text:
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-SF) joined Mayor Ed Lee at a press conference yesterday [Tue 12] at Yerba Buena across from the construction site of a Central Subway station. It was billed as an event highlighting how "San Francisco has been in the lead" on creating middle-class jobs, investing in transportation, and ensuring fair wages for workers.
But as these words in the press advisory leapt out at us, we at the Bay Guardian responded with raised eyebrows. Really? It has?
The point of this media appearance, we learned upon arrival, was to promote House Democrats' newly unveiled Middle Class Jumpstart agenda – a legislative package floated to bolster the middle class, in advance of the upcoming midterm election. Pelosi and Lee also sought to highlight the Central Subway as a transportation infrastructure project that's spurring middle-class job creation (The $1.6 billion Central Subway project has also spurred mystifying questions as to how the money is actually being spent, but that's a different story).
Creating middle class jobs
The message was clear: San Francisco Democrats are here to support the middle class. But that's a tough sell. Everyone knows that the middle class is vanishing from San Francisco as skyrocketing property values make it increasingly untenable for middle-income earners to reside here.
Instead, recent studies have shown that what's really on the rise is income inequality: Even the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out that the city's own customized Gini Coefficient, a formula used to measure wealth distribution, puts San Francisco on par with Rwanda in terms of its economic inequality.
Earlier this year, a Brookings Institute report found that the income gap between the city's rich and poor is growing faster than in any other US city.
We asked Lee about that growing income inequality trend at the press conference.
Here's what he said in response: "These union jobs – and [Building Trades Council Secretary-Treasurer] Mike Theriault knows this better than anybody else here – are middle class jobs for all workers that just want to earn their way forward. And I think the more projects that we have that are infrastructure related, that are transportation related, that are water infrastructure related … are all part of reestablishing and making sure that we don't lose that middle class. … I think in San Francisco, we simply need to do more, and part of my responsibility is to build enough housing aimed at that sector, along with helping our low-income families."
So if you want to be on a public-works construction crew, there may be hope. Except if you live in the Bayview, where unemployment stands at a stark 17 percent as compared with the citywide level of 4.5 percent, where it appears these opportunities still aren't resulting in job creation.
That Lee mentioned building new housing is interesting, too, given that he recently came under fire by for intervening to weaken an affordable housing measure proposed by Sup. Jane Kim for the November ballot. His agenda has sought to advance a goal of building 30,000 new housing units, but Kim's proposal would have further strengthened the city's commitment to building affordable housing.
Investing in transportation
Central Subway construction may well have created union jobs – but the decision to emphasize transportation funding as a solution for saving San Francisco's middle class seems to ignore Lee's backlash against San Francisco Sup. Scott Wiener for advancing a ballot measure to automatically increase funding for Muni in correlation with population growth, a significant public transit investment.
As the Guardian previously reported, Lee went so far as to issue memos calling for possible budget cuts as payback for Wiener's bid to increase transit funding. But when we asked the mayor what his position was on the measure, which will appear on the ballot as Proposition B, he said he didn't have a position on it.
"My big focus on transportation is trying to get the $500 million Proposition A because that requires two-thirds, which his does not, and I need to focus my full attention on passing that transportation bond," Lee told us. "I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on Proposition B, to be quite candid with you. … At this point, I'm not prepared to [take a position] because I don't want it to be confusing for the public … and in a few months, I think you're going to see some departments have to come back with revised budgets, to the non-delight of nonprofits, and programs that we had all agreed to fund."
Ensuring fair wages for workers
Throughout the press conference, Lee and Pelosi repeatedly trumpeted a November ballot measure that seeks to raise the city's minimum raise to $15 an hour by 2018. But it should be noted that this measure is a watered-down version of an earlier proposal put forward by a progressive coalition that hoped to get workers $15 an hour a year earlier.
It was scaled back after Lee convened a stakeholder dialogue to hash out a "compromise" measure, ostensibly to avoid a ballot battle between the bolder progressive measure and a competing proposal that business interests had contemplated rolling out to thwart the passage of a wage hike they deemed unacceptable. Technically, the measure headed to the ballot still holds the promise of designating San Francisco as having the highest nationwide minimum wage. But as a point of comparison with other cities where minimum-wage hikes are moving forward, median rent in Seattle is $1,190 – while median rent in San Francisco is $3,200.
Pelosi: "Income inequality is a reality"
Finally, in response to our question on income inequality, Pelosi also decided to weigh in, delivering a very depressing history lesson.
"The income inequality is a reality, it's a growing gap, it's something that must be addressed," she said, mentioning a proposed change to the federal tax code that would prevent CEOs from taking tax write-offs if they increased CEO pay by $1 million annually without also increasing workers' wages. "What's happening now, it's important to note, this is structural," Pelosi said. "It's not anecdotal. It's real. Go back 40 years ago, the disparity between the CEO and the workers was about 40 times. … And as productivity rose, CEO pay rose, and workers' pay rose. … That was called stakeholder capitalism.
"Somewhere around a dozen or so years ago, or maybe nearly 20, it became shareholder capitalism, which only had one thing: The bottom line. And that means that now, as productivity rises, workers' wages stagnate and the CEO's goes up like this." Here Pelosi made a gesture indicating a sharp upward increase. "Now it's about, I say 350, others say 400 times, the CEO pay versus the worker. It's a right angle going in the wrong direction. It must be addressed."
So there you have it, straight from Pelosi: CEOs who used to make 40 times their workers' pay now earn 10 times more than that, while wages stagnate and the cost of living continues to rise. And leading San Francisco politicians are standing in front of the Central Subway construction site to say that projects like this, coupled with a provision to encourage CEOs to remember the little people when they get million-dollar raises, will restore the middle class.
Thank goodness the Democrats are looking out for the vanishing middle class in San Francisco and other cities. Don't you feel better?


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SEATTLE – Oct. 3, 2014 – Legendary Major League Baseball player and manager Fred Hutchinson died of cancer in 1964, but his bravery and commitment live on through an annual award given in his honor.
Ten Major League Baseball players have been nominated for the 50th annual Hutch Award, to be given Jan. 29 at Safeco Field in Seattle. The award, launched a year after Hutchinson's death by three of his friends, is presented annually at the Hutch Award Luncheon which raises funds for cancer research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
This year's nominees are:
The Hutch Award is given to a Major League Baseball player who demonstrates the honor, courage, and dedication that Fred Hutchinson exemplified. The recipient is often someone who has overcome challenges in his personal or professional life.
The award is presented each January in Seattle, Hutch's hometown and the location of the research center named after him and started by his brother. Major League teams submit nominations for the award and the winner is selected through a vote among past recipients.
New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle received the inaugural award in 1965, and last year's award went to former Seattle Mariner Raúl Ibañez. Other recipients in recent years include Barry Zito (San Francisco Giants), Craig Biggio (Houston Astros), and cancer survivor Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox).
Lester, who was diagnosed in 2006 with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, is the award's only winner to be treated for cancer by a doctor from the Hutch. He returned to the Red Sox in 2007 and helped the team win the World Series.
Hutch Award winners have included 11 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 11 League Most Valuable Player winners and seven World Series MVPs.
Seattle surgeon William Hutchinson, Fred's brother, founded Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center after Fred's death at age 45, less than a year after he was diagnosed. The independent, nonprofit center works to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer and related diseases.
Additional information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of recipients, is available here.
# # #
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch's pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer with minimal side effects. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation's first and largest cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women's Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Private contributions are essential for enabling Fred Hutch scientists to explore novel research opportunities that lead to important medical breakthroughs. For more information visit www.fredhutch.org or follow Fred Hutch on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
Michael Nank

subset: commoncrawl


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Passport and Reality
This is a project about how different can look a person in real life and his own passport photo.
People change every minute and the only thing that stays still is their passport photo.
All the same person but such different looks.
Passprot photoes on the left side (from valid passports) and present-day portraits on the right side:)


text:
Although it has been a few months since SXSW 2009 came and went, rich media from the event is continuing to trickle forth. The major reason I even attended the annual tech shindig was to participate on a panel discussing the issue of going "Beyond Aggregation", sitting alongside other folks you might know, including Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWeb, who moderated, Gabe Rivera of Techmeme, Melanie Baker of PostRank and Micah Baldwin of Lijit.
Melle helpfully found an MP3 Podcast file from the panel, and posted it to her site today. Still no video, but at this pace, it could be another six months or so for that to leak out, although 100 interviews posted a short video piece with me just after the panel had concluded, and it got written up by Phil Glockner that day.
Our discussion ranged from how to discover new data, to whether communities are growing outside the world of tech, and whether you can measure influence. You can download the 1 hour long audio clip and listen at your leisure here:
Download MP3 File (20 MB)


