Thursday, February 28, 2013

Modified protein could become first effective treatment for vitiligo

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers have developed a genetically modified protein that dramatically reverses the skin disorder vitiligo in mice, and has similar effects on immune responses in human skin tissue samples.

The modified protein is potentially the first effective treatment for vitiligo, which causes unsightly white patches on the face, hands and other parts of the body. Loyola University Chicago has submitted a patent application for the protein, and researchers are seeking regulatory approval and funding for a clinical trial in humans.

I. Caroline Le Poole, PhD, and colleagues describe the modified protein in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Le Poole is a professor in Loyola's Oncology Institute and in the departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology.

About 1 million Americans have vitiligo, and the condition affects about 1 in 200 people worldwide. Vitiligo is most noticeable in people of color, but also can be distressing to Caucasians. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system goes into overdrive and kills pigment cells, which give skin its color.

Previous studies have found that a protein called HSP70i plays a vital role in the autoimmune response that causes vitiligo. (HSP70i stands for inducible heat shock protein 70.)

HSP70i consists of 641 building blocks called amino acids. Le Poole and colleagues genetically modified one of these amino acids to create a mutant HSP70i. This mutant protein supplants normal HSP70i, thereby reversing vitiligo's autoimmune response.

Resarchers Jeffrey A. Mosenson and Andrew Zloza gave mutant HSP70i to mice that developed vitiligo, and the results were striking. Mouse fur ? affected by vitiligo -- had the coloring of a salt-and-pepper beard. But when the mice were vaccinated with mutant HSP70i, the fur turned black.

"The mice look normal," Le Poole said.

Some of the effects seen in mice also were seen in human skin specimens.

There are no long-term effective treatments for vitiligo. Steroid creams sometimes return some color to affected skin. But this treatment also thins the skin, and can cause streaks or lines. Bright lights, similar to tanning booths, also can return color, but can cause sunburns and other side effects, including vitiligo. Skin grafts transfer skin from unaffected areas to the white patches, but can be painful and expensive. None of the existing treatments effectively prevent vitiligo from progressing.

Le Poole and colleagues wrote that mutant HSP70i "may offer potent treatment opportunities for vitiligo."

###

Loyola University Health System: http://www.luhs.org

Thanks to Loyola University Health System for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127054/Modified_protein_could_become_first_effective_treatment_for_vitiligo

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19th-century Pa. immigrant reburied in Ireland

FILE - In this March 9, 2012 file photo, Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald takes part in a funeral at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., for five 19th-century Irish immigrants whose remains were excavated from the Duffy's Cut site. Researchers believe the site in Malvern, Pa., contains the remains of about 50 Irish immigrants who died weeks after coming to Pennsylvania to build a railroad in 1832. The remains of one of the immigrants who researchers believe was murdered while building the railroad will be reburied in his home country on Saturday, March 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE - In this March 9, 2012 file photo, Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald takes part in a funeral at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., for five 19th-century Irish immigrants whose remains were excavated from the Duffy's Cut site. Researchers believe the site in Malvern, Pa., contains the remains of about 50 Irish immigrants who died weeks after coming to Pennsylvania to build a railroad in 1832. The remains of one of the immigrants who researchers believe was murdered while building the railroad will be reburied in his home country on Saturday, March 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

In this March 24, 2009 file photo, Immaculata University history professor William Watson displays what he says are human remains that members of the Duffy's Cut Project unearthed in Malvern, Pa. The bones are from a mass grave for nearly five dozen 19th century Irish immigrants who died weeks after coming to Pennsylvania to build a railroad. The remains of one of the immigrants, who researchers believe was murdered while building the railroad, will be reburied in his home country on Saturday, March 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

(AP) ? The remains of a 19th-century Irish immigrant who researchers believe was murdered while building a Pennsylvania railroad will be reburied in his home country this weekend after being identified in part through a missing molar.

U.S. historians unearthed the bones of the young man thought to be 18-year-old John Ruddy near train tracks in suburban Philadelphia four years ago. On Saturday, they'll attend a re-interment for the railway worker more than 3,000 miles away at a cemetery in County Donegal.

"We can't help but think he would prefer to be buried there," said Bill Watson, a lead researcher on the team that found the remains.

Ruddy was among 57 Irishmen hired in 1832 to help build a stretch of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad known as Duffy's Cut. But the immigrants from Donegal, Tyrone and Derry died about six weeks after their arrival, and the railroad company never told their families.

Watson and his twin brother Frank, also a historian, led a team in a 10-year effort to research and dig up evidence of how the workers died in what is now a woodsy area behind homes in Malvern, about 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Their conclusion? Many workers died of cholera and were dumped in a mass grave. Yet forensic evidence indicates several were homicide victims, likely killed by local vigilantes because of ethnic hatred or fear of the disease. Those immigrants, including Ruddy, were found buried separately.

The research team tentatively identified Ruddy based on a passenger list from the ship on which the immigrants traveled, and his small bone size. There was only one 18-year-old worker listed in railroad archives, Watson said.

Ruddy's jaw also had a genetic dental abnormality ? a missing molar. It's a trait that still runs in his family, according to Watson, who said modern-day Ruddys in Ireland contacted him after reading about the discovery. One Ruddy donated a DNA sample to confirm the identification in 2010, but researchers have not had the time nor the money to complete the analysis yet.

However, it's unlikely another body with that bone size and "super-rare" tooth anomaly would be found at the site, said University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Janet Monge, who works with the all-volunteer team.

Researchers are going ahead with Ruddy's burial this weekend because of a looming deadline for a documentary film crew that has been following the Duffy's Cut project. Ruddy's relatives, who could not be reached for comment, are expected to attend, as are other community members, Watson said.

"A lot of the people throughout Donegal see this as being important because they've all got stories in their family tree like this ? people who left for America and were never heard from again," said Watson, whose own ancestors also hail from the county.

Ruddy will not be buried in his homestead of Inishowen but in the nearby town of Ardara, where a grave was donated by a more recent immigrant to the U.S.

Vincent Gallagher, now president of the Irish Center in Philadelphia, said it was the least he could do for a fellow countryman who died on a lonely journey to build a better life. Gallagher himself emigrated from Donegal about 40 years ago, joining a slew of relatives who came before him.

"When I came to this country, there were a bunch of people waiting for me from my own family," said Gallagher, a landscaper. "But these people ? 57 of them ? they came here, they didn't know a soul."

The Watsons have been unable to identify the other alleged homicide victims because their bones indicate they were all in their 20s, leaving too many possibilities. However, their remains were reburied last year in a solemn ceremony at a suburban Philadelphia cemetery. The mass grave can't be excavated because of its proximity to active railroad tracks.

"The idea of somehow being able to get one of them back to Ireland, it seemed like a distant hope 10 years ago," said Watson, who is also a history professor at Immaculata University in Malvern, not far from where the workers died. "It's just a miracle, actually."

