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Risk factors of head and neck cancers
Alcohol and tobacco use. The two major risk factors for developing head and neck cancers (HNC) are alcohol and tobacco use. This is especially true for cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx (not salivary gland cancers). It is estimated that at least 75% of head and neck cancers are caused by tobacco and alcohol use. Using both tobacco and alcohol places people at higher risk for developing these cancers.
· Opium snuffing. Opium dependency increases the likelihood of developing laryngeal cancer at a younger age.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for some HNC, especially oropharyngeal involving the tonsils or the base of the tongue.
Epstein-Barr virus infection. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus is a risk factor for nasopharyngeal and salivary glands cancers especially in Chinese and Malays.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a risk factor for laryngopharyngeal cancer.
Epstein-Barr virus infection. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus is a risk factor for nasopharyngeal and salivary glands cancers especially in Chinese and Malays.
Radiation exposure. Radiation to the head and neck, for noncancerous conditions or cancer, is a risk factor for salivary glands cancer.
Oral health. Poor oral hygiene, missing teeth, and using mouthwash with a high alcohol content are risk factors for oral cavity cancer.
Preserved or salted foods. Consumption of certain preserved or salted foods during childhood is a risk factor for nasopharyngeal cancer.
Paan (betel quid). Sometimes used in Southeast Asia is strongly associated with an increased risk of oral cancer.
Occupational exposure. Wood dust is a risk factor for nasopharyngeal cancer. Asbestos, synthetic fibers, metal, textile, ceramic, and logging have been associated with cancer of the larynx. Wood, nickel dust, and formaldehyde may increase risk for cancer of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.
Ancestry. Asian ancestry, particularly Chinese, is a risk factor for nasopharyngeal cancer.
Maté. A tea-like beverage consumed by South Americans has been associated with an increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx.
Signs and symptoms of head and neck cancers
Signs and Symptoms of all head and neck cancers may include:
- A sore throat that does not go away
- A change or hoarseness in the voice
- A lump or a sore that does not heal
- Difficulty swallowing
- Unintentional weight loss
Sign and symptoms of specific head and neck cancers:
Laryngeal cancer:
- Pain when swallowing or ear pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing
Oral cavity
- A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth
- A swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable
- Abnormal bleeding or pain in the mouth
Paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity cancer
- Sinuses that are blocked and do not clear
- Chronic sinus infections that do not respond to treatment with antibiotics
- Blockage in one nostril
- Pus or discharge from the nose
- Mucus draining from the back of the nose into the throat
- Sinus pain
- Nose bleeds
- Frequent headaches
- swelling or other trouble with the eyes
- Pain in the upper teeth
- Loose upper teeth or changes in how dentures fit
Salivary glands cancer
- Swelling under the chin or around the jawbone
- Painless lump(s) in the area of the ear, cheek, jaw, lips, or mouth
- Numbness or weakness of the muscles in the face
- Pain in the face, the chin, or the neck that does not go away
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Trouble swallowing
- Difficulty opening the mouth widely
Pharyngeal cancer
- Sore in the mouth or on the lip that does not heal
- Red or white patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth
- Lump on the lip, mouth, neck, or throat or a feeling of thickening in the cheek
- Persistent sore throat or feeling that something is caught in the throat
- Trouble breathing
- Hoarseness or change in voice
- Numbness of the mouth or tongue
- Difficulty in hearing
- Pain or bleeding in the mouth
- Pain in the neck or the throat that does not go away
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or moving the jaws or tongue
- Pain when swallowing
- Frequent headaches, pain, or ringing in the ears
- Ear and/or jaw pain
- Chronic bad breath
- Changes in speech
- Loosening of teeth or toothache
- Dentures that no longer fit
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
Overview of laryngeal cancer
Laryngeal cancer affects the voice box. Cancers that start in the larynx are called laryngeal cancers; cancers of the hypopharynx are called hypopharyngeal cancers.The hypopharynx is the part of the throat (pharynx) that lies beside and behind the larynx. These cancers are very close to each other and the treatment principles of both are similar and may involve laryngectomy. Although the discussion below addresses laryngeal cancer, it is also generally applicable to hypopharyngeal cancer.
Laryngeal cancer occurs when malignant cells appear in the larynx. The larynx contains the vocal folds (or cords) which, by vibrating generate sounds that create audible voice when the vibrations echo through the throat, mouth, and nose.
Laryngeal cancer
The larynx is divided into three anatomical regions: the glottis ( in the middle of the larynx, includes the vocal cords); the supraglottis ( in the top part and includes the epiglottis, arytenoids and aryepiglottic folds, and false cords); and the subglottis ( in the bottom of the larynx). While cancer can develop in any part of the larynx, most laryngeal cancers originate in the glottis. Supraglottic cancers are less common, and subglottic tumors are the least frequent.
Anatomy of the larynx
Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer may spread by direct extension to adjacent structures, by metastasis to regional cervical lymph nodes, or more distantly, through the blood stream to other locations in the body. Distant metastases to the lungs and liver are most common. Squamous cell carcinomas account for 90 to 95 percent of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.
Smoking, and heavy alcohol consumption are the main risk factors for laryngeal cancer. Exposure to human papilloma virus (HPV) has been mainly associated with oropharyngeal cancer and to a lesser degree with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal ones.
There are about 50,000 to 60,000 laryngectomees in the USA. According to the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Cancer Statistics Review of the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 12,250 men and women are diagnosed with cancer of the larynx each year. The number of new laryngectomees has been declining mainly because fewer people are smoking and newer therapeutic approaches can spare the larynx.
Symptoms and signs of laryngeal cancer include:
Symptoms and signs of laryngeal cancer include:
- Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds
- Chronic cough (with and without blood)
- Difficulty swallowing
- A sensation of a lump in the throat
- Hoarseness that does not get better in 1 - 2 weeks
- Neck and ear pain
- Sore throat that does not get better in 1 - 2 weeks, even with antibiotics
- Swelling or lumps in the neck that does not heal
- Unintentional weight loss
The symptoms associated with laryngeal cancer depend upon its location. Persistent hoarseness can be the initial complaint in cancers of the glottis. Later symptoms may include difficulty in swallowing, ear pain, chronic and sometimes bloody cough, and hoarseness. Supraglottic cancers are frequently diagnosed only when they cause airway obstruction or palpable metastatic lymph nodes. Primary subglottic tumors typically present with hoarseness or complaints of difficulty in breathing on exertion.
There is no single test that can accurately diagnose cancer. The complete evaluation of a patient generally requires a thorough history and physical examination along with diagnostic testing. Many tests are required to determine if a person has cancer or if another condition (such as an infection) may be mimicking the symptoms of cancer.
There is no single test that can accurately diagnose cancer. The complete evaluation of a patient generally requires a thorough history and physical examination along with diagnostic testing. Many tests are required to determine if a person has cancer or if another condition (such as an infection) may be mimicking the symptoms of cancer.
Effective diagnostic testing is used to confirm or eliminate the presence of cancer, monitor its progress, and plan for and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. In some instances, it is necessary to perform repeat testing if a person's condition has changed, a sample collected was not of good quality, or an abnormal test result needs to be confirmed. Diagnostic procedures for cancer may include imaging, laboratory tests, tumor biopsy, endoscopic examination, surgery, or genetic testing.
The following tests and procedures may be used to help diagnose and stage laryngeal cancer which influences the choice of treatment:
Physical examination of the throat and neck: This enables the doctor to feel for swollen lymph nodes in the neck and to view the throat by using a small, long-handled mirror to check for abnormalities.
Endoscopy: A procedure by which an endoscope (a flexible lighted tube) is inserted through the nose or mouth into the upper airway to the larynx, enabling the examiner to directly view these structures.
Laryngoscopy: A procedure to examine the larynx with a mirror or a laryngoscope (a rigid lighted tube).
CT scan (computed tomography): A procedure that generates a series of detailed radiographs of body sites, taken from different directions. A contrast material such as an injected or swallowed dye enables better visualization of the organs or tissues.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet and radio waves to generate a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body.
Barium swallow: A procedure to examine the esophagus and stomach in which the patient drinks a barium solution that coats the esophagus and stomach, and X-rays are obtained.
Biopsy: A procedure where tissues are obtained so that they can be viewed under a microscope to check for cancer.
The potential for recovery from laryngeal cancer depends on the following:
- The extent the cancer has spread (the "stage")
- The appearance of the cancer cells (the "grade")
- The location(s) and size of the tumor
- The patient's age, gender, and general health
Microscope used for diagnosing the cancer
Additionally, smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol decrease the effectiveness of treatment for laryngeal cancer. Patients with laryngeal cancer who continue to smoke and drink are less likely to be cured and more likely to develop a second tumor.
Treatment of throat and laryngeal cancers
Individuals with early or small throat or laryngeal cancer may be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. Those with advanced or recurrent cancer may require a combination of treatments. This may include surgery as well as a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy generally given at the same time.
Some patients may benefit from second-line therapies that include immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors, and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies. Selection of a treatment regimen takes into consideration previous treatment history, patient's general state and other medical problems, and the potential regimen's side effects and toxicities.
Checkpoint inhibitors block normal proteins on cancer cells, or the proteins on the T cells that respond to them. These agents strive to overcome one of cancer's main defenses against the individual's immune system attack. Checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy has been used for the treatment of melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and bladder cancer.
The checkpoint inhibitor Pembrolizumab has been approved for previously treated patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and clinical trials are ongoing with this and other checkpoint inhibitors. Other trials are currently performed with small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. Patients may chose to enroll in clinical trials of these agents.
Targeted therapy is another therapeutic option specifically directed at advanced laryngeal cancer. Targeted cancer therapies are administered by using drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth and progression.
The treatment recommendations that are given for a particular individual's treatment are usually decided at a Tumor Board team conference where a decision is made usually in accordance with evidence-based guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).
Selection of the treatment regimen takes into consideration the location of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread to other sites, previous treatment history, patient's general state and other medical problems, and the potential regimen's toxicities.
A team of medical specialists generally collaborate in planning the treatment.
The team can include:
The team can include:
- Ear, nose, and throat doctor(s) (otolaryngologists)
- General head and neck surgeon(s)
- Medical oncologist(s)
- Radiation oncologist(s)
Other health care providers who work with the specialists as a team may include a dentist, plastic surgeon, reconstructive surgeon, speech and language pathologist, oncology nurse, dietitian, and a mental health counselor. It is best to have a patient care coordinator that provides coordinated care to the patient by developing, monitoring, and evaluating interdisciplinary care.
Treatment options depend on the following:
- The extent to which the cancer has spread (the stage)
- The location and size of the tumor
- Whether the cancer has return
- Maintaining the patient's ability to talk, eat, and breathe as normally as possible
- The patient's general health
- Potential of side effects and toxicity
Other factors that may be considered include the distance to the treatment center, need for follow-up care, and the availability of certain procedures at the local facility.
The medical team describes the available treatment choices to the patient and the expected results, as well as the possible side effects. Patients should carefully consider available options and understand how these treatments may affect their ability to eat, swallow, and talk, and whether the treatments will alter their appearance during and after treatment. The patient and his/her health care team can work together to develop a treatment plan that fits the patient's needs and expectations.
The medical team describes the available treatment choices to the patient and the expected results, as well as the possible side effects. Patients should carefully consider available options and understand how these treatments may affect their ability to eat, swallow, and talk, and whether the treatments will alter their appearance during and after treatment. The patient and his/her health care team can work together to develop a treatment plan that fits the patient's needs and expectations.
Supportive care for control of pain and other symptoms that can relieve potential side effects and ease emotional concerns should be available before, during, and after cancer treatment.
Patients should be well informed before making their choice. If necessary obtaining a second medical and/or surgical opinion is helpful. Patients are often stressed and anxious when they learn that they suffer from a serious illness and may not be able to integrate all the information and explanations they hear. They may therefore need to hear these several times to integrate the information. Having a patient advocate (family member or friend) attend the discussions with the medical team is desirable as they can assist the patient in making the best choice.
It is suggested to ask the following questions of the treatment team:
- What is the size, location, spread, and stage of the tumor?
- What is the HPV status of the cancer?
- What are the treatment options? Would they include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of these? Is laryngectomy the only viable option?
- What are the expected side effects, risks and benefits of each kind of treatment?
- How can side effects be managed?
- What is the risk of recurring cancer?
- What will be the sound of the voice following each of the above treatments?
- What are the chances of being able to eat normally?
- How will the breathing be affected?
- How to prepare for treatment?
- Will the treatment require hospitalization and if so for how long?
- What is the estimated cost of the treatment and will insurance cover it?
- How will the treatment affect one's life, work and normal activities?
- Is a research study (clinical trial) a good option?
- Can the physician recommend an expert for a second opinion regarding the treatment options?
- How often and for how long will there be a need for follow ups?
- Is there a support group in the area that can assist after surgery?
What to tell your physician
To help one's physicians provide the best care it is helpful to provide them with this information:
- Detailed past medical, dental, social and psychological history
- Detailed description about your symptoms
- Any handicap you have
- Past surgeries
- Past vaccinations
- Medications you take
- Your diet
- Illnesses in your family
- Your work, and travel history (not only recent)
- Exposure to irritants, toxins etc.
- Allergies to food and medications
- Your life style, daily activities, and long term plans
- List of all the physicians and medical care providers
- Your preferred treatment (after hearing the options)
- Your preference knowing details on your condition, treatment and prognosis
- Your preferences about life support
- Your medical insurance coverage
It is a useful to prepare a list of all these issues ahead of time and hand it over to one's physician and other medical providers.
Dealing with psychological and social issues
Learning that one has laryngeal or any head and neck cancer can change the individual's life and the lives of those close to them. These changes can be difficult to deal with. Getting help to better cope with the psychological and social impact of the diagnosis is very important.
The emotional burden includes concerns about treatment and its side effects, hospital stays, and the economic impact of the illness including how to deal with medical bills. Additional worries are directed at how to care for one's family, keep one's work, and continue one's daily activities.
Sources for support include members of the health care team who can answer and clarify questions about treatment, work, or other activities. Social workers, counselors, or members of the clergy can be helpful if one wishes to share his/her feelings or concerns. Social workers can suggest resources for financial aid, transportation, home care, and emotional support. Support groups may also offer support in person, over the telephone, or on the Internet. Member of the health care team can help in finding support groups.
Diagnosis and treatment of recurrent cancer
Recurrent cancer can occur near the original site of the tumor, known as recurrent local-regional cancer, or at distant sites in the body, known as recurrent metastatic cancer. Squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) usually have better outcomes that those not associated with HPV. Patients with these cancers experience a later onset of distant metastasis and more metastatic sites in atypical locations.
The symptoms of recurrent cancer can be similar to the primary one or different depending on its location.
Recurrent head and neck cancer is more challenging and difficult than the initial cancer. Treatment options, course and goals depend on whether the recurrence is local, regional or metastatic.
The symptoms of recurrent cancer can be similar to the primary one or different depending on its location.
Recurrent head and neck cancer is more challenging and difficult than the initial cancer. Treatment options, course and goals depend on whether the recurrence is local, regional or metastatic.
The treatment options used for local or regional recurrent head and neck cancer are similar to those used for newly diagnosed disease. These include: surgery, radiation therapy, chemoradiation therapy or chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agents. However, previously treatment with radiation therapy will influence current treatment choices as it may exclude the patient from additional radiation treatment. However, re-irradiation is possible in some selected cases. Re-irradiation is more challenging than initial treatment because of the side effects of prior therapy and concerns about the risks of high cumulative radiation doses to normal structures.
Unfortunately, the prognosis for recurrent metastatic head and neck cancer is not good. The goals of treatment for recurrent metastatic disease are either to reduce disease symptoms (palliative care), such as pain, and/or to improve survival. Sometime a clinical trial is an optional treatment course. These trials can allow access to new therapies not available to most health care providers or patients, even if it has not yet been determined if the novel therapies will improve outcomes including survival. Decisions about the treatment goals and optimal course of treatment should be made with the patient's participation.