text:
TeleTech Names Brian Shepherd as Executive Vice President of TeleTech and President of Its Strategic
TeleTech Names Brian Shepherd as Executive Vice President of TeleTech and President of Its Strategic Consulting and Global Technology Businesses
Investment in Talent Reinforces Commitment to Ongoing Revenue Diversification
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TeleTech Holdings, Inc. (NAS: TTEC) a leading global provider of technology-enabled customer experience solutions, announced today that it has appointed Brian Shepherd to the newly created position of Executive Vice President of TeleTech and President of Customer Strategy and Technology Services.
Mr. Shepherd will focus on accelerating growth in these business segments and driving continued innovation in the technology and business processes required to deliver a superior customer experience in today's complex data-driven, multi-channel environment.
"We are delighted to have someone of Brian's stature join the executive team," said Ken Tuchman, TeleTech chairman and chief executive officer. "As an internationally recognized business leader with more than 20 years of customer experience consulting and technology acumen, Brian will help us further differentiate our technology-enabled value proposition in the market," continued Tuchman.
"The speed of change required to deliver a superior, multi-channel customer experience has never been greater and companies are challenged by how to effectively respond," said Shepherd. "TeleTech is setting the standard for technology-driven solutions in this area, and I am excited to join its seasoned management team to both accelerate its growth and bring greater value to the industry-leading clients we serve."
Mr. Shepherd joins TeleTech from Amdocs (NYS: DOX) , a leading provider of customer experience systems and services, where he served in a variety of senior executive roles, including as Group President and a member of the executive management team. Amdocs is a 20,000 employee company with more than $3.0 billion in revenue. He also has extensive consulting experience from his tenure as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company.
Mr. Shepherd received his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School after graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Wabash College.
For 30 years, TeleTech and its subsidiaries have helped the world's most successful companies design, enable, manage and grow customer value through the delivery of superior customer experiences across the customer lifecycle. As the go-to partner for the Global 1000, the TeleTech group of companies delivers technology-enabled solutions that maximize revenue, transform customer experiences and optimize business processes. From strategic consulting to operational execution, our more than 39,000 employees drive success for clients in the communications and media, financial services, government, healthcare, technology, transportation and retail industries. Through the TeleTech Community Foundation, the Company leverages its innovative leadership to ensure that students in underserved communities around the globe have access to the tools and support they need to maximize their educational outcomes. For additional information, please visit www.teletech.com.
Statements in this press release that relate to future results and events (including statements about future financial and operating performance) are forward-looking statements based on TeleTech's current expectations. Actual results and events in future periods could differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements because of a number of risks and uncertainties including: achieving estimated revenue from new, renewed and expanded client business as volumes may not materialize as forecasted, especially due to the global economic slowdown; the ability to close and ramp new business opportunities that are currently being pursued or that are in the final stages with existing and/or potential clients; our ability to execute our growth plans, including the successful integration of acquired companies and the sales of new products; the possibility of lower revenue or price pressure from our clients experiencing a business downturn or merger in their business; greater than anticipated competition in the customer management industry, causing adverse pricing and more stringent contractual terms; risks associated with losing or not renewing client relationships, particularly large client agreements, or early termination of a client agreement; the risk of losing clients due to consolidation in the industries we serve; consumers' concerns or adverse publicity regarding our clients' products; our ability to find cost-effective locations, obtain favorable lease terms and build or retrofit facilities in a timely and economic manner; risks associated with business interruption due to weather, fires, pandemic, or terrorist-related events; risks associated with attracting and retaining cost-effective labor at our delivery centers; the possibility of asset impairments and restructuring charges; risks associated with changes in foreign currency exchange rates; economic or political changes affecting the countries in which we operate; changes in accounting policies and practices promulgated by standard setting bodies; and new legislation or government regulation that adversely impacts our tax obligations, health care costs or the customer management industry. A detailed discussion of these and other risk factors that could affect our results is included in TeleTech's SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available in the "Investors" section of TeleTech's website, which is located at www.teletech.com. All information in this release is as of January 22, 2013. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations.
TeleTech Holdings, Inc.
Karen Breen, 303-397-8592
Jeanna Blatt, 303-397-8507
KEYWORDS: United States North America Colorado
The article TeleTech Names Brian Shepherd as Executive Vice President of TeleTech and President of Its Strategic Consulting and Global Technology Businesses originally appeared on Fool.com.
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text: Bernard Barbier, a former head of the French signals intelligence service, shared a few stories with students of CentraleSup\u00e9lec, the elite engineering school from which he graduated in 1976, at a symposium this summer.There was that time he caught the U.S. National Security Agency delving into computers at the Elys\u00e9e Palace, residence of the French president, for example. And flew to Washington to tell them they'd been found out. Or when the Canadians said they -- and the Iranians, the Spaniards, the Algerians and a few others -- had all been hacked by a Frenchman, and they were totally right, although the French government denied it.These little confessions to the members of a student association at his old school, though, have reached a somewhat larger audience than he may have planned on.The discussion on June 2 was recorded -- from the front row, so he must surely have been aware -- and found its way onto YouTube later that month. There it lay, largely unremarked, until last weekend when a reporter for French newspaper Le Monde found it and published transcripts of large parts of it. Almost immediately, the original video was taken down. Another has appeared, although the sound has been doctored, purportedly to improve the audio quality.Barbier's revelations can't really be called a scoop, as the Canadian and Elys\u00e9e hacks had been widely reported. They have, however, never been officially confirmed.Until he left to join IT consulting firm Sogeti in 2013, Barbier was head of the signals intelligence division of the French Directorate-General of External Security (DGSE), a post he had occupied since 2006. During that time, he was responsible for transforming the DGSE's spying activities into a tool for mass surveillance. Before that, he had alternated between roles at the French Commission for Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) and other posts at the DGSE.The students quizzed him about two events in particular.The first concerned the run-up to the 2012 French presidential election, when the DGSE found malware on computers at the presidential residence, the Elys\u00e9e Palace.Two years previously, that same malware had been used in an attack on the European Commission, he told them.By 2012, the DGSE had the means at its disposal to identify the origin of the new attack, Barbier said. He concluded that it could only have been the U.S., and using a technique that, thanks to Edward Snowden, we now know as Quantum Insert.The following year, he said, the new president sent him to Washington to complain to the director of the NSA, Keith Alexander."We were sure it was them. Alexander wasn't happy. In the end, he said, 'Bernard, well done. ... You French are good,' meaning he thought we'd never catch them," Barbier told the students.Later that year, he heard that Le Monde had obtained an NSA briefing document about him that had been prepared for that meeting and was planning to publish it.Barbier asked an NSA contact in Paris to give him a copy of the briefing document. "He said 'I can't, it's top secret, only President Obama can declassify it.' I said 'Don't mess around, six million Frenchmen are going to see it soon, and I can't?' I finally saw it one day before Le Monde published it," he told the students.Another 2013 story in Le Monde concerned a cyber-attack on Iran's nuclear installations, which also targeted computers in Canada, Spain, Greece, Norway, Algeria and Ivory Coast. In a note leaked by Snowden, Canadian officials said they were fairly certain that the attack had been mounted by a French intelligence agency. The French government denied any involvement.But at his old school, Barbier said that when the Canadians reverse-engineered the malware, they found that its programmer had nicknamed it "Babar" and signed it "Titi," two clues that led them to believe he was French."And he was," said Barbier, without acknowledging which agency, if any, the programmer worked for.Security researchers later were able to link Babar to other families of malware, known as Bunny, Casper, Dino, NBot and Tafacalou.With so many of these affairs hinted at or revealed by Snowden's leaks, it was inevitable that one of the students would ask him what he thought of the former NSA contractor turned whistleblower."Snowden totally betrayed his country," Barbier said, but with his revelations about allies spying on one another and the hacking by the U.S. of networking equipment from the likes of Cisco Systems, "Snowden helped us, on the whole."


