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So, guess what? Google has changed the way they show local results! Again!
For those of us who operate in and around the local search industry this change is just another in a long string of functionality changes, display updates, and rebrands that Google Local has been through in recent years.
The latest change came out of the blue on November 17th. Google gave very little warning or explanation to business owners about these changes, which has created plenty of confusion and frustration among many SMBs. It feels like Google has ripped the rug out from under their feet and they're left wondering whether it's worth bothering with local search any more.
In this post I'll explain what Google has changed, why it's changed, and why Google Local is still a huge opportunity for local businesses to attract new customers.
What has Google Changed?
These changes are entirely centered on Google+ Local pages. Up until recently these pages displayed all the useful & important data that Google holds about a business, and Google linked to these pages from local and map search results.
In September, Google removed the links from Search Results to Google+ Local pages and now they have removed most of the business data from them.
The new look Google+ is a place for 'interests', with an emphasis on its 'Communities' and 'Collections'. I explain more about these later in this post.
The most important point for business owners to understand from this change is that Google is still committed to local search & giving searchers information about local businesses, but they no longer think that Google+ is the right place to display business information.
So let's take a look at the changes & compare old vs new.
Old Style Google+ Page
The image below shows the old Google+ interface which displays plenty of useful and important information about a business (note that Google still offers a link "Back to classic G+" so you can still view this old style page, but this won't be forever).
I've highlighted a number of sections in red to show which info/content has been stripped away in the new interface.
This old style page was rich with content that was relevant to local businesses, including map, photo uploads, business description, and reviews. However, the new G+ pages no longer display the following features and info:
- Reviews / Star Rating
- Business Categories
- Maps / Directions
- Photo uploads / Interior photos
- Opening hours
- OpenTable/ Apps integration
So if we take away all those features, what are we left with?
New Google+ Page
The first thing you will notice is that the new Google+ is much simpler, and also more mobile friendly. According to Google, it focuses on 'simple navigation and improved search'.
But there is almost no information about the business.
In the red circle I've highlighted a very discreet 'info' icon. Clicking on the info icon opens up an 'About' page, which loads the following pop-up which does contain very basic contact info:
What are Communities and Collections?
The new Google+ is geared towards sharing content with those who share similar interests. Communities and Collections are areas on Google+ where users can find people with similar interests, and share content related to those subjects.
- Communities – Google states that Communities now average 1.2 million new joins per day, and allows users to immerse themselves in content they are interested in, such as Star Wars or SEO.
- Collections – Launched just five months ago, Collections are growing even faster and broadly focus on more creative or niche groups, such as Zombie Cats and Motorcycle Art.
Why has Google Made These Changes?
Google+ started life as a social network, but for a number of reasons it never really took off and Google is systematically breaking it up and keeping only the pieces that did work – e.g. Photos, Communities, and Collections.
Google+ Local piggybacked on G+ and became the place that Google displayed local business data. It always felt like an odd association – social features with business information – and now that association is ending.
As I said above, Google is still staunchly committed to providing quality local information, but this isn't via Google+ anymore.
What Does the Change Mean for Local Businesses?
The change doesn't have a material impact on local businesses. The reality is that very few search users actually visited/used Google+ Local pages because they got the information they needed from within search results pages.
Google+ Local pages are mostly used by business owners or SEOs to help them check, audit, and manage their business information. From this perspective, the change is annoying but shouldn't affect how local businesses attract new customers from Google.
Google still presents local business data prominently in both normal search results and in map results (see screen shots below)
In fact Google now shows local/map results for more search terms than ever before – because they know that searchers want local information. Great news for local businesses!
We can see that on a typical search for a local service / product (in this case "Plumber Boston MA"), Google gives plenty of real estate to local business websites; not only in the three pack (left), but also in the additional results featured on the Local Finder page (right).
Google's relationship with local hasn't changed. Local search optimization has never been just about Google+ pages, and over the years Google has demonstrated its commitment to showcasing not just large, popular brands, but also small and local businesses that can serve a users' needs.
Google My Business: Still the Place to Update Your Business Data
Nothing with Google My Business (GMB) has changed and you should continue to use your dashboard to manage your business information. The data from your GMB dashboard will show up everywhere that Google deems necessary; notably in Google Search, Maps, mobile search, and the Knowledge Graph.
In the annual Local Search Ranking Factors study, GMB signals made up 14.7% of the overall ranking factors (see image below). This is not going to change overnight, so Google is still very much focused on local, and there is little need for SEOs and local business owners to worry about changes to Google+.
Still Not Convinced?
If you, or a client, still have doubts about the effectiveness of Google/Local Search to drive new customers, then here are some tasty stats to convince you of the continuing power of Local Search:
Image credits
Featured Image: rvlsoft / Shutterstock.com, Screenshots taken Nov 2015


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Considering how fast technologies and the uses to which they are put are changing, PR campaign relevance must be taken as provisional, not exhaustive. But as I see it, these are the most important lines of inquiry into understanding algorithms as emerging tools of public knowledge and discourse Inmillhouse PR agency is assisting on!
1. Patterns of inclusion: the choices behind what makes it into an index in the first place, what is excluded, and how data is made algorithm ready
2. Cycles of anticipation: the implications of algorithm providers' attempts to thoroughly know and predict their users, and how the conclusions they draw can matter
3. The evaluation of relevance: the criteria by which algorithms determine what is relevant, how those criteria are obscured from us, and how they enact political choices about appropriate and legitimate knowledge
4. The promise of algorithmic objectivity: the way the technical character of the algorithm is positioned as an assurance of impartiality, and how that claim is maintained in the face of controversy
5. Entanglement with practice: how users reshape their practices to suit the algorithms they depend on, and how they can turn algorithms into terrains for political contest, sometimes even to interrogate the politics of the algorithm itself
6. The production of calculated publics: how the algorithmic presentation of publics back to themselves shape a public's sense of itself, and who is best positioned to benefit from that knowledge.

subset: commoncrawl


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Alan Jackson Adds Several Stars to 2018 Honky Tonk Highway Tour
Alan Jackson is one of the biggest stars in country music, and he's adding even more star power to his Honky Tonk Highway Tour, announcing a series of artists that will join him on the road.
Jackson's longtime friend and collaborator Lee Ann Womack has been named one of Jackson's special guests, along with Randy Houser and burgeoning newcomers Lauren Alaina and Runaway June.
Alaina is set to join Jackson during the first weekend of the tour in Kentucky and Arkansas, while Runaway June also pick up two dates in February. Houser will be with Jackson for most of the tour from February through September. Womack is currently slated for one date only, in New Hampshire. Special guests are yet to be announced for numerous other dates.
Jackson was on the road for much of 2017 on the Honky Tonk Highway Tour, extending it into 2018 due to high demand. The 2018 leg begins Jan. 19 in Lexington, Ky. and runs through Sept. 15 where it concludes in Charlotte, N.C.
Jackson received one of country music's highest honors when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017. "He looked like a scared little boy," Loretta Lynn said about meeting the singer for the first time while inducting Jackson into the Hall of Fame. "He was practicing backstage, going through his songs, and I remember I looked at him and I said 'You're going to be one of the greatest singers in country music. He hasn't let me down."
Jackson's current single is the emotional ballad "The Older I Get."
Alan Jackson's 2018 Honky Tonk Highway Tour Dates:
Jan. 19 — Lexington, Ky. @ Rupp Arena (Lauren Alaina)
Jan. 20 — Little Rock, Ark. @ Verizon Arena (Lauren Alaina)
Feb. 8 — Independence, Mo. @ Silverstein Eye Centers Arena (Runaway June)
Feb. 9 — Indianapolis, Ind. @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Runaway June)
Feb. 15 — San Antonio, Texas @ San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo
Feb. 16 — Grand Prairie, Texas @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie (Randy Houser)
March 16 — Dayton, Ohio @ Wright State University Nutter Center
March 17 — Rockford, Ill. @ BMO Harris Bank Center
March 23 — Toledo, Ohio @ Huntington Center (Randy Houser)
March 24 — Pittsburgh, Penn. @ PPG Paint Arena (Randy Houser)
April 27 — Baltimore, Md.@ Royal Farms Arena (Randy Houser)
April 28 — Albany, N.Y. @ Times Union Center
May 4 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. @ Tuscaloosa Ampitheatre
June 23 — Orange Beach, Fla. @ The Wharf (Randy Houser)
July 27 — Central Point, Ore. @ Country Crossing Music Festival
July 28 — Mountain Home, Idaho @ Mountain Home Country Music Festival
Aug. 11 — Ore-Medonte, Ontario, Canada @ Boots 'n' Hearts Music Festival
Aug. 16 — Vienna, Va. @ Wolf Trap
Aug. 17 — Gilford, N.H. @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavillion (Lee Ann Womack)
Sept. 14 — North Charleston, S.C. @ North Charleston Coliseum (Randy Houser)
Sept. 15 — Charlotte, N.C. @ Spectrum Center (Randy Houser)
Alan Jackson Makes the Top Songs of the Century


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Desert Sage Yoga Towel
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A Juul Labs executive who was fired earlier this year is alleging that the vaping company knowingly shipped 1 million tainted nicotine pods to customers.
