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- Jake Frackson
- Victoria, Bc
- Canada
This conversation is closed.
What is the purpose of religion?
Throughout the history of man, religion has been present. Religious beliefs have affected everything from personal ethics to national politics. It has been an integral part of many societies in our past and present. However the question remains:
What is the purpose of religion?
Religion has been presented to explain unknown intellectual problems (Comte, Tylor), to explain strong and abstract emotional feelings (Marett, Malinowski, Freud), to oppress social groups (Marx), to connect society (Durkheim), to explain arbitrary suffering (Weber), etc.
Many other purposes for religion have been theorized but no universal answer has been found.
Will a single answer ever be found? Is there only one answer?
Possible answers, further questions or any comments are welcome!
Gross Ryder
Sep 12 2012: Martin Luther King provided an elegant if not perfect answer to this :-
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"A religion true to its natures must also be concerned about man's social conditions. Religion deals with both earth and heaven, both time and eternity. Religion operates not only on the vertical plane but also on the horizontal. It seeks not only to integrate men with God but to integrate men with men and each man with himself."
Sep 12 2012: Hi Gross
"...to integrate men with men and each man with himself." I think this may only be in Buddhism
Buddhism teaches us to look into ourselves and be truth to ourselves and we will find the way.
Catholicism teaches us to look upon the sky and God will show us the way.
(in my case I can't think as the second version teaches us)
Ehis Odijie
Sep 12 2012: The real purpose of religion is to control people. This is not necessarily a bad thing - i guess the question becomes : control people to do what ? This is where the set of ethical and moral codes comes in.
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I believe without religion, there would exist a vacuum in human life.
Sep 12 2012: Agree about CONTROL.
VACUUM may be true for many but not to the life of all human being.
Sep 12 2012: There is a space for spirituality in the life of most, if not all, human being. The question is: what do you regard as religion?
I should have you understand that atheism can truly be defined as a religion - and its not a neutral religion. It is a valued position just like xtianity.
Sep 13 2012: Blind BeliefSep 14 2012: "Spirituality" well let me call it the search for transcendence does not need to involve supernatural beliefs.
You have a very different idea of religion and atheism to me Ehis.
To me atheism is just a lack of belief in gods and goddesses. Atheism is a position on a single question do you believe in gods. It is not a way of life, no dogma, no defined moral code.
Maybe someone start a religion that does not believe in gods, like Buddhism, but not believing in gods is not a religion.
I'm a sceptic first. I'm sceptical of supernatural claims whether part of organised religion, cults, personal spirituality, alien abductions, astrology etc. Atheism is a by product of my scepticism.
I guess not believing in gods may inform your views on other issues, but there is no dogmatic position. An atheist may not believe in gods but may believe in eternal human spirits, life after death, crystal healing, be anti gay marriage and anti reproductive rights, or for the rights of a women to choose if she lets a baby grow inside her body.
Now religion is very diverse, and perhaps the edges are blurry. When does a cult become a religion for instance. But I suggest a position on a single question is not a religion.
I'm also not sure if world views that lack belief in the supernatural or aliens etc qualify as religion. I would not call a materialist world view a religion. I would not call science a religion. In fact you can generally accept science as our best guess and still believe in some supernatural deities or a spiritual realm.Sep 12 2012: I have managed to fill the vacuum or accept things as they appear.
But agree there might be gaps for some people in some areas.
also our basic wiring does not change
I note some of the least religious countries have not fallen apart - Sweden, Japan etc
Sep 12 2012: Least religious? Those countries call themselves secular but that doesn't mean that religion hasn't evolved into something different in those countries (cult of celebrity, the worship of money, etc.). Possibly they have just found a way to use religious needs in a more beneficial way for the state?
"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature and the opium of the people." Karl Marx
I'm not saying I agree with this act ethically, but its plausible.
Sep 13 2012: Hi Jake,
I suggest the human mind that has evolved a certain way. Our human cultures and society have evolved to what that are today. Our scientific understanding has developed to what it is today.
I suggest sometimes religion and its practice just reflects our basic needs and wiring.
Needs: such as a search for meaning, fear of death, understanding our origins, managing societies etc.
Wiring: assumption of agency, heirachy, hallucinations, imaginary friends, confirmation bias, credulous as children, tribalism etc. We are all susceptible to music and ritual whether the context is religious or not.
Religion is just one tool for dealing with these issues and just one aspect of our lives that uses the various cognitive and social mechanisms.
Other parts of human culture may be more primarily driven by religion e.g. Theological studies etc.
I tend to see religion as a result of what we are as humans more than a cause of what we are.
I guess you can look at it both ways. How are various behaviours and cultural mechanisms "religious". Or how does religion leverage our basic human psychology, cognition, and social dynamics.
I don't see the quest to understand how I got here as an essential religious question.
I don't see social ethics and values as an essentially religious challenge.
I don't heirachy and celebrity and cult worship as essentially religious
I don't see trancedent experiences or imaginary friends as essentially religious
Religion is just one way of looking at these.
I suggest you might have it all round the wrong way.
People have world views. People have needs and wants. People have loves and fears. People have questions. Societies need laws. Some things increase suffering. Others reduce suffering or even add joy.
These are not religious needs. They are human needs.
We don't need religion to deal with them all. Religion is just one way to address human needs and society etc.Sep 12 2012: @Obey I fear that you have a very closed definition of religion. Japan is a religious country - how do you define religion?
Sep 13 2012: You are right that religion or similar superstituous traditions is a broad category.
I guess Japanese culture is infused with Shinto and Buddhism rather than Abrahamic gods.
However, I suggest the Japanese see themselves as non religious.
My understanding:
About 70% of Japanese profess no religious membership, according to Johnstone (1993:323), 84% of the Japanese claim no personal religion
In census questionnaires, less than 15% reported any formal religious affiliation by 2000. According to Edwin Reischauer, and Marius Jansen, some 70–80% of the Japanese regularly tell pollsters they do not consider themselves believers in any religion.
Maybe half might nominally believe in some god concept or have some Buddhist viewpoints - according to Demerath (2001), 41% do not believe in God, and 55% do not believe in Buddha.
Having been there and having many Japanese friends I didn't get a sense that their society hinges on religious dogma and traditions.
On the scale of being a religious country to a non religious one, Japan and much of North West Europe are the least religious. The US is an anomaly.
So I think my point stands, and if I may refine it slightly - that countries where religion is not a dominant social force, where most people define themselves as non religious seem to do just fine if they have rule or law etc and the other non religious institutions that support quality of life.Sep 13 2012: @Obey, to summarize you think religion is a means for an end? The end in this instance being answers? Religion is far more complex than that. Faith can give identity, purpose and worldview. Religion is not an out-of-date media for answers. It evolves as we evolve. To restate Ehis' question, what is your definition of religion?
Sep 13 2012: I agree religion and religious beliefs can relate to identity, purpose, worldviews, moral frameworks.
I'm just saying you can have all these without religion, without basing them on religious beliefs.
If you think would views, morality, identity must always be religious, I disagree.
Religion is hard to pin down. I don't think it has clear cut boundaries.
Most dictionary and wiki definitions are on the right track. Most religions are a subset of supernatural spiritual belief systems, the shared ones typically with dogma. Most started as cults but have become established over time and less reliant on one living person.
Possibly involving belief and worship of supernatural beings, but I'd also include Buddhism. Typically with a supernatural view of reality, eternal spirits, afterlife, a divine order. Maybe creation stories or scriptures or moral doctrines. They may involve human organsation, heirachies, ritual etc.
Some belief systems are a bit tricky. I don't know enough about Confucianism to determine if I would call it a religion. Scientology, is probably transitioned from cult to religion. Animism, shamanism are related too.
Chess club, science, and atheism are not religions.
I agree religion is diverse and evolves but it is not part of my identity or world view. My moral framework is not based on religion. My life has purpose even though finite and I evolved.
While we are surrounded by religions and religious beliefs and related supernatural belief systems - new age, astrology etc, you can live a life that is based on secular foundations.
I think you are stretching religion too far to say a fixation on money or Madonna is a religion.
My life is just fine without religion.
Also, religion can play a part in peoples life and still be false in terms of the claims,Sep 13 2012: Jake, maybe I can put it this way:
Imagine all the religions have their own languages. Some also have languages that are not religious. Our ability to speak is independent of whether we chose or are indoctrinated with a religious or non religious language.
Our ability to "speak", to develop moral systems, to develop world views, to attribute meaning to our lives is independent of religion. They can be infused with religion or devoid of it.
I think you are mixing up the processes and capability with inputs and outputs.
I don't need religion in my world view. I don't need religion to understand the universe and my place in it as best I can. I don't need religion to develop a moral framework. I don't need religion to face death. I don't need to have an imaginary friend to get through life or a divine policeman to define and pursue what I consider a good life. I don't need eternal life in order for a finite life to have meaning. I don't need religion to belong to a community, to be a citizen, to contribute. I don't need religion Etc. I'm comfortable not having all the answers rather than making up unverifiable ones.Sep 14 2012: Religion is a method of control, to control the people and guide them into what the leaders want them to doSep 18 2012: This question might as well ask, "Why does superstitions exist?" The obvious answer is that they provide an explanation for things we do not understand.
