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Homocysteine Reduction
Homocysteine is an amino acid that inflicts damage to the inner arterial lining (endothelium) and other cells of the body.
In 1968, a Harvard researcher observed that children with a genetic defect that caused them to have sharply elevated homocysteine levels suffered severe atherosclerotic occlusion and vascular disorders similar to what is seen in middle-aged patients with arterial disease. This was the first indication that excess homocysteine might be an independent risk factor for heart disease.
|Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The 17 Daggers Aimed At The Heart
Life Extension has identified elevated homocysteine as one of 17 independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This has been graphically illustrated as "daggers aimed at the heart" (See Figure 1 Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The 17 Daggers Aimed At The Heart). Any one of these "daggers" can initiate and propagate vascular disease. Among such risk factors, homocysteine's role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease continues to be misunderstood by mainstream medicine.
Much of this confusion stems from highly publicized results of clinical trials that used B vitamins to reduce blood levels of homocysteine yet failed to prevent cardiovascular events in people with advanced atherosclerosis (Albert 2008; Méndez-Gonzales 2010). Life Extension believes these studies were seriously flawed, most notably because they used doses of B vitamins that were too low to reduce homocysteine to Life Extension's recommended optimal range of <8 µmol/L. At present, medical testing laboratories consider a homocysteine number between 11-15 µmol/L as the upper limit of "normal" despite robust clinical data to the contrary (Guo 2009, Nygard 1995). Consequently, many doctors remain misinformed as to the optimal target range for homocysteine and the doses of homocysteine-lowering nutrients required to achieve this optimal range.
Homocysteine Basics
All homocysteine in the body is biosynthesized from methionine, an essential amino acid found abundantly in meats, seafood, dairy products, and eggs. Vegetables, with few exceptions (eg, sesame seeds and Brazil nuts), are low in methionine; even such protein-rich legumes as beans, peas, and lentils contain relatively small amounts of methionine compared to animal-derived foods.
Homocysteine exists in several forms (Jacobsen 1998); the sum of all homocysteine forms is termed 'total homocysteine.' Protein-rich diets contain ample amounts of methionine and consequently produce significant levels of homocysteine in the body (Verhoef 2005).
Homocysteine is metabolized through two pathways: remethylation and transsulfuration (See Figure 2 Homocysteine Metabolic Pathways). Remethylation requires folate and B12 coenzymes; transsulfuration requires pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, the B6 coenzyme (Selhub 1999a).
Figure 2: Homocysteine Metabolic Pathways
The remethylation pathway requires vitamin B12, folate, and the enzyme 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). In kidney and liver, homocysteine is also remethylated by the enzyme betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT), which transfers a methyl group to homocysteine via the demethylation of betaine to dimethylglycine (DMG). The transsulfuration pathway requires the enzyme cystathionine-synthase (CBS) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate). Once formed from cystathionine, cysteine can be utilized in protein synthesis and glutathione (GSH) production.
Figure taken from: www.nature.com/cdd/journal/v11/n1s/fig_tab/4401451f1.html
Active folate, known as 5-MTHF or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, works in concert with vitamin B12 as a methyl-group donor in the conversion of homocysteine back to methionine.
Normally, about 50% of homocysteine is remethylated; the remaining homocysteine is transsulfurated to cysteine, which requires vitamin B6 as a co-factor. This pathway yields cysteine, which is then used by the body to make glutathione, a powerful antioxidant (See Figure 2 Homocysteine Metabolic Pathways) that protects cellular components against oxidative damage.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and magnesium are also involved in homocysteine metabolism. Thus a person needs several different B-vitamins to help keep homocysteine levels low and allow for it to be properly transformed into helpful antioxidants like glutathione. Without B6, B12, B2, folate, and magnesium, dangerous levels of homocysteine may build up in the body.
Blood levels of total homocysteine increase throughout life in men and women (Selhub 1999b). Prior to puberty, both sexes enjoy optimally healthy levels (about 6 µmol/L). During puberty, levels rise, more in males than females (Must 2003, Jacques 1999), reaching, on average, almost 10 µmol/L in men and more than 8 µmol/L in women (Ganji 2006). As we age, mean values of homocysteine continue to rise and the concentrations usually remain lower in women than in men (Ganji 2006).
|Figure 3: Determinants of Total Plasma Homocysteine Levels
The higher total homocysteine concentrations seen in the elderly may be caused by many factors including malabsorption of B12 or a suboptimal intake of B-vitamins (especially vitamin B12), reduced kidney function, medications that reduce the absorption of vitamins (as in the case of H2 receptor antagonists or proton-pump inhibitors reducing B12 absorption) (Ruscin 2002) or increase the catabolism of the vitamins (as in the case of metformin reducing blood levels of B12 and folic acid) (Wulffele 2003). Certain diseases are associated with higher homocysteine levels, as can such lifestyle factors as smoking (Targer 2000), coffee consumption (Temple 2000), and excessive alcohol intake (Sakuta 2005). Lack of exercise, obesity, and stress are also associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (See Figure 3: Determinants of Total Plasma Homocysteine Levels).
How Elevated Homocysteine Leads to Vascular Damage
If unhealthy levels of homocysteine accumulate in the blood, the delicate lining of an artery (endothelium) can be damaged.
Homocysteine can both initiate and potentiate atherosclerosis. For example, homocysteine-induced injury to the arterial wall is one of the factors that can initiate the process of atherosclerosis, leading to endothelial dysfunction and eventually to heart attacks and strokes (Gallai 2001, Papatheodorou 2007). Several studies have shown that homocysteine can inflict damage to the arterial wall via multiple destructive molecular mechanisms (Zeng 2003, Hofmann 2001, Osanai 2010).
Homocysteine Is Linked to Congestive Heart Failure
Small clinical studies have shown that patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) suffer from elevated plasma homocysteine levels (Cooke 2000). Based on preclinical evidence that the myocardium may be especially susceptible to homocysteine-induced injury (Chen 1999) and based on observations linking homocysteine to oxidative stress (Loscalzo 1996) and to left ventricular remodeling (Miller 2002, Blacher 1999), it has been hypothesized that elevated plasma homocysteine levels would increase the risk of CHF. Accordingly, researchers investigated the relationship of plasma homocysteine concentration to the risk of CHF in a community-based sample of adults (2491 adults, mean age 72 years, 1547 women) who participated in the well-known Framingham Heart Study during the 1979-1982 and 1986-1990 examination periods and who were free of CHF or prior myocardial infarction at baseline. In one study that examined patients without any manifestation of coronary heart disease at baseline, investigators found that the association of plasma homocysteine levels with risk of CHF was maintained in men and women and concluded "an increased plasma homocysteine level independently predicts risk of the development of CHF in adults without prior myocardial infarction" (Vasan 2003)
Reducing Homocysteine for Migraine Relief
Migraine is a debilitating disease that can be associated with elevated blood levels of homocysteine (Kurth 2008, Moschiano 2008, Hamed 2009).
A recent study showed that treatment with B-complex vitamins, including 5-MTHF, could provide relief for migraine sufferers including those with the MTHFR C677T genotype, (Lea 2009) which typically limits the clinical effectiveness of supplemental folic acid since individuals with this genotype don't effectively convert folic acid to its active form. People with the C677T genotype consistently have higher levels of homocysteine than those with the normal C677C genotype. Headache frequency and pain severity were also reduced. The treatment proved successful in reducing homocysteine levels and migraine disability in study participants with the MTHFR C677T genotype. Researchers have long suspected that migraine headaches have a genetic component because migraine sufferers often have family members who also have the condition. Studies suggest that up to 12 percent of those living in the U.S. and Western Europe have this genetic link to migraine (Oterino 2010).
Homocysteine's Role in Macular Degeneration
Studies of homocysteine's role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD: both wet and dry types) reveal a strong link between the compound and the disease.
In a group of 2,335 study participants who had evidence of AMD as detected from retinal photographs, researchers found that homocysteine blood levels >15 µmol/L were associated with an increased likelihood of AMD in participants aged <75 years. They also found a similar association for blood levels of vitamin B12 <125 pmol/L among all study participants. In participants with homocysteine levels ≤15 µmol/L, low serum B12 was associated with nearly fourfold higher odds of AMD (Rochtchina 2007).
In a larger and more recent study, Harvard researchers enrolled 5,442 women who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The women were given a placebo or 2.5 milligrams folic acid, 50 milligrams vitamin B6, and 1 mg vitamin B12 per day. After an average of more than seven years of treatment and follow-up, researchers recorded 55 cases of AMD in the B-vitamin treatment group and 82 in the placebo group. Investigators concluded that in women at high risk of cardiovascular disease, daily long-term supplementation with folic acid, B6, and B12 may reduce the risk of AMD (Christen 2009).
Homocysteine Linked to Hearing Loss
A number of published studies suggest that hearing loss may be linked to plasma homocysteine levels, which could be reduced by folic acid supplementation.
One study conducted from September 2000 to December 2004 in 728 older men and women in the Netherlands (which does not have mandatory folic acid fortification) found that at initiation, the median threshold for hearing in the low frequency range (0.5 to 2 kHz) was 11.7 decibels (dB), and 34.2 dB in the high frequency range (4 to 8 kHz). By the end of the study, the thresholds had increased for both folic acid and placebo groups. In other words, a louder noise was required to get study participants to hear it. However, the increase was lower in the supplemented group in the low frequency range (1.0 versus 1.7 dB increase for folic acid and placebo groups, respectively). There was no significant difference in threshold decline in the higher frequency region. Thus, folic acid supplementation slowed the decline in hearing of the speech frequencies typically associated with aging (Durga 2007).
Researchers studied the levels of homocysteine in 28 male patients (mean age 37) with noise-induced hearing loss. Homocysteine levels of subjects with noise-induced hearing loss were significantly higher compared to healthy controls, suggesting a causal link between increased homocysteine levels and noise-induced hearing loss (Gok 2004).
What Is a Healthy Homocysteine Number?
Clinical testing laboratories consider a homocysteine value between 5 to 15 µmol/L as healthy. Life Extension believes that an upper limit of 15 µmol/L is too high for optimal health. Studies indicate that adults with homocysteine values ≥6.3 µmol/L are at increased risk of atherosclerosis (Homocysteine Studies Collaboration), heart attack and stroke (Broxmeyer 2004). Homocysteine levels in the blood can increase due to age (Elias 2005), prescription drug use (see the "Drugs that Raise Homocysteine Levels" section, below), declining ability to absorb vitamin B12 (Zeng 2003), deteriorating kidney function (Mann 2008), smoking (Targer 2000), alcohol (Sakuta 2005), coffee consumption (Carlsen 2005), obesity (Guzelmeric 2007), declining levels of physical activity (Nygård 1995), and inheriting a genetic polymorphism known as the MTHFR C677T variant in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) (McNulty 2008). After age 50, a more practical target value for homocysteine is <8 µmol/L. Depending upon other factors, you may require larger-than-usual intakes of B vitamins to achieve a healthy blood level of homocysteine. Data from published studies reveal that there is no safe "normal range" for homocysteine. Epidemiological studies have shown that higher homocysteine levels are associated with higher risk, even at levels that are considered "normal" (Robinson 1995). Life Extension recommends a target of <8 µmol/L because published data, as well as our experience with homocysteine in tens of thousands of customers over more than 30 years, indicate that this threshold target is a realistic goal when taking optimal amounts of vitamins B6, B12, folate, TMG, and other homocysteine-lowering nutrients (McLean 2004).
The MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism is the single most important genetic determinant of blood homocysteine values in the general population. More than 40% of Hispanics and between 30-38% of whites living in the U.S. inherit at least one copy of this gene (Botto 2000),which impairs their ability to fully activate (methylate) folic acid to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the bioactive form of the B vitamin. Individuals who inherit this gene variant from both parents have a significantly higher (14-21%) risk of vascular disease than those who do not.
