text:
In an increasingly volatile world, companies are finding it more difficult to forecast various factors, and that is creating greater uncertainty around corporate earnings.
A survey of North American finance executives by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and Oliver Wyman Group found that 53% said earnings uncertainty is a bigger concern than it was five years ago, prior to the financial crisis. And there's little relief in sight, with 52% predicting that earnings uncertainty will increase over the next three years.
"The overall number of people who felt that forecasting is more difficult than five years ago, that's a startling number," said David Beckoff, manager of survey research at AFP and the author of the report. "It also jumps out that when you say what about the next three years, basically an equivalent number say it's going to get more challenging."
Macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth were the biggest source of increased earnings uncertainty, cited by 30% of the 547 respondents. Twenty-three percent of the executives cited financial factors, such as credit availability and liquidity, while 19% cited external factors like regulatory risk. Bringing up the rear were business and operations, cited by 17%, and commodities, cited by 11% of the executives.
Looking ahead, 44% of executives said their company's ability to satisfy and retain customers was the factor that could have the biggest impact on their earnings in coming years, while 37% cited regulation and 35% GDP growth.
The fact that key upcoming risks involve areas outside of the purview of finance and treasury departments, like customer satisfaction and retention, helps explain the heightened earnings uncertainty, according to Beckoff.
When asked which aspects of the business were most difficult to forecast, 72% of the executives said natural catastrophes, 67% cited regulatory risk, and an equal percentage cited product liability.
Part of the problem with forecasting may lie in the companies' skill level. The majority of executives were critical of their company's forecasting abilities, with 47% saying forecasting needed to be improved and 10% describing their company's skills as "weak to non-existent."
Asked to pinpoint the weaknesses in their forecasting, more than half (52%) of the executives cited problems in capturing relevant data from within the company, while 47% said that integrating risk and forecasting data to make strategic decisions was a challenge and 44% cited difficulty in gathering data from external sources.
"Finance respondents saw that the challenge with their forecasting is not so much about resources, like staff, it's about data capture and integrating information," Beckoff said. "More of them put the finger on what I would describe as big data challenges¾making sense of a lot of information and being able to act in a quick time frame."
Certainly the most prevalent action in response to business risks was increasing the company's investment in IT systems, which was cited by 57% of respondents, while 53% said they had increased their revenue growth targets and 52% said they had increased the focus on risk culture and awareness.
Further, companies with good risk management practices have a greater awareness of the complexity of risk, generally speaking, and a greater understanding of the interrelationships between risks, according to Theresa Bourdon, a group managing director at Aon Global Risk Consulting, citing data from Aon's Risk Maturity Index, a tool that customers can use to assess their risk management efforts.
Companies that score well on the index also fine-tune their forecasts by incorporating risk-adjusted return expectations for each of the company's units or departments, Bourdon said.
Companies should also be taking into account external parties such as their suppliers and competitors, she said. "Don't set your forecast and planning and strategies all internally. There has to be external input around what you're doing in forecasting."
Top performing companies also include information about their industry. "When they develop a forecast, they're doing it very specific to the industry they're in and the market assumptions," Bourdon said. "Take the construction industry–if you're in a robust period, you should be building that into your projections. If the market changes, you've got to adapt to that, build it into your expectations."
"Really mature companies are making those adjustments as they develop their forecasts and projects," Bourdon said. "As a result, they're minimizing the volatility of their results."
Research by the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School shows that companies that score well on Aon's Risk Maturity Index perform better financially than those who don't, she added. "There's definitely a return on the investment for having a strong risk management program," Bourdon said.


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Kilbourn Park
3501 N. Kilbourn Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60641
(773) 685-3351
Fee: $5
Age Range: All ages
Join us at Easy Being Green Family Event! Inspiring healthy family living & connecting kids with food from farm to table and back again! Activities include: hands-on cooking project, Truck Farm tours, seed planting, worm composting demos, yoga, food art project, raffle with great local prizes, and don't forget to check-out the Kilbourn Park annual Plant Sale.
Presented by Friends of Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, The Kids' Table, and Truck Farm. Proceeds of the event support the construction of the Natures Playground.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lopinavir/r Monotherapy Versus Abacavir/Lamivudine and Lopinavir/r for Limb Fat Recovery in Persons With Lipoatrophy (KRETA)
This study has been completed.
Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First Posted: March 19, 2009
Last Update Posted: March 22, 2013
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Show Detailed Description
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy for the recovery of peripheral fat of lopinavir/ritonavir in monotherapy versus abacavir/lamivudine and lopinavir/ritonavir in subjects who developed lipoatrophy while receiving zidovudine plus lamivudine plus abacavir.
|HIV Infection Lipodystrophy HIV Infections
|Drug: Monotherapy (Lopinavir/ritonavir) Drug: Monotherapy (Lopinavir/ritonavir) + ABC/3TC
|Phase 4
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Official Title:
|A Phase IV-III Comparative, Randomized, Open-label Study to Evaluate the Efficacy for the Recovery of Peripheral Fat (or of the Extremities) of Lopinavir/Ritonavir in Monotherapy Versus Abacavir/Lamivudine and Lopinavir/Ritonavir
Resource links provided by NLM:
Drug Information available for: Lamivudine Abacavir Ritonavir LopinavirU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Absolute change in limb fat measured by DEXA at 48w [ Time Frame: 48 weeks ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Absolute change in limb-fat measured by DEXA at 96 weeks [ Time Frame: 96 weeks ]
- Lipid changes at Week 24, 48, 72 and 96 [ Time Frame: 96 weeks ]
|Study Start Date:
|December 2008
|Study Completion Date:
|September 2012
|Primary Completion Date:
|June 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Monotherapy group
Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r).
Drug: Monotherapy (Lopinavir/ritonavir)
NRTI sparing
Active Comparator: Triple arm
Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r)+ ABC/3TC
Drug: Monotherapy (Lopinavir/ritonavir)
NRTI sparingDrug: Monotherapy (Lopinavir/ritonavir) + ABC/3TC
NRTI sparing regimen
Show Detailed Description
Information from the National Library of Medicine
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Confirmation of the willingness of the patient to participate in this study after being informed on all the aspects of the trial that may influence their decision, signing and dating the written informed consent form approved by the Ethics Committee.
- The patient is 18 years of age or older.
- (Documented) HIV-1 infection.
- Receiving treatment with ZDV+3TC+ABC (in continuous antiretroviral treatment, without discontinuation periods, for the past 6 months).
- There is confirmation that during the 6 months prior to inclusion in the study the viral burdens were below 50 copies/mL.
- A viral burden below 50 copies/mL no more than 30 days before starting the study.
- No previous history of virological failure while on antiretroviral treatment with protease inhibitors (PIs). That is, they have never switched protease inhibitors for suspected or documented virological failure. The changes in protease inhibitor due solely to toxicity, simplification or optimization are acceptable.
- Clinical evidence of moderate to severe lipoatrophy (according to the case definition as scoring >- 2. For inclusion in the study, the subject should have moderate to severe lipoatrophy in at least one site, and defined by the physician.
- Absence of signs of acute disease.
- Patient has not been treated for an active opportunistic infection within the 30 days prior to the baseline visit.
- Patient with Karnofsky index >- 70.
- During the study, the patient does not require and agrees not to take any of the following drugs that are contraindicated with LPV/r: astemizole, terfenadine, midazolam, triazolam, cisapride, certain ergot derivatives (ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, methylergonovine), pimozide, propafenone, and flecainide. Rifampin, a potent enzyme inducer, should not be administered with the study medication due to the possibility of a significant decrease in LPV/r concentrations during concomitant administration, nor drugs contraindicated with 3TC and ABC that in principle should not be being taken, as they are part of the treatment at the screening.
- Patient agrees not to take any medication, including over-the-counter medicines, alcohol, drugs, or herbal preparations without the knowledge and approval of the principal investigator.
- Laboratory tests have been performed on the patients in the past 30 days:
- G/dL hemoglobin >8.0
- Absolute neutrophil count 750 cells/microl
- Platelet count 20,000/microl
- ALT or AST <5 x upper normal limit (UNL)
- Creatinine <1. 5 x UNL
- Triglycerides <750 mg/dL.
- For women, a negative result of a pregnancy test is available and they agree to use throughout the study a barrier contraceptive method of proven reliability in the investigator's opinion.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with a history of virological failure on treatment with PIs; that is, that they have at some point switched to PIs for confirmed or documented virological failure.
- Patients with positive serum hepatitis B surface antigen.
- Patients requiring treatment with drugs where combination with LPV/r is contraindicated.
- Presence of active opportunistic disease or wasting syndrome or under antitumoral treatment with chemotherapy.
- Patients treated in the previous 16 weeks with agents susceptible to insulin (glitazones or metformin), anabolic steroids, growth hormone or any agent that could interfere with the study drugs.
- Active drug addiction or psychiatric disease that may prevent protocol compliance. Use of cannabis or being on methadone treatment are excepted, provided protocol compliance is not compromised in the investigator's opinion.
- Pregnant women or nursing mothers, and women of childbearing age if they do not agree to use a barrier contraceptive method throughout the study of proven reliability in the investigator's opinion.
- In the opinion of the principal investigator, the patient is unlikely to comply with the study protocol, or the patient is not eligible for any other reason.
Contacts and Locations
Information from the National Library of Medicine
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00865007
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00865007
|Hospital Severo Ochoa
|Leganes, Madrid, Spain, 28911
|Hospital Xeral Cies
|Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain, 36204
|Hospital de Donostia
|Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain, 20014
|Hospital de Basurto
|Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain, 48013
|Hospital General Universitario de Alicante
|Alicante, Spain, 03010
|Hospital Sant Creu i Sant Pau
|Barcelona, Spain, 08025
|Hospital Clinico y Provincial
|Barcelona, Spain, 08036
|Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia
|Cordoba, Spain, 14004
|Hospital La Paz
|Madrid, Spain, 28006
|Hospital Doce de Octubre
|Madrid, Spain, 28041
|Hospital La Paz
|Madrid, Spain, 28046
Sponsors and Collaborators
Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA
|Study Chair:
|Jose Ignacio Bernardino
|Hospital La Paz
|Study Chair:
|Jose Ramon Arribas
|Hospital La Paz
More Information
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Keywords provided by Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Bernardino JI, Pulido F, Martinez E, Arrizabalaga J, Domingo P, Portilla J, Ocampo A, Muñoz J, Torres R, Arribas JR; GESIDA-6008-KRETA Study Group. Switching to lopinavir/ritonavir with or without abacavir/lamivudine in lipoatrophic patients treated with zidovudine/abacavir/lamivudine. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2013 Jun;68(6):1373-81. doi: 10.1093/jac/dks540. Epub 2013 Feb 5.
|Responsible Party:
|Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00865007 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
2008-003748-12 ( EudraCT Number )
|First Submitted:
|March 18, 2009
|First Posted:
|March 19, 2009
|Last Update Posted:
|March 22, 2013
|Last Verified:
|March 2013
Keywords provided by Fundacion SEIMC-GESIDA:
treatment experienced
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Communicable Diseases
HIV Infections
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Slow Virus Diseases
Skin Diseases, Metabolic
Skin Diseases
Lipid Metabolism Disorders
Metabolic Diseases
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Protease Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Anti-HIV Agents
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents


