and then install Gbajabiamila and his gang so that they will have freedom when looting our money for themselves, friends and families.
While investigation on Jibrin's statement should start immediately, we ask that Jibrin's account should be frozen in line with EFCC's modus operandi. He should thereafter be arrested and sentenced accordingly.
We must assist Jibrin to reap what he sowed in the NASS over the past few years. His statement is a clear evidence that he is a criminal and no further investigation is needed to arrest him. Meanwhile, Yakubu Dogara and his team are innocent until proven guilty.


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When you have committed a criminal offense and have been convicted of that offense, the court will delineate certain terms you must meet as part of your sentencing. If you fail to meet the terms that the court has required of you, then you may be charged with a failure to comply. You are now in "contempt of court."
An example of this might be a person convicted of a crime of domestic violence. The person may be ordered by the court to take anger management classes and given a set date by which these classes must be completed. If the convicted person ignores this court order and fails to attend the mandated classes or cannot prove that he did so, then he may be charged with a failure to comply by the judge. He is now in contempt of court.
The consequences for a failure to comply may be further legal action and penalties. The person may be required to pay additional fines, be sent to jail, or have his current sentence extended.
If you have failed to comply with a Los Angeles court order, it is important that you seek legal assistance from a bench warrant lawyer at our firm. We can evaluate your case and provide the legal guidance you need in this situation. We can represent you before the court and negotiate with the judge and/or prosecutor on your behalf. Our goal will be to help you avoid further legal repercussions in the way of additional fines, prosecution, or longer sentencing.
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Have you failed to comply with a Los Angeles court order?
Contact our firm today!
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On Wednesday, May 8, from 3-4 p.m. in the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center second floor rotunda, the Spanish Section of the Department of Foreign Languages will be holding its installation ceremony for the Zeta Omicron Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi (National Collegiate Hispanic Studies Honor Society). Refreshments will follow the ceremony.
Here is a list of those involved:
- Faculty Advisor: Dr. Casilde A. Isabelli
- Faculty Sponsors: Dr. Beatriz Robison, Dr. Nelson Rojas, and Dr. Darrell Lockhart
- Honorary Member: Dr. Mar Inestrillas
Undergraduate Neophytes:
- Cinthya Barajas
- Mariela Castro
- Gladys Crespín
- Micah Gill
- Shelby Grauberger
- Mitchell Gover
- Steven Hammonds
- Nicole Hidaglo
- Argent Álvarez Maloof
- Allana C. Noyes
- Hannah Nystrom
- Jennice Isabela Rodríguez Delgado
- Bradely Pearce
- Verónica Cristina Rodríguez
- Jeannette Salas
- Athalía Torres-Manzano
- Ashley J. Walker
- Timothy Yu
Graduate Neophytes:
- Anne Marie Price
- Nagore Sedano Naveira
New Members must meet the following requirements
Each candidate must have completed three years of study of college-level Spanish (18 semester credit hours) or the equivalent thereof, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization at the junior (third-year) level. A student may be admitted to active membership while still enrolled in the second junior- level course if all other requirements have been met and if the instructor of the course certifies that the student's work is of "B" or "A" quality.
They must have a minimal grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in all Spanish courses taken.
They must have a 3.2 cumulative GPA and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college work.
Graduate students who have been unconditionally admitted to a degree- granting program may be elected to membership upon completion of two graduate courses in Spanish with an average, which, if continued, will make them eligible for a graduate degree.
Sigma Delta Pi does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, or disability.


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Terry Lueders was sick of working for AT&T in Naperville, sick of plodding through the 9-to-5 routine of meetings and coffee and fighting to get bigger computer programming assignments.
``My dream in college was to put electronic parts together,`` he said.
``In AT&T they push you into management so you can sit back and not do the grunt work. The problem is, I want to do the grunt work.``


text:
The city's Parks Department is launching the new year with free fitness classes for residents.
The 12-week "Shape Up NYC'' challenge will be offered at more than 30 sites around the city.
The programs for adults and kids vary widely. They include yoga, pilates, cardio dance, boot camp, kickboxing and chair aerobics.
The "kick off week'' starts Monday. Trainers will start by measuring participants' height, weight, strength, flexibility and body fat percentage.
Prizes will be awarded for the most impressive improvements when the challenge ends April 8.
Published at 8:19 AM EST on Jan 14, 2011 | Updated at 8:30 AM EST on Jan 14, 2011