text:
Boiling facts for kids
Boiling happens when a liquid becomes gas forming bubbles inside the liquid volume. If bubbles are not formed we are talking instead about "evaporation".
The temperature at which boiling happens is called the boiling point and depends on the particular nature of the substance.
For example, water boils at around 100 °C (Celsius degrees). When water is boiling, it transforms into a vapor called water vapor.
Uses for boiling
- Food can be cooked by boiling.
- Germs in a liquid (for example, water) can be killed by boiling the liquid.
- Germs on an object can be killed by putting the object in boiling liquid.
Nucleate boiling is characterized by the growth of bubbles or pops on a heated surface, which rise from discrete points on a surface, whose temperature is only slightly above the liquid's. In general, the number of nucleation sites are increased by an increasing surface temperature.
An irregular surface of the boiling vessel (i.e., increased surface roughness) or additives to the fluid (i.e., surfactants and/or nanoparticles) can create additional nucleation sites, while an exceptionally smooth surface, such as plastic, lends itself to superheating. Under these conditions, a heated liquid may show boiling delay and the temperature may go somewhat above the boiling point without boiling.
Critical heat flux
As the boiling surface is heated above a critical temperature, a film of vapor forms on the surface. Since this vapor film is much less capable of carrying heat away from the surface, the temperature rises very rapidly beyond this point into the transition boiling regime. The point at which this occurs is dependent on the characteristics of boiling fluid and the heating surface in question.
Transition boiling may be defined as the unstable boiling, which occurs at surface temperatures between the maximum attainable in nucleate and the minimum attainable in film boiling.
The formation of bubbles in a heated liquid is a complex physical process which often involves cavitation and acoustic effects, such as the broad-spectrum hiss one hears in a kettle not yet heated to the point where bubbles boil to the surface.
If a surface heating the liquid is significantly hotter than the liquid then film boiling will occur, where a thin layer of vapor, which has low thermal conductivity, insulates the surface. This condition of a vapor film insulating the surface from the liquid characterizes film boiling.
In distillation, boiling is used in separating mixtures. This is possible because the vapor rising from a boiling fluid generally has a ratio of components different from that in the liquid.
For making water potable
As a method of disinfecting water, bringing it to its boiling point at 100 °C (212 °F), is the oldest and most effective way since it does not affect the taste, it is effective despite contaminants or particles present in it, and is a single step process which eliminates most microbes responsible for causing intestine related diseases. In places having a proper water purification system, it is recommended only as an emergency treatment method or for obtaining potable water in the wilderness or in rural areas, as it cannot remove chemical toxins or impurities.
The elimination of micro-organisms by boiling follows first-order kinetics—at high temperatures it is achieved in less time and at lower temperatures, in more time. The heat sensitivity of micro-organisms varies, at 70 °C (158 °F), Giardia species (causes Giardiasis) can take ten minutes for complete inactivation, most intestine affecting microbes and E. coli (gastroenteritis) take less than a minute; at boiling point, Vibrio cholerae (cholera) takes ten seconds and hepatitis A virus (causes the symptom of jaundice), one minute. Boiling does not ensure the elimination of all micro-organisms; the bacterial spores Clostridium can survive at 100 °C (212 °F) but are not water-borne or intestine affecting. Thus for human health, complete sterilization of water is not required.
The traditional advice of boiling water for ten minutes is mainly for additional safety, since microbes start getting eliminated at temperatures greater than 60 °C (140 °F) and bringing it to its boiling point is also a useful indication that can be seen without the help of a thermometer, and by this time, the water is disinfected. Though the boiling point decreases with increasing altitude, it is not enough to affect the disinfecting process.
In cooking
Boiling is the method of cooking food in boiling water, or other water-based liquids such as stock or milk. Simmering is gentle boiling, while in poaching the cooking liquid moves but scarcely bubbles.
The boiling point of water is typically considered to be 100 °C or 212 °F. Pressure and a change in composition of the liquid may alter the boiling point of the liquid. For this reason, high elevation cooking generally takes longer since boiling point is a function of atmospheric pressure. In Denver, Colorado, USA, which is at an elevation of about one mile, water boils at approximately 95 °C or 203 °F. Depending on the type of food and the elevation, the boiling water may not be hot enough to cook the food properly. Similarly, increasing the pressure as in a pressure cooker raises the temperature of the contents above the open air boiling point.
Adding a water soluble substance, such as salt or sugar also increases the boiling point. This is called boiling-point elevation. At palatable concentrations of salt, the effect is very small, and the boiling point elevation is difficult to notice. However, while making thick sugar syrup, such as for Gulab Jamun, one will notice boiling point elevation. Due to variations in composition and pressure, the boiling point of water is almost never exactly 100 °C, but rather close enough for cooking.
Foods suitable for boiling include vegetables, starchy foods such as rice, noodles and potatoes, eggs, meats, sauces, stocks and soups.
Boiling has several advantages. It is safe and simple, and it is appropriate for large-scale cookery. Older, tougher, cheaper cuts of meat and poultry can be made digestible. Nutritious, well flavored stock is produced. Also, maximum color and nutritive value is retained when cooking green vegetables, provided boiling time is kept to the minimum.
On the other hand, there are several disadvantages. There is a loss of soluble vitamins from foods to the water (if the water is discarded). Boiling can also be a slow method of cooking food.
Boiling can be done in several ways: The food can be placed into already rapidly boiling water and left to cook, the heat can be turned down and the food can be simmered; or the food can also be placed into the pot, and cold water may be added to the pot. This may then be boiled until the food is satisfactory.
Water on the outside of a pot, i.e., a wet pot, increases the time it takes the pot of water to boil. The pot will heat at a normal rate once all excess water on the outside of the pot evaporates.
Boiling is also often used to remove salt from certain foodstuffs, such as bacon, if a less saline product is required.
Also known as "boil-in-bag", this involves heating or cooking ready-made foods sealed in a thick plastic bag. The bag containing the food, often frozen, is submerged in boiling water for a prescribed time. The resulting dishes can be prepared with greater convenience as no pots or pans are dirtied in the process. Such meals are available for camping as well as home dining.
Contrast with evaporation
At any given temperature, all the molecules in a liquid do not have the same kinetic energy. Some high energy particles on the liquid surface may have enough energy to escape the intermolecular forces of attraction of the liquid and become a gas. This is called evaporation.
Evaporation only happens on the surface while boiling happens throughout the liquid. When a liquid reaches its boiling point bubbles of gas form in it which rise into the surface and burst into the air. This process is called boiling. If the boiling liquid is heated more strongly the temperature does not rise but it boils more quickly.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Ebullición para niños
|Jenna Ortega
|Anthony Quinn
|Chita Rivera
|Antonio Banderas


text:
Hey people, Apple.com was NOT hacked. This is what happened:
The internet uses something called domain names to work. There are first level domains (like .com), second level domains (like .apple.) and third level domains (like www.).
Anyone can register any second level domain as long as it is available. After buying a second level domain, you can add any third level domain you want. Anything. Example:
1. Buy the domain ismagical.com.
2. Set it up in your DNS and start adding any third level domain you want. Like:
Done. It's pretty simple. Anyone can do it.
Then, when you do a whois search on apple.com or google.com or tim.cook.cock, you will get domains that contain that string. That will include your ismagical.com second level domain. Apple or Google or Tim Cook's cock or the entire world don't care about any of your stupid third-level domain. They only care about what is in their second level domains.
So no, there's no hacking here. There's no secret stuff. Apple was just down briefly because of traffic or a technical problem. Not because of any "whois" glitch. This stupid "funny" stuff has been done since the Internet domain structure started, years ago. And it's not funny anymore.
You can keep up with Jesus Diaz the author of this post, on Twitter or Facebook.


text:
Monday, May 5, 2008
make a teacup pincushion
I've had these tiny vintage teacups for a couple of years, thinking I'd make candles out of them. Today, I decided to make one into a pincushion for my lovely mom.
If you'd like to make one, here's what you'll need.
a small teacup (mine is not the usual sized teacup -- of course, if your teacup is regular sized, you can size up your pincushion to match)
poly stuffing
a 6 inch circle of coordinating cotton midweight fabric
hot glue gun
rubber gloves, if you are hot glue challenged and thrice burned, like me
Thread your needle, no knot, and sew a big running stitch all around the wrong side perimeter of the circle of fabric. Leave a long tail so you don't pull your thread through. I sewed about a quarter inch from the edge. If you know how to make yo yos, this is just like that, without the extra fold.
Gather your circle of fabric into a little pouch, leaving a small hole to stuff through, and tie off the ends securely.
Stuff, and stuff, and stuff until it's nice and compact and smooth. Using small pieces of stuffing rather than large blobs will make this look nicer. Squash it around to make it look even. (you could embellish the pincushion more at this stage than I did -- add a fabric button on the top, for instance, or some ribbon criss crossing)
Apply liberal amounts of hot glue in the bottom and sides of your cup, taking care not to come too close to the top. Squash your pincushion down firmly into the glue. This is where you might need gloves -- the glue makes the cup HOT.
Done. Put some coordinating pins in it and wrap it up for your sewing friend. Or keep it for yourself!
23 comments:
This is adorable! Very pretty!ReplyDelete
Just wonderful :) Thanks for the tutorial!ReplyDelete
Love your blog!
Have a soggy evening from Auburn, WA :)
I've been wanting to make one of these for a while now, and your tutorial has now given me that extra confidence. Thankyou!!ReplyDelete
Oh wow... so easy yet so effective looking... my favourite sort of craft!ReplyDelete
Thank you for this tute, I'm definately going to be making one!
- AnonymousAugust 26, 2009 at 7:40 PM
I have been SEARCHING for the perfect pincushion! Now I can make my own!! THANK YOU!ReplyDelete
I have been using one for about two years. Additionally, I glued the matching saucer to the bottom of the teacup. Now I have a place to put small scissors, a spool of thread or bobbins. Now you don't have to worry about finding a use for the matching saucer!ReplyDelete
BarbaraLyn, what an excellent idea.ReplyDelete
here is a link to my blog about this project!ReplyDelete
Hey there,ReplyDelete
Silia has added their version of your project on crafty community Cut Out + Keep and we thought you might like to see how it turned out.
You can see their version and also import your project here (that way you'll find out when any new versions are added) :
Crafterella :)
I love these so much! I made one and added it to the Flickr pool. :) I'm giving it away for my June follower giveaway.ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for the tutorial!
Lovely project, I linked to your post here: http://homesteadblogger.com/hsbfrontporch/159325/ReplyDelete
Thanks so much!
Catherine :)
- AnonymousAugust 20, 2010 at 1:34 PM
Thanks for the tutorial. And here is mine: http://nobaddays.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/easy-coffee-cup-pincushion/ReplyDelete
Great little tutorial! I love it and have whipped one up today but am yet to glue it in place. I hope I have copied your link in successfully http://theminett.blogspot.com/ I think everyone should make one for their sewing table!ReplyDelete
Soooo cute!! I made this and it turned out so cute and it's so easy to make. Thanks for posting it!!ReplyDelete
This is so pretty and will make ideal gifts for crafty friends & family. Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Have been wanting to try this for a while, and now I have. Thanks so much for the idea. I blogged about it here:ReplyDelete
You are a part of my inspiration pageReplyDelete
Hi, I'm a new GFC friend. I would love it if you would stop by and be mine, too.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the tute, it helped with the one I just did.
Thank you so much for sharing this, I have needed a pincushion for ages and keep putting off buying one ~ and added bonus is I collect teacups ~ what a great way to use one of my favorites!!!ReplyDelete
Other then this being absolutely adorable. I can use this to put my pens in right? Wait that's why its called a teacup pincushion. It seems I've answered my own question.ReplyDelete
-Zane of ontario honey
Hiya . I have made a couple of these tea cups pincushion and I allso glud the cup to the bottom and it's handy for changing bobbins put the spare one on to it saves it from rolling of the table.ReplyDeleteReplies
Margaret, what a clever idea! I love finding the matching saucer but sometimes it's missing.Delete
Hello. Enough about me. Let's hear from you! If you post a question, I answer with a reply comment, so be sure to click the 'notify me' box as you post your question to receive the answer via email. Thanks!


