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The Myakka pedigree
15 years of beautifully designed fair trade furniture, forest care and fast delivery.
I have wanted this Storage Seat for ages and it was so worth the wait. It's beautifully made, looks fantastic and has finally disappeared the shoe pile that has been a permanent feature of my hall floor for years! Despite any previous attempts I've made to get my family to keep their shoes tidy, only have 2 pairs out at a time etc, etc nothing has ever lasted more than a week; however since the day my Mallani Storage Seat arrived everybody has stuck to keeping their 2 pairs of shoes worn daily for work, school, leisure etc in their section of the seat and are now as fussy about it as me! Such a pleasure to see and use, I love it!
Would you recommend this to a friend? Yes
Perfect hallway storage
This unit is big enough to hold the family's shoes but slimline enough to sit by the door unobtrusively. The seat cushion has made our life easier with sitting to get our toddler's shoes on in the morning! Lovely wood and practical design.
Would you recommend this to a friend? Yes
Mallani Storage Seat
We've just had our new porch built to house this excellent storage seat! I saw the bench in a catalogue a couple of years ago, and I knew it would be perfect for the porch I wanted. For one reason and another, that only got built last December. The bench is indeed perfect for it - it looks really stylish (a beautiful piece of furniture) and it's really practical, both to hold all our outside wear, and to provide helpful seating in a smallish space. Service - in the busy run up period to Christmas - was ace. Thank you!
Would you recommend this to a friend? Yes
Excellent product
A lovely piece of furniture, great quality and beautifully made. Service was also excellent, both in terms of booking the delivery and the helpfulness of the delivery men themselves. Overall, very happy!
Would you recommend this to a friend? Yes


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A developer of business management software.Speak with a AST@NET provider
AST@NET is a newly established company in the heart of the Silicon Valley, USA. It's founder, CEO and president Axel Streichardt's experience in the computer business and multiple industries reaches more than 12 years back and is the indispensable foundation of AST@NET's services.
Our main focus is the development, distribution and deployment of 100% web-based, customized applications for small and mid businesses. Our web applications help solving your business problems by building the application around your business, your data and information flow. Our solutions are platform independent, flexible, economical, expandable and secure for a high return on investment and a low total cost of ownership.
AST@NET developed three major applications that are ready to use. Document Management System, Accounting Management System and the Office Management System. All solutions are extremely easy to deploy and to use and can be deployed on Linux, Unix, Mac and Windows. All applications are simply accessible through any browser from anywhere and with AST@NET's web-based application there is no user limitation. All three applications have cross-industry capability and can be easily adapted into any environment.
Product Lines
Accounting Management System
A web-based accounting software system designed by AST@NET.
Market Focus
Evaluations of AST@NET products by market segment:
Get Software Recommendations
For over 15 years, independent software experts have helped more than 200,000 businesses find the right software for their needs. We'd love to help you, too.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Energy Micro is offering free samples of their EFM32 Gecko series microcontrollers (MCUs). The samples are available to qualified individuals worldwide. There is no additional charges for shipping, and lead time is only a few days. Energy Micro's sampling program currently consists of the Gecko, Tiny Gecko, Leopard Gecko and Giant Gecko families. The EFM32 series is based on the ARM Cortex-M series of processors, and consisting of over 240 variants.
There are a couple of catches to this free sample promotion. First, you can only request two sample parts per order. Second, you can only request one sample of each item on an order. Lastly, you can only make two two sample request in a 30-day period. Note: Energy Micro reserves the right to evaluate all sample requests prior to fulfillment. You also have to use your company e-mail address (Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail addresses will be rejected). If approved, your samples should arrive in three business days.
Energy Micro's processors are aimed at energy sensitive applications such as smart metering, building automation, security systems, portable health and fitness equipment and smart accessories. Devices in the EFM32 Gecko range consume as little as 150µA/MHz in active mode and feature numerous energy-efficient peripherals, including an on-chip LCD controller, USB interface and a low power yet autonomous sensor monitoring system named LESENSE. The low energy LESENSE interface can be used even in deep sleep modes, requiring as little as 1µA to enable intelligent and conditional wake up of the MCU.
More info: Energy Micro EFM32 Samples


text: The photography of Bronx-native Dondre Green is a portrait of both the Bronx itself and the people who live there. Often vibrant with occasional moments of calm, Dondre's boldly colored portraits—of friends and neighbors—and landscapes make up a sizable amount of his portfolio. Check the iPhone photos he shared with us below.


text:
Criminal Law
Criminal Law Questions? Ask a Criminal Lawyer.
Hello. My name is XXXXX XXXXX I will be glad to help you.
Are you online with me?
yes I am
Welcome to JustAnswer.com
I am very sorry to hear about your terrible experience.
I am afraid that I do not have good news here.
its ok, tell me anyways.
Unfortunately, if you has consensual sex with your boyfriend, regardless or not whether you have agreed to use a condom or not, there would be no crime committed, unless you told your boyfriend to stop at some point and he did not.
However, if this boyfriend, God forbid knowingly infect you with some type of STD or if you get pregnant, than he can be held civilly liable for such action or for the support for the baby.
I do take everything that you stated very seriously and reviewed your question very closely, but unfortunately, there is simply nothing criminal about this type of sexual behavior, since the sex was initiated with consent of both parties.
No, I did not tell him to stop. But why doesnt his act of deception fall into some kind of law?
Can you please also tell me your age and the age of your boyfriend?
Im 40 and he is 45. He is not my boyfriend now.
okay. I am glad that you stopped having any contact with this irresponsible and disrespectful man.
Are you looking at the laws for the state of Ohio?
Yes I am.
Unfortunately, a consent to a sexual act, would cover the type of behavior that your ex-boyfriend exhibited, but as I said, if you do suffer any health issues as a result, you can hold him civilly liable.
Does this make sense?
so in other words, because I consented, he has the right to do anything he wants and cant be held liable?
Within the scope of consent yes.
And it would be up to you to tell him to stop, if he did something that you did not like or approve.
When you reported this issue to the police, what did police advise you?
how sad. How would a jury view this type of case in your opinion if a lawyer was to take it to court?
All they said was to never contact him again and several prosecutors reviewed it, and all felt there was no case. Do you think they told me to stay away from him for my own protection? I was surprised the detective was so adamant about it. It was obvious I was going to stay away from him after what he did.
Well, because prosecutors did not see any criminal act in this incidents, it would be the same reasons why you would not have a civil recourse, unless you can show direct permanent damages to your health, as a result of his reckless actions, such as transmission of herpes or Aids.
Everything you are telling me is based on various Ohio laws I presume? In other words unless I get a disease or pregnant there is nothing I can do.
A civil recourse?
I know it doesn't appear fair, but the law is the law, and I have no way to change the law.
There generally would be no civil legal recourse, unless you suffer direct damages under Ohio law and most other states laws
A civil recourse is where I would take this to a civil court of law?
This is where you would sue for money damages in civil court.
The reason the police told you to stay away from ex, could be due to various reasons, but most likely is that they did not want to aggravate this situation by further contact and further potential issues and also they might have gotten a possible complaint against you from the ex...but there is now way to know for sure.
I dont mean to be repetative but in other words there is nothing I could do in any court system.- correct?
Correct. Not based on the facts you have stated to me. I am very sorry that you had to deal with such inconsiderate and irresponsible ex who would not respect your wishes!
Im simply trying to get closure.
I completely understand and I do hope you can recover and move on from this terrible experience that you had.
thank-you very much. You have been great. I very much appreciate your answers. Can I request you in the future?
Thank you for your kind word, the mean a world to me! You can request me in the future by starting your new questions with "This question is for Alex Esquire only".
Oh, one more thing you never answered how a jury might view a case like this?
You would not have a valid cause of action / claim in this case, if you cannot show direct damages to you, resulting from this incidents.
One more thing, you never told me how a jury might view a case like this? give me your best opinion
So, the case would be dismissed by the court, before it ever would get to the jury.
what if the damages are emotional?
They would not be actionable.
how come?
In other words, you would not have a valid claim simply based on emotional damages under the facts you have described.
I see. Its just that there are always emotional damages when it comes to inapproriate sexual misconduct, especially rape.
right, but this incident would not meet any elements of rape.
and would be considered consensual under the law.
i understand. I dont agree, but I understand.
I am very sorry, but the laws are not always fair to people.
I wish you the best of luck.Thank you and please click on the "excellent service" rating, so I can receive credit for my answer.Bonus and positive feedback is always appreciated, but is not required.
Your last answer was very clear- THANK-YOU


text:
PM aims to get the west on the right road
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has given a media address near a busy roadway in western Sydney, in the midst of her five-day tour of the region. Ms Gillard has said she sympathises with residents about the infrastructure problems in the area, and announced that her Federal Government is prepared to make a $1 billion down-payment on a key motorway into the city. But there are conditions attached.
