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Safety, Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of Subcutaneous ACZ885 in Patients With Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA)
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|Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid
|Drug: ACZ885
|Phase 1 Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Safety, Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of Subcutaneous ACZ885 in Patients With Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA)
- Safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of subcutaneous (s.c.) ACZ885
- To assess the initial efficacy profile of s.c. ACZ885: % responder to treatment and time to relapse and control the systemic manifestations of SJIA such as fever.
- pharmacokinetics of ACZ885
- To assess pharmacokinetics (PK) / pharmacodynamics (PD) relationships in order to derive a dose and dosing regimen
- proportion of patients with inactive disease at each dose level.
- To investigate the possibility of corticosteroid tapering.
- biomarker and pharmacogenomic characterization of patients at baseline and to evaluate the treatment response to ACZ885.
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|December 2006
|Primary Completion Date:
|March 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: 1
|Drug: ACZ885
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|4 Years to 20 Years (Child, Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male and female subjects aged 4 to 20 years
- Female subjects of child-bearing potential may participate if they have a negative pregnancy test at screening and prior to dosing, and are willing to use, if adequate for age, an effective method of contraception (e.g. birth control pills, abstinence, double-barrier contraception, etc.) during the study (from the date of screening) and for at least 3 months following the last dose.
- Patient meets the diagnostic criteria for SJIA, has at least 6 months disease duration and has active disease at the time of enrollment defined as follows:
At least 2 joints with active arthritis (using ACR definition of active joint) Spiking, intermittent fever (body temperature > 38°C only for several hours during the day) CRP > 50 mg/L (normal range < 10 mg/L).
- Patients who have not taken Anakinra, who have discontinued or failed anakinra (according to physician's decision) or are willing to discontinue anakinra use under close monitoring (run in phase) until relapse (reappearance of fever and/or CRP increase).
- Willing to discontinue second line agent such as disease-modifying and immunosuppressive drugs, not including methotrexate and corticosteroids.
- Body weight of at least 12 kg.
Exclusion Criteria:
-Use of: Etanercept in the four weeks prior to the Baseline visit Adalimumab in the eight weeks prior to the Baseline visit Infliximab in the eight weeks prior to the Baseline visit Any other investigational biologics in the eight weeks prior to the Baseline visit Leflunomide in the four weeks prior to the Baseline visit. Documentation of a completion of a full cholestyramine elimination procedure after most recent leflunomide use will be required Thalidomide in the four weeks prior to the baseline visit Growth hormone in the four weeks prior to the baseline visit Cyclosporine in the four weeks prior to the Baseline visit Sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine in the eight weeks prior to the Baseline visit i.v. immunoglobulin (i.v. Ig) in the eight weeks prior to the Baseline visit 6-Merceptopurine, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, or chlorambucil, in the 24 weeks prior to the Baseline visit Wash-out period may be longer according to local requirements.
- History of recurrent bacterial, fungal or viral infection.
- Evidence of currently active bacterial, fungal or viral infection.
- Administration of live attenuated vaccine in the 3 months prior to the screening visit .
- Uncontrolled severe systemic symptoms and/or biologic features of Macrophage Activation Syndrome (hemorrhages, central nervous system dysfunction, hepatomegaly, serum fibrinogen level < 2.5 g/L, cytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased platelet count, increased aspartate transaminase, hyperferritinemia) (Ravelli, et al 2005).
Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00426218
|Novartis Investigative site
|Origgio, Italy
|Principal Investigator:
|Investigative site
|Responsible Party:
|External Affairs, Novartis
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00426218 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|January 23, 2007
|Last Updated:
|August 8, 2011
Keywords provided by Novartis:
Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Anti-IL-1ß Monoclonal Antibody
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Arthritis, Juvenile
Joint Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases
Connective Tissue Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases
Immune System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 18, 2017


