Apr. 29, 2013 ? A commonly used class of biologic response modifying drugs can cause acute liver injury with elevated liver enzymes, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Patients with inflammatory diseases such as Chron's disease or ulcerative colitis often are prescribed tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) antagonists, which modify the body's response to infection. Patients with inflammatory arthropathies and selected dermatological diseases are also candidates to receive such compounds.
"TNF-? antagonists are extremely beneficial as therapies for several bowel, joint and skin inflammatory conditions," said Maurizio Bonacini, MD, AGAF, study author and associate clinical professor, University of California, San Francisco. "However, gastroenterologists, internists, rheumatologists and dermatologists all need to be aware of this potential complication and know how to diagnose it. They should conduct tests for autoimmunity early upon diagnosis of abnormalities to determine the proper path of care."
Researchers searched the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network database and identified six well-characterized cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in the setting of TNF-? antagonist therapy. Additionally, they reviewed 28 additional cases identified in PubMed. The researchers found acute liver injury in all cases, most frequently autoimmunity and hepatocellular injury, but mixed non-autoimmune patterns and cholestasis (blocked flow of bile from the liver) also occurred. No deaths were attributed to the liver injury; one patient required a liver transplant, which was attributed to pre-existing cirrhosis with superimposed DILI.
Of the TNF-? antagonists, infliximab-associated liver injury has been the best documented, most likely because of its earlier approval and more wide-spread clinical use. Etanercept and adalimumab have also been linked to drug-induced liver injury. So far, there are no published cases found to be linked to natalizumab, golimumab or certolizumab.
The researchers found that liver damage was typically resolved following drug discontinuation, although some patients did benefit from a course of corticosteroids. Importantly, patients treated with an alternative TNF-? after resolution of their liver injury appeared to tolerate the drugs without recurrence.
"If patients who are taking these biologic agents experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and fatigue, physicians should check liver enzyme levels to determine if the symptoms are a result of these drugs," added Dr. Bonacini.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Gastroenterological Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Marwan Ghabril, Herbert L. Bonkovsky, Clarissa Kum, Tim Davern, Paul H. Hayashi, David E. Kleiner, Jose Serrano, Jim Rochon, Robert J. Fontana, Maurizio Bonacini. Liver Injury From Tumor Necrosis Factor-? Antagonists: Analysis of Thirty-four Cases. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2013; 11 (5): 558 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2012.12.025
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 23 people were killed in Iraq on Monday in a series of car bombs in Shi'ite Muslim areas and militant attacks, medics and police sources said, taking the week's death toll to nearly 200 as sectarian violence intensifies.
Clashes have increased as the civil war in Syria puts strain on fragile relations between Sunnis and Shi'ites. The tensions are at their highest in Iraq since U.S. troops pulled out more than a year ago.
The latest bout of blood-letting began when security forces raided a Sunni protest camp near Kirkuk last week triggering clashes that quickly spread to other Sunni areas including the western province of Anbar, which borders Syria and Jordan.
Iraq decided on Monday to close a border crossing with Jordan for two days starting on Tuesday due to "organizational issues", the interior minister said without giving any details.
It is the second time this year that authorities have ordered the closure of the Traibil border post in Anbar where Sunnis have been protesting against Iraq's Shi'ite-led government since December.
The demonstrations had eased in the past month, but this week's army raid on a protest camp in Hawija, near Kirkuk, 170 km north of Baghdad, angered Sunnis and appears to have given insurgents more momentum.
Early on Monday, at least nine people were killed and 40 wounded in two car bomb explosions in Amara, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
The first of two blasts in Amara, ripped through a market where people were meeting to eat breakfast, and the second hit an area where day laborers were gathering to look for work.
Another car bomb was detonated in a market in Diwaniya, 150 km south of Baghdad, killing two people, police said.
"I was preparing to go to work when a big explosion shook my house and broke the glass in all the windows," said witness Widy Jasim. "I ran outside, the explosion was near my house and bodies were everywhere".
A bomb in a parked car went off near a busy market in Kerbala, killing at least three people. A further six people were killed in an explosion near a Shi'ite worship site in Mahmudiya, about 30 km south of Baghdad.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but car and suicide bombings are trademarks of the Islamic State of Iraq, the Iraqi wing of Sunni Islamist al Qaeda which seeks to provoke sectarian conflict.
Violence is still well below its height in 2006-07, but provisional figures from rights group Iraq Body Count indicate about 1,494 people have been killed so far in 2013.
In Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen clashed with the army early on Monday, killing two soldiers and wounding three others, military sources said.
A sniper shot dead a soldier and wounded another while they were on patrol in Madaen in eastern Baghdad, police said.
The speaker of parliament Osama al-Nujaifi, himself a Sunni, proposed an initiative to avoid "the ghost of civil war and sectarian strife", calling on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Shi'ite-led government to resign, dissolve parliament and prepare for an early parliamentary election.
Iraqi politics are deeply divided along sectarian lines, with Maliki's government mired in crisis over how to share power among Shi'ite Muslims, the largest group, Sunnis and ethnic Kurds who run their own autonomous region in the north.