Source: The World Today | Duration: 4min 37sec
Topics: alp, federal-government, federal-elections, nsw, australia
ELEANOR HALL: But we begin today in western Sydney, where the Prime Minister is in the midst of her five-day tour of the region and has just given a media address near a busy roadway.
Julia Gillard said she sympathised with residents about the infrastructure problems in the area and announced that her government is prepared to make a $1 billion down-payment on a key motorway into the city.
But there are conditions attached.
Joining us now is chief political correspondent Sabra Lane, who's travelling with the Prime Minister. Sabra, describe for us firstly where the PM was as she made this announcement?
SABRA LANE: Well the Prime Minister made this announcement right next to the M7, which is a motorway out in Sydney's west, and it was right near the junction actually of the M4. So it was possibly one of the noisiest locations in Sydney to actually hold the news announcement.
But she basically said that her government was prepared to put $1 billion on the table to build what is known in Sydney at the missing M4 link. The M4 is a motorway from Sydney's west. It stops at Strathfield, so it's about at my guess about 10 kilometres out from the CBD of Sydney.
The O'Farrell Government has plan to link up the M4 and another motorway, the M5, but as part of their plan they don't have a link going to the city. So the Prime Minister says as a condition of her deal, the $1 billion is that they do build a tunnel link to the city but also that a freight link also be constructed to Port Botany to make sure that heavy freight is gotten off those busy motorways as well.
And the other third condition to all of that is that the existing motorways that are free must remain toll free. Now this very much fits in with the Prime Minister's narrative out here in western Sydney.
She says that better roads are needed to help with the lives of families out here and to ease up congestion.
Let's hear how she announced the $1 billion announcement.
JULIA GILLARD: I'm being very practical here. In order to make a difference for the people who get in their cars every morning and try and get to Sydney's CBD for work, they need a better way of getting there.
Not getting, you know, part of the way there, they need a better way of getting to the city - that's what I want to see for those people doing those long commutes currently. I do not have a plan before me that does that.
ELEANOR HALL: That's the Prime Minister Julia Gillard outside, as you said Sabra, that busy motorway there. Is she still insisting that this is governing, not campaigning?
SABRA LANE: Yes, the Prime Minister says that this is a good opportunity for her to get out and about and talk to people. Before she made this announcement, she visited another business in the west, a business that trains disabled people and helps place them in work situations.
So she said it was a good opportunity to talk to that business and the people who are training the clients, in particular, about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which the Government will roll out launch sites shortly in 17 weeks.
But you know, it's hard Eleanor not to see it anything but the backdrop with the M7, she was surrounded by quite a few of her ministers - Chris Bowen, Anthony Albanese, also David Bradbury, a local member, and also some other western Sydney MPs.
So she had a bevvy of MPs and ministers when she made this announcement.
ELEANOR HALL: And $1 billion is significant. Did she say how this motorway will be funded?
SABRA LANE: Well $1 billion is significant, but it's nowhere near the cost. At the moment, the proposal the Barry O'Farrell Government has put to the Federal Government - it's looking for funding for it already. It's said that the cost could be in total somewhere between $10 billion and $13 billion.
But the Federal Government says it has a huge problem with the plan that has been put by Barry O'Farrell, because they say that it just doesn't make sense to put all this money into this infrastructure and not build a link to the CBD - that it's crazy.
The Prime Minister was asked if she was playing a game of bluff with Barry O'Farrell. Let's hear a response.
JULIA GILLARD: I don't accept Premier O'Farrell's analysis that there is no need for a second airport and that the current airport can cope with all future traffic. I don't accept that. We've been involved in a joint study with New South Wales which unsurprisingly said that there was a need for a second airport.
We, since that time, have been involved in studying the site at Wilton and that is our focus and we are still working on all of the assessments to do with the Wilton site.
ELEANOR HALL: That's the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, in western Sydney and our chief political correspondent Sabra Lane travelling with her.


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Cisplatin-DNA adduct formation in patients treated with cisplatin-based chemoradiation: lack of correlation between normal tissues and primary tumor
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In this study, the formation of cisplatin-DNA adducts after concurrent cisplatin-radiation and the relationship between adduct-formation in primary tumor tissue and normal tissue were investigated.
Three intravenous cisplatin-regimens, given concurrently with radiation, were studied: daily low-dose (6 mg/m2) cisplatin, weekly 40 mg/m2, three-weekly 100 mg/m2. A 32P-postlabeling technique was used to quantify adducts in normal tissue [white blood cells (WBC) and buccal cells] and tumor.
Normal tissue samples for adduct determination were obtained from 63 patients and tumor biopsies from 23 of these patients. Linear relationships and high correlations were observed between the levels of two guanosine- and adenosine–guanosine-adducts in normal and tumor tissue. Adduct levels in tumors were two to five times higher than those in WBC (P < 0.001). No significant correlations were found between adduct levels in normal tissues and primary tumor biopsies, nor between WBC and buccal cells.
In concurrent chemoradiotherapy schedules, cisplatin adduct levels in tumors were significantly higher than in normal tissues (WBC). No evidence of a correlation was found between adduct levels in normal tissues and primary tumor biopsies. This lack of correlation may, to some extent, explain the inconsistencies in the literature regarding whether or not cisplatin-DNA adducts can be used as a predictive test in anticancer platinum therapy.
KeywordsChemoradiation Cisplatin DNA adducts Head and neck cancer Cervical cancer
Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is more effective than radiotherapy (RT) alone, both in in vitro studies [1, 2] as well as in clinical studies in many different tumor types, including advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and cervical cancer, leading to improvements in locoregional control and/or survival [11, 13, 21, 28]. In a metaanalysis on concurrent chemoradiation in HNSCC, the addition of concurrent single agent cisplatin to RT was the most effective treatment regime with the largest improvement on overall survival [5]. Concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiation is now considered standard care in advanced-stage HNSCC and cervical cancer.
In addition to the increased efficacy of the combined treatment, it was shown that the concurrent regimens are accompanied by higher acute toxicity rates compared to radiation alone [11, 21], with more severe mucositis and gastrointestinal toxicity.
Since a substantial number of patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation still fail to respond to this toxic treatment, there is a need for an accurate predictive assay, based on which patients that are likely to respond to the therapy can be selected. This strategy may also provide a tool to individualize and tailor treatment, based on evaluation of the predictive assay, early during therapy.
One potential predictive marker is the formation of cisplatin-DNA adducts, which are formed when cisplatin reacts with the cellular DNA by binding to nucleotides. The majority of adducts are either intrastrand adducts with cisplatin bound between two guanosine (GG) nucleotides or adenosine–guanosine (AG) nucleotides [8]. Cisplatin-DNA adducts can be measured in tumor and normal tissue. The level of adducts has been shown to correlate with cytotoxicity in vitro [34], and with response to therapy in patients [3, 17, 32, 35]. In most of these studies [3, 32, 35], adduct measurements were performed in the normal tissue, with the assumption that normal tissue can be used as surrogate marker for tumor.
In our institute, study protocols with cisplatin-DNA adduct measurements are ongoing in patients with HNSCC and cervical cancer, who are all treated with concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiation. The objectives of the current study are (1) to investigate the two major forms of cisplatin-DNA adducts (GG and AG adducts) after different schedules of cisplatin given concurrently with radiation and (2) to explore relationships between adducts in primary tumor and normal tissue. We specifically wanted to investigate whether the level of adducts in tumors are reflected by those in normal tissues. In studies focused on the predictive value of cisplatin-DNA adduct levels, this would then justify the use of more easily obtained normal tissues as a surrogate for tumor samples.
Patients and methods
Concurrent chemoradiation protocols
This study on adduct formation was approved by the medical ethical committee of the participating hospitals. The main eligibility criteria were: patients scheduled for cisplatin chemoradiation, no previous treatment with cisplatin, and informed consent. Eligible patients were informed about the nature of the protocol and after written informed consent they were entered in the study. Patients were recruited from one of the following regimens.
In advanced-stage HNSCC patients, two different cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation protocols (RADPLAT) were used. The RADPLAT 100 schedule, which is the most commonly administered schedule in HNSCC [11], consisted of cisplatin given intravenously (IV) at a dose of 100 mg/m2, as a 30 min infusion, 1–2 h before RT at days 1, 22, and 43 of treatment. This treatment was part of a randomized trial on IV vs. intra-arterial chemoradiation. In RADPLAT daily LD, low-dose (LD) cisplatin was given as a 1–2 min IV infusion at a dose of 6 mg/m2 daily, for a total number of 20 doses, 1–2 h prior to RT. This treatment was shown to be an effective alternative in HNSCC [6, 19]. Patients ineligible for or refusing the randomized trial on intra-arterial chemoradiation were treated with RADPLAT daily LD, since this treatment could be given on an outpatient basis. The RT target volumes for all schedules included the primary tumor and the bilateral neck at a dose of 46 Gy in 23 fractions. A boost was given to the macroscopic tumor extensions at the primary tumor site and lymph node metastases at a dose of 24 Gy in 12 fractions, resulting in a total dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions.
