text: The Great Marriage Proposals of 2011 December 23, 2011 Administrator (0) We love to hear about marriage proposals that are creative and special. The New York Times featured the engagement stories of several couples from this past year. Image via The New York Times/Tom Bloom The proposals vary from a gentleman dropping to one knee on stage during a theater performance to a proposal in the midst of Paris' most romantic landmarks. We celebrate these engagements because they are unique and timeless memories that each couple will remember for the rest of their lives. Read the full article here. Enjoy!


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High-powered magnets are a safety risk to children — toddler through teen. Injuries due to ingestion and inhalation are increasing, serious and sometimes fatal.
High-powered magnets are a safety risk to children - toddler through teen. An increasing number of incidents reported to CPSC indicate that children are swallowing these magnets and the injuries are serious. Watch This Video Watch and Share This Video on YouTube
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Attention: Magnet Sets Final Rule Vacated by Federal Court; Removed from Code of Federal Regulations. Please see Federal Register Notice for more Information. Also, the Commission has received a petition asking the Commission to issue a new rule concerning magnet sets. The Commission is seeking comments on the petition: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-10-06/pdf/2017-21534.pdf.
Recalls and News
Star Networks USA Recalls Magnicubes (Aug. 4, 2014)
High Powered Magnet Balls Recalled by SCS Direct (Jan. 31, 2013)
Buckyballs and Buckycubes Refunds Now Available (July 17, 2014)
Kringles Toys and Gifts Recalls High Powered Magnets (Jan. 31, 2013)
CPSC Sues Star Networks USA Over Hazardous, High-Powered Magnetic Balls and Cubes (Dec. 19, 2012)
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Magnet Sets (Sept. 4, 2012)
CPSC Sues Zen Magnets Over Hazardous, High-Powered Magnetic Balls (Aug. 6, 2012)
CPSC Sues Maxfield & Oberton Over Hazardous Buckyballs, Buckycubes (July 25, 2012)
CPSC Warns High-Powered Magnets and Children Make a Deadly Mix (Nov. 10, 2011)
View All Magnet Recalls and News
Magnet OnSafety Blogs
CPSC accepted the industry ASTM F963 manufacturing standard as a mandatory toy standard in February 2012. The mandatory standard took effect June 12, 2012.
Frequently Asked Questions
When two or more magnets are swallowed, they attract to each other internally. Many incidents have resulted in surgeries to remove the magnets. When a magnet has to be removed surgically, it also can require repairing the child's damaged stomach and intestines.
If you suspect magnets have been swallowed:
• Seek immediate medical attention
• Medical symptoms to watch for are: abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
• In X-rays, multiple magnetic pieces may appear as a single object.
These high-powered magnets are not the magnets off your grandfather's refrigerator door. They are up to eight times stronger than magnets that are used in toys.
Where can I find additional information?
For more information, please contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
- Office of Compliance (for specific enforcement inquires): e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; telephone: (800) 638-2772.
- Small Business Ombudsman (for general assistance understanding and complying with CPSC regulations): e-mail: Please use our Contact Form, which is the best way to get a fast response; telephone: (888) 531-9070.
The Safety Guides, Safety Alerts, and Neighborhood Safety Network posters listed below are available to download from CPSC's website.
CPSC Safety Alerts and Neighborhood Safety Network posters are not available to order. If you would like to use these safety publications, they are free to download and print.

subset: commoncrawl


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Impact of Aortic Valve Calcification, as Measured by MDCT, on Survival in Patients With Aortic StenosisResults of an International Registry Study
Author + information
- Received April 15, 2014
- Revision received May 22, 2014
- Accepted May 26, 2014
- Published online September 23, 2014.
Author Information
- Marie-Annick Clavel, DVM, PhD∗,
- Philippe Pibarot, DVM, PhD†,
- David Messika-Zeitoun, MD, PhD‡,§,
- Romain Capoulade, PhD†,
- Joseph Malouf, MD∗,
- Shivani Aggarval, MBBS∗,
- Phillip A. Araoz, MD∗,
- Hector I. Michelena, MD∗,
- Caroline Cueff, MD‡,
- Eric Larose, MD, MSc†,
- Jordan D. Miller, PhD∗,
- Alec Vahanian, MD‡,§ and
- Maurice Enriquez-Sarano, MD∗∗ (sarano.maurice{at}mayo.edu)
- ∗Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- †University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology of Québec, Laval University Québec, Québec, Canada
- ‡Department of Cardiology, Public Assistance–Paris Hospitals, Bichat Hospital, Paris, France
- §Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U698, University of Paris, Paris, France
- ↵∗Reprint requests and correspondence:
Dr. Maurice Enriquez-Sarano, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
Background Aortic valve calcification (AVC) load measures lesion severity in aortic stenosis (AS) and is useful for diagnostic purposes. Whether AVC predicts survival after diagnosis, independent of clinical and Doppler echocardiographic AS characteristics, has not been studied.
Objectives This study evaluated the impact of AVC load, absolute and relative to aortic annulus size (AVCdensity), on overall mortality in patients with AS under conservative treatment and without regard to treatment.
Methods In 3 academic centers, we enrolled 794 patients (mean age, 73 ± 12 years; 274 women) diagnosed with AS by Doppler echocardiography who underwent multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) within the same episode of care. Absolute AVC load and AVCdensity (ratio of absolute AVC to cross-sectional area of aortic annulus) were measured, and severe AVC was separately defined in men and women.
Results During follow-up, there were 440 aortic valve implantations (AVIs) and 194 deaths (115 under medical treatment). Univariate analysis showed strong association of absolute AVC and AVCdensity with survival (both, p < 0.0001) with a spline curve analysis pattern of threshold and plateau of risk. After adjustment for age, sex, coronary artery disease, diabetes, symptoms, AS severity on hemodynamic assessment, and LV ejection fraction, severe absolute AVC (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 2.92; p = 0.03) or severe AVCdensity (adjusted HR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.37 to 4.37; p = 0.002) independently predicted mortality under medical treatment, with additive model predictive value (all, p ≤ 0.04) and a net reclassification index of 12.5% (p = 0.04). Severe absolute AVC (adjusted HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.62; p = 0.01) and severe AVCdensity (adjusted HR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.40 to 3.52; p = 0.001) also independently predicted overall mortality, even with adjustment for time-dependent AVI.
Conclusions This large-scale, multicenter outcomes study of quantitative Doppler echocardiographic and MDCT assessment of AS shows that measuring AVC load provides incremental prognostic value for survival beyond clinical and Doppler echocardiographic assessment. Severe AVC independently predicts excess mortality after AS diagnosis, which is greatly alleviated by AVI. Thus, measurement of AVC by MDCT should be considered for not only diagnostic but also risk-stratification purposes in patients with AS.
- aortic valve calcification
- aortic valve stenosis
- Doppler echocardiography
- multidetector computed tomography
- survival
Calcific aortic stenosis (AS) occurs frequently, and aortic valve implantation (AVI), surgical or percutaneous, is the only effective treatment (1,2). According to U.S. and European guidelines, AVI is indicated in severe symptomatic AS (1,2) on the basis of classic studies showing poor outcomes after symptom onset (3,4). However, in recent decades, AS etiology has fundamentally evolved to become predominantly "degenerative" (5). Thus, nowadays, AS affects elderly patients, in whom the evaluation and interpretation of symptoms and even the interpretation of valvular hemodynamic data can be puzzling (6), requiring other objective markers of diagnosis and risk.
Because valvular calcification is the intrinsic mechanism leading to AS development, and because it can be accurately measured by computed tomography (CT) (7), aortic valve calcification (AVC) load assessment generates considerable interest. In the general population, screening studies (8) and a meta-analysis of data from smaller series (9) suggest that AVC qualitative assessment may be of prognostic importance. More specifically, in patients with AS, physiological studies advance that because AVC quantification is strongly but nonlinearly (7) associated with hemodynamic measures of AS severity, it may add incremental value to Doppler echocardiography. We gained improved interpretation of quantified AVC load with the demonstration that the association between AVC and hemodynamic data is robust but different in men and women (10), leading to sex-specific thresholds for defining severe AVC compared with Doppler echocardiographic hemodynamic AS severity (11).
Although the physiological and diagnostic values of AVC in AS are now better supported, particularly in patients with discordant gradients (11), the impact on survival of AVC load, as measured by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) after AS diagnosis, remains undefined. Initial qualitative studies using echocardiography were encouraging (12,13) but remain isolated. Pilot CT studies suggested that AVC load may be linked to cardiovascular events, particularly AVI indications, but with inconsistent and non–sex-differentiated thresholds (7,14). These pilot studies generated potential clinical interest and the hypothesis that in patients with AS, AVC load may be a determinant of survival after diagnosis as a major and categorically definable endpoint, independent of and incremental to valvular hemodynamic data obtained by Doppler echocardiography. The present study took advantage of the large patient volume of our multicenter international registry of calcified aortic valve diseases to evaluate the impact of quantitatively defined AVC load, absolute and relative to left ventricular (LV) outflow tract size (AVCdensity), on overall mortality in patients under conservative treatment. This study's secondary aim was to evaluate the impact of AVC on overall survival regardless of treatment.
We prospectively recruited 794 adult patients with at least mild AS (defined as a mean gradient [MG] ≥15 mm Hg, peak aortic jet velocity [Vmax] ≥2.0 m/s, or aortic valve area [AVA] ≤2 cm2) who underwent comprehensive Doppler echocardiography and MDCT within the same episode of care (<3 months between evaluations) at 1 of 3 academic centers: the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota), Bichat Hospital (Paris, France), or the University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology (IUCPQ) (Quebec, Quebec, Canada). We excluded patients age <18 years and those with identified rheumatic valve disease or endocarditis, congenital heart disease (except bicuspid aortic valve), moderate or severe aortic regurgitation or mitral valve disease, and/or a history of valve repair or implantation. Informed consent was obtained according to approval by each institutional review board.