For this affected group, taking the bioactive folate supplement, 5-MTHF, may be a better strategy. 5-MTHF is clinically tested, is highly bioavailable (Willems 2004), can cross the blood-brain-barrier (Weir 1999), and is unlikely to mask a vitamin B12 deficiency as folic acid can do (Venn 2002). Those who carry this gene variant can safely reduce their risk of homocysteine-related health problems using an inexpensive, nonprescription natural folate supplement.
Flawed Studies Lead to Confusion over B-Vitamins and Heart Disease
A 2010 review of several large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that used various B-vitamin therapies for reducing cerebrovascular risk (VISP study [Toole 2004]) and secondary cardiovascular disease risk (HOPE 2 [Saposnik 2009], NORVIT [Bønaa 2005], WAFACS [Albert 2006], and WENBIT [Ebbing 2008] studies) concluded that B-vitamin treatments effectively decrease plasma homocysteine levels and stroke risk, although such treatments failed to reduce cardiovascular risk (Méndez-Gonzales 2010). A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comprising 16,958 participants with preexisting vascular disease found that folic acid supplementation had no effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality (Bazzano 2006).
Critical examinations of such studies that failed to show a reduction of cardiovascular events in patients treated with B vitamins have revealed numerous design and methodological flaws including limited statistical power, relatively short duration of follow-up, and insufficient number of cardiovascular events (Bostom 2001, Clarke 2005, Ueland 2007). In addition, three of the studies were secondary prevention trials and therefore were not designed to test the ability of B vitamins to prevent heart attacks in healthy people. The most egregious flaw in these trials, however, is that they all failed to use high enough doses of B vitamins to reduce study participants' homocysteine levels to the optimal target range of <8 µmol/L.
Additional B-vitamin studies in patients undergoing balloon angioplasty and vascular stenting reveal the critical importance of lowering homocysteine levels to Life Extension's recommended optimal target range. Two studies that failed to use high enough doses of folic acid, B6, and/or B12 to achieve optimal homocysteine reduction saw restenosis rates rise in some patients who received vitamin therapy (Namazi 2006, Lange 2004). In contrast, a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial (the "Swiss Heart Study") examined the effects of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 treatment in 553 patients who underwent angioplasty (Schnyder 2002). Investigators observed a significant reduction in the need for revascularization of the target lesion at 1 year (9.9% in the treatment group vs. 16.0% in the control group). Significantly, the Swiss Study is the only randomized controlled trial to date in which treatment reduced study participants' average plasma homocysteine levels (7.5 µmol/L) to within the range recommended by Life Extension <8 µmol/L).
Stroke Protection from B-Vitamin Therapy
The 2009 HOPE-2 trial for homocysteine therapy and stroke risk, which randomized 5,522 adults with known cardiovascular disease to a daily treatment regimen of B-vitamin therapy (2.5 mg of folic acid, 50 mg of vitamin B6, and 1 mg of vitamin B12) for 5 years, achieved reduction in stroke risk of 25% (Saposnik 2009). HOPE-2 was the first large randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial to use clinically adequate doses of vitamin B12. It included high-risk participants with and without history of cerebrovascular disease drawn from countries with and without folic acid food fortification. Significantly, homocysteine concentration decreased by 2.2 µmol/L in the B-vitamin therapy group and increased by 0.80 µmol/L in the placebo group.
Another meta-analysis that focused on a subset of 7 of 12 randomized studies added a randomized trial from China to assess the efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke prevention. Study investigators found that folic acid supplementation significantly reduced the risk of stroke by 18% (Wang 2007).
Additional Studies on Homocysteine Reduction and Vascular Disease
A number of controlled studies that found positive effects of B-vitamin therapy on vascular disease yielded the following results:
- Folate supplementation improved arterial function in patients with peripheral arterial disease (Khandanpour 2009). Two measures of arterial health, brachial pressure index (ABPI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV), were measured; ABPI improved significantly in all patients receiving folate compared with controls, while PWV improved significantly in individuals receiving an active form of folic acid (5-MTHF), and tended to be improved in those taking folic acid, compared with controls.
- Twenty hypercholesterolemic adults taking Lovastatin® were given a daily folate supplement (5 mg) for 8 weeks while 20 patients received a placebo (Shidfar 2009); only the folate-supplemented group experienced decreased blood levels of homocysteine.
- Reducing blood levels of homocysteine through B-vitamin therapy was shown to improve endothelial function in renal transplant recipients with hyperhomocysteinemia (Xu 2008). Investigators assigned 36 stable renal transplant recipients with hyperhomocysteinemia to either a B-vitamin treatment group (5 mg folic acid, 50 mg vitamin B6 and 1,000 mcg vitamin B12 per day) or to a control group (placebo only) for 6 months. Investigators found that homocysteine significantly decreased in the B-vitamin treatment group compared with baseline (12.6 vs. 20.1 µmol/l); no significant changes in homocysteine levels were observed in the control group. Vasodilatation responses were significantly improved in the treatment group compared to controls.
- Folic acid treatment in patients undergoing hemodialysis (10 mg 3 times weekly after dialysis treatment for 6 months) lowered plasma homocysteine levels while it significantly increased total plasma antioxidant capacity levels (Alvares Delfino 2007). Twenty patients receiving placebo treatment showed no statistically significant effect on any of the parameters studied.
- A study treated liver transplant recipients with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF; 1 mg) vs. folic acid (1 mg) vs placebo in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Investigators observed a significant decrease of total serum homocysteine in the 5-MTHF group by Week 8; they found no significant decrease of total serum homocysteine in either the folic acid group or the placebo group. The effects of 5-MTHF (active folate) were found to be significantly more potent than folic acid at lowering elevated homocysteine levels in liver transplant recipients (Akoglu 2008).
- A randomized study in 103 patients at increased risk of heart attack or stroke investigated the effect of daily supplementation of folic acid (5 mg) on carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Study participants were randomized to receive either a daily dose of 5 mg folic acid or placebo. After 18 months of folic acid supplementation, participants in the active treatment group saw their homocysteine levels significantly reduced, compared to a significant increase in the placebo group. Investigators noted significant regression of carotid IMT in the treatment group compared to significant IMT progression in the placebo group (Ntaios 2010).
- A controlled study was carried out to assess whether folic acid supplementation could produce a reduction in homocysteine levels and improvement in endothelial function in patients with unstable angina (UA) and hyperhomocysteinemia (Guo 2009). Investigators treated patients with 5 mg of folic acid for 8 weeks, rechecking homocysteine, folic acid, and vitamin B12 levels at the end of 4 and 8 weeks. Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with UA than in patients without UA at baseline (19.2 vs. 10.7 µmol/L), whereas plasma levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 were significantly lower. After 8 weeks of folic acid supplementation, homocysteine levels were reduced by 55.3% in the 22 UA patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. Flow-mediated dilation, an indirect measure of endothelial function, also improved significantly after 8 weeks of treatment with folic acid.
- A 2008 study examined carotid artery atherosclerosis as determined by measurements of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque calcification in 923 patients with vascular disease or diabetes (Held 2008). Study investigators found an inverse association between plasma folate and plaque calcification score; there was a trend toward an inverse association with IMT as well.
N-Acetyl-Cysteine and Homocysteine Reduction
Research studies have documented the homocysteine-lowering effect of the nutraceutical, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), which can lead to a highly significant reduction in cardiovascular events, owing to the ability of NAC to lower plasma homocysteine levels and improve endothelial function. Researchers believe that NAC displaces homocysteine from its protein carrier in the blood. This promotes the formation of cysteine and NAC disulfide molecules with high renal clearance, thereby removing homocysteine from plasma (Zoccali 2007, Nolin 2010).
- A 2007 study randomized 60 patients with hyperhomocysteinemia and confirmed coronary artery disease to folic acid 5 mg, NAC 600 mg, or placebo daily for eight weeks. Folic acid and NAC supplementation both lowered homocysteine levels and improved endothelial function. Folic acid decreased homocysteine from 21.7 µmol/L to 12.5 µmol/L and NAC decreased homocysteine from 20.9 µmol/L to 15.6 µmol/L. Both treatments improved endothelium-dependent dilation compared to placebo (Yilmaz 2007).
- In a double-blind crossover design study, Swedish investigators gave NAC supplements to 11 patients with high plasma lipoprotein(a), which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (Wiklund 1996). While investigators observed no significant effect on plasma lipoprotein(a) levels, they did find that plasma levels of homocysteine were significantly reduced during treatment with NAC by an astounding 45%.
- One study examined the effect of oral NAC supplementation in nine young healthy females and found that the supplement induced a rapid and significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels and an increase in whole blood concentration of the antioxidant glutathione. Study investigators concluded that NAC might therefore be a highly efficient nutraceutical for reducing blood levels of homocysteine (Roes 2002).
Omega-3 PUFAs Lower Homocysteine
A growing body of research on marine lipids, rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), reveals that omega-3 rich fish oil supplementation can reduce elevated homocysteine levels:
- A 2010 animal model study examined the effect of fish oil rich in omega-3 PUFAs on homocysteine metabolism. Three groups of randomly divided rats were fed olive oil, tuna oil, or salmon oil for 8 weeks. The level of plasma homocysteine was significantly decreased only in the group fed tuna oil, rich in omega-3 PUFAs. It is not clear why the salmon oil did not reduce homocysteine as it too is rich in omega-3 PUFAs (Huang 2010).
- A 2009 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted on 81 patients with type 2 diabetes assigned each patient either three capsules of omega-3 fatty acids (3g) or a placebo every day for a period of 2 months. Homocysteine levels in the treatment group declined as much as 3.10 µmol/L; glycolsylated hemoglobin (HbA1C, a measure of long-term sugar levels in the blood) decreased in the treatment group and increased in the control group (Pooya 2010).
Taurine and Homocysteine Reduction
Supplementing with the amino acid taurine can protect against coronary artery disease by favorably modulating blood levels of homocysteine. Research suggests that taurine can block methionine absorption from the diet, thereby reducing available substrate for homocysteine synthesis (Zulli A 2009). One animal study found that taurine normalized hyperhomocysteinemia and reduced atherosclerosis by 64% over control animals and reduced endothelial cell apoptosis by 30% (Zulli 2009). Study investigators also observed that taurine supplementation reduced left main coronary artery wall pathology due to a favorable effect on plasma total homocysteine and apoptosis.
A study of 22 healthy middle-aged women (33 to 54 years) found that after taurine supplementation (3g per day for 4 weeks), plasma homocysteine levels exhibited a significant decline, from 8.5 µmol/L to 7.6 µmol/L. The investigators concluded that sufficient taurine supplementation might effectively prevent cardiovascular disease (Ahn 2009).
Trimethylglycine (TMG), Choline and Homocysteine Reduction
TMG was originally called betaine after its discovery in sugar beets in the 19th century. TMG serves as a methyl donor in a reaction converting homocysteine to methionine. It is commonly used for reducing high homocysteine levels though it has yet to be effectively studied to determine its full cardiovascular benefits through its ability to lower homocysteine (Lv 2009).
A 2009 study examined the effect of betaine (TMG) supplementation on atherosclerotic lesion progression in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (Lv 2009). After a 14-week treatment with TMG, analyses revealed that the higher dose of TMG was related to smaller atherosclerotic lesion area. Compared with mice not treated with TMG after 14 weeks, mice receiving 1%, 2%, or 4% TMG had 10.8%, 41%, and 37% smaller lesion areas, respectively. TMG supplementation also reduced aortic expression of the inflammatory cytokine, TNF-alpha, in a dose-dependent way. These data suggest that in addition to its homocysteine-lowering action, TMG may also exert its anti-plaque effect by inhibiting aortic inflammatory responses mediated by TNF-alpha.
Data from the Framingham Offspring Study found that intakes of TMG and choline (choline is metabolized to TMG in the body) were inversely related to circulating homocysteine concentrations, particularly among participants with low folate intake or among those who consumed alcoholic beverages (Cho 2006). Other studies have shown that choline deficiency in mice and humans is associated with increased plasma homocysteine levels after consuming methionine (da Costa 2005). A Finnish study of TMG supplementation showed that a daily supplement of 6 g TMG for 12 weeks reduced blood homocysteine values in healthy subjects by approximately 9 percent (Schwab 2002).