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If you've ever heard yourself saying, ''He was, I don't know, squidgeral,'' or thought, ''I wish there were a word for 'needing more than two hands to operate,''' you are probably a closet neologist. Neologizing, the practice of coining new words, may seem to be an arcane, specialized activity, but it's everywhere -- and the skillful employment of neologism is what gives English much of its verve. Each word in English had to start with a person trying to express a thought. For most words, the neologizer (or neologizers -- new words, like teenage trends or the calculus, are likely to pop up at the same time in very different places) is anonymous, although there are some exceptions. The humorist Gelett Burgess coined the word blurb in 1907. Yester-year, which sounds ancient, was in fact coined in 1870 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who wanted to translate a French word for which he couldn't find a suitable English equivalent. Paul Lewis, a professor of English at Boston College, invented the word Frankenfood (''genetically modified food'') in a letter to The Times in 1992. New words are being invented every day, and some of them even make it into the dictionary.
Although English has no committee or academy or board that reviews new words for suitability, there are a few loose guidelines that will help you become a successful neologist.
The most important rule is unwritten but not unspoken. It is the rule of pronounceability. Sure, xzyqt looks grand, but how do you say it? If Pat Sajak has taught us anything, it is this: be sure to buy enough vowels. If the pronunciation doesn't come trippingly off your tongue, move unfriendly tongue-twister consonants farther apart. English is pretty forgiving of the ''uh'' sound (often called schwa) and can insert it almost anywhere. Can't say dreklistic easily? Try drekilistic.
Avoid spellings that have too many possible sounds. Consider mallough: is it ''maloo'' or ''maluff''? No one likes a silent letter, even when deployed for humorous or allusive reasons. (Old joke. Q: How do you pronounce Hen3ry? A: HEN-ree. The ''3'' is silent.) If your word is too difficult to spell, people will avoid it out of fear or irritation. Tied in with spelling is the ease of writing. Internal punctuation (like ca!met or we?zem) is a nearly insurmountable obstacle as well as a pronunciation problem. Unless you are a major pop star (or even if), don't invent your own alphabetic characters. Very few people will want to add a new character to their fonts just for your word.
You don't have to build your word from scratch; there are many lists of word parts (roots and affixes) available on the Internet and in bookstores (thank SAT prep for that). Either choose your meaning and look for parts or choose your parts and look for meaning. If you're dying to have a new word that means ''overly eager to speak'' you might look for roots acer (''fierce, eager'') and dict- (''speak'') and then add a suffix that makes adjectives, like /ous, to get acerdictous. (Take care that your suffixes correspond to the part of speech you want. Acerdictous doesn't look like a noun, so it would be odd in a sentence like ''I saw a purple acerdictous today.'' It's much better in a sentence like ''He was so acerdictous that he took over the whole meeting.'')Continue reading the main story
If you are fond of the parts bathy- (''relating to depth'') and /ster (''a person engaged in or associated with a particular activity or thing''), you might go through ideas until you got bathyster, ''a particularly deep person.'' If you don't find parts for your meaning, find a dictionary with good etymologies and look up related words. Avoid ordinary words. If you're looking for a part that means ''angry,'' don't look up angry. Look up irate. That gets you the Latin root ira (''anger''). Can't think of a fancier word for what you want? Use a thesaurus.
Finicky word purists might tell you that your new word is macaronic. Do they mean it's cheesy? No, just that it uses roots from two or more languages, like the Latin root and Greek prefix in automobile. (In the word-coining world, words derived from just one language are seen as more sincere. However, this didn't stop automobile, and it shouldn't stop you.)
If the grandeur of Greek and the glory of Latin roots aren't inspiring enough, you may have just as much success merging ordinary words together. Humongous (probably from huge and monstrous) and ginormous (gigantic and enormous) are two similar and fairly recent blends of everyday words.
Be practical in choosing your meanings. It's easier for a new word to gain acceptance if it denotes something for which we don't already have a handy word. Trying to persuade people to use your word kwillum instead of the already accepted wall won't work. If kwillum means ''wall being fought over by neighbors,'' you have a better chance.
Invented the perfect word yesterday and want it in the dictionary tomorrow? Be patient. It can take years or decades for a new word to be accepted. You may not ever see your creation in a dictionary, especially if it was a word created for just one use or publication. The joy of having created a word of your very own should be enough. Set on seeing squidgeral between squid and squiffed? Sending a letter to dictionary editors demanding inclusion isn't the way. Try to get your word used in major media sources (for example, a major newspaper -- not just on the Internet or in local or specialist publications) more than a dozen times, by people other than yourself, over a period of several years. (Or push it on your sitcom-writing friends and hope for a Seinfeldian sociological phenomenon.) Even that's not a guarantee; it just gets your word to the starting line. If your word isn't having much luck finding its way to mouths and pens, well, you can always coin another one. And another one after that.Continue reading the main story

