Kentucky Down Syndrome Groups Have a Question for the Vice ...

Louisville, KY, October 02, 2012 ?(PR.com)? Advocates from across the Commonwealth have a question for Martha Raddatz, the Vice Presidential Debate moderator, to ask Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan: should it be U. S. policy for Down syndrome to be prevented through prenatal testing?

?Under the health care reform law, preventive care regulations require no-cost prenatal testing for genetic and developmental conditions,? explained Mark Leach, President of Down Syndrome of Louisville, whose daughter has the genetic condition that causes developmental delay. ?Prenatal testing does nothing to prevent Down syndrome, so why is this required as part of health care reform?s preventive care measures??

According to the National Down Syndrome Society, the life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has more than doubled since the 1980?s, from 25 in 1983 to 60 today. This improvement in both quantity and quality of life is due, in part, to key pieces of federal legislation.

Beginning in the 1970?s, federal law began to require early intervention therapies and inclusion in public schools. These measures progressed to include individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities in their communities and in work places. But, advocates fear the progress made against discrimination and in favor of acceptance could be reversed if the current policy is allowed to remain.

Where governmental policy reduces the cost of prenatal testing, more expectant mothers accept it and fewer children with Down syndrome are born. This can result in those having children with Down syndrome being stigmatized, particularly if there is a governmental policy to ?prevent? Down syndrome.

?Prenatal testing is a very personal decision,? said Dr. Harold Kleinert, director of the University of Kentucky?s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and a board member of Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky. ?In 2011, the Kentucky state contract for Medicaid management initially required coverage for prenatal testing for Down syndrome for all expectant mothers, without any requirements whatsoever that expectant mothers be given accurate information about Down syndrome. Through public debate we changed that, but now the issue is at the federal level with little to no public debate taking place.?

With the Vice-Presidential debate being held in their home state, advocates say it is time for this question to be raised.

?We recently held our annual walk where 1,500 of our fellow Kentuckians came together to celebrate October being National Down Syndrome Awareness Month,? said Nancy Combow, Vice-President of Down Syndrome of South Central Kentucky. ?I have a six-year old son with Down syndrome. I want to know why U.S. regulations now say prenatal testing should be used to prevent those like him from being part of our society. It?s a question that needs to be asked.?

Advocates from across Kentucky hope that at the October 11 debate at Centre College Ms. Raddatz will ask the candidates that question.

About Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky
Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky (DSACK) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization which serves children and adults with Down syndrome, their families, and interested professionals in the Central Kentucky area. DSACK provides emotional, educational and social support to families in need and focuses on current and future planning for families and their loved ones with Down syndrome, through seminars, group meetings, social activities, and informational materials.

For additional information about DSACK, visit http://dsack.org/.

About Down Syndrome of Louisville
Down Syndrome of Louisville (DSL) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission of improving the lives of people with Down syndrome and their families by providing support, information, education, and advocacy for their rights and concerns. In the past year, DSL has opened its Louisville campus? Lifelong Learning Center, expanded its services to Southern Indiana, and will soon be opening another Lifelong Learning Center in Clarksville, Indiana.

For additional information about DSL, visit http://downsyndromeoflouisville.org/.

About Down Syndrome of South Central Kentucky
Down Syndrome of South Central Kentucky (DSSCKY) is a 501?(3) non-profit organization serving primarily Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Logan, Simpson, and Warren Counties. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome and their families by providing support, information, education, resources, networking, and activities, while advocating in the community and state.

For additional information about DSSCKY, visit: http://www.dssky.org/.

Contact: Mark W. Leach
Phone: 502.938.4864 mobile or 502.681.0583 office
e-mail: mleach@stites.com

Contact Information:
Down Syndrome of Louisville
Mark W. Leach
(502) 938-4864
Contact via Email

https://twitter.com/MarkWLeach

Click here to read the full story: Kentucky Down Syndrome Groups Have a Question for the Vice Presidential Debate

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Source: http://health.rambergmedia.com/kentucky-down-syndrome-groups-have-a-question-for-the-vice-presidential-debate/

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DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog: RootsTech: 21-23 March 2013

DearREADERS,
Here's a bit more on the 2013 conference from our friends at RootsTech.?This announcement marks a change from "developers and techies only" to an "everyone is invited" lineup of sessions, exhibits and events. Why it was only last year there was an issue about not allowing book vendors that was eventually overcome. BRAVO, RootsTech for opening the doors to real collaboration and learning! RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the United States in only two years, has announced the opening of its early bird registration for RootsTech 2013. The conference uniquely focuses on helping individuals at all skill levels to use the latest resources and technology to?find,?organize,?preserve, and?share?their family's connections and history. The conference will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, March 21-23, 2013. For more information, go to??RootsTech.org.?

RootsTech 2013 will have content for young and old alike, regardless of expertise. World-class speakers from all over the country will address the latest topics and challenges, and there will be an exciting exhibitor hall with hands-on labs and demonstrations from 100+ product and service providers. Attendees can choose from over 250 classes to learn how to start their family history, solve personal research problems, and find better solutions for connecting with their family.?

