Prenatal intervention reduces learning deficit in mice

Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
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Contact: Robert Bock or Marianne Glass Miller
bockr@mail.nih.gov
301-496-5133
NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

NIH study shows improvements in animals with Down syndrome characteristics

Mice with a condition that serves as a laboratory model for Down syndrome perform better on memory and learning tasks as adults if they were treated before birth with neuroprotective peptides, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Down syndrome results when an individual receives an extra copy of chromosome 21. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Down syndrome occurs in 1 of every 691 births. Features of Down syndrome include delays in mental and physical development and poor muscle tone. These features may vary greatly, ranging from mild to severe.

The researchers studied growth factors that are important at certain key stages of brain development in the womb. Named for the first three amino acids making up their chemical sequence, NAP and SAL, are small peptides (small protein sub units) of two proteins. These two proteins enhance the ability of brain cells to receive and transmit signals, and enable them to survive. (NAP is an abbreviation for NAPVSIPQ and SALfor SALLRSIPA.)

The mice in the study had an extra copy of mouse chromosome 16, which has mouse counterparts to 55 percent of the genes on human chromosome 21.The researchers treated pregnant mice with NAP and SAL for five days, then tested the mouse offspring at 8 to 12 months of age, comparing them to mice treated with a saline solution (placebo). Mice with the extra chromosomal material that were treated with NAP and SAL in the womb learned as well as mice that did not have the extra chromosome, and significantly faster than mice with the extra chromosome that were treated with saline solution.

"Our study has provided important information that may help in the understanding of Down syndrome," said senior author Catherine Y. Spong, M.D., chief of the unit on perinatal and developmental neurobiology at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute where the research was conducted.

Dr. Spong collaborated with first author Maddalena Incerti, M.D., Kari Horowitz MD, Robin Roberson, Daniel Abebe, Laura Toso, M.D., and Madeline Caballero, all of the NICHD Unit on Perinatal and Developmental Neurobiology. Dr. Incerti also is affiliated with the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, and Dr. Horowitz now is affiliated with the University of Connecticut, Farmington.

Their findings appear online in PLOS ONE.

In an earlier study, Dr. Spong and her colleagues found that, if treated with NAP and SAL in the womb, mice with the extra copy of chromosome 16, achieved developmental milestones earlier than did mice with an extra copy of chromosome 16 that had not been treated. In that study, the researchers examined developmental milestones for sensory, motor skill, and muscle tone development in the first three weeks of life.

"In our earlier work, we showed that treating the mice during pregnancy could prevent developmental delay as assessed with milestones," Dr. Spong said. "In this study, we showed that treatment with NAP and SAL not only puts the animals on a typical developmental trajectory, it also improves their ability to learn.

For the current study, pregnant mice received injections of the two protein fragments starting eight days after conception. This is equivalent to the end of the first trimester in a human pregnancy.

The researchers tested the learning skills of the mice when the animals reached adulthood. The mice were placed in a tank of water on a clear platform. The tank had symbols on each wall that the mice could use to orient themselves. Researchers then placed the mice directly in the water and timed how long it took them to locate the platform. With repeated trials, the mice become more adept at the task and take less time to reach the platform.

Over five days of testing, the researchers found that the time spent searching for the platform decreased substantially for all groups except the mice with the extra copy of chromosome 16 that were not treated with NAP and SAL in the womb.

The research of Dr. Spong's team is part of an NIH-wide focus on Down syndrome outlined in a 2007 Down syndrome research plan. The plan highlights research priorities for the field, including establishing a Down syndrome patient registry, which was announced Oct. 25, 2012.

###

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute's website at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Robert Bock or Marianne Glass Miller
bockr@mail.nih.gov
301-496-5133
NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

NIH study shows improvements in animals with Down syndrome characteristics

Mice with a condition that serves as a laboratory model for Down syndrome perform better on memory and learning tasks as adults if they were treated before birth with neuroprotective peptides, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Down syndrome results when an individual receives an extra copy of chromosome 21. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Down syndrome occurs in 1 of every 691 births. Features of Down syndrome include delays in mental and physical development and poor muscle tone. These features may vary greatly, ranging from mild to severe.

The researchers studied growth factors that are important at certain key stages of brain development in the womb. Named for the first three amino acids making up their chemical sequence, NAP and SAL, are small peptides (small protein sub units) of two proteins. These two proteins enhance the ability of brain cells to receive and transmit signals, and enable them to survive. (NAP is an abbreviation for NAPVSIPQ and SALfor SALLRSIPA.)

The mice in the study had an extra copy of mouse chromosome 16, which has mouse counterparts to 55 percent of the genes on human chromosome 21.The researchers treated pregnant mice with NAP and SAL for five days, then tested the mouse offspring at 8 to 12 months of age, comparing them to mice treated with a saline solution (placebo). Mice with the extra chromosomal material that were treated with NAP and SAL in the womb learned as well as mice that did not have the extra chromosome, and significantly faster than mice with the extra chromosome that were treated with saline solution.

"Our study has provided important information that may help in the understanding of Down syndrome," said senior author Catherine Y. Spong, M.D., chief of the unit on perinatal and developmental neurobiology at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute where the research was conducted.

Dr. Spong collaborated with first author Maddalena Incerti, M.D., Kari Horowitz MD, Robin Roberson, Daniel Abebe, Laura Toso, M.D., and Madeline Caballero, all of the NICHD Unit on Perinatal and Developmental Neurobiology. Dr. Incerti also is affiliated with the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, and Dr. Horowitz now is affiliated with the University of Connecticut, Farmington.

Their findings appear online in PLOS ONE.

In an earlier study, Dr. Spong and her colleagues found that, if treated with NAP and SAL in the womb, mice with the extra copy of chromosome 16, achieved developmental milestones earlier than did mice with an extra copy of chromosome 16 that had not been treated. In that study, the researchers examined developmental milestones for sensory, motor skill, and muscle tone development in the first three weeks of life.

"In our earlier work, we showed that treating the mice during pregnancy could prevent developmental delay as assessed with milestones," Dr. Spong said. "In this study, we showed that treatment with NAP and SAL not only puts the animals on a typical developmental trajectory, it also improves their ability to learn.

For the current study, pregnant mice received injections of the two protein fragments starting eight days after conception. This is equivalent to the end of the first trimester in a human pregnancy.

The researchers tested the learning skills of the mice when the animals reached adulthood. The mice were placed in a tank of water on a clear platform. The tank had symbols on each wall that the mice could use to orient themselves. Researchers then placed the mice directly in the water and timed how long it took them to locate the platform. With repeated trials, the mice become more adept at the task and take less time to reach the platform.

Over five days of testing, the researchers found that the time spent searching for the platform decreased substantially for all groups except the mice with the extra copy of chromosome 16 that were not treated with NAP and SAL in the womb.

