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A wide array of Overhead Door™ rolling steel doors are available to meet the most demanding fire safety standards, unusual opening sizes and discerning aesthetic requirements. Designed to close automatically in the event of a fire or alarmed event, our fire-rated doors are available for service door and counter applications in commercial, industrial, institutional and retail projects. We provide fire doors with UL or FM labels, and are listed for both masonry and non-masonry applications. Our FireKing® fire door collection offers fire protection, innovative design, and optimized performance for the end user. The Fire Sentinel® time-delay release device provides an added measure of safety to control the doors' closure.
Rolling Service Fire Doors
Models 630 / 631 / 634 / 635
The FireKing® Fire Doors are fire-rated rolling service doors which offer superior protection wherever a listed fire door is required. Common applications include: factories, warehouses, mills, distribution centers and parking garages. Customized fire doors are available for conveyor openings. These fire-rated service doors feature an innovative floor reset system which allows the door to be easily drop tested and mechanically reset at any time without requiring special tools. Additional protection features, such as Fire Sentinel® and FireLite® vision lites are available options.
FireKing® Fire-Rated Door Model 630 is ideal for projects requiring a listed rolling service fire door available in labels up to 4 hours, for mounting in masonry, steel or wallboard. This fire-rated service door also offers the choice of galvanized or stainless steel in 18-, 20- or 22 gauges, as well as flat or curved slat profiles with approximately 200 optional powder coat color options - making this reliable, fire-rated door as strong and durable as it is aesthetically pleasing.
FireKing® Fire-Rated Door Model 631 fire-rated fire door is an ideal choice for projects requiring a listed rolling service fire door where both safety and economy are priorities. This 24 gauge steel door is available in up to a 4-hour label for doors up to 152 sq ft (14121 sq m). A UL oversize label is available for doors over 152 sq ft (14121 sq m), but less than 12' (3658 mm) in height.
FireKing® Fire-Rated Door Model 634 fire-rated fire doors are the highest-rated fire doors we offer and are ideal for projects requiring a listed rolling service fire door. These doors are available with a 4-hour label for openings up to 152 sq. ft. (14121262 sq mm). A UL oversize label is available for openings up to 683 sq ft (63452 sq m).
FireKing® Fire-Rated Door Model 635 is a rolling insulated fire door that offers the triple benefits of insulation, fire protection and sound attenuation. This one door eliminates the need for separate fire and insulated doors. The insulated FireKing® fire door meets many performance requirements including those of: UL, FM, New York City, California (CSFM) and optional "S" smoke label with up to four hour UL label. This door offers the protection of a fire door combined with the energy-efficiency and sound transmission control of an insulated door. These doors offer up to a four-hour rating on masonry, concrete and steel walls, and up to a three-hour rating on non-masonry walls to satisfy a variety of applications.
Models 640 / 641
Fire-rated counter door Model 640 primted galvanized steel and Model 641 fire-rated counter doors feature 22-gauge steel and are ideal for applications where safety is as important as style. The 640 and 641 model doors are ideal for openings requiring a counter-type fire-rated door. Common applications include factories, schools, concessions, hospitals, cafeterias and retail settings.
Fire-Rated Counter Door Model 640 has exposed components made of primed galvanized steel. Fire-Rated Counter Door Model 641 has exposed components made of stainless steel.
Standard labels are available in a 3 hour UL Class A label for masonry applications, or a 1-1/2 hour UL Class B label for non-masonry fire walls (a 3 hour non-masonry UL label is available upon request). These doors are designed to expand upward in a fire, allowing the guides to be installed flush with the sill. Their compact, box-like form also provides an attractive finished appearance that requires minimum side room. Oversize UL labels are available for certain applications. A host of standard and optional features further improve performance of these doors beyond the norm in fire-rated applications.
Added protection features, such as the Fire Sentinel®, horns and strobes are available.
Models 660 / 662
Integral frame counter fire doors (Models 660, 662) provide a handsome finished appearance for a variety of applications, including food service counters. Available for opening sizes up to 9'5" x 55" (2870 mm x 1346 mm), these doors carry a 1-1/2 hour UL Class B label and are factory assembled as a complete unit with fully welded frames. The frame comprises 16-gauge jambs and header, hood and fascia and is complemented by a 14-gauge sill. Added protection features, such as the Fire Sentinel® are available.
View these pages for more detail:
- Operation: Options include push-up, chain hoist, crank and electric motor (fire doors: RHX® FK, RHX® or RSX®; fire counter doors: CDX™)
- UL-listed FireLite® vision lites in 4-, 3-, and 1 1/2-hour labels allow visual access without compromising safety
- Additional safety options include the Fire Sentinel® time-delay release device, photoelectric or ionization-type smoke detectors (with or without heat detector), as well as solid-state horn, strobe or voice enunciators
- Wind load options are available for Florida Building Code (FBC), Miami-Dade, Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
- UL-listed brush-type smoke seals satisfy smoke retardation requirements
- Firestop® fire-resistant core counter tops covered with popular brands of decorative laminates allow coordination of project design elements for use with counter fire doors
- PowderGuard® Premium powder coat finish options are available in approximately 200 colors as well as custom matching to specification.
- Wide range of sizes and styles meet or exceed industry fire safety testing standards including Underwriters Laboratories (UL & ULC), Factory Mutual (FM), New York City, and the State of California (CSFM) requirements
- Doors are compliant with all NFPA-80 standards
- Field-installable accessories such as radio controls or motion detectors to match a wide range of application requirements
- Constructed of galvanized or stainless steel in a variety of gauges, slat designs, and finishes for unsurpassed strength, durability, and style
- Door closes automatically under governor control after separation of fuse link. UL recommends a 165°F (74°C) fuse link for ambient conditions for 100°F (38°C) or less, or a 212°F (100°C) fuse link for ambient conditions over 100°F (38°C)
- Door guide assembly rests on the sill or floor to provide an attractive finished appearance eliminating setup gaps. Guides expand upward during a fire.
- Our rolling service fire doors can accommodate openings up to 41'2" wide (12548 mm) or 25'4" (7722 mm) high (max. 683 sq.ft. or 63452 sq m) with up to a 4-hour UL rating
- Counter fire doors fit openings to 14' (4267 mm) wide and 10' (3048 mm) high with either a 3-hour or 1 1/2-hour UL rating, and are optionally available with a 1 1/2-hour rated plastic laminated counter top
- Integral frame and sill counter fire doors with a 1 1/2-hour UL rating afford a handsome finished look
- Motor operated counter fire door does not require tension reset after automatic fire release.


