text:
Familial correlation and aggregation of body mass index and blood pressure in Chinese Han population
© Hu et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013
Received: 11 January 2013
Accepted: 24 July 2013
Published: 26 July 2013
It remains unclear whether the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) profile are clustered within families in Chinese Han population. The aim of this study is to explore familial aggregation and parent-offspring correlations of BMI and blood pressure in Chinese Han population.
6,369 Han nucleus families, consisting of parents and at least one biological adult child who were living together, were enrolled from the nation-wide cross-sectional study (China National Nutrition and Health Survey) which was conducted in 2002, with a total number of 19,107 participants aged 18–64 years (6,369 sets of parents, 4,132 sons and 2,237 daughters). Family aggregation (Intra-class correlations, ICCs) and parent-offspring correlations in BMI, systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were estimated using linear mixed effect regression models.
BMI and BP levels in two generations and ICCs of BMI, SBP and DBP varied across the country. Familial aggregation of overweight/obesity was observed in rural area (ICC = 5.4%, p<0.05), and high BP (defined as SBP ≥ 120 mmHg or DBP ≥ 80 mmHg) was more common in low income families (ICC = 4.4%, p<0.05) compared to middle income (ICC = 1.9%) and high income families (ICC = 2.6%). Additionally, offspring with more parents being overweight/obese tend to have higher BMI. The similar trend was found for high BP. However, we did not observe that same-sex parent-offspring correlations of BMI and BP were stronger than the correlations for mother-son or father-daughter.
Our study suggested that familial environments, alongside the impact of genetic factors, could be important non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD) risk factors. Family-based intervention taking both mother and father into account might have great potential in NCD prevention for younger generation.
KeywordsBody mass index Blood pressure Family aggregation Parent-offspring correlation Sex-specific
Obesity and hypertension are leading risk factors for non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) [1–4]. The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in economically developed countries as well as developing countries including China [5–7]. As body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) are important modifiable indicators for chronic diseases, interventions against obesity and hypertension are recognized to be effective for NCD prevention.
There is an increasing interest in the parental effect on their children with respect to BMI and BP, attributing to the impact of both genetic and environmental factors. Besides the strong impacts of parental BMI and BP on their offspring [8, 9], recent findings of sex-specific associations suggest that childhood obesity is related to obesity of the same-sex parent [10, 11], which was considered more likely to have an environmental than a genetic basis because selective mother–daughter and father–son gene transmission is not a common Mendelian trait [10]. A recent UK cohort study found that familial influence on BMI among middle-aged women appeared to be stronger from mothers than fathers [12]. However, argument still exists on this hypothesis [11], and findings of BP from an Indian population demonstrated father-offspring correlation of BP was stronger than mother-offspring correlation [13]. Since few studies with large sample size of nucleus families have been conducted in Asian populations, we performed an analysis to investigate whether there is familial aggregation of BMI and BP in Chinese Han population.
Using a large two-generational sample of 6,369 Han nucleus families across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China, our study assessed BMI and BP distribution among parents and offspring, and explored their familial aggregation. Since income levels are associated with BMI and BP [14], and modernization level is a good proxy for social economics status, we conducted the analysis stratified by different income levels or different modernization levels to minimize residual confounding. The stratification analysis would also enable us to investigate the distribution of familial aggregation status in different social economic status population. We also studied their same-sex and cross-sex parent-offspring correlations.
Study participants
In this study, Han nucleus families, consisting of parents and at least one biological child who were living together, were enrolled from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey 2002. This national survey was conducted from August to December 2002 with a well-designed stratified multistage cluster sampling method, and covered all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government throughout China (except Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao) [15]. Participants who were under 18 years old or over 65 years were excluded from the analysis. Among 732 families with more than one adult child, only their first one biological child was enrolled in this study, assuming they might be subject to more influence from their parents. 6,369 Han nucleus families with a total number of 19,107 participants, including 6,369 fathers, 6,369 mothers, 4,132 adult sons and 2,237 adult daughters, were included in the current analysis. Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of China Center for Disease Control. All participants had signed on the informed consent.
Survey methods
All participants were interviewed at a certain survey site in their living area. In order to reduce regional variance caused by temperature, surveys were run firstly in the north of China at an earlier time interval of the study, and then in the south. Information that was analyzed in this study was obtained by questionnaire and physical examination. Age, education level, occupation, and family annual per-capita income level information were collected by trained investigators through a questionnaire-based interview.
Height, weight and BP, were measured by well-trained and certified observers in the physical examination. Height was measured without shoes by a fixed stadiometer, and weight was measured with indoor clothes by traditional scales. BMI was calculated as the ratio of weight to height squared (kg/m2), overweight was defined as BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and obesity as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. BP was measured twice at right brachial artery according to 1999 World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension guidelines on hypertension [16]. In this study, mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were used for analysis, and participants were classified as normotension (SBP<120 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), prehypertension (SBP of 120–139 mmHg or DBP of 80–89 mmHg), stage 1 hypertension (SBP of 140–159 mmHg or DBP of 90–99 mmHg) and stage 2 hypertension (SBP ≥ 160 mmHg or DBP ≥ 100 mmHg), according to the Seventh Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of hypertension (JNC-7) [17].
Statistical methods
Continuous measures were shown as mean ± standard deviation (SD), and categorical variables were shown as percentages. Paired-t test and McNemar test were performed in comparison between fathers and mothers, while two-sample t test and Chi-square test were used to compare characteristics between groups of sons and daughters. Moreover, all individuals were divided into three groups either by family annual per-capita income (Group A: ≤1999 yuan; group B: 2000 ~ 4999 yuan; group C: ≥5000 yuan) or regions (Group A: major cities; group B: small or medium-sized cities; group C: rural areas). One way ANOVA was used to compare BMI, SBP, DBP levels of each family member by groups, and to avoid type I error, Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) method was applied during the process of multiple comparisons between each two groups. This part of data analyses was conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Science version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Family aggregation (Intra-class correlations, ICCs) and parent-offspring correlations in BMI, SBP and DBP were estimated using multilevel linear regression models. With respect to acquirement of ICCs, three-level linear models were fitted across all individuals with separate area-level and family-level random intercepts, adjusting for individual age, education level and occupations, and ICCs were estimated as proportions of family-level variance to total variance (including area-level, family-level and individual-level variance) for BMI, SBP and DBP. Father/mother-son and father/mother-daughter correlations for BMI, SBP and DBP were estimated in 4,132 sons and 2,237 daughters separately, using two-level linear models fitted with separate area-level random intercepts, in which father's or mother's BMI, SBP or DBP were included as variables and child's age, parental education level and occupations were considered as important covariates. Parent-offspring correlations were expressed as coefficients of father/mother's BMI, SBP or DBP and their 95% confident interval. Multilevel analyses were performed using the software packages MLwiN version 2.1 [18].
All tests for statistical significance were two-sided and the significance level was set as α = 0.05.
Characteristics of family members, specified by generation and gender
Number of individuals
18 ~ 25 years
26 ~ 35 years
36 ~ 45 years
46 ~ 55 years
56 ~ 65 years
Age (mean ± SD)
52.0 ± 6.2
49.8 ± 5.8
24.8 ± 5.0
23.0 ± 4.7
Body mass index (mean ± SD)
23.4 ± 3.3
24.2 ± 3.6
22.4 ± 3.5
21.6 ± 3.2
Systolic blood pressure (mean ± SD)
126.8 ± 19.4
126.2 ± 21.4
115.7 ± 12.1
108.1 ± 11.6
Diastolic blood pressure (mean ± SD)
81.6 ± 11.7
79.8 ± 11.8
75.1 ± 9.4
70.5 ± 8.7
Highly educated (High school and above) (%)
Employed (%)
Body weight classification (%)
Normal weight
Blood pressure classification (%)
Stage 1 hypertension
Stage 2 hypertension
Levels (means ± standard deviations) of BMI, SBP and DBP of family members, stratified by family annual per-capita income levels and regions
Family annual per-capita income level
≤1999 yuan (Group A)
2000 - 4999 yuan (Group B)
≥5000 yuan (Group C)
Major cities (Group A)
Small or medium-sized cities (Group B)
Rural areas (Group C)
(Nf = 2618)
(Nf = 1892)
(Nf = 1859)
(Nf = 1518)
(Nf = 889)
(Nf = 3962)
22.7 ± 3.1
23.6 ± 3.2
24.3 ± 3.3
24.6 ± 3.4
23.9 ± 3.2
22.9 ± 3.3
23.7 ± 3.7
24.3 ± 3.8
24.6 ± 3.4
25.0 ± 3.6
24.6 ± 3.4
23.7 ± 3.6
22.0 ± 3.1
22.4 ± 3.6
23.0 ± 3.8
23.2 ± 4.3
22.7 ± 3.5
22.0 ± 3.5
21.8 ± 3.0
21.6 ± 3.2
21.2 ± 3.3
21.7 ± 3.8
21.0 ± 2.7
21.6 ± 3.2
125.6 ± 19.1
127.2 ± 19.8
127.7 ± 19.3
128.2 ± 19.7
127.2 ± 18.6
126.1 ± 19.4
126.6 ± 22.3
125.7 ± 21.0
126.2 ± 20.6
126.0 ± 20.6
125.4 ± 20.6
126.5 ± 22.0
115.5 ± 12.0
115.9 ± 12.6
115.6 ± 11.6
115.5 ± 12.3
115.0 ± 12.0
115.9 ± 12.0
109.3 ± 12.3
108.2 ± 11.2
106.5 ± 11.6
107.0 ± 11.6
106.2 ± 11.7
109.2 ± 11.6
80.8 ± 11.6
81.7 ± 11.7
82.7 ± 11.5
83.0 ± 11.7
82.9 ± 11.3
80.8 ± 11.6
80.0 ± 12.1
79.4 ± 11.8
79.8 ± 11.2
80.0 ± 11.3
79.6 ± 11.6
79.7 ± 12.0
75.0 ± 9.3
75.1 ± 9.9
75.3 ± 8.9
75.8 ± 9.2
75.5 ± 9.6
74.8 ± 9.3
71.1 ± 8.9
70.6 ± 8.8
69.7 ± 8.4
70.7 ± 8.4
69.6 ± 8.9
70.7 ± 8.8
Adjusted ICCs of body mass and blood pressure related indicators, stratified by family annual per-capita income levels and regions#
BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2
SBP ≥ 120 mmHg or DBP ≥ 80 mmHg
Family annual per-capita income level
≤1999 yuan (Nf = 2618)
2000 - 4999 yuan (Nf = 1892)
≥5000 yuan (Nf = 1859)
Major cities (Nf = 1518)
Small and medium-sized cities (Nf = 889)
Rural areas (Nf = 3962)
Adjusted means ± standard deviations of child's BMI, SBP and DBP according to different family classifications*
Families classified by parental BMI
Both parents' BMI<25 kg/m2
21.4 ± 0.1
114.4 ± 0.3
74.1 ± 0.2
20.8 ± 0.1
107.4 ± 0.4
69.8 ± 0.3
Only father's BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2
22.9 ± 0.1
116.3 ± 0.5
75.2 ± 0.4
22.0 ± 0.2
108.4 ± 0.6
70.8 ± 0.4
Only mother's BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2
22.9 ± 0.1
116.0 ± 0.4
75.6 ± 0.3
21.7 ± 0.1
108.3 ± 0.5
70.9 ± 0.4
Both parents' BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2
24.5 ± 0.1
119.0 ± 0.5
77.7 ± 0.4
23.0 ± 0.2
109.3 ± 0.6
71.8 ± 0.5
Families classified by parental blood pressure
Both parents' BP<120/80 mmHg
21.8 ± 0.2
111.0 ± 0.6
71.9 ± 0.4
20.8 ± 0.2
104.2 ± 0.6
67.2 ± 0.5
Only father's BP ≥ 120/80 mmHg
22.3 ± 0.1
114.7 ± 0.4
74.3 ± 0.3
21.4 ± 0.1
107.0 ± 0.5
69.5 ± 0.4
Only mother's BP ≥ 120/80 mmHg
22.2 ± 0.1
113.7 ± 0.4
73.6 ± 0.3
21.3 ± 0.2
106.6 ± 0.6
69.4 ± 0.4
Both parents' BP ≥ 120/80 mmHg
22.7 ± 0.1
117.9 ± 0.3
76.8 ± 0.2
21.9 ± 0.1
110.2 ± 0.4
72.3 ± 0.3
From a large and national representative sample of Chinese nucleus families, our study presented variation of BMI and BP levels among two generations across the whole country; and demonstrated the statistically significant family aggregation of overweight/obesity in rural areas, while high BP was present in low income families and regions of all modernization levels. Furthermore, adjusted BMI level of sons and daughters showed an increasing trend across families with more overweight/obese parents, and similar trend was observed for SBP and DBP. However, same-sex parents-offspring correlations of BMI, SBP and DBP were not observed stronger than those for mother-son and father-daughter.
Influence of economic and modernization level on BMI and BP of family members
Obesity and hypertension are important threat to health. To our knowledge, obesity and hypertension are closely related to lifestyles, which are mostly influenced by economic and modernization level of living environment [14]. A US study has reported by Schmeiser et al. that the increase in family income could explain 10%-21% of the increased BMI and 23%-29% of the increased obesity prevalence among low-income women and men [19], which indicated a positive correlation between BMI and family economic level in population with low socio-economic status in the US. Meanwhile, our study showed increasing trends of BMI in fathers, mothers and sons, and an increasing trend of SBP in fathers with family income increased in a Chinese population aged 18–64 years. However, situations might be different for other populations. For instance, Murasko et al. found a negative relationship between income and BMI among US schoolchildren aged 6–14 years [20], and Lee et al. observed the elders with high income had better control of their BP than those with low income [21]. Moreover, interestingly, we found declining trends of BMI and BP in daughters, reversely to trends of other family members. These converse correlations might attribute to less living pressure and more positive attitude to life, which come along with better economic condition. For example, the elders with higher income were engaged in less household activity and more leisure time for physical activity [21], and young women living in better economic environment were more concerned about keeping fit [22].
On the other hand, it has been discussed that increasing in prevalence of NCD risk factors are at first apparent within the most educated and wealthiest sectors of society [23]. In this study, we took regional modernization level into consideration, and observed higher BMI and BP levels in cities, especially in major ones, rather than in rural area. And these findings could be helpful in understanding the synchronization of increased prevalence of NCD risk factors and regional development and modernization, which are frequently accomplished by detrimental changes in diet and lifestyle.
Familial aggregation of BMI, SBP and DBP
It has been already confirmed by twin studies that both genetic and shared environment factors contribute to etiology of chronic disease risk factors [24, 25]. It is known that familial aggregation could comprehensively indicate known or unknown genetic and shared environmental impacts on BMI and BP of family members [13, 26–30], and such familial influence could be detected from early childhood onward [29, 31]. From other family-based researches, the Framingham Heart Offspring Cohort study reported ICCs of 24% and 17% for BMI and SBP among adult siblings [26], and similar results were shown as well in a Chinese siblings study conducted in Anhui province [27]. Although incomparable to those reported in other literature, we provided family relationship of father, mother and child other than siblings, and presented ICCs of BMI, SBP and DBP as 3.8%-7.4%, 4.7%-8.8% and 6.2%-11.7% across families with all income levels and regions of all modernization levels, respectively.
However, uncertainty still remains as how much of these NCD risk factors could be attributed to genetic susceptibility and how much to environmental risk [32]. Previous studies have shown the greatest absolute BMI increase was within the already heaviest population [33], and only a moderate amount of SBP and DBP is accounted for by genetic factors [34], indicating the unignorable large impact of shared environment. Recently, Brown et al. further added that, based on a US sibling cohort, sharing the same household could facilitate the social network influence on correlations in BMI [35]. Meanwhile, in our study, despite relatively low BMI, SBP and DBP levels in rural areas and low income families, statistically significant ICCs of overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) were only shown in rural areas, and those of high BP (SBP ≥ 120 mmHg or DBP ≥ 80 mmHg) were presented in low-income families and in regions of all modernization levels. From a new and broader perspective, these variations of familial resemblance across different family and different regions implied both social and familial environmental influence on familial resemblance in Chinese population, probably exceeding the impact of genetic.
Parent-offspring correlations of BMI, SBP and DBP
Parent-offspring correlations of BMI and BP are regarded to be important in recent years, which implies the possible effect of genetic and shared environment. From a longitudinal study of 226 nucleus UK families, Perez-Pastor et al. not only found a marked influence of maternal and paternal BMI on the children's weight gain, but also showed assortative weight gain in mother-daughter and father-son pairs [10]. This same-sex association of BMI might imply shared environment rather than shared genes because selective mother-daughter and father-son gene transmission is not a common Mendelian trait. To test this hypothesis, other researchers repeated Perez-Pastor et al.'s analyses in a much larger UK cohort based on 4,654 complete parent-offspring trios, but did not add any compelling reason to integrate the belief that there were large differences in parent-offspring BMI associations with obesity prevention strategies [11]. However, despite the inconsistence findings, stronger associations of BMI and BP were frequently reported between mother and offspring [12, 28, 36, 37], especially between mother and daughter [12, 37], therefore mother is widely believed to play an important role in parent-offspring correlations, which might due to gestation [38] and their greater impact on children's dietary behavior [37]. Although this maternal impact has also been shown in small populations of 134 Korean families [37], our study, with much larger sample size, did not find out substantial differences between father-offspring and mother-offspring correlations in Chinese. Hence, there is insufficient evidence to draw conclusion about parent-offspring associations in Asia population, and further researches are needed.
In addition, consistent with results from a Finland study [36], it was observed in our participants that BMI levels of adult children living with both overweight/obese parents were higher than those living with only one overweight/obese parent, and much higher than those from families with both normal-weight parents; similar increasing trends of sons' and daughters' SBP and DBP levels were shown with number of high-blood-pressure parents increased. Furthermore, among families with only one overweight/obese parent or only one high-blood-pressure parent, children's BMI, SBP and DBP levels did not differ much according to their parents' gender. And these findings, in our opinion, might call attention to both key roles of mother and father in primary prevention of obesity and hypertension.
There are several limitations in this study. Firstly, as a cross-sectional study, it was limited for us to make casual inferences; however, change of body weight and BP from normal to abnormal usually happens through a long-term process, hence the BMI and BP levels at the time of our investigation could represent a long time status of our participants, which indicates parent-offspring correlations from our study could represent a long-term interaction between two generations. Also, this study was conducted ten years ago and could not reflect the current situation in China; but this is the latest nation-wide investigation based on a large sample of Chinese Han families, which enabled us to explore not only familial aggregation and parent-offspring correlations of BMI and BP, but also its variation across families with different income levels or across regions of different modernization levels. Additionally, due to lack of information on lifestyles and on hypertension medication, it was unable to demonstrate the impact of parents on children's health related behaviors in our population, and also unable to estimate the treatment effect on BP measurement and classification, thus future studies should focus on this issue to help better understanding the parent-offspring correlations with respect to common NCD risk factors.
Family aggregation of overweight/obesity and high BP existed in rural areas and low-income families in China, respectively, suggesting both social and familial environments, alongside the impact of genetic, are important factors for NCD risk factors. Furthermore, within two generations, considering offspring with highest BMI and BP were found to live with parents both having higher-than-normal BMI and BP, and strong father-offspring and mother-offspring correlations of BMI were existed without substantial differences, both mother and father are indicated to play important roles in primary prevention strategies, and there might be great potential of family-based intervention against obesity.
Body mass index
Blood pressure
Systolic blood pressure
Diastolic blood pressure
Non-communicable disease
Intra-class correlation.
The authors appreciate all the staff and participants for their contribution in the study.
This study is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (2006CB503903), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81230066, 30872173,81102177, 81172744).
Authors' Affiliations
- Must A, Spadano J, Coakley EH, et al: The disease burden associated with overweight and obesity. JAMA. 1999, 282 (16): 1523-1529. 10.1001/jama.282.16.1523.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Gu D, He J, Duan X, et al: Body weight and mortality among men and women in China. JAMA. 2006, 295 (7): 776-783. 10.1001/jama.295.7.776.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Krauss RM, Winston M, Fletcher BJ, et al: Obesity: impact on cardiovascular disease. Circulation. 1998, 98 (14): 1472-1476. 10.1161/01.CIR.98.14.1472.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Kearney PM, Whelton M, Reynolds K, et al: Global burden of hypertension: analysis of worldwide data. Lancet. 2005, 365 (9455): 217-223.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Hedley AA, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, et al: Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999–2002. JAMA. 2004, 291 (23): 2847-2850. 10.1001/jama.291.23.2847.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Misra A, Vikram NK: Insulin resistance syndrome (metabolic syndrome) and obesity in Asian Indians: evidence and implications. Nutrition. 2004, 20 (5): 482-491. 10.1016/j.nut.2004.01.020.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Gu D, Reynolds K, Wu X, et al: Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in China. Hypertension. 2002, 40 (6): 920-927. 10.1161/01.HYP.0000040263.94619.D5.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Abu-Rmeileh NM, Hart CL, McConnachie A, et al: Contribution of midparental BMI and other determinants of obesity in adult offspring. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008, 16 (6): 1388-1393. 10.1038/oby.2008.211.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Motlagh B, O'Donnell M, Yusuf S: Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the Middle East: a systematic review. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2009, 16 (3): 268-280. 10.1097/HJR.0b013e328322ca1b.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Perez-Pastor EM, Metcalf BS, Hosking J, et al: Assortative weight gain in mother-daughter and father-son pairs: an emerging source of childhood obesity. Longitudinal study of trios (EarlyBird 43). Int J Obes (Lond). 2009, 33 (7): 727-735. 10.1038/ijo.2009.76.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Leary S, Davey Smith G, Ness A: No evidence of large differences in mother-daughter and father-son body mass index concordance in a large UK birth cohort. Int J Obes (Lond). 2010, 34 (7): 1191-1192. 10.1038/ijo.2010.60.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Johnson PC, Logue J, McConnachie A, et al: Intergenerational change and familial aggregation of body mass index. Eur J Epidemiol. 2012, 27 (1): 53-61. 10.1007/s10654-011-9639-5.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Badaruddoza B, Kaur P: Familial aggregation of blood pressure with respect to anthropometric variables among the Lobana (nomadic origin) population in Punjab, India. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2012, 24 (1): 104-116. 10.1177/1010539510372539.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- O'Donnell MJ, Xavier D, Liu L, et al: Risk factors for ischaemic and intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke in 22 countries (the INTERSTROKE study): a case–control study. Lancet. 2010, 376 (9735): 112-123. 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60834-3.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Wu Y, Huxley R, Li L, et al: Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in China: data from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey 2002. Circulation. 2008, 118 (25): 2679-2686. 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.788166.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Guidelines Subcommittee: 1999 World Health Organization-International Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension. J Hypertens. 1999, 17 (2): 151-183.Google Scholar
- Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, et al: The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: the JNC 7 report. JAMA. 2003, 289 (19): 2560-2572. 10.1001/jama.289.19.2560.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Rasbash J, Charlton C, Browne WJ, et al: MLwiN Version 2.1.Centre for Multilevel Modelling. 2009, University of Bristol, http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cmm/software/mlwin/refs.html,Google Scholar
- Schmeiser MD: Expanding wallets and waistlines: the impact of family income on the BMI of women and men eligible for the earned income tax credit. Health Econ. 2009, 18 (11): 1277-1294. 10.1002/hec.1430.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Murasko JE: Associations between household income, height, and BMI in contemporary US schoolchildren. Econ Hum Biol. 2013, 11 (2): 185-96. 10.1016/j.ehb.2011.09.001.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Lee YS, Levy SS: Gender and income associations in physical activity and blood pressure among older adults. J Phys Act Health. 2011, 8 (1): 1-9.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Wardle J, Haase AM, Steptoe A: Body image and weight control in young adults: international comparisons in university students from 22 countries. Int J Obes (Lond). 2006, 30 (4): 644-651. 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803050.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Bell AC, Adair LS, Popkin BM: Understanding the role of mediating risk factors and proxy effects in the association between socio-economic status and untreated hypertension. Soc Sci Med. 2004, 59 (2): 275-283. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.10.028.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Selby JV, Newman B, Quiroga J, et al: Concordance for dyslipidemic hypertension in male twins. JAMA. 1991, 265 (16): 2079-2084. 10.1001/jama.1991.03460160057029.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Poulsen P, Vaag A, Kyvik K, et al: Genetic versus environmental aetiology of the metabolic syndrome among male and female twins. Diabetologia. 2001, 44 (5): 537-543. 10.1007/s001250051659.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Lee KE, Klein BE, Klein R: Familial aggregation of components of the multiple metabolic syndrome in the Framingham heart and offspring cohorts: genetic analysis workshop problem 1. BMC Genet. 2003, 4 (Suppl 1): S94-10.1186/1471-2156-4-S1-S94.View ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
- Feng Y, Zang T, Xu X: Familial aggregation of metabolic syndrome and its components in a large Chinese population. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008, 16 (1): 125-129. 10.1038/oby.2007.22.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Fuentes RM, Notkola IL, Shemeikka S, et al: Familial aggregation of blood pressure: a population-based family study in eastern Finland. J Hum Hypertens. 2000, 14 (7): 441-445. 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001049.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Wang X, Wang B, Chen C, et al: Familial aggregation of blood pressure in a rural Chinese community. Am J Epidemiol. 1999, 149 (5): 412-420. 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009828.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Badaruddoza , Kumar R: Cardiovascular risk factor and familial aggregation of blood pressure with respect to anthropometric variables in a scheduled caste population in Punjab, a North Indian state. Anthropol Anz. 2009, 67 (2): 111-119.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Zinner SH, Levy PS, Kass EH: Familial aggregation of blood pressure in childhood. N Engl J Med. 1971, 284 (8): 401-404. 10.1056/NEJM197102252840801.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Barness LA, Opitz JM, Gilbert-Barness E: Obesity: genetic, molecular, and environmental aspects. Am J Med Genet A. 2007, 143A (24): 3016-3034. 10.1002/ajmg.a.32035.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Wang Y, Beydoun MA, Liang L, et al: Will all Americans become overweight or obese? Estimating the progression and cost of the US obesity epidemic. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008, 16 (10): 2323-2330. 10.1038/oby.2008.351.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Fermino RC, Seabra A, Garganta R, et al: Genetic factors in familial aggregation of blood pressure of Portuguese nuclear families. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2009, 92 (3): 199-204.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Brown HW, Roberts J: Exploring the factors contributing to sibling correlations in BMI: a study using the panel study of income dynamics. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012, 20 (5): 978-984. 10.1038/oby.2011.351.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Fuentes RM, Notkola IL, Shemeikka S, et al: Familial aggregation of body mass index: a population-based family study in eastern Finland. Horm Metab Res. 2002, 34 (7): 406-410. 10.1055/s-2002-33474.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Park HS, Yim KS, Cho SI: Gender differences in familial aggregation of obesity-related phenotypes and dietary intake patterns in Korean families. Ann Epidemiol. 2004, 14 (7): 486-491. 10.1016/j.annepidem.2003.10.007.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Hillier TA, Pedula KL, Schmidt MM, et al: Childhood obesity and metabolic imprinting: the ongoing effects of maternal hyperglycemia. Diabetes Care. 2007, 30 (9): 2287-2292. 10.2337/dc06-2361.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/686/prepub
Pre-publication history
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