There is some research that seems relevant:
Analytic thinking undermines belief because, as cognitive psychologists have shown, it can override intuition. And we know from past research that religious beliefs—such as the idea that objects and events don't simply exist but have a purpose—are rooted in intuition. "Analytic processing inhibits these intuitions, which in turn discourages religious belief," Norenzayan explains.Sep 13 2012: Hmmm, I don't think that religion can be said to have a purpose as such. It is simply a successful meme that plays upon some of our deepest instincts. For example, a fear of death is natural and instinctive, but the idea of an eternal afterlife could become a successful meme because it allows us to trick ourselves into not being scared. Similarly, if a society has a cosmic law-giver, it supports co-operation and homogeneity within this society, which allows it to prosper over more spiritually anarchic societies. Religion is humankind's first attempt at law, at science, at moral philosophy... and it worked to our advantage for a while.
Sep 14 2012: Good point, religion can be put to different uses but has no intrinsic immutable absolute purpose.Sep 13 2012: Confussion....no more than confussion.
Sky F
Sep 13 2012: This whole discussion is drifting nicely away from reality. It's like asking what the purpose of the 7-11 down the street from me is and then discussing corporate America, the core of our wants and desires, the role of society members, the value of convenience in our daily lives, the happenstance that it would even exist so close to me, onward into obscurity. The real answer is that the purpose of it for me is to fill the need of slurpees into my life, and the purpose for the business itself is to make money. Period.
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Like the purpose of a 7-11, the purpose of religion depends on who you're asking. For most people it's simply to provide comfort, create community, and maintain tradition. The whole "Will a single answer ever be found? Is there only one answer? " is just a silly question that isn't really asking anything at all (because it's vague as shit) and just makes the whole discussion way too serious without actually even talking about anything.
As for the whole 'social control' thing being talked about, this is the purpose of it for a very small minority of clever people who are using religion's "comfort, community, and tradition" to exploit it's members for personal reasons, whatever they may be. To be what you exclusively talk about as your purpose for a religion on a grand scale is really silly though. It is not the ultimate purpose of the religion, just a seedy by-product.
But again, it all depends on from who's perspective you're talking about. I answered from the perspective of "the majority who subscribe to it."
Anyways, don't be so serious guys. It just seems like a hot-air festival in here.
Sep 14 2012: Religion has elements that are the same for everybody, for example it does unite (the origin of the word is re, again, and ligare, to tie together). So, you are correct in that religion creates community, but the greater question is for what purpose? To make peace? To create understanding?
Sep 14 2012: Religion often unites the ingroup and reinforces tribalism and differences with out groups.
The purpose depends on the intent and beliefs of the individual.Sep 13 2012: Whether gods, goddesses, immortal spirits and a spiritual realm exist or not, religions are essentially man made constructs. They are cultural technologies.
Like many man made ideas and constructs they can have a variety of purposes and uses.
Individuals and groups may put religious or spiritual beliefs to different purposes, many of which have been raised in this conversation.
If there are interventionist gods then these gods may also have a purpose for religion.
If there are only non interventionist or no gods, then religion is a purely human affair.Sep 12 2012: Hey all,
This is a topic that will go on and on because we all have different belief and we belong to different religion.
we didn't choose it, it just happened to be so... I will be glad if we could choose our religion regardless our ethnicity.
All the religion separately have a good meaning and purpose, but when it comes to argue over it and try to compare them we end up in wars - not just arguing or fight, but making wars. I think religion created nothing between humanity but hate.
There are no grounds for going beyond a scientific explanation of reality and no sound reason for believing anything but our sense experience. A clear intellect, close attention to detail and a little scientific knowledge will expose religion as superstitious bosh. God does not exist!
I may be wrong
if Heaven is a good place, if everyone wants to meet God, then how comes that nobody wants to die?
I think the Heaven is here, and God is in you - Live the life as you would like to live like the Creator, because WE ARE CREATORS
Sep 13 2012: Perhaps most people in their heart of hearts know there may not be an afterlife and are heading to oblivionSep 12 2012: Religion is humanity's search for the creator.
Its about a search for the truth, and the morally right; a search for the guideline for life and living.
According to the Bible, in the book of James, Chapter 1 verse 27 "Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."Sep 12 2012: The purpose of religion is the total annihilation of the human spirit.
It is not some amoeba-like institution. It is not a building, or a book.
It is people and in the name of religion, those people have reigned down terror, brute force, torture, disease, destruction of life and environments and always, like water, follows its natural propensity to Fascism.
Be like this or else. Do like this or else. Believe like this or else. The 'or else' is still going on with the false-flag operations of America in the 'spreading of democracy', fighting terror, freeing people, making the world safer.
Make, making, is force. It isn't understanding, love, compassion, empathy or any good quality that humans possess.
It is evil, greedy, deceitful, corrupting, polluting, abusive and it is done to children and everyone else and it is all for the good of the children, the people, or whoever they wish to eat, drink and swallow their B.S.
This is still apparent today and not only in Islam, but still alive and thirsting for blood-letting, in Christians and Jews.
People of religion continue to spread the lies of religion, so by association and also by belief, they are as guilty and evil as those who participate, or participated, hundreds of years ago.
Conversion. Yeah, that's what it is.
Gail .
Sep 12 2012: Religion BEGAN as a way to explain unknowable gaps in understanding about how life works (why did that tornado/earthquate/drought/flood/volcano/etc. happen).
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It evolved into a way to control the masses and entrench cultures with inequality, so that the least equal are defending the more equal status of the more equal, with a promise of reward of one kind or another.
Today, religion is unnecessary and regressive. Science has shown enough evidence that the god of Abraham should have been thoroughly discredited by now. Still, there is something else that religions and sages throughout time agree about, ad quantum physics is in the process of explaining. It is not "God", per-se, but it is god-like, and we are made from it - gods in our own rights - able to manifest our own realities.Sep 12 2012: Religion is ultimately just a set of ethical and moral codes set down on how to live a good life for spiritual reward. Ultimately, they all also preach roughly the same ideals. Pretty much the only thing that really ruined religion was becoming organized (in other words, money and politics).Sep 12 2012: I swear that it looks as if there is a strange withdrawal process in action across the western nations and possibly the planet,forgive me,i'm not belittling your Q or trying to hi-jack it,it's just when i'm online "religion this or religion that" or "Atheist this or christian that" is virtually everywhere and it's been like this for a long time,i wonder if people realize that half the planet has got the shakes.It almost feels like we're going through puberty.
Religion: A set of beliefs in a higher agency outside of our known existence.That's my take on it.
We're guys and guys always like to have the last word.


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Instead of throwing away those one-time use Propane tanks, this Instructable shows you how to turn them into a safe, reusable drink tankard. Best of all, it is a functional insulated container so, it will keep your drink cold, without sweating.
Perfect for the seasoned outdoorsman. Fill it with a favorite beverage, and appear to be drinking propane right from the tank.
Step 1: Propane and Propane Accessories
Or perhaps you just need propane fueled energy to keep you warm during the cold winter months?
What better way to show it, than by taking a swig right from the tank.
In the heat of the BBQ season, or in the dead cold of winter, you need a shot of the good stuff, and now you can appear to be drinking it, with this incredibly authentic beverage container.
"Strickland Propane may have Propane and Propane Accessories but, they aint got nothing like this!"
Disclamer: Propane is dangerous!
- Propane is extremely flammable
- The beverage container in this project is for novelty purposes only
- Propane should never be consumed in any way, shape, or form.
- This project uses EMPTY containers.
- Do not empty tanks by manually depressing the valve.
- Always empty tanks through an approved Propane appliance.
- Liquid propane expelled from its container is Dangerously Cold and will instantly freeze skin.
- Never heat propane tanks they will explode
I know you are about to have 9 million tell you propane and air is a bomb but before that starts I would like to offer a practical solution. When you unscrew the valve submerge the tank and water to fill it. This will expel all residual gasses and make the tank totally inert for any further construction purposes.-Nelson Studios.
Do what he said!
I know you are about to have 9 million tell you propane and air is a bomb but before that starts I would like to offer a practical solution. When you unscrew the valve submerge the tank and water to fill it. This will expel all residual gasses and make the tank totally inert for any further construction purposes.-Nelson Studios.
Do what he said!
you want real winter gloves not latex. this gas is so cold it will give you frost bit. Propane hitting your skin will do nothing unless it's cold from pressure. but anything in a can is cold under pressure. latex gloves would be like putting your seatbelt on just before you drive into a brick wall at 150mph. rather pointless isn't it?
I don't want to repeat myself over and over, but as i read these posts i realize these people have no idea how chemicals and pressure works. so that being said, anyone that thinks their can is empty after it runs out of fuel and cuts, drills, or hacks their way inside with out properly draining COULD lead to and explosion, even under water. Do it the way I just told you and you'll be fine. I've done it a few dozen times. if you don't believe me I can show you how to do it email me. email@example.com
For a safer idea, use an empty disposable oxygen tank. Or just use a piece of 4 inch abs DWV pipe.
