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Today I received the Fisher House Newsletter (of the Cambridge University Catholic chaplaincy) for 2012. On the cover's list of contents it mentioned "Fr Richard Incledon RIP." He happened to be the chaplain at Cambridge between 1966 and 1977. As I was an undergraduate between 1965 and 1968, we had crossed paths; thus I was interested to read the newsletter's obituary, written by Peter Glazebrook.
As obituaries do, it said all sorts of kind things, mentioning Fr Incledon's academic successes (a double First at Oxford), his generosity, his ecumenical spirit and his support for the redevelopment of the chaplaincy. Then came the last paragraph. It stated: "All this came after the publication of Humanae Vitae which, for Richard, as for many other priests, was a turning point. He made no secret of finding its reasoning unconvincing and its authority dubious: a Catholic should consider it carefully, but was not obliged to assent to it. He was summoned to Archbishop's House. His card was marked and the institutional Church deprived itself of an outstanding (if demanding) seminary rector and a diocesan bishop who would have brought great distinction to the episcopate. Whether Richard saw it this way is not altogether clear. He undoubtedly found much fulfilment, and gained a multitude of devoted friends, as a chaplain and a parish priest."
All this is rather speculative. Whether the "institutional church" was deprived of an outstanding bishop we will never know this side of heaven. Incidentally, the Catholic Herald of 1968, the year of Humanae Vitae's publication, took a similar view, according to former editor Gerard Noel. It tried to steer a via media between the Universe, which said Catholics were obliged to assent to the papal encyclical, and the Tablet, for whom it was a very bitter pill: readers, the Herald thought, should make themselves acquainted with what Pope Paul VI wrote and then follow their conscience. I rather suspect this was a polite cop-out.
Alongside the obituary, Fr Anthony Keefe, a former undergraduate who had known Fr Incledon – and who had arrived the autumn after I had gone down – wrote: "In the aftermath of Humanae Vitae, Richard was particularly generous in his support of priests whose superiors had been especially heavy-handed – but then generosity was his watchword. Fisher House was always a refugium peccatorum, yet it was not permitted to be a hiding-hole. Richard demanded of Catholic students that they play their part in the wider world of the university: he disbanded the Fisher Society, which he considered too insular and as encouraging 'chaplaincy mice'."
Reading between the lines, this looks as if Fisher House became an unofficial centre of "loyal dissent" as the phrase goes. I also wonder how many Catholic undergraduates were influenced by their chaplain's line on the authority or otherwise of Humanae Vitae? I mention all this partly through a sad sense of "sic transit gloria mundi" and also because in William Oddie's recent blog about the new appointment of Fr Philip Egan as eighth bishop for the Diocese of Portsmouth, he adds, intriguingly, that Fr Egan gave a talk in 2009 on the authority of Humanae Vitae "in which he argued that its teaching was proclaimed infallibly from the ordinary magisterium".
It seems that Fr Egan's talk took place at St Patrick's, Soho Square – a centre of loyal assent, I am glad to report – and this is what, inter alia, he said: "It seems to me that there is a persuasive case for believing that the doctrine of Humanae Vitae, regardless of the pastoral difficulty it causes, regardless of the philosophical and theological arguments thrown against it, regardless of the historical conditioning of its neo-scholastic framework, has been, and is being taught infallibly, that is, irreversibly and without error, by the Church's ordinary universal magisterium."
I hope very much that Bishop-elect Egan's appointment will bring distinction to the "institutional Church". Thank goodness that, for whatever reason – such as his orthodoxy? – his card has not been marked.


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Beta-SitosterolJune 2005
By Stephen B. Strum, MD, FACP, and William Faloon
Whether from benign enlargement or cancer, prostate disorders wreak havoc on the majority of aging men. Doctors have identified nutrients and drugs that alleviate symptoms of benign enlargement and reduce prostate cancer risk.
An overlooked plant extract called beta-sitosterol may be of particular benefit. Scientific studies indicate that beta-sitosterol consistently improves urinary symptoms related to prostate enlargement.
The good news is that beta-sitosterol costs so little that men can increase their consumption without spending extra dollars.