The research of Dr. Spong's team is part of an NIH-wide focus on Down syndrome outlined in a 2007 Down syndrome research plan. The plan highlights research priorities for the field, including establishing a Down syndrome patient registry, which was announced Oct. 25, 2012.

###

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute's website at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

---

[ | 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/2012-11/nioc-pir112912.php

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Scientific American's Fred Guterl Explores the Threats Posed By Technology

It's fairly clear that a nuclear armageddon would have been bad for the majority of earth, if not destroying civilization completely.

Let's look at the other scenarios he describes (not all necessarily related to technology):

Emerging diseases. Yes, if H1N1 were as bad as the 1918 influenza, millions would have died. Not worth comparing to nuclear winter.
Global Warming. I'll let you decide if it's as bad as a nuclear armageddon.
Computer Hacking. In theory, it could cut power to a lot of people, as the article mentions, but so could some well-placed sticks of dynamite.

At least he didn't mention the terminator [slashdot.org].

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/zDToJQFOXUk/story01.htm

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NASA surprised to spot ice on Mercury

NASA's Messenger probe enabled researchers to find unexpected materials frozen in Mercury's north pole. Scientists think the materials arrived via comets or asteroids that hit millions of years ago.?

By Irene Klotz,?Reuters / November 29, 2012

This photo shows a 68-mile-diameter crater, large indentation at center, in the north polar region of Mercury which has been shown to harbor water ice, thanks to measurements by the Messenger spacecraft. Scientists made the announcement Thursday.

AP Photo/NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Enlarge

Despite searing daytime temperatures, Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, has ice and frozen organic materials inside permanently shadowed craters in its north pole,?NASA scientists said on Thursday.

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Earth-based telescopes have been compiling evidence for ice on Mercury for 20 years, but the finding of organics was a surprise, say researchers with?NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, the first probe to orbit Mercury.

Both ice and organic materials, which are similar to tar or coal, were believed to have been delivered millions of years ago by comets and asteroids crashing into the planet.

"It's not something we expected to see, but then of course you realize it kind of makes sense because we see this in other places," such as icy bodies in the outer solar system and in the nuclei of comets, planetary scientist David Paige, with the?University of California, Los Angeles, told Reuters.

Unlike?NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, which will be sampling rocks and soils to look for organic materials directly, the MESSENGER probe bounces?laser?beams, counts particles, measures gamma rays and collects other data remotely from orbit.

The discoveries of ice and organics, painstakingly pieced together for more than a year, are based on computer models, laboratory experiments and deduction, not direct analysis.

"The explanation that seems to fit all the data is that it's organic material," said lead MESSENGER scientist?Sean Solomon, with?Columbia University in New York.

Added Paige, "It's not just a crazy hypothesis. No one has got anything else that seems to fit all the observations better."

Scientists believe the organic material, which is about twice as dark as most of Mercury's surface, was mixed in with comet- or asteroid-delivered ice eons ago.

The ice vaporized, then re-solidified where it was colder, leaving dark deposits on the surface. Radar imagery shows the dark patches subside at the coldest parts of the crater, where ice can exist on the surface.

The areas where the dark patches are seen are not cold enough for surface ice without the overlying layer of what is believed to be organics.

So remote was the idea of organics on Mercury that MESSENGER got a relatively easy pass by?NASA's planetary protection protocols that were established to minimize the chance of contaminating any indigenous life-potential material with hitchhiking microbes from Earth.

Scientists don't believe Mercury is or was suitable for ancient life, but the discovery of organics on an inner planet of the solar system may shed light on how life got started on Earth and how life may evolve on planets beyond the solar system.

"Finding a place in the inner solar system where some of these same ingredients that may have led to life on Earth are preserved for us is really exciting," Paige said.

MESSENGER, which stands for Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging, is due to complete its two-year mission at Mercury in March.

Scientists are seeking?NASA funding to continue operations for at least part of a third year. The probe will remain in Mercury's orbit until the planet's gravity eventually causes it to crash onto the surface.

Whether the discovery of organics now prompts?NASA to select a crash zone rather than leave it up to chance remains to be seen. Microbes that may have hitched a ride on MESSENGER likely have been killed off by the harsh?radiation?environment at Mercury.

The research is published in this week's edition of the journal Science.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/6YYt4iVttuo/NASA-surprised-to-spot-ice-on-Mercury

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Facebook Removes Elbows Mistaken For Breasts, Apologizes For Error

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/facebook-removes-elbows-mistaken-for-breasts-apologizes-for-erro/

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News Corpse ? Bill O'Reilly Says That ?Christianity Is Not A Religion?:

The War on Christmas is in full swing, folks. And the latest battle occurred last night on The O?Reilly Factor.

O?Reilly brought on David Silverman, President of American Atheists, to set up a manufactured debate over the place of Christmas in society, particularly when sponsored by agencies of the government. In the heated exchange, O?Reilly frequently bellowed at his guest whom he called a ?fascist? at one point. But the segment?s most surreal moment came when O?Reilly sought to make the argument that public displays of faith on government property are permissible because?

Yikes! That?s a rather astonishing declaration. I wonder if Christians know that what they are practicing is philosophical, not religious. Among the repercussions of this revelation is that Christianity would not be protected by the First Amendment which prohibits Congress from ?respecting the establishment of religion.? The Constitution says nothing about philosophies.

Just to be clear, Here is the definition of each from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

re?li?gion noun \ri-?li-j?n\
(1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance.

phi?los?o?phy noun \f?-?l?-s(?-)f?\
(1) : all learning exclusive of technical precepts and practical arts (2) : the sciences and liberal arts exclusive of medicine, law, and theology.

It seems to me that Christianity fits squarely in the definition of religion with its worship of God and devotion to faith. Philosophy, on the other hand, explicitly excludes Christianity as a theology.

O?Reilly has said some idiotic things on this subject. Like when he wrote in his auto-bloviography ?Next time you meet an atheist, tell him or her that you know [me]. Then ask him or her if they still don?t believe there?s a God.? But this makes no sense at all. It is an insult to his audience who are not likely to be pleased that their religion has been downgraded. They will surely chafe at their savior being lumped in with the likes of Aristotle, Confucius, Nietzsche, and Sartre, none of whom walked on water or rose from the dead (that we know of). And if supporting the Constitution?s principles of equality and free expression make you fascist, then there are tens of millions of American fascists. Don?t anybody tell O?Reilly or he?ll start a war on the Constitution.

Source: http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=8561

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Large Hadron Collider May Have Produced New Matter

Let me 'splain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.

So, when you collide high-energy particles, you get lots of outgoing particles. Sometimes more, sometimes fewer. One thing that you can do to study the outgoing particles is to look at all pairs of tracks in the event (the combinatorics get very large, but you can still do it), and make a histogram of how close together all the pairs were. When you do this, you find that there is a proliferation of tracks that are very close to one another. This is because the outgoing particles tend to come in clusters (we call them "jets"), all moving in approximately the same direction. This happens, more or less, because if you get one outgoing particle with very high energy, but it is an unstable particle, its decay products will tend to be moving in roughly the same direction as the original particle.