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EDINBURG, Texas — A Texas border police chief and one of his top officers have been formally arrested in in connection with marijuana that was alleged to have been stolen from the police department's evidence locker.
The drug was allegedly mixed with alcohol to make a homemade remedy for joint pain.
On Tuesday, Sullivan Police Chief Miguel Angel Martinez and officer Angel De La Mora went before a state judge who unsealed an indictment out of the 275th State District Court and formally charged the two.
Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed that Martinez was formally charged with one count of theft by a public servant and two counts of abuse of official capacity. De La Mora was formally charged with one count of possession of marijuana, two counts theft by a public servant, and two counts of abuse of official capacity.


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IF the power to tug at an audience's heartstrings is the criterion, then the American mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson must rank as the greatest singer in the world. In this stupendous concert performance of Part 2 of Berlioz's Les Troyens, she took the role of Dido for the first time and quite simply possessed it.
Every emotional note was struck head-on: the grace with which she receives her people's homage, the vacillations over her lonely widowhood, the ecstasy of the love duet, the heartbroken rage and remorse with which she responds to Aeneas's betrayal.
This was more than warm, immediate, sensitive singing: Hunt Lieberson seemed to strip her soul bare, with a degree of self-exposure that was almost terrifying in its intensity.
Standing back, one might regard her voice as a notch too small to ride the climaxes with ideal force. Yes, there were passages where a certain plumminess in the timbre swallowed up the consonants. But such shortcomings are as nothing compared to her instinctive musicality and its capacity to illuminate a phrase and communicate the inner life of a character.
This is the stuff of which legends are made.
As in Part 1, Donald Runnicles's conducting blazed with energy, and although there were passages when the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra sounded coarse (its plodding rendering of the long ostinato beat which moves through the septet into the love duet, for instance), the grandeur and drama of Berlioz's inspiration was always honoured.
A strapping American tenor, Hugh Smith, made a sterling Aeneas, tackling his big aria with rare accuracy and some style - I only wish he had occasionally lifted his head from the score and communicated with the audience a little more.
Among a supporting cast which was without weakness, I would single out John Relyea's eloquent Narbal, Paul Agnew's delightful singing of Iopas's aria, and two young basses, Jonathan Lemalu and Timothy Mirfin, who made their mark, albeit briefly, as the comic sentries. A marvellous occasion, which compensated for other disappointments of the Festival's first week.
Song recitals by two first-class young Germans also gave much pleasure. Following her mesmerising Cassandra in Part One of Les Troyens, the mezzo-soprano Petra Lang returned to her native waters for a beautifully focused and secure account of Wagner's Wesendonk Lieder and some dazzling forays into Richard Strauss. Momentary uncertainties of pitch aside, Lang is a singer of remarkable technical excellence - a vocal BMW, one might say - who knows exactly where she wants to go with a piece of music and how to get there.
That quality of poised and purposeful determination is not quite enough for lieder, however, and in her group of Liszt songs, one felt a lack of shading and ambiguity, of delicacy and flirtatiousness. She doesn't caress music so much as command it, and the result is ultimately more impressive than moving. Charles Spencer was her sensitive pianist.
Jonas Kaufmann is a Munich-born and trained tenor with dark flowing locks, angelic smile and a striking resemblance to popular images of Jesus Christ.
In a first half devoted to Schumann, he sounded distinctly baritonal, short of variety of colour and only intermittently in control of his top register. Then, half-way through Dichterliebe (at "Hor'ich das Liedchen klingen", to be precise), the voice eased and blossomed, revealing the makings of a considerable artist.
By the time he returned after the interval with some of Liszt's Petrarch sonnets, Kaufmann was producing a stream of clarion tone, and one could also admire his eloquent enunciation and firm tuning.
A final Strauss group, culminating in a bold plunge into the maelstrom of Wie sollten wir geheim, brought him a richly deserved ovation and left us all keen to hear more. Helmut Deutsch was his stormy and challenging accompanist.