As men grow older, cells in their prostate glands often overgrow, causing a swelling that obstructs the bladder opening, resulting in slowness in urination and bladder emptying. This non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland causes pressure on the urethra, acting like a clamp. The result is a weak urinary stream, hesitancy, and other uncomfortable urinary symptoms such as increased nighttime frequency and urgency (Figure 1).
While a man aged 31 to 40 has only an 8% chance of having benign prostate enlargement, the risk increases to 40-50% in men aged 51 to 60 and to over 80% in men older than 80.1
Beta-Sitosterol: A Popular European Drug
For the past several decades, European doctors have routinely prescribed a variety of plant-based drugs to treat benign prostate enlargement and lower urinary tract symptoms. Saw palmetto, pygeum, and nettle root extracts are common plant-based drugs prescribed to millions of men in Europe.
Consumers in the US have open access to these same nutrients that are approved as drugs in Europe to combat urinary symptoms of benign prostate enlargement.
Beta-sitosterol is a plant fat contained in several European prostate drugs, though it is not routinely used in the United States. Multiple randomized studies have confirmed the efficacy of beta-sitosterol in alleviating the types of prostate discomfort that aging men so frequently encounter.
Measuring Symptoms of Prostate Enlargement
In order for scientists around the world to evaluate the efficacy of a particular therapy, certain testing standards have been established.
One of the most common standards is the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). The score is stated as a number that can range from 0 to 35, depending on the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms. The International Prostate Symptom Score also includes a scoring of quality of life as it relates to urinary symptoms.
A measurement to assess the strength of the urinary stream is called the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax). The maximum urinary flow rate is commonly decreased with benign prostate disease such as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia).
The third test is the amount of residual urine that remains in the bladder after voiding, or postvoid residual urine (PVR). This is most easily assessed with pre- and post-void ultrasounds of the bladder.
Remarkable Effects of Beta-Sitosterol
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of 200 men with benign prostate enlargement, half the group received 180 mg of beta-sitosterol daily, while the other half received placebo. After six months, the beta-sitosterol group saw improvement in the International Prostate Symptom Score, the measurement of urine flow (QMax), and the amount of residual urine remaining in the bladder (PUR).3
The beta-sitosterol group showed a 7.4-point decrease in the International Prostate Symptom Score, compared to a decrease of only 2.1 points in the placebo group . . . a significant 3.5-fold improvement in the men taking beta-sitosterol (Figure 2).3
The measurement of urinary flow increased to an average of 15.2 milliliters (ml) per second from 9.9 ml/second in the men receiving beta-sitosterol. The placebo group only increased to 11.4 ml/second from 10.2 ml/second at baseline. Urinary flow thus improved almost 35% in the group taking beta-sitosterol, compared to only 11% in the placebo group.3
Most remarkably, residual urine in the bladder decreased to 30.4 ml from 65.8 ml in the men using beta-sitosterol . . . a reduction of almost 54%! In the placebo group, residual bladder urine declined from 64.8 ml to 54.3 ml . . . a reduction of only around 16%.3
In a follow-up study that evaluated durability of response to beta-sitosterol, the beneficial effects for beta-sitosterol were found to be maintained during an additional 18 months of observation.4
Figure 2 shows the significant difference in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) in men receiving beta-sitosterol compared to placebo.
Benefits of Beta-Sitosterol Confirmed
To confirm these remarkable effects of beta-sitosterol, another study was performed and the results were published in the British Journal of Urology. The study involved 177 patients with benign prostate enlargement. Patients received 130 mg of beta-sitosterol each day and were monitored for over six months. Measurements of the International Prostate Symptom Score, urinary flow, and residual urine in the bladder after voiding were recorded.5
On average, urinary flow values increased by 4.5 ml/second while residual urine volumes decreased by a substantial 33.5 ml. The International Prostate Symptom Scores showed a statistically significant improvement. These results with beta-sitosterol are comparable to those seen with the commonly prescribed drug Proscar®, used to treat benign prostate enlargement.5
Two years later, a review of all existing studies of beta-sitosterol in the treatment of benign prostate enlargement was conducted. The researchers identified randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials involving a total of 519 men. In three of the trials, beta-sitosterol was used, and in one trial, a glucoside of beta-sitosterol was used. In these studies, beta-sitosterol improved urinary symptom scores and urinary flow rates, and significantly reduced the volume of residual urine in the bladder.6,7 Table 1 summarizes some of the randomized studies of beta-sitosterol in the treatment of BPH.
