http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/15/us-chrysler-jobs-idUSBRE8AE1CC20121115
Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:00pm EST
(Reuters) - Chrysler Group LLC, the U.S. automaker majority owned by Fiat SpA, said on Thursday it will invest $238 million to boost engine and truck production in Michigan and add up to 1,250 jobs to meet new demand.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012
Easy Money Scam
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/14/3-on-your-side-easy-money-scam/
November 14, 2012
By Chris May
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – 3 On Your Side has a warning about an easy money scam. It starts with a job offer and an immediate pay check. It sounds great in this tough economy, but it’s not what it seems and a viewer who became a victim alerted 3 On Your Side to this con so you won’t fall for it too.
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Terri’s first assignment arrived in the mail with instructions and a $995 money order.
Her first assignment was to deposit the money order into her bank account. She was told to use $25 to make a purchase at a store and then evaluate the service. For that, she could keep $200. The amount of $770 was left over in her account.
“The remaining balance would be wire-transferred to another shopper for them to do the same type of activity,” Terri said.
Three more money orders arrived the next day in the amount of $995 each.
“You are to deduct $400 of salary from the total amount you will receive today,” said Terri as she read from the instructions that came with the money orders.
This time she was told to wire the rest, around $2500, to another mystery shopper and evaluate that wire service. Within days all four money orders were returned by her bank as counterfeit.
“Everything bounced, everything came in, I had a negative balance on my account,” Terri said.
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The scammers had used a letter head from BestMark, a legitimate business, on its correspondence with Terri.
“Best Mark would never ask you to cash or deposit a check or to transfer any funds,” BestMark’s CEO Ann Jennings told us. “This is a red flag.”
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November 14, 2012
By Chris May
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – 3 On Your Side has a warning about an easy money scam. It starts with a job offer and an immediate pay check. It sounds great in this tough economy, but it’s not what it seems and a viewer who became a victim alerted 3 On Your Side to this con so you won’t fall for it too.
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Terri’s first assignment arrived in the mail with instructions and a $995 money order.
Her first assignment was to deposit the money order into her bank account. She was told to use $25 to make a purchase at a store and then evaluate the service. For that, she could keep $200. The amount of $770 was left over in her account.
“The remaining balance would be wire-transferred to another shopper for them to do the same type of activity,” Terri said.
Three more money orders arrived the next day in the amount of $995 each.
“You are to deduct $400 of salary from the total amount you will receive today,” said Terri as she read from the instructions that came with the money orders.
This time she was told to wire the rest, around $2500, to another mystery shopper and evaluate that wire service. Within days all four money orders were returned by her bank as counterfeit.
“Everything bounced, everything came in, I had a negative balance on my account,” Terri said.
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The scammers had used a letter head from BestMark, a legitimate business, on its correspondence with Terri.
“Best Mark would never ask you to cash or deposit a check or to transfer any funds,” BestMark’s CEO Ann Jennings told us. “This is a red flag.”
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Which Professions Have The Most Psychopaths?
Of course, these lists don't mean all people in professions on the left are psychpaths, and none on the right are. Eg., some people are drawn to professions such as nurse or teacher because it gives them power.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-barker/which-professions-have-the-most-psychopaths_b_2084246.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false%3Fshow_comment_id%3D206343089#comment_206343089,sb=3541310,b=facebook
Eric Barker Author, Blogger, Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Posted: 11/06/2012
First off, psychopath doesn't just mean someone who cuts you up with a chainsaw -- though the majority of people who do things like that are psychopaths. What's the definition?
Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has been variously described as characterized by shallow emotions (in particular reduced fear), stress tolerance, lacking empathy, coldheartedness, lacking guilt, egocentricity, superficial char, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity and antisocial behaviors such as parasitic lifestyle and criminality.
So which professions (other than axe murderer) do they disproportionately gravitate towards -- or away from?
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See the link above for some examples they have disproportionately more or fewer.
Included in the more are CEO and police officer, no surprise.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Juvenile Justice Reforms Should Incorporate Science of Adolescent Development, Report Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134622.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Legal responses to juvenile offending should be grounded in scientific knowledge about adolescent development and tailored to an individual offender's needs and social environment, says a new report from the National Research Council. Accountability practices should not be carried over from criminal courts to
juvenile courts; in particular, confinement should be used only in rare circumstances such as when a youth poses a high risk of harming others.
The specific aims of the juvenile justice system are to hold youths accountable for wrongdoing, prevent further offending, and treat offenders fairly. "Many jurisdictions are still operating under harsh laws passed in the 1990s that rejected the relevance of the developmental differences between adolescents and adults to justice policy," said committee chair Robert Johnson, dean of the New Jersey Medical School in Newark. "But adolescents' brains, behavior, and needs are different from those of adults, and states should align their laws and policies with that evidence."
Research shows that an imbalance in developing brain systems is linked to adolescents' lack of mature capability for self-regulation, heightened sensitivity to external influences, and poorer ability to make decisions that require consideration of the future. Individual development and likelihood of offending are also strongly affected by youths' interactions with their environment, which includes parents, peers, schools, and communities, the report says. Much adolescent involvement in illegal activity is an extension of the kind of risk-taking that is part of the developmental process, and most adolescents mature out of these activities.
Three conditions that are critically important to adolescent development are active involvement by a parent figure, peer groups that value positive socialization and academic success, and activities that contribute to decision-making and critical-thinking abilities, says the report. Juvenile justice system practices that rely on containment, confinement, and control can deprive youth of these resources.
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Legal responses to juvenile offending should be grounded in scientific knowledge about adolescent development and tailored to an individual offender's needs and social environment, says a new report from the National Research Council. Accountability practices should not be carried over from criminal courts to
juvenile courts; in particular, confinement should be used only in rare circumstances such as when a youth poses a high risk of harming others.
The specific aims of the juvenile justice system are to hold youths accountable for wrongdoing, prevent further offending, and treat offenders fairly. "Many jurisdictions are still operating under harsh laws passed in the 1990s that rejected the relevance of the developmental differences between adolescents and adults to justice policy," said committee chair Robert Johnson, dean of the New Jersey Medical School in Newark. "But adolescents' brains, behavior, and needs are different from those of adults, and states should align their laws and policies with that evidence."
Research shows that an imbalance in developing brain systems is linked to adolescents' lack of mature capability for self-regulation, heightened sensitivity to external influences, and poorer ability to make decisions that require consideration of the future. Individual development and likelihood of offending are also strongly affected by youths' interactions with their environment, which includes parents, peers, schools, and communities, the report says. Much adolescent involvement in illegal activity is an extension of the kind of risk-taking that is part of the developmental process, and most adolescents mature out of these activities.
Three conditions that are critically important to adolescent development are active involvement by a parent figure, peer groups that value positive socialization and academic success, and activities that contribute to decision-making and critical-thinking abilities, says the report. Juvenile justice system practices that rely on containment, confinement, and control can deprive youth of these resources.
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Childhood Abuse Leads to Poor Adult Health
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134626.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — The psychological scars of childhood abuse can last well into adulthood. New research from Concordia University shows the harm can have long-term negative physical effects, as well as emotional ones.
Scientists hypothesize that stress in early childhood causes physiological changes that affect a victim's response to stress, which puts the individual at an increased risk of disease later in life. Jean-Philippe Gouin, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Chronic Stress and Health in Concordia's Department of Psychology, tested this link and found that early-life abuse results in physiological changes that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later on.
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — The psychological scars of childhood abuse can last well into adulthood. New research from Concordia University shows the harm can have long-term negative physical effects, as well as emotional ones.
Scientists hypothesize that stress in early childhood causes physiological changes that affect a victim's response to stress, which puts the individual at an increased risk of disease later in life. Jean-Philippe Gouin, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Chronic Stress and Health in Concordia's Department of Psychology, tested this link and found that early-life abuse results in physiological changes that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later on.
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It Pays to Cooperate: Yeast Cells That Share Food Have Survival Edge Over Freeloading Neighbors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134803.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Many species exhibit cooperative survival strategies -- for example, sharing food or alerting other individuals when a predator is nearby. However, there are almost always freeloaders in the population who will take advantage of cooperators. This can be seen even among microbes such as yeast, where "cheaters" consume food produced by their neighbors without contributing any of their own.
n light of this, evolutionary biologists have long wondered why cooperation remains a viable survival strategy, since there will always be others who cheat. Now, MIT physicists have found a possible answer to this question: Among yeast, cooperative members of the population actually have a better chance of survival than cheaters when a competing species is introduced into an environment.
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Many species exhibit cooperative survival strategies -- for example, sharing food or alerting other individuals when a predator is nearby. However, there are almost always freeloaders in the population who will take advantage of cooperators. This can be seen even among microbes such as yeast, where "cheaters" consume food produced by their neighbors without contributing any of their own.
n light of this, evolutionary biologists have long wondered why cooperation remains a viable survival strategy, since there will always be others who cheat. Now, MIT physicists have found a possible answer to this question: Among yeast, cooperative members of the population actually have a better chance of survival than cheaters when a competing species is introduced into an environment.
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Being Neurotic, and Conscientious, a Good Combo for Health
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113143650.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Under certain circumstances neuroticism can be good for your health, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study showing that some self-described neurotics also tended to have the lowest levels of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a biomarker for inflammation and chronic disease.
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Nicholas A. Turiano, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in the URMC Department of Psychiatry, wondered about a gray area -- those people with average-to-high levels of neuroticism who are also conscientious. Exhibiting higher levels of conscientiousness as well as neuroticism points to folks who tend to be high-functioning in society, very organized, goal-oriented, planners, and more likely to be reflective.
"These people are likely to weigh the consequences of their actions, and therefore their level of neuroticism coupled with conscientiousness probably stops them from engaging in risky behaviors," said Turiano, whose study is published online by the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
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The term "healthy neuroticism" was coined in 2000 when other researchers first described how conscientiousness may provide the dose of self-discipline that reduces unhealthy neurotic behaviors like overeating, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol -- all of which have direct or indirect consequences for inflammation. In contrast, a neurotic person who scores low in conscientiousness may not have healthy avenues to deal with stress, the paper said.
"Speculation is that healthy neurotics may be hyper-vigilant about their lifestyle and about seeking treatment when a problem arises," Turiano said. "It's their conscientiousness that guides their decisions to prevent disease or quickly get treatment when they don't feel well."
However, Turiano cautions that more research is needed before scientists can draw firm conclusions.
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Under certain circumstances neuroticism can be good for your health, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study showing that some self-described neurotics also tended to have the lowest levels of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a biomarker for inflammation and chronic disease.
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Nicholas A. Turiano, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in the URMC Department of Psychiatry, wondered about a gray area -- those people with average-to-high levels of neuroticism who are also conscientious. Exhibiting higher levels of conscientiousness as well as neuroticism points to folks who tend to be high-functioning in society, very organized, goal-oriented, planners, and more likely to be reflective.
"These people are likely to weigh the consequences of their actions, and therefore their level of neuroticism coupled with conscientiousness probably stops them from engaging in risky behaviors," said Turiano, whose study is published online by the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
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The term "healthy neuroticism" was coined in 2000 when other researchers first described how conscientiousness may provide the dose of self-discipline that reduces unhealthy neurotic behaviors like overeating, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol -- all of which have direct or indirect consequences for inflammation. In contrast, a neurotic person who scores low in conscientiousness may not have healthy avenues to deal with stress, the paper said.
"Speculation is that healthy neurotics may be hyper-vigilant about their lifestyle and about seeking treatment when a problem arises," Turiano said. "It's their conscientiousness that guides their decisions to prevent disease or quickly get treatment when they don't feel well."
However, Turiano cautions that more research is needed before scientists can draw firm conclusions.
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Meditation May Reduce Death, Heart Attack and Stroke in Heart Patients
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113161504.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — African Americans with heart disease who practiced Transcendental Meditation regularly were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack , stroke or die from all causes compared with African Americans who attended a health education class over more than five years, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Those practicing meditation also lowered their blood pressure and reported less stress and anger. And the more regularly patients meditated, the greater their survival, said researchers who conducted the study at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — African Americans with heart disease who practiced Transcendental Meditation regularly were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack , stroke or die from all causes compared with African Americans who attended a health education class over more than five years, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Those practicing meditation also lowered their blood pressure and reported less stress and anger. And the more regularly patients meditated, the greater their survival, said researchers who conducted the study at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
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Exposure to light at night may cause depression, learning issues
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/jhu-etl110812.php
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Lisa DeNike
Johns Hopkins University
For most of history, humans rose with the sun and slept when it set. Enter Thomas Edison, and with a flick of a switch, night became day, enabling us to work, play and post cat and kid photos on Facebook into the wee hours.
According to a new study of mice led by a Johns Hopkins biologist, however, this typical 21st- century scenario may come at a serious cost: When people routinely burn the midnight oil, they risk suffering depression and learning issues, and not only because of lack of sleep. The culprit could also be exposure to bright light at night from lamps, computers and even iPads.
"Basically, what we found is that chronic exposure to bright light -- even the kind of light you experience in your own living room at home or in the workplace at night if you are a shift worker -- elevates levels of a certain stress hormone in the body, which results in depression and lowers cognitive function," said Samer Hattar, a biology professor in the Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Published in the Nov. 14 advance online publication of the journal Nature, the mice study demonstrates how special cells in the eye (called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, or ipRGCs) are activated by bright light, affecting the brain's center for mood, memory and learning. (Watch a video about this research here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt-YhHTT7H0)
But the study involved mice, so why are we talking about humans? Hattar offers some insight:
"Mice and humans are actually very much alike in many ways, and one is that they have these ipRGCs in their eyes, which affect them the same way," he said. "In addition, in this study, we make reference to previous studies on humans, which show that light does, indeed, impact the human brain's limbic system. And the same pathways are in place in mice."
The scientists knew that shorter days in the winter cause some people to develop a form of depression known as "seasonal affective disorder" and that some patients with this mood disorder benefit from "light therapy," which is simple, regular exposure to bright light.
Hattar's team, led by graduate students Tara LeGates and Cara Altimus, posited that mice would react the same way, and tested their theory by exposing laboratory rodents to a cycle consisting of 3.5 hours of light and then 3.5 hours of darkness. Previous studies using this cycle showed that it did not disrupt the mice's sleep cycles, but Hattar's team found that it did cause the animals to develop depression-like behaviors.
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Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Lisa DeNike
Johns Hopkins University
For most of history, humans rose with the sun and slept when it set. Enter Thomas Edison, and with a flick of a switch, night became day, enabling us to work, play and post cat and kid photos on Facebook into the wee hours.