text:
In the operations of a museum, the creative challenges are as varied as the artistic programme. Finding the best way of reproducing works and pictures for a given medium is a central concern, as are publications and exhibition graphics. Photography, digitization, printing processes and support materials all play their part. The interplay of reproduction technologies is becoming ever more complex, while the number of communication channels is constantly increasing.
At the Kunsthaus Zürich, we attach great importance to project-related publications and exhibition catalogues, which aim to illuminate exhibitions and art-historical contexts and communicate them both during the presentation and beyond. We look for forms that reflect the artistic qualities of a wide range of positions and genres: forms that structure the content while giving readers the freedom to view it according to their own criteria and appreciate it in their own time.


text:
It is easy for in-house counsel to get too comfortable keeping their nose to the grindstone, only coming up for air when they have to attend a meeting or grab some lunch. They're implicitly saying "look at me, look how hard I'm working — I must be valuable to the company," right? Not exactly.
That approach ignores the importance of building relationships on a human level. Working with in-house counsel of various levels for many years, I've had the opportunity to coach them on some best practices for enhancing their profile and showcasing their value to an organization. Most of that starts with having the right attitude and being skilled at relationship building.
All too often in-house counsel are seen by the business as roadblocks as they fight to keep a company from ending up on the wrong end of a legal issue. It's shocking to still see many in-house counsel adopting an unhealthy "us vs. them" mentality as it pertains to their legal department and the business teams they serve. It is time to wake up; the legal department and the business leaders in an organization are on the same team!
Here are three simple steps to make any in-house counsel indispensable to their department and the business.
Become a part of the culture
Rule of lawyering 101: observe and then assimilate to the company culture. In-house counsel who fail to adapt to the company culture will not be seen as partners with the business.
- Is your company's culture laid back and more inclined to email/text? If so, adapt to that.
- Is your company's culture highly personal where speaking on the phone is valued far more than email? If so, pick up the phone.
- Is your company's culture meeting crazy or do they despise meetings? Go with your team's preference!
- What's the dress code? Hyper casual or all business? Modify your style to fit in!
- When do people convene? Lunch or happy hour on campus? Find out and go there.
Be a communicator
In-house counsel — like all attorneys — should be expert communicators. Yet, surprisingly, many are either not effective communicators when it comes to interpersonal relationships or they take the passive-aggressive route of complaining rather than communicating to solve issues.
Writing a brief or a contract is one thing. Communicating effectively with people you work with or support is another. Enhancing your value to an organization requires building up allies and forging key relationships. Being an effective interpersonal communicator is an essential skill that will get you there.
When asked by the business, share your feedback and solicit their feedback as well. All too often, in-house counsel are approached by their client groups or manager for a check-in or to see how things are going and all too often they have little to say or share, yet complain about those same people afterward. This makes no sense. When asked, share your thoughts in a positive and constructive way. Not taking that opportunity means losing the opportunity to build healthy relationships.
In your department, engage with your colleagues and address issues head-on. If you're having a challenge with a difficult colleague or business team member, take them to lunch. Hear them out and work toward a resolution. Also, don't be afraid to communicate within your department and share your ideas or feedback. You don't have to be the general counsel to feel you have something of value to contribute to your department. And for general counsels out there, solicit feedback from your teams, show them you value their contributions as well. Encouraging a healthy dialogue always starts at the top.
Be supportive
Some in-house counsel may tend to speak down to their business teams. That's clearly not a good idea. Just because business team members may not have the legal education you have does not mean they are not skilled in other areas. And, if, in all honesty, they lack skill in their job, making them feel less than is a guaranteed way to create serious barriers to success. People who feel put down or backed into a corner will not respond well to anything you do after that. Plus, it's not nice.
Treat everyone you work with in any role, at any level within the company, with respect and kindness. Being good to people always comes back to you — if not in some form of good karma — it comes back more obviously with a wider base of support in a company across various levels and functions. That wider base of support will help you in more ways than you know as you evolve in your career.
Why Now?
For in-house counsel today, of course, their plate is full and spare time is a luxury but take the time to focus on what is core. Responding to a hundred emails is important and you'll get to it eventually, but building relationships with key people and client teams pays off well into your future. Take the time to do it now!


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Forbes: MLB, teams continue to improve financially
Times are good for owners of the 30 Major League Baseball teams -- very good.
Forbes released its annual valuation figures on Wednesday and topping the list -- for the 16th straight year -- is the New York Yankees, which the magazine said is worth $2.3 billion. The Los Angeles Dodgers at $1.5 billion comes in at a distant second place.
The Boston Red Sox at $1.3 billion and Chicago Cubs at $1 billion are the third and fourth ranked most valuable baseball franchises.
The average valuation of teams jumped 23 percent from last year, and Forbes credits the league's off-field investments for boosting the team average to $744 million.
Forbes cited one such investment -- the sale of the Montreal Expos in 2006 for $450 million. Each team had an equal share in the franchise, and the money made from that sale was invested in a hedge fund that is now worth more than $1 billion.
"The value of a team used to be about a team itself," Forbes executive editor Michael Ozanian told ESPN.com. "Then it shifted to the stadium value and then to the television deals, and now it's more about what's not on the field at all."
Examining exorbitant TV revenue along with other media rights such as video and game-day apps, it's no wonder that teams' valuations have skyrocketed.
National TV deals with Fox, TBS and ESPN, worth more than $12 billion over eight years, translates into an average of $53 million per year for each team.
Forbes said the value of the Oakland Athletics rose 46 percent, more than any other team, to $468 million.