Conference Costs

Full 3-Day Pass$149 (Ends December 31, 2012)?
Full One-Day Only Pass?$89
Student 3-Day Pass$39 (School ID required)
Getting Started?3-Day Pass$39(Early Bird)
Getting Started?One-Day Pass$19 (Selection of fundamental classes)
Developer Day Pass$89 (Full-day technology program for developers)

Beginners

Those who are new to family history can attend a full track of Getting Started classes and labs to:

  • Learn the basics of starting your family history.
  • Discover 10 activities you can do to get started.
  • Get hands-on experience with family history tools.
  • Additional classes for LDS Church members: Learn the importance of family history, the basics to start your family tree, and how to qualify your ancestors' names for temple work

Experienced Genealogists

Attend hands-on workshops and interactive classes to:

  • Expand your skills and knowledge to accelerate your research.
  • Help influence the future of genealogy.
  • Learn and share new ways to adapt technologies to genealogy.
  • Help leading-edge technology providers better understand your needs.
  • Participate in panels, product demos, and many networking opportunities.

Developers

Developer Day (Friday, March 22, 2013) sessions are specifically designed to help participants:?

  • Explore the latest development techniques using:
    • Cloud computing
    • Mobile apps
    • Social networking
    • Geo-mapping
  • Learn practical software development skills from industry leaders and pioneers.
  • Create solutions to difficult problems in a rapidly-growing market segment.
  • Access sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors that provide tools and services to enable innovations

About RootsTech

RootsTech is a unique conference focused on helping individuals learn and use the latest technology to get started or accelerate their efforts to?find,?organize,preserve?and?share?their family's connections and history. The first annual conference was held in 2011, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by leading genealogical organizations, the conference includes hands-on demonstrations and forums to provide a highly interactive environment and accelerate learning. Content is geared to young and old, beginner to advanced levels.



Disclosure: It's my honor to serve as an official RootsTech 2013 Blogger, meaning I'll be granted free access to all events and class sessions.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt ? ? :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.


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Source: http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2012/10/rootstech-21-23-march-2013.html

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Duke Medicine news -- Children underrepresented in drug studies

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Oct-2012
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Contact: Sarah Avery
sarah.avery@duke.edu
919-660-1306
Duke University Medical Center

DURHAM, N.C. The number of clinical trials enrolling children is far lower than for adults, and the scope of research is also narrower, according to an analysis of public-access data conducted by researchers at Duke University.

The findings, reported online Oct. 1, 2012, in the journal Pediatrics, quantify an imbalance that has been observed in recent years and highlights an issue that has generated concern among health leaders and policymakers alike.

"Although children comprise one-quarter of the population in the United States, they are greatly underrepresented in the clinical trial process that is designed to lead to new and better therapies, determine appropriate drug dosages and establish standards of practice," said Sara K. Pasquali, M.D., MHS, first author of the study.

The analysis was launched as part of the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI), a public-private partnership founded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Duke University to identify practices that will improve the quality and efficiency of clinical trials.

Pasquali, who is now co-director of the Michigan Congenital Heart Outcomes Research and Discovery Program at the University of Michigan, said the study looked at more than 60,000 research trials from 2005 to 2010 using data entered into the ClinicalTrials.gov registry. The on-line registry, mandated by Congress in 1997, was intended to improve patient access to clinical trials and provide greater transparency of trial results and data.

The researchers found that just over 5,000 of those trials were specifically designed to enroll children under the age of 18. Pasquali said the low number of clinical trials enrolling children is likely the result of several factors, including the rarity and diversity of many pediatric diseases, which makes them difficult to study; lack of pediatric research infrastructure; ethical issues associated with testing on children; and difficulty in establishing which endpoints or outcomes of the investigational therapies should be evaluated.

"Many pediatric diseases are relatively rare, as opposed to something like adult coronary artery disease. As a result, it can take much more time to build a research infrastructure, often involving multiple hospitals, to enroll enough patients in a study," Pasquali said. "But with fewer studies to guide therapeutic decisions, treatments and outcomes for young patients often vary widely from center to center."

The researchers also found that enrollments tended to be small in the studies that were conducted with children, making it difficult to obtain clinically meaningful information that could be generalized across larger populations. Study authors suggested that resources might be better spent on larger trials aimed at answering the most pressing questions, rather than on numerous small trials.

The most common areas of study for the pediatric trials included infectious diseases/vaccine studies (23 percent) and psychiatric/mental health studies (13 percent).

"For the vast majority of therapies used on children every day in United States and around the world, clinicians lack basic data to support decisions about the correct dosage, the best type of medication to use, and the appropriate situations to provide treatment," Pasquali said. "Without that information, it really puts physicians and the children we're treating at a significant disadvantage."

Jennifer Li, M.D., MHS, senior author of the study and a member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, said the analysis provides clarity on an issue that researchers, funders and policymakers have been working to resolve in recent years. Several initiatives have already been passed to help ease the problem, including the FDA Modernization Act in 1997, the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act in 2002, the Pediatric Research Equity Act in 2003 and the FDA Amendments Act in 2007.

"Conducting clinical trials with children is a complex issue they are not volunteers, they are dissimilar in terms of size and disease condition, and the number of patients is a lot less than what we would find among adults," Li said. "This analysis provides one snapshot in time, and it's good to know what the research landscape is so that we can address where we should focus our efforts."

###

In addition to Pasquali and Li, study authors include Wendy K. Lam, PhD, of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute; and Karen Chiswell, PhD, of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI); and Alex R. Kemper, M.D., MPH, MS of Duke's Department of Pediatrics and the DCRI.