Now, you can also do something slightly more sophisticated: instead of just looking at the angle (in any direction) between two tracks, you can use spherical coordinates, and look separately at the angular distance *around* the beamline (azimuth / phi) and the angular distance *from* the beamline (polar angle / theta) (although we actually convert the polar angle into a strange quantity called "pseudorapidity" instead... this is unimportant for this discussion). When you do that, if you look at events with relatively few outgoing tracks (<35), you see exactly what you expect: an proliferation of tracks that are close in both azimuth and polar angle -- jets again.

On the other hand, if you look at events with lots of outgoing tracks (>= 110), you still see the excess of tracks that are close in both azimuth and polar angle from jets, but you also see a "ridge" -- an excess of tracks that have almost exactly the same azimuth as one another, but have very different polar angles. This is unexpected, and unexpected results == SCIENCE!

So, we expect particles to appear tightly clustered together, but what we see (in some events) is more like a flat spray of particles that goes from one beamline to the other, but is very tightly constrained in one azimuthal slice.

Terrible analogy: We expect cities to occupy a roughly circular area of the earth's surface -- tightly constrained in both latitude (polar angle) and longitude (azimuth). This is like finding a planet that has a city that stretches from pole to pole, but only along a single meridian -- tightly constrained in longitude but totally unconstrained in latitude. It's just plain weird.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/NyezcjZRVs8/story01.htm

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It Has Come to This: A Fitness Tracker for Your Dog

A Japanese company has created a line of body monitoring fitness trackers for dogs. The device, made by Fujitsu, attaches to your dog's collar. It contains three accelerometers and records data every 10 minutes, tracking info like the number of ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/F2M7lyibnxY/

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Wall Street increasingly bullish about 2013

15 hrs.

Jeff Cox , CNBC.com

Even the bears are bullish for 2013, a year in which virtually every Wall Street expert believes the market will overcome its many headwinds and post a positive year.

While retail investors have been preoccupied with worries over fiscal armageddon, an election that is now past and a global economy nearing stall speed, strategists have been busy with projections that see sizeable stock gains.

Their reasons: A U.S. economy that is on the mend due to the nascent housing recovery and an expected surge in earnings, more cheap money from the Federal Reserve, and a general feeling that none of the various-worst scenarios out there will come to fruition.

"At first blush, it seemed like an inopportune time to commit to a year-ahead target and outlook, what with so many global uncertainties in our path," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at Standard & Poor's/Capital IQ. "But most of these uncertainties have been with us for quite some time, and are now regarded by many as annoyances to resolve rather than obstacles to fear."?

The firm is near the high end of the pack, projecting a 1,550 close for the S&P 500 by the end of next year, a nearly 11 percent rise from current levels.

Obstacles such as the "fiscal cliff" of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that will take effect if Washington fails to reach deficit-reduction targets worry Stovall, but he believes that issue, as well as the debt crisis and recession in Europe, won't stop stocks.

"We believe the manner in which these headwinds are resolved could result in an explosive rally rather than just a sigh of relief," he said. "Yet, handled inappropriately, these could end up causing a low flying economy to crash."

While not predicting an outright crash, Adam Parker, chief market strategist at Morgan Stanley, had through the year been predicting the market to swoon lower from a lackluster 2011.

But his projection of an 1,167 for the S&P 500 has virtually no chance of happening absent a colossal stock market event.

For 2013, Parker has changed his tune.

"We wish we didn?t have to set a year-end target. Having had a very accurate one in 2011 and a pretty bad one in 2012, we are living proof that there is a negative asymmetry," he said in the firm's 2013 outlook. "We felt little joy in 2011 and lots of pain in 2012 related to the target, and find few credible investors really care where we think the market is going to be on a particular day one year in the future.

"What they more often care about is the logic and thought process, and the empirical evidence that support it."

Parker sees a modest 2013 rally driven by mega-cap dividend stocks and a rebound in China, as well as a broader picture of rising earnings.

His S&P 500 call is for "low- to mid-single-digit upside" with the S&P 500 closing at 1,434.

"We have been cautious on US equities for much of the last two years," he wrote in his analysis. "Our concerns around U..S deficit/debt and the obvious borrowing from the future that occurs from unconventional policy, the European sovereign crisis, and slower growth in emerging markets generally remain, but the acuteness of these issues appears for now to be less sharp."

While that's not exactly wide-eyed bullishness, it is enough to make contrarians think that sentiment could be getting a little overheated on Wall Street.?

"The reasons we're skeptical of it being able to break to new highs is, first of all, everybody's bullish," said Walter Zimmerman, senior technical analyst at United-ICAP in Jersey City, N.J. "The readings are consistent with those at a major top."

Still, even someone normally as bearish as Zimmerman thinks the near-term direction is higher, though he doesn't see a sustained rally through next year.

That's not the case at Canaccord Genuity, which has one of the most bullish calls yet at 1,650, with only Piper Jaffray's 1,700 higher thus far.

"History, global monetary policy, and the fundamental sweet spot of U.S. economic data argue strongly for better performance as we move...into next year," Canaccord's Tony Dwyer and Michael Welch said.

Deutsche Bank, meanwhile, remains bullish with a 1,500 call. The firm is "encouraged by the continued intention of central banks to maintain accommodative policy" and believes that "given current market pricing, equities continue to offer the best risk-adjusted return compared to other asset classes."

And Bank of America Merrill Lynch, whose 1,450 for 2012 remains very much in play, believes the S&P 500 will close out the coming year at a 10 percent rise from its projected finish for the current year.

"We are cautious on the near-term outlook for US equities, but we remain constructive on the medium to longer term outlook," Savita Subramanian, equity and quant strategist at BofA, said in a note. "Given the S&P 500's attractive valuation and weak investor sentiment, we expect positive earnings growth to drive the market to 1,600 by the end of 2013."

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/wall-street-increasingly-bullish-about-2013-1C7290626

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Verizon Xperia Play Bootloader unlock now available by Sony

Posted on November 28, 2012 in News by Madhav

Verizon has always been infamous for locking up the bootloaders for its phones before releasing them out of public consumption. Of course, with the development community in the Android world being as it is, they don?t stay unlocked for too long as someone eventually finds a way in, albeit we must admit that Verizon locked bootloaders have been?particularly?nasty to crack.

It now appears that the Verizon Xperia Play, a device which has been around for some time, and has had its bootloader unlocked through unofficial methods in the past, is now officially supported on the Sony Mobile bootloader unlock section of its website. Looks like Verizon doesn?t really care about locking this fella up any more. Sony has now added MEID support for the Verizon Xperia Play?R800x. An unlocked bootloader is a must in the series of steps that one needs to take to enter the world of custom ROMs like CyanogenMod, AOKP and other AOSP based variants.