(Reporting by Aref Mohammed in Basra, Kareem Raheem and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Emad al-Khuzaie in Diywaniya; Additional reporting by Ali al-Rubaie in Hilla and Ziad al-Sanjary in Mosul; Writing by Suadad al-Salhy; Editing by Jon Hemming)
Within the set of current legal parameters, advertisers still do a cool job of getting a message out. We asked our readers to imagine a world where those rules and regulations don't exist. The winner is below, but first the runners-up ...
President Barack Obama will nominate Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx to run the Transportation Department, the Associated Press reports.
Foxx will be the first black nominee among Obama's picks for second-term Cabinet spots.
Also worth noting on Monday:
? Obama will speak at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting. ? Republican former Gov. Mark Sanford and Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, sister of political satirist Stephen Colbert, face off in a debate leading up to a May 7 special election to fill South Carolina?s 1st Congressional District seat. ? U.S. Senate chaplain Barry Black speaks at the Heritage Foundation on ?Bridging the Religious and Secular Divide.?
And then there is this: Newt Gingrich will begin a three-day ?Thank You South Carolina Tour.? It is the first time Gingrich has returned to the Palmetto State since winning the Republican presidential primary last year.
Sources: Yahoo! News Politics, ABC News, Reuters and Associated Press.
New stats: Plastic surgery trend has women armed for spring and summerPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shannon McCormick shannon@mediasourcetv.com 614-477-2719 American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Inspired by strong-armed celebrities, upper arm lifts jump 4,378% since 2000, new ASPS statistics show
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 29, 2013 New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that arm lifts in women have skyrocketed more than 4,000 percent in just over the last decade. It is a trend fueled, in part, by sleeveless fashions for women and more focus on strong-armed celebrities. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lift procedures. Last year, more than 15,000 did.
Arm Lifts By The Numbers:
Procedures in 2012
Overall: 15,457 up 3% since 2011 / 4,473% since 2000
Women: 15,136 up 4,378% since 2000
98% of arm lift patients were women
Most popular with patients over 40. The majority, 43%, of patients were ages 40 and 54, 33% were over age 55.
Average surgeon fee: $3,939 / total spent on arm lifts: $61 million
Upper arm lifts can include liposuction or a surgical procedure known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms.
"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. "For some women, the arms have always been a troublesome area and, along with proper diet and exercise, liposuction can help refine them. Others may opt for a brachioplasty when there is a fair amount of loose skin present with minimal elasticity."
Doctors say there is no single reason behind the increase, though celebrities from the White House to the red carpet may be having an influence. A recent poll* conducted on behalf of ASPS found that women are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities.
According to the poll, women most admire the arms of first lady Michelle Obama, followed closely by Jennifer Aniston. Actresses Jessica Biel and Demi Moore, and daytime TV talk show host Kelly Ripa also got votes for their toned arms.
"I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV," said ASPS Public Education Committee Chair David Reath, MD, based in Knoxville, Tenn. "We see them and think, 'yeah, I'd like to look like that'."
That's just what happened to 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, who says she was inspired by the arms of the first lady. "I looked at Michelle Obama and said 'Oh my gosh, I want her arms. When I first started losing weight and started to tone up, I had her image in my head."
That was three years ago. Today, Robinson has lost more than 170 pounds and continues an amazing transformation through diet and exercise. But for all the weight she'd lost, Robinson says she still wasn't entirely happy.
"I had a lot of excessive skin around my upper arms," she said. "Every time I looked in the mirror there was a reminder of a heavier person and I just couldn't get rid of it."
That's when Robinson contacted Dr. Reath, who performed her brachioplasty. "Natalie had the perfect arms for this procedure," said Dr. Reath, "but it's not for everybody."
A brachioplasty requires an incision from the elbow to the armpit, generally on the back of the arm, leaving a visible and permanent scar. For Robinson, the scar was much easier to deal with than the excessive skin, but Dr. Reath cautions patients to carefully consider the pros and cons before having an upper arm lift, particularly a brachioplasty.
"It's a trade off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar," he said. "So, as long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure."
Dr. Reath stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to all his patients, but says some women simply can't achieve the look they want on their own. Many who simply want to tighten and tone their upper arms, but don't have a lot of excess skin, opt for liposuction instead of a brachioplasty.
"We are genetically programmed to have different accumulations of fat in different areas, and for some women the arms can be a problem area," said Dr. Reath. "The arms are a very noticeable area and if excessive fat and skin are an issue, they tend to look more out of proportion than the rest of the body."
That was certainly the case for Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson says she never expected surgery to make her arms perfect, just more normal. "Well-proportioned is what I was going for, and I'm very happy. It was well worth the investment," she said. "I would do it again."
###
For more new statistics on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, refer to the ASPS 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html. (Stats on this site will be updated with the specific demographics and trends when embargo lifts on 4/29/13). Information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons can be found at http://www.PlasticSurgery.org.
* This poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons from March 28-April 1, 2013 among 1,219 women ages 18 and older. This online poll is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete poll methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.
Broadcast quality multimedia elements at: http://bit.ly/14STmA2
(Multimedia Newsroom is password protected until embargo lifts. Please contact media relations representative listed below for password prior to embargo.)