The study was supported with funding from the cooperative agreement awarded by the FDA to Duke University in support of the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (U19 FD003800).

Further information about CTTI and its projects can be found at www.ctti-clinicaltrials.org



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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Sarah Avery
sarah.avery@duke.edu
919-660-1306
Duke University Medical Center

DURHAM, N.C. The number of clinical trials enrolling children is far lower than for adults, and the scope of research is also narrower, according to an analysis of public-access data conducted by researchers at Duke University.

The findings, reported online Oct. 1, 2012, in the journal Pediatrics, quantify an imbalance that has been observed in recent years and highlights an issue that has generated concern among health leaders and policymakers alike.

"Although children comprise one-quarter of the population in the United States, they are greatly underrepresented in the clinical trial process that is designed to lead to new and better therapies, determine appropriate drug dosages and establish standards of practice," said Sara K. Pasquali, M.D., MHS, first author of the study.

The analysis was launched as part of the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI), a public-private partnership founded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Duke University to identify practices that will improve the quality and efficiency of clinical trials.

Pasquali, who is now co-director of the Michigan Congenital Heart Outcomes Research and Discovery Program at the University of Michigan, said the study looked at more than 60,000 research trials from 2005 to 2010 using data entered into the ClinicalTrials.gov registry. The on-line registry, mandated by Congress in 1997, was intended to improve patient access to clinical trials and provide greater transparency of trial results and data.

The researchers found that just over 5,000 of those trials were specifically designed to enroll children under the age of 18. Pasquali said the low number of clinical trials enrolling children is likely the result of several factors, including the rarity and diversity of many pediatric diseases, which makes them difficult to study; lack of pediatric research infrastructure; ethical issues associated with testing on children; and difficulty in establishing which endpoints or outcomes of the investigational therapies should be evaluated.

"Many pediatric diseases are relatively rare, as opposed to something like adult coronary artery disease. As a result, it can take much more time to build a research infrastructure, often involving multiple hospitals, to enroll enough patients in a study," Pasquali said. "But with fewer studies to guide therapeutic decisions, treatments and outcomes for young patients often vary widely from center to center."

The researchers also found that enrollments tended to be small in the studies that were conducted with children, making it difficult to obtain clinically meaningful information that could be generalized across larger populations. Study authors suggested that resources might be better spent on larger trials aimed at answering the most pressing questions, rather than on numerous small trials.

The most common areas of study for the pediatric trials included infectious diseases/vaccine studies (23 percent) and psychiatric/mental health studies (13 percent).

"For the vast majority of therapies used on children every day in United States and around the world, clinicians lack basic data to support decisions about the correct dosage, the best type of medication to use, and the appropriate situations to provide treatment," Pasquali said. "Without that information, it really puts physicians and the children we're treating at a significant disadvantage."

Jennifer Li, M.D., MHS, senior author of the study and a member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, said the analysis provides clarity on an issue that researchers, funders and policymakers have been working to resolve in recent years. Several initiatives have already been passed to help ease the problem, including the FDA Modernization Act in 1997, the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act in 2002, the Pediatric Research Equity Act in 2003 and the FDA Amendments Act in 2007.

"Conducting clinical trials with children is a complex issue they are not volunteers, they are dissimilar in terms of size and disease condition, and the number of patients is a lot less than what we would find among adults," Li said. "This analysis provides one snapshot in time, and it's good to know what the research landscape is so that we can address where we should focus our efforts."

###

In addition to Pasquali and Li, study authors include Wendy K. Lam, PhD, of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute; and Karen Chiswell, PhD, of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI); and Alex R. Kemper, M.D., MPH, MS of Duke's Department of Pediatrics and the DCRI.

The study was supported with funding from the cooperative agreement awarded by the FDA to Duke University in support of the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (U19 FD003800).

Further information about CTTI and its projects can be found at www.ctti-clinicaltrials.org



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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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/dumc-dmn092712.php

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'Superweeds' linked to rising herbicide use in GM crops

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 2-Oct-2012
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Contact: Charles Benbrook
cbenbrook@wsu.edu
541-828-7918
Washington State University

Pesticide use up in GM cotton, soybeans, corn

PULLMAN, Wash. -- A study published this week by Washington State University research professor Charles Benbrook finds that the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops -- cotton, soybeans and corn -- has actually increased. This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service. Benbrook's analysis is the first peer-reviewed, published estimate of the impacts of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant (HT) crops on pesticide use.

In the study, which appeared in the the open-access, peer-reviewed journal "Environmental Sciences Europe," Benbrook writes that the emergence and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds is strongly correlated with the upward trajectory in herbicide use. Marketed as Roundup and other trade names, glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds. Approximately 95 percent of soybean and cotton acres, and over 85 percent of corn, are planted to varieties genetically modified to be herbicide resistant.

"Resistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops, and are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percent," Benbrook said.

The annual increase in the herbicides required to deal with tougher-to-control weeds on cropland planted to GE cultivars has grown from 1.5 million pounds in 1999 to about 90 million pounds in 2011.

Herbicide-tolerant crops worked extremely well in the first few years of use, Benbrook's analysis shows, but over-reliance may have led to shifts in weed communities and the spread of resistant weeds that force farmers to increase herbicide application rates (especially glyphosate), spray more often, and add new herbicides that work through an alternate mode of action into their spray programs.