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Most of the students today come to a point where they understand the intricate need of having and using calculus textbooks on a regular basis in order to increase their understanding of various mathematic laws and formulas. Up until recent times, the access of the young to such materials was restricted due to various factors, but contemporary online solutions have resized the matter to a more approachable situation. This means that today you have direct access to calculus textbooks whenever you want and, in most of the situations, at no charge at all. Here are the most relevant cases when you may need to work with calculus textbooks:
- If you're studying mathematics at a college level, you're most likely in the situation when you need such material in order to adequately understand the courses.
- If you're in a high school and you believe that you can do better in math, calculus textbooks may be of real help, especially if you don't have somebody to guide you along the way.
- As a teacher, calculus textbooks prove extremely effective; if you have to work with large classes, you'll actually see the difference right from the first day.
Irrespective of the context or of the way you look at mathematics or at teaching this science to students, you need to know the very simple truth that mathematics is an extremely flexible science if you're open enough as to accept such an apparent contradiction. The more you study, the more you understand that basic truths can be interpreted at a higher level. From this perspective, calculus is nothing but a game of possibilities and you should definitely take this into account before actually staring to learn the tricks of this field in mathematics.
More and more students every year, from the USA and abroad, come to the point where they understand the importance of owning calculus textbooks, provided that such tools are both cheap or for free and extremely useful on a day-to-day basis. If you're one of them and you don't know what to do to own one, you should follow the steps below, which will definitely help you determine the best course of action for your particular case:
- Browse online for free offers of calculus textbooks. In most of the cases, such offers are associated to purchasing a book belonging to the same field (in this case, mathematics), but this is actually a good solution for you in the long run, as it will give you the opportunity to learn even more.
- If you haven't managed to find calculus textbooks online, go to a local library or bookstore and ask for help. Specialized individuals will be able to assist you in your struggle to indentify the best calculus book there is for you out there.
- If neither of the solutions described above work, ask your teacher for assistance. He or she should be able to provide you with all the relevant information there is for this specific topic.
In the contemporary world we live in, it is of utmost importance to get familiarized with just about any type of data and information, and, from this point of view, calculus textbooks are a great solution to understand the basic theoretical principles behind data structures and data patterns. The more you do it, the more you'll understand the ways you need to follow in order to adapt to the huge volume of information. After all, it's just a matter of adapting fast to a reality that is more and more accelerated and in continuous change, irrespective of where you live or what you do for a living.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's a question we all face - what's a reasonable tip for your waiter?
According to the New York Post, tips may be adding a bigger chunk of your bill. Waiters in Manhattan, N.Y. now want a 25 percent tip, and some New York City restaurants that print "suggested gratuities" even have 30 percent as an option, the paper reports.
A study by Cornell University consumer behavior professor Michael Lynn, who studied 9,000 credit card receipts from a Poughkeepsie, N.Y. restaurant, found that more than a third of diners left tips greater than 20 percent.
Wait staff rely on tips, since tipped employees may be paid less, as low as $2.15 per hour according to federal law, although state law sometimes sets these minimum wages higher. According to Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, tipped employees may be paid $2.65 per hour, provided they receive and report tips that when combined with their hourly rate equals or exceeds the minimum hourly wage rate of $7.40 per hour.
The phenomenon of "tip creep" has plagued restaurant-goers for generations. Since 1918, the acceptable tip rate increased from 10 percent of the bill to 20 percent.
Nowadays, 15 percent isn't an average tip - it's a way of registering displeasure with the service.
How much do you normally tip when out at a restaurant? Is 30 percent a reasonable tip for great service?
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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New Patch for Fireworks CS5 is available through Adobe Updater.(Help->Updates).Installer through Adobe.com site will be available in couple of days. Please install the update and let us know your feedback.
Please note that the Application package has not been changed from what it was in older update(18.104.22.168) the application version also remains the same (126.96.36.199).Only the update shows version as 11.0.2 though internally it is same as 11.0.1.
UPDATE: The above mentioned new update for Fireworks CS5 (11.0.2) has been posted in Adobe.com as well.Please download the update from
www.adobe.com/support/fireworks/downloads_updaters.htmlShare on Facebook


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Extreme Valley heat may have you pointing an accusing finger down, not up
The Valley is no stranger to high temperatures with its excessive heat advisories and record-setting highs in the summer months. However, a contributing factor that is actually making
the Valley even hotter is the reality of the "urban heat island effect."
The "urban heat island effect" is defined as higher temperatures experienced in built-up areas in the Valley as compared to the surrounding rural areas.
Part of what's contributing to the "urban heat island effect," is the fact that areas in the Valley are simply not cooling off after the sun goes down due to the extreme heat absorbed by the concrete and asphalt in our freeways, roads and parking lots. At night, this heat is slowly re-emitted, keeping temperatures high throughout the evening. In addition to uncomfortable temperatures, this also translates into higher energy bills for consumers.
One way to address the Valley's "urban heat island effect" is pervious concrete, a porous paving system that helps reduce heat build-up by allowing cooler Earth temperatures below the concrete to migrate up.
Pervious concrete has been used in building construction since at least the middle of the 19th century. Over the years, the pervious concrete system contributed substantially to the production of new houses in the United Kingdom, Germany, Holland, France, Belgium, Scotland, Spain, Hungary, Venezuela, West Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Russia. After 1946, however, pervious concrete was used for a much broader range of applications, including industrial, public and domestic buildings in areas north of the Arctic Circle, since traditional building materials proved to be not viable.
The concrete also allows for three to eight gallons of water, per square foot, per minute to pass through it, helping the environment in multiple capacities. This type of paving system also helps eliminate water pollution as water infiltrates the soil beneath the pavement, filtering pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency recognized pervious concrete as a "Best Management Practice" for storm water pollution protection.
For developers, this concrete can also be a cost effective solution by eliminating the need for an expensive water retention basin on the property, as water simply drains through the concrete.
Phoenix-based Progressive Concrete Works has developed its own pervious concrete called Drainscape. It functions much like sand, which heats up during the daytime when the sun is beating down on it. At night, however, the sand is cool to the touch because it does not retain the heat.
Drainscape is recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program for its smaller development footprint on land sites by reducing the amount of land needed to manage storm water. Drainscape is primarily installed in parking lots in commercial developments, and can help contribute to LEED points on virtually any construction project.
Mike Riggs is the President Progressive Concrete Works. For more information, visit http://www.drainscape.com.