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Well, this helps explain why I struggle with my spending. Last year I made $21,000. But I spent -gulp- $9,000 on taxes. I knew I was paying taxes. But I never put the pieces together to visualize just what a chunk of my income that is.
Income tax (including FICA) is one-third of the total tax. Property tax (not counting the acres of woodland) is the big chunk. I'm clinging to the comforting thought that property taxes, including that huge school tax bill, support my own neighborhood. I love my log house in the woods. But if I had a mortgage, I'd never be able to afford those taxes on this salary.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday reiterated a desire to allow the Gulf County Sheriff�s Office to move to a county building on Long Avenue in Port St. Joe.
The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday reiterated a desire to allow the Gulf County Sheriff�s Office to move to a county building on Long Avenue in Port St. Joe.
However, commissioners took from the table consideration of having the Supervisor of Elections office take over the SO facility.
Gulf County Sheriff Mike Harrison came to the BOCC last week to request more space.
The building his office occupies, Harrison said, had run its course and he badly needed additional space in order to meet security, evidentiary and administrative needs.
He suggested an idea that had bounced around for several months � moving to the old Health Department building in the 400 block of Long Avenue.
Harrison already has his investigative unit in that building.
The main tenant of the building is the Supervisor of Elections, but that office inhabits less than half the available square footage.
Commissioners agreed Tuesday that the building would be ideal for the SO.
�I think it would fit the sheriff but it is too large for the Supervisor of Elections,� Commissioner Warren Yeager said. �We have to find the sheriff some space and I think that is a good place. I am for moving forward.�
But a proposed switch under which the Supervisor of Elections would move to the SO, criticized in particular by Commissioner Tan Smiley last week, was nixed by a 5-0 vote.
Supervisor of Elections John Hanlon communicated his willingness to work with the BOCC to identify a new space for his office, but expressed reluctance moving his office next to the county jail.
Smiley said last week that he believed voters could be deterred from voting if they had to go so close to the jail to vote.
Hanlon wrote that he would like to work with county staff and the sheriff to identify a possible site while remaining in downtown Port St. Joe, a more central location.
�I want to take off the table moving the Supervisor of Elections to the sheriff�s office,� Yeager said, adding that the SO office was likely �inadequate� for the Hanlon and his staff in any case.
�And it is part of the jail, I think Commissioner Smiley made a good point last week,� he said.
Commissioners voted to allow administrator Don Butler, Hanlon and Harrison to work together to identify a space for the elections office and a process to a seamless move.
Commissioners also approved going out for Request for Proposals to any property owners wishing to enter into a lease/rental agreement to provide the county building space in downtown Port St. Joe.
As Yeager noted there are several available buildings in the downtown area.
Smiley, returning to an ongoing pet issue, said the BOCC should take the opportunity as it prepares to spend money to provide new space for the GCSO to invite officials with the city of Port St. Joe to sit down and discuss potential consolidation of law enforcement.
�That is a city issue and that is their decision but I have no problem communicating with them,� Yeager said.
Butler also received approval to begin work to create a secure evidence room at the Long Avenue building as a first step in moving the GCSO.
BP Litigation
Ron Jones with Beasley Allen, the Alabama-based law firm representing the BOCC in its pursuit of a claim against BP in the aftermath of the 2010 oil spill, said BP had rescinded its offer to the BOCC as well as a parallel offer to the Gulf County Tourist Development Council.
Jones said it was not a surprise nor was it action taken solely against Gulf County.
�BP has taken a position of late that they don�t want to speak to anybody about anything,� Jones said. �This is not specific to Gulf County, it is across the board.�
The BOCC claim, as with many other local government claims, remains as part of a pool in New Orleans, where a federal court has been hearing litigation in the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Jones said the future could bring a �test case� of a local government claim which could serve as a template for all and that there were many �moving parts to the most complex litigation I have been involved in.�
He added that he would not be surprised if BP changes course.
�Hopefully BP will come around, hopefully sooner than later,� Jones said. �I think they will eventually change their mind and regardless we will move forward.�
Jones said his firm was still attempting to have the Gulf County cases released from New Orleans.
The BOCC last year rejected initial settlement offers from BP to satisfy losses incurred by the county and TDC.