According to a new study of mice led by a Johns Hopkins biologist, however, this typical 21st- century scenario may come at a serious cost: When people routinely burn the midnight oil, they risk suffering depression and learning issues, and not only because of lack of sleep. The culprit could also be exposure to bright light at night from lamps, computers and even iPads.
"Basically, what we found is that chronic exposure to bright light -- even the kind of light you experience in your own living room at home or in the workplace at night if you are a shift worker -- elevates levels of a certain stress hormone in the body, which results in depression and lowers cognitive function," said Samer Hattar, a biology professor in the Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Published in the Nov. 14 advance online publication of the journal Nature, the mice study demonstrates how special cells in the eye (called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, or ipRGCs) are activated by bright light, affecting the brain's center for mood, memory and learning. (Watch a video about this research here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt-YhHTT7H0)
But the study involved mice, so why are we talking about humans? Hattar offers some insight:
"Mice and humans are actually very much alike in many ways, and one is that they have these ipRGCs in their eyes, which affect them the same way," he said. "In addition, in this study, we make reference to previous studies on humans, which show that light does, indeed, impact the human brain's limbic system. And the same pathways are in place in mice."
The scientists knew that shorter days in the winter cause some people to develop a form of depression known as "seasonal affective disorder" and that some patients with this mood disorder benefit from "light therapy," which is simple, regular exposure to bright light.
Hattar's team, led by graduate students Tara LeGates and Cara Altimus, posited that mice would react the same way, and tested their theory by exposing laboratory rodents to a cycle consisting of 3.5 hours of light and then 3.5 hours of darkness. Previous studies using this cycle showed that it did not disrupt the mice's sleep cycles, but Hattar's team found that it did cause the animals to develop depression-like behaviors.
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PCBs, other pollutants may play role in pregnancy delay
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/nioc-pop111212.php
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Robert Bock or Marianne Glass Miller
NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
NIH study finds delays after exposure to pesticides, industrial chemicals
Couples with high levels of PCBs and similar environmental pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy in comparison to other couples with lower levels of the pollutants, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are chemicals that have been used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment. They are part of a category of chemicals known as persistent organochlorine pollutants and include industrial chemicals and chemical byproducts as well as pesticides. In many cases, the compounds are present in soil, water, and in the food chain. The compounds are resistant to decay, and may persist in the environment for decades. Some, known as persistent lipophilic organochlorine pollutants, accumulate in fatty tissues. Another type, called perfluorochemicals, are used in clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and the insulation of electrical wire.
Exposure to these pollutants is known to have a number of effects on human health, but their effects on human fertility-- and the likelihood of couples achieving pregnancy-- have not been extensively studied.
"Our findings suggest that persistent organochlorine pollutants may play a role in pregnancy delay," said the study's first author, Germain Buck Louis, Ph.D., director of the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at NIH.
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Robert Bock or Marianne Glass Miller
NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
NIH study finds delays after exposure to pesticides, industrial chemicals
Couples with high levels of PCBs and similar environmental pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy in comparison to other couples with lower levels of the pollutants, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are chemicals that have been used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment. They are part of a category of chemicals known as persistent organochlorine pollutants and include industrial chemicals and chemical byproducts as well as pesticides. In many cases, the compounds are present in soil, water, and in the food chain. The compounds are resistant to decay, and may persist in the environment for decades. Some, known as persistent lipophilic organochlorine pollutants, accumulate in fatty tissues. Another type, called perfluorochemicals, are used in clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and the insulation of electrical wire.
Exposure to these pollutants is known to have a number of effects on human health, but their effects on human fertility-- and the likelihood of couples achieving pregnancy-- have not been extensively studied.
"Our findings suggest that persistent organochlorine pollutants may play a role in pregnancy delay," said the study's first author, Germain Buck Louis, Ph.D., director of the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at NIH.
BPA shown to disrupt thyroid function in pregnant animals and offspring
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/tes-bst111212.php
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Aaron Lohr
The Endocrine Society
New study uses animal model similar to humans and shows BPA can affect thyroid function
Chevy Chase, MD –– In utero exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can be associated with decreased thyroid function in newborn sheep, according to a recent study accepted for publication in Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society. Hypothyroidism is characterized by poor mental and physical performance in human adults and in children can result in cognitive impairment and failure to grow normally.
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Aaron Lohr
The Endocrine Society
New study uses animal model similar to humans and shows BPA can affect thyroid function
Chevy Chase, MD –– In utero exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can be associated with decreased thyroid function in newborn sheep, according to a recent study accepted for publication in Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society. Hypothyroidism is characterized by poor mental and physical performance in human adults and in children can result in cognitive impairment and failure to grow normally.
Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQ
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uob-emd111212.php
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Dara O'Hare
University of Bristol
Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child's IQ, according to a new study led by researchers from the universities of Bristol and Oxford using data from over 4,000 mothers and their children in the Children of the 90s study (ALSPAC) and published today in PLOS ONE.
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Dara O'Hare
University of Bristol
Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child's IQ, according to a new study led by researchers from the universities of Bristol and Oxford using data from over 4,000 mothers and their children in the Children of the 90s study (ALSPAC) and published today in PLOS ONE.
A risk gene for cannabis psychosis
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/e-arg111412.php
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Rhiannon Bugno
Elsevier
Philadelphia, PA, November 14, 2012 – The ability of cannabis to produce psychosis has long been an important public health concern. This concern is growing in importance as there is emerging data that cannabis exposure during adolescence may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, a serious psychotic disorder. Further, with the advent of medical marijuana, a new group of people with uncertain psychosis risk may be exposed to cannabis.
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Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Rhiannon Bugno
Elsevier
Philadelphia, PA, November 14, 2012 – The ability of cannabis to produce psychosis has long been an important public health concern. This concern is growing in importance as there is emerging data that cannabis exposure during adolescence may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, a serious psychotic disorder. Further, with the advent of medical marijuana, a new group of people with uncertain psychosis risk may be exposed to cannabis.
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Cause of ‘unexplained infertility’
New research from Queen’s University Belfast has uncovered the cause of infertility for 80 per cent of couples previously diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’.
At present some 50,000 couples require fertility treatment across the UK each year, with the figure reaching one million worldwide. Up to one third of these couples are diagnosed with unexplained or idiopathic infertility. This means that, using current tests, neither partner has been diagnosed with any detectable problem.
Published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online, and carried out by Professor Sheena Lewis from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s, the new research reveals 80 per cent of couples with unexplained or idiopathic infertility in the large study of 239 couples have a detectable cause known as high sperm DNA damage.
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At present some 50,000 couples require fertility treatment across the UK each year, with the figure reaching one million worldwide. Up to one third of these couples are diagnosed with unexplained or idiopathic infertility. This means that, using current tests, neither partner has been diagnosed with any detectable problem.
Published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online, and carried out by Professor Sheena Lewis from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s, the new research reveals 80 per cent of couples with unexplained or idiopathic infertility in the large study of 239 couples have a detectable cause known as high sperm DNA damage.
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The hidden consequences of helping rural communities in Africa
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uob-thc111412.php
Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Philippa Walker
University of Bristol
Improving water supplies in rural African villages may have negative knock-on effects and contribute to increased poverty, new research published today [14 November] has found.
Rural development initiatives across the developing world are designed to improve community wellbeing and livelihoods but a study of Ethiopian villages by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Addis Ababa in Africa has shown that this can lead to unforeseen consequences caused by an increase in the birth rate in the absence of family planning.
The study, published in PLOS ONE and funded by the Leverhulme Trust, also established that resulting population pressures encourage young adults to move to urban areas. Such urbanisation in less developed countries concentrates poverty in cities which already have stretched public services. Projections for Ethiopia, currently one of the least urbanised countries in the world, indicate that the proportion of people living in urban centres will double over the next 40 years, from 17 per cent in 2010 to 38 per cent in 2050.
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By looking at longitudinal survey data collected from 1,280 households before and after the installation of water taps in five Ethiopian villages, researchers were able to show that family size increased due to the reduced time and energy women spent carrying water on their backs and a dramatic reduction in child mortality.
This increase has placed greater pressure on the household's resources, namely food and land, leading to higher rates of childhood malnutrition and inequalities in access to education.
Feeling pressurised by this increased competition, the study concluded that those aged 15 to 30 with access to taps were three times more likely to migrate to a larger city or town than those without ready access to water.
Overall, migration from rural areas to cities is motivated by the desire for a high school education and employment, facilitated by improved infrastructure, transport and communications.
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Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
Contact: Philippa Walker
University of Bristol
Improving water supplies in rural African villages may have negative knock-on effects and contribute to increased poverty, new research published today [14 November] has found.
Rural development initiatives across the developing world are designed to improve community wellbeing and livelihoods but a study of Ethiopian villages by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Addis Ababa in Africa has shown that this can lead to unforeseen consequences caused by an increase in the birth rate in the absence of family planning.
The study, published in PLOS ONE and funded by the Leverhulme Trust, also established that resulting population pressures encourage young adults to move to urban areas. Such urbanisation in less developed countries concentrates poverty in cities which already have stretched public services. Projections for Ethiopia, currently one of the least urbanised countries in the world, indicate that the proportion of people living in urban centres will double over the next 40 years, from 17 per cent in 2010 to 38 per cent in 2050.
------
By looking at longitudinal survey data collected from 1,280 households before and after the installation of water taps in five Ethiopian villages, researchers were able to show that family size increased due to the reduced time and energy women spent carrying water on their backs and a dramatic reduction in child mortality.
This increase has placed greater pressure on the household's resources, namely food and land, leading to higher rates of childhood malnutrition and inequalities in access to education.
Feeling pressurised by this increased competition, the study concluded that those aged 15 to 30 with access to taps were three times more likely to migrate to a larger city or town than those without ready access to water.
Overall, migration from rural areas to cities is motivated by the desire for a high school education and employment, facilitated by improved infrastructure, transport and communications.
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Gene Mutation Identifies Colorectal Cancer Patients Who Live Longer With Aspirin Therapy
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121024175357.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2012) — Aspirin therapy can extend the life of colorectal cancer patients whose tumors carry a mutation in a key gene, but has no effect on patients who lack the mutation, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in the Oct. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
In a study involving more than 900 patients with colorectal cancer, the researchers found that, for patients whose tumors harbored a mutation in the gene PIK3CA, aspirin use produced a sharp jump in survival: five years after diagnosis, 97 percent of those taking aspirin were still alive, compared to 74 percent of those not using aspirin. By contrast, aspirin had no impact on five-year survival rates among patients without a PIK3CA mutation.
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ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2012) — Aspirin therapy can extend the life of colorectal cancer patients whose tumors carry a mutation in a key gene, but has no effect on patients who lack the mutation, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in the Oct. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
In a study involving more than 900 patients with colorectal cancer, the researchers found that, for patients whose tumors harbored a mutation in the gene PIK3CA, aspirin use produced a sharp jump in survival: five years after diagnosis, 97 percent of those taking aspirin were still alive, compared to 74 percent of those not using aspirin. By contrast, aspirin had no impact on five-year survival rates among patients without a PIK3CA mutation.
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Hurricane Sandy's huge size: freak of nature or climate change?
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2293
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 1:10 PM GMT on November 13, 2012
Hurricane Sandy was truly astounding in its size and power. At its peak size, twenty hours before landfall, Sandy had tropical storm-force winds that covered an area nearly one-fifth the area of the contiguous United States. Since detailed records of hurricane size began in 1988, only one tropical storm (Olga of 2001) has had a larger area of tropical storm-force winds, and no hurricanes has. Sandy's area of ocean with twelve-foot seas peaked at 1.4 million square miles--nearly one-half the area of the contiguous United States, or 1% of Earth's total ocean area. Most incredibly, ten hours before landfall (9:30 am EDT October 30), the total energy of Sandy's winds of tropical storm-force and higher peaked at 329 terajoules--the highest value for any Atlantic hurricane since at least 1969. This is 2.7 times higher than Katrina's peak energy, and is equivalent to five Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. At landfall, Sandy's tropical storm-force winds spanned 943 miles of the the U.S. coast. No hurricane on record has been wider; the previous record holder was Hurricane Igor of 2010, which was 863 miles in diameter. Sandy's huge size prompted high wind warnings to be posted from Chicago to Eastern Maine, and from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Florida's Lake Okeechobee--an area home to 120 million people. Sandy's winds simultaneously caused damage to buildings on the shores of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and toppled power lines in Nova Scotia, Canada--locations 1200 miles apart!
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Are we likely to see more such storms in the future?
Global warming theory (Emanuel, 2005) predicts that a 2°C (3.6°F) increase in ocean temperatures should cause an increase in the peak winds of the strongest hurricanes of about about 10%. Furthermore, warmer ocean temperatures are expected to cause hurricanes to dump 20% more rain in their cores by the year 2100, according to computer modeling studies (Knutson et al., 2010). However, there has been no published work describing how hurricane size may change with warmer oceans in a future climate. We've seen an unusual number of Atlantic hurricanes with large size in recent years, but we currently have no theoretical or computer modeling simulations that can explain why this is so, or if we might see more storms like this in the future. However, we've seen significant and unprecedented changes to our atmosphere in recent decades, due to our emissions of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide. The laws of physics demand that the atmosphere must respond. Atmospheric circulation patterns that control extreme weather events must change, and we should expect extreme storms to change in character, frequency, and intensity as a result--and not always in the ways our computer models may predict. We have pushed our climate system to a fundamentally new, higher-energy state where more heat and moisture is available to power stronger storms, and we should be concerned about the possibility that Hurricane Sandy's freak size and power were partially due to human-caused climate change.
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 1:10 PM GMT on November 13, 2012
Hurricane Sandy was truly astounding in its size and power. At its peak size, twenty hours before landfall, Sandy had tropical storm-force winds that covered an area nearly one-fifth the area of the contiguous United States. Since detailed records of hurricane size began in 1988, only one tropical storm (Olga of 2001) has had a larger area of tropical storm-force winds, and no hurricanes has. Sandy's area of ocean with twelve-foot seas peaked at 1.4 million square miles--nearly one-half the area of the contiguous United States, or 1% of Earth's total ocean area. Most incredibly, ten hours before landfall (9:30 am EDT October 30), the total energy of Sandy's winds of tropical storm-force and higher peaked at 329 terajoules--the highest value for any Atlantic hurricane since at least 1969. This is 2.7 times higher than Katrina's peak energy, and is equivalent to five Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. At landfall, Sandy's tropical storm-force winds spanned 943 miles of the the U.S. coast. No hurricane on record has been wider; the previous record holder was Hurricane Igor of 2010, which was 863 miles in diameter. Sandy's huge size prompted high wind warnings to be posted from Chicago to Eastern Maine, and from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Florida's Lake Okeechobee--an area home to 120 million people. Sandy's winds simultaneously caused damage to buildings on the shores of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and toppled power lines in Nova Scotia, Canada--locations 1200 miles apart!
