VENTURES AFRICA ? South Africa?s African Bank has been named South African Bank of the Year by the Banker magazine, the award citing the Bank?s complex business and risk models as helping steer businesses through the financial crisis.
Africa Bank is the biggest unsecured lender in South Africa ? a country widely considered to be relying too heavily on the use of unsecured loans, with this type of financing growing quickly across the country.? Unsecured lending currently accounts for 131 billion rand ($14.95 billion) of South Africa?s 1.36 trillion rand ($155 billion) outstanding receivables.
As such the decision to grant the award for Bank of the Year to an unsecured lender is somewhat surprising.
However, the Banker made the award ? which was handed over in a ceremony in London ? based on the Bank?s stability through-out the financial crisis, noting that its business and risk models are serving to increase credit responsibility across the South African financing sector.
?African Bank?s business model has been robust through the recent financial crisis and provided through the cycle profitability and attractive returns,? the Banker said in making the Award.
?The group has rolled out innovative products to make it easier for customers to access responsible credit and widened the bank?s distribution network through the establishment of kiosks and carve outs in its retail division which has helped drive the growth in loans,? the citation added.
Receiving the award on behalf of the company, Tami Sokutu, an executive director at African Bank Investments congratulated the Bank?s employees, and thanked customers for their continued loyalty to Africa Bank.? She went on to underline: ?We remain cognisant of our customers? requirements and needs as we assist to enhance their lives through the provision of responsible credit.?
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Gabriella
Gabriella Mulligan is a journalist with a special interest in business and legal issues, having come to journalism following a successful career in consultancy. After completing her legal education at the esteemed law school at Cambridge University, and prior to that at the University of Kent, Gabriella went on to work for a ?Big Four? financial and business services firm. She now enjoys writing on topical issues that affect businesses and the economy today.
Gabriella is British and Hungarian. She has travelled widely, but harbours a passion for Africa and has made Nairobi, Kenya her home.
Sorry, Matrix fans: the laws of physics suggest we are not living inside a computer
By George Musser
Image: World Science Festival
Conventional wisdom says that quantum mechanics is a theory of discreteness, describing a world of irreducible building blocks. It stands to reason that computers?which process information in discrete chunks?should be able to simulate nature fully, at least in principle. But it turns out that certain asymmetries in particle physics cannot be discretized; they are irreducibly continuous. In that case, says David Tong, author of "Is Quantum Reality Analog after All?" in the December 2012 issue of Scientific American,the world can never be fully simulated on a computer.
Being pre-approved can be a big part of that as well. If you have your home financing lined up ahead of time, it can make the purchase process go a lot smoother. We have a free e-book called "Demystifying the Mortgage Process", which can be helpful for new home buyers. You can access it through my profile page website.
Contact: Philippe Baveye baveyp@rpi.edu American Society of Agronomy
Imagine printing a 3-D object as easily as a typed document. Lose a button? Print one. Need a new coffee cup? Print one. While the reality of printing any object on demand may lie in the future, the technology necessary to do it has been available for decades. And soil scientists are now taking advantage of its possibilities.
In a paper published online this week in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, a team of researchers headed by Philippe Baveye explored the potential of manufacturing soil science equipment using 3-D printing. They found that the technology, also called "rapid manufacturing" or "stereolithography," has major benefits over traditional manufacturing methods, and they were able to successfully produce intricate pieces. Also, the ability to easily share the designs used by 3-D printers could allow for better replication of experiments and collaboration among soil scientists.
First developed in the 1980s, the process of 3-D printing begins with a computer-generated model [often a Computer Aided Design (CAD) image] that is "sliced" by a program to create very thin layers of the object. The printer then uses an extruder that lays down a material frequently a thermal plastic layer by layer, as defined by the computer program, to create the full 3-D object. This method is currently being used to build a variety of items, such as mobile phones, jewelry, and artificial limbs.
Baveye's team used the technology to create parts of a permeameter, a device used to measure the hydraulic conductivity of soils. Traditionally, this type of equipment is made using lathes and drills. However, those techniques are painstaking and time-consuming. Also, traditional methods cannot create intricate designs or incorporate certain features such as non-concentric structures. Moreover, once a product is made, researchers are resistant to making changes even if the piece would work better if modified.
Baveye and his colleagues found that by using a 3-D printer to create their design of the permeameter parts, they were able to avoid several of these problems of traditional equipment manufacturing. Many designs that used to be impossible to make, such as intricate conduits, can now be easily worked into the 3-D printing models. Also, once a piece is designed and even manufactured, changes to the product can be easily made in the computer model and printed anew.
Says Baveye, "Should anyone want permeameter columns with a narrower or larger diameter, designs can be scaled up or down in seconds, and a new piece can be printed without extra human labor."
By avoiding the painstaking and backbreaking work of traditional methods, 3-D printing has inadvertently leveled the playing field. While in the past few students and researchers were willing to use the drills and lathes, many more now look forward to the opportunity to create and print CAD drawings. This technology has opened doors to aspiring soil scientists that may have otherwise passed on the opportunity to create designs and equipment for their research.
An additional benefit of using 3-D printing, and one that Baveye believes could greatly impact soil science, is the ease with which designs can be shared among researchers. When equipment is made using traditional methods, detailed procedures and even blueprints have to be provided for replication of the experiment. Even then, there are often details that make it difficult for others to produce the same design. 3-D printing eliminates this hurdle.