###

A detailed summary of the study's major findings, along with important definitions of terms used in the study, are available online at http://bit.ly/esebenbrookmajor. Benbrook's study, "Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S. -- the first sixteen years," is available online at http://bit.ly/esebenbrook2012.


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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 2-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Charles Benbrook
cbenbrook@wsu.edu
541-828-7918
Washington State University

Pesticide use up in GM cotton, soybeans, corn

PULLMAN, Wash. -- A study published this week by Washington State University research professor Charles Benbrook finds that the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops -- cotton, soybeans and corn -- has actually increased. This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service. Benbrook's analysis is the first peer-reviewed, published estimate of the impacts of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant (HT) crops on pesticide use.

In the study, which appeared in the the open-access, peer-reviewed journal "Environmental Sciences Europe," Benbrook writes that the emergence and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds is strongly correlated with the upward trajectory in herbicide use. Marketed as Roundup and other trade names, glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds. Approximately 95 percent of soybean and cotton acres, and over 85 percent of corn, are planted to varieties genetically modified to be herbicide resistant.

"Resistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops, and are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percent," Benbrook said.

The annual increase in the herbicides required to deal with tougher-to-control weeds on cropland planted to GE cultivars has grown from 1.5 million pounds in 1999 to about 90 million pounds in 2011.

Herbicide-tolerant crops worked extremely well in the first few years of use, Benbrook's analysis shows, but over-reliance may have led to shifts in weed communities and the spread of resistant weeds that force farmers to increase herbicide application rates (especially glyphosate), spray more often, and add new herbicides that work through an alternate mode of action into their spray programs.

###

A detailed summary of the study's major findings, along with important definitions of terms used in the study, are available online at http://bit.ly/esebenbrookmajor. Benbrook's study, "Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S. -- the first sixteen years," is available online at http://bit.ly/esebenbrook2012.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/wsu-lt100112.php

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93% Farewell, My Queen

If you are expecting a French film chronicling the last days of Marie Antoinette, then you may be in for a slight disappointment. Brilliantly directed by the Benoit Jacquot (who also co-wrote the much less impressive script) and starring Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette and Lea Seydoux, who plays one of the Queen's readers named Sidonie Laborde, and is also the protagonist of this film (for some reason) "Farewell, My Queen" is advertised as the story of the last days of Marie Antoinette, but it's more like the somewhat muted story of the two months before the "last days" of Marie Antoinette. So, even though "Farewell, My Queen" is a better movie than Sofia Coppola's ill advised, indie rock inspired, "Marie Antoinette", due to the faux-final-days story structure, in conjunction with the fact that "Farewell, My Queen" uses Marie Antoinette as a side character, telling the story from the point of view of Sidonie Laborde (a nobody) this is a film which may have many audiences scratching their heads as to why the need to show this particular moment in the life of Marie Antoinette. As I alluded to above, "Farewell My Queen" chronicles a miniscule portion in time during the last months of Marie Antoinette's reign. However, audiences are not treated to "the good part", or the part they undoubtedly came to see. What I mean by this is there are almost no visuals of the actual Revolution, plus (and more importantly) we don't actually get to witness the final days of Marie Antoinette's life simply because "Farewell, My Queen" curiously plays out through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting. Instead, audiences are forced to sit through a pseudo-love story that focuses not on the very interesting end of Marie Antoinette's reign, but on the minutiae right before it! This film is the equivalent of sitting through the love story of Jack and Rose, with the movie ending just before the Titanic strikes the iceberg. Yes, I am aware that this is a script which was adapted from a critically acclaimed novel by Chantal Thomas, BUT it still doesn't make the story's focus any less misguided. I mean, there are some scenes which do attempt to create a somewhat intriguing love story, an aspect which must be fully accredited to some fantastic mood setting by Jacquot, but in the same vein, this film never rises above said simplistic love story. Side Note: Another issue many audiences will likely come across is how frivolously "Farewell, My Queen" throws its viewers right into the deep end of this story, with little exposition. In fact, the greatest individual flaw which hinders "Farewell, My Queen" will be seen in the audiences immediate realization that neither Jacquot's visuals or the engaging performances (which I will speak about later) are going to give those not formally versed in the players of the French Revolution and the fall of Versailles, the background information they may desperately desire, as this film half-introduces more and more characters of seeming importance. So, do yourself a favor, if you are going to see "Farewell, My Queen" (at the very least) peruse the Marie Antoinette Wiki page before going to see this film. With that said, the visuals (the set design in conjunction with the director) are somewhat breathtaking at times, due to Jacquot making some very brave directorial choices, including tons of long takes which trail behind characters as they weave in and out of crowds, giving audiences an intimate feeling of the atmosphere of late 1700's France, and a few beautifully constructed shots of the landscapes. And I guess it doesn't hurt that the two female leads, Seydoux and Kruger, both give engaging performances. But even if Kruger's interpretation of Antoinette is one of the best I've ever seen and Seydoux is so captivating to watch as she effortlessly takes control of the movie every time she is on screen, there is simply not enough in the story or the writing to give reasoning to the eccentric behavior or motives behind the actions of Marie Antoinette or (more importantly) give a reason as to why Sidonie is so infatuated with her. So, even though, in the latter half of the film (more than an hour in) Jacquot does create an atmosphere which allows these characters to somewhat blossom, many will find it hard to care about a Marie Antoinette story that contains no beheadings. Final Thought: Based on a "last days" plot which attempts to imitate a much better film like "Downfall", even with some spectacular direction and two engaging female performances, "Farewell, My Queen" is nothing more than this year's "My Week With Marilyn", telling a story which focuses on characters nobody really cares about, rather than simply creating a storyline around the life/last days of (in this case) Marie Antoinette. So, even if you are a Marie Antoinette fan, with the overall structure the way it is, "Farewell, My Queen" is nothing more than DVD worthy at best. Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus Find more reviews at: movieswithmarkusonline.blogspot.com

