Friday, November 30, 2012

New Jersey bridge collapse derails freight train; chemical leaks

PAULSBORO, New Jersey (Reuters) - A rail bridge collapsed on Friday over a creek in southern New Jersey, causing a Conrail freight train to derail and spill hazardous chemicals into the air and water, authorities said.

One of four tanks of the freight train carrying vinyl chloride fell into Mantua Creek, and its contents leaked into the waterway, which feeds into the Delaware River near Philadelphia, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Some 22 people were taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary examinations and were doing fine, said Larry Ragonese, a DEP spokesman who said the health danger and environmental impact was minimal.

"Initially there was a release of gas into the air that affected some nearby residents and people working right in that area," he said.

Exposure to vinyl chloride, a highly toxic and flammable industrial chemical, can cause burning eyes or respiratory discomfort, he said.

Authorities evacuated a half-mile (805-metre) area around the spill, which took place at about 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) in Paulsboro, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Local schools were closed and students were sent home, authorities said.

The leak was contained and no longer posed a threat, and authorities were using booms to trap the chemical in the water, Ragonese said.

At the scene, one of the freight cars was nearly vertical, nose-down and partly submerged in the creek. Other cars lay jumbled on the embankment.

"It's part of living in Paulsboro, with refineries and trains. We accept it," said resident John Diamond, 53, who was taking photographs at the scene.

The area is thick with chemical plants, and two refineries, PBF Energy's Paulsboro and Nustar's Asphault, are nearby.

Locals fish and go crabbing and jet-ski in the creek in the warm months, Diamond said.

Air quality monitors in the area did not register any problem, said Lawrence Hajna, also with the state DEP.

"All the levels are coming in within our safety range," he said.

The swing bridge that collapsed underwent extensive repairs after getting damaged in a 2009 derailment of a coal freight train, said John Burzichelli, a state assemblyman and former mayor of Paulsboro.

New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney, also on the scene, said a nearby homeowner reported hearing a "loud bang" from the bridge about two days ago, and Burzichelli said Conrail had come out to examine it in response.

"That bridge is very old. It's not a good day for Conrail," Burzichelli said.

Conrail officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Sweeney said he too was having trouble getting in contact with Conrail.

Conrail is jointly owned by rail operators CSX Corp and Norfolk Southern Corp.

The U.S. Coast Guard was responding to the accident along with the DEP.

(Additional reporting by Edith Honan and Ellen Wulfhorst; Writing by Ellen Wulfhorst; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nj-rail-bridge-collapse-causes-derailment-chemical-leak-142136551--finance.html

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Significance of Carpets in Home Improvement : Family Health and ...

Flooring is indeed a huge factor when it comes to the improvement of the aesthetics,?design and elegance of a home. It does not need a lot of tricks, just a simple mixing and matching of colors and design with the entire look of your home. Whether you are using hardwood, applying carpets or using ceramic tiles, ?vinyl or any choice of flooring you want, they look more elegant?compared to having plain flooring

There are essential matters to consider, two if ?which are style and affordability. Many people make mistakes when it comes to choosing, buying and?installing?the right flooring in their?homes which often leads to a lot of expenses. Sometimes, even your current flooring will do, all you need are add-ons like great styles of carpets which has unique designs, with superb quality which fits one?s budget.

Carpets give the quickest hygienic way to improve and redecorate home interiors without the need to use odorous paints, or chemicals, or doing major home flooring renovation or replacements. The berber carpet is indeed and awesome choice which also provides good noise absorbency which can help reduce or eliminate unwanted noise pollution coming from your home audio system, electronic devices, appliances at the kitchen,?other?parts of your home and even those coming from outside.?Carpets has a lot of significance when it comes to budget, home improvement and functionality but they are often underestimated. They are one of the?best options that suits your flooring needs to?change the mood of your entire home interior.

?

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Source: http://familyhealthandhome.com/2012/11/significance-of-carpets-in-home-improvement/

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Who Needs Web Hosting Providers Lead Generation For Web ...

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You Got a Better Idea?

ITU monument, Bern. The ITU monument in Bern, Switzerland

Photograph courtesy Gdr/Wikimedia Commons.

This article arises from Future Tense, a joint effort of Arizona State University, the New America Foundation, and Slate that looks at emerging technologies and their implications for policy and for society. On Thursday, Nov. 29, Future Tense will host an event in Washington, D.C., on the future of Internet governance. To learn more and to RSVP, visit the New America Foundation?s website. The event will also be streamed live.

There?s an old saw about the weather: ?Everyone complains about it, but no one ever does anything about it.? The same might be said about the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN.

The U.S. government created ICANN in 1998 to oversee the coordination and management of the Domain Name System, which basically means that it coordinates the unique identifiers of every Web-connected device on the planet. Today, ICANN is most well-known for its rulemaking around website names. For the past 14 years, it has weathered volley after volley of criticisms (not to mention lawsuits) by an eclectic group of individuals, nation states, NGOs, companies, and global governance bodies for a laundry list of perceived ills, shortcomings, and outright failures. It has been criticized for imposing U.S. values, lacking foresight, and being the catspaw of special interest groups. At the same time, it has been criticized in the halls of the U.S.Congress, its ostensible master, for pursuing paths that were at odds with American interests. It has been taken to task by its own directors, critical of the changing rules by which the organization runs and a lack of transparency in its activities.

Through it all, numerous replacements (often U.N.-affiliated) have been proposed and then fallen.?And yet despite the huffing and puffing, ICANN endures.

This presents something of a mystery. Even the most ardent ICANN defender would not argue that this is an organization without fault. Over the years, it has changed course, back-tracked, and pivoted with something less than balletic grace. In fact, the staying power of ICANN offers great insight into the nature of global governance. Its resilience challenges our high-minded assumptions about the importance of "legitimacy." It invites the question: is "democratic governance" really essential for robust international rulemaking?

The upcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai will present another high-profile challenge to ICANN. Leaked proposals for new governance structures and rules have already provoked much discussion and hand-wringing about the dangers of completely revamping the Internet governance architecture. Still, this meeting will almost certainly fail to yield anything like a new blueprint. Why? Because at the end of the day, building and maintaining functional international governance organizations is about keeping key interests satisfied and limiting the scope of authority to matters where those interests agree the existence of global rules is essential. Based on my own examination of global governance organizations in a wide range of substantive arenas, all floated proposals miss this essential reality. ICANN will endure this storm, just as it has so many others, for several reasons.

First, the uncertainty of anything new is highly threatening?to policymakers, business leaders, and government officials. Fears abound that a global Internet regime might usher in an era of greater Internet censorship and control. Of course, this already exists in many countries, but the force of an international rulemaking body could take this beyond the realm of authoritarian regimes. If, for instance, an ICANN successor tried to link domain registration to substantive limitations on content, the effects would not be limited to a single nation. Perhaps even more threatening is the prospect of rules that reshape the business landscape of the Internet. Americans even vaguely familiar with Internet policy know there was a big brouhaha about something called ?net neutrality.? People got excited enough to stop Congress from altering the competitive landscape?but it turns out other parts of the world have a very different take on the matter. Would a new Internet governor open the door to differential charges for bandwidth use? Certainly a possibility.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=65c7d61ca12bffddd6c3f740e2bcec64

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

'Santa' showers $100 bills on storm-hit NJ, NY

A wealthy philanthropist from Kansas City, MO, known as Secret Santa, distributes $100 dollar bills to needy people at St. Joseph's Social Service Center in Elizabeth, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

