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Yoga and the Mind: Can Yoga Reduce Symptoms of Major Psychiatric Disorders?
By Alexandra Sifferlin
Yoga does the body good, and according to a new study, it may ease the mind as well.
"Yoga has also become such a cultural phenomenon that it has become difficult for physicians and consumers to differentiate legitimate claims from hype," researchers from Duke University Medical Center write in their study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. In order to explore the widely held belief that practicing yoga can relieve mental stress, the team reviewed more than 100 studies on the effect of yoga and mental health.
"Most individuals already know that yoga produces some kind of a calming effect. Individually, people feel better after doing the physical exercise," says lead study author Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at Duke University Medical Center. "Mentally, people feel calmer, sharper, maybe more content. We thought it's time to see if we could pull all [the literature] together … to see if there's enough evidence that the benefits individual people notice can be used to help people with mental illness."
Their findings suggest that yoga does in fact have positive effects on mild depression and sleep problems, and it improves the symptoms of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and ADHD among patients using medication.
The researchers focused on 16 studies that recorded the effects of practicing yoga on mental-health issues ranging from depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, sleep complaints and eating disorders to cognitive problems. They found positive effects of the mind-and-body practice for all conditions with the exception of eating disorders and cognition. Those studies involved too few participants or produced conflicting results to draw any meaningful conclusions.
Some of the studies included in the analysis even suggested that yoga might affect the body in ways similar to antidepressants and psychotherapy. For instance, yoga may influence brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters (boosting levels of feel-good agents like serotonin), lower inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and produce a healthier balance of lipids and growth factors — just as other forms of exercise do.
Embracing yoga as a complementary treatment for mental disorders is not uncommon. Yoga is a feature in many veterans' centers throughout the country, backed by research funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Huffington Post reported that many troops use yoga as a form of treatment for PTSD, for example, with companies like Warriors at Ease training instructors in yoga techniques specifically catered to those in the military. A study published earlier this month of 70 active-duty troops found daily yoga eased anxiety and improved sleep.
The researchers say there's enough evidence to warrant a larger study on the effects of yoga on mental health, and it should be considered as part of treatment for more disorders. "Many millions of Americans are doing yoga and many millions of Americans have mental illnesses and are popping psychiatric pills daily. Despite all of this, the vast majority of studies looking at the benefits of yoga are all small studies. We did not come across a single study where there was a coordinated effort done by some large agency to really conduct a large national study," says Doraiswamy.
But while the research is promising, yoga likely won't be a panacea for mental illness. Nor should patients try to replace their medications with the practice. "What we are saying is that we still need to do further, large-scale studies before we are ready to conclude that people with mental illnesses can turn to yoga as a first-line treatment," says Doraiswamy. "We are not saying throw away your Prozac and turn to yoga. We're saying it has the promise and potential. If a large national study were done, it could turn out that yoga is just as good and may be a low cost alternative to people with unmet needs." In the meantime, he says it doesn't hurt to add yoga to existing treatments so patients can take advantage of any potential benefits.


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Negroni Slushies and Amish Chicken at Parson's Chicken and Fish (Chicago, IL)
I almost missed my flight out of Chicago. I almost missed it because I was busy eating fried chicken and drinking slushies at Parson's. Parson's Chicken and Fish was opened by the team at Longman and Eagle, which you may remember was one of my favorites from previous visits. I'd been hearing about their negroni slushies and decided to stop by on my way to the airport. The place is a fun, colorful, diner.
They actually had negroni and dark & stormy slushies, so we got both! They're not just frozen blended to order but actually comes from two slushie machines which you can see sitting on the bar. The two drinks cater to different palates, with the sweeter and zingy Dark and Stormy versus the slightly more bitter Campari taste from the Negroni. Since it's the Longman and Eagle team who opened this restaurant, Conbon asked for her favorite Old Fashioned from L&E and they were able to make it.
We had to try the fried chicken here, of course. They have fried fish, grilled Amish chicken, but we went for the fried Amish Chicken ($6 for 2 pieces)
Parson's Chicken and Fish
2952 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 384-3333

subset: commoncrawl


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Choosing a REALTOR®
As a seller, your relationship with a REALTOR® is vital so meet with several before making a final decision. A good place to start is right in your neighbourhood. Check FOR SALE signs to see which REALTORS® are doing business in your area. Ask them about their track record, their knowledge of neighbourhood selling prices and other reasons why you should list with them. Choose a REALTOR® you feel comfortable with; one who will handle the sale of your home as if it were his or her own.
What to Expect
Your REALTOR® will help you understand the selling process. He or she will provide you with a full explanation of what to expect so you are not faced with any surprises along the way.
Getting to Know You
One of the first things your REALTOR® will ask is, why are you selling your house? Your REALTOR® will also explore any time constraints you may have, your financial situation and any future plans. It's all part of getting to know you so the sale will be handled to your complete satisfaction.
Setting the Price
Arriving at an accurate estimate of value for your home is one of your REALTORS® prime tasks. It involves analyzing your home and comparing it to other, similar houses for sale or recently sold in the neighbourhood. It may also include a broader market survey, using sales statistics available only to qualified REALTORS®. In the end, you will be sure the price you set reflects the true value of your home under current market conditions.
"The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license."
Real Estate Websites by Web4Realty


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By Helsinki Commission Staff
Country-Wide Street Protests Trigger Snap Elections
In early 2013, 30 Bulgarian cities were rocked by demonstrations. In some instances, violence erupted between demonstrators and police. In addition, in the months immediately preceding the elections, six people committed suicide by self-immolation in acts of public protest and desperation.
The street demonstrations were triggered by sharply rising electricity rates in a country widely described as the poorest of the EU's 27 members. Discontent was further fueled by dissatisfaction with political leaders across the board and widespread corruption.
In February, following the street demonstrations, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov resigned, paving the way for May 12's early parliamentary elections.
For those elections, 8,100 candidates stood for seats in the 240-member unicameral National Assembly allocated by proportional representation from 31 multi-mandate constituencies (with a 4% threshold for both parties and coalitions to enter parliament). Altogether, 63 parties (38 outside of coalitions and 7 coalitions) were registered as well as two independent candidates.
The resulting ballot was roughly a yard long.
OSCE Mounts Full-Scale Election Observation Mission
The OSCE mounted a full scale Election Observation Mission (EOM) – the first in Bulgaria since 1997 and the first ever in an EU country.
Eoghan Murphy (MP, Ireland) was appointed by OSCE Chair-in-Office Leonid Kozhara to serve as Special Coordinator and leader of the short-term observer mission (parliamentarians and observers seconded by OSCE participating States). The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) long-term observer team was headed by Miklos Haraszti. Roberto Battelli (MP, Slovenia) headed the OSCE PA delegation. Andreas Gross (MP, Switzerland) headed the observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
On Election Day, there were 158 observers deployed from 39 countries.
Of an estimated 6.9 million voters (a number that, in any case, the OSCE and Council of Europe Venice Commission suggest may be high), 3,541,745 went to the polls. Voter turnout was at about 50 percent – the lowest turnout since the fall of communism – reflecting the voters' antipathy even more than apathy.
Approximately 850,000 votes were cast for parties that failed to overcome the 4% threshold to get into parliament.
Reportedly 107,799 Bulgarian citizens voted abroad, with 63,152 votes cast in Turkey.
The Mysterious Case of the Extra Ballots
The administration of the elections on E-Day was largely unremarkable. It was, however, preceded by two separate but related wiretapping scandals suggesting that the Ministry of Interior had bugged journalists and state officials. The day before the elections, an "extra" 350,000 ballots were discovered in a printing house in Sofia. (A week after the elections, it was reported that more than 2,000 extra stamps for electoral commissions had also surfaced.)
In its preliminary findings, the Election Observation Mission drew particular attention to the alienation of voters, lack of confidence in the electoral process, concerns over ballot security (the "extra" ballots), and persistent allegations of vote buying or voter intimidation. (A final report from the Mission is forthcoming.)
Roma and Other Minorities in the Electoral Context
Bulgaria has a population of 7.36 million (from almost 8 million in the 2001 census and roughly 8.4 million in the 1992 census). This continuing drop reflects declining birth rates and labor migration to other parts of Europe.
The ethnic Turkish minority comprises 8.8 percent of the population. Almost 5 percent of the population self-identified as Romani on the last census, but Roma are estimated to be roughly 10 percent of the population. Last year, the Bulgarian Government estimated that 23 percent of the working age population is Romani.
The Bulgarian Constitution prohibits the formation of political parties on ethnic, racial or religious lines, which is contrary to OSCE and other international norms on freedom of assembly. The OSCE has criticized this restriction in previous reports on Bulgarian elections.
The Electoral Code stipulates that the election campaign must be conducted in the Bulgarian language only, also contrary to standards on free speech and minority language use set out in the 1990 Copenhagen Document. These restrictions also impede get-out-the-vote efforts.
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is, de facto, an ethnic Turkish minority party, although it has largely been allowed to function with a wink and a nod from the authorities. After the elections, it was reported that Lyutvi Mestan, head of the MRF party, was fined in Sliven for campaigning in Turkish.
Bulgaria's last two local and Presidential elections (which were held simultaneously in 2007 and 2011) were preceded by outbreaks of anti-Roma violence. In 2011, just a few weeks before the elections, 14 Bulgarian cities erupted into anti-Roma riots. In July 2012, the headquarters of the EuroRoma political party were firebombed, killing one man. The investigation has not produced any results.