Media Contacts: Shannon McCormick, 614-932-9950 (ext. 14) shannon@mediasourcetv.com or ASPS: 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org
[ | 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.
New stats: Plastic surgery trend has women armed for spring and summerPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shannon McCormick shannon@mediasourcetv.com 614-477-2719 American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Inspired by strong-armed celebrities, upper arm lifts jump 4,378% since 2000, new ASPS statistics show
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 29, 2013 New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that arm lifts in women have skyrocketed more than 4,000 percent in just over the last decade. It is a trend fueled, in part, by sleeveless fashions for women and more focus on strong-armed celebrities. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lift procedures. Last year, more than 15,000 did.
Arm Lifts By The Numbers:
Procedures in 2012
Overall: 15,457 up 3% since 2011 / 4,473% since 2000
Women: 15,136 up 4,378% since 2000
98% of arm lift patients were women
Most popular with patients over 40. The majority, 43%, of patients were ages 40 and 54, 33% were over age 55.
Average surgeon fee: $3,939 / total spent on arm lifts: $61 million
Upper arm lifts can include liposuction or a surgical procedure known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms.
"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. "For some women, the arms have always been a troublesome area and, along with proper diet and exercise, liposuction can help refine them. Others may opt for a brachioplasty when there is a fair amount of loose skin present with minimal elasticity."
Doctors say there is no single reason behind the increase, though celebrities from the White House to the red carpet may be having an influence. A recent poll* conducted on behalf of ASPS found that women are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities.
According to the poll, women most admire the arms of first lady Michelle Obama, followed closely by Jennifer Aniston. Actresses Jessica Biel and Demi Moore, and daytime TV talk show host Kelly Ripa also got votes for their toned arms.
"I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV," said ASPS Public Education Committee Chair David Reath, MD, based in Knoxville, Tenn. "We see them and think, 'yeah, I'd like to look like that'."
That's just what happened to 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, who says she was inspired by the arms of the first lady. "I looked at Michelle Obama and said 'Oh my gosh, I want her arms. When I first started losing weight and started to tone up, I had her image in my head."
That was three years ago. Today, Robinson has lost more than 170 pounds and continues an amazing transformation through diet and exercise. But for all the weight she'd lost, Robinson says she still wasn't entirely happy.
"I had a lot of excessive skin around my upper arms," she said. "Every time I looked in the mirror there was a reminder of a heavier person and I just couldn't get rid of it."
That's when Robinson contacted Dr. Reath, who performed her brachioplasty. "Natalie had the perfect arms for this procedure," said Dr. Reath, "but it's not for everybody."
A brachioplasty requires an incision from the elbow to the armpit, generally on the back of the arm, leaving a visible and permanent scar. For Robinson, the scar was much easier to deal with than the excessive skin, but Dr. Reath cautions patients to carefully consider the pros and cons before having an upper arm lift, particularly a brachioplasty.
"It's a trade off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar," he said. "So, as long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure."
Dr. Reath stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to all his patients, but says some women simply can't achieve the look they want on their own. Many who simply want to tighten and tone their upper arms, but don't have a lot of excess skin, opt for liposuction instead of a brachioplasty.
"We are genetically programmed to have different accumulations of fat in different areas, and for some women the arms can be a problem area," said Dr. Reath. "The arms are a very noticeable area and if excessive fat and skin are an issue, they tend to look more out of proportion than the rest of the body."
That was certainly the case for Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson says she never expected surgery to make her arms perfect, just more normal. "Well-proportioned is what I was going for, and I'm very happy. It was well worth the investment," she said. "I would do it again."
###
For more new statistics on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, refer to the ASPS 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html. (Stats on this site will be updated with the specific demographics and trends when embargo lifts on 4/29/13). Information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons can be found at http://www.PlasticSurgery.org.
* This poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons from March 28-April 1, 2013 among 1,219 women ages 18 and older. This online poll is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete poll methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.
Broadcast quality multimedia elements at: http://bit.ly/14STmA2
(Multimedia Newsroom is password protected until embargo lifts. Please contact media relations representative listed below for password prior to embargo.)
Media Contacts: Shannon McCormick, 614-932-9950 (ext. 14) shannon@mediasourcetv.com or ASPS: 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org
[ | 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.
Well, you know what we mean.? Our group's name ?started from my name in my FB fan page (Smart Backpacker). And we just started calling ourselves "the packers!" We started our first travel in Puerto Galera, Mindoro. But the name started in Sagada. Now, we continued our travel to Tablas, Romblon! We had 4 choices for our summer escapade, namely: Caramoan, Palaui Island, Baler and Tablas, Romblon. Originally, Tablas was not part of the choices. I suggested it after I went to Romblon. We started our online voting on where we are suppose to go and it turned out that the last choice would we be the group's choice. And so, I booked our group in 2GO Travel and everything went well as planned. We missed 2 of our packers, Jonas and MJ! April 19, 2013 Terminal 3, Batangas Port 9:00 pm Day 1
There were only 8 of us that night when we boarded the ferry travel to Odiongan, Romblon. The packers present were Nikko, Jen, Feng, Lester, Ces, Dave, Joyce and I. The economy ticket costs P815.00. The travel to Odiongan was good for 7 hours and while onboard the vessel, we decided to have a bit of drinking spree to start our trip right!