-----
Are we likely to see more such storms in the future?
Global warming theory (Emanuel, 2005) predicts that a 2°C (3.6°F) increase in ocean temperatures should cause an increase in the peak winds of the strongest hurricanes of about about 10%. Furthermore, warmer ocean temperatures are expected to cause hurricanes to dump 20% more rain in their cores by the year 2100, according to computer modeling studies (Knutson et al., 2010). However, there has been no published work describing how hurricane size may change with warmer oceans in a future climate. We've seen an unusual number of Atlantic hurricanes with large size in recent years, but we currently have no theoretical or computer modeling simulations that can explain why this is so, or if we might see more storms like this in the future. However, we've seen significant and unprecedented changes to our atmosphere in recent decades, due to our emissions of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide. The laws of physics demand that the atmosphere must respond. Atmospheric circulation patterns that control extreme weather events must change, and we should expect extreme storms to change in character, frequency, and intensity as a result--and not always in the ways our computer models may predict. We have pushed our climate system to a fundamentally new, higher-energy state where more heat and moisture is available to power stronger storms, and we should be concerned about the possibility that Hurricane Sandy's freak size and power were partially due to human-caused climate change.
Americans’ cholesterol levels falling, review finds
By Deborah Kotz
October 16, 2012
Despite Americans’ growing girth and an increase in obesity-related diseases, cholesterol levels among adults in the United States have taken a turn downward, even in those who aren’t taking cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins, according to an analysis of national health surveys released Tuesday.
That review, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and involving more than 10,000 Americans, found a 5 percent drop in total cholesterol levels from 1988 to 2010, when the latest survey was conducted. The surveys involved in-person interviews, physical exams, and screening blood tests.
Levels of the bad kind of cholesterol, known as LDL, dropped even more — by about 10 percent — from an average blood measurement of 129 milligrams per deciliter to 116 milligrams per deciliter, according to the study that appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. HDL cholesterol levels rose by about 5 percent, another piece of good news because high HDL levels are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
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The study authors suspect that a sharp increase in statin use over the past two decades accounts for some of the improvement in cholesterol levels, with nearly 16 percent of Americans reporting in the most recent surveys that they take a cholesterol-lowering medication, compared with 3 percent in the earlier surveys.
But the data also indicate that adults who weren’t on statins or other drugs experienced a 7 percent decrease in LDL levels, with a corresponding increase in HDL.
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While the survey analysis wasn’t designed to pinpoint reasons for the trend, Kit and his colleagues speculated that a nationwide decline in smoking and consumption of trans fats — once prevalent in margarine and baked goods — may have contributed to some improvements because smoking and trans fats have a negative impact on cholesterol levels.
Other lifestyle factors such as increased physical activity, weight loss, and a decrease in saturated fat intake probably didn’t play a major role because Americans haven’t made significant changes in those behaviors.
“Perhaps we’re eating more whole-grains rich in soluble fiber, which improve cholesterol levels,” said Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The food industry began adding more whole grains to breakfast cereals and other processed foods after the government began recommending in 2005 that Americans get half their starches from whole grains.
The latest analysis didn’t examine whether Americans were actually consuming more whole grains, but Kit said it would be an interesting area for further research.
It’s also unclear, Kit said, whether the rosier cholesterol measurements are translating into improved heart health.
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Woman dies after being denied abortion in Irish hospital
http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/16378770-418/story.html
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK Associated Press November 14, 2012
The debate over legalizing abortion in Ireland flared Wednesday after the government confirmed a miscarrying woman suffering from blood poisoning was refused a quick termination of her pregnancy and died in an Irish hospital.
Prime Minister Enda Kenny said he was awaiting findings from three investigations into the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian living in Galway since 2008 who was 17 weeks along in her pregnancy. The 31-year-old’s case highlights the bizarre legal limbo in which pregnant women facing severe health problems in predominantly Catholic Ireland can find themselves.
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Savita Halappanavar’s husband, Praveen, said doctors determined that she was miscarrying within hours of her hospitalization for severe pain on Sunday, Oct. 21. He said that over the next three days doctors refused their requests for a termination of her fetus to combat her own surging pain and fading health.
“Savita was really in agony. She was very upset, but she accepted she was losing the baby,” he told The Irish Times in a telephone interview from Belgaum, southwest India. “When the consultant came on the ward rounds on Monday morning, Savita asked: ‘If they could not save the baby, could they induce to end the pregnancy?’ The consultant said: ‘As long as there is a fetal heartbeat, we can’t do anything.’”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/14/ireland-woman-dies-after-abortion-refusal
Rachel Donnelly, a spokeswoman for pro-choice campaigners in Galway said: "This was an obstetric emergency which should have been dealt with in a routine manner. Yet Irish doctors are restrained from making obvious medical decisions by a fear of potentially severe consequences
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/savita-halappanavar-death-irish-woman-denied-abortion-dies_n_2128696.html
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK 11/14/12
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The vast bulk of Irish women wanting abortions, an estimated 4,000 per year, simply travel next door to England, where abortion has been legal on demand since 1967. But that option is difficult, if not impossible, for women in failing health.
-----
He said his wife vomited repeatedly and collapsed in a restroom that night, but doctors wouldn't terminate the fetus because its heart was still beating.
-----
the only legislation defining the illegality of abortion in Ireland dates to 1861, when the entire island was part of the United Kingdom. That British law, still valid here due to Irish inaction on the matter, states it is a crime punishable by life imprisonment to "procure a miscarriage."
In the 1992 case, a 14-year-old girl identified in court only as "X" successfully sued the government for the right to have an abortion in England. She had been raped by a neighbor. When her parents reported the crime to police, the attorney general ordered her not to travel abroad for an abortion, arguing this would violate Ireland's constitution.
The Supreme Court ruled she should be permitted an abortion in Ireland, never mind England, because she was making credible threats to commit suicide if refused one. During the case, the girl reportedly suffered a miscarriage.
-----
The World Health Organization, meanwhile, identifies Ireland as an unusually safe place to be pregnant. Its most recent report on global maternal death rates found that only three out of every 100,000 women die in childbirth in Ireland, compared with an average of 14 in Europe and North America, 190 in Asia and 590 in Africa.
[Wonder what the statistics would be if women who had abortions in England because of health problems were prevented from leaving the country? And how are such deaths counted? If a woman dies as a result of pregnancy, like from eclampsia, she would have died "in childbirth".
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK Associated Press November 14, 2012
The debate over legalizing abortion in Ireland flared Wednesday after the government confirmed a miscarrying woman suffering from blood poisoning was refused a quick termination of her pregnancy and died in an Irish hospital.
Prime Minister Enda Kenny said he was awaiting findings from three investigations into the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian living in Galway since 2008 who was 17 weeks along in her pregnancy. The 31-year-old’s case highlights the bizarre legal limbo in which pregnant women facing severe health problems in predominantly Catholic Ireland can find themselves.
-----
Savita Halappanavar’s husband, Praveen, said doctors determined that she was miscarrying within hours of her hospitalization for severe pain on Sunday, Oct. 21. He said that over the next three days doctors refused their requests for a termination of her fetus to combat her own surging pain and fading health.
“Savita was really in agony. She was very upset, but she accepted she was losing the baby,” he told The Irish Times in a telephone interview from Belgaum, southwest India. “When the consultant came on the ward rounds on Monday morning, Savita asked: ‘If they could not save the baby, could they induce to end the pregnancy?’ The consultant said: ‘As long as there is a fetal heartbeat, we can’t do anything.’”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/14/ireland-woman-dies-after-abortion-refusal
Rachel Donnelly, a spokeswoman for pro-choice campaigners in Galway said: "This was an obstetric emergency which should have been dealt with in a routine manner. Yet Irish doctors are restrained from making obvious medical decisions by a fear of potentially severe consequences
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/savita-halappanavar-death-irish-woman-denied-abortion-dies_n_2128696.html
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK 11/14/12
-----
The vast bulk of Irish women wanting abortions, an estimated 4,000 per year, simply travel next door to England, where abortion has been legal on demand since 1967. But that option is difficult, if not impossible, for women in failing health.
-----
He said his wife vomited repeatedly and collapsed in a restroom that night, but doctors wouldn't terminate the fetus because its heart was still beating.
-----
the only legislation defining the illegality of abortion in Ireland dates to 1861, when the entire island was part of the United Kingdom. That British law, still valid here due to Irish inaction on the matter, states it is a crime punishable by life imprisonment to "procure a miscarriage."
In the 1992 case, a 14-year-old girl identified in court only as "X" successfully sued the government for the right to have an abortion in England. She had been raped by a neighbor. When her parents reported the crime to police, the attorney general ordered her not to travel abroad for an abortion, arguing this would violate Ireland's constitution.
The Supreme Court ruled she should be permitted an abortion in Ireland, never mind England, because she was making credible threats to commit suicide if refused one. During the case, the girl reportedly suffered a miscarriage.
-----
The World Health Organization, meanwhile, identifies Ireland as an unusually safe place to be pregnant. Its most recent report on global maternal death rates found that only three out of every 100,000 women die in childbirth in Ireland, compared with an average of 14 in Europe and North America, 190 in Asia and 590 in Africa.
[Wonder what the statistics would be if women who had abortions in England because of health problems were prevented from leaving the country? And how are such deaths counted? If a woman dies as a result of pregnancy, like from eclampsia, she would have died "in childbirth".
Sadly, racism still survives
http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/16378770-418/story.html
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Officials say about 40 students at a small all-men's college in Virginia shouted racial slurs, threw bottles and set off fireworks outside the Minority Student Union within hours after President Barack Obama's re-election.
Hampden-Sydney College President Chris Howard said in an email to parents Thursday that the disturbance early Wednesday also included threats of physical violence.
Howard is the college's first African American president. He said in the email that he was disappointed in the "harmful, senseless episode" and that bigotry has no place on the campus of 1,080. About 9 percent are black.
The racially tinged disturbance is the second reported protest sparked by Obama's re-election. A protest at the University of Mississippi in Oxford late Tuesday involved about 400 people who shouted racial slurs. Two people were arrested.
--The Associated Press
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57547014/racial-slurs-yelled-at-ole-miss-obama-protest/
CBS/AP/ November 8, 2012, 11:19 AM
Racial slurs yelled at Ole Miss Obama protest
A protest at the University of Mississippi against the re-election of President Obama grew into a crowd of about 400 people with shouted racial slurs as rumors of a riot spread on social media. Two people were arrested on minor charges.
The university said in a statement Wednesday that the gathering at the student union began late Tuesday night with about 30 to 40 students, but grew within 20 minutes as word spread. Some students chanted political slogans while others used derogatory racial statements and profanity, the statement said.
The incident comes just after the 50th anniversary of violent rioting that greeted the forced integration of Ole Miss with the enrollment of its first black student, James Meredith.
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Ellen Meacham, an Ole Miss journalism instructor, posted on Facebook that "anyone who calls that a riot has never read or heard anything about 1962."
She was referring to when Meredith became the first black student to enroll at the university on Oct. 1, 1962. Federal authorities deployed more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 500 law enforcement officers to Oxford during the integration. An angry mob started an uprising that killed two white men. More than 200 people were injured. Ole Miss sponsored lectures and other events this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary.
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Thursday, November 08, 2012
Officials say about 40 students at a small all-men's college in Virginia shouted racial slurs, threw bottles and set off fireworks outside the Minority Student Union within hours after President Barack Obama's re-election.
Hampden-Sydney College President Chris Howard said in an email to parents Thursday that the disturbance early Wednesday also included threats of physical violence.
Howard is the college's first African American president. He said in the email that he was disappointed in the "harmful, senseless episode" and that bigotry has no place on the campus of 1,080. About 9 percent are black.
The racially tinged disturbance is the second reported protest sparked by Obama's re-election. A protest at the University of Mississippi in Oxford late Tuesday involved about 400 people who shouted racial slurs. Two people were arrested.
--The Associated Press
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57547014/racial-slurs-yelled-at-ole-miss-obama-protest/
CBS/AP/ November 8, 2012, 11:19 AM
Racial slurs yelled at Ole Miss Obama protest
A protest at the University of Mississippi against the re-election of President Obama grew into a crowd of about 400 people with shouted racial slurs as rumors of a riot spread on social media. Two people were arrested on minor charges.
The university said in a statement Wednesday that the gathering at the student union began late Tuesday night with about 30 to 40 students, but grew within 20 minutes as word spread. Some students chanted political slogans while others used derogatory racial statements and profanity, the statement said.
The incident comes just after the 50th anniversary of violent rioting that greeted the forced integration of Ole Miss with the enrollment of its first black student, James Meredith.
-----
Ellen Meacham, an Ole Miss journalism instructor, posted on Facebook that "anyone who calls that a riot has never read or heard anything about 1962."
She was referring to when Meredith became the first black student to enroll at the university on Oct. 1, 1962. Federal authorities deployed more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 500 law enforcement officers to Oxford during the integration. An angry mob started an uprising that killed two white men. More than 200 people were injured. Ole Miss sponsored lectures and other events this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary.
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Rape victim wins right to sue guard that denied her prescribed contraception
http://www.examiner.com/article/rape-victim-wins-right-to-sue-jail-that-denied-her-perscribed-contraception
August 5, 2012
By: Lou Colagiovanni
The woman whose name is only known via court records as "R.W." was brutally raped January 27, 2007 by an unknown assailant. After going to the hospital she was arrested by police on a prior charge and sent to jail. While in custody a guard denied R.W.'s request to give her a contraceptive pill that was prescribed by the emergency room doctor, because it was against their religious beliefs. Now over 5 years later a court has ruled R.W. does have a right to sue the guard for violating her constitutional rights.
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August 5, 2012
By: Lou Colagiovanni
The woman whose name is only known via court records as "R.W." was brutally raped January 27, 2007 by an unknown assailant. After going to the hospital she was arrested by police on a prior charge and sent to jail. While in custody a guard denied R.W.'s request to give her a contraceptive pill that was prescribed by the emergency room doctor, because it was against their religious beliefs. Now over 5 years later a court has ruled R.W. does have a right to sue the guard for violating her constitutional rights.