Nothing at all. these are made of aluminum and disperse heat very quickly, if you needed a tank these work great. I have one on my kids go cart as a fuel cell, just drilled out the guts through the top valve and put a cap on, drill a hole in the bottom and screw in a nipple the size of your fuel like and use plumbers thread tape. been 2 years works fine.
There won't be enough to hurt you if you followed throu on leaving the valve open. You will smell it, but it's no worse than what you smell everytime you walk by a gas stove. I think the underwater cutting is a bit extreme, you figure if the valve is left open and you take a file to it long enough to get a tiny hole started, at that point there is no possible way for any pressure to come back. or explosion, like i said if you used a power tool be aware that friction causes heat and sparks. yeah stick with what reiff said, do it in the kitchen sink. I know most of you won't find that necessary but there's always a couple people that don't follow instructions very well.. so yeah a hack saw, file will work fine just go slow till you puncture the tank. I shoot these empty tanks with guns everytime I go practice shooting and they do NOTHING except look like swiss cheese afterward.
These little disposable cans work great for projects. I saw a post before I looked here on how to safely cut one of these in half. There was noting online on how to do it except don't because you 'll blow yourself up. well this is what I did. put the torch back on and left it open. Propane is heavier than air so you need to turn it upside down so the nozzle is facing down. then I have a triangle file in my jewelry files and I just filed until there was a hole. There was no noise of gas escaping, just could smell propane a bit strong after breaking throu but it's not enough to explode esp with the nozzle left open. locked. I know at least 9 of 10 of you are going to ask me why I would need to cut one? Well these tanks are pressure tight and finding something that can hole that kind of pressure when building tools or projects come in handy. it all depends on scale. they use the 20 lb tanks to make little kilns. I want this one to make a mini soup can forge, but mine is high Quality, spent the money on 3000 degree fire cement and Aluminum brackets. I am building this for my garage so I can heat steal on a small scale cheap and efficiently, It's a cheap way to get into metal fabrication without spending more than 10 or 20 dollars.
You can look up on youtube how to make a soup can forge but these cans would be so much better, they look to be aluminum. I just wanted to give someone instructions on how to do this without hurting yourself. Can Must be completely empty and left open on the valve. then file with low pressure the closer you get to the inside. worst case scenario would be to make a spark and it would throw a little flame out of the hole but it will not explode if you cannot light the torch with a lighter after left open. so make sure the valve is open and just use common sense. I don't suggest anyone under the age of 18 do this. have an adult or even take it to a shop to have it cut open. the only way to let the pressure out is through the topvwith an attachment.. thanks
PS. filling with water and then bumping will assure no gas is left in the vessel. Rust should not be a problem if you are spraying water inside to make foam work anyway it will speed up your process a little. cheers!
a few production ideas/notes.
When the Schrader valve is first removed... Use the opening to fill the container with water. when completely filled, reinstall the valve, and you're now "safeish" for cutting. Without this step, there is a SMALL, but real chance that some gas remains in the container, and an errant spark can make it go 'POP' or, in worst case 'BOOM'.
#2... instead of all the tiny holes, to remove the valve...a hacksaw can cut through that brass pretty quicky, then a hole-saw will net you a clean, perfectly sized hole, with one go. If your plastic bottle neck is larger than the thread diameter, you can skip the hacksaw and take the entire valve/thread assembly in one quick drill.
#3. when foaming with the bottle in place, make sure the cap is ON the bottle.
otherwise, it is possible that he foam might crush the unsupported plastic a bit. Not critical, but useful.
#4 Acetone works wonders at removing UN-CURED expanding foam.
if it has cured... then remove as much as you can and head to the drugstore(or beauty supply, or just about anywhere) and get yourself a pumice stone. sandpaper works for those of us with "manly tough hides" and a little less common sense. Abrade MOST of it off... then let exfoliation, and everyday abrasion do the rest.
#5 using MINIMALLY expanding foam will cure some of the issues observed by the OP. and the cans CAN be used multiple times, you just have to get the foam plugs out of the nozzle and straw (nozzle is easy, with a paperclip. usually easier just to use a new straw. free from your local fast food joint)
My process would NOT USE the pilot bit. Just the outer bit.
this lets you cut just a small amount of sheet metal.
using a step drill, you'd be drilling away all of the brass stem.
It's a drinking bottle, so if the hole is a little off center, it's no big deal.
let the stem guide your holesaw, rather than the 'starter drill bit'.
Now for a minor point of clarification: After an extensive Mass Spectrometrical Analysis, it has been determined that the stem is not brass but is indeed steel; just like the rest of the tank. (At least that's what my magnet told me)
Seriously, a Heartfelt Thank you for your comments.
H. P. Stoutharrow
But the other way would be to insert some wood into the tank through the bottom hole to drill into to locate the hole saw

subset: commoncrawl


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The End. We've reached the end of our blog series. We want to thank all of the guest bloggers who participated:
- Week 1: Richard Kielbowicz, Steve Hutkins, and Jim Campbell
- Week 2: Cliff Guffey, Alan Robinson, and John Callan
- Week 3: Steve Ressler, Dan Combs, and John Payne
- Week 4: Jessica Lowrance, John Waller, and Jeff Colvin
- Week 5: Roger Kodat, Jim Sauber, and Elmar Toime
We also want to thank all of the commenters who took the time to add their views.
on Apr 6th, 2012
in Five Elements of a Postal Solution
| 1 comment
on Apr 2nd, 2012
in Five Elements of a Postal Solution
| 1 comment
This is the fifth topic in our "Five Elements of a Postal Solution" blog series. Link to last week's topic. Link to the blog by Elmar Toime. Link to the blog by Jim Sauber. Link to the blog by Roger Kodat.
Guest Blogger Elmar Toime, independent advisor to the postal sectorElmar ToimeThere is nothing new in the U.S. Postal Service's concern about retirement liabilities, but this is part of a larger issue of employee compensation. In developed economies around the world, postal employees enjoyed or still enjoy civil service labor conditions. This is not just about take-home pay. Civil servants typically have better leave and medical arrangements, better working hours, and importantly, more generous pension and medical schemes. This is my first point. Comparisons of postal compensation to compensation in other industries must be made on the value of total remuneration. In itself, higher compensation need not be a problem. The crucial element is whether superior remuneration can be matched by superior productivity. If it can, then the labor cost is justified. And to be fair, in this context, productivity should include both efficiency (as measured for example by labor cost per postal item) and service (for example timely delivery of mail). Whatever the situation, postal services have to be paid for, either by users (when they buy postage) or by the government through subsidies and market protection for mail services. That's a public policy choice that governments cannot duck. If you want users to pay, then either postage prices have to increase, or services reduced, or labor productivity improved, or assets worked harder. We see all approaches being implemented in other countries. In some places, total labor remuneration growth has been slower than the market, rebalancing in that way. We have seen dual pay structures emerge – existing civil servants retain all benefits, new employees simply don't get them. We have seen service quality change, through post office closures or a five day service. Everywhere there has been investment in new sorting technology and work practices that require less labor for the volume of mail processed. And we have seen governments allow prices to rise more than inflation, protecting the postal company from competition at the same time. New services have emerged, such as banking in post offices, in order to better use assets or fixed costs. It's an optimization problem that can't avoid difficult decisions. Want my 5 cents worth? Transfer existing pensions and medical insurance liabilities to the federal government. That is soon going to happen in the United Kingdom. Separate these 'old' benefits from a new employment contract based on existing conditions but which can be allowed to evolve with the business. Implement five-day a week delivery (Monday to Friday), accept private sector provision of retail services, rationalize the sorting center network, and increase prices to provide a 5 percent return on capital invested for the first three years. Announce that market liberalization will occur in the third year. In other words, do what most other countries have done! Back to top