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The last 12 months have been something of a marquee year for investors. Despite Greek debt write-downs, Spanish and Italian concerns, a handover of power in China, Japanese elections and the hullabaloo about the impending US fiscal cliff, the Australian sharemarket has done very nicely, thank you.
What if the market jumped and no-one noticed?
Sure, that's not what the headlines suggest, nor is it the feeling of most investors. As many psychology studies have shown, humans feel the pain of loss far more than we enjoy a similar gain. The result is that we bear the scars of years past even after good times have returned.
The bad news is that if you were scared out of the market over the last couple of years, you missed out on a gain of more than 14 per cent in the S&P/ASX 200, or 19.5 per cent when dividends are included (both according to Capital IQ) in 2012.
Don't try to time the markets
Of course, hindsight lets us imagine we can time the markets perfectly. We can't, of course. Instead, at The Motley Fool we're in the ''time in the market, not timing the market'' camp. Investing regularly and letting the creative power of capitalism do the heavy lifting works for us.
It's an approach decried as unsophisticated and 'old-fashioned', but that's okay with us. Warren Buffett has been accused of that many times – he ignored the jibes and was proven right. We're not comparing ourselves to the Oracle of Omaha in terms of investing results, but we're happy to follow in his footsteps when it comes to ignoring the so-called ''smart money''.
Back to – successful – basics
Instead, we're going to stick to trying to do a simple thing well, rather than a complicated thing badly. There are no extra points for degree of difficulty in investing.
Here are 12 New Year's resolutions we shared with our members:
1. I will live below my means - spending less than I earn
2. I will save money into a rainy-day fund so I'm ready for what life might bring
3. I will invest money I don't need for at least 3-5 years to build my nest egg
4. I will regularly add to my investment account
5. I will learn more about investing, taking control of my financial future
6. I will invest in quality businesses, buying a slice of the company, not just a code on a screen
7. I will buy shares in a company with the intention of holding them for the long term
8. I will sell when my investment thesis fails, the company is overvalued or I have a better idea
9. I will avoid anchoring my decisions to the price I paid for my shares
10. I will remember than the market can be moody and over-react
11. I will expect volatility, and I won't let it spook me into selling
12. I will let the market offer me prices (be my servant), not dictate my mood or actions (be my master). There's nothing difficult in there – at least in theory. The challenge comes in mastering our emotions, and acting as rationally as possible… putting those resolutions into practice.
Whether in times of extreme fear – such as we've seen over the past 3 or 4 years, or greed, which is sure to come when investors finally forget the pain of that time – rational decision making gives investors the best chance of success.
Foolish takeaway
The seeds of the next boom (and subsequent bust) are always sown in the aftermath of the last one. Sticking to these resolutions – and making some of your own – is a good way to avoid the excesses at both the peaks and troughs of the investing cycle.
From all of us here at The Motley Fool, we wish you a successful and prosperous 2013.
The Motley Fool has just released a brand NEW special free report. BusinessDay readers can click here to receive a copy of The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012-13.
Scott Phillips is a Motley Fool investment analyst. You can follow Scott on Twitter @TMFGilla. The Motley Fool's purpose is to educate, amuse and enrich investors. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691).


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March 2014
"Let's Be FRANK" – Exhibition
"Let's Be FRANK" presents the work of the talented artists who make FRANK the leading non-profit art gallery in the heart of Chapel Hill. FRANK's twenty-two member artists will be the focus of this not-to-miss exhibition. The membership's talents vary widely and this show will embrace the artistic vision and personal style of each individual; photography, painting, jewelry, ceramics, wood furniture, mixed media, and more will be featured in this dynamic show.Find out more »


