New Dolphins DT Vaugn Martin says he had offers from the Pats, Eagles, Chargers, Chiefs, and Seattle.
Former Bills QB Frank Reich will hold his annual Call to Courage Award Breakfast on April 6; this year?s event includes a 20-year look back at the greatest comeback in NFL history.
WR Danny Amendola will wear No. 16 with the Pats, if it?s available.? (For now, it isn?t.)
The Jets won?t be hosting the Honey Badger before the draft, a fact that typically has little bearing on whether the player will be picked by the team in question.
Ravens secondary coach Teryl Austin is upbeat about the teams defensive backfield.
The Bengals will now try to find a safety, via free agency or the draft.
The Browns have ?very mild interest? in free-agent WR Domenik Hixon.
Former Steelers OL John Wiley died this week at the age of 92.? (He played in the first publicly-televised college football game, which was broadcast in 1939 by NBC.)
Former Texans LB Connor Barwin took out a newspaper ad thanking a variety of folks who helped his career in Houston ? including Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert and ?my cleaning lady.?
Over the next couple of months, new Jaguars coach Gus Bradley will establish his vision for the team.
Colts QB Andrew Luck is among the candidates for the cover of an overhyped, underperforming football video game that inexplicably continues to sell millions of copies every year.
Someone actually believes that Ryan Fitzpatrick is an upgrade over Matthew Hasselbeck at backup quarterback for the Titans.
The Broncos hope to play as fast as possible on offense in 2013.
The Chiefs have explained the convoluted title of the man who once used the phrase ?programmatic non-fit? with a straight face.
Here?s a look at the Raiders? draft options with the third overall pick in 2013.
The agent for former Chargers LT Marcus McNeill says McNeill isn?t considering a comeback.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo talks about his new contract in a video that includes an image of Romo in front of a collection of trophies many think he?ll never touch and Romo?s young son rebuffing owner Jerry Jones? high-five attempt.
RB Tim Hightower?s workout with the Giants will occur early next week.
The Eagles reportedly have some lingering interest in OT Eric Winston.
The Redskins reportedly are eyeballing Miami CB Brandon McGee and Nevada safety Duke Williams.
The contract signed by new Bears OL Matt Slauson is worth more than the minimum salary.
Lions Hall of Famer Lem Barney has sued a former employer after he was fired for signing too many autographs.
CB Loyce Means, out of football in 2012, could be signed by the Packers early next week.
Should the Vikings focus on improving their front four?
The supposedly ultra-talented Falcons have a major hole at cornerback.
The effort to upgrade the Panthers? stadium with public money?continues to face opposition.
New Saints LB Victor Butler says that he was simply looking for a ?chance to compete and be a part of a winning team.?
How good will the Buccaneers? offensive line be in 2013, and beyond?
The Cardinals won?t be going to Flagstaff for training camp.
The Rams are ready to pull the plug on this year?s Pro Day circuit.
So who will be No. 2 on the depth chart behind Colin Kaepernick?
The Seahawks have put together 25 thinks to like about CB Richard Sherman on his 25th birthday.? (?Humility? is not on the list.)
Technology can give us great excuses not to be active and fit. We spend hours in front of the TV or at the computer and then wonder why we gain weight and lose muscle tone. So I was excited to learn about a wealth of new technology that will actually help us improve our health instead of sucking it dry.
The healthcare technology section of this year?s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was packed with devices that can help you track almost anything about your health. Many of the devices are small, easy to use, and actually fun to play with. Here are some of my favorites:
? BodyMedia? FIT ?This device comes in an armband that you can wear 24/7. It tracks your sleep patterns as well as your activity levels and connects online to help you track calories and stick with your fitness plan. You can see it in action on NBC?s ?The Biggest Loser? this season.
? Polar? Smart Coaching ? This device is described as ?your perfect training partner?. It uses heart rate tracking to help you set goals and improve performance. It also includes a variety of tests including fitness, body age, recovery and relaxation level.
? IbitzTM PowerKey and Unity ? This device made by GeoPalz? is targeted at families and includes products designed specifically for children in addition to the adult models. The goal is to get the whole family to be more physically fit. The kids? model uses an interactive game to help motivate them to get moving. The more active the kids are the more energy their ?pet? has in the game. They can also interact with the device by feeding their pet, giving it water, and putting it to sleep.
? Runtastic? Heart Rate Monitors ? You can get this device on a belt pack or in a watch that combines a heart rate monitor and a GPS.
We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
At this year's New York International Auto Show BMW is expanding its portfolio of connected apps -- by four. The company announced iOS integration for Audible, Glympse, Rhapsody and TuneIn Radio and we couldn't help but swing by to check them all out. This integration (which also will work on Connected Minis) entails an update to those existing iOS apps. In other words, you won't need a dedicated BMW app nor second versions of these individual apps. You can use the ones you already know and love.
Join us below for a little more information on how that works, and a look at the company's in-car LTE router that's also on display.
By Martyn Herman LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Whether by design, necessity, self-interest or because of all three, nurturing youngsters has become fashionable for England's elite with no expense spared in the hunt for the new Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. The length and breadth of the country, scouts from top clubs are hoovering up promising footballers barely old enough to tie their bootlaces in a bid to unearth the 30 million pounds ($45.40 million) treasures of the future. ...
SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) ? Devotees in villages in the northern Philippines took part in a bloody annual ritual to mark Good Friday, a celebration that mixes Roman Catholic devotion and Filipino folk beliefs and sees some reenact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The crucified devotees spent several minutes nailed to crosses in Pampanga province while thousands of tourists watched and took photos of the spectacle, which the church discourages. Earlier in the day, hooded male penitents trudged through the province's villages under the blazing sun while flagellating their bleeding backs with makeshift whips. Others carried wooden crosses to dramatize Christ's sacrifice.
Devotees undergo the hardships in the belief that such extreme sacrifices are a way to atone for their sins, attain miracle cures for illnesses or give thanks to God.
Alex Laranang, a 58-year-old vendor who was the first to be nailed to a cross Friday, said he was doing it "for good luck and for my family to be healthy."
It was the 27th crucifixion for sign painter Ruben Enaje, 52, one of the most popular penitents from San Pedro Cutud village. He began his yearly rite after surviving a fall from a building.
Enaje screamed in pain as men dressed as Roman soldiers hammered stainless steel nails into his palms and feet. A wireless microphone carried his voice to loudspeakers for everyone watching to hear.
His cross was raised and he was hanged there for several minutes under the searing afternoon sun before the nails were pulled out and he was taken on a stretcher to a first aid station.
"It's intriguing and fascinating what makes people do something like this, how you can believe so much that you make yourself suffer to that extent," said Dita Tittesass, a tourist from Denmark.
Remigio de la Cruz, the chief of San Pedro Cutud village, explained that the practice began in his village in the 1950s.
Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told the church-run Radio Veritas that the practice is "not the desire of Jesus Christ."
"We are aware that this has been practiced long before ... but we still hope that this will not be done any more," he said. "We should all concentrate on prayers."
_____
Associated Press writer Oliver Teves contributed to this from Manila.
Whilst Benidorm is synonymous with sun, sand and sea, it might come as a surprise to know that it?s also a growing gay?destination for sport leisure breaks. Sheltered by the Sierra Cortina and offering crystal clear waters, the year round mild climate makes it ideal for a wide range of land and watersports with activities to suit all budgets and interests, for families, couples, more leisurely guests or the thrill-seeking adrenalin-junkie!
Of course, the Costa Blanca is renowned for its golf courses and there are three just minutes from the town, including a superb Jack Niklaus-designed PGA golf course with the choice of another 7 excellent courses all within easy reach.
The quieter golden sands of Poniente beach and its attractive new waterfront promenade not only attracts families and sunworshippers but joggers, serious runners, dog walkers, cyclists and roller blade fans along the wide sweep of the bay with a floating swimming platform in summer.?The other Blue Flag beach, Levante, is more than 2 kilometres long with full beach facilities, including beach volleyball and bathing facilities for the disabled. As well as all the usual beach watersports, this is where you will find a unique cable ski (a great introduction to waterskiing) and wakeboarding, jet skis, canoes and kayaks too, as well as the excellent facilities and sailing experiences at Club Nautico.
A 20 minute boat ride from the Marina below the old town of Benidorm brings you to Benidorm Island and its marine reserve, one of several renowned sites in the region where scuba-diving enthusiasts from all over Europe appreciate the unique marine life, easily visible around the cliffs.
If you don?t want to go as far as donning a wetsuit, the boat trip is a pleasant half-day out and costs just ?14 Euros return which includes viewing the marine life from a glass-bottomed boat.?The island has a few good walking paths for viewing birds and wildlife or a swim off the rocks and there?s a small caf? to enjoy a cold beer and tapas while you soak up the breathtaking views of Benidorm across the bay.?See more on the resorts? range of watersports facilities at the Visit Benidorm website.
If you prefer your sport on terra firma, you?re literally spoilt for choice:? the recently built Sports Pavilion offers excellent facilities and a wide range of sports including rugby, football, athletics and ?paddle, tennis, squash and much more, as well as several local private clubs. There?s an excellent public transport service of buses and taxis to help you get to explore the surroundings too. On the outskirts of the resort you can enjoy all sorts of leisure activities from go-karting to paintball and the excellent riding at Benidorm Horse Riding Club. Just above the resort there is a new network of excellent walking and cyclepaths designed to encourage locals and visitors alike to appreciate the freedom, fresh air and wonderful coastal views you can enjoy just minutes from the centre of the resort.
Leisurely hikers and serious climbers will enjoy stunning landscapes of the Sierra Helada, Valencia?s first national park reserve, with a choice of routes and levels of difficulty.
With the perfect combination of the glorious Mediterranean / Mountain setting of the Marina Baixa region, Benidorm is one of Spain?s most popular cycling regions and is host to a number of important competitions, including stages of the Tour of Valencia. There are?routes to suit all abilities from a gentle ride along the seafront to hard-core mountain biking. The resort operates ?Bicidorm? (a Boris?bike type scheme) with pickup points around the resort promoting sustainable travel. Several companies and specialist sports tourism operators in the resort, such as Marco Polo Expeditions, offer mountain bike hire and a range of other services too: half-full day walking, hiking tours, mountaineering, canyoning, parascending, paragliding, guided jeep safaris and more.