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TRUNK-OR-TREAT is a GO! Join us Friday, October 30th from 6-8pm! If you will be handing out candy/goodies, please be at the school at 5:30 to get your spot. We would like to welcome more families, if you are able, to decorate their trunk and hand out candy. The more the merrier!
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The UK Independence Party does not have to forfeit all of a £367,697 "impermissible donation", the Supreme Court has ruled.Lord Pearson greeted the news by reminding everyone what UKIP's task is: to get Britain out of the EU.
UKIP received the money from a donor who was not on the electoral register.
The party was initially told to forfeit £14,481 but that was increased after the Electoral Commission took the case to the Appeal Court.
UKIP's victory at the Supreme Court lifts the threat of financial ruin that was hanging over the party.
But it represents a defeat for the Electoral Commission which was pressing UKIP to return the full amount donated by retired bookmaker Alan Bown.
Iain Dale posted his support for the decision and his worries about the Electoral Commission and the way it makes decisions.
For those who are interested, here is a link to both the judgement and the press summary.


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The Nikon Coolpix S1200pj is something of an oddball, as the "pj" indicates that it includes a projector. As Nikon's third edition of its projector camera, it brings with it some changes for the better.
The previous Nikon pj cams have been reasonable, combining respectable Coolpix performance with the novelty of a projector. Whilst niche, the interest in pico projectors still seems strong, offering the ability share or present at the drop of a hat.
The projector lens sits behind a sliding cover on the front of the camera, so keeps it clear of dust and debris that might inhibit performance. It is a DLP projector capable of 20 lumens at 640x480 resolution, with a throw distance of 26cm up to 3m, resulting in an image of 26-152cm size.
We tried the projector in the daylight and found the image was bright enough at close range, but obviously, as you add in distance you'll need to turn down the lights.
As before, there is a little pop-out foot on the bottom of the camera that lets it sit at an angle for a better projection, and focus is achieved using the dial on the top.
A new feature is the option to hook up your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch via a cable supplied in the box, so you could get into keynote presentations straight from your pocket.
Outside of the projector functions, the S1200pj is a fairly regular 14-megapixel camera, offering up a 5x zoom lens, along with the normal Coolpix functions. The camera measures 107 x 63.4 x 22.6mm, so isn't much bigger than other compact cameras.
Hitting shelves from 22 September, it can be yours for £399.99.


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I don't know when QnA's are going to start happening again but I thought of one.I just picked up my second G.I. JOE DESTRO Weapons Supplier figure and I love everything about him, especially the case full of money! Being that Destro is always wheeling and dealing weapons making money, I think it would be a good idea to include this case full of money accessory with every Destro you make from here on out. I wanna army build phat stacks of cash, and from what I am hearing in the collecting community other do to. Any chance of seeing this accessory used more in the future? It really doesn't have to be with Destro only, that suggestion just makes the most sense.
It's question time. Got anything you want to know?
Page created in 0.038 seconds with 19 queries.


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VHM are well know for their high precision engineering skills, and this quality extrends to their tools too.
Please note that the VHM products will be sent direct from the manufacturer, separate from other TYGA products, by airmail shipping. The price quoted includes this shipping option. If you need urgent delivery then we can offer other methods but the price will be affected and should be discussed prior to payment.
0 items


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The next major version of Android 6.0, Marshmallow, is expected to be announced this week, with the first smartphones that come preinstalled with it to be available shortly after.
While Google has announced that Marshmallow is an incremental update that focuses largely on bug features, it does offer some new capabilities and a number of tweaks that users will look forward to. We've listed 10 of the most compelling features in the following slideshow.
Related Topics : In Their Own Words: The Four Dark Horses for the Third Major Mobile OS Speak, HTC, Mobile Search, 3G, Location-Based Services
Wearables are revolutionizing the workplace, with innovations that create a safer work environment or enhance the way professionals are able to go about their job. ... More >>
Here are the top 10 strategic technology trends that will impact most organizations in 2017. Strategic technology trends are defined as those with substantial disruptive potential or those reaching the tipping point over the next five years. ... More >>
Digital innovation is by far the biggest influencer, changing the way we do just about everything, from shopping to communication to running a business. ... More >>


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M.S. Computer Science
Computer Science Graduate Program
How to Apply
We encourage applicants holding a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related discipline to apply to the MSCS program. Follow these simple steps.
- Apply online to the university.
- Supply transcripts, degree certificates, test scores, and citizenship/visa information, as directed by the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations office.
- Ask for letters of recommendation to be sent directly to:
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Computer Science
MacQuarrie Hall 208
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA 95192-0249
*GRE general test scores are required for applicants whose BS degree is not from the United States. Letters of recommendation are encouraged but not required.
Conditional Admission to the MSCS Program
If you do not fulfill all requirements for admission, and there is sufficient space in the program, we may offer you conditional admission. If you are conditionally admitted, you will be expected to complete course work and/or pass tests, as directed by the graduate coordinator.
There is no special procedure for conditional admission. Simply submit an application.
If You Are Not Admitted
If we cannot offer you full or conditional admission, you may still take courses through the Open University program at San Jose State. Open University is a program which allows students who have not been formally admitted to the University to take regular curriculum classes on a space-available basis.
If You Have More Questions about Admissions
Check out the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions)


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Bullz-Eye went sporty and funky driving the 2011 Nissan Cube 1.8S KROM in Caribbean Blue. We love when auto companies think outside of the box and actually build a vehicle that's an original in it's own right. That's exactly what the folks at Nissan did when they brought us the Cube. Look for our full review in the coming weeks.
Related Posts
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.
Posted in: Cars
Tags: cube, cube gallery, cube pics, cube pictures, nissan cube


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Remember those eager turns in November? Flying down manmade ribbons of white, swerving through the giddy masses, pining for powder, endless terrain and no crowds?
That dreamy scenario is thriving up high. The resorts are open wall-to-wall. Many resorts are boasting their best coverage in years: Crested Butte, Monarch. Others are offering plentiful stashes of pow: Breckenridge, Loveland, Mary Jane, Steamboat, Beaver Creek.
And the slopes are as lonely as ever.
We jostle through packed highways and just-as-crowded icy groomers in November and December. We wade through oceans of spring breakers in January and February. Then, when snow reaches its deepest and crowds evaporate, everyone decides it's time whack weeds and pedal pavement? All that energy wasted to get slopes ready for Thanksgiving turns and then all but two hills shut down when it gets perfect. It's time for a paradigm shift in ski-time attitudes when the high-country singletrack is dry in November and buried under 15-plus feet of snow in April. Why not realize that skiing really doesn't start until January but can thrive deep into May or even June?


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You are part of the CIA's U.S. Protection Agency. Your the guy who saves the U.S. government from those hostile terroist groups. The CIA section your assigned to, MERC "Major Endagerment Restraining Crew", is always ready for a good fight.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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I love mangoes in any form. Back in India, during Mangoes season there used to be a competition between me, my mom and my grand-mom, about who eats maximum number of mangoes per day. We even used to select the ripe mango before the other got up and hide it in a safe place 🙂 It all seems so silly when I think of it now, but it is those silly moments I enjoyed the most 🙂
When my mom was first diagnosed diabetic, the first question she asked the doctor was, "Can I eat Mangoes?" And the doc answered, of-course you can eat mangoes, one or two pieces per day, or at the maximum 1 per day, and seeing the confused expression on my mom's face he asked how many she ate per day, and she coolly replied around 6 to 8. I can still remember the face of the doctor, with his jaw dropped.
Yeah we used to eat around 6 to 8 and sometimes 10 mangoes per day, skipping lunch and dinner. That is the love we have for this particular fruit.
After coming to Germany I always missed them. The mangoes we get here do not have the taste of the mangoes in India.
Whenever I crave for mangoes I get the canned ones in Indian store. Well, something is better than nothing 🙂
Coming to the recipe, I made this when my friends visited us for dinner, and it was a huge hit. Luckily I made extra portions, because most of them ended up having two portions.
What you need :
Mango Pulp : 500 gms ( I used canned, you can even used fresh mangoes)
Egg whites : 4
Cream : 500 ml ( I used 38% fat cream)
Gelatin leaves : 4
Powdered Sugar : 1 cup
Lemon Juice : extracted from 2
Mango pieces and raspberries to decorate
- If using fresh mangoes, puree the mango cubes in a blender along with sugar and lime juice, or if using canned pulp, mix together mango pulp, sugar and lime juice well. Keep aside.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- In another bowl beat cream till soft peaks form and is fluffy.( Before whipping, it is better you put the bowl and cream in freezer for 5 mins)
- Soak gelatin leaves in cold water. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, squeeze gelatin leaves and dissolve them in hot water and add it to the mango mixture.
- Add cream to the mango mixture and mix gently. Then add egg whites to this and fold till well combined.
- Pour this into a dish and and refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours. Alternatively you can even spoon the mix into individual cups or glasses and refrigerate.
- Serve chilled and enjoy !!
Verdict :
Utterly Heavenly. It a treat especially for a Mango lover like me.
Make sure you have extra portions, because I can ensure you no one can stop having just one portion. 🙂


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29 November 2011
7 comments:
- Ian Summers said...
Nice work!
- 29 November 2011 at 23:25
- josh pincus is crying said...
awesome! these characters are terrific!
- 30 November 2011 at 03:32
- Leen's said...
So funny. I like your doodling, great result!
- 30 November 2011 at 04:54
- Roberto said...
Hi Carla!!!!, I think, that just must be the creative design, if you tie you too, in the sense, the message, the meaning. you end up doing a drawing in which the "message" is so obvious that it becomes something mediocre.
You must have some idea of what you want and then release your hand :)
I like your illustration, congratulations! :)
- 30 November 2011 at 06:02
- Cindy D. said...
Aww, poor little left out guy! I'm sure you are making a keen observation about the human condition. :) It's very cute!
On the other hand, I don't think the problem is that he is round. I think something's just happened outside the frame to the right, and everyone is a little embarrassed and waiting to see what happens next.
(Do the aimless doodling again next time instead of overthinking!)
- 30 November 2011 at 06:11
- Patti said...
very cute. reminds me of The Point.
- 30 November 2011 at 09:20
- un punto en un planeta said...
Thanks Carla, you're too kind!
Yes, yes, my youngest daughter, has just arrived in Argentina, but I do not see her until a week because she arrives in Buenos Aires and I live 800 kilometers away,
she will be a few days with cousins and aunts
I know these last few days in Auckland was raining!
she told me, and my other daughter, Julia, I think is already back Hokianga Harbour
Thanks for your comment.
I wish you well!!!!!! :)
- 14 December 2011 at 11:10


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Read about why sex toys are so popular in the U.S. and take a look at our list of must-reads that will have you chatting at the lunch counter, over IM or wherever it is that people actually talk these days.
- Nearly half of all Americans use vibrators, a new study shows. The research, done by the maker of Trojan condoms, found 50 percent of women and 45 percent of men said they've used the vibrating sex toy on either themselves or a partner. Women who used vibrators also said they had better sex.
- More than 750,000 fans who bought tickets to Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour are now waiting for refunds. Complex legal issues that could take years to sort out means would-be concert-goers may have to wait that long to get refunded -- or they could simply keep tickets as souvenirs.
- NASA will pull the plug on the solar spacecraft Ulysses today -- ending its 18-year mission. The probe is running out of fuel, which is understandable since its mission lasted three times as long as it was supposed to. It was launched in Oct. 1990.
- The most goggled term in the porn realm is "Asian Babes." Westerners have long thought Eastern women have had a particular exotic sex appeal -- a concept that developed over five centuries of colonialism. Westerners' fascination with Asian sexual culture began in the 16th century when travelers happened upon Asian sexual culture in which sex was neither associated with both sin nor love.
- A guard at Buckingham Palace accused of cheating his colleagues out of their life savings said his coworkers were running poker and porn rings while on duty at the Palace. The officer said the guards had an "easy life" and bought and sold porn and gambled.