The magnitude of reduction in prostate symptoms and improvement in urinary flow rates is a strong incentive for the use of beta-sitosterol, either alone or in combination with standard pharmacologic interventions such as alpha-adrenergic blockers (Cardura®, Hytrin®, Uroxatral®, Flomax®) or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (Proscar®, Avodart®).
Beta-Sitosterol and Prostate Cancer
A study using the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP (an androgen-dependent tumor) showed that beta-sitosterol decreased cancer cell growth by 24% and induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) fourfold. These findings were correlated with a 50% increase in ceramide production.8 Research suggests that ceramide, an important component of the cell membrane, induces apopotosis.9
Growth of the human prostate cancer PC-3 cell line (androgen-independent) implanted in mice was compared in two groups receiving either a 2% phytosterol mixture or a cholesterol mixture. In the in-vitro studies, both beta-sitosterol and campesterol inhibited the growth of PC-3 cells by 70% and 14%, respectively. Cholesterol supplementation, by contrast, increased the growth by 18% when compared with controls.10
Phytosterols inhibited the invasion of PC-3 cells into Matrigel-coated membranes by 78% (a measure of cancer invasiveness), while cholesterol increased it by 43% compared to the cells in the control media.10
Migration of tumor cells through 8-micron pore membranes (a measure of tumor motility) was reduced by 60-93% when the PC-3 cells were in phytosterol media, compared to a 67% increase after cholesterol supplementation.10
Phytosterol supplementation reduced the binding of PC-3 cells to laminin by 15-38% and to fibronectin by 23%, while cholesterol increased binding to type IV collagen (a measure of adhesiveness and ability to form tumor clumps) by 36%.10 The results above are presented in Figure 3.
The researchers concluded that phytosterol indirectly (in vivo as a dietary supplement) and directly (in tissue culture media) inhibited the growth and metastasis of PC-3 cells. Beta-sitosterol was more effective than campesterol in offering this protection in most of the parameters studied.10 Results of this study and other cell line trials involving phytosterols in cancer are shown in Table 2.

subset: commoncrawl


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Autographed Baseball Auction
Well, I'm all done tinkering with all the baseballs I could identify. I have about 22 signed baseballs that I will put up for purchase, and all proceeds will go to my charity. You can check out the details here. The charity is called, Snagging Baseballs for Puppies. Some rules that you need to know: I will not accept cash. There is no exception to this rule, whatsoever. Also, all prices are negotiable but understand this; once you donate and receive the baseball, I will not accept the baseball back. It's yours to do whatever you want with it. And in the event that you do not like what you've received, this is a tax-deductible charitable organization. So in other words, if you are unhappy with what you've essentially donated for, you can get your money back at the end of the year (most of it, anyway). Or whenever you do your taxes next. I'm not trying to be unreasonable, I just wanted to point some of these things to you so we are all on the same sheet of music.
So without further ado…
First row from left to right: Troy Glaus, Alex Gordon, Dave McKay, Gary Mathews Jr
Second row from left to right: Brian Moehler, Bruce Chen, Max Scherzer, Dusty Baker
Third row from left to right: Mario Soto, Jose Cruz, Jerry Lynch, Brian Moehler
Fourth row from left to right: Melky Cabrera, Torii Hunter, Kevin Seitzer, Edison Volquez
Fifth row from left to right: Rick Hacker, Bud Norris, Colby Rasmus, Brian Moehler
Last row from left to right: Jim Maloney, Ryan Hanigan
Here's how this is going to work. I'm going to make things fairly simple to reduce any kinds of problems that may arise. All you have to do to get a hold of one of these prized possessions is leave a comment below claiming which baseball(s) you want (first come, first serve). Secondly, send me an email with your name and address and I'll take care of the rest! Make sure you go to Crowdrise.com to make your donation! Don't worry about shipping costs and all that jazz. I'm not really prepared to set up any kind of auction system if someone comes to me with more money for a baseball. It's simple ,first come, first serve. So if you see a ball you want, jump on it.!I'm not sure how fast these baseballs will go. Also, the Dusty Baker ball and the Ryan Hanigan ball, the signatures are a little faded. And none of these baseballs are on authentic Major League balls.
