Since 2009 I?ve already published more than 300 articles on this blog. All they were dedicated to health improvement, happiness, success, personal development, positive lifestyle, family & relationships.
Today I would like to hear your thoughts on what topics are you most interested in, dear readers. Your voting will help me to provide more useful and interesting information for YOU.
Please, do your best to help Optimistic Lifestyle to grow. It?s not that hard, just choose the answer you like and hit the ?vote? button.
d)Diameter ? A mole bigger than pencil eraser is an important sign of skin cancer. Detecting skin cancer to use earliest stages not only significantly enhances the patient?s chance of creating a full recovery, it may also save affected person from having to undergo aggressive treatments which can have severe side effects. The answer to early detection is find skin irregularities and recognizing them as you can skin tumors, and promptly having them examined by a doctor. Some background information together with skin cancer photos can help you recognize what symptoms to look for. An amazing site about hoesten.
o Russet Potatoes. o Black Beans ? Antioxidants can also be found in poultry, fish, and grains. If adequate antioxidants can?t be consumed through diet, it is possible to search out over-the-counter antioxidant supplements. The best antioxidant supplements are included with a multivitamin, as much vitamins are thought to scale back the likelihood of developing skin cancer. An amazing site about galajurken.
Visit How I Survived Melanoma Skin Cancer ? Seven Survivors Tell Their Stories at Survive Melanoma Skin Cancer. If you?ve been reading newspaper or hearing news regularly within the last few years, it?s best to have encounter several warnings telling us defend ourselves from skin cancer. Whilst there are numerous who do listen to these cautions, a shocking count of girls still ignores them. If you are amongst those women that ignore these warnings, you are likely to believe it?s impossible for you to get affected by skin cancer. An amazing site about keelontsteking.
Skin cancer is the commonest type of cancer in the United States, and doctors are urging individuals to become more aware of the disease and occurs during skin cancer. It is therefore just as dangerous as every other type of cancer, for you to mention the commonest. One common surgery of skin cancer is a way called the Moh?s Microsurgery. This is a way where the cancer is taken away with the least amount of surrounding tissue and then the sides are immediately checked for just about any remaining traces from the tumor.
It makes an excellent moisturizer and provides an excellent protective larger that locks in natural moisture this has good solidifying property. It recently been used effectively to treat dermititis, burns, insect bites and skin irritations. ? Ayurvedic Remedy ? This is often a holistic approach and does loads of good to the skin. ? Skin cleansers ? It cleanses your skin layer and removes dead cells from the surface of the skin.
When it metastasizes, it could possibly cause a serious bit of injury both above and below your skin layer, to ensure even following the cancer is treated, there will be something put aside even once the it?s gone. Typically, the kind of cancer to strike people than any other is melanoma. All skin tones can develop this but it is predominately found in fair-skinned people. Too enough time spent within the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer as a result of ultraviolet radiation.
When it comes to advertising, small businesses can choose from an assortment of different options. There are traditional options for advertising, which includes radio advertising, television advertising, and print advertising in local newspapers. However, there are more advanced advertising options, which includes mobile marketing and online advertisements, all of which can be done, even for those who are on a stricter budget. However, in order for a small business owner to make the most of their advertising campaign, they need to be sure to avoid the common problems that many business owners face when advertising.
The first problem that many business owners face is that they set budgets that are simply unrealistic. The amount of money put out for advertisement should never be ridiculously high if the money is not there. It should also not be too low because too little advertising can end up being a waste of money. Small business owners need to do the math to make sure that the budget they set for their business will not result in any losses from their advertising. And, setting too small of a budget, with just one advertisement in a local paper, will simply not generate the responses that the small business owners want and need to survive. A small campaign that lasts for at least 3 months will need to be set up.
Another problem is that many small business owners are not targeting the right audience. For the utmost success with an advertising campaign, it is important to target the right people, the people who are generally most likely to buy certain products from the business. Small business owners need to keep track of who regularly comes into their store and who buys what. Knowing specific characteristics of the majority of buyers will help a small business to target specific audiences when advertising. Surveys can be set up to help with the process of finding out which buyers would be more than likely to shop at the small business.
Small business owners have to be willing to track their progress and figure out where the leads are coming from so that they know which advertisements are working and which advertisements are not. This is important but unfortunately, too many small business owners completely forget about tracking the data from advertisements. When a customer calls the business or comes in, the first question that should be asked is something along the lines of, ?How did you hear about our business??
Last but certainly not least, small business owners have to come up with an advertising strategy. The owner needs to decide which type of advertising works best for the business and run with the opportunity. Creative and quality advertisements are a must because they are what will engage the audience, getting them interested in the business and what the small business has to offer to them.
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By: Pete Malcolm
Internet marketing over the last few years has changed as new methods are introduced, and older methods are revamped. Offline companies are coming online at a very fast rate as they see the profit potential that is possible. One key is finding the right marketing method and use it to your advantage. Let us look at some of the more popular options that are available to your company right now.
The internet continues to grow as more methods of selling and promoting products are becoming available. Search engine optimization is something more companies are taking a closer look at. When someone is seeking information about something the search engine is where they look. By getting ranked as high as possible you can get more traffic which in the end equals more sales. If you have no clue about search engine optimization seek out a professional help.
A great marketing tool that many businesses are using more is relationship selling. The internet is about building relationships with individuals and companies. The more relationships that you build the better chance for success. The one thing to keep in mind about relationship selling is it takes time to build, but the effort will pay for itself over time.
One of the best marketing tools that many businesses overlook is ezines. These are electronic newsletters that can be sent through email, and also posted online as well. Many people subscribe to these and they are highly targeted. Advertising your business in these ezines can bring you sales much quicker than most mediums.
There are many areas on the internet that continue to grow, but social networks are one of the fastest. Social networks such as Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook are some of the most important ones. These websites have millions of members and your company can market to all of them. Market your products, or just solicit opinions are a few of the advantages of social networks.
The use of forums as a marketing tool has been on the increase in recent years. There are many different advantages if you use forums. One of the most important is it lets you target an audience who will be receptive to what you have to market. The second is it is free advertising where you can learn what people want and need. It will save your company time and money if you use them properly.
Blogs have been on the increase and small business is finally realized just how valuable they can be. A blog is a mini-website where you can promote goods and services, but it does not end there. You can use them for customer surveys along with see what your customer needs. A blog when used property can be a very important business tool.
These days there are many internet marking tools that you can use. The ones listed above have been proven winners and will help any business grow. One of the keys is choose the ones that you want to implement. Some work faster than others, but staying consistent is something you must do.
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The Acer Aspire AM3970-UR11P ($699.99 list) certainly has an awkward name. Pity, because the desktop strikes a good visual balance between utilitarian and flashiness. It's a tower, but it's not a boring looking tower. Component-wise, the system is pretty much a middle of the road tower desktop with some internal storage capability. It's got some software additions to help Acer fans, like those who bought an Iconia Tab, but ultimately it's a middle of the road desktop with a middle of the road price and feature set.