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So I was on the quest for some new running routes. I finally thought of Woodbury.
Woodbury is the largest wildlife area in the state of Ohio. Beginning with an initial purchase of 779 acres in 1934,
Woodbury remained a wildlife area of less than 2,000 acres for 55
years. The original tract was the site of a small mining town and
a coal mine that was integral to the making of soap for the
Woodbury Soap Company. The area was managed as a game
refuge until 1948 when it was opened to public hunting.
During 1987, an agreement for wildlife management and public
hunting and fishing was reached with Peabody Coal Company
and the Hurst Trust, owners of land adjacent to Woodbury.
Further negotiations led to the Division of Wildlife's purchase of
this land totaling 14,615 acres in 1991 and 1992.
Prior to state ownership approximately 50 percent of the
Peabody-Hurst Trust lands were affected by strip-mining.
Mining began in 1963 and concluded with final reclamation
efforts completed in 1987. The older mined areas contain
highwalls and spoil banks which were originally planted and now
contain pole-sized trees. More recently mined areas (after 1972)
are open grasslands. Since acquisition, emphasis has been placed
on the development of small wetlands and the planting of trees.
So I have this huge area of deserted township roads to run on, old jeep trails through the area to run through!!
It was a perfect running day. I had a makeshift horrible map off the internet, but I had pencilled in all the township and county roads. I just kept making right hard turns, and ended up right back at my vehicle for 10K. Just a bit short of the 8 miles I wanted, but I now have more running options!
The only drawback is, this is also the biggest hunting area in Ohio, and bow hunting will start soon. From a safety standpoint, I won't run there once all the hunting seasons commence.


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Crescenta Valley 4, Hoover 1: With first place in the Pacific League at stake, the Crescenta Valley High boys' soccer team got a strong second half effort that featured a pair of successful penalty kicks from Erick Trejo.
Crescenta Valley, ranked No. 7 in the latest CIF Southern Section Division III poll, got a tie-breaking goal in the 45th minute from Rani Dimashki to post a league road win against Hoover on Wednesday at Toll Middle School. Crescenta Valley improved to 17-2-6, 7-1-3 in league and sits atop the league standings with Burroughs, which posted a 1-0 win against Muir and will travel to face the Falcons on Friday.
"We had to work for it," said Crescenta Valley Coach Grant Clark, whose team has won three league titles in a row. "We talked at halftime about wanting to put Hoover under pressure and make them make mistakes.
"We worked hard in the second half and were able to take control."
Trejo scored on penalty kicks in the 48th and 58th minutes.
Hoover (2-8-4, 1-8-2) opened the scoring in the 29th minute on a successful penalty kick by Artin Almary. Matthew Bracht tied it at 1 when he headed in a corner kick by Pablo Sotillo in the 36th minute.
"I'm satisfied with the way we played in the first half," Hoover Coach Kevin Cadenas said. "It was a good half for us.
"I was disappointed with the way we played in the second half. We had a complete breakdown. CV wanted it more in the second half."
Loyola 1, St. Francis 0: Golden Knights Coach Glen Appels saw his team control most of its Mission League match against visiting Loyola on Wednesday. Unfortunately for St. Francis, it couldn't overcome a bad break early in the contest.
Loyola, ranked No. 3 in Division I, scored on a throw-in that St. Francis goalkeeper Luca Coppola tried to stop by jumping. However, the ball glanced off his fingertips and landed just inside the post in the fifth minute.
"It was a tough play and Luca tried to grab it," said Appels, whose team dropped to 6-8-6, 4-4-2 in league for third place. "He did everything he could.
"We controlled the second half and had some great scoring chances at the end. I feel bad for the guys because they played well and deserved better."
Glendale 3, Burbank 2: The Nitros picked up a Pacific League home win Wednesday. Glendale improved to 8-10-2, 3-7-1 in league.
Crescenta Valley 7, Hoover 0: Sierra Rhoads had two goals and two assists Wednesday, as Crescenta Valley maintained first place in the Pacific League.
The Falcons (13-3-1, 10-1 in league) also got a goal and two assists from Ani Hemelians, two goals from Katie Callister, two assists from Rachel Bird and a goal each from Lisa Kang and Whitley Boller.
Hoover dropped to 2-10 and 2-9 in league.
Glendale 69, Burbank 68: Vahe Aristakessian registered a game-high 39 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday to spark the host Nitros in a Pacific League game. Glendale (9-14, 4-7 in league) got 12 points and six assists from Arada Zakarian.
Loyola 55, St. Francis 44: Kyle Leufroy recorded 24 points Wednesday for the host Golden Knights in a Mission League contest. St. Francis (12-11, 2-7 in league) got nine points from Evan Crawford.
Flintridge Prep 76, Webb 56: Four Rebels — Robert Cartwright (22 points), Jedrick Eugenio (12), Chadd Cosse (12) and Kareem Ismail (11 points) — finished with double-digit points in a 20-point Prep League win at Webb on Tuesday.
Crescenta Valley 38, Hoover 21: Jackie Wilson finished with nine points Wednesday to lead the host Falcons in a Pacific League game. Crescenta Valley improved to 9-15, 4-7 in league. Hoover dropped to 2-15, 1-10.
Providence 64, Glendale Adventist Academy 25: Madison Federicci collected eight points and Britney Gregg added six on Wednesday for the visiting Cougars in a Liberty League game. Glendale Adventist fell to 5-10, 0-7 in league.
Bishop Conaty-Loretto 45, Holy Family 37: Charise Talaro finished with 18 points Tuesday for the host Gaels in a Horizon League game at Pacific Community Center. Holy Family fell to 4-11, 1-4 in league.
Webb 28, Flintridge Prep 21: The Rebels dropped their first game in Prep League play Tuesday at Webb. Prep was led by Lacy Coan, who scored 10 points, as it fell to 13-5, 6-1 in league.
Harvard-Westlake 75, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 37: The visiting Tologs fell in a Mission League game Tuesday. The Tologs are 9-14, 0-7 in league.
Arcadia 14, Hoover 3: The visiting Tornadoes suffered a Pacific League defeat Wednesday. Hoover dropped to 0-6 in league.
La Salle 19, Flintridge Prep 1: Host Flintridge Prep lost a Prep League match Wednesday.


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This morning Executive Director Josette Sheeran, myself and others from WFP joined 11 CEOs of food companies including General Mills, Kraft, Unilever, and PepsiCo, to brainstorm about solutions to hunger.
We had a one-hour conversation that ranged from turning indigenous foods like Cassava into something delicious, to developing packaging that you can eat (I was the only one brave enough to take a bite of an allegedly edible tray still under development – and I must say that it needed salt or something). But you get the idea – the conversation was far ranging and spiked with enthusiasm.
Fortune 500 Companies want to help us to reach the bottom billion faster and smarter. We walked away with the skeleton of an idea for project I dubbed Project Laser Beam – a developing plan to focus this attention on a single country, yet to be chosen. . . Stay tuned . . .


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LIFESTYLE / Health
Belly fat, weight cycling ups kidney cancer risk
Updated: 2007-10-06 17:04
NEW YORK - Postmenopausal women who are overweight or obese appear to have a greater risk of developing, renal cell carcinoma, a common form of kidney cancer, and study findings suggest that a larger waist girth and a history of weight loss and regain further increase this risk.
"Our study suggests that the risk of renal cell carcinoma can be lowered if overweight individuals lose excess central body fat and then maintain stable weight at a more desirable level," Dr. Juhua Luo, of Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden told Reuters Health.
Luo and colleagues analyzed data from more than 140,000 U.S. women, aged 50 to 79 years, enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study.
They compared associations between the development of renal cell carcinoma, a cancer of the lining of the kidney, and the women's body weight and frequency of weight loss and regain (weight cycling) over an average of 7.7 years.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Overall, obese women with a body mass index (BMI) at or above 35, had a 60 percent excess risk of renal cell carcinoma compared with women of normal weight (BMI less than 25), the researchers note. This risk increased 3 percent for every unit increase in BMI.
When the investigators analyzed abdominal obesity as an independent risk factor they found that each 0.1-unit increase in waist-to-hip ratio increased the risk of developing renal cell carcinoma by 24 percent.
Moreover, women with a history of 10 or more weight cycles had more than double the risk of developing renal cell carcinoma, compared with women who held a steady weight over the study period, the investigators note.
The researchers say their findings provide further evidence that obesity, particularly central adiposity, is associated with increased risk of developing renal cell carcinoma, and that a history of weight cycling may further increase this risk among postmenopausal women.