If you still have the Verizon Xperia Play and haven?t unlocked the bootloader yet, you can head over right away to the Sony Mobile Website, link given below, and set your device free.

Unlock the bootloader on the Verizon Xperia Play

Via XDA

?

Bootloader, sony, Unlock, Verizon, Verizon Xperia Play

Source: http://www.theandroidsoul.com/verizon-xperia-play-bootloader-unlock-now-available-by-sony/

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PFT: Week 12 power rankings

AP

1.? Texans:? Those hard-fought wins against bad teams will serve the Texans well in the playoffs.? As long as they face bad teams in the playoffs.

2.? Patriots:? The Pats are peaking, but can they carry it to February this time?

3.? Falcons:? Michael Turner is still the starting tailback, but Jacquizz Rodgers has become the man.

4.? 49ers:? Alex Smith is still the starting quarterback, but Colin Kaepernick has become the man.

5.? Ravens:? If the Ravens win the Super Bowl, 4th-and-29 should be engraved on the ring.

6.? Broncos:? Knowshon finally says, ?Get to know me.?

7.? Giants:? Eli?s arm wasn?t tired, but the rest sure helped it.? Even though it wasn?t tired.

8.? Bears:? The biggest difference between the 2012 Bears and the 1985 Bears is that, if six starters got hurt against the Super Bowl XX champions, they played for the other team.

9.? Packers:? The Giants officially are in Green Bay?s head, Werder.

10.? Bengals:? If the Bengals win the Super Bowl, Carson Palmer should get a ring.

11.? Seahawks:? If the suspensions of Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner stand, the Seahawks may have to sign Terrell Owens.? To play cornerback.

12. Colts:? Indy at Denver in the wild-card round would possibly generate the highest rating for a playoff game in NFL history.

13. Steelers:? If no running back on the depth chart can hold onto the football, it won?t matter who plays quarterback.

14. Buccaneers:? Even Lane Kiffin thinks Greg Schiano had poor clock management late in the game against the Falcons.

15. Redskins:? Mike Shanahan should have started his ?evaluation? process a few weeks sooner.

16. Saints:? With a tough slate of games coming up, Sean Payton is about to get more leverage for his contract talks.

17. Vikings:? This week, Adrian Peterson definitely will be on the team bus.? He possibly would prefer the Packers team bus.

18. Dolphins:? The possibility of the sprinklers coming on spontaneously could sell a few more tickets.

19. Rams:? Whoever makes it to the NFC playoffs should be very glad if the Rams don?t.

20. Cowboys:? Does giving up only 38 points on Thanksgiving give Rob Ryan bragging rights over Rex?

21. Panthers:? If you?d told the Panthers before the season they?d beat the Saints and Eagles, plenty of folks in Charlotte would have been booking their New Orleans hotel rooms for early February.

22. Bills:?? Ralph Wilson likely will be pressing the ?reset? button one more time.

23. Titans:? It would have made sense to fire Chris Palmer early enough for the move to make a difference.

24. Lions:? The next time Jim Schwartz throws the red flag when he shouldn?t, Ndamukong Suh will kick him in the crotch.

25. Browns:? If the Browns keep playing like they did on Sunday, it?ll be hard for Jimmy Haslam to fire Pat Shurmur.

26. Jaguars:? The better Chad Henne plays down the stretch, the less likely it is that clocks in Jacksonville will be set to Tebow time.

27. Cardinals:? Seven straight losses could keep Ken Whisenhunt from getting a seventh season.

28. Chargers:? If the Chargers were as willing to dump Norv Turner as they were to drop various key players over the past decade, they?d possibly be better off right now.

29. Jets:? Before we bury the 2012 Jets, look at their remaining schedule.

30. Eagles:? Good luck persuading a new coach to take over an aging roster with cap issues and no franchise quarterback in a division that faces Eli Manning, RG3, and the Cowboys twice per year.

31. Raiders:? The new regime is making Al Davis look pretty good in hindsight.

32. Chiefs:? The new coach is making Todd Haley look pretty good in hindsight.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/27/week-12-power-rankings-3/related

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Google adds Drive integration to new Gmail composer, ups attachment limit to 10 gigs

If you've used Gmail to send attachments, chances are you've hit that 25MB limit once or twice. Beginning today, Google is rolling out a new Drive integration feature, letting you insert files that you already have in the cloud, effectively boosting the limit 400 fold to 10 gigs. The feature isn't available to everyone just yet, but if you're using the new composer tool and see the Drive logo in the bottom toolbar, you should be good to go. Simply click the icon and choose your file -- if the intended recipient doesn't already have access, you'll be prompted to give them the nod. And, because the file is already stored in the cloud, any changes you make after the message goes out will be visible to your recipient, effectively letting you tweak that presentation or term paper after the submission deadline has passed. You'll find the full scoop at the source link below.

[Thanks, Kate]

Filed under: Storage, Internet, Google

Comments

Source: Gmail Blog, Gmail Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/27/gmail-drive-integration/

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How To Be Successful In Internet Marketing

Affiliate promotion is an ever-changing strategy in the online world. Many website owners have benefited from their involvement in web marketing programs. You will find that there is a plethora of online marketing out there because of how fast it has developed and how long it has been around. Regardless of whether or not you are just starting out in internet marketing, or are already doing it successfully, these tips may be useful to you.

Build up trust with your readers. Readers support authors who provide them with quality contact by purchasing through your affiliates.

Knowing your audience will make you successful through internet marketing. Meet the needs of your audience. Find out why they visit your site in the first place. What are your visitors viewing?

Only keep the affiliates that are extremely profitable, to make the most of your affiliate marketing. Make sure to review your affiliates to see their performance. Taking out the least effective affiliate partners makes room for better ones.

TIP! Understand that simply reading good tips does nothing for you; rather you should select a few to act on. Even after all the time you?ve invested, without compensation, you still run the risk of not turning a profit.

Don?t become complacent just because your affiliate site is highly successful. It is still important to carefully research new partners. The new ones may hold your future success. You need to be sure you can market the product easily and without problems.

Affiliate Programs

Joining several different affiliate programs that share one target customer base can be a way to get better results out of your web marketing campaign. Implementing several affiliate programs that are related gives your target audience a greater selection of products to choose from.

Banner ads can be used creatively to encourage more users to visit your webpage. Include an interesting trivia question in the ad and entice users to visit your website to find the answer. You will have people who will just have to click through on that banner advertisement to find the answer. If someone answers correctly, give them a freebie.

TIP! Do everything you can to make your readers trust you. If the readers really like what you produce, they will uphold you by finding referral links and following them should they want to buy the product still.

