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In October 2012, New York City launched EarlyLearnNYC, a plan that would upend its system for providing subsidized child care to working class and low-income families. The goal was to take the city's sprawling assortment of child care programs—ranging from subsidized babysitting services to nationally accredited preschools—and blend them into a unified, holistic spectrum of early education services for children from 6 weeks through 4 years old.
Under the vision of EarlyLearn, teachers would be well trained, with extensive opportunities for professional development. Families would be engaged as active partners in their children's growth. Programs would be grounded in research about what works in early education, providing optimal support during the finite time when a child's brain develops most rapidly.
Nearly two years after EarlyLearn's launch, however, the program's future is tenuous. While some early education providers—especially those at larger organizations with multiple sources of revenue—have used EarlyLearn as a springboard to develop truly creative programming, many others report that their funding is simply too low to make the vision of EarlyLearn real. Teachers, many of whom lost benefits and take-home pay in the transition to EarlyLearn, struggle to keep up with increased expectations in the classroom. Many of the city's smallest programs—those which operate in church basements and neighborhood storefronts—struggle just to keep their doors open. This report examines the impact of EarlyLearn on early education providers, families and children: Has the strength of its vision compensated for the shortage in funding? If not, is the child care system merely experiencing growth pains that will lead to better outcomes for children? Or has EarlyLearn, in fact, hurt the quality of child care?
Key findings include:
- Enrollment has been a major problem system-wide. City-contracted child care programs have been under-enrolled for more than a decade, but the numbers plummeted during the turnover caused by the launch of EarlyLearn, and have only recently climbed back to up to 87 percent of the system's capacity. Because providers' funding depends on enrollment, even a few missing children can destabilize a program's budget. (See "Empty Seats," page 28.)
- Although expectations of teachers have increased, their salaries have not. With the city's pre-kindergarten expansion gearing up, directors say they are bracing for a mass exodus of their most talented EarlyLearn teachers. (See "Universal Pre-K and the Future of EarlyLearn," page 48.)
- The cost of the child care system has ballooned over the past decade, almost entirely due to an increase in the use of child care vouchers, which the city is mandated by federal law to provide to families receiving or transitioning off of cash assistance benefits. The result is a recurring $90 million hole in ACS's budget. (See "The Context: High Aspirations, Limited Funding," page 14.)
- Each year, the city also gives out thousands of non-mandated vouchers to help working class families pay for child care and afterschool programs. Of all the non-mandated vouchers used at formal daycare centers and schools in January 2014, nearly 80 percent were paid to Jewish religious organizations. (See "An Unequal Distribution of Child Care Vouchers," page 46.)
- There are far fewer small, neighborhood-based organizations participating in city-contracted early care and education today, compared to two years ago. The number of programs with just one city-funded site has dropped by more than 60 percent. (See "Can Small Programs Survive?" page 37.)
- The total number of child care slots for infants and toddlers has not significantly expanded, as the original EarlyLearn plan intended. The number of infants and toddlers in contracted, home-based care—where most young children are served—has barely budged, rising from 4,358 in July 2012 to 4,551 in January 2014. (See "Infants and Toddlers," page 43.)
The report also looks to EarlyLearn's future, offering a series of recommendations and solutions to help the city as it works to achieve its vision of reform. These include:
- The city should ensure that teachers in early childhood education programs receive salaries and benefits that are comparable to the package for Department of Education teachers.
- City Hall, ACS and the Human Resources Administration should direct more public funding into the programs by working together to steer substantially more recipients of mandated child care vouchers to EarlyLearn programs.
- ACS should support enrollment in EarlyLearn programs by updating its centralized referral system, making it possible to inform families—in real time—about open child care slots in their neighborhoods.
- The city should automatically adjust the ACS budget when there is a change in the utilization or cost of mandated child care vouchers.
- The city should create a more affordable fee structure for families participating in EarlyLearn programs.
This report was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Child Care and Early Education Fund.


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Head to Head
By Phil Wicks
I hadn't really bothered with either of these models as far as acquisition was concerned because they are road liveries and looked too nice to put a few dents and scratches in, but a chance conversation with local racer Mike saw me bringing away both models from his place for the purpose of comparing the models and especially the manufacturers.
In my neck of the woods Pioneer still have a lot to prove. Several racers of various abilities have purchased the Mustangs hoping they would be a panacea for the slotcar blues. Scaleys have traditionally dominated the SCCA classic Trans Am classes we run and with the advent of the Pioneer cars, there has been a surge of their models in the racing. But I can't honestly say they have had more race wins than beyond the increase in numbers on the track.
One thing they have done is to bring back some lifelike race car attributes to the model raceway. I'm talking about the noticeable increase in the mechanical failures of the model, to wit, the loss of wheels! Once the reserve of Scaley models, it now seems that Pioneer has stolen that crown; and replacements are still not available, yet?
But that's another story. As we know, there is more to a good slotcar than its speed and reliability; and because this review is based on the presentation of each model and not its track performance, we need to focus on exactly those things that make it a good model, racing or not! And, believe it or not, there are some brickbats and bouquets......for both models!
So what de we get for our bucks? The Scaley model will set locals back $52.00 and the Pioneer, $59.00 if you shop around. Scaley packaging is good but the only extras available in the flip top box are a couple of the now familiar circular braid plates. Pioneer have covered most bases with their model and underneath the base is a packet of spare goodies. This spares pack includes things like a 7.0 m.m. deep guide, wiper arms, a door mirror, a pair of braids, a set of tyres, a Pioneer sticker? And.... a rear bumper!! Most thoughtful! So they have intended this model to be put on the track!
It has to be admitted that the Bengal is a very striking livery and it would be easy to rave on about the model based on its livery, but wait....there's more! The Bengal has a good shine to it and body detail is exceptionally well applied and the anodised bits certainly sparkle. The front grille is well modelled and very impressive and the rear of the model is also well up to scratch, they have also excelled with such detail as door handles inside and out! No QA problems here.
The Scaley model has a little less anodised detail and the greenness of the model overpowers a bit and it seems not to shine like the Bengal. But it still has good bumper and grille detail. Different but still as attractive.
The Pioneer wheels are a bit of a treat, they are a fairly good reproduction of the chromed steel Magnum 500 styled wheels which were very popular about this time and available as an after market accessory. Tyres too are particularly soft, and, if the Mustang is anything to go buy, they will have plenty of grips.
The Scaley wheels are good too. Concentric and nice rubber, possibly a little harder than the Pioneer but still good, but just a bit too chromey. I'm sure these wheels are supposed t be reproductions of alloy wheels and as such, are a little too shiny.
Looking through the side windows it is easy to see that Pioneer have focused a bit more on a nice interior. They have even posed the driver with his hand on the shift lever! The door panels have good detail with handles and winders all picked out and even the door panels themselves are well moulded. The dash has excellent detail and there really isn't a lot more needed inside the model.
The Scaley drivers tray has the advantage of being removable, and as such it is easy to see what Scaley thought was best for their interior. The drivers tray is finished in basic plastic and although there is plenty of detail, most of it is in material colours only. The only addition is a black roll bar. A steady hand could quite easily put a bit of life into this part of the model.
Getting down to the business side of things, the chassis's, although not the same, could be mistaken for brothers. Pretty much a standard RTR slotcar layout with minor variations. Pioneer opted for the guide shoe with plug in braids and Scaley have used the trade mark guide with replaceable braid plate. In my view Scaley wins hands down here. Their guide set up is tried and tested and apart from a broken wire on a McLaren M23 in the early days, I have had no other problems with their guide across a range of more than several models.
The Pioneer on the other hand is still the worst I have experienced in a slotcar. The guide has a peculiarly long spindle on it and it can move in and out at random, this in itself is not really a problem, but the fact that when the guide is fully home in its housing it still has an unacceptable amount of side play and front to back play. Not such a big deal on plastic track (or is it?), but a decidedly week point for non magnet racing! The guide is able to move several degrees side to side in its housing and it can even move several degrees front to back, too. I first noticed this on the Mustangs and nothing seems to have changed. If there is a reason for this free play, I haven't seen an explanation for it anywhere! Braid material for both models is fine.
Both chassis have a similar sidewinder set up and both motors are firm in their clips. The traction magnets are comparable and also share similar mounting positions in their respective chassis. The motors also look to be the same performance range with the Pioneer can having ventilation holes in it. Axles are good and while the Scaley font axle is firm in its bearings, Pioneer have decided to let their front axle slop about a bit. Once again, probably fine for magnet racing but a minus for non magnet racing.
Gear mesh for the Pioneer is very snug, I'd go so far as to say that it binds slightly in a couple of spots. It would be conducive to run this in for a bit before any serious competition work whereas the Scaley is probably the other way, giving it that distinctive Scaley sidewinder sound on the track.
One extra thing you do get for your money with the Scalextric Charger is lights. Something we all cried out for ten years ago, but now..... I suspect most people could take them or leave them. All the same they are there and they work well. The lighting boards are not a firm fixture in the Scaley chassis so care needs to be taken when refitting the body. It is possible for either board to come out of the clips and any extra effort will see the clips break. The Pioneer on the other hand doesn't have lights, but there are some familiar looking clips moulded into the chassis which look awfully suspicious?
Some other things which caught my eye were small details like the chassis. With lights and the way the Scaley chassis finished at the end, it will be harder to get the body to float if you are a 'loose body' racer! The pioneer, on the other hand, has a flat chassis and has plenty of freedom to move if so desired.
Pioneer have gone for an authentic license plate front and rear while Scaley have omitted anything coherent. Pioneer have gone to great lengths to fit a detailed interior, and part of that interior, as mentioned before, are remarkably well detailed internal door trims. Unfortunately, the trim on one side has not been attached to the body and the trim generates an annoying rattle while in motion.
Both the Scalextric and the Pioneer cars are good on the track. I had the opportunity to test another Pioneer model against the Scaley one and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. If anything, the Scaley handling is classic Scaley, very similar to their Trans Ams only slightly more susceptible to understeer deslots. The Pioneer model seems a little quicker but is quieter, which can be deceptive. If anything, it is a little more twitchy on the track and needs just a little more concentration and respect. Either way, results will certainly be down to the driver.
Again, on board, they are both very similar; and again, the Pioneer does seem to be slightly quicker (and quieter). But without traction magnets coming into play I would say that the Pioneer was slightly better behaved. Other factors will determine which model is the best and this will be down to finish and modelcraft. I'm sure by now you might have guessed the 'better model' award needs to go to the Pioneer. In the absence of either model having decisive handling characteristics, the Bengal Charger is a winner based on its finish, choice of livery and fineness of detail. These features may well save it from the race track and consign it to the display cabinet, leaving the Scaley Charger to be the work horse. The Bengal Charger still has a serious problem with the guide, but that is fixable. The front axle can be fixed too, but you get nothing extra for the extra cost, not even lights.
Both of these models are functioning slotcars, there is no 'show pony' about either of them and I would go so far as to say that they are both serious contenders in their class. Pioneer have adopted (under license no doubt) the Scalextric DPR system for digital fans and apart from the lack of lighting , is probably a nose in front of the Scalextric car as the more desirable model. But, just to put you in the picture again, Pioneer Mustangs have an unhealthy habit of breaking and shedding loose wheels, and whether the Charger has inherited this habit or not is not yet proved!! Big deal? Maybe not, but Scaley overcame this annoying trait several years ago by using knurled axles. Pioneer still use a plain axle shaft. Scalextric supply a wide variety of spares for their models which should be available via your local Scalextric dealer. Spare parts for Pioneers at the time of writing are very difficult to source!
Many thanks to local racer Mike O'Leary for the opportunity to review both of these models