Guest Blogger Jim Sauber, Chief of Staff, National Association of Letter CarriersJim SauberLegacy costs: The Postal Service's hidden strengths I often joke that the Postal Service is the most financially sound 'failing business' in the country. It has two overfunded pension plans (FERS and CSRS), even with the application of grossly inequitable cost allocations methods in the postal portion of the CSRS fund and it has pre-funded nearly 50% of its future retiree health liability when the median level of funding for such benefits among Fortune 1000 companies is zero (0%), according to an annual survey by Towers Watson. These strengths suggest that the financial crisis at the Postal Service is not hopeless. Smart policy on pensions and retiree health costs can help save one of America's greatest economic assets, a last-mile delivery network that links 150 million households and businesses for an industry that employs 7.5 million Americans. One solution already proposed would be to suspend the retiree health pre-funding during the near term emergency. Restructuring must take priority over pre-funding now. No other agency or private company faces such a mandate. The remaining unfunded liability for retiree health could be covered by implementing the recommendations of the PRC/Segal company audit of CSRS benefits as called for by H.R. 1351, a bill with bipartisan majority support in the House of Representatives. Although the October 2011 GAO report on this issue backed the OPM's interpretation of the law, and the methods it used for allocating pre-1971 pension costs between USPS and the Treasury, it also concluded that the methods endorsed by the OIG and PRC audits were "reasonable" and that the choice of methods is essentially a "policy decision." I agree – Congress should make the policy decision, not OPM. There is more that can be done to handle future legacy costs. First, Congress should allow USPS and its employees to invest the assets in the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF) in a more appropriate manner. A fund with $45 billion in it, operating on a 75-year time horizon that will pay out $3 billion per year for retiree insurance premiums, should not be invested exclusively in low-yielding Treasury securities. The group of diversified index funds in the Thrift Savings Plan (which also invest for employees' retirement years) have earned 7.3% annually since their inception. Raising the returns in the PSRHB to this level would cut prefunding cost significantly. Second, legislation to facilitate the intelligent integration of FEHBP and Medicare benefits as well as bargaining between the Postal Service and its unions on health benefits within a FEHBP context could dramatically reduce future retiree health benefit costs. NALC is aggressively exploring the options right now. Of course, these policy changes alone won't be enough to save the USPS. NALC knows that costs must be properly aligned with the economic realities of the 21st Century through pain-staking collective bargaining – a process that is still underway. More importantly, the Postal Service needs a new business model and a growth strategy that will preserve a robust national network to serve the nation. That will require Congress and all the stakeholders in our industry to come together to reach a consensus on a vision for the future. Back to top
Guest Blogger Roger Kodat, former official at the Department of the Treasury.Roger KodatThe legislative process often leaves us wondering if form trumps substance. Take the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, particularly Section 803. This section requires the Postal Service to make cumulative $58.8 billion of specified annual pre-payments from 2007-2016 into a Retiree Health Benefits Fund (CBO report on HR 6407); over $5 billion per year for 10 years in a row. In hindsight, we know now that the law's payment schedule has since been modified – to date, the Postal Service has been permitted to pay $9.5 billion less than the amounts called for in the bill, but payments totaling $11.1 billion are now due by the end of this year. Even so, the question still remains: How could the Postal Service possibly survive such financially crippling, front-loaded, payments to cover unfunded retiree health liabilities? As legislation was drafted, OPM estimated the Postal Service's accrued unfunded retiree health liabilities to be about $64 billon; it is now calculated to be around $90 billion. Given the legal requirement for the Postal Service to meet all of its obligations through operating profits, it was deemed prudent that the Postal Service incrementally prefund such an enormous future cost to its employees. As a finance guy, I preferred a 30-year straight-line amortization schedule for Postal to incrementally prefund this future obligation, in keeping with how a private sector corporation might operate. Smooth and steady contributions help ensure a more secure future for the Postal Service and its employees - a key policy objective. Due to budget rules, government does not always work this way. Enter CBO (and don't forget fiscal constraints the nation faced at the time). In order to gain congressional and administration support to enact a Postal Service reform bill, it was imperative to structure the financial flows in order to minimize, or even zero-out, net cost to the unified budget over the 10-year period following enactment (CBO's analytical scope in calculating budget cost impacts). Once it was decided by congressional leaders to use this bill also to return the cost of military service retirement credits back to the Treasury (previously a Postal Service obligation), a balancing cash inflow had to be structured to gain support for the legislation. Credit those in Congress who worked creatively and tirelessly to weave a passable reform bill – we needed one. Also remember: the Postal Service had minimal debt at that time; and we could not know how extensive electronic diversion of mail would be; nor the depth of the economic downturn we would face. The $5+ billion yearly obligation, passed with bipartisan support by Congress and the White House, kept the reform budget neutral and did not result in increased costs for the taxpayer. What can be done? Remain vigilant to identify and implement cost savings; expand operating flexibility to drive greater efficiencies; evaluate whether excess CSRS and FERS account balances could be applied to satisfy a portion of this obligation (bear in mind that OPM, in future, could change its long term assumptions, which might result in the Postal Service having a negative fund balance); and ask Congress for a more smooth and steady prefunding schedule. As for the last prescription, I have come full circle. Back to top
What should be done about overfunding, overpayment, and other unfunded federal mandates? As the Postal Service's financial crisis deepens, we often hear about overfunding and overpayments by the Postal Service for retiree benefits. This issue is complex and controversial. While some argue that there are overpayments, others respond that the Postal Service has not overpaid but simply paid what is required to ensure that taxpayers are not burdened with future Postal Service liabilities. Postal employees participate in federal pension and retiree health programs, and the Postal Service must set aside money to fund these obligations. On the pension side, the Postal Service has covered the obligations accrued to date. According to the most recent projection by the Office of Personnel Management, the Postal Service's 2011 pension surplus was over $13 billion. (Most of this surplus was for the newer FERS pension plan.) The Postal Service has only partially funded its retiree health obligations. The federal government does not prefund retiree health benefits, and the Postal Service only started funding these obligations in 2007. Since 2007, the Postal Service has amassed $44 billion, 49 percent of its $90 billion in current liabilities. However, because of its financial problems, the Postal Service is having difficulty making its annual payments to fund retiree health benefits. Last year, Congress delayed the $5.5 billion payment due at the end of September 2011 until August 2012. The Postal Service does not believe it will be able to make the $11.1 billion in retiree health payments it owes for both this year and last year. What should be done about these looming bills? This issue is part of a broader issue of entanglements with the federal government. As part of the federal government, the Postal Service uses federal benefit programs but has little control over their structure; as a self-financed entity, the Postal Service is expected to set aside funds to pay for obligations incurred by these programs. In fact, to gain more control over the cost of health benefits, the Postal Service has proposed moving to a health benefit plan that it operates rather than using the federal plan. Any effort to set the Postal Service on a course for financial sustainability will need to address the question of how to approach retiree benefit funding and federal entanglements. This week, we've asked the following guest commentators to discuss the topic over the next few days: • Roger Kodat, former official at the Department of the Treasury. • Jim Sauber, Chief of Staff, National Association of Letter Carriers. • Elmar Toime, independent advisor to the postal sector. We hope you can join the debate. Please check in throughout the week for their thoughts, and share your comments along the way. On Friday, April 6, we will summarize and conclude the discussion. Our Guest Bloggers
Roger Kodat was Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury from 2001 to 2007 and logged more than 130 different postal-related meetings while working on the reform bill enacted in 2006. In addition, he has over 20 years of investment and commercial banking experience with JPMorgan in Europe, NYC, and Washington, DC. He is currently Principal of The Kodat Group, a consulting firm specializing in helping businesses expand international markets, finance exports, and mitigate risk.. Jim Sauber is the Chief of Staff to President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), where he served many years as its Research Director. He joined the staff of the NALC as an economist in 1985 and has participated in seven rounds of collective bargaining with the United States Postal Service. He is responsible for coordinating the research, collective bargaining, public policy and legislative activities of the union. Elmar Toime is an independent advisor to the postal sector based in London. He is chairman of Postea, Inc, a postal technology group, and a member of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Post DHL, the world's leading logistics company. Elmar was the chief executive of New Zealand Post Limited from 1993 to 2003 and Executive Deputy Chairman of the Royal Mail Group from 2003 to 2004. In 2004 Elmar was awarded a life-time achievement award for leadership in the postal industry. Back to top
Roger Kodat Jim Sauber Elmar Toime
on Mar 26th, 2012
in Five Elements of a Postal Solution
| 14 comments
This is the fourth topic in our "Five Elements of a Postal Solution" blog series. Link to last week's topic. Link to today's recap. Link to Thursday's blog by John Waller. Link to Wednesday's blog by Jeff Colvin. Link to Tuesday's blog by Jessica Lowrance.