text:
Berkeley DB (libdb) is a programmatic toolkit that provides embedded database support for both traditional and client/server applications. It includes b+tree, queue, extended linear hashing, fixed, and variable-length record access methods, transactions, locking, logging, shared memory caching, database recovery, and replication for highly available systems. DB supports C, C++, C#, Java, PHP, and Perl APIs. It supports key-value pair (NoSQL), SQL, and Java Object formatted data. It is available for a wide variety of Unix platforms as well as QNX, Android, Mac OS X, and several varieties of Windows.
MUSCLE (Multi User Server Client Linking Environment) is an N-way messaging server and networking API. It includes client-side networking APIs for various languages, including C, C++, C#, Delphi, Java, and Python. MUSCLE lets programs communicate over a network via streams of serialized Message objects. The included server program ("muscled") lets its clients message each other and store information in its server-side hierarchical database. The database supports flexible queries via hierarchical wildcarding, and "live" updates via a subscription mechanism.
db4o is an object database for Java and all .NET environments. Its features include ACID transactions, automatic class schema recognition, query-by-example, a S.O.D.A. object querying API, native queries, LINQ support on .NET, callback methods, memory files, cascade-on-delete, multi-threaded access, and Java Webstart and servlet support.
Google Map GPS Cell Phone Tracker allows you to track Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Java ME cellphones using Google Maps. It has two parts, a server and phone clients. You have a choice of two servers, using asp.net and SQL server or PHP and MySQL. The server software allows you to view cellphone locations in realtime using Google Maps and store routes and view them later. The client applications send their locations to the website periodically. All four applications work properly in the background and are written natively on each platform.
Coyote Linux is a mini distribution designed for setting up network utility services such as Internet connection sharing, firewalling, or wireless access points. The goal is to make it as quick and easy as possible to set up a Linux system with only a minimal amount of Linux knowledge.
Xapian is a search engine library, scalable to collections containing hundreds of millions of documents. It's written in C++ with bindings for Perl, Python, PHP, Java, Tcl, C#, Ruby, and Lua. It is a highly adaptable toolkit that allows developers to easily add advanced indexing and search facilities to their own applications. It supports the Probabilistic Information Retrieval model and also a rich set of boolean query operators. Omega is a Web search application built upon the Xapian library. It can index a Web server's document tree (including HTML, PDF, OpenOffice, MS Word/Excel/Powerpoint/Works, WordPerfect, RTF, PS, etc.), or data exported from arbitrary sources (e.g. SQL databases).
Visual Paradigm for UML is a Unified Modeling Language (UML) design tool that supports all UML diagrams, SysML diagrams, and entity relationship diagrams. Visual Paradigm for UML provides extensive use case modeling features, including full function UML use case diagram, flow of events editor, use case/actor grid, and activity diagram generation. Visual Paradigm for UML produces system documentation in PDF, HTML, and MS Word formats. A developer can design system documentation with the template designer. A system analyst can estimate the consequences of changes with impact analysis diagrams, such as matrix and analysis diagram. Visual Paradigm for UML generates Java code.
SWIG is a software development tool that connects programs written in C and C++ with a variety of high-level programming languages. SWIG is primarily used with common scripting languages such as Perl, PHP, Python, Tcl/Tk, and Ruby, however the list of supported languages also includes non-scripting languages such as C#, Common Lisp (CLISP, Allegro CL, UFFI), Java, Modula-3, OCAML, Octave, and R. Also several interpreted and compiled Scheme implementations (Guile, MzScheme, Chicken) are supported. SWIG is most commonly used to create high-level interpreted or compiled programming environments, user interfaces, and as a tool for testing and prototyping C/C++ software. SWIG can also export its parse tree in the form of XML and Lisp s-expressions.


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Best of The Gazette, Feb. 25: Crime, gravel and an early ATV
The Gazette publishes a lot of news in a week. Combine that with all the distractions a weekend brings, and that means there's a good chance you might have missed some important stories. Here's a look at of some of The Gazette's best content from the last week or so:
Janesville crime statistics show improvement
As the bottom fell out of the economy in the past five years, experts expected crime to rise. They were wrong. Crime rates fell in many areas of the country, and Janesville hit a 20-year low. Experts now believe an aging population and the highest incarceration rate in the world could be reasons for the decline.
Minimum wage increase plan has local supporters, detractors
Democrats in Wisconsin unveiled a bill in January that would immediately raise the state's minimum wage. Local officials and business owners offered varied opinions on the plan. Quaker Steak & Lube owner Scott Acker is against it. "This idea that you can just step out of high school and into a living-wage job. … I don't know. I struggle with that because I just don't think it's realistic," he said.
D.S. Pledger: Early ATV ride a bumpy one
Gazette Sports columnist D.S. Pledger recently came across a vintage article about the birth of the all-terrain vehicle. The story begins in 1955 with a hunting guide named Mert Marshall. Marshall needed to shorten the time it took to get his clients out to the action. His solution: A part-Model-A, part-airplane machine he called a "swamp buggy."
Milton author explores final season of Milwaukee Braves
Doug Welch always listened closely when the old-timers talked about the glory days of baseball in the 1950s. The Milton man's new novel,� "The Ashippun Trap," documents those stories for fellow baseball fans. But anyone interested in history will appreciate the details of how two aging players—one with the Milwaukee Braves and the other with an amateur team in Wisconsin—consider whether the game is worth playing anymore.
Our Views: Mining remains key obstacle to Watson's industrial park plan
It's tempting to get on board with Bill Watson's proposal to build a new industrial park in Rock County and its potential to recharge the regional economy. But The Gazette Editorial Board is urging local officials to remain cautious. The biggest reason is the specter of gravel mining in Watson's business plan.
Editor's Views: Difficult interviews often yield meaningful details
Christin Cooper asked Bode Miller one question too many at the Winter Olympics, but that's a judgment call, Gazette Editor Scott Angus writes. Asking tough questions of people who are reeling from emotional episodes or even personal tragedy is one of the things journalists must occasionally do.
Walworth's new Thai restaurant a tasty surprise
Restaurant reviewer Joan Neeno loves being surprised by the wonderful and totally unexpected. Her latest delight was stumbling onto Two Sisters Thai Restaurant, a new place that's been open about six months in Walworth.
PHOTOS: Model railroad club ties hobbyists together
The model train display taking up most of Mike Bubrick's basement offers a glimpse of the tracks running between Janesville and Mineral Point as they appeared in October 1968. "I enjoy re-creating the trains that I'd see coming from and going to Janesville when I was a kid," Bubrick said. He's not alone in his love for all things train, as a recent visit with the Wisconsin-Illinois HO Modular Railroad Group shows.
Glen Loyd Video: Young eagles in love over Rock River
Video blogger Glen Loyd gives viewers a look at juvenile bald eagles practicing courting rituals over the Rock River.
John W. Eyster: President's Day not state holiday
Community blogger John W. Eyster was surprised to learn that neither Abraham Lincoln's nor George Washington's birthdays are state holidays.


text:
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Browse other media: Television Magazine


text:
Play more than 60: How to keep kids moving during winter break and beyond
JANESVILLE—Today's experts include the Centers for Disease Control, the NFL, professional educators and Michael Hare, 10, of Darien.
Today's issue? You need to get out more, and you need to take your kids with you.
Every year, physical education teachers such as Delavan-Darien's Doreen Grams strive to find ways to keep kids moving while they're not in school.
It used to be that "moving" defined life outside of school. School was for sitting at desks, while vacation was ideal for action verbs. In winter, that meant sledding, skating and building snow forts.
Not any more. Here's how bad it's gotten:
--Citing studies from the University of Michigan, the National Wildlife Federation noted kids spend four to seven minutes of unstructured play outside each day.
No, really, four to seven minutes a day.
--The American Heart Association and the National Football League have teamed up to get kids to engage in "moderate physical activity" each day. By now, everybody's used to the ubiquitous "Play 60" advertisements.
Yes, really, it's an ad campaign to encourage kids to play.
Grams doesn't need any studies. She sees it in her kids. And she does all she can to combat lethargy.
Before the holiday break, she talked with all her classes about what they could do to stay active during their time away from school.
It's harder these days, she said, because kids aren't used to unstructured play. Kids who play on teams depend on adults to set the rules and settle disputes. And parents aren't comfortable sending kids outside to play, unsupervised, with their friends, she said.
The CDC is concerned about the increasing rates of obesity in children, but staying active isn't just about weight loss. It's about mental fitness, too.
Kristi Flood, a second-grade teacher at Wileman Elementary School, Delavan, has her kids do "brain-based" exercises for five minutes every afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
The district recently added 30 minutes to the elementary school day, leaving kids in school from 8:20 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. In addition, kids don't have a recess between 12:30 p.m. and 3:50 p.m.
The five-minute exercise session breaks up the afternoon, helps kids work off the fidgets and significantly improves academic quality for the remainder of the day, Flood said.
"Brain-based" exercises usually require the participant to cross from one part of the body to another, such as touching a toe with an opposite hand.
"The research does show that it stimulates students' brains," Flood said. "I tell them why we are doing the exercises. I tell them, 'This isn't fool around time.'"
Flood also encourages her students to do the exercises at home. Many of the exercises are featured in YouTube videos, and Wileman students all have personal computing devices they can take home.
But Hare doesn't need help from a video. He's his own exercise expert.
The fourth-grader at Darien Elementary became one of Grams' star pupils last year. When she told kids to go home at night and make up their own special exercise, he would come in the next day with classics such as "The Hot Dog Machine" and "The Water Bug."
His advice for staying active during break and beyond?
"Sledding is a great exercise," Hare said. "You can run up the hill."
This is especially good exercise when he's "pulling a heavy sled."
Hare's sledding hill ends in a frozen pond that extends his ride.
Inside, he can do "The Hot Dog Machine," an exercise that involves starting on all fours and then rolling across the floor.
Yes, really, rolling across the floor. Where does he come up with these ideas?
"They just pop into my brain," he said.
Last updated: 4:11 pm Friday, December 27, 2013