On April 8, 15 Romani civil society organizations withdrew from their advisory role with the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues, effectively deeming the government's work in this area and the consultative process to be a sham.
There were no Roma in electable positions on the lists for any of the leading parties. As a result, the National Assembly produced by the May 12 elections will be the first Bulgarian parliament since the fall of communism to have no Romani MPs.


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Wherein a surgeon tells some stories, shares some thoughts, and occasionally shoots off his mouth. Like a surgeon.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Pile O' Problems
Many years ago, a friend of mine told a story that, at the time, I thought was hilarious. He'd been hospitalized -- I forget why -- and his roommate was a fellow young man who'd undergone surgery for a pilonidal cyst. The operation had involved the placing of wires, which had been tied down over buttons (the technique -- not always involving buttons and wires -- is called "marsupialization," although I didn't know it at the time.) One evening the man felt a pop and pain. He called the nurse who, after having a look, placed an urgent call for the man's surgeon. On arrival, the doctor (resident? the man's actual surgeon?) felt it necessary rapidly to dig in to retrieve the wire, and did so with a clamp, without any attempt at anesthesia. My friend was horrified by the screams of his roommate, and began yelling at the doctor and nurse to do something. "Knock him out, knock him out," he demanded. (In telling the story, he described his own drugged state, painting a bizarre picture of confusion, paranoia, and semi-stupor. And I'd be pretty sure prodigious profanity of Shakespearean quality was involved.) Seeing no attempt on anyone's part to reduce the pain of his neighbor, he finally starting throwing things at the man's head, trying in his own way to knock him out. First some books, then the phone, and finally an IV bottle. (I must interject that my friend happened to be one of the funniest people on Earth, and could have elicited helpless laughter in the reading of a water-meter. Plus, this being a long time ago, I can't say with certainty that the mood was not enhanced in any way.)
Well, it was funny back then. Now, it's a pretty horrible story on many levels. Forgetting about the brutality of the surgeon and the indelicate approach to the initial problem, it does illustrate one thing: pilonidal disease can be a bitch. If people were cars, along with the anus the tailbone area would be subject to recall and redesign. (Maybe this time it could be intelligent?)
"Pilo" means hair. "Nidus" derives from the Latin word for nest, and generally means the area in which a thing forms. In essence, pilonidal disease arises from the fact that some people have little dimples -- deep and narrow pits, really -- over their tailbones. Not always a problem, they can be a starting place for infection in many owners thereof -- particularly hairy people. Those pits are an indrawing of skin, along with the usual players in the skin: bugs, hair, etc. Although people of any body habitus can have problems, big hairy guys are the poster-children of the disease. It's a gigantic case of ingrown hair; and once infected, it's impossible permanently to eradicate it without some sort of surgery. Sometimes the amount of hair in there can be truly stupefying. Trust me, you don't wanna know. Tempting as it might be, had I a picture, I'd not link it. And that's saying something, as many readers know. But not all pilonidal infections have hair in them.
It's a surgical truism: when there are lots of widely varying operations to accomplish a thing, the perfect one remains undiscovered. And so it is with pilonidal disease. In part, that derives from the fact that it manifests itself in myriad ways. The rest is due to the fact that if you were to compile a list of ideal conditions to promote post-operative healing, the tail bone area is the antithesis, right down the line. Dark, moist, self-contaminating (being discreet here), and subject to tension which tries to pull an incision apart.
About the only straightforward decision is when a patient shows up miserable with a big pilonidal abscess. You drain the damn thing, and the patient will be immediately grateful (once again, the ancient and honorable and most basic tool of the surgeon: draining pus. Break out the air-freshener, Trish. I stunk up another exam room.) Other than that, who knows? Antibiotics alone for a little mild discomfort? Only remove the dimples? Simple excision of the "cyst?" (Cyst, by the way, is something of a misnomer, strictly speaking. It's a collection of infected gunk. "Cyst" implies an obstructed and filled-up gland, which is not what pilonidal disease is.) Leave open? Close?
It's my experience that once you get to the point of an abscess that needs draining, you'll need some sort of surgical eradication or it will be a recurring problem. And it can be worse than an abscess: infection can track impressively under the skin, making a tunnel and popping up nearly anywhere else in the area (a pilonidal sinus.) If it surfaces vertically in the midline, you may get away with a fairly simple operation. The more off to the side, and the more tracks, the more likely it is you'll need some sort of complicated operation, widely to excise the area with creation of flaps to bring it all together again. When it's uncomplicated disease, as with an abscess having been drained, once it's healed a fairly small operation to excise the dimple and the formerly infected tissues underneath, with simple closure may do the trick. But slow healing, with an open wound requiring regular cleansing and shaving of the area, is a pretty common sequence of events.
All in all, an annoying and frustrating array of approaches for what seems a simple problem. We can transplant livers; we haven't figured out the best care for a tiny hole by the tailbone. My advice: if you're hairy and have a dimple "down there" but haven't yet had problems, keep the area shaved (it requires a sympathetic significant other) or invest in a depilatory creme. If you're a peach-skinned person, keep the area clean and dry (no powders) and your fingers crossed.
[Some time ago, a reader asked me about pilonidal disease, so this has been sitting around for a while. You'd be right in thinking I'm cleaning out the attic...]
56 comments:
I'm no expert, but a short and nauseating Google search makes me think that this condition could be one of the most perfect reasons EVER to get laser hair removal.
- Jeffrey Parks MD FACS said...
I hate pilonidal disease. I've tried to close primarily after raising flaps, with varying results. There's just so much tension in that area, even 0-prolene can pull through in some cases. Healing by secondary intention probably gives the best long term results, but you have to prepare the patient for months of dressing changes.
- Dr. Rob said...
Pilonidal disease and decubitus ulcers are two reasons I am glad I am an internist. I am so relieved to refer them to the surgeon.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Rob - 8/10/2007 9:35 AM
I have been amazed how many people come in with pilonidal cysts that need drained to the ED. They sure LOOK like they hurt! I've helped with a fair bit of draining, never a pleasant olfactory experience, but always appreciated by the patient...
Thanks for bringing back some disturbing smells, Doc! - 8/10/2007 4:23 PM
- make mine trauma said...
For a brief moment I thought I was on the wrong blog and had stumbled across Dr. August!
Thank goodness it was just a dream.....double thankful that no assist is required on butt pus cases.
Was that insensitive? - 8/10/2007 6:20 PM
- ERnursey said...
that is the most horrifying picture I've ever seen. I have negelected to visit your blog for awhile and when I return I am greeted with that ;)
Years ago, when I was pregnant, I assisted with a pilonoidal abscess drainage. Smells bothered me more than normal when I was pregnant and that smell was pretty horrific. Then the doc took his kelly clamp and started digging around in the abscess and started pulling out clumps of hair. It was too much for me, I barely made it out of the room. But the poor patient had been in agony and was profoundly greatful to have that thing drained and his pain relieved. - 8/10/2007 8:30 PM
Pilonidal sinuses and abscesses: apparently quite prevalent among soldiers in WWII traveling on bumpy roads – Bailey & Love refers to it as "jeep disease" and then provides a foot note:
jeep: US Army reconnaisance vehicle.
(For the non-surgical medical chronies: Bailey & Love's textbook reminds one of a steatorrhoeal stool: pale, bulky and offensive.) - 8/11/2007 4:19 AM
- Stephanie said...
haha that reader was me. I had the closed excision May 9th, my stitches came apart at the bottom, the doctor had to cut open 2 stitches at the top because there was a huge amount of blood that built up. I've been packing both open wounds since May 23, had a wound vac for awhile, etc. They're looking at doing a cleft lift now. I'll find out tomorrow.
The worst part is...I'm not even hairy! :( - 8/12/2007 7:55 PM
- Julia said...
Oh, my. I get behind just to find out as I'm trying to catch up that you blogged about something I had never heard of 2 days before someone described having had the procedure recently! (His case wasn't so bad, apparently, for which I'm glad.)
- Nurse B said...
It's all coming back to me... room spinning... I had nearly forgotten my personal "cyst excising" (they tricked me) experience as a new nurse in the ER...
I was told yesterday that I have one of these, a pilonidal abcess. Thanks to your site I am not extremely scared as to what will happen next,though an open wound that has to be packed with gauze every other day is not so appealing to me
- Abby said...
Hi! I had a pilonidal cyst drained this past weekend and was just lookin around about them when I found your blog! The ER doc who saw me told me that they were caused by hair but when he examined me commented on my lack of. So, this disease is not only for hairy people! Mine was fairly small, so was cut and drained and 5 days later, I'm done packing it, just cleaning and covering. I laughed at your story because I had mine removed with no pain meds right in the ER. I refused narcotics because I'm breastfeeding. I regretted it when they started rubbing around in there!
Hi its anonymous from 2 posts ago
got it drained by the casualty doctor who commented on how large it was! It was about the size of half an apple roughly, it got all red and angry looking after my GP prescribed me antibiotics. I have a question though, I have gauze packed in it to make it heal from the bottom down, (so the skin doesn't heal and leave the 2 inch deep hole!) but could there still be hair in it and stuff to be removed from it? - 11/11/2007 11:01 AM
I just had a pilonidal cystectomy a few days ago. I'm a big hairy guy and have taken good care of myself. As such this was my first surgery. What a pain in the ass... literally.
3 cheers for you medical professionals. We appreciate it. - 12/30/2007 9:02 AM
Does pooping interfere with healing after surgical incision?
- Sid Schwab said...
The incision is not right at the anus so there's no direct interference. But it's important to keep the area clean.
- p.alan said...
