text:
If you're picking up a Nintendo 3DS at launch, you're likely suffering anxiety over which game to buy along with it. Let's face it: the 3DS launch line up isn't littered with winners.
With more than ten launch titles available and only one North American 3DS unit in our possession, there was little chance we were going to get all of them reviewed in time for the big day. (I'm only one person; have mercy on me.)
I also didn't get some of the launch games (I'm looking at you, Ubisoft) until the Friday before launch. So here's the next best thing: my impressions (and some full reviews) of nearly every Nintendo 3DS launch title. I hope it helps, in some small way, to make your buying decisions a bit easier.
[Be sure to check out our full review of the Nintendo 3DS hardware, in case you're wondering whether or not you want to buy the handheld at all.]
Asphalt 3D
Developed by Gameloft and part of its popular racing franchise, Asphalt 3D is one of your two options (alongside Namco Bandai's Ridge Racer 3D) for racing on the 3DS. While I can't compare it to Namco's offering (we didn't receive a review copy prior to launch), I will say that Asphalt 3D manages to be a fun and mostly successful arcade racer for Nintendo's handheld.
With 42 licensed cars and over 70 events (spread across 17 different environments), Gameloft packs a decent amount of content onto a 3DS cart. The game features a career mode with a hefty number of events (plus optional challenges), along with an XP system that tracks racer progression, unlocking sponsorships and more as you go. Factor in the game's use of StreetPass for things like ghost car data and more, and there's plenty of gameplay here.
It probably won't come as a shock that Asphalt 3D doesn't look quite as good as its iOS counterparts; that didn't ruin my enjoyment of the racer, though. While the cars themselves look nice and the game moves at a steady clip, expect some pop-in as you turn corners and some questionable environmental objects if the game's camera hits them just right. (I passed by a street lamp that looked like something out yanked out of Rad Racer, for example.)
What it does have over the iOS port are its controls. You can play with either the d-pad or the new 3DS circle pad, both of which feel more responsive than the touch or gyroscope functionality found on other platforms.
As for its use of 3D, this was one of the few games that even threatened to give me a headache while playing. Something about the mix of the game's speed and constant forward motion, maybe. This will probably vary from player to player, so don't take my word for it. (In fact, don't take anyone's word on 3D effects on these games; try them for yourself.) But on or off, it didn't make any different when considering the gameplay.
Bust-A-Move Universe
If you're looking for what appears to be a lazy, no-frills port of Taito's classic puzzler, look no further than Bust-A-Move Universe.
The gameplay is exactly how I remembered it since last playing Bust-A-Move -- you shoot colored bubbles at like-colored bubbles and they go pop. The game does feature power-ups, like a laser that can take out a chunk of bubbles with one sweep. While I found them useful in getting out of some tough situations, I couldn't find any real way to use them strategically, so they acted more like "Get out of Jail Free" cards than something that had a significant impact on gameplay.
In terms of game modes, you're probably going to be wondering if you're missing something on the menu screen when you first boot it up. There are only two: Puzzle Mode and Challenge Mode. The Puzzle Mode is a story-like progression where you complete various stages to collect keys to "save" your cute little pals. Each world ends in a "boss fight," most of which seemed to just include repeatedly shooting bubbles at a boss until it died. The Challenge Mode has you selecting a set time limit and then trying to bust as many bubbles as you can within that frame. It's all about a high score, but the game doesn't support any kind of online leaderboards, not even with your 3DS friends.
Universe also looks like it was just thrown together, too. The game's bubble sprites and colors aren't a far cry from how they looked on the Java-based version I had on my phone six years ago. The 3D effects in the game don't add much to the gameplay, and are more distracting than anything. Overall, the visuals are serviceable, but don't seem to do anything to take advantage of the relatively powerful 3DS hardware.
If you're a fan of these games, you're likely going to find some enjoyment out of it despite it being more of the same. It's disappointingly light on features (there's not even an included multiplayer mode!), but you can at least take solace in knowing that at $29.99, it's the least expensive 3DS launch title.
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
"Still, that LEGO charm and humor is still throughout the gameplay, and if you haven't tired of it yet, it still makes for a fun title. They haven't strayed much from their formula, and as they say 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'...unless, you know, it's made of LEGOs." - Read the full review
While the above quote is from a review of the Xbox 360 version of the game, which launched earlier this week, it most certainly applies to the 3DS version. TT Games managed to put together a solid action-platformer for the 3DS out of the gate, one that looks -- in my opinion -- the best in 3D among all of the launch titles. The game's cut-scenes (CG movies) look particularly stunning on the small 3D screen.
The question is, of course, do you want to spend 40 dollars on a LEGO Star Wars game for your handheld? That's going to depend on how much you like these kind of games; it doesn't do anything particularly new, and it's definitely a better experience on consoles (where you can play couch co-op with a pal). Still, there's a few hours of gameplay here, and it doesn't feel like they took any shortcuts for this handheld iteration.
Madden NFL 3DS
Full disclosure: I am not a football fan, nor do I spend a lot of time playing sports games. But even with that in mind, it's shocking how much Madden NFL 3DS just feels like a title EA pushed out the door to make the 3DS launch.
For starters, the game is easily the least polished title I played from the launch lineup. The usual EA sheen is just not present here; from the game's menus to features, it feels like a pre-alpha version of Madden NFL 12 3DS or something.
The game's season mode seems totally empty compared to what fans of the series expect. You only wanted to track your wins and losses? Because that's all you're going to get. Most football fans are sticklers for the statistics, right? The fact that they're completely ignored here is kind of mind-boggling.
There are also no multiplayer modes present, local or Wi-Fi. It's a competitive sports game, and you can't play it competitively against another human. Huh.
The 3D effects here, for reasons I can't entirely put my finger on, are the most headache-inducing of the games I've played. Even on the lowest 3D slider settings, I had trouble keeping an eye on the game's movements. Even the game's title screen logo made me want to barf.
I don't have any insight into the game's development, so I can't speak to that specifically. But do get the feeling that if the developers had been given more time (let's say the months between now and when Madden titles usually launch, in August), the game would have benefited greatly. As it stands, it kind of seems a big disappointment for football fans. I suspect its follow-up will be the game Madden fans were hoping for at this launch.
nintendogs + cats
"[nintendogs + cats] serves as a good system launch game that shows off the 3DS' new features. Don't go in expecting deep entertainment and you'll likely enjoy this. Again, what it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in cuteness." - Read the full review
Pilotwings Resort
"There's no doubt that Pilotwings Resort offers a smooth, pleasurable ride and a long overdue return to a beloved series. But when you land, you'll just wish there was a little more fuel in its tank." - Read the full review
Rayman 3D
First off, know that Rayman 3D is not a fresh title for the Nintendo 3DS -- it's a port of Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which was originally released in 1999. That was 12 years ago, so it's no surprise that Rayman 3D is certainly showing its age... and it doesn't help that it's a bit of a sloppy port.
This fact is made particularly evident by the fact that -- outside of the 3D effects -- nothing has been changed about the game. It is, in every way, Rayman 2. That's not the worst thing you could get, as the game is a classic 3D platformer in every sense of the word, with all of its lilly pad hopping, tree climbing, and exploration that comes with it.
Rayman 2 is considered by many to be a true classic, one of the best platformers of its generation. If you're in that camp and you're ready to give it another go on the go -- this is like the game's tenth port or something ridiculous like that -- then by all means, Rayman 3D may seem like a sensible purchase. But if you have missed the joys of the title the first go around, you may be left wondering what all of the fuss is about. Because Ubisoft didn't do much to bring it "up to date," and there's technical problems abound.
Textures are identical to the original, which means they sometimes look flat and muddy up close. The game's camera sometimes decides to be in the least convenient place possible when it comes to making an all important leap. The game's got a nice little visual boost with the use of 3D, but things look a little strange when you run into a flat object, like butterflies or other objects in the environment. While these things can be overlooked (it's just a port, after all), there are a host of other issues. For example: the game's framerate dips in some areas, and sound effects seem to trigger randomly or sometimes never at all. The lack of care in bringing the game to the 3DS is evident from start to finish.
Despite some problems, Rayman 3D is still playable and can even be fun at times. It's not a substitute for Nintendo's announced Super Mario title for the 3DS (which can't come soon enough), but those looking for a platformer fix might be able to forgive its flaws. It's just a shame Ubisoft didn't take more care with the title, because with the right love, it could have been something really special.
Ridge Racer 3D
One of the few games we didn't receive in time for launch. Jim just received a copy from Namco Bandai today (the Saturday before launch), but with Jim not having a Nintendo 3DS unit yet, we won't have any impressions until launch day at the earliest.
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
Same story here as Ridge Racer 3DS, although Koei rushed a copy to Jim Sterling earlier this week. He is the one of the only two persons on the staff who doesn't blackout when the words "Samurai" and "Warriors" come up in succession, so that makes sense. Impressions soon.
The Sims 3
I've only spent about an hour with the 3DS version of The Sims 3, but my first impression is that you're better off playing this game on the Mac or PC. If your response to that is "yeah, obviously," here's this: if you want to play it on the go, the iOS and Android ports are not only less expensive, and you'll probably get a better experience with them, too.
Visually, The Sims 3 on the 3DS is disappointing. Your little Sim people haven't lacked this much detail since, well, maybe the Nintendo DS version of The Sims 3. The 3DS is supposed to be more powerful hardware, right? So what happened? And why does the game sometimes slow down to a crawl when I send my Sim to the toilet?
That gripe aside, the game plays like The Sims you'd expect, and it works reasonably well in conjunction with the handheld's touch screen. It also makes pretty cool use of StreetPass, where you'll be able to swap Sims with strangers, even when your game's not on.
You can also take a picture of yourself using the 3DS camera and the game will generate a Sim for you that (in theory) looks like you. In my case, it didn't really work at all. I don't know what creep the game decided to make for me, but it didn't have a nose. Like, when you looked at it from the side, the nose just wasn't there. It was terrifying. I'm not getting any royalty checks from those Calvin Klein ads I did back in college, but I was a bit insulted with the final result.
Steel Diver
Anytime someone asked Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime about "core" titles for the 3DS at launch, he said "Steel Diver." And when you asked him what game he was excited about for the 3DS launch, he said "Steel Diver."
Turns out Reggie's got pretty good taste, as Steel Diver is certainly a fun little title, and one of the few "brand new" game concepts.
Steel Diver has you using the the touch screen to manipulate a submarine's pitch, velocity, and more as you navigate a handful of the game's treacherous side-scrolling levels. For each stage you can choose from one of three vessels -- each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and abilities -- and the object of the game is to reach your goal with the fewest amount of seconds on the clock.
There are also two other games modes: one where you'll use the 3DS gyroscope to move a periscope and shoot at enemy ships, another is a turn-based strategy style game called "Steel Commander" that can be played alone or against another player (locally, as the game doesn't support Wi-Fi).
The side-scrolling missions are the meat of the game, with seven of them, each of which can be completed separately by each ship. The rest feels like "icing on the cake." The periscope stuff is neat but can be breezed through, and the lack of Wi-Fi play for "Steel Commander" is disappointing. You can play alone against the computer-controlled AI, but I can imagine it would really shine against other players. (Of course, considering the handheld hasn't hit shelves yet as of this writing, I haven't had any head-to-head "Steel Commander" action.)
Steel Diver's a fun little package, but its biggest issue is that there's not much to it. You can probably finish all of the missions in all of the game modes in a few hours. There's an incentive to revisit levels and beat your times, but without a proper online leaderboard, you're just competing against yourself. At $40, you're going to have a lot of fun while it lasts, but will soon be wishing there was more.
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Sega's managed to throw together a decent little Monkey Ball package for the 3DS launch with this one. Of course, how much you get out of it will depend on where you stand on the rolling a monkey in a ball through mazes while you pick up bananas. It's a polished effort, but be prepared for a certain level of déjà vu to kick in if you're already familiar with the series.
The game's main mode has you tilting the game world to roll an adorable little monkey around, collecting tasty bananas (although you never really get to eat them, which is frustrating) on your way to a finish line. On the 3DS, you can use the circle pad which works rather perfectly for this style of gameplay.
You can also use the handheld's gyroscope for controls, literally tilting the world in your hands to set your ball in motion. I actually enjoyed using this control scheme, but be warned: it's useless in conjunction with the game's 3D. Because you can only view the screen head on when the 3D effects are on (otherwise things get "blurry," to say the least), the gyroscope control method and the depth effects don't quite play so nicely. While the 3D effects actually looked pretty nice in the game (even with the slider turned all the way up), it didn't add enough to the game that I wasn't willing to sacrifice it for my control scheme of choice.
The game's biggest drawback is that you're not going to find much of a challenge here. Of the 70-some-odd stages, you never really run into anything remotely difficult. I don't know if that was intentional (keeping it simple for the 3DS crowd maybe?), but it's definitely noticeable.
Sega did include a kart racer mode that's pretty decent for a freebie, but it's obviously not the main focus of the game. It controls well and what courses are there seem well-designed, but there are too few to make this this mode feel substantial. (Also: you can't pause during a race for some reason, which is a brilliant design decision if I've ever seen one.) There's also a Monkey Fight mode which is barely worth talking about -- it's a throwaway attempt at a fighter with poor controls that quickly degenerates into a button-mash-a-thon.
As an on-the-go fix for your daily dose of monkeys and balls, Super Monkey Ball 3D should hit the spot. It's nothing revolutionary and the concept is on the precipice of getting tired, but it's definitely a solid Monkey Ball effort.
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
"While the tiny screen and the sometimes cramped controls may keep it from being tournament ready, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition easily one of the best titles the 3DS launch has to offer." - Read the full review
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow Wars
The real surprise of the 3DS launch game is most certainly Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars. If you're burnt out on the third-person military shooter action of the Ghost Recon series, this game is for you: it's a turn-based strategy game, and it's pretty damned good.
If that's not enough to get your mouth-watering, it's designed by X-Com creator Julian Gollop. So while it's a shock that this game exists (and that it's a 3DS launch title that's good and has "Tom Clancy" in its name), it shouldn't be a shock that the game feels like X-Com Light.
I've only spent about an hour or two with the game (Ubisoft got their launch titles out to us a bit late), but it's obvious Shadow Wars is an original gem in the 3DS' (mostly) middling launch line up of ports and remakes. While it doesn't really take advantage of the system's unique capabilities (no Wi-Fi, no StreetPass support), at least it's an original title that plays to the system's strengths as a handheld.
Visually, this isn't the best looking game of the 3DS line up, but I actually really like the 3D effects in action. The "up close and personal" nature of the combat (you're moving single units about) mixes well with the 3D depth effects. It's almost like you're playing with little army men, moving them about in a tiny box. While that might seem like a small and perhaps silly thing to mention, the effect is actually rather cool in practice.
I don't know how the missions are going to play out, as I've only completed a handful. It does appear as if there are quite a few, though, and that Shadow Wars should have my attention for awhile. There's even a pass-and-play multiplayer mode, where players shuffle one 3DS back and forth as they take turns plotting their moves. The lack of Wi-Fi support is disappointing, but that seems par for the course with many 3DS launch games. (What's up with that?)
Beyond the fact that it seems like a solid strategy title, if there's any reason to buy Shadow Wars, it's to show publishers that original games can be successful on the 3DS. Looking at the launch line up, there are far too many titles that are just mini-versions of console titles. And with the exception of games like Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, they rarely live up to the originals.
The success of the platform for me, as a gamer, isn't going to just be "good or decent handheld versions of games I like." I'm going to want to play them because they're experiences I can't get anywhere else. Here's hoping Nintendo's E3 Nintendo 3DS showing is a whopper.
You are logged out. Login | Sign up