In patients with advanced-stage squamous cell cervical cancer, concurrent chemoradiation (CERVIX 40) consisted of weekly administration of cisplatin IV as a 4-h infusion at a dose of 40 mg/m2, followed by RT within 1–2 h. The total number of doses was 5–6, depending on external beam RT schedule and the number of intracavitary brachytherapy applications. The total radiation dose was usually 46 Gy to the cervical tumor, uterus, and pelvic lymph nodes, with a boost to the cervix tumor and other involved regions, to a total dose of 60–74 Gy, depending on treated volume and whether or not intracavitary brachytherapy was given.
Cisplatin-DNA adducts
Before and after chemotherapy, normal tissue samples [white blood cells (WBC) and buccal cells] were collected. In patients with an accessible primary tumor, a biopsy of the tumor was also taken. To avoid harvesting necrotic tissue, the biopsy was taken at the viable peripheral rim of the tumor. Samples were obtained at different times, due to logistic reasons: for the patients in the RADPLAT 100 study, this was done 23 h after the end of administration of the first cisplatin infusion (given on day 1 of treatment). In the patients in the CERVIX 40 study, samples were taken 20 h after the end of administration of the first weekly cisplatin infusion (given on day 1 of treatment). For the patients in the RADPLAT daily LD group, samples were taken 1 h after the 5th dose on day 5 of treatment. WBC were isolated from whole blood samples according to a previously published protocol [24]. Buccal cells were collected in phosphate-buffered saline by scraping the bilateral buccal mucosa using a cotton swab. In HNSCC patients, the buccal mucosa could be located within the RT treatment fields, depending on the tumor site. The harvested cells were centrifuged (5 min at 4°C, 1,000 rpm) and resuspended in a Tris–EDTA buffer and stored at −80°C until analysis. Tumor biopsies were taken and immediately frozen at −80°C until analysis. Quantification of GG- and AG-intrastrand adducts was performed by a 32P-postlabeling technique as previously described [29]. Internal standardization was incorporated in the present analysis method, by adding 300 fmol of TT nucleotides to each sample. From previous work, the reproducibility of the assay is known by analysis of duplicate specimens within the same experiment (within-run reproducibility) and by analysis of duplicate specimens in separate experiments (between-run reproducibility) [29]. The reproducibility was described for WBC and tumor samples and was within 10% for the within-run precision and between 2–20% for the between-run precision. It was also determined for buccal cells in the same way and similar reproducibility was obtained. The concentration of DNA present in the samples was measured spectrophotometrically at 260 nm with the Nanodrop ND-1000 (Nanodrop Technologies Inc, Wilmington, DE, USA). The cisplatin-DNA adduct levels were expressed as fmol/μg DNA. The lower limit of quantification for the Pt-GG and Pt-AG adducts was 0.087 and 0.053 fmol/μg DNA, respectively.
Statistical analysis
Analysis of data was performed in SPSS software (version 11.5, SPSS, Inc.). For quantitative comparison of numerical data between groups, the Student's t-test was applied. The Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were calculated for analysis of correlations between different samples (WBC, buccal cells, and primary tumor) on an intra-patient level.
Samples for cisplatin-DNA adduct determination were obtained from 63 patients: 27 from RADPLAT daily LD, 15 from CERVIX 40, and 21 from RADPLAT 100. WBC samples were taken from 61 patients, buccal cells from 25, and tumor biopsies from 23 of these patients. The reasons for the missing data for the normal tissue samples were: no collection of samples due to logistics or (in minority of cases) not sufficient volume for analysis. The reason for missing primary tumor biopsy data were: tumor not accessible for direct outpatient-based biopsy (in HNSCC patients) or refusal (in cervix cancer patients).
In WBC, all but three of the 60 available baseline samples were below the LLQ for the GG adducts and all but two below the LLQ for the AG adducts. This was probably due to some background signal inherent in the postlabeling method, since all patients had not been treated before with platinum chemotherapy. The yield of DNA, obtained from the buccal cell samples was rather low, ranging from 1–10 μg. Baseline samples of buccal cells were available from 16 of 25 patients, of whom posttreatment samples were also available. The baseline values of GG adducts in buccal cells ranged from 0.067 to 0.745 fmol/μg DNA (mean 0.282, SD 0.19) and baseline values of AG adducts in buccal the cells ranged from 0.087 to 1.538 fmol/μg DNA (mean 0.398, SD 0.38). All but two of the baseline GG-adduct values were above the LLQ and all the baseline AG-adduct values were above the LLQ. This was probably due to the low DNA quantities obtained from the buccal cell samples. The difference in adduct levels from baseline to post-infusion values was significant for the GG adducts, but not for the AG adducts. This implies that for measuring low quantities of AG adducts in the low amounts of buccal cell DNA available, we reached the limits of quantification with this postlabeling method.
Cisplatin-DNA adducts (in fmol/μg DNA) in normal tissue and primary tumor after different schedules of cisplatin-based chemoradiation
Treatment schedule
Buccal cells
RADPLAT daily LD
There are two main conclusions from the 63 patients included in these analyses. First, intra-tumoral adduct levels were substantially higher than those in normal tissue (WBC) at all cisplatin-dose levels examined. Second, no positive correlations were evident between adducts in tumors and normal tissues. It should be noted that the various schedules, the cisplatin doses, and the duration of infusions differed, as well as the sampling times. However, all analyses on adducts were performed on paired samples, within the same patient. This eliminates variance of these factors since the normal tissue and tumor samples all were obtained at similar time points after the cisplatin infusion. In the RADPLAT daily LD, some accumulation from the previous four daily 6 mg cisplatin infusions would have occurred and affected the day 5 measurement after the 5th infusion. In the RADPLAT 100 and CERVIX 40 patients, no such accumulation would have occurred, since the sampling was done 20–23 h after the first infusion of cisplatin.
Relatively little information is available regarding the in vivo formation of intra-tumoral cisplatin-DNA adducts in clinical series [17, 23]. Most studies focused on intra-tumoral platinum concentrations, both in HNSCC [12, 33] and cervical cancer patients [15, 22]. These studies are mostly characterized by relatively low numbers of patients, probably due to the invasive nature of the procedure. The data on correlations between adducts and platinum content are contradictory: In an experimental study [37], no relationship could be established between the intra-tumoral adduct levels and platinum content, although in one clinical study, a significant correlation was found [23].
Adduct levels in primary tumors were consistently two- to fivefold higher than in WBC. This was true for both GG and AG adducts. This finding was previously described in anecdotal clinical cases [9, 30]. Similar observations were made in platinum content studies in an experimental tumor model [18] and in HNSCC patients [33]. Adducts in tumor were also higher than in buccal cells in the CERVIX 40 and RADPLAT 100 group, but not in the RADPLAT daily LD group. We observed a linear relationship between the two major adduct forms (AG and GG) for both normal tissues and tumor (Fig. 1a–c), although GG-adduct formation was 5–12 times increased relative to the AG adducts, as reported earlier [8, 36]. The linear relationships between GG and AG adducts serve as a validation of the assay. Apparently within a sample, both types of adducts are present in an equal proportion, although the absolute amounts differ greatly. In previous studies, the type of adduct responsible for the cytotoxic effect of platinum compounds has been investigated. From two of these studies [7, 36] it was concluded that the AG adduct was responsible for the platinum cytotoxicity. From our study, such a conclusion cannot be made, since both types of adducts were present in equal proportions.
Adduct formation in different tissue samples showed a lack of correlation between tumor and normal tissue. One might have expected that higher adduct levels in normal tissue would be accompanied by more adducts in tumor, although this was not the case. Similar results were found in an animal study [25] and in a clinical series of uterine cervix cancer patients [22], both demonstrating lack of correlation between tumor platinum and serum platinum concentrations. If adduct formation were merely a matter of cisplatin exposure, then a positive correlation would be expected. The reasons for the higher levels of adducts in tumor vs. normal tissue and the lack of correlation between them may be explained by differences between tumor and normal tissue in one of the following factors: Tumors are heterogeneous in terms of blood supply and perfusion, resulting in differences in cisplatin uptake and diffusion, drug-pumps may diminish intra-cellular cisplatin concentrations by active transmembrane transport of cisplatin, prohibiting adducts to be formed, and tumor cells may have less effective capacities to repair damage from cytotoxic agents.
Adducts are formed rapidly and in a dose-dependent fashion within 1–2 h after cisplatin exposure, with a gradual decrease (repair) within the next 20–24 h [20, 32, 36]. The persistence of cisplatin-DNA adducts may therefore be regarded as a measure of repair and possibly be used as predictive assay. We therefore chose to measure adducts 20–23 h after the end of chemotherapy infusion. Ideally, more frequent measurements would have generated more information on the rate of adduct formation, repair, and total exposure to adducts (like an AUC analysis) [24]. However, obtaining repeated biopsies is not feasible in clinical practice.
The results from the buccal cell samples need to be interpreted with caution, especially the AG-adduct levels, since uncertainties remain. With the low quantities of AG-adducts in the low amounts of buccal cell DNA we could extract, we reached the limits of quantification of the postlabeling method.