Geez, I'm dealing with one right now. I must say that it is one of the most painful experiences of my life. For it to recurr would cause me to take very drastic measures. Surgery and laser hair removal.
Anyone know of a hair removal clinic that charges by the square foot? :-) - 9/24/2008 1:30 PM
- Sid Schwab said...
Heh. Good one.
Hey, thanks for writing this. I consider myself VERY lucky. I had one of these about 8 months ago and wow, talk about pain. I thought I bruised my tailbone at first, and it quickly escalated in to myself thinking I had broken my ass!
Sleeping became horrid and finally one day I woke up and noticed the back of my boxers was a tad bit wet. This is after going to see the doc and him telling em that he didnt want to drain it yet, he wanted to wait! Well, the initial pop was in the night right before I woke up and after that the story gets interesting.
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, calling my room-mate in to see. He thought it was crazy, and to this day i thank god for his lacking ability to smell that day. He helped me drain the cyst for a good 20 minutes and I couldn't believe how much pus came out. I never went back to the doctor for it, just kept it bandaged for a few days, and my ass has been great since! - 9/25/2008 10:49 PM
- Sid Schwab said...
pain: good decision not to go back to that doctor. The idea that such an abscess needs further ripening is pretty clueless, IMHO.
i just had one drained yesterday. having noticing a bump by my tail bone 4 weeks ago i finally went to emergency yesterday when the thing was the size of a golf ball and i couldn't stand the pain anymore.
Man the smell that comes with them draining is horrible!, and the pain is even worse, they say they are freezing the area but it doesn't feel like it.
i do have a question tho, the doctor has horrible writing which i can't read is instruction, how long do i need to keep the bandage over the area because he told me to sit in a bath with little water and wash away all the iodine and stuff but i don't know how long i got to wait before i can do this. - 10/14/2008 7:46 AM
- Sid Schwab said...
I hate to give specific advice when I don't know the situation. What I can say is that when I drained them I wanted people to start the bathing right away. The bandage is to catch the drainage, not to protect the wound.
- Unknown said...
I have no idea where this pilonidal cyst came from... My mom had it incised and drained by an operation 20 years ago and she seems great...Im terrified, my doctor sayd i need surgery, but the postoperation pictures i googled today are not encouraging at all..I mean i love my ass, i dont want it to be bruised and marked because of a stupid little bitchy dimple...Question: Is it painful??? ANd does the surgery leave a mark..or bruises on my tail mark??
- Sid Schwab said...
mahmoud: if all you have is a dimple and have had no infections or other problems with it, some would say it's not necessary to do anything about it. It might be a problem in the future or it might not. As to what to expect from surgery, the best person to discuss that is the surgeon you would see, who would know what kind of surgery is planned.
- Lindsey said...
Hey Doc,
Thank you for posting this! About 5 or 6 years ago I had it infected. The doctor said the sacral dimple that I had since birth was infected and formed a pilonidal abscess. He gave me an antibiotic as he said the surgery to remove it is very invasion and probably only necessary if I have a lot of painful recurring infections. Now, five years later, I believe I'm having my first recurrence... though it's not nearly as painful as the first time around it's slightly itchy and a little painful. I also have some pain in the lower left side of my back, but it's very manageable. The only thing is, I noticed it seems to be oozing by itself. I read online if it's oozing to contact your doctor. Well, I have a new doctor now, and they told me they can't help me. That I'd need to see a surgeon..they wouldn't even give me an antibiotic. Why is that?? And if it's not that painful and only slightly oozing, is it really necessary for me to see someone? Or should I just see if the "infection" goes away on it's own? No specialist will get me in for weeks, I'm sure, and I'm worried about this getting worse!! Please help! - 11/17/2008 6:32 PM
- Sid Schwab said...
lindsey: I'm really sorry but I can't give specific advice or suggestions when I don't know enough detail. Nor can I comment on why they didn't want to prescribe antibiotics. As a general proposition, it's better that it's draining than building up as an abscess, and applying heat, either by moist packs or soaking in a tub is almost always helpful. I have no way of predicting what will happen; the best advice you can get is by having it looked at, ideally by a surgeon.
- Lindsey said...
I had a feeling you may say that! But thank you very much. I'm glad to know that it draining/oozing isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm going to try to call a surgeon tomorrow. Thanks!
- AtlantaMom said...
My 17 yr. old son had a very painful pilonidal cycst lanced and drained last spring (after I attempted to do it myself at 3 a.m.!). The doctor said it was only a matter of time before he would have to have it surgically removed. Since my son will be going into a college ROTC program next fall and participating in all of the rigorous physical training, it seems now is the time to get it taken care of. We have a concern about the wound vac that he was told he would have to wear. Is it as painfull as it looks and does it make a lot of noise? (very important for a senior in H.S.!) I am concerned because he now wants to back out of the surgery next week after seeing pictures and being told just how long the healing process will be. How soon will he be up and around? Is there anything that I can do to ease the pain for him? I will also be the one to help change the gauze and bandages for him. I am just so worried and don't want to see him in such discomfort. Is it possible to heal and recover without the wound vac.? How can he possibly go back to school in early Jan. with such oozing bandages and/or a "shop-vac" as he put it attached to his back-side? The flip side to all this is that we can't see any other ideal time to get it taken care of. Thank you for any advice you can give.
- Sid Schwab said...
atlanta mom: you asked excellent and important questions. Since there are many operations for this problem, as well as several types of drains and suction devices (none of which would make noise, and would easily hide under normal clothing, unless they're the type that plug in to a wall which is highly unlikely. Not every such operation requires a drain.), you should ask them of the surgeon. You have a right to get them answered, but he/she is the best one to do it.
- Nurse To Doc said...
Thanks very much for leaving me a post - I was star struck as I am half way through your book and have loved it.
I had just started my first clinical theatre attachment when I started it and was really shocked at how little things seemed to have changed. The way you describe the scrub nurses behaviour is still exactly the same!
I love this site and you and Buckeye surgeon are making me become more interested in surgery.
Have a lovely Christmas.
xx - 12/18/2008 4:34 PM
- BrightEyes said...
As a patient who's had a pilonidal cyst before, who's not a big hairy guy, actually a small, not particulary hirsute woman, I just to say that having the cyst drained was the most EXCRUCIATING experience of my life. Having the packing material in the core felt like having a brick beneath my skin. Anyhow, I just wanted to say that I'd shy away from painting the "classical" picture of the person with pilonidal disease as being a big hairy guy, because women (some hairy, some not), get it too.. and it creates a negative stigma.
As a medical student and future MD, I try to be sensitive about the way I portray patients and clinical cases. The patients, are, after all, the vulnerable ones, who clearly do not want to be in that state ... and we should respect them, not make fun. Who knows, you might be the next person spread eagle on the operating table with your pants down and at the mercy of a fellow surgeon.. - 1/08/2009 6:56 PM
- Unknown said...
Sid: I am sure BrightEyes' intention was not to insult or demean surgeons or any medical practitioner. You as a veteran of the medical field should be above the "insensitive" comments from a medical student...I guess "insensitive" is a relative term. I had to go to the hospital to get treatment for pilonidal cyst complications. When I got I finally saw doctor I found out that she did not want to treat me--I guess the knew what she was getting in to when she saw me. A second doctor came in and he was a "sensitive" doctor. I am glad he was there to help me. All I can tell you is that I remember her face and name...if I ever see her in distress I will on a highway, woods, city, etc. I will make sure I forget how to DIAL 911.
Should you happen to read this BrightEyes...Keep your sensitivity, people will thank for you it. - 2/28/2009 8:59 AM
- Jane said...
very informative. I have a non-hairy 12 year old which will be AT his doctors office this morning at 8:30 am. I traced the size w/ a pen last night, it is bigger this morning.. I love the 7 day a week practice. Is 12 young for this?
He did have a large abscess in his arm last Thanksgiving. Antibiotics and draining cleared it up. I was very proud of him for taking care of it himself. (I monitored)
I have a 15 year old who has had 2 pneumothorax's, one each lung, this year (one in math class, one in lacrosse). I feel like all I do is see doctors. - 3/22/2009 4:06 AM
How common is it for more than one member of the family to have this? I had open surgery aged 19,(not hairy and slim) long time healing, but no recurrence, bizarrely my husband also had one (hairy but slim), at 21, closed surgery, it did recur and he also had septicaemia. Today my 23 year old son has had his second lot of surgery, having initially had the abscess drained in January. The nurses tell him his wound is spectacular!! He is having a wound vac, and I am praying this will do the trick once and for all ( prior to original surgery he was given 5 lots of antibiotics - all dragged on far too long)Will this speed up the healing process, and are my other two non children doomed? What should they be doing to prevent this?
- Sid Schwab said...
I don't know of data about families and pilonidal disease. Since the source is generally those dimples that some people have, it would certainly be possible that there are familial tendencies.
As to prevention: the first question is whether the kids have the dimples. If not, there's not much risk. If they do and are hairy, they could do something to reduce hair in the area: either shaving, or depilatories. I can't say I know if that works for people who've not had problems, and I sort of doubt there are prospective studies.
There are some fairly simple surgical ways to remove the dimples. It's arguable whether it should be done as a "preventative" measure. It's true that removing them before there's been infection means a much better chance of quick and uncomplicated healing, especially if simple surgery is done. (For example, some have had success using a skin biopsy punch.) I don't think I ever advocated the preventative approach, but I told people who had the dimples to be aware of the possibility of infection, and to seek help right away if it happens, because it's when infections are allowed to get big that it's a bigger surgical problem. - 4/06/2009 9:41 AM
- ck in lv said...