text:
2012 Plans and Dreams From the Linux Blogs and Beyond
Jan 3, 2012 5:00 AM PT
Well 2012 has arrived at last, and not a moment too soon!
Not only can we finally dispense with all the holiday festivities, but we can also say goodbye to a year that was far too tempestuous for comfort. Here's hoping that 2012 will be a lot less exciting here in the technology world!
Of course, one last obligation still to be fulfilled on this cusp of the new year is the making of resolutions. Linux Girl's is to get up close and personal with more of the distros out there, beyond just Ubuntu and Mint; she's also hoping to dust off and photograph her world-class collection of plastic toy penguins.
As for other bloggers? Well, they've had plenty of other things in mind.
'Pay Down Debt'
Blogger vCole kicked off the conversation early over on TechExams.net, for example, getting the ball rolling back in mid-December.
"I know we're 16 days away from New Year's Eve, but what is everyone's New Year's Resolution(s)?" vCole wrote. "Mine are:
Finish MCITP:EA (Taking 1 of the 3 remaining exams this month)
Get healthy. (Not just lose weight, but over all health - mentally and physically!)
Pay down debt (Already started this!)
Pickup a new hobby
and last, read more."
'Get My Blog Its Own Domain'
Blogger shodown had different ideas: "Not to spend 600 bucks on a 3750 and instead buy holiday cards, put in 20 bucks inside them and hand them out to the people I encounter at Starbucks, the liquor store, the grocery store and the few places I eat every day."
Alternatively, "get back to the gym on a normal basis (At least 4 times a week again)" was one resolution from blogger Steve086.
Others on Steve086's list:
"Disconnect from work a bit more and relax
Build my home CCIE lab
Get my CCDP and CCNP: Sec
Get my blog its own domain instead of .wordpress.com
Publish blog posts back on a weekly basis"
'Contribute More to OSS Projects'
Ginger Geek Girl, meanwhile, plans not only to "spend less money going out (thus the Wii purchase!) so I can save for a new car in 2012," but also to "learn a new word per week, use it and report on it," she wrote on her blog last month.
"Gain a footing in my new position, and help out with some of the company's challenges," began Danish blogger Mookid.
Others on Mookid's list:
"Attend a couple of conferences -- in passive as well as in active mode.
Contribute some more to some of the OSS projects I like -- including my own.
Put Rebus to (some serious ab)use."
'Manage a Source Release'
Another one of Linux Girl's own New Year's resolutions for 2012 is to spend more quality time with her favorite barstool down at the Broken Windows Lounge, and that's just what she did to kick off the new year -- aided in large part by a parade of Peppermint Penguins, Sudo Santas and Command Lime Coolers.
She couldn't help overhearing what her barmates had to say.
"Put the finishing touches on a project I'm working on and manage a source release," offered consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack, for example.
'Teach My 8-Year-Old to Program'
"Return to annual major version releases for LedgerSMB," said Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works on the LedgerSMB project..
"LedgerSMB 1.3 was horribly waylaid by a number of complex development projects," Travers explained. Version 1.4, however, will be released in 2012, he said.
Then, too -- vowing to pass down some of the geeky awesomeness to the next generation -- Travers also plans "to teach my 8-year-old how to program in Perl and C," he told Linux Girl.
'I Will Continue to Explore Debian'
Finally, blogger and newly retired teacher Robert Pogson was looking forward to a year of wonder and fresh possibilities.
"I have more PCs than I could possibly need; now, I write and play with FLOSS," Pogson explained.
"I only have 1,700 of the 30,000 software packages from the Debian GNU/Linux repositories," he noted. "There's just so much available that I have not tried yet."
Pogson plans to set up a network of virtual machines and experiment with various clustering and networking technologies. "I expect I will continue to explore Debian," he told Linux Girl.
'Continued Growth for FLOSS'
Looking ahead to this new year, "I wish and expect that the world will discover FLOSS, particularly Debian GNU/Linux, to be the rich and efficient software system I have been using for years," Pogson said.
"It is as different as night and day from that other OS, with all its restrictions and fragility," he added.
Meanwhile, "I expect Android/Linux will continue to triumph in the mobile space and to invade the stationary space," Pogson predicted. "GNU/Linux will share that accomplishment."
In all, then, "I see nothing but continued growth for FLOSS in 2012, accelerated by the faltering of that other OS, which does not meet the needs of ordinary people all over the world," Pogson concluded.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Croatia occupies some of the most prime real estate, from a tourism and scenery perspective, in all of the Balkans. Its sliver-shaped coastal region on the Adriatic Sea has been drawing plugged-in travelers, budget-conscious vacationers and next-best-thing seekers for years. The country's inland heartland boasts mountains, forests and the flood plains of the famous Danube River. The capital, Zagreb, and the coastal towns of Dubrovnik and Split have become cosmopolitan places with big-city traits like buzzing nightlife, diverse food scenes and plenty of culture.
Eco-tourists have numerous options on Croatia's coastline and also in the expansive network of national parks and forests throughout the country. A wide array of small-scale, family-owned hotels, farmers markets and a growing green scene, as well as a strong nationwide public transportation system, make this a viable green destination. Planning a low-impact vacation is easy in what has become one of Europe's brightest up-and-coming tourist destinations.
Sleep green
Croatia has a full range of hotels and inns, with options including rustic campgrounds, small inns and large spa resorts.
Camping is possible throughout the country. Most campgrounds have extra amenities, with some offering showers, barbecue and cooking facilities, and electricity. Places like the Solaris Camping Beach Resort offer small rental "cabins" and extras like a wellness center and seawater swimming pool. Solaris is on the popular Dalmatian Coast. Other seaside spots, like Adriatic Camping, focus on providing a simpler tent-camping experience.
Croatia is growing as a tourist destination, but small, family-run establishments still dominate the hospitality scene. Many of these places are infused with a strong sense of history. Split's Hotel Park, for example, has a 100-year-long story and still retains its Mediterranean vibe and classic sense of style. It has been named one of Croatia's best small hotels on several occasions.
The Hotel and Spa Iadera, operated by Central European hospitality stalwart Falkensteiner, is a large resort complex, but one of the more overtly green venues in all of Croatia. Located near the coastal town of Zadar, it has some impressive eco-friendly traits. A state-of-the-art heating and cooling system relies on seawater, while a desalination and purification system converts that same seawater for use in the hotel. The purification process does not rely on any chemicals.
Eat green
Agriculture is still a major part of life in Croatia. Locally grown goods are on display in farmers markets around the country. Two of the larger options for buying fresh produce are the Zagreb Farmers Market and the Dubrovnik Farmer's Market. Depending on the season, hungry tourists can find root vegetables, onions, berries, olives and other delectables in these markets. Virtually every town in the country has some sort of market operating at least one day per week.
A fledgling organic and vegetarian scene has become a small but noticeable part of the restaurant industry in Zagreb. One example of its green-eating movement is Vegehop, an eatery featuring a full menu of vegetarian and vegan dishes made with ingredients like greens, tofu and legumes. Restaurant Nova is another Zagreb hotspot. It boasts a menu of macrobiotic, organic meals.
See green
Croatia features eight national parks and 10 nature preserves. Plitvice Lakes National Park is the headliner of the country's natural spaces. Situated between Zagreb and the coast, it consists of 16 freshwater lakes connected by a series of streams and waterfalls and is surrounded by lush forests. Many visitors consider this one of Europe's most beautiful places, and the park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boardwalks and gravel trails weave through the entire park, with hikes of one hour to one day (or longer) possible. Those who want to trade a little green-ness for some comfort and convenience can use buses that travel between the lakes to see more of the park in less time. These buses, as well as boats that take cruises of the lakes, are free with paid entrance.
Dalmatia has become one of the most popular tourist regions in the Balkans, if not all of Eastern Europe. With a high number of attractions, it is possible to get a little sidetracked and perhaps miss the best of the region's sights. Southern Sea Ventures offers kayaking tours that focus on Croatia's Adriatic waters. Adriatic Kayak Tours offers a similar menu of paddles, but is also willing to rent equipment to experienced water-lovers who want to explore on their own. Of course, sailing (including eco-friendly cruise options) is also on Dalmatia's menu.
Croatia's eastern region is largely rural and definitely doesn't enjoy the tourism profile of the coastal regions, but it is not without its charms when it comes to natural attractions. Kopacki Rit Nature Park covers an expansive wetland area. The park sits next to the Danube, and sections of the park can be toured by specially designed boat. Kopacki is home to over 40 species of fish as well as mammal residents such as otters, deer and wild boars. The park has a network of trails, and there is even an option to take a horse-powered tour of the park. Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is another area near the Danube that hosts a variety of wildlife. An especially high population of birds calls Lonjsko's vast flood plains home.
Krka National Park is a park with several large sets of waterfalls that tumble down its namesake river. Most people come for the photo opportunities created by the fast-moving waters. However, Krka is also a birding paradise, with more than 200 winged species calling the park's forests and waterways home.
Croatia's Adriatic Islands are great destinations for sun-seekers and people looking for a budget-friendly Mediterranean getaway. There are also some eco-centered attractions as well. The Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation project runs three programs in the Adriatic, including dolphin and turtle conservation and research programs and a education-oriented venue called The Lošinj Marine Education Centre. Another environmental attraction is the Eco-Center on the island of Cres. The center offers volunteer experiences for people looking for a more hands-on, long-term vacation.
Go green
Croatia's transportation network has grown along with its profile as a tourist destination. An improving train system joins far-reaching bus and ferry services to create a useful and fairly modern transit infrastructure. It is definitely possible to get around Croatia without a car.
People traveling around the popular Adriatic Coast can use the national Jadrolinija ferry service. Ferries run between major towns and the islands that sit off the coastline. Boats also run between major coastal cities like Dubrovnik and Split, making Jadrolinija useful for more than getting to islands. Croatia's trains run between most major cities, making them a good option for getting from one region to another before setting out on bus to reach your exact destination. All major cities and most major towns have bus terminals. A dozen different operators provide service, with some offering long-haul trips and some focused on a specific region. Popular routes originating in Zagreb are usually served by more than one company. Seats are usually reserved, so it is a good idea for travelers intent on securing a window seat or not being stuck in the back of the bus to buy tickets in advance.
With diverse geography and a cosmopolitan vibe, Croatia has become one of Europe's new guard of destinations: cheaper than its Western European counterparts, but equally attractive according to most visitors. Eco-tourists will appreciate the wide range of small-scale sleeping options, a growing green-eating scene, a useful public transportation infrastructure, and a diverse set of natural attractions.