subset: commoncrawl


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Causeway Classic to be played in Reno | Sports & Recreation
Updated 10 a.m. Nov. 16: The Causeway Classic football game is headed east, across the causeway and past Sacramento, staying on Interstate 80 all the way to the University of Nevada, Reno, to escape the smoky air in the Davis-Sacramento region. The 65th annual classic between the Aggies and the Sacramento State Hornets was to have been played at Aggie Stadium at noon Saturday (Nov. 17). The game is still on for Saturday, and kickoff is still at noon, but will be played at Mackay Stadium.


text: Celebrity StyleThe Cutting EdgeGallery9 SlidesVidal Sassoon and his wife, Ronnie, reinvigorate an iconic Richard Neutra house in the hills of Bel AirBy James ReginatoPhotography by Todd EberleApril 1, 2011FacebookPinterestTwitterPinterest1/9Ronnie and Vidal Sassoon renovated the Singleton House, built by architect Richard Neutra in 1959; this photograph replicates a classic image of the property by Julius Shulman.Click here to see this photo and others taken by Julius Shulman of Richard Neutra's work.Pinterest2/9The couple at home with their Shih Tzus, Lulu, left, and Yoyo.Pinterest3/9The pool terrace is furnished with teak chaise longues by Timothy Moynihan; they are modeled after a 1941 design by French modernist Charlotte Perriand. The garden stones were reportedly put in place by sculptor Isamu Noguchi when the house was built.Pinterest4/9The kitchen features a Saarinen Tulip table and chairs by Knoll and built-in cabinets by Neutra; the hanging cabinet and stool are by Jean Prouvé.Pinterest5/9Turning the World Upside Down (1996) by Anish Kapoor stands in a courtyard; the 1954 Loop chairs are by Willy Guhl.Pinterest6/9A gallery displays works by, from left, Étienne Hajdu, Ellsworth Kelly, and Lucio Fontana; the benches are by Perriand.Pinterest7/9The living room is an album of modern classics, including Visiteur armchairs by Prouvé, a Perriand cocktail table, and, over the fireplace, Alexander Calder's Escutcheon (1954).Pinterest8/9Yoyo poses on a fur-throw-covered platform bed, which is original to the house; the armchair is vintage Osvaldo Borsani, and the sculpture is a 1964 piece by Harry Bertoia. Serge Mouille sconces flank Concetto Spaziale, a 1963 Fontana painting.Pinterest9/9Ronnie designed the terrazzo tub in the master bath. The 1950s stool is by Perriand, and the chair is an Erwine and Estelle Laverne design; the towels are by Pratesi.Click here to see more of Richard Neutra's modernist masterpieces.ExploreCelebrity Homes


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SYMSONIA, Ky. (AP) - A volunteer firefighter found he was dispatched to a blaze at his own home.
According to The Paducah Sun, Mark Reid was on his way home from work in Mayfield on Wednesday afternoon when he received the fire call. The 45-year-old member of the Symsonia Fire Department was on his way when he learned the fire was at his home.
Reid said his wife, Rebecca, was also at work when the fire began. The couple's two children were not harmed.
Symsonia Fire Chief Wally Nall said the cause of the fire was unknown Wednesday evening.
Reid told the newspaper he had been planning to remodel his home of 16 years before it burned.