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Okinawan residents sue government for U.S. Marine base noise
http://japandailypress.com/okinawan-residents-sue-government-for-u-s-marine-base-noise-0918142
By Ida Torres / November 9, 2012
In an attempt to push for an early relocation of the air station, residents near the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma filed a lawsuit against the central government in the Naha District Court in the city of Okinawa. 1,199 plaintiffs are seeking 470 million yen ($5.9 million U.S. dollars) as compensation for excessive noise levels coming from the base.
According to the lawyers representing the residents, people living near the station are exposed to a Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level (WECPNL) of 75 or higher since 2009, noise levels that are higher than those of subway cars. Hideo Miyaguni, head of the legal team for the plaintiffs, says that though they are seeking damages, their ultimate goal is the removal of the base whose continued presence is unacceptable in the heavily populated city of Ginowan. Japanese and U.S. governments have previously agreed to relocation the Futenma station to the less crowded Henoko, an area further north on Okinawa but no progress has been made so far. This lawsuit is different from one filed by 3,000 plaintiffs seeking an end to the presence of the U.S. bases and seeking compensation for noise-induced illness. The central government has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
=============================================
I deliberately put this adjacent to the article on how people reject facts that don't fit their prior beliefs.
Based on experience, I expect that people who label themselves liberals will sympathize with the Japanese. I suspect conservatives would say the Japanese should be grateful for our protection.
I know from direct experience that when I say that a lot of Mexicans have moved into my neighborhood, and torture me by playing very loud music with very loud bass, liberals will castigate me as racist, and say that I should move If I don't like the noise. Conservatives will sympathize because it fits into their xenophobia.
I will try to get some direct evidence on people's reactions to the Japanese complaints about Americans noise, to test whether my expectations are correct, because sometimes people do surprise me.
By Ida Torres / November 9, 2012
In an attempt to push for an early relocation of the air station, residents near the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma filed a lawsuit against the central government in the Naha District Court in the city of Okinawa. 1,199 plaintiffs are seeking 470 million yen ($5.9 million U.S. dollars) as compensation for excessive noise levels coming from the base.
According to the lawyers representing the residents, people living near the station are exposed to a Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level (WECPNL) of 75 or higher since 2009, noise levels that are higher than those of subway cars. Hideo Miyaguni, head of the legal team for the plaintiffs, says that though they are seeking damages, their ultimate goal is the removal of the base whose continued presence is unacceptable in the heavily populated city of Ginowan. Japanese and U.S. governments have previously agreed to relocation the Futenma station to the less crowded Henoko, an area further north on Okinawa but no progress has been made so far. This lawsuit is different from one filed by 3,000 plaintiffs seeking an end to the presence of the U.S. bases and seeking compensation for noise-induced illness. The central government has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
=============================================
I deliberately put this adjacent to the article on how people reject facts that don't fit their prior beliefs.
Based on experience, I expect that people who label themselves liberals will sympathize with the Japanese. I suspect conservatives would say the Japanese should be grateful for our protection.
I know from direct experience that when I say that a lot of Mexicans have moved into my neighborhood, and torture me by playing very loud music with very loud bass, liberals will castigate me as racist, and say that I should move If I don't like the noise. Conservatives will sympathize because it fits into their xenophobia.
I will try to get some direct evidence on people's reactions to the Japanese complaints about Americans noise, to test whether my expectations are correct, because sometimes people do surprise me.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
How facts backfire
I suggest reading the whole article at the following link. Very interesting. I have some very strong opinions about values, but I try to keep an open mind about facts. I sometimes decide not to include an interesting research item it this blog because I know that many people will take it as settled fact, and not be open to later corrections.
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/milton/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/?page=full
Researchers discover a surprising threat to democracy: our brains
By Joe Keohane
July 11, 2010
It’s one of the great assumptions underlying modern democracy that an informed citizenry is preferable to an uninformed one. “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1789. This notion, carried down through the years, underlies everything from humble political pamphlets to presidential debates to the very notion of a free press. Mankind may be crooked timber, as Kant put it, uniquely susceptible to ignorance and misinformation, but it’s an article of faith that knowledge is the best remedy. If people are furnished with the facts, they will be clearer thinkers and better citizens. If they are ignorant, facts will enlighten them. If they are mistaken, facts will set them straight.
In the end, truth will out. Won’t it?
Maybe not. Recently, a few political scientists have begun to discover a human tendency deeply discouraging to anyone with faith in the power of information. It’s this: Facts don’t necessarily have the power to change our minds. In fact, quite the opposite. In a series of studies in 2005 and 2006, researchers at the University of Michigan found that when misinformed people, particularly political partisans, were exposed to corrected facts in news stories, they rarely changed their minds. In fact, they often became even more strongly set in their beliefs. Facts, they found, were not curing misinformation. Like an underpowered antibiotic, facts could actually make misinformation even stronger.
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Study finds high exposure to food-borne toxins
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/7190
Preschool children are particularly vulnerable to compounds linked to cancer and other conditions.
November 13, 2012
In a sobering study published in the journal Environmental Health, researchers at UC Davis and UCLA measured food-borne toxin exposure in children and adults by pinpointing foods with high levels of toxic compounds and determining how much of these foods were consumed. The researchers found that family members in the study, and preschool children in particular, are at high risk for exposure to arsenic, dieldrin, DDE (a DDT metabolite), dioxins and acrylamide. These compounds have been linked to cancer, developmental disabilities, birth defects and other conditions. However, the study also points to dietary modifications that could mitigate risk.
"Contaminants get into our food in a variety of ways," said study principal investigator Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor and chief of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health at UC Davis. "They can be chemicals that have nothing to do with the food or byproducts from processing. We wanted to understand the dietary pathway pesticides, metals and other toxins take to get into the body."
Researchers assessed risk by comparing toxin consumption to established benchmarks for cancer risk and non-cancer health risks. All 364 children in the study (207 preschool children between two and seven and 157 school-age children between five and seven) exceeded cancer benchmarks for arsenic, dieldrin, DDE and dioxins. In addition, more than 95 percent of preschool children exceeded non-cancer risk levels for acrylamide, a cooking byproduct often found in processed foods like potato and tortilla chips. Pesticide exposure was particularly high in tomatoes, peaches, apples, peppers, grapes, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, dairy, pears, green beans and celery.
"We focused on children because early exposure can have long-term effects on disease outcomes," said Rainbow Vogt, lead author of the study. "Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency only measures risk based on exposures of individual contaminants. We wanted to understand the cumulative risk from dietary contaminants. The results of this study demonstrate a need to prevent exposure to multiple toxins in young children to lower their cancer risk."
-----
Perhaps most disturbing, preschool-age children had higher exposure to more than half the toxic compounds being measured. Even relatively low exposures can greatly increase the risk of cancer or neurological impairment.
"We need to be especially careful about children, because they tend to be more vulnerable to many of these chemicals and their effects on the developing brain," says Hertz-Picciotto.
Though these results are cause for concern, the study also outlines strategies to lower family exposure. For example, organic produce has lower pesticide levels. In addition, toxin types vary in different foods. Certain pesticides may be found in lettuce and broccoli, while others affect peaches and apples.
"Varying our diet and our children's diet could help reduce exposure," said Hertz-Picciotto. "Because different foods are treated differently at the source, dietary variation can help protect us from accumulating too much of any one toxin."
Families also can reduce their consumption of animal meat and fats, which may contain high levels of DDE and other persistent organic pollutants, and switch to organic milk. While mercury is most often found in fish, accumulation varies greatly by species. Smaller fish, lower on the food chain, generally have lower mercury levels. In addition, acrilomides are relatively easy to remove from the diet.
"Acrilomides come from chips and other processed grains, said co-author Deborah Bennett, associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at UC Davis. "Even if we set aside the potential toxins in these foods, we probably shouldn't be eating large amounts of them anyway. However, we should be eating fruits, vegetables and fish, which are generally healthy foods. We just need to be more careful in how we approach them."
-----
Preschool children are particularly vulnerable to compounds linked to cancer and other conditions.
November 13, 2012
In a sobering study published in the journal Environmental Health, researchers at UC Davis and UCLA measured food-borne toxin exposure in children and adults by pinpointing foods with high levels of toxic compounds and determining how much of these foods were consumed. The researchers found that family members in the study, and preschool children in particular, are at high risk for exposure to arsenic, dieldrin, DDE (a DDT metabolite), dioxins and acrylamide. These compounds have been linked to cancer, developmental disabilities, birth defects and other conditions. However, the study also points to dietary modifications that could mitigate risk.
"Contaminants get into our food in a variety of ways," said study principal investigator Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor and chief of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health at UC Davis. "They can be chemicals that have nothing to do with the food or byproducts from processing. We wanted to understand the dietary pathway pesticides, metals and other toxins take to get into the body."
Researchers assessed risk by comparing toxin consumption to established benchmarks for cancer risk and non-cancer health risks. All 364 children in the study (207 preschool children between two and seven and 157 school-age children between five and seven) exceeded cancer benchmarks for arsenic, dieldrin, DDE and dioxins. In addition, more than 95 percent of preschool children exceeded non-cancer risk levels for acrylamide, a cooking byproduct often found in processed foods like potato and tortilla chips. Pesticide exposure was particularly high in tomatoes, peaches, apples, peppers, grapes, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, dairy, pears, green beans and celery.
"We focused on children because early exposure can have long-term effects on disease outcomes," said Rainbow Vogt, lead author of the study. "Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency only measures risk based on exposures of individual contaminants. We wanted to understand the cumulative risk from dietary contaminants. The results of this study demonstrate a need to prevent exposure to multiple toxins in young children to lower their cancer risk."
-----
Perhaps most disturbing, preschool-age children had higher exposure to more than half the toxic compounds being measured. Even relatively low exposures can greatly increase the risk of cancer or neurological impairment.
"We need to be especially careful about children, because they tend to be more vulnerable to many of these chemicals and their effects on the developing brain," says Hertz-Picciotto.
Though these results are cause for concern, the study also outlines strategies to lower family exposure. For example, organic produce has lower pesticide levels. In addition, toxin types vary in different foods. Certain pesticides may be found in lettuce and broccoli, while others affect peaches and apples.
"Varying our diet and our children's diet could help reduce exposure," said Hertz-Picciotto. "Because different foods are treated differently at the source, dietary variation can help protect us from accumulating too much of any one toxin."
Families also can reduce their consumption of animal meat and fats, which may contain high levels of DDE and other persistent organic pollutants, and switch to organic milk. While mercury is most often found in fish, accumulation varies greatly by species. Smaller fish, lower on the food chain, generally have lower mercury levels. In addition, acrilomides are relatively easy to remove from the diet.
"Acrilomides come from chips and other processed grains, said co-author Deborah Bennett, associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at UC Davis. "Even if we set aside the potential toxins in these foods, we probably shouldn't be eating large amounts of them anyway. However, we should be eating fruits, vegetables and fish, which are generally healthy foods. We just need to be more careful in how we approach them."
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The Southern Strategy
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/13/1161225/-Jimmy-Carter-s-grandson-strikes-again
Tue Nov 13, 2012
You probably remember back in September when Jimmy Carter's grandson, James Carter IV, was instrumental in digging up and helping publicize Romney's 47% video. We all enjoyed the poetic justice of the moment that very likely contributed to Romney's defeat.
Now James Carter IV is at it again, this time digging up actual audio of Republican strategist Lee Atwater explaining the "Southern Strategy":
It has become, for liberals and leftists enraged by the way Republicans never suffer the consequences for turning electoral politics into a cesspool, a kind of smoking gun. The late, legendarily brutal campaign consultant Lee Atwater explains how Republicans can win the vote of racists without sounding racist themselves...
Here is the infamous quote:
You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”
It's not that the words are new. This quote has been around and known since 1981. What's new, thanks to Jimmy Carter IV's work, is that we now have audio to accompany it:
[see link above for the audio]
This is an exclusive from The Nation. It is quite something to hear the actual words spoken, as well as hear them in their complete context (which doesn't make them any better). There is complete audio of the interview at the link.
This is the GOP strategy since 1968, and it continues today.
Tue Nov 13, 2012
You probably remember back in September when Jimmy Carter's grandson, James Carter IV, was instrumental in digging up and helping publicize Romney's 47% video. We all enjoyed the poetic justice of the moment that very likely contributed to Romney's defeat.
Now James Carter IV is at it again, this time digging up actual audio of Republican strategist Lee Atwater explaining the "Southern Strategy":
It has become, for liberals and leftists enraged by the way Republicans never suffer the consequences for turning electoral politics into a cesspool, a kind of smoking gun. The late, legendarily brutal campaign consultant Lee Atwater explains how Republicans can win the vote of racists without sounding racist themselves...
Here is the infamous quote:
You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”
It's not that the words are new. This quote has been around and known since 1981. What's new, thanks to Jimmy Carter IV's work, is that we now have audio to accompany it:
[see link above for the audio]
This is an exclusive from The Nation. It is quite something to hear the actual words spoken, as well as hear them in their complete context (which doesn't make them any better). There is complete audio of the interview at the link.
This is the GOP strategy since 1968, and it continues today.
Uranium exposure linked to increased lupus rate
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uoca-uel111312.php
Public release date: 13-Nov-2012
Contact: Amanda Harper
University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
CINCINNATI—People living near a former uranium ore processing facility in Ohio are experiencing a higher than average rate of lupus, according a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, nervous system and other organs of the body. The underlying causes of lupus are unknown, but it is usually more common in women of child-bearing age.
For this new study, a collaborative team of UC and Cincinnati Children's researchers wanted to compare lupus rates between people who were exposed to uranium and those who were not in an effort to explain the high number of lupus cases reported in a Cincinnati community.
Extensive review of medical records and serum antibody analysis to verify the cases, concluded that people who were exposed to higher levels of uranium, based on their living proximity to a former uranium ore processing plant, had lupus rates four times higher than the average population.
"Former studies have suggested that people with lupus may be more sensitive to radiation and that both genetics and environmental exposures play a role in disease development.
-----
Public release date: 13-Nov-2012
Contact: Amanda Harper
University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
CINCINNATI—People living near a former uranium ore processing facility in Ohio are experiencing a higher than average rate of lupus, according a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, nervous system and other organs of the body. The underlying causes of lupus are unknown, but it is usually more common in women of child-bearing age.