"CAD files can be easily sent by email to colleagues anywhere in the world," explains Baveye. "That means experiments can be replicated easily, even if they involve complicated pieces of equipment."
While the benefits of 3-D printing are obvious, there are some limitations. The object design must consist of contiguous solid material, and the smallest features must be larger than the minimum resolution of the printer being used. Even with these constraints, however, 3-D printing offers a promising alternative to older manufacturing methods, and Baveye and his colleagues have no doubt that the technology will become a mainstream method.
"We expect that the evolution of 3-D printing will follow that of laser printers," says Baveye. "As the price of 3-D printers continues to fall, we expect that they are going to be more and more widely used in soil science laboratories and in many other disciplines."
###
The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/abstracts/0/0/sssaj2012.0196n.
Soil Science Society of America Journal, www.soils.org/publications/sssaj, is a peer-reviewed international journal published six times a year by the Soil Science Society of America. Its contents focus on research relating to physics; chemistry; biology and biochemistry; fertility and plant nutrition; genesis, morphology, and classification; water management and conservation; forest, range, and wildland soils; nutrient management and soil and plant analysis; mineralogy; and wetland soils.
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
SSSA supports its members by providing quality research-based publications, educational programs, certifications, and science policy initiatives via a Washington, DC, office. Founded in 1936, SSSA proudly celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2011. For more information, visit www.soils.org or follow @SSSA_soils on Twitter.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Philippe Baveye baveyp@rpi.edu American Society of Agronomy
Imagine printing a 3-D object as easily as a typed document. Lose a button? Print one. Need a new coffee cup? Print one. While the reality of printing any object on demand may lie in the future, the technology necessary to do it has been available for decades. And soil scientists are now taking advantage of its possibilities.
In a paper published online this week in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, a team of researchers headed by Philippe Baveye explored the potential of manufacturing soil science equipment using 3-D printing. They found that the technology, also called "rapid manufacturing" or "stereolithography," has major benefits over traditional manufacturing methods, and they were able to successfully produce intricate pieces. Also, the ability to easily share the designs used by 3-D printers could allow for better replication of experiments and collaboration among soil scientists.
First developed in the 1980s, the process of 3-D printing begins with a computer-generated model [often a Computer Aided Design (CAD) image] that is "sliced" by a program to create very thin layers of the object. The printer then uses an extruder that lays down a material frequently a thermal plastic layer by layer, as defined by the computer program, to create the full 3-D object. This method is currently being used to build a variety of items, such as mobile phones, jewelry, and artificial limbs.
Baveye's team used the technology to create parts of a permeameter, a device used to measure the hydraulic conductivity of soils. Traditionally, this type of equipment is made using lathes and drills. However, those techniques are painstaking and time-consuming. Also, traditional methods cannot create intricate designs or incorporate certain features such as non-concentric structures. Moreover, once a product is made, researchers are resistant to making changes even if the piece would work better if modified.
Baveye and his colleagues found that by using a 3-D printer to create their design of the permeameter parts, they were able to avoid several of these problems of traditional equipment manufacturing. Many designs that used to be impossible to make, such as intricate conduits, can now be easily worked into the 3-D printing models. Also, once a piece is designed and even manufactured, changes to the product can be easily made in the computer model and printed anew.
Says Baveye, "Should anyone want permeameter columns with a narrower or larger diameter, designs can be scaled up or down in seconds, and a new piece can be printed without extra human labor."
By avoiding the painstaking and backbreaking work of traditional methods, 3-D printing has inadvertently leveled the playing field. While in the past few students and researchers were willing to use the drills and lathes, many more now look forward to the opportunity to create and print CAD drawings. This technology has opened doors to aspiring soil scientists that may have otherwise passed on the opportunity to create designs and equipment for their research.
An additional benefit of using 3-D printing, and one that Baveye believes could greatly impact soil science, is the ease with which designs can be shared among researchers. When equipment is made using traditional methods, detailed procedures and even blueprints have to be provided for replication of the experiment. Even then, there are often details that make it difficult for others to produce the same design. 3-D printing eliminates this hurdle.
"CAD files can be easily sent by email to colleagues anywhere in the world," explains Baveye. "That means experiments can be replicated easily, even if they involve complicated pieces of equipment."
While the benefits of 3-D printing are obvious, there are some limitations. The object design must consist of contiguous solid material, and the smallest features must be larger than the minimum resolution of the printer being used. Even with these constraints, however, 3-D printing offers a promising alternative to older manufacturing methods, and Baveye and his colleagues have no doubt that the technology will become a mainstream method.
"We expect that the evolution of 3-D printing will follow that of laser printers," says Baveye. "As the price of 3-D printers continues to fall, we expect that they are going to be more and more widely used in soil science laboratories and in many other disciplines."
###
The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/abstracts/0/0/sssaj2012.0196n.
Soil Science Society of America Journal, www.soils.org/publications/sssaj, is a peer-reviewed international journal published six times a year by the Soil Science Society of America. Its contents focus on research relating to physics; chemistry; biology and biochemistry; fertility and plant nutrition; genesis, morphology, and classification; water management and conservation; forest, range, and wildland soils; nutrient management and soil and plant analysis; mineralogy; and wetland soils.
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
SSSA supports its members by providing quality research-based publications, educational programs, certifications, and science policy initiatives via a Washington, DC, office. Founded in 1936, SSSA proudly celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2011. For more information, visit www.soils.org or follow @SSSA_soils on Twitter.