Day 2
We arrived at the Odiongan Port around 4 am and the beauty of the port captured my excitement already. I told myself, "We are going to have a good time here!"
From the port, we were fetched by the owner of the resort (Mr. Willy) and we paid P1,000 for the van. The trip to the resort is 30 minutes or 17 kilometers.
And finally, we arrived at the Binukot Sunset Cove Resort located in Brgy. Bunsoran, Ferrol, Tablas, Romblon. The owners of the resort are Mr. Willy (an Australian) and Ms. Michaela (a Filipina) (Contact nos. 0929-787-5486 / 0999-423-1040)?
And we rented this house for only P2,500. The house was good only for 5 persons but we told the owner that we were 8 and the Ms. Mica agreed to allow us to have the house and even gave us extra beds for free!
After taking our early breakfast, we decided to trek the beach and explored its wonders!
The place is actually a cove. And at the end of the cove, there is a small island. And we gathered seashells and stones as our souvenir.
The place is what we call a Paradise!
We walked up to the end of the cove and wandered around not minding of the time.
The place was simply beyond our expectations! And our smiles were written all over our faces... We were having a god time! Probably, one of the best times of our lives! And here we are in a paradise called Binukot Beach!
?? Time simply flew.. And we were there at the beach.. Laughing and enjoying!
The place was so beautiful that we could not stop taking pictures! We were there posing from one spot to another.
And as always, I was the one tasked to take our pictures. I mean why should it always be me?? Coz, I simply love them and I wanted to have them to have a good time! =)
Around 11 am, we decided to go to the other side of the cove and we discovered a smaller cove! What a treat for us! Two coves in one resort.
The smaller cove
from Joyce Recampo
We attempted to have jumpshots at the cove and this was the only one better after so many takes that was near to perfection.
Past 2 pm, we chartered the van of Mr. Willy and headed to Mablaran Falls. We paid only P1,500 for the van. The trip going to the falls from Binukot Beach was almost 1 hour.
Falls No. 1
I will never forget this trek to the falls!
Only Nikko, Lester and I decided to go to the second falls. From the first falls to second falls, it took us 20 minutes to reach the second falls. And the trail was rugged and slippery. ?In fact, I lost my footing and everything (including my cameras and phones) got wet!
After almost 2 hours of staying at the falls, we decided to go back. We did not want to miss the reason why the resort was called Binukot Sunset Cove Resort! Day 3
We woke up early the following morning after our late night drinking spree. My head was killing me that day (case of serious hangover!). But I did not want to spoil the fun! I pretended to be alright.. We took our early breakfast and proceeded to our next destination. Today is island hopping day!! =)
We rented four habal-habal (single motorcycle) and from Bunsoran, Ferrol to Looc we were cruising around Tablas, Romblon. ?Everyone was happy that day! We paid P300/pax for the roundtrip ride. Our guide and contact person for the tour was Jun - (0906-181-2627)
We rented a boat for P6,000 for our island hopping adventure. The owner of the boat is Mang Nonobi (0935-912-1619). After 1.5 hours of boat ride, we arrived at our destination - Carabao Island!
Carabao Island is one of the best islands I have seen in the Philippines.
We were told that Boracay was just 45 minutes away from Carabao Island and could not simply refuse the temptation. And we also decided to go to Boracay. We paid an additional of P1,500 for the sidetrip.
It was my fourth time to see Boracay. But the beauty of the island still dazzled me. After cruising in Boracay for 20 minutes. We decided to go back to Looc. Along the way, we were playing our favorite game. And as always, Lester was the usual winner! Hooray for Lester!
Around 5 pm, we boarded the Montenegro ship back to Batangas Port. We were again all smiles while we were boarding the ship...
Newswise ? WASHINGTON (April 26, 2013) ? New research out of the George Washington University Cancer Institute (GWCI) focuses on the difficulties of transitioning to adulthood while dealing with the long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment. The study was recently published in the Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship, titled ?Improving Cancer Survivorship for Adolescents and Adults.?
Based on information obtained at GWCI?s second Cancer Survivorship Research Symposium, the paper summarizes the discussion amongst cancer survivors, caregivers, researchers, clinicians and other healthcare professionals. The goal of the symposium was to identify key issues for survivors and strategize about optimal interventions for improving care and support.
The authors outlined five key areas of need related to health care delivery system challenges: psychosocial impacts, health maintenance needs, employment issues and community-level barriers. They explored current approaches for addressing these concerns and made recommendations about interventions that may improve survivorship care and quality of life for adolescents and young adults.
?The symposium was a great opportunity for those within the cancer community to conduct high level conversations about the real needs of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors,? said Mandi Pratt-Chapman, M.A., associate director of GWCI Community Programs and author of the study. ?Our hope is that we will identify issues and come up with solutions that will address post treatment needs.?
Additional authors include Anne Willis, M.A., director of the division of cancer survivorship; Jennifer Bretsch, M.S., CPHQ, project manager of the division of cancer survivorship; and Steven Patierno, Ph.D., adjunct professor of pharmacology and physiology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
For more information or to interview an author of the study, please contact Lisa Anderson at lisama2@gwu.edu or 202-994-3121.
