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Epidemiological studies have shown that some oral contraceptives are less effective at preventing pregnancy in obese women until an 'effective blood concentration' has been reached, meaning there is a 'window' where the contraceptive will not be effective in heavier women.
With estimates that up to 30 percent of adults in the U.S. are obese, this could be important. Fixing contraceptives is an easier path than telling people to eat less while simultaneously telling them that society's unrealistic body images should be resisted.
The study was just published in the journal Contraception by scientists from OSU, Oregon Health and Science University, University of Colorado at Denver, Oregon National Primate Research Center, and the University of Southern California. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The problem, says Ganesh Cherala, an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University, is that oral contraceptives, like most drugs, are initially tested in "healthy" people, which rarely includes people who are more than 130 percent of their ideal body weight.
"When we first test drugs for safety and efficacy, we generally do not include people with a high body mass index," Cherala said. "But body weight and amounts of fat can seriously change the pharmacokinetics, or way drugs act and are processed in the body. There's a growing awareness that we need to more carefully consider obesity and other factors that affect drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and other factors."
Conventional oral contraceptives, Cherala said, are thought to be relatively "lipophilic," or tend to concentrate in fat tissue. However, the researchers in this study said they were somewhat surprised to find that the affinity of these drugs for fat tissue was not significantly different between obese and normal body weight subjects.
Rather, the researchers found that contraceptive drug levels in both obese women and those of normal weight eventually were about the same, but it took longer to achieve that level in very overweight women.
The study showed it took an average of about five days for the drugs to achieve their maximum concentration in women of normal weight, an average of 10 days for obese women, and even longer than that for some individuals. One woman in the study took more than 20 days to reach a "steady state" drug concentration. Women of normal weight who follow their oral contraceptive directions should have appropriate protection against pregnancy. But the delay in reaching a steady state drug concentration raises questions about how well oral contraceptives may work for obese women.
Increasing the drug dosage might help address this issue, Cherala said, but also adds other health concerns.
In fact, the researchers noted in their report that many clinicians actually prescribe lower-dose oral contraceptives to obese patients in an effort to decrease their risk of venous thrombosis. These are blood clots in the legs or elsewhere that can increase the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
The study was done with 20 women of ages 18 to 35, all of them healthy and seeking contraception, 10 of whom were of normal weight and 10 with a "body mass index" of more than 30 – a common measure of obesity.
According to Dr. Alison Edelman, lead author of the study and assistant director of the Family Planning Fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University, the participants in this study were purposely selected for obesity in order to explore this issue. But several demographic studies have shown that even women just considered "overweight," with a body mass index of 25-30, may also be at increased risk of contraceptive failure.
"Although our research has found this interaction between obese women and oral contraceptives, we don't have enough information yet to recommend changes in clinical practice, other than choosing a contraceptive option that works better for both normal weight and obese women, like an intrauterine device," Edelman said.
For future work, she said, studies of contraception would be more useful if they included participants that reflect the general population, including women with different body mass indexes. The biological underpinnings of how oral contraceptives work, their effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, has only been studied in women of normal weight, the researchers noted in their study.
At present, Cherala said, there is no readily available test that would tell a woman how long it would take for her to reach an effective concentration level of a particular contraceptive, and this does vary with the individual. However, scientists are continuing research on that issue, and they may ultimately develop tests or methods that would improve drug efficacy for women who wish to use oral contraceptives.
Why Contraceptives Don't Work As Well With Fat Women


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- "Best ePOS hands down!"
- "A breath of fresh air!"
- "Their customer service is amazing!"
- "Vend is a game changer"
Bira's chosen partner for retail ePOS.
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) are the UK's biggest independent retail network, working with over 6,500 retailers in the UK. They chose Vend as their partner for retail ePOS.
One of the world's easiest POS software to use
We designed a user-friendly interface that's fast to use and easy to learn, minimising training time. Works seamlessly with existing or new hardware. All your data is synced to the cloud and accessible from anywhere.
Works with
"Vend has improved our efficiency massively. It saves us time because it links to Shopify and updates our inventory automatically."
Powerful inventory management to help maximize your profits.
Manage inventory across multiple outlets with a centralised product catalog, accessible from your ePOS, back-office, or on the road. Edit products in bulk. Automatically reorder stock. Create variants and composites. Print labels and barcodes. We've even simplified stock-taking with our free scanner app.
"I've looked at a lot of systems and I think Vend is the best out there. I definitely recommend it."
168幸运飞飞艇开奖结果计划 Multi-outlet functionality that scales with your business.
Vend makes it easy to add new outlets and registers as your business grows. All of Vend's key features including ePOS, inventory, and reporting are designed for multiple outlets so your business operates as one cohesive operation. Ecommerce integrations support fulfilment from any store.
"Vend opens up lots of possibilities that weren't there before. We're able to see how customers are actually behaving and how every product is performing."
Real-time reporting for smarter business decisions.
Vend takes the guesswork out of decision-making with powerful sales and inventory reporting that's live and accurate to the minute. Help increase profitability with key retail metrics including sales, inventory levels, sell-through rates, margin and more. Access reports 24/7 from anywhere.
Integrates with
"We always give Vend a 5-star rating, but we also advise people to look at how it connects with other parts of their business. Vend is the central interface to everything we do, but it's even more valuable when it's used as part of a wider ecosystem."
Be everywhere with a choice of ecommerce integrations.
We've partnered with the world's leading ecommerce platforms to ensure you can meet the needs of your customers both online and in-store. Deliver faster and fulfil from any store with our seamless Shopify, Ecwid, BigCommerce and WooCommerce integrations.
"Vend's integrations with Shopify and Xero have saved us time and allowed us to keep closer track of accounts and cash flow. Vend has allowed us to grow faster and to focus on growing."
Our team of London-based retail specialists are ready and waiting to get your business setup just right, and keep you growing from there. We're available by phone, email and live chat. Plus we offer personalised on-boarding packages for you and your team.
Or, call us now on +
Build your business on Vend's open platform.
Vend was the world's first cloud-based ePOS. We were founded 10 years ago by engineers with a passion for retail, so, naturally, a fully documented open API is built right into the heart of the product. Leverage the Vend platform to improve your own offering or simply integrate your existing business applications.
"If I want to quickly see how much we've sold of something from the minute it came in, what that equates to per month and how much money that we've taken, I can see all of that within three seconds in Vend, it's things like that which are lifesavers for us."
You can trust Vend with your business.
- Your data is securely stored in the cloud and backed up every hour
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- Vend's service is highly reliable, so you can minimize interruptions.
Unlock your retail super power with Vend.
We built Vend because we believe that technology can unlock more of what makes your retail store great: you.
You're the magic. You're the special sauce. You're your unfair competitive advantage. It's your decisions every day — what to buy, how to curate your store, how to treat your customers — that make you successful.
We built Vend because we believe, perhaps more than ever, that the world needs more passionate retailers like you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Very often, growing plants in an aquaponics system can be the same as growing it in soil, and just as much different at the same time.
You probably already know what plants need in order for them to thrive, but here are 7 insightful tips for growing aquaponic plants.
1) Broadcast Your Seeds
The most easiest way of starting seeds in any sort of environment is what's known as broadcasting seeds. What this means is that you must scatter your seeds evenly over a growing surface.
When you do this technique in an aquaponics system using a media bed, the seeds will simply fall between the stones and as a result, many of them will reach the appropriate depth level to germinate.
The broadcasting technique works effectively for lettuce, radishes and carrots as well as other small seeds that are usually planted in early spring since they've adapted to the wetness.
2) Germinate Your Seeds In A Wet Paper Towel
Larger seeds such as those of beans, peas, melons and cucumbers tend to germinate quickly and sometimes planting them in grow beds are not that effective.
Since they're longer-term plants, you should pay more attention to their positioning within the grow bed therefore it's a good idea to start the seeds in a wet paper towel.
Once that's done, seal them in a large ziplock bag and keep your eye on them everyday for signs of sprouting. When a good root of around 25mm or more appears, gently put the seeds in the media bed at a level where the root is able to become wet through your water cycles.
Learn How To Build Your Own Simple & Low-Cost Home Aquaponics System
3) Buy Plant Starts
If you prefer not to deal with process of seed starting, then it's absolutely fine to buy plants that have already been started. It's very simple. All you have to do is to shake off the excess dirt when you take the plant out the pot.
You should try to take off as much dirt from the root system as possible by gently running the plant under little water. There may be bugs hidden within the plant so make sure that you check it thoroughly.
4) Space Your Plants Properly
A minimal root system is all that's needed for each plant to supply everything it needs. This is because plants grown in an aquaponics system have everything they need at their root zone like water, oxygen and nutrients.
Their habitat is cooperative rather than competitive simply because resources are not insufficient. As a result, aquaponic plants don't require as much space as plants grown in soil.
Many aquaponic gardeners place their plants twice as close together compared to soil based gardeners. However, you must be aware of what's happening above the ground, not below it. You must take into consideration the right amount of space for air circulation (to control insects and diseases) and light penetration for your plants.
As your plants mature, you can always make adjustments if necessary by digging up and moving around the small root balls which is pretty easy to do.
5) Feed Plant Bugs To Fishes
Little bugs that like to eat plants can be very annoying, but they can be also be beneficial by turning them into fish food. Slugs, caterpillars and other insect larvae will make excellent meals for your fishes.
You just need to catch them before they do any more damage to your plants. You can also set up bug zappers and other traps to catch some free fish food!
6) Knock Off Bugs With Water Spray
Many harmful insects do the most damage when they're at a non-mobile stage, therefore you have a good chance of controlling the population by spraying a stream of water to knock them off the plant. This is a very useful and easy first step to take when controlling a large infestation that has gone out of control.
You may want to repel insects by spraying organic solutions to the plant leaves so that it makes them less attractive to insects. Though you must be careful not to spray any into your fish tanks.
7) Setting Other Insects To Eat Or Kill Bugs
There are two ways that a beneficial insect can kill pests that are damaging your plants:
- Firstly, by eating it (predators)
- Secondly, by laying their eggs within the host which then kills it (parasitoids)
These beneficial insects are usually bigger than their prey, and include beetles, flies, spiders and wasps among others. A very common predator for pest control are ladybirds who love to eat aphids (tiny green plant lice).
A female ladybird will lay eggs near infested plants after a few days of feeding. The eggs then hatch into larvae after seven days, and begin feeding on soft-bodied pests, mites and insect eggs. After a month the larvae will pupate and turn into adults a week later, ready to fully feed.
Plants are the lifeline of your aquaponics system, so it's vital that you take care of them. They filter water for your fish and provide food for you and your family. Losing plants cost time and money, so you must take the right measures in dealing with all the issues that come with aquaponic plants.
Don't worry if you make mistakes on the way because it's all part of the learning process. Once you go through the right steps you'll have large, healthy and tasty plants.
To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.
Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