Just 15 minutes from the bustle of the town are the lush, secluded valleys of the Sierra Cortina and Puig Campana, the highest peak in the range, where you can immerse yourself in nature and spectacular mountain landscapes with guides with expert local knowledge who tailor-make the tours to suit small groups and individual abilities, so it can be as daring or sedate as you wish!
See more at?the Visit Benidorm website for a full list of the resorts? sports facilities and major sporting events & festivals throughout the year.
Just 45 kms from Alicante airport and 140 kms km from Valencia, both are served by major tour operators and low-cost flights from most UK airports.
Check out Visit Benidorm and the Visit Benidorm Facebook page for more information.
Visit?Benidorm is an advertiser on PinkNews.co.uk
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Randomly accurate site Digitimes is once again reporting the often-repeated rumor that Apple is working on a TV set. The latest rumor surrounds the actual specifications of the TV set, which sources claim will be 4K. For those that don?t know, 4K or Ultra HD offers two times the horizontal and vertical resolution of the current 1080p standard giving it an overall resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels -- in other words, 2160p. Digitimes:
The sources said that Apple and Foxconn Electronics have been in discussions for quite some time in terms of the TV's mass production schedule, but that Apple has been considering where panel supply for the TV will come from, as Ultra HD TV panel makers, most of whom are based in Taiwan, are expected to be producing at nearly full capacity in 2013 in order to meet demand from China-based TV vendors.
Apparently Apple will look to LG to supply the panels for the 4K iTV and if it can prove its ability to supply the panels in the quantities required, Apple may release the iTV at the end of this year. The iTV is thought to offer not only Ultra HD resolution but also change the way that we interact with our TV sets. It is widely thought that Siri voice control and motion will play a major part in the TV?s user interface.
Digitimes often gets good information from Asian supply chain sources but seldom puts them into accurate context. Someone, somewhere probably ordered something, but how and why that means it's Apple for an Ultra HD TV is unclear. (Aside from headlines.)
It should also be noted that iMore previously heard Apple wasn't moving any of their TV panel prototypes into production any time soon.
Anyone still holding their breath for a Retina TV this year?
PARIS (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a flat to lower open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.22 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.01 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.03 percent at 5:00 a.m. EDT.
* European stocks were mixed on Thursday morning, with Spanish, Portuguese and Italian shares losing ground, hurt by fears of a potential run on Cyprus's banks, set to reopen on Thursday. <.eu/>
* Tight controls will be imposed on transactions by Cyprus's banks to limit cash withdrawals to no more than 300 euros ($380) per day, ban the cashing of cheques and bar businesses from transferring money abroad unless they can show it is for imports.
* On the macro front, investors awaited U.S. weekly jobless claims, due at 1230 GMT, as well as the final estimate of the U.S. fourth-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP), at 1230 GMT. Economists forecast a 0.5 percent annualized pace of growth, compared with a 0.1 percent rate in the preliminary estimate.
* Influential proxy advisory firm ISS threw its weight behind opponents of MetroPCS Communications Inc's proposed merger with T-Mobile USA, saying the deal undervalued the company and shareholders should vote against it.
* PVH Corp forecast 2013 profit well short of Wall Street estimates as the clothing maker now expects its acquisition of Warnaco to drag on earnings this year due to the additional time needed to complete the integration. PVH shares fell 5 percent in trading after the bell.
* Clearwire Corp plans to notify Sprint Nextel Corp S.N on Thursday that it will tap another $80 million of financing in April as part of its deal with the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier, two people close to the matter said.
* Cable firm Liberty Global said on Thursday it had bought a 12.65 percent stake in Dutch cable firm Ziggo for 632.5 million euros ($808 million) as a strategic investment in a market where it already operates.
* Chevron Corp said on Wednesday its executive pay would reflect certain incidents in 2012 as well as a financial performance that outpaced the U.S. oil company's peer group.
* Swiss Re has settled a dispute with Berkshire Hathaway over a 2010 life reinsurance deal and will receive a $610 million payment from U.S. tycoon Warren Buffett's company, the Swiss reinsurer said on Thursday.
* A judge on Wednesday approved AMR Corp's plan to merge with US Airways Group , a step toward creating the world's largest airline.
* Citigroup Inc on Wednesday won the dismissal of a lawsuit by Woori Bank over losses from mortgage-related investments, the third such defeat in a U.S. court for a South Korean bank that had been put under state control following financial crises.
* A federal judge on Wednesday said JPMorgan Chase & Co must face a lawsuit by a pension plan that accused it of mismanaging its money by investing in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc notes before that bank filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
* Fifteen major banks sued by the Federal Housing Finance Agency over risky housing debt urged a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday to intervene, citing "gravely prejudicial" rulings by the trial judge coordinating the litigation.
* Chesapeake Energy Corp's search for a new chief executive to replace Aubrey McClendon is likely to extend beyond an April 1 deadline, according to a person familiar with the situation.
* Gold-backed exchange-traded funds are set for their biggest quarterly outflow since inception, with investors beating a hasty retreat from the market due to a brightened global economic backdrop.
* Employment improved and housing prices rose in most major U.S. metropolitan areas in the final quarter of 2012, but output sputtered, according to a report released on Thursday by the Brookings Institution.
