Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/179928024?client_source=feed&format=rss
nhl realignment nhl realignment kristin chenoweth country music awards new earth light year light year
Friday, 30 December 2011
Oil hovers below $100 amid low holiday volume
SINGAPORE (AP) - Oil prices hovered below $100 a barrel Tuesday in Asia amid low holiday week trading volume.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Benchmark crude for February delivery was down 11 cents at $99.57 a barrel at early afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 15 cents to settle at $99.68 in New York on Friday.
In London, Brent crude was up 15 cents at $108.11 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
Global oil trading markets were closed Monday for the Christmas holiday.
Crude briefly popped above $100 on Friday amid growing evidence the U.S. economy is improving. Some analysts say concerns that Europe's debt crisis will trigger a recession on the continent next year will overshadow any positive news out of the U.S. this week.
"We don't expect this strength to be maintained this week given a likely shift in focus back toward the eurozone where major debt issues remain largely unresolved," energy consultant Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report.
Because many traders are on vacation this week, trading volume is sharply lower and a few trades could jolt prices.
"Volume will be thin through this abbreviated week," energy consultant and trader The Schork Group said in a report. "As such, the potential exists for some wild swings."
In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 0.8 cents to $2.91 per gallon and gasoline futures were steady at $2.68 per gallon. Natural gas futures were down 2.9 cents to $3.09 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9RSMFEO0&show_article=1
angela davis angela davis zombie apocalypse matt moore matt moore national grid andrew luck
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Payton not divulging plan for Brees in finale (AP)
METAIRIE, La. ? A day after Sean Payton helped Drew Brees break the NFL's single-season passing record the coach wouldn't divulge whether he'd enable his star quarterback to maintain that distinction.
With 5,087 yards passing this season after Monday night's victory over Atlanta, Brees enters the final week of the season 190 yards ahead of New England's Tom Brady. Yet the Saints' regular-season finale may not matter in terms of playoff seeding, meaning the prudent choice for Payton could be to rest Brees for much of Sunday's game against Carolina.
The Patriots, by contrast, need to beat Buffalo to ensure they'll have the top seed in the AFC, and Brady has proven time and again he can put up a lot of yards in a single game. He had a season-high 517 yards against Miami in Week 1 and threw for 423 against San Diego. The last time New England played Buffalo, Brady threw for 387 yards.
So it's not out of the realm of possibility that Brady could finish the season with the passing record Brees now holds, particularly if the Saints' quarterback sits out.
"I'm not really aware of the space between the two. I am probably better off not knowing," Payton said Tuesday of Brees and Brady's yardage totals.
With the playoffs close, Payton said the Saints' priority must be how to "put ourselves in the best position to play well and put ourselves in an opportunity to win a championship."
"That's not always what is popular," the coach added.
Payton pointed out that he heard criticism of his decision during the 2009 season to rest Brees and other key starters in the regular-season finale against Carolina. The Saints lost that game, finishing a season that had started 13-0 on a three-game skid. No team had ever gone into the playoffs on a losing streak that long and won the Super Bowl, but Payton relished the chance to defy history ? and did.
"It was what we needed to do as a team," Payton recalled of his 2009 decision. "You make decisions. They are not always right. You try to make them with the right things to help your team.
"Last night was one of those situations," Payton added, referring to his decision to let Brees throw late in Monday night's game. "This upcoming game will be one of those situations."
Payton has his reasons for being cautious, though. They include bad and relatively fresh memories from the 2010 regular season finale, when then-leading rusher Chris Ivory, emerging tight end Jimmy Graham and starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins all got hurt.
The worst part was that the Saints could not have gained anything in terms of seeding by winning that game because Atlanta also won that day to wrap up the NFC South Division title. The next week, the Saints were bounced from the postseason by Seattle.
"We just have to be smart," Payton said. "We are playing well, with some momentum. Each year is different. We will look at that closely."
Now that New Orleans has clinched the division, this weekend's scenario is similar to last season in that the only way the Saints can improve their seeding is with both a win over the Panthers and a San Francisco loss at St. Louis, which is 2-13. If that happened, the Saints would jump to No. 2 and get a first-round bye and a second-round game at home. That, however, does not appear likely to odds makers, who've made the 49ers 10 1/2-point favorites.
Payton already has made one arguably unconventional move to help Brees set the record. He let his star quarterback keep throwing during the final minutes of Monday night's 45-16 victory over the Falcons to get the 30 yards he needed to surpass Dan Marino's 1984 record of 5,084 yards. The last pass was an otherwise inconsequential 9-yard touchdown to Darren Sproles.
While Payton exposed himself to criticism for running up the score, he said he was comfortable with his decision.
"You go with your gut," Payton said. "I thought it was the right decisions last night. This morning, I thought it was clearly the right decision. I felt overwhelmingly that most people that are involved in this game, and know a little bit about this game, probably felt the same way. The great thing about our game is that you can have an opinion about it."
When Brees came off the field after eclipsing Marino's mark on his last pass of the game, he carried the ball he threw on the history-making completion to Sproles.
Brees then said he wished there was a way to share the ball with his teammates, upon whom he showered credit for helping him succeed.
"I guess we could cut it up and give it to them all," Brees said. "I guess the ball itself is not as important to me as the memory we created, because that is something that will live forever."
The record itself, however, could be gone sooner than later ? unless Payton decides it's something worth fighting for come Sunday.
dia frampton dia frampton zook john elway john elway eric decker eric decker
Judge: Actress must reveal name in IMDb lawsuit
The actress suing Hollywood information database IMDb for listing her true age cannot move forward with the case unless she reveals her identity, a federal judge has ruled.
-
More Entertainment stories
-
Exclusive: Man eats goat heads on 'Cheapskates'
Jeff Yeager isn't afraid to try cuts of meat that most people might shy away from, especially if it'll cost him next to no...
- What was the most shocking TV death of year?
- Victim's sis surprised producer OK with extradition
- Tempest alert! Weatherman storms off live TV
- Celebrity scandals of 2011
-
Exclusive: Man eats goat heads on 'Cheapskates'
In a sharply-worded decision issued on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman found that while the anonymous actress who sued for $1 million fears blacklisting and other retribution in Hollywood if her true identity is known, "the injury she fears is not severe enough to justify permitting her to proceed anonymously," the ruling states.
PHOTOS: Crazy Cases! 18 of Hollywood's Outrageous Entertainment Lawsuits
Judge Pechman gave the woman who sued as "Jane Doe" 14 days to refile the case under her own name or it will be dismissed. The woman now must choose to either move forward under her real name or drop the litigation entirely.