subset: commoncrawl


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Logitech ships its billionth mouseBy Jose Vilches
Virtually every desktop PC on the planet uses a mouse and a keyboard for input, and yet it is still surprising to hear that one of the biggest names in computer peripherals has shipped its billionth mouse – especially when considering the figure is close to the alleged number of active computer users in the world at the moment. Logitech announced the staggering milestone today coinciding with the same month that the industry celebrates the 40th anniversary of the world's first computer mouse.
Logitech certainly has come a long way, introducing their first retail mouse in 1985 and producing its 100 millionth unit in 1996. Today the company manufactures an average 376,000 mice per day, amounting to 7.8 million every month, and sells their products in 100 countries worldwide.
The company will celebrate the milestone with a global competition to find the supposedly lost 1-billionth mouse, which rolled off the production line in the middle of November, offering a reward of $1,000 of Logitech products going to the winner. Clues regarding its whereabouts will be posted on the company's blog.


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Audio books are a big hit for Gladstone truckies
SENIOR librarian Jamie Treble√ says eaudio books are extremely popular with truckies, people working out or mum's doing housework.
"All you have to do is download your novel, push play and that leaves your hands free to do whatever while you enjoy listening to the story."
Mr Treble says the library has free, 24/7 access to hundreds of books, magazines, TV shows and movies.
"The only requirements people need are a smart device, or a computer, and library membership," he said.
"Once you have those we'll be happy to show you how to download the apps and you'll have an online library in your hand."
Mr Treble says many existing members are taking advantage of the service offered at Gladstone's regional libraries.
The two main platforms available on the library website are Borrow Box and RB Digital.
"BorrowBox√ is mainly ebooks and digital audio and right now it's slightly more popular," Mr Treble said.
"RB Digital√ also has ebooks and audio books, but it also has TV shows, movies, encyclopaedia, magazines and comics.
"There are also games and online training resources, like computer and language courses available."
Existing library members can access the Elibrary by using their current membership number.
"If you don't have a smart phone you can download stuff onto an MP3 player," Mr Treble said.
"If you're not sure of what to do, come and have a chat to one of our librarians and we'll help you get set up."
When asked if he was concerned about Elibraries pushing him out of a job he said, "No."
We're always going to have books.
"Also, e-book sales are dropping because a lot of readers are coming back to the printed word."
When it came to the new versus old technology, Mr Treble didn't have a personal preference.
"I like both, it's a like asking me to pick a favourite desert," he said.


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We stayed near Shanklin on a holiday complex where we had a caravan for a few days. Well worth going (have been there before, so knew what it was like).....and it didn't take us long to settle in, some of us anyway!
I started a new travel sketchbook this trip, more of a travelogue throughout our stay. This sketchbook will be added to eventually with other trips we take, not just about this particular one.


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The Prince Band Room Address - 2 Acland St, St Kilda
Melbourne Pubs
About The Prince Band Room
The Prince Band Room
2 Acland St , St Kilda
Melbourne, VICTORIA, 3182
Website: www.princebandroom.com.au/
All that is enticing and unique about Melbourne, Australia can be found in St. Kilda. Traditionally a haven for the citys artists, immigrants and other exotic characters, for over 100 years people have flocked to this seaside suburb in pursuit of pleasure. Today the cornerstone of St. Kildas musical pleasures resides within The Prince of Wales Bandroom, near the corner of Fitzroy and Acland Streets.
The Prince Bandroom has been a host to live music for more than 6 decades. Many of the best local and international bands and DJs play The Prince Bandroom when in Melbourne. It has played host to the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Jack Johnson, Scissor Sisters, Ben Harper, Pink, Coldplay, Bright Eyes and Goldfrapp to name but a very select few.
* Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the data, This site does not represent or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability of its content for any particular purpose. Please contact us if you discover an error.
The Prince Band Room map


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Obama Approval Rises
This isn't what Republicans want to hear right now. More Americans now approve of President Obama's job performance than disapprove, according to a new Gallup poll: 47 percent of Americans now approve of Obama's job performance, a 5 percent boost since the Dec. 16-18 Gallup survey. Meanwhile, the number of Americans who disapprove of Obama's job performance has gone down to 45 percent—a drop of 5 points.