text:
If you have an existing online account, sign in below.
Shop with confidence.We value your privacy and security
Item Number:
Your Savings:
Shipping & Handling:
(23 reviews)
Please enter your personalized text to appear on your item.
You are adding more than 1 item with the same personalization to the cart.
The following personalized text will appear on all these items:
The following personalized text will appear on your item:
Make Changes
This item is currently sold out. Please check again at a later date.
For more information, please contact 1-888-2020-888.
Ratings & Reviews
(average rating based on 23 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Reviewed by 23 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-10
Back to top
Next »
By Jo
from Winnipeg
I am so impressed with the quality of this ring ! I ordered The Garnet ( has purple tone ) , and just fell in love with it . Since it was on clearance , I thought why not purchase the Tanzanite as well .Just gorgeous . Fits nice and comfortably on my finger , and such sparkle !Thank-you Tycoon and Shopping Channel !!!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful?
Yes / No
- You may also
flag this review
Brilliant to Behold!
By Pony Car Gal
from Georgina, Ontario
Never disappointed with Tycoon - sparkle, brilliance and striking designs.
( 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
By Ladyff
from Nova Scotia
This ring is simply stunning. The shine and sparkle and weight of the ring are wonderful and boy oh boy it's gorgeous. Get one while you can ladies, you won't be disappointed
By (Grand-ma) Diane
from Ottawa
Just received this ring. I only have one word to describe it: WOW ! This is my first Tycoon jewelry purchase, but it certainly won't be the last.
( 2 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Beautiful ring for the money.
By Sam
from Vancouver, BC
Beautiful, amazing ring - I ordered it two different times, but unfortunately the size 5 was too big on my finger. I loved this ring!!!
( 1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Graceful Elegance
By Marie 7430
from Burnaby
I bought this ring in the tanzanite version for mom for Christmas. Loved it so much that I bought one for myself. Even though I liked my mom's i didn't want the same one. I bought the canary version. LOVE IT!
I would buy this ring again in all colours.
By Love jewellery
from Ottawa Valley, Ontario Canada
I just received my ring today and I love it....The colour in my ring was amazing...I got the beautiful purple stone and I wear it on my middle finger which looks rich & beautiful... Very nicely made.....Well worth the money....
Christmas present!
By Ivanamama
Just received this as a gift from my sister. She gave me the garnet one. She loves Tycoon and now I do as well. It is beautiful! Now, I want the tanzanite!
( 4 of 5 customers found this review helpful)
By Classychassy (Heather)
from Wallaceburg, ON
Was happy to see the price on this gorgeous ring was reduced some for Christmas, woo hoo...lol as a 62 yr old retired designer Tycoon made these rings in such high quality that I ordered 3 colors before, thinking something would be returned but KEPT every one. I have had so many compliments on this particular Tycoon ring, that I finally gave in and had to order the yellow gold clear stone one to complete my entire set. (did I say that I also have both the earrings and pendant to match the 3 colored stone ones? lol) all are gorgeous...a great look and worthwhile investment in Tycoon...
( 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)
Stunning !
By Jordone
from Vancouver
This ring is absolutely stunning! The design, shape, and sparkle of the diamond is very incredible!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A jacket that does it all, protection from the rain and from the road and element, the Alpinestars Dusk 3L Black Waterproof Jacket. This jacket is made with a 3 layer construction of waterproof exterior with a light mesh lining. The Alpinestars Dusk 3L Black Waterproof Jacket has a removable 130g thermal liner, giving you the versatility of wearing this in the cold or out on a hot day. This jacket is just as safe as it is function, with CE approved armor in the shoulders and elbows this jacket protect from impact. The Alpinestars Dusk 3L Black Waterproof Jacket is also adjustable in key areas like the waist and sleeves, and with pre curved sleeves, you will be in a great comfortable position.
freeshipping99 during checkout.
Valid for for
helmets &
apparel only. Motorcycle boots, luggage, hard parts, body parts, oils, tires, batteries and
oversized items do not apply. We will pay for shipping back to us for all exchanges, and then back to you.
So you never have to worry about shipping charges! Free freight does not apply to Returns or returns for refunds
(only for exchanges). Free freight only applies to ground shipping. Expedited shipping is not allowed.
Shipping only applies to M-F. Shipping freight must be properly packed and shipped insurance pre-paid.
Items lost in shipment or damaged in shipment is the responsibility of the customer. All original tags, paperwork,
stickers and accessories must be included. All original manufacturer boxes must be in new condition. You have 7 days to
request an exchange. Exchanged merchandise must be in New and Resaleable condition. All used helmets will be rejected.
Any scratches or signs of use will void your exchange. Any washed merchandise is void of exchange.
All returns must be accompanied by an order number, all original packaging materials and paperwork.
All Hot Sale items cannot be returned for exchange or refund. This item sale is final because it's a limited sale item.
Free Shipping Exchange does not cover Boots (Street, Offroad and Cruiser). Free exchange policy applies to ONE time use only.
Customer agrees to pay for all returns and shipments thereafter. Check our Returns and Exchanges page for additional information.