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I am flying solo this weekend. So after tube steaks for lunch I decided to go to the other extreme and treat myself to a prime grade rib-eye. Rib-eye is my favorite cut and I had already picked out a recipe called Rib-eye with Shallots & Garlic from the Big Green Egg Cookbook. When I headed out to the StupidMarket I decided to head to the Butcher Shop instead and treat myself well.
I'll let the pictures tell the story of the cook, but I'll relay my interesting and lucky experience here. When I went out to grill at supper time the sun had disappeared and off in the distance there were some darkish clouds. In the 10 minutes I was outside cooking the steak it got pitch black. The screen door to the Kitchen had just closed behind me and I heard a whooshing noise. It was the rain going from 0 to the heaviest rain I've ever seen. I missed it by seconds. I could no longer see the house across the street. It looked like a cloud had descended on the street. I was letting the steak rest for 5 minutes and I reached into the oven to remove the fries and there was a flash of lightning, instant thunder and no lights. This storm was almost as bad as when a tornado and severe thunderstorm passed through town when I was in High School. It is three hours later and I still have no lights, my backyard is flooded and several big trees are down deep in the woods behind my house. The pictures of the plated steak was taken in the pitch dark. Thanks goodness for the infra red auto-focus assist light on my detachable flash. It allowed my camera to see when I couldn't. The is was the best steak I've ever eaten and I never did see it. My lanterns were in the basement and I wanted to eat the steak while it was hot. Onto the pictures...
The glare from the olive oil is hiding some of the marbling, but this is a one pound rib-eye seasoned with olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper
The butter sauce used salted butter, finely minced shallots & garlic, finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
The finished sauce is allowed to cool for 30 minutes and is divided. Half is used to baste the steak on the grill and half is applied to the finished steak at the table.
My first steak made on the Egg. The Egg was preheated to 550 degrees and I have the Cast Iron Grill Grates in. Hoping for some good grill marks.
The steak was cooked for 4 minutes per side with a quarter turn midway through to lay on some crosshatched grill marks. Both sides of the steak were basted with the butter sauce while on the grill.
The steak has rested for 5 minutes and it is time to eat. By now my lights were out and I am sitting in the dark (except for the flashes of lightning.) The last thing to do is to put on some of the butter sauce.
The steak has been brushed with the butter sauce
This was the best steak I have every made or eaten. Although I couldn't see it at the time, it was a perfect medium rare. The steak had a nice buttery coating over a crispy outer crust. My gaser can get up near 1,000 degrees in the hot weather so this was a draw in terms of the crust. The inside was moist and VERY juicy. This was the biggest difference for me: just how moist this steak was vs. any other I've grilled on my gasser.


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I'm not one to mark time by anniversary dates. It's just not how my mind works, and there are a lot of things that I try to forget.
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Freshly shaved truffles are one of those luxury items that just screams "This is for rich people only." Priced from hundreds to thousands of dollars a pound, depending on the species, these musky mushrooms do not make for an affordable meal. But us financially impaired people appreciate good food, too. So in the tradition of Cubic Zirconia, knock-off designer handbags, and generic antidepressants, lets stock our pantries with truffle salt and truffle oil and tell rich people that we don't need their stinking (literally) fungus, shall we?
For under twenty bucks you can get either the earthy oil or the salt and add the delicious depth, earthiness and complexity of truffles to your favorite dishes. We truffle salt our deviled eggs and avocado toasts, and drizzle the oil atop salads and even in our cocktails (see crazy recipe below and picture above).
We've gathered a few favorite recipes that use truffle oil and/or salt. It's sure to have your diners thinking you're a real funghi. Get it??
Recipes With Truffle Oil
Cauliflower & Caramelized Onion Tart from Smitten Kitchen
Cauliflower and truffle oil are a match made in pungent heaven. Get the recipe here.
Grilled Cheese with Truffle Oil from Galley Kitchen
You guys, someone took the perfect sandwich and made it even better with truffle oil. Get the recipe here.
Truffle Oil Popcorn from Tasty Kitchen
Sophisticated popcorn? What's next, sophisticated corn on the cob? Get the recipe here
Truffle Oil, Garlic and Parmesan Grilled Corn from Country Living
Ermahgerd! Sophisticated corn on the cob! Get the recipe here
Root Vegetable Soup with Truffle Oil
The earthiness of the root veggies is a wonderful pair with the umami of the truffle. Why can't everything that comes out of the dirt be this delicious? Get the recipe here
Yeah, we made a cocktail with truffle oil. Also with garlic. And an anchovy. We're sorry. Kinda. Not really. Get the recipe here
Roasted Baby Potatos with Truffle Salt from Savory Sweet Life (pictured above)
Simple. Perfect. Easy. Get the recipe here
Chanterelle Risotto with White Truffle Salt from the Amateur Gourmet
Yo Dawg, I herd you like mushrooms, so I put a mushroom in your mushroom so you can fungi while you fungi. Get the recipe here
Truffle Salted Caramels with Bacon from Franish Nonspeaker
Caramel with your truffle salt? Yeah, we herd you liked that, too. Also bacon. Get the recipe here
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffle Salt from Salt News
This recipe is on a website dedicated solely to salt, so you know they know there sh*t, err, salt. Get the recipe here
Radish with Butter & Truffle Salt from Savory Sweet Life
So simple, yet so delicious. This dish is more than the sum of its parts. Get the recipe here
Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark are best friends who met outside a tragically hip dive bar in Los Angeles. Together, they created the cocktail abomination called the McNuggetini. You can find them on Cooking Channel stirring up Drinks with Alie and Georgia, getting schooled on Classy Ladies and devouring desserts for Unique Sweets. Find out more about them here.