text:
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Tucker AM, Vogel RA, Lincoln AE, et al. Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among National Football League Players. JAMA. 2009;301(20):2111–2119. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.716
© 2023
Author Affiliations: Union Memorial Sports Medicine, Union Memorial Hospital (Dr Tucker), Department of Cardiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine (Dr Vogel), and Sports Medicine Research Center, MedStar Research Institute (Dr Lincoln and Mr Dunn), Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Dr Ahrensfield); Department of Family/Sports Medicine, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Tulsa (Dr Allen); Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Westlake, Ohio (Dr Castle); Department of Internal Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina (Dr Heyer); ProHEALTH Care Associates, Lake Success, and Departments of Medicine and Orthopaedics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York (Dr Pellman), New York; Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Dr Strollo) and Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Dr Yates), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Wilson).
Context Concern exists about the cardiovascular health implications of large size among professional football players and those players who aspire to professional status.
Objectives To assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in active National Football League (NFL) players and to compare these findings with data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional study of 504 active, veteran football players from a convenience sample of 12 NFL teams at professional athletic training facilities between April and July 2007. Data were compared with men of the same age in the general US population (CARDIA study, a population-based observational study of 1959 participants aged 23 to 35 years recruited in 1985-1986).
Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of CVD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and smoking).
Results The NFL players were less likely to smoke when compared with the CARDIA group (0.1% [n = 1]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-1.4%; vs 30.5% [n = 597]; 95% CI, 28.5%-32.5%; P < .001). Despite being taller and heavier, NFL players had significantly lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (6.7% [n = 24]; 95% CI, 4.6%-8.7%; vs 15.5% [n = 267]; 95% CI, 13.8%-17.3%; P < .001). The groups did not differ in prevalence of high total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or high triglycerides. Hypertension (13.8% [n = 67]; 95% CI, 11.0%-16.7%; vs 5.5% [n = 108]; 95% CI, 4.6%-6.6%) and prehypertension (64.5% [n = 310]; 95% CI, 58.3%-70.7%; vs 24.2% [n = 473]; 95% CI, 22.3%-26.1%) were significantly more common in NFL players than in the CARDIA group (both P < .001). Large size measured by body mass index (BMI) was associated with increased blood pressure, LDL-C, triglycerides, and fasting glucose, and decreased HDL-C.
Conclusions Compared with a sample of healthy young-adult men, a sample of substantially larger NFL players had a lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose, less reported smoking, a similar prevalence of dyslipidemia, and a higher prevalence of hypertension. Increased size measured by BMI was associated with increased CVD risk factors in this combined population.
Concern exists about the cardiovascular health implications of large size among professional football players and those players who aspire to professional status. An estimated 4.3 million youth ages 6 to 17 years participated in football in 2000 in the United States, including tackle, touch, and flag football.1 A 2005-2006 high school participation survey estimated that 1.1 million students participated in US football in that year,2 and participation levels continue to increase.3 Approximately 14% of male students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States participate in football.1
Studies have suggested that fitness may provide protection against the health risks of obesity,4 although other studies have found that physical activity is beneficial but does not eliminate these risks.5 This issue is of interest in large, active athletes. A significant increase in body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) for offensive and defensive linemen has been noted during the past 30 years,6 and BMI fitting the category of class II obesity was reported in more than a quarter of National Football League (NFL) players in 2003.7 In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the rules of football were changed to allow offensive linemen more use of their hands with both pass and run blocking. Although quickness and agility were important for offensive line play in the past, large size has become increasingly important to linemen during the past 2 decades.
In a study of 1 NFL team,8 linemen had the highest total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride levels, and the lowest high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels of all position groups. In 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that retired NFL players experienced an overall 46% lower mortality rate compared with the general population, but retired offensive and defensive linemen had a 52% greater risk of dying from heart disease.9 Greater player size and sporadic deaths of active and young retired professional football players have raised questions about an associated increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.10
Previous studies of NFL players have been limited to single teams or smaller groups that may not be representative of active players overall.6-8 Furthermore, earlier studies have generally used BMI as a measure of body size. Reliance on BMI alone as a size indicator for CVD risk may not be appropriate in NFL players because BMI does not take into account lean muscle mass.11 There is a need for further investigation of active NFL players using appropriate measures of size and cardiovascular health to assess the prevalence of CVD risk factors, with implications for the larger number of amateur athletes who aspire to the professional ranks.12 Our goal was to compare the prevalence of CVD risk factors in NFL players with men of the same age in the general US population. The second goal was to assess the association of risk factors in the NFL with player size and race.
This cross-sectional study included active, veteran football players in the NFL. A convenience sample of 12 of the 32 NFL teams was selected based on team access to a body composition device. These teams used an air displacement body composition device, whereas other teams used various other methods, such as skinfold or body impedance measurements. Recruitment of teams using the same device ensured consistent measurement of body composition across the study group. Institutional review board approval was obtained, and the NFL Subcommittee on Cardiovascular Health, composed of NFL-associated and independent medical personnel, oversaw the study.
Veteran players on the 12 teams were approached to participate in the study (n = 604). Veteran players included all players on an active roster at the team mini-camp between April and July 2007. Not included in this definition were rookies and rookie free agents drafted or signed in spring and summer 2007. The investigators (A.M.T., R.A.V., A.E.L., L.W.C., R.A.H., and A.P.Y.) provided a study overview to groups of players at the team facilities, and players interested in participating completed informed consent documents according to a protocol approved by the institutional review board of MedStar Research Institute, Washington, DC.
In a pilot study of 4 teams, hypertension was found in 10 of 72 players (13.9%). Based on this finding and 9.6% prevalence of hypertension among males 24 to 35 years old from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 data, we determined that 408 participants were needed to obtain 80% power to observe a 4% prevalence difference between the groups, with α=.05. Assuming a participation rate of 75%, we solicited 600 players from 12 teams.
Two investigators (A.M.T. and A.E.L.) compiled and distributed a manual of operations to all participating teams before physical examinations were conducted, and at least 1 investigator was present to provide training and observe data collection.
Data collected during team mini-camps between April and July 2007 included health histories; height; weight; neck, waist, and hip circumferences; body composition; fasting glucose; total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides; blood pressure; pulse; and electrocardiograms. Each team was assigned to receive either home sleep testing, echocardiography, or carotid intima-medial thickness testing. Because of logistic and financial constraints, 6 teams were selected to undergo sleep testing using a portable monitor, 3 teams received echocardiograms, and 3 teams underwent carotid intima-medial thickness testing. Demographic data for nonparticipants were obtained from each team's Web site at the time of the team's mini-camp. Data obtained from carotid ultrasound and sleep monitoring will be reported elsewhere.
Data from the 2007 physical examination were recorded from medical records by team physicians, athletic trainers, or both and added to the study database in deidentified, password-protected format. Player weight and body fat percentage were recorded by team strength coaches during body composition testing (BOD POD, Life Measurement Inc, Concord, California) within 1 month of the annual physical examination. This device has been validated for measurement of body composition.13 Height was self-reported from player questionnaires.
Blood pressure, electrocardiogram, blood analyses, echocardiogram, and carotid intima-medial thickness measurements were obtained at the mandatory annual physical examination. Early morning was the most common time allotted for these measurements, and no practices, individual or group workouts, or strength or aerobic conditioning were scheduled on that day.
A single blood pressure measurement was obtained by automated cuff (Welch Allyn Spot Vital Signs BP monitor, Welch Allyn Inc, Skaneateles Falls, New York). The study protocol required all 12 teams to use the same blood pressure measurement device. A Gulick measuring tape was used to measure the mid-bicep circumference of each player, and the data collection form specified the cuff size to use according to the biceps measurement. The blood pressure cuff was wrapped snugly around the bare arm, and blood pressure data were collected with the player seated with feet flat on the floor. Players were asked to sit quietly for 5 minutes before the measurement. The majority of blood pressure measurements were obtained under the prespecified conditions.
Neck, waist, and hip circumference were recorded with Gulick tape measures using standard techniques.14 Neck circumference was measured midway between the midcervical spine and the midanterior neck. In participants with a pronounced laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple), the measurement was made just inferior to the prominence. Waist circumference was determined at the end of a normal expiration in a horizontal plane at the smallest horizontal circumference midway between the player's tenth rib and the superior edge of the iliac crest. Hip circumference was measured around the participant's hips in a horizontal plane at the maximum extension of the buttocks. All circumferences were measured with the player standing upright with the tape measure in contact with, but not compressing, the player's skin.
Blood samples for fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C, and triglyceride measurements were collected at the time of the routine annual physical examination and were shipped on dry ice to Penn Medical Laboratory of MedStar Research Institute for analysis.
We compared our data with that obtained from an age- and race-equivalent population sample from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a population-based observational study of 5115 participants aged 18 to 30 years recruited in 1985-1986.15,16 The CARDIA data used for comparisons with the NFL players were restricted to the age range that included 97% of the NFL participants, from the examination conducted during year 5 in 1990, resulting in our including CARDIA participants aged 23 to 35 years. For glucose comparisons, the CARDIA year 7 data were used because glycemia data were not available in year 5. Our survey instrument was adapted from the CARDIA protocol and collected data on demographics, personal and family medical history, dietary habits, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, use of medications and nutritional supplements, and sleep habits. The use of consistent survey instruments allowed comparison of CVD risk factors from the active player population with men of the same age group from the general population.
Data on race were collected because of known differences among racial groups in CVD risk factors, especially prevalence of hypertension.16 The participants were asked to categorize their race on a self-administered questionnaire, which included a write-in option.
Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms at 25 mm/s speed and amplification of 0.1 mV/mm were obtained during the mini-camps and interpreted by 1 investigator (R.A.V.). Three measurements of left ventricular hypertrophy were obtained (maximum precordial R or S wave, S wave in lead V1 + maximum R wave in lead V5 or V6 [Sokolow], and R wave in lead AVL). The criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy by these 3 measurements were at least 3.0 mV, at least 3.5 mV, and at least 1.1 mV, respectively. Echocardiograms were obtained from players on 3 teams during the mini-camp by certified sonographers employed by a sports-oriented medical imaging company (Ultrasound Services Inc, Newtown, Pennsylvania). Studies were recorded digitally and analyzed by 2 investigators (R.A.V. and D.C.A.). Borderline and definite left ventricular hypertrophy was considered to be present when the interventricular septal or posterior left ventricular wall thickness in diastole was 1.3 to 1.4 cm and at least 1.5 cm, respectively.17
Descriptive statistics (mean [95% confidence interval {CI}] or number [percentage]) were calculated to evaluate anthropometric and cardiovascular characteristics, as well as prevalence of CVD risk factors, in participating NFL players and the CARDIA participants. Players were categorized for data analysis based on position as a general indicator of size, using groupings employed in previous studies of NFL players.6 Comparisons were made within the NFL group by player position and between the NFL and CARDIA samples. Demographic, position, and NFL tenure data were calculated for participating and nonparticipating players to determine whether the participants were representative of the active players.
The CVD risk factors were defined by hypertension (systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mm Hg, or current use of antihypertensive medication); prehypertension (systolic blood pressure of at least 120 mm Hg and less than 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of at least 80 mm Hg and less than 90 mm Hg); dyslipidemia (total cholesterol of at least 240 mg/dL, LDL-C of at least 160 mg/dL, HDL-C of less than 40 mg/dL, or triglycerides of at least 150 mg/dL); impaired fasting glucose of 100 to 125 mg/dL; and glucose intolerance of at least 126 mg/dL. To convert total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0259; triglycerides to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0113; and glucose to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0555.
Linear regression models were used to estimate systolic blood pressures, lipids, and fasting glucose levels in the study and reference populations with covariate adjustment for age, race, BMI, and race × population interaction. All analyses were performed by a biostatistician (R.E.D.) using R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing version 2.7.1 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). The level of significance was set at α = .05; with P ≤ .05 considered statistically significant.
A total of 504 veteran players were recruited from 604 players available at the 12 sites. The 504 participating players represent approximately 26% of the total nonrookie players in the league at that time, based on an estimated 1920 nonrookie players, or approximately 60 on each of 32 NFL teams. Completeness of data collection for the core data elements varied from 99% (survey: 500 of 504) to 86% (blood tests: 432 of 504). Participating NFL players were similar to nonparticipants in age, years in league, racial distribution, and player position (Table 1). The nonparticipant group represents the veteran players on NFL rosters at the time of the study on all clubs with archived rosters (18 of the 20 nonparticipant clubs; 18 teams × approximately 60 veteran players per club). The higher weight and BMI in the study group (Table 1) reflect the efforts of team medical staff and the investigators to encourage the largest players to participate, which resulted in an oversampling of linemen compared with smaller players. The NFL population estimates were obtained as weighted averages of per-player position estimates, using weights inversely proportional to the sampling rates by position.
The NFL players were taller and heavier than the CARDIA group (Table 2). Despite their larger size, the NFL group had lower mean fasting glucose (P < .001) compared with the CARDIA group, and there were no significant differences in total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C or triglycerides between the groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the NFL player group overall (P < .001) compared with the CARDIA group. Furthermore, systolic blood pressure in each player position group was significantly higher than that in the CARDIA group (P < .001). NFL players were not different in total cholesterol or LDL-C based on position, but mean values for all other characteristics varied significantly across positions (Table 3).
Electrocardiograms were obtained in 461 of the 504 players (91.5%). Left ventricular hypertrophy by the maximum precordial R or S wave, S wave in lead V1 + maximum R wave in lead V5 or V6, and R wave in lead AVL (RAVL) criteria was present in 28, 76, and 2 players, respectively. Among these measurements, only RAVL was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure in a simple linear regression analysis. Specifically, a 1-unit increment in RAVL was associated with a 1.03-mm Hg greater systolic blood pressure. Borderline and definite left ventricular hypertrophy by echocardiography was present in 16 (15%) and 4 (4%) of 106 players, respectively, but wall thickness was not significantly associated with systolic or diastolic blood pressure in a simple linear regression analysis.
The NFL players had a significantly lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose and smoking compared with the CARDIA group (Table 4). The NFL group did not differ from the CARDIA group in the prevalence of high total cholesterol, high LDL-C, or low HDL-C. The NFL players had significantly higher prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension compared with the CARDIA group. There was no significant difference in hypertension (P = .21) or prehypertension (P = .98) based on position, although there tended to be higher rates among those players with higher BMI (Table 5). Furthermore, prevalence of above-normal blood pressure (hypertension or prehypertension) was not different between white (146 of 179 [82%]; 95% CI, 75%-87%) and black (205 of 273 [75%]; 95% CI, 70%-80%) players (P = .13). Of the 504 NFL players, 7 were taking antihypertensive medication currently or in the past month, 3 of whom were identified as having hypertension only by their medication use. In the NFL group, 100 of 504 (20%; 95% CI, 17%-24%) reported use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the past month.
A multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, race, and BMI with a race-population interaction term, showed significant effects of population group and BMI on the level of mean systolic blood pressure, lipids, triglycerides, and fasting glucose. Race was significantly related to systolic blood pressure in the CARDIA group, but not in the NFL group. Comparing men of the same age and BMI, mean systolic blood pressure among white NFL players was 13 mm Hg higher than among white CARDIA participants and 10 mm Hg higher among black NFL players than among black CARDIA participants, reflecting the 3-mm Hg difference between white and black systolic blood pressures in the CARDIA group. Comparing men of the same race and age, mean systolic blood pressure was 0.58 mm Hg higher per BMI unit in the combined population.
Results of multivariable linear regression models of CVD risk factors for the NFL and CARDIA groups, each model adjusted for age, BMI, race, and population with a race × population interaction term, are shown in Table 6. Body mass index was positively associated with total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, and fasting glucose and with decreased HDL-C in both the NFL and the CARDIA samples. As with blood pressure, population effects were observed for these CVD risk factors. In addition, black race was associated with higher HDL-C and lower triglyceride levels.
Our study found that the NFL population, characterized by large size and intense physical activity, had a CVD risk profile that was similar to the general population. In the combined population, size measured by BMI was associated with increased levels of CVD risk factors.
Smoking prevalence was lower in the NFL group than in the general population group. Despite a mean weight of approximately 30 kg greater than the general population group, the NFL group had significantly lower mean fasting glucose than the CARDIA participants. There were no differences in prevalence of abnormal total cholesterol, LDL-C, or HDL-C between the groups. As previously reported by Lee et al,4 high physical activity in the player group appears to have substantially mitigated the effect of large size.
The combined prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was high in all player groups, ranging from 96 of 105 (91%) in the largest players to 15 of 19 (78%) in the smallest players compared with 581 of 1957 (30%) in the CARDIA general population group. The prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension did not differ significantly according to position. No difference in prevalence of hypertension was found between players based on race, consistent with a study on elite US college football players assessed at the 2000 to 2005 National Invitational Scouting Combine (NFL Combine),17 which found elevated blood pressure in both black and white players. In that study,17 mean (SD) systolic blood pressure for white (n = 598) and black (n = 1321) players was 130.5 (15.2) mm Hg and 130.0 (14.1) mm Hg, respectively.
The largest factor responsible for hypertension appeared to be player status as opposed to size. However, multivariable analysis showed that size was a secondary factor for elevated blood pressure and also for lipids and fasting glucose. This unexpected prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension has led to plans for an NFL-wide survey and in-depth investigation of the mechanisms of these findings. Proposed areas for investigation include strength and resistance training,18-20 long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,21 salt intake,22-24 and sleep-disordered breathing.25-27
There are several potential limitations in our study. Only 1 automated blood pressure measurement was obtained in the NFL participants. However, all measurement sessions were monitored by an investigator and we used an automated cuff for blood pressure measurement, which has been shown to reduce "white coat" hypertension or high initial blood pressure readings.28 Furthermore, the mean difference between the first blood pressure and the average of the other 2 measurements in our reference population was 0.5 mm Hg, which was not considered clinically important. Players may have underreported their use of antihypertensive medication in self-administered questionnaires. However, more accurate reporting of antihypertensive medication use would increase the already high prevalence of hypertension found in the NFL group. Seasonal influences on blood pressure have been reported, with lower blood pressure occurring in the summer and higher in the winter.29,30 Our measurements were obtained in the spring, and the season for the CARDIA measurement was unspecified.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2000 data included more current CVD risk factor data for young men, but the racial distribution differed from the NFL group. For this racially different but more current and age-comparable population, mean systolic blood pressure was 119 mm Hg. This finding was slightly higher than in the CARDIA group, but is still considerably lower than the findings in the NFL group.
Race and height were self-reported. Smoking was self-reported and was not validated in the NFL group, but was also self-reported in the CARDIA group in the years used for the comparison.
We grouped players by position, which is not an absolute representation of body habitus. For example, among defensive linemen, nose tackles and defensive tackles often have a BMI similar to offensive linemen, whereas defensive ends tend to have lower BMI. However, grouping based on position has been established in the literature6 and generally categorizes the size of players. The NFL group had an overrepresentation of larger players compared with the nonparticipating players, probably as a result of efforts to encourage participation by players in typically heavier positions. An adjustment for this oversampling by position did not result in a change in estimated mean systolic blood pressure.
Although all NFL players are highly physically active, an assessment of fitness by maximal oxygen consumption was beyond the scope of this study. Our echocardiographic findings are inconclusive and should be interpreted with caution because criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy are commonly observed in large athletes.17
In conclusion, compared with a sample of healthy young-adult men, taller and heavier active NFL players had a lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose and similar prevalence of dyslipidemia. Of concern was the higher prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among NFL players. Investigation into the causes and long-term trends in hypertension in the NFL is currently under way.
Corresponding Author: Andrew M. Tucker, MD, Union Memorial Sports Medicine, Union Memorial Hospital, c/o Lyn Camire, ELS, 3333 N Calvert St, Ste 400, Baltimore, MD 21218 (email@example.com).
Author Contributions: Dr Tucker had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Study concept and design: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Allen, Castle, Heyer, Pellman, Strollo, Wilson, Yates.
Acquisition of data: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Ahrensfield, Allen, Castle, Heyer, Yates.
Analysis and interpretation of data: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Ahrensfield, Castle, Heyer, Pellman, Strollo, Wilson.
Drafting of the manuscript: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Pellman, Strollo, Wilson, Yates.
Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Ahrensfield, Allen, Castle, Heyer, Pellman, Strollo, Wilson, Yates.
Statistical analysis: Lincoln, Dunn.
Obtained funding: Tucker, Lincoln, Dunn, Pellman, Yates.
Administrative, technical, or material support: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Ahrensfield, Allen, Castle, Heyer, Pellman, Strollo, Wilson, Yates.
Study supervision: Tucker, Vogel, Lincoln, Dunn, Allen, Yates.
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Funding/Support: This study was funded by the National Football League (NFL).
Role of the Sponsors: The NFL had no role in the design and conduct of the study, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Assistance in study design was provided by Elizabeth A. Carter, MPH, and Jianhui Zhu, MD, PhD (Medstar Research Institute, Washington, DC), and by Jason G. Umans, MD, PhD (Penn Medical Lab of MedStar Research Institute, Washington, DC).
Additional Contributions: We thank Henry R. Black, MD (New York University Medical Center), for substantive critical review of the manuscript; Marty Lauzon, ATC, and Ron Medlin, MS, ATC (members of the NFL Subcommittee on Cardiovascular Health), for assistance in data collection; the athletic training staffs of the 12 participating teams; and the head athletic trainers and medical team physicians (Bill Tessendorf, MA, ATC; Thomas White, MD; Bud Carpenter, ATC; Ryan Vermillion, ATC; Howard Katz, MD; Tim Bream, ATC; Chris Hanks, ATC; Keith Burch, MD; Al Bellamy, MS, ATC; Dean L. Kleinschmidt, ATC; James Muntz, MD; Kevin Bastin, ATC; Douglas W. Robertson, MD; Hunter Smith, MA, ATC; Dave Hammer, ATC; David T. Murray, MD; Michael D. Ryan, PT, ATC, PES; Gary W. Dorshimer, MD; Rick Burkholder, ATC; Chris Peduzzi, ATC; John A. Norwig, ATC; Daniel Garza, MD; J. D. Ferguson, MS, ATC; Anthony Casolaro, MD; John Burrell, ATC; Bubba Tyer, ATC; John Mellody, MS, ATC; Sam Ramsden, ATC), and numerous assistant athletic trainers from each team. We also thank the NFL Commissioner's Office; the NFL Players Association; the late Gene Upshaw; Thom Mayer, MD; and the participating NFL teams (the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins). Lyn Camire, MA, ELS (Department of Orthopaedics, Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland), contributed to the writing and editing of this manuscript and was compensated for her contribution. For all others acknowledged, no compensation was received.