Doppler echocardiography measurements
Doppler echocardiographic data were obtained according to recommendations of echocardiographic societies (15), and included left ventricular (LV) dimensions and ejection fraction, Vmax, MG by modified Bernoulli formula, stroke volume measured in the LV outflow tract, and AVA, calculated using the continuity equation as absolute AVA or indexed to body surface area (AVAi).
MDCT measurements
Noncontrast CT was performed using multidetector scanners (Sensation or Somatom, Siemens AG Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany; MX 8000 IDT 16, Philips Healthcare, Andover, Massachusetts). The 3 centers used the same methodology of image acquisition and interpretation, which was previously described (11,16). AVC measurements were performed off-line on dedicated workstations using validated software (HeartBeat CS [Philips Healthcare] or Aquarius iNtuition [TeraRecon, Inc., Foster City, California]) by the Agatston method (17) and expressed in arbitrary units (AU).
We previously showed that AVC values of ≥1,274 AU in women and ≥2,065 AU in men were the best cutoff values to define severe AVC according to Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of AS (11). Moreover, to account for interindividual variability in body size, we showed that indexing AVC to the cross-sectional area of the aortic annulus was the preferable indexation and that the best thresholds for AVCdensity were 292 and 476 AU/cm2 in women and men, respectively (11). Thus, we dichotomized AVC and AVCdensity in severe and nonsevere calcification using these previously defined thresholds.
In a subset of 635 patients, the entire heart was visible on MDCT scanning; coronary artery calcium load was calculated and considered severe when greater than the median value in our population.
Technologists and cardiologists performing CT acquisitions and measurements were kept blinded to the clinical, Doppler echocardiographic, and outcomes data. The median time between Doppler echocardiography and MDCT was 1 day (interquartile range: 0 to 9 days).
Symptom status
Patients were considered symptomatic if they presented with dyspnea, New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society class III or IV), pre-syncope, or syncope. Among patients considered asymptomatic, some had minor symptoms (dyspnea or angina with vigorous physical activity).
Study endpoints
The primary endpoint was overall survival under medical treatment. Hence in patients who underwent AVI, the AVI date was used to compute the duration of follow-up under medical management, but AVI was not an endpoint. Secondary endpoints were cardiovascular death under medical management and the overall and cardiovascular survival during the entire follow-up, regardless of AVI status. Outcomes data were obtained from patient visits or records, mailed questionnaires, or scripted telephone interviews with patients or physicians, and death certificates when applicable. Follow-up to death, AVI, or ≥5 years post-diagnosis was completed in 762 patients (96%).
Statistical analysis
Results are expressed as mean ± SD, median (interquartile range), or percentages when appropriate. Continuous variables were tested for normality by the Shapiro-Wilk test. AVC, AVCdensity, and coronary artery calcium load were not normally distributed. We used a square-root transformation to normalize AVC and AVCdensity, and all analysis of AVC or AVCdensity as continuous variables used square-root–transformed levels that well-normalized distributions, with a W-statistic of Shapiro-Wilk test of ≥0.997 and p ≥ 0.08.
Differences between patients with nonsevere or severe AVCdensity were analyzed using the Student t test for continuous normally distributed variables, the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous non–normally distributed variables, and the chi-square test for nominal variables.
Differences of classification between graphically determined thresholds and previously calculated thresholds (11) of severe absolute AVC and AVCdensity were assessed by the McNemar test.
The effect of clinical, Doppler echocardiographic, and MDCT variables on overall survival under medical treatment was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Clinically relevant variables and/or variables with a p value of ≤0.05 on individual analysis were included in background multivariate models (i.e., age, sex, heart failure [HF] symptoms, diabetes, history of coronary artery disease [CAD], AVAi, MG, and LV ejection fraction). For each endpoint, MG was replaced by peak aortic jet velocity in secondary models to assess whether this substitution affects the association of AVC and survival. For subgroup analysis, stepwise backward methods from general models were used. To analyze the secondary endpoints, AVI was used as a time-dependent covariate in the Cox models. Results of the Cox models are presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
To determine whether severe AVCdensity offered value in predicting 1-year mortality under medical treatment (primary endpoint) beyond traditional risk factors, the incremental value of severe AVCdensity was assessed using the net reclassification index (NRI). Logistic regression was used to determine predicted probabilities for 1-year all-cause mortality under medical management in each patient, using the background model. The probabilities were then ranked and categorized into tertiles (<4%, 4% to <15%, and ≥15%). After severe AVCdensity was added into the model, patients were reclassified according to the predicted probability of death at 1 year. The NRI quantified the net improvement in risk reclassification (higher predicted probability of death in 1-year nonsurvivors; lower predicted probability of death in 1-year survivors). A p value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 20.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois).
Baseline characteristics
The baseline characteristics of the 794 patients included in this study (Mayo Clinic: 535; IUCPQ: 137; Bichat Hospital: 122) are presented in Table 1. On stratification of patients by AVCdensity, patients with severe AVCdensity were older (p < 0.0001), but comorbid clinical conditions were within ranges similar to those in patients with nonsevere AVCdensity. As expected, patients with severe AVCdensity had more severe AS and presented more often with symptoms (Table 1).
Pattern of mortality according to AVC load
During the mean follow-up of 3.1 ± 2.6 years, there were 440 AVIs and 194 deaths. Overall 5-year survival after diagnosis was 65 ± 3% under medical management and 68 ± 2% with medical and/or surgical management for the entire cohort. The quantitative links between the levels of AVC load expressed as continuous variables (absolute AVC load and AVCdensity) and survival after diagnosis were analyzed separately in men and women due to the differential calcification between sexes previously reported (10). Thus, on univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, both absolute AVC and AVCdensity were strong predictors of mortality in men as well as in women (all, p < 0.0001). The pattern linking AVC severity and mortality was analyzed in spline curves (of relative risk [RR] on the y-axis vs. AVC severity on the x-axis), whereby a RR of 1 represents the cohort's mean risk. These spline curves (for absolute AVC and AVCdensity in men and women) are presented in Figure 1 and show clearly the high risk associated with a high AVC load.
Furthermore, specific patterns of association between AVC load and mortality risk are noteworthy. First, in terms of thresholds of risk, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, absolute AVC negatively impacted survival under medical management, with thresholds (crossing of the RR line of 1.0) of 1,180 AU in women and 2,050 AU in men. These thresholds are not different from those previously defined as associated with hemodynamic markers of severe AS (both, p > 0.12). Similarly, Figures 1C and 1D illustrate that AVCdensity negatively impacts survival, with thresholds of 300 AU/cm2 in women and 475 AU/cm2 in men, not different from those previously defined as associated with hemodynamic markers of severe AS (both, p > 0.24).
Second, the links between absolute AVC and AVCdensity and mortality shown in Figure 1 were not linear and reached a plateau. To document this pattern, we analyzed data from patients with absolute AVC and AVCdensity higher than the thresholds of risk and categorized them as having absolute AVC and AVCdensity higher (highly severe) and lower (simply severe) than the medians in this high-risk subset. In this analysis, patients with highly severe and simply severe absolute AVC showed similar mortality under medical management of AS (p = 0.36). Similarly, patients with highly severe versus simply severe AVCdensity incurred similar mortality (p = 0.21). In view of this pattern of threshold and plateau regarding the links between AVC load (both absolute AVC and AVCdensity) and mortality after diagnosis in men and women, subsequent analyses categorized patients as having high versus low AVC load (with specific thresholds in men and women), which allowed for a combined analysis of survival in men and women together. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves according to the presence or absence of severe absolute AVC and AVCdensity show that irrespective of the measure used, patients with high AVC load had lower survival (all p <0.0001) under medical management (Figure 2) or with medical/surgical management (Figure 3).
Incremental prognostic value of severe AVC on mortality in medically managed patients
During a mean follow-up of 1.7 ± 2.0 years under medical treatment, there were 115 deaths; 82 were considered cardiovascular related. In view of the association of higher AVC load with somewhat older age and definitely tighter AS (Table 1), it is essential to determine the incremental nature of the association of AVC load with survival. On adjustment for age, sex, HF symptoms, diabetes, CAD, AVAi, MG, and LV ejection fraction, severe absolute AVC (HR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.92; p = 0.03) and severe AVCdensity (HR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.37 to 4.37; p = 0.002) predicted mortality under medical management (Table 2).
When absolute AVA replaced AVAi in multivariate models, the predictive values of absolute AVC (HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.84; p = 0.03) and AVCdensity (HR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.26 to 3.98; p = 0.005) were unaffected. Replacing Vmax with MG in multivariate models did not affect the predictive value of absolute AVC (HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.90; p = 0.04) or AVCdensity (HR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.30 to 4.21; p = 0.004). Similarly, AVC and AVCdensity also predicted cardiovascular-related death (HR: 2.14 [95% CI: 1.08 to 4.45; p = 0.03] and 2.28 [95% CI: 1.11 to 4.95; p = 0.02], respectively). Moreover, after further adjustment for severe coronary artery calcification, severe AVCdensity remained predictive of mortality (HR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.22 to 4.77; p = 0.01).
In all models, severe AVC (p ≤ 0.04) and severe AVCdensity (p ≤ 0.02) provided significant additive value (incremental to all clinical and Doppler echocardiographic variables) to the prediction of mortality under medical treatment in AS. After adding severe AVCdensity to the background model, the NRI in predicting 1-year mortality was 12.5% (p = 0.04). Interestingly, the most important reclassification was achieved among nonsurvivors at 1 year, with a reclassification of 50% of these patients from the intermediate risk to the higher-risk category (data not shown).