I had one removed from my tailbone about 20 years ago, after painful and frequent reoccurances. The final one was so bad I couldn't sit to drive, it was time for surgery. It was a simple office procedure either. It was "packed," and left it to heal from the inside out. The removal of packing a week later brought me to sobbing tears. Also had to have it cauterized twice for improper gristle growth, and it took a staggering 14 weeks to heal completely. I missed 3 months of work, and a whole sememter of college. Today, I have very slight reoccurances, nothing that would make me have that surgery again. To top it off, days after surgery I got the worst case of the flu in my entire life, with 104fever. Sorry, I can't add something uplifting and fun.
- Sid Schwab said...
ck: as I said, when there are lots of ways to solve a problem it means the perfect one hasn't been found. The method that was used for you is one of many. When there's active infection, leaving it open to heal in slowly is often the best choice; as you found, it can take a long time. When it's possible to close primarily, with luck, it heals rapidly and cleanly.
No guarantees with any option. Everything about the area is the opposite of what's desirable for smooth healing. - 4/23/2009 9:08 PM
i didnt realize so many people suffered with this problem I had mine removed 3 times by military doctors not saying military doctors are bad or maybe i have a persistant problem. After the last removal 5 years ago i still deal with it daily i shower in the morning and at the end of the day have some discharge in the back of my boxers i have learned to deal with it i am to scared to go back to any doctors for this so i am stuck wearing jeans the rest of my life for now. But after reading this maybe ill reconsider thanks
My husband is currently suffering from his second occurance (same location) of a pilonidal cyst. The first one went away with diligent expression and a course of antibiotics. I continue to tell him he is damn lucky he is married to a licensed vet tech, who enjoys expressing disgusting butt pustules. I have a good gross out story for all of your entertainment. The first occurance, we went to our GP and of course, while at the doctor's office, no evidence of purulent material. That night, he was tossing and turning because of the pain. I arose from bed to help comfort the area by expressing the cyst. I barely touched the thing and *Btht*, blood and pus all over my face. Talk about horrifying! Something for us to laugh at, and for me to take caution from.
- Sid Schwab said...
He's lucky to have such a loving wife. Your services will almost certainly continue to be needed until he has it surgically treated, for "cure," not just drainage.
Just curious, what's the record for number of operations? I just had my 4th on Monday, June 22. Last one was in 2005 and I thought it was gone forever. The healing process is so painful. Doctor, thanks for this blog. It's very informative, and comforting in a way knowing that there are others out there with the same aggravating problem.
- Suz said...
O.K. All this information about recurrence is making me nervous. I've got a 20 year old, high-function autistic son, who is deathly afraid of needles, who has been diagnosed with pilonidal cyst disease (he didn't tell me about his "problem" for several months). His surgeon, when she looked at his posterior, said that the wound he has from the cyst and tunneling, is the worst she's seen. He's got the cyst, then he's almost completely open from the location of the cyst, down to his anus. As my son says, his "butt is cracked... get it, mom?"... at least he's got a good humor about it. My question is this: How likely is it that this could return, after having his whole butt "cleft" removed, then the edges sutured back together? Or is that even possible? Is it more likely that he'll have an open wound that I'll have to pack daily? I can handle taking care of him, that's not a problem. I'm very concerned about the level of pain my son will have to endure. They're thinking this can be done as an out-patient procedure. I'm leery of that, too.
Any advice is much appreciated!
Thank you!
A concerned Mom. - 7/01/2009 7:47 PM
- Sid Schwab said...
There are so many possibilities, in terms of operative choices, and surgical findings, that I really can't give you much help, I'm afraid, from this far removed. Sometimes it's all unroofed and left open; sometimes, the infected tissues are cut away and a flap of skin and muscle is rotated in (when it's very extensive), and closed primarily. Between those two ends of the spectrum are several other possibilities.
I guess the only advice is to be sure various options are discussed and that the surgeon you choose has experience with the whole range. - 7/01/2009 8:16 PM
Wow ... you have just helped me go through a cathartic reliving of the most humiliating medical experience of my life!
I was at college in Ann Arbor, and had a spectacular fall on the ice directly on my tailbone. I also had a boyfriend at the time who was into spanking. These two things led me to grit my teeth and soldier on through the pain, sure that I just had some sort of deep bruise or something, even though I could barely walk. (If only I hadn't blamed my bf he could have seen something was up ... but I was too mad at him to get naked ;)
One night after more than a week of this, I fell asleep with a heating pad on, and when I woke up it was covered with stinky blood. I *freaked out!!* It hadn't burst, it was just ... seeping.
At that point I could barely move. I took a cab to student health where I encountered a surgeon who seemed to believe I had purposely contrived the whole situation just to gross him out. I don't think he had the slightest sense that he was dealing with a terrified freaked out girl who was in incredible pain.
He never spoke to me directly but talked angrily about me as if I wasn't there, berating me in the third person to the nurses for letting the situation get as bad as it was. He swore. He loudly voiced his disgust over and over and over. Finally, I just broke into sobs and wailed "I fell on the ice!! I thought it would go away!!" I sobbed through the rest of the procedure.
Thank goodness I never had a recurrence. The bf redeemed himself by faithfully changing my tefla pads and bathing the area morning and night. But even 20 years later I can never quite shake the feeling when I see a doctor for anything that they hate me and think I am disgusting. :( - 7/23/2009 8:51 AM
- Sid Schwab said...
Bippsie: quite a story!
It's possible, in your case, that it was all due to the injury: a collection of blood that got infected. Anyhow, I'm glad it had a happy ending. As it were.
Parenthetically, I'm the first to admit many surgeons are idiots. - 7/23/2009 9:05 AM
Thanks for posting on this topic! It makes me feel much less alone and freaky. I had one of these back in 1983 when I was 17. Fortunately, I had no pain with the cyst. I also had no smell when it popped because I was in the shower. I had no idea what it was. I thought the bump had been a zit. When it popped voluntarily and left a gaping hole the size of a pencil eraser, I was convinced I was going to die of cancer. (Shows you how goofy our thoughts work as teenagers!)
Our family doctor said it would need to be operated on and showed me a diagram of what I would look like on the operating table -- face down, butt in the air -- and I became hysterical. Of course as a 17 year old girl, my main thought was, "Will I be hideous 'down there' so that no man will want me??" The doctor ended up cutting a 2 x 4 x 2 hunk of flesh right down the middle of my butt-crack and installing a drain. I've seen pictures on the web of what it looks like but THANK GOODNESS I had no idea what it looked like back then. I was in the hospital for a week. The stitches were monstrously thick, black-coated cables of wire. Getting those removed was AWFUL!! I thought the doc was pulling out my spine like in that Vincent Price movie. I attended my first month of classes at college by standing up in the back of the class because I wasn't allowed to sit.
Despite all that embarrassment, the story has a good ending. You can't see the surgery scar at all; only visible are the tiny scars where the drain was installed. (I guess you could see the scar if my butt cheeks were pulled open -- but it's tough to do that without permission from the cheek-owner.) It hasn't recurred, thank goodness. The only thing that still kind of worries me is that the doc said that I had an 85% chance of getting another one. At 44, I haven't had a recurrence. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. - 1/21/2010 11:15 AM
- Sid Schwab said...
Thanks for your comment. It'll be reassuring to some people.
"The Tingler." Great movie. I saw it when I was a kid, in a theater with buzzers under the seat, and people planted in the audience to scream and faint and be carried out by the ushers. - 1/21/2010 11:20 AM
- Reverie said...
I do have a question. I've been informed I have a pilonidal cyst. That's all fine and dandy (oh yeah, that's right, no it's NOT). The last one was popped, drained, and silver nitrate was put on it that time and a couple visits after. Is that normal? And if so, well, I have another one and it's bleeding. Wwell, I think it's another one, but the last one didn't bleed. s it the same thing?
- Sid Schwab said...
Of course, without examining it I can't say. But after the first time, it's not rare to see some blood, because healing tissue can be pretty bloody. Trying to get it to heal with silver nitrate, if it was a really small cavity, isn't crazy; but it's not very likely to have worked completely. So there could be a gob of "granulation tissue" in the cavity, which is healing tissue sort of gone amok. Sometimes silver nitrate works on granulation tissue, but not usually if it's in a deep hole.
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Sid Schwab said...
Nice try, Richa. Better spam than most.
I couldn't agree more with your post. Unfortunately my brother and I both suffer from pilonidal cysts. This is the 2nd one I could not get to drain (using ichthammol ointment) the usual way so I had to have it lanced. You will never love a Doctor more than to have him/her drain a putrid smelling, literal pain in the a**!!
Thought my poor husband was going to pass out when he saw the scalpel sink down to the handle! :)
Doc did an ultrasound and you could see that the cavity was about 3-4in deep, small cut off to the side, and left it open to drain. - 2/10/2011 2:04 PM
Hi! I am 16 in high school, and I am affected by these cysts! I have been trying relentlessly to heal them for months now, and I was extremely nervous about possibly needing surgery. The worst part is that I now have a boyfriend, and I don't want to tell him about this out of pure embarrassment. But, reading this article was a RELEIF. It makes me feel so much better. All the other sites I have been on had horrible stories about these cysts, but it is comforting to read that they are really not that bad. I have two at the moment, and they are both very small. I am glad to hear that treatment shouldn't be to traumatizing!
- Sid Schwab said...
Glad you found it useful. Good luck!
Hello. Thank you so much for publishing this piece and creating this blog. I have a career in veterinary medicine and absolutely love reading about human medicine.