You should focus on using positive, assertive language in the content that you create for your marketing program. Wording that has negative connotations (for example empty.

If you live in California and had an affiliate program that was suspended, you can now replace those links on your website. Amazon is again able to participate in the program in California after the law that resulted in the dropping of clients changed. Be certain to do so if you were impacted by the developments.

Asses the products you might link to and be sure they are the right fit for what you trying to accomplish. It may take you a while to learn the best way to arrange your site?s affiliate links, but once you?ve struck upon a successful formula, your profits will rise accordingly.

In order to increase your sales volume, consider creating a special website solely for affiliates. If you put pride and effort into your affiliate promotions, you?ll have no trouble finding good partners. Affiliates who are unaware about your product can be attracted by using SEO in the proper manner.

TIP! Before you sign up with an affiliate, get confirmation that you will get a commission for all sales that you generate regardless of how the purchases were made. Does your affiliate enable tracking of telephone orders, mail orders or faxed in orders? You must be sure to be compensated appropriately for your efforts.

Finding the affiliate advertisements that work most effectively for your audience will take time. Some people will click on glitzy ads, while others want something a bit more subtle. When creating your ads, be sure to remember who is going to be seeing them.

Try writing an ad out on paper, then scan it into the computer as an image file. Upload the image to your website. Personal touches are welcomed by consumers. They increase business and make your site feel ?real?, appealing to a diverse audience. If you do not have good handwriting, ask a friend or a family member to help you design your ad.

Do not allow yourself or your partners in internet marketing to take advantage of that fact. In the best case, it irritates your customers. In a worst case scenario, cookie stuffing can spread a nasty virus and lose you your whole customer base.

Affiliate marketers have to be honest about their business. If you are endorsing a product that you are profiting from, let the audience know and don?t attempt to mislead their choices. When visitors feel that you are dishonest about the relationship you have with your retailers, they may bypass your site, purchasing the product they desire directly from the merchant.

TIP! Find a affiliate that is always putting out new items. You are more likely to earn repeat business when you use reputable companies that create a multitude of products which are interesting to your consumers.

Google Plus

Build your followers on Google Plus to get a head start on the competition. Link your Google Plus information to your other social media sites, and add a Google Plus icon next to your other links. Great content will get you followers!

Employing online marketing strategies can enable you to generate more online sales. Affiliates can drive visitors to your site, more than any other technique. When evaluating an affiliate program, check to see how much money you get per referral, as well as the reputation and design of the vendor?s site.

Tell your readers right from the start that you receive a commission from the your affiliate link sales. Your readers aren?t stupid; they?ll recognize affiliate marketing links when they see them, and pretending you?re not doing it will just make you seem dishonest. If you are honest you are more apt to get visitors that will come back to you.

TIP! Use a multitude of mediums when promoting your products. Lots of people prefer the convenience of online shopping.

Constant communication between you and your affiliates can build a solid working relationship. Building relationships through communication is an important part of ensuring continued profitability. Lucrative affiliate partnerships are invaluable, and therefore it makes sense to do everything possible to keep them happy.

Once you have generated a good amount of sales as an affiliate promoter, consider asking for a higher commission percentage from the affiliate program you belong to. If you are a star performer and convert lots of customers, the company may be very willing to pay you more to keep you happy.

Affiliate Promotion

Use the power of stealth links. Methods exist that permit you to place affiliate links into your content in an inconspicuous way. If you do this, make sure your readers understand what?s going on. Inform your site visitors what will happen if they click on a link.

TIP! Use reviews from individuals that have tried these products and make sure you use shots of the product. You are more like to sell a product to an interested buyer if you provide detailed information on the products you sell.

Be upfront about your use of affiliate promotion, and observe the impact it has on the behavior of your audience. Being upfront and truthful regarding your affiliate promotion is the best approach. If your visitors see that you are using affiliate marketing in a positive way, they will mostly respond in a positive way as well.

You will be a more prosperous affiliate when you learn proper marketing techniques. There are many people that will use the first free program that they find. Some free methods are very good; however, do your homework to find out which ones really work well before you waste a lot of time and energy.

Do not be tricked into using another person?s tracking program. This fiasco can be avoided by simply using a reliable tracking system.

One way for affiliate marketers to see success is by creating a contest or giveaway. This is a great way to get your visitors to return.

TIP! Avoid depending on just a handful of affiliate partners to support your entire marketing campaign. Use a wide range of vendors, and offer a diversity of products, as well.

You should always try and connect with affiliates that sell products that you are interested in selling. Using a variety of affiliate networks increases your chance of earning more income. Thoroughly investigate the reputation and past performance of any affiliate before signing on the dotted line.

You can make a lot of money with internet marketing. It is just like any other marketing venture in the sense that research, education, and knowledge are the keys to developing a proficient grasp of the inner workings of the business and maximizing your profit potential.

Source: http://www.monopolizingmarketing.com/459/how-to-be-successful-in-internet-marketing/

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Rice faces GOP critics

Ambassador Susan Rice has met with Sens. John McCain, Kelly Ayotte and Lindsey Graham, her three harshest critics over statements she made after the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked. The three senators say they are now more concerned than ever before.

Source: http://www.kvia.com/news/elections/Rice-faces-GOP-critics/-/390782/17568292/-/h67agf/-/index.html

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How To Be Successful In Internet Marketing

Affiliate promotion is an ever-changing strategy in the online world. Many website owners have benefited from their involvement in web marketing programs. You will find that there is a plethora of online marketing out there because of how fast it has developed and how long it has been around. Regardless of whether or not you are just starting out in internet marketing, or are already doing it successfully, these tips may be useful to you.

Build up trust with your readers. Readers support authors who provide them with quality contact by purchasing through your affiliates.

Knowing your audience will make you successful through internet marketing. Meet the needs of your audience. Find out why they visit your site in the first place. What are your visitors viewing?

Only keep the affiliates that are extremely profitable, to make the most of your affiliate marketing. Make sure to review your affiliates to see their performance. Taking out the least effective affiliate partners makes room for better ones.

TIP! Understand that simply reading good tips does nothing for you; rather you should select a few to act on. Even after all the time you?ve invested, without compensation, you still run the risk of not turning a profit.

Don?t become complacent just because your affiliate site is highly successful. It is still important to carefully research new partners. The new ones may hold your future success. You need to be sure you can market the product easily and without problems.

Affiliate Programs

Joining several different affiliate programs that share one target customer base can be a way to get better results out of your web marketing campaign. Implementing several affiliate programs that are related gives your target audience a greater selection of products to choose from.

Banner ads can be used creatively to encourage more users to visit your webpage. Include an interesting trivia question in the ad and entice users to visit your website to find the answer. You will have people who will just have to click through on that banner advertisement to find the answer. If someone answers correctly, give them a freebie.

TIP! Do everything you can to make your readers trust you. If the readers really like what you produce, they will uphold you by finding referral links and following them should they want to buy the product still.