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
(She had to pick some toys to giveaway and she picked out three different toys from her room to donate in order to keep the Wedding Castle)
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Product Features
Wedding Castle playset comes with Bride and groom
Playset features a spinning butterfly and a bench that swings
The playset features a whole range of accessories for the wedding
Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are getting married at the castle. Ponies from all over Equestria can?t wait to go to the royal wedding. Your Princess Cadence and Shining Armor pony friends are thrilled to share this special day with you. Help them into their clothes and crowns and prepare the beautiful castle for the party ? then open the castle door to welcome their guests. Castle playset comes with bride and groom pony figures, butterfly, comb, 2 teacups, teapot, wedding cake, table, bouquet, piano, purse, tuxedo, groom crown, bride crown, dress, 2 rings, necklace, chandelier and sticker labels. For ages 3 and over. Box Contains 1x Bride, 1x Groom, 1x butterfly comb, 2x teacups, 1x teapot, 1x wedding cake, 1x table, 1x bouquet, 1x piano, 1x purse, 1x tuxedo, 1x groom crown, 1x bride crown, 1x dress, 2x rings, 1x necklace, 1x chandelier 1x sticker labels
Zoe and Miles played for an hour while I continued working. I love hearing them play nicely and together. They come up with some of the most creative ideas while they are playing. Only time will tell about the REPLAYABILITY in this toy. I?m thinking Zoe will be playing in her room with the ponies as now she has a boy and a girl to go along with her other ponies. One of the toys she gave up was a My LIttle Pony she received from McDonalds that had only plastic hair.
It was really easy to put together and I only needed to look at the instructions to see where the accessories were supposed to go and how they were to be put on the castle.
Otterbox Defender for iPad mini (Video Review) November 28th 2012
The Defender is Otterbox's most protective case and is now available for the iPad mini. It features multiple layers of protection with an inner hardshell, outer plastic cover, and a hard cover. The case also features a built-in screen shield/protector. The hard outer case also doubles as a stand for iPad typing or viewing.
The iPad mini Defender is currently available in Black, Crevasse (reviewed), and Blushed. It retails for 44.99 - $69.95.
Purchase @ Amazon
Otterbox
Connect with Insanely Great Mac
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My brother recently contacted me to ask how to invest a thousand dollars. He was thinking about opening a Roth IRA, but he wanted to know if that was the best place to put his money for the long term. I was happy to hear he wants to start a savings plan. It?s always a good idea to invest for the future. But sometimes investing for retirement isn?t the best way to use your resources. Some people would be better off investing in a non-retirement fund, or using the money for something else, such as creating an emergency fund, or paying off debt. If you are a new investor, or you have a $1,000 you want to invest, then these tips can help you determine your investment goals, and help you reach them.
How to Invest a Thousand Dollars
Should you invest for retirement, or use your money elsewhere?
Be sure investing is the right decision.It?s great to save up $1,000, and even better to want to do something productive with those funds. An investment is a good way to make your money grow, and help you prepare for the future.
But sometimes investing isn?t the right decision. If you have high interest debt, such as a credit card, personal loan, or car loan, then it may be better for you to use the money to pay off your outstanding loan balance. You will get an immediate return on your investment, and you will free up monthly cash flow, which will make it easier to replenish your savings, and invest again in a few months.
The other consideration is preparing for emergencies. If you have a decent emergency fund and are prepared to handle an unexpected financial situation, then investing may be a good idea. If you don?t have an emergency fund in place, then consider building your rainy day fund first ? that way you don?t have to withdraw your investment shortly after making it. Remember, investments can lose money, and the last thing you want to happen is to need to withdraw your investment during a downturn in the market.
Always start with an investing goal. The first step of any investment is to begin by determining your investment goals. Every decision you make needs to reflect your investment goal. In most cases, your investments will fall into two buckets medium term, or 5-10 years, or retirement. If you need the money in less than five years, you are saving, not investing. Your time frame will also help you decide if you need to invest in a retirement account, such as an IRA or 401k, or if you should invest in a non-retirement account, which gives you access to your money more easily, and without the likelihood of penalties or fees.
The case for a short term investment. If you are planning on buying a home in the next 5-10 years, paying for your children?s college, or otherwise plan to access your money in the next few years, then consider investing in a non-retirement account. This will give you access to your money when you need it, without having to worry about early withdrawal penalties that can occur when you withdraw retirement funds before retirement age.
The case for retirement investing. Retirement investing gets a lot of publicity, and with good reason: very few companies offer pension plans, and social security benefits may not be enough to fund your retirement. The more money you put away now, the more time you have for compound interest to work it?s magic, and the less you will have to worry about retirement investing in the future. The only downside to putting a lot of money away for retirement is the inability to easily access the funds without penalty. If you think you will need the money in the near future, then consider investing in a taxable (non-retirement) fund.
Related info: More information on Cash Savings vs. Retirement Savings.
Choose your investment plan carefully.
Roth or Traditional? If you decide to invest in a retirement account, your next decision is to go with a Traditional or Roth IRA or 401k. Here is the basic difference: Traditional IRAs and 401k plans offer a tax break on your income now. Your contributions are tax deductible (up to certain income limits), and your investments grow until you retire. Once you reach retirement age, you can begin making withdrawals from your retirement accounts, and the withdrawals will be taxed at that time. Roth retirement plans are taxed in an opposite manner. Your income is taxed today and it will grow tax free until retirement age, at which point you can make tax free withdrawals. Roth retirement plans are almost always better, especially for younger individuals, and those who are earning less money (because they have more time to let the earnings grow tax free, and lower income earners are in lower tax brackets). Here are some more articles which might be helpful in understanding the differences among the IRA plans, IRA contribution limits, and Roth IRA withdrawal rules.