Now for the best part. I have a 2009 Cincinnati Reds team ball up for purchase as well. And here's the kicker; since I got Joey Votto on a separate baseball, I'm combining the two! Here, take a look:
The team ball with all those signatures that you see? That's on an official Major League baseball. The Votto signature isn't. The reason why I didn't use authentic MLB balls is because they're like $15-25 dollars a piece and these Rawlings balls, although, just as good for signatures, were quite a bit cheaper. So I could get more of my favorite players on many more baseballs. I just want you to be aware of what type of baseballs these signatures are on.
Anyway, to wrap this up, I'm listing the prices below:
Troy Glaus: $20.00 (No longer available)
Alex Gordon: $20.00 (No longer available)
Dave McKay: $10.00
Gary Mathews Jr: $10.00 (No longer available)
Brian Moehler: $10.00
Bruce Chen: $10.00
Max Scherzer: $10.00 (No longer available)
Dusty Baker: $15.00 (No longer available)
Mario Soto: $35.00
Jose Cruz: $35.00
Jerry Lynch: $10.00
Melky Cabrera: $15.00 (No longer available)
Torii Hunter: $35.00 (No longer Available)
Kevin Seitzer: $25.00
Edison Volquez: $15.00
Rick Hacker: $10.00
Bud Norris: $20.00 (No longer available)
Colby Rasmus: $15.00 (No longer available)
Jim Maloney: $10.00
Ryan Hanigan: $15.00
2009 Cincinnati Reds w/ Joey Votto: $75.00
There's your prices, folks! Throw some bids my way in the comments section and we will see what we can work out! Remember, shipping is free, and this is a tax deductible charitable organization! All proceeds go to my charity and I thank you for looking!


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The next episode in the Great Rift adventures is now here, and this time we are going deep into the rift! Great Rift Adventure 2: Deepnight Endeavour is here, and you can grab your own copy here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/229 ... te_id=7242
Alternatively, you can pre-order the printed version here, which will be released in the next couple of months: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/rpgs/ ... avour.html
A terrifying struggle against a truly alien force in the depths of the Great Rift…
Great Rift Adventure 2: Deepnight Endeavour takes place aboard a derelict exploration vessel which the Travellers must enter to locate fuel. With no way to get home, they discover there are survivors, and that the ship has taken aboard a malevolent entity seeking to reach an inhabited planet. The Travellers might simply try to escape or they could attempt to destroy the entity, but they will face opposition from the original crew as well as the entity itself.
This adventure includes full deck plans and descriptions of the massive exploration ship, the Deepnight Endeavour, along with factions of surviving crew members, and the horrifying alien presence that has infected the vessel…
Mongoose News - Great Rift Adventure 2: Deepnight Endeavour
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Edelman explains decision to stay with Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Julian Edelman grew up less than 30 miles from San Francisco. So visiting the 49ers as a free agent was "very surreal."
As a high school student, he watched them at training camp. As a pro, he chose to stay at his current home.
Two days after re-signing with the New England Patriots, Edelman said Thursday, "I ultimately felt that the best fit for me and my skill set and my career was back in Boston. (San Francisco) was my home growing up, but, like I keep on saying, Foxborough is home. It's all I know really."
Edelman has spent five NFL seasons with the Patriots since they drafted him in the seventh round as a quarterback out of Kent State and converted him to wide receiver. But he caught only 69 passes in his first four years.
Then, with Wes Welker leaving for the Denver Broncos, Edelman had a breakout season with 105 receptions, fourth most in the NFL. With him and Danny Amendola returning, Tom Brady has some stability in his receiving corps. The Patriots added former Carolina wide receiver Brandon LaFell, but still lack a deep threat.
Brady "let it be known that he would love to have me back and part of the team," Edelman said in a conference call, "but Tom's also a good friend of mine, one of the guys that's helped me develop into a professional in this league. He also told me that I would have to take care of myself and my family. He just kind of mentored me through the process.
"The most difficult time of this process is planning on the worst, and that's moving on and going to another place. It's very tough, especially when you've been in a place for five years and you've developed a love for the area."
Still, visiting the 49ers "was like a little dream," Edelman said. "It was very surreal. I remember going in high school and going to the training camps and seeing the players. … I was a big (Jim) Harbaugh fan when he was (coach) at Stanford."