The IMDb case, first filed in October against IMDb and parent Amazon, argues that actors who are perceived as "over the hill" at age 40 have trouble finding work. The case has become something of a lightning rod in Hollywood as both actor guilds, SAG and AFTRA, backed the lawsuit, arguing that the listing service opens up actors to discrimination in ageist casting circles. Another actor later came forward to blast IMDb for listing his age incorrectly in an opinion piece published by The Hollywood Reporter.
STORY: An Actor Pens An Open Letter To IMDB; Says He's 4 1/2 Years Younger Than They Claim
In its motion to dismiss, IMDb argued that the actress was being "selfish" and that she wouldn't suffer significant discrimination from revealing her actual name in the lawsuit. The judge essentially agreed, siding with the strong public interest in litigants proceeding publicly in open court. She declined to award monetary sanctions to either side.
Story: 'Porky's' star Knight found dead of apparent suicideThe woman, who apparently resides in Texas, must now decide whether the case is worth the trouble of litigating in public. THR has reached out to her lawyer, John Dozier, for comment and will update with a response.
Copyright 2011 The Hollywood Reporter
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45795719/ns/today-entertainment/
tiki barber minnesota vikings packers vs vikings packers vs vikings randall cobb packers score google x
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Well-done meat ups pancreatic cancer risk
By David Liu, ?Ph.D.
Sunday Dec 25, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in the Jan 2012 issue of Molecular Carcinogenesis suggests eating well-done meat may increase risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies.
The study shows that those who had highest intake of meat-derived mutagens such as heterocyclic amines and bezo(a)pyrene were 86 percent more likely than those who had the lowest intake to develop pancreatic cancer.
K.E. Anderson and colleagues from University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, Minnesota conducted a survey of 62,581 subjects who were randomized to screening for cancer in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Screening Trial for their intakes of HCA and BaP. ?During a 10-year follow-up, 248 cases of exocrine pancreatic cancer were identified among the study population. ?
The researchers found preferences for well and very well-done meat were generally correlated with increased risk for pancreatic cancer. ? The risk of pancreatic cancer was found increased in those with upper quintiles of mutagenic activity indexes and mutagens 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx) and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), which are formed in well-done meat cooked at high temperatures.
The findings suggest that eating well-done meat may increase risk of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed in about 44,030 people in the United States each year and the disease kills an estimated 37,660 people in the country.
Pancreatic cancer causes remain largely unknown, but possible risk factors include diabetes, chronic pancreatitis and smoking, according to the nih.gov. ? ?Early common symptoms of the disease include dark urine and clay-colored stools, fatigue and weakness, jaundice, loss of appetite and weight loss, nausea and vomiting, and pain or discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen.
turkey map walter isaacson walter isaacson zodiac killer battlefield 3 review battlefield 3 review real housewives of new jersey
Fla. crash kills doc getting heart for transplant
A Clay County fire official drives through smoldering brush on his way to wreckage from a helicopter crash in an area west of Green Cove Springs, Fla. Monday afternoon, Dec. 26, 2011. The helicopter was enroute to Gainesville from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to receive a heart for a transplant when it crashed. The three people who were in the helicopter died at the scene. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)
A Clay County fire official drives through smoldering brush on his way to wreckage from a helicopter crash in an area west of Green Cove Springs, Fla. Monday afternoon, Dec. 26, 2011. The helicopter was enroute to Gainesville from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to receive a heart for a transplant when it crashed. The three people who were in the helicopter died at the scene. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)
Clay County Sheriff's officials create a staging area about 150 yards from wreckage from a helicopter crash in an area west of Green Cove Springs, Fla. Monday afternoon, Dec. 26, 2011. The helicopter was enroute to Gainesville from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to receive a heart for a transplant when it crashed. The three people who were in the helicopter died at the scene. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)
Clay County Sheriff's deputies head deep into the woods on four wheelers in an attempt to locate wreckage from a helicopter crash in an area west of Green Cove Springs, Fla. Monday afternoon, Dec. 26, 2011. The helicopter was enroute to Gainesville from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to receive a heart for a transplant when it crashed. The three people who were in the helicopter died at the scene. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)
MIAMI (AP) ? A surgeon and technician from a Mayo Clinic in Florida flying across the northern corner of the state to retrieve a heart for transplant died Monday in a helicopter crash that also killed the pilot, officials said.
The helicopter departed the clinic in Jacksonville around 5:45 a.m. but never arrived at the Gainesville hospital, Shands at University of Florida, about 60 miles to the southwest, said Kathy Barbour, a spokeswoman for Mayo, which is based in Rochester, Minn.
Killed were heart surgeon Dr. Luis Bonilla, procurement technician David Hines and the pilot, whose name wasn't released.
The heart they were going to pick up could not be used in another transplant because its viability expired, and the patient who had been scheduled to receive it is waiting for a new organ, Mayo Clinic spokesman Layne Smith said.
The helicopter went down about 12 miles northeast of Palatka, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen. The town is about 40 miles east of Gainesville and about 45 miles south of Jacksonville.
Clay County Sheriff's Office dispatcher Myron White confirmed the three dead but had no more information to release about the crash in the remote, densely forested area away from roads. The National Transportation Safety Board also was investigating.
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville reported that there was light fog with overcast conditions in the area but no rain.
"As we mourn this tragic event, we will remember the selfless and intense dedication they brought to making a difference in the lives of our patients," John Noseworthy, Mayo Clinic president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "We recognize the commitment transplant teams make every day in helping patients at Mayo Clinic and beyond. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families."
The wreckage was spotted around noon by another helicopter, said sheriff's Lt. Russ Burke. Debris was scattered around the crash site, which was hidden from the road by rows of pine trees.
FAA records show the Bell 206 helicopter is operated by SK Jets. The St. Augustine company released a statement: "The focus of our efforts at this time is to attend to the needs of our passengers, crew and their families and work with the NTSB and local public safety officials to determine the cause and extent of the accident."
Gary Robb, a Kansas City aviation attorney specializing in helicopter safety, said SK Jets is known as a careful and safe operator in the industry. The small, lightweight craft has low weight and speed capabilities and is primarily used by traffic reporters or police departments, Robb said.
"It's not usually used in donor flights," he said.
"If you're on a mission where time is sensitive, why use an engine that is low performance?" Robb said, adding that the helicopter has a cramped cabin.