___

Online:

http://www.duffyscutproject.com

___

Follow Kathy Matheson at www.twitter.com/kmatheson

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-28-Irish%20Immigrants-Grave/id-6beee402fc45458fbccad8d663cf26bf

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Oscar Pistorius bail hearing nearing decision

Photographers take photos of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius as he stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrates court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The fourth and likely final day of Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing opened on Friday, with the magistrate then to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he has to remain in custody over the shooting death of his girlfriend. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Photographers take photos of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius as he stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrates court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The fourth and likely final day of Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing opened on Friday, with the magistrate then to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he has to remain in custody over the shooting death of his girlfriend. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The fourth and likely final day of Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing opened on Friday, with the magistrate then to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he has to remain in custody over the shooting death of his girlfriend. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius' father Henke Pistorius, right, with his children Carl, center,, and Aimee, left, watch as Oscar Pistorius walks in during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Graphic shows the layout of Oscar Pistorius??? apartment

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrates court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The fourth and likely final day of Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing opened on Friday, with the magistrate then to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he has to remain in custody over the shooting death of his girlfriend. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) ? The defense and prosecution both completed their arguments Friday in Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing, with the magistrate soon to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed or if he must stay behind bars pending trial in the shooting death of his girlfriend.

The prosecution vehemently opposed bail to Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair in a case that has transfixed South Africans and brought international media attention to the nation's justice system and police capabilities.

Pistorius is charged with one count of premeditated murder in the Feb. 14 killing of Reeva Steenkamp. He says he accidentally shot her, thinking she was a dangerous intruder inside his home, lurking in a toilet stall off his bedroom.

Pistorius' hands trembled as he said "good morning, your worship" as the session began in Magistrate's Court in Pretoria, South Africa's capital. For the first time in the hearing, two representatives of the Steenkamp family were present in court, sitting behind and to the left of Pistorius in the public gallery.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel called Pistorius' version that he shot Steenkamp accidentally improbable and argued that Pistorius did not have to have planned the killing for days in advance for it to be premediated.

"He planned it that night when she (Steenkamp) locked herself in (the toilet)," Nel said in response to a question from the magistrate on why Pistorius hadn't staged a break-in at his home to make his story look more believable. "The fact that we have only one survivor of that tragic night is difficult for the state."

Pistorius' defense lawyer, Barry Roux, brought up culpable homicide as a possible charge for the first time in the case when answering questions from the magistrate.

"He did not want to kill Reeva. He had no intent to kill Reeva," Roux said as Pistorius began weeping again ? like he has done for much of his bail hearing.

Roux said it was impossible for Pistorius, as famous as he is and with his prostheses, to escape South Africa before trial and bail should be granted.

"Let me tell you how difficult it is for this man to disappear from this world," Roux said.

Prosecutor Nel earlier countered that everyone, whether disabled or famous or otherwise different from the majority, should be treated equally under the law. Nel noted that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is famous but is now holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sex-related charges.

Nair, the magistrate, will decide if Pistorius can be freed with conditions or if he is held until trial. Pistorius faces the sternest bail conditions in South Africa because of the seriousness of the murder charge, meaning his defense lawyers have to prove there is an "exceptional" reason for him to be freed.

Stephen Tuson, an adjunct law professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and a practicing attorney, told The Associated Press that poor health, a weak state case or a disability could be reasons to grant bail to a person accused of murder. But the "exceptional" circumstances Pistorius would have to prove to be freed are not established absolutely by law and are applied considering the individual merits of each case.

"(The matter of exceptional reasons) is not defined," Tuson said. "We've had to have this concept expanded by the courts on a case by case basis."

Pistorius' defense has dedicated much of its argument in the bail hearing to questioning the state's case against Pistorius and trying to discredit the police investigation into Steenkamp's shooting. Lead investigator Hilton Botha was removed from the case Thursday following his bungled testimony for the prosecution and replaced by the South African police's top detective, Vinesh Moonoo ? who was in court Friday.

Defense lawyer Roux also stressed Pistorius' disability Friday and said it was one of the reasons why he couldn't easily flee the country.

"He cannot, cannot go unnoticed through airport security. When he goes through the security at the airport, there's every time a commotion because the system would react," Roux said. He added that Pistorius also needs medical treatment for his stumps and has to have his prostheses adjusted on a monthly basis.

In arguing against bail, Nel sought to portray Pistorius as a spoiled celebrity with an inflated sense of self who believed he was above the law. Nel also said selfishness could be driving expressions of remorse by suspects such as Pistorius.

"All that I feel sorry for is myself," Nel said of Pistorius. "I've shot her and my career is done."

Pistorius' longtime coach Ampie Louw had said before proceedings began that he is considering putting his runner back in training if he is granted bail to allow him to "get his mind kind of clear."

Louw said he realizes that the Olympic athlete might not be emotionally ready to give any thought to running.

"The change is that he is heartbroken, that is all," Louw said in the courtroom, surrounded by reporters and television cameras. "For me it is tough to see that. Not to be able to reach out and sit next to him and say 'Sorry, man, it was a terrible accident.' But I cannot do it, I must just sit here in court and that's all.

"The sooner he can start working the better," said Louw, who was the person who convinced the double amputee to take up track as a teenager a decade ago.

He has been held at a police station in Pretoria since last week, but suspects who are denied bail are typically held in a prison.

Roux argued on Thursday that the evidence backs Pistorius' statement that he shot through a toilet door at his home because he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, killing her by accident.

"I think there will be a level of shock in this country if he is not released (on bail)," Roux said in court.

Opposing bail, Nel argued that Pistorius was too willing to shoot. The prosecution says Pistorius planned to kill his 29-year-old girlfriend, a model and budding reality TV star, after an argument in the early hours of Valentine's Day.

"The reason you fire four shots is to kill," Nel said.

Louw said he might put Pistorius ? who overcame the amputation of his lower legs as a baby to compete at last year's London Olympics ? back on a morning and afternoon training routine if he is freed, believing it might help him to be able to run track again.

"You must give him space," the coach said.

___

AP Sports Writer Gerald Imray contributed to this report from Johannesburg.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-22-Pistorius-Shooting/id-db4f7be0f4754aeba3a1dd5dbb4b24b1

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NATO urges allies to reverse defense spending cuts

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged allies on Thursday to reverse damaging defense-spending cuts once their economies improve as U.S. officials warned of the impact that across-the-board U.S. budget reductions could have on the alliance.

"If defense cuts continue, it will have a negative impact on our ability to provide effective defense and protection of our populations," Rasmussen told reporters at the start of a NATO defense ministers' meeting.

He appealed to allies, many of which have slashed defense spending in response to the economic crisis, to stop defense cuts, use their resources more efficiently by working together, and to increase defense spending once their economies recover.

He declined to comment directly on $46 billion in U.S. budget cuts scheduled to take effect from March 1 that would slash nearly every U.S. military program or activity by a flat percentage unless Congress acts to avert them.

"But from an overall perspective it is of course a matter of concern that we have seen and continue to see declining defense budgets all over the alliance," Rasmussen said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta intends to warn NATO allies in Brussels that cuts under the "sequester" - as the mechanism for the across-the-board cuts is known - could impact U.S. contributions to NATO readiness, Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

"We think the alliance's readiness could be diminished if sequestration takes effect," he told reporters during Panetta's flight to Brussels on Wednesday.