Where Should You Invest $1000 Dollars?
Keep your investing simple!
Great ? you?ve decided you are going to invest a thousand dollars, but now you don?t know where to start. I get it. There is a huge investment world out there, and it can be intimidating. Let?s do two things to help eliminate much of the noise, and help you decide where to put your investment.
1). Go back to the beginning. Remember the investment goal you set? Always go back to your goals and your investment decisions will be much easier. Keep this in mind if you meet with an investment advisor. Some of them will try to sell you an investment. Always ask if the investment meets your goals. For example, someone may try to sell you life insurance as an investment. If retirement is your goal, then you should think twice about investing in life insurance when other investments might be a better long term match for you.
2). Keep it simple. You don?t need to invest in individual companies, penny stocks, binary options, FOREX, or any other exotic investments. If you can?t explain an investment to someone in 30 seconds, it?s probably too complicated. Keep it simple. Here?s how:
Consider a target date fund. Target date funds are a mixed investment portfolio that features a variety of investments that are automatically balanced for a certain date in the future. In other words, you can buy into an investment that is entirely hands off, and that will maintain a reasonable blend of risk and reward. Here is more information about how target date funds work. Keep in mind target date funds aren?t perfect. But they are a great place to start when you have limited investment funds.
Target date funds automatically adjust their holdings ? making them a great investment for first-time investors.
Where to find good target date funds: There are a few things to keep in mind about target date funds. They can have expensive management fees, depending on who manages the fund. In general, you will find a good fund if you choose a target date fund from one of the major mutual fund houses. Another thing to consider is the minimum investment requirement. Vanguard requires a $1,000 minimum investment for their target date funds, while some of the other large firms require a minimum of $2,000 or $3,000. Some funds require a minimum of $5,000 or even $10,000. I have had great experiences with Vanguard, and recommend them to anyone looking for an excellent selection of low fee investments.
Find a way around the minimum investment requirements. If you don?t have $1,000-$10,000 to invest in a single fund, then look at other options. Some companies allow you to start an investment with less than the minimum requirement as long as you make regular monthly investments. If you can?t swing that, then consider other options. A simple way around the large minimum investment requirement is to open an account with Betterment, which has a $25 minimum investment ? making investing affordable for anyone. They primarily use Vanguard funds, and are able to remove the minimum requirement because they purchase the funds in bulk. There is a small fee to use Betterment, but it is reasonable and a good way to get started when you can?t otherwise meet the investment minimums. For more information, you can read our full Betterment review, or visit their site.
Start Today ? Put Your $1,000 to Work!
Investing can seem complicated, but it doesn?t have to be. Determine whether you should invest your money, or use it for more immediate goals, create your investing goals, then find an investment to help you reach those goals. There is still a lot of work you need to do to investigate the exact investment to purchase, but following these steps will help you eliminate most of the noise and help keep you on track. If you are just starting, then keep things simple. Start with a target date fund, then learn more about the stock markets and investing. Once you have more money to invest and a better understanding of how things work, you can venture into different types of investments.
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An Iowa gardener hikes the Phoenix Mountains to enjoy the saguaro cactus plants -- and the winter heat.
By Craig Summers Black / November 26, 2012
Sitting outside at the hotel in Phoenix is relaxing and warm, but that mountain in the background beckons.
Curtesy of Craig Summers Black
Enlarge Photos
Last winter, Zone 5 Iowa, where I? live, became Zone 7 Iowa. Which is to say, for the first time in history the temperature did not go below zero. Kinda nice. Almost toasty.
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Then we had a prolonged heat wave this summer. Not so nice. Drought.
But despite the fact that US. weather researchers say that our temps in the past year were the highest since record-keeping began in 1895, the need still exists here to escape the cold. (OK, so I?m a weather wimp.) And one of the few direct flights from this little burg goes to Phoenix
So inside of three hours or so I was relaxing by the pool at the Arizona Biltmore,? an ersatz Frank Lloyd Wright project designed to look midway between a Mayan temple and a mausoleum. At long last, I am warm again.
Phoenix Mountains
There's another bonus of staying at this architectural icon: quick access to the Phoenix Mountains desert preserve. Only 20 minutes from the pool.
OK, so I wanted to get warm, but this rocky incline was hot. Most sensible hikers were carrying water, but I figured I?d only get sweatier lugging the stuff up the mountainside. Six of one ?
Saguaro cactus
Now this place isn?t exactly gardenesque, but it is dang impressive. I don?t know how even cactus grows here. But all around were those wondrous saguaros, all looking as though they were being held up.
Did you know it takes about 75 years for that cactus to grow its first arm? This is another reason national parks in the West have trouble with a different kind of rustler ? cactus rustlers. Seems some McMansion owners don?t have the patience to wait for their own cacti to reach for the sky.
An hour of stumbling over mountain rubble in the baking sun, and I?d enjoyed about as much as I could stand. So I went back to the pool. Funny. I went to the pool the first day to get warm. But now I?m going there to cool off.