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YEREVAN. – Brussels was the venue, on Thursday and Friday, for the second phase of the Armenia-EU negotiations for the agreements on relaxing visa requirements and on readmission.
Pursuant to the Agreement on Relaxing Visa Requirements, Armenia's citizens (scientists, scholars, students, journalists, businessmen, athletes, men and women of the arts and letters, etc.) will undergo facilitated procedures for being issued visas for Schengen Agreement countries, MFA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. Also, the Schengen visa fees are envisioned to be reduced.
The Agreement on Readmission, on the other hand, will regulate the matters concerning the return and readmission of those who are illegally residing in EU and in Armenia.
During the talks, the parties noted with delight that a good progress was recorded in this process which commenced in February, and therefore the negotiations could end in a foreseeable future.
The next phase of the talks is scheduled to be held in Armenia's capital Yerevan this June.


text: LD1117 V50LDO-Regler, fest, 5 V, TO-220 0,51 € inkl. gesetzl. MwSt. zzgl. Versandkosten ab LagerLieferzeit: 1-2 Werktage in den Warenkorb Warengruppe: 1 Beschreibung ...mehrSay goodbye to unstable voltages with this LDO LD1117V50 linear regulator from STMicroelectronics. This device has a maximum power dissipation of 12000 mW. It has an overall accuracy of ±1 %. Its typical dropout voltage at current is 1@100mA|1.05@500mA|1.1@800mA V. This voltage regulation device's single output can produce a current up to 1.3 A. It only needs a voltage that does not exceed 15 V to effectively power your circuit. With a fixed output that has a voltage of 5 V, this is power management at its best. Using a load regulation of 15mV and line regulation of 10mV is needed for a programmable DC power supply. Its maximum power dissipation is 12000 mW. In order to ensure parts aren't damaged by bulk packaging, this product comes in tube packaging to add a little more protection by storing the loose parts in an outer tube. This voltage regulation device has an operating temperature range of 0 °C to 125 °C. Its polarity is positive. The maximum dropout voltage is 1.1@100mA|1.15@500mA|1.2@800mA V. Technische Daten Allgemeines Modell Spannungsregler Datenblätter Datenblatt STM Bewertungen Andere Kunden kauften auch: Zubehör & Alternativprodukte


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As of 2015, Caribbean Airlines flies to 19 destinations in the Caribbean, South America and the eastern United States. Some of the cities that Caribbean Airlines flies to include Guyana, Grenada, Tobago, Trinidad and Orlando, Florida. The airline also flies to London.
In total, Caribbean Airlines's 19 destinations are served by 600 flights on a weekly basis. The airline's flights are made using a fleet of 21 airplanes that consist of three models: the ATR72-600, the Boeing 737-800 and the Boeing 767-300ER. During its first year of operation, Caribbean Airlines served only 10 destinations and flew approximately 128 flights on a weekly basis.
Caribbean Airlines began operating flights on Jan 1, 2007, after being registered as a Trinidad and Tobago-based corporation on Sept. 27, 2006. The airline's single flight route to Europe uses a flight that is code-shared with a British Airways route between London Gatwick International Airport and Port of Spain, Trinidad. The first flight on this route took place in March 2007.
Caribbean Airlines operates mainly out of the Caribbean region with an operational base located in Jamaica and a corporate headquarters in Trinidad and Tobago. The airline employs over 1,600 people and is part of the International Air Transport Association.


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Ivan Tan
Ivan Tan
Chief Operating Officer
Ivan Tan joined Arrow as Chief Operating Officer in June 2016 and brings with him 15 years of upstream oil and gas experience with Shell.
Ivan completed his B.Eng. (Mechanical) from Imperial College and MBA from Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom. He joined Shell in Malaysia in 2001 and spent his early career in drilling assignments in Malaysia, The Netherlands, Brunei and New Zealand.
In 2007, Ivan transferred to China as Well Delivery Team Leader for Changbei Gas Development, the flagship cooperation project between Shell and CNPC. He returned to Malaysia in 2010 to serve as Supply Chain Manager for capital projects and thereafter as General Manager Wells Operations Malaysia in 2012.
In April 2014, Ivan was appointed as Vice President Wells Safety and Environment for Shell's global wells business based in The Hague.
Ivan is married to Grace and they have two daughters. He enjoys travelling and playing golf.


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The Bible ='s a Novel
A buddy suggested that I take a look at a new revised product called "The Story." It breaks down the Bible and reformats it to be a novel. My goal is to read through it at least twice this year. I've already read "Chapter 1" and it covered everything up to Abraham. Since it didn't break it down into smaller chapters and verses, I was able to read it like I would any book. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.
*Disclaimer: While the text comes straight from the TNIV, it doesn't include every single story found in the Bible. I would suggest by the look of it though 95%+ has been included and in order.


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How we did it:
For any feedback, any questions, any notes or just for chat - feel free to follow us on social networks
Scott Knaster, Mark Dalrymple
Take your coding skills to the next level with this extensive guide to Objective–C, the native programming language for developing sophisticated software applications for Mac OS X. Objective–C is a powerful, object–oriented extension of C, making this book the perfect follow–up to Dave Mark's bestselling Learn C on the Mac, Mac OS X Edition. Whether you're an experienced C programmer or you're coming from a different language such as C++ or Java, leading Mac experts Mark Dalrymple and Scott Knaster show you how to harness the powers of Objective–C in your applications! A complete course on the basics of Objective–C using Apple's free Xcode tools An introduction to object–oriented programming Comprehensive coverage of inheritance, composition, object initialization, categories, protocols, memory management, and organizing source files A brief tour of Cocoa's foundation framework and AppKit A helpful "learning curve" guide for non–C developers


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The Project Remains on Schedule and on Budget
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug. 14, 2014) - Torex Gold Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Torex") (TSX:TXG) announced today its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014.
Fred Stanford, President and CEO of Torex stated, "Lots of hard work has been contributed by a lot of people, and those efforts have resulted in the project being financed and advancing on schedule, on budget, and with no lost time accidents with over 2,000,000 hours worked. The effort to perform at such a high standard on all fronts is truly appreciated. Thank you!"
Advancement of the El Limón and Guajes Project
Continued evaluation of the Media Luna Project
Exploring the Morelos Gold Property
The net loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 decreased to $6.8 million and $10.3 million, respectively, compared with a net loss of $9.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and $27.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013. Exploration and evaluation expenditures totalled $0.6 million and $5.4 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, compared to $17.4 million and $30.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively. The Company's cash position increased by $18.3 million during the first six months of 2014 compared with a decrease of $68.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013. At June 30, 2014, the Company had $729.1 million in assets, including $234.9 million of cash, and had a working capital balance of $228.4 million compared with $605.3 million in assets, including $216.6 million of cash, and a working capital balance of $206.2 million as at December 31, 2013.
As of June 30, 2014, the Company has spent approximately US$207 million of the project's Board approved budget of US$725 million on the El Limón and Guajes Project. At June 30, 2014, the Company had $729.1 million in assets, including $234.9 million of cash, and a working capital balance of $228.4 million.
A complete set of the Company's unaudited interim consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and Management's Discussion and Analysis will be posted on the Company's website at www.torexgold.com and will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Torex is a growth-oriented, Canadian-based resource company engaged in the exploration and development of precious metal resources with a focus on gold. It owns 100% of the Morelos Gold Property, which is located 180 kilometers southwest of Mexico City in the highly prospective Morelos Gold Belt.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the advance of funds pursuant to the Loan Facility, the use thereof, and the successful completion of the El Limón and Guajes Project, information with respect to future exploration and development plans concerning the Morelos Gold Property, including future mining operations, the expected timing and cost of development activities and expected drilling results and the timing within which the Company expects to receive drilling results. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur", or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made at the date that such statements are made, and is based on, without limitation, the results of the Company's feasibility study and other technical studies on the El Limon and Guajes project and drilling results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risk factors disclosed in the Company's annual information form under the heading "Risk Factors", and elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purposes of assisting investors in understanding the Company's financial and operating performance and the Company's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Contact Information:


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Our Reading Eggs Journey ended this past summer and I thought the kids were doing well without it. They're reading, spelling and comprehending what they are reading. I give credit to my masterful teaching on the subject. lol. Actually I give a lot of the credit to Reading Eggs.
Even though we've been doing well without it, the kids actually ask me from time to time when we're going to get started again. I've decided that the time to get started is now. We no longer qualify for the free trials. We've used up our trial coupons, but if you're ready to see a jump in your childs interest for reading, then I highly recommend starting on their free two week trial. It's free, and I can almost guarantee your child will actually enjoy the lessons. :)


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South Florida doughnut shop voted one of the best in America
Everyone loves a good doughnut, right? Well, you don't have to travel far to enjoy one of the best 'donuts' in the country. The Salty Donut, in Miami, was just listed on Thrillist's '33 Best Donut Shops in America'.
According to Thrillist, this popular shop, which still operates out of a trailer in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami, was one of the first gourmet donut places in Miami-Dade County when they opened in Dec. And according to The Salty Donut's website, their pop-up shop is open every Fri.-Sun. until their store opens sometime this year.
If you go: The Salty Donut, 29 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-925-8126.