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This DreamLine™ shower kit combines an ALLURE pivot shower door and coordinating SlimLine shower base to create an efficient yet elegant bathroom renovation solution. The ALLURE pivot shower door delivers a sleek look with a frameless design and clean lines, while innovative hardware provides adjustability for an easy installation. A SlimLine shower base completes the transformation with a modern low profile design. A DreamLine™ shower kit delivers everything you need to transform a shower space.
Installation Guide
Technical Drawing for Shower Door
Review the technical drawing for Shower Base
Information regarding the return policy of your DreamLine™ product is available here. If you have any questions, please contact us before ordering.
I took a chance on buying this for my new shower without knowing what it would look like. It looks fantastic and was easy to install. It looks dramatic and expensive but was less expensive than a lot of the shower doors I had looked at over the web. I am very pleased with the quality and service. Will definitely be back.


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The doctor whose expert testimony helped to wrongly convict Sally Clark for the murder of her two baby sons should not have been struck off, a high court judge was told today.
Lawyers for Sir Roy Meadow - who was found guilty last July of serious professional misconduct - told Mr Justice Collins that the decision by the General Medical Council to erase his name from the medical register was unfair.
Prof Sir Roy, who is appealing against the decision of the GMC and its punishment, was attacked for his written and oral evidence at Ms Clark's criminal trial.
He was acclaimed as an expert in the field of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids) and the way in which such deaths could be differentiated from children harmed by their parents - the so-called Munchausen's syndrome by proxy.
Prof Sir Roy gave evidence that the risk of two infants dying naturally of Sids in a household such as Ms Clark's was effectively one in 73m.
The GMC's fitness to practise panel said he had "strayed outside his area of expertise" and that his evidence on the probability of a second infant death from natural causes was "erroneous and misleading and in breach of his duty as an expert and by providing such evidence was guilty of serious professional misconduct".
Prof Sir Roy's barrister, Nicola Davies, said he had provided evidence in good faith, and had at all times genuinely believed it was correct and accurate. She said that at no time during the trial did he claim to posess statistical expertise.
"The evidence given by Professor Meadow, which was part of his diagnostic process, represented an honestly-held belief which was supported by others in the field," she added.
"To stigmatise what was found to be a mistaken belief as serious professional misconduct fails to recognise the role and legitimacy of debate in medicine."
The panel concluded Prof Sir Roy had "abused his position as a doctor" by giving misleading evidence in the trial of Ms Clark.
It said the consequences of his errors "cannot be underestimated" and had "seriously undermined" the position of all doctors giving evidence in trials.
Ms Clark was found guilty in 1999 of murdering her sons, Christopher and Harry, but had her conviction quashed by the court of appeal in 2003.
Prof Sir Roy also gave evidence in two other high-profile child murder trials in which mothers were wrongfully convicted. Angela Cannings and Donna Anthony were jailed for murdering their children but later cleared by the court of appeal.


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It's that time of the year when insect-borne viruses start appearing in the headlines. In fact, state health department officials just recently confirmed the year's first case of West Nile Virus in Minnesota.
But physician and writer Dr. Craig Bowron is keeping his eye on a new tick-borne virus that he thinks bears watching.