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Few clues to human evolution
A recent TIME magazine review article1 and others have highlighted the confusion reigning in the field of 'human evolution'. So-called Homo erectus, in line with the trend among both creationists and evolutionists to see him as essentially Homo sapiens, is now being shown as quite human-looking, if one applied a comb and razor.
However, erectus finds in Java have now been redated (based on evolutionary assumptions) at two million years, while an Asian sapiens (so-called 'modern-type') skull is allegedly 200,000 years, and, not surprisingly, shows some of the features of the local population.
Both of these have thrown a lot of theories into chaos, and there are fierce debates raging, with some suggesting that the fossils indicate that evolution must have separately created the same species (us) several times in different parts of the globe. Not only would this be a hugely unlikely coincidence, it is denied by the molecular evidence showing that all races are genetically very close.
To try to make some sense out of the conflicting data, some evolutionists are considering a third theory — that erectus evolved outside Africa, then returned to the place where its more remote ancestors had arisen. If evolutionary dates are set aside, the erectus data make sense within a framework of post-Babel dispersion/genetic variation.2
The widely read TIME article includes the mandatory 'human evolution chart'. Unfortunately, it still features Lucy and other australopithecines as human ancestors, in spite of the fact that a growing number of evolutionary anatomists who have done objective studies on the bones have concluded that these creatures are not on the human line, are not intermediate between man and ape, and did not walk upright in the human manner.3
In spite of this, TIME still features Lucy as 'the long-sought "missing link" between apes and humans', and tells readers that researchers 'know' from its knee joint that it walked upright — without telling us that this joint was found miles away and at a different level!
The famous Laetoli volcanic ash footprints are featured as proof that Lucy-type creatures walked like humans — without telling us they are identical to human prints and thus would be classed as human (if not for the evolutionary 'age' of the ash in which they are preserved).
The TIME article got at least one thing right — that this is a 'data poor, imagination-rich' field in which there are 'so few clues' that 'even a single bone that doesn't fit into the picture can upset everything.'
- 'How Man Began', TIME (Australia), 14 March 1994. Return to text.
- See Lubenow, M., Bones of Contention — A Creationist Assessment of the Human Fossils, for a fascinating creationist overview of the human fossil record. Return to text.
- Oxnard, C., Fossils, Teeth and Sex — New Perspectives on Human Evolution, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, p. 227, 1987. Return to text.