A wealthy philanthropist from Kansas City, MO, known as Secret Santa, distributes $100 dollar bills to needy people at St. Joseph's Social Service Center in Elizabeth, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Janice Kennedy hugs Secret Santa after getting a $100 dollar bill from the wealthy philanthropist from Kansas City, Mo. while looking for clothes at the Salvation Army store in the boro of Staten Island, New York, N.Y., Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. Secret Santa distributed $100 dollar bills to needy people at several locations in Elizabeth, N.J. and Staten Island. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

People smile as they find out that Secret Santa, a wealthy philanthropist from Kansas City, Mo., will be handing them $100 dollar bills at St. Joseph's Social Service Center and other locations in Elizabeth, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. Secret Santa distributed the money to the needy at St. Joseph's as well as other locations in Elizabeth. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Carol Hefty hugs Secret Santa after he gave her a $100 dollar bill while she was looking for supplies at a temporary supply house at the Oakwood Heights VFW Post 9587 in the boro of Staten Island, New York, N.Y., Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. The wealthy philanthropist from Kansas City, Mo. Secret Santa distributed $100 dollar bills to needy people at several locations in Elizabeth, N.J. and Staten Island. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

A wealthy philanthropist from Kansas City, Mo., known as Secret Santa, distributes $100 dollar bills to needy people at St. Joseph's Social Service Center in Elizabeth, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

(AP) ? A wealthy Missouri man posing as "Secret Santa" stunned New Yorkers on Thursday, handing $100 bills to many in Staten Island who had lost everything to Superstorm Sandy.

The Kansas City businessman is giving away $100,000 this holiday season, and spent the day in New Jersey and New York giving away thousands. But he says money is not the issue.

"The money is not the point at all," said the anonymous benefactor as he walked up to surprised Staten Island residents and thrust crisp bills into their hands. "It's about the random acts of kindness. I'm just setting an example, and if 10 percent of the people who see me emulate what I'm doing, anybody can be a Secret Santa!"

A police motorcade with sirens took him across the borough, passing a church ripped from its foundations and homes surrounded by debris. At a nearby disaster center run by volunteers, a woman quietly collected free food and basic goods.

"Has anyone given you any money?" he asked her.

"No," replied Carol Hefty, a 72-year-old retiree living in a damaged home.

"Here," he said, slipping the money into her hand.

"But this isn't real money!" said Hefty, glancing at the red "Secret Santa" stamped onto the $100.

"It is, and it's for you," he tells her.

She breaks down weeping and hugs him.

And so it went, again and again.

Secret Santa started his daylong East Coast visit with stops in Elizabeth, N.J. Keeping close watch over the cash handouts was his security entourage ? police officers in uniform from New York and New Jersey, plus FBI agents and former agents from various states. Some have become supporters, wearing red berets marked with the word "elf" and assisting "Santa" to choose locations where people are most in need. He himself wears an "elf" cap and a red top, plus blue jeans.

The group must choose stops carefully, and refrain from simply appearing outdoors in a neighborhood, lest they be mobbed by people hearing that cash is being handed out.

At a stop at a Staten Island Salvation Army store, one woman is looking over a $4 handbag. "But you get $100!" he tells her, offering the bill.

"Are you serious?" said Prudence Onesto, her eyes widening. "Really?"

"Secret Santa," he deadpans, breaking into a broad grin.

The 55-year-old unemployed woman opened her arms and offered him a hug.

An aisle over, 41-year-old Janice Kennedy is overwhelmed: She received four $100 bills.

Unemployed with a 2-year-old daughter, she lost her home in the storm and lives with her boyfriend. The money will go toward Christmas presents and her toddler's next birthday.

"You're not alone. God bless you!" the Missouri stranger tells Phillip and Lisa Morris, a couple in their 30s whose home was badly damaged ? but now had an extra $300 in cash for rebuilding.

Secret Santa took up the holiday tradition from a close Kansas City friend, Larry Stewart, who for years handed out bills each December to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters. Stewart died in 2007 after giving away more than $1 million to strangers in mostly $100 bills.

The current Secret Santa will not divulge his name. Nor does he allow his face to be photographed. But he said he's been to cities across America, from San Diego to Chicago to Charlotte, N.C.

A reporter asked whether he might be a sort of Warren Buffett of Kansas City. He smiled mysteriously and said only that he admires Buffett for his philanthropy. "And I hope I give all my money away before I die."

Then, as suddenly as he arrived, the generous stranger left for the airport and home, riding in the volunteer motorcade he jokingly calls "my sleigh," zipping with ease through red lights and city traffic.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-30-Secret%20Santa/id-3fb8a6829c494af8a96133a65e1ba0c6

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Facebook Copyright Law (For Idiots)

We already explained just how worthless that Facebook copyright privacy status update gobbledygook is. But just in case you or one of your friends needs it spoken outloud to you because word-things are too hard, College Humor breaks it down for you in plain English. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/l3fKrX2Enwg/facebook-privacy-law-for-idiots

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Cody Rhodes updates WWE Universe on injury, calls Kane a "modern day Dude Love"

For the first time since being injured during a fierce WWE Tag Team Title Match against Team Hell No on WWE Main Event, Rhodes updates the WWE Universe on his status. Rhodes, who has not competed in a match since Nov. 14 due to injuries suffered at the hands of Kane, talks candidly about what?s next for Team Rhodes Scholars and makes eye-raising remarks about The Big Red Monster.

WWE.COM: Can you talk a little about the injury? You?Tweeted that you tore your trap and your deltoid and that you separated your shoulder. Can you talk about the seriousness of such injuries?

CODY RHODES: Well, honestly, the best way I?ve heard the injury described, is that I dodged a bullet. The trap tear is a grade two (on a scale of one to three), but I don?t need surgery ? the tears will heal themselves over time with proper physical therapy. The separated shoulder is an old injury from amateur wrestling, and it?s basically the area that could have been considerably worse. I could have landed on my neck, but I turned just in time to land on my shoulder. The separated shoulder is where the most pain is and it?s the AC joint, but like I said, I dodged a bullet ? no surgery. (WATCH HOW IT HAPPENED)

WWE.COM: How soon did you know you were in trouble, and what was going through your head at the time? Do you remember anything in the ring or backstage after it happened?

RHODES: I thought I broke my arm, and I was in a very bad position in the ring. You know, ring awareness is something I?ve always been fond of ? having ring awareness, having mat awareness. Always knowing where I am at all times. Especially in a tag team situation, knowing if I?m on my side of the ring. I wasn?t. I was in enemy territory and Daniel Bryan had me wide open.

Actually, everything after Kane dropped me, I don?t remember. I remember hitting the mat one more time, and then I thought that I immediately tagged out, but watching back, there?s a whole period of a minute, a minute-and-a-half, where I faked out Daniel Bryan, who missed a headbutt and I just laid there. I didn?t know that ? I thought I was much more cognizant than I was, but watching back I didn?t know that I was on the apron, I didn?t know that the doctor was tugging at my boots.

I just was contemplating in my head ? the only thing I remember thinking was if I could get in there and kick [Daniel Bryan], then tag Damien real quick and tag out, that I could offer something still. Damien looked at me one time after I said, "tag me in," after I got my bearings a little bit, but he certainly had no intentions of tagging me in, at great cost to himself. So I owe Damien Sandow a lot.

WWE.COM: Speaking of your tag team partner, are you still in regular contact with Damien Sandow?

RHODES: We haven?t had as much personal contact as I?d like. One of the things I most look forward to with Damien is our Monday, Wednesday and Friday "war room" sessions where we would discuss everything in the WWE Universe, and all of the Superstars and Divas. It was a real gripe fest, but a nice period of time to vent.

Now he?s navigating the murky waters of singles competiton and I wish him ? genuinely ? good luck. I just hope he doesn?t forget that Team Rhodes Scholars was on a very steep climb to the top.