You should focus on using positive, assertive language in the content that you create for your marketing program. Wording that has negative connotations (for example empty.

If you live in California and had an affiliate program that was suspended, you can now replace those links on your website. Amazon is again able to participate in the program in California after the law that resulted in the dropping of clients changed. Be certain to do so if you were impacted by the developments.

Asses the products you might link to and be sure they are the right fit for what you trying to accomplish. It may take you a while to learn the best way to arrange your site?s affiliate links, but once you?ve struck upon a successful formula, your profits will rise accordingly.

In order to increase your sales volume, consider creating a special website solely for affiliates. If you put pride and effort into your affiliate promotions, you?ll have no trouble finding good partners. Affiliates who are unaware about your product can be attracted by using SEO in the proper manner.

TIP! Before you sign up with an affiliate, get confirmation that you will get a commission for all sales that you generate regardless of how the purchases were made. Does your affiliate enable tracking of telephone orders, mail orders or faxed in orders? You must be sure to be compensated appropriately for your efforts.

Finding the affiliate advertisements that work most effectively for your audience will take time. Some people will click on glitzy ads, while others want something a bit more subtle. When creating your ads, be sure to remember who is going to be seeing them.

Try writing an ad out on paper, then scan it into the computer as an image file. Upload the image to your website. Personal touches are welcomed by consumers. They increase business and make your site feel ?real?, appealing to a diverse audience. If you do not have good handwriting, ask a friend or a family member to help you design your ad.

Do not allow yourself or your partners in internet marketing to take advantage of that fact. In the best case, it irritates your customers. In a worst case scenario, cookie stuffing can spread a nasty virus and lose you your whole customer base.

Affiliate marketers have to be honest about their business. If you are endorsing a product that you are profiting from, let the audience know and don?t attempt to mislead their choices. When visitors feel that you are dishonest about the relationship you have with your retailers, they may bypass your site, purchasing the product they desire directly from the merchant.

TIP! Find a affiliate that is always putting out new items. You are more likely to earn repeat business when you use reputable companies that create a multitude of products which are interesting to your consumers.

Google Plus

Build your followers on Google Plus to get a head start on the competition. Link your Google Plus information to your other social media sites, and add a Google Plus icon next to your other links. Great content will get you followers!

Employing online marketing strategies can enable you to generate more online sales. Affiliates can drive visitors to your site, more than any other technique. When evaluating an affiliate program, check to see how much money you get per referral, as well as the reputation and design of the vendor?s site.

Tell your readers right from the start that you receive a commission from the your affiliate link sales. Your readers aren?t stupid; they?ll recognize affiliate marketing links when they see them, and pretending you?re not doing it will just make you seem dishonest. If you are honest you are more apt to get visitors that will come back to you.

TIP! Use a multitude of mediums when promoting your products. Lots of people prefer the convenience of online shopping.

Constant communication between you and your affiliates can build a solid working relationship. Building relationships through communication is an important part of ensuring continued profitability. Lucrative affiliate partnerships are invaluable, and therefore it makes sense to do everything possible to keep them happy.

Once you have generated a good amount of sales as an affiliate promoter, consider asking for a higher commission percentage from the affiliate program you belong to. If you are a star performer and convert lots of customers, the company may be very willing to pay you more to keep you happy.

Affiliate Promotion

Use the power of stealth links. Methods exist that permit you to place affiliate links into your content in an inconspicuous way. If you do this, make sure your readers understand what?s going on. Inform your site visitors what will happen if they click on a link.

TIP! Use reviews from individuals that have tried these products and make sure you use shots of the product. You are more like to sell a product to an interested buyer if you provide detailed information on the products you sell.

Be upfront about your use of affiliate promotion, and observe the impact it has on the behavior of your audience. Being upfront and truthful regarding your affiliate promotion is the best approach. If your visitors see that you are using affiliate marketing in a positive way, they will mostly respond in a positive way as well.

You will be a more prosperous affiliate when you learn proper marketing techniques. There are many people that will use the first free program that they find. Some free methods are very good; however, do your homework to find out which ones really work well before you waste a lot of time and energy.

Do not be tricked into using another person?s tracking program. This fiasco can be avoided by simply using a reliable tracking system.

One way for affiliate marketers to see success is by creating a contest or giveaway. This is a great way to get your visitors to return.

TIP! Avoid depending on just a handful of affiliate partners to support your entire marketing campaign. Use a wide range of vendors, and offer a diversity of products, as well.

You should always try and connect with affiliates that sell products that you are interested in selling. Using a variety of affiliate networks increases your chance of earning more income. Thoroughly investigate the reputation and past performance of any affiliate before signing on the dotted line.

You can make a lot of money with internet marketing. It is just like any other marketing venture in the sense that research, education, and knowledge are the keys to developing a proficient grasp of the inner workings of the business and maximizing your profit potential.

Source: http://www.monopolizingmarketing.com/459/how-to-be-successful-in-internet-marketing/

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Google Drive Now More Tightly Integrated Into Gmail: Lets You Share Files Up 10 GB

Remember when entire companies were launched, primarily to work around the fact that Microsoft Exchange-based email systems had message size limits that impacted the size of email attachments you could send? How far we've come. Today, Google announced?it's integrating its online file storage and collaboration service Google Drive (formerly Docs) even further into Gmail, enabling emails to be sent with up to 10 GB of files attached.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/q3D3omRBaMo/

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Celebrating your Parents Anniversaries | Her Caribbean

They brought you into the world and if you are lucky enough to have parents who are still together, it is only right that you help them celebrate their anniversaries through the years. You can?t be expected to celebrate every year, but there are some special ones which definitely require attention. If you want to treat your nearest and dearest, these ideas may help you on your way with your anniversary gifts.

First Year

You may not be around for the first year of your parent?s anniversary, but on the other hand, you might be! If you want to go with the traditional first year anniversary present, you should opt for something made of paper, such as a portrait of their favourite place together. The modern route would usually be a clock as this is the type of?anniversary gifts?which they can cherish forever.

Fifth Year

The traditional fifth year wedding anniversary gift would be something made of wood, so you may wish to consider a wooden frame with a photo of them both in it. Silverware is the choice for modern gifts and you can even get it engraved with a message to make it even more special and so that they can keep it and cherish it forever.

Tenth Year

The tenth year of wedded bliss calls for something extra special and you can?t get much more special than diamond jewellery. You may have to save up for a bit longer with this one, but it will be worth it to see the look on your parents? faces. You can always go with the traditional option if you don?t have the budget for this though, which is aluminium and tin. You can even design your own homemade present for the occasion.

Twenty Five Years

This is a big one; a life sentence to some people. Therefore this momentous occasion requires great anniversary gifts to celebrate it. The twenty-fifth year of wedded bliss is signified by silver, so you should opt for a present in this colour to celebrate the occasion. As you can imagine, there is lots of choice here, including silverware, picture frames and jewellery. You can also pick a present to suit your budget, as it doesn?t have to cost the earth for this type of present.