I suffer from pilonidal disease (thanks dad!), and I'm currently at the start of another flare up. This will be my 4th abscess in the last 3 years (first one occured in the summer of 2013), and I'm uninsured, so surgery is out of the question. Have you heard of patients who are not good candidates for surgery having success using ichthammol ointment? As far as home remedies go, it's the only thing I haven't tried. The abscess was lanced the last 3 times I had a flare up, but being uninsured, I cannot afford that again. If I could just get it to drain on its own, it would provide a huge amount of relief.
Another inquiry - have you ever heard of a correlation between pilonidal disease flare ups and post-natal women? My second flare up occured while I was pregnant, and the third 2 months post partum (about 6 months ago). I haven't changed my lifestyle much as far as the amount of sitting is concerned, and I am slightly overweight, but certainly not obese. My father has this condition, and we share the same slightly curved spine, so I assume that is the origin of this affliction, but I've had 3 flare ups since getting pregnant. I'm just curious if you've ever heard of that before. Thank you in advance! - 1/21/2016 5:29 PM
- Sid Schwab said...
I've not heard of any success using ichthammol; not in the long run, anyway. I don't suppose it'd do any harm to try it. The problem, though, as I wrote, is that as long as there are hairs and gunk in the cavity, it's nearly impossible to get rid of it permanently without a surgical procedure of some sort, that removes that nidus.
It's known that hormonal fluctuations can affect chronic infections of various sorts; flare-ups that vary with menstrual cycles, for example. So I'd not be surprised that pregnancy could be playing a role. - 1/22/2016 8:15 AM
Moving this post to the head of the list, I present a recently expanded sampling of what this blog has been about. Occasional rant aside, i...
In no way is it false modesty to say that physicians are not healers. At best, what we do is to grease the way, to make conditions as favora...
Finally I'm getting around to writing about the gallbladder. Don't know what took me so long, seeing as how, next to hernias it'...
I finished the previous post with the sad story of my patient, illustrating diagnostic difficulties at the fringes of biliary disease. An...


text:
In an elementary school hallway, a teacher takes her second-graders to the library, leading a single-file line of giggling boys and girls that's perfectly ordinary until you get to a sleek white robot with a video screen showing the face of a smiling, chubby-cheeked boy.
Devon Carrow's life-threatening allergies don't allow him to go to school. But the 4-foot-tall robot with a wireless video hookup gives him the school experience remotely, allowing him to participate in class, stroll through the hallways, hang out at recess and even take to the auditorium stage when there's a show.
What's most remarkable is how unremarkable this gee-whiz technology is viewed by his classmates. In a class of 7-year-olds raised on video games, avatars and remote-controlled toys, they don't see a robot. They just see Devon.
Just before class one recent day, a girl leaned toward the robot to tell Devon the joke making the rounds at Winchester Elementary School: Why did the boy eat his homework? The teacher told him it was a piece of cake.
That Devon isn't actually there is barely acknowledged. While making get-well cards for him during a hospital stay last year, his classmates all drew him as a boy, not a bot.
"In the classroom, the kids are like, 'Devon, come over, we're doing Legos. Show us your Legos,'" says teacher Dawn Voelker.
"I wondered how the little kids would take to him, thinking they'd be amazed," adds Principal Kathleen Brachmann. "But I think kids are so tech-savvy now that they accept it more than we do."
Even Devon doesn't quite get what all the fuss is about. Steering the four-wheeled robot through school and spinning around to see the classmates is just another mouse-and-keyboard challenge.
"It's so cool because it's like playing a game on the computer," says the boy with a mop of curly brown hair who always seems to be smiling. "It's like your objective is to just survive."
For a year now, Devon has attended school using "VGo," a robot shaped a little like a chess pawn and best known for its appearance in a Verizon television ad showing the kind of technology possible using the company's wireless network.
See also: "Homebound students use robot to continue learning from home"
Since it was introduced in 2011 by Nashua, N.H.-based VGo Communications, a handful of students across the country have used it, including in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Texas and Iowa.
It's also attracting attention in the medical and business worlds, allowing doctors to consult with patients and workers to virtually pop into the office, even while traveling.
(Next page: Logistics, cost)
For Devon, it was a chance to go to school, albeit remotely, for the first time in his life. He has eosinophilic esophagitis, caused by an allergic white blood cell that grows in his stomach and esophagus. He's also got anaphylactic shock syndrome, which causes life-threatening allergic reactions to triggers including milk and peanuts.
Even though attacks have put him in the intensive care unit twice in the past 18 months, Devon is outgoing and energetic, a jokester whose personality better suits him to the school experience rather than home-schooling.
But after teachers at Devon's previous school in the Buffalo suburb of West Seneca resisted the idea of having the VGo's camera in the classroom, his mother persisted, and Devon was welcomed at the district's Winchester Elementary.
It was added to Devon's special education plan, and the cost — about $6,000 for the robot and $100 in monthly service fees — is being paid out of the district's budget.
"We looked at it as a great opportunity," Winchester Principal Brachmann says. "Where I think some people would have looked at what are the challenges, what are the problems, we never even had those conversations. It was just, how can we make this work?"
The technology broadens Devon's school experience beyond what would be possible through a video chat. The only restrictions are physical.
The robot senses stairs and stops, but even they aren't insurmountable because, at 18 pounds, the robot is light enough for a teacher to lift. Before moving forward, Devon scans the camera downward to make sure he won't run into a classmate who might be crouching to tie a shoe. The VGo warns of large objects ahead.
"Walking down a hallway, seeing other kids," Brachmann said. "You couldn't expose somebody on a Skype session that way. It would just be like a TV screen. With this he really gets a feel, a sensation, of being there."
On a recent weekday, Devon positioned himself in front of his home computer's camera in a sunroom-turned-classroom in his Orchard Park home and dialed in to Mrs. Voelker's room for the 9:10 a.m. start of school. He controls the VGo alongside teacher Sheri Voss, who comes to his house daily to help navigate and keep him on task.
When class was called to order, Devon stood at attention in front of his computer camera, holding a salute to his forehead as the class recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
"We don't treat him any differently," Voelker said. "He still has to turn in his homework. He still has to have his mother sign notebooks. He still has a job in this classroom — he's the greeter.
"And he still has to pay attention — although there's times I look and he's off, the cat's coming in the room."
He's heard through the VGo's speakers. Voelker wears a microphone that amplifies the teacher's voice, which helps all of the students, including Devon, hear her. Instead of raising his hand in class, Devon activates a light on the VGo.
"It's really fun having him in the class," said Caitlyn Bedient, a pixied brunette who sits a few desks away. "He has toys at home and we can show him the creations we make."
Classmate Daisy Cook said it was a bit awkward at first when the technology would glitch, and it didn't quite seem fair that Devon got to stay home and go to school.
"But now it's kind of cool," she said, her blue eyes widening, "because we can communicate together. It's like he was never on the VGo."
- 'Buyer's remorse' dogging Common Core rollout - October 30, 2014
- Calif. law targets social media monitoring of students - October 2, 2014
- Elementary world language instruction - September 25, 2014


text:
2 Cronin Street Flat 1/3, Dumbarton
For an exchange to go ahead, both existing social rented tenancies must have been maintained properly.
This means that you and the other tenant must:
- have met all tenancy conditions;
- looked after your property;
- respected the rights of other tenants; and
- paid the rent and all other charges on time.
The new tenant must accept the property in its present condition. You cannot move to a property smaller than you need.
Applicants for a mutual exchange may only apply for a move to accommodation where the size of the property is suitable for the size of the family.
In order to apply for a mutual exchange you must contact your local HOME Argyll office who will issue you with a Mutual Exchange application form.
If you wish to apply for a mutual exchange outwith Argyll & Bute you can do so by registering with organisations such as HomeSwapper.
HomeSwapper has the UK's largest database of people looking to swap homes with over 246,000 users across the UK. HomeSwapper uses the details you supply to automatically match you to other tenants who may have a home that you'd like and who would also be interested in your property. When HomeSwapper finds you a match you will be alerted by SMS text or email.
Important Checks
We would also recommend that you consider the following before asking to go ahead with any Mutual Exchange:
- How much is the rent? If it is more, is this affordable?
- How much is the Council Tax?
- Terms of the tenancy agreement, eg: if a pet owner check that you are permitted pets, etc.
- Cost of living in the property – this is particularly important if moving to a larger property as it may be more expensive for electricity/gas, etc.
- If there are repairs required, check to see if the landlord will carry them out
- Available public transport
Other Information
It is illegal to offer the other tenant any financial incentive to make the swap or accept a bribe from them.
You can get more information and guidance on exchanges from Shelter Scotland.
Remember whenever considering a mutual exchange all parties must have their landlords written permission for it to go ahead.
At a glance
Available for mutual exchange
Type: | Flat |
Rent: | £415.17 per month |
Available: | Yes |
Furnishing: | Unfurnished |
Bedrooms: | 3 |
Occasionally Home Argyll partners have properties which are currently vacant, and available for immediate let and occupation.
A vacancy has arisen with the following Registered Social Landlord: Dunbritton Housing Association.
Property details
3 bedroom First floor flat, gas central heating,
Applicant requires a property with a garden and 2 bedrooms in the Dumbarton area only
Contact information
Please contact the following office for more information, or to express your interest in this property:
Ms MacPherson tel:07884171905
email address: email@example.com
Please bear in mind that applicants' eligibility will be assessed in line with the Home Argyll Allocations Policy.