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Commercial real estate folks call it the "Golden West."
It's the stretch of Interstate 394 between Hwy. 100 and Interstate 494 in suburban St. Louis Park, Golden Valley and Minnetonka, which has emerged as the power strip for office space in the Twin Cities -- no matter whether tenants are leasing or purchasing.
Just last week, the MoneyGram Tower and its brick sister in St. Louis Park, the 1600 Tower, sold to a New York real estate investment group for $81 million. The buyer, DRA Advisors LLC, had also purchased the Colonnade office tower and adjacent land across the interstate in Golden Valley for $52 million in late 2011. And on the north side of I-394 near the General Mills headquarters, financial giant Wells Fargo & Co. last fall expanded its suburban operations at the Metropoint complex.
"That corridor is one of the best-performing office corridors in the Twin Cities," said Tom Holtz, executive vice president of CBRE Group Inc. in Bloomington, who represented Equity Office/Blackstone Group, the seller of the MoneyGram and 1600 Towers. The two towers, developed in 1987 and 2000, are 90 percent leased.
He attributed the I-394 corridor's popularity to the Shops at West End lifestyle center, which features a movie theater, shops and restaurants that lure office dwellers, as well as the proximity of downtown Minneapolis and several "executive neighborhoods" such as Kenwood, Golden Valley and Minnetonka where CEOs and other company leaders settle.
With 1 million more square feet of office space occupied than vacated during the year -- a measure known as absorption -- the overall office market in the Twin Cities is in the best shape it's been since 2007, according to the Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq semi-annual Compass report released Thursday.
The total office vacancy rate in 2012 was 18 percent across all property types, but the I-394 corridor boasts a vacancy rate of top-notch Class A space of 7.8 percent. Or, as the report characterizes it, the stretch is "the low-vacancy leader."
"A lot of it has to do with the West End shops really turning into an outstanding location for employees and businesses because of all the retail offered at that complex," said Bob Revoir, senior director at Cushman & Wakefield/North Marq. "It's a major benefit, the connectivity and walkability."
The retail space at the West End complex is roughly 80 percent leased, said Patrick Mascia, senior vice president of the Twin Cities office of Duke Realty, the developer of the MoneyGram and 1600 Towers and the Shops at West End.
Plans for the area include constructing more office space east of the towers, a patch now largely vacant, Mascia said. Construction activity will hinge on demand, he added, noting the Chili's and Olive Garden restaurant sites could be sold for residential development. Already, the Excelsior Group is building the Flats at West End apartment complex across from the retail area, and near the Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel. Occupancy for the apartments is expected this spring, according to the developer's website.
The immediate downside to all the activity is the inevitable clog of traffic along I-394 during peak commuting hours. St. Louis Park community development director Kevin Locke said the city has encouraged public transit by reconfiguring some streets in the West End area.
The Compass report also notes that larger office-space users now in the I-394 corridor are expected to shift their attention to sub-market areas north and west in 2013, "as their options for [office] space in the 11 Class A buildings along the corridor have largely evaporated."
Janet Moore • 612-673-7752


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Burrillville, R.I.—A night after falling 4-1 in their home opener, UMass Boston women's hockey exploded for six goals to earn the first victory of their season, in a 6-1 win over Nichols College at Levy Rink.
The Beacons (1-1, 1-1 ECAC East) grabbed their first win of the 2012-13 campaign behind goals from five different players, including a two-goal night from sophomore Kayla Kiernan (North Smithfield, R.I.).
Kiernan led UMass Boston in goals last season with seven and already has two goals and an assist after the first two contests. The two goals set a new-career high for the sophomore and tied her previous career-high for points in a game with two.
Sophomores Emily Federspiel (Plano, Texas) and Kelsey MacIsaac (Durham, N.H.) each scored their first career goals in the victory. Senior Emily LaRosa (Weymouth, Mass.) and junior defenseman Kelly Sharlow (Potsdam, N.Y.) rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.
A quartet of sophomores picked up assists in the victory, as Alyssa Sullivan (Medford, Mass.) was credited with two helpers, while Liz Figueroa (Wethersfield, Conn.), Emma Valli (Eastham, Mass.) and Angela Dandreo (Swampscott, Mass.) also added assists. For Figureroa it was her first career point, while Valli notched her first career helper.
In net freshman goaltender Casey Schaejbe (Arlington, Mass.) continued to impress, earning her first career victory by making 32 saves. The freshman held the Bison scoreless for the first 48 minutes of the game and made 14 saves in a crucial second period, in which the Beacons blew the game open.
Talia Hohmann struck for the lone Nichols College goal, while Jacki Aaskov picked up the assist.
Freshman Nia Kelly picked up her second loss in three starts for Nichols College. The freshman from Cary, North Carolina allowed four goals on 18 shots, before being replaced by Tori Gianformaggio.
The two teams were even in shots with 33 apiece and neither team was assessed a penalty.
UMass Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead midway through the first period behind a goal from LaRosa. The Nichols College transfer scored her second goal in three games against her former team thanks to a pass from Dandreo.
The Beacons blew the game open in the second period behind three goals in 44 seconds. Sharlow scored an unassisted goal at the 5:24 mark and Federspiel found the back of the net at 5:39. Less than 30 seconds later, Kiernan scored her first goal of the game to put the Beacons up 4-0.
Third period action would prove to be more even, as the Beacons scored a pair of goals to sandwich the lone Bison strike of the night. Playing in just the second game of her career at UMass Boston, MacIsaac became the first new addition to the roster to score a point this year with an unassisted goal at the 10:32 mark of the third stanza.
After Hohmann made it 5-1 less than a minute later, Kiernan capped off the scoring with her second tally of the night.
The Beacons will have a week off before returning home for a pair of ECAC East Conference games next weekend. Friday night UMass Boston will host Holy Cross University at noon, while Saturday the Beacons will bring in Salve Regina University at 1 p.m.


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Garam Masala Spice Mix Recipe
Garam Masala is often used in Indian cooking. It's a blend of several Indian spices like cumin, cinnamon and turmeric. It takes a little time but it's so worth it. The result is so much more fragrant than the store-bought jars. It is used in a variety of Indian dishes, such as Tandoori chicken, palak paneer, dahls (lentils) and my Tandoori glazed roasted white seabass.
Masala in Urdu means "paste" and garam means "hot", and oh boy, believe me, it's full of spices!
Yields: 1 small jar4 cloves
3-½ tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds, pod shells removed
6 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
In a wok, over high heat, dry roast and constantly stir cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks. Remove the wok from the stove.
Place the spice mix in a grinder (I use a coffee grinder that I use exclusively for my spices), it should be finely ground. Sift through a strainer. Set aside until cool.
Fill in an airtight metal tin. Store in a cool, dark, dry area for up to 6 months (don't forget to label your food with the date). We make so much Indian food though, that we have to prepare a batch of garam masala once every week!
This spice mix is very inexpensive if you buy all the spices at an Indian store. It can cost a lot more if you buy it at Safeway or Whole Foods.
Chiles are not in the authentic garam masala. It's just the way I prepare our spice mix, sometimes. If you want to make authentic garam masala, stick to the main ingredients such as cardamamom, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cloves.
If you like Indian cuisine with a fusion twist, check out my Indian curry pot pie.Published By: on June 11, 2009.