Thirty Years

If you reach thirty years of marriage, you definitely deserve some diamonds and these signify the thirty year milestone. Diamonds are a girls? best friend so your mum will love this present, maybe just throw in some beers for your dad! They don?t even have to be real diamonds, it?s the thought that counts as they say and diamonds are pretty expensive!

Thirty Five Years

Another milestone in the wedding anniversary timeline, thirty-five years is another special one which deserves special anniversary gifts. Coral and jade are the colour?options you have for this special occasion, both for the traditional and the more contemporary. You can buy anything in these colours and you will be really marking the occasion in a special way.

Forty Years

The forty-year anniversary is marked with ruby, so you can find something special in this gemstone. You may wish to choose some nice jewellery for both parents with ruby in it, so they can keep it forever and cherish it. There are also options for other pieces in the home, such as photo frames with ruby on them to create the perfect gift.

Forty Five Years

Sapphire marks the forty-five years of marriage, so this is an option if you want to treat your parents on their special day. You don?t have to choose this but it symbolises the occasion so is a good keepsake. ?You will find sapphire on lots of different pieces of jewellery and also engraved on lots of other household items.

Fifty Years

Can you imagine putting up with someone for 50 years? No, neither can I but if your parents manage it, it is worth the gold which symbolises the occasion. Gold jewellery or anything with a bit of gold on it will be sure to tick the boxes.

There are?anniversary gifts?to suit every year on the calendar, so choose one which suits your parents and will make them happy.

Source: http://hercaribbean.com/family/celebrating-your-parents-anniversaries

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Delarosa&#39;s Fried Brussels Sprouts + Beet & Arugula Salad : FOOD ...

After revisiting Delarosa recently, I must admit...I'm hooked. It's a great spot to grab a fun and fulfilling lunch or dinner with a good friend. The food is delicious, affordable and best shared family style. I love that they have great vegetarian options to complement the carniverous ones. And although consistently busy, the wait isn't ever usually too crazy. If it is, just grab a cocktail or glass of wine at the bar.

The two dishes above are always on the table?when I eat there.?

?

Delarosa

2175 Chestnut Street??San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 673-7100

Source: http://www.foodfashionista.com/food_fashionista/2012/11/delarosas-fried-brussels-sprouts-beet-arugula-salad-.html

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Crime Analysis & Investigation Computers & Technology | PJL ...

By PJL, on November 27th, 2012

By Peter John Lynch
(PJL) of Lynch Investigations &
Countermeasures Pty. Ltd.

It should be recognised that in the past there has been much more of a
reactive approach to investigating offences committed in relation to
technology.

Cybercrime is now upon us and it needs to be controlled and reduced.
The investigator needs to adopt technology & apply it to the investigative
problems to assist in limiting the opportunities for those who commit
offences.

The investigator still needs to be able to respond to offences committed in a
reactive manner, but with greater application of a proactive approach from
adopting technology and applying it to their investigations will reduce the
time spent reacting to offences committed & unsolved problems stemming
from previous attendances of investigations by a reactive approach. More?

Criminal Investigators -
Lynch Investigations & Countermeasures Pty Ltd

Source: http://www.pjlinvestigations.com.au/online-blog/?p=9630

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New Department of Education: Insurance Continuing Education

Insurance continuing education is a necessary requirement in almost any insurance environment, from Casualty and Life to Personal Lines and Accident and Health. Each state's Department of Insurance determines how much continuing education is applicable and provides venues for acquiring the necessary additional training. Since laws, rules and regulations are constantly shifting, it is critical for agents to keep up-to-speed with new developments to more competently serve their clientele.

The insurance environment is a constantly shifting environment that presents sets of complex regulations that must be adhered to in order to stay within legal limits. The only way for agents to remain up to date on new insurance products, laws and issues is to receive yearly instruction in the form of continuing education.

Who is Required to Participate in Continuing Education?

Generally, Property Broker-Agents and/or Casualty Broker-Agents, Personal Lines Broker-Agents, Life-Only and/or Accident and Health licensees must take a certain number of continuing education classes each year to maintain their licenses, whether or not they are actively selling insurance. The more lines of insurance you carry, the more education you must receive to keep your license. If you offer subcategories such as Credit Property, Travel Ticket or Involuntary Unemployment you can rest easy -- these lines generally do not require yearly education. However, some subcategories such as Long Term Care and Annuities do require some additional education, although usually not as much as the major categories. You must check with your state's Department of Insurance to determine your particular licensure requirements.

How Do I Fulfill My Requirements?

Courses are offered in two formats: a sit-down, classroom environment and online. Some agents prefer a classroom environment because it focuses their attention and allows them personal access to teachers and other students. It is a great way to network with other agents. However, online classes can be attractive due to the convenience of being able to take them at your leisure and without having to commute to a class. Classes like these are often offered by professional development companies as well as colleges and universities.

Which Class Style is Better for Me?

If you are a hands-on individual, taking classes at a local college or university or a remote location might be the best way for you to learn. You will have the opportunity to "pick" the instructor's brain for tips and hints and also learn from your fellow students. Taking a "classroom style" class can also expose you to a new environment if you have to travel to take the class, and therefore new people with different ideas. It is a way to make new contacts to grow your business and share helpful information with other agents that are facing the same struggles and concerns.

However, if you like the convenience of studying on your own schedule, then online classes offer a great benefit. Some agents don't want to take up valuable time listening to others ask questions or give feedback, and wish to work at their own pace. Online learning also lets you schedule your education around your business day, so that you have less downtime. This is particularly important to some agents who like to focus on customer service.

Whichever style you choose, continuing education is an industry standard for insurance professionals, and will serve to enhance your knowledge, ability and skills so that you can be a more competent, effective insurance agent.

Source: http://nouss-nouss.blogspot.com/2012/11/insurance-continuing-education.html

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Bangladesh fire kills 112 workers making clothes for U.S. brands

The 100-plus workers who died in a fire late Saturday at a high-rise garment factory in Bangladesh were working overtime making clothes for major American retailers, including Wal-Mart, according to workers' rights groups.

Officials in Bangladesh said the flames at the Tazreen Fashions factory outside Dhaka spread rapidly on the ground floor, trapping those on the higher floors of the nine-story building. There were no exterior fire escapes, according to officials, and many died after jumping from upper floors to escape the flames.

As firemen continued to remove bodies Sunday, officials said at least 112 people had died but that the number of fatalities could go higher.

The Tazreen fire is the latest in a series of deadly blazes at garment factories in Bangladesh, where more than 700 workers, many making clothes for U.S. consumers, have died in factory fires in the past five years. As previously reported by ABC News, Bangladesh has some of the cheapest labor in the world and some of the most deplorable working conditions.