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Darin Johnson, Corbins Electric:
"I have been at Corbins for over 25 years and we have been involved in three different apprenticeship programs during that time. I have seen apprentices struggle through other programs as they were working 8-10 hours a day and then expected to attend class 2 times a week, for 4 years. This has an impact on the apprentice's work/life balance and also leads to people dropping out or failing the program. But at WECA, our apprentices go to school during the daytime for two weeks at a time, which allows them to get home to their families instead of attending school after work. The other side of this coin is the instructors at WECA. The other apprenticeship programs we were involved in had instructors who had separate full-time jobs but then had to teach two nights a week.WECA apprenticeship instructors are full-time instructors who don't have to worry about another day job. Since joining WECA, our enrollment in the apprenticeship program has increased, our employees' work/life balance has improved, and I expect our retention to improve as well."
Jeff Blakeslee, Blakeslee Electric:
"Your apprenticeship program is an important component in the success of our business. While it's easy to look only at the short term cost of the program, we believe these costs are far outweighed by the long term benefits. Blakeslee Electric, Inc. is seldom involved in a prevailing wage project. We utilize your program not because we must, but because we see many advantages in doing so. First of all, when compared to others, the WECA apprenticeship program simply yields the best craftsman. But more than that, it helps develop an employee that is committed to the trade and has long term thinking. We don't want our people to think they are working at a job; we want them to know that this is their career. Our apprentices know the investment we are making in them and it shows in their work from day one.
Jason Beardsley, Tri-Signal Integration:
"We believe in organically growing our field employees here at Tri-Signal Integration and we achieve this by providing them with the very best education possible. We have found the best education out in the marketplace is WECA's VDV apprentice program."
Tom Stollmeyer, Peak Electric:
"I feel very fortunate to be a member of WECA. Your continued support with your ongoing education through your classrooms, the online access, the ET and certification programs and your presence in the political arenas in both Sacramento and Washington. WECA gives merit shop contractors, like Peak Electric, a voice. I feel this is vitally important for the future success of all merit shops and the future of fair trade in California."
Dana Davis, Butterfield Electric Inc.:
"WECA's Electrician Job Referral Service is the first place I go when we're looking to hire a quality electrician. I love that I can customize my search to the area and experience level I'm looking for. It saves me time since I don't have to search through resumes that don't match our needs. And I always find this service useful when we're looking to hire for an out-of-town job."
Tim Bosley, Bosley Electric Company:
"As a member of WECA, it is not lost on me that I directly benefit from the ever-growing level of respect that WECA garners within the political community. Primarily responsible for monitoring those aspects of government that affect us as contractors and advocating for our concerns and on behalf of all of us, Richard Markuson serves quite admirably in the role of Government Affairs Director and has certainly contributed to the respect WECA has earned.
Knowing I have neither the time nor political clout to stand out as an individual in an ever-changing-- and for the most part contrarian-- political landscape, I consider it to be one of the greatest member benefits WECA offers to have such a well-respected, strong Government Affairs department."
Clint Alessandro, Alessandro Electric Inc.:
"I have been a part of the Western Electrical Contractors Association since 1998. I started as an apprentice and learned a great deal of electrical theory, code, and installation concepts, not only from the class itself but also from the classmates I interacted with over the five-year apprenticeship. I was able to use this knowledge to my benefit as an apprentice and journeyman electrician. Now, as an employer, it is apparent to me the quantity and quality of work a trained electrician is capable of completing when compared to an electrician who has not had the benefit of WECA's programs. The level of quality we are able to produce by using trained electricians has continually opened more doors for my company. Their knowledge has also saved countless dollars in mistakes, poor installation, and potential code violations that would have had to be repaired.
In addition WECA also provides benefits to employers such as:
- A strong employee knowledge base to pull from - Assistance in determining proper wage requirements - Free legal assistance from Cook Brown - Health insurance for apprentices which reduces likeliness of a false claim - Retirement for apprentices - Competitive wage rates for bidding public and federal projects
- A strong employee knowledge base to pull from
- Assistance in determining proper wage requirements
- Free legal assistance from Cook Brown
- Health insurance for apprentices which reduces likeliness of a false claim
- Retirement for apprentices
- Competitive wage rates for bidding public and federal projects
I highly suggest WECA to all electricians and contractors as this program continues to provide a top-notch training and assistance unmatched by any other program I have encountered.
Greg Anderson, Rex Moore Group, Inc.:
"Having graduated from an apprenticeship program, taught both apprenticeship and journey-level training, and after 30 years experience in this business-- I can tell you that WECA's apprenticeship, electrician trainee, and journeyman continuing education training programs are the absolute best in the industry. I've come across none better over the course of my career."
Mark Cooper, H&D Electric Inc.:
"The Apprenticeship Program at WECA has grown to a state-of-the-art 40,000 sf training facility, with classrooms that most colleges would envy. All thanks to the hard work and leadership of countless merit shop companies who believe, as I do, that quality training of apprentices and electricians is imperative to the success of their business and our industry.
As a Board member for the last 20+ years, I have had the pleasure of serving alongside some of the most respected electrical contractors in California. Literally thousands of careers and hundreds of companies have benefited from their association with WECA."
Stacy Kerzel, Neighbor Electric, Inc:
WECA is the most responsive organization I have ever worked with.
Koren McCollum, Current WECA Low Voltage Apprentice:
"I'm learning tons with my contractor, as well as when I'm at WECA. It's a great combination of class and lab training while you work on the jobsite as an apprentice! I love learning and WECA's apprenticeship program is one of the best because there's such a comprehensive curriculum taught by WECA's experienced instructors. Combine that with jobsite training experience and I know I'll be ready with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the trade."
Alfredo Franco, Exam Prep Student:
"Hello, I took the exam prep course in October (Riverside facility) and I want to thank you (Rick Labon, WECA Instructor) and WECA for giving me the skills and techniques necessary to pass my state test. The class was great; it covered a lot of things that I encountered on the exam. I felt well prepared and walked out of the testing center feeling like a champ. This class is definitely a must for those willing to put in the time and dedication to study hard and pass the examination. Thanks WECA!!"
Kyle Walters, WECA Get Wired! and Exam Prep Student:
"Hey Zack (Wallace, WECA Instructor), I took my online classes with you and I took the test prep course with you back in June. I just wanted to let you know that I passed my test on the 1st try with an 87%. Needless to say I was stoked beyond belief. I wanted to let you know that the 2 day prep course helped me out tremendously. It really helped me understand how to find the codes easier & helped me not to panic because that was definitely the hardest test I've ever taken. I do have to say that the test is ridiculously hard, I swear that half the stuff on the test I've never seen or will ever probably have to deal with. With that being said I just wanted to thank you for all your help."
Dennis Farner, Exam Prep Student:
"I recently enrolled in the 2 day exam preparation 16 hour course for residential or general electrician exams. My experience was wonderful. The fast paced refresher course delivered a great amount of usable knowledge needed to pass the exam. The class went as scheduled. The instructor was very knowledgeable in the trade and code, a "well-rounded electrician," and a great person to learn from. He was extremely patient and fair towards questions, and was even willing to stay during lunch and after hours to answer any questions. I took the general exam 1 week after taking the class. I passed! I would recommend this course to anybody who is looking to take the exam. The school and instructors genuinely care and want you to succeed! I am very pleased with my decision. Thank you for taking the time to read my testimonial and great luck with your exam!"
Nikolaus Moser, WECA Commercial Apprenticeship Class of 2013:
"One of things I enjoyed most about WECA's apprenticeship program was the interaction between the teachers and the students. I have always been a person that wants to know 'why' and not just take what the books say at face value. Every teacher at WECA took the time to answer those questions. One of the instructors, Ned Johns, is the first person I email or call if I have an electrical question. I also want to give special thanks to instructors Larry Carlyle, Mike Moyer, Zack Wallace and Jimmie Slemp— all of whom played a huge role in my electrical journey. Thank you for giving me a future in the industry that I've come to love."
Gill Chanpreet, WECA VDV Apprenticeship Class of 2013:
"I just wanted to thank WECA for the opportunity to take and complete their apprenticeship program. It has been a great learning and overall experience for me. I regret not being able to make it to the graduation this past weekend, but wanted to thank the WECA staff for making it all a smooth process over the past 3 years. I especially want to thank Kevin DeRocker, my teacher and mentor, for taking the time to make sure all his students were kept up to date and making sure we all understood the material. He has been a key part of my success at WECA. Also, thank you for the tools that I received! I will be putting those to work right away."
Sandra Purczynski, Crest Electric:
"I recently called WECA to learn more about the Electrician Trainee program and was pleasantly surprised to speak with Bryan Wenze, who treated me with such great respect and patience. Since I was doing some research online and was unfamiliar with WECA and its programs, calling WECA and speaking with Bryan was extremely helpful, he did an exceptional job with answering all my questions. In fact, there was program information he needed to confirm with that required him to call me back. He actually called me back in a timely manner with the answer. How many times has a customer service person said they would call you back and they don't? Bryan did and was very professional and pleasant! I just wanted to let his supervisor know that he's doing a great job!"