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It's not that I had a negative reaction, other than boredom and slimmed wallet syndrome. The Vitality Bowls are very tasty and quite nutritious, but not for every day. Maybe I'll go back once or twice a month, but staying an Acai diet is like most other diets I've tried. I lost the momentum before I lost weight. I like to cook, I like to eat, and I like eating for variety more than vitality.
I tried a different bowl each day or a different Smoothie. I liked most of them except the Power Bowl. That's the one with spinach and broccoli in it. I preferred the Nutty Bowl with peanut butter and granola, almonds, and honey, mmm good, but all the bowls and smoothies are very, very cold.
The Acai berries are shipped frozen from Brazil. I was told they don't keep very long after being picked, so the bowls and smoothies are made to order with the frozen berries whipped up in a blender. That's why there's so much noise in the restaurant when the smoothies are being made. I liked to take the smoothies home and let them defrost for 24 hours. I could taste the fruit flavors much better when they were more juice-like than slush.
The management has made changes since I started going there. They extended the closing time from 4 pm to 6:30 pm and now list the ingredients of the different bowls and smoothies on the printed menus. They are also adding new combinations and specials.
The place is catching on. When I tried it out the first time on October 27th there was one other person there. The last time I went it was almost full.
If you go, be sure to allow enough time. The bowls are made fresh and take about 10 minutes to make. I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday in the medical building across the street. I got to Vitality Bowls about 20 minutes before my appointment and had to take my bowl to go because I had just enough time to get to the office. I ate it there in the waiting room. I told the nurse about it and she made a copy of my menu.
This business is going to be big, but I'm not getting any smaller from it. In fact my doctor looked at the ingredients and said they have a lot of calories. The Acai berries, bananas, and nuts are nutritious but they are not non-fattening.
My doctor said I needed more exercise. I told him I'm thinking about adopting an older, overweight dog I could take for walks. My doctor said that's a great idea. So that might be my next venture. Then instead of driving to the Marketplace, I'll be walking to the Delmar Dog Park. Vitality Bowls will do fine without me, but committing to a dog (I already have five cats) is for life.