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Posted on: June 18th, 2011
Sampras on marquee
- petepageJune 16, 2011 -
Pete Sampras seemingly has little in common with Dirk Nowitzki.
But at about the time Sampras began carving out a legacy as one of the greatest tennis players of all time in the early 1990s, Nowitzki was winning junior tennis tournaments in his native Germany.
Nowitzki eventually switched to basketball and won his first NBA title Sunday night with the Dallas Mavericks. Sampras, a Los Angeles resident who can often be seen at Staples Center watching the Lakers, said he appreciated something else about the way Nowitzki finally won his ring.
"You know, I just like to see good basketball," Sampras said in a phone interview. "I don't have any preference for one team over another. You're just happy for Nowitzki. He's sort of a humble guy, and obviously he's a great player. It was a welcome result. Nothing against Miami, I was just happy for Nowitzki."
The word that stands out is "humble." It's a fitting adjective to describe Sampras as well, throughout his professional career that included a then-record 14 Grand Slam singles titles. But the word that would go through opponents' minds when Sampras unleashed a 140-plus mile-per-hour serve at them, that was probably more of the four-letter variety.
Sampras, who turns 40 in August, still has the big serve. He's coming back to World Team Tennis this summer, scheduled to play with the Newport Beach Breakers for a third year after a previous stint in 2006-07. Sampras is a marquee player at The Tennis Club Newport Beach on July 9, when the Breakers play host to the New York Sportimes. The Sportimes are scheduled to feature former world No. 1 Martina Hingis for that match as well.
Sampras won't mind splitting the bill. He's happy to get out and play in a competitive match. Most of the time when he hits a tennis ball nowadays, it's because one of his two sons, 8-year-old Christian or 5-year-old Ryan, wants some time with dad.
That's true now more than ever, since school is out for the summer.
"Yeah, they're into it," said Sampras, married to actress Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. "They're kids, you know. They last 15 or 20 minutes then they're off to something else. If they're into it, great. If not, I'm not going to push a sport on them. If they're into it they're going to want to hit the tennis balls, not because it's me forcing them."
The Breakers will be happy to see Sampras come back to Newport Beach. He said he's in better shape than he was in the first stint with the team in 2006. At the time, Sampras had hardly picked up a racquet since his retirement years earlier.
"[Sampras] shouldn't have [played this season]," then-Coach Dick Leach told the Daily Pilot after one match. "You can't put down your racquet in 2003, then pick it up three months before you play a match. That's too hard. He's a great guy, great to his teammates and the fans love him. But [with him in the lineup] we can't win."
"Pistol Pete" played a more extensive schedule that year. The Breakers made the WTT Finals though, as unthinkable as it might sound, they succeeded despite the rusty Sampras. At one point they were 0-6 in matches in which he played. But he came back stronger the next year in Trevor Kronemann's first year as coach.
Now Kronemann is entering his fifth year. Sampras obviously has nothing to prove to anyone, but he said he's still competitive and wants to win. He didn't look rusty Feb. 28, when he beat longtime rival Andre Agassi, 6-3, 7-5, in a nationally televised exhibition match at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
"I feel like I'm in good shape and I'm going to prepare a little bit more," Sampras said. "I'll see if I can find my range and rhythm a little sooner. It's a format where you don't have a lot of time to mess around."
Sampras didn't mess around during his playing career, especially on the grass courts at the All England Club. Wimbledon starts again next week, and Sampras is fully aware of the statistics. Roger Federer has already passed Sampras' career Grand Slam mark, but if he wins Wimbledon this year he'll tie Sampras' mark of seven titles at the most prestigious major.
Federer is another humble guy. Sampras showed his humility again when talking about the Swiss player, who many now consider the greatest player ever.
"Roger, it seems like he's breaking all my records," Sampras said. "He could very well finish with more Wimbledons than me. I'm fortunate that I got my seven. Little did I know that [Rafael] Nadal will probably pass me [in total majors] at some stage. These guys have really taken the tour and dominated incredibly well."
Sampras won his last major in what turned out to be his last match, the 2002 U.S. Open final over Agassi. He was 31 then; Federer will turn 30 in August. But Sampras thinks Federer won't need to change things up too drastically as he gets older.
"Against everyone except two or three guys, he can do what he's always done," Sampras said. "At the French he came in a little bit, served and volleyed some, mixed it up. He tried to be aggressive and take the initiative. I think he does that very well. Against the rest of the guys, he can just play like he's always played. He's better than 98% of the guys � He's still going to win majors. I'll be surprised if he doesn't win one of the next two. We'll see how it all unfolds."
Sampras could say the same about his date with the Breakers on July 9. There are worse places for him to be than back in Southern California in front of a packed house, playing the sport he's always loved.
The professional landscape has changed since his retirement. Tennis has become more international since Americans dominated the 1990s. In this week's ATP rankings, there are just two American men � Mardy Fish (No. 9) and Andy Roddick (No. 10) in the top 10, and no others in the top 35.
Sampras also has signed on to play on the Champions Series circuit this fall, as have Agassi, Jim Courier and John McEnroe.
"I think it gives some younger fans a chance to see us," Sampras said. "Now these kids can only watch us on Youtube. If we can inspire some young kids to play tennis in some way, that's great. Is that the magic formula for getting young American players playing? I don't know, but it can only help.
"To see Roger and Novak [Djokovic] play, and Roger and Nadal, to see those guys go toe-to-toe is great tennis. Not a lot separates those guys. The margin is so small, anything can happen. Their tennis is so strong, like we used to be in the U.S., but in fairness you can't put that on Andy and Mardy. You've got to be somewhat sympathetic and fair to them. You know, tennis is doing really, really well around the world and in the U.S. � we need that American presence."
Sampras will provide it again in Newport Beach for at least one night, as a certain German basketball star continues to celebrate in Texas.
Source: Daily Pilot
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- "Li Na and Friends" to square off with Sampras and others at two-day tennis event in Wuhan - petepage
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Spotted this Jean Michel Basquiat bike on the starting line of the Pro 123 men at Ronde Ohop. We've posted about art bikes, covered Trek's projects, and more, but haven't seen anything quite like this.
Recognized the name when starting to take photos at the start line
The whole livery line bow is a famous Basquiat quote
The head tube graphic resembles this untitled work
Basquiat is an American artist whose started with graffiti in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s he produced Neo-expressionist painting. From his collaborations with Warhol to appearing in the Blondie rapture video, you've likely seen his work.
When we were in Rome, these posters were everywhere. I'm inquiring further now 'cause that's not a bike you see every day and another facet of bike culture.
See the full-rez photos of the Jean Michel Basquiat Race Bike on Flickr and Google Plus.
…We're riding townies, adventure, and mountain bikes. Find recommendations on our store page. As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.


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The poorest areas in America
In the annual American Community Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau releases statistics on the population. Age, race, location, income — these and more are outlined in the report, and the 2012 survey, released this month, gave insight into the country's wealth distribution.
Last year, the median U.S. household income was $51,371. To determine which areas have the highest and lowest median incomes, we used the bureau's American Fact Finder tool to sort the data of 2,120 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. (Update for clarification: Although these areas are defined by particular city names, they may include areas adjacent to or beyond the city limits.)
Much like the high-income areas, the low-income areas showed an interesting geographical makeup. Nine of the 10 lowest median incomes are found in the South, as it is defined by the Census Bureau.
Conversely, the high-income areas showed more geographical diversity. While half of the them are on the East Coast, including the areas surrounding Washington, the other five are in California, Hawaii and Alaska. The high-income areas reported a median income of more than $69,000 a year.
Meanwhile, the low-income areas don't go above $32,860. Three of them are in North Carolina, two are in Texas and the only area outside the South is in New Mexico. Other states with areas on the list are Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. Virginia is the only state to have areas on both ends of the median-income spectrum.
And as far as population goes, the high-income areas are generally larger than the low-income ones. The Census Bureau defines a metro area as containing a "core urban area of 50,000 or more population, and a micro area contains an urban core of at least 10,000 (but less than 50,000) population."
Only one of the high-income areas is a micro area, and only two of the low-income areas are metro. Population didn't directly correlate to the area's rank in its list. For this list, we used the 2011 population estimates, as those are the most recent available for these areas.
10. Dalton, Ga.
• Population: 142,741
• Income: $32,858
9. Forest City, N.C.
• Population: 67,538
• Income: $32,836
8. Nacogdoches, Texas
• Population: 65,466
• Income: $32,555
7. Martinsville, Va.
• Population: 67,300
• Income: $32,196
6. Cookeville, Tenn.
• Population: 106,498
• Income: $31,813
5. Talladega-Sylacauga, Ala.
• Population: 81,664
• Income: $31,547
4. Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas
• Population: 414,123
• Income: $30,953
3. Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
• Population: 76,066
• Income:$29,930
2. Gallup, N.M.
• Population: 73,664
• Income: $29,696
1. Lumberton, N.C.
• Population: 135,517
• Income: $28,293
More from Credit.com
• The Most Debt-Free States in America
• 10 Cities With the Worst Credit Scores
• How to Understand Your Paycheck


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Register for our last 5 Legacy Family Tree webinars of 2012
November 08, 2012
Register today for the last five Legacy Family Tree webinars of 2012. There's still something to learn for everyone - research for beginners; photo gifts for the holidays; census, land, vital, and probate records; Ireland and Canada!
Can you believe that this year alone we have already brought you 43 webinars - that's over 65 hours of free genealogy education - from the comfort of your own computer. It's exciting to be a part of something so worthwhile. And even though our webinar schedule does not yet list our 2013 lineup, we are already scheduled through December of next year. And stay tuned for some big webinar-related announcements!
Register below.
Researching Your Canadian Ancestors - an Overview by Claire V. Brisson-Banks. Friday, November 9.
Got Canadian ancestors? Don't miss this webinar by Claire Brisson-Banks, an accredited genealogist (AG). The key to good research in any country is understanding its history, records and resources. This class will review a timetable and discuss the differences in searching Canadian records versus US records. It will cover a mini-history of the country's growth, census, church, land, and probate records along with online and community resources.
Genealogy for Novices: Where Do We Begin? by Linda Geiger. Wednesday, November 14.
Tips for the beginning genealogist or family historian will be offered including organization skills, home sources, personal interviews, and jurisdiction of some original records.
10 Ideas for Great Gifts Using Your Family Photos by Thomas MacEntee and Flip-Pal's Diane Miller. Friday, November 16.
Once a precious family photo is scanned using the Flip- Pal® mobile scanner, you can do more than just send the image to friends & family and add to your family tree. We will quickly cover how to scan an original, then print for use in gift projects. A few of the ideas we will share using these prints: ornaments, sweat shirts, quilts, wall hangings, holiday decoration and more. This seminar will be packed with ideas and step by step how-to details from these two creative individuals. We'll also cover how you can use various sites such as Zazzle, Café Press and even superstore sites such as Costco, Walmart, and Walgreens to create calendars and photo books as gifts.
The Big 4 U.S. Record Sources by Mary Hill. Wednesday, November 28.
Research in the United States depends upon census, vital, land, and probate records, the bread and butter of American research. Get an overview of each type of record. Learn where to find them and how to use them effectively in your research.
Researching Your Irish Ancestors: Beyond the Basics by Judy Wight. Wednesday, December 5.
As difficult as Irish research is, we can overcome its hurdles if we have a better understanding of the idiosyncrasies of Irish given names, surnames, and place names. Our speaker, Judy Wight, solved the case of Delia Holland - in Ireland she was known as Bridget Houlihan. This webinar discusses situations you may encounter with names and places and provides resources for overcoming these problems.