At a glance
Available for mutual exchange
Type: | Flat |
Rent: | £415.17 per month |
Available: | Yes |
Furnishing: | Unfurnished |
Bedrooms: | 3 |


text:
For elite athletes, competition is like a drug. How many times have we seen professional or Olympic athletes retire (or say they will retire), only to return again, inevitably older and with varying levels of success? For every Michael Jordan, who said he had played his last game — three times — and was still able to lead his team to league championships after coming out of retirement the first time, there are dozens of formerly great athletes whose decision to return only exposes how human they are. Brett Favre's flirtations with retirement are so frequent it's hard to keep track, hockey great Mario Lemieux retired in 1997 but laced on his skates again just three years later, and Deion Sanders retired from his dual careers in professional baseball and football, only to pick up the pigskin again several years later. And Lance Armstrong? After years of adamantly insisting he had not used performance-enhancing drugs to win seven Tour de France titles, he's reportedly fessed up to Oprah…presumably because he can't stand being out of the competitive loop.
Still training as if he's preparing for cycling's biggest race, Armstrong could have gone quietly into the retirement night. But facing a lawsuit from a former teammate that he used public money to buy doping products, Armstrong is apparently hoping for some leniency in the lifetime ban from the sport that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) imposed last summer, along with revoking his Tour de France titles, in exchange for his decision not to contest the doping charges the agency filed against him. Maintaining his innocence at the time, Armstrong left the question of did-he-or-didn't-he officially unanswered, presumably for perpetuity (although that wasn't the case in the court of public opinion). But according to the Wall Street Journal, Armstrong met with Travis Tygart, CEO of USADA in December in an effort to lift the ban so he could continue his athletic career as an endurance athlete competing in triathlons. Tygart apparently told Armstrong that if he came clean, he could expect his lifetime ban to be reduced to eight years. Armstrong angrily responded: "There's one person who holds the keys to my redemption, and that's me," and walked out of the meeting.
(MORE: Lance Armstrong's Fall from Grace Tests Livestrong's Strength)
David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, agrees that nothing short of a complete confession from Armstrong is necessary before he would even consider any leniency on the ban. "Only when Mr. Armstrong makes a full confession under oath — and tells the anti-doping authorities all he knows about doping activities — can any legal and proper process for him to seek any reopening or reconsideration of his lifetime ban commence," he said in a written statement.
Why couldn't Armstrong live with the longer ban and stripped titles? Why compete in triathlons rather than make the rounds on the speaking circuit or continue his admirable efforts in raising awareness and funding for cancer research? On a practical level, sports stars miss the training and the structure that competing lent to their lives. Plus there's the feel-good factor: winners bask in the public's adulation, which isn't forthcoming when sports are played far from the limelight.
And for athletes at the top of their game, competing can be an act of self-affirmation, says Gavin Kilduff, an assistant professor of management at New York University who studies competition and rivalry. "His identity is probably very strongly tied to competing in endurance events," says Kilduff. "He's not living out how he sees himself if he's not doing that. For highly competitive people, it's hard to stay away." Not long ago, he tweeted a photo of himself relaxing on his sofa with his yellow prize jerseys festooned on the wall: "Back in Austin and just layin' around."
(MORE: Why Lance Armstrong Couldn't Stop Himself (And Still Can't))
In fact, Kilduff says that the very nature of intense competition, and the features that make the best competitors, may explain not just Armstrong's yen to feel the adrenaline rush of racing again, but the seeming incongruity of athletes who cheat. Certainly the drive to win can, on the one hand, be an inspiration for achieving excellence. "Elite athletes are elite because they can't stand being average," says Matt Rhea, an associate professor at A.T. Still University in Arizona and the president of RaceRx, a private sports conditioning and performance-enhancement company. Competition also motivates people to work harder, as Rhea found in a 2003 study he conducted of weightlifters. When amateur athletes performed both in front of bystanders and competed against others, they lifted about four pounds more than during training sessions. "We have measured a dramatic increase in performance during competition, which is one reason why so many records are broken at the Olympics," says Rhea. "You don't want to be an average Tour de France cyclist; you want to be the greatest. That's what makes these athletes so unique and driven."
But that same drive also tends to promote higher levels of unethical behavior, justified by the win-at-all-costs mentality, which isn't just confined to athletics. In academia, the most competitive students are more likely to cheat.
So in the end, it's likely that the very characteristics that made Armstrong a good athlete — the discipline to train, the unconditional commitment to achieving a goal, and the single-minded trust that he would succeed — may have fueled his doping and, ironically, his need to confess in order to regain his status as a competitor. "In their efforts to be viewed as legendary, they at times might cross the line when it comes to the law or to the rules of sport," says Rhea. "Once you've experienced the thrill of victory, it's really hard to go back to the agony of defeat."


text:
Greece got a rare bit of good news late yesterday. Standard and Poor's upgraded the country's credit rating six notches to a B minus. I mean, not the worst grade on your report card, but in the financial world this is junk bond status.
Still, Joanna Kakissis reports from Athens that there is a more stable outlook.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: For a country used to bad news, the past few weeks have felt a little like Christmas. First, eurozone leaders agreed to a complex plan to lower Greek debt. Then, Greece bought back some of that debt from investors. Eurozone leaders were pleased - and finally released $45 billion in loans to the country.
Frank Gill leads the European Sovereign Ratings team for Standard and Poor's.
FRANK GILL: All these things taken together I think just shows a great determination by the eurozone to keep Greece in the monetary union.
KAKISSIS: And economist Gikas Hardouvelis says it's a vote of confidence for Greece.
GIKAS HARDOUVELIS: There is light at the end of the tunnel. And it will stay in the monetary union.
KAKISSIS: But Greece has a long and painful road ahead. The government is fragile, and unemployment - now more than 25 percent - is expected to rise next year.
For NPR News, I'm Joanna Kakissis in Athens. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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2013 NCAA Tournament — Final Four Preview
Four teams remain alive in the 2013 NCAA tournament field. The 2013 Final Four pits the odds-on favorite against a Cinderella and a beast from the Big East against the Big 10's last remaining entrant.
Here's a preview of Saturday's games:
Wichita State Shockers vs. Louisville Cardinals
Georgia Dome, Atlanta; 6:05 p.m. (ET) on CBS
West Regional champion Wichita State (30-8) faces Midwest Regional champ Louisville (33-5) in the first 2013 Final Four contest. The top-seeded Cardinals are heavy favorites to win the national title, while the Shockers hope to see their Cinderella story through to the title. Here's what each team must do to claim a victory:
How Wichita State can win:
Beat The Press: Wichita State guards Malcolm Armstead and Ron Baker will face defensive harassment from Louisville's Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. The Cardinals are more comfortable when they are creating turnovers and forcing the tempo. Baker and Armstead can't wilt under that pressure.
Clean the Glass: The Shockers ranked seventh nationally in rebounding margin. While it's not a glamorous stat, it is a key reason why Wichita State has streaked through the tournament. Forwards Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall must limit Louisville's second-chances and fast break opportunities.
Balance The Attack: The front court of Hall and Early produces the most points for the Shockers out of the half-court offense. Armstead, Baker and Fred Van Vleet must contribute in what's likely to be a high-scoring game.
How Louisville can win:
Make The Threes: When Louisville guards Russ Smith and Peyton Siva find their 3-point stroke, the Cardinals are difficult to beat. Louisville must dictate the tempo of the game through Siva and Smith. The Cardinals can't bang with Wichita State inside.
Box Out: Center Gorgui Dieng and forward Chane Behanan are the Cardinals' chief rebounders. If they can keep Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall from dominating the glass, Louisville should win.
Hold The Lead: Louisville has been impressive in the NCAA tournament, but Wichita State has been just as dominant over more highly ranked opponents. The Shockers have had double-digit leads in each of their games, but they haven't had to play from behind late. That could be a factor if the Cardinals get on a run.
Syracuse Orange vs. Michigan Wolverines
Georgia Dome, Atlanta; 8:49 p.m. (ET) on CBS
East Regional champ Syracuse (30-9) faces South Regional champ Michigan (30-7) in the second 2013 Final Four contest. As the last team from the Big 10 still alive, Michigan hopes to bring the title back to the conference, while Syracuse wants another trophy in its final campaign as a member of the Big East. Here's what each team must do to win:
How Syracuse can win:
Extend The Zone: The Orange's 2-3 zone defense has given up fewer than 46 points per game on average thus far in the tournament. Syracuse must collapse effectively on Michigan guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. and get back out to contest long-range shots from Nik Stauskas.
Share The Ball: Michael Carter-Williams, C.J. Fair, Brandon Triche and James Southerland all average double-figures for the Orange. If everyone gets involved, Syracuse can be difficult to defend both outside and inside the paint, but the Orange have shot just 40 percent in their last three games.
Neutralize Mitch McGary: While Burke has received the accolade, freshman forward Mitch McGary has been the breakout star of the NCAA tournament, averaging 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Baye Keita and Rakeem Christmas will be key players for Syracuse in holding McGary off the offensive and defensive boards.
How Michigan can win:
Shoot The Three: Nik Stauskas and Trey Burke can expose the Orange's 2-3 zone by shooting over the top of it. Both Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. can slash into the zone and kick the ball back outside for shots.
Control The Tempo: The Wolverines would prefer to force Syracuse to run, much like Louisville did to the Orange in the second half of the Big East title game. This means shooting the ball effectively, looking for fast break opportunities and employing some token pressure.