WWE.COM: In your?TOUT from a couple of days ago, you wished Sandow luck but you also cautioned not to forget "the bigger picture." Is that bigger picture you were referring to winning the WWE Tag Team Titles?

RHODES: It?s not about winning the WWE Tag Team Championship anymore ? and I hate saying that because they are absolutely prestigious in every way, and I?ve been fortunate enough to be a four-time Tag Team Champion.

What I meant by that, is that this is a personal issue, and I hope and I think that Mr. Sandow understands it?s a personal issue. Had I landed on my neck, I would not be able to do this anymore. My boyhood dream of being in WWE and ascending is paramaount. It?s something that ceraintly could have been stopped dead in its tracks ? which is something I thought would never happen, and I hope that Damien realizes how strong of a personal issue it is for me.

And I?ll be honest ? it?s not so much with Team Hell No and their goofy schtick of ?Yes! Yes!" and "No! No!" and "red rules" ? it?s more with Kane. I?m aware of the monster, but I?m also aware of the fact that he?s slowly becoming the modern day Dude Love ? he?s just, I don?t know, disintegrating into a novelty joke and I would certainly like to get my shots in on him before he vanishes completely.

WWE.COM: Wow, those are some strong words. Do you feel that, besides being less intimidating (which I?m gathering from what you just said), do you feel that Kane is less effective and less physical now that he?s a part of Team Hell No?

RHODES: Absolutely not. One thing I won't do, by any means, is disrparage who he was prior. He?s certainly not less physical, and he?s certainly not less intimidating. But the real thing is, what do I have to be intimidated by?

In the state of Ohio alone ? just Ohio ? someone brought this up to me. I lost half my blood supply, practically, in a Street Fight Match against Randy Orton, and then almost a year later, Kane drops me and I end up having the first muscle tears I?ve had in my entire life being an athlete.

I?ve given a great deal. When they talk about paying your dues, I don?t care that I?m 27. I?ve paid a good chunk of them. So coming back, I?m not easily intimidated, I?m not out there to do a "ha ha" bit on Monday Night Raw or Friday Night SmackDown. I?m specifically coming back with something. What do I have to fear?

I?m not coming back to make people laugh. I?m coming back to make people cry.

WWE.COM: So, more important to you than winning the WWE Tag Team Titles is you exacting revenge on Kane?

RHODES: I think they coincide. And as you?ve been asking questions, I realize that they coincide. Winning the WWE Tag Team Championship for the fifth time is the perfect revenge, and it?s the perfect wake-up call for someone like Kane, one of WWE?s resident monsters. [Kane is] genuinely a legend in sports-entertainment, but I would say that he?s on the back end of that legendary career and I have no problem waking the monster up, as people saw with Big Show heading into WrestleMania.

I don?t mind poking the bear. You don?t get anywhere by tiptoeing around anything. Certainly, I?d rather step on toes than tiptoe around anybody.

WWE.COM: Switching gears a bit, how do you think Damien Sandow has performed since your injury?

RHODES: I was disappointed that he was unable to put somebody like Kofi Kingston away, but in the same token, you?re only as good as your last match. And [Damien's] last match was against Zack Ryder [on the Nov. 26 episode of Raw], and he made short work of a very credible Superstar in Zack Ryder, so I think he just has to get back in the rhythm. (WATCH)

When you?ve been in a tag team, and you?ve been on a long European tour, [a singles match] is a different type of match. It?s a different type of breathing for one, and he?s getting his bearings, I hope, and he?s someone who won?t show you if there?s any rust in his singles work. He?ll manage to hide it and that?s one of the things I admire about him, certainly.

You?re only as good as your last match, and his last match ended in a victory for him, so I think he?s doing well.

WWE.COM: Finally, when can the WWE Universe expect you to return to the ring?

RHODES: I am a quick healer and I can fight through pain, but I will not rush my return to the ring. There is no hard timeline for my return.

View Comments

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/cody-rhodes-updates-wwe-universe-on-injury

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Palm Oil Gains as Crude Oil Advances, Increasing Biofuel Appeal

Palm oil climbed to the highest level in more than two weeks as crude oil rose on concern that Middle East unrest will disrupt supplies, increasing the appeal of vegetable oils as biofuel feedstock.


The contract for February delivery advanced 1.2 percent to 2,459 ringgit ($803) a metric ton on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange, the highest price at close for the most-active contract since Nov. 2. Futures climbed 3.5 percent last week, the first such gain since the five days ended Oct. 26.

Oil advanced for a second day in New York after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the army is prepared to ?significantly widen the operation,? raising concern Middle East unrest will disrupt oil supplies. Israel will continue to attack Gaza and may intensify operations, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

?The rising tension in the Middle East is pushing up crude oil prices and palm oil is having some spillover effects from this,? Ker Chung Yang, an analyst at Phillip Futures Pte, said by phone from Singapore. ?On the macro side, the sentiments have recovered quite a bit as the discussion on the deadlock of the fiscal cliff is going well.?

Asian stocks, commodities and the won advanced after U.S. President Barack Obama expressed confidence that he and Congress would reach a budget agreement needed to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, a combination of spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to take effect in January.

Indonesia, the biggest palm oil producer, may keep its export tax on crude palm oil at 9 percent in December, while the base-export price may be cut to $760 a ton, Susanto, head of marketing at the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, said.

Soybean oil for delivery in January gained 1.2 percent to 47.92 cents a pound on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soybeans for January delivery climbed 0.9 percent to $13.9525 a bushel.

Palm oil for May delivery rose 1.5 percent to end at 6,772 yuan ($1,086) a ton on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. Soybean oil for the same month gained 1 percent to close at 8,450 yuan a ton.?

Source: http://bioenergy.checkbiotech.org/news/palm_oil_gains_crude_oil_advances_increasing_biofuel_appeal

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Monday, November 19, 2012

S.Africa's Netcare posts surprise FY profit drop

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Netcare Ltd, South Africa's third-largest private hospital group by value, posted a surprise 18 percent drop in full-year profit on Monday, after it wrote down the value of its UK business.

Netcare said diluted headline earnings per share totalled 93.6 cents in the year to end-September, from 114 cents a year earlier.

The market had been expecting profit growth of around 5 percent, with an average estimate of 119 cents per share in a Thomson Reuters poll of 10 analysts.

Headline EPS, the main measure of profit in South Africa, strips out certain one-off items.

Johannesburg-based Netcare said the results included a 10.7 billion rand writedown on the value of its UK business.

While demand for private healthcare has increased in South Africa thanks to a fast-growing middle class, stalling economic growth in Britain has blunted self-funded treatments and led to a drop in the number of people with private medical insurance.

Shares in Netcare are up about 36 percent so far this year, underperforming its closest rivals Life Healthcare and Mediclinic International, which have surged about 55 percent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africas-netcare-posts-surprise-fy-profit-drop-070906461--sector.html

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

(AP) ? Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.

There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.

Meningitis mainly affects infants and children. It kills about 8 percent of patients and leaves others with lifelong consequences such as brain damage.

In a statement on Friday, Andrin Oswald of Novartis said he is "proud of the major advance" the company has made in developing its vaccine Bexsero. It is aimed at children over two months of age, and Novartis is hoping countries will include the shot among the routine ones for childhood diseases such as measles.

Novartis said the immunization has had side effects such as fever and redness at the injection site.

Recommendations from the European Medicines Agency are usually adopted by the European Commission. Novartis also is seeking to test the vaccine in the U.S.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-11-16-Meningitis%20Vaccine/id-2cfc02716e58426fbbc1e3ffd08f38d2

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Friday, November 16, 2012

Will Barnet, renowned painter with Maine ties, dies at 101 ? Living ...