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Easy-to-tote essentials for when the mood strikes. The quickie features 1 vial of our shine organic lubricant and two of our rise easy-open, ultra-thin lubricated latex condoms. Pop them in your bag and be ready to get to it—twice.
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Rise condoms:
Latex condoms are an effective form of contraception. If used properly, latex condoms will help to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV infection (AIDS) and many other sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia infections, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis.
To open, carefully peel back the top of the buttercup packaging on the condom with your hands. Never use your teeth. The condom is right way up, so carefully use your fingers to pull it out of the package ensuring that the pointy part of the condom faces away from the tip of the penis before you put it on. Squeeze the pointy end of the condom so that there's no air trapped inside. If there is trapped air, you risk the condom splitting. Additionally, it's critical to make sure you put the condom on when the penis is fully erect, as you want to make sure it fits correctly and there are no baggy spots. We recommend always using lubricant on the outside of the condom as not only does extra lubricant increase sensitivity, but it also helps to prevent any breakages.
If you are uncircumcised, pull back the foreskin before keeping one hand at the head of the penis with the end of the condom between your forefinger and thumb, and use the other to roll the condom on all the way down the shaft to the base. Note: If the condom will not unroll, you have it inside out and you will need to use a new condom.
When done, hold the condom at the base while you are still erect so that it doesn't slip off. Then, when fully withdrawn, take the condom off. Dispose of it carefully in the trash bin—never in the toilet. Use a new condom for each act of sex.
Shine organic lubricant:
Use shine organic personal lubricant as needed to supplement your natural moisture and enhance intimacy. To relieve personal dryness, apply a small amount to the area of the body you wish to lubricate. Reapply as desired. Easily washes away with warm water. Latex-friendly.
*Can be used with devices.
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Capital Bordeaux Investment Corporate
Limited and Capital Bordeaux Investments Limited
It is good to see that the Insolvency Service is now busy pursuing other dubious wine investment companies following forcing Ken Gundlach's Bordeaux Fine Wines Ltd into liquidation. On 13th February Capital Bordeaux Investment Corporate
Limited and Capital Bordeaux Investments Limited were put into provisional liquidation by the High Court in London on public interest grounds. The full hearing of the petition is on 14th May. It is, however, rare for the directors of companies put into provisional liquidation to oppose public interest petitions.
Message from Grant Thornton:
'Capital Bordeaux Investment Corporate Limited & Capital Bordeaux Investments Limited in provisional liquidation
'Capital Bordeaux Investment Corporate
Limited (CBIC) & Capital Bordeaux Investments Limited (CBI) companies that
sold wine to investors, were placed into provisional liquidation by the High
Court in the public interest on 13th February 2014, following an investigation
by the Insolvency Service.
The Official Receiver is acting as provisional liquidator in both matters with
a hearing set for 14 May 2014 at 10.30am in London to place the companies into
formal compulsory liquidation. It is from this point that an Insolvency
Practitioner may be appointed to act as Liquidator to investigate the financial
affairs of the company and seek to maximise the potential return to creditors.
Should you want advice on your options
please contact Samantha
Street, a manager at Grant Thornton, at firstname.lastname@example.com
or on 0207 728 2651.'
Investdrinks is prepared to post similar notices from other insolvency practitioners.


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Since most interactions only involve a single dimension, and then only small adjustments are made to the filter values, incremental filtering and reducing is significantly faster than starting from scratch. Crossfilter uses sorted indexes (and a few bit-twiddling hacks) to make this possible, dramatically increasing the performance of live histograms and top-K lists. For more details on how Crossfilter works, see the API reference.
The coordinated visualizations below (built with D3) show nearly a quarter-million flights from early 2001: part of the ASA Data Expo dataset. The dataset is 5.3MB, so it might take a few seconds to download. Click and drag on any chart to filter by the associated dimension. The table beneath shows the eighty most recent flights that match the current filters; these are the details on demand, anecdotal evidence you can use to weigh different hypotheses.
Some questions to consider: How does time-of-day correlate with arrival delay? Are longer or shorter flights more likely to arrive early? What happened on January 12? How do flight patterns differ between weekends and weekdays, or mornings and nights? Fork this example and try your own data!


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The Albert Einstein College of Medicine Center for Medical Countermeasures against Radiation (CMCR) is a multidisciplinary team consisting of two programs and five cores. Established with the mission of treating acute and chronic injuries resulting from radiation exposure primarily due to nuclear or terrorist attacks, the CMCR will facilitate basic, clinical and translation research.
Furthermore, the center will evaluate mechanisms of repair and evaluate potential therapies to treat these injuries, for instance in the intestine, bone marrow, as well as other organs.
To support the CMCR's mission, our collaborators will include Oregon Health and Sciences University, SUNY Stony Brook and other academic institutions. The CMCR is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Health.


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Sony Computer Entertainment America has just been hit with a class action lawsuit in California over the company's recent decision to remove PlayStation 3 support for the Linux operating system in a firmware update.
This decision, in the words of the lawsuit, was an "intentional disablement of the valuable functionalities originally advertised as available with the Sony PlayStation 3 video game console. This disablement is not only a breach of the sales contract between Sony and its customers and a breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, but it is also an unfair and deceptive business practice perpetrated on millions of unsuspecting consumers."
When good firmware goes bad
At issue is PlayStation 3 software update 3.21. On March 28, 2010, Sony announced that this update would "disable the 'Install Other OS' feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models." This feature would be removed "due to security concerns."
The security concerns are not itemized, but the lawsuit claims that these concerns "did not involve a threat to PS3 users, but rather reflected Sony's concerns that the Other OS feature might be used by 'hackers' to copy and/or steal gaming and other content."
The update is "voluntary," but if you don't take it, you won't be able to connect to the PlayStation Network, play any games online, play any games or Blu-ray movies that "require" the new firmware, play any files kept on a media server, or download any future updates.
We've gotten used to a world in which firmware upgrades can radically alter the hardware we purchase—and this is often seen as a good thing. This lawsuit shows the danger in making changes to existing hardware, especially when features are being removed rather than added. According to the lawsuit, this removal of advertised features violates California's Unfair Competition Law, the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and other laws.
In short, PS3 owners "have not obtained the benefit of their bargain from Sony and the essential purpose of the PS3 sales contract has been frustrated."
One obvious rejoinder here might be that this was always a niche feature, that its removal is no big deal, and that the core functionality of the device is not affected. But the lawsuit paints another picture, using quotes from Sony executives over last four years.
For instance, there is a 2007 line from Sony's Phil Harrison: "One of the most powerful things about the PS3 is the 'Install Other OS' option." Sony engineer Geoffrey Levand wrote to a PS3 mailing list in August 2009, "Please be assured that SCE is committed to continue to support for previously sold models that have the 'Install Other OS' feature and that this feature will not be disabled in future firmware releases."
Ars Technica even figures into the case. Our own Ben Kuchera interviewed Sony's John Koller in 2009, and when Ben asked him about the removal of the "Other OS" functionality from the new Slim PS3, Koller responded, "If anyone wants to use previous models and change the OS, they can do so."
If the judge allows a class action, the class would encompass all those who purchased a PS3 between November 17, 2006 and March 27, 2010 and who did not resell that machine. The suit seeks unspecified damages from Sony, but does claim that such damages will exceed $5 million.
This isn't the first time Sony has been hit with a class action over the PS3; in fact, it's not even the first time a class action lawsuit has been filed over one of its firmware updates. Sony was on the receiving end of such a lawsuit back in October 2009 over an update that supposedly bricked some consoles.
Sony has not yet responded to the suit.
Source: ars technica