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1 brand, 78 products
"We thoroughly batch test every Gluten Free product in our quality control laboratory upon delivery, during production and after packaging.
"To assure the integrity of all of our Gluten Free products, we adhere to a standard of no more than 19 parts per million of gluten. We've even built a separate Gluten Free packaging division complete with specialized machinery to make sure that our products maintain their purity--just as nature intended. By going to these lengths, we're able to ensure that folks with wheat allergies, celiac disease and gluten intolerance can trust that our products are safe to consume."
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More superb work from statsguru S Rajesh of Cricinfo.....
To me it just confirms Australia were well & truly the best side in the tourney
Also quite interesting to see the power-play stats
An equal contest | Cricket Features | ICC Champions Trophy, 2009 | Cricinfo.com
ICC Champions Trophy 2009
An equal contest
The nature of pitches in the Champions Trophy meant that batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners all had a chance to shine
S Rajesh
October 6, 2009
Text size: A | A
The 2009 Champions Trophy was billed as a tournament which could decide the future of one-day cricket. Going by what most captains had to say, the event was a resounding success: the short duration of the tournament helped, as did the type of pitches, which gave the bowlers more of a chance than conditions in most parts of the world for one-day cricket. The overall numbers for the competition reflect the same: 214 wickets fell in 15 matches - an average of 14 per game - at an average of 30.36. The average runs per over was 5.05, which means the average 50-over score in the tournament was 253 for 8 (rounded off to the nearest whole number). That score suggests both batsmen and bowlers had opportunities to make a mark.
There were five scores of more than 300 - England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa all managed to pass that mark - while three times teams were bundled out for less than 150 (West Indies (twice) and England).
The 2009 Champions Trophy Matches Runs Wickets Runs per wkt Runs over 300+scores All out < 150
15 6499 214 30.36 5.05 5 3
While the overall numbers were impressive, the tournament still failed to provide the kind of thrillers one would have expected from a competition in which several teams seemed so evenly matched. Looking at the margins of wins in the 15 games, it's obvious that most of them weren't close. Three matches were won by a margin of 50 or more runs, with Sri Lanka's 55-run victory against South Africa being the highest. The next was Pakistan's 54-run win against India, while Australia beat West Indies by 50.
Overall, though, teams batting second had the advantage, winning nine out of 14 games which produced results, including both semi-finals and the final. Of those nine wins, most were pretty comfortable ones, both in terms of wickets in hand and balls remaining. Seven games were won by five or more wickets, of which only one, New Zealand's semi-final win against Pakistan, came with less than three overs to spare. The only really close game of the tournament was Australia's two-wicket, last-ball win against Pakistan in Centurion.
Result margins in the 2009 Champions Trophy 50 or more runs 25-49 runs < 25 runs 5 or more wkts 3-4 wkts < 3 wkts
Number of matches 3 1 1 7 1 1
Australia were involved in the most tense game of the competition, but they also ensured the semis and final ended up being quite one-sided. Their batting average of 47.16 was by far the highest of all teams, while the bowling average was bettered by only one team. The two leading run-scorers in the tournament were both Australians, but the bowlers were slightly hampered by the fact that they bowled in one less innings than the other teams, as their match against India was washed out.
What's also striking about the table below, though, is how closely the teams are bunched. Apart from West Indies and Australia, all teams had batting averages between 28 and 34, and run rates between 4.84 and 5.61. (The highest run-rate, ironically, belonged to South Africa.)
Among the bowling sides, Sri Lanka struggled the most, with only 18 wickets in three games. Muttiah Muralitharan had one of his worst tournaments, taking one wicket at an average of 106 and an economy rate of 5.88, and that hit the team badly. West Indies were awful with the bat but did themselves no dishonour with the ball, with an average that was better than two other teams. Three of their bowlers - Nikita Miller, Gavin Tonge and Darren Sammy finished with sub-four economy rates.
How each team fared in the tournament Team Runs Batting ave RPO Wickets Bowling average Econ rate
Australia 1179 47.16 5.13 34 26.08 4.56
New Zealand 1110 30.00 4.98 38 28.39 4.76
Pakistan 874 30.13 4.84 33 24.87 4.63
England 939 29.34 5.05 26 35.30 5.51
Sri Lanka 808 28.85 5.60 18 40.77 5.53
India 378 29.07 4.90 23 28.91 5.17
South Africa 724 34.47 5.61 26 32.92 5.79
West Indies 487 16.79 4.15 16 33.68 4.78
The batting Powerplays
One of the aspects of team strategies that was analysed closely throughout the tournament - and which will undoubtedly be scrutinised further over the coming weeks - was the use of batting Powerplays. Experts went hoarse trying to urge teams to take them relatively early, when a strong partnership was in progress, but most times teams preferred to wait till they were closer to the final overs.
In the 15 matches, the batting Powerplay was taken 26 times (three times it wasn't taken by the team chasing - England against Sri Lanka, and Pakistan and India against West Indies - while India didn't get to bat at all against Australia). Of these 26, on nine occasions the batting team took it after 44 or 45 overs. Only three times did teams take it before the 30th, and on two of those instances the batting team was forced into taking it - West Indies collapsed so quickly against Pakistan and India that they had no option but to take them. The only other instance was by New Zealand against England, when they smartly opted for it in the 11th over to take advantage of a blazing start after Andrew Strauss had declined to take the fielding Powerplay. That was the only instance of the batting Powerplay being taken before the fielding one.
When the batting Powerplays were taken After 44 or 45 overs Between 40th and 44th Between 30th and 39th Before 30th
9 8 6 3
Overall, the Powerplays yielded an average of 7.71 runs per over, and slightly less than 21 runs per wicket.
Overall stats for batting Powerplays Runs scored Wickets lost Runs per wkt Runs per over
890 43 20.70 7.71
Among the eight teams, Australia used the batting Powerplays the best, averaging more than ten per over and losing only two wickets during this period. They scored 69 in those five overs against West Indies, the most by any team. (The only other side to get more than 60 was New Zealand, who blasted 61 against Sri Lanka.) Fittingly, Australia ended their semi-final and final with a flurry of big hits in the batting Powerplays, scoring 28 from 11 balls against England and 12 from two against New Zealand.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka didn't do badly either, but Pakistan were disappointing, averaging only slightly more than seven per over and losing nine wickets during this period. India only used the Powerplays once, losing four for 16 against Pakistan.
Australia were also excellent with the ball when their opponents took the batting Powerplay - they took nine wickets during this period, the joint-highest with South Africa, and conceded only 6.40 runs per over. New Zealand, on the other hand, struggled to take wickets, managing only one in 105 deliveries they bowled, for a bowling average of 137. Sri Lanka conceded nearly ten per over, while West Indies leaked 69 against Australia on the only occasion they were forced to bowl during the batting Powerplay.
How the teams fared in the batting Powerplays Team Bat ave Run rate Bowl ave Econ rate
Australia 87.00 10.14 12.56 6.40
New Zealand 24.67 8.88 137.00 7.83
Pakistan 11.89 7.13 21.17 6.74
England 15.20 6.00 17.00 7.07
Sri Lanka 25.60 8.53 48.00 9.93
South Africa 18.40 7.77 14.78 8.87
India 4.00 4.17 12.00 6.40
West Indies 18.75 5.00 69.00 13.80
Pace and spin
The nature of pitches can be further gauged from the fact that both fast bowlers and spinners did reasonably well. Spinners were slightly more economical, while fast bowlers had a slightly better average.
Pace and spin in the 2009 Champions Trophy Wickets Average Strike rate Econ rate
Pace 151 31.33 37.3 5.03
Spin 48 34.22 43.3 4.73


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Smith promoted to Associate Professor
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[May 16, 2014]
- Shawn Smith, Registrar at Lincoln Christian University (LCU), has
been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effective June 1,
2014. Smith joined LCU in 2006 as Assistant to the Registrar. In
January 2007, he became Associate Registrar which led to Registrar
just five months later. Under his administration, the Registrar's
Office progressed from a paper-dependent department to an efficient,
online system of recordkeeping and communication.
Smith is also a Designated School Official (DSO) of
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Student and Exchange
Visitor Information System (SEVIS), as well as a Veterans
Administration Certifying Official. He holds a Bachelor of Science
in Bible and Christian Ministry from Johnson University – formerly
Florida Christian College (2000), a Master's of Divinity in
Apologetics (2003) and Master of Arts in Church History and
Historical Theology (2005) from Lincoln Christian Seminary.
Smith regularly teaches in the School of Undergraduate Studies and
presents research and academic papers in the fields of Church
History and Historical Theology. He was a member of an
archaeological team in the summer of 2000, excavating the Abila of
the Decapolis digs. A fellow professor said, "Shawn's passion for
teaching stems from a commitment . . . and concern for students to
understand Christianity as a way of life they can, and should, be a
part of."
His promotion to the rank of Associate Professor was the result of a
recommendation process initiated by a committee of his peers. The
Provost and Dean also review requests for faculty promotion and,
upon endorsement, send the committee recommendation to the President
for final approval.
[to top of second column]
One LCU employee under his administration recently
commented that Smith, "pursues both excellence and accuracy in his
responsibilities and expects the same of others," while another
added she felt "extremely blessed to have him as a supervisor and
Established in Lincoln, in 1944, LCU's mission is to equip
Christians to serve and lead in the church, the workplace and the
world. Today, LCU offers a variety of degree programs for
undergraduate, graduate and seminary students. Classes are offered
on campus, at extension sites and online. To learn more visit
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Independent Study Opportunities
Liberal Studies students may identify what they wish to learn and design their own course based upon this goal. The process of designing an independent study will require a student to outline a study plan, select the necessary learning resources, and seek a faculty member who will mentor and evaluate the learning. The LIS Independent Study Proposal form provides a format to supply this information and acts as a guide so that students will know all of the information they'll need to pursue an independent study.
LIS 380 – Exploration of Learning Resources
LIS 499 – Independent Study: Tutorial
LIS 471 – Honors Thesis (Students should discuss the Honor's Thesis option with their faculty advisor.)