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xml | txt


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This North Dakota-based maker of aircraft cargo systems believes its lean-based operating platform is the key to a bright future.By Rick Carter, Editor-in-Chief
Of all industries hurt by 9/11, aerospace probably tops the list. Commercial carriers, airplane builders and suppliers all saw their business drop after that tragic day. But while carriers still struggle, the airplane builders and certain suppliers have begun a return to profits. Goodrich Corp. is one supplier that has gotten past the industry slowdown, not by taking on less aerospace business but by taking on more. And by creating a lean-based culture for all of its globe-spanning divisions.
The $4 billion, Charlotte, NC-based company has made many products in its 125 years, including B.F. Goodrich automobile tires. But this is one of many non-aerospace businesses the company has sold (to the Michelin Group in 1988) and replaced with aerospace acquisitions. By 2001, Goodrich had dropped all but one of its non-aerospace businesses (along with its "B.F." initials), and in 2002, with the industry in post-9/11-downswing, it dropped the last.
The next year, Goodrich acquired TRW Aeronautical Systems, owner of a North Dakota-based business, making cargo systems for commercial and military aircraft. The acquisition enabled Goodrich to make the promotional claim it now uses, that its products are "on almost every aircraft flying today." The company divides these products into three areas: Airframe, which includes landing gear, wheels and brakes; Electronic, which includes systems for fuel, lighting and sensors; and Engine, which includes cargo systems, nacelles (the outer casings of airplane engines), pylons and engine-control systems.
For the workers at the 290,000-sq.-ft. cargo-systems plant in Jamestown, ND, a city of 15,000 in east-central North Dakota, the Goodrich acquisition meant another change in a long line of changes at the facility. Under TRW's three years of ownership, for example, the plant changed its production line up to focus exclusively on making the systems that guide, move and secure aircraft cargo containers. In the process, it shed the military-aircraft weapons-related business that had existed at Jamestown in various manifestations through four previous owners. Now with another new owner, Jamestown workers, some of whom had been aboard since the plant opened in 1970, couldn't help but think the front-office door was simply spinning again. So in spring 2004 when Goodrich transferred Tim Dumbauld from its Aircraft Wheels and Brakes business to become vice president and general manager of the Jamestown facility, he was welcomed politely, but not with fanfare.
"My first impression was that this plant had been through a lot of change," he says. "They had seen guys like me several times over the past few years, so they would listen, but in the background they probably felt they knew how to run the business and would just keep going."
But when Goodrich took over a time when plant production had slowed the new owner saw an opportunity to take Jamestown to the next level, chiefly by redirecting the plant's accumulated expertise and progress. Dumbauld's mission was to integrate these strengths, using Goodrich's own lean-based production policies.
"The changes in ownership here, plus the downturn in the aerospace industry were business disruptors," says Dale Riederer, operations director, and a 15-year Jamestown veteran. "Now we're getting back to basics from a continuous-improvement standpoint. This includes lean methodology, 5S basics and visual management." The company also favors combining Six Sigma and lean, which Riederer says ensures that "you use the right tool for the right problem."
But the custom nature of cargo-system design makes standardization especially challenging. For example, while each cargo system includes the same basic parts conveyor rollers and trays, side guide rails, locks, latches, power drive units (PDUs) and cargo control systems configurations vary by aircraft model. Systems are not interchangeable from one aircraft model to another, nor are they built ahead of time and stored. Using a just-in-time process, Jamestown builds one specific cargo system for one specific aircraft just before it will be installed in that aircraft.
Manufacturing production involves three basic steps: machining; processing and painting; and assembly. Hardware (trays, guide rails, latches, etc.) is machined from aluminum, titanium or steel at the Jamestown facility, using four- and five-axis CNC machining centers. These parts are then processed and painted as necessary, and assembled into completed sections of a system. The sections are then packed in installation sequence in large reusable crates. The crates are shipped to Boeing and Airbus, the plant's primary customers, for installation in the cargo holds of wide-body cargo and passenger aircraft.
Individual cargo-system components, not to mention the numbers of systems ordered, can vary wildly. Systems for the largest planes, such as the Boeing 747, for example, can include 4,000 parts for the main-deck section alone. And while long-running models like the 747 can produce orders for many years, most orders are for planes that will not be in production nearly as long.
"We're a low-rate, high-variety manufacturer," says Riederer. And because of that, adds Dumbauld, "Trying to get lean and even get single-piece flow going is a little more difficult here." As a result, the company has roughly aligned itself into work cells that "are different than what you might see at a high-rate manufacturer," says Riederer. "In the roller-tray assembly cell, for example, we produce those parts in one cell to take advantage of tooling commonality, methods commonality and point-of-use placement to be efficient. So our one-piece flow in some cases, isn't one piece. It's a group of similar parts that we move through the process and in the end, we kit and ship out." It's also a far cry from the 1980s and before, says Dumbauld, when everything made at Jamestown was batch-produced, "blown through the system and placed on a shelf."
Dumbauld says the key to making it work is the company's emphasis on lean. "We've been focusing on the flow-down of lean and encouraging 100% participation in the plant and making it a part of everyone's job every day," he says. "We have a Policy Deployment system which takes the top-level corporate goals and flows them down through various levels in the organization, so, ultimately, the individual knows what he should be working on, primarily in the areas of breakthrough, change and continuous improvement."
"But these are stretch targets," says Dumbauld. "It's X-plus to get people thinking. We don't expect to meet 100% of all of them. If we do 80%, that's meeting expectations; if we do 100%, we've exceeded expectations."
Dumbauld says Jamestown employees are starting to understand that continuous improvement, and lean in particular, are everyone's job. The company reinforces this by holding regular lean-related events on various levels. Some will involve lean training reviews, while others might involve kaizens, 5S initiatives or a total preventive maintenance event on one machine. A cross-functional team of support people, hourly employees and a lean-resources group gathers suggestions from workers and helps choose events.
"They'll review these every other week and get a three-month look ahead at the opportunities," says Riederer. "They'll then tell our steering council what they'd like to go after. It's a give-and-take in terms of understanding priorities and what will support our business."
Riederer and Dumbauld give Goodrich's corporate structure high marks for offering guidance and assistance without constricting them. Jamestown also benefits from other Goodrich sites that are further along in implementing continuous improvement methodologies. These sites will often send lean experts to Jamestown, for example, to help the plant meet its goals.
The plant's renewed lean efforts have had a positive effect in every department, says Riederer. "We've had lead-time savings, inventory savings and overall time savings," he says. "And other benefits have come along with that, including freed-up space."
Riederer remembers that when he first arrived at Jamestown, the plant had devoted one large area for secure parts storage that workers needed to visit before they could start a job. "You had to go there, tell what job you were starting," he says, "and they would pick the material for you. Now that space has been repurposed. Inventory is point-of-use and is controlled by the operator. They not only receive and store it, they pick it for their jobs. They're responsible for cycle counting and maintaining inventory accuracy, so they're very aware of what they need to produce the product."
Riederer, Dumbauld and others on the Jamestown leadership team are also quick to acknowledge that the plant's successes couldn't have occurred without its devoted, experienced workforce, currently numbering 480 (average age: 41). The plant benefits from this group's time in service as well as its superior safety consciousness. From January 2001 to January 2003, for example, the Jamestown crew completed 3 million man-hours without a lost-time injury. It's also a group with above-average mechanical abilities, a trait Riederer says is common in the agriculture-based states of the upper Plains. Workers do not receive piece-related bonuses, but all are included in a gainsharing program, and all are eligible for company-paid training and education programs. To ensure the company continues to meet needed workforce levels, it participates in an intern program with major universities in North Dakota and surrounding states.
"We're bullish on the future," he says. "Obviously, we're more driven by the cargo side of things, and for us, airline business is picking up. We do all the wide bodies, particularly in Asia. And in the cargo traffic between the U.S. and Asia, the airplanes coming this way are jam-packed. Sometimes they're not so full going back," he says, "but the business is recovering in the sense that there is more cargo being hauled and more planes needed."
He also points to a growing number of airplane conversions (from passenger to cargo) and the retiring of older aircraft as trends that mean more business for his company. Most importantly, though, he says Goodrich has entered a new arena of competition regarding cargo-system design.
"We are competing for the contract for the A380 freighter," he says, which is a brand new superjumbo Airbus aircraft with three cargo levels. "This will require not only the mechanicals for the entire plane, but the whole system integration of all decks." It will also involve all three areas of Goodrich expertise needed to fully outfit the plane: mechanical, power drive and control. It could encompass products not made at Jamestown such as lights, fire detectors and panel covers.
"This will be a big effort for us," says Dumbauld. "And Goodrich was the only company that could compete in all three areas of expertise needed to do the job." The company made the same, all-inclusive pitch to Boeing for its new 7E7 Dreamliner, and has been awarded the contract.
"This is important because it separates us from the lower-tier, piece-part manufacturers," says Riederer. "We've gone through this evolution as a business and as a manufacturing facility. We've learned that continuous improvement, lean methodology and selected application of Six Sigma help reduce waste and take variation from your process."
Is the Jamestown facility ready to take on the new Boeing, Airbus and other potentially big projects? "Our machine shop could take on another 40% in terms of load," says Riederer. "In assembly, we have lots of capacity because that's basically determined by adding manpower. We can grow," he says, noting that the plant currently produces cargo systems for the Boeing 777, which is also expected to see a boost in production.
"Four or five years from now, we'll be pretty full up," says Riederer. "It's a ripe future. We suffered through the downturns like most aerospace businesses did," he adds. "But we've grown through it."
Content Item Type:
Article [1]
This North Dakota-based maker of aircraft cargo systems believes its lean-based operating platform is the key to a bright future. By Rick Carter, Editor-in-Chief Of all industries hurt by 9/11, aerospace probably tops the list. Commercial carriers, airplane builders and suppliers all saw their business drop after that tragic day.
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How to SIM unlock the LG G4
The LG G4 is one of the most popular Android phones of 2015. It's fast, sleek and it has an incredible camera. You get the option to customize the look of the phone with leather back panels, which come in a half dozen different colors. If you're reading this article, chances are that ... Read More »