For this new study, a collaborative team of UC and Cincinnati Children's researchers wanted to compare lupus rates between people who were exposed to uranium and those who were not in an effort to explain the high number of lupus cases reported in a Cincinnati community.
Extensive review of medical records and serum antibody analysis to verify the cases, concluded that people who were exposed to higher levels of uranium, based on their living proximity to a former uranium ore processing plant, had lupus rates four times higher than the average population.
"Former studies have suggested that people with lupus may be more sensitive to radiation and that both genetics and environmental exposures play a role in disease development.
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Wishful thinking?
Anybody work for a utility or know someone who does? I understand being w/o power is really a hardship, but it seems to me that expecting the NE utilities to restore all power in two weeks from a storm of that magnitude is not realistic?
Papa John's Obamacare Costs Are Far Less Than Price Of Free Pizza Giveaway
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/papa-johns-obamacare_n_2123207.html
The Huffington Post | By Jillian Berman Posted: 11/13/2012
News flash to Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter: Obamacare isn’t the only thing costing your business money.
The pizza chain head has made his views on the Affordable Care Act clear in recent months, claiming the new health care law will cost his business about $5 to $8 million per year. To compensate Schnatter's said he will likely raise pizza prices and cut back some workers’ hours so he doesn’t have to insure them.
Caleb Melby of Forbes has graciously done the math on Obamacare’s cost to Papa John’s and according to his analysis, to cover the cost of Obamacare, the pizza chain would have to raise prices by 3.4 to 4.6 cents per pie -- way less than the 11 to 14 cents Schnatter claims he needs.
And there are other changes the chain could make to save some money, Melby notes, like not giving away 2 million pizzas for free at a cost of between $24 and $32 million to the company, for example.
(Read Melby's full analysis here)
We're guessing Obamacare won't impact life at Schnatter's lavish home, a 40,000 square-foot mansion in a tony suburb of Louisville, Kentucky, that features several swimming pools, a private golf course and a 22-car garage among other amenities, according to CelebrityNetworth.com.
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The Huffington Post | By Jillian Berman Posted: 11/13/2012
News flash to Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter: Obamacare isn’t the only thing costing your business money.
The pizza chain head has made his views on the Affordable Care Act clear in recent months, claiming the new health care law will cost his business about $5 to $8 million per year. To compensate Schnatter's said he will likely raise pizza prices and cut back some workers’ hours so he doesn’t have to insure them.
Caleb Melby of Forbes has graciously done the math on Obamacare’s cost to Papa John’s and according to his analysis, to cover the cost of Obamacare, the pizza chain would have to raise prices by 3.4 to 4.6 cents per pie -- way less than the 11 to 14 cents Schnatter claims he needs.
And there are other changes the chain could make to save some money, Melby notes, like not giving away 2 million pizzas for free at a cost of between $24 and $32 million to the company, for example.
(Read Melby's full analysis here)
We're guessing Obamacare won't impact life at Schnatter's lavish home, a 40,000 square-foot mansion in a tony suburb of Louisville, Kentucky, that features several swimming pools, a private golf course and a 22-car garage among other amenities, according to CelebrityNetworth.com.
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Monday, November 12, 2012
Walmart Raises Employee Healthcare Premiums by up to 36%
http://makingchangeatwalmart.org/2012/11/12/walmart-raises-employee-healthcare-premiums-by-up-to-36/
Posted on November 12, 2012 by jway
Walmart Raises Employee Healthcare Premiums by up to 36%; Places further Restrictions on Eligibility
As Walmart executives publicized an employee healthcare change that showcased no-cost spine and heart surgeries at select hospitals, managers delivered a different message to retail associates at their stores: your healthcare costs are going up, again. Premiums are set to increase by up to 36% next year, employees were told, adding to steep hikes they faced last year. In comparison, projections for large employer-sponsored health plans are expected to increase by only 5.5 percent, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
This time last year, Walmart substantially rolled back coverage for part-time workers and significantly raised premiums as reported in the New York Times. Already working for poverty paychecks as a result of low-wages and insufficient hours, many of the company’s 1.4 million employees and their families are already uninsured and rely on costly public healthcare programs. The costly new changes are pushing many more hard-working Walmart Associates to drop coverage – a concern that members of OUR Walmart, the nationwide organization of Associates calling for change at the company, have been speaking out about.
Dan Hindman, a four year Associate from Paramount, Calif. store, doesn’t know how he is going to manage the rising costs. “Last year, my monthly premium went up 33%, and this year it’s going up another 25%. I can barely afford the Walmart healthcare right now,” said Hindman. “But I don’t want to lose coverage for my son and me.”
Walmart workers with families are some of the hardest hit by the changes in the plan. The increases over the last two years have doubled family coverage. This year alone, workers with children are facing an increase of up to 36% and those with full family coverage are confronted with a hike of 32%.
“Walmart’s double-digit premium increases, increased deductibles and cutbacks for part-time employees seem really excessive given the company’s profits,” said Ross Eisenbrey, Vice President at the Economic Policy Institute. “These harsh benefit cuts are out of line with what’s actually required by the insurance market, which nationwide has had only single-digit cost increases. With wages and household incomes stagnant—as well as families still recovering from the recession—it’s a particularly bad time for a rich company like Walmart to be shifting more costs onto its employees.”
-----
In addition to the premium increases, Walmart has added a number of restrictions on eligibility to the plan that will significantly limit access to coverage, even at the unaffordable rates. Under the new plan, Associates hired after February 1, 2012 will need to average 30 hours a week to be eligible for healthcare, an increase from the 24-hour eligibility requirement that was put into place last year. Up until last year, all part time employees were able to purchase insurance after 365 days of employment.
Workers also face steep increases in out-of-pocket costs. Beyond the dramatic increases in premium costs, Walmart has drastically increased costs for out-of-network coverage. For the first time, Walmart has created different deductibles for in-network versus out-of-network care. Previously all monies spent counted toward the deductible.
Posted on November 12, 2012 by jway
Walmart Raises Employee Healthcare Premiums by up to 36%; Places further Restrictions on Eligibility
As Walmart executives publicized an employee healthcare change that showcased no-cost spine and heart surgeries at select hospitals, managers delivered a different message to retail associates at their stores: your healthcare costs are going up, again. Premiums are set to increase by up to 36% next year, employees were told, adding to steep hikes they faced last year. In comparison, projections for large employer-sponsored health plans are expected to increase by only 5.5 percent, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
This time last year, Walmart substantially rolled back coverage for part-time workers and significantly raised premiums as reported in the New York Times. Already working for poverty paychecks as a result of low-wages and insufficient hours, many of the company’s 1.4 million employees and their families are already uninsured and rely on costly public healthcare programs. The costly new changes are pushing many more hard-working Walmart Associates to drop coverage – a concern that members of OUR Walmart, the nationwide organization of Associates calling for change at the company, have been speaking out about.
Dan Hindman, a four year Associate from Paramount, Calif. store, doesn’t know how he is going to manage the rising costs. “Last year, my monthly premium went up 33%, and this year it’s going up another 25%. I can barely afford the Walmart healthcare right now,” said Hindman. “But I don’t want to lose coverage for my son and me.”
Walmart workers with families are some of the hardest hit by the changes in the plan. The increases over the last two years have doubled family coverage. This year alone, workers with children are facing an increase of up to 36% and those with full family coverage are confronted with a hike of 32%.
“Walmart’s double-digit premium increases, increased deductibles and cutbacks for part-time employees seem really excessive given the company’s profits,” said Ross Eisenbrey, Vice President at the Economic Policy Institute. “These harsh benefit cuts are out of line with what’s actually required by the insurance market, which nationwide has had only single-digit cost increases. With wages and household incomes stagnant—as well as families still recovering from the recession—it’s a particularly bad time for a rich company like Walmart to be shifting more costs onto its employees.”
-----
In addition to the premium increases, Walmart has added a number of restrictions on eligibility to the plan that will significantly limit access to coverage, even at the unaffordable rates. Under the new plan, Associates hired after February 1, 2012 will need to average 30 hours a week to be eligible for healthcare, an increase from the 24-hour eligibility requirement that was put into place last year. Up until last year, all part time employees were able to purchase insurance after 365 days of employment.
Workers also face steep increases in out-of-pocket costs. Beyond the dramatic increases in premium costs, Walmart has drastically increased costs for out-of-network coverage. For the first time, Walmart has created different deductibles for in-network versus out-of-network care. Previously all monies spent counted toward the deductible.
No House GOP Mandate
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_11/no_house_gop_mandate_either041153.php
November 12, 2012 4:49 PM No House GOP Mandate, Either
To hear John Boehner, Republican spinners and big elements of the MSM the last few days, the election ratified the 2010-2012 status quo, meaning that the Speaker and other GOP leaders had no reason to be any more reasonable now than they did on November 5. Boehner’s distant predecessor Newt Gingrich went further, suggesting that the Speaker claim a “split mandate,” with House GOPers enjoying as much legitimacy as the president in their post-election wishes.
There’s only one problem with that planted axiom: House Republicans only won a majority of seats because of gerrymandering. WaPo’s Aaron Blake reports:
Democratic House candidates appear to have won more of the popular vote than their Republican counterparts on Tuesday, despite what looks as though it will be a 35-seat GOP majority.
According to numbers compiled by the Post’s great Dan Keating, Democrats have won roughly 48.8 percent of the House vote, compared to 48.47 percent for Republicans.
Despite losing the popular vote, Republicans are set to have their second-biggest House majority in 60 years and their third-biggest since the Great Depression.
The numbers seem to back up what we’ve been talking about on this blog for a while: Redistricting drew such a GOP-friendly map that, in a neutral environment, Republicans have an inherent advantage.
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November 12, 2012 4:49 PM No House GOP Mandate, Either
To hear John Boehner, Republican spinners and big elements of the MSM the last few days, the election ratified the 2010-2012 status quo, meaning that the Speaker and other GOP leaders had no reason to be any more reasonable now than they did on November 5. Boehner’s distant predecessor Newt Gingrich went further, suggesting that the Speaker claim a “split mandate,” with House GOPers enjoying as much legitimacy as the president in their post-election wishes.
There’s only one problem with that planted axiom: House Republicans only won a majority of seats because of gerrymandering. WaPo’s Aaron Blake reports:
Democratic House candidates appear to have won more of the popular vote than their Republican counterparts on Tuesday, despite what looks as though it will be a 35-seat GOP majority.
According to numbers compiled by the Post’s great Dan Keating, Democrats have won roughly 48.8 percent of the House vote, compared to 48.47 percent for Republicans.
Despite losing the popular vote, Republicans are set to have their second-biggest House majority in 60 years and their third-biggest since the Great Depression.
The numbers seem to back up what we’ve been talking about on this blog for a while: Redistricting drew such a GOP-friendly map that, in a neutral environment, Republicans have an inherent advantage.
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Do It Now
http://youtu.be/c7V1qLLsn7M
Published on Aug 21, 2012 by www11be
With this song, 60 well known Flemish artists demand action to put a stop on climate change. It's the Flemish 'Big Ask'.
The Big Ask brings together 18 countries all with the same big ask - That their governments commit to reduce carbon emissions, year on year. Every year. We need strong leadership on climate change to put a stop on the devastation it brings to the world and especially the developing world.
Published on Aug 21, 2012 by www11be
With this song, 60 well known Flemish artists demand action to put a stop on climate change. It's the Flemish 'Big Ask'.
The Big Ask brings together 18 countries all with the same big ask - That their governments commit to reduce carbon emissions, year on year. Every year. We need strong leadership on climate change to put a stop on the devastation it brings to the world and especially the developing world.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Weekly Soft Drink Consumption Bubbles Up Knee Osteoarthritis; Especially in Men
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121111153527.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2012) — Sugary soft drink consumption contributes not only to weight gain, but also may play a role in the progression of knee osteoarthritis, especially in men, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Knee osteoarthritis is caused by cartilage breakdown in the knee joint. Factors that increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis include obesity, age, prior injury to the knee, extreme stress to the joints, and family history. In 2005, 27 million Americans suffered from osteoarthritis, and one in two people will have symptomatic knee arthritis by age 85.
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After controlling for BMI and other factors that may contribute to knee OA, men who consumed more soft drinks per week had worse knee OA progression. The joint space became narrower by an average of 0.29 millimeters in men who drank no soft drinks to 0.59 millimeters in men who drank more than five soft drinks a week. Interestingly, men with lower BMI, less than 27.5 kg/m2, showed more knee OA progression with increased soft-drink consumption than men who had higher BMI scores. By contrast, only women in the lowest BMI segment of the study, less than 27.3kg/m2, showed an association between more soft-drink consumption and knee OA progression.
The researchers concluded that men who drink progressively more soft drinks each week may see their knee OA worsen progressively as well. "Little is known about the course of disability over time in patients with osteoarthritis," says Bing Lu, MD, DrPh, the lead investigator in the study. "This study may offer the potential to identify a modifiable dietary risk factor for disease progression, enable evaluation of prevailing recommendations of healthy diet, and thus have potential public health implications."
It is unclear whether this problem is due to high-calorie soft drinks leading to excess weight burdening knees, or if there are other ingredients in soft drinks that contribute to OA progression.
ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2012) — Sugary soft drink consumption contributes not only to weight gain, but also may play a role in the progression of knee osteoarthritis, especially in men, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Knee osteoarthritis is caused by cartilage breakdown in the knee joint. Factors that increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis include obesity, age, prior injury to the knee, extreme stress to the joints, and family history. In 2005, 27 million Americans suffered from osteoarthritis, and one in two people will have symptomatic knee arthritis by age 85.
-----
After controlling for BMI and other factors that may contribute to knee OA, men who consumed more soft drinks per week had worse knee OA progression. The joint space became narrower by an average of 0.29 millimeters in men who drank no soft drinks to 0.59 millimeters in men who drank more than five soft drinks a week. Interestingly, men with lower BMI, less than 27.5 kg/m2, showed more knee OA progression with increased soft-drink consumption than men who had higher BMI scores. By contrast, only women in the lowest BMI segment of the study, less than 27.3kg/m2, showed an association between more soft-drink consumption and knee OA progression.
The researchers concluded that men who drink progressively more soft drinks each week may see their knee OA worsen progressively as well. "Little is known about the course of disability over time in patients with osteoarthritis," says Bing Lu, MD, DrPh, the lead investigator in the study. "This study may offer the potential to identify a modifiable dietary risk factor for disease progression, enable evaluation of prevailing recommendations of healthy diet, and thus have potential public health implications."