What else I?m into this week: Growing a goatee to keep my moustache warm. It?s Mowvember
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Craig Summers Black,The Transplanted Gardener, is an award-winning garden writer and photographer who is among more than a dozen expert gardeners who blog regularly here at Diggin' it. You can read more of what he's written at Diggin' It by clicking here. You may also follow Craig?s further adventures in gardening, music, and rural life on Twitter.
The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists (SIOP) has awarded Alexander Alonso, alum of FIU?s industrial and organizational psychology program, the Distinguished Career Contributions Practice Award.
The annual award is given in recognition of distinguished early career contributions to the practice of industrial and organizational psychology. Alonso, who received his doctorate in 2003 from FIU, will be honored in April 2013 during SIOP?s annual conference in Houston, Texas.
Alexander Alonso
?This award means a lot because you are selected by your peers,? Alonso said. ?It means that what I have done to this point in my career has had a positive effect on society and has helped others ? that is ultimately what I have always wanted to do.?
As the director for Competencies Research for the Society for Human Resource Management, Alonso works for the world?s largest human resources professional association with more than 260,000 members. He is responsible for studying what makes a successful HR professional in any environment.
?I have always been extremely inquisitive by nature, and I have been very fortunate to work with so many wonderful colleagues who have fueled my inquisitiveness and fostered my desire to know more and, more importantly, apply what I know,? Alonso said.
Alonso has published works in peer-reviewed journals such as?Journal of Applied Psychology,?International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Personality and Individual Differences,?Quality and Safety in Health Care, and Human Resources Management Review.?He has also served as chairperson for the SIOP International Affairs Committee and participated as a member of the SIOP Professional Practice and Master Tutorial Committees. Additionally, he was vice president for Programs at the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington. He is a co-author for a recurring column on international practice for The Industrial Psychologist.
The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a division within the American Psychological Association and an organizational affiliate of the Association for Psychological Science. Its members represent the clinical and practice aspects of industrial and organizational psychology. SIOP promotes human welfare through various applications of psychology to all types of organizations providing goods or services.
Seizures linked to surgery drugs can be prevented by anesthetics, U of T team findsPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nicole Bodnar nicole.bodnar@utoronto.ca 416-978-5811 University of Toronto
Two drugs commonly given during cardiac surgery can lead to convulsive seizures, but anesthetics can help cut the risk, according to new research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Patients undergoing complex heart operations or trauma surgery are often given tranexamic acid (TXA) and aminocaproic acid (EACA) to reduce blood loss. But Faculty of Medicine researchers found these drugs are associated with a four-to-six-fold increase in post-operative seizures. The risk is highest for cardiac surgery patients between three and seven and a half per cent have seizures after arriving in the intensive care unit.
"Many Canadians are treated with these drugs, particularly TXA, each year to decrease bleeding and help patients avoid blood transfusions. Surgeons and anesthesiologists need to be mindful that these drugs can be pro-convulsants," says Beverley Orser, Professor of Physiology and Anesthesiology at the University of Toronto and Canada Research Chair.
"To decrease a patient's risk of seizure, it's critical to adjust the dose of TXA and EACA. In some cases where the risk of seizures is high, it is advisable to maintain a certain level of anesthetic sedation until the drugs wear off," says Orser, a staff anesthesiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Seizures can cause long-term, permanent neurological problems, increase the risk of stroke and prolong a patient's recovery time.
Clinicians had long been perplexed as to the cause of seizures associated with the use of TXA and EACA. Irene Lecker, a PhD candidate in Orser's laboratory, discovered that these drugs interfere with a naturally occurring anticonvulsant in the brain, glycine, and that widely used anesthetics reverse this interfering effect.
David Mazer, Professor and Vice-Chair of Research in the Department of Anesthesia at University of Toronto and co-investigator on the study, says this research will change the way these drugs are used around the world.
"Now that we understand what's happening inside the brain and the mechanism behind the seizures, we can treat patients better," he says.
Dr. Orser is using these findings, now published in Journal of Clinical Investigation, to work with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre team to develop a new practice of drug administration during and after surgery.
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The study was funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Seizures linked to surgery drugs can be prevented by anesthetics, U of T team findsPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nicole Bodnar nicole.bodnar@utoronto.ca 416-978-5811 University of Toronto
Two drugs commonly given during cardiac surgery can lead to convulsive seizures, but anesthetics can help cut the risk, according to new research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Patients undergoing complex heart operations or trauma surgery are often given tranexamic acid (TXA) and aminocaproic acid (EACA) to reduce blood loss. But Faculty of Medicine researchers found these drugs are associated with a four-to-six-fold increase in post-operative seizures. The risk is highest for cardiac surgery patients between three and seven and a half per cent have seizures after arriving in the intensive care unit.
"Many Canadians are treated with these drugs, particularly TXA, each year to decrease bleeding and help patients avoid blood transfusions. Surgeons and anesthesiologists need to be mindful that these drugs can be pro-convulsants," says Beverley Orser, Professor of Physiology and Anesthesiology at the University of Toronto and Canada Research Chair.
"To decrease a patient's risk of seizure, it's critical to adjust the dose of TXA and EACA. In some cases where the risk of seizures is high, it is advisable to maintain a certain level of anesthetic sedation until the drugs wear off," says Orser, a staff anesthesiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Seizures can cause long-term, permanent neurological problems, increase the risk of stroke and prolong a patient's recovery time.