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Do you know you can connect your uPotia account to your social networks like LinkedIn (), Facebook (), Twitter () and Google+ ().
After the connecting you can use uPotia to:
Post messages from uPotia to these social networks. You just need to write once and post to multiple accounts. And
Import friends and followers from these social networks.
This is a great way to save time and grow your circle.
To connect your social networks please click Person Profile | Others | Social Networks.


text:
Serving Size 1 Package (51g)
Servings Per Container 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Product Size: 1.79
Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt.
*Actual product packaging and materials may contain additional and/or different ingredient, nutritional, or proper usage information than the information displayed on our website. Prior to using or consuming a product, you are responsible to read all labels, warnings, and directions appearing on the actual product, especially if you have food sensitivities or allergies. All products may not be available in all stores. See your local store for specific offerings. Simpletruth.com assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements regarding any product.


text:
Boost IT Visibility & Value with Service Catalog
Many CIOs are being pressured to demonstrate IT value. A service catalog can help you promote your services in a way the business can easily understand. It will become your service management foundation that can boost IT visibility and constantly demonstrate IT value to the business.


text:
Our Catalina Collection creates a warm, inviting and durable seating area that compliments its surroundings with subtle grey and natural hues. With a combination of both flat and rounded polyethylene wicker, there's a creation of a visible texture like no other. All while offering a fresh take on sophisticated style. Our sturdy, lightweight aluminum frames, are hidden from view in order to allow the focus to be the striking wicker design. The modular design of our furniture enables you to quickly arrange and rearrange pieces to tailor it to any space you desire.
CUSHIONS - 6 inches thick for a luxurious look and feel
CUSHION COVERS - Washable and zippered for easy cleaning (air dry only)
FEET LEVELERS - Height adjusters for uneven surfaces that won't mar your patio or deck
TABLE TOPS - Cast aluminum with a durable powder coated finish
FULLY ASSEMBLED - Ready to use and enjoy
STORAGE - Rectangle coffee table doubles as storage
• Custom hand woven all-weather, high density, PE (polyethylene) wicker
• Strong rust resistant, powder coated aluminum frame for maximum durability
• Commercial grade construction
• No Sag solid wicker bottoms with extra flexible strapping providing long-lasting suspension
• Perfect for outdoor use in all climates
• Elegant design includes angled backs
• Includes seat and plush back cushions for maximum comfort
• New rust-resistant, powder coated feet which are color matched with table tops
All sets will come with Grey Stone wicker and Grey covers on the cushions.
• Decorative throw pillows in matching or contrasting colors or print.
• Second set of cushion covers in the color of your choice.
• Clips not included but may be purchased separately.
If you don't see a configuration that fits your needs, please contact us and we'll help you build your own set!
(3) Corner Sofa - 35"W x 35"D x 29"H
(3) Armless Sofa - 28"W x 35"D x 29"H
(1) Storage Coffee Table - 48"W x 24"D x 18"H
SKU: CATALINA-07b-GREY
Weight - 248 lbs
Exclusive promotions, discounts, and specials.
Design Furnishing will not share your information with anyone or any third-party companyor site. View our privacy policy »
How Shipping Works
We know that once you have placed an order with us, you want to receive it as quickly as possible, so we use the most reliable delivery companies in North America. ...Learn More »
Finance your outdoor furniture set with interest free financing for up to 6 months. Go ahead, deck out your outdoor living space with the highest quality wicker patio furniture today - and pay it off over time with no additional interest charges. ...Learn More »
Everything with Design furnishings was great! They deserve five stars all across the board for their quality of work and excellent customer service.


text:
News Release
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
3850 Justice Dr., El Paso, Texas 79938
Public Information Officer, Angelica Becerra
Cell: 915-479-1678
Office: (915) 538-2119
EMAIL: email@example.com
Website: EPCSO.ORG
Release Date/Time: Thursday, October 31, 2013 @ 3:30 PM
Contact your local agency to report any suspicious activity.
El Paso County Sheriff's Office at 915-546-2280.
submit a tip on-line by clicking on icon below.
OR submit an anonymous tip via text to tip411 (847411) and enter our agency keyword: EPCSO
Non-Law Enforcement: Please email the HSTC with any tips, leads or information pertaining to Human Trafficking at: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Tip details should include: City, state, date, description of suspicious activity, and address, license plate, vehicle, subject or victim description or name, if possible
Director of Public Affairs, Chris Acosta
Cell: 915-479-0797
Office: (915) 538-2223
EMAIL: email@example.com
RELEASE DATE & TIME: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 @ 10:15 AM
Release Date/Time: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 @ 8:50 AM
Release Date/Time: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 @ 3:45 PM
EL PASO TEXAS- A public service announcement to El Paso County Residents regarding a telephone scam. The telephone scam begins with the caller (male voice) informing the victim that the caller is calling from the "Texas Felony Warrant Division" and advises the victim that the division has warrants in the State of Texas for his/her arrest. The victim is told he/she will be "cleared" if the victim pays restitution to the State of Texas and is then instructed to obtain a money gram at a Money Gram Center and wire an amount of money given to the caller with further instructions.
The Sheriff's Office advises the public to beware of the following number appearing on your caller ID 855-345-6211 as this appears to be an on-going scam. The public has also reported "googling" the above number and reading similar telephone scams. Please remember to NEVER send/wire money to anyone that contacts you over the phone without verifying who the caller claims to be.
If anyone falls victim to this type of telephone scam please call the sheriff's Office communications center at 915-546-2280.
Justice of the Peace information:
Release Date/Time: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 @ 9:30 A.M.
EL PASO TEXAS-Last week, El Paso County Sheriff's Officials confirmed an accidental death that occurred in a lower-valley home in Clint, TX. A preliminary investigation revealed a 4 year old girl died while playing in the backyard of her lower-valley home located in Clint, TX, on Judge Bean Street where an engine hoist fell on the 4 year old and her 3 year old brother. The 3 year old brother suffered non-life threatening injuries. As is the case of all child deaths, the Sheriff's Office was summoned to investigate the case and is currently consulting with the District Attorney's office. The investigation continues.
Release Date/Time: Monday, October 28, 2013 @ 3:30 PM
EL PASO TEXAS- In October of 2004, K-9 "Brix" became part of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office/Search & Rescue Team (S.A.R.) after being donated by the U.S. Border Patrol. In January of 2005, K-9 "Brix" and his S.A.R. K-9 Handler, Deputy Federico Castillo, endured (3) months of rigorous Search & Rescue track and trailing at the Canine Center of El Paso (CCEP) located on Biggs Field, El Paso, TX, where Deputy Castillo and K-9 "Brix" successfully completed the training program in March of 2005. K-9 "Brix" obtained various certifications to include the North American Search and Rescue K-9 Certification.
During the course of Deputy Castillo and K-9 "Brix" four year partnership, Deputy Castillo and K-9 "Brix" responded to various calls involving felony suspects where both their training skills lead to the capture of a suspect involved in a homicide after he was tracked to an apartment complex during an incident that occurred in December of 2005 to include a suspect involved in an aggravated robbery who was found hiding in a open field. In November of 2009 K-9 "Brix" retired from the Sheriff's Office due to medical issues. K-9 "Brix" had the luxury of enjoying his last years with his partner Deputy Castillo as a dear "family pet". It is with great sadness, that the El Paso County Sheriff's Office announces the end-of-watch for K-9 "Brix"who passed away Thursday, October 24, 2013.
Release Date/Time: Monday, October 28, 2013 @ 11:00 AM
EL PASO TEXAS- On Sunday 10/27/13 at 3:30 am Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Crimes Against Person Detectives were requested by the Socorro Police Department in reference to an Aggravated Assault which occurred at the McDonalds Restaurant located at 1274 Horizon Blvd. El Paso County Texas.
At about 2:15am 28 year old Pedro Mendez Jr., 31 year old Robert Sanchez and 18 year old Chris Avila were in the drive through lane of the McDonalds ordering food. A verbal altercation was started by several other persons who were in the parking lot. The victims exited their vehicle while still in the drive through lane. One of the persons involved in the altercation 20 year old Manuel Olivares intentionally struck the three victims with his motor vehicle. Sanchez and Avila received non-life threatening injuries. Mendez Jr. was transported to a local area Hospital where he is listed in critical condition.
Manual Olivares was taken into custody by Sheriff's Investigator's eight hours after the assaults took place. Olivares is being charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault Serious Bodily Injury.
Release Date/Time: Friday, October 25, 2013 @ 3:30 PM
Release Date/Time: Friday, October 25, 2013 @ 10:00 AM
EL PASO TEXAS- On 10/24/13 Strike Team Deputies arrested Fugitive/Rafael Garcia who was wanted for Robbery for an incident that occurred on 09/02/13 at the 12800 block of Perico in San Elizario, TX, where Garcia allegedly assaulted the victim/ex-spouse and deprived her of property. At the time, Garcia was given a criminal trespass warning not to return to the residence. Early morning on 10/24/13 Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to the same address in reference to a family disturbance where it was reported that Garcia had returned. Garcia left the scene before sheriff's officials arrived.
Since then, Strike Team Deputies were on the hunt for Garcia after receiving several tips on Garcia's possible whereabouts. A check of several central and west side locations resulted in Garcia's capture at an apartment complex located at the 4100 block of West City Court, El Paso County Texas, where Garcia was seen approach his vehicle. The investigation continues with Garcia facing additional charges.
DATE & TIME: Thursday, October 24, 2013 4:20 PM
EL PASO TEXAS- On 10/22/13 at approximately 10:40 PM Sheriff's Deputies responded to a structure fire (possible Arson) at the 17000 block of Pratt, El Paso County Texas. Upon arrival Deputies saw a travel trailer, storage shed to include a horse corral engulfed in flames. Clint volunteer firefighters were summoned to the scene. The cause of the fire is unknown and the structures were a complete loss. The damage was estimated at approximately $30,000. An El Paso Fire Department/Arson investigator was also summoned to the scene due to an additional structure fire reported on the same block eight days ago on 10/14/13. The victim in the 10/14/13 case, was alerted by a call from a neighbor who saw the victim's house was "burning". When the victim arrived to the residence, the fire was extinguished possibly due to the roof caving in. The victim estimated her loss at approximately $20,000. The residence was an unoccupied structure. It is unknown if the two fires are related.
RELEASE DATE & TIME: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 @ 8:00 PM
EL PASO TEXAS- On 10-21-13 at approximately 11:20 PM Sheriff's Deputies responded to a Burglary of Building at the 1200 block of Cypress in Fabens Texas. Deputies met with the victim/owner of the business who claimed to be missing numerous items valued over $40,000. Further investigation lead Crimes Against Property Detective's to a residence at the 1200 block of NE G in Fabens where during a consensual search of the property other items belonging to the business owner were identified as stolen from the business. A preliminary investigation revealed one of the suspect(s) to be a possible family member who recently started to help around the business. As a result of the investigation, two subjects were placed under arrest and charged with Burglary of Building; Edgar Ramirez and Johnny Flores, confessed to the burglaries. Both are from Fabens, Texas.
Director of Public Affairs, Chris Acosta
Cell: 915-479-0797
Office: (915) 538-2223
EMAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com
Release Date/Time: Friday, October 18, 2013 @ 11:50 AM
Deputy PIO/Angelica Becerra
"We Serve With Pride"
Release Date/Time: Friday, October 18, 2013 @ 11:00 AM
Release Date/Time: Friday, October 18, 2013 @ 11: 00 AM
El PASO TEXAS- On 10/18/13 at approximately 2:00 AM Sheriffs Deputies arrested 30 year old Erik Marquez-Carbajal of the 7100 block of Dale Rd., El Paso,TX, for Driving While Intoxicated after Carbajal was seen disregard a stop sign at the 13400 block of Montana Ave., El Paso County Texas. Upon arrival to the Montana substation with Offender/Carbajal, Deputies also found Carbajal in possession of cocaine after a search for the Offender's cell phone was found along with two bags (1-open) and a folded dollar bill filled with white powder in the rear of the patrol unit. The white powder tested positive for the properties of cocaine and had a total weight of 1.5 grams.
Release Date/Time: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 @ 8:30 PM
El PASO TEXAS- This evening at approximately 7:25 PM Lower-Valley Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian at the 13800 block of Socorro Rd., San Elizario, TX. Upon arrival Deputies made contact with a female (juvenile) who was found lying in the middle of the roadway. A preliminary investigation has revealed the victim, 15 years of age, crossed in front of the path of a Chevrolet pick-up truck that was traveling eastbound on Socorro Rd. when she was struck by the driver. The victim was transported by ambulance to a local area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver, of San Elizario, remained on scene at the time of the accident and is said to have provided aid to the victim. The driver was cited for no operator's license and no insurance and had an outstanding traffic warrant.