text:
Schnider B&B und Cafe
No prices found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
Travelers also recommend:
TripAdvisor Reviews Schnider B&B und Cafe Vals
Travel Blogs from Vals
Day 1, late start, high velocity and a late camp
... the growl of a nice V-2 bike. Probably a Harley. As the guy flew past, I gave him a "Yeehaa" and he took off like only a Harley in a tunnel can. About 500 m straight of pure full-throttle harley-in-a-tunnel bliss that makes your ears tingle and breaks the smallest kidney stones, provided you have some.
I think Stef just heard a loud motorcycle.
But she probably could've told me it was a V-2 if ...
So this was a great idea in summer
... this, 2 days before we leave, its absolutely pouring with rain. We will be cycling to london, where rain is pretty much a given. All this in a tent. Like I said, this was a great idea in the summer. But it will be done. Bikes have been packed, return flights have been booked, and I refuse to be outdone by mom and dad in record km on ...
A day of great passes
... no more of this playing silly games and
decided not to start. The battery did not have enough charge to turn over the
starter and so it was a roll start down the pass. However I cannot blame the
bike as I had every extra possible switched on. My phone was charging, heated
grips were on, spotlights were on and also my satnav was on mains so with all
the stopping it's not surprising the battery was not getting a good charge.
Finally after about a hour ...
A day to go hungry
... sweeping curves and really
is a bikers dream. Every hotel one passes has a "Bikers Welcome" sign
out front.
the lower edges of the pass the sun was beating down and it was boiling but as
I got higher that temp began to fall and by the time got the the restaurant at
the summit I was feeling a bit chilly and in need of a good coffee.
up and down the other side of this great pass. This side is just like the other
for much of ...
... to see in front of you. You also had a beautiful view of the Swiss Alps from the outside bath. The materiality of the entire building is Valser Quartzite, which is a beautiful local stone. I can sit here and describe the building, but you don't get a sense of how wonderful the building is until you are there and experience it firsthand. We left Vals at six and took the bus back to Como where we spent the night again. The next morning we left Como on the bus and drove to Verona.