The rationale for measuring cisplatin-DNA adducts is that it could be used as a predictive assay: higher levels of adducts would predict favorable treatment outcome. Many studies have been performed for this purpose, investigating adducts in normal tissue (WBC and buccal cells) [3, 4, 10, 14, 26, 31, 32, 35]. These study designs are based on the assumption that normal tissue can be used as a surrogate marker for tumor tissue with respect to cisplatin-DNA adduct formation. In our present study, however, we did not find such a correlation. This might explain why the results on the role of adduct formation to predictive outcome are heterogeneous and contradictory, as illustrated below.
Several studies on adduct formation in WBC showed that the level of adducts was positively correlated with response to chemotherapy in patients with advanced disease in a variety of tumor sites [31, 32], while others showed no correlation [4, 26]. One study showed a positive correlation in one tumor site (ovarian cancer), but not in the other (breast cancer) [14], and in another study the level of adduct formation showed a negative association with survival for day-5 adducts, while there was no difference for day-1 adducts [10]. In studies on adduct levels in buccal cells, a positive correlation was found between adducts and either disease response [3] or better survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [35]. We recently showed that adduct formation in primary tumor appeared to be associated with better progression-free survival in HNSCC [17].
Differences were observed between the levels of intra-tumoral adducts for the three chemoradiation schedules, with lower adducts after lower dosages of cisplatin. Based on this, however, one cannot predict that the schedules with less adducts will result in less cytotoxicity, since not only the cisplatin dose, but also timing and schedule of cisplatin administration are crucial determinants of efficacy [1]. These factors may contribute to differences in the formation and rate of repair of adducts, resulting in different exposures to cisplatin-DNA adducts. These differences make it difficult to extrapolate from the observed adduct values in tumor and normal tissues to a prediction of superiority of one schedule over another.
In future studies, immunohistochemistry on repair proteins like ERCC1 [27] or gene expression profiling studies on platinum resistance [16] could be used to improve the prediction of cisplatin sensitivity and prediction of therapy response.
In conclusion, we have demonstrated that in concurrent chemoradiotherapy schedules, cisplatin adduct levels in tumors were significantly higher than in normal tissues (WBC). No evidence of a correlation was found between adduct levels in normal tissues and primary tumor biopsies. This lack of correlation may, to some extent, explain the inconsistencies in the literature regarding whether or not cisplatin-DNA adducts can be used as predictive test in anticancer therapy.
Conflict of interest: none declared.


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Inheritance Journal
1.Passing on a culture or anything that runs in the family also the stuff they have.
2.junior inherited a chance of learning which his parents didn't have.
3.Douglass inherited a way to learn with his master yelling and punishing him.
4. Douglass taught us that hope is every where we go there is hope. Junior taught us that reading and writing is more then learning.it is life.


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Today, my 14-year-old daughter told me she's pregnant and plans on dropping out of school to live a life on the road with her boyfriend. FML
I am a regular person, with an extraordinary talent for finding trouble... I have a gift that causes me to become a magnet for bad and worse situations... Most times... I fail to see the humor in these situations, maybe u guys can find it...
It's in the can!Hey, you uploaded your photo, and you're cute as a kitten!
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By Anonymous / Saturday 16 May 2015 00:50 / United States
Today, my ex called, saying she's 3 months pregnant. She seems to have forgotten that we haven't been in the same room, much less friends, in over a year. My dimwitted wife thinks the baby is mine. FML
By both are dimwitted / Tuesday 23 December 2014 18:32 / United States - Los Angeles
Today, my boyfriend got on one knee and started talking about how we met. Knowing what was coming, I started tearing up, absolutely sure he was going to propose. Just as I was about to say yes, he quickly stood up and yelled "HAH, JUST KIDDING". FML
By Anonymous - / Saturday 23 November 2013 00:16 / Canada - Ottawa
Today, I was eating a hotdog. My huge Siberian Husky, upon becoming aware of this, jumped up on me. He forced his tongue into my mouth and ate the food I was in the middle of eating. FML
By EpicUsername - / Thursday 11 March 2010 01:14 / United States


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Voyeur : February 2009
KNOW_IT_ALL_ GREEN SOLAR SYSTEM exploring the Want to do your bit for the planet but can't give up those hot showers in winter? Renewable electricity retailer Jackgreen can help. Hot water makes up about 30 per cent of Australian households' total energy consumption. Yet despite our naturally abundant sunlight, only about five per cent of homes have solar hot water systems installed. Jackgreen's current campaign aims to educate consumers about the benefits of solar hot water technology and help themsubstantially reduce their energy bills. By simply switching to a solar hot water system, you can save between $300 and $700 a year – or up to 30 per cent on your energy bill – and reduce your household's greenhouse gas emissions by between two and four tonnes a year. Now you have no excuse not to be both clean and green! Visit www.jackgreen.com.au. SAY WOK? Looking to cook up a romantic stir-fry for a green-loving special someone this month? This new wok fromEarthPan uses non-stick technology called SandFlow, whereby the inner and outer surfaces of the pan are covered with a near-impervious coating created mainly fromsand, and there's no danger of the surface creating toxic fumes when overheated. We found it easy to clean (and dishwasher-safe), though beware of those handles as they do get rather hot! Visit www.earthpan.com.au. JEANIUS IDEA If you're about to turf your old jeans, think again. Recycle instead and turn theminto a denim handbag. First cut off the legs and split the crotch seam. Then run a seam across the bottom. Thread a belt through the belt loops to form a handle. For more ideas like this, read Save: Your Money, Your Time, Your Planet by Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming (ABC Books, RRP $19.95). SAVE WATER – SHOWER WITH BRAD PITT Hollywood heavyweight Brad Pitt is doing his bit for the environment by partnering with skincare company Kiehl's to endorse its Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser. Free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate and dyes, the gentle cleanser safely biodegrades into the earth 28 days after use. And 100 per cent of the profits will go to JPF Eco Systems, a charitable foundation created with Pitt to support global environmental initiatives. It's now helping to fund new housing construction for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. RRP $38 for 200ml. Visit www.kiehls.com for more information. 030 VIRGINBLUE GREEN TIP LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE Minimise your need for artificial light by maximising your use of natural light. Paint walls in light colours, keep blinds open in the day and ensure yourwindows are clean. Source: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by JoannaYarrow (Duncan Baird Publishers, RRP $14.95) ? TEXT :: FIONA SANDIFORD, FLEUR MICHELL, SZE KAI CHEN // PHOTOGRAPHY :: BIGSTOCKPHOTO
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My Sunday lunch is dead on 13:00, I do the cooking and those invited are told it is on the table at one and only warm after that if the bin is on fire, they get the message. I have automatic clocks that correct the time at two in the morning, not that I wake up and watch, I will be away in my dreams to Dancing the Waltz with Joan in Vienna in a crowded room on an empty floor, boy did we show them. Wish it was still possible.
Goathland on the North York's Moors is where I spent a lot of my childhood heather and Bilberries as we knew them grew well together, we harvested the bilberries and I never forgot the taste. The heather got burned off every few years and the bilberries still came. Leave them for now and pot them on alone into a bigger pot another year as I doubt they will fruit this year.
Morning Verdun on this lovely warm morning at 08:45 though it will be afternoon where you are "err" I think. New I-pad, nice, don't see the need for me to have one as my new touch screen laptop never leaves the house anyway but enjoy. I am investing in a Kindle to read and I-tunes although I do have I-tunes on here. The Gammon roast is ready to go in the oven once up to room temperature with some good Cornish ice cream when the Grandchildren arrive only the best for them.
Bet you all missed the Elvis programme on ch 9 last night, some good country and western which I love.
Caroline for me, Scott has to go even Judy was more entertaining. I am on the point of asking for Bruce back, no I have not taken a turn for the worse, they are annoying me.
"what did I say" asks Verdun? What ever it was provided us all with a good giggle, well that is the girls us lads a belly laugh, with the reminder of the months to come we need it.
Do not worry Runnybeak, we have his number, he will be out foxed by the posters on here, a crafty lot of mud pluggers, he could find his garden covered in china clay and think it has snowed.
Bob I find the best way to prune is with a chain saw, level with the ground does nicely. Verdun from his troglodyte position in the mine hewing pots probably never sees daylight living on Oggies will not help, they eat the handles and throw the rest away.
Kef, they to themselves are not confused and he was correct we had double summer time, I found in those long years caring for Joan the best way was to take her back, Photo's of her as a girl Dancing and of the family as children, I had pictures of all our dogs and she could name them when she could not remember who I was. People in that situation should stop and listen, they are not in our world but their world is real to them.
Steve lad, you do not get to be an old experienced gardener without getting old. I was talking with my S/L about the chemistry of Steel, he is a Chemistry graduate engineer and was getting it wrong. I still have all my college papers and knew where to look, a few minutes later my Grandson 13 said "you should listen to Granddad he knows what he is talking about" and added "he drove tanks"???? what that has to do with anything I do not know.