Design and Features
The AM3970-UR11P is built into a full sized tower desktop chassis, with a mainly black visage. It's got some styling cues to distinguish itself, like a side mounted power button and optical drive releases. It's got space inside for some decent expansion, including space for two additional PCIe x1 cards, two more hard drives, and an optical drive. All four of the memory DIMM slots are filled by the included 8GB of RAM, but 8GB should be enough for even power users at this time. One PCIe x1 slot is filled by the installed 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi card, and the PCIe x16 slot by the AMD Radeon HD 6450 card. The Radeon HD 6450 is an entry-level graphics card. It's not too powerful, but it is DX11 compliant, which makes it more advanced than the DX10-compliant Intel HD Graphics 2000 built into the Core i5-2320 processor. Outside, the system has a plethora of ports: ten USB 2.0, two faster USB 3.0 ports, HDMI-out (on the graphics card), audio ports, PS/2 ports (mouse and keyboard), a DVI port, and Ethernet.
The USB 3.0 ports are key, as they allow you to use speedier external hard drives for extra storage. The USB 3.0 ports are in the back, but four USB 2.0 ports are on the top of the system. The top ?mounted ports are in front of a top-mounted tray, which is convenient if you'd like to park your external hard drive, camera, or smartphone for charging. The HDMI port on the graphics card lets you either set the system up with dual displays, or lets you hook the system up to a HDTV in your den for HD video viewing. The system has ample room for expansion, but be forewarned that the system can only use a midrange graphics card because of the 300W power supply. That said, the included Radeon card is fine for most non-game tasks. The system comes with a standard 1TB 5,400rpm SATA hard drive and a DVD burner, but you can add another two hard drives and another optical drive to the system.
Along with the hardware, the AM3970-UR11P comes with a lot of included software, however most of it could be categorized as bloatware. Just on the desktop, there's a smattering of icons for Acer Games, Acer Registration, clear.fi (connections to Acer tablets and smart TVs), eBay, McAfee Internet Security (a short 60-day subscription is included), Netflix, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Skype. While most of these services are useful, most require an additional subscription or payment. Strewn across the desktop surface, they remind the user of the deluge of ads in a place like Times Square. The whole effect is kind of busy. The same programs plus a bunch of others like Fooz Kids, NY Time Reader, Aupero! (online radio), My Winlocker, and Norton Online Storage are in the Start menu, which is frankly a better place for all these programs. Now some (or all) of these programs may be useful to you, but they clutter the desktop and hard drive. It would be best if Acer allowed you to choose to load them during the initial setup, so you don't have to deal with uninstalling them later.
Performance
The AM3970-UR11P's Core i5-2320 processor, 8GB of memory, and AMD Radeon HD 6450 graphics card help the system gain respectable benchmark numbers. The system is pretty quick, with a 1:20 time on our Handbrake video test, and 3:26 on our Photoshop CS5 test. These are comparable to the similarly equipped Dell XPS 8300 (x8300-4004NBK) (1:21 on Handbrake; 3:35 on CS5) ($699.99 list, 3.5 stars) and is a smidge faster than the compact Apple Mac mini (Thunderbolt) ($799 list, 4.5 stars) (1:42 on Handbrake; 3:47 on CS5). It's even within striking distance of the Alienware X51 ($999.99 direct, 4 stars) (1:20 Handbrake, 3:36 CS5). 3D performance is another matter, however. The AM3970-UR11P only shows an unplayable 27 fps on Crysisand 13 fps on Lost Planet 2, similar to the Dell XPS 8300 (x8300-4004NBK) but far behind the gaming-oriented Alienware. Suffice to say, if you want 3D gaming, go with an entry level gaming system right off the bat rather than buying an entry/midrange system and upgrading later.
Compared with the competition, the Acer Aspire AM3970-UR11P comes up as adequate, but unremarkable. It's about as powerful as the Dell XPS 8300 (x8300-4004NBK), but the Dell has a lot less in the way of bloatware. The Alienware X51 is a lot more expensive due to its gaming-class graphics card, but it's a better choice if you want gaming performance, since the AM3970-UR11P can't accept a gaming card later on. The midrange Editor's Choice Gateway DX4860-UB33P ($599.99 list, 4 stars) is ultimately a better bang for the buck, as it is $100 less expensive and has similar performance and features, aside from using integrated graphics instead of the AMD Radeon card. In concusion, the AM3970-UR11P is OK if you're an Acer fan; otherwise, there are better choices out there.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
COMPARISON TABLE Compare the Acer Aspire AM3970-UR11P with several other desktops side by side.
More desktop reviews: ??? Lenovo ThinkStation D20 ??? Acer Aspire AM3970-UR11P ??? Lenovo C325 ??? Maingear Shift Super Stock (Core i7-3930K) ??? AVADirect Quiet X79 Gaming PC ?? more
Skin is the outermost covering of the body. It is the most important part that beautifies a person. A good, flawless and glowing skin adds to the beauty of the person. Everyone wants to have a happy skin without any marks and spots. A good skin can make the person attractive and increases its self confidence. A good personality is always appreciated. But in present time, where no one has a time to take proper care of the skin, there is a need of some one who can help in getting the youthful and glowing skin again. ? Here comes the need of skin specialist. There are lots of renowned skin specialists in Delhi who attract all the beauty conscious people from around the city. They specialize in treatment of dermatology disorder of the skin, nails and hair. They treat all the disorders related to skin. They do not stretch the use of any technology.
There is a dedicated and customized treatment for every need. Skin specialists in Delhi are expert in their field with world class services and equipments. They also provide home remedies and natural tips for care of skin at home in changing whether. ? Skin doctors in Delhi with charm, good communication skills, and ability to inspire trust in their clients are very successful. It certainly helps people who want get a new look and revamp their personal appearance. They offer services catered in a blend of a spa and an amazing ambience to ensure that the person takes a relaxing, well deserved break to invest in the personal appearance. The skin doctors in Delhi are expert in treating all kinds of skin diseases. They perform whitening of skin, skin polishing, treating wrinkles and ageing of skin. They offer better results through well researched assessments on the basis of skin analysis and personal interaction between skin specialist and client.
Not only woman but even the male part of the society is concerned with making themselves attractive and good looking. They also make the considerable efforts to look good and beautiful. There are lots of advertisements showing products to beautify men but what they all actually need is few home remedies that shall work naturally and are cost effective. Beauty is adored by everyone so here are bunch of beauty tips for men that will surely help them. ? o ?Cleanse your face twice with a gentle face wash o ?moisturize yourself daily o ?Use a face scrub at least twice a week, to exfoliate the skin off dead skin cells o ?Use a sun protection lotion or a sunscreen when moving about in the sun o ?Take care of gray hair by using colors. o ?Take proper care of hands and feet. Scrub the feet on regular basis and allow them to dry completely. Also get rid of foot odor. o ?Engage in trimming and shaving o ?Use perfumes according to the mood and the occasion o ?Balanced diet and regular exercise are the secret to a healthy mind and happy body. ?