In talks with his Italian counterpart in Brussels on Thursday, Panetta warned "how devastating sequestration would be for U.S. defense and national security", Little said.

While the Obama administration is pushing lawmakers to avert sequestration, Panetta formally notified Congress on Wednesday that the Pentagon plans to put civilian defense employees on unpaid leave this year if the cuts go ahead.

LION'S SHARE

President Barack Obama signed the Budget Control Act in 2011 requiring $487 billion in defense spending cuts over a decade. The law also put in place another $500 billion in mandatory, across-the-board Pentagon cuts.

The cuts were never meant to go into effect, but were intended to coerce Congress and the White House into agreeing on more selective budget reductions. That deal never happened.

The United States, which provides the lion's share of NATO's firepower, has been urging European allies for years to pick up more of the defense burden.

Washington has pressed European countries to take the lead in operations like the 2011 Libya campaign but the Europeans still need U.S. help with key capabilities like air-to-air refueling and intelligence.

The threat of U.S. cuts could give Washington another argument to press European allies to increase defense spending by showing the danger of over-reliance on the United States.

Only a handful of NATO's 28 allies - the United States, Britain and Greece - last year spent more on defense than the two percent of Gross Domestic Product target set by NATO.

Britain, which has cut defense spending to rein in a big budget deficit, also urged allies to commit to increase defense spending once their economies improved.

"I don't hear that commitment as clearly as I would like to hear it (from European allies)," British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told reporters before the Brussels meeting, which is focusing on Afghanistan and improving NATO's capabilities.

British Prime Minister David Cameron raised the possibility on Thursday of diverting hundreds of millions of pounds from foreign aid to defense and security.

(Additional reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek, Francesco Guarascio, Erik Matzen; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nato-urges-allies-reverse-defense-spending-cuts-165931376--sector.html

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Stop Procrastinating And Visit The Playa Del Carmen Hotels

As busy as you are on a daily basis, it can be challenging and even depressing trying to find ways to squeeze in a little me time for yourself. You work so hard to provide for yourself and others that you often neglect yourself in the process. Instead of working yourself down to the ground or into exhaustion, start thinking about taking a much-needed vacation. By vacation, don't think that taking a day or two off from work so you can stay in bed counts. Take enough time off so you can have a real vacation. It is time for you to spend some time at the Playa del Carmen hotels.

Even though there are countless places you could decide to go, there aren't many resorts that offer you everything you could possibly want and need for a vacation in one spot. If you have been browsing through different ideas on the Internet, then you may be wondering why I have to pay so much for so little at these other vacation destinations. While you may never get a real answer to that question, you should be happy to know that the Playa del Carmen Hotels offer each and every tourist that stay there or visits the best vacation experience possible. It is one of the few vacation properties on earth where you can expect to receive more value for your money and a ton of bang for your buck.

When you make reservations to stay at the Playa del Carmen hotels, you are opening yourself up to have a thoroughly enchanting and exciting experience. Not only do you get the chance to be somewhere beautiful and exotic. You get to relax and rejuvenate your spirit by simply existing in that part of the world. You have the freedom to come and go, as you like. You can experience nature and true beauty by indulging in the cultural experiences and attractions. You can spend time and learn about Mayan culture and history by talking and interacting with the locals.

The excitement doesn't stop there. Here are world-class shops and restaurants for you to visit. You have everything you need to make your vacation a dream come true right outside the window of the room you will be staying in. You don't even have to book a rental car. There is doorstep transportation available to all of the guests who stay at the Playa del Carmen hotels. No matter what you want to do while your vacation, you will have a really great and unforgettable time doing it. The next time you go to request some time off for work because you need a break, do it right by going to the Playa del Carmen hotels. Contact your travel agency so you can get started making your travel arrangements. Make sure our passport is up to date as well so you don't have any issues when it is time for you to board your flight.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Stop-Procrastinating-And-Visit-The-Playa-Del-Carmen-Hotels/4446740

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

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BENEFITS OF YOUTH SPORTS | Ideal Term Papers

A sport is a competitive, organized, entertaining, and dexterous physical movement requiring dedication, fair play, and strategy, and in which a winner can be distinct by objective means. It is controlled by a set of customs or rules. In sports the main factors are the xl capabilities which are physical and skills of the contestant when determining the ending be it losing or winning. The physical activity involves people movement, animals or a number of objects like balls and equipment or machines. In contrast, games like board games and card games; even though these can be called mind sports and some are accepted as Olympic sports, primarily entail psychological skills and only mental physical connection. Non-competitive practices, such as playing catch or jogging are usually identified as forms of recreation. Physical actions like scoring goals or first crossing a line often define the outcome of a sport (Shookhoff, 2003).
On the other hand, performance and the degree of skill in some sports such as dressage, diving, and figure skating is judged with reference to well-defined specifications. This is in distinction with other activities judged such as body building and beauty pageants, where skills do not have to be revealed and the criteria is as well not defined. Records are kept and updated for many sports at the top levels, whereas accomplishments and failures are generally announced in sport news. Sports are often played for fun or for the single reality that people require exercise to stay in fine physical condition. Nevertheless, professional sports are a major resource for entertainment due to the fact they not only excite the players but also attract large crowds who turn up to watch others playing (Philips, 2009). Given that the youth are at their prime for an age range of 10 ? 20 years, youth sports are vital in providing an avenue for young people to exercise not only as a way to spend off this energy but also acquire a degree of professionalism in various sports. A detailed review as to the benefits of sports to the youth has been carried here-in.
Sports have several benefits to those participating in them which ensure that they leave a positive impact in their lives. Such benefits involve better health not only in the state of the mind but also the body, intuition of self-discipline crucial to the individual and the team; higher self-confidence and the belief in one-self that ensures the individual output increases both in academics and on the field; and stronger relations with peers and adults among other benefits that have been discussed here-in. The skill youths acquire while participating in sports accrue to their additional actions and commitments undertaken such as school performance and family relationships. While young athletes expand their bodies, their minds also develop concurrently.
First, sports for the youth build self-discipline amongst the young people. Through the commitment to a team and basically making it to each practice session is an initial step for lots of young athletes. Involvement in youth sports further provides a ground for confidence growth. Self-confidence is not acquired naturally by every person. Amusingly, one of the finest ways to increase self-confidence is found in demanding situations. Challenges give an opportunity for the youth to find out solutions on their own and garner the consequences of whichever resolution they make. Participation in sports therefore constantly presents unique learning experiences such as how to beat a defender while in a quick counter in basketball or how to talk to a colleague about his practice of failing to pass the ball often enough which can only be learnt through a personal experience. Challenges, whether physical, or emotional serve to expand confidence in the youth.
Secondly, participating in sports provides the youth with sufficient opportunities for them to build sturdy friendships with their peers and mentoring associations with their coaches. Young athletes profit from working together to attain various goals. Players become skilled on how to set the team ahead of their personal interests, which helps them to develop a team player essence based on unselfishness. Athletes do not at all times get along perfectly in a team hence solving differences so as to play effectively together is another significant lesson not only vital in the game but also in life.
Thirdly, when youths participate in sports, they expand on their understanding as to what their bodies are capable of doing. Youthful athletes are often courageous and can direct all their effort in various demanding activities such as obstructing a kick or dive for a free ball. Playing amid this type of abandon can be very fit, and it promotes a belief in their bodies? abilities. In addition, ordinary practices and games build sturdy bones and muscles. While athletes are still young, the spotlight should be on education, having fun and being fit (Melnick, 1988). This necessitates sports as a crucial ingredient in the growth and development of these young bodies to fully fledged sportsmen in the future. Diverse research projects have shown that sports are vital to the youth?s health in areas such as: major improvements in cardiovascular strength as long as they are performed frequently; improves muscular power which has been proven by carrying out a progressive survey as to changes in the handgrip power over time which is vital in raising the coping rate ability and decreasing the risks of functional restrictions in later life. According to Bigelow, sports provide a major improvement in the Mental Health section Score in the first 3 months. Further, waist-to-hip ratio reduces in the first three months and about a third of the calories can be burnt in only an hour of some Green Gym activities instead of doing a step aerobics class
Fourthly, sports offer youth a chance to improve their capacity to make decisions and acknowledge responsibilities. This is so because many sports entail making essential and at times multiple decisions which might have to be made instantly. For instance, in football one has to make the right decision when to pass the ball or when to score. This is reflected in most mind-based sports where a single mistake determines which team loses or wins. Since sports give youth a chance to make various decisions, they are able to differentiate good from bad decisions, a lesson that goes a long way in life.
Further, youth can develop an interest in ongoing sports involvement even as adults this will mean taking that sport as your carrier. It is worth noting that in many families today, sportsmen are the breadwinners who engage solely in various lucrative sports as a profession. This has therefore proved to be a source of income to the youth hence encouragement should be offered so as more young people can take it as a career rather than solely as a source of fun. In addition, incomes earned from such sports are taxed by the government which serves as a source of revenue that ensures that not only key sports facilities are put in place but also other key infrastructure in the mother country.
The sixth benefit is that through sports, the youth acquire a sense of achievement that is crucial in developing a constructive self-image. Sports also facilitate the youth in learning how to articulate and appreciate thought, emotions, and admiration for what their bodies can do. They also develop diverse skills on agility, endurance, flexibility, coordination, speed and strength. (Malina, 1995) Involvement in sports also avails opportunities for socialization and leadership, as well as the expansion of skills crucial in managing failure and success. The youth, who are very talented and highly contributory player in the team, can use this to become team leaders such as captains since they serve as role models. When a talented player demonstrates an optimistic attitude and occupation ethic, all the other players are likely to follow this example. A number of players will also watch how others play and obviously pick up some of their techniques and skills. (Bredemeier, 1988) Moreover, when playing games, players find out how rules operate. They see how groups require policy to maintain order, that the person must agree to the regulations for the benefit of the group that rules involve a deliberation of the civil rights of others. They as well gain knowledge of the competition, however within a limited and secure system where the penalty of losing is reduced.