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vacationnoun absence, break, breather, cruise, day off, escape, excursion, holiday, interval, jaunt, leave, leave of absence, paid vacation, respite, rest, rest and recuperaaion, sabbatical, time off, tour, trip, voyage, week off
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VACATION. That period of time between the end of one term and beginning of another. During vacation, rules and orders are made in such cases as are urgent, by a judge at his chambers.


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God Wants You Free. The Lord spoke to me in a vision on the 1st of May 1981. I saw all the blind, the lame, people in rags, men in pains, weeping and wailing. The vision was so real and powerful that I joined them in crying! I couldn't bear the level of agony they were going through!
I was in the presence of God for eighteen hours, watching this terrible, ugly and agonizing sight, when God said to me, "From the beginning it was not so. Now the hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil, through the preaching of the Word of faith. And I am sending you to undertake this task."
Friend, I heard Him, just as clearly as any man would hear his friend speak in his ears. The Lord spoke those outstanding words to me, and they turned my entire life around! They changed the course of my thinking.


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As if it hasn't been a conflict when MERS is the nominee for the plaintiff but is also named or is the mortgagee for the defendant…what a total state of confusion.
Oh wait there's more, and who signs and notarizes these documents entered as evidence in most cases?
TAMPA – When a lender fails to find a homeowner to notify them of a foreclosure lawsuit, a judge often appoints a guardian ad item. That attorney is supposed to represent the property owner's interests.
But guess who typically picks the guardian? The lender's attorney.