###
About the George Washington University Cancer Institute (GWCI)
GWCI takes a comprehensive approach to a complex disease. In connection with the GW Hospital and the Medical Faculty Associates, GWCI provides for collaboration in the study, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Its mission is to ensure access to quality, patient-centered care across the cancer continuum through community engagement, patient and family empowerment, health care professional education, policy advocacy and collaborative multi-disciplinary research. More information about GWCI at: gwcancerinstitute.org.
About the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation?s capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation?s capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities. smhs.gwu.edu.
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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - LivingSocial, the second-largest daily deal company behind Groupon Inc, said on Friday that it was hit by a cyber attack that may have affected more than 50 million customers.
The company said the attack on its computer systems resulted in unauthorized access to customer data including names, email addresses, date of birth for some users, and "encrypted" passwords.
LivingSocial stressed that customer credit card and merchants' financial and banking information were not affected or accessed. The company also does not store passwords in plain text.
"We are actively working with law enforcement to investigate this issue," the company, part-owned by Amazon.com Inc, wrote in an email to employees.
The attack comes as LivingSocial struggles to handle a decline in consumer and merchant demand for daily deals. The company raised $110 million from investors including Amazon earlier this year, but was forced to make large concessions to get the new money.
Amazon invested $56 million in LivingSocial in the first quarter, according to a regulatory filing on Friday, which also revealed that LivingSocial had a first-quarter operating loss of $44 million on revenue of $135 million.
LivingSocial said on Friday that it was beginning to contact more than 50 million customers whose data may have been affected by the cyber attack.
LivingSocial told customers in an email that they should log on to LivingSocial.com to create a new password for their accounts.
"We also encourage you, for your own personal data security, to consider changing password(s) on any other sites on which you use the same or similar password(s)," LivingSocial Chief Executive Tim O'Shaughnessy wrote in the email.
"We are sorry this incident occurred," he added.
All Things D reported the cyber attack earlier on Friday.
(Reporting by Alistair Barr; Editing by Tim Dobbyn, Bernard Orr)
While there have been white space test runs in the UK, these were private trials that weren't going to get the ball rolling without government help. Thankfully, local regulator Ofcom is of a like mind. It now plans a trial for data on the in-between frequencies this fall, with full-fledged service going live as soon as 2014. The agency expects to settle on the final locations for the pilot after it chooses partners. No, Ofcom can't guarantee that all the stars will align for rural broadband or other long-range wireless projects -- but its involvement at least means those stars are within reach.
With Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference -- WWDC 2013 -- selling out in under 2 minutes, Apple has published a shot news blurb on their News and Announcements for Developers hoping to assuage the disappointment of those who couldn't score a ticket by reiterating that videos will be coming quickly this year, and that Tech Talks will once again be following in the fall.
Thank you for your unprecedented interest in WWDC.
Enthusiasm for WWDC 2013 has been incredible, with tickets selling out in record time. For those who can?t join us in San Francisco, you can still take advantage of great WWDC content, as we?ll be posting videos of all our sessions during the conference. We?ll also be hitting the road this fall with Tech Talks in a city near you. Hope to see you there.
Tech Talk tickets have traditionally gone to developers who didn't attend WWDC, so no big surprise there. Videos have likewise been coming more quickly in recent years than previous years, though this year certainly looks to be even quicker still.
If you missed out on a WWDC ticket, does any of this make you feel any better? Would even live streams of the sessions and a major increase in the amount of evangelists and Tech Talks make any difference?
Apr. 25, 2013 ? Weight loss is a topic of concern for nearly 36% of Americans who are considered obese. There are many barriers that can interfere with weight loss. For those attending face-to-face weight loss programs, barriers can include travel, conflict with work and home, need for childcare, and loss of anonymity.
In a new study released in the May/June 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, investigators from The University of Kansas Medical Center continue to explore alternative weight management delivery methods to eliminate some of these barriers. The solution they are investigating -- virtual reality for weight loss and weight maintenance.
Looking at the results from twenty overweight and obese individuals after 3 months of a weight loss program at a weekly clinic delivered via face-to-face or virtual reality and then 6 months of weight maintenance delivered via virtual reality, the investigators found virtual reality compares favorably with face-to-face for weight loss and may facilitate greater weight maintenance. Debra Sullivan, lead investigator, adds, "Although we found weight loss was significantly greater for face-to-face compared to virtual reality, weight maintenance was significantly better for virtual reality."
The virtual reality weight maintenance program was conducted using Second Life, a Web-based virtual reality environment available to the public. Participants in Second Life create virtual representations of themselves, called ''avatars,'' which can interact with other avatars and navigate through the virtual world of Second Life. Voice communication is accomplished via headset, which allows for person-to-person and group interaction. Education and training takes place on an ''island,'' which is purchased from Second Life and provides restricted group access to the nutrition education/training area.
To further explain how Second Life can be used in this capacity, Dr. Sullivan explains, "Individuals who want to participate in real-life scenarios without real-life repercussions can use virtual reality. For example, participants can practice meal planning, grocery shopping, and dietary control when eating at restaurants and holiday parties to a much greater extent with Second Life compared with the time-limited clinic meeting. Virtual reality may even be able to serve as a more feasible option to monitor individuals after completing a weight loss program."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier Health Sciences.