Source: http://www.idealtermpapers.com/sample-papers/benefits-of-youth-sports/

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xMatters Acquisition Gives the Bamboo Incident Management ...

On 12 February 2013, emergency/mass notification services (EMNS) vendor xMatters purchased the intellectual property of Bamboo, an enterprise-level incident management mobile app from Deloitte Australia, for an undisclosed amount. Members of Deloitte?s risk practice are assisting in the full transition as are application developers from the Bamboo team employed in the build-out. This acquisition of Bamboo, a mobile app for incident management, should appeal to companies looking to integrate emergency/mass notification services and offline access to recovery plans in a mobile platform.

Bamboo has now found a software development home to enhance its business continuity management software. Gartner believes xMatters has the most opportunity to grow Bamboo adoption by supporting the importation of Microsoft Word and Excel files as well as a SharePoint Web service API for those who do not use business continuity management planning (BCMP) tools now. Gartner also believes xMatters should consider evaluating its EMNS pricing strategy to make it more competitive with the rest of the market for increased adoption of Bamboo by prospects that do not already have an EMNS tool.

xMatters adds a mobile app that supports push technology for recovery plan updates, role-based and offline recovery plan access, and GIS-enabled tracking of all capabilities used for real-time incident management. Integration with the xMatters IT alerting system may be a future enhancement.

Before this acquisition, Gartner observed limited Bamboo adoption by our clients, who cited additional costs compared to perceived benefits; Australia-only product support with uncertain future support from Deloitte (which is not known for mobile application development); and limited business continuity management tool integration.

In both current and combined forms, Bamboo powered by xMatters lacks many of the capabilities of the larger BCMP market, particularly related to planning functions, including:

  • Business impact analysis
  • Risk assessment
  • Recovery plan development, maintenance and exercising

But the offering could appeal to xMatters customers that lack a mobile app for real-time incident management.

Recommendations:

BCMP tool customers: If you are looking for EMNS and enhanced real-time incident management capabilities through a mobile device, encourage your BCMP vendor to integrate with xMatters.

EMNS tool prospects: Consider xMatters because it now has an enhanced mobile app for offline recovery plan access, emergency contact list dialing and GIS for resource tracking ? all used for real-time incident management support.

BCMP vendors that only have mobile Web browser access: If you are looking for an EMNS tie-in, either integrate with xMatters or enhance your mobile app to provide push technology for recovery plan updates, role-based and offline access to plans through the mobile device, and EMNS integration.

xMatters EMNS competitors: Enhance your mobile app to support push technology for recovery plan updates, role-based and offline recovery plan access and GIS-enabled resource tracking. (EMNS leaders currently support GIS-enabled resource tracking.)

Existing Bamboo customers: Discuss with your EMNS vendor whether it will continue supporting Bamboo, as it may be a direct competitor to xMatters.

Recommended Reading

?Best Practices: EMNS Implementation Advice??? EMNS implemented without a well-considered plan can hurt the constituencies that rely on these services for everything from basic safety to basic survival. By Roberta Witty and John Girard

?Market Analysis in Depth: EMNS Magic Quadrant??? Buyers of EMNS should use this research to guide their vendor selection projects. By Roberta Witty, John Girard and Catherine Goldstein

Category: Event Technology ? ? Tags: Bamboo, BCM, BCM planning, BCMP, Business Continuity Management, Business Continuity Planning, Business Impact Analysis, Emergency Notification, EMNS, Gartner, Mass Notification, Recovery Planning, Recovery Plans, Roberta Witty, xMatters

Source: http://blogs.gartner.com/business-continuity/2013/02/20/xmatters-acquisition-gives-the-bamboo-incident-management-mobile-app-a-home/

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AP study: Posey earns steepest rise in arbitration

Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters catches the ball during a drill at a baseball spring training workout Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, in Sarasota, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters catches the ball during a drill at a baseball spring training workout Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, in Sarasota, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey tosses a baseball back to a fan after autographing it following a spring training baseball workout Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos throws during spring training baseball in Goodyear, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

(AP) ? Reserved for the better part of February for the contentious process of salary arbitration, the Ellis East Room on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency Phoenix went unused. For the first time since arbitration began in 1974, none of the players who filed wound up arguing their cases.