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|Einsteinium is named after Albert Einstein.
|Atomic Number:
|Atomic Radius:
|245 pm (Van der Waals)
|Atomic Symbol:
|Melting Point:
|Atomic Weight:
|Boiling Point:
|Electron Configuration:
|Oxidation States:
|2, 3, 4
Einsteinium, the seventh transuranic element of the actinide series to be discovered, was identified by Ghiorso and co-workers at Berkeley in December 1952 in debris from the first large thermonuclear explosion, which took place in the Pacific in November, 1952. The 20-day 253Es isotope was produced. It was named after Alfred Einstein.
In 1961, enough einsteinium was produced to separate a macroscopic amount of 253Es. This sample weighted about 0.01µg and was measured using a special magnetic-type balance. 253Es so produced was used to produce mendelevium (Element 101) by neutron bombardment.
About 3 µg of einsteinium has been produced in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratories by:
- irradiating kilogram quantities of 239Pu in a reactor for several years to produce 242Pu,
- fabricating the 242Pu into pellets of plutonium oxide and aluminum powder,
- loading the pellets into target rods for an initial 1-year irradiation at the Savannah River Plant, and,
- irradiating the targets for another 4 months in the HFIR.
The targets were then removed for chemical separation of the einsteinium from californium daughter products. About 2 milligrams of einsteinium can be present in special HFIR campaigns.
Sixteen isotopes with three isomers ranging in atomic mass from 241 to 256 are now recognized for einsteinium. 252Es has the longest half-life (472 days) but is only available in minute quantities. The isotopes 253Es and 254Es are the isotopes of choice for physicochemical studies because of their availability and reasonable half-lives. However, usually only a few micrograms of einsteinium isotopes are used in experiments to reduce worker exposure and to minimize the intense self-irradiation effects.
Tracer studies using 253Es show that einsteinium has chemical properties typical of a heavy trivalent, actinide element. Oxidation states of II and III for einsteinium have been reported and oxidation state IV has been postulated from vapor transport studies but not established unequivocally. Einsteinium is the first divalent metal in the actinide series (two bonding electrons rather than three). The self-irradiation properties of einsteinium make it extremely difficult, for example, to obtain x-ray crystallographic data. The intense gamma and x-rays from einsteinium decay to daughter products over-exposes the x-ray film/detector. This intense self-irradiation can be exploited however to study accelerated aging and radiation damage studies, and for targeted radiation medical treatments. An example of einsteinium chemical studies is the chemical consequences of radioactive decay. With the relatively short half-life of Es-253 (20.47 days) one can study the in-growth of daughter Bk-249 (half-life 330 days) and grand-daughter Cf-249 (half-life 351 years). Evidence suggests that divalent Es might decay into a divalent Bk daughter and subsequently into as of yet unknown divalent Cf. There are no commercial uses for einsteinium however it is the heaviest element for which bulk studies can be performed that allows for fundamental studies of the role of 5-f electrons in actinide systematics.
Further reading:
Richard G. Haire (2006) Chapter 12, The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements, Third Edition, L. R. Morss, J. Fuger, and N. M. Edelstein, Eds, Springer Publishers.
This element reviewed and Updated by Dr. David Hobart, 2011