On comparison of multivariate models, those using AVCdensity were more powerful than were those utilizing absolute AVC in predicting mortality under medical treatment (all, p < 0.03). In the analysis of the prognostic impact of AVC in subgroups stratified by AS severity (guideline-based thresholds), AVCdensity was predictive of mortality under medical management in patients with severe AS (HR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.64 to 6.70; p = 0.0002) or without severe AS (HR: 5.69; 95% CI: 2.89 to 11.03; p < 0.0001) (Figure 4). After adjustment for age and sex, AVCdensity remained significantly predictive of mortality in both groups (HR: 2.08 [95% CI: 1.07 to 4.53; p = 0.02] and 3.35 [95% CI: 1.60 to 6.85; p = 0.002] in patients with and without severe AS, respectively). With comprehensive adjustment, AVCdensity came out as independently predictive of mortality under medical management in patients with severe AS (HR: 2.79; 95% CI: 1.45 to 5.36; p = 0.002) and without severe AS (HR: 2.93; 95% CI: 1.35 to 6.19; p = 0.008) (Figures 4 and 5⇓).
The impact of severe AVCdensity was consistent across multiple AS subsets: It was predictive of mortality under medical treatment in women as well as men (both, adjusted p ≤ 0.04), in patients with and without HF symptoms (both, adjusted p ≤ 0.03), in patients with MG higher or lower than 40 mm Hg (both, adjusted p ≤ 0.04), and in patients with AVAi higher or lower than 0.6 cm2/m2 (both, adjusted p ≤ 0.02). Thus, despite stratification causing smaller subsets and wider CIs, high AVCdensity was independently associated with excess mortality after diagnosis in all subsets (Figure 5). Finally, in a combined subgroup with ≥1 criterion for severe AS (by AVA, AVAi, MG, or Vmax) and without HF symptoms (n = 308), AVCdensity was independently associated with excess mortality (HR: 2.59; 95% CI: 1.02 to 8.01; p = 0.04).
Impact of severe AVC on mortality with medical/surgical treatment
On analysis of overall mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality (138 deaths) during the entire follow-up, severe AVC (all, HR: ≥1.58; p ≤ 0.04) and severe AVCdensity (all, HR: ≥1.89; p ≤ 0.01) were each independent predictors of overall mortality (Table 2, Figure 3) and cardiovascular-related mortality, and significantly improved multivariate models (all, p ≤ 0.01), with or without adjustment for severe coronary artery calcification. AVCdensity demonstrated superiority (all, p < 0.04) beyond absolute AVC for predicting overall mortality.
Analysis of AVI benefit (time-dependent variable) in strata of AVC load showed that AVI was a powerful independent predictor of improved survival in patients with severe AVCdensity (HR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.56; p < 0.0001), whereas AVI effect did not reach statistical significance in the stratum with nonsevere AVCdensity (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.25 to 1.61; p = 0.33). Thus, in patients with severe AVCdensity, AVI was associated with considerable alleviation of mortality risk, confirming that the AVCdensity–survival link directly depends on the AS.
This study, conducted on the basis of a large international registry of calcified aortic valve disease, is the first to show that in a pure population of patients with AS, AVC load, as measured by MDCT, independently predicts mortality after AS diagnosis, with or without regard to treatment (Central Illustration). This strong impact on mortality persists even after adjustment for hemodynamic characteristics, including AVAi and MG (or alternatively AVA and Vmax), and even accounting for clinical history of CAD or MDCT-measured coronary artery calcification. The AVC–mortality link is incremental in all clinical and Doppler echocardiographic measures with a notable NRI and persists in patients with hemodynamically severe AS. The pattern of the AVC–mortality link involves thresholds similar to those defining severe aortic valve disease in comparison to hemodynamic data by Doppler echocardiography for both absolute AVC and AVCdensity (11), followed by a plateau of risk. Thus, whereas the thresholds defining severe AVC are different in men and women, the presence of severe AVC defined by these thresholds holds similar survival implications in both sexes. Furthermore, AVCdensity indexed to cross-sectional area of aortic annulus was a more powerful survival predictor than was absolute AVC, and its impact was consistent among all subsets of AS, irrespective of initial presentation. Finally, survival was improved by AVI in patients with severe AVCdensity, emphasizing the direct link between the valvular anatomic alteration and its implications on outcome.
AVC in AS
In the general population, there is growing evidence that calcified aortic valve disease is prognostically significant (8,9), but AS is naturally calcified, so the significance of calcifications within that specific valvular condition remains uncertain. In current U.S. clinical guidelines (1), severe or moderate-severe AVC is mentioned as a parameter to be considered in AS management, although there are no recommendations on specific definitions or implications. This recommendation is made on the basis of echocardiographic data regarding AS progression (18) and cardiovascular events (12). However, calcification by echocardiography is diagnosed on the basis of video qualitative assessment, which grossly correlates with AVC quantified by CT but with wide overlap between echo "calcification" grades (7). The imprecise aortic valve "calcium" scoring on echocardiography has not allowed for the detection of crucial differences between men and women; MDCT, taking advantage of the unequaled value of x-ray calcium assessment, provided definitions of severe AVC load specific to men and women, with lower thresholds in women (10,11). Thus, this imprecise echo evaluation of valvular "density" has not been duplicated in terms of outcome and has not been reported as a crucial measure to be performed in patients with AS (1,2). The present study, by using the hard endpoint of survival and quantitative assessment of valvular calcium by MDCT, extends our findings regarding the hemodynamic significance of AVC load in men and women, showing that even after normalization for aortic annulus cross-sectional area, the impact on mortality occurs at lower scores in women compared with men. Thus, defining severe AVC as absolute AVC ≥1,274 AU in women and ≥2,065 AU in men or as AVCdensity ≥292 AU/cm2 in women and ≥476 AU/cm2 in men not only strongly suggests severe hemodynamic AS (11) but also defines severe calcified aortic valve disease for subsequent mortality. Previous studies with CT, including our pilot study of 2004 (7), linked valve calcification to cardiovascular events following diagnosis, dominated by performance of AVI, and the pitfalls of this endpoint may explain why this measure has not yet gained wide acceptance. Furthermore, different thresholds were used (16,18), no sex-specific threshold was defined, and due to the strong association between AVC and valve hemodynamic data, the incremental value of AVC remained unclear. The present study is thus the first to link AVC load, objectively and quantitatively measured, to the simple and crucially important outcome of mortality. Hence, we believe that such an observation is essential in emphasizing the importance of AVC load measurement in clinical practice and in recommending specific thresholds. MDCT measurement of AVC load represents a test added to classic Doppler echocardiography, but demonstration of its incremental prognostic information is essential vis-à-vis cost, whereas it is routine before transcatheter AVI (19).
The concept that AVC load provides information incremental in hemodynamic measures of AS severity is not completely intuitive, as the hemodynamic load is considered the ultimate cause of death (20). However, AVC, although long known to be present on the valve and considered a scarring phenomenon (21), has been shown to appear early in valve lesions as an integral part of the disease process (22). Furthermore, calcification is a nonlinear process that increases exponentially (23) and accelerates disease progression (24). With this in mind, we see that the implications of AVC load on survival do not represent a statistical artefact but are coherent with the biology of AVC deposition (25). It is thus logical, from a pathophysiological standpoint, that a severe amount of calcium in the aortic valve will lead to faster disease progression (23), adverse events, and ultimately mortality. The initial low mortality in moderate AS, even with severe AVC, is consistent with previous data on AS outcome (6), but over time severe AVC imposes excess mortality in all AS severity grades. As shown in our study, survival was largely improved by AVI selectively in patients with severe AVC, underscoring the coherent biological and outcome rationale of AVC load as a marker of AS outcome.
AVC and AS management
In view of its implications on diagnosis and survival, AVC load can be used as an objective marker of severity in patients in whom clinical assessment is confusing. Given that AS today typically results from calcific "degenerative" etiology and is diagnosed in the mid-seventh decade (6), it is commonly associated with symptoms or markedly reduced activity. Concomitant comorbidities also may cause symptoms, making a patient's risk quite difficult to interpret. In this challenging clinical context, objective markers of outcome are crucial in stratifying risk at diagnosis and for this AVC load may play a very important role once its link to survival is ascertained. Specifically, measuring AVC load by MDCT may be crucial in patients with discordant Doppler echocardiographic markers of AS severity.
Indeed, between 30% and 70% of patients diagnosed with AS present with low MG despite tight AVA (6,26,27). This hemodynamic presentation is highly heterogeneous with or without low flow, often with preserved ejection fraction, and stems from possible measurement errors (28), asymmetry of the LV outflow tract (29), and/or decreased systemic arterial compliance (30). Irrespective of the reason, this hemodynamic presentation proves challenging in terms of diagnosis and therapeutic decision making. Tight AVA suggests severe AS and favors AVI, whereas low gradient is rather consistent with moderate stenosis and favors conservative management. Although in patients with low ejection fraction, dobutamine echocardiography is valuable to detect pseudosevere AS (31–33), it is unclear how useful the test is in patients with preserved ejection fraction and low flow and its utility is even less likely in patients with normal flow (34–37). In the context of the uncertainty of hemodynamic status, obtaining an independent and direct measure of aortic valve lesion severity such as AVC load is crucial. Uncertainty with regard to clinical status is no less frequent than is that of hemodynamic status. A trial of percutaneous treatment of AS demonstrated great benefit but also showed that AS treatment may be futile when comorbidity blurs symptom interpretation (38). This frequent clinical situation, and that regarding the decision of whether moderate AS deserves AVI simultaneously with coronary artery bypass surgery (1), represent conundrums in which the independent evaluation of aortic valve disease is crucial. In addition to its diagnostic value, severe AVC load, independently and incrementally linked to lower survival alleviated by AVI, as measured by MDCT may be an essential candidate "tie-breaker" and indicator of follow-up frequency when AVI is delayed. The prognostic impact of AVC in various AS subsets (i.e., reduced or preserved ejection fraction, with low or high MG or AVA) makes AVC a versatile clinical tool in most situations warranting the consideration of AVI.