Recapping the week - March 30, 2012 In the fourth week of our blog series, we asked three experts to give us their opinions on an appropriate pricing regime for the Postal Service. Our bloggers offered diverse ideas about a future pricing regime. Jessica Lowrance believes "eliminating the current concept of classes of mail is a natural step in streamlining operations and simplifying mail usage… [and]…it makes sense to adapt the product offering to how the USPS currently processes mail." Jeff Colvin envisions "tailoring the price structure of bulk mail to the vast differences in delivery cost around the country." Lastly, John Waller sees "current competitive market conditions warranting the exploration of a more flexible [price] cap with a narrower scope of application." Although Waller identifies the need for a more flexible price cap, he thinks the current requirement has had positive results because "it has forced cost cuts and attention on developing new business models." However, Colvin points out that "the price cap freezes prices at inflation, effectively removing an important tool companies ordinarily employ to achieve financial stability." Both do agree that a future price cap should factor in a continued decrease in mail volumes. Lowrance's blog differs by focusing on Postal Service operations and mail classes. She states, "The major differences within operations are when and where the [mail] piece is accepted and the service standards surrounding the class of mail. The Postal Service could rationalize its services by creating shaped-based products that followed many of the same regulations that exist today." Comments to date on this week's blog include varying ideas. Most agree there should be a responsible approach to increasing prices based on current market conditions. Others added that any Postal Service products or services that cost more than the revenue they bring in should be minimally priced at the breakeven level. We thank each of the bloggers for their comments and will continue to keep the blogs open for additional input from the public. In addition, we invite you to keep up with the Office of Audit's latest work through the Audit Project Pages. This site provides a forum for you to share your ideas, comments, and concerns on our open audit projects. Next week's blog series will examine the question: What should be done about the overfunding, overpayment, and other unfunded federal mandates? Back to top
Guest Blogger John Waller, consultant on postal and regulatory issues - March 29, 2012John WallerThe CPI cap requirement has forced cost cuts and attention on developing new business models. These achievements should not be lost in any new pricing requirements. But a CPI cap does not account for the impact of on-going volume and revenues erosion due to electronic diversion and economic downturns. Current competitive market conditions warrant the exploration of a more flexible cap with a narrower scope of application. Without annual pricing flexibility in excess of the CPI, the Service becomes dependent on exigent, breakeven or legislatively authorized price increases, with periodic rate shock impacts as in the pre-PAEA days. With more flexibility in the cap and more limited application, these impacts can be avoided through manageable, predictable, annual increases sufficient to ensure a financially viable Postal Service. Ideally, a new pricing policy would mimic PAEA requirements for competitive products as closely as possible. Market conditions will act as a restraint on unreasonable price increases given the competition that exists between postal products and the Internet, especially for commercial mailers. However, as a matter of public policy protection for the individual citizen mailer, a cap may still be warranted for single-piece letters and packages. While the cap could initially be applicable only to single piece letters and packages, a safety valve could be established for other products by authorizing the Commission to extend the cap coverage, if unreasonable prices or undue discrimination is detected. The recognition that excessive price increases could trigger a death spiral will keep the Service focused on cutting costs and developing new sources of revenue. The Service has exercised appropriate restraint with reasonable, but above CPI, price increases for competitive products. This pricing flexibility has allowed those products to remain affordable and profitable yet keep management attention on cost cutting and innovation. As with competitive products, it is reasonable to require market dominant prices to cover cost plus a reasonable contribution for institutional costs. If a product suddenly fails to cover costs, then a specific period of time could be required for returning the product to profitability before mandating price increases through the regulatory process. Pricing requirements should also foster workshare discounts to continue the privatization of upstream functions. At some point it may be reasonable to transfer most bulk mail products to the competitive category. But in the meantime, once a lean system is established, removing the cap for commercial products is a means of testing the feasibility and value of such a move. To the extent that a cap is retained, it should take into consideration the financial impact of the steady erosion in volume due to competing media. As volume declines, non-volume-variable costs in a lean postal system become a larger share of total costs and average unit costs increase even if input costs (labor, transportation, etc.) are under the CPI. The percentage of total costs that are fixed accelerates as volume becomes ever smaller due to the structure of street delivery. The cap should also allow for price adjustments to offset the loss of contribution due to the change in mail mix. Since 2006, Standard mail has become the largest component of volume with about 1/3rd the unit contribution of the previously dominant First-Class. Additionally, universal service requirements should be taken into consideration. The need for an above CPI cap can by mitigated by reducing legal constraints, such as a required 6-day delivery or mandated price preferences for certain products. If Postal Service requests for changes, especially in delivery innovations, are rejected, then the resultant impact on profit can either be subsidized or be incorporated in the cap to allow recovery of these costs through postage. A future cap should be less than CPI if volume trends turn around. When volume is growing, price caps less than the CPI are reasonable. The Service could propose the mechanics of a new cap with adoption requiring regulatory approval based on public hearings. To allow a capability to respond to new price impacts, a legislated cap could be a simple CPI plus an x factor to be determined by an expert body informed by public hearings. The legislation could specify certain factors that must be considered in future caps, such as volume per delivery point. Back to top
Guest Blogger Jeff Colvin, Director, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General - March 28, 2012Jeff ColvinYou hear it all the time. Question: What company, facing a precipitous decline in demand for its product, would raise prices? Answer: A state-owned monopoly, with a mandate to meet a multi-billion dollar service obligation. Question: What company, losing billions a year, would not raise prices? Answer: A business facing such powerful multi-modal competition that its captive market is slipping away like time into the future. So the Postal Service, and the $900 billion industry it supports is in a huge mess – but what's price got to do with it? And what can be done, via pricing, to make things better? The problem is well-known. The Postal Service's most profitable product First Class Mail was already battered by e-substitution, when the postal ship sailed into the greatest recession in recent memory. And it's still taking on water, losing $1.3 billion in January 2012 alone, according to unaudited results filed with the PRC. January volume fell by 2.3% from last year. While there is some improvement in shipping services, there isn't enough to make up for the gigantic losses in the letter market. Like it or not, the action is all in letters, and increasingly, in bulk letters. But raising the bulk letter price is not easy. The price cap freezes prices at inflation effectively removing an important tool companies ordinarily employ to achieve financial stability. Of course, Congress could soften its impact by loosening it to compensate for falling volumes, but it may not be enough. But Royal Mail and its regulator Ofcom recently concluded that even a cap watered down by such a volume-adjustment mechanism fails to provide for adequate pricing flexibility in labor intensive industries like postal. More importantly, the pricing problem is not strictly a legislative issue. The Postal Service says that it wants to raise the stamp price to 50¢, but is much more cautious when it comes to raising bulk mail prices. The worry is that demand might now be significantly more sensitive to price increases, because of e-substitution, than in the past. The jury is out on that one. The available research on what economists call 'elasticity' says First Class Mail, and even Standard Mail, are still pretty price insensitive, so much so that an increase in price would actually raise revenue and contribution. It may be that e-substitution to letters is more a trend, whose ebbs and flows depend more on technology and culture than on incumbent pricing. Still, the question is an empirical one, and short of the basic research on whether demand characteristics have really changed, the obvious test – raise prices and see what happens – does carry risk. So, what can be done with prices to improve the Postal Service's bottom line? Let me offer a modest proposal. Why not tailor the price structure of bulk mail to the vast differences in delivery cost around the country. Delivery costs vary dramatically by ZIP code according to the density of the population. It would improve efficiency if prices tracked those differences. In fact, simulations indicate that, even keeping total revenue constant, adjusting prices to delivery costs, could increase contribution by $800 million by shifting volume from high cost to low cost delivery areas. It won't solve the problem, but as they say, a billion here and billion there . . . N.B: The views presented in this blog posting do not necessarily reflect the views of the OIG or any other organization. They are the views of the author alone. Back to top
Guest Blogger Jessica Lowrance, Executive Vice President for the Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom) - March 27, 2012Jessica LowranceToday, the Postal Service offers an array of products that ultimately deliver a piece of mail from point A to point B. This original product has been sliced and diced to over 4,000 price points. From this price list, mailers pick the shape that best fits their mailing – a letter, flat, or package. Next, the mailers chooses a class of mail (First-Class, Standard, Periodicals, or Package Services/Parcels) based on rules and regulations established by the Postal Service. The Postal Service further distinguishes classes of mail by delivery or service standards. Additional services are available to mailers that occur pre- or post-delivery, especially if the piece is found to be undeliverable. Eliminating the current concept of classes of mail is a natural step in streamlining operations and simplifying mail usage. From my perspective, it makes sense to adapt the product offering to how the USPS currently processes mail. Today, shape influences how a piece gets processed and which machines are used to move the mail through the system. This, then, affects how much it costs the USPS to process the piece and ultimately the price of the service. In the eyes of a postal machine, a letter is a letter. The major differences within operations are when and where the piece is accepted and the service standards surrounding the class of mail. The Postal Service could rationalize its services by creating shaped-based products that followed many of the same regulations that exist today. Under such a revised product list, the Postal Service could offer a letter product that was differentiated further by where the piece was entered and the services purchased through the IMb. For example, if the piece contained a bank statement and the mailer wanted 1-3 day service, it would be entered at a facility that met those service standards as well as any presort and destination entry requirements. The Intelligent Mail barcode on the piece could indicate that it was sealed against inspection and would be automatically forwarded if the recipient changed addresses. If the mailer wanted or needed additional return services, it could indicate which services were requested via the IMb. The Postal Service would no longer have to be concerned with processing preferred over deferred service letters, as all letter pieces when processed would be processed together. This a la carte price offering would provide the mailing community with the opportunity to reach deeper presort levels and dropship further downstream in postal operations. Over time this should reduce upstream operations and postal costs. In order to move forward with this suggested alternative, the Postal Service would need to go before the Postal Regulatory Commission to change its mail classification schedule (MCS). This process would allow for interested parties to comment to the Commission on the Postal Service's new product categories and how it translates to existing service performance reporting, pricing, and costing. Back to top
What is the appropriate pricing regime for the Postal Service? The pricing of postal products is critical to ensure value for Postal Service customers. Although, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 streamlined the pricing and classification process, no significant changes have been made in almost 6 years. Additionally, law requires that all market-dominant product price increases to be tied to a Consumer Price Index (CPI) price cap. Is this an adequate pricing approach for a 21st century postal service? Are there other objectives that should be achieved with modern pricing? The Postal Service's president and chief marketing/sales officer said ―"…when we make it simple to mail, our customers will do business with us." However, mailers, employees, and the public do not always understand all of the prices the Postal Service offers. Stakeholders have noted that complex rates aren't necessarily a bad thing for mailers and that most large mailers calculate their postage with a computer rather than paper and pencil. Is the use of computerized pricing by mailers a 21st century solution or a symptom of a disease? In fiscal year (FY) 2010 the Postal Service had more than 7,600 domestic prices with 2,361 prices (31 percent) not used in FY 2010 and another 1,237 (17 percent) used on less than 10 mailpieces. This means that nearly half of the Postal Service's domestic prices were not used by customers at all or not used often. Today there are over 8,000 domestic prices for the Postal Service's three primary product lines: letters, flats, and parcels, along with additional services such as insurance, delivery confirmation, and certified mail. Does it make sense to have so many prices or should pricing be simplified? Continuing pricing discussions include how to establish prices — a top-down or bottom-up pricing model? What pricing tools could potentially promote better efficiency and incentivize good performance? Are work sharing pass-throughs an efficient measure of costs avoided by the Postal Service? Is the CPI an adequate safeguard to ensure efficiency and financial viability for the future? We would like to hear from you about how the Postal Service should or should not redefine pricing in support of a lean and simple national infrastructure with a right-sized workforce in the 21st Century and beyond. For this week's topic, we've also asked the following guest commentators to discuss this topic over the next three days: • Jessica Lowrance, Executive Vice President for the Association for Postal Commerce, on Tuesday, March 27. • Jeff Colvin, Director, USPS Office of Inspector General, on Wednesday, March 28. • John Waller, consultant on postal and regulatory issues, on Thursday, March 29. We hope you can join the debate. Please check in throughout the week for their thoughts, and share your comments along the way. On Friday, March 30, we will summarize and conclude the discussion on this important topic. Our Guest Bloggers
Jessica Dauer Lowrance is the Executive Vice President for the Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom). She has been with PostCom for almost four years working with and representing business mailers to all postal stakeholders. Prior to joining PostCom, she was a pricing economist for the Postal Service. Dr. Jeffrey Colvin has published many articles on postal issues. After 23 years with the Postal Service, he is now with the USPS Office of Inspector General. John Waller is a consultant on postal and regulatory issues. Previously he was the Director of the PRC's Office of Accountability and Compliance. Back to top
Jessica Lowrance Jeff Colvin John Waller


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Interpretive Handbook
83371 :
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) Evaluation, Pediatric
Clinical Information Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an acquired disorder of neuromuscular transmission caused by the binding of pathogenic autoantibodies to muscle's postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). In about 3% of cases the pathogenic antibody is directed at the functionally associated muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK). The outcome is a critical loss of the AChR channel protein, which is required to activate the muscle action potential.