subset: commoncrawl


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The Sleep-Deficit and Chronic Disease Epidemic – Is There A Connection?
Sleep is one of the most vital elements of achieving good health and its importance cannot be overestimated. Nearly every system of the body depends on satisfactory sleep quality and quantity for routine healing, repair and restoration. Insufficient sleep robs the body of renewable energy sources and cell restoration, creating a suboptimal environment in the body, and eventually leading to dysfunction, imbalance and poor health.
Sleep disturbances are common in nearly all chronic pain and fatigue conditions, and notably in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. In some cases, chronic pain and fatigue are a result of underlying sleep problems, while in other cases, sleep problems are actually caused by chronic pain and fatigue. In both scenarios, restoring quality sleep is imperative for healing and pain management.
Circadian Rhythms
The human body functions on an internal 24-hour cycle, known as a circadian rhythm, which functions to align the body's internal activities with its external environment. This rhythm dictates both physiological and behavioral activities, including the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, metabolism, eating schedules, hormone secretion, glucose homeostasis, and cell reproduction. A healthy circadian rhythm will be synchronized to the earth's rotation, meaning light is the most influential trigger for determining an individual's circadian rhythm. Other elements that can influence the rhythm include genetics, eating schedules, activity, and hormones such as melatonin. Activities such as staying up late, working odd shifts, and eating at unusual hours defy natural influences that establish a healthy circadian rhythm and therefore, can disrupt various internal activities, leading to poor health.
The sleep-wake cycle is one of the initial activities damaged by a disrupted circadian rhythm, prompting chronic insomnia and sleep disturbances. The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue, and randomly falling asleep at unusual times are all roadblocks to quality sleep that will result in a lack of restoration and healing. Establishing a healthy sleep-wake cycle by means of supporting a natural circadian rhythm is foundational for anyone struggling with suboptimal health.
Stages of Sleep
While a healthy circadian rhythm will promote a routine sleep schedule, the next goal for establishing quality sleep is to ensure the body successfully passes through all 5 stages of sleep. Stage 1 sleep is a light sleep in which muscle activity slows (sometimes sudden muscle jerks are experienced during this stage), preparing us for stage 2. Nearly 50 percent of our sleep time is spent in stage 2, during which eye movement ceases and brain activity slows, for the purpose of healing and restoration. As the body passes into stage 3 and stage 4 (collectively known as deep sleep), extremely slow delta brain waves are active, while muscle and eye activity remain silent. Finally, the body spends approximately 20 percent of its total sleep time in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. In this final stage, breathing is rapid, irregular and shallow, while blood pressure and heart rate increase. The eyes rapidly move in various directions, and muscles are temporarily paralyzed. Each night, the body consecutively passes through the stages of sleep multiple times. Each cycle may last up to two hours. As the night progresses, REM sleep lengthens while stage 3 and 4 sleep shorten. Waking up during a sleep cycle can often disrupt the continuity of the sleep stages as the body decides whether it should resume the previous sleep stage or start over, leading to insomnia and common sleep disturbances.
Sleep and Chronic Pain and Fatigue Syndromes
Chronic pain and fatigue syndromes such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are often classified by sleep disturbances. Pain can act as both a cause and consequence of sleep disturbances, and in the case of chronic pain and fatigue syndromes, both elements are present. Neuroimaging studies on fibromyalgia patients have revealed functional sleep disturbances including reduced short-wave sleep and abnormal α-rhythms (usually present when we are awake, but relaxed), which suggest frequent awakenings during non-REM sleep (stages 1-4). Deprivation of stage 4 deep sleep is common with these findings and can exacerbate pain and impair pathways that function to inhibit pain. These pathways are already compromised in fibromyalgia patients, leading to abnormal pain sensitivity. Improving sleep has resulted in better pain management and fatigue while impaired sleep in healthy individuals has created pain and fatigue. This illustrates the critical role of sleep in pain management and its importance in those with chronic pain and fatigue syndromes.
Sleep and Neurological Regeneration
Several important activities that affect both physical health and mental wellbeing are established while we pass through the stages of sleep. One important activity is the production, proliferation, and connection of new neurons, a process known as neurogenesis. As new neurons are produced, to replace old neurons, new neurological pathways (circuits) are also developed to improve and restore activity of the central nervous system. This is one example of how sleep can improve learning, memory, and other cognitive functions. As new neurons are generated, new receptors for key neurotransmitters such as GABA and dopamine, are also established. Improved transmission of these neurotransmitters can account for the positive effect sleep has on mood, depression and anxiety.
Healthy Sleep Habits
A healthy circadian rhythm will establish a sleep-wake cycle that follows the natural patterns of the sun. Most adults benefit most from obtaining at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep between the hours of 10 or 11pm and 6 or 7am. Naturally, the body desires more sleep during the longer nights of the winter season. Likewise, the body is more vibrant and energetic during the long days of the summer, when exposure to sunlight is more direct and lengthier. Both quantity and the specific time of the day are important for sleep quality. Sleeping for an adequate length of time during daylight hours when the body's circadian rhythm is fighting its external environment, creates disrupted, low-quality sleep. This is often seen in third shift workers who may obtain an adequate amount of sleep, but still experience sleep deprivation. Similarly, lack of adequate sleep during an appropriate time can result in sleep deprivation.
Allowing the body to adequately prepare for sleep is equally important. The brain begins releasing melatonin approximately two hours before it assumes sleep, for the purpose of calming and relaxing the body, which promotes uninterrupted sleep. This preparation can be aided by turning off all electronic devices an hour before sleeping, to remove the blue light that cancels the effects of melatonin. Some individuals find that a warm bath with magnesium salts is relaxing and promotes better sleep. Alternatively, taking magnesium can help relax muscles and encourage better rest. Engaging in calming activities, reading encouraging literature, and using an oil diffuser with calming essential oils can further establish sound sleep. Finally, it is important to sleep in a dark room, void of startling sounds and lights, to support optimal melatonin production and uninterrupted sleep.
Botanicals and Nutraceuticals to Promote Sleep
Establishing healthy sleep habits can require patience and perseverance, especially when trying to build them in the context of a chronic pain and fatigue syndrome. In these cases, calming botanicals and nutrients that promote melatonin production and relaxation can help restore good sleep habits. Chamomile has been used as a mild tranquilizer for centuries and helps promote sleep. It makes a delicious bedtime tea. Valerian is another popular botanical, used in many cultures, for improving sleep quality. It has been shown to induce a sedative-like effect by inhibiting the breakdown of GABA, a calming neurotransmitter. Valerian can also help relax muscles, which encourages relaxation and sleep. Both lemon balm and passionflower are useful when sleep is disturbed by chronic stress and anxiety, common comorbidities with chronic pain and fatigue syndromes. Lemon balm and passion flower have been shown, in studies, to significantly improve difficulties in falling asleep and improves the calming activity of GABA, similar to valerian. Additionally, lemon balm may help to decrease pain sensations, leading to better sleep quality. Often a combination of calming botanicals is most effective for improving sleep quality.
Other nutrients that support relaxation and sleep include L-theanine, GABA, phosphatidylserine, and melatonin. L-theanine is an amino acid found primarily in green tea. It is a precursor to the production of the calming neurotransmitter, GABA. In some cases, supplementing with GABA directly can be temporarily helpful while supporting the body's natural production of this neurotransmitter. GABA's calming actions can be attributed to its ability to balance excitatory neurotransmitters such as dopamine, promote muscle relaxation, and reduce anxiety, all of which contribute to poor sleep. Phosphatidylserine is particularly useful when chronic stress is inhibiting sleep quality, marked by frequent awakenings in the early morning with the inability to resume sleep. Phosphatidylserine is a fatty molecule that is integrated into cell membranes and especially those of the brain cells. It helps improve the transmission of neurotransmitters between cells. Finally, melatonin (or a precursor, 5-HTP) may be helpful in rebuilding neurotransmitters that help regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
Regardless of the state of one's health, sleep is foundational for regaining health and maintaining health. In a society that idolizes productivity, busy schedules, late nights and early mornings often rob us of the most important element of health. As a result, health challenges sneak up upon us, sooner than we would expect and leave us struggling to regain the health we once possessed. It is paramount to correct and preserve this vital activity if we would choose health.
In the new book by Dr. David Brady called The Fibro Fix he provides detailed instructions on stress reduction and sleep improvement.
Dr. Brady's new book, The Fibro Fix, will give you a wealth of information on how to negotiate your way toward getting the proper diagnosis and the proper treatment for your symptoms of widespread pain and fatigue. The book can be ordered on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and other fine book vendors, or at FibroFix.com. Also, learn more about The Fibro Fix Summit where Dr. Brady interviews 30+ experts on FM at FibroFixSummit.com. Also, please visit Dr. Brady's main website at DrDavidBrady.com and follow him on Facebook at DrDavidBrady.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2014). Brain basics: understanding sleep. National Institute of Health. Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm
Zee, P. C., Attarian, H., & Videnovic, A. (2013). Circadian Rhythm Abnormalities. Continuum : Lifelong Learning in Neurology, 19(1 Sleep Disorders), 132–147. http://doi.org/10.1212/01.CON.0000427209.21177.aa
Choy, E.H. (2016). Current treatments to counter sleep dysfunction as a pathogenic stimulus of fibromyalgia. Pain Managment, 6(4), 339-46. doi: 10.2217/pmt-2016-0009.
Diaz-Piedra et al. (2015). Sleep disturbances in fibromyalgia syndrome: the role of clinical and polysomnographic variables explaining poor sleep quality in patients. Sleep Medicine, 16(8), 917-25. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2015.03.011.
Vijayan, S., Klerman, E. B., Adler, G. K., & Kopell, N. J. (2015). Thalamic mechanisms underlying alpha-delta sleep with implications for fibromyalgia. Journal of Neurophysiology, 114(3), 1923–1930. http://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00280.2015
Fernandes, C., Rocha, N. B. F., Rocha, S., Herrera-Solís, A., Salas-Pacheco, J., García-García, F., … Arias-Carrión, O. (2015). Detrimental role of prolonged sleep deprivation on adult neurogenesis. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 9, 140. http://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2015.00140
Srivastava, J. K., Shankar, E., & Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular Medicine Reports, 3(6), 895–901. http://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377
ent, S., Padula, A., Moore, D., Patterson, M., & Mehling, W. (2006). Valerian for Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The American Journal of Medicine, 119(12), 1005–1012. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.02.026
Cases, J., Ibarra, A., Feuillère, N., Roller, M., & Sukkar, S. G. (2011). Pilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in the treatment of volunteers suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 4(3), 211–218. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12349-010-0045-4
- David Brady
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Nothing new here to me. I have chronic insomnia and have done extensive research. My biggest comment, or gripe, is that grey font on a white background does NOT make for easy reading. Perhaps it is just me or maybe someone will make an
improvement here. That would be great.


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Prescription Eyeglasses in West Orange | Professional Eye Care of West Orange
With 2021 just around the corner, you might be thinking about your New Year's resolutions. Your eye health should be at the top of your priority list, and with the New Year nearly here, it's important to maintain or create habits that will promote good health.
5 easy eye-healthy resolutions to consider adding to your list.
Schedule an Annual Eye Exam | Optometrist | Professional Eye Care of West Orange
If you haven't been to the eye doctor in a while, now is the time to call and schedule an appointment. An annual eye exam is crucial because even if your vision and eye health seem fine, an exam can uncover the early stages of many eye diseases before they can cause irreversible damage. An eye doctor can even spot signs of other potential health issues by checking your eyes, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even many cardiovascular conditions. So, start off the new year right with an eye exam.
Wear Sunglasses
The sun's UV rays aren't just harmful to your skin, but to your eyes as well. UV rays have also been shown to be a major contributing factor in the development of many serious eye conditions, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and more. So start the new year wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from the UV rays whenever you are outside during the day, no matter the season.
Rest Your Eyes
Daily and prolonged computer use can lead to computer vision syndrome. Eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes are just some symptoms that may occur when using a digital screen for long periods of time. Give your eyes regular relief by following the 20-20-20 rule; take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away, every 20 minutes.
Follow a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is a popular New Year's resolution, as many look towards being healthier after the holiday season. It's important to eat a balanced diet, not just for your overall health but also to promote good vision.
A diet containing the right amount of certain vitamins and minerals can boost your eyes' health and help reduce the risk of certain eye conditions and vision loss.
For example, vitamin C — found in oranges, strawberries, broccoli, and peppers — can help slow cataracts and prevent macular degeneration.
Vitamin E also serves as a great antioxidant and agent against cataracts and macular degeneration. Vitamin E can be found in many nuts and dried fruit, like almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and pine nuts, as well as dried apricots.
Educate Yourself!
Take the time to learn about common eye conditions, including the signs, symptoms, and causes, as this can help you recognize any changes in your vision. The earlier an eye condition is detected, the better chance you have of preventing or managing it.
If you notice any vision changes, or if it's time for your annual eye exam, schedule an appointment with Professional Eye Care of West Orange for professional advice and treatment.


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Specializing in Sales and Service of late model Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Porsche
SHOP OUR INVENTORY SERVICE YOUR VEHICLEGoose Creek Automotive in Monroe, North Carolina specializes in Mercedes-Benz sales and service. We also work with BMW, Porsche, and other high-end vehicles. Our pre-owned cars are handpicked from the domestic pool of Mercedes-Benz cars and more. In addition, each vehicle undergoes a rigid, standardized reconditioning procedure by our highly trained staff. If you are in the Charlotte metro area, let us be your number one stop.
In addition to sales, Goose Creek Automotive offers world-class maintenance with our BOSCH Service Center. Our extended warranty programs are among the most competitive in the industry.


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We can draw many lessons from the world of sports onto business, I was watching a feature video on ESPN on Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash on a Point Guard's Vision and couldn't help but see the correlation between vision in sports and in business. In business there's talk of the need of having a vision or a BIG idea behind and organization's direction, but there's also the real-time vision a leader needs to possess to make sense of things in a rapidly changing world and make a right decision.
Just like an NBA point guard is defined by how well he runs his offense and assist his teammates to a position where they have the advantage, a business leader is judged by the strategic decisions he makes to position his company so it's business strategy gives it an advantage.
Strategy is all about making choices and in a rapid changing world the ability to see the play develop (Observe), read the defense (Orient), seeing the gap (Decide) and exploit it (Act) by making the perfect pass is of vital importance.
See a pattern there? The OODA loop.
On the fly, improvisational, rapid strategy development and Steve Nash knows all about it. The OODA is not going to work all the time, it's a tool to assist in learning about an environment and making decisions, it doesn't make visions come true but it's better that relying on a static plan of action in a dynamic world.
The lesson is: As business leaders we must develop real-time vision to strategize on the fly and create order out of chaos.