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Death notices for April 15, 2014
Elaine M. Fischer, 82, Milton, died Sunday at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Janesville. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milton. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Albrecht Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Milton, and from 10 a.m. until the time of services Thursday at the church.
James Michael Graper, 81, Evansville, died Saturday at Rock Haven Nursing Home, Janesville. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Oak Grove Church, Evansville. Ward-Hurtley Funeral Home, Evansville, is assisting the family.
Dr. James C. Hamilton, 79, Clinton, died Monday at Alden Meadow Park Health Care Center, Clinton. Arrangements are pending at Brian Mark Funeral Home, Clinton.
Richard W. Singkofer, 48, Milton, died Saturday at home. A celebration of life visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Albrecht Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Milton.
Kenneth H. Teisberg, 88, Edgerton, died Sunday at home. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Central Lutheran Church, Edgerton. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Albrecht Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Edgerton, and from 10 a.m. until the time of services Thursday at the church.
LeRoy J. Udelhoven, 78, Janesville, died Friday at William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison. Memorial and military honor service will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at All Faiths Funeral Chapel, Janesville. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. until the time of services Wednesday, April 23 at the chapel.
Evelyn Cecilia Ward, 81, Beloit, died Sunday at Pioneer Court Nursing Home, Beloit. Rosman, Uehling, Kinzer Funeral Home & Crematory, Beloit, is assisting the family.


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Which new features do you want the most?
Opening a discussion thread seems to bring me to the beginning of the thread, rather than to the part I last read up to. Is there a way to work around this?
This is a rather primative board and I too would like to see some more advanced features. However I've found a decent work around for this problem, which ever thread you want to open, if you follow it to the right and click on when it was last updated, for example "1 day ago", it'll take you to the last page of the thread. Doesn't always work great though, sometimes it takes you to a blank page.
You should have been here 2 years ago. No discussion boards- not even an ability to write tasting notes. Just loging.
I think I am getting to the place where I would like the option to block users. I know I seem petty and shallow, but there are times I would love to block company posts, as well as users who get my goat on the Discussion Boards. I am able to just ignore them for the most part, so it is not critical. But one day, it would be a nice option.
Adding for clarity: I just would like to block the person's posts from my view, not Steepster overall.
Agreed. Luckily most of the users that have really ticked me off have left- but when I was going thru this experience I REALLY wish I had a "block user" button. Not sure if I or anyone else has posted this idea here, but I do know I've discussed this with Jason in the past.
I know we have this kind of option on Ravelry.com, so am kind of spoiled. I know I should just suck it up and play nice, but there are times when I don't want to see the third posting of a youtube commercial for a company who is just looking for promotion and does not even have anything to sell yet.
hrmm I can't imagine who your talking about :)
could be, could be, but then again maybe its the self-promoted forum rent-a-cop that floats around ;)
I haven't checked the full contents of this thread, as there are 28 pages now, so I'm not sure if this has already been suggested, but here goes.
Allow users to create a "custom blend" or "mix" entries in tasting notes. For example, I like mixing lapsang souchong with Irish Breakfast, and think it would be neat to describe that mix and perhaps save it as a frequent "house blend".
Perhaps up to three field entries for source teas, with percentage sliders to get the final output to 100%, then the usual time and temperature parameters and notes field.
We have a company called "Custom" which is probably the best place to put these. Then in the description you could note any specific companies. Maybe that helps?
@ Jason – Yep, that's an okay makeshift solution. Regardless, an official feature would be very helpful.
Hello, I am new to Steepster, and am slowly feeling my way around. I am new to loose leaf tea, and have for months pondered getting involved in an online forum about tea. I am glad I finally made the plunge! I like all of what I have seen so far. I looked through a few pages of replies to this post to see if my following question has been asked yet, and I haven't seen it addressed (maybe I missed it …). My question: I would like easy access to information on specific tea retailers (experiences other Steepsters have had with buying and interacting with them) so I can decide if I want to buy from them. As I guess others do I base my decision on what retailer to buy from on more than just the availability of the product (in this case, tea) I want. I base my decision on things like: service (are they good at answering my questions, do they have a reasonable return policy, are they timely about mailing out their products, etc.), company practices and values (some of which I can get from their website, but they can print anything they want), are their products genuine (i.e. do their teas really represent how they taste, are they fresh, etc.). Certainly, I can get this information on my own by purchasing from them directly, (which is my preferred way), but with so many companies selling tea these days, I don't have the time or money to patronize them all (and believe me, I wish I could!).
Here are a few specific examples to help explain what I mean: I have read that genuine yellow tea is hard to find, such that sometimes green tea is sold as 'yellow tea'. So how do I know if it's authentic? As another example, since many retailers do not give a year of pluck on the tea (which there are many, including big names like Teavana, Harney and Son's, and Republic of Tea) I want to be able to trust that the tea is reasonably fresh (definition of which is different for each class of tea). Again, I can get this information by buying and trying the tea myself (which I have already done much of), but I would like to be able to look to the experiences of others for a guideline about the company's reliability and integrity.
As I have done, it is possible to glean this information from reading review after review about the company I want to buy from (it seems to me that Den's Tea, who I am considering making a purchase from in the future, has a great reputation for delivering what they say they are selling), but that can be terribly inefficient and often times feels like taking shots in the dark.
Furthermore, I see that ratings for those who have physically visited tea stores do exist (under the Places tab), and that is helpful. But there seems to be little to no information on experiences of buying on-line, over the phone, etc.
I didn't intend this to be so wordy, but that is how I best express myself:). I look forward to conversing with other Steepsters on this topic or on any other topic. It is good to be here (so to speak).
Here is an example of what I am looking for:
Experience buying from Jing Tea Shop: Positive. The website is simple and easy to navigate. Most teas have pictures of both the dry and wet leaves (and a close-up shot). There is detailed information about each tea (including year and time of harvest). You can order a sample (25g) for about the same price as per gram as their standard size (100g). Shipping is high compared to shipping from the US (they are in China), but the package arrived as soon or sooner than time frame given. They responded in a reasonable amount of time to two e-mail inquiries. They sent me two samples (seven grams) of tea with the shipment. From the tea I have tried so far, it is exactly as described on their website. They sent me everything I ordered (I have had a few experiences with other retailers where the tea was listed as 'in stock' only to find out later via e-mail that one of the teas they listed as 'in stock' was if fact 'sold out')
As final comment, I have had only one company (on eBay) that I have not had a good experience with (the tea did not look anything like the picture, the base tea was old, it was 'flavored' with tiny un-dried bits of fruit that stuck to the tea leaves, and it did not taste at all as advertised). Retailers I have had good experiences with: Tea Trekker (great selection, great descriptions of the tea, quality tea at a reasonable price), Seven Cups (quality 'sale' tea for decent prices, fast shipping), Jing Tea Shop (quality tea for good prices, timely and informative responses to inquiries via e-mail).
Maybe someone else already said these things, but they're worth mentioning just in case. This website is great! But with these two changes, it could be sensational!
Make a search box for people too. Sometimes I want to search for a user's profile, not a tea.
In addition, tea places should not be so specific (as in the Teavana located in Montgomery Mall over the one in Columbia Mall). I should be able to comment on Teavana as a whole and view others' opinions. What kind of retailer are they? What if I want to compare two retailers: like Teavana and Lupicia? I don't care about a specific location. That makes it hard to determine what people think about the company overall (not to mention time consuming to try to figure it out with the certain setup of the website's search engine).
Actually, if someone has said these things before one should find the post using the search box and simply reply with "I agree" or elaborate on ways to make the idea even better rather than posting the same idea over again. I agree with your first idea completely. I do; however, completely disagree with your opinion on places. The purpose of Places is to be able to find places where one can drink and/or purchase tea locally. Also, reviews on a place should not be given in broad terms. Each store is run differently, may have different products, and therefore have the ability to be reviewed differently. For example, There's one McDonalds in our area who's food is consistently really bad and they never fail to mess up my order. It is not fair to say that every store in the chain is run like that. Another example: I sure wouldn't want someone to form an opinion on me based on my family. There are some behaviors they have that I not only want to be affiliated with, but I don't want to be accused of having.
I hear what you're saying. Overall, I agree with what you're saying. But since I'm fairly new to the larger tea world, I have only been exposed to a very limited number of tea companies. My desire is to learn about tea companies in general, not necessarily a specific venue in my town. And I have a feeling others share this desire. Don't get me wrong; it is a good feature to search for local tea shops. But I think searching on a more broad scale should be added as well. So in summary, I'm not asking to get rid of the local search engine. But it would be helpful to have a company index that perhaps is a cumulative place for all the reviews that have been said about that company, regardless of a specific location. It's time-consuming and inconceivable to research one company on a large scale with the search engine as is.
Yeah, I definitely think a "Companies" section would be nice- I buy almost all of my tea exclusively online and would love to know what others think of a company before buying. But I definitely think Places should be kept as it's current status quo and completely separate from Companies.
It would be nice if the Places info was connected to yelp so we could share our reviews w/ the rest of the world just like we can post reviews to twitter/facebook.
Maybe some way to incorporate what people are looking to gain and give in swapping to our cupboards/profiles?
Some of us use the "Swap" thread already, but having the thread is just going to get longer and more burdensome… especially for the use of those of us who continuously want to swap. If it was part of the profile functioning hopefully more people would consider a swap (it took me finding the Swaps thread after being here a while to even consider that we could here) and it could be more efficient that listing and comparing swapping teas on the forum… maybe, for example, when in the options list on a tea where you can click "add a tasting note" "add to cupboard", etc. could be "willing to swap" and a cupboard-like listing could be made of them.
Just some thoughts. Not something that would be used by all members, admittedly, but I figure it doesn't hurt to throw it out there!
I have requested the "request a sample" or a "take me please!" button, but yeah a "requested" section would be great too. Need idea!
We originally planned these kinds of features when we did the cupboard, to help facilitate swap, but ended up dropping them in order to see how people interacted with it first. It's still something we'd consider if we get around to revamping that page.
There are twenty-eight pages and having decided to not look through all of them I might be repeating a previously suggested idea but I've noticed that alot of the users haven't posted in months. It would be a useful feature for new users if there were an active users section. A list of users profiles that have posted something new within the past few hours or days. This would make it easier to follow others who are currently obsessing over tea and constantly updating their profiles.
I think having a chat box of some sort would be good! A great way to talk about teas without starting new discussions and a way for people to ask questions easily.
Is there any way we can rate a variety of tea without also rating the brand? I live in China and buy my tea mostly from street markets which generally do not have brands.