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LOS ANGELES – Just a few months ago, Rodney King was once again the center of attention as the world checked back in on the man whose videotaped beating by police sparked one of the nation's worst race riots.
King had left Los Angeles behind, moving an hour east to a home where neighbors would often hear him splashing in the pool late at night.
The physical and emotional scars from the more than 50 baton blows remained, but King struck an upbeat note on his life.
"America's been good to me after I paid the price and stayed alive through it all," he told The Associated Press. "This part of my life is the easy part now."
But King was found around 5:30 a.m. Sunday at the bottom of the swimming pool at his Rialto, Calif. Home.
His death at age 47 is being treated as an apparent drowning and there are no signs of foul play, but Capt. Randy De Anda said autopsy results would be needed to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor.
The autopsy is set for Monday.
De Anda said King was only in the water three to four minutes between the time his fiancee called 911 and when officers arrived and pulled him from the water. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:11 a.m.
It was a grim end for King, who symbolized the problem of police brutality and struggled with addiction and repeated arrests. Long after the $3.8 million he'd been awarded in a civil case was spent on record label and other failed ventures, King would periodically resurface, appearing on "Celebrity Rehab" or sparring in the occasional boxing match. He spent the last months of his life promoting a memoir he titled "The Riot Within: From Rebellion to Redemption."
Sandra Gardea, King's next-door neighbor said that around 3 a.m., she heard music and someone "really crying, like really deep emotions. ... Like tired or sad, you know?"
"I then heard someone say, 'OK, Please stop. Go inside the house.' ... We heard quiet for a few minutes Then after that we heard a splash in the back."
King was 25 years old and on parole for a robbery conviction when he led police on a high-speed chase in March 1991 that ended on a darkened Los Angeles street. He was finally stopped by four Los Angeles police officers who struck him more than 50 times with their batons, kicked him and shot him with stun guns. He was left with 11 skull fractures, a broken eye socket and facial nerve damage.
The violence was captured on videotape by a nearby resident, who turned it over to a TV station. It was played over and over for the following year, inflaming racial tensions across the country.
The images — preserved on an infamous grainy video — of the black driver curled up on the ground while four white officers clubbed him — became a national symbol of police brutality in 1991. More than a year later, when the officers' acquittals touched off one of the most destructive race riots in history, his scarred face and soft-spoken question — "Can we all get along?" — spurred the nation to confront its difficult racial history.
It seemed that the videotape would be the key evidence to a guilty verdict against the officers, whose felony assault trial was moved to the predominantly white suburb of Simi Valley, Calif. Instead, on April 29, 1992, a jury with no black members acquitted three of the officers on state charges in the beating; a mistrial was declared for a fourth.
Rioting began immediately, starting in Los Angeles. It lasted for three days, killing 55 people, injuring more than 2,000 and setting swaths of Los Angeles aflame, causing $1 billion in damage. Police, seemingly caught off-guard, were quickly outnumbered by rioters and retreated. As the uprising spread to the city's Koreatown area, shop owners armed themselves and engaged in running gun battles with looters.
"Through all that he had gone through with his beating and his personal demons he was never one to not call for reconciliation and for people to overcome and forgive," Rev. Al Sharpton said Sunday. "History will record that it was Rodney King's beating and his actions that made America deal with the excessive misconduct of law enforcement."
The Los Angeles Police Department, after the King beating and other scandals, has instituted new policies including community policing that have resulted in crime drops, but continued complaints about racial profiling. Many of the hardest-hit areas in South LA, like King, have struggled. In the area around the Florence and Normandie intersection that was one of the riot's flash points, high school dropout rates are higher than in the rest of the city and incomes remain dramatically lower than in other sections of Los Angeles.
In his autobiography, King described his uneasy feelings about the events of his life.
"For many years I felt that I had been involuntarily burdened as the victim and resultant universal symbol of police brutality," King wrote. "I wanted no part of it, just wanted to stay home, drink and watch TV. ...The fact that this footage was sent out to be viewed by the entire world certainly didn't help my recovery."
"We may be scarred," he wrote, "and we may not be able to forget, but we can keep going, one step at a time, until we get to a better place."
Dillon reported from Rialto and Linda Deutsch, Chris Weber and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


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Plus-size model Ashley Graham and sister Abigail model a new nine-piece swimsuit collection for Swimsuits For All's Summer 2019 collection.Add to Lightbox Download
Ashley Graham proudly shows off her voluptuous figure alongside her sister in the new Swimsuits For All summer collection. The 31-year-old plus-size model is joined by her younger sister Abigail in the summery beach photoshoot, where the pair are seen cavorting together in the surf. The new capsule collection celebrates the 'immeasurable relationship, unconditional support, and encouragement that is shared among Ashley and her sister Abigail,' according to the brand and the campaign was shot on the beaches of Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic. The campaign captures their sisterly bond through a series of "then and now" family photos, traveling back in time to their adolescence. Ashley said: 'Despite our six-year age difference and busy lifestyles, my little sister and I have always been strong presences in each other's lives. We've shared countless memories together and going through our childhood photos was a trip down memory lane. 'Abigail has always been my rock, and I was honored to have her by my side during this photoshoot. Plus, she's a new mom and has never looked hotter in a swimsuit!' Abigail was also thrilled to model alongside Ashley. 'I love to support Ashley in everything she does, especially when it comes to promoting her message of beauty beyond size. As children, Ashley and I created a very tight bond that we have been able to carry over to adulthood. 'Every summer, we would go on road trips together to different states. I'll never forget Ashley getting stung by jellyfish in Florida. It was hilarious! I'll forever be grateful for the sisterly love we have for one another and will never forget the special moments we shared during the photoshoot in Punta Cana," says Abigail. The nine-piece swim collection features mesh panels, netting, exotic florals and animal prints. Styles to highlight include the Phenom Triangle Monkini, Red Orange Heiress High Waist Bikini, and Gala One Shoulder One Piece. Retailing under $104, the As
- Filename
- MEGA425667_015.jpg
- Copyright
- The Mega Agency RTI
- Image Size
- 2729x1819 / 2.1MB
- http://TheMegaAgency.com
x Ashley Graham younger sister Abigail new Swimsuits bikini photoshoot unconditional support summer collection 31-year-old new capsule collection sister Abigail sisterly love sisterly bond immeasurable relationship little sister voluptuous figure sister size model nine-piece swim collection features Punta Cana Phenom Triangle Monkini six-year age difference summery beach photoshoot beaches of Punta Cana Ashley campaign Styles road trips Swimsuits memory lane new mom special moments Dominican Republic different states Abigail encouragement brand children photoshoot rock curves Piece swimsuit collection summer Gala size panels Shoulder series trip pair purchase side jellyfish surf adolescence lives adulthood Florida busy lifestyles countless memories family photos message of beauty tight bond childhood photos strong presences exotic florals Red Orange Heiress High Waist Bikini animal prints netting time May six-year 31-year $104
- Contained in galleries
- Ashley Graham parades her curves in Swimsuits For All bikini photoshoot with sister - 21 May 2019