Study limitations
MDCT measurements were done in each institution, and this international collaboration was challenging in terms of exchanging images among centers. However, the training for calcium measurement was common and standardized in the 3 centers, and we arranged intercenter investigators' visits to address interobserver variability (10). The possibility of a "center effect" on the AVC–mortality link was unlikely, with no interaction between centers and AVC in determining all-cause or cardiovascular mortality (all, p > 0.80). The thresholds defining severe AVCdensity may not have been easy to remember in clinical practice. Simple rounded thresholds of 300 AU/cm2 in women and 500 AU/cm2 in men may be considered in clinical practice. Although not exactly data defined, hemodynamic based, or outcomes based, these rounded thresholds of severe AVC load provided prediction of mortality under medical management that was not significantly inferior to that of data-defined thresholds (p = 0.36).
AVC may have different levels of additive prediction value in different AS subsets (e.g., discordant, low-gradient AS), but studies in larger sample sizes should be planned in the future for all AS subset analyses.
Clinical implications
In the elderly AS population, whose lack of symptoms may be related to inactivity or orthopedic ailments, or whose symptoms may be due to comorbid conditions, gathering objective outcomes markers is essential. AVC as measured by MDCT is low risk, noninvasive, and highly reproducible for that purpose in most patient subsets. MDCT is not indispensable in patients with an obvious surgical indication of AVI but is essential in considering transcatheter AVI. In patients with borderline indications, particularly with doubtful hemodynamic data, severe AVC load may be a crucial element of a difficult decision. When the indication of an intervention is clearly not present, AVC load may influence the frequency of follow-up. The pattern of the impact of AVC on mortality showed distinctly that once the threshold is reached, the risk for death increases. This threshold is different and lower in women compared with that in men, even after adjustment for aortic annulus area. Thus, patients with an AVCdensity ≥300 AU/cm2 (women) or ≥500 AU/cm2 (men) should be considered as having severe AS and treated accordingly, whereas those with lower amounts of calcification should be considered as having moderate AS and followed closely as the level of calcification approaches the threshold.
This large-scale, international outcomes study shows that measuring AVC load by MDCT provides important incremental prognostic value for survival after AS diagnosis beyond that obtained from clinical and Doppler echocardiographic data. Severe AVCdensity, although defined differently in men and women, holds similar independent prognostic value in both sexes and in all possible AS subsets. The excess mortality associated with severe AVCdensity is greatly alleviated by AVI. Thus, the measurement of AVC by MDCT should be considered for not only diagnostic but also risk-stratification purposes in the evaluation of and therapeutic decision making in patients with AS.
COMPETENCY IN MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE: The extent of aortic valve calcification correlates with the hemodynamic severity of aortic stenosis.
TRANSLATIONAL OUTLOOK: Additional studies are needed to quantify the incremental value of MDCT over echocardiographic and hemodynamic assessments in selecting symptomatic patients with aortic stenosis for valve replacement when the valve orifice area and pressure gradient are discordant.
The study was funded in part by grants from Public Assistance–Paris Hospitals (PHRC national 2005 and PHRC regional 2007) and a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (MOP# 114997). Dr. Clavel holds a post-doctoral fellowship grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Pibarot holds the Canada Research Chair in Valvular Heart Diseases, Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Messika-Zeitoun has served as consultant to and received lecture fees from Edwards, Valtech, and Abbott. Dr. Capoulade was supported by a studentship grant from the International Chair of Cardiometabolic Risk, Quebec, Quebec, Canada. Dr. Vahanian has received an honorarium from Edwards Lifesciences; and has served on the advisory board of Medtronic, Inc. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
Listen to this manuscript's audio summary by JACC Editor-in-Chief Dr. Valentin Fuster.
You can also listen to this issue's audio summary by JACC Editor-in-Chief Dr. Valentin Fuster.
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- aortic stenosis
- arbitrary unit(s)
- aortic valve area
- aortic valve calcification
- aortic valve implantation
- coronary artery disease
- heart failure
- left ventricular
- multidetector computed tomography
- mean gradient
- net reclassification index
- Received April 15, 2014.
- Revision received May 22, 2014.
- Accepted May 26, 2014.
- American College of Cardiology Foundation
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Collection by Artist. Sherri Silverman Studio & Transcendence Design • Last updated 6 weeks ago
fire element. Agni See also the Fireplace section of my Inviting Interiors board. For more design support, see my website https://transcendencedesign.com
14 oz. Fire ~ Soy Wax Candle Jar ~ Hand-Poured at The Dainty Blossom Co.
For the Wild-Hearted Souls
Hi! I'm a taxidermist. Female, 20s, world traveler, published wildlife photographer, wolfdog owner, canine foster mom, running a mini-farm in Oregon.
nights spent talking about how our yesterdays went, and how tomorrow we'll begin with even more understanding of how the next days, months, years are better than we can imagine!
Vuur van Remke Spijkers op canvas, behang en meer
Kunstwerk: 'Vuur' van Remke Spijkers
The fire inside me is strong that I might burn myself with it...
Showy Shade Garden Ideas • The Garden Glove
I have come to absolutely LOVE a shade garden. Shade gardens offers you a feeling of serenity. Check out how to grow a shade garden that you can show off!
These Are Not Pictures


text: YourCreatedHell 521 Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) Very stupid idea it to implement. Trying to make a map of NFS Most Wanted open on the engine GTA San Andreas. The map can not simply get out of the game. To get relief, you need to use Ninja Ripper and collect the map. Because of the low range of drawing, the map is collect very slowly and painfully. All objects, except relief, dumped into the center. Arrange objects should be shifted manually. A lot of the objects outside of the map is a hoax. Many holes in the landscape and everything is done through the ass in the original game. This is an arcade ... I started to get a map from the game February 13, 2014. At the moment, pulled out of the game the whole landscape, but not the building. Buildings will pull later. The whole landscape weigh in the original game ~ 950,000 polygons. The whole landscape weigh in the original game ~ 950,000 polygons. The landscape had to be collected in a splinter, because if you work with Ninja ripper, there are problems with the materials. Now I send the map in 3DS Max. Gradually I exported. Also have to redo everything. Right now: - in progress Developer Information: - Map do not give anyone a pretext to convert GTA 4-5. - On the map can be added only original objects GTA San Andreas in separately IPL. If I like, including your experience in the next build. - Lighting then do as there is a matte color fills. Screenshots of the current version: Download Current load: SA, Rockport City - build 0.004 Build 0.004 - Added a small part of the coast and the new district. - Alignment of colors, textures are now brighter. - Changed some terrain models. - Changed the ID used by the vegetation in the IPL, is now forest plantations looks better. - Optimized geometry of road collisions, making less use of polygons - Special DLC of modifications Behind Space of Realities has been made for the project, which is called NFS Rivals Greenery 1. It is situated BSOR DLC Packages vol. # 1 (updated on 03/29/2016), installed on top of the basic versions Behind Space of Realities. - Use textures from NFS Carbon for coated. Unable to use of NFS World, because they are not with me. Build 0.003 - Added location "attraction park" (Ocean Hills) - Added more of vegetation - New loading screens - New point respawn Build 0.002 - Improved collision - Fixed bridge column - Added a building - Added fences - Added some vegetation original game San Andreas - Support Behind Space Of Realities (CLV, AD, TBSA and CM) Build 0.001 - Location Lighthouse Point Camden - Land Only - Test Export Links 1) From my web site yourcreatedhell.clan.su 2) Yandex disk 3) GTAinside Edited March 29, 2016 by YourCreatedHell 40 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Midway Alignment of the Bothnian Corridor
Midway Alignment of the Bothnian Corridor (Kvarken Link) is a vital, year-round maritime transport connection between Sweden and Finland. The link connects to three major roads classified by the UNECE as European roads of strategic importance – the E12, the E4 and the E8 – and to the newly built Bothnian Link main railway line. It also supports and complements the Priority Projects and the Core and Comprehensive Network of the European Union.
The global Midway Alignment project is upgrading the transport route in order to fulfil national and international requirementsfor an environmentally and economically sustainable transport system with increased multi-modality and higher transport security. The project includes a complete transport system for both goods and passengers and is initiated by the city of Umeå in Sweden and the city of Vaasa in Finland.
The upgrade aims at:
- designing and developing a new ferry for the Kvarken strait
- improving the environmental and economic performance of port operations and the regional logistic system
- increasing market attractiveness
- securing long-term operational stability
- introducing innovative technologies and solutions as well as disseminating best practices within the European Union


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Marilyn Monroe may have famously sung, "But square cut or pear shaped, these rocks don't lose their shape." And while undoubtedly true, when it comes to engagement rings you can tell a lot about a woman from the one she has surreptitiously chosen (or that her fiancé has chosen for her). A traditionalist might go for a single white diamond on a platinum band, while someone who fancies herself a little more boho might favour a warmer tone like rose gold, with a more intricate or bespoke pattern or even opt for a one-of-a-kind vintage find. And while most engagement ring buyers still favour classic, white diamonds, there are those who prefer coloured diamonds or gemstones like rubies, sapphires and emeralds.