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In Peter Hanson's dishy documentary "Tales From the Script," 46 screenwriters (4 women and 42 men, if you're wondering) gab agreeably about the tribulations of their profession.
Herded into segments with titles like "The Care and Feeding of Producers," writers both award-winning (William Goldman, Paul Schrader) and still hoping (almost everyone else) are eager to share. Matching faces to scripts is wicked fun: it's somehow endearing to discover that Bruce Joel Rubin ("Ghost") seems made for cuddling, and that the wags behind "Bruce Almighty" and "Click" (Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe) behave exactly like the geeky cutups who enlivened every one of your high-school English classes.
Well-chosen clips from films like "Adaptation" and "Barton Fink" relieve the gossiping, but it's a wistful attachment to much older movies that lends the proceedings an oddly nostalgic air. Veteran or up and coming, everyone here recognizes that the scripts most revered — "The Sting," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" — would be almost impossible to finance in today's franchise-clogged climate.
Though topics include writing for a "postcontent era" and how to deal when your virgin script is groped by everyone from studio executives to craft services ("You have so many dance partners," bemoans Antwone Fisher), there's precious little nuts-and-bolts advice. Unless you count John D. Brancato's tip to "always sit on the couch" when making a pitch. Producers, it seems, are usually shorter than writers.
Opens on Friday in Manhattan.
Directed by Peter Hanson; written by Mr. Hanson and Paul Robert Herman, based on an idea by Mr. Herman; edited by J. D. Funari; music by T. J. Raider; produced by Mr. Hanson and Mr. Herman; released by First Run Features. At the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. This film is not rated.Continue reading the main story


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Friday, September 3, 2010
Seeking Inspiration
6 comments:
- Cathy said...
Gorgeous LO as always Julie!! Love the journalling. Congrats on your LO being featured for TCR.. your LO was fantastic! :)
- September 3, 2010 at 3:04 PM
- Leanne said...
LOL!!! Love this lo and the journaling! Hope you are going to enter it in my challenge at The Boxx!
Congrats on tcr too! I tell you, you'll be a revolving door artist there soon! hee hee....x
- September 3, 2010 at 5:29 PM
- Leanne said...
i love it jules.. all of it.. you rok.. and yep i know what you mean..sometimes you just well get stuck..at it happens at the wierdest times..usually when your creating fantastic layouts then..... nothing.. or a feeling like its not good enough.. well snap out of it sister.. {lol}.. your stuff is amazing and you have definately evolved into the most awesome scrapper.. hense the constant feature on TCR.. you rokin..
- September 3, 2010 at 9:30 PM
- Megan Vin said...
Hey Julie,
I found you at TCR. You can always buy photoshop elements first to see if you like it. You can still do a lot of things with that software! Love your minimalist style! Your mojo doesn't appear to be gone at all!
- September 4, 2010 at 8:54 AM
- Kirsty said...
Oh I simply love this!
- September 4, 2010 at 8:56 AM
- kathie said...
Beautiful layout! I love digital scrapbooking designs too. It seems they have different trends and a bit of a different feel to paper scrappers. And I like it!
- September 7, 2010 at 11:32 PM