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Journal Reference:
Debra K. Sullivan et al. Improving Weight Maintenance Using Virtual Reality (Second Life). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, May/June 2013
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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.
Only one person ??Mark Bingeman ? spoke in favour of Kitchener becoming a willing host community to an OLG casino during the first public consultation meeting held in council chambers Tuesday night.
About 20 people spoke before councillors, with all but Bingeman and an Ipsos pollster, who was presenting results from a phone survey, urging council to vote against moving forward in the casino process. The Bingemans property, on Bingemans Centre Drive, could be a potential location for a casino and conference centre.
Council will decide the issue on May 13. A vote in favour would not necessarily mean a casino will be built in Kitchener, but would label Kitchener a willing host community. Communities can back out of the process at any time, according to the OLG.
A casino in Kitchener could mean up to 1,200 slot machines and an unspecified number of gaming tables. Municipalities receive a cut from slot machine revenue but collect no money from gaming tables. According to Larry Flynn, OLG senior vice president of gaming, 5.25 per cent of slot revenue, up to a total of $65 million, goes to the host municipality.
Bingeman spoke to council about additional economic benefits of a casino, such as hosting fees received by the municipality, development charges from building, property taxes, additional jobs and ?also reclaiming a significant amount of gaming revenue that?s leaving our community now.?
He said councillors can choose how to spend those funds and could use it to support arts and culture in the community, which some councillors said could suffer as residents? spending money flows into the casino instead of into local businesses and entertainment venues such as Centre in the Square.
According to Bingeman, the building of casino could bring up to 1,500 jobs and $35 million in payroll to the community. The Brantford casino currently employs about 900 people.
?Within our industry, these are well-paying jobs,? he said.
OLG representatives told councillors that the average salary is $50,000 to $60,000 plus benefits. However, a report by The Martin Prosperity Institute says such numbers include the salaries of high-paid executives, and that casino jobs are often part time with a salary closer to $25,000.
Another frequently raised issue was the social costs related to casinos.
OLG representatives said 1.2 to 3.4 per cent of the population are problem gamblers. Dr. Liana Nolan, the Waterloo Region medical officer of health, said more than 200 suicides per year in Canada are attributed to gambling and one in 16 people with a gambling problem have thoughts of suicide. Spouses and children of problem gamblers are also more likely to attempt suicide.
?There are other relationship impacts, including secrecy and distance; missed commitments at work, home and school; divorce and family breakdown; financial hardship; and domestic abuse,? said Nolan.
Problem gambling disproportionately affects men, youth, older adults and those with low income, she said, contributing to poverty and economic inequality.
Currently, the rate of problem gambling in Waterloo Region is estimated to be half the rate of the province, according to Nolan. But problem gambling increases with proximity to facilities, and the severest forms of problem gambling doubled in Niagara within a year of casinos opening there, she said.
?We acknowledge that those things happen,? said Paul Pelazzari, OLG executive director of policy and social responsibility.
?There is damage that is caused by gambling; this is a reality. As the operator of this, what we can do is to provide the best and most robust supports that we can for people who experience problems . . . Gambling is a reality. It is a product that?s legal, and we have to do what we can to make it as safe as it possibly can be. But we?re not in any way saying that there aren?t negative impacts from it.?
The OLG gives $40 million to the Ministry of Health to deal with problem gambling and also spends $13.8 million on its own program, according to Pelazzari. The OLG brings in $6.5 billion in annual revenue.
Richard Christy, the former mayor of Kitchener, compared the OLG to a ponzi scheme, saying the organization sucks money from communities, selling hope but offering little in the way of returns on the investment.
?People have to lose in order for a casino to profit. The more people lose, the greater the profit,? said Trudy Beaulne from the Kitchener Social Planning Council. ?Why is the province continuing this counter-productive approach to revenue generation??
A second public consultation meeting will be held on April 30. To register as a delegation, call Linda Korabo at 519-741-2200 ext. 7591. There is also an online survey to provide feedback to the city, which can be found at kitchener.ca/casino.
Apr. 25, 2013 ? If you've owned a pet guppy, you know they often jump out of their tanks. Many a child has asked why the guppy jumped; many a parent has been stumped for an answer. Now a study by UMD biologist Daphne De Freitas Soares reveals how guppies are able to jump so far, and suggests why they do it.
Soares, an expert in the brain circuitry that controls animal behavior, decided to study jumping guppies while researching unrelated evolutionary changes in the brainstems of Poecilia reticulata, a wild guppy species from the island of Trinidad and the forebear to the familiar pet shop fish. During that 2011 project, a guppy jumped out of a laboratory tank and into Soares' cup of chai.
"Fortunately it was iced chai and it had a lid on, so he stayed alive," Soares said. "That was enough for me. I had to use a high speed camera to film what was going on."
Soares, an assistant professor of biology, and UMD biology lecturer Hilary S. Bierman used high speed videography and digital imaging to analyze the jumping behavior of nine guppies from the wild Trinidadian species.