After peaking at 35 hearings in 1986, the number of salary arbitration cases argued hasn't reached double digits since 2001. The total dropped to a record low of three in 2005, 2009 and 2011, and then there were none at all this year.

All 133 players who filed last month settled, gaining an average increase of 119 percent, according to a study by The Associated Press. San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, the NL batting champion and MVP, led the way with a 13-fold hike to $8 million.

"While I do believe that this year was an aberration, the salary structure for arbitration-eligible players has become more well-defined over the last decade or so as clubs and player agents have become more sophisticated in valuing players," MLB senior vice president Dan Halem said. "That factor, combined with the relatively recent trend of locking up pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players to multiyear contracts, probably has contributed to the decline in the number of hearings."

Relatively few big-name stars even filed. Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum's final two seasons of arbitration eligibility were covered by a $40.5 million, two-year contract agreed to in January 2012. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw agreed the following month to a two-year deal guaranteeing $19 million that leaves him with just one more arbitration-eligible season.

"Clubs have been more aggressive in recent years to sign players under control to multiyear contracts," agent Seth Levinson said, "to not just obtain cost certainty but to also acquire the financial benefits that are derived when the player's value increases beyond the salaries actually paid over the term of contract."

Evidence of the change is that the highest salary awarded in arbitration remains $10 million, to Alfonso Soriano in 2006 and to Ryan Howard and Francisco Rodriguez two years later ? Howard was the only winner among the three.

Conflict had been replaced by concord.

"I don't think I'd draw any trend from zero," players' association head Michael Weiner said. "It's always been the union's view that if the arbitration system works properly, there should be no hearings. We should get all settlements. But it's unusual for that to happen. I don't expect that to happen on an ongoing basis going forward."

The increase for this year's arbitration group was up from 89 percent last year but down from 123 percent in 2011. In addition to Posey, big raises were obtained by Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters (11-fold to $5.5 million), Cincinnati pitcher Mat Latos (10-fold to $5.75 million).

Latos was the only player who even got outside the Ellis room ? the pitcher and the Reds settled on an $11.5 million, two-year deal before the hearing before a three-person panel to was start on Feb. 12.

The only player who didn't get a raise was Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who remained at $2.64 million but can earn up to $125,000 in bonuses based on innings. A former All-American wide receiver at Notre Dame, he was a fifth-round draft pick by the Cubs in 2006 and signed a deal that called for a $2.8 million salary in 2011, his final guaranteed year. That led to a 5 percent cut the following season, when he was not yet eligible for arbitration, and set the basis for this year's agreement.

Overall, the average increased from $1.53 million to $3.36 million. Fifteen players agreed to multiyear contracts, up from 11 last year and the most since 19 in 2010.

Six players benefited from a change under the labor contract agreed to in November 2011, which increased the number of players eligible for arbitration among those with at least two seasons in the major leagues but less than three. Twenty-two percent of that group is now eligible for arbitration, up from 17.

Washington reliever Drew Storen ($2.5 million), Arizona third baseman Chris Johnson ($2,287,500), Colorado outfielder Tyler Colvin ($2,275,000), San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera ($1,275,000), Tampa Bay outfielder Sam Fuld ($725,000) and Toronto catcher Josh Thole ($2.75 million for two years) probably would have made just over $500,000 apiece under the old rules.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-19-BBO-Salary-Arbitration-Shutout/id-fdad864792034951804b889ac380ce07

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Quantum dots that assemble themselves

Feb. 19, 2013 ? Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other labs have demonstrated a process whereby quantum dots can self-assemble at optimal locations in nanowires, a breakthrough that could improve solar cells, quantum computing, and lighting devices.

A paper on the new technology, "Self-assembled Quantum Dots in a Nanowire System for Quantum Photonics," appears in the current issue of the scientific journal Nature Materials.

Quantum dots are tiny crystals of semiconductor a few billionths of a meter in diameter. At that size they exhibit beneficial behaviors of quantum physics such as forming electron-hole pairs and harvesting excess energy.

The scientists demonstrated how quantum dots can self-assemble at the apex of the gallium arsenide/aluminum gallium arsenide core/shell nanowire interface. Crucially, the quantum dots, besides being highly stable, can be positioned precisely relative to the nanowire's center. That precision, combined with the materials' ability to provide quantum confinement for both the electrons and the holes, makes the approach a potential game-changer.

Electrons and holes typically locate in the lowest energy position within the confines of high-energy materials in the nanostructures. But in the new demonstration, the electron and hole, overlapping in a near-ideal way, are confined in the quantum dot itself at high energy rather than located at the lowest energy states. In this case, that's the gallium-arsenide core. It's like hitting the bulls-eye rather than the periphery.

The quantum dots, as a result, are very bright, spectrally narrow and highly anti-bunched, displaying excellent optical properties even when they are located just a few nanometers from the surface -- a feature that even surprised the scientists.

"Some Swiss scientists announced that they had achieved this, but scientists at the conference had a hard time believing it," said NREL senior scientist Jun-Wei Luo, one of the co-authors of the study. Luo got to work constructing a quantum-dot-in-nanowire system using NREL's supercomputer and was able to demonstrate that despite the fact that the overall band edges are formed by the gallium Arsenide core, the thin aluminum-rich barriers provide quantum confinement both for the electrons and the holes inside the aluminum-poor quantum dot. That explains the origin of the highly unusual optical transitions.

Several practical applications are possible. The fact that stable quantum dots can be placed very close to the surface of the nanometers raises a huge potential for their use in detecting local electric and magnetic fields. The quantum dots also could be used to charge converters for better light-harvesting, as in the case of photovoltaic cells.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. M. Heiss, Y. Fontana, A. Gustafsson, G. W?st, C. Magen, D. D. O?Regan, J. W. Luo, B. Ketterer, S. Conesa-Boj, A. V. Kuhlmann, J. Houel, E. Russo-Averchi, J. R. Morante, M. Cantoni, N. Marzari, J. Arbiol, A. Zunger, R. J. Warburton, A. Fontcuberta i Morral. Self-assembled quantum dots in a nanowire system for quantum photonics. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3557

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/v--aBhA9qAk/130220100744.htm

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Resistance builds against red-light traffic cameras

Charlie Neibergall / AP file

Traffic passes a red light camera at an intersection in Clive, Iowa.

By Lisa Riordan Seville and Hannah RappleyeNBC News

Drivers dread it -- that flash as they try to speed through a yellow traffic light. It?s a red light camera, and a signal that a ticket is on the way.

A rarity 15 years ago, red light cameras have become ubiquitous in many U.S. cities. Communities in 24 states and Washington, D.C., now use the cameras to try to decrease illegal -- and sometimes deadly -- traffic violations. Supporters say it?s worked.

"In the last five years we went from 54 traffic fatalities to 19,? said Cathy Lanier, police chief in Washington, D.C., which began using the cameras in 1999. ?I mean, that's dramatic!?