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How does a multimillionaire with a face that is recognized around the world stay grounded? According to movie star mom Angelina Jolie, the best way to keep from getting an inflated ego is to accompany one of her six kiddos to the potty.
In a recent interview, Jolie said, "The great thing about having a bunch of kids is they just remind you that you're the person who takes them to go poop. That's who you are!" according to Us Weekly. Apparently wiping little bottoms is all it takes to keep her well-heeled feet on the ground!
It does stand to reason that a mama-of-six would spend several hours a day in the bathroom! And why is it that tots have to use the potty at the most inopportune times? In the middle of dinner? Check. When another little one has just returned from the potty? Check. Even Angelina Jolie is not above being interrupted at dinnertime to take a wee one to go, er, wee.
But the upside of the long hours Jolie has logged in the loo is that her tots' tushies have prevented the screen siren from getting a swollen head. She claims to be like any other mom, wheeling and dealing toilet tissue for her brood. It's an interesting image: The sexy star bending over the potty just like a normal suburban mommy. Does she do dishes too? Laundry?
This is the second time this week Jolie has made headlines for something other than her movie career or her romance with mega-hunk fellow movie star Brad Pitt. In another interview, the actress admitted that her kiddos love to snack on pan fried crickets. The Jolie-Pitt kids seemed to have acquired a taste for the unusual snack abroad. Try it at home!
What is the most humbling aspect of being a mom in your experience?
Photo credit: Rocstar/CPR/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES