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Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2012, Article ID 680407, 9 pages
Meditation-State Functional Connectivity (msFC): Strengthening of the Dorsal Attention Network and Beyond
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA
2Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
3College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2570, USA
4Trinity Institute for the Addictions, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2570, USA
5Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and VISN 6 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
6Duke Integrative Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
7Thousand Petals Yoga, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
Received 14 December 2011; Revised 11 January 2012; Accepted 12 January 2012
Academic Editor: David Mischoulon
Copyright © 2012 Brett Froeliger et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Meditation practice alters intrinsic resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the default mode network (DMN). However, little is known regarding the effects of meditation on other resting-state networks. The aim of current study was to investigate the effects of meditation experience and meditation-state functional connectivity (msFC) on multiple resting-state networks (RSNs). Meditation practitioners (MPs) performed two 5-minute scans, one during rest, one while meditating. A meditation naïve control group (CG) underwent one resting-state scan. Exploratory regression analyses of the relations between years of meditation practice and rsFC and msFC were conducted. During resting-state, MP as compared to CG exhibited greater rsFC within the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN). Among MP, meditation, as compared to rest, strengthened FC between the DAN and DMN and Salience network whereas it decreased FC between the DAN, dorsal medial PFC, and insula. Regression analyses revealed positive correlations between the number of years of meditation experience and msFC between DAN, thalamus, and anterior parietal sulcus, whereas negative correlations between DAN, lateral and superior parietal, and insula. These findings suggest that the practice of meditation strengthens FC within the DAN as well as strengthens the coupling between distributed networks that are involved in attention, self-referential processes, and affective response.
1. Introduction
For more than two millennia, mindfulness meditation has been practiced as a means of achieving psychological equanimity and self-awareness, yet it has only recently become the target of systematic research by fields such as medicine, psychology, and neuroscience for its relevance to mental and physical health. Mindfulness meditation is becoming increasingly well regarded for its therapeutic promise [1–3]. Indeed, there is mounting empirical evidence of the role of mindfulness in reducing stress and improving clinical outcomes across issues as diverse as depression [4], irritable bowel syndrome [5], chronic pain [6], and addiction [7–9].
According to recent conceptualizations, the practice of mindfulness meditation (which involves repeated placement of attention onto an object while alternately acknowledging and letting go of distracting thoughts and emotions) evokes the state of mindfulness, which, when engaged repeatedly over time, may accrue into trait or dispositional mindfulness [10, 11]. The state of mindfulness is characterized by a nonjudgmental and metacognitive monitoring of moment-by-moment cognition, emotion, perception, and sensation without fixation on thoughts of past and future [12–14]. Correspondingly, trait mindfulness is characterized as the propensity towards exhibiting such nonjudgmental awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, experiences, and actions in everyday life [15]. Higher levels of this trait are associated with enhanced affect regulation [10], attentional control [16], and autonomic recovery from emotional provocations [17]. As a trait, mindfulness is approximately normally distributed [18]. Thus, people vary in the extent to which they exhibit mindful dispositions, yet this dispositionality can be promoted by recurrent practice of mindfulness meditation. For example, individuals participating in an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course evidenced increases in trait mindfulness which mediate the effects of training on clinical outcomes [19, 20].
Thus, the therapeutic effects of mindfulness meditation may result from a state by trait interaction, such that recurrent activation of the mindful state (and the neural networks that instantiate this state) via the practice of mindfulness meditation may leave lasting psychobiological traces that accrue into durable changes in trait mindfulness and fundamental alterations in the sense of self [11, 21]. These changes might be mediated by experience-dependent alterations in gene expression resulting in neuroplasticity [22, 23]. In support of this hypothesis, several studies using voxel-based morphometry have identified significant differences in grey matter concentration between long-term mindfulness meditation practitioners and controls [24–26]. Moreover, recent longitudinal research suggests that participating in 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation training is associated with increases in grey matter density in the left hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, and temporoparietal junction, brain regions that are thought to subserve emotion regulation, learning, memory, and the ability to shift one's perspective [27]. It is possible that such changes in brain structure arise from the recurrent activation of corresponding functional networks during repeated practice of mindfulness meditation.
Neuroimaging research has demonstrated differences in task-related brain function between experienced meditation practitioners and meditation naïve controls. For example, meditation practitioners exhibit greater meditation-related neural activation in brain regions involved in attentional control (e.g., prefrontal cortex), conflict resolution (e.g., dorsal anterior cingulate cortex), and emotional processing (e.g., medial/orbitofrontal cortices) [28, 29]. However, significantly less is known regarding the effects of meditation on brain function outside of the context of explicit task-related processes.
A nascent database of neuroscience research on task-independent brain function has emerged via the study of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). rsFC is measured by using fMRI to examine changes in synchronized low frequency oscillations in blood-oxygen-level dependence (BOLD) signal during resting states to identify functionally interconnected brain regions [30]. Multiple resting state networks have been identified [31–33] including seven major networks: default mode (DMN), dorsal attention network (DAN), executive control (ECN), salience, sensorimotor, visual, and auditory networks [34]. The Default Mode network (DMN) [35] is spatially composed of midline regions (e.g., ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and precuneus) and is thought to reflect nongoal directed processes [36]. Specific alterations in the spatial distribution of the DMN have been found in individuals with anxiety [37], attention deficit disorder (ADD) [38] mild cognitive impairment [39], schizophrenia [40, 41] major depressive disorder (MDD) [42], and substance abuse disorders (SUDs) [43]—suggesting that the spatial distribution of the DMN may provide important markers of both optimal and dysregulated neural functioning.
Interestingly, recent research focusing on DMN connectivity has reported that meditation practitioners, as compared to controls, exhibit greater rsFC within the DMN [44, 45] and between DMN and dlPFC [44]—a region subserving cognitive control processes [46, 47]. Furthermore, recent research demonstrates that among meditation naïve subjects, participating in 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation training increases rsFC of auditory, visual, and salience brain networks while attending to auditory information [48]. Those findings may provide important neural indices of the effects of meditation training on attention and awareness.
Though the prior research suggests that mindfulness meditation alters rsFC, a number of important questions remain. First, it remains unclear whether the differences between meditation practitioners and meditation naïve controls in rsFC extend beyond the DMN to other RSNs (e.g., executive control, dorsal attention, salience networks). To examine this question, a node-based analysis designed to evaluate cross-correlations between multiple resting state networks is ideal. Secondly, if meditation experience does indeed modulate multiple RSN, how does active meditation modulate functional connectivity among those regions? This question can be specifically addressed by measuring functional connectivity in experienced meditators during a state of nonmeditation to evaluate rsFC, and again during active meditation to evaluate meditation state functional connectivity (msFC). Finally, it is unclear whether the effects of msFC are shortterm (state-related) or if they in fact are associated with the duration of meditation practice (e.g., trait-related changes mediated by neural plasticity). Addressing these questions may provide feasibility data for evaluating the effects of mindfulness meditation training on brain function among meditation-naïve subjects. Therefore, in the current study we sought to investigate the direct effect of meditation on functional connectivity by comparing a period of active meditation with passive rest in a group of experienced meditation practitioners. In order to evaluate msFC across multiple brain regions, we implemented a node-based analytical approach [49] examining cross-correlations between regions in four major resting state networks (DMN, DAN, ECN, Salience network). In order to evaluate whether the duration of meditation practice affects the magnitude of functional connectivity across brain regions, regression analyses were performed with years of meditation experience as a predictor of rsFC and msFC strength. We hypothesized that mindfulness meditation would be associated with greater functional connectivity between multiple resting state networks.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
Fourteen (7 meditation practitioner (MP), 7 meditation-naïve control [CG]) participants between the ages of 18 and 55 years were enrolled. MP participants reported engaging in mindfulness meditation on average; 7 days per week (0) over the course of the previous 5.7 yrs (3.8). In addition, participants in the MP group were also involved in an active and ongoing hatha yoga practice (>45 minutes a day, three-four times per week, > three years). The matched control group reported no current or past dedicated meditation or yoga practice. In addition, all participants were right-handed, and free of any psychiatric condition or any major medical condition that would make participation unsafe or uncomfortable. Additional exclusionary criteria included current alcohol or drug abuse, use of tobacco or nicotine products, and positive urine drug screen. Female participants were required to have a negative urine pregnancy test at screening and within 12 hours prior to the fMRI scan. The protocol was approved by the institutional review board at Duke University Medical Center, and all participants provided written informed consent before participating in study-related activities.
2.2. fMRI Protocol
BOLD fMRI data were collected from all participants during a five-minute, eyes-closed resting-state period. In addition, immediately following the resting-state scan, MP participants were also scanned during a five-minute, eyes-closed period while engaged in meditation.
2.3. Image Acquisition
A 3T General Electric Signa EXCITE HD scanner (Milwaukee, WI) equipped with 40 mT/m gradients was used for image acquisition. At the start of each fMRI session, a high-resolution, three-dimensional, fast-spoiled gradient-recalled echo (3D-FSPGR) anatomical sequence was collected (FOV = 25.6 cm, matrix = 2562, flip angle = 12°, 166 slices, slice thickness = 1 mm). Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) functional images were collected for 34 contiguous slices (4 mm thick) parallel to the horizontal plane connecting the anterior and posterior commissures. A gradient-recalled inward spiral pulse imaging sequence was used (34 slices, TR = 1500 ms, TE = 30 ms, FOV = 24 cm, matrix = 64 × 64, flip angle = 60°, slice thickness = 4 mm, resulting in 3.75 × 3.75 × 4 mm voxels).
2.4. Image Preprocessing
Data were initially preprocessed in FSL: slice time correction and realignment. Motion parameters were regressed out of realigned images were then normalized to the MNI template. Following normalization, white matter and cerebral spinal fluid time series were regressed out. Data were then low-passed filtered (.08 Hz) to remove slow drift artifact.
2.5. Functional Connectivity Analyses
The filtered data generated were further processed with an FC analysis method [49] consisting of the following procedures.(1)fMRI data were segmented into 29, 5 mm ROI spheres around coordinates derived from a previously published template mask [34]. The nodes from the Raichle mask comprised four major brain networks: the default mode network (DMN), dorsal attention network (DAN), executive control network (ECN), and salience network.(2)The time-series signals within each ROI were averaged, so that the 4D fMRI data set (, time point) was reduced to a 2D data set (29 × time point number) for each fMRI run.(3)The correlation coefficients ( values) between time-series data from different anatomical regions were calculated, and the calculated coefficients (Fisher -transformed) were stored in a 2D matrix with 841 cells (i.e., 29 × 29, with only 29 × 28/2 unique elements). Each element of this 2D matrix represents FC between two anatomical regions. This procedure was performed for all fMRI runs acquired during passive rest and meditation in MP, and rest in CG.
3. Results
3.1. Study Participants
Participant Demographics (see Table 1)
Among the MP group, age was not significantly correlated with years of meditation practice () or yoga ().
3.2. Identification of Group Differences in Functionally Connected Regions
Analyses were conducted on the interregion connectivity matrices by correlating connectivity matrix elements with a group (MP, CG) category array. In this analysis, with correlations thresholded at (2-tailed) ≥ 2.18, , interregion connectivity matrix within nodes of the DAN (right anterior IPS and left frontal eyefield; right MT and left frontal eyefield, right posterior and left anterior IPS and left MT) was significantly higher for MP than that for CG (Figure 1). Significant findings resulted in effects sizes (Cohen's ) between 1.3 and 1.7.
3.3. The Effects of Meditation on Functionally Connected Regions
Among MP group, analyses were conducted on the inter region connectivity matrices by correlating connectivity matrix elements of the DAN and all other networks with mindful state (meditation, resting) category array. In this analysis, with correlations thresholded at (2-tailed) ≥ 2.44, , interregion connectivity matrix revealed meditation state functional connectivity (msFC), as compared to rsFC, to be greater between DAN (i.e., right frontal eyefield) and DMN nodes (medial dorsal thalamus, left lateral parietal and posterior cerebellum) and right anterior PFC node of the Salience Network and multiple DAN nodes (bilateral frontal eyefield, right posterior IPS, bilateral anterior IPS and right MT), whereas msFC was less than rsFC between DAN (left MT) and right insula and dorsal medial PFC (Figure 2). Significant findings resulted in effects sizes (Cohen's ) between 2.1 and 3.3.
3.4. Relations between Meditation Experience and Functional Connectivity during Resting State and Meditation
Regression analyses were conducted on the inter-region connectivity matrices by correlating connectivity matrix elements during resting state and during meditation, entering years of meditation practice as a regressor. In these analyses, correlations were thresholded at rZ.996 () which corresponds to .
During rest, meditation experience predicted strengthening of rsFC within the DAN (between left posterior IPS and right MT) and between DAN (i.e., left posterior IPS) and DMN (i.e., medial PFC), ECN (i.e., right anterior PFC) and salience network (i.e., right anterior PFC), but weakening between right posterior IPS and bilateral insula, and left MT and right anterior PFC (Figure 3(a)).
With regard to msFC, meditation experience predicted strengthening of msFC between DAN and DMN (i.e., right frontal eyefield with medial dorsal thalamus; left anterior IPS with left inferior temporal), but a pattern of weakening between right lateral parietal node of the DMN and 50% of the nodes in the DAN (bilateral frontal eyefiel, right posterior, and anterior IPS), as well as left eyefield and right insula, right eyefield, and right superior parietal (Figure 3(b)).
4. Discussion
Neuroimaging results supported both study hypotheses: mindfulness meditation practitioners (MPs) exhibited significantly greater rsFC than meditation naïve individuals in the control group (CG) in the dorsal attention network (DAN), and mindfulness meditation practice in the scanner was associated with increased functional connectivity from resting state levels (i.e., msFC > rsFC) between the DAN and DMN and right PFC node of the Salience network. Together, these findings from the present study suggest that mindfulness practice enhances functional connectivity within attentional networks as well as increases connectivity across broadly distributed brain regions subserving attention, self-referential, and emotional processes. The findings from the present study demonstrate feasibility for measuring task-independent neural function associated with meditation. Moreover, they provide a methodological approach that may be utilized to evaluate the effects of mindfulness meditation training in a larger sample of meditation-naïve subjects.
4.1. MP versus CG Differences
Our observation of elevated levels of rsFC among MP compared with non-meditators extends the previous research on the effects of meditation on DMN connectivity [44, 45] by demonstrating that MP exhibit strengthened rsFC in the DAN. It is possible that these increases in rsFC reflect increased trait mindfulness and attentional control stemming from long-term meditation practice. Indeed, compared with nonmeditators, MPs evidence greater rsFC between the dorsal attention network, DMN, and salience network, which may index allocation of attentional resources toward enhanced self-reflection and awareness of emotional experience. Alternatively, such differences in rsFC may be correlated with traits associated with the motivation to engage in long-term meditation practice.
4.2. Active Meditation Alters Functional Connectivity
Among MPs, we observed increased FC during active meditation, as opposed to rest. Notably, stronger functional coupling was observed between the DAN, DMN, and salience network. Such increased functional connectivity between DAN and DMN may be meaningfully contrasted with decreased DMN rsFC often observed in populations with cognitive or emotional disturbances including attention deficit disorder (ADD) [38], mild cognitive impairment [39], schizophrenia [40, 41], major depressive disorder (MDD) [42], and substance abuse disorders (SUDs) [43]. In this sense, mindfulness meditation appears to involve a shift from a functionally restricted default mode during rest into a more functionally integrated large-scale network subserving attention, salience, and self-reflection.
This state-related shift in FC may reflect the practice of mindfulness meditation, which first involves becoming aware of when attention has wandered from the object of meditation (often a sensorimotor input such as the sensation of breathing) into self-relevant or emotionally salient thoughts, feelings, images, and memories [14]. These mental contents are then apprehended with an attitude of acceptance and nonjudgment. Subsequently, the meditator disengages his or her attentional focus and reorients attention back to the meditative object. Thus, the complex act of meditation may involve attentional reorienting, self-monitoring, and emotion regulation. As such, the practice of mindfulness meditation may require functional integration of multiple brain networks to coordinate these subcomponent processes into a coherent mental operation. Furthermore, functional coupling of the DAN, DMN, and anterior PFC, which has been implicated in metacognition [50] and mind-wandering (Christoff, in press), might subserve the attentional regulation and open monitoring of thoughts and emotions held to be central to mindfulness meditation [14].
4.3. Meditation Experience Increases the Magnitude of FC
Regression analyses identified a statistically significant association between number of years of meditation experience and rsFC between the DAN and the four major networks examined (i.e., DAN, DMN, ECN, and salience). Namely, a number of positive correlations were observed between DAN and medial and dorsolateral prefontal regions, whereas negative correlations were observed between DAN and bilateral insula.
In addition, meditation experience predicted strengthening of msFC between DAN, thalamus, and inferior temporal nodes of the DMN. Inferior temporal lobe may be the node of the ventral allocentric stream of visuospatial reference, that is, responsible for object processing in relation to the environment [51]. Allocentric processing is in contradistinction to the more dorsal egocentric stream, which performs object processing in relation to the self [52]. The finding that FC in these networks increased with meditation experience may correspond with accounts of long-term mindfulness practitioners who report experiencing thoughts and feelings as objects without any self-reference [21]. With the deepening of meditative practice over time, this experience is held to result in the sense of self as emptiness (sunyata) and the nonduality of "the inner space of the mind and the outer space of objective phenomena" [53, page 219].
Both at rest and during active meditation, long-term practitioners of mindfulness meditation evidenced greater FC between the DAN and other brain networks than their less experienced counterparts. The association between meditation experience and FC parallels the greater rsFC observed among meditators as compared to nonmeditators. These findings imply the presence of a state by trait interaction, such that brain regions which are functionally coupled during the state of mindfulness become more tightly coupled over time, even during the nonmeditative state. Purportedly, long-term practitioners achieve progressively deeper altered states of consciousness during meditation that come to influence daily life experience outside of meditation [21]. Such changes in FC may be reflective of increased trait mindfulness, cortical and subcortical remodeling via neuroplasticity, and fundamental changes to the sense of self over time resulting from repeated mindfulness practice.
5. Conclusions and Limitations
The present study included a well-controlled matched sample of meditation practitioners and meditation naive subjects, a neuroimaging paradigm that allows for modeling direct effects of meditation on brain function outside of the context of task-dependent neural processes—areas of research currently underrepresented in the literature. This is the first study to our knowledge to identify the effects of meditation on multiple resting state networks—providing both novel findings and feasibility for subsequent investigation in a larger sample. However, limitations include a relatively small sample size, liberal significance threshold, limited characterization of individual differences (e.g., personality), relatively short duration of meditation in the scanner, and the fact that meditation practitioners were scanned twice, whereas controls were only scanned once. Subsequent work in our laboratory will seek to evaluate the effects of meditation on state and trait mindfulness and explore relations with brain structure and function. For example, future research might profit from examining correlations between rsFC and changes in grey matter volume. We hypothesize that enhanced rsFC among long-term mindfulness practitioners would be significantly associated with increased grey matter volume in the functionally integrated neural structures of the networks identified by the present study. Furthermore, we would expect that such increases in rsFC and grey matter density would be correlated with changes in trait mindfulness and altered performance on tasks involving attention, self-monitoring, and emotion regulation. To test these hypotheses, longitudinal studies are needed to follow individuals as they initiate the discipline of mindfulness meditation and gradually develop expertise over months or years of recurrent practice.
F. Joseph McClernon is funded by the NIDA Grant DA023516.
Conflict of Interests
The authors report no conflict of interests.
The authors thank Natalie Goutkin and Luke Pool for their assistance with data acquisition. This paper was supported by NIDA Grant DA026536Z awarded to B. Froeliger. Preparation of this paper was supported by NIDA Grant DA032517 (E. L. Garland), R01NS074045 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NKC), NIDA Grant DA023516 (F. Joseph McClernon) and NCCAM Grant R00AT004945 (J. M. Greeson).
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Maple Raised Panel
Maple Raised Style RTA Kitchen Cabinets are a very popular choice at In Stock Kitchens for two reasons; one the color has been a cabinet standard in the industry for years and two it is the most affordable in the InStockKitchens.com cabinet line. The attractive honey maple stain on a raised panel door is a combination of beauty and durability. Maple Raised Panel style all-wood cabinets are great since the neutral color goes with almost any décor choice and the clean lines compliment any design choice. These affordable quality cabinets are flat packed from the factory, which allows us to ship them flat packed to you saving you more money. When you order these kitchen cabinets online, we always offer assembly should you choose not to assemble your Maple RTA Kitchen Cabinets yourself. In Stock Kitchens uses heavy-duty box construction hinges, front to rear strength stiles and 6-way adjustable European hinges to name a few highlights. The unique feature of our maple cabinet line is the groove on our doors and drawers. They are equipped with a convenient recessed finger groove to eliminate the need for hardware installation. As with many cabinet lines we sell at InStockKitchens.com, our interiors are stained-to-match the exterior. Many companies do not utilize this feature because it costs more money to achieve. Also, have you ever seen glass mullion doors on cabinets and the interior is unfinished? Not a very appealing look for the centerpiece of your household. Not sure of your choice? Order a sample door of our all-wood cabinets and make the decision easier.
There is more to the Maple raised panel cabinet than the attractive, honey maple stain on a raised panel door. A revolutionary combination of beauty and durability – trust the Maple raised panel cabinets to merge the two together. Constructed from the finest birch wood, these affordable quality cabinets feature full-extension drawers and stainless steel glides. Interior stained to match and a variety of refined crown moldings along with glass doors are available to customize a unique kitchen just for you. Durable and delightful, that's the Maple for you. We also are now offering new Maple kitchen cabinets online with the introduction of our Maple Shaker kitchen cabinets.
- Each piece of wood is hand selected and inspected for quality control
- Face Frames: 1 5/8″ x 3/4″ solid wood stiles and rails
- Box Construction: 1/2″ Grade A plywood
- Shelves: 3/4″ Grade A plywood
- Doors: solid wood, 5-piece, raised panel, standard overlay
- Drawer Fronts: solid wood, slab, standard overlay
- Backs: 1/2" framed Grade A plywood with an additional 1/2" reinforced upper rail for installation
- Drawer Glides: ball-bearing stainless steel side-mount glides (1501b load capacity)
- Drawer Boxes: 5/8″ pre-finished solid wood sides, 3/8″ Grade A plywood bottom
- Hinges: fully concealed, European style, 6 way adjustable hinges
- Groove: doors and drawers are equipped with a convenient recessed finger groove to eliminate the need for hardware installation
- Interior: finished and stained honey maple to match
- Exposed Sides: stained honey maple to match