It is unclear whether this problem is due to high-calorie soft drinks leading to excess weight burdening knees, or if there are other ingredients in soft drinks that contribute to OA progression.
Study shows how social isolation disrupts myelin production
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uab-nfo110912.php
Public release date: 11-Nov-2012
Contact: Ellen Goldbaum
University at Buffalo
New form of brain plasticity: Study shows how social isolation disrupts myelin production
Research may prompt new investigations into white matter’s role in psychiatric disorders as well as connections between mood and myelin diseases, like MS
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Animals that are socially isolated for prolonged periods make less myelin in the region of the brain responsible for complex emotional and cognitive behavior, researchers at the University at Buffalo and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine report in Nature Neuroscience online.
The research sheds new light on brain plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt to environmental changes. It reveals that neurons aren't the only brain structures that undergo changes in response to an individual's environment and experience, according to one of the paper's lead authors, Karen Dietz, PhD, research scientist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
-----
Public release date: 11-Nov-2012
Contact: Ellen Goldbaum
University at Buffalo
New form of brain plasticity: Study shows how social isolation disrupts myelin production
Research may prompt new investigations into white matter’s role in psychiatric disorders as well as connections between mood and myelin diseases, like MS
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Animals that are socially isolated for prolonged periods make less myelin in the region of the brain responsible for complex emotional and cognitive behavior, researchers at the University at Buffalo and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine report in Nature Neuroscience online.
The research sheds new light on brain plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt to environmental changes. It reveals that neurons aren't the only brain structures that undergo changes in response to an individual's environment and experience, according to one of the paper's lead authors, Karen Dietz, PhD, research scientist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
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Global warming felt by space junk, satellites
link
By Charles Q. Choi
Nov. 11, 2012
Rising carbon dioxide levels at the edge of space are apparently reducing the pull that Earth's atmosphere has on satellites and space junk, researchers say.
The findings suggest that manmade increases in carbon dioxide might be having effects on the Earth that are larger than expected, scientists added.
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By Charles Q. Choi
Nov. 11, 2012
Rising carbon dioxide levels at the edge of space are apparently reducing the pull that Earth's atmosphere has on satellites and space junk, researchers say.
The findings suggest that manmade increases in carbon dioxide might be having effects on the Earth that are larger than expected, scientists added.
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Wall Street CEO Gets $6.7 Million Payout After Crashing His Company
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/11/11/1176451/pandit-last-year-bonus/
By Pat Garofalo posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 11, 2012
Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit was pushed out the door of his company in October after overseeing a precipitous decline in his bank’s value. Overall, Citigroup lost nearly 90 percent of its stock price during Pandit’s tenure. But that won’t stop Pandit from walking off with $6.7 million for his last year on the job:
Citigroup said Friday that the former CEO, who resigned last month in a management shakeup, will receive an “incentive award” of $6.7 million for his work at the bank this year. Former president and chief operating officer John Havens, who stepped down along with Pandit, is getting $6.8 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The two men will also continue collecting deferred cash and stock compensation from last year, awards valued at $8.8 million for Pandit and $8.7 million for Havens.
The company suffered a profit loss of 88 percent during the third quarter, when Pandit supposedly earned his “incentive award.” During his time at Citi, Pandit made some $260 million in total compensation, even accounting for the year he took a $1 salary during the financial crisis.
Several Wall Street heavyweights have recently said that banks need to rethink the sky-high compensation they’ve been paying (which has helped exacerbate the nation’s income inequality). For instance, Morgan Stanley CEO called the financial industry “overpaid.” “There’s way too much capacity and compensation is way too high,” he said.
By Pat Garofalo posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 11, 2012
Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit was pushed out the door of his company in October after overseeing a precipitous decline in his bank’s value. Overall, Citigroup lost nearly 90 percent of its stock price during Pandit’s tenure. But that won’t stop Pandit from walking off with $6.7 million for his last year on the job:
Citigroup said Friday that the former CEO, who resigned last month in a management shakeup, will receive an “incentive award” of $6.7 million for his work at the bank this year. Former president and chief operating officer John Havens, who stepped down along with Pandit, is getting $6.8 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The two men will also continue collecting deferred cash and stock compensation from last year, awards valued at $8.8 million for Pandit and $8.7 million for Havens.
The company suffered a profit loss of 88 percent during the third quarter, when Pandit supposedly earned his “incentive award.” During his time at Citi, Pandit made some $260 million in total compensation, even accounting for the year he took a $1 salary during the financial crisis.
Several Wall Street heavyweights have recently said that banks need to rethink the sky-high compensation they’ve been paying (which has helped exacerbate the nation’s income inequality). For instance, Morgan Stanley CEO called the financial industry “overpaid.” “There’s way too much capacity and compensation is way too high,” he said.
Congressional Republicans’ ‘Compromise’: Everyone Should Accept Romney Tax Plan
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/11/11/1176581/congressional-republicans-compromise-romney-tax/
By Josh Israel posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 11, 2012
Seemingly ignoring that over than 3 million more Americans voted for President Obama than Mitt Romney on Tuesday, Congressional Republicans are moving quickly to embrace Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) call to adopt a tax “compromise” that is virtually identical to the tax proposal that Romney made the centerpiece of his failed campaign.
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By Josh Israel posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 11, 2012
Seemingly ignoring that over than 3 million more Americans voted for President Obama than Mitt Romney on Tuesday, Congressional Republicans are moving quickly to embrace Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) call to adopt a tax “compromise” that is virtually identical to the tax proposal that Romney made the centerpiece of his failed campaign.
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Georgians Vote for ‘My Neighbors Cat’ and ‘Albus Dumbledore’ over Anti-Science Congressman
http://gawker.com/5959174/georgia-voters-vote-for-my-neighbors-cat-and-burning-bag-of-dogshit-over-anti+science-congressman
Nov. 9, 2012
Max Read
As we wrote last night, dead Englishman Charles Darwin received some 4,000 write-in votes in the race for Georgia's tenth congressional district, owing to the anti-science statements of his, uh, opponent, Republican Rep. Paul Broun. But Darwin wasn't the only write-in candidate! Local Athens publication Flagpole has a list of all the write-in candidates. And basically every single one would make a better candidate than Paul Broun, including, for example, "ANY NON-INSANE INDIVIDUAL":
----- [see article for some other good examples]
[original article:]
http://flagpole.com/news/2012/nov/08/loop/
By Blake Aued
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Almost 4,000 Athens voters wrote in Charles Darwin (or some variation thereof) against U.S Rep. Paul Broun, giving the father of evolution 16 percent of the vote, according to a list of write-in votes the Athens-Clarke Board of Elections released this morning.
#Broun was unopposed, but his comments about science at a Hartwell Baptist church in September upset many voters, leading to a campaign to write in Darwin.
#Neither Democrats nor more moderate Republicans have had any success against Broun, losing by 20-40 points in past elections. But Clarke County Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Wisenbaker says the party will "absolutely" field a candidate in 2014. "What we're talking about doing is finding a well-qualified candidate who's willing to change their name to Charles Darwin," he joked.
#Overall, 6,773 people cast write-in votes in the 10th Congressional District race, including about 3,829 votes for Darwin. Another 23,592 people skipped over the race entirely. Only 42 percent of Athenians who voted pressed the button for Broun.
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The write-in votes were a hodgepodge of hundreds of often-misspelled real local residents, celebrities, fictional characters, inanimate objects and abstract concepts. A few examples: Bacon, Batman, Bertis Downs, Beyonce, Big Bird, Bill Nye, Brian Brodrick, Burning Bag of Dog Shit, Captain Jack Sparrow, "Carl" Marx, Darth Vader, Democrote, Doc Eldridge, Doritos, Doug McKillip, George Bush, Guy Fawkes, Gwen O'Looney, Jarvis Jones, Jay-Z, Hugh Acheson, Led Zeppelin, Michael Stipe, Randy Macho Man Savage, Ron Paul, Russell Edwards, Satan, Science, Spongebob, Stephen Colbert, Taylor Swift, Vermin Supreme, Yoda, Zelda and Zell Miller.
#And, of course, that perennial write-in favorite, Mickey Mouse. Click here to see all 371 pages of write-in votes.
http://flagpole.com/news/2012/oct/05/loop/
By Blake Aued
Friday, October 5, 2012
Talking Points Memo unearthed a video of U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, speaking at a sportsmen's banquet—in front of what appears to be every deer head ever—at Liberty Baptist Church in Hartwell. He says scientists are Satan's minions.
#“All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” Broun said. “And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”
#According to Broun, the scientific plot was primarily concerned with hiding the true age of the Earth...
#“You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth,” he said. “I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says.”
-----
Nov. 9, 2012
Max Read
As we wrote last night, dead Englishman Charles Darwin received some 4,000 write-in votes in the race for Georgia's tenth congressional district, owing to the anti-science statements of his, uh, opponent, Republican Rep. Paul Broun. But Darwin wasn't the only write-in candidate! Local Athens publication Flagpole has a list of all the write-in candidates. And basically every single one would make a better candidate than Paul Broun, including, for example, "ANY NON-INSANE INDIVIDUAL":
----- [see article for some other good examples]
[original article:]
http://flagpole.com/news/2012/nov/08/loop/
By Blake Aued
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Almost 4,000 Athens voters wrote in Charles Darwin (or some variation thereof) against U.S Rep. Paul Broun, giving the father of evolution 16 percent of the vote, according to a list of write-in votes the Athens-Clarke Board of Elections released this morning.
#Broun was unopposed, but his comments about science at a Hartwell Baptist church in September upset many voters, leading to a campaign to write in Darwin.
#Neither Democrats nor more moderate Republicans have had any success against Broun, losing by 20-40 points in past elections. But Clarke County Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Wisenbaker says the party will "absolutely" field a candidate in 2014. "What we're talking about doing is finding a well-qualified candidate who's willing to change their name to Charles Darwin," he joked.
#Overall, 6,773 people cast write-in votes in the 10th Congressional District race, including about 3,829 votes for Darwin. Another 23,592 people skipped over the race entirely. Only 42 percent of Athenians who voted pressed the button for Broun.
-----
The write-in votes were a hodgepodge of hundreds of often-misspelled real local residents, celebrities, fictional characters, inanimate objects and abstract concepts. A few examples: Bacon, Batman, Bertis Downs, Beyonce, Big Bird, Bill Nye, Brian Brodrick, Burning Bag of Dog Shit, Captain Jack Sparrow, "Carl" Marx, Darth Vader, Democrote, Doc Eldridge, Doritos, Doug McKillip, George Bush, Guy Fawkes, Gwen O'Looney, Jarvis Jones, Jay-Z, Hugh Acheson, Led Zeppelin, Michael Stipe, Randy Macho Man Savage, Ron Paul, Russell Edwards, Satan, Science, Spongebob, Stephen Colbert, Taylor Swift, Vermin Supreme, Yoda, Zelda and Zell Miller.
#And, of course, that perennial write-in favorite, Mickey Mouse. Click here to see all 371 pages of write-in votes.
http://flagpole.com/news/2012/oct/05/loop/
By Blake Aued
Friday, October 5, 2012
Talking Points Memo unearthed a video of U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, speaking at a sportsmen's banquet—in front of what appears to be every deer head ever—at Liberty Baptist Church in Hartwell. He says scientists are Satan's minions.
#“All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” Broun said. “And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”
#According to Broun, the scientific plot was primarily concerned with hiding the true age of the Earth...
#“You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth,” he said. “I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says.”
-----
Taxed by the boss
I suggest reading the whole report. It also has charts showing what states do this.
http://blogs.reuters.com/david-cay-johnston/2012/04/12/taxed-by-the-boss/
By David Cay Johnston
April 12, 2012
Across the United States more than 2,700 companies are collecting state income taxes from hundreds of thousands of workers – and are keeping the money with the states’ approval, says an eye-opening report published on Thursday.
The report from Good Jobs First, a nonprofit taxpayer watchdog organization funded by Ford, Surdna and other major foundations, identifies 16 states that let companies divert some or all of the state income taxes deducted from workers’ paychecks. None of the states requires notifying the workers, whose withholdings are treated as taxes they paid.
General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and AMC Theatres enjoy deals to keep state taxes deducted from their workers’ paychecks, the report shows. Foreign companies also enjoy such arrangements, including Electrolux, Nissan, Toyota and a host of Canadian, Japanese and European banks, Good Jobs First says.
Why do state governments do this? Public records show that large companies often pay little or no state income tax in states where they have large operations, as this column has documented. Some companies get discounts on property, sales and other taxes. So how to provide even more subsidies without writing a check? Simple. Let corporations keep the state income taxes deducted from their workers’ paychecks for up to 25 years.
It was not always this way. Letting companies keep their workers’ state taxes apparently began in Kentucky two decades ago as a way to retain jobs.
Last July when I wrote about six big companies that pocket Illinois state taxes I knew there was more to this. But I had no idea how pervasive these diversions were until I read an advance copy of the 39-page report by Good Jobs First.
-----
Deals cut with the states over the past two decades diverted $5.5 billion from public purposes to private gain, the report says. Close to $700 million more was diverted last year, Good Jobs First estimates.
-----
These deals typify corporate socialism, in which business gains are privatized and costs socialized. They also mean government picks winners and losers, interfering with competitive markets. Leaders in both parties embrace these giveaways because they draw campaign donations from corporate interests and votes from people who do not understand that they are subsidizing huge companies.
Michael Press, a Connecticut consultant on tax incentives, says such deals, however troubling, are an inevitable result of the U.S. Constitution setting up competition between the states.
“In an ideal world we would not provide any corporate subsidies,” Press told me. “It looks like corruption. But if you do it right, if you only target those companies whose behavior you change to create jobs or keep jobs in your state then these targeted temporary arrangements are cheaper – much cheaper – and can be more effective than an overall reduction in tax rates.”
-----
“Job piracy” occurs when one state diverts taxes to lure an employer across state lines. AMC Entertainmentannounced a deal last year to move its corporate headquarters from Kansas City, Mo., to a nearby Kansas suburb. In return, Good Jobs First said, Kansas will let the multiplex chain keep $47 million of state income taxes withheld from its workers’ paychecks, a drain on public finances that did not create any jobs, but does enrich the Wall Street firms that own AMC including arms of J. P. Morgan, Apollo Management, Bain Capital and the Carlyle Group. AMC declined to answer my questions.
“Job blackmail” occurs when a company threatens to close a plant unless it gets tax money.