An NTSB investigator will scour the crash site for clues and look into the pilot's experience and any factors that might have impaired the pilot, any environmental factors such as birds or low visibility that may have contributed to the crash, and any mechanical problems with the helicopter, he said.
The Bell 206 usually has an older engine no longer installed in new models, Robb said.
"We've seen a number of instances where that engine simply failed," Robb said.
The crash and others like it illustrate the delicate nature of transporting organs.
In 1990, a surgeon and an assistant flying to pick up a donor heart for a patient were killed in a plane crash in New Mexico. And in 2007, a twin-engine plane carrying a team of surgeons and technicians ? along with a set of lungs on ice being brought to a patient already prepped for surgery ? crashed into the choppy waters of Lake Michigan. Six were killed.
Doctors ultimately got another set of donor lungs that were transplanted into the patient.
Associated Presstampa bay bucs cowboys cowboys slim dunkin slim dunkin will rogers ohio university
Europe debt crisis top story of 2011
-
In this July 18, 2011 photo, specialist William Krumm works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets climbed Friday, July 22, 2011, as investors signaled their approval of a massive new bailout plan for Greece and broader measures to tackle the continent's debt problems.
NEW YORK -- Europe took the financial world on a stomach-churning ride in 2011.
The rising threat of default by heavily indebted European countries spread fear across financial markets and weighed on economies worldwide. As the year came to a close, banks and investors nervously watched Europe's political and financial leaders scramble to prevent the 17-nation eurozone from breaking apart.
Several of the other biggest business stories of the year highlighted the global economy's linkages: A British phone-hacking scandal shook the foundations of Rupert Murdoch's U.S.-based media empire; a nuclear disaster in Japan stymied auto plants in the U.S. and beyond; and the price of gasoline surged because of unrest in the Middle East and growing demand in Asia and Latin America.
In the U.S., political squabbling led to the first credit downgrade for government debt, the economy suffered its fourth straight disappointing year and Apple founder Steve Jobs died.
The European financial crisis was chosen as the top business story of the year by business editors at The Associated Press. The sluggish U.S. economy came in second, followed by the death of Jobs.
1 EUROPEAN FINANCIAL CRISIS
The government-debt crunch rattled Europe's financial system and weighed on the global economy. Portugal became the third European country, after Greece and Ireland the year before, to require a bailout as its borrowing costs soared. And investors grew worried that countries with much larger debts, such as Spain and Italy, would also need help.
Financial markets were volatile all year as hopes rose and then were dashed that forceful steps would be taken to prevent the financial crisis from becoming Europe's version of the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, which triggered a global financial panic and deepened the Great Recession.
Banks worried that they or their partners wouldn't be able to cover losses if governments defaulted, so they cut back on lending. European governments, facing ever higher borrowing costs, reined in spending -- a policy response that is expected to stunt much-needed economic growth. Analysts estimate the slowdown in Europe, America's No. 1 trading partner, will cut U.S. economic growth next year.
2 BAD U.S. ECONOMY: YEAR 4
The Great Recession may have ended, but the economic recovery continued to disappoint. For the first six months of the year, the economy grew at an annual rate of just 0.9 percent. Growth improved to a 2 percent rate in the third quarter and a 3 percent growth rate is forecast for the fourth quarter.
Still, 21/2 years after economists say the recession ended, 25 million people remain unemployed or unable to find full-time work. The unemployment rate fell from 9 percent in October to 8.6 percent in November, providing a hopeful sign. Yet the housing market remained burdened by foreclosures and falling prices in many metropolitan areas. How to fix the economy became the top campaign issue for Republican presidential contenders.
3 STEVE JOBS DIES
The college dropout who helped popularize the personal computer and created the iPod, iPhone and iPad, died on Oct. 5. That was two months after Apple Inc., which Jobs started in a Silicon Valley garage in 1976, briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil Corp. as the most valuable publicly traded company in the world.
Jobs cultivated a countercultural sensibility and a minimalist design ethic. He rolled out one sensational product after another, even during the recession and as his health was failing. He first helped change computers from a geeky hobbyist's obsession to a necessity of modern life. In recent years, he upended the music business with the iPod and iTunes, transformed the smart phone market with the iPhone and created the tablet market with the iPad.
4 THE U.S. CREDIT DOWNGRADE
The inability of political leaders to come up with a long-term plan to reduce the federal budget deficit led the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's to take away Uncle Sam's sterling AAA credit rating for the first time. The political bickering enraged voters, spooked investors and led to the lowest consumer confidence level of the year. But the nation's long-term borrowing costs fell after the crisis. The reason: U.S. debt still looks safer to investors than almost everything else, especially European debt.
5 RUPERT MURDOCH AND THE HACKING SCANDAL
The man whose worldwide media empire thrives on covering scandal became the center of a dramatic one. A British tabloid newspaper owned by Murdoch's News Corp., which also owns Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, hacked the phone of a murdered schoolgirl. Murdoch was not charged with a crime, but an investigation by British authorities raised questions about Murdoch's ability to run his worldwide media empire. News Corp. fired several executives and closed the newspaper at the center of the scandal, the News of the World.
6 JAPAN EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor, owned by Tokyo Electric Power Co., cut off supplies of crucial Japanese parts and idled factories thousands of miles away. Auto companies, especially Toyota and Honda, were hit hardest. Inventory of certain models, especially hybrids, fell short at dealerships, reducing sales and sending retail prices higher. The worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl led countries around the world to reconsider nuclear power. Germany decided to abandon nuclear by 2022.
7 GASOLINE PRICES HIT ANNUAL RECORD
The retail price of gasoline averaged $3.53 per gallon for the year, eclipsing the 2008 record of $3.24 per gallon. Americans drove less and switched to more fuel- efficient cars, but it wasn't enough to offset the higher prices. A bigger percentage of household income went into the gas tank in 2011 than any year since 1981. Economists say the high prices shaved half a percentage point off U.S. economic growth.
8 SOCIAL MEDIA IPOs TAKE OFF
Shares of the business social networking site LinkedIn more than doubled when it went public in May, recalling the froth of the dot-com boom. Linked- In was followed by large IPOs from online radio company Pandora Media, online discount site Groupon and social gaming site Zynga. But the market is treacherous: shares of Pandora, Groupon and Zynga all traded below their offering prices soon after they were listed. Market anticipation is high for a Facebook IPO in 2012.