text:
All kind of B2B events for the wide range of industries
RESTEC® Exhibition Company is part of RESTEC® Group
+7 (812) 320-63-63, firstname.lastname@example.com
By industry
- Crafts and Culture
- Investment activities
- Information Technologies
- Forestry, Woodworking
- Furniture
- Oil & Gas, Energy
- Food Processing
- Food, Packaging
- Industrial Technology and Science
- Socially significant projects
- Transport and Construction
- Travel and MICE
- Pharma, Biotech, Medicine
- Jewellery and Watches
FURNITURE CHINA 2013 as a framework for negotiations for FIDexpo 2014
Representatives of the Organising Committee of FIDexpo, an international furniture exhibition, are to make a business visit to FURNITURE CHINA 2013.
The event is to take place on September 11-14 in Shanghai. The purpose of the visit is negotiations with key exhibitors and heads of national Associations about cooperation and forming of exhibition delegations.
FURNITURE CHINA is among the top three furniture shows of the world. The exhibition is organised by UBM, the leading exhibition organiser in Europe and Asia. The event is to take place in the largest exhibition centre of Shanghai, viz. Shanghai New International Expo Centre.
UBM is a partner of RESTEC® Exhibition Company in organisation of FIDexpo, an international furniture exhibition to take place on May 12-15, 2014. FIDexpo is to represent the whole range of furniture products of the medium and medium-plus segments by manufacturers from Russia, Europe and Asia. The participants include European and Asian furniture makers, Russian manufacturers and distributors. Though the exhibition is a debut, it has already aroused an active interest in the furniture market.
FIDexpo is to be visited by large furniture distributors, retailers, outlet chains, design bureaus, government structures and industrial associations.
FIDexpo is to be visited by large furniture distributors, retailers, outlet chains, design bureaus, government structures and industrial associations.
The exhibition is to include a business contact exchange or matchmaking, i.e. a free service for online arrangement of business meetings. To arrange negotiations at FIDexpo, please contact the Organising Committee over the phone +7 (812) 635 9504 or e-mail email@example.com. To learn other details please visit http://en.fidexpo.ru/
ZOW Essentials (2013)


text:
June 2, 2015 6:50 pm
Download audio
As expected most of the reaction to President Obama expected nomination of Vivek Kundra as the next OMB administrator for e-government and IT has been optimism. But there has been a lot of questions about Kundra and his background because few government people know him well. FederalNewsRadio's Jason Miller has been working the phones and tells us what he found out.
Photos of the amazing, moving, important and amusing things happening in the federal community.
A daily update of important moments in the history of the U.S. government.


text:
Little Red Riding Hood Costumes(87 products)
Little Red Riding Hood Costumes
Your little girls will have a great time dressing up as one of their favorite fairy tale characters, Little Red Riding Hood. They will be ready for any event, play or simply to dress-up around the house.
Costume Craze features some of the best girls costumes, including the largest variety of Little Red Riding Hood costumes you can find.
What fairytale would be complete without a villain? You'll find that we have both affordable and premium wolf costumes so you can play the part of that Big Bad Wolf.
Maybe you've come here looking for a little something for yourself, we can guarantee you will turn heads in one of our sexy Little Red Riding Hood costume options.
Dress up your significant other in one of our premium Big Bad Wolf costumes and venture out as one of the most famous and conflicted couples of the century. You both will look like you stepped straight out of a storybook when you show up wearing one of our costumes.
If you lose your way in the woods, don't forget that our customer support specialists are ready and waiting to help you along your way. Just head on over to chat and let us know what's on your mind.


text: Youll never struggle to turn an omelette again with the OXO Good Grips 1071532UKE Flexible Omelette Turner . Whether its ham or cheese, mushroom or bacon or a Spanish omelette the flexible turner will effortlessly flip it. With thin, flexible edges the tuner glides under your eggs without breaking the shape. The nylon head is non-stick so things dont get messy and its heat resistant. The soft handle ensures a firm grip when mastering that once difficult task. Take the fear out of flipping omelettes with the OXO Good Grips 1071532UKE Flexible Omelette Turner .Check stock and price