text:
Bison roundup at Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge
At least 20 animals were removed from the herd to let habitat recover.
We recommend using the gallery view to enjoy these photographs.
The bison herd at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, 16,000 acres crammed between Denver, Colo., and a major airport, is growing fast. Last week, about 45 biologists and wildlife and land managers from across the country gathered for a semi-annual round-up to look for disease, monitor genetic diversity and move some animals to keep the size of the herd, now in its seventh year, in check. About a quarter of the herd has to be relocated because the 2,500 acres of recently restored short grass prairie habitat where it lives can't take such heavy use quite yet.
"They got there faster than we expected," the refuge manager, David Lucas, said of the herd's growth from a couple dozen to 87 animals. Lucas oversaw the event, opening chute gates and driving a truck to round up the bison. He hopes to expand their habitat by several thousand acres, once more of the refuge's land has been restored. Native species are still on their way back after decades of agricultural and military and industrial use. Lucas anticipates that, in the long-term, as many as 200 of the wooly creatures could roam the area, visible from suburban backyards and the airport boulevard.
Bozeman-based U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Lee Jones, who helps with most of the agency's bison roundups at six refuges across the country, was also at the Arsenal last Tuesday. She drew blood, embedded microchips the size of rice grains, scanned existing ones to bring up health records on a hand-held data system and pulled hairs for genetic tests. The goal is to keep the herds on each refuge diverse to avoid inbreeding-associated problems, said Jones, who built this herd from others back in 2007. "Based on genetics, we decide where (removed bison) can be sent and which genetics we want to keep here."
Of the 20 or so bison being removed over the next month or two, three will go to Sully's Hill National Game Reserve in North Dakota, two to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, and a couple to Colorado State University for educational purposes. The fate of the others has yet to be decided; some may go to private ranches and eventually be killed for meat.
The Arsenal originally housed facilities that manufactured chemical weapons for both World War II and the Cold War. For several decades, Shell Chemical produced the pesticide DDT there, polluting the soil and groundwater. A population of wintering bald eagles discovered in the '80s sparked the beginning of environmental restoration of the site, and in 1992 it was designated a national wildlife refuge. Now it's home to prairie dogs, deer and coyotes, in addition to the bison herd. The Arsenal refuge, like Rocky Flats, a former nuclear-weapons plant on the opposite side of Denver, is one of several former military or industrial sites in the West that have been reborn as wildlife refuges.
Although such transformations are encouraging, these sites are often close to cities, which means wildlife can't just roam free. The Arsenal refuge is hemmed in by the Denver suburb, Commerce City to the southwest, multi-lane Peña Boulevard that serves Denver International Airport to the east, and major highways in every other direction. An eight-foot, heavy gauge wire fence and a second, slightly shorter fence ensure that bison can't wander into nearby towns or roadways. "I can't just put a three-strand barbed wire up, and if one gets out, go catch it," Lucas said.
Visitation has grown quickly alongside the bison herd, from 23,000 onlookers last year to more than 300,000 in 2013. Local officials say the tourism benefits the Denver area's economy. Mayor Michael Hancock called the refuge "a great example of how the metro area balances being the fastest-growing region in the United States and protecting our natural resources like the bison."
As of a few days ago, Jones had one last roundup to complete before the end of the year, in Oklahoma. The refuges have an important role to play in helping urban residents connect with wilderness, she said. "Most people only get to see bison on TV, but the Arsenal is looking for the public to come and observe the roundup operation." Events like last week's roundup are a way for people to understand what goes into managing a wildlife refuge and a growing bison herd. "It's important that people understand the value of that (management)," Jones said, "if we're looking at preserving bison in future years."
Tay Wiles is the online editor of High Country News. She tweets @taywiles. Theo Stroomer is an independent photographer and a contributor to High Country News.


text:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Four Floridians have been sickened by salmonella linked to California poultry processing facilities that have caused a nationwide outbreak.
The Florida Department of Health said Thursday they had been notified of three additional cases of salmonellosis in Florida residents linked to Foster Farms chicken by DNA fingerprinting. Three cases were in Miami-Dade County. The fourth was reported in Brevard.
The Agriculture Department said Foster Farms has until Thursday to explain how it will fix problems that have sickened 278 people across the country.
According to CDC, the most recent illness began two weeks ago. The majority of illnesses have been in California but people in 17 states have been infected.
Foster Farms officials say they've put new food safety controls in place after it found out about the illnesses.


text:
I'm a wee bit late for WeTree's Week 3 challenge: "Assess yourself! You're great at researching everyone else's history, but how much of your own have you recorded? Do an assessment of your personal records and timeline events to ensure your own life is as well-documented as that of your ancestors. If you have a genealogy blog, write about the status of your own research and steps you may take to fill gaps and document your own life."
I jumped into my family's genealogy about 5 years ago, whilst assembling a scrapbook about my father's life. But I really do need to do a better job of organizing my personal documents, photos and other stuff.
The good news is that there is plenty of stuff to organize. One of the saddest things that a genealogist faces is a lack of artifacts and sources to work with. Not so with my life! I was quite the packrat in my childhood. Sure, I've purged a lot over the past decade or so, but there's still plenty left to document my life thus far.
I'm slowly starting to take apart the old magnetic and other albums that store my childhood photos. These I'm organizing into photo-safe scrapbooks from Creative Memories. Some will be traditional scrapbooks and some will be digital (using scans of photos). Others are more like traditional photo albums (you slip the photos into individual sleeves rather than laying them out on 12×12 or 8×8 pages). This latter option can be put together much faster, but journaling boxes and other scrapbooking materials can also be incorporated to tell stories and add fun touches to the photo pages.
I still have items like my childhood medical records, my elementary school ephemera, my high school and college newspaper clippings and more. These will have to be stored carefully as many of the items are very fragile. Luckily, Creative Memories has many options to help me with this endeavor as well.
This organization and preservation process doesn't happen overnight, but the results will be well-worth it years from now when my personal history is still in good shape. Some might see this type of project as a chore, but I enjoy stirring up old memories as I go through old photo albums and create new ones.
Still not convinced you want to take on a project like preserving your own history? Then I'm here to help you. Drop me a line!


text:
Nagoya, Japan, November 6, 2010 - Italy came from behind to record a four-set victory (22-25, 32-30, 25-8, 25-15) on the first day of second-round Pool F action at Nippon Gaishi Hall on Saturday night. The fourth-ranked Italians are 2-2 after the win, while the 15th-ranked Germans have an identical mark after the loss. Francesca Piccinini was a dynamic attacking force for Italy, coming through with several timely spikes and blocks to help ensure her team outblocked Germany 13-4.FIVB Women's World Championship Japan 2010 official page
Giovanni Guidetti's Germans were on the verge of going two sets up but lost the second set and saw the match slip away after some marvellous play by the Italians. Piccinini finished top scorer in the match with 25 points including three blocks and one serving ace while Antonella Del Core contributed 18 points to the victory. Other Italians in double digits were Simona Gioli and Valentina Arrighetti with 12 and 11 respectively. Margareta Kozuch led the scoring for Germany with 17 points, Christiane Furst added 12 including four blocks and Maren Brinker tallied 10.Germany led 16-12 at the Second Technical Timeout in the first set and then won a wonderful rally that lasted more than a minute to go 22-20 up before taking the set 25-22.
The second set was long on entertainment with little between the teams throughout. Germany had several set-points but could not finish the job and after hanging on gamely, Italy eventually claimed the set 32-30 on their third set-point.Massimo Barbolini's side had showed both guts and guile in refusing to go down 2-0. They carried the momentum into the third set, racing into an 11-1 lead on the back of some excellent serves and eventually prevailing 25-8.Italy kept the pressure on in the fourth set, with the defence especially impressive as they wrapped up the match with a 25-15 triumph. Their next opponents will be USA on Sunday, while Germany will face the Czech Republic.


text:
12-Cup Programmable Thermal Coffeemaker Demo Video (DTC-975BKN)
Cuisinart presents an updated version of the only 12-cup thermal coffeemaker on the market! This Premier Series Coffeemaker brews rich, flavorful coffee and keeps it fresh and hot for hours! The double-wall 12-cup insulated carafe is sensational in stainless, and our patented Brew Through/Pour Through Lid keeps air out and flavor fresh. Auto shutoff, an audible "cycle-complete" signal, and Brew Pause™ for mid-cycle pouring make this a coffee lover's top choice!


text:
Cancer and your feelings
There is no right or wrong way to feel after a cancer diagnosis. You are likely to feel many different emotions.
Our Online Community is always open and full of people ready to support you.
Share experiences and get support about any types of cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, biological or hormonal therapies, transplants, and clinical trials.
We rely on a number of sources to gather evidence for our information. If you'd like further information on the sources we use, please feel free to contact us on: email@example.com
All our information is reviewed by cancer or other relevant professionals to ensure that it's accurate and reflects the best evidence available. We thank all those people who have provided expert review for the information on this page.
Our information is also reviewed by people affected by cancer to ensure it is as relevant and accessible as possible. Thank you to all those people who reviewed what you're reading and have helped our information to develop.
You could help us too when you join our Cancer Voices Network – find out more at: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancervoices
Need to talk? Call us free* 0808 808 00 00 Monday - Friday 9am-5pm