In case you have a green thumb, you may own a range of equipment for your plants or crops. Storing these tools may be difficult. In this sense, getting a tool shed behind your house is a good option to keep such equipment. People who should not keep their tools at their home's basement or garage can utilize sheds as an alternative.
A good shed, which could work as a workspace and a storage room, is essential for any dedicated farmer or gardener like you since this enables you to store tools properly. Besides storing, you can utilize sheds as an alternative workplace if weather conditions outside are adverse. Storage sheds not only maintain tools in great shape, but they also instill efficiency.
Sheds present in homes are smaller in comparison to farm sheds or constructions sheds, which can size up to a number of thousand square feet. Types of sheds vary from simple to complex, and these constructions can be created from brick, wood, metal, or plastic. Sheds also come in different shapes. Sheds purchased in home depots often measure by 10x16, 8x10, or 6x8 feet and are built to store small- or medium-sized tools.
Good sheds also have certain attributes that enable it to resist outside elements. These sheds have solid roofs and floors, sufficient space, and a number of racks or shelves to support modest equipment. Sheds made out of wood or metal can also have windows or porches. Even though these sheds are the most economical, they also tend to be the least appealing. Thankfully, there are firms that offer custom-built sheds in Maryland for homeowners who want their sheds to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Definitely, a storage shed gives you a safe and secure room for all your supplies. As opposed to contributing clutter and distress to your basement or garage, equipment can be kept in the shed where they can be organized. Apart from the readily available sheds for sale in Maryland shed contractors can also design a shed designed for your needs and wants.
For example, you can have your shed constructed big enough to house a tractor or a mowing lawn. You can also choose among sheds in MD that are designed for distinct functions, like storing gardening equipment and bicycles. To find out more information on various kinds of sheds and their purposes, read on EZineArticles.com.
Visit www.4-outdoor.com for details and information.
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Some many people wait to plan going back minute travel. It?s a great web site with a lot of useful information. When you?re looking for company journey, it is expected to maintain a light-weight luggage. Both things will likely not happen at equivalent time, so you should never be looking along at the best travel discounts when asking to the travel agency. No, this does in no way mean Pattaya you will be sleeping on a streets and eating dinner out of dumpsters. This Niagara Wine Route encountered in the drive boasts twelve wineries.
Great travelling site with numerous travel and Western world related information. If anyone experienced great service ultimately in the trip take time to email or write a regards note to who organisation. Every single tour operator offers their exclusive available for luxury travelling as well as budget plans. You?ll experience the past as well as the present, with a variety of history and also culture that covers centuries.
Notary Public Brokers Recruiters Resort Professionals. Try to make new friends along with neighbours, live life fully at their private pace, travel to destinations they?ve always had to see. Taken tours and self-driven tours are obtainable at your preference. Travel inoculation needs to be administered one month before travel in 3 doasage amounts. This really as they function with automation and benefit from fewer staffs. Rent-A-Wreck, for example, has national brand recognition of finished 50 percent and is organ of the most stable together with profitable sector on its industry.
When you actually have prospect subjects planned, travel to places to find them. Info categories include: working in Western world, education and investigation, living in Eu, traveling in Western world, consumer protection, European citizenship and even diplomatic protection. Check and also verify with other folks about any suggestions. When planning a trip to another city, check out the neighborhood health and medical associations prior to going. Know if you can find any travel dire warnings, political unrest as well as cultural conditions you ought to know of before you actually go. It will be possible to retrieve facts from many online-based travel and leisure agencies ?on require, ? or exactly after you request it.
Our aim is a snap: helping you to enjoy whenever possible both the happiness of writing along with of travelling. Most experts reckon that everyone is able to projection from labor and birth. Travelling fulfills many needs demanded by way of consumers. I tend not to recommend this latter as you?ll always be just reselling product it?s not necessary to own but so long as you can combine typically the non-owned GDS products with your own individual contracted travel products you could possibly create a nice win-win in the bottom line.
Let me share a little bit of strategy with you which may totally change how we build or build your existing travel guide business. Do meticulous planning and luxuriate in a pleasant trip. In that case find and carry out a proven web marketing strategy you?re comfortable together with. Located away in the area tropical forests, this resort provides its visitors other parts and repose within a lighthearted atmosphere. That you, only if people give me these at $Z meant for both? ?.
Capital Gains Tax in Spain is payable on the profit from the bargain of determined assets in Spain,paul smith japan, including antiques,???????? ????,craft plus jewellery,ferragamo bags handbags, stocks and shares,discount christian louboutin,attribute plus affairs Residents over 65 are exempt from this tax aboard the profit made from the sale of their headmaster household irrespective of how long they have owned it. Importantly the Spanish Tax Office defines ?a headmaster family as the area where you have lived permanently as along least 3 years; thus residents under 65 are exempt from CGT on the profit made from the sale of their headmaster home provided that all the profit is invested in the purchase of another principal kin in Spain within two annuals of the bargain. Related articles?
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Cloud computing technology is gaining popularity in the construction industry. With cloud computing, your information is stored in an external server instead of your very own hard drives, thus allowing using to access the information at any time and place. The adoption of cloud computing have proven very useful in facilitating inter-departmental communications and collaborations in many corporations.? Many construction companies have moved their processes to cloud; these processes include project management and accounting software.
Save on licensing costs! With cloud computing, you will reduce the need to purchase licenses to install the same software on multiple computers. Employees, even the ones working from field and branch offices, would be able to have access to software stored in the cloud.
Save time on troubleshooting and installing software!? With cloud computing, all employees would have access to software without having to install them on their individual computers.
Always get the latest information!? The ever-changing conditions in the field can make information that is relevant now be irrelevant in a few hours.
Store more electronic files! With cloud computing, you can now store even more electronic files without taking up more space on your computers, thus at lower costs. Files stored electronically would also be easier to sort and search for. Thus reducing your needs to scour through large cabinets and files to look for specific information.
Safety. Many companies still question the safety of the cloud system, and therefore, are still reluctant to move to cloud. They still feel uncomfortable with entrusting confidential company information with a third party. However, according to cloudcomputing.org, the fact that information is stored in a number of servers instead of just one makes it cloud computing a safer option as compared to the ?regular? mainframe or server-based computing.