The allegation comes in a lawsuit
filed Tuesday by lawyers representing Siddharth Breja, a one-time
finance executive at the e-cigarette maker. The suit claims that Breja
was terminated after opposing company practices, including shipping the
contaminated flavored pods and not listing expiration dates on Juul
The lawsuit does not specify the contamination issue or
how it occurred. Lawyers for Breja declined to elaborate on the issue
A Juul spokesman said in a statement that the claims
are "baseless" and that Breja was terminated because he failed to
"demonstrate the leadership qualities" required for the job.
the best-selling e-cigarette brand in the U.S., has been besieged by
criticism amid an explosion of underage vaping. The company faces
multiple investigations by federal and state officials as well as
lawsuits by families of teenagers who claim they became hooked on
nicotine through the company's vapes.
Breja worked in Juul's
global finance department less than 10 months. The lawsuit, filed in the
Northern District of California, seeks damages for lost salary, bonuses
and Juul stock, which it values at more than $10 million.
BuzzFeed News first reported the lawsuit.
describes a "reckless" and "win-at-all costs" culture at Juul,
primarily driven by the company's former CEO, Kevin Burns, who was
replaced in a management shake-up last month.
Breja says he
learned in March that some batches of nicotine solution used in the
company's mint pods had been contaminated. Breja claims that company
management shipped roughly one million pods affected by the issue and
failed to issue a recall or public announcement.
Juul's spokesman rejected Breja's account saying the company "determined the product met all applicable specifications."
Breja protested the decision to ship the pods, the lawsuit alleges, his
supervisor at Juul reminded him that "stockholders would lose
significant personal wealth should he make his concerns public."
lawsuit alleges that Burns "berated employees" to ramp up production of
mint-flavored pods, a move that "compromised quality control measures."
The focus on mint came after the company voluntarily pulled its mango,
fruit and other candy-flavored pods out of retail stores, under pressure
from health authorities.
The lawsuit alleges that Juul's outside
consultants assured the company that mint "given its fruity flavor,
would make up for any lack of sales of other flavored pods."
need to have an IQ of 5 to know that when customers don't find mango
they buy mint," Burns told employees, according to the lawsuit.
claims he was wrongfully terminated the week after raising his concerns
about the contaminated mint pods. Because he had worked at the company
for less than a year he did not receive company stock that his lawyers
claim would be worth "eight figures at its current valuation."
an earlier conflict with Juul management, Breja says he urged executives
to add expiration or "best by" dates to the flavored pods.
lawsuit claims Burns rejected the idea, stating: "Half our customers are
drunk and vaping like mo-fo's, who the f— is going to notice the
quality of our pods."
Juul's website states that its pods are intended for use "soon after purchase."
month Burns was replaced by K.C. Crosthwaite, a former executive for
Altria, the Big Tobacco firm that owns a 35% stake in privately held
In the last two years, the San Francisco company has become
the principal target of a nationwide backlash against e-cigarettes, with
parents, politicians and health advocates blaming the firm for the
recent vaping craze among young people.
According to the latest
government survey, more than 1 in 4 high school students reported using
e-cigarettes in the previous month, despite federal law banning sales to
those under 18.
In a separate health issue, federal officials are
investigating more than 1,600 cases of lung damage linked to vaping,
including nearly three dozen deaths. Many patients said they vaped THC,
marijuana's intoxicating chemical, but officials have not yet implicated
any single product or ingredient.
Juul has made a series of
voluntary concessions in an effort to weather the firestorm. It's halted
advertising and suspended sales of its fruit and dessert flavored pods.
The company continues to sell mint, menthol and tobacco flavors.
Trump administration announced plans last month to remove virtually all
vaping flavors from the market, leaving only tobacco.
But public
health advocates are concerned the administration could back away from
its plan to ban mint and menthol, the most popular flavors among youth.
month more than 50 health groups, including the American Lung
Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, sent a letter to
first lady Melania Trump urging the administration to follow through on
its initial proposal.
"If the goal is to remove the e-cigarettes
that are most attractive to youth, any proposal that ignores mint and
menthol flavors falls short," the groups stated.
By Matthew Perrone


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Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Wednesday described the criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan's management of the country's economy by former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma Soludo, as "intellectual hara-kiri".
The minister also hinted that the five year tenure of Soludo as the Governor CBN was a complete failure and a disaster to the banking sector, stating that he plunged the country into "an incredible accumulation of liabilities that will cost tax payers about N5.67 trillion".
The Minister extensively reacted to Soludo's criticism through a 10-page statement issued by her Special Adviser Communications, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu.
She described Soludo as an "embittered loser in the Nigerian political space" stating that he misquoted economic facts and maliciously turned statistics to confuse Nigerians.
Her words: "Soludo committed intellectual harakiri by deliberately misquoting economic facts and maliciously turning statistics on their head to justify a hatchet job.
"Soludo has shamelessly pandered to so many past leaders that Nigerians are asking one more time – what position is Soludo gunning for now?
"There is definitely an issue of character with Prof. Charles Soludo and his desperate search for power and relevance in Nigeria. Nigerians should therefore beware of so-called intellectuals without character and wisdom because this combination is fatal," she added.
Soludo was the apex bank's governor between May 2004 and May 2009.
(Response to "Buhari Vs Jonathan: Beyond the Election, by Charles Soludo")
1. For anyone who has not read Professor Charles Soludo's article in the Vanguard (online version) on January 25 2015, I would encourage them to do so. It is littered with abusive and unbecoming language. It shows how an embittered loser in the Nigerian political space can get so derailed that they commit intellectual harakiri by deliberately misquoting economic facts and maliciously turning statistics on their head to justify a hatchet job. We hope all the intellectuals in the international circles in which Professor Soludo has told us he flies around in will read what a Professor of Economics has chosen to do with his intellect.
2. In this one article Soludo has shamelessly pandered to so many past leaders that Nigerians are asking one more time – what position is Soludo gunning for now? He claims in his article that he has had his own share of public service, yet he has failed twice in his attempts to be Governor of Anambra State and Vice Presidential candidate of various parties. There is definitely an issue of character with Prof. Charles Soludo and his desperate search for power and relevance in Nigeria. Nigerians should therefore beware of so-called intellectuals without character and wisdom because this combination is fatal.
3. But let us turn to the main subject of Soludo's discourse. So much of what is written is outright nonsense and self-seeking aggrandizement that need not be dignified with a response. It is totally remarkable that Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the man who presided over the worst mismanagement of Nigeria's banking sector as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between May 2004 and May 2009, can write about the mismanagement of the economy.
4. Nigerians must be reminded of his antecedents as CBN Governor, and even prior to that, as the Chief Economic Adviser to the President. The consolidation of the banking sector was a good policy idea of the Obasanjo Administration but Soludo went on to thoroughly mismanage its implementation leading to the worst financial crisis in Nigeria's history. So what did Soludo do?
5. After consolidation, the regulatory functions of the Soludo-led CBN were very poorly exercised. As Governor, he failed to adequately supervise and regulate the now larger banks – an anomaly in Financial Sector Supervision. In fact as every Nigerian knows, in his time there was very little separation between the regulators and the regulated which is a violation of a key requirement of Central Banking success. This led to infractions in corporate governance in many banks as loans and other credit instruments running to hundreds of billions of naira were extended to clients without following due process, and several of these loans could not be paid back. This massive accumulation of bad debts or non-performing loans as they are called in the banking sector meant that our banks were ill-positioned to deal with the global financial crisis when it hit.
6. In fact, the banking sector was brought to its knees and required a massive bailout by Nigerian tax payers. This bailout was done by his successor (now Emir of Kano) who cleaned up all the bad debts and transferred them to the newly-established AMCON, from where they are managed today. So let it be noted for the record books that Soludo's single-handed mismanagement of the banking sector led to an incredible accumulation of liabilities that will cost tax payers about N5.67 trillion (being the total face value of AMCON-issued bonds) to clean up. Let it be noted also that this amount, which is more than the entire Federal Government 2015 Budget, constitutes the bulk of Nigeria's "contingent liabilities" mentioned in Soludo's article. It is only in Nigeria where someone who perpetrated such a colossal economic atrocity would have the temerity to make assertions on public debt and the management of the economy.