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Below is our comprehensive list of golf courses in the Concord, Massachusetts area. We list them by proximity to
Concord, including courses in neighboring cities. Award-winning golf courses are noted. Click on the course name to view more information on the course, including reviews and tournaments. For more golf courses in this region of Massachusetts, choose a city from the list to the right. For
places to stay, check out
Concord, MA resorts & hotels.
Campbell Atkinson
Scored 78 at Meadow Wood Liberty Lake, Washington
Campbell Atkinson
Scored 84 at Indian Canyon Spokane, Washington
Bradley Lamel
Scored 92 at Douglaston Park Little Neck, New York
Randall Reeves
Scored 41 at Cascade North Bend, Washington
Randall Reeves
a Birdie
at Hole 1
of Cascade North Bend, Washington
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Sam McKnight's Statement Hair
This dermatologist-concocted pick maintains the optimum moisture balance for all skin-types. It's got the numbers to back up its classic status, too: It's the bestseller in 99% of the brand's counters, and one is sold every 3.7 seconds around the world.
$23; nordstrom.com
This miracle pen works as a highlighter and concealer, with the perfect creamy finish that avoids looking cakey. Join the hoard of makeup artists and beauty aficionados who know that once you try it, you'll never go back.
$40; amazon.com
33 Fresh Cuts for Spring


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Being a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.
STEPS TO APPLYUndergraduate Admissions Toolkit International Admissions Toolkit Graduate Admissions Toolkit
In this program, you'll receive broad and rich training in the field of geography, from the cultural and social dimensions of how we use the world, to issues of population change, mobility, and how human behaviour affects the environment.
As a Geography student, you'll explore processes of urbanization, transportation and energy use; trends in human developments and sustainability; and patterns of migration and the experience of immigrants. You'll receive a well-rounded education that allows you to think confidently and systematically about issues across the spectrum of the social and natural sciences, and to pursue careers and higher training where the ability to understand complex local and global issues is critical.
Our Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Geography program introduces you to all the main aspects of geography in your first and second years, so that in your third and fourth years, you'll have the flexibility to specialize in your area of interest and develop advanced skills in research methods and techniques.
Geography is also available as a Bachelor of Science degree.
Contact Us:
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Bird-Electron EZ-18B iPod Touch Speaker Stand
The Bird-Electron iPod touch speaker stand has a built in speaker and will operate off of your iPod, so no batteries or plugs. The stand for your iPod is tilted to prevent screen glare and backed with a non-slip silicon pad so your iPod doesnt get knocked around. The stand is made from heavy duty steel so it is durable and hard to tip. Great to have so you can share your music with everyone. Available in black only.


text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Just over a week after Hurricane Sandy made landfall, ratings agency Moody's sees the storm as a hit to the earnings of telecom's, casinos and utilities exposed to the still crippled region. While Moody's analysis of the impact of Hurricane Sandy mirrors other projections from the likes of Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Credit Suisse, the rating agency's calculation of the extent of the storm's damage to the earnings of some sectors may cause the agency to downgrade the bond ratings of already struggling companies and industries. In particular, Moody's highlights that the ratings of Atlantic City casino's are most at risk as they suffer what may be a 25% drop in revenue through the first quarter of 2013, which could cut profits by as much as 50%. The agency highlights the recently opened Revel Atlantic City casino and the Marina District Finance Company as most at risk of a downgrade. Moody's also sees an impact to regional utilities like Con Ed ( ED), Public Service Electricity and Gas and FirstEnergy ( FE), owner of Jersey Central Power & Light. For wireline telecom operators like Verizon Communications ( VZ), Hurricane Sandy may cut at overall quarterly revenue and earnings, but only marginally so. If some businesses are hit by Sandy, others may find an opportunity as businesses and homeowners in states like New Jersey, New York and Connecticut begin rebuilding efforts. Moody's says Building Materials Corporation of America and New Enterprise Stone and Lime may see an earnings benefit in coming quarters that could translate to a ratings upgrade. The ratings agency forecasts a negligible impact on the overall retail sector, but highlights home improvement stores Home Depot ( HD) and Lowe's ( LOW), in addition to discount giants Wal Mart ( WMT) and Target ( TGT) as some companies that may benefit. Drug stores like Walgreen ( WAG) and Rite Aid ( RAD) may also see an earnings boost. While Moody's analysis closely mirrors other Sandy-related estimates, the agency's comments about the already-struggling Atlantic City casino industry breaks new ground in just how damaging the storm was. "We expect Atlantic City revenues to be down 25% in both the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, excluding the effect of any insurance recoveries," writes credit analysts Keith Foley and Peggy Holloway, in a Tuesday ratings note. The analysts said the already junk rated Revel Atlantic City casino may be most at risk of a downgrade, while other low-rated casinos like Caesars Entertainment ( CZR) and Tropicana Entertainment may also face the prospect of a cut.