text:
Are you looking for Stockists? Hotfrog showcases more than 30 popular businesses related to Stockists! To find more business related to Stockists, use the left navigation menu.
Midland, WA
Jeanne Danielle Salon provides many services from facials , waxing & Advanced Dermal Therapies , specialising in . Microdermabrasion , Non s…
More info
Melbourne, VIC
FindMyShoes.com.au re-launched in 2009 and is fast becomming Australia's leading online footwear retailer. You can now buy many of your favourite sho…
Nerang, QLD
Exotic Princess Jewellery & Accessories are the creators of a unique
individually designed and handcrafted hair accessories range that is
Auburn, NSW
Viventi Wholesale Fabric and Textile Solutions are a Sydney based company, supplying AUS and NZ with bulk fabric supply needs and textile services. V…
- 02-Dec-2010
- 21-Apr-2011
- 23-Dec-2009
- 09-Sep-2009
Yarraville, VIC
Loacated in the heart of Yarraville, stockists of: MD Formulations, Guinot, Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics, OPI.
Launceston, TAS
Bridal Boutique ,Designer Wedding Gowns and Bridesmaid Gowns, Formal Gowns, Bridal Jewellery, Veils. We stock over 130 Bridal Gowns, exclusive Tasmanian Stockist of Stella York, Sorella Vita and Lillian West. We also sto…
Malvern East, VIC
Purple? Foods are an Australian supplier of frozen Acai, the Brazilian style. We offer both organic and non organic products for retail, wholesale or manufacture. We currently supply products to juice bars, cafes, ice cr…
Strathalbyn, SA
CURRENT SPECIALS Selected Cashmere mugs were $7.95 now $3.95 CHANTILLY cannisters and accessories from $4.95 retail store - stocking Maxwell Williams China and Glassware. Top brands such as Global, Scanpan, La Chasseur, …
Seaford, VIC
WE'VE PROUDLY SERVED ASPENDALE, CHELSEA, HAMPTON, EDITHVALE, FRANKSTON AND Mt.ELIZA SINCE 1966 TO DATE WITH ALL FACETS OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE WE PROVIDE 24/7/365 DAYSxYEAR EMERGENCY BREAKDOWN, ROUTINE REP…
Rockingham, WA
We are wholesale suppliers of hermit crabs and all accessories, we supply to all states in Australia. WE have lots of painted shells, natural shells, food, bowls, and many other great accessories to keep your hermit crab…
St Leonards, VIC
At Wildings Pantry Essentials, we are one of the few producers that still passionately make everything by hand from our kitchen in St Leonards. Drawing on over 20 years experience in hospitality, all our products are mad…
Perth, WA
Nina's designing and creating quality jewellery, including diamond engagement rings and pearl bracelets. Full shop online, featuring a safe and secure check out system. Based in Perth, Western Australia.
Manly, NSW
Looking for a perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person?Having trouble locating a quality shower cap in your local gift store? Well….you've landed in the right spot! Clarence Bees has created a range of products in gr…
bmusic : - Guitars & Accessories Guitars Amps & Effects Basses & Accessories Bass Amps & Effects Drums & Percusssion Live Sound & Microphones Recording & DJ Books and DVDs Ukuleles & Accessories Harmonicas Folk Instrumen…
Books And DvdsMusical Instruments and AccessoriesBrass & WoodwindDrum Kits
Dunsborough, WA
Nina's online jewellery store in Australia brings you the latestdesign in jewellery. If you are looking to buy fashion jewellery online in Australia, visit our online gallery or our showrooms in Bunbury, Kununurra or Dun…
Ridgehaven, SA
Everlast Mufflers - are a South Australian family owned business specialising in exhaust technology and mufflers and provide personalised service with more than 40 years combined experience
Mona Vale, NSW
Domani Eyewear is a Global Optical Distributor of patented, magnetic, sunglass clip-on frames known as Clikons and also, the famous brands, Colori, Titano and Petite
Chatswood, NSW
Our gorgeous pearls come complete with their own signature branded packaging and point of sale material Stocked in over 100 stores throughout Australia and the Pacific, our beautiful range utilizes the very bes…
King Valley, VIC
We are a family business with the Olives being both grown & processed in the local region of North East, Victoria, Australia.
We have produced an Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a flavour that you will enjoy whether it i…
Newcastle, NSW
Based in Newcastle Australia. Cute and quirky childrens and babies clothes made from vintage fabric, sold exclusively online. Custom made wedding frocks for brides who shudder at the idea of wearing a meringue.
Varsity Lakes, QLD
the Love From Australia Official Worldwide Website. It's best foot forward again for luxury sheepskin brand Love From Australia and a stunning new collection of luxury sheepskin boots, bags and accessories for AW 2007
Kuraby, QLD
We sell organic food supplements: ganoderma ( Lingzhi ) mushroom capsules, healthy coffee, only 0.06% of caffeine including ganoderma, spirulina, morinzhi = noni, roselle juice + manyothers. Health products: popular Gano…
Kununurra, WA
Our second location, on the shores of Geographe Bay in Dunsborough, Western Australia, also stocks a large range of jewels and jewellery pieces, all crafted with Western Australian stones and precious metals
Noosaville, QLD
Earth Bamboo is an Australian family owned and operated wholesale distributor of superior quality solid Bamboo flooring, Waterproof Laminate flooring & Timber Laminate flooring. Our products are highly sought after f…
Stafford Heights, Brisbane, QLD
Please follow the website link for product details
St Leonards, NSW
Chemists' Own provides effective medication at an affordable price
Penrith, NSW
Petrolink is a fully accredited / certified company with a Quality Management system / Environmental Management Policy / OH&S systems in place. Petrolink are leaders in Total Commercial Fuel sytems - Bulk Fuel Tank i…
Glendenning, NSW
Motospecs is committed to a complete solutions offering, including a dedicated technical support team with industry experience that are able to assist you with any product related enquiry Established in 2000, M…
Surry Hills, NSW
With an underlying love for all things beautiful, Shilla captures the very essence of youthful femininity perfectly
Shepparton, VIC
Brooklyn, VIC
Can't find Stockists company near in Australia? Let us know by adding the missing business here.
Small Business Hub
Sharing tips, ideas and advice to help grow your small business.
Hotfrog AdVantage
Hotfrog AdVantage ads appear above the rest in Hotfrog feature pages. By upgrading today your ad will appear in front of potential customers before they notice your competitors.
Create your free Hotfrog business profile
Follow Hotfrog on:
Share on:
Hotfrog Small Business Hub


text:
Snap's e-commerce site may not be focused on sales
Snap launches Spectacles.com, an e-commerce site where shoppers can buy sunglasses with a built-in camera.
Snap's e-commerce site may not be focused on sales
Snap launches Spectacles.com, an e-commerce site where shoppers can buy sunglasses with a built-in camera.
US e-commerce sales grow 15.6% in 2016
The web comprised nearly 42% of the growth in the U.S. retail market last year. E-commerce represented 11.7% of total sales in 2016, but ...
Sign up for IRNewsLink and get daily reports delivery to your inbox. Sign Up Now
Sponsored by 2013 Social Media 300
The mobile app is the first-of-its-kind enabling pet owners to make reservations on the go with nearby dog sitters complete with complimentary pet insurance and 24/7 customer support
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--DogVacay.com, the leading online and mobile pet sitting and services community, today announced the debut of its app which offers pet parents a seamless way to find and book a dog sitter in their neighborhood complete with complimentary pet insurance and 24/7 customer service support. The new app is the first of its kind to allow pet parents the ability to reserve a dog sitter in their neighborhood directly from their phone. Building on its current app available for hosts, the app enables pet parents to stay in touch with their host while they're away, and to receive photo updates of their pup enjoying his own vacation.
With DogVacay for iPhone and iPod touch, pet parents can now:
The new version of the app has everything a pet parent needs to make a reservation and stay in touch with their DogVacay host while on vacation. The DogVacay app also boasts existing helpful features for its hosts, too. They can:
"Because our pet parents are travelers, we know our audience is always on the go," said co-founder and "Top Dog" of DogVacay, Aaron Hirschhorn. "With our customers' need in mind, our new app lets them do everything needed to reserve a DogVacay stay and allows them to keep in touch with their host while they're away. Pet parents can get peace of mind by checking on their pup through the app from wherever they are."
The DogVacay app is available for download on the App Store.
About DogVacay
DogVacay.com is an online and mobile community that connects dog parents in need of pet-care services (home dog boarding, pet sitting, doggie daycare) with qualified pet caregivers. Forget the kennel! Find a dog sitter in your neighborhood with DogVacay.com. We have thousands of vetted and insured dog lovers across the country ready to watch your dog like a member of their family. Simply browse hosts in your area, schedule and book online. Rates start at $15/night, and all reservations include complimentary insurance, 24/7 customer support, and daily photo updates. DogVacay was founded by entrepreneurs Aaron and Karine Hirschhorn in March 2012.
A small online retailer that lacks brand recognition can get a big boost from high ...
Posted 02/20/17
We are now entering the third decade of the Amazon effect, and it is just ...
Posted 02/20/17
The Supreme Court is surely going to find this question right back on their doorstep next year."


text:
To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog:
We have previously reported in this space about the use of domain name seizures by American law enforcement – for example, here and here. Recent media reports show that domain name seizure has become the go-to tactic for law enforcement for other countries as well.
Canadian police made a series of arrests during an invitation-only Super Bowl party attended by 2300 people as part of Project Amethyst. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson says this was connected with the arrest of 21 individuals related to a separate online credit betting operation in November. The more recent arrests were connected with an online sports betting operation that used the website located at www.platinumsb.com. In addition to arresting six individuals, officers also seized $2.5 million in cash as a result of the execution of nine search warrants in and around Toronto.
Police also seized the domain name associated with a Costa Rica-based website, which is registered with Washington State-based Enom, Inc. Police obtained a Canadian court order for that purpose, and then submitted a request under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between Canada and the United States. The domain name was then transferred to the control of Canadian law enforcement authorities who, in turn, redirected it to a new landing page. Visitors to the platinumsb.com website are now greeted by a notice stating that the web site has been "restrained by court order granted to the Attorney General of Ontario."
Media reports indicate that the website was back online as www.platinumsb.tk within hours of the shutdown. The .tk top level domain belongs to Tokelau, a non-self-governing territory off the coast of New Zealand. The .tk version of the domain name was reportedly registered in 2004, suggesting that the group operating the sports book had set up contingency plans for a seizure of its .com website.
Whatever the merits of the Canadian prosecution against individuals affiliated with PlatinumSB, the seizure of the platinumsb.com domain name certainly shows that domain name seizure is by no means a tactic used only by U.S. law enforcement. As more and more businesses move largely or exclusively to the Internet, the global use of this law enforcement tactic is sure to grow.
See more »
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© Jeff Ifrah
Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
Sign up to create your digest using LinkedIn*
JD Supra provides users with access to its legal industry publishing services (the "Service") through its website (the "Website") as well as through other sources. Our policies with regard to data collection and use of personal information of users of the Service, regardless of the manner in which users access the Service, and visitors to the Website are set forth in this statement ("Policy"). By using the Service, you signify your acceptance of this Policy.
JD Supra collects users' names, companies, titles, e-mail address and industry. JD Supra also tracks the pages that users visit, logs IP addresses and aggregates non-personally identifiable user data and browser type. This data is gathered using cookies and other technologies.
The information and data collected is used to authenticate users and to send notifications relating to the Service, including email alerts to which users have subscribed; to manage the Service and Website, to improve the Service and to customize the user's experience. This information is also provided to the authors of the content to give them insight into their readership and help them to improve their content, so that it is most useful for our users.
JD Supra does not sell, rent or otherwise provide your details to third parties, other than to the authors of the content on JD Supra.
If you prefer not to enable cookies, you may change your browser settings to disable cookies; however, please note that rejecting cookies while visiting the Website may result in certain parts of the Website not operating correctly or as efficiently as if cookies were allowed.
Users who opt in to receive emails may choose to no longer receive e-mail updates and newsletters by selecting the "opt-out of future email" option in the email they receive from JD Supra or in their JD Supra account management screen.
JD Supra takes reasonable precautions to insure that user information is kept private. We restrict access to user information to those individuals who reasonably need access to perform their job functions, such as our third party email service, customer service personnel and technical staff. However, please note that no method of transmitting or storing data is completely secure and we cannot guarantee the security of user information. Unauthorized entry or use, hardware or software failure, and other factors may compromise the security of user information at any time.
If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, you must immediately notify us of the problem by contacting us at firstname.lastname@example.com. In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your user information in our possession or control may have been compromised, we may seek to notify you of that development and, if so, will endeavor to do so as promptly as practicable under the circumstances.
Except as otherwise described in this privacy statement, JD Supra will not disclose personal information to any third party unless we believe that disclosure is necessary to: (1) comply with applicable laws; (2) respond to governmental inquiries or requests; (3) comply with valid legal process; (4) protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of JD Supra, users of the Service, Website visitors or the public; (5) permit us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain; and (6) enforce our Terms & Conditions of Use.
In the event there is a change in the corporate structure of JD Supra such as, but not limited to, merger, consolidation, sale, liquidation or transfer of substantial assets, JD Supra may, in its sole discretion, transfer, sell or assign information collected on and through the Service to one or more affiliated or unaffiliated third parties.
This Website and the Service may contain links to other websites. The operator of such other websites may collect information about you, including through cookies or other technologies. If you are using the Service through the Website and link to another site, you will leave the Website and this Policy will not apply to your use of and activity on those other sites. We encourage you to read the legal notices posted on those sites, including their privacy policies. We shall have no responsibility or liability for your visitation to, and the data collection and use practices of, such other sites. This Policy applies solely to the information collected in connection with your use of this Website and does not apply to any practices conducted offline or in connection with any other websites.
We reserve the right to change this Policy at any time. Please refer to the date at the top of this page to determine when this Policy was last revised. Any changes to our privacy policy will become effective upon posting of the revised policy on the Website. By continuing to use the Service or Website following such changes, you will be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree with the terms of this Policy, as it may be amended from time to time, in whole or part, please do not continue using the Service or the Website.
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, your dealings with this Web site, or if you would like to change any of the information you have provided to us, please contact us at: email@example.com.
Already signed up? Log in here
Back to Top
Explore 2016 Readers' Choice Awards
Copyright ©