7. Let us now look at some of the points he makes. Luckily, Soludo has told us that he has been busy travelling internationally, hobnobbing with his global partners. It is obvious from this article that from the rarefied heights at which he is flying he is completely out of touch with what is happening with the management of this economy. Take his comments on the mismanagement of the economy and the imposition of the austerity measures. The present fall in oil prices, a global phenomenon over which Nigeria has no control, has given every charlatan the opportunity to attack the economy, and by extension the managers of the economy
8. It is true that the economy grew well during the second-term of former President Obasanjo as a result of the reforms supported by the President and implemented by the Economic Management Team. Please note that the Finance Minister under whose leadership that good performance took place, including massive unprecedented debt relief, is still Finance Minister today. But thorough examination of the facts on performance under the Jonathan Administration will also reveal that at a time when global economic performance was mediocre, with GDP growth averaging about 3 percent per annum, Nigeria's GDP growth – averaging about 6 percent per annum – is indeed remarkable. Even more interesting is the fact that the oil sector did not drive this economic performance but the non-oil sector (Agriculture, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, the Creative Economy, and so on), which shows that the current Administration's diversification objective under the Transformation Agenda is working. Transformation equals diversification
9. This current government managed to control inflation, which he Soludo, was not able to do during his time at the helm of monetary policy in Nigeria. When he left the Central Bank in 2009, inflation – which hurts the poor and vulnerable in the society the most – was above 13 percent per annum. Now, inflation is at single-digit, at 8 percent per annum. What about exchange rates? Well this administration again managed to stabilize the naira exchange rates, such that between May 2011 and the end of 2014, official exchange rates against the dollar rarely moved out of the N153 to N156 band. It is only with the recent dramatic fall in oil prices and the consequent impact on our foreign reserves that the exchange rate has become quite volatile. The drop in oil price has been heavy and rapid impacting all oil producing nations significantly. Nigeria is no exception and appropriate fiscal and monetary policy measures are being put in place to manage this situation.
10. In fact, history will recall that careless remarks by Prof. Soludo (then Chief Economic Adviser to the President) hypothesizing a possible naira devaluation, condemned the naira to a free fall towards the end of 2003. Ray Echebiri, in his 2004 article in the Financial Standard, wrote that not even the assurances given by the then CBN Governor, Mr. Joseph Sanusi or President Obasanjo that any plans to devalue the naira existed only in the head of Professor Soludo could halt the fall of the naira from N128 to the dollar in the official market to about N140 between September and December 2003.
11. It is true that our foreign reserve accumulation is less than what it should be but the reason for this has been fully given, not as excuses but simply as fact: lower oil production and crude oil theft along with the refusal to save in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) are the reasons. Contrary to what Soludo said, oil production under President Obasanjo was higher than current levels. Quantities produced averaged 2.4 million bdp, 2.22 million bpd, and 2.21 million bpd in 2005, 2006, and 2007 respectively but has declined now to between 1.95 and 2.21 million bdp due to vandalism of the pipelines and the resulting "shut-ins" to fix the problem. It is true that had production been at the previous levels and had there been willingness to save we would have had more money in the ECA and also in the reserves. But the overriding setback to savings is that the State Governors felt it was their constitutional right to share the money. Please recall that even as we speak the States have taken the Federal Government to the Supreme Court on this issue
12. Soludo's claim that 71 percent of Nigerians live below the poverty line is misleading and disingenuous. He uses 2011 statistics on poverty by the NBS to support his argument while ignoring more recent figures. But as stated in the Nigeria Economic Report 2014 by the World Bank, poverty rate in Nigeria has dropped from 35.2 percent of population in 2010/2011 to 33.1 percent in 2012/2013. By the way, the reason why our poverty numbers have been so wrong is that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), under Soludo's supervision as CEA and Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission, departed from the international standard method of poverty measurement. Is he now ignoring the right economic statistics to wilfully manipulate information?
13. No doubt we have a problem with unemployment in this country and we must deal with it. Indeed this Administration is dealing with it and stands proud of what it has accomplished so far and is pushing hard to accomplish much more. As a first step, the Administration, through the office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President and the NBS, worked hard to determine how many jobs we need to create in a year. What you don't measure you cannot make progress on. Why didn't Soludo do this when he was CEA?
14. We need to create about 1.8 million jobs a year in this country to cater for the new entrants into the labour market, but we also need to deal with the backlog of the unemployed and the underemployed, e.g. those selling on the streets. Dealing with this global challenge of unemployment is not an easy task for any country, as can be seen from the experiences of developed countries particularly in the euro area. But the Jonathan Administration is making good progress, creating an average of about 1.4 million jobs per year by driving quality growth in key sectors like Agriculture, where the bulk of new jobs are being created, Housing, Manufacturing, Financial Services, and the Creative Industries like Nollywood.
15. In addition we have special programs to promote job creation among the youth and these include:
v Promoting entrepreneurship among the youth through the "Nagropreneurs" program to support 750,000 youth farmers with grants and training, and the YOUWIN program that is directly supporting up to 5,400 young entrepreneurs with grants, training, and mentorship and so far beneficiaries are creating an average of 9 jobs each, for themselves and others. About 22,000 jobs have been created by the first 2,400 youwinners.
v Graduate Internship Scheme: that is reducing the vulnerability of unemployed graduates by enhancing their employability. The Scheme targets up to 50,000 unemployed graduates in the 36 states of the Federation and FCT and about 22,000 graduates have so far been placed by the program.
v Community Services Scheme under SURE-P: developed to empower young unskilled Nigerians, women and people with disabilities. About 120,000 mostly young workers have been engaged across the country
16. On the issue of debt, Nigerians deserve to know the truth and we have said it before. The truth is that the government borrowed in 2010 to pay an unprecedented 53.7 percent wage increase to all categories of federal employees as demanded by labour unions. The total wage bill rose from N857 billion in 2009 to about N1.4 trillion in 2010, and as a result, domestic borrowing increased from N200 billion in 2007 to about N1.1 trillion in 2010 to meet the wage payments. Where was Soludo at the time? Why did he not react to the borrowing then? Was it because he wanted to pander to labour in preparation for his political career?
17. It is noteworthy that since 2011, the Administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been prudent with the issue of debt and borrowing. The Economic Management Team not only looks at debt to GDP ratio, where Nigeria has one of the lowest numbers in the world at 12.51 percent but it looks at debt service to revenues. That is why in spite of the rebasing and a larger GDP, the administration has taken a prudent approach to borrowing. The prudent approach helped to drive down domestic borrowing from N1.1 trillion in 2010 to N642 billion in 2014. In fact for the first time in our nation's borrowing history we even managed to retire N75 billion of domestic bonds outright in 2013.
18. Despite the present tough situation, we do not plan to go on a borrowing spree but to keep borrowing modest at a level sufficient to help us weather the present situation. We have already ramped up efforts to generate more non-oil revenues for the government while cutting costs of governance. Therefore, Soludo's claim that this Administration is reckless with debt does not hold true.
19. Since Soludo seems so ignorant to what has been achieved by the Jonathan Administration, let us present just a few examples of them here again. This information is easily verified.
· We are improving infrastructure across the country. For example, 22 airport terminals are being refurbished, and five new international airport terminals under construction in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja, and Enugu. Soludo's kinsmen in the South East now have an international airport in Enugu, and for the first time in Nigeria's history can fly direct from Enugu to anywhere in world for which they are very grateful to this Administration. But with Soludo being up in the air with his international travels, he has not touched ground in the Southeast to observe this development for himself.
· Various road and bridge projects have either been completed or are under construction. Those completed include the Enugu – Abaliki road in Enugu/Ebonyi States, the Oturkpo – Oweto road in Benue State, the Benin – Ore – Shagamu highway, and the Abuja – Abaji – Lokoja dualization, and the Kano – Maiduguri dualization. The Lagos – Ibadan expressway and the Second Niger Bridge are under construction.
· Rail from Lagos to Kano is now functional, as is parts of the rail link between Port Harcourt and Maiduguri. All these have brought transport costs down. We recognise that more needs to be done in the power sector, but bold steps (like the privatisation of the GENCOs and DISCOs) have been taken, and our gas infrastructure is being developed to power electricity generation
· In Agriculture, over 6 million farmers now have access to inputs like fertilizers and seeds through an e-wallet system, which is more than the 403,222 that had access in 2011. Rice paddy production took off for the first time in our history, adding about 7 million MT to rice supply. An additional 1.3 million MT of Cassava has also been produced and as a result, the rate of food price increase has slowed considerably, according to the NBS.
· In Housing, we have put in place a new wholesale mortgage provider – the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Corporation (NMRC) – to provide affordable mortgages to ordinary Nigerians, starting with those in the low-middle income bracket. This sector will help the economy grow as we tap it as an economic driver for the first time. Mortgage applications from 66,000 people are currently being processed and 23,000 have already received mortgage offers
· Our Manufacturing sector is reviving with new automobile plants by Nissan, Toyota, etc. This is in addition to the backward integration policy in key sectors like petrochemical, sugar, textiles, agro processing and cement, which Nigeria is now producing 39,000 MT and exporting to the region.
· The Creative sector is now a factor in our GDP, with Nollywood alone accounting for 1.4 percent, creating over 200,000 direct jobs and nearly 1 million indirect jobs. This is the first Administration to recognise its importance and support its further development with a grant program.
· A new bank – the Development Bank of Nigeria – will soon be operational and this bank will help bridge the access to finance gap, which is a major constraint for the private sector especially SMEs. The bank will provide long-term (5 – 10 years) financing at affordable rates for the first time in our nation's history.