-----
Total revenue losses are higher than the report states. First, some states hide the costs. Phil Mattera, the research director at Good Jobs First, said he lists the cost as zero for states that hide the numbers.
Stop HSBC Bank From Evicting Parkwood Farms, Therapeutic Non-profit For Disabled Children
There is a on-line petition available at the following link:
http://start2.occupyourhomes.org/petitions/stop-hsbc-bank-from-evicting-parkwood-farms-therapeutic-non-profit-for-disabled-children
Nov. 2012
Parkwood Farms is dedicated to enriching the lives of physically, emotionally, and mentally challenged children and adults by offering a spectrum of therapeutic services in one, safe, and loving environment. Our community simply can't afford to lose Parkwood Farms. Please negotiate with Parkwood Farms so the program can continue to bring much needed hope, healing, and love to our children and our community.
-----
While the eviction blindsided me, I’ve been fighting the banks for over two years now. My case is actually in litigation right now in federal court. I received a predatory loan in 2004, and when I refinanced it in 2011, I was told that the terms would be good for "the life of the loan."
What they didn't tell me was that the 'life of the loan' was only two years. The people handling my foreclosure say that so many things are wrong with this that they are doing it pro bono. The contract, the way the proceedings were handled, and even the way I was given the loan are under federal investigation.
My loan company -- Everhome Mortgage, based out of Jacksonville, Florida -- went through the magistrate to bypass the federal investigation. So as of last night at 6:30 p.m., no more classes will be held at the Farm.
Human Ancestors Were Nearly All Vegetarians
An interesting article. Please see the whole article if you are interested in this.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/07/23/human-ancestors-were-nearly-all-vegetarians/
By Rob Dunn | July 23, 2012
Right now, one half of all Americans are on a diet. The other half just gave up on their diets and are on a binge. Collectively, we are overweight, sick and struggling. Our modern choices about what and how much to eat have gone terribly wrong. The time has come to return to a more sensible way of eating and living, but which way? An entire class of self-help books recommends a return to the diets of our ancestors. Paleolithic diets, caveman diets, primal diets and the like, urge us to eat like the ancients. Taken too literally, such diets are ridiculous. After all, sometimes our ancestors starved to death and the starving to death diet, well, it ends badly. The past was no panacea; each generation we made due with the bodies and foods available, imperfect bodies and imperfect foods. Yet, the idea that we might take our ancestral diet into consideration when evaluating the foods on which our organs, cells and existence thrive, makes sense. But what did our ancestors eat?
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So, what should we eat? The past does not reveal a simple answer, ever. The best we can hope for is that it might shine a useful but flickering light into the darkness of our understanding. Our bodies are filled with layers of evolutionary histories; both recent and ancient adaptations influence how and who you are in every way, including what happens to the food you eat. The recent adaptations of our bodies differ from one person to the next, whether because of unique versions of genes or unique microbes, but our bodies are all fully-equipped to deal with meat (which is relatively easy) and natural sugars (also easy, if not always beneficial), and harder to digest plant material, what often gets called fiber.5 Our ancient evolutionary history influences how we deal with these foods, as does our stone age past, as do the changes that occurred to some but not all peoples as agriculture arose. With time, we will understand more about which diet makes the most sense for each of these histories, though we should use these histories to understand the ideal diet. Just like us, our ancestors made the best of their circumstances. They were not at one with nature. Nature tried to kill them and starve them out; they survived anyway, sometimes with more meat, sometimes with less, thanks in part to the ancient flexibility of our guts. As for me, I’ll choose to eat the fruits and nuts like my early ancestors. I’ll supplement them with some of the great beans of agriculture, too much coffee, maybe a glass of wine and some chocolate. These supplements are not paleo by any definition, but I like them. Maybe you are “new school” and will choose to eat only the meat of giant sloths and mastodons. I won’t fault you for it; it has its advantages, though giant sloths can be hard to come by. Or maybe you are really paleo and you are going to focus on insects, which might favor other bacteria (able to break down insect chitin). Eating insects has many advantages too, albeit not for the insects. Any of these possibilities are better than the average modern diet, one so bad that any point in the past can come to seem like the good ole days, unless you go too far back to a point when our ancestors lived more like rats and probably ate everything, including their own feces. Sometimes what happens in paleo should really stay in paleo
the original Choctaw code talkers
See the link for a photo of the original Choctaw code talkers.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=504843122867340&set=a.194724580545864.46567.107699875915002&type=1
From Facebook : The Pragmatic Progressive Page
I think this is important. Many Americans know the 'code talkers' from WWII to be Navajo (which many were and did a great service to this country), but the original code talkers were actually from the Choctaw tribe. Nineteen men, during WWI, helped turned the tide of the war. When they decided to implement the program again for WWII, the Navajo tribe was much larger and was able to provide more co
de talkers, thought many other tribes were also involved, including the Choctaw and the Comanche.
I always found it fascinating that these men and women, who live in a country that was taken from them and are often treated as second-class citizens, were still honorable enough to stand up and fight for the land they love. Reminds me of our minority, indegenous, gay and female soldiers of today. Choosing to serve the country they hope will one day see them as equals. That's true Patriotism. Happy Veterans Day. - vince
2 elderly women die, 4 people sickened after eating wild mushrooms
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/10/15080803-2-elderly-women-die-4-people-sickened-after-eating-wild-mushrooms?lite
By NBC News staff
Nov. 10, 2012
Two residents of an elderly care home in California died and four other people were hospitalized after eating soup containing poisonous wild mushrooms picked by a caregiver, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Placer County sheriff's Lt. Mark Reed said the incident, reported Friday morning at the Gold Age Villa in Loomis, was believed to be an accident, the Bee reported. Reed said the dead were identified as Barbara Lopes, 86, and Teresa Olesniewicz, 73. The caregiver was among the four who were hospitalized, the Bee report said.
The Bee said the type of mushroom was not known.
However, Dr. Todd Mitchell, a Santa Cruz, Calif., doctor who is investigating an antidote to toxic mushroom poisoning, told NBC News that he is consulting on treatment of one of the patients sickened by amatoxin poison. A common cause of that poisoning is the Amanita phalloides -- death cap -- mushroom, which produces amatoxins that shut down liver function.
-----
Nearly 6,000 people reported contact with suspicious mushrooms in 2010, and more than 1,300 people got sick, according to latest figures from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Some 500 people suffered moderate to major injuries and at least one person died.
By NBC News staff
Nov. 10, 2012
Two residents of an elderly care home in California died and four other people were hospitalized after eating soup containing poisonous wild mushrooms picked by a caregiver, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Placer County sheriff's Lt. Mark Reed said the incident, reported Friday morning at the Gold Age Villa in Loomis, was believed to be an accident, the Bee reported. Reed said the dead were identified as Barbara Lopes, 86, and Teresa Olesniewicz, 73. The caregiver was among the four who were hospitalized, the Bee report said.
The Bee said the type of mushroom was not known.
However, Dr. Todd Mitchell, a Santa Cruz, Calif., doctor who is investigating an antidote to toxic mushroom poisoning, told NBC News that he is consulting on treatment of one of the patients sickened by amatoxin poison. A common cause of that poisoning is the Amanita phalloides -- death cap -- mushroom, which produces amatoxins that shut down liver function.
-----
Nearly 6,000 people reported contact with suspicious mushrooms in 2010, and more than 1,300 people got sick, according to latest figures from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Some 500 people suffered moderate to major injuries and at least one person died.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Kids need at least 7 minutes a day of 'vigorous' physical activity, but most aren't getting that
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uoaf-kna110912.php
Public release date: 9-Nov-2012
Contact: Raquel Maurier
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
UAlberta medical researchers part of national research team examining activity levels of kids in Leduc, Alta., area
Children need a minimum of seven minutes a day of vigorous physical activity, demonstrates recently published findings by University of Alberta medical researchers and their colleagues across Canada.
"If you watch late-night television, or look in the backs of magazines, you'll see magical ads saying you need just 10 minutes a day or five minutes a day of exercise to stay fit. And for those of us in the medical field, we just rolled our eyes at that. But surprisingly, they may actually be right and that's what this research shows," says co-principal investigator Richard Lewanczuk, a researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the U of A.
"Our research showed children don't need a lot of intense physical activity to get the health benefits of exercise – seven minutes or more of vigorous physical activity was all that was required. But the seven minutes had to be intense to prevent weight gain, obesity and its adverse health consequences. And most kids weren't getting that."
-----
Lewanczuk said the team made some other notable findings including the following: there weren't the expected health benefits from doing only mild or moderate activity even if the time spent doing this type of activity increased. What seemed to be critical was taking part in intense physical activity. For kids who took part in vigorous physical activity that lasted longer than seven minutes, their health benefits were significantly better. And the whole notion of being overweight but fit? The team's data didn't support that finding in children. If children were overweight, they were also unhealthy, Lewanczuk says.
"This research tells us that a brisk walk isn't good enough," says Lewanczuk, a professor in the Department of Medicine who has been studying this topic for eight years. "Kids have to get out and do a high-intensity activity in addition to maintaining a background of mild to moderate activity. There's a strong correlation between obesity, fitness and activity. Activity and fitness is linked to a reduction in obesity and good health outcomes."
Getting young children to make vigorous physical activity part of their daily routines is important, especially considering activity levels in the teenage years drop right off, Lewanczuk says. And previously published research from the same group of children shows kids are more active at school than they are at home.
"Quite often the activity levels on evenings or weekends would be almost flat," he says. "We made the presumption that kids were just sitting in front of a screen the whole time."
-----
Public release date: 9-Nov-2012
Contact: Raquel Maurier
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
UAlberta medical researchers part of national research team examining activity levels of kids in Leduc, Alta., area
Children need a minimum of seven minutes a day of vigorous physical activity, demonstrates recently published findings by University of Alberta medical researchers and their colleagues across Canada.
"If you watch late-night television, or look in the backs of magazines, you'll see magical ads saying you need just 10 minutes a day or five minutes a day of exercise to stay fit. And for those of us in the medical field, we just rolled our eyes at that. But surprisingly, they may actually be right and that's what this research shows," says co-principal investigator Richard Lewanczuk, a researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the U of A.
"Our research showed children don't need a lot of intense physical activity to get the health benefits of exercise – seven minutes or more of vigorous physical activity was all that was required. But the seven minutes had to be intense to prevent weight gain, obesity and its adverse health consequences. And most kids weren't getting that."
-----
Lewanczuk said the team made some other notable findings including the following: there weren't the expected health benefits from doing only mild or moderate activity even if the time spent doing this type of activity increased. What seemed to be critical was taking part in intense physical activity. For kids who took part in vigorous physical activity that lasted longer than seven minutes, their health benefits were significantly better. And the whole notion of being overweight but fit? The team's data didn't support that finding in children. If children were overweight, they were also unhealthy, Lewanczuk says.
"This research tells us that a brisk walk isn't good enough," says Lewanczuk, a professor in the Department of Medicine who has been studying this topic for eight years. "Kids have to get out and do a high-intensity activity in addition to maintaining a background of mild to moderate activity. There's a strong correlation between obesity, fitness and activity. Activity and fitness is linked to a reduction in obesity and good health outcomes."
Getting young children to make vigorous physical activity part of their daily routines is important, especially considering activity levels in the teenage years drop right off, Lewanczuk says. And previously published research from the same group of children shows kids are more active at school than they are at home.
"Quite often the activity levels on evenings or weekends would be almost flat," he says. "We made the presumption that kids were just sitting in front of a screen the whole time."
-----
High-Quality Personal Relationships Improve Survival in Women With Breast Cancer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121109091158.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — The quality of a woman's social networks -- the personal relationships that surround an individual -- appears to be just as important as the size of her networks in predicting breast cancer survival, Kaiser Permanente scientists report in the current issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
Previous research has shown that women with larger social networks -- including spouses or partners, female relatives, friends, religious and social ties, and ties to the community through volunteering -- have better breast cancer survival. This study is among the first to show that the quality of those relationships also is important to survival.
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We found that women with small social networks had a significantly higher risk of mortality than those with large networks," said Candyce H. Kroenke, ScD, MPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and lead author of the study.
The study found that socially isolated women were 34 percent more likely to die from breast cancer or other causes than socially integrated women. Specifically, larger social networks were "unrelated to recurrence or breast cancer mortality, (they) were associated with lower mortality from all causes," the authors wrote.
-----
The study found that levels of support within relationships were important risk factors for breast cancer mortality. "Women with small networks and high levels of support were not at greater risk than those with large networks, but those with small networks and low levels of support were," Kroenke said. In fact, women with small networks and low levels of support were 61 percent more likely to die from breast cancer and other causes than those with small networks and high levels of support.
"We also found that when family relationships were less supportive, community and religious ties were critical to survival. This suggests that both the quality of relationships, rather than just the size of the network, matters to survival, and that community relationships matter when relationships with friends and family are less supportive."
-----
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — The quality of a woman's social networks -- the personal relationships that surround an individual -- appears to be just as important as the size of her networks in predicting breast cancer survival, Kaiser Permanente scientists report in the current issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
Previous research has shown that women with larger social networks -- including spouses or partners, female relatives, friends, religious and social ties, and ties to the community through volunteering -- have better breast cancer survival. This study is among the first to show that the quality of those relationships also is important to survival.
-----
We found that women with small social networks had a significantly higher risk of mortality than those with large networks," said Candyce H. Kroenke, ScD, MPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and lead author of the study.
The study found that socially isolated women were 34 percent more likely to die from breast cancer or other causes than socially integrated women. Specifically, larger social networks were "unrelated to recurrence or breast cancer mortality, (they) were associated with lower mortality from all causes," the authors wrote.
-----
The study found that levels of support within relationships were important risk factors for breast cancer mortality. "Women with small networks and high levels of support were not at greater risk than those with large networks, but those with small networks and low levels of support were," Kroenke said. In fact, women with small networks and low levels of support were 61 percent more likely to die from breast cancer and other causes than those with small networks and high levels of support.
"We also found that when family relationships were less supportive, community and religious ties were critical to survival. This suggests that both the quality of relationships, rather than just the size of the network, matters to survival, and that community relationships matter when relationships with friends and family are less supportive."
-----
President Obama Must Pardon this Man
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_11/president_obama_must_pardon_th041118.php
November 10, 2012 8:34 AM President Obama Must Pardon this Man
From the New York Times:
----- [see first link for video]
Consider the case of Chris Williams, the subject of this Op-Doc video, who opened a marijuana grow house in Montana after the state legalized medical cannabis. Mr. Williams was eventually arrested by federal agents despite Montana’s medical marijuana law, and he may spend the rest of his life behind bars. While Jerry Sandusky got a 30-year minimum sentence for raping young boys, Mr. Williams is looking at a mandatory minimum of more than 80 years for marijuana charges and for possessing firearms during a drug-trafficking offense.