Clinicians had long been perplexed as to the cause of seizures associated with the use of TXA and EACA. Irene Lecker, a PhD candidate in Orser's laboratory, discovered that these drugs interfere with a naturally occurring anticonvulsant in the brain, glycine, and that widely used anesthetics reverse this interfering effect.
David Mazer, Professor and Vice-Chair of Research in the Department of Anesthesia at University of Toronto and co-investigator on the study, says this research will change the way these drugs are used around the world.
"Now that we understand what's happening inside the brain and the mechanism behind the seizures, we can treat patients better," he says.
Dr. Orser is using these findings, now published in Journal of Clinical Investigation, to work with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre team to develop a new practice of drug administration during and after surgery.
###
The study was funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.
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Every sport is played with some type of specific equipment, but when it comes to basketball the shoes are the most important part of the gear worn. Every company that markets athletic equipment talks about how great their products are, but basketball is a sport where shoes really do make the player. The sport puts all kinds of stress on your feet that demand extra protection. Basketball shoes need to be chosen very carefully, and the following tips should help you do that very thing.
Some amateur basketball players, or parents who are looking for basketball shoes for their children often don't replace their shoes after lots of wear. As a rule, most people agree that you should replace your basketball shoes every month if you are a regular player. It's not uncommon for pro players to change their basketball shoes on a weekly basis. While this is of course an extreme case, you need to understand that even the best basketball shoe ever created is going to wear out at some point after regular use. Most people can't afford that option, of course, but if you wear your basketball shoes longer than you really should, you are making yourself more susceptible to foot and ankle problems.
When you choose basketball shoes, you should realize that the game demands a variety of movements from you, more so than almost any other sport. Aside from having to move quickly, you also have to be able to come to a full stop on a dime. It can be necessary to change course, pivot and jump, all requiring perfect balance. That's why your shoes have to provide you with cushioning, while also being lightweight enough that you don't lose speed. If you don't have the right shoes, you will be risking injury, or at best your motions will be awkward when you have to move or stop suddenly.
When choosing basketball shoes, you should try to find a pair that you like, but don't make style your first priority. Athletic shoes have become status symbols and everyone wants the latest 'hot' shoe, the one everyone's talking about and that has the biggest marketing budget. If you are serious about your game, however, you have to put comfort, support and durability first. The trendiest brand of basketball shoes may or may not be suitable for your feet. You should never base your choice on peer pressure and advertising. You should only choose the shoes that are comfortable and that allow you to move around the court quickly.
In general, you won't become a pro by choosing a certain shoe, but you will be more protected on the court. More than most sports, basketball demands footwear that can withstand a great deal of impact. Just remember these tips when you're out shopping for basketball shoes. You will know you've chosen your basketball shoe correctly when your feet feel good and when you are moving around the court like lightning.
There's no question that there are various things that will aid you to improve your skills in every sport, like basketball,soccer and volley ball, and probably the most significant of them is your vertical jump skill.
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The requirements for getting a loan are pretty straight forward. If you're employed, having a regular monthly profits regarding $800 or higher, this will let you bank account, you fulfill the fundamental requirements. Some creditors inside our network might have additional requirements.
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Obviously, the arrival of the online has significantly altered Reggie Bush Jersey the way you do business today. Marketing and advertising your products or services on-line requires very different strategies than traditional advertising. This article will expose you to some basic online marketing strategies that you can begin using right now to make offering your products on the web much easier plus more productive.
To obtain new clients to provide your website a possibility, attempt giving something apart for free. A giveaway will motivate clients to promote your website on their friends, and may substantially improve your existence online. Whilst a giveaway might appear pricey, just giving away 1 or 2 prizes is more than enough to draw in new guests in.
At the beginning of the Web marketing system, you must a minimum of have got an easy and effortlessly reached site. On a single site, it is possible to Reggie Bush Jersey listing your business, company name, selection of solutions, and then any additional information you may want to offer your clients. In case you are within a strict budget, this can be accomplished oneself making use of one of the many templates on the net.
Every single site owner need to have a very good comprehending of individuals who check out her or his internet site. No website owner requires a far better knowing than the individual who begins an associate marketing and advertising program. The internet site operator ought to select associates, focusing on individuals as their goods and services produce a great fit with the likes and dislikes of the website?s site visitors.
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Visit the web sites of your respective rivals. This will assist you to see what you?re up against, but it will also present you with concepts about what to do a little bit far better or perhaps a tiny differently. You can utilize their web sites for tips about information for your very own web site and blog.
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Remodel your kitchen if it has ugly or outdated appliances and cabinetry. Kitchens are a significant portion of the value of a home. By remodeling your kitchen, you can greatly increase the value of your home. Install stainless steel appliances, replace cabinet doors and put in a tile or glass backsplash.
Cover all of your home?s surfaces to keep them safe from harm when do home improvements. When painting then use a tarp to cover the floor, if you?re demolishing walls or cabinets then cover any finished surface so that there is no scratching or other damage occurs. Also cover any walls that you aren?t going to repaint.
If you have a limited budget for updating your home and want to make the biggest impact value-wise, tackle your kitchen. New counter tops, cabinets, flooring, fixtures and appliances can add both value and appeal to your home if you decide to sell it, and you can enjoy the updates yourself if you plan on staying a while.
A home workshop is useful for successful home improvement projects. It?s important to make sure your home workshop has the proper lighting and safety features. If there are few windows make sure to install good lighting and ventilation in your work areas. Equip the space with a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. Also, other safety items like leather gloves and proper eye protection can be helpful.