Sources:
(Cheng, 2009). Cloud Computing and its Implications for Construction IT
Cloud Computing and the Construction Industry. Retrieved 2012-03-27
Sage Construction and Real Estate Solutions:Cloud Computing and the Construction Industry . Retrieved 2012-03-27
Construction Cloud Computing. Retrieved 2012-03-27
Is My Data Safe with Cloud Computing?Is My Data Safe with Cloud Computing? Retrieved 2012-03-27
Upstream Director of Business Development Houston, TX, USA Job #:6953 DESCRIPTION: This position requires someone with strong connections, contacts, knowledge, experience and ability to exploit the US upstream business and to identify and bring to market new E&C service business opportunities. The position is responsible for leading business development, marketing and sales across the spectrum of upstream services. The overall goal that this position will be accountable for is building a client base that underpins the upstream financial performance. Broad knowledge of upstream industry including Oil and Gas, drilling, reservoir, project execution, production operations, LNG and offshore alternative energies. Responsible for establishing, developing and building Upstream business primarily in the Americas and Canada; and internationally as appropriate. In-depth experience with Business Development/ strategy, Company P&L responsibility, Offshore technology development and application, Facilities concept development and evaluation, Surface and subsea facilities and systems design and operation, Large multi-million dollar and small reimbursable project management, Highly developed skills in team building, networking and communication, Mature safety awareness with a demonstrated leadership in the industry, and Multi-discipline team coach. Sets goals and targets of sales management and liaises with marketing teams. Is accountable to executive management for achievement of profitable booking targets within Upstream. Develops and implements strategies to accomplish bookings goals. Coordinates business-winning process internally and externally. QUALIFICATIONS: BS in mechanical, petroleum, civil engineering or construction management, or a bachelors degree in a related discipline. Bachelors degree in Finance, Engineering, Marketing, or Business MBA strongly preferred. Services/solutions based selling/marketing/business development experience in the engineering and construction industry is a plus. Twenty years experience in the Upstream Oil & Gas business is preferred, with majority of time spent in engineering, marketing, strategy, or sales. Base Salary participation in Short Term Incentive plan
Okay, another recent post was by the blogger asking why THESE kids?
(as I?m typing, I can see this is going to be multi-part)
One motive is put forward: money.
It is cheaper to adopt from foster care.? This *is* a reason people go this route, at least at first and to some degree.? I recently inquired on a situation where a birth mother was asking for someone with very specific requirements.? Well, *extremely* few adoptive families meet her requirements; I do.? So I inquired.? I sent my reply to the agency as well as a ?dear birthmom letter.?? The agency?s reply wasn?t about whether the birth mom would be interested in us or anything of the sort.? It was simply to let us know that the fees associated with this child would run about $36,000.? Seriously?? So what should this mother do?? She doesn?t feel she can raise the child and yet the handful of adoptive families who meet her requirements can?t afford to pay that sort of money before the child?s birth.
But with my three?? I won?t pay a dime towards their adoption.? The state will pay my attorney, the state?s attorney, the children?s attorney.? The state will pay for all the filing, paperwork, etc.? The state pays the adoption worker, her supervisor, the person who redacts the file, etc.? I don?t have a clue how much the actual costs are (though I?d guess a WHOLE lot less than $36K!), but my tax money and my neighbor?s tax money is paying for it.? And while they do?? I?m getting the foster care stipend that helps me take care of their needs whether their new suits and pretty dresses or their gymnastics and swim lesson or the new furniture and bikes.? They deserve the absolute best and I?m glad I had a year of a little more money to spend on them!? They came from so little.? The zoo, restaurants, fairs, pictures in the fields of wildflowers, homeschool programs, etc are so worth it.? They deserve anything and everything I can get them while the state is working out making them mine forever.
Okay, so the children come with an adoption subsidy also.? This is help after the adoption.? Some may call it a paycheck.? Well, maybe not.? Here, the adoption subsidy is a fraction of what the foster care stipend is. My kids? needs aren?t changing any as we finalize their adoptions, but the amount of help we?ll get to care for those needs will cut down to less than half.
Subsidy also includes help with medical. THANKFULLY.? Seriously, a lot of these kids have additional medical issues as well as ongoing mental health concerns.? They deserve as much help as possible.? Having secondary medical coverage will help CONSIDERABLY in getting them the services that they need!
It isn?t all-inclusive though! For example, medicaid will pay for speech therapy for a child as long as they are under the 13th percentile (btw, in public school here, it is the 7th percentile).? A child?s speech has to be pretty rough to be so low!? For example, one of my children?s speech is at the 11th percentile.? He is 40% intelligible by strangers and 60% by people who know him.? Our agency worker speaks to him about 3 times per month and ?can usually get the gist of what he?s saying? (her words).? Okay, so medicaid will pick up the difference between what our insurance will pay and what it costs to have our speech therapist out here until he gets over 13 percent.? Well, then? We either have to pay the difference (approx. $880 per month) or take him to a speech center where we can pay just a normal 10% co-pay.? Obviously, we?ll have to choose the latter despite the fact that that is very likely not best for him.
Subsidy also includes a number of post-adoption services.? We will get a small amount yearly towards summer camp (this amount changes yearly, but may be $100 or $300).? The children will be able to stay with their same therapist, a therapist who doesn?t take our insurance or the kind of Medicaid the state will give us.? The adoptive therapy/support group that costs $35 per session now will be free. Respite is offered.? Family therapy is offered.? Help finding information and services is offered.? I didn?t know all that was included in the subsidy, but I?m glad it is.
And then there is the Tax Credit.? Boy has this been something discussed a lot the last few years. See, the tax credit used to be just an amount that would offset the amount of tax you were required to pay.? The amount varies yearly, but it is around $12-13K per kid.? Well, in order to get to offset $12,000 of tax liability, a married couple has to have a taxable income (adjusted gross income minus deductions and exemptions) over $79,000.? I don?t even know how to figure how much our income would have to be to take it for three kids in one year.? I don?t need to know as there is no way we?ll ever make that kind of money.? So the tax law allows people to take it over five years.? With seven exemptions plus the standard deduction, we simply will never use one child?s offset, much less three. Our tax liability was under $1000 for 2011.
So they offered the tax credit to be refundable for a couple years.? This allowed a family to get the money back if they didn?t have the tax liability.? For example, a friend of mine adopted a sibling group of 5.? Her tax return, including the tax credit refund is pretty high.? Is that a paycheck?? Maybe for some.? But this money allows for her to give her kids things opportunities they simply could not provide.? Additionally, it makes buying a car big enough to carry such a large family more of a possibility.? It makes renting/buying a home a consideration. It makes it possible for mom to stay home with the children to address their developmental, mental health, and individual needs which *are* greater because of their pasts.
It may be worth considering who are the people adopting from foster care?? Are they wealthy people?? Or are they people like my friend and I who simply wanted to help children and families (fostering) while possibly building our own families (adopting)?? Are they more likely solidly middle class and working poor or people who are making $300,000 per year?
Am I hoping the refund-ability of the tax credit gets extended for people who adopt in 2012?? ABSOLUTELY.? That money will let us breath a little easier as we give every opportunity from education to sports to everything above the love that we share with them for a long while to come.? It will allow us to pay for specialized therapies, a home with enough bedrooms, etc.? Is it absolutely necessary?? No.? But it will help CONSIDERABLY.? I don?t need to be rich and neither do they.? But they?ve already been denied SO much, it?d be nice if they could have a little more for a time.