20. This is the path that the government has been on before this fall in oil prices. The response to the economic shock has been spelled out to the Nigerian public over and over again, and the Administration intends to focus on managing this crisis appropriately. This year will be difficult. To say anything less to Nigerians will be untruthful. It would have been better if there had been a bigger cushion of the Excess Crude Account to manage this situation but despite this the nation can rise to the challenge. More importantly, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the Economic Management Team are seeing this as an opportunity to diversify the revenue sources of an already diversifying economy. In fact let me at this juncture use this opportunity to comment on Soludo's appalling statement that rebasing brings no policy value. Rebasing has enabled us to better grasp the new diversified nature of our economy. This provides the basis for our present drive to support different sectors with appropriate policy instruments to enhance their development. Rebasing has also enabled the Administration to create the platform from which to drive our work on increasing non-oil revenues. These are areas of critical policy value.
21. Soludo mentioned the issue of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, noting that this Administration has not been vocal or clear on its direction with this agreement. On the contrary, the Administration, particularly the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, has been clear on this issue but since Soludo has been in the air he probably has not been aware of this. Just recently, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment reiterated again to the corporate sector that Nigeria has not signed and does not propose to sign the EPA in its present form.
22. The point is that this government has been pursuing the right economic policies, and its efforts have been acknowledged nationally and internationally. Let me say that there are objective ways to measure performance. There are international institutions globally accepted to do this. They have acknowledged this Administration's good economic management up to the recent crisis and even now.
23. We cannot go by someone's subjective view, driven by bitterness and bile. We need to look to the truth and to professionalism. This is where Professor Soludo totally fails. For the other gratuitous, political, and personal attacks, we are sure that those mentioned will respond appropriately. It is a sad day for Nigeria and the economics profession that someone like Soludo, a former CBN governor should write such an article. If Soludo wants to regain respect, he should return to the path of professionalism. He certainly needs something to improve his image from that of someone whose sojourn into National Economic Management ended in disaster for the banking sector, his sojourn in politics, ended in overwhelming rejection by the electorate, and more recently, his sojourn abroad, has put him out of touch with the reality of the Nigerian economy.
Paul C Nwabuikwu
Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance


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The head of the Environmental Protection Agency is fending off multiple accusations that he misused taxpayer funds and maintained improper ties to companies regulated by the EPA.
The scrutiny began months ago — the EPA Office of Inspector General started investigating Administrator Scott Pruitt's travel expenses in August 2017, after reports that he spent thousands of dollars on first-class plane tickets and a 24/7 security detail. But in recent weeks, a steady string of reports has painted a broader picture of a public servant with close financial ties to the industries he regulates and a desire to reward political appointees at the agency he runs.
On Tuesday, The Atlantic reported Pruitt had sidestepped the White House to give substantial pay raises to two EPA staffers. Both are political appointees who worked with Pruitt in his previous position as state attorney general in Oklahoma. After the White House declined to approve the raises, Pruitt used a provision meant to help the EPA hire environmental experts to gain full control of the political staffers' salaries, and authorized their raises.
Pruitt previously used the same provision to hire Nancy Beck, a longtime lobbyist for the chemical industry, to oversee toxic chemical regulation for the agency. The EPA inspector general announced earlier this year that it would audit the use of what are known as administratively determined positions under Pruitt.
According to the inspector general's office, that probe was set off in part by a request from congressional Democrats, questioning whether the administrator's hiring practices were in line with ethics rules.
Beck's appointment was also emblematic of Pruitt's close ties to the industries he is bound to regulate. A top coal lobbyist is awaiting confirmation as Pruitt's deputy, and E&E News reported more than a dozen former energy lobbyists have landed other positions at the agency. When Pruitt ran for office in Oklahoma, he hired an oil billionaire to run his re-election campaign and used his position to sue the EPA to stop ozone and methane emissions rules and block regulations on coal-fired power plants.
The most recent lobbying controversy was reported last week, when ABC News found Pruitt had been paying to stay at a Washington, D.C., condo owned by the wife of a lobbyist for multiple energy companies including the liquefied natural gas company Cheniere Energy. Until March, Cheniere owned the only natural gas export terminal in the U.S. Last year, Pruitt traveled to Morocco and discussed boosting the country's natural gas imports, according to an agency press release.
The New York Times reported the same lobbying firm also represented a Canadian company responsible for a massive pipeline spill in Michigan for which the Obama administration fined the company $177 million. Last year, the EPA signed off on a pipeline expansion project by the company.
Separately, the District of Columbia's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs said on Twitter it would investigate whether the condo was approved to be rented on a per night basis, which is how Pruitt paid for his lodging.
In a statement, an EPA lawyer defended the lease agreement, saying it was "consistent with federal ethics regulations regarding gifts."
Meanwhile, the EPA inspector general has widened its investigation into travel and security expenses multiple times, and the audit now includes the administrator's trip to Morocco. Last week, CNN reported that Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island turned over evidence to the inspector general that Pruitt had used his security detail on personal trips including a family vacation to Disneyland.
Kentia Elbaum, a spokesperson for the EPA Office of Inspector General, told NPR the office "anticipates issuing a final report during early summer 2018," covering the administrator's travel through December 2017, but warned that the timeline could change.
Environmental groups are pushing for Pruitt to be fired, but so far it is unclear how recent scandals have affected his standing in the administration. A White House official confirmed to NPR that President Trump spoke with Pruitt on Monday but did not say what the two discussed. Asked about his support for Pruitt on Tuesday, the president told reporters, "I hope he's going to be great."
The ethics issues do not appear to have undercut Pruitt's ability to deliver on his promises at the EPA, which hinge on environmental deregulation. He has rolled back or begun the process of repealing multiple major Obama-era regulations, including limits on power plant emissions and water pollution. The Trump administration has declared it will not honor the Paris climate agreement and, just Monday, the agency announced it would weaken emissions standards for cars and SUVs, undoing another signature climate change policy from the previous administration.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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There are no reviews yet.
Recorded at the Visions of Freedom Conference Festival at Sydney University.
Noam Chomsky, by any measure, has led a most extraordinary life. In one index he is ranked as the eighth most cited person in history, right up there with Aristotle, Shakespeare, Marx, Plato and Freud. His contributions to modern linguistics are legendary. In addition to his pioneering work in that field, he has been a leading voice for peace and social justice for many decades. Chris Hedges says he is "America's greatest intellectual" who "makes the powerful, as well as their liberal apologists, deeply uncomfortable." The New Statesman calls him "the conscience of the American people." He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT and Laureate Professor of Linguistics and Haury Chair in the Program in Environment and Social Justice at the University of Arizona. At 95, he continues to inform and inspire people all over the world. He is the author of scores of books, his latest are Consequences of Capitalism, Chronicles of Dissent and Notes on Resistance.
There are no reviews yet.


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Barbara Hand Clow is an astrologer and, with Gerry Clow, founder of Bear & Company, a publishing company that
merged with Inner Traditions (founded by one Ehud Sperling) in 2000 to form,
unsurprisingly, Inner Traditions – Bear & Company. ITB&C publishes
primarily New Age religious fundamentalism, pseudoscience (including
astrology), stuff on sacred sexuality and various forms of quackery, and they are responsible for giving us books by
e.g. José Argüelles,
Ervin Laszlo,
Lewis Mehl-Madrona,
Otto Rahn,
Margaret Starbird and Zecharia Sitchin.
Hand Clow herself is the kind of person who says things like this:
"We are integrating
the evolutionary critical leap of our species triggered by the completion of
the Mayan Calendar-2011/2012-as we awaken in the Universe. We feel great
excitement as our bodies quicken and our hearts open because we are being
flooded with advanced spiritual knowledge. Our solar system is moving into the
Photon Band, a realm of pure Pleiadian light. Many of you may feel
over-energized, ungrounded, and disoriented now because this cosmic convergence
has never happened before. We are in the midst of an evolutionary critical leap
that inspires us to heal our bodies, transmute our emotional blocks, clarify
our minds, and commune with our souls."
(That's the welcoming message from her website Journeys Through Nine Dimensions),
which has apparently not been updated in a while). Apparently the years just
behind us are very exciting, since "[d]uring
2012-2015, Uranus will square Pluto seven times, and these tense squares will
reignite the issues that came up during the chaotic 1960s," and Hand Clow has
issued several books, cds and dvds to help us cope, such as "Alchemy of Nine
Dimensions: The Nine Dimensions of Consciousness and the 2011/2012 Prophecies"
(coauthored with her partner Gerry).
You know what prophecies she is talking about, don't you?
Oh, yes, you do:
It's the Mayan Calendar, which Hand Clow covered in some detail in works like
"The Mayan Code" (2007), "Awakening the Planetary Mind: Beyond the Trauma of
the Past to a New Era of Creativity" (2012) and "Rainbow Bridge Between the
Inner and Outer Planets" (1987) (you gotta love that title). We conjecture that
the Clows were not particularly disappointed by the lackluster performances of
their predictions, however – this is religion, not science, and it is
accompanied by a remarkable ability to fail to recognize that the hypotheses put
forth have actually been falsified (compare young earth creationism).
In addition to astrology, Hand Clow writes about past lives,
healing, new-paradigm (i.e. pseudo-)archeology,
and evolution (no, not evolution).