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Dressers & Chests
Next to your bed, a dresser or chest is probably the most useful piece of furniture in your bedroom. Adequate storage will neaten the look of your room and can provide surfaces for displaying various media, for example. Our pieces include storage benches for seating, high or low cedar chests, even narrow lingerie chests that can be tucked into a corner. Choose from our very large selection of natural or stained woods which will provide heirloom pieces for your family.


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Microsoft Corp. is paying higher yields on new bonds than in a November sale after it beat the planned return of Apple Inc. to the credit market after an absence of almost two decades.
The company, one of four U.S.-based businesses with the highest ratings from Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, issued $1.95 billion of dollar-denominated debt last week with a weighted average coupon of 2.41 percent, exceeding the 2.33 percent for similar bonds it sold five months earlier even with interest rates at about the same level. The latest sale came two days after Apple said it would use debt to help fund a $55 billion addition to a plan to return cash to shareholders.
"Microsoft paid a little more than they otherwise would, given the looming Apple issuance," said Noel Hebert, the chief investment officer at Concannon Wealth Management, which oversees about $250 million of assets from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "The higher coupons are likely a fair trade to get in front of the new Apple paper, which will have to get digested."
While the world's largest software maker has a higher credit rating than Apple, growth at the Redmond, Washington-based company has stagnated for more than a decade. After generating enough free cash flow in 1999 to buy Apple twice over, Microsoft's $27.5 billion of funds earned in the last 12 months now accounts for about 60 percent of the amount produced by its Cupertino, California-based competitor.
Even as European investors simultaneously awarded the Windows 8 designer an unprecedented 2.625 percent 20-year coupon on its first ever euro-denominated debt, it cost Microsoft more to place dollar notes with buyers who are expecting potential Apple issuance through 2015 to be more than 25 percent of outstanding U.S. investment-grade technology bonds.
Tony Imperati, a Microsoft spokesman, declined to comment on whether Apple influenced the timing of Microsoft's debt offering. Steve Dowling of Apple declined to comment on a potential bond sale by the iPhone maker, which last sold convertible debt in 1996 and straight bonds in 1994.
The Windows maker "wanted to front-run them so they didn't overpay after Apple once all the accounts got filled," Nikhill Patel, an analyst at San Antonio-based Frost Investment Advisors LLC, which oversees $9 billion, said in a telephone interview. "With $55 billion in total issuance over three years, from a highly rated and highly regarded technology company such as Apple, it's a lot for the market to stomach."
Microsoft sold $450 million of 1 percent, five-year bonds, $1 billion of 2.375 percent debt due 2023 and $500 million of 30-year securities with a coupon of 3.75 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Those notes had higher coupons and wider spreads that those linked to similar portions of bonds the company issued Nov. 2.
The 10-year debt that Microsoft sold in November was sold with a 2.125 percent coupon at a 47 basis-point spread, while the corresponding maturity in last week's sale was priced at a relative yield of 70 basis points. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.
Yields on 10-year U.S. Treasuries were 1.71 percent on April 25, when the new bonds were sold, compared with 1.72 percent on Nov. 2, the date of the previous issue. Yields on investment-grade bonds fell to 2.69 percent from 2.77 percent over that span, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate Index.
Microsoft also raised 550 million euros ($716 million) in its latest sale, an offering for which demand from European money managers, insurance companies and pension funds reached 7 billion euros.
"It has the benefit of being a scarce credit in quite a wide universe," said Craig Veysey, the head of fixed income at Sanlam Private Investments Ltd. in London, part of the Sanlam Group, which oversees $72 billion of assets. "The U.S. dollar issuance from Microsoft didn't have the same scarcity value as the euro tranche."
Apple is poised to exploit scarcity value as it prepares to finance part of a $100 billion shareholder reward package with debt. Nike Inc., which before last week hadn't sold new bonds since 2003, raised $1 billion with 10- and 30-year securities on April 23 that pay less that Microsoft even though the sporting- goods company is ranked four levels lower, with an A1 grade from Moody's and A+ at S&P.
With Microsoft, "people can probably get a pretty decent fill and may already have enough exposure," Lon Erickson, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based money manager at Thornburg Investment Management Inc. who oversees about $6 billion of taxable fixed- income assets, said in a telephone interview. "They don't necessarily need to go into the market full force like they would with something like Nike or, clearly, Apple."
Microsoft's sale may precede a series of Apple offerings that CreditSights Inc. estimates could be between $15 billion and $20 billion annually over the next three years. Using bonds to finance the additional cash Apple plans to use to enrich shareholders stands to swell the $187 billion market for U.S. investment-grade technology debt by about 30 percent, Bloomberg data show. Apple is rated Aa1 at Moody's and AA+ by S&P.
"Presumably the same investors that are going to play in the Microsoft deal are going to play in Apple, and diversity is always better," said Jody Lurie, a corporate credit analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Philadelphia.
While Apple's 41 percent stock plunge from its September high reflects investor concern that the company's pace of sales growth is slowing amid accelerating competition in mobile devices from Samsung Electronics Co., Microsoft is contending with its own challenges.
The company reported no growth in Windows sales in its latest quarter, after accounting for upgrades sold in the past, and is struggling to end its reliance on traditional computing as consumers and businesses flock to mobile devices. Its bond prices imply a rating of A1, data from Moody's Analytics show.
Cost controls and sales of business and server software have helped boost profit beyond analyst estimates and blunt the impact of plummeting personal computer shipments amid weak demand for Microsoft's newest operating system. While last week's offering cost more than Microsoft's previous sale, its average coupon was still below the average 2.95 percent for its $16.9 billion of bonds outstanding, Bloomberg data show.
"They may have had to pay up for it a little bit in order to entice people to come into this in addition to waiting to buy Apple," Thornburg's Erickson said. "At the same time, it's quite cheap money."
Bloomberg News