In a research paper published April 16 in the online peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, Soares and Bierman reported the jumping guppies started from a still position, swam backwards slowly, then changed direction and hurtled into the air. By preparing for the jump -- a behavior never reported before in fish, according to the two biologists -- the guppies were able to jump up to eight times their body length, at speeds of more than four feet per second.
Soares and Bierman concluded that guppies jump on purpose, and apparently not for the reasons other fish do -- to escape from predators, to catch prey, or to get past obstacles on seasonal migrations.
The biologists hypothesize that jumping serves an important evolutionary purpose, allowing guppies to reach all the available habitat in Trinidad's mountain streams. By dispersing, they move away from areas of heavy predation, minimize competition with one another, and keep the species' genetic variability high, the researchers believe.
"Evolution is truly amazing," said Soares, who spent her own money on fish food, but otherwise conducted the study at no cost.
Video of jumping guppy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fryho0sIp3E
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Maryland.
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Journal Reference:
Daphne Soares, Hilary S. Bierman. Aerial Jumping in the Trinidadian Guppy (Poecilia reticulata). PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (4): e61617 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061617
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
DALLAS (AP) ? Consumers who kept spending after the holidays ended are helping to boost profit at UPS.
United Parcel Service Co. said Thursday that first-quarter profit rose 7 percent to $1.04 billion.
The company's adjusted profit was $1.04 per share, better than the $1 per share that analysts expected.
Daily package volume in the U.S. increased and company revenue rose 2 percent to $13.43 billion, although that was a bit less than Wall Street predicted.
Atlanta-based UPS is sticking with its forecast of 2013 adjusted earnings of $4.80 to $5.06 per share. Analysts expect $4.98 per share.
Apr. 24, 2013 ? A mutation in a protein called menin causes a hereditary cancer syndrome called MEN1 (multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1). Individuals with MEN1 are at a substantially increased risk of developing neuroendocrine tumors, including cancer of the pancreatic islet cells that secrete insulin.
Yet knowing these connections and doing something to improve fighting the syndrome are two different things. Researchers still did not exactly understand how menin mutations lead to MEN1 syndrome, and more importantly, what molecular pathways might be dysregulated by menin mutations and thus can be targeted to improve therapy against this type of cancer. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that pathway, which may lead to a new treatment for patients with MEN1 and sporadic endocrine tumors.
A research team led by Xianxin Hua, MD, PhD, associate professor of Cancer Biology at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, report in Cancer Research that menin suppresses signaling in the much-studied Hedgehog pathway in endocrine organs. Menin mutations lead to increased Hedgehog signaling and cell proliferation. They found that inhibiting proteins in the Hedgehog network using drugs reduces growth of tumors in an animal model of human MEN1 syndrome.
Unlike many cancer-associated proteins, menin is neither an enzyme nor a signaling receptor. Instead, the team discovered that menin works by physically interacting with a second protein, PRMT5. The menin-PRMT5 complex binds to the promoter of the Gas1 gene, where PRMT5 (an enzyme that adds methyl groups to histone proteins) functions as an epigenetic inhibitor, tamping down gene transcription. The GAS1 protein promotes Hedgehog signaling, and thus by inhibiting Gas1 expression, menin and PRMT5 effectively dial down the pathway's tendency towards cell proliferation.
"This study uncovered a new layer of regulation of pro-proliferative genes by menin via the Hedgehog signaling pathway," Hua says. "These pro-replication genes are regulated through GAS1 and PRMT5."
Discovering the link between menin and Hedgehog was serendipitous, says Hua. Using microarray analysis, his team found that loss of menin results in increased expression of the Gas1 gene. Separately, other groups reported that GAS1 mediates Hedgehog signaling. That knowledge gave Hua's team the missing piece of information required to identify menin's normal cellular function. "We found menin linked to Hedgehog signaling by suppressing expression of GAS1, leading to the suppression of Hedgehog signaling in endocrine tissue."
Significantly, Hua's team found that menin mutant proteins associated with MEN1 cancer in patients were impaired in their ability to interact with PRMT5, and thus, in adding the methyl chemical group to the Gas1 promoter gene. What's more, treating a mouse model of human MEN1 syndrome with a Hedgehog pathway inhibitor called Erivedge (FDA-approved in 2012 for metastatic or locally advanced basal cell carcinoma) reduced proliferation of tumor cells and blood insulin levels. That, says Hua, suggests a potential new treatment for patients with MEN1 syndrome, and also likely for sporadic endocrine tumors, some 40 percent of which also contain menin mutations
"Because we show in this mouse tumor model that we can significantly suppress proliferation of tumor cells in pancreatic islets and that we can reduce the higher insulin levels with a drug, which was just clinically approved to be safe, that naturally raises the question of whether, in patients who have mutation in this gene or enhanced Hedgehog signaling, this drug can improve patient symptoms to reduce tumor progression or insulinemia," Hua asks.
First author and postdoctoral fellow in the Hua lab Buddha Gurung, PhD, adds "the possibilities of translating these findings into a viable therapeutic option is extremely exciting."