Besides the style of ring, another aspect of any engagement ring to consider is the cut of the centre stone. Again while more rounded shapes like round, cushion or oval diamonds and brilliant cuts might be the safer bet, angular shapes are now taking centre stage. Emerald and princess-cut diamonds, in particular, are trending thanks to Jennifer Lopez's engagement ring making its debut on Instagram.
Given to her by fiancé Alex Rodriguez, the ring was reportedly purchased from London jeweller Samer Halimeh for an alleged £3.8 million (about S$6.4 million). Lopez, whose previous engagement rings included a pink diamond stone flanked by two baguette-shaped diamonds from ex-fiancé Ben Affleck, and a blue diamond from former husband Marc Anthony (both from Harry Winston), appears to prefer radiant or emerald shapes when it comes to her bling. And there's definitely a Jennifer Lopez effect when it comes to what women are buying or asking for, with the demand for pink diamonds reportedly rising circa 2002 when her ring from Affleck was first unveiled.
Azfal Imram, the principal designer and co-founder of local jewellery brand State Property, which makes bespoke engagement rings along with its main line, says there has been a shift in the kinds of diamond cuts customers are going for. "I would say there has definitely been a departure from the more common brilliant or cushion cut diamonds in our bespoke projects. People seem to be looking for something different from what they see everywhere, and as a result, they become more adventurous in their choice of cuts. We have an increasing number of requests for quite a few emerald-cut diamonds. A dark horse at the moment is the marquise-cut diamond. It's not as commonly requested, but when we do suggest it to some of our clients, they have been very receptive," says Azfal.
When it comes to less traditional diamond or stone cuts, there are no clear indicators as to which kinds of customers would appreciate them more. "Generally, the clients that come to us [at State Property] are already searching for something outside the norm. And I think, in this same spirit, they also request alternatives to the usual brilliant-cut diamond solitaire ring," says Azfal.
He feels that the move towards more unique shapes and designs is due to a greater love for design, that naturally extends to an object as personal as an engagement ring. "Perhaps it's due to people appreciating design more, as well as this movement towards customisation and expressing individuality through their purchases. But from our experience at State Property, there's no clear group/type of client that the less traditional diamond shapes appeal to more. We've had requests across the board, from the younger group of clients to the older and more experienced shoppers," says Azfal.
For acclaimed jewellery houses like Harry Winston, emerald shaped rings are part of the brand's heritage. The Classic Winston ring with an emerald-cut centre stone, features tapered baguette side stones that play up the clean and elegant lines of the main stone. This ring design appears somewhat similar to Lopez's ring from Affleck. Harry Winston also has a Tryst ring that features an emerald-cut centre stone, with two round diamonds flanking it on either side.
If you prefer your engagement bling to have gemstones like emeralds instead, fabled French jewellery house Cartier also has beautiful propositions like the 1895 Solitaire Ring in platinum, emerald and diamonds.
And finally, even Tiffany and Co. — the brand behind the classic, solitaire diamond, Tiffany Setting — has introduced a new engagement design, the Tiffany True, which features a more geometric, square, mixed-cut diamond that is unique to the brand. The ring features a fancy cut stone that according to the brand's press release, "exposes more surface area on the diamond's main facet, enhancing its lustre through heightened contrast and dispersed light."
According to Tiffany and Co. the ring is minimal, architecturally constructed and designed to sit low on the finger. The press material says, "This ring has an especially delicate band that has been sculpted to reflect light in a way that does not compete with the stone, a design hallmark that allows the diamond to shine its absolute brightest."
While princess, radiant and emerald cut diamonds may not appeal to all women, they are undoubtedly elegant and modern options that still manage to hold a certain classic cachet.


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Mac App Storm: "Easy QR generator with lots of creative design options." 10/10
••••••••• DEMO available •••••••••
http://iqr.hrubasko.com/demo (or click support)
QR beginners do not need any guide to use this professional tool.
iQR is an easy way how to breathe life into the world of squared QR codes with unique graphic styles. With generated
QR code you can customize its roundness, unique graphics style, color style, shadow or even a logo within few clicks.
iQR also takes care of customization of control points and error levels which are a must for good readability of your QR
code. All this is exportable to clipboard, PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP or SVG,PDF. Customization effects are preserved
with the transparent background (PNG,TIFF,PDF,SVG). Now it is time to say astalavista to classic QR codes.
What can I do with iQR?
• Generate classic & customized QR codes without internet connection.
• Customize the look of QR code. (12 QR graphic styles, roundness, 8 Eye graphic styles, 6 colors overlay styles, shadows... )
• Save entire project for later use.
• Create Multiple custom QR codes (batch processing generator,bulk generator). Perfect for e-shop and real estates. (In-App purchase)
• Drop and customize your logo (support for semi-transparent PNG,TIFF images, SVG/EPS logo support).
• Embed logo with 4 overlay options.
• Import contact from Contacts.app or vCard file
• Immediately see if your QR code is readable
• Control the QR code output resolution.
• Ensure readability by highlighting control points.
• Enhance error level of QR code.
• Shorten web link URL inside application (bit.ly, goo.gl, qr4.at - dynamic URL).
• Copy QR code to clipboard.
• Support all common formats (PNG & TIFF & PDF & SVG with transparency option, JPEG, GIF, BMP). DPI options.
• High resolution output image (up to 4 000 px).
• Print QR code with advanced printing options.
Dynamic QR code generator
• Print it and change website in it later
• Shortening domain "qr4.at"
• Lifetime validity
• Change content as many times as you want
What you get with iQR?
• New graphic styles in upcoming updates.
• Customer support available through our website.
Need to generate QR codes from your Contacts in Bulk? -> Try our new Contacts to QR codes application.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? ISSUES? FEATURE request? Simply click on SUPPORT.


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1102 Auburn Way S.
Auburn WA 98002
Advanced Workshop for Self-Represented Litigants
This advanced workshop is designed for those who have attended Civil Lawsuits without Tears: The Basics of Representing Yourself in Court or those who need more information on the process for drafting, filing, and responding to motions and orders. In this workshop you will learn about the purpose, content, format and calendaring of motions along with the court rules governing them. Attendees will be granted access to a password protected website with additional information including sample motions & orders, blank motions & orders and instructions.
This class does not cover immigration proceedings or criminal proceedings such as DUI or felony and misdemeanor offenses.
This workshop is for adults whose first spoken language is English. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available. Please contact the hosting library prior to the workshop.
Online registration is required. If you don't have a computer, please visit KCLL or any branch of SPL or KCLS to register.


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GoGo Squeez Yogurtz Low Fat Yogurt Strawberry.New!Materne.Heat treated after culturing 2% milk fat Vitamin D added.Real yogurt & fruit.No preservatives.4g of protein.Smooth & creamy low fat yogurt.Shelf stable!No fridge needed.Yogurt on the go.
Cultured Reduced Fat Milk, Cane Sugar, Strawberry Puree Concentrate, Fruit Pectin, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavors, Vitamin D2.
Product Features
TerraCycle.We support Terracycle.www.terracycle.com.Squeez a little goodness into your day.www.gogosqueez.com.No preservatives.No artificial growth hormones like rBST*.At GoGo Squeez, our mission is to make it easier for kids and families to be a little healthier and happier every day.Finally! A truly portable take-anywhere yogurt in a pouch. Not "freeze-in-the-morning-and-thaw-by-lunch" portable, but actual grab-and-go portable. It's yogurt like only GoGo Squeez could make it.4g of protein.Good source of calcium & Vitamin D.No spoon, no mess!Try our other yummy flavors: Banana. Berry.*Made with milk from cows not treated with hormones like rBST. No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows.Gluten free.BPA free.Comments or questions?Contact the GoGo gang: firstname.lastname@example.com (M-F 9am - 6pm ET).Please keep your pouch handy.


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Mark your calendar for SANS Cyber Defense Initiative ® (CDI) 2012, December 7 - 16 in Washington DC. Now is the time to be sure you know how the newest attacks work and what can and cannot be done to stop them or mitigate the damage. Now is the time to be sure that your tools are up to the task of finding, blocking, and deciphering hacking attacks. Get the training you need. SANS is the one education organization known for developing those security skills most needed today. Every course, evening talk, and special event being offered at SANS CDI 2012 is geared to keep you on the cutting edge and to ensure that you have the knowledge and power required to fight against the actions of today's cyber criminals. As a special bonus, CDI is powered by NetWars-Tournament Play, featuring our first annual Tournament of Champions!
SANS CDI 2012 offers a unique chance to learn from the best teachers in security. You'll get the kind of hands-on, immersion training that you can put to work immediately. Don't take our word for it! We will let some of last year's attendees tell you what they thought:
I highly advise anyone requiring this level of training to get it through SANS. The instructors share information and insight not found elsewhere. - Clifton Dickens, Richmond Public Schools
Good coverage, relevant content, great instructor. A lot of material covered but Mike Poor made it manageable. Facilitators, instructors, and SANS personnel were very helpful all around. Thank you! - Carmencita Muramoto, Raytheon Company
If you want to pass a test, take a bootcamp. If you want to understand the technology and work with experts on the subject, take a SANS course. - Justin Grace, Texas Air National Guard
It taught me about some new tools and uses for these tools which I hadn't considered. - Allen Rock, Boeing
This event will feature more than 25 courses in IT security, security management, IT audit, software developer, and computer forensics, including short courses, which can be taken with a long course to enhance your training.
Visit our schedule page for complete descriptions of all the courses offered at CDI.
Many of our courses offered at SANS CDI 2012 are associated with a GIAC Certification. Put the skills you'll learn to practical use and join almost 43,500 GIAC certified professionals who make the Cybersecurity industry safe. Visit our GIAC Roadmap for more information and register for your certification attempt today.