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The selectmen's board met recently with Tammy Webb from the auditing girm of Vachon & Clukay with regard to the 2012 audit, which was completed in December 2013.
It was noted that the fund balance was low at the end of December 2012 at 5.4 percent of the general fund. NH Department of Revenue recommends 8-15 percent of the general fund. The fund balance is used for emergencies when cash is needed for operations such as weather-related emergency or some sort of catastrophe.
Other noted items include:
The police department needs department head approval on all payroll time slips. The recreation department internal controls over cash receipts need to be improved with more checks and balances for each program and more documentation. Timeliness of deposits needs to be improved. The recreation commission, the recreation director, town administrator, town treasurer and the town bookkeeper will meet to discuss several financial procedures and ways to improve in order to come into compliance with town policies and the auditor's recommendations.
The was general discussion regarding the lack of revenues from tax payments not being paid. It was noted that there is no easy solution. Selectmen explain that they have started a procedure to assist taxpayers. The board sends a letter to the property owners who are on the verge of having their property tax-deeded and invites them to a non-public session in which a payment plan tailored to their financial situation is agreed upon, thus eliminating the immediate threat of tax-deeding and gets them caught up on the taxes. The plan mandates that future tax bills are paid when received, they make a monthly payment to the tax collector and check back within six months to see how the plan is going. It was reported that the system has worked well.
A copy of the 2012 audit is available in the town administrator's office for viewing.
Resumes are being sought for a part-time secretary at the public works department at 803 White Mountain Highway. This position is responsible for maintaining and running the office in support of the public works director and all departments therein. Normal office duties include telephones, computer, correspondence, reports, maintain office records, assisting the public, correspond with vendors, research and more. Other requirements include good character, integrity, adaptability, team player, enthusiasm and sense of humor. Starting wage is $12.86. No benefits. Six month probationary period. Work hours 20 hours per week. During the winter months, the hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am to noon. During the summer months, the entire department switches to a four day week with Fridays off. The summer hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 1 pm. Mail or drop off resume, cover letter and completed application to the public works director, PO box 310 or e-mail same to firstname.lastname@example.com. A job description and application are available at the public works department. No phone calls, please.
Third-grader Ashley Moreno and her family organized a fundraiser to support the Loli family, whose son Angelo, a junior at Nute High School, is undergoing treatment at Maine Medical Center in Portland. For the last two weeks students and staff in all elementary classrooms filled penny jars with spare change. The grand total of $685 will be given to the Loli family. Mrs. Soucy's classroom collected the most change in the amount of $94, and they will have a pizza party courtesy of the Moreno family.
The schools will be on spring break April 21 through April 25.