READ the original ABC News report.

"The industry and parent brands in the U.S. have been warned again and again about the extreme danger to workers in Bangladesh and they have not taken action," said Scott Nova, executive director of the Worker Rights Consortium, an American group working to improve conditions at factories abroad that make clothes for U.S. companies. Nova said the fire was the most deadly in the history of the Bangladesh apparel industry, and "one of the worst in any country."

WATCH the 'Nightline' report on deadly factories.

Workers' activists went into the burned-out remains today to document which major retailers were using the Tazreen factory.

They say they found labels for Faded Glory, a Wal-Mart private label, along with labels they said traced back to Sears and a clothing company owned by music impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs.

"There's no question that Wal-Mart and the other customers at this factory bear some blame for what happened in this factory," Nova said.

Nova also said that Wal-Mart "knew exactly what's going on at these facilities. They have staff on site in Bangladesh."

Wal-Mart actually warned of dangerous conditions at the Tazreen factory last year, in a letter posted online by the factory owner.

Wal-Mart told ABC News that the company has not yet been able to confirm that it was still making clothes at the factory.

In a statement, Wal-Mart told ABC News, "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this tragedy. ... [F]ire safety is a critically important area of Wal-Mart's factory audit program and we have been working across the apparel industry to improve fire safety education and training in Bangladesh.

"As part of this effort, we partnered with several independent organizations to develop and roll out fire safety training tools for factory management and workers. Continued engagement is critical to ensure that reliable, proactive measures are in place to reduce the chance of factory fires. "

Spokespeople for Combs and Sears did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fire-kills-112-workers-making-clothes-us-brands-001530283--abc-news-topstories.html

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News | My open source cure for brain cancer | Health Updates ...

Editor?s note: Salvatore Iaconesi is a 39-year-old TED fellow and the artist and technologist behind Art is Open Source. He teaches digital design at La Sapienza University of Rome. His medical records are publicly available at artisopensource.net/cure. Iaconesi spoke in September at TEDx Transmedia, an independently organized event in Rome. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ?Ideas worth spreading? which it makes available through talks posted on its website.

(CNN) ? I was recently diagnosed with brain cancer.

This was shocking news. Sitting across from a doctor holding a clinical folder with your name on it, and hearing him say the words ?low-grade glioma,? ?language and comprehension areas of your brain,? ?surgery? and ?chemotherapy? is a very weird experience.

My first idea was to seek other opinions. Maybe this hospital is wrong. Maybe there are other places that wouldn?t need to do surgery. Maybe there is a laser, a chemical, an ancient tradition, a shaman, a scientist, a nanorobot.

I felt incomplete about the way that the medical system was handling my situation.

Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments.

Being ?diseased? is like a state of suspended life. Can I work? Have fun? Be creative? Not really.

When you are declared ?diseased,? you become a set of medical records, therapy, dosages, exam dates. It?s as if you disappear, replaced by your disease.

I immediately asked for my clinical records in digital format, and left the hospital.

TED.com: A new understanding of cancer

My main objective ? the best thing I felt that I could do ? was to make my digital information available on the Internet, in formats that would allow people of multiple cultures, skills, professions and inclinations to access, use, recombine and redistribute it.

5-time cancer survivor pays it forward

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Why would I want them to access this information?

To help me find the best cure for myself, and in the process to produce substantial social change by redefining the word ?cure.?

But when I went home to publish my medical records, all I could do was send them to specialized professionals, either by duplicating the CDs and mailing them or by copying their closed format and uploading them somewhere.

I had no direct access to my own information, since I use Linux and OSX rather than the files? Windows-based viewer. As a software engineer, I found software and programming tools to hack the files and make them open ? but a nontechnical person would have difficulty making use of their own medical data.

I needed, first of all, something which I could easily share, maybe allowing people to open it from their browsers, or even from their smartphones.

TED.com: New strategy in war on cancer

So I opened up my medical records and converted the data into multiple formats: spreadsheets, databases, metadata files in XML and video, image and sound files. And I published them on The Cure.

The responses have been incredible. More than 200,000 people have visited the site and many have provided videos, poems, medical opinions, suggestions of alternative cures or lifestyles, personal stories of success or, sadly, failures ? and simply the statement, ?I am here.? Among them were more than 90 doctors and researchers who offered information and support.

The geneticist and TED fellow Jimmy Lin has offered to sequence the genome of my tumor after surgery ? in an open-source platform, of course. And the Italian parliament has been debating a motion to make all patients? medical records more open and accessible, which would be amazing progress in my country.

Within one day I also heard from two different doctors, who recommended similar kinds of surgery. The first version is ?awake surgery,? which monitors the brain in real time as different parts are touched. The second is a variation in which electrodes are placed on the brain during surgery, and then a brain map is produced (with the patient awake) and used during a second surgery (with the patient fully unconscious).

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Existing portals and websites that allow patients and ex-patients to exchange stories and opinions already exist. But we?re talking about something different.

I see a cure as a dynamic process, in which multiple doctors, professionals, artists, scientists and others join as a society ? to converse, support each other, be open to various contributions and shape solutions that merge humanity, technology, technique, philosophy and art. Creativity and ?normal life? become part of the process and bring ?diseased? people back to life.

To me, a true cure is complete, is human, and has dignity. And it never ends.

Such a cure is a dialogue in which ?experts? maintain their status ? and in fact, an enormous thank you goes out to all the extremely qualified professionals who are constantly responding to my calls ? but the whole process opens up to possibility.

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And this is exactly what is happening: We are creating a cure by uniting the contributions of surgeons, homeopaths, oncologists, Chinese doctors, nutritionists and spiritual healers. The active participation of everyone involved ? both experts and ex-patients ? is naturally filtering out any damaging suggestion which might be proposed.

To achieve this kind of cure, we must be open to strategies from different cultures and philosophical orientations. And we must embrace a wider, more profound discourse about the ways in which information circulates digitally.

For now, I?m following a complex strategy developed with the help of a series of doctors and experts who responded to my open-source cure site and have suggested a variety of therapies to deal with the disease.

As of now, my cancer growth has stopped. We are waiting for the next test results to decide when and if to proceed to surgery.

How can you be involved? Tell us about excellent techniques and technologies from around the world that can effectively confront low-grade glioma. We have explored many opinions in Italy and Europe, but fewer outside.

Share your stories and experiences, the solutions you have found, the fraud you have encountered.

Send us videos, poems, images, audio or text that you see as relevant to a scenario in which art and creativity can help form a complete and ongoing cure.

Or tell us, ?I am here!? ? alive and connected, ready to support a fellow human being.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Salvatore Iaconesi.

Article source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/25/opinion/iaconesi-cure-open-source/index.html

Source: http://www.health-updates.org/news/my-open-source-cure-for-brain-cancer/

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