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Story highlights
U.S.: Lack of "adequate security forces and rule of law on the ground in Sittwe"
Rakhine state home to a violent ethnic conflict between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims
Violence sparked by aid worker's "disrespectful treatment" of a Buddhist flag
Humanitarian groups accused of favoring minority Rohingya population
The United States has expressed "deep concern" about mob violence reportedly targeting international NGOs operating in Myanmar's restive west.
In a statement released Thursday, the U.S. Department of State highlighted what it viewed as "the continued lack of adequate security forces and rule of law on the ground in Sittwe," the capital of Rakhine state.
Rakhine, located along Myanmar's west coast, has been at the center of an ongoing sectarian conflict between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, which has seen hundreds of people killed and tens of thousands more made homeless.
Census controversy
An upcoming census planned by the central government has triggered further unrest amid fears it could exacerbate tensions between the state's majority Buddhist population and the Rohingya – a stateless Muslim minority not recognized as citizens or one of the country's 135 "official" ethnic groups. Myanmar's government has come under increased pressure to take action to ease the unrest, and recently sent more troops to the region.
READ: Rights group alleges "ethnic cleansing" in Myanmar
The attacks this week in Sittwe, which targeted the offices and facilities of a number of international aid agencies working in the city, were triggered by reports that a foreign aid worker had treated a Buddhist flag disrespectfully.
The worker in question, a staffer with the Europe-based humanitarian group Malteser International, had removed the flag from its building. Many flags have been hung on buildings across the state ahead of the census as a sign of opposition to the Rohingya population – who are widely viewed as intruders from across the border in Bangladesh.
In a statement posted on their website Friday, Ingo Radtke, Secretary General of Malteser International, wrote: "Malteser International is committed to the humanitarian principles and therefore the absolute ethnic and political neutrality of our work is our highest priority. We therefore avoid any form of political, religious or ethnic partisanship. That is the reason why our program coordinator has removed the Buddhist flag which – in the local context – might be seen as a symbol for a political positioning. She did not act in any degrading manner or express any cultural misconduct."
Aid groups 'bias'
But foreign aid groups have come under fire in Myanmar for allegedly showing bias towards the Rohingya. Last month, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) was banned from operating in the volatile state following protests by ethnic Rakhine nationalists against the organization and other international NGOs.
READ: Fears Rakhine extremists could drive aid agencies out
Myanmar's government said the organization had been banned for consistently showing bias towards the state's Muslim minority and breaching the terms of its agreement to operate in Rakhine, where it provided services to tens of thousands of patients. MSF said it was "deeply shocked by this unilateral decision."
As the major NGO healthcare provider in Rakhine, it ran clinics in nine townships across the state, "treating anyone who was unable to access the medical care they required," including tens of thousands of vulnerable people who had been displaced into camps by recurrent communal violence.


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Your Guide to This Summer's Food Truck Events
Roxy's Gourmet Grilled cheese is one of many local trucks participating in food truck festivals this summer. (Photo by Cherrylet via Flickr)
Craving something deliciously different this summer? Take a vacation from traditional sit-down restaurants and track down some (or all — we won't judge) of the numerous food truck festivals taking place throughout the season both in and outside of the city. Ahead, a lineup of upcoming events and a primer of what you need to know about the participating trucks.
Upcoming Food Truck Festivals:
Greenway Mobile Food Fest in Boston. Although it's not officially part of the Food Truck Festivals of New England (see below), the Greenway Mobile Food Fest will wheel on into the Rose Kennedy Greenway this month. The event will consist of 22 food trucks, bikes, and carts, as well as a spring cuisine cook-off — grilled Korean rice cakes and vanilla-scented strawberry rhubarb, anyone? — judged by chefs David Chinta (Miel Brasserie) and Jason Santos (Blue Inc.). Six bands plus backyard games like croquet, bocce, and ladderball will provide for entertainment while you break to digest. 5/5, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free admission; Rain date: May 12. For more information, visit rosekennedygreenway.org
The Food Truck Festivals of New England. From June 10 through to October, 11 different food truck festivals will take place throughout New England, kicking off at the UMass Boston Campus Center. Each festival will feature 20 to 30 of the participating trucks, and tickets will allow for guests to chow down on one free sample per truck — which means, yes: upwards of 30 samples from local favorites like Roxy's Grilled Cheese and Kickass Cupcakes, as well as from newer trucks like the NYC-inspired Chicken and Rice Guys.
Now here's the deal: All festivals will be open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on their scheduled days. The food trucks themselves are on rotation though, so there's no telling what will be where and when. Review the list below to figure out just how far you're willing to travel for your perfect meals-on-wheels, then check out @foodtruckfestne to get a better idea what to expect as the day draws nearer. 6/10 – 10/20, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $40, free for children 5 and under. For more information, visit foodtruckfestivalsofne.com.
- The Boston Food Truck Festival at the UMass Boston Campus Center. The season kicks off right next door and close to home (a bonus when all you want is a quick meal and a long stroll) on the UMass campus. 6/10
- The Charlestown Food Truck Festival at Pier 4, Charlestown. This one is a chance to take a break from the Boston scene and indulge in some gourmet street grub with the Courageous Sailing Team. When you're full, consider climbing aboard a sailboat with the team to tour the harbor and snap some photos of the breathtaking Boston skyline. Float on, foodies! 6/16
- The New Hampshire Food Truck Festival at Rockingham Park, Salem, NH. If you're planning to escape north this summer, time it right so you can swing by southern New Hampshire and hit up this festival on the way. 6/30
- The Worcester Food Truck Festival at Elm Park, Worcester. Back to Massachusetts! Take your family and friends down to Worcester and find yourself a perfect picnic spot in the historic Elm Park. 7/14
- The Charles River Food Truck Festival at DCR's Artesani Herter Park, Brighton. Love that dirty water? Head to Brighton for the Charles River Food Truck fest and scope out some more of your favorites. 7/28
- The Cape Cod Food Truck Festival at Barnstable Fairgrounds, Falmouth. This year, forgo the staple restaurants and park it at this food truck fest to sample shoreline delicacies on the go. 8/25
- The Lowell Food Truck Festival at the Tsongas Center, Lowell. With summer on your mind, you may not be ready to think about fall. But if you're in the Lowell area on September 8, cure your end-of-summer blues with some on-the-go chow. 9/8
- The Suffolk Downs Food Truck Festival, East Boston. Bostonians, rejoice: the party returns to Boston in late September. No travel needed. 9/22
- The Shipyard Food Truck Festival, Hingham (Shipyard). The food trucks will hit the coast in late September. 9/29
- The Framingham Food Truck Festival at Shoppers World, Framingham. Before the first signs of winter hit, head over to Shoppers World in Framingham for the penultimate truck event of the season. 10/6
- The Newport Food Truck Festival at the Newport Yachting Center, Newport, RI. The New England Food Truck Festivals sadly come to an end in Newport on October 20. Celebrate in style at the Newport Yachting Center and perhaps take a tour of the plush town with native Rhode Island street food samples in hand. Then finally, finish the festival tour off the right way with a well-deserved food coma. 10/20
Get Prepped: Previous Food Truck New and Reviews
- Rush Hour: Staff Meal Food Truck Slings Over 100 Tacos a Day, April 2012. A glimpse into the busy lunch service at the unconventional food truck.
- A Preview of This Year's Food Truck Schedule, Effective April 1, March 2012. The spring lottery took place to determine the scheduling in prime locations. Here's a look at the results.
- Man Food: The Chinese Sausage-Stuffed Steamed Bun at the Staff Meal Food Truck, November 2011. While well-known trucks like the Clover Food Lab, Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese, and Bon Me may be the current darlings of the street-food scene, we'd like to throw another contender into the ring: Staff Meal.
- Man Food: Quest for the Ultimate Banh Mi, November 2011. I consider myself a Banh Mi novice, so I decided to do my due diligence and sampled versions from three different buzzed-about spots: 163 Vietnamese Sandwich in Chinatown, Pho Viet in the Super 88 food court in Allston, and, of course, the much-hyped Bon Me food truck.
- Clover Food Lab Launches Yet Another Truck, New Brick-and-Mortar Locale in the Works, October 2011. It's a tough economic climate to open a single restaurant right now, let alone several. Impressively, the Clover Food Lab formula appears to be recession-proof: offer meat-free fare, smartly source ingredients and keep everything under five bucks. It's a business plan that's allowed them to launch yet another truck two weeks ago, in the Longwood Medical Area.
- Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese Truck, Chez Henri to Serve a Three-Course Face Off Next Month, October 2011. The team from Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese has been serving their signature cheese-on-toasty bread sandwiches from their bright yellow truck since early last spring. On Thursday, November 3rd, however, you can try the gang's fare in a brick-and-mortar locale: Chez Henri.
- Food Truck Nation to Debut "Lobsta Love" Truck on Harvard Campus, September 2011. Food Truck Nation, the food truck company that's the force behind the popular Grilled Cheese Nation truck, is set to debut a brand new lobster-centric truck concept on Harvard's campus tomorrow. We just hung up with co-owner Todd Saunders, who gave us the lowdown on the truck, dubbed "Lobsta Love."
- Kickass Cupcakes: No Fork Required, August 2011. It's not uncommon to hear voices of seasoned cupcake patrons begin to plan their attack for which of the nearly 20 Kickass Cupcakes flavors they would try that day, whether or not they should buy one for their spouse, or whether or not they should take one for the road. Fortunately for them, taking one for the road just got a lot easier than heading the whole way to Somerville.
- Tastemaking: Hot Wheels, June 2011. Food trucks finally roll into Boston this month. Who's hungry?
- The Food Truck Revolution Hits Boston, August 2010. This weekend's First Annual Food Truck Festival proved that Boston's caught a bad case of the food truck bug. The only problem is, the trucks themselves aren't totally ready to handle the feeding frenzy.