9 OCCUPY WALL STREET
On Sept. 17, several hundred protesters gathered at a small plaza about a block from the New York Stock Exchange. They slept in tents, ate donated meals and protested income inequality and the influence of money in politics. The movement inspired protesters around the world who camped in city centers and business hubs to complain about unemployment, CEO pay and a decline in upward social mobility.
10 THE DOWNFALL OF MF GLOBAL AND JON CORZINE
The former governor, senator and co-chairman of Goldman Sachs lost control of a small brokerage firm he agreed to run in 2010. Saddled with huge debt and risky bets on European bonds, MF Global was forced to file for bankruptcy protection on Halloween after trading partners and investors got spooked. It was soon discovered that $1.2 billion in customer money was missing. Corzine told Congress he had no idea where the money went.
Source: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/27/europe-debt-crisis-top-story-of-2011/
elf on a shelf elf on a shelf carrier iq carrier iq linda perry world aids day amber rose
CSI globalVCard
I've been very excited over the past few months to watch virtual payment systems mature. As a technology, virtual payment systems and other kinds of "smart" payment systems (like near-field communication chips) have been available to us for a much longer time than we've been available to them, due to lack of infrastructure and other adoption stoppers. It feels like it's all starting to fall into place, though. CSI globalVCard (free for apps; requires account) is one of the services that makes me optimistic about wider adoption of smart payment systems. CSI globalVCard is a virtual credit card service designed to help businesses make their accounting systems much simpler?although the potential for personal and family use is at the front of my mind, too.
You have to have a specific corporate credit card account (CSI Corporate Card, issued in this case by Regions Bank) to use the free globalVCard app for iOS (both iPhone and iPad), Android, and BlackBerry. Those apps let you issue individual virtual credit cards from the corporate account to specific employees. Each card has a specified amount, and can include restrictions such as types of purchases allowed and number of uses allowed. The globalVCard system provides a much easier and simpler process for expense reports than reimbursement?because there is no expense report! The purchases are, in effect, approved before they happen.
As enthusiastic as I am about the prospects for the CSI globalVCard system, having tested it, I do think it needs a few more iterations to mature fully. Data visibility, reports from the system, and a few other features should get better over time, but for now, they are a little rudimentary. CSI globalVCard offers an amazing service, and if I had a small business, I would gladly sign up now to get the benefits of what is offered while awaiting new features that will hopefully be added soon.
The Name Explained: CSI globalVCard
"CSI globalVCard" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but the name is easier to remember once you realize that the "VCard" part stands for "virtual credit card."
The first half the name is trickier. "CSI" comes from Corporate Spending Innovations,?which operates the globalVCard mobile apps and website. GlobalVCard is the part to remember, though, as it's the keyword you'll need to search for the free app for iOS (both iPhone and iPad), Android, and BlackBerry. With an account, you can also manage the service via the globalVCard website.
What You Need
To use CSI globalVCard, you need a CSI Corporate Card credit line or prefund account.?That requirement alone may make the service sound pretty restrictive, but it's no more restrictive than what's required for Google Wallet (NFC) (4 stars, free with account)?a Nexus 4G phone with Sprint service and a Google Wallet account or Citi MasterCard account. As I mentioned previously, a lack of infrastructure still holds back virtual payment and NFC services, and limits their reach.
Once you have the credit card account, you can sign up for a free account with globalVCard, which takes only a moment. You'll also want to download the app you intend to use and set a four-digit PIN.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/jiTM8WxJv50/0,2817,2398016,00.asp
snowman google music willis mcgahee willis mcgahee 2013 ford escape stop online piracy act protect ip act
Chase mayor not too concerned over holiday ER closure
Shelby Thom | Email news tips to shelby.thom@corusent.com
12/24/2011
Last week, the B.C. NDP made a fuss about the temporary closure of the emergency ward in Chase, B.C.
But the town's mayor doesn't seem too concerned.
Ron Anderson says the ER shuts down several times each year because of staff shortages.
He says hospitals in Kamloops and Salmon Arm are fairly close, and an ambulance service is still offered around the clock.
"We are 40 minutes away from both hospitals, and having said that, I?m sure there is lots of other areas in the province where 40 minutes to a hospital for emergency care is not that great of a distance."
NDP health critic Mike Farnworth has said the closure is dangerous during the winter as road conditions can become treacherous.
The ER in Chase will be closed until Jan. 3.
Source: http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1631140
Governor touting jobs record
Gov. John Kasich knocked off rival Ted Strickland in 2010 by repeatedly hammering him on the loss of more than 400,000 jobs under his watch.
Now it's Kasich's turn to be judged on his jobs record.
Since employment counts were gathered in December 2010, Ohio has added an estimated 79,300 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Market Information.
Kasich, during a year-end press conference, spoke about a different number: 82,785. That's the number of jobs promised, created or retained through the JobsOhio effort.
"Eighty-three thousand jobs saved and created," Kasich said. "That makes me feel really good."
JobsOhio attempts were successful in 53 of Ohio's 88 counties, including Richland County. According to Kasich's office, the program here saved 75 Richland County jobs and retained 220 more with a total annual payment of $14.1 million.
But critics argue that much of JobsOhio's accomplishment was about not losing jobs rather than creating more, that the national recovery deserves some credit for the bounceback and that more progress could have been made had the governor been fully concentrating on jobs.
"He hasn't spent the past year focusing on job creation," said Seth Bringman, Ohio Democratic Party spokesman. "He's spent the past year attacking workers."
Kasich and Mark Kvamme, the jobs guru in his cabinet, contend they have righted the ship and job creation will be accelerating as the state's momentum builds.
There have been some good signs:
? JobsOhio reported 245 projects have yielded 21,099 new jobs and saved 61,686 others. These projects, the private agency claims, will generate or keep $4.8 billion in payroll in the state and $3.3 billion in investment.
? Income from job earnings in the last quarter were at its highest level since the end of 2008, according to inflation adjusted figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
? Through September, Ohio had attracted $180 million in venture capital this year, according to PriceWaterhouseCooper's online MoneyTree Report. That's the most private investment during the first nine months of the year in the state since 2008 -- and well above the average for the preceding decade.
And troubling ones too:
? The U.S. Department of Labor Reports that initial unemployment claims spiked in Ohio more than usual during the first week of December because of layoffs in the construction and auto industries.
? The unemployment rate is something the administration has been publicizing since it dropped from 9 to 8.5 percent last month. However, the decrease is significantly aided by a drop in the labor force -- the number of people working or actively seeking work. The reduction likely comes from thousands who gave up their job searches at least temporarily.