* On the earnings front, investors awaited quarterly results from Accenture , Gamestop Corp. , and the Mosaic Company .
* U.S. stocks rebounded from early declines to close little changed on Wednesday, but investors were still worried about the chance of a run on Cypriot banks and its possible implications for other euro-zone lenders.
* The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> fell 33.49 points or 0.23 percent, to 14,526.16 at the close. The S&P 500 <.spx> lost just 0.92 of a point, or 0.06 percent, to finish at 1,562.85. The Nasdaq Composite <.ixic> added 4.04 points or 0.12 percent, to close at 3,256.52.
AMSTERDAM (AP) ? D.E. Master Blenders 1753, the Dutch coffee company that was spun off by Sara Lee Corp. last year, said Thursday it is in talks to be acquired by a group led by private German investment company Joh. A. Benckiser GmbH for around 7.6 billion euros ($9.7 billion).
Benckiser, which has already accumulated 15 percent in Master Blenders, also owns stakes in Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc. and Caribou Coffee, among others.
Master Blenders said in a statement the potential buyers are looking at a price of 12.75 euros per share, which represents a 33 percent premium to Wednesday's closing price.
But a formal offer hasn't yet been made and Master Blenders underlined there is no guarantee one will be, describing the talks as being at an "early stage."
The company's shares soared 26 percent to 12.14 euros in Amsterdam trading Thursday.
The offer comes after what has been a poor start for Master Blenders as an independent company.
Shortly after being spun off from Sara Lee in June, Master Blenders restated earnings because of accounting irregularities at its Brazil operations. Since then it has reported worse than expected sales and in February it cut earnings estimates for 2013.
Chief Executive Michiel Herkemij departed in December, citing a difference of opinion with the board, leaving Chairman Jan Bennink to run the company.
Master Blenders may also face a lawsuit from investors who say they were misled in the company's initial public offering prospectus, though the company says its accounting problems only came to light after the listing.
It's been more than two years since the tragic Eastern Japan tsunami and resulting Fukushima Prefecture nuclear plant crisis, but many of those who lived in affected areas still can't return: witness the 21,000 residents of Namie, who had to evacuate and haven't been back since. Thanks to a newly published Google Street View run, those former residents can once more see the town they had to leave. The 360-degree imagery shows Namie in the deserted state it faces today, with little recovery work done or possible. Google's photos can't accelerate the recovery process, but Mayor Tamotsu Baba views them as an incentive to eventually return -- and a better way for the rest of the world to understand the tsunami's long-term effects.
GWH News and Notes: Georgia Wrestling Now with Billy Buck and the Vandal
Georgia Wrestling Now with Billy Buck and the Vandal
Monday?s edition of Georgia Wrestling Now, hosted by Jonathan Williams and Matt Hankins, featured Billy Buck and the Vandal.Click here for the archive.
NEW YORK (AP) ? U.S. stock market futures are rising ahead of a report on February orders for machinery and other long-lasting items that is expected to show businesses remain confident in the economic recovery.
The Commerce Department reported a surge in investment in durable goods for January, and economists expect another strong showing.
Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 19 at 14,405. Nasdaq 100 futures added 6.5 to 2,790.75. S&P 500 futures gained 2.30 to 1,549.2.
European markets are up as investors gain in the bailout arranged for Cyprus, even as the island nation decided to keep its banks closed for another two days in an attempt to ward off a run.
Most Asian markets dipped. Stocks in China fell in response to government moves to cool off the real estate sector.
TUESDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) ? Spring is here, and so are seasonal allergies. For the millions who suffer from hay fever or asthma in the United States, a new under-the-tongue treatment may hold promise.
Pills and drops designed to desensitize the immune system to allergens could bring some of these allergy patients relief, a new research review finds.
The review, published March 27 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, pulled together 63 studies on so-called sublingual immunotherapy.
The therapy, commonly used in Europe and Asia, essentially allows people to get traditional allergy shots in the form of pills or drops that dissolve under the tongue. The principle is the same: Expose the immune system to extracts of the substance causing a person?s allergy ? grass pollen, for example ? until it builds up a tolerance.
Right now, no under-the-tongue allergy products are approved in the United States. But some doctors offer the therapy anyway; they take the extracts approved for allergy shots and give them to patients to use orally.
In the new review, researchers found ?strong? evidence that under-the-tongue immunotherapy eased symptoms of allergy-induced asthma: In eight of 13 studies, patients saw more than a 40 percent improvement in symptoms, versus patients who either got a drug-free placebo or standard medication.
The evidence was weaker when it came to nasal allergies. Only nine of 36 studies showed a more than 40 percent drop in symptoms such as congestion, runny nose and itchy eyes.
Still, the majority of studies did show some benefit, said lead researcher Dr. Sandra Lin, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Under-the-tongue products are being evaluated for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and those results will be helpful, said Lin.
She said the results from European trials cannot be simply translated to the United States because of differences in the potency of the allergen extracts used.
?We need studies to see what are the most effective doses for U.S. patients,? Lin said.
The idea of taking pills instead of getting shots definitely appeals to patients, said Dr. Harold Nelson, an allergy specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver, who wrote an editorial published with the study.