Anyway, so that is the money side of it.? We aren?t getting rich by adopting from foster care.? We are struggling in lots of ways.? As I was filling out the adoption subsidy paperwork, I could see how poor we really are. That doesn?t make us a good ?placement.?? It means our love runs deeper than our wallets ? I?m glad we?ll get a little help.? It makes it possible for people like us to provide a normal childhood as well as the care these kids need.
Really, money is really a very small consideration.? Yes, I can afford to adopt from foster care while I can?t pay $36,000 for a child.? Yes, I will get a subsidy.? But though those things may encourage people to look this direction, it doesn?t mean it is the reason for doing it.
If your going to analyze issues on on the internet casino games, it can truly be your source of enjoyable but winning on each and every single game is a diverse problem. The vast men and women who use to play online casino games keep in mind that winning and gaining cash is all that matters. Sadly, the enjoyment which the casino had been produced of dissolve instantly because of this. Folks run to detach playing the games for enjoyable and for money. Usually mistake, committed by some casino players. They tend to win and gain a lot of funds without realizing anything they have to understand about the game. Its advisable for a new player to study the game continually. It is a proven way to aim the objective you want, at the same time although mastering your chosen game, you?d be able to enjoy and appreciate the game far more.
If you?re going to combine the goal of winning money and having fun you?ll certainly really feel relieve upon playing casino games. Games like slots are is 1 of the best game for everybody specially if you are too exhausted on playing games such as poker and blackjack. If you?re going to lessen the stress on winning funds instead of having enjoyable, you?ll be much more relax. You will have a chance to see things appropriate and develop a brand new tactics.
In some situations, when your mind is focus on winning and winning, the pressure gets heavier and heavier. In the end you?ll notice that instead of releasing anxiety, you have anxiety your self a lot more and not only that, you?ll really feel down simply because of loosing a lot of income. Abilities combined with luck is essential and everyone need to don?t forget that.
Even you have lots of cash to waste, playing to loose it all is not fun either. Playing fun is when you are feeling lucky because of the excellent things you are experiencing and happening in your inner self. Of course its important to win, but the percentage of having fun is far more important than anything else. Do not you know that when you play in the spirit of enjoyable, the skill you have will improve, without having you noticing it. It is simply because the moment at which you will try to adopt new skills which will ultimately work for you.
So you now know that just before anticipating to win in any on the internet casino game, you need to make positive that you have mastered the techniques nicely. A number of techniques are offered on the web. Details and facts that will surely aid you. Blogs that will supply ideas and guide to improve your information in playing casino game. Right after this practice and practice, and you will discover the distinction from your skills before up to the present.
We are not Formula One racing experts, nor are we really even fans of the sport, but we are aware of the long-standing debate in the racing community among experts and fans about whether it?s the car or the driver that makes the difference between finishing first and anywhere else in the field.
Some believe a Formula One race is essentially won or lost during the vehicle construction process, long before the cars are even positioned on the grid. Others contend any performance gap between cars are negligible in light of the comprehensive set of rules, regulations and restrictions imposed on Formula One carmakers. Instead, they believe the human element is more of a determining factor in the outcome; for example, the minute differences in driver reaction times which over the course of a 300-plus kilometer race distance can make a significant difference.
This same debate often comes to mind during the due diligence phase of our work with companies seeking to improve their Net Promoter Score (NPS) and enhance their brand loyalty. Often the customer experience ends up anchored in the customer relationship management (CRM) systems of the company or its call center outsourcer. Millions of dollars/euros are poured into technologies that organize, automate and synchronize business customer service processes. The goals are certainly noble ? winning new customers, nurturing and retaining existing customers, enticing former customers back into the fold, and reducing the costs of marketing and customer service.
But what about the customer touchpoint?
What is often overlooked in the quest to improve NPS and enhance brand loyalty are the skills and behaviors of the customer service representatives, the very people charged with solving customers? problems and delighting them during the experience. Yes, you read it correctly ? we are referring to the actual, flesh and blood humans interacting with the customer, either in person or by phone, email or chat. That touchpoint, that one-moment-in-time opportunity, is where the cheesecake is found ? if we may stick with the Formula One analogy, that is where the rubber meets the road.
What does the rep say? How does he say it? What does he say that adds value? What does he say that adds no value or detracts value? Is he creating a high-effort experience for the customer, or is he making the company easy to do business with? Is he truly listening to understand the customer?s story? Is he assessing where the customer is from an emotional standpoint with the product or service and attempting to overcome emotional barriers to gain emotional buy-in from the customer?
Are the rep?s words, actions, behaviors and mindset geared toward moving this customer to join the company?s brand and become a Loyal Promoter or perhaps entrenching an already-loyal customer deeper into the brand? Apple and Zappos embrace the customer experience to engage the customer and ultimately build brand loyalty. But what exactly is it they do, and how do they do it?
When we talk to high-performing reps during due diligence (for example, reps with individual NPS in the 70 ? 80 range), we ask them a simple question: ?What are you doing to achieve those results??
The answers we receive are astonishingly consistent, whether we?re in the U.S., Europe or elsewhere, and regardless of the industry vertical. The answer nearly always sounds something like this: ?I?m not exactly sure. I?m just myself, and it seems to work.? You may have heard this referred to as an example of unconscious competence ? the rep is competent and skilled but cannot articulate the specific actions and behaviors they use during the interaction to produce the exceptional outcome.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of customer service managers, supervisors, team leaders and quality monitors have not been able to figure out how to effectively clone their top-performing reps to increase team or overall customer service performance. In a sense, many of the unconscious skills and behaviors that produce great results at the individual rep level often remain in an unconscious space within the company?s customer service world.
Now ? just imagine what could be achieved if companies knew how to effectively reverse engineer the ideal customer service interaction, extract the specific rep skills, behaviors, actions, techniques and methods responsible for the outcome, and then organize, package, teach and coach those same skills, behaviors, actions, techniques and methods to others?
We believe the key to driving up NPS is improving the quality of the customer touchpoint on the front line and turning the stewards of the company?s brand promise, the front-line customer service representatives, into a consciously competent brand promise delivery force. With the right skills, methods, techniques and behaviors, and with the essential steady support from leadership, reps can have more value-driven conversations with customers. More promoters and fewer detractors and passives are among the rewards enjoyed by companies that choose to make this an objective.
Not only do we believe this to be true, we have the results and the data to prove it.
So back to that question about whether it?s the car (technology) or the driver (human dynamic) that determines the outcome of the race. Customer service reps can achieve more than ever these days in large part because they have more and better technology at their disposal to help them help the customer. But technology can take a company only so far when it comes to the customer experience. The critical question is whether or not the rep has the right set of behavioral skills to leverage that technology in a manner that achieves more than just solving the customer?s practical problem and being polite in the process.