text:
- T - Teen
- Genre MMORPG
Its WarCraft 07/25/2011
This review is from: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm PC Game
They improved a few features like being able to fly around in the original realms.
Improved account security in the background, but this really does impact the game itself.
The new guild system is a nice feature.
Much to little, much to late.
Blizzard appears to be trying to drag out the game updates and the changes are almost to a crawl on improvements.
You only gain five levels. The average player can blow through this in about a week of very casual play. Which basically puts the game back to dungeon and raid crawling.
Other Thoughts:
I have played WarCraft for over six years and I can say I love some of the features they have come up with over the years but in general I have become slowly disappointed with the direction the game is heading. This last expansion didnt feel worth $35.. more like $15 worth of extras.
4 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes / No Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!


text: Look, if three burly dudes in street clothes start banging on my door one night and try and force their way into my home, I don't care if they're yelling "Police!" or "Singing Telegram!", that's why I keep a loaded M4 carbine in the house. They're not dressed like cops, and I can think of no reason the police would need to get into my house, so my natural assumption would be that these were home invaders of some sort. http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2006/11/and-look-where-its-gotten-us.html ... and don't intend to get into a discussion over it either. Thank goodness I live in the UK. msr


text:
Check Valves – Piston Check – SF RE150L1, RE300L2, RE600L3
Forged body, Flanged 1/2" to 2"
CIRCOR do Brasil Check Valves are designed for demanding applications, widely used in the Oil & Gas industry. Available in either cast iron, cast carbon steel, stainless steel and alloy steels in ANSI Class 125 thru 2500 with either wafer, flanged or socket weld end connections.
Our piston, swing and double check valve designs are offered with resilient seats, resilient and rubber seats and all metal seating. Pressure sealed, flanged or bolted bonnets are available for piston check design.
The high quality of materials used in the construction of our valves allows our products to be more corrosion resistant, longer lasting and safe for demanding applications.
Our valves are manufactured under a rigid quality control system to assure quality, and above all, safety for our customers.
- ANSI Class 150, 300, 600
- Flanged from 1/2" to 2"
- Forged body
If you would like additional information, please click on any literature link below or Contact Us directly so that we may provide you with detailed specifications.
- Multiple Industry Applications
- Oil & Gas Transmission
- *Product Catalog (Portuguese)
- PDF Size: 1.1MB


text:
Invaluable cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate and disclaims any responsibility for inaccurate translations.
Show translation options
Lot 4017: Chinese Cloisonne Lobed Vessel
January 12th Fine Art & Antique Auction
by Clars Auction Gallery
January 12, 2013
Oakland, CA, USALive Auction
Looking for the realized and estimated price?
Description: Chinese cloisonne enameled vessel, the lobed royal blue body decorated with floral sprigs amid a scroll pattern below a band of ruyi to the shoulder, 8.5"w
Browse more items


text:
French workers and students are due to march in protest against a controversial labour bill which could see them lose their protected 35-hour week,
Student unions say a new bill by the left-wing French government, which reportedly makes it easier to lay off workers, is a "veritable return to the last century for the world of the workplace," according to The Times.
Railway workers also began a 36-hour strike protesting the changes alongside other nationwide strikes on what is being called "Black Wednesday" in the country.
The bill, which is being introduced by labour minister Myriam El Khomri and is supported by prime minister Manuel Valls, includes a way of circumventing the French statutory 35-hour week by enabling staff to volunteer for longer hours under some circumstances.
Peter Jacquemain, a close adviser to Ms El Khomri before he resigned, said he understood the outcry.
"This bill is a historic mistake," he told L'Humanité.
"This is a regression in social rights, to the extent that many gains of the workers will be renegotiated at a business level, where the balance of power is systemtically not favourable for employees."
The 19 best UK cities to live and work in
The 19 best UK cities to live and work in
1/19 19. Stoke-on-Trent
2/19 18. Brighton
3/19 17. Cardiff
4/19 16. Plymouth
5/19 15. Milton Keynes and Aylesbury
6/19 14. Swindon
7/19 13. Norwich
8/19 12. Preston
9/19 11. Portsmouth
10/19 10. Coventry
11/19 9. Leicester
12/19 8. Belfast
13/19 7. Bristol
14/19 6. Southampton
15/19 5. Aberdeen
2008 Getty Images
16/19 4. Cambridge
17/19 3. Edinburgh
18/19 2. Oxford
19/19 1. Reading and Bracknell
One of the aims of the bill is to enable employers to hire more workers, according to Euro News.
It also aims to prevent some groups - such as ethnic minorities and working class communities - from being locked out of the labour market by ending jobs for life among more privileged groups - yet critics have said this is an attack on French workers' right to job security.
Their voices already seem to have made some impact, with French president Francois Hollande meeting with party members to discuss "improvements" to the bill, in a move others have interpreted as an attempt to soften the changes.
His labour minister Ms El Khomri has also come under scrutiny over the proposed changes, with more than 780,000 people signing a petition to her to drop the bill.
She is reported to be in negotiations with workers' and employers' unions, according to RFI.
- More about:
- Employment
- workers
- France
- Law
- Francois Hollande
- strike


text:
ADB is supporting the State Highway Development Program of Bihar, one of India's poorest states. The project will build or upgrade about 389 kilometers of state highways. It will involve upgrading roads to two lanes; strengthening culverts and bridges; constructing new road sections, bridges, and cross drainage structures; and building structures for resettlement and rehabilitation.
Latest Project Documents
Consulting Notices See also: CMS
No notices are currently available for this project.
Procurement Notices See also: Operational Procurement
No notices are currently available for this project.
Procurement Documents
|Bihar State Highways II Project: Procurement Plan
|Jun 2016
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
The Public Communications Policy (PCP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.
The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.
In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.


text:
AMMAN: Syrian warplanes bombed a Damascus suburb yesterday, opposition activists said, as heavy fighting raged for the second day on the outskirts, challenging Bashar Assad's hold on the capital.
MiG fighter jets hit the suburb of Daraya, a major opposition center of the 20-month revolt situated amid farmland near the main southern highway, where rebels have been battling elite Republican Guard units.
Fighters said that Assad's forces were finding it harder to dislodge them than when they last entered the suburb in August.
After months of slow progress, the fighters have in the last few weeks captured several army positions on the outskirts of Damascus and outlying regions, including a special forces base near Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub, and an air defense position near the southern gate of the capital, according to activists, video footage and diplomats following the military situation.
Assad's opponents are also gaining some support internationally as a newly formed coalition of opposition and fighter groups seeks recognition as the legitimate voice of the Syrian people, with Britain becoming the ninth country to grant it such status.
Shashank Joshi of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London said the developments of the last few weeks were shifting the balance in favor of the fighters.
"The use of the world 'stalemate' to describe the conflict may no longer be appropriate," he told Reuters by phone. "The fighters have moved up the ladder of warfare."
Fighting was also reported in Damascus's eastern suburb of Irbin, where rebels said they had destroyed one tank and killed two Republican Guards. "The whole eastern Ghouta is basically a liberated area. Assad's army still has superior firepower, but is being eroded. It can no longer push forward with a lot of troops," said Abu Ghazi, an activist-turned-fighter in Irbin.
Severe restrictions on non-state media make it impossible to verify such reports independently.
Seven civilians and three fighters were killed in fighting and bombardments on Daraya, opposition sources said.
Two died from shrapnel when artillery hit the basement of a building in which they were sheltering, activists said.
"Last time the rebels were in Daraya, they worked separately and the regime moved in, drove them out and took revenge on the civilian population," said Fawaz Tello, a veteran opposition campaigner with links to fighters.
"The fact that the fighters have recaptured Daraya and are fending off Assad's best forces indicates a change on the ground," Tello said from Berlin.