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Research Summary
Middle school can be an exciting and terrifying time for students transitioning from elementary to middle school. By definition, transition means the change from one place, state of being, or condition to another place, state of being, or condition (Merriam-Webster Online, 2015). Thus, middle school transition is the process of changing from an elementary to a middle school environment. The transition is often complex. As young adolescents are changing school buildings they are also changing hormonally, mentally, and physically. This transition affects young adolescents' academic experiences, motivation, self-perception, and self-regulatory beliefs (Parker, 2013; Perkins, 1995). The process also affects parents and teachers, Reynolds (2005) noted that when developing a transition program, one must consider the expectations of the students as well as their capabilities and knowledge. This research summary offers suggestions for developing an effective transition program to assist all stakeholders (i.e., students, families, and school faculty) involved in the transition process.
Tenets of This We Believe addressed:
- Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships
- Comprehensive guidance and support services meet the needs of adolescents
- The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.
This We Believe (NMSA, 2010) states that effective transition programs help students move to a new school, become a part of the new school, and maintain their social and academic status. However, many transition programs fail because they ignore social concerns (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Akos, 2002). With the implementation of transition programs and support of parents, teachers, and administrators, the transition can become more effective and less intimidating than some students might expect (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Shoshani & Slone, 2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2008; Watson, 2004). Understanding why a transition program is necessary and implementing an effective transition program are important tasks for middle school faculty.
Issues to Address in Providing Supportive Transitions
When students transition from elementary to middle school, many students are undergoing physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and moral changes (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Eccles & Wigfield, 1997; Jackson & Davis, 2000; Schexnaildre, 2012; U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Some students mature faster than others. Students who are developmentally behind typically experience more stress than their counterparts (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Eccles & Wigfield, 1997; U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Consequently, they may earn lower grades and display decreased academic motivation, which may increase the rate of dropping out of school (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Eccles & Wigfield, 1997; U.S. Department of Education, 2008). An effective transition program will enhance student success, attendance, and learning (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006). However, without an effective program, the transition can have negative effects on students procedurally, socially, and academically.
Aspects of Procedural Transition
When transitioning to middle school, concerns arise regarding procedural changes. Students are worried about being thrown into an environment of independence and responsibility—an environment significantly different from any educational experience known to date. They are expected to get to and from classes on their own, manage time wisely, use a locker, organize and keep up with materials for multiple classes, be responsible for all classwork and homework from multiple teachers, and at the same time develop and maintain a social life (Anderson, Jacobs, Schramm, & Splittgerber, 2000; Niesen & Wise, 2004; Schumacher, 1998).
Although young adolescents seem to cry out for independence, they also need protection, security, and structure (Brighton, 2007). For instance, Reynolds (2005) conducted interviews and observations that determined the fifth grade students were coming from a highly structured environment in the elementary school to a less structured environment. Expectations are difficult to meet if expectations are unknown. Akos conducted two studies to explore these dynamics (2002; 2004). In his 2002 longitudinal study, Akos found that expectations, procedures, and rules were a major concern for upcoming fifth graders who were in the process of transitioning to sixth grade. In his 2004 study, Akos reviewed and analyzed the 2002 Virginia state writing prompt from 350 eighth graders who wrote letters to transitioning middle schoolers. He found that 41% of the responses were based on procedures and about "gum chewing, fighting, skipping class, and following directions" (p. 6). These specific procedures might seem petty to adults, but small details make an impact on young adolescents' social, emotional, and academic experiences.
Middle level educators should be explicit with their explanations of procedures and expectations with young adolescents because they are moving to an environment where more self-regulation will be required (Akos, 2002; Akos, 2004; Shoshani & Slone, 2013). Through statistical analysis of school records, Theriot and Dupper (2010) found that there was a significant increase in discipline referrals in students' first year of middle school compared to the last year in elementary school. This increase may result from different levels of structure in an elementary school versus a middle school. Providing clearer, more explicit understanding of structure may help new students navigate the school in a safe and systematic way (Akos, 2002; Brighton, 2007; NMSA, 2010).
Aspects of Social Transition
Middle school students are naturally at a crossroad with their social development at this transitional age, but when the actual transition to a new school is added into the mix, the difficulties become more complex. Students are trying to build new friendships and maintain ones they already have. In phase II of a longitudinal study (Akos, 2002) survey results indicated many students perceived maintaining and socializing with friends as a positive aspect of middle school. Yet, at the same time, many students expressed concerns about making new friends. Not only are students concerned about relationships with their peers but also anxious about relationships with their teachers (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006). In some instances, several small elementary schools funnel into one large middle school. This means that students are meeting new peers, as well as new teachers, administrators, and staff. In addition to the concerns expressed by students, teachers and administrators sometimes worry about interactions with older children whose needs and interests may be very different. Although many middle schools have some form of transition program, very few address social concerns (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006).
Aspects of Academic Transition
The effects of procedural and social transitions impact students' academic performance. Students are typically accountable for multiple teachers and must multitask in ways not required in the elementary school. In many classes, students are expected to keep up with materials and master content independently. Bellmore (2011) conducted a longitudinal study of students as they moved from fourth grade through eighth grade. Using a cross-lagged panel model, she determined that peer rejection and unpopularity had a significant effect on young adolescents' GPAs during their transition from elementary to middle school, concluding "Peer relationships may be especially important during the transition from elementary to middle school" (p. 282). In a similar study, Kingery, Erdley, and Marshall (2011) noted "The relationship between peer acceptance and academic achievement was the most robust, indicating that adolescents' pre-transition social interactions play a key role in their academic success following the transition" (p. 230). These two studies suggest that social relationships have a great impact on the academic achievement of young adolescents as they transition to middle school.
While analyzing writing prompts of students offering advice to upcoming middle schoolers, Akos (2004) discovered that 34% of the suggestions they made were academic. The eighth grade students gave the fictional upcoming students advice about study habits, completing homework assignments, creating relationships with teachers, extra effort required by the work, and having good grades (Akos, 2004). These were apparently aspects of middle school that these eighth grade students had wished they had known more about prior to the transition. These are also facets of academic success that students struggle with during the transition from elementary to middle school that could be supported through an effective transition program (Anderson, et al., 2000; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Niesen & Wise, 2004; Schumacher, 1998; U.S. Department of Education, 2008; Watson, 2004).
Implementing an Effective Transition Program
With all the aforementioned concerns about students transitioning to middle school, transition programs may make a big difference in the school life of students. To have an effective transition program, schools must address the expectations that middle school students need to meet, bridge the gap between what will be expected of young adolescents in middle school and what was expected of them in elementary school, and consider the procedural, social, and academic changes that young adolescents face when transitioning (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Schumacher, 1998)
Fortunately, scholars have identified some schools that have implemented successful transition programs. For instance, in Spokane, Washington, a middle school administration found that too much time was being spent establishing rules and procedures at the start of the school year (Fields, 2002). To address this problem, the middle school personnel initiated communication with the feeder elementary schools to gain information from the teachers about students through meetings and from students through a survey. Using this information, they created a program that featured:
- a shadowing experience in which one fifth grader spent the day with a sixth grader and reported back to his/her fifth grade class about his or her observations,
- school tours,
- parent and student meetings that discussed the differences between elementary and middle school,
- question and answer sessions, and
- open house activities such as: opening lockers, practicing lunch room procedures, walking through the student's schedule (Fields, 2002).
Watson (2004) described a program in Hanover County, Virginia. There, counselors at Stonewall Jackson Middle School opened up communication with feeder schools by hosting meetings with counselors to get information about the students and to collaborate on how to improve the middle school transition. After getting background information and ideas, stakeholders were invited to share their issues and concerns about the middle school transition before making improvements to the program. Improvements included elementary school counselors meeting with middle school counselors to discuss the needs of the upcoming middle school students, having meetings with the students and parents to discuss their questions and concerns, touring the middle school, shadowing a sixth grader and reporting back to his/her fifth grade class about his or her experience, holding parent-to-parent meetings where parents could discuss their concerns with each other and network, and constantly evaluating the transition program so that changes could be made. Without this open communication with all stakeholders, an effective and collaborative program could not have been developed to meet the needs of the upcoming students.
Transition Activities
Key features of successful transition programs are comprehensive and targeted transition activities for students, parents, and teachers (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Cohen & Smerdon, 2009; Morgan & Hetzong, 2001). By definition, transition activities are defined as multiple activities that occur before, during, and after transitions that support students and parents and help students develop a real sense of how middle school will be (Akos, 2002; Anderson, et al., 2000; Arowosafe & Irvin, 1992; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Cohen & Smerdon, 2009; Fields, 2002; McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Schumacher, 1998; Watson, 2004; Wormeli, 2011). These activities include but are not limited to:
- Touring the new school (Anderson, et al., 2000; Fields, 2002; McElroy, 2000; Watson, 2004);
- Starting a shadow program where fifth graders shadow a sixth grader for the day (Anderson, et al., 2000; Fields, 2002; Watson, 2004);
- Hosting meetings or assemblies and open-house opportunities where the focus is on the differences and similarities between elementary and middle school (i.e., how the schedule works, class changes, what clubs and sports are available, electives, and lockers), followed by a question and answer session (Anderson, et al., 2000; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Fields, 2002; McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Watson, 2004; Wormeli, 2011);
- Hosting parent–to–parent meetings where parents discuss middle school issues and concerns (Watson, 2004);
- Sending a welcome letter to students during the summer congratulating them on transitioning to middle school and including dates of upcoming transition events (Wormeli, 2011);
- Having the staff wear "Ask Me" badges to let students know it is acceptable to ask questions and who to ask during the first few weeks of school (Wormeli, 2011);
- Having new students come to school a day before returning students to get information, practice routines, and meet teachers (Wormeli, 2011);
- Starting a pen pal system where students in the fifth and sixth grades write to each other about middle school (Schumacher, 1998);
- Developing activities where students can socialize prior, during, and after transitions, such as community service projects, clubs, and intermural sports (Niesen & Wise, 2004);
- Establishing peer-helpers, mentors, or ambassadors who help students that struggle with systematic transitions (Anderson, et al., 2000; Akos, 2002; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; U.S. Department of Education, 2008); and
- Assigning students to families/teams/homerooms where they have a sense of belonging and have the opportunities for team building and socializing with others (Anderson, et al., 2000).
By implementing transition activities like these, middle schools can help build a sense of community for these upcoming middle schoolers and parents which will ultimately help them feel more comfortable with the transition process.
Extended Transitional Support
The biggest misconception with transition programs is that once the students have entered into the middle school, the transition is over (Akos, 2002). Arowosafe and Irvin (1992) and Schumacher (1998) have described ways that transition programs can be ongoing, such as periodically surveying the students to see what concerns they still have and addressing these concerns through activities and meetings; continuing activities that focus on communication between parents and student, parents and school, and building rapport with teachers and students. Continuing to support transition issues across the school year allows students opportunities to be included in the transition process, especially since some of them may not have felt comfortable with participating and giving their input at the beginning of the transition process. Continued transition activities will also allow for an open dialogue among all stakeholders involved in the transition process and offer additional assistance to students who may struggle with transitions (Akos, 2002; Anderson, et. al, 2000).
Implications and Conclusion
The transition to middle school is a challenging time for students, parents, and teachers. However, students can transition from elementary to middle school more smoothly with the implementation of an effective transition program. With the implementation of an effective transition program, scholars have identified many benefits, such as an increase in attendance, improvement in academics, reduced retention rates, and, ultimately, the creation of more successful students (Bellmore, 2011; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Kingery et al., 2011). These findings underscore the importance of the transition to middle school and its effect on students' academic successes.
To create an effective transition program, team members must understand not only the needs of young adolescents but also the expectations the teachers and administrators will have for the students once they enter middle school. Therefore, for a transition program to be successful, it needs to: (a) foster communication (McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001 Schumacher, 1998; Wormeli, 2011), (b) respond to the needs of all stakeholders (Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Schumacher, 1998), (c) build a sense of community (Jackson & Davis, 2000; Schumacher, 1998), and (d) evolve and adapt as the transition program is evaluated and needs change (Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Watson, 2004). To aid in the creation of an effective transition program, feeder schools and middle schools can start with the following suggestions to open the lines of communication and to begin the construction of a transition plan:
- Conduct surveys or questionnaires asking middle school teachers and administration what they expect from upcoming middle school students (McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Schumacher, 1998; Wormeli, 2011);
- Conduct surveys or questionnaires with students and parents to understand their concerns about middle school (McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Schumacher, 1998; Wormeli, 2011);
- Have on-going meetings among elementary and middle school counselors, administration, faculty, or transition teams to see what can be done to improve the transition process (Jackson & Davis, 2000; McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Schumacher, 1998; Wormeli, 2011);
- Create a transition program that meets the needs of the upcoming middle school students, parents, and faculty (McElroy, 2000; Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Schumacher, 1998; Wormeli, 2011);
- Create a transition program that consists of numerous transition activities that begin the last semester of elementary school and carries into the first semester of middle school (Akos, 2002; Arowosafe & Irvin, 1992; Schumacher, 1998);
- Continue to ask the students, parents, and school faculty about the transition process even after the elementary students have entered middle school (Akos, 2002; Arowosafe & Irvin, 1992; Schumacher, 1998);
- Be open to change. Re-evaluate what activities have been done in the past and ask parents, students, and faculty members which activities were most beneficial to the transition process and what they would like added to improve the process (Morgan & Hetzog, 2001; Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006; Watson, 2004).
All and all, with strong teamwork and collaboration among middle school and feeder elementary school faculties, an effective transition program is possible; however, it takes dedication and cooperation from all involved parties to address the needs of the transitional students.
Akos, P. (2002). Student perceptions of the transition from elementary to middle school. Professional School Counseling, 5(5), 339-345.
Akos, P. (2004). Advice and student agency in the transition to middle school. Research in Middle Level Education, 27(2), 1-11.
Anderson, L. W., Jacobs, J., Schramm, S., & Splittgerber, F. (2000). School transitions: Beginning of the end or a new beginning? International Journal of Educational Research, 33, 325-339.
Arowosafe, D. S., & Irvin, J. L. (1992). Transition to middle level school: What kids say. Middle School Journal, 24(2), 5-19.
Bellmore, A. (2011). Peer rejection and unpopularity: Associations with GPAs across the transition to middle school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(2), 282-289. doi:10.1037/a0023312
Brighton, K. L. (2007). Coming of age: The education and development of young adolescents. Westerville, OH: National Middle School Association.
Cauley, K., & Jovanovich, D. (2006). Developing an effective transition program for students entering middle school or high school. Clearing House, 80(1), 15-25.
Cohen, J. S., & Smerdon, B. A. (2009). Tightening the dropout tourniquet: Easing the transition from middle to high school. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 53(3), 177-184.
Eccles, J. S. & Wigfield, A. (1997). Young adolescent development. In J. L. Irvin (Ed.), What current research says to the middle level practitioner (pp. 15-29). Westerville, OH: National Middle School Association.
Fields, D. (2002). Transition 101: From elementary to middle school. Middle Matters, 10(8), 38-41.
Jackson, A. W. & Davis, G. A. (2000). Turning points 2000: Educating adolescents in the 21st century. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Kingery, J., Erdley, C. A., & Marshall, K. C. (2011). Peer acceptance and friendship as predictors of early adolescents' adjustment across the middle school transition. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 57(3), 215-243.
McElroy, C. (2000). Middle school programs that work. Phi Delta Kappan. 82(4), 277-292.
Morgan, P. & Hetzog, C. J. (2001). Designing comprehensive transitions. Principal leadership: Middle level edition, 1(7), 10-16.
National Middle School Association. (2010). This we believe: Keys to educating young adolescents. Westerville, OH: Author.
Niesen, V. & Wise, P. S. (2004). Transition from elementary to middle school: Strategies for educators. National Association of School Psychologists. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spawareness/transition_elem2mid.pdf
Parker, A. K. (2013). Understanding and supporting young adolescents during the transition into middle school. In P. G. Andrews (Ed.), Research to guide practice in middle grades education (pp. 495-510). Westerville, OH: Association for Middle Level Education.
Perkins, P. I. (1995). Elementary to middle school: Planning for transition. Clearing House, 68(3), 171-173.
Reynolds, K. (2005). The fourth grade experience: Insights toward the transition to middle school. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED491409
Schexnaildre, E. P. (2012). The effects of classroom structure and practice on the transition to middle school. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1403&context=etd
Schumacher, D. (1998, June). The transition to middle school. ERIC Digest.
Shoshani, A., & Slone, M. (2013). Middle school transition from the strengths perspective: Young adolescents' character strengths, subjective well-being, and school adjustment. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(4), 1163-1181. doi:10.1007/s10902-012-9374-y
Theriot, M. T., & Dupper, D. R. (2010). Student discipline problems and the transition from elementary to middle school. Education and Urban Society, 42(2), 205-222. doi:10.1177/003124509349583
Merriam-Webster Online (2015). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transition
U.S. Department of Education Mentoring Resource Center (2008). Making the transition to middle school: How mentoring can help. MRC: Mentoring Resource Center Fact Sheet, No. 24. Retrieved from http://fbmentorcenter.squarespace.com/storage/MiddleSchoolTransition.pdf
Watson, C. (2004). Transitions to and from middle school. In Baylor University's community mentoring for adolescent development trainer's manual. Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_432.pdf
Wormeli, R. (2011). Movin' up to the middle. Educational Leadership, 68(7), 48-53.
Annotated References
Anderson, L. W., Jacobs, J., Schramm, S., & Splittgerber, F. (2000). School transitions: Beginning of the end or a new beginning? International Journal of Educational Research, 33, 325-339.
Anderson, Jacobs, Schramm, and Splittgerber, outline the issues and concerns of transitioning from elementary to middle school/junior high and from middle school/junior high to high school. Information is organized in seven key sections: (1) why are school transitions difficult, (2) who has the greatest difficulty with transitions, (3) difficult transitions and the process of disengagement, (4) facilitating successful systematic transitions: a conceptual framework, (5) the framework revisited, (6) facilitating successful transitions: recommendations, and (7) concluding comments. Each of these sections is supported with research and provides a clear and thorough explanation. Ultimately, these authors suggest that middle schools create collaborative transition teams that include school faculty, students, and parents.
Akos, P. (2002). Student perceptions of the transition from elementary to middle school. Professional School Counseling, 5(5), 339-345.
Akos reports a descriptive qualitative study where he asked upcoming middle schoolers and current middle schools about their perceptions and concerns of middle school. This study was conducted in four phases. In Phase I, he asked fifth graders to write down questions they had about middle school. Phase I took place in January. Using these questions, Phase II consisted of a 5-item questionnaire that accessed the concerns that arose from the questions created in Phase I. This questionnaire was given to fifth grade students in May. Phase III took place in August as the fifth graders were transitioning to middle school. This phase consisted of a 7-item questionnaire that addressed their concerns, best aspects of middle school to date, and who helped them during their transition. Phase IV took place in December of their sixth grade year. This phase was given to a purposefully selected group of students who were helping create the next year's transition program. This questionnaire consisted of outlining the important concerns or aspects to address with transitioning fifth graders. All in all, he determined that the greatest concerns were on rules and procedures and about the amount of work and homework. Also, he determined that social interaction with friends and making friends was a critical aspect for most students as they transitioned to middle school.
Bellmore, A. (2011). Peer rejection and unpopularity: Associations with GPAs across the transition to middle school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(2), 282-289. doi:10.1037/a0023312
Bellmore's longitudinal study of students in fourth through eighth grades was conducted to determine the relationship between peer rejection, unpopularity, and young adolescents' GPAs across the transition from elementary to middle school. Bellmore found that students who did not have a successful transition have a greater decline in their GPAs than their counterparts. Students who were rejected by their peers had lower GPAs than their peers. Unpopular students also had lower GPAs, but they tended to rise over the transition to and through middle school. Peer associations tended to transfer with the students across the transition from elementary to middle school. Because the transition to middle school itself tends to impact grades, students identified in elementary school as peer rejected should have interventions to assist them with the transition to prevent a double negative effect.
Kingery, J., Erdley, C. A., & Marshall, K. C. (2011). Peer acceptance and friendship as predictors of early adolescents' adjustment across the middle school transition. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 57(3), 215-243.
Kingery, Erdley, and Marshall conducted a longitudinal, quantitative study to examine students' pre-transition peer experiences (fifth grade) and their transition adjustment to middle school (sixth grade) as well as possible differences in the adjustments based on gender. Students completed a survey with which they rated their peers from 1 (don't like) to 5 (like a lot), circled the names of best friends, and completed a 40-item Friendship Quality Questionnaire, a 24-item Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire, and a 27-item Children's Depression Inventory. Statistical analyses revealed ways that the relationships students had prior to transitioning the middle school played a major role in their adjustment to middle school. Students who had strong relationships with peers prior to transitioning had an easier time adjusting and generally did better academically than students who had peer rejection or weaker relationships with friends in fifth grade. Researchers did not find any changes in adjustment from fifth to sixth grade based on gender.
Recommended Resources
Georgia Department of Education. (n.d.). Middle school matters: A guide for Georgia schools on middle school transition. Retrieved from https://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/FederalPrograms/Documents/Parent%20Engagement/Final%20Middle%20School%20Transition%20Toolkit.pdf
PBS Kids. (2005). Middle school: Movin' on up. Retrieved from http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/middleschool/
Sylvan Learning. (n.d.) Middle and high school transitions. Retrieved from http://www.sylvanlearning.com/docs/default-source/resources/middle-and-high-school-transitions.pdf?sfvrsn=0
UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools. (n.d.). Transitions to and from elementary, middle, and high school. Retrieved from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/transitionstoandfrom.pdf
Wake County Public Schools (n.d.). Packin' up: A guide to middle school. Retrieved from http://davisdrivems.wcpss.net/PDF/transition_guide_6_graders.pdf
Author Information
Casey Dianna Gilewski, EdD, is an assistant professor of elementary education at Coker College. She holds a master's degree in curriculum instruction from Arkansas State University and an EdD in instruction and curriculum leadership from the University of Memphis. Her specific research interests are pre-service education, reading fluency at the middle school level, and pre-service teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning.
Monica L. Nunn is a graduate student at Mississippi State University pursuing a master's degree in elementary education. She is a third-grade teacher in Starkville, Mississippi.
Gilewski, C. D., & Nunn, M. L. (2016). Research summary: Transitioning Young Adolescents from Elementary to Middle Schools. Retrieved [date] from http://www.amle.org/ServicesEvents/ResearchSummary/TabId/622/ArtMID/2112/ArticleID/750/Transitioning-Young-Adolescents-from-Elementary-to-Middle-School.aspx