Painter, printmaker and draftsman Will Barnet, a major American artist and part-time Maine resident for more than 40 years, died Tuesday at the age of 101, at his year-round home in New York City.

Renowned for his abstracted portraits and interpretations of the Maine landscape, Barnet, who summered in the Phippsburg area for decades, was a major figure in 20th century art; his name is mentioned alongside Marsden Hartley, Jackson Pollock and Jasper Johns in scholarship on mid-20th century art.

He was born in 1911 in Beverly, Mass., the son of Russian and Eastern European immigrants, and began painting as a child. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and at the Art Student League of New York. In his later years, he taught at Cooper Union, Yale University, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

In the 1970s, he began summering in Maine with his wife Elena Barnet, with whom he has one daughter, Ona, who operates Rock Gardens Inn in Phippsburg; he has three sons ? Peter, Richard and Todd ? with his first wife. They all survive him.

Though the subject matter of his paintings remained personal ? his family and home life were regularly represented ? his engagement with abstraction gave his work a universal theme. Later in his career, his work became more strictly figurative; he painted right up until the end, working nearly every day in his year-round Manhattan apartment at the National Arts Club at Gramercy Park, and at his Phippsburg summer home. He remained active, socially and mentally, until just days before his death.

In 2011, President Obama awarded him the National Medal for the Arts; this year, he was awarded by the French government the insignia of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. In a statement made by the National Endowment for the Arts, upon his being awarded the National Medal for the Arts, the NEA noted his unique way of combining abstraction with domestic life.

?His nuanced and graceful depictions of family and personal scenes, for which he is best known, are meticulously constructed of flat planes that reveal a lifelong exploration of abstraction, expressionism and geometry,? read the NEA?s statement. ?For over 80 years, Mr. Barnet has been a constant force in the visual arts world, marrying sophistication and emotion with beauty and form.?

His works are in the collections of museums across the country, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitical Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Portland Museum of Art.

The Portland Museum of Art will hang the oil painting ?Winter Sky? in honor of Barnet on Thursday.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/14/living/will-barnet-renowned-painter-with-maine-ties-dies-at-101/

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

South Africa force draw in first Test

BRISBANE: South Africa were forced to scrap their way through an uncomfortable final day of the first Test against a Michael Clarke-inspired Australia yesterday to save a match they had once looked like winning.

Australia captain Clarke, who made a brilliant unbeaten 259, declared on 565 for five midway through the morning session of the final day with a first innings lead of 115 but his bowlers were unable to make the inroads they needed to force a result.

Jacques Rudolph was adjudged lbw to spinner Nathan Lyon to give the hosts a late glimmer of hope but AB de Villiers (29) and Vernon Philander (one) ushered the tourists to safety at the close of play on 166-5.

The Australians may have come up short but they will take a great deal of confidence from their performance against the number one test side in the world into the last two matches of the series in Adelaide and Perth.

"Our attitude was spot on today with the ball," said Clarke, who was named man-of-the-match. "We were quite aggressive with our approach. I think we bowled a lot better today and we seemed to get better through this test match.

"So there are a lot of positives come of this test.Unfortunately, we didn't get a win, but we can certainly use the momentum that we take from this game to Adelaide."
Clarke, who resumed on 218 with his team on 487-4, again sparkled with the bat in the morning sunshine, adding 41 runs to his personal tally and taking the record for the highest individual score at the Gabba.

To have any chance of the win was a remarkable turnaround for Australia, who were reeling at 40-3 when Clarke took the crease on Sunday afternoon.

"All in all, I think for me a draw was an even reflection how the surface played," said South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who rued the day lost to rain when South Africa were in control.

"I felt we were ahead of the game going into day four, we just never quite backed up well enough. Michael and (Ed) Cowan played really well, took the game to us, and we didn't quite respond in the way I've got use to our guys responding."

Having declared, James Pattinson, the pick of Australia's bowlers, gave them an early breakthrough by having opener Alviro Petersen caught behind by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade for five to leave South Africa on 6-1.

Wasted referrals
The 22-year-old seamer also bowled Hashim Amla for seven before lunch but the world's number one batsman was brought back to the crease for a no ball, the fourth wicket to be saved by the same infraction in the match.

The second wicket also came off Pattinson, who had a fiery exchange with Smith (23) before tempting the South African captain into an outside edge that Rob Quiney claimed well at gully.

Australia fruitlessly used both of their referrals as they ramped up the pressure on the South Africans and just when Amla and Jacques Kallis looked to be getting on top of the bowlers, they were separated. Amla aimed a loose shot at a Peter Siddle delivery he could have left and the ball went straight to Mike Hussey at short cover.

Jacques Kallis, who backed up his first innings 147 with a 49, appeared on course to guide South Africa to safety but fell to spinner Lyon with Clarke taking an excellent low catch in the slips.

By then, however, Australia's chance of a win was all but gone.
Clarke, 31, had shared a partnership of 228 with Hussey, who reached his 17th Test century in a quickfire 128 balls with a rushed single, before being dismissed on the next delivery he faced.

Morne Morkel claimed the wicket, his third, with substitute fielder Faf du Plessis taking a fine catch at full stretch at short cover.

Clarke was not going to be outshone, though, and he crashed a Dale Steyn delivery back over the bowler's head to bring up his 250 with his 28th four.

His third double century of the year, which came from 398 deliveries in 582 minutes, eclipsed the 235 England's Alastair Cook scored at the Gabba in the opening Test of the Ashes series two years ago.


Source: http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-1613.aspx

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

FDA find bugs, bird at affiliate of meningitis pharmacy

(Reuters) - U.S. health inspectors found bugs, a flying bird and other unsterile conditions at Ameridose LLC, an affiliate of the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy at the heart of the deadly meningitis outbreak.

Westborough, Massachusetts-based Ameridose was closed on October 10 to allow state and federal investigators to inspect its facilities. On Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the results of its investigation.

The agency's report details a list of quality control failures at Ameridose, including a failure to test the potency of its products, a failure to properly classify patient complaints and the use of "vague, canned language" when describing negative patient reactions to its drugs.

The company, an affiliate of the New England Compounding Center, said it is in the process of preparing a full response to the FDA.

"Ameridose's history shows clearly that we have not had any instance of contaminated products over the course of the past six years, which covers the manufacture and shipment of 70 million units of product," the company said in a statement. "Ameridose is committed to addressing all observations in order to enhance our existing systems."

The investigation of Ameridose follows the closure of the NECC, which distributed thousands of vials of a steroid linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis that has hit 19 states and claimed 32 lives.

Inspectors found that Ameridose failed to investigate customer complaints related to drug potency, under-filled products and syringe volumes. It also failed to classify "patient response" complaints as "adverse events."

Several such complains referred to the drug oxytocin, used to induce labor in childbirth. One referred to "fetal distress and hyper stimulated uterus." Another customer called to report an increase in post-partum hemorrhaging. Another reported that a patient had shortness of breath and that "the throat was closing."

A complaint related to the painkiller fentanyl noted that the patient was "oversedated" and "unresponsive." Another patient given the blood-thinner heparin experienced a "life-threatening" negative reaction.

Inspectors said buildings used to make, process, pack and hold the drugs were not maintained in a good state of repair. The firm failed to perform a microbiological assessment after "penetrating leaks" were found in a building and water dripping above the clean room.

"During the inspection we observed totes placed in the location of the penetrating leaks containing water," the inspection report noted. "There is no documented evidence that the leaks were permanently corrected."

Walls were cracked, corroded and covered with what appeared to be adhesive material in a room where sterile drugs are prepared, the report noted.

Equipment and utensils were not cleaned or sanitized at appropriate intervals to prevent contamination that could alter the safety, identity, quality or purity of the drugs, according to the report.