Unlike Fairygirl and others I am a morning person so the extra hour in bed does not happen, I get up the same time and go to bed an hour earlier. My mad party and dancing days are over, slippers TV or a book with a smallish glass of Scottish fire water and that's me gone.
Nice one Fairygirl Daughter, that Mr Dastardly down the bottom end of Devon, lot of cows in Devon and we know what their bottom ends look like, is getting mixed up with his cream and his clots, he thinks we are the latter.
Sorry Mike Wartime clutter? it was Double Summer Time during the war and that really sorted it out when we had to milk the cows in Winter.


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Tuberculosis in the era of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus: assessment and comparison of community knowledge of both infections in rural Uganda
In Uganda, despite a significant public health burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the context of high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence, little is known about community knowledge of TB. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare knowledge about TB and HIV in the general population of western Uganda and to examine common knowledge gaps and misconceptions.
We implemented a multi-stage survey design to randomly survey 360 participants from one district in western Uganda. Weighted summary knowledge scores for TB and HIV were calculated and multiple linear regression (with knowledge score as the dependant variable) was used to determine significant predictors. Six focus group discussions were conducted to supplement survey findings.
Mean (SD) HIV knowledge score was 58 (12) and TB knowledge score was 33 (15), both scores out of 100. The TB knowledge score was statistically significantly (p < 0.001) lower. Multivariate regression models included age, sex, marital status, education, residence, and having a friend with HIV/TB as independent variables. TB knowledge was predicted by rural residence (coefficient = −6.27, 95% CI: -11.7 to −0.8), and age ≥45 years (coefficient = 7.45, 95% CI: 0.3-14.6). HIV knowledge was only predicted by higher education (coefficient = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.3-1.6). Focus group participants mentioned various beliefs in the aetiology of TB including sharing cups, alcohol consumption, smoking, air pollution, and HIV. Some respondents believed that TB was not curable.
TB knowledge is low and many misconceptions about TB exist: these should be targeted through health education programs. Both TB and HIV-infection knowledge gaps could be better addressed through an integrated health education program on both infections, whereby TB program managers include HIV information and vice versa.
Globally, TB is one of the most common infections based on the following numbers: In 2010, there were 8.8 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases and 1.4 million deaths caused by TB worldwide
This data show that TB is still an overarching public health issue both globally and in Uganda, in spite of effective methods available to curb the spread of TB such as the treatment of smear positive TB cases. The cooperation and understanding of patients, family members and the community at large is required in order to effectively deal with TB, as has been shown for mental illness
Despite the importance of understanding community knowledge, relatively few studies have investigated the local knowledge of TB. A literature review was completed with the assistance of a health sciences librarian at the University of Alberta. Databases searched included Global Health, Medline, Psychinfo, Web of Science, and Academic Search Complete. Search headings and title searches used were knowledge level/ knowledge/ health behaviour/ perception/ awareness/ care seeking/ health seeking/ understandings/ conceptualisations. These results were geographically limited using the subject headings Africa south of the Sahara/ East Africa/ Africa/ Anglophone Africa/ Uganda. Finally, the search was narrowed to include only articles relating to tuberculosis and HIV or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Grey literature from the World Health Organisation and the Ugandan Ministry of Health was also included. Seven articles related directly to our topic, two conducted in South Africa, and one each in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda
Objectives of the study
The objectives of this study were:
1. To assess and compare the local community knowledge of TB and HIV infection in rural western Uganda;
2. To determine predictors of high knowledge of TB and HIV infection;
3. To identify specific misconceptions and beliefs that may influence the utilization and effectiveness of TB services.
Study design and recruitment of participants
This was a cross-sectional sequential mixed methods study with a quantitative and a qualitative study component. The study population was the total general adult population of Kabarole district in western Uganda, from which a random sample was drawn. Participants for the quantitative survey were selected using four levels of cluster random sampling (number selected): sub-county (6), parishes (18), villages (18), and households (360). One person was selected from each household. A total of 360 residents of Kabarole district agreed to participate. For the quantitative survey, a sample size of 360 was determined to be able to detect a 15% difference in the knowledge score of TB and HIV with a 0.05 significance level (two tailed test and a power of 80%). For the qualitative study component, the participants were not part of the quantitative survey, but were selected using convenience sampling from the same sub-counties (but different villages) as the survey sample. Six focus group discussions were conducted
Description of study area
The study was conducted in Kabarole district (population estimate 455,000 in 2010, land area 4,800 km2). The district health services consist of 47 health units with 75% of the population being less than 5 kilometres away from a unit
Study instruments
A questionnaire was developed to collect information on demographics and knowledge about HIV and TB transmission, symptoms, prevention, and treatment. As no standard questionnaire was available and suitable to our study objectives, we developed our own questionnaire in collaboration with local partners. This ensured a balanced scope of knowledge questions as well as ensured appropriateness and comprehensiveness of the questions in the local context. The questionnaire covered additional items related to stigma and TB/HIV co-infection. The total number of knowledge questions regarding TB and HIV were 17 questions. The questions were open-ended and formulated in a simple way to make them understandable to our participants. The most important questions for both infections were: "How can someone get TB?"; "What are the main symptoms of TB?"; "Is it possible for TB to be completely cured?"; "How can someone get HIV?"; ; "What are the things a person can do to avoid getting HIV?"; "Is it possible for HIV to be completely cured?"
Based on these questions, the maximum possible score was 14 for the TB knowledge and 17 for the HIV knowledge. Each respondent's knowledge scores were expressed as a percentage of the total possible scores. The questionnaire was pre-tested in the field. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by re-administering the questionnaire after seven days to a random sample of 10 respondents. The comparison of responses was used to calculate the agreement of responses between the survey and the re-test. The agreement in responses for all questions of the questionnaire was 86%. For TB knowledge questions agreement was 91%, and for HIV-infection knowledge questions it was 95%. The HIV status and TB status (or history) of participants was not assessed, therefore this sample neither excludes nor includes HIV or current or former TB patients.
Data collection and analysis
For the quantitative part, four local research assistants administered the questionnaire through an interview in the homes of the respondents. All were experienced interviewers and were thoroughly trained on the questionnaire. The interviews were conducted in the local language (Rutoroo) and lasted about 30 minutes. All completed interview sheets were checked for completeness by the first author. Summary knowledge scores were calculated by combining the correct responses from the knowledge questions and weighing it according to the importance of the question. All analyses were conducted using Stata 11 and controlled for the multistage survey design. Stata's survey feature was used to take into account the number selected versus available sampling units at each level of sampling to account for different sample pools at each level
Six focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted to further explore issues arising from the survey. Three FGDs were held with women only and three with men only. Two FGDs (one with men, one with women) were held with urban participants from the district capital and four FGDs were held with rural dwellers. The FGDs were conducted by the first author and a research assistant in the local language (for demographic details see Table
We developed a topic list jointly with our local team members and key informants. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify, code, and categorize the data. Themes were developed from these categories. A sub-sample of transcripts was re-coded by the same researcher, and a sub-set was also coded by an independent researcher to ensure inter-rater reliability (agreement in the coding tree was established) and to contribute to the trustworthiness of the study. Qualitative results were presented and discussed with participants and key informants (member checking) to confirm and validate the themes. The focus group discussions were conducted in the local language Rutoroo.
The responses from the questionnaire in the local language were immediately translated into English by the research assistants in the field and checked at the end of the day by the first author. The qualitative transcripts from the focus group discussions in the local language were also translated into English. A sub set of these transcripts were translated by an independent translator and the two English versions were compared to assess the accuracy of the translation.
Ethical approval
This study received ethical approval in Canada from the University of Alberta Human Research Ethics Board, Health Panel, and in Uganda from Makerere University School of Public Health's Internal Review Board and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. Participants were given information and a detailed explanation of the study by a trained research assistant in the local language. Informed consent was provided by signature or thumbprint on the consent form.
Of the 360 survey respondents 50.7% (n = 182) were female, mean age was 33 years (median 29, range 18–84 years). Other demographic information for the survey respondents can be found in Table
Three "women only" focus group discussions contained a total of 30 women, and three "men only" focus group discussions included a total of 31 men. Male participants in the focus group discussions were slightly older (mean 34 years, median 28 years, range 18–78 years) than female participants (mean 30 years, median 26 years, and range 18–58 years). Two focus group discussions were conducted in an urban area (one male, one female). Urban participants were younger (mean 26 years, median 25 years, range 18–64 years) than rural participants (mean 36 years, median 31 years, and range 18–78 years).