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IT'S been a good week for beleaguered sharks. A cross-border conservation pact signed by 126 countries this week promises for the first time to extend extra protection to sharks and several other migratory species, whichever countries they stray into.
Among the biggest winners at the global Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) were whale sharks: the world's largest fish. They are a vulnerable species and their population has been falling. Governments added whale sharks to appendix I of the convention, promising to protect them domestically from killing or capture, and to safeguard their habitats.
Conservationists welcomed the move because it means whale sharks will finally be protected at offshore "hotspots" to which they migrate, including Madagascar, Mozambique, Peru and Tanzania.
Several other sharks made it on to appendix II, which obliges countries within a species' migratory range to collaborate on measures to protect them, for example by regulating fishing or banning finning.
International cooperation
Conservationists particularly welcomed the new status for blue sharks. "They're the most highly fished sharks in the world, with 20 million caught around the world each year, but they're also the most migratory, so they're vulnerable to fisheries everywhere," says Matt Collis of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "This puts pressure on countries to commit to international protection."
Other sharks sharing in the same new protections included dusky sharks, angelsharks, white-spotted wedgefish and the bizarrely named common guitarfish.
As an additional bonus, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Benin and Brazil joined the shark memorandum of understanding, an ad hoc agreement already signed by 41 countries to coordinate protection for sharks. Collis says the addition of Brazil is particularly significant, as it has a large part to play in protection of many species of shark.
On land, lions and leopards were placed on appendix II, again entitling them to coordinated protection across borders. Collis says that lack of cooperation has been a weakness of previous arrangements, allowing lion numbers in Africa to dwindle by 40 per cent over the past two decades to just 20,000 today.
Read more: Is positive thinking the way to save the planet?; Banning shark fin soup in the US is bad for shark conservation