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|Perl Monk, Perl Meditation
Re: Re: Re: Choosing a data structure for AI applicationsby PhiRatE (Monk)
|on Jul 17, 2002 at 04:27 UTC ( #182325=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
I post here all the time but I never remember to log in and I keep killing all my cookies :)
The problem thus far with the discussion is that everyone is talking like using a database costs you something, as if its slower than a perl hash or some more complex in-ram data structure.
The truth is that, for a dataset that can fit reasonably in ram, perl is quicker. But once you talk about anything running into the millions of facts, a real DBMS will be unbelievably helpful. Indexing is a huge win for one, they do their own ram-based caching as well.
So, let us consider that, short of re-inventing a specialist database engine with many of the features that a DBMS already provides, a DBMS would be the most effective fact store for any reasonably sized factset.
Your next problem is how to effectively generate database schema in such a way that you get the most out of indexes, ordering and joins within the database without having to replicate data all over the place in different forms (an option, but an unhappy one).
The first thing is to understand that you want a powerful RDBMS. The object databases, PostgreSQL included, have many benefits, and its possible that one could be appropriate, but in my opinion the area of relational systems has been the most examined and they have the best combination of performance and flexibility (postgresql isn't shabby though, so as a free backend it may well be worth it).
From this you would then want to read up on reasonably advanced SQL, notably views, indexes, subselects and joins, and the performance parameters inherent in them. Many features of SQL will map directly to features of prolog with the relevant schema, for example a table of facts could represent, in two columns, the IS A relationship and retrieving the facts is a set of trivial SQL statements.
Unfortunately, I don't know enough prolog to take the analysis further, but it would seem to me that, if you're serious about doing big performance-intensive stuff, which is where expert-system AIs become really valuable, that the RDBMS backend is the only real option.
In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom


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This rare photo of Nap Lajoie is expected to fetch $15,000 at auction, and it's stolen from the Hall of Fame. Finding that out is as easy as looking on the back.
When photos are donated to Cooperstown's National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, they are designated sequential numbers traditionally handwritten on the reverse of the artifact. This process has been repeated thousands of times in the Hall's priceless collection of original photographs documenting the history of our National Pastime. Sometimes the Hall librarians even add additional information on the reverse of photos to assist researchers, authors and film producers who utilize the collection in their own work.
John Thorn, Major League Baseball's official historian and author of Baseball in the Garden of Eden, is very familiar with the Hall's collection and the identifications made by library staff on photos dating back to the 19th century. One mark, Thorn says, has been in use for decades. "In my experience, going back several decades, the 'PD' mark on Hall of Fame photos signifies that the library staff believe the image to be in the public domain."
This turn-of-the-century photo of the .400-hitter Nap Lajoie was once held in the hands of Hall librarians, but is now considered a CSI-like crime scene. Other stolen photos of Hall of Famers Christy Mathewson and "Smiling Mickey" Welch have appeared for sale at public auction in the past and have been subsequently recovered by Cooperstown officials, after being identified by their vandalized accession numbers and "PD" mark. (Another was returned by an honest collector named David Halpern, who realized a photo he'd purchased of Pittsburgh Pirate Ed Abbaticchio had these Hall of Fame ID markings. The "PD" had been altered to read "BOB.")
Heritage Auction Galleries is now offering the stolen photo of HOFer Napoleon "Larry" Lajoie and describing it as a "museum-quality piece." (Update, 4:54 p.m.: The auction has been pulled. Here's a screenshot.) The lot already has a bid of $4,250 and Heritage estimates it will sell in excess of $15,000. It surely is "museum quality," as its reverse shows a HOF accession number that has been scraped off as well as the majority of the "PD" designation in the upper right hand corner, just like the stolen Mathewson, Welch, and Abbaticchio photos. The thief, however, failed to scrape off the entire "PD" mark, which was handwritten in red marker. Part of the "P" is still visible and matches other photos in the Hall's collection.
In the 1980s, the Hall of Fame fell victim to a massive heist of rare documents and photos. Suspicion fell on Heritage's current consignment director, Mike Gutierrez, who, according to former Hall of Fame officials, was subsequently banned from ever entering the National Baseball Library again. Gutierrez, who is also a current appraiser for PBS's Antiques Roadshow, came under fire after he sold a stolen signed photo of Babe Ruth to New York auctioneer, Josh Evans of Lelands, back in 1988. Evans discovered that the reverse of the photo had a HOF accession number that had been covered with white-out. According to Hall officials Gutierrez had spent considerable time researching at the library in the early 1980s and had unsupervised access to the collections. Evans reported the incident to the Hall's head librarian, Tom Heitz, and an FBI investigation followed. An ex-Hall official confirmed that in the course of the investigation a man who accompanied Gutierrez on a trip to the library stated he saw Gutierrez steal several rare documents after he had photocopied them. Hall of Fame officials never followed through with the probe or formal charges, fearing a public relations nightmare for past and future donors.
At the time, the Hall was still recovering from a 1982 scandal, uncovered by The Sporting News, in which Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's assistant, Joe Reichler, had sold off scores of vintage World Series programs that had been loaned to the Commissioner's Office. Bill James wrote about the scandal in his 1994 book The Politics of Glory stating that "hundreds, if not thousands of people who had given something to the Hall of Fame would contact the Hall asking about the security of their donation." James wrote, "An old ballplayer's family would call …that bat we gave you, that Willie used to drive in four runs in the World Series game, is that safe? You guys haven't sold that, have you?"
The monetary loss to the Hall in the Reichler scandal was minimal in comparison to the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare photos and documents have made their way into the collecting world via auctions and black-market sales since the mid-'80s thefts. The Hall of Fame has done its best to turn a blind eye to it all, still fearing the PR nightmares, and the appearance of Lot 81268 in Heritage's current sale is proof that this nightmare continues into another baseball season. Over the past two years Heritage has pulled several other documents believed to have been stolen from the Hall's correspondence collection of former Cincinnati Reds owner August Herrmann, who was baseball's de facto commissioner before the office was created for Kenesaw Mountain Landis in the early 1920s.
MLB's current commissioner, Bud Selig, who recently had a research room dedicated in his name at the National Baseball Library, declined comment through MLB spokesman Matt Bourne, and the Hall of Fame's president, Jeff Idelson, was not available to comment about the stolen photo. Heritage Auctions' director of sports auctions, Chris Ivy, was made aware of the stolen Lajoie photo in 2010, when Haulsofshame.com first reported it.
Peter Nash, formerly Prime Minister Pete Nice of Def Jam's 3rd Bass, is the author of two baseball books and also writes for Haulsofshame.com. He is currently working on his upcoming book, Hauls of Shame: The Cooperstown Conspiracy and the Madoff of Memorabilia.


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In laboratory studies, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a way to personalize chemotherapy drug selection for cancer patients by using cell lines created from their own tumors.
If the technique is successful in further studies, it could replace current laboratory tests to optimize drug selection that have proven technically challenging, of limited use, and slow, the researchers say.
Oncologists typically choose anti-cancer drugs based on the affected organs' location and/or the appearance and activity of cancer cells when viewed under a microscope. Some companies offer commercial tests on surgically removed tumors using a small number of anti-cancer drugs. But Anirban Maitra, a professor of pathology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says that the tissue samples used in such tests may have been injured by anesthetic drugs or shipping to a lab, compromising test results.
By contrast, he says, "our cell lines better and more accurately represent the tumors and can be tested against any drug library in the world to see if the cancer is responsive."
The Johns Hopkins scientists developed their test-worthy cell lines by injecting human pancreatic and ovarian tumor cells into mice genetically engineered to favor tumor growth. Once tumors in the mice grew to 1 centimeter in diameter, the scientists transferred the tumors to culture flasks for additional studies and tests with anti-cancer drugs.
In one experiment, they successfully pinpointed the two anti-cancer drugs from among more than 3,000 that were the most effective in killing cells in one of the pancreatic cancer cell lines. A report on the success was published online Jan. 22 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
The new method was designed to overcome one of the central problems of growing human tumor cell lines in a laboratory dish: the tendency of noncancerous cells in a tumor to overgrow cancerous ones, says James Eshleman, a professor of pathology and oncology and associate director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. As a consequence, it has not been possible to conventionally grow cell lines for some cancers. Still other cell lines, Eshleman says, don't reflect the full spectrum of disease.
To solve the problem of overcrowding by noncancerous cells, Maitra and Eshleman bred genetically engineered mice that replace the noncancerous cells with mouse cells that can be destroyed by chemicals, leaving pure human tumor cells for study. "Our technique allows us to produce cell lines where they don't now exist, where more lines are needed, or where there is a particularly rare or biologically distinctive patient we want to study," Eshleman says.
In its proof-of-concept research, the Johns Hopkins team created three pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines and one ovarian cancer cell line. They then tested one of the pancreatic cancer cell lines, Panc502, against the Johns Hopkins Drug Library of 3,131 drugs, identifying tumor cells most responsive to the anti-cancer drugs digitoxin and nogalamycin.
For 30 days, they watched the effects in living mice of the two drugs and a control medicine on tumors grown from implanted cells derived from Panc502 and an additional pancreatic cell line, Panc410. They measured the size of tumors twice a week. Both drugs demonstrated more activity in reducing the tumor appearance and size in Panc502 than in Panc410, supporting the notion that the cell line technology may better predict sensitivity to the two drugs.
The investigators have given one type of their genetically engineered mice to the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, a mouse genetics research facility, for breeding and distribution to other laboratories and are looking to partner with a company to distribute two other types.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Stewart Trust Fund, Lustgarten Foundation, Mary Lou Wootton Pancreatic Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and HERA Foundation.
Sherri Rauenzahn, a study co-author; Maitra; and Eshleman may receive royalty payments if the mice are licensed, and Eshleman is an advisory board member for Roche Molecular Diagnostics. These relationships have been disclosed and are under the management of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Conflict-of-Interest Committee.