TB knowledge
Overall TB knowledge was limited. Three hundred forty three participants (95.3%) mentioned that cough is one of the main signs and symptoms of TB, but of the other two classic TB symptoms weight loss and night sweats, only 91 people (25.3%) mentioned weight loss, and only 10 people mentioned anything that could be interpreted as "night sweats" (responses included fever, sweating, evening fevers, evening sweats, and "evening malaria"). When asked how someone can get TB (as an open ended question allowing multiple responses), 49 people (13.7%) mentioned that it was an airborne disease, and 62 (17.3%) people said that you can get it from being near a patient. The most common form of transmission mentioned was through saliva, usually by sharing cups (263 participants, 73.3%). Fifty eight people (16.2%) mentioned that someone could get TB from smoking and/or drinking, 35 people (9.8%) stated that TB was hereditary, 35 (9.8%) mentioned other ways of getting TB (for example from uncooked milk or meat, from working in factories, from hard labour), and 21 (5.9%) were unsure how TB is transmitted. Two hundred eighty nine people (80.5%) knew that TB can be cured.
The mean TB knowledge summary percentage score was 34 (SD 15, range 0–79). Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis of TB knowledge considered age, education, type of house, sex, marital status, place of residence, and knowing someone who has had TB as independent variables. For both univariate and multivariate regression, older age (≥45 years) was statistically significantly associated with higher TB knowledge, and urban residence was statistically significantly associated with lower TB knowledge (see Table
Focus group participants discussed general population knowledge about TB, different types of TB symptoms, and transmission. Respondents reported a general lack of knowledge about TB amongst their village members. A lack of awareness was linked to delays in seeking treatment due to not recognizing the symptoms of TB. When asked why people were dying of TB despite treatment being available, one respondent stated:
There was an expressed perception that TB isn't curable. Participants mentioned either directly that TB doesn't have a cure, or that their fellow villagers believed that TB has no cure. One respondent stated:
Distinctions were also made between types of TB that are not curable, for example "inherited" TB cannot be cured, or TB that has progressed very far cannot be cured. It was also believed that TB cannot be cured in HIV patients. One explanation given was because HIV destroys all the white blood cells so even with the help of strong drugs the body cannot fight TB.
People believed that TB is transmitted through saliva by sharing utensils, cups, plates, and food stuffs. For example, one respondent noted that:
The idea of TB being transmitted through sharing cups is especially mentioned in the context of sharing cups when drinking alcohol. The situation of passing around a common cup at a local bar is associated with TB transmission. For example, one respondent stated:
In addition to alcohol, smoking was also understood as a way how TB is transmitted.
TB was also associated by respondents with being an environmental air pollutant. TB can be contracted from smoky fires in local houses that don't have good chimneys and where the kitchen and bedrooms are together.
There was also an understanding of TB being inherited from one's parent through blood, that it runs in a family, as one respondent explained:
TB was correctly associated by respondents with a very serious set of symptoms including very severe and prolonged cough, often associated with coughing up or vomiting blood. Less severe symptoms were assumed to be a "normal cough", and so people didn't seek medical attention. As one participant explained:
Abnormal weight loss was also understood as a symptom of TB, but not independent of cough. There was almost no mention of night sweats (the only person who mentioned it was a nurse) and no discussion of having weight loss/ night sweats without the cough.
HIV knowledge
Three hundred and fifty people (97.2%) mentioned sexual transmission when asked how someone can get HIV. Other responses were sharing sharp instruments (146, 40.6%), blood transfer (68, 18.9%), mother to child transmission (49, 13.6%) and having many partners (34, 9.4%). In order to assess knowledge of HIV prevention, respondents were asked "What are the things a person can do to avoid getting HIV?" Three hundred and twelve people mentioned condoms (86.7%), 230 mentioned abstinence (63.9%), and 166 mentioned 'be faithful' (46.1%). Three hundred and forty people (94.7%) knew that HIV cannot be completely cured.
The mean HIV knowledge summary percentage score was 58 (SD 12, range 18–100). Univariate regression analysis found that older age (≥45 years) and having ever been married were statistically significantly related to lower HIV knowledge. Having a secondary education and living in an urban centre were statistically significantly related to higher knowledge. In a multivariate model containing age, education, sex, marital status, place of residence and having an HIV positive friend, having a secondary education or higher were the only significant predictors for HIV knowledge (Table
Comparison of TB and HIV knowledge scores
The mean TB knowledge percentage score was significantly lower than the HIV knowledge score with a difference in means of 24 (34 vs 58, p < 0.001). The most striking difference was that the most basic knowledge about TB such as transmission and curability was not known by most participants while the majority of respondents knew mode of transmission and treatment of HIV infection. In addition, the level of misconception was much higher for TB. For example, a number of respondents thought that TB can be "inherited" and it can be acquired through alcohol consumption, hard labour, or from air pollution. The major deficiency in HIV knowledge was the low awareness of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV which was the one reason for a lower HIV knowledge score than we expected. There were also major differences in the predictor variables for high knowledge in both infections (see Table
This is the first time that TB knowledge has been assessed in this region. Our community study measured knowledge in ordinary villagers about this important infection in a typical region of sub-Saharan Africa. We also measured the HIV knowledge in the same survey and we were thus able to compare the community knowledge of both infections. We consider the results from this knowledge comparison to be important for policy makers who have to look at priorities for infectious disease programs in the context of limited district health budgets. The strength of our study was that we used a mixed design with quantitative and qualitative methods which enhanced the understanding on our topic and improved the validity of the findings. To the best of our knowledge, we could not find any published information from sub-Saharan Africa on a comparison between TB and HIV knowledge: therefore we consider our study as a contribution to the literature. Additionally, misconceptions about disease aetiology, treatment and prevention of TB and HIV are important to inform the delivery of effective TB and HIV treatment and prevention programs in the district. Service utilization and adherence to treatment and prevention protocols should ideally be based on these findings.
The TB knowledge in the population was unexpectedly low with a mean summary score of 33%. This result is classified as seriously deficient according to a district rating system suggested by Janowsky et al. and which is frequently used
Surprising to us was the understanding by some that TB is an untreatable hereditary disease. This was also mentioned in each focus group discussion. It has also been described elsewhere in Uganda and in Tanzania
Older age and rural residence predicted higher TB knowledge. This is a surprising result, as we expected the opposite. The survey from Ethiopia on TB found that literacy predicted better knowledge of TB causation, transmission, and prevention
HIV knowledge was much higher than TB knowledge with highly statistically significant differences (58% vs 34% knowledge, p < 0.001). The HIV knowledge was comparable to a survey conducted in 2005 in the same study area using a similar methodology and similar knowledge questions. In the 2005 survey the HIV knowledge in the general population was 59%
The lower TB knowledge compared to the HIV knowledge was not unexpected. We suspect that it is a reflection of recent shifts in program development where there has been a major focus on antiretroviral treatment of HIV infection and a corresponding allocation of resources to HIV/AIDS programs. This shift of resources has been confirmed in a previous study in Kabarole, where it was found that human and financial resources were allocated to HIV/AIDS programs to the disadvantage of other communicable disease programs
The interpretation of responses for both the questionnaire and the FGDs pose some ambiguity, given that they can be evaluated either on a strictly scientific basis level or on a more inclusive approach, whereby peoples' perceptions and beliefs are considered. An even more inclusive approach would be to consider the cultural factors of a particular population and develop a cultural model of health communication based on sound scientific information, community perceptions and the local culture. According to our experience from sub-Saharan Africa, this approach has rarely been selected. To achieve this, an interesting follow-up project could be undertaken here with participation of medical, public health and anthropological experts and a broad community involvement.
1. We used a non-standardized questionnaire; therefore, interpretation of the level of knowledge and its comparability with other studies is limited. However, the comparison of the TB and HIV knowledge score within our study can be considered valid as we used similar types of questions and the same methodology. The questionnaire results were reliable, as shown in the test-re-test agreement and valid when compared to the results from the qualitative study component which confirmed most of the quantitative results.
2. We cannot exclude interview bias and/or social desirability bias, as our study dealt with a sensitive topic. We minimized it by using highly trained interviewers with local knowledge of the culture and the language and supervised them closely during the data collection process.
3. The ambiguity of responses and how they are interpreted is acknowledged. In this study, we were leaning toward a more scientific evaluation of the responses, which may not be always the best approach to better health communication in communities.
4. Because participants were recruited during weekdays, there may be an under-representation of individuals employed in the formal sector since they would not have been home during the day. It was not possible within the time limits of the field work to include those individuals by making additional visits to the homes.