August 2, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/farewell_my_queen/

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Huge tax increase looms at year-end 'fiscal cliff'

FILE-In this Monday, April 18, 2011, file photo, Max Martinez, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, tries to alert motorists on the final day to file taxes. A typical middle-income family making $40,000 to $64,000 a year could see its taxes go up by $2,000 in 2013 if lawmakers fail to renew a lengthy roster of tax cuts set to expire at the end of 2012, according to a new report Monday, Oct. 1, 2012. Taxpayers across the income spectrum would be hit with large tax hikes, the Tax Policy Center said in its study, with households in the top 1 percent income range seeing an average tax increase of more than $120,000, while a family making between $110,000 to $140,000 could see a tax hike in the $6,000 range. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

FILE-In this Monday, April 18, 2011, file photo, Max Martinez, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, tries to alert motorists on the final day to file taxes. A typical middle-income family making $40,000 to $64,000 a year could see its taxes go up by $2,000 in 2013 if lawmakers fail to renew a lengthy roster of tax cuts set to expire at the end of 2012, according to a new report Monday, Oct. 1, 2012. Taxpayers across the income spectrum would be hit with large tax hikes, the Tax Policy Center said in its study, with households in the top 1 percent income range seeing an average tax increase of more than $120,000, while a family making between $110,000 to $140,000 could see a tax hike in the $6,000 range. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(AP) ? A typical middle-income family making $40,000 to $64,000 a year could see its taxes go up by $2,000 next year if lawmakers fail to renew a lengthy roster of tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, according to a new report Monday

Taxpayers across the income spectrum would be hit with large tax hikes, the Tax Policy Center said in its study, with households in the top 1 percent income range seeing an average tax increase of more than $120,000, while a family making between $110,000 to $140,000 could see a tax hike in the $6,000 range.

Taxpayers across the income spectrum will get slammed with increases totaling more than $500 billion ? a more than 20 percent increase ? with nine out of 10 households being affected by the expiration of tax cuts enacted under both President Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush.

The expiring provisions include Bush-era cuts on wage and investment income and cuts for married couples and families with children, among others. Also expiring is a 2 percentage point temporary payroll tax cut championed by Obama.

The looming expiration of the large roster of tax cuts is one of the issues confronting voters in November, with the chief difference between Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney being the tax treatment of wealthier earners. Obama is calling for permitting rates on individual income exceeding $200,000 and family incoming over $250,000 to go back to Clinton-era rates of as much as 39.6 percent.

Both candidates call for rewriting the tax code next year, but any such effort promises to be difficult and could take considerable time.

Monday's study, by the independent Tax Policy Center, deals with the immediate increases set to slap taxpayers in January under the existing framework of the tax code.

Few are talking of renewing Obama's payroll tax cut, even though that would mean a healthy tax increase for many working people. Working families with modest incomes would be hit hard as the child tax credit would shrink from a maximum of $1,000 per child to $500.

As a result, a married couple earning $50,000 with three dependent children that currently receives an almost $1,500 income tax refund largely due to the child tax credit would see their fortunes reversed by more than $3,000 next year and pay more than $1,500 in income taxes while seeing their payroll taxes go up by $1,000 if the full menu of tax cuts expire.

"It's just a huge, huge number," said Eric Toder, one of the authors of the study.

Economists warn that the looming tax hikes, combined with $109 billion in automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect in January, could throw the fragile economy back into recession if Washington doesn't act. The automatic spending cuts are coming due because of the failure of last year's deficit "supercommittee" to strike a bargain. The combination of the sharp tax hikes and spending cuts has been dubbed a "fiscal cliff."

"The fiscal cliff threatens an unprecedented tax increase at year end," says the report. "Taxes would rise by more than $500 billion in 2013 ? an average of almost $3,500 per household ? as almost every tax cuts enacted since 2001 would expire."

Cumulatively, the country would see a 5 percentage point jump in its average tax rate, which works out to taxes on the top 1 percent jumping by more than 7 percentage points and about 4 percentage points for most people earning below $100,000 a year.

Put another way, people in the $40,000-$64,000 income range would see their average federal tax rate jump from 14 percent to 17.8 percent ? or an increase in their overall federal bill of 27 percent.

All told, almost 90 percent of all households would face a tax increase, though the top 20 percent of earners would bear 60 percent of the overall cost. Across all households the tax increases would average almost $3,500.

The expiration of cuts on capital gains and stock dividends is a key reason why wealthier people would see a higher increase in their tax burdens.