Certain metal surfaces "were observed to contain what appeared to be brownish structures, atypical in shape," the report noted.

Moreover, the buildings used "are not free of infestation by rodents, birds, insects and other vermin," the report said.

Specifically, insects were located in an area where finished sterile product is packaged and stored. The insects were also located within three to 10 feet of the controlled area where sterile products are manufactured.

At least one bird was observed flying in an area where sterile finished product is packaged and stored.

On Friday, Ameridose, which has the same owners as NECC, said it would lay off about 90 percent of its work force. About 650 employees at Ameridose will be affected, as well as 140 employees at Medical Sales Management, a company that provides sales, technology and human resources support to Ameridose.

(Additional reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Alden Bentley and Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fda-bugs-flying-bird-affiliate-meningitis-pharmacy-215924759.html

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Internet Marketing Search Engine Optimization SEM SEO service ...

If you are just starting out with search engine optimization, it can be confusing, but the rewards are endless. With the right information and tools, you can optimize your website so that it gets more traffic and ranks better in the search engines.

The parameters and indexing traits sought out by search engine algorithms have a specific purpose in the indexing of websites. Have your search engine recognize specific commands that enables it to return the most accurate results for online searches.

Your website should always be easy on the eye for comprehension and simplicity to read. If you want to improve your search engine ranking, make sure you site is neatly designed and accessible for a variety of users. Your site should be easy to read and easily found by search engines.

You should seek out ezines and online forums that focus on your target market and submit articles with imbedded backlinks that connect to your website. Most of the time, ezines are archived and these links remain active. Even when a user sees your articles years later, they will still be able to see it.

The best thing you should do for your internet presence is to constantly give it updated content that is relevant to the present. Savvy readers will be more inclined to return to your site if the content is fresh and appealing.

Games and surveys can be included on your site to better assist you in finding the ideal target audience. Surveys are a very popular way for consumers to learn what kind of shopper they are, or what style of product is best for them. Ask them questions about their interests and shopping habits. People will have fun taking these surveys, and you will find out more about your audience.

Instead of writing in AP style, use SEO style to improve search engine optimization. This means that keywords should be repeated as often as you can without making the flow of the writing stilted. One reason using keywords will improve your rankings on search engines is that search engine spiders work by locating and weighting keywords.

Get a domain name that?s both memorable and relevant to your services or products. A memorable name is important, especially for people who find your content through social media sites.

The meta tags should contain a good description of your page content. There are many different meta tags addressing different information such as content, description or expiration. You can research these online to discover which meta tags you will spend time on creating when you set up your site.

Websites that effectively utilize search engine optimization almost never use image links. Image links only give the search engines the hyperlink address.

When trying to boost your traffic, try adding a site map. A site map helps make your website easier to navigate. Not only can your visitors use a site map for navigation, the search engines will be able to index your site better if you have one.

You may find it in your best interest to tailor your content to a couple of your preferred search engines. Focused and effective keywords and quality content are going to give you a great advantage over the competition. , Ask. The major search engines all favor different SEO elements.

Make sure that your code is clean and concise to maximize your search rankings. Say you use primarily JavaScript for the content on your site, but you have messy code ? indexing it will be difficult for search engine spiders. If you rely heavily on Flash content without text descriptions, your site may simply be ignored by the search engines.

There are many different ways to generate inbound links, like articles or blogging. Strong outbound links are one of the most important aspects of search engine optimization.

Boosting your site?s SEO takes time, so remember to be patient. Better rankings and increased traffic will not occur quickly. It can take a lot of time if you are new to this. You need to build your good name, and that takes time.

It is very important to edit and proofread your website. You should carefully read all the text on your site to make sure that it is logical and error free, so your visitors and search engines can easily understand it. If you have spelled keywords the wrong way or you have errors on your site, the search engine will not include you.

If you fraudulently make your site get a high return ranking, search engines will manually lower your site?s ranking. Sometimes popular search engines even ban certain businesses from their results entirely. You should always optimize your search engine strategy in an ethical manner.

You will want to switch up the descriptions you use in the META tags on each page of your site. You do not want to make use of same Meta description tag for more than one page because they will cause your ranking to be fall on most search engines.

As this article has said, search engine optimization knowledge is an important tool for internet business people who want to make a profit. These tips have given you the procedures and tools you need to optimize your website. All in all, you need more than SEO to make a successful website; you actually need a well-designed website to back it up.

Search Engine Optimization, SEO


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Here are some other Internet Marketing/SEO related sites that I would like to share with you.
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Performics: Information from Answers.com
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Source: http://www.websitehostdirect.com/increase-your-site-traffic-with-these-seo-tips-2/

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Monday, November 12, 2012

how does one buy a foreclosure - Zillow Real Estate Advice

A Realtor can show you homes in the area of your choice that are Foreclosers, can explain the process of presenting an offer and helping to decide on the offer amount.?

An Agent will also help identify potential problems as well as positive aspects of the Foreclosed Home?that are in your best interest.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/how-does-one-buy-a-foreclosure/468057/

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Sunday, November 11, 2012

kimmosy: richa_sharam: The Logic Police: My plea to not vote for ...

This is a separation of church and state blog with an atheist slant and pro-religious education stance.? I like critical thinking, logic (hence the name), and not letting people get away with either stupid ideas or ideas that get played out in public but only serve the people making them.? With the presidential election just a day a away, I am (like everyone else) looking forward to not being so inundated with all things politics.? I will continue to post about politics and religion, but barring from something really weird going down with the election, I will be more than happy to take a break from adding fuel to the big fire of this presidential election.

But it's not over yet.? With the exception of one or two posts I have cooking, I am preparing myself to mostly be posting about this election for the next 24-48 hours.? My friends and I are making Obama t-shirts tonight (I will post a picture of mine later), I'm reading the news regularly and anything that grabs my eye I will probably post about (like last night), and whatever the results are I'm sure I'll have an opinionated post about.? This post however is more of a last attempt to not have any readers I have to vote for Romney.? I've had several posts on why he shouldn't be president where I've referenced other news sites saying the same thing.? This one is pure opinion.

A good friend of mine?has now resorted to?taking votes away from Romney as opposed to getting people to vote Obama.? It stemmed from a somewhat humorous story involving a family member sending a mass email out about his mathematical based prediction (guess) on how Romney will win by a landslide.? Instead of criticizing the math or once again pleading to his family to not vote Romney (as my friend is gay and doesn't want his family supporting a possible president who doesn't support him), my friend merely corrected his family member on the name he used for the projected new president (Mitchell Romney) by saying, "Mitt is not short for Mitchell."? This spared a humorous conversation about how we should all convince?all Romney supporters?to ONLY vote for Romney by his "full name", so if you don't see "Mitchell Romney" be sure to ignore any other Romneys on the ballot and write in "Mitchell Romney".?

"Mitchell Romney" aside, I have jumped on my friends band wagon and am pleading with you to vote for preferably Obama, but anyone but Romney.? It doesn't matter that he's still probably more middle of the road than he's campaigned.? It doesn't matter if you don't like the way the economy has gone the past 4 years (hello!? Republicans cocked blocked Obama several times from solutions AND Colin Powell has said that neither party superhero Reagan or Clinton could have fixed the debt better than Obama has).? What matters is that we don't go backwards.? Do you love a woman?? Don't vote against her.? Do you respect man or woman who happens to be homosexual?? Do not vote against them.? Do you enjoy religious freedoms (both the right to practice freely or to not practice at all)?? Do not vote against them.? Do you think Mormonism borders on being a cult?? Do not vote for a Mormon.? Do you know anyone living in poverty or the?ever?decreasing middle class?? Do not vote Republican (they save people in higher tax brackets and convince people in lower tax brackets to vote for them based on religious faith.? That is a fact).? I'm not convinced Romney would be able to overturn Roe v Wade, Obamacare (ummm, he had Obamacare in Massachusetts), or stop individual states from legally acknowledging?gay?marriages in the?next 4 years as the presidency is not a dictatorship.???However,?a vote for Romney is a vote for not caring if we move forward as a country.? Most other developed countries in the world does not have religious superstitions cater to their government, have more progressive social norms, and universal health care.? America is embarrassingly left behind.? In fact, the rest of the world would overwhelmingly vote for Obama if included in the election and everyday a new poll shows that.? This leads to me a somewhat obvious plea?for not being an ugly American for other countries to continue to mock.