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Earth Observation
Our know-how is highly relevant for satellite, aerial or UAV imagery, we have expert knowledge of sensors & image processing. Learn more about our earth observation solutions on our dedicated website.
Sensor geometry & image processing
Our area of greatest depth and expertise is geometric handling of data, from instrument model and focal plane image all the way to an orthorectified and projected image. Our experience in image processing ranges from SAR to optical high-resolution. We offer techniques for pattern recognition, cloud detection, radiative transfer modelling, image compression, co-registration of images.
Learn more here.
Calibration/Validation & Quality Control
We have experts for both multi-missions Cal/Val and QC processes. Calibration is a set of operations that establishes, under specified conditions, the relationship between quantities indicated by a measuring instrument or measuring system and the corresponding values realised by standards. Validation is the process of assessing by independent means the quality of the data products derived from the system outputs.
Learn more here.
Earth Observation User Services
Earth Observation (EO) user services is a major area of development for us in support of the Copernicus (the European Earth Observation Programme) and in the wider sense of "integrated applications" which exploit the fusion of satellite and terrestrial data. Our knowledge of advanced IT technologies (web, cloud, big data visualisation…) and state of the art map production/GIS techniques helps us develop new, innovative low cost services based on Earth Observation data.
Learn more here.
Magellium in the Catalogue of French Space Industry
Discover our dedicated website here.
GIS & Mapping
We integrate third-party GIS solutions for various applications and handle challenging security, mobility and data fusion issues. We can deliver generic tools for large scale map production and dissemination.
GIS integration & business applications
Magellium has a recognised experience in the development and the maintenance of business applications in various sectors (i.e. transportation, utilities, energy, security…). Depending on the project context and according technical or economical criteria, we will recommend the most appropriate third party GIS solutions (i.e. ArcGIS ESRI or open source) . Our developments rely on the reuse of qualified and mastered components.
Advanced Information Technologies
The web has completely changed information system development so that now GIS is also a matter of security, big data handling and mobility. To meet these requirements, we integrate and implement in most of our developments powerful indexation engines (i.e. Lucene/SolR), web security framework (WAF) and we rely on programming languages compliant with mobile implementation (i.e. Java, HTML5…).
Map production & Dissemination
Based on our experience in system integration and software development for the French MoD and the French National Geographic Institute, we can deliver a range of software tools to produce, manage and deliver up to date multiscale geospatial products. The solution includes legacy data scan, orthoimagery processing, raster & vector production, dataflow management and QC.
Geo Intelligence
Our expertise covers the whole SDI (Spatial Data Infrastucture) life cycle from open source intelligence (OSINT) to emergency mapping production.
OSINT collection and analytics
We carry out generic or specific GeoINT studies for security or environmental purposes on various African and Middle Eastern countries on the basis of a large qualified OSINT collection dealing with more that 50 subjects of interest such as protected areas, land cover, borders, geopolitics, tourism…. Data integration and dissemination are done in standard geographic formats such as DFDD.
SDI life cycle monitoring
For many stakeholders, monitoring the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) life cycle and possible deterioration has political, strategic and financial value. Based on open source information, we provide solutions to decide when new sources acquisitions are necessary to update map assets.
Rapid map production
We provide solutions for rapid mapping production over wide areas in constrained time (days to weeks). Our offer is based on the knowledge of open sources availability, a strong partnership with the main EO operators, a limited but highly reactive inhouse technical & human production capacity and a network of subcontractors, regularly controlled and evaluated.
Computer Vision & Robotics
Our expertise in geometry and image processing is valuable in many robotics and opto-electronics applications ranging from 2D/3D pattern recognition to vision-based localisation.
Object and pattern recognition
Based on high level skills in imaging technologies (sensors, image classification, video, data compression, algorithmics), we develop image processing chains for optoelectronics applications involving passive or active sensors for maritime surveillance, drone image acquisition, object detection…
Non Contact Inspection
We recommend and develop solutions based on active imaging and powerful 3D reconstruction algorithms to carry out non-contact inspection (NCI), reverse engineering (CAD model creation) or metrology applications.
Vision-based localisation
We develop vision-based solutions to tackle 3D localisation issues (indoor & outdoor) for autonomous robot navigation and markerless augmented reality applications. Our skills range from various SLAM implementations (Simultaneous Localisation & Mapping) to multisensor hybridisation (IMU / Vision / GPS).


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Eric Church Launches Charity
Eric Church and his wife Katherine have announced the launch of their charity, Chief Cares.
The charity is being administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, a 501c3 non-profit that serves over 2.5 million people. Chief Cares has already assisted a Nepalese orphanage in getting beds and clothing and offering schooling for area children, delivered aid in Haiti and helped the Humane Society fund operations at their no-kill animal shelters.
Church's fans can help out by donating to Chief Cares here or by purchasing Chief Cares Platinum Seats to one of his upcoming shows.
The charitable country star recently raised over $112,000 for MusiCares at his third annual 'Put a Club in My Hand' golf tournament.
Post by Eric Church.


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PHILADELPHIA – Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the Broad Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., are some of the first to prove that a gene linked to a disease trait by genome wide association studies (GWAS) can be clinically relevant and an important determinant of disease risk.
"One of the criticisms of genome-wide association studies has been that they fail to identify specific genes that cause disease," says co-lead author Daniel J Rader, MD, professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Penn. "This is one of the first examples in which a spot on a chromosome identified by GWAS has been extended to pinpoint the causal gene and relevant physiology."
In a study published this week in Nature, the team of investigators describes how a region on chromosome 1 previously found by GWAS to be associated with both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, the "bad" cholesterol) and myocardial infarction (MI) regulates LDL-C levels.
The study shows that a common gene variant on chromosome 1 creates a transcription factor binding site, which allows for increased transcription of several genes in the liver. Using a combination of over-expression and RNA silencing techniques, Sort1, a gene encoding a protein known as sortilin, was identified as the gene responsible for the associated cardiovascular effects on chromosome 1. Specifically, animals treated with a silencing RNA capable of reducing liver sortilin by 90 percent had a 30 percent increase in plasma cholesterol at two weeks post-injection, while mice injected with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to increase liver sortilin protein had an 80 percent reduction in plasma cholesterol at two weeks.
This reduction in plasma cholesterol was found to be due to reduced secretion of the LDL precursor VLDL into the blood. From other studies, there is a known association between reducing LDL and a reduced risk of heart attacks.
Taken together, these findings provide evidence for a new regulatory system for lipoprotein metabolism and suggest that activating the Sort1 pathway may alter risk for heart attacks in humans. This would be an important breakthrough in cardiovascular disease treatment, notes Rader, as although cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins are used widely, many people do not respond favorably to this class of drugs.
"These results identify Sort1 as the causal gene responsible for the association of a part of chromosome 1 with LDL-C levels in the blood and therefore heart disease, as well as point to a potential new target for the development of new therapies," says Rader.
In a second Nature paper describing a consortium of GWAS for blood lipids involving more than 100,000 individuals of European ancestry, the researchers report 95 spots in the human genome significantly associated with lipid-related traits for coronary artery disease, 59 of which are novel. Among those, Sort1 showed the strongest statistical relationship to LDL-C levels in the human genome.
"This remarkable international consortium highlights scores of genes not previously implicated in lipoprotein metabolism," notes Rader, also a co-author on the second Nature paper. "The 95 loci contribute not only to normal variation in lipid traits but also to extreme lipid phenotypes and impact lipid traits in multiple non-European populations, such as East Asians, South Asians, and African Americans. These results identify several novel loci associated with serum lipids that are also associated with coronary artery disease, highlighting potential targets for new therapies."
Editors' notes:
This work was funded in part by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. Rader is a consultant to Alnylam on an unrelated project concerning cholesterol research. Alnylam is a sub-contractor on the ARRA grant to provide the siRNA technology.