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Second-base drama brewing in Milwaukee?
It's the dawning of a new NFL season, and all I want to write about is what the 60-79 Milwaukee Brewers are going to do at second base in the near-future. Go figure.
As bad as the Brewers have been this year, and as highly anticipated the pro football season always is, rookie Scooter Gennett has injected some intrigue into a baseball season that was lost long ago in Milwaukee.
For years and for whatever reason, there has been a voracious desire among Brewer fans to see Weeks replaced as Milwaukee's second baseman.
It could have to do with how often Weeks has been injured in his career: only twice has he played more than 130 games.
It could have to do with his penchant for striking out: he's gone down on strikes 1,029 times in 1,021 career games.
It could be his slow starts: Weeks batted below .200 in each of the last two Aprils and Mays.
Or it could have to do with his inconsistency in the field. It's hard to quantify fielding, but anecdotally, there have been plenty of "What was he thinking?" moments during the Rickie Weeks era.
Whatever the cause, the effect has been a rising chorus of fans fed up with Weeks' play and the franchise's willingness to keep putting him on the field. With a guy nicknamed Scooter reportedly ready for his major-league opportunity, people were ready to see somebody else on the right side of the second-base bag.
Gennett had his first shot in June, and things didn't go well for him. At first, he and Weeks became two parts of a righty-lefty platoon, which meant fewer opportunities to see and adjust to major-league pitching for Gennett.
He struggled, going 10-for-44 and striking out eight times during his first brief call-up. During this time, Weeks started to shake his early-season funk, perhaps thanks in part to the threat of losing his job. He hit five homers and had a .677 slugging percentage in June.
It was enough to stave off Gennett's push to become a regular Brewer, but another injury to Weeks—this time a torn hamstring suffered in Seattle—pressed the young infielder into action. And boy, has Scooter taken advantage of the opportunity.
Gennett's production in August—a .423 average and a .654 slugging percentage—has overwritten any memory of how badly he struggled during his first stint with the big club. He showed that he can hit at the highest level given regular playing time, which must have the Brewer brain trust wondering what to do at the position.
Weighing on that decision is how the front office feels about 2014. Will the Brewers be able to compete for a playoff spot with the players they have, or would they be better off to enter a full-fledged rebuilding effort?
In the former scenario, Weeks is probably the guy they want. He might not hit for a great average, but not many guys can generate the power he does as a second baseman. Gennett is the guy if rebuilding is the goal, and a keystone combo of him and Jean Segura would be a pretty good place to start.
I'm more inclined to let Weeks keep his spot for the time being. Depending on whether Ryan Braun returns to being Ryan Braun and whether 2013's stars—Segura, Carlos Gomez, and Jonathan Lucroy—can replicate their performances, the Brewers might be able to push for a playoff spot next year.
If not, Weeks would be an enticing trade chip next July for a contending team looking to add a right-handed hitter, and the Brewers would know they have a young guy in Gennett who could step in and get the job done.
What say you, Gazette readers? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.


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Acne is a skin condition that causes pimples or "zits." This includes whiteheads, blackheads, and red, inflammed patches of skin (such as cysts).
Acne vulgaris; Cystic acne; Pimples; Zits
Acne occurs when tiny holes on the surface of the skin become clogged. These holes are called pores.
Acne is most common in teenagers, but anyone can get acne, even babies. Three out of four teenagers have some acne. Hormonal changes may cause the skin to be more oily.
Acne tends to run in families. It may be triggered by:
Research does not show that chocolate, nuts, and greasy foods cause acne. However, diets high in refined sugars may be related to acne.
Acne commonly appears on the face and shoulders, but it may also occur on the trunk, arms, legs, and buttocks.
Your doctor can diagnose acne by looking at your skin. Testing is usually not needed.
Steps you can take to help your acne:
What NOT to do:
If these steps do not clear up the blemishes, try over-the-counter acne medications. You apply these products directly to your skin.
A small amount of sun exposure may improve acne a little, but mostly it just hides the acne. However, too much exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet rays is not recommended because it increases the risk for skin cancer.
If pimples are still a problem, a health care provider can prescribe stronger medications and discuss other options with you.
Antibiotics may help some people with acne:
Creams or gels applied to the skin may be prescribed:
For women whose acne is caused or made worse by hormones:
Minor procedures or treatments may also be helpful:
People who have cystic acne and scarring may try a medicine called isotretinoin (Accutane). You will be watched closely when taking this medicine because of its side effects.
Pregnant women should NOT take Accutane, because it causes severe birth defects. Women taking Accutane must use two forms of birth control before starting the drug and enroll in the iPledge program. Your doctor will follow you on this drug and you will have regular blood tests.
Acne usually goes away after the teenage years, but it may last into middle age. The condition often responds well to treatment after 6 - 8 weeks, but it may flare up from time to time.
Scarring may occur if severe acne is not treated. Some people, especially teenagers, can become very depressed if acne is not treated.
Call your doctor or a dermatologist if:
Call your baby's health care provider if your baby has acne that does not clear up on its own within 3 months.
Acne, rosacea, and related disorders. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2009:chap 7.
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For you collectors out there, we've got 1911 gun parts at GunBroker.com. Many of our auction items are magazines, which are storage slots for ammunition. Nonetheless, we still have many other parts for the 1911 Colt pistol.
The 1911 Colt was used in both World Wars, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War. To give you a little bit of background on the gun parts, here is a list of the types, styles, and history of 1911 products you can find on GunBroker.com:
The 1911 Colt pistol may be the most well-known gun, as it was the primary gun used for more than 70 years throughout decades of wars. This pistol requires a magazine to load ammunition, and is usually used for personal defense. The most common users of this pistol are police departments and other types of law enforcement.
Grips are traditionally used for pistols, but of course can be used for other types of firearms as well. Grips can be universal, but we suggest to check and make sure the grip you're buying is compatible with your gun. There are custom-made options so that you can be sure of the size and fit. Pistols have grips so the user can have better control over the firearm.
A firing pin is used for explosives, ranging from bombs to hand grenades to repeating firearms. Many times, buyers get firing pins and strikers confused. These two are very similar and live within the same family, but they are still different. A striker is used in a semi-automatic firearm instead.
The muzzle break is an important part of the firearm. Without it, there would be a chance for the gases from the firearm to recoil while firing. These are used on multiple types of weapons, such as firearms and cannons.
The trigger is what allows you to fire a gun. The collection on GunBroker.com offers a variety of triggers that are compatible with a 1911 Colt pistol.
These are some of the popular items that sellers have listed on GunBroker.com that will match with a 1911 Colt pistol. There's tons more for you to check out, and we're confident you'll find exactly what you need.
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Itraconazole; Ketoconazole/Agents Affecting Gastric pH Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Your antifungal medicine is absorbed the best in an acidic environment. Your other medicine decreases the amount of acid in your stomach.
What might happen:
A decrease in the beneficial effects of your antifungal medicine may occur.
What you should do about this interaction:
Contact your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) as soon as possible about taking these two medicines together. They may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. If your doctor prescribes these medicines together, you may need to take another medicine before taking your antifungal. Try to take your antifungal medicine at least 2 hours before taking your other medicine. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Prilosec (omeprazole) US prescribing information. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP December, 2014.
- 2.Prevacid (lansoprazole) US prescribing information. Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. December, 2015.
- 3.Van Der Meer JW, Keuning JJ, Scheijgrond HW, Heykants J, Van Cutsem J, Brugmans J. The influence of gastric acidity on the bio-availability of ketoconazole. J Antimicrob Chemother 1980 Jul;6(4):552-4.
- 4.Carlson JA, Mann HJ, Canafax DM. Effect of pH on disintegration and dissolution of ketoconazole tablets. Am J Hosp Pharm 1983 Aug; 40(8):1334-6.
- 5.Jaruratanasirikul S, Sriwiriyajan S. Effect of omeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of itraconazole. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1998 Apr; 54(2):159-61.
- 6.Johnson MD, Hamilton CD, Drew RH, Sanders LL, Pennick GJ, Perfect JR. A randomized comparative study to determine the effect of omeprazole on the peak serum concentration of itraconazole oral solution. J Antimicrob Chemother 2003 Feb;51(2):453-7.
- 7.Chin TW, Loeb M, Fong IW. Effects of an acidic beverage (Coca-Cola) on absorption of ketoconazole. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1995 Aug; 39(8):1671-5.
- 8.Zimmermann T, Yeates RA, Riedel KD, Lach P, Laufen H. The influence of gastric pH on the pharmacokinetics of fluconazole: the effect of omeprazole. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 1994 Sep;32(9):491-6.
- 9.Wood N, Tan K, Purkins L, Layton G, Hamlin J, Kleinermans D, Nichols D. Effect of omeprazole on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of voriconazole. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2003 Dec;56 Suppl 1:56-61.
- 10.Lelawongs P, Barone JA, Colaizzi JL, Hsuan AT, Mechlinski W, Legendre R, Guarnieri J. Effect of food and gastric acidity on absorption of orally administered ketoconazole. Clin Pharm 1988 Mar;7(3):228-35.
- 11.Lazar JD, Wilner KD. Drug interactions with fluconazole. Rev Infect Dis 1990 Mar-Apr;12 Suppl 3:S327-33.
- 12.Piscitelli SC, Goss TF, Wilton JH, D'Andrea DT, Goldstein H, Schentag JJ. Effects of ranitidine and sucralfate on ketoconazole bioavailability. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1991 Sep;35(9):1765-71.
- 13.Lim SG, Sawyerr AM, Hudson M, Sercombe J, Pounder RE. Short report: the absorption of fluconazole and itraconazole under conditions of low intragastric acidity. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 1993 Jun;7(3):317-21.
- 14.Tagamet (cimetidine) US prescribing information. GlaxoSmithKline December, 2005.
- 15.Lohitnavy M, Lohitnavy O, Thangkeattiyanon O, Srichai W. Reduced oral itraconazole bioavailability by antacid suspension. J Clin Pharm Ther 2005 Jun;30(3):201-6.
- 16.Moreno F, Hardin TC, Rinaldi MG, Graybill JR. Itraconazole-didanosine excipient interaction. JAMA 1993 Mar 24-31;269(12):1508.
- 17.Brass C, Galgiani JN, Blaschke TF, Defelice R, O'Reilly RA, Stevens DA. Disposition of ketoconazole, an oral antifungal, in humans. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1982 Jan;21(1):151-8.
- 18.Thorpe JE, Baker N, Bromet-Petit M. Effect of oral antacid administration on the pharmacokinetics of oral fluconazole. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1990 Oct;34(10):2032-3.
- 19.May DB, Drew RH, Yedinak KC, Bartlett JA. Effect of simultaneous didanosine administration on itraconazole absorption in healthy volunteers. Pharmacotherapy 1994 Sep-Oct;14(5):509-13.
- 20.Knupp CA, Brater DC, Relue J, Barbhaiya RH. Pharmacokinetics of didanosine and ketoconazole after coadministration to patients seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus. J Clin Pharmacol 1993 Oct;33(10):912-7.
- 21.Damle BD, Mummaneni V, Kaul S, Knupp C. Lack of effect of simultaneously administered didanosine encapsulated enteric bead formulation (Videx EC) on oral absorption of indinavir, ketoconazole, or ciprofloxacin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2002 Feb;46(2):385-91.
- 22.Phansalkar S, van der Sijs H, Tucker AD, Desai AA, Bell DS, Teich JM, Middleton B, Bates DW. Drug-drug interactions that should be non-interruptive in order to reduce alert fatigue in electronic health records. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2012 Sep 25.