Diagnosis: Coping with reality is just so damn hard, and we
all sometimes recognize the temptation to take solace in elaborate fantasy
worlds. The New Age fluff promoted by the Clows is really not that different
from extreme religious fundamentalism (complete with prophecies and science
denial), just replacing fire and brimstone with pastel rainbows and candy


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Utah Food Stamps
Utah has a food stamp program that can help you purchase healthy food. Below we have provided the link to the Utah Food Stamp program.
Food Stamps in Utah
Food Stamps Program in Utah: The US Department of Agriculture's Food Stamp Program helps low-income people and families buy the food they need for good health. You apply for benefits by completing a State application form.
Food Stamps in Other States
Click here to find food banks in other states
Additional Areas of Interest
Utah child nutrition programs include free and low-cost food, nutrition information, and preschool and school nutrition programs.
Utah Food Banks distribute free food to those in need.
Utah WIC provides free food, nutrition counseling, and referrals at no charge.
Utah Department of Education can provide you with information about school nutrition and pregnancy programs.
Utah Department of Health can provide nutrition information and help as well as help with pregnancy and post-pregnancy concerns.
Utah child welfare agency can help with pregnancy, parenting, and foster care.
Utah Medicaid can help you with answers about free services offered to you and your child.
We have also provided information on Nutrition Help and Nutrition and Diet for Pregnant Women. Additionally, on the website Pregnancy And Children, you will find information about Eating and Nutrition During Pregnancy as well as Being Healthy Before and During Pregnancy and Weight Gain During Pregnancy.
Please visit our home page to read about our commitment to assist you and other pregnant women and birth mothers free of charge regardless of whether you place a child for adoption or intend on raising your child yourself.


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Wednesday March 14, 2018
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 14, 2018
Rex Tillerson just got brutally dumped from the White House
For the last several months, there have been rumors that President Trump was displeased with his Secretary of State and that he wanted to replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The White House has repeatedly denied that such a shakeup was in the offing, and Tillerson has repeatedly said that he doesn't want to leave his job. But on Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted it out.
There is a lot going on here. Tillerson and Trump have never exactly jibed. The two have clashed over the Paris Climate Accords, North Korea, and the decision to move the United States's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Most recently, Tillerson raised eyebrows by laying the blame on Russia for the poisoning of the double agent Sergei Skripal—something that Sarah Huckabee Sanders wouldn't do.
All of that may be secondary to the fact that Trump has never quite gotten over being called a "fucking moron" by his secretary of state. Tillerson was caught unawares, with the State Department saying he "had every intention of staying. … The Secretary did not speak to the President and is unaware of the reason."
Tillerson's tenure was a disaster, marked by a historic gutting of his department, conflicts with the president that increasingly left him outside of major policy decisions, and a seeming hatred for the job. But perhaps Tillerson's main problem was that he tried to act like a diplomat in an administration that hates diplomacy.
For those who are concerned about Trump's erratic temperament, Pompeo and Haspel are alarming choices. Pompeo sees the War on Terror as a clash of civilizations and is a hawk when it comes to Iran. Haspel, meanwhile, played a "direct role" in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program. With weeks to go before negotiations with North Korea supposedly start, Trump's national security team just got a lot more hawkish. (Source: New Republic)


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Much of my time spent coaching is egging my clients on so they get websites done, pitch new clients and test and try new products in the market.
The enemy of a new entrepreneur is endless planning and perfection.
After celebrating that they did take a serious step, I often get a slightly dejected email or deflated check-in on the next coaching call.
"I sent that email to two potential clients, but neither of them has gotten back to me yet."
"I designed and launched the teleclass we talked about, but only one person signed up. And it was my sister."
It is at this moment that I have to explain the 20X Rule.
The 20X Rule
In business, as well as other things in life like getting your 6-year old to pick his clothes up off the floor, you have to sow twenty times more seeds than you think realistic or necessary to make things happen.
You will set yourself up for heartbreak and mediocrity if you don't radically adjust your expectations for the amount of outreach and connections it takes to kickstart your business.
What do you think would happen over the course of one year if:
Instead of reaching out to one new journalist a month, you reached out to twenty?
Instead of reaching two prospective clients a month, you reached forty?
Instead of testing three new product ideas a year you tested sixty?
Chances are you would see some radically different results.
When I first started my newsletter eight years ago, it took me two months to write one article.
Now I crack out twenty times the content in one month and don't even break a sweat.
If you get results faster, great.
Maybe you will have fantastic luck and with some strategic thinking will reach out to three qualified clients and book your business.
I would rather you expect to reach out to twenty and be happy it took fewer contacts than be crushed that you don't sign up your first client the first time you reach out to them.
Entrepreneurship is a marathon. Train for it!
If you need some help with your sales engine, you might enjoy Ethical Selling That Works.
41 Responses to "The 20X Rule"
[…] and challenge is seeped into my everyday activities and way of life. I did take a lot away from "The 20X Rule" Slim defines on pages 97-99. She talks about this concept in her previous book, and you can read […]
[…] is going to require me to take a lot more risks and I'm going to be keeping Pam Slim's 20X Rule in my mind (I might even hang a "20X" reminder on my […]
[…] It takes work to get work. As fellow career coach Pam Slim said in her recent blog post on the 20X Rule:In business, as well as other things in life like getting your 6-year old to pick his clothes up […]
[…] I mentioned in my 20X Rule post, developing relationships that turn into sales takes much longer than you […]
[…] While there is no hard and fast rule and things will vary a bit by topic or industry, author and small business coach Pam Slim suggests 20 times more than you might first think is necessary. Yes, 20x and yes you can do […]
[…] Pam Slim discusses the 20x rule, and essentially you need to sow 20 times more seeds than you think is necessary. Rather than merely calling 5 prospects per week, why not call 100? Granted, some people don't have the time to do so, but if you don't think you have the time, then you need to ask yourself why you call yourself an entrepreneur. […]
[…] her blog Escape From Cubicle Nation, Pam Slim writes about The 20X Rule. After actually taking an action, imagine what would happen if you took that action 20 times. […]
Great advice (and reminder). I think it's very easy to get caught in that web of perfection, too. Over-thinking the blog post, re-examining the website for the 64th time..
Now, if I just had 20x more time and 20x more motivation…
I see you only wrote 1 blog entry on the 13th July. Shouldn't you be writing 20?
When exactly does this 20X equation start/end? I started typing when I was in my teens, now I can type at least 20 times as fast. However, I couldn't type 20 times faster now.
Unfortunately you fail to take into account the Cost/Speed/Quality triangle which you should know as an entrepreneur. You can produce 20X more but it will either be rubbish quality or ridiculously expensive.
[…] and your looking for a way to just take charge of your life and get more out of yourself, maybe the 20x rule will help you on your quest to achieve this, check out more about the 20x Rule. Follow […]
[…] From Escape from Cubicle Nation: […]
This is really wrong! Things taste good or taste victory because they are hard to achieve and can be so only from times to times … the newsletter example only teaches we can do things better because we do it and start figuring how to do it more effectively, and at some point you don't even taste it
Such an excellent yet simple concept. Application and persistence is the key! Thanks
Great post – reminds me of an important saying: Do the work and forget about the results! When I try to measure the impact of every action I take (like, "I reached out to two journalists and neither responded – I am so bummed!")I take my focus off the work – and it can really get me stuck. Can't control outcomes, right? So, if I can keep doing the work, driven by inspired action – (and as you suggest) lots of it, the payoff will come in its time. Thanks, Pam for reminding me to keep on keeping on!
Thanks for the encouragement Pam! It helps me to keep pressing on, and letting go of perfectionism.
This is so true! I think also that doing things 20x as much makes each time have less gravity—that way you aren't sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear back from one person–instead you think more about the next way to put your work out there. I often forget this, but I've recently started to take this approach about getting my art out there—I'm starting to approach wholesale opportunities and illustration jobs this way. Thanks for the reminder!
Perfectly timed! I have been spinning my wheels waiting for nothing to happen. I know this, but still need to be hit over the head time and time again. DO THE WORK!!!
Thanks 🙂
The 20x Rule… a.k.a The art of the followup!
Hi Pam,
20X Rule… wow! I must do more.
Thank you 😉 -
[…] in business news this morning "The 20X Rule" an article from Cubicle Nation that focuses on how entrepreneurship really compares to a […]
I think this is great advice, but if you are feeding someone 20x more information with 10x the enthusiasm, will they be able to handle the outcome? lol ^_^
I just started a new website and I am pro-actively trying to find what that balance will be for myself, my site and my fans/potential customers. It can be a tricky balancing act, i mean we are all on information overload aren't we?
Just something to think about.
That's exactly what I needed to hear today.
Thank you!
:: Marta
I'm just going to take this as a sign. This is probably the 4th or 5th article in the last week that has told me to get back down in the trenches and do the work. I have done it some, don't get me wrong, but the answer is more… I must do more.
Thanks for the *push*. 🙂
Great article! I guess my background in direct marketing was a good preparation for this aspect of entrepreneurship – because in the good old days of direct mail a really great response to a mailing was 1%, and later on a good response for an email to existing customers was .1% – and an expected response for an email to prospects was .01-.001% of everyone you mailed to! I suspect these numbers may have even gone down in the past few years as we all get bombarded by more and more marketing messages.