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With Houston's consistently high economic growth, low cost of living, and distinctly international flavor with down-home roots, the nation's 4th largest city is an ideal environment for your experience at Jones. Nestled in the heart of Houston, the Rice campus offers easy access to the museum and theater districts, a wide array of exceptional restaurants, shopping for all budgets, and plenty of outdoor excursions. Did you know that... ...Forbes recently named Houston as the best city for young professionals? ...Twenty-five Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Houston, 2nd after New York? ...The Texas Medical Center, the world's largest complex for research, education, and patient care, is right next door to the Rice campus? ...Houston has 5 professional sports teams, and a host of college sports events?
Experience Houston:


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Multiple locations offer free Christmas tree recycling
While some people still have wrapping paper lying around from Wednesday's Christmas activities, others have put the holiday in the rear-view mirror.
"It's our tradition to get up early and just start cleaning up— getting our lives back in order and looking forward to the New Year," Damon Mullins said.
Mullins is not alone. Not even eleven hours into the day and already the recycling bin outside the Humboldt Waste Management Authority transfer station was full of Christmas trees.
"We empty that dumpster probably six to eight times a day," Programs Manager Brent Whitener said.
The transfer station is just one of the many locations that people can drop off their unwanted tree for free. Trinidad, Blue Lake, McKinleyville, Arcata, Ferndale, Fortuna and Rio Dell also have drop off locations.
"In any case, we make sure that they go to a good end use— composting or fuels blend for the boilers around here," Whitener said.
Which is why people like Mullins take advantage of the service.
"Recycling here at the city garbage facility," Mullins said. "They do it here for free."
All that is asked is that decorations are removed from the tree.
"It really isn't good to burn tinsel and ornaments," Whitener said. "We also don't want to see the artificial snow flocking on the tree. We want to see a natural tree."
And for those who want to keep it up just a little longer and recycle it at a later date, that's fine too.
"We find that there are those who like to keep their tree up past the New Year and on into a week or two into January," Whitener said. "The services are still available to them as well."