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by Michael Boldin
For decades, using a tortured definition of "interstate commerce," Congress has claimed the authority to regulate, control, ban, or mandate virtually everything – from wheat grown on one's own land for personal consumption, to weed grown in an individual's own home for the same purpose, to guns manufactured, sold and kept in state boundaries, and everything in between. And, unfortunately, the Supreme Court has largely condoned and even encouraged such reprehensible legislative behavior.
How can they justify this? According to leading Constitutional scholar, Rob Natelson, they make two basic arguments.
The first argument was spun during the New Deal by a University of Chicago law professor. (Too many law professors spend entirely too much time fabricating constitutional theories to promote big government.)
This professor argued that during the Founding Era the word "commerce" meant more than trade. Instead, he contended, "commerce" included all gainful economic activities. Hence Congress has a license to regulate the entire economy.
An even broader version of this theory was published more recently by a Yale law professor. He maintains that "commerce" means any human interaction – so the federal government can regulate almost anything, so long as it doesn't trample one of the specific guarantees in the Constitution, such as Free Speech.
Both, however, are wrong – flipping the original meaning of the commerce clause on its head.
In 2011, state legislative contacts close to the Tenth Amendment Center tell us to expect that a number of states will attempt to resist this federal overreach. The first? Virginia. Introduced – prefiled, that is – for the 2011 legislative session, is Delegate Mark Cole's House Bill 1438 (HB1438), which:
Provides that all goods produced or manufactured within the Commonwealth, when such goods are held, retained, or maintained in the Commonwealth, shall not be subject to federal law, federal regulation, or the constitutional power of the United States Congress to regulate interstate commerce.
At first glance, a bill like this might not seem to be out of the ordinary, until one spends a little time thinking about how much of our current unconstitutional federal leviathan the feds have jammed down our throats while claiming "interstate commerce!" every single time.
From Obamacare to Cap and Trade to the Controlled Substances Act – and everything in between – there are literally countless examples of how the federal government claims the right to not only regulate, but control, prohibit, and mandate under its delegated power to regulate commerce – "among the several states."
If, like any legal document, the words of the Constitution (and its amendments) mean today just what they meant when it was signed, then we must understand the original meaning of words in Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the Constitution – the "Interstate Commerce Clause." It delegates to Congress the power to:
"regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes."
According to Constitutional scholar Randy Barnett, the original meaning of "commerce" was limited to the "trade and exchange" of goods and transportation for this purpose. The original meaning of "to regulate" generally meant "to make regular" -that is, to specify how an activity may be transacted-when applied to domestic commerce, but when applied to foreign trade also included the power to make "prohibitory regulations." "Among the several States" meant between persons of one state and another.
According to Constitutional scholar Rob Natelson, the commerce clause gave Congress power to regulate interstate commerce — not any "matters that have significant spillover effects across state lines." The Constitutional Convention rejected the wording of the Virginia Plan, which arguably would have let the Federal government regulate any activity with interstate spillover. In other words, the Founders made the deliberate decision to leave many activities with spillover effects to the states.
Not included in this power to regulate commerce "across state lines" is the authority to regulate activites that are non-economic or solely INTRAstate, which the language of Virginia's Instrastate Commerce Act addresses.
Laws of the federal government are Supreme in all matters pursuant to the delegated powers of U.S. Constitution. When D.C. enacts laws outside those powers, state laws trump. And, as Thomas Jefferson would say, when the federal government assumes powers not delegated to it, those acts are "unathoritative, void, and of no force" from the outset.
The principle behind such legislation is nullification, which has a long history in the American tradition. When a state 'nullifies' a federal law, it is proclaiming that the law in question is void and inoperative, or 'non-effective,' within the boundaries of that state; or, in other words, not a law as far as the state is concerned. Implied in such legislation is that the state apparatus will enforce the act against all violations – in order to protect the liberty of the state's citizens.
In the Virginia Resolution of 1798, James Madison wrote of the principle of interposition:
That this Assembly doth explicitly and peremptorily declare, that it views the powers of the federal government, as resulting from the compact, to which the states are parties; as limited by the plain sense and intention of the instrument constituting the compact; as no further valid that they are authorized by the grants enumerated in that compact; and that in case of a deliberate, palpable, and dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states who are parties thereto, have the right, and are in duty bound, to interpose for arresting the progress of the evil, and for maintaining within their respective limits, the authorities, rights and liberties appertaining to them.
When states resist, interpose, and nullify unconstitutional federal "laws" – this is not rebellion, it's duty.
A long train of improper judicial precedents and federal usurpations of power under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 are not supreme simply due to the fact they are outside the scope of power delegated to the federal government.
By introducing HB1438, Delegate Cole attempts to place Virginia in a position of proper authority while pressing the issue of state supremacy back into the public sphere.
In 1942 no state intervened or challenged the federal claim to regulate non-commercial intrastate activity in Wickard v Filburn. This landmark court decision claimed to give the federal government the power, under the guise of "interstate commerce," to control the growing of a plant in one's own backyard – and consuming it at home.
This ruling marked a reversal of precedent set over the course of more than 150 years where the federal courts had ruled against such loose interpretation. The federal government now claims authority – under the commerce clause – to control or ban what you grow and consume at home, to tell you how big your toilet can be, and that you can be fined for not purchasing a health insurance plan. Such powers are not what the founders and ratifiers gave Congress in the Constitution.
With the passage of a bill like HB1438, Virginia would become the first state to reject in one fell swoop the ludicrous and intellectually dishonest constitutional rationale that underpins so much federal activity, and reclaim the rightful authority to regulate commerce within its own borders.
CLICK HERE to view the Tenth Amendment Center's Model Legislation – The Intrastate Commerce Act
CLICK HERE – to view the Tenth Amendment Center's Intrastate Commerce Act Tracking Page
- Constitution 101: Supremacy Clause - January 29, 2024
- Benjamin Franklin's Finest: Top Views from the "First American" - January 17, 2024
- Breaking Free from the Monster State: 5 Essential Principles - January 15, 2024


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CHopper spacecraft design from 2009 presentation
I like to think that I'm reasonably good with a web search, but
sometimes I get skunked. I've had
several posts on two of the current Discovery mission finalists, the Titan TiME
lake probe and the Martian InSight geophysics mission. I've wanted to do a post on the third
candidate, the Chopper Comet Hopper proposal.
(I do send emails, but given the competitive nature of these proposals, often
get either a polite refusal or no response.)
So, today I'm going with limited information based on a presentation
that's almost three years old (and I don't have the link anymore, sorry). Some of what I write today is likely to be
out of date.
We've now seen several comets up close, and have learned that each has
a diverse surface that invites a mission to rove across the surface to
investigate each of the landforms.
Comets have too little gravity hold a traditional rover on the surface
(a major problem of landing on a comet is staying on it – the Rosetta mission's
Philae lander will use harpoons to anchor itself). The CHopper
mission would use the low gravity as an advantage. It would gently settle on the surface
multiple times at different locations on the comet. In between landings, the spacecraft would
observe the comet from a distance, mapping the surface and watching the change
in activity as the comet approaches perihelion at a distance just outside the
Earth's orbit.
The mission would carry an imager and an infrared spectrometer to map
the shape and composition of the surface.
An ion/neutral mass spectrometer would measure the composition of the
gases around the surface and presumably on the surface (the three year old
presentation showed an extendable platform that would place the mass
spectrometer in contact with the surface).
The instrument list includes panoramic cameras, presumably to take
images on the surface. The instrument
manifest also includes a heating experiment, which is suggestive of several
possible measurements of different sophistication.
The CHopper mission would combine remote observations of its target comet for almost two years with measurements from several locations on the surface.
The CHopper mission combines the roles of both a comet orbiter and a
lander. Within the Discovery mission
budget (~$425M), the instrument list is necessarily limited. The CHopper spacecraft would carry fewer
remote sensing instruments than the Flagship-class European Rosetta comet
orbiter and fewer instruments for studying the surface composition than the
Philae rover. However, CHopper would
conduct a substantial portion of the science of Rosetta at a second comet and
add the unique capability to conduct science at multiple locations on the
The target comet for the mission would be 46P/Wirtanen, a small (1.2 km
radius) body with an orbital period of 5.4 years. This comet was the initial target for the
Rosetta mission before it switched to a second comet, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. 46P/Wirtanen is similar in size to comet 103P/Hartley
where NASA's EPOXI mission (using the Deep Impact spacecraft) observed a
heterogeneous surface and jets with different compositions.
CHopper's target comet, 46P/Wirtanen, is believed to be similar in size to comet 103P/Hartley, which was imaged during a flyby in the EPOXI mission
Mission launch would be in 2015 with the rendezvous with 46P/Wirtanen
in 2022. Approximately 2.5 years of
science observations would follow to observe the comet from near aphelion to
The CHopper mission would be enabled by NASA new plutonium-based
Advianced Stirling Radioisotopic Generators that are ready for their first
flight test. Solar arrays large enough
to provide sufficient energy at 46P/Wirtanen would preclude landing on the comet.
Joseph Veverka of Cornell University gave an excellent talk
at last Fall's American Geophysical Union conference on the heterogeneity of
the surface for comet Tempel 1.
Editorial Thoughts: I find the concept of CHopper to be exciting, and
I've been disappointed that the project team has chosen to keep the details
close to the chest (but I understand the competitive pressures). The
science promises to be first rate and I think the images from different
locations on the surface of an active comet would be spectacular.
Comet 46P/Wirtanen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Wirtanen