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Over the last four decades we have developed a wide range of washing solutions used in food and non-food industries.
Our solutions are often tailor-made to meet our customers' specific requirements for hygiene, space, capacity, and sustainability. All our washing solutions are highly robust no-nonsense cleaning systems – easy to operate and maintain.
Our tunnel washing systems are parametic designed and can contain the following features/sections:
- Single or multiple lanes
- Prerinse section
- Soaking section
- Washing section
- Rinse section
- Desinfection section
- Label removal
- High Pressure
- Final Rinse
Our washing solutions will be delivered as stand-alone or fully integrated automated high-capacity cleaning and handling solutions. Most solutions in our tunnel systems has a recirculating water system where the water is filtered continuously. SEMI-STAAL has a number of filtration systems depending on filtration and automation requirements.
We deliver cleaning solutions for:
- Tubs/totes
- Crates
- Bins
- Pallets
- Racks/Trolleys
- Live poultry cages
- Egg trays
- Ham moulds
- Chocolate moulds
tailor-made, stand-alone or fully integrated automated cleaning and
handling solutions for the food, hospital, and pharmaceutical industries.
Amongst our customers are ARLA, Danish Crown, Svenska Retursysten,
NAQUA, Lundbeck, HK Scan, Kohberg, and Novo Nordisk.