But his advice to U.S. patients was to wait for products to be approved by the FDA.
Even if your doctor offers under-the-tongue immunotherapy, ?there?s no guarantee? it would be the same as the products studied in clinical trials, Nelson said. He noted that U.S. doctors commonly give a patient a mix of different allergen extracts, because that?s how it is done with allergy shots.
But the under-the-tongue products used in clinical trials have contained only a single allergen extract, Nelson said.
Like allergy shots, immunotherapy pills and drops take time to work. They need to be taken daily, for a few years. And they?re not cheap, Nelson pointed out. They can cost $2 or more a day, and insurance companies may not cover it.
As far as safety, Lin said the trials her team reviewed found no serious allergic reactions to the immunotherapy. Most often, patients had ?local? reactions, such as throat irritation and swelling or itching in the mouth.
?But we didn?t do an exhaustive safety review,? Lin stressed. It?s possible that in the real world, some patients have had more serious reactions.
Another big question is whether under-the-tongue immunotherapy is as effective as traditional allergy shots, Nelson said. ?It?s not clear how they compare head-to-head,? he said.
On the other hand, Lin said many more U.S. patients will try immunotherapy if under-the-tongue options are approved. That?s especially true of kids. ?Who?s going to be the least likely to accept allergy shots?? Lin said. ?Young children.?
Twenty of the studies her team reviewed focused solely on children. And kids seemed to fare as well as adults.
Current clinical trials in the United States are looking at under-the-tongue products for allergies to grass pollen, ragweed, cat dander and house dust mites. Lin suggested that for now, patients with allergies or allergy-induced asthma talk to their doctors about all their treatment options.
The study was funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Nelson has received research funds from Circassia, Ltd., which is developing so-called T-cell vaccines to treat allergies.
More information
Learn more about allergy immunotherapy from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Mar. 25, 2013 ? More than half of lower-back MRIs ordered at two Canadian hospitals were either inappropriate or of questionable value for patients. And family doctors were more apt to order these unnecessary tests compared to other specialists, demonstrates newly published medical research from Alberta and Ontario teams. The findings are important because in some parts of the country, MRI tests for the lower back account for about one-third of all MRI requests. Across the country, wait times for MRIs are long and patient access is limited.
The findings were published online in the peer-reviewed journal, JAMA Internal Medicine, earlier today. The lead author is Derek Emery, a U of A researcher in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and a neuroradiologist. His co-authors included: Tom Feasby from the University of Calgary, Alan Forster and Naghmeh Mojaverian from the University of Ottawa and Kaveh Shojania from the University of Toronto.
The research, which was led by the U of A and U of C, found more than 50 per cent of the lumbar spine or lower-back MRIs had questionable value or were deemed inappropriate. However, the study found requests for head MRIs in patients with headaches were appropriate 83 per cent of the time. The researchers used best evidence and expert opinion to determine whether the scans were appropriate. MRIs for the back are usually done to determine the cause of back pain, while head MRIs in this study were done to identify the cause of headaches.
"It is commonly believed that MRI is overused and this is the first time its use has been rigorously measured," says Emery. "The results tell us that we should not assume there is overuse in any given area without measuring. We were surprised by the results about head MRIs -- we thought the rate of inappropriate use would have been much higher but the results showed otherwise."
Tom Feasby, a neurologist at the U of C and member of the Institute for Public Health and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, added: "We had suspected that MRI scans might be overused but we had to do the study to be sure. We wanted to gather evidence to help make the health system safer and more effective." Emery said the study results indicate MRI use of the lower back may need to be reined in since the requests for these tests have rocketed in recent years.
"MRI is a limited resource in Alberta, so if the number of inappropriate MRIs can be reduced, there will be more capacity to perform MRIs on patients who really need them This is all about improving patient care, imaging those patients who will benefit and not imaging those who will not. It is important to note that we did not measure underuse of MRIs. There are many patients who would benefit from MRIs who are not being imaged due to lack of access."
When it came to lower back MRIs, about 34 per cent of those tests ordered by family doctors were considered appropriate. MRIs ordered by neurologists and orthopedic surgeons had value in less than 50 per cent of the cases examined, while neurosurgeons had a higher rate of pegging a test's value -- at 75 per cent.
These findings demonstrate doctors may need to be better educated about when it's appropriate to order an MRI, Emery says. Creating a tool that could give doctors instant feedback when submitting a request for an MRI on behalf of a patient would also be beneficial. Both of these solutions are currently being examined to help reduce overuse of lower-back MRIs, he said.
"I think we need to provide better tools to doctors to help them determine when imaging of the lower back is likely to help," says Emery, who is an associate professor in the departments of radiology and diagnostic imaging, and biomedical engineering at the U of A.
The research teams looked at requests for MRI imaging of the lumbar spine and head at the University of Alberta Hospital and The Ottawa Hospital. They looked at outpatient requisitions for MRIs at the Edmonton site from the spring of 2008 to the fall of 2009, while requisitions from the eastern Canada site were reviewed from the fall of 2008 to the spring of 2010. In total, 2,000 MRI imaging requests were reviewed -- 500 for the head and 500 for the spine at each site.
The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research who "congratulated Dr. Feasby, Dr. Emery, and their teams on the publication of these important research findings," said Jane Aubin, CIHR's Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President of Research and Knowledge Translation.