Whatever may be the aim of owning a traditional car, it can be equally important to get the cheapest car insurance quotes. Though monthly premiums for automobile insurance vary, it can be observed how the cost of a traditional car insurance can be less than that of a modern auto. Let?s take a peek at some of the crucial sides of antique car insurance to assist you find a good insurance cover at a more affordable rate.Insurance agencies provide a discounted for antique car insurance, given that the car is at least 30 years old and isn?t modified using a fixed nitrous program. Most antique car procedures put forth a condition that your car needs to be locked in the actual garage, when it is not in use.
Usually, after an accident insurance companies mail their representatives to the internet site of the incident, in order to audit the damage. And then, based upon the actual audit as well as your claim, the settling payment is given. Here?s the pose, the car insurance quotes organization, based upon the policy might present compensation for even the opposite get together. This fundamentally depends upon, that party has been at fault and also which has not been.
The main difference involving these two kinds of insurance is in which comprehensive free car insuranceinsures most of the all-natural calamities, and also other unfortunate events as listed above. On the other hand, collision auto insurance carries a protection cover for the damage caused by accidents in case of a moving vehicle. What?s more, it covers most disbursements that are incurred for a severely damaged car; associated with towing, auto repair, and also car elements replacement costs. However, if your car is to be repaired on account of accidents caused by improper auto maintenance, these kinds of expenses are not considered inside the collision automobile insurance.
A man walks near spilled crude oil in the Niger Delta swamps of Bodo, a village in the Nigerian oil-producing region of Ogoniland, in June 2010.
By F. Brinley Bruton, msnbc.com
LONDON -- Around 11,000 Nigerian villagers who say their livelihoods were ruined in oil spills launched a legal battle?Friday to seek compensation from Shell.
The case marks the first time any oil firm has?faced claims in the U.K. from a community?in?the developing world?for environmental damage caused by oil extraction operations, the villagers'?lawyers said.
Shell, the largest international firm operating in Nigeria, admitted liability for two?oil spills in August 2011. However, the two sides dispute the amount of oil spilled and?the?extent of the damage?caused, one of the villagers' London-based?lawyers told msnbc.com.
At the crux of the disagreement is whether the spills that devastated the area were due to so-called operational failures on the part of Shell, or if they were the result of sabotage, illegal refining and theft.
Farmers, fishermen Shell Petroleum Development Company?(Nigeria) has admitted responsibility for two spills amounting to around 4,000 barrels.?
However, experts representing people in the Bodo community, a network of 35 villages whose inhabitants were mainly subsistence fishermen and farmers, maintain that amount is closer to 600,000 barrels, one of the villagers' lawyers told msnbc.com.
100 miles of oil: Spill likely Nigeria's worst in decade
"We have urged them to have their expert work with our expert," said Martyn Day of law firm Leigh Day & Co. "But (Shell has) totally refused."
Day said that negotiations broke down last week.
'No need for the legal activity' Shell spokesman Jonathan French told msnbc.com that the firm cannot discuss details of the legal process, but said the company was dismayed that the case was going to court.
"There really has been no need for the legal activity which has delayed the the payout and cleanup," he said. "We accepted responsibility at the earliest point we could ... there was no need for this firm of London solicitors to take action."
PhotoBlog: Nigerian oil industry photos reveal extremes of poverty, wealth
"Nobody is saying is that there isn?t a problem with oil spills in the Niger Delta," French added. "The point is that there is this formula enshrined in Nigerian law that spells out level of compensation."
Instead of resorting to court, the villagers should have followed the process already in place in Nigeria, French said, adding that the involvement of law firms such as Leigh Day "can serve to delay compensation."
$1 billion cleanup tab in Nigeria oil mess, UN says
Shell paid out $4 million in compensation to victims of operational oil spills in 2009, and $1.7 million in 2010, French said.
Shell has been criticized for its behavior in Nigeria before.
In Aug. 2011, the United Nations released a report saying the company and the Nigerian government had contributed to 50 years of pollution in the Niger Delta that could need the world's largest ever oil cleanup. The work would take up to 30 years and require an initial tab estimated at $1 billion, the report said.
On February 17, Amnesty International issued a report saying that:
"Shell's failures persist despite significant evidence based calls on the company to make meaningful changes in the way it operates in the Niger Delta. In 2011 the evidence confronting Shell was confirmed in a ground-breaking study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that looked at the impact of oil pollution in the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta. The UNEP report confirmed that serious environmental damage had occurred in Ogoniland, one area of the Niger Delta, over many years. It found systemic failures in Shell?s approach to cleaning up pollution and rehabilitating land, which have exposed tens of thousands of people to a sustained assault on their economic, social and cultural rights."
Brain insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's diseasePublic release date: 23-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kim Menard kim.menard@uphs.upenn.edu 215-662-6183 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
PHILADELPHIA Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Insulin is an important hormone in many bodily functions, including the health of brain cells. The team identified extensive abnormalities in the activity of two major signaling pathways for insulin and insulin-like growth factor in non-diabetic people with Alzheimer's disease. These pathways could be targeted with new or existing medicines to potentially help resensitize the brain to insulin and possibly slow down or even improve cognitive decline.
This is the first study to directly demonstrate that insulin resistance occurs in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. The study is now online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
"Our research clearly shows that the brain's ability to respond to insulin, which is important for normal brain function, is going offline at some point. Insulin in the brain not only modulates glucose uptake, but also promotes the health of brain cells their growth, survival, remodeling, and normal functioning. We believe that brain insulin resistance may be an important contributor to the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease," said senior author, Steven E. Arnold, MD, professor of Psychiatry and Neurology. Arnold is also the director of the Penn Memory Center, a National Institute on Aging-designated Alzheimer's Disease Core Center. "If we can prevent brain insulin resistance from occurring, or re-sensitize brain cells to insulin with any of the currently available insulin-sensitizing diabetes medicines, we may be able to slow down, prevent, or perhaps even improve cognitive decline.
The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is increased by 50 percent in people with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is due to insulin resistance and accounts for 90 percent of all diabetes. The defining clinical feature of Type 2 diabetes (and Type 1 "juvenile" diabetes) is hyperglycemia - high levels of sugar in the blood but there is no evidence that the brain in Alzheimer's is hyperglycemic. Insulin acts differently in the brain than in the rest of the body. Researchers found that insulin resistance of the brain occurs in Alzheimer's disease independent of whether someone has diabetes, by excluding people with a history of diabetes from this study.
The investigators used samples of postmortem brain tissue from non-diabetics who had died with Alzheimer's disease, stimulated the tissue with insulin, and measured how much the insulin activated various proteins in the insulin-signaling pathways. There was less insulin activation in Alzheimer's cases than in tissue from people who had died without brain disease. Other proteins linked to insulin action in the brain were abnormal in Alzheimer's disease samples. These abnormalities were highly correlated with episodic memory and other cognitive disabilities in the Alzheimer's disease patients.