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Silicon nanomembranes enable fingertip electronics
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By Ming Ying1,4, Andrew P Bonifas1,4, Nanshu Lu1, Yewang Su 2, Rui Li 2,3, Huanyu Cheng 2, Abid Ameen1, Yonggang Huang2 and John A Rogers1
(Authors contributed equally to this work.)
1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
2. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
3. Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Peoples Republic of China
We describe the use of semiconductor nanomaterials, advanced fabrication methods and unusual device designs for a class of electronics capable of integration onto the inner and outer surfaces of thin, elastomeric sheets in closed-tube geometries, specially formed for mounting on the fingertips. Multifunctional systems of this type allow electrotactile stimulation with electrode arrays multiplexed using silicon nanomembrane (Si NM) diodes, high-sensitivity strain monitoring with Si NM gauges, and tactile sensing with elastomeric capacitors.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]
Analytical calculations and finite element modeling of the mechanics quantitatively capture the key behaviors during fabrication/assembly, mounting and use. The results provide design guidelines that highlight the importance of the NM geometry in achieving the required mechanical properties. This type of technology could be used in applications ranging from humanmachine interfaces to instrumented surgical gloves and many others.
1. Introduction
Electrotactile stimulators and tactile sensors are of interest as bi-directional information links between a human operator and a virtual environment, in a way that could significantly expand function in touch-based interfaces to computer systems, with applications in simulated surgery, therapeutic devices, robotic manipulation, and others [15]. Electrotactile stimulation allows information to be presented through the skin, as an artificial sensation of touch, commonly perceived as a vibration or tingling feeling [6, 7]. Such responses are manifested through the excitation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors as a result of passage of a suitably modulated electrical current into the tissue [8]. Developed originally in the 1950s and further advanced in the 1970s, electrotactile stimulation has been traditionally explored for programmable braille readers and displays for the visually impaired as well as for balance control in individuals who suffer from vestibular disorders [5, 912]. Tactile sensors, on the other hand, measure the pressure created by physical contact, in a way that provides complementary information for potential use in feedback loops with the electrotactile process. Additional classes of sensors that can be important in this context include those for motion and temperature.
Incorporation of such technologies into a conformal, skin-like device capable of intimate, non-invasive mounting on the fingertips might, therefore, represent a useful achievement. Recent advances in flexible and stretchable electronics create opportunities to build this type of device [1317]. Here we report materials, fabrication strategies and device designs for ultrathin, stretchable silicon-based electronics and sensors that can be mounted on the inner and outer surfaces of elastomeric closed-tube structures for integration directly on the fingertips. The active components and interconnects incorporate advanced mechanics designs, capable of accommodating large strains induced not only by natural deformations of the tubes during use, but also during a critical step in the fabrication process in which the tubes, specially formed to match the shapes of fingertips, are flipped inside out. This flipping-over process allows devices initially mounted on the outer surface of the tube to be reversed to the inner surface, where they can press directly against the skin when mounted on the fingers. Analytical calculations and finite element modeling (FEM) provide quantitative insights into design layouts that avoid plastic deformation or fracture.
We demonstrate these concepts in multifunctional fingertip devices that include electrotactile electrode arrays multiplexed with Si nanomembrane (NM) diodes, strain sensors based on Si NM gauges, and tactile sensor arrays that use capacitors with low modulus, elastomeric dielectrics.


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by christine stuart
Christine - CAPI ::: Raw Sketchbook Assignment 4
Christine - CAPI ::: Raw Sketchbook Assignment 4
omg ive created my own little puppet ( shappy ) out of nowhere
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Art School Portfolio Work for Art Students ,Mixed Media Artists and Design Creatives
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Capi Raw Sketchbook Assignments.
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NOTE: ONLINE MULTIPLAYER SUPPORT FOR THIS TITLE WAS TERMINATED ON MARCH 31, 2014. ONLINE/MULTIPLAYER FEATURES ARE NOT ACTIVE OR INCLUDED. The Games on Demand version supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese. Download the manual for this game by locating the game on http://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting "See Game Manual". With more than 5 million copies sold worldwide and more than 25 Sports Game of the Year awards won, NBA 2K12 was another monster release for the biggest NBA video game simulation franchise in the world. This year, NBA 2K13 will represent all things basketball and take virtual hardwood to the next level. Featuring an enhanced My Player mode and all-new gameplay features, NBA 2K13 will let gamers pit the best players in NBA history against the new dynasty of talent.
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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In the Bakery: Chocolate Fondue
Yesterday, after I finished work, I popped into the back of the bakery and experimented with chocolate fondue. I wanted to do a test run because today, in preparation for Valentine's Day, we are sampling out fondue to customers. While chocolate fondue is not difficult to make, I wanted to make sure we had just the right ratios before preparing a large batch!
First off, I decided to use our Callebaut 60% bittersweet chocolate. Personally, I tend to like dark chocolate but, my own preferences aside, the acidity of chocolate is somewhat mitigated by the secondary ingredient in fondue: heavy cream. As a result, it is better to err on the darker end of the chocolate scale.
In terms of preparation, the first step was to chop my chocolate into small pieces. I find that using a sharp chef's knife generally does the trick – just be sure to keep your fingers tucked back.
The second step was to heat the heavy cream. I decided to do 1.5x more than the amount recommended in the recipe I was using, just in case I wanted to tinker with things a bit. I put the cream in a pot and brought it over to the stove. It is important to watch cream closely – once it hits the boiling point, it can very easily boil over.
After the cream has boiled, quickly take it off the stove and pour it over your chocolate. (You can also add the chocolate to your cream, making clean up a bit easier.) Push the chocolate around a bit to make sure that as much of it is covered as possible. Then, let it set for a minute or two.
Using a whisk, stir the chocolate and cream mixture together until it is smooth, shiny and lump-free.
At this point, I was glad that I had boiled 1.5x the recommended amount of cream because I felt that my fondue was still a bit too thick… Adding the cream I had in reserve, I achieved my desired dipping consistency!
Once the chocolate and cream were totally combined and lump-free, I tasted the fondue. It's hard to go wrong with chocolate and cream but, at the same time, a dash of salt does not hurt! As well, if you like to add other flavorings to your fondue (liqueur, citrus zest, etc.), now is the time to do so.
As this was an afternoon experiment, I did not bother to put the chocolate into a fondue pot. Instead, I made quick work of sectioning a mandarin orange and cutting up some strawberries and banana to give staff a sneak peek of today's activities. I couldn't find a single member of staff who didn't like chocolate fondue – actually, that's not quite true – one person said they preferred cheese fondue!
Here is the final ratio that I found worked well. Originally, I used only 1 cup of cream but found it necessary to add the additional half cup to get a good fondue consistency. Below are also a few suggestions for things to dip and possible flavoring alternatives:
Chocolate Fondue
Servings: 6
12 ounces 60% Callebaut chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 pinch salt
1. Prepare a platter of items for dipping (see below for suggestions).
2. Chop your chocolate into small pieces and put it in a good-sized bowl that can withstand high heat.
3. Put the cream in a pot. Heat it on medium until you start to see bubbles. At this point, watch the pot very closely as cream can easily spill out of a pot when it boils.
4. Once the cream has come to a boil, quickly remove it from the burner. Add it into your chocolate, pouring slowly so as not to splash. Spread the chocolate out evenly so it is covered by the cream as much as possible.
5. After a couple of minutes, using a whisk and starting from the center, stir to combine the cream and chocolate. Once all lumps have disappeared, add salt to taste. At this point, you can also add any other desired flavorings (see below for suggestions).
6. Put your fondue into a fondue pot and light the flame underneath. If you do not have a fondue pot, you may wish to warm a heat-proof bowl in the oven and place it on a trivet (alerting all fondue dippers that the fondue bowl is very hot!).
7. Serve immediately. If your fondue begins to set, you may add a small amount of cream (1-2 tablespoons) and whisk again in order to prolong its life. Also, if you are using a fondue pot, give your chocolate a stir every now and again just to be sure the fondue doesn't burn.
Things to dip: pound cake, madeleines, lady fingers, strawberries, bananas, dried apricots, candied fruits (lemon peel, orange peel, ginger, etc.), marshmallows, brownies, pears, sectioned oranges, fresh pineapple, salted pretzels, biscotti, angel food cake, kiwis or dried figs.
Flavorings: a favorite liqueur (fruit liquors such as Grand Marnier work well), orange zest, grapefruit zest, espresso powder, vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon or something to bring a bit of heat.
Other ideas:
– white chocolate instead of dark chocolate
– place a small bowl of chopped up nuts next to your fondue pot to give a secondary coat to your chocolate dipped goodies
– consider infusing your cream with a tea, spice or herb (e.g. lavender) before you begin making the fondue