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Dr. Joette Giovinco
Dr. Joette Giovinco is the medical reporter for FOX 13. She is a native Floridian, raised in Tampa, and is a graduate of Tampa Catholic High School. She graduated cum laude with a degree in microbiology from the University of South Florida. She obtained her M.D. and Masters in Public Health degrees from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at both Tulane and the University of South Florida.
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Mouth sores may make eating and talking painful. The most
common mouth sores are
cold sores and
canker sores. In severe cases of canker sores, a
doctor may prescribe a medicine to ease inflammation and
Other possible causes of mouth sores include:
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Emergence of central sleep apnea has been described in the setting of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) initiation. The underlying mechanism is unclear; however, we postulate that air leak washing out anatomical dead space is a contributing factor.
Data were obtained from 310 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who underwent either split-night or full-night CPAP titration during January to July of 2009. The majority (n = 245) underwent titration with a nasal mask. Average total leak and maximum total leak were measured at therapeutic CPAP level. Unintentional leak was calculated by subtracting manufacturer-defined intentional leak from maximum leak.
Subjects were divided into two groups: central apnea index (CAI) during titration < 5/hour and ≥ 5/hour. The groups were similar in terms of gender, age, BMI, and AHI. The CAI < 5 group had a median average leak of 45.5 L/min (IQR 20.8 L/min) versus 51.0 L/min (IQR 21.0 L/min) with CAI ≥ 5 (p = 0.056). Maximum leak was 59.5 L/min (IQR 27.0 L/min) with CAI < 5 and 75.0 L/min (IQR 27.8 L/min) with CAI ≥ 5 (p = 0.003). In the subset of subjects titrated using a nasal mask, median average leak was 42.0 L/min (IQR 17.0) in the CAI < 5 group and 50.0 L/min (IQR 16.8) in the CAI ≥ 5 group (p = 0.001). In the CAI < 5 group, median maximum leak was 57.0 L/min (IQR 23.0) versus 74.5 L/min (IQR 24.3) in the CAI ≥ 5 group (p < 0.001).
Leak during CPAP titration is associated with the development of acute central apnea; these data may have mechanistic and therapeutic implications for complex apnea.
A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1193.
Montesi SB; Bakker JP; Macdonald M; Hueser L; Pittman S; White DP; Malhotra A. Air leak during CPAP titration as a risk factor for central apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(11):1187-1191.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common yet under diagnosed and underappreciated disorder.1 Once diagnosed, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the treatment of choice. CPAP has been shown to be effective at reducing obstructive apnea when adequate pressure is applied. However, in a proportion of patients, initiation of CPAP treatment has been associated with the development of central apneas.2,3 Traditionally, central apnea has been observed in the setting of congestive heart failure,4–6 cerebrovascular disease,7,8 and high altitude.9 More recently, the recognition of CPAP-induced central apnea has led to considerable discussion.3,10,11 The terms "complex sleep apnea" and "treatment-emergent central apnea" have been used to describe the development of central apnea upon exposure to CPAP.3,10 From retrospective data of over 1200 patients with OSA initiated on CPAP, 6.5% were found to have treatment-emergent acute central apnea, with persistence after 8 weeks in only 1.5% of titrations.12 Prior observational studies have also supported that for the majority of patients, the central apneas resolve with time.13 Patients who have a poor initial experience with CPAP may be reluctant to use CPAP in the long term; therefore, stabilization of breathing acutely may have benefits. On the other hand, expensive newer devices may be unnecessary if the breathing pattern is likely to stabilize spontaneously without any impact on clinical outcome.
Current Knowledge/Study Rationale: CPAP initiation has been associated with the emergence of central apneas. This study aims to determine the relationship, if any, between CPAP mask leak and central apneas.
Study Impact: The amount of leak during CPAP titration is associated with the emergence of central apneas. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Several possible mechanisms are theorized to explain the development of central apneas with the initiation of CPAP therapy.14,15 First, pulmonary stretch receptors may inhibit ventilatory motor output, such that central apneas would be predicted to occur with high CPAP levels due to lung stretch.15 Second, CPAP serves to stabilize the upper airway, which would be predicted to increase controller gain in these patients.15,16 Chemoresponsiveness, defined as the body's ventilatory response to CO2 plus the ability to respond to chemical stimuli (an open airway), would increase with CPAP-induced patency of the upper airway.17 Thus, central apnea may occur due to CPAP-induced hypocapnia.18 Third, and of particular importance in the current study, CPAP may reduce PaCO2 by reducing the amount of dead space, particularly in patients who develop leak while on therapy.15 The CPAP mask and the upper airway are both sources of re-breathing, and the delivery of fresh gas from the CPAP machine may serve to wash out these sources of re-breathing, therefore lowering PaCO2 for any given minute ventilation. For example, in nasal CPAP treated patients with mouth leak, there may be a lowering of PaCO2 due to washout of anatomical dead space in the upper airway.19 Thus, a number of potential mechanisms exist which could explain why these central apneas occur upon CPAP initiation.20 Deciphering the underlying mechanisms has clinical importance as it may help inform the optimal intervention to reduce these events.
Based on the above logic, we sought to determine whether air leak was associated with the development of central apnea among patients undergoing CPAP titration. We performed a consecutive case series of patients with predominantly obstructive events undergoing CPAP titration to test the hypothesis that leak would be higher in those developing central apnea.
Data were obtained from adult patients with OSA undergoing either full-night diagnostic polysomnography followed by a separate attended titration, or split-night diagnostic/titration studies, at Sleep HeathCenters affiliated with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, during the time period of January to July of 2009. Patients were excluded if they were known to have one of the following medical conditions: lung disease including home oxygen use, congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease or cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, implanted cardiac defibrillator or pacemaker. Use of oxygen during the sleep study and a total < 15 minutes of sleep time at optimal CPAP level were also grounds for exclusion.
Protocol approval was obtained through the Allendale Institutional Review Board (MR-0821-RFLW-BOS).
PSG consisted of electroencephalogram (C4-A1, C3-A2, O2-A1, O1-A2), bilateral electro-oculogram, bilateral chin and tibial electromyogram, electrocardiogram, airflow using thermistor and nasal pressure sensors, abdominal and thoracic respiratory excursion measured by piezo bands, pulse oximetry, and body position. Sleep studies were performed and scored by registered polysomnographic technologists according to published guidelines (blinded and naive to the goals of our study).21,22 Subjects were titrated using either oro-nasal cushion, nasal cushion, or nasal pillow masks as determined by technologist and subject preference.
An OmniLab multi-mode titration device (Respironics, Murrysville, PA, USA) was used for both the split and full-night CPAP titrations, which recorded a continuous estimation of total leak. The average total leak and the maximum total leak were measured at optimal CPAP level. Maximum leak was defined by non-transient maximal elevation with duration > 3 seconds. Any periods of time during which the CPAP mask was removed were excluded from data analysis. Intentional leak was for each type of mask used was defined according to manufacturer specifications. The amount of excess leak was determined by subtracting intentional leak from total leak.
Variables obtained for each subject included gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. The presence or absence of known hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or ischemic heart disease was recorded.
Statistical analysis was performed using SigmaStat Version 11 (Systat Software Inc., IL USA). Continuous data were analyzed for normality of distribution and homogeneity of variance; all outcome data were not normally distributed; therefore, between-group comparisons were made using Mann-Whitney tests. Categorical data were compared using χ2 tests. All p-values are 2-sided, and were considered statistically significant at ≤ 0.05.
Data from 310 subjects with predominantly obstructive events during the diagnostic period were obtained. Of these, 240 titrations were performed with nasal CPAP masks (either cushion or pillow designs). Subjects were divided into 2 groups: those that had a central apnea index < 5 (n = 280) and ≥ 5/h (n = 30) during the titration period (at optimal CPAP level). The 2 groups were not significantly different in terms of age, BMI, ESS, gender, or the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or ischemic heart disease as detailed in Table 1. The groups were similar in terms of diagnostic AHI, sleep efficiency, and the % of REM sleep. The groups diverged when comparing the diagnostic CAI, the titration AHI, and titration sleep efficiency (see Table 1).
Clinical characteristics of subjects
(more ...)
When performing leak analysis for all 310 subjects, trends towards differences were found between the 2 groups with regards to the amount of average and peak leak measured (see Table 2). Subjects in the CAI < 5 group had an average leak of 45.5 L/min with an average unintentional leak of 19.0 L/min, whereas subjects in the CAI ≥ 5 group had an average leak of 51.0 L/min with an average unintentional leak of 24.5 L/min (p = 0.056 for average leak and p = 0.057 for average unintentional leak). Differences were also seen in peak leak amounts between the 2 groups with a peak and peak excess leak of 59.5 L/min and 34.0 L/min, respectively, with CAI < 5 and a peak and peak excess leak of 75.0 L/min and 52.5 L/min, respectively with CAI ≥ 5 with p values of 0.003 and 0.001 (peak and excess peak, respectively).
Average and maximum total and unintentional leak during titration in all subjects
For the 240 subjects undergoing nasal CPAP titrations only, significant differences were found between the 2 groups in both average leak and peak leak measurements (Table 3). Average leak was 42.0 L/min with an average excess leak of 18.0 L/min in the CAI < 5 group and 50.0 L/min with an average excess leak of 25.5 L/min in the CAI ≥ 5 group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.005 for average leak and average excess leak, respectively). In the CAI < 5 group, peak leak and peak excess leak were 57.0 L/min and 33.0 L/min versus 74.5 L/min and 53.0 L/min in the CAI ≥ 5 group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively).
Average and maximum total and unintentional leak during titration with nasal masks