text:
Metabolic alkalosis induced by GI loss leads to volume depletion. In this setting, secondary hyperaldosteronism ensues, leading to sodium retention and potassium wasting, hence the hypokalemia. Further, such GI losses are also associated with chloride depletion. Maintenance of electroneutrality usually obligates chloride reabsorption along with sodium retention. But in chloride depleted states, this is not possible. Instead the lumen-negative gradient (due to sodium reabsorption without chloride following) obligates cation excretion, usually potassium or hydrogen ions. Additionally, the hyperaldosteronism increases H+ excretion via effects on the H-ATPase. Together these explain the paradoxical aciduria associated with GI loss-induced metabolic alkalosis as hydrogen is excreted despite alkalemia. The chloride depleted state, as well as the sodium retention induced by volume depletion, also lead to maintenance of the alkalosis by limiting bicarbonate excretion by a variety of mechanisms. It is for this reason that such alkaloses are termed saline responsive, indicated by a low urine chloride - administration of saline leads to correction of hypovolemia and therefore removes the stimulus to aldosterone, while at the same time chloride replenishment allows for the excretion of bicarbonate while minimizing H+ excretion, leading to an appropriately alkaline urine and rapid correction of the electrolyte abnormalities.
Friday, April 30, 2010
The urine's the thing...
Metabolic alkalosis induced by GI loss leads to volume depletion. In this setting, secondary hyperaldosteronism ensues, leading to sodium retention and potassium wasting, hence the hypokalemia. Further, such GI losses are also associated with chloride depletion. Maintenance of electroneutrality usually obligates chloride reabsorption along with sodium retention. But in chloride depleted states, this is not possible. Instead the lumen-negative gradient (due to sodium reabsorption without chloride following) obligates cation excretion, usually potassium or hydrogen ions. Additionally, the hyperaldosteronism increases H+ excretion via effects on the H-ATPase. Together these explain the paradoxical aciduria associated with GI loss-induced metabolic alkalosis as hydrogen is excreted despite alkalemia. The chloride depleted state, as well as the sodium retention induced by volume depletion, also lead to maintenance of the alkalosis by limiting bicarbonate excretion by a variety of mechanisms. It is for this reason that such alkaloses are termed saline responsive, indicated by a low urine chloride - administration of saline leads to correction of hypovolemia and therefore removes the stimulus to aldosterone, while at the same time chloride replenishment allows for the excretion of bicarbonate while minimizing H+ excretion, leading to an appropriately alkaline urine and rapid correction of the electrolyte abnormalities.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Renal Malignancy Syndromes
BHD may present with multiple or bilateral renal cancers; it is also associated with oncocytomas of the kidney, and with pulmonary cysts and spontaneous pneumothorax (which she does not have). It is due to a loss of function mutation of a gene on chromosome 17 which may be a tumor suppressor gene and the gene product is folliculin.
We see a lot of patients (relatively) in our clinic with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, as we are a referral center. TSC is also rarely associated with renal cancer (in 1-2% of cases). There are numerous skin manifestations of TSC, including facial angiomas. Other major manifestations include lymphangiomyomatosis of the lung, cardiac rhabdomyomas, CNS cerebral tubors and renal angiomyolipomas (AML's), as well as renal cysts. It is an autosomal dominant condition. TSC has two genotypes. The gene defect for TSC1 is on Chromosome 9 (encodes for Hamartin); the gene defect for TSC 2 is on Chromosome 16 (encodes for Tuberin). Hamartin and Tuberin are involved in cell cycle regulation.
Finally, Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) is much more frequently associated with renal cell cancer. It is also autosomal dominant with the loss of function defect on chromosome 3 which is also tumor suppressor gene. VHL is associated with
- Hemangioblasomas of the brain, retinal angiomas
- Pheochromocytoma
- Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
- Renal cysts
- Renal cell cancer - usually a clear cell cancer
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Cyclosporine in Membranous Nephropathy: A non-immune modulatory effect to maintain remission?
The patient developed severe leukopenia, so Cyclophosphamide was discontinued. While we have some experience with Rituximab at our institution, this patient had normal renal function and therefore appeared to be a good candidate for a trial of Cyclosporine. We therefore initiated treatment with Cyclosporine at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day.
He responded well with reduction of his proteinuria to less than 2 gms/day. However, due to an episode of VZV/shingles, the Cyclosporine dose had to be decreased to 1 mg/kg/day, which resulted in trough levels less than 40 ng/ml. In spite of Cyclosporine levels well below these known to have a significant immunomodulatory effect, the patient achieved a surprising partial remission. It is of course conceivable that his remission was spontaneous, but this is not supported by the fact that he had been persistently nephrotic for 1.5 years prior to initiation of Cyclosporine treatment. Furthermore, the fact that the patient continues to be in remission 3 years later suggests that Cyclosporine may continue to exert a beneficial effect.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Renal Stress Testing
Friday, April 23, 2010
Surviving lactic acidosis; lessons from turtles
I met Nathan at the Origin's of Renal Physiology Course at Mount Desert Island, Maine a few years ago. This is an outstanding course where you get hands on experience exploring renal physiology using marine life just as Homer Smith did. I remember learning that the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta is able to survive extreme lactic acidosis. As a renal fellow we are frequently consulted for this devastating entity. Unfortunately, we are mostly unable to intervene as the answer in a majority of these cases is to correct the underlying problem. Interestingly, many aquatic vertebrates can remain submerged underwater for remarkably long periods of time. A prime example is the painted turtle, Chriysemys picta, a freshwater species found in Canada and the U.S. Its natural winter habit is to continuously submerge itself in ice-covered ponds for months. The turtle is able to sustain vital organ function for long periods of time despite severely hypoxic or even anoxic conditions. Lab studies have shown that these turtles an fully recover for submergences lasting 3 months at 3 C. The plasma concentration of lactate have been measured as high at 200mM. How is this possible?
The turtle has adapted to this environment by using several unique mechanisms. First, the major extracellular buffer, bicarbonate, is particularly high at baseline (40 mM) in the plasma as well as the peritoneal fluid (80 mM) and pericardial fluid (120 mM). This however, does not account for all of the buffering capacity needed to sustained such profound acidosis. The second and most interesting mechanism is its use of is bone-like shell. The shell accounts for 32% of the turtles total body mass. The portion of its skeleton not incorporated into the shell represents an additional 5.5%. Besides the obvious role it plays as a protective armor, the turtle's shell is also the major mineral reservoir for the body. Over 99% of the total body calcium, magnesium and phosphate and 60% of the body's sodium reside in the shell and bone.
Two mechanisms account for the shells buffering of lactate. First, supplemental buffers are released from the shell directly when needed. During periods of extreme anoxia. Plasma levels of calcium and magnesium increase dramatically. Likely, this is a passive process by which the shell is demineralized by acids. Mainly, calcium carbonate is released. So much calcium is sequestered in the shell that little loss is evident even with prolonged periods of acidosis. A similar process occurs during untreated acidosis in CKD. However, the calcium stores are not quite as profound in the human body. The second mechanism involves the uptake on lactate and a proton directly by the shell. The enormous buffering capacity of the shell allows for this.
Chriysemys picta's unique habit of hibernating during the winter months have allowed for this interesting ability to survive profound lactic acidosis by using its shell as a buffer. Unfortunately, lactic acidosis in the hospital setting is typically extremely difficult to control as the buffering capacity of the body cannot tolerate lactate accumulation for an extended period of time. Research performed on marine life, like at Mount Desert Island, allow for the discovery of novel and interesting ways to survive extremes in physiology.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Lessons from the Haiti earthquake for nephrologists?
Crush syndrome resulting in rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury is the second most frequent cause of mortality after direct trauma after major earthquakes. After the Haiti earthquake, efforts were made to set up a functioning dialysis unit and the team encountered many problems related to communication, infrastructure, and logistic hurdles. For example, there was no running water or electricity. After several days, the dialysis unit was up and running. 19 patients with crush syndrome were ultimately referred for hemodialysis and the team ran 64 dialysis sessions. The authors attributed the low number of patients who were dialyzed to the fact that most people who were severely injured died early on.
What can we as nephrologists learn from the Haiti disaster relief efforts? Vanholder et al. for the RDRTF summarized in the Lancet:
1. "need for better interagency communication to provide awareness of services available in the disaster area"
2. "the necessity of early fluid resuscitation"
3. "the value of the iSTAT point-of-care device for early diagnosis." By measuring the potassium, BUN, creatinine, the medical team was able to identify patients quickly who were in need of renal replacement therapy.
Haiti, considered the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has only four known nephrologists for its nine million people. There was a symposium at the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting last year on disaster relief, which was particularly timely. The role for nephrologists in disaster relief efforts and ways to improve mobilization, logistics, and communication remain ongoing topics for discussion.
Posted by Julie Paik M.D.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
ASN launches renal fellow website
The Earlier The Better
A 65 year-old man with a GFR 10ml/min is undergoing transplant evaluation. He has a question about whether he should wait for a cadaveric kidney or get a preemptive kidney transplant from a living donor. Assuming the cadaveric donor is available right away, which donor will give him the best chance for graft survival?
a. 45 yr old male cadaveric donor 6 out of 6 HLA matched
b. 25 yr old male cadaveric donor 4 out of 6 HLA matched
c. His 25 year old daughter with one haplotype match
d. His 55 yr old wife with 2 out of 6 HLA match
e. a + c
f. c + d
Although deceased kidney donor survival depends on the degree of HLA match, HLA matching is not as important for living kidney donors with the exception of identical twins, which have the best outcomes. Therefore, the right answers is f. The graft survival from the daughter's or wife's kidney will likely be very similar. However, many transplant centers would advocate doing a nephrectomy on the wife rather than the young daughter because of her age and long-term potential consequences, presumed both cross-matches are negative.
Most important learning point: refer your advanced CKD patient early for transplant evaluation!!!!
Two landmark articles below:
Meier-Kriesche, et al. Effect of waiting time on renal transplant outcome. Kidney Int 2000. 58:1311-1317.
Terasaki , et al. High survival rates of kidney transplants from spousal and living unrelated donors. N Engl J Med 1995.333:333-336.
Monday, April 19, 2010
An excursion into Magnesium homeostasis
Mg++ intracellular homeostasis is complex because it is compartmentalized in different organelles in the cell with different concentration.
The distribution of Mg++ in the human body is interesting.
- Serum 0.3%
- RBCs 0.5%
- Soft tissue 19.3%
- Muscle 27%
- Bone 52.9%
Clinical signs of hypomagnesemia (from mild to severe) include loss of appetite, nausea/vomitting, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions/cramps, seizures, nystagmus, personality changes, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, arrhythmias and coronary spasms.
Causes of hypomagnesmia can be reduced intake and/or absorption e.g. in malabsorption syndromes, change in redistribution e.g. during exchange transfusions and last but not least reduced renal re-absorption which is the most likely etiology. Causes include alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hypercalcemia and several medications (loop diuretics, aminoglycosides, cisplatin, calcineurin inhibitors, etc.).
Approximately 75-80% of serum Mg++ is filtered in the glomerulus. 15-20% are re-absorbed in the PT, ~65-75% are re-absorbed in the TAL and 5-10% are re-absorbed in the DCT. The DCT is the site of fine regulation of Mg++ excretion. The fractional excretion of Mg++ can range from 0.5% to 80% but typically is in the range of 3-5%.
How Mg++ re-absorption is regulated in the kidney is still unclear. Compared to other electrolytes there was no hormonal or regulatory known until recently. Its re-absorption appeared to be coupled to Calcium re-absorption. However, rare inherited Mendelian forms of Mg++ disorders have given insight into the molecular mechanisms of abnormal Mg+ homestasis:
Condition: Gene Mode of inheritance tubular location Urine Ca excretion
FHHNC: Claudin16 AR TAL High
BARTTER's: CLCNKB AR TAL High
ADH: CaSR AD TAL&DCT High
FHH: CaSR AD TAL&DCT Low
NSHPT: CaSR AR TAL&DCT Low
GS: NCCT AR DCT Low
HSH: TRPM6 AR DCT Low
IDH: NaK-ATPase AD DCT Low
Mitoch.: tRNAile Maternal lineage DCT Low
AR = Autosomal recessive
AD = Autosomal dominant
ADH = Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia
FHH = Familial Hypercalcemia with hypocalciuria
NSHPT = Neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism
GS = Gitelman syndrome
HSH = Hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia
IDH = Isolated dominant hypomagnesemia
CaSR = Calcium-sensing receptor
NNCT = Sodium-Chloride Cotransporter
TRPM6 = transient receptor potenetial cation channel, subfamily M, member 6.
A few comments on these inherited diseases which may be relevant. FHH and NSHPT feature typically elevated serum Mg++ levels. Disorders of hypomagnesemia located to the DCT have typically low urine calcium excretion compared to disorders located to TAL which have hypercalciuria. Another difference based on location of defect in the tubulus is degree of "hypermagnesuria". TAL defects result typically in higher FeMg++ of 15-50%, whereas hypomagnesemia caused by defects in the DCT results in lower levels of FeMg++ (5-15%). Patients with mutation in the gene Claudin 19, a paracellular tight junction protein, have similar phenotype to FHHNC caused by Claudin 16 (Paracellin). It turns out that Claudin 16 and Claudin 19 form a channel like structure to transport Mg++ through paracellular pathway in the TAL. This may be the most important mechanism of Mg++ transport in the TAL.
An interesting new chapter on Mg++ homeostasis began in 2007 based on a report by Bindel and colleagues in JCI. They reported that the EGF receptor may regulate TRPM6, a Mg++ channel in the DCT and that EGF is a magnesiotropic hormone. They reached that conclusion by reporting a family with a recessive form of hypomagnesemia with a loss-of-function mutation in Pro-EGF, a precursor of EGF, leading to lower EGF levels. Further evidence for this mechanism was shown in patients treated with Cetuximab, an anti-EGF-receptor antibody which causes hypomagnesemia.
In summary, Mg++ deficiency is probably more prevalent than recognized since serum Mg++ may or may not reflect intracellular Mg++ stores. Hypomagnesemia is linked to human disease since patients with low serum Mg++ have poorer outcome. Mg++ homeostasis is still poorly understood, however inherited forms of hypo- and hypermagnesemia provide the best understanding of its regulation.
Nathan Hellman Memorial Award
Nate Hellman MD PhD, the founder of the Renal Fellow Network, died tragically just over two months ago. He was a wonderful person, who possessed a strong sense of humanity, humor and compassion. Nate touched the lives of many people and is dearly missed by all who knew him.
A graduate of the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University, Nate loved the mysteries of basic science and clinical medicine and who took immense pleasure in teaching and sharing knowledge. Presently, his family is working with Washington University to establish the Nathan Hellman, M.D., Ph.D. Memorial Award, which will be given annually to recognize an outstanding medical student in the School of Medicine, a fitting legacy for an incredibly accomplished physician and scientist such as Nate.
If you would like to donate to this endowment student award, details may be found here.
Friday, April 16, 2010
PD vs HD in the elderly