Republicans controlling the House have also called for the expiration of Obama-backed tax cuts for the working poor, including expansions of the earned income and child tax credits.

But all sides are calling for the renewal of Bush-era tax rates for everyone else. Without a renewal of those rates, a married couple would pay a 28 percent rate on taxable income exceeding $72,300 instead of the 25 percent rate they now pay. And the 10 percent rate paid on the first $8,900 of income would jump to 15 percent.

The new top rate of 39.6 percent would kick in for income over $397,000. The current top rate is 35 percent rate.

The Tax Policy Center is a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-10-01-US-Fiscal-Cliff-Taxes/id-6b204c6dcc4b4d36a4f590ee9e828e3c

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Form of small pox virus shows potential for treating triple-negative breast cancer

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2012) ? Researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City have shown that a new vaccinia virus, acting as both an oncolytic and anti-angiogenic agent, can enter and kill triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Study findings presented October 1 at the 2012 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons could lead to a more targeted therapy against this deadly form of breast cancer.

According to the medical literature, TNBC is a form of breast cancer that is responsible for 10 to 20 percent of all breast cancer cases. TNBC is most likely to occur in younger women (<35 years old), especially if they are African American or Hispanic. It is difficult to treat because women with TNBC lack three types of receptors -- estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 -- that would allow them to benefit from existing hormonal and immune therapies. Although women diagnosed with TNBC, especially in later stages, do initially respond to chemotherapy, these tumors tend to be more aggressive and more likely to recur.

"We still don't have an understanding as to why this cancer is so aggressive and tends to recur after treatment," said Sepideh Gholami, MD, lead study author and surgical resident at Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA. "One of the reasons I wanted to focus on TNBC is that there aren't many long-term treatment options for these patients." But oncolytic viruses, which can exploit the unique vulnerabilities of these specific cancer cells, are being intensely studied by the Yuman Fong, MD, research laboratory at MSKCC, and have shown promising results.

"The reason we used the vaccinia virus is that it is a member of the small pox family, and, as we know, small pox vaccine has been given to millions of people to eradicate small pox. So we thought it would be safer and more promising in terms of a clinical trial and actual application," Dr. Gholami said. "Our research is an extension of previous work performed in Dr. Fong's research lab, but it looks at a new oncolytic virus that targets TNBC with a dual effect," she added. The Clinical Congress is the first time research findings using this particular approach have been publicly presented, she said.

In this study, Dr. Gholami and her colleagues at MSKCC wanted to determine whether a new vaccinia virus, called GLV-1h164, carrying a protein that targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), could destroy TNBC tumors in a mouse animal model. TNBC has higher levels of VEGF, which can promote angiogenesis, the process by which tumors recruit blood vessels to support their growth.

First, researchers infected TNBC cells with the virus and achieved a more than 90 per-cent cell kill in the TNBC cells within four days of treatment with the virus. Next, researchers generated TNBC tumors in a mouse model. After treating the tumors with the virus, and measuring the change in tumor size over three weeks, they found extensive tumor destruction.

"Based upon pathology, we could see that at least 60 percent of the tumors were completely regressed and the other 40 percent had very little areas of tumor cells present with a lot of necrosis, which is a sign that the tumor was responding to therapy," Dr. Gholami said. This specific virus not only infects and breaks down cancer cells but also inhibits tumor blood vessel growth. "We performed ultrasound imaging of the tumors and we saw a significant reduction in blood flow supplied to treated tumors with our new virus. More specifically, when we looked at the stained vasculature of the tumors, the treated tumors showed at least one half of what control mice did," Dr. Gholami reported.

These findings will allow the researchers to take the next step toward designing a clinical trial and evaluating the safety of this new virus in patients with TNBC, she concluded.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American College of Surgeons, 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:

  1. Brian D. Lehmann, Joshua A. Bauer, Xi Chen, Melinda E. Sanders, A. Bapsi Chakravarthy, Yu Shyr, Jennifer A. Pietenpol. Identification of human triple-negative breast cancer subtypes and preclinical models for selection of targeted therapies. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2011; 121 (7): 2750 DOI: 10.1172/JCI45014

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/0R0Z-pNq7GY/121001141433.htm

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Where to eat in October: Tastes of home with soul-filled food from 24 ...

Perhaps it?s the transition into fall and the longing for cooler weather that?s sparked a sentimental chord, but this month, we?re focusing on dining spots that all evoke the same thing at their core: a taste of home.

If you find yourself looking for a warm, home-cooked type of meal, you can?t go wrong with any of our Where to Eat picks for October.

24 Diner?

Hardly reminiscent of the greasy old pits you find on along the highway, 24 Diner is a bright and sunshiny locale giving a warmhearted nod to classic, homestyle American dishes ? for breakfast, lunch and dinner ? with a modern twist and a deep commitment to fresh, local foods.

Say the name of this place around a group of friends and you?ll immediately illicit a list of favorite dishes. ?The mussels!? ?No, the bacon, avocado burger is the best.? ?My favorite is the chicken and mashed potatoes.? If you ask me, it?s the fried egg sandwich with bacon on a slightly sweet pain au lait bun that says it all. The truth is, it?s all good. And it?s all done in the spirit of home.