5. Predictors of the knowledge scores are based on cross-sectional data and therefore cannot be considered as causal.
TB knowledge in Kabarole district is low and we suspect that it has declined in recent years. This paper documents that misconceptions around TB currently exist in this region. They need to be addressed through improved health education programs in order to improve TB treatment outcomes. In addition, more integrated TB/HIV care is needed, streamlining diagnosis and management of co-infected patients. Improved integration of TB and HIV services could also be a more cost-effective approach and a solution to dwindling funds. This is an urgent issue, as a recent study from nine sub-Saharan African countries showed that out of 663 HIV treatment sites, only 47% (range 2-77%) had written TB communication plans
This study could also give important guidance to the Kabarole district health managers so that TB and possibly other infectious diseases do not continue to be neglected at the expense of HIV/AIDS programming. Clearly, TB control is not receiving the attention this deadly disease deserves, be it because of the related stigma, departmentalized and fragmented health care planning and budgeting, lack of political will at all levels and/or the public/health care worker fatigue for this longstanding problem in the region. This study points to the danger of complacency in promoting improved TB control and our recommendation is that accurate and comprehensive TB prevention and treatment information should be conveyed at every possible opportunity, wherever and whenever it presents. Public education, care provider support, adequate resource allocation, integrated program services and political lobbying are critical means to this end.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
AW conceived of the study, designed the study, conducted the fieldwork, conducted the quantitative and qualitative analysis, and jointly drafted the manuscript (with WK). GJ contributed to the design of the quantitative portion of the study and assisted with quantitative analysis. SR contributed to the design of the qualitative portion of the study and assisted with qualitative analysis. AA helped with design of data collection methods, data cleaning, and preliminary quantitative analysis. TR helped with design of data collection methods and field logistics. WK conceived of the study, designed the study, assisted with analysis, and jointly drafted the manuscript (with AW). All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
In Uganda, the Makerere University School of Public Health and the Kabarole district health department provided academic, professional, and logistical support for this project. We would like to acknowledge the following people for their field support in Uganda: Joseph Konde-Lule, Tom Rubaale, and Peter Rwakilembe. Arif Alibhai and Harmony McRae provided support both in Uganda and at the University of Alberta.
This research would not have been possible without the hard work of the following research assistants: Lilian Banura, Julius Rubaale, Robinah Agonzebwa, and Cliff Mirembe. Transcriptions and translations were done by Lilian Banura, Regina Aliraake, and Rose Tusiime.
Funding for this project was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health research (CIHR), grant number MOP-74586. CIHR played no role in the design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data.
AW was supported by the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship Master's Award (CIHR) during field work and analysis of this project.
GJ, SR, AA, and WK are faculty members of the University of Alberta. TR is a member of the Kabarole District Health Team.
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Public knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy in Kabarole district, western Uganda
Barriers to accessing highly active antiretroviral therapy by HIV-positive women attending an antenatal clinic in a regional hospital in western Uganda
Prodrugs for the treatment of neglected diseases
MDR-/XDR-TB management: what it was, current standards and what is ahead
Implementation of tuberculosis infection control measures at HIV care and treatment sites in sub-Saharan Africa
Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:


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Product code: 758
Despatched in 1-3 days.
Oilatum Fragrance Free Shower Gel for use on wet skin to treat eczema and dry skin conditions.Oilatum Fragrance Free Shower Gel Features:- Suitable for adults and children- Treatment of eczema and dry skin conditions- Soothes, moisturises and conditions the skin- Cleanses the skin so soap isn't needed- Apply to wet skin normally as a shower gel- Reduces loss of moisture and improves hydration- Contains light liquid paraffin 70%.
Active Ingredients: Light Liquid Paraffin 70% w/w Each gram of gel contains 700 mg of Light Liquid Paraffin.Also contains: Polyethylene, 2-Octadodecanol, Polyethylene Glycol 400 Dilaurate, Polyoxyethylene 40 Sorbitol Septaoleate, Polypropyleneglycol-2-Myristyl Ether Propionate, Polyphenylmethyl Siloxane Copolymer.
Oilatum Shower Gel should always be used on wet skin.First shower or wash as usual, then apply the gel liberally to wet skin and massage gently.Rinse briefly and lightly pat dry.
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A 36-year-old Paradis man pled guilty to four counts of simple burglary after police say he broke into bars to steal money from video poker machines. According to court documents, when Steven A. Brumley was asked about the money by his ex-girlfriend, he said that it had been given to him by angels.
Brumley was sentenced to 12 years in prison and was placed on five years of probation after his guilty plea.He was identified after St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne posted surveillance video from one of the crime scenes. A picture from the video showed a man wearing a black hoodie with a black cloth over the lower portion of his face breaking into a video poker machine.
Shortly after authorities released the photo, they received a call implicating Brumley in the crime. According to court documents, Brumley's ex-girlfriend was able to identify him in the surveillance video because he was wearing a hoodie she bought for him before they broke up.
The woman told police she was already suspicious of Brumley because his mother had called and asked if she had given Brumley money. According to the ex-girflriend, Brumley's mother said her son had loads of money and she was wondering why someone would give a "drug abuser" that money.
When the ex questioned Brumley about the money, he allegedly told her it was delivered by angels.
Authorities would not release how much money Brumley made off with during the crimes, but he was charged with stealing at least $3,000.
Capt. Pat Yoes, a spokesman for the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, said that Brumley broke into the businesses about two hours after they closed and jimmied open the video poker machines by using a crowbar.
"He targeted the poker machines as a quick way to make cash," he said.
Yoes said that Brumley fought back against police during his arrest last November and was sent to St. Charles Parish Hospital after sustaining injuries in the melee. At the hospital, Brumley broke a hospital bed and attempted to escape, but he was quickly tracked down by deputies.


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List all words starting with arborvitae
2 words found.
List all words starting with arborvitae sorted by length or by how common the words are.
Some random words: wo gaff acoelomate udder suasion kokanee ukase
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Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire
No One is Winning or Losing Despite What You Hear
Right now you should pay less attention to presidential election. Paradoxically though, you should also paying more attention. The real problem is the media covering the election acts as if they've never covered an election before and have no familiarity with elections in general.
No one is winning and no one is losing yet. The large number of candidates in the race make some in media eager to start eliminating candidates and to indulge in breathless discussions about momentum. History suggests media discussed polling momentum is silly and meaningless.
No one's campaign is on life support and no one is inevitable. You should feel free to listen to and evaluate multiple candidates. For example, Fox would have had you believe that you should ignore all but ten candidates. They relegated all the other — the losers in the so-called Fox primary — to a junior varsity debate. The losers were allowed to talk at 5:00 (2 in the afternoon on the west coast) but prohibited an audience. Yet the candidate who most improved his or her position as a result of the events was Carly Fiorina, one of the candidates we were told to ignore.... Click here to keep reading.


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Best Of :: Shopping & Services
Cage-free day care and boarding is all the rage in California, and we finally got our own Camp Run-A-Mutt right here in H-Town. Owners and dog lovers Jonathan Lim and Phu Nguyen know their stuff, assessing dogs with a temperament test before they can join the pack. But for those who make it in, it's doggie heaven. Pups are placed in groups by activity level instead of size, and they're sure to be dog-tired after a day of play. Overnight campers sleep in a giant room with a staffer, so your best friend will never feel lonely. If you want to make sure, just watch Fido on the proprietary Muttcams, viewable online during business hours.
There's no "let's take a quick look around" with this one. Beyond the neon-green door in the historic Houston Heights, you'll find — by way of a collective of individual vendors — two stories stuffed and overstuffed with vintage, reproduction and retro garb. Looking to win the ugly Christmas sweater contest at work? Headed to an '80s Dynasty party? Want to win his heart with a retro-chic '50s halter sun dress? Retropolis has it all, plus an extensive collection of gently used cowboy boots for when rodeo season comes around. It might take a little digging to find that perfect piece, so bring a friend, grab some lunch along 19th Street, then take a trip down memory lane through Mom's or Grandma's attic.
READERS' CHOICE: Buffalo Exchange
If your life is an endless stretch of staring at screens all day, treat yourself to a dose of chiropractic work: Your neck will thank you. Susan Bradshaw at Lone Star Chiropractic will work your body in ways that will not only start helping with your issues but will also give you some much-needed relaxation. Even if you're not feeling any pain and just love to pop your joints, you haven't lived until you've heard what your spine and neck can do in the right hands.
Whether you're a pro looking for a high-performance racer or a newbie wanting to ride the trails, the staff at Blue Line Bike Lab has you covered. With bikes hanging from the ceiling and stacked on two-tiered racks, the store looks like a giant bike garage, and the staff wields pumps and ratchets in the back for full-service repairs. Not sure what kind of cruiser you need? Just chat with the staff and they'll point out the best ride for your height, experience and price range. On that note, Blue Line offers a layaway plan to help you afford the bike of your dreams.
READERS' CHOICE: Blue Line Bike Labs
With five locations, the comic aficionados at Bedrock City know how to spread the love around town, but we're giving props to the Westheimer store because of its size, selection and staff. It's got floor-to-ceiling games, graphic novels, statues, model kits, toys, posters, tees, back issues and so much more. On Free Comic Book Day, the staff handed out 10,000 comic books, bringing in artists, celebrities and bands to turn it into a party. Plus, there's always something going on like ladies' nights and Doctor Who Comics Day, and the shop's DC Rebirth and Civil War II #3 launch parties were epic.
READERS' CHOICE: Bedrock City Comic Company
If you long to be a modern-day Fred Astaire, Tap Happy will teach you the moves. This adult tap dance studio started out in 2008 with just a beginner class, but now founder Sara Draper offers options for all levels. All the teachers use Draper's standards, meaning you'll learn with tried-and-true techniques. Whether you already can perform a soft-shoe shuffle with the seemingly effortless grace of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson or are just now living out your childhood fantasy of becoming the next Ginger Rogers, Tap Happy has a class for you.