The BOLDE (Broadening Outcomes for Long-term Dialysis in the Elderly) trial out of the UK looked at health-related quality of life measures in PD vs HD patients over 65. Results have not yet been published but were recently presented at the Annual Dialysis Conference in Seattle in March. Using a cross-sectional design, the study matched PD and HD patients (age, gender, time on dialysis) and compared health related quality of life via several validated assessment tools. Mean age was 73, most were men (70%), and ~25% lived alone in both groups. Patients in both groups were on dialysis for on average about 2.5 years. Education level was similar in both groups. Disease intrusiveness scores were lower in PD than in HD patients (22.0 in PD vs. 26.0 in HD) as assessed by the Illness and Intursiveness Rating Scale. The study also found that depressive symptoms were less common in the PD group, as were common dialysis-associated symptoms (headaches, dry mouth, taste changes, dizziness, and unsteadiness), with the exception of lower extremity edema, which was more common in patients with PD. For more details see the author's presentation data here and a review article here.
With the aging of the population, modality choice in the elderly will be a decision encountered more frequently, and at the very least this study should lead us to seriously entertain, if not encourage, PD in the elderly population. Further, as many of you know, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be implementing the bundle payment system in January 2011. In short, dialysis treatments in the US will be reimbursed with one lump some that will cover all the costs of the treatment, including labs, medications etc. Reimbursement for home dialysis will be comparable to in-center dialysis, providing some incentive to increase the use of home modalities which are generally cheaper. Taken in this context, PD enthusiasm in general should increase, both for quality of life and, for better or worse, financial, reasons.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Eeuuuw... too much information!
- SLC7A9: encodes an amino acid transporter expressed in renal proximal tubule cells, mutations in which cause cystinuria and are associated with cysteine nephrolithiasis.
- SLC34A1: encodes the Na-Pi co-transporter in the proximal tubule, mutations in which cause hypophosphatemic nephrolithiasis.
- ALMS1: Mutations in this gene are associated with renal ciliopathies, as well as the Alstrom syndrome, an autosomal recessive condition characterized by retinal degeneration, hearing loss, obesity, diabetes and renal failure.
- NAT8: This interesting candidate gene is involved in drug metabolism via de-acetylation, suggesting that polymorphisms in it may confer susceptibility to drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Also, there are reported associations between NAT8 polymorphisms and systolic blood pressure and renal function.
- DAB2: an adaptor protein in the proximal tubule which physically links megalin and non-muscle myosin heavy polypeptide 9 (MYH9), a critical susceptibility allele for non-diabetic kidney disease in African Americans, see blog posts here and here.
- VEGFA: Vascular endothelial growth factor A plays a key role in renal angiogenesis and vascular permeability.
The paucity of therapeutic options in Nephrology can lead to a certain diagnostic nihilism, and a large body of patients carry loosely applied clinical diagnoses such as "nephrosclerosis", and "interstitial renal disease". Studies such as this shed light on the real underlying causes of such presentations, and hint at an exciting new molecular toxonomy on the horizon.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Organophosphate poisoning ... a rare cause of AKI?
A colleague of mine at another academic institution recently informed me about a patient that had been admitted to the ICU with organophosphate poisoning. In spite of aggressive treatment, the patient remained critically ill with multiorgan dysfunction and developed acute kidney injury requiring continuous venovenous hemofiltration. While the AKI may have been caused by a period of hypotension, there was speculation that it may have been directly caused by the organophosphate. I had never learned in medical school, residency, or even fellowship that organophosphate toxicity could involve the kidneys and decided to investigate this a little further. It turns out that organophosphate poisoning indeed has been documented as a rare cause of AKI.
Organophosphates are chemicals that are commonly used for both household and industrial purposes. Organophosphates can be divided into insecticides (malathion, parathion, diazinon, fenthion, dichlorvos, chlorpyrifos, ethion), herbicides (tribufos [DEF], merphos), nerve gases (soman, sarin, tabun, VX), ophthalmic agents (echothiophate, isoflurophate), and antihelmintics (trichlorfon). When ingested accidentally or deliberately, these chemicals inhibit the active site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme present in the central and peripheral nervous systems at neuromuscular junctions, and on RBCs which is responsible for the degradation of acetylcholine. The consequence is excessive acetylcholine available to bind to nicotinine and muscarinic receptors, which produces the constellation of symptoms that can be seen with toxicity. Common symptoms include salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, GI upset, and emesis (SLUDGE syndrome), though bradycardia, hypotension, bronchospasm, severe respiratory distress, muscle fasciculations, and weakness can also ensue. Pralidoxime and atropine have traditionally been the accepted therapies for organophosphate poisoning.
Nephrotoxicity is rare but has been reported in a few cases of severe organophosphate poisoning:
1. One early case report documented the development of amorphous crystalluria and reduced urine output in a patient following ingestion of dimpylate in a suicidal attempt (Wedin et al JAMA 1984). The patient initially presented with vomiting, diaphoresis, and bradycardia and was treated with IVF hydration and atropine. Shortly after admission, urine output was found to decrease to 22 mL/hour, appearing dark and cloudy. Urinalysis revealed moderate amorphous crystals which could not be identified by the laboratory. IVF were increased, and pralidoxime was started. Urine output subsequently improved, though the amorphous crystalluria persisted for several days before spontaneously resolving. Interestingly, serum BUN and creatinine remained normal throughout the hospitalization. The patient was eventually discharged. Whether the crystalluria was directly induced by the dimpylate could not be established.
2. A second case report documented the development of AKI in a patient who had ingested the organophosphate methamidophos in a suicidal attempt (Agostini et al Human Exp Toxicol 2003). On admission, the patient had a serum creatinine of 100 umol/L (1.14 mg/dL) with strong urine output; he was treated with atropine 2mg and pralidoxime 2g bolus with 8g/day infusion. However, within hours, his urine output decreased to 0.5 mL/kg/hour and was not responsive to IVF hydration or furosemide. At 72 hours, the patient was anuric and volume overloaded with a serum creatinine of 6.25 mg/dL. CVVH was initiated and continued for 12 days, at which time the serum creatinine decreased to 3.29 mg/dL and urine output improved to 3.3 L/day. The patient remained in the ICU for 25 days and upon discharge his renal function had returned to normal. The authors proposed that CVVH may be a life-saving therapy for AKI associated with organophosphate poisoning.
Currently, there is not much experimental data demonstrating direct nephrotoxicity from organophosphates. Some mechanisms for AKI that have been proposed include increased intratubular organophosphate concentration, rhabdomyolysis, and prerenal azotemia from hypovolemia. One study in JASN (Poovala et al JASN 1999) examined the toxicity of the organophosphate bidrin in vitro using renal tubular epithelial cell line (LLC-PK1), using LDH release as a surrogate for cell death, and suggested a possible role of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of tubular cytotoxicity. Another study (Bloch-Schilderman et al J Appl Toxicol 2007) demonstrated that injection of sarin in rats lead to a 45% decrease in GFR, 50% reduction in urine output, and hematuria and glucosuria 24-48 hours following the dose. These findings were transient and reversible after 3-8 days; interestingly, treatment with atropine 1 minute after the sarin dose did not prevent the renal injury.
In summary, multiorgan dysfunction and AKI are rare events following organophosphate poisoning but have been documented are usually associated with a high mortality rate. More studies need to be performed to establish a more definitive causal relationship between these toxins and renal injury.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The great salt war; population-wide salt reduction
This study is not a randomized clinical trial nor is it a observational cohort. This study utilizes a computer-simulated cohort called a "Markov" cohort. "Markov" chains are named after Andrey Markov and are commonly used for statistical modeling in finance, economics, social sciences, physics and medicine. Bibbins-Domingo utilized the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) model which has been used to describe trends in CHD and the effects of interventions intended to reduce the risk of CHD and cost associated with treating CHD. This model inputs known data in regards to most accurate epidemiological data in the US (census, death rates, CHD rates, heath care expenditure, risk reduction estimates etc.) into a complex "Markov" chain to determine the cardiovascular and economic benefit of reducing the salt consumptions by 3 grams per day.
Reducing the number of new cases/year of
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) by 60,000 to 120,000
- Stroke by 32,000 to 66,000 (750,000 per year in US)
- Myocardial infarction by 54,000to 99,000 (1.25 million per year in US)
Save 194,000 to 392,000 quality-adjusted life-years
Save $10 billion to $24 billion in health care costs annually
The results of this "study" are provocative and intriguing. Would this "Markov" cohort play off as predicted in the "Real" world? If so, the reduction of 3 grams of sodium from the diet would have a huge economic and medical impact. These efforts would be akin to weight reduction and smoking cessation initiatives. Even if this reduction of sodium intake was only by 1 gram per day we would likely see huge benefits. However, achieving salt reduction will be a major feat. Lowering salt intake would require change on two important fronts; the public policy approach and the individual approach. The later will likely prove to be the most difficult to curtail as the "salt appetite" of the US population is increasingly fed with processed food products. An interesting editorial exploring this phenomenon by Philip Klemmer appeared in the April 2010 AJKD entitled "salt appetite". He subjected himself (and several UNC renal fellows) to an extremely low salt diet. Being from North Carolina myself I know first hand that this is an extremely difficult task. They each had an average drop in weight of 1.4 kg with a drop in blood pressure. The group finished the "experiment" and went back to their normal eating habits. Salt has endured as an important part of our culture. The word "salary" was used to describe how Roman soldiers were paid for their duties with salt. Salt was used as a way to preserve foods before the widespread use of refrigerators, but its usage has persisted and has perhaps grown in popularity.
For now, recommending a low salt diet is an important part of blood pressure control. But, one can argue that this is an important part of each of our diets. We will see how the public policy debate plays out in this "great salt war". Any decrease in "added" salt to food will be a welcomed improvement. Curtailing the "salt appetite" will likely prove to be more challenging than any spirited political debate.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Cerebral salt wasting: is it all in the head?
CSW is characterized by extracellular volume depletion and presence of hyponatremia due to renal salt wasting. It is most seen in patients with cerebral disease, suggesting a neurologic cause. Urine sodium is usually high, though low levels have been documented in patients on low Na diets, and the urine is concentrated. Hypouricemia is also usually present, due to an increase in FE urate. These findings suggest that the proximal nephron, where urate reabsorption and the bulk of Na reabsorption occur, is the main site of action in CSW. While the mechanism is still unclear, several theories predominate. One proposed hypothesis is that decreased sympathetic input to the kidney leads to alterations in salt and water reabsorption. Another is that cerebral damage causes an increase in circulating ANP or BNP, which leads to natriuresis. In either scenario, a decrease in circulating volume would cause an increase in arginine vasopressin, thus creating an "appropriate" increase in ADH.
Because the treatment for CSW is volume repletion with isotonic fluids, and the mainstay for SIADH therapy is water restriction, differentiation between the two conditions is desirable. The main distinguishing feature between SIADH and CSW is volume status, patients with SIADH being euvolemic and those with CSW, volume deplete. As many of us are aware, it is often extremely difficult to assess volume status, especially in the neurology intensive care units. Some other distinguishing tests have also been suggested. While serum uric acid tends to be low in both SIADH and CSW, some studies have shown that when hyponatremia is corrected in SIADH, uric acid levels rise, while they remain low in CSW despite normalization of serum Na. Another study has suggested that measuring the FE phosphate can be helpful—an FE phosphate >20% was a reliable indicator of CSW (presumably indicating additional effects on the proximal tubule).
One question that remains unanswered in the literature (and is important in the case of my patient) is how long these syndromes persist: is it likely that my patient will be able to come off his salt tablets and water restriction? For right now, he's living a thirsty life.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Preventing Chronic Rejection: Can it B?
For the past 5 years, alloantibody measurement has become a standard of practice in recipients of kidney transplants experiencing worsening allograft function. This week, I admitted a patient who had a rising creatinine and on biopsy mild-moderate interstitial infiltration. No peritubular C4d stain or tubulitis. Transplant glomerulopathy (TG) was seen in 2 out of 10 glomeruli, but C4d stain was negative as well. She had received a deceased kidney transplant 3 years prior and Luminex assay showed that she has now positive donor specific alloantibodies.
Looking at the Banff criteria for humoral rejection, she would be classified as borderline rejection. Even though she had positive alloantibodies, the absence of complement fragment deposition on biopsy excludes this case from the current humoral rejection category.
The finding of rising antibody titers and negative complement deposition is being increasingly recognized and has become a gray zone in transplantation. Some pathologists are starting to call it: smoldering antibody mediated rejection, since it does seem that antibodies are been deposited in the glomeruli capillary leading to the TG. Moreover, TG is a poor prognostic marker. Lastly, the presence of alloantibodies predicts worse allograft outcome and in the presence of C4d positive biopsies, requires therapeutic action: Plasmapheresis + IVIg + pulse dose steroids.
Current immunossupressive regimens used in transplantation target mainly T cells, therefore the rational for targeting B cells seems reasonable, especially since B cells are the origin of plasma cells. There are now 4 clinical trials addressing multiple questions about the benefit of rituximab posttransp. If you are considering giving to one of your patients, please check if he/she would be eligible to one of these trials. That is the only way we can help our community to address the risk/benefit questions of this approach. Other B cell-oriented therapies are also coming in the market soon, like inhibitors of B cell cytokines (BAFF and APRIL) and complement inhibitors.
What about my patient? She received the full course Plasmapheresis + IVIg + pulse dose steroids, despite her borderline classification. We decided not give her rituximab at this time since there was only mild evidence of antibody injury, considering a rebiopsy later to readdress it.
Finally, the preemptive use of rituximab prior to the development of AMR will also become an important question, with a recent trial in cynomolgus monkeys showing capability of decreasing alloantibody production and chronic rejection when combined with calcineurin inhibitors. New era of preemptive B cell targeting? Too early to tell...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Physiology of serum free light chains
Intact immunoglogulin molecules have two light chains of identical subtype, either kappa or lambda. In order to acheive the correct assembly of intact immunoglobulin, the production rate of FLCs is approximately 40% higher than that of heavy chains. The FLCs which are not incorporated into immunoglobulin molecules are released into the serum.
Around twice as many plasma cell produce kappa than produce lambda, but this is not reflected in their relative serum concentrations:
kappa FLCs
- Typically circulate as monomers
- Molecular weight of 22.5 kDa
- Renal clearance of 40%
- Serum half life of 2-4 hours
- Circulate as dimers
- Molecular weight 45 kDa
- Renal clearance of 20%
- Serum half life of 3-6 hours
Therefore, the measurable kappa/lamba ratio depends on the integrity of renal function. In people with normal kidney function, the kappa/lambda ratio is around 0.6, primarily due to the baseline higher clearance of kappa chains. As renal function declines, the role of the reticuloendothelial system in FLC removal takes on increasing importance. This process is not influenced by the molecular weight and so results in a progressive increase in the kappa/lambda ratio from 0.6 to 1.2 in patients with CKD 5.
The presence of monoclonal production of free light chain will result in an abnormal kappa/lambda ratio, with a monoclonal kappa producing a high ratio and a monoclonal lambda producing a low ratio. However, it's important to remember that the reference range was developed from a population with normal renal function.
These are important principles to be aware of to allow proper interpretation of these tests in clinical practice.
Posted by Finnian McCausland MD