Exterior window shutters are one the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve your home?s appearance. If you have carpentry skills, it is very possible to make custom shutters that can be stained or painted to accent your home?s color. For the less handy, prefabricated wood, shutters are attainable at all home-improvement stores and come ready to paint or stain. Shutters are also available in lightweight, recycled plastic in a variety of colors that never need painting.
Before starting any home improvement job you should make sure you have all of the necessary tools available. A missing tool can hold up a project. The effect of such delays can range from minor annoyance all the way up to serious expenses. Many home improvement projects (pouring concrete, for example) can be ruined if you lack the right tools at a critical point.
Updating the outside of your house by repainting the exterior or updating the siding is a very cost value added home improvement. It is one of the most effective ways to increase the sale price of your home. By giving your home an exterior facelift you can instantly add more buying appeal to your home.
Organize your home by bottling up your yarn and other delicate craft materials. Two liter bottles like those soda come in are great for storing practically everything. Remove the label, cut a slit down the side and insert your skeins or balls of yarn! Pull the loose end through the top and replace the cap to secure it.
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Upgrade your water heater to a tankless style for an endless supply of hot water and lowered energy bills. Rather than heating a large drum of water continuously, these devices heat water as it passes through the heater, which is much more efficient than tank-style water heaters. You can choose from whole-house heaters, or those that are meant to supply water to one room or faucet.
Find the home that is the right size and has the features that your family needs to live a happy and comfortable life. There are many features that will make living in the home more comfortable depending on the lifestyle and tasks that a person has in their life. Finding the one that meets your personal needs will keep you happy with your home longer.
Improvements to your home will not pay you back right away. Don?t make any upgrades or improvements to your home if you will be moving in less than three to five years. This is now the time frame that it takes in order to recoup the costs of the upgrades that you make.
If you live in an old home, you may have steel pipes that you should replace with copper or PVC versions. When you encounter steel pipes that have whitish deposits on them, do not strip these away until you are prepared to replace the pipe?the mineral deposits are probably left over from a leak, and this ?scab? may be the only thing preventing your pipes from dripping.
Assess the condition of the paint on the exterior of your home. Old paint that is peeling can make a house look run down, driving down its value. In this case, it would be worth the investment to repaint. New exterior paint can give an old house new life and add value to the house so that you can justify a higher offer from the buyer.
Keep your furniture safe from drink spills and cup outlines by displaying coasters. Coasters are available in a myriad of designs and you are sure to find one to fit your taste. The most common places to use coasters would be your living room end table, coffee table, nightstand, and dining room table.
As stated before in the introduction, many people think home improvement is impossible. People try all the time to improve their homes, but often fail. Even with these failures, home improvement is not as difficult as most people think. All you have to do is remember the home improvement tips in this article to make it easier.
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Patient's own immune cells may blunt viral therapy for brain cancer Public release date: 25-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Darrell E. Ward Darrell.Ward@osumc.edu 614-293-3737 Ohio State University Medical Center
People with a type of brain tumor called glioblastoma live 12 months on average, so new forms of treatment for this malignancy are badly needed.
Viruses designed to kill cancer cells offer a safe way to treat these tumors, but the therapy doesn't work as well as expected.
This study found that a patient's immune system tries to eliminate the anticancer virus and blocking this immune activity gave the virus more time to kill cancer cells.
COLUMBUS, Ohio Doctors now use cancer-killing viruses to treat some patients with lethal, fast-growing brain tumors. Clinical trials show that these therapeutic viruses are safe but less effective than expected.
A new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC James) shows that the reason for this is in part due to the patient's own immune system, which quickly works to eliminate the anticancer virus.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that the body responds to the anticancer virus as it does to an infection. Within hours, specialized immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells move in to eliminate the therapeutic virus in the brain.
The researchers discovered that the NK cells attack the viruses when they express specific molecules on their surface called NKp30 and NKp46. "These receptor molecules enable the NK cells to recognize and destroy the anticancer viruses before the viruses can destroy the tumor," says co-senior author Dr. Michael A. Caligiuri, director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and a senior author of the study.
"When we blocked those receptors, the virus has more time to work, and mice with these brain tumors live longer. The next step is to block these molecules on NK cells in glioblastoma patients and see if we can improve their outcome," says Caligiuri, who is also the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Research.
This study of cancer-cell-killing, or oncolytic, viruses is an example of the value of translational research, in which a problem observed during clinical trials is studied in the laboratory to devise a solution.
"In this case, clinical trials of oncolytic viruses proved safe for use in the brain, but we noticed substantial numbers of immune cells in brain tumors after treatment," says senior author and neurosurgeon Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, who was professor and chair of neurological surgery while at Ohio State University.
"To understand this process, we went back to the laboratory and showed that NK cells rapidly infiltrate tumors in mice that have been treated with the therapeutic virus. These NK cells also signal other inflammatory cells to come in and destroy the cancer-killing virus in the tumor."
The study used an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, human glioblastoma tumor tissue and mouse models, one of which hosted both human glioblastoma cells and human NK cells. Key technical findings include:
Replication of the therapeutic virus in tumor cells in an animal model rapidly attracted subsets of NK cells to the tumor site;
NK cells in tumors activated other immune cells (i.e., macrophages and microglia) that have both antiviral and anticancer properties;
Depletion of NK cells improves the survival of tumor-bearing mice treated with the therapeutic virus;
NK cells that destroy virus-infected tumor cells express the NKp30 and NKp46 receptors molecules that recognize the virus.