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For the well-known algorithms and formulas used in Financial Toolbox™ software (such as how to compute a loan payment given principal, interest rate, and length of the loan), no references are given here. The references here pertain to less common formulas.
Bond Pricing and Yields
The pricing and yield formulas for fixed-income securities come from:
[1] Golub, B.W. and L.M. Tilman. Risk Management: Approaches for Fixed Income Markets. Wiley, 2000.
[2] Martellini, L., P. Priaulet, and S. Priaulet. Fixed Income Securities. Wiley, 2003.
[3] Mayle, Jan. Standard Securities Calculation Methods. New York: Securities Industry Association, Inc. Vol. 1, 3rd ed., 1993, ISBN 1-882936-01-9. Vol. 2, 1994, ISBN 1-882936-02-7.
[4] Tuckman, B. Fixed Income Securities: Tools for Today's Markets. Wiley, 2002.
In many cases these formulas compute the price of a security given yield, dates, rates, and other data. These formulas are nonlinear, however; so when solving for an independent variable within a formula, Financial Toolbox software uses Newton's method. See any elementary numerical methods textbook for the mathematics underlying Newton's method.
Term Structure of Interest Rates
The formulas and methodology for term structure functions come from:
[5] Fabozzi, Frank J. "The Structure of Interest Rates." Ch. 6 in Fabozzi, Frank J. and T. Dessa Fabozzi, eds. The Handbook of Fixed Income Securities. 4th ed. New York, Irwin Professional Publishing, 1995, ISBN 0-7863-0001-9.
[6] McEnally, Richard W. and James V. Jordan. "The Term Structure of Interest Rates." Ch. 37 in Fabozzi and Fabozzi, ibid.
[7] Das, Satyajit. "Calculating Zero Coupon Rates." Swap and Derivative Financing. Appendix to Ch. 8, pp. 219–225, New York, Irwin Professional Publishing., 1994, ISBN 1-55738-542-4.
Derivatives Pricing and Yields
The pricing and yield formulas for derivative securities come from:
[8] Chriss, Neil A. Black-Scholes and Beyond: Option Pricing Models. Chicago, Irwin Professional Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-7863-1025-1.
[9] Cox, J., S. Ross, and M. Rubenstein. "Option Pricing: A Simplified Approach." Journal of Financial Economics. Vol. 7, Sept. 1979, pp. 229–263.
[10] Hull, John C. Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, 2003, ISBN 0-13-009056-5.
Portfolio Analysis
The Markowitz model is used for portfolio analysis computations. For a discussion of this model see Chapter 7 of:
[11] Bodie, Zvi, Alex Kane, and Alan J. Marcus. Investments. 2nd. Edition. Burr Ridge, IL, Irwin Professional Publishing, 1993, ISBN 0-256-08342-8.
Investment Performance Metrics
The risk and ratio formulas for investment performance metrics come from:
[12] Daniel Bernoulli. "Exposition of a New Theory on the Measurement of Risk." Econometrica. Vol. 22, No 1, January 1954, pp. 23–36 (English translation of "Specimen Theoriae Novae de Mensura Sortis." Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae. Tomus V, 1738, pp. 175–192).
[13] Martin Eling and Frank Schuhmacher. Does the Choice of Performance Measure Influence the Evaluation of Hedge Funds? Working Paper, November 2005.
[14] John Lintner. "The Valuation of Risk Assets and the Selection of Risky Investments in Stocks Portfolios and Capital Budgets." Review of Economics and Statistics. Vol. 47, No. 1, February 1965, pp. 13–37.
[15] Malik Magdon-Ismail, Amir F. Atiya, Amrit Pratap, and Yaser S. Abu-Mostafa. "On the Maximum Drawdown of a Brownian Motion." Journal of Applied Probability. Volume 41, Number 1, March 2004, pp. 147–161.
[16] Malik Magdon-Ismail and Amir Atiya. "Maximum Drawdown." https://www.risk.net/risk-magazine, October 2004.
[17] Harry Markowitz. "Portfolio Selection." Journal of Finance. Vol. 7, No. 1, March 1952, pp. 77–91.
[18] Harry Markowitz. Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments. John Wiley & Sons, 1959.
[19] Jan Mossin. "Equilibrium in a Capital Asset Market." Econometrica. Vol. 34, No. 4, October 1966, pp. 768–783.
[20] Christian S. Pedersen and Ted Rudholm-Alfvin. "Selecting a Risk-Adjusted Shareholder Performance Measure." Journal of Asset Management. Vol. 4, No. 3, 2003, pp. 152–172.
[21] William F. Sharpe. "Capital Asset Prices: A Theory of Market Equilibrium under Conditions of Risk." Journal of Finance. Vol. 19, No. 3, September 1964, pp. 425–442.
[22] Katerina Simons. "Risk-Adjusted Performance of Mutual Funds." New England Economic Review. September/October 1998, pp. 34–48.
Financial Statistics
The discussion of computing statistical values for portfolios containing missing data elements derives from the following references:
[23] Little, Roderick J.A. and Donald B. Rubin. Statistical Analysis with Missing Data. 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.
[24] Meng, Xiao-Li, and Donald B. Rubin. "Maximum Likelihood Estimation via the ECM Algorithm." Biometrika. Vol. 80, No. 2, 1993, pp. 267–278.
[25] Sexton, Joe and Anders Rygh Swensen. "ECM Algorithms That Converge at the Rate of EM." Biometrika. Vol. 87, No. 3, 2000, pp. 651–662.
[26] Dempster, A.P., N.M. Laird, and Donald B. Rubin. "Maximum Likelihood from Incomplete Data via the EM Algorithm." Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series B, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1977, pp. 1–37.
Standard References
Standard references include:
[27] Addendum to Securities Industry Association, Standard Securities Calculation Methods: Fixed Income Securities Formulas for Analytic Measures. Vol. 2, Spring 1995. This addendum explains and clarifies the end-of-month rule.
[28] Brealey, Richard A. and Stewart C. Myers. Principles of Corporate Finance. New York, McGraw-Hill. 4th ed., 1991, ISBN 0-07-007405-4.
[29] Daigler, Robert T. Advanced Options Trading. Chicago, Probus Publishing Co., 1994, ISBN 1-55738-552-1.
[30] A Dictionary of Finance. Oxford, Oxford University Press., 1993, ISBN 0-19-285279-5.
[31] Fabozzi, Frank J. and T. Dessa Fabozzi, eds. The Handbook of Fixed-Income Securities. 4th Edition. Burr Ridge, IL, Irwin, 1995, ISBN 0-7863-0001-9.
[32] Fitch, Thomas P. Dictionary of Banking Terms. 2nd Edition. Hauppauge, NY, Barron's. 1993, ISBN 0-8120-1530-4.
[33] Hill, Richard O., Jr. Elementary Linear Algebra. Orlando, FL, Academic Press. 1986, ISBN 0-12-348460-X.
[34] Luenberger, David G. Investment Science. Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0195108094.
[35] Marshall, John F. and Vipul K. Bansal. Financial Engineering: A Complete Guide to Financial Innovation. New York, New York Institute of Finance. 1992, ISBN 0-13-312588-2.
[36] Sharpe, William F. Macro-Investment Analysis. An
"electronic work-in-progress" published on the World Wide Web, 1995, at https://www.stanford.edu/~wfsharpe/mia/mia.htm
[37] Sharpe, William F. and Gordon J. Alexander. Investments. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 4th ed., 1990, ISBN 0-13-504382-4.
[38] Stigum, Marcia, with Franklin Robinson. Money Market and Bond Calculations. Richard D. Irwin., 1996, ISBN 1-55623-476-7.
Credit Risk Analysis
The credit rating and estimation transition probabilities come from:
[39] Altman, E. "Financial Ratios, Discriminant Analysis and the Prediction of Corporate Bankruptcy." Journal of Finance. Vol. 23, No. 4, (Sept., 1968), pp. 589–609.
[40] Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework, Bank for International Settlements (BIS). comprehensive version, June 2006.
[41] Hanson, S. and T. Schuermann. "Confidence Intervals for Probabilities of Default." Journal of Banking & Finance. Vol. 30(8), Elsevier, August 2006, pp. 2281–2301.
[42] Jafry, Y. and T. Schuermann. "Measurement, Estimation and Comparison of Credit Migration Matrices." Journal of Banking & Finance. Vol. 28(11), Elsevier, November 2004, pp. 2603–2639.
[43] Löffler, G. and P. N. Posch. Credit Risk Modeling Using Excel and VBA. West Sussex, England: Wiley Finance, 2007.
[44] Schuermann, T. "Credit Migration Matrices." in E. Melnick and B. Everitt (eds.), Encyclopedia of Quantitative Risk Analysis and Assessment. Wiley, 2008.
Credit Derivatives
Beumee, J., D. Brigo, D. Schiemert, and G. Stoyle. "Charting a Course Through the CDS Big Bang." Fitch Solutions, Quantitative Research. Global Special Report. April 7, 2009.
Hull, J., and A. White. "Valuing Credit Default Swaps I: No Counterparty Default Risk." Journal of Derivatives. Vol. 8, pp. 29–40.
O'Kane, D. and S. Turnbull. "Valuation of Credit Default Swaps." Lehman Brothers, Fixed Income Quantitative Credit Research. April, 2003.
O'Kane, D. Modelling Single-name and Multi-name Credit Derivatives. Wiley Finance, 2008, pp. 156–169.
Portfolio Optimization
The Markowitz model is used for portfolio optimization computations.
[45] Kelley, J. E. "The Cutting-Plane Method for Solving Convex Programs." Journal of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Vol. 8, No. 4, December 1960, pp. 703–712.
[46] Markowitz, H. "Portfolio Selection." Journal of Finance. Vol. 7, No. 1, March 1952, pp. 77–91.
[47] Markowitz, H. M. Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1959.
[48] Rockafellar, R. T. and S. Uryasev. "Optimization of Conditional Value-at-Risk." Journal of Risk. Vol. 2, No. 3, Spring 2000, pp. 21–41.
[49] Rockafellar, R. T. and S. Uryasev. "Conditional Value-at-Risk for General Loss Distributions." Journal of Banking and Finance. Vol. 26, 2002, pp. 1443–1471.
[50] Konno, H. and H. Yamazaki. "Mean-Absolute Deviation Portfolio Optimization Model and Its Application to Tokyo Stock Market." Management Science. Vol. 37, No. 5, May 1991, pp. 519–531.
[51] Cornuejols, A. and R. Tütüncü. Optimization Methods in Finance. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Stochastic Differential Equations
The SDE formulas come from:
[52] Ait-Sahalia, Y. "Testing Continuous-Time Models of the Spot Interest Rate." The Review of Financial Studies. Spring 1996, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 385–426.
[53] Ait-Sahalia, Y. "Transition Densities for Interest Rate and Other Nonlinear Diffusions." The Journal of Finance. Vol. 54, No. 4, August 1999.
[54] Glasserman, P. Monte Carlo Methods in Financial Engineering. Springer-Verlag, New York, 2004.
[55] Hull, J. C. Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives. 5th edition, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002.
[56] Johnson, N. L., S. Kotz, and N. Balakrishnan. Continuous Univariate Distributions. Vol. 2, 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1995.
[57] Shreve, S. E. Stochastic Calculus for Finance II: Continuous-Time Models. Springer-Verlag, New York, 2004.
Life Tables
The Life Table formulas come from:
[58] Arias, E. "United States Life Tables." National Vital Statistics Reports, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vol. 62, No. 7, 2009.
[59] Carriere, F. "Parametric Models for Life Tables." Transactions of the Society of Actuaries. Vol. 44, 1992, pp. 77-99.
[60] Gompertz, B. "On the Nature of the Function Expressive of the Law of Human Mortality, and on a New Mode of Determining the Value of Life Contingencies." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Vol. 115, 1825, pp. 513–582.
[61] Heligman, L. M. A., and J. H. Pollard. "The Age Pattern of Mortality." Journal of the Institute of Actuaries. Vol. 107, Pt. 1, 1980, pp. 49–80.
[62] Makeham, W. M. "On the Law of Mortality and the Construction of Annuity Tables." Journal of the Institute of Actuaries. Vol. 8, 1860. pp. 301–310.
[63] Siler, W. "A Competing-Risk Model for Animal Mortality." Ecology. Vol. 60, pp. 750–757, 1979.
[64] Siler, W. "Parameters of Mortality in Human Populations with Widely Varying Life Spans." Statistics in Medicine. Vol. 2, 1983, pp. 373–380.