The 20x rule is a great way to explain this concept without all the geeky data I just mentioned above. My marketing clients are small business owners and I forget they might not know this rule since they're not former data monkeys like me!
Quoting you Pam: Entrepreneurship is a marathon. Train for it! – Love it. Thank you Dawn
YOU are a smarty pants, Pam Slim. I love, love, LOVE that you were once where I am now. This give me SUCH HOPE!!!! 🙂 Cheering you on….
So basically conversion rate is like 4%?
Nice – can you therefore find a clever way to make mine a 480hr day………. 20x the input = 20x the effort – but as entrepreneurs wecdon't need to think about dull things like resource planning – we have soundbites to power us along……
I have an idea – outsource all non essential activities, then essential ones :). Worked for me…
What a great way to think about it!
Being strategic will help improve the odds and your success rate.
The only thing worse than not reaching out enough, is carpet bombing and hoping something sticks! 😉 -
Reminds me of when Eryka Laremark (Daily Whip) says if you're not pitching at least 10 prospects per week, you're not working hard enough. I sort of expected to snap my fingers and freelance work would just start rolling in. It took me longer than expected and I had to send out a LOT of pitches. You're absolutely right. To get the desired results, you have to work 20X as hard as you think you need to work.
Such a helpful reality check, Pam. Sounds like a formula for grit. 😉
Oh my gosh, yes. I just realized as I read your post that I am running two marathons concurrently: entrepreneurship and mothering two girls under 7. Maybe I should be scheduling TWENTY naps. ::grin::
BRILLIANT!!! Such an important reminder — thank you!
I was really motivated to respond to this great blog post. You're post reminded of this book "The 10 X Rule" by Grant Cardone. He is essentially pitching the same concept – Most entrepreneurs fail because of the lack of effort more than any other reason. He recommends giving 10 times the effort than your competitors to dominant your sphere of influence. I love this post! Thanks for keeping me working focused on the job!
This is the perfect message for me to hear today! Thank you.
I recently launched a new site and will keep ramping up, up, up!
Oh so true! It breaks my heart when I hear a student tell me they emailed their list of 150 and wanted to have 20 paying students … it's just not realistic! It IS indeed, a marathon. And we get so very, very fit by running it! 🙂
This reminds me of an awesome leadership training I did years ago that had us act 10X more excited about anything we were doing in life. Best six months of my life and this post is a great reminder of how it works, anytime, any place!
That is an AWESOME-TASTIC idea, Sandi, thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!! 😉
I love that idea! Do you remember who provided that leadership training. Need to send my kids to it also 🙂


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ACLU Files Petitioners' Brief in AMP v. Myriad Appeal
On January 13th, AMP et al. filed a 59 page brief contended that human DNA, including DNA fragments, RNA and cDNA, should not be considered patent-eligible under 35 USC s. 101. There is a lot to read here, much of it argued and re-argued in past reviews, but a few points stand out—way out.
Petitioners' arguments rely on three primary propositions. The first is that DNA is a natural product that is not "markedly changed" by isolation from the body, because it is "foremost an informational molecule." But this argument is undercut by their argument that "[i]solation is a necessary step in any serious study, research, clinical or commercial use" and "it is currently not possible to use genes, including looking at or sequencing them, without removing or 'isolating them'". Brief at pages 41 and 5. Doesn't that compel the conclusion of a change of some sort from the gene as it exists in vivo? Also, in conflating the sequence (…ATTAGGAA…) with the actual isolated molecule, AMP ignores a long line of precedent that holds that, e.g., MeCO2H, may contain information about the structure of acetic acid but it is not acetic acid – that a claim to a compound is directed to both its formula and its properties.
The second proposition, repeated tirelessly, is that the claims are disgracefully overbroad, given the disclosure in the specification, and encompass "millions and millions" of genes and gene fragments, most of which Myriad did not isolate. But this is an argument that the claim is invalid as broader than the enabling disclosure and belongs in an analysis of patentability under s. 112(1), not under s. 101. The argument also undercuts the later argument that "another entity cannot invent a gene that embodies a person's BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic information." Brief at 44. No mention is made of inventions of selection. Also, we patent attorneys should be offended by AMP's reading of a "consisting of" claim to a specific DNA sequence –claim 2 of the '282 patent—to include "all versions of the nucleotide sequence (and more)." Brief at 14.
And this leads into the heart of the Brief, which is that the patent claims preempt, without exception, all future research involving any use of the claimed DNA for any purpose; "These patents preclude using the DNA for the development of drugs, instruments, and treatment methods [including] the potential applications of isolated DNA in new therapeutics, biomedical devices and instruments, and sequencing technologies." The Brief makes one indirect reference to the common law research exemption from infringement liability on page 56, where the authors distinguish permissible investigations of a patented carburetor, which can be examined to see how it works and improved upon, from DNA: "[o]nce a human gene is patented, nobody can invent a new human gene, and nobody can access that particular genetic information." Brief at 56.
Apart from the fact that the scope of the common law research exemption is far from settled, for some reason, the authors fail to distinguish the Supreme Court's holding in Merck v. Integra, 545 US 193 (2005), in which infringement of research on patented peptides comprising a naturally-occurring peptide motif (the RGD peptides), was found to be well within the "safe harbor" of 271(e)(1), and thus exempt from infringement liability. Furthermore, while disclaiming any holding on the permissible use of "research tools", the Court stated that the use of the peptides to make antibodies that might have therapeutic utility and the use of the peptides as positive controls in screening for small molecule anti-cancer agents was also within the safe harbor.
Perhaps the final irony of the Brief's argumentation and constant citation of the Prometheus decision ("passim") is that "[t]hrough its patents, Myriad not only commands the law of nature that is embodied by the BRCA genes, but also laws of nature… [A]s to how the genes might be linked to diseases other than breast and ovarian cancer – key scientific insights required for the development of personalized medicine." Well, it is well and good to speak out for the freedom for researchers to have "key scientific insights" that would advance personalized medicine– just don't try to patent any of them.
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Fall 2007 release of Vizard R3
WorldViz is pleased to announce the Fall 2007 release of Vizard R3. This is a free update available to the entire Vizard community. Below please find the list of enhancements and bug fixes that are delivered with this update. Equally important, however, are numerous significant improvements made to the electronic documentation (view the new docs online).
Documentation Survey - We at WorldViz kindly request that you take 5 minutes to fill out a new online survey we've made. This is an opportunity to anonymously critique our Vizard documentation and suggest areas that you would personally like to see improved for upcoming releases. To begin the survey, click the link below: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?s...b7_2fkLQ_3d_3d Support Plans - If you don't currently hold a Vizard support contract we'd like to remind you about the benefits you receive. In short, you're guaranteed to receive all Vizard updates and major releases, you have priority access to our technical support staff for resolving problems and errors, and you can request minor consulting on product usage. For more detailed information about our support plans, click the link below: http://www.worldviz.com/support/index.html Download Update http://www.worldviz.com/download/ind...ction=1&fid=77 Thank you for using Vizard. Vizard Development Team firstname.lastname@example.com What's new in R3 Fall 2007 Release: New • extSensor.buttonState()/extSensor.buttonCount() commands • fakespace module for automatically configuring display for Wide5 HMD • filter sensors work with orientations • filter.position() object for applying offset/scale to position data of a linkable object • filter.swap() object for swapping position/quaternion components of a linkable object • link.getSrc()/link.getDst() commands • link.setEuler() command • link.swapQuat() operator • Number of drawables displayed in framerate • Pressing F11 in Vizard editor will open up Script directory • Pressing F12 in Vizard editor will open up Vizard directory • sensics module for configuring display for Sensics piSight HMD • sound3d.remove() command • Support for alpha videos • Support for animated GIFs • Support for icuiti HMD • Support for LaserAid SpaceGrips device • Support for Nintendo Wii controllers • Support for capturing very large screenshots using vizcapture.largeCapture() command • VideoVision supports uEye cameras • viz.cluster/viz.cluster.clients read-only options • viz.EventClass.setEnabled() command • viz.fullscreen.monitor/width/height/x/y options allow specifying custom fullscreen mode • viz.getCurrentEvent() returns the current event ID • viz.getEventName(id) returns name of event • viz.MaskedObject() allows wrapping object calls around a cluster mask • viz.MEDIA_EVENT triggered when media object reaches end of playback • viz.mergeLinkable() objects allow setting/getting pos/ori linkables • viz.network.port_in option for specifying multiple default listen ports • viz.ObjectGroup() class for forwarding function calls to multiple objects • viz.RemoveList() will automatically remove objects when deleted • viz.SAMPLE_ALPHA_TO_COVERAGE flag • viz.SENSOR_DOWN_EVENT/viz.SENSOR_UP_EVENT • viz.window.select() command • viz.WINDOW_ORTHO mode for window.getSize() command • vizact callbacks can disable themselves by returning vizact.EventDisable • vizact callbacks can remove themselves by returning vizact.EventRemove • vizact.onevent() command for creating custom vizact callbacks • vizact.onsensordown()/vizact.onsensorup() commands • vizcore.cfg files in script directory will be loaded in addition to global vizcore.cfg file • vizmenu can be added to different windows • vizmocap module for connecting an avatar to a Live Characters server • viztask.waitSensorDown()/viztask.waitSensorUp() commands • window.clip() command accepts optional 'eye' parameter • window.displayToWindow() accepts optional mode/eye parameters • window.windowToDisplay() accepts optional mode parameter Changed • Default texture wrap mode changed from viz.CLAMP to viz.CLAMP_TO_EDGE • Media object errors are more descriptive • Small optimization for speeding up processing of hidden nodes Fixed • bone.setMatrix() works correctly with relative modes • Cluster would fail in certain networks that were not configured properly • Creating actions pools while paused would not work in certain cases • Deleting node while it has GUI focus would cause GUI to stop working • Getting rotations from scaled matrices is more accurate • hand.rightHand() caused error • Inifinite recursion caused when actions were run inside action callback • node.alpha() command works on GUI objects • node.lookat() would not work in certain cases • OpenGL errors would occure when freeing then compressing textures • Problems with skydome and large clip planes • Publish to EXE failed if a file did not exist • Publish to EXE would not work if multiple files had same virtual path • Publish to EXE scripts would fail when outputting large amounts of data without a console • Setting clip plane will not affect screen objects • Video texture data is initialized to black • viz.go() options are passed to cluster clients • viz.ORTHO objects retain correct aspect ratio in viz.STEREO mode • viz.stereo mode works with quad buffer mode • viz.WindowSize linkable uses 1 for z-axis scale, instead of 0 • vizact.fall() action generated errors in certain cases • vizact.walkto() actions can be paused • Vizard would crash when invalid bone ID is used • Vizard would crash when picking screen in certain cases • vizcave divide byt zero error when computing frustum scale • vizcave properly places eyes for correct stereo viewing • Window view offset is applied after stereo offset • Workaround for bad OpenGL drivers that would crash when • Displaying framerate would freeze Vizard with newer nVidia drivers |
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Whether you're looking for something healthy to eat or trying to plot the best way home through rush-hour traffic, there's an application for that on your iPhone. And if you look under the hood, you might just discover it's made in Israel.