"Once we identify the molecules on glioblastoma cells that these NK cell receptors bind with, we might be able to use them to identify patients who will be sensitive to this therapy," Caligiuri says.
###
Funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health/NINDS (grant NS061811), NCI (grants CA069246, CA68458, CA98472, and the National Center for Research Resources (grant RR025753), an American Medical Association Foundation Seed Grant, the Dardinger Neuro-oncology Laboratory and Pelotonia supported this research.
Other researchers involved in this study were Christopher A. Alvarez-Breckenridge, Jianhua Yu, Richard Price1, Jeffrey Wojton, Jason Pradarelli, Hsiaoyin Mao, Min Wei, Yan Wang, Shun He, Jayson Hardcastle, Soledad A. Fernandez and Balveen Kaur of Ohio State; Sean E. Lawler, now at University of Leeds, U.K.; Eric Vivier of Universit de la Mditerrane, Marseille, France; Ofer Mandelboim of Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Alessandro Moretta of Universit degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy.
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only seven centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials. The NCI recently rated Ohio State's cancer program as "exceptional," the highest rating given by NCI survey teams. As the cancer program's 228-bed adult patient-care component, The James is a "Top Hospital" as named by the Leapfrog Group and one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S.News & World Report.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Patient's own immune cells may blunt viral therapy for brain cancer Public release date: 25-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Darrell E. Ward Darrell.Ward@osumc.edu 614-293-3737 Ohio State University Medical Center
People with a type of brain tumor called glioblastoma live 12 months on average, so new forms of treatment for this malignancy are badly needed.
Viruses designed to kill cancer cells offer a safe way to treat these tumors, but the therapy doesn't work as well as expected.
This study found that a patient's immune system tries to eliminate the anticancer virus and blocking this immune activity gave the virus more time to kill cancer cells.
COLUMBUS, Ohio Doctors now use cancer-killing viruses to treat some patients with lethal, fast-growing brain tumors. Clinical trials show that these therapeutic viruses are safe but less effective than expected.
A new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC James) shows that the reason for this is in part due to the patient's own immune system, which quickly works to eliminate the anticancer virus.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that the body responds to the anticancer virus as it does to an infection. Within hours, specialized immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells move in to eliminate the therapeutic virus in the brain.
The researchers discovered that the NK cells attack the viruses when they express specific molecules on their surface called NKp30 and NKp46. "These receptor molecules enable the NK cells to recognize and destroy the anticancer viruses before the viruses can destroy the tumor," says co-senior author Dr. Michael A. Caligiuri, director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and a senior author of the study.
"When we blocked those receptors, the virus has more time to work, and mice with these brain tumors live longer. The next step is to block these molecules on NK cells in glioblastoma patients and see if we can improve their outcome," says Caligiuri, who is also the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Research.
This study of cancer-cell-killing, or oncolytic, viruses is an example of the value of translational research, in which a problem observed during clinical trials is studied in the laboratory to devise a solution.
"In this case, clinical trials of oncolytic viruses proved safe for use in the brain, but we noticed substantial numbers of immune cells in brain tumors after treatment," says senior author and neurosurgeon Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, who was professor and chair of neurological surgery while at Ohio State University.
"To understand this process, we went back to the laboratory and showed that NK cells rapidly infiltrate tumors in mice that have been treated with the therapeutic virus. These NK cells also signal other inflammatory cells to come in and destroy the cancer-killing virus in the tumor."
The study used an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, human glioblastoma tumor tissue and mouse models, one of which hosted both human glioblastoma cells and human NK cells. Key technical findings include:
Replication of the therapeutic virus in tumor cells in an animal model rapidly attracted subsets of NK cells to the tumor site;
NK cells in tumors activated other immune cells (i.e., macrophages and microglia) that have both antiviral and anticancer properties;
Depletion of NK cells improves the survival of tumor-bearing mice treated with the therapeutic virus;
NK cells that destroy virus-infected tumor cells express the NKp30 and NKp46 receptors molecules that recognize the virus.
"Once we identify the molecules on glioblastoma cells that these NK cell receptors bind with, we might be able to use them to identify patients who will be sensitive to this therapy," Caligiuri says.
###
Funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health/NINDS (grant NS061811), NCI (grants CA069246, CA68458, CA98472, and the National Center for Research Resources (grant RR025753), an American Medical Association Foundation Seed Grant, the Dardinger Neuro-oncology Laboratory and Pelotonia supported this research.
Other researchers involved in this study were Christopher A. Alvarez-Breckenridge, Jianhua Yu, Richard Price1, Jeffrey Wojton, Jason Pradarelli, Hsiaoyin Mao, Min Wei, Yan Wang, Shun He, Jayson Hardcastle, Soledad A. Fernandez and Balveen Kaur of Ohio State; Sean E. Lawler, now at University of Leeds, U.K.; Eric Vivier of Universit de la Mditerrane, Marseille, France; Ofer Mandelboim of Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Alessandro Moretta of Universit degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy.
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only seven centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials. The NCI recently rated Ohio State's cancer program as "exceptional," the highest rating given by NCI survey teams. As the cancer program's 228-bed adult patient-care component, The James is a "Top Hospital" as named by the Leapfrog Group and one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S.News & World Report.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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