Amongst North American Caucasian children (ie, aged 1-18), MG affects prepubertal boys and girls with equal frequency. Spontaneous remissions are relatively frequent. Females predominate (4.5:1) after puberty. Amongst black children with MG, females predominate (2:1) in all age groups, and remissions are infrequent, regardless of therapy.
Congenital MG is a hereditary nonautoimmune disorder characterized by defects In AChR or other synaptic proteins.
Autoimmune serology is indispensable for both initial evaluation and monitoring the course of patients with acquired disorders of neuromuscular transmission. The neurological diagnosis depends on the clinical context, electromyographic findings, and response to anticholinesterase administration. MG is confirmed more readily by a serological profile than by any single test.
See Myasthenia Gravis: Pediatric Diagnostic Algorithm in Special Instructions.
Useful For Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Recommended for initial investigation of patients presenting at less than age 20 with a defect of neuromuscular transmission
Confirming that a recently acquired neurological disorder has an autoimmune basis
Distinguishing acquired myasthenia gravis from congenital myasthenic syndromes (persistently seronegative)
Providing a quantitative baseline for future comparisons in monitoring clinical course and response to immunomodulatory treatment
Note: Single antibody tests may be requested in follow-up of patients with positive results documented in this laboratory.
Interpretation Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results
Muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies are characteristic but not diagnostic of myasthenia gravis (MG). They are found in 13% of patients with Lambert-Eaton Syndrome (LES), which is rare in children. The patient's autoantibody profile is more informative than the result of any single test for supporting a diagnosis of MG.
Titers of AChR antibodies are generally higher in patients with severe weakness, but severity cannot be predicted by antibody titer. Seronegativity is more frequent in children with prepubertal onset of acquired MG (33%-50%) than in adults (<10%). Thymoma is rare under age 20, and striational antibodies (see STR / Striational [Striated Muscle] Antibodies, Serum) also are rare, except in the context of MG related to neoplasia (usually thymoma or neuroblastoma), graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune liver disease, or D-penicillamine therapy. This laboratory has recently noted muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase antibody in children with "seronegative" acquired MG, but the frequency of this antibody in pediatric MG has not been determined.
Cautions Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances
A positive result in this evaluation is not per se diagnostic of myasthenia gravis (MG). Positive values for muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies occur in 10% of Lambert-Eaton syndrome patients, in children with graft-versus-host disease, and recipients of D-penicillamine (with and without clinically evident MG), and in children with paraneoplastic neurological disorders related to neuroblastoma, thymoma, and chondroblastoma (ie, seropositivity is not restricted to MG). Children with autoimmune liver disorders may be anticipated, like adults, to have unexplained AChR or striational antibodies (data not available).
Seronegativity does not exclude the diagnosis of autoimmune MG.
A minority of patients lacking detectable AChR antibodies have the recently discovered muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase antibodies.
In this laboratory, false-positive results for AChR binding antibody are excluded by routinely retesting positive sera with (125)I-alpha-bungarotoxin in the absence of muscle AChR. False-positive results occur most frequently in the bioassay for AChR modulating antibody; serum redraw will be requested when only this assay yields a positive result. AChR blocking antibody is the least frequently encountered AChR antibody specificity, and is never positive with a negative AChR modulating value. Curare-like drugs used during general anesthesia can yield a false-positive AChR blocking antibody result.
Seropositive rates differ in different laboratories.
This test should not be requested in patients who have recently received radioisotopes, therapeutically or diagnostically, because of potential assay interference. The specific waiting period before specimen collection will depend on the isotope administered, the dose given and the clearance rate in the individual patient. Specimens will be screened for radioactivity prior to analysis. Radioactive specimens received in the laboratory will be held one week and assayed if sufficiently decayed, or canceled if radioactivity remains.
Reference Values Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.
ACh RECEPTOR (MUSCLE) BINDING ANTIBODY
< or =0.02 nmol/L
ACh RECEPTOR (MUSCLE) MODULATING ANTIBODIES
0-20% (reported as __% loss of AChR)
Clinical References Provides recommendations for further in-depth reading of a clinical nature
1. Andrews PI, Massey JM, Howard JF Jr, Sanders DB: Race, sex, and puberty influence onset, severity, and outcome in juvenile myasthenia gravis. Neurology 1994 July;44(7):1208-1214
2. Lennon VA: Serological profile of myasthenia gravis and distinction from the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. Neurology 1997;48(Suppl 5):S23-S27
3. Hoch W, McConville J, Helms S, et al: Auto-antibodies to the receptor tyrosine kinase MuSK in patients with myasthenia gravis without acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Nat Med 2001 Mar;7(3):365-368
4. Joshi DD, Anderson PM, Matsumoto J, et al: Metastatic chondroblastoma with elevated creatine kinase and paraneoplastic neurologic autoimmunity. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2003;25:900-904


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|Women's Tennis » News » Schedule » Roster » Coaches » Statistics
Women's tennis kicks off 2011 season on Thursday against Milligan
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Jan. 19, 2011) - The two-time defending Atlantic Sun Conference regular season champion ETSU women's tennis team will get its 2011 season underway on Thursday evening when they host Milligan at 6 p.m. inside the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center.
The Bucs are coming off a perfect 10-0 regular season Atlantic Sun mark and they won their fourth-ever A-Sun Regular Season Championship. The team returns six key members from last year's squad including, first-team all-conference member Paula Jaime (Madrid, Spain) and second-team all-conference members Andra Voinea (Brasov, Romania) and Diana Navrosksta (Kviv, Ukraine).
The Bucs have also added two newcomers to the team for 2011. Freshman Giulia Andreazza (Balneario Camboriu, Brazil) had a solid fall tournament season as she tied for the team lead with 10 wins. Marine Wieliczko (Rouen, France) is another newcomer that looks to become an important piece to the lineup as she will see her first action this spring.
This past season, Yevgeniya Stupak closed out her unbelievable career in Johnson City as the school's all-time winningest player. Stupak was the only senior on last season's squad so the 2011 team will have to look for other members to step up and fill the void.
Thursday's match will also be the first for Yaser Zaatini as the head coach of the ETSU women's team. Zaatini has guided the ETSU men's tennis team to seven conference championships during his first eight years.
Milligan is coming off a successful 2010 campaign in which they advanced to the finals of the AAC Tournament. The team finished the year with an impressive 10-4 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in the AAC.
Following Thursday's match against Milligan, ETSU will hit the road for eight straight matches beginning next Friday at Eastern Kentucky.
Women's Tennis Archives
2010-11 Women's Tennis


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Ref : Watch G0A33076
Piaget Emperador watch, 36 x 46 mm. Case in 18K rose gold set with 183 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 3.1 ct). Dial set with 393 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.3 ct) with hour markers and Piaget coat-of-arms in 18K rose gold. Buckle set with 43 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.4 ct). Manufacture Piaget 534P automatic mechanical movement.
Metal: Rose gold
Metal weight (gr): 62.8
Strap type: Alligator
Strap color: Brown
Strap buckle: Ardillon buckle
Wrist size: 165 mm (min), 206 mm (max)
Case shape: Reverse Tonneau
Case dimension: 36 x 46 mm
Case thickness: 9.6 mm
Dial material: Precious stones
Dial finishing: Gem set
Index: Batons
Waterproofness: 03 ATM
Movement: Automatic mechanical
Precious stones: Diamond
Should you have any questions about Piaget luxury watches, please call us at 1-877-8PIAGET or Email the concierge .