"Under Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, we are seeking to bring research evidence to the front lines of health care, and these findings are poised to do just that."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, 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:
Derek J. Emery et al. Overuse of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2013; : 1 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.3804
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.
The Indian capital had eased its rhesus monkey problems with the help of bigger langur monkeys. Now an animal rights activist argues the solution is illegal.
By Shaikh Azizur Rahman,?Correspondent / March 21, 2013
Badal Kalandar brings his langur monkey, Pawan, to work every day on a one-hour bicycle commute in New Delhi, April 2011. Pawan hops on the back seat readily and is not afraid of the traffic in the city. Mr. Kalandar has trained Pawan to scare away smaller monkeys at the home of his employer, India's Minister of Power. Many monkey trainers are hired to prevent monkey infestations in India's government buildings.
Ben Arnoldy/The Christian Science Monitor
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Monkeys are poised to take back the corridors of power in the world's largest democracy.?Once literally overrun with?packs of small but troublesome rhesus monkeys, Delhi's government zone began to fight back the menace a decade ago with large langur monkeys who were?trained to them chase away.?
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Now, an animal rights activist is putting a stop to the hiring of langurs and their handlers, leaving residents of the capital poised for a return of the monkey business from years past: Packs of monkeys had broken into the parliament, invaded the prime minister's office and defense ministry, at times ripping up wiring and tearing through files. Those who resisted them sometimes got bitten ? or worse.?In 2007, one deputy mayor in Delhi died after falling from his terrace while fighting off a rhesus attack.
The arrival of the black-faced langurs brought the red-bottomed?rhesus situation under control and became a normal part of life in Delhi.?
The langurs' human handlers keep them on a leash. It is commonplace on Delhi's clogged streets to see handlers bicycling to a job site with the giant monkey sitting side-saddle on a back rack. Each morning, langurs would chase the rhesus monkeys out of Parliament, then out of ministry buildings and down the streets past the living quarters of top officials. Each night, the rhesus would return, encouraged by offerings of food like bananas and peanuts left by Hindus who view monkeys as a living incarnation of the monkey god Hanuman.
So valuable were the langurs' services, that they commanded a salary higher than the vast majority of Indians.
But, now Delhi?s langur handlers have come under fire after animal rights activist and opposition politician Maneka Gandhi began protesting the practice of chaining and training the wild langurs and putting them to work.?Under the country?s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the langurs are a protected species and cannot be owned, traded, bought, sold, or hired out. Any violation of the law entails a three year jail term or a fine or both.
Following pressure from the activist who is also a member of Parliament, India?s Ministry of Environment and Forests issued letters to Delhi state government and several federal ministries alerting them that hiring service of the chained langurs was illegal.??
Then, last month India?s urban development ministry issued a notice to different agencies in Delhi asking them to stop using the langur guards. Fearing legal action some offices have stopped hiring the handler-langur teams to curb the rhesus menace. Some others are still using the langur guards in Delhi but are apparently in the process of ending the practice soon, said one New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) officer.
That has some in the city worried.
?The urban rhesus monkey population in Delhi is rising. So, the threats of rhesus attacks on offices are also on the rise,? says Mahaveer Singh, an NDMC officer who looks after the hiring of the langur guards by the city's civic agency. ?The trained langurs provide a very efficient service. But the pressure to stop using them is rising following the recent ban by the [urban development] ministry. I think we have to stop hiring our langur guards soon.
?But it will be very difficult to tackle the rhesus menace in the absence of these langur guards.?
Mr. Singh adds that the NDMC have 40 langur guards on its roll and the agency would be in big trouble if it faced further pressure and was finally forced to stop using them.
Some handlers say their langurs would not lose the jobs in Delhi that easily.
?All other strategies to keep the rhesus monkeys at bay in Delhi failed in the past,? says handler Mohammad Nishar.??Only our langurs can keep the parliament, courts, police stations, and other offices free from the rhesus menace. Powerful citizens are working at these places. I believe they will help amend the wildlife laws and will let our langurs continue their smart service.?
*?Monkey stories from India are a proud sub-genre of journalism. Here is?an archive of some of the best?stories.
NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports on the news conference between Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President ?Hamid Karzai.
By Andrea Mitchell and Jamieson Lesko, NBC News
Jason Reed / AP
Secretary of State John Kerry, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham, left, meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Monday.
KABUL -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has infuriated U.S. officials with anti-American rhetoric, on Monday denied suggesting that the U.S. was colluding with the Taliban to convince Afghans that foreign forces were needed in the country beyond 2014.?
In a joint news briefing with Secretary of State John Kerry, Karzai said the media misinterpreted comments he made during a visit by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on March 10.
Karzai said the point he was trying to make was that by continuing to bomb and kill innocent Afghans, the Taliban is giving a reason for the U.S. to stay.
It was the media, Karzai said, that misinterpreted that to mean collusion, a word he said he did not use.
?If they want the international forces to leave, the best thing to do is stop hurting Afghans,? Karzai said.
Kerry arrived in Afghanistan?s capital Monday on an unannounced visit that aims to repair fractured ties with President Hamid Karzai.
For his part, Kerry said the United States and Afghan leaders share the same goals ? bringing the Taliban into peace talks.