But Edelman re-signed with the Patriots, reportedly for $17 million over four years.
"It's good to have a little security," he said, "a little security on how many years I'll be here. I've never really been in that situation. I've always felt like if I had a bad practice, I could potentially get cut the next day."
Not anymore.
"There's a reality that I could have played somewhere else," Edelman said. "You didn't know what direction your life was going to go, so it's definitely great to have the process over."
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL


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A growing number of young mums and dads are turning to Playgroups for young parents for peer support and valuable socialisation for their children.
These parents in their teens and early twenties, are setting aside a few hours each week to attend Playgroup with their babies and before school age children.
Playgroup is for children aged from birth until they are old enough to attend school. While this age varies between states and territories, it is generally around five or six years old. Playgroup is different from child care, kindergarten and pre-school, because adults attend with their children.
Playgroups run on a simple formula that has stood the test of time for decades – bring together families with under school age children in a place with lots of room for activities, a pool of toys and equipment, and get ready for lots of fun as children and their caregivers play together.
There are currently more than 100,000 families attending Playgroup each week across Australia at venues including maternal and child health centres, kindergartens, halls, churches, community centres and primary schools.
Playgroup Australia recognises that as young parents you have a need for support and the opportunity to meet with others like yourself who have become parents at a young age.
We understand that you prefer to attend a Playgroup which is exclusive to people around your age, and we also want you and your child to enjoy the benefits of the Playgroup experience.
While providing your child with skills that will help prepare them for life and learning, Playgroup can also offer you a forum to share ideas and problems. It can also lead to play dates and, in many cases, long-term friendships.
Playgroups for young parents also benefit from the additional support of a coordinator who works with members and helps them develop the skills to participate in, and run, their Playgroup independently. These facilitators are also available to assist with parenting information and referrals to other family services.
Federal Government funding also means that attendance at these groups is free.
While Playgroup sessions are informal and relaxed, they also offer some valuable lessons for the children attending. Skills like learning to socialise and initiate play with others, sharing and co-operating, and becoming confident little people.
Most parents say they go to playgroup for their child to play with other same-age children. But parents learn a lot too – about play! Playgroups create an atmosphere that will soon bring out your inner child.
There are currently more than 30 Playgroups meeting weekly around Australia that are attended by young parents . For more information or to find one near you call 1800 171 882 (toll free) or visit www.playgroupaustralia.com.au
|Playgroups for Teenage and Young Parents (as at May 2011)
New South Wales
Northern Territory
South Australia


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March 5, 2007
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - This past weekend, the MIT women's fencing team competed in the IFA Championship, the oldest collegiate championship in the country. The Engineers finished 10th out of 12 teams, which included Boston College, Brandeis University, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Vassar College and Yale University.
The foil team posted the highest ranking for Tech as it took sixth place, equaling the program's best finish which occurred in 2003-04. Cordelia Link led the way by tallying seven victories for a fifth-place finish while Nancy Hua's six victories earned her sixth place in the "B" pool. Chun Li and Lindley Graham represented MIT in the "C" pool, placing seventh and 13th, respectively.
Yushin Chen captured ninth place in the top sabre pool while the squad recorded a 10th-place finish. Hareem Ahmad (11th place) and Heather Pressler (12th place) each picked up a win as Laura Evans captured eighth in the "C" pool with four victories.
Joanna Tong recorded the best performance for MIT in epee as she totaled five wins en route to a seventh-place finish in the "B" pool. Stephanie Shin took 12th place in the "A" pool while Zhenya Gu finished 14th in the "C" pool. As a team, the Engineers registered a ranking of 12th place.


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The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's proposal for a dinosaur theme train has revived deep-seated concerns among some area residents about the train and its growing number of theme events.
Residents at a Monday night meeting about the D&SNG's newest proposal aired complaints about pollution, noise and a cheapening of the historic railroad with commercialized events.
The neighborhood compatibility meeting was part of the planning review process required for all new uses of the railroad's theme park, located about three miles north of Durango in the Animas Valley.
Similar to the railroad's Polar Express and pumpkin patch trains, the dinosaur train will travel to the theme park where customers will find blow-up dinosaurs, archaeological dig activities, food vendors, a temporary tattoo parlor and an inflatable bouncy house, according to the proposal.