The story is, by now, a familiar one. Chris Williams was operating an enormous grow operation based on the fact that Montana passed a medical marijuana law and fact that the Obama Justice Department promised they would not go after people who growing marijuana in the boundaries of state law. He was so scrupulous about following the rules that he had local law enforcement and politicians tour his operation on multiple occasions. And then the Obama DEA busted in. During his trial, he was prevented from using the fact that he was following state law as a defense.
This is a sick perversion of justice. If there really were some urgent reason to shut these operations down (setting aside the rather strong possibility that the DEA simply wanted to steal all Mr. Williams’ possessions) then how much easier and more just would it have been to post a notice on the business’s door? Or send an email? Businesses that give tours to the police are not the ones that will disobey a direct order from the government.
Even if that were not possible, President Obama still has the power of the pardon. If Mr. Williams was growing in violation of clear direction from the Justice Department, that would be one thing. But that’s not the case. He is in prison right now because of a campaign promise from the president, one which was codified in writing, and later reversed with no warning.
November 10, 2012 8:34 AM President Obama Must Pardon this Man
From the New York Times:
----- [see first link for video]
Consider the case of Chris Williams, the subject of this Op-Doc video, who opened a marijuana grow house in Montana after the state legalized medical cannabis. Mr. Williams was eventually arrested by federal agents despite Montana’s medical marijuana law, and he may spend the rest of his life behind bars. While Jerry Sandusky got a 30-year minimum sentence for raping young boys, Mr. Williams is looking at a mandatory minimum of more than 80 years for marijuana charges and for possessing firearms during a drug-trafficking offense.
The story is, by now, a familiar one. Chris Williams was operating an enormous grow operation based on the fact that Montana passed a medical marijuana law and fact that the Obama Justice Department promised they would not go after people who growing marijuana in the boundaries of state law. He was so scrupulous about following the rules that he had local law enforcement and politicians tour his operation on multiple occasions. And then the Obama DEA busted in. During his trial, he was prevented from using the fact that he was following state law as a defense.
This is a sick perversion of justice. If there really were some urgent reason to shut these operations down (setting aside the rather strong possibility that the DEA simply wanted to steal all Mr. Williams’ possessions) then how much easier and more just would it have been to post a notice on the business’s door? Or send an email? Businesses that give tours to the police are not the ones that will disobey a direct order from the government.
Even if that were not possible, President Obama still has the power of the pardon. If Mr. Williams was growing in violation of clear direction from the Justice Department, that would be one thing. But that’s not the case. He is in prison right now because of a campaign promise from the president, one which was codified in writing, and later reversed with no warning.
How Infection Can Trigger Autoimmune Disease
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121109111511.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — Australian scientists have confirmed a 'weak link' in the immune system -- identifying the exact conditions under which an infection can trigger an autoantibody response, a process not clearly understood until now.
We have known for many years that autoimmune diseases such as rheumatic fever and Guillain-Barré syndrome (where the body makes antibodies that attack the heart and peripheral nerves respectively) can occur after the body makes immune responses against certain infectious micro-organisms.
-----
Our immune cells, such as the antibody-creating B cells, go through processes when they are first formed that ensure they are able to identify our own bodies, and therefore avoid self-attack. These processes are generally reliable as they take place in a steady, regulated way.
B cells go through a second and much more chaotic phase of development, however, when the body is fending off disease or infection. In order to cope with the immeasurable range of microbes in our environment, B cells have evolved the ability to mutate their antibody genes randomly until they produce one that sticks strongly to the invader. At that point, the 'successful' B cells proliferate and flood the system with these new antibodies.
This 'high affinity antibody' generation occurs very rapidly within specialised environments in the lymph system known as 'germinal centres'. Most of the time, germinal centres serve us well, helping us fight disease and build up a protective armory for the future.
Unfortunately, the urgency and speed at which B cells mutate within the germinal centre, as well as the random nature of the process, creates a unique problem. Sometimes the antibody created to fight the invader, or 'antigen', also happens to match 'self' and has the potential to cause autoimmune attack.
-----
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — Australian scientists have confirmed a 'weak link' in the immune system -- identifying the exact conditions under which an infection can trigger an autoantibody response, a process not clearly understood until now.
We have known for many years that autoimmune diseases such as rheumatic fever and Guillain-Barré syndrome (where the body makes antibodies that attack the heart and peripheral nerves respectively) can occur after the body makes immune responses against certain infectious micro-organisms.
-----
Our immune cells, such as the antibody-creating B cells, go through processes when they are first formed that ensure they are able to identify our own bodies, and therefore avoid self-attack. These processes are generally reliable as they take place in a steady, regulated way.
B cells go through a second and much more chaotic phase of development, however, when the body is fending off disease or infection. In order to cope with the immeasurable range of microbes in our environment, B cells have evolved the ability to mutate their antibody genes randomly until they produce one that sticks strongly to the invader. At that point, the 'successful' B cells proliferate and flood the system with these new antibodies.
This 'high affinity antibody' generation occurs very rapidly within specialised environments in the lymph system known as 'germinal centres'. Most of the time, germinal centres serve us well, helping us fight disease and build up a protective armory for the future.
Unfortunately, the urgency and speed at which B cells mutate within the germinal centre, as well as the random nature of the process, creates a unique problem. Sometimes the antibody created to fight the invader, or 'antigen', also happens to match 'self' and has the potential to cause autoimmune attack.
-----
Small Businesses Grew Twice As Fast Under Clinton Tax Rates
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/11/09/1174561/small-businesses-grew-twice-as-fast-under-clinton-tax-rates/
By Travis Waldron posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 9, 2012
Republicans have long opposed the expiration of the high-income Bush tax cuts, those that hit incomes over $250,000, because they claim it will be a tax hike on America’s small businesses. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said as much today in highlighting his opposition to the expiration. “Raising taxes on small businesses will kill jobs in America,” Boehner said. “It is as simple as that.”
Economic evidence, however, contradicts that view. Under President Clinton, the top marginal tax rate was 39.6 percent, where it would return if the high-income Bush tax cuts expire at the end of the year. But small businesses grew twice as fast during Clinton’s time in office than they did when President Bush occupied the White House, as this chart from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows:
----- [see link above for chart]
Boehner has repeatedly highlighted a flawed study stating that the expiration of those tax cuts would kill 700,000 jobs and hit a substantial number of small businesses, even as non-partisan reports from the Congressional Budget Office and Congressional Research Service show that the expiration would have little effect on economic growth, and the Joint Committee on Taxation found that only 3 percent of small businesses would be hit by the increase.
And, as CBPP notes, there are numerous problems with Boehner’s argument. A “small business” would have to earn substantially more than $250,000 a year to actually feel an impact of the higher tax rates, meaning it likely isn’t that small anyway. Many of them, meanwhile, are “pass through entities,” businesses that operate as investment vehicles or for other reasons and are “not engaged in business activity as it is traditionally understood.” According to a Treasury Dept. study cited by CBPP, just 7.6 percent of the income taxed at the top two income tax rates comes from actual small business income.
By Travis Waldron posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 9, 2012
Republicans have long opposed the expiration of the high-income Bush tax cuts, those that hit incomes over $250,000, because they claim it will be a tax hike on America’s small businesses. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said as much today in highlighting his opposition to the expiration. “Raising taxes on small businesses will kill jobs in America,” Boehner said. “It is as simple as that.”
Economic evidence, however, contradicts that view. Under President Clinton, the top marginal tax rate was 39.6 percent, where it would return if the high-income Bush tax cuts expire at the end of the year. But small businesses grew twice as fast during Clinton’s time in office than they did when President Bush occupied the White House, as this chart from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows:
----- [see link above for chart]
Boehner has repeatedly highlighted a flawed study stating that the expiration of those tax cuts would kill 700,000 jobs and hit a substantial number of small businesses, even as non-partisan reports from the Congressional Budget Office and Congressional Research Service show that the expiration would have little effect on economic growth, and the Joint Committee on Taxation found that only 3 percent of small businesses would be hit by the increase.
And, as CBPP notes, there are numerous problems with Boehner’s argument. A “small business” would have to earn substantially more than $250,000 a year to actually feel an impact of the higher tax rates, meaning it likely isn’t that small anyway. Many of them, meanwhile, are “pass through entities,” businesses that operate as investment vehicles or for other reasons and are “not engaged in business activity as it is traditionally understood.” According to a Treasury Dept. study cited by CBPP, just 7.6 percent of the income taxed at the top two income tax rates comes from actual small business income.
Link Found Between Child Prodigies and Autism
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121109111246.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — A new study of eight child prodigies suggests a possible link between these children's special skills and autism. Of the eight prodigies studied, three had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. As a group, the prodigies also tended to have slightly elevated scores on a test of autistic traits, when compared to a control group.
In addition, half of the prodigies had a family member or a first- or second-degree relative with an autism diagnosis.
The fact that half of the families and three of the prodigies themselves were affected by autism is surprising because autism occurs in only one of 120 individuals, said Joanne Ruthsatz, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University's Mansfield campus.
"The link between child prodigies and autism is strong in our study," Ruthsatz said. "Our findings suggest child prodigies have traits in common with autistic children, but something is preventing them from displaying the deficits we associate with the disorder."
The study also found that while child prodigies had elevated general intelligence scores, where they really excelled was in working memory -- all of them scored above the 99th percentile on this trait.
-----
Ruthsatz said the most striking data was that which identified autistic traits among the prodigies.
The prodigies showed a general elevation in autistic traits compared to the control group, but this elevation was on average even smaller than that seen in high-functioning autistic people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.
-----
The prodigies did score higher than the control group and the Asperger's group on one subsection of the autism assessment: attention to detail.
"These prodigies had an absolutely amazing memory for detail," she said. "They don't miss anything, which certainly helps them achieve the successes they have."
-----
"Overall, what we found is that prodigies have an elevated general intelligence and exceptional working memory, along with an elevated autism score, with exceptional attention to detail," Ruthsatz said.
-----
"But while autistic savants display many of the deficits commonly associated with autism, the child prodigies do not," Ruthsatz said. "The question is why."
The answer may be some genetic mutation that allows prodigies to have the extreme talent found in savants, but without the deficits seen in autism. But the answer will require more study, Ruthsatz said.
"Our findings suggest that prodigies may have some moderated form of autism that actually enables their extraordinary talent."
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — A new study of eight child prodigies suggests a possible link between these children's special skills and autism. Of the eight prodigies studied, three had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. As a group, the prodigies also tended to have slightly elevated scores on a test of autistic traits, when compared to a control group.
In addition, half of the prodigies had a family member or a first- or second-degree relative with an autism diagnosis.
The fact that half of the families and three of the prodigies themselves were affected by autism is surprising because autism occurs in only one of 120 individuals, said Joanne Ruthsatz, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University's Mansfield campus.
"The link between child prodigies and autism is strong in our study," Ruthsatz said. "Our findings suggest child prodigies have traits in common with autistic children, but something is preventing them from displaying the deficits we associate with the disorder."
The study also found that while child prodigies had elevated general intelligence scores, where they really excelled was in working memory -- all of them scored above the 99th percentile on this trait.
-----
Ruthsatz said the most striking data was that which identified autistic traits among the prodigies.
The prodigies showed a general elevation in autistic traits compared to the control group, but this elevation was on average even smaller than that seen in high-functioning autistic people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.
-----
The prodigies did score higher than the control group and the Asperger's group on one subsection of the autism assessment: attention to detail.
"These prodigies had an absolutely amazing memory for detail," she said. "They don't miss anything, which certainly helps them achieve the successes they have."
-----
"Overall, what we found is that prodigies have an elevated general intelligence and exceptional working memory, along with an elevated autism score, with exceptional attention to detail," Ruthsatz said.
-----
"But while autistic savants display many of the deficits commonly associated with autism, the child prodigies do not," Ruthsatz said. "The question is why."
The answer may be some genetic mutation that allows prodigies to have the extreme talent found in savants, but without the deficits seen in autism. But the answer will require more study, Ruthsatz said.
"Our findings suggest that prodigies may have some moderated form of autism that actually enables their extraordinary talent."
Scientific Explanation to Why People Perform Better After Receiving a Compliment
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121109111517.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — Japanese scientists have found scientific proof that people doing exercises appear to perform better when another person compliments them. The research was carried out by a group lead by National Institute for Physiological Sciences Professor Norihiro Sadato, Graduate University for Advanced Studies graduate student Sho Sugawara, Nagoya Institute of Technology Tenure-Track Associate Professor Satoshi Tanaka, and in collaboration with Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology Associate Professor Katsumi Watanabe.
The team had previously discovered that the same area of the brain, the striatum, is activated when a person is rewarded a compliment or cash. Their latest research could suggest that when the striatum is activated, it seems to encourage the person to perform better during exercises.
-----
ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2012) — Japanese scientists have found scientific proof that people doing exercises appear to perform better when another person compliments them. The research was carried out by a group lead by National Institute for Physiological Sciences Professor Norihiro Sadato, Graduate University for Advanced Studies graduate student Sho Sugawara, Nagoya Institute of Technology Tenure-Track Associate Professor Satoshi Tanaka, and in collaboration with Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology Associate Professor Katsumi Watanabe.
The team had previously discovered that the same area of the brain, the striatum, is activated when a person is rewarded a compliment or cash. Their latest research could suggest that when the striatum is activated, it seems to encourage the person to perform better during exercises.
-----
Chocolate Nesquik mix recalled for salmonella risk
See link for how to identify possibly contaminated packages.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/08/15031140-chocolate-nesquik-mix-recalled-for-salmonella-risk?lite
Nov. 8, 2012
By JoNel Aleccia, NBC News
Chocolate giant Nestle USA is recalling some lots of its Nesquik chocolate powder drink mix because it might be contaminated with salmonella.
Containers of the popular children’s drink mix produced in early October have been voluntarily recalled after one of the company’s suppliers, Omya Inc., on Tuesday recalled large batches of calcium carbonate, a food additive, because of possible salmonella contamination.
Recalled Nesquik includes the 10.9-ounce, 21.8-ounce and 40.7-ounce canisters, which were distributed nationally. No other varieties of Nesquik powder or any sizes or flavors of Nesquik ready-to-drink products are affected by the recall.
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