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Portland comes to Seattle on Sunday night, specifically symmetry/symmetry at the High Dive and John Heart Jackie at the Sunset. symmetry/symmetry just released their debut LP, Have Cake, and it's really excellent. The songs should sound splendid live.
Duo John Heart Jackie (Jennie Wayne and Peter Murray) also have a new CD out, We are Gold Mounds. I have not heard all the songs yet but I do like what I hear off their MySpace. The Sunset will be a fantastic venue for their very pretty voices.


text: JDS Investments LLC was formed on August 17, 2001. Its members are James E. Seibert and John D. Seibert for the primary purpose of investing in real estate. Their expertise is managing property for owners of cross dock terminals in the LTL (less than truck load) trucking industry. James E. Seibert managed a cross dock terminal for the previous owners from 1986 to 2001. John D. Seibert has managed the cross dock terminal in Valley Grove since 2001. The goal of JDS Investments LLC is to continue to acquire cross dock terminals with the expansion to be at a prudent rate.


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Oksana's Journey to Health
In 2000, Kathy Shuttleworth, an RN from Balzac, volunteered with Medical Mercy Canada and went to Ukraine on a medical humanitarian mission. There, in the village of Kupchentsi, she met little Oksana Oliynyk. Only four years old, Oksana had been plagued with life threatening cardiac issues for most of her young life.
Kathy recognized the need and set the wheels in motion. In the months that followed, approximately $140,000 was raised under the auspices of Medical Mercy Canada.
In 2002, Oksana made her first of three medical visits to Alberta for heart surgeries. The life changing procedure was carried out in Calgary by Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Michael Giuffre and by Dr Ivan Rebeyka of Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton. Oksana's last heart surgery was performed in 2011 and in July 2013 she came to Calgary for her latest routine check-up. There is no way to know what would have become of Oksana Oliynyk had she not met Kathy Shuttleworth. What is known is that, because of Kathy and the generous supporters of Medical Mercy Canada, she is doing very well both physically and academically.
Today, there are still many "Oksanas" in under-developed countries around the World. Unfortunately, there are never enough "Kathy Shuttleworths" to go around! But Medical Mercy continues its effort to brighten the lives of those with health challenges through community education, improved access to treatment and response to emergency situations, supporting local resources inadequate to meet the need.


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Well its been a busy day today, I was up early and had all my ironing done before
8 o'clock, managed to do a little bit of crafting before DD got up. Had breakfast and did the usual house jobs, as it's DH birthday tomorrow I made his cake, when I came back from my shower the middle had sunk, a lot and there was fresh cocoa powder on the cake. How did this get there, not me said DD with a very guilty look on her face. She had decided to press the cake in the middle while it was still quite warm so it sank, needless to say I was not a happy Mummy, but hey it was done and I don't think she'll do it again. We went into town with my Mum and spent ages looking round the shops then it was time for DD last ice skating lesson for this block. She passed her assessment with flying colours and was so pleased with herself she was nearly floating on the ice!!! She has asked to do Level 2 so it has been booked and starts fairly soon. Well that's it for today going to see if I can finish one of the projects I've started ready to do some more tomorrow.


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[als-9884-4-72-21667] - Add "parm" to instruct Excel ReportManager Generator to NOT generate a corresponding chart
Budjetti $30-250 USD
Need to modify existing macro to allow a parameter to instruct macro to NOT generate a chart.
There are some reports that have too many lines such that a chart does not generate and the macro is issuing
an error that cannot be bypassed.
Myönnetty käyttäjälle:
12 freelanceria on tarjonnut keskimäärin %project_bid_stats_avg_sub_26% %project_currencyDetails_sign_sub_27% tähän työhön
Hey, If you could share the workbook, I would be able to fix the macro as required.. Thanks and Regards, Shikha
Hi racbuyer005 , I have generated sheets with multiple charts and I know exactly where the bug is happening. Please check attached sample which generates multiple graph. This is just for your reference Ready t Lisää
This should be straightforward. I have made a couple of assumptions, as well as some suggestions via PM. Please read these in case I am off base.
Hi, I have worked in similar projects and delivered successfully. Kindly grant me this effort. Thanks & Regards, Onlineupdatebd
I currently transfer data from SAP and sharepoint sites to excel and create all type of charts and analysis. I am intrested in this job.
I am automation specialist and work on VBA projects. I will be able to rewrite the macro according to your requirement.
I am an expert excel/vba programmer. I have done a lot of work in excel/vba, and I assure you that I will complete the project within a day.


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So, what we have here. Some amazing blues and greens from Makower UK:
Some for the Tildas from Stof A/S:
And more from Stof A/S, this time in japanese style. This I have to say is my favourite. Looks much much better than on the photo. Rich burgundy colour and gold details ^.^
And even more from Makower and Hoffman Fabrics:
At the moment I'm fighting a little nasty cold, but just waiting to get better and start to create something from there lovely fabrics.
Hope you feel better that I do.
Best wishes, Jo & cats


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Digital Focus Group - register to join
What is this for?
This form allows you to register your interest in becoming a member of our Digital Focus Group. Members of this group test out all our new online forms and content before it goes live on our website to ensure that they are user-friendly. We are looking for residents who may be interested in joining this group to sign up here.
What is it going to cost?
There is no cost to join.
What we need from you
Please complete the form and provide us with your contact details. A member of the Digital Council Team will then contact you, discuss your interest and provide you with more information.
More information
We welcome interest from residents of all ages and backgrounds. You don't have to be computer literate to join. The Digital Focus Group meets monthly in the Civic Building, Waterdale. Refreshments are provided.
Last updated: 30 August 2017 14:49:43


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Boy Scout Troop 63 Spaghetti Dinner
Oswego | Website
This event occurred in the past.
Map | Find Parking
The Boy Scouts are serving spaghetti, sauce, bread, salad and dessert and beverages are available. Proceeds help pay for the Boy Scouts' summer camp where they can earn merit badges and complete objectives for their next rank in Scouting.