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Hearing Loss And Hearing Aid FAQ
Over the last few decades, major advances have helped us better understand the nature of hearing loss. Still, there's a lot of misinformation out there.
How aware are you when it comes to your hearing? Find out!
Hearing Loss
How can I tell if I have hearing loss?
Hearing loss is often so gradual that you may not notice it at first. As your hearing loss increases, you may compensate by turning up the volume or asking people to repeat themselves. It's common to deny the problem initially, then blame others for mumbling or keeping the TV volume too low.
If others tell you that you need a hearing test, it's time to get one, especially when you consider that your odds of having hearing loss are 1 in 5.
Is it worth the trouble to improve my hearing?
Better hearing will improve your life, especially your relationships with friends, family and coworkers. Hearing loss can be frustrating for you and lead to social withdrawal and depression. It can drive your family nuts when they constantly have to repeat themselves or leave the room because the TV is too loud. The best solution is to deal with hearing loss rather than act as if it isn't a problem. It's not too much trouble either. Just give us a call!
Does it matter if I put off getting hearing aids?
Hearing loss gets worse over time. Researchers even have a name for this: "auditory deprivation." The longer you ignore your hearing loss, the more hearing you'll lose that can never be recovered. Hearing aids can help, but only if you have enough hearing left to be saved. And the longer you live with hearing loss, the harder it is to adjust to using hearing aids.
If I can't hear clearly, why not just turn up the volume?
Turning up the volume on your TV or asking others to speak louder might help you hear better for the moment. But don't expect to have the best relationships. When people know they'll constantly have to repeat themselves, they tend to save themselves the trouble by avoiding you. And not getting a hearing aid if you need one could actually make your hearing worse!
Hearing Aids
Do hearing aids work? My dad's never did.
Hearing aids work for almost everyone, especially if you use the right technology with the right settings. The key is to work with your hearing specialist to find the right hearing aid, programmed for your specific hearing loss. Fitted and adjusted to your lifestyle, your hearing aids will almost certainly help you hear better.
Are there any hearing aids that aren't ugly?
It's true that older models were large, and there were few options. But today, the newest models are sleek and small, with some types that fit completely inside the ear canal, making them nearly invisible.
Won't hearing aids will make me look — and feel — old?
First, hearing loss affects people of all ages. Second, hearing clearly and participating in conversations with confidence can help you stay young and vibrant. What will make you seem old: constantly asking people to repeat themselves, missing parts of the conversation and responding inappropriately! Sound stimulates your brain and your ears to keep them in good working order.
Are hearing aids expensive?
It's all about value! Hearing clearly is part of staying healthy, happy and active. How much is that worth to you? The hearing specialists at Richmond Hearing Doctors will recommend the hearing aid options that best match your hearing needs, your lifestyle and your budget.
Can I save money by getting just one hearing aid?
If you have hearing loss in both ears, you need two hearing aids to hear sound clearly, locate the source of sounds and maintain your balance.
Do I have to learn to live with the ringing in my ears?
Ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus, isn't something you have to live with. Our audiologists can help you find a solution to this annoying problem. It could be something as simple as excessive earwax! Call us today to get your hearing checked.