? Through November, 62,025 Ohioans dropped off the unemployment rolls, not because they found a job but because they've exhausted all 99 weeks of jobless benefits, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Jobs philosophy
JobsOhio was the first Ohio House Bill proposed during Kasich's term and he and Kvamme spent much of his year-in-review press conference speaking about employment.
Kvamme told a story of how Ohio attracted Menards -- 350 jobs and $50 million in capital investment -- by working around existing highway weight restrictions to accommodate the company. Part of what JobsOhio has done, Kvamme said, is just to get government out of the way where necessary.
"One thing that was pretty clear to me from the beginning is that we do not create jobs, but we do a phenomenal job of impeding growth," he said.
That doesn't mean giving business everything it wants, administration members said.
Kasich denied tax incentives for Chiquita, he said, because the return on investment wouldn't have been realized for a decade. He called a deal like that "corporate welfare." The company announced its leaving its long-time headquarters in Cincinnati for Charlotte.
Kvamme said the state will come out positive on taxes collected from JobsOhio's incentive deals in the first year and those deals will push revenues up to $2.8 billion in 10 years.
Even Ohio's losses were victories, they said. Getting companies to take a good long look at Ohio -- as Calisolar did before choosing Mississippi over Richland County, or as Sears did before opting to stay home in Illinois -- is a sign of progress, the governor said.
"We didn't get Sears, but we certainly got everybody's attention," Kasich said.
Bringman said Kasich is riding months of falling unemployment that started under Strickland's watch. He cited Kasich's rebuke of the auto industry bailout, his rejection of high-speed rail federal funds and, most often, the fight over collective bargaining rights.
Kasich maintained that Senate Bill 5, or Issue 2 as it was known on the ballot, was crafted with an eye toward creating a more business-friendly environment. The argument goes that by limiting unions, local and state governments could stop the upward trajectory of salaries and benefits for personnel.
Bringman said Ohioans thought they were getting a different approach for job growth.
"Voters resoundingly rejected the direction in which the governor is taking our state and sent a message that he should do what he promised and focus on creating jobs," Bringman said.
Source: http://mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20111225/NEWS01/112250308/1002/rss01
roasted pumpkin seeds pumpkin seed recipe mark madoff disturbia ufc results nick diaz michael myers
Monday, 26 December 2011
The Washington Ballet - The Nutcracker
Welcome to TICKETPLACE, Washington DC?s half-price ticket service for arts and cultural events including theatre, dance, music, opera, lectures, films, concerts and more!
Tickets shown here may be purchased in advance and day-of-show. New selections are added daily, so bookmark this page, sign up for email alerts, or follow us on Twitter.
?
?
Tickets may be purchased online 24/7 or in person at the TICKETPLACE outlet. Whether you purchase your tickets online or in person, the inventory and the service charge remains the same.
Learn more about your half-price ticket purchase through TICKETPLACE.
| The Washington Ballet - The Nutcracker
On Thursday, the lower price is Rear Side Orchestra; the higher price is Center Mid-Balcony.? Both shows on Saturday are in the Upper Balcony.? These are reserved seats assigned by the presenter. We are unable to accommodate special requests. Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 3:30 PM Warner Theatre 13th & E Streets, NW Washington, DC 20004 Website: culturecapital.com/event.php?id=16214 Map & Directions |
Tickets for this event are no longer available online.
Please check with the box office for more information.
Source: http://culturecapital.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=430303
nfl power rankings week 12 brine turkey brine turkey uc davis super committee walmart black friday ad 2011 nl mvp
diversity1a: Council on Foundations Jobs | LinkedIn http://t.co/smXRtu8a
- Passer la navigation
- Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
- Passer cette ?tape
- Connexion
Council on Foundations Jobs | LinkedIn bit.ly/uCPXGG 
diversity1a Troy Shaw
Pied de page
Source: http://twitter.com/diversity1a/statuses/151008853230747649
twas the night before christmas detroit lions cincinnati bengals jaws norad santa epic beard man new york jets
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Overweight 7-Year-Olds Face Higher Risk of Asthma (HealthDay)
FRIDAY, Dec. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are overweight or obese during early childhood have a greater risk of having asthma at age 8 than normal-weight kids, a new study finds.
Researchers in Sweden followed more than 2,000 children for eight years, using preschool and school health records to track their height and weight at ages 1 year, 18 months, 4 years and 7 years. Parents completed questionnaires about their child's health, including asthma and allergy status.
Children who had persistently high BMI (body mass index) -- in the 85th percentile or above -- throughout early childhood, or who were normal-weight toddlers but gained weight and had a high BMI at age 7, were more likely to have asthma than kids who had a normal body weight.
However, kids who had a high BMI at an early age -- at 18 months or 4 years -- but slimmed down by age 7 were not at higher risk of asthma than other kids.
"If the children are only overweight during the early period before 4 years of age we do not see an increased risk of asthma during school age," said lead study author Jessica Magnusson, a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine in Stockholm. "However, if they are persistently overweight, or overweight at a later age -- age 7 -- then there is an association with asthma at age 8."
Asthma, characterized by inflammation of the airways, may cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing.
The study is in the January issue of Pediatrics.
At age 8, about 6 percent of the kids in the study had asthma. Those overweight at age 4 and age 7 had a nearly 2.5 times greater risk of having asthma.
Researchers excluded kids who'd had early symptoms of wheezing or had been diagnosed with asthma prior to age 2.
Researchers also took into account parental history of asthma. A high BMI was associated with an increased risk of asthma only in kids without parental history of the disease, according to the study.
Researchers pointed out that their study does not show that being overweight or obese causes asthma. However, the march upward in childhood obesity rates has coincided with an increase in asthma rates, leading some to speculate that the two may be linked biologically.
One theory is that leptin, a hormone found in fat tissue, may contribute to an inflammatory immune response that could trigger asthma, which is a chronic inflammation of the airways.
A prior study found higher leptin levels in overweight children, and that even among overweight children with similar BMIs, kids with asthma tended to have higher leptin levels.
The current study also found an association between being overweight at age 7 and sensitization to airborne allergens. Sensitization, or the presence of certain antibodies in the blood, often indicates an allergy to a particular substance, but researchers did not track actual symptoms.
Getting control of a child's weight is important to prevent asthma and other conditions that are showing up more in kids, including diabetes and high cholesterol, said Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives in the Office of Community Health at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck, N.Y.
And obesity and asthma can feed off each another. Children experiencing asthma symptoms and having difficulty breathing may be less apt to participate in physical activity, while parents may worry about their asthmatic kids and not allow them to do certain things, such as run outside in the cold, Copperman said.