During this study, we observed that both average and maximum leak were associated with the development of central apnea during CPAP titration, particularly in subjects using a nasal mask. These findings were independent of the applied CPAP level and comorbidities which were balanced between groups, which may have confounded prior reports of complex apnea. We believe that nasal masks may be particularly problematic in predisposing to central apneas since the fresh gas can easily wash out the anatomical dead space when exiting through the mouth. However, oro-nasal masks may worsen pharyngeal mechanics by forcing the mandible posteriorally. Thus, treatment decisions may need to be individualized at least for certain patients.
The development of central apnea while on CPAP has a number of important physiological implications. The evolutionary advantage of anatomical dead space has often been questioned, since the "wasting" of 25% to 30% of each breath would seem inefficient upon initial consideration. Some have suggested that the development of speech may have required anatomical dead space rather than a respiratory apparatus with no ability to control airflow. However, one interpretation of our findings, albeit speculative, might be that the anatomical dead space provides stabilization of breathing. That is, without anatomical dead space, the propensity for breathing instability would be high in response to perturbations (for example, ascent to altitude, exercise, cardiac disease). Assuming typical minute ventilation and CO2 production, one would calculate that a 28 mL change in dead space would yield a 3 mm Hg fall in PaCO2. Depending on the prevailing CO2 apnea threshold, even a small change in dead space may produce central apnea in susceptible individuals.23 Although one might predict a lowering of minute ventilation to occur in the face of hypocapnia, such a response is clearly not observed to an adequate extent among those patients who develop central apnea. Thus, mechanoreceptive and chemoreceptive homeostatic mechanisms are clearly inadequate to eliminate central apnea acutely. However, based on our study design we have no way of proving that leak caused central apneas or instead was a marker of overtitration (or other factors) that yielded central apnea by other mechanisms (for example, pulmonary stretch or upper airway dilation). The fact that not all CPAP-treated patients develop central apnea may speak to the importance of raising end-expiratory lung volume such that larger lung volumes, and therefore greater gas stores, may improve breathing stability on CPAP. Moreover, the fact that oral appliance-induced central apnea is extremely rarely reported24 suggests that mechanisms beyond upper airway opening are important in yielding central apnea.
Classic literature by Fowler et al. has reported marked reductions in dead space through expiratory breathhold.25 The authors surmised that mixing would occur in the distal airways, such that a pause in breathing would facilitate CO2 excretion as they observed with experimental measurements. The authors described a moving of the peripheral boundary of pure inspired gas up the bronchial tree during breathhold. In theory, a central apnea may produce similar physiology such that CO2 may be cleared from the distal airways via diffusion and potentially cardioballistic mixing. Thus, the development of central apnea may further increase the propensity for PaCO2 lowering by mechanisms described by Fowler in the 1940s. The combination of CO2 elimination from the proximal airways by CPAP (via leak) plus the Fowler mechanisms during breath-hold may work together to perpetuate central apnea. The fact that treatment-emergent central apnea generally resolves over time suggests that either resolution of leak or alteration of the chemical apnea threshold is occurring over time.
Despite its strengths, our study has a number of limitations which we acknowledge. First, we did not measure PetCO2 or minute ventilation using gold standard pneumotachometers via a sealed nasal mask. Our goal was to perform a clinical study whereby patients were receiving usual care rather than being heavily instrumented, as normally is performed in our physiology laboratory. Some authors have suggested that treatment-emergent central apneas may be a function of poor sleep quality (i.e., state transition apneas),13 and thus our goal was to give standard instrumentation for clinical polysomnography rather than for an invasive physiological study. Moreover, a tightly sealed nasal mask to assess airflow would have defeated the purpose of our study from the standpoint of leak assessment. Second, we did not quantify changes in chest wall movement (lung volume), which may have been helpful to test the hypothesis that pulmonary stretch was having an important effect on ventilatory motor output. However, again, our goal was to perform a clinical real-world study rather than a physiological investigation. Chest wall movement is difficult to quantify in obese patients, and some increase in chest wall excursion would be expected while on CPAP. Thus, magnetometer or calibrated impedance bands would have been of interest but would not have yielded definitive data. Third, we did not systematically track adherence to CPAP among our participants in the long term. We have data on patients who received their PAP equipment from our sleep laboratory (although others receive equipment through a variety of home care companies) but did not receive ethics approval to track the patients who left our sleep laboratory for PAP treatment. Among those patients who received CPAP from our sleep laboratory, adherence was, if anything, slightly better among those patients who developed central apneas (5.1 h/night) as compared to those who did not develop central apneas (4.1 h/night). However, we would emphasize that these data represent only 212 of the total of 310 participants and may not be representative since the source of equipment may be affected by insurance coverage, socioeconomic status, etc. Thus, we cannot draw any definitive conclusions about how complex apnea may influence long-term CPAP adherence from our data. Despite these limitations, we believe that our results are interesting and that our findings are robust given the constraints of a clinical study.
In conclusion, air leak has an important association with the development of treatment-emergent central apnea, independent of applied CPAP level and common comorbidities associated with central apnea. The underlying mechanism is not clear, but we speculate that proximal airway CO2 elimination in the setting of leak as well as breathhold mechanisms described by Fowler et al. are important contributors. It is likely that with time either the leak resolves and/or the apnea threshold is reset resulting in cessation of central apneas. Whether efforts to eliminate mask leak will lead to abrupt resolution of central apneas will require further study. While further investigation is needed, our results add to the growing body of information on treatment-emergent central apneas and may speak to some evolutionary advantage for anatomical dead space which has been previously regarded as "wasted ventilation."
This was not an industry supported study. Ms. Macdonald, Ms. Hueser, Mr. Pittman, and Dr. White are employees of Philips Respironics. Dr. Malhotra has received consulting and/or research income from NIH, AHA, Philips, SGS, SHC, Apnex, Apnicure, and Pfizer but has relinquished all outside personal income since May 2012. Drs. Montesi and Bakker have indicated no financial conflicts of interest.
Data collection was performed at Sleep HeathCenters affiliated with Brigham and Women's Hospital. Abstract format of results was presented at SLEEP 2010, the 24th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.
Young T, Palta M, Dempsey J, Skatrud J, Weber S, Badr S, authors. The occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:1230–5. [PubMed]
Gilmartin GS, Daly RW, Thomas RJ, authors. Recognition and management of complex sleep-disordered breathing. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2005;11:485–93. [PubMed]
Morgenthaler TI, Kagramanov V, Hanak V, Decker PA, authors. Complex sleep apnea syndrome: is it a unique clinical syndrome? Sleep. 2006;29:1203–9. [PubMed]
Javaheri S, Parker TJ, Liming JD, et al., authors. Sleep apnea in 81 ambulatory male patients with stable heart failure. Types and their prevalences, consequences, and presentations. Circulation. 1998;97:2154–9. [PubMed]
Sin DD, Fitzgerald F, Parker JD, et al., authors. Risk factors for central and obstructive sleep apnea in 450 men and women with congestive heart failure. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999;160:1101–6. [PubMed]
Hanly PJ, Millar TW, Steljes DG, et al., authors. Respiration and abnormal sleep in patients with congestive heart failure. Chest. 1989;96:480–8. [PubMed]
Nachtmann A, Siebler M, Rose G, et al., authors. Cheyne-Stokes respiration in ischemic stroke. Neurology. 1995;45:820–1. [PubMed]
Bassetti C, Aldrich MS, Quint D, authors. Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with acute supra- and infratentorial strokes. A prospective study of 39 patients. Stroke. 1997;28:1765–72. [PubMed]
Burgess KR, Johnson PL, Edwards N, authors. Central and obstructive sleep apnoea during ascent to high altitude. Respirology. 2004;9:222–9. [PubMed]
Malhotra A, Bertisch S, Wellman A, authors. Complex sleep apnea: it isn't really a disease. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008;4:406–8. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Gay PC, author. Complex sleep apnea: it really is a disease. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008;4:403–5. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Javaheri S, Smith J, Chung E, authors. The prevalence and natural history of complex sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2009;5:205–11. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Dernaika T, Tawk M, Nazir S, et al., authors. The significance and outcome of continuous positive airway pressure-related central sleep apnea during split-night sleep studies. Chest. 2007;132:81–7. [PubMed]
Eckert DJ, Jordan AS, Merchia P, et al., authors. Central sleep apnea: pathophysiology and treatment. Chest. 2007;131:595–607. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Hoffman M, Schulman DA, authors. The appearance of central sleep apnea after treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Chest. 2012;142:517–22. [PubMed]
Salloum A, Rowley JA, Mateika JH, et al., authors. Increased propensity for central apnea in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;181:189–93. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Skatrud JB, Dempsey JA, Badr S, Begle RL, authors. Effect of airway impedance on CO2 retention and respiratory muscle activity during NREM sleep. J Appl Physiol. 1988;65:1676–85. [PubMed]
Dempsey JA, author. Crossing the apnoeic threshold: causes and consequences. Exp Physiol. 2005;90:13–24. [PubMed]
Thomas RJ, author. Effect of added dead space to positive airway pressure for treatment of complex sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep Med. 2005;6:177–8. [PubMed]
Nakazaki C, Noda A, Yasuda Y, et al., authors. Continuous positive airway pressure intolerance associated with elevated nasal resistance is possible mechanism of complex sleep apnea syndrome. Sleep Breath. 2012;16:747–52. [PubMed]
Kushida CA, Chediak A, Berry BB, et al., authors. Positive Airway Pressure Titration Task Force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Clinical guidelines for the manual titration of positive aiway pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008;4:157–71. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Iber C, Ancoli-Israel S, Chesson AL, Quan SF, et al., authors. The AASM manual for the scoring of sleep and associated events: rules, terminology, and technical specifications. 2007. Westchester, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
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Fowler WS, author. Lung function studies; the respiratory dead space. Am J Physiol. 1948;154:405–16. [PubMed]