With its expertise in cellular technologies, a love affair with the cell phone, and a fast national adoption rate for the iPhone – despite the fact Israelis pay some of the highest prices in the world for the privilege – it's not surprising that Israelis have plunged into development of iPhone applications.
ISRAEL21c combed through some of the best Israeli apps to come up with our top 10 blue-and-white list for the iPhone.
1. Fooducate
With a recent positive write-up in The New York Times, Fooducate is the latest darling of the Israeli iPhone app scene. And it's healthy to boot. The concept is simple: before you buy a product at the grocery store, check out what's really in it. If its bite is worse than its crunch, Fooducate will suggest an alternative that's better for your body (if not for your pocketbook).
The app uses the iPhone's built-in camera to scan a product's bar code. Using its own proprietary algorithm, Fooducate counts up the nutrients and assigns a letter grade from A to D. The app is smart enough to spot cleverly disguised additives – did you know that "autolyzed plant protein" is just another way to say MSG?
Fooducate is primarily for products manufactured in the United States, and its database isn't yet complete (the company encourages users to snap pictures of items they'd like to see covered and send them in).
2. FiddMe
FiddMe is also a food app, but it takes a very different approach than Fooducate. Rather than aiming to educate, FiddMe wants to turn eating into a worldwide social game – a kind of FourSquare for foodies.
FiddMe allows users to take pictures of great meals they're eating (in real time) and post the snapshot and information about the restaurant to the cloud. Other FiddMe users can tap into the growing database of yummy recommendations. The service is integrated with other location-aware apps like FourSquare and Facebook. You can also post to Twitter or to the FiddMe website.
FiddMe is not competing directly with user-generated recommendation services like Yelp. Those focus on restaurants as a whole, while FiddMe drills down to the quality of the fettuccini. Not surprising from an app created by a bunch of self-described Israeli "foodies."
3. Waze
Waze has tackled a problem we've all experienced – getting stuck in traffic and not knowing the best alternative routes – and crowd-sourced it. Users automatically add information about traffic tie-ups in real time – without having to do a thing. Waze tracks where drivers are via GPS. If there are more drivers than expected in a certain stretch of road, the Waze map will turn red.
So if Highway 101 is backed up coming into San José, Waze will instantly tell you if Interstate 280 is the better bet. That's a whole lot faster than waiting for the radio to report the latest jams every 15 minutes. And it's one of the reasons the service has proved incredibly popular, with more than two million drivers signed up.
The automated aspect to Waze is particularly welcome, since texting while driving is a big no-no. But users stopped at a red light can more proactively input traffic information. And to really keep things safe, Waze turns off the keyboard when the car is in motion – neat!
Waze has other features – such as allowing drivers to build maps together, create private groups to share tips, and even play interactive social games.
Waze is free, in keeping with its 2006 roots as an open-source project called FreeMaps. The service began in Israel but is available all over the world.
4. Viber
Within three days of Viber's launch in December 2010, some one million people had downloaded it. Two months later, the number is up to an overwhelming 10 million. What's all the fuss about? Viber, a free app, aims to be the Skype-killer, a voice-over-IP phone service that integrates seamlessly into your iPhone's contact list and allows you to make free calls to other Viber users anywhere in the world.
The app is drop-dead simple: Install it, and any other Viber users in your contact list show a Viber icon. Since the Viber app runs in the background (and the company claims it doesn't drain the phone's battery like Skype does), calling that contact for free is a single tap away.
Viber also doesn't require any registration (another step saved) and uses your phone number as your ID. Contrast that with Skype, where you have to sign up for a unique ID and use only the Skype app to make calls. Viber "officially" only supports the iPhone, but savvy callers claim it works on the iPad and iPod Touch as well. Android and BlackBerry versions are coming soon.
5. Fring
Fring is another made-in-Israel app that allows free phone calls. Unlike Viber, Fring piggybacks on existing phone networks like Google Talk, ICQ, Twitter, Facebook and more, acting as a universal communications center for voice, chat and even video calls. You open the Fring app and get a separate contact list; you can then call any friends on the list at no cost.
For friends not on the list, "Fring Out" calls start at one cent per minute (although that can jump to as high as 44 cents per minute for far-flung locations like Samoa and Zimbabwe).
Fring got a big boost when the iPhone 4 with its front-facing camera came out last year, making video calls a major attraction (the upcoming iPad 2 is rumored to have the same feature).
The app also has a "Fring Stream" that consolidates all your Twitter tweets and Facebook updates (plus, of course, any Fring chats and calls) in one place.
There's one service that's noticeably missing from the Fring roster: Skype. Fring used Skype's network to enable video calls for several years until December 2010, when they parted ways. Fring claims Skype blocked its service; Skype says Fring had been misusing its software and decided to pull out on its own. Either way, Fring is slightly less useful than it was six months ago.
6. Babller
Babller is a simple iPhone app that was an obvious product to be developed in multilingual, multicultural Israel. The app allows you to post status updates to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in your preferred language and have it automatically translated into a variety of other lingos. The app works the other way around, too, translating posts you receive.
Babller is essentially Google Translate with built-in social networking integration. It's not likely to be around for long – as soon as Google does its own Facebook translation mash-up, Babller will be out of here.
7. My6Sense
Owning an iPhone can quickly result in serious information overload. With your email, social network updates, tweets and RSS feeds all coming at you a mile a minute, you may find yourself sifting through hundreds (if not thousands) of messages and articles every day.
My6Sense aims to reduce the clutter by learning what you're interested in and filtering the stream so that's what you see. Focusing primarily on updates via RSS, My6Sense "learns" what you like by monitoring which articles you choose and which links you forward. You may view your subscriptions by most recent posts or by My6Sense recommendations.
What's particularly cool is you don't have to do anything – no tapping buttons to give a thumbs up or down to a particular piece of content, for example. The company calls its service "digital intuition" and it seems to be on to something. My6Sense has received media accolades including a "Best of 2010" award from ReadWriteWeb.
8. Libox
Consuming media on an iPhone or iPad is perhaps as popular as actually making a call. Despite its tiny screen, users love to watch video, show off pictures and, of course, listen to music. But how do you get your media content from your desktop computer or laptop onto your phone?
Apple's answer is to synch via iTunes. But that requires plugging your mobile device into your computer. And you have to physically move files onto your phone, which means you can quickly bump up against your iPhone's memory limit.
Israeli startup Libox lets you stream your media from home. There are two parts to the app – one that goes on your computer and scans your hard drives to find media, and a second that you download to your phone, which then streams the media from your computer via your regular cell service or WiFi. Libox also allows sharing media with friends, although that might put the company in hot water with copyright holders.
One downside: the app requires that your home computer be turned on with Libox running. That may not work for people whose laptops are their primary machine.
The company's pedigree suggests that Libox will continue to innovate in future versions: The company's founder is Erez Pilosof, who also founded Walla!, the Israeli equivalent to Yahoo and still an uber-popular Hebrew language site.