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Body brushing is a fast, effective and feel-good way to start your day on the healthy path. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and plays a large role in detoxification, nutrient absorption and absorbs one-third of all the blood that is circulating in your body. Because it is such a visual organ, when toxic build-up in present in the system, signs of toxicity can appear for all the world to see. Besides feeling amazing, body brushing can help with the following:
- Increases circulation, which can help eliminate the appearance of cellulite
- It removes dead skin cells, allowing for faster renewal of new skin
- It helps unblock clogged pores, which will allow for your oils, lotions and topical applications to be better absorbed
- It helps with lymphatic drainage, which is essential for eliminating toxins from the system
Body brushing can be easily incorporated into any morning routine and only takes a few minutes. Here's how to body brush:
1. Begin with dry skin and brush in a circular motion, starting with the bottom of the feet
2. Work your way up each leg, transitioning into long, smooth strokes. Always brush toward the heart.
3. Move on to your upper legs, thighs, and buttox; then proceed onto your stomach, brushing in a circular, clockwise motion. Move onto your chest, again sweeping the brush toward the heart. Be careful with sensitive skin around the stomach and around your chest or breasts.
4. Use circular motions again on the palms of each hand, then long strokes up each arm, again toward the heart.
5. When finished, make sure to shower to wash away dead skin and to open pores.
6. Follow your shower with a moisturizer, like coconut oil or shea butter.
7. Do not body brush skin that is broken, has a rash or is sunburned. When selecting a brush, make sure to get one with natural (not synthetic) bristles.
After this routine, your skin will feel invigorated and tingly. It's especially pleasurable incorporated into a nighttime bath routine.
By Julie Hurley, Founder of Hurley Health and Wellness and Director of Public Relations at Principia Media.
Sources include:


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Critical Result Reporting
Label Printer Support
A range which usually includes 2 Standard Deviations of a normal population pool or 95.5% of normal people. It should be noted that 4.5% of Normal people will have results just above or below the "Normal ranges" published.
Results that fall outside of these ranges will be automatically repeated (unless a prior result done recently is in the same abnormal range). The patient identification, clerical, etc. will also be checked and test rerun.
A range of abnormal test results which are potentially life threatening and require the immediate attention of a physician. Values beyond the published ranges would be automatically called to the attention of the Supervisor or charge technologist. Any questions as to interpretation will be given to a pathologist. The physician in charge of the case will be notified directly of these abnormal results if appropriate.
The repeat and alarm values have been adopted by the Laboratory Management and reviewed by the Medical Staff. When a repeat value is obtained, the procedure must be repeated using the original specimen unless the value is on a patient known to be abnormal from recent testing, or the value correlates with other related abnormal findings on the patient. When a value is repeated and confirmed, this should be indicated as a comment on the result in the LIS. When a value is excepted from repeat because the results are found to be consistent with previous testing, this should be indicated in the LIS as a comment indicating that the result was verified.
Critical Values on in-house patients are telephoned to the patient unit. Alarm values and Stat results on out-patients are to be telephoned to the ordering physician.
The majority of reporting from the laboratory is via electronic distribution into various electronic medical record systems. Inpatient reports are distributed exclusively via interfaces from the Laboratory Information System to the electronic inpatient record. As each orderable item is completed and verified in the LIS, reports are released immediately for real-time updating of the electronic record. Results are permanently archived into both the LIS and the electronic medical record.
Outpatient Interim - This report format prints only new information on the charting run. Once results have been printed on the interim report, they are not reprinted on any other chart. Most Outpatient reports that are sent to physician's offices are in an interim format. This report becomes the permanent chartable report.
Outpatient Cumulative - This report format cumulates all results on the encounter. As testing is performed and verified over several days, a new cumulative summary will be generated, including results that were reported earlier. The final cumulative summary will include all of the results for that encounter. When combined with a pending test section, this report allows for a more condensed chartable report.
Consulting Copy - This report is generated in an interim format and is used to generate additional copies of outpatient results to other providers who may be identified as consulting physicians.
Reports are issued on an accession level. That is, they are not cumulative but encompass only the results for one sample (or accession) in any given report. For this reason, they are added to any prior reports that have been charted.
This report includes results of samples submitted for biopsy or surgical pathology. It may also include cytology reports of fluids that are processed as a cell block.
This report is a follow-up to an anatomic pathology report, which may be generated when there is additional information on a sample. It is usually generated as a result of consultations that are performed at outside reference laboratories.
This report is generated as an interim report when it is necessary to issue a report before the standard anatomic pathology report can be completed. It is always followed by standard anatomic pathology report.
This includes cytopathology reports including fluid cytology and PAP smears.
This report is triggered whenever a result is entered after discharge. It will be distributed to the physician's office.
Selected for certain physician's offices as requested by the office practice. This report will print an interim view of lab results for any physician that has requested copies of inpatient results
Reports are distributed via the Laboratory Information System to printers in client's offices when the volume of reports is significant. These reports are sent via an automated fax on a schedule determined by the client.
Client offices which are located within the medical center network are set up to receive reports directly on plain paper laser network printers.
Offices and locations which are not set up for either Remote Report Distribution or Network reporting, receive reports via either mail or courier.
Copies of some test results are submitted to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention as required by law. Typically this includes sexually transmitted diseases and diseases of unusual significance. Patient demographics, including name and address are submitted to Disease Control.
Additional information may be found at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The chart report description is found at the upper right corner of the report form. It describes the type of chart that is generated, which will facilitate placing the report in the correct section of the medical record.
The report Header and Footer identify general information about the patient or chart. These sections of the report are delineated with a horizontal line to separate it from the clinical data section which is in the body of the report.
The body of the report is the middle section which contains the clinical data in the report.
Page numbers are found in the upper right corner of the report. They allow staff to easily determine that all pages are present and in the correct sequence.
The end of chart message is found in the footer of the last page of the report. It designates the final page in a multiple chart report, and helps staff to confirm that all pages are present.
The report date is located in the header of the report. It reflects the date that the report was created. It does not necessarily reflect the specimen date. This date is helpful when organizing reports in the medical record.