text:
Strawberry Meringue Torte
|Egg whites
|Baking powder
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Soda crackers
|10 , rolled fine (Or Squares)
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs), rolled fine
|Sliced strawberries
|3 Cup (48 tbs)
|Cool whip
|3 Tablespoon
Beat egg whites and baking powder until frothy.
Gradually beat in sugar until whites are stiff.
Fold in crackers and pecans.
Spread in 9-inch pie pan, which has been greased thoroughly with butter.
Bake 30 minutes in 300 degree oven.
Fill meringue tart with strawberries; top with Cool Whip when ready to serve.
Recipe Summary
Rate It
Nutrition Rank
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: Complete recipe
Calories 2132 Calories from Fat 579
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 66 g101%
Saturated Fat 11.5 g57.3%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 1432.9 mg59.7%
Total Carbohydrates 365 g121.6%
Dietary Fiber 15.5 g62.2%
Sugars 234.6 g
Protein 28 g56.8%
Vitamin A 0.7% Vitamin C 1.2%
Calcium 23.8% Iron 66.1%
*Based on a 2000 Calorie diet


text:
A typical day at work includes pulling and completing reports, answering phone calls, problem solving, and data entry.
I have learned to think quick on my feet, especially when you are on the phone with a client. I have learned to problem solve, and work as a team. My co-workers are a great team to fall back on and ask for help if needed, we all have great relationships with each other.
The hardest part of my job is when a client is not happy. Especially in a health care setting, there is nothing worse then when a client calls you upset about their care.
The most enjoyable part of my job is when client's call with questions and I am able to answer them and give them assurance. They become so thankful for that, and that is very rewarding.


text:
|Video Games
|Games & Hobbies
The IGN PlayStation Team sits down and talks all things Sony, sprinkling a little madness and song along the way. Podcast Beyond is the premiere source for Sony news, opinions and old-fashioned shenanigans.
February 17th, 2012
Episode 70 of 336 episodes
The long-awaited project seems troubled.
You'll need to sign in to write a comment.
Welcome to the daily audio workout for your head.


text:
DC Comics introduces the new Helena Bertinelli
On his blog, writer/artist Tim Seeley has shared with fans designs for longtime Huntress Helena Bertinelli, who makes her first New 52 appearance in today's (final) issue of Nightwing but will be primarily used as Dick Grayson's partner-in-spymastery in the upcoming series Grayson, which Seeley is co-writing.
The character, whose previous iteration before the relaunch was the daughter of a mob boss and a Catholic, has always been nominally quite Italian, and with the darker skin color, some fans are confused as to whether she's been altered to be African-American, or whether she's a dark-skinned Italian (obviously, they aren't that uncommon). Asked about the character's ethnicity by a fan on Twitter, Seeley declined to clarify, promising that "it's definitely covered in future issues" of Grayson.
Previously in the New 52, Helena Bertinelli had been named as dead, with Helena Wayne (the Earth-2 daughter of Batman and Catwoman and current Huntress) having briefly assumed her identity to lie low. Whether that's an unrelated Helena Bertinelli, or whether this one faked her own death (as has Dick Grayson at the start of his new spy-flavored monthly) isn't yet clear, either.
Seeley also didn't give too much insight in his commentary, saying only:
Here's some of the designs I sent in along with my pitch for GRAYSON!
Two versions of HELENA BERTINELLI. The "superheroey" one derived from the "Skull girls' in BATMAN INC was scrapped.
The new series launches on July 2 by the creative team that did today's Nightwing #30, which is arguably a kind of "zero issue" for Grayson.


text:
Forgot Password? | Not a User? Sign up
Your browser does not support iframes.
Volunteers needed
La Grange Police
For Jillian Morrison, a Goshen resident and student at St. Francis School, service has a deep and personal meaning.
For the first time in their careers, two Oldham County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) employees had the opportunity to take a patient home instead of taking them to the hospital.
For La Grange residents, a day walking Main Street was worth its weight in chocolate. The city held its annual chocolate crawl Feb. 11, giving visitors the chance to explore local business and the treats they prepared for the occasion.
Bottom left: Felicia Breeding visits Prather Design to take a taste of their chocolate treats.
Oldham County High School student Richard Broughton appeared in Oldham County District Court on Feb. 8.
The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and Lincoln Memorial University of Veterinary Medicine conducted a study of all 120 county animal shelters in Kentucky last year. The graduate veterinary students visited each county animal shelter and evaluated them on several criteria.
Copyright © 2017
The Oldham Era is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Oldham County and LaGrange, Kentucky, and the surrounding area.


text:
BY: Follow @Kredo0
A new directive issued by Pentagon leaders mandates that the agency work to "assess and manage risks associated with the impacts of climate change," according to a copy of the Jan. 14 directive issued by Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work.
As the Obama administration focuses on a larger effort to push its climate change agenda, the Pentagon will now "address the impacts of climate change." This includes engaging in "deliberate preparation, close cooperation, and coordinated planning" to "improve climate preparedness and resilience," according to the directive.
The partnership will include state governments and the private sector.
Pentagon officials expect that the climate change effort will "help safeguard [the] U.S. economy, infrastructure, environment, and natural resources," according to the directive.
The directive is to be obeyed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, all the military branches, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and most all other entities operating under the Pentagon umbrella.
"The DoD must be able to adapt current and future operations to address the impacts of climate change in order to maintain an effective and efficient U.S. military," according to the 12-page directive.
"Mission planning and execution" must now include an assessment of the "effects of climate change on the DoD mission."
The military also is directed to take "those [climate change] effects into consideration when developing plans and implementing procedures." They also must anticipate and manage "any risks that develop as a result of climate change to build resilience," according to the order.
Additionally, the under secretary of defense for intelligence and the director of national intelligence are directed to coordinate with one another about "risks, potential impacts, considerations, vulnerabilities, and effects [on operations] of altered operating environments related to climate change and environmental monitoring," the directive states.
The Pentagon told Congress in a report last year that it "sees climate change as a present security threat, not strictly a long-term risk."


text:
Join FREE | Login
+ Celebrations
+ How-To
+ Deals
Ground Beef Stew over Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Oven-Baked Beef Stew
Beef Stew in Biscuit Cups
Easy Hamburger Stew
Slow-Cooker Chicken Alfredo Stew
Chicken Biscuit Stew
Scrumptious dinner ready in just 30 minutes! Enjoy this delicious vegetable stew that's made easily at home over stove top!
Dill and hard-cooked egg add a Scandinavian touch to this soup brimming with fresh garden flavor. Always add dill weed close to the end of cooking as it loses flavor rather quickly when heated.
Add 1 cup diced fully cooked turkey ham with peas in step 3. Continue as directed.
© 2016 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


text:
Heat wave in Midwest, Mid-Atlantic to last through weekend
The heat wave cooking most of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic will keep raging today as cities in at least 13 states endure triple-digit heat.
Jon Rowe, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel, says more than 174 cities around the country set record high temperatures Tuesday and a final tally of Wednesday's records likely will come close to that figure. He said that pattern should continue today and through the weekend before finally easing some by Sunday — but not by much.
"It's still going to be horrific," he says, "but a little more average."
PHOTOS: Celebrating the Fourth of July
Illinois is now on pace for its hottest year in recorded history. Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel writes on his blog that every month this year has been above average, and the statewide average temperature of 52.8 over those six months is the hottest on record. The previous record was a statewide average temperature of 52.1 in 1921.
The heat has sent more people to hospitals as they struggle to adjust to such an early start of the dog days of summer. In Springfield, Mo., Mercy Hospital received its first 2011 heat-related illness on June 14. This year, the first case walked in on June 4, and the hospital has seen 24 more people come in with heat-related illnesses.
"It's hard on a holiday to tell people, 'Don't be drinking a bunch of soda or alcohol,' but you need to be careful about that sort of thing," Mercy Hospital spokeswoman Sonya Kullmann says. "The people who've been coming in, they haven't been drinking enough water or sports drinks."
Hundreds of thousands of people from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic remained without electricity Wednesday after Friday's violent storms responsible for 26 deaths.
In the Washington, D.C. area, Pepco said power was restored to 90% of its customers. More than 146,000 Virginia customers and 78,000 in central Maryland remained without power, according to the Associated Press.
Contributing: b> b> bull />Complete weather, 8A /b> /b>
Posted | Updated