"What this study argues for is prevention," she said. "The kids who were heavier and got leaner didn't have the increased incidence of asthma, while those who were lean and got heavier or were heavy from the beginning did ... Obesity is not a cosmetic problem. It has real health consequences."
More information
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry has more on childhood obesity.
steelers browns albert pujols pau gasol virginia tech va tech duggar miscarriage dan gilbert
Ian Hancock Edinburgh Hanks, 30, Austin, Texas
Ian Hancock Edinburgh Hanks
Nov. 20, 1981 ? Dec. 23, 2011
Ian Hanks, 30, died Friday, December 23, in Austin. He leaves with us a legacy of friendship, love, and passion. We, your family and many friends from around the world, are better for knowing you, Ian, and we will miss you with all of our heart for the rest of our lives. You have set a high standard for exactly how to live and love, and we are indebted to you forever.
Ian was conceived in Edinburgh, Scotland. He spent his first seven months in his mother's womb there, and then traveled to Austin, Texas to begin his life here on Earth. He grew up in Tarrytown, attended Casis Elementary School and then entered the wonderful, nurturing environment at St. Stephen's Episcopal School as a sixth grader, where the foundation for many of his lifelong friendships was established.
As an 11th grader, Ian developed lymphoma. At the time of his diagnosis, he was traveling with his father in Hungary on an antiques buying trip. From that day forward, his life transformed and he became a messenger of love and living in the moment, because he realized--as few of us do--just how fragile life is and how wonderful each day can be.
Ian survived lymphoma, graduated with honors from St. Stephen's and then graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He wished to learn and master only one topic?how to experience life in a meaningful way. As a Wesleyan sophomore, he was blessed to discover his life's passion?China. He graduated with a degree in East Asian Studies and was selected as a Princeton in Asia scholar. He worked as a consultant in Shanghai with Tractus Asia, a management consulting firm. During his time at Wesleyan and for all these years afterward, he has lived and breathed his adopted country and culture. He became the most fluent Mandarin speaking American that anyone knows.
After graduation, Ian lived for three years in Shanghai, then a year in Hong Kong, and finally three more years in Hangzhou, his favorite city in China. In Hangzhou, he met the love of his life, Sandra. For the past two years, Sandra and Ian have spent every moment together and we?their family and friends?can say without reservation that they are the two happiest lovers we have ever beheld. We are all so happy that Ian found the true love of his life, something we are all searching to experience.
While in Hangzhou, Ian and his brother Roger founded Hanks Brothers Chinese Trading Company. Over the years, he, Roger, and Sandra provided life-saving heart surgery for seven Chinese school children through Project Hope. To donate to this charity, see www.hanksbrothers.com/collections/charity.
During Christmas 2005, Ian was diagnosed with astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer that is not curable. Through his ordeal, which included various forms of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, Ian lived in the moment. He woke up every day during the past six years in China determined to have another great day. We feel confident that he enjoyed every single one.
In fact, we who know Ian so well hold the common belief that we have had the joy and comfort of knowing the most remarkable person we will ever know. His wisdom and compassion give each of us a glimpse into how to really live life. For a peek into Ian's world, see his recent China blog: http://ianhanks.blogspot.com/
Ian is survived by the most remarkable woman in the world, his wife Sandra Hanks; his mother Janice Hanks; his father, Whit Hanks; his brother, Roger Hanks; his sister, Louise Hanks; his grandmother, Lucy Hanks; his other mother, Tita Due?as, and hundreds and hundreds of loved ones from all over the world.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at St. Stephen's Episcopal School Chapel, 6500 St. Stephen's Dr., Austin, followed by a graveside ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery. A reception will follow at Ian's home.
Source: http://weareaustin.tributes.com/show/Ian-Hancock-Edinburgh-Hanks-92979641
cmas world series of poker joe walsh zsa zsa gabor heavy d dead heavy d dead alaska weather
Study linking virus and chronic fatigue retracted (AP)
NEW YORK ? A prestigious scientific journal is retracting a controversial 2009 report that linked chronic fatigue syndrome to a virus.
In an unusual move, the journal Science is taking that step on its own. Normally, authors retract their own research papers when serious problems arise after publication.
But Science has lost confidence in the report and the validity of its conclusions, editor-in-chief Bruce Alberts writes in Friday's issue. He said most of the authors have agreed in principle to retract the paper "but they have been unable to agree on the wording of their statement." A retraction signed by all the authors "is unlikely to be forthcoming," Alberts wrote.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by severe fatigue for at least six months, impaired memory and other symptoms.
The 2009 paper, from scientists at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nev., the Cleveland Clinic and the National Cancer Institute, reported finding a virus called XMRV in blood cells of some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. That raised hope that a cause of the mysterious illness had been found, although other viral suspects over the years had proven to be false leads.
But follow-up studies found no evidence of such a link. Last May, Science published two reports suggesting the original finding was due to lab contamination.
At the time, Alberts published a statement declaring that the validity of the study was "now seriously in question."
Then in September, the authors retracted some of the data, citing contamination.
In his statement on the full retraction, Alberts said the authors had also acknowledged omitting important information about the study's procedures in an illustration of some lab results.
Robert Silverman of the Cleveland Clinic, one of the paper's 13 authors, said in a statement Thursday that he was pleased by the full retraction. He said he had sought one this summer after finding that blood samples were contaminated.
Through a spokeswoman, another study author, Francis Ruscetti of the cancer institute, declined to comment.
Annette Whittemore, president of the Whittemore institute, said in a statement that her organization remains committed to discovering the roots of the disorder. "It is not the end of the story, rather it is the beginning of our renewed efforts," she said. "We ... look forward to the rigorous review of our scientific research."
A key figure in the research, Judy Mikovits, is no longer with the Whittemore institute.
___
Online:
Science: http://www.sciencemag.org
black dahlia drew drew lady gaga marry the night video lady gaga marry the night video pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game
US mom, 2 daughters die in Mexico attacks
PACHUCA, Mexico ?? Three U.S. citizens traveling to spend the holidays with their relatives were among those killed in a spree of shooting attacks on buses in northern Mexico, authorities from both countries said Friday.