I'm all about voting for things other than social norms as they sometimes can be more smoke in mirrors and can detract from other serious issues in politics.? But with this election allegedly being as close as it seems and so many people's rights riding on it-symbolic or actual-it is incredibly important to not vote for anyone who would hold us back.? Do no betray anyone you care about by voting for a man who will take away their rights, happiness, and safety (yes safety, as the more gay people are not considered equals the more hate crimes towards them will be tolerated, as well as if abortion was made illegal women would still get them but through unsafe means).? If you're religious, do as JESUS would do and not what your church may say and help the poor, the sick, and the ones not as accepted by society.? Obama at least seems to take every one's plights into consideration; Romney does not.?

This is too close for comfort so I must beg of people to not vote for Romney.? Maybe the next election I won't be begging for you to cock block the guy I'm not voting for from winning.? I don't know what the landscape will be in four years.? If you agree with any of this, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, wherever in hopes of persuading the undecided.? At this point if you don't like Obama, fine.? Don't vote for him.? But?please vote?for any of the other 3rd parties, including the one Roseanne Barr is on (seriously...).? Let's continue to move forward and not go back to a more articulate version of George W.? So if you haven't already done early voting, please vote for anyone but Romney...or write in "Mitchell Romney".?

Please and thanks.?

PS- More reasons why Romney sucks here,, here, here, AND here!

Source: http://thelogicpolice.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-plea-to-not-vote-for-romney.html

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Source: http://richasharam.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-logic-police-my-plea-to-not-vote.html

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Source: http://kimmosy.blogspot.com/2012/11/richasharam-logic-police-my-plea-to-not.html

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Source: http://mysterious-incineration.blogspot.com/2012/11/kimmosy-richasharam-logic-police-my.html

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Source: http://besypefog.posterous.com/kimmosy-richasharam-the-logic-police-my-plea

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Cosmic sprinklers explained

Friday, November 9, 2012

Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope have discovered a pair of stars orbiting each other at the centre of one of the most remarkable examples of a planetary nebula. The new result confirms a long-debated theory about what controls the spectacular and symmetric appearance of the material flung out into space. The results are published in the 9 November 2012 issue of the journal Science.

Planetary nebulae are glowing shells of gas around white dwarfs -- Sun-like stars in the final stages of their lives. Fleming 1 is a beautiful example that has strikingly symmetric jets that weave into knotty, curved patterns. It is located in the southern constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur) and was discovered just over a century ago by Williamina Fleming, a former maid who was hired by Harvard College Observatory after showing an aptitude for astronomy.

Astronomers have long debated how these symmetric jets could be created, but no consensus has been reached. Now, a research team led by Henri Boffin (ESO, Chile) has combined new Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations of Fleming 1 with existing computer modelling to explain in detail for the first time how these bizarre shapes came about.

The team used ESO's VLT to study the light coming from the central star. They found that Fleming 1 is likely to have not one but two white dwarfs at its centre, circling each other every 1.2 days. Although binary stars have been found at the hearts of planetary nebulae before, systems with two white dwarfs orbiting each other are very rare.

"The origin of the beautiful and intricate shapes of Fleming 1 and similar objects has been controversial for many decades," says Henri Boffin. "Astronomers have suggested a binary star before, but it was always thought that in this case the pair would be well separated, with an orbital period of tens of years or longer. Thanks to our models and observations, which let us examine this unusual system in great detail and peer right into the heart of the nebula, we found the pair to be several thousand times closer."

When a star with a mass up to eight times that of the Sun approaches the end of its life, it blows off its outer shells and begins to lose mass. This allows the hot, inner core of the star to radiate strongly, causing this outward-moving cocoon of gas to glow brightly as a planetary nebula.

While stars are spherical, many of these planetary nebulae are strikingly complex, with knots, filaments, and intense jets of material forming intricate patterns. Some of the most spectacular nebulae -- including Fleming 1 -- present point-symmetric structures. For this planetary nebula it means that the material appears to shoot from both poles of the central region in S-shaped flows. This new study shows that these patterns for Fleming 1 are the result of the close interaction between a pair of stars -- the surprising swansong of a stellar couple.

"This is the most comprehensive case yet of a binary central star for which simulations have correctly predicted how it shaped the surrounding nebula -- and in a truly spectacular fashion," explains co-author Brent Miszalski, from SAAO and SALT (South Africa).

The pair of stars in the middle of this nebula is vital to explain its observed structure. As the stars aged, they expanded, and for part of this time, one acted as a stellar vampire, sucking material from its companion. This material then flowed in towards the vampire, encircling it with a disc known as an accretion disc. As the two stars orbited one another, they both interacted with this disc and caused it to behave like a wobbling spinning top -- a type of motion called precession. This movement affects the behaviour of any material that has been pushed outwards from the poles of the system, such as outflowing jets. This study now confirms that precessing accretion discs within binary systems cause the stunningly symmetric patterns around planetary nebulae like Fleming 1.

The deep images from the VLT have also led to the discovery of a knotted ring of material within the inner nebula. Such a ring of material is also known to exist in other families of binary systems, and appears to be a telltale signature of the presence of a stellar couple.

"Our results bring further confirmation of the role played by interaction between pairs of stars to shape, and perhaps even form, planetary nebulae," concludes Boffin.

###

ESO: http://www.eso.org

Thanks to ESO for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125190/Cosmic_sprinklers_explained

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Molecular ?portraits? of tumours match patients with trials in everyday clinical practice

ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2012) ? Researchers in France are taking advantage of the progress in genetic and molecular profiling to analyse the make-up of individual cancer patients' tumours and, using this information, assign them to particular treatments and phase I clinical trials -- an approach that could become part of everyday clinical practice.

In research presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland, November 9 [2], Dr Christophe Massard, a medical oncologist and senior consultant in the early drug development unit at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, describes how he and his colleagues have successfully incorporated "molecular triaging" into their phase I clinical trial unit, with results of patients' molecular analyses being made available within three weeks of a sample being taken.

"Advances in our ability to characterise the genomic changes that drive an individual patient's tumour have led to successes in phase I trials that select patients on the basis of the molecular make-up of their tumours," said Dr Massard. "So we set up a prospective molecular triage trial in which fresh tumour biopsies were taken from patients with advanced cancer referred to our phase I unit. The study aims at offering patients a molecular portrait of their tumour. This allows us to rationally direct those patients to the relevant phase I trial, i.e. the one with an anti-cancer drug targeting the tumour's molecular driver that has been identified by the analysis."

The trial is called MOSCATO 01 (MOlecular Screening for CAncer Treatment and Optimisation) and since October 2011 more than 120 patients have been enrolled. Tumour samples were taken with the aid of computerised tomography (CT) or ultra-sound guidance. The researchers analysed the biopsies using comparative genome hybridisation (CGH) to identify changes in the DNA of the tumour, such as mutations, gene deletions or amplifications, or other molecular alterations, and results were available within three weeks. An expert panel of scientists and clinicians reviewed the results to decide on the biological significance of the molecular changes and then referred the patients to the relevant phase I trial where it was available.