Even more of a treat is taking advantage of the special dinners chef Andrew Curren and his wife Mary Catherine host periodically throughout the year, where the two concoct a menu drawing on other influences in their culinary history. Take for instance a recent Monday five-course meal paired with beers from California-based Lagunitas Brewing Company where Curren prepared a Mexican-inspired menu that included seared octopus and red-snapper ceviche and a rich and earthy chicken mole served with crispy fried corn cakes.

Mary Catherine worked her magic with a fruity apricot-guajillo chile flan reminding the packed house that at 24 Diner, there?s a lot more to home cooking than just classic American cuisine.

?Those who fell in love with the hearty, and somewhat gamey, homestyle cooking of Chef James Holmes will soon be able to welcome some of his signature dishes back to the Olivia menu.?

Kom?

For someone who lives south of the river, Kom? isn't?exactly in my neighborhood, but sometimes the best things in life are those that require a little effort. And in truth, it's a solid place for good, traditional style sushi. This little Airport Blvd. restaurant is the creation of Takehiro and Kayo Asazu, two native Japanese ex-pats who longed for the comfort of homestyle traditional Japanese food. More than that, they wanted to open their warm memories of home into a public dining room for all to enjoy.

The Kom? Vich?, a ceviche including madai (Japanese bream), salmon and mango is vibrant and fresh, the tempura is light and flaky. The camembert cheese tempura served with honey is more for those craving something rich and decadent. And for lunch on a cool fall day, you can't beat a warming bowl of ramen ? I like the miso ramen with tender pork and greens the best.?

Olivia

Olivia chef/owner James Holmes is back in the kitchen of his first restaurant after making sure his second concept, Lucy?s Fried Chicken, was up and running. What may be a bittersweet exit for chef Andrew Francisco whose refined skill wowed Olivia regulars (and will likely do the same when he opens Mettle with Bridget Dunlap), those who fell in love with the hearty, and somewhat gamey, homestyle cooking of Holmes will soon be able to welcome some of his signature dishes back to the menu.

Items such as goat ?fries? make their return as does a rotation of Holmes? favorite recipes for mussels. As for brunch, we can still look forward to such Sunday favorites as house-cured salmon with pumpernickel and all the fixin's or the creamy Southern classic of shrimp and grits made with gouda cheese.

Olivia may have been in more than capable hands with Chef Francisco, but with Holmes back in the saddle, the only appropriate thing to say is, ?Welcome home, chef.?

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF AN EDITORIAL SPECIAL SERIES

Source: http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-26-12-22-49-where-to-eat-in-october-bringing-it-home-with-soul-filled-food/

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Tips For Great Sex After Prostate Cancer

It's very likely that whichever prostate cancer treatment you choose - prostatectomy surgery, hormone therapy, brachytherapy, external beam radiation, or HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) - you will see an impact on your sex life. Exactly how depends on which method you choose and your dedication to getting back in bed.

"Once patients are assured that they will have sex after prostate removal surgery, they can shift their focus to enjoying sex as soon as possible," encourages Dr. David Samadi, creator of the SMART (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) robotic prostate removal surgery.

Modern treatment techniques and experience (and maybe a hot, young wife) give men a tremendous leg up in sexual recovery after prostate cancer, but men have to play an active role as well. Here's how:

Mentally limit prostate cancer to just another part of your evolving sex life. "The reality is that sex changes for every man as he goes through each decade of his life. For some men, prostate cancer is part of that progression," says Samadi who works closely with men and their partners before and after prostate cancer. With dedication, eighty-five percent (85%) of his patients regain sexual potency in 12-24 months.

Samadi has performed more than 4,000 successful robotic prostatectomy procedures as Vice Chairman, Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.
?


Source: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/tips_great_sex_after_prostate_cancer-94702

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11/10 Oregon Ducks at California Golden Bears

XX 5 2 $56 Select

Elevated 5th Row in the Gold Zone

XX 6 2 $56 Select

Elevated 6th Row in the Gold Zone

XX 7 3 $56 Select

Elevated 7th Row in the Gold Zone

BB 6 9 $60 Select

Elevated 6th Row in the Gold Zone

BB 7 11 $60 Select

Elevated 7th Row in the Gold Zone

PP 45 7 $60 Select Q 33 6 $60 Select W 9 3 $63 Select C 9 11 $64 Select B 5 4 $66 Select

Elevated 5th Row in the Gold Zone

B 6 6 $66 Select

Elevated 6th Row in the Gold Zone

B 7 14 $66 Select

Elevated 7th Row in the Gold Zone

C 7 11 $66 Select C 8 11 $66 Select C 10 12 $66 Select W 7 4 $66 Select W 15 9 $66 Select

Tickets will be ready to ship by 11/06/2012.

V 18 7 $67 Select V 17 12 $69 Select X 4 2 $69 Select W 3 2 $70 Select CC 4 2 $71 Select W 6 6 $71 Select W 23 2 $71 Select V 16 14 $72 Select WW 2 2 $72 Select X 9 6 $73 Select W 22 7 $74 Select W 29 6 $74 Select P*A*R*KING UNDERHILL L*O*T 1 $75 Select

UNDERHILL LOT LEVELS 1 3 or 4 PARKING PASS

V 15 14 $75 Select U 30 1 $76 Select V 6 7 $76 Select V 11 11 $76 Select V 14 13 $76 Select W 11 12 $77 Select W 12 12 $77 Select V 13 13 $79 Select W 20 3 $79 Select W 21 2 $79 Select W 21 2 $79 Select BB 4 2 $80 Select Q 15 9 $81 Select Q 16 9 $81 Select CC 14 2 $82 Select K 26 3 $83 Select K 29 3 $83 Select K 31 5 $83 Select U 13 3 $83 Select W 10 7 $83 Select C 6 8 $84 Select CC 6 4 $84 Select B 43 4 $85 Select

Tickets will be ready to ship by 11/06/2012.