Red light cameras are one piece of a growing network of automated traffic enforcement. Cameras now monitor speed, bus and high-occupancy-vehicle lanes and intersections with stop signs. Proponents like Lanier say they help to deter accidents, nab violators and allow states and municipalities to keep an eye on the roads for less.


But critics of red light programs worry about the Big Brother aspect of using cameras instead of cops. Many also say cameras, which are generally run by private companies, have spread not because they make streets safer, but because they mean profit for cities and companies.

?

?What the issue really comes down to is these companies are ripping people off by hundreds of millions of dollars, in the name of caring about our safety and our health and our kids,? said New Jersey Assemblyman Declan O?Scanlon, who has introduced anti-red light camera legislation to the state Legislature.

Recent news stories have fueled opposition. In Chicago, an alleged pay-to-play scandal led the mayor to ban one company from bidding for future contracts. Millions were spent on pro-camera lobbying in Florida and other states. In Iowa, doubts about the constitutionality of using cameras as traffic enforcers led a state senator to introduce a bill to ban red-light cameras ? a move already taken by at least nine other states.

What does science say?
Red light violations were associated with some 700 deaths and nearly 90,000 injuries in 2009, according to a study based on data reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fatalities and injuries have decreased in recent years, the study shows.

Researchers, however, are divided on how much red light cameras increase safety.

In 2011, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research group funded by the insurance industry, released a study that found red light cameras decreased fatal accidents by an estimated 24 percent in large cities that use them.

But a 2005 Federal Highway Administration study painted a more nuanced picture. Data from seven jurisdictions showed a decrease in front-into-side crashes at intersections with cameras. But it also showed an increase in rear-end crashes. The researchers said that apparently was the result of drivers hitting the brakes to avoid a ticket. Overall, however, the research showed the cameras saved money by both decreasing the most serious accidents, and generating revenue.

However, the FHA says that red light cameras shouldn?t be a knee-jerk traffic enforcement option. The agency issued a number of recommendations regarding the implementation of red light cameras, saying cameras should be considered only after engineering solutions have failed in problem intersections. Among the possible solutions, it says: Give drivers more cushion. Increasing yellow time by one second, it found, can result in a 40 percent decrease in crashes in stoplight-controlled intersections.

?It all hinges on proper yellow light time,? said John Bowman, communications director of the National Motorists Association, a drivers advocacy group. ?If yellow lights are set properly, based on established traffic engineering, red light cameras are unnecessary because you almost automatically have low numbers of violations and low numbers of accidents. If you shorten those yellow light times beyond bare minimums, that?s when you start to generate more accidents and more violations.?

Problematic cameras
A yellow light in Cary, N.C., had Howard Bond seeing red.

Last year Bond?s son was issued two different tickets for turning left on a red light at an intersection. But when Bond watched videotape of the alleged traffic offenses, he saw that in both instances his son had legally turned left on a flashing yellow light. The town had recently switched to a flashing yellow at the intersection, but Redflex, the private company running the cameras, kept treating it as a red, Bond said.

Each time, Bond, who lives in nearby Chatham County, went to the office that issued the tickets to complain. Each time, he said, his tickets were dismissed but the larger issue was ignored.

"I just basically stood there and said, ?No sir, you?re going to look at the video,?? Bond told NBC News. But law enforcement officials told him he would have to attend a hearing to contest it.

"I said 'We?re not going through all that,'? Bond said. ?He started hee-hawing around. Then he looked at the video and said, ?This is wrong.?"

After a local television news station approached town officials with Bond?s tickets, details emerged about tens of other tickets wrongfully issued in Cary by faulty red light cameras last year. A review of its red light cameras found that cameras in one intersection had generated at least 31 false violations, many of which led to $50 tickets.

Town officials told the Raleigh News and Observer that Redflex had failed to report the error to the town.?

But Jody Ryan, spokesperson for Redflex, said the company took action as soon as it discovered the wrongful tickets.

?In this situation, changes were made by the Town of Cary to the traffic light phases without Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc. knowledge,? Ryan said. ?Because we were unaware of these changes, our systems triggered a set of false positives. ?Once we were notified of the issue Redflex either dismissed or refunded all the affected citations on behalf of the Town of Cary.?

While major cities can make millions off red light cameras, in some contracts red light camera companies keep the majority of funds paid by violators. Redflex?s contract with Cary, for instance, allowed the company to keep 88 percent of the money generated by red-light camera tickets in Cary. Between April 2004 and July 2012, ticketed drivers paid $5.7 million to the company, and $646,000 to the Wake County Public School System, which received the city?s proceeds.

The controversy led town officials to abandon its red-light camera program altogether.

Cary is one of a number of communities, including large cities such as Houston, that have recently abandoned their camera programs amid opposition from residents.

Dollars and cents
About 700 municipalities in the country have cameras. One of the most prominent companies, Redflex, had about 2,000 cameras in operation around the nation in 2011, bringing in over $92 million in revenue, according to its annual report. American Traffic Solutions, another big player in the industry, reports more than 3,000 road safety systems installed in the U.S. and Canada, which include red light cameras.

Red light cameras can also pull in big revenues for cities. An investigation by NBC 4 in Washington, D.C., found the Capitol region drivers received tickets with at least $18 million dollars in fines in one year attributable to the cameras. NBC 5 in Dallas found a single camera in Arlington, Texas, generated $2.5 million over four years.

Communities continue to adopt the technology. In 2011, East Cleveland residents voted to keep red light cameras. Last year, New Jersey?s Pohatcong Township voted to extend its contract with Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions.

?The bottom line is that those who oppose cameras are the minority,? said Charles Territo, spokesperson for American Traffic Solutions. He added that American Traffic Solutions doesn?t issue tickets: a police officer reviews each image before issuing a violation. According to ATS, about 50 percent of traffic ?events? each year are rejected before a violation is issued.

?The majority of voters around the country know the dangers of red light running,? Territo said. ?Nobody likes to get a ticket, but cameras are used in a number of places around the country and the world. They?re used to help police officers do their job.?

But cameras have faced increasing opposition from drivers who object to the automated systems for many reasons, including the inability to confront their accuser in court. Facing pressure from constituents, local and state politicians in Iowa, Florida, New Jersey and other states have recently introduced measures to change or end the camera programs.

Other controversies have raised questions about red light?cameras. Problems with short yellow lights, which may increase the number of tickets issued, have surfaced in cities from California to Tennessee. Judges in Baltimore have castigated the city and thrown out tickets after finding the city had shortened yellow lights below recommended limits. Last summer, the New Jersey?Transportation?Department ordered 21 red light programs suspended after finding yellow-light timing issues. Meanwhile, camera companies have sued, or threatened to sue, cities who back out of contracts. And they?ve been?investigated for possible?pay-to-play schemes with local governments.?

?They?re very aggressive in terms of lobbying for favorable legislation or favorable court cases,? said Bowman of the National Motorists Association. ?It?s big business, and there?s a lot of money at stake.?

Last October, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel barred Redflex from re-bidding on the city?s red-light camera contract after a Chicago Tribune investigation found that Redflex company executives and lobbyists had paid for hotel rooms and spent thousands on entertainment for the city official overseeing the red light program.