Co-authors include Zijie Feng, Daniel V. Iwamoto, and Austin Thiel of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute; Guanghui Jin of Xiamen University, Fujian, China; Chen-Min Fan of the Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD; and Jessica M.Y. Ng and Tom Curran of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The research was supported by Caring for Carcinoid Foundation and the National Cancer Institute (R01-CA-113962, 548 R01-DK085121; R01 DK084963).
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
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Journal Reference:
B. Gurung, Z. Feng, D. V. Iwamoto, A. Thiel, G. Jin, C.-M. Fan, J. M. Y. Ng, T. Curran, X. Hua. Menin Epigenetically Represses Hedgehog Signaling in MEN1 Tumor Syndrome. Cancer Research, 2013; 73 (8): 2650 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-3158
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai met Pakistan's army chief and foreign minister in talks on Wednesday hosted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry aimed at easing tension between the neighbors before the end of NATO's Afghanistan combat mission.
Afghanistan has grown increasingly frustrated with Pakistan over efforts to pursue a peace process involving the Taliban, suggesting that Islamabad is intent on keep Afghanistan unstable until foreign combat forces leave at the end of 2014.
Kerry is hosting the talks in Brussels involving Karzai and Pakistani Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and Foreign Minister Jalil Jilani, with the aim of calming tensions over border disputes and the stalled peace process.
Kerry told reporters at the start of the meeting at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to NATO on the outskirts of the Belgian capital that Afghanistan was in "a critical transformational period".
"(I am) very, very pleased the president could travel, General Kayani and Secretary Jilani could take the time to be here," he said. "We are very, very hopeful for a productive series of discussions."
Karzai called it an important meeting and said he was glad Kayani and Jilani had found the time to travel to Brussels.
"Let's hope forward for the best," he told reporters.
Jilani called it a very important meeting, adding: "We are looking forward to a very productive and forward-looking discussion."
The talks come after a day after a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels at which NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Pakistan must crack down on militants who use the country as a sanctuary to launch attacks in Afghanistan.
The meeting follows weeks of tension with Pakistan over their 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border and stalled peace efforts.
Afghan officials say Pakistan has a long history of supporting Afghanistan's Taliban and other insurgent factions. Pakistan has in turn accused Afghanistan of giving safe haven to militants on the Afghan side of the border.
U.S. officials hope that Kerry, who has a good relationship with Karzai, can bring the parties back to the negotiating table and make constructive progress on an issue that has long-term security implications for Washington.
Rasmussen held talks with Karzai at NATO headquarters on Tuesday which he said focused on the legal framework for NATO's presence in Afghanistan after 2014.
NATO-led forces are expected to cede the lead role for security in Afghanistan this spring to Afghan soldiers, 12 years after the United States invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban government harboring Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader.
The White House has yet to decide how many U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. Much depends on progress in negotiations with Karzai on a Bilateral Security Agreement to define the future legal status of U.S. forces.
With the weather warming up, its a great time to do a little garden craft to spruce up your yard! Jenn, from the Creative Team, is sharing her sunny yellow stenciled pavers tutorial with us today. These pavers would make lovely Mother?s Day gifts for the kids to make! Enjoy! -Linda
True story: I am a HORRIBLE gardener. ?Literally, just about everything I touch ends up dying no matter what I do. ?So when Spring comes around, I do pretty minimal planting and my yard, which means, in all honesty, it can tend to be a little boring. ?I decided that if I can?t have a beautiful, picture perfect garden, I might as well jazz it up with some painted, shimmery garden pavers which were?super simple and?incredibly?cheap. ?Cheaper than flowers, which makes this a double whammy project?I save money on flowers and I can?t kill garden pavers, at least, I don?t think I can.
I picked up the pavers for about $0.99 each in the garden center at my home improvement store. ?Also a true story: black is making a comeback in my life, especially paired with gold?I can?t get enough of the combo. ?So naturally, ?I gave the paver a coat of black ?craft paint and sanded it very lightly, after it dried, to give it more of an aged look. ? Then I cut out a bumble bee shape on vinyl and stuck it down on my block to use as a stencil.
Supplies: pavers, vinyl stencils, Rub n Buff, clear spray paint.
Next comes my favorite part: Rub n Buff. ?You can find Rub n Buff at your craft store on the aisle with the gold leaf and craft paints. ?It?s so easy and fun to use and it?s making an appearance on lots of things around my house lately, like fun letters I recently made for my bathroom. ?To use it, just put it on a disposable rag (it will not come out) or your fingers and rub it on.
The more you rub, the shinier it gets. ?Pull the vinyl off and you?re done.
I made a second one by just painting arrows with some gold craft paint. ?Since these will be sitting outside, I gave them both a coat of clear spray paint to provide a little bit of a seal.
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Stenciled Pavers Garden Craft
I hope you enjoyed this super easy garden craft idea! These pavers are easy enough kids could make them as Mother?s Day gifts. {but?it might be a good idea to have an adult apply the clear spray paint.}
Happy crafting!
Jenn
Don?t forget the Silhouette Discounts going on right now!
Follow Craftaholics Anonymous? on Pinterest for more craft ideas!
Forget your SOG, your Leatherman, your Gerber, your Victorinox, even your Wenger. You can fill them with every known tool and accessory under the sun, but they'll never come close to being as useful as this USB charging multitool is in this day of mobile electronics. More »
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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