-
Only on msnbc.com
- Holiday calendar: Take a sleigh ride in space
- Comet takes its place as 'Star of Wonder'
- Updated 66 minutes ago 12/24/2011 8:31:28 PM +00:00 Christmas Eve around the world
- Attorney, accountant taken off Huguette Clark estate
- What kids around the world feed Santa
- After Katrina, a promise is kept
- Hoop dreams bring Israelis, Palestinians together
A group of five gunmen attacked three buses in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz on Thursday, killing a total of seven passengers in what authorities said appeared to be a violent robbery spree.
The Americans killed were a mother and her two daughters who were returning to visit relatives in the region, known as the Huasteca, said an official in the neighboring state of Hidalgo, where the mother was born.
Hidalgo state regional assistant secretary Jorge Rocha identified the dead U.S. mother as Maria Sanchez Hernandez, 39, of Fort Worth, Texas, and the daughters as Karla, 19, and Cristina, 13. Rocha said all three held dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. A 14-year-old Mexican nephew traveling with the three was also killed.
A U.S. Embassy official confirmed the women's nationalities, but could offer no information on their ages or hometowns. The official, who was not authorized to be quoted by name, said consular authorities were offering assistance to the victims' relatives.
Story: Mexico disbands entire police force in top port of VeracruzWhile funeral plans were unclear, Rocha said Sanchez Hernandez's mother wants her daughter to be buried in Mexico.
Three other Mexican citizens were killed in the Thursday attacks on the three buses.
The five gunmen who allegedly carried out the attacks were later killed by soldiers.
Earlier in their spree, the gunmen shot to death three people and killed a fourth with grenade in the nearby town of El Higo, Veracruz.
'Exercise caution'
On Thursday, the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros, a Mexican border city north of where the attacks occurred, said in a statement that "several vehicles," including the buses, were attacked, but did not specify what the other vehicles were.
The consulate urged Americans to "exercise caution" when traveling in Veracruz, and "avoid intercity road travel at night."
While the specific area where the Thursday attacks occurred is not frequented by foreign travelers, other parts of the Huasteca ? a hilly, verdant area on the Gulf coast ? are popular among Mexican tourists and some foreigners.
Story: Mexico makes huge meth precursor chemicals seizureThe attack occurred near the border with the state of Tamaulipas, an area that has been the scene of bloody battles between the Zetas and Gulf drug cartels.
Meanwhile, the tortured bodies of 10 people were found in northern Veracruz, local media reported Friday, as attacks in the region intensify between the rival cartels.
In September, 35 bodies were dumped along a downtown highway in the Veracruz city of Boca del Rio.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45780933/ns/world_news-americas/
advanced search personhood amendment haynesworth haynesworth ohio issue 2 ohio issue 2 mississippi personhood
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Director Jolie goes to war with 'Blood and Honey' (AP)
LOS ANGELES ? As she developed her story about lovers on opposite sides in the Bosnian War, Angelina Jolie drew on everything she had learned traveling to combat zones. But she started at home, imagining herself and partner Brad Pitt at such extremes.
"In the Land of Blood and Honey," Jolie's writing-directing debut, hurls two lovers ? a Bosnian Muslim woman and a Bosnian-Serbian man ? from their tender relationship before the war into the horrors of work and rape camps, where brutality, betrayal and degradation are daily matters.
"The closest relationship in my life is Brad," Jolie said in an interview for the film, which opens in limited release Friday and expands in January. "It's the man-woman relationship. So for me to put myself in a position to be able to write from, it would be, well, what if it was me, and what would it be like? And what would it take? Could I ever turn on him? Would this ever happen? Would he ever turn on me? So you try to put yourself inside, and that's how that relationship started."
The result is worlds away from the vanity projects some superstars end up with when they play at directing. Jolie holds nothing back in depicting the savagery of the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, as ancient ethnic rivalries reignited after decades of communist rule.
As a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, Jolie, 36, had visited Bosnia and felt a growing compulsion to help dramatize a conflict about which the world at large had been misinformed or even indifferent.
When the war broke out, Jolie herself was a teenager with other things on her mind than conflict in a distant land.
"I was being a 17-year-old. I knew only a little bit about it," Jolie said. "It just felt very far away, and until America got involved, I don't even remember any headlines in our papers."
As the years passed, Jolie remained busy with other preoccupations ? Hollywood party girl, Academy Award winner for "Girl, Interrupted," marriages to actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, the latter a wild love affair that was a gold mine for gossip tabloids.
Then came the action comedy "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," in which Jolie and Pitt starred as married assassins gunning for each other. Home-wrecker headlines followed as Jolie took up with co-star Pitt, who ended his marriage to Jennifer Aniston.
Jolie already had begun her humanitarian makeover, adopting a child from Cambodia and using her celebrity to shine light on children in peril, the plight of refugees and other causes around the world.
As she and Pitt's family has grown ? they now have three adopted and three biological children ? Jolie's image has transformed from sinner to saint.
"I've always tried to step outside my comfort zone. Sometimes that can be good and useful for hopeful things like this," Jolie said, referring to her film. "And sometimes, when you're younger, it can be very destructive and a bad thing."
Visiting war zones changed her perspective, but it was the home front ? taking on children ? that made the big difference.
"That was what changed me completely, and then I knew that once you decide to become a parent, you can no longer be in any way self-destructive or selfish. You live for someone else, and it's over. It's all over," Jolie said, laughing.
"But in the greatest way, because the chaos ? no wild days as a punk are ever as interesting or as chaotic as my life with my children is now. They can out-punk anybody you know."
Jolie said she wrote the screenplay for "In the Land of Blood and Honey" as a private exercise, but once Pitt read it, he told her to put it into circulation and get some feedback.
Without her name attached, she sent the script to people on all sides of the Bosnian conflict. The response was favorable, and before long, Jolie was casting actors, mostly people who lived through the war or had close relatives and friends in the thick of it.
Cast as Muslim artist Ajla, Zana Marjanovic was 8 years old when the war broke out. She and her mother fled to Slovenia while her father stayed behind in Sarajevo. Goran Kostic, who was 20 and living in London when the war started, was cast as Ajla's lover, Danijel, torn between love and duty as a leader at the camp where she is interned.
With graphic scenes of rape, sniper slayings, civilian massacres and soldiers using women as human shields, the film was a balancing act as Jolie sought to tells a story representing all sides.
Jolie's reputation as a humanitarian envoy reassured the locals that the film would be a fair and honest depiction, said Marjanovic, who recalled the stir created by Jolie's visit back to Sarajevo last summer for a film festival.