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ECS 755-A2: Performance and Value for the Athlon 64by Wesley Fink on 1/30/2004 8:51 AM EST
- Posted in
- Motherboards
14 Comments
Back to Article
Glenngalata - Saturday, June 05, 2004 - linkWhile the review on this board is well written, the overall statements made on the quality of the motherboard and the RMA process is extremely generous to say the least.
ECS motherboards (and the company) are by far the most difficult to work with due to the total lack of reasonable support the company gives to its customers.
All top tier manufacturers are moving to 3 year warranties unlike ECS whose 1 year offering is a clear indictation of "buy at your own risk" marketing.
Asus allows the end user to deal directly with the company for RMA purposes and this feature alone is worth any price premium over a throw away prodcut line.
The author is being very kind in many areas of the ECS/Customer relationship and at this point in time i have spent more time, frustration and money on long distance phone calls trying to deal with a manufacturer who simply does not acknowlege its own shortcomings product and service wise.
You get what you pay for and if the manufacturer does not give a direct end user oriented,3 year warranty deal, stay clear and spend the extra for some peace of mind. Reply
Memn0ch - Monday, April 26, 2004 - linkDo you want ECS 755-A2 as a freebie?
http://www.ocworkbench.com/ocwb/ultimatebb.php?ubb... Reply
gglawits - Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - linkI saw the 755-A2 at Newegg yesterday. For $90, if memory serves.
Greg Reply
justly - Sunday, February 01, 2004 - linkI do understand your aggravation with the 755-A, the thing is this article is not about the 755-A is it.
If you want to call the 755-A2 a POS then lets not stop there, lets also claim ATi drivers are just as bad now as they ever where, or that AMD will always be subpar to Intel in performance.
Don't get me wrong, I am not condoning ECS for putting out a product that obviously did not have enough testing, or for changing their website.
As for the claim that the 755-A does not support DDR 400, that may be true, but as long as the possibility exists that it can work with at least one brand of DDR 400 at DDR 400 speeds that conclusion can only be considered theory not fact. Does that mean that the 755-A is a good product, absolutely not.
Since you brought up a car analogy I will try to use it even though I normally try to avoid them since they often use bogus/exaggerated information. With that in mind you need to consider that Chevy may do their testing to get the best HP rating possible. This means Chevy could test using a new air filter, premium gasoline, new oil and filter and even at a specific ambient temp and relative humidity ect.ect... so unless everything is configured exactly the same a lower HP will result, it may not be much, but if Chevy does this they can make the HP rating accurate, but never obtainable in real life.
Does Chevy do this, it wouldn't surprise me if they did. Did ECS do something similar with the 755-A, maybe. Was it done on purpose, I doubt it. Was it poor judgment on ECS part, yes. Do I think this is user error, definatly not, its obvious you have a lot of experiance. Did you get duped into buying a subpar product, yes. Do I think all this talk about the 755-A belongs here or on the regular fourms, considering this is a direct link from a article about the 755-A2 I would say most if not all the comments about the 755-A belongs on the regular forums, at least that is my opinion.
NFS4 - Saturday, January 31, 2004 - linkJustly, the point is not that board was just "buggy", it simply doesn't have what they EXPLICITY stated was a supported feature of the board.
(1) They said that the 755-A supported DDR400 memory on their website.
(2) Vendors and other venues stated that the board supported DDR400
(3) The BIOS had setting for DDR400 memory speeds.
(4) The motherboard box says RIGHT THERE IN PLAIN ENGLISH that it supports DDR400.
Then when you try to test the board, it's only running at DDR333 speeds despite if you're using DDR400 or higher memory. And the only thing that ECS does is drop the specs down to DDR333 on their website instead of issuing a statement saying that their board doesn't work as advertised.
It'd be all the same if Chevy announced that their C6 Corvette has 400 HP at the wheels. The dealers list that spec as well. Customers go and buy a C6 and notice that performance is down a bit. They put their car on a dyno and it's making 350HP at the wheels instead. This result is then repeated by countless others that have purchased C6's.
And I SHOULDN'T have to use a hacked BIOS to get it to work either. Reply
justly - Saturday, January 31, 2004 - linkI don't see the reason to bash the 755-A2 just because of the troubles that people had with the 755-A. The 755-A was the very fist production board that used the SIS chipset.
Since when did first production run of anything not have quirks or room for improvement. Granted, the 755-A may have had more quirks than most. The thing is you can argue this from both sides. My take on the 755-A is that any enthusiast that expects top of the line, trouble free performance with the least expensive motherboard available (and the first production run of that board to boot) is betting on a long shot, and is bound to loose in most cases. Sorry if I offended anyone.
As for the 755-A2 it looks like a decent option IMO, although it maybe never be the perfered choice for the hardcore enthusiast.
Wesley Fink - Saturday, January 31, 2004 - linkAMDMB and others have flashed the A2 BIOS to Rev A boards and found that DDR400 then works fine. The mod in the ECS Forum there has his basic Samsung memory now running at DDR432 after the flash. He also reports the memory timings from the 12/25 A2 are now on his Rev A and they work fine.
In addition a BIOS modder has uncovered hidden vCore adjustments and additional options in the 12/25 A2 BIOS. You can find tne 12/25 BIOS at the AMDMB Forums ECS Forum at http://forums.amdmb.com/showthread.php?s=&thre... I am told the modded BIOS will also post there soon. Reply
NFS4 - Saturday, January 31, 2004 - linkKillaKilla, I got a Biostar NF3 board from ZipZoomFly Reply
TrogdorJW - Saturday, January 31, 2004 - linkThis board is a perfect example of why 64-bit is really meaningless for the most part. Two DIMM slots? Not that it really matters, since pretty much all of the other A64 motherboards have issues with populating all three DIMM slots anyway.
The reason to buy Athlon 64 is that it's faster (and cheaper, relative to the 3.0 and 3.2 GHz P4 chips) in 32-bit software. (Just purchased parts for a 3000+ for a friend - I'll be building it this weekend.) 64-bit software will come during the life of the PC, sure, but you definitely won't need to switch to 64-bit anytime soon. Unless youre running into memory limitations, in which case you better be prepared to pony-up for the Opteron or Athlon FX!
As for ECS, I've only used two of their motherboards in my PC building life, and neither one impressed me. They may work okay, but I question the long-term choice of their boards over MSI, Asus, A-bit, etc. The 755-A was a prime example of why I no longer consider ECS boards an option. On the bright side, they're usually hella cheap. (And you get what you pay for....) Reply
KristopherKubicki - Friday, January 30, 2004 - linkUnfortunately since we have labs all over the country we try to standardize as much as possible. Even though Wesley used a 9800 Pro, he used the same testbed that Anand, Derek and Evan use - we eliminate as many variables as possible.
Kristopher Reply
KillaKilla - Friday, January 30, 2004 - linkNFS4- I agree, newegg support/ruturning is quite excelent.
When is the Asus version coming out? They're generally better than ECS.
Why did they use the 9800Pro-128? Why not the XT? I would think that to test the MB/CPU combo you would want to eliminate as much of other bottlenecks as posible. Reply
gglawits - Friday, January 30, 2004 - linkWhen one clicks the "Buy it from ioCombo for $84.95" link, what comes up is the 755-A, not the 755-A2.
Some people might not notice the difference and order the old 755-A anyway. Major goof-up.
Either remove that link altogether or make it point to a 755-A2. Reply
microAmp - Friday, January 30, 2004 - linkWhat board did you get in replacement NFS4?
I returned my ECS board back to NewEgg too and settled for the ASUS K8V. Reply
NFS4 - Friday, January 30, 2004 - linkAfter getting burned with "DDR333 only" support on my 755-A (even after ECS plastered stickers on the box and specs on the website claiming DDR400 support), I won't be going with them any time soon.
Good thing NewEgg took back my board even though it was past NewEgg's 30 day warranty period. Shows you what a good company NewEgg is and how they look out for their customers. ECS, are you listening? Reply