Shut Down Michael Carter-Williams: Burke is likely to draw the task of containing Orange guard Michael Carter-Williams. This match-up between two future NBA lottery picks may be the key to the game. If Burke can keep Carter-Williams from filling up the stat sheet with points, assists and rebounds, Michigan could secure the victory.


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What can you expect in the village history?
- shorter or longer history of the village;
- information about parish(es) and domain to which the village belonged;
- information about population (in the past and today);
- maps.
Links to the village/town history if it is available online in English:


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Domestic Church
Within the Orthodox Christian faith, each Christian family is considered a Domestic Church, being the smallest unit of Christian community, faith, and practice. It is in the Christian home that one lives out the Orthodox faith. The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus as saying "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (18:20 NAB) What is the Christian home if not two or more gathered in the name of Christ? Each family, being part of the Church, is charged with much the same ministry as the parish church; namely worship, Christian fellowship, charity, education in the faith, growth in virtue, evangelism, hospitality and works of mercy.
The "religious life" is not limited to those who have taken monastic or priestly vows. Rather, all Christians are called to religious life. As St. Benedict said of his monastery, the Christian home, too, is to be "a school for the Lord's service."
Worship in the Domestic Church
Worship in the traditional Orthodox home general centers around the Icon corner (sometimes called a "home altar"), which is typically placed in a prominent location in the living room or dining room of the home. This customarily consists of one or more icons and often a shelf or table on which are placed various devotional items.
It is here that the Orthodox family comes together for prayer. Several Orthodox prayer books and devotional manuals are available which provide the customary prayers. These are typically based upon the Hours that are observed in monastic institutions, simplified for use by the family. (See the article on Icon corners; see also Icons and Home Items in the Marketplace.)
Fellowship in the Domestic Church
Education in the Domestic Church
In the mind of many of today's Christians, religious education has become the task of the parish church, the Sunday school or the youth group. However, this has not always been the case. One of the foremost obligations (and privileges) of Christian parenting, is seeing that their children are brought up in the knowledge, love, and fear of the Lord. The Sunday School, which began as a Protestant movement, was designed originally for the religious education of the children of un-believers. It was expected that children of believers would be trained by their parents.
There are a number of wonderful resources that are available, both in print and online, to aid the Christian parents in their educational role. Particularly useful are various resources from the Orthodox Christian publishers and book stores. (See Orthodox Booksellers.)
In addition to the education of children in faith and morals, adults in the Christian home are expected to continue their own growth in the faith. This is appropriately done by regular study of the Holy Scriptures, the Church Fathers, lives of saints and other devotional writings. These should be read, studied, and discussed in the home. Children should be encouraged to participate in the discussions at the level appropriate to their age.
It should be noted also that Christian study is not merely an intellectual or academic exercise. Rather, one should read and meditate in such a way that one's heart is open to the working of God in one's life. The Scriptures are not merely an account of what happened thousands of years ago, but a living testimony to God's work and an authority in our own lives. The lives of saints are not merely stories of heroic deeds in another time and place, but challenges to all of us to strive to work out our own salvation.
Outreach in the Domestic Church
"If your heart overflows with faith and love for God, you will find a thousand and two ways to pass on these feelings to your child." - Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons
"An important part of a child's education is storytelling, since good stories excite the imagination and strengthen the bond between parent and child. Stories from the Bible are preferred, and the child should repeat them often, to underscore full comprehension." - St. John Chrysostom
"For the correct upbringing of your children: few words, much example, and more prayer are necessary." - Father Epiphanios Theodoropoulos, Counsels for Life
"Marriage is more than human. It is a 'microbasileia,' a miniature kingdom which is the little house of the Lord." - St. Clement of Alexandria
"Preserve marriages in peace and harmony; nurture the infants; instruct the youth; strengthen the aged; give courage to the faint-hearted, reunite those separated; bring back those in error; defend the widows; protect the orphans; liberate the captives; heal the sick." - The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
"Fathers and mothers: Go and lead your child by the hand into the Church." - St. John Chrysostom
"How can there be too many children? That's like saying there are too many flowers." - Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun
"With us everything should be secondary compared to our concern with children, and their upbringing in the instruction and teaching of the Lord." - St. John Chrysostom
See also
External links
- Building the Domestic Church by Presbytera Pearl Veronis
- The Icon Corner: A How To by Dr. Alexander Roman
- Icon Corners by Dr. Alexander Roman
- In our Family and Home, by Melkite Catholic priest Fr. Romanos Russo
- Marriage and the Christian Home by Fr. Michael B. Henning
- Prayer Life in an Orthodox Home by Archpriest Roman Lukianov
- When No Priest is Available: Reading the Service Books While Traveling or at Home by Archpriest Sergei Shukin
- Quotations on Christian Hospitality
- Coniaris, Fr. Anthony. Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home (ASIN B0006COYQS)
- D'Avila-Latourrette, Brother Victor-Antoine, Blessings of the Table: Mealtime Prayers Throughout the Year (ISBN 0764809830) (Byzantine Catholic)
- Fournier, Catherine and Peter, Advent, Christmas and Epiphany in the Domestic Church (ISBN 0898708591) (Catholic)
- Fournier, Catherine and Peter, Lent and Easter in the Domestic Church (ISBN 0-89870-860-5) (Catholic)
- Robinson, David. The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home (ISBN 0824518276)
- A Table Prayer Guide (Center for Family Care, firstname.lastname@example.com)
- Diocese of Newton A Guide for the Domestic Church (Conciliar Press)


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Drone makers and robotics manufacturers are looking for — and finding — new uses for devices that were once limited to the worlds of science and the military.
After a decade of explosive growth, thanks largely to the post-Sept. 11 demand from the military for unmanned vehicles, the industry is eagerly awaiting the opening of a new front: the domestic drone market.
Manufacturers gathered for this year's Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International convention in Las Vegas are optimistic that they will overcome civil liberties concerns about these gadgets, and make the leap from wartime to peacetime markets.
The timing of this year's meeting was handy. NASA's rover Curiosity landed on Mars just as the conference opened. (One exhibitor, Crane Aerospace and Electronics, contributed technology for Curiosity's power supply.) The rover's initial success helped demonstrate that unmanned technology has lots of uses well beyond the Predator strikes many people associate with drones.
3-Mile Range, Fits In A Suitcase
The biggest stars of the show are the raft of smaller aerial vehicles that could soon be coming to a search-and-rescue team near you.
Procerus Technologies, recently acquired by Lockheed Martin, demonstrated its Quad VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) drone. The stealth-black vehicle has at least a 3-mile range, and includes a sophisticated camera on a gimbal. That means the camera can remain focused on an object while the drone flies by, making it much easier to use. The device also folds up and fits into a suitcase, so it can be deployed quickly.
Ease of use is key if manufacturers are going to start selling these things here at home. Local police and other first responders may not be willing to spend hours training staff on how to operate a drone the way the military has.
AeroVironment's Raven is made to survive abuse by falling into pieces. That's how this small, unmanned plane absorbs the energy of a rough landing. Crews simply put the pieces together again for the next use. That's made this item a hit with military — 3,000 Ravens have been deployed for use overseas. AeroVironment hopes first responders and other domestic customers will show the same interest.
The Challenge Of Airspace Safety
These and other devices are waiting for the regulatory process to open the domestic market, which has been largely closed to unmanned vehicle use. But, Federal Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Michael Huerta told the group, that will change soon.
The FAA is designing safety protocols so unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, can be fully integrated into the national airspace system by 2015. Many manufacturers grumbled that the FAA is moving too slowly, and the current ban on commercial use is unfair. But they also acknowledged that an accident — such as a collision with an airliner — would be disastrous for their industry.
There was also a lot of discontent over the civil liberties objections to the use of UAVs by law enforcement, which is just beginning to take off. Many complained that calls for limits on the use of this technology could kill jobs, in an industry where the U.S. is in the lead.
Eyes In The Sky And Civil Liberties
In a panel discussion, law enforcement officials and attorneys said legal precedent provides protections against unreasonable searches, which should ease public concerns. But, Gregory McNeal of the Pepperdine University School of Law told the audience, ignoring civil liberties concerns could be a costly mistake. He said the UAV industry needs to explain the benefits of its products, and cannot sit back and complain that citizens' concerns are unjustified.
Much of the industry is still focused on devices that can't leave the ground. The counterpart to the growing number of small flying vehicles are hand-sized helpers, like the Throwbot made by ReconRobotics. In Afghanistan, soldiers throw these 1.2-pound robots onto a roof or through a window. The barbell-shaped Throwbot rumbles around and provides a video feed of the scene, so troops — or police — can assess the situation from a safe distance. Other manufacturers, such as Roomba-maker iRobot, are moving into the throwable robot segment, in the hope that they will prove useful in hostage situations here at home.
In addition to law enforcement, those who watch over large tracts of land are eager to use UAVs to save valuable time. Mike Hutt of the U.S. Geological Survey said his agency has already used UAVs to survey the sandhill crane population in Colorado. He's hoping to get FAA approval soon for other uses on federal lands, from monitoring forest health to watching volcanic eruptions in Hawaii. Hutt predicts UAV use will surpass the use of manned aircraft for his field by the end of this decade.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Fan casing manufactured from heavy gauge galvanised sheet steel internally lined with 25mm thickness fireproof fibreglass acoustic insulation (M0).
All models incorporate separate high grade diecast aluminium blades locked within a pressed sheet steel hub.
Available, depending upon the model:
– with three phase motors in 4 or 6 poles.
– with three phase two speed motors 4/8 or 6/12 poles.
F400-120 and F300-120 motors are IP55 class H insulation.