text:
If you've seen Casino Royale you'll notice with a flick of James Bond's elegant cuffs that this 007 wears a rather nice watch. And just in case you don't recognise the label, Bond's leading lady, Vesper Lynd, purrs pointedly: "Beautiful watch. Rolex?" "No. Omega," our hero smirks.
The subtle inference, gentlemen, is that by wearing Omega you too can be a sex god. The not-so-subtle inference is that Omega has paid rather a lot of money to parade its brand in one of the hottest movies of the year.
So James Bond now prefers Smirnoff to Finlandia, Bollinger to Dom Perignon and though he still drives an Aston Martin you can be sure Ford has paid for the privilege. The labels he loves are the ones that have shelled out the cash to be in the movie.
It's not a new phenomenon, just that Bond has always been a canny brand ambassador. Product placement has been a respectable backbone of the movie industry for decades. Now it's heading for UK TV.
The European Parliament has just given the green light to a relaxation of the rules governing product placement in our television programmes, and advertisers and broadcasters are chomping at the bit: as one junk- food door closes (see below) another heavily branded door opens.
MEPs have voted to bring TV programme rules broadly into line with the US TV and film industries, though product placement will still be prohibited in news, current affairs and children's programming. The UK Culture minister, Shaun Woodward, supports lifting the ban and Ofcom has conducted a consultation on the issue.
Of course, we already have product placement on our television screens, despite the fact that it's outlawed under the current rules. The people who inhabit tellyland need to be seen to be living real lives: drinking the same sorts of lager, eating the same sorts of cereal, driving the same sorts of cars that we all do. If no money changes hands and the pack shots are handled appropriately, the proliferation of well known brand names in TV shows is deemed to be a legitimate part of the programme-making process.
The trouble comes if an advertiser finds their beloved brand appears in the show as an object of ridicule, or used as a murder weapon, or closely associated with the villain of the piece; advertisers simply have no control over how their brands are used. Making it a legitimate business practice will put the relationship on to a formal footing allowing advertisers to dictate how their brands are represented.
Even so, seeing your favourite soap star quaffing a Stella has an unquantifiable impact on your own purchasing decisions and on the surface of it product placement looks like a pretty tiny part of the marketing mix.
Well, it is - except that it's a marketing tool that will become more attractive as ad breaks become less effective. As viewers increasingly switch out of commercial breaks or use Sky+ to skip through the ads, embedding your brand in the bits that viewers are actively paying attention to becomes an incredibly powerful proposition. And you can bet there will be plenty of cash-strapped broadcasters happy to package up their stars as brand ambassadors.
The real trick will be to do it convincingly and within the legitimate context of the programme. There's nothing more likely to turn a consumer off than if they think advertisers are insulting their intelligence. Mind you, broadcasters have been getting away with that for years.
JUNK FOOD AD ban: part two (this one will run and run). Now TV companies are being forced to drop so-called junk food advertising from any programmes watched by a high proportion of under 16s, the battle ground is set to shift to other media.
Next up: children's magazines and poster sites. The Advertising Standards Authority is sharpening its knife to remove the junk food canker from comics and other print titles that have a mostly under-16s readership.
Of course, there's no point banning ads from the telly and simply allowing them to migrate to other media. As any communications strategist worth their pay cheque will tell you, we don't form our view of brands in neat media-orientated silos: we absorb commercial messages from across different media and build up a complex brand picture. So there's little to gain from banning junk food TV ads but sanctioning a junk food advertising bonanza in the Beano or on posters in residential areas. The media owners themselves are working on ways to head-off punitive legislation through demonstrable self-regulation; the battle, though, seems already lost.
In the meantime expect plenty of heated debate about exactly what constitutes junk food. Here's a little quiz for you. You've got two boxes: good food and junk food. Which box do you put the following brands into: a Mars Bar; a jar of Marmite; a Big Mac; an apple. Of course, they all go into the box labelled junk food. At least according to the hellishly complicated Nutrient Profiling scheme devised by the Food Standards Agency. The formula is designed to identify offending foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). But working through the minefield of what's acceptable and what's not will sap plenty of time and energy from junk food advertisers, leaving less time and energy to shout about how unfair it all is.
* IT'S THE TIME of year when all the broadcasters send their sales teams out on roadshows to drum up advertising revenue for next year. The TV-sales teams visit media-buying companies and, increasingly, creative agencies to present their programming highlights and creative advertising ideas in the hope of securing big advertising deals before the start of the year.
But there's never been a trading season so fraught with imponderables. With Ntl sent packing by ITV and Ofcom considering Sky's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent stake in our biggest commercial broadcaster, who knows whose hands ITV will be in this time next year.
Meanwhile, Channel 4 has come out with blazing guns, optimistically pitching a 5 per cent increase in its ad rates. This is ostensibly because Channel 4 reckons its programming environment is undervalued by advertisers, but also because there's the small matter of a potential £100 million funding gap between costs and revenues at the channel. Some bloody negotiations and tactical stand-offs with buyers will no doubt ensue.
Meanwhile Channel Five's biggest shareholder, RTL, is also mulling an ITV bid, which would result in it off-loading Five.
The only certainty is that whoever owns ITV this time next year it won't make an iota of difference to advertisers. Next year's programmes are pretty much in the bag and so the fate of its audience ratings is already sealed. The signs so far make Murdoch's £960 million investment look rather generous.
Beale'S Best In Show: The Conservative Party
Maurice Saatchi, a former co-chairman of the Conservative Party and a man whose advertising agency will forever be famous for making the Tories a saleable brand, said in this paper last week that "the driving ideology of Conservatism is a belief in self-determination, individuality, independence'.
But David Cameron's first real foray into advertising would suggest he has more in common with Tony Blair's nanny-state approach.
The new campaign, from the right-on creative hotshop Karmarama, is a revelation. It's high on impact, low on branding; it's 100-per-cent digital (see it on YouTube; check out sort-it.co.uk); it's funky, funny, slick. Oh, and it uses the word "tosser" - which presumably is an attempt to talk to us in our own language; it's the only clumsy thing about this ad.
The ad wants us to be more financially responsible. Here our geeky hero is tempted into a life of expensive bling by his oily "tosser inside" until he's riddled with debt. It's all part of a strategy to help us live up to our social responsibilities.
It heralds a new era in political advertising, one where subtlety (there's no Tory branding or attack on the opposition) and humour can flourish and one that fully embraces modern communications.
Whether it will win the Tories any new supporters is another thing, but I guarantee an awful lot of the party's old guard won't have a clue what's going on here.
- More about:
- Kaka
- Luis Fabiano
- Robinho
- Uruguay


text:
After finishing a media interview in Christchurch New Zealand about gluten free travels and the Let's Eat Out! series, a friend and I wanted to celebrate and asked our hotel concierge for a restaurant recommendation. Luckily, we were able to get a reservation at Cook'n with Gas. Read more
- Search
- Join Our Mailing List


text:
StartUpHire is the place to find Sales jobs in and near Pittsburgh. Review the list of Sales Pittsburgh career opportunities to the left. These Sales jobs represent some of the most rewarding careers available.
You can refine your job search for Sales career opportunities in Pittsburgh by adding a job title, company name, or keyword to the search box above … or click the "Advanced Search" link for more options.
Don't see the employment opportunity you're looking for? Check back soon for more Sales jobs in Pittsburgh, or sign up for an email alert (link below) to receive periodic updates on new Sales jobs in Pittsburgh, PA.
Demand for Sales Professionals in Pittsburgh, PA
Position : Regional Sales Manager Experience : 10+ years selling capital sales to executives. Atleast 5 years experience of selling to hospitals. Reports to : Head of Sales Location : Western PA, OH, WV We Are Also Looking For Below Regions : Southwest: Texas, Oklahoma,1/18/2017 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Job Description: To plan and manage sales activity with internal sales team and external channel partners, in order to grow sales in both the United States and applicable global territories, in accordance with agreed to business plans. Experience: 10+ years of selling. 5+ years1/18/2017 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Client Management Representative Job Description This position serves as a key member of a collaborative inside sales team and helps execute sales campaigns by qualifying leads, closing sales and providing high quality sales and customer support. A primary contact for prospects12/21/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
UNITED STATESBUSINESSFULL-TIME APPLY FOR THIS JOB A Partnership Manager to expand the use of the Duolingo English Test in higher education institutions. We are looking for a Partnership executive to introduce our English language assessment (englishtest.duolingo.com) to academic12/14/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Location:Pittsburgh, PA Job Code:239 # of Openings:1 Description Marketing Manager Pittsburgh, Pa Aquion Energy - a high growth, alternative energy start-up company based in Pittsburgh, PA is looking for a unique and savvy Director of Marketing to lead our Marketing2/16/2017 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Moai, a leader in e-Sourcing products, services and solutions, has just launched a new initiative called OnDemandSourcing targeted at mid-size companies. OnDemandSourcing is a web-hosted solution, that delivers the power and flexibility of e-Sourcing at a low, fixed cost without12/14/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Position : Head of Marketing Experience 10+ Years marketing, 3+ years managing marketing team. 5 years experience of marketing in the hospital industry Reporting Manager : Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh, PA Job Description : To plan and carry out direct marketing and1/18/2017 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Job Description Certified Implementation Specialists (CISs) are current or former classroom teachers who work as independent contractors for Carnegie learning, providing, on an as needed basis, professional development for adult learners, support for sales staff and offering12/21/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Full-time Employee PA/OH Apply for this Job Job Description The Manager of School Partnerships facilitates high-level professional learning for K-12+ educators in the field of mathematics. Promotes implementation fidelity and increases teacher effectiveness along with ensuring12/21/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Hiperos is an Opus Global company. We were founded with a single focus ? to help our customers get more value from their third parties and third party relationships. Company Overview Today, Hiperos customers engage with their third parties in 182 countries worldwide, and depend12/27/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
At Carnegie Learning, we believe in doing things differently. Our award-winning math curriculum is changing the game in K-20 education and we have plans to do even more. That's where you come in. Carnegie Learning?s success is built on our high quality products and experiences.12/21/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
Full-time Employee Pittsburgh, PA Apply for this Job Job Description Carnegie Learning provides comprehensive solutions to raise students? math knowledge through a combination of classroom activities, adaptive software, and teacher professional development. The Customer12/21/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job
PITTSBURGH, PAPRODUCTFULL-TIME APPLY FOR THIS JOB Duolingo is looking for a creative and experienced VP of Product. Help us bring free education to the next level! RESPONSIBILITIES Lead the full product lifecycle for a suite of products or services covering concept,11/14/2016 Pittsburgh, PA Save This Job


text: Ladies And Gentlemen, It's Magician Randy PitchfordMike Fahey4/13/14 7:00pmFiled to: Mystical PowersPAX East 2014Randy Pitchfordmagicgearbox softwarekotakucore584EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Did you know Gearbox Software founder, president and CEO Randy Pitchford started out as a professional magician in Hollywood? He unleashed his magical powers at the Gearbox panel at PAX East earlier today, and the world trembled beneath his might. Advertisement Like any good Hollywood magician, Pitchford stole this trick from a fellow magician — Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller fame. Unlike any good Hollywood magician, Randy admits it. If you watch very closely, you can see a classic bit of misdirection, as well as the ads that kept popping up during the Twitch stream from the event, which I did not attend, or I would be wearing Pitchford's jacket right now. Advertisement For more of the Great and Powerful Randy, check out Pitchford's illusions from D.I.C.E. 2013. Reply58 repliesLeave a reply


text:
Were Only Human
During the past few years, Arte del Barrio, a collaborative troupe of painters, photographers, sculptors, auteurs, musicians, and actors, has been on a whirlwind tear, organizing exhibits, initiating community-oriented projects with an emphasis on education, and basically showing the public a rip-snorting time.
Tonight the tight-knit collective raises the curtain on (H) U-Man (O), a multimedia blowout riffing on what organizers say are the contradictions and truths of the human being.
Curated by Javier Lopez Rotello, the event promises an upbeat look at navigating the cruelty of living in uncertain times and an examination of how people can join in improving society. Dont expect to encounter a bunch of scruffy bohos singing Kumbaya while hitting a bong; these do-gooders recently painted a mural alongside toddlers, transforming a day-care center into a cheerful wonderland.
Sat., Jan. 14, 7 p.m.
Get the Things to Do Newsletter
Sign up for our weekly guide to events in Miami, and never be bored again. With suggestions for every day of the week, our recommendations will keep you busy on any budget.
Upcoming Events
Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes
TicketsTue., Feb. 28, 7:30pm
Rockin' Road to Dublin
TicketsTue., Feb. 28, 7:30pm
20th Century Jewish Chamber Music Concert
TicketsTue., Feb. 28, 8:00pm
Nova Southeastern University Sharks Womens Basketball
TicketsWed., Mar. 1, 7:00pm
Sponsor Content