The integral setting on the case and dial make this Piaget Emperador a spectacular piece. The Piaget coat-of-arms at 12 o'clock reminds us that this model is inspired by the successful original model dating from 1957. The hour markers in rose gold, in the form of appliques, give the whole watch a rare elegance. The hours and minutes are displayed through a Piaget Manufacture automatic mechanical movement.
534P movement
The 534P movement incarnates the second generation of Piaget automatic movements. Sturdy and reliable, it is equipped with an oscillating weight that features an openworked center and a balance stop. The 534P is a larger version of the 530P movement. The circular Côtes de Genève, the circular-grained mainplate, the beveled bridges and the blued screws round off this exceptional movement, recalling the esthetic codes cherished by the Swiss watchmaking brand.
Shape: Round
Functions: Minutes, Hours
Power reserve (in hours): Approx. 42
Frequency (vph): 21,600
Frequency (Hz): 3
Diameter (lines): 11.00
Diameter (mm): 24.6
Number of jewels: 25
Thickness (mm): 3.5
Number of components: 196
Finishing: Beveled bridges, Circular-grained mainplate, Circular Côtes de Genève, Blued screws
Manufacture Piaget 534P automatic mechanical movement.


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Italian Artist Igor Scalisi Palminteri Imagines Saints As Superheroes [Art]
Ordinary men and women blessed with extraordinary abilities who fight for what they believe in no matter the consequences aren't exclusive to superhero comics. Catholic saints also possessed such powers as levitation, flight, extra-sensory perception and the ability to communicate with animals and used these skills to help those around them. Igor Scalisi Palminteri makes this connection explicit in hi


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Keep Your Air Conditioner Running Efficiently
Posted by Jennifer on June 20, 2014 at 15:02 pm
As the temperatures rise, so do energy costs. We all know running the air conditioner during the summer months can be quite costly, but a cool home doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here are some tips on how to keep your air conditioner running efficiently while keeping those energy bills low, without compromising your comfort.
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Tags: a/c tips, Air Conditioner, air conditioner for sale, air conditioner running efficiently, air conditioner tips, Air Conditioners, air conditioning units, cool your home in the summer, keep your house cool, Save money on air conditioner costs, save on air conditioner bills, summer a/c, tips for running a/c, window ac units, window air conditioner, window air conditioner units, window air conditioners
Filed Under: How To, Tips & Tricks


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22 November 2011Tickets for a conference of experts celebrating the remarkable £12 million refurbishment of Stirling Castle's Royal Palace are now available at a reduced price for this weekend's event.
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St. Moritz is a chic and vibrant town. It has a high quality ski area with extensive skiing. Corviglia is best f... read full
If your looking for a resort with a touch of class then St Moritz should be on your wish list.
From the start o... read full
The Upper Engadine boasts 350km of piste and St Moritz skiing holidays offer 5 main areas; Corviglia, Corvatsch, Furtschellas, Diavolezza and Lagalb. Set at high altitude, the climate is dry and crisp and the snow is reliable. Like Engelberg, Crans Montana and Villars, the lift system is extensive and queues are not considered troublesome.
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"I was so impressed with the way Laura handled my initial call that as soon as I got home I decided to forget all of the other agents and companies and call her straight back and book the holiday. Thank you again Iglu for being so user friendly and more importantly thank you to Laura for being such an asset to your company and the sales profession."


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Arguably, there is no other player who embodies the symbiosis between performance and style in tennis as impressively as Maria Sharapova. Now HEAD is offering the iconic Sharapova Style to female players around the world with a brand-new tennis racquet bag series designed by and for the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Together with Maria Sharapova, HEAD developed a bag series to satisfy women's needs for functionality and style on the tennis court. The HEAD Maria Sharapova tennis racquet bags blend HEAD's traditional technological innovation with personal style and design elements of the Russian tennis star.
The range consists of a unique tennis racquet Court bag, which Maria is currently carrying with her onto court at all tournaments, and a Combi bag. Both feature a compartment for six to eight racquets, adjustable, padded shoulder straps, an extra shoe sac and a detachable toiletry bag to be fully practical. Specially designed components like a jewellery sac, a golden brass metal plate carrying Maria's name, a tassel at the front metal D-Ring, a blue inner lining with inspirational wordings and the golden embroidery of all HEAD logos are proof of Maria's personal touch.
Maria's input and involvement was crucial in the development of the racquet bags: "When it comes to fashion and style I'm a typical girl," says Maria. "Fashion is a big part of my life and I always want to look good. And just like every other girl I'm so into bags." Maria underlines that the design process with the HEAD was an outstanding collaboration, resulting in a tennis racquet bag line which she considers a personal style statement: "Tennis is a sport where you don't have to wear a big, chunky uniform, so fortunately I can wear things that I helped to design and really express myself through those things. When you go on the court it's very competitive and athletic. I have used that concept in colours and materials to add that extra personality in what we designed."
And the fusion of function and style in her equipment also supports Maria Sharapova in her performance on court: "It's very important for me to feel good, to look good when you're going onto the court. If you're comfortable with what you're wearing, with all you're carrying, it really helps the performance as well."
To celebrate the new racquet bag collection as a tennis fashion statement, today HEAD launches a new short film highlighting Maria's involvement in the design process (http://www.youtube.com/headtennis). Furthermore, Maria's and HEAD's Facebook fans have the chance to win a unique Maria Sharapova Tennis Racquet Court bag signed by Maria in a bespoke sweepstake on http://www.facebook.com/headtennis.
The two HEAD Maria Sharapova tennis racquet bags will hit the stores around the world at the end of August, right in time for the US Open.


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The National Film Board of Canada has a cool library of films that you can view online, but if you're in downtown Toronto, the NFB Mediatheque is one of my favourite stops. They feature ultra comfy, ultra convenient digital viewing stations with an incredible library of 4,600 films you can view - and it's all free too. The only thing you'll need to watch for is groups of school children on weekdays, and check the calendar for weekend events that can take up the space. I love the ultra modern vibe and - natch - the films! There are lots of free screenings, and workshops that can give you the basics of animation and other techniques. It's a real hidden gem right in the Entertainment District at John & Richmond.
Here, in no particular order, are twelve great film blogs (other than this one, of course!) that will keep you up to date and in the know in the wide world of film:Filmmaker Magazine bills itself as "the" magazine for independent film, and it's certainly chock full of industry news, the scoop on festivals, conferences, director's interviews and more.World Film keeps you abreast of just that, with an ongoing survey of news and reviews from festivals and screenings around the world.A Steady Diet of Films - regular entries by a filmmaker and film afficionado who gets to festivals, screenings, interviews and more.GreenCine Daily, all the news, all the time from the people at GreenCine, a DVD rental outfit.The House Next Door - blog from NYPress critic Matt Zoller Seitz.Alternative Film Guide - a great blog that offers an offbeat look at the world of films.Bright Lights After Dark a companion to the mag, a hybrid of academic and popular voices and views.Invisible Cinema - all about the obscure world of experimental film.Film Art - observations on film and film art by Prof. David Bordwell.The Auteurs Notebook - a group of opinionated reviewers and film writers.Twitch - all about the Asian film scene and market.European Films - new films from the "old" continent.
A Primer on African FilmHere in the non-African world, we hear so little of African film and film makers, it may come as a surprise to know the industry is alive and well on the continent, and made up of a number of film centres, including the second largest film business in the world. This isn't a big list, but here are a few reference points, and ways to start checking it out.Respected as a writer of international note and often called the "Father of African film", Ousmane Sembene (sometimes called Sembene Ousmane,) was born in Senegal on January 1, 1923, the son of a fisherman in a Muslim household. After serving in a corps of the French Army in WWII, he came home to take part in the 1947 railroad strike that became the genesis of his best known novel, Les bouts de bois de Dieu (God's Bits of Wood). Later that year, he ended up in France, working as an illegal immigrant on the docks and in factories, eventually joining the Communist party. His works are infused with his drive for social change. It led him from books to film, and his first feature, La Noire de.. released in 1966 and based on his own short story, was the first feature ever released by a sub-Saharan African director. His films deal with the realities of life in Africa, in fact much of the time, of his own life, and common themes include postcolonialism, a critical view of religion, and an admiration of African women. 1975's Xala based on his well known novel, is considered a classic. His final film, Moolaade a 2004 feature, won awards at Cannes. He died in 2007 at the age of 84 in Senegal.Check out a discussion of his films, along with those of Haile Gerima, an Ethiopian filmmaker responsible for the award winning Teza (2008). Born in 1946 in Gondar, Ethiopia, Gerima caught the film bug in 1970, and immigrated to California, eventually earning a BFA and MFA from the University of California in film. His films, too, deal with the realities of the human condition. Teza tells the story of a young Ethiopian who returns from a university education in Germany to live under the Marxist regime of Mingistu Haile Mariam. Gerima has been a professor of film at Howard University in Washington, D.C. since 1975.Nollywood - the Nigerian film business is second largest in the world, second only to India's, and yes, you heard that right, larger than that of the United States. Profiled in 2007's Welcome to Nollywood documentary, the $250 million a year Nigerian film business produces a staggering 200 videos for the home video market every month, according to reliable media sources. While its roots trace back to the 1960's, the advent of cheaper digital filmmaking gave a the industry a huge boost, and it has grown exponentially over the last twenty years or so, virtually replacing foreign media on store shelves, with huge exports across the continent and in fact the world.With so many videos produced, it's natural that there's a range of films. The struggles of modern Africans, often torn between traditional ways and the modern world, are a common thread across the continent, and in films like young director Tchidi Chikere's Show Me Heaven. Traditional values often win though, in contrast with North American sensibilities, in films like The Prostitute. Ghana rivals Nigeria with another burgeoning film scene, with South Africa's film business is another growing success.Here are some recent films, made by up and coming filmmakers to keep your eyes on:Bamako - a beautiful and award winning 2007 film about Africa and globalisation by filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, born in Mauritania and raised in Mali.Clouds Over Conakry Guinean director Cheick Fantamady Camara's impressive feature debut, a romantic comi-tragedy that deals with the traditionalist/modernist divide with a supernatural twist.