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|"Michael McCandless (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] Commented: (LUCENE-2392) Enable flexible scoring
|Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:57:41 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LUCENE-2392?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=12855906#action_12855906 ] Michael McCandless commented on LUCENE-2392: -------------------------------------------- bq. I think what I'm saying is that if we can open up the norms computation to custom code - that will do what I want, right? I'm calling the norms "boost bytes" :) This was Marvin's term.. I like it. This patch makes boost byte computation completely private to the sim (see the *FieldSimProvider). Ie the sim providers walk the stats and do whatever they want to "prepare" for real searching. EG if you have the RAM maybe you want to use a true float[] not boost bytes. Or if you really don't have the RAM maybe you use only 4 bits per-doc, not 8. The FieldSim just provides a "float boost(int docID)" so what it does under the hood is private. bq. Maybe we can have a class like DocLengthProvider which apps can plug in if they want to customize how that length is computed. So... I'm actually trying to avoid extensibility on the first go, here (this is the "baby steps" part of the original thread). Ie, the IR world seems to have converged on a smallish set of "stats" that are commonly required, so I'd like to make those initial stats work well, for starters. Commit that (it enables all sorts of state of the art scoring models), and perhaps cutover to the default Robert created in LUCENE-2187 (which needs stats to work correctly). And then (phase 2) work out plugability so you can put your own stats in.... bq. Wherever we write the norms, we'll call that impl, which by default will do what Lucene does today? Right, this is the DefaultSimProvider in my current patch -- it simply computes the same thing Lucene does today, but uses the stats at IR open time (once it's hooked up) to do, instead of doing so during indexing. bq. I think though that it's not a field-level setting, but an IW one? It's field level now and I think we should keep it that way. EG Terrier was apparently document oriented in the past but has now deprecated that and moved to per-field. You can always make a catch-all field if you "really" want aggregated stats across the entire doc? > Enable flexible scoring > ----------------------- > > Key: LUCENE-2392 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LUCENE-2392 > Project: Lucene - Java > Issue Type: Improvement > Components: Search > Reporter: Michael McCandless > Assignee: Michael McCandless > Fix For: 3.1 > > Attachments: LUCENE-2392.patch > > > This is a first step (nowhere near committable!), implementing the > design iterated to in the recent "Baby steps towards making Lucene's > scoring more flexible" java-dev thread. > The idea is (if you turn it on for your Field; it's off by default) to > store full stats in the index, into a new _X.sts file, per doc (X > field) in the index. > And then have FieldSimilarityProvider impls that compute doc's boost > bytes (norms) from these stats. > The patch is able to index the stats, merge them when segments are > merged, and provides an iterator-only API. It also has starting point > for per-field Sims that use the stats iterator API to compute boost > bytes. But it's not at all tied into actual searching! There's still > tons left to do, eg, how does one configure via Field/FieldType which > stats one wants indexed. > All tests pass, and I added one new TestStats unit test. > The stats I record now are: > - field's boost > - field's unique term count (a b c a a b --> 3) > - field's total term count (a b c a a b --> 6) > - total term count per-term (sum of total term count for all docs > that have this term) > Still need at least the total term count for each field. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. - If you think it was sent incorrectly contact one of the administrators: https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/Administrators.jspa - For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: email@example.com
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By Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY
As we count down to 2010, USA TODAY recounts top moments in 10 categories from the last 10 years. Today: The top sports innovations and trends since 2000:
Live sports online: The advent of broadband made watching sports online more more-viewer friendly.
But it was technology that limited what online users could access that really paved the way for the proliferation of live online sports. The problem with showing live sports online had been that it would be a party crasher interfering with leagues' more lucrative TV deals. But geo-tracking, which uses consumers' Internet addresses to block online content geographically, opened up new online possibilities. MLB games could be blacked-out online in regions where they appeared on TV, but then appear online nationally. National TV networks could show live Olympic action in their own countries without creating havoc with exclusive national TV deals around the globe.
Everything in high-def: HD TV sports began the decade as a novelty, but ends it as a norm. Broadcasters scrambled to convert to HD out of fears they might lose viewers unwrapping their new high-def TV sets. Even ESPNews, focused on studio shows, is now all HD. But it turned out some sports, such as hockey, didn't win hordes of new converts when their action became easier to follow in HD. And the advent of HD doesn't mean emerging technologies such as 3-D will automatically follow. Broadcasters who spend big bucks creating TV sports in HD know they helped sell HD TV sets, but with 3-D they might worry more about what's in it for them.
The buffet gets bigger: Niche channels were around in the 20th century — The Golf Channel began in 1995 — but took off in this decade as consumers got more access to more channel capacity via digital cable and satellite TV. Specialized channels — such as the NFL Network, MLB Network, NBC's Universal Sports, the Big Ten Network, ESPNU and the CBS College Sports Network — at times allow leagues to control how they're covered and give fans far more access to year-round specialized coverage.
Another lost decade for women: Given the traditional model of TV game coverage — analysts are ex-players and coaches — there isn't much on-air room for women in sports such as football and baseball. But while gender shouldn't preclude knowing down-and-distance or strike counts, female play-by-play announcers — with notable exceptions such as ESPN's Pam Ward on college football — are now nearly as rare as in the 20th-century. And while women dominate sideline reporting roles and pop up more often in studio shows, only a few — such as Mary Carillo on tennis and the Olympics and Doris Burke on basketball — have key roles in men's events.
Show biz and sports don't converge: It seems odd now, but the decade began with the notion that the two were headed for an inevitable coupling. ESPN/ABC tried hard. It brought comedian Dennis Miller and later talk show host Tony Kornheiser— interspersed with celebrity dropbys — to NFL game coverage. It tried to turn stereotypes about the NFL into a TV series with the short-lived Playmakers in 2003. ESPNHollywood was premised on the idea of sports and show biz converging. But while marketing for new movies and music became increasingly interwoven with sports coverage, athletes and entertainers — no matter how much they supposedly wish they could trade places — remain in largely separate spheres.
Reading your TV: By today's standards, old TV sports footage seems almost naked. Today, you can't just watch sports — you can also read all about them in onscreen graphics that leave little to the imagination. TV sports graphics now continually shovel fresh stats to fantasy leaguers, include updates from around the sports world and offer up details about the game you're watching that you might have never realized you were missing. In a trend that also stretches to news and business coverage, the plethora of onscreen information means now you can get a kid to read by having them watch TV.
So long to cable TV's stigma: The decade began with some sports feeling defensive about taking cable TV's money and taking their big events off broadcast networks. But as all of college football's BCS games are heading to cable to join the mass of MLB and NBA playoff games already on cable, it's no longer such a big deal. Partly that's because the number of households without cable or satellite TV — just 11 million out of the USA's 115 million total households — has shrunk. Most of the biggest sports events will remain on broadcast networks — although cable has clout from getting revenues from subscribers as well as advertisers — but this was telling: ABC Sports, once a powerhouse, was redubbed "ESPN on ABC."
Sports yak hot air expands: Sports talk radio became ubiquitous and went online. New sports TV channels hungry for cheap TV tonnage spawned more studio shows. Podcasts and website videos now bark 24/7 — with fans barking back on blogs — and everybody's one-liners are available everywhere in near real-time via Twitter. The swelling chorus provides at least one bright spot in the national employment picture — at least former players and coaches have better chances to be hired somewhere as analysts. And for the rest of us: You can only blame yourself if you're not already some kind of sports pundit somewhere.
New wireless world: That wireless technology increasingly let sports fans be untethered is one thing. But would anybody really want to watch live games on their tiny cellphone screens? Yes, people do. And as outlets like ESPN and MLB increasingly produced content such as scores and highlights that was specifically meant to be consumed on handheld devices like PDAs, it became easy to feed you sports addiction anywhere, anytime.
New views of events: Whether it was DirecTV adding channels of NASCAR race coverage devoted to individual drivers or red zone channels automatically switching viewers between live NFL games for online-only coverage or Fox contininously focusing online on Brett Favre during his return to Green Bay, viewers got lots of live views on sports. This makes sense. Not many major new sports events get created, but at least technology allows existing events to be sliced and diced in new ways.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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Besciamella Sauce
Be the first to review
READY IN: 20mins
Recipe by ChefRaylene
Goes with my Eggplant Parmigiana recipe. Really makes the recipe more tasty. I think its the secret ingredient that other recipes are missing.
See Discussion:
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
- 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1⁄8 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions See How It's Made
- In a small saucepan, combine milk and chicken broth; bring just to a simmer over medium-low heat; keep warm.
- In a heavy medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
- Add flour and cook, stirring 2-3 minutes without allowing flour to brown.
- Remove from heat and whisk in hot milk and stock.
- Return to low heat and cook, whisking occasionally, 4-5 minutes, until sauce is medium thick.
- Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and thyme.