The meeting came on the same day the U.S. turned over the detention facility at the U.S.-run Bagram military base north of Kabul to Afghan control, which has been a priority for Karzai.?U.S. officials say they've been assured the most dangerous prisoners will not be released.
It is Kerry?s sixth visit to Afghanistan since President Barack Obama took office, but his first as secretary of state.
State Department officials told reporters traveling with Kerry that he is optimistic the U.S. and Afghanistan can overcome recent differences, including the awkward moment earlier this month when Karzai accused the U.S. and the Taliban of colluding to convince Afghans that foreign forces were needed beyond 2014.
The officials said Kerry was not in Kabul to lecture or chide Karzai, adding that he acknowledged the relationship was ?not always going to be easy.?
The secretary of state arrived in Kabul this morning just a day after another unannounced visit to Baghdad. Kerry plans to meet with Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai to discuss political and security issues. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Kerry is optimistic the two countries can move in from Karzai?s anti-U.S. rhetoric, which the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan warned was putting the lives of Western troops in danger.
Anja Niedringhaus / AP
An Afghan prisoner leaves with his belongings from the Parwan Detention Facility outside Kabul after the U.S. military gave control to Afghan authorities, Monday.
On Sunday, Kerry visited Iraq before leaving for dinner in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with Pakistan's powerful army chief of staff, Ashfaq Kayani.
The secretary of state is not visiting Pakistan during this trip as the country is in the midst of a political transition.
NBC News' Catherin Chomiak and Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.
Related:
Kerry urges Iraq to stop arms flow to Syria on Baghdad visit
Full Afghanistan coverage from NBC News
This story was originally published on Mon Mar 25, 2013 8:03 AM EDT
Researchers identify genetic sequence that helps to coordinate synthesis of DNA-packaging proteinsPublic release date: 24-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Les Lang llang@med.unc.edu 919-966-9366 University of North Carolina Health Care
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Every time a cell divides it makes a carbon copy of crucial ingredients, including the histone proteins that are responsible for spooling yards of DNA into tight little coils. When these spool-like proteins aren't made correctly, it can result in the genomic instability characteristic of most birth defects and cancers.
Seven years ago, Dr. Joe Gall of the Carnegie Institute in Baltimore, Md. and coworkers noticed an aggregation of molecules along a a block of genome that codes for the critical histones, but they had no idea how this aggregate or "histone locus body" was formed.
Now, research conducted in fruit flies at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has pinpointed a specific DNA sequence that both triggers the formation of this "histone locus body" and turns on all the histone genes in the entire block.
The finding, published March 25, 2013 in the journal Developmental Cell, provides a model for the coordinated synthesis of histones needed for assembly into chromatin, a process critical to keeping chromosomes intact and passing genetic information from generation to generation.
"Our study has uncovered a new relationship between nuclear architecture and gene activity," said senior study author Bob Duronio, PhD, professor of biology and genetics at UNC. "In order to make chromosomes properly, you need to make these histone building blocks at the right time and in the right amount. We found that the cell has evolved this complex architecture to do that properly, and that involves an interface between the assembly of various components and the turning on of a number of genes."
In the fruit fly, as in the human, the five different histone genes exist in one long chunk of the genome. The "histone locus" in flies contains 100 copies of each of the five genes, encompassing approximately 500,000 nucleotides of A's, C's, T's and G's. The proteins required for making the histone message a process that must happen every time a new strand of DNA is copied come together at this "histone locus" to form the "histone locus body."
Duronio and co-senior study author William Marzluff, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, wanted to figure out how these factors knew to meet at the histone locus.
They inserted different combinations of the five histone genes into another site of the genome, and looked to see which combinations recruited a new histone locus body. The researchers found that combinations that contained a specific 300 nucleotide sequence the region between the H3 and H4 histone genes formed a histone locus body. In contrast, combinations of genes that lacked this sequence did not form the body. They went on to show that this sequence turned on not only the H3 and H4 genes in its direct vicinity, but also other histone genes in the block.
Though the research was conducted entirely in fruit flies, it may lend insight into mechanisms that keep the genome from becoming unstable and causing early death or illness -- in higher organisms.
"Humans and flies have these very same histone genes. They have the same proteins in the histone locus body. So understanding precisely how this works in flies will help us understand cell division in humans," said Marzluff.
###
The research was funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health. Study co-authors from UNC include Harmony R. Salzler, Deirdre C. Tatomer, Pamela Y. Malek, Stephen L. McDaniel, and Anna N. Orlando.
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Researchers identify genetic sequence that helps to coordinate synthesis of DNA-packaging proteinsPublic release date: 24-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Les Lang llang@med.unc.edu 919-966-9366 University of North Carolina Health Care
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Every time a cell divides it makes a carbon copy of crucial ingredients, including the histone proteins that are responsible for spooling yards of DNA into tight little coils. When these spool-like proteins aren't made correctly, it can result in the genomic instability characteristic of most birth defects and cancers.
Seven years ago, Dr. Joe Gall of the Carnegie Institute in Baltimore, Md. and coworkers noticed an aggregation of molecules along a a block of genome that codes for the critical histones, but they had no idea how this aggregate or "histone locus body" was formed.