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Learning From Beethoven: Speeding Up The Exchange Of Scientific Knowledge
from the it's-good-to-share deptThere is a general belief that science proceeds by smooth cycles of discovery and sharing – that scientists formulate theories, investigate problems, produce data and then publish results for other scientists to check, reproduce and then build on.
That may be the theory, but in practice the frictionless sharing of scientific results is greatly impeded by two factors: the huge profits that scientific publishers make from acting as a tollgate for knowledge through their journals, and the Bayh-Dole Act that encourages educational establishments to try to make money by not freely sharing the discoveries of their academics, but patenting them instead.
Open access arose in part to combat the first of these, and now there's a new project that wants to build on its achievements by updating scientific knowledge more rapidly:
We want to change the way research is communicated, both amongst researchers, as well as with health practitioners, patients and the wider public. Inspired by Beethoven, we want to build a research version of his repository and try to tackle the question "What if the public scientific record would be updated directly as research proceeds?""Inspired by Beethoven" refers to this quotation from one of his letters, written in 1801:
There should be only one repository of art in the world, where an artist would only need to bring his creations in order to take what he needed.Here's how this new project hopes to start creating a repository for science:
There are already over 100,000 scholarly articles available online under a Creative Commons Attribution License and thus free for anyone to read, download, copy, distribute, modify and build upon, provided that proper attribution is given. We will start building Beethoven's open repository by taking 10,000 of these (especially review articles), convert them into a common format, interlink them like topics are linked on Wikipedia, and update them with fresh information as new research findings become available. This will turn the original 10,000 articles into Evolving Review Articles - in other contexts called Living Reviews - available under that same Creative Commons license. We expect that this will help research to be communicated faster, with the ability to promptly correct errors or misconceptions, and in a way that better incorporates the interests of the public. The Evolving Reviews will have a public version history, so that anyone can see in what state the article was at any given time in the past. Over time, this feature can develop into an important tool for exploring the history of science, or of ideas more generally.Obviously this idea is close to that of wiki-based projects like Wikipedia, and that's no bad thing, since the format has proved its power in multiple contexts. Interestingly, the people behind what they seem to be calling "Beethoven's open repository of research" want to write some new software for the job:
we think that Beethoven's open repository of research should be federated rather than centralized. This means that if you edit a page in the repository, this act will create a personal copy for you. You can decide whether you want to feed these changes back to others, they can decide whether they accept your changes, and there must be options for authorizing certain versions for certain purposes. Such federated systems for the collaborative structuring of knowledge are only just emerging, and producing a working prototype platform that allows anyone to contribute to Beethoven's open repository is an important milestone in our project. Once the platform is up and running, the 10,000 seed articles will have to be imported, and a selection of them will be used to demo the Evolving Review concept. You can help shape the project by making suggestions as to what topics we should concentrate on. Finally, we want to facilitate the reuse of the Evolving Reviews in contexts outside research, especially in education and in supporting patients.They've launched an appeal for funds using RocketHub, a platform similar to Kickstarter, and are seeking a fairly modest $12,000. But you have to wonder whether that's really enough for what sounds an interesting but ambitious project.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+


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RebeccaPHC had een nieuw webpagina ontwerp nodig en lanceerde daarom een wedstrijd op 99designs.
Een winnaar werd gekozen uit15 ontwerpen ingezonden door3 freelance designers.
We are an Irish company celebrating 21 years in providing home care. We are the longest established care provider in Ireland. Our founders and management come from a nursing background which may differ from the many new franchise operators who have recently entered our market.
We need to differentiate against our competition in a positive way whilst protecting our brand, which is premium care at value prices.
We care for people of all ages from those with disabilities through to older people.
Our brand personality is Irish, caring, highest ethics, best trained and carefully selected carers.
Our intention with people who need care is to get them the best care for them, this may or may not include ourselves.
Our target market can be divided into two; 1 consumers - these tend to be the sons/daughters of an ageing parent or a family member of a disabled person etc. 2 medical professionals - these range from social workers to G.P.'s These are very important as they refer clients to us.
We need professional design applied to our text and images to result in an outstanding brochure. We will supply logo, copy and professional images. We welcome your creative input to translate these into a professional brochure. You have creative freedom with regards formatting and pagination of the brochure. Full copy enclosed as well as a testimonial page sample that we would like as a centre spread of the brochure. Please contact me with any questions at all.


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Recollect when you were a kid. What did your back yard resemble? How was the engaging territory? While it might be a humiliating picture to you now, you most likely had a similar thing every other person had two or three those aluminum and strip seats or some far and away more terrible plastic seats that would separate starting with one season then onto the next.
Not exclusively are there progressively amazing seats and tables to look over today, yet in addition new furniture contributions, for example, outdoor sofas. Truly, you read that right, outdoor sofas. These are decent 'kick your feet up and unwind' household items that are not just for the lounge any longer.
Outdoor sofas are made out of various materials, yet some the most well-known are made of wicker outlines. These pieces are then stacked with cushions to permit a happy with sitting, or relaxing, knowledge each time you go into the yard.
Mathis Clair Sofa Saturday December 29th, 2018 21:20:39 PM
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Regional Protection Programmes
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament of 1 September 2005 on regional protection programmes. [COM(2005) 388 final - Not published in the Official Journal].
This Communication sets out the Commission's action plan for pilot Regional Protection Programmes. As part of the European Union's new approach to the international protection system, Regional Protection Programmes will be proposed at a later stage, and these will be based on experience acquired when the pilot Protection Programmes presented in this communication were implemented.
Regional Protection Programmes are designed to enhance the protection capacity of the regions involved and to improve refugee protection through durable solutions, namely return *, local integration * and resettlement in a third country *.
These programmes will be based on existing actions, in particular under the programme for financial and technical assistance to third countries in the areas of migration and asylum (AENEAS), and the TACIS programme. The Commission would like to see increased coordination of EU policies in respect of refugees, humanitarian aid and development.
The programmes will reflect the different needs of countries:
- in transit regions, where it will be necessary to build capacity on the southern and eastern borders of the EU to enable better management of migration and adequate protection for refugees;
- in regions of origin, where a close partnership with third countries and direct consultation with UNHCR will be essential.
The Commission, which will ensure coordination between the Member States and the countries of origin, transit and first asylum, would like to see the issue of refugees and protection become a political priority for the third countries involved and the Member States of the European Union.
This Communication outlines the general framework in which the pilot Regional Protection Programmes should operate, makes recommendations for their geographical application and content and sets out a way forward for the incorporation of the Regional Protection Programme approach into the Community's relationship with the region and countries involved.
Content of Regional Protection Programmes
Regional Protection Programmes should comprise the following main actions:
- projects designed to improve the general protection situation in the host country;
- projects designed to establish an effective procedure for determining refugee status;
- projects with direct benefits for refugees;
- projects which benefit the local community hosting the refugees;
- projects to promote training in protection issues for persons working with refugees and migrants;
- a registration component based on UNHCR's Project Profile;
- a voluntary commitment on the part of the Member States to provide durable solutions for the refugees in their countries. Resettlement of refugees in Member States will be essential in order to reinforce the partnership component of programmes.
With a view to increasing the budget available for these programmes, the Commission is planning to amend the Council Decision establishing the European Refugee Fund.
The Regions selected for the first Regional Protection Programmes
The Commission regards it as a priority to develop an action programme in the Western Newly Independent States (Ukraine/Moldova/Belarus) as regards transit regions and in sub-Saharan Africa (Great Lakes/East Africa) as regards regions of origin.
Regional Protection Programme for the Western NIS countries
The Western Newly Independent States (NIS) already benefit from various Community policies and funding. A pilot Regional Protection Programme for this transit region should seek to build on and complement the work already carried out with the cooperation of the authorities in the Western NIS countries. The main focus of this programme should be on strengthening existing protection capacity by incorporating subsidiary protection, integration, registration, case consideration and reception.
Proposals for activities should be submitted within the framework of:
- projects proposed under the 2005 Call for Proposals for the AENEAS programme, which has allocated an indicative amount of 2 million for asylum and international protection in the region;
- TACIS 2006 Regional Action Programmes;
- other available financial opportunities.
Regional Protection Programmes for sub-Saharan Africa and other regions
The Commission takes the view that pilot programmes for regions of origin concern the following geographical areas:
- the Great Lakes Region. This region is extremely important in terms of the programming of available financial instruments, the centrality of resettlement as a possible durable solution and the political priorities expressed by the Member States. The Commission envisages first selecting a particular and smaller geographical locus within the region concerned, and then implementing a series of targeted activities under AENEAS for a smaller-scale Regional Protection Programme. The communication designates Tanzania, which hosts the largest refugee population in Africa, mainly from Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo, and which benefits from one of ECHO 's largest programmes of emergency relief, as an ideal locus for a pilot programme.
- the Afghanistan region. This region has been the focus of numerous actions by the Community as a whole and several Member States emphasising the return of Afghan nationals to their country;
- the Horn of Africa;
- North Africa. This region is also clearly a preoccupation of the Member States and it is already the focus of much Community-sponsored action.
The Commission advocates close cooperation with UNHCR.
Pilot Regional Protection Programmes will be subject to close evaluation and monitoring during the initial phase in order to decide on the necessary future initiatives.
This Communication, which is based on the Commission Communication of 14 June 2004 "Improving Access to Durable Solutions", represents the Commission's reply to the Council Conclusions of 2-3 November 2004 which invited the Commission to present an action plan for one or more pilot Regional Protection Programmes. In a spirit of shared responsibility, the European Union has undertaken to set up a more accessible, equitable and effective international protection system in partnership with third countries and to facilitate access to durable solutions. The three durable solutions are return, local integration or resettlement in a third country.
|Key terms used in the act
Last updated: 02.11.2005