The SANS Technology Institute (STI) offers a Master's Degree in Information Security Management and a Master's Degree in Information Security Engineering. Many of the courses offered at CDI can be applied towards one of these master's degree programs once you apply for admission. See the parenthesis in the course list above to see the courses that meet requirements for GIAC Certification attempts, STI Master's Degree programs, Cyber Guardian, and DoD 8570 Directive. Don't miss the opportunity to take courses that will advance your education in your field while applying to recognition in a variety of programs.
Our campus for SANS Cyber Defense Initiative ® 2012 will be Hilton Washington & Towers. A special rate of $199 S/D has been arranged for SANS attendees until November 15, which includes complimentary high-speed Internet in your guest room! Government per diem rooms are available with proper ID; you must call the hotel and specifically ask for this rate. Make your reservations now as this special rate is based on space availability. The hotel is a mile from the Smithsonian National Zoo and just four blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro Station on the Red Line.
To follow or to Tweet about this event, please use hashtag #sanscdi. To follow SANS, use http://twitter.com/SANSInstitute
So register today to join us in Washington DC for SANS Cyber Defense Initiative ® 2012. I look forward to meeting you there.
Kind regards,
Alan Paller
Director of Research
SANS CDI 2012 is powered by Netwars - Tournament Play. We'll be running an exciting NetWars competition, available FREE to CDI attendees taking a five or six day class, while seats last. To add extra excitement, SANS CDI 2012 will include our FIRST-EVER NetWars Tournament of Champions, where the best-of-the-best NetWars participants from the past eighteen months will face off to see who comes out on top. Whether you are a first-time NetWars participant looking to have fun and build your skills, or a seasoned champion, remember that seating is limited. Please make sure you sign up for NetWars when you register for a CDI long course.
NetWars Tournaments are a two-evening simulation featuring realworld computer and network security challenges. Participants have fun conquering these challenges as they build skills and demonstrate their abilities in this safe, informal, and engaging event. Many NetWars participants comment about how NetWars really reinforces the lessons they are learning in their courses and expands their vision into other information security arenas. Space is limited, so please register early.


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Meded Web Solutions
MedEd Web Solutions is a national organization committed to providing software, marketing, and data-driven web design solutions for the healthcare industry. The web-based company offers services for measuring well-being in healthcare professionals, managing Continued Medical Education (CME) conferences, and securely storing Protected Health Information (PHI).
The MedEd Web Solutions brand was created by the folks at CWS to more effectively market our services in the healthcare space. So, with 20+ years of digital marketing solutions under our belt and the space to grow, MEWS was born.
Now, with any new company, there will be bouts of trial-and-error. One thing we knew for sure was that we'd be using real data captured by our analytics crew to adapt and fine-tune our services. By basing our decisions on our audience's activity, we predicted that MedEd Web Solutions would fill the space that was lacking services.
A few tools and services that MEWS wished to gain awareness for were:
The MEWS team was originally focused on marketing these tools and services on their own, but soon discovered that an overlaying brand name needed to be created. By implementing the MedEd Web Solution name, the team was able to more effectively communicate with industry leaders and ramp up their SEO.
During its first year, MEWS didn't gain much traction due to lack of awareness of its services. Credibility for the Well-Being Index was building thanks to the Mayo Clinic doctors who established the accurate, nine-question assessment. MEWS in-house programmers and developers had built the desktop and mobile versions of the tool, but now we needed to harness its marketing potential.
Once the Well-Being Index started gaining advocacy, so would the rest of MedEd Web Solutions, including MedEd Manager. Creating a user-friendly website wasn't going to be enough - we needed to initiate a full-fledged marketing plan for each service, as well as for MEWS as a whole.
The original building phase of the MedEd Web Solutions website consisted of creating a "home base" for our two main tools, MedEd Manager and the Well-Being Index. The first MEWS design also included information on medical web design, HIPAA hosting, and medical marketing strategies.
The website's blog would help MEWS gain SEO advantages once keyword research and composition had been done. Outlining articles in which had scholarly publications as sources was essential to the Well-Being Index's credibility. MedEd Manager-featured blog posts needed to inform the reader about the different aspects of marketing CME conferences and materials.
In addition to the blog, MEWS needed people to see how its tools worked and how they could help healthcare businesses reach their goals. So, live demos of both the Well-Being Index and MedEd Manager were developed.
The data we began to collect from the website told us that implementing inline offers in place of landing pages was the more effective route. This strategy would hopefully improve user experience, something that is always at the forefront of our digital approaches.
After we knew that the MEWS services could hold their own, we planned a website redesign. This redesign would be rooted in the data that our analytics experts had collected on user activity. A more cohesive layout and on-page content strategy was drawn out and mocked up. Once the details were in place, the improved MedEd Web Solutions website was launched.
Another marketing endeavor was digital text and display ads to promote the Well-Being Index and MedEd Manager. Paid advertisements were aimed at specific audiences and deployed on relevant social fronts.
The MedEd Web Solutions crew was able to pull off the following feats:
We'd love to talk to you about a new project, improving your current website, ramping up your digital marketing strategy, or anything else on your mind!


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Dietmar Hamann Speaks for Lenovo
Dietmar Hamann had the honour of being invited to attend Lenovo's President's Club event in Istanbul as a keynote speaker. The prestigious occasion took place on 25th and 26th July and was a celebration of Lenovo's top sales people in the Asia-Pacific region.
Having played for Liverpool FC in over 200 league games, Didi knows exactly what it takes to be part of a successful team and this was the key message of the event. It was organised by Veritas Events, based in Sydney, and was designed around the theme 'nothing is impossible'. This was particularly apt because it was the 10 year anniversary of Liverpool's defeat of AC Milan in the Champions League final.
Didi flew in especially from Liverpool FC's pre-season Asia tour and delivered a keynote speech during the conference. He focused on how to remain motivated in a team, as well as what it takes to become successful as an individual within this environment. However, Didi's skills as a motivational speaker were not the only talent he showcased, as he also took part in a fun football session in the afternoon.
The event was an all-round success and delegates commented upon their delight at having such an incredible personality in their presence. Didi's speech was commended by all and the event proved a huge success.
Didi has truly cemented his status as one of the best motivational speakers on the after-dinner circuit. For more information about Dietmar Hamann or to book him as the keynote speaker at your event, contact Champions Speakers by completing the online form or by calling 0207 1010 553.


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WBUR News
Support the news
Will He Or Won't He? N.H. Weighs Brown's Senate Bid Flirtation08:19Play
Back in 2009, it took Scott Brown only days to go from a would-be candidate, for the late Edward M. Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat, to actual candidate, in a race Brown eventually won.
Presently, though, it's taking a lot longer for Brown to decide if he'll run for the U.S. Senate again. This time, it would be in New Hampshire against Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
"I'm not sure what I'm gonna do," Brown said about two weeks ago, addressing a group of college Republicans — not in New Hampshire, but in New York. He was speaking at Cornell University, where you could almost hear the grind of the decision-making inside his head.
"So on the one hand I'm saying, 'Yeah, you need people like me down there. You need hard-working, independent, good people who want to put our country's interests first,' " he said.
And then Brown argued the other side.
"Really? ... So I'm gonna go down to Washington again. I've already been a senator, for the rest of my life I'll be a senator," he said. "So I'm gonna go down to the dysfunction and the lack of respect and the inability to even talk to each other. Really?"
Despite the apparent reluctance, Brown has taken some steps. He's sold his home in Wrentham, Mass., and moved into his vacation house in Rye.
He has registered to vote in Rye, and Brown's famous pickup truck, parked in his driveway, even has a New Hampshire plate on on it.
But whether Brown actually runs or not is a mystery, even to the most seasoned of New Hampshire Republicans.
"I have no clue, and I've been at this business a long time," said Concord attorney Tom Rath, a former state attorney general. Rath has advised a long list of Republicans, including Mitt Romney's presidential bid. Not even Rath can pinpoint Brown's intention.
"He certainly has the opportunity to run," Rath said, "but I don't see him having done anything yet that tells me a decision's been made. There's no organization in place. There's no ground game being put together, that I can see. But he's done a good job of putting his name out there and creating the option."
About a mile down the road from Rath's Concord office — also waiting on Brown's decision — is the New Hampshire Democratic Party. In case they need it, the Democrats are sowing the seeds of an anti-Scott Brown campaign.
"You know, the folks here in New Hampshire really don't know him, other than the TV commercials that played on Boston television those two campaigns he was in," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley.
Buckley said state Democrats aren't particularly worried about a Brown candidacy.
"I don't think we're any more concerned about Scott Brown than we are with anyone else," Buckley said. "He barely moved here a couple of weeks ago."
In other words, is Brown a carpetbagger and is he vulnerable on the carpetbagger issue in New Hampshire, where thousands of expats from Massachusetts now live?
On that question, we took the temperature of some New Hampshire residents in the Seacoast area, where Brown now lives. The response was mixed. Here's a sample:
- "I like the guy and I'd like to see him run. I think it'd be a nice option for New Hampshire voters to have. I do."
- "I wouldn't want to vote for someone who didn't think they could win in their, kind of, hometown, where they kind of started their political ground, and they move to a smaller state where he thought he had a better position with Republicans. So I think it's gonna hurt him."
Well, it hasn't hurt Brown yet in the New Hampshire polls. The latest shows Brown — who, remember, is not a candidate — running only about 10 points behind Shaheen.
Undoubtedly, pundits say, it's part of the reason the liberal-leaning League of Conservation Voters is on the offensive. It has run $200,000 worth of TV ads in New Hampshire, pounding Brown's Senate voting record — ads that picture a dirty oil barrel floating in water.