C 5 8 $85 Select

5 Rows from the Field...Near End Zone

UU 56 8 $85 Select XX 12 2 $85 Select Q 11 6 $86 Select Q 44 9 $86 Select

44th Row on Home Side Near New Alumni ** Goal Line to 10-Yard Line

Q 48 15 $86 Select

48th Row on Home Side Near New Alumni ** Goal Line to 10-Yard Line

U 44 2 $86 Select UU 47 17 $86 Select UU 49 22 $86 Select U 14 2 $88 Select W 17 4 $88 Select K 16 5 $89 Select

Tickets will be ready to ship by 11/06/2012.

XX 11 6 $90 Select U 22 4 $91 Select U 26 4 $91 Select U 48 8 $91 Select U 49 12 $91 Select U 50 12 $91 Select W 16 8 $92 Select UU 23 9 $95 Select

Tickets will be ready to ship by 11/06/2012.

UU 39 5 $95 Select

Sideline seats between the end line and the goal line.

XX 11 4 $95 Select U 25 4 $96 Select W 18 5 $96 Select J 71 3 $99 Select TT 7 6 $99 Select UU 1 14 $99 Select

LOWER LEVEL FRONT ROW ON THE GOALLINE CAL SIDELINE - ACTUAL 1ST ROW OF SECTION - HOME SIDE - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - TRADITIONAL HARD TICKETS Ticket

WW 1 2 $99 Select

LOWER LEVEL FRONT ROW - ACTUAL 1ST ROW OF SECTION - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - AISLE SEATS Tickets will be ready to ship by 08/28/2012.

UU 22 18 $109 Select

Tickets will be ready to ship by 11/06/2012.

TT 8 7 $110 Select

8th Row on Home Side ** 15 to 25-Yard Line

TT 9 9 $110 Select

9th Row on Home Side ** 15 to 25-Yard Line

TT 10 4 $110 Select

10th Row on Home Side ** 15 to 25-Yard Line

TT 3 2 $114 Select T 11 4 $115 Select Q 1 10 $118 Select TT 3 2 $118 Select TT 4 14 $118 Select U 1 8 $119 Select T 18 8 $123 Select U 5 7 $124 Select TT 21 4 $125 Select

21st Row on Home Side ** 15 to 25-Yard Line

TT 33 12 $125 Select

33rd Row on Home Side ** 15 to 25-Yard Line

TT 7 2 $127 Select T 7 5 $128 Select T 19 12 $128 Select T 3 3 $129 Select T 6 12 $133 Select T 4 2 $134 Select

These seats are on the aisle with purchase of the entire group.

T 22 8 $134 Select T 23 3 $134 Select E 5 2 $144 Select TT 2 18 $148 Select

LOWER LEVEL 2ND ROW 20 YD LINE CAL SIDELINE - ACTUAL 2ND ROW OF SECTION - HOME SIDE - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - TRADITIONAL HARD TICKETS Tickets will

U 1 9 $148 Select

LOWER LEVEL FRONT ROW 15 YD LINE CAL SIDELINE - ACTUAL 1ST ROW OF SECTION - HOME SIDE - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - TRADITIONAL HARD TICKETS Tickets wil

TT 10 4 $149 Select U 66 15 $149 Select

5-10 yardline * Cal Side *

EE 28 2 $174 Select

28th Row on Visitor's Side ** 5 to 10-Yard Line

J 19 8 $174 Select

Endzone * Visitors Side *

UU 5 12 $174 Select T 1 2 $188 Select EE 1 2 $189 Select

Tickets will be ready to ship by 08/27/2012.

T 4 11 $195 Select

LOWER LEVEL 4TH ROW 30 YD LINE CAL SIDELINE - ACTUAL 4TH ROW OF SECTION - HOME SIDE - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - TRADITIONAL HARD TICKETS Tickets will

T 5 23 $195 Select

LOWER LEVEL 5TH ROW 30 YD LINE CAL SIDELINE - ACTUAL 5TH ROW OF SECTION - HOME SIDE - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - TRADITIONAL HARD TICKETS Tickets will

T 6 3 $195 Select

LOWER LEVEL 6TH ROW 30 YD LINE CAL SIDELINE - ACTUAL 6TH ROW OF SECTION - HOME SIDE - WITHIN 10 ROWS OF FIELD - TRADITIONAL HARD TICKETS - AISLE SEATS

TT 16 12 $196 Select

25-30 yard line * Cal Side *

U 3 6 $205 Select I 1 6 $221 Select

Front Row Near 10 Yard-Line

PP 3 11 $221 Select HH 2 4 $331 Select

Source: http://www.ticketcity.com/college-football-tickets/pac-12/cal-golden-bears-football-tickets/oregon-ducks-at-california-golden-bears-tickets-cal-memorial-stadium-november-10-tba.html

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