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Elegant-Grunge-Mod, Customized Version of the WordPress Theme
The WordPress theme Elegant Grunge originally designed by Michael Tyson has lots of functionality and has a simple yet sophisticated look… but I felt the original version was using up a lot of screen area for no good reason and there were lot of scrolling needed to be done for the user. Along with many other areas the header was unnecessarily big and the content needed to be scrolled down to, I found this wide space used throughout the theme as a usability issue. So I customized the Elegant Grunge WordPress Theme and also added some new features in the Elegant Grunge Mod version. I plan to add some more functionality soon on this one to make it more customizable i.e. adding built in Google Analytics feature, font changing option and some other stuff. Feel free to suggest ideas….
- Download the Mod from above (or below if you want to use other versions).
- Extract/Unzip it in your WordPress themes directory.
- In your wordpress Admins section got to "Themes" and click on Activate by selecting "Elegant Grunge Mod".
- That's it!! You're done.
Now the Mod will be your running theme. The Mod will be in its own folder and you DO NOT need to merge or Copy/Paste files or replace original files with the Modded one's. The "Elegant Grunge Mod" itself is a fully functional WordPress theme and is ready to be used like any other WordPress Theme!!!
1.4.2 (2009-05-20)
- Fix - Header dropping Down on Widescreen monitors.
- Menu Resized – Now can include 7 links
1.4.1 (2009-05-16)
- IE Photo Frame support option added. (Check in EGM theme options)
1.4 (2009-05-16)
- Drop Down Menu added [I got tons of request for this, so there you go :-) ]
- Menu Brought Down below the top banner to improve usability.
- Search Bar moved to top to save space for widgets in the sidebar.
- RSS icon added at top.
- Option Added for Category Drop Down Menu on Top.
- Support added for Double Right Sidebar.
- Support added for NO Right Sidebar.
- Blog font related various change implemented for better readability.
- IE 8 Fix for header image centering.
1.3 (2009-03-15)
- Option added to use any overlay plugin for photoblog thumbnails (tested with lightbox, lightview, shadowbox).
- Fixed, "[/caption]" from appearing in sidebar photoblog thumbnails.
- Photoframe extended to put caption inside the photoframe.
- IE new photoframe now appears even without having captions (1.2 required to have caption using IE).
- Avatar size increased
1.2 (26/02/2009
- Photo Frames Removed For Internet Explorer and replaced with different frame. This fixes the issue of broken photo frames that appears in Original Elegant Grunge Theme when using Internet Explorer. (check my websites home page in Firefox and IE to see the difference)
- Maximum Image Size that can appear in a Post is increased.
- Link Underline on Mouse Hover added to distinguish different Tags and Links.
- Some font size changed
- Post area font color darkened for better visibility.
- Issues:
- Caption Text is required In Internet Explorer to have the new frames around the picture . (Next release will fix this)
1.1 (21/01/2009)
- Fix: Header dropping Down on Widescreen monitors.
- Blog post area increased
- Header area space decreased
- Option added for excluding links from top Menu
- Digg.com option added
- AddThis.com option added
- Individual Post control for Digg,com and AddThis.com added
- Post area Font changed with a more readable one
- Icons added for Author, category, Tags, Comments
- In many area a lot of space between objects are reduced to make everything more compact in one place unlike the original version where everything was spaced out a lot and was occupying a lot of screen area with less information.
Old Downloads:
- To add Digg.com to a post just use "Custom Fields" area in the "Edit Post" Page and enter digg with value 1.
- To add AddThis.com to a post just use "Custom Fields" area in the "Edit Post" Page and enter addthis with value 1.
- To Excluide Links from Top Menu just use the Elegant Grunge Themes Options Menu and enter the Page ID's seperated by commas in the "Exclude Links from Menu" to exclude links from top menu.
Related posts:
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- Enabling Line Break "<br>" in WordPress - Finally!! A permanent solution in order to prevent WordPress from...
- Infolinks Ad Integration WordPress Plugin - The Infolinks Plugin for WordPress 2.9++. Infolinks In-Text Advertising are...


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If Piracy Is So Devastating, Why Are We Seeing An Unprecedented Outpouring Of Creativity?
from the what-was-the-problem-again? dept
One of the favorite tropes of the anti-piracy crowd is that all this unauthorized sharing is killing culture, pauperizing artists and generally making the world go to hell in a handbasket. The only pieces of evidence adduced in support of that position are the market reports put together for the copyright industries that (a) say the sky is falling and (b) base that analysis on the industries' own unsubstantiated claims.
In fact, as we know, for all of the copyright industries, the Sky is Rising. But that's only half the story, for alongside the traditional distribution channels, there are now entirely new ways in which people can create and share their creations. These have only emerged in the last few years, and so there is a natural tendency to underestimate their importance. But gradually figures are emerging that hint at the extraordinary scale of the creativity they foster.
For example, user uploads to YouTube are now running at one hour of videos every second -- that's 86,400 hours every day, and over thirty million hours per year. Now, a portion of that content may be copyright material -- but only some, and probably not much. That's because Google has been employing its Content ID system for some time now:
What is Content ID?
What the use of Google's Content ID means is that the stuff copyright companies care about is already being caught. What's left varies from high-art mashups to how-to manuals to cat videos. But whatever it is, there's lots of it, with millions of hours of new content being uploaded every year.
YouTube's state-of-the-art technologies let rights owners:
Identify user-uploaded videos comprised entirely OR partially of their content and
Choose, in advance, what they want to happen when those videos are found. Make money from them. Get stats on them. Or block them from YouTube altogether.
It's up to you.
How does Content ID work?
Rights holders deliver YouTube reference files (audio-only or video) of content that they own, metadata describing that content, and policies on what they want YouTube to do when we find a match.
We compare videos uploaded to YouTube against those reference files.
Our technology automatically identifies your content and applies your preferred policy: monetise, track or block.
Tumblr hosts a different kind of user-generated content, but with similarly huge holdings. It currently has over 20 billion posts on 51 million blogs, and each day, over 60 million more are added:
The average Tumblr user creates 14 original posts each month, and reblogs 3. Half of those posts are photos. The rest are split between text, links, quotes, music, and video.
Again, some of the music and video shared on Tumblr may be unauthorized sharing, but much of that creativity -- the photos, text and links -- almost certainly isn't.
Meanwhile, on a site that most people have forgotten about, assuming they'd ever heard about it in the first place, content in the form of wikis is being produced in ever-greater quantities:
Listed among the top 10 social networks and blogs in the U.S. by Nielsen in 2011, Wikia sees nearly 50 million global unique visitors per month, has over 339,000 communities (600 new ones added daily), and is witnessing 42% traffic growth year-over-year.
Putting these kind of figures together with the daily output of hundreds of millions of users on Twitter and its Chinese analogs -- to say nothing of the near-billion Facebookers -- and what emerges is a ferment of creativity the likes of which the world has never seen before. So how can this be squared with the repeated claims that piracy is somehow leading to the death of culture?
More specifically, gaming and entertainment communities have been Wikia's bread and butter. The site hosts over 65k game wikis with 2.48M game pages. Elder Scrolls, for example has 8k+ content pages and it would take a month to read them all at 5 minutes per page.
I think the answer is that in the eyes of many commentators all this activity simply "doesn't count". That is, a video on YouTube is not "real" art, and a Tumblr post is not "real" literature. So when people complain that piracy is "killing" culture, what they are really expressing is their own incomprehension in the face of this new kind of art.
To admit that piracy isn't a problem, because it seems to be leading to more, not less creativity, would be to admit that the huge outpourings of user-generated content are indeed art, some of it even rather good art. And that, rather than any supposed harm from unauthorized sharing of copyright materials, is what many seem to fear. For the copyright industries and cultural commentators it calls into question their ability to make aesthetic judgments -- and hence money -- while for the artists, it questions their privileged position in society, and the special role of their art there.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+
Filed Under: creativity, culture, piracy, sky is rising
Companies: tumblr, twitter, wikia, youtube