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The National Graduate Showcase is arguably the most anticipated runway of the VAMFF program. Though, as supporting partner, we're perhaps a little biased.
Lighting up the Royal Exhibition Building last night, the runway showcased the best fashion graduates from Australia's top tertiary institutions.
Presented by AMP Capital and proudly supported by yours truly, the runway showcased works from the following 12 finalists:
- Zhuxuan He (UTS)
- Natalie Vladimiroff (UTS)
- Tony Lee (UTS)
- Rochelle Bramich (Whitehouse)
- Meredith Bullen (UTS)
- Nehma Vitols (UTS)
- Victoria Bliss (RMIT)
- Talia Jimenez (UTS)
- Tara Miranne Bailey (UTS)
- Stephanie Henly (RMIT)
- William Thi (RMIT)
- Sarah Hope Schofield (RMIT)
The lineup offered something entirely different to the festival, with a focus on imagination, execution and technique.
Everything from hand-printed fabrics to knitting, hand-stitching and beading was showcased, with the graduates leaving quite the impression. So much so, they were met with a standing ovation at the conclusion of the show.


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Groupon suspends all gun-related daily dealsTue Jan 22, 2013
Some sheriffs vow not to enforce Obama's gun plan; anti-violence groups praise measuresWed Jan 16, 2013
Obama unveils sweeping new gun control proposalsWed Jan 16, 2013
- Instead of wasting millions of hours and dollars trying to push an extreme left-wing agenda to ban a weapon used in less than 1% of murders, try investing that money and time in the communities that are ravaged by HAND GUN violence that make up 90% of murders in this country. Let's assume that assua …
Capitalism loses fans thanks to recessionFri Jul 13, 2012
- Real FREE MARKETS are the answer. The USA is NOT a Free Market System. Major corporations control every major industry and they do so through the REGULATORY system by which the revolving door of regulators and former employees of these same regulations lobby congress for rules that benefit them and …
Internet blackout against US law fails to enlist big sitesTue Jan 17, 2012
Live Vote: Predict the winnerTue Jan 3, 2012
Santorum wins support of TLC's Duggar clanMon Jan 2, 2012
Paul - not Romney - leads anti-Gingrich offensiveTue Dec 6, 2011
Trump: Huntsman and Paul are 'joke candidates'Mon Dec 5, 2011
Gingrich: I'm not a lobbyist, just a citizenWed Nov 30, 2011