text:
Welcome to Max Safety Products (Your Safety Is Our Business, Online Store)!
Availability: In stock
The Replacement Cotton Pre Filter for the Mini Water Filter Pump.
See More Details Below
Be the first to review this product
Email to a Friend
Effective to help remove sand, rust, and other large particles.
Use spaces to separate tags. Use single quotes (') for phrases.
You have no items in your shopping cart.
You have no items to compare.


text:
Check out the latest RPG news | Podcasts | Twitch Streams
It's a fullblown remake. They're doing it from the ground up.
Quote from: Raze on January 24, 2013, 07:28:03 PMI can see some people not liking it, but the traveling was kind of the entire point.I want a motorboat, dang it.
I can see some people not liking it, but the traveling was kind of the entire point.
Is still too soon to say anything really.It did catch my attention though how so many people mentioned that the game now looks like a Pixar film. I almost got the exact reaction after seeing the screenshots, that said, I have no complaints about this personally.
And anyways so long as they tweak it before release or give us an option to switch between the looks it'll be fine.
Yeah it'd be hard to simply switch between two completely different graphics engines on the fly. This isn't Monkey Island.


text:
The Museum of Pre-History and Early History in Saarbrücken opens a window to the Saarland's distant past.
It presents archaeological discoveries from every era from the Stone Age to the early Middle Ages, from hand axes to Franconian gold jewellery. Central to the display are the original finds from the tomb of the Celtic Princess of Reinheim as well as Roman artefacts and wall paintings from the villa in Mechern.
Opening times:
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-7pm, Wednesday 10am-8pm
두 가지 유용한 조합(브라우저 확대/축소):
확대: +
축소: +
다음 아이콘을 클릭하여 브라우저 공급자에서 기타 도움말을 받으십시오:


text:
News Archives - 2010
Augsburg MBA goes to Chile
In April, 20 Augsburg MBA students led by Professors Magda Paleczny-Zapp and Steven Zitnick embarked on a 9-day international experience to Santiago, Chile. The purpose of the trip was to expose the students to the thriving business climate of Chile and to allow students an opportunity to understand the culture and environment of a South American country that has built a stable, just, and democratic society after nearly 30 years of unrest.
Students had an exciting week that alternated visits to and with business leaders from Nike; RBS Chile, The Royal bank of Scotland; AgroSuper, a large food processor; a representative from the Chilean Foreign Investment Committee; and an executive from Sonami, Chile's largest mining association. The students also visited the De Martino Vineyards, a large modern winery that has been family owned for over 75 years. The students ended their visit with a daylong excursion to Valparaiso, Chile's primary seaport.
Students were enrolled in two MBA classes with approximately half in MBA 545: The Global Business Environment and half enrolled in MBA 595: Strategic Management. Students met in class sessions before the trip, during the trip, and will meet again in May. Students in both classes were assigned appropriate projects that will enable them to leverage their Chile experiences.
Future faculty-led international experiences will include a trip to Moscow, Buenos Aires Argentina, and potentially China. In the future, Augsburg MBA students will be able to plan on at least one opportunity for an international experience while they complete their 23-month program.
The trip was coordinated by Austral Group, a company that arranges university and college MBA tours in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Chile.
Inside Augsburg showcases the experiences of Augsburg College students, alumni, staff, and faculty. Send your story idea to email@example.com.