9. Touchoo
Buying your toddler an iPhone or iPod Touch is not as wacky an idea as it seems with Israeli startup Touchoo's vision of creating interactive "touch" books for tykes. The company, which calls itself a publisher rather than a development house, has assembled a team of writers, illustrators, animators and programmers (all from Israel, for now) to create their touch books, and the company emphasizes that all book apps are made under the supervision of a developmental psychologist.
Featured first books include Benny the Cat and the touch-screen appropriate Thumbelina (based on the original classic from Hans Christian Andersen). Some of the books are available in multiple languages. Touching not only changes pages but triggers interactive fun (an animated character may jump out and sing).
Touchoo's concept has already been proven … 20 years ago. When the first round of interactive multimedia products was being released on CD-ROM, one of the most popular genres was animated storybooks that both entertained and taught. Touchoo has simply updated a proven concept to the 21st century, where a click of the mouse has been replaced by a tap of a finger.
10. Appsfire
Appsfire is an app that lets you find other apps. Sure, you can always go searching in the Apple App Store or visit an app review site. But Appsfire uses the power of the crowd to recommend the best apps. As an Israeli company, its roster of "VIP" experts making recommendations is mostly culled from the Israeli tech scene; that will change as the app gains traction around the world. And there are plenty of "regular" users adding their favorite apps.
There's also a separate iPad version called Appstream that, as its name suggests, has a moving stream of apps. You can tap on an app to preview it, and tap again to share a recommendation with friends or to buy the app. You can filter by just iPad apps or by free apps.
Appsfire and Appstream, by the way, are both free. Appsfire takes a cut of sales from app developers via an affiliate model.
What's your favorite Israeli iPhone application? Write in and tell us in our comments section below.


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Feature by: Rumsey Taylor, Victoria Large, Megan Weireter, Leo Goldsmith, Thomas Scalzo, Anna Bak-Kvapil, and Michael Nordine
Posted on: 13 February 2011
If you dare… taste the deadly passion of the blood-nymphs!
Tagline of The Vampire Lovers
Vampires, always the sexiest of horror movie monsters, have enjoyed something of a renaissance in contemporary pop culture thanks to the influence of some very well-known teen novel and HBO drama franchises. Whereas the former is notably unerotic in its conception of vampire mythology, the latter has exploited the bizarre sexual pull of the undead to great success, emphasizing what makes vampires so intriguing in the first place. But despite the popularity of both series they remain inhibited by conservative American mores. For cinema lovers, the vampire genre can be and has been considerably less conservative. That's why, this Valentine's Day, we are pleased to explore a sidebar of films about horror's most paradoxically seductive creation: the lesbian vampire.
Why lesbian vampires? If you're a young heterosexual male – and young heterosexual males are the target audience for horror movies – then a lesbian vampire is a triple threat. Not only will this ageless, beautiful creature be indifferent to you, she'll probably also seduce your girlfriend into vampirism, right before the two of them join forces to kill you and suck out your life-force. If you're lucky, your dying vision might be of some full frontal nudity, but that's the best hope these films have to offer.
There have been lesbian vampires in pop culture for as long as there have been vampires. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella Carmella scandalized readers with racy descriptions of forbidden vampire lust 25 years prior to the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and latent lesbianism was first captured in vampire films as early as the 1930s (Vampyr, Daughter of Dracula). But for a brief period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a few fearless European directors ushered in a minor golden age of lesbian vampire films, and those are the films we'll be discussing this week. It seems the sexual revolution left its inevitable stamp on the vampire genre, though these films were unquestionably made by and for straight men.
Some of these directors, like Harry Kümel and José Ramón Larraz, dabbled briefly in the sub-genre before moving on to other workmanlike exploitation films. Only one, Vincente Aranda, ever saw much success outside of the world of B-movies. Then there are directors like Jean Rollin and Jess Franco, whose extensive catalogs of films on lesbian vampirism seem to indicate complicated erotic obsessions. (We've included one film from each of them here, but there are many more out there for the interested seeker.) And no lesbian vampire feature would be complete without Hammer's notorious Karnstein Trilogy, which demonstrates the venerable horror studio's evolution toward exploitation and away from the gothic films with which it secured its reputation.
All these directors worked with tiny budgets and boundless ambition. Though the camp factor is high here, there's no denying the directors' passion for the subject, nor the moments of real artistry that emerge almost against the odds. Like much European horror of the time, these films tend to traffic in mystery and surrealism, allowing the loose plots, horrific imagery, and titillating thrills to unfold through the language of dreams. The effect is sometimes bewildering and sometimes inspired, but always entertaining.
So this Valentine's Day week, cuddle up with your sweetheart and taste the deadly passion of the blood-nymphs. Your relationship might never be the same.
Introduction by Megan Weireter
By Rumsey Taylor, Victoria Large, Megan Weireter, Leo Goldsmith, Thomas Scalzo, Anna Bak-Kvapil, and Michael Nordine ©2011 NotComing.com
Rape of the Vampire
1968The Vampire Lovers
1970Lust for a Vampire
1971Twins of Evil
1971Vampyros Lesbos
1971Daughters of Darkness
1971The Blood Spattered Bride
1974We don't do comments anymore, but you may contact us here or find us on Twitter or Facebook.


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Good morning everyone!
It's Anita here today to share a Halloween card. Halloween will be here soon and Lori has lots of adorable Halloween images here in the shop so be sure to check them out!
I used Puddle Jumper Big Ghost & Lil Ghost and colored them with copics and colored pencils. I used some fun papers from Doodlebug Design and added some sequins for sparkle!
Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!


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Regular brushing and flossing can save your teeth into old age.
Could it also save your brain?
The bacteria involved in gum disease might play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
DNA from the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is more often found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, said lead researcher Jan Potempa, a professor at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry in Kentucky. P. gingivalis is one of the causes of periodontitis, the most serious type of gum disease.
"The DNA can be found in the Alzheimer's brain, but less frequently at a lower level in the brain of people who died at the same age from causes other than Alzheimer's," Potempa said.
Alzheimer's-affected brains also contain higher levels of a toxin secreted by P. gingivalis called gingipain, he said.
Potempa and his colleagues think the bacteria and its toxins might be connected with Alzheimer's disease, a suspicion supported by their research involving laboratory mice.
Researchers infected the mouths of mice with P. gingivalis and found that the bacteria did spread into the brain. The infection appeared to increase production of amyloid beta, a protein linked to Alzheimer's, and also caused inflammation in the brain.
The researchers also found that a drug targeting gingipain blocked movement of the bacteria into the brains of the mice.
The experimental drug, known as COR388, reduced the amount of P. gingivalis in mouse brains, with an accompanying decrease in amyloid beta production and brain inflammation, researchers reported.
A phase 1 clinical trial is underway to see if COR388 can prevent Alzheimer's, researchers said. The company Cortexyme Inc., based in San Francisco, developed the drug and is supporting the research.
There are several routes by which P. gingivalis could get into the brain, Potempa said. It could be carried through the bloodstream, by cell-to-cell infection, or through the nervous system.
"There a lot of nerves going into our mouth which have direct connection to the brain," he added. "If the bacteria gets into these nerves, it can translocate directly into the brain."
If this theory of Alzheimer's disease proves true, then it could be that the amyloid plaques that are thought to disrupt brain function might actually be the brain defending itself against infection, Potempa said.
"Beta amyloid has an antibacterial function," he said. "It's not just there to form the plaques. It can kill the bacteria. These beta amyloid plaques may be essential for defending the brain against bacteria."
About 46% of adults 30 and older have gum disease, with about 9% having very severe disease, Potempa said.
You can avoid gum disease by brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing regularly to remove plaque between teeth, and visiting the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings, according to the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
This study is part of a growing field of research looking into whether viral or bacterial infections might be associated with Alzheimer's, said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer's Association.
Another well-respected research team is investigating possible links between herpes virus and Alzheimer's, he said.
"It's actually receiving a lot of attention over the past couple of years. If you'd have asked me three years ago, I would have said it's a fairly fringe idea," Fargo said.
But a direct cause-and-effect relationship has yet to be established between any infectious agent and Alzheimer's, Fargo said.
He said it's possible that bacteria like P. gingivalis are found at higher levels in Alzheimer's brains because those brains are weakened and less able to defend against infection.
"As the brain gets sick with Alzheimer's disease or with something else, it becomes less able to fight off these things," Fargo said.
Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Research Center, agreed that the link between bacterial infection and Alzheimer's is still "quite speculative."
"I certainly wouldn't worry a group of readers that this is the cause of Alzheimer's, or if you've got gum disease you're more likely to develop dementia later in life," he said.
Petersen said the mouse evidence is interesting, but still a step removed from Alzheimer's in humans. Research on animals does not always produce the same results in humans.
"That would argue this is plausible but again, it's genetically engineered mice and it's kind of far from human reality at this point," he said.
Potempa presented his research Sunday at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association of Anatomists, in Orlando, Fla. Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has more about gum disease.
Source: HealthDay
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