"Brown took thousands from Big Oil just weeks before voting to keep giving them billions in special government handouts," an ad says. "Now Brown's shopping for a Senate seat in New Hampshire. Good for Big Oil, not so good for us."
But polls in New Hampshire also show Shaheen vulnerable. Her approval rating is sinking, down below 50 percent, largely because of her initial support of the Affordable Care Act. It's made Shaheen the target of a half-million-dollar TV ad buy from the conservative group Americans for Prosperity.
"Tell Senator Shaheen, it's time to be honest," an ad says. "Obamacare doesn't work. New Hampshire families deserve better."
That ad was designed not only to hurt Shaheen but also to motivate Brown, says analyst James Pindell, political director at WMUR-TV in Manchester.
"Obamacare is very unpopular in New Hampshire," Pindell said. "What's fascinating about that is that that ad wasn't so much about the Affordable Care Act, and it wasn't so much about Jeanne Shaheen, it's so much about Scott Brown and trying to encourage him to get into this race."
The interest in Brown comes as Republicans taste the possibility of winning control of the U.S. Senate if they win just a handful of Senate races this fall.
"Polling is very clear on this question," Pindell said. "If Scott Brown is in this race, New Hampshire will have a competitive race for Senate. If he is not, it will not. That's why so many Republicans are excited about the idea of him possibly joining the race and they're willing to put up with this long flirtation just to hope he does it."
So, how long can Brown flirt with New Hampshire voters? Pindell points out the filing deadline for the U.S. Senate race isn't until June, so he thinks Brown will decide in May.
But even Rath, the GOP activist, cautions Brown that the waiting game has a shelf life.
"It's gonna work until one of two things," Rath said. "Either a) he files, or b) somebody else who's taking a look at the race says, 'I don't care what he's gonna do. I'm gonna get in' and forces his hand. That will change things. And I believe one of those two things will happen."
As for Brown, he had his political fans buzzing this past weekend when he wrote on Facebook: "Big night tonight. I will keep you all posted." Several people commented, hoping it was the announcement.
Nope. Turns out he played guitar on stage with the rock band Cheap Trick — but not in New Hampshire. Rather, he rocked the night away in Lynn.
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Soda vs. Juice Plus+: How Each Affects Your Body
Have you seen the infographic going around Facebook called "What happens one hour after drinking a can of Coke"?
Pretty scary stuff, isn't it? Spikes in blood sugar, increases in fat storage, surges in blood pressure, drug-like dopamine highs, nutrient losses…
Scientists assert that some of the claims in this infographic are exaggerated. Whether glucose is stored as fat depends on activity level, for instance. And many pleasurable activities, like listening to music, also release dopamine.
However, what no one disputes is that daily consumption of soda is not a healthy choice. And according to the CDC, half of all Americans drink a sugar-sweetened beverage on any given day. The big jolt of sugar and the empty calories aren't doing anyone's body any favors. What does do your body a favor? Eating fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal and taking Juice Plus+!
Here is how Juice Plus+ affects your body compared to how a can of soda does, as demonstrated in human clinical research.
Healthy Gums and Teeth: What's the connection between nutrition and dental health? The fruit and vegetable nutrition in Juice Plus+ helped improve gum health and reduce bleeding in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 61 subjects. Another recently conducted double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 183 patients undergoing wisdom tooth extraction found that those who took Juice Plus+ fared significantly better in the week after surgery than those who took a placebo.
By contrast, soda has a detrimental effect on oral health. It is recognized as a cause of tooth decay and erosion, and the University of Iowa College of Dentistry also warns it can be a factor in gum disease.[1],[2]
Heart Health and Inflammation: Juice Plus+ provides nutrition for a healthy heart. Several studies have found that participants who took Juice Plus+ were better able to maintain the normal, healthy elasticity of their arteries, even after consuming a high-fat meal. Juice Plus+ has also demonstrated positive effects on several markers of heart health, including maintaining normal levels of the waste product homocysteine.
Juice Plus+ also supports a healthy inflammatory response. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with a total of 158 subjects found that Juice Plus+ significantly decreases key markers of inflammation that can contribute to chronic health conditions.
On the other hand, both regular and diet varieties of soda have been linked to heart disease in large-scale observational studies. One of these studies also found sugar-sweetened soda contributed to inflammation. [3],[4]
Immune System, DNA Protection, and Oxidative Stress: Studies have shown Juice Plus+ supports immune function in various populations, including health care professionals with direct patient contact, young law students, older adults, and male athletes. In one study, taking Juice Plus+ during the cold weather season reduced upper respiratory symptoms by 20%.
Juice Plus+ also provides DNA protection. The combined results of three studies show Juice Plus+ protects DNA from oxidative stress among young, middle-aged, and elderly populations, thus supporting cell health.
Additionally, several studies have found Juice Plus+ reduces oxidative stress, a state wherein the body's antioxidant capacity is overwhelmed by free radicals. Similarly, 11 trials show that Juice Plus+ raises blood levels of key antioxidants.
Soda, meanwhile, weakens the immune system and its DNA. A study of over 5,000 adults found that a soda-drinking habit can actually damage the DNA of your immune cells, aging them and leaving them less able to fend off immune challenges.[5] The lead researcher noted that soda drinking can also lead to inflammation and oxidative stress.[6]
How often do you drink soda vs. take Juice Plus+? Do you have any healthy alternatives to soda?
[1] Cheng R, et al. Dental erosion and severe tooth decay related to soft drinks: a case report and literature review. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009 May;10(5):395-99.
[2] Gum (periodontal) disease. University College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics. 2015. https://www.dentistry.uiowa.edu/patient-care-periodontal
[3] de Koning L, Malik VS, Kellogg MD, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sweetened beverage consumption, incident coronary heart disease, and biomarkers of risk in men. Circulation. 2012;125:1735-41, S1.
[4] Ferrari N. Is there a link between diet soda and heart disease? Harvard Health Publications. Harvard Medical School. 2012 Feb 23. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-there-a-link-between-diet-soda-and-heart-disease-201202214296
[5] Leung CW, et al. Soda and cell aging: associations between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and leukocyte telomere length in health adults from the national health and nutrition examination surveys. Am J Public Health. 2014 Dec;104(12)2425-31.
[6] Woodham C. The not-so-sweet facts about soda. U.S. News and World Report. 2014 Nov 16. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2014/11/06/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-soda
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Cenotaph Centenary Stamps
18.07.2019 | Victory Parade, Postmarked at London SW1BUY NOW £12.50
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18th July 2019 - Cenotaph Centenary
Producer/Series: Bradbury ( BFDC No 604 )
London SW1, Big Ben, Special Handstamp
Limited Edition: 40 copies Worldwide.
Stock remaining: Two Left!
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Effect of hemoglobin polymerization on the oxygen transport in hemoglobin solutions and packed cells
Budhiraja, Vikas
Hellums, J. David
Doctor of Philosophy
The effect of hemoglobin polymerization on the facilitated transport of oxygen in systems containing polymerized hemoglobins has been studied experimentally. In part I of this work, the oxygen transport efficacy of a candidate blood substitute based on polymerized bovine hemoglobin was studied. The diffusion of dissolved oxygen in the polymerized hemoglobin samples was not different from that in the unaltered hemoglobin solutions. However, in the high oxygen tension gradient (HOTG) decreasing pO$\sb2$ experiments at 37$\sp\circ$C, while the augmented oxygen transport was almost double than that of the simple diffusive flux of oxygen in the case of the latter, it was only increased by 30% in the case of polymerized hemoglobin. The lower facilitated oxygen transport is due to the decreased diffusion coefficient as well as the decreased oxygen affinity of the polymerized hemoglobin. For lower pO$\sb2$ gradients in the range of physiological significance (constant, low oxygen tension gradient, CLOTG, experiments), the oxygen transport in the polymerized hemoglobin samples was approximately the same as in unpolymerized sample over a wide range of oxygen tensions. At lower oxygen tensions, there was a significant augmentation effect, less than in the HOTG experiment and less for the polymerized than for the unploymerized Hb. In order to further confirm the results of diffusion cell experiments, in part II of this work, the diffusion coefficients of various unpolymerized and polymerized hemoglobins were measured using the PFG NMR technique. The diffusion coefficient values were in good agreement with those estimated from the diffusion cell experiments. The effect of hemoglobin polymerization on oxygen transport in sickle erythrocytes at 37$\sp\circ$C was studied in part III of this work. HOTG and CLOTG decreasing pO$\sb2$ diffusion cell experiments conducted on packed sickle cells show negligible enhancement of oxygen transport by sickle hemoglobin. Diffusion coefficients of unpolymerized HbS in the solution phase of slowly deoxygenating sickle cells was measured using PFG NMR technique. After an initial decrease the hemoglobin diffusion coefficient stays constant suggesting that though the polymer does offer appreciable resistance, it is not very high so as to drastically reduce the diffusion of hemoglobin and oxygen.
Biomedical engineering; Chemical engineering


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Easiest Homemade Easter Candy Recipe (Easter Basket Idea!)
Note from Crystal: I'm so excited to have my youngest sister, Olivia, sharing this fun homemade Easter candy recipe — a spring variation on our family's favorite homemade Christmas Candy recipe! We typically make this candy to give as gifts during the Christmas season, but I never thought of the brilliant idea to make it for Easter baskets!
Looking for non-candy Easter basket ideas? Check out this Easy Homemade Slime Recipe that my daughter loves making!
Looking for unique and different Easter basket ideas this year? This homemade Easter candy recipe is sure to be a hit with your kids!
This delicious recipe is a spin-off of Crystal's incredible Christmas candy recipe — and if you're a white chocolate lover like me, you might end up actually liking this one better than the original! 😉
(Not a fan of white chocolate? Just use milk or dark chocolate chips instead, but don't forget to put on the festive colorful sprinkles!)