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Grew up in the 40's and 50's with a coal fired parlor stove in the living room and a coal fired kitchen stove with a propane sidearm hot water heater (black cast iron with a copper coil for the water to be heated and sent to a tank.)
Dad had a grocery store for nearly 30 years back then and the store was heated with a coal furnace with one register for the whole place. Customers used to gather over the register in the winter to get warmed up.
Bought my home in 1970 and there was a Kenmore coal/wood single register furnace that had been converted to burn oil with a oil gun in the ash pit area. During the Jimmy Carter days, I pulled out the gun and put the grates back in and burned wood. House was usually in the high 70's but it was a dirty and our family clothes smelled like wood smoke. I never slept well with that furnace as it was so old and I worried about chimney fires even though I cleaned the pipes and chimney the first of every month during the burning days.
Finally put in an efficient oil furnace, but kept the old coal furnace just in case. Oil prices went through the roof and I really started to think about going back to coal. I was visiting a neighbor on a very cold winter day in 2011 and it was about 90 in their house. When they told me that they were heating with a stoker I did some research on them and ended up putting in a Leisure Line Pocono. Last winter was not so cold, but the wife was finally warm. She's a 13 year breast cancer survivor and suffered a lot of nerve damage from the chemo. She was freezing all of the time. Not anymore! Putting that Pocono was the best move I ever made. Too bad I waited so long. With the weather this winter, it has been great. My only problem is with all the heat, I'm having icicles off the roof and that has never happened before.
This forum has been another great find and has provided a wealth of information. I'm on it just about every day.


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Furniture Store Maryland Value City Furniture
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Our life-long commitment has been to offer factory-direct savings on a huge assortment of in-stock merchandise at the guaranteed best prices while providing superior customer service. Our customers know we are dedicated to serving them better, saving them money, and delivering on our promise to provide them the best purchasing experience a Maryland furniture store could offer.


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Jerk Chicken
We've come up with a home-cook-friendly recipe for intensely spicy, crisp-skinned jerk chicken that's steeped in authentic flavor. Scotch bonnets are traditional, but you can use habaneros, which are similar and easier to find.
- Servings: 8
Source: Martha Stewart Living, August 2005
- 3 fresh Scotch bonnet, or habanero chiles, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 8 scallions, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
- 3 tablespoons (about 1 bunch) fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing grill
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 whole chickens (about 5 pounds each), cut into 8 pieces each, or 16 drumsticks and thighs, rinsed well and patted dry
Make jerk marinade: Process chiles, onion, scallions, garlic, and thyme in a food processor until mixture forms a coarse paste. Add brown sugar, allspice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, and oil; season with pepper. Process until smooth. Marinade can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day before proceeding.
Transfer 1/3 of the marinade (about 1 cup) to a small bowl; set aside to use for brushing chicken. Transfer remaining marinade to a large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat, rubbing marinade under the skin and all over chicken. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before grilling.
Heat a grill to low (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 7 seconds). Brush grate lightly with oil. Place chicken on grill, skin sides down. Discard used marinade. Grill chicken, brushing occasionally with reserved cup of fresh marinade, until the skin sides are well browned but not charred, about 25 minutes. Turn chicken, and continue to cook, basting it occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut chicken breast halves into 2 or 3 pieces, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.
Cook's Notes
Reviews Add a comment
jblunt16 NOV, 2010not a fan. disappointedReply


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Every day our visual journalists produce spectacular images of life in the Lower Hudson Valley, from school musicals to scholastic athletics, from crime scenes to emergency responses, and from the highways, waterways, rails and back streets of your town. They're out there capturing videos and still images, and sometimes they capture it on iPhones.
And boy are they active on Instagram, a social network and photographic format designed to highlight and share great photography.
We share as much as we can to the @lohud feed, and you can see examples of their Instagrams – like the one shown here by Ricky Flores – featured in print each Sunday and in a gallery at lohud.com. You can also follow them personally by using the handles listed below. Give them a look, and a like, and don't be shy about commenting if a particular image strikes you.
Frank Becerra @frankbjrphoto
Matthew Brown @mbfotog
Peter Carr @pcarrphoto
Ricky Flores @rickyflores
Seth Harrison @sethharrison
Joe Larese @joelarese
Carucha Meuse @caruchalmeuse
Tania Savayan @taniasavayan
Mark Vergari @markvergari
Carrie Yale @carrieyale


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DETROIT - Miguel Cabrera's three-run homer in the seventh inning broke the game open, and the Detroit Tigers finished off a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with an 8-3 victory Sunday night.
Austin Jackson and Omar Infante also homered for the Tigers, and Doug Fister (4-0) struck out eight in seven innings on a rainy night at Comerica Park.
Mike Minor (3-2) allowed a three-run homer to Jackson in the third, and although the Braves came back to tie it, Cabrera doubled and scored in the sixth to make it 4-3.
Infante hit a solo shot in the seventh, and Cabrera added an opposite-field homer off reliever Cory Gearrin.
Atlanta has lost four straight and is 3-8 since a 12-1 start.
Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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From 1964 through 1981, Karl Ehrhardt was a Shea fixture and held a running commentary during games with his tailored signs.
He died Thursday at 83 in his Queens home. His daughter Bonnie Troester said he was recovering from vascular surgery.
"I just called them the way I saw them," Ehrhardt said in a New York Times article in 2006. "Before I went to the ballpark, I would try to crystal-ball what might happen that particular day. I would read all the newspapers to learn who was hot and who was in a slump, stuff like that, and create my signs accordingly."
At one point he had 1,200 signs
Among them were, "Jose, Can You See?" when Jose Cardenal struck out; "Just Great!" for spectacular moments; and "There Are No Words," after the last out of the 1969 World Series.
Who remembers the Sign Man and what was your favorite?