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Gary Gensler spent much of the past month fending off Wall Street's campaign to slow the move to electronic swaps trading. So when the platforms went live last week, the top U.S. derivatives regulator wasn't going to let a government shutdown stop him from monitoring its progress.
With most of the staff at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Washington headquarters on furlough, Gensler, in his final months on the job, had to pick up the phone and call around to make sure the system was working. He pronounced himself satisfied.
"It was a very good start," he said in an interview. "Though the CFTC is in darkness with the shutdown, we've been able to bring some additional light to the marketplace."
Market participants were more tentative.
Tom Zikas, managing director and head of eRates at State Street Global Exchange whose firm received one of Gensler's calls, said traders were still adjusting to the new rules and holding off on the new platforms. "It was a dead slow day everywhere," Zikas said.
It was a quiet start for one of the Dodd-Frank Act's main solutions for making derivatives transactions less opaque. BlackRock Inc., the world's largest money manager, and clients of banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. decided to execute many trades the old-fashioned way, over the phone. The Securities and Exchange Commission also spooked some venues by saying they may be violating securities laws.
While that didn't immediately fulfill Gensler's goal of bringing $633 trillion in derivatives trading out in the open, the low volume gives the market time to adjust with fewer disruptions, traders said.
"This is just the start of a ramp-up," Kevin McPartland, head of market structure and research at Greenwich Associates, said in a telephone interview. "The last thing the industry needed was a big bang."
The CFTC, to ease the transition, granted a series of delays for when traders must use platforms, including those owned by Tradeweb Markets LLC, GFI Group Inc., ICAP Plc. and Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. The Sefs needed to register with the agency by Oct. 2.
Most money managers decided against using the platforms on the first day, according to a poll conducted by Boston-based researcher and consultant Tabb Group LLC. Of the 36 investment firms in the survey, 77 percent said they didn't use a Sef, 14 percent said they did, and 9 percent said they sent only test trades. The investment firms in the poll manage more than $6 trillion.
The agency is unable to keep a close eye on the markets because of the shutdown.
"We have no ability at this point in time to monitor markets, to do surveillance and investigations," Gensler said in an interview. "We're but a skeleton staff. In many departments we have no people at all. And in others, we have people to just insure the technology and property is secure."
About 30 of the agency's 700 employees were working after the Oct. 1 shutdown, with most floors of the building staffed by one or two workers, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Many divisions have a handful of people on hand to monitor markets or legal issues. The communications and legislative affairs divisions are shut down, while some senior staff members for the agency's four commissioners have been furloughed.
One hiccup for the Sefs' debut occurred after the SEC warned two of the new facilities -- run by ICAP and GFI Group -- that they may run afoul of securities regulations by offering swaps contracts that are supposed to be overseen by the securities regulator, rather than the CFTC.
According to two people familiar with the issue, SEC officials raised questions about a half dozen contracts, including variance swaps, dividend swaps and swaps tied to indexes on asset-backed securities, the people said. Also on the SEC's list were options on credit indexes -- the same type of derivatives traded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s so-called London Whale, Bruno Iksil.
While the Sefs disputed some of the SEC's conclusions, they removed the swaps from their electronic trading platforms so as not to anger the SEC, the people said. The agency only supervises about 5 percent of the market and it hasn't completed rules for electronic trading for those products, known as security-based swaps. For now, that means they are mainly being traded via the telephone.
The SEC "was saying, hold on a second, you've got to do your due diligence," said Julian Hammar, an attorney at the Morrison & Foerster LLP law firm and former assistant general counsel at the CFTC who helped draft Dodd-Frank regulations. "It is a complicated rule."
John Nester, an SEC spokesman, said agency officials decided to reach out to the Sefs after being given a list of products they were offering by the CFTC and noticing that a number of them were based on securities.
The CFTC, which normally would have been involved, was unable to participate in the calls because of the U.S. government shutdown, he said.
Since the initial calls, the SEC has been in touch with most of the new Sefs to review the guidelines for which products fall under the jurisdiction of which agency, Nester said.
Bloomberg News


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Fee: $2.00
Age Range: Ages 3-8. Adults please accompany young children.
Dust off your dancing shoes and join us for this family-friendly dance at Holstein Park! Enjoy refreshments, music, and dancing with family and friends! Limited space, please register at www.friendsofholsteinpark.com


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London Calling: Are ARM's big-little days numbered?
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The pace of change of in IC manufacturing is becoming so fast that ideas and techniques may struggle to last without significant re-invention. What next for big-little?
In the early days of digital electronics a good architectural idea could be implemented and the advantage it granted could be expected to apply for all foreseeable manufacturing generations. But now the complexity and pace of change of chip manufacturing is such that ideas and techniques sometimes struggle to last without significant re-invention.
"Big-little" is the idea, from processor licensor ARM Holdings plc (Cambridge, England), of pairing a performance-optimized processor core with a low-power standby-optimized processor core. It enables application software to switch between the cores for an overall energy saving in typical use where equipment spends much of its time in standby mode. ARM has prepared two processors cores, the Cortex-A15 and the Cortex-A7, to help implement the strategy and the idea is starting to come through in commercial products. Two examples are the Exynos 5 Octa applications processor from Samsung and the MP6530 from Renesas Mobile.
But can big-little last and, if not, how must it be re-invented?
For a start we must consider that big-little is itself a reinvention of, or complement to, dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS).
DVFS is the idea that you can wind the voltage and clock frequency down on a given core to save dynamic power consumption at low performance and then wind them up to achieve a necessary application performance level. So an application starts on the Cortex-A7 it goes up through the DVFS "gears" until it is at top voltage and clock frequency and then jumps across to the Cortex-A15 where it resumes at low voltage and relatively low power and again goes up through the DVFS gears to reach top performance. As the application-load diminishes the process is followed in reverse until the equipment is once again idling at the lowest DVFS point on the "little" core.
However, as we have ridden Moore's Law down to smaller dimensions we have also reduced the voltage ranges and thereby reduced DVFS scalability. So ARM's bright idea was to buy back some DVFS trade-off with additional silicon real-estate.
But if we follow Moore's Law on to 20-nm bulk CMOS and 16/14-nm FinFET processes voltage scalability is likely to be yet more reduced, reducing the scope for the use of DVFS within big-little. So what's to be done?