Film is very much a part of African cultures - a million people attended the 25th Pan-African Film Festival (FESPACO) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1995, profiled in the clip below.
Here, in no particular order, are five of my favourite documentaries - each for a different reason.Ghost Bird (2009 - Small Change Productions, Scott Crocker, producer/director) This tragi-comic documentary had its premiere at the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto in spring 2009, and tells the story of the "re-discovery" of the ivory billed woodpecker in Arkasas. Thought to be extinct, the bird's sighting set the region afire with dreams of merchandising tie ins and excited scientists and politicians alike, and the film, in telling the story of this as yet undocumented re-discovery, reveals much more about our dubious relationship with the natural world.Books of James (2006 - Ho Tam). Ho Tam is a visual artist who's produced many interesting films, and Books of James is perhaps the most ambitious. It tells the story of James Wentzy, an AIDS survivor and activist, and his often melancholy journey through the decades from the heady days of ACTUP activism to slipping off the radar of public consciousness through a fascinating series of visuals based on James' own handwritten and illustrated diary notebooks, along with other footage. A unique concept and vision (see image above).Fierce Light (2009 - Velcrow Ripper) With a poetic vision and inspiring message, this documentary was released in spring 2009, and deals with the filmmakers personal search for what happens when people combine belief and action. A slew of thinkers and activists, (including celebs like Darryl Hannah and Danny Glover,) lend their voices to what amounts to an inspiring spiritual message with gorgeous visuals. (see trailer below)Jamesie and the All Stars (2007 - Andrea E. Leland Productions, LLC) Without this surprising film, I would know nothing of Quelbe, a form of swingy roots music indigenous to the Virgin Islands. The African slaves brought over by Danish settlers were forbidden to play their own music or their own instruments, so Quelbe formed with appropriated European instruments and found objects, combining the Euro quadrille with an African beat. The strength of the film lies in its great music and the laidback charm of Jamesie and the other musicians. The songs most often deal with everyday stories and issues, sometimes frankly sexual, as in "Fire in de Water" (or what happens when a woman walks through the reeds on her way to shore..) and sometimes political - one of the musicians found himself in trouble after writing about an out of control pothole situation.Sicko (2007 - Michael Moore) He's hardly a struggling indie filmmaker anymore, but I had to include one of Moore's popular documentaries. As a Canadian, the words "health care" (so often in our news, so often debated!) make me want to run and hide, so I have to applaud anyone who can take that term and make it into an engrossing and entertaining story. I especially liked the way he slyly casts 9/11 survivors and Cuba into the debate.
Film as Experience - In Conversation with R. Bruce Elder(originally published in 2007 in FilmPrint Magazine - a very interesting discussion of film in the larger scheme of things)"Years ago, I used to tell people, only half facetiously, that I was a film maker because I wasn't a creative artist.." So begins R. Bruce Elder, avant garde film maker, writer and long time professor at Ryerson University, currently Program Director of the Joint Graduate Programme in Communication & Culture between Ryerson and York Universities. His films have been shown at the AGO, MOMA, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, in Berlin and Italy, among many other places, and among the accolades is a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Indpendent/Experimental Film and Video in 1981. For the last two years or so, Elder has been working on The Young Prince, a new film edging towards completion in which the very form and process point to an explanation of his half joking assertion. Like much of the work in Elder's 30+ year, 26 film catalogue, The Young Prince examines notions of transformation along alchemical themes."I've been working with a lot of tools that leave lots of scope for chance operations in my films," he explains. "They (contain) two kinds of 'chance events'. I've been writing programs that assign processing to the images randomly. (In addition), we've been hand processing and treating the film a little roughly, so the fluctuations in chemistry are very evident. It's a dialogue between old technology and new technology." Physical and digital transformations of the images echo the films central concerns. "With this fluctuating chemistry, ideas of energy move very much into the centre of the work. There's a long history of thought on energies within us related to energies of the cosmos, of bringing our energies into concordance with the cosmos." The grounding of his work in philosophies, along with reference to other art forms, is a central proposition in much of Elder's films – and his university lectures. The Young Prince is simply the culmination of a decades long process of thought. "I didn't have any designs on nature myself. I collect things. (In the earlier years of my career) I was able to work largely without ideas, and that's a rather blissful state, a state of no mind, as much as possible, to not allow ideas, conceptions to get in the way – to have no filter between me and the world. I used to take my camera everywhere and collect the gifts that were waiting for me. But that came to an end. In the early '90's, it became apparent I could no longer do that, I had reams and reams of film... The way I'd been working became completely unaffordable. I thought about quitting film, making videos, but film really does evoke in me the feelings of being in a church. I do associate the light of film with a kind of sacred light – similar to that of gothic cathedrals, and even when videos are projected, I don't feel that same kind of sacred resonance.It occurred to me that this interest in light as being something sacred could be connected with another longstanding interest in number and certain harmonies.. Musical patterns can be represented in mathematical terms. Pythagorean ideas interested me as well – harmony + light + number. Since I was quite young, I wondered whether light could be represented that way. Around the same time I was wondering about this came the advent of personal computers. I put together computers early on, and it occurred to me they might have aesthetic applications. I looked at other fields of mathematics that would interest me – refractive geometry, self similarity.. It really seemed to me that I'd found the solution to my crisis."His output as a film maker had been prodigious, ten between 1975's Breath/Light/Birth, and 1981's "1857" (Fool's Gold), including the LA Film Critics Association's nod to The Art of Worldly Wisdom (1979). Critics of his work found the earlier pieces slower and intellectually dense, in contrast to his own assessment. Since "1857" (Fool's Gold), his films have been noted as having a more visceral quality. In 1982, he began to release what would become a sprawling 42 hour cycle of 12 films, The Book of All the Dead, based on Dante's Inferno, beginning with Illuminated Texts, then following with a series of Lamentations and then Exultations. "I began using algorithms, composed music, but I had a nagging sense of dissatisfaction. I wasn't any longer simply collecting these gifts I'd encountered on my path, I was more and more a traditional artist. But, then I began to find (John) Cage's ideas interesting. His work had the advantage of suggesting how one could allow work to come forth, but not impose on it. If you begin to use repetitive chance operations, if you let your work to a certain extent be decided by them, it turns the work over to a natural process again at a different level."The Young Prince is fifth in a new cycle of films begun with A Man Whose Life Was Full of Woe Has Been Surprised by Joy (1997), and he's been aided in the labour intensive process by a team of assistants, with some help from the engineering department at Ryerson. The new cycle is called The Book of Praise, after the Presbyterian hymnal."I did talk myself into believing that film is a way of imparting energy. I became convinced that strong pieces have the effect of bringing the energies in you into some kind of harmony – I'm convinced that's how Baroque composers understood their polyphonies. The chemical and electrical processing I've been doing has been a way of reflecting on this kind of construct.One way in which we're aware of this transmission of energies is in the erotic..we hope for that transmission of energies." The body, and nude human forms, including the frankly erotic, are often the base subject of his work. He sees his reverent view of that aspect of humanity as standing in opposition to much of current thought. "I'm absolutely appalled at the way the body is represented. What's troubling is this idea that our flesh bodies aren't somehow adequate, flesh as being unfitted to the future, that what (we should be) is a mesh of electronics, machine and flesh." Elder includes his holistic view of sexuality and the body in the context of the Judeo-Christian tradition, in particular, with respect to Hebrew thought. "The natural world was brought about from divine energy, and manifests divine energy. Because of its association with soul, the body is something we should accept, not (consider) as something available for endless transformation. The natural world possesses an order we must respect, and not impose."The artist as not imposing, the film maker as not creating. "It's allowing nature to bring forth works of art. We only create the conditions."
Officicial Website
R. Bruce Elder's official website.
Bio at Canadian Film Encyclopedia
A bio in a nutshell of this avant garde artist.
Sue Kenney
A profile of "accidental" filmmaker Sue Kenney.
African Music
A great link to an index page with a wealth of links to African music videos - the "by country" pages are terrific!
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