This recipe is SO easy to make and only uses a few ingredients! It's hard to believe this recipe could be so yummy with just these few ingredients, but it really is.
There's just something about the concoction of crackers, chewy caramel, and chocolate! YUM!
I brought a bowl of these to a recent family gathering, and not only did the kids absolutely love it, but the adults raved about it, too!
This is a super simple dessert that you could totally use for Easter Sunday, if you want something a little different than usual. Just make a big batch ahead of time and you're ready to go.
And it's SO easy to make ahead of time, because it keeps really well in the freezer. I recommend making a batch and breaking it up into individual baggies to freeze for later.
Then just pull a baggie out when you're ready to use it for a get-together or Easter basket!
I love the fun colors of the sprinkles — and this recipe is really perfect for just about any spring parties or get-togethers! You could even use them as frugal end-of-the-year teacher gifts.
This homemade Easter candy recipe will add such a personal touch to a kids' Easter basket — even if it's the only thing in it! You could even make some of this Homemade Slime to add a little non-candy gift to the mix!
Easiest Homemade Easter Candy Recipe
- 1 sleeve Saltine crackers
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- Pastel sprinkles
On a baking sheet, spread out Saltine crackers. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until gooey. Pour over crackers and bake at 350 degrees for five minutes, or until bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle white chocolate chips on top. Let sit for a few minutes until white chocolate chips begin to melt. Then, spread over crackers evenly with a spatula. Immediately decorate with sprinkles.
Stick in the freezer for an hour, or until chocolate hardens. Break into small pieces and put into gift containers or baggies. Store in the freezer until ready to eat or give away.
Related Links:
- Grain-Free Chocolate Cashew Cookies
- Quick & Easy Honey Sweetened Truffles
- Good-For-You Peanut Butter Freezer Fudge
- How to Make Homemade Slime
- Free Easter Meal Planning Printable
What other unique Easter basket ideas do you have? I'd love to hear in the comments!
Subscribe for free email updates from Money Saving Mom® and get my Guide to Freezer Cooking for free!
15 Comments
If any of you readers are gluten free, I've made this recipe with GF crackers and it's delicious!
What kind of crackers did you use like what brand?
This looks so good! I'm always on the lookout for easy no bake desserts! 🙂
I make something similar for Passover with matzah instead of saltines and semi-sweet or dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness of the caramel. It so yummy and easy. One of our favorite Passover desserts.
I love this dessert, but I wouldn't call it no-bake since it does bake in the oven for 5 minutes. 🙂
I would much prefer twist pretzels instead of saltines so that's what I do. These recipes always make me happy – Easter bark – no matter what ingredients you use!
So do you line up twisted pretzels on the baking sheet just like shown above with the crackers? Or do you use some other method? I'm interested in trying this both ways.
I usually just "wing it" when I'm doing bark pieces or chocolate dipped pretzels. In this case, I would line the pretzels up on a parchment lined baking sheet and then pour melted almond bark (with candies or raisins or whatever you want added) onto the pretzels. Just make sure you have enough chocolate almond bark to cover them. Then refrigerate until chilled. Break into pieces to serve. You tube has a bunch of video that show the process.
Thanks for the tip!
This looks so pretty and festive!
I tried the recipe, and I have no idea what went wrong but mine did not turn out anything like your pictures. I think maybe I used too many crackers, and didn't melt the caramel for long enough.
It sure tasted yummy though!
I read the instructions from a similar recipe and it said to let the butter and sugar boil for 3 min. (still on medium heat). Maybe you didn't heat yours long enough. Having a specific amount of time helped me more than saying to "heat it until it is gooey." I need all the help I can get! I can't wait to try these!
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Firstly Happy New Year to you all and secondly welcome to all the new influx, I hope you are all finding your feet gradually, just as I am very gradually trying to keep up with all the new posts! I'm Abigail, came on board for the last edition and have very much enjoyed myself here at BookArtObject. I'm based in London and you can find out more about me and my work on my blog which is linked to in the side bar also. To be honest I haven't posted much for a while, Christmas and my MA took over, but I am endeavouring to get on top of things like posts in the next week or so. So for now it is hello 2012 and goodbye 2011 and I'm looking forward to all that might happen here in the next year.
Abigail Thomas
Group Six
#16 Turn Left
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year BAO'ers!
Posted by Abigail Thomas at 1:44 AM
Labels: 2012, Abigail Thomas, happy new year, welcome
8 comments:
- ronnie said...
happy new year!
- January 2, 2012 at 6:29 AM
- Ampersand Duck said...
Yes, Happy New Year!
Love the picture.
- January 2, 2012 at 10:30 AM
- dinahmow said...
Same from me. I've just been looking through The Robinson Papers as I change my display.
- January 2, 2012 at 10:47 AM
- Angela said...
Happy New Year to all :-)
Hope the MA is going well Abi. Stay metal \m/
- January 2, 2012 at 7:40 PM
- Abigail Thomas said...
Thanks guys!
- January 2, 2012 at 9:44 PM
- Sara Bowen said...
Happy New Year to you too... just thought you'd like to know that I heard from Sarah Bodman: I sent her an email to let her know that so far 52 artists have signed up and the essence of her response was "I am pleased and surprised" - well, she didn't phrase it exactly like that but I don't wish to offend so early in the year! ;)
- January 2, 2012 at 10:41 PM
- Angela said...
52! Wow! Its going to be fun. Hope I don't get too confused. It doesn't take much ;-)
- January 3, 2012 at 10:15 AM
- Anna Mavromatis said...
Happy new year!
- January 4, 2012 at 12:36 AM
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Oracle investigating five more Java 7 vulnerabilities after three found last week, one exploited in the wild
It appears that the latest version of Java is just as vulnerable as all the rest. On Monday, Security Explorations, the Polish security firm responsible for identifying the majority of the latest Java security holes, sent Oracle yet another vulnerability notice, including proof of concept code for five new flaws. Oracle confirmed it received the report today and has begun investigating.
We got in touch with Security Explorations to confirm it's not all bad news. The vulnerabilities need to be linked together to bypass Java's security checks, and that this particular set isn't yet being used by attackers to the company's knowledge.
"The issues need to be combined together to achieve a complete Java security sandbox bypass," Security Explorations CEO Adam Gowdiak told TNW. "This attack technique is quite common in a Java security world. Separately, none of the issues leads to any major security breach. We have no information that any of these issues were being exploited in the wild."
The latest discoveries follow news from last week that at least three 0-day vulnerabilities were found in the company's software, and at least one is actively being exploited. "0-day" or "zero-day" refers to a security hole that has not been publicly disclosed yet, and so doesn't have a patch available.
The first two were also found by Security Explorations and disclosed to Oracle on February 25. Two days later, Oracle declared the first alleged issue was not a vulnerability but confirmed the second issue. Security Explorations disagreed with Oracle's assessment regarding the first issue and Oracle agreed to investigate again after receiving further examples.
The vulnerability already being exploited was discovered by security firm FireEye, which said it had already been used "to attack multiple customers." The company has found that the flaw can be exploited successfully in browsers that have Java v1.6 Update 41 or Java v1.7 Update 15 installed.
Oracle pushed out the two updates on February 19, addressing five security fixes. This was a scheduled release, but it succeeded a previous emergency update that addressed 50 vulnerabilities. In February, Java exploits have resulted in computers being compromised at multiple companies, including Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft.
Since at least one of these eight flaws is already being exploited in the wild, we recommend that regardless of what browser and operating system you are using, you should uninstall Java if you don't need it. If you do need it, disable Java in your default browser, use a second browser when Java is required, and set your Java security settings to "High" so that it prompts you before loading an applet.
Image credit: Peter Kaminski
Read next: White House gives 'full support' to petition calling for phone unlocking to be made legal, backs tablets too


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text: NBC Universal Acquires Monkey Kingdom 11:51 AM PST 11/16/2010 by Mimi Turner FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Founded 10 years ago by David Granger and Will Macdonald, the production company has been behind programs like "The Charlotte Church Show," "My Kind of Town" and "Best Friend Rehab." LONDON -- NBC Universal has acquired comedy and entertainment specialist Monkey Kingdom for an undisclosed amount, building on its ambitions to grow its U.K. and international production footprint. The deal -- the first production acquisition announced under the auspices of NBC's London-based president of international television production and former Desperate Housewives producer Michael Edelstein -- also sees NBC diversify beyond the drama production into entertainment and comedy. Monkey Kingdom, founded 10 years ago by David Granger and Will Macdonald, has been behind a slew of entertainment and factual programs including The Charlotte Church Show, My Kind of Town, Young Dumb and Living off Mum and Best Friend Rehab. But the opportunity to become part of a bigger media umbrella that can be a springboard for its international ambitions and promise relationships with networks like Bravo, Oxygen and NBC helped persuade Granger and Macdonald of virtues of the deal. "It's great making shows in the U.K., but as a forward-thinking production company we should be looking at global opportunities and it is incumbent on us to spend more time developing content," said Granger. Under the deal with NBC Universal, the studio will supply back office, legal and other functions, said Edelstein. Monkey will continue to be run by Granger and Macdonald reporting to NBC U exec Gareth Neame, managing director of its U.K. production business. "This [deal] really goes to the strategy of working with the best and the brightest. The aim is to free them up to focus on creative and take away the pressures of having to run a standalone business," said Edelstein. It's an approach which has paid dividends with Downton Abbey producer Carnival Films, the indie NBC Universal International president Pete Smith acquired last year, which has delivered one of the highest rated and critically praised drama series of the year. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Mimi Turner email@example.com @thr