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The Sinnoh League quarterfinal battle between rivals Ash and Paul is turning out to be one for the ages! Ash still has all six of his Pokémon, while Paul's Aggron and Gastrodon have been eliminated. But the tide begins to turn at this point as Paul's true strategy begins to emerge: to predict and counter whatever Ash does! Paul's Drapion sets up a nasty trap with Toxic Spikes and, mere moments later, a dazzling tactical display renders Ash's Buizel, Staraptor, and Torterra unable to battle.
Next, Ash's Gliscor comes in against Paul's amazingly fast Ninjask. When Gliscor hits the ground and takes a lot of damage from Toxic Spikes, Ash switches it out in favor of Infernape—and this is where some creative strategizing on Ash's part begins to erode Paul's strategy, as an underground Flare Blitz burns off the Toxic Spikes!
After his Ninjask is eliminated, Paul brings out his Froslass, while Ash calls on Pikachu. Although Froslass is powerful and its evasion skills are impressive, Pikachu's tenacity rules the bout, and Froslass is eliminated!
When Paul again calls on Drapion, Ash gets Gliscor back into the battle. Although Gliscor is still feeling the effects of previous battling, the magnificent training it received from the Air Battle Master is evident. We leave the action just as Gliscor is diving directly into Drapion's Pin Missile! How will this incredible battle end?


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Robotic Prostatectomy
Radical prostatectomy is surgery to remove your prostate gland. This is the gland below the male bladder that helps produce semen. Your prostate can be removed several ways. One way is for the surgeon to make a fairly large incision into your lower abdomen to reach your prostate. This is called an open procedure.
Another kind of surgery involves making several smaller cuts and removing the prostate using a tiny camera and surgical tools. This is called a laparoscopic prostatectomy. One way for a surgeon to do laparoscopic surgery is with the help of a robot. This is known as a robotic prostatectomy.
Radical prostatectomy is typically used to treat prostate cancer. The robotic system can help your surgeon in several ways. The camera magnifies the area, helping the surgeon see tiny structures more easily. The robotic system can make steady, precise movements in small places where the surgeon may otherwise have trouble reaching.
Compared with an open procedure, this type of surgery may have benefits including:
- Less bleeding
- Faster recovery
- Shorter hospital stay
- Fewer problems with bowel and bladder function
As with other surgeries that require you to be put to sleep, risks from this procedure include:
- Reactions to medicines used during the surgery
- Blood clots
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Stroke or heart attack during the procedure
Other risks include:
- Trouble controlling urine (incontinence)
- Trouble getting or keeping an erection
- Trouble controlling bowel movements
- Injured rectum
- Narrowing of the urethra, which is the tube in the penis that carries out urine
There may be other risks, depending on the specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor before the procedure.
Before the procedure
Your physician will usually give you a checkup before the surgery. This is to see that you're healthy enough for the procedure and that any diseases you may have are under control. Be sure to mention any medicines or supplements you're taking.
Your physician may tell you to stop taking certain medicines in the days or weeks before the surgery, such as aspirin. The day before the surgery, you may need to take a laxative to empty your colon. You may be told to have only clear fluids the day before the surgery and to completely stop eating and drinking after midnight before the surgery.
During the procedure
- Shortly before the procedure, a healthcare provider will give you antibiotics and begin treatments to reduce your risk of blood clots.
- You will most likely lie on your back on a special table that holds your legs apart.
- You will receive anesthesia drugs that put you to sleep for the procedure.
- The surgeon will then make several small cuts into your lower abdomen.
- The video camera, robotic arms, and instruments will be put into your abdomen through these cuts.
- The surgeon will cut away your prostate and some lymph nodes around it and remove them from your body through the small cuts.
After the procedure
After the surgery, your healthcare team will show you how to do breathing exercises and movements while in bed to help your body recover. You may wear special stockings on your legs that reduce your risk for blood clots. After resting the first day, you may be encouraged to get up and move around more. You may be able to go home the day after the surgery. You may have incontinence and difficulty having an erection after the surgery. Your healthcare team can show you how to do Kegel exercises to better control your urine.
Postsurgery instructions will probably include not driving for a week after the surgery and avoiding heavy exercise for three or four weeks. Be sure to keep any follow-up appointments so your surgeon can make sure you're recovering well.


text:
JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) – As former first lady Laura Bush gazed at the elegant knee-length Oscar de la Renta dress and coat she wore to the swearing-in ceremony at her husband's 2005 inauguration, she recalled that white turned out to be the perfect color choice.
"The floor of the platform was a beautiful sky blue, which I didn't know that it would be … So the white dress with snow all out on the ground and then this beautiful sky blue platform really looked perfect," Bush said. Turning her eyes to the silvery gown she wore that night, she said: "He made it so sparkling and so beautiful with the crystals."
The ensembles are among more than 60 featured in a new retrospective of de la Renta's career that opens July 19 at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas. "Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of Style," runs through Oct. 5.
"To me, this is such a great example of what Oscar really tries to do – whether it's for first ladies or the lady on the street, he really tries to understand what people want, what people need, he tries to get people. And I think that this is really a reflection of his great relationship with Mrs. Bush," said Alex Bolen, who is chief executive officer of Oscar de la Renta and the designer's son-in-law.
The exhibit featuring designs from the beginning of de la Renta's career in the 1960s to present day is arranged by themes, from gowns inspired by de la Renta's love of gardening to those showing the Spanish influence on his works to gowns worn on red carpets and by first ladies, including Laura Bush, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Nancy Reagan.
Bush said the exhibit was the designer's idea. "He called me and said, 'May I do a show there? I'd love to.' Of course I was thrilled, I'd always envisioned that we do a show of clothes," Bush said.
Her daughter Jenna Bush Hager's wedding dress is among those displayed, along with Bush's turquoise mother-of-the bride dress.
"When Jenna married, there was just one designer she wanted to design her dress, and that was Oscar," Bush said, adding, "Of course she thought it was the prettiest dress ever, and it is."
Bush said she was able to wear many of the dresses to multiple events, including a blue silk dress she wore not only for a Vogue photo shoot but also on other occasions including a dinner for then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy and for her White House portrait.
"One of the great things about his clothes is that you can wear them over and over," she said. "They last longer than a year – they stay in fashion longer than a year and then they also obviously are so beautifully made they last for a long time."
De la Renta's designs were also featured last year at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. That exhibit included a teal pantsuit Hillary Clinton wore when she was sworn in as a U.S. senator. ___ If You Go … GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM: "Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of Style," 2943 SMU Blvd., Dallas; http://www.georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/ or 214-346-1650. Runs Saturday through Oct. 5. Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays noon-5 p.m. Adults, $18.