"We're just too cool to be concerned about various superstars walking around our city," Marjanovic said. "But when it was Angelina ? that was just the one superstar we're not immune to. It wasn't only because of everything she's done as an actress ? it was that and the fact that she's doing this film about Bosnia. I think everyone had really high hopes, and I believe they'll feel that it came from the right place, that she will portray us truthfully and do a great job."
At U.S. theaters, the film mostly will play in a Bosnian-language version with English subtitles. But Jolie and her actors shot a second version in English that's available for domestic and overseas markets where subtitled films might be a hard sell for audiences.
She prefers that viewers see the native-language version, but the English one is "there for whoever wants it, because we want to reach as many people as we can," Jolie said.
Jolie eventually wants her children to see "In the Land of Blood and Honey" ? though for now, she's keeping them on a cinema diet that includes her "Kung Fu Panda" animated tales.
Of her own movies, "I think the most fun one for them will be `Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' because who doesn't want to see their parents try to kill each other?" Jolie said. "'Wow, mom and dad are going crazy.'"
manny pacquiao fight pacquiao marquez pacquiao marquez penn state game radiohead tour cbsnews ufc on fox fight card
More than other drugs, injected meth is associated with an increased risk of attempted suicide
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 22-Dec-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Stephanie Berger
sb2247@columbia.edu
212-305-4372
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Study shows suicide prevention efforts should be key part of substance abuse treatment programs
December 22, 2011 -- The dire physical and mental health effects of injecting methamphetamine are well known, but there's been little research about suicidal behavior and injecting meth. In a recent study, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the University of British Columbia found that drug users who inject methamphetamine had an 80% greater risk of attempting suicide than drug users who inject other substances.
Although the causal pathway between injecting methamphetamine and suicidal behavior requires further investigation, study authors suggest that it likely involves a combination of neurobiological, social, and structural mechanisms, at least in the population studied.
The study results are published in the December issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
"Compared to other injection drug users, it is possible that methamphetamine users are more isolated and have poorer social support systems," said lead author Brandon Marshall, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Mailman School of Public Health and research coordinator for the Urban Health Research Initiative in British Colombia. "The high rate of attempted suicide observed in this study suggests that suicide prevention efforts should be an integral part of substance abuse treatment programs," said Dr. Marshall. "In addition, people who inject methamphetamine but are not in treatment would likely benefit from improved suicide risk assessment and other mental health support services within health care settings."
The Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study is part of the ongoing British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS' Urban Health Research Initiative, which focuses on the effects of substance use, infectious diseases, and the urban environment on the health of urban populations. Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is known as a center for illicit drug use, and fatalities from drug overdoses and drug-related violence are common. A large outbreak of HIV infection reported there in 1997 was among the fastest spreading HIV epidemics in the developed world.
Participation in the seven-year study, which ended in May 2008, was through word of mouth, street outreach, and referrals and included an interviewer-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, drug use, treatment utilization, and HIV risk behaviors. The researchers evaluated 1,873 participants whose median age was 31, while 36.2% of participants were female, and 32.1% were of Aboriginal ancestry. In total, 8% percent of study participants reported a suicide attempt.
"This is one of North America's largest cohorts of injection drug users, and the research is among the first longitudinal studies to examine attempts of suicide by injection drug users," said Dr. Marshall. "Most of these 5,000 users are concentrated in a very small neighborhood, making it a logical environment for this type of study. Because our study is one of the main points of access to health care for this population, this is a very well utilized study with a high rate of follow-up."
Dr. Marshall and colleagues also discovered that infrequent methamphetamine injection was a predictor of attempting suicide, while frequent methamphetamine injection was associated with the greatest risk of attempting suicide.
###
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
About Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Founded in 1922 as one of the first three public health academies in the nation, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,000 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP), the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit www.mailman.columbia.edu
About the University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of North America's largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world's 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization. UBC offers more than 55,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through more than 7,000 grants.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 22-Dec-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Stephanie Berger
sb2247@columbia.edu
212-305-4372
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Study shows suicide prevention efforts should be key part of substance abuse treatment programs
December 22, 2011 -- The dire physical and mental health effects of injecting methamphetamine are well known, but there's been little research about suicidal behavior and injecting meth. In a recent study, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the University of British Columbia found that drug users who inject methamphetamine had an 80% greater risk of attempting suicide than drug users who inject other substances.
Although the causal pathway between injecting methamphetamine and suicidal behavior requires further investigation, study authors suggest that it likely involves a combination of neurobiological, social, and structural mechanisms, at least in the population studied.
The study results are published in the December issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
"Compared to other injection drug users, it is possible that methamphetamine users are more isolated and have poorer social support systems," said lead author Brandon Marshall, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Mailman School of Public Health and research coordinator for the Urban Health Research Initiative in British Colombia. "The high rate of attempted suicide observed in this study suggests that suicide prevention efforts should be an integral part of substance abuse treatment programs," said Dr. Marshall. "In addition, people who inject methamphetamine but are not in treatment would likely benefit from improved suicide risk assessment and other mental health support services within health care settings."
The Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study is part of the ongoing British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS' Urban Health Research Initiative, which focuses on the effects of substance use, infectious diseases, and the urban environment on the health of urban populations. Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is known as a center for illicit drug use, and fatalities from drug overdoses and drug-related violence are common. A large outbreak of HIV infection reported there in 1997 was among the fastest spreading HIV epidemics in the developed world.
Participation in the seven-year study, which ended in May 2008, was through word of mouth, street outreach, and referrals and included an interviewer-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, drug use, treatment utilization, and HIV risk behaviors. The researchers evaluated 1,873 participants whose median age was 31, while 36.2% of participants were female, and 32.1% were of Aboriginal ancestry. In total, 8% percent of study participants reported a suicide attempt.
"This is one of North America's largest cohorts of injection drug users, and the research is among the first longitudinal studies to examine attempts of suicide by injection drug users," said Dr. Marshall. "Most of these 5,000 users are concentrated in a very small neighborhood, making it a logical environment for this type of study. Because our study is one of the main points of access to health care for this population, this is a very well utilized study with a high rate of follow-up."
Dr. Marshall and colleagues also discovered that infrequent methamphetamine injection was a predictor of attempting suicide, while frequent methamphetamine injection was associated with the greatest risk of attempting suicide.
###
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
About Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Founded in 1922 as one of the first three public health academies in the nation, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,000 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP), the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit www.mailman.columbia.edu
About the University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of North America's largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world's 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization. UBC offers more than 55,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through more than 7,000 grants.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/cums-mto122211.php
jeff probst jeff probst king jong il dead south korea baron davis duggar family dingo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)