In tissue from people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), researchers found that changes to a protein called insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1 pS636/639 and pS616) in brain cells were linked to the severity of memory impairments regardless of age, sex, diabetes history, or apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene status. Levels of IRS-1 were also significantly associated with, but not likely to affect, the presence of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the signature markers of Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline independent of the classical pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers noted that three insulin-sensitizing medicines are already approved by the FDA for treatment of diabetes. These drugs readily cross the blood-brain barrier and may have therapeutic potential to correct insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease and MCI. "Clinical trials would need to be conducted to determine the impact the drugs have on Alzheimer's disease and MCI in non-diabetic patients," said Dr. Arnold.
###
The study's lead author, Konrad Talbot, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in Penn's Psychiatry department and co-lead author, Hoau-Yan Wang, Ph.D. is an Associate Medical Professor of
Physiology and Pharmacology at the City University of New York. Along with Drs .Talbot and Arnold, the Perelman School of Medicine research team from Penn includes: Hala Kazi, Li-Ying Han, Robert L. Fuino, Krista R. Kawaguchi, Andrew J. Samoyed, from Psychiatry; Bryan A. Wolf (from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and John Q. Trojanowski, both from Penn's Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In addition, other researchers from the City University of New York Medical School and the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center from Rush University Medical Center contributed equally to this work.
The study was supported by the Alzheimer's Association (a T.L.L. Temple Foundation Discovery Award), the National Institute on Aging (at Penn: RO1 AG15819, P30 AG10124, at Rush: P30 AG10161) and the Allen H and Selma W. Berkman Charitable Trust. The study would not have been possible without all the patients and families that contributed to this study, as well as the volunteers in the Rush Religious Order Study.
Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.
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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.
Brain insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's diseasePublic release date: 23-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kim Menard kim.menard@uphs.upenn.edu 215-662-6183 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
PHILADELPHIA Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Insulin is an important hormone in many bodily functions, including the health of brain cells. The team identified extensive abnormalities in the activity of two major signaling pathways for insulin and insulin-like growth factor in non-diabetic people with Alzheimer's disease. These pathways could be targeted with new or existing medicines to potentially help resensitize the brain to insulin and possibly slow down or even improve cognitive decline.
This is the first study to directly demonstrate that insulin resistance occurs in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. The study is now online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
"Our research clearly shows that the brain's ability to respond to insulin, which is important for normal brain function, is going offline at some point. Insulin in the brain not only modulates glucose uptake, but also promotes the health of brain cells their growth, survival, remodeling, and normal functioning. We believe that brain insulin resistance may be an important contributor to the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease," said senior author, Steven E. Arnold, MD, professor of Psychiatry and Neurology. Arnold is also the director of the Penn Memory Center, a National Institute on Aging-designated Alzheimer's Disease Core Center. "If we can prevent brain insulin resistance from occurring, or re-sensitize brain cells to insulin with any of the currently available insulin-sensitizing diabetes medicines, we may be able to slow down, prevent, or perhaps even improve cognitive decline.
The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is increased by 50 percent in people with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is due to insulin resistance and accounts for 90 percent of all diabetes. The defining clinical feature of Type 2 diabetes (and Type 1 "juvenile" diabetes) is hyperglycemia - high levels of sugar in the blood but there is no evidence that the brain in Alzheimer's is hyperglycemic. Insulin acts differently in the brain than in the rest of the body. Researchers found that insulin resistance of the brain occurs in Alzheimer's disease independent of whether someone has diabetes, by excluding people with a history of diabetes from this study.
The investigators used samples of postmortem brain tissue from non-diabetics who had died with Alzheimer's disease, stimulated the tissue with insulin, and measured how much the insulin activated various proteins in the insulin-signaling pathways. There was less insulin activation in Alzheimer's cases than in tissue from people who had died without brain disease. Other proteins linked to insulin action in the brain were abnormal in Alzheimer's disease samples. These abnormalities were highly correlated with episodic memory and other cognitive disabilities in the Alzheimer's disease patients.
In tissue from people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), researchers found that changes to a protein called insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1 pS636/639 and pS616) in brain cells were linked to the severity of memory impairments regardless of age, sex, diabetes history, or apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene status. Levels of IRS-1 were also significantly associated with, but not likely to affect, the presence of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the signature markers of Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline independent of the classical pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers noted that three insulin-sensitizing medicines are already approved by the FDA for treatment of diabetes. These drugs readily cross the blood-brain barrier and may have therapeutic potential to correct insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease and MCI. "Clinical trials would need to be conducted to determine the impact the drugs have on Alzheimer's disease and MCI in non-diabetic patients," said Dr. Arnold.
###
The study's lead author, Konrad Talbot, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in Penn's Psychiatry department and co-lead author, Hoau-Yan Wang, Ph.D. is an Associate Medical Professor of
Physiology and Pharmacology at the City University of New York. Along with Drs .Talbot and Arnold, the Perelman School of Medicine research team from Penn includes: Hala Kazi, Li-Ying Han, Robert L. Fuino, Krista R. Kawaguchi, Andrew J. Samoyed, from Psychiatry; Bryan A. Wolf (from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and John Q. Trojanowski, both from Penn's Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In addition, other researchers from the City University of New York Medical School and the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center from Rush University Medical Center contributed equally to this work.
The study was supported by the Alzheimer's Association (a T.L.L. Temple Foundation Discovery Award), the National Institute on Aging (at Penn: RO1 AG15819, P30 AG10124, at Rush: P30 AG10161) and the Allen H and Selma W. Berkman Charitable Trust. The study would not have been possible without all the patients and families that contributed to this study, as well as the volunteers in the Rush Religious Order Study.
Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.
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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.
Driving Directions to Duke Clinic (Trent Drive off Erwin Road)
From Greensboro and Points West Via 1-85 North: Exit onto N.C. 147 (Durham Freeway). Take first exit off Durham Freeway onto 15-501 S. toward Chapel Hill. Stay in right lane, and take second exit (#107) to N.C. 751. Turn LEFT onto N.C. 751 S., go under the highway, and take next left turn onto Erwin Road. Stay on Erwin Road past Duke Hospital. Turn right onto Trent Drive and park in the Duke Clinic Parking garage on the left.
From Richmond and Points North Via I-85 South: In Durham, take the left-lane exit (#174B) for US 15-501 S. Bypass - Duke University/Chapel Hill. Continue on U.S. 15-501 to the fourth exit (#107) a right-lane exit for N.C. 751. Turn LEFT onto N.C. 751 S., go under the highway, and take next left turn onto Erwin Road. Stay on Erwin Road past Duke Hospital. Turn right onto Trent Drive and park in the Duke Clinic Parking garage on the left.
From RDU Airport, Raleigh and Points East Via I-40 West: Exit onto the Durham Freeway (N.C. 147). Take Durham Freeway to Fulton Street exit (#15B). Turn left onto Fulton Street, take to end at Erwin Road. Turn left onto Erwin Road past Duke Hospital. Turn right onto Trent Drive and park in the Duke Clinic Parking garage on the left.