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Updated September 13, 2022 at 4:54 PM ET
All three major indexes plunged on Tuesday after worse-than-expected inflation data raised fears the Federal Reserve will need to continue raising interest rates aggressively to bring prices under control.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,300 points, while the broad-based S&P 500 fell by over 4%.
It was the worst day since June 2020 for both indices.
The Nasdaq suffered an even bigger loss, dropping over 5% for its worst day since March 2020.
The latest consumer price index showed prices rose by 8.3% in August from a year earlier. While that was less than in June, inflation didn't slow as much as Wall Street had expected.
The inflation data caught investors off guard. They had been holding onto hope prices would have moderated more in August.
But the latest CPI data showed a wide range of things continue to rise in price, including essentials like food, electricity and rent.
Markets are now expecting the Fed will need to raise interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point at its meeting next week, the third consecutive rate hike of that size.
Some traders were even bracing for the Fed to raise interest rates by a full percentage point.
"Overall, inflation readings remain unacceptably high for policymakers," said Rubeela Farooqi, the chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
"Coupled with a labor market that is still strong, the data seal the deal for another aggressive, 75-basis point rate hike next week," she wrote in a note after the data were released.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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In order to collect your $200 reward, the apartment community needs to know that you were referred by ApartmentSearch.com.
Make sure to mention ApartmentSearch.com on your apartment application and guest card.
Then, simply claim $200 in rewards!
Need additional help or have questions, don't hesitate to contact us! You can reach us at 1-800-APARTMENT or simply send an email to email@example.com and we will be glad to help.
We'll occasionally email you properties matching your search criteria and will never share your email without your consent. legal and privacy link
© 2024 CORT Business Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity


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National level dressage competition is governed by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). USEF/USDF creates the five levels of "national" tests: Training Level, First Level, Second Level, Third Level and Fourth Level. International level tests can also be ridden at national level competitions.
USDF develops Introductory Level tests and specialized tests for musical freestyle, and sport horse breeding and tests for multiple horses and riders known as quadrille and pas de deux.


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Want to talk smack or cyber-whack a troll? Do it in here. Forum COC still applies and if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


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Grant will support Cuyuna Riverwood Breast Health Alliance
Riverwood Foundation has received an $80,000 grant from the Minnesota Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. The award supports breast health education and awareness, community and patient education, screening and advanced diagnostics and individualized care through the Cuyuna Riverwood Breast Health Alliance (BHA) partnership between Riverwood Healthcare Center and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Mission Manager, Denise Blumberg-Tendle shared her enthusiasm for the project: "We are very excited about this grant and the work that can be achieved in our continued efforts to move ever closer to fulfilling the promise of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures."
BHA will use the grant monies for breast health awareness, community and patient education, and one-on-one consultation for breast cancer patients. The impact of this program is significant in that it will improve the delivery of breast health care services both in terms of quality and the availability of care from screening to diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
Jodie Johnson, interim executive director for Riverwood Foundation, says: "Susan G. Komen has been a key partner in promoting innovative programs to address breast health. We are pleased that they are once again investing in breast health services to ensure quality care for women in this region of Minnesota."
The Cuyuna Riverwood Breast Health Alliance is an innovative partnership between neighboring healthcare organizations Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby. In addition to one-on-one support from breast health care coordinators, the alliance offers expert screening and diagnostic care and expanded treatment options through its collaboration with the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute.
Riverwood Foundation was one of just 19 organizations statewide to receive funding from the Minnesota Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For more information on the local Breast Health Alliance, go to www.BreastHealthAlliance.org


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For years the United States has urged the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a peace accord based on a two-state solution. Well, there are growing concerns within the international community that the chances of that ever happening are dimming.
The Palestinians angered Israel last week by securing a symbolically important vote at the United Nations General Assembly, upgrading their status from a non-member entity to a non-member state. Israel responded with reprisals.
GREENE: The Israelis announced plans for 3,000 new homes in settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
NPR's Philip Reeves reports on another Israeli plan, outlining the development of a highly contentious plot of land.
PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: A bus winds to the top of a hill and draws to a halt. Out of it steps Daniel Seidemann. Seidemann is an Israeli attorney who campaigns against Israeli settlement building in the occupied territories.
DANIEL SEIDEMANN: So this is E1.
REEVES: He's come here, to the West Bank, with some American Peace Now activists to show them the lay of the land.
SEIDEMANN: E1 is 12 square kilometers. Twelve times the size of the Old City. OK? I have a map.
REEVES: Seidemann points across the parched hills towards the eastern edge of Jerusalem. This, he explains, is where Israel is planning thousands of new homes under a settlement plan known as E1. Israel has many settlements which are regarded as illegal by the international community. Seidemann says E1 is different.
SEIDEMANN: E1 is not just another settlement. E1 is the fatal heart attack of the two-state solution.
REEVES: E1 concerns an area between East Jerusalem, where the Palestinians aspire to create their capital, and the big Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. If built, E1 would cut in two a big chunk of the West Bank. That, says Seidemann, would prevent the Palestinians from having a contiguous stretch of land, which they need if they're to have a viable state.
SEIDEMANN: What E1 would do would drive a wedge from East Jerusalem almost down to the Jordan River Valley, with a very steep decline. It would dismember any potential future Palestinian state.
REEVES: On the hilltop opposite, there's a rather different scene.
REEVES: In a sparkling mall in Ma'ale Adumi, Israeli shoppers relax over coffee and browse the boutiques. Ma'ale Adumim is home to some 40,000 people, who are this year celebrating the 30th anniversary of their settlement. Theirs is a smart hilltop town with palm trees and neat sandy-colored homes with red-tiled roofs.
The mayor, Benny Kashriel, says he's delighted Israel is going ahead with planning preparations for E1. So, he says, is pretty much everyone else in Ma'ale Adumim.
MAYOR BENNY KASHRIEL: Our residents are very, very happy because the parents want to see their children establishing their new family living right by them. But we have to wait to see the houses are being built.
REEVES: For Kashriel, building E1 is about achieving security for Israelis.
KASHRIEL: And if you don't build this place, the Palestinians will build this place. And we cannot - we cannot put a buffer between us and Jerusalem, because every buffer between us and Jerusalem can risk Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood, and can risk Ma'ale Adumim City too.
REEVES: At present, Israel is only moving ahead with preliminary planning and zoning preparations for E1. E1 may never actually be built. Yet even those preliminary moves are causing consternation in Washington and elsewhere. Successive U.S. administrations have urged Israel not to build E1, fearing it would wreck chances of a negotiated peace.
Palestinian government spokesperson Nour Odeh says it would be a serious blow to any prospect of a two-state accord.
NOUR ODEH: Constructing E1 would mean that this state would be mutilated. So it's a very strategic, very important, very dangerous decision.
SEIDEMANN: Now, this morning we were...
REEVES: As he stands on the hilltop with his party of Americans, Seidemann sees building E1 as a real possibility.
SEIDEMANN: This is serious. This is not a drill. If the government of Israel is allowed to fulfill its aspirations, E1 will be built.
REEVES: It doesn't take long for plans sketched on paper to turn into bricks and mortar, warns Seidemann.
Philip Reeves, NPR News, Jerusalem. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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IT Research
The sluggish global economy has migrated to the IT industry, according to a survey released recently by Forrester Research. The analyst firm's somewhat gloomy outlook says 43 percent of companies contacted have reduced their overall IT budgets this year, while 24 percent are curtailing discretionary spending.
Forrester surveyed approximately 950 senior IT managers from Europe and North America for the study. Respondents described their overall services strategies, IT spending and priorities. The survey was conducted in the second quarter of this year, before the slumping economy crept into Europe.
Principal analyst John C. McCarthy, Forrester Research's vice president, noted in a released statement that the impact of the economy varies by industry and geography. Nearly half (49 percent) of North American companies surveyed reported downsizing in their IT budgets. European participants faired better with only 39 percent cutting budgets. Financial services in North America were the hardest hit, with 49 percent reporting IT cutbacks.
Tougher negotiating positions may become a tactic. About 70 percent said they were considering renegotiating with suppliers for lower rates.
Firms on both continents are "renegotiating rates, being more selective in choosing vendors and examining spending plans more thoroughly," McCarthy noted. He pointed to enterprise IT services as being relatively stable. However, about 43 percent of firms interviewed said they are increasing their efforts in infrastructure outsourcing, and 45 percent will use more application outsourcing. Telecommunications and network management lead the charge in offshore placement.
As offshore resourcing gains steam, a growing number of companies are reporting that they are less than satisfied with the service they are receiving, according to the survey. Many told Forrester that the cost savings was less than estimated, and the service quality of the work was inconsistent or poor. Offshore firms were also considered less than satisfactory in responding to business needs for change.
For more on the Forrester survey, "The State of IT Services: 2008," go here.
About the Author
Herb Torrens is an award-winning freelance writer based in Southern California. He managed the MCSP program for a leading computer telephony integrator for more than five years and has worked with numerous solution providers including HP/Compaq, Nortel, and Microsoft in all forms of media. You can contact Herb here.