The event is modeled after Dinosaur Train, a cartoon series that airs on PBS Kids. This year, the train is advertised to run two times per day from June 15 through June 17.
The La Plata County Board of County Commissioners still has to approve the railroad's proposal. The board will hear the proposal May 29. The company started advertising the event before receiving final approval because it wasn't expecting so much opposition, said Jeff Jackson, chief operating officer of American Heritage Railways, the parent company of the D&SNG.
Much of residents' criticism focused on the railroad's current request to use of the theme park from May through August to give it flexibility to move the event in future years, Jackson said.
Residents argued that allowing a four-month unlimited operating period would provide no safeguard against the train expanding the event to any, or every, weekend during the summer. Many attendees wanted the railroad's proposal to include specific days when the train would run.
Jackson said the train had no plans to expand the event beyond about nine days a season. It's not economically feasible for the company to put on an event like the dinosaur train every weekend, he said.
According to the project proposal, the dinosaur train will use a coal-fired steam engine that will travel to the theme park and stay idle for an hour and a half as passengers do the various activities. All items on the property will be removed at the end of each weekend, the proposal said.
Though temporary, the blow-up dinosaurs and tattoo parlors will ruin the area's natural environment and the railroad's historic significance, residents said.
"We've seen it turn into a circus throughout the valley," meeting attendee Vi McDermott said.
Several residents encouraged the railroad to consider putting the theme park-related activities at the train depot instead.
Vicki Love turned in a proposal with 82 signatures asking the county to deny the railroad's proposal. She criticized the county's standards that require the railroad notify residents within only 1,000 feet of the theme park about the new train event.
The train and its events affect many more people than just those whose houses surround the theme park, residents said.


text:
Browse by Medical Category
Learn more about the Food Allergy Center
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Qian Yuan, MD, PhD
Dr. Yuan is having the time of his life at the Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. When asked about his job, he smiles and says, "I have the best job because I get to visit and treat patients, as well as contribute to exciting research to make their lives better."
He attended medical school in China before leaving his native country in 1989 for New Zealand, where he completed his doctorate in immunology. After moving to the United States in 1993, Dr. Yuan went to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston to do research in immunology with K. Frank Austen, MD, and Joshua A Boyce, MD, and subsequently to Mass General with Andrew D. Luster, MD, PhD. During his research, Dr. Yuan became interested in Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EE or EoE), an inflammatory condition of the esophagus that can cause problems with feeding, weight gain and daily living. Although it is currently unknown what causes EoE, it appears to be related to food allergies. After his three-year pediatric residency, Dr. Yuan completed a gastrointestinal fellowship at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and began his career at Mass General working with Wayne Shreffler, MD, PhD, a nationally recognized expert in food allergy.
The Food Allergy Center includes basic, translational and clinical researchers and clinicians who meet regularly to guide EoE research at Mass General. The group includes a wide range of clinicians and researchers working closely together: Dr. Yuan, Jyoti P. Ramakrishna, MBBS (Pediatric Gastroenterology) and Aubrey J Katz, MD (Clinical Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology), Paul E. Hesterberg, MD, Shuba Rajashri Iyengar, MD, MPH, Perdita Permaul, MD, and Jolan E. Walter, MD, PhD, (Pediatric Allergy/Immunology), Aidan Angelo Long, MD (Clinical Director, Allergy Associates), Gary Tearney, MD, PhD (Pathology), Bryan Hurley, PhD (Mucosal Immunology) and others.
Because of the lack of information, EoE is a mysterious disease that can be frustrating to treat. Dr. Yuan often will explain to parents that their child has a food allergy, but he cannot identify the food. New EoE patients evaluated at the Food Allergy Center usually have selected food allergy testing, including Immunoglobin E (IgE)/blood tests, skin prick tests and sometimes, skin patch tests.
With so many unknowns around EoE, the doctors at the Food Allergy Center appreciate feedback from parents about their concerns regarding treatment. At a recent evening event focused on EoE, the doctors learned that—aside from a cure—parents' most immediate wish is to eliminate invasive endoscopies that are used to diagnose the disease. Knowing these concerns helps doctors be better caregivers and researchers. Working with the Department of Pathology, the Food Allergy Center is currently exploring ways to perform endoscopies with less invasive devices, as well as studying how to prevent repeated procedures.