Now, research conducted in fruit flies at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has pinpointed a specific DNA sequence that both triggers the formation of this "histone locus body" and turns on all the histone genes in the entire block.
The finding, published March 25, 2013 in the journal Developmental Cell, provides a model for the coordinated synthesis of histones needed for assembly into chromatin, a process critical to keeping chromosomes intact and passing genetic information from generation to generation.
"Our study has uncovered a new relationship between nuclear architecture and gene activity," said senior study author Bob Duronio, PhD, professor of biology and genetics at UNC. "In order to make chromosomes properly, you need to make these histone building blocks at the right time and in the right amount. We found that the cell has evolved this complex architecture to do that properly, and that involves an interface between the assembly of various components and the turning on of a number of genes."
In the fruit fly, as in the human, the five different histone genes exist in one long chunk of the genome. The "histone locus" in flies contains 100 copies of each of the five genes, encompassing approximately 500,000 nucleotides of A's, C's, T's and G's. The proteins required for making the histone message a process that must happen every time a new strand of DNA is copied come together at this "histone locus" to form the "histone locus body."
Duronio and co-senior study author William Marzluff, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, wanted to figure out how these factors knew to meet at the histone locus.
They inserted different combinations of the five histone genes into another site of the genome, and looked to see which combinations recruited a new histone locus body. The researchers found that combinations that contained a specific 300 nucleotide sequence the region between the H3 and H4 histone genes formed a histone locus body. In contrast, combinations of genes that lacked this sequence did not form the body. They went on to show that this sequence turned on not only the H3 and H4 genes in its direct vicinity, but also other histone genes in the block.
Though the research was conducted entirely in fruit flies, it may lend insight into mechanisms that keep the genome from becoming unstable and causing early death or illness -- in higher organisms.
"Humans and flies have these very same histone genes. They have the same proteins in the histone locus body. So understanding precisely how this works in flies will help us understand cell division in humans," said Marzluff.
###
The research was funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health. Study co-authors from UNC include Harmony R. Salzler, Deirdre C. Tatomer, Pamela Y. Malek, Stephen L. McDaniel, and Anna N. Orlando.
[ | 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.
Hi, I am Safiya?and I am so excited to be your guest blogger on here today....thanks Connie. I blog at?Mon Petite Monde, where I share with my readers a little bit about my crafty life, from cooking, quilling or paper?filigree? sewing although I am still novice in that, and anything crafty I can make with recyclables and easily accessible materials!!
Since the bubble of Pinterest, the vast ideas you get from there as well as the huge sea of inspirations that never ceases to bore you, there was one thing that have kept behind in my head that i need to try it out. What I am gonna share with you might be not a new but I hope you enjoy it!!
My IKEA lamp had seen good old days, the rice paper shade was getting old, fading and tearing up. I needed a solution to make a long shade for it and the yarn and balloon was the perfect, cheap and best.I guess I am blabbering a lot in here so let's get into work, mind you this post might be heavily loaded with snaps :) First lets gather the materialsfabric starch, I used revive starch, its powder that you mix it with water depending on the stiffness you need for your clothYarn any color of your choice, I used dual coloured black and white yarn from DAISO JapanFirst try to make gluey instance by mixing the flour and starch along with the water, but not to thick, first time I had used white glue, but I found out using the mentioned above two makes the final product more sturdier and?the light?perfume smell of the starch is much better than the glue smell.Soak the yarn into the glue mixture without opening or spreading the yarn out otherwise you'll end up with tangled yarn, until its totally soaked. You can always use a hand glove to be on the safe side :)!! Cover the balloon with cling film, it will be easier when you pop the?balloon?or if you think of deflating the?balloon?and using it again, permitted the you didn't knot it too tight, like I did :D!! You must be wondering what is the orange doing in there? Well, you see my lil princess want to have the orange as a witness on what we are doing and wanted to capture it along!! Tie a little knot in the beginning and then beginning covering up the?balloon?with the yarn in whatever direction or pattern you like. If you like to have a light intricate design you don't have to take up all the yarn. For more sturdier and heavy design go for the full. And there waits the orange and my lil princess to finish up wrapping the balloon all over with the yarn :)!!Once you reach the end tie into a knot and that fix it in its place. Leave it to dry, and I mean completely dry, as it was winter it really took along time to dry out. If you pop the?balloon?before its completely dry your lamp shade might lose the desired shape.I let it out in my flat balcony on my laundry stand, mind you you'll have a mess to clean up later on :)!!
Once its dried you can pop off the balloon, or like me try to open up the knot of the?balloon?and see how it deflates away from the yarn. I was wondering if the balloon would fly up and down like usual when the air?goes?out of it along with the yarn, testing physics in there I guess! ?That's all the work in there, attach it to the cord if you are making a hanging lamp or just like mine just put it over the lamp stand and turn the lights on!! I just love the?intricate?design that makes up on the wall, it is so beautiful,?don't?you love it too!!Isn't that just amazing, depending on the size of the balloon you can see the design expanding on the ball if its a ceiling you'll just have a brilliant to gaze up on there too!!Connie here. Isn't this lamp beautiful? I love the patterns on the wall it creates! Thanks Safira for your wonderful tutorial. It was good to have you here today!?
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