Over 95% of patients agreed to join the MOSCATO trial. Molecular analysis has proved feasible in more than 85% of patients, molecular alterations have been detected in half of them and 30% of patients have been allocated so far to a specific trial on the basis of the analysis [3].

"The most important findings at the moment are that this approach is feasible in the context of daily practice, and the patients are very keen to participate to this programme. A hundred patients were enrolled in seven months. They intuitively know that rational choice of their therapies is key to their future. For some patients, the results of the analyses changed the phase I trials and treatments for which they were being considered," said Dr Massard.

The researchers are continuing the trial and aim to enrol a total of 900 patients. Dr Massard says the approach could be used by other cancer centres but it requires a good, multidisciplinary team, including clinicians, interventional radiologists, pathologists, biologists, bioinformaticians and statisticians, who are available to meet on a regular basis to discuss the results of the molecular analyses.

Professor Stefan Sleijfer, the scientific chair of the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium, from Erasmus University Medical Centre (The Netherlands), commented: "This study is interesting because it shows the feasibility of performing complex molecular characterisation of tumours in daily clinical practice. Such approaches are key to reaching a more personalised treatment approach for cancer patients."

Examples of targeted anti-cancer drugs where phase I trials have demonstrated the success of selecting patients on the basis of the molecular make-up of their tumour include: olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, which was used successfully in phase I trials against tumours involving mutations in the BRCA 1/2 genes; vemurafenib used in melanomas with mutations in the BRAF gene; crizotinib in non-small cell lung cancers with translocations in the ALK gene; and vismodegib used in basal cell carcinoma with mutations in the SMO gene.

[1] EORTC [European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, NCI [National Cancer Institute], AACR [American Association for Cancer Research].

[2] Abstract no: 612. Poster session, Phase I trials, 09.00 hrs,? 9 November.

[3] These data have been updated since the published abstract was submitted in June.

[4] The research has been funded by private and public donations.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The European CanCer Organisation (ECCO).

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


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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/m149PAIx_wI/121108181449.htm

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

fourteen furn: English Conversation: THE EFFECT OF USING TOEIC ...

English Conversation: THE EFFECT OF USING TOEIC ASESSMENT AND LEARNING STYLE TOWARDS THE RESULT OF THE ENGLISH NATIONAL EXAMINATION (UN) at private vocational school (SMK) Central Jakarta

THE EFFECT OF USING TOEIC ASESSMENT AND LEARNING STYLE TOWARDS THE RESULT OF THE ENGLISH NATIONAL EXAMINATION (UN) at private vocational school (SMK) Central Jakarta