Current EoE research projects
Much of the research at Mass General Food Allergy Center is in need of funding, especially research gathering preliminary data. Collecting this data allows researchers to have a base with which to apply for National Institutes of Health grants as well as to obtain private and foundation support.
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text:
Social Networking: The Art of Social Media Recruiting
By: John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
Millions of potential job candidates have posted profiles on social media sites, and their number increases every minute. And as time goes by and careers advance, the online dossier of a given worker tends to get thicker with professional accomplishments or personal factoids, whether the individual purposely builds her presence on social media websites, or the data on her accumulates passively.
For many recruiters and hiring managers, the existence of online candidate information and the ease of accessing it to learn about your new hire creates a virtually irresistible temptation. But such access presents questions for employers, among them: How should our recruiters represent us in cyberspace? What kind of information should be admitted to the recruitment and hiring processes, and what ignored?
But first, how are employers and their recruiters using social networking sites today?
HR Dips a Toe in Social Networking
There's a lot of talk about recruiting with social media sites, but it really is just talk." So says Steve Williams, director of research at the Society for Human Resource Management. "Just 3 percent of organizations use social networking as their primary source. About 17 percent use it as part of their hiring process."
For most recruiters who use social media sites, these searches occupy a small fraction of their week. Of HR professionals who use social networking sites to screen applicants, 52 percent spend one or two hours per week on this activity; 29 percent spend three to five hours; the remainder spend longer, according to a 2008 SHRM survey of 571 HR professionals.
Perhaps the most popular use of social media recruiting is to source prospective candidates. Some 53 percent of respondents using social networking said they do so to search for passive candidates. Just over two-thirds say that social networking helps them reach candidates who they otherwise wouldn't know about or couldn't contact.
Before You Dive in to Social Media…
Social networking companies have made their sites so easy to use that it's tempting to just dip your toe in without considering how your social media marketing strategy should be deployed in these most transparent of media.
"If you're new to social media, take some time to learn about it," says Jennifer Jacobson, author of the forthcoming book, 42 Rules of Social Media for Business. "Find a platform that works for you."
When HR professionals and hiring managers open a new recruitment front in social media, they need to be aware of the tone they set.
"Recruiters are typically pretty aggressive, so they have to be aware of how they come off" when they go online, says Rachna Jain, a psychologist and social marketing consultant in Beltsville, Md. "Recruiters can talk about the state of their clients' industry, which becomes a subtle way of attracting prospects."
In the searchable world of social media, you can publicize your hiring subtly, without directly inviting the submission of hundreds of resumes. "At a micro-blogging site like Twitter or Plurk, you can write, 'I'm happy to welcome to our team so-and-so, who's expert in such-and-such," in order to connect with other members doing related keyword searches, says Jain. "It's a way of putting your company's successes out there in a manner that's not overly promotional."
Be Aware of how You Use Online Information
Once candidates are in your hiring pool, it's tempting to Google them and search the big social media sites to see what comes up. But the mix of public, private, professional and personal information that can be found online must be used with abundant discretion, if at all.
"HR tells hiring managers that if you use social networking sites, you must verify the information to avoid liability," says Williams. "Misuse can lead to infringement of privacy or unintentional discrimination." If, for example, you allow information gleaned online about an applicant's age or marital status to affect a hiring decision, you could invite a lawsuit.
"Companies must be very cautious when determining (a) if information acquired from the Internet is relevant to job performance and (b) where there is a legitimate, and legal, reason to discount a candidate based on what they might have posted online," Robert Capwell of Employment Background Investigations Inc. writes in an October 2008 article for SHRM.
Many employers share Capwell's caution. Of organizations that choose not to screen applicants using social networking sites, 54 percent say they have questions about the legality of the process, according to the SHRM survey.
Still, "you may question the judgment of candidates who don't think about how personal postings can be seen by anyone," says Jain. If you uncover firm evidence that a candidate has celebrated his abuse of alcohol online, that information is hard to ignore.
"Recruiters should try to look at the person as a whole," says Jacobson. "Look them up on the social media sites, Google them and their email address." And then, in evaluating the information, use your best judgment together with the advice of the experts.