text:
Well, since the "Cap-n-Trade" Bill, code named H.R. 2454: American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, aka the Waxman-Markey contribution to national decline has passed into law, thanks quite literally to the eight Republicans who voted for it, Republicans who it will be shown, I'm sure, to have some sort of financial interest to gain, I thought it my duty to sully the shiny venier of this thing a bit by giving you some of the background of the philosophy behind this movement.
It's called "Agenda 21." As early as 1992, the UN passed a resolution called the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. This was the framework around which the much more detailed and ambitious "Agenda 21" was constructed. Though it is the form of an "advisory" resolution, bearing no legal weight with non-signatories, its content and verbiage are clearly reflected in a great deal of the "green" legislation still being forced on American citizens over 15 years later.
Below are some of the "Principles" of the Agenda in which I think you might be interested (all emphasis mine):
Principle 2
States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, {{and here's the "but"}}and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or ontrol do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
Which can, of course, be taken to mean almost anything, because under current definitions, any "greenhouse gas" emissions affect global climate, and so anything you "emit" affects "other states. So this clause is in effect, self-nullifying. You can can do whatever you want as a nation, as long as you can guarantee that your pollution won't cross national boundaries. Right.
Principle 5
All States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world.
Because the "disparities" in standard of living are somehow "unfair." What this fails to consider is that one absolutely essential elements of eradicating poverty is dragging people kicking and screaming into the 21st century, not returning us to the stone age through misguided and counterproductive environmental do-goodedness! You notice it says, "decrease the disparities." I doesn't mention which direction you should move to close the gap! Make the poor rich by making the rich poorer, and we'll meet somewhere in the middle. Doesn't this sound like Obama's "spread the wealth around" idea? Gee, I wonder where he got it?
Principle 13
States shall develop national law regarding liability and compensation for the victims of pollution and other environmental damage.
Look at that for a sec. We are encouraged/required to codify into national law procedures for compensating "victims of pollution." How delightfully vague! So now we move beyong hate crimes, to environmental crimes. Or maybe that's now redundant, eh?
Principle 15
In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
BINGO! Lack of scientific certainty shouldn't stand in the way of passing a whole boatload of environmental policies designed not so much to save the environment, as to generate cash for social programs and politicial agenda setting. Is this sounding oh so vaguely familiar, when our POTUS appoints an "environmental" czar with no scientific training, but lots of financial experience? With the "global warming" scare being debunked by more and more of the scientific community, and yet still being ramrodded into law by a compliant legislative branch?
Principle 21
The creativity, ideals and courage of the youth of the world should be mobilized to forge a global partnership in order to achieve sustainable development and ensure a better future for all.
AmeriCorps anyone? Mandatory service in exchange for tuition? This ringing any bells?
Here's a nice one:
4.22. They should also encourage the emergence of an informed consumer public and assist individuals and households to make environmentally informed choices by:
(a) Providing information on the consequences of consumption choices and behaviour so as to encourage demand for environmentally sound products and use of products;
(b) Making consumers aware of the health and environmental impact of products, through such means as consumer legislation and environmental labelling;
Think about how everything you hear these days is about "being green." It's green construction, and green products, and green this and green that. It's not merely a reflection of a growing social consciousness about these issues, it is a carefully managed and orchestrated campaign to INSTILL this "consciousness" in society. What, don't you care about the environment? Well, then, give up phosphates in your dishwashing detergent, hater!
In short, we are being brainwashed. According to a plan, and a schedule.
The clincher is right here in paragragh 4.25, labelled "Moving towards environmentally sound pricing." And I quote:
4.25. Some progress has begun in the use of appropriate economic instruments to influence consumer behaviour. These instruments include environmental charges and taxes, deposit/refund systems, etc. This process should be encouraged in the light of country-specific conditions.
Cap & Trade, as billed and promised, is a mechanism whereby we force consumers to consume less by imposing "environmental charges & taxes" on both products and the means of production. Obama wasn't kidding around when he said, quite clearly, that he intended to destroy coal-based electricity in this country. Captain Trade is certainly powerful enough to do it!
You owe it to yourself to read up on Agenda 21, and the other UN-"mandated" programs that are behind all this green mania. If it doesn't shock you, then you are one of "them."
Bill Clinton tried to push through the Kyoto Protocol, but Congress was at least semi-conscious enough at the time to see what a nightmare that thing would have been economically for our country. Now Pres. Obama has managed to push through the Waxman Cap & Trade nightmare, which will accomplish much the same thing.
If your realize nothing else from this post, realize that all that is being promoted under the auspices of "enviromentalism" has, at its core, the goal of compliance with global mandates designed to bring us more and more under the authority of organizations like the UN.
Locally, as in, in this country, it's also about using a mechanism against which they've already made it hard to argue, and nearly impossible to oppose, in order to generate new revenue streams for funding socialist welfare programs like the "health care plan" and all the other things rolled up in the stiumulous packages.
You were wondering how they were going to pay for all that? Here ya go.
These people care far less about preserveing the environment than they do about getting their hands on your money. What little they will leave you.
THIS IS NOT ACCIDENTAL. This is a premeditated, long-running agenda. And it is Euro-style marxist dialectic to its core.
To sum up: It is the stated intention of the marxist environmental movement which is slowly ruining this country to pass legislation and impose fees and fines to the point where goods and services become so expensive that you are forced to use less. The money made from all these extortion schemes will then be funnelled to the "poor" countries via mechanisms such as, you guessed it, the United Nations…the very organization pushing these agendas. A rather suspicious conflict of interest, wouldn't you say?
And all those companies poised to make millions trading in carbon offsets.


text:
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Mike Anderson has pegged depth as one of his team's biggest strengths throughout the 2012-13 season.
His beliefs will likely be put to the test over the next week.
Arkansas (12-7, 3-3 in SEC) is getting ready for one of its most difficult stretches of the season when it tips off a run of three games in six days at Alabama (12-7, 4-2) on Thursday night. The Razorbacks will then play home games against Tennessee (10-8, 2-4 in SEC) and No. 4 Florida at home on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively.
The tight schedule is credited to the SEC's television package with ESPN, which televises conference games four days a week as part of its college basketball coverage. All three of Arkansas' games during the stretch will be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2. While the exposure for the program can be valuable, Anderson said it doesn't eliminate the difficulty of actually preparing and playing through it.
"I think this time of year you're going to be playing games," Anderson said during Monday's SEC Teleconference. "That's part of it. And I think our guys will look forward to it. They look forward to playing games as opposed to practicing anyway.
"But, certainly, it's going to be a challenge. … You've got to play big in every game."
Arkansas needs big performances, too, after suffering through their worst loss of the season at South Carolina last Saturday. The Razorbacks sit in the middle-of-the-pack in the SEC as the first month of conference play comes to a close.
The Razorbacks have had extra time this week to prepare for Alabama. Arkansas practiced Sunday, took Monday off and was on the court against Tuesday. The Razorbacks will have one more practice Wednesday before heading to Alabama.
But there won't be much time for preparation and relaxation before the next two games. Arkansas will return from its trip to Alabama well after midnight Friday morning, leaving roughly 36 hours before the Tennessee tipoff at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Arkansas then will have two days to prepare for Florida, which was tied with Ole Miss for the lead in the SEC's standings through six games.
"Our practices won't necessarily be scaled down," Anderson said. "They will be intense, but they probably will be shorter, and really try to be sure we have energy for the game. But we want to make sure we come out and work on the things we need to work on as we prepare for each different team."
Arkansas isn't the first program deal with the quick turnaround this season.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt kicked off SEC play with Thursday-Saturday-Tuesday games. The Wildcats went 2-1 during the stretch, which included a home loss to Texas A&M. The Commodores were 0-3, including the 56-33 loss at Arkansas.
Ole Miss also completed the same stretch against Kentucky on Tuesday night.
"It's a challenge to bounce back on that Saturday so quickly," Vanderbilt Coach Kevin Stallings said about his team's experience during Monday's SEC Teleconference. "Normally, Sunday might be a day off, because you're getting ready for a Wednesday game, and you don't have that day to sort of regroup, either.
"It's a challenge physically, it's a challenge mentally. The biggest challenge is because usually you're playing really good teams."
So Anderson said the Razorbacks must count on their depth as they take aim at the difficult stretch. Players were not available for comment before Tuesday's practice, but Anderson said better production across the board would be one key this week.
Arkansas' reserves produced just nine points in the South Carolina loss.
"Our bench has to really, really got to come to play," Anderson said. "Our young guys, they've been thrown into the fire at times, and they will be really thrown into it because this time of the year, right now, I think energy, the intensity you've got to play with is very, very important. We can see when you don't play with that energy you can get throttled on the road, which is what took place at South Carolina."
Arkansas' goal is to make sure the loss doesn't turn into more woes as it prepares to play Alabama, Tennessee and Florida over a six-day stretch.
"Obviously, that is going to be a challenge," Anderson said. "But it is an exciting challenge for our guys to play against some of the teams in the upper echelon of the SEC right now."
and make some shots."
Arkansas (12-7, 3-3 in SEC) at Alabama (12-7, 4-2 in SEC)
When: Thursday at 8 p.m.
Where: Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Radio: Razorback Sports Network
Satellite: Sirius 93, XM 190
Series: Arkansas leads 28-26
Last Meeting: Alabama 79, Arkansas 68 on 2/23/12


text:
Hydra by Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak closed International Exposure. Photo by Seto Hidemi.
Most visitors to this year's International Exposure were festival directors, arts presenters, diplomats, or critics. I, however, came as a researcher. With this festival – as with my other research activities – I sought to discover, to interpret, to understand. I searched for old connections and new pathways.
Featuring over 40 works, International Exposure was exactly the right place to look for the threads which tie together this country's concert dance scene. The festival is a like a yearbook for Israeli dance. The offerings by each choreographer serve as the album's individual portraits. Mixed bills drawn from some of the country's other festivals (Curtain Up; Machol Acher/Other Dance Project) hint at the structure of the dance community, just as club pictures reveal a school's cliques and groups. And with the 20+ concerts clustered together in a mere six days, it's possible to see the trends which characterized much this year's artistic output. (( It should be noted, though, that some choreographers were missing from this year's International Exposure. Some well-established artists including Nimrod Freed, Anat Danieli, and Adama's Nir Ben-Gal and Liat Dror did not present work at the festival. Meanwhile, younger independent choreographers are far greater in number than those represented onstage. ))