THE EFFECT OF USING TOEIC ASESSMENT AND LEARNING STYLE TOWARDS THE RESULT OF THE ENGLISH NATIONAL EXAMINATION (UN) at private vocational school (SMK) Central? Jakarta The Motto ? When I see U and When You have Told, I know what you want!!! ? A.??? Background of the Research The quality of education has become main reference and concern in this globalization era. In the broader concept, the quality of education refers to process and result of education as a whole. By establishing standards for students competence in student assessment, the government of Indonesia has standardized the quality of education in vocational school by holding a national test. National exam commonly abbreviated as UN/UNAS is a standard evaluation system of primary and secondary education in Indonesia and the equation of quality of education levels among the areas that conducted by the center for Educational Assessment, Depdiknas in Indonesia based on Undang-UndangRepublik Indonesia nomor 20 tahun 2003 states that in order to control the quality of education nationwide to be evaluated as a form of accountability of education providers to the parties concerned. Further stated that the evaluations conducted by independent agencies on a regular basis, comprehensively, transparently and systematically to assess the achievement of national education standards and the monitoring process evaluation should be done continuously. Evaluation of the monitoring process is carried out continuously and continuous in the end will be able to fix the quality of education. Improving the quality of education begins with the determination of the standard. Determination standards continue to rise is expected to encourage increased quality of education, which is determination of educational standards is the determination of the limit value (cut-off score). Someone said to have passed / competent when it has passed the limit value of the boundary between learners who have mastered certain competencies with learners who have not mastered certain competencies. When that happens on the national exam or school then the boundary value function to separate the students who graduated and did not pass is called the limit of graduation, graduation delimitation activities called standard setting. Benefits of standard setting final exam: 1.????? The limit of graduation each subject in accordance with the demands of minimum competency. 2.????? The same standards for each subject as a minimum standard of competency achievement. The goal of test is mainly focused to measure the view that student assessment is an essential part of teaching and that good teaching cannot exist without good student assessment. English is one of the subject that included in the test. On the other hand, quite many students are not able to get a passing grade of English test. In addition, which is occurred in the school, is that they have to follow many items of English test. Such as Listening ?and reading so they feel hard in testing the target language. For example, students in SMK Muhammadiyah Jakarta Pusat do not like either, where as the importance of practice English test, especially Nasional test materials, was stated on curriculum of the school. It is stated that the purpose of learning. Talking about achievement of the target language, there are several elements, one of the main element is learning style. Experiences show that developed countries are those who place learning style as the main element in education. In Indonesia, has not placed appropriately in the policies and programs of education. Now a days is time to make policy with new paradigm, which is building education by starting it from subject of ? good teaching strategy by giving motivations as well?. Without it, the quality of education which is intended to educate people through the development of human resources will not be achieved. (Homes : 2007:20) ?.. motivation comes from outside the classroom and may be influenced by a number of external factors such as attitude of society, family and peers to the subject in question is often referred to as extrinsic motivation, the motivation that students bring into the classroom from outside, Intrinsic motivation. The motivation, on the other hand, is the kind of motivation that generated by what happens inside the classroom. This could be teachers? method, the activities, that the students take part in, or their perception of their success or failure. Base on this case, the writer stated the problem solution about above : ??????? ?????????to make language learning interesting and got a passing grade of National Examination, using media of? TOEIC ????? ( Test of English for International Communicative ) test? and student?s learning style is an alternative that can be prepared in class, the teacher can use the Media of TOEIC test to make student apply and practice how to use that book in the practicing to get right answer of English National test question. Researcher have long reported the benefits of using TOEIC test in language teaching. The past decade has seen a growing interest in exploring TOEIC test as teaching tool in a content- based syllabus, for example TOEIC test can be used to illustrate material of the English National Examination which are unfamiliar and in accessible and provide the learner for further discussion particularly for vocational school. TOEIC is an acronym that stands for Test of English for International Communication. It is the most widely used English language exam taken by more than 4 million business professionals worldwide. The TOEIC test measure ability to use English in daily situations covering such topics as corporate development, finance technical matters, health and business travel. A growing number of international companies recognize the TOEIC as an objective indicator of a person?s proficiency in studying English. It is important to understand that the TOEIC does not measure what have student learned in one particular English class but evaluates student general command of the English language in a communicating setting. This means, the teachers have to use and explore as many materials, resources and methods as possible in order to improve their English. Teachers should create an environment in which they are exposed to the English language on a daily basis. For example, teachers ask the students to listen to the Voice of America, watch television on CNN, SkyNews or BBC, read newspaper articles in English and write e-mail. In addition, the Internet provides with a wide variety of learning tools such as electronic newsletters, discussion groups and forums. On English-test.net students will find a large number of interactive tests that help them learn the core vocabulary of the TOEIC test. There is a total of 684 test with 10 question each. If the student take all of tests they will have learned 3420 words that frequently occur in the TOEIC. B.???? Identification of the Problem Base on the back ground, some problems which can be identified are : 1.????? Does the teacher play big role to improve the passing grade of The English National Examination? 2.????? Have the students at 3rd grade in Kartini?s Vocational School mastered enough to answer the English National Examination question? 3.????? Can TOEIC test media and student learning style improve to study English test? 4.????? Is the effect of using TOEIC test media and Student?s learning style towards the result of English National Examination get higher? C.??? Limitation of the Problem Base on the problem identification, the researcher focused on the effect of using TOEIC test media and student?s learning style on the result of English of the National Examination in Vocational School in Central Jakarta D.??? Formulation of the Problem Base on limitation of problem,? a question was formulated as follows: 1.????? Is there an effect of using TOEIC Test media towards the result of the English National Examination at Vocational School in Central Jakarta 2.????? Is there an effect of student?s learning style towards the result of the English National Examination at Vocational School in Central Jakarta 3.????? Is there an effect of using TOEIC Test Media and Student?s Learning Style? towards the result of the English National Examination at Vocational School in Central Jakarta. E.???? The Aim of the Study In this study the researcher will describe the purpose of the research undertaken: 1.????? To know the effect of using TOEIC test media towards the result of the National Examination at Vocational School. 2.????? To know the effect of student?s learning style towards the result of the English National Examination at Vocasional School 3.????? To know the effect of using TOEIC test media and student?s learning style towards the result of the English National Examination at Vocational School F.???? Significance of the Study The writer hopes that this study case can be used as an alternative for teachers in teaching English test of Vocational student. It also can be used as a resource to several uses in theory . this study provides the English teachers in Vocational School basis and compare it with another kind of interaction pattern. G.??? Organization of the Thesis This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 the introduction on this chapter, the background of the study, statement of the problem, scope and limitation, objectives of the study, significance of the study, and organization of the thesis. Chapter 2 discusses the previous study and the theoretical framework. Chapter 3 describes the research methodology used in the study. Chapter 4 discusses the research finding and the discussion of the finding. Chapter 5 is conclusion and suggestion.
  1. Review of Related Literature
In the theoretical description, National Examination as a part of general evaluation is discussed, Media, TOEIC assessment and Learning Style. 1.????? The Definition of UN Are we know about National Examination? National Examination is a test a measure and evaluate the student?s competence nationally by the central government after the process of teaching and learning (Peraturan Mentri Pendidikan Th 2005:1). National Examination commonly abbreviated as UN/UNAS is a standard evaluation system of primary and secondary education in Indonesia and the equation of education quality levels among the areas that conducted by the Centre for Educational Assessment, the quality of education nationwide to be evaluated as a form of? accountability of education providers to the parties concerned. In Indonesia there are four subjects for vocational school students to be examined nationally by the government. One of the subject is English. There are several purposes why the government holds the national Examination. The government needs the students? result s to: a.?????? Determine the graduation of the students b.????? Select the student to continue the higher level of education c.?????? Map the quality or program of education d.????? Determine the quality of a school e.?????? Control and give aids to improve the quality of education As a result, the school could a student?s graduate although he got less than a three (3.00) in one of this National Examination as long as the average of all the subjects examined either school or National Examinations could reach a 6.00 (http:/wwwtokohindonesiacom/majdah/22kilas-un.~hhnl,2006). In the school year of 2005 and 2006 there are two different sets of examination for the third grade students because there are two kind of curriculum implemented. One set is developed according to the 1994 Curriculum and the other is based on the 2004 Curriculum The material of the examination is prepared by the central government, however, the multiplication of the items as well as? the scoring of the results is done by the provincial government. The scoring is computerized and also handled by the provincial government. During the Examination the students are watched by teachers from other schools, there are two teachers in one classroom watching the students do the examination. The teachers from the student?s own school are not allowed to be inside the room where the students are doing the examination because there might be a possibility that the teachers will help the students do the examination. In addition to the availability of local teachers there is also an independent team whose duty is to control the process of the examination. The independent team has to make sure that the examination runs well i.e. no cheating happens either by the students or by the teachers in the school. As soon as the students finis doing the National Examination, the answer sheets are put in and sealed correctly and honestly into the envelope and delivered to the committee of the examination The passing grade for the National Examination in 2006 is 4.25 and the average mark for the National Examination is at least 4.50. in 2005 the passing grade time the National Examination of four subjects began, the passing grade was only 4.10. however, in that year, the government used the score conversion which created a lot of problem because of the unfairness and the consistency of the conversion. The conversion system increased the benchmark from a score of 3.01 to 4.01. This score conversion, of course , benefited the poor students but it disadvantaged the good students because it raised the scores of students who answered correctly less than 50% but lowered the score of the students who could answer correctly more than 50% (Jakarta Post, 19February 2005) 2.????? English National Examination at vocational School Since the school year 2010/2011 The English National Examination in Indonesia has included the skills of listening and reading. In the school year 2011/2011 there were listening section has 15 questions and reading section has 45 questions. The time allowed to do the exam was 120 minutes. The listening section consisted of 4 parts. Part I tested the students? ability to describe the pictures. Part II tested the student?s ability in understanding a statement or question in English. Part III tested the student?s ability in understanding short conversation and Part IV tested the students? understanding of short texts. In the reading section, there are 35 question which tested the student?s ability in understanding authentic texts and language function, such as tenses, conjunction. In the reading section, there are 35 question which tested the students? ability in understanding authentic texts and languages function, such as tense, conjunction, conversational expression as well as vocabulary, it can be summarized into: 1.????? Listening Skill for Question number 1-3 Describing Picture and Question and response, for Question number 4-11 have language function for? short conversation? 2.????? Reading Skill for number 16-60 have sub skill or Language Function is Completion, Error Recognition and Authentic Text 3.????? Nature of a Media a.????? Understanding of Learning Media b.????? Function of Learning Media c.?????? Characteristics of Some Type of Learning Media d.????? Classification of learning Media e.?????? Book as a Learning Media 4.????? The Nature of TOEIC book?s preparation as a Media a.????? Rationale for a TOEIC preparation Course b.????? Format of the test of TOEIC 1.????? It is multiple ? 2.????? The question are divided into two main section : c.1.??????????????????????? The Listening Task through TOEIC Materials c.2.??????????????????????? Reading through Grammatical Judgment Test c.?????? Why Vocational School Choose TOEIC as a Basic material Test? 5.????? Student Learning Style a.????? General Strategies to Style Motivation 1.????? Capitalize on Students? existing needs 2.????? Make students active participants in learning. 3.????? Ask students to analyze what makes their classes more or less ?motivating?. 4.????? Hold high but realistic expectation fpr your students 5.????? Help students set achievable goals for themselves. 6.????? Tell students what they need to do to succeed in your course. 7.????? Strengthen students? self-motivation. 8.????? Avoid creating intense competition among students. 9.????? Be anthusiastic about your subject.
  1. Conceptual Framework
1.????? An Effect of TOEIC Assessment towards the result of the English National Examination (UN) 2.????? An Effect of Learning Style toward the result of the English National Examination (UN) 3.????? The Effect of TOEIC Assessment and Learning Style on the result of the English National Examination (UN)
  1. Research Hypothesis
1.????? There is an Effect of TOEIC Assessment towards the result of the English National Examination (UN) 2.????? There is an Effect of Learning Style toward the result of the English National Examination (UN) 3.????? There are the Effect of TOEIC Assessment and Learning Style on the result of the English National Examination (UN) THE EFFECT OF USING ALAT UKUR LISTENING TOEIC TEST AND LEARNING STYLE TOWARDS THE RESULT OF THE ENGLISH NATIONAL EXAMINATION (UN) at private vocational school (SMK) Central? Jakarta A.??? Background of the Research B.???? Identification of the Problem C.??? Limitation of the Problem D.??? Formulation of the Problem E.???? The Aim of the Study F.???? Significance of the Study G.??? Organization of the Thesis