From Chapel Hill Via U.S. 15-501 North: Take 15-501 N. marked Duke Univ./Med Ctr. (Do NOT take 15-501 Business.) Take N.C. 751 exit (#107) marked Duke. Univ. West Campus. Turn right onto N.C. 751, make the next left turn onto Erwin Road. Stay on Erwin Road past Duke Hospital. Turn right onto Trent Drive and park in the Duke Clinic Parking garage on the left.
Dubai's chief of police denies reports that 30 gay men were arrested at a party but says homosexuality is illegal and against the local norms.
Emirates 24/7, a Dubai-based paper, reported that Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, chief of the Dubai Police Force, has denied local activists' report, published by Gay Middle East, that a group of about 30 people, some of whom are reportedly gay, were arrested during a private party at 5 a.m. on March 9, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai.
In addition, he is quoted as saying, "Homosexuals and homosexuality exists in all countries of the world, but is prohibited in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as behavior contrary to norms, customs, traditions and religion as well."
The paper also quoted an unnamed Dubai police officer saying, "The UAE Penal Code prohibits anything that might conflict with religion, values, customs and traditions."
However, the group Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transexual Rights UAE has collected first-hand witness accounts that they insist prove that the party did happen and that arrests did take place.
Adilah, a lesbian member of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transexual Rights UAE, said:
My friends were at the party, and it did happen. We now know that the hotel security staff tipped off the police, who then proceeded with the arrests.
People were released the following day after signing a testimonial they would "not do it again," although two people we know of are still unaccounted for and may be still held in prison because of their sexuality.
If "[h]omosexuals and homosexuality is prohibited in the UAE as behaviour contrary to norms, customs, traditions and religion as well," then what about drinking, live music, celebrating Christmas and Easter? Aren't those behaviors contrary to norms, customs, traditions, and religion of the UAE? Or are they OK because UAE tolerates it for the sake of economy/profit?
And if "[t]he UAE Penal Code prohibits anything that might conflict with religion, values, customs and traditions," but yet tolerates everything mentioned above for the sake of economic prosperity and touristic reputation, shouldn't it take into consideration not to penalize homosexuals for being gay in their private settings?
People should know how these guys felt and how scared they felt being held in a cell, when all they wanted was just to dance respectfully between our community.
Now if their names ever leak out, there would be consequences and discrimination in their future careers, not to mention their lives at risk if the family is overly conservative, and could lead to so-called "honor killing" if things get out of hand. All this for being who they are, respectfully, in private?!
Instead of persecuting LGBT people for leading personal lifestyles, we suggest they continue to promote no public displays of affection for both gays and straights, and hopefully the homosexuals they despise so much, but who contribute to the GDP of the UAE, can be aware of the dos and don'ts in this land, just like everyone else, leading safe lives, and not "offend" anyone who doesn't necessarily lead the same lifestyle.
The media here gives people the wrong idea, and that's something we should stop and educate. People should know that we are doctors, nurses, teachers, designers, media, aviation, etc., and we contribute in our societies and countries just like any other person, if not more.
She also remarked that "the GLBT international community has a huge spending and buying power and frequently visit UAE for tourism purposes -- not necessarily gay tourism, just tourism in general, so the authorities should think, if their aim is to market UAE as a gay-unfriendly destination, this could be damaging to the overall economy."
Abdullah, the chair of the group, stated:
The UAE engages in behaviour that is regularly at odds with the customs and religion of the country, but that is because we are a diverse, multicultural country, and their actions should be reflecting that.
Outlawing homosexuality is contradictory and homophobic and does not equal good governance. We should all be equal under the law. Their duty first and foremost should not be terrorizing our community, especially when we are in a private setting.
Denying the reports is equally damaging, as it raises a sense of panic and confusion in the community. I personally implore the lieutenant to review his statements and protect the integrity of Dubai police.
I personally understand the no-public-display-of-affection rule; my partner and I abstain from displaying it, since we find that a private matter. The general public, for the most part, is aware of the rule and practice self-restraint.
But raiding parties where adults are trying to be themselves behind closed doors is unrealistic and authoritarian and has no place in this day and age. What should they do? Pack up and leave home?
It is insanely hard as it is to go against one's true nature and lie. Private parties or gatherings help individuals cope when there's a sense of unity, and they are likely to respect the laws if given an outlet to release and be left alone. But having to look over one's shoulder day and night is a violation to an individual's basic right, which is freedom from fear.
Ali, a 25-year-old law student from Dubai and a member of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transexual Rights UAE, affirmed:
I wish countries like the UAE would be a little less self-contradictory, at least for the sake of their own integrity, if not Islam.
If alcohol, which is prohibited, could be served to Muslims and non-Muslims alike in controlled spaces, I see no reason for the charges pressed against the two boys that may still be held in custody. Whatever their private expression was, no big deal should be made of it.
My problem is not with the rules or the laws; my problem is with the officials cheating themselves and, more importantly, their faith, in order to gloss over our country's image.
If the reason for the alcohol allowance is the diversity of people, then let it be known that a human reality is sexuality, which includes LGBT. And we deserve equal treatment.
Growing up here in the UAE, I learned that gays are known as "sick" people who need treatment; if not that then "infidels" or "the Devil's puppets"...
It really hurts knowing that people around you may or may not think of you as their rubbish, because there are people in this country who are open-minded and actually want to try to allow the voiceless to speak out...
Sadly, its not democracy that runs this country; its power. And the power usually stands for homophobia and hypocrisy.
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Follow Dan Littauer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/danlittauer
The AM3970-UR11P's Core i5-2320 processor, 8GB of memory, and AMD Radeon HD 6450 graphics card help the system gain respectable benchmark numbers. The system is pretty quick, with a 1:20 time on our Handbrake video test, and 3:26 on our Photoshop CS5 test. These are comparable to the similarly equipped Dell XPS 8300 (x8300-4004NBK) (1:21 on Handbrake; 3:35 on CS5) ($699.99 list, 3.5 stars) and is a smidge faster than the compact Apple Mac mini (Thunderbolt) ($799 list, 4.5 stars) (1:42 on Handbrake; 3:47 on CS5). It's even within striking distance of the Alienware X51 ($999.99 direct, 4 stars) (1:20 Handbrake, 3:36 CS5). 3D performance is another matter, however. The AM3970-UR11P only shows an unplayable 27 fps on Crysisand 13 fps on Lost Planet 2, similar to the Dell XPS 8300 (x8300-4004NBK) but far behind the gaming-oriented Alienware. Suffice to say, if you want 3D gaming, go with an entry level gaming system right off the bat rather than buying an entry/midrange system and upgrading later. 
? I?m glad we?ll get a little help.? It makes it possible for people like us to provide a normal childhood as well as the care these kids need.
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Public release date: 23-Mar-2012
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