Chicago?s red light cameras raised big revenues for the city. Redflex has operated a red-light program in the city since 2003, generating about $300 million in fines for the city and $97 million in revenue for itself. Redflex. Residents in the city have long complained about discrepancies between yellow light times in the city and its suburbs.

?We authorized an internal investigation and, though the inquiry is not complete, have learned that some Redflex employees did not meet our own code of conduct and the standards that the people of the City of Chicago deserve,? said Ryan, Redflex spokesperson, of the Chicago case. ?We will take corrective action and make additional information public.?

Automated traffic enforcement companies spend millions persuading local and state lawmakers to expand programs, using lobbyists, municipal partners and nonprofits to advance the cause. After spending $1.5 million lobbying Florida lawmakers over four years, American Traffic Solutions became the main-red light camera supplier in the state, winning contracts in more than 65 cities.

Territo, the spokesperson for American Traffic Solutions, defended efforts to expand red light camera programs, which he emphasized are above all about safety. ?Just as opponents of red-light safety cameras fund efforts to remove cameras, we expend resources on efforts to defend them,? he said.

Recognizing growing opposition to red light enforcement technologies, companies are looking to new markets. Both Redflex and American Traffic Solutions have active speed cameras in various markets, though 12 states have banned the technology. Both companies have also started programs to enforce rules prohibiting drivers from going around stopped school buses.

Redflex recently became the nation?s largest provider of school bus arm cameras, which catch drivers who speed past the stop signs that swing out from the side of school buses. The company has launched 10 pilot programs in six states.?

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Source: http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/19/17010355-lights-cameras-reaction-resistance-builds-against-red-light-cameras?lite

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Olivia Wilde & Jason Sudeikis: Big Apple Dog Walk

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Source: http://gossipbucket.com/just-jared/191263/olivia-wilde-jason-sudeikis-big-apple-dog-walk/

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Pitched By A Dog Named Mitzi, Fings For Fido Wants To Be The ...

The technology industry has gone barking mad. Last week I got pitched by a dog named Mitzi. ?We are Europe?s BarkBox?, yapped the excitable dachshund, before explaining that UK-based Fings For Fido is a subscription service where each month dog owners are sent a box of ?canine goodies?, such as dog treats, toys, and grooming products. Alternatively, the startup offers one-off boxes as a way to sample the service or marketed around a particular calendar event, such as a Christmas box or one for Valentine?s Day (yes, even our four-legged friends adhere to Cupid?s timetable, apparently).

The concept isn?t new, of course. Along with BarkBox in the U.S., there?s BestFriendBox, while Fings For Fido has a direct competitor this side of the pond in the form of the recently launched PoochPack. However, it?s the type of products that end up in each box and the community feel of the site that Fings For Fido claims sets it apart from the competition.

mitzi_small?Our edge on the other UK markets is our approach?, yaps Mitzi, no doubt wagging his tail. ?We are not just looking at getting cheap product delivered to the customer via a subscription. With our dog behaviourist we want to make sure that what we are sending our customers is actually better for your pet.?

The dog behaviourist ? whatever that is ? that Mitzi refers to is actually one of Fings For Fido?s co-founders. ?She gives us key guidance on what is beneficial to a dog and what is just a marketing gimmick.?

In addition, curated content, such as free articles offering pet advice and an active social media presence, plays an important supporting role. ?We are really trying to create a real community around our brand and give passionate dog owners a place to discuss and share their experiences with dogs?, yaps Mitzi.

And, in an effort to ?give back?, the company has aligned with the organisation ?Hounds for Hero?s? in the UK by promising to donate a portion of its profit to the charity from each Fings For Fido box sold.

Bootstrapped and soft launched last November, Fings For Fido began by purchasing the contents of each box from suppliers as would any retailer. However, with the subscription model catching on in the UK and raising awareness amongst the pet industry, the company says it?s now being approached by suppliers, such as independent pet bakeries and various other dog products who want in on the action and see it as a good marketing opportunity.

Fings For Fido?s tech (what little there is) is bespoke, too, shunning an off-the-shelf e-commerce solution to enable it to add additional features such as QR codes on each box that link directly to a feedback page, essentially creating a 360 degree loop that circles online to offline and back again, and helps suppliers and Fings For Fido itself learn more about what works and what doesn?t. The company has also been experimenting with ?flash sales? on its Facebook page, with some success.

?The pet and specifically the dog market is a highly emotional and passionate space, people love their dogs and like to spend money on them,? adds Mitzi, sounding less and less like a real dog.

?In the UK and Europe getting new and exciting products has predominately been left to the pet owners in that they had to search for and find new products, and make a decision about how good the product is for their pets. We want to solve that by offering new and exciting products to these owners via a monthly goodie box, so they get the latest, most nutritional product delivered directly to their doors,? he says.


Fings for Fido is aimed at dog owners and caregivers. Customers sign up for monthly subscriptions which provides a box of at least 4 paw-picked canine goodies, from grooming products, to treats and toys and all manner of essentials and must haves every month! Fings For Fido collects products and samples from all over, any company, any source and we?re not restricted by suppliers. This way we ensure only the stuff we really like goes in the boxes. We are...

? Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/19/fings-for-fido/

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Commission: Pre-K for poor students within decade

WASHINGTON (AP) ? An Education Department commission is recommending pre-kindergarten programs for every poor student within 10 years, adding a timeframe to President Barack Obama's similar call to help the least advantaged arrive for their first day of classes as prepared as their counterparts from more affluent homes.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Tuesday released his Equality and Excellence Commission's report, which is not binding but includes input from his top aides and the White House's chief education policy adviser. In the report, the commissioners documented the inequalities of the nation's schools and recommended ways to ensure that students from poorer neighborhoods aren't automatically enrolled in less-effective schools.

"The time has come for bold action by the states ? and the federal government ? to redesign and reform the funding of our nation's public schools. Achieving equity and excellence requires sufficient resources that are distributed based on student need, not ZIP code, and that are efficiently used," the 52-page report urged after two years of study of the gap between rich and poor students.

The report called on a new federal program to send tax dollars to schools with high numbers of low-income students, especially those with large gaps between the best and worst students. The commission also urged Washington to offer other money as an incentive for states to spend their own money on schools with high concentrations of low-income students and to make sure it is not too easy to become a teacher.

"We asked them not what they thought we wanted to hear but what they thought," Duncan told reporters on a conference call to announce the commission's findings. "In far too many communities, the children who need the most help get the least."

Those recommendations were likely to find resistance in Congress, which is facing pressure to come up with a plan by March 1 to reduce the deficit. Absent a deal, potentially devastating spending cuts would automatically kick in, affecting everything from defense to existing pre-kindergarten options to meat inspection and port security. But the commissioners, many of them from colleges' education departments and advocacy groups typically friendly to the administration, said they wanted to give their best advice to the Education Department independent of politics.

Obama has outlined a broad proposal to partner with states, which would set up their own pre-kindergarten systems and in turn receive federal dollars. Some states are already operating pre-kindergarten programs; Obama cited Georgia and Oklahoma during his State of the Union address and later visited an Atlanta-area program to promote his idea.