Electrical supplies:Three phase 230/400V-50Hz up to 3 kW.
Three phase 400V-50Hz, for higher power motors and two speed motors.
(See characteristics chart).
Additional Information
Standard air direction: form (A) configuration (Motor over Impeller).
Highly versatile range due to different number of available blades and adjustable pitch angles
Impellers with 3, 5, 6, 7 or 9 blades with adjustable pitch angles, allowing the most optimum selection to achieve with every kind of instal -
Motor approved S1 and S2
F400-120 or F300-120 certified motors approved for running continuously (S1) or for emergency operation (S2). -
Corrosion resistance
Casings manufactured from galvanised sheet steel.
Design enables the casing side panels to be removed and the motorimpeller assembly accessed. -
Easy to install
Robust base supports facilitate the installation.
(Models from 900 to 1250) -
Impeller dynamically balanced
Impeller dynamically balanced, according to ISO 1940 standard, providing vibration free operation. -
Wide blade design: higher pressure
Wide blade design to ensure the highest efficient airflow performances.
Configuration 1: models from 400 to 630 (F400) or 800/6 (F300).
Configuration 2: models from 710 (F400) or 800/9 (F300) to


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Fears of election-day violence in Thailand went largely unrealized on Sunday as efforts by anti-government protesters to block voting stations fell short oftheir goal of disrupting the parliamentary polls.
A few hundred polling stations in the capital were shut down by protesters, but the vast majority of them across the country remained open.
The election, called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was part of a bid to quell unrest that has threatened her government. Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party won overwhelmingly in 2011, but the opposition has denied the mandate and insisted that her government be replaced with an unelected council controlled by the monarchy.
Michael Sullivan reports for NPR from Bangkok that the Thai Election Commission says 89 percent of polling stations were open. He says there was almost no violence in the capital, despite a pitched gun battle that raged ahead of the polling on Saturday in which seven people were wounded.
In several districts in Bangkok "protestors blocked voters from casting ballots while the police and army stood by and did nothing," he said.
Sullivan, who visited one station in the capital's Din Daeng district, says voters there broke through the police line and tried to get to the polling station. "There was a couple gunshots and then that was it, everyone dispersed very quickly," he tells Weekend Edition Saturday.
"Basically these people were disenfranchised today and that's something that they felt very strongly about and were angry about," he says.
The Associated Press reports:
"Angry voters at one Bangkok district stood outside of closed voting stations waving their identification cards and shouting 'Election! Election!'"
"'We have the right to vote. You don't have the right to take that away from us,' said Sasikarn Wannachokechai, a 51-year-old Bangkok resident who said she had never missed a chance to vote."
"Election results won't be known for some time. Another round must be scheduled for those denied access to polling stations. And elections must be held in 28 constituencies where protesters blocked candidate registration."
The New York Times writes that although the disruption of polling wasn't as widespread as feared, it appears "to be a prelude to a period of continued political paralysis in the country."
"Opposition forces, who represent a minority in the country and are seeking an appointed government, say they will challenge the election in the courts while continuing their street demonstrations in Bangkok."
"Ms. Yingluck ... voted soon after polls opened near her Bangkok home."
"She told the BBC it was important that people came out to vote to exercise their democratic right."
"But protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said the government would be unable to declare a result because of the closures, adding: 'Therefore the election is a waste of time and money.'"
The latest round of unrest in Thailand was sparked by the introduction of an amnesty bill that would have allowed Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to return to the country, despite his conviction on corruption charges. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 military coup.
Protest leader Suthep, who was a minister in the first civilian government to follow the coup, is charged with murder for overseeing a bloody crackdown on pro-Thaksin demonstrations in 2010 that resulted in the deaths of scores of activists.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Twins - 000 100 001 - 2 6 0Buchholz, armed with a terrific changeup and slider, pitched eight strong innings (8-5-2-1-7, 104), David Ortiz hit a two-run home run that survived the umpires' review, Bill Hall added a key insurance run by lining the third of three two-out singles in the sixth, and a slightly-shaky Daniel Bard recorded his first save of the year.
Red Sox - 000 201 00x - 3 10 1
Only three of Buchholz's 24 outs were recorded outside of the infield (the last out in the second and the first two batters in the third). Victor Martinez singled twice and was on base when Flo launched his 8th dong. Adrian Beltre also had two hits and scored a run.
Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 10-6 and now lead the East by 4 games. The Red Sox remain 8.5 GB. The Blue Jays are in Seattle.Scott Baker / Clay Buchholz
Jeremy Hermida has the best RBI% on the team. Note to media and various fans: See who is #2?Drew, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Martinez, C
Youkilis, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Beltre, 3B
Hermida, LF
Hall, SS
McDonald, CF
The Red Sox are hitting much better than their opponents, yet have scored eight fewer runs and are 20-20.
AVG OBP SLG OPS RUNSWith runners on base, the Red Sox and their opponents have similar OBP and SLG, but Boston is batting only .269 to its opponents' .281.
Red Sox .270 .350 .454 .804 210
Opponents .260 .338 .426 .764 218
OBP from Batting Order Spot
BOS OPPAlso at 7: Rays at Yankees. Tampa Bay (who might not get J.P. Howell back this season, not that his absence has slowed them down so far) is 3 GA of the MFY and 8.5 GA of the Sox. I don't want to fall any further behind, so I guess that means I'd like the Rays to lose both of their games in the Bronx.
#2 .377 .282
#3 .289 .359
Dan Graziano writes that the Rays-Yankees series might be "between the best two teams in baseball", but the Red Sox and Yankees "still have the market cornered on crazy, as they proved by packing a week's worth of eventful baseball insanity into the past two nights".
On this date in 2008, Jon Lester pitched a no-hitter against the Royals. (JoS)


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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Tony Romo was sick, and it wasn't because he had just watched the Oakland Raiders return a fumble for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.
After the Dallas quarterback caught a virus the night before Thanksgiving, his top two running backs were there to help out.
DeMarco Murray ran for three touchdowns, backup Lance Dunbar led Dallas with a career-high 82 yards rushing and the Cowboys overcame the shock of Oakland's early score to beat the Raiders 31-24 Thursday.
Romo still did his part. He was behind 7-0 before taking his first snap, and his offense didn't have a yard in the second quarter when he took the field down 21-7 with less than 2 minutes remaining before halftime.
Five completions from Romo later, Murray scored on a 4-yard run 10 seconds before halftime and set the stage for a second-half rally that put the Cowboys (7-5) two games above .500 for the first time since late last season.
Dallas is at least temporarily ahead of Philadelphia (6-5) atop the NFC East.
"To have the opening kickoff fumbled and returned for a touchdown and then be down a couple of scores in the first half, nobody blinked," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "The momentum kind of turned and I think guys started feeling pretty good and it just continued."
Dallas was without kick returner Dwayne Harris because of a hamstring injury, and rookie replacement Terrance Williams gave the Raiders a touchdown with a fumble on the opening kickoff.
Greg Jenkins picked up the ball at the 23 after it squirted away from the pile and outran everyone to the pylon. The play was upheld on review after replay showed Williams' knee hitting the turf just as the ball was coming out.
Matt McGloin, an undrafted rookie quarterback making his third career start, had a strong first half for the Raiders.
But without much help from the league's fifth-best rushing attack, his offense stalled in the second half as Oakland (4-8) clinched an 11th straight season without a winning record since going to the Super Bowl during the 2002 season.
Rashad Jennings rushed for 35 yards on 17 carries -- a 2.1-yard average -- and had both of Oakland's offensive touchdowns. Darren McFadden carried just five times for 13 yards in his return after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
"The game boiled down to, in the second half we wore down," said Raiders coach Dennis Allen, the league's youngest head coach making his first appearance near the Dallas suburb of Hurst, where he grew up. "They were able to run the ball and we weren't able to get off the field."
Murray had just 25 yards after his third TD, but ran for another 38 to help Dallas burn the clock with a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. Most of the late damage came on a drive to Dan Bailey's 19-yard field goal to put Dallas up by 10 with 1:56 left.
Murray, who tied the score at 7-all on a 2-yard run the first play after a fumble by McGloin late in the first quarter, also had 39 yards receiving.
"I was just playing like I always play," Murray said. "I'm not worried about anything else. I'm just doing the best I can do and trying to help this team win."
Dunbar, who went out with a left knee sprain in the fourth quarter, sparked the tying and go-ahead touchdown drives in the second half, highlighted by a 45-yard run that led to a 4-yard scoring pass from Romo to Dez Bryant, who had seven catches for 61 yards.
McGloin, who was 18 of 30 for 255 yards, converted five straight third downs with passes on a pair of touchdown drives in the second quarter.
He also had a throw to Andre Holmes that was ruled a touchdown on second-and-goal from the 16. After the call was overturned on replay, Jennings scored from the 1 to put Oakland ahead 14-7.
Holmes, who played seven games for Dallas last season before he was sent to the practice squad, had career highs with seven catches for 136 yards. His previous high was 33 yards.
After McGloin completed a 21-yard pass to Holmes on the first play of the second half, the Raiders didn't get another first down until the fourth quarter.
"We did start slow but this team is getting to that point where there is no panic anymore," said Dallas cornerback Brandon Carr, who was burned repeatedly by Holmes but had an interception to stop a potential tying drive by the Raiders in the fourth quarter.
Notes: Raiders G guard Mike Brisiel injured a knee on Oakland's first offensive play and didn't return. ... CB Mike Jenkins, who spent his first five seasons with the Cowboys, had a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble before leaving with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press