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Weather Channel show has geeks talking shop
NEW YORK (AP) — A bunch of weather geeks sitting around talking shop is The Weather Channel's idea for new programming.
A weekly show will gather meteorologists and other experts to discuss topics like the merits of storm-chasing, how to fight droughts and whether machines or humans are better at forecasting.
The network said Wednesday that the show, called "Weather Geeks," will be hosted by Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia's atmospheric sciences program.
It debuts Sunday at noon (EDT), which will be its regular time slot.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.


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Tomorrow evening marks the 21st episode of the IgNobel Awards, handed out every year in increasingly bizarre ceremonies at Harvard University. io9's rookie science reporter Robert Gonzalez will be there live and in person to witness the madness as scientists are given awards for research that makes you laugh, and then think. Hosted (and invented) by io9 pal Marc Abrahams, editor of The Annals of Improbable Research, the IgNobel Award ceremony will be a night you won't forget — especially if you watch it live on io9 via the wonders of YouTube.
The ceremony starts tomorrow at 7:30 PM Eastern time. Watch for a post on io9 with the live feed. Also, bring paper airplanes. Trust me.


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Last June I wrote about a number of Walla Walla wineries contemplating opening tasting rooms in Woodinville. Since that time the list of wineries has greatly expanded and now includes wineries from throughout Washington State. Woodinville, already home to more than forty-five wineries and tasting rooms, has seen an additional ten facilities open recently in the area. Wineries that have opened tasting rooms include Airfield Estates, Alder Ridge, Cañon del Sol, Dusted Valley, Eaton Hill, Gifford Hirlinger, Goose Ridge, Isenhower, Otis Kenyon, and Tefft. Amavi, Pepper Bridge, and Zerba plan to open tasting rooms in the near future. More are sure to follow (the steady influx has been well documented by Woodinville Wine Update).
The expansion in the number of wineries and tasting rooms in Woodinville is sure to transform the area. In fact, it already has. The school house district, a short distance from Chateau Ste. Michelle, has been the most visibly changed. This area, which was previously anchored by Brian Carter Cellars with numerous other wineries and tasting rooms within a half-mile drive, now hosts over thirteen tasting rooms within a quarter mile stretch. Most of these facilities are centralized in three complexes.
As I originally wrote, the economics of opening a tasting room in Woodinville are obvious. The eastern part of the state is sparsely populated; the Seattle metropolitan area has a population of over four million. It is much easier for wineries to sell directly to their customer base several hundred miles closer to them.
While the economics of the decision are easy to understand, the effects will be far reaching and will take time to fully grasp. Perhaps the most significant issue is whether the area can sustain this number of wineries and tasting rooms. While I personally believe the area is nowhere near its limit, a more interesting question is whether the area can sustain these wineries and these tasting rooms? The current economic climate is already presenting significant challenges to many wineries. A recent blog post by Paul Gregutt detailed Isenhower Cellars' deliberations about how to survive in today's economy (Isenhower is one of the wineries to recently open a Woodinville tasting room). Wineries must not only continue to strive to make high quality, well-priced wines, they must also increasingly differentiate and market themselves successfully.
While most people I have spoken with (both on and off the record) have been welcoming of the wineries opening tasting rooms in to Woodinville, one wonders how long this can last as the influx continues. Additionally, people in some in areas, such as Walla Walla, have expressed concern about these tasting rooms diluting their own identity as a tourist destination.
Another significant concern for the area is traffic. Although the major portions of a $3.9 million dollar road project to deal with increased traffic flow were recently completed, the area still seems ill-equipped to deal with the inevitable congestion that will occur in the summer and on event weekends. While the new roundabouts are intended to ease traffic flow, it takes time for people to learn how to use them (for assistance, see an instructional video from the Washington State Department of Transportation here). While the locals will eventually get it, don't expect tourists to. Parking also looks to be a significant issue. Last Friday night, parking lots in the school house district were full, and cars lined the streets. Add people searching for parking with confusion regarding roundabouts, and things look to get quite congested. The first real look at how this will play out will be this weekend's Woodinville Passport.
For all the concerns these changes bring, there will be a number of positive effects as well. Competition is not always a bad thing. The quality bar for wineries and tasting rooms will continually be raised higher (as will the wine prices at some point once the economy recovers). Additionally, Seattle will increasingly be a destination for wine tourists. Many of these people can be expected to venture out further to the state's other wine regions as well.
These issues, of course, have been faced by many wine regions before and will be faced by many again in the future. Napa Valley's summer traffic, for instance, is legendary. Ultimately, it is all part of Washington's continuing transformation into a major wine region.
The wineries are coming! The wineries are coming! Washington wineries pour in to Woodinville
Last June I wrote about a number of Walla Walla wineries contemplating opening tasting rooms in Woodinville. Since that time the list of wineries has greatly expanded and now includes wineries from throughout Washington State. Woodinville, already home to more than forty-five wineries and tasting rooms, has seen an additional ten facilities open recently in the area. Wineries that have opened tasting rooms include Airfield Estates, Alder Ridge, Cañon del Sol, Dusted Valley, Eaton Hill, Gifford Hirlinger, Goose Ridge, Isenhower, Otis Kenyon, and Tefft. Amavi, Pepper Bridge, and Zerba plan to open tasting rooms in the near future. More are sure to follow (the steady influx has been well documented by Woodinville Wine Update).
13 comments
Robert Frost Says:
Don't forget Obelisco Estate! I think they are opening their Woodinville tasting room sometime this summer...
Robert, good point! I forgot to mention Obelisco. Very nice wine too (check out my review from a few months back). Thanks for the comment.
Shona Milne Says:
Obelisco will open about June 1st up in the main warehouse area.
Thanks Shona!
Melinda Says:
Many of the same thoughts have gone thru my head regarding the high concentration of TR in such a small radius of land. Passport this weekend will definitely be a test. The spaces in the Goose Ridge & Airfield parking lot are tight. I have a mid size SUV and I had to fold in my mirrors and shimmy out the door to get out of my car. My advice would be to park over in the schoolhouse parking lot and walk over to that complex and the one across the street where Dusted Valley is.
Melinda, thanks for the perspective on the parking spaces. I couldn't find a space in the lot so wound up on the street. Will be interesting to see how Passport goes.
Sounds like going to Woodinville to taste wines will soon be like going to the Mall of America to buy (insert consumer product here) - a real terroir experience!
Anon, definitely the vines always seem very far away in Woodinville. Thanks for the comment.
cityroute16 Says:
With the excitement of these tasting rooms opening up, a few questions: Tasting fees? Not for the Weekend event, but on a daily non-event day. Also, I would think that one of the main purposes in having a tasting room in Woodinville would be to promote tourism to the Yakima Valley or Walla Walla Valley wineries. I know that Airfield Estates has made that an important part of their tasting rooms experience. Not just for their winery, but for the vineyards, wineries, hotels, and other tourist attractions. I imagine the effect of the tasting rooms will be a boost for the wineries, not only in their sales in Woodinville, but with visits and purchases in their wineries on the eastside.
It remains to be seen if more tasting rooms draw more people or dilute the amount of people across more wineries. We have seen the dilution at Passport and St. Nick's. Fewer people across more wineries and this year ticket sales are down causing a drop in Passport visits. Per person sales are up because we have a better experience with the customers. Regular tasting room traffic is up.
The unknown is whether the marketing muscle of the bigger wineries will draw more people to Woodinville or not. This summer will be the test. Woodinville Wine Country is also going to be tested in the next year or so whether they can keep that organization relevant with many of the larger newcomers not interested in joining. I think Passport and St. Nick's might change dramatically over the next couple of years.
It still amazes me the amount of people that live in the Seattle area that still have no clue that all of this goes on in Woodinville. I think some type of scientific survey is in order to see how many people know about Woodinville as a wine destination...
Cityroute16, good question regarding tasting fees. I would expect each of these wineries to have fees given the number of people who will be coming through there. I don't know what the range of the fees will be (others please chime in if you do).
I definitely believe that, if properly done, these tasting rooms can be used to stimulate interest in traveling to the area the winery is physically located. This can be done in a number of ways, such as having people talk about the winery at the tasting room, showing pictures of the winery and the vineyards, putting out promotional material, etc. For these tasting rooms to really work (outside of just increasing sales) this will be essential as the goal is to connect people to the winery in some way.
Thanks for the comment.
Anon 10:03a, I agree that it will be interesting to see how the newcomers - especially the larger ones - play within the existing structures (or not). The next six to twelve months should tell the story. I also agree that there is a large opportunity out there at the moment for Woodinville to increase its brand awareness with people in the Seattle area. Especially with many of the new tasting rooms set up as destinations - as opposed to functional facilities that double as tasting rooms - this a great time to increase awareness. Thanks for the comment.
I think we may see saturation in Woodinville. Tasting/rooms with warehouse space are now hard to find, I hear, making logistics problematic for newer entrants. Meanwhile, SoDo on the rise? I haven't lurked here lately, and maybe you've posted about SoDo. Urban Enoteca has some serious boutique wineries signed up. So far as I know, about half the contemplated spaces are spoken for, and they are all east side wineries. Then there's the small but growing number of wineries operating in SoDo . . .


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How...? So he... but then... huh? Jesus Christ, that was terrible.
At least there was a moment of brilliance before this ridiculous blunder. Cesc Fàbregas rewards a perfectly timed Alexis run with an absolutely brilliant pass to put him through on goal. Then, Alexis's shot rebounded off the post. What came next defies description.
Sometimes the really bad own goals bring to mind the possibility of intentional ineptitude, but the sheer improbability of this one should prevent any such doubts here. [BeIn]


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