Administration officials have refused to outline their proposal's details or cost, and instead suggest reporters wait for the president's budget to be released next month.

While these recommendations are independent of the administration, White House education adviser Roberto Rodriguez participated on the panel, as did Duncan's chief of staff and four other top Education Department officials. The commission delivered its final recommendations to Duncan on Feb. 2, ahead of Obama's Feb. 12 State of the Union address that gave pre-kindergarten programs a star turn.

"Smart states know that if they're going to get kids to grade level by third grade or whatever, they have to start early," said Margaret Spellings, an education secretary and domestic policy counselor during President George W. Bush's administration.

In an interview Tuesday, she said she doesn't expect Obama's proposal for pre-kindergarten for all ? including middle-income families ? to find traction in a divided Washington.

"It's kind of a sideshow, in my view," said Spellings, now president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Inaction, though, is not an option, Democratic lawmakers vowed.

"At the end of the day, we're not going to solve this problem just through court action or hoping states do the right thing for poor children," said Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa. "We can't afford to have a third or more of our children in the shadow of opportunity."

The commission did not put a price tag on any of its recommendations and intentionally kept many of its potentially divisive recommendations vague when addressing ways to fix the vast differences among states in per-pupil spending. In 2010, for instance, Utah spent $6,454 per student while New York spent $18,167 for each student.

"We need to ensure that we get everyone to the same starting line," said Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif. "We need to redesign education financing for our schools."

Money, of course, is not a guarantee for student success. But students from poor schools generally lag students from better-funded counterparts and those students from impoverished families arrive in kindergarten less prepared than others.

"We have to stop saying that poverty excuses the achievement gap and recognize there are concrete measures that we can take, starting with early childhood education," said Christopher Edley, dean of the University of California at Berkeley law school and co-chairman of the commission.

It is a moral and policy issue, as well, the report's authors argued.

"Our country has the highest poverty rate of any in the developed world," said Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, a Stanford University law school professor and co-chair of the commission. "From Day One, these children are more likely to drop out of school, less likely to attend college."

The commission's report also recommends a process by which ineffective elected school boards could be deposed and replaced with appointed oversight boards. The commission also suggests a threshold of training and experience for new teachers, as well as urges schools to be more selective in their hiring process.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/commission-pre-k-poor-students-within-decade-220325676--politics.html

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Local Church Celebrates Black History

MOBILE, Ala (WPMI) - Members of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church celebrated Black History Month with a program Sunday.

The event was filled with music, poetry and a civil rights march.

Members also paid tribute to influential African-American's in history like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama.

Source: http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Local-Church-Celebrates-Black-History/-5h-98Fnzk6hr2N1-xQ55w.cspx?rss=217

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Leaked White House immigration plan threatens to derail bipartisan ...

An woman takes the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony at the at district office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on January 28, 2013 in Newark, New Jersey. Some 38,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens at the Newark office alone in 2012.  (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

An woman takes the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony at the at district office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on January 28, 2013 in Newark, New Jersey. Some 38,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens at the Newark office alone in 2012. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Congressional Republicans are calling foul on the Obama administration for potentially compromising immigration reform after a White House draft proposal that grants a pathway to citizenship within eight years?was?leaked to?USA Today.

Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., all publicly lashed out at the White House, they say for undermining bipartisan efforts already underway in both chambers of Congress.

The leaked?plan provides a path to legal permanent residency within eight years via a ?Lawful Immigrant Visa??for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in?the country illegally. Under the proposed plan, undocumented immigrants would file behind legal applicants, and would not be approved for green-card status until the earlier of two dates: either eight years after the law is enacted or 30 days after the last legal applicant is processed.

Similar to congressional proposals already in the works, the White House plan also builds on calls for increased border security and would require all employers to check the immigration status of new hires using an expanded E-Verify system within four years.

The revelation of a White House proposal, deemed a ?draft? by White House officials eager to downplay its significance, angered congressional Republicans. It comes just days after the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on comprehensive immigration reform and as a bipartisan ?Gang of Eight? in the Senate laid out a framework for new policy.

Rubio, a member of the ?Gang of Eight,? denounced the Obama plan as ?dead on arrival? saying it ?creates a special pathway that puts those who broke our immigration laws at an advantage over those who chose to do things the right way and come here legally.?

While the policies outlined in the draft legislation are largely the same as those advanced by the president in a speech in Las Vegas earlier this month, and while the next day he revealed in an interview with Telemundo?s Jose Diaz-Balart that he had a draft, the release of the document threatens to disrupt a delicate balance between congressional Republicans and Democrats.

The night before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, President Obama laid out his vision saying that ?the time has come? to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and praising efforts in Congress.

?As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts,? Obama said in his State of the Union address. ?Now let?s get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away.?

A number of Republicans said they appreciated the president?s?non-confrontational?tone on immigration during Tuesday?s address. Former vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., told the?New York Times, ?I thought on immigration he used the right words and the right tone, which tells me he actually?doesn?t?want to politicize this, which is conducive to getting something done.?

Yet the airing of the draft legislation crafted by the White House without input from both parties angered Ryan, who?insinuated?on ABC?s This Week that the leak was intentional.??By putting these details out?that tells us he is looking for partisan advantage and not a bipartisan solution. This particular move is counter productive,? Ryan said.

A White House official denied an intentional leak in comments to NBC News. ?This was not the administration floating anything?We were surprised to learn what appeared to be draft language had been given to the press, thought it was unfortunate, and reached out to senate offices on both sides of the aisle on Saturday evening to make that clear.?

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough downplayed the plan?s significance on the weekend talk shows, and said that the Obama administration was ?very aggressively supporting? the bipartisan talks on the Hill. ?We?re just going to be ready,? he said of the proposals.

Telemundo?s Jose Diaz-Balart questioned the timing of the release, which has Republicans on the defensive and the president looking more aggressive than he has in the past, at a crucial junction in the immigration debate that hinges on bipartisan cooperation.

?The day after that speech, I spoke with the president at the White House, and among the things he told was that he already had this plan written,? Diaz-Balart said on Andrea Mitchell Reports Monday. ?So we know it?s there. We know it?s written. We know he is ready to file it if things break down. The question is the timing of this leak. Is it now a time to say, ?Here are the specifics of a proposal that I will present if you fail,? before they have even failed??

Janet Murguia, president and CEO of the Hispanic civil rights organization National Council of La Raza, voiced optimism on?Andrea Mitchell Reports Monday, calling the back-and-forth between President Obama and lawmakers ?healthy tensions? and saying, ?what we?re seeing played out is just the making of legislation.?

?I think it?s legitimate for Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. McCain, who have been leading efforts on the Republican side, to say, ?Wait a minute. Give us a chance to keep moving our bipartisan effort forward,?? Murguia told Mitchell. ?But it?s equally legitimate for the president to say, ?I want to have a marker out there? and if things sort of derail or end up taking too long, then he can have an option of putting his bill forward.?

Source: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/02/18/leaked-white-house-immigration-proposal-threatens-to-derail-bipartisan-efforts/

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